Jin Blogging Wirelessly!

New photos of my niece!

2010-04-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Alana went down to the States for a workshop and spent sometime with my cousins who have the cutest little daughter.

I'm an uncle!

Check out the pictures

Alana Couch Photography

The Double Down!

2009-08-26T19:02:00.001-07:00

Now I know why they call it the Double Down - because you are gambling with your life!!

So honest, who would try one?

I think I threw up in my mouth a little when I saw it.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2009/08/bellying-up-to-kfcs-double-down-.html

Mmm, Vancouver has good food

2009-06-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

Try out Guu if you haven't. Great Japanese Tapas and three locations. Great for this heat wave we are having!

New Ad in Real Weddings!

2009-05-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Alana's new ad came out today on magazine shelves!
Third page in!!!

Check it out, Real Weddings, on newstands now!

Maybe moving away from this

2009-05-16T11:02:00.001-07:00

It will be a lot harder to come visit if we move to the new place...

Alana's New Blog

2009-05-15T11:12:00.001-07:00

Alana and I recently set up a new blog with Wordpress. It helps out with providing bigger pictures to post as well as easier access to RSS feeds, search options and comments section.

Check it out!!

Alana Couch Photography

Jin

BC Lions and Ryan's Birthday

2008-09-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ryan was celebrating his b.day this weekend and the boys took him out to the Lions game. BC whooped the Ti-Cats 40-10 and it was a blast!

The Lions sell these horns at the game, but we have been ingeniously using them as horns AND beer bongs. Check out the clip

Also, Russell beer bought the rights to sell beer over Molson and Russell beer sucks, tastes horrible and they charge the same as Canadian was charging. Boo......Russell Beer

New Microsoft Commercial, 2nd Part

2008-09-14T19:01:00.001-07:00

The 2nd in the series of MS ads with Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld got aired a few days ago.

Link here MS Ad

This is what I think.
The Mac commercials are horrible. They play down to a petty level where companies dig each other.
Much like the political farce in N. America, I don't need to see companies/individuals try to make themselves feel better by making someone else look bad.

Mac, I think, looks petty and not confident of it's abilities if it has to point out the flaws of other people to make itself look better.

The Mac commercials could easily have been as effective by portraying their ease of use without digging into Vista and MS.

My 2cents.

That said, I'm not quite sure what MS is trying to do with these ads. They are funny, but I haven't seen the larger picture yet, although they are creating buzz which is never a bad thing.

RedBull Soapbox race!

2008-09-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

What a great event, the weather was super nice, sun was out and people were having a great time.

They closed off 4th from Yew to Burrard and let people with homemade soapbox race each other down the hill.

I am surprised that no one made a Flintstones-esqe soapbox.

Anyway, here is a clip from one of the race.

RCMP Taser 82 yr old man wielding knife in hospital

2008-05-09T01:25:00.001-07:00

Well, I just don't know what to say. You think three people could take out an 82 yr old man wielding a knife...yeesh

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/05/08/bc-kamloops-man-taser.html?ref=rss

Remember Semi's Turn Wide!!

2008-04-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Wondering why traffic is so bad driving home today.

Here's why!

Lululemon's April Fool's Joke

2008-03-31T23:31:00.001-07:00

The "Mansey"
What a great piece of marketing to draw some laughs, giggles and maybe some retching as well!
As I was walking down 4th Ave on a nice sunny day, I cross the Lululemon store and see this full size poster of a guy with fire crotch in a red one piece and thong back. Definitely caught my eye!

Took some pics of the store displayer, as it is only an April Fools joke.

Google Mansy and you'll find a lot of people blogging about it.

Cheers!
JC

What a cute dog!

2008-03-01T22:56:00.000-08:00

We left our dog outside while we checked out a showroom and look what Dekker did because it was raining lightly.
It is good to have him back, he was feeling a little down because his stomach was feeling a little grumbly for awhile.

2nd Day at Angkor

2008-01-26T02:30:00.001-08:00

The day started out much better than yesterday, slightly overcast, great for capturing pictures!

We thought we got up early enough, but alas, the groups of tour buses were chugging along with us.

*anyone planning to get a week long pass to Angkor, here is a tip, do not trim the laminate around your pass.*

I thought I would make mine more pocket friendly, little did I know that they do a little hole punch each time you visit, strange considering that it has the expiry date on the card itself!

But we managed to get going after the confusion. The sights are definately getting busier, but if you have the time and patience, if you sit and wait long enough, the crowd ebbs enough to get decent shots without anyone in it! Unlike places like the Louvre, where getting a clear shot of the Mona Lisa is NOT happening.

We took off early, got Bas Reliefed out, plus we have lots of time. And we wanted to head to the massage parlour, where it is run by disadvantaged/blind Cambodians who have suffered during the Khmer years and this is a great way for them to get income and get off the streets. Later tonight, we are off to a cooking school for disadvantaged children to interact with tourists to practice their english and skills.

Great way to support the locals in a postive way! AND eat good food!

Here are some pictures we managed to resize for the blog.

Cheers!

The Ultimate Faux Pas

2008-01-23T23:00:00.001-08:00

ha!
So I am sitting on a bus from Kompong Thom to Siem Reap and there is a bee/wasp flying near me on the inside window. I am allergic to their stings so I wasn't too impressed.

Anyway, I had a book with me and was just about to say bye bye to the thing....when I remember that there are two buddhist monks sitting in front of me.....needless to say, I ended up not killing the bee as that would seriously have been frowned upon!

Cambodia

2008-01-21T04:15:00.001-08:00

The state of a people...

Being in a country where poverty hits so many and seeing how people can overcome and see the brighter side is an amazing feeling.

However, knowing how/why they are able to have the "glass is full" attitude due to their political unrest also brings sadness to the heart.

I wish these people the best and hope they are able to rebound and grow into the once glorious country they were before.

They work tirelessly, always friendly and with a smile.

Coming here makes us realize that our problems in our normal everyday lives pale in comparison.

In short, don't take for granted what you have, live life to it's fullest. And always tell people how you feel, you may never get another chance....

Blu Ray FTW!

2008-01-10T00:02:00.001-08:00

I just read ( I know, the news has been out for a few days now), that Warner and New Line have both gone exclusive Blu Ray.

So, if it wasn't for the fact that everyone at Paramount is a greedy SOB and had not taken the payout of $16 million for the next 18 months, Blu Ray would be sole survivor of the format wars.

I read an interesting comment posted in the article:

"Arguing over over Blu Ray and HD DVD is like arguing over a 30GB HDD and a 50GB HDD."

Which is very true. I like to use a more extreme example, would you use them old Zip drives or one of the USB thumbdrives? Both allow the transfer of info, but one clearly holds more and is faster! (hint: it's the USB thumbdrive)

And since this is a blog and nothing has to be factual, I read that Toshiba owns the patent rights to the DVD format and everyone who has been using it needs to pay a royalty fee. Thus HD DVD is based on DVD and would mean that Toshiba would continue to make royalties if it were to be the winner of the format wars. Oh...that's why they bought out Paramount...

Blu Ray: point, set and match....now give me Transformers and the Bourne series on Blu Ray!!!

The state of humanity...

2007-11-21T00:37:00.001-08:00

Sorry, this sounds deep, but it is not.

I wonder about how humanity can function sometimes.

I am baffled by an event that happened tonight.

I was doing laundry in our apartment and left our clean basket on top of the dryer. We came back 10 min before the cycle under and someone had taken our basket. Who does that? You know what your basket looks like. You know if you brought your basket or not.

*sigh*

Urban FIDO Vancouver zone

2007-09-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

Just in case I forget where I can use my phone.
I need my map

Moving!

2007-09-28T23:10:00.001-07:00

Just taking a break from packing for our big move on Monday.

I'll post pictures of our new place in Kits after we get our new couch and get all settled in!

BC Lions game

2007-09-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

Let's go Lions!

Inconsiderate People

2007-09-12T23:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just wonder why people don't think of anyone but themselves.

How is this a parking spot when you are two feet over onto my driveway?

This world would be much better if everyone just remembered the Golden Rule...

Are they serious?!?!?!

2007-06-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

This comes from some very stupid stupid people.
I can't even begin to form sentences to describe the absurd nature of this request/claim/lawsuit.

Link to story

Manitoba chiefs want cellphone revenue
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 | 10:41 AM ET
CBC News

Manitoba First Nations are seeking compensation from Manitoba Telecom Services for every cellphone signal that passes through First Nations land, saying the airspace should be considered a resource like land and water.

'When it comes to using airspace, it's like using our water and simply because there's no precedent doesn't mean that it's not the right thing to do.'—Ovide Mercredi, Grand Rapids First Nation

At a recent economic development summit, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs resolved to negotiate revenue sharing with MTS for transmissions signals that cross the land, water and air space of their reserves and traditional territories.

"[The request is] based on the understanding that we do have some fundamental rights as indigenous people to land, water and airspace," said Chief Ovide Mercredi of the Grand Rapids First Nation.

"When it comes to using airspace, it's like using our water and simply because there's no precedent doesn't mean that it's not the right thing to do," he said.

Mercredi says that signals over a significant area of the province would be affected, noting that the Cree Nations claim rights to a large portion of the north.
Proposal may inspire more negotiations

Anna Hunter, a University of Saskatchewan professor of political studies specializing in aboriginal governance, says the AMC's request is unique but she says other First Nations groups across the country will likely follow suit.

"On a provincewide basis, this is definitely an innovative approach but I think it's an approach that other provinces' First Nations groups will probably take forward," she said.

MTS officials have declined to comment on the issue until they see the group's proposal. (ed: because they are too busy LAUGHING to answer)

Look what I spelt in Scrabble!

2007-05-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

Treo 650 Modded For Sale - $400

2007-05-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

I am getting a work phone so I have to part with my beloved Treo Six-Fiddy.
The ROM has been modded to free up space and to add programs that are needed.
I can return to original ROM is needed, but honestly, it's a waste of space. But the kicker to the modded ROM is the ability to use the new SHDC cards. I have an 8GB SDHC card for movies and music! who needs an iPod when you can have it all in one.
Have added a stubby antenna to it and has had the BSE.com skin on it the day I got it.

Includes:
2 stubby antennas ($30 value each)
1 original antenna
1 regular batt
1 extended batt ($35 value)
1 silicone case
1 belt clip for the silicone case
1 Palm leather case
1 BSE.com skin on body
1 extra BSE.com skin ($10 value)
1 extra stylus plus original
1 8GB SDHC memory card ($130 value)
2 extra batt doors
2 sync cables (one with the sync button, needed if you want to mod the ROM yourself)

I have purchased software for it and it is installed, but if you want to keep it, you have to keep the same username.
Audio Gateway - allows for the use of Bluetooth Stereo headphones
Kinoma Player - streaming video capabilities
TCPMP - easily the best video player out there (freeware)
pTunes - iTunes like software
RBackup - to backup your data to the SD card

I can make whatever mods you want to the ROM before the purchase, just let me know.

PLUS!
I will let a Brand New In Box Sony DCRBT10X bluetooth stereo headphone go for $70 (retails for $139) if you want to take advantage of the wireless capabilities of the phone.

I have attached pictures. nicks on the bottom right hand of unit and small crack only cosmetic on the top left of unit.

Camping Long Weekend

2007-05-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here we are camping!

The madness that is Spiderman 3

2007-05-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

So...Kev decided that it would be a good idea to watch Spideman 3 the first weekend it is released. So here we are standing in line 1hr b4 the movie and all hell will break loose once they start letting people in. Fun!

Golf Shot

2007-04-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

This is why I can't wait for summer!
Drunk golfing!

BMW Event

2007-04-13T15:43:00.001-07:00

This is considered work for me?
I'll let you know how tedious it is to drive the new X-drive and 350 on their test course!

testing stuff!

2007-03-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hippo crank light

2007-03-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

My friend from Germany is visiting and we head off to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Afterwards we check out the gift shop and I find a cool hand powered crank light in the shape of a hippo. Cool and useful, I like it!

Those crazy Japanese anime people might just be proven right!

2007-02-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

So, I'm feeling a little under the weather and I can barely see straight. But this article I read is CrAAaaaZy!

Jeff Hawkins hacks the human brain

Anyway, he's basically going beyond AI, he's creating something that can learn and adapt.

Interesting read.
And how is this related to the Treo? Well...he thought of his business ideas to help fund his ultimate research!

I need some meds.
Cheers,

I can see why Mac's are popular

2007-02-21T14:34:00.001-08:00

So Alana got a new iMac. I can see why people like them so much. I've personally always been a PC user, but this iMac just looks so clean and has such a minimalist look to it. I'll give it to Steve Jobs, he certainly knows product design and has intergrated form and function together.
PC's just look so clunky and they don't really fit well into a living room etc.., whereas the Mac is sleek and nice looking. WHILE still managing to be professional looking.

Anywho, I was playing around with the Photo Booth function. Pretty funny stuff.

Now who thinks I look like Gilbert Godfried?

Crazy hockey parents? How about crazy wrestling parents!

2007-02-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most everyone has seen this already, but here is the link anyway.
Wrestling Dad

Basically, two kids are in a school wrestling match, 11yrs old, and one kid pins the other in an "uncomfortable" submission. The dad of the kid being pinned runs onto the mat and proceeds to THROW the other kid of his son.
Then storms over yelling at the other kids dad.

Don't enroll your kid in a physical sport if you are going to do that.
Now you've just made it a living hell for your kid to go through the rest of his upcoming teenage life. Where he will now be ridiculed. Way to save him from an "uncomfortable" move to horrible teasing and bullying for life.

Way to go Dad.

Seriously....CPCC

2007-02-14T21:45:00.001-08:00

Check this blurb out:

CPCC Proposes Increased Copying Levy; New Levies for Digital Audio Players & Memory Cards

The Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) has proposed a new Private Copying Tariff for 2008 and 2009 that would see levies increase from $0.21 to $0.29 on CD-R/RWs, and from $0.77 to $0.85 on CD-R/RW Audio discs and MiniDiscs. The Collective is also attempting (for the second time) to add levies to products like digital memory cards and digital audio recorders. The current private copying tariff expires on December 31, 2007.

1. There is no public records for where this money goes. Does it go to the artists? Or does it go to some CEO's big house, new car, or 2nd wife.

2. ok...let's say it is going to the artists. How is it allocated? Who oversees it? I don't see private bands getting this money. How is it regulated? If I say I'm a band. Do I get some of the money?

The Copyright Act identifies the general types of copyright holder on whose behalf private copying royalties are collected and are eligible for payment. Songwriters, music publishers, recording artists and record companies – those with rights in the music copied – are all eligible. While songwriters and music publishers are eligible regardless of nationality, only Canadian recording artists and record companies may receive payments under current law.

ok, let's say I am copying music from American/European artists only, STOP charging me.

3. Why in the good Lord's name are you raising the prices?

4. Ok, let's say I am copying music. If I bought it, I can copy it as much as I want for personal use.

5. By blanketing all recording media with the levy, you're assuming that EVERYONE who buys recording media is stealing music. Gee, I thought that was somehting called innocent before guilty.

6. Now you want to cover the digital memory cards!!! Ever heard of something called Digital Cameras? I don't think they use digital memory cards for copying music.

This is all a whole load of crap.
Contact them and tell them what you think!

150 Eglinton Avenue East
Suite 403
Toronto, Ontario M4P 1E8
416-486-6832 or 1-800-892-7235
416 486 3064(fax)
inquiries@cpcc.ca

So many new toys!

2007-02-14T21:34:00.001-08:00

Most people don't know or do, but I am a tech gadget junkie.
Talking with Alana today, I realized that I spent a lot of my
disposable income on these little electronic wonders.

Anyway, I think I've saited my appetite for a new toy with my "tricked
out" Treo 650.

But alas, looking at all these blogs, podcasts, industry news, it's a
wonder that I can even afford to eat at all!

Now I'm looking at a new LCD HDTV:
Here's what is holding me back at the moment

1. Yes HDTV's are coming down in price. However;
2. Factor in:
- subscribing to a HD content provider
- have to get an expensive receiver to watch the HD content
- Not all shows are recorded in HD
- unless I want to get a HD player, my current DVD's will look
horrible unless I get an upconverting DVD
- SD (Standard Definition ) content will look like poo.

Anyway, so that's why I am holding out on getting a HD TV at the
moment untill more of the market adopts it. Which is a Catch-22
because, if less people support a product, the longer it takes to be
widely adopted.

Hemmmm....

banner

2007-01-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

Alana Couch Photography

2007-01-18T22:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.alanacouch.com

Hooray for Blogger.

2007-01-07T19:42:00.000-08:00

Just using my site to host an image for stuff I am selling.

btw,
Sony DR-BT10CX Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headphones.
BNIB
$100 or OBO
peace!

--
Do Not BUY Dodge or Chrysler. Bad Cars, Worse Service.
Especially Destination Chrysler in North Vancouver, BC

Do Not BUY from Dell. Absolutely the worst customer service and
customer loyalty experience I have had.

Do Not Buy from Nikon. Bad service department and supervisor.

DO BUY FROM Spy Optics. THE BEST customer relationship management team
I have dealt with.

2006-12-16T08:40:00.001-08:00

I despise Vancouver and it's "night life."
I just spent the night out. Already a line at the clubs by 10pm. Had to grease the bouncer with $20. Whatever. Get in and had fun. The part that I am annoyed about is that when the clubs close at 3am, there are no damn cabs in the city. I spend 2 hrs! trying to get a cab back to where my car is. No go. So in the end I spend the night sitting at a coffee shop all night till the public transit system starts. This city is so damn segregated when it comes to night life. Very very backwards. I am just very tired and I want to go home to sleep.

Lynn says I have no friends

2006-12-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

And I'm eating dinner in the food court myself. This is my sad face because my little sister says I have no friends.

So...how much do you want to smash this PS3 display case?

2006-12-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

Working @ FS and there is a Sony PS3 displayer out. The unit actually looks pretty slick. I can understand the hype. Too bad they have put it on a 23" Bravia that isn't a full 1080.
Just waiting for someone to smash and grab then sell it for $4000 on eBay. lol

Is the snow over?

2006-12-01T09:32:00.001-08:00

After a warm night, it looks like most of the major roads are clear. Usually Vancouver only has one big snow dump in the city. Is this it for the rest of the year?

It's Snowy and Cold!!

2006-11-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

Vancouver has been hit by a freak winter blast and T.O. Is experiencing +15 degree weather!

Anywho, just a picture of the snow at night

Blogging Wirelessly...coooooool

2006-11-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

Say Hi to my puppy Dekker!