02Mar 2014 by R&O No Comments
The Power of Photography

The Power of Photography

Arts, Of Interest
It's no secret that photographs can be far more powerful than moving images or the written word. Photos can be moving, disturbing, funny, sad, frightening and evoke instant emotion. Photographs are also very personal, as one person may be unaffected by an image and another moved to tears. Some of human history's most cherished and celebrated moments have been captured on film and still resonate to this day. The following gallery represents a few examples of photos that elicit that emotion and instantly tell a story much faster than film or written explanation. I found some from within a collection from The Meta Picture while others were the result of a Google images search. [caption id="attachment_5337" align="alignright" width="300"] Evelyn was incorrectly identified as 20 years old in the NY Times,…
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28Feb 2014 by R&O No Comments
Aural Masterpieces – Music in the 70’s

Aural Masterpieces – Music in the 70’s

Music, Observations
Once upon a time, music was fucking awesome. Then the 80's came along and ruined everything. The 80's birthed such aural atrocities as Dead or Alive, Starship, Guns 'n Roses, Madonna and other nasty poo. That said, it wasn't all lost, with occasional gems that popped up like The Sundays, Madness, Suzanne Vega and Roxy Music. But, in my exalted and biased opinion, the good stuff was left behind in the 1970's. Music like ELP's From the Beginning (see audio/video below), David Bowie's albums Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust, Queen's first, second and third albums, Yes with their prog rock anthem Roundabout and the incomparable Mike Oldfield all made life in the 70's that much better. FM radio was in its infancy as DJs spun entire albums (Dark Side of…
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01Jan 2014 by R&O 1 Comment
Bitcoin: A Crash Course

Bitcoin: A Crash Course

Bitcoin, Business, Economy, Finance, Internet, Technology, The World
The interest in cryptocurrency is growing by both governments and individuals all over the world. Some governments fear a decentralized, unfettered currency, other governments (specifically China and Russia) are presently embracing and actively promoting the technology, though probably more to poke a finger in the eye of The United States than anything else. It's better for no one to control it rather than your enemy, right? In my opinion, two things are poised to change the world as we know it: 3D printing and a secure, dependable cryptocurrency. These two technologies will empower the global population more than any single events in history, allowing us to produce goods on demand and disallowing governments and banks from continuing to use our money as global economic weapons. These changes are well beyond…
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29Dec 2013 by R&O 1 Comment
Nickel Mining Circa 1976

Nickel Mining Circa 1976

Adventure, Of Interest
Back in 1976 my friend and I decided to try our hand at nickel mining and travelled to the wasteland known as Thompson, Manitoba. The money was great (a staggering $6.30 an hour!) and adventure beckoned as we packed a car full of meagre belongings and, with my friend's older brother, made the early summer trip from Victoria. We passed through Winnipeg during a police strike (can you say 'anarchy'?), I fell in love with 'Tammy', a fellow camper in Banff National Park whom I never saw again, and eventually arrived in Thompson, Manitoba, north of the 55th parallel and an excellent vantage spot for viewing the Aurora Borealis. Heading to the hiring office the next day I secured myself a position and started work a few days later. I…
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