Whatsis

Home Painting Tips From The Pros

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Paint Can

It’s amazing how much easier it is to do anything when you have the right information.

I did some painting around my place last week, and luckily a friend of mine owns a painting company. And even though I’ve done a little painting here and there before, a little supervisory consultation with him made the job a lot easier.

So if you’re thinking of painting your house, these pro tips will come in handy …

1. Surface Preparation. First, wash your walls with TSP (Trisodium Phosphate). This is what most painters use but it’s also rather harsh. A good alternative is to use dish detergent and warm water. Just make sure you rinse the detergent residue off with a second washing of fresh water. If you’re painting a surface with a semi-gloss finish, then give it a light sanding.

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Huashan Teahouse Hike … Not Your Average Stroll in the Park

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A friend emailed me these pictures of the hiking route up to the Huashan Teahouse in China. It’s your typical viral-entertainment email … but the pics tell a pretty cool story and I like hiking and other mountain sports so check this out …

1. First, you’ve got to get to where you’re going. Pretty cool, and yes, I’m one of those people that jumps up and down on trams …

Huashan Teahouse 1

2. Next, walk the plank. Luckily there are some chains anchored to the wall for you to hang on to … so it’s not scary at all …

Huashan Teahouse 2

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Happy Valentines Day Baby

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[Video]he4fBK3d8hk[/Video] It’s not that us guys aren’t romantic … we’re just not very good at it. Happy Valentines Day

The 3 Laws of Tasering

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Sexy Robot

There are quite a few controversial stories about people getting tased lately. Controversial, because they’re incidents that never should have happened.  I look at some of them and I can’t figure out whether they’re more attributable to a lack of training. Or just plain laziness.

There’s no reason that 4 or 5 guys can’t easily subdue and arrest one person without using a taser.

The big problem is that tasers are not being used the way they were intended to be used. They’re supposed to be used in situations where the only other alternative would be to draw a gun. The taser is supposed to be a non-lethal alternative.

But they’re being used (increasingly) in situations where authorities would never think of drawing their guns.

Of course, some people need to be tased. We just need some rules. In 1942, Isaac Asimov gave us the Three Laws of Robotics. So here’s three new laws for this century …

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Folding Bikes Answer The Call To Conserve

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Something cool for today. Folding or collapsable bikes have been around for 30 years. But now, they’re better, lighter, and there’s more room for them in a world of high oil prices and shrinking living spaces.   Another thing that’s really making them come in to their own is the array of lightweight materials available today. … Read more

Mitsubishi Delica … It’s The New VW Van

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Here’s something cool for the “Whatsis” category. The old Volkswagon Westfalia vans have always been popular and they still are. But they’re all 30 years old and it’s harder and harder to find one in decent condition. Well there’s a new successor to the throne. And even VW diehards are saying “that’s pretty cool”. My … Read more

The Video Calling Cellphone Is Here

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It’s not just about the coolest phone anymore. It’s about the coolest phone service. Rogers has just finished putting together a high speed wireless data network in Southern Ontario. It’s the first of its kind in North America. What they’ve really done is connected the cellphone to the web like never before. And they’ve upped … Read more

It’s All About The Beautiful Girls

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Recipe for a good time: Get a bunch of friends together, find a beach, start a bonfire. Invite everyone who passes by to join the party. Groove with The Beautiful Girls. Mat McHugh, Clay McDonald and Bruce Braybrooke are The Beautiful Girls. And while you’re missing Sublime and waiting for a new album from Slightly … Read more

Paragliding: It’s The Best Ride In Town

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The Zoomstart Whatsis category is the place I post about cool stuff. A paraglider is basically a plane in a bag. What’s cooler then that. If you’re lucky, there’s a place to go paragliding near where you live. Here in Vancouver, you can go up to Grouse Mountain during the summer and experience the best … Read more

Greenfield Guitars: The Stradivarius of Guitars

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Last week I started a new category here on Zoomstart called Whatsis. It’s just a place to talk about cool and interesting stuff. Today I want to talk about acoustic guitars because I love sitting down and jamming on one of mine every once in a while. Let me get this dumb joke out of … Read more