hello, world

*grin*

Hi Michael!

Got your email re: my blogger site—I have two—to shy to let you see the personal one just yet but here is the one where my family posts messages for my son who is in Sri Lanka www.dusterbuster.blogspot.com

Saw your list of greatest movies. Being in the film business, I would have posted it differently (not based on box office!) and it definitely would have included "Like Water for Chocolate".

On my way to Australia to get me a husband! Yes—the immigration papers finally came through!! He can officially become a landed immigrant. I am flying through Auckland this time—will miss Sydney all together which is too bad—really wanted to see the real impact of those fires.

Watch CBC Newsword on the 22nd at 7:00 PM! Rough Cuts is airing a documentary that I worked on—"Shipyard's Lament".

And give me your honest opinion!!

coffee

Gano Cafe is a great alternative to regular coffee and decaffeinated.

Made from Brazilian coffee beans and Ganoderma.

very entertaining

I enjoyed reading your comments and getting to know you! Linked to your site via caffeine addiction!

Caffeine Addiction!!!

Hi Michael,

I just read your article on Caffeine Addiction. I know what you're going through! Since 1989 I've been addicted to soft drinks. Especially Coke or Pepsi. I'm also addicted to chocolate! I remember when I first starting drinking soda. It was when my Mom and I moved out of my Dad's house. I was a senior in high school and I almost died that year from other health related isssues. When I was growing up; we were only allowed to have Soda at the holidays. Usually Christmas eve when we would have a big party.

Anway, in our new place my Mom started buying Soda on a regular basis. I remember that first week of her doing so. (Previously I was addicted to tea) I couldn't find a bottle opener (when we still had glass bottles) so I was trying to open it with a fork! I scraped my knuckles on the cap. I was shaking and nervous and wanted that dang soda!!! I guess it didn't take me long to be addicted to it. Now I have to have 3 servings a day plus chocolate.

I'm not even supposed to have caffeine because of my medicine.

I attempted to quite several times, but of course I had the usual headache. Then I would give up and grab another Soda. Soda is getting so expensive now. One six pack of 24oz bottles is more than six dollars a pack! A 2LTR is like 1:49 and cans 3.00 dollars. I know you're canadian so that doesn't mean anything to you :)

Canadians are great as far as I'm concerned. One of my best friends is from Ontario and my ancestors came from Quebec. I'm going to pray tonight for all those who are addicted to caffeine!!! Take care!

mrs.

ha! Had such a good laugh—certainly enjoyed the smiles.

I have not had caffeinated coffee or soda for 8 days now. Prior to that I guzzled a pot of coffee and maybe 4 diet sodas a day. I'd become rather vain about how easily I had quit when I happened to look at the label on the Excedrin bottle (I've been taking quite a few this past week—smile)and noticed there were 65 mg. of caffeine per tablet. Hmmmm.... so much for having kicked the habit...

Thanks for posting such a funny biography snippet!

Glad you liked it, Michelle. My first attempt to quit is buried in my journal in mid 2000. It's pretty embarrassing, what with the swearing and the whining.

My most recent attempt to quit has ended in failure once again. But I'm down to one cup of coffee a day, and I'm only using half as much coffee per cup as I was (in all, I'm probably down to 1/4 of where I was two months ago). Now I know why my brother still smokes after all this time!

i love soda

i am addicted to soda i couldnt give it up, if i dont have soda i refuse to do anything and i'm a bi*ch untill i get some, thats why i always have a coke or sprite with me

Caffiene addiction

I cant live without my pepsis and frappucionos!!!i have to have a coke w every meal, and some sort of coffee every morning, if not i fell like sh*t the rest of the day! and i am so young, barely 18, is there something ot stop this madness! i dont know how many times ive tried quittin, but its so hard!!!:(

caffeine

i am addicted 2 caffien badly..i have over doesed 2 tiems and now goign thru withdrawel i tried quitting but i need TO B IN OVEEEEEEEEEEERDRIVE..im really saaaaa..spazing right now i need it so bad..but soo i am getting htis stuff that has 100mgs of caffien evey oz and it has 24oz in all

Caffeine Addiction

I was just told today by a ?!reputable?! dr that the reason I feel so badly all the time is that I'm over caffienated or a gasp! caffeine addict. I personally feel that he just couldn't help me & this was the best he could come up with. But hey I'll give it a shot.Although I do agree with you that why give up all together soda,coffee,&tea if you really enjoy the taste.Out of all the addictive stimulants, you could do a h*ll of a lot worse then have coffee. Well I guess it's just h20 for awhile. But if I don't feel better, I'm going to smack the good dr over the head with my mr coffee pot.

I've got 2 months clean from caffeine!

I am using the 12-step program to keep off the caffeine. I found it was the only way to stay clean. I had to come to the realization that my addiction was similar to that of any drug addict. The process is the same. The only difference is that it's socially acceptable & not life threatening, BUT it is a threat to sanity & sense of well-being. I'm working my 3rd step with my sponsor now. There is a lot more to lose if I relapse now. It takes more than just your own will power to quit... at least that's what I have found. I highly recommend quitting for anyone that desires a quality life & a full experience in everything they do!

I am addicted to soda

I am addicted to soda. When I see a Coke or Pepsi logo, I urge for soda. I want to stop, but I have no will power. I also drink soda as a "quick pick me up". Hrlp me stop! I drink 3-5 cans per day. I know it is bad, but how do I stop.

Other thoughts

After reading all the other posts, a few comments:

1) Caffeine has a bitter taste. It is well known that some people enjoy bitter tastes more or less than others. Also, it is popular to combine bitter with sweet. (coffee with cake, coca-cola, etc). Barq's unique flavor comes from the caffeine. This is why caffeine free versions of popular sodas are not as satisfying.

2) Decaf coffee and tea contain significant quantities of caffeine. Herbal teas that say caffeine free contain no caffeine.

3) Sprite is the only caf-free soda that is a satisfying substitute for me. It has a very, very strong acidity that substitutes for the taste of caffeine. However, I now think it is etching my teeth (sob).

4) Someone PLEASE, PLEASE develop a non-drug food alternative to caffeine!

My beliefs about caffeine

I'm a caffeine addict as well, though for me the effects of caffeine are more serious than the addiction. I believe that most people (i.e. nearly every person in the US) is probably addicted to caffeine, but either doesn't know it,or doesn't care.

For me, and certainly for many others, it caffeine is a mood altering drug. One key factor that makes it more dangerous than other drugs is that the addict can't tell they are suffering bad effects. You know when you're drunk, you know when you're high, but you don't know when you are being angry, violent, or depressed as a result of caffeine -- at least, I can't tell. After the three-day let down period, I can sometimes figure it out. I can tell, though, that my fatigue level is increasing on a daily basis, and that I'm gradually developing a shorter and shorter temper.

Here are some of my beliefs. Some of these have been corroborated by research, some of them MIGHT be contradicted by research, and many need to be researched:

IB means I Believe. You decide if you believe it too.

IB a single cup of coffee contains too much caffeine. Cutting back to a single cup may improve your sleep a little, but you will still be under the effects of caffeine all the time.

IB most people don't know what it's like to feel normal, or get a good night's sleep.

IB caffeine is cumulative. Therefore, a single cup of decaf might not be "too much", but a single cup every day is too much

For a while, I could "control" my addiction with hot chocolate. Today, the caffeine in hot cocoa is too much for me. IB that the more an addict gets away from caffeine, the stronger it's effects will seem to him.

IB Caffiene is far too powerful a drug to be uncontrolled. If it were just coffee, that would be one thing, but now (IB) soft drink manufacturers, iced coffee makers, and others are intentionally increasing caffeine levels.

IB soft drink makers are trying to addict kids the way cigarette makers used to do, without any notice from the public. Barq's root beer has 'bite' -- the bite is caffeine. Sunkist Orange, all kinds of cocoa drinks, the cola drink in Lunchables, A&W cream soda, and many other drinks you would not suspect contain caffeine (chocolate and coffee drinks don't list it as ingredients)

My beliefs about caffeine (cont/d)

(These two posts are under 4000 characters combined, but was rejected as a single post)

Psuedophedrine and acetiminophen (Sinus Tylenol) helps me "come down" from caffeine (on the second day, sometimes the third). However, this could create an additional addictive behavior, so be cautious. Psuedophedrine is said to be chemically similar to caffeine

Some aspirin makers recently started saying their "aspirin" was more effective than other asprins. These "aspirin" products (and some non-aspirin products) contained caffeine. IB they were more effective because the headaches they "cured" were actually caffeine addiction headaches. These people would probably get a headache every day using this product.

IB most recurrent headaches are caffeine induced in most people.

IB caffeine is a performance enhancing drug, and it is a mood altering drug, and it is highly addictive, and therefore should carry a surgeon's general warning label, at the least.

IB my Air Force career was ended prematurely because of the effects of severe caffeine overuse. This was before I realized that I was overusing caffeine, and also before people recognized caffeine as a drug. Caffeine free sodas were not available at that time, because no one thought twice about caffiene.

IB that my current personality and behaviorial problems that I have at work and with individuals are the residual effects of caffeine addiction. I know that the conflicts become worse after several days of extremely light caffeine use (a single daily cup of cocoa).

I believe that the vast majority of American citizens (at least) are addicted to caffeine, and are under it's affects all the time. It is impossible to be sure what gains might be made if we could have a caffeine free society.

Addicted to caffine & need ADVICE

Hey, um i kno wthis might sound weird, but i drink ATLEAST one can of diet coke in a day if not 2 or 3 (<< yesterday i had 3), and then i NEED CHOCOLATES to function. Infact yesterday i found myself going through our cabinets lookings for chocolate, as I am overweight my mom no longer buys anything. So yesterday i ate a whole 12 piece pack of ferrero rocher, and this wasn't the first time. I feel as if i need the chocolate to function.. can you please help me and help me find a way to stop these urges!? I have random mood swings and everything and my parents just don't understand.. but i really think i need a way to quit as I am only 16 and I have been like this for a full year now

Well, it all started when I was looking for advice on woodworking tools. Somehow I ended up at your site and got sucked in by all the interesting stuff. For some reason I read you're whole autobiography and pretty much spent the last 2 hours reading about YOU. So weird as it may sound, it feels like I kind of know you in a never met you kind of way.

I live in San Diego and never really ventured farther north than San Francisco or West Virginia. The idea that people live in the frozen tundra of Canada just blows my mind. I just like the warm weather I guess.

By the way, I'm 24 yrs old; so not too much younger than you. And yes, I do have a real life; just procrastinating studying or getting a good nights sleep is all. I have finals for school tomorrow. I go to UCSD. So, just thought I should say something since you have provided me with so much entertainment. Take care and good luck dealing with the jack-hammers!

I dreamt a murder..............

I had this strange dream last night, it was almost real. In my dream I was at a person's birthday party...The location and atmosphere was vivid; the house was modern with fancy ceilings, and walls with portraits hung up. A fireplace made of marble with a glass door, large windows with white curtins and a wide staircase.....

Music played in the background but, was unidentified! In the large family-room crowds of young men and women talked amongs each other with beers and wine in one hand. I remember seeing two family dogs...particularilly pitbulls, they didn't bark at my presence. I thought it was strange that it wasn't

comments on your site

Hi Michael,

I typed in Pics of Vancouver in google.com and came across your site. I have enjoyed it immensely. I am hoping to move to Canada (from the U.S.)and I enjoyed reading your comments. Two things: I recommend City of Glass, a coffee-table pic book by Douglas Coupland. Also, I was wondering if you have seen the Canadian film "Speaking Parts." It was made 86-90..not sure, but very entrenched in the '80s. I did not see a review of it, but I would be curious to see your reactions. I love the film. Have a good one, Ben

Someone Raping Me

Last night I had this dream, where I went to this grocery store with a lot of my girl friends. We were just cruising the isles when I realized that I had seen my old next door neighboor with his girlfriend. I stopped to say hi to him and he returned the greeting. We got to talking and he told me about this really cool party. We all thought it sounded like a good idea so we went to the party and had a few drinks.

But then everything got really fuzzy and the next thing I know, was that I was naked next to a guy I had never seen before in my entire life. And that day I woke up was my birthday.

I left the house immediately without calling anyone and the cops were out in the apartment hall. They grabbed my shoulder and took me to a hospital where they checked me for HIV.

I tested positive and started cry. I never wanted to tell my parents, so I went to my party and was trying to have a good time. When all of my friends were about to sing happy birthday to me, they stood me up on the table, and started singing. Then the same guy who had raped me came in and I started crying.

My parents made me tell them what had happened and it seemed like they didn't even care about me. So I was just left alone and no one ever wanted to help me. No one would even talk to me about it.

Wasteland

I had this dream a while ago and the next night it continued. Rubble of houses and nature. I curled up in fright of the scene. War planes zoomed above me ,the skys dark grey. A boy, I knew him from my school. He guided me through the rubble to a hill by the state capitol. Half the valley was in flames and crators. The moon in shards above.(end of the night and I woke up, the next night it continued)I somehow got to a worknig TV, The whole US was in ruins. We were to evacuate immideatly before the enemy gets to us, but, who was our enemy? I awoke soon after.....is this just a dream to you?

In someone elses body....

Last night I dreamt that I was a girl.....dating this freak, some over protective loser.....

Yeah, pretty messed up huh? I mean, I did'nt do anything like that....Hell no, it was really wierd. It was like I was living someone elses life, I did'nt recognize anything that related to things that exist in my life........

The house that I was in was large, a rich home. Nothing like my house! Two dogs? I don't have pets!

Plus It was my birthday, people that I did'nt know were there, and what made it strange was that I was a girl who ahd broken up with some guy....

He came by to the party and asked me to go with him to the liqour store. He drove passed a isolated road at 90 miles per hour, and was menacing me with his fist.

I was emmotionally distrought, in conflict with him shouting "Stop your gonna kill us!" I guess he was jealous cuss he slapped my face.

I was in panic and horrified....I had never felt soo vunerable in a dream before. Soo fragile and powerless.....like I was'nt a man. Shit, it was messed up! It just was'nt me!

Anyways he tried to drive into a lake, atempting to kill me and himself. I turned the steering wheel rapidly to avoid disaster but,instead he pushed me towards the door, decided to change directions. He drove straight into a conctrete fence in someones back yard.

The man was killed on impact, and I was critically injured yet I still managed to pull him out of the car corpse and all. Police, investigaters, and ambulances surrounded the scene asking quetions......everything else was blurry....but I remember taking a bubble bath crying and all fucked up and emmotional.

Even Stranger A Dream

Last night I had the weirdest dream... And it's making real life today very unsettling... I had dreamt that my mother took very ill and was shrouded in a blanket in a loveseat, coughing, upon which she died. Seeing her corpse its was yellow and shriveled. My dad was situated near my dead mother and held her hand silently weeping even after death without release. Funeral... morning... next scene... We(father, sister, and I) were returned to my house, and at somepoint in a small isolated room. There was one door that had shut tight, and the room was filling with water, until it was filled. My dad and sister survived. My corpse was the palest of whites and still damp when I beheld it. Even though I was dead I still walked with the living and my dead mother was their with me. And slowly I made myself known to them, I spoke to my father, my sister( but befriefly), and various other family members. I was present in church and at the house of my girlfriend where I still expressed my undying love. So for the remainder more and more people accepted I was dead but still spoke of me as directly to me because at certain times they would feel my presence and be able to communicate, and at other times I was not acknowledge. But my girlfriend always spoke with me, even across the fone. We still continued the relationship after my death, but I had no hope of ever being revived and felt accordingly... What does this macabre dream imply?? Any insites would be appreciated

the basement

I had a very strange dream last night.

Although I am not so sure it was a dream, I think I astral projected.

I was in my bed, and for some reason, I flew into the living room. I was suspended in air. I seen the door to the basement open up all by itself.

I floated over to the door and looked down the stairs. It was dark, but suddenly, the vacuum cleaner that doesn't work started up and I could hear it. It was moving on it's own and when it got to the bottom step, it stopped. Even in my dream, I was scared.

I slammed the door and locked it, and I remember leaning up against the door and hoping nothing would come out.

I woke up still afraid that something was in my basement.

bizzare dream

I have dreams from time to time that leave me physically exhausted when i get up in the morning. By that i mean i feel like ive been in the gym for a few hours when all ive been doing is sleeping. Its so strange. It started with a dream that I was standing next to yuri gargarin? (first man in space) at the launch pad as he was about to go into space, the dream was in colour and in the dream i felt the g-forces that yuri felt as the rocket launched off the pad. I felt the weightlessness of being in space and when i woke up i was so tired and my body felt so sore that i could hardly walk. weird eh? p.s. i also have dreams where i can fast forward or rewind the dream like a vcr. is that common?

weird dream

I dreamt last night that i was sitting on a bridge, and then i went underneath the bridge and there was a pile of dirt. I was pushed into the dirt and held there, i was trying to move the dirt around with my hands to get free. It didnt work, i had gotten some of the dirt in my mouth during it all and when i woke this morning my hands had dirt on them and i could taste and rub some dirt off my tongue. (now i know it wasnt a joke by anyone my door was loked from the inside and my room is on the second floor.) what is this type of dream called and why does it happen?

Bizarre dreams

Have bizarre dreams all the time and whats worse is that I remember them. Contantly have dream where I am dead but can come back to life—many different ways—usually being reconstitued with water (yea—weird I know). I think that has to do with needing to get 'living water' (the Bible—church) back in my life. The one that disturbs me the most is when I posses a dead person's body—that freaks me out—have no explaination execpt that maybe my own life is too boring? Third and last weird dream I had today—gave birth to very premie baby—isn't having sex necessary for that?!? Comments welcome, sorry, offers to make babies not accepted here.

hey

I just have a few questions and I would really appreciate if you could email me at this adress and I'll email you back with the questions I have. thanks if you can! deruelle_17@hotmail.com

Hey - I was just checking out your photography. You have a real talent there. Some of those pictures are very interesting. (Cute kids too). I just re-tooled my music studio. It's like going from Frankensteins's lab to a alien base on the moon. It's friggen' cosmic!

Just popping in to say hi, and to have a bit of a look around (looks like I could be looking a while).

Hi Michael. It's been a while..... I hope you are doing great and you are happy in Japan. Good luck , Margaret

wow. I'll bet he will remember it, too.

this is pretty after the fact but it just came to my attention that there was a hello kitty hell website. i started reading comments and saw yours wondering if the canadian really made the hello kitty combat patch on his fatigues. i can assure you he did because i am his sister and i heard about it and saw pics of it back then!! just the irreverent family humour coming thru! there are only 2 patches and he was in afghanistan at the time. i was amused to see all sorts of kitty sacriliges on the website!! long live a warped sense of humour!! :) Chuckling Canuck

Michael, Thanks much for the shitlist! Spammers are the devil's spawn.

I have some question relating to jewelry photography and I was wondering if you might be kind enough to provide some insight. The article you wrote was great but there are still some question left unanswered Thank you

Michael -

How does one get off your "shitlist"? The IP address of our car club's website and listserver (zmgna.org at xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) appears on your shitlist. I don't know how or why it got there, but we are having random problems with our members not being able to get messages, and as far as I can determine, your list is the only SPAM list that includes our IP.

Hi, My husband is a Permanent Resident in Canada and were both filipinos. He sponsored me and submitted the application in CIC Mississauga. Is that what you mean inland? I:m currently in the Philippines waiting for the email of CIC since my husband submitted it last Sept 30, 2015. How long it would take to wait for there update regatding this?regarding

Hi Michael. I'm from the Philippines and married to a Canadian Citizen. My husband have just submitted our spousal visa application. My concern is that I used my maiden name in the application. I plan to submit my updated Surname once I get my updated passport with my husband's surname. Do you think that they will consider the change during the application? If yes, when should I submit my updated passport? (Should I send it while the application is still in CPC or when it's in the visa office in country?) How can I submit the change of my surname? Will it delay the processing time?

Hi Michael, I am a Canadian but has been working in ASIA for the past 20 years. My son who is 13 years old is currently going to school in Canada, where my wife, a Japanese, is taking care my son in Canada on a visitor status. I applied the Outland spousal sponsorship last Oct and we got our "decision made" last week. While we are waiting for the COPR, I would like to ask do I, as the sponsor, need to return to Canada right away with my wife after she gets her PR? I have a job here in Asia which takes time for me to resign and I am not sure if they will start to deem me as a resident (from a tax perspective) right after my wife becomes a PR. Can I return to Canada on a later date and would it jeopardize my wife PR status?

Hi Michael !

Dear Michael: I was wondering if you could send me your old PR sponsorship story..was about six pages printed out, if I recall correctly. Perhaps you took it off your site as some of the info is out of date? I would still like to review it. Canadian, with a Japanese spouse, in Japan. We are legally divorced, as that was the only way for her to survive there. The Canadain Consulate, in Fukuoka, now defunct, lost our marriage registration, among other things. A Canadian woman I used to know, daugther of my parent's friends, is going through hell to get her British husband into Canada. Both had UN jobs in Europe, and the type to folow the rules. They sent him on a plane back to the UK one Xmas. Thanks for the very useful website. Regards, Timothy