NorthGeek

Dan goes to the Olympics

Our famous writer Dan shares his Olympics experiences here at NorthGeek. Check out his other blog TheWordShow.com!

My Dad invited me to join him for a trip to Vancouver to watch the tail end of the Olympic games. Sure, one might say, that sounds like an amazing opportunity and a splendid father-son trip. Fact is, joining him out West not an easy decision. There was a lot of important work to be done back home in Montreal. Besides my laundry piling up, there was the matter of my hyper-stressful day job, which involves helping rurally located, plus-sized clothing shoppers ensure they are receiving the best possible customer service experience – all I‘m saying is air traffic controllers and hostage negotiators should spend a day in my shoes.

I had also been putting off teaching myself the entire Lynyrd Skynyrd song catalogue on my acoustic guitar, and felt that the time had come to pick up my dusty “axe” and make good on this commitment. Bode Miller might have been lying in agonizing wait for 4 years for his elusive gold medal, but I would not watch him compete until I had mastered the guitar solo on “Free Bird.”

Finally, I had just purchased my first set of cross country skis, and before Pops presented me with the offer to join him in Vancouver, I had every intention of using the days of late February to break in my skis, perfect a decent waxing technique, work on my upper-body form, etc., etc.

Sure, one might argue, cross country skiing is an enjoyable hobby, but it pales in comparison to watching Olympic-level cross country skiers battling out on the world stage. For most people, yeah, I guess so. Not for this guy. So it was with a heavy heart that I begrudgingly accepted the offer to go see the Olympics.

Of course, I’m kidding. The Olympics were incredible. That they were in our home country and in beautiful Vancouver made it a truly unforgettable experience. On top of that, we were invited there as VIP guests of a big Canadian company, who had pulled out all the stops for us, putting us up in a swank hotel, feeding us food and drink at every turn, and affording us special access to meet various athletes, celebrities, luminaries of Canadian business, and, of course, tickets to see the events themselves.

Indeed, what I learned about corporate-sponsored events is this: if viewing a concert given by a c-list Canadian pop star is merely bearable, then viewing said concert whilst downing free cocktails and edible-by-hand lamb chops, all served by pretty waitresses who are forced to banter with you, makes the concert amazing. Really amazing. But more on that later.

The next few days, I’ll be describing to you the highlights of what I saw, who I met, what I ate, and where I went. If at any time you find this dull and not entertaining, feel free to log out and not read anything I write ever again – honestly, I won’t be upset: I saw the Gold medal hockey game and watched Canada win in overtime – I’m not going to be upset about anything for a long, long time.

Stay tuned, amigos.

NorthGeek at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games

Don’t get too excited… We’re not competing in anything. We’re just taking in the sights and sounds of this awesome atmosphere. Couldn’t be more excited for the world to get together in our backyard!

Among the many attractions that are some old, some fairly new to the city for the Olympics, is the Bombarider “experiment” -- the Olympic Line Streetcar. This is the fanciest public tram I’ve ever been on. Leather, wood, and sharp, sharp flat screens. Too bad the city loses it after the games… Maybe if we all make enough noise, the Olympic Line will join Vancouver’s public transit system, for good.

Here are just a couple short clips of our experience on the line:

Jay Leno: in search of Hollywood’s hidden street circuit. Starring a Mercedes SLS AMG

With the title, I believe enough has been said. I’ll add this: Dan R, you should be ashamed that you didn’t post this first. Enjoy:

Hamish & Andy – maybe Australia’s funniest duo?

Watch as Hamish and Andy become cab drivers and see who can make the most money. These two guys pretty much fell into this gig as the country’s most popular radio show hosts, and regulars on several TV shows. They’ve even done a tour around the US -- maybe they’ll come North of the Border soon??

UPDATE: I’ve decided to add a bunch of other funny Hamish & Andy videos:

NorthGeek is very excited about Google’s Navigation

This is something that just makes you think, “well, duh” -- it had to happen, and finally, it has. Now shipping with all Android 2.0 phones (‘all’ being the Moto Droid for now, at least) is the new Google Maps Navigation which is an internet-enabled, voice prompting GPS navigation app that takes full advantage of all of Google Maps and Google Local’s network features, from business contact info to street view. Have a look:

I’m quite excited for more Android 2.0 phones to come out, especially a GSM one. My only question now: what to do with my Blackberry Bold?

Tsunami Strikes Parking Lot in American Samoa

Footage of the September 29, 2009 tsunami striking (1:48) the parking lot of the building housing the FBI office in American Samoa. More at: http://honolulu.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/hn100909.htm

Best ski movies of the year

If you’re an avid skier, you probably can’t help but get stoked for the upcoming season as by watching the new crop of ski flicks. You’ve definitely heard of Warren Miller, and perhaps also Teton Gravity Research and Matchstick Productions.

These guys spend lots of money to make their movies and ski in areas you will never afford. So maybe what resonates more are the soulful movies of the guys and gals who do it themselves. Here are the best alternative ski movies of the year (at least the teasers):

Earn your turns! Check out these breathtaking powder telemark lines and remote controlled helicopter camera shots. Ooh! Powderwhore’s “Flakes” great trailer:

Live in the East? Don’t think skiing isn’t as adventurous or extreme out there? Proof to go out and explore your own backyard: Meathead Films flick “Wild Stallions”

How gorgeous is the skiing in Japan? “The Japanese compare January to the womb,” says filmmaker Nick Waggoner. “When the snow flows over your head, you can’t tell up from down, and it just becomes you.” Colorado’s Sweet Grass Productions’ “Signatures”:

If you’re still here, sure, check out the big budget flicks too:

Matchstick Productions’ In Deep teaser:

TGR’s Re:Session:

Warren Miller trailer is on their site.

Travel the world on a $20 million lottery win

What would you do if you won the lottery?

You hear stories about lottery winners squandering all their winnings, never feeling comfortable in new social circles, becoming depressed from the paranoia and misunderstanding of the amount of money, etc.

This guy won $20M and traveled the world. He is trying visit every single country. He seems to have taken the right steps to ensure his sanity and have a good time. He helped out family and friends, entertained many company investment opportunities, and bought some quirky decorations of course. He also set up multiple teams to manage his money (you don’t trust anyone with that kind of cash).

Some interesting bits from the Reddit conversation:

Relationships: “No, we were just not right for each other. Winning does make me paranoid when I meet someone interesting. It translates into nervousness, something I wasn’t with women before.”

Dating: “Yes, I mostly date trust fund babies now.”

Arriving in a new country: “Hostel for first night, look into renting a place for a month if it is interesting to me. Once bored, start looking into neighboring countries to repeat.”

Craziest travel stories: “Craziest travel story: I was hiking through Nepal and suffering from oxygen deprivation (I didn’t realize it at the time). By the middle of the week I was hallucinating and thought I saw a yeti, Jesus, and Elvis. Reading through my travel diary for that month scares me. I was shot at in Somalia by a child carrying a pistol that should have been too big for him to carry. The bullet passed through our windshield and missed us by a few inches.”

Words of advice for other people aspiring to win the lottery: “It is dumb luck. I was buying ramen at 4 AM at a gas station and didn’t want change back, so I asked for a lottery ticket since it was a buck. I didn’t even check the numbers until a week had passed and was cleaning out my pockets to do laundry.”

Happiness: “An unfortunate consequence of living in a hardcore capitalist/consumer society is that most problems end up becoming money related. “I have to pay off this student loan, I have to pay for medical bills, etc.” It freed me from that stress in life and has given me the opportunity to travel without much restrictions, so in that sense I am happier.”

How to ensure you don’t squander it: “I moved most of the money into a trust that doesn’t allow me to withdraw over a certain amount every year ($95k). Even if I don’t make any interest on the investment that withdrawal amount is enough to keep me happy and won’t run out in my lifetime.”

What things did you buy: “Comics, action figures, video games, and Porsches.”

Supporting tech: “I’m a Linux user so I support open source. I contacted a few developers on sourceforge who created programs I couldn’t live without and offered them money for their hard work. Most declined.”

Satisfying donation: “I gave money to a school near one of my properties in Brazil, it felt good to see them using books that were more updated than the ones I used in grade school.”

Porsches: “I have a collection of Porsches: 550, 944, GT2, GT3, 964, and a Cayman. All but the 550 are regularly driven.”

N.B. NorthGeek does not endorse playing the lottery. Of course we all know it’s just a tax on the mathematically challenged.

Everyone rides bikes in Amsterdam

Check out this short little ditty of a film on Kona COG, a blog style site by Washington State’s bike manufacturer Kona. You see, Everybody rides bikes in Amsterdam. It’s beautiful. It’s part of the culture. So ride bikes more!