Sam Hamad et ses acolytes de notre vaillant gouvernement libéral nous cassent les oreilles depuis quelques semaines, à l’effet que certaines lois seront “resserrées”, pour retirer la license des entrepreneurs en construction reconnus coupables d’une offense criminelle.

Pourtant, une telle disposition à  la Loi sur le bâtiment existe déjà, mais n’est plus appliquée par la Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) depuis… 1992!

Merci à Alexis Deschênes (reportage sur TVA) pour cette intéressante découverte… (source)

Bref, autant le présent gouvernement libéral que le précédant gouvernement péquiste, ont fermé les yeux sur l’inaction de la RBQ dans ce domaine.

Par exemple en l’an 2000 (gouvernement péquiste), quatre entreprises montréalaises en construction (dont Roxboro Excavation) ont plaidé coupable à une accusation de complot pour écarter la concurrence dans un contrat de déneigement. Elles sont toujours en opération aujourd’hui.

La semaine dernière à l’Assemblée nationale, c’est encore une fois la leader parlementaire de l’Action démocratique du Québec, Sylvie Roy, qui a rapporté que Roxboro Excavation obtenait encore (sous le gouvernement libéral) de généreux contrats. (source) Qui plus est, les administrateurs de Roxboro Excavation sont de généreux donateurs à la caisse du PLQ et contribuent, par le même fait, au salaire que verse le parti à Jean Charest.

PLQ, PQ… Plus ça change, plus c’est pareil!

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Double Decks Unlimited, Inc.
Mesa Verde Ave. Ste. 240 1757
93003 Ventura (United States)
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• Stand construction: custom build

Today I got two computers from a business friend of my dad’s, and seeing as I wasn’t at school I had nothing better to do than fix them. John Smith (the person who’s computers they are) uses these computers for different business purposes, including the use of Social Security numbers and Credit Card info for his customers. To that end, he had an old piece of security software, PointSec, installed on both machines. Due to the nature of PointSec, which encrypts the hard drive it is installed on so that only PointSec can read the disc, and John’s lack of knowledge about proper installations and settings for PointSec he was permanently locked out of both machines. This is where I came in.

The first step in a project like this one is the assess how bad the damage really is. When I tried to log onto the first machine (machine A) I was greeted with the blue PointSec login screen. After several frustrating attempts to bypass the username and password, including root level attempts and remote password bypassing, I came up empty handed. So I got in touch with John to inform him of the current situation and to get approval to format his hard drives and reinstall XP on his machine. John also told me that he would prefer to have one ’super’ computer compared to two mediocre ones.

The next step involved the dxdiag command so that I could compare the two systems hardware and assess what I would take from each one. Machine A had 512MB of PC2700 DDR RAM, and machine B had 256 MB SDRAM, these different types of RAM are NOT compatible with each other. They each had comparable video cards, machine A with an ATI RADEON 9000 ALL-IN-WONDER which has a DVI port. Machine B had an nVidia GeForce2 AGP card which does not have a DVI port. Seeing as DVI is the higher quality connector when compare to VGA there wasn’t too much question there for me. The harddrive from machine B was considerably larger, 120GB compared to 60GB in machine A. Moving the hard drive from machine B to machine A is simple, first disconnect the power cable from the hard drive, then the PATA cord. After I had removed the drive from its enclosure I made sure to set it to ‘cable select’ mode. Each drive has different jumper settings, so be sure to check them before you put the drive into the machine. Cable Select mode means that the actual cable coming from the motherboard itself decides which drive is the ‘Master’ and which is the ‘Slave’. Master drives are the main drive that the operating system is installed onto, slaves are usually used just for storage.

Once the machine was fully assembled I began to explore the best method for me to format the hard drives. My first thought was to go in through the Windows Recovery Console to format the drives using the command line, but that was stupid compared to the second choice. Instead, I just threw in a copy of Windows XP Professional edition and booted from CD. If you need help booting from CD, check out THIS guide.

Once the Windows installer booted up, I simply selected to install Windows, to over-write the current file system, and to reformat the drive with the NTFS file system. It takes about 30 minutes for this step to complete, so during this time I was about to fully disassemble machine B into its respective parts. I think I might use machine B for a larger amount of tutorials in the future, seeing as it was a free setup with a half-decent power supply.

Once Windows finished installing, I was presented with the usual ‘Welcome to Windows’ installation screen, and after entering the appropriate data was in a working Windows XP environment. However, there were a few things missing, one of which was the all important Ethernet Adapater Driver. Without this driver, the computer would not be able to connect to the all powerful interweb. The driver clearly was not on my Windows XP Professional disc, or else it would have installed the first time, which lead me to believe that I needed to consult Dell’s website for assistance. I looked up the ethernet drivers for the Dimension 4550, which is the model number for the machine in question, and found the appropriate file. As it turns out the driver was the super generic “Intel 10/100 Ethernet Driver LOM” and I was amazed that my Windows disc didn’t have it, but whatever.

After the driver installed, I had to transfer it from my laptop to the PC via flash drive, the computer is in 100% working condition. I called John to let him know that his work was done, and if there was any other software he needed installed before I return the machine tomorrow. For his business he needed a few piece of software that are distributed by his employer, he gave me the relevant information and I installed them. Also I installed Mozilla Firefox, FoxIt (free PDF program), and Winamp.

Overall, the entire operation took me about 4.5-5 hours to complete, due to the annoying PointSec encryption. Apparently when a drive is encrypted by PointSec it takes considerably longer to reformat said drive, reformatting both of the drives took almost 2 hours. Some people may ask, “why didn’t you use the NTFS (quick) formatting option?” the response to this is that when you try to rush a full reformat the hard drive can have sectors that get glossed over and partially formatted, leaving traces of icky other file systems on the machine. Instead, if you really want the machine to operate at 100% you definitely want to use the non-quick option. This job was a fun one, and I this is some of my favorite IT work to do, because it involves just about every aspect of basic PC repair.

To John – Thanks for the machines and the work, I hope you enjoy the new one

-Kyle

p.s. Pictures tomorrow!

Terrific discussion about the benefits for the construction industry in switching to Software as a Service.

Construction is moving ahead as planned at the old Delisi’s Restaurant in North Minneapolis.  A TON of demolition has been done already and structural modifications are starting.  Here’s a glimpse inside…

Check back here every week for more updates on 5 Points!  We’re looking so forward to sharing the building’s progress with all of you!

Human Rights Watch 2006:

UAE: Address Abuse of Migrant Workers

“One of the world’s largest construction booms is feeding off of workers in Dubai, but they’re treated as less than human,”

Presenting a calendar made of matches…

“The idea was to create as unique a calendar so that the process of its presenting would become an outstanding event.  Alongside with this, it was important to expose the idea of “energy”, as it is predetermined by the name and logo of the company.  Each page is a month and it looks like a comb made of matches that correspond to the days.  The matches are real and the construction of the calendar is absolutely safe.”

Specifics

• 9.8 inches wide, 5 inches high.
• Bound on metal spring 1.2 inches diameter
• Silk printing 2 colors.
• Matches are dipped in a special chemical solution and covered with sulphur, striking surface stripes are applied on both sides of a stand base.

from Calendar Made of Matches

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Elevation Exhibits
Hartford Turnpike 905
MA 01545 Shrewsburry (United States)
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• Stand construction: custom build

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Elevation Point
Ryan Road 4081
Il 60031 Gurnee (United States)
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• Stand construction: custom build

You can listen to me talking about Lebanon’s architectural heritage and transformation, on the BBC’s From our Own Correspondent program last week. You can also read it (unedited) below:

Dalila Mahdawi in Beirut

They wake me up early every morning without fail. The construction workers in the lot behind my house bang away at steel, shift concrete blocks and yell instructions at one another. Workers on the other side of the street soon join in, busying themselves with the demolition of a building.

Beirut has for so long been synonymous with conflict and destruction.  But now it’s a city in rapid transition, changing into a modern and sleek metropolis. In almost every neighborhood, the sound of building or demolition is constant, ringing out as regularly as a heartbeat.

Lebanon is well versed in destruction – a fifteen year civil war ending in 1990 saw hundreds of thousands die or disappear.  Many buildings became sniper towers and battle grounds between warring militias. A war with Israel in 2006 also saw large swathes of the country reduced to rubble.

The conflicts have left behind a vast number of shambolic buildings in need of demolition or renovation.  But they have also provided an unprecedented opportunity for construction companies and investors to transform the country’s very character.

The current stability has encouraged previously cautious investors, as well as expatriate Lebanese hoping to reconnect with their country, to put up big money for real estate projects. It seems demand for housing has never been higher, and so the pock-marked or low-rise buildings are torn down … and the fancy apartments are bought up even before they are built.

But in the frenzied rush to reconstruct, many structures of architectural interest or historical importance are also falling victim to the wrecker’s ball. Fifty years ago, the Beirut skyline was made up of low-rise apartment blocks and picturesque stone houses.  Those have quickly given way to impersonal glass and concrete tower blocks.

On my street alone, a total of seven buildings have disappeared in recent years, including some real treasures – a 1950s art deco apartment building and two smaller houses that were at least a couple of centuries old. Soon, only the older residents will remember what this area used to look like.

Not everyone in Lebanon is quietly accepting the architectural transformation of their country.

Nestled in the lush Chouf Mountains, the charming village of Deir Al-Qamar, with its 17^th and 18^th century stone houses is proof that modernization and architectural heritage can find common ground.

The village boasts some of the best-preserved buildings in the country, including a mosque from 1493, winding stepped alleys, the palace of a former Ottoman governor, a restored merchants inn, and a 16th century emir’s palace. The local municipality hopes to preserve the area’s architecture by stipulating that today’s house builders must use traditional limestone brick, and red tiles for the roofs.

Meanwhile, a synagogue in downtown Beirut badly damaged by Israeli shelling is being refurbished after receiving donations both from Lebanese Jews and the international community. It is one of only a few remaining Jewish sites left in the country.

A few activists have also drawn attention to the need to preserve buildings associated with the Civil War. If all signs of war are erased, it makes it all that much easier to repeat the violence, the activists argue. One of these passionate people is architect Mona Hallak, who is largely behind the saving of one of Beirut’s true architectural delights.

The Barakat Building, a magnificent four story Art Nouveau apartment block built in the 1920s, was transformed into a militia headquarters during the civil war because of its strategically important location on the front line between divided East and West Beirut. Every floor had large, stained-glass windows offering views of the streets below, allowing snipers to pick off their targets with relative ease. The building was pulverized by rocket fire, grenades and bullets.

Today the land on which the Barakat Building sits is prime real estate worth millions. Its owners had decided to tear it down and sell it to developers. But Hallak’s efforts meant it was saved at the last minute, even as workers had already begun tearing up the marble tiles and removing intricate iron railings.

With the help of a few like-minded friends, she launched a petition and newspaper campaign demanding the building be preserved. Eventually the demolition permit was rescinded and in 2002 the city government took charge of the gutted structure. The Barakat Building is now set to become Beirut’s first museum of municipal history.

Still standing in spite of all its glaring wounds, and almost in defiance of the glass tower blocks popping up all around it, the Barakat Building offers people here some reassurance … the actions of a dedicated few architecture lovers don’t always go unnoticed. (C) of the BBC and Dalila Mahdawi

The winds have been fierce since Thanksgiving eve, with particularly strong gusts blowing right down the Pali. Evidence of this is the construction fence (adjacent to the main entrance to the site) blown down and collapsed–presumably by the high winds which have increased in velocity once the sun sets. In the foreground, seven (7) wooden forms have been completed and affixed to their ground moorings. (11/26/2009)

Thanksgiving Day and all is quiet on the 15 Craigside construction site. Concrete has been poured for the base of the tower crane.  (11/26/09)

The team woke up to a awesome sunrise and just a reminder that God is in control. The construction team of 21 had breakfast at 7:00am and the VBC team ate at 8am. The construction team thinks that they need more time to work…I don’t know if they are slow and make more mistakes??? The breakfast was a nice batch of greasy eggs, beans and fresh tortillas!!! We had a nice belly full of mexican food to start the day







The construction team was blessed to start the baby center. The foundation was poured before they arrived. SO the task of getting the plans in order and getting everyone a job was the biggest for Kai. But they all came together and put one full side of the center up. People were measuring the wood, cutting the wood, nailing and making things happen. As a team they made a big job look small. Please PRAY for the babies that will live there in the future.







The VBC Team did a lot more than give the kids Jesus and candy. During the day there was a lot of cleaning, painting and house work. The boys house is all painted and looking pretty but the girls house is our project this week. Most of the kids were in school during the day so we were waiting for them to come home. Everyone was finally home so the VBC Team was in full swing. There were over 40 kids tonight, 25 youth and so much Jesus! It was a great night!







BTW…Happy Thanksgiving! Tonight we had Pork, mashed potatoes, carrots, zucchini and ice tea!!! Yeah probably not what you all ate for dinner but it was perfect. The teams were tired and ready for bed. It’s great to see all these people from WG getting to know each other and loving one another. The bonds are starting and I don’t think they will break.







Please continue to pray for our team! We have 3 more days of work and serving here. We are all having fun and it’s awesome to see h ow God has changed Grace over the years. If you haven’t been down here to the Palau’s…SIGN UP’s start when we get back!

The principle of harnessing osmosis has the potential to produce enormous amounts of energy anywhere that salt water and fresh water meet. We looked at some of the approaches to turning this theory into reality earlier this year, including Statkraft’s plans to build a prototype power plant. The company’s plans are now coming to fruition with Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway officially opening the world’s first osmotic power plant prototype on November 24…

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EP & M International
North Third street 24
NY 12204 Albany (United States)
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• Stand construction: custom build

It’s been a while since the last post, but that doesn’t mean that construction has stopped. In fact, much has taken place in the last few weeks. First, the space is really feeling open and airy. The walls on the second floor have come down. The wall that once separated the core Studio space, to be the invention space, also came down. What’s really striking is how big the space feels with these latest developments.

We’re constantly in discussion regarding the electrical connections in the Studio space. We’ve increased the number of outlets in the breakout spaces and discovery classrooms, even though the Studio will be wireless. We’ve also finalized a layout for the “wall of monitors” that will outfit the invention space where collaboration will take place. We’re able to see the vision becoming a reality. Stay tuned for more pictures and updates.

Richard Goyette, de la FTQ-Construction a bien fait rigolé les journalistes cette semaine. Voici l’échange dont Antoine Robitaille du Devoir fut témoin et dont il publie un extrait sur son blog: (la photo provient aussi de son blog)

En point de presse, il redit que les commissions d’enquête publiques, ce n’est qu’un «spectacle». Puis, les journalistes lui répliquent que ce sont deux syndicats, celui des policiers de la SQ et celui des procureurs de la couronne, qui réclament une enquête publique sur la construction. L’échange :
—Est-ce que c’est le syndicat des policiers ou les policiers qui l’ont affirmé?
—Le syndicat des policiers.
— Moi je crois plus en les policiers que leur syndicat croit en eux.
—Ah bon? Comme syndicat, vous ne croyez pas au syndicat?
—Euh. Moi, je crois en mes membres. … Non, ce que je veux dire, c’est…
—Ha ha ha … (Rires)

Et pour terminer, je vous propose une caricature de Ygreck…

Par Ygreck, 25 novembre 2009