Seeking Orcas from the BC Ferry en route to Pender Island
January 30, 2008 — Dave O
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Tapas Lounge
Recumbents Recovered by BikeRescuers
January 20, 2008 — Dave OMy friend Justin’s hand-crafted recumbent handbike (with custom wheelchair tow hitch) along with his wife’s recumbent were stolen recently [Our Bikes Were Stolen This Morning… - Stolen Handbike and Recumbent bike Alert - Stolen Handbike and Recumbent alert].
Clearly a crime indicative of the squalor, desperation writhing in some wretched soul who (likely) struggled to find a way to sell two very distinctive and heavily customized rides as most people don’t prefer a hand powered bike. This sucks additionally because Justin is a super active guy effectuating positive change and providing a noteworthy role model for eco-conscious and doesn’t let a wheelchair slow him down (opposite really) doing urban gardening, activating for carbon reduction, teaching yoga, studying for an MBA and so on. Heck i saw him pluggin CTV the other night!
Stunningly, through the help of Bikerescue, who are ammassing good karma at an epic pace, their bikes are found and returned! A stunning end of the miserable story. This organization is clearly worthy of high praise and support.
Here’s the Bike Rescue blurb:
I have been buying and selling bikes for a long time and I have started a program called Bike Rescue here in BC. The program is all about getting stolen bikes back to their owners. Basically, we scour the area for ‘too good to be true’ bike deals and with the assistance of my local RCMP detachment, we try to get any stolen bikes back to their owners. This includes serial number checks, searching the bike sites for stolen bike reports and posting ‘recovered bikes’ lists at a few different locations that are bike centric (bike shops, some coffee shops, school campuses).
We have put nearly 120 bikes through the program, some of which are still in our possession because they are awaiting police check clearances or they cleared the police check and we are still checking around to see if anyone has reported a lost or stolen bike that fits the description and time frame.
As a victim of a similar heinous crime (over 10 years ago so i am starting to let go) when my beloved Mt. Klein #120 was thieved out of the back of locked van - greeting me with a ransacked booty and shattered glass for a dubious end to an otherwise lovely trip to Olympic Hotsprings.
in memorium
I’ll see if i can find out the back story with the hows/whys of how the bikes were recovered.
Burrard Inlet Transportation Orgy with Ferries, Flying Boat and Seabus
January 18, 2008 — Dave O
Along with SillyGwallio, Uncle Weed watches the giant new BC Ferry choogle into the cruise ship dock on Canada Place. Along the way, passing the Mars Martian flying boat (with the ability to load up water to carry and dump elsewhere) while the Seabus goes about its business passing the heliport and the West Coast Express waits patiently in Gastown railyards.
Formats available: Microsoft Video (.avi), Flash Video (.flv), MP3 Audio (.mp3), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)
Evacuating the Seabus Station due to Smoking Vessel
December 12, 2007 — Dave O
The Seabus (not sure if it was the Otter or the Beaver) began smoking heavily upon docking at Waterfront Station. After passengers dismebarked and crew investigated the problem, the station was evacuated and firetrucks responded. The counterpart vessel waited in Burrard Inlet and didnt immediately dock.
Emergency Response to Smoking Seabus
December 12, 2007 — Dave O
Now Public: Seabus Station Evacuated due to Smoking VesselThe Seabus (not sure if it was the Otter or the Beaver) began smoking heavily upon docking at Waterfront Station. After passengers dismebarked and crew investigated the problem, the station was evacuated and firetrucks responded. The counterpart vessel waited in Burrard Inlet and didnt immediately dock.
Seabus Station Evacuated due to Smoking Vessel
December 12, 2007 — Dave ONow Public: Seabus Station Evacuated due to Smoking Vessel
The Seabus (not sure if it was the Otter or the Beaver) began smoking heavily upon docking at Waterfront Station. After passengers disembarked and crew investigated the problem, the station was evacuated and firetrucks responded. The counterpart vessel waited in Burrard Inlet and didn’t immediately dock.
Nothing more to report at this time. Video forthcoming.
See also:
One SeaBus breaks down The Province, Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Vancouver Transit Camp is a go - Saturday, Dec. 8th at Workspace
November 28, 2007 — Dave O
Interested in geeking out about all things related to Metro Vancouver’s belaugered transit system? Then punch your transfer for Vancouver Transit Camp.
Mashups, schedules, design, politics, business, seats, routes, maps, outings, and general conveyance enjoyment are all on the table cause this is an “un-conference” meaning you show up and pitch what you wanna talk about an/or vote on other peeps’ presentations.
Karen, Roland, Paul, Jason and more are working diligently to get the word out and make a neat event which costs little more than a $5 suggested donation from the first 100 folks who sign on the muster roll.
We are lining up sponsors (thanks to Vancouver green directory happyfrog.ca!) and invite you to rough up your workplace or wallet for a hundered or two to pay for the sweeeet WorkSpace facility (with exceptional coffee), lunch o’ rama for hungry participants and incidental expenses like cool buttons, art and ambiance.
Being a daily transit roller, I’ve appointed myself as the Seabus Czar and will answer and evangelize this crown jewel in the Translink empire.
I am eager to brew up some transit ideas for tourists trips (how to avoid those goofy, expensive tourist buses and see the real sights of Vangroovy) as well as rail on about turnstiles, advertising and reminiscing about the burbs before the ALRT. And you? Well if you have something to say, get over and sign up, showup and be ready to pitch in with words and thoughts.
Upcoming: Vancouver TransitCamp
Facebook: Facebook event
documenting pleasing mundanity of Vancouver commuting
October 18, 2007 — Dave O
Tis oft remarked that a what constitutes a commute in Vancouver may be considered a pleasure sightseeing adventure in other cities. My treks starting from the North Shore and heading across Burrard inlet via Seabus or Lions Gate bridge are certainly visually inspiring albeit a wee bit crowded at busy times (which are almost always in transit-hungry Vancouver). As such, i often join the tourists in snapping pics along the way. Heck, i film Seabus voyages and Skytrain rides when i can score that very front seat.
Anyhow, along with a rabble of techies, I tested a Nokia N95 phone for 8 days and used it to create a group project so to speak in which Roland, Richard, Rebecca, Kris and I all documented part of the Vancouver commute experience in order to try out different features and engage with one another using mobile technology. The quest: Return and report both the phone’s functionality/usability as well as the mobile presence-ness mojo conjured up during the experiment.
Of course, Canada’s absurd mobile data plans really limit the usefulness but the wi-fi ability and 5MP camera (with solid video) made for some fun times documenting and getting up quick. I connected to the freethenet.ca connections but having to go through the web screen caused an extra clumsy step.
I also extended the phone’s ability with Shozu which allows direct photo upload to Flickr. I found the tool useful but set-up painful and wouldn’t have pulled it off without the help of Shozu warrior Roland Tanglao. I wish there was a direct upload of video as connecting via usb and then dragging the vid files to the ‘puter and then ftp upload was more steps then i’d like. I also didn’t pre-tag in Shozu but did later in Flickr (typing tricky with small keys). 
Really, the phone’s user interface lacks massaged usability polish which remove the intimidation for all but the geekiest users. We all provided frank opinions to Jean Hebert (great hockey name eh) who was research project dude for SFU at Harbour Centre. We also commented on what we’d like to have in a portable communications device. I want flexibility, versatility, ruggedness, ease of use, big buttons, quick response - not too much to ask right? {Gonna test an OpenMoko phone next.}
My artifacts from the test are the a stretch of 5 vidcasts on Out ‘N About with Uncle Weed vidcast - now tuned-up and ready for subscribing baked into a feed and/or available on iTunes (along with a bunch of other video odds and ends) both from my commute from North Van to Gastown and also a roadtrip to Olympia WA where i saw The Dirty Birds rock out at McCoy’s and connected to Zhonka Broadband’s free wi-fi hotspots. There are also a solid batch of photos snapped from the office roof to the Trans Canada trail park by my house in Vancouver Commute set.
North Vancouver to Gastown Commute, annotated
October 10, 2007 — Dave O
A bus ride and stroll from a North Vancouver bus stop in front of a pet shop to downtown Vancouver’s rather seedy Main and Hastings and then into tourist-laden Gastown to 1 Alexander with comments on urban transition and the Nokia N95 phone.
Formats available: MPEG-4 Video (.m4v), Flash Video (.flv)
Stoney Creek Rest Area Tour
October 8, 2007 — Dave O
A brief update and tour of a rest area north of Everett, Washington featuring a giant cedar stump and a State Patrol Office en route to Vancouver, BC.
Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4), Flash Video (.flv)
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Flickr-y bits
More Photos -
Mmmm Tasty Vapor Goodness
Postcards from Gravelly Beach- Choogle on w/ Uncleweed
- Mountain Highway Freeverse
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