https://www.stungeye.com/ Stung Eye — personal blog since 2002 en Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:39:24 -0600 https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/02/22/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/02/22/ Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:39:24 -0600 I read 22 books last year. 7 of them were on my Kobo e-reader and the rest were deadtree format. 12 of them were fiction. 10 were non-fiction.There were so many great books this year. I’ve returned to listing a separate top three for fiction and non-fiction, plus a list of runners-up.Fiction in 2025Piranesi - Susanna Clarke - “I was in a house with many rooms. The sea sweeps through the house. Sometimes it swept over me, but always I was saved.”Dragon song - Anne McCaffrey - “Oh, Tongue, give... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/01/24/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/01/24/ Sat, 24 Jan 2026 09:01:24 -0600 Party music for party people. Twenty rock and pop tunes with some dancey music at the end.Rock this playlist at your next kitchen party! All songs were released by Manitoba musicians in 2025. This is the third and final MB 2025 “mixtape” I put together over the holidays. These tunes were discovered by way of the curated selections of Manitoba Music, our not-for-profit music industry association.Half of these groups were completely new to me. It was a joy to discover them and poke around in their... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/01/18/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/01/18/ Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:27:55 -0600 Twenty-one indie, folky, jazzy, soulful, tunes with some quiet contemplation to close.I dare you to listen to this playlist twice in a row and not fall in love with every single track. All of these songs were released by Manitoba musicians in 2025. I discovered them during my yearly deep dive into locally created music curated by Manitoba Music, our not-for-profit music industry association.This is the second of three MB 2025 “mixtapes” I put together over the holidays. This one is mellow and... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/01/10/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2026/01/10/ Sat, 10 Jan 2026 08:35:00 -0600 My top fifteen Manitoban rap tracks from 2025 to start the year.Over the holidays I tore through the 250+ songs released by Manitoba artists in 2025 featured on Manitoba Music’s regularly updated playlist of local music. This has become a year-end ritual of musical discovery and provincial inspiration.Here are my favourite hip hop tracks released in Manitoba last year. From the praries, through the muskegs, to the tundra, yo.Listen here or in the embedded players below:Flow State 2025 Playlist... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/03/02/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/03/02/ Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:39:55 -0600 Alright, music lovers, it’s time for the third and final installment of my Manitoba music roundup for 2024. This one's golden.Back in December, I listened to over 300 tracks released in 2024 by Manitoba artists and curated three playlists. The first two focused on party tracks and hip hop bangers.With this playlist I’ll slow down the pace to present fifteen standout songs from Manitoban musicians, spanning genres, styles, and moods. Whether you’re into jazz, folk, indie rock, country, or pop,... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/02/22/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/02/22/ Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:00 -0600 Today’s drop is a hip hop mixtape of my fav 15 releases from Manitoban rappers and beat makers last year.I’ve been readying Gritty City: An Oral History of Winnipeg Hip-Hop Music: 1980-2005 by Nigel Webber, a deep-dive into local hip-hop history. That’s right, Manitoba has been head-bobbing to beats and rhymes for over 40 years. I found the scene 25 years ago and have been a fan ever since. The talent here always blows my mind.Back in December I listened to 300 tracks released in 2024 by... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/02/15/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/02/15/ Sat, 15 Feb 2025 10:59:00 -0600 Hey music lovers! Ready for some amazing Manitoba-made music?Over the holidays in December I listened to over 300 tracks released in 2024 by Manitoba artists and curated three playlists of the hottest local tunes.Big shoutout to Manitoba Music, our non-profit industry champions who keep a running playlist of recent local releases. I dove deep into their selections and emerged with fifty-three bangers.First up: Seventeen stand-out party rockers. Fifty minutes of fire hip hop, rock, country, jazz,... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/02/01/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/02/01/ Sat, 01 Feb 2025 10:10:00 -0600 I read 15 books last year. Eight on my Kobo e-reader and the rest were deadtree format. Nine of them were fiction. Six were non-fiction.There were many great books this year, making it difficult to select just a top three. As such, I’ve included a selection of runners-up. Fiction in 2024A Line to Kill - Anthony Horowitz - “I’m surrounded by silence but at the same time I’m drowning in words and it hardly ever leaves me, that sense of disconnection.”The Midnight Library - Matt Haig - “The only... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/01/18/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2025/01/18/ Sat, 18 Jan 2025 09:45:00 -0600 Here’s a snapshot of my exercise achievements in 2024:I covered 2,100km last year, splitting my cardio between running and cycling. Running accounted for 900 km, mostly along the Harte Trail and throughout Assiniboine Forest. I run outdoors throughout the summer and the winter. Most of my runs ranged from 5 to 10km, with two standout runs hitting half-marathon distance (21 km). Cycling made up the remaining 1,200km, largely from my fair-weather bike commutes to work. It’s a 14km journey each way... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2024/03/16/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2024/03/16/ Sat, 16 Mar 2024 12:33:00 -0500 I’m still listing to podcasts near daily, mainly when I run or while walking to/from the bus. (On the bus is reserved for reading.)I’m currently subscribed to 25 different shows in my podcatcher (Pocket Casts).Last year’s listens can be found at the end of my 2022 reading and listening post.Completionist ListeningI’m listening to nearly every episode of:ADSP, CBC Spark, Conversations with Tyler, Game Dev Advice, Hard Fork, Lex Fridman, Long Now Seminars, Nice Game Club, Philosophy Bites,... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2024/02/11/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2024/02/11/ Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:46:00 -0600 I read 21 books last year. Nine on my Kobo e-reader and the rest were deadtree format. Sixteen of them were fiction. Five were non-fiction. Night-time reading with the girls continues, but with less consistency. Cold-weather-commuted to work by bus, which accounts for the increase in books compared with 2022 & 2021.Fiction in 2023Ready Player One - Ernest Cline - 80s nostalgia and sci-fi tropes.To Be Taught, If Fortunate - Becky Chambers - “Hope isn’t about predicting the future; it’s about how... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2023/02/12/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2023/02/12/ Sun, 12 Feb 2023 16:40:40 -0600 I read 12 books last year. Two on my Kobo e-reader and the rest were deadtree format. Eight of them were fiction. Four were non-fiction. Nightly reading with the girls continues. My commute to work is back (after a nearly three year work-from-home pause) so I expect 2023 to see an increase in books. Two of the books read this year were written by close friends, which was a treat. Fiction in 2022 Perhaps the Stars - Ada Palmer - The conclusion to the epic Terra Ignota quartet. “Did we poison our... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2022/07/27/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2022/07/27/ Wed, 27 Jul 2022 08:49:35 -0500 This past Saturday (July 23, 2022) marked the first in a series of in-person events focused on experimenting with sound and code. That’s right, we spent the day hacking music at New Media Manitoba in the beautiful Dingwall Building! We had 18 folks at our peak, which is an amazing turnout for a niche event. The day went by in a flash. Like a good party, I was left feeling energized and inspired, but also with a melancholic sense that there wasn’t nearly enough time to get to know / catch-up with... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2022/02/14/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2022/02/14/ Mon, 14 Feb 2022 10:57:05 -0600 I read 12 books last year. Three were read on my Kobo e-reader and the rest were deadtree format. Six of them were fiction. Six were non-fiction. Nightly reading with the girls continues. I’m mising my weekday 1.5 hours bus commute reading sessions. It’s just too easy to fall asleep with a book across your face. :) Fiction in 2021 What’s Bred in the Bone - Robertson Davies - The nature and nuture of people and place. Secret Commonwealth - The Book of Dust Vol 2 - Philip Pullman - When you stop... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2021/02/13/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2021/02/13/ Sat, 13 Feb 2021 09:05:12 -0600 I read 22 books last year. Three were read on my new e-reader, the rest were deadtree format. Fourteen of them were fiction. Eight were non-fiction. I continued to read to the girls almost every night. Normally my bus commute allows for my reading and podcast habit. In 2020 my reading shifted into bed before sleep. Podcasts shifted to running and cooking. 2020 was also the year the fam truely took over my Spotify account. The algorithms are confused. Where 2019 was all re-reads, 2020 included... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2020/12/13/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2020/12/13/ Sun, 13 Dec 2020 08:56:34 -0600 I’m here today to spread the gospel of the Mellotron. Le Mellotron is people and music. A blog that became a webradio gathering and then a community of music curators and lovers. Located in a bar near Place de la Republique square in Paris, Le Mellotron beats day after day to the rhythm of the city, its people and streets. We believe in an emerging parisian musical scene, moved by its curiosity, and strengthened by its ability to capture and transform its influences. LeMellotron will be its... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2020/01/19/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2020/01/19/ Sun, 19 Jan 2020 21:36:32 -0600 I read 20 books last year. All twenty books were deadtree format. Fourteen of them were fiction. Six were non-fiction. I continued to read to the girls almost every night. Together we read an additional 9 chapter books and oodles of picture books. I managed to drop a few shows from my podcatcher. Our family listened to 700 hours of music. 2019 was a year of re-reading favourites from my youth as well as more recent favourites. A year of nostalgia and retrospection! I enjoyed the journey and am... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2020/01/11/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2020/01/11/ Sat, 11 Jan 2020 08:36:00 -0600 I teach coding at Red River College. I’ve been at the college for almost 12.5. Although I’ve learned a lot over this time, this learning has been almost exclusivly related to teaching and web development (and outside of work, parenting and open government). It’s time to step a bit of my comfort zone: I’m going to learn modern game development. So, okay, it’s not too far outside my comfort zone. It’s still tech. It’s still coding. But it feels like a different world. It’s also a return to the... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2019/07/08/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2019/07/08/ Mon, 08 Jul 2019 08:21:22 -0500 Total network nerd out! I switched my internet provider from Bell MTS to TekSavvy and it was quite the ride. Why the switch? Half the monthly cost and total control of my home network. Oh, and I love tech puzzle and the challenge of the build. ;) My New Network Stack Technicolor TC4400 Cable Modem - $160cnd from TekSavvy TP-Link Archer C9 WiFi Router - $135cnd on Amazon D-Link DIR615 Flashed with DD-WRT firmware - pre-owned Raspberry Pi for Ad Blocking - pre-owned In Winnipeg TekSavvy acts as a... https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2019/02/03/ https://www.stungeye.com/archive/by_date/2019/02/03/ Sun, 03 Feb 2019 12:32:53 -0600 I read 20 books last year. All twenty books were deadtree format. Fourteen of them were fiction. Six were non-fiction. I continued to read to the girls almost every night. Podcasts still loom large in terms of time invested. There’s a chart below showing books read by year since 2011. Fiction in 2018 The Cuckoo’s Calling - J. K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith - Tropey brit-bloke detective novel. Fun. I’ll follow this series. The Vorrh - Brian Catling - An endless, timeless African forest....