Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Looking at this historical chart, on August 13 2001 it was 1.19/share, man I wish I had known about it back then, where is Doc Brown and his time machine. :rofl:

I could have actually afforded to buy shares back then, but then I am sure it was a riskier investment if it was that low? I can't remember what Apple was like in 2001.

I had a great aunt who invested into Wal-Mart, Home Depot and other large companies back in the day of their IPO, then apparently forgot about them because when she died her kids found she had a boat load of stocks worth a small ship of money.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Pretty big fire down in Penticton.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/c...ton_right_now/


The US along parts of Zero Ave in the Fraser Valley have put up a small fence. Those who may not know, people have been going to Zero Ave to see family and significant others due to border restrictions, looks like a few too many may have crossed the ditch. The fence is new, it was not there before.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Yep. who knew the iPod release in 2001 would catapult Apple into where they are today. So long Nokia & Blackberry.
$1,000 spent on shares back then would now be worth $467,000

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Interior Health is going to get a PET/CT scanner in Kelowna, currently patients have to travel to Vancouver which is not an easy drive for healthy people for much of the year, and I can't imagine its a pleasent drive for cancer patients.

Having one in Kelowna will certainly allow people of the Interior to travel a shorter distance.

Total cost 10.5 million, with 5.2 million coming from the Ministry of Health and $5.3 million provided by the BC Cancer Foundation with support from over 2,100 donors.

https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/relea...256-001553.htm

I had no idea that nearly 50% of BC residents are expected to get cancer at some point in their life, I don't like those odds.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Half the people who get cancer survive it, so no worries! :thumbsup:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

This statistic can be (and often is) stated for all developed Western countries. It's a bit misleading.
The statistics are a 'whole of life' calculation, and cancer is still primarily a disease of the over 65s. Due to medical advances, we're living longer than ever. The older you get, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with some form of cancer. Those medical advances have also greatly improved our chances of surviving it.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

:thumbup:
Mum's nearly 87, had bowel cancer and resection at 60. She's fine
Mum again, diagnosed with breast cancer last year, had a breast removed and is now on oral treatment (tablets). She's fine (in fact she came home the day after her operation and baked some biscuits!) Her doctor has told her that she's good for some years, and it's almost certain that she'll die with breast cancer, not of it.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Good point.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

The pilot of this car must carry his balls around in a wheel barrow :eek:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

The fire near Pentiction seems to be growing, over 3,000 properties issued a mandatory evacuation order.

https://www.penticton.ca/city-hall/n...east-penticton

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Are you seeing much smoke in Kelowna yet? Also is the Kaladen fire still big? I'm hoping the low number of fires so far is allowing maximum resources to be used to save residential areas. I've only gone to Penticton via the back road east of the lake once, and didn't pay much attention to how it was developed.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

He obviously knows that road. There were a couple of parts where the road turned after a hump and he turned his wheels ready for landing.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Not really bad, its been a little hazy so I assume that smoked caused, today looks cloudy so hard to tell, so probably some in the air, but not enough to make a noticeable difference, at least in my area on the west side.

I drove thought here once 11 or so years ago, so can't remember what the place even looks like.

I don't see the Kaladen fire on the map so I assume its out? The only fire shown on the map is the current one near Pentiction.

99 active fires in the province currently, 55 in the last 2 days.

The graphs are the fires to date, as of last update today, they update the info every 2 hours.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...fe099d10e0.png
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...28bc4a1108.png

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Yep, I checked and it's been out for weeks. If the wind dies out for a few days a lot of the problem fires can probably be brought under control. This time of year any rain seems to be the product of thunderstorms, and every bolt of lightning that touches down starts a new blaze.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I had breast cancer at age 42 and my daughter had it at age 50. I'm past the 25 year mark and daughter just passed the 1 year mark.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

:thumbsup:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Pretty much, the lightning storms are pretty, but they also cause a lot of fires.

last summer and this summer haven't been as bad the the 2017 and 2018 fire season, those 2 summers were horrible.

Not all fires are bad though, some eco systems need fire to survive, parts of California the eco system needs fire. Giant Sequoia's for example, without fire they wont reproduce.

Of course the Giant Sequoia's have evolved to survive fires, and are incredibly fire resistant.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

The washer and dryer have touch pads to turn on, off, start and such, weird thing is my wife can use any finger and works, but me only my index finger, its just so weird. :rofl:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Only persons in my family who had cancer that I am aware of was a great grandmother who had stomach cancer in her late 80's but she chose not to receive treatment for it, my mom had breast cancer in 2002 or 2003, she did survive but she had to have some pretty radical surgical treatment along with Chemo and radiation, but she never fully recovered the cancer treatment did a lot of damage to her thyroid and body physically, but she did survive.

Most in my family died too young for cancers more common in older age groups, so I have no family history to go by for cancers more common in older adults.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

The media wasn't able to contact the person who put the ad up, but I wouldn't be surprised if its a real ad, landlords in BC and especially in Vancouver come up with all sorts of wild conditions, many times not legal, stay away from such landlords, if they can't even manage not to break the law with an ad, gawd know what they are like once moved in.

Red flag in the ad is asking for first and last month rent + 1/2 month damage deposit, that is not legal in BC. Maximum deposit is 1/2 month rent, last month rent cannot be asked for and first month rent is due on move in not before.

There are a couple of other things not permitted under the laws in BC and the ad is just aggressive and rude.

Reddit post

CTV local news pick up the story.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I got the email of instructions today for my US Consulate Appointment in Vancouver next month, there isn't 1 but 2 security check points. To get into the building you have to go through a security check, then once inside the building, you have to go through another security check, guess they don't trust just having 1.

No phone, electronic devices etc allowed inside.


Thankfully they accept Canadian cash, so at least I wont have to go fuss with getting US currency and can just pay with the appropriate Canadian dollar amount, about $150 CAD$. Now just have to hope there is no snow, middle of September can see snow on the mountain passes.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Maybe they think the J might be for Jason Bourne out for revenge and they want to make sure it's really you. :rofl:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

downside to TV now relying on internet when the internet service goes down so does the TV.

Cable company doesn't even know why the service is out as there is outage in our area.

Tried restarting the router thing and didn't work.

No devices will connect.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Occasionally I get community donations stuff from the 2 courthouses in town, and I have to give myself a little shakedown before I set out. Those old Commissionaires aren't cool with a few things I'm accustomed to.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I am taking nothing with me but the passport application, cash to pay, the old passport and the necessary ID cards, leaving phone and everything else in the car and the required pre-paid Canada Post express post envelope so the consulate can send me the passport when its ready.

From what I can tell, consulate makes sure the passport application is correct, sends it off to the US State Dept in the US, who then sends the passport to the consulate who then uses the pre-paid Canada Post envelope I provide to return the passport to me.

I would rather do it by mail as I really don't want to drive to Vancouver and back for what will probably be an hour visit to the consulate, but they have that stupid rule that the check or money order has to be drawn on a US financial institution, in normal times I would hop the border and get a USPS money order, but I don't want to self isolate for 14 days because I spent 15 minutes in Oroville, Washington, as a 1 hr 40 minute drive to the border is a lot easier, but COVID has made that option not desirable.

In 2010 when my passport was expiring, I happened to be in the US so the renewal was easier and no pandemic....

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Could someone in the US purchase a money order and mail it to you?

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

This is pretty random, fisherman hauls up a freakish Long Nosed Chimaera; almost enough to put you off fish.... but I suspect if you skinned those fins and punched out discs with a cookie cutter, they'd be a lot like scallops.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfo...fish-1.5695082

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

It's sorted, the consulate finally email me back, according to them US currency checks from a Canadian bank are considered to be US drawn checks.

So I will just get a US currency check form a local bank and hopefully that will suffice.

Although I do wonder if I would get the passport quicker if I applied in person.

USC's residing in Canada have to send their passport renewals to Philadelphia, which is currently in Phase 1 reopening and says this on the State Dept website:

this passport agency entered phase one of our three-phase reopening plan. During phase one, we will continue to prioritize customers who need a passport in the next 72 hours (3 business days) for a life-or-death emergency only.

A limited number of our employees will return to work allowing us to resume processing a limited number of applications we already received. We recommend customers wait to submit new or renewal applications as delays will continue in phase one.

As of the week of August 13 to 19, they received 143,000 applications, have 923,000 waiting to be issued, and issued 209,000 passports.

Maybe applying in person is the best route, but then the US Consulate likely just sends them to the same exact location.

What a year to need to renew a passport.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Facebook ad today a commercial real estate company had, the company that owns the building we live in, is selling 5 of their buildings on Vancouver Island, some not even done yet. I wonder if they are hurting for cash and need to raise some funds?

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I imagine more smaller independent hotels will end up in the same boat.

Black Knight Hotel in Red Deer closes their doors.

Looks like the hotel employed around 100 people.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Quebec has their own version of the show Brooklyn 99, I think I will stick with the English version myself.


And seems some of the actors in the US version are not fans.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I want

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Me too.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

After some logistical delays, I received my "incoming" from Switzerland, including a few bars of ...

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...be15cafa95.png

Definitely to be recommended. :thumbsup:

And probably added to the list...

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I got 4 of these when they were $1 at No Frills; probably should have bought more.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...09cd2339a6.jpg
It goes nice with coffee and a small Goldschlager.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

That's really weird. Shortly before waking up this morning I had a dream of flying over terrain powered by a gas cylinder type device. Than after waking up I read this post with a video of a similar device, something I have never seen before.
I recall reading somewhere (might have been Toffler) a theory that it is possible to dream of events slightly in the future, like some sort of temporal warp. Looks like it is true.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Good heavens. Last night I dreamed that someone was going to say exactly that. ;)

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I haven't looked, but I suspect that Switzerland has a pretty good trade agreement with Canada.

I've not seen any Lindt punchier than 80% here in the two years since upping sticks.

Goldschlager? Really?? I suppose it would depend on a) what one paid for it and b) what one cut it with to make it palatable. :lol:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I think you would like this movie Next Probably one of his better movies.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Very nice - and a total bargain!! Have you tried 'Our Finest Excellence' (swiss) 85% / 90% - they also have salted / caramel / orange etc., Walmarts $2 https://www.walmart.ca/en/chocolate/N-3024+1019620
This is delicious...but not cheap.. like the 'balls' but in bar form. :D

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...4eb61062b0.jpg