Get over it

My favourite Eagles track from the 'Hell freezes over' tour. Which funnily enough it feels like it might be doing tonight with a very un-Nanaimo like minus thirteen Celsius prophesised. Last I checked our thermometer outside the kitchen window it was minus five and sinking. Brr.

Great line in the song "I'd like to find your inner child and kick it's little ass." Oh yes.

Managed a trip into town for a 'Do' we got invited to although any sudden acceleration or deceleration threatened to put our little 4x4 into a tailspin (Despite good snow tyres). One pedestrian just stepped straight off the kerb on the other side of the road and made a rude gesture because we didn't pull an emergency stop to let him all the way across. I know pedestrians and buses generally have priority, but had I tried to stop quickly on that precise stretch of compacted snow and ice we would probably have broadslid across to the left hand side of the road and into him, there was that little traction. Not a happy thought.

All Christmas presents are wrapped and ready to be delivered. We have invitations for drinks and stuff over the festive season. Six days left to Crimbo. It could well be the first white Christmas I've seen since the 1960's. Yay.

Canaerobic exercise

I've discovered how so many Canadians keep fit. It's a system of exercise unique to Canada called Canaerobics.

It's jolly hard work but comprises of three basic steps;

1) Buy a snow shovel
2) Wait for it to snow
3) Get shovelling

For the advanced practitioner:
4) Wait for it to snow again (It will)
5) Get shovelling (Again)
6) Repeat as necessary (It will be)

I've been doing it all day long. Great for building up those necessary ice hockey muscles in the shoulders, thighs and back. Good for converting 'Molson muscle' into real muscle too.

Now I think I'll go to bed.

Update:
More snow. Hi ho.

Busy going nowhere

Have just taken Dog out for a brief morning walk. The 4x4 is buried, and it's still snowing. Even the ubiquitous Deer tracks that normally cross our yard are absent. Told Wife not to bother getting out of bed. Looks like we're going nowhere today.

Time for coffee.

Snow day

At the moment we're having a bit of a snowy interlude around Nanaimo, with an extra 10-12cm (4-5 inches) of snow at the time of blog entry to add to the foot or so outside the door. Van looks like a rather large snowdrift outside the back door. Had to drag Wife away from work as there was a significant risk that if we had waited until usual finishing time we wouldn't have been able to get home. Even our little 4x4 was struggling, the snow clogging our tyres and converting them to racing slicks.

We managed to avoid ending in the ditch like this guy above by the skin of our teeth, and a not a little intense concentration on the part of yours truly.

Above is the road home. Not quite white out conditions, but getting there.

Nanaimo Parkway southbound at around 1pm Pacific Standard Time.

Another section of the Parkway. This with the snowploughs on continuous duty.

Managed to finish my Christmas shopping today anyway. Presents will need wrapping, but for the moment I'm snuggling down.

Odd observation. Today at 3:13 PST this blog was graced with a visit from the web server registered to the Netherlands Ministry of Justice. That's slightly after midnight if I've got my time zones right.

A big hi from Vancouver Island to the guys in Tech support over there. Doesn't it get boring on the graveyard shift sometimes? Wet and miserable over there too if the local forecast is right. Despite all the current cold and inconvenience, I think I'm much happier over here.

Has Honda cracked it?

Perusing my reading list of blogs as usual and came across this little gem from the UK's Top Gear TV programme.
The item was about the Honda FCX clarity, a Hydrogen fuel cell car currently only available in California for 2009 under certain conditions.

*Subject to limited availability, in designated, limited California market regions, to approved lessees by American Honda Finance Corp. Closed end lease for 2008 FCX Clarity, for qualified lessees meeting specific use and operation requirements. Not all applicants will qualify. No purchase option. Zero capitalized cost reduction. Taxes, license, title fees, liability insurance extra. Monthly payments of $600.00 for 36 months. Total monthly payments $21,600.00. No mileage limitation or excess mileage cost.

As it says on Honda's own dedicated web site.

The video tells part of the story, but on the face of it this particular car may have part of the answer to the transport / emissions conundrum. The production of sufficient Hydrogen and development of a refuelling infrastructure may follow if the trial programme is practicable. The price of Hydrogen is the other matter. Can it be economically produced in sufficient quantity to supply demand? I hope so.

Another more cynical, thought emerges; will this category of technology shut the Eco freaks up? Personally, I think not. Certain of these guys want the whole concept of the car and the liberty it gives to the rest of us to die and be buried deep. They hate anything above the level of the horse and cart and subsistence agriculture. They hate liberating technologies because they do not understand why people need it, and what they cannot understand they fear. Simply cruise the Internet for any tin foil hattery about a specific technology. The lies are out there, and I regret to say they've got the facts outnumbered.

My predictions if this fuel cell technology takes off? There may be spurious stories about Hydrogen causing Cancer / Lung Disease etc bandied around by the media, perhaps even direct action against Hydrogen production facilities. Next thing you know, the water vapour from the exhaust of a fuel cell powered vehicle will end up in the same category as CO2, classed as a cause of 'Global Warming' (Some of which would come in handy around about now, it's minus six celsius outside my house, and that's without wind chill). No dopubt some future politician will build a whole 'Eco vote' campaign around it, similar to the one currently based around CO2 emissions. (Engage Sarcasm mode) We must 'save the planet'. Yeah, right (Sarcasm mode off).

I like the Honda concept, it has possibilities. Providing of course that the law of cock-up doesn't get in the way. However, Honda have a good track record of delivering technical solutions, so I will remain guardedly sanguine about the future. Even if it isn't going to become mainstream until 2018.

So this is......

Well, if this is the Global Warming the politicians and activists keep wittering on about, it's very pretty to look at, being deep, crisp and even etcetera, but it's also bloody cold. Currently minus 2 Celsius by our thermometer outside the kitchen window and SNOWING. Current depth around ten inches (25cm) and deepening. Now This latest batch of the white stuff looks like it's here for the next day or so if these two photo's (Taken at 08:10 PST 14th December) are any indication.


Brother in Law is supposed to be driving up from Victoria this evening. Well, if he hasn't got snow tyres the Mounties won't let him even attempt the Malahat, the highway between Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island (Webcam link here). Current conditions look pretty difficult. Time to hunker down and stay home I think.

Update:
10:20. A Snow covered Mudge Island is materialising as the snow fall eases. There is a thick ghostly carpet all the way down to the waterline and our thermometer is reading slightly under minus three Celsius. Dog and I have been out for a romp in the white stuff, which is over a foot deep (30cm) on our drive.

Dog loves snow. Just as well really.

Snow gone

Looked out of our window this morning, and all yesterday's snow has gone. There might be some left up on Mount Benson, but we'll see that when Wife and I pootle in to town for a civic 'do' this afternoon.

Next report is for another, more substantial fall to hit in the early hours of Sunday. Must make sure everything is in standby mode in case the power goes, although BC Hydro, our local Energy supplier has been trimming potentially fragile trees that might bring down the power lines all Summer, so maybe we'll get away without outages this year.

Last year, one heavy fall of snow brought down eleven trees across Barnes Road which feeds down into our little Waterfront enclave. This year we're wrapping up extra warm.

Snow on the road

Some quite heavy snowfall in town that is currently turning to rain. Got a call from Wife around 11am when the white stuff started coming down and so fired up the 4x4 and dashed off to the rescue. The Island Highway was quite greasy despite the volume of traffic, and the steering wheel gave a couple of minor twitches as we passed over some compacted slush at a couple of points. Local gossip reported a few people stranded when their cars couldn't cope with the compacted ice and slush. However, we didn't see anyone in obvious distress, so matters can't have been that bad.

Current conditions on the main routes out of Nanaimo are not too bad at present, although we heard a report of an accident near Terminal Mall on the radio around fivish as we made our way home. We elected to go home the long way and ducked out of town along Bowen and Pine down to Tenth Street. Sue, our little 4x4 (As in a boy named) coped easily with the conditions. Now Wife, Dog and I are tucked up cosy and snug at home. That reminds me, I was going to make a little mulled wine this evening. Good idea.

The video is a bit naff, but.....

I'm not a fan of 'Xena - Warrior Princess' apart from thinking 'great number', and red blooded carnal thoughts about Lucy Lawless bringing a lump to the old trousers.

Never saw the movie 'Electric Dreams' from which this song came so this one is missing from my ELO archive. A cracking little tune by Jeff and the boys. I think an MP3 download is in order.

Forecast for snow days

While we're waiting for the snow to arrive, I've taken the liberty of adding a little seasonal snow to the blog. Not that anyone will notice, my reader stats logging something between zero and 'whoops, what's this load of old tosh'. It pleases me.

Local forecast is for a six inch snowfall sometime in the next three days. Whether it gets to us down at the waterfront I don't know. We'll see. Our little Mountain Goat of an SUV is thoroughly prepared with Winter Kit, snow tyres etc, so we're quite looking forward to slipping it into 4x4 mode and pootling around in the Wintery whiteness.

Gas prices locally are still slipping downward, and have reached 82 cents (About 44p UK) per litre. Still a ways to go yet. Amazing what happens when the speculators get their fingers burned isn't it? No money to gamble with, the latest 'Peak Oil' scare being ignored. I don't mean to be complacent, but the world is still here, and economic difficulties aside will continue to be.

Day job has been keeping me quite busy of late, and I seem to spend half my life in or travelling to, meetings. Still, I took it on, and although there's much to do we're getting there. Which a lot of people won't be doing if we get a big dollop of the white stuff as prophesised. Time for a coffee break.

Global 'Cool it' Video

Although I don't agree with the "It's all CO2" argument, and that the climate changes with or without human influence, I like this video and what Bjorn Lomberg has to say. Especially his approach to the arithmetic of the situation. Loved his explanation that 'saving' one Polar Bear (Maybe, maybe not) a year in fifty years time with Carbon tax was pointless because 3-500 Ursus maritimus are shot per year for making a nuisance of themselves. Want to prevent 'heat deaths'? Some air conditioning might be a good idea. Oh, and what about the cold related death toll? Which is ten times any caused by heat.

As Bjorn points out, if you want to make a difference, increasing the albedo of urban areas and planting more greenery seems like a far more sensible idea than the economic seppuku of 'cap and trade' and 'carbon taxes'. More money for energy R&D would be good too. Put some more cash into projects which can bring positive results, like jobs in technology research and production. More efficient Solar panels? Maybe? Cleaner, and more efficient power production? Yes, good idea. Cleaner and more efficient cars? Definitely. Money into Fusion power research? Yes, a priority.

We need research and development. Anyone who has been in business knows that a healthy, well managed R&D department underpins a companies ability to keep producing better products and so keep making a profit. Bjorn makes his points well. Spend less on the 'climate' and more on adaptation.

H/T Theo Spark

Paradise found - on YouTube

From the ultimate Demigods of comedy. Utter brilliance and terrific news.

Sea Lion surprise

Took time out from the day job to take Dog for a good walk along the sea front and came across this piece of waterfront theatre macabre, a decidedly deceased Sea Lion. Possibly a Steller because of the lighter coat colour and wider, flatter snout. It's also over the maximum size (2.5m) for a California Sea Lion. The one in the pictures I took is 2.74m long as close as I could measure.
The scale in the picture can be ascertained by the tape measure, which is stretched out to twelve inches in the top picture (305mm) and twenty four inches (610mm) in the picture below. As you can see, the corpse is pretty fresh and despite the gulls having pulled the eyes out, is in pretty good condition. Another couple of tides will change things though. My smaller walking staff as seen in both pictures is 50 inches (1.27m)long to give a further idea of scale.

Now this is the third dead marine mammal I've come across in the last four months or so on the same hundred metre piece of waterfront. On this one there were two blemishes in the pelt that could possibly be bullet holes, but I can't be sure because I've only ever seen bullet holes in people before now (Long story, one I'll save for another day. Suffice it to say I didn't cause the holes in the people).

Two dead seals and a Sea Lion washed up within four months on the same stretch of shoreline? That I think pushes the envelope of coincidence a bit too much. Has someone been potting the local Pinniped population? I'm told that it happens. Possibly as a measure to protect the local Salmon population, which is currently at a low.

Fog and awe

For the past three days it's been foggy, and today visibility seems to have closed in to well under a hundred metres. You keep on waiting for the greyness to burn off, but I suppose this is the downside of living close to the sea, although I can't recall this happening last year. The temperature hits the dewpoint and bye bye view of Mudge Island. Yet right now the fog appears to be lifting, and not before time. That was getting truly depressing.

Yesterday afternoon Wife and I travelled up to the Galaxy Cinema and spent it watching the latest Bond movie, Quantum of Solace which left me a little stunned with the visual overload during car and rooftop chases. I think I'll have to watch it three or four times to catch all the detail in the various chases. Daniel Craig too seems to be closer to Fleming's literary creation than any of the previous incumbents. He seems to have encapsulated both the brutality and mortality of the role. The sense of violence he brings with him is intense and more tangible.

The opening sequence of the movie reminded me of an incident I witnessed on the entrance to the St Gotthard road tunnel in Switzerland a few years ago, where a car, an Audi TT as I recall, got caught in the blind spot of a big truck. The truck moved over into the exit lane and first pushed the car onto the hard shoulder, then as the hard shoulder narrowed on the exit slip road, began to crush it against the crash barrier while all the time the car was buckling, the windscreen starring, the car driver all the time sounding his horn and shouting. We were on my old Triumph 900 just behind the truck and couldn't believe what we were seeing. Bits and pieces of trim scattering all over the road. Behind, we had to do some fast manouevring to avoid some rather nasty punctures. By comparison, in the movie Bond's Aston Martin got off lightly. The Audi was totalled, finally coming to a scrunched up halt, jammed between the crash barrier and the truck, a third smaller than it was. Fortunately, the driver and his family got out unhurt.

Am currently boning up on Mathematics and Physics as a background to improving my job prospects. It's surprising how much you forget over the years. However, the old learning comes back pretty quickly too. All you need is a little practice and the fog lifts.

Update: Twenty minutes later and the fog is back with a vengeance. Just goes to prove the old Vancouver Island saying; "If you don't like the weather right now, go inside and wait five minutes."