Oh Larry, so sad to see you go

Or maybe not.

History will regard the Campbell regime as a momentary blip, and not much more. He claims to have gotten done what he wanted to do citing the Woodwards building, the Safe Injection site and the Olympics.

Of course he inherited the Olympics, and all he did was didn’t screw it up (oh so close though with that wacky referendum.)

The Safe Injection site isn’t done - it’s only just begun. This project has a long way to go before we know whether it works or not.

And Woodwards? Oh yeah. More social housing in a building that should have been condemmed is exactly what the Downtown East Side needs.

Thanks for taking the easy way out Larry - there’s a rough road ahead for this city still.

one year

A year ago today, I was recovering from the aftermath of a federal election. The election saw exerting myself far too much for the most humiliating job of my life, in the employee of a first time candidate who was neither worthy of my effort, my respect, or a single vote.

Unemployment was my reality. I had faint hope of employment from an election, but I did have a small glimmer of hope. I would have loved to live in Ottawa.

The same election saw the somewhat stunning defeat of an honourable man who understands this city, and his community, far far better than their current representative.

A year ago, I lived in the noisiest apartment in history, not knowing that soon I would go without power, and Internet service.

One year later, I am stil in the throes of the stupidest divorce in history. I’m living in a basement apartment that may not be perfect, but is surrounded by friends and love and an little two year old girl who makes my day almost every day; a house that has been home to me in Vancouver more than any other single house (despite not being mine, or even owned by family) is up for sale.

One year later I have a job which doesn’t pay me anywhere near what I used to, but it pays - somewhat reliably - and I like the guys I work with.

Life is better than it’s ever been, despite the people I still miss.

Seven and Three Eigths kids. Read on.

If the headline were 100% true, I would rule as your king.

GeekInformed.com | - Bigger Brains Linked to Higher IQ’

The article takes a more realistic view.

Nike: See Lance Ride

A lot of people have beefs with Nike for various reasons, some even legitmate.

Whatever—these people do good marketing work.

Cyclists get it.

Solar Sails (redux)

According to news reports, the deployment of the Planetary Society’s solar sail failed due to a problem with a booster rocket.

Or, maybe not.

I’ve got my fingers crossed, and my eyes firmly gazing skyward. I’m sure we’ll know by end of day.

Yes, it’s come to this

Our politicians are now so untrustworthy that they don’t even trust each other.

CBC News: BQ says it wants Liberals to promise same-sex vote in writing

This is not the first time the liberals have been asked to put a promise in writing to another pary.

What I can’t figure out is who this makes looks worse: the Paul Martin Liberals or the Opposition parties.

As the saying goes: a little from column A, and a little from column B I think.

Continue reading "Yes, it’s come to this"

The Singular Excellence of Outside Magazine

I’ve been as regular a subscriber to Outside Magazine for as long as I can remember - at least 10 years now. I have consistenly held it up as an example of not just one of the best magazines of its genre, but one of the best magazines in North America. The National Magazine Awards agree with me, awarding it with best magazine three years in a row.

Mark Jenkins’ Hard Way column is a big part of this, and language like this:

Between 1980 and 1994, Yellowstone National Park recorded more than 600,000 backcountry overnights and hundreds of thousands of day hikes. In this period there were fewer than 21 grizzly-related injuries &em; fewer than three for every 100,000 visits. Since 1895 more than 130 million people have visitied Yellowstone, five have been killed by grizzlies, the last one in 1986. Grizzlies do kill people now and then, but&em;as it turns out&emdash;they are pathetically ineffective compaired with more contemporary murderers like cars, cholestorol, and cigarettes.

Continue reading "The Singular Excellence of Outside Magazine"

Finding Nemo

On the list of things you probably won’t find in Toronto, I was riding my bike along the seawall one day (try doing that in Toronto anyway) and found this tribute.

Continue reading "Finding Nemo"

Blackberry Keyboards are the Devil’s Scourge

As a demonstration, an email message I got:

And something happens in Waterloo and a worldwide network of email uses loses all access? Hardly the type of robust system I’d expect.

Never did like these things. Haven’t yet found a reason to.

Canada’s Hip Queen

Love this story:

The U.K.’s Sun has some fun with a purchase by the Queen of England
The Queen has joined the hi-tech revolution and splashed out on the world’s hottest gadget — an iPod. The 79-year-old monarch despatched a flunkey to buy the mini digital music player which has become all the rage.

They’re running a contest to guess what tracks she has - I’ll put my money down on the Sex Pistol’s God Save the Queen.

The Internet: God of Trivia

The Internet brings trivia to new depths, as perhaps illustrated by this excerpt from the Internet Movie Database about Top Gun:

Fuzzy Dice

There’s something very odd about walking through the streets of Kerrisdale and stumbling upon a pair of fuzzy dice sitting in a parking lot.

Man, if I had a car I’d have so taken these.

Riding in the Rain

Sometimes in the morning I look outside my windows and see the rain, and I just can’t imagine wanting to get on my bike and ride to work.

But this is Vancouver, and if you’re going to let a little thing like rain drag you down, you’re living in the wrong city.

Today, I had to wake up early too and the idea of that tiny little 10km bike ride (downhill, for god’s sake) to work just seemed wrong.

But I did it anyway, and man was it fun. There are those of us who, believe it or not, actually enjoy the rain even if only in moderation.

Rain brings life; renewal; it gives the Earth a slightly shinier all around cleaner look.

But mostly it brings life.

Momentous Anniversaries

Today, according to Wikipedia’s daily update, marks not one but two momentous political anniversaries.

The NDP was founded in Canada in 1961, and in 1972 “five men were arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel.”

Continue reading "Momentous Anniversaries"

Sailing on the Wind of the Sun

When I was a kid - a teenager I guess - space exploration was exciting; the stuff of legends and heroes. Men (and, later, women) probing the vast unknown in an attempt to further man’s knowledge.

When Challenger exploded, my science teacher wheeled a television into the classroom and we watched it. For me, this was a defining moment. I remember the sinking feeling, and can’t think about it without digging into an emotional well. When Columbia disintegrated on re-entry, I’d been living on Bowen Island for a couple of weeks, and turned the TV on for the first time to see images that I needed to see to believe, after first hearing it on the radio.

The post Challenger (and post-Perestroika) era has seen a stagnation of exploration. Shuttle missions have seemed conservative, and the insistence on manned missions at all has been questioned. These men may be heroes, but even heroes are men: men need to breathe and eat, and in the hostile environment of space these activities alone consume a lot of energy. There have been a few succesful robotic missions that, despite the fact they have returned tremendous scientific value, have done little to boost NASA in the eyes of America’s politicians and public. European, Russian and Chinese space agencies continue to move forward, but still follow in NASA’s large shadow.

Escaping our atmosphere consumes energy too, and it’s long been the dream of both scientists and science fiction writers to eliminate this .

Today, in Wired, this article offered a glimpse of a new world: Wired News: Cosmos 1 Set to Test Solar Sail

Continue reading "Sailing on the Wind of the Sun"

Is Vancouver the next Gotham?

Or perhaps Sin City?

These guys are patrolling the streets privately in some pathetic attempt for wannabe cops to become real ones. Is this justice, or vigilante justice? Is it time for every neighbourhood to get it’s own personal Batman to patrol the streets?

Continue reading "Is Vancouver the next Gotham?"

Oh Larry! Here we go again.

Larry Campbell is, apparently, officially supporting a recommendation that the Federal government leagalize marijuana.

There are many arguments for and against this - I think the primary one is tax based, and am more than happy to engage in a detailed discussion on demand - but this brings one thing to mind.

This is not going to help Vancouver’s image as Slacker City.

This is a serious problem - the rest of Canada generally regards Vancouver with disdain on this level, and the slacker ethic here is real. It’s just weird that our mayor is cultivating it, rather than fighting it.

Oh that wacky west coast. Here we go again.

Again?

How many times does this guy get to promise a new deal on cities without delivering?

The Globe and Mail: Another deal for cities

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