Boredom, breaks and blackberries distract from the powerpoint at the latest city council meeting. Since I can't throw an emoticon in this post you'll just have to imagine the little yellow face rolling its eyes. Can you picture what these meetings will look like in 20 years? They'll be doing the whole thing at home via twitter (in tab-one) while they troll the bike forums and run local youtube comments through some algorithm to determine civic policy.

I urge everyone to read this New York article sometime soon: In Defense of Distraction: the effects of overstimulation on the brain, our addiction to "elective ADHD," and the worsening "poverty of attention." We all need to put away the whatevers, slow down, and say/hear/read/do meaningful things. At least sometimes. At city council meetings, for example.

JZ talked about the shortlist last month and the moment has arrived: help choose Vancouver's new public square by voting now!

Vancouver to be literally wrapped up in Olympic branding by the fall of this year. I tell you I refuse to enter any structure plastered with (non-ironic) images of these guys. Anybody else in for a building boycott?

With those predictions that Gordo will try for a fourth term combined with the recent NDP speechifying, I think I heard the entire province heave a collective sigh of wake me up in 2017.

So teenage-psychosis in the city is slated to stay steady; you lose a truckload of ecstasy and drug money, you gain some Zac Efron.

Does consumerism give you cancer? Interesting interview with the author of Slow Death By Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Effects Our Health. A bit tangential, but I only just realized that "silver" dental fillings are made of mercury the afternoon after having two put in my face. Who manufactures this stuff and how many dentists is she sleeping with?

Tories' new credit card card regulations do... nothing. Hey but at least they're focusing on [caveman voice] economy [/caveman voice].

Shockingly, the Bentall 5 Building sold to Geman investors for $300 million. Dudes are so going to annex the japadog cart. (Readers who know: hype-fulfiller or sausage-sacrilege?)

Canwest is tossed a $175 million lifeline, prepares for a major restructuring, and will survive as is for at least another three months. What? You say my morning brew links aren't saving you via internet ad revenue??

Campbell's carbon tax may go way of the dodo, just like most of those cliche-ridden newspaper columns.

Welfare caseload 47% higher than last year. Half of where it was in 1995, but set to keep rising.

Canadian prostitutes get training for the Olympics. Okay come on, prostitute training jokes are way too easy. Plus, I'm an educator now.

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival begins today. The Ubyssey has a nice preview while The Tyee offers some great recommendations, including a doc about people struck by lightening, and one about D&D/Warcraft addicts. Oh, here's another round of picks from the Straight.

You'll find a new BC focused news section at the Globe & Mail's site.

Drowsy Chaperone Leads the Way in Jessie Nominations. While certainly not my favorite show of the year, I was surprised by how much I did enjoy it. My wordy review can be found here, just keep in mind that Jay Brazeau is by no means an old man in real life. Congratulations on the nom.

Some people hate birds, some people don't. They exist.

This is how the muslim world views British Columbia.

Open letter to Scott Weiland: take your "extended guitar-circlejerk" "wankery" somewhere else. Maybe some kind of video response to Nickelback Shreds.

Arthur Erickson, RIP. Here's a nice little photo tribute.

photo of whale researcher at the Vancouver Aquarium by JakeInVan