That is, like a used car lot that goes out of business.
At the corner of Kingway and Inverness, which is just a block away, there is a used car dealer called Super Choice Auto. As you might expect, this is not the most glamorous of places and I’ve always kind of hoped that maybe one day it would be replaced by a nice ethnic restaurant, even if the neighborhood needs another one like Vancouver needs another Starbucks.
Two days ago when walking by it on the way to buy groceries I noticed they had the large sign out front partially dismantled and i assumed they were just changing the bulbs in it. But lo, yesterday half the compound was behind a locked gate and every car and most of the signs were gone. The dealership had apparently gone kaput.
Normally I would not wish ill on those eking out a living in these recessionary times but a year ago when we were up to our armpits in regular snowfalls these guys never shoveled the sidewalk around their lot, not even to clear a path for themselves. They did actually clear part of the lot itself to presumably get cars in and out. One of the bright lads in its employ thought it would be a good idea to use a kettle of hot water to help melt the snow on said lot.
I’m sure that turned out well.
So here’s to 2010 and whatever might be going in at that corner in the coming year. Hopefully it won’t just be a vacant lot for ages, though that may be just as likely.
As is her way the cat told me it was feeding time by meowing until I couldn’t ignore her any longer (not that I do, mind you, I’m just saying there is a certain persistent tone in her vocalizations that clearly states ignoring is not a viable option) and so I dutifully went into the kitchen with her following behind. Out of the corner of my eye I think I see something small and dark move toward the back end of the kitchen nook where the litter box is located. Typically when I see such movement it’s a creepy big ol’ spider but this time seemed different.
I got a flashlight and shone it into the nook since it’s not well-lit and the little shape flitted from behind the litterbox to the bucket. I walked over and saw that it was a very small mouse. I then stood back, unsure what to do. As I continued to shine the light, the cat finally turned around and looked in the direction of the mouse. At this point the two were less than ten feet apart. The cat then turned away as if nothing was there. So much for the killer instinct.
I had nothing handy to try to catch the mouse with and it was so small it looked like it could squeeze through almost anywhere. I finally got a can of air to try to direct it out of hiding behind the appliances and it scurried off into the central basement room. At that point I closed the door and put a towel at the base to seal it off. Traps can be set in that room without any pets springing them so that will probably be the plan of action.
Today I decided to finally go ahead and try a 10k run, even though I have a head cold (apparently a bonus gift from traveling back from the island).
It was a relatively balmy 5ºC and mostly clear, with some high cloud and no breeze. Because of the warmer temperature the trail was firm but pliable, like a pair of breasts (or so I have been told).
I started out strong and although my overall time was slower than the previous run, my pace was fairly steady. However, the last 2 km it felt like the countdown announcements simply weren’t going to play on the iPod, as if time was stretching out and defying the laws of the universe. Kilometer 9 felt like about 3 km before I finally got the 1 km notification and then it felt longer still before the final series of countdowns began at 400m. I did not run any extra but I was nowhere near the starting line, so I didn’t cheese on the finish.
Afterward, I must confess to being slightly sore but not too bad there. I am tired as all get-out, though. The run took about 58 minutes.
There were a number of dog walkers and two other joggers at the park but the joggers were working at a fairly light pace. I saw three guys with a football and golf clubs (?), perhaps intent on creating the new hybrid sport, footgolf. They seemed to putt or chip or whatever in the field for a bit. A little later three more guys came by with baseball gloves and ball, because that pre-season can’t start too soon! I hadn’t expected to watch for baseballs in December. They kept them off the path.
Moving forward I will slowly begin working on my 10k time. I’m glad I did this before the end of the year. It’s a nice way to cap things off.
Results:
Total distance: 10.03 km (previous: 8.56 km)
Average time/km: 5:50/km (previous: 5.37/km)
Best time/km: 5.10/km (previous: 5.08/km)
Before letting Mavis Beacon beat me about the head some more for my lack of touch-typing skills, I thought it might be fun to try my hand at programming again.
Over the years I have dabbled a bit in some Basic, coded HTML, made a few stylesheets and wrangled with an SQL file or two, so I’m not completely wet behind the ears. What I am, however, is no longer 12 years old. That means a couple of things. For starters, I am old enough to be adept at a few tasks and so trying something new is bound to leave me a little impatient at getting to the results. I got through the same thing with jogging by using a nine week plan that carefully ramped up the effort needed, so I was always seeing progress meted out. The other thing is by being older my mind is perhaps a wee bit less pliable than it once was. That whole “old dogs/new tricks” thing. I’m not quite ready to assume my brain isn’t up to retaining brand new information, though.
Yeah, it isn’t easy to keep coming up with new titles for my jogging updates. 😛
Today’s run was under sunny skies with the temperature around 3ºC. After thawing and freezing for the past week the trail was hard and frosty in spots where it doesn’t get much sun with the rest being a little more pliable. The park crews had been by since my run last Monday as all of the leaves had been removed from the path. It had that new park feel.
I was curious to see how the six days off due to travel to the island would affect my performance but it turned out to be the best run of my last six, coming in at an average pace of 5.37/km. I also covered more ground than before, 8.56 km, edging closer to my New Year’s goal of 10k. Most importantly, I feel good after the run. I still haven’t heard Tiger come on, but Joan Benoit Samuelson congratulated me on my farthest run yet.
There were a few other joggers out and the usual assortment of dogs and their owners about. As expected the buggies had been cleared away but next to one tree was a not-insignificant pile of clothes. Perhaps someone was concerned the coyotes would get cold in this weather.
Results:
Total distance: 8.56 km (previous: 8.20 km)
Average time/km: 5:37/km (previous: 5.38/km)
Best time/km: 5.08/km (previous: 5.21/km)
Christmas 2009 has come and gone and unlike last year’s silly snowpocalypse, there was nary a flake to be seen fluttering across the sky this time. In fact, the past few days have been dry, cool and sunny, save for today when the fog rolled in.
The trip back on the ferry in the early afternoon was a bit unusual in a few ways. First was the fog. It’s pretty rare for me to be traveling to or from the island in the fog so it was kind of eerie to have the ship glide into a huge bank and be lost from the world, the ship’s horn blasting every minute or so to warn people in smaller boats who thought it was a great day to go blundering about the strait in zero visibility. Periodically we’d come out of the fog and into sunshine and it was then that the other unusual part of the trip was most noticeable — the water was almost completely calm. I mean, there was barely a ripple in the surface. It was like gliding through a pond. A really really big pond, but still. Rather weird but soothing at the same time.
Christmas dinner this year was especially daring as I broke tradition and ate a Brussels sprout. It was okay. I suppose I can cross it off the list of foods I hated as a kid (and I hated a lot of them — I was a fussy eater). Next year I’ll try a sprig of asparagus if I’m feeling really crazy.
While staying at mom’s I was compelled to take a picture of a painting that hangs in the guest bedroom.
At first blush it appears to be a rather benign pastoral scene painted by someone who is obviously not a professional artist. Let’s call them earnest.
But on closer examination I discovered a Lovecraftian horror:
This is not a woman and her young daughter out for an innocent stroll picking flowers and enjoying the sun. No, these faceless horrors are merely in disguise, waiting for the moment to turn their mishapen fleshy hooks onto the unaware and claim their souls as their own, sending them into the spiral of madness that comes from staring into a face that is an evil blank canvas of poorly-shaded skin.
Also, the parasol looks like it’s been turned inside out. My theory is that it’s actually the leathery skin of some unnamed thing that went rogue and was made into this particular object to serve as an example to others who would dare challenge the ways of the Great Old Ones.
After multiple people failed to notice I had shaved my beard off, I’ve decided to grow it back, mostly to see how it looks at various stages of growth. Once it’s back I’ll then decide if I want to lop it off again or keep it.
I am also contemplating what to do with my hair. The last time I got it cut the girl hesitated to cut it as short as I wanted, perhaps fearing I’d have a cancer patient look when it was done. I may go the other way and let my hair grow long instead, though the results of that may be best kept under a cap.
Because winds were supposed to be gusting, I went with three layers today for the run but apparently the gusting stopped before I started. Still, at 4ºC I did not feel too overdressed. The weather was overcast, which was a nice change from the previous run’s torrential rain. As a result, the path was mushy but fully navigable. No ark needed.
I decided to run to a set distance today instead of time, choosing 8 km since my usual 45 minute runs seem to be in that range, anyway. I improved drastically on my previous run, as you’ll see below, and ran a little extra to get to the starting point. My pace was very consistent, which I’m happy to see. The calves both felt a bit sore as I ran but are fine now. I think they are adjusting to the longer distances but at this rate I suspect there will be no discomfort in the next run or two.
Today I was joined on the path by a couple of people with their dogs, a nice lady walking clockwise and, of course, a pair of shopping carts (said nice lady moved them, as both were originally on the path itself):
You may ask me, “Why would someone wheel a shopping cart into a park with a semi-smashed pumpkin in it?” and I would answer, “Because people are mental.” Since there were two carts (the other was sans pumpkin) I am left to wonder if this was a group effort (“Hey guys, I have this great idea…”) or someone with motivations even I cannot divine. I expect the carts to be gone next time but I thrill in anticipation of what may take their place!
Results:
Total distance: 8.20 km (previous: 8.01 km)
Average time/km: 5:38/km (previous: 5.53/km)
Best time/km: 5.21/km (previous: 5.31/km)
Errata: R.E.M.’s album Lifes Rich Pageant is a great album to jog to. Most of the songs are uptempo and unlike some of their albums, none of them is filler. It’s a bit short so I had to pad out the playlist with a few songs from Document.
I still have not heard Tiger Woods chime in on the iPod since his li’l scandal broke. A coincidence, probably, but it seems kind of funny.
I saw Star Wars at the Duncan Odeon shortly after it premiered in 1977. I was 12 years old, pretty much the ideal age.
I also saw it in the theater here in Vancouver when the special edition came out in 1997. I was 32 years old.
I watched it again last week.
What follows is the answer to the question: Can a magical film of my youth withstand the critical, nay, cynical eye of adulthood?
The short answer is: mostly yes. The longer answer follows.
I saw Star Wars before it became the most successful movie ever (for the time) and at the age of 12 I was old enough to understand everything but still young enough to be dazzled in the way only a child can. While the 70s are fondly looked back on by film purists, I think it’s important to remember that film has always been a combination of craft and commerce. When the serials of the 30s and 40s were being cranked out, no one was aspiring to high art. Likewise the exploitation flicks of the 60s and 70s were just mindless entertainment designed to titillate and little more.
Star Wars, though, was one of those films that tried both. In the context of the era, it was unheard of — a big budget science fiction movie complete with veteran actors like Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing to lend it credibility. It’s been well-documented how George Lucas drew from many sources for inspiration for the movie and somehow he made it all work. But how does it fare now?
I have the special edition on DVD. This was essentially a test-run of the CGI effects that would drive the Episode I-III prequels, adding extra bits of shiny and re-inserting a few cut scenes. The quality of the transfer is a bit strange — some parts of the film are very vivid while others still appear muddy and with “noise” in the film. While a few effects shots have been cleaned up, others still have the telltale transparent rectangles outlining TIE fighters that shows how they were overlaid on the backgrounds.
As to the additions and extras in the special edition, most don’t hold up and some even detract from the film. The best ones are a few quick shots that make Mos Eisley look like more than just “four overturned cans of paint” (as one critic dubbed the original). The scene with Biggs and Luke chatting before heading out to the Death Star is also a thoughtful inclusion.
However, the background bits with exotic beasts fussing and farting and noisy little drones flying about are distractions that pull your eye away from the focus of the scene. The infamous “Greedo now shoots first” scene undercuts the character arc of Han Solo going from a mercenary out for himself to someone who actually joins the cause. The worst bit, though, is the re-insertion of the scene where Han is confronted by Jabba the Hutt. Not only was most of the scene reworked for the Greedo/Han confrontation, making its insertion gratuitous, Jabba looks like CGI and Han addresses him as if he was a person and not a giant slug. He even ends with, “Jabba, you’re a wonderful human.” This made sense when the scene was shot because Jabba was just some guy in a bad fur coat. Putting the scene back in was the first sign that Lucas’s ear had gone tin on what worked in the world he created.
But what about the rest of the movie, the parts unchanged from 1977?
For the most part, it still works. There is the sense that you are watching events unfold in a universe that is truly unlike ours, one where technology has advanced but is still grimy and gritty and prone to breaking down. The characters are all broadly and clearly delineated. Luke is the farmboy hero who fulfills his destiny, Han is the rogue, Kenobi the wise mentor, Vader the despicable villain and the droids the comic relief. The only real misstep among the cast is Carrie Fisher’s mysteriously appearing and disappearing British accent that seems to activate whenever she’s in a scene with Peter Cushing. Monkey see, monkey do, I guess. Of all the actors, Cushing seems to delight most in his role, coldly putting the leash on Vader (who else would do such a thing in any of the other movies?) or shrugging off the rebels’ chances of actually destroying the Death Star.
Lucas keeps the stakes high throughout — Luke’s guardians aren’t just killed by the stormtroopers, they’re reduced to charred skeletons, the Death Star destroys an entire planet to demonstrate its power — but deftly keeps things moving with lots of action and banter between the main trio as they battle their way through to the final showdown at the Death Star. Yeah, it’s not entirely believable that dozens of stormtroopers could all miss when firing at them but it’s part of the pulp serial fun of the movie. The heroes face impossible odds but somehow overcome them, anyway.
The original effects are a mixed bag. The Death Star trench runs hold up decently but there’s a certain wobbleyness to a lot of the others where they still work but just barely. Here, you do need to keep the film in context. Effects-wise, I’d say it holds up worse than, say, The Wizard of Oz. Even the special edition spiffing up only goes so far.
There is also throughout the film an earnest corniness than many today might find off-putting but again, it works in the context of the story. These aren’t just characters, they’re archetypes. Han isn’t just speaking for himself but for every guy who just wants what’s his and to keep his nose out of everything else.
One of the things I most notice now as an adult is how Lucas really isn’t very good with his actors. Those that know their stuff, like Harrison Ford and Cushing, manage just fine but the younger and less experienced actors like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher offer uneven performances than a firmer directorial hand would have made more consistent. In this regard I think Lucas actually got worse in the prequels. Still, the lapses aren’t enough to detract from the film as a whole.
Overall, Star Wars still holds up fine. Its flaws are more apparent now and the special edition adds little of value to the film, but it’s well worth seeing. It’s amazing that over 30 years later so few other films have captured the science fantasy feel that makes Star Wars so appealing, even to where it largely eluded Lucas himself.
“I expect I will do a bit better after a few days of rest.” Then again, maybe not!
Today’s (well, technically yesterday’s since it’s past midnight now) run was in a relatively balmy 9ºC and under very light drizzly conditions. I wore my gloves.
The flood at the park had almost entirely retreated so I was able to run along the path except for the one sunken SE corner. My calves were sore from the previous run so I took two days off and partway through this run they felt even more sore. I am fairly certain that I have not re-injured the right calf, as it is not getting worse and when I stopped running it doesn’t hurt (unlike before where the pain lingered even while walking). I think my legs are just complaining about upping the time from 35 to 45 minutes. I’ve added roughly 1.5 km to the run as a result.
Because of the soreness my pace was fairly steady but not very swift. Since i had come so close to 8km before I opted to push for it today. Unfortunately I was only at 7.64km at the 45 minute mark and it took two more minutes to get to 8km. Still, I did it and I’m still walking now, so yay and all that.
Results:
Total distance: 8.01 km
Average time/km: 5:53/km (previous: 5.45/km)
Best time/km: 5.31/km (previous: 5.21/km)
Notable incident: a pair of women were throwing a ball for a dog to catch. One of them had one of those ball scoop dealies that lets you pick up and throw the ball without getting dog slobber all over your hand. They mostly stayed off the trail but one lap they were on it and as I moved to pass them the one woman raised the ball scoop up and very nearly whacked me in the head with it. Her partner gently chided her. Good enough for me!
