Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 04:43 pm: Happy Canada Day!

Joyeuse Fête du Canada!

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 04:17 pm: Uberlist 2008 Update

Time for an update. Some stallage in getting new things done, other than seeing shows, lol.

Car & Travel Tasks
1. Plan what to do in an ACCIDENT.
2. Learn how to use a CARWASH, so i'm not stuck doing it at home. Ideally some automatic thing.
3a. Visit ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS in the spring (lilac season, late May) . (DONE!, and tulip and rose seaons too!)
3b. Visit ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS in the fall (change of pace - hopefully when the leaves are in full colour around Oct 10).
4. TRAVEL somewhere during the summer (realistically): Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and/or New York.
5. TRAVEL somewhere (unrealistically): British Isles, France, Japan or Australia.
6a. Visit a winery in the winter. (FAILED)
6b. Visit a winery next fall (their big season, maybe late September).
7. Visit the zoo in the fall (i've done the other seasons, and i think there are probably few school groups).

Arts &c Tasks
8. Update PORTFOLIO - also, need a new case.
9. Make Halloween costume ASAP, well in advance of October

Digital Tasks
10. Get stuff off those VHS tapes and into digital format.
11. Try to get data off the old PERCEPTION system.
12. Get more DATA STORAGE on my system for school stuff. (DONE! in the form of a brand new computer, with an enormous [i tb] drive)
13. Once Data Storage is in place, use BACK UP system. (working out some technical glitches [i.e. copying from Mac to PC], and have to back up data at school)
14. Do something with my personal LJ (not the madlycool one).
15. Create a digital version of my COMICS CATALOG.
16. Finish scanning all the photos I have, turn them into a DIGITAL ALBUM (replacing the old physical ones), with captions - an enormous job (one day....).
17. Change PASSWORDS for various email addresses and eBay, again. Should do it every year. (DONE!)
18. Will have to update VIN page, again! (DONE!)

Learning Tasks
19. Learn ILLUSTRATOR.
20. Learn ZBrush. DO THROUGH WORK. (DONE!)
21. Learn Maya 7's new IK/FK rig. (looked at it - seems crazy, created a default file for people to use)

Junk &c Tasks
22. Get rid of old VINYL albums.
23. I'd like to find a place to RECYCLE worn clothing, stuff that's not useable, like old socks and such.
24. Clean out my DRESSERS/CLOSET of junk AGAIN.
25. I think i need to do a major cull, of what COMICS i have, and what i'm buying.
26. Find my VISA statement for May 2006.
27. L&R have some of my negatives - one day i'd like to get them back.
28. I think Matt has some of my letters from him - they're missing anyway.

Home & Financial Tasks
29. FIND A PLACE OF MY OWN.
30. Will have to think MORTGAGE.
31. Do a proper BUDGET - I used to have one when I made much less money.
32. Get a rice cooker (wait for when i move...).

Fashion &c Tasks
33. Get some new DRESS CLOTHES.
34. Get some better TOPS (wear fewer tees).
35. Need a more stylish COAT. (my last coat finally died, so i will be forced to buy a new one)
36. Need more stylish BOOTS.
37. Need dressier SHOES.

Reading Tasks
38. Read the COMICS I've let sit (Batman from the late 90s).
39. Read the COMICS I've let sit (Hellblazer from the late 90s).
40. Read the book on BRITISH LEGENDS i bought but let sit.
41. Read HITCHERHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.

Movie Tasks
42. Rent or see THE MAD FOX 1962 by Tomu Uchida
    Rent or see these Eddie Izzard dvds:
43. DRESSED TO KILL. (DONE!)
44. GLORIOUS. (DONE!)
45. DEFINITE ARTICLE - (DONE!)
46. CIRCLE
    Rent (at least) 5 of these Godard films:
47. 1960 LE PETIT SOLDAT (THE LITTLE SOLDIER). (DONE!)
48. 1963 LES CARABINIERS (THE RIFLEMEN). (DONE!)
49. 1964 BANDE À PART (BAND OF OUTSIDERS). (DONE!)
50. 1967 WEEKEND. (DONE!)
51. 1962 VIVRE SA VIE (TO LIVE ONE'S LIFE, MY LIFE TO LIVE), 1964 UNE FEMME MARIÉE, FRAGMENTS D'UN FILM TOURNÉ EN 1964 EN NOIR ET BLANC (A MARRIED WOMAN: FRAGMENTS OF A FILM SHOT IN 1964 IN BLACK AND WHITE), 1966 MADE IN U.S.A.
    Rent/see (at least) 5 of these Kurosawa films:
52. 1952 IKIRU (TO LIVE). (DONE!)
53. 1965 RED BEARD. (DONE!)
54-56. 1943 SANSHIRO SUGATA (JUDO SAGA), 1944 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, 1945 SANSHIRO SUGATA PART II (JUDO SAGA 2), 1945 THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER'S TAIL, 1946 NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH, 1946 ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAY, 1948 DRUNKEN ANGEL, 1949 THE QUIET DUEL, 1955 RECORD OF A LIVING BEING (I LIVE IN FEAR), 1963 HIGH AND LOW (HEAVEN AND HELL), 1970 DODESUKADEN, 1975 DERSU UZALA, 1980 KAGEMUSHA, 1990 DREAMS, 1991 RHAPSODY IN AUGUST, 1993 MADADAYO (NOT YET) - (only 3 left, tried to rent one, but it was damaged)
[seen: STRAY DOG, SCANDAL, RASHOMON, THE IDIOT, SEVEN SAMURAI, THRONE OF BLOOD (SPIDER WEB CASTLE), THE LOWER DEPTHS, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, THE BAD SLEEP WELL, YOJIMBO, SANJURO, RAN].
57-59. Rent/see these anime: WONDERFUL DAYS (SKY BLUE) (Korean), THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS, THE BOOK OF THE DEAD.
60. Rent or see PERHAPS LOVE 2005 by Peter Chan.
61. Rent/see a Demy film. (DONE!, saw A SLIGHTLY PREGNANT MAN)
62-63. Rent/see (at least) 2 more Demy films.

Shows
64. BALLET MEMBER'S NIGHT: Apr 30. (DONE!)
65. BALLET 24 Preludes: Feb 4. (DONE!)
66. SPRING BALLET REHEARSAL: May 15. (DONE!)
67. BALLET Fidele: Jun 12. (DONE!)
68-71. See Bands in a Club at least 4 times.

Social Tasks
72a. Meet up with CARA. (TRIED, but she sucked - we should've gone to Jeff's wedding together)
72b. Meet up with JEFF. (DONE!, three times in fact)

Health Ongoing
73. LOSE WEIGHT - i've still got at least 50 lbs of unwanted fat. It looks awful, and is very unhealthy. (FAILING!)
74. EXERCISE - it needs to be aerobic, and i still like the idea of yoga, tai chi and swimming. I just wish i had someone to do it with. (mixed - doing exercises daily, because of physio, but it's not very aerobic)
75. EAT BETTER - this would definitely be easier if I were on my own. Why don't i crave fruit? I need to eat more fruit and vegetables. (FAILING! but i have stopped buying iced tea/pop at home - i'm drinking watered down apple juice, including at meals, so my juice intake hasn't risen, much)
76. I still ought to FLOSS and use that weird little rubber thing every day. (FAILING!)
77. Take my daily VITAMINS. (DOING!)
78. SLEEP! - seriously, i think it got to the point where i was so sleep deprived it was hurting my health. (FAILING! BADLY!)

Arts Ongoing
79. More PHOTOGRAPHY. (DOING!)
80. LIFE DRAWING - hopefully there’ll still be classes going on this term. (DONE!)
81. DRAWING - cartoony. (FAILING!)
82. DRAWING - 100 people (that's at last 8 a month). (FAILING!)
83. DRAWING - fill a sketchbook. (FAILING!)
84. PAINTING. (FAILING!)
85. PRINT-MAKING. (FAILING!)

Home & Financial Ongoing
86. Regular SAVINGS (downpayment). (DOING!)
87. Regular SAVINGS (new car). (DOING! sort of)
88. Regular SAVINGS (RSP). (DOING! sort of)
89. CLEAN, dust and vacuum more regularly. I guess that means launder sheets more too. (FAILING!)
90. Take the new comics DOWNSTAIRS regularly. (FAILING!)
91. Stop WASTING my time online (sometimes i just surf pointlessly). (FAILING!)

**NEW**

Car & Travel Tasks
92. Arrange a vacation for Reading Week - i've booked it off!

Junk &c Tasks
93. Cull books, CDs, etc.
94. Use old closet for coats and dress clothes?

Movie Tasks
95. Rent or see LA FRANCE 2007.
96. Eddie Izzard: SEXIE, UNREPEATABLE, LIVE AT THE AMBASSADOR

Reading Tasks
97. Read Q&C's PRIVATE WARS i bought but let sit.
98. Read HAVE YOU SEEN THE HORIZON LATELY i bought but let sit.
99. Read ABSTRACT PAINTNG IN CANADA i bought but let sit.
100. Read FOG MAGIC i bought but let sit.
101. Read GOLDEN BOOK OF FAIRY TALES i bought but let sit.

Health Ongoing
102. Participate in intentional physical activity at least three times each week (for some specificity).
103. Go swimming at least once a week during the summer.
104. Get a massage (having discovered how to do the physio, i think i'd like to get an occasional massage paid for through school).

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 05:24 pm: shanghai, textiles, pants, fireworks - Canada Day

I went into Toronto for Canada Day. First stop was the ROM, which shockingly turned out to be nearly empty - i guess people generally do outdoorsy things for Canada Day. went to see the show Shanghai Kaleidoscope, a exhibition on the rapidly changing and modernizing Shanghai, in film, photography and fashion. The fashion part was a little disappointing, just a bunch of dresses hung together.

I also visited the other 4th floor gallery, the Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles and Costume, which was actually rather neat.

Afterwards, i went down to Yonge & Dundas, had lunch at Spring Rolls, and went shopping at the Eaton Centre (yep, open on a holday). I bought a pair of jeans, first in a very long time (but they were silvery grey, and very soft), and some plaid shorts, greyish, but with pink(!) stitching.

After supper, around 9 pm, actually, i decided to go see fireworks in town. Turns out, i wasn't the only one, lol. There was a large carnival/fair going on, rides, beer tents, a rib fest, a performance stage... who knew? lol. Amazingly i was able to find parking in the Canadian Tire parking lot. I ended up buying a corn on the cob - most of the food stands were crazy busy, and by this time, many were running out of food. Maybe it was exceptional this year, because it's the town's 150th anniversary (if you ignore the fact we were merged with the surrounding municipalities some 34 years ago, lol). The fireworks were a little late, and not many people knew which direction they were in. It was a bit crazy - they were behind trees or most people, but i found a sweet spot on the lawn. Actually, they were pretty good, spectacular, compared to what i was expecting. Better than Oshawa's last year. And MUCH easier to get away from - although i cheated by driving behind the stores, and the long way around to get back home. Also, it was a relief to just enjoy them, and not be photographing.

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 11:08 pm: physio, dentist, funk, directive...

Yesterday morning, i had another physio session (20th). My regular therapist had a funeral, so i got someone new. It was a bit odd - we were going to make a decision about whether to continue, or whether to do acupuncture on my hip, but she didn't want to make any decisions. She did give my left foot the once-over. It was actually... well, Joe's a tall guy and he stood at the end of my foot. She's shorter, and stood between my two feet, so her butt is 2 inches from my right heel. And then she starts pressing my leftfoot into her hip and upper thigh - Joe used his hands and arms to apply. I'm sure she's just as good a therapist, but it was kinda distracting, lol.

The last session we added another exercise for the hip - rolling along a pool noodle, lol.

Did i mention my dental appointment last week? No cavities, but they brutalized my gums during cleaning.

Yesterday was supposed to be a 'man-shower', to get the manliest baby gift for the birth of John's son, but his wife had the nerve to give birth the day before, so no BBQ. That sorta set me off, that plus the feeling that once person was talking to me just to be polite, and someone else was brushing me off, after i thought we were supposed to go see a movie. So, i was kinda down yesterday. I kicked myself out of the house, to go shopping for a gift card for Saturday, some gag gifts for whenever the man-shower happens. Stopped by the school to check the internet. Talked to Jackie for a bit, got comics, had a burger at Licks while reading comics, saw a movie, That kicked me outta my funk. Nothing like denial to improve my mood, lol.

Today i just did crap at home, not very efficiently, but at least i got my windows done. wondering about whether to go to Fireworks at Ontario Place (10:30 tonight), or maybe see Wall-E again?

**************************

I saw Wall-E again...

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 11:56 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for July 4th, 2008

1. What drink wakes you up best in the morning?
I don't need a stimulant to 'wake me up' - i just get up (the shower is good, though). I drink apple juice for breakfast.
2. During the day, what do you drink to keep going?
Again, i don't need a stimulant to 'keep me going'. My usual drinks are apple juice, water, watered down apple juice, or if i'm in a cinema or restaurant, iced tea, ginger ale, diet coke, or on occasion wine or cider.
3. Do you drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day? Why/why not?
No, because it's a fallacy - the idea is actually we need 8 glasses worth of water, but a considerable percentage of that comes with the food we eat, and the other drinks we drink. You don't need to drink 8 glasses of plain water on top of that (though water is better for you than sweetened drinks, of course).
4. What are the ingredients of your favorite mixed drink? (Doesn't have to be alcoholic!)
I dunno - whatever's fruity (daiquiri, margarita, fruity martinis).
5. Are you a coffee drinker? How do you take your coffee, if so?
Nope.

Monday, July 7th, 2008 10:00 am: Hancock

Last Tuesday (and last night) i saw Hancock. Hancock is a different kind of superhero, one who doesn't really think things through before he does them, doesn't seem to care what people think, and, is in fact, an asshole. Hancock, as becomes pretty clear, is lonely and a little lost. By chance, he meets Ray, an optimistic P.R. person who believes Hancock can be better. Then he meets Ray's wife. Ray is in fact the prototype of the boyscoutish superhero personality. Despite the humour and extreme action, it's actually a pretty thoughtful movie about belonging (in the same way Wall-E isn't about space and robots, it's really about love).

Person in Crowd: "Your breath smells like alcohol!"
Hancock: "That's cause I've been drinking, bitch!"

Monday, July 7th, 2008 11:03 am: The Big 5-0

Friday i went over to help Lis with her prep for Russ's 50th birthday party. She wanted me to take some photos and get them colour-photocopied. Oy, she all kinds, all with different cropping instructions, many in an albuum they couldn't be removed from. And she wanted digital copies. So, i took them to school, scanned and cropped them, then made a CD and took it to Staples. Took a couple of hours in total, about 10 minutes at Staples (made it easy for them - just print what i gave them). Anyway, it turned out well - Lis made a wall of Russ outside, with the colour photocopies (which did look good, considering often the source material was 40+ old 3" photos).

The party was pretty good. I didn't do a count - must've been 40+ people there. For once, Russ didn't do the food, it was Lis's brother-in-law, with some help from one of Russ's fellow chefs. There were various appetizers, from bruschetta, to shrimps, to crispy toast with tapenade, goat cheese on mushroom caps (bleagh), some tuna-y thing, a salmon and asparagus roll, some basics like cheese, crackers, cold cuts... lessee two kinds of spring rolls, shrimp, and mango-veggie, with two sauces, the sweet chili, and hoisin-peanut butter. There must've been others.

The main meal included beef on a bun, two kinds of ribs (bbqed in different sauces), various salads, chicken skewers.... More i'm sure. The desserts were privided by a chef-friend of Russ, who he's just hooked up with again after 15 years - there was a main 50th birthday cake with candles, and various squares and tarts. Obviously, i ate liike a pig, lol. I shudder to think of the cost for the food (aside from even the desserts). Plus, a lot of wine, beer and cider. Mmmm... yeah... took a little while, but i reached a point of inebriation that i was able to maintain for a number of hours. The party had started at 3, and i didn't leave until just past midnight (and yes, i switched to diet coke well before).

They'd rented a tent for the 'bar' (a bunch of coolers), and space to hang under just in case it rained (no way everyone could fit inside). As it turned out, the weather was perfect. There was also a jumpy castle for the kids. In fact, some of us adults tried the jumpy castle late in the evening, when it was dark and most people had gone home. Uhh... dangerous on a very full stomach, and jeez, it's kinda violent (i got stomped on and bowled into).

Russ didn't open the gifts, which was okay, all Russ wanted was Future Shop gift certificates, cuz he's saving for a lap top. Aside from the party, his gift from his family is he's going to visit his family and friends in England, gonna do a bike tour with some old mates (actually, someone's organized a big surprise for one of his mates - he's going to accidentally meet mates he hasn't seen in many years on one of his bike paths).

I also got Russ a copy of Q, and made him a compilation called Let The Girls Fall:

Paul Evans - Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat
Strip Squad - You Cream My Pants
Young MC - Bust A Move
France Gall - Laisse Tomber Les Filles
Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating
Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir
Katy Perry -  I Kissed A Girl
The Pipettes - Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
Calvin Harris - I Get All The Girls
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
Dragonette - I Get Around
April March - Chick Habit
Nouvelle Vague - Too Drunk To Fuck
Ida Maria - Oh My God
Riot In Belgium feat Gini - La Musique (Original Mix)
MGMT - Time To Pretend
The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go
Nouvelle Vague - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Crystal Castles - Vanished
Never Ending White Lights - Always
Dragonette - Take It Like A Man
MIA - Paper Planes

Russ also gave me a compilation (he is always making them) - the cover:

Monday, July 7th, 2008 12:04 pm: Divorce, Italian Style

Friday after helping Lis, i went into the city, popped into a couple of stores but didn't buy anything. Did i mention my new pale grey jeans? I'm in love with them, lol. Anyway, i stopped at Jules, had the prix fixe, with chevre chaud salade, chicken in bacon-cream sauce (so good i even eat the mushrooms) and frites, creme brulee for dessert (i've had this before, lol). And a glass of rosem, for a switch. I read xxxHolic. For once i had more than enough time (it always seems like servie is fast when i'm not in a hurry), so i stopped at the Queen Mother for a pint of Strongbow, and read the latest Nana. I picked up my ticket, and STILL had time, so i went outside and read Nodame Cantabile, and cut off the straps i don't want on my new knapsack - speaking of which, a pen had blown up in one of the pouches, grrr.

The movie i saw was the many-award winning Divorce, Italian Style (Divorzio all'italiana), from 1961, starring Marcello Mastroianni as a 37 year old man (part of a family of minor aristocrats down on their luck) who falls in love with his 16 year old cousin, and decides the only way to get rid of his needy wife (since divorce was illegal) is to kill her as a matter of 'honour' in a burst of jealous passion, figuring the law would go easy on him - in fact, society would demand he would do something for his family's honour. So he goes about trying to arrange his wife's infidelity (it would be much easier to find his sister and her suitor in a compromising position). It was pretty funny - one of the funniest bits was that the village was distracted and scandalized by a screening of the La Dolce Vita, which also starred Mastroianni.

Okay, she has a unibrow and moustache, but is she all that bad?

"Today it finally happened. We were surrounded by flowers. We met and, oh, it was too beautiful for words! Now, I am his . . . .his forever."

Sunday i took over my sister's old closet (my Mom used to use it), putting my coats, dress clothes and clothes i'm saving that might fit me one day in there. I also edited out some old stuff that i'll never wear again. My regular closet now no longer crushes everything, and i can see and access things. Yay!

In the evening, i saw Wall-E and Hancock again with a couple of grads.

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 11:48 am: Last touch of spring

2008 June 30 - It seems the previous robin disappeared, or something happened. Anyway, there was more nesting going on, and some chicks. Nice job crapping on the wall, BTW.

2008 July 1 - Distressed parent.

2008 July 1 - Parent and chicks.

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 11:38 am: Fun day, shows x 2

Tuesday i went with some friends (i made them get up early) to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art to hear the exhibition Damn Your Eyes: the infinite dimension of sound:
"A departure from visually oriented presentations of contemporary art, this exhibition features spaces forged to contain and combine sonic artworks... On your path from the gallery door to its farthest reaches, you will encounter a series of transitional environments marked by extremes of light and dark, open seated space and stark enclosures. Works are presented in three distinct formats: a lunging four-channel installation [darkened main space, almost dance clubby lighting], a stereo sound booth [white room, within the main space], and theatrically set headphone stations [on the back space]. Sound is experienced in isolation or in the company of others. As one piece is exited another is entered, an interstitial conflation of programs occurs."

We took a walk to The Paper Place (formerly called The Japanese Paper Place).

We drove up to Bay-Bloor area to have lunch at Okonomi House. I should've taken a pic before we ate. Jackie didn't finish her okonomiyaki or rice.

Mo finished his, and would've finished Jackie's if it weren't pork.

Now Mo is trying to think of ways to terrorize people with okonomiyaki - he may have to stick to milk.

Buh?

After lunch, we went to the Japanese Foundation, and saw the Washi Exhibit (again for me, as i had to rush last time).

Fun day!

Friday, July 11th, 2008 02:42 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for July 11th, 2008

1. Do you have a favourite cause that you support?
Not really - i donate to WarAmps. And i drop off old clothing/books at Goodwill.
2. If so, how do you support it?
I donate on a regular basis, to both.
3. Have you been an active member of an organization (attending meetings, volunteering etc)?
No, i suck.
4. Have you ever led any group?
No.
5. If so, how was your experience with it?
NA.
OR: 5. If not, why, is it a conscious choice, of lack of opportunity?
Just being lame.

Monday, July 14th, 2008 09:29 am: Bats and Bartletts

Wednesday, i dropped by Lisa's place for a chat. We went to Licks for lunch, but since she is on a 'brown rice' diet, she couldn't have anything good, lol. She only had the green salad and the fruit salad. In the evening i went to Mo's to see a couple of videos with Justin and Tash.

The first movie we saw was Batman: Gotham Knight, a straight-to-DVD anime version of Batman, in the style of Animatrix, set around the same time as the last movie. It was kind of mixed. Actually, the stories were fine, and the writers understand Batman better than movie studios - i don't even remember any high-tech vehicle. It's all just Batman, his training, wit and guts, and the ability to seem like a shadow. There were odd touches, like the appearance of Crispus Allen, a relatively new character (who in the comics has been killed and made the latest human host of the Spectre, which is a whole other story), but he's teamed up with Anna Ramirez, a substitute for Renee Montoya. While it was interesting to see Batman done anime-style, the animation was pretty weak, obviously cheaply done. The best piece was the first one, with the kids each describing a different version of the Batman.

At least in this shot, he doesn't look 14.

The second movie we saw was Charlie Bartlett, a movie i'd wanted to see, but missed it in the theatres (must've been a lot of other things going on when it was out). A smart, rich, socially awkward rich kid is kicked out of his final private school and sent to public school. How to deal with it? Hook up with the principal's daughter, and become the school's Dr. Phil and drug supplier. It was pretty enjoyable, even if sometimes it, and the characters, were trying too hard to be 'quirky'.

Charlie and 'patient'. Why is he grinning? Because it must be nice to get the hottest girl in school without even trying.

I didn't need that half-pizza we ate, which my stomach told me insistently in the middle of the night.

Monday, July 14th, 2008 10:45 am: McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve

Thursday i was feeling kind of crappy, maybe from the reflux in the night, maybe just from lack of sleep. But i refused to let it deter me from my plans, no matter how stupid that attitude is.

The first part of my plan was to go to the Second Marsh (actually, the McLaughlin Bay Nature Reserve). I'd really wanted to go in the spring, to see spring flowers, and for it to be a little less hot, but never got around to it. So, it's almost a full year since last i went. This time i hardly saw any critters of note (oddly, no squirrels, which are pretty much everywhere).

<lj-cut text="Mostly purdy flowers">

Daisy (not a native species).

Queen Anne's lace, wild carrot (feral carrot, actually - not a native species).

One of the trails.

Dandelion, dents-de-lion, 'lion's teeth' in French, although the usual name in French is now pissenlit, literally, 'piss-in-bed' (another non-native species).

Across a very large field towards the bay.

Probably a native plant, because i don't know the name, ha ha.

I didn't realize it right away, but these are milkweed flowers.

One of the few butterflies to settle long enough to take a pic.

Not quite ripe redcurrants - don't know if it's native or not - the area used to be farmland, so my first guess is imported.

Flowering dogwood?

A closer view of the bay.

The shore i arrived at was to the west of the bay though (the bay itself is marshy). It was around here some persistent bees started bothering me, possibly for my natural musk, but perhaps more likely for my coconutty sunblock.

The other marsh - couldn't see anyone in the beaver den there.

I'd planned to hang around a bit and read, but i was still feeling like crap, and was hot and cranky.

"Black-eye Susie, she's a daisy, smiles at the boys and drives them crazy..."

Pink dogwood?

Looks like tiger-lily, but no spots/black.</lj-cut>

Afterwards, i drove to Scarberia, looking a certain kind of socks (no luck!), and checked out Club Monaco, but they didn't have the pants i want anywhere near the size i need, lol.

I'd planned to go to work, and finally back up some stuff, but i was still feeling tired and achy, i decided to go see a movie, Wall-E again.

Monday, July 14th, 2008 11:57 am: The Maximum

Friday i went into the city for the Cinematheque, again. Had supper at Jules, again. this time, it was the steak-frites. Mmm... good. I also had a caesar salad, and later a crème brûlée. And only a ginger ale to drink, as you can see.

I walked by the Umbra store, and had to take a pic. One day i may even shop there, lol.

The movie i saw was La Maman Et La Putain (The Mother and the Whore). Wish i'd known it was over 3 hours long. It reminded me very much of Masculin, féminin - not surprising, since it starred the same male actor, still trying to get into girl's pants. It was odd it was in black and white, though it was filmed in 1973.

The movie starts out with Alexandre, who has a flair for dramatic monologues, and living with no visible means of support, trying to get back Gilberte, who is sympathetic, but not buying it. He vows to fall in love with the next girl he sees, who turns out to be Veronika, a morose Polish imigrant who works as a nurse to support her drinking and dancing (luckily for her, sex costs nothing, so she gives it away freely - she should just remember to remove her tampon first). Marie, who owns a clothes shop, is the third part of the triangle, and we're never quite sure of her relationship with Alexandre, except she loves him, they have sex, and he stays at her place.

They drink a lot (alcohol or coffee), smoke a lot, have sex a lot (though not as much as you'd think), and talk a lot. A lot. Despite this, and despite the length, it was pretty enjoyable. Sometimes the talk is interesting, like when Alexandre tries to explain 'women's lib' to Veronika (remembering tha chauvinist is a French word), and she doesn't seem impressed by it, but she comes up with some of the strongest points of view, angrily demanding to know why women shouldn't want to have sex, and lots of it, and to know why they shouldn't state it: "I like the feel of a prick against my ass, even if it's soft. One sugar or two?". Sometimes it's just goofy, like when a friend of Alexandre killed her lover and is on the run, Alexandre and his pal discuss it: "I don't think she should have done it." Alexandre makes a joke that he played Santa once, the real joke being that the actor himself did, for the same director. I don't know if it's just this movie, or maybe the French slang of the time, but Veronika used the words 'super' and 'maximum' a lot (eg. "I've screwed the maximum of Jews and Arabs").

"In May 1968 a whole cafe was crying. It was beautiful. A tear gas bomb had exploded... a crack in reality had opened up."

"I never leave anyone, it's why they leave me. I don't do anything, I let time do it."

Monday, July 14th, 2008 01:56 pm: epoxy, giclee, 'archival'

Saturday i went with friends/Mo, Lindsay, Natasha and Justin to see the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, which is held at Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall, and nicely, admission is free (unlike the much more commercial, and much less interesting, Toronto International Art Fair and Toronto Art Expo, both held in the Convention Centre in the fall and spring, respectively).

<lj-cut text="Assorted photos of, around and from the Art Exhibition">

We happened across a tattooing in the window event along Queen.

Hey, isn't that DaveZak.com?

Rebecca and Dave's booth. Gotta represent.

Messy, messy people.

Why did tiny Homer have to die?

"Mine!"

A shot of tents from the Peace Garden.

Despite our attempts to fill the holes in our soul with hot dogs and other street food, we needed to have supper. Here we are waiting for a table on the upper floor of East.

</lj-cut>

<lj-cut text="Assorted photos of, around and from the Art Exhibition">
Now Tash is back, and Mo is slowly killing his girlfriend.

There is almost no light in the restaurant.

Chicken & Vegetable Dumplings (pan fried chicken and mixed vegetable dumplings)

This is Udon Soup (with veggies, and added chicken). I also had Sesame Ginger Salad (romaine lettuce, baby greens in a sesame ginger vinaigrette)

There was so much to do, Mo, Lindsay and i went the next day. We had takeaway lunch at Cafe Crepes (i had basic lemon and sugar).

DaveZak.com

I also needed something savoury, so i had chicken skewers and steak (that tartan is my knee).

Looking through the back of one tent across the pond to tents in front of Old City Hall.

A composite panorama shot looking from west to east across the Square. The student area is beyond the bridge to the left, and up to and beyond City Hall towards the upper centre. There's more to the right of City Hall, and behind me, so we're only seeing about half.

Some of the tents that had been behind - Queen Street is barely visible.

City Hall, not blown up, despite Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Vlad, and Mo.

Looking down on DaveZak.com.

Rebecca has a pen on her head.

Queen Street, facing east.

Queen Street, looking easter.

Queen Street, looking west.

Apparently, not everything thinks Churchill was so great.

Southeast corner of John and Richmond, looking up.</lj-cut>

Mo grabbed a man's hand - he says he thought it was his girlfriend's, even though she doesn't look masculine, or black. And Mo grabbed a man's ass through the wall of a tent. I'll let you decide.

I've been to the Festival a number of times - even bought a friend earrings once (we walked around and she liked them, so i snuck over, got a card, and called the artist after). It is a lot more fun to do tour around with people. The big trends for 2008: epoxy covered pieces, giclee printing, especially on canvas, and the word 'archival' (archival paper, archival inks, archival paints). I wonder if epoxy blocks out UV like glass does?

I also liked how most of the artists are Canadian, and local, unlike the commercial shows, which have a lot of imported big names, and a lot of work 'made-to-sell', rather than coming from the artists' artistic impulses.

<lj-cut text="Assorted photos of, around and from the Art Exhibition">A selection of my favourite pieces:

by Andrew Hind

by Andrew Hind

by James Bentley

by Julie Waterhouse

by Julie Waterhouse

by Laura Vegys

by Mark Kasumovic (annoyingly like a lot of photos i've taken, lol)</lj-cut>

by Micky Renders<lj-cut text="Assorted photos of, around and from the Art Exhibition">

by Micky Renders

by Robert Dyke

by Tammy Hoy

Monday, July 14th, 2008 02:33 pm: Shouldn't it be Hellman now?

Saturday night, after we came back from our first day of the Art Exhibition, we saw a late showing of Hellboy II: The Golden Army. It was enjoyable, but a let down after the first one. Myers was noticeable by his absence (and so was David Hyde Pierce's voice). Everything else felt kind of uneven - pretty things to look at, but in some ways, 'just an episode'. A lot of stuff happening, a lot of fantastical things to look at, but no real tension. I'm assuming Nuada and Nuala were elves, but there wasn't reason for 'why now?'.

"Yeah, i know, i'm ugly."

Saturday, July 19th, 2008 10:22 am: My Little Loves

Monday evening i went in to the city for another movie. First, i had supper at the Queen Mother Cafe, pad thai and strongbow, while i read Persepolis.

The movie i saw was Mes Petites Amoureuses (My Little Loves [amorous ones]), by Jean Eustache, same director as The Mother And The Whore. He's kind of a brutal story teller - apparently the woman he based the 'whore' on killed herself soon after the movie was released, and actually the director committed suicide around 1980. Anyway, this movie is supposed to be the kindler, gentler Eustache, ha ha. Parts of it remind me of Lola. It starts off with a boy in his small village, hanging around with friends, going to school, just being a kid. He's being well taken care of by his grandmother. His mother arrives for a visit, bringing some man in tow. He finishes basic schooling (the minimum required at the time, it seems), and moves to be with his mother. Despite his wish to continue school, his mother decides they can't afford it (school is free, clothing and books aren't), and her boyfriend gets him a crappy little job in his brother's repair shop.

He also begins noticing girls, starts smoking, and hanging out with other teenage boys, and starts to mimick their behaviour. He sees a boy kissing a girl in a movie theatre (he sitting behind her), so he leans forward, and begins to kiss the girl in front of him. To my surprise she kisses back, though neither have met. There are a number of moments like that. I wonder if in 1950s France the girls were just easy like that - maybe there was nothing else to do. Although, apparently, it's difficult to get them to go all the way.

The movie was slow - there are no great events or traumas, just growing up. But it was funny, and sweet.

Okay, he starts a little early, pressing himself against a girl at his first communion...

There's something off about mom (and no mention of his father).

The train trip to his mother was odd, when three teenagers got into the compartment, and shut the curtains.

His first shot at cruising was a little ambitious.

Saturday, July 19th, 2008 10:57 am: HAIL TO THE HYPNOTOAD!

I started revising my portfolio this week. It's taken a little longer than i thought, like almost everything. I've bought a new smaller album for just photos, removed the photos (which looked too small) from my big portfolio, and a few crappy drawings, and i'm adding some more recent life drawings. Yesterday, i went into school to back up data, and to trim some drawings.

I dropped by Lisa's Wednesday for a chat. Also Wednesday, another physio session, for my hip. Did i tell you my great joke, when he got me to lie on my side, and the therapist was peeling the top and bottom of my shorts the week before, to do connect some electrical nodes? I said, "Just like the dentist."

I rented a handful of DVDs, including the Futurama DVDs Bender's Big Score and The Beast With A Billion Backs, a sequel of sorts (one does lead into the next). They were the usual Futurama fun, especially the second one. I also rented the new edition of Sword In The Stone, the last one i rented being all scratchy and skippy.

"You've got no code, no porn, and you're ugly. Let's dance!"

"These aren't tentacles, they're gentacles!"

I love Hypnotoad! Everybody loves Hypnotoad. ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD!

Saturday, July 19th, 2008 11:05 am: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for July 18th, 2008

1. If you could change one life-changing event in the life of someone important to you, would you?
Yes, if it would save their life - does death count as a life-changing event? I'd like my Mom back.
2. Which do you think is easier to do, being friends for many years, or being life partners for many years?
Friends - far less pressure.
3. Have you ever walked away from someone you considered a friend?
You mean, ended the friendship? Or abandoned them at some critical point? Neither, anyway. I've had 'friends' cut me off.
4. If you had to choose between telling the truth and hurting a friend or lying and making them happy, which would you choose?
It would depend on the necessity of their knowing, and whether it was any of my business to find out.
5. Which would you rather hear--the truth which will hurt, or the comforting lie?
*sigh* The truth.

Saturday, July 19th, 2008 12:06 pm: Why So Serious?

Thursday night some friends and i got together, had a drink and a snack at Boston Pizza, and then went to a midnight showing of a little art film created by some guy named Chris Nolan (anyone remember The Prestige?). It was called The Dark Knight.

There were a lot of interesting contrasts, lightness vs darkness (the rule of law vs vigilantism) between the new district attorney Harvey Dent (called by many Gotham's White Knight) and the Batman, chaos vs order (rules vs no rules) between the Joker and the Batman (you could see one as the medieval court jester, the other the medieval knight), and obsession vs normalcy between the Batman and Bruce Wayne. Anyone who knows the comics knows Dent's fate, but it was interesting seeing Batman/Bruce Wayne bouncing between the different sides, wanting to give up the darkness, and when pushed, wanting to surrender to it. And that provides another contrast, with the Batman who has to balance himself between these contrasts, and Two-Face who is torn in half by them. There are also some interesting dynamics among Batman, Bruce Wayne, Dent and Jim Gordon. A great movie, if darker and less fun, than say, Iron Man.

I found the plot a bit frustrating, with everyone simply reacting to the Joker's chaos, which i suppose is the point. My only real negative is that i wish the car chase scene was a little shorter, and i'd REALLY like the next movie to have NO car chase scenes. A note to people being held hostage by the Joker: if he says your device will kill someone else and not you, why would you believe him (i mean, that is a great gag). Heath Ledger was amazing, and actually so was Aaron Eckhart (Two-Face's face was revolting!). My favourite bits of the Joker were when i was being funny (as a nurse, after blowing up a building, the world's most brutal pencil disappearing gag) - the Joker isn't just some brooding psychopath, he's the psychopath who laughs at everything (one of my favourite lines from Batman The Animated Series was when the Joker accidentally ignited a chemical dump, and just before he was caught in the blast, he said, "Whoopsie!")

Notice you never really get to see Barbara Gordon Jr? She's referenced a couple of times, you see her head, and if you pay close attention, you get a quick glance at part of her face. They did the same thing in the last movie. Still, she's much too young to even consider becoming Batgirl. Also, a question is answered about Anna Ramirez, no mere substitute for Montoya.

"Some men just want to watch the world burn."

"I'm a dog chasing cars. I don't have plans. I just do things. I'm not a schemer. I wouldn't know what to do if i caught one."

"You complete me."

2:30 in the morning is too late to get out of a movie.

Monday, July 21st, 2008 10:09 am: drugs and narration in Las Vegas

Saturday i had to head to the art store again, to get more sleeves for my photo portfolio, and i bought a 5$ cardboard one to cover my pads of life drawings. Saturday evening i finished off work on the photo portfolio and the big one (i forgot what a bitch those big sleeves were).

Actually, i had a tiny bit of time, got takeaway from Licks, and snuck it into the movies - i saw Wall-E again (most of it anyway) - it makes me too emotional, lol).

In the evening, i saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which despite the director being Terry Gilliam and Hunter S Thompson being Johnny Depp, and Benicio del Toro being Dr Gonzo, was close to unwatchable, although it was funny in places (gee, it was kinda like watching some pathetic druggies stumble around). So, i read the newspapers while it was on in the background.

You can turn your back on a person, but, never turn your back on a drug. Especially when it's waving a razor-sharp hunting knife in your eye.

There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.

With a bit of luck, his life was ruined forever. Always thinking that just behind some narrow door in all of his favorite bars, men in red woolen shirts are getting incredible kicks from things he'll never know.

Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. A normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop heart. Make the bastard chase you. He will follow. But he won't know what to make of your blinker signal that says you are about to turn right.

As your attorney, I advise you to drive at top speed, it'll be a god damn miracle if we can get there before you turn into a wild animal.

Monday, July 21st, 2008 10:34 am: I used to have fun... (i wish...)

Sunday it was raining, and raining hard, pretty much all day. I went to Yorkdale to do a bit of shopping - there are pants from Club Monaco i've been wanting, but no one seems to have it in my size. Regardless, i found some other nice pants at Zara, including some very soft, richly green colored cotton pants, which were so good i had to buy another pair (i got navy, instead of black or maroon), and only 40$, and some really nice, light grey tartan pants, which turned out to be only 20$! Woot.

I didn't check the bookstore much, because i have way too many books, lol. I had lunch there, at Thai Express (which always has a line up, because it's so good). I had the yellow (pineapple and potato) curry on rice, with chicken.

The movie theatre was crazy-crowded (concession line took forever), which happens on rainy Sundays in the summer. The Dark Knight, i'm not surprised, but Mamma Mia turned out to be crowded too. Smart counter-programming, as it turns out - largest opening for a musical ever (although perhaps not if adjusted for inflation). Anyway, it was okay - it's one of those musicals that exists to sling some songs together in a flimsy plot. The premise was funny - girl is getting married, doesn't know who her dad is, so invites the three possible candidates to the wedding (nicely, she and her mom live on a beautiful Greek island). It was fun.

"Typical... you wait 20 years for a father and then three show up at once."

"I used to have fun..."
"Oh, we know!"

"I've invited my dad to my wedding."
"You found him!?"
"Well, not exactly..."

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 11:44 am: pastrami, custard, ceramics

I made a last minute decision yesterday to go into the city. First stop was the Gardiner Museum of Ceramics, starting off in the restaurant 'Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner'.

My lunch was 'House Made Pastrami on Rye Bread', with a small glass of 'Stratus Cabernet Franc Niagara Peninsula'.

<lj-cut text="Some photos at the Gardiner">

Dessert was Peruvian Custard with Sweet Potato Ice Cream, which is about the oddest dessert i've ever had. The ice cream kind of tasted like pumpkin. The custard (which is covered in meringue here), is kind of like intense vanilla or caramel, with some odd flavour, possibly cinnamon, but with a super-sugary after taste. I wasn't sure if i liked it or not.

Looking south from the restaurant, towards Queen's Park and University of Toronto. The ROM is to the right of this shot. The brick building behind the blinds is Annesley Hall, a residence of Victoria College/University, where friends of mine used to stay (i don't know if it's still all-girls).

The ROM from between The Gardiner Museum and the old 'Department of Hovsehold Science' building (the opposite side is a Club Monaco).

The back of buildings facing Bloor Street.

The show i was seeing was Object Factory: The Art of Industrial Ceramics, which examines 'the new relationship between artists, designers and industry that “has heralded a vitality and fresh orientation to ceramic material.” The exhibition also includes sections devoted to recent advances in ceramic materials and technologies, and to the creative manipulation and re-use of industrial ceramics by studio artists.' There were some neat ideas (unfortunately, no photos allowed, so i'm relying on what i could scrounge off the internets).

</lj-cut >

Purely sculpture.

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 11:46 am: KET-zal-KWAT-lus

Then it was a quick run into the ROM to see the newest permanent installation, Quetzalcoatlus, which is the world's largest pterosaur skeleton reconstruction. The wingspan is 12 m (39 ft) - it's the biggest flying creature ever known.

People building sand castles in front of the ROM?

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 11:52 am: Calligraphy Exhibition

The Japan Foundation had another show, 'The Calligraphy Exhibition "Japan-Canada Cultural Exchange" will feature 11 pieces of modern calligraphy works by Master Calligrapher Ms. Shiko Kataoka. The delicate brushwork compliments the Tanka and Haiku (Japanese poems) that are presented on rare and beautiful washi (Japanese paper) in the form of folding screens, framed works, folding albums and hanging scrolls.'

<lj-cut text="Some photos at the Calligraphy Exhibition">

</lj-cut>

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 11:57 am: Superman: Doomsday

Last night i watched the direct-to-DVD movie Superman: Doomsday, which is Bruce Timm's adaptation of the comic storyline from 15 years ago. Much had to be cut out, including the Justice League's role, and the fact that there were actually 4 claimants to be Superman (not counting Superman himself), and Superman revealed his identity to Lois after she fell in love with Clark, not Superman.

Anyway, it was a little disappointing. I generally enjoy the Bruce Timm animated series, but the movies seem kind of flat. The character moments are too subtle to be caught by the limited animation style.

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 11:33 pm: Stuck In The Middle With You

I woke up feeling like crap, achy muscles and all. >_< Today was another physio session in the morning, comics and lunch in the early afternoon, and when i got home, i flaked out unconscious for an hour or two.

This evening, i've been doing laundry for my weekend trip, and watched Reservoir Dogs, finally. It was pretty good, although i prefer Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill.

"I already told you I don't know anything about any fucking setup; you can torture me all you want."
"Torture you? That's a good idea. I like that."

Monday, July 28th, 2008 07:12 pm: Art Gallery of Hamilton

Thursday, i went with Mo and Justin, a couple of grads, to the Art Gallery of Hamilton (oddly, located in Hamilton, Ontario) to see their current exhibition, series of Exhibitions, actually, called Inspiration East. The museum wasn't open when we arrived, so we walked around a bit.

<lj-cut text="Some photos in and around the Art Gallery of Hamilton">

Statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, in Gore Park, downtown Hamilton. Two foreigners are sitting on guns from the War of 1812.

Brains too big!

An exciting shop on King Street in downtown Hamilton.

A charming side street.

We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant, and some of us had sushi for the first time. 1. Let's try this. 2. Smells good! 3. Here it goes! 4. The risk isn't with the raw fish, it's the parasitic worms!

I likes the reflections.

GALLERY LEVEL ONE (not my pics):

The Collectors Series: Joe Ng

The Collectors Series: Luke Chan. The first parts showed various luxury goods made in China and Japan that were exported heavily to the west. We ran into a tour group of teens who seemed more interested in each other than what the tour guide was saying.

Masters of the Ukiyo-e: "Episodes along the Tokaido Road" by Hiroshige Ando. Ukiyo-e were made more for local consumption.

The Japonisme of Edgar Degas and James Tissot: Degas. Japanese style influenced European painters in various ways.

Great New Wave: Contemporary Art from Japan: 'Pix-cell' Deer by Kohei Nawa. There were a handful of different contemporary works.

Atelier: The Monotheatrum by Tor Lukasik-Foss, supposedly a performance venue. Not part of the Inspiration East show.

From Geisha to Diva: The Kimonos of Ichimaru. There were a ton of gorgeous kimonos, haori, and other artifacts. Ichimaru began as a geisha, and became one of Japan's earliest pop idols.

GALLERY LEVEL TWO (free admission! - not my pics):

William Blair Bruce Memorial, dedicated to one of Hamilton's early prominent painters.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia: Vision of the God-Kings photographs by Lois Conner

The Word Made Flesh: Images of Devotion, various Renaissance and Baroque religious works.

Story Time: Narrative in Contemporary Art

Home Again: Our Canadian Treasures Return: Phantom Hunter by William Blair Bruce

Carnival: Scenes from a Spectacle: Carousel by Dorothy Cameron. Lots of fun stuff, clockwork pieces, and so on.</lj-cut >

Kim Adams' Bruegel-Bosch Bus (on permanent display). A fascinating piece, repeatedly added to since 1996, consisting of a 1960 Volkswagon truck with parts of a city, trains, and pop culture figures built into it. We spent the most time on this single piece, until Justin knocked a piece off, and security was called.

Monday, July 28th, 2008 07:32 pm: Family Treehouse by EGR

Afterwards, we avoided the busy expressway back to TO, and stopped at Licks for supper. We did a detour to go to the closing party for Family Treehouse a collection of works by Toronto visual artist Erica Gosich Rose aka EGR, also with some paintings by Esther Sanchez, a friend and former student (i met EGR through Esther). We chatted a while (we were there early, and no one else was there). Justin ended up buying three prints:

Monday, July 28th, 2008 11:06 pm: Cottage Weekend II

This weekend was our second annual faculty/Sudbury grads cottage weekend, courtesy of Chris and Bekah (much thanks!), and again it was a ton(ne) of fun(ne). I was giving a ride to Torrie's boyfriend (starting about a quarter my trip up), so i took the opportunity to go visit the March studio in Sudbury, and, more importantly, the many fine, fun grads of ours working there.

<lj-cut text="Cottage Weekend debauchery">

After getting a tour (and why didn't i take photos?), we went out for sushi (most of us, that is! *sniff* - and again why didn't i take more photos?). Here Corey shows off his sculpting, modelling and rigging skillz, and Mike shows off his Vanna White skillz.

I went to Sudbury that night, while the grads got psyched up for Saturday. The insects were atrocious, and the cider didn't have its usual kick. Saturday morning Miah, Matt, Stephanie and i went out looking for a store - Matt and i wanted ice, Miah want 'cheap native smokes' (he found the most expensive ones possible). Anyway, we stopped to take a few purdy pics.

The grads started arriving around noon (i think?), although some took MUCH longer. Obviously, our program needs a map reading unit. The water levels have risen a lot this year, and here we see some engineers trying to create a fire on the edge of the lake.

Miah points out a better spot, so that people might actually sit around the fire.

Some of us look on in astonishment.

Matt figures the firepit ought to be about a board's length away.

Autumn has the right idea.

Ryan is washing his hands of the whole job, Miah is, uh....

Matt tries to fly away.

It's not funny anymore - Torrie is disgusted.

Well, at least *someone* is getting some wood.

Lovely feet.

Morgan is ignoring everyone.

Looking up at the stars - wait, no stars - clouds?

Trish is on the rocks.

Say goodbye to Matt Grabinsky and hello to Jim Sanchez.

Buh?

I try switching to artier photos.

Alcohol-fuelled stability.

Everything is bigger up north!

Hi Celeste and Andrew!

Hair by Ryan.

Hair by Corey.

The horror, the horror!

Looking out on the lake (didn't i do pics like this last year?).

The students amused themselves by lighting sparklers, and THEN telling me to photograph it (need to aim the tripod kids).

<3

:)

Scary fire faces.

The night sky - by the tilt, you can see it's later in the evening.

Across the lake there were fireworks.

Taking some pics on Sunday morning.

The little bay by the cottage - Brokeback Bay, as it turned out.

Liam and Bekah go fishing.

Beer caps are fascinating.

Bekah and Liam are still fishing.

Getting arty with the moss covered rock.

I decided to take photos of everybody with the intent of turning them into drawings.

Trapped on the wrong side of the gaybush. At least one will make it back. </lj-cut>

<lj-cut text="more Cottage Weekend debauchery">

Celeste does a martial art pose (one i use in my physiotherapy), Ryan and Corey, i dunno...

Recoil...

A natural pose.

Hands of a surgeon.

Sorry, out of focus.

Mark of the devil!

Yummy!

Good catch!

Torrie hates being the centre of attention.

Almost fits.

I went to photo a giant mushroom, and found a little garter snake trying to slither away.

The shroom. It's rare you see one big enough that a toad could use it as a stool (but i still don't think it could support a toad's weight).

Corey's toe, for size comparison. A bunch of us went canoeing, including Ryan and Andrew F, Chris P and Abdrew P, Celeste and Trish. Corey and i harassed a great blue heron, refused to heed the warnings of the crow/raven, and were attacked by vicious gangs of deerflies. I need to get a waterproof camera, for just such occasions.

Awkward!!!!...

Everybody is chilling out before we leave (except Miah, Matt and Stephanie, who left ridiculously early).

Matt's foot is swelling up from deerfly bites - and so is my ankle, more than 30 hours later.

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 12:25 pm: Cringe

On Monday, i cleaned stuff upfrom the trip, and dealt with the photos.

I went to see Step Brothers. Ouch.

"Martha Stewart, Oprah, your wife. You gotta fuck one, kill one, and marry one, who do you pick?"

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 12:41 pm: Gotta have faith

Yesterday i had lunch with a mix of 3 grads/soon-to-be-grads. Then we went to see a movie. We saw The X Files: I Want to Believe. It was not bad - if they trimmed out the 'come on, you know ya wanna' bits, and the repetitive weepiness, you'd have a pretty solid episode. Nothing to do with aliens or government conspiracies though - all about faith, it seems.

CYLON!

Mulder: "This is not an exact science. If it were me I'd be on the guy 24/7. I'd be in bed with him kissing his holy ass.
Agent Whitney: "Father Joe is a convicted pedophile."
Mulder: "Maybe I'd stay out of bed with him."

In the evening, i started feeling lonely, underappreciated and sorry for myself. I'm lame.

Today was physiotherapy. Had the electrodes, the ultrasound, the leg pulling, and, for the first time with my hip, acupuncture. Three needles, one at my knee, one at my back, and a big one in my hip (the part in the body was 3" long!).

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 02:40 pm: Arigatou gozaimasu!

A while ago, one of the organizers, Brent Borgundvaag, of the Gujo Odori dance festival in Toronto emailed me, asking if i would mind giving the dance troupe copies of the photos i had taken of the performance, since they hadn't the chance to take their own. Of course i didn't, and i included the full res versions, and a bunch of redundant ones that i hadn't posted.

Anyway, as a thanks, he sent me this gift, which i received today:

The box!

A card with a thank you note (and a 25$ Chapters gift certificate - already uploaded to my online account).

The front of the wrapped gift.

The back of the wrapped gift.

The package inside (and upside down, as i later realized). It's a package of handmade nikkei-dama or "cinnamon ball" candy, from a store named Omamiya in Gujo Hachiman, where the family has been making hand made candies for over a century!

And three of the candies!

Friday, August 1st, 2008 10:58 am: Red Traces of Murderous Intentions of Unholy Desire

Wednesday was of course, comics day, so i picked up a pile of those (including some from the week before), and headed into the city. I had supper at Queen Mother (one of my fave spots, obviously), read my comics, had a Strongbow, had the steak special, with fingerling potatoes, asparagus, and some other veggies i wasn't sure of. Except i'm pretty sure that was a purple carrot.

While eating, a friend's new wife happened to see me in the window, and stopped for a brief chat, and on the way to the movie, a former student and i bumped into each other (she actually works in a nearby studio).

The movie i saw was Shohei Imamura's Intentions of Murder, also called Unholy Desire, neither of which seem appropriate - the Japanese name is Akai Satsui, but i have no idea what that means (actually, i used Google to translate a Japanese page, so it appears to mean 'red traces'). It's a fascinating story, about Sadako, a young woman who is poorly treated by everyone. She's the granddaughter of the old head of the family, by his mistress, so she is treated like a servant rather than part of the family. Supposedly this mistress cursed the family not to have a new heir - Sadako has had son who could be heir, except, because of her lowly status her marriage and motherhood of the child has not been recognized. She tries hard, but she's not sharp, though she is well-meaning. She is raped by a burglar one night when alone, and teeters between suicide and pretending it never happened - except, her attacker becomes obsessed with her, and keeps returning. Thing is, he's scarcely worse than her husband (who is more tender with his mistress than with her), and she doesn't have the ability to muster anger at anyone. And she is pursued by her husband's mistress, who is determined to prove that an affair exists between Sadako and the man, so that she might become the new wife.

It's not as awful as it sounds - there are some pretty funny bits, and Sadako does have some strength (she's been making money knitting on the side for years, without her husband knowing). The fact her life gets transformed with changing her essential character is enthralling.

Friday, August 1st, 2008 11:01 am: Last Night At Toronto-the-good, and yesterday afternoon at the ER

Yesterday the pain in my abdomen, there since i'd gotten back from the cottage Sunday night, was starting to worry me. Around 11:30 i decided i couldn't wait any longer, and went to the hospital ER. Luckily, it wasn't too busy, and i bought two books with me anyway. Actually, i was reaching the climax of the Coraline GN, when the nurse called me to my bed, so i jumped with a start, ha ha. I had a nurse do an investigation, then a doctor. They ordered urine tests, blood tests, x-rays. The doctor offered a pain killer, but i turned it down, as it didn't hurt a lot, and especially if i wasn't moving or bending. Sitting i could barely feel it. As it turned out, the nurse had already given me the shot in the ass - i wondered what that was for, ha ha, at first i thought it was the blood test. As it turned out, the tests showed nothing, so essentially i went back to doing what i had been, which was waiting it out. Stupid body. Still, must've been caused by something - the caribou i ate sunday? (first time, seems unlikely), the deerfly bites? (not the first time, seems unlikely), all that canoeing? (maybe - it's been a year).

I made another trip into TO. This time i went to Jules for their amazing sauteed chicken & creme brulee. I rand out of portable GNs, so i finally dove into Jamie Rich's Have You Seen The Horizon Lately?. I think there needs to be a companion for all these related books, lol. Dinner and reading was over an hour. I walked down Queen with plenty of time before the movie, and for some reason i bought new pants at H&M. Did i really need new pants? No, but they're kinda cool. Also, i really liked the pants i was wearing, the plaid ones from Zara. Annoyingly, Club Monaco and Zara on Queen closed at 8. Boo, hiss. Oh well, got to the cinema early and read for a while.

The movie i saw was Last Year at Marienbad (L'Année Dernière À Marienbad), directed by Alain Resnais. Less funny and less biting than the others i've seen, but more bizarre. It's about three people, a woman (A), her suitor (X), and her husband[?] (M), in this large mansion and its gardens, somewhere. Most of it revolves around the idea that X tells A they arranged last year to meet this year and run away. She says she can't remember, so he narrates what happened. Except, we often can tell when things are happening - is he narrating what's happening now too? Or is this happening again and again? The clothes change, the time of day changes, but the story continues.

It's a puzzle, and it reminded a bit of Pulp Fiction, in that, if the chronology doesn't tell a story, you change the chronology to fit - X says time doesn't matter to him, days, minutes, years, it's all the same. Sometimes there are other guests at this hotel/party, sometimes there aren't. Sometimes they are loud, sometimes they are quiet. Sometimes they behave like real people, sometimes they stand still like props. I think the director is having fun with movie conventions, because sometimes directors do treat secondary characters or extras as just props to the lives of the main characters. It's also a play on memories - we may experience the same events, but remember them differently, or not at all, or get them mixed up. And how could X narrate things he wasn't witness to?

X: "Empty salons. Corridors. Salons. Doors. Doors. Salons. Empty chairs, deep armchairs, thick carpets. Heavy hangings. Stairs, steps. Steps, one after the other. Glass objects, objects still intact, empty glasses. A glass that falls, three, two, one, zero. Glass partition, letters."

Speaking of puzzles, M spends little time with his wife(?), and more time getting other characters to play a pyramid game he always wins.

I love the abstraction of the whole thing, and the photography was gorgeous.

X: "I must have you alive. Alive, as you have already been every evening, for weeks, for months.
A: "I have never stayed so long anywhere."
X: "Yes, I know. I don't care. For days and days. Why don't you still want to remember anything?"

Friday, August 1st, 2008 11:07 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for July 25th, 2008

Hair!

1. What type of hair do you have (Thin, Normal, Thick, Frizzy, etc.)?
Normal, i guess. It's pretty soft.
2. What color is your hair currently?
Natural ash brown (used to be blonder as a child).
3. What colors have you dyed/highlighted your hair?
None, but i used to use sun in to bleach it a bit in the sun
4. If you could dye your hair any color, what would it be?
Meh, i like natural.
5. What is your hair's length?
Very short!

Friday, August 1st, 2008 11:08 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for August 1st, 2008

1. Name one movie you wish everybody could watch.
I haven't seen a lot of the old classics... In fact, i've only seen a handful of Time's 2005 Top 100 Films (ironically, some relatively obscure ones). I think i'll pick It's A Wonderful Life - it may be schmaltzy, but i think it's a necessary reference.
2. Name two books you wish everybody could read.
I dunno... i'd like to say something by Darwin, like Origin of the Species, but i think a modern book summarizing modern evolutionary theory would be better. Darwin's work itself is rather impressive, though. 1984 would not be a bad choice either, or Animal Farm.
3. Name three goals you wish everybody could achieve.
Get healthy and fit, find love, have a good group of friends.
4. Name four people you wish everybody could know.
That i don't know. I'm not into celebrity worship, and a lot of 'heroes', whatever good they've done were just ordinary people.
5. Name five places you wish everybody could visit.
Hmmm... well, i'd like to see Japan, France, Britain... New York City... and, why not Canada?

Saturday, August 2nd, 2008 01:13 am: "All we have to do is figure out who we are and where we're heading in life. Holy shit!"

Well, i'd expected to spend today with my sister at the Butterfly Conservatory, but she's still at her cottage, it seems. I tried caling Matt, but no luck. So, i made a last minute decision to go into the city, and to take the train, because i didn't want to be driving back through weekend traffic. I brought a quick lunch with me, and Have You Seen The Horizon Lately?, which i read on the way there and back. It was actually kinda nice. I walked up to the AMC (although i was pretty sweaty by the time i got to the theatre).

The movie i saw was the new documentary American Teens, which follows a group of 'typical' American kids from a small Indiana town - self-described as mainly white, Christian, well-off and 'red state all the way', none of which is actually 'typical' - the US is about 80% white, 13% black, 15% Latino (of various kinds), and the remainder Native, Asian, etc, has a mix of incomes, and is about 50/50 'red' and 'blue' (how is it Americans manage to get the colour terms reversed from the rest of the world?).

The movie follows 4 main teens, easily pigeonholed into types: the Jock, the Nerd, the Queen Bee and the Weird Girl. Too easily, i think, and the movie i think is too constructed. I read one complaint about the filmmakers yelling at kids in the school to get out of the way of the view of one of the main characters. That being said, it was enjoyable and interesting to watch.

The Queen Bee really was a selfish, mean-spirited bitch. I felt bad for the Jock, because of the pressure put on him to succeed, since a basketball athletic scholarship was the only way he was going to get to go to college (his Dad, a failed basketball player, pushing him, of course). The Nerd at least tried to get dates. The Weird Girl was very likeable, artistic, musical, and despite some crappy boyfriends (one broke up with her through a text message), barely present parents, was able to get her head on straight, and made it into film school (she'd fit into our program).

What was missing was the other kids - i really wanted to know about them, or at least hear from them. The Weird Girl had a male best friend, we saw him comforting her and being her prom date, but we didn't know anything about him (is he gay? is he interested in her?). We spoke to one of her boyfriends while they were dating, but not after, so we don't know why he broke up with her. One girl sent a topless pic of herself to a guy she liked, and it ended up being spread around the school - we spoke to her only the once (without actually asking why she did it). The nerd went to San Diego to visit his brother, who took him out, got him drunk, and there were drunken girls all over him (i think this was in Mexico) - now that would be an interesting story, to know what those girls were thinking.

Megan and associates.

Colin.

Hannah, her date Clarke, her grandmother, and.. i never learned who the other woman is.

Jake.

Mitch and Hannah.

I continued reading on the train. Went to work to drop some crap off, pick up some mail and make a photocopy (where the heck was my pay stub?). Then i picked up Mo and Diego, and we met with Tash to celebrate Mo's passport arriving from Jordan.

Monday, August 4th, 2008 12:06 pm: "Be happy! Be happy!"

Saturday was a day of chores and errands. Laundry, including bed linens, cleaned grubby fingerprints from my portfolio (sadly, its reception was underwhelming), vacuumed, did monthly banking, transferred $ to savings account, filled out medical claim form (for physio, regular medical is 'socialized' and automatically covered by 'the state' - who wants non-socialized health care?), printed my new comics list for Wednesday, and so on. Once out of the house, i got new ink for the printer, some new sketchbooks to finally start drawing, opicked up the weekend Globe & Mail, cashed in old lottery ticket/bought new one, more Tums (meep), posted mail, and dropped by L&R's for a chat, with Russ, it turned out. Haven't seen him since his trip to Eng-a-land.

I was waiting to hear from Lis or Russ after supper, but it turned out Lis hadn't arrived home in time. I spent the evening finally watching Tekkon Kinkuriito (supposedly a play on the Japanese for 'reinforced concrete', but i'm not sure what the play is - maybe it just means that, also written as Tekkonkinkreet), an odd anime feature about a couple of street gherkins (White, and Black) who call themselves 'the Cats', who fight the yakuza invasion of their neighbourhood (less savoury than the current local hoods, i suppose). It was okay.

"When the sky turns black why do I feel so blue?"

Monday, August 4th, 2008 01:08 pm: Day tripper

Sunday was a trip oriented day. I went to Queen & Spadina to check out a store (no luck), had lunch and read at the Rivoli.

Then i took a look at the store Things Japanese, which has a lot of interesting little things in a tiny space - i wasn't looking to buy anything. It's on Harbord Street, which looks pretty quiet, but has some interesting shops and places to eat.

<lj-cut text="Toronto Botanical Gardens and Toronto Zoo">

Then i went for a brief visit to the Toronto Botanical Gardens (not the Royal), which turned out to be pretty crowded.

I did a short walk around.

Then i sat down in the shade and read some more in the actual gardens. I think i'll go again some weekday morning.

I tested the macro lens - weird not being able to zoom. I miss having a lens ring for focussing.

Then i did a trip to the zoo. I intentionally got there late, around 4, hoping the crowds would be gone. I know it's the long weekend, but i thought more people would be out of town. What's with all this algae?

These were unlabelled critters - i think they're carp. Definitely new.

The wetlands area is really coming together.

Having all your ducks in a row... (most).

Pretty much the first thing i did was rush to the Beaver Tail store, becase i crave those things - it's good they grow back... I read for a bit more (taking the day very relaxedly, as you can see), and then walked around a bit. This is the first time i've seen the red pandas active. This one was munching on its lawn. For some reason i thought this one was female.

Master Shifu was resting in the tree.

Then i went to the outdoor kangaroo-wallaby-emu area, and as you can see, it's open to the public! You have to keep to the path, and there's a staffperson there to keep you in line. I thought i caught the girl taking a photo.

Lazy! When they sat down, they just tipped themselves to a point, and then let themselves flop down.

A grey kangaroo.

A Bennett's wallaby.

The emo (a bird that cuts itself).

Matschie's Tree-kangaroo.

The water spray kept getting in the way of my shots.

The very nervous swamp wallaby.

The cause of its worry, southern hairy-nosed wombat.

I went to the new Great Barrier Reef exhibit. This is a coral reef display.

Lionfish.

The main aquarium.

Most of the fish were too fast to photograph with how little light i had.

They also have a jellyfish aquarium.

</lj-cut>

<lj-cut text="Toronto Botanical Gardens and Toronto Zoo">

The polar bear display. Needs some work.</lj-cut>

Russ had called me not too long after i got there. I'd intended to stay until closing, eating supper at Harvey's (sad, i know) - i still had a burger (meep), but went to their place for pasta and garlic bread, some cabernet, and blueberry shortcake.

Thursday, August 7th, 2008 02:14 pm: "Is that a cigar, or... do you like my bee stung lips? Not bad for a man..."

Tuesday i decided at the last minute to take the train into the city. I had lunch at Spring Rolls, the usual pork chop rice platter, with a springrollini, while i read the Zot! compendium (also read on the train). Popped into a couple of stores, bought nothing (thankfully, lol).

The movie i saw was The Last Mistress (Une Vieille Maîtresse in French, which actually means An Old Mistress, although more passée than anciennne). A 30ish penniless, aristocratic libertine is about to marry the young, virginal, wealthy and madly-in-love granddaughter of the elderly Marquise de Flers - the Marquise tells him to tell her everything about his 10 year obsession with the illegitimate, bold, cigar-smoking, Spanish 36 year old Vellini (herself brought into society by a marriage to an elderley English aristocrat). Ostensibly she wants to be reassured the affair is over (despite his having had his last kick at the can the day before), but we suspect she's enjoying the story, noting that the 1800s are more prudish than when she grew up ("I've remained ferociously 18th-century,"), and possibly she's an entranced as her granddaughter. He may love the girl, but will Vellini let him go? The gossips don't think so...

I enjoyed the movie, but didn't really get the attraction to Vellini (i suppose Asia Argento isn't my cup of tea). I suppose you might be attracted to what you can't get (at first!). I was surprised Roxane Mesquida played Hermangarde - she's already 27. I haven't seen her since Fat Girl and Sex Is Comedy (the bigger surprise is that that was 6 years ago!).

"Go to bed dear, your betrothed must tell me ALL about his sexual conquests."

He really is a very bad shot.

"Oh yeah... these are mine..."

Thursday, August 7th, 2008 02:46 pm: " 'Cause I'm in the dumpster already."

Wednesday was a busyish day. Started with physio - no acupuncture this time, it hurt me a little too much last week. But i got a couple of new exercises to do.

After coming home to tidy up some paperwork, i noticed i couldn't find my parking pass sticker - UGH! 500$! Anyway, it meant a trip to the school, got a replacement (it was nothing 25$ couldn't fix). I spoke with a teacher doing a summer course a bit, and a handful of students. Then it was off to the comics shop for a refill, then Licks for lunch and reading.

Then i saw a movie, Pineapple Express. Seth Rogen plays a 25 year old process server (i did that briefly, it sucks), who's dating a high school girl (she's 18, at least) who witnesses a murder, and James Franco plays his dopey drug dealer, and they go on the run from the murderers, with all the thinking and effort a couple of potheads can muster.

It was pretty funny, although i missed the emotional content from SuperBad. I couldn't help but think it would have been even funnier if i had... prepared myself... before the movie. Not MY thing, but maybe a cider would've done the trick, lol. The biggest disappointment was the music - instead of M.I.A.'s Paper Airplanes (which virtually made the trailer), we get get Huey Lewis And The News. Huey Lewis!?! Are they high?!

"I just got a shipment of Pineapple Express, the dopest dope I've ever smoked. Smellll it. It's like... God's..."

"How could he find us?"
"Umm, heat-seeking missiles, bloodhounds, foxes, barracudas."

After that, i went to the mall, got cash, a money order for someone, and a new visor clip. Lots of little things.

The evening i partly wasted on the internet, and did some reading.

Sunday, August 10th, 2008 07:36 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for August 8th, 2008

Memories

1. Smells, and memories. Do you have a scent that when you smell it, brings up a memory? Do share.
No, not really - occasionally, i smell something that reminds me of cooking hot dogs from when i was a small child. I don't know if it really differs from current hot dogs, but they don't have the smell i remember.
2. Songs. Is there a particular song that brings back happy memories? Song title and memory, if you care to share that much.
Not especially.
3. How about a song that brings up painful memories? Song title and memory, if you care to share that much.
No, not really.
4. Food. Is there a certain food that conjures up memories?
No, lol. I think my memories are mainly visual.
5. Clothing? Do you have an item of clothing or if you see a certain item, does it make you think of a time/place or person?
Only clothing that someone has given me, lol. Wow, it's rare that i suck instead of the questions.

Sunday, August 10th, 2008 08:34 pm: Chinese Lantern Festival 2008

Another year, another lantern festival, this time by myself again.

<lj-cut text="Many, many pics!">

I liked the arch in the bright sun.

I was a little disappointed in the food - they hard almost no 'street' food, it was mostly meals, and of the four booths, one was mediterranean, one middle eastern (done by the Mandarin?). I had the teriyaki beef combo.

The lion dance starts the performances.

Martial Arts demo.

Ever had your ass beaten by a 8-yr old girl?

Still not dark enough for the lanterns.

The tea house (plastic chairs aren't quite with the mood).

There were a lot more colour changing exhibits. Taj Mahal.

Leaning Tower of Pisa (not PIZZA!). They had a handful of themes - places from around the world, animals, and dinosaurs.

Demonstrating the tea ceremony - not very useful for people at the back.

I thought there were just a family in fancy clothes, but they were performers.

Buddhist Porcelain Pagoda.

Britain was just a chunk of Parliament (lame, esp. with the ice cream cart in front).

Octopus!

Dinosaurs.

Pagoda again.

Not actually a dinosaur, technically.

I thought some of the placement wasn't well thought out, like dinosaurs right beside the Tower of Pisa.

Some of the exhibits were animatronic (see the head motion here). But these aren't lanterns...

Chinese lions, way in the back.
</lj-cut>

<lj-cut text="Many, many pics!">

I'm not sure why i'm attracted to the lame bits, like the Rogers booth where you can get photos of you in front of the Great Wall... man, that looks awful.

Russian Church.

Sea horses.

The long walkway was mainly about animals (i didn't go down here until later, though).

Dance ensemble (but not Chinese, lol).

Some of the food booths. Actually, there's PizzaPizza somewhere else. I guess i'll have to go to Pacific Mall for some dumplings.

Wu Qiao Acrobats.

She stretched all the way back and kissed the one on the ground.

I'm assuming they get to be good friends...

Being rested on her face.

She squatted down...

And spun around.

This time with water filled glasses...

Turning around...

And juggling.

The hat guys.

Juggling them onto their heads.

Leaping.

"Chinese yo-yos".

I happened to catch a spider between performances.

Also leaping with the yo-yos.

I realized it was 10:30, and i hadn't gone along the walkway, and left the show early.

Raccoons.

A Bug's Life or Antz?

Really random animal placements - walruses and vultures?

Reindeer on the African savanna?

I think i would've preferred some sense of organization - i liked the sets in the forest area above, and the attempt with cactuses here - they didn't need to be so crowded.

Okay, the koalas are not very cute.

I like the touch with the monkey trying to climb the fence.

Why does this look funny? Because i used the flash - it was 11 and they started powering down the exhibits! BOO!

From the bridge back across Lakeshore.

Cheesey.

Monday, August 11th, 2008 10:03 am: Catch up

I don't remember what i did Thursday... oh wait, met John for a drink at Fitzpatrick's then saw Wall-E (first time for him). Matt was supposed to join us. Then we met Matt and Chris at the Tap for drinks and wings. *hic*

Friday i was supposed to be going to the Lantern Festival with friends, but they bailed on me. BOO! I was bored so i saw Dark Knight again on the way to TO.

Yesterday was a lame day in which i got little done that was worthwhile, except i saw Pineapple Express again (i suck!), and shopped with buying little. I did start editing photos from the Lantern Festival (over 450 originally!).

Sunday i decided to check out Vaughan Mills, a huge shopping centre in the desolate burbs north of Toronto, and then head to the McMichael Gallery.

What i hadn't counted on was a gigantic propane explosion in Toronto, around 3:50 in the morning. It shut down a big chunk of Toronto, including the 401 (Canada's busiest highway, by the way), and forced the evacuation of 12,000 people. There are going to be a lot of questions, like what caused the blast (multiple blasts, actually), and why was a propane facility located in a residential area in the first place. We were actually pretty lucky, with many buildings being damaged (doors and windows being blown out, ceiling fixtures crashing down, people being knocked off their feet or out of bed), that it appears no residents suffered major injuries. I think a number of homes will be declared uninhabitable. Unfortunately, a firefighter died, and a propane company employee is missing. There's tons of footage on Youtube.

(Not my photos)

Not one to let a little thing like that get in my way, i took the long way, using McCowan and 16th Avenue/Rutherford Rd to get to my destination.

For some reason, the eastbound 401 was shut down only between the 400 and Allen Rd, while the westbound was shutdown between the 400 and DVP. So, on the way back, my plan was to go down the 400 to Finch, east to Bathurst, Bathurst to 401. It was a fine plan, until i got to Finch, and it took 15 minutes to get through Jane & Finch. I said bugger to that, and got off the main road, drove through residential streets, and got myself to the 401 fairly quickly. It was eerie, though, with virtually no traffic behind me, and nothing coming the other way.

Monday, August 11th, 2008 10:05 am: McMichael Collection

As it was i didn't buy anything at Vaughan Mills. For all the stores they have, their selection doesn't seem as good as the more 'urban' stores. I had lunch at some fast food 'grill'. I can't complaint about the amount - they gave me a ton, and they had a lot of veggie choices. I had beef with corn and coleslaw. There was something about the beef i didn't like, not 'beefy' enough, the way they seasoned it, i dunno.

I got to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection before 2, which wasn't too bad. I've been there the past two summers, so i was really going for their current exhibits:

The biggest was about Joe Fafard, a Canadian sculptor from a French-speaking farming community in Saskatchewan (born 1942). He started off doing ceramic scukptures, but has also done bronze (there were a handful of drawings too). He did a lot of farm animals (cows, horses), but my favourites were the people, which were fantastic, intricate, almost caricatures. You can't see the fabulous hands in these photos - some of the characters had such detailed hands, with strongly delineated veins.

(not my photos)

Look at that portrait of Vincent Van Gogh - it's painted in Van Gogh's style, ha ha ha!

The next exihbit was Kenojuak: From Drawing to Print, on the work of Kenojuak Ashevak. She was part of the printmaking collective at Cape Dorset from its beginning. It was interesting to find out that most of the artists didn't actually print their own work. She drew pieces, and the printmakers would turn them into prints, often altering them (sometimes to a major degree).

The drawing, and the print.

They were experimenting, not even having basic materials early on, like pencil crayons. And to do each colour, you'd need to carve separate stone blocks, or paint the one mulitple colours.

There was also an exhibit of the 'Woodland School' (Ojibway, Cree, etc):

And, finally, A Climate for Change, an exhibit that explores environmental issues through art. To be honest, i thought a lot of the work was pretty amateurish (not including the ones actually done by schoolchildren). At least there were no crying unicorns.

Thursday, August 14th, 2008 02:04 pm: risotto, abstraction

On Monday, i went to the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, both for lunch and the exhibitions.

They have one of the best restaurants in the area, and it's got a pretty great view (second floor, looking down to City Hall and the central library). Lunch consisted of a green salad, with caramelized pecans and a peach vinaigrette (nice - it's peach season here), salmon steak, and tomato and goat cheese risotto. Yum! Oh, and a glass of chardonnay.

The main space has a sampling of their permanent collection, which includes a couple of Group of Seven and a number from the McLaughlin family. Their collection seems to be heavy in pieces from the 1920s to 50s, which makes sense, i think.

A smaller area was exclusively devoted to Painters Eleven, a group from the 1950s, who didn't share a similar vision like the Group of Seven, but were united in exploring abstraction (esp. abstract expressionism) and modernism. This isn't my favourite piece, but there's not a lot of the McLaughlin's collection online.There was also an exhibit of a number of vintage photographs of the area.

Temporary shows included Lyndal Osborne: Ornamenta, which was a little too piecemeal for me.

And there was Meredith Bingham and Kathleen Ritter: Wide Open, one an artist who's moved to the area, the other an artist who was born here and moved to Vancouver. Personally, i didn't enjoy Ritter's multi-media presentation all that much, but i like dBingham's, which is again very much like the 1950s abstract expressionism (and they are BIG!).

Thursday, August 14th, 2008 02:06 pm: Tropic Thunder

Tuesday i took my car in for servicing, and since it was going to take the bulk of the day, i used their shuttle service to drop me off at the train station, and went downtown. I bought a new belt (pyramid), had lunch (quiche lorraine, french onion soup) at Jules (i left a good tip for letting me in a bit early), and saw The Dark Knight at the IMAX.

The car was done at a decent time, and i was able to have supper at home. But Russ called, as he had a friend from out of town (England, actually), and the three of us went over to a pub for drinks and some pool. I also had some not very nice wings. Well, the wings were fine, but the sauce was blah.

Yesterday was comics day, followed by comics and lunch at Lick's. And then i saw Tropic Thunder. It was very funny - a bit uneven in places, but the gags were enough to keep it going. The story is about an 'all-star cast' of actors, including an action star (Ben Stiller) trying to prove he can do more (in the wake of his distastrous 'retard' movie Simple Jack), an Australian 'ACTOR' (Robert Downey Jr) who is so into his role he got face-changing surgery (from white to black!), a comedy actor (Jack Black) known for fart joke movies and drug abuse, and an over-commercialized rapper (he sells a drink called Booty-Sweat), making the ultimate war movie.

It also has Nick Nolte as the man who wrote the book (supposedly from his experiences) the movie is based on, Steve Coogan as the wimpy director (and his performance was shockingly hilarious, ha ha), Danny McBride (unkillable Red from Pineapple Express) as the demolitions expert, Matthew McConaughey as the action star's agent (very funny - and his hair!), Tom Cruise as the asshole producer (also very good), and Bill Hader (cop from Super Bad, soldier in Pineapple Express) as a studio executive, plus a ton of cameos (Tobey Maguire's bit with Robert Downey Jr was priceless).

I love that Kirk Lazarus's eyes have contacts to make him look more like Mel Gibson.

"What he doesn't have in his head, he makes up for in his heart."

Friday, August 15th, 2008 10:33 pm: Death and fraud

Sent an email to the gang on Wednesday, to invite everyone to Lisa's birthday, per usual. Ange can't make it (per usual), but we did arrange to meet for lunch the next day, since i wanted to see a movie at the Cinematheque.

We met at Jules, one of my favourite places, as i'm sure you know. When there on Tuesday, they had a lunch special i didn't have time for, and luckily it was still on, 'entrecote' (ribeye steak) with melted gorgonzola - oh my god, it was so good! It came with the usual frites and salad greens, plus i got a glass of cabernet. I had the (full-sized) creme brulee for dessert, while Ange only had dessert, pear tarte, as she'd had lunch with a friend (and a past friend of mine).

Dinner was done before 5, since she had to get to her job (she's an editor at The Globe & Mail). I vaguely looked at some clothing stores. Popped into Silver Snail for a bit - as an aside, the Snail has back issues in attractive wood drawers, with plastic fronts so you can see what's in each drawer. But, that's a lot of 'shelf' space for old stock that hardly anyone looks at. Meanwhile, all the trades are crammed on top of the drawers, with only their spines showing, for the most part. You basically have to know what you want, because it's not made for browsing. I went into Chapters for a bit, but bought nothing. Later, when i bought a drink for the theatre, i bought the super-sized Vogue.

Anyway, i had an hour and a half before the movie, so i went to the Queen Mother, bought a pint of Strongbow, and read One-Pound Gospel 2.

The movie i saw was Alain Resnais' Stavisky..., a 1974 dramatization of the true story of a charming swindler, perfectly represented by Jean-Paul Belmondo, whose criminal activities were abetted by many powerful people, caused riots and death and the fall of many powerful people, including the prime minister, in 1930s France. Beautifully art decoish and funny (except at the end).

It was paired with Night and Fog, Alain Resnais' half-hour 1955 documentary of the Nazi concentration camps. Though only 10 years after the war, the movie starts off at the camps now overgrown with weeds and wildlife. Then it uses contemporary photos and film to show us what the camps were actually like. It's very matter of fact, almost like a travelogue. But very powerful. I already knew about the horrors of the camps, but Resnais does a good job at getting the point across. We see things taken from the inmates, from piles of combs, to hair to be turned into wigs and knitwear, acres of hair, knowing what so much hair meant. I kept it together until the scene when liberated, the thousands of corpses left lying around which the Allies plowed into mass graves to try to halt the epidemics of disease ravaging the survivors. It was horrific seeing the the bodies flopping around from the plows. The movie ends with brief shots of the trial, as the camp's 'capos', and officers, and camp commander in turn each claim, "I am not responsible." Resnais doesn't refer to the victims by their identity (Jew, Gypsy, homosexual, etc), because he wanted it to be a universal message - in particular, disgusted with the French actions in Algeria, and sadly, these events have been repeated many times since (though fortunately not on the same scale).

"Those of us who pretend to believe that all this happened at a certain time and in a certain place, and those who refuse to see, who do not hear the cry to the end of time."

Today, i had planned to see Woody Allen's latest, but something in me felt like seeing Tropic Thunder again. I had a burger, salad and cider at Fitzpatrick's, while i read some magazines. I'd hoped to be going to a party tonight, but that didn't pan out.

Friday, August 15th, 2008 11:38 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for August 15th, 2008

1. What is your favorite song right now? Why?
Hmm... maybe Shut Up and Let Me Go by the Ting Tings.
2. What genre of music makes you the happiest?
Ohh, lessee, electro-pop, i guess - indie rock/pop.
3. What would you name your band and what kind of music would you play?
Well, see above for kind. Name, i dunno. Maybe something like Shazam!, ha ha - or Gazzam!
4. What is your favorite lyric of all time? Why?
I have no idea....
5. What band/artist could you never live without? Why??
Ha ha, it used to be Sheena Easton... now, maybe BowWowWow. I still have a thing for their music.

Friday, August 15th, 2008 11:57 pm: The Omnivore's Hundred

Stolen from gregmce: "The Omnivore's Hundred"—a list of things they've decided all omnivores should eat.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you've eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

I only have done about 23 - pretty random list.

1. Venison - just a few weeks ago
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare - really prefer it cooked
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding - probably not
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari - probably not
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi - say what?
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses - say what? cheese? yes!
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras - probably not
24. Rice and beans - this has various names, like 'Christians and Moors', right?
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - probably not
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters - probably not
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda - say what?
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - probably not
33. Salted lassiSalted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal - say what?
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu - probably not
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin - probably not
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi - probably not
53. Abalone - probably not
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads - probably not
63. Kaolin - wow, i looked for this for an art class once...
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs - probably not
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis - probably not (depsite my heritage)
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini - probably not
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (Yes, I know, I'm willing to try haggis or sweetbreads, but not roadkill.)
76. Baijiu - say what?
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong - it's just tea, man
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare - does rabbit count?
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab - probably not
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor - probably not
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - it's just coffee, man
100. Snake - probably not

Sunday, August 17th, 2008 10:07 am: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I didn't want to waste my Saturday night, so i went to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen's latest movie, about two young women who are living in Barcelona for the summer. While Vicky (Rebcca Hall) likes stability and hates pain, is happily engaged and 'doing her Master's in Catalan identity', Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) is impulsive, who flits from interest to interest and man to man, having just made a short film she hates, but is willing to risk hurt to find what she really wants, though she doesn't know what that is, except it's different.

Some Gaudi architecture. "Catalan studies? What will you ... do with that?" "Oh ... Maybe teach, or work for a museum?"

The two of them are propositioned by an artist (at the same time!), and while Vicky is appalled, Cristina is interested (very interested), so Vicky comes along to keep watch on Cristina. But Vicky and Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) end up spending a lot of time together when Cristina gets sick. Just as Vicky begins to question her choices, her fiance decides to join her in Barcelona for a romantic wedding, and as Cristina and Juan Antonio start getting close, his crazy but beautiful ex-wife (Penélope Cruz) comes back into his life.

It's full of cliched set-ups - no one seems to worry about money, Spain is nothing but beautiful (it's got it's share of run-down areas and crappy malls), everyone is attractive and/or artistic. But the main characters are imperfect and interesting, and nothing is really tied up neatly - life is confusion. It's a smart, funny and charming fantasy.

Monday, August 18th, 2008 12:17 am: Serpent Mounds

On Saturday, i planned a little trip to Peterborough, including the art gallery, museum, and Serpent Mounds.

First stop, Serpent Mounds Park, run by a local First Nations band, although the connection between that particular band and the Serpent Mounds is tenuous at best. The Mounds date back to 200 AD or so, and were in use for 600 years. The local band is part of the Anishnaabeg people (Ojibwa, Algonquin, Odawa, etc). Admission was free.

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The beginning of the path .

The markers indicating 4 cardinal directions.

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Side view of the some of the Mounds - they are on a large rise over looking Rice Lake. The path encircles the Mounds, the main one forming a snake shape. It's one of the largest mounds in Canada, and the only snake-shaped one.

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A panoramic composite shot looking away from the Mounds, across Rice Lake, from southeast to southwest.

Looking at the Mounds from the south (panoramic composite) - it's hard to see the shape from the ground level.

Great!

The path on the east side veers below the Mounds. You can see one of the informational plaques at the right.

This area is looking down to a lake, and is an overgrown 'midden', which is a refuse pile, showing shells (esp. clams), bones, sometimes charring from food remains, and sometimes broken tools. It's shallow - 10-50 cm deep, but covers an area 10 m by 90 m.

Back up in the northeast corner of the Mound, a panoramic composite looking from south to east.

Hete's a mound at the west side - harder to see from the other angles. While visitors are told to stay on the path, because the Mounds are burial and sacred grounds, of course, someone is mowing it, ha ha.

This was the hill approaching the park - the area in the centre is the large delta for the Otonabee River flowing into Rice Lake. We used to have a cottage at the other end of the lake. We never tried harvesting the wild rice (these days, it's probably the prerogative of the Native peoples), but apparently there isn't as much rice as there used to be way back when.

Monday, August 18th, 2008 12:17 am: Art Gallery of Peterborough

After the Park, i drove to the city of Peterborough, had lunch, and went to the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Admission was free.

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Here's looking down one of the ramps.

Looking out the corner windows onto the river.</lj-cut>

I really like this, but i don't know the artist - it's part of a series called The Luminous Body.

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These (Graham Coughtry) and the following works are part of the series A Change in Perception: Abstract Works from the AGP Collection.

Rita Letendre and Jack Bush (Painters Eleven).

William Perehudoff ?

Harold Town? I should've kept track, ha ha. I didn't ask if it was okay to take photos.

(not my photo) I also saw Canadian Folk Art from the Collection of Susan A. Murray (not really my thing).

(not my photo) There was also a exhibition of works by Jenni Johnston called Removed, all similar to the one above (i liked the one that was a painting of just the shadow of a chair).

Finally, there were a series of paintings organized by the Peterborough Youth Council.

Exterior of the gallery.

Monday, August 18th, 2008 12:19 am: Peterborough Museum - very groovy, baby

Then it was on to the Peterborough Museum and Archives. They had a nice, informative exhibit on local history (pretty detailed actually), though the displays weren't huge. Not as physically impressive as the local museums in Bruce and Grey counties, but admission was free. But they did have an exhibit on 1960s fashion, which was pretty cool. More specifically, it was on the trend of paper fashions (back when disposable was still cool).

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These dresses are all paper.

Kids paper clothes.

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I think these are polyester though.

That's Trudeau (Canadian content!), Robert Kennedy, Nixon, and Rockefeller.

A much older paper dress and fan, a precursor.

Yes, a paper bikini - designed for if you'd forgottne your swim suit.

Paper ear rings. They are froo-froo.

More polyester.

Holywood stars - i see Shirley Maclaine, Liz taylor - Mary Tyler Moore?

Wow, Mao, Che Guevara, Valley of the Dolls, Planet of the Apes... what a trip, man. Groovy.

Some 60s paraphernalia.

I did ask if it was okay to take pics - AFTER i'd taken them, lol.

Monday, August 18th, 2008 12:20 am: Peace. Love. and French Fries.

Leaving the Museum, i happened to catch a sign for the Locks, so decided to take a look.

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This is looking down the Trent Canal (Otonabee River).

Looking up the Trent Canal at the Peterborough Lift Locks, highest hydraulic lift locks in the world.

The close up shot happened to catch a boat coming into the lift.

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<lj-cut text="Peterborough Locks pics">

The lift is being lowered.

The gate drops.

There's some guy aiming the camera at me - i didn't see him when i was taking my shot. The jerk.

Away it goes.

I was driving back to the highway, and saw a sign for the canal, so turned in to take a look. This area is being restored as a wetland, i guess because people like malaria near their cities. Just to the right of the big spray of water (a fountain), you can see the Art Gallery.

A more conventional lock - the turbulence shows the water being released.

You can't tell in the photo, but i took a shot because it was BIG - about 18 inches.

A family parked here, and the little girls wanted to get that fish (drifted to the side of the boat).

The lock is about to open.

A crack forms.

Hey, that's the same tour boat from before.

These people had been waiting to go the other way.

I got to the top, to see what it was like from there. This is a composite - that's the same girl - SHE is powering the gate on this side, just by pushing the bar.

I thought the gates went flat - nope!

Now to wait for the water to fill in.

I was casually leaning on the bars, when i realized there wasn't much holding me from falling in. More than enough roon to get by. I'm wearing shorts, by the way - that's foreshortening (awayshortening?).

On the drive out, i saw a sign for chips, and last time i drove by one, i'd regretted it, so i had to stop (in fact, i went past, changed my mind, and turned around). This is the 'Hippie Chippie', solar powered.

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"Peace. Love. and French Fries." Kinda says it all.

Sunday, August 24th, 2008 09:27 am: Salt on the bench? Oh, leap on a bench.

I've been lazy about posting, it seems.

Last Sunday, i went to see the latest Cirque show to hit our area, Saltimbanco. It's actually an adaptation of one of their old big top shows to an arena venue. The show was pretty enjoyable - not their strongest, but a heck of a lot better than their other arena show, Delirium. Except, it loses the intimacy. What makes a Cirque de Soleil so fantastic is that there are people who are flipping around above your head, crawing around on poles near you. Even though it's only half the Air Canada Centre, it's just too large a space for the kind of show they do. Also, i ordered at the last minute, so getting not great seats is my fault, but why did i get a seat on the very edge, when there were plenty of seats more towards the centre? Thanks for nothing, Ticketmaster. At least i was able to move during the show.

Bungee acrobatics.

Sunday, August 24th, 2008 09:32 am: Delirious...

This week was back to work for me, which was a mix of getting stuff done, and slogging through other stuff. Monday (or was it Tuesday?) we went for sushi at a new place, which i didn't think was all that John did (not that it was bad). We went with our newest (part-time) teacher, and former student, Angelina. On Friday, we went to a pub for lunch with some admin people - it was a summer coordinator's last day, because of the hiring freeze.

Wednesday was not only comics day, but i decided i'd take a shot at (ha, ha, ironically) Delirium, the movie of the Cirque arean show, hoping maybe the camera would make up for the lack of intimacy. No, it turns out i didn't much enjoy the show itself, which had little acrobatics and a lot of music (the jusic is fine background for the performances, but definitely not why i go to the shows). So, when i was stillbored about a half hour in, i went to see Tropic Thunder again, instead.

Sunday, August 24th, 2008 09:44 am: "A lot of elevators play Celine Dion - that doesn't make it right."

A lot of elevators play Celine Dion - that doesn't make it right.

Friday, i left work after lunch (then again, i'd worked Thursday night at home to get something done). So, i went to see a movie. I saw The Rocker. It was okay, not great, but not awful. It's the story of a guy kicked out of a metal band that goes on to make it big, and he gets a second chance at fame and fortume when he's asked to join his nephew's band. He's supposed to be immature for his age (40s), reliving his youth, but he's not acting like he's in his 20s, he's actually less mature than the kids in their teens.

Seriously, what decade is he from?

"1991 called, they want their teenage angst back."
"No, they just called again they want that joke back."

Sunday, August 24th, 2008 11:53 pm: NERDS!

An other year, another Toronto Fan Expo. This year, the lineup was brutal compared to last year (virtually none in 2007). Maybe because we came on Saturday this year? We were in line for an hour and a half. Should've bought my ticket online. This is a portion of the six folding lines, before the big line, before the other set of folding lines.

When i was getting ready at home, after my shower and about to clean the tub, i bent down to pick up a sponge, and something in my back went "SPROING!" - some innocent little twisting. Man did it hurt - still does!

Then, as we ate before going into the Con, i swallowed a swig of Diet Coke really hard - you know how it hurts when you do that? Well, this time it REALLY hurt. It was like a heart attack in my throat, lol (i laugh now). Within a couple of minutes, i started feeling shaky, and had to sit on the ground because i began to feel faint, and sweat profusely (thankfully, it was air-conditioned inside the con). I felt better within a few minutes. I think i'm on a physical low, lol.

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That Spider-Man looked pretty good, until i saw him close up, and i realized he was 5 feet tall.

NERD!

I never did get a good photo of Mo or Lindsey.

AUGH! I was unhappy with most of my pics, the lack of focus. That is Sarah H on the right, her sister on the left.

Tammy & Joe.

Joe & Tamara.

Miah and his school pal.

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I was going to ask why my eyes looked so tired, but i hadn't had much sleep. And last time i had a beard, there was no white! WTF.

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Michael Cho, one of my favourite artists. I have a print of his - you can see the Mary Marvel partly covered on the right.

Mike Ryan Ryan Mike & Suzanne. They weren't moving, so, it must be me.

I missed seeing Angelina, Brandon and Dn Mn. I think i saw Lindsay C and a girl wearing Jackie's dress from a distance, then lost them. I took a photo of Chris S (Games), but it was even worse than Sarah's.

We went to see a talk by a character designer. He gave up doing work for Games companies, and does work for Marvel instead. The seminar wasn't that great, mostly Q&A.

It was cool when he started sketching though.

A really awful monster he did for some Games company (he complained about the director's lack of esthetic sense).

The Games area.

Suicide Girls had a booth.

Henry Winkler.... how does he fit into Comics, Anime, Horror, Sci-Fi or Gaming? He seemed really friendly though.

Uh, i dunno!

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I was wearing my latest Scott Pilgrim tee (i have both versions, but i was wearing red - thanks Joan!), and it was a big hit. There was one artist in the alley (Alex Sera) who noticed it and started takng about how great Scott Pilgrim is, then i was stopped by a gang of peoples asking where i got the shirt, then a single girl, and later on, after dinner, someone randomly in the street.

After that, Miah, Mo and Lindsey went to East for supper. I had dumplings and beef pad thai.

Monday, August 25th, 2008 11:24 pm: Personally, i think there should be more humour...

Your result for The Director Who Films Your Life Test...

Sofia Coppola

Your film will be 56% romantic, 28% comedy, 26% complex plot, and a $ 18 million budget.

Take The Director Who Films Your Life Test at HelloQuizzy

Friday, August 29th, 2008 09:19 am: House Bunny?

Sunday i saw the early, early show - boy are tickets cheap! The movie i saw was The House Bunny. It was okay - not on the level of Tropic Thunder, about the same as The Rocker. Some funny moments, and you can't help but love the performances of Anna Faris and Emma Stone (also in The Rocker), who just give it all, but the plot has been pulled from the recycle bin.

"I didn't stay in college for nine years just to go back to my trailer in Idaho!"

"My heart is racing like a nail!"

"A little bird told me..." "I gotta meet this freakin' bird!"

After the movie, i picked up a cake, some booze, and went to Lisa and Russ's for her birthday party. Mostly her family, her friends Karen, Karen's mother, Elizabeth, and me - oh, and the neighbours. Lisa's father was particularly chatty. I got Lisa some books, but ordered late (she wa slate with her list), so i also got her some stuff from Fruits & Passion.

Friday, August 29th, 2008 09:23 am: This week at work and bars

This week has been meetings and work. Tuesday after work John (whose wife had gone to her parents with the baby, so he had a free pass), Miah and i went to see Tropic Thunder. We then met Chris at the Tap for wings and abusive conversation, lol. We discovered Miah was a cheerleader, ha ha ha.

After the Tap, we were a little drunk (i had had 3 ciders), so we went to the local strip club. How depressing. The place is a hole, sullen, dark. You know how strippers get to choose their own music? They shouldn't... One girl was creative and used jazz music (instead of death metal), and actually danced around a bit. She also sat down beside Miah, chatted with him, went out for a smoke with him, and he bought a lap dance from her. She was cute enough, and i don't have anything against the strippers, but i find it depressing they have to walk around and sell themselves that way.

Last night, Chris got a weekend pass from his wife, so Chris, Matt, Miah and i went out - well, after they spent some time at some other teacher's place. I don't find that group particularly interesting. They also joined us at the Tap, and we got to see one of them get really steamed and angry talking about his university education, standing up. His - uh, i don't think he was the woman's husband, friend maybe? Anyway, she was talking aside to him about how to talk in public without appearing angry. Weird. Also, we found one of us (not me) has spit and peed on a woman (and received in return). Whatever, it was just entertaining - he really puts his foot in his mouth, lol. Anyway, the new people made conversation less convivial, and the pub got crazy busy. Our group was going to go to a less crazy place, but was taking forever. I just paid and went outside, waited a few minutes and left. Ugh. I could've thought of more fun things to do.

Friday, August 29th, 2008 09:33 am: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for August 29th, 2008

How many times a day do you...

1. Brush your teeth??
Twice.
2. Shower?
Once, occasionally a quick flash if i'm feeling grungy.
3. Check your E-mail?
Too many to count...
4. Check LJ?
Too many to count...
5. Eat?
Four, maybe? I eat three meals, and nibble a bit outside - leave dessert until later.

Monday, September 1st, 2008 09:08 am: Butterfly Conservatory

Labour Day weekend, i was visiting friends near Port Elgin, and i decided on the way to make a detour to the "Wings of Paradise" Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge. It's a privately owned (commercial) facility, pretty informative, with some galleries with informational exhibits (with some live insects and spiders), as well as the main butterfly conservatory.

First problem - overcoming the heat and humidity inside the conservatory. I kept having to wipe fog from the lens.

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There were also some birds walking and flying around, not sure why. One hopes they don't eat butterflies.

Wonder how they lose a chunk of their wings.

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<lj-cut text="Many butterfly pics.">

A hands-on display for children.

There's a blur there, which is a second butterfly trying to get it on.

A bunch of birds, and guavas?

This butterfly wanted out, but the last guy to try that died at the window, as you can see.

The conservatory from the outside.

A close up of some of the plants.

Monday, September 1st, 2008 09:10 am: Son of Rambow

I got there before 5. After the girls had their supper and went to bed, Matt barbecued us some steaks and baked potatoes, and supplemented with wine and cider, we watched a DVD while we ate.

The movie we saw was Son of Rambow . It's a British comedy-drama about two kids. One is a mostly family-less boy (an occasionally present and hostile brother) who gets in trouble at school a lot, but is fascinated by First Blood (the first Rambo movie - this is set in the early 80s), and is trying to work on a film himself for a student competition. The other is shy boy from a strict religious family (no music, TV, etc), who lives in a fantasy world he draws. When they meet, they begin producing their own version of a Rambo movie. Into the movie is thrown Didier and his followers - Didier is a French exchange student, dressed in the latest Depeche Mode style, who becomes the mid-80s equivalent of Fonzi at the school. It reminded me a lot of Bill Forsythe movies (see Gregory's Girl), a lot of whimsical humour (especially with Didier), and the kids' version of stunt action was pretty fun, but the serious bits about growing up (the adults as much as the boys) was good too.

"This has been my best day ever."

Monday, September 1st, 2008 09:13 am: Beach and butterflies

The next day we visited MacGregor Point Provincial Park to go to the beach. It's on Lake Huron, so the beach faces west.

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The view to the southwest.

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Airborne!

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To the northwest.

What's that in the bulrushes?

What is that person doing?

Lighthouse off in the distance.

The visitor centre had some live reptiles.

And some not so live reptiles.

There were boardwalks - helps to avoid the poison ivy.

There was a talk about tagging butterflies.

Putting the little sticker on them.

That is a live butterfly, hatched from a pupa within the [revious few days, and kept in a cooler. It's just been tagged.

And off it goes.

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Monday, September 1st, 2008: PRIVATE

Monday, September 1st, 2008 09:16 am: La Vie En Rose

In the evening, again after the kids, we had BBQ burgers and green beans, and watched another DVD. This time it was La Vie En Rose (in French La Môme, which means kid or brat, but i knew it as a word related to mumming), the biography of Edith Piaf. There were some odd things about it - not much about her teenage years, and one event in particular (also, she later refers to her kiss being important, but we never saw it), and they often showed dates as it jumped around in time, but it wasn't consistent, and we were confused about her age. But it was very well-done, and it's no surprise Marion Cotillard one the best actress Oscar. Talk about a crappy life, literally growing up on the streets, abandoned by her parents, living with prostitutes... she was lucky she could sing. She was funny though - pretty sharp tongue.

"Americans want beauties, not me. I'm not the Parisian bombshell they expected. Can you see me as a chorus girl? Where's my feather up the ass? They think I'm sad, they're dumb. I don't connect to them."

The real Marion Cotillard - the make up (also an Oscar winner) was quite amazing, especially when she was near death.

Monday, September 1st, 2008 09:18 am: Bales and horses

On the drive home, i decided to take some more pictures of bales of hay. For some reason i find them fascinating. By the way, the countryside in this part of the province (northern part of western Ontario) is quite beautiful.

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Somebody always has to be different...

Swirly field patterns.

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Some buildings on the crest of a hill.

Lonely little bale...

A rather photogenic pony.

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I stopped by a sheep farm to take some pics, and there was a lonely donkey there. He stood there looking at me, kept coming back.

<lj-cut text="Many countryside pics.">

Across the road.

He walked up and down that fence.

Monday, September 1st, 2008 06:53 pm: Crepes and death.

This morning was a lot of clean-up and organization. I made it out just in time to make it downtown. I picked up a crepe from Crêpes à GoGo, the Monaco, which is goat cheese, tomato and basil. Oddly, there seemed to be two when i opened it, and it was cold (room temp), rather than hot, when i got it. I guess there's no reason for it to be heated. Or i got someone else's order, lol.

The movie i saw was Elegy, the story of a professor (Ben Kingsley) of literature, long-divorced (with a married son angry at being abandoned), who ends up seeing one of his (just graduated) students (Penelope Cruz). He's had sex with a lot of (ex-)students, but this is the first time he falls for one - it even interrupts his friends-with-benefits relationship with a woman closer to his age (Patricia Clarkson). He doesn't expect it to last (and it doesn't), although he becomes possessive, and is rather cowardly. It's an interesting take on someone who is realizing he's growing old. It has its funny, romantic, and sad moments. Amazingly, for someone 30 years older than the woman he's dating, he grows up a little. Still, i'm not sure taking romantic advice from Dennis Hopper is a wise thing.

"Beautiful women are invisible; we're so dazzled by the outside that we never make it inside."

Then it was a bit of 'window shopping' (okay, i went inside, but didn't buy anything). Waiting for big sales on summer stuff, some fall coats to come in, and Chapters-Indigo to get some new books.

Friday, September 5th, 2008 12:04 am: blue box explosion, acne, french food

The first day of school was crazy - i got very frustrated with the printers not working, and booted the recycling bin in anger, lol. What a mess.... I was going between the two groups (animation and games development students) keeping track of forms, and photos, etc. Anyway, things got done - i think the animation students will be great (the games ones were a little quiet). First Miah and i went to the quad and had some of the BBQ food (worst burgers ever), then found out others had gone to a pub, so we followed. I went back for some papaerwork, and then Miah, Matt and i went to see Tropic Thunder again (first time for Matt).

Wednesday was my first classes - the First Year group i had seemed pretty good, no obvious laggard, and the Third Years cheered me when i came in (plus a heart-finger sign, and a hug, from a couple of the girls). I almost felt bad loading them with homework right away, lol.

Today, i did a pile of errands, another physio session, got comics.

Also, today was the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie i saw was called Acné. It's a 'coming-of-age' story, set in Uruguay, among a Jewish community. Rafa is a 14 yr old boy, with much on his mind, mainly girls, friends, and his acne problem (though i think the specialists he sees are causing as much as they are fixing). His older brother takes him to see a prostitute for sex, but what he's really looking for is a kiss (though that doesn't stop him from asking for money from his divorcing parents on a regular basis, lol). The raunch is pretty mild though, and it's a sweet, funny movie, low on the melodrama. It reminded me in some ways of Gregory's Girl, which was also in the end about getting what you need instead of what you want.

A photo from his Bar Mitzvah.

The object of his desire (looking much older in this shot than normal) being hit on by an older boy at a school dance.

By the way, i had a fantastic dinner in a great little French restaurant near Yonge & Bloor called Le Matignon. They are always super-friendly and accommodating, even though i never have had a reservation, so i highly recommend it (especially if you'd like a romantic dinner - i always seem to be in a rush to some show). I've been there a handful of times, and always greeted by the owner. I had the romaine salad (creamy garlic dressing with parmesan and croutons), and Black Angus steak-frites au jus. *DROOL* No dessert, but i did have a glass of wine with the bread. Le Matignon is the uptown to Jules' downtown (best quiche ever?), and to Crêpes à GoGo's takeaway.

Friday, September 5th, 2008 12:22 am: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for September 5th, 2008

1. Are you going to school this fall? If not, what was the most recent year of school you completed?
Not exactly - i'm a teacher. I have a master's degree (in political science, of all things).
2. If yes, what kind of schooling are you doing (middle school, high school, undergraduate, graduate, etc.)?
I teach computer animation (animating, and modelling & rigging).
3. Are you someone who enjoys/enjoyed going back to school?
As a student, sure, lol.
4. Do/did you like back-to-school shopping? Why or why not?
Sure, new stuff, why not. I wish i took a bigger interest in fashion way back when, lol
5. Are/were you a good student?
Pretty decent - never cheated, my work was original. I was never really driven at it, but did reasonably well.

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 10:11 pm: Wasn't me, i swear!

A couple of shots from Thursday. This is the southeast corner of Yonge and Bloor, with a building missing, as construction begins for very expensive condos.

The car is sitting on china.

After class on Friday, i went to the city to see a couple of Festival movies.

Damn mimes!

The new 'scramble' intersection at Yonge & Dundas.

A cute girl who was paying no attention to the mime or preachers in front of the Eaton Centre.

Grabbing a Côte-d'Azur at Crêpes-à-GoGo, i walked down to the Winter Garden to see C'est Pas Moi, Je Le Jure! (It's Not Me, I Swear!). Set in the late 60s in Quebec, it's the adaptation of a story of a hell-raising 10-year old boy who's into egging people's homes, suicide and break and enter. His father is a lawyer/social activist and his mother is a free-spirited painter (shades of Pierre and Margaret Trudeau) who abandons her family for Greece. His brother just wants to be normal. He's very upset by his mother's departure, until he becomes friends with another lonely kid, a girls whose father has left for another family and whose 'uncle' beats her. They have great times planning their escape to Greece until his crimes catch up with him.

It sounds depressing, and there are sad parts, but it was mostly a lot of fun, and he's a likeable kid despite his issues, because we get to understand some of his motivation.

"I love you... well, that's it."
"... I love myself too. Now shut up and pay attention."

"Maybe we can start a new life.
"We're only 10."
"Exactly - it's not too late."

When leaving the screening, out the back doors (briefly disorienting me), i noticed the line of TIFF Cadillacs waiting for the VIPs. As i was taking a shot, i had my first 'star-sighting' of the Festival, Sarah Polley (behind me here). I didn't want to be a jerk and photograph her (plus she was surrounded by very big bodyguards). She is tiny!

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 10:13 pm: Behind me...

On the walk back up to the next screening, i ran into Adam, one of my students who was in the city being a volunteer for TIFF, then had a quick supper at 7 West (Montreal smoked meat sandwich).

I saw Derrière Moi (Behind Me), another French Canadian movie, about a beautiful woman who moves to a small town in the middle of nowhere for the summer, and befriends a 14-year old girl, but starts pushing her into things she's not ready for (including boys, drinking and drugs). Is she trying to relive her youth, just lonely, or does she have some other agenda? For her part, the girl is being raised by her grandmother (whom she used to think was her mother), while her mother (formerly 'big sister') lives in some other crappy small town, drinking and playing bingo with a creepy boyfriend ("my own dirty uncle"). She has no idea who her father is. I'm not sure what to make of the ending, as it was rather unsettling, but the performances of the two leads was amazing.

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 10:14 pm: No Music, No Dream!

Detroit Metal City: Adapted from a manga, a naive and wimpy young man goes to Tokyo to live his dream: attend university, get a trendy apartment, wear trendy clothes, get a trendy girlfriend, and sing in a trendy love-pop band. Five years later, he pretty much has everything except the last, but he's deeply unhappy, because he's becomes the lead singer in an up and coming satanic death metal band (hidden in shame from his friends and family) - instead of singing syrupy songs about being in love with girls who make pastries, he's screaming about raping his parents and killing everyone. Japanese comedies are often very silly, but this one was also very fun. It had a cameo by Gene Simmons as the 'death metal king' Jack, but he couldn't compare to the actor who played sappy Soichi Negishi (and hard core Johannes Krauser II, a.k.a. Sir Krauser). Apparently the opening 'midnight madness' showing at TIFF had the actor pursued by a gang of Japanese girls after the screening.

The same actor/character.

His sadistic manager.

Uhhh... singing and dancing in a men's room.

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 10:18 pm : Saturday wanderings

I had some time after the movie before i hooked up with friends. I passed some students working for a charity: You had me on the pretty girl in shorts and bikini top, you lost me with the dude saying, "Cystic fibrosis is, like, not good!"

I sat at the Queen Mother, had a Strongbow and fries, and wrote some reviews.

I went to the AMC at Yonge & Dundas to see Wall-E again - it was surprisingly busy, and the crowd was really into it, so that was fun. Assuming it happened last time i went to the washroom, i walked from along Queen from University and up Yonge to Dundas with my fly undone.

The best shot i never actually got - she moved too fast for me.

Umm, okay.

They were shooting hoops in the street for some reason. In terms of animating, i really don't buy that pose, lol.

After the movie, i hopped on the street car at Yonge (here) over to Spadina.

The AGO not yet done.

Okay.

Into Kensington, where i'd parked.

I met up with Mel, and Jackie (eventually), and some of Jackie's friends, for food and drinks (ginger ale only for me) at the Red Room for Jackie's birthday (one of many she has during the year). They went out clubbing after quarter past 11, but i was tired, and had movies the next day, so drove home (an hour's drive). I chatted a bit online with some other former students.

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 10:20 pm: Ooh la la

The great thing about seeing a movie at 9 am on a Sunday is free parking. The movie i saw was Faubourg 36, a classic 'let's save the theatre from the evil property owner' story, in charming French style, similar to Moulin Rouge, but with 1930s cabaret music, rather than can-can versions of 70s-90s pop songs (and actually in French, so the men are also wildly olded than their women), with a bit of father-son love and fascism vs socialism politics thrown in for good measure. Beautiful to look at it, and lots of fun.

There was no Q&A, or even an announcement, but the two male leads were present at the end (which made trying to exit the cinema a bit more tedious). They're here at centre, and lower right (he has a beard now).

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 10:22 pm: Sunday wanderings

While it was a bright and sunny late summer Sunday morning when i entered the theatre, it was a cool and rainy early fall day when i got out. This is in front of Spring Rolls (and the Eaton Centre), where i had lunch, waiting for the next movie.

I started with yummy dumplings, and a glass of wine.

And then the Pho "Ga".

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 10:24 pm: Downward slide

The other movie of the day was Treeless Mountain, the apparently semi-autobiographical story set in Korea about two little girls (one around 6, another around 3) whose mother is unable to care for them in the city, despite loving them tenderly, and leaves them with her sister-in-law in another town while she looks for the father. While their aunt isn't a brute, she's not tender and is often stonecold drunk. The girls don't go to school, and largely fend for themselves, though the neighbour with the Down's syndrome boy is very kind and welcoming. The girls are promised when their piggy bank is full of coins, mom will return, so they try to earn money to full it. They're also threatened with being sent far away to their grandparents' farm away from other children if they don't behave, which is exactly where they end up anyway.

The movie is slow, and quiet, and told from the girls' point-of-view (one reviewer compared it to My Neighbour Totoro in that aspect). There are many funny moments, but mostly it's a pretty sad movie, with the older girl just old enough to begin understanding the heartlessness of their situation.

A shot from my car just north of Queen at Bay.

Monday, September 8th, 2008 11:06 pm: Ashes of Time

Another day, another movie at the Festival. This time, i took the GO train after class, but barely made it in time - i was panting out of breath and sweating, reaching the train just before it closed its doors. I walked up to Ryerson, the location of the screening. I had lunch at Johnny Rocket's, yet another 50s diner style burger joint. This was a little different, in that it had exceptional service - i got a free refill on my ginger ale without asking for it, and before my first one was half done. The place was packed, and full of staff, and at one point some dance music came on, and 5 of the staff got to the front of and started dancing away. Huh! The burger was pretty good, although the fries were just okay.

The movie i saw was the North American debut of Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time Redux, a re-edited version of Dung Che Sai Duk (Ashes of Time), one of his earlier features, his only martial arts movie, starring a who's who of Hong Kong cinema. Apparently the original negatives were lost, with various cuts were around, so it was restored, remastered and streamlined, and with a new score, by Yo-Yo Ma. Like any of his films, it's absolutely gorgeous - oceans of orange, desserts of canary yellow. It's not a traditional martial arts movie, very dream-like and abstract in movement (the closest i've seen in live action to matching manga style sword-fights), and more a meditation about love, loss and fear than good vs evil. I need to see it again.

"When I am seeing them off, my heart aches in jealousy. Once I had a chance to do the same. But somehow I passed it up. "

"Was it worth it to lose a finger for a basket of eggs?"

"Why didn't you let him know I live here?"
"You didn't ask me to."
"[sobbing] You are too honest!"

As an unannounced treat, Wong Kar Wai himself showed up, and did a Q&A. If he had to do again? He'd do it as four features, but thought it might be his only shot at a martial arts movie.

A nerve in my left 'ring toe' has been bugging me, my feet have been tired, and i almost snapped my right ankle in two rushing down Yonge Street to catch the train back.

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 11:04 am: Insults and wings

I tried to get a ticket for a movie Wednesday night, but it was sold out.

I and a couple of other teachers were finished classes by 2, so we decided to see a movie for sheer voyeurism, like stopping for a gruesome accident. We'd done it for the most recent Rambo movie, and had a lot of fun making fun of it.

Despite having a pint before, we were not prepared for how awful Star Wars: The Clone Wars would be. Seriously, a sexually ambiguous Hutt with Truman Capote's voice - or was it Droopy's?, a simpering stereotype to match JarJarBinks...

The animation was incredibly stiff (probably used the same crap walk cycles in every environment). We were groaning, though we had to keep it down because there was a father there with his little boy. Although, i think it's a terrible movie for a little boy, 90% of it is just shooting, again and again and again... It was padded with scenes like 2 minutes of a ship passing over us. It's an insult to hackneyed cliches and corny dialogue. Check out the summary of reviews on the Wikipedia article, pretty accurate - even the positive comments are damning with faint praise:

"Kenny Lengel of The Arizona Republic said the lack of hype... allowed him to enjoy the film due to lower expectations."

Possibly the least redeeming movie i have ever seen - and i saw Hollow Man. Two of us left early, i and another stayed for the bitter end.

We followed with a trip to the tap for drinks and wings.

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 11:09 am: Boys will be boys...

Thursday i have no classes, and no homework to mark yet, so it was off to the festival again. I was able to sneak lunch in again at Jules (sauteed chicken with mixed greens and frites - so good).

The first movie was Taiwanese, Winds of September (Jiu Jiang Feng), about a group of high school boys, the trouble makers (though by American standards pretty mild trouble). They're a tight knit group, led by a womanizing senir named Yen. Tang is the quiet shy senior, who tutors and has crush on, and would be a better boyfriend for, Yen's girlfriend Yun. Things are fine until Tang takes a punch meant for Yen's womanizing (mistaken identity), and and there's trouble in the form of a stolen scoter and a traffic accident.

Only in his mind...

I really enjoyed it, the scenes with the boys having fun were hilarious, but their recklessness get the better of them, making the movie a lot more serious.

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 11:10 am: Mommy's not here...

I had just enough time to walk across Queen and up Yonge to catch the second movie, another French Canadian movie, Maman Est Chez Le Coiffeur (Mommy Is At The Hairdresser's). It was introduced by Léa Pool, the director (i've also seen her Lost and Delirious (2001, lesbian boarding school love story) and Emporte-moi (1999, half-Jewish half-Catholic girl growing up in poverty who becomes obsessed with Anna Karenina). Set in small town Quebec in the 60s, on the face of it everything is fine: they're a happy loving family. Dad is a doctor, Mom is both a housewife and a journalist, the youngest child is sweet but slow (as we we learn), the older boy is obsessed with building a go-kart, the oldest, the girl, is just becoming interested in boys and kissing. When a secret is discovered, Mom is so broken up, she leaves for a job in London, and Dad is left to keep things together. The girl strikes up an interesting friendship with 'Mr. Fly', the deaf-mute all the kids are afraid of who makes fishing lures for sale from his trailer. Another beautifully done sad-funny film on growing up.

I really had to boot it to make the 17:13 train - i seem to have become an expert at getting to the train with barely a moment to spare (though i hate the stress). It was standing room only, but i spent the trip reading Paul Goes Fishing, 4th in the excellent Paul series - i love the retro style, and the Montreal setting.

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 12:14 pm: Boy meets girl

Friday is the second-to-last day of the Festival. After class, i rushed to the train, and walked up to Yonge & Dundas for the next movie. I sat in Johnny Rocket (again) writing these reviews.

Overheard in a public washroom (addressed to someone who was not there, it seems): "I'll remind you to stop looking at my mother, or i'll put a hole in your head."

Overheard walking up Yonge Street (woman to man): "Gaydar was there, definitely..."

The movie i saw was Only, appropriately, the only English-language Canadian movie i saw. Set in Parry Sound (i recognized some of the sights, from visiting friends there), it's about a boy, Daniel, 12, son of a couple of hotel-motel owners, and a girl, Vera, 13, the daughter of a fractious couple in the middle of a move from Vancouver to Brampton. A day in their lives, they explore the area and getting to know each other (they don't even exchange names until the day is almost done), before the inevitable split. It's almost like a classic romantic movie (with even the requisite mid-movie argument), except they're still just a couple kids. It actually reminded me a lot of Lost In Translation, actually. A gentle, sweet comedy. It's based on the director growing up in a similar motel environment, and the boy was played by her son (and the girl by a classmate), and she actually played the mom.

"If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?" Vera has an attack of narcolepsy.

The movie was preceded by an animated musical Canadian short called Running (Heart, Body, Mind, Spirit).

As i am writing this review, in Spring Rolls, a woman beside me was relating a story about a phone conversation she had to her friend, with her fingers in the 'phone gesture' for the full 10 minutes - i wanted to slap the phone out of her hands.

Also, i think the woman across the aisle is Joanna Lumley in a trucker hat and no make up.

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 12:15 pm: Paradox and lotteries

The second movie of the night was (Beat) Takeshi Kitano's dark comedy on the relationship between art and artist Achilles and the Tortoise (Achilles To Kame, which comes Zeno’s Paradox - a famous mathematical proof that it is impossible to catch anything you may pursue, regardless of how much faster than it you may be). A young boy is inspired to become an artist, and nothing stops him in his quest, not a lack of talent, the suicides of his parents, his descent into poverty, the accidental deaths of his art mentors and friends (lots of dark humour). He follows whatever trends his art dealer suggests (though the art world is ready to sell virtually anything under any guise) - the humour reaches a maximum of disturbed and gruesome when he paints his dead daughter's face with lipstick for art effect.

"(The message of the film) is that even people without talent should live for all they're worth, facing reality -- it's a story about the harshness of the artistic life. My paintings [used in the movie] are not appreciated by the public or critics, so I tried... to show that it is not necessary to be successful as a painter. Whether you are a hit or a miss is just like buying a lottery ticket."

I was 7 minutes late for the train, so i had to endure nearly an hour in a train station filled with obnoxious drunken football fans, and a very crowded train home (depsite the fact it was past 11 pm).

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 03:21 pm: Migou(s)

I'm annoying myself by forgetting to bring my camera with me the last few trips.

This morning i met up with friends at the Beaches Celtic Festival. A Celtic festival, it seems, with girls performing Irish and Scottish dances, an MC singing "Is This the Way to Amarillo?" (yes, Texas), and tents/booths selling 'Celtic' trinkets and and henna tattoos. The daughters of the friends of my friends danced in the show.

(Not my pics)

We went to Licks for lunch, but i had to get takeaway, because it took so long - i barely made it to the theatre on time.

The last movie of the Festival was, appropriately, the animated Mia Et Le Migou. The dialogue was French, but it was set somewhere in South America (i'm guessing). It was something of a cross in theme between My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke, combining a fantasy story about nature spirits and greed and environmental destruction. The characters were well-done, especially Mia, who was very charming. The Migous were fun too. More than anything, however, it was just gorgeous to look at - it looked like a blend of pastels and water colour painting, yet flowed very naturally (i could see 3D elements however). It's a shame there were a few empty seats, and that it will probably be unavailable in North America in any form.

Mia talking to her Mom.

Mia looking for her Dad.

Dad's employer, and his son Aldrin.

Mia (after she lost her hair) meets a/the Migou.

It feels so much like a graphic novel.

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 03:23 pm: Fine and dandy

My friends's kids went to a sleepover, and they were going to see Earth To The Dandy Warhols at Kool Haus, so they asked me to join them. While they went back home to drop off the girls, i saw my movie, and had supper at 7 West (bruschetta and caesar). They were supposed to have a romantic argument over dinner, but they were late, so we met at Spring Rolls on Front (i just had dumplings) before making it to the show at nearly nine.

Okay, it's been a while since i've been to a club, but what the hell was with getting us to line up in the rain to get wrist bands to show i can drink? Why couldn't that have been done in the lobby? When we got in, the first band, 'The Upsidedown', was playing. I liked the woman's voice in particular, although she wasn't lead on most songs. They had 6 people in the band (4 on guitar/bass - including another very cute girl) - man, a band gets paid the same whether they have 3 or 6 members, lol. I bought their CD to get it signed, but it turned out i bought the wrong one - d'oh! Well, anyway, that meant i also got signatures from the second opening band 'Darker My Love' (they had a rockier sound).

(not my pics!)

The Dandies were great - although it occurred to me the biggest difference between an opening band and the main band is a light show, lol. I was at the front before they came on, but after the first song i moved to the back to save my hearing, and to have a bit of room to dance a bit. There was a very attractive girl back there giving it her all - at first i thought maybe she was on something, but occasionally she paused to text message somebody, or chat with her boyfriend (who looked pretty stiff), or their other friend, being the third wheel ("playing the role of Gary..."). There was one older guy who looked totally out of it, stumbling around in lieu of dancing. The set was pretty long, almost two hours, so no encore, getting out just past 1. Just in time to save my car from the flood at the Loblaws parking lot (water was coming up from some hole).

(took the first one, but not my camera) At the end of the show, and the parking lot (it is ground level!).

Monday, September 15th, 2008 11:26 pm: Goldfrapp at the Music Hall

Most of Sunday was spent doing laundry, cleaning up, and so on. Oh, and typing up reviews (yipes!). I'd intended to grab a nap (since it was nearly 3 when i'd got to sleep), but no such luck.

Sunday evening was miserably rainy. BUT, i had tickets to see a show: Goldfrapp at the Danforth Music Hall. It seemed an odd choice for Goldfrapp, being a theatre with seats (random girl: "Are you joking? Where do we dance?"). It confused me when i bought the tickets, because it was general admission (very amusing watching people come in looking for section GA). Anyway, it was fine - i was back a bit, but got an outside aisle seat, so good line of sight, and good for people watching.

It was opened by a folky group named Great Lake Swimmers, who sounded a lot like Neil Young. It seemed an odd choice for Goldfrapp, but it actually worked - Goldfrapp's most recent album is fairly folky. The crowd was very enthusiastic.

(photos stolen)
The Alison and the band were really into the show. Alison was amazing - both her voice and her stage presence were powerful - she expends a ton of energy. She wore a semi-circular harlequin dress - very short, and she was barefoot. The band members wore white - they included a drummer, a keyboardist, a harpist (who also had a keyboard, i think), and three who switched around with guitars, electric and classical, and one guy who had an electric violin, and some sort of portable keyboard. The music was pretty ethereal, but they were able to go dancey when they needed to.

The crowd were really into it, but it wasn't till past halfway that anyone got up (so Canadian) - one brave girl got out of her seat, went to the front and started dancing to You're My Number One, and a handful of others stood up in their seats to dance. Security pulled her back after the song (though Alison want her to be left alone). Another song passed, but when she hit Ooh La La, virtually everyone stood and started dancing and clapping in the seats for the rest of the show. Ooh La La and Strict Machine were my favourites.

Here's a Youtube link to You're My Number One, that someone recorded at the show - the audio is no indicator of the actual sound, just can't compare to the live show.

Amazing show!

Monday, September 15th, 2008 11:51 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for September 12th, 2008

Morbid Questions We All Think About

1. If you were to die today, what would your last words be?
LOOK OUT FOR TH...*!
2. What would you want your epitaph to say?
"Blargh, I'm Dead!"
3. What song would you want played at your funeral?
Uncle Fucka by Terrance and Philip - that is some funny shit, yo.
4. In lieu of flowers, what should loved ones do in your honor?
21 Gun Salute, aimed at trees.
5. What unfinished business would you wrap up?
Living.

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 12:18 am: Burn After Reading... makes sense only with paper...

The work week seems to fly by these days. Last Wednesday i left work as soon as possible, picked up my comics, and went to a movie. I saw Burn After Reading, the Coen Brothers' latest movie. I wouldn't say it was always funny - it was less like Raising Arizona or O Brother Where Art Thou, and more like Fargo, more of a thriller in places - though Brad Pitt was hilarious. I thought it was quite good.

"Report back to me when it makes sense."

"...I'm not set up to mold hard rubbers."

"Does he look like he would have a sense of humor?"
"Looks like his optometrist has a sense of humor."

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 12:25 am: Ottawa International Animation Festival (part one)

Mid-week, Miah suggested we go to his family's place in Ottawa, to see the Ottawa International Animation Festival. I thought, why not? We went up Friday after class (probably dawdled longer than we should have). We got there past 9, had a late dinner with his mother.

<lj-cut text="OIAF pics">

I stayed the first night at Miah's parents place. They have 13(!) or so rescued cats, so there was a lot of fur. For some reason, there was a pile of naked cabbage patch dolls....

I took a handful of sots in downtown Ottawa - ici, le Chateau Laurier!

National Art Gallery.

Uhhh, forget!

Our first stop was the National Gallery, for the Animation School Fair, checking out the competition, wondering why our school isn't there. It took longer than we thought, and we missed the first screening.

Here's Miah drawing at the Algonquin booth.

After, we walked around quite a bit, looking for where the cinema was, and buying our passes (need to plan things better next time). We bumped into a former colleague of Miah's. We barely got to the cinema for the 1 o'clock show, Shorts Competition 2. Shorts are always a mixed bag of funny or serious works, narrative or abstract, good or pretentious, sweet and to the point or just too long (long pauses doesn't make something deeper). There's also a mix of professional, student and commercial work.

A Letter To Colleen, an odd autobiographical one about drugs and sex.

A Sheep On The Roof, about a sheep on the roof (i think maybe he was hallucinating?).

Baerenbraut, a weird one about a woman living with a bear, as it grows up.

Bernie's Doll, funny, but disturbing, about a guy who buys a torso for sex.

Chainsaw, a too-long but funny one, connecting the real-life Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner with an Australian couple.

Guardian: Rhythm Of Life, inventive stop-motion commercial.

Idaho Lottery Twister, a funny commercial featuring a pitch for a 'twister' lottery commercial with an octopus.

Lost Utopia, abstract take on Adam and Eve.

Optical Percussion, what i thought was a recreation of a 1930s idea, turns oput to be fictitious, and pretty simplistic for animation these days. Flash or Maya could do this in a few hours.

Platform Box, a fun stop-motion.

Retouches, an interesting abstract painting.

Stomachboy, a high school production about good eating.

Western Spaghetti, a really fun stop-motion using odd household objects - maybe my favourite piece for this show.

After the show, we found out that Ryan (former student) and Suzanne were at the show, and ran into Mack (former student) in line. Miah and i went to a pub in the market area and had a very late lunch.

We walked around the market a bit, i bought a beaver tail (so good), then went to the Labyrinth animation book sale, bumped into Ryan and Suzanne again, and arranged for a drink/food at a pub before the next show.

Also, we met Nadia, a female friend of Miah, who also joined us. We were a bit late for the show at 7 - luckily, i arrived in time for the start, but Miah and Nadia missed the first scene.

After the movie, we hustled to the car, and went over to Quebec to the Museum of Civilization to see the International Showcase. Miah and Nadia waiting before we go in to the show.

Bait, funny, gruesome sense of humour.

Boy, "The life of the old horse is finishing. But fate presents him last fantastic vision before death. Vision opens him the world with endless life and love." Uhhh, this is the best example of the worse type of animated short, over long, a story that doesn't come across to the audience. There's no way to get that description from what we saw - what we got was that horses are assholes.

Ergo, a bit long, a fascinating set up, but an unfocussed ending.

Glago's Guest, a Disney short (they still make them, outisde of Pixar?).

La Vita Nuova, a dark stop-motion, a bit Tim Burton-ish.

Presto, a wonderful piece from Pixar, which you should've seen by now.

Refrains, a bit long, and a bit of an airy-fairy story, but beautiful looking.

A Streetcar Named Perspire, a funny story about menopause.

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The Employment, my favourite piece for this show - yes, someone is holding up his mirror.

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The Weatherman, a fun stop-motion about weather prediction.

We dropped Nadia off, and Miah and i circled Ottawa a few times before Miah remembered where his sister lived, where we stayed the night, after watching a bit of SNL.

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 12:29 am: Idiots and Angels

The show we saw was a feature, called Idiots And Angels, by Bill Plympton. His own summary: "Angel is a selfish, abusive, morally bankrupt man who hangs out as his local bar, berating the other patrons. One day, Angel mysteriously wakes up with a pair of wings on his back. The wings make him do good deeds, contrary to his nature. He desperately tries to rid himself of the good wings, but eventually finds himself fighting those who view the wings as their ticket to fame and fortune."

Some trademark Bill Plympton weird/exaggerrated perspective.

Fantasies from the point of view of a bug on her surface?

It was pretty funny, even without Plymptons usual head-eating-itself weirdness.

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 12:35 am: Ottawa International Animation Festival (part two)

Sunday morning, we got up decently earlier, and were only a little late for Behind the Aardman Curtain at 9 am at the National Gallery. Helen Brunsdon, head of shorts development and manager for television production, showed off their reel, and a message to the OIAF from people in England, and answered questions about their work. Everyone knows about Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, and probably Flushed Away and Creature Comforts, but we got to see samples of all the things they work on (a lot). A good talk.

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Angry Kid - Bone

Chopsocky Chooks - didn't think they were very funny.

Disco.

Pib and Pog.

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The Pierce Sisters - they did the characters in 3D, and painted the frames after.

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Shaun

Town Called Panic - Cake - another very funny stop motion animation, with toys (why did the horse bake a cake?).

We needed breakfast (me) and coffee (Miah) right away. I took some pics along the way. The Centre Block of Parliament (i think), Library of Parliament on the right.

Peacekeeping Monument: Reconciliation.

So that's what that big building with the large fence was. We got breakfast is the world's least organized McDonald's, which made us late for Short Competition 3 (missed the first four).

1st-Date, a cute, funny, a little raunchy cartoon.

Ambiguously Gay Duo, ha ha, i love them.

Big Baby Rookie, a giant baby joins the police force.

Cats' Gathering, a very good anime short, about cats getting their tails stomped and their seeking revenge - until it's feeding time (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb_bLpcx8Sk).

DINO ORANGE - How Birds Fly, everything but the kitchen sink - the orange is being kept prisoner in the castle by the monster, to stop the dinosaurs from flying.

Like Me - Only Better, a funny pro-Prozac animation.

Nishimatsuya - Mimi in Wonderland, a cute anime-type commercial.

Seadogs - Devotion, the story is a little cloudy, although it involves love, but the art style itself was amazing..

Sony Bravia - Playdoh, another stop-motion piece (commercial) i enjoyed - bunnies are cute.

Superjail - Combaticus, not quite as random as Dino Orange, but still kinda weird.

The Comic That Frenches Your Mind, another deliberately weird one, but one that wins for its name.

The Mixy Tapes, an animation about making an animation, but it didn't really work for me (yeah, they called it themselves, it was pretentious).

That was it for the Festival - too bad i missed so much, but we were there for only 2 of 5 days. On the way out of town we met up with Ryan and Suzanne for brunch.

The trip was going well until just past Kingston, when we ran into a blockage on the 401 - took us 40 minutes to get off the highway, and because i'm smart, i had a road atlas to pick a different route than everyone else. We got back on the highway in no time. But then Miah insisted we get off the highway to look for a Tim's, and we took the scenic route from Deseronto to Cobourg. This lawyer's office was in Colborne. It would be funny if he'd actually changed his name. I think he should keep going with it, and edit it to "Peter, A Hustler".

Saturday, September 27th, 2008 12:07 pm: Gallery Thursday

I've been worky-worky since coming back from Ottawa, other than physio on Monday. Physio was interesting - i tried out their new Wii - fitness.

Thursday was a play day. I picked up Mo ('08 grad), and we went to a couple of galleries in the city.

First stop was MOCCA (Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art) for Dyed Roots - the new emergence of culture: "...the intermingling of cultures is considered as a natural consequence of immigration and travel..."

I'm pretty opened-minded about art, but sometimes i get frustrated with the jargon and pretentiousness:

"Reconsidering colonial conquests and the construction of cultural products, the artists in the exhibition call into question notions of integrity and authenticity. Here, any shared understanding of what is fake and what is real is disrupted. Powerful symbols holding the pride of nations and cultures are disturbed and reclaimed." I really defy anyone to get that out of the exhibit. Okay, they had British and English flags that had threads taken out of them - okay, the disturbed part, but how does that 'reclaim' them, and what does it mean 'reclaim'? 'Colonials' would reclaim their own heritage, not British imagery.
Only a fragment of a hanging flag.

"In the midst of the exhibition stands a pristine, white room - save for its smashed wall. This blow makes tangible the vehemence that is sometimes required to bring about change as one idea meets forcefully against another. It allows for exchange, acting as a window between Dyed Roots: the new emergence of culture and the two consecutive projects which the room will house." "This blow makes tangible the vehemence'? Who writes this stuff?

Also there was a video installation supposedly depicting The Death of Tom, from Uncle Tom's Cabin:

"In 1903 Edwin S. Porter directed a 14-minute silent film version of Uncle Tom's Cabin for Thomas Edison's film studio. In his video installation The Death of Tom, New York based artist Glenn Ligon has focused on the last scene of the Porter-Edison film, which depicts the death of Tom, the slave whose tragic story drives the narrative. ...Ligon sought to recreate the look of the Porter-Edison film but after the film was developed he discovered it was a gray blur. Intrigued by this disappearance of the image - the subject of Ligon's artistic production in other media over the last decade and a half - he decided to use the 'ruined' film." Well, i guess when you get lemons, make lemonade, but seriously, he just screwed up royally.

"The resulting video focuses on the mechanics of the (re)making of the original production and the failure of representation. One sees actors rehearsing in and out of costume and shots of the set and crew within the blurred black and white film. Tom rehearses his death over and over again, becoming a figure poised between the past and the present, between the representation of fiction and the fiction of representation. In its repetition and moments of disjunction, Ligon's The Death of Tom suggests a narrative that - like the larger historical narratives it refers to - remains unfinished business." I like the phrase 'suggests a narrative', because it's impossible to gather any narrative from it, and unless we'd been told beforehand what it was, we'd have no idea.

A sculpture outside MOCCA - now this i liked.

Then we were off to the Japanese Foundation for the Nihongo Art Contest 2008. I thought it seemed familiar, abd that's because i went to the 2007 version. To help them learn the Japanese language, students draw pictures that incorporate Japanese characters to embody a word's meaning in the drawing itself. The drawings are a mix of ages from kindergarten to adult, and a mix of talent, as you'd expect.

A couple of successful ones - the rat in particular is awesome.

After, we grabbed a hot dog on the street, and went back home.

Saturday, September 27th, 2008 12:10 pm: Igor, cider and wings, oh my

I got to Fitzpatrick's pretty much on time at 2:30. I was ahead of anyone else, so i ordered a lunch, a boxty chicken quesadilla, essentially, with a side caesar (pretty good). AND a Magners. Matt was late, so i'd already started on my second one when he got there.

The movie we saw was Igor, which was kind of a mess. First, i'm not sure why i was supposed to care about Igor being unhappy with being an assistant, and wanting to be an evil genius himself. On the one hand, why evil, on the other they don't seem particularly evil. The story was something like the lead female character, a monster made of bits and pieces that don't really fit together (some of the gags were downright adult). Some bits are actually pretty good: i like the suicidal rabbit (Steve Buscemi), the main villain Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard - great voice, and great name). The character design tried to out-Tim Burton Tim Burton, but without his style - the characters looked disjointed. Overall, the idea was interesting but a poor execution.

The importance of pre-production, kids.

After, we went to The Tap, waited for everyone else (Chris, John, Miah, Angelina, Cathy then Emma, Dawn, Shuttlecock). I had a Strongbow, then switched to ginger ale for the rest of the night. They cranked up the awful music around 10 (Bryan Adams? sweriously?), we moved to the back, then they cranked up separate speakers there (different music, too), and i couldn't hear myself think. I left around, dropping Angelina off at home.

Saturday, September 27th, 2008 12:13 pm: Ghost Town

I had class on Friday, so it was good to get some sleep (unlike some others). I did some marking, had lunch with John and Emma, and at 2 left for a movie. The movie i saw was Ghost Town, starring Greg Kinnear, Ricky Gervais, Téa Leoni (as a nerdy archeologist!). Okay, you know where the story is going, withn the surly loner who can suddenly see ghosts, but it's done very well. Ricky Gerrvais is always funny, and the surgeon-hospital lawyer tag team were hilarious: they fired the anesthesiologist, because they have a strict three strikes policy.

"Come back soon."
"What a terrible thing to say in a hospital."

The evening was spent not watching any *debates (i'm an Anybody-But-Harper person...), doing laundry, making a list/going through Previews, putting some mail together, and sundry other boring things. I'm relieved to have a quiet night...

*okay, i know the debates were Obama-McCain...

Saturday, September 27th, 2008 12:23 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for September 19th, 2008

1. What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Veterinarian (ew! i just liked my cat).
2. What is your proudest accomplishment so far?
Hmmm... i dunno. My degrees? Seems lame.
3. What is your dream job?
My current one, but downtown Toronto, with plenty of excellent applicants and a good marketing budget.
4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefuly, in my own place, in the city, with a partner who makes me happy.
5. What does it take to make you happy?
Companionship, intellectual and creative stimulation.

The Friday Five for September 26th, 2008

1. Who is your favorite author?
I dunno, i don't realy have one.
2. What is your favorite book/series?
Meh, can we include comics?
3. Who is a book hero you most wish to be like?
I tend to read non-fiction (my fiction is in graphic format).
4. Who is a book character that you envy?
Anyone with a more successful life than mine.
5. Which book do you wished you lived in?
I sometimes imagine what it would be like to be a DC superhero, lol.

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 08:03 pm: Word On The Street 2008

Saturday, i didn't do much of anything, just journal stuff, saw Burn After Reading again.

On Sunday, i went into the city for this year's Word On The Street (annual one-day national book and magazine family festival celebrating literacy and the written arts, held in five cities simultaneously on the last Sunday in September - Vancouver, Calgary, Kitchener, Toronto and Halifax).

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At the north entrance, at Avenue Rd and Bloor, looking down Queen's Park Crescent (that's the ROM behind the trees).

Ha ha, didn't see that scowling face when i took the photo.

The Labyrinth is everywhere - they come to our school, they're at Fanexpo, OIAF - they even come to our school.

How often do you hear a pan flute?

I walked down the west side first - i was impressed the Ministry had a booth there.

It starts at 11, so it wasn't long until lunch (and i had an event at 12:30), so i made it to the food right away, at the southend, just behind the legislature building. I like the effort they make to have international food. You don't often see Kashmiri BBQ, do you?

Uh, yes, i think i would like to buy some of your food.

A wide shot of the food concessions.

As a matter of fact, i didn't get Thai food, i had perogies, roast chicken and salad. The City TV stage had performers.

Dammit, that would've been a great shot in focus.

Then i went to the talk From Picture Books to Graphic Novels and Back Again - "authors Jeremy Tankard (Grumpy Bird, Me Hungry!), Matt Hammill (Sir Reginald’s Logbook) and Steven Murray (National Post) talk about the ins and outs of creating picture books and how it compares to creating graphic novels."

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I decided i didn't have enough cash with me, and decided walk south along University in hopes of finding my bank. This is a statue of Sir John Graves Simcoe, first governor of what become Ontario, and founder of the British settlement of what became Toronto.

The Provincial Legislature Building (the WOTS is on the other side).

The Firefighters memorial.

Apparently a comic book store needs its own car - why it's on University in the Hospital district, who knows?

A homeless person who was standing in an odd pose (and he wasn't a busker). When i got down to Elm, i reaized i was almost at Dundas, and had forgotten College Street was just at the bottom of Queen's Park - d'oh!

For Joan.

Coming back up the east side of Queen's Park.The problem with getting Previews and ordering comics through my local shop is that i really don't see anything new at these events.

Back where i started - in the end, i didn't buy anything, but it was still a good day.

Uh, okay...

I like the look of the man on the left - she certainly looks distinctive from this angle (i never did see her face).

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 08:31 pm: Some Random Fall Pics

I was driving along a country road last week, and enjoyed the early autumn scenery, so stopped for a few pics.

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I love this farm - they have llamas, horses and donkeys. In particular, this little valley and creek. Oh, and look at that bird, heron, i presume. What luck.

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