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TechBC randomness
Apr. 20th, 2007 10:29 pmEarlier in the week, I had a weird dream. "So what?" you ask! I seldom remember dreams, and even if I do they are even less worth writing about.
The core portion of the dream had Brittney Brokenshire (neé Bogyo, a former classmate of mine at TechBC) and her father, Terry, kidnapped by a BC union organization that had gone militant (in the style of the Shi'te militias of Iraq, as portrayed by western media). The dream ended with me talking to David Brokenshire about how he was handling it (the dream contained no conclusion to the kidnapping), and Paul (David's brother) arranging all the flowers that were being sent to the home from well-wishers.
Anyway, while I thought the dream was strange at the time, it a random occurrence later this week that made me wonder. Yesterday I went to the FedEx depot at the airport, to collect package that I had missed the delivery of. It turns out that the FedEx depot is a MAJOR pita to get to via public transit. The best you can do is get to the Airport transfer station, and then walk the next 1.5km, because the 424 bus loops around the wrong way (you can use it on the way back, but not effectively on the way there). After collecting my package and returning to the Airport transfer station to continue back to Vancouver proper, a fellow walked up to the stop, and I was certain I knew him, but could remember his name. I said "Hi" anyway, and he recognized me.
For the TechBC lurkers on my journal, Micheal Cox is back in town! He moved back to Vancouver 3 weeks ago, after his 2.5 years in London. He's still doing Oracle stuff, still for the same company. He's engaged to be married, sometime in the last quarter of 2007. He doesn't really drive much anymore - Living in London has converted him to public transit (the Tube did it he says).
Of the random bits gleaned from Micheal, David and Brittney are relocating to New Zealand, to follow Vive Kumar for David's doctorate.
The core portion of the dream had Brittney Brokenshire (neé Bogyo, a former classmate of mine at TechBC) and her father, Terry, kidnapped by a BC union organization that had gone militant (in the style of the Shi'te militias of Iraq, as portrayed by western media). The dream ended with me talking to David Brokenshire about how he was handling it (the dream contained no conclusion to the kidnapping), and Paul (David's brother) arranging all the flowers that were being sent to the home from well-wishers.
Anyway, while I thought the dream was strange at the time, it a random occurrence later this week that made me wonder. Yesterday I went to the FedEx depot at the airport, to collect package that I had missed the delivery of. It turns out that the FedEx depot is a MAJOR pita to get to via public transit. The best you can do is get to the Airport transfer station, and then walk the next 1.5km, because the 424 bus loops around the wrong way (you can use it on the way back, but not effectively on the way there). After collecting my package and returning to the Airport transfer station to continue back to Vancouver proper, a fellow walked up to the stop, and I was certain I knew him, but could remember his name. I said "Hi" anyway, and he recognized me.
For the TechBC lurkers on my journal, Micheal Cox is back in town! He moved back to Vancouver 3 weeks ago, after his 2.5 years in London. He's still doing Oracle stuff, still for the same company. He's engaged to be married, sometime in the last quarter of 2007. He doesn't really drive much anymore - Living in London has converted him to public transit (the Tube did it he says).
Of the random bits gleaned from Micheal, David and Brittney are relocating to New Zealand, to follow Vive Kumar for David's doctorate.
So a while ago, I signed up for last.fm, finding it amusing that an idea I had during the first year of university, and couldn't figure a way to capitalize on, has come alive on it's own. I guess this should count as prior art against last.fm. Started 28th January 2002 and finished writing it 7th Febuary 2002 according to the original timestamps on the files - and I used it until August 2004 on my own systems :-)
For our art class (New Media Images [NMI]), we were required to create a piece of unique art, in Flash, that utilized some form of live data via the internet. Most of the class were using webcams or stock market data. I wasn't happy with this, and wanted to do something else. Using the OnSongChange plugins for WinAmp and XMMS, I rigged up a little webapp that recorded songs as called by the URL. Then on top of that data a little XML/CSV provider for the data.
Here's where I blogged about it originally: http://robbat2.livejournal.com/2002/01/30/
The main web interface is broken, but the raw data feeds are still available, as are the flash interface.
Raw data XML interface - seems that Firefox doesn't like a DTD at the top of the document, but view source shows it fine.
Live flash display applet - Works fine, shows the last entry from 2004
Art project data consumer - Doesn't connect properly anymore (URL changes and I can't open the flash master file to update it), but everything else works
Anyway, bringing this full circle, now that I'm using last.fm, I rigged up a new display on my webpage for the XML data from last.fm. Last.fm Statistics. The sources to it (one shell file, 2 XSLT files) are on the bottom of the page.
Oh, and LiveJournal needs a larger music field, I'm now listening to: Perfect Remixes Vol. 2 - 2004/Joe T. Vannelli ft.Csilla - Voices in Harmony (PVD Csilla In Wonderland Remix).
Which horridbly doesn't fit at all.
Attention all past TechBC and present SFU Surrey students!
There's a possibility that we can get the techbc.ca domain back, and use it to our own ends (like having our student email addresses back, hosting our portfolios, and more).
I've posted further details in this posting on the TekBC Underground.
There's a possibility that we can get the techbc.ca domain back, and use it to our own ends (like having our student email addresses back, hosting our portfolios, and more).
I've posted further details in this posting on the TekBC Underground.
