Tuesday, January 4, 2011
HTMLzzz
So I am on a new mission before school starts to learn everything I can about HTML coding. I have to create a web page for my company...so my blog may be rather strange for awhile in my experimentation process. I'll let my fans (yea you 2 are the best!) know when it's done so yall can oogle at this coded masterpiece (HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA! :P)
p.s. Something cool happened to me yesterday. When I went to TKD, my old instructor was teaching. He even had a present for me! Turns out that when I was studying for my black belt before, my mom had paid him to put a UTF (universal tae kwon do federation) patch on my uniform. He did it, and he kept it all these years that I was not in TKD on the hope that I would one day come back. It nearly made me cry when he gave it to me. And it still fit! :) pics to come.
oh wait Im supposed to be working!
p.s. Something cool happened to me yesterday. When I went to TKD, my old instructor was teaching. He even had a present for me! Turns out that when I was studying for my black belt before, my mom had paid him to put a UTF (universal tae kwon do federation) patch on my uniform. He did it, and he kept it all these years that I was not in TKD on the hope that I would one day come back. It nearly made me cry when he gave it to me. And it still fit! :) pics to come.
oh wait Im supposed to be working!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
What IS a claimstaker anyways?
For those of you who are curious, and for those of you who don't know, I made this blog for you. A claimstaker is a rare breed nowadays, most often confused with prospectors, miners, surveyors, mountain men and crazy folks (yep it's true! you have to be crazy to love this work).
If you have ever heard the term to "stake a claim", it probably has roots in this profession. Basically, it is a branch of surveying that none of the registered surveyors would want to do in their right mind. Let me explain.
So when a mine first starts up, what they have to do is get some guy (mostly geologists) that says, "Hey! I think there is gold here!" And then some investors turn their head, thinking to themselves, "Wow. If that hits gold, we'll be rich guys!", so they gather a bunch of money (and hopefully a few other players) and they go out and look to a landman to see where the property rights stand (among other things). The landman then hires on a claimstaker to go out there and claim the land for them with a bunch of 2X2 posts and location monuments.
We use (and have used) sweat off our brow, 4-wheelers, donkeys, mules, grit and determination to go to the most random locations and to state these claims. We build maps to run off of, we survey with fancy GPS units and hoof it until we finish the jobs. Sometimes we are rushing against competitors in the same area. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows. Most times it's windy. In the summer, the sun beats you down. But every once and awhile, you climb that perfect mountain, on that perfect day, and find god in your work.
We haven't gone without criticism for our job. But I've never been so close to nature as when I run lines with my dad. It's hard work, but it's liberating.
If you have ever heard the term to "stake a claim", it probably has roots in this profession. Basically, it is a branch of surveying that none of the registered surveyors would want to do in their right mind. Let me explain.
So when a mine first starts up, what they have to do is get some guy (mostly geologists) that says, "Hey! I think there is gold here!" And then some investors turn their head, thinking to themselves, "Wow. If that hits gold, we'll be rich guys!", so they gather a bunch of money (and hopefully a few other players) and they go out and look to a landman to see where the property rights stand (among other things). The landman then hires on a claimstaker to go out there and claim the land for them with a bunch of 2X2 posts and location monuments.
We use (and have used) sweat off our brow, 4-wheelers, donkeys, mules, grit and determination to go to the most random locations and to state these claims. We build maps to run off of, we survey with fancy GPS units and hoof it until we finish the jobs. Sometimes we are rushing against competitors in the same area. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows. Most times it's windy. In the summer, the sun beats you down. But every once and awhile, you climb that perfect mountain, on that perfect day, and find god in your work.
We haven't gone without criticism for our job. But I've never been so close to nature as when I run lines with my dad. It's hard work, but it's liberating.
animal totem
A friend of a friend posted something about animal totems, and I feel obligated to respond.
First, if anyone has not read Clan of the Cave Bear, I highly recommend it. The book has a strong reverence to all things nature, and digs deep into humanity as a whole and personal strength. To me, it was a first eye opening experience to the symbolism of animal spirits within ourselves.
I once knew this person who was a raven. For all that is good about that statement, and for all that is bad, this person was. A raven in mythology has many meanings. They are sleek, black, mysterious and cunning. Some consider it good, however, there are many other translations. It is also a carrion and a harbinger. It surrounds the dead and eats the flesh. A raven is a messenger and an omen. But a raven also is in essence a reality. This raven in particular helped me to realize my sign, as well as the signs of the people around me.
Everyone I know is really an animal underneath it all. Strip the clothes and the flesh and all that remains is an essence of character. Animals are character. We are animals.
Another animal that had an influence on me was a burrowing owl. She was beautiful, and my time spent with her was not long enough. She knew enough about the world to observe it, but to not take it too seriously. She was flexible in her manner and accurate in her attempts. She worked hard, still does in fact. And the love she has for her family was one to be admired.
I also know a few horses. They amble around with the highest curiosities for life. They love to travel and play in the sun. I have a sincere love for all horses, and I hold these people close to my heart.
My mother is a Rooster. My sister is an Ox. My father is another Horse. This is pure Chinese astrology, but its symbolism works as well.
Myself, I am a snow leopard. How arrogant that must seem, but I can not for the life of me think as to what else I would be. I am, after all, an Aries Tiger, but that in itself is not enough. I have an Aquarius moon and a Libra rising.
Hocus pocus, some may think, but this too is a lie. If you have never had your charts read, you should do it. The moon sign is how you perceive yourself, the rising sign is how the world perceives you, and the sun sign (the one you probably know)is just general characteristics you may have (though it may not be enough to formulate an entire picture).
As for the snow leopard part. Well. There aren't very many of us, and you wouldn't catch anyone else running around on the mountains like we do. Chances are that you have never seen one, but they have probably seen you. You would be surprised.
Oh, and Happy New Year everyone! It's 2011! Now what?
First, if anyone has not read Clan of the Cave Bear, I highly recommend it. The book has a strong reverence to all things nature, and digs deep into humanity as a whole and personal strength. To me, it was a first eye opening experience to the symbolism of animal spirits within ourselves.
I once knew this person who was a raven. For all that is good about that statement, and for all that is bad, this person was. A raven in mythology has many meanings. They are sleek, black, mysterious and cunning. Some consider it good, however, there are many other translations. It is also a carrion and a harbinger. It surrounds the dead and eats the flesh. A raven is a messenger and an omen. But a raven also is in essence a reality. This raven in particular helped me to realize my sign, as well as the signs of the people around me.
Everyone I know is really an animal underneath it all. Strip the clothes and the flesh and all that remains is an essence of character. Animals are character. We are animals.
Another animal that had an influence on me was a burrowing owl. She was beautiful, and my time spent with her was not long enough. She knew enough about the world to observe it, but to not take it too seriously. She was flexible in her manner and accurate in her attempts. She worked hard, still does in fact. And the love she has for her family was one to be admired.
I also know a few horses. They amble around with the highest curiosities for life. They love to travel and play in the sun. I have a sincere love for all horses, and I hold these people close to my heart.
My mother is a Rooster. My sister is an Ox. My father is another Horse. This is pure Chinese astrology, but its symbolism works as well.
Myself, I am a snow leopard. How arrogant that must seem, but I can not for the life of me think as to what else I would be. I am, after all, an Aries Tiger, but that in itself is not enough. I have an Aquarius moon and a Libra rising.
Hocus pocus, some may think, but this too is a lie. If you have never had your charts read, you should do it. The moon sign is how you perceive yourself, the rising sign is how the world perceives you, and the sun sign (the one you probably know)is just general characteristics you may have (though it may not be enough to formulate an entire picture).
As for the snow leopard part. Well. There aren't very many of us, and you wouldn't catch anyone else running around on the mountains like we do. Chances are that you have never seen one, but they have probably seen you. You would be surprised.
Oh, and Happy New Year everyone! It's 2011! Now what?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
feeling poetic
this is your moment.
you have worked so hard.
between what your parents told you
and what society raised
you have tried your best
you have suffered
you have prayed.
they taught you religion
they filled you with fears
they measured your brain
and they watched all those years.
even the history books
were subject to sewer
they took out the truth
and added manure.
science is science
unless you can apply it.
utilize the truth
and come to rely on it.
this is the moment
you can make a choice.
reteach the unlearning
it was quite discerning.
or you can continue.
in an ignorant fashion
listen to the brain waves
feel the compassion.
you have worked so hard.
between what your parents told you
and what society raised
you have tried your best
you have suffered
you have prayed.
they taught you religion
they filled you with fears
they measured your brain
and they watched all those years.
even the history books
were subject to sewer
they took out the truth
and added manure.
science is science
unless you can apply it.
utilize the truth
and come to rely on it.
this is the moment
you can make a choice.
reteach the unlearning
it was quite discerning.
or you can continue.
in an ignorant fashion
listen to the brain waves
feel the compassion.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
GIS !
Man, this stuff is pretty cool. Im getting down to the nitty gritty, analyzing geocoding, and dynamic segmentation. Geocoding refers to the process of assigning spatial locations to data in fields that describe their locations. Google Maps and Mapquest use this process whenever you need directions off of the internet. This reference database (which is public knowledge) has a road network with appropriate attributes so that the address location will be apparent in real time.
Do you remember the census that we all had to take last year? Well, it is still being analyzed and recorded, however, you can access the most recent information through the US census bureau's website. A lot of the data is recorded as TIGER/Line polygon vector data, which is a bunch of fancy jargon for shapefiles. Most importantly, it includes street names and other such important/relevant data.
How is this important? Why am I even talking about this, you may ask. Well, because it really IS important. For instance, how do you think OnStar works when your vehicle is broken down? How do emergency services find you when you dial 911? Where exactly WOULD we be if not for Google Maps? LOST that's where!
But that's not to say that this technology will always be made for the good of man kind. It also has potential for great danger. It's common knowledge that at any point in time, someone can track you with your phone (or at least I hope people know this). I don't know about you, but it makes me a little uncomfortable knowing that the government can find you anywhere at anytime. And have you heard that Obama is trying to make the internet indoctrinated to American law? Yes. A government internet. Man this big brother thing freaks me out. I'm going back to work!
Do you remember the census that we all had to take last year? Well, it is still being analyzed and recorded, however, you can access the most recent information through the US census bureau's website. A lot of the data is recorded as TIGER/Line polygon vector data, which is a bunch of fancy jargon for shapefiles. Most importantly, it includes street names and other such important/relevant data.
How is this important? Why am I even talking about this, you may ask. Well, because it really IS important. For instance, how do you think OnStar works when your vehicle is broken down? How do emergency services find you when you dial 911? Where exactly WOULD we be if not for Google Maps? LOST that's where!
But that's not to say that this technology will always be made for the good of man kind. It also has potential for great danger. It's common knowledge that at any point in time, someone can track you with your phone (or at least I hope people know this). I don't know about you, but it makes me a little uncomfortable knowing that the government can find you anywhere at anytime. And have you heard that Obama is trying to make the internet indoctrinated to American law? Yes. A government internet. Man this big brother thing freaks me out. I'm going back to work!
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