No Like Boom

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.

Olympic Cuteness

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

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

Yay! It's Caturday. Mwahhhh

[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.

Bang!

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

Pretty Great Day in the USA

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



Now go turn on CNN.

That is all.

Brrrrrrrrr

[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

Obama - Rama!

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?"

I See Dead People, And They Glitter

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...

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

Mini Wiener Walk - 2008

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

Vancouver? or Los Angeles?

Looks like OJ got a bigger truck:



Details here from News 1130.

Seems the "driver" is from New West. Makes me so proud.

At one point early in the chase the newscasters are asking if this is a stolen truck. Ummm, ya think? Maybe just a really, really bad choice in getaway vehicle.

I watched the whole thing on the news this morning, but I only noticed something now while watching the clip. The Anchor Steve Darling @ one point seems to call the helicopter reporter Kim instead of Kaitlyn. I presume that is because for many years the "eye in the sky" was Kim Shields, but she left a few years ago.

Kaitlyn, do us a favour and kick Steve's ass @ the next Global BC get together.

My Eyes, They Burn!

Ladies and Gents, may I present the 2008 Canadian Olympic uniform:

A bit about this beautiful outfit (and I do not jest):

The look: vibrant reds and Chinese symbolism married with Canadian tradition. The Team Canada Beijing Games clothing line is proudly emblazoned with maple leaves, the word Canada written in both English and Mandarin, and uses a primarily red and white colour pallet. Colour inspiration is also drawn from the five elements of Chinese astrology — earth, wood, fire, water and metal — and on some pieces, Chinese symbolism takes the form of the lucky number eight, which, when repeated, makes an attractive pattern.

May I add that this combination does NOT make an attractive pattern.

In fact the last time I saw this pattern there was tequila, three monkeys, cantaloupe and a tilt-o-whirl involved, but that's a different post.

I quote Canadian Olympic swimmer Jennifer Button:

“The fabrics and designs are very forward thinking. The design team really took into consideration the climate, both cultures and the varied body types that they will be outfitting at the Games,” added Button. “I can't wait to see all the athletes in their Team Canada gear!”

Can you picture it? Opening ceremony and here comes Team Canada!



Of course they also have sports specific gear as well as these choice selections for lazing around the Olympic compound in the evenings:



Nice

Ok, last photo was (duh!) BS. But I wouldn't be surprised if that actually was the look they were going for.

And if you would like to see more lovely couture from old catalogues, check out Welcome to WishbookWeb.com.

A Century In Video - 1915

Here is another Edison short. This one is 3:42 of people coming out after a show in the Claremont Theater in NYC.

This is the type of film I love finding - a little slice of everyday life.



Many of the theatre goers seem to be aware of the camera filming them as they leave, but since they are watching Edison films (perhaps even a few of the ones posted in the series), they may have been told about the camera. You'll notice a few people wave at the camera as they leave.

The clothing is, of course, very different than today. For one thing ALL the young boys are dressed in knickerbockers and ALL the women are in long dresses. But everyone acts pretty well the same as they would now for the same sort of "event"

If you take a closer look at the clothing you may note as I did that the clothing seems rather formal. Keep in mind that going to the movies was a big deal in 1915. Most of these people probably had never seen a film before.

Good news - the building is still around: Remembering an Architect Who Shaped the West Side

Here is a comparison. The old one is a screen shot from the film and the new one is from the above NYT article. (click to embiggen)



More info about the film via the Library of Congress can be found here

Hint, hint....

It's my birthday soon.

Only $20,594.95

Lot's of cool stuff at Hammacher Schlemmer

Blog Action Day

Welcome. Today is Blog Action Day. A day for bloggers all over the world to post on a single subject - The environment.

Here is the YouTube video that clued me in.



First lets start with an important message from President Al Gore (Well he should have been president!)



Of course President Bush is also very concerned with global warming. Please take this video as proof that he has deep, deep concerns about the state of the earth.



"And what" - you may ask "is the Canadian government doing?"

Why everything in their power of course.



Of course the media can be counted on to cover global warming issues in a fair and unbiased manner. Neutrality is their middle name after all.

Rick Mercer - Canada's answer to Jon Stewart - Talks to Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion about (among other things) the Kyoto Protocol.



How long have you been aware of global warming issues? Well it's not a new issue. Here is an excerpt from the 1958 Frank Capra film The Unchained Goddess explaining the dangers ahead.



If you still have any doubts about the long term effects of global warming. let this video be a warning:



Ok, ok. I know that this is a serious topic. But I can't write well enough to teach you anything without putting you to sleep. So I thought I'd post a bunch of (hopefully) humorous stuff and let the other bloggers out there show you the good stuff. What other bloggers? Here is a list of all the Blog Action Day participants and another list of some suggested resources

P.S. At press time there are 15,568 blogs signed up to participate with a combined rss reach of 12,507,731!

Monday is Blog Action Day

I'll be posting something (don't know what yet) on Monday for Blog Action Day.

If you have a blog, please get involved. If you know someone with a blog, pass this info along.

Since I'm all about the sarcasm & funny, I'll be looking for something along those lines to post. Probably in the evening as I'll picketing as usual during the day.

A Century In Video - 1910

I remember how much pomp and ceremony there was at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales ten years ago. Well it turns out that that was pretty standard (although there was quite a fight to give Diana a sorta, kinda, state funeral)

For this project's 1910 clip I present to you the funeral of Edward VII of the United Kingdom (1841-1910).

It's a short clip just over two minutes that shows some of the procession during the funeral and includes overlayed audio clips of Big Ben

Strike - Day 43 (Updated)

From The Blackbird's great strike photo collection:



Great photo, but do you think you could make my ass a little bigger? BTW, I didn't have a clue that my picture was being taken. I came across the pic via RSS feed.

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


Yeehaa, some (potentially) good news:

Negotiations to Resume Next Week

Judy Rogers and Chief Librarian accept CUPE invitation to return to bargaining table

Let's hope this actually leads to something!

Lots of goings on at Central today. It was black & white day with all encouraged to dress in those colours, a puppet show about farmer Sam and his farm animals that go on strike, Our Friday bbq and a reading by Poet Laureate George McWhirter.

We also created a human wall around the library with everyone doing the 'wave' with their picket signs and later spelling out the words "Let's Talk" on the north plaza.

I didn't bring my camera today. But as usual 2shoes took some super pics of all the happenings

And if you're interested there is a benefit concert tomorrow to help raise $$$ for our hardship fund.

Local bands and supporters have come together to hold a benefit concert for the group this Saturday, September 8th, 2007 at the Maritime Labour Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. (Read More)

Here's the poster: (click to embiggen)

A Century In Video - 1905 & 1906

This film shows a trip down Market Street in San Francisco in 1905 and 1906 after the big quake

The filmmaker visited the city in 1905 and took a trolley ride down Market & then reproduced the same trip a year later. The editor of this short spliced bits of both films together to give the viewer an idea of how devastating the earthquake was.



Here is a slightly longer version of the 1906 portion.



Although the quake caused considerable damage, the majority was caused by fires, complicated by a lack of water due to broken mains.

Here is a pic from the wikipedia link above showing the damage:

(click photo to embiggen and see a LOT more detail)



It was take from a kite flown @ 2000 feet. Click here for more info about the photo.