For me, and not necessarily you, the ipad is filling a void I don’t want or need filled. I work on a desktop all day with my iphone beside me, commute underground (killing my 3g) with my iphone, and then go home to where my computer and TV are almost an arms length apart and since I have my ps3 and computer connected I can watch movies I acquire legally on my tv without burning anything.

All of my current internet needs are met quite well and I don’t need another device that is a little bit like one thing (laptop) and a little bit like another thing (iphone) but not quite either of the two to spend my money on, I have far too many expensive hobbies as is.

I have no problem sitting at my computer desk when I need a full computing experience and sitting on my couch using my iphone or ps3 when I just want to browse/tweet/watch videos etc.

To me the price of the ipad, though not nearly as expensive as I thought, is too close to that of a lap top which can do a lot of the same things the ipad can do in some cases better (multitasking) but often not quite as refined.

The things the ipad does that a laptop can’t do are very impressive, don’t get me wrong, but I am not sure I could ever make enough use of them to warrant purchase.

Currently my two apple devices have done a great job of replacing what was before it. My previous mp3 player (which I actually really liked), the mpio fl100, which was actually pretty similar to an ipod since it required proprietary software to use it, couldn’t be used as a flash key, and looked pretty slick.

The nano I have now, though a few years old, is a lot better than the mpio since it doesn’t require batteries or sd cars, and has proven to hold up pretty well to my bmx shennanigans. The kicker here though is that I got my nano for free.

My iphone has also been a significant improvement over it’s successor, my dumb sanyo flipphone, but I waited so long to get a new cellphone that virtually anything other than a Zack phone would have been an improvement.

Apple is great at refining the user experience and hats of to them for doing that as they seem to do a remarkable job of it, but I feel this device might be a tough sell since it’s trying to create and fill a non existent space that might not exist for a reason.

To non apple/non internet addicts I think this will just seem like another fancy doo-dad for metrosexuals.

Prove me wrong though apple prove this rambling idiot wrong!

Near the end of my last gig I was not being challenged to the level I wanted so it was great to be a part of this big project and be given a sizable chunk of the site to work on.

In a nutshell I was tasked with a lot of the third party integration. This included adding JS-kit/Echo commenting and integrating the look of the site into Community Server. I had worked with Community Server before at my first job but never to this degree.

It was a real test of my front end development (and general development skills) and it was cool that I was able to figure out things that previously I would have handed over to a developer. I was doing things in CS that previously I let a back end developer do. The project really tested my skills as a front end developer and while there are still lots of little bugs to fix all of the heavy lifting is done and I am proud to say that I was a part of it.

Anyway working on this project coupled with growing stanceiseverything.com kept me pretty busy but I should be back with some treats now. Sorry for keeping you waiting.

Watch this in the meantime:

Preface
I don’t google “Dave Thomas” because of these dudes who are actual celebrities. RIP Wendys Dave.

Search:  “Dave Thomas Mississauga”

Text: My resume – Searching for “Dave Thomas Mississauga” this is the third ranked item and relevant to me.

Image: Bloodbath bowl Jam whip

This is the first result that comes up via images and is me, sweet! I didn’t pull this to pedals however, not so sweet.

Search: “David Thomas Mississauga“

Text:This returns my resume again as the 10th result.

Image: No images returned within the first 5 pages of me but this dude sort of looks like me (an older me perhaps), but he is wanted by the Peel Police so this is not a good thing!

Search:”David Thomas BMX”

Text: elicitconcepts : the freelance mind of lyndsey mcdonald :: blog » BMX – Links over to my gfs blog so this is fairly relevant my first whip video is on this page.

Image: No images of me withing the first 5 pages again but this is rad

Search: “Dave Thomas BMX”
Text: Dave Thomas Bmx // BlogCatalog Topic // BlogCatalog – My Blog catalog entry is the first result and it’s 100% relevant, I guess their service is a valuable one

Image: Hot bars from Muskoka woods

This image is the first result and 100% relevant to yours truly.

All in all this wasn’t really that exciting which means I have to put more interesting things of myself on the internet. However one interesting thing was that nothing from facebook showed up… is facebook not searchable?

I’ve been waiting some time to pick up a good quality Generation 1 Jazz Figure and the reissue of the G1 Optimus Prime also couldn’t hurt my collection either however transformers collection aside I also think the following would make excellent additions to my collection.

Vehicles:

A Die cast Ecto 1

A Die cast General Lee

K.I.T.T. Die cast

Figures

Hot Toys Batman

Hot Toys Ironman Mark 1

Metalhead

I can hear Lyndsey getting upset already, expect more posts of the same the longer I am out of work.

Expect posts of the real stuff once I get a job!

Wolverine is popular and has been around forever and I have read quite a few of his mini-series sets (Origins, The end etc) but this is by far my favorite. The basic story line without ruining things is this: 90% of the hero population was wiped out after the villains teamed up with each other and organized an attack. During this attack  Wolverine (now Logan) was hurt so bad mentally  that he vowed never to hurt another living thing again.  If you can believe it he is now a farmer who has to pay rent to the grand  sons of the  Hulk.

That is until he is short one month and needs extra money and therefor goes on an adventure  with Hawk eye…

The post Apocalyptic setting  of the comic gives it a Mad Max feel and the dark and then  suddenly vibrant panel compliment  the present and flash back based story telling. It’s worth checking out and if you don’t believe me take a look at some of these panels.

They Hulk Kids

Hawkeye is blind in this continuity, still drives though

Wolverine pre life altering fight

Wolverine During life altering fight

Hawkeyes Daughter is kind of a bitch

The Red Skull wearing Captain Americas Uniform that he claimed after killing him

Uh oh

He’s back

I really hope they extend this story line slightly past 8 issues (maybe 30?) so that I can get a little bit more of the action.

My impatience also extends to waiting on my body to heal, I don’t like to take it easy and I don’t like to be victim to any sort of illness. This is pretty funny since I was a sick kid, but being a sick kid was not a bad thing since I was a Sick Kid – a child patient of sick kids hospital.

When I jumped the gun in coming out of the womb it meant I wasn’t quite done yet so I was placed in an easy bake oven (incubator) until it went ding. I was such an unattractive baby that to this day I have not seen any pictures of me prior to my actual due date (Dec 16th).

Soon after I was born I came down with a serious case of pneumonia, serious enough that my pediatrictian told my parents were told not to travel to Jamaica with me. However my parents figuring they could deal with whatever happened decided to go anyway. The story goes once I got to Jamaica I made an immediate recovery and became a huge ball of energy. Even at a young age their was no way I was letting a little cold keep me from having fun in the sun.

My health was pretty stable until around the age of four until my parents and day care workers noticed I developed a limp. When my parents tried to ask me what was wrong apparently I couldn’t really explain it. While everyone was pretty worried being four I was unconerned. So they just watched to see if the limp got worse, which it did. It turned out I was developing an urinary tract infection due to a UPJ (Ureteropelvic junction) obstruction and I needed surgery, fairly important surgery, since one of the complications of a UPJ obstruction is losing a kidney.

So I went under the knife, and a lot of my friends have seen the scar.

On my way to the operating room seeing the games room at Sick Kids and wanting to go in there. I had to stay in the hospital for about 9 days under observation and for seven of those days I made my way down to the games room IV pole, catheter, stent and all to play ExciteBike.

The IV meant that my hand was heavily bandaged so I wedged the controller between my leg and the arm of the chair. I played hours of Excite Bike and this not only sparked my love for video games but also my love for bikes on dirt tracks.

Soon after release I was diagnosed with fairly severe asthma. Most kids with asthma are forced to take it easy lucky for me though my parents purchased a breathing machine I could use at home to cut back on the amount of time they spent in hospital cots. While I still logged quite a few hours on this machine in front of the TV and still had to carry a puffer (yes I was that kid) it was way better than the alternative.

As I got older, thankfully, I got healthier, and aside from incident where I urinated blood (complication of my operation), I have been health issue free.

I am however left with an everlasting love for Excite Bike

Not only are they cheap, fun, and a throw back to the games of yore they also have great online components that allow you to flex (or get flexed on) your video game muscle to unknown people all around the world.

No matter how far video game makers push current games gamers are still going to feel the nostalgic pull of some of their old favorites. Marvel Superheroes was one of the few games I played the crap out of on my Sega Saturn and it was the predecessor to M vs C so its natural this news would send me down memory lane.

The memories of these other ones however are just a product of my mind wandering on the go train.

Marvel Superheroes

Having logged a lot of hours player Street Fighter 2 on my Genesis getting into this game was like hoping on a new bike, different, but with a little practice I could still throw down. Wolverine, Ironman and Spiderman were my go to characters because they were fairly easy to play with and some of my favorite Marvel Characters.

The only fault I can put on this game was the fact that any time I played it in the arcades I got destroyed by kids many years younger than me.

Daytona USA

Most people will remember this game from the large multi-chained arcade versions but Sega ported this down for the Sega Saturn. The graphics were not nearly as good as the arcade machines but it was a great way to memorize the tracks and hustle people at Sega City which was cool to do at the time (seriously).

I have a key chain around here somewhere stating that I am a champion from one of my many wins…

Virtua Cop

This game also came with my Sega Saturn and was your classic cop themed shooter game, tt was first person shooter but you could not control the movement, just the gun. If memory servers correctly it’s the first game I remember playing with cut scenes.

I didn’t have the Virtua gun, but head shots and crotchshots are fun no matter what you are using.

Virutal On

I love giant Robots, especially giant robots that shoot often and aim even less. Oddly enough I do not remember this game having techno sound track but I do remember the near seizure inducing graphics. I think this game might be the reason I have to wear glasses today.

This is the only game on the list I can’t recall actually playing all the way through.

Fighting Vipers

Fighting Vipers is a super violent, and in my opinion, under rated fighting game for both the Saturn and Arcades (surprise!). It had quite a few features that set it apart from most of the other fighters of that time.

The arena was 3d which meant you could use the walls to your advantage and for finishes punch people through or on top of the walls.

The damage system was fairly unique in the sense that the more armor you lost the faster your health depleted, you could also see the armor fly of during the match and if your opponent was a girl by the end of the match she would be in her bra and panties.

The final unique feature of this game was the fact that some players carried weapons on their backs, my favorite characters were Raxel and Picky since you could beat your opponents down with a flying v guitar and a skateboard respectively.

I really need to order one of these rca cables from and fire up my Saturn again, any interested parties are welcome to come over and mash buttons. Please no throwing my controllers.

This movie is going to be so much better than that last cash grab T3, and going to make the strange robot love story/ teen angst vessel that is SCC look pretty silly (but Summer Glau will still look great).

Christian Bale is an incredible actor so you know the action is going to be top notch. The trailer also alludes to the fact that this movie is going to be exploring areas previous ones have not (and based entirely in a post sky net fucking up world phase) and again since Mr Bale doesn’t sign on for garbage it should be a well rounded joy ride down explosion valley.

I can’t wait.

Oh and The Watchmen opens Friday, and I will have my seat reserved with the rest of the nerds.

and this is coming too…

I better start saving my movie ducets now.

Real Life Spiderman – Bam Kapow!

2010 Mazdaspeed 3 trailer

Quick Silver Bike Dancing

Bicycle Boogie

Christian Bale Freak out Remix

All my gas money goes to white gold SLRS

Skateboard inspired furniture designs – Toxel

Rise of the Fallen Trailer Secrets Revealed – io9

20 Creative mp3 players – Toxel

The 11 Most Unnecessary ‘How To’ Guides on the Web

I have mentioned before that as a kid I loved remote control devices. Cars were my main vice but I also  always wanted a remote control plane. They were so alluring, being able to something from a kit that you could one day fly. and fly them.

I was really into the big ones like this one:

That thing looks pretty real and is big enough that you could probably send a small child, or maybe a cat up for its maiden voyage.

Living near a Hobby Store also meant that this want was pretty much unstoppable. I built a lot of model cars so I was in the shop quite a bit. I quickly realized that the planes were way our of my price range. 249.95 USD in today’s prices gets you an (electric) kit, but you still have to buy the radio, motor, charger, batteries, damn.

All I had at this point was an allowance no job no hope.

So I looked at the ghetto version, the control line plane. These were basically the first controlled model plane. Strings attached to a handle that adjust pulleys which effect the height and pitch of the plane as you walk in a circle. This video is a good example if you don’t really understand.

They were pretty cheap, I think my dad bought me one for $100 bucks or so all said and done. Rad. So I put this thing together and took it to my local soccer field (probably not allowed) and set off to learn to fly it.

This was actually the exact one I had:

I think their may have been instructions on how to learn but I either didn’t read them or they didn’t exist. Whatever how hard could it be right? Famous last words.

The day I decided to learn to fly it was particularly windy I remember, and I crashed the plane with the quickness.

Since the plane was held together with rubber bands, it exploded on impact. I fixed it fairly easily though, but I could never get the motor to run again. I tried for a year solid but no luck.

So I put it away and it was never really seen again.

Until a few years later when I did get the motor running I took the prop off attached a gear and tried to put it into a radio shack remote control car to make it gas powered.

It started up and the gear box exploded with similar quickness as when the plane hit the ground.

I then figured the whole shit was cursed and gave it to a friend who I believe made a fan boat out of it or something.

Even after all this I still want a remote control plane. However after writing this I am curious about whether I could fly a control line again.  If I do get a new one expect a blog about it.

Here is some poor schmuck doing something similar to what I did.

I feel your pain man.