It’s Very Important to Look Up Tonight

Jun 5 2012

Tonight is the ‘Transit of Venus’,

one of the rarest planetary events in our solar system.

You’ll see Venus pass across the sun tonight.

It will look like this.

It will start during these times, and last for 6.5 hours.

This will not happen again till you and I are long dead, in 2117.

This phenomenon happens in pairs, separated by more than 100 years. The last one occurred in 2004 and next pair in 2117 and 2125.

I’ve had this event in my calendar for three years.

(Venus and Earth are the same size)

Things are really kicking off up there. There was a solar eclipse a few weeks ago, yesterday was a full moon, remember when I told you the planets aligned last May?

I subject you to planetary alignment posts from time to time, it’s important.

For such a logical girl, I’m really into this stuff.

Why?

My thinking is: all previous civilizations tracked them, why not ours, we can’t possibly think we’re all there is, that everything you see is all that exists.

The Egyptians dedicated their entire country to constructing buildings to track such things. Think you’re smarter than them? We’re not.

That’s why one of my very first Canadian Explorer episodes was about the planets.

Episode 2/80 – Exploring Deep Space aired August 2007

(note: the gentleman in the red shirt, Dr. Terry Bridges, discovered 6 dwarf galaxies in our galaxy, so cool)

My recommendation to you is to make a wish tonight, and make it big – it’s called a dream for a reason.

It’s Doors Open TO This Weekend

May 26 2012

Doors Open Toronto: Each year on this weekend over 100+ places open their doors to the public. It’s a great way to easily gain access to restricted places and areas.

I go every year.

2011

The HC Harris Water Treatment Plant

This place washes HALF of Toronto’s water daily. And looks exactly like the video game Myst. One of my favourite places in Toronto.

Girl in a Masonic Lodge – VERY Rare

2010

The original Toronto Stock Exchange – one of Canada’s premiere Art Deco buildings, and home to our very first fluorescent light.

(aside – such a grainy photo on the left. I used to blog using my Razr, ha).

2009

The HMCS York Naval Reserve

Ryan and I went for exploring for

‘Canadian Explorer’ Episode #25/80: Operation Doors Open.

Ryan filmed too, here’s his version of the days events.

2008

Canada’s Largest Military Library

It’s North America’s largest military library, and has since been demolished. They’re re-building it and assured me at the time the library would be saved and re-constructed.

This year I have only one item on my list – The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. They have a tablet from 1800 BC!

I try to make it every year to this library, and I best leave right now because they’re closed tomorrow, and I have 90 minutes from now to keep this dream alive.

TTYL

The First Ever Honda Manual Driving School

May 25 2012

I prefer standard. I learned on it.

Most of my cars have been manual, but remember when my car died last fall? It’s been press and rental cars ever since, all automatic, so I hadn’t shifted anything since the fall.

Still killed it.

That’s a Honda Civic HFP, tuned out of the factory, one of about 200 in Canada.

Excellent hazard button set up. Top 3 I’ve seen.

It should be immediately accessible, no barriers. I have a thing about them.

The worst hazard buttons are on TOP of the steering column, are you kidding me. Put my hand through the wheel during an emergency situation. Have you ever got your arm caught while turning, it’s terrifying.

I say it all the time, and found further proof today…

#ThursdayNight best night of the week

Alen and I after our lap.

The lap.

Thanks for a fantastic afternoon Honda, look forward to driving your Civic in June.

Please Give to Dare to Wear Love

Mar 15 2012

This Friday is the closing night gala of Toronto Fashion Week, the 3rd Annual Fashion Show Dare to Wear Love.

Top Canadian designers create one-of-a-kind dresses from African fabric, which are worn down the runway by Canadian celebrities (look for Casie!). Money raised goes to the Stephen Lewis Foundation which helps mothers, grandmothers and orphans with AIDS in Africa.

Click here to donate.

It’s founded and hosted by my old pals Chris and Jim of Hoax Couture. When I moved to Toronto in 2008 and knew no one, they took me under their wing and helped install me into the city. We played poker, went to Caribana and Chris got me to cook one time.

I attended their first year and filmed a ‘Canadian Explorer’ episode, Exploring Fashion Week.

(Click here and here for the original posts. And yup, I really did get kicked off stage ha)

Good luck fellas! It’s gonna be great.

Friday March 16, 7:30pm at Roy Thompson Hall

ShmooCon 2012 in DC at the Washington Hilton

Feb 1 2012

ShmooCon is the premiere East-coast annual hacker convention

This year’s bag.

Did you see this outside the lobby to the left Saturday afternoon?

A crane dropped what it was holding.

I procured a new laptop bag, sweet.

Espeically since this was the bag I was using.

ArcSight, nice, I’ve blogged about them before.

Attended some talks, the NFC one was interesting but over my head, and the HNN one was my favourite.

Not much to show you about the actual conference though – it’s impolite to wave your camera around recording things at such events. It’s nothing mysterious, just the nature of the industry.

Same at all the conferences, same as Defcon.

Which is why I’m extra proud of this video; I’m pretty sure I have one of the only videos in the world showing inside last year’s Defcon19.

Adding to that, you can imagine going online during these events, you best be prepared. This is ‘the best of the best’ gathered together. Which is why I didn’t let my laptop touch the hotel network and my MiFi went down.

There’s always someone better than you. And cleaning up after a compromise is never worth the couple days you missed internetting.

I can tell you though, about the couple that got engaged, congratulations you two!

And show you the cutest thing, look: