My 18 year old son amazes me - his description of how he repaired a laptop

I saw the work that Daniel did to repair his brother/s computer and I am amazed at the self taught skills that he has. I asked to him to write down what he did.   His computer skills for hardware and software are way beyond mine now and I do know a bit about computers.

He is smart, learns fast and responsible but is unable to find work, if people only knew how good he is I am sure he would have a job or at least a constant stream of people getting him to fix their computers.  If you want a skilled 18 year old geek to fix your computer for not a lot of money, you should try out Daniel.   If you have old computers and have no need for them any longer, Daniel would interested in them to see if he could make something out of them.

Ben's computer a recent Dell Inspiron model had been acting up with constant frame drops when watching video, a super saturated display, and graphics effects problems and freezing in video games. I tried updating the driver's but everything was up to date. I figured it sounded like a problem with the GPU anyways, most likely overheating seeing as these issues only showed up after the computer had been in use for a while. 

I started by opening up the chassis, which would have been easier if Dell wasn't also trying to market Ibuprofen to anyone doing work on their laptops. After about twenty minutes of unscrewing and prying I'd managed to get down to the fan. 

I was not surprised to find the air outtake of the heat sink clogged with dust, which was fairly easy to remove with most of it coming off in one strip and the rest being cleaned off with a q-tip. 

I also noticed that the GPU was connected to the heat sink using a thermal pad and figured that maybe replacing that with some proper thermal paste could up the performance just a little bit more as well 

I removed the heat sink from the Processor and GPU and cleaned off the original thermal past on the CPU and GPU with a couple alcohol wipes and applied the new thermal paste. It turned out that the thermal pad that cooled the GPU wasn't in very good shape anyways so it's probably good that I replaced it. I reassembled Ben's computer and it ran fine. 

The two small bits of maintenance greatly increased the frame rate in video games and movies as well as removed the saturation problem, however video games still freeze sometimes so I'll have to bring it back to see if I can't find the cause of the problem. 

-Daniel

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module

NASA has agreed on December 20th to buy a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to add it to the International Space Station.   For only $17,800,000 the ISS will gain an extra 16 m3 of space - the total ISS is only 837 m3 in size.

The BEAM unit will be 40% larger than Genesis I and II that were launched in 2006 and 2007 respectively.  It is still much smaller than the BA 330 unit which are projected to be the core units of Bigelow's space stations.  The BEAM has 1/20th the space of the BA 330.

The module will be launched in mid 2015 and will remain as part of the ISS for two years.   This should prove the concept of inflatable habitats to everyone's satisfaction.   What seems odd to me is that currently there are no plans to really use the BEAM for much at all.   I would think that it could at least function as a storage space to allow for more space in the rest of the ISS

The technology used by Bigelow comes from NASA's TransHab project which NASA dropped in 2000.   The weight of the unit will be 1,360 kg, a similar sized rigid module would weigh 4,500 kg.  The cost to launch the BEAM will be about $7.5 million, a rigid module would cost about $25 million to launch.

The BEAM would seem to be the prototype for airlocks that will be used by Bigelow Aerospace space station.

The timeline for Bigelow to launch their first space station components has been slipping over the years.  In 2005 the date was 2010.   In 2010 the date had changed to 2014/15, now it is "as early as 2016".   Much of the delay is not the fault of Bigelow but the limitations in getting people into space.  

Bigelow is waiting for the SpaceX DragonRider and Boeing CST-100 to be ready for use.   There has been a gap between the end of the space shuttle and some new vehicle to launch people into space.   The delay has come about because the US government moved from developing their own vehicle to getting the private sector to design and build them.   At the moment it looks like mid 2015 before the first human use of the DragonRider will take place.

I suspect that 2017/18 is more likely when we will see the first Bigelow Aerospace space station will launch.  It sounds like the initial station will only be two BA 330 units.  We do now know the cost of getting to the station - $26.25 million via a DragonRider.   You can also get naming rights for a unit for only $25 million.   The cost to lease space will be $25 million per 60 days for 1/3 of a BA 330 - on an annual basis this would be $150 million a year for 1/3 of a unit or $450 million a year for a full BA 330.

The Black Brant - a very successful Canadian rocket

Here in Canada it seems most people are really not aware of how significant a space faring nation this country is.   One example of this is the Black Brant family of rockets from Manitoba.   These rockets are the most successful  launch families of all time with about 1000 launches since 1962.

The Black Brant is designed and built by Bristol Aerospace, now Magellan Aerospace.   This company has been one of the serious aerospace successes of Canada but is still best know for not getting the contract to maintain the CF 18s in 1987.   The awarding of that contract to Canadair was a major source of western alienation in Canada as most people thought the contract with Bristol was a better one.

Normally people only think about the rockets that put either people or satellites into space but there is all manner of other research that can be done by launching into space and coming right back down again.   It is in this role that no other rocket does as well as the Canadian Black Brant.   The family of rockets ranges from ones that can launch from as small as 70 kg 150 km into space to as large as 850 kg 1500 km into space.

Could one use the Black Brandt to launch small satellites into low earth orbit?    The Black Brandt XII can reach 1500 kilometers into space which is more than high enough to get into low earth orbit.   This is equal to rockets like the Falcon 1e (SpaceX) or the Taurus (Orbital Sciences).   I would think with a record of 1000 launches there is a track record one could build from.   The only other rocket family that has launched a similar number of times is the Russian Soyuz rockets.

Most of the rockets are launched from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in the southern most part of the Chesapeake Bay but in the past had been launched from Canada.   It might be worth considering building a new launch facility here again and experimenting what might be possible.

Sounding rockets may not be the big names in aerospace but it is important.   As Canadians we should be aware of how much it is our country that is responsible for the success and that we are the equals of other space nations in the world.

Instead of New Year's Resolutions, a New Year's Theme

Adult ADHD coach Peter Quily suggested I read a post of his from January 2006 - A New Year’s Theme. An Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions.   I read the post I am am interested in the idea and have decided to try this for 2013 for myself.

I need to first set myself a theme and them set myself the process for working towards.

The Theme - I need to come up with something that is short, that is a single concept.    What I am lead to in my mind is to try and come up with something like the five testimonies of the Quakers -

• Peace/Nonviolence
• Simplicity
• Equality and Social Justice
• Integrity
• Community and Stewardship of the Earth

These are simple single word, or a few words, that express big fundamental ideas.   Taking them as the base of what a theme could look like I come to the following possible theme:

• A happier and more meaningful life

It is a big theme and encompasses so many possibilities of how I can work on it .   It deals with the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of my life.

Now that I have a possible theme I need to let it rest with me for a day or two to be sure.  Once I am clear this is it I can build my plan.

This is why I like candles on my Christmas Tree

Honestly, no photo I have been able to take ever captures the magic of a room lit only by candles on a tree.

We lit the tree last night because Andrea and Mike were over for dinner with the kids.   I am lighting it again tonight for the boys to invite friends over to see it.   We will also light it on the 24th, normally the first time we would light it.  Finally the last time we will light will be on Boxing Day for our Turkey dinner.  I am 100% certain the tree will not be fresh enough for candles to be light on January 5th when Nik and Jacquie will come over with the kids for a goose dinner.

Candles on a tree are not dangerous if you pay attention to what you are doing.  

First off you need a fresh tree and you can only set it up a day or so before you light it A fresh tree is really, really hard to burn.   I can hold a light candle under a branch and it will at best smolder a bit.   Setting up the tree on the 22nd to 24th means it remains special is not just sort of there for week before hand.

Second, you need to think about where you place the candles.   They need to spaced out and not have branches right above them.   Only certain types of trees work for candles.   The modern highly pruned conical shrub things do not work at all.

Third, a bucket of water with wet rags and a fire extinguisher are important.   The wet rags are important because that way you keep the potentially burning area damp, throwing water at the tree is pointless.

Fourth, you make sure the tree is not placed in such a way that people will bump into it.   You also have to make sure the tree is steady and will not tip over.  There was a year where the tree tipped over onto me.  I did not panic and waited for others to get the candles off of me and the chair.   You also have to watch the wrapping paper monster - no stray paper near the tree when it is light.

Fifth, when you light it you never leave it burning in an empty room.  The candles will only burn for about 90 minutes.

Sixth, you only light it early on.  In about four to seven days the tree will be too dry to safely light.  In the 1950s my parents went to a New Years Eve party and the Xmas tree there was light.   It was dry and caught fire.   My father reached for the stem and grabbed the tree with the intention of throwing it out.  Unfortunately because the people there had little kids they had fastened the tree to the wall with a rope to ensure it would not fall over.   My father did manage to yard it off of the wall and through it out the door, but he was burnt in the process.

That tree should never have been light and it should not have been secured to the wall.

Having candles on the tree makes Christmas that much more special for me.

The Original Christmas Village Store on Government Street: A Story of Crappy Service

No photo can do justice to a tree lit with candles

Each year I have to go to the Original Christmas Village on Government Street for some stuff only they carry that I want for my Christmas traditions - candles on my tree.   The dismal customer service in the store finally was too much for me this year.

I love to have real candles on my Christmas tree.    It is something my family always did when I was growing up and something I have done since I have been an adult.   There are few more amazing things to see than a room only lit by the candles on a tree.   I only set up the tree a few days before the 24th and it is only lit two or three times before we take it down right after New Year.   The candles and the sort time the tree is up make it a very special experience.

 Here in Victoria there is a single store that sells the right sort of candles for a Christmas tree, it was not always this way.   In the past there were German delis all over BC that sold German Christmas stuff including the candles.   When I moved back to Victoria in 2004 I looked high and low for baumkerzen and finally found them at the Original Christmas Village on Government Street.   The boxes of 20 candles were $4.95 in 2004 and a few more bucks last year.  He also carried lametta - a very specific style of German tinsel that I love.

From the first time I ventured into the place it has never been a friendly place because of the owner.  Here is what a friend of mine had to say about him on Facebook: I think he should be called the Scrooge of Government Street. It's the most unfriendly and unChristmassy store in Victoria. Any time I have been there, the atmosphere is unpleasant...DON'T touch anything, DON'T smile, NO idle chitchat and NO laughing. Just buy your stuff and GET OUT. Needless to say, it's been a long time since I have purchased anything from that store. It's kind of sad that somebody can be that miserable selling Christmas stuff.

These are the candles I am after

The man who owns the place is always grumpy and there are signs everywhere - Do Not Touch.   I am a native German speaker and my experience in BC is that when I go to a German store and speak the language the owners are more than happy to meet me and glad to speak our mother tongue.   This guy, sure he and his wife (I think she is his wife?) will speak German with me and it seems their natural language, but it does not make them even remotely more pleasant.  What I also find weird is that after going to this store for nine years now and speaking with him in German every time I go in because I am normally looking for something specific that he has normally carried, you would think he would remember me.  How many tall, fat German speaking middle aged come in every year looking for Christmas tree candles?  As my cousin Andreas said online, it must a tiny demographic.

Since he has the candles I went in today to buy some.  First off the section with the candles was closed.   No, "Let me open it for you" which would seem to make sense for a guaranteed sale.   It did open shortly there after.  I went down and they did not have the normal packs of 20 candles, but 50 candle packs.   They also has a sign there that said there was a shortage of the candles in Germany and Holland and they were only selling the limited stock they had to people getting the tree candle holders.   The box was $24, or $0.50 a candle instead of $0.25 a candle it was a few years ago.

I assumed the sign was there so that his regulars needing candles for their trees could get them, there can not be that many of us in the city.  Anyone one else would have to buy the holders.  I, like probably all the other regular candle buyers, have more than enough candle holders.  I my case I have enough for two 9 foot tall trees, I do not need more.   But no, if I wanted to buy candles I had to buy a package of candle holders for $20 to $30.    He would not let me buy a box of candles on their own.

I reminded them I come into the store every year to buy my candles and anything other Christmas decorations and my lebkuchen.  Not only did they not relent, they did not even acknowledge my comments when I made them in German or English.  Not even a sorry, no break for a "Stammkunde".   To get the candles I would have to spend $50 in total - that works out to $1 a candle.

I got home and Sheila said I should look online for the candles,   I had no expectation this would work on December 20th but I decided to listen to her and try.   I was shocked, I found a source only one province to the east of us for the candles.

Edelweiss Imports in Calgary have the candles I want for $4.15 a package - cheaper than I was paying in Victoria in 2004.   You can order online with them but I figured this was too late to do so.  I called them just on the off chance they could get them to me by the 24th - shock of shocks they could.   The woman on the phone was very pleasant to deal with.  Even though it is Christmas madness time for them, she paid attention to me and went the extra mile.     They also have lametta, I got her to throw in a couple of packs of it for me with the candles.   I have tried to talk to the owner the Original Christmas Village to order stuff in, he had no interest in ordering in anything special.

I have no intention of going back to the store here in Victoria and will send all my Christmas business to Calgary.   I would prefer to spend it locally but I can only go so far before I have to draw the line.
__________________________
Update on Saturday Dec 22nd - Edelweiss got the candles to me in ONE DAY from Calgary for an all inclusive price of $27 for three packages - that includes all the taxes and shipping.   Not only were they pleasant to deal with, they were very fast.  

We tried to return the stuff I bought at the Original Christmas Village - no dice, all sales final.  Sheila pointed out that we got much cheaper candles from Calgary in one day even with the shipping included.   She told them point blank they lost our business.   From 2004 to 2008 I spent about $500 at that store, not much in the big scheme of things, but they have now lost that.

I will put a notice around town next December that you can affordable Christmas Tree Candles from Calgary.

Some pics of Xmas in the late 90s and 2000

Our tree in Lillooet in 1998

Getting the tree in 1999 with Ben and Daniel

Our overloaded car - this is at the top of the Duffey Lake Road

part of the 1999 tree

1997 Pavilion Xmas Party

Daniel with Santa in Pavilion 1997

Ben's first time with Santa - Pavilion 1997

Daniel with the Baltic Santa 1999

Ben 2000 

Kids waiting for the Baltic Santa 2000

Daniel with Santa in Lillooet 1997

Daniel with Santa in Lillooet 1998

Xmas dinner 2000 in Lillooet

Xmas dinner in Tsawwassen 1999

For the 17th time since 1984 a Canadian is in space

It has been a three year gap since a Canadian was in space.  The last time was on December 1st 2009 when Robert Thirsk returned from his six month stay on the International Space Station.  Today Chris Hadfield launched to start a six month stint on the ISS. His trip will be the ninth time a Canadian will be on board the ISS and the 17th time a Canadian has been in space.

Chris Hadfield will be the second Canadian to live in space for six months and will become the first Canadian to command the ISS.   He is also the second person who is not a Russian or American to command the ISS, the first was Belgian Frank De Winne in 2009.   With the return of Chris Hadfield, Canada is also only the fourth country to have a second person stationed on the ISS.

It is amazing how little people in Canada seem to understand that Canada is one of the most advanced space faring countries in the world.   Clearly the US and Russia are way ahead, but by almost any measure Canada is in the next tier with Japan, China, Germany and France.

Before his launch today, Canadians had spent a total of 360 days, 13 hours and 49 minutes in space.  This means on Christmas Eve the total time for Canadians in space will have passed one year.   Early in January Canada will pass the Netherlands and move into 7th in time in space.   At the end of January we pass the UK, though they are only that high because four of the US astronauts is a dual citizen.   At the end of February we pass France and finally in early May of 2013 Canada passes Germany for time in space and is the nation with the fourth longest time in space.

This is all that much more impressive when you realize that Canada has half the population of the next tier two space nation.  

Total time of all Canadians in  space as of December 18th 2012
Robert Thirsk  204d 18h 29m - 2 trips, STS-78 1996, ISS Expedition 21/21 2009
Marc Garneau    29d 2h 1m - 3 trips, STS-41-G 1984, STS-77 1996 and STS-97 2000 
Dafydd Williams 28d 15h 47m - 2 trips, STS-90 1998, STS-118 August 2007 
Julie Payette   25d 11h 58m - 2 trips, STS-96 1999, STS-127 2009 
Steve MacLean   21d 16h 2m - 2 trips, STS-52 1992 , STS-115  2006 
Chris Hadfield  20d 2h 2m - 2 trips, STS-74 1995, STS-100 2001 - visited Mir in 1995
Bjarni Tryggvason 11d 20h 28m - 1 trip STS-85 1997
Guy Laliberté   10d 21h 17m - 1 trip ISS Tourist 2009
Roberta Bondar   8d 1h 46m - 1 trip STS-42 1992

56.8% of the time Canadians have spent in space is Robert Thirsk and mainly because of his time on the ISS.   Once Chris Hadfield ends his time in space about 75% of the time Canadians have been is space will be either Thirsk or Hadfield.

At this time there are no scheduled flights for any Canadians for the next several years.   When there was the space shuttle, which could carry as many as seven people, there were more opportunities for larger groups of people to get into space and up to 13 people could be in space at once.   As long as there is only the Soyuz there will be fewer people going to space each year.   In three years time there should be at least one more human spaceflight option available.

By years the number of Canadians in space.
1984 - 1
1985-91 - 0
1992 - 2
1993-94 - 0
1995 - 1
1996 - 2
1997 - 1
1998 - 1
1999 - 1
2000 - 1
2001 - 1
2002-05 - 0
2006 - 1
2007 - 1
2009 - 3
2010-11 - 0
2012 - 1

Challenger explosion caused a break from early 1986 to 1988, this meant 22 flights were cancelled.  Full crew details for all the flights had not been prepared so we only know of a a March 1987 flight for Steve MacLean.

 The Columbia disaster in early 2003 caused an almost two and half year break in flights and 25 cancelled flights.  Steve MacLean was scheduled to fly in May 2003, Daffyd Williams was scheduled for November 2003.   Most of the cancelled flights had no crews assigned, but given that Canadians seemed to be on one of it would seem probable that three more Canadians would have flown.

Peter von Tiesenhausen: Elevations

I suddenly have a huge desire to go to Grande Prairie for next Friday, I am not going to make, but it would be great if I could be because Peter von Tiesesnhausen is having the opening reception for his new exhibition called Elevations.

The show opens December 14th and runs to February 10th, the odds of me seeing it is almost nil.

I think Peter is the most thought provoking artist Canada has ever seen.   I know of no one else that has managed to connect the natural world and art in such a way as he has.   HIs eploration of how place and the natural world can be part of art, can be the fundamental forces to create art, are truly unique.   Elevations sounds like it is amazing.   Here are Peter's own words:

Elevations targets the extinction of desire, the end of time.It searches out significance and engagement to pursue being.The stories growing of our own making, each telling different, even while it is the same.Which of them allow ascent?-Peter von Tiesenhausen About the ExhibitionThrough relics, sculpture, ‘painting,’ video, and documentary photography, Peter von Tiesenhausen reveals his voyages in his upcoming exhibition Elevations at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie.The exhibition brings together significant artefacts and relics from von Tiesenhausen’s lifelong search for meaning, his lifelong attempt to understand the world and the artist’s place within it. Elevations is a work of research and of definition of place, a journey through space and time, and an attempt to perceive a sense of the essence of that meaning by capturing its residue.After twenty years of total immersion in his artistic practice, von Tiesenhausen’s journeys today are less epic odysseys than they are explorations of inner space.In this, von Tiesenhausen’s most ambitious exhibition in more than 10 years, the artist employs over 10,000 pounds of wood, steel, and bronze, along with video and photography to share his explorations with his home region.Peter von Tiesenhausen resides in Demmitt, Alberta, and is one of northern Alberta’s most prominent contemporary artists. He has exhibited his works around the world and across Canada, and frequently lectures on his work and his remarkable life at universities, colleges, and conferences near and far. His work is held in numerous significant public collections, and several of his public sculptures are on permanent display in cities across Canada.

Peter von Tiesenhausen: Elevations On Friday, December 14, please attend the opening reception for the new exhibition Elevations by Peter von Tiesenhausen. Peter von Tiesenhausen is one of the Peace Region’s most celebrated artists. Elevations brings together works in wood, bronze, and steel, weighing a total of over 10,000 lbs, along with photography and video, for Tiesenhausen’s most ambitious exhibition in over a decade. Friday, December 14, 2012 7:00 pm This event is open to the public. Admission is Free. Join this event on Facebook.

Art Gallery of Grande Prairie

www.aggp.ca

Peter von Tiesenhausen

hausen@telusplanet

Just playing with a pic of a BC Ferry at night

One more reason we need to allow more airlines into Canada

This is from my niece in Fort St John and about the lack of any reasonable customer service from Air Canada - the par for the course in my opinion from that airline.  I have flown many airlines in the world over many decades, I have never had one with customer service as consistently bad as Air Canada.   

This is her facebook post about the situation

Oh Air Canada-25 business days to look into this? Really? I fly in less than three weeks. Here is my email and Air Canada's Current Reponse:
My EMAIL:
On Nov 17 I will be flying with my 3 month old son to Kelwona. Because Air Canada does not fly from Fort St John directly to Kelowna, I have to stop in Vancouver. I have a one hour layover on the way there and a two hour layover on the way back. I am travelling with just my son. I was hoping that I could take his stroller and sky check it so that during my layover I could actually put my son down, maybe have a coffee or snack, and defiantly use the washroom. I tried to find the information for if I could online, but it was unclear to me. I decided to call customer service. I had to wait on hold for about an hour. I asked if I could take my stroller (which collapses) on the plane and sky check it. Because my son is under 6 months old, he cannot use an umbrella stroller, but must be placed in his car seat that attaches to his stroller. I was told that I could not sky check this, and only umbrella strollers are allowed. I was spoken to in a very rude manner and basically told, "That's the way it is." This is going to make it very difficult for me to travel and now I am regretting booking my flight. Being a new mom can be stressful, and I was already nervous about flying with my son for the first time. Now I have to find a way to hold him the whole time-even if I have to go to the washroom.

It would be nice if I could take my stroller and carseat and sky check them. These items are not large and I feel that other passengers would be understanding of what a young infant requires. Once he is older than six months, I would be happy to travel with an umbrella stroller. Or even if my husband could come with me that would help. I also found that the woman from customer service had no time for me and didn't listen to my concerns.

I like to think that Air Canada is family friendly and I hope that you will look into this matter and get back to me.

Thank you,

Emily Gregory
From AC:
Thank you for contacting us.

This is to confirm that we have received your correspondence and there is no requirement to re-submit your information. Our processing time is currently 25 business days for general customer concerns, 25 business days for baggage related issues and up to 4 weeks for baggage tracing. We will make every effort to respond sooner.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as you await our response.

***Please do not reply to this email, it is an automated response.**

Emily posted this on the Air Canada Facebook page.  Instead of dealing with the situation, finally, the just erased her post.

Some maps of Vancouver Island Railways

All the CN lines on the island the planned expansions.  I find the one from Cowichan Lake to Port Alberni interesting

Map of the E&N and proposed expansions

Mount Sicker mine railway - not the major climbs for the line

There was a time when Vancouver Island was covered in logging railway lines

These are the rail lines related to coal mining near Courtney

Max trying the first sour candy of his life

Why do we have kids? To entertain us. I had no idea Max had never tried a sour candy before. I missed the first one he put in his mouth, the reaction was even better.

Haida Gwaii Earthquake

First off, the public reacted quickly in many locations on the coast in response to a possible Tsunami.   I am impressed and much more hopeful that when a major earthquake happens on the BC coast people are better prepared to deal with it.

Second, the earthquake was large but still a single point and in a location far enough away from the nearest settlements to not be one that caused major damage.   The quake was 56 kilometers from Queen Charlotte City, this is close but not too close.   In earthquakes location matters.

In 2010 and 2011 there were several earthquakes to hit Christchurch New Zealand.  The first earthquake was 40 kilometers from the centre of Christchurch and even though it had a strength of 7.1M, it was not that seriously damaging.  In February 2011 there was a 6.3M aftershock located only 8 kilometers from the core of the city.  It was the second smaller earthquake that was much more damaging because it was so much closer to the core of the city.

How much a difference is a 7.7M earthquake to the sort of Cascadia subduction zone earthquake the westcoast will see some day?   The last Cascadia earthquake on January 26th 1700 was 90 times stronger than the one that hit Haida Gwaii over the weekend.

One Night Looking onto the Lion's Gate Bridge

September 1962 - Two Major Canadian Milestones

On  September 3rd 1962 JOhn Dieffenbaker officially opened the Trans Canada Highway at Rogers Pass.   The TCH is the the longest highway in the world stretching 7,821 from St John's to Victoria.

Construction of the highway started in 1949 and a complete link existed as of the fall of 1962 but the road was not fully complete for another nine years.   The Trans Canada Highway predated the US Interstate Highway network by seven years and given the remote terrain of much of Canada and the much smaller population, the TCH was more visionary than the US Interstate.

This is the CBC report of the opening:




Also in September 1962 Canada became the third country in the world to launch its own satellite into orbit.  Alouette 1 was launched on September 29th 1962 on board an American Thor-Agena rocket.   Canadians should be much more aware of the Alouette 1 and the sort of achievement it was at the time.

Satellites were difficult item to build in 1962 and very few teams had the skills to build one.   The UK did not have a team to build their first satellite so they asked NASA to build one for them.   The Alouette 1 is still in orbit and in theory could still be operating today.   One of the major innovations on the Alouette 1 was the batteries on board.

The satellite was intended to have a one year mission but was operated for ten years before being turn off.

Given the era the fact that Canada was the third country to build a satellite is amazing - this country achieved that before the UK, France, China and the rest of the world.

Old family pics from 1957 to 1962 of my sister Beatrice von Schulmann

Beatrice with her mother (Lita von Schulmann nee Dellingshausen 1929-2009) in 1957
Since my mother took most of the photos, this is a rare picture with her in it

I have been the one in the family that inherited all the old pictures and documents from my parents and my grandmother.   My mother was a amateur photographer who came close to being a professional but she had not partied so hard in early 20s that she never quite followed through.   I am going through the old pictures and scanning many of them.  I am posting them in various locations online, but to maintain more personal connection I will be posting more here over time.

Beatrice with her father (Axel von Schulmann 1922 - 2003) on the ferry to Estonia in 1960
I have always loved this picture because of how well the two of them are dressed

Beatrice Xmas 1962

Beatrice with Granny (Maria von Fersen nee Stackelberg 1905-1988) Xmas 1962

Beatrice in 1957

Beatrice on May 4th 1957, her second birthday

Some of photos of von Schulmann's in 1911Otto

Bernhard Freidrich Georg von Schulmann was my grandfather's brother, he died in Switzerland in 1917 only aged 27.  Why was he in Switzerland?  I have no idea.

Bernhard Friedrich Goerg von Schulmann in 1911

 Woldemar Nicolai von Schulmann was my grandfather's second cousin.

Nicolai von Schulmann

 Onkel Otto was another brother of my grandfather.   He adopted my father so that my father could inherit from him.  Otto's two sons Max and Wolf were killed in the war and his wife Isabella was murdered in Vienna in 1945.

Otto Wilhelm Oskar von Schulmann in 1911

Calling Phone Booths For Fun

When I was aged about 11 to 14 years old my brother Nik and cousin Andreas did this strange almost social media like thing - we called phones booths.

We initially tried dialing random numbers to see who we would get but that was mostly a waste of time and we often got a guy we called "filmy" - Andreas named him that.  "Filmy" was the recording you got when you called a number that was not in service.  It was a deep and articulate voice like a film star, hence the name.  The random dialing was borrowing so we wanted some more interesting way to play with the telephone.  One day I realized that all the phone booths had numbers we could call, we just needed the numbers.

When we were out and about in the city I would write down the phone numbers in phone booths and later when we were at home we would call them.   The most common one we called was at Kootenay Loop.  We called it the most because there was a bank of phones so at least one would be free and there were always a lot of people hanging around waiting for a bus.

We did most of our calling from my aunt Nata's place in the evening while watching bad late 70s TV because she did not see to care that we were doing this and my parents would likely told us to quit using the phone for a "prank".

We would dial the numbers we had until we got one that was not busy.   We would then let it ring till someone picked it up.  Sometimes they would just pick it up and hang it up right away.  Often people would say "Do you know you are calling a phone booth?"  to which we answered yes.  Finally, a few people just answered the phone and said hello.

We had some interesting conversations with people on the phone.  We would ask people what bus they were waiting for, where they were headed, what was going on with their lives, and whatever else came up.  We also told people about what was on TV and about us and where we lived.   They were random connections with people across the city from us.

Sometimes people would stay on the phone for more than half an hour.   We had all the numbers at Kootenay Loop because we asked one woman on the phone to get us all the rest of the numbers, she had nothing better to and seemed to want to help us.  Some of the people seemed to be very happy to have someone to talk to kill some time while waiting in the rain and cold for the #14 bus.

The weird little thing we did seems to be completely from another age - there were no mobile phones, no answering machines, no caller ID, and no social media.   What we did in 1979 had more in common with 1919 than 2012.

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ps  Nik or Andreas, feel free to comment with your memories

More Pro Sports Teams in Canada?

The Conference Board of Canada has looked out to 2035 to see what demand there could be for more professional sports teams in Canada.

The report found seven possible new locations for CFL teams, but I think there are more than that possible.

In BC I think there is a case to be made for two to three more teams

1) Surrey - a second lower mainland franchise but south of the river
2) Abbotsford - with Chilliwack this represents a population of 262,500
3) Kelowna - from Penticton to Vernon there are 280,750 people in the Okanagan Valley

I am not convinced that Victoria would support a team.

The report says there are enough people for a team in Saskatoon, but is this really the case? The Roughriders are a Saskatchewan team.

In Ontario the report suggests there is enough demand in London and Kitchner/Waterloo, but I think there is enough demand to add two more teams in the GTA and one in the St Catherines area for eight teams in Ontario.

In Quebec the obvious location is Quebec City but there should be enough demand to add two teams around Montreal.

In the Maritimes they suggest Moncton and Halifax but I can only see a team in Halifax.

So if one adds these teams you end up with a league of 18-22 teams which could be four  divisions

CFL EAST
Quebec East
Quebec City
Halifax
Montreal Argos
Laval
Ottawa

Ontario
Hamilton
Toronto Argos
Kitchener/Waterloo
Scarborough
London

CFL WEST
Prairies
Winnipeg
Saskatoon
Regina
Calgary
Edmonton

BC
Okanagan Valley
Abbotsford
Surrey
Vancouver
Victoria

You would play teams in your division twice, the other conference teams once and teams in one of the other conference divisions which would alternate from year to year.   This would be an 18 game season, the same as now.   The total number of games would go from 72 nationwide to 180 games.   This would take total attendance from just under 2,000,000 to just under 5,000,000

Let us say to you went to a schedule of 36 games - in your division four times, your conference twice and the over conference once.   This can be achieved by playing two games per week, one on the weekend and one mid week.   This would boost the total annual attendance to just under 10,000,000 a year.  Each team would sell twice as many tickets but without large cost increases and some reduced costs.

At the moment a typical CFL team take in about $14,000,000 in ticket sales, with more games this would rise to $28,000,000.   By comparison, a Canadian NHL team will in $60,000,000 to $80,000,000 in ticket sales.

One of the benefits would be a better travel schedule.   This would save the teams money.  Some teams would still have to travel more than others such as Halifax, but if the league averaged out the travel expenses over the whole league the costs per year should be lower.

Another benefit would be more rivalries of nearby towns.  In Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal it would mean a game in town every week.  This would increase attendance and media coverage.

Another NHL Labour Lockout?

It took me several years to really back into hockey after the last lockout.  It has only been seven years since the last lock out and it looks like we are headed towards another one.

If they really do lock out the players for a third time in 18 years I suspect that is the end of my interest in professional hockey.  

I grew up in a house where dinners on Saturday were timed to be eaten between the periods in the game - we ate fast when I was growing up.   I lost touch with the NHL over my time at university and living in the UK so it is only in 1992 that I really started to follow the league.   I have to admit it was Dan Gawthrop who got me interested in the Canucks again with the arrival of Pavel Bure.

A lost year means all the momentum the Canucks have built up will dissipate and I suspect some years in the wilderness are coming.  I lived through the Canucks of the 1970s and 80s when they were the worst team in the NHL, I can not get excited at the idea of a losing team.

Maybe I will start to follow the KHL.  In 1994 I had the IHL to follow.   I would also have time to properly follow the WHL which is more interesting now that there is a team in Victoria even if I hate their name.

I think it is bullshit that the NHL owners are playing chicken with the players.  What the NHL needs is to regroup as a league and focus on where the money is - Canada.   The league needs a team in Quebec City, Hamilton and a second team in Toronto and Montreal.   You can get these four teams from Phoenix, Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay.

POW Camp 2226 - where my father was from February 1945 to September 3rd 1945

My father, Axel von Schulmann, was a prisoner in British POW Camp 2226 which was located in Zedelgem near Brugge and Ostend in Belgium.  Given my father's Baltic background, it is of interest to note that the neighbouring camp 2227 in Zedelgem was for Latvians.

 My father arrived there sometime early in 1945 after having captured late in the Ardennes Offensive.   He was in the camp until September 3rd 1945.  He was had the number A 476444 but I have no idea if this was his number from the German military or one assigned to him in the camp.  He arrived in the camp around his 23rd birthday with no knowledge what had happened to his family.   At about the same time his father August von Schulmann was shot and dumped in a mass grave just east of the pre-war German/Polish border.

Camp 2226 seems to have held close to 20,000 German POWs of which 1/4 were officers and a number very senior naval officers.

A letter of reference for my father

Camp 2226 was guarded by the 19th Fuselier Battalion, which was created in February 1945 from Dutch speaking Belgians.  My father spoke about two of guards in the unit that happened to Jewish - Weiss and Gruen if I remember correctly.  One was pleasant and the other was not.

Discharge papers for Axel von Schulmann - due to water damage the details are
very hard to make out

Conditions of the camp became worse after the end of the war, the amount and quality of rations dropped.  My father did well with food because he played cards well.   Since food was really all they had to bet with my father ended up with more than his fair share of rations.   My father also benefited from working on the administration staff of the camp starting on May 1st 1945.  He worked for a Captain but I can not make out the name on the paper, best I can get is S.R. Berge(?).

My father's knowledge of English allowed him to get the work in the documents office of POW Camp 2226..  In general his knowledge of English benefited him several times between 1945 and 1952, when he arrived in Quebec City he had his first job in Canada before he even left the ship.

Why did my father know English?   It comes from his high school in Estonia.   At age 16 he was fluent in German and English and spoke decent Estonian.   Even though his education was in a German school, it was not the same as what was learned in Germany.   He graduated in 1938 from the Pernauer Deutsche Realgymnasium.   Remember, this was a school without any ideological leanings and no mass purging of teachers.

My father was released relatively early because he was a of a low rank and had a place to go to.   The family had an central address to contact each other at.   I suspect the fact he worked well with the Camp staff helped gain him an early release.  Others remained in British camps for several years.

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update on October 5th - pictures of Camp 2227 can be found at this link, thank you to Meredith Schofield

Canada and the Olympics - end results at London

The Canadian Olympic Committee wanted Canada to finish 12th in the medal standings but came 36th .  In the last six games before London Canada has been reasonably consistent in where it finished in the medal rankings but this time the country fell back

Games        Ranking G  S  B total athletes
2012 London    36th  1  5 12  18    277
2008 Beijing   19th  3  9  6  18    332
2004 Athens    21st  3  6  3  12    263
2000 Sydney    24th  3  3  8  14    294
1996 Atlanta   21st  3 11  8  22    303
1992 Barcelona 11th  7  4  7  18    295
1988 Seoul     19th  3  2  5  10    328
Canada has a smaller team in London than average.

Based on past Olympics Canada should  have won 3-4 gold, 5-6 silver and 6-7 bronze for a total of 15-16 medals.  With the medal total from Beijing, Canada would have finished 22nd overall, Athens and Sydney totals would have meant a 23rd overall finish

If we look at total medals it has been better for Canada since 1996 than ranking by gold medals.
2012 13th (+26)
2008 15th (+4)
2004 19th (+2)
2000 18th (+6)
1996 11th (+10)
1992 15th (-4)
1988 19th (+-0)

A dubious honour for the country that the nation does better coming second and third than first.

Canada has won a total of 59 gold, 99 silver and 120 bronze in 25 summer games.

Meanwhile when it comes to the Paralympics Canada has done well, in 11 summer Paralympic games Canada has won 339 gold, 272 silver, and 299 bronze which is fourth overall on the all time standings list.  Even though Canada does many times better at the Paralympic games, there is almost no coverage of them.

Mars Exploration - another success by NASA

With the arrival of Curiosity there are now five active missions on or around Mars.  Four of the current operating missions are from NASA, Mars Express is from ESA

• Mars Odyssey has been in orbit around the plant since February 19th 2002
• Mars Express has been in orbit since December 25th 2003
• Opportunity has been roving Mars since Janaury 25th 2004
• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been orbiting since March 10th 2006
• Curiosity landed yesterday

A total of 17 missions have either orbited or landed on Mars since the first successful orbit by Mariner 9 in 1971.  13 are NASA, 3 are Soviet and 1 ESA.   Only NASA has managed to land anything on the planet.

Longest operating missions - bold are landers, red are Soviet, green is ESA, underlined are current missions

1. Odyssey 3940 2001-current
2. Global Surveyor 3344 1997-2006
3. Express 3148 2003-current
4. Opportunity 3117 2004-current
5. Spirit 2635 2004-2011
6. Reconnaissance Orbiter 2342 2006-current
7. Viking 1 2308 1976-1982
8. Viking 1 Orbiter 1490 1976-1980
9. Viking 2 1317 1976-1980
10. Viking 2 Orbiter 691 1976-1978
11. Mariner 9 350 1971-1972
12. Mars 2 270 1971-1972
13. Mars 3 265 1971-1972
14. Phoenix 170 2008
15. Pathfinder 86 1997
16. Mars 5 9 1974
17. Curiosity 2 2012-current

From 1988 to 1999 there were 10 missions to Mars launched and only two successes.   Since 2001 there have been 10 missions to Mars with only three failures, all three of those were not NASA missions.   There has been a lot more success in the last decade than at anytime before when it comes to Mars exploration.

2013 should see the launch of two orbiters, one by India and one by NASA.  2016 could see as many as four more missions launched.

Number of missions active in years in which there have been active Mars missions

• 1971 3
• 1972 3 
• 1974 1
• 1976 4
• 1977 4
• 1978 4
• 1979 3
• 1980 3
• 1981 1
• 1982 1
• 1983-1996 0
• 1997 2
• 1998 1
• 1999 1
• 2000 1
• 2001 2
• 2002 2
• 2003 3
• 2004 5
• 2005 5
• 2006 6
• 2007 5
• 2008 6
• 2009 5
• 2010 5
• 2011 4
• 2012 5

How long till a US right wing talk show nutbar notices the new toonie?

I am not sure anyone else has ever put on a coin something depicting the defeat of the US.   This year Canada as released a $2 coin with the HMS Shannon on it.   I suspect when some US nutbar right wing talk show notices he is going to scream for blood, demand a boycott of Canada etc....

The Shannon is most renown for the capture of the USS Chesapeake on June 1st 1813

From the Royal Mint site:
"The War of 1812 was a fundamental turning point in Canada's history. Its history—including that of the Leda-class frigate, HMS Shannon—has become important chapters in the narrative of Canada's evolution from colony to sovereign nation. The two-dollar coin featuring HMS Shannon commemorates the historic 11-minute battle with USS Chesapeake off the coast of Boston. The capture of the Chesapeake marked a decisive naval victory for the British at a time when morale was waning."


This is only the first of five War of 1812 $2 coins that will be released in over the next year.   Coming are Issac Brock, Tecumseh, Charles-Michel de Salaberry and Laura Secord $2 coins.   I really have to wonder how the Americans are going to take Canada issuing all these coins celebrating the defeat of the US in the War of 1812?

Rowing at the Olympics

Rowing has been a major source of medals for Canada at the summer games since 1984 and should have been one of the sports which gave Canada more than two silver medals in 2012.

Year  G  S  B  Total
1984  1  2  3   6
1988  0  0  0   0
1992  4  0  1   5
1996  1  2  1   4
2000  0  0  1   1
2004  0  1  0   1
2008  1  1  2   4
2012  0  2  0   2
Total 7  8  8  23

Canadian transit rail systems

Just looking at how successful the various systems are in Canada as of best data I can get at the moment

City     km  stations daily passengers
Montreal  69.2  68      1,111,700
Toronto   70    69      1,054,200
Vancouver 68.7  47        406,300
Calgary   48.8  36        263,603
Edmonton  21    15         95,315
Ottawa     5     8         14,200
TOTAL    282.7 243      2,932,538


Toronto is in the process of extending the Younge-University-Spadina line to Vaughn adding 8.6 km of line and six new stations.  There is also the new Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown Line will include the Scarborough RT and some 20 km more line westwards


Vancouver has started construction of the Evergreen Line which will add 11 km and six new stations to the Skytrain system.


Calgary is building the West LRT which will add 8 km and 7 new stations.   Calgary is also extending the existing north west line by one station and the north east line by two stations.


Edmonton is currently adding three stations ona  North LRT expansion

Canada at the Summer Olympics

(updated on Saturday August 5th)
The Canadian Olympic Committee wants Canada to finish 12th in the medal standings, this is I think unrealistic given our past performance.  In the last six games before London Canada has been reasonably consistent in where it finished in the medal rankings.

Games        Ranking G  S  B total athletes
2012 London    21st  1  3  6  10    277
2008 Beijing   19th  3  9  6  18    332
2004 Athens    21st  3  6  3  12    263
2000 Sydney    24th  3  3  8  14    294
1996 Atlanta   21st  3 11  8  22    303
1992 Barcelona 11th  7  4  7  18    295
1988 Seoul     19th  3  2  5  10    328
Canada has a smaller team in London than average. 

Based on past Olympics Canada should win 3-4 gold, 5-6 silver and 6-7 bronze for a total of 15-16 medals.  Canada should finish the games in about 20th overall.

For Canada to finish 12th overall it would have to win 6 to 8 gold medals, something that is simply not realistic.   Since 1988 the Canadian results at the summer games have been reasonably consistent.

If we look at total medals it has been better for Canada since 1996 than ranking by gold medals.
2012 11th (+10)
2008 15th (+4)
2004 19th (+2)
2000 18th (+6)
1996 11th (+10)
1992 15th (-4)
1988 19th (+-0)

A dubious honour for the country that the nation does better coming second and third than first.

Historically Canada did much better at the summer games than the winter games.   From 1924 to 1976 Canada won 11 golds, 7 silver and 14 bronze at the winter games, 6 of those gold were in hockey.  In the summer games over the same time 12  golds, 32 silver, and 37 bronze.

Since 1988 this has changed.
        G  S  B  Total 
Summer  22 35 42  99
Winter  39 36 32 107

Even more impressive is when you keep in mind that Canada has had smaller teams at the winter games

Games            Ranking  G   S  B Total Athletes
2010 Vancouver      1st   14  7  5  26   206
2006 Turin          5th    7 10  7  24   196
2002 Salt Lake City 4th    7  3  7  17   150 
1998 Nagano         4th    6  5  4  15   144
1994 Lillehammer    7th    3  6  4  13    95
1992 Albertville    9th    2  3  2   7   108
1988 Calgary       13th    0  2  3   5   112


At the winter games you can see a very clear improvement trajectory over the last 24 years