Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas morning and I'm the only one up at a quarter-to-nine, which is strange in a house where Katy's dad is usually up and away by 6 and her mom by 7. I like being the first one up... the peace is welcome, as is first dibs on the coffee.

So another Christmas notch on the belt... getting quite a few of those. You know, honestly, I've grown to dread Christmas over the years... always seems to bring with it pain and loneliness that no song, no decoration or no gift can overcome. I've come to dread the commercialism of the whole ordeal. I've come to dread the sense of loss felt when loved ones aren't by your side. Christmas is filled with more ghosts for me than any other time of the year. Things which should bring happiness instead often remind me of less happy times and places. Ghosts... that's a good way to put it. I hate the ghosts Christmas brings with it. Ghosts of individuals who have passed on, ghosts of places left behind, ghosts of love lost, of sorrow found, and of the way things were. Oh how the ghosts do come out when the jingle bells ring.

But this year isn't the same. This year I have Katy. Sure, the ghosts are still there, but for once I have a future that is more hopeful than my past is painful. I have the beginnings of my own family now and can look forward to our life together instead of looking back on my life alone. This year I have hope. It's the most wonderful Christmas present I could have possibly asked for.

Merry Christmas to all of you, my friends and family. I wish you all a new year of fulfilled hopes, answered prayers, joy, wonder, and happiness. May we all find comfort and safety in our loved ones as we go through these rough times. May we open our minds and our hearts to new ideas in this new and ever-changing age but may we never forget the values and the lessons of our past which we worked so hard to survive. May we know forgiveness, kindness, tolerance, temperance, and mercy like we've never known them before. May you sleep and wake safely beneath the watch of angels. I love you all, each and every one in your own particular way.

Michael

A visit to Ottawa...

Happy holidays everyone! Katy and I flew to Toronto last week to spend the holidays with her family and I finally find myself with time to sit and write. It's been a good week. I got to go to Ottawa for the weekend and visit the Micals and some friends from school. Peter, Nicholas, and (to a lesser degree) Steven were adorable, as always. Peter is now 4, Nicholas is 10 and Steven will be 15 on Christmas. Fifteen!!! He was Nicholas' age when I met him! My how time flies. They're all doing great, and we had a fantastic time visiting. I also got to see several friends at school and was lucky enough to roll into town for their Christmas party. I took a train back to Toronto last night and am now relaxing before getting into the Christmas week! I still need to get Christmas cards in the mail (bad Parker) and hope to do so today. I only did a handful but I drew them, myself so I hope it's excusable that they're late. I'm excited for Christmas this year... I wish I could see my own family but I'm really glad to have Katy's family to be with instead. Hopefully next year will be Christmas in the States. No promises though, anyone. Ok, I'll leave you with a couple of videos of Peter (who else?)... I especially love the second one. He wanted to play a song with me so we did. Hope you're all enjoying a wonderful Christmas season with friends and family. No recession can take our family from us... at least we have that.

Merry Christmas!!!

Update on the way out the door...

Morning everyone,

Well, Katy finished her final paper and final studio crit this past week so we spent our weekend attempting to do as little as possible. Good news: we succeeded! We caught up on a bit of cleaning and put our Christmas decorations up (yay!) but didn't do a whole lot past that. The weather has been rainy and blah but it looks like they've taken away the chance of rain for today so I get to be dry at work (hurrah!). Work, by the way, has gotten much better this past week. I've been framing for 3 weeks now and my body is finally use to it, for one. I came home for the first two weeks just miserabley sore and tired. I don't think I was awake once past 9pm. Also, while I was working the first week for the framing subcontracter, the developer (boss) noticed me and invited me to stay on working for him once my time was done with the framer. For the first two weeks I was holding and cutting and fetching for the framer but the past week I have been largely working alone. The boss walks around the mostly-framed building and points out jobs that ned done then I spend my day doing them. I think today I'm going to have to move a window opening and cover the old one up, build a wall in a bathroom, and maybe build a couple small flights or stairs. Fun stuff. It's still demanding work but I'm getting used to it. It's still going to get colder and wetter, but for now I'm satisfied being where I am. I'm learning SO much. When I am done with this I will have a deeper understanding of how wood frame residential houses are built. I'm hoping to market that along with my site experience and find a real good job. Speaking of real good jobs, I need to get out the door to mine. But first, a moment of thanks.

I've been wanting about this for a couple of weeks now but I think about it at work and am so tired that I forget when I come home. Right now I have a job because someone noticed I am a hard worker and I'm respectful. I am not working right now because of any university degree, I'm working right now because of things my Dad taught me... how to hit a nail square in the head, how to use a circular saw, and how to say, "yes sir." I think about that alot as I'm building... and I owe my father a great deal of gratitude for it. My master's degree will pay off later down the road and will take me far in its own time, but right now I'm making it on skills my dad taught me. Thanks, pops.

Ok, gotta get to work. Have a great week, everyone.

I love an apt comparison...

I'd like to thank Wade at voltageblog.com for the graphic. (original here) I'd also like to note that Wade's bailout total is about half of what Bloomberg reports the Fed and the Treasury are prepared to spend. God help my children. God help their children.

Days don't fly by so quickly anymore...

So these days I'm framing condos while I look for architectural work. Economy just froze. Well, the building economy, anyway. But It's good when the days are good and it's bad when it rains. I've been mostly lucky so far. I hope my luck changes sooner than later on its way to eventually. But I get by. I'm getting in great shape and I feel all manly now coming home on the bus next to well-preened business boys coming home from downtown while I have cement on my work boots and sawdust on my clothes. Makes me feel like I've done a real day's work. But seriously, people look at me like a homeless guy and the homeless guys look at me like I'm one of them. I've got a couple more days on this job and then the project developer is going to hire me on to do some work for him.

But this morning, Katy and I got up early and enjoyed our Saturday morning ritual where we walk through our beautiful neighborhood to our favorite local coffee shop and have coffee, share a breakfast sandwich, read the paper and talk. It's my favorite part of the week. We've had mostly sunny Saturdays... the weather has a way of giving us a break for the weekends. It's a nice time to walk and talk and I've come to enjoy reading the paper over coffee.

And so, after a nice sunny day that involved a short bus ride, a long walk, buying work pants, a longer walk, some harmonica playing in a tunnel, and a nice sunset from the parking garage, I sit here at home. And I desperately need to clean before Katy gets home.

By all.

And so I will toil...

Today I went to my new part time job. I'm helping some guys finish framing a four story condo in the West End. I showed up and the boss, a guy about my age, took me to the roof and told me to start cutting boards to size with a circular saw. I spent the day cutting mostly, but did a few odds-n-ends things occasionally. It was a beautiful day today. Not a cloud all day as the sun rose from behind an adjacent condo tower and arced across the turbulent bay below to fall, in the end, behind Victoria Island across the bay. I worked outside and listened to rock and roll on the radio all day it wasn't too bad. Hard. But not bad. It felt good to be doing a good hard day's work. I haven't put a day in like that since the military. I know it will get old fast, and it'll be a different story when it's raining again. But it was a good first day. He can use me part time for the next couple of weeks. It puts some money in the bank and gives me a cushion while I continue to look for the next job. Man, recessions suck. But, so it goes...

Joyous rejoicing amidst a desperate economy!

Well, I've been out of the blogging groove for awhile because nothing I have to write about has been able to overcome the depression of looking for a job. It's hard to write about happy things when you're miserable and unsure looking for work. Well, today I found a short-term gig helping a guy do some wood framing on a condo downtown. I show up tomorrow and learn on the job. I kinda know what has to be done and I'm good with tools, so I'm hoping I pick it up quick. He's going to work me for a day and see if I'm worth keeping on for the next two weeks. If I can pull this off, I'll have income for 2 more weeks while I keep looking for a full-time job. The good part of being unemployed is that it's given me time to paint and draw a bit more. Here is a painting I did for my sister and gave her in SD. It's 30"x30" and the figure is life-sized. It's my favorite painting I've done yet.


As for the joyous rejoicing, this past weekend while in San Diego I proposed to Katy and she said yes! Yep, you heard that right... I have a fiance!!! I wasn't sure about it until the moment I asked the question. We talk about the very far future as if it were a given. There are plans for when we're old, potential business plans, vacation plans, child-rearing talks, etc. There doesn't seem to be a doubt in either one of our minds that we're going to grow old together. It's a strange feeling, really. I decided it was time because it rains constantly in Vancouver and we were going somewhere sunny and beautiful. Katy has met my mom before but this was the first time she met Kim. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to propose at sunset at the ocean. It wasn't a big production. We were sitting on rock cliff overlooking the ocean and just as the sun hit the water I got down on one knee asked her to stay with me forever and asked her if she would be my wife. She was shocked. No one saw it coming. I gave her a ring my mother gave me a few years ago. It's nice to be able to have an heirloom. God knows I can't afford a ring on my own. You should've seen my mom. She was sitting in a gazebo up at the edge of the cliff and she didn't see a thing. She said she was watching the sunset and thinking about nothing in particular. I yelled for her and showed her Katy's hand from about 30 feet away. I told her, "She said yes!" and she was utterly confused... for about 5 seconds. Then she lost it. She started crying and laughing and jumping up and down turning circles. No one up on shore could see Katy and I... they thought Mom was crazy. She just kept yelling, "My son is getting married!!!" She really likes Katy. So yeah, it was the right time. We'll wait for awhile, and we're not sure how many ceremonies there are going to be... maybe as many as 3. Yep... 3. One for her Indian family. THat ought to be a fun lot of dancing. One for her British family and one for my family. We have yet to figure any of that out but it's not pressing for the moment. I'm really happy, though it freaks me out a little that I have a fiance. It's weird. But, proposal or no, life goes on. No plans in the near future but stay tuned and I'll keep you updated.

Ok, off to make lunch. Wish me luck on the new job tomorrow. I don't have it cinched up yet... still have to prove I can frame a house!

Off to Sandy Eggo

Between the job hunt and the election I haven't been able to talk or even think much about this weekend. I am hours away from getting on a plane with Katy to go ee Mom. We've had the trip planned for awhile now. Kim and Tyler will meet us there and we'll spend a 4-day weekend together for early Thanksgiving.We've really been looking forward to this trip. I think it will be a memorable one. Katy hasn't met Kim yet so they're both excited to finally meet. I'm glad for the break. We're getting a whole lot of rain today. San Diego is nice and sunnnnyyyyy! Ok, gotta catch a cab. Have a good weekend everyone!

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

I still can't believe this is happening. I can only imagine what it must be like to be in the States right now... even Vancouver is noticeably happier today. This morning's news lacked the tension and uncertainty it is generally burdened with. The guys at the coffee shop this morning were talking to me about the feeling of hope they had when they awoke. People on the streets are talking about the election as they read their papers and wait for their buses. Katy doesn't feel that the future is so grim now and is no longer afraid to accompany me to the States. God, the SUN even came out today! I feel PRIDE! I feel HOPE! I feel that the future is WIDE OPEN!!! No longer are we subject to the abject cynicism the current government brought with them. No longer will irony and absurdity underlie our everyday lives. All over America, the people said ENOUGH! The country I so badly wanted to believe in came together and change is at hand! I can't really write anything coherent right now because all I want to do is hoot and holler in joy!

Instead, I'm going back to my job hunt.

But man, I am one happy unemployed American!!!

Change is at hand!

This morning the world seems a more hopeful, more promising place to be. I am blown away that people all around the world are cheering us on as we move to the end of the Bush regime. They know how important this is, too. I am so proud to be a part of this election. I can't tell you how badly I wanted to be in the States last night... anywhere in the States. I wanted to be out in the streets celebrating with everyone else. I was almost moved to tears. I've been asking for years what it would take to get Americans in the streets. Turns out, it was a black president.

Now all I need is a job.

America the Beautiful!!!

We did it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't describe the pride, joy, and, dare I say, hope I feel in my heart. This is what America needed. And did you hear his speech? Such a powerful speaker!

Thank you to everyone who knocked on a door, who distributed a flyer, or who talked to a friend. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and their efforts to this campaign.

I believe again and it feels wonderful.

We're doing it!!!

6:45pm
I can't believe this is happening! We've done it, everyone! We've taken our country back! I can't decide if I feel more like crying or dancing in the street. It's not final yet, and it's far from over, but Democrats have control of the Senate already and Obama is steamrolling McCain! I can't believe we're doing it! This feels amazing!

more later...

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Thought I'd post a Saturday morning song. It was written 45 years ago by Bob Dylan and I think the lyrics are perhaps more pertinent today than they have been in decades. It's not a great recording because I just learned it this morning, but I think the lyrics are more important anyway... maybe we can all go to the polls Tuesday with a song in our heads and on our hearts.

lyrics and music by Bob Dylan

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Copyright ©1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

Oh the bad times...

It's been awhile since I wrote anything of substance or value, not because nothing's happened, but because I was hoping to be able to report better news than I have today. The long and short of it is that I got laid off Monday and have spent my week looking for work, so far to no avail.

I'm so angry and so sad at the same time. It's such a helpless feeling being let go. They gave me 2 weeks severance pay at least and were a little sad about having to lay me off, but the projects they hired me to work on fell through because of the economic collapse. Now I'm unemployed. Sucks. Luckily, I had a bit of money in the bank... enough to survive a couple of months with the help Katy's folks are chipping in. They're the only reason this isn't more stressful than it is and I can't thank them enough.

I just want to scream. I want to cry. I want to feel something besides anger suspended in a vacuum. It's such a hopeless feeling. I started sending resumes out for non-architecture jobs this morning because no one's really hiring in architecture. Almost everyone's belt is tightening. The gloomy weather doesn't help. I don't know if the weather matches my mood or my mood matches the weather, but either way, they're a stunning compliment to one another.

I don't know how far down the professional ladder I'm going to have to stoop to get a job... or if I'm going to have to jump onto another ladder. I don't mind leaving the architecture field, so much, as I mind the possibility of not getting paid enough to make payments on my student loans. What a spot to be in. I have a fresh degree but no job at the beginning of a recession... that means fresh student loan payments and no job at the beginning of a recession. Woopee!

It seems like life has become one sisyphusian task after another (pronounced \sis-eh-fis-ee-an\ or more correctly, \'si-sə-'fə-sē-ən\). Sisyphus, for those curious, was condemned by the gods to roll a rock uphill for all eternity and when the rock almost reached the top, it would fall back to the bottom. The Greeks saw that there was no more dreadful a punishment than futile and fruitless labor. Sometimes it seems that's what my life has become... futile and fruitless labor. I'm out here working just to make money. I hate money. I know there are those of you who can't imagine how someone could hate money, but if ever there was a devil, he was made of dollar signs.

But, of course, that's just the melodramatic personae in me coming out. In reality, all is not lost. I'll find a job doing something and life will go on.

I'm angry because I just lost my job due to stupid people making stupid decisions and not one person will be held accountable. I'm going to stop now because I've had to erase the last half-dozen things I've written. Too mad... seething mad... I think I'll go do a painting or something now.

I'll keep you updated.

Wish me luck, and patience, and wisdom...

...and sanity. I need some of that, too.

According to the Joes

Cliff notes to a debate

I came across this and thought it might be helpful to those of you who, like myself, were utterly confused by Sarah Palin at the VP debate. This might make it all a bit easier to process...

On race

I received this from a friend today and thought it was worth sharing.

----------------

Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?..... think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different? Could racism be the culprit?

Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Unbelievable things...

Hi all and happy Canadian Thanksgiving. Katy and I have had a really nice three-day weekend together for the holiday. The weather cleared up and the sun came out and all was good. Katy summed it up well when she said, "I love it when we have food and alcohol and time and life is good." Yep... that about sums it up for me, too. Sunday evening we were invited to have turkey dinner with some distant relatives of Katys who live not far from us here. (You might call them close distant relatives) It was nice getting to meet new people and it was really nice getting a fancy turkey dinner with all the trimmings. I had the most amazing brussel sprouts. Never thought I'd say that... but I went back for seconds and thirds on them, they were so good. Other than that, we got some cleaning done and a bit of relaxing done.

The unbelievable event I refered to in the post title, though, came earlier in the week. You all remember when Katy's computer got stolen on our way out here, right? Well the story has continued developing since then but I didn't want to say anything to jinx it. Katy received an email a few weeks ago from some random guy asking if she had ever owned a powerbook and if so had she sold it or was it stolen? He said that he and a friend were doing some social experimenting on internet classified ad pages to see if they were used to traffic stolen goods. He bought Katy's computer off a website and then tracked her down online (it's easy to find someone with so original a family name as Katy). He never asked for a thing from her except that she do something nice for someone else someday. Anyway, we were a bit skeptical until this past week when the computer arrived via Canada Post. I'm writing this blog entry right now on Katy's computer. What a random thing to happen, no? Guess her karma got stacked too heavily against her.

But all is well on the West coast. It will be nice working a four day workweek this week. Love three day weekends. Katy and I are excited that we'll be visiting Mom in SD in a few weeks... and before that we have a couple of friends staying here with us on their way through. Good times are ahead... hope you all have a great week.

----------------------------------------

"Human beings will be happier - not when they cure cancer or get to Mars or eliminate racial prejudice or flush Lake Erie but when they find ways to inhabit primitive communities again. That's my utopia." -Kurt Vonnegut

Thinking of you...

It's difficult to sit up here and watch my country fall into recession. I just wanted to say that I've got you all on my mind. Hold on tight down there and good luck. Hopefully we'll be through this before too long.

love you all,
mike

American business sense...

(from an Associated Press article)

"WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke bluntly warned Congress on Tuesday it risks a recession, with higher unemployment and increased home foreclosures, if lawmakers fail to pass the Bush administration's $700 billion plan to bail out the financial industry.

Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee that inaction could leave ordinary businesses unable to borrow the money they need to expand and hire additional employees, while consumers could find themselves unable to finance big-ticket purchases such as cars and homes."

[read the full article]

I'm not sure how to feel about the financial crisis in the States right now. On the one hand, I can't believe that, once again, there will be no accountability for the misdeed which brought us to the present situation. I'm not saying who should be held accountable, but between congressmen who write the laws, presidents who push the policy, and bank managers and CEOs who gambled with money that was not theirs, someone should be held accountable. Instead, they are actually arguing in congress as to whether or nor the outgoing CEOs of these bought out failures should be stripped of their "golden parachutes" or not. Golden parachute... another way of saying "more free money in one lump sum than you will make for the rest of your hard-working life." This is an arguable point? Wow. We have one royally screwed up country. What has happened to our world? Where did the accountability go? My father taught me that you should own up to your mistakes... no one else's parents taught them the same? I know I can't be alone here.

And should we be bailing these people out? I hear two tales as I scan the news every day. On the one hand, some say that without a bailout, people will make a run on banks and start a new recession. (Well what do you think we are in the middle of? A golden age? Hardly.) Some argue that if AIG is allowed to fail, banks all over America will fail and our economy will fail.

On the other hand, what is really at stake? The article above mentions specifically that we won't be able to "finance big-ticket purchases such as cars and homes." If this is all that is at stake, is it really such a big deal to let AIG fail? Who needs a new car? Must we all be able to buy a home at any time? What is really at stake is not the ability of a person to buy a home, it is a person's ability to finance a home. Is it unreasonable of me to think that we can live in a world without credit and without financing? Yes, I've lived off of student loans for the past 3 years... I'm not saying it's bad to live on credit. But is it worth paying $700 billion tax dollars to save a company from bankruptcy because that company made poor decisions?

Now that I see America's economy from the outside, it is evident that our economy runs on credit. That's why this is such a threatening situation. Too often, we don't have money... we have the promise of money. Even the US dollar, itself, is not real. Nor does it signify anything real like precious metal or any such collateral. If we bail this company out of trouble, what are we keeping secure? Our ability to take out more loans?

I'm not against the bailout, persay, I simply question it. And I am wholeheartedly against spending $700 billion tax dollars so that AIG's management can retire with full pensions, severance, and retirement packages. This isn't an issue of partisan politics, it's one of principles.

Ahhh Monday...

Morning all,

Hope you're all off to a vigorous start to your new week. I'm not. I have a crappy bed and I toss and turn all night. Sucks waking up feeling like you haven't really slept that long. We're hoping to get a new bed sometime after Christmas. Poor Katy doesn't have experience sleeping on the ground or in tanks and trucks, either. I really feel sorry for how bad our bed makes her feel.

Nonetheless, we both got up and out the door okay... usually do. She has her first crit at school today and I have to put together my first set of drawings for a building permit. Nothing major... just a garage. It will be a good exercise.

I received a well-written editorial this morning from my friend Bonnie. You can read it here. It deals with the current financial crisis in the States and how it ties to the presidential election. I think you may be as surprised as I was.

I went flipping through the news and uncovered a relatively mainstream story I was very unaware of. Any of you remember the savings and Loan scandal back in the late 1980's - early 1990's right around the time big daddy Bush took office? They dubbed it the S&L Scandal and at it's center was a man named Charles Keating and his infamous "Keating Five," a group of politicians and lawmakers who were essentially on Keating's payroll. Well, guess what? John McCain was one of those five. Yes, John McCain, the man running for president of the United States, the maverick, the reformer, was formerly implicated in a savings and loan scandal very similar to the one we are seeing now. I don't have time to summarize the articles because I have drawings to attend to, but you can read a November 1989 newspaper article from the Phoenix New Times and get the story for yourself. It's called, "McCain: The Most Reprehensible of the Keating Five."

This election just does not cease to surprise me.

Ok, off to earn my dime. Have a great day, everyone.

In John McCain's words...

McCain ad misrepresents Obama's tax plan. Again.

by Joe Miller

The McCain-Palin campaign has released a new ad that once again distorts Obama's tax plans.

• The ad claims Obama will raise taxes on electricity. He hasn't proposed any such tax. Obama does support a cap-and-trade policy that would raise the costs of electricity, but so does McCain.

• It falsely claims he would tax home heating oil. Actually, Obama proposed a rebate of up to $1,000 per family to defray increased heating oil costs, funded by what he calls a windfall profits tax on oil companies.
  

• The ad claims that Obama will tax "life savings." In fact, he would increase capital gains and dividends taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year, or singles making $200,000. For the rest, taxes on investments would remain unchanged.
  

The McCain campaign argues in its documentation for this ad that, whatever Obama says he would do, he will eventually be forced to break his promise and raise taxes more broadly to pay for his promised spending programs. That's an opinion they are certainly entitled to express, and to argue for. But their ad doesn't do that. Instead, it simply presents the McCain camp's opinion as a fact, and it fails to alert viewers that its claims are based on what the campaign thinks might happen in the future.

Analysis

In what has become an ongoing theme, the McCain-Palin campaign has released yet another ad that makes false claims about Barack Obama's tax plan. The ad, which was released on Sept. 18 and which the campaign says will air nationally, claims that Obama will raise income taxes and will tax "life savings, electricity and home heating oil." As we keep saying, Obama says he'll raise income taxes and capital gains taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year or singles making over $200,000. He has proposed no plans to raise taxes on either home heating oil or electricity.

[... read the rest of the article here on factcheck.org]

[read "More Tax Deceptions" on factcheck.org]

[read "A New Stitch in a Bad Pattern" on factcheck.org]

Evidence that Sarah Palin is a pathological liar?

Sarah Palin is not truthful. She is not unsure of her answers. She doesn't make "honest" mistakes or slips. She simply lies, knowing she will not be held accountable for it. This is noteworthy, I believe. This could be our future Vice President of the US and is one 72 year-old's health complication away from being President.

She's not trying to convince you of a point. She's not trying to push a platform through. She's not even championing a party r a cause. She's just trying to win. Does that scare anyone else?

Here are just a few examples I found...

"Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Friday defended the nearly $200 million in federal pet projects she sought as Alaska governor this year even as John McCain told a television audience she had never requested them.

In the second part of her interview with ABC News, Palin was confronted with two claims that have been a staple of her reputation since joining the GOP ticket: that she was opposed to federal earmarks, even though her request for such special spending projects for 2009 was the highest per capita figure in the nation; and that she opposed the $398 million Bridge to Nowhere linking Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport.

Palin actually turned against the bridge project only after it became a national symbol of wasteful spending and Congress had pulled money for it.

(from PressDemocrat.com)

-----

"Palin initially denied that anyone in her administration or family had pressed for action against Wooten, whom she has branded a 'rogue trooper.' But in August, two weeks before her nomination as a vice presidential candidate, she acknowledged that members of her staff had contacted Monegan's office nearly two dozen times about the trooper. An aide was suspended after being taped telling a state trooper lieutenant that the Palins were concerned that there had been 'absolutely no action for a year on this issue.'"

(from CNN.com)

-------

Here's what she said to Sean Hannity today, in an interview with so many softballs it must have felt like a relaxing massage. This is from the Time magazine excerpt:

On her family’s reaction to be picked as the VP nominee:
“It was a time of asking the girls to vote on it, anyway. And they voted unanimously, yes. Didn’t bother asking my son because, you know, he’s going to be off doing his thing anyway, so he wouldn’t be so impacted by, at least, the campaign period here. So ask the girls what they thought and they’re like, absolutely. Let’s do this, mom.”

As Andrew Sullivan helpfully points out, this is a direct contradiction to her now-famous interview with Charlie Gibson:

PALIN: I didn't hesitate, no.
GIBSON: Didn't that take some hubris?
PALIN: I -- I answered him yes because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink, you have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we're on, reform of this country and victory in the war, you can't blink. So I didn't blink then even when asked to run as his running mate.

"Here's the official tick-tock of the announcement from McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker on August 29:"

"Later that morning, John McCain departed for Phoenix and Governor Palin departed with staff to Flagstaff, Arizona. Governor Palin, Kris Perry, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter proceeded to the Manchester Inn and Conference Center in Middleton, Ohio. They were checked into the hotel as the Upton Family. While there, Governor Palin’s children, who had been told they were going to Ohio to celebrate their parents’ wedding anniversary, were told for the first time that their mother would be a nominee for Vice President of the United States of America."

(from DailyKos.com)

Pac-man chart:

Are we done with criminals in our White House?

The current regime running America has spent the past 8 years blatantly refusing to cooperate with courts, lawyers, Congress, investigations, and the like. When called to answer questions voluntarily about issues of national security, they refuse. When ordered to testify under oath in front of congressional inquiries, they refuse. They treat subponeas like most people treat telemarketers. Good thing they're on their way out the door, right? It'll be nice to be rid of criminals in the government that have no respect for the authority of law.

But wait... we may not be done with their kind yet.

The Associated Press reports that "Gov. Sarah Palin is unlikely to speak with an independent counsel hired by Alaska lawmakers to review the firing of her public safety commissioner." Likewise, her husband is refusing to cooperate with a subponea in the same case. Sarah Palin, the woman who is supposedly championing ethics reform, is refusing to cooperate with her own ethics probe.

Don't we deserve better than more of the same?

If you're not familiar with Sarah Palin, I offer these articles for your enjoyment (and am happy to receive any from you in return):

Once Elected, Palin Hired Friend and Lashed Foes
Palin Unlikely to Speak with Investigators
Active Role for Palin's Husband in Alaska Government

Whatever your views are, whoever you support... ask yourself if you could deal with four more years of the same kind of government that set the stage for financial giants like Merrill Lynch to fall... four more years of a government that thinks they are above the law... four more years of lies and half-truths.

...and a dash of politics to round out my Sunday morning.

I find it a bit sad that our presidential campaign has turned into a contest between Obama and Palin, but so be it. I found a really good article in the NY Times this morning that was very enlightening on Ms. Palin and I highly recommend it. It's entertaining, even if a bit frightening. Click here for the article.

And one last note, someone asked me why I am so against McCain and Palin and I thought it a fair question. It's not wholly an issue of the candidates' platforms...

1. ...it's the notable absence of a Republican platform that I oppose. John McCain and his camp were screaming "Experience! Experience! Experience!" for weeks until about 2 weeks ago... when it mysteriously witched to "Change! Change! Change!" ... which is what Obama has been saying all along. McCain's camp saw that they would not get elected based on "experience" and so they flipped their jargon switch and away they went. McCain doesn't want change... he wants to win, and therefore will say he wants change if that's what his polls show people would rather hear. Obama's platform has stayed relatively stable. He wants change.

2. Barack Obama selected a running mate based on leadership criteria. When asked, he responded that he picked Joe Biden to help him lead once in Washington DC. Good deductive reasoning skills show us that John McCain picked a running mate to help him win an election... not to help him lead. Sarah Palin is an election gimmick... not a leader. Again, we find that John McCain isn't focused on leading the nation... he's focused on winning an election .

3. While John McCain has, at times , gone against his party's decisions, he has supported the vast majority of them. He has been at the foundation of all of the decisions that have driven our country into the ground! Why am I against him? Because he continually gives reason to believe that he will drive this boat no differently than the man currently at his helm. He gets his money from the same people as Bush. He wines and dines the same crowds as Bush. He runs the same political circles as all the White House insiders. No, he is not George Bush, but as a president he will have the same backers as the current regime.

If you bought a car and for 8 years it leaked oil, spat nasty black soot out the exhaust pipe, guzzled gas, constantly broke down, and smelled like coolant every time you got in it would you buy another car from the same company? Then why would we accept another candidate from the same people who brought you G.W. Bush?

There are lots more reasons but I need to mop my floor so I'll leave it at that. Have a good day, everyone.

Vancouver sunset...

Hi all,

In the middle of a beautiful weekend here in Van city... we went out to Stanley Park yesterday so Katy could do some site work for school and I played harmonica and drew. On the way home we walked along the English Bay shoreline and got to see a really fantastic sunset. Thought I'd share some picture... mostly for Dad because he really likes the boat scene in Vancouver. Gonna do some grocery shopping today and go to jiu jitsu. Nothing exciting planned... perfect.

Correspondence from a friend...

My friend received this email and passed it along to me. It may be going around but I thought it was funny and had a ring of truth to it at the same time...

"I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....
If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."
If you grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, it's a quintessential American story.

If you graduate from Harvard law School you are unstable.
If you attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and then left your disfigured wife after a serious car accident and married the heiress the next month, you're an upstanding Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's values.

If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now."

The Beer Advertisement Strategy

You know, on the one hand I have to say that every time McCain's camp allows Sarah Palin to speak (by all reports, she's usually kept physically separated from press and the interactions you see are pre-screened and scripted) she proves what an unqualified, incapable leader she would make and I'm thankful that they allow her opportunities to show her lack of potential to the voting public. But on the other hand, I have to ask you this:

When was the last time you saw John McCain being paid any real attention?

Seems that no one is interested in him nearly as much now that he has a press decoy.

Wednesday quote...

"You can put lipstick on a pig ... it's still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still going to stink after eight years."

-Barack Obama

...pants on fire.

Ah the Republicans...
Different team,
same game plan.
You can say anything you want
loud enough and long enough
and people will eventually believe it is true.
What did your parents do to you when you lied?
Did they put you in charge of things?
Or did they wash your mouth out with soap and beat your butt?


www.factcheck.org

Just making stuff up as they go...

By SARA KUGLER, Associated Press Writer
(edited for length. Full text can be found here.)

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - John McCain and Sarah Palin criticized Democrat Barack Obama over the amount of money he has requested for his home state of Illinois, even though Alaska under Palin's leadership has asked Washington for 10 times more money per citizen for pet projects.

[...]

Obama hasn't asked for any earmarks this year. Last year, he asked for $311 million worth, about $25 for every Illinois resident. Alaska asked this year for earmarks totaling $198 million, about $295 for every Alaska citizen.

[...]

While speaking to voters in Indiana over the weekend, Obama ridiculed the idea of McCain and Palin presenting themselves as reformers, and suggested Palin was distorting her own record on earmarks.

"I know the governor of Alaska has been saying she's change, and that's great," Obama said Saturday. "She's a skillful politician. But, you know, when you've been taking all these earmarks when it's convenient, and then suddenly you're the champion anti-earmark person, that's not change. Come on! I mean, words mean something, you can't just make stuff up."

Sunday coffee...

Hi all,
It's a beautful morning here in Vancouver... not a cloud in the sky. The winter rains haven't started yet so we get some really nice days still. Katy and I got up this morning and went to breakfast before she had to go to work for the day. She took on a part time job working retail on the weekends but school has proven too demanding so this is her last day working (yay!). It will be really nice to have her around on the weekends. We see each other every night... but we're so busy we don't really get to spend quality time together. I'll be glad to have her home again on the weekends. Being apart and having seperate lives actually makes us like each other more. Who'd have thunk it?Not alot happened this week... short work week was really welcome. My work environment continues to prove itself an invaluable stress reliever. We continue to slowly settle our way into the new apartment... though there's only so much we can do until we get furniture. I'm really tired of sitting on blankets on the floor... but I am grateful that we at least have blankets to put down. One of these days we'll be able to tell the "when we started we had milk crates for a dresser and blankets for a couch" story. Guess I should consider this time invested in a future story. I think today I'm going to do some design work I brought home with me and probably some cleaning here and there.. Nothing terribly exciting. It's nice to have aimless weekends. In fact, I'm going to continue my aimless Sunday by petting this purring kitty begging at my feet. Hope you all enjoy your week.

In reply...

"It is very evident in the comments you write sometimes that you also speak like you know all about both sides 100%. I don't think that is the case. Be careful of the words you choose unless you know everything, (and I don't think you do) ."

If we were to remain silent until we knew everything about both sides 100%, we would never speak.

On the hottie mom and the pregnant daughter...

It makes me ashamed that politics in our country are being handled like a beer commercial on the one hand and like a tabloid on the other.

McCain's camp needed something to lure average voters to their side because John McCain comes across as an old curmudgeon segregated from the real world by money and politics. So what did they do? They went out and recruited an attractive woman who is a mother, an outdoors woman, and unheard of politically. Need to distract the American voting public because the other side is gaining too much celebrity status? Bring in a beautiful woman. It sells beer to the public, why wouldn't it sell a candidate? Is she qualified to lead a country? Hardly. Does that matter? Hardly.

Obama's camp took the natural course and began investigating this beautiful unqualified woman. What did they come up with? Ok, the solid part they came up with is that she is currently under investigation for ethics violations. She plays the same dirty games she preaches against. Big surprise. They came up with several viable attacks on Palin as a VP. What is sick, though, is the pregnant daughter angle. She has a 17 year old pregnant daughter. And this is relevant because...? The Democrats are making an effort to play the game like Republicans because the Republicans always get away with and win big with their dirty tricks. This is just too much. Sarah Palin is wholly unqualified to lead a country but the fact that her daughter is pregnant has nothing to do with that. Whose do you know that has a say over what their 17 year old does, anyway?

So in the end, remember that it is McCain's camp and not McCain, himself, who chose Palin as a running mate. Likewise, it is Obama's camp, and not Obama, himself, who made issue of Palin's daughter. Don't let the shenanigans of a misguided political campaign lead you to believe that it is the candidates calling the shots. I think you might be surprised how rarely that is the case.

Let the record speak...

I was doing some research for a family member I found a website this morning called ontheissues.org. While I haven't gone through it with a fine-toothed comb , it does seem to be a fantastic resource for getting to know a candidate's position based on his own words. Take a look at Barack Obama's page and John McCain's page to get a good idea of what these men have been saying over the past year or so. Still looking for their actual voting records, but this seems more useful. Ok, time to design a gate.

Sadly I submitted and hesitantly I return...

It's been a long time since I wrote about politics. I gave up. I couldn't do it. Time and time again I was shown how badly the system is broken. We have a president who was not elected. We have had 8 years filled with absurdly blatant lies from Washington DC. We have handed over our civil liberties in the name of an enemy who is paraded about as leverage to earn a few people a whole lot of money. We have become terrified, paranoid, and reactionary creatures just waiting for the next person to throw the word "terrorist" into a pitch so we can bite on the one, too. America is no longer associated with justice, freedom, liberty, opportunity, hope, or goodness. Thanks to our government, we are now associated with injustice, oppression, tyranny, and evil. There is no longer accountability. The government has been proven to be above the law. The hardest lesson of my adulthood has probably been that truth and accountability no longer have a place in our world.

I can't believe that our country is run by people with American interests at heart. I watched the commodification of American liberties and security . I can't believe in the ability of the American government to provide for its own people. I watched New Orleans left to drown. I can't believe that the American government works . I saw a rigged election lead to a devastated economy, the defacement of the American name worldwide and the utter dissolution of meaning behind the words "freedom" and "liberty." I believe in my country... but I don't believe in our government.

When I was young and traveling Europe, you could go anywhere and tell them you were American and they would smile and open their doors to you. Now, because of the actions of our government, when I travel the world I get foul looks and harsh retorts when I tell people where I am from. I want to believe again.

There was a time when our economy looked unstoppable. We had a president who pledged to better America and he did. Jobs grew, savings grew, and the deficit shrank. When our current president took office the budget was balanced and there was a surplus in the coffers. Now we are over $9.6 trillion dollars in debt... $9,600,000,000,000 in eight years!!! The vast majority of that money has gone into the pockets of businessmen with direct ties to either the president or the vice president. I want to believe again.

I'm not kidding myself... never has there been a time when Washington was totally honest. But the blatant lies, deception and trickery have got to stop! I want to believe again.

I want to believe in my government again. I want to believe in America again. Tonight, thanks to some good-natured heckling by a fellow American I work with, I broke down and participated in this election season for the first time. I watched Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. I wanted to cry... not because I believe in him, but because I remember when I used to believe. I remember believing in change. I remember believing that the money and power that fuels Washington D.C. could be overcome by the American voter. I want to believe again.

I'm not pitching for one person or another... but I'm begging you... I am literally on my knees as I type and I am begging you to help bring our country back from this horrible place George W. Bush has led us. Get informed. Get involved. The last eight years only happened because too many people fell for campaign gimmicks and Orwellian marketing tricks. Only education and conversation can overcome those things. I have planned on staying as far away from this election year debacle as I possibly could... but if you'll get involved then I will, too. I'll participate simply on the blind faith that this time it may work. I'll participate if it helps convince even one of you to look past the traditional decoy issues like abortion, immigrant rights and gun control to find the actual pressing issues. There is a reason these three things are issues every election but never actually change: they're a distraction from real issues. This can only happen if we, as individuals, educate ourselves and then talk with our friends. If they, too, are educated then when we talk we will sharpen our ideas and our beliefs. If they are not, then maybe they will learn from you or, even better, maybe they will be inspired to go and learn for themselves. It was my friend at work, Charles, who told me it was my duty to be involved... even when I didn't want to talk politics. See, it works. We talked and now I'm involved. I wouldn't be if he hadn't talked to me. Please... America can't stand another 4 years like that past 8. Stand up... speak out... be heard.

Goodnight all...

it''s thursday night and all is well...

Hi all,

Well I'm coming to the close of my second week at work and I must say work is good. It seems my boss and the senior guy there really like my work. They just tossed me some drawings and said, "Here, design this." I've done a small 450 sq ft cottage and some details that they have the general idea for but ask me to design the particulars of. Today I designed a wall to hide a heating register. Tomorrow I will detail a set of stairs. It's not glamorous, but they seem to really like what I come up with. It seems like they're impressed with how fast I picked up the computer program since I've never used it before (3 days). They are pleased/surprised with how fast I work. They are pleased with the ideas I have for their work. It's a really relaxed environment... small office with usually a half dozen people in there working. I sat with the boss a couple days ago and he critiqued my cottage design and worked through it with me. He liked it and we spent an hour or so tweaking some details. I think he likes the way I think about design. In fact, he told me as much in the interview a few times. So I churned out a 3d model for him and sent him some images to use in a meeting with the client and the marketing consultants. He came back to me today and told me I did a good job and that the design and drawings I did worked really well. The boss liked it, the client seemed to like it (never can tell), and the marketing people really liked it. It was a small congratulations but it felt good, nonetheless. Like I said, it's not glamorous, but it's a great environment for me to work in and it's a satisfying job. I actually get to sit around all day and design... cool.

So tomorrow I will go in for a Friday that will likely end with someone bringing a sixer of beer at about 3:00. We'll sit and ride out the working day with a cold bottle at our desk. Last Friday was fun. Tomorrow ought to be, too. This weekend Katy starts school with some orientations and whatnot. She enjoys her new job which is sure to keep her busy between studio and class. She's getting over the latest theft. I have to do some bike maintenance and there's the ritual Saturday cleanup. I like weekends now. They actually mean something... free time! Okay... off to read myself to sleep. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Oh yeah, I've been meaning to give our new address to you all for awhile now...

#208-2851 Heather St.
Vancouver, BC
v5Z 0A2

I miss Peter and Nicholas and Steven and Suzy and Thomas. I forgot to get a family picture with or of them before I left... in fact, I don't think I have any pictures with the whole family.
That's sad.

more bad luck

I don't understand it. Vancouver is a nice place but there's just so much random theft. Katy started a new job today. We were really happy about it. On her first day, someone sneaked into the employee room and went through everyone's stuff, taking Katy's wallet, change purse, and phone. What jerks. As Katy put it, "why can't they be civilized about it like in Toronto? At least in Toronto, they take your money and leave you your life." So she had to cancel everything and we have to wait to buy her a new phone. She just got her bus pass and her student ID today. Gone. This sucks. What did we do to deserve all this? First Katy's computer, then my bike, now this. We like it here... but the random theft sucks. Sure makes it hard to settle into a place.

Jerks.

Stupid, stupid, jerks.

Stupid.

Jerks.

Apartment videos...

First look at our empty apartment...
I have to say that we had just driven for 12 hours through the mountains and were on edge as it was. Then the real estate lady took more than an hour to show up with our keys and when she got there she informed us that it was too late to move our stuff in according to condo rules and that we would have to wait until the next day. No fun. But we dealt with it.



Katy in a closet... I don't know why.



More of Katy in a closet... really, I didn't do it. She went in there on her own. I just film.



Out of the truck and into the middle of the living room... it's not even that much stuff but it sure looks like it.



First official tour...



To the Micals...



A look at Vancouver...



From Burrard Street Bridge...

Sproule and the Gang

Well, my new job is awesome. It's a really great environment and I'm already getting to do some minor design work. I get along really well with the whole office and I look forward to going to work in the mornings. It's nice getting back on a schedule that has me up bright and early in the morning and tired before midnight. All is well... coasting through to my first paycheck and then it's time to get some dishes and maybe a chair. Definitely a haircut. Never thought I'd be excited about getting dishes. Guess I should enjoy the part of my life where my wants are simple and easily obtained. Well, time to get going on my pleasant 10 minute bike ride to work. Bye all.

Eulogy to my carefree youth...

So today I begin my new job at Sproule and Associates.

Goodbye carefree college days.

Goodbye free time.

Goodbye student loans!!!

Oh so many pictures! [and videos!]

Well, we got our place unpacked and are all moved in here. I got a job Friday making really good money and I start Monday. That was a really big relief. I'll be working for a man named John Sproule at Sproule and Associates. (http://sproule-architects.com/) They're a small firm with about 8 people or so doing residential, commercial and resort work. It's a good scale for me... I don't have to design big tasteless skyscrapers and that's the important part. My office is easy to get to and is just a mile down the road. I went to school with one of the guys who works there, too. That's how I got my "in". It's really, really exciting for us... an adult job with adult pay doing actual architecture! They even hired me to be a designer and not a computer jockey! I'm excited to get started.

Otherwise, we're just trying to get settled in... you know, find our new coffee shop, bakery, grocery store, etc... explore, explore, explore! The weather has been nice and has only rained for a few of the days we've been here... it rains all winter, though, from what I'm told. We're preparing ourselves for that. Last night, Katy and I went downtown to celebrate my new job. We locked our bikes up to a steel railing at a busy intersection and went in to eat. When we came out, my bike was gone. They simply cut the lock (yes, on a busy street) and walked away with it... left the lock for me, even. It was a bummer. Luckily, Katy found a Craigslist add for a guy with a used bike and I bought a cheap bike this morning and a lock that was a bit more than the bike. This is the second time I've had a bike stolen... it won't happen to me again. I have to be building up some karma points somewhere with this. So we got over that tragedy quickly... and now we both have good [read: expensive] bike locks.

Well, that's about it for now. I'll throw some pictures and videos up now. Until next time...

Ok, I've posted videos on a different page so this one doesn't laod too slow. To see trip videos click here.



































*Look closely at the back of this trailer. You might have to click on the picture to blow it up.














More photos later... Mountains and Vancouver yet to go!