Wednesday, April 30, 2008


Coming soon to a Skid Row near you - more condos!

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008


So, I've been trying to file my income tax this evening. And I mean this evening. I started around 5:30 and it's now 10:15. All went smoothly until I tried to send off the completed file to Revenue Canada. Their server is either overloaded or ridiculously buggy. Ah, well.....onward!

Monday, April 28, 2008


Too bad they only do shoes.

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Sunday, April 27, 2008


Ah, life on the waterfront.

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Saturday, April 26, 2008


Went to see "The Visitor" today. Good movie. If you're American, and at all undecided (hard to believe, but...) about whether to vote Republican or Democrat in November, you really ought to see it. The phrase "Step away from the window", will stick with you.

And, if you're thinking about travelling to America, do it soon. Next nutbar step the Department of Homeland Stupidity seems to have in the works is to have all visitors to the States leaving by plane or ship fingerprinted as they leave. Just fills you with a warm and fuzzy desire to visit, doesn't it? "Welcome to America, where all our guests are criminals!"

Friday, April 25, 2008


Evidently, they do windows, too. Look at the shine on those things!

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Thursday, April 24, 2008


Heaven help me, I've just signed up for a 5k run. Why, you ask? Um, because I'm nuts. It's not that I don't think I can do it - I can. But I'm going to do it at a snail's pace and I hate that. It's soooooo sad to be so out of shape.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008


Oh, lordy - school starts again (for me) in just a week and a half. And, just to re-introduce me to the ball game, I had to participate in a fairly frustrating meeting today. Four people trying to convince one that he was being, um, unhelpful. Fabulously, we'll get to try again convincing him again in another week. Golly, I can't wait till I'm really back.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008


And so the Democrat's presidential candidate race goes on. Oh, boy.

Meanwhile, our very own Smirkin' Steve and his mighty Refor....er....Conservative Party are, once again, showing their true cheesy colours.

Monday, April 21, 2008


Well, there you go - I'm all out of sticks. Of course, I'm running a bit low on groceries, too.

Sunday, April 20, 2008


Well, at least it's not more sticks, right? In fact, this is Festus Langat, of Kenya, running all by his lonesome in very (trust me - very) cold weather in the annual Vancouver Sun Run. It's a 10k, and he did it in a little over 29 minutes. It was a while after I took this shot before the second-place guy came around the corner. Well, a good 10 seconds, anyway.

And why was I here, you ask, standing on an overpass, freezing my skinny butt off? Well, my friend, Lillian the Librarian, was running her first ever 10k. In fact, until she started the training program in January, I doubt she'd run anytime in the past, oh, um,...well, probably a while. So, I figured I'd find an advantageous spot and try to get her a little souvenir photo of herself. Something for posterity, you know? What a nice guy I am. There was just one little hitch. Um, make that one really big hitch. Or a lot of small, but numerically-overwhelming hitches. 59,179 of them, to be exact. Ever try to pick out one face, from above, from a distance, out of 59,179 sweating, grimacing faces? I didn't think so. Let me tell you, it ain't easy. In fact, it proved to be impossible. I missed her! Now, if only I had an address for Mr. Langat. At least I could send him a souvenir.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008


Yeah, well, it's a fair walk to the grocery store, you know?

Meanwhile, the snow's gone, the sun shines. And I'm stuck in root canal hell. In what way, you ask? Well, first of all, let's all acknowledge the fact that dentistry has come a long way. The whole process is basically painless. It's boring as all get out, but painless. Until, that is, your dentist says, "Now, for the next week I want you to take this antibiotic". That'd be fine except that the required antibiotic does not mix with alcohol (major potential for such unpleasant events as screaming headaches, nausea and, naturally, vomiting - no thanks). Which is, of course, where the real pain starts. Dinner without wine verges on the pointless. Last night I had dinner with my friend Donna-the-Dancing-Doctor at one of the hipper, groovier restaurants in town - a nice pasta. Without wine. Water. The Dancing Doc had her usual beer and I just had to sit by, filled with envy. Life can be so unfair.

Friday, April 18, 2008


The world is coming to an end! It's snowing as I type this. In Vancouver. It is not supposed to snow in Vancouver in the middle of April. This is The End, the Apocalypse, El Finito.

And it's dang cold, too!

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Thursday, April 17, 2008


It's kind of a long walk to the grocery store, O.K.?

Wednesday, April 16, 2008


The dead stuff fertilizes the new. Ain't it great to get a little "life lesson" when all you'd really gone out for was groceries?

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Tuesday, April 15, 2008


I'm not sure that this phrase gets much use anymore, but, from the "Get a Life" file... Yes, from Trekkie to Pottery - he's "pitiful" personified.

Meanwhile, the photo's also from Venables, a street running from downtown Vancouver to the heart of the Eastside. And, within mere blocks of this place, an ice cream parlour where you can satisfy your craving for garlic ice cream, wasabi ice cream, and pretty much any other flavour you might feel a deep need for. Which is a good thing as summer rolls into town.

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Monday, April 14, 2008


Oh, no! Charlton Heston dies and the anti-gun nuts come out swinging. About damn time! Does anybody really want a country run by the weapons industry? I mean, other than America, that is. And, let's face it - most Americans would much, much, much rather get rid of the NRA and its toadying morons (like the late, not-so-great Chuck) and the devastation they seem so enamoured of. So, from one anti-gun nut to a bunch of others, go anti-gun nuts, go!

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Sunday, April 13, 2008


The key word here is "Notice". Now, it's easy to poke fun at American politics - people are going without proper medical care and the big news there is whether or not the Democrats' presidential candidates are sufficiently "in touch" with their religion. What I can't figure out is why no one's asked them how they feel about Santa Claus. At least he delivers!

But, up here in the Great White North, things are just as bad. Following the Bushian example, our own Smirkin' Steve is doing his damnedest to dodge questions of human rights. Are all conservatives moral cretins? Or is it just these guys?

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Saturday, April 12, 2008


Not that it ever rains here in Vancouver, mind you. In fact, today was summer. We're talking unlimited sunshine and balmy temperatures (O.K., not Tampa temperatures, but...). Naturally, I went to the movies. UV light is dangerous, you know.

So, "In Bruges". Darn good film. Quiet (mostly), intelligent, witty, snide... There was only one bit that felt a tad forced, but, all in all, it was forgivable. If it's still playing wherever you are, go see it.

Friday, April 11, 2008


What got everyone into this mess.

Thursday, April 10, 2008


Charming spring flowers. Flowers, as I'm sure you know, are all about sex. Something that, luckily the Harper government is unaware of. I'm sure that if they knew, Agent Orange would be falling from the sky, rather than spring showers.

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Wednesday, April 09, 2008


Spring, ladies and gentlemen, is well underway here in Vancouver. About darn time.

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008


Now, is this skillful marketing, or what? I'm thinking the answer is "or what". I guess the store sells plants, but I'll bet they don't sell a lot of them.

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Monday, April 07, 2008


Find the hidden key, folks. Eeeeeasy.

Meanwhile, in England, this interesting little tale. Now, contrast it with North America. Hmmmm.......guy does something (totally, utterly freaky) on his own time, in his private life, something that has absolutely nothing to do with his job, something totally legal (At least, that's his claim. What do I know about British law and kink?)...people clamour for his resignation and he says, "Not gonna happen, kids. It was legal. It was harmless. It was on my own time. So, get over it." Gotta love that. Really. A lot of people could take a lesson from this. As to Sir Jackie Stewart's call for Mosley's resignation, note that it's not based on a moral principal - denigrating women, denigrating Holocaust survivors... - he just feels it might be bad for business - the foundation of all 21st century morality.

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Sunday, April 06, 2008


Well, life's getting pretty desperate when you're reduced to photographing the breakfast dishes. On the other hand, it was French toast with maple syrup - my personal favourite. Candy for breakfast. What could be better? Aside from the addition of some frozen strawberries, that is.

By the way, this is also a flat out steal from Mark Hobson, otherwise known as "The Landscapist".

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Saturday, April 05, 2008


Doesn't look very spring-like, does it? Still....

Friday, April 04, 2008


These are empty freight cars designed to carry logs. Why are they empty? 'Cause there ain't no trees left to convert to logs. Stupid people cut 'em down as fast as they could. Big money, you know.

And, speaking of stupid people (and, for once, the triumph of the smart), how's about this little story? I LOVE librarians. If you know one, go give 'em a great big hug. If you don't know one, find one and hug 'em anyhow!

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Thursday, April 03, 2008


And some people wonder why us science geeks love science!

Wednesday, April 02, 2008


You know, if you've got to live in Hell, it should at least be colourful, right?

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Tuesday, April 01, 2008


I like it, O.K.?

And, I just noticed that someone from Tulsa landed (briefly) on the site. What I wouldn't give for it to have been Leon Russell.

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