500 Photos One Face

While looking through my Stumble Upon feed I came across a photograph of a woman.  A closer look revealed that the picture was not what it seemed to be.  In fact it was not a single person's face but, a collection of 500 photos.

Tiemen Rapati took 500 photographs and counted the RGB* values of each pixel for each portrait.  Then he divided the values by 500 and what he came up with....Is well eerie.  The portrait made it on to the Geeks  are Sexy site and of course he has a link to it on Flicker.

Mr. Rapati recently graduated from the ArtEZ Academy of Arts Arnhem, he has since moved into a role as a designer at United Visual Artists.  His blog www.tiemenrapti.com/blog features his other works of art.  Pretty cool stuff if I do say so myself.

By the way RGB stands for Red Green Blue.  The basic colours that make up the colour white.  But, you probably already knew that.

Cliff T.

Quinn Farm

When I was a kid I had the pleasure of having a live tree in my home for several of the Christmases of my youth.  I have even helped with cutting one myself.  The fun part was getting it down off the mountain we were on.  I'll save that story for my memoirs.

Just outside of Montreal is the Quinn Farm.  It's open year round and with Christmas approaching you and your family can make some pretty nice memories at the farm.  Farm animals, food crafts and yes from Thursday to Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM you can pretend to be a lumberjack and cut your own tree for Christmas.

All the details regarding activities at the farm can be found by visiting the website and blog.  Your better bet is the main site as the blog only has one entry.  You can visit the site at http://www.quinnfarm.qc.ca.

Mixed Nuts features blogs and cool places and things to see and do in Montreal.  If you write or know of a cool blog or are in Montreal and you have the inside scoop on cool things to see and do in the city pass them along to me.  You can send me an email, the address is cjames5a@gmail.com.  Thanks for stopping by.


C. T.

Detroit Fire House Blog

It's most famous for having to deal with a night of arson but, the Detroit Fire Department is more than just notable for having to deal with devil's night.  This department has some of the busiest companies in America.

I found a blog dedicated to the DFD.  On the DFD blog you're going to find links to various other DFD sites pictures and blog entries related to the fire and other types of calls the department handles.  The site is pretty basic as blogs go.  I have to say that the FAQ could use some updating or more info.

This site is what I would call a starting point or landing page.  Very basic straight forward site and it's easy to get to on the net, the address is http://detroitfirehouse.com.

Blogs and cool Montreal sites, that is Mixed Nuts.  If you are a blogger or are from Montreal and want to be featured here.  Send an email to cjames5a@gmail.com  and I will be happy to click on over and write a quick article about your blog or Montreal site here on the blog.

C. T.

Poutine

Boston is famous for Pizza, Buffalo for wings and in Montreal it's the Poutine that reigns supreme.

The dish consists of fries cheese curds and sauce and it is very well known throughout Quebec and of course here in Montreal.  Many eateries here in the city have taken Poutine to a new level by adding their own ingredients into the mix. 

Montreal Poutine explores the world of the Poutine.  On the site are links to places you can go to to get Poutine as well as the history, recipes and yes an online store where you can get goodies like T-shirts so you can show off how much you love Poutines. 

To begin your Poutine adventure click on over to Montreal Poutine their web address is http://www.montrealpoutine.com

C. T.

Tennis Blogs

To be honest I do not know why I chose to write about tennis blogs.  Maybe it's because I have been speaking with a former colleague of mine as of late.  He is a big sports fan, his passion for tennis was noticeable.  Every chance he got, the TV in the staff lounge would be tuned to TSN and if tennis was on Andrew was glued to the tube.  Andrew is still passionate about tennis but, also likes other sports, this summer he was part of a baseball team here in Montreal.

Anyway back to my thought.  I got to thinking that it might be interesting to see if there are blogs about tennis on the net.  Silly me of course there are blogs about tennisb duh.  Below is a list of some that I found interesting.

http://craighickmanontennis.blogspot.com

http://www.tenniscountry.com

http://www.jeffsalzensteintennis.com

These were just three I found in a quick search on Google.  There are lots of others out there for you to explore.

Cliff T.

Emond St. Germain et Freres-Tree Guys

Trees, an important component of the ecology even in a city like Montreal. Trees not only provide shade they also are homes for birds, small animals and they freshen the air. They are living parts of the community and just like any living thing they experience growth and health issues. They can be and are beautiful and are also a hazard in some ways. Especially when they grow up near a power line.

We have lots of trees on our street, one was cut last year as it was old and dying. This year a new one was planted in front of our house, I decided to name it Bob. There is another tree near our house that has been pruned and it looks like it has a big whole in it. It's actually called a V prune and this type of cut allows the tree to grow in such a way that the growth moves away from the power line which by the way runs through the hole. Actually there are four power lines that run through it. I thought that it looked interesting so I keyed a search for companies that do this kind of work and found Emond St. Germain et Freres.

The company does a variety of work. Pruning, topping and felling a tree are among the specialties of the company. They also have some interesting info in the FAQ section of the site. The health of the tree is the concern of the team and they take pride in the work they do, this is evidenced by the photos on the site.

For more information about Emond St. Germain et Freres visit the site at emondagestgermain.com.

Speaking of sites and blogs if you know of a cool blog or place in the Montreal region drop me a line at cjames5a@gmail.com. I will take a look at the site and post my thoughts on it here. Thanks for stopping by.

Cliff T.

? VS ? Question Who Wins? You Decide

I have to admit that I am not really a comparison shopper. Something catches the eye I go for it. Though I have to say I do prefer a brand for each of the things I have. Computers HP, phones usually an LG and so on. The site I found for this log entry is not a shopping comparison site but, more like a battle of the site. Who Would Win A Fight features products people and things that people can vote for in head to head competition. Examples include Genesis vs Super Nintendo, Ipad vs Zoom and Walmart vs Target, just to name some. You can vote and comment on the selection you pick.

Created by Broken Studios, now there is an interesting name, the blog lets visitors choose who they think has the best gadgets, who is the best band etc. Just from reading the blog it seems that a couple of 20 something guys decided to create the site based on the experience of conversations they had in bars about who or what was cool vs what was not. Clever idea since we all like to compare notes on subjects of interest.

I do not think there is much in the way of science here as far as statics are concerned. This looks more like a blog where fans of people and things can go to compare for the fun of it. Enjoy and if you have a blog or are a Montrealer who has a cool Montreal spot or activity you want to promote please feel free to email me at cjames5a@gmail.com I will be happy to visit and take a peek and of course post here on Mixed nuts.

Cliff T.

Montreal Is A Buzzin With Activity Find Out More At The Montreal Buzz

The Montreal Buzz is a portal of sorts, with an extensive selection of articles covering topics ranging from where to eat to gay life in the city. I have to say I like this blog and as a resident I may just want to keep tabs on it to find things to do places to see and of course good eats. Yes I love food.

The blog is rich in content and even though I did not go to deep into it I could easily see that this portal blog has some really good articles to read add on photographs and videos and you have a great selection of short but informative reads on the buzz that is Montreal.

Some of the more recent postings on the blog include one about U2's recent concert in Montreal, where to find a swimsuit in the city and things you can do in July that cost nothing. Check the blog out at http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog and enjoy summer in Montreal.

Cliff T.

Alice's Bucket List One Wish More Bone Marrow

Oh wow indeed Alice, your little blog has caused a stir around the world. Congratulations!

Oh for those who are reading Alice X as she goes by on her blog is a 15 year old girl with terminal cancer who decided that rather than feeling sorry for herself she would take the time to make a difference in the world with one of her bucket list entries. That entry asks people to register to give bone marrow, not only has she gotten a response to that request but, also has raised 10,00 British Pounds for cancer research, or about 16 thousand in Canadian dollars, nicely done.

This is a blog that has just come online as of June 4th and already it has drawn international attention. It's nice to see a young person facing death doing something to help others. Alice, all this blogger can say is, may your blog and life story inspire us to do a good turn even when we are getting a raw deal in life.

Alice's Bucket list can be viewed by via Blogger and she also has a Twitter account. For more details visit the blog.

Cliff T.

Chateu Ramezay Montreal

While taking a surf around Google searched for Montreal history and found an interesting museum complete with garden here in Montreal. Chateau Ramezay is considered to be among one of the oldest buildings in Montreal. The website invites visitors to enter Montreal's history through it's grand door.

The museum houses permanent and temporary exhibits. There are two permanent exhibits that feature the histories of Montreal, Quebec and Canada dating back 500 years. And, right now there is a temporary exhibit called Profit and Ambition, which explores the Canadian fur trade from 1779 to 1821. The exhibit is running now until October of this year.

Besides the exhibits the museum houses many different artifacts of all kinds and there is the Governor's Garden. The garden features flowers, herbs and an orchard. It is considered to be one of the finest gardens in Montreal.

For more information about the Chateau Ramezay visit http://www.chateauramezay.qc.ca

Cliff T.

I Got to Write Something but, I Only Got a Minute

Imagine only having a minute to write something, now imagine it's about a specific topic and again you have just one minute. What would you write? That is the challenge The One Minute Writer blog offers. Readers have one minute to write on a subject presented to them by the author of the blog. Sounds easy right, wrong. Putting something into writing keeping short and relevant is probably the toughest job a writer has to face.

Take a copywriter's job, for example. The job requires writing a script that will capture the attention of the audience get them interested in the service or product and then call them to action, in some cases in as little as 15 seconds. For a minute you have some room but, it's still a challenge none the less.

This is an interesting site. It provides a challenge to the reader, read the topic and write a prose on that topic, in the case of a keyword which the site also features, use it in context in a short paragraph that can be read in 60 seconds. For this article I am sure I surpass that 60 seconds. So I'll close with a suggestion to drop by read the blog and try your hand at writing in 1 minute.

Cliff T.

Old Montreal

Being a resident of a city often means one tends to overlook some of the more interesting places in said city. Take for example Montreal. There are so many different places to go and things to do. Mount Royal, the Insectarium, La Ronde and of course the museums are all interesting spots. A tourist or a resident can take in a hockey game at the Bell Centre, ride a in a calash and shop in the Underground City. In fact the variety of things one can do in Montreal is, well quite extensive.

Probably one of the most well known spots in Montreal is Old Montreal. In this part of the city the streets are made of cobblestone. The architecture is amazing, no cookie cutter buildings in this part of the city. The Old Port of Montreal which is connected too the area is also a great draw for tourist and resident alike.

To get a sense of what kinds of things a tourist or resident can do in this part of Montreal one need look no further than the website for Old Montreal. A list of activities, maps and other information about Old Montreal is accessible from the site. You should be able to find whatever you need to make your visit fun and yes educational. Tourist or resident, check out Old Montreal, I think you'll like what you find.

A blog or something about the city of Montreal, that is what this site is about. If you want to add a link to a blog or have an item about Montreal send it to cjames5a@gmail.com. I would like to hear about what you think would be interesting to add to the blog. Thanks for reading Mixed Nuts.

C. T.

A Comment About Comments From Behind The Camera

It's always nice to come across new blogs. A friend from my college days has started one called Comments From Behind the Camera. The blog features a collection of comments related to the experiences and thoughts that Paul, the author, has about his work in community TV. Paul also touches on the radio aspect of the community broadcast system here in Canada.

I have read a couple of the articles and find them to be well written. If there is a drawback it is in that paragraphs are not separated, a minor detail but, one that some language gurus may have a bit of a fit over. Then again this may be intentional, I leave that for Paul to explain in his next post. The nice thing about the blog is that it is not cluttered with ads and overall as mentioned looks good and has some really good articles on it. A nice read and a good window into the world of community radio and TV.

Comments Behind the Camera is in my mind an up and comer, and by all means take a look and see for yourself what I mean.

Cool blog that you write or someone else has written, awesome. Let me know about it by sending email to cjames5a@gmail.com. I will review the blog and post my thoughts here on Mixed Nuts. Thanks for coming by and reading.

C. T.

Grill City Steak House

About 3 months ago maybe 4 my wife Dar suggested we try a new restaurant. I said sure why not, so we met at Henri Bourassa Metro station here in Montreal after work and went into Grill City Steak house. Wow were we shocked, our taste buds were tickled beyond belief with the great food we had that night. The service was also very good. Now it should be mentioned that the restaurant is not low budget. Be prepared to spend a bit of money but, note it is worth every penny.

Both of us had steak and it was fantastic. Along with my steak I had soup, an unusual one at that, it was lemon chicken. I have never in my life tasted something that good. We have been back there twice since our first visit and up until this point we have not been disappointed. The restaurant is very cozy and the best part is where it is located, Henri Bourassa and Berri just steps away from the metro station and the 69 and 171 bus lines. You can even enter the station and go to the main section of the station and catch other buses and connect with bus lines into Laval. Other routes are the 31, 380 and 361 the two last are night routes plus there is a taxi stand there as well. This is probably the best location for a restaurant that I have seen in a long time.

RestoMontreal has more details about Grill City Steak House, check it out complete with photographs of the interior of the restaurant and contact info for them.

Got an interesting blog or are you in Montreal and know of a cool spot to visit, let me now by dropping me a line to cjames5a@gmail.com. I will gladly take a look and review the blog or spot a la Montreal and post it here on Mixed Nuts.

Cliff T.

What's Your Goal In 2011? May I suggest A Guide To Help You Achive It

I have a resolution for 2011. Not to make a resolution for 2011. Ah I know puny very puny. Seriously speaking I do not make resolutions for the coming year. I have in the past and failed each time so I stopped the practice. But, for you die hard want to change your life types I do have a blog that may be of some help to you. In fact you get two blogs to look at. The first is called Goal Setting Guide and the second, Arina's Self Help Blog.

The guide allows readers to get some insights into how to achieve the goals they set including those set around this time of the year. It is estimated that by the second half of January most people who make a New Years resolution jump off the wagon and return to the old habits they intended to kick. The guide is intended to help readers stick to the goal and achieve it. One article gives a listing of online sites that offer some help in many of the areas that people seek to make a change in.

As for the Self Help blog, well that title should give you an idea of what you will find on that blog also written by Ariana. But, if you need a hint it's about helping yourself to achieve goals by providing some practical tips and ideas that you can use on a daily basis.

Best of luck to you if you have made a resolution or have set a specific goal to achieve in 2011.

Cliff T.