Went to see the second "Pirates" movie on the weekend. Heck of a good time. No actual content, mind you, but lots of fun.

It's a wall. There's writing, of a sort, on it.

Patched concrete. Poorly patched at that. Kind of sums up the world, doesn't it?

And, in his on-going race to outdo his idol, Dubya, in moral sleaziness, our Fearsome Leader, Smirkin' Steve Harper, is now using the tragedy in Lebanon as a plea for campaign funds. "Civilians are being indiscriminately bombed, our party supports it, and we want you to send us money so we can keep up the good fight." These guys are making it embarrassing to be Canadian.

Ooooooooohhh, the end is so close!

Of the term, that is. In case you've been following world events and maybe got confused.

Ah, one week left in the term. Don't get me wrong - I really like my job - but it's definitely time for a break.

Life underground. There's an awful lot of it.

Yes, I could stretch for a "head buried in the sand" metaphor, which, I admit, has so many possible applications these days, but...

These days, the "wall" metaphor has so many possible applications, it's hard to know where to begin.

And it's a high fastball!

And theeeeeeerrrrrrre's the pitch!

And it's still too damn hot around here.

Man, it's Florida-hot, Grenada-hot (Prague hot? Ummm..) here in Vancouver! And that calls for - what else? - a nice, cooling beverage. A nice, Italian cooling beverage. Perfetto!

"That apartment up there has been vacant since November, 2004." "Oh, yeah? How come?" "Well, it doesn't have the amenities that people require these days - no dishwasher, no elevator..."

I was taking a picture of the entrance-way to the building when he came up and said, "Can I help you"? Probably thought I was a developer thinking about buying his run-down apartment building, knocking it down, and converting it into very expensive condos. Which, in this town, is a very popular thing to do. Homes in this neighbourhood sell for about $800,000 and up - waaaaaaaaaaay up. This guy, who is, as the saying might go, "differently enabled, intellectually", could never afford to live here if it weren't for low-cost housing like this. He'd be sent to the Downtown Eastside to live with all the other human beings considered "damaged goods". Which would, of course, be criminal. But, since when did that count against Big Bucks?

He's an interesting guy. I first ran into him (though he wouldn't remember this) in a calculus class at the college where I now teach. This was about 20 years ago. At math he was a wizard. When he said the apartment had been vacant since November of 2004, I fully believed him. I overheard him once on a bus, regaling the driver with his memories of how the fare system had changed in 1974 - how the colours and print on the transfers had changed.

Math and numbers in general he's great at, it's the rest of life that he seems to have trouble with. He's "eccentric" and I think he unnerves a lot of people. He has no sense of volume when he talks; his conversational level is just short of a shout. But what he says is thoughtful (in its own odd way) and articulate. At a wild guess, I'd say he'd probably be classified as autistic.

But, nice guy. We had a nice chat about his building. Then one of his neighbours came along with her 2-year-old son, and they were off. As was I.

Anticipation. It's all about anticipation.

Well, it's still July 19th here on the West Coast, but my friends on the East Coast are (or darn well should be) tucked up snug in their beds, dreaming, with any luck, pleasant dreams, so I figured I'd surprise 'em with a new pic to start their day. Probably two pics, really, but...

Just a reminder of what it was like to be a kid in a world of adults.

And, speaking of kids in the adult world, glad to see that The World's Stupidest Man is standing firm behind his plan to push the state of American science back to the twelfth century.

And, our own Fearless Leader, the Smirk, is doing a bit of Bushian grandstanding of his own. "I'm taking my government jet to Cyprus to rescue Canadian citizens caught in the current hell of Lebanon. How selfless of me, eh? Of course, the camera crew, the P.R. flacks that I'll be taking along, well, they're necessary! So we have to leave a few actual refugees behind. So I could have sent just the plane and not taken up needed space with myself and my entourage. So what? Aren't I great?"

It's "greenery" week. I guess.

Ah, but tomorrow it's a day at the ball game. Hot dogs & beer. Hey - it's the thought that counts.

Having just scared the hell out of myself - I thought I'd lost a file I'd spent too much time working on - I figured a little something tranquil was in order. So, this and a vodka-and-tonic, and all should be well again in my world.

I can see the sign now - "Too much pepperoni giving you pain? Pin your hopes on us!"

Just another day in the country. Not today, mind you. Today was a day of marking exams. If you've ever spent a day marking exams, you'll understand my desire to be in the country instead.

And, on the "This Just In" front - good to see George and the Boys are continuing to do a bang-up job in Iraq. Yep, the Olympics, symbol of world peace, got hit today. I guess George & Co. can take heart from the fact that it was evidently an "equal opportunity" hit - Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, Christians. I wonder if the 30 kidnap victims are sitting even now in some dank basement singing "We Are the World".

A phrase I've never seen applied to Dubya.

Life's a serious business, so when it hands you a straight line, you're crazy if you turn down the opportunity.

And you thought it was all mountains and rain.

Sometimes it's fun just to hit the "Equalize" function, and see what happens.

Hmmmmm, pick a government, any government, and apply that thought.

And, this just in, here's one of those governments now! Dumbya fights on, trying to avoid having to treat his prisoners like human beings. Notice the reference to "...civilized peoples..." Not being one himself, it figures that he'd fight anything valued by such people.

And they're good for you, too!

Speaking of "good for you", isn't it swell that George has decided to treat his political prisoners like actual human beings? To follow - minimally - the Geneva Convention? What a swell guy, eh? Read all about his Christian change of heart!

I'm sure there's wood under there, somewhere.

And, if you don't like the late Robert Palmer's music, you're tone deaf. If you don't feel better after listening to "Woke Up Laughing", well... Thanks, Carol.

Wood. I think that'll be this week's theme.

Part of my daily commute. Which I rode today! A Saturday! Gad.

Gees, I hate having a "day job"! Cuts into the time that could more enjoyably be spent taking pictures!

Today is my birthday. It's also Dubya's. Oh! I feel so defiled!

Somebody's watching.

George? Dick? Karl? Donnie?

It is too a different shot!

"Hello. My name is Stephen, and I suffer from "Robert Polidori Envy".
(Sorry - the link is to a commercial site, but they're showing some nice examples of his work)

Yesterday was Canada Day, Tuesday's the Fourth of July. Anybody but me reminded of Stealers Wheel?

Meanwhile, some floral fireworks.

Whew! Just under the wire!