Flushed Edition

28 June 2026

My neighbour pointed out to me that we are now restricting water use so that I am not supposed to be using a sprinkler for the garden. Despite its reputation, Vancouver does not get much rain during the summer and the snow pack is low. On top of that, I guess we have a lot of visitors for FIFA flushing toilets, though many are probably from countries that are usually less wasteful than here. I have been capturing the water from my shower in bucket to flush the toilet and water the garden.

Monday

Einstein is supposed to have said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” I probably should have spent more time isolating the problem before bothering our tenants. Because I did not realize our pump had an alarm system and because the smoke alarm had gone off recently, I spent time trying to figure out how to install a battery where it was not required. A whole bunch of cognitive biases going on there, but eventually I sorted it out.

Tuesday

We signed up for Crave to be able to watch World Cup games (instead of going to crowded fan events). I still end up watching highlights on YouTube, but I noticed this Game of Thrones spinoff that I had not heard of. It seems to be a smaller scale story although it eventually ties into larger situations. I thought it was kind of fun to see the depiction of circumstances of the low born. And perhaps since I freelance, I have some sympathy for the lifestyle.

Wednesday

WikiTrivia a simple game on a web site that draws upon a wide range of subjects, from origins of video games to wars in real life. You get a separate card and you just have to place them in sequence. I have to guess at most of them. I just do the daily version. If I were keen, I suppose I would pay attention to learn something, but maybe some of it will sink in over time.

Thursday

I saw a video mentioning how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Vladimir Nabokov, and Albert Camus had all played goal in soccer, which may have been either good practise or a good illustration of how they liked to be on the outside as writers. Being tall seems especially helpful for soccer goalies. It is also often noted that ice hockey goalies are crazy, but I think that must have started when they didn’t wear masks.

Friday

I was playing a game called Free Rice, in which you have to guess the meaning of words and somehow this is supposed to result in grains of rice being donated where it is needed. This is how I came across the word, “trumpery.” Even though it is an obvious joke, the number of physical absurdities associated with him lately compelled me to do this. Panel 3 is supposed to be the ballroom and panel 4 is the reflecting pool fiasco.

Saturday

Masquerade is novel by O.O. Sangoyomi, set in western Africa, in I think the 1500s. I had only heard of Timbuktu as part of the expression suggesting someplace remote. The character is a young woman who is a blacksmith, which seems to have been an occupation restricted to unmarried women and associated with witchcraft. I found the story quite intriguing, if improbable.

Sunday

In this episode of Not Made in Japan, my graphic memoir in progress about my experiences in Japan studying marine ecology in my twenties during the 1980s, I attend a marine ecology conference at the University of the Ryukyus, in what is now known as Okinawa. Conferences for any subject are wonderful for meeting people who share interests and make you feel like you are not quite so weird, or at least have company. My experience as a foreigner made me think more carefully about my presentations later in life, although I still like to make jokes that don’t always make sense to language learners. Or anyone.

That was my week. I hope you had a good one, with a better one to come.