Jello + Chopsticks

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-03-29T12:05:00.006+11:00

I'm so excited for this film! As a fan of Spike Jonze's work, I'm sure this movie will be a flawless rendition of the classic book. Children of the 80s rejoice!!

Release date Dec. 10, 2009 in Australia.

Fat Freddy's Drop - Enmore Mar 21

2009-03-22T19:53:00.009+11:00

Ya bro, where can I begin?
Last night's show at the Enmore was more than electrifying...Dare I say it was Del Fuego (of the fire?)

First off, they must have been reading my mind because they started the set with 'Flashback'. Mon dieu the song conjures up all those good and bad tingly emotions that only lyrics can caress. I didn't even mind the scores of people who dutifully chimed in.

Perched up at the front I got to see the boys perspire their musical talents. Such a deliciously musical sweat a fan can come to expect with a Fat Freddy's live show. Not to say that the audience wasn't sweating either. Heaps of girls screaming lyrics and reaching out with the hopes of the slightest acknowledgment. Guys topless, swinging their shirts, staggering and slurring the lyrics: dedicated fandom, personified.

Since FFD are not actually promoting an album the set was a mish-mash of old favourites, new singles (Pull the Catch anyone?) and experimental sounds. They did an exceptional job getting the crowd hyped for their presence - myself especially for Flashback - however, I felt that at the midpoint of the show, I was - for lack of a better word - bored. The favourites and oldies pushed aside, the horns section off stage and just the wailing of sounds care of the DJ, guitar, drummer and keyboards. Not that it wasn't bad... Just not the rock-out mode of Fat Freddy's I'd expect. With that being said is it right to go to a gig and be only satisfied when the artist's play set list matches your own? In hindsight, it was a pleasant surprise, but at the time I was a tad confused.

They finished off the show with a live drum and bass set infused with horns and keys. WOW. That was something that kept me moving (perhaps for my bias for DnB).

That was only my second time I've seen Fat Freddy's Drop (I tried to hunt them down in NZ to no avail - as luck would have it they were in Sydney), and I reckon it will not be my last. I'm waiting in hot anticipation for their next album and have been adequately teased with the single.

Solid show and solid performance look forward to the next... I leave you with "Flashback" and "Midnight Marauders"

http://www.fatfreddysdrop.com/

(ed. my camera's busted and I could kick myself for not having any of my own photos/videos. I hope to have the problem fixed in the very near future...stimulus anyone?).

"Fuck You. Seriously"

2009-03-17T20:04:00.002+11:00

Lyric is gone
And Olive has faded
Once a great love story
Now it's all jaded

Human nature he stated
Confusion he felt
"I really like you
But her love makes me melt"

Olive listened patiently
Softly absorbing the blows
When conversation changed dramatically
Lyric's hypocrisy started to show

"It's human nature only I'm allow to feel
But if it's you, it has to be deceit and lies"
Lyric spat venom
Wishing Olive to die

Names he called her
His words held her to the ground
She begged for mercy
But none was found

Her actions meant nothing
Nor her words of the past
Lyric was beyond consolable
As he acted like an ass

He got what he wanted
His other love a mystery
His last words to Olive:
"Fuck you. Seriously."

beautiful eyes.

2008-11-25T18:33:00.003+11:00

lyric was a boy,
with a mop of brown hair.
spookys he wore,
with fashion and flair.

adorned with white skulls,
and moves like a bat.
ain't afraid of nothin',
he's like a black panther cat.

a cat people thought,
a large cat it's written.
but olive his love,
knew him just as mr. kittn.

ocean separated them,
land forced them apart.
but sweet mr. kittn,
always kissed olive's heart.

out of the dream world,
and through the blue skies.
lyric kittn whispers to olive,
"what beautiful eyes."

foreplay with a clown

2008-11-16T12:02:00.003+11:00

burn after reading

2008-11-14T22:55:00.003+11:00

Has anyone else seen 'Burn After Reading'? I saw it about a month ago.

Is it only me that thought it sucked sweaty balls? I have never watched a movie where nothing has actually happened. That's pretty much how I can summarize the movie, nothing happens.

ya, there's salad dressing on my shirt, but you look like a triangle

2008-11-12T21:38:00.000+11:00

I wonder if men put any effort into dressing to their body types. Actually, I'm going to answer that based on my own observations with a loud, "NO" (not all of them).

The style du jour is the skinny, low-jeans with those 80s style cheap, slip on shoes. Although I greatly despise this "style", who am I to say anything? I'm not, but this is my blog so frankly, I can say whatever the eff I want.

I saw this guy on the street. I guess he was one of these gym "buffs" ya, know the type that only works out one part of their body thinking it to be more sexually appealing. Instead of an eyebrow raising glance, the first thing that popped in my head was "isosceles!".

This guy clearly only worked out the top half of his body and that fact was further accentuated by the disgustingly skinny, tight jeans he was wearing. So tight were his jeans, I could see what he was offering and how it hung. His legs looked like noodles and he had the tiniest Chinese foot-bound feet I had ever seen (also accentuated by cheap canvas and thin rubber). Is it cruel that all I wanted to do was see if I could tip him over?

What bothered me was that no one at the gym or any of his (so called) friends could give him some friendly advice on good calf exercises, what to wear and how to wear it (ok, I won't blame the friends or gym staff, they could've said something and he mayn't have listened). I wondered if he knew how uncomfortably ridiculous he looked. I should have said something, instead of mocking him in words...

...Ya, next time I'm going to say something.

cancelling the staff xmas party is like... stealing the moon!

2008-11-10T21:59:00.001+11:00

I work in retail.

I sell shit to people who buy shit.

There's a rumour that the annual Christmas party may be cancelled due to the plummeting economic spiral the US is pulling everyone into. Normally I wouldn't care. But I (along with other staff) have put in a year's worth of blood, sweat and tears into a company that NEVER rewards staff, much less offer incentives and they're thinking of canning the annual open bar due to the economic "crisis" that hasn't quite affected us yet?

That to me is bullshit. So many of us have put in countless hours and manpower to a company hardly known for their employee charity and because we 'may' lose money in the new year they have stripped us of our Christmas party?

It is my right as an employee to take advantage of my employer once a year and get smokin' blind drunk and eat til I explode on both ends on their tab. I think it's extremely disrespectful towards the people who put gas in your Land Rover and make sure you're comfortable at night with your central air conditioning to cancel the one party you host in order to cut costs. How and where does that make sense? Christmas parties don't need to cost 10k and half the employees will probably not show, but it's the thought that counts, right? It's the gesture that shows that you appreciate us and you value our commitment to the company and to say, "hey thanks for a great year, this round's on me."

The audacity of it all pisses me off like you wouldn't believe... It's like someone stealing the moon.

little girl is the beat

2008-11-05T22:19:00.000+11:00

Thanks to a friend who sent this...

too smooth

2008-11-01T10:23:00.001+11:00

I love everything about this commercial, except for the product (due to health). If I could drink dairy I'd be tapping this dude's smooth ass, like yesterday ;)

kitty fever

2008-10-22T09:06:00.001+11:00

turtle on a half-shell

2008-10-04T13:50:00.002+10:00

how long...

2008-10-04T10:10:00.003+10:00

...until these are the "craze"?

Victoria Beckham wore these to her perfume launch in London. Am I the only one that remembers her as the no-talent (I use the term 'talent' loosely), Spice Girl famous for posing and peace signs? When and how did she become so marketable?

today i am a guy with a penis

2008-10-01T21:43:00.003+10:00

Every woman at one point in her life wonders what it would be like if she woke up with balls. Usually it's when you're half in the bag, caught in a god forsaken line at some shithole club. With all those conversations and others like it, I've come up with list of things I'd think and need to do if I woke up with a penis.

1. Pee standing up
To have the ability to stand up and pee I think is one of those things that could be taken for granted. For every hover, pee down the leg, pee on the shoe, no toilet paper, long-ass-line-up-bathroom trip I've made in my life, the idea of urinating standing at will, would be worth it all.

1b. Writing my name in the snow with said pee
This is a sub-point supporting and enhancing my first point. Ya it may be gross, but fuck I have a dick for 24-hours and dammit-to-hell, I'm going to act like one too.

2. Around-the-world and other ball-hanging-thigh-slapping tricks and games
To have an external piece skin, already flopping left and right, spin in a 360 degree motion seems, childish yet extremely funny. Where would it hang? I think I'd be a commando type of girl. No undies, I want to be able to feel it sway when I walk.

2b. Running naked
Think streaking. I would love to just sprint ass-naked with my peen slapping about. And once I got to the end of whatever parking lot I'm streaking, all I'd have to do is put on a pair of pants (I'd cleverly hide them in bushes). It would be that easy and fun.

3. What would it look like?
Standing if front of the mirror naked would be a whole new ballgame. Would it curve? Would it be considered 'small'? I'd not have to worry about the waxing. Or would I? What would my pubes be doing? Out of control? Could I bother with manscaping? Not to mention would I be in control of it, i.e would I be able to deep grind? See between women, the box is relatively the same - at least it starts sorta the same. Penises are entirely different from the get-go. And call me vain, but I'd want to know what my trouser snake looked like.

4. Penetration
The allure is in the fact that it cannot be described. Ask any member of the male species and they will not be able to informatively describe to a woman what it feels like. I will never know what it could feel like to put something "in" for pleasure...

Well, that's it. Sound Freudian? Whatever. It's just one of those things that make my mind spin.

virginal bride in white

2008-09-28T22:25:00.001+10:00

keepin' it classy.

guys with bad hair

2008-09-24T20:53:00.003+10:00

A blog I read regularly did a funny post on some of the worst hairstyles a man could have. While most of the pictures are taken from Playgirl magazines circa the 70s and 80s, they did add some "current" styles. Please observe...:::...

There's just absolutely too much hair on this man's head. Period.

Eek!!

Long and Straight a la Fabio

Ok the Feathered look is very 70s and 80s, but when did this ever look good?

What about with a little texture and volume? Any takers?

Ugh, I feel dirty.

The Jheri Curl
I have to admit that I don't mind the concept of the Jheri curl. It's just that there's a fine line that usually gets crossed real fast.

Case in point:::

See? He took it too far. Don't you just want to offer him a towel?

At least this one isn't long and looks like it drips... Right?

White boy jheri curl?

Mushroom / Bowl Cut

Ok, this kid is cute as hell.

But Mike, let's turn down the sucky hair.

The Comb Over
Is balding really that traumatizing? And is the best remedy the 'comb over' ?

Hmm...looks totally natural!

If you have money like John Travolta and Nic Cage you could afford lace-front weaves.

Good from far...

But far from good. Oh Johnny.

Jude's been looking a bit worse for wear. I wonder what he'll do. Comb over or weave?

Miscellaneous
There's nothing wrong with being creative. But there are times when what you vision in your mind doesn't translate well in reality....

Halo. Ya, I was also thinking "why such an angel would need a mugshot".

WTF? Who encouraged this?

I wonder what the dialogue was like at the barber.
Dude: Hey can you totally like etch, um, some guy taking a shit on my head.
The irony is that the barber totally shat all over his head.

Hmm, a Cowboys football uniform. Ya, this one speaks for itself.

The Worst of Playgirl: Tresses Messes (NSFW) -- Fey Friends.
8 Worst Hairdos a Man Can Have -- Jezebel

mom's a trash talking dirty bitch slut

2008-09-19T20:50:00.000+10:00

Wulffmorgenthaler

commercial baby hunt

2008-09-10T20:38:00.000+10:00

Wulffmorgenthaler 2008

street art appreciation

2008-08-30T22:33:00.003+10:00

Every Saturday in a nook on King Street, Newtown, local artist set up shop and create and sell their art on the spot by donation. Today I bought these pieces...:::...

One of the artist's web sites ::: www.bunkwaa.com

If you're in the Newtown area on a Saturday I suggest you help support the local artists and purchase truly unique pieces of art.

doggone sweater!

2008-08-25T21:56:00.003+10:00

Someone thought it would be cool to make wool out of dog fur. Then people thought it would be even cooler to make sweater, vests and jackets using the wool...

Vera and her beautiful stud Malcolm. Vera may look like a cold bitch on the outside, but inside she is actually warm and fuzzy, thanks to Malcolm's fur and dander.

I can't even think of why this would be a good idea. And who the hell thought of it first? It takes about seven years (give or take) of following your shedding pooch around and collecting its fur. Since when did dog fur become fashionable to wear. Ok, putting aside trends, wouldn't the smell be enough to turn you away? I've smelt nice smelling dogs, but not nice enough to want to envelope my body in a dog sweater. Also, how do you wash this? I am oddly curious about these people and just generally baffled. The dogs are beautiful though...

Meet Genevieve and her dogs Tootsie and Muff. Notice the embroidery on Genevieve's handsomely knit sweater? Detail is everything.

See Vice Magazine for original article.

levis meet strangelove

2008-08-24T12:27:00.003+10:00

I was listening to Triple J one morning a couple of months ago and they played this wonderfully strange, slightly eccentric, proportionately quirky artist, Little Annie. I had never heard of her before so I looked up her MySpace. Although I wouldn't describe her music as a bumping Saturday night, there's something calming about her smokey contralto voice...

Fast forward to today and I find this video posted on her blog.

Levi's 'Dangerous Liaison'

The song 'Strange Love' is taken from her album, 'Songs for the Coal Mine'. Check out Little Annie's MySpace.

aphro journal - day 20

2008-08-22T22:57:00.002+10:00

Day 20.

Hair still here...growing... My head hasn't sustained any trauma nor has it caved in on its own. But I do have a pic.

Laid back au natural...

fear (plus) loathing

2008-08-20T21:04:00.002+10:00

staff of poseidon
thrown with acute precision
breaks the hardest rock

sydney, dubai, germany, croatia, germany, dubai, sydney

2008-08-03T20:46:00.024+10:00

So that was this year's holiday. Going through the fine details is too exhausting and probably boring for most, so here are some random and personal highlights...

1. First time in a desert

Damn near fainted when I landed in Dubai. Who knew that at 5.30a 100˚ temperatures are achievable without the sun. After I managed to peel myself off the tarmac, I beelined it to the showers. I was in heaven where I was clean, refreshed and devoid of clammy skin. All my efforts were quickly undone upon re-boarding the plane à la centre of the tarmac in the hot-ass desert sun.

2. das Medienbunker

This stylish hunk of concrete was pivotal to my first night out in Hamburg. Hollow, empty and cold, not only was das bunker reminiscent to my soul, but it is a top party venue for some of the elecktro-kids.

3. The Kroatian Kut

The Croatian road trip was too much fun to ever capture in a few words. We had gracious hosts, delicious food and beautiful scenery. However one memory sticks out the most. After finally succumbing to my constant wishing (read: nagging), Christian finally made a trip to the hair dresser. Located off the main strip in a small town, he used a bunch of wild hand gestures to convey to the stylist that he only wanted a trim (she did not speak German, English, Spanish or French). I stepped out to to my thang and confidently (or nonchalantly) leave the boy to the stylist's devices. By the time everything is done - we're all happy. He looks good - I'm happy; he feels good - he's happy; we're all smiling - she's happy! Sunshine and rainbows all around, we're all happy!

A couple of hours later, I notice a little something about the hairline... What is this? LOL! My German chauffeur has a full-on undercut (shaved head with long hair covering it)! This sends me into an uncontrollable fit of laughter and I could not focus on anything else.

*I decided not to post the incriminating photo, sorry folks.

4. Streets of Berlin

I had many adventures in Berlin, but my favourite was enjoying a bottle (or 3) of sparkling Shiraz on a warm, sun-filled afternoon. And let's not forget the 4€ mojitos...

5. Losing face at the arcade

German video games, pinball machines and dartboards must be different from the one in Australia because I lost in every single one. Personally, I think that shit was rigged.

And he actually had the AUDACITY to leave this note in my suitcase for me to find when I landed in Sydney...ugh

6. Condom wars

What started as condom balloons, escalated to a power struggle of strength and durability. Out of sheer luck (or absolute preparation), we had four condoms manufactured in four different parts of the world; Canada, Germany, Australia and Croatia. It was decided that they needed to be blown up to stand the test of ultimate longevity. The results were or were not surprising (depending on your bias), but 2 condoms exploded, 1 slowly deflated and 1 is still very much alive and fully inflated. Which do you think made the grade?

In short it was all around a great trip/adventure. I can't wait to step foot in that part of the world again... :)

For more pictures visit my Flickr profile.

aphro journal - day today

2008-08-02T22:42:00.001+10:00

So it's all gone.

I did it. I've cut all - well most of my hair off. I can't explain why I wanted it off, but it felt like I NEEDED it all off. When the first chemically straightened strand fell from my head, trickled from my shoulder and streamed down my bust straight to the floor, it wasn't panic or strife I felt. It was absolute elation! By the end of the cut there was a power struggle between me and the stylist. I was demanding to "take more off! take moooorrrreee!" She was afraid of making me look boyish and square. But little did she know that I've been there and done that (circa 1991-1992, me, the only boy on the girls swim team - ask Minda).

Sadly, I dropped the picture taking ball. But I will have more pics for future posts. I would like to track my afro growing progress.

P.S. I would like to give a shout out to my head. Damn, I'm so glad you are perfectly round!

yawn

2008-07-31T11:09:00.001+10:00

wow!
it doesn't feel like like 16 months of neglect, but apparently it has been. kind of ironic since my last post was blasting a mother for neglecting her fat child and here i am neglecting my first-born computer spawn. while i would love to re-hash the events of the past 16 months , i can't because they're lost inside the cavernous wind tunnel that is my so-called brain. i am however, able to recount the more recent events of my life. i am making a solid effort to keep j+c updated with my regular ramblings and so on and so forth.

toodles and keep it regular :)

fat kid vs. junk food vs. mom

2007-03-01T16:28:00.000+11:00

I read this article yesterday...
An 8-year-old child in the UK that weighs over 200 pounds (99kgs). This is disgusting. The British Child Care officials were considering taking custody of this poor fat child, but didn't. They should have and villagers (with pitchforks) should have rallied around the mother's house and set it ablaze. What kind of person can do this to their child? This is a form of child abuse and this woman should be ashamed of herself. There were talks on banning 'high sugar, salt, and fatty' food ads on television, but this ban has ceased to exist, as it should.

When are people going to realize that the problem doesn't lie within the food companies, it's in parental education. Too many dumb fucks are having children and letting them do some if not all, the parenting. I'm a product of the 80s and in the 80s no one cared about diets, sugar, and fatty food. Shit McDonald's was packing their cardiac burgers in styrofoam. What there was, was hardcore parenting and the idea of moderation. When I was a child, me and my brother were not allowed to sit in front of the TV for countless hours. At some point in the day, our asses were kicked outside to ride bikes, climb trees, play tag, whatever. In addition to that, we were absolutely not allowed to tell my mother how and what we ate. If I ever spat out food and complained that I didn't like it, I got the 'stare' and about 3 seconds to put the offending food back into my mouth before shit really hit the fan. And that's the way it should be!

In the video the boy's mother claims she hasn't neglected him, because a neglected child would be "skinny kid, a skinny little runt." Never in my life did I ever want to backhand a person before so bad. That is the stupidest shit I have ever heard, obviously this woman has no clue what the word neglect means. How about she:
NEGLECTED to understand the implications of the diet she is feeding her fat kid
NEGLECTED to follow some kind of healthy eating standard
NEGLECTED to parent her child in a way that taught moderation
NEGLECTED to promote any type of physical activity
NEGLECTED to care for his education (he's missed school on numerous occasions due to health problems and bullying)
NEGLECTED to remove the cigarette from her nic-stained fingers (at least while TV crews were there)

I'm not one to judge and I'm not a parent myself, I just have thoughts based on my own personal experiences. The fact is, an 8-year-old child does not know what is good for them. Period. The sole roll of a parent is to guide and raise their child(ren) following the moral standard in which they are familar with. Children are so innocent, so endangering their lives is unacceptable at all levels. This woman should be prevented from carrying the 'equipment' to produce more. This article is so sad and it makes me absolutely sick. The video is disturbing as you can hear this kid struggling to breathe and at one point has his mother cut his food for him because he can't reach it while sitting on the couch (to presumably watch TV and eat). The child is disgusting and he has his mother to blame.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/27/obese.child.ap/index.html
(there's a video clip on the site as well)

box cutter kid

2007-02-17T21:48:00.000+11:00

Like a troll under a bridge, box cutter kid Russell blocks my passage to work every morning. From me, he demands a dollar to cross the ally. I always give in, but one day I will stand up to him.

He wanted $5 for this picture or else he'd cut me. I will have my revenge Russell. I will have my revenge!

camperdown cemetery

2007-02-16T14:54:00.000+11:00

So I get a little stir-crazy while at work. I mean, who can sit at a desk all day?? I told my boss this and he recommended that I take a walk through the cemetery. At first I thought it was a bit morbid, but when I actually went, it was quite interesting and even beautiful.

Camperdown Cemetery is located in the Sydney suburb of Newtown. The cemetery is a lot smaller now then it was back in the 1800s but it's said that most of its burials occurred between 1848-1880. In the grounds lays about 18,000 people (!!) many of them were poor so a lot of graves are unmarked.

On the cemetery grounds is St. Stephen's Anglican church; a Gothic revival styled church designed by architect Edmund Blacket, built 1871-4 (click link for interior shots).

The grounds are quite serene and it's hard to fathom that in 1946, an eleven year old girl was brutally murdered there... I wonder if she haunts...

Morton Bay Fig tree, planted in 1848... just like a dream. I reckon there should be a tire swing on that branch.

Morton Bay Fig Tree.

This is what you see walking in (more less).

St. Stephen's (rear view)

With my back to St. Stephen's ... The stone pediment (right) came from the original Maritime Services Building built in the 1850s. It commemorates the navel personnel buried here (source).

The cemetery is within this wall of gravestones (on the other side a beautiful park... wonder if there's any remains in the park, hmmm).

With my back against the wall of gravestones (not literally) this is looking towards the rear of St. Stephen's.

Such a peaceful, tropical resting place...

Stones and a tomb.

When I took this I half-expected a Thriller like hand to reach out. Kinda hoped I would see one when I looked at the digital pic.

darkness = happiness

2007-01-19T19:17:00.000+11:00

dark synonymous with sad
but this brought happy
moments surrounded by dark
until light...
...then sorrow

doomsday clock

2007-01-18T17:44:00.000+11:00

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) is moving the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock two minutes closer to midnight. It is now 5 minutes to midnight. Reflecting global failures to solve the problems posed by nuclear weapons and the climate crisis, the decision by the BAS Board of Directors was made in consultation with the Bulletin’s Board of Sponsors, which includes 18 Nobel Laureates.

The BAS statement explains: "The dangers posed by climate change are nearly as dire as those posed by nuclear weapons. The effects may be less dramatic in the short term than the destruction that could be wrought by nuclear explosions, but over the next three to four decades climate change could cause irremediable harm to the habitats upon which human societies depend for survival."

http://www.thebulletin.org/media-center/announcements/20070117.html

Although this makes a good read, I didn't need a bunch of scientists to tell me we're in serious trouble.

my favourite kiwi

2007-01-07T18:17:00.000+11:00

I've been in Australia for about a week now and the one thing I've been looking forward to doing here - well, while in this hemisphere at least - is visiting New Zealand. I've only heard good things about NZ. And while I was in Nice, I met a kiwi boy who was nice enough to accompany me on a couple of day trips to the beach and to the aquarium in Monaco (although he complained bitterly about going).

Meet Douglas Allen

No, no, he's not a criminal, that's just an incriminating photo. I thought it would be an appropriate introduction photo (haha). For the last month or so I was under the impression that Doug may be Jewish. I was excited at that fact because I don't really have any Jewish friends (except for Phil and he vehemently denies he's a Jew). Unfortunately, I found out today - after our first conversation in 8 months - that although he doesn't celebrate Christmas he's not Jewish. Maybe next time.

I look forward to seeing you in Sydney, Doug - I'll make sure I'll take you to some cool places and you better work on an impressive itinerary for my arrival in NZ or else I'll be very unhappy.

Until next time...

global warming = the second coming ??

2007-01-05T23:29:00.000+11:00

And no, I'm not talking about the 'next round'... ;)
I'm not a terribly religious person by any means, but lately I've been thinking about the Second Coming. It is funny that it's now that I'm drafting pen to paper whilst on Manly Beach, Australia.

At the end of 1999 many speculated that Christ would fulfil prophecy by resurrecting the dead, passing last judgement and establishing the Kingdom of God. It has been many years, even thousands (one of the first prophecy dates dating back 90 AD) since the prophecy date has been altered. And we, the human race are still here...

About a week ago a 50 square-kilometre ice shelf snapped off Ellesmere Island, in northern Canada. While some may argue global warming doesn't exist, the facts are blatant, almost too obvious that Earth is getting hotter. In my lifetime I have personally witnessed the effects of global warming; no more 'white' Christmases, harsher summer weather, increase of tropical storms, decrease in air quality, etc... So what's the connection??

I think that the end of global warming will be the Second Coming. Regardless of one's Creation beliefs we were placed or 'formed' on this Earth and given a mind with a means of survival. Mother Nature - a woman - or a personification of nature has given us, the human race many (natural) resources, enough for basic survival and yet we have found ways to exploit the Earth, not just for survival, but also as a means for greed and profit. "But greed and profit are just a by-product of survival."

I don't think so. Just think of what 'we' call third world countries and 'indigenous tribes'. Those countries are only 'third world' by comparison to developing countries that have strong dollars, a growing economy, and most important, something to offer the other countries. The indigenous tribes are people that have utilized what the nature and Earth has to offer without exploiting it.

The Second Coming will be the destruction of the human race by the human race. The environmental collapse of the Earth will slowly kill us all. And 'we' a race so arrogant and ignorant to actually believe that technology and economics can save us; have wittingly sold out an environmentally friendly future for our future generations for a profit.

Everywhere I look; in my neighbourhood, the news, magazines, land is being cleared for timber, subdivisions, strip malls, Home Depots, etc... all in the name of economics. I don't understand why we don't see that enough is enough and realized that we are slowly killing ourselves and our seeds for profit and money we won't be alive to spend.

Damn right the Second Coming is coming. Something is going to claim the Earth, be it religious deity or aliens or whatever. The deterioration of the Earth is happening and very real.

For some reason I cannot insert hyperlinks...
Links of interest:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061229-arctic-ice.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070104-warmest-year.html

Argh! There is a very good story I am trying to find. I will post the link as soon as I figure it all out.

P.S. I'm listening to David Letterman and people are actually cheering at the fact that it's the middle of January and the weather is like spring. I guess ignorance is bliss.

from tokyo to sydney

2006-12-29T14:23:00.000+11:00

2 valium + 1 glass of water = 1 hell of a sleep

free booze

2006-12-28T14:06:00.000+11:00

6:38am. That's the time I apparently arrived at Pearson. My flight to Chicago departed at 7:45 am, I wasn't worried, but my partner in crime suffers from a mild form of paranoia and was concerned we'd never make the flight. Me, however, was running on a different clock (I believe of the West Indian time). Well, breathe a sigh of relief because we made it. My early morning, all-nighter confidence never doubted we wouldn't.

The flight to Chicago was uneventful. However, there was a mild altercation between me and another passenger. As the plane deboarded Jos and I decided to wait for the rush to pass before we made a move. When it was time to bounce, me - filled with such enthusiasm, got up with such gusto that I slammed the top of my head on the overhead compartment. And as a woman with nothing but class, the first thing out of my mouth was "fuck!" Ok, whatever, a 2-second headache, no biggie... While I was in the aisle getting our bags (Jos is a midget), this woman from the back apparently was in some kind of mad rush, pushed past me in the oh-so-wide airplane aisle that I nearly lost my balance. Under my breath, but loud enough for the heifer to hear, I asked her if it was all worth it. She looked at me as if - AS IF to stare me down to which I replied, "That's right, you heard me." The joke is that this woman pushed past me only to stand literally 1 seat away because she was waiting for her friend. So when I was ready with my bags - still well and crusty from smashing my head and being pushed, looked her dead in her eyes and told her to "Move!" To which she did without incident and with such speed too. Bullying her made me feel better.

Jos the over-planner almost didn't get to board the plane from Chi-Town to Tokyo because the Australian visa she applied and got even before we purchased our bloody tickets wasn't showing on the system. Me, the flying by the seat of my pants - had no issues. I had to laugh.

I have no clue what time it is as I'm drafting this post. I believe we are coasting over the International Dateline. Free booze. So this 14 hour flight to Tokyo offers free booze. Is this normal? I had a bottle of wine with "dinner" - teriyaki chicken skin, inconsistantly textured rice, play-dough noodles, lettuce shreds with bread and mayo and some kind of sugared sponge. Yum! After dinner a small Asian woman with a very heavy hand poured me a triple scotch and coke. It wasn't suppose to be a triple and she saw me with pills so the only conclusion I can think of was that she was trying to kill me. Or assist me in some kind of passenger suicide I was apparently planning. The glass - not the usual small-ass sippy cup size, was about 3/4 full with scotch. I like a stiff drink but I don't know if I could drink what she poured me on a good day let alone somewhere near Alaska. Come to think of it, I guess I didn't have to finish it...

There was turbulance. It was scary at first - Jos was more freaked than I was - but then again I was drunk and high. I figured if we were going down, we'd end up like the survivors of 'Lost' and life on a deserted island would be low carb, active, fun sometimes dramatic and of course full of mystery. Just like the show. I would be Kate. I even found my Jack sitting across the plane. Who knows if he's actually good looking, I'm drunk. And there's a girl curled up next to him, but I'm pretty sure that once we hit the island, I could take her. We were thinking of ways to get his attention. One was to take our bras off, but the thought of our boobs sitting atop the Christmas gunt was disgusting. And so far that has been the only idea...

Ways we've been keeping busy: throwing garbage on the seats in front of us, bratty I know but the guy is passed out and since he has no clue, this amuses us. The heifer from the Chicago flight is sitting a couple of rows behind us, we were going to throw M&M's at her, but the probability of missing and being seen are too high. Hmmm maybe that would be the fun of it....

bollywood does thriller

2006-12-22T10:06:00.000+11:00

A friend sent this to me in November and I never really looked at it until now...

i wish it would rain

2006-11-28T09:36:00.000+11:00

"This hurt I feel inside
Words can never explain
I wish it would rain
(Oh how I wish that it would rain)
My tears press along away the pain
I search through the skies desperately for rain
Raindrops will hide my teardrops
And on one would every know
That I'm crying
Crying to go outside
To the world I dry my tears
I refuse to explain
But I wish it would rain
(Oh how I wish that it would rain)"

I Wish it Would Rain
The Cougars
Album: Jamaica to Toronto

I have this song on 'shuffle' and it always plays at the most appropriate time. I'm battling sadness in my life right now and for some reason the metaphor between rain and teardrops make me want to do everything but cry. Maybe its because I block out the sadness of the lyrics and focus on the melodic sound of the instruments and the richness of the voices that accompany them...

Spanning the years 1967-74, this CD compilation focuses on many reggae, ska and rocksteady artists who traveled from their native Jamaica to Toronto and laid down groundbreaking studio recordings in Canada.

me + you + dancefloor

2006-11-06T09:44:00.000+11:00

=
don't touch me

this is a bit of a rant...
so i went out last night to a pretty shitty club and my only solace was dancing (which i love to do). the music that was playing wasn't even that great and what made it worse was this guy gyrating on my leg *puke* just a note for anyone thinking of taking me out on a dancefloor: no pelvic thrusts. there's nothing worse than being in a hot-ass club, with a no-rhythm sweaty ape, his hands everywhere, rubbing his semi up and down your leg. it ruins the moment and dries me up completely. it's like a public molestation. i'm all for feeling the music, but save that shit for the bedroom or learn to dance instead of genital rubbing ew. it is not a turn on and no you can't have my number.

i don't mean to bitch, it just was that this guy grossed me out last night. he was kinda drunk so he wasn't really dancing and spent most of the time trying to get me to come closer to him so he could rub his thing on me. it just baffles me that some men think that this is a turn on and can't understand why people like me, try to get away from them... please enlighten me if i'm missing something.

however if you were sweaty because of some sexy, latin, hip-shaking, seduction dance, i just might melt in your arms ;o)

got fat?

2006-11-03T14:39:00.000+11:00

get fat...
not fat...
lost fat...
i took pictures of the alt fashion show on a disposable camera, and as luck would have it, the film got all whacked... im posting the only photo (out of two) that looks somewhat decent. unfortunately, you can't see the whole outfit... hopefully you get the idea...
:(

babel

2006-11-03T06:27:00.000+11:00

Last night I finally had the pleasure of going to a screening of Babel... Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu's anticipated film. I am going to save the in-depth commentary and get straight to the meat and bones of it all (lord knows I've been eating and breathing this damn film since August). Overall, it was good. The plot overview is an incident happens and connects a number of characters in Mexico/US, Morocco, and Japan over a five day period. As the story unfolds, you are instantly connected with each of them in a way that makes you empathsize with what they're going through. However, even after 2 hours and 25 minutes of film, me and my friend felt as though it ended with a lot of unanswered questions. My guess is that it was the director's intention to end the movie the way he did to keep you guessing and to keep you talking... well I guess it worked.

During TIFF time there was alot of Oscar buzz surrounding this film. The screenplay was well-written and the direction is perfect and the acting was seamless, but I'm a little hesitant to say it (the acting) was Oscar worthy. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's character invoked some pretty heavy emotion, but it was Adriana Barraza's character that blew me away. Her situation seemed most unfortunate and by the end of the movie it was her that I was thinking about (and her VERY, VERY cute nephew Santiago - Gael Garcia Bernal ;)

To be truthful, I am tired of talking/writing about this film (call it post-TIFF burn out) but I'm interested to know what others thought about it, check it out... I'd like to hear what you think.

http://www.paramountvantage.com/babel/

michelle's

2006-10-22T05:07:00.000+10:00

As we sit at the bar called life, precariously balancing our overfilled glass of morals, snacking on plates of somewhat mediocre integrity, one must ask why?

I believe we are always in search of something new to shake up the martini we call life. We wander from establishment to establishment in the hope that somewhere, someone will offer the ultimate pimento to fill our proverbial olive.

Michelle's was created to fill this need.
May you find your pimento with us

Vive l'amour,

Michelle

We were there last night, celebrating the going-away of a co-worker. The atmosphere was nice, despite our server being a miserable bitch, and the food was delicious. Michelle's boasts a liquor menu to boot. What started out as a mint julep night, quickly turned into a martini mess. There were some of my favourites (candy apple, french kiss), random mixes (peanut butter and banana sandwich, caramilk), and alternatives to sex (more sex on the beach, multiple orgasm). By the end of the night, I was drinking Sambuca like it was water. Strangely I didn't really know how much I had to drink until I got home and tried to lie down. It would be interested to know if someone took pictures...

get fat

2006-10-20T05:43:00.000+10:00

and I did! I had the pleasure of attending a night of live music, crazy fashion shows, and wild photo/art exhibits at the Toronto Alternative Fashion Week.

"The Toronto Alternative Fashion Week: [FAT] is Toronto's first-ever alternative fashion event. With 'alternative' defining our style consciousness, bringing the public and the industry the mutually exclusive possibilities of fashion-forwards fused with music and art."

It was a three-day event themed 'Fantasy', 'Seduction', and 'Street'. Of course I went on seduction night. I felt the need I had to dress the part (I went classy, not trashy) and wore a cute black dress, pink fishnets, and to tie it all together, a black and pink boa. Reading all that now, the combination sounds weird, but when I get photos, I'll post. The boa was a hit. Upon my arrival to the Fermenting Cellar (where it was held), I was asked for a photo by a man that 'specializes' in portrait photography (when I find his business card I'll add his site to this post). Usually I don't like to have my picture taken by random, strange men, but my friend said it would be rude not to accept (look for my face on porn sites - I imagine I'd be the one taking it up the ass by a Vietnamese tranny called Ling-Ling ;)

After fully enjoying all the evening could offer, including random chats with a long-haired Brazillian named Bruno and some dude that swore I was and could be a movie star, we took off to the Drake Hotel. Time slipped away whilst sipping an apple cinnamon martini and interesting conversation with random dude Patrick (Jeffrey?). Random dude Simon loved the boa and my friend and promised to dance for us later that night (in what context, who knows). Simon never came through. He broke his promise.

Ash got hammered that night (I couldn't due to my residence being in the suburbs). We took photos in a photobooth dating back to the 50s. When I figure out my scanner I may post - on second thought the photo is tres unflattering, Ash looks like a tranny, I look greasy.

It was a good night.

joe average

2006-10-12T06:45:00.000+10:00

My Thinking Cap

(Life With HIV)

In 1984 at age 27, Joe Average was diagnosed HIV+.

At age 30 Joe made the monumental decision to dedicate the remainder of his life to his art. He quit his job, refused government assistance like Unemployment Insurance and Welfare and challenged himself to live completely through his art.

"Born to Pollinate"

With paper, charcoal, pastels, paint, and a will to survive, Joe continued to develop his artistic abilities - he did not want to be on his deathbed or wake up years later wondering if he could have succeeded as an artist. The real threat and awareness of his mortality inspired and changed him.

"Floral Fatigue"

Joe's work is a visionary kaleidoscope of colour, creativity and compassion. His pop-art has captured the attention of international art critics, royalty, celebrities, and the public. He has won awards from The Queens Golden Jubilee (2002 Silver metal for Outstanding Community Achievement) to the Governor General of Canada (1998 Caring Canadian Award).

Joe's art not only brings a smile on my face, but it makes me feel good to look at it. In simple terms I find it very beautiful.

"I constantly seek new ways to express my emotions with fewer lines and more intensity and language from the colours. Colour is a universal language, and colour combinations are pure poetry."
~Joe Average

"One World One Hope"
Image for XI International Conference on AIDS

www.joeaverageart.com

the helpless boy

2006-10-10T03:32:00.000+10:00

Taken from 'Ancedotes of Mr Keuner' by Bertolt Brecht

Mr K referred to the bad habit of suffering injustice in silence and related the following story: 'A passer-by asked a boy who was crying what was the cause of his unhappiness. "I'd saved two groschen to go to the pictures," said the lad, "and then a boy came and snatched one out of my hand," and he pointed to a boy who was some little way off. "And didn't you shout for help?" asked the man. "Yes, I did," said the boy and sobbed a bit harder. "Didn't anyone hear you?" then man went on, stroking him affectionately. "No," sobbed the boy. "Does that mean you can't shout any louder?" asked the man. "Then hand over the other one too." He took the last groschen out of his hand and walked on without turning a hair.'

tales from the calendar

2006-10-10T03:10:00.000+10:00

I was killing time one day in the Queen West Village and I wondered into a crowded bookstore. It reminded me of a musty, old, attic as there was no organization and books everywhere. For the sake of my sanity, I started to look for a book in the sale bin (which was a single box located at the front of the store). From it I pulled out a simple looking paperback whose cover was white with black print, there were no illustrations.

'Tales from the Calendar' ('Kalendergeschichten') is a compilation of stories, poems and anecdotes written by German author Bertolt Brecht (b. Feb. 10, 1898 - d. Aug. 14, 1956).

As a German socialist, Brecht was considered one of the most influential, dramatist, stage director, writer, and poet of the 20th century. In 1933, when Hitler came into power, Brecht went into exile. He traveled to Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, England, Russia, finally reaching the United States in 1939. He remained in the U.S. until 1947. It was during the time of his self-imposed exile that he wrote such masterpieces as 'The Life of Galileo', 'Mother Courage', and 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle'.

Published in 1949, the title 'Tales from the Calendar' is a recollection of the 'peasant calendars' of an earlier age. Collections of satirical tales, fables, aphorisms, and little descriptions of historical or everyday episodes were a traditional form of popular instruction and entertainment in rural areas. Though the form degenerated sharply after 1848, it maintained a shadowy existence, and Brecht's deliberate revival of the name and his choice of the contents are in accord with his clearly expressed view that the function of literature, whether in drama, verse or prose, is to stimulate, through entertainment, the wits, the social consciousness and the moral sensibilities of ordinary men and women. This collection contains most of the short stories Brecht considered was worth saving.

Screenwriter / director Paul Haggis quoted Brecht ("art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it") when he accepted the best original screenplay Oscar for Crash.

Though I fully enjoyed all the poems/anecdotes/short stories, some of my favourite are;

The Augsburg Chalk Circle (precursor to 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle')
Two Sons
The Buddha's Parable of the Burning House
Children's Crusade 1939
The Soldier of La Ciotat
Socrates Wounded
Anecdotes of Mr Keuner

don't dream it, be it

2006-10-08T19:27:00.000+10:00

can you believe that the rocky horror picture show actually made it into my all-time favourite movie list?? very weird. it was on today. something about free love, androgynous males, and susan saradon's breasts makes it hot...

...or maybe not...

p.s. i've never dressed up as a character, that's just scary

fashion + terrorism

2006-09-12T13:25:00.000+10:00

State Of EmergencyVogue
Italia September 2006
Hilary Rhoda & Iselin Steiro
Ph: Steven Meisel

http://community.livejournal.com/foto_decadent/1403878.html

i love these

TIFF day one

2006-09-08T11:11:00.000+10:00

day one had a bit of a bumpy start...
last night i saw dj am spin at ultra supper club.
wow!
it had been a long time since i danced my ass off.
i hadn't planned on staying as long as i did (finally left at around 3am had an 845am start the next day...) but every time we tried to leave thinking that the night and the songs were going to die down, dj am just flipped it on us mixing tracks that were hotter than the last.
i had a 12-hr day on about 3 hours sleep and apparently i ain't letting up!
as i write this, i am on countdown to night one/day two (who knows what kind of mischief i'll get myself into).

as for the pr work i'm doing during the day, it's still pretty up and down. ive been exiled to the paramount vantage (im embarrassed to see that the page hasn't been updated) office to help with their upcoming movie. work hasnt been strenuous, just tedious. im fast learning that in this industry schedules, plans, or anything for that matter, are always "tentative". ive found that it's been very difficult to make definitive plans, but it's all part of the business right?

anyway, my presence is soon expected and i havent even thought of what to wear or how to wear it (not too sure where im going). i plan on having a quiet night tomorrow, so perhaps i will have something more interesting to scribble about...

the science of sleep

2006-09-03T10:23:00.000+10:00

Close your eyes.
Now describe what you see.
"Nothing" is an easy answer, but there's always more than "nothing".
There's a kaleidoscope of colours behind your eyelids...
We're just accustomed to see otherwise.

The opening dream sequence in The Science of Sleep was a barrage of colours; paint that splattered the screen and played with your eyes, it was wonderful and psychedelic all at the same time. As one image left another came in, leaving your mind to scramble to realize and decipher what it just saw. And that was just the opening scene. The rest of the movie was so graceful, unique, and purely creative.

The synopsis of the movie is as such:
Stephane Miroux (the beautiful and talented Gael Garcia Bernal) is an eccentric young man whose dreams constantly invade his waking life. While slumbering, he is the charismatic host of "Stephane TV," expounding on "The Science of Sleep" in front of cardboard cameras. In "real life" he has a boring job at a Parisian calendar publisher and pines for Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), his neighbour. While Stephanie is initially charmed by Stephane, she is confused by his childishness and shaky connection to reality. Stephane's co-worker, Guy (Alain Chabat - absolutely and totally hilarious!) a vulgar but practical man, offers advice on the opposite sex, but Stephane is too far in the clouds to listen. Unable to find the secret to Stephanie's heart while awake, Stephane searches for the answers in his dreams.

The movie switches from dreams to reality and is unbelievably creative. Stepane comes up with a theory called Parallel Synchronized Randomness. It is the moment in which two brains connect and try to right a wrong... the example he used in the movie is when you are walking down a street and as you approach someone, you sub-consciously anticipate their move thus preventing them to pass and likewise for the other person (I hope that makes sense... he explained it so well in the movie).

The movie is sweet, wildly creative, and absolutely mind-blowing. It opens in select theatres in North America at the end of the September. If you have the opportunity I strongly suggest seeing it, you will not be disappointed.

Close your eyes
Open your heart

www.thescienceofsleep-movie.com

in the land of pain

2006-08-30T08:48:00.000+10:00

As I lay in total and absolute agony, I'm reminded of a collection of notes I once read. 'In the Land of Pain' (originally 'La Doulou') was written by novelist/playwright/journalist Alphonse Daudet and was published in 1930, thirty-three years after his death. In this book/memoir, which consisted of about only 50 pages of notes, Daudet tries to chronicle and capture the essence of pain, suffering, fears, and reflections associated with his own dying.

Alphonse Daudet (b.1840-1897) contracted syphilis at age 17. After a brief treatment of mercury the disease lay dormant. During this time, Daudet achieved most of his writing success, got married and had three children. However, by the early 1880's it became increasingly clear that he was suffering and dying from a form of neurosyphilis known as tabes dorsalis. His spinal cord was literally wasting away.

While conversing with friend Ivan Turgenev about a recent surgery, Daudet decided to keep notes, with the intention of writing a published piece, about his own personal struggles with his disease. This task however, proved to be more difficult than originally anticipated. "Daudet discovered that pain, like passion, drives out language. Words come 'only when everything is over, when things calm down. They refer only to memory and are either powerless or untruthful.'"

I found this book both poetic and prolific. As I felt my pain, I tried to record it with the intention of remembering what I felt at that moment in time. Obviously it was a task beyond my capacity; however, it proved to be a helpful exercise in vocabulary.

"Pain is always new for the sufferer, but loses its originality for those around him."
~Alphonse Daudet

In the Land of Pain
- Alphonse Daudet
Edited and translated
- Julian Barnes
ISBN:
0-375-41485-1

a kiss under the canopy

2006-08-26T11:16:00.000+10:00

I remember the first time we kissed
It was in the rainforest during a thunderstorm
Fairies and nymphs surrounded us with smiles

eyes narrowly open

2006-08-25T13:59:00.000+10:00

without my false protection i am forced to face those who want but the same things i do

her walk to work

2006-08-18T12:48:00.000+10:00

5 minutes out
13 minutes in
1.5 minutes up
510 minutes there

repeat

how sad

the calm

2006-08-17T05:09:00.000+10:00

I like the calm after the storm.

When the sun, so bright, bold, and majestic, tries to nurture the earth with its rays through the clouds.

You can almost hear and feel the soil breathe in and out.

The raindrops that initially missed the ground are spared, some only a moment, before being depleted into the soil.

Drops that cannot bare the thought of being evaporated; leap from roofs and trees into the ground below.

The occasional sound of car tires, sticking to the moist pavement.
There's always a dog barking in the distance.

An airplane: The sound of people above going to places I may not know of.

A blue jay.

It only lasts a minute...
And then it's gone.

Replaced by the sound of sunlight:

- Children
- More dogs
- Birds

does god drive a mini van?

2006-08-14T17:22:00.000+10:00

As I was driving into work today, I saw a mini van and splayed across both side panels, in red + yellow paint were the words 'DIALOGUE OR BUST'. Beside the word 'DIALOGUE' and 'BUST' there was (what looked like) a skull and a cross respectively. Etched out of dust on the back windshield were the words 'God is awesome.' Who do you think these people were?

Victims of a practical joke?
Back-country preachers?
Cult leaders?
Pious fanatics?
Party-goers on their way to a costume party and were using the van as a prop?

cashews

2006-08-14T17:03:00.000+10:00

I munched out and ate too many cashews. Some interesting facts:

Origin
- Closely related to the Mango and Pistachio plants
- Originally spread from Brazil by the Portuguese; however, Vietnam is now the largest producer with a one-third global share

Appearance/Harvesting
What appears on the tree as the fruit of the cashew tree is called the cashew apple (or in Central America “marañón”). It ripens into a red and/or yellow fruit about the size of a plum or pear (5-11 cm).

The true fruit of the cashew tree is enclosed in the kidney shaped shell that grows on the end of the pseudofruit. It has been debated whether the “cashew fruit” is a nut or a seed. I don’t really care, I just love them.

The cashew seed is in a double shell that contains the potent skin irritant, urushiol (the reaction is similar to poison-ivy). It must be removed before the seed is processed for comsumption. Apparently in India it’s traditionally used to control tame elephants by it rider.

Interesting Uses
The cashew apple pulp can be consumed raw or used in jams, chutneys, and beverages.

Depending on local customs the juice can be distilled into liquor or diluted and sugared for drinks like, Cajuína. In Goa, India the pulp is used to prepare fenny (a popular liquor that can be sipped on its own or used in other drinks).

Common ingrediant in Asian cooking.

*Very* high in fat… an off-the-shelf box in the U.S. , 30-gram serving contained 180 calaries (750 kilojoules), 70% which was fat (…that’s disgusting)

Liquid located within the shell was industrialized in the 1930s and shared a distillation process similar to petroleum. It had two primary end products: solids that were used as friction-particle in brake lining and liquids that were needed to make curing agents and resin modifiers.

written text: http://en.wikipedia.org/

falling star

2006-08-13T17:43:00.000+10:00

I saw a star fall from the sky.
It was beautiful and tragic all at once.
Where did it come from?
How long has it been burning?
And why did it chose to fade at the same moment that I was looking in that spot?