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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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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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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