It's actually quite fun to write with the elbows. I found that if I pace myself I can actually do a decent job of hitting most of the correct keys.
Normal: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Elbow: abxcdsefdgfhi8jukjlmnnopqrstuvwxyz
Fast Elbow: abxcdxedfgvhbgijhklm noipqrsrtuvcwxtyz\
Chin: dsb cfdde3fgvhjikjnmkl,mnnop;[-qreszxgtjhuv swaxhgyz
Nose: qhde343rty7u9ui9o0opiku0-543w26t2ed76aq
Yikes, depth perception is a bit off when using my nose
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Traffic Lights
So I had never seen this before. I was heading home from work waiting to cross the street at a busy pedestrian controlled intersection. The lights will stay green in the direction with more traffic for about two minutes and then the other direction for about 30 seconds so I could tell something was wrong when I noticed the very large backlog of cars and the green light did not appear to want to change in the non-busy direction.
This unfortunately made for a very dangerous and frustrating situation. Cars coming from the non-busy direction see a green light and go to head right through, whereas the other cars stuck at the red light began to get frustrated and tried to make it across the intersection. I also had to make a dash across the intersection to make it to the bus stop, though it was somewhat pointless since the bus would be stopped at the red light when it did finally come.
There were a few close calls but I didn't see any accidents happen and no pedestrians got run over. After a few minutes the lights magically started working again, it was very bizarre. Afterward I thought it would have been a much better story if I had walked into the middle of the intersection and started directing traffic. Instead it's just a Matt story.
Also on the topic of traffic lights a fun thing to do this is press the cross walk button once and then stand very close to the button. It amuses me because of the people that love to press the button over and over or the people that think I'm an idiot and didn't press the button at all. Yes I did, just wait.
This unfortunately made for a very dangerous and frustrating situation. Cars coming from the non-busy direction see a green light and go to head right through, whereas the other cars stuck at the red light began to get frustrated and tried to make it across the intersection. I also had to make a dash across the intersection to make it to the bus stop, though it was somewhat pointless since the bus would be stopped at the red light when it did finally come.
There were a few close calls but I didn't see any accidents happen and no pedestrians got run over. After a few minutes the lights magically started working again, it was very bizarre. Afterward I thought it would have been a much better story if I had walked into the middle of the intersection and started directing traffic. Instead it's just a Matt story.
Also on the topic of traffic lights a fun thing to do this is press the cross walk button once and then stand very close to the button. It amuses me because of the people that love to press the button over and over or the people that think I'm an idiot and didn't press the button at all. Yes I did, just wait.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Hop skip and a jump
To set the scene; it was evening, somewhat dark. I was wearing dark pants, a dark jacket and dark shoes. So if you didn't look at my face it would be fair to say I was somewhat difficult to see.
Anyhow, I was walking along the sidewalk thinking about nothing and everything and began to cross the street. The street I was crossing was a side street, stop signs but no traffic lights. I did the usual left right check for cars and started across.
All was well until about two-thirds of the way across. Apparently someone was in a bit of a rush and decided to cut the left turn onto the street I was walking across. With it being dark and me staring straight ahead, or maybe the van had been moving quite quickly, I didn't see it coming until the last second.
Very quickly I was able to determine that it was not in fact going to stop and that I better get the hell out of the way. With a hop skip and a jump I leapt to the other side of the sidewalk just barely making it out of the way. It was a little like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR8913v_WCE but not quite as cool.
Safely on the other side I turned around to see the car stopped just past the stop sign (apparently he had seen me too). I gave a little wave, turned around and kept walking. No harm no foul I suppose. It got the blood pumping a little bit and I was a bit more cautious and aware at the subsequent intersections.
Below is an artist's rendition from a bird's eye view:
PS: I wouldn't have told a certain someone if I had broken my leg.
Anyhow, I was walking along the sidewalk thinking about nothing and everything and began to cross the street. The street I was crossing was a side street, stop signs but no traffic lights. I did the usual left right check for cars and started across.
All was well until about two-thirds of the way across. Apparently someone was in a bit of a rush and decided to cut the left turn onto the street I was walking across. With it being dark and me staring straight ahead, or maybe the van had been moving quite quickly, I didn't see it coming until the last second.
Very quickly I was able to determine that it was not in fact going to stop and that I better get the hell out of the way. With a hop skip and a jump I leapt to the other side of the sidewalk just barely making it out of the way. It was a little like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR8913v_WCE but not quite as cool.
Safely on the other side I turned around to see the car stopped just past the stop sign (apparently he had seen me too). I gave a little wave, turned around and kept walking. No harm no foul I suppose. It got the blood pumping a little bit and I was a bit more cautious and aware at the subsequent intersections.
Below is an artist's rendition from a bird's eye view:
PS: I wouldn't have told a certain someone if I had broken my leg.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Minesweeper Awareness Day
As of course everyone knows, today is Minesweeper Awareness Day. It's a shame how so few people actually know how to play the game of minesweeper when it can be found on nearly everyone's computer. Though I don't claim to be an expert, a short tutorial is in order to get you started.
Start with the beginner size if it's your first time. Click on any square and a number will appear on it indicating the number of mines that are located on the eight squares surrounding it. If you happened to click on a square with no mines around it a larger section may be uncovered.
The goal is to uncover every square that does not contain a mine. As said before the number on a square indicates how many nearby squares contain a mine. So if there is a 1 square that is not currently beside any mines and there is only one uncovered square touching it, we can know for sure that it is a mine. Mark the mine with a flag by right-clicking it.
This may then allow us to uncover other squares because we can eliminate them as mines. For example in the picture we can click on the square three from the top left because the square right above it is already beside one mine. Marking one spot as a mine then uncovering new squares often allows you to uncover many safe squares in a row.
Once you're unable to uncover any more spaces safely, look for numbered squares that have the same number of uncovered spaces beside them as the number of unknown mines around them. For example the 3 in the third row and third column. It is beside one known mine and two uncovered squares so the two squares must be mines.
Now that we've done this the 2 is beside two mines so we can safely uncover some more squares. Try to keep following this pattern. Look for squares where the number of unknown mines beside it is the same as the number of uncovered squares beside it. Then look for squares where the number is the same as number of known mines beside it.
In beginner games using this strategy should usually be enough to complete it, but if you try intermediate or expert games sometimes you can get stuck. It may hurt your brain a bit, but most of the time you can use logic to mark or uncover certain squares that may help you. For example, even though this shouldn't be necessary in the beginner game, what if we were stuck and had to continue on the left hand side.
There are two open spaces below the 2. Since the 2 is already beside a mine we know that only of the two spaces will have a mine. The 3 beside it is already beside two mines so we know that only of the three spaces beside it will have a mine. We can then determine that the square to the bottom right of the 3 is not a mine because the 3 is beside the two spaces in which one must be a mine because of the 2. Simple enough right? So don't give up if you seem to get stuck, look for patterns like this!
Keep going until all the squares that are not mines are uncovered. Then go do it again faster or try the harder difficulties. One other tip for uncovering squares faster; If you have marked the same number of mines around a square as it says there are you can double click on that square to uncover all the adjacent squares simultaneously. Saves you a few clicks when you already know where the mine is beside a 1 and there are four uncovered squares beside it.
If you actually read all the way to the end, well congratulations, there probably aren't many of you. Go play some games of minesweeper and spread the word! I also challenge you to beat it on expert. It may be frustrating but it feels fantastic when you finally win.
Start with the beginner size if it's your first time. Click on any square and a number will appear on it indicating the number of mines that are located on the eight squares surrounding it. If you happened to click on a square with no mines around it a larger section may be uncovered.
The goal is to uncover every square that does not contain a mine. As said before the number on a square indicates how many nearby squares contain a mine. So if there is a 1 square that is not currently beside any mines and there is only one uncovered square touching it, we can know for sure that it is a mine. Mark the mine with a flag by right-clicking it.
This may then allow us to uncover other squares because we can eliminate them as mines. For example in the picture we can click on the square three from the top left because the square right above it is already beside one mine. Marking one spot as a mine then uncovering new squares often allows you to uncover many safe squares in a row.
Now that we've done this the 2 is beside two mines so we can safely uncover some more squares. Try to keep following this pattern. Look for squares where the number of unknown mines beside it is the same as the number of uncovered squares beside it. Then look for squares where the number is the same as number of known mines beside it.
In beginner games using this strategy should usually be enough to complete it, but if you try intermediate or expert games sometimes you can get stuck. It may hurt your brain a bit, but most of the time you can use logic to mark or uncover certain squares that may help you. For example, even though this shouldn't be necessary in the beginner game, what if we were stuck and had to continue on the left hand side.
There are two open spaces below the 2. Since the 2 is already beside a mine we know that only of the two spaces will have a mine. The 3 beside it is already beside two mines so we know that only of the three spaces beside it will have a mine. We can then determine that the square to the bottom right of the 3 is not a mine because the 3 is beside the two spaces in which one must be a mine because of the 2. Simple enough right? So don't give up if you seem to get stuck, look for patterns like this!
Keep going until all the squares that are not mines are uncovered. Then go do it again faster or try the harder difficulties. One other tip for uncovering squares faster; If you have marked the same number of mines around a square as it says there are you can double click on that square to uncover all the adjacent squares simultaneously. Saves you a few clicks when you already know where the mine is beside a 1 and there are four uncovered squares beside it.
If you actually read all the way to the end, well congratulations, there probably aren't many of you. Go play some games of minesweeper and spread the word! I also challenge you to beat it on expert. It may be frustrating but it feels fantastic when you finally win.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Traffic
Today coming home from work the traffic seemed much worse than normal. The first bus took around 20 minutes as opposed to 10. When I finally got to Hastings it looked like all of the street had come to a stand still.
The 135 inched its way to the stop and I got on hoping the traffic would get better. In about 20 minutes we had made it approximately two blocks. I hopped out and started walking along Hastings, cars weren't moving at all. I found it quite amusing when someone was just wailing on his horn because the guy in front of him wouldn't move about 2 meters forward just behind the car in front of him.
Finally I made it to Cassiar and the street was completely clear past it, however there were basically two empty lanes. I guess since there was construction those two lanes had been blocked off at one point and the only lane that was open was the right lane which was jammed with cars trying to turn right.
I got to enjoy a nice 40 minute walk home, fortunately it wasn't raining. Apparently there had been an accident on the second narrows which was backing everything up. I figure that when I did get home my bus hadn't made it half way down Hastings yet.
In conclusion, walking isn't that bad.
The 135 inched its way to the stop and I got on hoping the traffic would get better. In about 20 minutes we had made it approximately two blocks. I hopped out and started walking along Hastings, cars weren't moving at all. I found it quite amusing when someone was just wailing on his horn because the guy in front of him wouldn't move about 2 meters forward just behind the car in front of him.
Finally I made it to Cassiar and the street was completely clear past it, however there were basically two empty lanes. I guess since there was construction those two lanes had been blocked off at one point and the only lane that was open was the right lane which was jammed with cars trying to turn right.
I got to enjoy a nice 40 minute walk home, fortunately it wasn't raining. Apparently there had been an accident on the second narrows which was backing everything up. I figure that when I did get home my bus hadn't made it half way down Hastings yet.
In conclusion, walking isn't that bad.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Someone
I was going to make a post detailing the wonders of the modern scientific calculator, however I ran into SOMEONE at the bus stop this morning so I suppose I'm obliged to write about that instead.
Minding my own business waiting for the 135 I heard a loud honk and out jumped someone from an SUV. Not just anyone, but someone. In the interest of protecting their identity all people and places mentioned hereafter are purely fictional and any correlation to real life is merely coincidental.
John talked to me about his field trip to Brazil for the next two weeks and then his trip to Toronto the following week. He was disappointed he would be missing so much of the hockey playoffs and how he wouldn't have time to empty out his gym locker at school.
That's about it, the end.
(Told you calculators would be better)
Minding my own business waiting for the 135 I heard a loud honk and out jumped someone from an SUV. Not just anyone, but someone. In the interest of protecting their identity all people and places mentioned hereafter are purely fictional and any correlation to real life is merely coincidental.
John talked to me about his field trip to Brazil for the next two weeks and then his trip to Toronto the following week. He was disappointed he would be missing so much of the hockey playoffs and how he wouldn't have time to empty out his gym locker at school.
That's about it, the end.
(Told you calculators would be better)
Friday, April 23, 2010
Pencil in the Pants
During my exams one year I decided it would be a good idea to put the pencil I would be using to write the exam in the pocket of my pants. I'm not quite sure why I thought this would be a good idea, but I did it nonetheless.
Now one of the pockets in my pants already had a hole in it. I knew this. Absentmindedly I still decided to put a pencil in that pocket. Before I continue it's important to note that the pants I was wearing had another layer inside and there was space between the layers. I'm not quite sure why, but they did.
Anyways, walking into the exam with a pencil in my pocket that also has a hole in it, I find a seat. I reach into my pocket to grab the pencil but I can't find it. I do however find the pencil sized hole in my pocket. Now since my pants have these weird layers it's not a simple matter of just sliding the pencil out the bottom because the pencil is stuck in between the two layers.
I start feeling up and down my leg trying to find the pencil and eventually do. It was more than half way down my leg. It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to start sliding a pencil up your pants and I found that it required both my hands.
Meticulously I pushed and slid the pencil up my leg all the way up to my pocket. It was a painstaking two to three minute process until I finally was able to get the pencil back out through the hole. Relieved I sat up and stared straight ahead. I didn't really want to know if anyone had watched me do this and I can only imagine what they would have been thinking...
Now one of the pockets in my pants already had a hole in it. I knew this. Absentmindedly I still decided to put a pencil in that pocket. Before I continue it's important to note that the pants I was wearing had another layer inside and there was space between the layers. I'm not quite sure why, but they did.
Anyways, walking into the exam with a pencil in my pocket that also has a hole in it, I find a seat. I reach into my pocket to grab the pencil but I can't find it. I do however find the pencil sized hole in my pocket. Now since my pants have these weird layers it's not a simple matter of just sliding the pencil out the bottom because the pencil is stuck in between the two layers.
I start feeling up and down my leg trying to find the pencil and eventually do. It was more than half way down my leg. It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to start sliding a pencil up your pants and I found that it required both my hands.
Meticulously I pushed and slid the pencil up my leg all the way up to my pocket. It was a painstaking two to three minute process until I finally was able to get the pencil back out through the hole. Relieved I sat up and stared straight ahead. I didn't really want to know if anyone had watched me do this and I can only imagine what they would have been thinking...
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Blah
First the context. Friend tells me I should make a blog. This seems to come from nowhere; I had never had a strong desire to create a blog myself. I'm skeptical. I don't know why anyone would want to read much of anything that I had to write. Oh well, it's not that time consuming. Write a few random things about stupid stuff and be done with it.
The only thing that I could think to write about, and at the moment the only thing I'd care to write about are my stupid stories. It started during exams. Someone was talking about how another student was drinking beer during an exam. In my endless wisdom, and desire to say that "I'm helping!" I offered that during one of my exams I heard someone open a can. Oh and it might have been beer.
Stories that start OK and people think they might be going somewhere, but most of the time they just have a letdown ending. They're short, stupid and happen semi-frequently. Occasionally there's a laugh or chuckle, usually a groan. They amuse myself enough though that it doesn't matter to me if I'm the only one that ever reads it, at least I won't forget them when they're written down.
The only thing that I could think to write about, and at the moment the only thing I'd care to write about are my stupid stories. It started during exams. Someone was talking about how another student was drinking beer during an exam. In my endless wisdom, and desire to say that "I'm helping!" I offered that during one of my exams I heard someone open a can. Oh and it might have been beer.
Stories that start OK and people think they might be going somewhere, but most of the time they just have a letdown ending. They're short, stupid and happen semi-frequently. Occasionally there's a laugh or chuckle, usually a groan. They amuse myself enough though that it doesn't matter to me if I'm the only one that ever reads it, at least I won't forget them when they're written down.
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