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Thomas J. Ryan: The Adolescence of P-1 (1977) This is probably the best book I have ever read regarding our human desire for artificial intelligence (AI). It’s about a University of Waterloo student who creates an AI on IBM mainframes. Don’t let that bore you though - it’s a captivating read and has a great ending. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book influenced later movies such as War Games (1983), and books such as Neuromancer (..
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Rockwood Conservation Area Rockwood has breathtaking scenery - pine and cedar forests surrounding rock cliffs and islands along the Eramosa River. And the trails allow you to see it all. The Cedar Ridge Outlook allows you to see all of Rockwood below. The plateau at the top of the caves is actually owned by the University of Waterloo, but you can hike up there and along the numerous trails to see the remnants of an old house and quarry.
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Clifford Stoll: The Cuckoo’s Egg (1989) Don’t let the year of this book fool you - it’s probably the best book on computing security. The epilogue is both timeless, and an amazing reflection on the purpose of computer security. Moreover, this book is a very enjoyable read. Cliff, like most of us computer/scientist types, writes with a quirky sense of humour, and isn’t afraid to relay his personal views within the book. For example, the quo..
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Yup, that’s right – every single word, phrase, and typo (purposeful or not) has been carefully crafted by yours truly and reflects decades of continuous improvement in both English and thought expression. Each blog post started with a real-life event or thought that sparked a passion to create something I wanted to share with others, and in a way that allowed me to better understand and appreciate it as well.
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Mizzy Lake Trail This is the trail where you can see the most wildlife in Algonquin park. You’ll wind through 11km of lakes, marshes and forests. My daughter and I saw massive turtles, were followed by otters who mocked us, and even stood 2 feet away from a moose who crossed our path when she realized her foal was on the other side. The pic at the top of this page is of my daughter resting shortly after we found the remains of a grey jay (..
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Martin Amis: Invasion of the Space Invaders (1982) This is probably the most sought-after video game book of the 1980s by the uber-famous, world-renowned author Martin Amis (most copies sell for over $200 today). Martin Amis has a unique way of bringing you back to the video game world of 1978-1982 using verbal imagery and humour - after all, he was a video game addict at the time! Some of the high-resolution colour photos in the book (inc..
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UNIX UNIX is the grandfather of all modern operating systems, and today it still remains the most powerful and least known. But if you use an Apple computer running macOS, or an iPhone or iPad running iOS, you are using a UNIX operating system. And if you do online banking, somewhere tucked away in the bank is likely a series of UNIX systems running Oracle Solaris UNIX, HP-UX UNIX, or AIX UNIX. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) likely r..
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Besides drinking vast quantities of caffeine and spending most of my free time enjoying the outdoors, I have taught, developed, and managed various technology courses at triOS College in Ontario (Canada) since 1998 in both our college and corporate training divisions. Back in 2011, I took on a different title of Dean of Technology to salvage our video game programs, and it turned into a more strategic role where I was able to help shape t..
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Perhaps one of my more famous achievements is the authoring of several textbooks for Course Technology, Cengage, Nelson, Thompson/Delmar and Wiley. I’ve listed their details in chronological order here (oldest to newest) with cover pictures below: Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification (ISBN: 0-619-13004-0) front rear Guide to UNIX System Administration (ISBN: 0-619-13041-5) front rear Linux+ In Depth (ISBN: 1-59200-062-2) front r....
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Apple Apple Computer was founded by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs in 1976. Steve Wozniak provided the technical genius for computer creation, while Steve Jobs provided the expertise in marketing and design. Their first major commercially adopted product was the Apple II in 1977, which had a MOS 6502 CPU (also used in Commodore computers such as the Commodore 64) and shipped with BASIC and the DOS operating system (later versions). The Ap....
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Growing up in the 80s was awesome! One of the best things about growing up in the 80s for me was that I developed a love of video games. I loved spending time at the arcade playing the classics like Tempest, Missile Command and Galaga. At home, we had an Atari 2600 and later a Nintendo NES. I loved it all. In recent years, I purchased my absolute favourite arcade games of all time…..mainly because I’d rather play those games than most..
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Parenting I am a happily divorced proud father of one. I’ve pretty much raised my daughter since she was 5 years old on my own, and yes, I’ve made school lunches, threw kids parties, went to great places (Ontario Science Centre, ROM, SportsWorld, Storybook Gardens, Disney World and more!), spent vacations camping/cottaging, and watched far too many Land Before Time movies. The picture on the left is my daughter while we were vacationing at..
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100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience (2012) 2001: Space Odyssey (1968) 8 Bit Generation: The Commodore Wars (2016) Antitrust (2001) Blade Runner (1982) Bright (2017) Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade (2007) Cloak and Dagger (1984) Contact (1997) Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Every Star Wars and Star Trek movie (from the 1970s+) Fanboys (2008) Freedom Downtime (2001) Funspot: A Small Documentary on the..
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Don’t Anthropomorphize computers. They hate that. The proper way to declare war in software development is var war; I void warranties I read your email Linux isn’t magic. It’s sudo-science. Kids: Don’t try this at ~ Code poet Byte Me I see dead pixels To truly find yourself, play hide-and-seek alone cd /pub; more beer No, I will not fix your computer There is no place like 127.0.0.1
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Future historians: They taught the AIs how to talk like corporate middle managers and thought this meant that AI was conscious, instead of realizing that corporate middle managers aren’t. I’m stepping down from my position as an adult. It turns out this isn’t for me, but I appreciate the opportunity. Software and cathedrals are much the same thing. First we build them, then we pray. How I want tech stuff explained to me in order of pre..
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1. Don’t turn down an opportunity because it isn’t the job you want Career progression is never a straight line, and good opportunities don’t actually have the words good opportunity written in bold letters on them – you never know where they will lead you. For example, back around the year 2000 I was asked to teach a corporate Linux course on the weekends. I didn’t want to give up my weekends for a month, and quite frankly I thought..
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rare Charitable Research Reserve (Cambridge) The rare Charitable Research Reserve is a community-based urban land trust. They maintain a series of amazing trails within the Blair/Galt area of Cambridge along the south side of the Grand River. The trails along the river are part of a gorgeous escarpment that contains exposed rock and fossils from the Silurian period. There are also trails across alvars and open fields with two Osprey towers..
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Thomas J. Ryan: The Adolescence of P-1 (1977) This is probably the best book I have ever read regarding our human desire for artificial intelligence (AI). It’s about a University of Waterloo student who creates an AI on IBM mainframes. Don’t let that bore you though - it’s a captivating read and has a great ending. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book influenced later movies such as War Games (1983), and books such as Neuromancer (..
|
|
Rockwood Conservation Area Rockwood has breathtaking scenery - pine and cedar forests surrounding rock cliffs and islands along the Eramosa River. And the trails allow you to see it all. The Cedar Ridge Outlook allows you to see all of Rockwood below. The plateau at the top of the caves is actually owned by the University of Waterloo, but you can hike up there and along the numerous trails to see the remnants of an old house and quarry.
|
|
Clifford Stoll: The Cuckoo’s Egg (1989) Don’t let the year of this book fool you - it’s probably the best book on computing security. The epilogue is both timeless, and an amazing reflection on the purpose of computer security. Moreover, this book is a very enjoyable read. Cliff, like most of us computer/scientist types, writes with a quirky sense of humour, and isn’t afraid to relay his personal views within the book. For example, the quo..
|
|
Yup, that’s right – every single word, phrase, and typo (purposeful or not) has been carefully crafted by yours truly and reflects decades of continuous improvement in both English and thought expression. Each blog post started with a real-life event or thought that sparked a passion to create something I wanted to share with others, and in a way that allowed me to better understand and appreciate it as well.
|
|
Mizzy Lake Trail This is the trail where you can see the most wildlife in Algonquin park. You’ll wind through 11km of lakes, marshes and forests. My daughter and I saw massive turtles, were followed by otters who mocked us, and even stood 2 feet away from a moose who crossed our path when she realized her foal was on the other side. The pic at the top of this page is of my daughter resting shortly after we found the remains of a grey jay (..
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Martin Amis: Invasion of the Space Invaders (1982) This is probably the most sought-after video game book of the 1980s by the uber-famous, world-renowned author Martin Amis (most copies sell for over $200 today). Martin Amis has a unique way of bringing you back to the video game world of 1978-1982 using verbal imagery and humour - after all, he was a video game addict at the time! Some of the high-resolution colour photos in the book (inc..
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The Siege of Changchun (1948) was a harrowing blockade during the Chinese Civil War. Communist forces under Lin Biao encircled the Nationalist-held city for five months to starve out the defenders. While the Nationalist garrison eventually surrendered, the cost was a catastrophic man-made famine. Communist troops prevented civilians from fleeing to exhaust the city's food supplies faster. An estimated 150,000 to 330,000 civilians starved to..
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The Battle of Shanghai (August–November 1937) was the first major engagement of the Second Sino-Japanese War and one of history's bloodiest urban conflicts, often described as "Stalingrad on the Yangtze." Seeking to divert Japanese focus from North China and court international intervention, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek committed his elite, German-trained divisions to a high-stakes defense of China's primary commercial hub. The three-mont....
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The Third Battle of Nanjing (1864) was the climactic finale of the Taiping Rebellion. After a two-year encirclement, the Qing Dynasty’s Xiang Army, led by Zeng Guoquan, breached the walls of the Taiping "Heavenly Capital" using massive underground explosives. The fall of the city ended the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom but resulted in a horrific massacre. Qing forces engaged in three days of systematic slaughter and looting, while thousands of T..
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The Battle of Amoy (1660) was a major naval and land engagement during the Transition from Ming to Qing. Following a failed attempt to take Nanjing, Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) retreated to Xiamen (Amoy) to regroup. The Qing Dynasty launched a massive two-pronged amphibious assault with tens of thousands of troops to eliminate the Ming loyalist stronghold. Despite being outnumbered, Koxinga’s superior naval tactics and "Iron Armored" heavy in..
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The Defense of Hongdu (1363) was a legendary siege during the Red Turban Rebellion. Zhu Yuanzhang’s nephew, Zhu Wenzheng, defended the city with just 20,000 to 40,000 troops against a massive 600,000-man force led by rival warlord Chen Youliang. For 85 days, the vastly outnumbered garrison repelled non-stop naval and land assaults, repairing the city walls even as they were being breached. This incredible feat of endurance exhausted Chen’s ..
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The Siege of Diaoyucheng (1259) was a miraculous defense during the Mongol conquest of the Song Dynasty. Located on a mountain in modern-day Chongqing, the "Fortress of Fishing Fish" held out against a massive Mongol army led by Möngke Khan. For five months, the Song defenders utilized the city's unique mountain geography and intricate water systems to repel Mongol assaults. The siege reached a dramatic conclusion when Möngke Khan—the Great..
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The Jingkang Incident (1127) was the catastrophic collapse of the Northern Song Dynasty. Following a prolonged siege of the capital, Kaifeng, the invading Jurchen Jin Dynasty breached the city walls and captured the Emperor Qinzong and his father, Retired Emperor Huizong. The event resulted in the wholesale looting of the city and the forced march of the entire imperial court—thousands of nobles, artisans, and women—into captivity in the no..
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The Siege of Suiyang (757 CE) was a brutal turning point in the An Lushan Rebellion. Tang General Zhang Xun defended the strategic gateway to southern China with 7,000 men against 150,000 rebels. After ten months, the city ran out of food, leading the garrison to resort to horrific mass cannibalism to maintain their post. Though the city eventually fell and the survivors were executed, the delay allowed the Tang Dynasty to regroup and ultim..
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The Battle of Zhongli (507 AD) was a catastrophic defeat for the Northern Wei dynasty and a major strategic victory for the Southern Liang dynasty during China's Northern and Southern dynasties period. The conflict centered on the strategic fortress of Zhongli, which was besieged by a massive Northern Wei army led by Yuan Ying and Yang Dayan. Despite being outnumbered, the Liang defenders held out until a relief force arrived under General ..
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The Battle of Hefei (208–209 CE) was a major confrontation between Sun Quan and the forces of Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period. Following the victory at Red Cliffs, Sun Quan attempted to seize the strategic city of Hefei to open a gateway into the Central Plains. Despite leading a massive army and besieging the city for over 100 days, Sun Quan was unable to breach the defenses held by Cao Cao’s general, Liu Fu. The siege was eventua..
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