A. Stark Place

I've Moved!

2006-09-28T21:32:00.002-07:00

My original plans were to keep this site on Blogger. However, after using Squarespace, Blogger just won't cut it for me anymore. Therefore, I have made the content of this site a section of astarkmagazine. The new URL for my blog is now astarkmagazine.com/blog. Click on RSS in the sidebar to view my blog's RSS feeds. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Now I can't seem to get this post to publish, making it all that more sweet to be leaving Blogger.

On Mac OS X RSS Readers

2006-09-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Until recently, all of my attempts to enjoy RSS feeds had been in vain. RSS seemed like one of those hip technologies that people use simply to feel superior to those who don't use them. However, I had it all wrong. I just wasn't using the right software.

I tried Bloglines to manage my feeds, but I found it clunky (and--don't tell anyone I said so--ugly). I also tried the Sage extension for Firefox. It was also clunky and ugly. Plus, I've stopped using Firefox altogether (you guessed it, clunky and ugly).

Anyway, I decided to give RSS feeds another try, and I downloaded pretty much every single standalone RSS feed reader available for Mac OS X. (I have no need for one based online, since I use only one computer.)

To be truthful, I didn't like most of them, especially Newsfire, which I would have blown up if that were possible. The free trial had a frequent pop-up that would remind me that I hadn't paid for it yet, and I never will simply because of that ridiculous reminder. Listen, Newsfire people, that is one of the stupidest things you can do with a small program like Newsfire. In a free trial, you want people to think that your software is useful, not an annoying program made by annoying people. It would be one thing if you didn't have competition, but you do. Good riddance!

There were three feed readers that I actually liked. First, Vienna is a great program if you consider that it is free. However, it is a bit less polished than some of the others. Functionally, it is quite good. Second, NetNewsWire is okay, but for a few annoyances. For instance, it comes with a load of preinstalled feeds, and if I am not mistaken, they need to deleted one at a time. Pair that with an interface that I think could use improvement, and I just can't see myself paying 30 bucks for it.

This brings me to what is my current favorite and the program I may purchase after the free trial is over: NewsMac Pro. It has, I think, an exceptional interface. It really doesn't do much that the others can't, other than communicate with Bloglines, but it just feels right. Here's a screenshot (it makes great use of my widescreen):

I have only one concern with it, and that is its stability, or lack thereof. When I first started using it, it would periodically act strangely and require a relaunch to correct itself. Since I have learned the program better and my mouse-clicking has been less random, I have had better results. Still, it does concern me. Nonetheless, I will probably purchase it for the interface benefits alone.

Unless, of course, one of you know of a better feed reader for Mac OS X.

Most importantly, what I have realised from my testing is that with the right software, RSS feeds can save a person like me oodles of time and grief. Its like the difference between getting the newspaper delivered to my door, and driving 10 miles to pick it up. Furthemore, subscribing to RSS feeds makes it less likely that I'll spend hours just surfing the web aimlessly, which isn't that much fun anyway.

Here is a list of standalone RSS feed readers available for OS X. Please let me know if I have missed any.

Related Tags: RSS, Feed Readers, OS X, Apple Software

More New Photos

2006-09-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Between school and full-time employment, I haven't had much time for blogging. I did, however, upload several new photos to A. Stark Photo. These are some from a recent trip to Upper Laberge.

Click on Photos for Larger View

Tony has already posted about this trip and has some great photos here.

I have also uploaded some old photos of my mother's side of the family. They can be viewed here. Some of them are pretty neat.

New Photos

2006-09-04T23:18:00.000-07:00

I just uploaded a couple of dozen photos to A. Stark Photo. Some of them are relatively new, and others are old ones that I was too lazy to process until now. They can be found in the following galleries:

I also hope to get some photos of the fall colors that will be around for the next few weeks. There are no guarantees, however, since I will be working full time during this time. Here are a few fall photos from earlier today:

My Blogging Plans

2006-09-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

After a much needed break from blogging, I am back. During my time off, I managed to mountain bike several hundred kilometres, do some off-roading, read War and Peace, and most importantly, fulfill some social obligations. Furthermore, I made some decisions about my future on the web.

First of all, I'm going to resume relatively frequent posting here at A. Stark Place. I will use this site for shorter posts about everyday and less serious stuff. After all, where else am I gonna do my cat blogging. To be truthful, too, I appreciate Blogger and its free services, so I might as well make use of them.

Secondly, I have purchased the domain astarkmagazine.com and am building that site using Squarespace. I spent countless hours researching different publishing systems, and chose Squarespace over my second choice, ExpressionEngine, because Squarespace will allow me to set up my new site with a bit less grief. Both systems seem great and are able to produce sites with more complex structures than a simple weblog. This was my main requirement. ExpressionEngine is probably a more powerful program in the right hands, but my knowledge of web design is too puny to make use of its features. In the end, I chose Squarespace because of its ease of use. Its post editor, for instance, is as easy to use as most word processing programs.

This new site will be published in regular issues (probably monthly) containing several articles based on a single theme. I plan for the first issue to be released on Oct. 1. This way of posting should allow me to spend more time on each article. I was growing increasingly annoyed with blogging, because I spent so much time posting daily stuff that I wasn't able to produce anything that I was pleased with. I'm hoping this new site will change all that. As for A. Stark Place, I'm hoping to post to it every few days. I also have a backlog of photos to process from the summer that should be available soon.

Thank you to any of you who haven't totally abandoned this site, despite its being so thoroughly neglected.

What's New at A. Stark Place

2006-08-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

I think that an appropriate feature for any blog would be an animated tumbleweed that shows up whenever it has been more than a few days since the last post. In that case, I would need numerous tumbleweeds, some gaunt animals, and maybe even some wandering, delirious people.

Please be assured, I do not intend to quit blogging, but I am looking into publishing options other than Blogger. In fact, I'm planing in a new site with a more complex structure that will read more like a magazine than a personal journal. I hope to have things figured out in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I probably won't be doing much posting here, and will instead concentrate on setting up my new site.

Funny Philosophy

2006-07-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Despite what some of my professors might have to say about it, philosophy is usually pretty boring. I have first hand knowledge of this, since I have two boring philosophy papers due today and another that is well overdue. Yet, here is some philosophy that is actually pretty funny. Really, who needs dialogue when there is soccer?

Hotmail and Humanity

2006-07-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

I've had a Hotmail account for at least 8 years now, and I don't plan to get rid of it anytime soon. This may come as a surprise to anyone aware that I have a POP email account on a local server, and that this account is, as you may imagine, much more convenient to use. Yet, there are two reasons why I keep my Hotmail account. The first reason is that some of my friends have so far been incapable of sending mail to my newer and more useful account. The second and more important reason may surprise you, but then again, you may find yourself signing up for your own account after hearing what this reason is.

I am the first to admit that I take my Hotmail account for granted most of the time. After all, it's relatively slow and unreliable, it has ads, and it's part of MSN--Yeck! Yet Hotmail isn't just an ordinary email account, oh no, it's so much more! After all, my POP account never picked me up when I was down.

And down is just what I have been lately, and it all started because of the nasty cold I picked up about ten days ago. It made me feel so awful that I could only muster enough energy for passive activities like watching TV. So, apart from some short, necessary, and often disturbing breaks, TV watching was what I had been doing almost exclusively until yesterday when I started feeling better. Watching that much TV always makes me blue, since most programming is either drab, or base, or shallow, or meaningless, or offensive, or annoying, and often all of the above. Even the news is depressing. So my stock in humanity had fallen to an all-time low when I finally checked my hotmail account yesterday after almost two weeks of neglect.

Who knew? ...almost 200 messages! ...almost all of them for me! Each one bringing me closer to a restored faith in humanity. Each one representing an unique and altruistic personality--someone who really cares. Granted I don't need charity and thus haven't replied to any of them, yet that someone would take the time to write me an email offering their assistance makes my heart swell with pride to have two legs, walk upright, and know how to spell "Coca-Cola". Why on July 3 alone I received offers for free samples of Olay Body Reviver and Jergens Glow, a free Old Navy Gift Card, a $500 dollar Home Shopping Spree, money to start my own eBay business, a free Rolex-quality watch, and some tasty KFC chicken! There was also someone going by the name of "Waiting 4 U" who just wanted to know where I am, presumably so they can make sure I'm okay. I admit that there were also a few that would be inappropriate to discuss here that were nonetheless very flattering, and some that contained unfortunate spelling and usage mistakes, but it is really the thought that counts.

And that was only one day's worth. Elsewhere in the 200 emails were numerous offers for free products, help with my debts, and some Nigerian offers for what seem to be excellent business opportunities. It all just makes me want to put on some of those rubber bracelets like Lance Armstrong and Bono wear, buy a Toyota Prius, and drive around picking up homeless hitchhikers so I can feed them my famous cous-cous salad.

I'm back! And I'm not feeling sorry for myself anymore! And it's all thanks to Hotmail. Get an account and restore your faith in humanity today.

Technorati Tags: Hotmail, humanity, charity

I'm Still Here

2006-07-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that I haven't posted recently, but I have been quite ill and have had several assignments due for school. I am recovering quickly, however, and should have some new stuff up soon.

A Bout of Bad Luck

2006-07-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

With all the off-roading I have done in the Yukon, I had never had a flat tire. I had also never not made it to where I wanted to go. That's all changed now, since I recently got three flat tires in one trip. Since I keep only one spare, this meant that I didn't make it to my destination--Michie Lake. The order of events goes something like this:

We punctured our first tire and replaced it, which wasn't that big of a deal.

Then, I mentioned something about wishing I had some hand cream. That's when things went from bad to worse. We got horribly stuck.

After much ado, we were able to get out, only to find that we had two more flat tires.

This was our own fault, since we tried to maneuver this trail in wet conditions, and didn't scout the trail out thoroughly enough. If we had, we would have found the tame detour around the entire nasty section that caused us all this trouble. We might even have some fish in our bellies. I think I'll call this an extremely expensive learning experience. The worst part is that I performed the rescue mission in my friend's Jeep, which must have been a humiliating experience for my Landcruiser.

A parting word of advice that I address mostly to Yukoners, since every trail I drive in the Yukon seems to have this problem: laying down a huge pile of wood parallel to the trail does not make it easier to get through. When your tires slip off the wood, and they will slip off the wood, it is hard on the sidewalls of your tires (as I know all too well), and it makes trails almost impossible to navigate. Moreover, winching gets very dangerous when you are pulling a few tonnes of wet and muddy wood. I know this is done to try to help things, but it should really be illegal, because it makes trails dangerous for everybody from hikers to off-roaders. Muddy sections can sometimes be improved by laying down large numbers of small diameter logs (without nails) perpendicular to the trial, with none being heavier than can be easily moved by hand. Please don't wreck trails by recklessly throwing your old building materials onto the swampy sections. I'm sorry for the rant, but ruining trails is just plain stupid.

When I get new tires, I'll give Michie Lake another go (this time taking the detour). On the way, I think I'll clean up the trail a little so this doesn't happen again. And this time I won't mention hand cream.

Technorati Tags: off-roading, landcruiser, 4x4ing

Update: Tony has some better photos from the trip here, here, and here.

More from Coal Lake

2006-06-27T03:20:00.000-07:00

We were able to make our way out to Coal Lake again, and this time we brought back photos from lake level. Last time it was too dark to get good shots without a tripod, which I neglected to bring.

Click on photos for larger view.

We were also able to get some shots of the muckiest section of the trail, although it is difficult to see how deep the mud is in the photos. In the photo on the right, you can see that there is a wooden structure that makes things a bit easier.

Click on photos for larger view.

The fishing was good again, proving that the last trip was not a fluke. The driving conditions were slightly better, and I would now recommend this as an off-road trail with a diffiulty level in the range of moderate to difficult, depending on conditions. I do this with the qualifier, however, that it shouldn't be driven at all in wet conditions. I wouldn't leave for Coal Lake and expect to drive to lake level if there was any chance of rain. In dry conditions, however, it can be safely driven without much trouble. Bring mosquito repellant or at least don't say I didn't warn you.

Technorati Tags: off-roading, yukon

When a Long Day is a Good Day

2006-06-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

I hadn't celebrated the summer solstice at all in the past few years, but as my good pal Scott is in town--an excuse for activity beyond the calender's reading June 21--we decided about 8:00 p.m. yesterday that we ought to grab the dog, do a little off-roading on the first bumpy trail we could find, and take her for a short walk somewhere along the way. That might not sound like a celebration to you and you're probably right, but since we didn't get home until 3:30 a.m., did some difficult off-roading, caught three fish, and explored some places neither of us had ever been, I'm calling it a celebration.

For those of you unfamiliar with a northern summer solstice, some explanation is in order. In Whitehorse, we live in relative darkness for half the year. On the shortest day of the year, Dec. 21, there are but a few hours of daylight. Go further north and the sun doesn't even come up. It's depressing and draining to live with little or no sunshine, but we get our due come summer. Then we experience enough sunshine to make the darkness of the past winter seem a distant memory. There are even a few weeks centred around the summer solstice when, although the sun officially sets, there is always at least a trickle of daylight. Go further north and... you get the picture.

Therefore, we northerners live a double life: private, anti-social, contemplative, reserved, slow-paced, and sometimes depressed in winter; social, active, busy, productive, spontaneous, and sometimes manic in summer. Hence the almost complete lack of anything having to do with news, politics, or philosophy on this blog so far this summer. I am far too consumed by activity to worry about any of that. Tony was kind enough to warn his readers at the beginning of the summer that his content was about to change, something I neglected to do. My school marks have also taken a major hit. But I have the entire winter to think about stuff like that. In a northern summer it's not about what you think, it's about what you do. And you can do a lot when there's perpetual daylight.

If you've never experienced one of our long summer evenings, you are likely curious as to just how bright they are. Well, it really depends on location, since for instance, mountains may block the narrow slit of evening sunshine. As well, our sunny evenings are tough to capture in photograph, or in any case, I find them difficult, since metering when the sun is both bright and low on the horizon can be problematic. The following photo of me and my faithful companion, Taffy, was taken by Scott, and shows lighting very close to the actual conditions at 11:oo p.m.

It does get darker after midnight, however, but we were easily able to fish--tying on lures, cleaning fish, pulling hooks, and all that goes along with fishing--under natural light until 2:00 a.m. when we stopped fishing and finally started our journey home.

A little bit about this journey, however, that brought us over some fairly rugged terrain to the distant lake in the photo below:

Click on the photo for a larger view.

It's name is Coal Lake, and that is the Coal Lake Road you can see winding into the distance. Most of this road, a moderate 4x4, cuts between Mt. Sima and Goldenhorn, and continues to Coal Ridge. The main road continues further, but we turned and followed a cat/ATV trail down to the Lake. This trail is much more difficult to follow. There are few winch points and a long deep bog has to be transversed. Getting stuck in it would spell disaster, since it would surely take several hours, maybe more, to get back on track. My advice, if you're going to attempt to cross the bog in a truck: hit it with some serious speed and don't slow down. We were able to get across without a hitch, but on the way home we came very close to getting stuck. There are also some fairly steep pitches that necessitate careful driving. Attempt this one at your own risk.

Consider the character of this destination when you weigh the risk, however, as it is one of the most isolated and peaceful lakes anywhere near Whitehorse. The fishing is outstanding. I caught two small but handsome lake trout, and Scott caught one that was more than 22 inches long--a beautiful fish. The views are also outstanding. An added bonus for those who like off-roading is that the drive to Coal Lake is enjoyable in its own right. We, for our part, are considering another trip to Coal Lake, this time with an overnight stay, before Scott leaves town.

Yet what I find most noteworthy about our entire trip, begun after 8:00 p.m., into a location more remote than most people ever experience in their lifetime, with more than 50 km of off-roading, hours of site-seeing and exploring to make my dog happy, and hours of successful fishing to make us happy--it all took place before dark.

Technorati Tags: off-roading, fishing, yukon, solstice

Thursday Challenge: One More Photo

2006-06-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for the comments on my photos, but I'm adding one more into the mix. Of course, wet is wet, so it's not really any more wet than the other two.

Technorati Tags: photos, Thursday Challenge

Thursday Challenge: Which Photo?

2006-06-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

The theme for this coming week's Thursday Challenge is Wet (rain, swimming pool, wading pool, beach, sprinkler, drink, fountain, bath, umbrella, raincoat,....). Which of the following photos is best for this theme. The second photo was shot by my brother.

Technorati Tags: photos, thursday challenge

I'm Taking a Stand

2006-06-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

While I have generally steered clear of heated issues on this blog, I am making an exception for this issue since it is, at present time, so close to my heart.

The great pants-shorts-debate has been foremost on my mind since, a few days ago, I received about 50 mosquito bites on each of my legs and impaled my poor-right-leg on a beaver-chewed-stick. When that same-said-stick broke off inside my poor-right-leg, I began to lean toward a boycott-of-shorts, and when I was forced to take 6 baths in epsom salts in 2 days to stave off infection in same-said-wound, the right choice between pants and shorts became all-too-clear.

Therefore, I am restricting the use of shorts and their equally-sinister-counterparts, sandals, to special ocassions. To be sure, I was considering an all-out-boycott, but since I must reserve the right to show off my gleaming-white-legs (in order to, for instance, impress some highly-impressionable-female-celebrity), I am merely restricting their use to certain relatively tame-urban-areas. These include selected-restaurant-patios, places-that-sell-ice-cream, selected areas of my-back-yard, and the homes of highly-impressionable-female-celebrities. These do not include clearance-sales, fast-food-restaurants-that-don't-sell-ice-cream, and any place I might be on the run from highly-impressionable-female-celebrities.

Join me, men of mosquito-bitten-legs-that-are-scarred-from-sticks, in boycotting the use of shorts from all but the few appropriate circumstances. Too long have we sat back on picnic-tables-etc., and been the victims of mosquito-and-other-insect-oppression. Too long have we allowed our legs-and-sometimes-ankles to be vulnerable to sticks, branches, and wild animals. Let us join hands as we lift up our pants to a life of healthy-albeit-pale-legs.

Technorati Tags: boycotts, pants-shorts-debate, politics

Friday Cat Blogging: Leroy has a Twin

2006-06-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

My cat and good buddy, Leroy, was born to a Siamese mother, and a huge tabby cat father named Musafa. He was born in Vancouver to some former Yukoners, and my sister brought him to Whitehorse several years ago. When she moved back to Vancouver, she wasn't able to bring him with her, so Leroy has been here ever since.

To say that he is a unique cat would be an understatement, but he is apparently not the only flame-point out there to have a captivating and loveable personality. Before I introduce you to Leroy's flame-point counterpart, I should tell you a little bit more about Leroy. He is huge (about 15 pounds) and built more like a small jaguar or bobcat than a normal domestic cat. I estimate his I.Q. to be about 85, and if he gets his mind set that he is going to do something, he is going to do it. Forget to feed him, he'll rip a hole in the bottom of the bag of food so it can all pour out. Leave the ouside door unlatched, he'll push it open and escape. Leave something fragile in a high place, he'll find a way to knock it down. And he does it all just for his own personal amusement.

He is territorial. He has chased large dogs out of our yard on several occasions. I try to keep him inside most of the time, since his bravery is sure to get him in trouble, but this can be very difficult on a nice sunny day. When he does get outside, which is more often than I would like, he will keep to himself for a little while. But if I just stay outside and go about my business for a few minutes his curiosity will quickly lead him to me. Of course, that doesn't mean he is easy to catch. If he doesn't want to come inside, he can be very stubborn.

He comes when he is called, and will usually answer back. He enjoys wrestling and martial arts, and I have taught him everything I know about these endeavours.

But don't let his wildness fool you, he is as sweet as a cat can get, and for a cat that weighs more than many dogs, he is very skilled in the art of snuggling. He just seems to find the perfect places to lay down, and isn't offended by the smallest movement on my part, as some cats are apt to be.

I received an email from fellow Whitehorse resident who, after seeing some photos of Leroy, was compelled to introduce me to his equally interesting cat, Sam-I-Am. Tell me if you think that Sam-I-Am might be Leroy's long lost brother.

...a glutton for affection, he comes when he is called and lets our 3 yr old do just about anything to him. He had been returned to the shelter by his previous owner because he was creating too many problems (opening cupboards and eating trash) which led to him developing pancreatitis (pain in the pancreas). So he is on the high class cat food - though if he doesn't get his way he will open cupboards, chew through bags and drag food all over the house.

And the resemblence is uncanny. Click on the image to see more photos of Sam-I-Am.

Upon hearing that Leroy might have a brother in Whitehorse, I phoned my sister to inquire whether this was indeed possible. She informed me that while Leroy may have a relative in Whitehorse, this cat would have to be both female and have different coloring. Oh well, I think they are brothers in spirit, at least. Either way, we are certainly both blessed to have such crazy and engaging cats.

Technorati Tags: cat blogging, cat, cats

Thank You, Tarfu!

2006-06-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that I have finally caught my first fish of the season. It was a tiny little trout caught from a boat at Tarfu. I was beginning to think I was cursed. I estimate the total cost of this fish, before taxes, to be about $500 and 1 full grade point.

What is terrible, however, is that there were fish everywhere at Tarfu, and I only got one. My pal Lucas was at least able to get one of a decent size, so maybe I really am cursed.

Tarfu, by the way, is not just a great spot for fishing. We saw several eagles.

And a moose with calf.

I will almost certainly be going back to Tarfu again, and hopefully spend an entire weekend in the area. A word of advice, if you're going out to this area, bring some bug dope.

Technorati Tags: Yukon, Tarfu, fishing, wildlife

Roundabout Ways to A. Stark Place

2006-06-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some searches that led their authors to this blog in the past week.

marx end of class distinction. While that might have been Marx's intention, I think history has proven Marx to be wrong. I sure get lots of searches like this, and I hope I have persuaded at least one person that Marxism is bogus by my paper on Marxism.
normative relativism tolerance. Searches like this one are probably my most common. My guess is that university students have assignments on this topic due when they make this search, since it seems to appear in spurts. Again, I hope that I have persuaded at least one of these students that tolerance and normative relativism are incompatible, as outlined here and here.
Moral Disagreement Today and the Claims of Emotivism by MacIntyre. I talk about Alasdair MacIntyre in the paper on ethical relativism mentioned above. He is a meta-ethical relativist. To say that I find MacIntyre horribly misinformed would be an understatement. He is simply wrong, wrong, wrongitty-wrong, and so is his paper that this person is searching for. You can quote me on that, but I don't know why you would.
you're probably crazy. Yes, if you make this search, you're probably crazy.
"andrew stark" just for the ladies. Finally, the acknowledgement I deserve. But was this person actually looking for my blog? I have lots of namesakes out there, but I carry the faint hope that this person had me in mind.

A Perfect Weekend

2006-06-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

While my school work has most certainly suffered because of it, my weekend trip to Atlin, BC was well worth it. Atlin is a few hours drive from Whitehorse along a scenic gravel road, and lies on Atlin Lake, the largest Lake in British Columbia. My pal Lucas brought his boat, and the weather was perfect (30 degress and calm). It is, in fact, relatively rare to experience such a calm day on a lake as large as Atlin Lake, so we really hit the jackpot. Even the sunset was perfect.

The town of Atlin is a unique place. The people are friendly, and a large portion of the vehicles I passed on the way there waved "hello." There are lots of float planes and boats for the charter fishing industry, and massive trophy trout have been caught in Atlin Lake. It is definitely on my short list of places I might like to live someday. Oh yes, and the view is splendid.

We tried our hand at fishing Atlin Lake, but a lake so large and deep can be difficult for the unexperienced. Furthermore, we were happy to just explore the lake a little, so our effort was really half-hearted. Plus, to say that we were out of our league would be an understatement. I lost count of the number of times we tangled our lines and had to replace them. But fish we did.

Well, some of us. Others were preoccupied with more important things.

On the way back to Whitehorse, we stopped at Tarfu and did some fishing and exploring there. More about that tomorrow. More photos from Atlin in this gallery.

Technorati Tags: fishing, Atlin, adventures, the north

Update: Hartland has informed me that, while Atlin Lake is B.C.'s largest natural lake, Whilliston Lake is actually the largest. He adds: "My favorite fact: Theresa Island, found on the southern portion of Atlin lake, is the world's largest inland island." Thanks for the info.
Update June 19: Michael has now informed me that, while Teresa Island is the second tallest lake island, Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron is the largest. He gives two good links, here and here. Now I'll be the first to admit that there is probably a difference between a lake island and an inland island, the latter lying on a lake not having any access to an ocean, but I'd venture to guess that some of the other islands listed in the links above must be considered inland islands. I'm not, however, entirely sure. If anyone has more information, please post it in the comments. And yes, Michael, now that you mention it, geography is pretty cool.

Working on a Volkswagen: the Conclusion

2006-06-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it took longer, required more parts and money, and required more troubleshooting than expected, but Kieran's '96 Volkswagen Golf is safely driving the streets of Whitehorse. Today we replaced the cooling fan switch, confirmed that the alternator is in good working order, and swapped the oil pressure sending unit (the oil pressure warning light was coming on sporadically).

A few more miles are needed before we know exactly how well this newer engine runs. In new computer controlled cars, the engine control computer needs time to adjust for the differences between the old and new engines before they will run their best. It seems to be running better by the minute, however, and is already more quiet and has more zip than it has had for some time. My initial impression of the new engine, now that I have driven the car, is that it has a lot of service left in it. Here's hoping.

The final list of parts and materials:

engine with 10,000 km
used distributor
starter
battery
battery tie-down
spark plugs
cooling fan switch
air filter
oil filter
antifreeze
oil
Snap-on 8mm triple-square driver

The total cost of this project is in the $1500 - $1800 range. It would have cost about $4000 to have this done by a professional shop, which wouldn't be an unreasonable price considering how much work is involved. The starter, fan switch, and all the work that went into fixing pre-existing problems, of course, would have been extra.

Here is what the new engine looks like. Compare that with the old.

This is the sort of project that needs only a moderate amount of experience, lots of patience, some tenacity, and the right tools for the job. However, while you don't need to be an expert to change an engine in a Volkswagen, I would suggest that you steer clear of this sort of project if you have little or no mechanical experience. Basic knowledge of how to work with heavy objects, how to use the appropriate tools, how an engine works, how to use a mulit-tester to diagnose electrical problems, and how to organise a job with numerous steps, are all essential to an engine swap on a relatively new car.

Given some experience and knowledge, however, it makes sense to do this sort of thing yourself unless you make a lot more money than I ever have. After all, we actually enjoyed this project and saved over $2000 for 3-4 days worth of work each. And just look at how happy Kieran is in his new smooth running car.

Technorati Tags: volkswagen, volkswagen golf, engine swap, mechanics

Bye, Bye, Burnt-out Sky

2006-06-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

I was having a heck of time getting landscape photos without colorless white skies. The Yukon sun is extremely bright and low on the horizon, which lends itself to severe overexposure. However, the friendly folk at our local camera store were kind enough to help me out. They sold me an expensive but worth-every-penny circular polarizing filter. I took quite a few photos with the filter during a recent expedition to the beautiful Ibex Valley and very few had catastrophically colorless skies. A good portion were even shot into near-direct sunlight. I'm sure I'll soon wonder how I ever lived without it.

More examples here.

Technorati Tags: photography, landscapes, yukon

Working on a Volkswagen Update

2006-06-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

The conclusion to this story will need to wait for yet another day. The engine is in and running, but we're still waiting on some parts before we can truly say this job is finished. There was certainly more wrong with this car than I had originally thought. After replacing the engine and distributor, we found that the starter and the cooling fan switch were both faulty. We're still waiting on that switch. Furthermore, the battery did not hold a charge and needed replacement, a headlight bulb needed to be replaced, a battery tie-down had to be added, and the alternator is hopefully being tested by NAPA as I write this. Is that all? Nope. The squirters don't seem to work, the blinkers don't work under braking, and there is a nasty rattling in the exhaust. I think we'll leave the exhaust for an expert since it's relatively new and should be salvageable in the proper hands. I really hope that is all.

Technorati Tags: volkswagen, volkswagen golf, engine, mechanics

I've Been Tagged: Seven of Seven

2006-06-08T00:45:00.000-07:00

Kim tagged me with this meme. I intend to take liberties with this particular meme, firstly because I am without husband and so a list of mushy stuff about a husband that I don't and shouldn't have is just silly, and secondly because that's just the sort of person I am. I will, however, continue the trend of providing seven lists of seven items. Of course, that is what the meme is really about, anyway. I hope.

My friend Matthew, a talented young journalist who calls himself a reporter, once wrote a masterpiece of a list. I present to you this list in its entirety and am counting it as one of my seven. Sorry that his list has nine items, but I thought them all so necessary that I couldn't find it in myself to delete even one.

Things Whut I [Matthew] Like

euphemisms
baths
green tea
Wal Mart
people who write Armenian Proverbs (ie. Armenians)
things whut are called extreme, like pit stick, sports and hot sauce
sniffing my hands after I've worn latex gloves for a while
lists
otters

With Matthew as my guide, I present my six lists of seven.

Seven Things Whut I (Andrew) Like

coffee, ice cream, and any combination thereof
the lynx (second only to my pets among animals)
losing track of time (just ask my mother)
junky old cars, abandoned mines, and any combination thereof
panini, or grilled sandwiches if I'm in a pinch
things whut are either way too big, or way too small
hand cream (we all get dry skin from time to time)

Seven Things Whut I Don't Get

Is a coon's age a long time?
Why do I stink at, as well as after, fishing?
Why aren't plantains more popular than onions?
Are you supposed to kick a horse that isn't dead?
Why don't people say methinks anymore?
Why are most of the cool animals extinct? Sabertooth tiger. Need I say more?
How is it that tea candles are so inexpensive?

Seven Ways Whut I Address My Cat

Leroy (his official name)
Larooney
Larinskinew or Larinsk for short
Larue
little buddy
a particular whistle whut he knows
a particular noise whut I make by resting my upper teeth against my bottom lip and inhaling and whut he also knows

Seven Things Whut I Like More Than I Should

the TV show Smallville (It's conveniently on at 1:30am when I am ripe for procrastination)
raw hotdogs
Britney Spears
The Captain and Tennille (I don't like them a lot, and yet I like them too much.)
Legally Blonde
coffee, ice cream, and any combination thereof
driving

Seven Words Whut can be Pronounced in Funny Ways

Penelope
jalopy
Oldsmobile
adversary
prerogative
broccoli
Larinskinew

Seven Books Whut I Started and Didn't Finish

Lord of the Flies
Great Expectations
Oliver Twist
The Silmarillion
The 2005 Time Almanac
The Quran
Photoshop 5 For Dummies

I'm not going to tag anyone specifically, but the more the merrier when it comes to memes. Maybe, my mother might like to muddle with this meme?

Technorati Tags: meme, lists

Update:

People Whut Done this Meme

Thursday Challenge: Which Photo?

2006-06-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been submitting one photo each week to the Thursday Challenge. Each week there is a theme, and photographers from around the world submit photos to do with that theme. This coming week it is "Weather (sunny, calm, rainy, icy, fog, clouds, thunderstorm, lightning, hail, wind,...)." Yesterday, I drove most of the way up Mt. MacIntyre in the rain, and then hiked to the summit to see if I could get any good weather photos. I took about 100 photos, however, and I can't decide which photo to submit. Perhaps you can help me out by telling me which of these photos is best for this theme.

Technorati Tags: photos, thursday challenge

Update: I submitted the third photo. It is true that the first better suits the theme, but I've grown to like the third more just the same.

Working on a Volkswagen Update

2006-06-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

The dramatic ending to this story that I had promised has been delayed until at least Wednesday. For some reason the starter quit working sometime between when we pulled the car into the garage and when it was installed onto the new engine. Go figure.

Technorati Tags: volkswagen, volkswagen golf, engine, mechanics

Cantlie Lake and Still No Fish

2006-06-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday, I continued my quest for the year's first fish with a 4x4ing trip to Cantlie Lake. Cantlie lake has has always been a trusted standby for me, so I make the trip when I'm having bad luck fishing elsewhere. This time I came back empty handed. Unfortunately, we were a week early, as the lake was nearly completely covered in ice. As a result, we were forced to fish in the few areas where there was open water very close to shore.

Tony managed to catch a nice little Arctic Char, proving that he is either much luckier than I or he is a much better fisherman. Is it his technique?

I was actually quite happy with the trip, partly because I was able to get a few nice photos, but mostly because 4x4ing out to Cantlie is a great time. Here is what the Angler's Guide to Stocked Lakes in the Yukon has to say about the road to Cantlie Lake:

It's and old Cat Trail, not recommended for full size vehicles, including four wheel drives. The Lake is best accessed by foot, bike, ATV, or air.

I have those two sentences to thank for attempting the drive out to Cantlie in the first place, since they made it sound like a challenge. The first time I attempted the drive, I had a canoe on my roof, and it was raining and muddy. It was an extremely difficult drive, as the road is very narrow. In fact, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to drive a full size pickup all the way to the lake without a chainsaw to take down a few trees. Short narrow trucks like mine a perfect for this sort of trip, however, and a small pickup would probably be okay for it, too.

My advice for anyone considering the drive out to Cantlie Lake is to only attempt it if you have a winch, a small mechanically sound vehicle that has four wheel drive, and good aggressive off-road tires. Furthermore, expect dents, especially if it is wet and rainy like it was on Saturday. There are many small slippery stumps on the trail that tend to swing the vehicle toward the treed edges. There are mere inches of clearance on either side of the vehicle at numerous spots along the way, and these are difficult in the best weather. This time it was raining on our way home, and I got a nice dent on my front fender. Hopefully, I can bend it out.

A good map of the trail to Cantlie Lake is available in the guide mentioned above, and Tony provides some info and photos of the trip. He has some nice photos of one of the muckier sections of the trail. I managed to get through this section this time around without using my winch. I hadn't been able to do so before.

Cantlie Lake is always worth the trouble getting to it, since the fishing is normally outstanding, and there is always lots of privacy. Tony has also put a geocache there. See if you can find it.

Related Tags: 4x4ing, off-roading, fishing, yukon

Working on a Volkswagen: Part 2

2006-06-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, much of today was spent running around looking for an 8mm triple-square socket. We did, however, manage to get the old engine out, the distibutor and flywheel swapped to the new engine, the floor thoroughly dirtied, and some good burgers digested. Here we are enioying one of our small victories.

In case you were wondering, my opinion of this car has only mildly improved, since the relatively good condition of the clutch was a lone and minor bright spot.

If all goes well, we'll finish up Sunday. Tommorrow I go fishing and off-roading, so the Golf will have to wait.

Related Tags: volkswagen, volkswagen golf, engine, mechanics

Working on a Volkswagen: Part 1

2006-06-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

Should a '96 Volkswagen Golf need a new engine? Well, maybe more than 200,000 kms out of an engine in a low-end car is too much to ask, but I for one am filing this project away in the "fixing what shouldn't be broke" file.

Luckily, this car isn't mine. Yet, since I would hate to see a car go to waste, and since it is owned by a good friend of mine, it was my suggestion to him that we replace the engine ourselves. My friend agreed, and that is what Kieran and I will be doing over the next couple of days.

At the present moment we are one specialty tool--a triple-square driver--away from having the old engine out. In the meantime, let's take a look at this little engine before she gets put where she belongs. The first thing you will notice is that she has pretty much rusted away. You will also notice that she isn't losing her mass in little flakes, as would be expected, but in large chunks. Personally, I prefer flakey over chunky any day of the week. Still, how unique and increasingly slender she is!

In the following photo, you can see some quality German design. Notice the chicken wire valiantly holding the distributor cap on. What can't that stuff do?

And here is the old girl in all her glory. Kind of shabby-chic, isn't she?

Too hard on this little engine? Maybe, but the least she could do is stick around for long enough to blow up in a blaze of glory like a normal engine. That would at least be exciting. I must admit, however, that my opinion of Volkwagen cars has been jaded by my years of service as a glass technician. They are simply a pain for the glass-man.

At any rate, by the end of tommorrow I hope we'll have her new engine in and running. Then, perhaps, I can develop a more positive opinion of her. Stay tuned for what should be a happy ending to this dramatic story.

And Kieran, sorry for insulting your car, but she was asking for it. I refuse to just sit back and watch my friend be let down like this without saying something. I know, I know. I may have pointed out that speaking badly of a man's girl is in terrible taste, no matter how badly put together she might seem, since he might be with her for a long time, maybe forever. But I'm talking about cars, here. With cars it's fine, so long as you're gonna help him fix her up. And no, it is not okay to insult a man's girl, even if you are willing to help him fix her up. Shrinks and plastic surgeons be warned.

Related Tags: volkswagen, volkswagen golf, engine, mechanics

How to Make Firefox Pretty, Mac Style

2006-06-01T03:31:00.000-07:00

PC users, look away. This is some advice that will be more relevant to Mac users. Sorry, but you gotta blog about what you know.

Safari is a great browser, and in my opinion, no other browser on the planet can render pages as beautifully as can Safari. But for many services, such as Blogger, Safari is not supported. For much of the web, Firefox is the browser of choice, and for good reason. It is relatively fast, consistently renders pages well, supports web standards, supports extensions, has customizable themes, and is open-source. What more can you want? Well, I have only one problem with Firefox and that is its un-maclike interface. Because Firefox is customizable and open-source, however, this can be easily remedied.

First, if you have a G4 or G5 processor, go and get a build of Firefox that is optmized for your particular processor and has apple style widgets here. What is a widget? Widgets are the little information fields that are used on many sites to allow you to select or enter information. This is what the Blogger photo upload page looks like with apple style widgets, instead of the normal Firefox ones. I think it is an improvement.

This optimized version will be called Deer Park and does not use the Firefox icon, but if you are picky, you can change the name and icon back to the originals. To use the Firefox icon, you can either download one of the many custom icons from the web, or copy the icon from your old version of Firefox before you trash it. To do this, click on the original copy of Firefox and choose "Get Info." Then select the small Firefox icon (mine may look a little different than yours) and choose "copy." To make this the icon for Deer Park, simply select Deer Park and choose "Get Info," then select the little Deer Park icon and choose "Paste." To change the name to Firefox, select Deer Park, choose "Get Info," and change the name to Firefox. This will only cause problems if you have another copy of Firefox around, so trash the old version. Whaala! Better than new.

Next, choose one of the beautiful themes from GrApple, and install it into Firefox. Themes are accessible in the tools tab. The theme I chose looks like this:

It makes use of Uno, an application that gives different applications a unified appearance. It provides a very clean look that gets rid of the old style title bar that is still present in some applications. Information on how to install the GrApple themes, and the Uno application, is available on the respective sites.

Lastly, if you make use of tabbed browsing, I highly recommend the Tab X extension. It puts the little "x" that collapses a tab and moves it from the far right of the window to the far right of each individual tab. This makes tabbed browsing much more intuitive.

With these customisations done, Firefox can provide a very mac-like experience, and all the software needed to do it is free. Aaah, the beauty of open-source software. I should note that it's important to be thankful to the people who make all this software and hand it to us for nothing. They don't need to do it, and so they certainly deserve our thanks.

Related Tags: Apple Computers, Apple Software, Software, Firefox, OS X

Brand New Pic-in-ic Table: Part 2

2006-05-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

I managed to finish the picnic table project more quickly than I had expected. Yesterday evening, I ran the router along all the edges with a 1/2" roundover bit, sanded the entire table, and applied a natural stain to the fir boards. Today, I finished the post sections with a green exterior stain, and then partly disassembled it for its journey to the second story.

I left most of the structure together and pulled it up along planks I set up so that it wouldn't catch the eaves. Most of the work was done with a come-along.

When it got to the top, I had to lift it up over the railing. Thankfully, the person taking these photos put the camera down and gave me a hand.

I reassembled the table, then sat down and enjoyed my craftsmanship as well as a hamburger.

I enjoyed it up on our deck so much, that I have resolved to spend lot's of my time sitting at this pic-in-ic table over the coming summer. It is, after all, an ideal place to do school work on sunny days. I can think of few things better than basking in the sun with a book, or a pen and paper, all the while sitting at a table made by my own hands. Praise God, life is good.

Related Tags: trades, picnic table, carpentry

Brand New Pic-in-ic Table

2006-05-30T01:06:00.000-07:00

It seems like every project I start will get out of hand before it is finished. This is why I try--usually unsuccessfuly--not to have too many projects on the go at any given time. A few years ago, I decided it was time to fix up our old picnic table. I had planned on replacing a few of the rotted boards and giving it a coat of paint. Then, a few days ago when I finally found the time, I took a look at the old girl and decided it was time for her to be put out of her misery.

I put in a few hours worth of vigorous work, and now I have a brand spankin' new pic-in-ic table.

She's built entirely out of material from our used lumber heap, which actually made for a better finished product, since I had some nice fir boards and some pressure treated 4"x 4" posts that were salvaged from who-knows-what.

I'm completely satisfied with the proportions, as what I was aiming for was a stereotypical picnic table like what you might see at a government campground. I was also pleased that I haven't and won't need to take any trips to the hardware store in order to finish the table. I will be sanding it, staining the fir sections, and painting the posts within the next few days. Then I need to figure out how to get it onto a second story deck with no access from the outside. (It's awkward to carry and it weighs a ton.)

A picnic table would be a perfect first carpentry project, since the tolerances are large and the design is simple. You could even build one without power tools without too much trouble (certainly not how I made this one). If you want to give it a try and would like some measurements, I'd be glad to help you out. I may also post more photos once it is completed and has made the trip to the second story.

Related Tags: trades, picnic table, carpentry

You're Probably Crazy if...

2006-05-29T01:41:00.000-07:00

If any of the following statements have ever left your lips, you're probably crazy.

"Honey, if you need me, I'll be in the garage working on the time machine."
"To the [your name here] mobile!"
"I know great-grampa's dead, but how elso do you explain this electromagnetic field?"
"What do you mean, too many cats?"
"I'm sorry, but I just find clothing too restricting for everyday use."
"I can't wait to blog about this!"
"Not now, it'll be easier to tell her on Maury."
"Yeah maaan, showering's for squares."
"These books just have to be etched onto platinum tablets."
"Hi. I'm gonna need pricing and availability on 3700 ft. of aluminum foil."

Michael added these ones that he actually heard way back when he worked in a shoe store:

"Hi. I'm looking for shoes without rubber soles so the electromagnetic field of the earth can pass through my body."
"I'll take the right foot for the size seven and the left foot for the size seven-and-a-half."

An anonymous commenter added:

"It's a proven fact that [insert disaster here] was a giant conspiracy carried out by [insert name of religious order here], [insert name of government agency here], and [insert name of non-profit organization here]."

Feel free to add to this list in the comments, or make a list of your own.

Related Tags: humour, lists

Of Birds and Eggs

2006-05-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

Apparently a team of especially smart people has solved the age old chicken and egg controversy. According to them, it was the egg that came first.

...a team made up of a geneticist, philosopher and chicken farmer claim to have found an answer. It was the egg.
Put simply, the reason is down to the fact that genetic material does not change during an animal's life.
Therefore the first bird that evolved into what we would call a chicken, probably in prehistoric times, must have first existed as an embryo inside an egg. [read more]

I wonder who this philosopher was, because he should have told his genetisist friend that this is not an adequate explanation. I will put the fact that their theory rests on certain unproven assumptions aside, and center on the fact that the fundamental problem remains unsolved. It is insulting to our intelligence that these so-called experts are pretending this question is actually about chickens and eggs.

The philosophical problem that is more important, and especially important to evolutionary theorists (although much harder for them to answer), is "how can an animal exist without the mechanism that brought about its existence being existent first?" They may say that a chicken was a mutation of a slightly different animal, perhaps a reptile, but what came first, the first egg laying animal, or the first egg?

Consider what the answer might be to this more meaningful version of the question. The same evolutionary theory that this team appeals to says that an animal of a kind (in this case the egg laying kind) must be existent before the act of egg laying first occurs. After all, evolutionists say that mechanisms of reproduction also come about through mutation. I will leave the question of who the first egg laying animal mated with, and whether the first egg laying animal was a chicken, to you.

Maybe these guys knew what the real question was, couldn't answer it or the further questions it led to, and proceeded to make the news by answering a question that, while much easier to answer, no one was really asking.

But my question is this: If these findings resulted from reasoning that centred around evolutionary theory, what was the point of including a chicken farmer on the team? Did he provide dinner? To come to their conclusion, all they needed was an 8th grade science text book, unwavering belief in evolution, a childish understanding of philosophy, and the knowledge that chickens lay eggs. I hope they didn't need the chicken farmer to tell them that chickens lay eggs.

Related Tags: evolution, news, philosophy

Update: Magic Statistics posts on this story as well as some chicken statistics here.

Photoshop is for the Birds

2006-05-26T04:30:00.000-07:00

Well, not really, but the common method of adding birds to a scene with Photoshop to make it more interesting (don't laugh, this is common practice) isn't gonna happen here. Not in the Yukon, and not this time of year. Those birds are everywhere, jumping into my photos at the perfect time, making me me look like a much better photographer than I actually am. Thanks birds, I owe you one. If you keep it up, I might even protect you from my cat.

Related Tags: birds, photos, bird photos

Got Worms?

2006-05-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Click on images for larger view.

Related Tags: birds, photos, bird photos, robin

Roundabout Ways to A. Stark Place

2006-05-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent searches that stumbled across this barren wasteland that I call my homepage:

!Kung San Marxism. If you are unaware of who the !Kung San are, they an African people from the Dobe Desert of Botswana. They are, or in any case were, largely egalitarian. They certainly aren't and never were Marxists, and I actually mentioned them in this paper that criticizes Marxism for its theoretical errors. Somehow I doubt that I said what this person wanted to hear.
what constitutes a good valid arguments. I think this person could use one of my many dusty philosophy text books. I have some english textbooks, too, although I'm sure my searches don't gots grammar that's good, too.
tradespeople with dogs. Looks like someone's searching for the perfect job. Of course, the thought of my dog "helping" me work sounds like a disaster, unless my job could be going for walks.
ohio highway patrol uniform boots. Looks like you won't find me with this search anymore, and that's a great thing for anyone who actually wants to learn about these boots. They must be great boots to warrant a search for info about them. Now I want a pair, even though I don't know what they look like.

Fishing for Photographs

2006-05-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

I went fishing with Tony and my brother yesterday, and as Tony says, we had a bout of bad luck as we usually do. So, why exactly do I go fishing if it is usually a disaster?

I only started fishing consistently in the last few years, and the reason why I started is that it gives me a purpose to explore the Yukon. I am only motivated to do something if I can see why I should do it. With fishing there is always the purpose of getting something to eat, and that is plenty of reason for me. And just look at the sort of places fishing will take you.

Photography is also a good excuse to explore the Yukon. I wouldn't climb a mountain just to get to the top, but I would just to take a photo. Nature photography is a lot like fishing, in fact. Often you will come home empty handed, there are short thrilling moments, and while there isn't a meal when you get home from taking photos, uploading them to your computer can be just as fulfilling.

It is my understanding that bird watching serves the same purpose for some, and I believe it. At Kathleen River yesterday, once we came to grips with the fact that we weren't going to catch a fish there, we started fishing for bird photos. And I have to say that good bird photos can be as elusive as any fish.

Then, on the way home from Kathleen River, we stopped at the Takhini River, and Tony caught a nice pike.

After I had lost fishing fever (what happens when you lose all hope of catching a fish), I started fishing for photographs again. That's when I saw this fellow:

So, I didn't get a fish, but I did catch myself a nice photo of this eagle.

If you can't seem to get the energy to explore the great outdoors, you might want to try getting yourself a hobby like fishing, bird watching, or photography. Better still, as I learned yesterday, it is sometimes best to combine them all into one. You're less likely to come home empty handed.

More bird photos in this gallery. More info on fishing in the Yukon here.

Related Tags: photo, photos, fishing, birds, bird watching, Yukon

What Happened?

2006-05-22T00:53:00.000-07:00

On a recent hike along a beautiful glacier fed stream near Kusawa Lake, a crazy thing happened. A friend of mine was crushing stuff with boulders. It is a pastime we northern men enjoy. If this sophisticated game is new to you, here is a photographic walk-through. Watch Shabba as he skillfully demonstrates the process.

First, you pick up a boulder (the larger the better) and carry it to the place with the best prospect for destruction, ie. crunching, booming, bamming, or splashing.

Hold the boulder as high in the air as you can, so as to gain as much momentum as is humanly possible.

Throw the boulder in the desired location.

Take a moment to bask in the glory of your own manliness, enjoy it, and you're done. You can go away with a real sense of accomplishment.

The boulder throwing, while extremely fulfilling, wasn't the crazy part of this story, however. In fact, in the Yukon this sort of thing seems to occur anytime there is more than one man gathered in the same place. The real craziness occurred after our noble demonstrator was done smashing the ice. After that, he decided to take a quick rest. Since I had taken it upon myself to keep record of all the happenings that day, I snapped a picture of him resting. After all, I thought, when you are as manly as we are, people are gonna want to to be kept in the know.

When I got home, however, and I had uploaded all the day's photos to my computer, I scanned through the photos in chronological order as I normally do. First came the smashing, and yes, we all looked manly as ever. But then came my photo of Shabba resting, and this is when things got crazy.

What happened? I mean, do I also look like a fashion model after throwing large boulders? Do Calvin Klein ads contain subliminal messages? Am I supposed to be embarrassed for taking a photo like this? Do these things only happen with digital photography? Please help me. I need answers!

Related Tags: photos, photography, manliness, boulder throwing, modeling

Anticipation

2006-05-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

It actually feels like summer here now, but as you can see, remnants of the winter still remain. From the looks of it, it'll still be a couple of weeks until this ice on Kusawa Lake breaks up.

Then the real fun begins.

Related Tags: Yukon, photos, Yukon photos, Kusawa

Leave the Girl Alone!

2006-05-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

Once again, CNN shows that it has no problem participating in garbage tabloid reporting. One of its top stories is that Britney Spears almost dropped her child when she stumbled on her pant leg.

Now, I'm all for not giving celebrities special treatment, and I also have very little sympathy for celebrities who are hounded by the media. After all, their paychecks are based more on their fame than they are on their skill or craft.

But there is something mean spirited about trailing a 24 year old first time mother just to catch her in the smallest parenting mistake. Do parents not remember their own parenting blunders? Or should we make it headline news when a young mother gets the orientation of her carseat wrong, or stumbles and nearly drops her child? I say, child protective services would be pretty busy if these were big issues.

Please let this young mother be a mother, and CNN, shame on you. I hope you're not really the most trusted name in news.

Related Tags: Britney Spears, news, CNN

Beauty in Wide Angle

2006-05-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

There is something about wide angle landscape photos that I can't get enough of, and the Yukon seems to me tailor made for them. With a landscape as vast, mountains as massive, and valleys as wide as ours, a wide angle lens is often the only lens that will properly capture all the necessary elements of a scene.

There is also humbling gravity to our wilderness, and usually all the elements must be present for this to be conveyed, especially to those who have not experienced the Yukon, or a similar place, for themselves. If I could convey one message with my photos it would be the Yukon's humbling character, and I am finding out that most of the time wide angle shots are the only way to do this.

Of course, much better examples of wide angle scenery shots are available from much better photographers than myself. Check out this gallery to see what a real photographer can do with a wide angle lens and breathtaking terrain. Lot's of wide angle landscapes are also available from several different artists here. Some of them are unbelievable.

I hope to eventually get a lens that is capable of even wider angles, but first I should probably get in some more practice with the lens I have now (14mm or 28mm equivalent). Olympus makes a 7-14mm (14-28mm equivalent) that's on my wish list.

Related Tags: photos, photography, landscapes, scenery

Barry, If You're Gonna Take Steroids...

2006-05-17T00:54:00.000-07:00

...then at least get the rest of your house in order. What you, and pretty much all the folks who are under suspicion for using steroids, don't seem to get is that people will only believe you insofar as you show to them that you have good character. You could at least pretend to be a decent person.

But Barry, why should I believe you? Sure, you haven't tested positive, but you did cheat on your wife, you're so self-centered as to be delusional, you refer to yourself in the third person, and you have a nasty habit of alienating your teammates. And I'm supposed to believe you? If my own brother had, like you, mysteriously doubled his muscle mass while in his thirties, and he had also acted like you, I would not believe that he hadn't used steroids. Would you?

Sorry, Barry. I am not trying to bring you down, here. I just have no reason to believe you, and yet you have provided a whole schwak of reasons not to. In fact, almost nobody believes you anymore. But don't cry! It's not all bad. You refer to yourself in the third person, which should make it easy to whine to the one person who still listens to you.

And when you hit 714, I'll probably think about just how great Babe Ruth must have been. After all, you were a great hitter, but unlike him you got to do all that cheating.

Related Tags: Barry Bonds, Steroids

4x4ing Season has Officially Begun

2006-05-15T23:57:00.000-07:00

It sure is a shame to keep a Landcruiser cooped up for an entire winter, but up until today that is pretty much what I had done. Today, however, I drove out into the Ibex Valley and, for the first time, I was able to drive trails that were dry and free of snow. In fact, it felt like a summer day out there.

If you are also interested in off-roading around Whitehorse, stayed tuned for write-ups on some of the better off-road destinations as I find time over the summer and fall.

Check out photos from this latest excursion in the following galleries: Landscapes, Nature, and Taffy and Friends.

Not only was it my first 4x4 of the year, it was also the first off-roading I had done since I installed power steering. Next to my upgrade to Old Man Emu brand suspension, and the addition of a winch, power steering is this most important change I have made to the 'cruiser. It used to take quite a bit of effort to steer in rough conditions and at slow speeds. Now it's as smooth as butter.

In case you are a Landcruiser fanatic, the steering I installed makes use of a factory steering box and steering column from an '80 FJ40, a modified pump from a Toyota pickup (22RE engine), and hoses that are all factory except for one from a Toyota van. Again, lot's of work, but worth it. If you are planning this upgrade, let me know. I should be able to give you more information. Upcoming upgrades to my truck include roof console, roof rack, new sub boxes, and transmission, transfer case, and differential rebuilds.

I will also be working with a friend on replacing the engine of his '96 Volkswagen Golf. The engine that is in it now has pretty much rusted away. This doesn't say much for the quality of Volkswagen engine parts. The engine we'll be putting in has about 10,000 kms, or so we are told, so if the last engine is a typical one, the new one should be good for at least a few years. Even this would make it worth the effort, especially since it would be a shame to throw away a car that's only 10 years old. I'll post some photos as we work on the project.

Related Tags: landcruiser, off-roading, 4x4ing

Strange Things Done at A. Stark Place

2006-05-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

The wonderful thing about the web is how easy it is to use someone else's ideas. This one is from Memo from the North of 60 Desk. He lists strange things he has done under the midnight sun. I can't top his list, but here is my list, anyway.

Once, when I was a teenager, I had a thermal detecting helicopter search for me. Don't ask.
I didn't live on an island while I went to the Yukon College like Anthony, but I did ride my mountain bike there for an entire winter.
At Cantlie Lake, I witnessed an eagle steal an Arctic Char from my pal Shea while the fish was still on the line.
I haven't swam in the Arctic Ocean, but I did swim in Marsh Lake when there were still ice flows.
I drove my FJ40 down the Alaska Highway and back. Not recommended.
I drove same said truck from Haines Junction to Whitehorse at night without working lights. Definitely not recommended.
During an unfortunate tubing accident, I inadvertently mooned tourists who were standing on the Miles Canyon Bridge. This was due to a wardrobe malfunction.

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!

2006-05-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

I'd like to wish my mom a Happy Mother's day on behalf of all of her deadbeat children (that's me on the left) who would be completely lost without her. I have not included my younger brother because my mom, and the rest of us, still have hope for him.

Update: It has occurred to me that if you had only seen the above photo of my family, you might think that I am really the only deadbeat of the bunch. The following photo should make you think otherwise.

Related Tags: Mother's Day

Apple's Aperture: the Future of Computing?

2006-05-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

I used to be really proud of how well my computer was organized. I had a coherent and well organized structure of folders and everything was well labeled. It made my computing life much easier, but it often took diligence and hard work to keep it that way.

I hardly spend any time worrying about my computer's organization anymore, however, because my computer's software has taken a lot of that workload away. It is like I have my own personal secretary who puts my files away and retrieves them on command. I don't worry about how my computer files things away, as long as I get things back when I want them. I do notice, however, that many users are not willing to give up this job because they don't think the computer can do as good a job as they can.

I do think that this is the future of computing, however. After all, don't we have computers because they make our lives easier? Or do we just revel in the computing experience itself? I for one am happiest when my computing time is spent on a specific project rather than cleaning house. Software is being programmed to do more and more of this house cleaning and organizing task.

Enter Aperture, Apple's newest professional application. According to the manual:

Aperture is a nondestructive image processing and database application that let's you efficiently acquire digital images, perform photo edits, adjust and retouch images, publish images on the web or in print, export images, and back up your images for safe keeping.

While Aperture has, in my opinion, a great interface and excellent photo editing tools, what makes it stand out is the way that it handles files. When I hook up my camera, Aperture automatically opens and asks if I want to download the photos. I say, yes, and it downloads the images and names them according to my prescribed method. For example, I might tell it to name them according to the filenames given them by my camera, or I might chose a custom name followed by the time or date that I took the shot.

Then Aperture works away while I edit photos I had downloaded before, filing the images away into a library, rather than an old fashioned folder. It takes the original image, saves it as a master file, and also creates thumbnails of each image so they can be viewed in the program more easily. If I make a change to the photo, the master file will remain unchanged, but a version (essentially a file that contains all the changes I made and any information that I might want attached to the image) will be created.

Aperture files the master, the thumbnails it creates, and any versions of the images away in the background as it sees fit. I can view the photos and any changes I make to them in the Aperture software, but not by opening the Aperture Library with the operating system. It is not until I export that I have access to an ordinary image file.

I can make as many versions of each master file as I like, without ever needing to use the SAVE AS or SAVE commands. These commands are actually absent in Aperture. Whatever changes I make will simply be added to the current version file. I can make new versions from the master, and can access all versions of a master file from one location. Gone are the days when, in order to have a few different looks of the same photo, as many full sized files are needed as looks are created. Instead, Aperture simply creates files that refer back to the master. These files keep a record of what changes have been made to that master file. Only when it comes time to export or print an image does Aperture make a new image file.

If I want to access my photos, I open Aperture and find them either by performing a search or by accessing the file structure in Aperture. I don't go to a pictures folder, open the folder that an image is in, and then double click on an image to open it. In fact, there is no Open command in Aperture, only an Import command. This is because it's not a photo viewer, it is a photo organizer and editor, and as such, it must create thumbnails of the image, have a copy of it in its own library, and be able to create version files in its own library if it is to work efficiently.

Special attention is given to making the images easy to retrieve. In fact, all sorts of information can be added to an image in addition to the information embedded in the image automatically by the camera. An image can be searched by any of the included information fields. An image can also be included in several different places without duplicating the original file. For instance, if there is a photo of a family member playing soccer, it can be present in a soccer album and a family album, and both will simply refer back to the original master file.

After the photos have been edited, I can then choose what will be done with the image, and Aperture will export the image for that specific purpose. If the image will be emailed, it will be exported in a certain way that I have preset, if it is to be printed it will be exported another way, and if it is to be viewed on the web it will be exported yet another way. I usually export my files to my desktop, send them to where I need them (for example, I might upload them to my web galleries), and then I delete them. With Aperture there is no need to keep finished image files around.

So what is so special about Aperture? Well, Aperture is not the only program that operates in this way, but it is a clear example of how this method can be useful. The old file structures of endless hierarchies of folders is cumbersome for the user, inefficient in terms of storage space, and is a strain on software. Conventional folders are good so far as they go, but a program can work better with a file structure that is made for it's specific needs. This allows the software to easily do the filing for you, and present the files quickly and efficiently.

Final Cut Pro (Apple's video editing software) apparently works in much the same way as Aperture, and both programs generally deal with extremely large files. I do think, however, that similar programs will work their way into other less storage intensive areas, such as publishing and word processing, making the old filing systems obsolete for all but a few specific tasks. This, I think, will make computing much more efficient.

Are there drawbacks to this type of software? Perhaps. For instance, those who want complete control of their computers filing systems will be aggravated by programs like Aperture, and it has received criticism for this reason. They may also make choosing which software to use take an even larger commitment, as each program makes its own file structure and version files that are not compatible with other programs.

These problems, however, are few, and programs like Aperture represent a major step in the process of making computers more efficient and user friendly. Expect many more programs like this in the future. They take yet another chunk out of the grief and aggravation of computing.

Related Tags: Apple, Apple computers, software, photo software, workflow

A Show of Support

2006-05-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

As a show support for Tony, who is apparently destined to be an interior decorator, I am also posting a picture of some flowers. Of course, I didn't arrange these myself, so the same insecurity need not enter my mind... right?

Related Tags: photos, flowers

It's that Time of Year Again

2006-05-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

In the Yukon you have to make the best of the good weather while it lasts, and it is now here. That means it's time to get out and enjoy it. This is Shea and Cheemo overlooking Fish Lake on a recent hike.

I also added several photos to the Landscapes and Nature galleries.

Related Tags: Yukon, hiking

A Rare Quality

2006-05-08T02:12:00.000-07:00

Terry Shiavo, if she did in fact do so, was not the only young person to ever express a preference for death over dependence. This attitude is expressed all the time, and not just in the context of long term comas or vegetative states, but for much less severe disabilities. This attitude toward dependence, however, is both stupid and wrongheaded, as well as arrogant and selfish, for the preference of death over disability requires the belief that the lives of the disabled are not worth living. Of course, this belief could not be further from the truth.

Luckily, most of us get wiser as we get older, and by the time we are eighty most of us will rather be pushed around in a wheel chair, breathing through a respirator, than experience a sudden painless death. Still, it is difficult for many of us, young and old alike, to accept help from others, even if we would not rather die than accept it. Yet having meaningful relationships not only involves showing affection and love for others, it also involves allowing others to show their affection and love for you. To be a gracious recipient of love, however, is a rare and undervalued quality.

I watched a documentary called The Teachings of Jon on PBS yesterday that, I think, illustrates my point better than I could do with words. Here is a description from the film's
website.

"The Teachings of Jon" is an insightful, soul-touching and funny documentary about my brother Jon, a 40-yr old man, severely and profoundly affected by Down syndrome. He has an IQ of 20, doesn't talk and earns less than $13.00 a year. Although Jon may never accomplish much in this world, he has an important purpose here... not necessarily to learn, but to teach.

My parent's biggest fear was that having a child with a mental disability in the family would bring everyone else down. In fact, the opposite is true. "The Teachings of Jon" shows how the "family secret" locked away in an institution for the first 7 years of his life became the family treasure, teaching my family the most important lesson of all, how to love.

[more]

We can all learn something from Jon, and I highly recommend watching this film about him and his family. There are also a bunch of video clips at the website, and here is a list of TV showtimes. If you're like me, you'll want to keep a box of tissues nearby, as this one really pulls at the heart strings.

Related Tags: The Teachings of Jon, Documentary

I Got Categories

2006-05-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

By an annoying and tedious process, I now have categories. Check them out in the sidebar. I created them by making a second blogger page and pasting the template from this page into it. Then, in that new page, I created a different post for each category, and manually entered links to each of my previous posts from that category into the body of that new post. Last, I added a link to get back to this main page and got rid of most of the optional features for the posts on the new page, such as the date and comments. Of course, there is no need for options like commenting for what is just a list of links. Presto, categories.

Related Tags: Blogger

My Take on the OS Debate

2006-05-05T03:07:00.000-07:00

I own a Mac, and am constantly surprised at how well it works. I can't even remember the last time an application froze, and I haven't had a computer fully seize up since Mac OS 9.1. I'm not the only person who feels this way, either. My mother has a Mac that runs OS X 10.2.8 and it has a few glitches, but has been a great computer, and I can't think of a person who owns a Mac who isn't pleased with it.

OS X 10.4 Tiger isn't just good, however. It's great! Pair that with a 20" inch widescreen and I actually feel spoiled. I'm not kidding, it's computing paradise.

And no, I don't have a hard time getting software or communicating with the windows world. To be sure, I don't ever email MicroSoft Word files (although I could), but I wouldn't if I used Windows, either. In fact, several of my favourite programs are made only for the Mac. Here is a short list: Mellel (a great and low cost word processor), OmniOutliner (probably the best outlining application on the planet), Safari (the best looking web browser), Shiira (a Safari based browser with some unique features), Adobe Lightroom (a Mac only public beta for processing photos), Mail (the best email program I have ever used). There are many more great applications that come with every Apple computer like iPhoto, Preview, and iMovie, and they all work well. I just recently ordered Aperture, Apple's professional photo workflow program, and I expect it will work well, too.

This brings me to the reason why I think Apple is producing such great products: it has the right approach to software development. I bet that when the Apple developers get together, they ask themselves "what is this software going to do?" or "what is it going to produce?" Then they go about making software that does exactly that, keeping in mind that what the user wants is to do that specific task or produce that specific thing. They do not want to spend their time learning to use software.

I've heard Macs compared to appliances. They are intended to have output without the need for understanding the workings of the machine. This is true of both their operating system and their applications. It is also why so many professionals use Macs: it allows them to concentrate on their craft, and not on the machine that they use for that craft's production. This might sound like a small thing, but for someone who spends a lot of time on their computer, this can translate into countless hours of time saved. What's more, the time it does save would otherwise be spent in frustration and rage.

Somehow, I think, Microsoft misses this point. It's not just about giving users features and speed, it is also about providing them with an interface that enhances their production process, saves them time, and makes their work more enjoyable. This Apple does, and they're getting better and better at it. And it starts with their superior approach to software. I hope, for the sake of Windows users everywhere, that Microsoft will finally figure this out.

Related Tags: Apple, Apple Computers, Microsoft, Software

On the Problem of Evil

2006-05-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, when I was attending Simon Fraser University, I attended the first lecture of a history of philosophy class. It was the first and the last lecture I attended for that class. During the lecture the professor told us that the problem of evil had pretty much destroyed the credibility of claims that God exists. This he mentioned almost in passing and didn't give any support for his claim, although I can only assume that he tried later on in the course.

If you don't know what the problem of evil is, it is the claim that, first, evil exists in the world and, second, that the existence of evil is incompatible with a perfect and all-powerful God. Thus, the theory says, God cannot exist.

One year later, I attended the first few courses of a contemporary meta-ethics course, and then quit that class as well. The first few classes were enough for me to grasp where the course was headed, even if I hadn't yet fully grasped the concepts involved. Now that I have taken a similar course from the University of Waterloo, I can assure you that my first impressions of this course were not unfounded.

I recognized the professor as the same person I had heard talk about the problem of evil the year before. His sweaters were what gave him away. The few lectures I had with this professor have proved to be the most important of my short academic career. Not because he was wise, but on the contrary, because I understood that he had made an error. It is one that I have since encountered in other classes but have never heard clearly pointed out.

To understand what the error was I will have to tell you a bit about what the point of the meta-ethics course was, and what contemporary ethical theory has to say. I plan on an in-depth analysis of modern ethics on this site, but that will have to wait for the time being. Modern ethics should be understood as a search for a rational basis for determining value. "Good" and "bad" are the prime examples of terms that have to do with value. The problem modern ethics has is that while rational arguments usually have factual claims as premises, philosophers have not been able to outline a mechanism whereby premises that are factual claims can lead to valid conclusions about value. If you don't get it, don't worry, I'll explain the problem in more detail another time.

I had always hoped that I would be able to be able to think of a clear argument against the problem of evil. What I have learned over time, however, is that good arguments are extremely difficult to dream up. It's when I keep my eyes open that I sometimes see what the answers are to questions, but I have never thought up a good argument with my own ingenuity. In this case I saw how the problem of evil could be refuted, and I did so because this professor presented the problem of evil and modern ethical theory in such a way that the inconsistencies between them were blatant. The strange part is that I probably wouldn't have been able to see these inconsistencies if I wouldn't have dropped out of the classes. Go figure.

What the few short lectures I did have with this professor made me see was that the history of modern ethics is the argument against the problem of evil. Modern ethics shows that if you assume that there is no God, you will be left with definitions of value that are based on social construction. Yet it is essential to the problem of evil that, if it is a meaningful problem at all, value terms such as evil must have a factual basis. So my professor in one class asserted that evil is a factual reality in the world, and therefore that God's existence entails a contradiction, and in the next class asserted that values are human constructions. He has to be wrong somewhere.

I will be discussing these matters further, but I intended this as a short introduction into some of the issues I will be discussing in the coming months. Hopefully, I will be able to clearly present the theories of modern ethics and a full discussion of the concept of value. Some of the things I will discuss, and I think are relevant to any discussion of the problem of evil, are the is-ought gap and the Euthyphro problem, among others. Again, if you haven't heard of these, I will fill you in, so stay tuned.

Related Tags: philosophy, problem of evil, ethics

What's New at A. Stark Place

2006-05-02T02:06:00.000-07:00

I changed things around a bit here. My photos are now hosted by smugmug at a separate site called A. Stark Photo. Access to the main galleries page as well as to each individual gallery will always display in the sidebar. Also, any of my own photos that are displayed in my posts will now link to their respective galleries, so click on the photos if you want a larger view.

From those galleries you are also able to order prints, view my camera settings for each shot, or download the original for yourself. At this point, the only thing you'll have to pay for is printing, as I have decided against protecting my photos for the time being. I'm not sure what the quality of the prints at smugmug is like, but I'll hopefully find out soon and will let you know when I do. If you want to use my photos for some reason other than personal use, email me by clicking on Contact Me in the sidebar. Please don't download or print them for commercial use without my permission.

I also updated several of my galleries today, including The Yukon, Landscapes, Nature, Taffy and Friends, and Leroy. I was especially happy to get a photo of a nice fat grouse.

Lastly, I've changed my page template quite a bit and I think it looks great in Firefox, but if it's displaying incorrectly in your browser, please let me know what the specific problem is so I can try to remedy it. I am aware that this template looks terrible in some older versions of Internet explorer but I'm not sure that I'll be able to fix that. Please use Firefox or a current version of Safari (only for mac), especially if you surf the web a lot. You'll find that more pages will display correctly with these browsers.

Related Tags: photos

The Joy of Whistling

2006-04-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

When I was younger my father told me that it's extremely rare to be able to whistle on tune, and since then I have made it one of my goals to be able to do so. I am still a mediocre whistler but every once in a while I do get a tune right. It turns out that I also really enjoy whistling, and would estimate I spend at least a half hour a day doing it.

My old habit of choice was smoking, and whistling serves a similar purpose for me. The reason why I always enjoyed smoking was that while I was doing it, I didn't need to be doing anything else. Unlike drinking coffee, smoking was not boring, and at the same time it gave my mind a break from it's usually anxious pace. What makes whistling better is that it won't kill me unless one of my family members grows sufficiently annoyed with the constant noise. Another advantage is that, unlike smoking, it's a skill that can be improved and can give the unique satisfaction that comes from accomplishment.

Last year I watched a documentary on CBC Newsworld about the world's best whistlers. It's called PUCKER UP: The Fine Art of Whistling and it focuses on a few of the main contenders in the International Whistlers Convention, considered the world championship of whistling. I highly recommend this film. These whistlers are great musicians and unique characters.

The winner of the convention for the last two years has been Geert Chatrou, a talented whistler from the Netherlands. His whistling is in a league of its own, in my opinion. If you want to hear a sample of his work, go to his site, or listen to Ocobar's album, Chatroubadour, which features his whistling. You can listen to a sample at the iTunes music store. He's an interesting person and apparently whistles almost around the clock.

I had no idea that whistling could be more than just a whimsical pastime until I heard Geert's music. He can whistle complicated classical pieces with precision, and his range is far beyond what you might expect, and definitely beyond what I have personally been able to achieve. Luckily, it's an easy art to practice, since it's completely portable and has no cost. Maybe someday I'll be just a fraction as competent a whistler as Geert is.

Delve into the world of whistling at you own risk, however, as it is addictive. To be sure, you'll enjoy every minute you spend doing it, but until you're good at it, and maybe even after, you'll drive others to the brink of insanity or, perhaps, beyond. Just ask my family, and don't say I didn't warn you.

Related Tags: whistling, whistlers, music, Geert Chatrou

Friday Cat Blogging

2006-04-28T03:41:00.000-07:00

I told myself that I wouldn't participate in cat blogging every week. It has been two weeks since my last cat post, however, so bear with me. Cool people, tough guys, and celebrities, turn away.

Some say that pets and owners will become strikingly similar over time. Yet judging by the vigor with which Leroy keeps up on his hygiene, this must not always hold true. Of course, we are both known to sleep in the basement, so maybe we are alike after all.

Related Tags: cat, cats, cat blogging, friday cat blogging

A Little about My Hometown

2006-04-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Magic Statistics has posted this meme about his hometown, which also happens to be my home town, Whitehorse. He's pretty thorough, so I see no need fully participate in it myself, except to add Ted Harrison and Audrey McLaughlin to his list of Whitehorse celebrities, and add our crazy weather vane to his list of unique things. Here is the world's largest weather vane in all its glory:

It's really a Douglas DC-3 (a World War II era plane that was used extensively in the north until fairly recently) and is mounted on a swivel. It's located at our airport and can be seen from the Alaska Highway. The nose of the plane will point directly into the wind if it is blowing strongly enough, and you can watch it swivel on a blustery day.

When I was young and these planes were still commonly used, I had a good friend whose dad worked for Air North. We once flew to Juneau, Alaska, in a DC-3 just to play the arcade games at the airport there. A few times they humoured us by letting us polish the wings of these planes, although we really didn't help them very much. I have an emotional attachment to our roadside attraction, and I'm sure that many older Yukoner's are fond of these planes as well.

If you are from Whitehorse and you can think of more interesting things about our town, let me know. Or better yet, participate in the meme yourself.

Related Tags: weather vane, meme, plane, airplane, Whitehorse, Yukon

You Won't See a Glazier Doing This

2006-04-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

If I want news about human stupidity, I go to CNN. They definitely have a unique concept of what makes a story newsworthy, but every once in awhile I want something on the lighter side, and this is what I found there today.

A carpenter who keeps his clothes clean by working in the nude was arrested after a client returned home early and found him building bookcases in the buff.
Percy Honniball, 50, was charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure this week for the October incident.
He told officers he stripped before crawling under the client's house to do electrical work because he didn't want to soil his clothes, police said.
Honniball said Thursday that working in the nude gave him a better range of motion and that a skilled craftsman can work clothing -- and injury -- free.
[Read more.]

Although I am not working as a glazier at the moment, I do plan on doing glass work again in the future. Please be reassured that I will not be doing glass work in the buff, ever. Sharp glass and nudity just don't mix, in my humble opinion. Furthermore, Worker's Compensation won't even let us wear shorts, so I imagine that full nudity is at least against the spirit of the WCB rules even if it hasn't been explicitly stated in them.

Mr. Honniball doesn't seem to understand that one of the great benefits of clothing is that while it may get dirty, your body can remain clean. Apparently he was still paid for his work, except for a $200 deduction that his customer used to buy new locks. Genius.

Related Tags: News, Glass

That's Some Stack of Books

2006-04-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

I received my books for the summer semester a few days ago, and this time I got a pretty big (and expensive) stack. It could be worse, I know, and there actually a few good ones this time. I'm taking a russian class, for instance, that should turn out to be pretty interesting. Here is the exciting list:

Alexander Solzhenitsyn: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
The Portable Twentieth-Century Russian Reader
John M. Thompson: Russia and the Soviet Union
David Hume: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Martin Buber: I and Thou
David Stewart: Exploring the Philosophy of Religion
Krugman & Obstfeld: International Economics
Classics of Western Philosophy (this looks like a useful reference book)

There are also a bunch of copied course readers, but I won't count those. Wish me luck in getting them all read.

Related Tags: books, lists, reading lists

Why Philosophy?

2006-04-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

When people ask me what I’m taking in university, they are often surprised to hear that it’s philosophy that I’m studying. By their reactions, I can only assume they think I must be some kind of coffee drinking head-case who shuts himself off from the outside world, and devotes his time to the pondering of nonsensical and otherworldly things. While I do drink way too much coffee, I spend most of my time thinking about the same things that everyone else does. Certainly, philosophy has intellectual head-cases in its membership, but it is not unique in this.

Since I intend to do regular posts on philosophical issues, perhaps I should explain why it is that I chose philosophy, and why I think it’s an important endeavour. To do this, I need to explain what I think philosophy can and can’t do, and what I think is its rightful scope.

While some may contend that philosophy is absolutely necessary for determining truths about life, the history of philosophy should prove to anyone who studies it that philosophers are no more likely to be right about anything. The simple fact that they disagree with each other means that they can’t all have it right. Furthermore, since every philosophical view has an equivalent in non-philosophical circles, philosophy can’t be necessary in order to come to those views. Philosophers also don’t hold some special grasp of the issues they deal with. Laymen have opinions about the answers to philosophical questions, just as philosophers do, and for philosophers to pretend they know things that others don’t is just plain arrogant.

However, while I don’t think I'm more likely to know what the truth is because I know about philosophy, it has nonetheless been extremely useful to me.

I first declared philosophy as my major because I had taken, and then proceeded to hate, nearly every other subject. They were much too specific for, and my mind is much more at home when processing general concepts rather than specifics. I am a forest sort of guy, and the other subjects seemed to deal too much with individual trees. The initial reason why I picked philosophy, then, is that it fits better with my personality, but I have gone on to gain understanding from my studies. This understanding has to do with knowing where I, as well as others, stand on issues and why we stand where we do.

It is useful to think about people’s beliefs as lying somewhere on a big branching tree of thought. Everyone has a place somewhere on that tree. You and I might be on the same branch, but on a different twig, or even on the same twig, or we may be on different branches altogether. Everyone rests on some twig or another. Too often, someone on a twig on one branch will debate someone on a twig on a different branch, without realizing that their disagreement results from their lying on different branches, and not from their lying on different twigs. To debate in a meaningful way the discussion must centre on the place where the first split occurred, at the base of the branches. When people are arguing, if they make their arguments too specific and ignore the more general principles, they will likely argue past each other rather than engage with each other. Philosophy helps in understanding the map of this tree, even if doesn’t make you more likely to be on the correct twig on the correct branch. It helps philosophers centre debates in the right places, and helps them get their points across by helping them avoid making assertions that will be meaningless to others.

Like every academic subject, philosophy has its own language and conventions, although so far I have survived my studies without knowing any more about these than I need to. I always try to write my papers in ordinary language, since philosophy is useless to me if it can’t be communicated outside the field. Not that the philosophical language and conventions are useless, but that they don’t help me get out of philosophy what I want to get out of it.

I am also not all that interested in the history of philosophy, and I find it the most exhausting endeavour of them all. I recently had to learn the nuances of the rationalists, and this felt to me like sifting and carefully cataloguing a stranger’s garbage. This brings me back to the reason why I find philosophy useful in the first place: I think the rationalists are on a branch that should be lopped off the tree. Understanding the structure of the twigs on the rationalist branch doesn’t make much sense when I think the whole branch is based on error.

One last thing I should note: philosophy is not a stand-alone subject. To be a good philosopher and to make good philosophical arguments requires that one know a lot of other things, too. No one, and this includes philosophers, has ever proved anything meaningful with the rules of logic and reason alone. An argument can be perfectly structured, but without a true premise, that argument will be useless. The premises of arguments must come from facts about the world, and go on to show some conclusion or other. Without knowledge about the world, philosophers cannot have conclusions at all.

So my answer to the question why philosophy? First, my personality led me to it. Second, it helps me clearly understand what my own opinions are and the assumptions I have made to get to those opinions, and it also helps me understand what assumptions other people have made to get to their opinions. Last, it helps me know where to centre my discussions and to better get my points across. These are more than the other subjects were able to do for me, and that is why I am a philosophy student.

Related Tags: philosophy

Simple Pleasures – Top Ten

2006-04-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged for this meme. Here is my list of the top ten simple pleasures.

Whistling
The smell of oil and gas mixed with fresh sawdust
A tug on my fishing line
Driving in mud
The smell of a book opened for the first time
Opening a real old-fashioned letter
Exploring the wilderness with my dog
Breakfast for dinner
Sitting in front of the heat register in the morning when the house is still cold
Starting a fire, legally

I think I'll tag Tony, since he just recently posted on the pleasure of weekend breakfast, so he only needs to think of nine more.

Related Tags: meme

Update: Tony has kindly participated by listing his own top ten. Hoshq has also put in his top ten.

The Swans are in Town

2006-04-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

The swans are at Marsh lake again, and I went out to see if I could get some good photos of them. The weather was pretty awful for photography and I forgot my tripod, but I managed to get a few okay shots.

If I have time, I'll try again before they fly away.

Related Tags: Birds, Bird Photos, Photos, Yukon, Swans

To Think I Had Spring Fever

2006-04-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

Sometime about a week and a half ago I started getting the spring fever. The sun was warm on the skin and the snow was quickly disappearing. I could barely get myself to do any homework, since I wanted to spend most my time outdoors. I had all sorts of fun things planned for the coming weeks. Now this:

More than a foot of snow. Maybe I'll finally have the time to write some of the posts I have planned, as hiking and 4x4ing are out of the question for now.

Happy Easter, everyone! Especially Matt, Kieran, Simran, Shea, and Scott.

A Letter From the Minister

2006-04-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

On the 26th of February, I sent a letter to the Minister of National Defence that explained my distaste for the behavior of the Canadian Forces involved in the Rendezvous airshow. My concern was that they were acting like hooligans while in uniform. I posted the letter and an explanation of the issue here.

Today I received a letter back from the Minister, Gordon J O'Conner, who responds to my concerns. Here is what he wrote:

Dear Mr. Stark,

Thank you for your letter of 26 February 2006 concerning the behaviour of Canadian Forces members at the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Airshow.

I am informed that Canadian Forces personnel are encouraged to wear their unforms at both the opening and closing ceremonies and during the two days of the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Airshow events. I have requested that the Commander of Canadian Forces Joint Task Force (North) look into this arrangement and consult with the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Committee to address your concerns.

The Canadian Forces is dedicated to promoting and enforcing a high standard of ethics and deportment for its members. We are committed to ensuring that future military participants in the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Airshow portray a positive and lasting image for the Canadian Forces.

I trust this information is assistance.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Gordon J O'Conner, PC, MP

Overall, I am pleased with this response. However, I hope they will continue to sport their uniforms for the Rendezvous festivities. I just hope they don't go out on the town and get drunk and obnoxious while in uniform, so I'll keep my eye out for fly-boys next Rendezvous.

A Good Way to See Whitehorse

2006-04-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

One of the more interesting walks in Whitehorse is along the trail on the back side of the airport. From the edge of the clay cliffs, the long escarpment along the west side of town, there is a great view of most of downtown Whitehorse. It takes about an hour to do in the summer, but in the spring muck it will take closer to 2 hours and will probably involve soggy feet. It is well worth the effort, as is evidenced by these photos from my latest trip down the trail. Next time I'll bring my tripod and experiment a bit more. As you can see there is a great view of the S.S. Klondike along the way:

And even the dog enjoys the view:

Click on the photos for larger images and for even larger images click on My Photos in the side bar and go to the relevant gallery.

Friday Cat Blogging

2006-04-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that Friday is the day to post about your cat. As I think that my cat is the best cat on earth, I was more than happy to hear this. You may be thinking it is awfully feminine for a twenty-something dude to be posting about his cat. But my cat is a man's cat.

He chases large dogs, beats up on our other cat just for fun, is involved in every household project, and loves to get his back scratched. If that's not a man's cat, I don't know what is.

Related Tags: cats, cat blogging

Still too early to 4X4

2006-04-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

I have some new software for stitching photos together to make large panoramas. I was hoping that the snow had melted enough to drive the backroads near my house, so that I could drive high enough up Mt. Mac to get a good view. I quickly got stuck, but did manage to winch my truck out. This photo should give you an idea of how deep the snow still is up there:

Then my dog decided to get stuck in a snow bank, as well.

Don't worry. I winched her out, too.

I did manage to get some photos to stitch together, although I hope to be able to blend photos together more seamlessly in the future. A larger image is available here. It is actually six photos blended together.

If anyone is curious, the software I used is called hugin. It is free and available for most operating systems. I think nearly perfect images can be achieved with it, but I still need a bit more practice. I'll take all photos with a constant exposure level next time which should solve the blending issues.

There Will Always be Panes in the Glass

2006-04-04T00:34:00.000-07:00

I have been a glazier since I was still in high school. In case you don't know what a glazier is, it is someone who works with glass. Glass has been an important part of my life for about ten years now, and as a result, it is something I know a little bit about.

The glass trade is largely centred around one material, and so it is essential that glaziers know something about its characteristics. We must learn, for example, how much stress glass can handle before it breaks, and how it will shear after it is scribed with a cutter. With experience, glaziers get pretty good at predicting how glass will react in most situations.

The general public has very little knowledge about glass, and I think this is for good reason. It can be a dangerous material to work with. Carrying and lifting, for instance, may be relatively simple operations with some other materials, but they demand special skills with glass. Failure to handle glass properly can result in injury or even death. Misconceptions about glass can lead to both unnecessary cautiousness and foolish overconfidence.

All tradespeople have to deal with a public that is largely misinformed about their trade, and the best tradespeople are also good at educating their clients about correct procedures. After all, people cannot be experts in everything, and there would be no place for the tradesman if they were. I am not an expert in metal work, for instance, and that is why I go to a metal worker for advice about metal. People will do well if they go to the glazier for advice about glass.

But there are a certain number of people who think they are experts in everything. I have developed a sixth sense for detecting these people. There is something about the way they enter a room, and how they react to my advice. They will tell me the most outrageous things about glass, and then speak to me as if I am a child when they find I'm not in agreement. I learned quickly to either avoid these people, or politely refuse their absurd demands.

One common misconception, and one people can be very stubborn about, is that glass is a liquid. Neither the scars on my hands, nor scientific fact can convince them otherwise, but I will do my best to show you that glass is, in fact, a solid.

The reason for this misconception is that glass in ancient and medieval windows is often thicker at the bottom than at the top, the assumption being that the glass must have started its life flat. With time, the story goes, the glass flows downward which causes the bottom to bulge.

There are several problems with this theory. First, if the thicker bottoms of the glass panes resulted from flow, then older glass should generally have thicker bottoms than more recent glass. This is not the case.

Second, it is only in the past century that perfectly flat glass has been produced. Modern glass is called float glass, because it is produced by floating liquid glass over molten tin. This produces a nearly blemish free and extremely flat sheet of glass. Most of the oldest glass panes were made by spinning molten glass into a disk, and the centrifugal force of the spinning made the glass thicker at the edges. Glass panes would, therefore, always have one thicker side.

There is also evidence that medieval glaziers preferred to place the glass thick side down, as a small proportion of ancient panes were actually placed thick side up–apparently by mistake.

Where are the little spaces at the top of the oldest panes of glass? And how can a liquid be brittle enough and sharp enough that gloves are needed to handle it? I could go on, and on.

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the myth that glass is a liquid continues to be popular. Why do some people insist this myth is true despite the evidence? Maybe they think it has an intriging irony to it, and this fits well with their other beliefs. Maybe their initial belief, that what seems to be so solid is really a flowing liquid, takes such a commitment in the first place, that it is hard to ever let go of. I really don’t know for sure.

Most people, however, graciously accept correction when they are wrong about some aspect of the glass trade, and most are appreciative of the information I give them. I, too, am indebted to people from my trade and other trades for helping me avoid pitfalls, and for correcting my many mistakes.

Yet, there will always be some who think they know more than the experts, and who will have no qualms about making these opinions known. This is especially true for the glass trade, because there is so much misinformation about it. For the glazier, panes in the glass are just part of the job.

What's a Blog Without a List?

2006-04-01T03:15:00.000-08:00

I have noticed that lists and rankings are one of the common features of many blogs, and I wouldn't want to be the only blog without them. Here are the top ten things about me that prove I’m not cool. They are in no particular order.

1. I shamelessly add the letter Y to the end of words. I especially enjoy following this highly effective literary tool with a rhyming nonsense word. ex. “trucky wucky”

2. I pretend my pets are my children and address them as such.

3. I don’t own an article of clothing that isn’t stained.

4. This photo:

5. I am at peace with awkward silences.

6. I have my own room, not my own home.

7. I love acronyms, but prefer to make up my own. ex. WHFM = warm hug from mom.

8. I like bologna, raw hot-dogs, and processed cheese, or any combination thereof.

9. I own this CD:

and actually to listen to it. And sing along.

10. I own two pairs of pyjamas: one set striped, one set paisley. I have creatively made these into four outfits.

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

The more observant reader among you may be thinking this is an April Fool's joke. If only that were true.

Update: Anthony his kindly offered a second opinion concerning my level of coolness.

New Photo Site

2006-03-31T18:49:00.000-08:00

I have a new site for posting photos: click here, or click on one of the galleries in the sidebar.

On Marxism

2006-03-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

I recently wrote the following paper that discusses the inherent problems with Marxism. It does not discuss all aspects of Marxism, but instead focuses on the problems with economic structuralism. It is also not intended as a discussion of the Marxism of today, but instead focuses on the writings of Marx and Engels only. In the future, I intend discuss free-market theories and how they often make similar assumptions, and how they are also often ridden with the errors of economic structuralism. Please feel free to comment, especially if you think I have made any errors.

A Refutation of Marxism

Marxist theory has had widespread effects in some parts of the world and it continues to have influences today. The history of this theory is largely evidence of its ineffectiveness. A philosophical evaluation of Marxism will also provide evidence against its legitimacy, as it is inadequate as both an economic and political theory. The theory overestimates the significance of economic structure, material distribution and class struggle in terms of their effects on other facets of human life. Therefore, Marxism, like all theories of economic structuralism that claim to be complete theories of social interaction, is false.

Central to Marxism is the idea that economic factors are the most important factors in human life, and are also the factors that determine the character of societies. Marx’s theory of Historical Materialism states that history is to be understood in terms of people acquiring their material needs. All other concepts that are normally thought of as being essential to the understanding of history—for example religion, morality, and warfare—are all to be understood as being brought about by economic factors. Marx believed that the end result of history must be socialism, because economic factors will eventually and inevitably bring about a social revolution.

Given Marx’s theories about economic structure and causation, however, his theories about the historical nature of economics cannot be correct. He believed society to be divided into two major parts: the base and the superstructure. The base is made up of the material forces of production, such as labour and infrastructure, and the social relations of production which are the way society is organized around those material forces. The social relations are, more specifically, the class structure of society, with different classes having different relations to production. The superstructure contains the other areas of social life such as religion and culture. In Marx’s opinion, material forces of production are what cause the social relations of production and the superstructure to be as they are at any given time. The way people are, he says, merely results from the material forces of production; and therefore, culture, religion, morality, philosophy, and state laws are all direct results of the economic structure.

Yet, if social factors are said to be determined by economic factors, and the history of societies are also based on economic factors, it is difficult to see how history could involve any sort of progression. The material forces of production cannot act, and cannot, therefore, bring about change. The result is that without the intervention of people who act contrary to Marx’s own theories about the causation of ideology, Marxism can never be put into practice. Therefore, historical materialism cannot be correct.

A brief scan of real world societies will show that Marx was wrong in thinking that ideology is a mere product of material forces. Ideology, for instance, determines such things as which products among alternatives to produce, whether to build schools or churches, even what foods are permissible to eat. Even societies that earn subsistence from a few scarce resources, such as the Inuit in parts of the far north who have been almost entirely dependent on caribou hunting for their material needs, are not entirely ideologically dependent on these productive forces. Furthermore, there can be great cultural differences between societies with very similar material forces, such as the United States and Japan, who have similar economies and quite distinct cultures.

A more direct example of how ideology is not entirely determined by material forces is the following example. The !Kung San of Botswana are a largely egalitarian society, and when wage labour became available to them, it allowed them to buy goods they would not have been able to acquire through their normal hunting and gathering economy. While their cultural activities were effected somewhat by this change—they were, for instance, now able to purchase alcohol and hire prostitutes—the structure of their society remained largely static. Richard Lee describes a young man returning from a stint of mining for wages:

When Bo returned...he was dress to kill in fedora, plaid shirt, undershirt, sport jacket, long pants with cowboy belt, underpants, new shoes, and socks. Over the next few days his wardrobe dwindled as each item of clothing appeared in turn in a costume of a friend or relative. By the third day Bo himself was strolling around dressed only in his undershirt and his leather chuana [a flap of leather covering only the genitals]. Bo had given away his entire wardrobe... [1].

In this example, the cultural institution of egalitarianism remained static, while the social relations of productions changed drastically. Therefore, culture is not necessarily dependent on economic structure; but rather, culture is more likely to determine the economic structure, and, as the illustration shows, the system of distribution of wealth.

Marx believed that the capitalist economic system caused certain ill effects that a socialist state would not cause. It is not clear how he could have held opinions as to the value of any particular economic system, since judgements about value are said to be direct results of material forces and, thus, theoretical discussions of value ought to be ruled out. However, his assertions about the negative aspects of capitalism and the positive aspects of communism make up the bulk of Marxism and are, therefore, important to this discussion.

First of all, capitalism is said to bring about a class struggle between exactly two classes. These classes result directily from there being two main relations of production. There are owners of capital, who are also employers; and there are workers, who are employed by the owners of capital for wages. The owners of capital are the bourgeoisie, and the workers are the proletariat. The character of each class is determined entirely by their relations of production. The bourgeoisie are interested in exploiting the worker for their own personal gain, and all their cultural activity is intended to perpetuate their advantage over the proletariat. The proletariat are exploited and down-trodden by their capitalist oppressors. All this is a direct result of the existence of private ownership of capital, and, according to Marx, will not be evident in a Marxist state.

This theory, however, runs contrary to reality. First, there is overlap between workers and owners of capital in terms of wealth; hence, that workers are necessarily exploited by employers seems unlikely. Second, many people will be a member of both groups during their lives, and some will even switch between classes many times; and they may do so without changing their ideologies. Third, there is overlap in ideology between the groups, and often no coherent or distinct ideology can be attached to either class. Fourth, the division of society into two distinct groups in conflict with each other is not the norm for societies; and in societies where there is conflict between two groups, they are more often culturally or religiously opposed, with each group containing both workers and capitalists. Last, there is no reason why class struggle will be eliminated alongside the elimination of private property.

Another negative effect of capitalism, according to Marx, is that the worker will be alienated. He will be alienated, firstly, from his work. This is because he will not be making goods for himself, but for the capitalist; and he will not be making the goods that he would prefer to make, but what the capitalist directs him to make. This idea is not necessarily consistent with the general consensus of the working class, and this is not surprising, for Marx himself was not of this class. Even in areas where workers are paid very low wages to manufacture goods, such as China, the quality of the goods produced can be quite high, and the workers may be satisfied with their work, even if they are not pleased with their wages. This is because members of the working class often take pride in their work. That the worker will never own the goods he produces does not seem to effect this, as industries such as yacht and coach building show. The workers in these fields almost never grow wealthy enough to purchase the products of their labour, and yet are well-known for being satisfied in their work. This is also true of assembly line manufacturing, with companies such as Saturn and Caterpillar having reputations for having satisfied employees. Furthermore, Marx has no justification for thinking that the alienation of the worker is a negative thing, if historical materialism is true, for there is no material basis to give this alienation a value judgement.

Further, Marx believed that these negative effects of capitalism will inevitably lead to a social revolution. As was discussed above, revolution is the end result of history, according to his theory of historical materialism. This revolution will occur as the material forces of production progress and the proletariat grow increasingly fed up with the exploitation and alienation that are handed to them by the bourgeoisie. Yet, how it is that the material forces can cause this is uncertain, for without outside determining factors, the material forces of production cannot change, and so they cannot be the reason for a socialist revolution. The record of history gives evidence for this, for Marx brought about the change in material forces—the change to a communists economic structure—through his ideology. Moreover, the Marxist revolution was by all accounts a bloody revolution by a small minority. This shows that it was not that the large proletariat group was fed up, but that a few Marxists were fed up. Historical material forces were, then, not what would bring about the existence of Communist state, as Marx believed.

Marx had high hopes for his socialist state that did not come to fruition. These hopes were the end of the alienation of the worker, the end of class struggle, and the eventual end of a need for a state at all. Thus Engels (Marx’s follower) writes:

The proletariat seizes political power... but in doing this abolishes itself as the proletariat, abolishes all class distinctions and class antagonisms, abolishes also the state as a state [2].

In other words, after the state has fully established communism, it will no longer be needed. Engels seems to suggest that the harmony brought about by this new economic structure will have the further effect of bringing about good behaviour on the part of its citizens, at least its sane ones.

In a society in which all motives for theft have been done away with, in which therefore at the most only lunatics would ever steal, how the preacher of morals would be laughed at who who...proclaim[ed] the eternal truth: Thou shalt not steal! [3].

Here Engels suggests that communism will bring about good moral actions on the part of its members, while at the same time, he argues against morality itself. It is therefore unclear exactly what Marxism says on the subject of morality. It is clear, however, that Engels is saying that bad actions are caused by bad economic structure. Of course, this was not the way that things played out in history, for when the Soviet Union and other communist states were abolished, it was only so that a new economic and governmental structure could take their place.

The story of communism is at all points consistent with the criticisms put forward in this discussion, for the communist system did not remedy the apparent alienation of the worker, since they still did not get to keep what they made, and could not make their own decisions about which things they made. Harmony between classes was, if anything, less evident in communism as the communist leaders enjoyed lavish lifestyles at the expense of other less fortunate citizens. People did not stop stealing, as Engels predicted, and the need for codified laws did not cease either. The state did not become less needed as time went on and citizens enjoyed the fruits of communism, but instead had to persist in with opressive policies in order to perpetuate the economic structure.

All these things occurred because Marxism is false. It has the causal relationship between ideology and economic structure wrong, for the economy is nothing more that a tool for people to acquire their material wants and needs. If anything the economic structure is a reflection of ideology, rather than what determines it. This is evidenced by the fact that in any social democracy there exist many economic structures as people employ the type they find most useful. Modern social democracies contain more than one type of economic structure: there are co-operatives that are socialistic in nature; there is a free market that is the usual choice for acquiring most consumer products; and there is publicly owned and publicly useful infrastructure, such as power plants. Outlawing all but one economic structure will be necessarily exploitive. This is especially true for Marxism, for it rests on the fallacies and errors discussed here.

[1] Lee, Richard B., The Dobe !Kung. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1984, p. 139.
[2] Engels, F. Socialism, Utopian and Scientific, public domain, 1890.
[3] Engels, F. On Morality, public domain.

Any Excuse to Post Photos

2006-03-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased a new camera–a digital slr. There are about 30 buttons on it, and the owners manual is close to 200 pages thick. I'm just beginning to understand its features, but am excited about the sort of quality it seems capable of producing. I found my old point-and-shoot digital camera extremely frustrating to use after learning the few photography skills I possess while using a conventional film slr. My old Mamiya/sekor camera from the early seventies takes wonderful photos and has a great lens, but the ease of use that comes from digital photography is too alluring, especially given that I will be posting on the web.

Hopefully, I'll find good reasons to post photos on this site as my skills get better. I feel I'm entitled, however, to post a few for no better reason than that I have a new camera.

My dog loves the camera, too, because I now spend more time wandering around with her:

This raven is interested in it, too:

My cat seems less than impressed:

I'll try to have a better reason for posting my next photos.

Robert Service Kick

2006-03-27T03:48:00.000-08:00

I have a paper due, so I cannot do a time consuming post today. Here is another poem from Robert Service. It reminds me of summer walks in the Yukon, and its got me itching for summer weather.

Comfort
SAY! You've struck a heap of trouble–
Bust in business, lost your wife;
No one cares a cent about you,
You don't care a cent for life;
Hard luck has of hope bereft you,
Health is failing, wish you'd die–
Why, you've still the sunshine left you
And the big, blue sky.

Sky so blue it makes you wonder
If it's heaven shining through;
Earth so smiling 'way out yonder,
Sun so bright it dazzles you;
Birds a-singing, flowers a-flinging
All their fragrance on the breeze;
Dancing shadows, green, still meadows–
Don't you mope, you've still got these.

These, and none can take them from you;
These, and none can weigh their worth.
What! you're tired and broke and beaten?–
Why, you're rich–you've got the earth!
Yes, if you're a tramp in tatters,
While the blue sky bends above
You've got nearly all that matters–
You've got God, and God is love.

My Friends

2006-03-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

As this blog is still relatively new, it was only in the last few days that I sent sent an email out telling my friends about it. With this in mind, here is a Robert Service poem that aptly describes the sort of friends I have:

My Friends

The man above was a murderer, the man below was a thief,
And I lay there in the bunk between ailing beyond belief,
A weary armful of skin and bone, wasted with pain and grief.

My feet were froze, and the lifeless toes were purple and green and gray;
The little flesh that clung to my bones, you could punch it in holes like clay;
The skin on my gums was a sullen black, and slowly peeling away.

I was sure enough in a direful fix, and often I wondered why
They did not take the chance that was left and leave me alone to die,
Or finish me off with a dose of dope – so utterly lost was I.

But no; they brewed me the green-spruce tea, and nursed me there like a child;
And the homicide he was good to me, and bathed my sores and smiled;
And the thief he starved that I might be fed, and his eyes were kind and mild.

Yet they were woefully wicked men, and often at night in pain
I heard the murderer speak of his deed and dream it over again;
I heard the poor thief sorrowing for the dead self he had slain.

I'll never forget that bitter dawn, so evil, askew and gray,
When they wrapped me round in the skins of beasts and bore me to a sleigh,
And we started out with the nearest post an hundred miles away.

I'll never forget the trail they broke, with its tense, unuttered woe;
And the crunch, crunch, crunch as their snowshoes sank through the crust of the hollow snow;
And my breath would fail, and every beat of my heart was like a blow.

And often times I would die the death, yet wake up to life anew;
The sun would be all ablaze on the waste, and the sky a blighting blue,
And the tears would rise in my snow-blind eyes and furrow my cheeks like dew.

And the camps we made when their strength outplayed and the day was pinched and wan;
And oh, the joy of the blessed halt, and how I did dread the dawn;
And how I hated the weary men who rose and dragged me on.

And oh, how I begged to rest, to rest – the snow was so sweet a shroud;
And oh, how I cried when they urged me on, cried and cursed them aloud;
Yet on they strained, all racked and pained, and sorely their backs were bowed.

And then it was all like a lurid dream, and I prayed for a swift release
From the ruthless ones who would not leave me to die alone in peace;
Till I wakened up and I found myself at the post of the Mounted Police.

And there was my friend the murderer, and there was my friend the thief,
With bracelets of steel around their wrists, and wicked beyond belief;
But when they come to God's judgment seat – may I be allowed the brief.

Here's hoping they have a sense of humour.

What I love about cats

2006-03-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

You never quite know what they are thinking.

Can your truck do this?

2006-03-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

I own an old '78 Landcruiser. It is unfortunately very dirty right now.

While surfing a forum devoted to Landcruisers (ih8mud), I found a thread that suggests it is possible to start my truck by hand.

I was always curious about the crank pully bolt on the engine, because it is oddly shaped. It turns out that it is shaped this way so that two prongs on a hand cranking bar can turn the engine the proper direction. If the engine kicks in, the prongs will come out harmlessly, without breaking your arms.

But, as the thread suggests, it is very dificult to do, and some people have never been able to do it, despite great effort. There are also two things that make me think it probably won't work on my truck. First, it is cold here most of the time, so the oil in my engine will probably offer a great deal more resistance than the Toyota designers would have expected there to be. Second, I have power steering, so I will have the added resistance of rotating the pump. I also haven't figured out exactly how the cranking bar can access the bolt in the first place.

The engine can also backfire and break your arms, which seems to be a good reason for not even trying this. Of course, I am gonna try it. I'm just gonna be careful. To make things as safe as possible, you are never to wrap your thumb around the cranking bar, and you are always to do the starting with an upstroke. That is what the experts say. Actually, they say not to bother trying it at all, but what could possible go wrong?

Now, I don't expect to impress the ladies by starting my truck with my brute strength. I am sure that, even if I am successful, that success will come when no one is watching. Still, it is novel enough an activity to impress me.

What I love about dogs

2006-03-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

You always know how they are feeling.

I'm a Mac guy, but...

2006-03-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

I have always preferred Apple computers, and I still do. I have spent a load of money on Apple products. I have an iMac G5, an iPod, and a powerbook G3 that cost a small fortune in its day. The house I live in is riddled with Mac computers dating back to the Mac SE, although most haven't been turned on in years. I even used Appleworks until I switched to Mellel a couple months ago, even though Appleworks has been horribly out-of-date for a long time.

One thing that I have never bought into, however, is the iTunes music store. I have purchased one album from them, and that is only because it was a relatively rare import and probably would have cost me $50 or more to get in CD form. I think their music is way overpriced. Sure, an album from them is only 10 bucks, and CD is 15-20 bucks, but they are not the same product.

CDs sound better and offer more versatility than an iTunes purchase. CDs sound better for the simple reason that they hold more information–lot's more. You probably won't tell the difference on a personal computer, but on a high end stereo there is a noticeable difference in sound quality. CDs are more versatile because you can always import them into iTunes if you like, and you may even do so at a higher fidelity compression. What's more is that you can copy CDs for yourself unlimited times, and to any compatible form of media that you like. iTunes will not allow you to do this. Their songs can only be copied to a limited number of computers, and you are pretty much stuck using Apple software for their playback. Of course, there are ways of getting around these issues but they are an annoyance.

Considering that the iTunes sound quality is lower and their products are intentionally crippled by software, I will stick with CDs in most cases. Of course, CDs themselves are low end technology in terms of their sound quality. There are two new standards that are superior in this respect (Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio). When I can afford it, I buy Super Audio CDs, which give great sound quality, but are also crippled by software (that's Sony).

Of course, Apple is not the only company that makes it difficult to copy their music. Sony is much worse than Apple when it comes to anti-theft tactics. But I don't steal music, and I really should not have an inferior product because some people do.

France may force Apple to give purchasers information about the software locks on their songs, so they can bypass them (more info). I hope they succeed, so that if Apple ever offers their music on a better format or for a better price, I can add iTunes to my long list of Apple products. I also hope that Apple won't be singled out, but that other companies will be forced to do the same.

Tolerance: change or die!

2006-03-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

The Afghan judge overseeing the trial of Abdul Rahman, an Afghan Christian who is charged with rejecting Islam, is apparently showing tolerance toward the accused. Here is a quote from BBC News:

"We will invite him again [to renounce Christianity] because the religion of Islam is one of tolerance," trial judge Ansarullah Mawlazezadah told the BBC on Sunday. "We will ask him if he has changed his mind. If so, we will forgive him."

As a further act of tolerance, the man's mental state will be evaluated before sentencing. If convicted he will face the death penalty.

Here we see that tolerance has finally come to Afghanistan. All that had to be done to get it there was change the meaning of the word.

With all the military presence in Afghanistan, won't someone dig deep and find it in themselves to show some Afghan tolerance to that trial judge? Isn't it their duty?

Ethical Relativism: Part 2

2006-03-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

This is the second part of a paper I recently wrote for a moral philosophy course:

A more common form of ethical relativism is normative relativism. This is the theory that the rightness or wrongness of actions is determined by the prevailing opinions of the culture in which they are performed. It has been shown that the existence of differing views of morality between cultures does not give justification for the moral theories particular to each culture. Therefore, the existence of moral disagreement cannot then be used as evidence for normative relativism. This theory also has many problems which make it an unacceptable theory.

Firstly, normative relativism cannot account for moral disagreements between individuals in the same culture. Even within a particular culture, there is moral disagreement, and it is necessarily impossible to provide justification for moral beliefs at the level of individuals in the same culture if normative relativism is correct. Hence, if normative relativism is accepted then moral disagreements within particular cultures are unresolvable .

Secondly, normative relativism is not a useful theory for persons of multiple cultures. If these individuals employ cultural relativism, it is possible that they will be forced to hold two contradictory beliefs as both being correct. The normative relativist may argue that such a person ought to hold only those beliefs that are relevant to the culture in which that person is acting at any given moment, and will that way avoid holding two contradictory beliefs at the same time, but this would seem difficult to put into practice, for it may not be clear exactly what culture a multicultural person is acting in at any given time. Therefore, in this circumstance normative relativism may lead to confusion.

Another problem with the theory of normative relativism is that it does not allow for moral progress. This is because a single culture is at all times by definition fully justified in its moral beliefs. If a culture is its own moral standard, it is meaningless to speak of a culture as either progressing or regressing in the moral sphere. Yet, moral progress is a goal of culture, and any acceptable theory of morality must account for this.

An issue related to the fact that in normative relativism a culture is its own moral standard, is that it follows that any moral action whatsoever is permissible as long as that action is not prohibited in that culture. This means that many actions that nearly all individuals in history do not condone, are nonetheless acceptable in the culture in which they occurred. Events such as the holocaust are justified under this theory of morality, since normative relativism gives no grounds for the condemnation of acts that most cultures find heinous, as long as they are acceptable according to the moral standards of the culture in which they occur.

Another implication of normative relativism that many will find unacceptable is that it is silent on issues where cultures interact. It cannot allow for one side in a war between two cultures to be in the wrong, for instance. Each culture is necessarily correct. Under this theory, the Vikings were justified in their conquest of Europe, and in every action that they performed during that conquest that was accepted by their own culture. A theory where marauding, raping, and pillaging are all acceptable is not a good theory of morality, nor is it one that is useful on the international stage.

Proponents of this theory, however, generally attach to it the concept of tolerance. The addition of tolerance, they believe, will restrict the types of moral actions that can be permissible, both within a culture, and in interaction between cultures. The theory of normative relativism with the inclusion of tolerance states that what is morally right is what is believed to be right in that culture, except for those beliefs that are incompatible with tolerance either of people’s action or beliefs, or of other cultures in general. Yet, this theory of normative ethical relativism is not a relativistic theory at all, for it includes a universal demand for tolerance.

However, the relativist may argue that while there is one universal–tolerance–all other moral values are relative. This is problematic because intolerant acts, such as the holocaust, must nonetheless be tolerated if the only universal value is tolerance. Therefore, the addition of the universal value of tolerance does not free this theory from the aforementioned problems.

A last type of relativism is individual relativism. This theory comes in two forms. First, it can be a descriptive theory of the morality of individuals, stating there exist differences between individuals in their beliefs about morality. The criticisms of descriptive relativism for cultures also apply to individual relativism, that is: Differences in moral beliefs are often overstated as a result of concentration on specific actions rather than overriding principles, and the truth or falsity of the theory is not evidence for other types of ethical relativism. Second, individual relativism can take the form of a normative theory. In this form it states that individuals determine their own moral standards. This normative theory is subject to the same criticisms that were mentioned above for normative relativism in cultures. It, too, allows for actions that most readers would find unacceptable, does not account for moral disagreement, and does not allow for personal moral progress. Lastly, the addition of tolerance into this theory does not remedy its inadequacy as a normative theory of morality.

In all its forms, therefore, ethical relativism is a problematic theory. Descriptive relativism is debatable, and its truth or falsity does little to enhance ethical discussion. Meta-ethical relativism is not consistent with the real world use of ethical terms. Furthermore, normative relativism, whether including the value of tolerance or not, does not allow for restrictions of what seem to be the worst behaviors, and does not account for moral progress or aid in cross cultural disputes. Individual relativism fairs no better. It follows that all forms of ethical relativism are either false or unimportant.

Ethical Relativism: Part 1

2006-03-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is the first part of a paper I recently wrote for a moral philosophy course. It is intended to be a brief summary and refutation of ethical relativism.

Ethical relativism comes in several forms. Firstly, descriptive relativism is the theory that real-world cultures vary greatly in terms of morality. Secondly, meta-ethical relativism states that cultures differ greatly in their meanings and uses of moral terms so as to render cross cultural discussion of morality and ethics unintelligible. Lastly, normative relativism is the theory that the actions that individuals ought to take are determined by the prevailing opinions of their culture. Another form of this last theory contends that persons ought to act according to their personal moral standards. The following discussion will attempt to refute each of these forms of ethical relativism.

Descriptive relativism is an important theory because it is often argued that, if it is true, then at least one of the other theories of ethical relativism is also true. While there are certainly differences from one culture to the next on a wide variety of subjects, it is disputable whether or not there are meaningful differences between cultures in the area of morality. As to the exact moral actions that individuals in differing cultures are expected to perform, there is evident disagreement. Yet, in terms of prevailing principles of a more general kind there may be markedly less difference. For instance, while cultures may differ as to whether euthanasia can be a charitable act, most, if not all, cultures believe that charity itself is a moral virtue. Therefore, while the root of this disagreement may seem to be a difference in a general moral principle, it is actually in a difference in the application of the same general principle to a particular situation. Therefore, there may be less moral disagreement among cultures over morality than it would seem when examining isolated cases or particular situations.

However, if it is given that cultures disagree greatly even in terms of general moral principles, this says little about the validity of the moral systems in each particular culture. For it is true in the field of morals, as it is in all other fields, that where there is real disagreement, at least one party must be mistaken. Furthermore, where the opposing views are mutually exclusive, one must be right and the other wrong. For example, where culture A believes that a moral action is wrong and culture B believes that it is not wrong, either culture A or culture B must be wrong. Therefore, a culture’s belief in the truth of a moral proposition does not make that proposition true. Hence, whether descriptive relativism is true or not is not relevant to any discussion of ethical theory, and is not valid evidence for the other forms of relativism discussed hereafter.

Meta-ethical relativism is also a descriptive theory. It states that differing cultures attach different meanings to ethical terms. It follows from this fact that when there is moral disagreement between people of different cultures, that the people are not actually talking about the same concepts, even though they may be using identical language. For instance, in a cross-cultural discussion about what constitutes “good,” individuals from different cultures will be attaching entirely different meanings to the word. It follows from this that cross cultural discussions of ethics are meaningless, and that to speak about ethics as independent of culture is impossible.

Alasdair MacIntyre, a proponent of meta-ethical relativism, uses as evidence for this theory the tendency for arguments about morality to be continually disputed, with the parties involved never reaching consensus. As examples of arguments where consensus seems unattainable, he uses the debate over just war, the debate over abortion, and the debate over whether there should be universal health care. He argues that many differing opinions are based on logically valid arguments, and that “[f]rom our rival conclusions we can argue back to our rival premises; but when we do arrive at our premises argument ceases and the invocation of one premise against another becomes a matter of assertion and counter-assertion” [1]. From this tendency to differ in opinions about premises, MacIntyre concludes that the meanings that the debaters employ must differ. Yet, it does not necessarily follow from the fact that people often argue about premises that the meaning of the words involved are different. Nor does it follow from the fact that disagreements tend to be long standing that the meanings of moral terms are different. This merely shows that the disagreements are not in the arguments themselves, but in the premises of those arguments.

One simple example of an argument where both sides have might have valid arguments, and yet differ in opinion regarding premises is an argument as to whether parents ought to give their children cough syrup when they are sick. One side may argue that giving cough syrup to a sick child will improve their health, and so parents ought to give their children cough syrup when they are sick. The other side may argue that giving cough syrup to children is harmful to their health, and so it should not be given to children. Here both sides agree that parents ought to do what is beneficial to their child’s health, but these arguments differ in their premises regarding cough syrup. It does not follow that in this case the meanings of the words that each arguer uses are different, merely that the disagreement lies in the factual premises about cough syrup, rather than the moral principles of parenting. This is also true in the cases that MacIntyre puts forward. For instance, while all parties in the abortion debate may agree that killing persons is wrong, they may still disagree as to whether or not a fetus is a person. That the disagreement lies in fact and not necessarily in moral principles shows that there may be less consensus about matter of fact than matters of morality in moral debates. MacIntyre’s thesis of ethical relativism is, therefore, not supported by the fact that some debates in the moral sphere lack consensus, and neither is it supported by the tendency for moral disagreements to be rooted in differing premises.

Furthermore, moral terms, in comparison to other terms, seem to be common among all cultures, as is evident from early texts. Moreover, the moral terms of ancient cultures are intelligible for modern readers from all cultures, so the meanings of moral terms do not seem to be relative to culture or age. Another illustration of the non-relative nature of moral terms is the fact that individuals may change their minds regarding moral beliefs and yet retain their original beliefs about the meanings of ethical terms. Thus, moral beliefs are not mere products of the meanings of the terms involved, and moral disagreement is not a direct result of relativity in moral terms. Thus meta-ethical relativism ought to be rejected.

[1] MacIntyre. A., "Moral Disagreement Today and the Claims of Emotivism" from Contemporary Ethics: Selected Readings, Sterba, J.P. ed., Pp 78-79, Prentice Hall, 1989.

I paid money for this?

2006-03-12T03:14:00.000-08:00

I'm a distance education student, and one of the beautiful things about distance education is that you receive all of your text books in the mail. They all come at the same time, and opening the box is exciting – for me anyway.

Well, imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found a little book called What Everyone Should Know About Economics and Prosperity published by the Fraser Institute (A Canadian organisation dedicated to free market ideology). More surprise was in store, for it was not assigned for an economics course at all, but for a political philosophy course. I'm still not entirely convinced there was a good reason for this, and I would not have bought it if I had known more about it, even if it wasn't posted online. I'm certain my grades would not have suffered, as its contents say little that is helpful to a political philosophy course. Was I unknowingly forced into a fundraising scheme?

I've taken economics courses before, and my text books have always been more than the 125 pages little pages found in this book that, unless the title is sarcastic, is making claims that the former never did. Pamphlets are the modern choice for propaganda, however, and by that standard this baby is both long and expensive. No, I can't return it because I hastily unwrapped it from its clear plastic package.

I found it intriguing, however, because the authors (James D Gwartney and Richard L. Stroup) are so matter-of-fact in their delivery, and this about topics that are widely debated amongst economists. What's more is that it is a perfect summary of the free-market view of the economy, and so I think it is good topic for discussion. Therefore, I will be summarizing each of its main concepts, and will evaluate each in turn. I will try to determine how much of the free-market theory, as presented by these authors, is acceptable.

It should be noted that much of what these authors have to say is accepted by many economists. It should also be noted, however, that their opinions go beyond economic theory and enter into the political and moral sphere.

Smarten up Fly-boys!

2006-03-10T01:06:00.000-08:00

A uniform is a serious thing. Of course, some uniforms are more important than others. Whether a hat that displays the golden arches deserves special care, I will leave to the judgement of the reader; but a police officer's uniform must not be treated like any old set of rags. It represents an important position – one that shouldn't be taken lightly. A police officer holds a position of power and responsibility, and persons so dressed must conduct themselves in a worthy manner.

Military uniforms, I believe, deserve the same treatment. This is especially true where members of the military are on home soil and come into contact with citizens of the nation that employs them and that they represent. I am uncertain as to what the official requirements are for Canadians who are in official military uniform. I do know, however, that if Canadians knew how members of our armed forces have conducted themselves each February here in the Yukon, they would be disappointed.

Each year we have a festival called Rendezvous – think of it as Mardi Gras for northerners. Well, not quite. It is a celebration of the Yukon's gold rush heritage dating back to the late 1800's. It involves daytime events such as chainsaw chucking and axe throwing, and for some it involves a rowdy night of mining town style partying (although mining is no longer the industry that it once was here).

It also involves an air show that includes Canadian military jets, such as F-18's. This means that there are many members of the Canadian Forces in town during Rendezvous. I would not be concerned with their participation in the daytime events, nor would I be concerned with their joining in on the rowdiness, as long as they are not breaking the law or the rules of their posts. I do object, however, to their sporting their official uniforms while getting drunk and obnoxious. This they do, and shamelessly.

With this in mind, I wrote the following letter to the Canadian Minister of National Defence:

Dear Minister,

Every February in the Yukon there is a festival called Rendezvous. One of the Rendezvous events is the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Air Show. It is a worthwhile event, and people from Whitehorse are generally thankful for its existence. I have fond memories of the event dating back to my childhood.

Yet I am writing you as a northern citizen with concerns about the conduct of the military personnel involved. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are commonly seen at our local bars and in our streets partying and intoxicated while in uniform. This has been going on for years; and frankly, the reputation of the personnel involved in the air show has long been tarnished.

I am bringing this to your attention because the actions of these personnel are disrespectful to Canadians, and are especially disrespectful to northerners. Please do your best to see to it that in the future the personnel of the Canadian Armed Forces behave respectfully while they are in official uniform.

Sincerely,

Andrew Stark

I have not yet received a response, but I will post any that I receive.

Update: April 12, 06. I received a letter back from the Minister. It is posted here.