pic o’ the day: the Aurora Borealis, seen from space

Gawd knows where I stumbled across this, but I had to post it. If this is what it looks like from the space shuttle, imagine what it looks like from directly below! I had the coolest parents when I was little (it was only when I got to be older that they became a PIA); they would wake us up if there were a particularly beautiful set of Northern Lights, so we grew up with the Aurora for our show and tell items, because we were the only little kids who were awake at midnight to watch them.

I also remember a night in Winnipeg, record cold, too, when, just as my mother finished setting the table and called us in for dinner, a huge snowy owl flew right into the living room’s picture window. SMASH! I tell ya, we even turned off Tommy Hunter, even though he had Glenn Campbell on that night! Yep, it was that special.

By the time my father got outside to investigate, the owl was gone. Not the first or last guest to come to temporary grief and lasting headache over the cocktail hour chez raincoaster, alas, but perhaps the prettiest.

We think he was making for the poodle, but we will never know for certain…

Aurora Borealis from space

you’ve lived in Chinatown too long when…


You are one of the more creative of the dictators. When not writing poetry you’re devising your own version of communism. As over two million Chinese staved to death because of your little experiment you should have stuck to writing sappy songs!

What tin-pot dictator are you? Take the “What Dictator am I?” test at PoisonedMinds.com

A Very Shebeeny Christmas

The Father Christmas letters 

For all those writers, publishers, editors, bloggers, and journalists out there. Forget the office party and come drink with The Shebeen Club tomorrow night at the Irish Heather!

We’ll be upstairs in the Reading Room this time, at the Irish Heather in Gastown, 217 Carrall Street in Gastown, from 7-9pm. No cover, order off the menu and enjoy the best damn gastropub in the West!

 

Twas the day before Tuesday, when all through downtown
The email went out inviting Shebeeners down
To the Heather on Tuesday the 19th: tomoz!
For a drink and a nosh and tales of Santa Claus.

 

We’ll have a fun evening, no lectures to hear,
From seven ’til nine, just a-drinking our beer!
With Lorraine with Grinch earrings and a Santa hat,
You can come as you are, or all dressed up in spats.

 

And down in the kitchen arises a bashing
The chef is meat grilling and potato mashing.
Order straight off the menu and pay what you nosh
Tear into the butter, and the whiskies quite posh.

 

“Now Writers! Now Students!
Now, Publishers many!
Come, Poets! Come, Bloggers!
Come, Booksellers, merry!
To the Reading Room of the Heather
At the top of the stairs!
Now party on! Party on!
Don’t put on airs!

 

We’ll read Chrismas stories, and tell our tall tales
So drop in for a bevvy; I’ll tell about the old jail.
The Heather was lockup in decades gone by
So come down, serve your time drinking Guinness and rye.

a child’s podcast in Wales

Lydia sent me Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales as mp3’s, so I thought I’d share them. Hopefully this will work, as I haven’t got time to tweak Odeo and bend it to my will like I normally do.

UPDATE: Nope, it don’t. Will try to fix it later, wish me luck. This should work.

Part One: [odeo=http://odeo.com/audio/4008963/view]

Part Two: [odeo=http://odeo.com/audio/4009513/view]

pic o’ the day: snowglobe warning

Snow Globe Warning!

This is sheer brilliance! Unfortunately, as Gawker reports, it’s not an actual sign but an ad, an ad which Entertainment Weekly refuses to run, thus endangering at least 50% of Hollywood over the holiday season. I wonder how long before some wag at Whistler puts these up just for the hell of it?

Snowglobes: no laughing matter! Betcha anything Canadian Tire will be stocking Therma-Curves before the winter is out.

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