It was. My problem with the Stick was time, I didn't have enough to wrap my head around it -- and I'd never look as cool as Tony Levin playing it.

I remember a show we did with Pigface in the early 90s. They had an anti-tank guitar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti_Tank_Guitar ) -- a fun instrument. I had fun with my stick, but I never used it live.

Mosh Girl gets around. +1

Hi Brad,

As you know, I wrote about this issue a couple years ago as I was exploring ways to "elegantly" transition my own visa status to a "sustainable" entrepreneur visa classification. Ultimately, I found it impossible to do as someone bootstrapping an idea. Logistically (legally), the TN-1 is the most difficult visa to evolve into a status as there cannot be any dual intent.

This is a deep issue that touches on more than just visa classifications, it touches on corporate law (LLCs can only be owned/operated by US residents. what happens if they lose status?), taxation (If you're working outside of the US working for your US company, W-9s only go so far), residency requirements, customs and immigration, government R&D grant/loan programs, and so on

If you want to engage more engineers and scientists, then the automatic green card grant to US-college graduates may keep more engineers and scientists in the US.

A fundraising / valuation threshold may be effective in creating a market for VC/angel blessings rather than fundings :)

Hi Yule,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I didn't see the Times-Colonist article. The police sting sounds like most others I've read about, where the result shows most trucks and/or their loads are unsafe.

I ended up mailing the photos I took of the Grey Line busses to Grey Line and to the province, who takes emissions very seriously. I encourage anyone witnessing excess emissions to contact the province. I was shocked at the level of follow-up I received.

Yes, right on Dallas (for better and for worse :) ). I do love this neighbourhood, though. It's kind of freaky how many people I've met that have lived in this building at one time or another. The townhouses on Montreal look nice.

Hi Michael, Thanks for your support. It is hard, and will likely be hard for the next while. But, the great thing about being where I am now is - everything can only get better. I updated my Linkedin profile after working on the local versions.

Hi Kim, long time no see :)

Thanks, and yes -- I still have the old Dual Pentium box, though it's been retired.

Hi Janis,

I read a number of websites and other information sources about Victoria prior to moving here. Almost all of them credited tourism as the number one economic driver for the city. And, with Victoria being the capital of BC and the HQ of Canada's Pacific Fleet, one could suspect government and military would be fairly omnipresent also.

I believe I first heard that the technology sector was number one during a VIATec gathering, so I don't have the exact source of that information. But I suspect the three engines you list have a more established lobbying presence with the local and regional government and economic bodies and a certain mindshare with the residents due to history.

I think there's a lot of money spent to attract tourism dollars, but because of the real physical infrastructure limitations of being an island city, growth is probably capped at the current levels and those dollars are really addressing maintenance. I'm not certain that government and military are "growth" oriented at this time, either.

I think return on economic investment could really be maximized by investing in growing a thriving tech industry.

One of my superpowers is turning off streetlights as I walk by. I also fall asleep at will on airplanes, but need a superhero belt full of gadgets so it really doesn't count.