I can’t really see Werner Herzog as a personal role model, but I find him fascinating, both as an artist and a person, and, frankly, a bit of an inspiration. I don’t want to do what he does, but I’m glad he’s out there doing it. His new “rogue film school” is just one reason why.

The Rogue Film School is not for the faint-hearted. It is for those who have traveled on foot, who have worked as bouncers in sex clubs or as wardens in a lunatic asylum, for those who are willing to learn about lock-picking or forging shooting permits in countries not favouring their projects. In short: it is for those who have a sense for poetry. For those who are pilgrims. For those who can tell a story to four-year-old children and hold their attention. For those who have a fire burning within. For those who have a dream.

This is another:

It’s probably no surprise that he does some of the best DVD commentary tracks ever.

Wired has a fascinating look at Craigslist and how it got to be the weird, free site where I got my apartment.

Well, this is a bit of awesome. The Kids in the Hall are returning to the CBC in January, for an eight-episode series that Bruce McCullough calls “Corner Gas meets Twin Peaks“. Sounds… pretty promising, actually. I always liked the Kids best when the comedy got a little weird and black, like in “daddy drank”.

do not touch them they will bite, originally uploaded by Mister Wind-Up Bird.

Well, it’s been a fun few weeks, but I’m back.

The lovely Janelle journied across the Pacific for a visit, and while I still had to work a bit, we did find time to visit Salt Spring Island, where we stayed in apparent close proximity to child-devouring mink. Janelle also got to drive on the wrong side of the road all over Vancouver, Victoria and Salt Spring — at some point, I’m really going to have to break down and re-acquire my driver’s licence. We took the trip from Salt Spring to Victoria to do a little orca watching, which was a fantastic experience. Just zipping over the waves in a zodiac is fun (Flipper-style fun for Janelle, Danger Bay-style for me) and at the end: orcas!

We also found time to eat and drink our way up and down Main Street. There is an insane amount of really good, cheap eats here — bahn mi, beef noodles, katsu-don, knish, burgers — washed down with beer and vintage cocktails. At some point, I’m really going to have to put together my long-awaited Main Street dining guide.

But for now, it’s back to work. I’m still part-time at Worio (until September), and I have some well-past-due thesis writing to do this weekend. It’s been crazy-hot in Vancouver, but seems to be settling into merely hot, so with any luck, I’ll be able to get some work done at home and finally be able to sleep properly tonight.

That is all.