The Great Geologist-Engineer Controversy

Geology, an art as much as a science, has always baffled and worried engineers. And while geologists have provided mankind with massive sources of energy such as coal, gas, and flatulence, engineers have been relegated to merely designing tanks to hold these natural resources. Engineers tend to carry defensive weapons of pocket protectors, slide rules, black socks, and lousy humour, although these tools are a poor match for the geologist’s rock hammer, hand lens, and Brunton\Breithaupt compass. Note that Microsoft software engineers have neglected to include Brunton or Breithaupt in the Microsoft Word spelling check. Differing world view is a fundamental reason for Geologist-Engineer conflict. Geologists view the world as a beautiful array of possibilities and a wealth of variability; a terrifying idea for detail obsessed and pigeon-holing Engineers. Rough estimates and ‘back of the envelope calculations’ have long conflicted with engineers’ need definitive and quantifiable answers.

Geologists, secure in their vague estimates have forever conflicted with engineers and their need for a definitive, quantifiable answer since the building of the pyramids. The ancient Egyptian engineers had determined that the Great Pyramid would require 6961105709.356732519874886510 metric tons of stone blocks to construct. The ancient Egyptian geologists yawned and disagreed. When it turned out that only 6961105709.356732519874886509 metric tons were required, the geologists sneered and said, “I told you your calculations were wrong.” The geologists, having been proven correct and superior, have been envied by engineers since that fateful day.

Adding further heat to the argument, Engineers commonly envy a Geologist’s ability to take time off from his work. Geologists tend to carry their paraphernalia with them even while on break. Hence a Geologist strolling through the park or hiking around a property is viewed as ‘on the job’ by his or her superiors or employer, ergo always maintaining a facade of hard work. This infuriates engineers, who seldom get time off, nor any pleasure from their work. Similar activities by an engineer may result in demotion or unemployment, thus stoking the fire of their fury at the superior Geologist.

Subclasses of “normal” Engineers are the Geo-technical and Mining Engineers.

Source

Tidbits

No, not Timbits, but I would like some of those. I haven’t had those in a while, in fact, I haven’t had Tim Horton’s anything in a while. I think I might go on Monday. The only problem is that the Tim Horton’s at the University is always busy, like really busy. The line stretches across Mac Hall most times. I don’t think I’ll go to that one.

In other news, police surrounded a convenience store today, where a sasquatch was attempting to buy Haagen Dazs.

I bought a new domain name, ashotinthedark.ca. I was hoping to get just shotinthedark.com/ca but that was, as I thought it probably would be, taken. I think I am going to create a photography website for myself there. I’m not sure though and if I do, it won’t be coming anytime soon. I was also thinking about redesigning this site. I’ve always known that it doesn’t display correctly in browsers using the Webkit engine, like Safari and now Google Chrome. I have never figured out why though. My code is 100% standards compliant (minus the YouTube embed code and the Lightbox JS CSS, which isn’t my code).  Those exceptions are not the problem though. It hasn’t ever displayed properly and I didn’t have an embedded video or Lightbox originally. I haven’t really cared before because it isn’t a very big difference and I don’t have many visitors from Safari and gang.

However, lately the design and the fact that it doesn’t display properly in some browsers has started to bother me. I think it is time for a change. It will probably take a while though, so don’t get excited. I’ve also decided that I’m done with doing websites for other people. That means that in the redesign, the portfolio will probably be gone. I’m also thinking that I am going to redirect all traffic from mapledesign.ca to here too. I hate that site. I threw it together quite quickly using a design from OpenWebDesign.org and always meant to change it. Well, I never did and I don’t like it.

I spent $10 USD on glowsticks today at the dollar store. I got quite a bit, which was awesome. I got four four packs, two six packs, three individual ones and one lantern thing. The lantern was really cool. I think I got a pretty good deal. They were well worth the $10.

As for my schooling this year, I changed my major. Well okay, not technically. I didn’t submit an application in time last year and am, therefore, still a computer science major. I am, however, not taking any computer science courses. I am taking courses that will go toward a geology degree. I am pretty excited and happy so far. All the courses that I took last year transfer over nicely, so that’s pretty awesome.

Well, I think that is about that I have to share right now. Sorry for not posting in a long time. Hopefully my next post won’t be in a couple months. Oh, for those that were wondering, or even if you weren’t, the Canadian copyright legislation (Bill C-61) is dead. Since we are having an election in a month, the Parliament has been dissolved and that legislation, along with a few others, died. That doesn’t mean that copyright reform won’t take place, it just means that particular attempt failed. Copyright reform will come back though, regardless of who wins the election. This is what Michael Geist had to say a few days before the election call:

“Raising the profile of copyright has required thousands of Canadians to pro-actively contact their elected representatives. Starting next week, those same representatives (and would-be representatives) will be seeking you out.  They will be knocking on doors, making phone calls, attending all-candidates meetings, and generally doing their best to convince voters that they will best represent their interests. I believe that this presents an exceptional opportunity to ask the question – where do you stand on important digital issues such as C-61 and Canadian copyright reform?  Does your local Conservative candidate support the reintroduction of Bill C-61 or would they work toward amendments before it returns?  Is your local Liberal candidate willing to commit to public consultations before the introduction of any new copyright bill?  Is your NDP or Green candidate firmly against the approach in C-61?  These are the questions (along with positions on net neutrality, telecom competition, broadband access, and privacy) that need to be asked again and again and again this fall.  Bill C-61 may be about to die, but the prospect of Canadian DMCA-like legislation remains very much alive.”

More Videos

Well, I have more videos to share. The first one is one of my projects for my video arts class back in high school. The second one is another time lapse, which some of you have seen. When I posted those other two videos on here, I got a lot more traffic, so I am hoping to do the same with the other time lapse. The first video is on Youtube, the other on Vimeo. I put the music video on Youtube because I thought it might get more views. I like Vimeo better though. Anyway, enjoy!

This one is a music video for Rise Against’s “Swing Life Away”.

This is a trip up to the University. Normally, I wouldn’t go this way because it takes longer, but the way I do go isn’t nearly as exciting. The music in this one is by me. The full version is 1:30 long. If you want it for some strange reason, email me and you can have it.

Trip to the University from maple on Vimeo.

My External HDD Experiance

Last Friday was my grad class’s fashion show. It was a 007 James Bond theme, which was really cool. Anyway, I was in charge of a lot of the technical stuff, but mostly the video. See, we had James Bond clips in between each performance, which actually worked out quite well. They were a great transition. Anyway, I had to rip the scenes from the movies, then chop them down and add fades etc. I had this all stored on my Maxtor OneTouch III 300GB hard drive, the project files, the original scenes, the new clips, everything. The Thursday before the event, Amy and I were remaking all the store names and I started to get suspicious of my drive. I had always been a little suspicious of it because it didn’t always work and what not. Well, I thought that it would be better if I had all the clips on my internal hard drive, so I started freeing up space. I needed 15GB, and I had no more than 2 GB free. I know, I know I have a lot of crap. I started deleting and got it up to around 6 GB free. I really didn’t want to delete my pictures, but I couldn’t find another way around it. I backed them all up to my iPod just in case and them deleted them. This brought me up to the required 15 GB. Friday afternoon rolled around, the afternoon before the fashion show. I started to transfer the clips and got them all. Whew, a big sigh of relief.

That nice stress-free feeling didn’t last long. I had made the order into a playlist in iTunes and was just going to do it all through iTunes. I switched the location of all the files and was ready to roll. I proceeded to watch some of the clips and it was then that my stress level skyrocketed. The clips were extremely choppy and definitely unwatchable. I tried copying one of the worst ones again. It turned out the same. I was really freaking out. I thought for sure that the clips were ruined and I was done for. I tried many different things, all with the same result. I tried to phone Amy and Hailey to ask how they would feel if there just wasn’t video. I really didn’t want it to come to that, but I was preparing for the worst. I tried some more things, each with the same stupid result. My hair was coming out in chunks now. I then thought to myself that if I could open the project files and remake the movies, except go straight to my internal drive, I might be able to recreate them. I tried that with the same output settings as I had originally had. Same result. I then tried just High Quality. It worked.

Now I just had to go through and redo all the video clips in the new format. I was a little scared that my hdd would crash at any second. I slowly got them all remade and was very happy. It was then that my next problem appeared. I opened up iTunes and my library was gone. I was able to recover most of it, minus about 200 songs (of which I mostly got back now). I had lost all my playlists and everything. I would have to start my Fashion Show playlist again. I realized that iTunes doesn’t like .dv files, and then started to stress again. What was I going to use? I decided to try VLC and found it had a playlist function. I was saved. I recreated my playlist, this time in VLC and was now ready to roll.

I rushed down to the school, as I was supposed to be there 2 hours earlier and quicky set up and tested everything. It worked great, in fact, it looked better than it had before the fiasco. Fashion Show went off without any major hitches. One group was a little late, but other than that it was phenomenal.

Well, I know this is pretty long, but whatever. Oh, and I was pretty mad at my hdd because it meant that I would lose 300 GB of stuff. I have now recovered most of the important stuff and it is still under warranty. I’m going to get everything off that I can, then ship it back to them for a replacement. I ran a diagnostics test and it says it is toast but that it is a manufacturer’s defect. Hopefully, I will get it back ASAP because I need it. I depend on it.

Parking

Okay, so today, during Media Arts, I come outside to get something from my car. The person behind me has parked about 2 inches from the back of my car. I was like a foot into my spot, so there was no reason for them to be that close. Then when I came out after school, some moron had parked in front of me, like in the road. Preston was parked beside me, and we both just kind of sat there. He got out, looked behind him and had enough room to back up, and squeeze out. After he had left, I pulled forward, then reversed, forward, then back, inch by inch, and so on, until I was able to get out. Seriously though, why did that person think that they could park there? How dumb are they?

Math Class

Here are some random tidbits from the last math class before Christmas break. Taken during class.

“I’ve tried to go to stephanie dot com, but it was like a real estate agent, oh wait, that was my sister. Mine was like a nasty site!”

“I remember when I saw this from far away, and we were like right here, and I was like “Stephanie did you write STI?” I am so excited for French. ”

“Hey guys, do we get caring cookies?”

“We can just eat them”

“Lets just open one and eat it.”

“Are you updating youre blog?”

“Joel, we should get you to do this everyday. He’s going to type that.”

“Stephanie, cookie or brownie?”

“Would you boys like a cookies or brownie?”

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“What do you do in your spare time Joel? I have to know?”

“Did you see the one when they went to the chess game?”

“Conversation died when Stpeh left.”

“I just made a big mess.”

“Uh-oh”

Ai Info

Okay, so today in the mail I got some information from the Art Institue of Vancouver, for their web design program. I had requested some info from the lady who came and talked to us at school. Anywho, last year I requested some info, and I got this stupid little brochure. I asked her about that this year, and she said that they had some problems last year, and that I should get more information this year. Well, guess what I got this year, another brochure. Great! Anyways, I don’t really want to go there, I was just wondering about their web design program. I was thinking I might get my Computer Science degree, then go there for more training or whatever. Actually, I probably won’t, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have information. Anyways, I get a pamphlet that is as general as it gets. It doesn’t have any specific info or anything. Its just crap.

Interestingness

Well, today at school we had the usual Rememberance Day assembly, except there was a few odd things this year. First of all, they didn’t make us stand for the moment of silence. Isn’t that llike disrespectful or something? Second, they made us stand for God Save the Queen. Since when do we use that song? We are not British. I just thought that it was a little odd, I mean they’ve never, ever done that before, in any of these things. And believe me, I been through quite a few. If anyone would know why we did, that would be greatly appreicated. Yes, I know we are part of the Commonwealth, and the Queen is our head of state, but has that ever made us do it before? No. So now, all of the sudden, we need to? Just odd thats all. No disrespect for the British or anything.

In other news, I am having a Star Wars marathon tomorrow with some friends, all six episodes. Wow, how nerdy. Whatever, thats who I am. Yeah well, I’m going to go watch CSI now. Oh thats a great show, and so is Lost. If you haven’t watched them before, go watch. Yes you. Step away from the computer, I know thats hard to do, but its worth it. Go NOW!!!!!!

Math Mark

Okay, well I got my mark back from the unit exam I wrote yesterday in math, and lets just say, I’m not impressed. The percentage is horrible, at least in my eyes. I mean, when you actually look at the mark, its not that bad. Because his tests are out of so little, each question is worth that much more. Ahh well, what are you going to do.

Well, my overall math mark isn’t that impressive either. I mean its good, but its not good enough. I guess we will have to wait and see. I an hoping to bring it up a bit.

Well, thats about all for today. How about some comments people? I would like to try out this system, but no one ever leaves any comments.

Internet Explorer Crap

Okay, so I have been making a website for my sister, and it looks great and all, except one thing. Internet Explorer. If you haven’t noticed already, I HATE Internet Explorer, why you ask? Because I have to add in special code so my pages work properly in Internet Explorer. This is because Internet Explorer does not support and follow the web standards set out by the W3C. It makes it so annoying. So this website doesn’t work in Internet Explorer. Its not my fault. Now I have to spend a whole bunch of time getting it to work, time I don’t really have. Thanks Microsoft, you sure make a quality product.

Now, if you haven’t already, please help a developer out, go and get yourself the latest version of Mozilla Firefox. It’s free, it’s more secure, and it supports the web standards. You can get it by clicking on the link of the right, or by click here.

Well, thats about it for now. As for the website, it is coming along nicely. The web badges are going up, more will be added later. I still have to fix the design. I am thinking of doing a complete redesign, so it might stay like this for a while, well I get the new design ready. The other pages are coming along, they still need work, but they’re getting there. Other than that, all is well.

I wrote three unit exams today, one in Math 30 Pure, one in Chem 20, and one in Physics 20. I am glad thats over with. It was tough, but I got through.