I’m back in Charm City (which I don’t think anyone actually calls the place) for a solar conference. Catherine lived here for a couple of years, volunteering at the Learning Bank (possibly defunct) and at Mercy Corps. I used to visit here a lot, but it’s changed. The walk from Inner Harbor to Fells Point is unrecognizably gentrified. At least The Sound Garden and Brick Oven Pizza are still there.
Tallgrass Pixels | photography by Don Palmer is rather good. Don (W0PSK) lives near the Flint Hills in Kansas.
After my solar course, I’ve been messing about with the UO SRML: Sun chart program. It shows sun angles and day lengths throughout the year.
is what you get when you look down a Schletter PV Maxâ„¢ triangular aluminium solar panel support
at this image of pandas:
I’m taking a Canadian Solar Institute course at Earth Rangers. Mario, the instructor, has quite a nifty photoblog: Mario Borsato – Nature Photo Blog. Here’s a close encounter with a timber wolf he had:
Mario’s company is Soleil Power Canada, if you’re needing solar installation or training.
(image copyright 2010, Mario Borsato.)
David Barnes’s new book What’s Weird? arrived today. It’s lovely.
David has an — unsurprisingly — unusual youtube channel and an etsy store. One of his prints hovers above my desk, and an original runs on my work desk.
We go to Phở Vietnam a lot. Catherine probably tires of my attempts to sneak a durian shake onto the order list instead of her usual choice, but really, what can be wrong with a drink that’s made of everyone’s favourite cow-poop-smelling spiny fruit?
So tonight, I thought I’d order it for real. I was very pleasantly surprised. Instead of a beverage with a barnyard reek, it had a delicate flavour, with sweet high notes like a citrusy cantaloupe. I’ll definitely order it again; it’s not one side short of a D20.
I finally got one. A real Moog Music one, too. For cheaper than a kit, even. Yes, a theremin; everyone’s favourite hand-wavey, LC circuit beat-frequency wobbly noise thing.
Playing anything recognizable is a way off yet. For now, I’m just vastly amused by the sounds it makes when you turn it on and off.
I just got my amateur radio license. If you’re unlucky enough to be on the 2m and 70cm bands around Toronto, you may just find me as VA3PID. The 3 is, of course, silent …
I guess that (so far unsuccessfully) futzing around with the small digital transceivers with Arduino made me look up some radio things, then I read this article on MetaFilter. It made me realize that unless new hams get on the air, the hobby will die, and the radio spectrum will be reallocated.
Passing the test wasn’t that hard, but did take a bit of dedicated reading. No morse code is required for the Basic Amateur Radio Operator Certificate, and if you get more than 80% in the multiple choice test, you can use the HF frequencies below 30 MHz. Since the pass mark is 70%, I thought it worth the extra effort.
I slightly overbought on the study materials. I got:
While it’s possible to download the question bank from Industry Canada, or use the quaint Windows-based examiner program, I thought I’d work from a book. Both will likely do pretty well, but neither is perfect:
I passed the exam on Tuesday night, and had my callsign listed by Friday. I have a cheap but adequate Wouxun dual band HT. This should be fun.
After several months closed, the Jamaican restaurant at 224 Adelaide St W has reopened as Caribbean Taste. It’s the same folks (Robert & Wendy, from Tropical Desires on Old Weston Rd) cooking as before, and it’s still able to provide a life-changing roti experience.
We’d been to Schwartz’s before, and the line and the crush and the noise just wasn’t worth it. Across the road is the Main Steak House Deli, which was supposed to be as good, and way less crowded. So we went in …
Whoa! Tender peppery meat, killer poutine, crispy pickles and cold beer. We ordered in hesitating French, then the server yelled the order in English to the kitchen.
Looks like not everyone’s billing workflow understands accents:
Outside, we saw meat resting in the window, bejewelled with peppercorns:
We’ll be back the next time we’re in Montreal.
A house down the road does these very intricate snow sculptures:
My sister-in-law makes very nice cakes.
This arrived today:
A bright pink EMUS soprano ukulele from Empire Music. I’m confused — not merely because I’ve never known Canada Post to deliver on a Sunday, but:
It actually plays quite well — but where did it come from?
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