Urbanus Magnus

Mechanical watches aren't yet relegated to the sidelines completely; there are still numerous companies manufacturing thrifty automatic watches in the $80-150 range. Possibly the best example of such a watch is my current timepiece, one from venerable the Seiko '5' line of watches. Unlike their quartz cousins, though mechanicals won't need batteries (and often don't need maintenance for over a decade), they do need adjustment to keep accurate time. My Seiko, which came from the factory about 5 s/day fast, has settled into a consistent 30s/day slow. Not wanting to pay a watchmaker $30 to do something I am capable of, I set about to adjust the mechanism.  Seiko 5 Auto-winding watch - pretty bulletproof, and looks decent to boot Here's what you'll need: A mechanical watch A computer with Audacity or equivalent sound-recording program A microphone A quiet room A set of micro screw drivers/bits A magnifying glass (optional) A watch case opener ...

In the spirit of  comparing how things have changed over the past half year , I thought I'd continue the theme, but this time, with a little trail construction. June 16th: And we've come a pretty long way since then, with the trail going out a good 300m more than before. February 11th: Yes. Quite the change, as the trail is now rounding the promontory made by the bluffs, and we can clearly see the beach of Bluffer's Park, whereas we could only really see the tip before. The story is that the breakwater is to be connected up the the beachfront trail at Bluffer's Park, so that it can form a single multi-use trail. But what if we turn our gaze from westward to northward, and look at the bluffs? Why, we see this! If you don't see it already, there is a small dwelling leaning precariously off the bluff's edge. Here's a closeup: Hello, Mrs. Van! Is Billy home? This Meadowcliffe Drive building has actually been hanging off the bluff's edge on  ...

I have other loves in life other than cycling - some of them being electrical projects. I've been working on this baby for a while - but, only recently has it recieved its power transformer. I pulled the transformer from an old ceiling fan; 120v to 24 volts, with ~ 1/3 amp supply capability. And that voltage happens to be *almost* exactly what I need for the heater filament of the single 25EH5 tube that comprises the amp. However, measuring the wall voltage at an actual level of 126 volts, the voltage coming out of the transformer is actually above  25 volts (ie. 120/24=5, 126/5= 25.2 volts). This is well within the 10% tolerance of  the vacuum tube's operational voltage range, being only .9% off of ideal. Right now, until I find/build a proper wooden cabinet for it, the entire amp resides in an old margarine container. Fire hazard: kids at home, never  mount a transformer to anything using tape. Even if the tape is electrical tape. The...

While not strictly pertaining to the object of this blog, it's here anyway: Finally: A book costs more in the US than Canada! Looks as if someone didn't take care to check for punctuation, which, as we can see, makes all the difference. This is the back of my copy of "Love in the Time of Cholera", which we had to read for school. Look - the proof's on the paper...

Yes, the wonderful "Everyday Carry", or as I prefer to call it, the EDC; n.   Meaning the items, often those which are used everyday, in conjunction with certain commonly-needed tools, which are carried on the body of person.  I finally have my set in  near  completion. It is currently missing a tritium glow marker (look it up - they are really neat, and only *slightly* radioactive), a knife, and a quick-release A&P Aircraft Mechanic's key ring. I've already a knife to go on there, but, because I bring it to school, I don't usually attach it. The admin/staff "frown" upon such things, and as such I would rather not risk it. What I have on it currently: -House Keys -Bike lock key -Ultrafire MCU-C7 flashlight -And one capsule lighter -Knife (occasionally - not shown) The flashlight is real bright - 200 lumens on max. For comparison, the average incand. flashlight is ~25 lumens. The machining ain't great, but for $12 CAD, it isn't too...

I didn't do a post for the traditional Christmas celebration this year - I was away. However, I happen to know today is the official Orthodox Christmas, celebrated by most Eastern Orthodox churches (ie., Greek, Russian, Macedonian, etc.). Most don't know this in North America and Western Europe; so, now you  know, wherever you may be! Theses churches run their liturgical year based on the Julian calender as opposed to the Gregorian, and so it explains the date shift. The Catholic church adopted the "new" calender under Pope Gregory XIII, ergo, the namer. The Julian calender, by the same token, was popularized/adopted by Julius Caesar. I get to celebrate both Christmases - I'm Catholic, but my ma's side of the family is Macedonian Orthodox. Best of both worlds, if you ask me! That's all for today, I'm hitting the hay.

Went to visit family in Kingston this past weekend. The Clan is getting larger by the year... I've too many cousins to count. Well, 13. Or is it 14? Oh, and enough aunts and uncles to sink the Titanic as well - which, for all we know, they may very well have. We (my immediate family) who live in Toronto, however, are not that numerous, but still manage to have a very poor track record for being punctual, despite not having to deal with as many bodies to get organized. The plan this Christmas: we get packed Friday to leave by 8:30 AM Saturday for K-town. The actual result: finished packing by 2 AM Saturday, left at 10:00 AM after we dragged ourselves out of bed. And then we got caught in a snow storm: Scary drive up - hit snow squalls in Trenton, the average speed on the 401 dropped to ~50 km/h, but yet a few intrepid drivers (a crazy in a wee hatchback and then a redneck in a hummer) plugged away at high-speed. And with them too went many of the 18-wheelers (...

There is going to be a shorter post today - I've homework to get though, and a laser-quest game! Yes, laser-quest; I am a Scouter (well, scouter-in-training) with a scout troop (good for the community hours, and having a few outtings isn't so bad either!), and I'm there supervising tonight. But I get to play too, so I'm not complaining! I'll post some pics of this later... its sure to be fun. Ahead of time, I would like to apologize for my poor pictures - my Sony DSC just doesn't cut the mustard anymore. On friday, my friend and I built some mini-crossbows out of rubber bands and rulers in math class - it was a free period - and perforated apples with 'em. This gave me an idea: what other 'weapons' can I fashion from things lying around my house (or school room)? The result: the humble sling, made from cotton twine and a strip of an orphaned sock for the basket.   My homemade sling. Can you believe Goliath got toasted by one of these? ...

 How exactly does one go about kicking off a new blog? Well, I'm not sure exactly, so I'll just start with an introduction. I'm a highschool student in Toronto, and today I should be working on my homework, but as I have recently finished a 18-page long maths portfolio (for friday!), I feel like being lazy. And the weather isn't making me want to get it done, either: Raining - no biking today.   With the day miseable,  I should be spending time on academic purposes. However, with rain comes no motivation to finish - it is not as if I will be able to spend my time in ways I like. Perfect day to start a blog, non?  I enjoy the experience of getting to know my city better - since I've taken up cycling four years ago, I've become a lot more familiar with the Scarborough area (where I live!) as well as the more 'Toronto' part of Toronto. So, to elaborate, I've made my way down town by bike - I don't just stic...