Is rain really breaking news?

It's October 25. This is Vancouver. It is raining. And this is news?

There is a rain warning out for Vancouver. And it's not the warning: "It's gonna rain until March" which, well... we know that. The warning is that it's going to rain more than 50mm today. OK, so it's a very wet day... yes, we have those.

The rain warning includes a request for people to keep storm drains clear of leaves and try not to put the wet leaves into the road, where it makes it slippery for cars. This is good advice any time it rains, and I can see where people new to the city need to be told this advice, but it's not just for today... until March would be the real advice - things other than leaves fall into storm drains after the fall is over!

For the average person living in Vancouver, this warning thing seems rather over the top... until you read that the Grouse Grind has been closed due to the heavy rain! Oh my goodness! The Grouse Grind! That's extreme! Think of all those people who won't be able to run up Grouse Mountain today! And it may be closed for a few days while they assess the trail!

Outdoor recreation curtailed by rain, that is the news that scares Vancouver.

I love this place!

Should a submarine really be a tourist attraction?

Submarines typically travel in the water. Usually below the surface of the water. So really, an average person doesn't get to see a submarine that often.

But when they run aground and then the tide goes further out... well, that's an event.

In Scotland right now there is a nuclear submarine which has just been towed back out to see by tugboats after running aground off the Isle of Skye. There is a good picture of the submarine - I think after it was saved - in the Guardian news.

The report says many people were on the shoreline watching the event. Stealthy. Well, I live beside an ocean as well, and I would be on the beach taking photos if a submarine started coming up on our shore. It would be thrilling. But should a working submarine really be a tourist attraction?

Are these water craft really that hard to steer? If they are that hard to steer, should they really be nuclear powered? The news article said they ran aground while doing an exercise in familiar waters. Does this mean the driver got a reckless driving ticket? Is the driver a rookie just learning how to aim that thing? Isn't that just a bit more than bloody dangerous?

Back in February 2009 I posted the question "What will collide next?" when two submarines crashed in the ocean and then two satellites crashed in outer space. I am once again struck by how badly these very expensive bits of technology are aimed or driven. Do the drivers just need some more sleep?

What food to pair with this?

Chicken and other white meats, including several types of fish - but not all - you pair with white wine. Which variety of white wine... well, that depends.

Beef and other red meats - you pair with red wine. Which variety of red wine... well, that depends.

The rules can get to be quite challenging. And then you get the people who say you have to drink what you like, and forget the rules. So you have to know what you like... which is a test, because some liquors taste better with certain foods, and do you know what you are talking about, or will you make yourself look foolish by picking a bad choice?

But I've recently consumed a wonderfully inclusive and easy-going cider. It says "ideal with food" on the label. 

That's almost Zen-like.

Ideal with food. Simplicity in itself. And a wonderful cider I definitely recommend!

Do we really need pink toilet paper?

There is such a thing as supporting a good cause. Financial support to fund research for the cure for cancer and emotional support for people affected by cancer - that's supporting a good cause.

Then there is jumping on a bandwagon for a good cause, and for brand advertising. Putting little pink ribbon logos on the shoes you manufacture and sell - and presumably give some of the profits from sales to research - would be an example of this.

And then there is planning and executing a guerilla attack on the bandwagon to raid the cause and make everyone on the bandwagon look like they are grabbing an advertising opportunity instead of supporting a good cause. Pink toilet paper is an appalling example of this. I saw it yesterday. There was lots of it. It was on sale in the local drug store. There was still lots of it.

Do we really need pink everything? Is it even healthy to use coloured toilet paper? What did they dye it with, and why would we want to come in close contact with that? Who thought this was a good idea? It should give the competition a boost anyway... maybe it was corporate sabotage... make all the product un-sellable so the competition gains the advantage. Devious.

Isn't Wednesday the 13th more scary than Friday the 13th?

Ah, it's hump day. The middle day of the week. If you can make it over this hump, you can coast to the weekend.

That's a big IF.

And this week it's the 13th! The dreaded 13!

The number 13 has it's very own phobia - triskaidekaphobia. When the 13th falls on a Friday it has an additional phobia called Paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia. That's just friggin' amazing, eh? The earliest documented evidence for the Friday the 13th phobia is from the 19th Century. I think it may be time to update the phobia list with a Wednesday entry.


So far today, I phoned my pharmacy to renew a prescription 5 times. The first 4 times my call was dropped the moment I said I wanted to renew a prescription. I tried phoning an insurance agent about the status of a travel medical insurance application and they said "yeah, we'll get to it". The travel starts on Friday, so I think that's a slim chance. The new neighbor is renovating his entire apartment and the workers are making a hell of a mess of the hallway. I have put masking tape around the front door to try to keep the dust out, but they are keeping the front door of his place open to allow for the most dust possible to get into everyone else's home. And now they are storing stuff in the hallway in front of the door to the stairwell. 

That's the fire escape route I would need to take if there was a fire...I may be in trouble.


I would like this day to be over, and I'm ready to go hide under the bed sheets now.


Friday the 13th is nothing... I have 2 more weekdays to make it through before the weekend comes and life calms down... Wednesday the 13th is the scary one! Let's call it wiggatriskaidekaphobia, to coin a word.