Days of Whine and Wieners -- Welcome to the webpage of Britt S. Baker

I'm taking a break...

2010-07-06T12:37:00.002-07:00

... Or maybe killing the blog.

Haven't decided yet.

In the meantime, may I suggest Savage Chickens?

Pickles! Revisited

2010-05-31T17:08:00.009-07:00

I finally tried one of my pickle pops.

Well, um, yeah...

It was disgusting.

I so wanted to like them.

Sigh.

No Like Boom

2010-05-24T13:20:00.005-07:00

I decided not to go to the annual Hyack Festival Anvil Salute this year. Just didn't feel like leaving the house.

But that didn't mean that we missed out.

This was shortly after the first boom:

Doesn't really translate well in this crappy YouTube video, but the dog was vibrating so hard, it felt like I had stuffed a quarter up her butt. </magic fingers>

It also took a few takes to get it right. Apparently I shouldn't try to talk before I've finished my first coffee:

Ehhhh, whatever. Think I'll keep my day job.

Deck Furniture

2010-05-01T07:56:00.002-07:00

So we got new cushions for the deck chairs:

And the dog inherited our old ~~cushions~~ torn cloth barely wrapped around fibrefill:

Classy!

Rated E for Eyeball Damage

2010-04-30T16:28:00.008-07:00

Once upon a time I started a web site. And being the cheap bastard that I am, I built my ~~web site~~ mangled bunch 'o crap on Geocities.

Thanks to the fine folks @ the Internet Archive Wayback Machine I managed to find a 2001 version of my page.

Note: It was much, much worse when it was live. Pages on the Internet Archive are often stripped of some of their elements. In may case it's missing the bee-you-ti-full background image plus the wave file of Pachabel's Canon. Also, the pull down links do not work anymore due to a complex (and archaic) redirect system that I used @ the time.

I will admit that I couldn't remember my Geocities URL, but I actually found it linked on this genealogy page. I don't have a clue why they linked to me.

A few years later I moved my site to Telus since they offered free (limited) web hosting with our account.

You can see from this earliest version that I simply cut and pasted the code from one site to the other. I changed it a bit by the end, but it never evolved beyond an online bookmark list.

The page is technically still alive, but is just a redirect here.

As bad as my early web page was (And I'd like to think the design of this site is an improvement), my page was pretty damn subdued. Perhaps because I was in my 30's when I built it. But my God did Geocities help people produce a lot of crap. Since it was free, anyone could have a web site, and everyone did. They supplied an editing interface so that no coding ability was needed. And the masses responded by putting everything, including the kitchen sink, on their sites. And to be fair, other free sites such as Angelfire and (to this day) Myspace gave people the opportunity to ruin the Internet.

And yes, I understand that I'm just as guilty as the next person in that respect. So no need to comment about calling the kettle fuchsia, with a dancing baby gif, and a sound clip of Hungry Eyes.

And speaking of dancing baby gifs (and really the whole point of this post). Did I discover a doozy of a web site. Introducing The Geocities-izer. The tagline says it all "Make Any Web page Look Like It Was Made By A 13 Year-Old In 1996"

And that's exactly what it does.

Here's where I work.

And here's where where I work on Geocities-izer

Dear sweet moccasin snake in a sand pit. Is that ugly or what?

One more treat and I'll let you go play with the site yourself. Here is the new, improved version of Days of Whine & Wieners.

Note: If you have the security settings on your machine cranked up to paranoid, you may get a warning about the results being a hoax. And I guess in way they are. But they are not dangerous, except to your eyes and sanity...

Exterminate, Exterminate!

2010-04-04T15:49:00.011-07:00

[Ben Golub's Photos]

I enjoy an incinerated marshmallow as much as the next person. But I'm not a huge fan of Peeps. I can handle a few, and they sure are darn cute. But they basically are sugar, coated with sugar, with a side of sugar. A little goes a long way.

However, they sure do make a pretty microwave show.

Let the destruction begin.

A few peeps:

Or the entire box:

Happy Easter everyone!

Addendum: Would you like to see a peep show?

A Quinn Martin Production

2010-03-16T20:07:00.007-07:00

I was having a discussion about old television shows with a friend the other day, and we came to the conclusion that ol' Quinn must have thought his entire audience was illiterate.

Proof:

Produced by Quinn Martin for Desilu.

Chikka bow, chikka bow bow.

Confession. I loved this theme music when I was a kid.

My Mom loved this show.

My God, he couldn't even leave them there foreeners alone. The narrator's voice is completely wrong.

See this is why I don't watch as much tv as I did when I was a kid. No-one will read the credits to me.

I would also like to make it perfectly clear that all these shows were aired years and years before I was born. My grandparents told me about them. Really.

More theme music fun here & here. Warning: the second link will cause retinal bleeding.

No Kicking Penguins!

2010-03-05T23:15:00.002-08:00

[Sidereal's Photos]

A fairly recent find that I'm just getting around to posting.

There is a young boy named Colby that lives in Newfoundland.

One day his mother while walking around the house kicked a toy penguin out of her way. Colby then drew a picture and posted it on the fridge. The new house rule:

Colby's uncle heard the story and had a graphics artist @ the Telegram clean up the image (Here's the original). It was then posted on Reddit and went viral.

Next thing the family knows, the American military based in Antarctica has made "No Kicking Penguins" official policy.

And you may ask "why not kick penguins?" The answer (and official webpage tagline) is: "Because you just shouldn't. What did they ever do to you?"

Sounds like a pretty good policy to me.

I'm a sucker for the cute & I couldn't resist the shirt. All proceeds to various agencies that assist with autism. (Colby is autistic).

Cool CBC story here...

And the official No Kicking penguins site.

Pickles!

2010-02-21T11:33:00.006-08:00

In the past I have posted some odd, odd, odd, things that people are willing to spend money to get. There just doesn't seem to be any limits to people combining really odd ideas with a marketing plan.

I, however, have never actually seen the above products in person. Not so for today's intriguing entry.

Introducing Bob's Pickle Pops

This was a gift from my brother who ordered them online. I have a feeling there isn't going to be any middle ground for this one. It's either going to be fantastic or disgusting. I'll let y'all know.

Apparently they are quite popular:

Anyone out there ever try them?

...But We Call it Home

2010-02-05T21:40:00.006-08:00

I just love this ad. Beautiful scenery, inspiring message & famous BC stars:

BC stars?

The ad features Michael J. Fox, Ryan Reynolds, Eric McCormack, Kim Cattrall, Steve Nash, and Sarah McLachlan.

Fox, Cattrall & McCormack all have American citizenship, and except for McLachlan, none of them live full time in BC.

I'm ok with that. Hell, you go where the work is.

But then please don't call it "home"

The sad thing is that I know why they were used. This ad is meant to attract people from outside BC. And frankly, how many celebs do we have living in the province that would be recognized outside of it?

If my readers (both of you) can up with a few good examples, I be happily proven wrong. And those example can't be a band you really like, or an actor you think did a great job last year on that CBC documentary. I talking about names that would be recognized in South Carolina or Gdansk.

So go ahead, and please prove me an idiot.

Oh, and By the way - It's a Government of BC video

Olympic Cuteness

2010-02-04T22:22:00.002-08:00

Now this is an Olympic mascot.

I have no love at all for these guys.

I don't find them cute or interesting, just a little embarrassing. Of course if you know me, you know I generally hate mascots. Heck, I love Disneyland, but won't go near Micky or his minion.

Completely non PC side note. Can we stop feeling collectively guilty over injustices against First Nations people and not give everything we do a native theme or component? For example I was pretty sure that Chinese New Year was about Chinese culture, but apparently not.

As usual I used Wikipedia (motto: the guilty secret of library staff since 1842) for my "research", and I think I discovered the bestest mascot ever.

Introducing Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat.

Dude!

Another side note. I don't plan to write a lot about the Olympics because most of it bores me. But then again, it is an easy topic, so you never know.

Olympics.... Oh, Yay

2010-02-02T19:20:00.006-08:00

Why I'm glad I'm not working the first full week of the Olympics (and why I wish I was off for the whole thing). Yup, right in the thick of things:

I am working till 6:00 the first day, that will be a fun commute home. "Official" word is that I should expect waits of up to an hour for the train in the evenings.

This is why I'm glad I am working on the 9th. Again, right in the thick of things.

Good times

Happy, Happy,

2010-01-01T00:43:00.006-08:00

2010.

My best wishes for a wonderful year to all (both of you) my readers.

Ho, Ho, Ho &

2009-12-25T14:33:00.008-08:00

Merry Chrismas!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family, friends and loads of good eats.

A Century In Video - 1924

2009-12-17T00:00:00.003-08:00

The MGM lion understood in 1924 that there was no point in roaring. Who's going to hear it?

Except for the roar, the logo hasn't actually changed much over the years:

Leo the MGM lion actually started out in 1917 as the mascot for the predecessor company Goldwyn Pictures.

Here he is in 1923 the year before Goldwyn Pictures, Metro Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures merged. I'm not sure if it's a half yawn or half assed snarl in this clip:

The lion logo has been parodied many times, mostly by MTM Enterprises:

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Remington Steele

Newhart

St. Elswhere

And the depressing end credits for the last episode:

Is This the Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?

2009-11-27T21:30:00.006-08:00

Caught in a landslide. No escape from reality

Well this is an escape from reality.

Love the Muppets? (yes!)

Love - or at least like - Queen (yes!)

Well don't say I never give you anything.

Enjoy

Weed

2009-11-21T17:21:00.004-08:00

Well that title grabbed your attention, didn't it?

Sorry, wrong kind of weed.

My context here is the weeding of a library collection. Libraries are buildings with finite space. And to make room for the new, we need to weed out the old.

Each library has it's own set of weeding criteria defined by the library collection, mandate and user group. But one thing most libraries (in theory) agree on is that obsolete material must go.

(OK, I'm over simplifying things here, but I'm hardly writing a policy and procedure manual. If you want the details on weeding policy, get a diploma, or a degree.)

Weeding the collection isn't always easy, and it's also very time consuming. So this chore sometimes get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. The end result is that we often have material on our shelves that really shouldn't be there.

From this collection of ~~crap~~ archive material sprung forth Awful Library Books. A wonderful witty site dedicated to user submitted books lurking in library collections.

And it's gone Hollywood.

The proprietors of this great site, Mary and Holly, appeared recently on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Share and enjoy:

Here are the specific posts of the books discussed in the show:

What's Wrong with my Snake

Jewish Chess Masters on Stamps

Do-It-Yourself Coffins: For Pets and People

Dee Snider’s Teenage Survival Guide

Knitting with Dog Hair

Gary Coleman: Medical Miracle

A Passion for Donkeys

Full disclosure: I checked the Vancouver Public Library catalogue for each of these items.

Alas, we have two:

Do-It-Yourself Coffins: For Pets and People

Knitting with Dog Hair

29% failure rate. That's not too bad, is it?

Don't. Fall. Asleep!

2009-11-06T22:42:00.003-08:00

For completely incomprehensible reasons Michael Bay has remade A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The original 1984 version scared the shit out of me. But somehow I can't picture this 'new' Freddy Krueger having much of an effect on me. I mean for crying out loud - this is Freddy?

OK, he's a bit older now:

And they do give him a bit of makeup:

But still...

And to all you kids out there who don't know what I'm rambling about. Jackie Earle Haley was originally famous for a amazingly popular 1976 film: The Bad News Bears.

Sweet dreams...

Miniature Fun

2009-11-03T22:27:00.010-08:00

I love Disneyland, and I love tilt-shift (Particularly in this context).

How could I not love this?

This was created completely with tilt-shift still photos. No video involved.

More cool tilt-shift examples here. Create your own here.

Cheers from a Disney dork

Brrrrrrrrrrrr

2009-10-30T15:56:00.007-07:00

Of course the hot water heater and the boiler picked the same day to crap out.

The hot water heater is dead, but the boiler is repairable. Leaky pump or something.

I was under the (erroneous it seems) impression that a hot water tank should last longer than 12 years. Goodbye giant jiffy pop:

I can has hot water please?

50 gallons and set to 120° Just about boiled myself with the first shower.

It was the red thing near the topish left that died on the boiler. Something widget garble thingly sprocket derbble technical stuff. Translation from Hubster. "Booster pump fucked":

The Hubster has it covered:

Soon, soon, soon there will be heat again.

But in the interim; Usually a freezer. Today a workbench:

FYI, I'm currently in long ski undergarments. What? TMI?

Well thbbbt to that.

Allen, Allen, Steve, Steve

2009-10-09T11:31:00.006-07:00

A friend (thanks MM) sent me this video a while back. I can't even figure out why I think it's funny:

And then I found out via Cute Overload that it's actually from a BBC show Walk on the Wild Side.

I have a feeling that this show would be a guilty pleasure in I lived in the UK. Probably a good thing I don't.

"Hey guys, did you see the new episode of Walk on..."
"Yes Britt, shut up Britt"
"But there was this really funny bit..."
"Gonna smack you now Britt"
"No need to get your knickers in a bunch"

I love me a meerkat:

Much, much more here

Tri-tip of the Day

2009-10-05T11:37:00.009-07:00

The Hubster and I just came back from a mini road trip through Oregon and Northern California. Only a week, but very much needed.

The last town in California we visited was Calistoga. We were headed for Napa (the city) along highway 128 (incidentally, one of the most beautiful highways I've ever been on), when we saw billowing smoke on the side of the road:

View Larger Map

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Buster's Southern BBQ & Bakery.

The order windows are in the white building, and if you want to eat in, there are tables in the brown building:

This is Buster himself loading up the BBQ:

How much meat does he cook? Oh, just a bit:

The end result. Tri-tip on fresh on site baked buns, baked beans and the most incredible slaw in the world.

I couldn't finish mine. But it wasn't for lack of trying.

Damn, now I'm hungry

The rest of the holiday pics are here.

Yay! It's Caturday. Mwahhhh

2009-09-08T20:10:00.009-07:00

[chrisinplymouth's Photos]

Tomorrow there will be no cats on the internet. None. Zilch. Nada.

Urlesque has decreed that 09/09/09 will be a cat free day. Here is part of their statement:

"After getting inspired by our friends at Asylum, Urlesque is organizing a web-wide ban on cat-related coverage on 9.9.09 -- A Day Without Cats on the Internet. Why only one day? Well let's be honest, that's probably only as long as we'll last before a hilarious video comes crashing into our inbox. But for one day, we will abstain... for you... for the cats."

Click here for more.

A number of other sites are participating including Cute Overload and I Has a Hotdog (Well duh!).

I Can Has Cheezburger? however, is protesting:

Are you ready?

Urlesque has promised to spend tomorrow blogging about another animal. It polled its readers as to what animal to cover. And the results are:

Chickens! 8%

Goats! 13%

Horses! 10%

Rabbits! 16%

Rodents! 13%

Turtles! 14%

And the top vote.

Other! 26%

Yes it's a repost. So sue me.

I think I'll spend tomorrow cuddling my little dog.

To Market, To Market

2009-09-04T18:15:00.011-07:00

Finally, finally made it to the Royal City Farmers Market. Its schedule and mine have never met, but I had a rare Thursday off and was able to see what the Hubster has been talking about.

Brat really likes the market. Here she is pulling us to our destination.

Taken from the top of the market pointing towards the river.

There were quite a few other dogs there. Brat didn't think much of this rambunctious little guy. She ended up behind the Hubster's legs after letting this puppy know exactly what she thought.

Bought a wonderful looking (haven't eaten it yet) loaf of cheese and roasted garlic bread from A Bread Affair.

Yum!

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks makes some truly magnificent cheeses. Here the Hubster is urging me to try their curds.

We ended up buying feta, monterey jill and raclette.

Every week they have different music and entertainment.

As well as Art in the Park.

Of course we had to have a nosh. How about a bison dog?

Gotta try this one. (Made with the brie from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks).

Good choice! That was one fine dog.

Time for a bit more shopping.

Bubbles!

Alas my cold is getting the better of me and it's time to go home with our loot.

I don't want to go. You can't make me! (You can't really tell. But she had completely put on the brakes here)

A very enjoyable (& delicious) visit. Awaiting next week's when I'm feeling better.

Lots more photos from the RCFM site here.

If you'd like to check it out, the market is located here.

Library Cuts are Not Healthy for Children & Other Living Things

2009-08-18T06:58:00.016-07:00

Addendum:
The funding results are here

Please consider these scenarios

It's 9:00pm and you're working on a paper. You need one more source and it has to be from a peer reviewed journal.

What to do.

Why not try the library's chat service AskAway? Within minutes a library staffer has show you a great database filled with peer reviewed articles on your topic. Not only that but they helped you find a source that demonstrates how to cite an electronic resources. You're good to go and you get your paper in on time.

When you were a kid you read this (you thought*) great science fiction book. Some 30 years later the book creeps into your head. You'd like to read it again, but your library doesn't own it.

What to do.

Turns out your local library has this great service called Interlibrary Loans. If your library doesn't own a book you want, they can find one that does and order it in for you. Usually within a couple of week.

You have a great idea for a business, but are not sure that it's a feasible idea. Times are tough and you want the best information possible to help you make your decision

What to do.

The librarian in the Science & Business division points you to many great sources, including some very helpful databases that supply company statistics, entrepreneurial information and articles about your field.

These are just a few of the services provided by BC libraries that are being threatened with massive grant cuts

If this pisses you off as much as it does me (and my colleagues), please visit Stop BC Library Cuts and:

Learn how these cuts could diminish the fantastic library service we've all come to rely on here in BC.

Read some of the media coverage.

And most important: Sign the petition that could help prevent reductions in service.

If you're not in BC, please contact your local library and offer support. Many, many libraries are hurting right now, and it's not a resource that we can afford to lose.

Another thing to keep in mind. Although this post is Vancouver Public Library centric, (because that's where I work), other small BC libraries will be hit much, much harder. A much smaller percentage of VPL's budget comes from grant money than that of the smaller library systems.

Here's the (itsy bitsy) coverage from Global BC this morning:

* or "me thought" as the case may be. Exciting scenario # 2 is an amazing true story.

Help, I'm Bored

2009-08-07T11:29:00.006-07:00

Help Remedies is an ethical New York based pharmaceutical company with absolutely brilliant packaging

I've never actually tried their product (seems to only be available in New York), but when I checked out their home page I fell in love with their Help I'm Bored page.

Please do have a look if you're bored. It will help. I highly recommend "Help, I am ugly" and "Help, I Don't Know if I am Gay"

You'll need to allow pop-ups.

They also slip bits of sly humour into their other pages. From the "sincere apologies " section of their Help, I Have Allergies page:

Dear sneeze fetishist,

Sorry. Help remedies does not intend to deprive anyone of the things that they love in life. In order to counterbalance the impact of “help I have allergies,” help remedies hereby provides www.helpihaveasneezingfetish.com. We hope this will make up for some of the sadness we have caused you.

Found via the brilliant packaging porn site The Dieline

Yes, Yes, Yes, I Know!

2009-07-21T13:33:00.003-07:00

I know I haven't updated lately and that the masthead is out of date...

But it's been sunny and I've been out on my deck reading.

I'll post something new soon. Really.

But for now, I have a suggestion.

Total Eclipse of the Lyrics

2009-06-09T20:13:00.006-07:00

Back in the mid 80's I was a huge fan of Bonnie Tyler. I went through the angst thing a bit late in life and this song spoke to me in some totally deep and incomprehensible way:

Well I was thrilled when a friend of mine turned me on to this incredible remake. It has all the depth of the original and will speak to your stupid teenage heart:

You're welcome. Actually thank you RC for facebooking this. It made my day.

Oh and full discloser (This was taken about 10 minutes ago)

Yup, still listening to her.

Can We Trade in Our Car...

2009-06-04T20:17:00.010-07:00

... for a Chevy?

This ad fills me with great confidence:

Couldn't find the Canadian version on Youtube, but it's almost identical.

If you really want to see it go here and click on "What the New GM is going to look like" video.

Fills me with confidence, oh yes it does.

All I can say is that I'm glad we don't have an American car.

We do own an American work van. But it's ancient and paid for and when it dies, it dies.

Secret: I actually find the seat in our crappy old van more comfortable than in our 2 year old car. But that's because I like to sit with my legs @ a 90 degree angle, and you can't do that in a car.

Bang!

2009-05-18T20:04:00.007-07:00

Nothing like blowing up an anvil to start your day.

I go every year. This event is part of the yearly Hyack Festival.

I forgot my camera, but Global BC was kind enough to film it for me.

At the start Archie Miller asks for a show of hands from newbies. Those are the people to watch at the first blast to see how high they jump.

This event is not loved by babies and dogs.

Another amusing side effect: each blast is followed by a chorus of car alarms

Sniff, Snorff, Wheezle...

2009-05-01T16:42:00.013-07:00

Been ~~sick as a pig~~ feeling like shite the last few days and not up to posting.

I thought it was just a cold, but maybe not.

I took a do you have swine flu test, and the news isn't good.

Maybe I'll just sit in the sun and read a classic childrens book.

Or prepare for the worst with an educational video.

Also, thanks to those that provided the links. It makes my life so much easier when other people write my posts for me :)

BTW: 15 cases in BC as of today, the most in Canada. We're #1?

Out of Context Theatre

2009-04-15T20:37:00.005-07:00

Too busy playing to post....

Sorry!

I wanted to do a scene from Dracula, but 2 characters is the max allowed in Xtranormal.

Feeling a Little Juvenile?

2009-04-08T21:11:00.011-07:00

Create a movie!

N.S.F.W due to mildly bad language

Wish they emoted a bit better, but still fun to play with.

It's free (given the quality, it had better be)

Make your own masterpiece @ Xtranormal

Penguins and Spaghetti

2009-04-01T18:28:00.002-07:00

Happy April Fools Everyone

How Many Times Has This Happened?

2009-03-17T20:35:00.004-07:00

As you may remember - if you didn't burn your brain - I blogged about the wunder boner not too long ago.

I did my research on that one because I couldn't believe it was real. And since I'm the one that is constantly sending friends and relatives links to Snopes to disprove all those damn emails about carjacking, new diseases, and double full moons, I tend to not believe anything I see on the interwebs. So imagine my surprise when I found enough proof that the wunder boner is real.

And image my complete and utter disbelieve (and disgust and a few other oogy things) when I found this on Fail Blog.

Why? Dear sweet mother of god, why? Would you golf with these idiots?

I wish I could tell you it's a joke. I really, really do.

Nope, sorry.

But then again. It's shit like this that supplies me with material.

March? Yes You March...

2009-03-09T10:33:00.006-07:00

... I'm talking to you.

I know you're confused and a bit out of sorts.

But could you please get your shit together.

Your goal: Spring.

Thank you for your attention

Kryten Drives a Car

2009-02-23T00:48:00.004-08:00

Robert Llewellyn may not be regular on local tv these days, but he isn't sitting on his butt.

as I wrote in this post, we have new Red Dwarf episodes to look forward to in the not too distant future (I hope)

But for now why not indulge in ‘Car Pool’ and short podcast starting Llewellyn as the driver and a number of well known British celeb types as the passenger.

Llewellyn drives his passengers to their errands while they chat about, well, stuff!

Do I know how to sell something or what. Some of it I don't get, but a lot of it is funny as hell.

Hey it's free to check out, so why not. Main site is Llewtube, but you can also subscribe via iTunes if you prefer to watch on your iPod / iPhone

Squeee(l)

2009-02-12T17:38:00.005-08:00

Really, how anyone not love this little piglet?

Meet Kingsford (I sure hope his name isn't from this).

Kingsford Goes to the Beach

Note to the videopigographers: The peeing, not necessary.

Via Cuteoverload

Smoke Me a Kipper...

2009-02-12T10:57:00.003-08:00

Update: According to the Red Dwarf 2009 FAQ page @ on Robert Llewellyn's Llewtube site, the new Red Dwarf will come out here on DVD. As you were

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm a big fan of Red Dwarf and was waiting with baited breath for the never to happen movie.

Guess how thrilled I am to find this.

It had better come to Canada

To tide you over:

A Little Bit Faster Now...

2009-02-02T07:00:00.003-08:00

There are many different ways to get the news online. Many like to use news search engines such as Google News. Or they may prefer to go directly to a source such as the Vancouver Sun or CBC News.

At the Vancouver Public Library we have a wonderful database called PressDisplay. It contains newspapers in .pdf format from around the world on day of publication. The really cool thing is that the newspaper looks the same as the paper format, but with added value features such as having the stories translated for you, read aloud or emailed. If you are a news junkie, it's a dream tool.

The link above is to the fee based version. But if you have a Vancouver Public Library card you can access the entire database for free here, although I encourage locals to check out all of our great databases here. Have your library card handy. </end plug>.

Although online news is not exactly new, it has changed immensely over the years. Here is an 1981 video that explains the wave of the future.

No pictures, no comics, $5.00 an hour, 2 hours to download. But pretty impressive for 28 years ago.

One more PressDisplay note. Although Vancouver Public Library was the first library to subscribe to this service, As of October '08 over 1000 libraries were offering it to their patrons. So if you don't live in the Greater Vancouver area, check out your local library.

Good Morning Snowshine

2009-02-01T12:05:00.004-08:00

12:28 update: Yay, it's raining!

Let's look on the bright side shall we. It's not likely that anyone will be seeing their shadow tomorrow.

Your Hamster in the Box And it’s Not Breathing.

2009-01-27T12:43:00.005-08:00

Once upon a time I loved flying.

Not so much anymore.

The last trip I took (last summer) was cramped and tedious. The service was fine, but 3 hours in a cramped stuffy space with nothing to eat is not my idea of fun. I had a head cold too. Extra fun!

I would like flying if I was rich. Then I could fly like this:

(Emirates first class)

Or this:

(Virgin first class)

Well maybe not the second one, at least not to India

Seems that a passenger was not overly happy with his dinner on a Mumbai to Heathrow flight. Or what may have been presented as dinner. Or perhaps Spackle.

Doesn't this look yummy?

God only know what it is. The passenger certainly didn't know. And he wonders if Richard Branson knows.

He had a few words to say to Mr. Branson, and those words spread to the world.

Apparently this letter has been making the email rounds for a while, and as usual I'm the last to know.

Happy travels

Pretty Great Day in the USA

2009-01-20T07:05:00.006-08:00

Skill testing question: Who looks happier - Bush or Obama?

Now go turn on CNN.

That is all.

Brrrrrrrrr

2009-01-12T14:47:00.005-08:00

[ari_nyc's Photos]

If you've never heard of the group Improve Everywhere, you need to check them out.

Their "About Us" statement:

Improv Everywhere causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places. Created in August of 2001 by Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere has executed over 80 missions involving thousands of undercover agents. The group is based in New York City.

They held their annual "No Pants Subway Ride" January 10th in NYC and other cities. Details and photos from NYC here.

2009 videos haven't been posted yet, but past years can be found here.

Another favourite of mine. The Human Mirror mission.

Please to enjoy

I Hate School

2009-01-07T14:48:00.007-08:00

Brat's most embarrassing picture is now up on for all to see on Stuff On My Wiener.

I should never have taught her to type

Paris, 1980

2009-01-04T11:35:00.004-08:00

My one and only trip to Paris was with my mom in 1980.

It was a short three day stopover between Amsterdam and Berlin, so not much time to see anything.

We stayed in a smallish hotel near the Place d'Italie in the 13th arrondissement, the Hôtel de la Place des Alpes. I remember it as being quaint, but bordering on seedy. The current reviews seem to agree.

We had a shower and sink in the room, but the toilets were on the landings. The hallway lights were on timers, so you turned on the lights and dashed. If you were lucky you made it to the loo before being plunged into dark. They now have full baths in the rooms. What luxury.

View Larger Map

Our room faced the inner courtyard, but we had the same little Juliette balcony as shown here.

My strongest touristy memory was of trying to visit the Eiffel Tower, but, errmm, we couldn't find it. It is after all such an unassuming little structure.

View Larger Map

Instead we visited the Arc de Triomphe.

View Larger Map

And on the top, we had a revelation and found what we were looking for:

Two Random Things: Snow & a Library

2009-01-03T17:07:00.021-08:00

Nothing to do with anything but:

1. Snow

Here is a shot out my den window today. Snow begone!

(Cheap webcam = jerky video)

2. A Library.

I've been spending some time checking out places I've been via Google Maps. I (like many people in the library world) like to check out local libraries when traveling. This is probably one of the prettiest I've ever seen. In Carmel by the Sea, the Harrison memorial Library

Thought: I think I'll make this a regular feature, street views (or bird's eye shots) from places I've been. Great filler. New tag will be Street View

View Larger Map

My Wife Would Like That!

2009-01-02T13:41:00.005-08:00

This company must not have a marketing department.

At least not a sober one.

I think the laugh @ 0:16 just might be real.

And the "actors" pretty desperate for cash.

[Hilarious Commercial - The Wunder Boner]

Original Recipe...

2008-12-27T11:14:00.006-08:00

Or extra nasty?

I wouldn't drink this if you paid me

But I would probably buy it for the box and then try to sucker a friend into trying it.

Best possible recipe: Melamine sunrise

Still need Christmas gifts? There are many fine looking products here. Note: product categories are not based on any logic I can understand.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T13:19:00.003-08:00

Best wishes to everyone this holiday season.

Eat too much, drink too much and have a great time!

Winter Wonderland 2008 - Holdman Christmas Display from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

More here

And Jack Black as Jesus Christ

2008-12-14T14:44:00.007-08:00

Of course I'm probably the last to find this, but so glad I did.

Prop 8 sucks. And here to tell you why is writer Marc Shaiman and starring (in part): Margaret Cho, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Chalke, Jack Black & Neil Patrick Harris.

The whole story here

For more on the shrimp thing, check out the Skeptic's Annotated Bible

Does Not Compute....

2008-12-13T09:35:00.004-08:00

This is your modem:

This is your modem on drugs:

A brief photographic history of computing @ SFU.

There is tons of info out there about the history of computers, with many amusing images. I like this one (for image content - NOT page design).

My personal computer history runs about 20 years. That doesn't seem that long, until I watch this:

That was my first computer. No hard drive, so I stored my documents on this:

First lesson learned. Do not put computer storage cassettes in your car stereo. It's like listening to a fax tone set to 11.

Still waiting for some sort of direct neural interface. Think of all the rsi issues it would solve.

We still have a looonnnngggg way to go.

And For Adults It's Exciting!

2008-12-12T12:57:00.008-08:00

From the makers of Ass Kicker.

This is where backwards compatible marketing would come in handy.

A fine Mego product.

The Senate Just Got Entertaining

2008-12-09T19:14:00.006-08:00

So Hillary Rodham Clinton is leaving the senate to become Barack Obama's Secretary of State. That means there's a seat to fill. And guess who wants it?

Caroline Kennedy and Fran Drescher.

Yup, Fran Drescher. Best know as the uber annoying Nanny.

Details here

Best quote so far (and something I stated myself before I read this), from a People Magazine poll: "Here's one way to prevent any filibusters: Fran Drescher's screechy voice."

Almost guaranteed that any motion she brings forward will be passed as fast as possible, just to shut her up.

Of course there is some other competition, but they are all boring so who cares.

A Century In Video - 1923

2008-11-23T11:32:00.011-08:00

Probably one of the earliest (If not the earliest) examples of a "making of" featurette.

This short details some of the trials and tribulations of trying to film a feature film in Death Valley.

The film they were making was 1924 Erich Von Stroheim's movie Greed based on the book McTeague.

"The plot follows an honest dentist whose wife wins a lottery ticket, only to become obsessed with money. When her former lover betrays the dentist as a fraud, all of their lives are destroyed."
(From the Wikipedia entry)

Out of curiosity I also watched this bit from the end of the movie:

Now I have a few comments:

Yellow?

For crying out loud, cut the dead guy's hand off

If the horse / mule is dead. So is the canary

Civic Election Suckiness

2008-11-15T22:23:00.008-08:00

All I can say is thank god we at least got a couple of council members to counter the asshole votes of our big business mayor.

What's really sad is slightly less than 10,000 people voted in New West. Population of the city is 58,549.

But at least Vancouver got good results. Thank you people of Vancouver!

Vrooooooom, Screeeee!

2008-11-09T01:01:00.014-08:00

I don't think anyone I know now (with the singular exception of the people in this video) has ever seen seen me drive.

After watching this you'll understand why.

Points to ponder:

Yes I was that skinny once. Also: bite me

We don't need to discuss the length of my shorts, or how high they go, ok? It was 1992 folks

As to me putting my feet down a few times. I had never driven a real motorized bicycle type devise before this, and I used to use my feet as brakes on my bicycle all the time. Luckily I would remember in time on the scooter and not grind my toes off.

Yes that is the Hubster making comments about me driving. Thanks dear!

This "drive" was done with no license, no helmet, and total disregard to what side of the road I should be on (The left btw, British law in this part of the Caribbean).

Anyone know how to turn me back into the 26 year old I was in this clip (but with better shorts)?

If you are wondering about the topography, video shot here. Looks like the road has been reconfigured some time in the last 16 years.

It's Been a Thrill(er)

2008-11-05T18:31:00.005-08:00

[DianesDigitals's Photos]

Michael Crichton - 1942 - 2008

My first Michael Crichton experience was watching the movie Andromeda Strain on TV around 1973 or so. It scared the shit out of me. Especially the scene where a dead guy gets his wrist cut open, and only powdered blood comes out. Ewwwwwwwh!

[The Andromeda Strain (1971) TRAILER]

Fun fact: Crichton has a brief cameo as a doctor in the original. The director made him sit down because his height (6'9") was too distracting.

(IMHO the remake sucked several different types of suckiness.)
Since that first viewing I've enjoyed most of Crichton's books. I first read the book Andromeda Strain when I was about 13 and loved it.

Yes I know he didn't write serious literature, and he got criticized for some of the science. But he knew how to write a engrossing thriller.

Your fans will miss your work Michael.

Obama - Rama!

2008-11-04T21:00:00.002-08:00

Thank you America. Let's hope it rubs off on Canada.

Too late for this year - but maybe, just maybe - next time.

"you'll still be my friend, right Stephen?"

Happy Hallowe'en

2008-10-31T13:27:00.006-07:00

And remember kids, safety first!

Find more demented Happy Tree Friends films here.

Find the entire 30-Second Bunnies Theatre Library here.

A Century In Video - 1922

2008-10-29T21:39:00.007-07:00

Just in time for Hallowe'en I bring you a vampire classic.

Warning. This is the entire movie. So don't start if you don't have 1:25 to waste on a bald vampire.

Here is the Wikipedia entry.

And from IMDb.

Fun Fact!
If the lead actor Max Schreck was still alive, he'd be 129 years old. Of course since vampires are immortal, his age doesn't matter.

Happy Hallowe'en everyone, and watch out for the scary shit.

I'm Not Putting That In My Mouth

2008-10-24T13:37:00.003-07:00

[hotcactuspepper's Photos]

I can't stand sweet liqueurs.

Which is probably a good thing or I might be really tempted to down a Popsy

Ewwwwwwwwww!

One Wiener To Rule Them All

2008-10-21T18:56:00.007-07:00

Brat would probably lay down in the middle of the track and look @ us like we were nuts.

More here

O.M.F.G! The Pepper, The Pepper...

2008-10-20T09:55:00.002-07:00

... It's out to get me!

I love the site Faces in Places. People all over post pictures of things that look like faces.

Sounds simplistic? It is. But it's also kinda weird and wonderful. Pictures can be funny, whimsical, bizarre. Or as in this recent favourite, kinda scary.

It Was an Itsy Bitsy, Teeny, Weeny...

2008-10-19T22:51:00.010-07:00

...minuscule piece of art

Willard Wigan literally creates art in the eye of a needle.

See his site for more examples of his work.

Apparently enough people doubted his art that he rated a Snopes entry.

Carte Blanche

2008-10-16T07:49:00.003-07:00

The Cedar Mill Community Library (Portland, Oregon) really likes to name their book trucks. And they aren't naming them Bob or Sue.

Here is a wonderful photo gallery of a bunch of their truck names, most a play on the word cart.

The set lives here.

Oy, A Bit More Sarah

2008-10-01T22:11:00.007-07:00

Not that Sarah, the other Sarah

I don't always understand her humour, but at times I find her incredible funny. Like when she's F*%king Matt Damon.

Now she (and the Jewish Council for Education and Research) are campaigning for Obama. They want everyone to convice their Jewish grandparents to vote for Obama.

They produced this hilarious (and I might add humorously offensive) video to help all the young Jews get started.

Fun facts:
1. [his] foreign policy is much more stabilizing than John McCain's
2. He wants to protect social security
3. His brisket is beyond

Of course most of the points made in the video are for the sake of humour. But they do have some interesting info at the official Great Schlep site.

Even if you are not a young American Jew, please take a look.

Final note. Why do I write so much about American and not at all about Canadian politics. Because except for one singular example of puffin pooping, Canadian politics are not in-your-face funny.

I also haven't watched any Rick Mercer lately

With Apologies...

2008-09-30T20:43:00.007-07:00

I'm sorry for the second dose of Palin. But I couldn't resist.

Have you seen this? No? Go ahead, I'll wait.

Well the folks @ College humor decided to run with the idea and created this video:

It's badly good (or goodly bad, can't quite decide), but I wish they could have gotten Tina Fey for the lead.

If anyone out there can find one video clip of Palin not sounding like a total and complete git, please let me know. Anything you dreamt up under the influence of drugs, booze, or hot fudge doesn't count.

I'll be watching the Vice-presidential debate Thursday night (6:00-8:00 on just about every damn channel out there). I think it's going to be a bit like the movie Scream - both funny and scary - but less self aware. I know nothing about Biden and I already like him better.

Oh Those Alaskan Neighbours

2008-09-25T22:27:00.007-07:00

[ jeromekaplan's Photos]

This video is scary, scary shit.

How can anyone elect this woman? Here she is trying to prove what she knows about foreign relations. But only manages to prove the opposite.

All the while having great difficulty stringing together words into a comprehensive sentence.

(Sorry about the stupid 30 second CBS ad)

Of course I'm not qualified to vote in the American election. But if I was, I would vote Palin. The other Palin

Better choice isn't it?

T-shirts & other swag here

(Sarah Palin video found on Dooce)

Nobody Wants a Fat Cat

2008-09-20T21:35:00.004-07:00

But there is hope.

A facebook / work chum posted this wonderful video and I couldn't resist.

Here I Sit...

2008-09-10T20:04:00.003-07:00

... not too broken hearted. I loved my old desk by the window. I could look out at any time and watch the changing scenery (weather, people, car accidents). It was also one of the bigger desk with lots of room for all my ~~pigs~~ crap.

Here it was:

But it had it's bad points too.
1. View could be distracting
2. Always a bit cold
3. Too close to kitchen
4. Too far from the action (I'm soooo lonely!)
5. Lots of room for all my ~~pigs~~ crap.

So here is my new desk. Smaller and closer to everything. Still enough room for my stuff, with added bonus of phone on desk.
I actually kinda like it.

Let Me Tell You About My Dream

2008-09-06T16:32:00.005-07:00

Can you recognize this?

It a screen capture from the site Dreamlines

You type in keywords and it gives you a dreamy interpretation.

Took me about 5 minutes to figure out how it works.

My keywords in this case were Vancouver Public Library (duh!), and the above was the 4th image that came up. The images actually kind of morph from one to the other.

If you enter the same keywords into Google image search this is the results page. (as of today, your results may vary, batteries not included, no warranty is implied)

The Google results show that the above image is a melding of image 3 and 4. So basically it runs your search through Google image and then adds some fancy stuff.

Whatever, it's still cool

Look @ That Horse

2008-09-03T20:46:00.006-07:00

The bushy tail, the big teeth, the hooves...

Words completely fail me.

The next time somebody asks you for employment advise for their lazy good-for-nothing cousin / son / nephew, suggest they try for a job at Shop at Home TV. Looks like they aren't too picky.

In A World....

2008-09-02T20:22:00.005-07:00

...Without an announcer.

Voiceover actor Don LaFontaine died last night at the age of 68.

And yes you do know who he was.

He was:

And:

But mostly he is known for movie trailers. This one is particularly fine!

How did I manage to miss that spiffy film.

Better:

Seems he did many previews for Cannon Films. One of the finer film companies out there.

And to finish. A short documentary about him.

Lyre, Lyre

2008-09-01T15:08:00.006-07:00

I saw this a few years ago when it first popped up on YouTube, and ran into it again today.

Must share (with the six people that haven't seen it)

The male Lyrebird has a mating call that consists of imitations of other birds, and car alarms, and cameras, and more.

So talented that I think if you owned one your could use it as a sort of DVR.

A clip from David Attenborough's BBC show "Life of Birds"

I thought the name of the bird was highly appropriate since in essence it is a liar. But the actual root is Lyrate: 1. Shaped like a lyre. 2. (botany, of leaves) Having a large terminal lobe and smaller rounded lobes toward its base.

Too bad, I like my definition better. And I know that scientists can have fun when naming critters. Take the Strigiphilus garylarsoni for example.

A Damn Fine Cup of Coffee

2008-08-31T08:32:00.002-07:00

[Twin Peaks Freshly Squeezed]

Well if you say so Agent Cooper.

But was it this kind of coffee?

Haven't tried it, but am tempted to load the machine.

Vroom, Vroom, Type, Type...

2008-08-30T14:10:00.005-07:00

I've written a few times (here and here), about what kind of desk I would really like.

But I think I've finally found one for the Hubster.

Howzabout this baby?

It's the Mini Morris Office Table. I think you'd need a really big office to hold this baby.

Bunch more pictures here

It's Party Time!

2008-08-25T14:19:00.006-07:00

[TCM Hitchhiker's Photos]

Wild animals + rotten fruit = fun tonight / bad tomorrow

Have Any Overdue Books?

2008-08-21T21:47:00.003-07:00

You better hope not as it might just land you in the clinker.

Ask Heidi Dalibor of Grafton Wisconsin. She had two overdue books from the U.S.S Liberty Memorial Public Library and owed a grand total of $37.94. But that was enough to the have her arrested.

Entire story (with papers & mugshot) here

RFID "Magic"

2008-08-17T13:46:00.005-07:00

[OsakaSteve's Photos]

Pretty sweet RFID table application.

Microsoft Surface. Check out the video section.

We saw this demo'd at the Innoventions exhibit @ Disneyland.

More info here

I want!

Be A Gerbil...

2008-08-16T12:53:00.006-07:00

... Or just look like one

Part of me thinks this would be a blast, and part of me wants to reach for the Dramamine.

Yours for only £999.99 from I Want One of Those

I Get By With A Little Help From My Fred?

2008-08-13T21:15:00.006-07:00

I love much of the music of the 1960's, and I think I may have enjoyed Woodstock. Not sure though as I lean a bit more towards psychedelic or pop music from that time, and less towards what I call stoner rock.

Moot point in any case as my Mom wouldn't let me go. Something about only being 4.

One singer I've never been a huge fan of is Joe Cocker. I don't hate him, just not my cup 'o tea.

However I've always hated his version of With a Little Help From My Friends. He trashed a perfectly good Beatles song.

I did, however, presume that he knew the words. Turns out he was singing (literally) his own song.

For your 1969 enjoyment:

Here are the actual lyrics:

What would think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
He gets high with a little help from his friends,
Oh I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

What do I do when my love is away.
(Does it worry you to be alone)
How do I feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)
No, I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I'm gonna to try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody?
I need somebody to love.
Could it be anybody?
I want somebody to love.

Would you believe in a love at first sight?
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time.
What do you see when you turn out the light?
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends,
Oh I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody?
I need someone to love.
Could it be anybody?
I want somebody to love
Oh...
I get by with a little help from my friends,
I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends
I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
with a little help from my friends

I See Dead People, And They Glitter

2008-08-10T21:55:00.008-07:00

We all gotta go sometime, and when I do I figured I would either be cremated or I would donate my body to science.

But now it seems I have to rethink my options because I found something even better.

I Wanna be a ring, a beautiful, beautiful "diamond" ring.

Because what's the point of dying, if you can't gross out your loved ones forever.

Think I'm joking?

Emmmm. May I present:

LifeGem...

The LifeGem ® is a certified, high-quality diamond
created from the carbon of your loved one as a
memorial to their unique life.

Now what colour should I be?

Runnin' and Jumpin' and Swimmin' For Gold...

2008-08-08T23:16:00.006-07:00

If you didn't catch the opening ceremonies, than you'll want to have a look at these incredible photos. Pure Olympic beauty.

I'z In Yur Computerz, Racin Yur Bikes

2008-08-05T19:23:00.010-07:00

[ Jimbo3DC's Photos]

Hey kids, remember Tron?

No? Why not, it's only been 26 years since it came out.

Well if you, like me, saw it when movies were still cranked by hand. And if you liked it. Then you have this to look forward to. The possibly a sequel, possibly a remake (depending on what you've read): Tr2n (Tron 2)

Here some info from firstshowing.net

And yes I know the trailer is pretty shitty (quality wise), but it's a Russian bootleg and the best I could find.

Also will probably disappear before too long. Disney already had the YouTube copies yanked.

I'z In The Internetz, Savin Yur Souls

2008-08-02T14:25:00.005-07:00

You'll be glad to know that even if you spend huge (like moi) amounts of time surfin, you are still being watched over.

Yes the internet has it's own patron saint:
Saint Isidore of Seville.

Although I presume that when he was Archbishop of Seville c.601, he probably didn't have his own PC, never mind a high speed connection.

Mama Must Be So Proud

2008-07-31T22:22:00.003-07:00

[leam's Photos]

So (puff, puff, wheeze, puff), didya hear bout the dude who went gambling with pot 'stead of cash?

No way!

Way!

Did they (puff, puff, cough, puff) catch him?

DUH!

Remember kids, always carry cash.

I'm So Comfy!

2008-07-28T19:28:00.004-07:00

Guess who got a new chair?

Only good to 60 pounds, so no sharing with Mommy

Ode to Beaker

2008-07-26T00:30:00.008-07:00

July 28 update: More here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love Beethoven, I love Beaker.

A marriage made in heaven:

Poor, poor Beaker, he never gets a break.

Perhaps you prefer Strauss:

Now I Flutter My A.B.C's

2008-07-22T21:00:00.003-07:00

I would love to see these as a font set on my PC.

Blurbage:

Extraordinary pictures of the alphabet - spelled out on butterflies' wings
Every one of these extraordinary images comes from the brilliant patterns on the wings of moths and butterflies. These designs - each one unique to its species - are used either to attract a mate or for disguise against predators.

See (and / or buy) the entire alphabet here.

Em Eye Cee, Kay Ee Wye....

2008-07-18T14:43:00.004-07:00

M.O.U.S.E

Just back from two wonderful weeks in Southern California.
Ok we got back on Monday. But five million e-mails (two accounts), a billionty RSS feeds and uploading and editing photos & videos have kept me busy.

(Note: Most pictures can be embiggend by clicking on photo and then clicking on "all sizes" above photo)

This trip we (as usual) spent most of our time @ Disneyland & Disney's California Adventure. But we also rented a P.O.S convertible and visited the general L.A. area. The Hubster reports that we only put 425 miles on the rental during the week we had it - felt like more.

As usual I decided we had to be really early for our flight. So by 6:30 am we were sitting outside the airport sucking back Starbucks. Our flight was @ 10:10.

I used to really love flying - back in the days of Pan Am and Wardair, but it's losing a lot of it's charm.

We flew Alaska. The crew and service were fine, but the seats are getting narrower and narrower, (or my ass is getting - never mind!)

Food service was the ever popular party mix, but the Hubster went out an bought the $5.00 Northern Bites® Picnic Pack and an ok Chardonnay for me.

I was glued to the window. Crop circles?

We stayed at the Hojo Anaheim. It's an 196mumble (same age as me) hotel about a 10 minute walk from the Disneyland main entrance. It's been recently refurbished back to it's original glory and is very retro cool.

What it looked like back then:

And a similar recent shot:

Our room with the new deliciously comfortable bedding. The mattress was an absolute dream.

We overlooked the pool area:

One exit away from yodeling cowboys:

Disneyland & DCA

It was pretty hot most days we were in the parks, so the Hubster partook of the wet rides - often.

Here he is on the Grizzly River Run:

The aftermath:

Favourite new rides:

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, where I proved how much I suck at video games:

And Toy Story Mania!, where I proved how much I blah blah blah:

Pixar rules the rides.

Food at Disneyland still sucks (with a few exceptions), but in DCA we both really like Wine Country Trattoria. Italian food and some really nice wines. I discovered a new Favourite: Dr. Loosen Riesling.

Universal Studios

We spent one exhausting day @ Universal Studios Hollywood.

Started with the tour. We've done the tour a few times before, so it was pretty predictable, except for this part: the wreckage from the fire.

Also new and cool this time. The plane crash wreckage from War of the Worlds.

And of course, Bruce was present as usual:

My Favourite ride is still Jurassic Park. Nothing like a 7 story drop into a pool of water to freshen you up.

There is cute / fake English street @ the park, built for the Austin Powers movies. It includes a equally fake Irish pub that serves decent wines and beers. We managed to kill a couple of hours there in air conditioned bliss. That's the Hubster in the doorway on the left:

Afterwards we visited Universal City Walk, a shopping a dining district attached to the Studios:

And had dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.. We had, well....

I was a bit reluctant to try out Bubba Gump. A restaurant chain based on a movie seemed a bit of an obvious cash cow. But the food was actually pretty good.

As we were leaving we saw this:

Of course most of the colour show was produced by all the smoke from the fires. Pollution does create the pretties sunsets.

Other Stuff

We had the wise idea of trying to drive to Newport Beach on the 4th of July. Idiots!

We gave up and ended up having a very nice lunch at The Cottage restaurant in Laguna Beach instead.

We did make it to Newport Beach a few days later. One of my Favourite beach communities. I'd buy a house here if I was a kazillionair.

Lunch at the Newport Landing.

It was overcast and quite muggy.

View of the Balboa Fun Zone from the ferry:

Balboa Island security - don't mess with the (rich) locals:

Then on to margaritas at Cabo Cantina (no webpage). Good drink & service. Very grotty! It's amazing the places I'll drink stateside:

No trip would be complete without wieners on the beach:

And alas, home again, home again:

Sigh...

Note: All the photos (from above and more!) are here.

Mini Wiener Walk - 2008

2008-07-10T11:17:00.004-07:00

Just a couple of days folks till the 2008 Miniature Dachshund Fun Day.

This is always a great event with lots of games and treats for the doxies.

check the above link for more info.

Held by the Miniature Dachshund Club of BC.

View Larger Map

A Century In Video - 1921

2008-07-06T15:47:00.004-07:00

[Butch O.'s Photos]

It's summer and a great time to travel. How about Egypt:

Interesting film with actually only one screen of the usual xenophobic / racist crap that is a bit too common with films of that era. Look for this title card: "They're a nice sociable little race"

Directly from the "lets all visit the cute little foreigners" school of thought.

Some nice footage otherwise.

Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun

2008-07-02T11:47:00.005-07:00

Yeeehaaaa!

Get a load of all the dogs in the Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition

[surfing dogs]

I wonder if Brat would be willing to learn?

Maybe if we start small:

[Biscuit the dachshund surfing]

And move up to the tougher stuff:

[Surfing Weiner Dog]

Not. A. Hope.

Brat's been in the water only a few times, and really doesn't like it much. I think we coaxed her about three inches from shore.

Still you gotta admit that surfing dogs are pretty cool, and they sure don't do any worse than humans:

[Surf accident !]

Traveling in Style

2008-06-27T13:04:00.007-07:00

We've never taken Brat on Vacation with us.

For one thing it would be a logistical nightmare. E.g. finding dog friendly hotels (that always charge a goodly surcharge) and having to stop often for piddle breaks.

And for another, how boring would a loooonnnng car trip be for an small, active dog - very!.

But apparently we just haven't given it enough thought. Looks like next year we'll be going on a sea cruise.

(click to embiggen)

[From Popular Mechanics. Aug, 1939]

I love the wiener life jackets.

George Carlin: 1937 - 2008

2008-06-23T19:24:00.010-07:00

[schwinghammers'Photos]

I'm a big fan of George Carlin's.

Although I didn't always agree with everything he said, he always said it in a funny way.

I saw him live once in the late '80's, and it was an incredibly funny show. I'm sure my seat was a titch damp afterwards.

Have a look @ his site, especially the media section (can't link directly), and try to keep a straight face.

Here are a few bits (the first one is oh so very NSFW!)

Early (ish) stuff!:

And from last year:

George died last night @ the age of 71. He was raised a Catholic, and I don't think he held any religious beliefs as an adult. But I would like to think that he's sitting with God and saying:

A Rabbi, and Priest and an asshole walked into a bar...

P.S. If you enjoyed that shit - try this!

Everything Sucks!

2008-06-21T00:08:00.008-07:00

My name is Britt, and I'm a pessimist.

This page spoke to me. (clicken on the arrow thingie)

Touch My Pen & Lose Karma Points

2008-06-18T13:45:00.009-07:00

I have a number of pens at work at any one time that I really enjoy writing with (well as much as I can enjoy writing with any pen). These are usually "found" pens and so free. But because they are found they are usually irreplaceable.

They usually have some sort of advertisement on them. Currently on my desk:

www.itsltduk.com - info technology supply ltd

Enterprise Project Management

Several pens from the now (unfortunately) defunkt Canadian Health Network

City of Vancouver - Human Resources Services - Staff & Organization Development (From city courses)

Time for a New Look? - Trushel - Thomson Talent

And... and... Yup, looks like my very fave (from the US Navy of all places) is MIA.

See the problem is that these pens are constantly walking - with the assist of other people. Not on purpose - but still.

I have in the past put stickers on my current favourite pen. This post's title is being used right now to warn people away.

Well I think I found a solution via Unshelved. Pens that no-one in their right mind will want to borrow. I bring you the perfect pen:

Buy them at Perpetual Kid and be prepared for a lot of odd looks.

Awwwwsome Cams

2008-06-12T23:26:00.010-07:00

Would you like a side of cute with that?

There are literally one zillion animal webcams out there, and they are easy to find. Google helps, but I like to use directories. Here are some individual webcam sites I visit often, as well as some of the cam directories I frequent.

And here are a few animal related cams that you may enjoy.

Cats

Found this one a few days ago via Cute Overload. Enjoy the cute little kitties at Live Lion Cub Cam!

CatCam.com brings you cats in the kitchen. I see the cat, I also see the filthy floor. Nice.

Dogs

Here is the Puppy cam from The Halifax Humane Society (In Florida, not Nova Scotia). Check out the archive for a full days worth of puppy action, and the hall of fame for the cutest of the cute.

Wild Animals

I love this one: The National Geographic Society's WildCam Africa. This is a very high quality cam on the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. Also has sound.

The wild animals of Florida are featured on the Live Duval Street cam on the main drag of Key West. Best time to watch is when the bars are closing. Earlier in the evening watch everyone try to stay upright at the Hog's Breath Saloon.

Wieners

Well duh, of course this category needs to be included. Although I could only find one cam. It'll have to do.

These guys seem to sleep a lot.

Swish, Woosh, Swish, Woosh

2008-06-07T14:07:00.004-07:00

Buh bye!

Hello!

It's gonna take me a year to figure out all the buttons & settings.