Pan's Labyrinth

Went to this film tonight not really expecting anything other than something different. And something different it was. This is not for the squeamish or feint of heart. And the plot is woven again and again moving from reality to fantasy with the viewer sometimes wondering which is which. And because you need to read the subtitles (the film is in Spanish) you don't catch all of the scenes so it would be a very interesting film to see again. This film definitely is the type that you begin to wonder what you actually saw well after you are home. It would easily rate 9 out of 10, it should be in everyones DVD collection and it speaks volumes about blindly following anything without question.

Before the movie (the last movie I saw at Silver City was Gladiator) I had never experienced that level of unadulterated hype and Hollywood in the gaudy viewings before the show. It made my head-ache with the colours, flashing images and just plain garbage advertising. And to think that you actually paid for this! I don't watch TV so am not used to the 176 images that come at you every minute but it must play some type of havoc for those that view this as a steady diet. One must appreciate those popcorn and hot dogs scenes. I swear I could almost smell them.

Father and Son

Father and Son
Originally uploaded by aremac.

Two rainbows, two eagles and a coyote

I work in Mt Lehman (Abbotsford) but live in Burnaby (Burnaby Mountain). The commute is exacly 50 km door to door. Sometimes people wonder if it isn’t too much. Sometimes you think it is (40 minutes) but it usually takes 30 minutes to go anywhere in town. There are only a few lights and stop signs on the way so it is steady driving.

But today on the way to work it was pretty unique. The total by the time I got to work I was able to see 2 rainbows, 2 bald headed eagles, 1 coyote and amazing views of Golden Ears and Mount Baker at sunrise. It does not get any better. It seemingly rains forever and the first bright day of sunshine nature makes such a wonderful statement. Later in the day after lunch I noticed this eagle in the tree from my office window and managed to get this quick shot. At the end of the day the sunset turned Mount Baker pink. The sun really brought out the best in everything today.

Northern Voice 2007

The nicest blogging conference is being held at UBC this year. It is an incredible event because there are such interesting people to meet. You can expend a huge amount of energy keeping up with the speakers and events. And it is a lot of fun. The credit union I work for is helping to sponsor the event with others again this year. Of course it is going to be tough to beat the positive response we got from everyone for our buttons and poster but there are a few things in the works that will make it interesting.
Some would ask why would a small credit union in the Fraser Valley sponsor an event such as this? If it does anything is brings a quiet message to everyone that the credit union movement is alive and well, that it is paying attention to what is happening in the online world and that specifically this credit union has the understanding of what blogging is and what it should be. There is a relationship established in blogging between writers and readers that removes the filtering of any 3rd party influence. And because of this communication people can grasp the signfigance of the stories and ideas presented. It is a new medium, it is evolving, and business should pay closer attention to the voice of the citizen. The other benefit of being there is the creative influence of the attendees. The ideas just flow. If you get a chance (I don't know the status of the registration but it does fill up quick) consider going. You will not regret it.

Noble E. Young Skate Park Construction

Noble E. Young Skate Park Construction
Originally uploaded by Chris Wigginton.

Yes another skateboard park somewhere in the USA.

Martin Luther King Jr.

It is late morning and for the last 2 hours I have spent going through the daily visited URLs, reading blogs, archiving information and trying to drain any brain patterns into some type of text/visual inbox. That besides the small list of chores is the typical Monday.

It’s the anniversary of Martin Luther Kin Jr.’s birthday today. His assassination was the 2nd that stopped the world, again. Then 2 months later Robert Kennedy’s tragic end. Those 3 events coloured your world as a teenager. They were unbelievable when you first heard of them. You quickly wondered what kind of world you were living in. CBS had Walter every night bringing you the savage imagery of Vietnam. This was the social setting of the music you heard. Now that music sells diapers and cars. Not a strong social context there. Sure the music is remembered, but when it is heard now is really is a different tune. The nostalgia wanes while the loss waxes.

Your webbed feet are showing

Driving to work today should have been more like taking your boat out. Nothing on the freeway went faster than 80 kph. And there was a very simple reason - everyone had to have their windshield wipers on full speed so it was difficult to see, especially while hydroplaning every 100 metres. Along Interprovincial the creeks were small rivers and the fields were soggy. Yes Matilda , we live in a rain forest. And more on the way.

I was listening to CBC Radio 3 podcast and heard 3000 Flowers by Destroyer. Pretty good, really good, great! The tune just catches you and the use of reverberation makes this song an instant classic. Unique, haunting and Bejar comes from Vancouver. See what the rain does to people.

It seems that no matter what people say they are or what they sometimes seem to be it will always be difficult to understand their actions that seem to be so foreign to who they are and what they stand for. One becomes so puzzled and confused when involved in situations with people like that. It is like there is a line in the sand they keep pushing towards you to gain ground. Tomorrow another one appears, then another. You know how it is going to end. The stick they use to draw the sand is going to be politely taken away and broken. Or maybe you will just state the obvious to them "Go pound sand".

Got the Guns of Navarone on DVD from the library. Another fun night with the 20" colour Emerson!

Another year begins

So this is the year that ends in 7 if that means anything. And those resolutions. They are down to 4 and will stay that way. Keep the list small and manageable and the disappointment will be lessened.
With that said the past posts have been infrequent and future posts should be regular.

Arts and Letters Daily is a site that is full of interesting articles and points of view that one tends to forget about visiting. This is really what the internet is about, good information readily available. Some pages do make you think.

Watched All the Kings Men. Good picture but should have read the book. It would have been better.