Blue sky ...... check
Lunch ......... check
Music ......... check
Mountains ..... check
No builders ... check
They've gone. Finally gone. It feels so calm, so peaceful, so relaxing, so mountainy. No builders outside. Total heaven. By the distant sounds, someone else is dealing with the 7am power drill wake-up alarm. I feel bad for them, but not that bad.
Monday 29 October 2007
Sunday 28 October 2007
Monkey/arse/firework warning
Really not sure what this sign is supposed to mean. It's from a zoo (fairly obvious) but apparently it's warning of the dangers of setting off fireworks igniting the arses of the housed monkeys (not so obvious).
Click for full-size photo.
The monkey really doesn't look happy either.
Click for full-size photo.
The monkey really doesn't look happy either.
Thursday 25 October 2007
The best way to watch F1 with no tv
Had a bit of a problem this weekend. I wanted to watch the Formula 1 final race of the season - Lewis Hamilton perhaps being the first rookie to win the driver's championship. With British pride at stake, the culmination of millions of pounds and hours of work, a three-way battle for the title between Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikonnen - it was the pinnacle of a years battle on the track.
The problem came about with no-where showing the race and me not owning a tv. Of course option 2 came along with the BBC motorsport website giving updates but it was a bit bland. All right, but not very interactive reading a few sentences every couple of laps on what was happening. I dug around on the internet and found a website that had the contract for the real-time data going to the commentators that was streamed over the web. Seriously cool! So duly signed up for a free account and then had the power of the internet bring the action to my very home. All the split times, fastest laps, positions, pit stops. The lot in super-geeky stats dynamically updating format.
Sweet.
The problem came about with no-where showing the race and me not owning a tv. Of course option 2 came along with the BBC motorsport website giving updates but it was a bit bland. All right, but not very interactive reading a few sentences every couple of laps on what was happening. I dug around on the internet and found a website that had the contract for the real-time data going to the commentators that was streamed over the web. Seriously cool! So duly signed up for a free account and then had the power of the internet bring the action to my very home. All the split times, fastest laps, positions, pit stops. The lot in super-geeky stats dynamically updating format.
Sweet.
How regular are you?
I've been looking through my posting history on the blog and found out that there are less postings the less I'm doing. So when I'm really busy I post more. Weird inverse proportionality there.
It's still cold here in Chamonix, interseason continues to march on with us all stretching out fingers at the wintery light at the end of the tunnel. There's nothing even remotely interesting to report at the moment. I've decided to give up drinking for a while (or until the pubs open again), I'm about to share a bath with Pluck the yellow duck, I've been watching 8 out of 10 cats and Have I Got News For You on youtube of an evening after work. These are not interesting facts, but true ones.
The good news is that I'm walking around constantly grinning at everything. Awesome. I'm hoping this is down to being excited about the imminent arrival of the wonderous powdery snow. Metres of the white stuff to ride. I hope it's not interseason madness clouding the mind.
It's still cold here in Chamonix, interseason continues to march on with us all stretching out fingers at the wintery light at the end of the tunnel. There's nothing even remotely interesting to report at the moment. I've decided to give up drinking for a while (or until the pubs open again), I'm about to share a bath with Pluck the yellow duck, I've been watching 8 out of 10 cats and Have I Got News For You on youtube of an evening after work. These are not interesting facts, but true ones.
The good news is that I'm walking around constantly grinning at everything. Awesome. I'm hoping this is down to being excited about the imminent arrival of the wonderous powdery snow. Metres of the white stuff to ride. I hope it's not interseason madness clouding the mind.
Tuesday 23 October 2007
Seasonal Affective Disorder
We're knee-deep in interseason now. The madness has arrived to all in the valley and Chamonix's in a catatonic, zombie state. Guys are walking around with no less than 4 days growth on their chins, girls are not colour co-ordinated. People wear dirty clothes and there's a kind of air of Nirvana (the Seattle-based grunge/rock band, not the Buddhist state of enlightenment) about the place. Simply put no-one gives a fuck.
The seasonal affective disorder that keeps getting mentioned in the UK press is magnified. The British media should come out here and really see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. The other day I felt it was appropriate to nip to the bakers in the morning in my dressing gown and trainers. Bearing in mind that I live in the middle of Chamonix this was probably not exactly what people were expecting to see. The good news was that the only other people around were zombies and there was another chap in a dressing gown too so we positively looked like the norm. I'll be honest though, I totally felt like "The Dude" out of The Big Lebowski.
The best good news is that we're currently coming out of the madness as the recession of autumn marches on into the sparkling, sprinkling, twinkling winter with all the snow and adventures it brings.
Well I'm off to go and join the other like-minded monkeys who live in the valley to celebrate a birthday. Unlike them however I will be shaved, fresh haircut and wearing clean clothes. This is because I'm english By Jove! And we dress for dinner, no matter the circumstance.
The seasonal affective disorder that keeps getting mentioned in the UK press is magnified. The British media should come out here and really see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. The other day I felt it was appropriate to nip to the bakers in the morning in my dressing gown and trainers. Bearing in mind that I live in the middle of Chamonix this was probably not exactly what people were expecting to see. The good news was that the only other people around were zombies and there was another chap in a dressing gown too so we positively looked like the norm. I'll be honest though, I totally felt like "The Dude" out of The Big Lebowski.
The best good news is that we're currently coming out of the madness as the recession of autumn marches on into the sparkling, sprinkling, twinkling winter with all the snow and adventures it brings.
Well I'm off to go and join the other like-minded monkeys who live in the valley to celebrate a birthday. Unlike them however I will be shaved, fresh haircut and wearing clean clothes. This is because I'm english By Jove! And we dress for dinner, no matter the circumstance.
Sunday 21 October 2007
Tis Cold!
It's cold, like really cold. England lost the World Cup last night and walking back from the game there was a very very crisp feel to the air feeling like the anhydrous clean smell of an imminent snowfall. I had to scrape ice off the car on Friday night as well - apparently it was -3°C. We've not had any precipitation for a few weeks now, it's almost like the mountains and clouds are saving it all up for one massive dump pre-season. Get the base layer really deep and thick before the lifts open.
Right now I just want the pre-season to end and we can all get involved in the winter. There's loads to do and loads to look forward to. Chamonix town center is dead with the town taking a collective deep breath before the tourists come back with skis and poles in tow. The boys are getting fidgety and there's a sort of nervous tension amongst the locals waiting for the fun to kick off again.
I've even started looking at all my gear, wiping it down and getting it sorted out and fixing small things. I've spoken to Shaun about when we're opening up the transfer business full-time and put together some riding playlists to listen to on the mountain.
I can't believe how nervous I am, at least we're all in the same boat out here!
Right now I just want the pre-season to end and we can all get involved in the winter. There's loads to do and loads to look forward to. Chamonix town center is dead with the town taking a collective deep breath before the tourists come back with skis and poles in tow. The boys are getting fidgety and there's a sort of nervous tension amongst the locals waiting for the fun to kick off again.
I've even started looking at all my gear, wiping it down and getting it sorted out and fixing small things. I've spoken to Shaun about when we're opening up the transfer business full-time and put together some riding playlists to listen to on the mountain.
I can't believe how nervous I am, at least we're all in the same boat out here!
Thursday 18 October 2007
Beautiful day
The mountains just look amazing today - clear blue skies and some high turbulent cloud around the peaks like an unruly mop of hair in the wind. It's days like this where I'm working away and feeling content that I really, really love my life.
I'm really looking to give one of my old boards its first wax ready for the season and I'm even thinking to bring out an old board, the silver dart (Burton Special 57 tricks board) and give it a bit of a slide at Tignes. Awesome.
I'm really looking to give one of my old boards its first wax ready for the season and I'm even thinking to bring out an old board, the silver dart (Burton Special 57 tricks board) and give it a bit of a slide at Tignes. Awesome.
Wednesday 17 October 2007
Monday 15 October 2007
Pre-pre-season training at Tignes
Aaah Tignes. That godawful resort. It's a shocker, architecturally and skiing-wise. I guess it fulfils a purpose but it's not what I'd like. There's not much soul there but there is fresh snow, and it's all-year round high altitude skiing accessible from lifts.
I went out for a beer with Mark from All Mountain Performance yesterday and he asked me to do a two-man roadtrip for the day to Tignes to get in a bit of pre-pre-season riding in. He's running some pre-season advanced skiing courses there in a couple of weeks and wanted to get a quick slide in before we hit the time when we're all supposed to look a bit more professional on the mountain. Actually I don't have to look pro, he does, but any chance to go snowboarding right?
Mark ripping it up.
I've purchased a pair of MacDaddy Bling Bling goggles as well. They're on discount discount (last years model and discounted further). A pair of Von Zipper Feenom's with a spare lens. I love them. They will make me a better snowboarder and they're so beautiful probably a better man too.
Feel the Bling.
The Southern Alps
Just come back from a wicked break in the Southern Alps. Nipped down to near Gap (apparently NOT where they make the clothes) with Abi and Katy for a few days. It was awesome - we stayed at Katy's aunt's place which is an old place high up in the middle of nowhere that's recently been refurbished.
We tootled off down there going the scenic route going around Grenoble, slowly winding our way through the various valleys and passes before reaching our destination, some 4 hours away.
We all got rather heavily involved with the Sky TV and gin and tonics on offer (none of us have TV at home) and slept a lot and splashed about where appropriate. Abi put her skills as a masseuse to good use, we had a mini-adventure to a big hypermarket in Gap (my sort of fun!) and generally relaxed getting ready for the season.
Here's some photos.
The view from in front of the house looking at the mountains.
The garden and HOT TUB, woohoo!
The living room with accompanying very cool arched ceiling.
The girls very excitedly (and drunkly) dancing around the kitchen.
The right-hand side of the house (kitchen).
The left-hand side of the house (living room).
All in all a really good mini break. And a much-needed one as well. I was starting to go a little crazy from work and it was brilliant to get away and chill. The temperature has dropped considerably in the Chamonix valley now. The same snow has sat up higher for a few weeks and the leaves on the trees are dropping and littering the pathways around town and in the woods. Everywhere has taken on a golden hue with reds and oranges and yellows bursting from the different variety of trees. We're deep in the grip of Autumn with its kaleidescope of colours pushing their way into the visual senses.
The air is starting to smell like snow now as well. Everyone's got a slightly manic, disturbed grin tugging at the corner of their mouths in gleeful anticipation of the winter. People are starting to put skiing videos on and the winter hat collections are making an appearance around town. How cool? Very cool.
We tootled off down there going the scenic route going around Grenoble, slowly winding our way through the various valleys and passes before reaching our destination, some 4 hours away.
We all got rather heavily involved with the Sky TV and gin and tonics on offer (none of us have TV at home) and slept a lot and splashed about where appropriate. Abi put her skills as a masseuse to good use, we had a mini-adventure to a big hypermarket in Gap (my sort of fun!) and generally relaxed getting ready for the season.
Here's some photos.
The view from in front of the house looking at the mountains.
The garden and HOT TUB, woohoo!
The living room with accompanying very cool arched ceiling.
The girls very excitedly (and drunkly) dancing around the kitchen.
The right-hand side of the house (kitchen).
The left-hand side of the house (living room).
All in all a really good mini break. And a much-needed one as well. I was starting to go a little crazy from work and it was brilliant to get away and chill. The temperature has dropped considerably in the Chamonix valley now. The same snow has sat up higher for a few weeks and the leaves on the trees are dropping and littering the pathways around town and in the woods. Everywhere has taken on a golden hue with reds and oranges and yellows bursting from the different variety of trees. We're deep in the grip of Autumn with its kaleidescope of colours pushing their way into the visual senses.
The air is starting to smell like snow now as well. Everyone's got a slightly manic, disturbed grin tugging at the corner of their mouths in gleeful anticipation of the winter. People are starting to put skiing videos on and the winter hat collections are making an appearance around town. How cool? Very cool.
Sunday 7 October 2007
The Godfather
Over the past few days during free time I've watched the Godfather trilogy and read up all about the films on Wikipedia. The first of the trilogy still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, it's that good. The second is brilliant, and the third kind of rounds everything off nicely.
Admittedly The Godfather Part III isn't as good as the preceding two, it was filmed some 16 years after the Part II in 1990. After reading about the films individually and collectively I found out that Francis Ford Coppola actually didn't want to make Part III, it was just that he was in a financial crisis after a big-budget movie flopped. Paramount had a long-standing offer to make a third film and he eventually relented.
Insofar as favourite films, this does rank highly - very highly. I think I've got the next series of films lined up to watch over the coming days and weeks of an evening too: The Big Lebowski, Get Shorty, The Three Amigos, The Usual Suspects. Quality shining through the whole lot.
Bloody nose
Got clocked by a cyclist in Les Houches this morning walking across the road. Luckily she wasn't going at Mach 9 and didn't fall off. Unfortunately came off the collision worse with a bit of a bloody nose. Was thinking tho, it's been ages since I got a bloody nose.
Of course I was terribly manly about the whole thing and staunched the flow of blood and just got on with things. I'm so hard.
Of course I was terribly manly about the whole thing and staunched the flow of blood and just got on with things. I'm so hard.
Friday 5 October 2007
reCAPTCHA
A CAPTCHA image:
I read about this amazing bit of technology today. It's to do with CAPTCHA, the challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether the user is human. Classically the CAPTCHA image text is entered into a form when signing up for a website (to prevent spammers, etc, using computers to sign up millions of accounts automatically).
A CAPTCHA image being used signing up for Google:
Essentially there's a problem in the academic world with converting current physical texts (books, papers, scrolls, etc) into digital media. The most advanced text-scanning software is called Optical Character Recognition (OCR) but still can only accurately read about 90% of the words. Around one word in ten is mis-read by OCR. As there are around 100 million books waiting to be digitized and the only way to accurately decipher these words is with human intervention, this is a big problem.
OCR mis-reading words:
The ingenious solution the guys at OCR have come up with is called reCAPTCHA. It puts the undecipherable words into CAPTCHA images for website sign-ups. To double-check the authenticity of the response to the CAPTCHA check they put the image out to two different people and if both the responses match - bingo.
A reCAPTCHA image:
With this solution the guys using OCR are able to decipher around one million words per day - saving around three thousand man hours per day. And that's awesome.
Original article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7023627.stm
CAPTCHA on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha
I read about this amazing bit of technology today. It's to do with CAPTCHA, the challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether the user is human. Classically the CAPTCHA image text is entered into a form when signing up for a website (to prevent spammers, etc, using computers to sign up millions of accounts automatically).
A CAPTCHA image being used signing up for Google:
Essentially there's a problem in the academic world with converting current physical texts (books, papers, scrolls, etc) into digital media. The most advanced text-scanning software is called Optical Character Recognition (OCR) but still can only accurately read about 90% of the words. Around one word in ten is mis-read by OCR. As there are around 100 million books waiting to be digitized and the only way to accurately decipher these words is with human intervention, this is a big problem.
OCR mis-reading words:
The ingenious solution the guys at OCR have come up with is called reCAPTCHA. It puts the undecipherable words into CAPTCHA images for website sign-ups. To double-check the authenticity of the response to the CAPTCHA check they put the image out to two different people and if both the responses match - bingo.
A reCAPTCHA image:
With this solution the guys using OCR are able to decipher around one million words per day - saving around three thousand man hours per day. And that's awesome.
Original article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7023627.stm
CAPTCHA on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha
Thursday 4 October 2007
Nose to the grindstone
Got so much work on it's untrue. It's great to be a busy little squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter, this is exactly the position I want and need to be in. I've written a list of things that I need for this winter season and am ticking items off as I earn the money to buy them.
Essentials
Year's lift pass
The big one - just under €700 this time round. Expensive isn't even the word. Still unless I suddenly turn into a combination of Spiderman and Superman we're going to need one.
Avalanche transceiver
A fairly necessary bit of kit, my one's not looking very healthy at all and it's nice to have one to stay alive. I have a feeling it blips when it should blap and vice-versa. This isn't good.
Avalanche shovel/probe
Important for keeping mates alive. My shovel is cracked and I don't really want to be finding out it's not up to the task whilst digging out one of the lads. Better get one in advance. My probe is wonky (it bends to the left by about 8", vicar) and so this requires attention as all the riding buddies are stick thin and this would miss 'em.
Goggles
After having gone through 4 pairs last year (well technically 3 but the last pair have a cracked lens) these need replacing. Also I remember swearing a lot when they fogged up. We'll be trying to avoid hitting trees, dogs, other skiiers, chairlift supports this year with a pair of crystal-clear goggles.
Gimme gimme gimme
iPod nano
After an unfortunate incident slamming into a quarterpipe at the end of last season, my long-loved iPod screen got cracked. It still works but only plays tracks in artist alphabet order. I listen to A LOT of AC/DC and Aerosmith and The Animals these days. It's not essential to have a new one, but I'm going to miss listening to music whilst riding. I've got a backup plan for this tho which involves going to Carrefour and buying a cheapy mp3 player.
Riding trousers
It's generally acknowledged that I have a pair of the coolest snowboarding trousers in the whole of the Alps but unfortunately they're starting to be built of more gaffer tape than material these days. I do have a spare pair, but they're old. Hmmm, I can get another half-season out of the pair of them I reckon. Just wear an extra pair of long johns and deal with the frostbite on my giblets by soaking in a nice warm bath at the end of the day.
Snow booties
Need some footwear for the winter. Last year I missed out on purchasing a pair of insulated wellington boot type snow booties. This year we're gonna have 'em to keep the feet dry and the toes toastie. They don't look stylish but then neither do I, mind you I don't particularly care!
Snowboarding boots
Yeah mine are missing some essential bits. I'm going to try to fix them but to be honest they need replacing at some stage soon. Going to see if I can find a pair of last years model on sale. Something bling baby.
Snowboard
Rodney the Rocket (my main board) and I had a wee bit of an accident last year and we cracked his tail rail. This isn't good but I did ride him for a while after without any serious repercussions. He needs to man up and take the punishment for the first part of the season until I switch to my other board (which I've a feeling I'll snap as it's very spinney) or purchase a new one. I predict I'll be blogging about purchasing a new board 6 weeks into the new season!
That's pretty much it for the gear. Merv needs a service and some snow tires and whatnot but that's going to get done shortly.
Essentials
Year's lift pass
The big one - just under €700 this time round. Expensive isn't even the word. Still unless I suddenly turn into a combination of Spiderman and Superman we're going to need one.
Avalanche transceiver
A fairly necessary bit of kit, my one's not looking very healthy at all and it's nice to have one to stay alive. I have a feeling it blips when it should blap and vice-versa. This isn't good.
Avalanche shovel/probe
Important for keeping mates alive. My shovel is cracked and I don't really want to be finding out it's not up to the task whilst digging out one of the lads. Better get one in advance. My probe is wonky (it bends to the left by about 8", vicar) and so this requires attention as all the riding buddies are stick thin and this would miss 'em.
Goggles
After having gone through 4 pairs last year (well technically 3 but the last pair have a cracked lens) these need replacing. Also I remember swearing a lot when they fogged up. We'll be trying to avoid hitting trees, dogs, other skiiers, chairlift supports this year with a pair of crystal-clear goggles.
Gimme gimme gimme
iPod nano
After an unfortunate incident slamming into a quarterpipe at the end of last season, my long-loved iPod screen got cracked. It still works but only plays tracks in artist alphabet order. I listen to A LOT of AC/DC and Aerosmith and The Animals these days. It's not essential to have a new one, but I'm going to miss listening to music whilst riding. I've got a backup plan for this tho which involves going to Carrefour and buying a cheapy mp3 player.
Riding trousers
It's generally acknowledged that I have a pair of the coolest snowboarding trousers in the whole of the Alps but unfortunately they're starting to be built of more gaffer tape than material these days. I do have a spare pair, but they're old. Hmmm, I can get another half-season out of the pair of them I reckon. Just wear an extra pair of long johns and deal with the frostbite on my giblets by soaking in a nice warm bath at the end of the day.
Snow booties
Need some footwear for the winter. Last year I missed out on purchasing a pair of insulated wellington boot type snow booties. This year we're gonna have 'em to keep the feet dry and the toes toastie. They don't look stylish but then neither do I, mind you I don't particularly care!
Snowboarding boots
Yeah mine are missing some essential bits. I'm going to try to fix them but to be honest they need replacing at some stage soon. Going to see if I can find a pair of last years model on sale. Something bling baby.
Snowboard
Rodney the Rocket (my main board) and I had a wee bit of an accident last year and we cracked his tail rail. This isn't good but I did ride him for a while after without any serious repercussions. He needs to man up and take the punishment for the first part of the season until I switch to my other board (which I've a feeling I'll snap as it's very spinney) or purchase a new one. I predict I'll be blogging about purchasing a new board 6 weeks into the new season!
That's pretty much it for the gear. Merv needs a service and some snow tires and whatnot but that's going to get done shortly.
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