10Sep 2024 by R&O No Comments
The Guilty Taxpayers

The Guilty Taxpayers

Crime, Economy, Life, Life in Vancouver, Observations, Politics, Rants
While making my way to work in 2011 along Powell Street in downtown Vancouver I was given a pamphlet while waiting at a traffic light. The guy who approached me as I sat at the light mumbled something about 'Save the downtown Eastside' as he presented his informative missive. The title read 'BOYCOTT! Pantages/Sequel 138 - Condo$ are Destroying Our Low-Income Community'. This is asking the working, contributing taxpayer to support their quest to maintain the tattered, depressing hell-hole that is our downtown Eastside. Let's save the slums, the misery, the abject poverty and the legions of drug-addled, homeless people wandering into traffic. Vancouver's downtown Eastside eats the city from within, spreading its filth and drug addiction through violence and crime, affecting the lives of all that live and work…
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17Jan 2022 by R&O No Comments
Vinyl Gold

Vinyl Gold

Music, Observations
I started collecting vinyl records back in the early 70's when my dear mum bought me a 45rpm copy of Cream's Crossroads from a junk store on Fort Street in Victoria. And so began my love of the format that was king until October 1, 1982 when the first commercial compact disc, Billy Joel's 52nd Street, was released in Japan. After that, it was a downward spiral for the format that had ruled the music market my entire life. I embraced compact discs like everyone else as their size, durability and ability to play an entire album without flipping the record easily made my vinyl collection obsolete within a short period of time. Everything about the CD was great. Except the sound. My first CD purchase was Dou3le by the…
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01Sep 2020 by R&O No Comments
The Sedation Vacation

The Sedation Vacation

Life, Observations, Silly Stuff
Travelling, though obviously extremely rewarding and educational, can be challenging in this terrorism and COVID-19 world. Simply getting on a plane and flying to a destination anywhere in the world involves a lot of waiting, security checks, more waiting, cramped seats, bad food, even more waiting and transportation to and from the airport to your chosen hotel, Airbnb or cabin in the wilderness. All of which sacrifices the first and last days of your trip to the rigours of modern travel and leave you exhausted and irritable upon arrival at your destination. As a frequent traveller, I've given this some thought and have a practical and simple solution I like to call the Sedation Vacation. Picture this: On the day of your departure the SV (Sedation Vacation) technicians appear at…
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03Feb 2020 by R&O 9 Comments
Taking away my favourite things – Discontinued products I miss

Taking away my favourite things – Discontinued products I miss

Food, Observations, Rants
First it was malt-flavoured Muffets, then Pond's skin cream, then Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing (no longer in stores but still available online for now) and the final indignity, Bick's Zesty Onion Relish. These are just a few of my favourite products that are no longer sold. Why are some items picked for annihilation and other lesser products remain on store shelved for generations (Aqua Velva!!) even though they're of lesser quality and are absolute crap? I have no idea how or why but I looked into the demise of a few of my favourites and this is here's what I discovered. Quaker Malt Muffets - My perennial favourite as a child, these awesome circles of morning breakfast goodness (known commonly as 'round shredded wheat') were discontinued due to weak sales.…
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