The Walking Dead

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you lived in a fictional universe? We open this week’s speedlink with Stacey Robinsmith as he compares life on a TV show or movie with the real world. What if everything were scripted like The Truman Show and it just seemed pleasant? Or would going back to survival basics with Rick and Daryl on The Walking Dead be more fulfilling? Aside from the flesh-hungry undead, of course.

Moving beyond the daydreaming travel of the imagination, we follow Ricky Shetty on an actual physical journey to Salt Spring Island, one of BC’s best known Gulf Islands. His family stayed at Frida’s Villa, a “home away from home” with a Mexican vibe and welcome margaritas. Rick offers a video tour of the property, as well as an interview with owner Tracy Harrison. If you’re looking for a quick getaway from the city, this seems like a relaxing spot.

When it comes to the “best” way to raise a child, asking 100 people will result in 200 different opinions. Chris Routly feels that the core message behind Similac’s “The Mother ‘Hood” campaign is good in that, despite our differences of opinion, we just want what is best for our children. That said, the “Sisterhood of Motherhood” comes up seriously short as it leaves dads out of the discussion entirely. I’ve commented about the great divide between WAHMs and daddy bloggers before and this is yet another example of that unnecessary separation. We’re all like Walking Dead zombies after yet another sleepless night with a crying baby.

We live in a society where nearly everything is mass-produced and sold on a “one size fits most” basis. However, we’re clearly not all the same. Jeff Cutler explores a great solution for audiophiles in the form of the Decibullz contour earphones. These are mass produced, but because of the way that they are designed, you effectively get a set of earbuds that are custom-molded to the countours of your ear. That’s pretty awesome for sixty bucks.

And we end this week’s collection with a fun and insightful post from “Dead Wrong Daddy” CJ Marshall. He discusses the five things he’s learned from his 15-month-old daughter. Remember that love is unconditional, there’s nothing wrong with a grown man crying, cleaning is not as important as his wife makes it out to be, focus on the simple things and “celebrate all life’s accomplishments.”