Thoughts From My LifeThoughts From My LifeAdvice on Traveling, Photography, and Finance Articles
Concentration - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-19 17:42:00 My sister-in-law was concentrating on her sewing task late one night. The glow of the sewing machine's lamp was kind of neat. I took this with the Canon S50 point and shoot camera. I loved that camera, but ended up leaving it in a taxi cab in Quito, Ecuador on a holiday in 2005.Published on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Concentration
Laptop Shopping - What Laptop To Buy
2007-12-18 21:05:00 I am in the market for a laptop and it is actually my first one. Hard to believe that a computer engineer would never have owned a laptop, but it's true. Anyhow, I have been shocked by the variance in prices and features from store to store and even within a store. I have a few basic requirements for my laptop. I have found very few models that contain all of these. They all seem to lack in one area or demand a huge price to upgrade to them. The best packages for the cheapest price I have to say have been the Acer lineup so far. They even throw in an HD-DVD drive which I wouldn't even expect at this price range nowadays. A close second has been the custom configurations available with Dell. FeatureRequirement PriceUnder $1,000 ProcessorIntel Core2 Duo RAMEasy to Upgrade Hard Drive120 GB Video CardNot integrated Wireless802.11a/g and Bluetooth Sound CardIntegrated Operation SystemWindows Vista Home Premium Screen Size15 inch or less and widescreen This is a seriously ha... More About: Shopping , Laptop , Top Shop
Calgary Saddledome - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-18 17:42:00 This is my home city. The Calgary Saddledome in the foreground with downtown in behind it. The Saddledome is where the Calgary Flames (National Hockey League), Calgary Hitmen (Wester Hockey League), and Calgary Roughnecks (National Lacrosse League) play. There are also concerts and other events here. This photo was taken with a Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens and I was standing on the hill on the west side of Ramsay's residential district in Calgary. I park up here and walk down the hill when I am going to a game.Published on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo
Vote For Me So I Can Win A PhotoTrakr Lite
2007-12-17 18:08:00 For those of you who read my blog, I wrote about the GISTEQ PhotoTrackr Lite the other day. It is a handy little device that records the time and GPS information of your travels. There is a software package that goes along with it that will tag all your photos with your GPS tracking data. Anyhow, my article was part of a contest to win one of these devices. And since it is the holidays and I would really like one, I'm asking everyone to go vote for my article. Just go to the The BenSpark page and there is a voting widget on the right hand side of the page called Who Should Win a Gisteq PhotoTrackr Lite. There is a little widget below where you can click the radio button for my name and then vote. Just place a vote for me please.Published on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:08:36 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Vote
Cambodian Temple Stairs - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-17 17:42:00 Outside the town of Batdambang in Cambodia there is a temple at the top of a small mountain. These were the stairs to the top. It took a little while to get up there and a lot of kids want to walk up with you in the hope of some monetary compensation, but the view was totally worth it. I shot this with my Canon S50 point and shoot.Published on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Temple , Temp
Sheep On Saltspring Island - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-16 17:42:00 We were driving around the loop on Saltspring Island in February of 2004 and had to stop to photograph these little guys.Published on Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Sheep
Incheon Airport Window Cleaners - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-15 17:42:00 These window cleaners were working away and a hazy day at the Incheon Airport just outside of Seoul, South Korea. I think this might have been the control center for the airport but I am not sure.Published on Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Window , Cleaners
Fake Trading With The UpDown
2007-12-14 20:56:00 I have always wanted to do a site for fake trading stocks and options, but I get it started and just don't take the time to polish it up. I recently found a site that does just that and has an excellent interface and layout. It is called The UpDown. Basically, you sign up and get a $1,000,000 of fake money and you can make trades. What makes this site different is the communication and analysis tools. Why The UpDown Is Great It almost feels like a real web brokerage with the various tools you can use to research the stock. It also allows you to post your analysis of the stock when you do a trade (or even if you aren't doing a trade). These short analysis articles by users are viewable by all and have a rating system. You can see the top rated ones for bullish and bearish perspectives. You also can see the other users' performance and portfolio values. You Can Earn Real Money! On the site, they describe how you can earn money fake trading. Basically, you have to outperf... More About: Trading , Fake
Banff View Above The Rimrock - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-14 17:42:00 This photo was taken in Banff, Alberta, Canada. I was looking down from the hotsprings down the valley. In the bottom of the photo is the RimRock Hotel. Another shot from my Canon S50. Published on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , View
Seoul Money Changers - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-13 17:42:00 I was walking through Namdaemun market in Seoul , South Korea. These ladies were just sitting there talking away and I could not figure out what they were doing. Right in the middle of a busy intersection of a few different streets. Anyhow, they were money changers to get you the right change. Why can't all markets have these people?Published on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Money , Changers
Floating Home In Cambodia - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-12 17:42:00 I was traveling by boat along the river a couple hours from the city of Batambang, Cambodia . There were villages of these floating homes along the river. I snapped this with my Canon S50 point and shoot.Published on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Home , Floating
Winter Sunrise In Calgary - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-11 17:42:00 I used to live in one of the tallest buildings in south Calgary called the Pinnacle. This was a sunrise was winter morning looking east from my apartment. It looked kind of neat. You can see how flat the city is. Only 2 and 3 story buildings once your are out of the downtown.Published on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Winter , Sunrise
Top PSP Games - Best Games For Playstation Portable
2007-12-11 16:20:00 I recently purchased a Playstation Portable (PSP) and have to say that I am impressed with the quality of games that have come out for it. I purchased because of a couple games in particular that I know would never come out for my Nintendo DS (which is awesome too). This is a listing of games in my library and I have the ranked in the order that I am currently playing them. #1 being the game getting most of my time (which is not a lot lately). I am only writing about games I own or have owned. This is entirely my own biased opinion. If you think your tastes match mine, then I guarantee the top 5 of this list you will definitely enjoy. I am also including my own personal ranking and how much I paid for this game. 1. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror My Ranking: 9/10 Purchase Price/Store: US$15/eBay (Used) Covert operations shooter. You have lots of weapons, neat locations to play in, puzzles to figure out, and combat strategies. The campaign story is very interesting and the multip... More About: Games
Midnight Winter Scene - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-10 17:42:00 Another cold winter night in Alberta. I took this photo using a tripod out the front window of my parents' home outside of Vermilion, Alberta. Forgive me if it is a little dark, but this is exactly how it looked at the time. You had to kind of move your head to the side a bit and let your eyes adjust to see out there. Kind of had a scary look.Published on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Winter , Scene , Midnight
DSOrganize Web Browser For Nintendo DS
2007-12-10 12:22:00 I have been using the DSOrgan ize Web Browse r for several months now. If you are not familiar with DSOrganize, it is a free homebrew application for the Nintendo DS that is a collection of smaller applications. The best being the web browser. It has always stayed in my list of the Best Nintendo DS Homebrew. A Nintendo DS web browser is one of the ideal homebrew applications. It is free and very useful. Even if you just want to check email, the sports scores, or something else, it can be convenient. Developed by DragonMinded, it is a very impressive application that is constantly being expanded and improved. You can check out the DSOrganize Homepage for more details on the features. How Well Does The Web Browser Work? Reasonably well. It currently supports background colors and some fonts. It will render images, but not all the time and not that well necessarily. The rendering time can be slow on the big pages too, but that is to be expected. It works really well for read...
Family Living Room - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-09 17:42:00 This is the living room where I grew up outside of Vermilion, Alberta, Canada. Mom had a fake fruit thing sitting out on the table that looked kind of Christmas-like. I was taking photos of the giant lion print in the corner with every possible resolution setting on my camera to have them developed to see the results. You can see a full size photo of it in my article Artwork in My House that I took a year ago. This was my first ever digital camera, the Canon S50. I had it for like a week.Published on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Family , Photo , Living , Living Room , Room
Winter Roads - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-08 17:42:00 It was the middle of winter, minus 30 degrees Celsius, snow blowing across the road, and in east central Alberta. This is a harsh winter scene. There was not a tree to be seen on either side of the road.Published on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Winter , Roads
Monkey At The Zoo - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-07 17:42:00 This gorilla was sitting with his back to the glass at the Calgary Zoo. The keeper told us that is a sign of trust to the people watching when they show them their back.Published on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Monkey
Book Through AirMilesShops For More Air Miles
2007-12-07 17:05:00 I just learned of another way to get air miles at no extra cost by using the site airmilesshops.ca. This site, which is part of the Airmiles Official Site allows you to use your Airmiles collector number and look for retailers which offer AirMiles on-line. This is above and beyond the usual stores you can think of like Shell, Boston Pizza, and Westjet. I also shop at Dell and Expedia which are on-line stores that do not directly let you collect Air Miles with them. You can get points from them at airmileshsops though. How AirMilesShops Works When you click on a retailer on airmilesshops, you are taken to a page that explains the Air Miles you will receive if you make a purchase on-line. You can then enter your AirMiles Collector number if you haven't already and click on a button that redirects you to the retailer's site where you can shop as you normally would and make a purchase if you want. If you place an order on-line then they give you a certain number of Air Miles ba... More About: Book
Chopping Wood - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-06 17:42:00 This fellow was chopping wood during a camping trip this year and I caught him in full motion coming down on this block. Loved this expression. I had my 18-200mm Nikon VR lens on with the shutter speed as high as it could go. The shot has almost no blur except for the end of the axe.Published on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Wood
Aeroplan Bonus Offers
2007-12-06 16:26:00 Aeroplan points are a great way to get a little bit of a return on your purchases. You need to be careful though. Never spend more money just to to get Aeroplan miles (or extra Aeroplan miles) unless the value of points you are getting are more than the extra money you have to spend. I have written a number of articles on this including Collecting Aeroplan Points and Their Value, Aeroplan Versus Air Miles - Comparing Them, and New York City Using Aeroplan Points. One great way to squeek out some more points is to find coupons and Aeroplan special offers that are going on. I was looking around the other day and found a few places that offer Aeroplan deals to get more points. Air Canada Aeroplan Special Offers Check out the Air Canada Aeroplan Special Offers page. I just found this on their Air Canada website. This is a page on their website that advertises deals that are currently on. For example, as of December 4th, 2007 they have extra Aeroplan points available for booking... More About: Bonus , Aeroplan
Sailboat At Saxe Point - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-05 17:42:00 This sailboat was just coming in off of Saxe Point Park in Victoria, British Columbia. Just over to the right of where this photograph was taken is the Esquimalt Canadian naval facility.Published on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo
Okiwi Web Brower For The Nintendo DS
2007-12-05 16:21:00 I have been using the DSOrganize web browser for the past little while. It works reasonably well. I decided to try the Okiwi homebrew web browser out at as well. It is in version 0.2 alpha right now. It was simple to get running. It has a nice interface and is fairly simple to use as well. It renders the text and background colors, but I notice there are no other images and I could not actually click on the links for this site. I surfed to a few others sites and the links worked just fine though. How Does It Compare To DSOrganize It definitely isn't as polished, but it is a good start. He is actively working on it as well, so you can expect features to be added. Getting It To Run The setup is very simple. Make sure to check out the site and go to the Okiwi Blog if you have any other problems or want further instructions. It is written partially in Spanish and English, so you will need to skip through to the parts you can read. Download the latest version from the Okiwi ... More About: Nintendo , Nintendo Ds
Hippo At Calgary Zoo - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-04 17:42:00 This hippo was laying listless in the water in the Africa exhibit at the Calgary Zoo.Published on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo
Geo Tagging Your Photos - GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Lite
2007-12-04 15:12:00 Tagging photos with GPS information is becoming more and more popular with photographers and just enthusiasts with GPS. If you do not know what GPS is, it stands for Global Position System. Basically it involves a device that can detect satellites and determine the exact latitude and longitude of its location. Digital photos contain extra information (called EXIF) in the file that includes info on the date, camera settings, and other data regarding the photo that was taken. Geo tagging means adding the GPS information into the EXIF data as well. I have written about this in the past, but there is a new device out called the GiSTEQTM PhotoTrackrTM Lite . There is a contest to win one of these right now where you basically write an article like the one I did here. You can check out the details at Win a GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Lite. Why Geo Tag Photos ? There have been countless times I wish my photos were geo-tagged. My wife and I have been on several trips in the past few years. A... More About: Tagging
Notre Dame - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-03 17:42:00 I managed to rest my camera on a large wood shelf to get this photo. I didn't have a tripod and it was super dark in Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal, Quebec.Published on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo , Notre-Dame
Earn Revenue Online - November Recap
2007-12-03 17:26:00 Well, here is November 's results. It was a great month for my passive income! New records which I am happy with. I received payments from Kontera and Adsense for passing the $100 thresholds. Thoughts From My Life Traffic Stats for November November's numbers and October's numbers are in brackets. Page Loads: 5754 (5239) Unique Visitors: 3016 (3049) Average Uniques/Day: 100 (98) Lowest Uniques/Day: 73 (60) Highest Uniques/Day: 129 (142) Traffic leveled out a bit more this month. My days are definitely more consistent with the 100 uniques/day being the average. November Traffic Thoughts From My Life Revenue Overall, my earnings for November were $127.04. Here is the breakdown with last month's numbers in brackets. PayU2Blog: $55.00 ($70.00) Adsense: $41.71 ($34.62) Kontera: $23.38 ($14.53) PayPal: $6.95 ($0.00) LinkWorth: $0.00 ($14.00) My Adsense and Kontera set records for monthly earnings. This is my big plus as these are more the passive income sources for my... More About: Earn , Online , Recap
Bay In Victoria - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-02 17:42:00 This little bay was on one side of Saxe Point in Victoria , British Columbia. I liked the scene and some of the houses with the nice view. Published on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo
Roux - Photo Of The Day
2007-12-01 17:42:00 Roux, a doberman, was laying out on the grass. About two feet away was a volleyball court so I think he was just pretending to sleep. I took this with my 10-20mm Sigma wide angle lens. Really stretched him out and made his face look big, but the rest of his body small.Published on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 0 Comments More About: Photo
Wake Boarding At Tie Lake - Photo Of The Day
More articles from this author:2007-11-30 17:42:00 One last spin around Tie Lake in British Columbia. I had the ISO setting on my camera at 1600 and the shutter speed as fast as I could get it to try and get him. Still a bit blurry, but I like the shot nonetheless.Published on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:42:26 MST. - 1 Comments More About: Photo , Wake 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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