2011 WEEK 24: Under The Spreading Chestnut Tree

What a tumultuous week its been here in Vancouver. If you were hoping to see a bunch of pictures here this week of Canuck hockey jersey clad yahoos smashing windows, looting and setting on fire cars etc. a) I think there are more than enough pictures of that already out there and b) I stayed away from it all and haven't regretted it once.

I have my opinions about the events of the last week. Opinions I've since discovered, with a significant degree of sadness, are not held by the (anti) social media majority. If you'd like to know why or if you'd like to discuss it, I'd be more than happy to do so in person. Alternately, I recommend you research the longterm psychological effects of shame and humiliation (particularly on teenagers) and the psychology of group dynamics. You might also want to read George Orwell's 1984 or Nigel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Pictures really do tell a thousand words even if many of them may not necessarily be true and just.

In the meantime, here's some pictures I took of an angry mob of seagulls eating starfish alive.

Not a single starfish was going to escape. Not even this little guy who was just unlucky enough to get caught up in the craziness at the wrong time.

GULP! Yeah! That seagull sure showed him! If you ask me, those starfish got what they deserved.

These pictures were all taken on the Northern side of Stanley Park near Siwash Rock. This Blue Heron came right by me but I never felt in any danger - that's what a camera does, it makes you an impassive observer free of any normal responsibilities or moral standards.

There's some dark storm clouds over Vancouver.

Hopefully they'll blow over soon. Until then, for those of you that still believe in compassion and empathy here's some pictures of some goslings.

Pretty darn cute.

Until next time folks, may common sense prevail.