A Day in the Couv

(I think popular consensus is that nobody calls Vancouver "the 'Couv". That's quite a pity, if you ask me. Anyhoo, it is a trend I'm looking to start, so I expect to hear you all saying it soon.) Vancouver is a dang cool city. I know, because I've been (although not nearly as often as I should've). I've been reading much about it over the last year or so on Amanda's blog, so I got quite excited when I heard we were planning a family excursion up that way to visit an old* family friend. To make a long story short*, the trip was awesome. We had a great visit with great friends in a great city. High points included an excellent "Malaysian Thai Fusion" meal, gorgeous weather for walking along the beach at English Bay (side note: I found it highly amusing how many folks were out sunbathing or swimming even though the temperature was no more than 74* with a not-so-warm breeze blowing off the water), the Frazier River countryside, and the little difference (we saw 2 smart cars, one of which was a convertible!). Low points included an unpleasantly long wait at the border crossing and our lunch park being closed for construction. (Where were you on that one, google maps?) For further, less tangible musings, click here. Perhaps it is because of my recent travels and the border crossings I did then, but while crossing this border, my thoughts turned towards political borders vs. cultural ones, border security and its current state, and the rights of people to freely cross borders. Part of me is inclined towards a 'world citizen' approach where we should all be free to travel to and fro as we wish and not be questioned, frisked, probed, or forced to sign away our rights. I mean, Vancouver is closer in climate, environment, and probably attitude to Anacortes than, say, Dallas, Texas, but you don't need to subject yourself to drug sniffing dogs to go there. There's another side of me that understands that just because I grew up near the border and receiving Canadian radio and t.v. program where it was no big deal to cross over, we are still talking International Border which means all the logistics therein. And if wasn't for a well-enforced border, we wouldn't have the differences that I found so neat. Okay, that's enough musings for one blog post. We don't want BdW to become one of those touchy-feely blogs.

Monday July 9 2007

File under: travel

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on Tue 10th Jul, 2007 05:10 am PDT Chris said: While I may have some issues with certain Canadian people, I got nothing agains their country. I remember the good days of camping across the border with Wren, Sean and Shane; I think we even pretended to be Canadian residents once so that we could get the discoutned rates. I think if we tried that now we might get thrown in Guantanamo. ************************ on Tue 10th Jul, 2007 11:12 am PDT Saxtor said: Ehhhh, as a former resident of the 'Couv, that term is most widely and commonly used as a name for the OTHER Vancouver, to the South. I got so sick of people calling it "The 'Couv" that I made a serious effort to get people start calling it "The Vanc'" but in the end, I was the only one. Since both "Vanc'" and "'Couv" are already taken, I guess "'Er" is still available for the Vancouver to the North.... Also, that Geocaching trip we took up there was awesome.... ************************ on Tue 10th Jul, 2007 12:34 pm PDT Sean said: Chris, you forgot about Fatty (Brian Ashback). Shane didn't go! Unless you're talking about a time different from the Swimmer's Itch Lake Water slide rec center extravaganza of Memorial Day 97. ************************ on Tue 10th Jul, 2007 04:41 pm PDT Go! Turtle said: This isn't a touchy-feely blog? Oh crap, wrong again Gay Guide to Springfield! ************************ on Tue 10th Jul, 2007 08:30 pm PDT MOM said: Saxtor, I kinda like WaCouv and CaCouv. Whadda think, eh? ************************ on Tue 10th Jul, 2007 09:36 pm PDT Christen said: I prefer thoughtful/sincere (to touchy-feely) ************************ on Wed 11th Jul, 2007 12:10 am PDT Saxtor said: WaCouv would work, but CaCouv doesn't have the same ring. How bout CanVan? ************************ on Wed 11th Jul, 2007 08:58 am PDT Amanda said: Ah, Vancouver. So nice to visit. I'm glad you enjoyed your time and had nice weather. The rain just stopped a week or two ago. ************************ on Wed 11th Jul, 2007 01:07 pm PDT Amanda said: P.S. When we moved up here we called it "Van" as did other Americans and Canadian East Coasters; then we read in Douglas Coupland's City of Glass that calling it anything other than Vancouver (proper) was bad form. ************************ on Wed 11th Jul, 2007 09:23 pm PDT Wilbur said: I think saxtor wins with "CanVan". hehe...i enjoy canvan and other canadian hotspots (harrison hot springs is a nice relaxing time) once i'm up there...but the thought of getting up there keeps me from going most of the time. *shrug* ************************ on Thu 12th Jul, 2007 10:34 pm PDT Ryan Walters said: The probable economic benefits of global labor mobility are extremely large. I'd also argue that cultural differences are created more by distance (and access to the same television programs), than by national borders. ************************

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Quiz Night!

A wise man once said, "If you put your vibe out into the universe, the universe will respond", or something along those lines*. Well, I've been putting out the trivia vibe into the universe recently (reading Ken Jennings's Braniac, watching Jeopardy as often as possible, and composing a little trivia challenge of my own (to be released at the next game night)). The universe did its job and responded brilliantly. The Back Porch Cafe (the cute little cafe/restaurant/food-buying-for-eating* place connected to The Business) held its first monthly (or so they say) Quiz Night. There were 5 teams of four members each. Play consisted of 2 30-minute rounds in written format. Topics included 80s metal*, geography, food additives, the heart, Antarctica, and pictures of dudes (as seen here). While the style of these questions didn't quite suit me, I had a great time nonetheless. After a rout in the first round putting us in the lead by 5.5 points, we got to feeling pretty cocky. Yep, we aced geography and food additives. Round 2, however, we didn't do so hot, getting only 1.5 points on the pictures of dudes category*. In the end, we came in second by a lousy half a point. Oh well, there is always next month. I, for one, will definitely be there.

Friday July 6 2007

File under: Anacortes, games

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on Fri 06th Jul, 2007 10:12 pm PDT Wilbur said: so you just show up huh? or do you have to put a team together? ************************ on Fri 06th Jul, 2007 10:13 pm PDT Emilly said: It sounds like you have found your calling.And Bettlejuice (H)! ************************ on Sat 07th Jul, 2007 07:15 am PDT Go! Turtle said: I am wondering the same thing as Joe, is this open to the public? Or by special invite only? ************************ on Sat 07th Jul, 2007 08:39 am PDT Horge said: I'm all up on BDEGH! I know 'em all, if not by name, then by face! Yeeeah-boyeee! :) ************************ on Sat 07th Jul, 2007 10:09 am PDT Wren said: Mr. Turtle and Wilbur, quiz night is open to all! This time around, you had to form your own teams before coming, but motion was made to have draw of the hat team selection for next time (to which I am opposed). Keep an eye out at The Business for flyers advertising next time, or maybe I will try to post about it here. ************************ on Sat 07th Jul, 2007 06:30 pm PDT cardboard said: So wren did people actually know the names of those dudes?? Highly dubious ************************ on Sun 08th Jul, 2007 10:40 am PDT Chris said: hmm... Sounds like a job for Java man - how hard can a multiplayer online jeopardy like game be? I've been jonesing for a game night, and I don't have any friends here yet. come on, I'll even help with the questions and categories ************************ on Sun 08th Jul, 2007 07:37 pm PDT cardboard said: i forgot to mention that i may/may not be a murphmuter ************************ on Mon 09th Jul, 2007 01:19 am PDT Siri said: A.Jake Gyllenhaal B.Johnny Depp C. The Rock D. The Sicilian E. The Doorman of Oz F. Cesar Chavez ('cuz joo don' know wha' Cesar Chavez loook like) G. Marcel Proust H. That guy from Beetlejuice that is not Michael Keaton.How'd I do? ************************ on Mon 09th Jul, 2007 08:27 pm PDT Wren said: To learn of the identities of these mystery men, hover of appropriate letter: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. ************************ on Tue 10th Jul, 2007 12:12 pm PDT Saxtor said: That sounds like it would be SUPER cool*!! ************************ on Thu 12th Jul, 2007 12:28 am PDT Siri said: Um. . . I hovered & all I got was "click to close" (for all of them). For some reason, I don't think that's right. ************************ on Thu 12th Jul, 2007 12:31 pm PDT Siri said: Oh, and by "Marcel Proust" I meant "Nikola Tesla". . . I'm still hovering & nothing happens. ************************ on Thu 12th Jul, 2007 04:41 pm PDT cardboard said: well i saw something about hovering but it dont seem to work for me and apparently it dont work for others either...wren whats the story here? ************************ on Thu 12th Jul, 2007 05:31 pm PDT Wren said: For the hovering action, hover over the letter in the comments where I posted the answer. So, if you want to know the real name of Vicini, hover over the "D" in the comment I posted, not on the picture. If it still doesn't work, it means your browser sucks and you should use firefox. ************************

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Small Town Parades

Small town parades are one of the great joys of living in Anacortes. Sure, it is mostly classic cars, candy, kids on bikes, and shameless commercialism (although this guy spiced it up, making me feel better about bowing out of my two year tradition). But chances are, you know somebody in at least one of the troupes which always makes it fun. Plus, walking down the streets, you are bound to run into people you haven't seen in a while, and it is always good to catch up. One of the bummers that gets me every year is the on-it's-way-to-the-trash-heap crap that Shell Oil and others insist on throwing to the masses. Stop by Kiwanis the week after the parade, and I bet you'll find hundreds of those unthrowable frisbees stuck in purgatory on the shelves. And those are the ones that didn't end up the garbage, like I'm sure the majority of them did. Also, do we really need to pretend we are New Orleans and do the beads thing? The plastic crap is one aspect of the parade I could do without. On the up side, however, there was a pleasant counterpoint, a new addition to this year's parade. A troupe advocating carbon reduction marched along advocating living in harmony with nature, using bikes and public transportation, and more*. Star of their group was the much talked about electric car. Yep, living in a small town ain't so bad at all. Top it all off with a top notch fireworks display this evening, and I'll pick Anacortes's Fourth of July any day.

Wednesday July 4 2007

File under: Anacortes, pics

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on Wed 04th Jul, 2007 09:30 pm PDT Cyndi said: I like your tallness better! ************************ on Wed 04th Jul, 2007 09:47 pm PDT Amanda said: I'm so sad I didn't get to go to the parade this year- and I'm even more bummed that I missed the fireworks. Thank you for your lovely photographs. ************************ on Thu 05th Jul, 2007 08:35 pm PDT Wilbur said: I missed the parade...on purpose...but i did catch the fireworks...i could actually see em from my front yard! I was stoked...so i sat on the bench and enjoyed them last night...awesome. ************************ on Fri 06th Jul, 2007 12:06 pm PDT Sean said: Holy crap it's July. ************************ on Fri 06th Jul, 2007 06:09 pm PDT Sean said: Sean, what's the deal with your frequent BdW commenting and your infrequent sirmaxalot commenting?? I thought the Marine Corps instilled loyalty and such. P.S. Why no stilt man this year, Wren? ************************ on Fri 06th Jul, 2007 06:11 pm PDT Sean said: (The above is from me. Sean is not chastising Sean yet, as far as I know, but the desert can do crazy things to people.) ************************ on Fri 06th Jul, 2007 06:11 pm PDT Sean said: From Christen: Why won't it let me use my name? Hmmm... ************************

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Baby Time

It seems the talk amongst people my age these days is babies. Everyone is either having them, thinking about having them, reading blogs about them, or fawning over someone else's. Put me in the latter category. This past week, I've had the opportunity of chilling with Ms. Clara (of Emily and Clara fame) while she and her mom were out visiting from Las Vegas. It is sometimes hard to appreciate the little observations and joys shared on other baby blogs like IHJ and SMaL by those of us that are so far removed from the baby world. Passing time with a young 'un this past week enhanced that appreciation for those little things* you are always hearing people talk about. Anyway, it was an awesome visit what with the beach, garden, frisbee, goobering, walking, and whatnot. (First item on the agenda after a week of baby time: a three hour nap. Good times.)

Sunday July 1 2007

File under: Anacortes, pics

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on Sun 01st Jul, 2007 11:02 pm PDT Saxtor said: Hmmm, your new home* doesn't have the same charm as the Out-Back... ************************ on Mon 02nd Jul, 2007 05:10 am PDT Chris said: Hey, anytime you need a baby fix, you just fly right on over here and take him for as long as you want. If you're too busy, I can alwyas next-day air him to ya too. Just make sure you open it right away, he can only eat so many of the peanuts before he realizes they're styrofoam. ************************ on Mon 02nd Jul, 2007 03:10 pm PDT Janet Bremer said: My, marvelous pictures of my gorgeous granddaughter. All 3 of you are SO photogenic. Janet B ************************ on Tue 03rd Jul, 2007 09:24 pm PDT Wilbur said: yea that kid was pretty cool. The coolest thing she did? when she would grab some toy, hold it over her head in triumphant victory, then spike it on the ground as if she were so over it...and then do it again. ;-) ************************ on Wed 04th Jul, 2007 11:50 am PDT Jule said: that is some look on ms. clara's face in the "whatnot" picture. just what is she thinking? planning how to take over the world? ************************

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Wren Schultz, Professional Juggler

In my continued pursuit for a life of multiple income streams (as opposed to, say, getting a real job), I recently lined up a juggling gig at a local school. Now I am far from what one might think of when you thinks of a professional juggler. I don't have a standard routine, I don't wear a flashy costume, I don't have the obligatory audience participation bit, and I tell the occasional funny joke*. My "act" is more about building excitement and education, perfectly suited for the 10-18 year-old age group. It turns out that there couldn't have been a better match between my "performance" style and these kids enthusiasm and learning style. They were attentive and duly impressed by my time on stage and asked lots of questions. When the education portion came around, they tried their hand at all my toys and each found his calling, more or less. There were "Hey, Wren! Check this out"s all around, which can't help but make any educator/coach smile. Not only was the juggling experience great, but the visit to the school was great as well. The school is a live-in school on a nearby island, so the trip out was through the San Juans on calm seas with beautiful weather. How many people can say that they commute to work on a boat? The school grounds are very well kept and super conducive to playing outside, which is essentially what we did my whole time there. This great experience was made all the greater in that it fits in with my ideal livelihood concept: getting paid for the many different things we have to offer and that we enjoy doing. So if anyone happens to need a juggler, housesitter, web developer, tutor, laborer, cheese tester*, public transportation coach, or environmental consultant, give me a call.

Wednesday June 27 2007

File under: work, juggling

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on Wed 27th Jun, 2007 02:40 pm PDT Saxtor said: Hey, I'll cut it, you test it, buddy! So the stories of caaaaaarrraaaazy hijinks at the "live-in school" in a far away harbor* were not witnessed during your visit, eh? I always knew those kids got a bad rap. ************************ on Thu 28th Jun, 2007 10:43 am PDT jenelle said: well, this ain't a job lead but something that might match your inspired ideas of livelihood: http://quarry.dreamsciencecircus.com/information_packet.pdf ************************ on Thu 28th Jun, 2007 10:45 am PDT jenelle said: oh, and if you find yourself in seattle on 7/7 and want to "labor", i gots a woodshop that needs to move up some stairs and into a basement. woot. ************************ on Fri 29th Jun, 2007 07:33 am PDT cardboard said: i like wrens discription of the "school"....other than the fact you cant leave it sounds like a great place to go to school. ************************ on Fri 29th Jun, 2007 09:28 am PDT Chris said: Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Who among us haven't looked at Wren with his homeless man beard, his Salvation Army clothes, his desire to not let "the man" tie him down with employment and his love of traveling through foreign states and countries without adequate supplies or money and thought "Yeah, now that's the kind of guy I want teaching at my kid's school!". Seriously though, I'd trade plenty of my teachers for ya buddy! ************************ on Mon 09th Jul, 2007 01:12 am PDT Siri said: I organized a baby shower for my friend this weekend & thought of you when her 3 year old niece asked me if I could "jiggle those balls". Very humorous. ************************

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Scraptacular

Scrapbooking is all the rage these days. Back in my employed days at www.PhotoWorks.com*, we were always taking the scrapbooking crowd into account when designing our products. ("Who would possibily want to order an empty book? Oh yeah, scrapbookers.") Besides knowing that scrap bookers might want to purchase an empty book and fill it with pictures themselves, I didn't really know much of the nitty-gritty about the world of scrapbooking. When I got back from Asia, I was thinking that I should a book together for myself. I had saved maps, ticket stubs, and of course had lots of pictures. When looking around and talking to people about scrapbooking, I found that it was much more complicated than putting pictures and ticket stubs in a book. You needed embellishments. "Embellishments, embellishments, embellishments", a scrapper* friend told me. That same friend recently put together a scrapbook of my scooter trip for me as a gift. Let me tell you, it was a fine piece of work. Embellishments galore! Now that I have an idea of what a proper scrapbook looks like, I might have a go at my Asia one again. Not that I have a chance of equaling the style that is this, this, and this, but I can try.

Saturday June 23 2007

File under: pics, misc

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on Sat 23rd Jun, 2007 07:02 pm PDT Ryan Walters said: Did PhotoWorks wrong you in some way? Who do you now recommend for our photo-based projects? ************************ on Sun 24th Jun, 2007 12:10 pm PDT Saxtor said: I'm with Ryan. Are you withdrawing your endorsement on personal grounds, or has their product suffered in some way? ************************ on Sun 24th Jun, 2007 12:33 pm PDT Cyndi said: Ok, little wierd, but Ok ************************ on Sun 24th Jun, 2007 12:36 pm PDT Cyndi said: Ok, I cant spell today, I have a cold ************************ on Sun 24th Jun, 2007 04:48 pm PDT Amanda said: oh come now wren, you're embellishment enough! ************************ on Sun 24th Jun, 2007 05:52 pm PDT Wilbur said: nice! that's TOTALLY how i'd picture you'd look in scrapbook form. ************************ on Sun 24th Jun, 2007 07:37 pm PDT Jule said: that is scraptacular! ************************ on Sun 24th Jun, 2007 07:38 pm PDT Jule said: ah crap, that is what your post is called, i am not original at all, ************************ on Mon 25th Jun, 2007 12:20 pm PDT Sean said: Only 15 piece of flair? Come on. ************************ on Wed 27th Jun, 2007 06:53 am PDT Nesbitt said: I read the following article and thought Blog Du Wren. Thought you would enjoy it. Not sure if Baltimore's haul would be nearly as good.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/garden/21freegan.html?pagewanted=1 ************************

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Simple Solar Power

Sunny days here in the Pacific Northwest aren't as frequent as some other places in the world. In fact, we probably rank pretty low on the number-of-sunny-days-per-year list. But for a brief time during the summer, the sunny days outnumber the grey ones reminding all us Washingtonians that NW Washington is a great place to live. For this month's Environmental Project of the Month, I thought I would focus on the sun. Part one of the project is nothing new for me, but I want to share it in hopes of encouraging you to give it a try. Hang drying clothes is a wonderful way to harness the power of the sun and save electricity [and fossil fuels, if you have a gas powered dryer]. Not only is it great for the environment, hanging your clothes on the line is a great excuse to be outside on a beautiful day, if even for 10 minutes or so. Drying your clothes on the line isn't a summer only practice, even here in the northwest. For the past 5 years or so, I would say 90-95% of my drying needs have been met by the sun and wind. Part two of this month's EPotM is what I am really excited about. From junk found around the house, I've built a solar oven. (Plans abound on the internet if you are interested in giving it a try yourself.) Basically an insulated cardboard box with aluminum foil covered collectors, a well made solar cooker can get to 250-275 degrees. In test runs, I've only got mine up to 214. Right now, I've got a couple of baking potatoes and some lentil beans cooking. We'll see how my first home solar-cooked meal turns out. For those of us not ready or not in a place to make the leap to photovoltaic panels for supplementing our electricity needs (or even for those who are), harnessing the power of the sun through simple methods is a great way to reduce our impact. And speaking of how awesome the sun is, check out this audio ode to the sun. (For those of you at work (esp. in cubicles), be warned: The audio is embedded and hidden in the page so no volume controls or stop button is present. When will people learn that just because you can doesn't mean that you should?)

Tuesday June 19 2007

File under: food, environment

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on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 05:23 pm PDT Emilly said: Got Solar? ************************ on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 06:27 pm PDT Saxtor said: Speaking of photovoltaics, check out Google's Solar Panel Project website which appears to have just come online two days ago (and they've already generated ~20,000 kilowatt-hours or 3883 45min clothes dryer cycles!). The video that shows the scale of the array is pretty impressive. ************************ on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 07:20 pm PDT Saxtor's Boss said: Firstly, nobody would ever read any blogs at work, so crank the speakers. Secondsty, how does the bottle of pee on the table figure into the solar EPotM? ************************ on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 08:24 pm PDT jenelle said: nice sun illustration. my retinas burn. now my blood hurts. ouch. ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 04:27 am PDT Horge said: Think I'll use this opportunity to toot my own horn a bit (hope Wren doesn't mind). Anyone else wanting to go solar can read a book (pdf, 5.2 MB) I wrote as part of my work at my Bosnian NGO. If you want to see some of the other work I/we did on this project you can check out our website. ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 04:44 am PDT Horge said: Fine. BduW doesn't like the last part of my comment, so I'll just add it anew by itself: Y'all should also check out this NYT article about saving energy, and don't forget to try out the mentioned computer program to save energy, money, environment... ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 08:50 am PDT gretchen said: if your pee is that color, saxtor...errr, saxtor's boss, you've got some problems. plus you should read picture captions. ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 08:50 am PDT Saxtor's Boss said: Timely article about pee color And thank's for the heads up, I called Wren into my office to solve the mystery of the missing javascript captions ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 11:18 am PDT Sean said: Pfff, my pee's way darker than that. ************************ on Thu 21st Jun, 2007 12:11 am PDT Horge said: Thank you Wrennie for cleaning up my htmess. :) ************************ on Thu 21st Jun, 2007 12:11 pm PDT Sean said: My boots get hotter than your oven. ************************ on Thu 21st Jun, 2007 12:18 pm PDT Wren said: Sean, I don't doubt it. It turns out that NW sun isn't best suited for baking potatoes or cooking beans. That doesn't mean that I have given up, though. You should totally make yourself a solar cooker for over there. I would be impressed, and even give you a guest post if you got a picture and an account of your endeavor. ************************ on Fri 22nd Jun, 2007 08:20 am PDT Sean said: Would it help if you put some glass or something like that over the top of your oven? ************************ on Fri 22nd Jun, 2007 08:56 pm PDT Wilbur said: do solar ovens work inside too? cuz if it's raining i wanna be able to cook stuff still......hey where'd everybody go? ************************

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Local Music Equals Local Fun

Saturday evening, I found myself at Boulevard Park in Bellingham rocking to the sweet sounds of Spoonshine (Best. Band. Ever.). Even though the weather wasn't perfect (although it did clear up for a moderately nice sunset*), the turnout wasn't as good as it could of been, and I didn't have any juggling buddies to throw clubs at*, it was still the best Saturday night I've had in a long time. Oh, and any day that you get to hang out with a caped wonder can't be a bad day. Speaking of local music, rumor has it that the Red Note (current band of former Perfect Day frontman and local legend Shane Chapman) is playing at the Brown Lantern this Saturday night. It'll be a raucous good time, no doubt. (Okay, everyone is entitled to doubt. Far be it from me to tell you how to feel.) Anyway, it is good to poke my head in on the local music scene every now and again. Knowing the guys (or gals) that are up on stage always makes for a more enjoyable show.

Sunday June 17 2007

File under: Anacortes, misc

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on Mon 18th Jun, 2007 09:27 pm PDT jenelle said: indeed. I was fortunate enough to see those guys busking at folklife. it think it's safe to say that most bands which include an upright bass are going to be good. by the way, it sounds like you didn't make it to the solstice parade. whatsamattuh, you don't like seeing nekked peoples on parade?! ************************ on Fri 22nd Jun, 2007 08:49 pm PDT Wilbur said: yea next time they're playin around here call me i'd like to go see em. shane's playin this saturday? what time? i'd like to come down and see. prolly see ya there... ************************ on Sat 30th Jun, 2007 10:08 am PDT trista said: RED NoTE! RED NOTE! ************************

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Wear Sunscreen

Graduation season is upon us (and has been for some time if the "Dads and Grads" ads are to be trusted). It is a time for new graduates, whether from high school, college, or even grad school, to look ahead. It is also a time for non-graduates to offer congratulations and advice. Congratulations are easy. Advice can be a little more tricky. In a famous graduation speech/column* (often falsely attribute to Kurt Vonnegut*), Mary Schmich of the Chicago Times compiled her own list of advice to graduating seniors. It grew in popularity from a forwarded e-mail eventually to a top 40 song. If you've never heard or read it, I highly recommend it. The speech can be found here and Wikipedia's entry on the history of it can be found here. Not that many folks about to, or having just, graduate(d) read BdW, but I thought it would be fun to compile our own list of advice gleaned from our own personal meanderings, just as Ms. Schmich did. To start off the list, I will borrow 2 pieces of advice that I've come to greatly support. Know thyself* (Those Greeks really knew what they were talking about.) and Just do it (Perhaps a little pushy for an advertising slogan, but often valuable as advice when faced with decisions of action/inaction.) What say you?

Thursday June 14 2007

File under: misc, participation

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on Thu 14th Jun, 2007 04:49 pm PDT cardboard said: I have heard many but the advice my boss has given to be the most inspirational. The first is "You can never listen to to much ACDC or Van Halen". The second i might botch a little but comes from one of his dads good friends and goes something like this "man back in the 60's everyone was shooting smack and doing hard drugs while i was just smoking good weed and smiling the whole time." Another classic that i throw out pretty often but dont seem to live by is this "you will never look when your an old man and wish you had worked more" ************************ on Thu 14th Jun, 2007 10:31 pm PDT Emily said: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - "Who is George Bernard Shaw" (Another quote, non widsom-related, from my favorite movie Dream for an Insomniac.) ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 12:10 am PDT Horge said: A few classics: "You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but don't pick your friend's nose." and "It's better to be pissed off than pissed on." Otherwise, one of my own thoughts: the real power of a degree is not in the department or school which issued it, but in the fact that you did it. ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 08:54 am PDT amanda said: you sound smarter if you speak with Wikipedia quotes ;) ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 08:55 am PDT amanda said: you sound smarter if you write with Wikipedia links ;) ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 09:06 am PDT amanda said: but no, seriously, part of working is being unemployed and it's ok ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 11:28 am PDT Sean said: Stop Whining! - Mr. Kimble; Kindergarten Cop ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 03:13 pm PDT Amanda said: Serve others. ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 04:21 pm PDT Jule said: Be passionate about the things you do, especially those you do for fun. and make sure to invest in your 401k...(I had to put some practical advice in there) ************************ on Fri 15th Jun, 2007 04:45 pm PDT Saxtor said: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." - Michael Pollan ************************ on Mon 18th Jun, 2007 05:52 pm PDT Chris said: Start accepting your own mistakes and failures instead of your parents' money; you learn more and your success is sweeter. ************************ on Mon 18th Jun, 2007 08:32 pm PDT erin said: at my graduation from undergrad our speaker was whats-his-name Hilton... and he left us with one piece of advice, "put the shower curtain in the tub". i wish this story was a lie... that's what you get for going to a state school in ohio. ************************ on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 08:27 pm PDT Wren said: I just came across this list of advice and I couldn't pass up sharing it. Enjoy! ************************

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4000 Miles Video

Inspired by a video put together by a friend of some of his transportation experiences in SE Asia, I decided to put together a little video of my recent scooter trip. I've got a long way to go before expecting an Emmy nomination in the mail, but it ain't bad for having only a 5 year old digital still camera and free editing software that comes with windows. If the inline version doesn't work, click here to go directly to the YouTube page. Oh, and for kicks, here are a couple pictures about the making of the video.

Monday June 11 2007

File under: video, travel

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on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 11:28 am PDT Sean said: Iraqi internet is too slow to watch videos. Poo ************************ on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 11:42 am PDT Siri said: Siri's internet is also too slow. Double Poo. ************************ on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 11:51 am PDT Wren said: I sympathize with slow computer/internet users, believe me. For those of you whom the youTube thing isn't working, right click here and select "save as..." or "save link as..." to download the video clip and view at your own leisure. ************************ on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 12:04 pm PDT AK said: I wish I could hear that music everytime I woke up in the morning. Better than coffee yes? ************************ on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 03:21 pm PDT Saxtor said: Hmmm, which is worse, driving while photographing, or talking on a cell phone... Good ol' Yakkety Sax. ************************ on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 06:08 pm PDT Andrew said: Very nice Wrennnn. I dug it. ...a grave! hahah! No No. Seriously, very cool. ************************ on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 08:18 pm PDT cardboard said: wait seans in iraq? whhhaaa ************************ on Mon 11th Jun, 2007 10:22 pm PDT Wilbur said: haha! nice wren! ************************ on Tue 12th Jun, 2007 11:06 am PDT Sean said: Jivin!! ************************ on Tue 12th Jun, 2007 01:54 pm PDT Sweet Julie said: So good Wrenny! What fun! What a crack up! ************************ on Thu 14th Jun, 2007 08:02 am PDT amanda said: your friend's SE Asia video was more fun, but this one was also worthwhile. in response to Saxtor i think driving while photographing is decidedly worse than cell talk, but texting might come close. btw, for those of you who had my blogs on their RSS feeds, i'm public again by popular demand ************************ on Thu 14th Jun, 2007 12:54 pm PDT the friends video said: I love it!!! Bravo!!! ************************ on Thu 14th Jun, 2007 09:38 pm PDT vertical banner said: Nice work Wren. I still can't figure out how you got some of those shots. Did you hire a monkey to climb around putt putt? ************************

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