Summer

Well, summer, summer, summer....

So much happening, so little time to write about it just now.

Check out my friend's David and Theresa's wedding photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/s.k.brogan/DavidAndTheresaSWeddingSverige

Yeah, sorry I can't rss it properly from here... grr.

Will post again sooner rather than later. Promise.

A Vat of Burning

Been quite busy lately! But not manic busy, just pleasantly busy.

I finally feel like I have something blog-worthy. Despite being hyphenated, I still like that word, probably because it sounds like someone's surname. Phineas J. Blogworthy. Actually it sounds like a surname of some girl my mother tried to set me up with when I was 16.

Burn 'o Vat is an interesting place within the Cairngorms National Park. It is a sort-of deep 100 ft diameter hole in the ground that has a stream running through it. It has been used over the years as a hide-out for the criminal element.

Very worth while trip.

Burn o Vat

There is a place back home in Nova Scotia that reminds me a lot of this spot. Its call, of all things, The Falls, just past Tatamagouche, near Balforn. I found a video that someone shot there on the internet. It shows pretty much what goes on there:



I realise that this sort of thing was one of the big things I was missing in my life when I lived in Winnipeg and Saskatoon. Whilst those are both nice places, they just don't have the cool stuff out in nature close by to go see. Granted, yes, they do have lots of cool stuff, but a lot of it is a ways to drive.

This is what one should be doing every Saturday they can, get out in the country and enjoy life.

A Bit o' Research

So, everyone asks me about my research. I've learned that a wiley acedemic does not give away his golden truths... at least until they've been published in a peer reviewed journal (that has an ISBN number). But at this point I think it is safe to say its okay.

As many of you know my current working title is "The Design of Salutogenic Food Systems". As this is quite broad I have decided to narrow it down. My supervisor has been most helpful with inspiration as usual.

What I would like as a finished product is not so much a paper which discusses the topics, but a distilled design methodology for salutogenic food systems. I am shying away from a method, although it is liable for one to emerge from my work regardless. I like the idea of methodology as it digs one step deeper than most have gone thus far.

I have always been a fan of Mollison's work, and have no intention of redoing any of it, but I feel that I want approach the 'problem', if you will, from a professional designer's standpoint. As a holistic thinker I hate to use words like 'professional designer', but the case is that such professions do exist and rightly so. It is professional designers that are positioned to take the lead.

Anyways, its way late and I'm not thinking properly, horrible time to talk about this... Will have to continue later. I just felt like it's been a long time since I updated...

This 'sucks'!

I have a good story to tell from yesterday...

I've needed a vacuum cleaner for a while, my flatmate's unit is broke. I've looked around quite a bit and I've found that a good vacuum cleaner is hard to find here in the UK. Everything seems to be those cheap plastic bagless ones. You can tell right away that they won't work. So I decided to do a bit of research. I googled "vacuum dundee" and it gave me one hit. A small shop just across from my flat. I had walked by it before and hadn't noticed it even being there.

I decided it would be worth the jaunt, since its barely even 100 feet away. I went in and found that it was only a repair shop, which was okay, because I figured that he would be able to tell me which brands and units are the best. He suggested that I just by the cheapest one because they are all rubbish nowadays. How true, I thought.

As usual, I got in to a good conversation with him about things and his dogs (he had 2 huge dogs there). After a bit he said... hey you know what, I have an old vacuum that I was just going to throw away. He said I could have it for free! I couldn't believe it, it was just what I was looking for, its old and sturdy and works! For his kindness, I figured that I'd buy £5 worth of filter bags...

I took it home and ripped it apart, cleaned all the gaskets and internal filters, wiped it out with a warm soap and water and put it back together. It works dandy!

From Misc Dundee

Just in case you missed it the first time.

Here are my random snapshots from around Dundee.

Me and Dundee

Trip to Sweden

Despite the general fun-ness of life in Dundee, things did get rather dull and boring around here over the holidays. Everyone had things to do and family to visit, so I was suck sitting around doing nothing. I even tried to go to school, but actually got locked in the DCA! My key fits all the doors except the upper dead bolts. I was pretty sad really, so I decided that was an omen, to not go in to school for the rest of the week.

I was fortunate to have a standing invitation to go to Sweden to visit my friend Theresa and he family. It turned out to be the best holiday I've had in years. She has a marvellous family and cool friends.

Anyways here are some photos of the trip:

New Years in Sweden

Here is a list of things I did in Sweden that were great:
-Ate some pickled herring (in a sweet mustrd sauce no less)
-Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant
-Gothenburg City Museum
-Gothenburg New Years Fireworks
-Ate some yummy Swedish cheese
-Heard "Take a Chance on Me" performed live (thanks Eva and Sophia)
-Volvo Museum
-Learned about Swedish music (other than ABBA)
-Went to the grocery store
-Went to church
-Met new friends
-Read some Kalle Anka and Bamse
-Ate awful candies
-Travelled on the commuter train
-Walked around downtown Gothenburg
-Julmust, lots of Julmust

Initial Entry

Ahoy everyone, and welcome to my weblog. Created especially for my friends and family.

My goal is to let everyone know what I'm up to in life and perhaps sprinkle in a wee bit of my research.