Turns out the earthquake hit the northern queen Charlotte islands, at a magnitude of 6.7! So what I felt was only the very edge of it. Still cool though!

NEWS: Strong earthquake jolts B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands

Holy shit it actually happened! Earthquake! It just happened at around 2:53am PST. My first earthquake! Wuhoooo! That was cool! It was not a very strong one, just enough to feel the earth rock back and fourth gently a few times. But still awsome none the less. Sure glad I took that mid after noon nap, other wise I'd be asleep by now, and would have missed it.

Back on May 8, 2004 I made a blog entry describing how you could get a free copy of VB.NET standard from Microsoft. Well it just arrived in the mail today! And I got more than just vb.net! Check this out ...



... Cool huh! I got vb.net 2003, Windows 2000 professional, windows 2000 server and windows 2000 advanced server, visual studio.net cd, A 100 page tutorial book adapted from the full book titled "Microsoft Visual Basic.NET step by step", I also got 3cds containing the MSDN library.

And I was just expecting vb.net not all this other stuff. I'm going to get started installing vb 2k3 and report back later...

GO check it out at VB.NET at the movies!

I took a trip today to Kleanza creek, and took some photos. I also took the oportunity to get some photos of a local forest fire a few kelometers from where I live! You can find them in the Photo Gallery on the side bar.

BTW, here is some updated stats for my running times...

June 17, 2004	2.58km		12m53s	12.0kh		With no breaks
June 18, 2004						Did not run. No excuses.
June 19, 2004						Did not run. Prince Rupert WOT. 
June 20, 2004 	2.41km		14m01s	10.3kh		With no breaks
June 21, 2004	2.42km		13m26s	10.8kh		With no breaks
June 22, 2004						Did not run. Did 3 hours of cycling instead to kleanza.

Whoa! That was easy. Eerily easy. But I got a free gmail account! Only took like 2 minutes MAX! from the link on the blogger site until I was looking in my gmail inbox. Sweet. That's how free email setup should be! I could have signed up for gmail over a month ago but I just decided to check it out now. Hmmm mabe I shoulda signed on earlier...

The problem is that I have been using createdbyx@yahoo.com for so long now and I have numerous uploads of source code refering people to my yahoo email address that it means I will now have to manage/juggle 3 email accounts. createdbyx@yahoo.com, dlunz@yahoo.com, and createdbyx@gmail.com. Not only that but I have to think about changing all of my fourm accounts that refer to my yahoo email accounts.

I am looking over the gmail system right now as I write this and from appearances it looks good, clean, and NOT cluttered. Very slick. Just the way I like it. With yahoo you always get banner adds which are a pain. Some of the items like the "search options" link slide out rather then having the page reload. I like that, no more page flicker. I also like the idea of having your mail messages displayed like a message board system.

Admittedly, and I'm sure I am not alone on this, but I'd rather prefer a automated program to search through my email. Rather then yahoo with there "We collect personal information" disclaimer.

Not only that but I find the google advertisments are much more non intrusive, like a little news scroller that's is set off to the side, something you glance at from time to time. Also google adds are not as invasive as regular banner adds because google adds are only text and not big flashy graphics that distract you from your intended purpose. It is all this as well as the fact that all the sites I goto where I see google advertisements, the advertisements are relative to the content being displayed on the page! ... Well most of the time.

If google and google gmail stays "good", even after google goes public (IE: this is a bad thing) then you may one day start seeing createdbyx@gmail.com on this site!

Gmail! 1gig baby!

I forgot to mention this a few days ago, but yahoo finnaly implemented there new 100mb free email account. My account went from 58% full to only 5% full. Cool. One big problem. Yahoo disclaimers state that they do collect personal information. Poopy :(

Right now I am going over to google and siging up...

Dam It! The problem with my WamPosterCL app is worse then I had thought. Not only does it stop taking pictures after while but if you unplug the camera and then replug it in, (to reset it) it can cause your system to crash and restart! It caused my system to restart last night and it just caused a restart again a few minutes ago.

Craaaaaap!!

So as promised I have uploaded it to my web site, capture and reset bugs included. :p
You can find it under the Visual Basic.NET Projects category in the Development archive.

WamPosterCL

Holy crap I hope I don't have to do that again for a while. This morning I decided move my desk/bed combo to the basment as it is getting way too hot during the day upstairs. Well I started at 10 am and did not stop until 8pm. This custom build desk/bed combo is alot of work to dissassemble then re-assemble. the thing has to weigh 200lbs. Well every thing is finnaly setup up in the basment now but I still have to tidy up my room upstairs. urghh! I'll leave it for tomorrow.

So... Any one enjoying the peep show the last few days? hehe. There be boobies on my web page! <link no longer exists> Bloody hot weather. :( You could sweat just doing nothing!

Anyway I have been delayed uploading my WamPosterCL (Webcam image poster/uploader) application because it seems it only wants to capture a few images before it starts having problems. I have it set up under the windows task scheduler to capture an image every ten minutes. Then I use the built in windows ftp command line to upload the captured image to my web site. I have been trying to track down the problem and if I can't figure it out by monday I will post the app anyway. Capture bug included. I also have not dismissed that it could be my web cam that is at fault as well.

DLink DSC-350F <link no longer exists>

To use FTP from the command line click start run and type "cmd". then type ftp at the command line to start the ftp app. I believe the ftp command line is availible as far back as win98 but I could be wrong.

Well I just finished setting up my web cam capture software and have scheduled it to run under the windows task scheduler every ten minutes.
You can find a new link on the side bar called "WebCamera" that will take you to the web cam page. Kind of a novelty item, so people can see weather or not I'm at my computer. I still have not posted the WebPosterCL application yet, will do that tomorrow, but for now its bed time....zzzzzzzz

Goto webcam page! <link no longer exists>

I have decided to start posting my running times. I run a course over a dirt road for 2.4km. Here the data table of my running times thus far...

				Moving 		
Date		Distance	Time	Average		Comments
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 30, 2004	788m		4m30s
May 31, 2004	776m		4m56s			With break mid way
June 1, 2004	800m		3m56s	12.4kh		With 32 sec break mid way
June 2, 2004	800m		3m59s	12.1kh		With 30 sec break mid way
June 3, 2004	1.4km		8m35s	8.8kh		With 1 minute break half way (longer run at less speed more preferable)
June 4, 2004	1.4km		8m51s	9.5kh		With no breaks
June 5, 2004	1.79km		11m32s	9.3kh		With no breaks
June 7, 2004	2.4km		16m45s	8.6kh		With no breaks
June 8, 2004	2.41km		16m28s	8.8kh		With no breaks
June 9, 2004	2.42km		15m30s	9.4kh		With no breaks
June 10, 2004	2.45km		16m31s	8.9kh		With no breaks
June 11, 2004	2.4km		17m09s	8.4kh		With no breaks
June 12, 2004			10m			Took cassie dog for a run 
June 13, 2004	2.4km		15m53s	9.0kh		With no breaks
June 14, 2004	2.41km		14m24s	10.0kh		With no breaks (also rode to town about 45min)
June 15, 2004						Did not run. Did yard work.
June 16, 2004	2.41m		13m16s	10.9kh		With no breaks

My goal is to run 2.4km in under 11m56s. That is the Canadian forces minimum standard for entry. I figure if I can start running 2.4km in under 11m56s consistently I'm doing good. From the data table you can see that when I started doing my run I was running 12.4kh for only 800m I stopped doing that because it was too difficult so I opted for a slower pace run at a longer distance. Which is much easier. Although I can't recall the reason for deciding to start doing a daily run... Just for the hell of it I guess. :p