old, i know, but still. who remembers the arcade game NBA Jam? when you caught fire and the ball was actually glowing and had a flaming trail?
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
the anatomy of a nod
By Michael Hippchen
April 9, 2009
What's in a nod?
Is it a friendly hello? A non-verbal "Hi! How are ya?" Sometimes, yes.
Not just nods however, what's in a wave? Or a point? Or a wink? Nonverbal communication is very common these days, especially on bustling college campuses where there are literally thousands of people in a small concentrated area at any given time.
When I'm walking around campus, I'll see a buddy from across the hall and seek him out like it's a football route: five steps slant right, skinny Z-Post in for the handshake. Nice and firm, grip with the thumbs wait for an even brake-off point. Simple, yet complicated at the same time. Often, this handshake is accompanied with a "What's going on?" or the less interested "Good to see ya."
On the complicated hierarchy of nonverbal touches and body movements, the handshake is one of the more serious and committed. Let us now examine a few members of the hierarchy and what each non-verbal act means to the general public.
The Upward Nod. A chin-to-the-air neck jerk complimented by a slight squint of both eyes. This popular nonverbal gesture is usually done from far distances; for example, while one is at a large social gathering or walking in a large congregated area, like a college campus, an upward nod will be given and received. An upward nod characterizes respectability...to a point. It basically means, "I like enough to acknowledge your existence, but not enough to walk all the hell the way over to where you are standing to actually say hello." An upward nod is not a bad thing; if it had to be one or other it would be a good thing, basically equivalent of someone yelling, "What's up?"
The Downward Nod. A chin dip that requires darting eyes to remain in contact with the now different-level receiver. Downward nods are usually not a great thing. They basically imply, "I don't really like you, but I know who you are, so now I have to acknowledge your existence." It's a minimal amount of movement that elicits a minimal response. From my own personal experiences, I usually give a downward nod to people I know that I am not crazy about, but know that they have no problem with me. I figure if it's an enemy, I'll get no non-verbal movement whatsoever and an abrupt about-face turn to avoid any contact or view whatsoever. Beware the downward nod; giving them are almost as bad as receiving them.
The High-Five. Dude, cool. A high-five is an honorable action that includes fun at the same time. Loud noises (slap!) accompanied by a crisp, quick extension of the arm to the highest point in the air possible is always fun. A high-five is usually a non-verbal gesture that means, "Dude, you are awesome, so awesome in fact that you deserve a high-five." High-fives are also reserved for acknowledgements of great achievement, for example, "Dude you just ate four Big Macs in 20 minutes! High-Five!" Granted, the achievement has to be cool, i.e. binge eating, throwing down a slam-dunk, break-dancing. High-fives are almost always a positive action and one of the more enthusiastic forms of nonverbal communication.
The Point. The pointing of one's middle finger can signify different things. Sometimes it means "Thanks", other time it means "It's your fault." The point is both good and bad depending on the situation. A positive form of the point often includes another of the aforementioned actions, such as the upward nod or high-five. In those situations, the point is used to signify the finding of someone one knows in one's line of sight, followed by acknowledgement.
The Thumbs-Up. The thumbs-up is one of the oldest nonverbal communication actions around. It simply implies one thing: Good. For example, a thumbs-up can either mean "I'm good" or "I'm ok", while at the same time also meaning "Good job, buddy!" If one receives a thumbs-up, something positive is happening.
The Middle Finger. The middle finger is never good. Ever. It says, "I hate you, a lot, past the point of simply ignoring you, and the point that I want to express my extreme dislike." The middle finger is often utilized while driving, a common place for aggressiveness and peeving actions that will merit the middle finger.
Remember these explanations and practice these like you would your golf swing. They mean more than some think.
April 9, 2009
What's in a nod?
Is it a friendly hello? A non-verbal "Hi! How are ya?" Sometimes, yes.
Not just nods however, what's in a wave? Or a point? Or a wink? Nonverbal communication is very common these days, especially on bustling college campuses where there are literally thousands of people in a small concentrated area at any given time.
When I'm walking around campus, I'll see a buddy from across the hall and seek him out like it's a football route: five steps slant right, skinny Z-Post in for the handshake. Nice and firm, grip with the thumbs wait for an even brake-off point. Simple, yet complicated at the same time. Often, this handshake is accompanied with a "What's going on?" or the less interested "Good to see ya."
On the complicated hierarchy of nonverbal touches and body movements, the handshake is one of the more serious and committed. Let us now examine a few members of the hierarchy and what each non-verbal act means to the general public.
The Upward Nod. A chin-to-the-air neck jerk complimented by a slight squint of both eyes. This popular nonverbal gesture is usually done from far distances; for example, while one is at a large social gathering or walking in a large congregated area, like a college campus, an upward nod will be given and received. An upward nod characterizes respectability...to a point. It basically means, "I like enough to acknowledge your existence, but not enough to walk all the hell the way over to where you are standing to actually say hello." An upward nod is not a bad thing; if it had to be one or other it would be a good thing, basically equivalent of someone yelling, "What's up?"
The Downward Nod. A chin dip that requires darting eyes to remain in contact with the now different-level receiver. Downward nods are usually not a great thing. They basically imply, "I don't really like you, but I know who you are, so now I have to acknowledge your existence." It's a minimal amount of movement that elicits a minimal response. From my own personal experiences, I usually give a downward nod to people I know that I am not crazy about, but know that they have no problem with me. I figure if it's an enemy, I'll get no non-verbal movement whatsoever and an abrupt about-face turn to avoid any contact or view whatsoever. Beware the downward nod; giving them are almost as bad as receiving them.
The High-Five. Dude, cool. A high-five is an honorable action that includes fun at the same time. Loud noises (slap!) accompanied by a crisp, quick extension of the arm to the highest point in the air possible is always fun. A high-five is usually a non-verbal gesture that means, "Dude, you are awesome, so awesome in fact that you deserve a high-five." High-fives are also reserved for acknowledgements of great achievement, for example, "Dude you just ate four Big Macs in 20 minutes! High-Five!" Granted, the achievement has to be cool, i.e. binge eating, throwing down a slam-dunk, break-dancing. High-fives are almost always a positive action and one of the more enthusiastic forms of nonverbal communication.
The Point. The pointing of one's middle finger can signify different things. Sometimes it means "Thanks", other time it means "It's your fault." The point is both good and bad depending on the situation. A positive form of the point often includes another of the aforementioned actions, such as the upward nod or high-five. In those situations, the point is used to signify the finding of someone one knows in one's line of sight, followed by acknowledgement.
The Thumbs-Up. The thumbs-up is one of the oldest nonverbal communication actions around. It simply implies one thing: Good. For example, a thumbs-up can either mean "I'm good" or "I'm ok", while at the same time also meaning "Good job, buddy!" If one receives a thumbs-up, something positive is happening.
The Middle Finger. The middle finger is never good. Ever. It says, "I hate you, a lot, past the point of simply ignoring you, and the point that I want to express my extreme dislike." The middle finger is often utilized while driving, a common place for aggressiveness and peeving actions that will merit the middle finger.
Remember these explanations and practice these like you would your golf swing. They mean more than some think.
Monday, November 30, 2009
documentary - BBC - pedigree dogs exposed
an eye-opening and depressing video on pure bred dogs.
Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed
bordercollie19 | MySpace Video
Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed
bordercollie19 | MySpace Video
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
smokes poutinerie truck
Smokes Poutinerie has a truck by our office RIGHT NOW. what could be better?
Images fully tilt-shift-generated.
Images fully tilt-shift-generated.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
random question
not that i would want to hear it anywhere else, but why do i only ever hear this song in grocery stores?
Monday, November 09, 2009
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
that's why they say never run across the street.
or for a cab. or a street car. or a bus.
the street's a crazy place.
the street's a crazy place.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
song of the week.
maybe 2 weeks....
nothing new, just rediscovered. even more so through this video. it's amazing how a video can change to song. i love the take CPF has on the track. it's pretty much a 180 from the strokes look and feel but it's totally believable. a lotta michael in there. a little james brown. maybe a little elvis. very old school. love it.
the strokes. killing lies. a cozzars production films video interpretation.
nothing new, just rediscovered. even more so through this video. it's amazing how a video can change to song. i love the take CPF has on the track. it's pretty much a 180 from the strokes look and feel but it's totally believable. a lotta michael in there. a little james brown. maybe a little elvis. very old school. love it.
the strokes. killing lies. a cozzars production films video interpretation.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
smaaaaart
"To encourage people to take the staircase instead of the escalator, Volkswagen converted a set of steps at the Odenplan subway station in Stockholm into working piano keys. The effort is just one stunt that appears on the carmaker's Rolighetsteorin.se or "Theory of Fun" website, which showcases efforts to get people to change by simply making things more fun."
creativity-online.com
creativity-online.com
Monday, October 05, 2009
nuit blanche. fail.
the scotia bank nuit blanche was on this past saturday night for the 4th straight year and i have to say - pretty shitty. last year was great. lots of actual art and installations. no line-ups. just an awesome night. this year, complete opposite. the work wasn't really that interesting and/or inspiring. i wouldn't be surprised to learn there was a huge budget cut to the commissioned work because it definitely looked like it. people standing around in paper bags, or participants riding around on bikes towing couches doesn't really come off as "art." but that's just me. art is completely subjective, i know. but dressing people up in paper bags? people building "shelters" out of cardboard boxes? also, the line-ups for the work were ridiculous. on a night where you know thousands of people are going to be out, why would you organize anything that would require a line-up? last year we rode from spot to spot, saw almost everything and didn't have to wait for anything other than cars and traffic. after an entire night of disappointment, we lined up for one piece. was it worth it? no.
here are some shots from the night.
here are some shots from the night.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
procrastination at its finest
beautiful, rhythmic procrastination found here: lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix
and for those that want something a little more advanced.... inudge.net
and for those that want something a little more advanced.... inudge.net
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
perspectives of a girl
online film festival for girl guides canada. here are my favorite 3. visit the site to watch them all.
perspectivesonagirl.ca
population of this city by krystle mullin
dream by shelley lewis
different by jenn rossini and liz whalen with alchemy
perspectivesonagirl.ca
population of this city by krystle mullin
dream by shelley lewis
different by jenn rossini and liz whalen with alchemy
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
helping monkey
came across this picture randomly today on corbis while searching for photos....
"A monkey trained to help paraplegics fetches an item from the fridge. Boston."
"A monkey trained to help paraplegics fetches an item from the fridge. Boston."
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
tiff recos
so i got a chance to check out some short films at the toronto international film festival and have a couple MUST-SEES for you.
The Armoire by Jamie Travis.
"A young boy goes missing in a seemingly “perfect” suburban neighbourhood. His best friend has no idea what happened, and slowly begins to descend into an abyss of grief, tormented by the mystery surrounding the disappearance. Soon the depressed lad begins sleeping in his armoire, haunted by the silence it holds. Through magnificent art direction, Jamie Travis brings us another sad children’s tale, eerily capturing a young boy’s struggle to hide his secrets."
Danse Macabre by Pedro Pires
"Based on a concept by Robert Lepage, Pedro Pires’s exquisitely photographed morbid ballet pushes the traditional dance film to new cinematic heights. In haunting deserted spaces, the choreographed erratic motions of a corpse evoke the final spasms of life and a last struggle with the emotional turns of the past."
Monday, September 14, 2009
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
send back your Sigg
sigg.com/liner
article found here
When you call the customer service department of an international company, you don't expect the chief executive to be returning your call or answering your e-mail.
But that's exactly what Steve Wasik's been doing for weeks now in a massive damage control exercise aimed at placating fuming owners of the Sigg water bottle.
"In the last few weeks, we heard from thousands of people, probably approaching 10,000," said Wasik in an interview this week from Las Vegas, where he's supposed to be vacationing with his family.
Instead, he's been handling most media inquiries and responding to hundreds of customer complaints, writing e-mails himself and offering to replace old bottles for free.
This was not what the CEO had in mind when late last month he posted a letter to customers boasting that all Sigg aluminum water bottles now on the market were "certified to be 100 per cent free of BPA," a controversial chemical used to harden plastic, but suspected to pose potential health hazards.
(In Canada, the federal government last year banned BPA in baby bottles and several U.S. states are considering similar legislation.)
But Wasik's letter also mentioned how Sigg bottles manufactured before August 2008 contained "trace amounts of BPA."
Needless to say, Wasik's letter did not have the desired effect.
Instead of its customers applauding Sigg's million-dollar initiative in developing its "ECO-Care" liner, they were stunned to learn that older bottles were made with any BPA at all.
Sigg has never claimed its bottles were BPA-free. When asked about the chemical last year in an interview with the popular environmental website Treehugger.com, Wasik said that scientific testing consistently showed no BPA leaching from Sigg bottles into water.
But many Sigg customers purchased the expensive bottles -- they retail for as much as $30 -- specifically because of concerns over chemicals found in plastic bottles, chemicals like BPA.
In fact, the 100-year-old Swiss company cashed in on consumer fears over BPA. When the company that makes the Nalgene water bottle pulled the popular product off store shelves amidst growing concern over the chemical, people flocked to Sigg.
Don Smith, co-owner of health-food store Foodsmiths in Perth, said that during that time, his store sold "thousands of bottles a month," peaking in the spring or summer of 2008 -- before the new BPA-free liner was introduced.
"Our trust in the company has diminished," said Smith. "They could have and should have been more forthright in their disclosure. This BPA issue has blindsided everyone."
That includes Donna Davis. Extremely health conscious, Davis tries to be as green as possible, in her personal life as well as in her business, the Movement to Health yoga studio. She even sold the bottles to her students. "Now I feel like a loser," Davis said. "I feel deceived and I feel like the middleman in deceiving other consumers."
She said claims by the company that the old lining didn't leach BPA weren't enough -- they should have disclosed that the lining contained trace amounts of chemical "and then consumers can make up their own minds."
Davis is far from alone in feeling duped by the company, which portrays itself as environmentally responsible.
"I'm new in the environmental business," said Wasik, whose background has been in the beverage and fashion industries.
"What I'm learning is that our consumers hold us to a higher standard and expect more transparency."
Earlier this week, Wasik formally apologized to Sigg customers and offered to exchange any older bottles for new ones, a move that will certainly cost the privately held company hundreds of thousands -- if not millions -- of dollars. He has also tried to personally respond to as many customer complaints as possible.
"I'd say 80 per cent of my conversations have been cordial," said Wasik. "About another 10 per cent people were angry, but most of them still want to do business with us. And about 10 per cent of people say they'll never buy our product again.
"I understand that."
Smith of Foodsmiths falls under the angry-but-still-will-sell-Siggs category. He said that even though his trust in the company has fallen, at least it is trying to make amends.
Davis isn't quite so forgiving. "I probably wouldn't stock Sigg again; I'd probably stock a nice-looking stainless steel one."
Like many other retailers who sell Siggs, Foodsmiths will exchange any bottles with the old liner that were purchased at the store, saving the customer the cost of shipping the bottles.
It's too early to tell whether customers will forgive Sigg. And retailers won't cut the company any slack.
"We do sell stainless bottles as well, and we will be promoting those a little more heavily," said Smith. "We're not loyal to the company necessarily. We'll let customers dictate. Some may choose to accept Sigg's apology and some may not."
- - -
How to return your old Sigg bottle
Since August 2008, Sigg bottles have been manufactured with the new BPA-free lining. But even if you purchased yours after that date, it may still have the old liner. Look inside your bottle: the liner with trace amounts of BPA will be a shiny copper colour, while the new "EcoCare" one is a matte yellow.
- Check with the store where you purchased your bottles -- many retailers are exchanging the old Siggs for new ones (and absorbing the shipping fees as a service for their customers).
- If you're sending your old Siggs in yourself, go online to www.mysigg.com/liner. On the left-hand side, click on menu item "Exchange Program."
- Near the bottom of the page are downloadable forms specifically for Canadian customers. You'll need two: one is a shipping label, so that your bottles will get to the right part of the Sigg Canada warehouse. The second one is a return form for Canadian customers. Make sure you fill this out in full so that the company knows where to send your new bottles.
- This is not a recall, but a voluntary replacement program. The company is not offering refunds. And you'll have to pay the postage for sending the old Siggs back to the company.
- The exchange program ends Oct. 31, 2009.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, September 06, 2009
one year walk/beard grow time lapse
November 9th 2007 - November 13th 2008
one year on foot - 4646km through China
unlimited beard & hair growth
thelongestway.com
musical score by the kingpins ( myspace.com/theoneandonlykingpins ) and zhu fengbo
Additional info:
- I never finished my original goal of walking to Germany. Instead, I walked for a year and roughly 4500km, passed the desert of Gobi, and then decided to stop walking for now.
- All of the distance from Beijing to Ürümqi has been completed solely on foot, straight good old walking. There are instances where you can see me in the video sitting on a plane or riding a boat, but those are during breaks I had to take from walking, either to sort out bureaucracy issues or to take care of some personal things.
- I had been planning this trip for over a year before I even started, and getting as far as I got was an experience for which I am very grateful.
- Obtaining the necessary visa for a trip like this was not very easy, hence I had to go back to Beijing a few times to resolve some issues.
- The songs I used in the video are 1) Zhu Fengbo - "Olive Tree" and 2) The Kingpins - "L'aventurier" - visit the Kingpins website if you want to know more, they are very cool I think.
- This is not a strict "1 pic a day" video, because I wanted to make it a bit more alive by adding some additional movement. Sometimes during the film you would follow me turn around, or something would happen in the background. I tried to capture these moments to make the video more interesting.
- The core of this project is in fact my website "www.thelongestway.com" where I have posted my extensive travel diary, starting from day 1 (Nov 9th 2007) and describing every single day until the end one year later.
one year on foot - 4646km through China
unlimited beard & hair growth
thelongestway.com
musical score by the kingpins ( myspace.com/theoneandonlykingpins ) and zhu fengbo
Additional info:
- I never finished my original goal of walking to Germany. Instead, I walked for a year and roughly 4500km, passed the desert of Gobi, and then decided to stop walking for now.
- All of the distance from Beijing to Ürümqi has been completed solely on foot, straight good old walking. There are instances where you can see me in the video sitting on a plane or riding a boat, but those are during breaks I had to take from walking, either to sort out bureaucracy issues or to take care of some personal things.
- I had been planning this trip for over a year before I even started, and getting as far as I got was an experience for which I am very grateful.
- Obtaining the necessary visa for a trip like this was not very easy, hence I had to go back to Beijing a few times to resolve some issues.
- The songs I used in the video are 1) Zhu Fengbo - "Olive Tree" and 2) The Kingpins - "L'aventurier" - visit the Kingpins website if you want to know more, they are very cool I think.
- This is not a strict "1 pic a day" video, because I wanted to make it a bit more alive by adding some additional movement. Sometimes during the film you would follow me turn around, or something would happen in the background. I tried to capture these moments to make the video more interesting.
- The core of this project is in fact my website "www.thelongestway.com" where I have posted my extensive travel diary, starting from day 1 (Nov 9th 2007) and describing every single day until the end one year later.
The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.
November 9th 2007 - November 13th 2008
one year on foot - 4646km through China
unlimited beard & hair growth
http://www.thelongestway.com
musical score by the kingpins ( http://www.myspace.com/theoneandonlykingpins ) and zhu fengbo
Additional info:
- I never finished my original goal of walking to Germany. Instead, I walked for a year and roughly 4500km, passed the desert of Gobi, and then decided to stop walking for now.
- All of the distance from Beijing to Ürümqi has been completed solely on foot, straight good old walking. There are instances where you can see me in the video sitting on a plane or riding a boat, but those are during breaks I had to take from walking, either to sort out bureaucracy issues or to take care of some personal things.
- I had been planning this trip for over a year before I even started, and getting as far as I got was an experience for which I am very grateful.
- Obtaining the necessary visa for a trip like this was not very easy, hence I had to go back to Beijing a few times to resolve some issues.
- The songs I used in the video are 1) Zhu Fengbo - "Olive Tree" and 2) The Kingpins - "L'aventurier" - visit the Kingpins website if you want to know more, they are very cool I think.
- This is not a strict "1 pic a day" video, because I wanted to make it a bit more alive by adding some additional movement. Sometimes during the film you would follow me turn around, or something would happen in the background. I tried to capture these moments to make the video more interesting.
- The core of this project is in fact my website "www.thelongestway.com" where I have posted my extensive travel diary, starting from day 1 (Nov 9th 2007) and describing every single day until the end one year later.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
"smart cars are just as strong as any other car."
i know no car would have any kind of advantage against these trucks in this situation, but somehow i'd much rather take my chances in something that a little more up front and behind (like an engine and a trunk).
Monday, August 17, 2009
lemonade
More than 70,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this Great Recession. Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives.
district 9
AMAZING movie. definitely find some time and see it.
d-9.com
also check this out:
multinationalunited.com/training
"This a short film from Neill Blomkamp, which the movie District 9 is based off of. Neill Blomkamp was originally set to produce the halo movie, which is now on hold indenfinitely."
d-9.com
also check this out:
multinationalunited.com/training
"This a short film from Neill Blomkamp, which the movie District 9 is based off of. Neill Blomkamp was originally set to produce the halo movie, which is now on hold indenfinitely."
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
client$!
Client$ from AmoebaCorp on Vimeo.
>This is a short film exploring the role of the client in the design process. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em...
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
tappening
The money we, as a nation, waste on bottled water could insure every single uninsured child in America! Join Tappening now to receive free information and updates about what we can do together for our planet.
www.tappening.com
www.tappening.com
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
emails from an asshole
"What is this?
This is a collection of e-mails I have sent to people who post classified ads. My goal is to mess with them, confuse them, and/or piss them off. These are the ones that succeeded."
dontevenreply.com
This is a collection of e-mails I have sent to people who post classified ads. My goal is to mess with them, confuse them, and/or piss them off. These are the ones that succeeded."
dontevenreply.com
Monday, July 06, 2009
Friday, July 03, 2009
EPIC FAIL for Canada on WWF climate report card
to the surprise of nobody who lives here, Canada has come in dead last on a climate report card prepared by the World Wildlife Foundation. the US is close behind, but at least is going in the right direction. article found here.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
jenniferrrrrrrr
what my fiend jenn found in her mailbox this morning... an envelop with a 2 plastic babies (one black, one white), a plastic dove, and a cross. all wrapped in some beautifully patterned brown paper. sick joke or a hilarious sick joke?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
rainamobile continued...
freshly painted and ready to go. it really is amazing what a good paint job can do to a frame. i'm doing a lot of the building here at the office cause i spend so much time here so everyone has seen all the stages so far. and seeing the painted frame today, it didn't even register to some that it was the same frame. they thought that i had gone out and bought another one (as if i make that kinda cash..). if you're looking for a new bike, i would seriously consider either finding a cheap old frame to paint of even your current frame if it's in good condition. a little bit of paint adds a lot of snazzz. powder coating is an easy, inexpensive way to get psyched on your bike again. the only thing that sucks are colors. if you want it pronto, colors are limited unless you get lucky and someone happens to be having something painted a crazy color. in that case, they can just add it to that order. but if you want a specific color out than a black or white you're going to pay for it. but it'll still be cheaper than buying a new frame. s'what i did with an old frame i bought for 40 bucks at the community bicycle network. before and after. seeing raina's frame all fresh and clean, i'm considering getting my repainted white or something. stay tuned...
Monday, June 22, 2009
bike locking strategy
by sheldon brown
If you don't have secure parking at your workplace, you should indeed have a serious lock, such as a Kryptonite. The thing is, you should not carry it home every night. The weight of a typical U-lock represents the difference between a $400 bike and a $700 bike.
Just leave the lock at work, locked to whatever you normally lock your bike to. Carry a light cable lock with you for quick errands or emergencies.
If you use both the U-lock and the cable lock at work, you are more than twice as safe as you would be with either of them alone. Either type of lock can be defeated, but each requires a different large, bulky tool which is useless against the other.
Don't take your bike apart to lock it, it is really bogus. The cable lock will secure your front wheel to the frame and any convenient object, and the U-lock will secure your rear wheel and frame. If you have a quick-release seatpost bolt, replace it with an Allen head bolt, and stop worrying about having your saddle stolen.
The best cable locks are the ones that have the lock built-in, rather than relying on a padlock. The padlock is the weak link, easily cut with bolt cutters, the tool of choice for most bike thieves. A new, sharp bolt cutter will cut a cable too, but an old, worn-out one will only crush a cable.
The best U-locks are the smallest. My favorite is the Kryptonite Mini, which not all bike shops stock. The Mini is much smaller and lighter than the more popular models, but just as secure. It may be even more secure, because of the limited room to put a jack inside it. It also gives less purchase for leverage-based attacks.
People tend to buy the big clunky U-locks because they don't know how to use them properly. A U-lock should go around the rear rim and tire, somewhere inside the rear triangle of the frame. There is no need to loop it around the seat tube as well, because the wheel cannot be pulled through the rear triangle.
Some will object that felons might cut the rear rim and tire to remove the lock. Believe me, this just doesn't happen in the real world. First, this would be a lot of work to steal a frame without a useable rear wheel, the most expensive part of a bike, after the frame. Second, cutting the rear rim is much harder than you might think. Since the rim is under substantial compression due to the tension on the spokes, it would pinch a hacksaw blade tight as soon as it cut partway through. Then there are the wire beads of the tire, also difficult to cut.
If you don't have secure parking at your workplace, you should indeed have a serious lock, such as a Kryptonite. The thing is, you should not carry it home every night. The weight of a typical U-lock represents the difference between a $400 bike and a $700 bike.
Just leave the lock at work, locked to whatever you normally lock your bike to. Carry a light cable lock with you for quick errands or emergencies.
If you use both the U-lock and the cable lock at work, you are more than twice as safe as you would be with either of them alone. Either type of lock can be defeated, but each requires a different large, bulky tool which is useless against the other.
Don't take your bike apart to lock it, it is really bogus. The cable lock will secure your front wheel to the frame and any convenient object, and the U-lock will secure your rear wheel and frame. If you have a quick-release seatpost bolt, replace it with an Allen head bolt, and stop worrying about having your saddle stolen.
The best cable locks are the ones that have the lock built-in, rather than relying on a padlock. The padlock is the weak link, easily cut with bolt cutters, the tool of choice for most bike thieves. A new, sharp bolt cutter will cut a cable too, but an old, worn-out one will only crush a cable.
The best U-locks are the smallest. My favorite is the Kryptonite Mini, which not all bike shops stock. The Mini is much smaller and lighter than the more popular models, but just as secure. It may be even more secure, because of the limited room to put a jack inside it. It also gives less purchase for leverage-based attacks.
People tend to buy the big clunky U-locks because they don't know how to use them properly. A U-lock should go around the rear rim and tire, somewhere inside the rear triangle of the frame. There is no need to loop it around the seat tube as well, because the wheel cannot be pulled through the rear triangle.
Some will object that felons might cut the rear rim and tire to remove the lock. Believe me, this just doesn't happen in the real world. First, this would be a lot of work to steal a frame without a useable rear wheel, the most expensive part of a bike, after the frame. Second, cutting the rear rim is much harder than you might think. Since the rim is under substantial compression due to the tension on the spokes, it would pinch a hacksaw blade tight as soon as it cut partway through. Then there are the wire beads of the tire, also difficult to cut.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
the rainamobile
rebuilding and repainting Raina's bike, stage 1. stripped and ready to be painted. we dropped it off at Byers Bush Inc this morning and after a lot of thought and process of elimination we're going with black semi-gloss. might look similar to mine but it'll be much prettier! stay tuned for updates.
and in other news, Smoke's Poutinerie is now serving an Egg's Benedict poutine for a limited time. haven't tried it but it sounds interesting. and by interesting i mean delicious.
and in other news, Smoke's Poutinerie is now serving an Egg's Benedict poutine for a limited time. haven't tried it but it sounds interesting. and by interesting i mean delicious.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
double video mondays
for those that haven't seen it.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-1Xl5Ttu0
and....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-1Xl5Ttu0
and....
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
help carly fleischmann get on larry king on CNN
"My name is Carly Fleischmann and as long as I can remember I’ve been diagnosed with autism.
I am not able to talk out of my mouth,
however I have found another way to communicate by spelling on my computer.
I used to think I was the only kid with autism who communicates by spelling but last year I met a group of kids that communicate the same way. In fact some are even faster at typing then I am.
Last year a story about my life was shown on ABC news, CNN and CTV here in Canada.
After my story was played I kept on getting lots of emails from moms, dads, kids and people from different countries asking me all sorts of questions about autism. I think people get a lot of their information from so-called experts but I think what happens is that experts can’t give an explanation to certain questions. How can you explain something you have not lived or if you don’t know what it’s like to have it? If a horse is sick, you don’t ask a fish what’s wrong with the horse. You go right to the horse’s mouth.
That is why I want to go on Larry King’s show on CNN, to be able to tell the truth and secrets of living with autism. But I need your help. My goal is to get five thousand signatures in two weeks for my petition to be on CNN with Larry King.
I know what you are thinking, probably the same thing my mom and dad are……it’s impossible. But if I have learnt one thing over the years of having autism, it is that anything is possible if you just believe. It’s just when you don’t believe, that’s when you don’t succeed.
So I need you to believe and sign my petition page and go into your email and tell all your friends you believe and get them to sign my petition and maybe, just maybe they’ll do the same thing and before you know it we will have all five thousand signatures.
My aunt’s friend set me up with a twitter page so you can follow my journey to sit and talk to Larry King. Thank you for believing in me as I believe in all of you.
Your optimistic and excited friend,
Carly Fleischmann"
siiiiiiign the petition here
I am not able to talk out of my mouth,
however I have found another way to communicate by spelling on my computer.
I used to think I was the only kid with autism who communicates by spelling but last year I met a group of kids that communicate the same way. In fact some are even faster at typing then I am.
Last year a story about my life was shown on ABC news, CNN and CTV here in Canada.
After my story was played I kept on getting lots of emails from moms, dads, kids and people from different countries asking me all sorts of questions about autism. I think people get a lot of their information from so-called experts but I think what happens is that experts can’t give an explanation to certain questions. How can you explain something you have not lived or if you don’t know what it’s like to have it? If a horse is sick, you don’t ask a fish what’s wrong with the horse. You go right to the horse’s mouth.
That is why I want to go on Larry King’s show on CNN, to be able to tell the truth and secrets of living with autism. But I need your help. My goal is to get five thousand signatures in two weeks for my petition to be on CNN with Larry King.
I know what you are thinking, probably the same thing my mom and dad are……it’s impossible. But if I have learnt one thing over the years of having autism, it is that anything is possible if you just believe. It’s just when you don’t believe, that’s when you don’t succeed.
So I need you to believe and sign my petition page and go into your email and tell all your friends you believe and get them to sign my petition and maybe, just maybe they’ll do the same thing and before you know it we will have all five thousand signatures.
My aunt’s friend set me up with a twitter page so you can follow my journey to sit and talk to Larry King. Thank you for believing in me as I believe in all of you.
Your optimistic and excited friend,
Carly Fleischmann"
siiiiiiign the petition here
Monday, March 30, 2009
save canada's public broadcasting
avaaz.org
Canada’s media networks have all been slammed by the recession. But the government is reportedly considering bailouts for its friends at private companies CTV and CanWest, while forcing the CBC to drastically cut 800 staff and programming.
Our CBC is a national treasure, and a pillar of public-interest journalism in a country whose media is owned by a few large firms. We won’t hear an outcry from their media outlets, and the CBC is too principled to use its megaphone to make the case for itself. We are the only voice the CBC has.
We urgently need a massive public outcry to Save the CBC, click below to sign the petition and forward this email to everyone who might care about this:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_cbc/98.php/?CLICK_TF_TRACK
The petition will be delivered directly to the government, through Parliament, ads, and stunts such as an airplane pulling a giant Save the CBC banner over Ottawa. In each case the number of signatures on the petition will be crucial to the effectiveness of the campaign, so let’s get as many people as possible to sign.
The CBC is facing a budget shortfall that amounts to just $6 per Canadian, but its request to the government for a bridging loan to cover this was denied. The deep cuts the CBC is making will damage the organization across the board, and they will not be the last. If we don’t stand up for the CBC now, it stands to die a death by a thousand cuts. Harper’s minority government is politically vulnerable – public outrage could turn the government around on this, but it has to happen now. Let's move quickly.
With hope,
Ricken, Lisa-Marie, Laryn and the whole Avaaz Canada team.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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