Mother's Day Brunch

I was soooooooooo tired from yesterday's party and preparation thereof that I was moving rather slowly today. But I did take my mom out for brunch at the Dockside Restaurant at the Granville Island Hotel. As is always the case, they offered a decadent spread of everything for this great meal. It was so busy that we couldn't get a reservation until 2pm. We both ate plenty!

A Little Slice of Modern Day Canada

Last night I hosted a little party of some friends, acquaintances, and neighbours. The genesis of the event was to welcome a new family from Colombia to Vancouver. They had just moved here in November. Anyone who knows me, knows that ever since my time in Mexico City in 1996/97 I've had a special place in my heart for anyone from Latin America.

I invited a potpourri of folks, many of them with children the same age as the couple from Colombia. What was most fantastic was that there were people originally from so many different places in the world: Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Japan, India, Africa, and even Saskatchewan! Now we're all just Canadians. The only requirement was that each person bring either a dish from their original country or some beer. Surprisingly there was very little beer!

Everyone got along incredibly well. One could hear Spanish & English & Japanese all night. A perfect Modern Day Canada event!!

David Berner Is BACK!!! Well, Sort Of!

My favourite radio show host anywhere just happens to live in Vancouver. His name is David Berner and he has the ability to interview anyone about everyone, making the discussion both interesting and entertaining.

He has been blogging for some time now and has just gotten into audio podcasts. You can listen to the first one here. His topic is one of my favourites: Modern people so absorbed in their own little lives, with all kinds of electronic gadgetry to keep them aloof from anyone else. Do drop David a line and let him know what you think!

Generation Next

One of my favourite podcasts is from Peter Day's In Business radio programme on the BBC. The latest segment is called "Generation Next" and is all about how marketers are dramatically shifting gears to market [quite differently] to teenagers and 20-somethings. You can listen to it here.

One obvious change revolves around the omnipresence of mobile phones. As one marketer on the show said, "From the perspective of a young person, what kind of idiot would possibly have a landline?" [paraphrasing] I did a double-take when I first heard this, as I grew up in a household with just one phone (a big green one) and only had a second one when I reached my late teens. Nowadays, several people I know only have a mobile phone.

Thought of the Day

There's a wise old phrase that says: "Give a man a fish and he'll be back tomorrow for another one. Teach a man how to fish and he'll have food for a lifetime."

I'd like to change this a bit: "Treat a person like a victim and they'll be back for more support tomorrow. Give someone a hand-up but insist that they be responsible for themselves and you will empower a person to have much self-esteem and who will make a positive contribution to society."

VIC + PVS = Pathetic Disaster!

Someone recently directed me to this blog posting. It's a piece by writer, Amy Alkon. She shares her criticism of Radical Feminism and touches upon the proponents of this movement that perpetuate what she calls the "Victim Industrial Complex" (VIC). I had never heard this term before, but like it.

The all encompassing idea of VIC is that a huge swath of society are victims. Let's briefly explore the definition of this word:

vic·tim

noun
1.	an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
2.	a person who is tricked or swindled

Those who buy into the VIC view of the world adamantly maintain that ALL women and ALL children are victims. No harm actually ever has to come to one of these people. They're still regarded as a victim, whether they view themselves that way or not.

For every victim, there has to be an aggressor/perpetrator. If women & children are the victims then guess who the bad guys are? Excuse the obvious pun! But seriously, this does explain a lot about how such a mentality develops. I've met some women who live and breathe this stuff. The chips on their shoulders are so big that they must have severe back problems! About a decade ago I had experienced an unfortunate experience with one such woman and was talking with a psychologist friend of mine about her. He gave me the perfect line to use but I must admit I've not yet used it: "Just because you're a feminist doesn't prevent you from being an asshole!"

Long ago I invented a corollary to VIC called "PVS", which stands for "Permanent Victim Syndrome". I did so when I noticed that certain people I met were constantly feeling sorry for themselves, seemingly unable and/or unwilling to resolve the issues that were burdening them. They found it easier to always blame others or just "life" in general for all their woes. Only after I read The Celestine Prophecy did I learn that victims were on the other side of the same coin as aggressors in that both were using different techniques to the same effect: to manipulate others. This realization was a real wake-up call for me.

C2C: Canada’s Journal of Ideas

I was just informed of this new website. I haven't checked it out in depth yet but it seems interesting.

World's Shortest Fairy Tale

This is the tag line signature on the e-mail of an exceptionally pretty woman I know from Victoria:

Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl "Will you marry me?" The girl said, "NO!" And the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, dancing, camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, had sex with whomever she pleased..... She did whatever the hell she wanted, never argued, didn't get fat, traveled more, had many boyfriends, saved more money, had all the hot water to herself, never had pubic hairs under the toilet seat lid. She watched chick flicks, never had football on, never wore fricken lacy lingerie that went up her ass, had high self esteem, never cried or yelled, felt and looked good in sweat pants and shirt, and burped, swore, and farted all the time.

THE END

Canadian Media Bias: Finally a way to fight back!

In today's modern world, it seems that everyone in every profession is just one step or one quote away from being hung out to dry by the court of political correctness. From my vantage point in Vancouver, BC, Canada, just in the past week this would include:

• The 3 members of the commission that examined wage increases for the BC politicians
• The RCMP, for apparent contradictions in the Air India inquiry
• The head of the 2010 Olympics, John Furlong
• A Vancouver bus driver, who was pushed too far by a con man / thug
  
• The head of the Coast Mountain Bus Company, Denis Clements
  
• Every politician at every level

Yes indeed, everyone is held accountable for everything they say except for . . . journalists. They can say anything they want, no matter how factually incorrect, no matter how biased (I'm not talking about editorialists), and yet absolutely nothing happens to them.

Have you ever read something that is supposed to be N-E-W-S and yet clearly is an editorial, either by what's said or what's deliberately left out? Well, now you can seek a little revenge.

The Western Standard Magazine is hosting a contest for the most biased new reports in Canada. You can submit your nomination here, as well as vote on others that have already been submitted by others.

ASP.net Videos

I spent much of the day watching videos about ASP.net, Microsoft's technology for developing sophisticated websites. I'm relatively new to website development and have pretty much picked up my knowledge on-the-fly. But I learned today that there were some definite holes in my knowledge - some small, some large - regarding this very sophisticated technology.

Some might consider these videos (aka "screencasts") to be quite dry but I found them quite exciting and my mind starting racing ahead to what I could with new concepts and techniques!

Support SeeTheEnd.ca - Post a Map on Your Blog

To help out Rich Ralph I created a customized map using Google Maps. Then I used this website to create the specialized HTML code to embed it on my blog.

You can do the same thing by embedding the following on your blog or web page:


Rich Ralph, a proud young Canadian, is rollerblading across Canada to raise money and awareness for Cancer Research. Visit <a href="http://SeeTheEnd.ca">SeeTheEnd.ca</a> to learn more. And <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103303275556030652048.0000011272b2ebdf29715&amp;amp;amp;amp;om=1&ll=50.064192,-93.603516&spn=48.568612,110.390625&z=4" target="_blank">click here</a> to view a larger version of this map.
<br/><br/>
<!-- Map Script Start --> <iframe src='http://www.mymapsplus.com/script/embed.aspx?map=seetheend.ca' style='width:260px;height:180px; padding:0px; border:solid 2px black;' marginwidth='0' marginheight='0' frameborder='0' scrolling='no'></iframe> <!-- Map Script End -->
<br/>
<span style="font-style:italic;">If you'd like to help Rich out, then please <a href="http://pelalusa.blogspot.com/2007/05/support-seetheendca-post-map-on-your_09.html">click here</a> to find out how to post this same map on your blog!</span>

SeeTheEnd.ca - The Journey Has Started!

My friend and fellow volleyball player, Rich Ralph, has started his huge rollerblading journey across Canada! I've given his campaign a donation in memory of Mary Haji, who was my friend's mom, but she succumbed to cancer in 2002. This was very apropos because Rich's journey is all about raising money for cancer research.

He's keeping a daily journal and it's very inspiring. Here are some snippets:

May 5

And so it begins . . . We got up nice and early so we could get to Mile 0 before 9am. We drove down to the harbour in St. John’s where I strapped my skates on beside the water. I actually started at a small park called Harbourside Park (where inline skating is prohibited). But since it was very early on a Saturday morning, I figured I could dip my hand in the water and get out of the park before anyone even noticed I was there. When I left the park I headed to City Hall for a few more photos of me standing at the Mile 0 sign.

And just like that, I was on my way through St. John’s towards Paradise (literally). There is a small suburb of St. John’s called Paradise.

As I skated along with my parents trailing, I was over-whelmed by the people of Newfoundland. I wasn’t too sure how I would be received since many people set off from St. John’s each year on cross-Canada adventures. But I guess my idea to rollerblade has turned some heads. People were honking, waving and encouraging me. It didn’t matter at all to them that I was slowing traffic down. They seemed as excited as I was. Some people even stopped their car in front of me and handed me cash donations on the spot! It was fantastic!


May 7

Things are getting better every day now! A lot has happened in the last couple days. After my 70 km start on Saturday, I was forced to rest on Sunday while we waited for the ignition switch to arrive from Toronto. This gave me some extra time to catch up on some e-mails and make some new media contacts. The ignition switch was to be flown in on Monday morning, but we were warned that if it was too foggy, the shipment would be delayed until the fog lifts. Our recent run of luck had us concerned that we would be stuck in Harbour Grace for another full day. That would put me almost 5 days behind schedule by the time I got on the road again. Fortunately, the sun was shining down on us today. The ignition switch arrived with no problems.

Later in the evening, Bill told us we should call his favorite radio station and tell them about my Skate For Hope. So my dad called the VOCM station and was put through to the talkshow host almost instantly. It made for some fantastic provincial publicity! Within minutes, I had messages from people who heard about my on the radio show (including another radio station CHRM from Memorial University).


May 8

I woke up bright and early behind the gas station in Whitbourne. I had my ankles taped and my skates laced up by 7am. I wanted to get an hour in before breakfast. The sky was gray and looked like rain was coming, but the weather was forecasting that the clouds would pass and the sun would break through. Sure enough, the rain started just after breakfast. The reliability of the weather predictions makes me feel like I’m back in Vancouver! It didn’t rain too hard though. Just a constant drizzle. I didn’t get too wet, but my skates spit quite a bit of mud up the back of my legs.

When we stopped for lunch about 10 km short of a town called Come By Chance, I decided to have a nap before starting again. When I woke up, the roads were dry! On came the shorts.

As I continued on, I noticed a car off in the distance sitting on the opposite side of the road. When I approached, two women got out of the car and flagged me down. They had passed me earlier and pulled over to wait for me so they could make a donation! Another prime example of the Newfoundland people.

I finally arrived in Clarenville around 4:30 and was greeted by a local reporter with the Clarenville Packet. I welcomed Kathy into our RV for a quick interview and a photo. She’s hoping to print an article later this week.

I had now reached 100 km for the day! My first 100 K day! But for those of you who know me well, 100 km just wasn’t good enough. I was feeling good, so I choose to move ahead for a little longer. The next town was Port Blanford. But it was 30 km away. I was thinking about going about half way and driving in for the night. But again, my stubbornness came through. I fought through my exhaustion and made it to Port Blanford just after 7 pm. And I’m glad I did.

The first gas bar we stopped at was the Cornerstop. They offered to let us stay there and plug our hydro in. And on top of that, a few locals began showing up and offering donations! The highlight of the evening was a donation from a couple of fantastic kids, Nicholas and Jillian. I hope I’ve inspired them in some way.

Now that I’ve had my bison fajita dinner, I’m just about ready for bed.

130 km today. That’s more than I thought I’d ever do!


Me again. You can read Rich's full journal here and leave him a message here. Please make a donation if you can. And check out the route. If he's coming through your community then take a moment to contact your local newspapers, radio, and TV stations and let them know about his campaign. This isn't about Rich, it's about raising money for cancer research and an example of how one Canadian can inspire others!

Funny Map Story

Google Maps has a relatively new feature that allows one to save customized maps with little symbols and routes, etc. I have one saved called "Robert's Place" that allows me to quickly show a visitor how to get to my home.

I have a visitor in from Portland who is staying in New Westminster. So I tried the Directions feature and entered "New Westminster" as the starting place. For the destination I entered "Robert's Place", thinking that Google Maps would remember that I had saved it. Nope. It took me too a very different location!

Blast From The Past

Can You Hear Me Now?

A few people have wondered why, as my current photo shows, I would possibly be walking on sunny Miami Beach dressed as I was that day. A good friend has offered a plausible explanation:

Global Television Responds!

I just received a response to my inquiry to Global Television. You can read the original here.

Here's the e-mail I received:

Dear Mr. Werner,

Thank you for your email and interest in Global Television's Broadcasters of the Future Awards.

The Awards are one of CanWest (Global TV)'s initiatives as part of an industry-wide effort to address the under-representation of certain groups in the media. This is in accordance with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)'s mandate to ensure that all broadcasters contribute to a system that accurately reflects the presence of cultural, ethnic and racial minorities, and Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

For more information on this issue, please visit:

http://www.cab-acr.ca/english/social/diversity/taskforce/cochairs_message.shtm

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/b308.htm#


There are many other opportunities for aspiring broadcasters of all backgrounds to get involved with the media. We encourage interested applicants to contact the Human Resources office of their local station as many departments accept interns on an ongoing basis. Most CanWest job postings listed on www.working.com are also open to all applicants.

We hope this information is helpful. If you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to call.

Best regards,

#############
Executive Assistant
Global Television, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Inc.
81 Barber Greene Road, Toronto, ON  M3C 2A2

And here's my response back to her:

Dear ######,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. The wording of your letter seems very "canned", clearly vetted by PR people and lawyers, but at least you responded.

Based on your last name I suspect your heritage is Chinese. Did your parents raise you to think that you are inferior to your Caucasian colleagues? If not (and I assume not) then the official politically correct verbiage that you're forced to write is clearly different than the way you personally think Does this daily, internal conflict cause you to do any soul searching?

Discrimination is discrimination is discrimination. Here in Vancouver I have dozens of friends and hundreds of acquaintances of every race and religion. I look at each person as an individual and not as a hyphenated friend. For example, I would never say the following: "My Indian-Canadian friend, Deenu, my African-American friend, Rochelle, and my Chinese-Canadian friend, Dennis ..."

The fact that your employer and the CRTC overtly differentiate on the basis of one's race is disturbing. I fully realize that they feel they're doing this for altruistic reasons. So did city planners in every major American city when they built large tracts of low-cost housing projects. Only decades later, when crime and drug use and poverty in those areas reached epic proportions did they admit they had made a mistake.

Perhaps one day you too will realize that treating entire racial groups as victims is not in their best interest. Perhaps one day.

Sincerely,

Robert Werner
Vancouver, BC

Mark Steyn's Take on the French Presidential Election

Mark Steyn, with his usual succinct brilliance, provides his thoughts about Nicolas Sarkozy's decisive win here. I am very glad that he won but share Steyn's view that it will be virtually impossible for him (or anyone) to change the unaffordable welfare state mentality that is France today.

There's an old expression that if Peter takes from Paul then Peter loves it. Paul ain't too happy though. For decades now, the French system has been setup to provide anyone with virtually anything they want. The socialists here in Canada often cite France as a perfect example of what they want to achieve for Canada. What they fail to mention is that the nation is rampant with high taxes, high unemployment and high crime!

Socialism is great in theory. But it fails to account for human nature. When a country switches to a socialist state initially a small number of people avoid putting in their share of work to help out the collective. It's not noticed though because tens of millions of other are working hard. But then a 2nd tier of people observe that the first set has stopped contributing so why can't they too. The fact is, they can also bow out of the workforce. This trend continues on in a vicious downward spiral and before you know it, there are not enough people contributing to the taxbase. Also, many of the best & brightest have left the country years ago.

Sarkozy's problem is that too many French citizens are takers, not contributors and so any reforms he tries to bring in will be fought at every turn. 2007 is still young. Watch for major protests and riots before the year is out. There'll be burning Renaults illuminating the problems that have so deeply infected modern day France. It's sad, but so predictable.

As a final thought, let me share this with you: Steyn writes midway into his article: "The spring 2006 rioters were "youths" (ie pampered deadbeats from the Sorbonne), protesting a new law that would enable employers to terminate the contracts of employees under the age of 26 in their first jobs, after two years."

Read that again in case you didn't get the full thrust of it the first time. It is a FACT that in France today, once someone is hired, they cannot be fired - EVER!!! I first learned of this from a French expat here in Vancouver. I, of course, thought she was joking. But it definitely is true. I couldn't even imagine trying to run a business where I was not allowed to fire someone, no matter how incompetent they were. Yet it's exactly what the socialists in Canada aspire to achieve, if they were ever able to get away with it!

Air Travel for Vancouverites: Times Are A Changin'!

First there was SkyBus, out of nearby Bellingham, that was offering rock-bottom prices across the U.S. Now there's Oasis, offering unbelievable prices to Hong Kong. Their current promotions list each way at 1,990 HK$ (approx. Cdn$285) + taxes & fees. But still, that seems like a pretty extraordinary deal!

Colour on a Gray Day - Part 2

And these man-made gems of colour I found at 4th & Pine.

Colour on a Gray Day - Part 1

I caught these beauties near 7th & Pine in Vancouver.

What Do French Socialists & Taliban Terrorists Have in Common?

They both [more than] hint at violence if the citizens of France don't elect another weak-kneed socialist government. Read here & here. I wonder if Socialist Presidential candidate Ségolène Royal realizes how pathetic and scandalous it is for her to be making the predictions of violence that she has?

A supporter of hers would, of course, state that she wasn't inciting any violence. True. But by making the statement that she has, what exactly was she trying to accomplish? She's an intelligent woman and had a clear motivation to say what she did.

Modern Day Vancouver Images

I was in a hurry to get home after the Art Gallery but had been inspired by Herzog's work and tried to capture some of his artistic brilliance.

An auto-repair shop underneath the Granville Street Bridge

Looking east into modern day Yaletown

A telephoto shot of the same subject

High Tea at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Well, I was a lucky guy today. My very own mother took me for High Tea at the historic Hotel Vancouver. We'd done this before at the Empress Hotel in Victoria so were interested to do a comparison. I'm happy to report to Vancouverites and tourists alike that the food & tea were of identical high quality, but the prices was much less: about $24 per person compared with $60 per person in Victoria. I think you'll enjoy these photos. Warning: You may not want to look at them on an empty stomach!

Fred Herzog: A Photographic Journey Through Vancouver's Past

After the tea, I walked over to the Art Gallery to see a fantastic display of photographs by Fred Herzog. He emigrated from Germany to Canada in 1951 and then to Vancouver in '53, about the same time my father did. He took a series of photos of Vancouver since the late 1950's, many of them in brilliant colour. Looking at them brought back a number of memories of the way Vancouver used to be. Good memories all!

Here are a few photos I've linked to at the Equinox Gallery:










The exhibit is only showing until May 13th so you better get down there PDQ if you want to see them. They're quite amazing photos!

Discrimination: Alive & Well in Canada!

I just read this eye opening piece by David Berner. It concerns the "Broadcaster of the Future" programs being offered by Global Television. On their web page they state the following:

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• According to respective awards: Aboriginal Canadian / Canadian student with mobility impairment / Canadian student from a self-identified visible minority. Members of visible minority groups are persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.
• For internship-only applicants (i.e. Aboriginal Peoples): Secondary school graduate with interest in, and aptitude for, a career in the broadcasting industry.

I am ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED with this. And if I were non-Caucasian I would be both disgusted and offended. For what they're saying is that if you're not white, then you're less, you need special help, you can't cut it without our help; in other words, you're a victim, even if you don't it yet.

I immediately e-mailed them this letter and will post the response if I ever get one:

To Whom It May Concern:

In my work I come across countless young people who I think would be perfect candidates to apply for your scholarship, internship and mentorship programs. They come from all religions & races.

Is it correct for me to conclude that should any of these kids happen be Caucasian that they are simply not welcome to apply? If this is indeed the case, then could you please provide me a copy of the exemption you've obtained from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. You could either e-mail me an electronic copy or mail me a paper copy to:

-- My address --


Sincerely,

Robert Werner
Vancouver, BC

How to Prepare the Perfect Bowl of Vietnamese Soup

When I was a kid growing up here in Vancouver the only Asian restaurants around were Chinese. I very much enjoyed the food, even if I got a splitting headache from the MSG every time.

Then in my 20's I tried [Japanese] sushi and really liked it. Later I ventured into Korean and Vietnamese food and liked it as well. More recently I gained a real hankering for Thai food.

Tonight, after delivering a computer on behalf of BCDD I decided to check out a Vietnamese restaurant near the PNE. I tried their rare beef & noodle soup and thought I'd give novices a little primer in how to prepare the soup.

It comes much like this, though not always with the cilantro added:

They also provide you with a generous sampling of basil and bean sprouts, a slice of lemon, and a few jalapeno peppers:

Add these to your soup as you see fit, let sit for a few seconds and then dive into an immense culinary pleasure:

Could there be anything more uncomfortable?

A female friend of mine recently sent me this e-mail. Put yourself in her place:

So dad and I check into the Westin Saturday and around 10:30 that night we start to hear "uh, uh, ohhhh, ohhhh" and I'm just about ready to die from embarrassment, I mean I'm in bed, dad is in the bed next to me and he says "whaddya think that is? Har har" Ummm, yeah, dad, there's a cat in heat next door and then I turn up the TV REALLY loud to drown it out, about 10 minutes later I turn it down and then I hear "uh, uh, oooh, oooh", damn this lady has stamina! Next morning, same thing, next night, there she goes again. Thankfully, she either wore herself out or checked out for the last 2 nights....

2010 Olympics Countdown Clock

I came across this beautiful new monument on the north plaza of Vancouver's Art Gallery. It's quite impressive.

Sadly, this is one of the favoured hangout locations of the scoundrels associated with the so-called "Anti-Poverty Committee". I ironically wonder if we should start our own countdown until this monument is "mysteriously" vandalized by "unknown individuals". I can only hope that extremely hi-resolution cameras are trained on it.

What galls me the most about these thugs is the phony victim & oppressed talking points they constantly espouse. I doubt that any of them have spent any length of time amongst truly oppressed people in other countries around the world. Yet, in one of the most free countries in the world, with incredible opportunities for anyone who wants to lift a finger and work, these violent, mental midgets have declared war on everyone else in society.

Culinary Gems in the Robson Public Market

I was introduced to a trio of wonderful, inexpensive restaurants today. They're located at the Robson Public Market at 1610 Robson Street, just 2 blocks east of Denman. Walk upstairs and to the Northwest corner of the market. You'll find a trio of restaurants:

• Korean BBQ
• Japanese Food
• Canadian/European food with a Chinese flavour

The service is SUPER friendly, the food is delicious, and the prices are right. Check them out and you won't be disappointed!

Gingerbread House

I was walking over to a friend's place when I came across this rare beauty. Imagine what Vancouver would look like if there were thousands more of these gems throughout our fair city. Instead our forefathers just knocked down our heritage in the pursuit of "progress".

Driving Quiz

You are driving along a narrow two lane road with a NO PASSING sign posted and come upon a bicycle rider. Do you:

1. Follow this slow-moving bicycle rider for the next 2 miles, or
   
2. Break the law and pass?

Most yuppies in their fancy cars and soccer moms in mini-vans, who always seem to drive like their lives are more important than everyone else's, would naturally break the law and pass.

But the law-abiding, non-yuppie men of this world would, of course, make the correct choice, slow down and carefully follow the bicycle rider. We would do this because we are selfless, responsible, and extremely law-abiding citizens. Simply put, it's just naturally the right thing to do.