Ontario, That is. :) 

AND

Hamilton -  That's where I live now! They're both located in Southern Ontario, Canada.

If, like me, you like pics of non touristy places from other parts of the world you'll really like these photos, particularly if you like architecture.  Their not mine - I  don't have the necessary equipment  to be able to upload  my pics.  These are good quality, large pictures and there are lots of them so they may take a while to load (especially if you're on dialup, like moi) but they're absolutely worth the wait.

If you have the patience to wait for all the Hamilton ones to load, the last one is a fabulous panorama picture looking down from the mountain.  To the far right, where all the smoke and lights are, is either the Stelco Steel Company or Dofasco Steel.  I'm not sure which - might be both, they're both based in Hamilton.  This is where Hamilton gets it's nick name of "Steeltown".

I don't know much about London except that it's nick name is the "Forest City" because it has so many trees, and it's about a 2 hour drive from where I live. Really pretty pics.

Enjoy!

 http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=125840

 http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=124596

Since Sat mentioned that he was wondering where all the bloggers were and he encouraged people to write no matter what you have to say, I’m going to go for it and “Just write!”

What’s making the news in Canada:
Canadians now need a passport when they fly into the U.S., but not if they’re driving in...yet. (That’s coming in the next year or 2.) That also means that Americans, who don’t require a passport to come into Canada, will require a passport if they intend to fly back home. In other words, they now need a passport to come here, unless they’re driving back.

That’s sad. I remember when I was a kid and we used to drive to Plattsburg Beach for the day, about an hour’s drive from where we lived at the time. We would just hop in the car and drive across the boarder with no hassles or line ups. I’ve heard from a couple of people that the line ups at the boarder these days are an average of one hour. I guess they ask a lot more questions now since 9/11. This new passport thing is probably going to discourage a lot of people who live near the boarder from driving across for a quick shopping excursion or to go to a music concert or maybe even to just visit relatives. I got a passport about 5 years ago and at that time it cost $95 plus you had to pay for your 2 pictures, about $13 dollars. I don’t know what the cost is now but even if it’s stayed the same and you have a family of 4 that’s over 400 dollars you’d have to spend just on passports. I don’t think your average Joe Blow will want to dish out that kind of money. So much for globalism....

I think it’s laughable how people think that we live in a “free” society compared to some other countries around the world. We’re not any freer than they are, the governments in the “civilized” countries are just sneakier, more covert than other countries. How can you be free when you can’t simply pick up and move to another country on the planet without having the proper papers (like a passport) and either a job waiting for you or someone to sponsor you OR you have gobs of money? How can you be free when you can loose your job because you refuse to get a flu shot or take a TB test? How can you be free when just about every square inch of the city you live in is under camera surveillance? Janis Joplin knew what she was talking about when she sang “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to loose...”

I’m beginning to believe that all people really are connected through their subconscious.

Sometimes, not very often, I get a feeling when I look at something - a photo, a particular shade of colour, an old building - it could be anything. It’s a feeling of familiarity. It’s different from dejavu because  I can only remember the feeling while I’m looking at the object/place/colour etc. It’s a feeling I can’t describe and it’s fleeting and hard to hold on to. I could look at the thing that’s causing me to feel this for a long time and not get tired of it. It seems like a feeling that is unique to me. I can’t imagine anyone else feeling this particular feeling.

Today, I was surfing the net, searching for “digital art”. When I came across this picture, I got that peculiar familiar feeling.

http://fantasyartdesign.com/3dgallery/a-digital/3D-images/wallpaper-LutzB/Fantasy1-01.jpg

In particular, it has to do with the water rushing up to the corner of the shore, being blocked by the cliffs. It also has something to do with the lighting. It reminds me of some place or some time that I’ve been before.

Of course, I’ve never been to the place portrayed in the picture because it’s a fantasy location, a non-existent place. Well, not exactly. It exists in the mind of the person who created this piece of art. And this is why I believe that we’re all connected somehow. How could someone else create something from their imagination which is so overwhelmingly familiar and personal to ME? I believe the person who created this picture and I have access to this “feeling” through our subconscious. Who knows, maybe we even knew each other in a previous life or maybe we’ve met each other in our lucid dreams.

In any case, whether real or not, I like pondering these things....

Canadians are sometimes accused of being wishy washy, of not having opinions and of being too polite. In an effort to reverse that assessment I have dug deep to uncover some of my beliefs. Here then are my opinions are certains subjects: 

 

 

 

When shud retail stores start selling holiday stuff - Easter, Thanksgiving, Xmas, etc.?

 

I think one month before the event is more than enough time. Some stores start selling Xmas things before Halloween is even over! That is completely absurd. It takes all the specialness away. As far as I’m concerned when they do that they might as well just say "Tis the season to money grab."

 

 

Shud gay couples be allowed to have children?

 

Adoption is fine but to purposely create a new being (in-vitro, surrogate mother, artificial insemination, etc) is completely wrong. I believe we (people in general) shud do things as closely as possible to the way nature intended and artificial insemination etc is not natural. In nature, when there is overpopulation of a certain species you’ll find more homosexual activity (yes, it occurs in animals too). The reason for this is to curtail breeding. Too many of any one creature throws the balance off and creates a chain reaction of problems. And I believe that is what’s happening with the human population right now. It seems to me there are more gays than ever before and I think it’s due to human overpopulation. They are simply not meant to procreate.

 

 

Do you believe people who don’t have children AND don’t want children are selfish?

 

I found a Yahoo group of people who are childfree and several of them have had the experience of people telling them they are selfish for not wanting children. I believe the definition of selfishness is having something and not sharing it with others and I’m assuming the name callers are referring to "love" not being shared with a child. The child does not exist so one cannot withhold something from someone who does not exist. So, to answer the question: No, they are absolutely NOT selfish.

 

 

Are "being well past 40, fat, scruffy and poor" impediments to finding a significant other?

 

God, I hope not - I fulfill 3 of the 4 conditions!

(* The quote is from someone’s comment in one of the blogs here.  I'm using it and that's that!)   ;)

 

 

 

::What are the contents of your junk drawer?

 

There’s no room in my teeny apartment for a junk drawer, but I do have a junk basket. In it is a hammer, flashlight, string, screwdrivers, pliers and various assorted stuff I never use and shud get rid of but can’t bear to part with. 

 

 

::Ok, if you dumped out your wallet or handbag or backpack on the table, would it be a frightening sight? Are there any interesting things in there? (please remember family site guidelines!)

 

Since I take the bus I like to travel light so in my carryall I have gloves, wallet, bus route map, a little jar with peppermint essential oil, an orgonite button, and pen & paper.

 

In case anyone is wondering what orgonite is, here’s a description from www.orgonezone.com

 

Orgonite is a mixture of metal and plastic resin, with minerals and sometimes copper coils, useful as a meditation and environmental clearing tool because of its high and automatically-centering vibration. Orgonite devices are believed by many to offset the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation and other negative energies. Orgonite is an experiential substance, whose properties are just now being established.

 

 

::What's under your bed?

 

Dust. :)

 

 

::Have you ever performed a defrag on your computer?

 

Yup, I do one about every month... or whenever I think of it.