MondayLunchCrew

Do you think more like a man or more like a woman?

Take the Brain Sex test on the Science & Nature section of the BBC and find out. [via: my sister (no blog)]

In the context of sharing, it would appear that while more analytical and systematic, I have a typical female brain. What's more interesting is that while I've always thought of myself as very logical, the test suggest that my brain is more artistic.

Labels: General

// posted by May @ 12/30/2006 10:36:00 a.m. 2 comments

Why the heck is there no snow for Xmas this year? I live in CANADA!!!

But at least today is a sunny day and forecast is rain in the afternoon. I'm hoping it'll be a Christmas miracle and become snow.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

When these photos were taken I thought they didn't look very wintery since there is no snow. But there's no snow for our Xmas, so they are now the perfect Christmas Photos of the family.

Technorati Tags: General

Labels: General, Misc

// posted by May @ 12/24/2006 02:09:00 p.m. 2 comments

Kazakhstan's Captial Astana is about to be covered by foster + Partners [via and via]

Labels: General, Misc

// posted by May @ 12/18/2006 11:39:00 a.m. 0 comments

What do you do with books that you're finished with? What if there's no one to give it to? Consider signing up for Bookmooch.

And yes, I've been really remiss with the craft content these days. It will be remedied in the next month or so, but certain projects just can't see the light of day until post New Years. Oh, you know the type I'm talking about.

Labels: General, Misc

// posted by May @ 12/05/2006 02:34:00 p.m. 0 comments

I've been listening to the Futures of Web Apps Summit pod-casts (RSS Feed). I applaud Carson Systems for putting out for all of us who couldn't attend! It's a great service and it's a great way to increase interest in future seminars. BTW, the next seminar speaker list looks awesome too!

Some of the talks are really technical. Most are really informative. Some are really surprisingly funny. Content wise, it's great exposure to web apps, web sites, technologies and what people have done and are doing on the web.

And then there's little gems like these: (via)

• Cats that Look like Hitler
• Stuff on my cat

Labels: General, Misc, Web

// posted by May @ 11/19/2006 04:00:00 p.m. 1 comments

I have always loved reading. However, I know that sometimes it's hard to read even when you want to. I find that these days, without a commute, I actually have to make more of an effort to read.

For some people, picking up a book isn't really an option, and the folks at DailyLit.com has thought of a way to squeeze in some reading into most people's day. [via] Read some classics by email. They'll break down the book you've selected into small segments to be delivered with your daily email as per the schedule you've set. Me, I've got it coming to me with my morning coffee. I'm reading my emails, news and RSS feeds, what's a novel segment. Before I know it, I'll have finished the book.

Various Updates:

Cross-Stitch:

After finishing the Paris piece, I jumped into a small Lizzie*Kate. It was quick progress until I realized a huge mistake in counting. It's been on hold ever since. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. Rip it, try to compensate. Not fun times!

Knitting:

Xmas Knitting continues. [no peeking.]

Knitting continues in the yet unseen, but previously mentioned baby blanket. I put in some bobbles on it last night. It's only on one place in the piece, but it was so much fun, I rather wish it was on some other pieces. I am rather inspired to make some thing with bobbles on it just for the heck of making them. But honestly, there's a place for bobbles and then there's stupid and childish looking. It's a fine line.

Listening to:

Roch Voisine - Je te serai fidèle

Keane - Under the Iron Sea

Audioslave - Revelations

Just read:

Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Wendy Knits by Wendy D. Johnson

Labels: General, Misc

// posted by May @ 11/14/2006 08:55:00 a.m. 0 comments

How cool is this? [via]

Makes me wish I was still living in the states so I could send these out for the holidays 2007.

The Xmas Stamps from Canada Post this year isn't too bad either! I rather like the retro look.

As I heard on the radio today, 45 days until Xmas. I guess I'd better get going on the packaging. Luckily for me this year, most of the Xmas presents are done. I just have a few more to-do and work on the presentation.

Labels: General, Knitting

// posted by May @ 11/09/2006 06:34:00 p.m. 1 comments

Wow... I didn't even this this website existed. I'm so pleased to see it! [via]. I'm a huge Petit Nicolas fan! I'm pretty excited to see Histoires inédites du Petit Nicolas, Tome 2 is also out!  Nice!

Also: Le blog du Petit Nicolas

Labels: General, Misc

// posted by May @ 10/31/2006 01:52:00 p.m. 1 comments

I love it when technology works with people to try to create and share the 'human experience'.

[via Fast Company issue 110 November 2006]

From biomapping.net:

The Greenich Emotion Map:

I find it inspiring that such a very geeky/techy project is created by an artist. Not that I don't appreciate that he is an artist, but that the medium is technology and that what can be called the traditional 'geek' work can be recognized as art. The passion, devotion and effort that often is attributed to and recognized to artists by "the people" exists in the scientist. A different medium but the results are often just as inspiring and rewarding to society. Of course, they all have their fans, I don't deny that there are technology groupies. But it makes me happy when the lines start to blur. After all, why is there such a divide between art and science? Is creativity not creativity no matters how it's applied and what ever the result?

Labels: General, Misc

// posted by May @ 10/30/2006 07:53:00 a.m. 0 comments

We're a household that's is changing out most of our bulbs to CFLs. Please read this article and consider doing the same in your home.

Recently the city and hydro company put together a program to give one bulb to each household. It's a great idea for once you try out one of the newer bulbs you'll change your mind about using them. If you've tried them even just a couple of years ago, give them a try again. The technology has come a long way.

Of course, down the pipe is the LED... but hey, they might be what you'll get to replace the CFLs when you finally have to change them years down the road.

[Update:] You do have to change how you buy and compare lightbulbs. I used to compare how much light I can have from a bulb by wattage and then put a bulb in the socket that has a maximum wattage above or equal to what I've chosen. However, with CFLs you do have to compare on lumens instead of wattage to see if it's enough light for the area you want. I'm using some bulbs in the bathroom that used to be 40W regulars and I'm using 15W CFLs and it's actually brighter than what I had in there before. Go figure :) It is harder to compare on lumens though since most regular bulbs don't tell you how much they output. I don't have enough empirical experience to back it, and mostly have to guess. However, I've been moving the bulbs around the room. Since they are all mostly 15-20W, they will fit into all the sockets that will take anything higher and I move them around the apt until I have a bulb in the area that has the appropriate amount of light. Usually as older bulbs die out.

Labels: General, Misc

// posted by May @ 10/28/2006 12:32:00 p.m. 4 comments

I've been on a personal mission of sorts to go to every major museum and now I might have to do libraries!

Check out this post of awesome looking libraries to go see in your travels. While I find the whole 'porn' reference strange, it can't deny the power of the photos. [via]

Just for fun, here are the ones I've made it to so far on the museum side:

New York:

Metropolitan Museum of Art

American Natural History Museum

Frick Collection

MOMA

Brooklyn Museum

Washington DC

National Gallery of Art

Toronto:

Royal Ontario Museum

Art Gallery of Ontario

Bata Shoe Museum

Los Angeles:

Huntington Library

Paris:

Louvre

Museé national du Moyen Age(Cluny)

Museé d'Orsay

London:

British Museum

National Gallery

Victoria and Albert Museum

Taipei:

National Palace Museum

Tokyo:

Tokyo National Museum

Labels: General, Travel

// posted by May @ 10/19/2006 09:30:00 a.m. 1 comments

at graphpaper.com, there's a 6 part series on Class and Design that is fascinating. Part One. [via]

A recent issue of Fast Company and Part Six of this series also mentions Antenna Design. They are the ones who designed the MetroCard machines for the MTA (NYC). I was recently once again using the machines and looking at them with a lot more of a usability and user interaction design stand point, and I have to say, they really are a gem. Go to the Antenna site to take a look at their designs in more detail, and next time you use a MetroCard vending machine, take note at how fast it was to get your ticket/refill your pass.

Other interesting reads: New York Times: Class Matters - Social Class in the United States of America

Even if you don't think the metroCard machin is all that fabulous compared to other machines, it will still kick the butt of this piece of crap design put out by the TTC:

Labels: General, Web

// posted by May @ 10/18/2006 10:18:00 a.m. 0 comments

One of the tagging trends that I enjoy right now is geotagging. The ideal way to do this is to have GPS devices that will record the precise locations for the application in question. But most of us don't have that, and it's perhaps something we'll see more of in the days to come. So, for now, most people and applications require that you manually geotag. But while the trend of it is new, the geotag is really much like any other tag, just some metadata. When one looks at a product which has had a lot of client interaction, it's really a nice sign of folksonomy at work (ex, del.icio.us). But we're perhaps not quite there yet on the geotag side. It's only a matter of time.

We've got geobloggers and geotagged photos. Flickr has recently announced their map product. It is my first indepth exposure to geotag. (Previous one is the Team Canada on Frapper!. Geotagging people.) While yahoo! maps is lacking compared to google maps, it is nicely integrated with the flickr application. I got started on it just about when it went online and I've seen the product improve in the short time it's live. My map. I do echo a lot of the other critism of the 'features' or 'bugs' about the map feature. One can hope flickr is listening and is working on fixing the issues. I'm pretty convinced that they will, given how they have quickly fixed some of the most annoying early problems.

Since privacy is of course of issue, considered bigger or smaller depending on who one speaks with... I actually prefer the ability to be able to control how specific to geotag a location. I do plan on going back and adding more photos to my flickr pages and being more specific about locations. I'd specially like to see how a location is photographed by different people, but how we can record the changes to a location over time. Of course, that's really the next dimension to something like a flickr map feature, to be able to then view and filter the pages by date and get a layered time progression. Note: The maps will allow you to filter a map by date. But we do not yet have enough photos over time to take full advantage of the filter. I'm really looking forward to seeing more photos being geotagged over time.

Some geotag talk:

• Making location simple by Jeffrey Veen
• The PlaceMap Project
• Geotagging on mezzoblue
• MAKE: How to GPS tag photos
• mappr!
• Flickr Geotag Group
• iPhoto hidden feature?

Labels: General, Photography

// posted by May @ 10/05/2006 12:23:00 p.m. 0 comments

I've updated Paris Recommendations Part 2: Pâtisserie and Tea with the photos that my mom took of the patisserie display.

And the first show I've liked so far in this tv season, Heros on NBC. It rocks. I haven't been so blown away by a tv show in ages. I am serious hooked. If you've missed it, NBC is showing it again tonight.

Labels: General

// posted by May @ 9/26/2006 09:33:00 a.m. 1 comments

Many of us still have our own personal stories and mental footage of our experiences. I also wrote down my experiences that night and I reread it on occasion. It's still something I cannot share, but here are some remembrances that I can.

• I remember I was reading an article in the morning before the events about religious intolerance.
• I remember it was one of the most beautiful weather days of the year. Tragedy is not in rainy gloomy days as depicted on tv.
• I remember I was stepping off the bus when the second plane hit and the explosion was so loud and big that I felt it rock under my feet all the way on the east side where I was.
• I remember I didn't actually know the date until much later, maybe 6 pm or so, after I got home. Now I'll never forget it.
• I remember being crushed against the coast guard building by the hundreds of people running in panic as we heard the first building collapse.
• I remember holding my friend's hand as we ran away from the billowing debris cloud from the collapsing building as it engulfed the downtown area.
• I remember the dust went into your nose and eyes and down your throat. I can still taste it now.
• I remember the poor of the city came out to help rescue the fat bankers leaving the downtown area. We were offered drinks of water by the people from the projects as we walked up the FDR. I don't know who they were, but I'm ever so grateful for their kindness. Thank you.
• I remember looking back as I was walking away up the FDR, the contrast of the smoke against the clear blue sky.

Labels: General, New York



// posted by May @ 9/11/2006 11:54:00 a.m. 0 comments

IMG_2401.JPG
Originally uploaded by myan147.

Labels: General

// posted by May @ 9/07/2006 10:54:00 a.m. 0 comments

I've been looking for a kaleidoscope for a long time now. I used to have one when I was young and recently was reading Just Enough where it used a kaleidoscope in a analogy. I finally picked up a kaleidoscope at the Japanese Cultural Center. It was from a table of crafts to benefit the center and it was very retro. My sister and mom came for coffee recently and saw it and remarked how it looked exactly like one we had as children. So, that's why it gave me the nostalgic feelings.

It's a nice reminder of change and it's also fun. The lovely images are all to quickly gone, but as it turns out, you can kind of take photos of them.

Just Enough by Laura Nash and Howard Stevenson: a thought provoking book about balance and careers and examines if you really can have it both ways. Makes one really think about what you really want and what to do about trying to get it.

Labels: General

// posted by May @ 8/31/2006 07:53:00 a.m. 0 comments

Crying over the lack of:

• Unsweetened silk soy milk (green box)
• Spiral cut ham
• ready to eat chicken breast
• Any decent meat at the local grocery
• Can't find seitan anywhere
• No skim that tastes like 2%.

Happy about:

• Light silk soy (even if it only comes here in one flavor in Canada).
• Spiral cut ham was spotted on occassion.
• Ready to eat chicken breast has shown up. Not as tasty, but I'm happy with it.
• Boxes of ready to eat organic salad
• Horray for Whole Foods, White House Meats and Pusateris for having decent meat and fish. We have to drive far, but at least we can get some.

Crying over:

• Unsweetened silk soy milk, not to mention all the other 'drinks and products'.
• No Cinnamon N' Brown Sugar whipped cream cheese spread
• Still no seitan anywhere!

The market is catching up and I'm adapting.

Labels: General

// posted by May @ 8/21/2006 08:11:00 a.m. 0 comments

I was reading the article on blender pen transfers last week on Photojojo and was really intrigued. I had images I could use and a bone folder, so all I needed was the blender pen. Since we were in the neighbourhood, G and I went to Loomis and picked up a blender pen. It's been said that photocopies worked best, but I was more interested in trying out magazine type glossy pages and inkjet printed ones. I had good success with the magazine pages and will be trying something with inkjet this afternoon after work. Now my mind is spinning on all the things I could do with this.

Labels: General

// posted by May @ 7/24/2006 08:57:00 a.m. 0 comments

Labels: Computer, General

// posted by May @ 6/22/2006 09:40:00 a.m. 0 comments