The sun has come out!!!!

I know, I said that I would turn off the television but yesterday, I just couldn't help myself...

I saw new episodes of Buffy and Angel last night. For once, the didn't show repeats and I am glad they didn't. Buffy is taking an interesting turn as the series finale is coming up and Angel didn't disappoint either. I won't give it away... hopefully, (if you are interested) you either checked it out or will see it soon.

I also watched the Madonna interview on Dateline last night. I do like Madonna and have for a while now. There may be those of you who think she is just an overinflated ego and not particularily talented. I believe that she is a woman who - even though many think she was self-serving - has created dialogue in a society who tends to be more concerned with the political correctness than living together and communicating with each other. There are others who do this - even though they may outrage many... at least we talk about it.

During the interview, she discussed her studies of the Kabbalah. Not knowing much about it, I checked out the Kabbalah Centre website. It makes for some interesting reading... including the bit discussing September 11. You might want to check it out and make up your own mind.

On a down turn, the weather has become a little rainy after two days of glorious sunshine. I hope that it doesn't last too long. It was so nice to spend some time outside and not get wet...

I finally got around to using a second-hand Champion juicer that I bought a while back and hadn't used yet. It is the most awesome machine and it juices things with little or no effort on my part. I didn't even have to peel anything!

Hopefully things go well in your part of the world today!

I've got a killer headache today! I have become so annoyed with people sitting around and talking about all of those reality shows (Mr. Personality is the flavour of the week) that my head is ready to blow up!

What is it that about these shows that appeals to people? Do they have so little in their lives that these things excite them? Would someone care to enlighten me?

I suppose that I am just becoming accustomed to having turned the telly off.

Hey! Did you know that there isn't really a standardized hotel rating system? Forget the stars and diamonds... each area has it's own scale.

To help you avoid any confusion, check out Ed & Julie's travel page...

A few of this past weekend's high points:

I saw a movie called Sirens on the Showcase network over the weekend. It was an interesting film with a thread through it that I found very interesting. The underlying message was that women are forced by society to surpress their sexuality of which was an integral part of their being. I must agree. Those women who celebrate this sensuality are considered of low moral standards. It is a travesty!

As well, I went with my guru to partake in DanceDanceRevolution 5th Mix and we had a blast! I realize that it is a bit passe nowadays but the cardio workout that one gets is brilliant!

The weather was really quite pleasant! Has summer finally arrived?

Oh! and as a final note and a footnote to an earlier post, it appears that the Starbucks lawsuit against a restaurant in Masset, BC is getting more press. It appears now that Haida Bucks is selling t-shirts and other merchandise to help finance their defense fund. I am definitely going to order one of these! Let's help David in his struggle against Goliath!

So, hey, I was thinking last night as I watched the late news...

I know that it's dangerous for me to think so hard, nevertheless I was thinking... The news here has gone from the lead stories discussing the Iraq situation to SARS and how Toronto figures it is getting a bad rap from the WHO about travelling there.

To be totally honest, I cannot stand to hear any more about this! Yes, there is an outbreak of SARS and, yes, there are people dying from it. But there are also people dying from a whole host of other diseases, such as obesity or cancer and we don't hear that on the news. So, why are we hearing about this so much?

How about this for an answer? The powers that we all for the invasion of Iraq are trying to destroy one of Canada's top industries (tourism) because we sided against them in this war. They are hoping to conquer us by ruining our trade. Well, think again. It is only them who suffers because they will no longer get goods much cheaper than they do on their own soil.

For years, they have been taking advantage of our "low" dollar by coming here and buying stuff at half of what it costs at home. This is much different from when I was a child and the Canadian dollar was worth more than that of the US. Bring back the gold standard, I say!

This is my rant for today.

To refrain from rants for a while, I plan to ignore newspapers and television news for the next little while. All world news is either sad or horrific. They should learn a lesson from Mike McCardell of the BCTV news. He decided that he was going to refrain from reporting pessimistic news and report stories about life and living with a much more happy and optimistic point of view. His reports are worth listening to and his books are well worth reading..

Plutocracy.

This is the word of the day. Someone used it (in a Letter to the Editor in Monday Magazine today) to describe the reality of our society. We do not live in a democracy but rather a plutocracy. Click on the link on that page to hear how it sounds.

I was thinking the other day (and have only now remembered) about posting some names of people I used to know to see if anyone out there reading might know of their whereabouts. So, here goes...

Mysie McLelland (last in Oxon in the UK but originally from Winnipeg, Canada)

Hiroki Murata (originally of Shiga, Japan)

Stewart Emmings (last in the UK)

Maki Nabeshima (originally of Osaka Japan)

I have googled these people to no avail. If you have some knowledge, please let me know.

Do you love Wales? Via BBC news, these people speak their minds! And you can too if you click the correct link on the page.

I googled this word today and this is the first site to come up! Happiness.

Urban Legends. Weird. I was sent an email from a friend who was outraged that the Japanese would eat dead fetuses and with the help of a friend, debunked the myth. Read about it here!

Hey! It's celebration time! This week is both Sky Awareness Week (April 20 -26) and Egg Salad Week (April 21-27). Also, April 27 is Hairball Awareness day!

I found all of these tidbits in Geist magazine!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in Victoria. The birds were chirping this morning even though I was way too tired to appreciate it. You see, I was in Vancouver over the weekend.

Even though I went over to act as cultural tour guide to the city for someone who had just returned to Canada from Asia, it seems that, besides walking all over the city, all we did was eat! I am still stuffed and plan not to eat for the next day or two so that my stomach can catch up. In the meantime, if you ever find yourself in Vancouver, BC, Canada, you should check out some of these places...

Firstly, we went to a Korean restaurant called Jang Mo Jib. It has awesome bibimbap and the staff are really friendly. They don't appear to have a website but the address is 1719 Robson Street and their number is (604) 642-0712

Then, after wandering through every district of the city, we ended up in Punjabi Market at a place called the All India Sweets Restaurant. This place has a vegetarian buffet along with a regular menu and lots of sweets. It is a must when you go to Vancouver!

Also, another place that I like to go is in Yaletown. It is called the Don't show the Elephant cafe. Again, this isn't an official site. It is quite pricey and reminds me of a trendy Japanese kissaten but it is quite enjoyable. It also has a really interesting washroom. I won't give it away, you'll just have to go there!

Now that I am back in town, I am wishing that I can just sleep through the next couple of days. Having eaten way too much and being too relaxed can really foul up one's work ethic.

I am so tired today. Going out of town for a couple of days, as well as having a really long weekend, I should feel rested. Instead, I have tried to cram a month's worth of activity into four days. When will I learn?

I was watching late night telly the other night and caught a news story about hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles and how they are using Iceland as a test case for widespread usage of this new technology. Here is what the BBC has to say about it!

A Vancouver-based company called Ballard Power Systems that is currently developing the technology in Canada is to be involved in the project. I find this quite exciting and would love to be in Iceland to check it out. Personally, I have been waiting for Ballard and the automobile companies partnered with them to get off their butts and complete production of vehicles so that I can go out and buy one... It would be great to be free of the evil oil companies that are doing their best to increase our dependency of fossil fuels and to pollute the planet!

Just when you had feelings of hope, things just go down the toilet. Check out the latest fad in Japan!

I was searching Easter on Google today and this site came up. I have been fascinated with Easter Island for about as long as I have with Iceland.

Mike Myers was right. In one of the Austin Powers' films, Starbucks was an evil corporation run by Dr Evil that had it's head office on the top of the Seattle Space Needle.

Personally, I have always thought of Starbucks as an over-rated company that was bent on world domination. It appears that they are taking on the little guys so that they can increase their market share. Here is a story about one attempt to stomp on the little guys...

I have been to the shop that they are suing and must tell you that firstly, I was really amused at their creativeness. The shop is not trying to be a Starbucks at all, being that they have a totally different menu and they are in no way attempting to compete with the giant company. They are a small business located on an idyllic island where Starbucks should be banned. The lifestyle on the Queen Charlotte Islands should be protected from companies like Starbucks.

All I can think of is... Austin, Where are you? If you (a Canadian in Brits' clothing) cannot save us, who can?

Nothing puts my day off to a bad start like sitting behind (or beside or in front of) a smoker on the bus. Sometimes you can not detect them but for the most part it smells like these people have locked themselves in a small closet and smoked for a day or two with no breaks. The smell of stale smoke is worse for me than touring some kind of animal barn. In fact, the smell of manure is better. I think that I will have to wear one of those masks that have become increasingly high profile due to SARS.

This morning was no exception. The guy in front of me was about a level three out of five on the disgusting scale. Can they not smell it? Or am I just super sensitive to the smell? It must be a campaign to irritate me. Yesterday, in my yoga class, there were several members who had the same kind of "essence du smoker". In face, worse still is the woman who tried to mask the smell by covering it up with some cheap Avon perfume. It makes it really difficult to focus. Next week, I will try to sit on the other side of the room.

I suppose, as a non-smoker, I live in a pretty good place in the world. In Victoria, (as well as Vancouver) there is a bylaw that prohibits smoking in any public building. This includes all restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs. It didn't used to be like that but all that changed when the CRD decided they had to protect the health of all hospitality staff who worked in this places and at the time were subjected to patron's second-hand smoke. This was wonderful. Gone were the days that I could go clubbing and come home with the smell of smoke permeating through my clothes and hair. It was like non-smoker's heaven.

Unfortunately, when I travel outside of my clean-air bubble, I am rudely reminded that other's don't have the same environment. I love the UK but I knew I was in trouble when I saw one older man smoking in the freezer section of the supermarket in a small town in Wales. I feel sorry for all of the non-smokers out there who don't have the same kind of protection that I do.

Don't get me wrong. I feel sorry for the smokers too who are addicted and cannot quit. Many do not want to and that is their right. But, it is also the right of those who don't smoke not to have been subjected to have clean air. (or at least clean smelling). I am sure that this will offend some people but, well, what can I say?

On another note, tomorrow is Good Friday. At the college, we have a four-day weekend and so, I hope to catch up on the sleep I lost due to Daylight Savings Time. I am not Christian but I am inspired to write a bit about my dismay for the commercialism of the Easter holiday. No, I am not against the holiday in itself because everyone has the right to practice their religious beliefs but I was as Hillside Centre yesterday and was appalled at the latest in consumer enticements.

Now, not only are we subjected to visiting Santa at the end of the year but now children can go and visit the Easter bunny, sit on his knee and tell him what they want as an Easter present. I wish that I had a photo of this to share with you. Talk about consumerism at it's best. Now, the shopping malls can compete with Hallmark to get people to spend more money of things they cannot afford. Even though I do not celebrate this holiday, I cannot believe the audacity of these places to rake in more money. Have they no shame? What about the sanctity of the holiday? Does this happen anywhere else in the world?

To tell the truth, I don't know why children aren't more frightened of this guy in a rabbit suit. He looks like Roger Rabbit after he's gone on a bender... only dressed in pastels!

I have been inspired to start a new trend to my blog. I'm going to start posting the license plate numbers of people who show a blatant disregard for the legislated rules of the road. I am not sure what I will entitle it so if you have any ideas, let me know.

Today's jerk of the day (actually, it's from yesterday) is:

VPG 082 (BC plates)

It belongs to a silver Benz convertible (not sure of the year but it's really new) and the blonde female driver was trying to pressure the car in front to drive faster by sitting right on its tail. When will these people learn that speed won't get places any faster by driving faster. There will always be a law-abiding driver somewhere that will foul up these speed demons! Grab a brain you people or you will become another statistic on my list!

I am almost finished the Michael Moore book. Anyone out there read it? I would be interested to see if it is just outraging non-Americans or if it is doing the same to those who live in the US...

I find it an interesting book. It has made me realize that I should probably get both sides of a story before getting too upset about anything. While it appears that Mr. Moore is spouting anti-American rhetoric, he also has a lot of information both against and for his arguments. A little information won't hurt anyone as long as it is not too one-sided.

I saw on the news the other night a story about something that we have discussed before in this blog: Boycotting American Goods. There is a Vancouver-based magazine called Adbusters which is advocating the boycott of Made-in-America goods. I know that this topic may be tired but here's the article...just in case you are interested. You can even sign a petition! More amusing, you can read the backlash comments! But, if you agree with the magazine, you might want to take some blood pressure medication! Check it out!

The weather here appears to have taken a turn for the worse. It is Day Two of the "bring sandals to work because for too many days in a row it was way too hot to wear my shoes" and I am sure that it is because of this that the weather is going to be miserable.

Speaking of miserable, I have been more that unhappy with all of the repeats on telly lately. Do the networks think that we won't notice? Why do they do have a whole season of repeat episodes? I had been annoyed with the whole Buffy thing until a new episode last night. Thank goodness the whole series will be over soon! Because it will be ending and because I know that the networks won't change this whole repeat thing, that I am not going to get attached to series anymore. In fact, this is a big turning point. I won't be a tv junkie anymore. If I feel like being a couch potato, I will do so reading a book, writing a letter or whatever. No more series dependency for me. It's not that difficult really... North American programs suck...really. I so miss the intelligence of many of the programs in the UK.

PS. Does anyone know what appears to have happened to cubicle dweller?

Late addition! To celebrate the Astro Boy anniversary, Triumph Japan (here is a press release in Japanese) has created a new bra. Check out this article from Anime Tourist. (There is even a link to a fashion show!)

Sorry for all of the short entries. I have taken up reading Michael Moore's book Stupid White Men and am so enthralled that I just want to finish reading it. Have any of you checked it out yet?

Hope that you all had a good weekend!

Just when you thought President Bush was all work and no play, something comes out that tells us otherwise. It appears that he has a new hobby...

Are Canadian's smug? Check this out and decide for yourselves!

I was searching eatonweb for blogs yesterday and came upon this one. The author is on Norfolk Island.

Also, a few days ago, I stumbled upon this The Accordian Guy's site and he had this entry. It really is a small world sometimes...

It was brilliantly sunny and warm here in Victoria yesterday! Has summer actually arrived? That's not what the weather forecast says....

I really did not need have my winter coat then but I figure I had that "Matrix look" while I was out and about... Is anyone out there as excited as I am about the upcoming sequel?

Oh. And here is what my guru passed on to me about Oreos.

It's Friday and I am happy this week is almost over.

My blood pressure is way too high today. I am still angered by the image of that American soldier trying to cover that statue of Saddam with an American flag. Can we say colonialization? I have had to stop watching the news because I would rather not have permanently high blood pressure! (Yummy Wakame had an interesting entry about this today)

Today, I want to talk about Oreo cookies. How do you eat them? Do you separate the two chocolate parts and eat the filling and then the other bits? Or do you just eat the whole cookie?

The reason I ask is that, yesterday, I ran into the custodian who was stocking his supply cupboard with rolls and rolls of industrial toilet paper and he had the entire Oreo in his mouth. I thought it rare that one eats them like that. He said - with his mouth full of cookie - that he thought we had all just been conditioned to eat them the other way by watching the tv advertising. I thought that interesting! And perhaps true.

Speaking of cookies, did you know that Mr. Christie is no longer the producer of Girl Guide cookies? They are now made by Dare. The design has changed and I am not sure that I like it.

One guy said he went through a Girl Guide cookie drive-thru in our area. Whatever happened with the little uniformed Girl Guides going door-to-door to sell them? Why is that, do you think? Could we be encouraging these young women to become lazy and overweight and have given up teaching them responsiblity? I know more mothers who sell them than actual Girl Guides. Or could it be that we are just way too paranoid in today's society and fear them being kidnapped or assaulted?

How did we let the world get into this position? Let's face it... we are all responsible!

On a less serious note, I wanted to share something that a coworker asked me the other day and put it forward to you. We both take yoga classes (although he studies hatha and I am doing kundalini) and he enquired as to whether there is a lot of farting taking place in my class. I can't say that I ever noticed this but while in a class of newbies yesterday, one member of my class had this amazingly loud stomach noise for almost 15 or 20 seconds. It was amazing and knocked me off of my concentration for the duration of the incident. I know that yoga is good to keep one's body functioning well but was wondering if anyone else has any experiences with this. I hope you don't find this too offending... after all, it's just bodily functions!

I just read that they will be retiring the Concorde. It's about time, isn't it? Have you ever seen one of those things on the runway? The amount of heat that it emits could probably thaw Greenland... I think that the environment is just a little more important than shuttling famous people around!

Speaking of famous people, Tori Amos wants assistance with her next video. Check out the contest here!

Have a great day everyone!

(Note: I appear to have some difficulty viewing my blog in Netscape. Has anyone else had this problem? Any advice? Bear in mind that my ability borders on amateur...)

I am afraid my experiment in open forum has failed...

With that in mind, I wanted to ask if anyone out there knows of a good art college or university program. (Yes, Shel, I am pondering it again). It doesn't matter where, although I think that I am looking for something off the North American continent would be great!

My guru & I had a discussion last night about me following my dream of attending a program even though, in the back of my mind, I think I might be a bit old for that and am not sure that a four-year program is what I want. She said that in four years, I would still be four years older and at least I would have had the opportunity to learn from instructors and classmates and be able to form this kind of community with which to share ideas with....

So, with that in mind, I am asking all of you for a little input into schools and what is available out there. Just in case I get over my internal ageism.

By the way, I added a new link to my sidebar called Bookcrossings.com. Check it out!

I had thought of writing today but instead thought that I would just open the floor up to you so that you could just express what is on your mind. There are no rules or themes so comment away! No doubt I will find it truly inspirational!

Even if you don't feel like you have too much to comment about, just say hello! It would be nice to know who is out there and where you are reading from!

Have a great day!!!!

It is truly a sad day...

First, the art of flirtation is a lost one and now dating is dead!

Hey David! You can forget about the photos I asked you to take. I found this website full of photos of our woolly friends...

Other exciting news...
I got tickets to see Cirque du Soleil's Alegria when they come to Vancouver in July! I can't wait!

Cannabis. It's good for you and then it's not...

Here's the latest.

I spent a whole lot of time going back and forth to the airport this weekend. I tell you if I had any spare cash and my passport at the time, I would have gone somewhere more exciting than here...

I went to see the movie Bend it like Beckham on Saturday night. I really enjoyed it! Not only was it a British film (which by the way are much better than the standard Hollywood fare because they use real people and not just beautiful people) but it really was a delightful story. I didn't think that I would ever admit it but I do really love touching love stories (in this case, she loved soccer AND her coach). You should definitely check it out.

As well the soundtrack is great as well. Except perhaps for the obligatory track from Posh and her buddy Mel C. I listened to it all weekend. Love those tracks by Texas and Basement Jaxx. As well the Indian tunes were brilliant as well. (Something else I can't get enough of...)

That's about it...

There are some in my office that were excited to hear that the guy who played Doogie Howser is still alive and kicking and now starring in Cabaret on Broadway.

Here is a website that I stumbled across this when I searched out the line from the movie Speed "Pop Quiz A**hole" on Google. It appears that this is Wil Wheaton's blog...

And if any of you out there can finish the lines immortally spoken by Keanu Reeves in this movie, it would be great if you could forward it on to me...

What can I say? It's Friday afternoon!

Do you like cats? Are you sure that they like you?

More absurdity. Should we just let them eat cake?

Okay. I have to get this off my chest. I was a fan of the Spice Girls when there were five of them...

It wasn't just because they had this cute, pop sound or that they had the cutest outfits. Mostly it was because of the whole Girl Power thing! Little girls everywhere (and some big ones, as well) stood up and said that being a girl was great and that they could do anything that they set their mind to. It was a great message even though their singing wasn't the best. I was saddened when Geri left the group and things started to fall apart.

Since the split, they have all tried out solo projects. There was even a rumour recently that they would reunite. And just when you thought that we would never hear about them again, one of them is trying again. It seems that Baby Spice has changed her image...again and restarting her solo career. She can't do much worse that Mel C whose new video I saw the other night...

All this after Geri's revelation to the media just recently.

In other news, my new Skechers shoes now make this bizarre squidgy squeaking noise. Does anyone have any ideas of how I can stop them from doing this? (short of tossing them in the dustbin, that is...) I think that I will switch back to boarding shoes....

I stayed up late last night and watch >play on the CBC. Last night, they were discussing artists and whether it was their responsibility to make known their opinions (and mostly their criticisms) of politics and especially the war. Many of the artists there were American and we got to see Janeane Garafolo (comedian & activist), Michael Stipe (REM) and Michael Franti (Spearhead) speak their minds about what is happening in America right now. I really wish that you could see the transcript on the >play website but perhaps it will come up later.


After watching this, I began to think about my earlier entry about America and democracy and how I felt about the boycotting of things and today, I wanted to add to that. Sure. I believe that boycotting is an exercise in democracy but I also believe that should be a personal choice and not one that should be dictated by political bodies. Michael Franti (I am paraphrasing) said that one of his bandmate's mothers was visited by plain clothes military in the US and told that her son was behaving in an unpatriotic way. They also told her that his travel records were being monitored (and they were wondering why he had gone to Japan twice in one month), as well as his bank records and all sorts of personal information was being accessed. They added that this guy's sister was serving in Iraq. His mother told these people that her son was expressing himself artistically. They said that that was fine at one point but that things are different now. What the hell does that mean?

Is McCarthyism alive and well in America? What about where you are from?

That's it for today. Have a great weekend!

Here's another side to boycotting from an unexpected source

It appears that President Bush is not just obsessed with ridding the world of terrorism. He is now focussed on fixing things in his own country.

So, America is a democracy, huh? People are free to voice, their opinions are they?

Then, why is it then that artists are being boycotted because of their pro-peace stances or made to feel that they should not express their messages? Take for example the "call to arms" to boycott the Dixie Chicks music because they spoke their minds and Madonna feeling that she has to pull her new video. Are people not allowed to say what they feel and then be judged by it?

The Dixie Chick that made that comment was simply stating her point of view. It may not have come out the way that she wanted but she should be able to say what is on her mind. And Madonna? When has she ever caved to negative public opinion? What's next... are average citizens to be thrown in jail? Or just disappear altogether?

I thought that the US was the land of the free. Obviously only if you side with the one in power.

David was right. Democracy only exists on the day that you vote...

Shocking Update!
Chinese Actor Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing is dead. Here is the story. His fan club website can't be loaded today but I am linking to it anyhow in case the traffic slows down.

I hate to say it but it looks like there are Americans that are angry with Canadians because of our stance on the Iraq invasion. I overheard on a local news report that Canadian shoppers in Bellingham returned to their car only to find a note telling them to "Go home and never come back"! I tried to find the web report this morning to no avail. If I find it, I will link to it later...

What about this SARS thing? Are people jumping on the panic bandwagon there too? I figured last night that only about three percent of the people that have come down with it have died. And then, only 1600 people worldwide have showed any symptoms. Sure, it could get worse but really. Don't you think that the media is trying to shift focus because the Iraq invasion is not going so well?

Note: Just read this article called It's not about oil or Iraq by Geoffrey Heard

It looks as if the North Koreans are posturing again! Japan reports missile testing by the North Koreans.

One last thing... Does anyone else think that Catherine Zeta Jones should audition for the role of Frank n' Furter in the Rocky Horror Picture Show if the role should ever come up? And surely it will as Hollywood hasn't really produced anything original in years...

Anything else happening out there? Fill us in!