Un Día de Flores

Young Roberto ... Not that Luongo Fellow! :-)

Star Trails

My Seattle friend, Mike, sent me this photo, which he took last night. Here are the notes he attached:

The illumination of the grass on the soccer field comes from the frame when the cops drove by. Otherwise it would be dark ground.

Lots of planes in the sky too, and notice that their much faster angular velocity means that the gap between consecutive photos is noticed, whereas the slower moving stars still appear continuous.

Here are more star trail photos from another photographer.

Colin Powell & Other RINOs

Mark Steyn shares his thoughts on the current state of the political divide. Here's a snippet:

Consider this cooing profile of Secretary [Colin] Powell from Todd Purdum in The New York Times back in 2002:

"Mr. Powell's approach to almost all issues – foreign or domestic – is pragmatic and nonideological. He is internationalist, multilateralist and moderate. He has supported abortion rights and affirmative action."

So supporting "internationalism," "multilateralism," abortion and racial quotas means you're "moderate" and "nonideological"? And anyone who feels differently is an extreme ideologue? Absolutely. The aim of a large swath of the Left is not to win the debate but to get it canceled before it starts. You can do that in any number of ways – busting up campus appearances by conservatives, "hate speech" prohibitions, activist judges' more imaginative court decisions, or merely, as the Times does, by declaring your side of every issue to be the "moderate" and "nonideological" position – even when, in many cases, the "extreme" position is supported by a majority of voters. Likewise, to Colin Powell, it's Ann Coulter who's "vicious," not Michael Moore, who compares the jihadists who blow up Western troops in Iraq to America's Minutemen and gets rewarded with a seat next to Jimmy Carter in the presidential box at the Democratic Convention.

Portland at Night

My friend, Mike, was in Portland and took these photos last night.

Craig Ferguson Gets Jiggy With It!

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Here's the original, by Fatboy Slim:

Michael Ignatieff Sure Ain't No Calvin Helin!

After writing this I just read this. Yikes!

Here's a telling snippet about Ignatieff:

It’s tempting to respond, “Oh, bugger off, you ridiculous poseur,” and pass on to something more rewarding, like Paris Hilton’s Twitter feed. But the sedating pretentiousness of Mr. Ignatieff’s prose style shouldn’t disguise the fact that this may be the most morally contemptible statement by a Canadian party leader since Confederation.

Canadian Native Leader Repudiates Liberal Welfare Mentality

Roy Green just had a glorious interview with Calvin Helin, an inspirational Native Leader in British Columbia. To hear it yourself just click here and tune to 34:30.

Helin spoke about self-reliance, not just for First Nations citizens across Canada but for East Germans and Cubans and everyone else for that matter! Though he was not political in any way, his views & experience absolutely refute the entire liberal welfare mindset pushed by assorted political parties throughout the world.

Here, in part, is what I said in an e-mail, which was read on-air:

I loved hearing the logically sound words of your guest! It sounds like he is wholly rejecting the liberal welfare-state mentality that has been so prevalent in our country for so long. May I scream "BRAVO!" from the rooftops?! It's loooooong overdue that we stopped treating all people in Canada as victims, for it does them NO good in the long run!

Why is it so difficult for anyone to understand that if you take away a person's self-reliance that you destroy their incentive - to work hard, to better themselves, to aspire to be the best that they can be. No one is saying that there should be no compassion for the less fortunate, but when such empathy turns into pity then a very unhealthy tipping point is crossed. On a larger scale, such pity is exemplified by the permanent victim status (PVS) given to many through the institutionalized welfare state.

I've long wondered how anyone could possibly support the enabling of such PVS policies. From a cynical point of view, politicians have an incentive to do so because it garners them votes from whomever they can get to adopt this mindset. But is that the only thing at play?

Dennis Prager was the first one I ever heard provide a non-cynical explanation of why middle-class and upper-class individuals might very well support maintaining and even growing the welfare state. His thesis can be summed up in one sentence:

The most important value of people on the Left is . . . Equality.

Not equality of opportunity but equality of results. The Left's ultimate nirvana is a society where everyone earns the same amount of money, has the same comforts of life, has the same privileges, etc. It matters not how much a person works, how intelligent they are, how creative they are, how personable they are, or what risk they're prepared to take. Everybody deserves the same.

This sounds like a wonderful goal but it fails to take into account one important factor: reality. In the real world, some people choose to work more, others less or not at all. In the real world some people are smarter and more creative, others much less so. In the real world, some people can easily get along with others, whilst others don't get along with anyone. In the real world, some people are willing to make risky investments that may pay off big time or be lost completely, while others have very little tolerance for risk.

So while a society should indeed strive to provide reasonably equivalent opportunities for all of its citizens, when that goal is turned on its head and equal results are guaranteed no matter what, then individual incentive is diminished if not destroyed. In the extreme case, when risk of failure is removed as a possibility, then incentive - for an individual, a company, or a nation - quickly disappears.

Why these simple facts of human nature aren't immediately obvious to everyone, I will never understand. But a day of reckoning will come. It always does. For the State of California, I suspect that this time is not too far away. And for America as a whole, borrowing trillions and removing more & more people from the responsibility of paying income tax, the end result is as certain as the sun will rise in the East tomorrow morning. The only question is whether political parties in either place have the guts to truly follow the wisdom of people like Calvin Helin!

The Rhetoric of the Left: A Great Irony

Yesterday I heard a profound comment from a female caller to Dennis Miller's radio program. Prior to her call, there were numerous Left-leaning callers telling Miller how George Bush and the Religious Right dramatically instituted numerous oppressive changes in their lives. When he asked each of them to name just one such change, none of them could name even one.

Then this woman came on the air and noted how ironic it was that people on the Left often decry how the aforementioned villains are supposedly telling all Americans how to run their lives, yet complete ignore the fact that Democrats are striving to control most every facet of their lives when it comes to:

• What kind of food they can eat
• What kind of light bulbs they can use
  
• Who they can hire
• Who they can fire
• What schools they can attend if they are certain ethnicities
  
• How much wealth they can achieve
• The type of cars that can be manufactured
• Whether they can protect themselves
  

... and very shortly:

• What they can say on the Internet
• What they can listen to on the radio
• What private companies can pay their employees

To invent fictional boogeymen, yet be completely oblivious to the real losses in freedom that are going on . . . WOW, that takes a certain kind of "special" mindset!

Note: I could have provided examples for EVERY SINGLE point I listed above but just felt it was self-evident for anyone via a quick Google search. However, if anyone wants specific examples on any of the points I've raised, I'd be happy to provide them. However, I don't respond to Anonymous comments anymore.

Is Canadian Health Care the Solution for America?

I read this item with great interest. Any Canadian who is remotely governed by facts bursts out laughing when s/he hears Americans raving about the Canadian Health Care system and suggesting that it's the "perfect solution"!

Dorothy walked down a yellow-brick road and eventually found salvation. Something tells me that Uncle Obama is taking you down a red-brick road - as in red ink, permanent & drowning red ink.

Just imagine a future America with the banks, the automakers, and health care all managed by the "super competent" governments. Yikes!

The Liberal Elitists Join in Dhalla's Attack of Filipino Immigrants

If you'd like to see the opposite of fair & balanced, look at this pro-Dhalla puff piece from CBC News. After reading it, one could only conclude that all 3 Filipino nannies must be lying.

Even worse, is this unbelievable editorial from Don Martin. Here are three key segments:

Ruby Dhalla is the Liberal MP at the epicentre of an incredibly nasty smear campaign as she moves to fight allegations by a pair of Philippine nannies who accuse her of making them work too hard doing menial tasks beyond their job description.

Something doesn’t smell right in having two former nannies step forward a year after they left the Dhalla family’s employment to suddenly complain about conditions that don’t seem unusually onerous for immigrant workers.

To suggest the workers’ alleged mistreatment at being ordered to shovel snow and do cleaning duties at the clinics is all the Brampton MP’s doing is a hard swallow.

I hope that all immigrants are made aware that Don Martin feels it's perfectly fine for them to work 16 hours a day and at much less than the minimum wage.

Folks, the class system is alive and well in Canada, at least in the minds of Liberal elites like Martin!

Modern-Day Eggheads' Distaste for Facts

Here's a fascinating conversation on the effectiveness of torture and delusions about 9/11, beginning at 7:00. Well worth listening to!

Jonathan Kay's Thoughts on STV

Click on the image to learn more

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Update: It is never my intention to insult thoughtful people. I feel that the original title of this posting was inflammatory and not respectful to those who I do respect, such as fellow blogger, David In North Burnaby. So I have changed it accordingly.

With that said, I have carefully thought about STV for some time now and simply arrived at a different conclusion than David, and indeed, some personal friends of mine.

A Curious Marriage: The Radical Left & Muslim Extremists

This story caught my attention. Here's the comment I left, which I believe is worth repeating here:

In recent years I've noticed a strange marriage of convenience between the Radical elements of the Left and Muslims. On paper they might seem to be diametrically opposed, but in practice they have one very significant thing in common:

Neither believe in Free Speech whatsoever for those they disagree with.

To pretend otherwise is delusional to the extreme. Don't believe me? The examples are endless. Here are some that barely scratch the surface:

• Shouting down women like Nonie Darwish or gov't officials from Israel like Benjamin Netanyahu.
• Threatening pro-Israel protesters at rallies with cries of "Go Back to the Ovens" and equally abhorrent intimidation, often directed at little children.
• Trying to ban all Israeli professors from college campuses.
• Banning Pro-Life groups from university campuses.
• Trying to ban authors like Mark Steyn & Oriana Fallaci & Ezra Levant from publishing their writing.
• Preventing the likes of Michael Savage & Geert Wilders from speaking on British soil, let alone setting foot on it.
• Vigorously striving to destroy the lives & careers of Carrie Prejean & Joe Wurzelbacher simply because they "dared" to express heartfelt, considerate opinions which happened to be different from the worldview of the Left.
• Striving to silence all debate on Man-Made Global Warming and associating those who wish to engage in debate & discussion as "deniers", with the not so hidden connection to "Holocaust Deniers".
• On a constant basis, labeling people they disagree with as "Racists", "Sexists", "Bigots", and "Nazis". This includes, but is absolutely not limited to Amy Alkon & Dennis Miller, two very strident centrists.
  

The mindset throughout ALL of these examples is precisely the same. Whether one is a Radical Leftist Atheist or a Radical Islamic Fundamentalist, the same refrain can be heard over & over:

"We will not tolerate ANY dissent from our views!"

Welcome to our world in the New Millennium. :-(

Evangelene Lilly

Here are a few photos of he lovely lady from Lost, who spent much of her upbringing in British Columbia.

BC Provincial Election - All Candidates Meeting

Homosexuals Aren't Free of Morons Either

Obama Skips National Prayer Day

Dennis Miller had the best line of all on Obama wanting to pray privately . . .

"Yeah, Obama wanted to pray privately. He went over the Press Gallery, watched all the reporters kneel down in front of him, and accept their praise."

Charles Adler Covers Rubygate

Listen here - Move the slider to 7:00 once the window loads. The entire hour is devoted to Ruby Dhalla. If the allegations are proven true then she may be facing criminal charges which would see her facing a jail term of up to 2 years.

In general terms, it's fascinating to watch the ABSOLUTE HYPOCRISY of so-called "progressives"!!!

Canada's Dangerous Dance with Official Multiculturalism

I was reading this posting on SDA, when I came across this comment:

I think all of you that attack Ms. Dhalla are closet racists. She is Indian, and India continues to recognize the Caste system. Ms. Dhalla has simply imported that feature of her culture to Canada and engaged people of a lesser Caste to act as housekeepers.

Remember, Diversity and Multiculturalism are Canadian values. Those of you who are critical of her are abandoning those important values.

Posted by: Gurgit Dharani at May 7, 2009 1:26 PM

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Is Gurgit Dharani for real?!?

Assuming so, he exemplifies what has gone so terribly wrong with Canada.

I first learned from Mark Steyn the true meaning of the world "multiculturalism". I used to think it meant "a wonderful mixing of cultures all under the flag of Canada". But it doesn't mean that to all to the likes of Gurgit Dharani. Rather, to him & his ilk it means that all cultures and all cultural traditions, no matter how reprehensible to traditional Canadian values, are perfectly fine.

And the Liberal and NDP parties encourage folks like him to the extreme!

Caption Contest

The top image shows Ruby Dhalla, Antonia Zerbisias, & Heather Mallick, 3 well-off Canadian women who proudly call themselves liberals ... and in all cases, most likely "Liberals" too.


This next image shows Magdalene Gordo and Richelyn Tongson, two Filipino nannies who worked for Dhalla and her family.


Eventually I want to join the two images together but each needs a caption. The pair of captions should naturally connect together. Please submit your best pair of captions that clearly illustrates the hypocrisy of Michael Ignatieff's recent assertion that the Liberal Party of Canada best understands and supports women.

In case you've forgotten, here are a few images of Ignatieff, locked hand-in-hand with Ruby Dhalla, at the end of his "victory" speech in Vancouver:


And lest we forget, here's video from March 17, 2009 of Ruby Dhalla condemning the Conservatives for a lack of concern about women:

Perhaps she meant "all women in Canada except those with the last name of "Gordo" and "Tongson" ?!?

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Anyhow, all submissions will be judged by yours truly and a team of crack judges (aka a few buddies over some beers). The winner will get a high-resolution digital copy of any one of my thousands of photographs that they desire. Each is perfect for enlarging and hanging in your home!

Ruby, You've Got Some 'Splainin To Do

Some damning documents have been published by the Toronto Star concerning MP Ruby Dhalla's alleged payments to two Filipino nannies.

Based on the receipts containd therein, let do some math:

$250.00 - Payment per week

$6.25 - Hourly rate if the nanny worked 40 hrs/wk
$4.17 - Hourly rate if the nanny worked 60 hrs/wk
$3.13 - Hourly rate if the nanny worked 80 hrs/wk

Priceless - The spin that Ruby Dhalla and the Liberal Party of Canada will attempt trying to explain this!

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Incidentally, this puff piece resonates quite differently now, doesn't it?!

 

Rainy Day Flowers

Britain's Most Shameful Hour

In any social gathering it's usually pretty easy to identify those folks on the Far Left of the political spectrum. Just look for those who [appear to be] the most compassionate and open minded. How will you find them? They will tell you so, repeatedly and loudly!

To see the true spirit of such folks in practice, one needs to go no further than following the banning of Michael Savage from the UK. Yes, he's a loud mouth. Yes, he sometimes says some stupid things. But so what?! To suggest that he's inciting hatred is simply Leftist double-speak for "we don't agree with your opinions".

I find it very strange that in the nation that prides itself on Speaker's Corner, the government is so intent on shutting up people it has ideological differences with.

Too bad that British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith doesn't have the intellectual fortitude to reflect upon other countries (current and historical) that have taken the same course of action as her. The UK, once a glorious beacon to the world, has become a despicable Free Speech Denier. Note: I only use the "D" word to mock the Global Warming zealots of the Left who throw the term around so loosely these days.

Britain still does have democratic elections, don't they? It will be most interesting to see if the good people of the United Kingdom still care about their democracy and freedom enough to toss out these thugs currently in power. If bankrupting their nation and taking away their free speech rights isn't enough, one has to wonder what is!

Finally, make absolutely no mistake that there's a direct correlation with the mindset of Jacqui Smith and her ilk and the "Human Rights" Commissions here in Trudeaupia. It's proof positive why all Canadians must fight these same dark forces wherever and whenever we can!

Narcissist in Chief

A stunning new article investigates the strange psychological forces that drive Barack Obama.

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Here's a comment on the same from SDA's "ET":

Yes, Obama is a narcissist. But not a 'mild' type, such that everyone who hears about his narcissism will sigh and say 'oh well, all politicians are narcissistic'. He's a pathological narcissist.

This means that his need to be in control of how YOU interact with him supercedes everything. It means not only that he has, long ago, moved himself into a fictional world of which he alone is the author, but he must control all that happens and exists in this world. He cannot interact directly with reality; he interacts only through this 'text' that he created, long ago, where he is esteemed, valued, adored - and above all, in control.

If he feels that he is losing this control over you, and by control, I mean his freezing you into ONE mindset about him (adoration), then, he has two options. One - he will act as if you don't exist. And quite frankly, since he can't control you, you don't exist. He's quite capable of walking by you, lying shot on the ground. The other option is rage; he'll be insanely angry and try to control you that way.

We can see his constant pressure on the American public for adulation. His constant photo-ops, even to his eating a hamburger! His control of the Press, where his press meetings are pre-set, controlled and no critical questions are allowed. That is, he ignores FOX news and anyone who will question or criticize him. Obama uses these constant press meetings to pontificate and preach to us, the unenlightened and unwashed.

Criticize Obama - and he'll get his aides after you, as they did with the Tea Parties.

The problem with a pathological narcissism, is that once put in a role of great power, it can explode in breadth and scope. He'll become obsessed with his need to control and to receive adulation. He'll become obsessed with anyone who criticizes him.
So, we'll see more anger, more control, more repression, more photo-ops of 'the casual Obama' and more misinformation and manipulation on his part.

Plus, since he himself has no capacity for historical, economic or legal analysis, and thus, can't understand the results of his controlling policies - we'll see a chaotic mess as he cannot explain policies and programs - and yet, cannot handle criticism of them.

Posted by: ET at May 6, 2009 12:38 PM

How Liberal Elites Treat Their Nannies

A shocking story is emerging out of Ontario about how Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla has allegedly treated her nannies.

Just this past weekend, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff went on endlessly about how well women are treated by Liberals. This doesn't seemingly apply to members of his own caucus.

Innocent until proven guilty, but Ms. Dhalla certainly has some explaining to do!

California: The Canary in the Liberal Mineshaft

George Will has written a stunning article, showing precisely what has gone wrong with California's economy. Headed by a RINO governor and ultra-leftist congress, the state is a perfect example of where Barack Obama & Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid will be taking the entire United States. Simply put, the private sector can not afford to support a public sector that grows too large. Here's a telling snippet from Will's article:

The state's crisis has been caused by "moderation," understood as splitting the difference between extreme liberalism and hyperliberalism, a "reasonableness" that merely moderates the speed at which the ever-expanding public sector suffocates the private sector. California has become liberalism's laboratory, in which the case for fiscal conservatism is being confirmed. The state is a slow learner and hence will remain a drag on the nation's economy.

The Psychology Behind the Rampant Media Bias

Debra Saunders has just published an informative article about the left-leaning bias of the mainstream media. Excellent reading!

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Reflection down Memory Lane:

Pauline Kael, a Manhattan socialite and NY Times writer, reacted to Richard Nixon's landslide presidential victory over George McGovern in 1972 by saying: "How can that be? No one I know voted for Nixon."

Pink & Yellow

Eagle Statue

This is the first eagle statue I've seen in Vancouver. I expect there's a whole series of them being put on display for the upcoming tourist season.

Chapters' Bad Marketing Move

My local Chapters store had these books in their side window. Written by one of Canada's biggest sycophants, look for them to be in the Discount Bin very soon.

Close-ups

Canadian Liberal Arrogance

With this video, move the time slider to 1:20:


There you will hear Michael Ignatieff say: "Mr. Harper, you don't understand Canada!" This coming from a man who has spent most of his adult life in the U.S. and who married a woman from Hungary. I don't hold either of these things against him but what INCREDIBLE ARROGANCE to make such a statement!!!

Incidentally, the reason it got such a thundering applause is because it's emblematic of the attitude of Liberal elites, which in essence is this: "We are Liberals, we are the chosen ones, we know more than the rest of you about everything! And if you DARE to hold other political views then we will ridicule you and crush you. For this country is ours to shape as we think best, for we are the enlightened ones!"

Charles Adler shares his thoughts. So does Kelly McParland.

Sign of the Times

Monte Solberg Mocks the Liberal Convention

This is absolutely hilarious!

Tamara Jih: Absolute Grace Under Pressure

I've never watched The Amazing Race before but my friend, Kristi, was talking about it so much that I decided to give it a try. Like with all reality shows, there have been ups & downs but it has mostly been entertaining. Also prevalent in all reality shows is some pretty abysmal behaviour. One exception to this has been a contestant this season named Tammy. Her full name is Tamara Jih and she's a lawyer in San Francisco. Her and her older brother, Victor, have been the most successful team throughout the series.



Tammy is upbeat, beautiful, and never gets "mean" under pressure. While one can't generalize, let's just say that she gives Asian women a much better reputation than some of the other women in this season's Amazing Race!

Barack Obama's Mystifying Monetary Magic Trick

Comments on the video page indicate that the math is wrong. This prompted me to double-check it and in fact, the MATH IS CORRECT!

Here's another way to look at it:

Budget: $3,520,000,000,000 which is represented by 8,800 pennies in the video

$3.52 Trillion / $100 Million = 35,200

8,800 pennies / 0.25 pennies = 35,200

The ratios are identical and thus the math and the video are absolutely correct!

I hope everyone now understands:

1. What incredible trouble America is in financially (from most all politicians).
2. How much further into debt Obama is taking the country.
   

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To look at it another way, imagine a friend of yours explained that he had let his credit card spending get way out of control and he needed a $10,000 loan from you to make ends meet for a few months. You thought about it for a while and then demanded to know what spending cuts he was prepared to make over the next year to show you that he was truly serious about getting his financial house in order.

If your friend acted in the same way as the Obama Administration, the following chart shows what spending cuts he'd be willing to make over the next year. Five different salaries are provided to account for different wage earners:

If that's all he was prepared to cut,
would you still give him the loan?

A Pair of Articles by Mark Steyn

Well worth reading:

Obama's First Hundred Days

Margaret Thatcher's Reign, Thirty Years Later

Michael Ignatieff Curses Vancouver Canucks

This past evening in Vancouver, young Liberal party members presented Michael Ignatieff with this hockey jersey:

There's speculation going around the city that this CURSED the Canucks, causing them to lose 6 - 3 to Chicago. It would be most interesting to find out precisely when this jersey was given to him. Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that it was a little after the Canucks had a 2-0 lead?

Dear Iggy, we understand that you have a much greater affiliation with Chicago. Please just show us some respect and stay out of our city until the Stanley Cup playoffs are over. Thank you.

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Incidentally, the REAL #23 who Ignatieff stole the number from is Alexander Edler:

Report Card on the American MSM: D-

Here's a very interesting editorial from Rex Murphy. One thing that he doesn't touch upon however is what has quickly become the key ingredient for Obama & Co. to do WHATEVER they want: The vast majority of the MSM refusing to criticize, or even just mildly question, ANYTHING that the Administration is doing.

I have absolutely no reason to compare Obama with Hitler or Stalin BUT I do wonder if there are some parallels with the MSM today and the press in Germany & Russia respectively when those two aforementioned tyrants took over.

May I offer a prediction? The Obama Administration doesn't appear to like even the mildest form of dissent so I do believe that over the rest of this year we are going to witness underhanded attempts to try to curtail both Fox News and conservative talk radio. It won't be done directly of course but through their legions of brown shirts .... ummmm, I mean "3rd Party Loyalists".

Dangerous times we're living in.

The Real Face of the Obama Administration

This story caught my attention. There's MUCH MORE to this story which has not yet been mentioned. Please do yourself a favour and download this podcast. Then tune to 54:00 and listen. Listen carefully.

What you'll hear is Mark Levin replay a segment from a Detroit radio station where a lawyer working on behalf of the financial lenders to Chrysler describes the Backroom Thugocracy that is the Obama Administration.

Just imagine that you lent, in good faith, a bunch of money to a company. And part of the terms of your loan were that you would be paid back first. Then one day the government comes along and threatens to attack you via the media, which they have de facto control over.

Do you think that's legal? Do you think it's remotely ethical?

A final point to consider: Hedge funds often represent the pensions of large unions. So if you still support Obama on this issue then make no mistake that you are condemning hundreds of thousands of teachers and other union members to certain financial hardship.

The Tolerant Left

Notice how we're always told that those on the Left are tolerant and compassionate? My experience has been quite different than that. Here's further anecdotal evidence:

More analysis

Flowers of Vancouver

It was so beautiful in the city today that I just had to get outside and go for a walk. The flowers were enjoy the perfect weather as much as the residents!