Friday, November 05, 2004
Bonfire Night
For our friends and colleagues (and that includes yours truly!) who are puzzled by Bonfire/Fireworks/Guy Fawkes night celebrated here in England on November 5th, click here for an explanation. You will see that in all this business of weapons of mass destruction, terrorist cells, enemies within, torture of suspected opponents, whipping up of rabid religious popular opinion against a convenient hate figure etc etc etc - George Dubbya and the neo-cons are about 400 years behind us Brits!
Your IQ Means Nothing, Yeah Right...
Click here to see a breakdown of the average IQ of American citizens by State and the coresponding Presidential Candidate who won that state. Is it really so surprising that those States with the highest levels of academics, technology development, and international links voted Democrat and have the highesy IQs? Somehow, I don't think so! Or perhaps, according to this guy it is all actually a hoax. Oh well, we still have hope...
Build a Better Bush!
Click here for a quick and easy way to extol some private revenge on El Stupido himself, and notice how all permutations somehow remain viable... truly scary!
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Some Pictures from Meg's Birthday Weekend
Click here for an up close and personal look at our "Fin de Semana Frances" in Spain. Andre has kindly done a bit of photo-posting for us for all to enjoy. Thank god for his skills with the photo-sticher man! One of my big tasks when I finally get some time to myself is to mount a serious effort at getting some of my lovely photos od Spain up on a website. A chore that will be for certain, but it must be done!
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Meg's Birthday Weekend
I have just returned from a fabulous weekend in Spain. Jean-Paul, Andre and I flew to Madrid together to celebrate with Megcita on her 31st birthday. Meg did her usual fabulous job planning everything for the weekend, so that our trip included visits to the towns of Salamanca, Avila, L'Aberca, and Patones. These Castillian pueblos are situated within a reasonable driving distance of Madrid amongst the Sierra mountains. It would of course be much better to see them by bicycle, as the roads and views are most spectacular, but having a rental car is a very efficient way to get to some of the more out of the way places and we were obviously limited to the weekend.
Friday, we arrived from London in the late morning and met directly with Meg in La Plaza Santa Ana, one of our favourite lunch spots in the Spanish capital. We had a lovely lunch of some traditional Spanish favourites. Chopitos, chorizo al vino tinto, patatas bravas, and settas. And of course, some cervezas! Then we bolted to Atocha train station to pick up our rental car. The drive to Salamanca was easy enough and quite enjoyable, aside from the traffic in Madrid, caused by the Madrilenos running for the exits anticipating the long weekend rush. We booked rooms at The Parador of Salamanca which turned out to be a very modern, stylish hotel overlooking the city and its two magnificent cathedrals. What a view from the lobby! We freshened up a bit and headed out to check out the centre of this amazing old city at night. We began with a look at Spain's largest contiguous "plaza mayor." This old central square was absolutely impressive lit up at night and filled with people heading out for tapas. And that is exactly what he did next! We went into a great little wine bar, got stuck into a corner table, and ordered some of the local favourites and a fine copa de vino tinto del Ribiera del Duero. Following our tapas, I absolutely could not resist the temptation to find a restaurant to consume a gorgeous piece of Spanish beef. Very little hunting revealed a place where I could order "Solomillo de Ternera con Salsa de Roquefort" (Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Gravy) in a quaint dining room built for Spaniards from the Middle Ages. I managed to avoid the ceiling beams just long enough to enjoy a fabulous dinner! And the meat was some of the finest I have had in Spain.
Saturday, we woke up late, following the most spectacularly restful sleep I have had in years (the tranquility was astonishing in the Parador, especially so I think for having lived in central London for nearly a year now). Breakfast was a Spanish smorgasbord of breakfast specialities. Croissants, danishes, queso manchego, zumo de naranja, cafe and chocolate caliente! What a feast! Meg focused on opening some birthday presents and I just focused on the food! Ha! Following breakfast we walked back to central Salamanca to have a better look at the cathedral. There is a great view from one of the upper balconies that we climbed up to take a look across the Castillian plain. It was really pretty, and a great start to the day. We were side-lined for a little while when Andre became obsessed with locating "la rana de Salamanca." There is local folklore that says that to those who are able to locate this little carved stone frog, perched atop a skull, somewhere on the immense facade of the cathedral, it will bring them good luck (and especially for students, good grades)! Needless to say, the only place we found it was on a postcard! Andre was upset. We had a quick cafe and headed out in the car for a lovely drive to L'Alberca for lunch. L'Alberca sits in the cozy confines of the Sierra de Francia. Nestled into a kind of trough in the mountains, it's craggled hand-laid stone streets and facades, and cooler climate make it a big draw during the summer months. As a result it is a bit touristic, although at this time of year, a very worthwhile journey. The buildings themselves are quite unique and almost look as though they have been transported from the French Alpes or somewhere similar due to their odd construction. We made away with haste from out little mountain retreat and wound our way through the Sierra de Francia back toward Avila as it was getting fairly late. The ride back, some three hours or more, was painless enough and yielded some absolutely gorgeous vistas of the sierra and countryside around. If that wasn't already an action-packed day, when we arrived back to Madrid we had a full night ahead all planned out! Suffice to say, after 4 tapas bars and a restaurant, and with Meg still urging us on, we called it a night (or a morning, depending on how you want to look at it). Pedro and Jordi came along for the fun, and so as it turned out Meg had her husband, and four of her "male entourage" to celebrate with her on her 31st birthday!!!
Sunday featured a big sleep-in after our late night out, and then a quick one hour blast out to Patones for a long, late lunch with Vicky, Pablo and Pedro. Andre and Jean-Paul stayed in Madrid to check out the city by foot. Patones was incredible. The most "Tim Burton-esque" place I think I have ever been. And I was really kicking myself that Patrick and I did not venture out in this direction during the year on our bikes. It would have been epic! Again, some amazing food, and a walk around in the town were enjoyed by all. Now, Patones is simply known as a great weekend getaway for Madrilenos, but the town has the unique distinction of having once been a kingdom. The story goes something along the lines of Napolean, having been unable to receive taxation money from the people of the area that is now referred to as Patones (actually simply the last name of the largest family in the area) he sent out his troops to "find them." Well, they couldn't. They had hid themselves away in the sierra for so long, no one knew where they were! So, as a face-saving maneuver during his control of Spain, he granted them their own kingdom, thus exempting them from taxation in the capital (or something like that!). Patones was an extremely enjoyable spot and I am sure we will be back on day - hopefully on a bike!
Monday was a bit of mad scramble to get our bikes into their boxes in preparation for our return trip to Vancouver at Christmas, and see a few folks I wanted to see before leaving Madrid. After accomplishing the packaging of the bicycles, we rushed like mad to see Elen and Bart, and the new addition to their family Sana! Meg's friend Merve joined us there, and then we rushed back to La Plaza Santa Ana to meet Jordi and Andre for lunch before bolting to the airport! A botched attempt at taking the bikes with us left me a bit stressed out, but we managed to make it back to London quite comfortably! I was nice to have Andre along for the return tripped as we recounted the events of one of my best Spanish experiences! It was just a great weekend, enjoyed immensely by all!
Friday, we arrived from London in the late morning and met directly with Meg in La Plaza Santa Ana, one of our favourite lunch spots in the Spanish capital. We had a lovely lunch of some traditional Spanish favourites. Chopitos, chorizo al vino tinto, patatas bravas, and settas. And of course, some cervezas! Then we bolted to Atocha train station to pick up our rental car. The drive to Salamanca was easy enough and quite enjoyable, aside from the traffic in Madrid, caused by the Madrilenos running for the exits anticipating the long weekend rush. We booked rooms at The Parador of Salamanca which turned out to be a very modern, stylish hotel overlooking the city and its two magnificent cathedrals. What a view from the lobby! We freshened up a bit and headed out to check out the centre of this amazing old city at night. We began with a look at Spain's largest contiguous "plaza mayor." This old central square was absolutely impressive lit up at night and filled with people heading out for tapas. And that is exactly what he did next! We went into a great little wine bar, got stuck into a corner table, and ordered some of the local favourites and a fine copa de vino tinto del Ribiera del Duero. Following our tapas, I absolutely could not resist the temptation to find a restaurant to consume a gorgeous piece of Spanish beef. Very little hunting revealed a place where I could order "Solomillo de Ternera con Salsa de Roquefort" (Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Gravy) in a quaint dining room built for Spaniards from the Middle Ages. I managed to avoid the ceiling beams just long enough to enjoy a fabulous dinner! And the meat was some of the finest I have had in Spain.
Saturday, we woke up late, following the most spectacularly restful sleep I have had in years (the tranquility was astonishing in the Parador, especially so I think for having lived in central London for nearly a year now). Breakfast was a Spanish smorgasbord of breakfast specialities. Croissants, danishes, queso manchego, zumo de naranja, cafe and chocolate caliente! What a feast! Meg focused on opening some birthday presents and I just focused on the food! Ha! Following breakfast we walked back to central Salamanca to have a better look at the cathedral. There is a great view from one of the upper balconies that we climbed up to take a look across the Castillian plain. It was really pretty, and a great start to the day. We were side-lined for a little while when Andre became obsessed with locating "la rana de Salamanca." There is local folklore that says that to those who are able to locate this little carved stone frog, perched atop a skull, somewhere on the immense facade of the cathedral, it will bring them good luck (and especially for students, good grades)! Needless to say, the only place we found it was on a postcard! Andre was upset. We had a quick cafe and headed out in the car for a lovely drive to L'Alberca for lunch. L'Alberca sits in the cozy confines of the Sierra de Francia. Nestled into a kind of trough in the mountains, it's craggled hand-laid stone streets and facades, and cooler climate make it a big draw during the summer months. As a result it is a bit touristic, although at this time of year, a very worthwhile journey. The buildings themselves are quite unique and almost look as though they have been transported from the French Alpes or somewhere similar due to their odd construction. We made away with haste from out little mountain retreat and wound our way through the Sierra de Francia back toward Avila as it was getting fairly late. The ride back, some three hours or more, was painless enough and yielded some absolutely gorgeous vistas of the sierra and countryside around. If that wasn't already an action-packed day, when we arrived back to Madrid we had a full night ahead all planned out! Suffice to say, after 4 tapas bars and a restaurant, and with Meg still urging us on, we called it a night (or a morning, depending on how you want to look at it). Pedro and Jordi came along for the fun, and so as it turned out Meg had her husband, and four of her "male entourage" to celebrate with her on her 31st birthday!!!
Sunday featured a big sleep-in after our late night out, and then a quick one hour blast out to Patones for a long, late lunch with Vicky, Pablo and Pedro. Andre and Jean-Paul stayed in Madrid to check out the city by foot. Patones was incredible. The most "Tim Burton-esque" place I think I have ever been. And I was really kicking myself that Patrick and I did not venture out in this direction during the year on our bikes. It would have been epic! Again, some amazing food, and a walk around in the town were enjoyed by all. Now, Patones is simply known as a great weekend getaway for Madrilenos, but the town has the unique distinction of having once been a kingdom. The story goes something along the lines of Napolean, having been unable to receive taxation money from the people of the area that is now referred to as Patones (actually simply the last name of the largest family in the area) he sent out his troops to "find them." Well, they couldn't. They had hid themselves away in the sierra for so long, no one knew where they were! So, as a face-saving maneuver during his control of Spain, he granted them their own kingdom, thus exempting them from taxation in the capital (or something like that!). Patones was an extremely enjoyable spot and I am sure we will be back on day - hopefully on a bike!
Monday was a bit of mad scramble to get our bikes into their boxes in preparation for our return trip to Vancouver at Christmas, and see a few folks I wanted to see before leaving Madrid. After accomplishing the packaging of the bicycles, we rushed like mad to see Elen and Bart, and the new addition to their family Sana! Meg's friend Merve joined us there, and then we rushed back to La Plaza Santa Ana to meet Jordi and Andre for lunch before bolting to the airport! A botched attempt at taking the bikes with us left me a bit stressed out, but we managed to make it back to London quite comfortably! I was nice to have Andre along for the return tripped as we recounted the events of one of my best Spanish experiences! It was just a great weekend, enjoyed immensely by all!
Friday, October 22, 2004
Essential Anti-Bush Propaganda!
Here's some timely last minute encouragement for all those Americans out there who are going to take the first step in a long process towards a better world by voting George Bush out of office in 12 days. Remember, my American neighbours, you are making a choice for all of us, please take care in doing so!
Click here for a beautiful motion graphic film-advert removing the "theory" from the "Blood For Oil" conspiracy theory.
Click here for The World According to Bush, a documentary by the CBC's The Passionate Eye. As far as I am concerned there is no more neighborly act than for us Canadians to encourage an alternate view in our press to the CNN/FOX juggernaut of lies in America.
Click here for the latest from the fine folks at Move On. To quote the rigorous, irrefutable, intelligence of Mr. Blutowski of "Animal House" fame "don't get mad, get even!"
Click here to see a photo of every American service member killed in Iraq and the reasons for their deaths. It is beyond the realsm of my imagination how anyone could look at these photos and not vote Bush out of office knowing what we know now.
Click here for the latest from America's most vocal opponent of the Bush Administration, Michael Moore.
Click here for info on a gripping documentary produced by the BBC here in England that suggests that Al Queda doesn't really exist in the form that it has been "sold" to the west by the U.S. Administration. There is no close knit group, no organization, no links to Iraq, in fact there may not even be an Osama Bin Laden!
Click here for a beautiful motion graphic film-advert removing the "theory" from the "Blood For Oil" conspiracy theory.
Click here for The World According to Bush, a documentary by the CBC's The Passionate Eye. As far as I am concerned there is no more neighborly act than for us Canadians to encourage an alternate view in our press to the CNN/FOX juggernaut of lies in America.
Click here for the latest from the fine folks at Move On. To quote the rigorous, irrefutable, intelligence of Mr. Blutowski of "Animal House" fame "don't get mad, get even!"
Click here to see a photo of every American service member killed in Iraq and the reasons for their deaths. It is beyond the realsm of my imagination how anyone could look at these photos and not vote Bush out of office knowing what we know now.
Click here for the latest from America's most vocal opponent of the Bush Administration, Michael Moore.
Click here for info on a gripping documentary produced by the BBC here in England that suggests that Al Queda doesn't really exist in the form that it has been "sold" to the west by the U.S. Administration. There is no close knit group, no organization, no links to Iraq, in fact there may not even be an Osama Bin Laden!
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Some Upcoming Film Projects Of Interest
Here are some news clips posted via the Cinefex weekly e-mail newsletter, so they have all got something to do with visual effects production. However, I guess they are interesting to me in their own right, so I thought I would pass them on. I made notes in italics below.
Transformers: IGN Filmforce reports on development of DreamWorks Pictures' live-action feature film based on Hasbro's animé-styled shapeshifting robot toys, and has debunked rumors that filmmaker Robert Zemeckis will be directing the project. Producer Don Murphy is quoted: "We're closing in on a writer and choosing to go with a younger guy who grew up with the mythology, like all of you fans. Should be announced in the coming weeks." The studio is reportedly aiming for a summer 2006 release.
The television animation series called Beast Wars Transformers was my first professional gig as a computer animator at Mainframe Entertainment. It provided me with my first 20 months of pay, and helped to eradicate my humungous student loan! So, overall it was a great start. I have a morbid fascination with what might be achievable in this day and age compared to our ridiculously limited abilities back in 1996. I guess we'll see won't we!
A Very Long Engagement: Aint-it-cool-news.com has posted screen grabs and a streaming video link to a trailer here for this Warner Independent release, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tatou, star of Jeunet's charming Amélie. A Very Long Engagement is an epic romance set against the backdrop of World War I France and, as usual for Jeunet, looks stunning and beautifully surreal. IMDb states Jeunet and Guillame Laurent adapted the screenplay from Un long dimanche de fiançailles, a novel by Sébastien Japrisot. Yves Domenjoud and Olivier Gleyze supervised special effects and Alain Carsoux supervised visual effects at Duboi. The film opens in France on October 27 and is scheduled for limited release in the U.S. on November 26.
I am one a very long list of people who have followed Monsieur Jeunet's work since Delicatessen (1991) blew me away. Of course, Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) was a very big accomplishment in modern French cinema and for many fans captured something of the feeling of Paris. I have often said "if you can not enjoy this film, you will never enjoy the cinema." This film looks absolutely stunning as well. I am intrigued to say the least.
King Conan: Crown of Iron: IGN Filmforce states filmmaker John Milius has secured funding for this long-in-development live-action sword and sorcery epic, Milius' third film based on Robert E. Howard's muscle-bound mythical adventurer. Finances have reportedly come from Turkey, where Milius is scouting locations, and conjectures have resurfaced suggesting that Schwarzenegger may be reprising his loin cloth, which he last wore in Conan the Barbarian in 1982 and Conan the Destroyer in 1984.
Who can deny that they wouldn't love to see Arnie reprise this role. A little known film trivia is that Oliver Stone penned the first Conan script, as a "see, I can do this" project for the studios. Savvy move. Imagine Conan a la Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, and you have some idea of where I am thinking this could go. Ridiculous, but ridiculously good!
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: Variety announced New Line Cinema is continuing to invest in fantasy film fare, purchasing the movie rights to this novel by Susanna Clarke. The story is about two rival magicians in 1800s England -- Norrell, who uses his powers to assist the British Empire in its war against Napoleon; and Strange, who attempts to harness the powers of an ancient Faerie King. New Line is also developing Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy; and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, about a girl whose father has the power to bring literary fantasy characters to life. I have just begun to wade into Mr. Pullman's opus. It will indeed be a contender for the like of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises which will hopefully mean a few hundred jobs a year or so until the production is complete. Still, no idea when it will start. I guess that this news goes in the "eagerly anticipated" camp.
Transformers: IGN Filmforce reports on development of DreamWorks Pictures' live-action feature film based on Hasbro's animé-styled shapeshifting robot toys, and has debunked rumors that filmmaker Robert Zemeckis will be directing the project. Producer Don Murphy is quoted: "We're closing in on a writer and choosing to go with a younger guy who grew up with the mythology, like all of you fans. Should be announced in the coming weeks." The studio is reportedly aiming for a summer 2006 release.
The television animation series called Beast Wars Transformers was my first professional gig as a computer animator at Mainframe Entertainment. It provided me with my first 20 months of pay, and helped to eradicate my humungous student loan! So, overall it was a great start. I have a morbid fascination with what might be achievable in this day and age compared to our ridiculously limited abilities back in 1996. I guess we'll see won't we!
A Very Long Engagement: Aint-it-cool-news.com has posted screen grabs and a streaming video link to a trailer here for this Warner Independent release, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tatou, star of Jeunet's charming Amélie. A Very Long Engagement is an epic romance set against the backdrop of World War I France and, as usual for Jeunet, looks stunning and beautifully surreal. IMDb states Jeunet and Guillame Laurent adapted the screenplay from Un long dimanche de fiançailles, a novel by Sébastien Japrisot. Yves Domenjoud and Olivier Gleyze supervised special effects and Alain Carsoux supervised visual effects at Duboi. The film opens in France on October 27 and is scheduled for limited release in the U.S. on November 26.
I am one a very long list of people who have followed Monsieur Jeunet's work since Delicatessen (1991) blew me away. Of course, Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) was a very big accomplishment in modern French cinema and for many fans captured something of the feeling of Paris. I have often said "if you can not enjoy this film, you will never enjoy the cinema." This film looks absolutely stunning as well. I am intrigued to say the least.
King Conan: Crown of Iron: IGN Filmforce states filmmaker John Milius has secured funding for this long-in-development live-action sword and sorcery epic, Milius' third film based on Robert E. Howard's muscle-bound mythical adventurer. Finances have reportedly come from Turkey, where Milius is scouting locations, and conjectures have resurfaced suggesting that Schwarzenegger may be reprising his loin cloth, which he last wore in Conan the Barbarian in 1982 and Conan the Destroyer in 1984.
Who can deny that they wouldn't love to see Arnie reprise this role. A little known film trivia is that Oliver Stone penned the first Conan script, as a "see, I can do this" project for the studios. Savvy move. Imagine Conan a la Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, and you have some idea of where I am thinking this could go. Ridiculous, but ridiculously good!
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: Variety announced New Line Cinema is continuing to invest in fantasy film fare, purchasing the movie rights to this novel by Susanna Clarke. The story is about two rival magicians in 1800s England -- Norrell, who uses his powers to assist the British Empire in its war against Napoleon; and Strange, who attempts to harness the powers of an ancient Faerie King. New Line is also developing Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy; and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, about a girl whose father has the power to bring literary fantasy characters to life. I have just begun to wade into Mr. Pullman's opus. It will indeed be a contender for the like of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises which will hopefully mean a few hundred jobs a year or so until the production is complete. Still, no idea when it will start. I guess that this news goes in the "eagerly anticipated" camp.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
I have seen the North Atlantic...
...And stared across The English Channel, past the Isle of White, towards France in the distance. I spent the past weekend in the Portsmouth and Bournemouth area in the south of England visiting. On Saturday evening after a half-assed attempt at a working during the day, I trained it down to my friends Lexi and Mark's post-wedding reception. I took a bit longer than I had expected to get down to Portsmouth! I was assured that it was only a quick two hour journey but by the time I arrived it had easily stretched to three. Lexi and Mark had been married some time earlier at a "family only" affair in New York City, and were having a very casual get together for all their friends who are currently in England. It was a fun time, but unfortunately due to the less than optimal train services on a Saturday night in the south of England I could not stay long at the reception because I was due for a rendevouz with old Victoria friends Christina and Jason in Bournemouth. I arrived at the not so unreasonable time of midnight having spent a few more hours total train time getting there. Jason picked me up at the train stop and we had a brief chat before just crashing. Sunday morning we were up early with the arousal of Lucas and Christian, Christina and Jason's sons, who were both full of energy albeit of different sorts given their ages; two and half years for the former, and two and half months for the latter! We spent a lovely day together walking down to a seaside cafe for lunch and back. The weather co-operated, and although it was quite breezy, it was pleasant enough. A funny thing was that on the walk down I instantly realized where some of the neighbourhoods I frequented growing up in Victoria were modeled after. Amazing how similar the layout and feel of Bournemouth is to Oak Bay in Victoria. The day also featured not one, but two rides! On a kiddy train. I haven't had that kind of treatment in quite a while! It was fun! Anyway, it was lovely to get out of the city and into some very fresh salt air for a change. A great thing to see Christina and Jason's family growing rapidly as well!
Friday, October 15, 2004
Ollie Rankin
Just a quick note to say that I have added a link to Ollie Rankin's weird and wonderful world of "art experiments" on the sidebar under Friend's Websites. Ollie and I met in San Francisco while working for the former ESC Entertainment where we shared a wall partition during the creation of visual effects for "The Matrix: Revolutions." Ollie and I ran into each other again here in London while working at The Moving Picture Company, and we are currently laying seige to the city of Jerusalem in the year 1214 (virtually, of course). Ollie's current non-work project is a plethora of products designed to subliminally make us realise a rather obvious fact: The George W. Bush is full of shit! Three cheers for Ollie Rankin!
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Bike Nation
Click here to access Bike Nation, an internet portal promoting "a movement of people and efficient machines churning towards a civilized society." In one way or another my cousins, Brian and Jeremy Cavagnolo, of San Francisco and Berkeley respectively, are at the very least partly responsible, or perhaps crucially responsible for the creation of this portal as a window into their growing community of family and friends who preach a simple moto: If it can be done on a bike, do it on a bike. As a regular bicycle commuter in Vancouver, I have also been a commited member of the two wheeled anti-engine mod squad for quite a while now. There are a lot of reasons I chose to get around on a bike. It is cheap. It is healthy. There is no polution. It is more convienment a lot of the time. It is fun. I adore the thrill of bicycles. And many more. Sure, I own a car, but I try to use it as little as possible. I mostly use it to get my bike somewhere! The point is to try to progress to a more "human scale of living." Whatever you can do towards that, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, so much the better. I encourage you to check out Bike Nation and get into the lore. Yo! Bike Nation Y'all!
Some Friends' Links Added
Recently I added a few links to the side bar that I hope were not missed:
Actually one of my current room-mates Andre "DD" Brizard. We call him French Bob because DD is the French slang for Andre, like Bob for Robert. DD is from the south of France, a little place called Arles, reknowned for its artists chopping off their ears. Thus far, DD's are intact. But, there's no knowing what this crazy composite artist will get up next.
Nigel and I know each other from Radical Entertainment in Vancouver where we worked together on the HULK video game. Nigel was responsible for much of the lovely lighting and superb texture painting in that game. Here's wrestling with "The Wild" at C.O.R.E.F.A. in Toronto right now. Nigel is totally self-taught.
Otherwise known as Jean-Paul "Casanova" Rovela, and my other Frenchie room-mate. J-P is a 3D Lighting Technical Director at The Moving Picture Company like me and showed me the ropes when I first arrived to the studio. Thus, the reason why I can understand what he says in his own "je ne sais quoi?" accent while others are constantly left wondering "was that English, French or what!?"
Matt is a bloke I met more or less straight away after arriving to The Moving Picture Company, and we struggled to together on the Whomping Willow sequence in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. As they say in England "there's something of the lad" about ole Matty-boy. He's promised to take me to see some "Footy" before he heads off to seak his fortune in New Zealand. As he is a compositor, he'll putting the final touches on Peter Jackson's King Kong.
Adam was my Visual Effects Supervisor on Alien Versus Predator. Adam and I share a pseudo connection with Spain. We both like living there, for similar reasons, but have both failed miserably to make a living in computer graphics there. Which in turn, is how we ended up at The Moving Picture Company. Oh well, we continue to conspire.
Jay is currently lost in the wilds of the Yukon. No-one knows quite what he's doing up there, but then again, neither does Jay. The son of a former Reform Party MP, he continues to bewilder us with his passion for the off-beat. Oh, yeah, he's heck of an animator too.
Doug and I met working on a little show called Beast Wars Transformers at Mainframe Entertainment circa 1997. Doug is currently trying to break out of the Toronto area animation business on his own. Good luck, dude.
This is Neil's Blog. Neil is a good friend and confidant from my Mainframe days. Neil and I became good friends on a kayak trip in the Broken Group off of Tofino. It had something to do with Neil getting funnier and funnier the more awful honey liquer we consumed around the camp fire. He's had me in stitches ever since. I owe this web log to Neil actually because he was the one who introduced me to the fine art of blogging. He's a leader in the field. If you need an inspiring comic book suggestion, get ahold of Neil. Neil is also a very impressive traveller.
Geoff is another friend who I first met while attending the Vancouver Film School, but it wasn't until I went to work at Radical that Geoff and I (he started on the same day as me) got a chance to brave the computer graphics unknown together. Geoff is the king of the "I have a plug in solution for that" school of computer graphics. He was my "go to guy" on the Hulk cinematics team in terms of adding that little extra to all our shots in the composite to take them up a notch, and in most cases, several notches. I also owe him for all the ripped off software I have ever used.
Actually one of my current room-mates Andre "DD" Brizard. We call him French Bob because DD is the French slang for Andre, like Bob for Robert. DD is from the south of France, a little place called Arles, reknowned for its artists chopping off their ears. Thus far, DD's are intact. But, there's no knowing what this crazy composite artist will get up next.
Nigel and I know each other from Radical Entertainment in Vancouver where we worked together on the HULK video game. Nigel was responsible for much of the lovely lighting and superb texture painting in that game. Here's wrestling with "The Wild" at C.O.R.E.F.A. in Toronto right now. Nigel is totally self-taught.
Otherwise known as Jean-Paul "Casanova" Rovela, and my other Frenchie room-mate. J-P is a 3D Lighting Technical Director at The Moving Picture Company like me and showed me the ropes when I first arrived to the studio. Thus, the reason why I can understand what he says in his own "je ne sais quoi?" accent while others are constantly left wondering "was that English, French or what!?"
Matt is a bloke I met more or less straight away after arriving to The Moving Picture Company, and we struggled to together on the Whomping Willow sequence in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. As they say in England "there's something of the lad" about ole Matty-boy. He's promised to take me to see some "Footy" before he heads off to seak his fortune in New Zealand. As he is a compositor, he'll putting the final touches on Peter Jackson's King Kong.
Adam was my Visual Effects Supervisor on Alien Versus Predator. Adam and I share a pseudo connection with Spain. We both like living there, for similar reasons, but have both failed miserably to make a living in computer graphics there. Which in turn, is how we ended up at The Moving Picture Company. Oh well, we continue to conspire.
Jay is currently lost in the wilds of the Yukon. No-one knows quite what he's doing up there, but then again, neither does Jay. The son of a former Reform Party MP, he continues to bewilder us with his passion for the off-beat. Oh, yeah, he's heck of an animator too.
Doug and I met working on a little show called Beast Wars Transformers at Mainframe Entertainment circa 1997. Doug is currently trying to break out of the Toronto area animation business on his own. Good luck, dude.
This is Neil's Blog. Neil is a good friend and confidant from my Mainframe days. Neil and I became good friends on a kayak trip in the Broken Group off of Tofino. It had something to do with Neil getting funnier and funnier the more awful honey liquer we consumed around the camp fire. He's had me in stitches ever since. I owe this web log to Neil actually because he was the one who introduced me to the fine art of blogging. He's a leader in the field. If you need an inspiring comic book suggestion, get ahold of Neil. Neil is also a very impressive traveller.
Geoff is another friend who I first met while attending the Vancouver Film School, but it wasn't until I went to work at Radical that Geoff and I (he started on the same day as me) got a chance to brave the computer graphics unknown together. Geoff is the king of the "I have a plug in solution for that" school of computer graphics. He was my "go to guy" on the Hulk cinematics team in terms of adding that little extra to all our shots in the composite to take them up a notch, and in most cases, several notches. I also owe him for all the ripped off software I have ever used.
Friday, October 01, 2004
Corporate Cows
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM:
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell the herd and retire on the income.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
You are surprised when the cow drops dead.
A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-design them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create irritating cow cartoon images called Cowkimon and market them world-wide at a fantastic profit.
A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.
AN ENGLISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You break for lunch.
A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 12 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.
A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you.
You charge others for storing them.
A HINDU CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.
A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.
A WELSH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The younger one is rather attractive.
AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
Western suburbs style.... You have 2 stolen bulls but think they are cows.
You die the first time you try and milk them.
AN IRISH CORPORATION
Who cares, The EU Really owns them now and the pub is still serving.
A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You don't know what they are used for as they aren't sheep.
You shag them anyway.
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell the herd and retire on the income.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
You are surprised when the cow drops dead.
A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-design them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create irritating cow cartoon images called Cowkimon and market them world-wide at a fantastic profit.
A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.
AN ENGLISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You break for lunch.
A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 12 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.
A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you.
You charge others for storing them.
A HINDU CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.
A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.
A WELSH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The younger one is rather attractive.
AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
Western suburbs style.... You have 2 stolen bulls but think they are cows.
You die the first time you try and milk them.
AN IRISH CORPORATION
Who cares, The EU Really owns them now and the pub is still serving.
A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You don't know what they are used for as they aren't sheep.
You shag them anyway.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
The Economist Surveys
Click here to access free, downloadable, past surveys in .pdf form from The Economist. These are a great general resource on an amazing range of topics and often the most illuminating part of this weekly, literate, balanced and considered publication focus on world events. "Economy of thought" in the broadest sense.
Megcita esta en Madrid
Meg has left for Madrid. We will see each other in Barcelona in a week or so where we have a full weekend planned! It should be great. We had a hard time finding accommodation, because there is a "feria" going on - a kind of celebration. I am not sure about what though. I guess that may add to the atmosphere. Barcelona has always been a place I have wanted to go, so I am looking forward to it immensely. It will be my first trip to Spain since June. I have really fond memories of our trip to San Sebastian in 2001, during our bicycle trip of France, so I hope "Espana el norte" treats us well again!
The past few weeks since we arrived back in London have been really great. My hours at work have been reasonable, which I am sure will end soon, but it has been great while it has lasted. I was able to head home for lunch and dinner almost all the time, and Meg served up some amazing treats after her many trips to the markets around. We also had some time to just chill out on the couch, which was great because I have to admit to being fairly exhausted after our "holidays!" French Bob introduced Meg to the television series "24" on DVD, and she is now a committed addict! Meg has been speaking French a lot with The Black Pepper and French Bob, so I am sure they have had fun with that. Now only if they could teach me some.
Meggi will be continuing a translation contract she began recently, and begins another round of "clases de Espanol" soon. She has hastily moved back in with Pedro in Vallecas due to the fact that her flat-share situation in Cuatro Caminos dissolved when Maria secured employment in the south of Spain. I am actually really glad she is back with Pedro, and I hope that she has some more great family bonding experiences. We may be headed back to North America soon, so it is a great opportunity, for her and Pedro to continue their friendship.
The past few weeks since we arrived back in London have been really great. My hours at work have been reasonable, which I am sure will end soon, but it has been great while it has lasted. I was able to head home for lunch and dinner almost all the time, and Meg served up some amazing treats after her many trips to the markets around. We also had some time to just chill out on the couch, which was great because I have to admit to being fairly exhausted after our "holidays!" French Bob introduced Meg to the television series "24" on DVD, and she is now a committed addict! Meg has been speaking French a lot with The Black Pepper and French Bob, so I am sure they have had fun with that. Now only if they could teach me some.
Meggi will be continuing a translation contract she began recently, and begins another round of "clases de Espanol" soon. She has hastily moved back in with Pedro in Vallecas due to the fact that her flat-share situation in Cuatro Caminos dissolved when Maria secured employment in the south of Spain. I am actually really glad she is back with Pedro, and I hope that she has some more great family bonding experiences. We may be headed back to North America soon, so it is a great opportunity, for her and Pedro to continue their friendship.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Geek-O-Matic
Check out this delightfully geeky comparison of Star Wars before digital enhancements, and after digital enhancements. Pretty cool! Even though I am in the business, so to speak, it is still fun to see the fans figuring out all these changes. Lucas is a mad nutter indeed. He'll be working on Star Wars until he dies. And when he dies it will be because of Star Wars!
Beer is good for you! Honest...
I found this article kind of interesting. Nothing new about the effects of a glass or two of red wine a day, but great news for all those frothy quaffers out there! The key thing being that one or two pints of the amber nectar of the gods is "bueno por la salud!" but anymore than that (are you listening England?) is well, just plain old silly isn't it?
Sarah Schmidt
CanWest News Service
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
OTTAWA - Drinking a daily pint of beer brings the same health benefits as a glass of red wine, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have found one drink of beer or wine provides equivalent increases in plasma antioxidant activity. This helps prevent the oxidization of blood plasma that triggers diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and cataracts.
"We were very surprised one drink of beer or stout contributed an equal amount of antioxidant benefit as wine, especially since red wine contains about 20 times the amount of polyphenols as beer," said biochemist John Trevithick, one of the study's lead researchers.
Polyphenols, the compounds in plants that help prevent ultraviolet damage from the sun and make the plant cell wall strong, are believed to have antioxidant benefits when consumed by the human body. And even though red wine contains more polyphenols than beer, the study found that the body absorbs about equally effective amounts from beer and wine.
Mr. Trevithick added, however, that the health benefit becomes a liability at three beers, when the negative effects of alcohol cancel out the positive effects of antioxidant activity because the blood becomes pro-oxidant.
This phenomenon is known as "hormesis" -- small doses of a toxic substance can have beneficial effects while a large amount is harmful.
"You'd think that if one drink is good, three drinks would be better, but with a low dosage, you get a protective effect. A high dosage doesn't have that protective effect," said Mr. Trevithick.
Despite the positive findings, another recent study has warned of the link between gout and the moderate consumption of beer or liquor. The team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston reported the affliction increases in risk with every pint of beer or shot of liquor.
Specifically, they found that two or more beers a day more than doubles the risk of gout, a painful type of arthritis mostly affecting the feet, ankles, hands, wrists or elbows.
Mr. Trevithick said this new study should direct beer drinkers to drink in moderation and avoid binge drinking. "One drink a day is not bad. Maybe two is OK."
James Pratt of Ottawa is thrilled with the findings of the new study. The 28-year-old never liked the taste of wine and always stuck to beer, despite repeatedly hearing of the health benefits of a daily glass of red wine. "It's a relief. Now I can have a pint of Guinness at the end of the long day and not feel guilty about it," he said.
The findings will be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Nonlinearity in Biology, Toxicology and Medicine, published by the Association for Environmental Health and Sciences.
Sarah Schmidt
CanWest News Service
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
OTTAWA - Drinking a daily pint of beer brings the same health benefits as a glass of red wine, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have found one drink of beer or wine provides equivalent increases in plasma antioxidant activity. This helps prevent the oxidization of blood plasma that triggers diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and cataracts.
"We were very surprised one drink of beer or stout contributed an equal amount of antioxidant benefit as wine, especially since red wine contains about 20 times the amount of polyphenols as beer," said biochemist John Trevithick, one of the study's lead researchers.
Polyphenols, the compounds in plants that help prevent ultraviolet damage from the sun and make the plant cell wall strong, are believed to have antioxidant benefits when consumed by the human body. And even though red wine contains more polyphenols than beer, the study found that the body absorbs about equally effective amounts from beer and wine.
Mr. Trevithick added, however, that the health benefit becomes a liability at three beers, when the negative effects of alcohol cancel out the positive effects of antioxidant activity because the blood becomes pro-oxidant.
This phenomenon is known as "hormesis" -- small doses of a toxic substance can have beneficial effects while a large amount is harmful.
"You'd think that if one drink is good, three drinks would be better, but with a low dosage, you get a protective effect. A high dosage doesn't have that protective effect," said Mr. Trevithick.
Despite the positive findings, another recent study has warned of the link between gout and the moderate consumption of beer or liquor. The team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston reported the affliction increases in risk with every pint of beer or shot of liquor.
Specifically, they found that two or more beers a day more than doubles the risk of gout, a painful type of arthritis mostly affecting the feet, ankles, hands, wrists or elbows.
Mr. Trevithick said this new study should direct beer drinkers to drink in moderation and avoid binge drinking. "One drink a day is not bad. Maybe two is OK."
James Pratt of Ottawa is thrilled with the findings of the new study. The 28-year-old never liked the taste of wine and always stuck to beer, despite repeatedly hearing of the health benefits of a daily glass of red wine. "It's a relief. Now I can have a pint of Guinness at the end of the long day and not feel guilty about it," he said.
The findings will be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Nonlinearity in Biology, Toxicology and Medicine, published by the Association for Environmental Health and Sciences.
Monday, September 13, 2004
The Borough Market
Meg and I went for a great city walk over the weekend. Claus and Michelle had told me about how nice the Borough Market was to shop for groceries on the weekends, so Meg and I set off to find it. We headed south east from the flat, through Holborn area, more just to take a look at Saint Paul's Cathedral than anything, and then down to walk along the Thames. It was a lovely day, with a big broken-cloud classic English sky and a brisk wind blowing. We were treated to some great views of the The Tower of London, and The Tower Bridge and the river, where there was a "fixed seat" rowing regatta on that seemed to have several hundred boats entered. It was incredible to see how those older types of boats without the sliding seat, and much larger hulls, are just made superbly for the tideway conditions. Conditions which could best be described as "survival rowing." The market itself is situated on the south side of London Bridge Mainline Station, just across the river. There is a nice short history of the market here. There is pretty much everything you could want, and especially delightful "munch while you shop" treats - burgers, cakes, pizzas, you name it. We enjoyed fresh Olde English Cyder, and a ciabatta with organic wild boar sausage, fried onions and rocket that nearly blew my mind. Walking back along the "Thames Walk" which huggs the shoreline on the north side, we were very pleased with our little journey and our absolutely stuffed back pack full of all sorts of market goodies. Bring on the dinner! We vowed to try to make the 2 hour round trip as frequently as possible when Meg visits this fall. Markets we have come to realise are one of our great shared passions!
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
We're Still Free... Sort of...
An interesting article on the differences that exist between ties to the United States economically and the lack of similarity in social programming and attitudes. Give it a go! it is interesting to note particularly for those interested in the debate over what separates Canadians from Americans.
Canada still autonomous despite U.S. links
Jacqueline Thorpe
Financial Post
September 8, 2004
Canada may be more closely tied to the U.S. economy than ever but there is little evidence it has lost any of its political, social or fiscal independence, a study released yesterday by a Wall Street financial institution concludes.
The bilateral trading arrangement between Canada and the United States -- the world's largest -- could in fact be held up as a model for globalization, New York-based rating agency Standard & Poor's Inc. says.
"The relationship between the U.S. and Canada offers an insight into the nature of globalization," Joydeep Mukherji, an S&P analyst, said in a 20-page report. "It indicates that good economic management and strong public institutions allow smaller countries to retain considerable autonomy in designing policies while enjoying the prosperity that comes from integrating with the outside world."
Mr. Mukherji said the key to Canada having held its own against an economy 10 times its size was its drive 10 years ago to get its fiscal house in order, a policy Mexico would be wise to note.
"The point is if you don't get your house in order and you have a rich neighbour and you try to achieve prosperity by latching onto that rich neighbour ... then you have to conform more to what the other guy does," Mr. Mukherji said in an interview.
Trade between Canada and the United States has exploded since the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The average flow of goods and services across the Canada-U.S. border exceeds US$1.2-billion a day, having soared by more than 50% between 1994 and 2001. Canada's exports to the United States have risen to 80% of total Canadian exports from 71% in 1990, while imports rose to 72% from 68%.
S&P also notes: Canada buys more U.S. goods than the rest of the Western hemisphere combined; U.S.-owned firms employ more than one million Canadians and produce about 10% of Canada's GDP; and the average import content of Canadian exports is 33%, compared with 27% in 1990.
The list goes on but despite this increasing economic symbiosis, Canada has maintained distinctive policies toward education, health and social welfare. "Not only are they separate ... but I don't see any convergence," Mr. Mukherji said.
For example, despite several exhaustive reviews during the past few years Canada has maintained its commitment to public health care; 70% of health-care spending comes from the government, compared with 45% in the United States. Studies have advocated even more public funding.
A political commitment to contain social disparity can also be seen in Canada's system of interregional transfers, which distributes tax revenue from richer to poorer provinces. According to the International Monetary Fund, this has resulted in a greater convergence in real per capita disposable income across provinces than their level of output. The United States has no such system.
Income distribution is also less skewed toward the wealthy in Canada than the United States. The richest 10% of the population have a 24% share of total national income, compared with 30% in the United States. The percentage of elderly people with an income below half the median level of disposable income is just 2.5% in Canada, compared with 20.3% in the United States.
Canada is more in line with European than U.S. attitudes on other social issues: church attendance has fallen in Canada since the 1950s but remained at a higher level in the United States, and a survey found 82% of Canadians believed the government should protect the environment even it it slows economic growth, compared with 69% in the United States.
Maude Barlow, chairwoman of the Council of Canadians, which describes itself as a citizens' watchdog and has long opposed free trade, agrees Canadians have maintained separate social values but they are being undermined by government policies. "I think they [S&P] are far too optimistic in their description of this strong social safety net," Ms. Barlow said. "Tons of studies show the growing gap between rich and poor in Canada ... we've had a strong rise in child poverty since 1989, which just happens to be the year we signed the first free trade agreement."
Canada still autonomous despite U.S. links
Jacqueline Thorpe
Financial Post
September 8, 2004
Canada may be more closely tied to the U.S. economy than ever but there is little evidence it has lost any of its political, social or fiscal independence, a study released yesterday by a Wall Street financial institution concludes.
The bilateral trading arrangement between Canada and the United States -- the world's largest -- could in fact be held up as a model for globalization, New York-based rating agency Standard & Poor's Inc. says.
"The relationship between the U.S. and Canada offers an insight into the nature of globalization," Joydeep Mukherji, an S&P analyst, said in a 20-page report. "It indicates that good economic management and strong public institutions allow smaller countries to retain considerable autonomy in designing policies while enjoying the prosperity that comes from integrating with the outside world."
Mr. Mukherji said the key to Canada having held its own against an economy 10 times its size was its drive 10 years ago to get its fiscal house in order, a policy Mexico would be wise to note.
"The point is if you don't get your house in order and you have a rich neighbour and you try to achieve prosperity by latching onto that rich neighbour ... then you have to conform more to what the other guy does," Mr. Mukherji said in an interview.
Trade between Canada and the United States has exploded since the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The average flow of goods and services across the Canada-U.S. border exceeds US$1.2-billion a day, having soared by more than 50% between 1994 and 2001. Canada's exports to the United States have risen to 80% of total Canadian exports from 71% in 1990, while imports rose to 72% from 68%.
S&P also notes: Canada buys more U.S. goods than the rest of the Western hemisphere combined; U.S.-owned firms employ more than one million Canadians and produce about 10% of Canada's GDP; and the average import content of Canadian exports is 33%, compared with 27% in 1990.
The list goes on but despite this increasing economic symbiosis, Canada has maintained distinctive policies toward education, health and social welfare. "Not only are they separate ... but I don't see any convergence," Mr. Mukherji said.
For example, despite several exhaustive reviews during the past few years Canada has maintained its commitment to public health care; 70% of health-care spending comes from the government, compared with 45% in the United States. Studies have advocated even more public funding.
A political commitment to contain social disparity can also be seen in Canada's system of interregional transfers, which distributes tax revenue from richer to poorer provinces. According to the International Monetary Fund, this has resulted in a greater convergence in real per capita disposable income across provinces than their level of output. The United States has no such system.
Income distribution is also less skewed toward the wealthy in Canada than the United States. The richest 10% of the population have a 24% share of total national income, compared with 30% in the United States. The percentage of elderly people with an income below half the median level of disposable income is just 2.5% in Canada, compared with 20.3% in the United States.
Canada is more in line with European than U.S. attitudes on other social issues: church attendance has fallen in Canada since the 1950s but remained at a higher level in the United States, and a survey found 82% of Canadians believed the government should protect the environment even it it slows economic growth, compared with 69% in the United States.
Maude Barlow, chairwoman of the Council of Canadians, which describes itself as a citizens' watchdog and has long opposed free trade, agrees Canadians have maintained separate social values but they are being undermined by government policies. "I think they [S&P] are far too optimistic in their description of this strong social safety net," Ms. Barlow said. "Tons of studies show the growing gap between rich and poor in Canada ... we've had a strong rise in child poverty since 1989, which just happens to be the year we signed the first free trade agreement."
Monday, September 06, 2004
Back to The Big Smoke
Just like that! We are back to London. Meg and I have arrived safe and sound for another "tour of duty" in Europe. Our holidays were very busy in hindsight, however, and we are both feeling the effects of our schedule and all of the travel we did while on holidays. I guess for this reason the jet-lag and general fatigue has been more noticeable this time around. We have both been exhausted, spontaneously waking up at 4 a.m. and staring at the walls (and each other). Hopefully regular hours and some excercise will solve all our problems.
Coming back to London feels a bit weird. It is not home, but it feels somehow familiar now having spent the past several months living and working in central London. I am also reminded of all the expense and limitations of living in a big city. I wonder if Meg will feel the same when she is off to Madrid in late September? I have to admit the constant busy hum of the city was very present last night as we tried to fall off to sleep. I found myself yearning for the relative tranquility of our neighbourhood in Vancouver, or better yet, absolutely soft silence of "Chez Wain" in Deep Cove, Saanich. The most resounding thing to me on returning for some time to Vancouver was the ease which people are able to do things. The routine, in other words. On a lot of levels Vancouver has both the pleasures of a city and a bit of small town feel that is really endearing. Oh yeah, and if we're lucky and support them, some of the best independent cafes I have ever been to including Europe!!! Ciao Liberty Bakery! Ciao Calabria Caffe!
On the other hand I am quite pleased to be back. I have a great project to work on (Kingdom of Heaven, who would have thought I would be returning to work on a Ridley Scott film?), Meg and I have some interesting travel plans for the fall (Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, possibly Italy), and we don't have any hassles of moving into or finding accommodations. Relatively speaking, we are well set up to enjoy a fall of living, working, and traveling in Europe.
Coming back to London feels a bit weird. It is not home, but it feels somehow familiar now having spent the past several months living and working in central London. I am also reminded of all the expense and limitations of living in a big city. I wonder if Meg will feel the same when she is off to Madrid in late September? I have to admit the constant busy hum of the city was very present last night as we tried to fall off to sleep. I found myself yearning for the relative tranquility of our neighbourhood in Vancouver, or better yet, absolutely soft silence of "Chez Wain" in Deep Cove, Saanich. The most resounding thing to me on returning for some time to Vancouver was the ease which people are able to do things. The routine, in other words. On a lot of levels Vancouver has both the pleasures of a city and a bit of small town feel that is really endearing. Oh yeah, and if we're lucky and support them, some of the best independent cafes I have ever been to including Europe!!! Ciao Liberty Bakery! Ciao Calabria Caffe!
On the other hand I am quite pleased to be back. I have a great project to work on (Kingdom of Heaven, who would have thought I would be returning to work on a Ridley Scott film?), Meg and I have some interesting travel plans for the fall (Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, possibly Italy), and we don't have any hassles of moving into or finding accommodations. Relatively speaking, we are well set up to enjoy a fall of living, working, and traveling in Europe.
Lovely Holidays and Thanks Everyone!
A big warm thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to Meg and I enjoying our time in Canada so much, because we really had a blast! Our holidays were outstanding, and we enjoyed every second of them, especially seeing all the family, and getting back in touch with the vibe in Vancouver. Such simple things were so enjoyable. For example, taking an afternoon cafe, or going for lunch, running the Stanley Park Seawall, heading to the Granville Island Public Market to pick up some choice ingredients for one of many gorgeous meals we enjoyed. One morning we had a breakfast picnic at Kitsilano Beach on the lovely public lawn there, and then headed into the Kits Pool for a dip. Sitting in the sun after a good test of the lungs in the pool was a real delight. Rekindling my love affair with Burnaby Mountain on my Rocky Mountain was a shear bliss as well. The trails were in as good a shape as I have seen them! It was also a delight to see how all the young families were progressing. Dawn and Ben looked more than happy about Isaac's abilities to charm the ladies and consume copious cantelope. Mike and Christine seemed just thrilled by the arrival of new house and "home" as a result of the little tiger Liam now taking up residence there. Lucy and Paul with a new addition as well, though in the form of "just a house" for now, they say. We look forward very much to the next time we see you all!
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