Things We Didn't Know This Time Last Year

Nothing much to say today so I will share a list of 50 things that we didn't know last year at this time.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/22/50-things-we-know-now-we-didnt-know-time-last-year/life/

Here are 5 I found interesting in no particular order.

1. The use of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace on company computers leads to increased productivity.
2. The virus that causes AIDS most likely emerged around 1908 near the African town then known as Léopoldville, now known as Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
3. Searching online is better than reading books for increasing the brainpower of middle-aged and older adults.
4. Excessive flip-flop wearing leads to a much higher risk of developing skin cancer on the feet. Only half of patients with foot melanomas survive.
5. Mexican scientists discovered a way to make diamonds from the carbon and organic compounds found in tequila.

Annual Friends Reunion

Today we are having our annual friends get together. We usually get together at a local resturant & bar for a couple of hours and sit around and chat and have a few beers. People come and go as they please. It is a nice time and convinient way to get to see everyone. This year we haven't gotten too much response so I don't know what the turn out will be.

For the first time this year we moved the meeting to the late afternoon instead of the evening. Now that more and more of our friends have kids we figured it would be simpler to do a late afternoon event in case people wanted to drop by with their kids.

As always I know there are a few people I would have liked to have invited but I don't have their e-mail addresses or contact information with me. It is tough to keep everything in one spot with all of the different communication tools we have today.

This year for the first time in addition to sending out e-mails to friends for which I had e-mails I also posted an "Event" and a couple of "Notes" on facebook. I did get some comments and feedback but overall the facebook responses were limited. I guess I'll have to wait and see this afternoon how the turn out is. Some times additional people that I didn't directly invite show up through word of mouth. It is those friends that I really enjoy seeing because I didn't expect them in the first place.

These yearly get togethers are usually a little strange at first in that alot of my friends know more about me that I do about them because of my blog. While it is easy for them to ask about something I did sometimes it takes be a little longer to warm up the conversation for me because I haven't been as in touch with them for a while. But in the end, catching up is exactly what these gatherings are for and thats what we'll do.

Baden Christmas Lights

The Christmas lights have been up in Baden for a few weeks now. I finally had a chance to get out last night and takes a few photographs. My wife was brave enough to grab a tripod and come with me. I was surprised she wanted to head out into the cold. For me the evening was a great opportunity to be a little artistic and try out some of my HDR capture techniques.

The image above was created from 3 images over-layed using the picturenaut tool. Final edits were done in Photoshop CS3.

I am not completely happy with the color tint of the image. I have to play with it a bit more but I think overall the picture turned out pretty cool.

For those that are interested the image was made of a -2, 0 and +2 exposure biased images.

Snow and a Christmas Tree

It has been snowing all weekend. Saturday it was bit too warm for the snow to stick other than on a few roof tops although Sunday morning when we woke up everything was dusted in a few centimeters of snow. Most of the snow melted by about lunch time on Sunday but then again this evening it really started to come down.

On Saturday we were thinking about what we should do for a Christmas tree this year. We are going back home to the U.S. a little earlier than we normally do. So we decided to head over to the local home/hardware store, Jumbo, to look at some artificial trees. We had the intention of getting an artificial tree and putting it up this weekend so we could enjoy it before we went home.

Once we got to the Jumbo we realized that they already had real Christmas trees. We looked at the artificial trees and then took a look at the real ones. We discussed the real versus fake tree in the store for a few minutes. I think we both knew that a fake tree would be more suitable. We wouldn't have to rush to take it down before we left. But in the end, neither my wife nor I are really fake tree people. We decided to get the real one, and we'll just have to pull it down the evening before we leave.

So, we spent Saturday evening putting up a Christmas tree. It is the first time I have ever had a Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving. The tree looks good. I haven't had time to setup the tripod for the annual picture. Maybe sometime this week I'll have some time to take a photograph and post it.

Digital Photo Event In Baden

A few weekends ago I had noticed a sign for a digital photography event coming up at a local conference center in Baden. The conference hall is small, and I couldn't imagine what kind of event it would be but I made a mental note that I wanted to stop by and see it when the day arrived.

Last Saturday the appointed hour came. I almost forgot about it but after a morning run to Waldshut for a little shopping we headed over to the Trafo hall to take in the Digital photography show. It ended up being sponsored by a local school (I believe an art school or something) and the hall had three distinct things going on. A photography exhibit and contest, a senimar area, and a few vendor booths.

When we arrived a swiss outdoor photographer was giving a slide show and talking about taking outdoor pictures of rock climbing. Although the pictures were good, the presentation was a bit hard to follow because it was all in Swiss German. After about 10 minutes of listening and watching slides I just couldn't take it. Without understanding the commentary it was a little boring.

I saw a co-worker there as well. He had stopped in to get hte sensor in his Camera cleaned. Canon had a booth there and was offering free sensor cleaning if you brought your camera in. I probably should have brought mine but I just didn't feel like lugging it around.

Some of the photos in the exhibit were good, others were a bit of a strech to be in a juried show but regardless I like to see such shows because they always give me some new ideas and inspiration.

Das ist horrible gsi

A post about Swiss German today. I was watching Swiss supermodel last night which is nothing less than strange considering there are searching all the valleys of a country 1/3 the size of the state of Illinois to find the countries next supermodel.

The language is great. Most of the girls speak some form of Swiss German, with a few from the Italian region speaking high German because that is what they learned in school. The funny think about Swiss German is the way the English language permeates their vocabulary.

Last night I heard the following

Das ist horrible gsi.

Translating to That was horrible.

Other popular phrases included

• Tip Top - Great
• Mega Schöne - Really Great
• Separate - when paying a lunch bill individually
• Kick-Off - when being removed from Swiss Supermodel
• Photo Shooting - Photo shoot
  

As my friends know. I have a think for bikes. I've got three. One for road biking, one for mountain biking, and one for commuting to work. That may seem excessive but because I don't have a car and the network of bike paths in Switzerland is so great I feel I can justify it.

I was out a few weekends back and spotted this guy on a classic bike. I believe these were built in the late 1800's. I'd love to try one out some day if I ever get the chance.

Halloween Pumpkins

Halloween Pumpkins

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because I get to carve a pumpkin. I absolutely love carving pumpkins. Looking at it from abroad it must seem like a strange and bizarre American pop culture thing to do. Pumpkins here are used primarily for making soup this time of year. The pumpkins used for cooking are much different than the traditional large orange pumpkins Americans are familiar with. European pumpkins are generally shorter, greener, or even slightly brown, squash like really. But the soup from these ugly little things in always goods.

I usually spend way to much time selecting a design for my pumpkin. I get out a pad of paper, and sketch a few ideas, pick one I like, refine it a few times and then start carving. Usually by the time I am done with my sketch my wife is already done carving her pumpkin. This year was of course no exception.

I tried something a little different this year and actually carved my pumpkin on it side. Usually the orange pumpkins we know of for carving lay in the garden on their sides. So I decided to exploit the flat side as a base and carved a skull this time around. I think it turned about pretty good.

Hiking Along the Aare River

Bench along the Aare River

The leaves are absolutely spectacular this time of year in Switzerland. It is one of my favorite times of the year. I have been surprised by the weather lately. The clear blue skies on the weekends have been a pleasant blessing. I expect the winter 'cloud' that last from end of October to March to move in any day now and linger over the city for the next couple of months.

But until then it is time to enjoy the outdoors while we can. We took the train one stop to a small town called Brugg and walked from Brugg to Schinznach Bad. The hike took about an hour and a half and was a pleasant, flat trail through the woods. The trail and surrounding scenery reminded me a lot of the landscape in the forest preserves in the area where I grew up around Chicago.

There weren't too many people along the trail which was a surprise given that the weather was so great to be outdoors.

In Schinznach Bad, I looked for a couple resturants recommended by a co-worker. I found the Resturant Zum Bahnhof but I couldn't seem to find White Diamonds. Guess I'll have to check for that one next time I am there.

White & Nerdy - Is this the US IT Anthem?

I was reading an article on Weird Al on wired the other day and found my way to one of his newer songs posted on youtube. 'White & Nerdy' could possibly be the anthem for the US IT industry. I have many friends that fit the profile as described by Weird Al.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbVtbc_XzrI

The lyrics are amazing but you have to listen a couple of times to really get all the nuances.

My favorite line in the rap parody, 'My favorite MC is Escher.'

The Fatty Melt - Why I Love America

A burger with Two Grilled Cheese Sandwiches as a Bun

Not sure how I cam across this one, but it is one of the reason I love America, at the same time it is the reason Americans are so overweight. What genius would have thought of combining three lunch meals into 1. Two grilled cheese sandwiches and a hamburger. Now that sounds good.

Check out A Hamburger Today blog for more Hamburger (and heart attack) favorites.

Monet's Garden at Giverny

Water Garden at Giverny

After a long week in Paris for business I had decided to stay the weekend to play a bit of a tourist. Since I have spent a good amount of time in the City center with my wife, she decided that she wanted to take a day trip to Giverny. Giverny is a small town in the country that can be reached by a 45 minute train ride followed by either a short bus trip, or a 3 km bike ride. It is the home to Claude Monet's Garden, most notably his water garden.

I suprised by the size of the gardens. I was also surprised at the fact that much of the garden was still in bloom this late in the season. I had orginally thought it would not be a good time to visit but I was wrong.

The house and accomanying gardens were so large it left me thinking how on earth could an artist aford such a place. After a little reading I learned that he orgininally just rented the place and later purchased the house and gardens after he had become famous and was successful in selling his work.

In later September there were a lot of visitors and a tour bus or two, but I have to believe it was less of a crowd than you might see in peak season. At this time of year the main gardens by the house are still full of color, but the water gardens are not in bloom. The color there was a bit dull, but it was still a beautiful sight to see and I could really imagine how an artist could be so inspired by such a garden in peak season.

As a side trip from Paris I would recommend the trip if you have a day to spend. Transportation to and from Giverny was easy, and there were plenty of things to wander around and enjoy. If you are the type that likes little shops and touristy places Giverny might not be the spot for you. Aside from the Gardens there are only a few other little gift shops, and mostly small hotels and resturants where you can find a nice outdoor table to enjoy a meal and a view of the French countryside. If you enjoy to take a stroll and just take in the scenery it is a perfect place.

F11 to restore Your Dell PC

After combing the web for the last couple of days looking for a solution to my ailing PC problems I found a solution. And so far it seems to be working. Until a few days ago I was not aware that newer PC's often times have what is called a 'hidden partition' or 'restore partition' that contains information that can be used to fully restore your PC to the same state as when you purchased it. Here is a link to the dell site on the topic.

After a little reading, and a lot of moving of my data to external hard drives I restarted my Dell and tried the little Control + F11 trick that was recommended. The computer immediately began to rebuild itself, and in about an hour I had a fresh, brand new PC, the same as it was when I bought it.

It has been running well over night, no crashes, and now I am in the process of reinstalling all the software that I lost. It will take a lot of time to get things back the way I like them, but I will survive.

Best of all, it saves me from having to deal with the issue of trying to find a PC with an English language operating system. Which after some research really wouldn't have been too difficult.

I did take a look at the Dell Switzerland website to price a couple of PCs. The only downside to the site was that my only language choices were German and French. I went through the customization process and was able to select a English Operating System, so if I was really in a jam I would have been fine. I also then logged into the US dell site to compare prices. They weren't as far off as I had thought. While I would have paid 1200 USD for the PC in Switzerland, I would have paid about 1100 USD from the US dell site.

At one point I was even considering buying a PC in the US, having it shipped to a friend that will be moving here shortly, and then having him bring it over with his things in his move. But, my little investigation proves something that people have already been telling me. Electronics in general are not too far off the American prices in Switzerland.

So to all those Mac lovers out there, my PC is just as easy to fix as your Mac, I just have to remember Crtl + F11.

Fighting with the PC, What Do I Do?

I've been fighting with my PC lately. About 3 weeks ago it starting going BSOD on me quite regularly. Now it will run for about an hour and a half before in goes south.

As a result I have had to put my technical hat on, trying to use various system tools to find the problem. The problem with BSOD is that most of the time the best fix is to rebuild the machine from scratch. Enter an interesting problem. When Dell ships there machines they no longer ship installation CDs. You have to explicitly contact them and ask them for the CDs while your computer is under warranty. Of course I didn't do that at the time because I didn't need the CDs but now that I do and the computer is out of warranty it has been a bit diffult and frustrating to try to get the CDs.

Which has lead me to look at another option. Should I just through in the towel and buy a new PC? The problem with that is of course the language of the operating system. I haven't spent a lot of time looking into it but I would imagine most computers in this area come preloaded with German, maybe French. I know that the more recent version of windows ask you a few questions about timezone settings and things the first time you turn on the PC but I don't every recall being asked about language.

So I might have to look for an online option to see if I can order something loaded with a American English operating system. If I can find something I'll have to way the cost of the PC versus the cost of my time to continue to battle the blue demon. I have a feeling the new PC may win.

Got a Flame Today, 100 Images Sold

I have been selling some of my photography through a web based stock photo agency for several years now. I do it not for the money but more as an excuse to keep me actively using my camera.

Today I reached a mile stone. One of my images just hit 100 sales. On the site when an image sells over 100 times the website displays a flame next to the image. In the photography community on the site getting your first flame is almost like a right of passage.

I guess I'll have to post on the photographer community discussion board and formally announce 'my coming of age.'

HDRI with Picturenaut

Zürich at Night

A friend introduced me to a freeware application used for creating HDR images. HRD High Dynamic Range images are a neat way to enable a photographer to combine a series of pictures to expose more details in the shadows while also brining back highlights that are often blown out in overexposed areas.

The premise is that you shoot multiple images at different exposures and then use a software tool to reassemble the series. Above is my first example uisng the picturenaut software. I found a short tutorial on youtube that gives you a 5 minute intro to develop an image.



The software lets you quickly select a series of images and with a few clicks puts them together. To make this work well, you must shoot the original images using a tripod.

Just to demonstrate how the concept works its wonders I am also posting the three images that I used to create the HDR image. The images were taken with the -2 EV, 0EV and +2 EV exposure settings.

The final outcome is amazing. Seeing as this is only my first attempt I can't wait to see what happens if I actually experiment a bit with the tool. Looks like I have a new photo toy to keep me busy for a while.

Night of Photography in Zürich

Downtown Zürich at Night

Last night I went with a friend down to Zürich for a photography outing. We where there before the sun went down, took some pictures, had dinner, and then headed out into the evening darkness to see what other low light images we could capture.

The one above was one of my favorites from first glance. I still need to go through all of the images in more detail. That might be a task for this weekend. My friend was also telling me of how he works with HDR. This is a method of combining 3 images, a underexposure, and neutral exposure, and an overexposure. The concept is that by combining these three images you can achieve greater tonal range in your photograph.

He explained how I need to bracket a few shots, and he would send me a link to the software that I can use to experiment. I have a feeling I'll be playing with the rest of the photos this weekend.

Visitors Update

I've been tracking the visitors to the blog for some time but I haven't shared the information with my readers lately. So I have posted a graphic from my google analytics account to show where all of my readers are in the world. The data are from the last month.

The usual leaders remain the same, the US and Switzerland. Although now it seems I am also getting a few visits from folks in Asia.

So thanks to those that are reading. And if your a regular reader be sure to post a comment. I enjoy hearing from you.

First Olympics with Cable & DVR

The 2008 Olympics marks the first time I have had both cable and a DVR. I am using Windows Media Center for its DVR functionality. It has been a great time. I go through the daily sports schedule, and essentially record everything. When I get home in the evenings I have a virtual buffet of Olympic glory.

The past couple of days I've really been enjoying the bicycle events. I have been watching the indoor events at the velodrome and the BMX races. I have never seen velodrome events before and I am really taking a liking to both the team pursuit event and the individual sprints.

I hope I will be able to find such events on regular cable after the Olympics but somehow I doubt it. These seem like the kind of sports that would be on ESPN 8 or Eurosport 3 if you know what I mean.

Visual Evidence Proving Why Americans Are Fat

5 Lake Hike at the Pizol Ski Area

On Sunday we took a train 2 hours out to the Pizol ski area to do a hike that my wife was interested in. While I was there I managed to capture some interesting supporting evidence to the American obesity epidemic.

Take a look at all the people in this picture. Yes, what you see are people, lots of people, for miles on end, hiking. And, I can assure you there isn't a McDonalds at the top of the hill.

What is really amazing about this picture is that this was one segment of a 5 hour hike in the mountains. For the entire time we were hiking the trail was more crowded than aisle 5 of Walmart on the morning of the Richmond NASCAR race.

This was not an easy hike either. And there were no parking lots or air conditioned rest stops along the way, so everyone on the trail had truly committed to marching for 5 hours in the blazing summer sun.

Even though it was crowded, everyone was having a good time, and people were generally quiet and respectful of others. I have some amazing pictures from the trip. But I'd rather post another entry after I have a chance to go through the pictures.

Tennis In Switzerland

I have been talking about playing tennis with a co-worker for a while. At one point he even sent me a tennis ball in inner office mail as a reminder. The problem is that Switzerland doesn't seem to have public courts like you would find in the US. All courts are part of private clubs which gives you two options.

Pay a really high hourly rate to play, or join a club.

My co-worker found a club near his place, about a 10 minute bike ride from my apartment and suggested we check it out. The membership was very reasonable, less than most yearly gym fees in the US so I thought I would check it out.

After a quick tour of the 5 court (red clay surface) facility I think we were both convinced that it seemed like a good idea to join. They have reduced yearly rates if you join after 1 August. That even sweetened the deal more.

So we told the club president we would join for the remainder of the 2008 season. I figure even if I play just a couple of times, it far out wieghs the cost of playing a couple of times on a private court as a visitor. My co-worker was telling me he talked to someone that inquired about walking on to courts in Zürich, and the club wanted to charge him 100 CHF (about 100 USD) an hour to play. I can tell you we will really be getting our monies worth if we join this club in the sticks.

They only have outdoor courts and the season runs until the end of October or possibly into the middle of November. I figure if we even just play twice a month it will be a good deal.

Erste August Party

Fireworks Over the Castle in Baden Switzerland

I mentioned before that we had our traditional first of August party this year. We have been having the party for a couple of years now. Since the fireworks are right across the street there is always a good show.

This year we had a smaller group, but a more diverse group. The conversation was switching constantly from English, to French to German. It seemed like just about everyone spoke at least 2 languages so people were only periodically left out of conversations. If there was someone who wasn't following, somebody would usually step in and do a quick translation as needed

As the group was a little smaller I really felt like I got to spend some time speaking to all of the guests. I often time feel like I don't get to spend enough time speaking with everyone, but this time I really felt like I got to speak with everyone.

The party had a bit of a slow start as compared to last year but by about 9:00 everything was in full swing.


At one point the doorbell rang and I went to answer it through our PA system that guests can use from the front door. I said hello, and the response I got was 'Das ist Polezi'. For a second I panicked, but then I thought why the heck would the police be here, we aren't making any noise. About 3 seconds into my stunned silence, I heard a friendly voice break in and say, 'hey it's me'. I have to admit, my friend really had me for a second.

The fireworks show was pretty good this year. Before the display started I took a look at my photos from last year to determine the best camera settings. I started out with f/4, ISO 400, and 1/4 second exposure. From there I made some minor adjustments as the night went on. The end results were that I got a larger number of good shots since I took the opportunity to learn from last year.

The Swiss Bush That Bites (Stinging Nettle)

Hiking in Switzerland can be a pain. There is this one bush that seems to reach out and bite you. The plant looks innocent enough. It is a short green leafy thing, that looks like it has little hairs growing on the stalk and leaves. No huge thorns like a berry bush. However, if you happen to brush up against this little sucker you are in for a real treat. After a look on the web I think they might be Stinging Nettles.


I was hiking with my wife today along a road. As an oncoming car approach we both took a step off of the road into the grass. Immediately, I felt a burning on my leg. Then about two seconds later my wife mentioned that he had just be stuck as well. According to Wikipedia these plants hit you with a nice mix of irritants including acetylcholine, histamine, 5-HT and possibly formic acid.

For me it feels as if about 10 bees have bitten me in one spot on my leg. As I understand the reaction can vary from person to person. For me it tends to be pretty strong for about 2 to 3 minutes and then fades. The irritation stays with me for the rest of the day, and usually it comes back intensely if I take a hot shower.

At our party over the weekend a friend mentioned he had a bunch of these little suckers in his backyard. That must be terrible I would imagine.

This is a nice video. Stupid kids, but demonstrates the pain well....

Friends help Friends Make Pav Bhaji

When I used to live in Richmond on occasion we would make Indian food at home. Nothing spectacular. Sometimes just some Samosas from the local ethnic grocery store along with a frozen Alou Saag or Palak Paneer from the freezer section. Very rarely we would cook Pav Bhaji.

I haven't made Indian food since we moved to Switzerland for a couple of reasons. First of all I hadn't really found a good Asian grocery store in Baden. There are a few, but the selection tilts heavily towards all things Thai.

Second, and more importantly I lost my recipe from a friend and ran out of Pav Bhaji Masala.

Enter, international network of friends.

I got in touch with a friend from Richmond who had given me the original recipe. I asked him for it one day after he had invited us over for a meal. When I received the invitation I was excited about trying some real home cooked Indian food. I insisted that we go early and he give us a cooking lessons so we could try it at home.

He sent methe recipe via e-mail a few weeks ago. One down, one to go. All I needed now as a little Bhaji Masala.

Enter a co-worker and friend from work. He lives in the UK, and travels between just outside of London and our office here. I was talking to him about my Indian spices dilemma and being Indian himself he told me that he and his family would often go to East London to shop in the ethnic district for Indian specialties. He offered to pick me up some spices. I of course couldn't turn that offer down.

Last night we took the final step. Going to the grocery store and getting all the veggies to make a great Pav Bhaji.

It took about an hour to make the meal. If you decide to use all of the spices in the recipe it comes out pretty hot. After the meal I felt like a furnace. I was radiating heat like you wouldn't believe. I was burning up, but the food was so good. Next time I'll hold back a bit on the spices and see what happens.

What also interests me is the fact that Pav Bhaji is considered 'fast food' in India. As I understand it is really kind of a second tier food. I might equate it with running out to a hot dog cart to grab something to eat in New York or Chicago. Nonetheless. It is a great, easy to cook vegetarian dish if you are looking for something to try at home.

Ohne Topf ? (Without The Pot)

I went to the weekend market this morning to buy some flowers for a bare spot in our planters. I had pulled out a plant, a dying pine, a couple of weeks back. The hole disparately needed to be filled with some vegetation but I just hadn't had time to get around to it.

This morning I made a effort to get up early to go to the market. It is sad that I had to make an effort, because the market is literally right outside my front door.

That is another story though.

So I found my usually plant seller that I like and I bought a few things. I am not a British gardener, so I don't know the Latin names, so I'm not going to post them. I'm just a bad gardener, so I'm not even going to post the common names. Generally because I don't know the names. When I shop for plants, I look, I ask if it is full sun or shade, then I point, and buy.

One question they ask here when you make a purchase if is you would like the pot or not. I think that is a great question. How many times would I plant a garden in the US, and in the aftermath you have a pile of plastic pots laying around, destine for a landfill somewhere.

Here if you go with the no pot option, they pull the root ball out of the pot, and wrap the root ball in a piece of newspaper. It looks kind of like the way a carry out resturant in the US might wrap a burrito to go. You get home, plant your plants, and there aren't a million guilt inducing pots laying around, just a couple of thin pieces of damp paper.

From a business sense I'm sure it is good for the garden center as well. They can reuse the pots for next season. It is nice to see that some societies don't have the same 'use it & throw it away' mentality that we have come to accept in the US.

Ride to Regensberg with a Stop for Cherries

This past weekend I met a friend for a bike ride. He lives not to far from me in Ennetbaden just up the valley. It is about 10 minutes by bike. We didn't really now where we wanted to ride too, but I had a vague idea that I would like to head in the direction of Regensberg.

Regensberg is a small town on the Lagern mountain. Its small, medevil village. The buildings wrapping around a cozy central courtyard. On the ride up the valley the village comes into view, and you can see the small tower and chapel towering above the houses.



View Larger Map

As we approached the bottom of the climb to the town my friend spotted a cherry tree on the of the road in a farmers field. He suggested we stop and pick some cherries and take a short break. The cherries were such a deep, deep red, their sweetness was like nothing I had ever had in my life. They tasted like candy. That was one experience I don't think I'll ever forget it.

We finished up to Regensberg and walked around a bit and enjoyed some of the views. I would have liked to have stayed a little longer but I had to get back to meet some friends so my visit and exploration of the village was cut short.

I will definitely be headed back to check it out again.

Outdoor Television on Your Balcony

Using a projector to create an outdoor TV on a window

As my wife might tell you, I have a bit of a McGuyver complex. I'll like to build things. Specifically, I like to build things on the cheap whenever possible. So Yesterday I was presented with a challenge.

It was hot, too hot in the apartment. Outside was cooler, and I wanted to watch the UEFA semi final game on TV. How can I watch it outside?

• 1 projector
• 1 computer with TV card
  
• 1 paper table cloth
• A roll of transparent tape
  

I managed to hang a thin paper table cloth in the window to the balcony with some transparent tape. I set up the projector inside the apartment on a small table and projected my Computers screen onto the table cloth.

A few minutes spent with the projector to change the settings for rear projection so the text would be readable outside and I was set.

A 52 inch TV on my balcony for the Germany Turkey game.

Good thing there are two more games left. Tonight is Spain vs. Russia and then there will be the final this weekend.

Crocs and Social Networking

You may ask yourself what possibly could Crocs the ugliest shoes in the world and social networking have in common. 20 minutes ago I would have asked the same question.

That was until I was cruising around Facebook looking for nothing in particular. Facebook is such a strange tool. I don't really use it that much but I take a glance every once in a while. Every time I login it always brings up interesting social etiquette questions.

For example, yesterday, I got a friend request from someone I probably haven't seen or really spoken to in about 18 years. It was someone that yes, in fact I do know who they are. I remember them quite well,.... from grade school.

Does that however mean that I should accept their friend request? Personally I think not.
What about people from work? My wife's office was recently going through the facebook outbreak phase. Everyone in the office was logged in and asking everyone to be their 'friend.' In that case are you obliged to accept the friend request from that somewhat jerky co-worker who you tolerate just because you work with them but would prefer not to have anything to do socially? Again I think the answer is no.

Social networking tools are fun to keep in touch with my now globally diversified set of friends. Looking through my friends list I have friends in the Middle east, Scandinavia, Europe, North America, and South America. It is nice to login and take a glance at what they are up to and to see some pictures.

So, I was checking out some notifications about my friends on facebook to see what they were up to and I saw a friend of mine had recently joined the I Dont care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A Dumbass group . Nice. With over 800,000 members it is obviously a pretty active group.

Made It To The Top

Geiranger Fjord, Norway

I am very pleased to say that our vacation was a success. Not from a weather point of view for sure, but from a bike race point of view. My friend and I completed our race, from sea level to 1500 meters (4900 feet) of elevation.

I missed my target time by 2 minute ending the race in 2 hours and 32 minutes, but you now what, I am not going to complain. It was a nice personal victory to accomplish what I had set out to do many months ago, and best of all to do it with a good friend.

We both pushed each other to the top and I am sure I wouldn't have made it if he wasn't there.

I also have to commend my wife for complete the same course of foot. She did the hike to the top in a around 4 hours. That too is not an easy task.

The photo above was taken the day after the rest during a leisurely hike from up to about 500 meters of elevation (1640 feet). I was quite surprised that we actually made it that high up the day after the race considering the amount of physical exertion from the day before. I think we were still running on a bit of adrenaline from the day before.

If you can find the 2008 Geiranger Fjord to Summit race pictures here. Although I don't post pictures of myself on my blog you might even spot me in one of the photos if you look closely.

Race Day

Today is the bike race. I hope I am ready and that the weather holds up.

1500 meters, 21 km

Race Link

The Swiss Sports Mentality

I was riding my bike yesterday in what will surely be one of my last training rides before my race next Sunday and had a typical Swiss experience.

As I approached my regular hill climb I came up on a man commuting from work, riding an older style bike. He was probably in in 40's wearing dress pants, dress shoes, a button down shirt, and carrying a large backpack. I decided to overtake him just as we started up the hill.

I got to about 20 meters in front of him when it dawned on me that this was a Swiss. Darn, that means he might pass me. Even though I am on a lighter, faster bike, and dressed like a professional (I use the term loosely), there is a good chance he is going to pass me.

That was it, I was determined not to let this guy pass me. The hill is a series of hairpin turns so when I approached the first turn, I looked over my shoulder and saw him about 25 meters behind me. Good, I was still ahead.

The next turn comes up and I look back again. Looks like I lost him. My pride was still in tact.
Then, out of nowhere I hear this faint squeaking. The sound on an old chain, going at a steady pace. I do a double take, looking back over my shoulder and there he is, right on my back wheel. The business man, in his work clothes, on his old bike. He is about to pass me while I am dressed in my bike shorts, biking jersey, helmet, and sunglasses.

Let me tell you, it was not good for my pride.

This seems to be a common horror story form many athletes coming from the US in Switzerland. Americans think there are in good shape, cruising along on their bike, or jogging the trail. Feeling at their peak in the rather young twenties or thirties, only to be passed by some 70 year old dude with no shirt and an extremely hairy chest. Where do these guys come from?

Then my wife reminds me. "Dear, that man has been riding up that same hill every day for 30 years, there is a reason he beat you," my wife proclaims in her tone of infinite wisdom. And you know what, she is absolutely right.

Another Slow Up Ride in Switzerland

Slow Up Ride in Schaffhausen

I just wanted to post a picture from last weeks Slow Up ride through Switzerland and Germany. The ride started in Schaffhausen which is a town along the Rhine river. We crossed the border several times. I believe this section of the ride was actually in Germany. Don't tell anyone, but I didn't have my passport with me.

I always hear a lot of English at these Slow Up rides. It seems to be fairly popular with the expats. Well, either that, or its just the fact that something like 20% of the population here is foreigners.

American Car Buffs in Switerland

Final Version of Plymouth Grill

When I was out on a bike ride near Schaffhausen this weekend I came across a car buff with a garage. At the time he was pulling out is fleet for display. He had what looked like an ancient Volvo, a strange looking tractor, and to my surprise a Plymouth. With the vehicles all lined up and Swiss clean it looked like a photo opportunity in the making.

I hopped of the bike and got out my gear for a couple of shots. Once I got home the shots didn't really look that great but I had just gotten the full version of Photoshop and had read a recent article about a couple of good tricks to bring out polished metal on layersmagazine.com. The photos and a couple of minutes of play time seemed like an opportunity not to be wasted.

A few minutes in Photoshop really made the difference. I have also posted the original picture here for comparison. The original is straight out of the camera with no correction.

Sewing Beets

Feat of German Engineering

Over the weekend we rode our bikes in another Slow-Up event. One of the many weekend events where cities close their streets to traffic and allow bikers and rollerbladers to enjoy the open road.

This weeks route wound through towns in both Germany and Switzerland along the Rhine river. At one stop in Germany we found a nice festival going and decided to stop for lunch. One of the highlights, besides the Drum and Bugle core was the man sewing his beets.

No, I did not misspell sewing. This ingenious German engineer/inventor hadobviously not yet been introduced to some of the wonders of the modern world. Particularly the food processor. He had somehow rigged a sewing machine with a knife blade so that it would cut vegetables for the food they were preparing. The contraption definitely drew a crowd as I was not the only one taking pictures.

This one is a tough one to explain so I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Celebrate With a Little Schwingen

Nearing the End of a Swiss Schwingen Match

I thought today I would take the bike at on a leisurely ride with my camera gear in hopes that I would find something that inspired me. I was not disappointed. During my ride I ran across one my favorite Swiss spectator sports., Schwingen. I had seen schwingen before so I knew I was in for some great sports action shots, and its just entertaining as heck.

For those that arenät familiar with this sport is is similar to traditional wrestling, with one exception, you are allowed to grab your opponent by his funny looking burlap pants. I think they really look like diapers. Itäs just so funny to see these big guys walking around in mid evil depends.

The match is played on a saw dust surface so the entire area around the arena has a pleasant pine smell to it. Beer, bratwurst, and watered down apple juice known ans Apfelschorle are always served.

The lifts and throws can be quite impressive and like the dolphin show at the zoo, if you sit in the front row you are likely to get a little bit extra. Instead of water, you tend to go home with a little sawdust in your hair. But it's well worth it.

I enjoyed the show sitting ring side with a nice local brew from Müllerbrau. A perfect end to a holiday weekend.

I Can Finally Sleep At Night....

I can finally sleep at night knowing the cows have come home, to my QNAP T-209, 750 Gig , Raid 1, linux based network attached storage device. And gosh do I feel better.

As my photo