On Robson Street in Downtown Vancouver. Summer of 2018.

Robson Street is a major southeast-northwest thoroughfare in downtown and West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its core commercial blocks from Burrard Street to Jervis were also known as Robsonstrasse. Its name honours John Robson, a major figure in British Columbia’s entry into the Canadian Confederation, and Premier of the province from 1889 to 1892. Robson Street starts at BC Place Stadium near the north shore of False Creek, then runs northwest past Vancouver Library Square, Robson Square and the Vancouver Art Gallery, coming to an end at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park.

As of 2006, the city of Vancouver overall had the fifth most expensive retail rental rates in the world, averaging US$135 per square foot per year, citywide. Robson Street tops Vancouver with its most expensive locations renting for up to US$200 per square foot per year. In 2006, both Robson Street and the Mink Mile on Bloor Street in Toronto were the 22nd most expensive streets in the world, with rents of $208 per square feet. In 2007, the Mink Mile and Robson slipped to 25th in the world with an average of $198 per square feet. The price of each continues to grow with Vancouver being Burberry’s first Canadian location and Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood (which is bounded on the south side by Bloor) now commanding rents of $300 per square foot.

In 1895, train tracks were laid down the street, supporting a concentration of shops and restaurants. From the early to middle-late 20th century, and especially after significant immigration from postwar Germany, the northwest end of Robson Street was known as a centre of German culture and commerce in Vancouver, earning the nickname Robsonstrasse, even among non-Germans (this name lives on in the Robsonstrasse Hotel on the street). At one time, the city had placed streetsigns reading “Robsonstrasse” though these were placed after the German presence in the area had largely vanished.

Robson Street was featured on an old edition of the Canadian Monopoly board as one of the two most expensive properties.

DO NOT BUY THE NINTENDO SWITCH 2 | Bearman3600

I love being angry about meaningless topics. This is less about me wanting better baby games, and more of me hating corporations and watching them make billions off the bare minimum while their sheep fans cheer them on. It’s disgusting. If you aren’t able to open your eyes to the awful company that Nintendo has become, then maybe your wallet will. You can like modern Nintendo games, but you will never convince me that they are made with the same passion as they used to be.

Music:


00:01 : Gerudo Valley – The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
02:43 : Puzzle Swap – Streetpass Mii Plaza
05:28 : Beachside Dream – Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story
07:43 : Tallon Overworld Theme – Metroid Prime Remastered
10:09 : Stickerbrush Symphony – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest 
14:14 : An Adventurer (Pirate Dream) – Mario Party 5
16:10 : Select Theme – Star Fox 64
17:43 : Dance with Babies – Mario & Luigi Partners in Time
19:18 : Staff Roll (Credits) – Super Paper Mario

Stephen Fry Tells All On Voicing The Harry Potter Series | Audible

Join Stephen Fry on a magic journey through the iconic Harry Potter stories! Revisiting his days of voicing the series, Fry delves into the evolution of character portrayals, scene building, and personal growth throughout the narration of each book. From the release of the first book to the final installment, Fry shares a complete retrospective on the Harry Potter series, the fandom’s passion, and his own journey over the years.

Audible is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible content includes more than 700,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers.

RPGamer | Feature | RPGs of the Decade – 2000 to 2009 – #2 Final Fantasy X

https://web.archive.org/web/20141110111828/http://www.rpgamer.com/features/decade/decade-2.html

Released early in the PlayStation 2’s life, Final Fantasy X marked Square Enix’s RPG jump into a new console generation. While some of the additions this game offered may be common stock these days, this title helped pioneer one of the most dominate RPG consoles of not just the decade, but all time.

As laughable (pun intended) as some of the voice acted scenes in Final Fantasy X might seem these days, it was one of the first top tier RPGs to offer it, and made for a great experience at the time. The game boasts a solid turn-based battle system, the unique sphere grid leveling system, and the ability to swap characters around during the middle of combat. Despite being very linear, the game’s focus on story offered a memorable and emotional experience highlighted by a top notch presentation. The stunning visuals were a major step up from the release of Final Fantasy IX merely a year before. The soundtrack not only featured classical RPG music from series veteran Nobuo Uematsu as well as Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano, but Uematsu also brought us the shockingly modern, hardrock song “Otherworld.” Final Fantasy X showed that even as a traditional RPG, it was fresh and appealing.

The first game in the Final Fantasy series hit in 1990 with Final Fantasy VII bringing RPGs into the mainstream in 1997, but Final Fantasy X was the next game to take the series to the next level. Voice acting, an amazing cast (yes, Auron rocks), a grand soundtrack, and a nice twist on the standard turn-based setup all help Final Fantasy X obtain its place as one of the most memorable RPGs of the decade.