Taking Stock

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President Barack Obama

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Thursday April 30, 2009

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Time to take stock? Well, that is what President Barack Obama did yesterday after the famous 100 days. And, what is the verdict? Well, the man is optimistic of course, as is his nature. That is his job as I am sure everyone is aware - to be optimistic. He is certainly sticking to the playbook as anyone can easily determine and so, the verdict is positive. And, it will always be positive. He thinks things will get better, but we just need more time.

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The president inherited quite a mess as everyone knows and he is doing quite a good job all things considered, in my opinion. My beefs surrounding the president are that he is continuing the war of aggression in the Middle East, expanding into Afghanistan and now Pakistan as well. I did not think he would do that as forcefully as he is doing, but I suspect that it is a pretty tough political battle for him to deny the existence of the Military Industrial Complex. The one thing you have to give the president credit for, however, is that he is a realist; he knows the score and that is why he is playing his cards the way he is. Let us just hope that after all is said and done that the American people wind up with something tangible, like maybe getting their economy and their jobs and their futures back - sometime in the future.

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Which brings me to the economy because things are always about the economy, or so it would seem. The economy and the bankers is the greatest challenge confronting the president I feel. It is these bankers ( this includes Ben Bernanke and Allan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve System of private bankers ), these Wall Street financiers who caused this financial mess for us. With their derivatives and their packaged products that became toxic world wide, the world is now suffering a Great Recession and a corresponding crash in the stock market. This means of course that Barack Obama has to step into yet another mess and supply billions for the bankers and their balance sheets. That is the power of the bankers, that the president must continue to play this game of bailout; he has no choice, either by simple pragmatics or by political power; the bankers are all powerful and the president knows that. This is the group that can cause great damage to an economy, politically and economically and that is why the president must cater this group even if he does not want to. We do not know what the real state of their balance sheets are, we can only play the game because there is no other game to play and that is the way the president has assessed the situation as well.

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And, so today we find in the economic news that stock markets are rising world wide and that the sentiment is possibly changing. One analyst says that this is the beginning of the bull market and that it is for real. Is he right? Who knows, but I think the people are looking for any kind of positive news now and this is the kind of news that will do just fine, even if it is not true. The people need this kind of news at this time and that news has been delivered.

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Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Picture of Barack Obama found here:

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At the Huffingtonpost.com

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Back on the job Wednesday

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Wednesday April 29, 2009

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Back to the old grindstone eh? Yup, just two more days and the month is done, and then on to a new one. Isn't life great? I mean, when it keeps giving us these months to enjoy. Just one after the other like there is no tomorrow. Except, of course, there always is a tomorrow. Well, I mean, you might not live to see it, but undoubtedly there will be a tomorrow and many more like it. In fact, there will be an eternity of tomorrows, if eternity exists that is. Oh well, these are the thoughts for the people who care about these kinds of things, and who are in charge of them of course. But, then again, there may be no one in charge of these things at all. Like, maybe nature is in charge and it is just a continuous thing with no brain and no plan - just nothing. Life and nature just go on forever and forever because that is the way it has been forever in the past and that is the way things will be forever in the future as well. So, why fight it? Just live it. That is my recommendation anyhow.

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Anyhow, back to the reality of being a human being and a courier of course. That is my current contribution to society by the way. I am a courier driving around all day and making deliveries. That is my job and someone actually pays me to do that because they think there is value in what I am doing. I am very glad actually that someone is willing to pay me for driving around all day because I don't think I would rather be doing anything else. Think about those gods in the sky roaming around in the universe all day and all night. Do you think someone pays them for cruising about for an eternity? Not likely. But, at least they are having fun aren't they? And, besides they don't need money anyway. They are all dead and on someone else's payroll. Maybe it is God himself or perhaps some other god which we have never heard of before. What does it matter anyway? Probably not at all if we never see these people or if they never talk to us. Just who really cares? Well, I certainly don't care about all of those other gods, if they even exist that is. All I know is that there are courier gods and they are taking care of me and my business.

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And, just how do I know that there are courier gods? You want proof? Well, I will give you proof. Actually, I don't have to prove anything to anybody. Ever. I just have to believe that the entities exist and that they are on my side. And, I know that they are because I wouldn't be able to get through my day without them. There would be no sun coming up and there would be no roads to drive upon all day long. And, there would be no customer phoning me to come and pick something up for them. There would be none of these things if there were no courier gods. But, there are these things and there are my gods. So, that is my proof and I am sticking to my story. So, if you have a better god and a better idea then the more power to you.

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Thanks for checking in and have a nice day!

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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The Last Day

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Tuesday April 28, 2009

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Well, today is my last day off and then back to work tomorrow. And, the picture above is the Last Supper featuring Jesus. Now, when Jesus was crucified and all was said and done Christianity could finally get underway; the groundwork had been set by the killing of Jesus.

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I guess the point of the whole thing is that it is first things first. There would be no Christianity if Jesus was not crucified, so his death was necessary for Christianity to flourish and to even develop as a world religion. I believe that fatalism is an important attribute here, well, for me anyway. I think things just happen and there is nothing that we can do about it? Did the Father in Heaven make Jesus die? Of course he did and if he didn't there wouldn't be a heaven and there wouldn't be a God. But, all of these things are fatalistic in nature; they simply have to occur - because they must. You cannot predict the future but you cannot deny the past. I think that is the most basic lesson of history and of mankind.

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So, what has the killing of Christ got to with my circumstance anyway? Well, just about everything actually. Today is my last day off and my future begins again tomorrow. Will I get crucified today you might ask? Well, in a way the answer is yes. But, it certainly won't be the kind of crucifixion that Christ experienced. Nevertheless, it will be a kind of crucifixion for me. Later on today my life as I lived it today will die and it will forever be just history. No matter how I try and change my life nothing will emerge that was not meant to be. Fate will drive my day just as it will drive all of my tomorrows. And, that is the lesson of life in a nutshell I believe. So, accept your fate whatever it might be and enjoy it for what it is. And, if you must die today then die and let things be. Because there will be a tomorrow just like there was a today. But, since we are dealing with the future we are dealing with the unknown, and that is the way that things should be. And, it is the way that they shall forever be. Jesus Christ and others like him stepped into this world to let us know about the present and the future. He died like all men will die. And, just what did he accomplish by dying? He showed once and for all the importance of mortality and what it really is. Mortality is the knowing that all life means death. But, each death is unique since no person knows how and when it will occur. I think the lesson of Jesus Christ is one of hope, hope that there is a future after death. I am not sure if there is life after death, but I am quite sure that fatalism will decide the manner and condition of all events, past, pesent, and future.

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Thanks for reading and have a nice day

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Still a bear market

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Monday April 27, 2009

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Enjoying another day off from the courier wars. I have many things on my mind this Monday morning, but I do not necessarily want to bore you with the details. I still think the stock market is in a bit of pickle and I am not planning on pumping any money into stocks at this time. My portfolio is up a bit since the beginning of the New Year, but so what? All I am interested in is preserving my capital since quite a bit of it was extracted from me just like everybody else's was. You simply have to be on guard during these perilous times because the game is about control and power. Those with power and those with control like to keep things that way if they can, so just be cautious and do not do anything stupid with your money. Who am I to talk anyway eh? Anyhow, here is a great little audio piece if you are interested in things like power and banking and finance and the like. It is called ' The Financial Barbarians at the Gate ' or something like that. Anyhow, it is a really good listen and explains in precise terms what the bankers are up to. The interviewee is a professor, a Dr. Michael Hudson, who seems to know of what he is talking about:

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Listen here

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Well, hope you guys have a nice day and enjoy this audio piece. It might even change your mind a bit and think about world finance from time to time, just like it made me do. Talk to you all tomorrow and have a nice day.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Pictures of Bears Here

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The courier gods

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Hermes

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The messenger god of the Greeks

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Good Morning Friends,

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A day for reflection and to think about the courier gods.

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Not many people know this, but there are in fact courier gods. Just as the Greeks and Romans had gods, so too with the modern-day courier. These are the entities which work behind the scenes guiding the lives of us couriers. They are much like the present-day ' God ' of the Christians and those of the Muslims. But, they are not one, there are many of them; they are all-pervasive and all-knowing. And, they all have their jobs to do in making sure that a courier gets through his day and is able to serve his customer in the best way imaginable.
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The courier knows that the customer is in fact a very important person. For without a customer the courier does not make a living. So, this is perhaps the most important task of the courier gods - to match up the best customers which each individual courier company and individual driver. The gods are actually in charge of this important detail. Think of it as sort of match-making skill that the gods are involved in here. They bring the personalties together so that they can enjoy a satisfactory relationship.
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These gods not only make sure that customers are associated with the best courier company that can fulfill their needs, but many other things as well. Couriers know, for example, that even conditions like traffic and the amount of work that he his given is solely based on the courier gods; they do in fact regulate all of the conditions under which a courier operates. A wise courier knows these things and that is why he takes the good and bad in his stride. He knows the gods will provide for him and that they will do things in their own way and in their own time. They can make a delivery late as well as make sure that a time-sensitive document is delivered right down to the last second and on time. Couriers know all of these things and this knowledge gives the courier a unique outlook on life. A courier is not critical and does not get mad or even worry about the events on his daily job or in his life generally. Many couriers complain as a matter of course, but it is only in fun for they do not want to upset the gods. He has learned through experience to trust the judgement and the will of the gods - they control the destiny of the courier. .
A seasoned and dedicated courier loves and trusts these gods who rule over his business. A sapient courier knows that these entities operate in the background and are responsible for the safety and good fortune of all couriers and their valued customers as well. So, if you ever want to be a courier and understand the business you must know that you cannot do your job alone and must rely on these courier gods who know all and do all. You must submit to your gods and trust them with all of your might. Once you do that you will find that your life will be better served and that you will be able to greet and meet each of your customers with a fresh perspective. Remember, it is the courier gods who allow you to interact with that pretty secretary and to make your day come alive monetarily and socially. And be cautioned: the courier gods have the ability to engineer a bad personal experience when you step out of line as well - so do not under any circumstance antagonize the gods! The gods, as you are now aware, have great power and must not be criticized or questioned. They simply must be loved and respected, and obeyed. So, keep in mind that all of your customer relationships, good and bad are chosen by the gods. When the customer is smiling and providing you with jobs that make your life worth living it is important to know that this person, asking for your services, and in fact, relying on them, is the result of the decision of one of the gods. Your customer was chosen by the gods - for you! The gods, in fact, have blessed you both by bringing you together so that you can enjoy a mutual and prosperous relationship together.

.Have a nice day and talk to you all tomorrow

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Here are some related courier posts found

on the main part of my blog:

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.Courier Jobs in Vancouver
Coffee and a Muffin at McDonald's
A Courier Party
Best Elevator in Vancouver: A Feature Report
Best Elevator in Vancouver - Coming Soon
When The Going Gets Tough Jump
Another Gorgeous Day in Vancouver
The Heart of the Matter

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.Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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have you checked out Susan Boyle yet?

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Saturday April 25, 2009

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Saturday April 25, 2009

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Here are some scenes from work yesterday;

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....naturally, I started out my day at McDonald's

getting my free coffee in North Surrey

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they are lined up early

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Here are a few scenes from the Langley area

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Below is a McDonalds on 200 Street





Below is 82 Avenue just east of 200 Street
and driving eastwards








Below is the Church of Latter Day Saints
under construction on 82 ave in Langley

Driving through Burnaby now

Below is part of the Sky train system

running through Burnaby

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This is Vancouver

And, this is the Cloverdale Racetrack

where I will be today at

1600 hrs.

see you there if you are coming

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Have a nice day

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Friday April 24, 2009

Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Friday April 24, 2009

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Above picture is my father Mike Baydala. Mike passed on just two years ago today. I took these pictures of Mike just before he died. As you can see the pics are at a racetrack, it is Hastings Park Racetrack in Vancouver where Mike hung out on Saturdays.

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Speaking of racing, tomorrow is a racing day at Cloverdale. I remember asking one of the girls who sells tickets at this track if she thought there were race tracks in heaven. This person, who told me one time that she is a ' deep thinker ' replied: " I am sure there are several of them ". Well, I sure hope she is right because I am certainly going to need something to do on my days off. I wonder if my friends will be joining me there as well. Post time is 1600 hrs if anyone is interested. So, don't be afraid to contact me if you are in town and want to go. Well, that is all for now and have a nice day.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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McDonald's Means Freedom

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Thursday April 23, 2009

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I thought I would start out the day by giving McDonald's a great big pat on the back. McDonald's is on a roll even in these trying times. Yes indeed, they are making profit while others are dying. And, why is that? Because McDonald's believes in freedom that is why. Freedom in every way imaginable. Here is just more proof of why this company is so successful. Look below and you will see a picture of my Blackberry pager. This is the device that I use all day long to receive my deliveries from my dispatcher and to communicate with him and my courier friends. Here is what one of my comrades reported to me yesterday via an e-mail on my Blackberry. I am paraphrasing of course but this was the jist of the e-mail:

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"...went into McDonald's and ordered a coffee, nothing else. an employee ( not the actual word used ) said that small coffees were free today. Grabbed the free coffee and sat in their dining room, for free, reading their free paper. God bless free enterprise. " end of quote and e-mail.

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Dear readers you have no idea how upbeat I was after reading this e-mail from a Comrade worker. A worker by the way who has criticized this institution for his personal reasons. His loyalties in the fast food industry lie elsewhere and it is not his habit to frequent the McDonald's corporation as I am prone to do. So, his comments made my day as you can well imagine. As you know I am a very dedicated McDonald's customer. I visit a McDonald's at least once a day and sometimes up to three times a day for my sustenance. And, it is McDonald's that I rely on to keep me going during the day, for inspiration and food and to utilize their facilities, which are also free of course. There are McDonald's scattered everywhere throughout the Lower Mainland and I search them out in my daily activities as a courier. They are like home when I find one and I rely on them during the course of my working day. Well, the e-mail from my friend just confirms my belief in this wonderful institution. They are serving the customer just as I am serving the customer. And, they are giving something back to the community during these hard recessionary, dare I say, depressionary times. Let's all give a big round of applause to this noble public servant, McDonald's. A company that truly understands the meaning of freedom - and practices it. God Bless McDonald's and all that it stands for.

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Have a nice day and don't forget to pop into McDonald's for your free coffee. This is a limited time offer and ends on May 2nd, and is only valid during the breakfast time slot. See you there. P.S. the McDonald's picture of their head office in Burnaby, B. C., was taken yesterday afternoon. The picture at the bottom was taken within the last two weeks in Richmond, B.C. It is in east Richmond by the Knight Street Bridge.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Back to Work Wednesday

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Wednesday April 22, 2009

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It is back to work today after a bunch of days off in a row. I took the unit out for a spin on my last day off in order to get a few shots for you. The weather was pleasant, but it was not as warm as advertised on the weather page. It was rather hazy out actually. These snaps are mostly of Delta Municipality, which is located just to the west of Surrey where I live. The first photo is the Alex Fraser Bridge which spans the Fraser River just west of the City of New Westminster. I am driving east along River Road in Delta.

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Above picture is Avcorp, a company that supplies parts to airplane manufacturers.






Above is Delta Cedar products of River Road
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There are some boat builders situated on River

Road as well although the above pic is not necessarily

one of them

Above is Scott Road looking toward the east in Surrey

Remember Krispy Kreme? This place was

packed with customers when it first opened

a few years ago. I don't think it has nearly

the customers it had in the past. I have personally

never visited one of these restaurants, although

the product is supposed to be quite good, so they say.

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Anyway, there a few more snaps for you to ponder on this Wednesday. I am rested up now and ready for action again. April seems to be the month when the weather changes for the better around here, so hopefully there will be many more opportunities for me to get out and about and take some shots for you. You can visit the main part of my bog if you like. The link is off to the side. I am quite a bit more political and philosophical over there so it might not be your cup of tea - just warning you of course. Thanks for dropping in and have a nice day.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Tuesday April 21, 2009

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Tuesday April 21, 2009

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Still resting up, but getting a few things done before I get back into action tomorrow. Here are a few snaps that I took yesterday in the later evening just before sundown. Well, actually the sun was mostly down and many of my pictures did not turn out very well. These pics here are ' the best of the bunch ' so to speak. They are all of the Whalley area of Surrey.

One of the pictures that I wanted to show you was that of a gas station. The price of gas at that station was 96.9 cents per litre. And, that is the ' evening ' price; it is more expensive during the day. There are 4.54 litres to a gallon so you can see that by North American standards that is pretty expensive gas. All of the gas stations in the local market charge the same; there is no real competition here it seems and the price seems awfully high especially when you consider how far a barrel of oil has dropped since its peak of 147 dollars a barrel last year.

Check out this vehicle above and what do you see? This person is sporting a Vancouver Canucks hockey team flag. Hockey is a very big deal here in Vancouver and when the Canucks are on a roll, well so are their fans. I am not a hockey fan by the way, I only laugh at these characters who roar about in their vehicles with their favourite teams' flag. But, everyone has to believe in something I suppose.

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Hope you enjoyed the snaps. I will try to get as many as I can for you especially while I am performing my courier duties. It is supposed to be sunny today so I will try to get out and about with the unit in the sunshine for a cruise. Have a nice day and talk to you all tomorrow.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Monday April 20, 2009

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Monday April 20, 2009

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Just thought I would show you this picture of me and my classmates in 1958. This year was one of my most successful years as a school student. In this year that I got six blue ribbons for coming in first in various track events, which was mostly running events. So, I was quite a strong runner here at the grade 3 level. Not only that, but I was the teacher's pet as well. So, all in all this was a very good year for me. I remember getting up early on Sports Day and making sure that my pants were clean and neat for this very special day. I remember them being gray or brown shorts with a neat pleat in them. Funny how we remember these special days eh? I am situated in the top left hand corner of the picture. You can read about all of these features of my life in the main part of my blog. Here are some links to my early childhood below:

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My Early Childhood: Early Christian Influences
My Early Childhood: Early Warning Signs
Early Childhood Sexuality
1958: A Very Good Year
My Early Childhood Continued
My Early Childhood

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Still relaxing on my days off and will be returning to work on Wednesday. Hope it is sunny out so I can go for a spin in the unit and enjoy the sunshine too. Talk to you all later and maybe we will bump into one another some time down the road.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Sunday April 19, 2009: A Racing Report

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Sunday April 19, 2009:

A Racing Report

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Just thought I would show you a couple of snaps that I took yesterday at the track. The above picture is Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino which is located in Cloverdale. It was quite pleasant driving to the track with my car and the top down. That is what I live for of course - the racetrack and driving about in the sunshine. And, it all came down yesterday as you can see.

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I usually go to the track on Saturdays only and post time is 1600 hrs Pacific time. My main track that I bet is the The Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. I utilize the simulcast betting system that is in place at Fraser Downs. Most racetracks have simulcasting now so as to give the customers more choice in their betting options. I won a couple of triactors and wound up with a small profit so that was OK of course. All I play is triactors and if you are interested in my system you can check it out on the main part of my blog by looking through the links on my Home Page. Here are some links for you:

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Winning Makes You Feel Good
Saturday Night at the Meadowlands
My Harness Racing Triactor System
Sowing the Race Track Seeds
A Night At the Races

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I use a system that I have devised over the years and it works quite well when the horses are co-operating and everything is working as planned, if you know what I mean. When I have a sizeable win I explain how it all happened and create a post over on the main part of my blog which is Carl Baydala Wants You To Know.......the link is off to the right.

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Fraser Downs is a very pleasant facility and I have been a customer of theirs for over 30 years. There is even a casino here if harness racing is not your cup of tea. I am not a big casino fan personally.

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Well, I don't have too much else to report at this time so I am going to sign off now. Talk to you all later and have a nice day.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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April 18, 2009

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Saturday April 18, 2009

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Here are a few photos that I took on the job yesterday.

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The day started out rather drearily actually and here are a couple of scenes in the North Surrey area.

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The photo above is Surrey looking north towards the Fraser River.

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Below are some snaps of my trip back to Vancouver. I am just about to get on to the Port Mann Bridge.

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N.B. When you open up the

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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page above you will be able to see two cams of this bridge with live

traffic updates.

I took these shots while driving over the Port Mann Bridge. Most of the time it is slow going over this bridge because of the volume of traffic. That is why I was able to take the shots, even then it is quite dangerous to do this kind of thing of course. The body of water is the Mighty Fraser River.


































The scened below is in Burnaby, a municipality that you pass through on the way to Vancouver. This is an intersection right by Burnaby City Hall on Canada Way.









Below are some scenes in downtown Vancouver. I am on my way home and back to Surrey now.












This is the new Convention Centre still under construction.







































This is Canada Place just to the east of the new building

I am driving through Gastown now.

This is the Police Department on Main Street.

I like police departments. It is that feeling of

security I guess.

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This is Kingsway and Joyce in Vancouver looking towards the east.

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This is in Burnaby heading east on Kingsway.

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Still Burnaby and still Kingsway.

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Another McDonald's of course - and still on Kingsway.

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Back in Whalley now. See pic below.

The buildings in front of us are not finished.

They had to stop building them because of the current financial crisis. Apparently the financing for these buildings was being supplied by Lehman Brothers - a victim of the financial disaster. So, we really are a small world after all.

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Have a nice day and see you guys at the track today if you are going that is. I do my betting at the Fraser Downs Racetrack which is in downtown Cloverdale, but I mostly just play the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey via simulcast betting. You can check out the links to these places over on the sidebar to the right and towards the top of the page.

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Post Script: I was actually positioned with my camera to take a picture of the tallest building in the City of Vancouver. It is a new 50's something stories building called ' Shangri La '. It is located on the 1100 block of West Georgia Street. It is an impressive structure looking something like an obelisk on steroids jutting forcefully into the skies. I remember when they were constructing the building and I had to pick up a delivery from the construction office at the excavation site. There was a massive hole in the ground with workmen toiling away far below. That was really scary let me tell you. To get to the office I had to walk along a plank which ran parallel to a drop off of about 200 feet or something. It was really creepy and scary. I thought I was going to die of fright. I don't know how these construction guys handle these heights but they do. I remember there were a couple of bosses leaning over the rail casually and examining the activity below. How the hell can they do that I pondered? Anyway, I had just made a delivery in the building next door and decided to take a snap of the building since I was right there. I was getting positioned to take a picture when I heard a woman screaming violently. She was raging mad and yelling at a couple of men on the doorstep of the building next to the Shangri La. I decided not to take a snap since I figured the woman would most likely attack me or direct her verbal anger at me for invading her privacy. It was not worth the risk I thought. Why would I want to be screamed at on West Georgia Street on a beautiful Friday afternoon? Don't I have better things to do? You bet I do and I left the area for more peaceful surroundings.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams
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