Clothing for the year 2000AD... as seen from 1930...

Designers from the 1930s were asked to design their predictions of what clothes will be like in the far-off future of AD2000... (from haha.nu)

Watching marbles move through hoops

The little theme "ga-donka-donka-deet'zee" gets a bit old by about the middle of this clip, but it's well worth watching these crackpot contraptions. It's interesting to think that somebody thought up, and then put together, these marble-runs. (haha.nu)



And another, called Pipe Dreams...

Daily Shizu... neither a Daily, nor a Shizu...

A "cute" story from Nedroid Comics, about a Deathkiller and his search for somebody to love. (nedroid)

Benchilada started a post he called The Big Shill... which was a call to artists to post their art (which could be anything, even, as he puts it, "poop sculptures"), for sale, into the comments section. Quite the selection. (benchilada)

Real Life Comics has a good description of the perfect working environment for men. (RLC)

Interlude: 50 Jokes in 4 Minutes:



Canada Reads has announced the books and panelists for the 2009 competition. (CBC) The books are announced in November so everyone has a chance to read them, before the decision process March 2-6, 2009 on CBC Radio One.

Lifehacker describes a book-suggestion service called Whichbook, that uses a series of "sliders" to determine your interests, rather than having to enter in previous books that you've read. Great idea, which will quickly be moved on to movie-selection, I imagine. Anybody seen that yet? (whichmovie.net doesn't...) (lifehacker)

Lifehacker also suggested an interesting webapp called GreatSummary that looks at other sites and summarizes the content for you into a few sentences... so those "too long, didn't read" moments don't have to happen. (lifehacker)

Just for fun, here's Alt|Text Video's "5 Lame Things in Star Wars Canon."



Check out this review of The Doors Live at the Matrix, which was recorded in the pre-Light-My-Fire days of 1967. (guardian.uk)

And this great rant from Lefsetz Letter about why the music industry is on the decline. One of many such fantastic posts. If you're into music, as an artist or a listener, this is a blog worth following. (lefsetz)

And an amazing video by Francois Macre, who performs Michael Jackson's "Thriller" a cappella... using 64 tracks of himself making all the parts... my favourite is his French-accent Vincent Price toward the end. Brilliant!



Dapperstache has released their Periodic Table of Awesoments, which I found through kottke. Needs to be seen. Awesome. (dapperstache)

Speaking of awesome, it turns out that Canadian internet users are alone, but not lonely. Good news for my Born-to-Be-a-Recluse community! As the study summary says: "Canadian Internet users tend to have large personal networks and frequent interactions with friends and family, although they tend to spend less time face-to-face with others, and more time online. Many are using the World Wide Web in ways that facilitate social and civic participation, such as making contact with others and finding out about their communities. Internet users, particularly those who spend more than one hour online per day, spend less time on traditional social activities, including time with family members and socializing over meals. However, they are at least as socially engaged as non-users." (StatsCan) (CBC)

More good news: studies indicate that "the elderly" can improve their cognitive skills by playing games. The study had forty 60+ year-olds play (one of my all-time favourite games) Rise of Nations from Big Huge Games. (wired)

And another of my favourite game studios, Spiderweb Software, has released the fifth and final installment of the Geneforge series. (InsideMacGames) And an update. (IMG) And another update. (IMG)

Jeff Vogel, founder of Spiderweb Software, talked to Inside Mac Games about a bunch of stuff, including the game I'm particularly fond of, the Avernum series. (IMG)

From cool games to cool animation: kottke.org pointed out a post that shows the Futurama direct-to-DVD release of Bender's Game shows Planet Express to be in New York's Hell's Kitchen area. (chrrrharrr)

And a PSA: buy the Starbucks(Red) product this season, and they give a little to the needy.

Volcano eruption in HD...

Vancouver round-up

Here's an excellent review of Lisa Smedman's new book Vancouver: Stories of a City. (re:place)

And a story about Joe Rimmer and his hand-made limited-edition copies of Tom Sawyer, mostly talking about growing up in a Vancouver that resembles the Mark Twain classic. (VanSun)

Francis Bula writes in Vancouver Magazine about how cities around the world are trying to emulate our city. (VanMag)

The Urban Dweller on VanCity Buzz talks about Vancouverism. (VCBuzz)

Speaking of Vancouver, what about Electoral Area A...? A failed-candidate has asked for a referendum on becoming a municipality. (straight)

Gordon Murray created a parody copy of the Vancouver Sun newspsper in 2007, to highlight his opinion towards the Canwest-owned paper's apparent pro-Israel/anti-Palestine position. He was taken to court, of course. Judge Alan Donaldson, of the B.C. Supreme Court, decided that freedom of expression could not be used as a defense in a copyright infringement case. (straight) [Personally, I see this as setting up for all those "copyright infringers" that use any Olympic icons for parody or satire, or some other unwanted-by-VANOC bad-press.]

Francis Bula talks about her friends' photo blog. (bula) It's called Splinter In Your Eye, and is about Vancouver in transition (mostly). (SiYE)

Another good read is the summary from re:Place magazine about their re:Connect event. (re:place)

Here's a tip for drivers: know where the unregulated parking areas are. (CTV) There's also a great link on the right-hand side that shows the frequency of parking tickets across the city that's fascinating!

Check out this link to Bob_2006's flickr stream with a good write-up about the Vancouver Museum. (flickr)

And there's an even better idea than my "tent city on vacant lot" idea from before. "Stop Gap Housing." (tyee) The problem? Finding land...? Maybe those vacant lots I was mentioning...?

Before I forget, check out the rest of Penny Coupland's awesome paintings of Vancouver scenes, like this one of Kits Beach. My personal favourite is one she did of our favourite watering hole, the Wolf and Hound, but it was unfortunately taken down from her Flickr photostream.

Mats Sundin signs with Canucks

This just off the wires: Mats Sundin has signed with the Vancouver Canucks, since the NY Rangers couldn't clear their salary cap.

Province
Team 1040
VanCity Buzz

Daily Shizu... neither a Daily, nor a Shizu...

It may just be an old-fashioned link-fest, but for me it's a round-up of all the interesting tidbits of information that have caught my attention. They pile up.

Here's a list of the bloodiest one-day battles in history. (economist)
20 great photos of the US Civil War. (ListUniverse)
The migrations of the Atomic Bomb. (NYT)
And a look at what all the fighting is about in today's world. (good)
And the Future of War. (wired)

Life Magazine released their photo archives onto Google for searching. (g.img)
And the New York Public Library goes on flickr. (NYPLflickr)

Marijuana may be good for memory. At a dosage equal to one puff. (wired)
And the Swiss are giving out free heroin. (CTV)
Fantastic photos of a polar bear playing with dogsled huskies! (noimpactman)

Rummy begins the revision of history, according to Slate. (slate)
Five physics lessons for Obama. (foreignpolicy)
US influence continues to wane in the world. (CBC) (NIC)
And how now looks like the new middle ages. (good)

Michael Moore on the auto bailout. (mm)
And Stiglitz wants them to go bankrupt. (good)
Maybe we can make our own cars: do it yourself factories. (good)

The Great Depression in British Columbia. (tyee)
What will Depression 2009 look like? (bostonglobe)
Warning signs you are in financial diffculty. (CTV)
And it's never too early to plan ahead. (finpost)

Is your attitude for work a Ninja, Pirate or Zombie? (PtB)
It's still better to be an oblivious narcissist. (CanBusi)
And here's the place to work: Perfect, Inc. (good)
Or turn your hobby into revenue. (CanBusi)
Start the planning habit early: teaching kids to plan. (OH)

Slate asks if we should resurrect the Neanderthal. (slate)
Tyrolean Iceman may have treated his own wounds. (NatlGeo) (wired)
Dogs show envy. Or want justice. (CBC) (wired)
Meteors may have sparked life on Earth. (wired)
The Antikythera mechanism was rebuilt and restarted. (wired)
An ancient mass grave from Punic War times was found in Italy. (NatlGeo)

Book review of The Superorganism. (NYT)

Muppet Beaker sings Yellow by Coldplay

REM encore

Pro-shot video of REM's encore in Mexico City.

Explaining ten-dimensional concepts...

Crazy Artist alert!

Daito Manabe is a Japanese composer that has started a series of experiments, using the electrical signals of music to control his facial muscles. (cdm)

Daito Manabe website.
Daito Manabe on youtube.

I Google You (music video), sung by Amanda Palmer, words by Neil Gaiman

Prepare for The Invasion!

Part of the hype for the new Keanu Reeves film, a remake of the already-classic 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still, involves beaming the film into space. I think I'm becoming increasingly jaded about the ideas that are pitched about in the name of marketing, because when I first heard about this I actually rolled my eyes.

One part of me, the Conspiracy Analyist, might be concerned with the thought of sending out the details of one of humanity's greatest fears to something that could very well be the fulfillment of those fears... but that train has already long-left the station. After all, we've already been advertising our celestial presence by leaking a constant stream of radio, television and radar signals for around a century. The cat's out of the bag, and we've already "stepped on the proverbial twig in the forest" if you get my meaning. (mail) Some even say we've actually already been contacted, and it's all a cover-up... but you already knew that. (mail)

In fact, the same Florida company that will be sending Mr. Reeves film to the aliens will beam any 5-minute message into space for U$299. This company has also already beamed out whale songs, and the entire Craiglist web site. (So if you're in Alpha Centari and want a used iPod, we on Earth have got you covered. But the shipping chrages are gonna cost you an eyestalk and a tentacle.)

Aside from the muddle of random broadcasts, here is my list of Ten Signals That Have Been "Beamed into Space."

10. The Beatles song Across the Universe. But is it DRM-free?! (wired)
9. An advertisement for Doritos tortilla chips. (New Scientist)
8(a). Messages (like Brit photos and such) from social network site Bebo users. (BBC) (skynews)
8(b). A time capsule from Yahoo Inc, transmitted from a Mexican pyramid. (CBC)
7. A live Paul McCartney concert. (NME)
6. Swedish poetry. (dublinka)
5. A creepy rendition of Gershwin music. (seti)
4. Harry Potter film. (BBC)
3. Your phone calls, for U$3.99 a minute. Cheaper than to the Philippines. (New Scientist)
2. Your blog. (imo.org) (bloginspace)
1. The debate on whether beaming stuff into space is smart on our part. (seed)

It all boils down to this, my fellow humans: Be Prepared.

Videos showing flights on Earth...

Wired.com has the full write-up on how this was put together, and a bunch of other video simulations that are interesting. (wired)

Here's every flight on Earth.



And here's a neat one with flights in Europe.

Timelapse Antarctica video by Jordan Manley

Seriously brilliant.

antarctic peninsula (2008) - jordan manley from raman on Vimeo.

The problem with Day of the Ninja

December 5th is the annual Day of the Ninja.

A couple of quick tidbits:
Day of the Ninja (Dec 5) started in 2003 by the guys at website Ninja Burger.
Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sep 19) started in 1995 by two guys in Oregon.

Why won't Ninja Day catch on like TLaP Day? Well, maybe it will. But right from the official ND site: Plague your co-workers with ninja-ness and wear a ninja mask to work! Got the day off? Run wild in the streets, or dress like a ninja at the mall! Just show the world that YOU ARE NINJA!

Let me put it this way: I may give an "avast, me hearties" while slipping past my co-workers in the lunchroom to grab another cup of coffee... but I am certainly not wearing a ninja mask to get to that cup of java. The first, a funny conversation-starter... the second... I see no potential but humiliation and embarrassment. And dressing like a ninja at the mall or on the street? How about International "Kick-Me-Sign-On-My-Back" Day instead?

And fine, maybe I ain't as free-wheelin' cool as others out there... but I like to think I likely represent the median attitude on this Ninja vs Pirate vs Zombie question, and it's my opinion that Ninja Day will only catch on with hardcore extremist ninjas, while Pirate Day will appeal to a wider audience. It boils down to the "ease of participation" and "potential humiliation limited to self-chosen situations" factors.

Satan alert!

Rachel Ann Lindsay

Rachel Ann Lindsay is an illustrator in Toronto with an interesting drawing style... each element of the drawing consists of a single unbroken line. The result is frenetic and sketchy, and fantastic.

Take a look at the work on her site.

Daily Shizu... not a daily... not a shizu...

There have been some interesting tidbits of information I've run across lately.

There is a new theory that states the Great Pyramid was constructed from the inside-out through the use of a secret room. (NatlGeo)

An astronaut lost an un-tethered toolbag during a spacewalk because a grease-gun exploded. (CTV) This is not the first time, nor is it the largest item, to have been loossssstt innnn spaaaaaace.... (CTV)

2,000-year-old frescos are uncovered at King Herod's tomb. (NatlGeo) Plus there's some more about the city thought to be the "David and Goliath City." (NatlGeo) In a similar vein, computer analysis that has stripped the trees from a Welsh countryside has revealed a huge prehistoric fort. (NatlGeo)

And the Earth is under attack with Cosmic rays from a nearby-but-unseen cosmic body... which may indicate steps toward proving the existence of Dark Matter... (NatlGeo) Plus there was that thing (alien attack, I still say!) that fell flaming out of the sky.



And you may have heard that the apparent Vaporware of Music, Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy, was actually released. It's safe to say the reviews have been predictably mixed. (Though not nearly as much as the album's production. Badda-bing!) And it was all the news that MySpace was streaming the entire album. Now it goes to Best Buy. Reviews: (wired) (NYT) (guardian.uk) (slate) Not everyone is pleased, though... like the Chinese Government. (CdnBusi)

At least The Church forgave John Lennon. (NYT)

Paris Vogue did a photo series of the same 20-year-old model as "different ages" using lighting and make-up. Pretty interesting. (MissatlaPlaya)

Since we sold out and went all commercial with that Gn'R thing, here's some stuff about A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All. (NYT) (wired)

Infrared imaging of volcanoes! (NatlGeo)

And have you heard about the Japanese man that's living at an airport terminal in Mexico? (NYT)

And here's a great list of the top ten Star Wars spoofs. (ListUniverse)

Let's end with one more job that sucks that I would never want. This guy loads up a bunch of bricks onto his head (tossing the last couple up!), standing on a boat, and walks up a thin board on his way to delivery...!

Hit Puberty Yet?

"Belly Dancer turns Sci-Fi Fantasy Into Career."

and

"Princess Leia."

Need I say more?

Not quite dead yet.

It's the nature of my life that I happen to have quite a few "imminent-end-of-the-world apocalypto-at-any-moment" types within close circles. Like folks that surround themselves with "uglier-than-themselves" friends because they think it makes them look more beautiful, I often wonder if this is my mind's sub-conscious effort to make myself appear... how shall I say... more normal...? It's a high order.

Regardless, as usual I bounce between two sides.

On one, those EoW types frustrate me, because they usually couch their arguments in religion or conspiracy when really it's just common sense that the times are a'gonna change sooner or later. After all, until we start moving into collecting extraterrestrial resources (and even then, just moved into time-frames we can't imagine yet), we are confined to a finite system, with only so much that can be gathered or created. Sooner or later things will end as the resources needed to continue are depleted and exhausted.

I think the collapse of the auto industry is an adequate illustration of this principle. As usual, nobody planned the transition, and instead of evolving smoothly into something that can sustain itself for a while longer in a different form, nothing changes until backs are to the wall and the smell of panic hits the air(waves). I mean, I could've started predicting the end of the petro-based auto industry before the first Ford rolled off the line, but it wouldn't have made me a prophet.

(I don't want to seem unsympathetic to the situation so many people are now facing: it's terrible. My point is simply in regards to planning ahead for major problems. But that would include "someone" taking responsibility of a situation that (a) is a long ways away, (b) debatable in causes and solutions, and (c) contains amorphous suspects as to actual responsibility. These combine so "blame" is spread too thin for anyone to actually need to step in and solve the problem until it's boiling over. If the problem is international, like global warming, the consequences become exponentially cataclysmic.)

The other side of the EoW types point is compelling. I am, after all, an accomplished procrastinator, and an imminent apocalypse is the best excuse ever.

Do the dishes? Why bother. The world is ending any moment.

Anyhoo. Here are some interesting stories I've noticed lately.

Instead of still feeling guilty, pat yourself on the back for using those aerosol deodorant cans in the '80s: a new ice age had been predicted, but global warming will hold it off indefinitely! Job well done, everyone! (NatlGeo)

New threat: brown clouds over Asia, making the skies darker and throwing weather systems into further extremes. On the up-side, this reflects the sun's rays enough to cool the earth's surface, masking the effect of global warming. I'm confused. Does this mean Asia is in for a brown-ice age? (CBC)

Remember the Russia-Georgia Conflict? Everyone was to blame. Effectively therefore: no one was to blame. (NYT) Yet, there was a chance it all could have been avoided, and right now relations with Russia could be less adversarial. (CdnBusi) Yet, a spy has been passing NATO secrets to the Russians for a while... (CBC)

Here's an interesting article about how neither Communism nor Capitalism actually work in pure form. Communism needs free markets... Capitalism needs regulation... (Tyee)

And if history is any indicator (hint: it is), things are not looking good on this whole Peace Movement thing. The grave of the earliest known nuclear family has been located. Unfortunately, they died violently. (NatlGeo)

Some military tidbits: Given the number of attacks within Pakistan, despite their public objections, I suspect The Terror War has shifted into Pakistan as well. (NYT) And USB drives have been banned due to Worm Attack. (wired) And then there's that whole Piracy thing. But pirates take note: don't mess with Islamic ships, because ships belonging to Muslim countries should not be seized. (CBC)

But let's get to some serious news. Like a possible alien invasion in Canada. "Meteorite" my ass. (CTV) (CTV) Where's my tinfoil hat? (Maybe here...)

Mad scientist alert: DARPA plans to create flying cars. Crap. How much will that bail-out cost? (wired) Good seque to some auto company propoganda.



Let's get closer to home. Who owns Genesis Security? (DavidEby)



I think I'm just going to stay inside and watch more TV. Like that's possible. I have so many screens in my warroom I could probably cook a turkey. Hmm. Some would argue I already am. (CBC)

Chickens break up a rabbit-fight...

Historical Films Sample Reel of scenes of Vancouver

"Photos" of the "Moon" in 1874

Fascinating fakery hailed by scientists.

2008 Vancouver Civic Election round-up

First, head over to the City of Vancouver's election summary page. (CoV) It includes a fantastic map showing how each Voting Division in the city swung, either behind Ladner or Robertson. And the good folks at Kitsilano.ca chat about the results a little. (kits.ca)

Two quick tidbits:

Jamie Lee Hamilton says she will not run for civic election again. (Straight)

Ken Clement has become Vancouver's first aboriginal politician elected to office, for the School Board. (Straight)

And there had been speculation that Robertson may have been riding enough of a tidal wave of popularity to break through the 100,000 vote barrier. (Straight) Philip Owen won with 51,085 votes in 1999, Larry Campbell won with 80,772 in 2002, and Sam Sullivan won with 61,543 in 2005. Robertson won with 67,598.

Bike to Work Week - Nov 17-23

It's a last minute notice, but here's a reminder that this week is Bike to Work week.

Read all about it on the Buzzer Blog.

Where do I put my mark on this shard of broken pottery...?

With Vancouver's 2008 civic election campaign coming to a close in a few hours, and considering the seemingly-unending months of election-stuff we've been fed over the last 18 months, it may be time to look at this concept we call Democracy. A few random thoughts and diversions, I mean...

Democracy is a form of governance where ultimate power rests with the people, under a free electoral system. (wikipedia) Even though there is no universally-accepted definition of democracy, two principles are always included: all members of society have equal access to power, and all members enjoy universally recognized liberties and freedoms.

But let's get back to the beginning, and check out the Greeks. There are some great articles on N.S. Gill's Ancient History Blog. Aeschines (389-314 B.C.) was an ancient Greek writer that was in favour of democracy. (NSGill) Yet Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), one of the most influential ancient Greek philosophers, was not exactly a fan of democracy. (NSGill) And an interesting tangent, I didn't know there's some question as to whether Greek citizens were required to vote, and if they did not if they were deemed idiots.

Here's an interesting table that compares the words and deeds over the first 100 days of office for each U.S. President going back to Roosevelt. (Good)

Since we're dealing with nothing more than an idea of how civilized society is to be organized and governed, like all ideas it is under constant threat to remain relevant. Any intellectual construct can be replaced. And though we dismiss many threats as no more than the delusional spouting of conspiracy theory crackpots, we must not forget that conspiracies have existed, and likely do still exist. Here's a list of conspiracy theories. And if you think all conspiracy theories are crackpot, let's take a glance at one that turned out ot be real... the Business Plot: the plot to overthrow FDR in 1933...

To run through some quick "possible threats"... let's quickly start with something close to home... the "sleazy" threat to democracy in North Vancouver. (VanSun) And here's a new issue that is on the rise: dog owners demanding more off-lease parks. (CBC) I have to say that I agree with Erik V's rant on Kitsilano.ca about "one-issue voting." (kits.ca) And I don't have either a child or a dog. (Ok, maybe this is not really a "threat" to democracy, but it's my opinion that strategic voting related to party-politics is another of those slippery slopes, of which blind one-issue voting is a cousin.)

Let's touch on a couple of other perceived threats: Like the legends of the Illuminati that arose in the 19th century, today technology brings the possibility of the Numerati, a shadowy group that data-mines your personal information, and bends the world to bend your will.

There is also the danger represented by Corporations. Political and Economic theory are dangerously interlinked. The regulatory failure that resulted in the current economic crisis could be seen as a dangerous step toward a slippery slope. An essay in the New York Times describes an interesting view of what happened during the last crisis, The Great Depression, and how it re-aligned power in Western civilization. (NYT)

And here's a link to the first part of Zeitgeist. If you're marginally interested in conspiracy analysis, start here. (youTube)

Plus, there's The American Conspiracy.

Daily Shizu... neither a Daily, nor a Shizu...

I've wasted a lot of time trying to decide which candidates to vote for in tomorrow's civic election. But I've wasted a lot of time on a lot of different things, so that's more a "Sad Statement of Same-old Business-as-Usual" than any particular comment on the "Sad State of Our Democratic Process." I mean, if there were awards for procrastination and time-wasting, I'd be in Stockholm accepting the Nobel, y'know what I mean?

But here are a few of the non-election time-wasting diversions I've struggled with of late.

We're coming up on the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812... and apparently the war hasn't quite ended as far as some in the U.S. are concerned. I didn't know there is a revisionist movement under way, but thankfully Douglas Coupland is on guard for us. (CBC)

Library and Archives Canada has started a flickr stream for posting photos from the 19th Century. (CBC) (Flickr)

Archaeologists are saying they've uncovered the world's oldest shaman grave. Some quick notes: it's 12,000 years old, has animal remains and a human foot, along with the skeleton of an elderly female. (NatlGeo)

But to Ancient Rome. Funny enough, I mean that literally. Or virtually literally. Or something like that: Google Earth now has a layer where you can explore ancient Rome in 3D. (GoogleBlog)

And further proof of my whack-brain theory that our Universe is a smaller structure within a "larger" Universe (and that "smaller" Universes exist within what we call "sub-atomic" space) and so on into infinity on either scale in a form of Universal Relativity: apparently unknown "structures" are tugging at the edges of our 'hood. (NatlGeo)

An interesting article in the Georgia Straight by Verne MacDonald about the ongoing evolution of "amnesia" regarding World War I, as developed through fictional accounts. Interesting tidbit: On the first day of the Armistice, November 11, 1918, the killing actually increased compared to the previous daily average. And, in fact, the casualties on all sides in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, was actually less than the casualties on the first day of Armistice in 1918. (Straight)

And thanks to kottke. here's the amazing story of the discovery of photos showing the destruction at Hiroshima. Lest we forget. (DesignObserver)

On a brighter note, there may be a cure for AIDS through bone-marrow transplant. Or it "could be a fluke." (Wired)

Wired.com has a feature on classic Apple and Microsoft computer manuals, including the preliminary Macintosh business plan (designed on a Xerox PARC). Moof moof. (Wired)

Congratulations to India, who today landed an unmanned probe on the moon. (CBC)

Let's end with Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash performing Blue Yodel No. 9 in late 1970.

Vancouver Civic Election 2008

As a true non-partisan (meaning that I am not politically affiliated with any particular party or candidate, unlike how the term has been usurped by the you-know-who party), I have to admit I have no idea how best to vote in this weekend's civic election in Vancouver. It's been an election circus. So, mostly just to help me review the facts, I offer here some of the info-threads that have caught my attention of late. It is by no means comprehensive, and unlikely to be of much use in deciding. (Just to toot my own horn.)

Public Service Section:

City of Vancouver Election Centre.
Profiles of Mayoral Candidates.
Profiles of Council Candidates.
Profiles of School Board Candidates.
Profiles of Parks Board Candidates.
CBC's Civic Vote 2008 special feature.
Georgia Straight's site has ShawTV Profiles!
CoV's Voting Place Search Tool.

Some of the Issues:

Many of these stories are full of links to explore...
The Pantages Theatre issue. (Bula)
The Burrard Street Bicycle issue. (CBC) (CTV)
The Olympic Village issue. (TyeeHook) (Bula)
The former-Mayors on Olympic Village. (TyeeHook)
The Estelle Lo issue. (Straight) (Straight)
City Staff getting pulled into the fray. (Bula)
The inevitable investigation of Olympic Village. (TyeeHook) (CBC)
And Pivot Legal's take on the Olympic Village. (Straight)
And... lie detectors? (CTV) (CBC)
And lastly, from the fire-starter. (Mason on G&M)
"Dirty Tricks" says Van Sun. (VanSun)
"Bump in the night" says van Sun. (VanSun)
Last Candidate Standing. (re:place)
School Board...? (TyeeHook)
The (loss of) EcoDensity issue. (CTV)
The Zero Waste incinerators issue. (Straight)
The "CAR 87" issue. (DTES Enquirer)
The Straight Slate. (Straight)
Upper Kits Residents Association suggests slate. (kitsilano.ca)

A final word from Francis Bula, on what happens after the vote. (CTV)

And my final word: I still don't know who exactly to vote for. But I am afraid. Very afraid.

Arts round-up

A few of the "arts-related" tidbits I've ran across recently that have caught my eye.

Neil Gaiman's work on The Sandman series ranks near the top of graphics-based literature. Good Omens, the book he co-authored with Discworld-creator Terry Pratchet, is one of the funniest books I've ever devoured multiple times. And now Gaiman is giving away his latest, The Graveyard Book, by taping himself reading individual chapters on his book-tour and posting them on his MouseCircus site for young readers. (Wired)

And to follow-up on a story mentioned earlier: Stephen Colbert has won the White House! (In the Marvel Universe.) (Wired) And, like the Chicago Tribune's "Dewey Defeats Truman" gaffe 60 years ago, the Daily Bugle blows it! (Wired)

Staying with the comic theme for another moment, kottke posted some links to maps of the New York City of the Marvel Universe. (WizardUniverse) (NYCmetblogs) (flickr)

Next: some awesome t-shirts for sale at Glennz.

Then check out Edmund McMillen's independent artist product: This is a cry for help. A load of stuff for $10!

And if you figure you've already bought so much stuff you can't get more, check out this post on Swaptree... like ebay, except it's an exchange of goods. (Lifehacker)

On another note... if you think you're old ask yourself this question: Do I dream in colour, or black-and-white? If it's B&W, then you're right, you are old... apparently the television you watched as a child may influence the colour of your dreams. (TelegraphUK)

Speaking of old, here are the definitions of some commonly-used abbreviations, most of which are derived from Latin. (BloggingTips) And another list in the follow-up post. (BloggingTips) Both excellent posts are written by Kevin Muldoon of System0.

Olbermann's commentary on Proposition 8

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC pleads to understand the results of California's Proposition 8 result. It is a passionate and reasoned commentary, which bears viewing.

2008 Vancouver Civic Election round-up

It's great that Shaw Cable has given time for each candidate in the civic elections of the region to describe their political positions. There are a few crazies out there. The unexpected part is that a several are incumbents.

But to some issues that are circulating the Vancouver race: On his ever-name-changing blog, David Eby reviews a few of the stories about the $100 million back-room guarantee deal to save the Olympic village development. Great title to his post: Vancouver going to hell in Olympic-sized handbasket. Even David Berner agrees that citizens deserve answers to "villagegate".

I just have to point this part out: the controversy resides around unknown concerns to this guarantee from the City's Director of Finance who may (according to Robertson) have been fired or resigned from the City, or may (according to Ladner) be on a regularly-scheduled annual vacation... conveniently returning to Vancouver the day after the election, on November 16th! (CTV)

The Georgia Straight has an interesting review of the "Creative City Cabaret", in which Vancouver's mayoral hopefuls performed in a talent show. If for nothing else, it's an interesting illustration of some of the "crazy" mentioned as being on display on Shaw Cable. (Georgia Straight) And another review, this time by Francis Bula, on the Last Candidate Standing event, which Geri Tramutola won. (Bula)

And based on the Last Candidate Standing results, and my opinion of the afore-mentioned two-minute Shaw Cable ad, Geri Tramutola is now officially added to my "Vote For" list. Only nine more Council candidates to decide on!

If Wes Anderson did a John McCain campaign ad...

If John McCain had this sort of talent on his side, he may have come closer to winning.

Vancouver round-up

Here's some of what I've glanced at over the last while...

A new ground-penetrating device is assisting UBC researchers in finding the graves of missing First Nations ancestors. (UBC Reports)

Vancouver's obscurest election may get an "historic" 1,000 voters this year... while one of the candidates for Director of Electoral Area A says "you couldn't write a better farce." If you live around UBC, you should find out more. (Tyee)

Gordon Price of Price Tags says tonight's all-candidates debate, Last Candidate Standing, will be like politics and theatre all rolled into one. Isn't it already? That aside, tonight does looks interesting: they're going to have musicians and performance artists between rounds. (Price Tags)

Not another bleeding-heart cry-baby group yapping about minimum wage... and in fact, it certainly doesn't seem so: Business in Vancouver is calling on the municipal candidates to make Vancouver a "living wage city." In Vancouver that means a minimum wage of $16.74 an hour. (BiV) I'm guessing Peter Ladner is no longer intimately involved in BiV...? I only say so because this seems like a good idea and will energize the hourly-wage demographic to support the candidate that supports this measure... so if he's behind it he really should be shouting it from the rooftops. (Except around developers or other biz-owner-type folks, I guess...)

Vancouver has decided to go ahead with a trial of the laneway housing development idea. (CBC) Re:Place Mag has a good breakdown and update on the particulars. (re:place)

Plans for revitalization around the BC Place area have been released. (CBC) It includes a new roof for BC Place, a new Art Gallery, and more residential, retail and office space.

Metro Vancouver board members (see that Electoral Area A item above...?) voted unanimously to send a letter endorsing the position that UBC Farms retain its current 24-hectare footprint. (Georgia Straight)

Local poetico Ben Hart's review of Lee Henderson's The Man Game. (Tyee)

More back-and-forth blah blah about the "bikes on Burrard" issue. (Georgia Straight)

And in honour of honour, please get yourself one of those nice new sticker-poppies. (CBC)

And you may know that Vancouver sold some of our old trolly-buses to Argentina. Here's a video from the Buzzer blog showing one of the trolleys being lifted onto a shipping freighter. The original post has a great write-up, and additional photos and videos. (Buzzer)

Pimp my... Bookcart...?

The web-comic "Unshelved" is about the interaction between the staff and patrons of Mallville Public Library. Every year the creators of this strip hold a contest called "Pimp My Bookcart" and libraries all over the world submit photos of their creations. The sheer number of entries is amazing, and there are some imaginative entries.

If you're "into" libraries or books, definitely subscribe to this web-comic. Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum have created what can only be described as a phenomenon, building an admirable library-themed empire of books and swag.

President Obama, in photos

I've always loved photos of iconic leaders through history. Take a look at these ones of Obama.

(Thanks to kottke.)

Wow! A hologram...?! NO!

During the U.S. Presidential Election coverage on November 4th, CNN, the same folks that give us segments like "Keepin'em Honest", broadcast a couple of interviews using "holograms."



As it turns out, the world of Star Wars is still a little ways off. (CBC) Oh, and the take-away message: even the most trusted name in news can be a big fat liar.

re:place Mag examines Vancouver's North-South streets

This examination of Vancouver's north-south running streets is accompanied by an amazing Erick Villagomez map to illustrate just what he's talking about. (re:place)

An interesting tidbit from this article: the stoplights at Oak and 70th are the last set one hits along the west coast until Tijuana, Mexico, since the street turns into Hwy 99 in Richmond and Interstate Hwy 5 after crossing the border.

Bobcat vs Rattlesnake

Saw this a while back on X-Max... absolutely amazing wildlife fight between two fierce animals. If you're not into seeing nature in all its brutality (as in: something dies), please don't watch this!

Lines of Reality are blurring...

Is there a trend beginning...?

First, some Dutch kids (15 and 14 years of age) were convicted of forcing a younger kid to transfer some of his Runescape items into their accounts. Apparently they threatened him at knife-point, according to one comment, so there were "real-world" violent actions involved... but over items within a virtual gaming world...? (Wired)

Next, a 43-year-old Japanese woman was arrested after deleting her virtual ex-husband's avatar after the couple's online divorce... (Wired)

Granted, two instances do not make a trend, but does raise the interesting question about the effects of virtual reality on morality. And to reverse the thought, what about the effects of morality in the virtual world? An interesting essay in Adbusters explores this further. (Adbusters)

One last Halloween thing: the cute little kid...

Where the Hell is Matt?

Discovered this on Price Tags: Where the hell is Matt?

Monster Mash

The seminal Misfits cover of the Halloween theme...

Daily Shizu... hmm... not a daily... not a shizu... wha...?!

It's just like starting over, but not quite. This post is apparently the 101st entry in the abomb&thecorpse blog, if the edit-counter in blogger is to be trusted. (Yes, I pander to Luddites.) Yet: still no idea what we're doing here. So: same old, I guess.

First, an important public service announcement: Set your clock back one hour this Saturday, November 1st! (Unless you are in the Peace River region, which does not observe DST, or in the East Kootenays, which observes mountain time and syncs with Alberta.) (GovBC)

Since it's Halloween today, you may be interested to learn the carbon remains of the creator of The Monster Mash, the late Bobby (Boris) Pickett, has been super-compressed into a .44 carat colourless diamond, and set into a white-gold solitaire ring worn by his daughter. (ChartAttack) If you're into that sort of thing, the company that performs this service is LifeGem.

On the other side of the spectrum, it turns out an unpublished and forgotten 1953 experiment designed to mimic early-Earth life-brewing conditions actually produced some amino acids. It's a facinating story about how this forgotten experiment, originally considered a "dud" because the technology to accurately analyze the results didn't yet exist, was found. (Wired) (Science)

And before we leave the (sometimes-marginally-related to) Halloween-ish sort of topics, take a look at the Geek-o'-Lantern pumpkin-carving photos from Wired. My favourite is Heath Ledger as The Joker, by Chris Soria.

So moving on, instead of talking about scary dead things, let's talk about dead things. I mean... "history."

Actually, I don't know if Alice Smith, the lady pictured in this 1941 BC Electric transit poster, is actually dead or not, and I apologize in advance if I've started any rumours of the "greatly-exaggerated" variety. It was a cheap and easy segue, and I takes what I can gets. (Buzzer)

I do, however, know this fellow is quite dead: the tomb of Marcus Nonius Macrinus, the Roman general said to be the inspiration for the protagonist in the Gladiator movie, was discovered in Rome. (CBC)

Going back even further, a city being excavated that overlooks the valley the Bible says David defeated Goliath may alter our understanding of the period King David ruled over the Israelites. (As in Between 1050-970 BCE) Regardless of religious perspective or persuasion, this is some fascinating archaeology. (NYT)

And going back even further, it turns out the Tyrolean iceman (Ötzi), does not match any known existing genetic linage. (CBC)

Jumping forward, and a little closer to home, Cosmo Canuck posted a 1951 J. Planadin drawing of the "Russian People's Home" (now the Russian Hall) on his flickr photostream. (CosmoCanuck)

Finally, let's end with another great kottke find: a video on making globes in a globe factory.

Daft Hands - Harder Better Faster Stronger

Save the PANTAGES THEATRE

First, some information on the Pantages Theatre to acquaint yourself with this historic Vancouver... nay, Western Canadian... nay, North American... landmark.

Future of Vancouver's Pantages Theatre in Doubt (CBC)
The Pantages in Vancouver (Chuck Davis' HMV)
Pantages Theatre (official)

And now, what you can do to support the effort to save the Pantages Theatre.

• IF YOU'RE ON FACEBOOK, join Steve Lee's group "Save the Pantages Theatre in Vancouver, BC, Canada" and invite all your friends. (FB GROUP)

• REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PANTAGES by writing to mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca, and COPY YOUR E-MAIL to the Pantages Theatre Arts Society at cb0bc@yahoo.com .

• SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION...

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.petitiononline.com%2Fpantages%2F

Thanks!

Daily Shizu (neither a daily nor a shizu)

I lose focus every so often. I second-guess. (Or decide I need to first-guess, instead of just merrily stumbling along.) So things slow down. Things pile up. I wonder if I'm doing the best that can be done, and think in circles. I research, I read, and I ponder. Right now I'm wondering about blogs... so here's a good essay about what makes for a "good" blog. (43folders)

But let's get to some random tidbits that have distracted me.

Thank you for not breeding: As one of the major environmental problems facing our world is population growth, organizations like the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement may be an idea that is coming into its own. And it makes a great punch-line if you're one of those couples that have no children, but family and friends inevitably ask, "So... are you going to have kids...?" (CBC)

On a related note, since children are also a huge time-suck, those of us abstaining are going to have a lot more time for other activities. For me, that means web-surfing even more. I think a primer on OpenID is needed. (Webmonkey) Then, after that, I'll use the web to END POVERTY. You heard me. (Wired)

Or, if you're into the old-fashioned analog notebooks, here's a cool idea: the Muji Chronotebook. (Jack Cheng) Thanks to kottke.com for finding that one! Another kottke data-mining gem: the 25 best news photos, as determined by Vanity Fair. It should be noted that these are NEWS photos, and several may not be considered appropriate for children, such as the self-immolation of Buddhist monks in Vietnam.... (Vanity Fair)

Diburros had an idea for a graphic novel that hasn't been picked up: Smurf Wars. Need I even use the word brilliant? Thanks to the Vancouverite for finding this!

Some interesting lists:
100 Skills Every Man Should Know. (Popular Mechanics)
30 Skills for Women (Frisky)
and from the afore-mentioned PM article: Skills to Teach Children. (Popular Mechanics)

And Britain recently released some UFO documents. (CBC) Which ties in nicely with this: a nearby solar system looks like ours did when life formed... which means it may very well be habitable. (Wired)

A television note: The November 13 episode of The Office has Michael Scott on a business trip... to Winnipeg. (Though actually shot in Los Angeles...) (CBC)

I just have to say: when I think "got to buy groceries" the first thing that comes to mind is... Canadian Tire...?! (CanBusiness)

Let's end with the animated version of Where The Wild Things Are from 1973, which was recently found and posted by Cameron Reed at Only Magazine.

Highlight NHL Goal

Vancouver Historical Society - October 23, 2008

VHS Oct 23, 2008, originally uploaded by abomb&thecorpse.

Daily Shizu (neither a daily, nor a shizu)

I've been looking at my calendar and noticing that concerns have shifted from is it going to rain, to will I need gloves? We are prepared for the uncertainty of Vancouver's autumn weather: we carry our umbrellas everywhere. But the skill of dealing with the uncertainty of temperature was forgotten and lost, so long ago before, in spring.

Vancouver page at Environment Canada. Very useful in the mornings.

But on to more random thinkings... here's another collection of items that have diverted my attention of late...

Relating an ancient Greek story about the Sibylline Books to the $850-billion Wall Street bailout package. (N.S.Gill)

Stephen Colbert may take the White House in '08... in the Marvel Comic Universe. (Marvel) If you don't have enough time to catch up on your comic-book reading, the Wired How-to Blog offers information on Speed Reading. (Wired)

And haven't seen this idea before: since Iceland is bankrupt, maybe Canada should buy it. Here's Crawford Killian's thoughts. (Tyee) And the original letter from David Hayes. (N.Post)

And as a public service, in these tough economic times, here's an article about how to steal your boss's job, plus several photo galleries on useful tips like how to suck up... (F.Post) And, in case that doesn't work, here's some tips from Survivorman Les Stroud on things to bring camping... or should I say, "camping"... (Wired)

All this makes our upcoming Vancouver election all the more important. There are lots of great local blogs that will cover the election much better than I, one of the best being Frances Bula's. Here's her post describing the slate of candidates after they were announced. (Bula) And I'm not going to say much about the recent Federal election, except the lowest-ever turnout has started up the debate surrounding proportional representation again. (Georgia Straight)

Before I forget to wish video games a happy 50th... (CBC) ...I don't think the "Tennis for Two" creators ever envisioned a world where the surprise ONLINE divorce in a virtual world would result in someone logging on to the former spouse's account and "murdering" (deleting) that person's avatar. (CBC)

And something from Hubble...

Daily Shizu (neither a daily, nor a shizu)

After finding out one-in-four species on Earth is in danger of extinction (CBC), there is finally some good news... or "good news" at least for this bug that can survive as the only organism in the ecosystem. (Wired) For the people that want to do something for the environment, how about helping reduce bottled water? (No Impact Man)

And finally a story to print out and pass along to all your friends, co-workers, and political representatives: there's a downward trend for paper-use by white-collar workers, though it's still too early to say we're on the way to a "paper-less office" like they were predicting back in the 1960s. (Economist)

The "credit crunch" is being trotted out as the latest threat to wipe out the burgeoning "green energy industry" as the money runs out for speculating on avenues of development. (FP)

Speaking of development: BC's green building codes come into effect! (Van Reflections)

Thank goodness the price of gas is going down in British Columbia. (CBC) And the BC Government is passing out more carbon-tax dividend cheques. (Van Sun)

Further to the Credit Crunch: the banks in Canada are ranked the soundest in the world. The only thing sounder: that jar under my mattress. It puts my back out, but I sleep like a spinally-deformed baby. (CBC)

Enough about all the different ways one can cook cat-food for dinner during retirement... let's talk federal politics. If you're not sure where you're political sensitivities lie, or even if you do, there are some good sites out there to try to review your leaning. Try The Undecided for party lines, FireAndIce for social outlook across North America, and finally Elections Canada to review the voting requirements. (Hint: Bring either (a) your driver's license, or (b) both your SIN card and Care Card. There are lots of folks worked up about this for some reason, but the vast majority of people will have no problem and need not freak out!)

Not that it really matters. Apparently we are slowly giving up our sovereignty and integrating further into the United States. Best line: We don't need "duplicate systems of approval," says VP of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. (Tyee) (I'm sure Canadian homeowners would love the same "approval systems" as their American counter-parts that are now losing their homes...)

And from the "always-a-bridesmaid" file: Canada declares its intent/desire to change the make-up of the UN Security Council, but politely doesn't mention itself as a candidate. (Van Sun) Too bad we were passed out under the dessert table and missed the bouquet-toss.

Closer to home, take a look at the renewal of Stanley Park's Prospect Point, which was severely damaged in the storms of last year. (Price Tags)

Enough. Here's a video of "Take On Me" by A-Ha that's been re-done so the lyrics are a literal reflection of what's happening in the video.

Daily Shizu (neither a daily nor a shizu)

Sometimes I give up trying to formulate themes for the swirl of distractions and curiosities of my consciousness.

There are serious national issues, like that Canada is at "grave risk" if a national disaster strikes. (CBC) There are serious global issues, like that arctic ice in 2008 melted away to its second-most summer loss on record. (Van Sun) And with the rising cost of current energy sources, cities are looking at interesting alternatives, like Saint John exploring geothermal energy for city buildings. (CBC) And Moncton is looking to convert the methane gas produced by landfill into power. (CBC) Between these alternative-energy ideas and this new machine that clears CO2 from the air (Van Sun), we almost have this "global warming" problem all cleared up! (Not.)



There are rising international issues, like Russia stating it is their duty to their descendants (as for Canadians, it is ours) to exert control over their arctic region and resources. (Van Sun) But the discovery of ancient Yukon ice offers some interesting information, like temperatures in the world have been warmer than they currently are at least twice. (Van Sun)

(Here are some great historical photos of the arctic, from the National Maritime Museum's flickr stream.)

In other prehistory news, apparently after almost everything got wiped out (remember those dinosaurs?) life survived in a prehistoric seabed survival zone that is now part of Canada... what can we say but Canada saves life on Earth! (Van Sun)

Since we're on science and history at the moment, apparently genetic evidence suggests the emergence of agriculture in prehistory took longer than previously thought. (Science Daily)

And these just sort of caught my eye:

Researchers are studying whether or not the "out-of-body" experience reported by the "back from the dead" set is an actual phenomenon. (CBC)

A probe is going to fly by the planet Mercury, which has hardly been visited by space probes at all! We don't even have 100% of the surface mapped. (Van Sun)