XHTML Project Site Live

I have created a project site that will be a companion to the re-development of alistair.com using XHTML.

After failing to convince my ISP to allow .xhtml extensions for my web documents, I have launched project with .shtml so I can use Server Side Includes on the site. I was hoping they would go for it, because I would like to keep the XHTML documents seperate from others, but they vetoed the idea.

You can follow the progress of the re-development of alistair.com on the project site.

A New Project

I have been trying to redesign alistair.com for some time now, always unhappy with each new design concept.

So, I have decided to completely re-create the site from scratch following the XHTML specification.

This really isn't anything new or bold, but it does give me something to work on other than just a fresh coat of paint.

Once I have the project site up and running, I'll let you know.

Even More Pictures

I found a few more pictures I wanted to put online:

• The guitar I won and the mark inside.
• Panoramic shots one and two. (Warning! These panoramics are about 320K each!)

More Pictures

These are of the experimental type. The white-bordered ones are taken with my SLR at exposures of 5 to 20 seconds. The remainder are pinhole shots that were from 90 to 300 seconds.

Folk Fest Pictures

Some pictures from the Vancouver Folk Music Festival 2002.

Blogchalking

I'm trying out something called BlogChalking, which allows people to search for other bloggers based on things like language, gender, age and location. There is a little chalk drawing of a face that you can probably find on this page. Mouse-over to find out my information. One of the steps requires that I post the following:

This is my new blogchalk:
Canada, BC, Vancouver, Burnaby, English, Alistair, Male, 31-35, Photography. :)

Let's see if it works.

And The Winner Is...

Me!

I went to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival this weekend and really enjoyed myself. I got to see some awesome acts like Bitch & Animal, Paul Thorn and best of all, Shane Koyczan, an amazing Slam Poet who is worth the price of admission.

But wait, it get's better!

I was sitting near the main stage, minding my own business when a familiar face walked by in an odd cape and feathered cap. It was Dan, who was selling raffle tickets. On the list of prizes was a Legend Guitar that I thought would be pretty cool, and Dan looked great in his cape & hat, so I bought 3 tickets for $10.

On the last evening, as I sat at the back of the giant field that the Festival is held on, they announced they would be drawing for the #2 prize, this fancy guitar.

Then I heard my name. Read out loud. Over the loudspeaker.

I had won! I couldn't believe it...I was running around with my hands in the air, whooping like a crazy person.

I don't consider myself a very lucky person, so I was waiting for the inevitable alarm clock buzz that would wake me from this fantastic dream I was having.

But wait, it get's better!

As I was still jumping up and down in disbelief, I hear them call my name again. Over the loudspeaker.

This time, it was for the Grand Prize. A lifetime pass to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

Both prizes together are worth about $4500. I was pretty much beyond words at that point.

I think I still am.

Weight Loss Wait

I have to lose weight. Not because it is medically required, or that my underwear model contract is in jeopardy, but because I want to.

Standing in the way of this are three primary obstacles:

1. I have an injury that prevents me from anything that might put undue stress on my lower spine. Jogging, biking, hiking and even swimming cause painful side effects


2. I am miserably bad at sticking to a diet


3. The wait

Now, I'm not really fat, but I am carrying a few extra pounds that I'd like to get rid of. I'd be happy to shed 15 pounds.

So, with most exercises excluded I am left with walking. Not such a bad thing, walking is generally hailed as an excellent activity to maintain good health. So I have decided to walk the 2 or 3 kilometres to and from work throughout the summer and as long into the fall as it stays warm.

The diet part is harder. I'm not talking about the nutbar 'eat 50 grams of food a day for a year' diets, more just the diets that shift your eating habits to healthier, less fatty options.

See, I keep a fairly busy and sometimes erratic schedule, which means I end up eating away from home and at varying hours from day to day. I have read over and over to keep your eating schedule the same every day. I have a hard time remembering to eat breakfast most days.

I'd like to think I would make more meals for myself, but I suck as a cook and I'm not very good at making lunch for myself.

Most of the time it comes down to discipline, of which I have very little. The discipline to get up and eat breakfast at a regular hour, to make my lunch every day rather than buy the cafeteria food at work, to get up 30 minutes earlier so I can walk to work, etc.

The waiting, though, that's the worst part. Walking to work seems like an eternity and I have nothing to do but wait until my feet get me to work. Plus, the weight doesn't exactly come off overnight, so I tend to get discouraged too easily and decide that it isn't working.

Hopefully it'll be different this time.

Wish me luck. And patience.

Red Light District

After trying to load a pinhole camera in the dark, I decided it would be much easier if I just picked up a safety light from a local camera shop. Now my bathroom has a sexy red glow to it.

In other news, a transformer blew up a few blocks from where I work, rendering a few of the building powerless. We got to go home for the day.

So did I go home?

No.

Did I spend too much money at Old Navy?

Yes.

Pinholes and Black Paint

Yesterday, a friend of mine came over and gave me a tutorial on making a pinhole camera.

It didn't take too long, but there was a lot of black paint on my hands by the end of the project.

I now have my very own cookie tin pinhole camera. I have yet to take any pictures with it, but I'll post the results when I get back from my darkroom class next Monday.

More pinhole camera stuff:

Pinhole FAQ
Pinhole Resource
Oatmeal Box Pinhole Camera

B I N G O

I went to bingo with two friends that were heading off to Toronto in the coming days. It was a fun time, partly because I won! That's right, I got to yell BINGO at the top of my lungs.

What made it wierd was that just before my last number was called, I said to my little group:

All I need is N 39

And the next second, I hear "Under the N...39".

A few games later, the lad across from me was in the same situation, and we all said:

All you need is G 43

Damnit if the next words out of the Bingo Caller's mouth weren't "Under the G...43".

It was a great nite. Have fun out east, girls.

Need Extra Cash?

Try a water fountain.

Checkout the rest of Christopher Evan's collection of Lomographs.

2002 Q1 - Digital

A random collection of digital images taken in the first quarter of 2002.

Upcoming Films

Here are some films I am looking forward to seeing in the coming months:

Lovely & Amazing

Red Dragon is a remake of Manhunter, which I heard was good, but when I saw it, I was less than impressed. Hopefully this newer version will be better.

The Dangerous Life of Altar Boys

The cinematography in Step Into Liquid looks pretty amazing.

Road to Perdition

Lilo & Stitch (what can I say...it looks like fun).

Swimming

I hope I get to see at least some of them.