Time for another update on the life and times of city council's most beloved and enigmatic politician, Vision Vancouver's George Chow.

As faithful readers will recall, Chow and his Chowisms have filled up many a column of your dedicated city hall watcher.

A summary: He loves K-cars, enjoys showing reporters photographs of himself doing roof repairs, knows an interesting urinal when he sees one (and supplied this scribe with a photograph), uses his excess water from his bath to flush his toilet, revealed he would walk on hot coals in Chinatown for a fundraiser (not sure if he did), is able to recite poetry from his childhood ("A pen and a man. A man and a pen. This is a pen. This is a man"), has a life-sized photograph of himself and claims he was named after King George.

More recently, he sought inspiration from Confucius in a "prayer" he delivered at a July council meeting that poked fun at CSIS boss Richard Fadden and his allegations that unnamed municipal politicians in B.C. are on the take from foreign governments.

So it was with great enthusiasm that I watched Chow as he chaired the Oct. 5 meeting of the transportation and traffic committee at city hall.

Chairman Chow, anybody?

The similarity of his title to the leader of the Chinese revolution--some guy named Mao--brought a smile to his face. It also brought giggles from some of his colleagues and those who showed up in the gallery to hear council's eventual decision to approve a separated bike lane on Hornby Street.

Sitting at an elevated desk normally occupied by Mayor Gregor Robertson, which is flanked by large photographs of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Chow presided over the meeting like, well, an autocratic leader.

In no particular order, he told Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond Louie that he didn't need a break because he just had supper, he shook his empty cup at Vision Vancouver Coun. Tim Stevenson to fetch him some more hot water and was merciless in cutting off politicians and the public at the microphone.

At one point, when the talk turned to lack of new road space available, Chow suggested a motion be introduced to find the engineer who designed the city's streets and subject that person to a public flogging.

More laughs.

He also mused out loud that if he dropped the C from his surname that he would be known as "Chairman How." I'm not sure anybody in the chambers understood what he meant, but there was laughter.

But as Chairman Chow's old buddy Confucius once said, "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

More teachings and comedy to come from Chairman Chow at the next transportation and traffic meeting, scheduled for Nov. 2. A book of his quotations will be available in the lobby for signing.

Just kidding... I think.

mhowell@vancourier.com