Stephen Childs
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sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Stephen Childs
@sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
6 followers 2 following 95 posts
Senior Statistician and Systems Analyst, Humber Polytechnic. ORCID 0000-0002-4450-4281 He/him tfr

[bridged from https://cosocial.ca/@sechilds on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
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sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
I finally got to watch Weapons (2025). Really happy to finally have a night to see it.

https://sechilds.ca/weapons-2025.html
A hand holding up a copy of Weapons (2025).
November 9, 2025 at 4:34 AM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Good on the University of Guelph.

I guess this is one case where it’s more efficient to give food rather than cash.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/5000-lbs-of-beans-used-for-research-at-the-university-of-guelph-donated-to-food-bank/
Dried beans donated to the Guelph Food Bank. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News). The beans are held by one person, hands making a bowl. They are wearing gloves. The beans are different sizes and colours. The background is out of focus.
October 30, 2025 at 12:16 AM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
This history of QNX is facinating. The part that got me was about the ICON computers, which were in my school's computer lab.

They were really heavy and had a really cool trackball.

https://www.abortretry.fail/p/the-qnx-operating-system
Burroughs ICON, image from jasoneckert.github.io This is an 1980s computer system with a monitor, a large base, a keyboard with number pad and a large trackball on the right hand side. The screen says Unisys ICON.
October 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
I had those comics back when I was in high school and I still have a soft spot for them.

#tmnt
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Book 2 by Eastman and Laird. It has the 4 iconic turtles on a New York rooftop in their original comic incarnation.
September 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
It’ll be safe to go to Toys R Us, right? There won’t be anything I’ll just have to buy.

#tmnt
In box action figure: Fugitoid from Eastman and Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It is a grey robot with yellow eyes. It houses a human consciousness (not visible).
September 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
I finally got to climb the Pioneer Tower thanks to #doorsopen

I feel like I’ve got to do a KW tradition.

#kitchener #kwawesome
View of people lining up to go into Pioneer Tower, from the top of the tower. The wooden stairs inside the tower. Me at the top of the Pioneer Tower waving. The Pioneer Tower. If you look closely I am at the top!
September 20, 2025 at 5:09 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
A little bit of a lineup for going up Pioneer Tower. #doorsopen #kwawesome
Pioneer Tower, a tower with stones on the exterior, windows and a weather vane that is a covered wagon.
September 20, 2025 at 4:31 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
For a two-bedroom apartment: Vancouver $3,170; Toronto $2,690; Ottawa $2,490.

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250625/dq250625b-eng.htm
Chart from Statistics Canada showing the average asking rents for 2 bedroom apartments in the largest CMAs. For 2025Q1, Montréal $1,930; Ottawa-Gatineau (QC part) $1,680; Ottawa-Gatineau (ON part) $2,490; Toronto $2,690; Calgary $1,920; Vancouver $3,170.
June 25, 2025 at 3:33 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Happy 5 1/4 inch floppy disk day to those who celebrate!
A 5 1/4 inch floppy disk, black in colour with a notch cut out of the left side indicating it can be written to. It is a Verbatim brand double sided / double density disk labelled TPUG Disk July ’81 to October ’81 .
May 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
When the GO Train is delayed by 20 minutes, you get some strange departure signs.
Digital departure board at a GO Transit station shows the 16:11 Kitchener train on Platform 3, with stops at Bramalea, Brampton Innovation District GO, Mount Pleasant, Georgetown, Acton, Guelph Central, and Kitchener. The next train to Union departs at 16:00. The screen includes bilingual construction info and a current time of 15:54. GO Transit digital departure board displays two upcoming trains. On Platform 2, the 16:00 train to Union Station stops at Bloor and Union, with 10 coaches. On Platform 3, the 16:11 train to Kitchener stops at Georgetown, Acton, Guelph Central, and Kitchener, with 12 coaches. The screen includes bilingual safety messaging and shows the current time as 15:59.
May 21, 2025 at 8:04 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
May the Fourth be with you.

Happy #starwars day.

I was given this book last year. I remember reading at least one of the Han Solo books awhile ago.
Cover of Brian Daley’s Han Solo Adventures with Han, Chewbacca, Jabba the Hutt and the Millenium Falcon on the cover.
May 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Kitchener-Waterloo needs this.

The worst part of my commute is when the train arrives in Kitchener and many cars fight to get in and out of the train station parking lot.

Region must also ensure those living in the Victoria Street encampment have a place to go. […]

[Original post on cosocial.ca]
The region has shared this artist rendering of what the transit hub could look like when completed. (Region of Waterloo). It shows both the GO Train and ION train, a terminal building and walkways.
April 19, 2025 at 12:31 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Brampton Transit, which is an integral part of my commute, gets a nice shoutout from Bloomburg.

For a city of 700,000 an average weekday bus ridership of 226,500 is pretty impressive.

The Züm bus is my connection to the regional rail system and has fare integration with it.
A Brampton Transit Züm express bus on the side of the road near the Torbram bus stop. You can see the heated shelter behind the bus.
April 15, 2025 at 2:52 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Reminding myself how much I suck at this (almost) 40 year old game.
Title Screen for Ghosts ’N Goblins with a score of 3600. Elite Systems Ltd Presents Ghosts ’N Goblins Programming by Chris Butler Graphics by Chris Butlet Sound Effects by Mark Cooksey Copyright 1986 by Japan Capsule Computers UK Ltd.
April 12, 2025 at 9:41 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
COFFEE BELIEVE
AND FRIENDS NOTHING IS
A PERFECT BLEND IMPOSSIBLE
Two identical wooden decorations one says “Coffee and Friends: A Perfect Blend” and the other says “Believe Nothing is Impossible”.
April 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
In Terminator Zero there is a terminator with a crossbow built into their arm, and I'm loving that for them.
A animated Terminator in a police uniform with a helmet. A crossbow that is a part of their arm.
February 9, 2025 at 3:36 AM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
An amazing visit to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory today. They are always very helpful and it’s great to go someplace warm on a cold, snowy day.

https://www.cambridgebutterfly.com/
A butterfly or moth sits on the muntin of a four pane window that reveals a winter scene outside.
January 4, 2025 at 9:24 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Early GO train commute this morning.
View from the window of the GO train showing the sign for the Kitchener station. You can see the reflected train car interior. The train station is just a couple of buildings and a platform.
December 17, 2024 at 11:09 AM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Costikyan, Greg. Star Wars: The Role-Playing Game (1987), p.g. 93.

https://www.slashfilm.com/1720784/star-wars-movies-forbidden-objects/

What I want to know: is there CALCULUS in the Star Wars universe.

#starwars #ttrpg
Keep one thing in mind: though most of the props you use are paper, there is no paper in the Star Wars universe. (True!) They use electronic data pads and the like for transferring and displaying information. Everything is a data read-out of some kind.
December 2, 2024 at 10:00 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
This weekend’s visit to Waterloo Park.
Waterloo Park way-finding marker with Silver Lake in the background.
November 25, 2024 at 6:35 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
An amazing first full day at #cirpa 2024 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Great presentations and conversations and plenty to take back to our institutions. #cirpa2024 #institutionalresearch
The banner at the Fredericton Convention Center, showing the Canadian Institutional Research and Planning conference name.
October 21, 2024 at 8:12 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
I can't believe that the CIRPA 2024 conference is almost here. I'm really looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues old and new in Fredericton.

https://cirpa-acpri.ca/conferences/2024-fredericton/conference-schedule/

#cirpa #cirpa2024 #institutionalresearch #highered #pse
Banner for the CIRPA 2024 conference in Fredericton, NB. Students of Data, Data Serving Students. Inspiring a culture of student success through data empowerment. October 20-23, 2024.
October 17, 2024 at 3:56 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Back from a great trip to the Arboretum in Guelph. Many people out there taking fall pictures (including at least one wedding).

I’m glad we got there in the fall. Truly spectacular.
View of a tree looking up from its trunk. Some trees at the Arboretum. The Arboretum Center and nearby trees in their fall colours. Even more trees. Some red leaves.
October 12, 2024 at 8:34 PM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
Spooky season continues with a watch of Late Night with the Devil. This is my kind of horror movie. And yes, the narrator at the beginning IS Michael Ironside.
Movie poster for Late Night with the Devil. It shows a talk show host with his head on fire.
October 12, 2024 at 4:09 AM
sechilds.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy
A new donut place opening up nearby. Whether for good or ill, surely an omen of great import.
Sign for Fluffy Glaze donuts. The logo is a sprinkled, dripping donut.
October 11, 2024 at 8:35 PM