Vectorial Elevation
Feb 6th
If you haven’t heard of Vectorial Elevation, simply look towards the sky above the entrance to False Creek on English Bay and you’ll see a series of spotlights dancing throughout the sky (I can see them reflecting off the cloud ceiling from Steveston for some perspective).
Vectorial Elevation – courtesy of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
First appearing during the Millennium Celebrations in Mexico City, Vectorial Elevation will illuminate the sky for the duration of the Winter Olympics as part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad Digital Edition (AKA Canada CODE):
Vectorial Elevation includes a virtual model of Vancouver where you are able to design “light sculptures” with 20 robotic searchlights located along English Bay. Once you are happy with your design you submit it together with your name, location and dedication or comments. Every night from dusk to dawn new designs are quietly rendered sequentially as they are added to a queue. The project automatically creates a personal webpage for each participant, documenting his or her contribution with views from 4 project webcams. With a 15 Km visibility radius, the installation intends to blend the virtual space of the Internet with one of the most emblematic public spaces in Vancouver.
The display in Vancouver will be the largest yet, using 20 Xenon 10kW robotic searchlight, and also aims to be carbon neutral (power is supplied by BC Hydro through renewable energy sources and carbon offsets will also be used to ensure zero impact).
I have yet to take it for a spin with my own creation, but you all know I will. Where else will I ever have the opportunity to create one of the largest artistic structures ever?
Canucks Trade – LCBD to CHB for Futures
Feb 5th
During the last Canucks tweetup, I was able to have a good discussion with J.J. Guerrero of the Canucks Hockey Blog, and he thought it would be neat to have me come on board as a Guest Contributor.
Anywho, thinking that my love/hate relationship with a number of Canucks players was worth reading, it’s the topic of my first post there. Moving forward, much of my Canucks chatter/banter/rants/ravings will appear on CHB – at least until they take the keys away (Vegas line says two weeks).
I’ll still be posting here, so please don’t disappear completely!
The Best Location to Enjoy the Canucks
Jan 29th
Okay, before we get started, I should say that I must disqualify GM Place as the best location to enjoy the Canucks. Why you ask? Well, it’s not like we can just decide to show up and get ourselves a ticket. But now that that has been taken care of, let’s continue with our regularly scheduled blog post.
Over the course of your average Canucks season, I find myself taking in the games from a comfortable seat in the confines of my home. You see, Marnie typically works a different schedule than I do and most of my friends don’t care if they catch the game or not. So I stick close to the fridge and ensure that the beer is plentiful (even moreso if the eye-stabbing trapping bastard Lemaire happens to be coaching the opposition). Although the trappings of home are under my complete and utter control, I don’t have any ability to magically create the buzz & banter that friends, acquaintances, and randoms provide and therefore it’s not always rainbows and sunshine.
So if home isn’t where the fan is, what do I feel my best option is?
Tweetup at the Lamplighter – with a side of The Green Men
The Canucks Official Tweet-up:
Having been to three of the four official Canucks FanZone Tweet-ups this season (the pre-season one conflicted with work unfortunately), I have to say that I’ve enjoyed each one. Whether it’s a chance to hang out with the famous Richard (@mozy19), chatting both Canucks and BC Lions with Brian (@CanucksCorner), getting both abused, but then a ride a home afterwards from Claudine (@claudgrrl), or anyone and anything else that I’ve left out, it sure beats anything that sitting at home watching the game can provide. But what’s a recommendation without an unbiased view of the pros and cons?
- Pro: There’s always a fanatical group of people who love what you love.
- Pro: Nearly everyone there hates the Keenan years as much as you do.
- Pro: The Green Men might show up.
- Pro: Sweet prizes are always available – even if Richard cheats you out of the womens shirt.
- Pro: Better supply of food and booze.
- Pro: More chic to talk to other people than yourself about the halcyon days of Linden, McLean, Ronning & Bure.
- Con: Sometimes the venue *coughcoughhackPlayersChophousehackwheezecough* isn’t really suited for a rowdy bunch of fans.
- Con: There’s always a loser who thinks the Leafs are a better team somewhere in the bar/restaurant/lounge.
- Pro: Someone is probably beating the crap out of that Leafs fan right about now.
- Con: People now understand that your twitter avatar has been photoshopped.
- Pro: There’s enough beer to fix that avatar photoshop problem by the end of the night.
So there you have it, my premiere place to enjoy the Canucks. But what I’m interested in is where you think the best place is. Is it the Canucks bar in a far off city? Is it with a bunch of friends? Is it on your own? Tell me – just remember to support your opinion ’cause.. well.. just because.
Recording Life and Other Such Madness
Jan 16th
Two of my purchases during the Boxing Day madness this past holiday season was the Inspiron Mini 10v netbook and a Kodak Zx1 pocket camcorder. I figured that the netbook would suit my needs for a portable and practical computing device and the pocket camcorder would be an easier item to carry around to capture life than the DSLR I picked up a couple years back.
Since their arrival in late December, I’ve used both to varying degrees of success. I had a hoot recording video of my day with Liam (my 2 year old nephew) and have since transferred those files to my netbook. The problem I’ve since found is my ability to edit and share the vids after I’ve popped them on the netbook.
This video when uploaded to youtube was nearly 60MB in HD goodness, but it’s completely as-is. What I’d like to do is be able to add a watermark or something to tag it as mine and possibly compress it a touch. So can anyone suggest anything that not only runs in Windows 7 but has a fantastic price of free?
And then there’s the issue of where to share the videos.
With all the options that are out there, what do you recommend? So far I’ve checked out youtube and vimeo, but don’t really think either is what I’m looking for. What am I looking for you ask? I have no clue. What I do know is that viemo has the one upload limit (unless I completely misunderstood that) which hampers my ability to share, while youtube is just not where I’d like it to be if I’m going through all the trouble to film, edit, and then share (y’know?).
I’ve put some feelers out there on twitter (and even to my resident twitter video expert in Allie), but thought I’d also blog about it to see if my other three readers had anything to contribute.
So can you help me record life and other such madness? I sure hope so.
Death to Wooo!
Jan 5th
No Wooo! Allowed – courtesy of VancityAllie
For those of you who follow me on twitter, or listen to me rant in the Canucks FanZone LiveBlog, you’ll likely know a few pet peeves of mine:
- I hate Chris Pronger.
- I hate Shane O’Brien.
- For effect, I hate Chris Pronger twice.
- I poke quite a bit of fun at Sami Salo.
- And I ain’t down with this “Wooo!” phenomenon after every Canucks goal.
What’s got my Canucks jersey in a knot is the fifth point.
It seems that DJ Dave, who’s usually spot on as the Canucks official game-day DJ, decided to play a David Lee Roth sound clip after a goal. Seeing the “allegedly” instant appeal from the “lower bowl” fans, he has played it after every Canucks goal since. I will admit that I thought it was a nice idea at first, but then spent a few seconds thinking and found myself completely against it.
First, Carolina already has the “Wooo!” chant going for them and I can’t support anything that comes from a non-traditional US hockey market. Second, it has spawned a chorus from the “Wooo!”-birds who think that simply shouting it out at any moment in the game is actually a good thing. Seriously – it goes like this:
- Canucks score – Wooo!
- Canucks touch the puck – Wooo!
- The referee blows his whistle – Wooo!
- Someone wins the 50/50 – Wooo!
- The guy at the hotdog stand roasts a mean frank – Wooo!
- There’s still paper towel in the washroom – Wooo!
See why I hate it?
Now it appears that support of the anti-”Wooo!” movement is pretty thin. Brian has expressed his dislike, and a few people in the twitterverse are also in favour of culling the “Wooo!”-birds, but for every one of us, there’s a Trevor or Derek who drink the Kool-aid and support the “Wooo!”
So I urge you – fight the establishment and bring down the “Wooo!” Talk to your MLA or MP. Sign a petition. Picket outside GM Place. Remember, it’s for a better and just cause!
Slash rant.
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