Entry #45: Guest Post By Raul Pacheco

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Duane invited me to guest post on an environmental topic, and since I had already been mulling over the question of privatization of water, I figured I'd do some quick research. Since this is an on-the-fly post and we are both exhausted after more than 22 hours worth of Blogathon, I am not going to do my usual super awesome in-depth research, and I'm just going to point you out to a quick reference page I found. The notion that water is a commodity kind of bugs me because I don't think we can put an actual price on natural resources. Of course, there is the theory of payment for environmental ...

Entry #44: Homelessness, In Photos

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This entry was written for Blogathon 2008, and in support of the Union Gospel Mission charity. If you'd like to donate to the cause, please visit the blogathon donation page and fill out the form near the middle. You can also follow the blogathon RSS feed for this site by clicking here. ...

Entry #42: New Star Trek Coming Soon

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I've a die hard Star Trek fan -- always have been, and always will be. My dad and I used to sit around every Sunday watching Star Trek The Next Generation in the old days, and I've fairly certain I've seen every episode of the original series. That's why I'm looking forward to the new Star Trek movie coming out, which is essentially an origin story. [easyvideo video="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x44i94"] Even though the trailer doesn't really show anything, I'm fairly certain it's going to be awesome! This entry was written for Blogathon 2008, and in support of the Union Gospel Mission ...

Entry #41: Trans Fat Banned In California

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Trans fat is the dietary equivalent of the devil. It provides no nutritional value, and reeks havoc on the body's ability to transport fats through the blood. In terms of the different types of fat that people obtain through their diet, the following effects take place: Saturated fat raises LDL (the bad cholesterol), but basically leaves HDL (the good stuff) in tack Polyunsaturated fat raises HDL (the good stuff), so it helps you Monounsaturated fat typically raises HDL, but sometimes raises LDL, so while it usually is good for you, in excess it can sometimes be bad for you Trans fat raises LDL ...

Entry #40: New iPhone Firmware About To Be Released

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We're up to about $530 now. I'm hoping we can hit $1000, which means we basically need about $100 an hour. That's a big goal, and I'll need the help of every reader to pull it off. If you want to know more information about the United Gospel Mission, please head over to their website or send me a personal email via my contact page. When the iPhone 3G came out a few weeks ago, along with it came the new 2.0 firmware that brought many new features, including the coveted application store. Unfortunately, with the update came a pile of bugs, including problems with the GPS unit, and a completely unresponsive ...

Entry #39: Five More Hours To Go

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Well, there's only five hours left in my first blogathon. It's actually been a pile of fun, even though I'm fairly exhausted. I want to give a big round of applause to everyone that's been a part of this event, especially those that are also nearing the end (and thankfully, get to go to bed soon). There's a third shift starting tonight at 10pm, so there will be plenty to read tonight. And while the blog entries and those who pen them are obviously to be commended, I think we need to all remember our respective charities, and remember the causes we are all fighting for. While I spent all last night ...

Entry #38 - Charity Update

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I did a quick tally of all the emails pledge I've received from Rebecca's site, and we're sitting at around the $400 $450 mark, which is great. Thanks to everyone who has pledged so far. My own personal goal was to try and hit $1000, and we're doing pretty good so far. There are only about ten entries left, so if you've been sitting on the fences waiting to potentially donate, now's your chance. As I mentioned in my last entry, Matthew Good has also generously donated a signed copy of his last album, Hospital Music, which hit #1 in Canada when it was released last year. Anyone who donates at least ...

Entry #36: Choosing A Lens

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Most compact cameras that you pick up from Future Shop only have one built in lens. In most cases, it's a zoom lens, capable of giving you moderate wideangle coverage upwards to a decent telephoto lens. Most people probably don't know the difference between those two, so I thought I'll give a brief tutorial. The most well known lens is probably the 50mm prime. 50mm refers to the focal length of the lens, and prime refers to the fact that it's a fixed focal length lens (i.e. not a zoom lens). In photography, the 50mm lens is also called a "standard" lens because it almost exactly matches ...

Entry #35: Photography

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Based on a suggestion by Raul, I'm going to talk a little bit about my entry into photography. I originally got into a photography because I wanted a hobby that exploited my creative side without all the trappings of the math and science I typically deal with in my day job. Photography to me has always been a bit of a release, a way to unwind and simply see only a small portion of the world at a time. It's like turning the power off and noticing your ears are ringing -- it represents a way for me to unplug from the world for a period of time. I picked up my first digital camera in 2000. It cost ...

Entry #34: Ok It's Official, I'm Tired

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A big thanks to the following people who recently pledged support for the Union Gospel Mission Cullen Jennings Wow. To say I am completely exhausted at this point would be an understatement. I've essentially been awake since yesterday at 9am. That means I've been awake for around 30 hours now. Blogathon ends for me at 10pm tonight, which means I still have nearly eight hours left to go. I'm really not entirely sure how I'm going to make it, but hopefully I get my third or fourth wind soon. This Is Me When I'm Tired I've been listening to music rather loudly in my living room, hoping the aural ...

Entry #33: Seven Ways To Help The Homeless

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The Tyee had an interesting piece last year where they detailed seven different ways the city could potentially help the homeless. These seven items apparently were based on real-world examples of efforts in other cities that ultimately helped. I encourage everyone to head over to The Tyee and read the original article, but I'll give a short list here. Idea One: Trade Fairs for the Homeless Idea Two: Raise the Welfare Rates Idea Three: Train Young Workers Idea Four: Spread the Love Around Idea Five: Buy a Few Hotel Idea Six: Give Addicts Time to Heal Idea Seven: Bring Governments Together The ...

Entry #32: Union Gospel Mission's Blog -- 'The Street'

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As you well know by now, I am supporting the Union Gospel Mission for Blogathon. The Union Gospel Mission provides assistance to the homeless people in Vancouver, and those who are in the most need. At last count, this blog has raised at least $320 or so towards the charity, and I'm hoping to bring it closer to $1000 as the event continues. As I mentioned in my last two posts, anyone that donates at least $50 to the United Gospel Mission will receive a free 8x12 print from my HDR gallery. It can be a permanent reminder for you of the contribution you made to help some of the less fortunate in ...

Entry #31: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Summer

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The following is guest post by my good friend, Keira Mellis, who happens to have a really amazing blog herself over at Keira-Anne.com. Also, we've received another donation, one that's eligible for my free photo giveaway. Here's a list of recent donations. Michelle Palazzo YOU - if you click here and pledge Also, to sweeten the deal, any person who donates $50 or more to the Union Gospel Mission will receive a free 8x12 photo of their choosing from my HDR gallery located at SmugMug. Since it's rather apparent that our blogalicious friend, Duane, has such a deep love for the spirit of all things ...

Entry #30: HDR Photography

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Two more people have donated recently to the Union Gospel Mission. They are: Kevin Haggerty Grant Jordan Thanks for your support. If anyone else pledges before my next entry, drop a comment or an email and I'll make sure I add your name. I don't have the exact number, but I think that brings us close to $300, with a goal of $1000. So if you can help us hit that goal, please head on over to the pledge page and lend some support. To sweeten the deal, I'll give any person who donates $50 or more to the Union Gospel Mission an 8x12 photo of your choosing from my HDR gallery located at SmugMug. One ...

Entry #29: Missouri Community Embraces The Wind

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If you pledge between now and 10pm tonight, I'll feature your name on the top of the next blog post. So please head on over to pledge, and then drop me an email or a comment. Help me reach my goal of $1000, and support the Union Gospel Mission. Sometime last night, while in the middle of a weird, sleep-deprived trance, I blogged about a community in Canada that recently converted to solar power. To show that our American friends down south can be innovative and green as well, I want to talk about another community that has recently embraced the wind. Wind Turbines, Photo From here In Rock Port, ...

Entry #28: Blogathon Update

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Well, I imagine by now many of the early morning shift people are in full swing. It seems like so long ago I wrote my first entry, and here I am at number 28. It sure is getting difficult finding content on short notice, but I'm managing to stay ahead of the curve somehow. My Blogathon Setup Rebecca did a quick tally on her blog, and I think between all the participants we are up to around $500 so far. That number doesn't include people who have gone directly to their charity's website and donated directly, so ultimately the number will be a bit higher. In terms of people on this blog, we've ...

Entry #26: Guest Entry From Shira Lazar

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Featured Image The following is a guest post by the always lovely Shira Lazar. Shira is an amazing reporter based out of Los Angeles, and was nice enough to offer to help me out with a guest posting. You can read more about Shira Lazar on her main site, or head on over and check out her blog, The Pop Report. Thanks again Shira! After a few hours of sleep, I'm back and ready to rumble in San Fran. My fellow Canuck and blogger, Duane Storey, has been doing a 24-hour blogathon for charity starting last night at 10pm and has been getting friends to do guest entries- so here's my contribution. Last night at the ...

Entry #25: Keeping On Truckin'

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Well, ladies and gents, we just passed the halfway mark over here. I have to say, writing 24 blog entries has turned out to be more difficult than I imagined. I managed to close my eyes for a few minutes there are recharge my batteries slightly, but I'm currently in this weird groggy limbo that is making it hard to write anything. For those of you arriving here on the day shift, welcome. Please browse the pages and visit all 24 entries so far. As you know, I am doing this 24 blogging marathon to support the Union Gospel Mission. If you are a reader and wouldn't mind supporting their cause, then ...

Entry #24: Qantus Jet Cracks Open In Mid-Air

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I'm not a big fan of flying, so whenever I hear a story about a plane breaking apart in mid-air, I get a bit worried. Today a Qantus 747 busted a hole in the fuselodge in mid-flight, causing the oxygen masks to come down and the pilots to execute an emergency landing. Passengers described hearing a loud bang and seeing debris fly into the cabin. As the plane depressurized, oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling and cabin crew members shouted to passengers to put them on. “There was a terrific boom and bits of wood and debris just flew forward” into the first-class area, a passenger, Dr. June ...

Entry #23: Acid3 Tests And Web Browsing

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Anyone who has attempted to design a website before knows that not all browsers are created equal. In terms of web development, a lot of my time goes into making a website work on Internet Explorer 6, since many people still used it even though it is hopeless broken with regards to being standards compliant. To help make browsers more compliant, several initiates have emerged over the last few years. The first is an effort by the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) to have the source code for websites validate against W3C standards. While several exist, most developers attempt to conform to TRANSITIONAL ...