Tag: Vacation

Super Secret Surprise CALL Stuff II … JULY!!!

SUPER SECRET….
Surprise CALL STUFF II …..
It is now …. JULY !!!!

JULY IS HERE NOW! And I hinted at some Super Secret CALL Stuff in a previous post that are coming in July! Well IT IS NOW JULY!

The tech upgrades are the first upgrades that are … not disaster related! Well, okay, maybe a stretch as during Covid, and just as we were returning, CALL (& elsewhere too!) was upgraded with a bunch of new computers – both DELL and APPLE! But that was expected and … if COVID is not a disaster, then what is!

Okay, you might then argue that The Pods at the Front of CALL were another non-disaster upgrade, but …. the screen at the time had broken and well, why not upgrade the back computers to a kind of ‘If you build it, they will come‘ scenario for students. (Spoiler Alert – An ALL TIME FAVOURITE MOVIE of mine! And it worked … Covid started about 3 weeks later! AND CALL also got new furniture JUST BEFORE COVID! And believe me, the old furniture WAS a disaster! Whew!

CALL Facility Large Screens
       CALL Facility Large Screens

So THIS current upgrade is unique in that we are getting FAR SUPERIOR STUFF that we did not have before! And those things are …… well, you will just have to wait until the next Bog Blog post. For now, I will include more photos of lots of stuff that has happened in CALL, and the first of the Before and After photos too! And a few random ‘Favourite Bog Blog’ posts at the bottom too! 

And don’t forget about … The Great CALL Flood of 2015!

But for now, you will have to:

  • Monitor this OAC Blog!
  • Make a resolution to be ready for anything!
  • Station yourself at the ready!
  • Display your boxes of CALL hi-tech upgrades!
  • Project the future!
  • Measure up to … 55″ of PowerPoint slides in every direction!
  • And if not PP, then switch to a 55″ Keynote instead!
  • Don’t get drunk on screenshots!
  • Screen everyone who visits CALL!
  • Memorize how to spell HDMI!
  • Surf the Internet riding high on a CRESTRON .wav!
  • Get ready for one DELL of an upgrade!
  • No boots needed in case of a flood, only … re-boots!
  • Didn’t cost much either! We paid in cache!
  • CALL will be safe from monitor lizards, finally!
  • Monitor the upgrades ’cause it  … hertz so good!

See everyone in JULY!
Come on down to
THE CALL FACILITY …
BE READY …..
After … July 13th!

READY!
                                                                          READY!

And … just to end on a
Shameless OAC
Bog Blog promotion …
Here are some random Bog Blog favourite OAC posts!

My Favourite ‘Favourites’ at OAC!
So … What’s Next for … 2022?
CALL Computer Refresh Deja Vu ….. All Over Again
A Walk Down Memory Lane .. or .. 1 Domegemegrottebyte Worth!
Favourite and Useful UVic Links
NEW CALL LAYOUT !
The CALL Facility & other UVic Mysteries
UVIC Social Media
Social Media at UVic or … LIKES and FOLLOWS
On Campus Photo Shoot
On Campus Photo Shoot Redux
And of course …. CHD Jeopardy Opus (all the Jeopardy pdfs!)
And a favourite topic is … UVic Recycling!
The ReCycling of CALL and … HSD!
Comparing Apples and Oranges III . . . The ReCycling

And one of my
ABSOLUTELY FAVOURITE
Bog Blog Posts …
Secret Gems of Clearihue!
SSShhhh . . . Clearihue’s Hidden Secrets . . . & GEMS

And  if  you  made  it  this  far
A SNEAK  PREVIEW
of  the NEXT CHD  Jeopardy!

 

A Walk Down Memory Lane .. or .. 1 Domegemegrottebyte Worth!

Let’s go for a walk down …
Memory Lane !
Of 1 Domegemegrottebyte Size !!!!

I hope you have been able to keep THIS BOG BLOG POST TOP SECRET!

If not, then go ahead and TELL EVERYONE! The secret CALL Upgrade with lots of new TECH TOYS is less than TWO WEEKS AWAY!!!

The CALL Facility will actually be closed the first two weeks of July (1-5 and 8-12) while the best technical crew on campus brings CALL to the height of upgrades! A long time coming and this will significantly change how CALL can and WILL be used for classes, demos, workshops, orientations, lectures, exams and even drop-in usage! And maybe even MORE uses as everyone discovers that CALL can now do ….. oops ……. almost let the cat out of the bag! You will have to wait or better yet, drop by and talk to me! CALL has had computer refreshes but this time .. is different. CALL did get new furniture and a newer version of The Pods, just before Covid, but this is going to be really cool!

Oh, and if you were wondering about what a Domegemegrottebyte is ….

  • Domegemegrottebyte (1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 Bytes) (or 1033 Bytes)

And for comparison, click HERE for some eye opening comparisons! I had never heard of The Byte Scale before! WOW!

Okay, now for some fun stuff! There are vintage photos of The CALL Facility and even the notorious and infamous …. Lab ‘B’ that I have found. AND some Great Flood photos and even Classic CALL photos. Below are a bunch of mini-galleries, each with a mini-them! Some are so old, that colour had not been invented yet! All this in comparison to various upgrades and the UPGRADE TO COME IN JULY! I will do a blog about that, when complete and we have a Fully Functioning  DEATHSTAR  CALL Facility! Check them out below in a bunch of Galleries!

The CALL Facility will be completed on schedule
                           The CALL Facility will be completed on schedule
You must feel The Pun around you
                                             You must feel The Pun around you

THE LEGENDARY LAB ‘B’
the night before it was … DISASSEMBLED! 

Classic CALL Facility Photos – Pre-Flood!

The Great Flood of 2015!

Vintage & Old Photos of CALL 1989!

CALL During Flood Renovations

Behind the Scenes CLTE Renovations!

CALL FUN FAIR – Meet the Team

Meet the Team in The CALL Facility
                                                             Meet the Team in The CALL Facility

 

And some more cool links from previous Bog Blogs about upgrades and new tech and toys through the years! And don’t forget to recycle boxes, hardware and even food and paper! JUST DO IT!

NEW! The CALL Facility Furniture HAS ARRIVED! NEW!
CALL Computer Refresh Deja Vu ….. All Over Again
SSShhh or Clearihue’s Hidden Secrets .. or CLEARIHUE’S HIDDEN GEMS!!!!
The CALL Facility Original Ad for Employment September 1989
1989 to 2019 30th Anniversary of The CALL Facility!
Meet the Team Systems Open House
The CALL Facility Original Ad for Employment September 1989
CALL Towering Tech Arrivals
The Recycling of CALL and … HSD! (Upgrades need recycling!)
Recycling Never Gets Old at UVic!

See everyone in JULY!
Come on down to
THE CALL FACILITY!

And … just to end on yet another shameless OAC Bog Blog promotion, yet another Post ending with yet another previous blog on …. PUNS! Please be kind! And if you can’t be kind, then I will just have to make more puns! The choice … is yours!!! The Pun is strong in this one ……

 

 

 

Super Secret Surprise CALL Stuff … coming in July!

SUPER SECRET….
Surprise CALL STUFF …..
Coming in JULY !!!!

CAN you keep a secret? You better be able to! There just might be some VERY interesting stuff coming to your local CALL Facility, scheduled for the first two weeks of JULY!  Just before that though, will be DHSI for the first two weeks of JUNE!

What is DHSI? Well, I will write another post closer to June, but another Super Secret CALL Scenario is ….. click here to see what DHSI is!

But for now, you will have to:

  • Monitor this OAC Blog!
  • Make a resolution to be ready for anything!
  • Station yourself at the ready!
  • Display your boxes of CALL hi-tech upgrades!
  • Project the future!
  • Measure up to … 55″ of PowerPoint slides in every direction!
  • And if not PP, then switch to a 55″ Keynote instead!
  • Don’t get drunk on screenshots!
  • Screen everyone who visits CALL!
  • Memorize how to spell HDMI!
  • Surf the Internet riding high on a CRESTRON .wav!
  • Get ready for one DELL of an upgrade!
  • No boots needed in case of a flood, only … re-boots!
  • Didn’t cost much either! We paid in cache!
  • CALL will be safe from monitor lizards, finally!
  • Monitor the upgrades ’cause it  … hertz so good!

And maybe, just maybe, the photo below in a Super Secret location, safe from prying eyes … will have some clues!

And just have to end on a serious note ….. NOT!

See everyone in JULY!
Come on down to
THE CALL FACILITY!

And … just to end on a shameless OAC Bog Blog promotion, I did a whole post on puns and jokes during early Covid in 2020 …….

 

 

 

 

ON VACATION! Back on AUGUST 28!!

I AM NOW ON VACATION!

FINALLY August is here!

And I am going to go absolutely nowhere! Well, maybe Cobble Hill for coffee and ratatouille in the forest! Or walks on the beach! Or a longshot is Tofino or Alberta! But anywhere I do go, will be very random and very spur of the moment!

I did scale back my OAC posts this past year (September ’22 to August ’23) but still managed some fun posts and pages, as well as some updates and brand new random posts! And I plan on a few more when I get back in September!   Who knows how busy September 2023 will be but .. it WILL be busy! I am already taking bookings for JANUARY OF 2024!!! YAY BOOKINGS!

You can always check out all my CHD Jeopardy training files here including my most recent Jeopardy Double Trouble in .pdf format. AND a YouTube video of Double Jeopardy it here! ENJOY!

AND ANNOUNCING THAT I HAVE FINISHED 99.99% of the NEWEST CHD JEOARDY –HALLOWEEN the 13th!!! In October and for all our new and returning COOPS 

Good luck! And even MORE prizes (Chocolate! Gummy Bears and maybe SURPRISE PACKAGES TOO!) to win and new TYPES of questions too!

CHD Jeopardy Greg's Playlist IIAnd I might also have a new shorter version of my CALL Orientation which will be only about 2 minutes long and less than a dozen slides! Okay, that was hard to do, to keep it THAT short, but I will still keep some Star Trek  and Easter Egg elements in there … the usual for this Bog Blog! For a quick sneak peek, but only the working/BETA version, you can download it here in PDF format, or watch it at YouTube in video format! I even kept it shorter than the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds trailer ! But it will still probably change and be even better than it is right now! YAY!

Thanks for all the support and reading all my fun Bog Blog posts and pages at UVic! More to come in September! WOOT!

Everyone stay safe and healthy today, tomorrow and for the rest of the year!

Not to worry . . .

Back on August 28th to prep for
. . . Septem . . . PURR !!!!

I will bring Empire Donuts when I return to UVic!

~~Bogman~~


 

Pandemic

 

WELCOME BACK TO UVIC September 2022!

! WELCOME BACK !
! to UVIC !
! September 2022 !
! … and The CALL Facility too !

A full week has  passed since classes started at UVIC! That would cover every day that has classes! It has been extremely busy on campus, especially outdoors with so many orientations, booths, tents and activities like Thunderfest for all students, especially new students! WELCOME TO UVIC!

The  Computer Help Desk had tents up at Thunderfest as well as the day before classes started last week. CHD had a brand new PRIZE WHEEL to give away prizes! YAY CHD!

A couple of photos of the tents for all the activities and staffed by ALL kinds of CHD staff from new Coops to Consultants to Supers to Full Time Staff to our Associate Director too! GREAT TEAM EFFORT FROM EVERYONE! Those tents DO require team effort to setup and take down! YAY CHD!

All sorts of exciting stuff will be happening throughout September
& all upcoming semesters!

Did you know you can reserve Student Study Spaces, including the desks at the back of The CALL Facility? There are Project Rooms in BEC, Group Study Tables in Clearihue (CALL), Virtual Reality (VR) Studio in BEC and a Digital Media Studio in HSD! ALL from THIS WEBSITE! Photos below!

A few more Dual Monitors

CALL now has DUAL MONITORS ON ALL COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS! And that is on all the Macs and WIN computers! I was able  to re-purpose a bunch of monitors heading towards recycling and they now have a new lease on life in CALL! And it did not cost a penny! I used all available cables,  monitors, dongles and power bars! BONUS FOR BEING A GREEN CALL FACILITY! Here are many UVIC Green Recycling Sites to check out too! These and the best of my Pages are always at the right hand side of each of my Bog Blog Posts. 

I am always tinkering with my CALL Facility orientation, starting as a PowerPoint and with the goal to be under 5 minutes TOTAL as a presentation! I have tweaked my BETA version  and now have what I think  I will use as my file! And as a YouTube video as well!

CHD Jeopardy Greg's Playlist II
                     CHD Jeopardy Greg’s Playlist II

AND I have the next CHD All Staff Training Jeopardy ready!  Greg’s Playlist II and all new questions, answers, prizes and lyrics and CHD questions to try and answer! I even have NEW TYPES OF QUESTIONS TOO! But you will have to wait and .. also be staff at CHD to get the invite to the training! Come for the training … but stay for the food … and CHD JEOPARDY!

And huge HUGE NEWS THAT … I can’t really tell you about …  but WILL! There are new computers coming! Wait, they are ALREADY HERE! But wait, they are not yet ready to deploy! YES NEW  COMPUTERS! CHD staff unpacked them and we have to store them for now, as classes have started, so maybe  by Reading Break I will  let everyone know where they will be deployed! YAY NEW COMPUTERS! Stay glued to my Bog Blog for that and any other breaking Computer Help Desk news!

And how about a new feature every so often – a Throwback Link to topics … somewhat close to this one! LOL! And even some parting advice at the end of this blog, if you read that far!  I sure hope you do!

The best feature of the CALL layout (thanks to rolling desks!) is distancing to make sure everyone has enough room, should they want it. There are lots of open workstations for students and of course, all new computers from last August 2021 too.

CALL has  hosted many mid-terms, Finals and special workshops including a Chat Café with Korea! Really! So come on down and see what you  have been missing out on as a study space for yourself and fellow students!

Thanks to EVERYONE for all your help and support over the past 2+ Covid years. Without my colleagues support and friendship, I have no idea how I would have fared! THANK YOU ALL! And hey, to quote one of my favourite  TV shows of all time …. Hill Street Blues ….. and I have to mention St. Elsewhere too. AWESOME SHOWS! ENJOY!

CALL Towering Tech Arrivals

CALL Computer Refresh Deja Vu .. All Over Again

The Recycling of CALL … and HSD!

Early Computer Help Desks!

TTFN!

ON VACATION! Back on AUGUST 29!!

I AM NOW ON VACATION!

FINALLY August is here!

And I am going to go absolutely nowhere! Well, maybe Cobble Hill for coffee and ratatouille in the forest! Or walks on the beach! Or a longshot is Tofino or Alberta! But anywhere I do go, will be very random and very spur of the moment!

I did scale back my OAC posts this past year (September ’21 to July ’22) but still managed some fun posts and pages, as well as some updates and brand new random posts – you know the kind- COVID kind of interfered with daily updates as we had TWO years of students coming back to UVIC! The regular ‘1st Years’ and the ‘then’ the current ‘2nd Years’ … who never did set foot on campus during COVID! September 2021 was THE busiest I have ever seen on campus! Who knows how busy September 2022 will be but .. it WILL be busy!

Jeopardy XI Greg's Playlist
                               Jeopardy XI Greg’s Playlist

BONUS – we were able to do IN  PERSON TRAINING FOR OUR NEW CHD STAFF FOR THE FIRST TIME in almost 3 years!! You can always check out all my CHD Jeopardy training files here including my most recent Jeopardy Greg’s Playlist!

CHD Jeopardy Greg's Playlist II
           CHD Jeopardy Greg’s Playlist II

AND ANNOUNCING THAT I HAVE FINISHED 99.99% of the NEWEST CHD JEOARDY – GREG’S PLAYLIST II in September and for all our new and returning COOPS! Good luck! And even MORE prizes (Chocolate!) to win and new TYPES of questions too!

And I will also have a new shorter version of my CALL Orientation which will be only about 2 minutes long and less than a dozen slides! Okay, that was hard to do, to keep it THAT short, but I will still keep some Star Trek  and Easter Egg elements in there … the usual for this Bog Blog! For a quick sneak peek, but only the working/BETA version, you can download it here in PDF format, or watch it at YouTube in video format! I even kept it shorter than the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds trailer ! But it will still probably change and be even better than it is right now! YAY!

Thanks for all the support and reading all my fun Bog Blog posts and pages at UVic! More to come in September! WOOT!

Everyone stay safe and healthy today, tomorrow and for the rest of the year!

Not to worry . . .

Back on August 29th to prep for
. . . Septem . . . PURR !!!!

I will bring Empire Donuts when I return to UVic!

~~Bogman~~


 

Pandemic

 

ON VACATION! Back on AUGUST 30!!

I AM NOW ON VACATION!

What an exhausting and long year since last August – my last full vacation!

And exhausting … for ALL OF  US! I am so fortunate to have been able to  work with such amazing and incredible colleagues at The Computer Help Desk over the past … 500+ DAYS! Yes, it has been that long since we started working remotely, late in March of 2020!

Without ALL of their support, humour, leadership, imagination, guidance  and every single possible ‘intangible‘ that each and every single one of them, ALL BRING to our Teams meetings, emails, texts, GIFs, Emojis, Jeopardy, Quote Contests, it would have been impossible to accomplish a fraction of what WE ALL DID AS A TEAM!

THANK YOU ALL!

A few key UVic and BC websites for returning to campus in September for everyone!

  1. Return-to-Campus Guidelines now available
  2. Return to campus info for students
  3. Communicable Disease Plan now available
  4. UVic News
  5. Update on getting your COVID-19 vaccine
  6. Remote work arrangements announced for the fall
  7. Working remotely
  8. Post-secondary studies during COVID-19
  9. NEW COMPUTERS IN CALL! YAY!
  10. NEW FURNITURE IN CALL! YAY!

Not to worry . . .

August 30th to prep for
. . . Septem . . . PURR !!!!

 

Pandemic


I will bring Empire Donuts when I return to UVic!

~~Bogman~~

 

ON VACATION! Back on AUGUST 31!!

I AM NOW ON VACATION!

I have been taking combinations of Thursdays/Fridays/Mondays to have a bit of a break, some breathing room and to relieve a bit of stress. August is my traditional full vacation time!

A personal challenge (since we started working remotely), was to contribute a daily OAC post, relating to languages, computers, graphics, words, culture, UVic, technology (old and new!), puns, The CALL Facility or anything informative, educational and perhaps even funny!

I have been learning more and more about WordPress and have found some neat tricks that have helped me out – teaser – that will be a future post!

I will scale back my ‘Daily’ posts in September as the Fall semester will be unlike ANY OTHER SEMESTER, anytime in the past 30+ years that I have experienced at UVic. I still plan on posting once a week, but that will depend on so many things! Let me correct that – it will depend on … EVERYTHING that is going on at UVic in September …. and probably until next year!

Full Disclosure: Sometimes I had 3 or 4 posts all whirling around madly in my mind at the same time … and other times … I had NO idea what I would be writing about, even as I turned my computer on! Blogging by the seat of my pants! Fun Fact – that is basically how I got through U of Calgary too! It’s true … REALLY TRUE! 🙂

Today, July 31/2020, is actually Day 134 since March 19th, my last full on-campus day at The Computer Help Desk / The CALL Facility. I am hoping we can all return to UVic relatively soon, under safe conditions and help students, staff and faculty with their work!

Not to worry . . .

August 31st to prep for
. . . Septem . . . PURR !!!!

 

Pandemic


I will bring Empire Donuts when I return to UVic!

~~Bogman~~

 

🎄 ☃️ Happy Holidays ☃️ 🎄

🎄 ☃️ Happy Holidays! ☃️ 🎄

 

And, if you made it this far …. Classic Canadian Christmas Song!