tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129375972024-03-08T16:19:29.171-08:00markBlogThe infrequent ramblings and findings of a <i>former</i> suitcase-living, hotel-room dwelling digital nomad.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-7640502101821347262006-11-14T23:22:00.000-08:002006-11-14T23:43:46.646-08:00The Department of Friggin' Amateurs in TrainingIt seems to me that DFAIT needs a new department name to accurately reflect the quality of work being done by the political leadership there. In short order, we have managed to piss off both the Chinese and the EU due to a complete lack of understanding of the nature of diplomacy.In the very same issue of the Globe and Mail, China has very publicly 'snubbed' the Harper government. To anyone Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-42250622307027961902006-10-15T14:54:00.001-07:002006-10-23T20:46:22.528-07:00Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate Anish Kapoor's Cloud GateI'm back in Chicago for a few days and I revisited the Anish Kapoor sculpture Cloud gate, affectionaly known as 'The Bean'It's quite a brilliant bit of scuplture, a flawless fluid form of reflective steel.Rockefeller Center in New York will be getting their own scupture called Sky Mirror. I'm not sure the placement will do it justice, as it will take away from the Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-24970797761077547902006-10-08T01:22:00.000-07:002006-10-08T01:27:47.882-07:00Going through the archivesIt's always fun to go through old photographs. I find it's great for rediscovering old gems that you've forgotten.Recently, I created a new Flickr set called the Museum::People project to showcase people interacting with art in various museums around the world and I had a few photos that I forgot to upload, so they are now up.I've been using Adobe Lightroom to quickly go through my photos, and Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-71808941861066238512006-09-28T23:07:00.001-07:002006-09-28T23:07:58.948-07:00Flickr Maps Recently, Flickr incorporated Geotagging into their website. Previously, Geotagging was a mash-up using the Google Maps API. This is a much improved system, where you can drag and drop photos onto the map. I've tagged nearly 250 photos already.Here are a few maps you can explore:All my Geotagged photos from around the worldBritish Columbia and Washington StateEurope and the Middle EastMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-34964183725759079102006-08-31T21:35:00.000-07:002006-08-31T21:44:27.258-07:00More on softwood lumber...This just gets weirder and weirder... apparently one of the provisos of the softwood deal is that $450 million gets redirected to the Bush White House for use in *whatever the fuck he wants* - likely a giant slush fund for the November mid-terms. Think of the entire Republican propaganda machine war chest - this will nearly triple it. The Toronto Star has the article (along with The Tyee - an Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-74919195726247691772006-08-22T17:00:00.000-07:002006-08-22T17:10:13.387-07:00Post to the Globe and Mail todayThe Globe and Mail had an article on the softwood issue: Softwood deal to move forward, and I thought I'd contribute my $0.02. Specifically I took issue with Stephen Harper's claim that there was a “clear majority” in the country that now supports the government's softwood lumber agreement with the United States.I'm honestly wondering who this "clear majority" is. The last time I checked a week Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1156016815258318642006-08-19T12:41:00.000-07:002006-08-19T12:46:55.326-07:00Morning Funny.For a blog posting Originally uploaded by m.d..I was walking to get a coffee this morning and saw this shirt, and had to write about it. I'm a sucker for a clever tee.In the UK they have a version; 'George Bush & Son Family Butchers, by Royal Appointment'Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1155338548250633432006-08-11T16:10:00.000-07:002006-08-11T16:22:28.263-07:00It all makes sense now...Looks like Air Canada was doing it's best to squeeze very last red cent out of us to look good for its upcoming IPO*.Oh, it would be fun to short those cheap bastards before the market realizes that they have scared away their best and most profitable customers with ruthless efficiency in the last year.*Confused by the fact that Air Canada is already listed on the TSX? That company is actually Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1152423504886202672006-07-08T22:34:00.000-07:002006-07-08T22:49:04.200-07:00A (hopeful) return to form...Ships off Vancouver Originally uploaded by m.d..Expect more photos from Vancouver - after months of being too tired or unmotivated to shoot anything more than postcard shots, I think I have found some inspiration again.I'm waiting for my tripod, Hassy and other equipment to show up, but I've got plenty of inspiration in my new home.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1151676600088688822006-06-30T06:52:00.001-07:002008-08-13T16:10:42.524-07:00Air Canada doesn't give a damn - I, too, will fly WestJet.Lately, the shared animosity between Air Canada and myself has finally come to a head. I say 'shared' because as of a few years ago, I think Air Canada set out to intentionally start to piss me off, and hasn't let up since. At first it was small things, but the cumulative experience of Air Canada treating me as a sucker has finally gotten to me.And it's not just me. The very level-headed Globe Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1148914618897572012006-05-29T07:40:00.000-07:002006-05-29T07:56:58.910-07:00What's Interestingness worth?This morning I checked my Flickr feed to discover that all of a sudden one of my photos received 12 'Favourites' in a mere few hours. I've since discovered that it is the "Most Interesting" photo for May 29th, 2005 - which is pretty amazing. Interestingness is a Flickr algorithm to determine not a photos pure popularity, but also the number of comments and other things (it's a secret) to Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1146091005258842812006-04-26T15:33:00.000-07:002006-05-01T22:23:34.943-07:00How excellent is 'The Hour'?I can't say enough good things about The Hour on CBC.As someone who regularly reads such diverse stuff as The Onion to the Economist, I think 'The Hour' perfectly covers my demographic, from pretty deep analysis about important issues that most media is ignoring (i.e. Darfur) to a light-hearted discussion of the word 'Fuck'. The host, George Stroumboulopoulos came from the fast-paced media Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1140818298172093562006-02-24T13:56:00.000-08:002006-04-24T20:40:13.206-07:00Santiago CalatravaWhile I was at the Met recently, they had an exhibition of Santiago Calatrava. I was first introduced to his works when I was in Bilbao - actually to be accurate, I got the introduction just as I was arriving because the Bilbao airport is one of his works. He is also responsible for a footbridge just downstream from the infamous Bilbao Guggenhiem.When I was in Chicago, I took a trip up to Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1140064226610508102006-02-15T20:11:00.000-08:002006-05-01T22:40:51.113-07:00Mark RothkoIn the interest of making semi-regular and smaller updates to my blog, as opposed to writing essay-length entries bi-monthly, here is a quick contribution.In two weeks, it is the anniversary of the death of Mark Rothko. Most people will generally recognize Rothko as the abstract expressionist responsible - along with the likes of Barnett Newman - with the popularization of "colour fields". Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1139416462108468842006-02-08T08:31:00.000-08:002006-02-08T08:34:22.120-08:00New website in progressJust a quick FYI to everyone, I'm in the process of redesigning my personal website to be entirely driven by the Flickr API (so I don't need to update two sites with my photos)Also, I am going to start selling some of my prints, framed and unframed. The list is up at Flickr.The new site (splash page) template is up. It's running on my mac mini - so if it's down, don't be overly annoyed.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1139406853759727312006-02-08T05:17:00.000-08:002006-02-08T06:00:24.556-08:00Meet the new boss...Well, it certainly didn't take long for Stephen Harpers cloak of 'principles' to get cast off now that it's no longer needed. I always assumed that Harpers biggest problem would be keeping the crazies of the party in check long enough for the Canadian people to 'really get the know' the new party, now we know that his biggest problem is that he is full of shit - his second biggest problem will beMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1131427456809198432005-11-07T20:59:00.000-08:002005-11-07T21:26:18.183-08:005000 views on FlickrI've recently reached 5000 views on Flickr - which is a nice little milestone to reach. I'm glad that some folks seem to like my shots, and while I know some photographers that can get 5000 view on a single pic, I'm proud of this minor accomplishment.To commemorate, here's a few of my favourite pics that haven't gotten the views I would've liked.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1130219062469651602005-10-24T22:33:00.000-07:002005-10-24T22:44:22.476-07:00Yet more signs that all might not be right with me...Buying polarizing filters for my 72 and 77mm lenses and a 2GB CF card for my cameras vs. buying a new Apple video iPod for roughly the same cost?Winner: Filters and 2GB card - because those are 'necessities' when the iPod is simply a nice to have. A polarizing filter would've made this shot I took a couple days ago much better, so I've learned my lesson.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1129852577342230712005-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:002005-10-20T16:59:15.656-07:00Flowers becomes my new #1...Flowers Originally uploaded by markdemeny.For some reason, despite all my best efforts - it seems my flower shots seem to rise to the top of the pile. Although my current views for new photos are much higher than they used to be, it seems that if I slip one in there while I'm shooting other things it tends to draw more views and more comments than a comparative shot. This is now the "Most Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1129446071510200182005-10-15T23:54:00.000-07:002005-10-16T00:01:11.520-07:00Brain Teasers...Slashdot had an article on math/logic problems. The first linked response was on a game called 'The Petals Around the Rose'. Since it involves the founder of my current client, I thought I'd post it here for your amusement.I took me a few rolls to figure it out. Luckily the article doesn't have the solution listed, but you can check your guesses here.I think my friends are quite sick of playing Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1129444641271377362005-10-15T23:21:00.000-07:002005-10-15T23:37:21.280-07:00The Fujifilm FinePix S3ProJust before leaving for Seattle, I purchased a new digital camera to compliment my Nikon D70. You may be asking, what could possibly justify spending double the price of the nearly perfect Nikon D70s? Granted the Nikon is quite the machine for the cost, it's fast, compact and easy to use. The Fuji is none of these. However in spite of these shortcomings, it's quickly becoming my favourite machineMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1129443616913846982005-10-15T23:15:00.000-07:002005-10-15T23:20:16.926-07:00Geotagging!I've recently discovered the joys of Geotagging. Quite simply, it's adding latitude and longitude information to your photos, allowing all sorts of nifty tricks, like overlaying Flickr information with Google Map info (using both APIs).This is the type of really neat 'Web 2.0'-type applications that open APIs allow.View all my Geotagged photos.I'll eventually start uploading at least one photo Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1124250551822306312005-08-16T20:49:00.000-07:002005-08-16T20:49:11.853-07:00New toysNikon F80 Originally uploaded by markdemeny.I traded my old Pentax MZ-M and lenses to pay for most of this F80. It's in near perfect condition and barely a mark on the film guides, so I'd doubt if more than a dozen rolls of film had passed through it.You can also see the base of my Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8D AF lens which I purchased a few weeks ago as well.I'm very happy with the progress I'm making Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1123096841418877522005-08-03T12:20:00.000-07:002005-08-03T12:20:41.450-07:00Most interestingGuided by Voices Originally uploaded by markdemeny.Flickr has added 'Most Interesting' using an algorithm of comments and most favourited.This one is my #2 and #3 (I added it twice when I was a non-Pro user) so I think this would actually be my #1Memories of GBV in New York...Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12937597.post-1122869119881801812005-07-31T20:52:00.000-07:002005-07-31T21:05:19.896-07:00Renzo Piano, the greatest architect you've never heard of.When you want a flashy, expensive and noteworthy building you turn to Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaus or Daniel Libeskind. Unfortunately, not every building can be a signature piece. When you want a conservative building executed well, you turn to Renzo Piano (Slate article).While the other architectural wunderkinds have been rebuilding city skylines with bold statements in metal and glass, Piano has Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332288161164944109noreply@blogger.com0