Robert (Bob) Thirsk First Canadian Expedition Crest

One of the security guards in my building is quite friendly and chats with everyone.  I sometimes chat with him and recently found out that he's a university student switching from Molecular Biology to Aerospace Engineering.  He told me that his cousin has a PhD in Math and is working on next-generation vision technology that can see inside of buildings and underground bunkers from a satellite in space!  It seems difficult to believe, but I think defense technology is decades ahead of anything civilians know about. 

My security guard friend told me that he was at the Canadian Space Agency in Quebec last year and got to see the mission control center with live video feeds.  His cousin gave him a pin (that you pin to your shirt) that commemorates Canada's first long duration Expedition on-board the International Space Station (ISS). He said only ten of these were made, and it is personalized with the astronaut's name.   This one is for Rober Thirsk. 

He's trying to convince me to take Aerospace Engineering instead of Computer Science when I go back to school in a few years.   He said it is such a large field and surely I will find an area that can take advantage of my programming skills.  That is an interesting thought and I will keep it in mind.

Bumped into Brian Mulroney while walking the dog

Tonight I thought I'd do some multi-tasking by depositing some cheques at an ATM while walking the dog. We walked to my branch and the ATM had a sign saying that it was down for the evening for an upgrade. So, we walked up to a branch on Front St. by the Rogers Center where a baseball game had just finished. After I finished my banking we walked down Front St. and met some people who loved my dog. They also have Miniature Schnauzers. While we were chatting about our dogs someone said "Excuse me." I turned around and there was Brian Mulroney, a former Canadian Prime Minister! Apparantly we had stopped to chat about dogs right in front of his limousine and were in his way. I stood there star struck, staring at him for a long time trying to figure out who this familiar face is. He stared back at me and we were probably silent for 5 - 10 seconds. He smiled, turned away and walked into Azure Restaurant & Bar. I snapped out of it and said "Oh my God!".  The people I was chatting with were totally oblivious about what was happening. When I explained who it was, they said "Oh, he's from back when Regan was President." They were American.

I wonder if Mulroney thought I didn't like him and was being rude by not getting out of his way, or if he realized that I was star struck. I suspect he realized what was going on when he smiled before turning away. That probably made his night :)  Maybe he'll write about it on his blog tonight.  jk

Summer Plans

I've been living on the cutting edge of technology for the past five years always trying to make sure I'm ready for the next challenge at work; but also because programming is my favorite hobby. Constantly keeping myself up to date has substituted any kind of personal life outside of technology.

Recently I decided to make some adjustments for this summer. I'm putting down my books and all ambitions of creating the next killer app, and instead will focus on hobbies and activities that don't involve computers. I'm not freezing my programming skills in time... I'm just shifting my learning to work hours like everyone else at the office does.

For starters, I bought a used piano and will be starting in-home lessons soon. I know what some of you are thinking: years ago I bought a guitar and did nothing with it, so this is just another passing fancy. I really think this is different. This time I didn't buy an instrument [just] because a bunch of my friends bought one, and this time I'm taking private lessons. I've always wanted to learn to play the piano, and think it is more "me" than the guitar. I plan to put a lot more effort into the piano than I did with the guitar; probably 30-60 minutes per day for years.

I live on the Toronto waterfront and there is a yacht club just a short walk away. A couple years ago I took sailing lessons and earned my Basic Cruising license. Club members have unlimited usage of the club-owned boats. Race nights are on Tuesdays, and the social sails are on Friday nights. I didn't join because I took my lessons at the end of the season, and the following summer I needed to spend all of my time and money saving my dog's life (he is doing really well now.) This year I intend to join because I really enjoy sailing under wind power with the Toronto skyline under sunset as the backdrop. It's also a really good way to forget about everything and enjoy the moment.

This summer I'm also going to begin re-learning high school level algebra, calculus, vectors and advanced functions. My goal is to be able to score in the high 90's a few years from now. I've never been good at math and always thought that only certain types of people get it. After reading a book called "The Tipping Point" I realized that anyone can be good at math -- you just need to put enough time and effort into it like I do with programming. You must be wondering why I have a sudden interest in math. There are a couple of reasons. First, I would really like to take my programming skills beyond business database and user interface programming where all math is hidden from me in libraries and frameworks. I envy the people who create the technologies I use to do my job such as operating systems, programming languages, developer tools, and also scientific type applications. An area of programming I've always been interested in (even though I currently know nothing about it) is artificial intelligence. I bought a book used to teach AI in over 1000 universities but can't properly read it until I upgrade my math skills. The other reason I want to re-learn math is because in 3-5 years from now I plan to go back to school. Whether or not having a Computer Science degree matters when I have so much experience already doesn't matter to me. Not having a degree has been bothering me for years, and I feel like I am capable of doing so much more if I only had a proper education. I have a 2 year college diploma in Computer Programming which is very different. The difference between a four to five year Computer Science degree and a two to three year Computer Programmer diploma is that the Computer Science grads learn how to make the technologies used by Computer Programmer grads. So, I plan to thoroughly prep myself before applying to the best school in Canada for Computer Science: The University of Waterloo. It is very heavy on math.

Another way I am getting deeper into computers is with my vintage computer collection. I collect historically significant, first edition, unmodified, working computers in collectible condition. My favorite ones are from the 1970's such as the Altair 8800, my Apple 1 replica, and the Apple II. Just to use the Altair 8800 you need to learn machine code. To use my Apple 1 replica I need to solder the chips onto the board first, and build a wooden case for it. The Apple 1 is also programmed using raw machine code. I find this stuff very fascinating. I now have enough of a collection that I need to build a large display case for them.

Sometime in the future I'd like to revive my French skills too. I was raised in French schools but haven't used it for ten or more years. I'd like to bring my reading, writing and speaking skills to the same level I'm at with English. I'd also like to work with a speech therapist to learn the Quebec accent. Maybe after getting a Computer Science degree from Waterloo and becoming fully bilingual again, I could work for the Canadian Forces developing top secret defense technology.

A few more things I'd like to do this summer are: try cooking a new recipe every week, explore the city (Toronto) more, and to improve my photography skills. Maybe I'll also learn to hit a golf ball, play poker, and chess. That might be too much for one summer, but they are all on my to-do list.

The Frightening Truth

Over 400 US government, military, and intelligence community witnesses testify their direct, personal, first hand experiences with UFOs, ETs, ET technology, and the cover-up that keeps this information secret. (Note: the three minute introduction can be skipped)

Launch in external player

For those of you that don't have two hours to watch... The video gives a very brief introduction to the experiences of 21 of 400 retired US Government witnesses. In 2001 they got together and held a press conference to fully disclose everything they know, including the evidence to back up their claims. They are pressing for the government to declassify all of it, and to ban the weaponization of space. They confirm that:

• aliens are real
• we have been in contact with aliens for at least 50 years
• there is a shadow government that keeps this information secret, even from Presidents
• aliens have bases on the other side of the moon (that never faces Earth)
• we have had their technology for decades and have built craft using alien technology
• we have the physics and technology to travel faster than light
• we have the physics and technology for the generation of limitless clean energy from the so-called zero point energy field and quantum vacuum flux field from the space around us, and propulsion that has been termed (incorrectly) anti-gravity. The field of electromagnetic energy that is teeming all around us and which is embedded within the fabric of space/time can easily run all of the energy needs of the Earth - without pollution, oil, gas, coal, centralized utilities or nuclear power.
• we have cataloged 57 species of aliens, some of which look exactly like humans but with heightened senses (such as smell, sight, etc.)
• there is no evidence that the aliens are hostile.
• all alien abduction and implant events are done by the government. They have proof. If you read the letter to President Obama it also talks about a government plan to stage a fake alien attack on Earth using alien technology and "programmed life forms" to convince 99.99% of people that it is real. The goal is to weaponize space.
• many real encounters involve the aliens remotely disabling nuclear missiles rendering them useless.
• once our planet becomes a peaceful civilization we will be able to be much more involved with the other civilizations in our universe.

Given the billions of stars in the universe, I have always thought it is naive to think that Earth is the only planet that can sustain life. Also, Earth could be hundreds, thousands, millions or billions of years younger than other life sustaining planets which would explain why they are so much more technologically advanced.

Believe what you want. I want to believe.

The original Apple 1 computer for sale on eBay

There are thought to be only 30 - 50 Apple 1 computers left in the world.  In 2009 two of them sold for $50,000 each.  This one was just listed with a starting bid of $30,000.   I think it's going to sell!

I'm on a waiting list for the Apple 1 Mimeo kit which is a replica that tries to be as close to the original design possible.  I can't wait for it to arrive!   There is also a book called "Apple 1 Replica Creation : Back to the Garage" that walks you through the design from scratch so you understand every chip, every pin, every connection.   I have so many Java books on my plate, I'd like to put them down to work through this book as a "light break". It could be a good introduction to electrical engineering which is something I'm starting to get interested in.

UPDATE: It sold for $42,766.00 !