This is the first year I attended the Car-Free day in Vancouver and there was more going on then I expected. 

car-free, vancouver, b.c., main, sunny

Not ideal, there was some blurring and some shading problems, also notice how the
boats path in the water seems mysteriously cut off.

All in all a nice
little experiment, first time I have tried a stitch project this large,
57 photos in all.

This was on a tripod but notice the rising right
slant. I could have cropped this but I didnt want to lose some detail,
might be worth going back to the same area and retaking some shots and
stitching it again.

Check out the image here … http://www.flickr.com/photos/arghmonkey/2275767598/

Dinosaurs have invaded and the only thing that can save humanity are plastic soldiers.

Don’t believe me, click the link and see for yourself.

Check out all the photos at … http://www.flickr.com/photos/arghmonkey/sets/72157603964077442/

These pictures show the modern day hobos surviving around the U.S.

Are things so bad that we are back to 1930′s level of existence?

The photos speak volumes about how the richest country in the world treats its own people.

Take a good look at what happened to the American dream.

More fantastic shots after the jump.

http://ziza.es/2007/07/23/La_vida_de_vagabundos_americanos_42_fotos.html

I planted hot peppers into some brand new clay pots before summer, I
have a tiny little area outside and its quite crowded with beans and
peppers and tomatoes, you get the idea.

Months ago this one pot in particular kept growing what I thought were
weeds and I plucked out as many as I could find, hoping to give my
pepper plant the chance to grow strong.

After a month or so I realized my pepper plant was doing just fine and
I felt I didn’t need to bother pulling out this strange little, dark
green plant, it wouldn’t go away so I let the foreign growth share the
pot with my pepper plant.

Just today, about two months since I stopped pulling out the strange
plant, I go to water my plants and WOW, that weird plant apparently is
some kind of cool colourful flower, looks like an orchid of some kind.

Now I haven’t the foggiest idea how an orchid got into this pot, I used
a new pot, fresh, clean soil and yet the hitch hiker started growing
immediately.  I don’t have any other kinds of plants like this and I
have never had an orchid in my apartment, I haven’t even seen this sort
of plant before.

So I need the help of greener thumbs than mine because I would like to
know what kind of orchid this is.

It has an amazing red and bright yellow centre that doesn’t seem to
“pop” in the pictures like it does in person, theres no scent to it
that I can tell and its small, as you can see from the pictures below.

If anyone has any ideas or if I am lucky and you spot exactly the kind
of orchid this is, let me know

One of the few times I really wish I was living in Toronto is when I read about IdeaCity.  This annual event brings together such an interesting, engaging mix of Artists, Politicians, Architects, Entrepreneurs, Nobel Laureates, Professors, experts in their fields and they come together for a three day event to talk about the world of ideas. The potential for a meeting like this is huge.

This is such a great idea it really makes me jealous for people living in Toronto.  The best speakers on a myriad of subjects.  Hopefully this idea will make it to Vancouver one day.

From the website:

“ideaCity, also known as ‘Canada’s Premiere
Meeting of the Minds’, is an eclectic gathering of artists,
adventurers, authors, cosmologists, doctors, designers, entertainers,
filmmakers, inventors, magicians, musicians, scientists and
technologists. Fifty of the planet’s brightest minds converge on
Toronto each June to speak to a highly engaged audience. Only 497 are
privileged to attend.

Produced and presented by Moses Znaimer, ideaCity
is not themed around any one topic, issue or business. There are no
scripted speeches or, breakout or parallel sessions. Rather, everyone
is in one place and in on the same narrative. With extra-long schmooze
breaks between sessions, and legendary parties each night, attendees
have an unprecedented opportunity to mingle with such notable speakers
as Conrad Black, Barbara Gowdy, Michael Ignatieff, Douglas Coupland,
Pamela Wallin, Pete Seeger, Robert Kennedy Jr., John Ralston Saul,
Daniel Libeskind, Clayton Ruby, Romeo Dallaire and the late Peter
Jennings.”

Cool photo …

http://www.flickr.com/photos/showmeeuphoria/278635073/in/photostream/

Here, Bullet

“I hope….that mankind will at length, as they call themselves responsible creatures, have the reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats…” – Benjamin Franklin

“Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same.” – Marie Beyle

“I hate those men who would send into war youth to fight and die for them; the pride and cowardice of those old men, making their wars that boys must die.” – Mary Roberts Rinehart

“The de facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault.” – Major Ralph Peters, US Military

“Everybody’s worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there’s a really easy way: stop participating in it.” – Noam Chomsky

“An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.” – Thomas Paine

“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.” – Albert Camus

“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act.” – George Orwell