Yeah so I'm back or whatever and man, I don't know. Is there any point? My unintentional computer sabbatical has left me wondering, do the kids over at The Only have it right? Is that how they stay so positive and free from the traps of sarcasm and cynicism? Because right now it seems like "news" only happens in the winter. I've spent the last few weeks breaking onto roofs and wandering around aimlessly.

I'm a traveler again. Alone in my city for the first time. I will have my coffee to stay. Take my time. Smear the dirt and the smells of back alleys on my clean clothes, get lost in the mire of moss cracked industry. In Belfast, after the troubles, I was there, and I was lost, and I grew strong and bold, booking beds in hostels, buying books of bus tickets. Or, when the walls opened, and the siege was lifted, and the Apprentice Boys stood aside, I walked the old city of Londonderry, confident and proud among the paint-splattered outposts and martyred walls. Now I drift. I wander to live. I let the city's doors open, I listen to the whispers in the cobblestones, I follow the underground streams to their source, like a sockeye, I've been here before. Only this time, I've grown even bigger, in a spiral outwards, drawing in the detritus of seasons. Count the rings, you'll see, its all circular, Fibonacci was telling the truth. Even in smoke and mirrors there are smoke and mirrors. Mother, please believe me, like you believed in me once before, I will smash them again, these mirrors.

This week, Vancouver will be hit with two completely opposite acts of the electronica variety. First up are Treasure Fingers, Kill the Noise, and Datarock, who will grace us with their presence this Thursday. The following night is Superstar DJ Keoki, who hasn't been to Vancouver in years, and whose career has been spanning for a lot longer than that of your average DJ. The two shows are going to be totally different, but both will hopefully get people moving and talking...

Hey apparently Canada has a second official language! It's not Mandarin or Cantonese! Crazy, right?

I've received news that French speakers, a species so rare in Vancouver that they have to be seen to be believed, gather once a month at the Backstage Lounge to listen to music, mingle, and dance. They'll be out in full force tonight, and so will I. The night is called C'est Extra, and there are shots of Jäger on special to make you that much more confident in speaking. Personally, I'm hoping for lots of hot men standing six meters away from the entrance, smoking cigarettes, and, if I'm lucky, doing the poutine dance captured above.

Saturday night, Ion celebrated its five-year anniversary. The magazine has been a welcome addition to Vancouver, it's mandate being to provide an 'unpretentious look at independent culture.' Whether it does that or not depends on who you ask, but I would argue that it's one of the few publications in town that's been great at delivering interesting content along with high production quality. Plus the horoscopes don't pretend like they're true. Plus it's free. Whoo!

The birthday party was held at Railtown, a warehouse that seemed more fit for a rave than anything else. The room started to get packed around the 11 o'clock mark, with more and more people showing up in a steady stream. Drinks were well-priced, which kept the bar with a constant crowd hovering around it. The music was good, with all the usual indie suspects (and some bits of 80s, 90s, whatever) provided by VND&LSM, Trevor Risk, and Tyler Fedchuk.

Those who love breakbeat music know that Vancouver's scene has not been too spectacular when it comes to shows, especially in the last while. Basslines have been replaced with the new sound of electro, and all the little children that that genre has spawned. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it has meant that breaks enthusiasts are a bit of a dying breed. For all those left standing, and for those who are curious, I encourage you to come out to noTofu tonight and see Jez of the Autobots do his thing.

Hailing from the UK, the Autobots are two nu-skool breaks DJs and Producers who also run their own record label, Broke Recordings. They've played at shows all over the world, including Glastonbury and the Winter Music Conference. They've been to Vancouver several times before, and every time I've seen them, I've come away quite pleased. Tonight, one half of the duo is in town, so get your dancing shoes ready and head down. Luke Summers, Dee Bass, and Akeel open.

This is my first year cycling year round. Well, okay, not this week - my skinny city slicks are in no way equipped for ice-covered snow. And while I used to consider myself a "fair-weather cyclist", it actually wasn't that hard to make the switch to year round cycling. Once you're okay with dropping a fair bit of coin on rain gear, that is.

Whether you're a geared-out geek on the bike route or only ride your steed in the sunny summer months, this weekend's Bikes Inside is a welcome chance to get together with other cyclists and celebrate bike culture in the dead of winter. Two days of events including an art-show-bike-ride-party (fun, but not totally inside) starting at Science World and ending at Gallery Gachet on Friday night, and a party featuring performances, a fashion show, and tournament finalists (microcross and bike polo) on Saturday night. See you there, cyclista.