mike browne's old blog

The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind. ~ H.P. Lovecraft

Beer For The Homeless

Jun 29, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Beer For The Homeless isan interesting idea, but I think that's the last thing they need.

Project Grizzly

Jun 28, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
We're watching Project Grizzly again. Cathy has never seen it and as we saw a grizzly bear today at the zoo I thought watching this tonight would be appropriate. I forgot how obsessed Troy Hurtubise is.

Since being attacked by a grizzly bear when he was a young man hunting in the woods alone Troy has been looking to confront the bear again. His quest has taken him years of reasearch and over $150,000 in building a bear proof suit. He's thrown himself off cliffs, been beaten by bikers and was hit by a truck at 50kmh... not just once but 18 times! Not exactly a testament to mental health. All that aside, I hope Troy meets his bear one day. A great flick from the NFB! Canadian tax dollars at work. LOL!

Went to the zoo

Jun 28, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment

Saw lots of animals and watched them feed the lions and tigers. I love the zoo!

On Vacation

Jun 27, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Started yesterday.... aaaaahhhhhh! Carol's sister, Cathy is in town from Dallas. We're off to see 28 Days Later this afternoon.

Ducks screwing Paul Kariya?

Jun 26, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
CBC Sports: Ducks ask Kariya to take pay cut Seeing as North Vancouver native Kariya is going to be a free agent on July 1 the Ducks' timing couldn't have been worse. This guy helped them to get to the Stanley Cup finals this year. I know they lost, but their even getting to that level at all is in no small part due to Kariya's play?

Being sore losers and taking it out on your athletes is becoming a disturbing trend for sports organizations. They played their asses off for you weasels in the head office. Win or lose they should have been rewarded, not punished.

American Apology Shirt

Jun 25, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
All you Americans planning on traveling abroad can buy an American Apology Shirt just so you don't have to explain to everyone you meet.

Catproof your computer.

Jun 25, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
PawSense detects whether or not the typing coming through your keyboard is "cat-like".

Prostate Cancer Prevention

Jun 24, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Yahoo! News - Drug Promises to Prevent Prostate Cancer This drug is too late for many, but not for the rest of us. Shrink dat prostate!

Well it looked real...

Jun 24, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Prisoner escapes courtroom with fake gun Thanks to Kat T for another great link.

Only in Mexico

Jun 24, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment

Sombreros are great for preventing sunburn on the head... both of them.

Thanks to Pauly for the picture.

A reason to go to Toronto

Jun 24, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 3 Comments
The Stones are rolling in for a benefit concert for SARS. Along with AC/DC, The Guess Who, Justin Timberlake, The Flaming Lips, Kathleen Edwards, The Isley Bros, Sam Roberts and Sass Jordan the Rolling Stones plan on lighting up Downsview Park Wednesday, July 30th.
As Bill G, the sender of this link, pointed out, "Kinda funny, having such a large concert for SARS....those outdoor concerts are always so very clean. No one ever coughs at them." ...wink ...wink
I also mentioned how the johnny-on-the-spot toilets are always in such pristine conditions. I remember at Ozzfest in '95 at UBC's Thunderbird Stadium how one porta-potty had a big piece of crap squashed beneath the toilet seat and at Edgefest in the same venue another sported a large sized dump in the plastic urinal. What fun!
As added fun, here's the aftermath of what happened at Downsview park on World Youth Day when the crappers exploded during the Pope's visit.

Lost and found faux pas

Jun 24, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
RCMP suspends employee after money taken from lost wallet
Looks like the cops need to screen their employees a little better. Whoopsy daisy!

Judge will probe man's arrest death

Jun 23, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Complaints czar says original investigation by police could be flawed
Look! It's another case of the Vancouver Police Department investigating and clearing themselves of any wrongdoing (of course).
This is a recurrent problem here in BC and, frankly, across Canada. How the hell can we police the police?

Dual Sars Protector

Jun 23, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment

Thanks to Big Al Mac for making my Monday morning with this one.

Welcome To The Micro Wrestling Federation

Jun 20, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
It's about time the midget wrestlers had their own Wrestling Federation.

Insultmonger.com

Jun 19, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Are you at a loss for words when wanting to berate that idiot who cut you off in the grocery store line up? Check out Insultmonger.com ::: The Art of Insults to get some fresh put downs and have a laugh at the old standards.

One of my faves, "If I want any shit out of you I'll squeeze your head."

City of Shadows

Jun 19, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Check out London's Highgate Cemetery aka City of Shadows. It's supposed to be one of the most haunted graveyards in the world. If I ever get to London for anything other than a stop over I will definitely take a tour of this famous boneyard.

The First Official Air Guitar Championship

Jun 19, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Thanks to Lance for the link to The First Official Air Guitar Championship. I wouldn't mind winning a trip to Finland. I play a mean Van Halen air guitar.

Martha's new home

Jun 18, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment

Here are some more ideas Martha had for this small space:


Thanks to Carol for the pictures.

Hollywood Is Calling

Jun 18, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Bill G sent me the link to Hollywood Is Calling this morning.
Upon browsing the site full o' has-been celebs and one shuttle astronaut who will give a loved one a phone call for cash I thought maybe instead of 'Hello' or 'Happy Birthday', you could have celebrites call your enemies or people you want to tell of with 'go f*** yourself' messages.

Picture it...

**Telephone Ringing**

Someone who ripped you off [picking up phone]: Hello?

Todd Bridges: Hey a**hole! I'm Todd Bridges!

Someone who ripped you off: Huh?

Todd Bridges: You heard me b****! You owe [insert name here] money. You don't pay, Gary Coleman and I are coming for you.

Someone who ripped you off: Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?

Mac Rant

Jun 17, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Tyler, the not-so-evil Sys Admin, sent me this Mac Rant (3.5mb WMV file). I must say it's one of the better one's I've seen. I actually laughed at this one. :)

That's a big assed book

Jun 17, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment

The new Harry Potter book is coming and already thieves have made off with a few thousand copies. It promises to be the big seller for the summer. If You're ordering the book (as I am) it probably won't fit into your mail slot (see above). I can't wait to see what happens to Harry next. Maybe he'll finally nuke the Dursleys and turn Draco Malfoy into a newt.

Prices for recordable DVD drives plunge

Jun 16, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Thank God I didn't buy one three months ago.

Top 10 gay cars for 2003

Jun 14, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Just so you know, these cars are gay. The Ford Ranger, number 9 on the list, just happens to be what Carol and I drive. I guess my wife and I are gay. I know, I know, it's the most popular small pick up for families straight and gay, but it's still interesting.

Miranda Instant Messenger

Jun 13, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Miranda Instant Messenger is another free piece of messnger software that allows you to connect with just about every chat protocol known to man.
Did I mention it's free?

Thanks to Chuff for the heads up.

Can't crash a Segway?

Jun 13, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 3 Comments
George W Bush can!

Thanks to Bill G for the link.

25 dumbest moments in gaming

Jun 13, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Gamespy.com has a decent list of the 25 dumbest moments in gaming. Worth a read if you like games.

Run Jerry Run!

Jun 13, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
We haven't heard the last of Jerry Springer. Run Jerry Run! is the website this former Mayor of Cincinnati turned trash TV host is using in his bid for a senate seat.
God help us all.

Aberzombie

Jun 12, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
I saw this on MetaFilter this morning.
Don't mistake Aberzombie.com Classic Tees for Abercrombie and Fitch. Apparently the WIPO doesn't think you will and is letting Aberzombie.com stay as it is. The WIPO says:
'Although "zombie" preceded by "aber" might call to mind the Complainants’ marks, especially in the context of the Respondent’s business of selling t-shirts, the Panel finds that the public would not confuse the Respondent for the Complainants, and thus Abercrombie and Aberzombie are not confusingly similar.'

Looks like I need to buy another zombie T-shirt before the decision is appealed.

AOL and ICQ are finally talking to each other

Jun 12, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Check this out. Now you can have all you ICQ and AIM contacts in one place. To heck with Trillian.

CyberBeg.com

Jun 12, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
If you're sick of working and would rather just lay around submit your site to CyberBeg.com. I was harassed by an aggressive panhandler in front of 7-11 this morning. Perhaps he needs to submit his site to CyberBeg.

Thanks to Bill G for the link.

Union Jack with black

Jun 11, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
union blackBBC NEWS | UK | Rebranding puts black marks against UK flag
I get the reasoning behind the proposed changes to the British flag, but I'm not sure it's a good idea to be mucking with something so historical. It looks ugly. To change it would be like putting a bunch of green stars on the Canadian Flag.
Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!
My vote would be a big fat NAY!

Crank Dot Net

Jun 10, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Go to Crank Dot Net to find out that I'm only mildly whacked compred to some of the weirdos out there.

What the hell was he thinking?

Jun 10, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 5 Comments

What's so special about the guy you see above? Click the links to see more pictures:
OMG! | No way! | Rico Suave


Thanks to Pauly for the pictures. (You sick bastard!)

Feeling Homesick

Jun 10, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
I was surfing and found the site for Lunenburg - Nova Scotia. It's a beautiful little town just minutes awy from where I grew up. It's also home of the BLUENOSE and the and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

VIETCONG

Jun 10, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
I was playing VIETCONG with friends last night. It's a tough game, but really fun. It's fun to crawl around in the jungle under fire and listen to you teammates swearing their asses off.

Eyesore of the Month

Jun 09, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
If it looks like shit you may find it here.

Truth in Advertising

Jun 09, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Rick P sent me a link to this file. Hilarity for sure. It's what people are really saying behind all that BS. You need Quicktime to view it.

A cute teddy bear...

Jun 09, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Click on the teddy bear's tummy to hear a nice message. Use your headphones if you're at work or there's kids around.

MasterPeace from PCE

Jun 09, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 6 Comments
I'd like to have this. Now that's a desk.

Gollum won best virtual character

Jun 08, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Here's his acceptance speech.

Wanna buy a boat?

Jun 06, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 6 Comments
Check this out. I wonder what a little weekend cruise around the Vancouver harbour would cost gas-wise?

Thanks to Bill G for the link.

Bumper Dumper

Jun 06, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Geoff W sent me a link to The Bumper Dumper. Like he said, "Another useful invention from the people of Texas".

3rd Annual Nigerian EMail Conference

Jun 05, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
If you get spam, you'll get this.

Thanks to Bill G for the link.

Crank Yankers: Adam & Dr Drew

Jun 05, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Adam and Drew talk Hip-Hop. Too much. I just love those guys. I listen to Loveline on MOJO every chance I get.

It's summer in Toronto

Jun 05, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Time to get a tan...


Thanks to Pauly for the picture.

  Tongsville - the trip of a lifetime!

Jun 05, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Check out Tongsville there's lots of cool crap there. What a neat little town.

Quiz: Art or Crap

Jun 05, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
What do you think? Is it Art or Crap. Thanks to Bill G for the link.

Clean Air Day

Jun 04, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Today is Clean Air Day according to Translink and to thank us for our "clean commute" they were handing out buttons on a cardboard (didn't a tree die for this?) with information on Clean Air Day and how if I wear my button for the next week I just may win stuff. This actually seems like a positive after some thought and a bit of an anti-corporation rant in my head. I know Translink is just trying to get more people on transit so they have more money to spend stupidly, but transit is a good idea anyway. Driving into Vancouver during rush hour on any given day is enough to drive anyone to be willing to sit next to a farty old woman on an uncomfortably undersized bus seat.

Randomly selected customers who are wearing the Clean Air Day button from June 4 to June 11 will be eligible to win one of many prizes, including:

  • Monthly three-zone transit passes

  • $250 toward the use of a Cooperative Auto Network vehicle

  • A free month of Jack Bell Foundation vanpooling/carpooling

  • Vancouver Aquarium tickets

  • Movie tickets

  • Tickets to various sporting events


Kind of cool. I just may wear the stupid button. I can always handle free stuff. PLus I do take the train everyday. I guess we are actually doing our part for the environment.

Clean Air day is sponsored by Co-Operative Auto Network, Jack Bell Ride Share and Translink.

Feel drunk instantly

Jun 04, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments

No beer required. I feel woozy.

Thanks to Ken R for the picture.

YogaKitty

Jun 03, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment

Check out these yoga videos for you and your cat. Great for cat nuts. This guy's cat is named Ovaria. Weird. Ovaria does not appear very happy.

Muhahahhahaha! Paul will love this one.

20Q

Jun 03, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 4 Comments
Check out 20Q and see if this amazing site can figure out what you're thinking in 20 questions.

Thanks to Matt S for the link.

It's not 'a good thing' for Martha

Jun 03, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Yahoo! News - Feds Pursue Indictment Against Stewart
Looks like Martha Stewarts legal woes are nowhere near over. Maybe she really will be doing time. I must say that the shiv cozy is still my favourite.

The Beav is 55!

Jun 02, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
No I don't mean the Hinterlad Who's Who kind...

I mean: Jerry Mathers

Nastiest line ever on TV?

June Cleaver: 'Ward, I think you were a little hard on the Beaver last night.'

Writer requires English instruction

Jun 02, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 3 Comments
Read the caption under the picture carefully. I don't think the poor murder victim was son and brother to his sister.

Matrix star gives £50 million to geeks

Jun 02, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
I guess Keanu Reeves isn't a complete dink after all. In recogintion of their efforts, the Matrix star is giving a ton of cash to the special effects geeks involved in the flick from his cut for receipts (which may be as much as £70 million+). Not bad at all.

Too bad I didn't work on graphics for that one. I could handle $4 million Canadian.

Tony Blair and George Bush

Jun 02, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Want to take you to a Gay Bar.

Radio Station URLs

Jun 02, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 6 Comments
Here's a list of Radio Station streams (most local Vancouver stations) that I pulled out of various radio stations websites. The stations usually force you to listen in their player with crappy banner ads, but these links will allow you to listen to the streams with Windows Media Player:

CFMI Rock 101 Brother Jake

CFOX More alternative

MOJO Radio Bill Courage, Phil Hendrie, Tom Leykis, Loveline

CKNW 980 Canucks radio, lots of talk

JackFM 80's

STAR 98 (LA - Danny Bonaduce)

XFM 104.9 Alternative

94.5 The BEAT All Rap and Hip Hop

The Talon Riot Control Vehicle

Jun 02, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
To heck with soccer riots. I think Carol and I need one of these to assist us in getting to the train quickly when we're late in the morning.

Eric Rudolph caught

Jun 01, 2003 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 3 Comments
Olympic bombing suspect captured after 5 years of flight. He was on the FBI's 10 most wanted list for all that time. The Attorney General released a statement already and the folks at the Atlanta Task Force are pretty pleased too.