Sunday, April 5th, 2009 07:29 pm: The week

Wednesday, April 1st, i dropped my car off for servicing at Honda in Whitby, and Chris picked me up to go to school. I had planned to do it on Monday, and see a movie while i waited, but left it too late to make an appointment. After classes, Matt dropped me off to pick up my car, and then the two of us went to see Monsters vs Aliens (again for me). Near the end of it, there was an alarm at the cinema, and we all had to evacuate. D'oh! Matt and i parted, and i went to Licks.

On Thursday, we had a sushi meeting, Chris, me, Matt, John (Angelina was sick). John left for some music thing. The rest of us went to Matt's parents' place (he's dog sitting), after a trip to the liquor store, and chatted a while. Eventually a couple of other people showed up, and then we went to The Tap to meet up with John and Emma. I ate wings i didn't need. So many people meant our conversations get splintered.

I got caught up with marking. School is almost done for another year. Oh yeah, i do work, lol.

Sunday, April 5th, 2009 07:36 pm: Uberlist 2009 Update

No Friday Five this week, so i thought i'd check my Uberlist 2009 progress so far. Well, i had a good start, but some things have come to a standstill. Visiting Cuba, and starting yoga/pilates were major things.

Car & Travel Tasks
1. Arrange a vacation for Reading Week - i've booked it off! - done! a MAJOR thing
2. Visit a winery in the winter. - done!
3. Plan what to do in an ACCIDENT.
4. Learn how to use a CARWASH, so i'm not stuck doing it at home. Ideally some automatic thing.
5. TRAVEL somewhere during the summer (realistically): Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and/or New York.
6. TRAVEL to San Diego SDCC?
7. TRAVEL somewhere (unrealistically): British Isles, France, Japan or Australia.
8. Try to be better organized before Christmas, arrange a trip to NY or Vegas.

Arts &c Tasks
9. Finish Halloween costume ASAP, well in advance of October - at least finish last one, proper hat, suspenders.
10-11. Possibly new cameras - (a) high-end one with interchangeable lenses, you can focus properly, (b) small one you can use in places like a club - i like my current one, which is good 90% of the time, but that 10% is frustrating.
12. Buy an ukiyo-e print. - done!

Digital Tasks
13. Get stuff off those VHS tapes and into digital format.
14. Try to get data off the old PERCEPTION system.
15. Organize my data BACK UP system.
16. Do something with my personal LJ (not the madlycool one).
17. Create a digital version of my COMICS CATALOG.
18. 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....).
19. Change PASSWORDS for various email addresses and eBay, again. Should do it every year.
20. Will have to update VIN page, again.
21. Convert the name of any .JPG files to .jpg, standardize on my website and blog (annoyingly sometimes they're seen as identical, sometimes not).

Learning Tasks
22. Learn ILLUSTRATOR (not a priority).

Junk &c Tasks
23. Get rid of old VINYL albums.
24. Clean out shelves/closets/dressers of my stuff.
25. I'd like to find a place to RECYCLE worn clothing, stuff that's not useable, like old socks and such.
26. I think i need to do a major cull, of what COMICS i have, and what i'm buying.
27. Take COMICS downstairs.
28. L&R have some of my negatives - one day i'd like to get them back.
29. I think Matt has some of my letters from him - they're missing anyway.
30. Toss out old electronics.

Home & Financial Tasks
31. FIND A PLACE OF MY OWN.
32. Will have to think MORTGAGE.
33. Do a proper BUDGET - I used to have one when I made much less money.
34. Get a rice cooker (wait for when i move...).
35. Do something with my PC Points. - done!
36. Do something with my Airmiles Points. - done!

Fashion &c Tasks
37. Need SHOES and CLOTHES for exercising. - done!
38. Get some new DRESS CLOTHES.
39. Need dressier SHOES.

Reading Tasks
40. Read the book on BRITISH LEGENDS i bought but let sit.
41. Read HITCHERHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.
42. Read final HARRY POTTER book.
43. Read the TARTAN book I bought and is just sitting. - done!
44. Read the COMICS I've let sit (Batman from the late 90s).
45. Read the COMICS I've let sit (Hellblazer from the late 90s).

Music Tasks
46. Get soundtrack of ON VA S'AIMER 2006.
47. Get soundtrack of J'AURAIS VOULU ETRE UN DANSEUR.

Movie Tasks (ha, this is 24 movies)
48. Rent or see THE MAD FOX 1962 by Tomu Uchida
49. Rent or see this Godard film: 1962 VIVRE SA VIE (TO LIVE ONE'S LIFE, MY LIFE TO LIVE) - done!
50. Rent or see this Godard film: 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)
51. Rent or see this Godard film: 1966 MADE IN U.S.A.
52. Rent or see this anime: WONDERFUL DAYS (SKY BLUE) (Korean) - rented it, but wouldn't play
53. Rent or see this anime: THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS
54. Rent or see this anime: THE BOOK OF THE DEAD
55. Rent or see PERHAPS LOVE 2005 (Oscar nominee) by Peter Chan (Hong Kong).
56. Rent or see this Demy film: 1962 LA BAIE DES ANGES - done!
57. Rent or see this Demy film: 1970 PEAU D'ÂNE (THE DONKEY SKIN OR THE MAGIC DONKEY) - done!
58. Rent or see this Demy film: 1979 LADY OSCAR
59. Rent or see this John Hughes film: 1984 SIXTEEN CANDLES
60. Rent or see this John Hughes film: 1985 BREAKFAST CLUB
61. Rent or see this John Hughes film: 1985 WEIRD SCIENCE
62. Rent or see this John Hughes film: 1986 PRETTY IN PINK - done!
    Rent or see (at least) 5 of these Kurosawa films: - done two!
63-67. 1943 SANSHIRO SUGATA (JUDO SAGA), 1944 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, 1945 SANSHIRO SUGATA PART II (JUDO SAGA 2), 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), 1970 DODESUKADEN, 1975 DERSU UZALA, 1980 KAGEMUSHA, 1990 DREAMS, 1991 RHAPSODY IN AUGUST, 1993 MADADAYO (NOT YET), 1945 THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER'S TAIL (tried to rent, but it was damaged)
[seen: STRAY DOG, SCANDAL, RASHOMON, IKIRU (TO LIVE), THE IDIOT, SEVEN SAMURAI, THRONE OF BLOOD (SPIDER WEB CASTLE), THE LOWER DEPTHS, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, RED BEARD, HIGH AND LOW (HEAVEN AND HELL), THE BAD SLEEP WELL, YOJIMBO, SANJURO, RAN].
68. Rent or see Serge Boson's LA FRANCE 2007.
69. Rent or see this Eddie Izzard dvd: CIRCLE. - done!
70. Rent or see this Eddie Izzard dvd: SEXIE
71. Rent or see this Eddie Izzard dvd: LIVE AT THE AMBASSADOR

Shows
72. FRIENDS' CORPS NIGHT (tour): Wednesday, April 8, 2009.
73. BALLET working rehearsal: Feb 11, 2009. - missed
74. BALLET Romeo & Juliet rehearsal: March 10, 2009. - done!
75. BALLET working rehearsal: May 6, 2009.
76-81. See Bands in a Club at least 6 times. - got ticket for Franz Ferdinand
82: CIRQUE DE SOLEIL NEW SHOW: Sep 5, 2009. - got ticket

Health Ongoing
83. 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
84. I still ought to FLOSS and use that weird little rubber thing every day. - failing
85. Take my daily VITAMINS. - doing
86. SLEEP! - seriously, i think it got to the point where i was so sleep deprived it was hurting my health. - failing
87. Go swimming at least once a week during the summer.
88. Get a massage (having discovered how to do the physio, i think i'd like to get an occasional massage paid for through school). - doing!
89. LOSE WEIGHT - i've still got at least 50 lbs of unwanted fat. It looks awful, and is very unhealthy. - failing
90. 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 (at least three times each week). - doing - a major step! (pilates once, yoga twice a week)

Arts Ongoing
91. DRAWING - fill a sketchbook. - did a little bit
92. PAINTING. - failing
93. PRINT-MAKING. - failing
94. More PHOTOGRAPHY. - doing
95. LIFE DRAWING - hopefully there’ll be classes going on this term. - failing, the classes weren't run by us, and got cancelled
96. DRAWING - cartoony. - failing
97. DRAWING - 100 people (that's at last 8 a month). - did a little bit

Home & Financial Ongoing
98. Stop WASTING my time online. - failing
99. Regular SAVINGS (downpayment). - doing
100. Regular SAVINGS (RSP). - failing
101. CLEAN, dust and vacuum more regularly. I guess that means launder sheets more too. - failing
102. Take the new comics DOWNSTAIRS regularly. - failing

Sunday, April 5th, 2009 08:34 pm: "I'm so surprised I'm making out with you!" "Me too."

Friday i ran some errands, had lunch at Licks, read some manga, and then went to see a movie. Actually, i saw most of two, as i had some time before the movie started, so i snuck in to Monsters vs Aliens and caught part of it (the robot part), and snuck back in after my actual movie, to the next showing, basically the same place.

The movie i saw was Adventureland. The trailers are very misleading, advertising as something like Superbad, or Judd Apatow films, but it's actually more serious, more dramatic - it's still funny and still a love story, and it's very good. Apparently semi-auto-biographical, it's set in the 1980s, at the beginning of a recession, which is an interesting coincidence with now. A naive young man graduates from university, expecting to be able to tour Europe, before going to grad school in New York, but his parents now can't afford either. So he gets a job at a crappy amusement park for the summer. The girl he was briefly seeing at school dumped him, he's still a virgin, and looking for the right girl. People are more than just gags, the women are real (which you can't say about most of the Apatow-style movies), the conversations have some depth, and their lives are pretty complicated.

Thankfully, she dropped that 80-year old vampire.

"Nobody ever wins a Big Ass Panda."

"I can't say what I'm f***ing thinking!"

Sunday, April 5th, 2009 10:26 pm: Passage to the Future

Saturday started off with some shopping - didn't get a gift list till the night before.

Then it was a rush trip to downtown TO. Had lunch/read manga at Craft burger - never had gorgonzola on a burger before! Mmmm....

Then i saw the latest exhibition at the Japan Foundation, Passage to the Future: Art from a New Generation in Japan, which "focuses on art being produced in Japan at the beginning of the 21st century. It showcases the work of eleven younger artists who are presently attracting a great deal of attention."

Atsushi Fukui (left); Maywa Denki (right) - Maywa Denki is a collective that often does commerical design

Masafumi Sana

Miyuki Yokomizo (left) - some are resin sculptures, some are bars of real soap; TetsuyaNakamura (right) - not actually useful industrial design

Tabaimo - the little set has an animated screen

Nobuyuki Takahashi

Nobuyuki Takahashi (left), Tomoyasu Murata (right) - a still from a stop motion animation (hmm, i think it needed an actual narrative, not a pretend one)

Katsuhiro Saiki

Katsuhiro Saiki - actually a photo of a plane and its vapour trail

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 11:43 pm: Birthdays, exercise

After seeing the movie on Saturday, i went to Alice & Minerva's birthday party. Hard to believe they're 12. Her Dad brought a DVD of them when they were around 15 months old. It almost made me cry - it seems such a short time ago! I got them 'spa science' kits, a book each, a DVD to share (Akeelah and the Bee), and my Dad gave me money, and i got them Webkins lambs.

After their party, i went to a former student's party. It was me, Chris, Miah, Torrie, Torrie's BF Adam, Jenn, Mel, and birthday girl Meaghan. Oh, there was a friend of Meaghan's but she wasn't there the whole time. I didn't eat with the rest of them at Shoeless. After, we went to a local club, and were silly into the night. My one drink became two, when someone bought me a shooter (very tart, red one), and then three, when someone bought me another cooler. Gah! I waited out until 2 am (and dumped part of my cooler, lol). Then i went to McD's and bought a Happy Meal.

Ugh! I've been tired ever since, even tho' i had fun, lol. Yoga yesterday and pilates today was kinda tough. Oh, my neck is sore from massage therapy on Monday. Ha ha, so much for exercise making me feel better.

Sunday, i saw Monsters Vs Aliens again.

Sunday, April 12th, 2009 10:14 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for April 10th, 2009

That's Entertainment!

1. If you could give out Best Picture, Best Actor/Actress and Best Director Oscars to any movies (not necessarily all from the same year) to people/films that haven't won, what would they be?
I dunno. I don't keep track of who wins Oscars. Who cares?
2. What is your favorite genre of writing (short stories, novels, nonfiction...)?
Hmm, well, i like non-fiction - anthropology, or evolution, are good topics, or maybe food or travel (need photos).
3. Are there any CDs to which you know every word? Movies?
No, not really.
4. If you could write and cast your own movie, what would it be about and who would you cast?
Meh.... i keep thinking a Doom Patrol animated movie (series?) might be cool, or maybe Jack Kirby's Fourth World.
5. What's the best song to wake you up? Put you to sleep?
Music keeps me awake - silence puts me to sleep. I would like silence in the morning too. Or maybe mellower alternative music (not 'grunge').

Sunday, April 12th, 2009 10:44 pm: FASTER and FURIOUSER

Thursday i went out with Chris and a couple of 3rd year students (Mel and Jenn) - oddly like a double date, ha ha. Oh, and Miah joined us for supper at Swiss Chalet.

The movie we saw was Fast & Furious, the third sequel to The Fast And The Furious, with the original cast, but no original ideas. Seriously, how does Vin Diesel get roles? Okay, they tried to hijack the cars of a moving gas tanker - why not just stop it and take it?

20% angel, 80% devil, and doesn't mind getting grease under his fingernails...

I want it FASTER, and FURIOUSER!

Now THIS is FAST!

And THIS is FURIOUS!

Sunday, April 12th, 2009 11:50 pm: "The world has no use for another scared man."

Friday i went into the city - the only place open for shopping on Good Friday was the Eaton Centre. My friend Lisa was looking for 'Cotton Candy' rabbit webkins. I found two - perfect, because the girls are twins. I looked around some clothing stores, but didn't stay around long.

I made it back to this area in time to grab a burger at Licks, read some manga, and see a movie at 2. The movie i saw was Observe And Report. It's an odd movie, not what you might expect. It's a comedy, sometimes, but it's also very dark. It reminds me of Punch Drunk Love in that way, but even edgier. Seth Rogen is not his cute, cuddly (so people say) self - he's egotistical and delusional, a mall cop the way many of us think a mall cop might really be. It's not all played for comedy - he has serious mental issues. He's obsessed with a (skanky) cosmetics counter woman. He both resents cops, and wants to be one. Some times you're laughing out loud at something outrageous, sometimes you're wincing because it's awkward, or even scary. There are times when it's the same moment. There's even a heart-breaking scene where a girl at a refreshment counters breaks down crying about how much she needs and hates her crummy mall job.

"Are you all right?" "Physically yes, but psychologically? NOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

"The world has no use for another scared man. Right now, the world needs a fucking hero."

I really enjoyed it, but i think it's a movie people will either love or hate.

After the movie, i went to Lisa & Russ's for dinner (and drop off the bunnies). I was gonna go home, but my Dad decided to go to a sale. After dinner (veggie burger, potato, salad), we watched Mad Hot Ballroom (which i saw in theatres).

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 11:36 pm: Dragonball Devolution.

Saturday i went into the city to visit some former students, just moving into their new home. We helped one of them move in, walked out the neighbourhood (Bloor & Bathurst), grabbed lunch (i got a falafel). Then we went down to Yonge & Dundas to see a movie.

The movie we saw was Dragonball Evolution. I didn't expect it to be good, but i didn't expect it to be so awful. They took out everything charming about Dragonball, and turned Goku into just some dorky kid tormented by high school bullies. Ugh - like we haven't seen that before. Even the effects were awful. In the anime, when the dragon first appeared, it was an enormous, awesome and frightening experience - here it was just a lame effect in front of them. And why did Goku revive Master Roishi, whom he'd just met, instead of his grandfather? James Marsters couldn't shut up about his role as Piccolo - but he did virtually nothing. Goku used the kamehameha to light candles - the first time it was used in the anime it blew up the Ox-King's mountain. And how did Piccolo know Goku would transform? Ugh.

Ugh.

Yay!

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 11:41 pm: Easter

Sunday i went early to the theatre to see Observe And Report again. Unfortunately, my car got dented in the parking lot. Ugh.

After, i went over to my sister's for Easter - no one brought a boyfriend, so it was all family (though a niece is still living in BC).

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 09:48 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for April 17th, 2009

What is your favorite food from each food group?
1. Bread (Grain) Group:
Hmm, i dunno, some fresh baked bread?
2. Meat (Protein) Group:
Really nice steak.
3. Vegetable Group:
Corn on the cob? Maybe baked potato, from a BBQ.
4. Fruit Group:
Mackintosh Apple.
5. Sugars, Fats and Oils:
Exactly.

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 11:10 pm: School and parties!

Last week was the last week of classes - i got 'lovehugs' from a Games student, ha ha.

Thursday we did interviews and reviews of the 3rd year Animation reels - looking good. Thursday at 4 we had the End-of-Year Screening for all three years of the Games students - the 3rd years weren't as awful as we feared, lol. Then we went to the pub for an after party.

Katelyn and me at the Games after party. [not my photo]

Friday, after massage therapy, i went to school to mark, and at 6 we had the End-of-Year Screening for all three years of the Animation students. It was bigger (twice as many students), and thus longer, and yearbooks and tee-shirts were handed out. Some of the 2nd years got rowdy (too drunk), but oh well.

Then we went again to the pub, for a bigger after party. It was later, and we stayed there longer - i had chats with students who had never really said much to me in class (alcohol is a good lubricant, lol). For some reason no one has posted any pics of that party.

Around 1, some of the other teachers decided they were too drunk to drive, so we decided to crash the 1st year students' Fake Moustache & False Eyelash Party, which is actually a great theme. They were happily shocked, ha ha. I would've gone anyway, for a bit - and i had planned on going a little earlier, and then going to the other Games party, but this was pretty late.

JoJo from Horton Hears A Who. [not my photo]

Uhhh.... [not my photo]

Breaking out the hard stuff. [not my photo]

Oh, drinking and hair cutting do not mix. [not my photo]

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 12:33 am: Sprockets - Kung Fu Kid

Saturday, i went to TO for my birthday present, two movies at Sprockets, the children's film festival.

The first movie we saw was Kung Fu Kid (Kanfuu-kun), about an 8-year old boy, having defeated all his opponents, is ready for his final challenge (which is of course spiritual, not combat, but involves a big fight, lol). He is sent to Japan, and it becomes a typically fun wacky Japanese comedy, where he is adopted by a martial arts practicing noodle shop owner and her young granddaughter.

The characters liked rubbing his head.

Their class has a real mix of ages. What is the chief bad guy's relationship to the granddaughter?

For some reason, some of the female baddies were actually men, lol.

Wait, how old was that 'garu'?

After the movie, i went wandering around the area, bought a newspaper - Lisa, Russ and the girls went to see another movie (their third!). When they got out, we met up with Karen - originally we were going to eat at Licks, but it's gone, so we ate at a food court - i had some Asian fusion stuff.

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 07:08 am: Sprockets - Dragon Hunters

Karen left us, and we saw another movie. We saw Dragon Hunters (Chasseurs de Dragons), which is from France and Germany (though dubbed into English), apparently based on a series, with the additon of a new character. It's a classic tale, a land is beset by dragons, and a trio of con men looking to scare cash are forced to step up and become heroes. They end up picking up a hero-worshipping princess along the way. I really enjoyed it - a different look and style to anything from Hollywood or Japan.

The old king and his aide.

Zoe, Lian-Chu and Gwizdo.

Hector.

I really liked the inventive use of space and landscape. I don't think there was actually any solid ground.

I liked the designs, especially Zoe.

After the movie, we walked around a bit, looking for ice cream, but the girls got something at Starbucks instead. Okay, those pants didn't work with that shirt/hoodie.

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 07:29 am: On The Subject Of Me

For some reason, some of the first year Animation girls have taken to drawing pictures of me.

Serious scribble, by Sarah Hawkins.

Lolgary, by Roxy Webber, who apparently also did a Flash animation of me, but i haven't seen it.

Me and my lilac-coloured pants (see above), by Lindsay Collins.

Me as a super-hero (see the 3D skeleton design on my tunic), by Lindsay Collins.

This is a still of a 3D character, created by Ryan Carr a couple of years ago - a bunch of first years apparently did walks/dances with this character.

Saturday, April 25th, 2009 09:06 pm: meetings, screenings, shoes

What did i do last Sunday? I think i went out to Licks and read manga, and shopped unsuccessfully for new shoes.

Monday, i went to work and finished my marking. Yay! Done for another year. Unfortunately yoga was cancelled. Boo! When i finished, i messaged a couple of students who were online, and we saw Monster Vs Aliens (by this time, the rain and wind were rather nasty).

Tuesday we had a general Animation meeting, then i went to pilates. After that we had marks meetings, which weren't final because people weren't done marking. My neck is hurting - the last massage session made it feel good, but only for a few days. Plus, i haven't been getting enough sleep.

Wednesday was backing stuff up at work, and getting ready for Thursday. I got packages ready for Anime North. And comics day!

Thursday was our showing for the Animation grads at the NFB. I drove Miah and Angelina - we headed there for 1, to have lunch on Queen Street. We bumped into Chris, with Linzi, and helped move stuff to the NFB, and then all headed to Jules for lunch (leek quiche and salad/fries for me). Matt met us later. The patio was a little cool, lol.

After Jules, we walked down Queen - we stopped at Neon, because Chris wanted to buy a new pair of Docs. He wanted white ones for his new motorbike. Being cool must be a genetic thing. I started looking at new runners - they seemed to have a lot of the style i wanted (black uppers, white soles, but with good support, which my Converse One Star definitely does not have). I had a hard time getting something that fit. I was offered Docs, and mentioned that my current ones are not as comfortabke as my originals that lasted 13 years - she suggested softer leather. Hmmm. As it turned out, i bought a new pair of Docs and new runners.

Dr Martens 1461 Eye Gibson Oxford, and DC RD 1.5

Chris was taking a long time deciding between the boots and tall boots, and between black and white. He got the regular boots, in white. Everyone else had left us to go down the street.

Before the screening we had a Program Advisory Committee meeting, which was pretty good. We had three grads, and three first years.

The screening went okay - we didn't have a lot of industry people, because there was an industry event we didn't know about. After, we walked down to the Loose Moose. We had reserved space at the back. When we got there, they dickishly said we'd all be on one bill (over 30 people!). When a couple of us said we'd get our drinks at the bar instead, a waiter said, "That's fucking great," and he stomped away. What an asshole. Guh! Well, screw them. Anyway, we were there til around 12:30. I didn't drink anything, since we had work the next day. A bunch of grads from the year before showed up too.

Friday, we had open houses for the Games and Animation programs. We had lunch on the patio at Shoeless Joe's - ah, like summer! I got a bit of a burn.

Saturday, April 25th, 2009 11:28 pm: What are we going to do about Maria?

There wasn't a movie i wanted to see today. I was checking through my emails, and saw one from Mirvish Productions, for The Sound Of Music. I decided i should finally order a ticket, and i got one for tomorrow. Then i realized i'm supposed to see my friend sing tomorrow. AUGH! I anguished about what to do. I already missed her performance last December. I finally phoned, and asked if i could exchange the non-exchangeable and non-refundable ticket for today. Amazingly, they did it. I guess it makes sense - they got rid of a ticket for a show less than two hours away, and were more likely to resell the one tomorrow. Gah! I had less than two hours to shower and drive to Toronto! And the Don Valley Parkway was shut down! Anyway, i took Kingston Rd and did make it, and even had time to get a hot dog on Queen.

As it turned out, the show was great. The production is based on the stage original, not the movie (which moved songs around, and tweaked the story). The scenery changes were very impressive.

After that it was straight home. Most of the day was very warm, like true summer (27 C, 79 F), fine for walking around the city. I wore my new Docs, which are super-comfortable and have bouncier heels than any Doc i've had. When i got home, rain and thunder started. I wasted the evening watching Harry Potter II.

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 09:48 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for May 1st, 2009

Randomosity!

1. What was your first word as a child?
Dunno, probably 'mama'.
2. What's the weirdest dare you've ever taken?
Weirdest? I have no idea. Not one much for dares anyway.
3. What are you allergic to?
I don't think anything. Although the past number of years, chocolate has made me feel sick.
4. What was the last name of the person you first kissed?
Memories hazy... which century was that? lol.
5. Have you ever REALLY cried from happiness? What was the situation?
Probably - more like choking up, maybe.

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 10:38 pm: Choir, meetings, Camelot, moving

Well, way behind in updating.

Last Sunday, i went to see Lisa (and her mother) sing in her choir, the Durham Community Choir (associated with the college) at its Spring Concert at Kingsview United Church, in celebration of its 10-year anniversary. She's also part of its Britten Chorus (which is auditioned, unlike the community choir). It included special guest The Bronze Foundation, Toronto's community hand-bell ensemble (which has the same director). Unfortunately the choir is close to non-existent on the web. I enjoyed the concert, although i'd prefer more classical or traditional music, and less, say, Beach Boys sing chorally. The show tunes are good!

After the choir, Lisa, Russ, the girls and i went to Kelsey's for supper.

This week has been all about meetings, and inputting marks at school. Tuesday, i dropped my car off to get the bumper repaired, a two day job, which wasn't ready till Friday (!). Got rides from my sister, Angelina, Torrie and Miah.

On Wednesday, Chris and i met up with Torrie and Morgan for sushi at the new place, Go Believe Sushi. I believe the service was pretty slow! I don't think the sushi is any better than our other place - but nothing wrong with it either. They brought the stinkiest sushi thing, which Chris couldn't eat. It was hot (wrapped like a baked potato). Rather than eat it, we hid it in some plastic bags, in my knapsack, until we left, and i tossed it (that way, we wouldn't have to pay for it - at the all-you-can-eat, you pay extra if your order and don't eat something).

Thursday, i was looking for a ride home when Miah appeared at school - he was going to see the show Camelot at Oshawa Little Theatre. I thought everyone had already gone mid-April, but i guess they'd cancelled. That worked out, because my nephew is in it. Plus, two other people i know! It was pretty fun. Also, Mitch's girlfriend (who was also in the play) had a clothing malfunction - one of the other teachers said it looked like he was undressing her on stage (he was trying to zip her back up).

Mitch, obscured by turning his head. [not my photo]

Chris and Nicole. [not my photo]

A rehearsal shot. [not my photo]

Mugging the camera, dead centre. [not my photo]

Mitch and his girlfriend. [not my photo]

Friday we had a big all-school (of Media, Art and Design) meeting, which was kind of a downer. Then a bunch of us helped Miah move from his old room in a house to a proper apartment - that was super-fast, less than two hours. We went for wings and a drink after. Geordie invited us to his place, he was having a BBQ. We wanted to go, but eventually we were all too tired, and it was raining.

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 11:50 pm: Adrift In Tokyo

Saturday i went into the city to see a movie. I had lunch at Spring Rolls (something new: grilled fillet of atlantic salmon with Japanese roasted teriyaki sauce, rice and veggies, plus an order of chicken-veggie pan-fried dumplings), while reading The Color of Earth, which was pretty amazing.

The movie i saw was Adrift In Tokyo (Tenten in Japanese). The premise of the movie is two people spend the entire movie walking across Tokyo. Fumiya Takemura is a drifter (ronin) in his 8th year of college, with no family to speak of. He doesn't get excited by much (the highlight of his day is his new striped toothpaste), and had no partiuclar feelings about anything. He is visited by an enforcer, Fukuhara, who demands he pay up his 840 000 yen gambling debt. The enforcer offers to pay off his debt, if he'll accompany him across Tokyo. Not a lot actually happens, but they form an interesting bind and they walk and reminisce about their past lives, and it ends up being a touching story, along with the quirky gags. The drifter gets distracted by an outlandish musician playing a battery-operated electric guitar through the streets of Tokyo. They form a brief happy family when the enforcer meets up with a woman who pretended to be his wife at one point, and her niece, who believes they are a family (there was an odd scene where she runs screaming out of the bath, and then runs screaming back into it).

Drifter and enforcer.

The enforcer's wife's co-workers get distracted when they go to visit her.

Looking for an old girlfriend in a cosplay club.

Don't ask the small shop owner how well his business is doing.

The impromptu family. “Happiness creeps into you so slowly, you don’t even notice.”

The evening i spent watching Harry Potter 3 and X-Men 2 on TV.

Monday, May 4th, 2009 12:07 am: The Color Of Earth

Saturday i read The Color Of Earth, a touching graphic novel from Korea, about the close relationship between a single mother and her daughter living in rural Korea. Set a few decades it has a timeless and universal appeal, while still being set in Korean culture.

Thursday, May 7th, 2009 11:12 pm: X-Men Bor-igins!

Sunday i saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Very disappointing. It starts with the words 'North West Territories, Canada 1845', which wasn't part of Canada in 1845, which kind of tells you how things will go. Problems: twice Wolverine raises his arms and yells "Nooooo!", three times a character threatens to decapitate another (and twice a character gets decapitated), people who have known him as Jimmy suddenly start calling him Logan, Wolverine had shorts when he went into the tank, but ran out of it naked. Logan disappears for six years, and suddenly they decide to track him down - yet they knew where he was. Despite the access they've had to Wolverine's old team, they suddenly need to kill them to get their DNA. What? Just a really bad story. Oh, and a creepy cameo by Patrick Stewart - he looks like a Chinese guy with a bad facelift.

I saw it again on Monday, with some grads - i thought maybe it would be better second time around. Nope! Oh, just to emphasize the problems with the thinking of this movie... After the movie ends and the credits start, it stops to play a final little scene. Not so unusual, except... there's ANOTHER one at the very end. EXCEPT... the second time i saw it, it had a second (third?) little scene, different than the first one i saw.

"Nooooo! Don't watch the rest of this movieeee!"

"Hot-hot-hot!..... Where are the shorts i wore in?"

And what's worse, they kill Jonathan and Martha Kent.

Saturday, May 9th, 2009 08:23 am: Well do ya, do ya, do ya wanna?

Monday evening, i went to Kool Haus to see Franz Ferdinand. Annoyingly, while i parked at Loblaws, and took out my PC bank card to get cash at Loblaws, i simply forgot. So, i punished myself by paying the 'stupid tax' at the ATM inside the club. I got there way too early - should've relaxed, filled the gas tank, whatever. I had time to buy a shirt, but why was the black one with the photo only available in girls' sizes? The crowd was definitely older than the Metric show in December (although i saw a 7 or 8 year old boy there), though it was all-ages.

Had to drink something, and they had no cider, ha ha.

The opening band was Born Ruffians, from Midland. They were alright - the band itself was good, but i got tired of the yodelling style of singing.

[not my photo]
Franz Ferdinand was pretty awesome. They sounded very much like they do on their albums. Sounded like they were having fun, and what more can you ask for?

[not my photo]

[not my photo]

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[not my photo]

[not my photo]
The video show was pretty good too.

Franz Ferdinand Set List, May 4, 2009 @ Kool Haus

1. No You Girls
2. Michael
3. Turn It On
4. Shopping for Blood
5. Do You Want To
6. Tell Her Tonight
7. Live Alone
8. Matinee
9. Walk Away
10. Bite Hard
11. Take Me Out
12. 40'
13. What She Came For
14. Outsiders
Encore:
15. Ulysses
16. Lucid Dreams
17. This Fire

Sunday, May 10th, 2009 08:25 pm: "I never understand why at a restaurant... they never serve me a telephone."

Monday i went in to work, starting on a new version of a model. Two teams of our students went to Waterloo for the Skills Canada-Ontario Competition, which for 3D animation was on Tuesday. There was only one other school there, Humber, unortunately - but then, other school have nothing to gain and everything to lose from being there. Anyway, we're only allowed two teams, which was a shame, because we won first and second. I didn't go this week, because there was so much i'm wanting to do.

Wednesday, i went into the city to the AGO, because there was a member's preview for their latest exhibition. Surreal Things "...offers a new perspective on the surrealists’ contentious and ambiguous relationship to the commercial fields of design, fashion, advertising, architecture, film and theatre... The exhibition brings together some of the most extraordinary objects ever created, and will include painting, sculpture, architecture, works on paper, jewellery, ceramics, textiles, furniture, fashion, film and photography...The show is divided into five thematic sections - Protest: The Ballet, Surrealism and the Object, Nature Made Strange, the Illusory Interior and Displaying the Body." Very interesting!

"I never understand why at a restaurant, when I ask for a grilled lobster, they never serve me a telephone."

After the show, i ate at Peter Pan (pasta and wine), met up with Mo and saw Coraline again (gah!). Then met up with Angelina, then Matt, then Chris at Fitzpatricks. We ate, in sequence, as each arrived. When that place went dead, we went to Jack Astors - why did i order dessert? Why do restaurants make desserts with hard unpleasant apples.

Sunday, May 10th, 2009 09:32 pm: I do wanna live forever.

Thursday i was back at work. I did yoga at noon - and i was the only one to show up, so i had a private lesson, and we chatted more than usual. Wide-legged stance - kinda easy, but i'm still paying for it, lol.

Thursday evening i went to see my nephew in (another) play, this time Fame at the high school. I've never seen the movie, or stage show, just bits of the TV show. I didn't realize how crude some of the humour was, ha ha. It was pretty enjoyable, although some of the singing was... flat and screechy, ha ha.

My nephew ("Mr. Myers") at the back, wearing a hat.

Sunday, May 10th, 2009 10:18 pm: "Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence."

Friday morning, i went into work. Finished stuff by 12:30. Then, a trip to Licks, reading Nana.

Then it was Star Trek.

They build starships in Iowa? "Your father was captain of a starship for twelve minutes. He saved 800 lives, including yours. I dare you to do better. Enlist in Starfleet. "

Green love.

"I like this ship! It's exciting!"

Chekov, Kirk, Scotty, Bones (uncannily like DeForest Kelly), Sulu, Uhura.

Spock.

Spock?

The movie was very good, but as a long-time fan, i find i have mixed emotions about what happened.

The Enterprise here is commissioned in 2258, 25 years after Kirk's birth - on the original series, it was 2245 (when Kirk would have been 12). Just one of several changes (Chekov, for example, is older than in TOS).

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 09:48 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for May 8th, 2009

1. If you could live in any period in history other than now, when would it be?
Does the future count as history? If in the past, do i get to be rich? no, i wanta computer and indoor plumbing.
2. What knowledge or skills do you think you'd have to learn to be able to fit in your chosen period of history?
Drawing ligers?
3. If you could take just one thing from the modern world back with you, what would it be?
Machine guns? Maybe i'd save the Library of Alexandria, and Constantinople.
4. What period in history would you hate to have lived in?
Pretty much all of them - pretty nasty, really.
5. What thing from the past would you like to see make a comeback?
Gaelic?

Monday, May 11th, 2009 10:49 pm: Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009

This weekend was the 2009 Toronto Comic Art Festival, held every two years.

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First stop, Crêpes à Gogo, for the Côte d'Azur - yummy! It's always a crazy busy little place, and one of the few where you can hear French used regularly.

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Humina!

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The TCAF was held in the Toronto Reference Library this year (it's been a different place every year), which was cool, but kinda hot, and verty crowded.

This is Michel Rabagliati, of the awesome 'Paul' series, signing books.

New purchase - this is out of print!

New collection of classic Canadian cartoonist.

Looking out to the street. This is a hidden area, away from the rest of the show.

New purchase.

New purchase.

I brought this from home.

Torrie?

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This isn't everything - there were things hidden in nooks and crannies, and that one area that was kinda isolated. You can see a line up for signatures on the second floor.

The second floor signatures.

Another side room - this was pretty hot, and busy. West wall, looking north?

East wall, looking north?

Looking at the east wall, from the northwest corner?

Back in the main area - Jamie McKelvie (Phonogram, Suburban Glamour).

Part way through, i dropped off all the books i had brought to be signed in my car (well, all those i was able to get signed), and went back to look at picking up some new ones.

New purchase. Ah, not what you think, lol.

New purchase. Very funny!

New purchase.

I brought this from home.

The Oni area - a little blurry. That's Marc Ellerby (Love The Way You Love, Ellerbisms) sitting up, and Ross Campbell (Wet Moon), face partially obscured.

I was wearing my blue Scott Pilgrim tee-shirt, which again got some attention. I had a bunch of signatures, and a handful of new books and posters. I left and met up with Chris ('Hollywood', his new nickname from the bikers) in Whitby to have dinner at Shoeless Joe's and see Star Trek again.

I went again on Sunday - what an odd looking car on the DVP. Some 60s style?

I had lunch in Craft Burger, right acriss from the library. Why did i get the gorgonazola cheese again? lol

I brought this from home.

New purchase.

New purchase.

New purchase.

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Free poster, that refused to lie down flat, and the wind didn't help.

Michael Cho

Jeff Lemire (from Essex County Trilogy)

Jeff Lemire (new series)

Ross Campbell (from Wet Moon)

Ross Campbell (from Wet Moon)

Kei Acedera from (Imaginism Studios)

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Bryan Lee O'Malley (from Scott Pilgrim)

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I didn't take a lot of photos the second day.

Monday, May 11th, 2009 11:21 pm: some Spring Photos

2009 April 16. I've taken some random outdoor shots lately. This is in a new subdivision on the edge of town - so much rain in April it made a lake.

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2009 April 16. Zoomed way in.

2009 May 6. I just caught these on the way to work last week, so next time brough my camera and took some shots. These are white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), the official flower of the province of Ontario - it is not illegal to pick them, but it does damage the plants for years.

2009 May 6.

2009 May 6.

2009 May 6.

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2009 May 6.

2009 May 6. So many!

Monday, May 18th, 2009 10:16 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for May 15th, 2009

1. What is your favorite girl's name?
I dunno - it's more about the person - i like the name if i like the girl.
2. What is your favorite boy's name?
Mine's not bad, lol.
3. What is the weirdest/most obnoxious name you've ever given to a pet?
We had one that really never had a name - it was 'Baby' or 'Kitten'.
4. What is/was your favorite pet?
Probably the last cat, Bootsie. She was ornery, but had a strong personality.
5. What is your most cherished dream for your future?
Immortality?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 10:57 pm: ROM: Natural History Exhibits (Biodiversity, Minerals)

Work last week was a little crazy, all meetings and such. Friday i took a break, and took the GO Train into TO.

At the Royal Ontario Museum, there was a members preview for the new Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, which was kinda interesting.

The only live animals were in this aquarium. [Not my photos]

The rest were a mix of models and stuffed animals, with video displays and such.

I also visited the Batcave, which was good, although the zoo spoils you for the real thing.

I finally made it into the Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth's Treasures, which was mainly rocks and minerals, which was actually pretty fascinating.

Displays being put into place.

In the same area was Light & Stone: Gems from the Collection of Michael Scott - as minerals go, gems are pretty darn neat, and beautiful.

Then it was pretty much a rush straight back - i caught the 12:13 train.

Sunday, May 24th, 2009 10:25 pm: Victoria Day Weekend in Paisley and area

Victoria Day Weekend, i drove to visit friends in Paisley, near Lake Huron, in Bruce County.

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The day before i left - a bizarrely deformed egg...

I got there on the Saturday. We had dinner, watched some cartoons, and were entertained by the girls. Sunday, we went on a road trip. First we stopped at this old school on a country road renovated into a house/studio/gallery.

Then we went to the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in Southampton, a pretty impressive local museum.

Their current exhibit was DINOSAURS INVADE BRUCE COUNTY!, with animatronic critters, and a pretty gruesome (for kids) screening of a BBC video.

Some purdy flowers outside.

Someone likes playing video games.

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On Monday we went to Folmer Botanical Gardens, a private botanical garden attached to a garden centre, which was actually pretty nice.

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Some areas look more naturalistic.

Run away!

Come back!

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Impromptu picnic.

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I've been cursed!

I often stop at one of the two burger places (there's one, Champ, on the other side there) where Highways 89 and 10 meet at Primrose, east of Shelburne. I ate in the old TTC 'PC' streetcar - bashed my knee under the table, of course.

Monday, May 18th, 2009 10:16 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for May 22nd, 2009

Alien Invasion

1. If aliens were invading, what would you do, hide or wait by your TV?
Is there a reason to be afraid?
2. The aliens have landed and they haven't blown the planet to bits, how would you react if they looked like us?
Probably better than if they didn't.
3. What if the aliens were disgusting looking (like a pile of rotten cheese), then how would you react?
Less well.
4. The aliens are about to make an announcement and all communication goes out. Your neighbor says that she/he heard that the aliens have announced they are going to destroy Earth. Do you believe him/her? Why?
I wouldn't take it for gospel.
5. The aliens have announced that they will share their knowledge with humanity if a certain person has sex with one of them and they call your name. To make it more palatable, the alien can change into any porn star that you want. Knowing that your partner will find out if you say yes, will you do it?
No partner, and as long as i live through it.

Monday, May 25th, 2009 01:16 am: Anime North 2009

The week was kinda busy, with ever more meetings, and getting ready for Anime North. Gah.

Thursday i met with Lisa and saw the girls in their school's production of Seussical (a 'junior' edition). Alice was the Mayor's wife, Minerva the Grinch.

On Friday, i loaded up a pile of stuff, and headed to Anime North. We got a table there, in exchange for some backpacks and art kits. We were there, obviously, to promote our Animation and Games programs to potential students, and just to get our name out there. Emma helped me set up. Matt came later to staff the booth with me between 6 and 10, and Jackie joined us just for the heck of it.

Saturday morning with Katelyn (ANIM class of 2008, currently at CORE Digital), Michelle (GDEV class of 2010, summer job at UOIT Multimedia Dep't), and Miah (one of our Professors, ANIM class of 2004). Saturday we were a little light on professors, since it was from 10 am to 8 pm, so i enlisted some students/grads to help. On the left, we're playing the Animation program showreel, on the right a playable game from a group of our second year Games students.

I only had my camera on Saturday and Sunday, and didn't take a ton of photos.

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People checking us out.

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Dan (ANIM class of 2009) and Amber (ANIM class of 2012).

Dustin (ANIM class of 2009).

Part of the Dealer Room.

Weapons?

Good idea! lol

Some people really got into the game, ha ha.

Jackie (ANIM class of 2007, currently at Spin) and Michelle.

Max the Mutt booth - they were not in a good area.

I don't remember this anime.

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Dancing outside.

More gaming.

Jackie again, ha ha.

Today i just dropped everything off with a couple of other professors (Chris and Edin) to go to AN, did a bit of shopping, saw Trek again, ate at Licks. Lazy day, which i needed.

Dustin, Jackie and Edin (Professor, and my student from way back, though he could teach me stuff). [not my photo]

Buttons by Brittany (ANIM class of 2010), who had a booth also. [not my photo]

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 11:36 pm: 4 Animated DVDs

Another massage therapy session on Monday. After, i picked up a bunch of DVDs at Blockbuster.

The first one was Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five. It was pretty good, although a couple of the voices had different actors (thankfully not Po or Shifu). The frame, with Po and some young bunnies is done 3D style, while the stories are done 2D, like the original credits, or Samurai Jack. The rest of the DVD is filler.

I also saw Wonder Woman, the straight-to-DVD animation from DC Comics. It was okay - didn't grab me, and some of the changes they made to the story were mildly annoying. So was Steve Trevor's dickishness, and Wonder Woman's pricklishness. It was surprisingly violent.

"You seem as eager to meet me on the battlefield as you once did in the bedroom, Hippolyta."
"I only hope you prove more skilled in this arena, Ares."

Hippolyta: "Here the true nature of men is laid bare. What other depraved thoughts must you be thinking?"
Col. Steve Trevor: "God, your daughter's got a nice rack."

"Mr. President, the threat has been neutralized."
"How?"
"It seems by a group of armored supermodels."

The following evening i watched Tales of the Black Freighter, based on the comic-within-a-comic from Watchmen. Ostensibly a pirate story, though really a horror story, it was good - a straightforward adaptation of the story.

It also included Under The Hood, a TV version of Hollis Mason's book about being a superhero. It was considerably longer than the actual Tales of the Black Freighter, too long, and kinda boring.

That was followed by the latest (and last, for now) Futurama movie, Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder, some story about a eco-terrorists, "Mars Vegas', and wearing tinfoil on your head to stop people from reading your mind (or reading theirs). It was okay, but not the best Futurama there is. I think the story and jokes get stretched out to fill a whole movie. It will be cut up into 4 episodes, but should've been trimmed back to 2. Seth McFarlane sang the opening song.

Friday, May 29th, 2009 08:13 am: Don't be back...

Lessee, work-social busy week. A small group of us (Matt, Miah, Angelina, me) had lunch at Shoeless after our meeting on Tuesday, then three of us (minus Angelina) had late lunch (at the Weasel) Wednesday. Yesterday, three of us (Chris, Matt and i) had a drink (at Kelsey's) before seeing a movie, then had wings and a drink (at the Tap) after, plus one more (Miah).

The movie we saw was Terminator Salvation. I was not expecting a good film, and i was not disappointed.

One has to conclude that Skynet and Terminators are just stupid - they can't see an enormous freaking military base, or use radar to scan for submarines, and they conveniently leave molten metal and liquid nitrogen nearby. I suggested that there needs to be a School for Terminators: "Don't not knock your opponent aside and allow them to scramble for safety and weapons. Simply grab, and tear. Grab, and tear. Grab.... and tear..."

A lot of the effects were pretty weak, except for the Schwarzenegger shots - much better than the de-aged Patrick Stewart from Wolverine or Bruce Willis in that crappy trailer we saw. To be honest, i enjoyed seeing it just to make fun of it.

"NO! NO! Don't shut me up! Why the **** are you walkin' right through? Ah da da dah da dah! What don't you ****ing understand? I'm in the middle of my ****in' overwrought actin' and predictable dialogue!"

"I had the weirdest dream last night... there were these sheep, except, they were electric..."

Friday, May 29th, 2009 08:28 am: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for May 29th, 2009

1. What bad habits do you have?
None really, just a lack of good habits.
2. What bad habit would you most like to break?
Getting older? lol.
3. Have you ever overcome any bad habits? What were they?
No, but i did start exercising...
4. Do you have any habits other people consider bad that you rather like about yourself? What are they?
Wearing colourful pants? lol.
5. What habit annoys you most in other people?
Smoking.

Saturday, May 30th, 2009 10:37 am: Still Revolution photography

On Friday, i took the day off (so to speak), and went to TO to fart around, and meet up with some people. I got to Mo's around 2, and we set off.

We went to MOCCA for their latest exhibit Still Revolution: Suspended in Time, part of Toronto's CONTACT photography festival, which i never see enough off. "With the development of photographic technologies in the late 19th century came the power to isolate the mechanics of movement." It's always a mix of what appeals and what doesn't, but it was a good show.

Idris Khan (referencing Muybridge)

Barbara Astman

Martha Rosler

Mat Collishaw

Mikhael Zubotsky

Mikhael Zubotsky

Stan Douglas

Trevor Paglen

Trevor Paglen

Walead Beshty

After, we walked down Queen. I stopped at Neon to get new shoes, but they were out of cherry red, so i ordered a pair. Then we went back to Mo's place to meet up with a bunch of otehr animators.

Saturday, May 30th, 2009 11:06 am: Up, up and away.

A bunch of us ended up meeting at Jack Astor's before the movie: Diego, Katelyn W, Mo, Andrew P, his gf Gina, Jackie and her bf Trevor.

Of course, the movie we all came to see was Up, Pixar's latest, about an old man who has lost the love of his life, and decides to finally make the big trip he and his wife had talked about all their lives, and accidentally brings along a little boyscout, and meets up with a talking dog, mysterious bird and his childhood hero. Very, very funny, and very touching. Another masterpiece by Pixar.

"My name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you."

The short before Up, Partly Cloudy was also very funny and sweet, and played on the cartoon convention of babies being delivered by storks.

Sunday, June 7th, 2009 09:10 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for June 5th, 2009

1. What do you feel is the most important quality in a close friend?
Trustworthiness.
2. What is the one quality in a stranger you'd just met that would make you want to get to know them better?
Sense of humour.
3. What do you think is the most important quality in a good leader?
The ability to get people to want to follow.
4. What is the one thing that makes a child likable to you?
I smile at them.
5. What do you think is the one thing that makes a good parent (other than loving their children)?
Patience.

Sunday, June 7th, 2009 09:10 pm: infection, zoo, doing stuff with people

Last Saturday, i saw Alice and Minerva in their year-end dance show. It was pretty good - the seniors were very impressive, more so than usual, and the little kids, more cute than good than usual, ha ha.

Sunday, i saw Up again.

On Monday night, i started shivering and getting sweaty, and very soon, i was all achy joints, and twisting and turning all night. Ugh.

I was still feeling crappy the next day, when i met Chris and kids at the zoo.

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I left around noon, as they went to the kids' zoo. For some reason, i thought it would be a good idea to see Star Trek again. I was increasingly tired.

After supper, i slept most of the evening, waking up now and then. I woke up feeling a little better. Then i had trouble sleeping, more twisting and turning. Woke up at 2, feeling like it was time to get up. This kept repeating itself til 3:30 or so, and i slept solid until 6:30. I woke up with a bit of a sore neck, from all the twisting and turning.

I went to Toronto, leaving my car at Mo/Kate/Diego/Andrew's place. I had lunch with Ange, for her birthday. I started off feeling a little crappy, but was better by the end. We were at Jules from 2 to 3:30 or so. I had the beef sirloin special - the gorgonzola sauce was great, but i would've preferred steak. We both had some wine. After, we went shopping along Queen. I got a new belt, a pair of linen pants from Club Monaco, and picked up the docs i'd ordered at Neon. After, i went back and chatted with Mo and the others a while. I went to Yorkdale looking for a light jacket, something other than a hoodie.

Wednesday night i'd hoped to get a really peaceful sleep finally, but i woke up with a VERY PAINFUL neck - i must've held it in an odd position or something. It still hurts now, but it's hurt less each day. It also hurts more when i wake up than when i've been moving and stretching around.

I worked at school most of Thursday. I had lunch with Michelle & Courtney in the food court. Matt was at school - we had a drink with Dawn around 3 at Shoeless. Later, Michelle, Courtney and i saw Up again.

Friday i went to see a movie. I dropped by Lisa & Russ's, and they invited me for dinner.

Saturday, i was going into the city for Andrew P's surprise party, but he'd invited me to join them on their tour of the Steam Whistle Brewery. As it turned out, we (Andrew, Cindy, Ken, Diego, me) got their for the last tour, and it was sold out, ha ha. We went to Jack Astor's on Front (annoyingly sold out of Strongbow) and sat on their patio awhile. We made it back to their place around 7. I only drank ginger ale. Gina had made some sandwiches, fruit and other snacks. Kate was there of course, Mel and Justin showed up, as well as a bunch of their other friends.

Sunday, June 7th, 2009 11:41 pm: Land of the Lost can suck it!

The movie i saw Friday was Land Of The Lost. It marries the ambitious kids' sci-fi fantasy TV show from the 70s, with Will Farrell's typical vulgar schtick. It was okay - for a first draft. Not the least funny Will Ferrell movie i've seen. But still not very good.

The dinosaurs looked better than the rubbery peoples.

"Parody"?

Monday, June 8th, 2009 06:56 pm: lust, jealousy, transvestism, bestiality, necrophilia... the ballet?

This year i decided to make sure i attend some Luminato Festival events. The first part of my plan was to photograph some of the art exhibits around the city, although that was thwarted by some rainy weather - i will get back to it (i did get a couple).

The first event i attended, on Sunday, was the National Ballet's short programs of Skin Divers and Carmen.

The Four Seasons Centre

Choreographer Dominique Dumais's Skin Divers, 'inspired by Anne Michaels' book of poetry of the same name, incorporates both spoken word and visual projections as complements to the choreography, and explores the concept of "the body as a living archive of experience, or a museum of memory." '

It was interesting to watch, though far too relaxing for someone coming off a major infection, ha ha. Though my seat had a clear view, it was so high, i felt emotionally disconnected (and the jumps seem less impressive than they are).

Carmen is a classic story of lust and jealousy, based on Bizet's opera (itself a variation on a book). Jose is bored with his wife (too nice), and is taken with the wanton gypsy Carmen. She accepts his advances, but won't be tied down. Jose ends up stabbing Carmen's man (bandit chief or pimp, depending on the version) in a jealous rage. Carmen fights Jose's attempts to control her - and into the arms of a bullfighter (or bull, practically, in this version), and in fact they make love right in the bull ring (it's a pretty raunchy version). Jose again tries to control her by threatening to stab her, but she impales herself on his knife, preferring death over losing her freedom. Jose grieves, rather physically.

It's definitely a modern take - the set looks as much like a nightclub as a bullring. The classic Bizet music is instantly recognizable (although unfortunately it reminds me of Gilligan's Island: "Neither a lender nor a borrower be. Do not forget: stay out of debt."), but it's also interspersed with much more modern takes, parts that seemed more like taiko drumming. I appreciated it for pushing the envelope, but i can't say it's one of my favourite ballets - i like a little more joy in the movement. I did like the fast pace - surprised it was only an hour, and not dragged out to a full ballet.

To break the mood there is a part, after the murder, before the bullfighting, when a bunch of transvestites dance the flamenco (yes, that's right).

Monday, June 8th, 2009 10:47 pm: Whatever happens in Vegas...

Tonight i saw The Hangover, known as Lendemain De Veille (the day after the night before) in Quebec and (oddly) Very Bad Trip in France. Go figger. Anyway, it's the rare comedy which is actually funnier than the trailer. And smarter, even though it's kind if a gross out comedy. The premise is simple - four guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party. Where it's different is that it presents the trip as a mystery. First it starts off 2 days into the one day trip, then jumps back two days, and then jumps forward another day, ith one missing buddy, and everyone having no memory of the night.

"Who's baby is that?"
"We'll deal with the baby later."
"We're not gonna leave a baby in the room. There's a tiger in the bathroom!"

Thursday, June 11th, 2009 09:47 pm: BBQ, Interior Design, Shit, Shaking Tokyo, Sushi

Work has been a little slow, rigging and stuff - i may have to give up the thing i've spent the past 3 days on.

Yesterday, a handful of us (Miah, Matt and i) went over to Chris's, since he's home with the kids (who slept the afternoon away). I bought a little steak and new potatoes and Chris did the BBQing. I also brought some cider, beer, and gelato. Good times.

After, i went into the city, somewhat later than i had expected, so i went directly to College Street. I wasn't too hungry, and the trendy little bar i've sometimes stopped at (Mini-Market) is now closed (missed it by 5 weeks, it seems). So, i just wandered around the area a bit before the movie, then got popcorn at the movie.

The movie i saw was Tokyo!, which was three short films put together vaguely on the subject of the city, but it was really nothing like Paris Je T'Aime.

The first piece, Interior Design, was written and directed by Michel Gondry, and based on Gabrielle Bell graphic novel Cecil and Jordan in New York (although i didn't make the connection right away), which i just bought at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival in May. It's the most conventional piece, which is saying something, because in it a woman gradually turns into a chair. It makes light of the very small spaces the Japanese live in.

The second piece, Merde, was written and directed by Leos Carax. It's about the reaction to a monstrous caucasian man with a bent red beard and very long nails and speaks only in a bizarre language who crawls out of the sewer and starts harassing then harming people of Tokyo. It was my least favourite piece - i liked the start, but i thought the arrest and trial took too long. Demonstrators appear in the street both condemning him, and hailing him as an anarchic hero. Very weird.

The final piece, Shaking Tokyo, was written and directed by Joon-ho Bong. It's about a shut-in (hikikomori) who hasn't stepped foot outside of his apartment or looked anyone in the face in 10 years. He orders everything by phone (pizza every Saturday), and lives a very regimented, until the day the pizza deliverer turns out to be a girl, and when an earthquake strikes, she falls down unconscious in his doorway. He doesn't know what to do until he notices she's painted buttons and words on herself, and he presses the one that says 'coma', and she wakes up. It's followed by a bizarre odyssey through the empty streets of Tokyo. My favourite.

After the movie, i drove up to Mo's, to say i was still alive, lol - but he wasn't there, and everyone else was watching TV. I wandered over to Pizzaiolo and grabbed a slice (two really) of gourmet Sicilian (real bacon, Italian sausage, red onions, mozzarella).

Today Chris and i met with Torrie for sushi - Chris had been indecisive, so this was last minute, but it was good. Got back in time for our Game Development meeting.

Saturday, June 13th, 2009 09:04 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for June 12th, 2009

School Days, School Days

1. What was your favorite class/subject in school?
Art, i guess.
2. Who was your favorite teacher?
I dunno - when i was little i really liked Mrs Putnam.
3. Why was your favorite teacher your favorite?
I dunno! lol.
4. What would you have liked to major in in college/university? Or what will you major in if you go to college/university?
Art, especially drawing and printmaking
5. Would you rather go to a small, medium, or large college/university, if you had the money to go to any of the three?
Well, larger places have more choices, but it's really more about the quality of the program you choose.

Saturday, June 13th, 2009 09:05 pm: Patios, angels and demons

I worked a bit on Friday, then went to lunch with Torrie, Meaghan and John. Summer patio lunch, yes!

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Meaghan: "Live long, and...WTF!"

Torrie shows off her favourite beer glass.

John points out Meaghan has a serious problem.

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Afterwards, Meaghan, Torrie and i went to see Angels and Demons. It wasn't very good...

"...the antimatter is suspended, there, in an airtight nano-composite shell with electromagnets on each end. But if it were to fall out of suspension, and come into contact with matter, say with the bottom of the canister, the two opposing forces would annihilate one another. Violently."

CERN laboratory researcher: "If we could assemble all of the antimatter we've ever made at CERN and annihilate it with matter, we would have enough energy to light a single electric light bulb for a few minutes."

The predicted Higgs boson (not anti-matter) is sometimes referred to as 'the God particle' - the term mistakenly implies that the Higgs boson would complete our understanding of physics.

"Anyone see my contacts?"

"POINT!"

Saturday, June 13th, 2009 11:41 pm: Departures

Friday night, after checking out some Luminato art installations, i went to see Departures at the Cumberland. It won the Best Foreign Language Oscar, and i can see why. It's a Japanese movie, about a man who has just lost his job as a cellist (the orchestra folded, but he doesn't believe he's good enough to get another position), and returns to his old town, to occupy the house his mother left him when she died a few years before. His father abandoned him when he was a small boy. He meets up with people who knew him many years ago, and he and his wife adapt to their new life, except for one thing. He ends up getting a job (without understanding what he was getting into) in an 'encoffinment' business. That is, their business is to prepare the body for being placed in the coffin, including washing, make up and proper attire.

It's something that shows Japanese society at it's most contradictory. On the one hand, they show enormous respect and (low-key) ceremony in their job, and the appreciation of the deceased's family, but on the other, touching dead bodies is considered unclean in Buddhist and Japanese tradition (despite how necessary it is, since we all die). It also touches on the conflict between old and new Japan. Both funny and serious, descriptions can't do it justice.

Expect the unexpected...

The wife meets the old public bath owner.

Ha ha, he also has to play a corpse on a training video.

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 11:39 pm: Luminato (part one)

This is the first year i've done the Luminato Festival - a lot of art installations, food and Cirque Du Soleil.

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Last weekend i searched out a Luminato art piece (i intended to get more, but the reports called for rain). This one is called, amazingly, RedBall.

On Friday, i checked out a bunch more. This is long wave, at the 'Allen Lambert Galleria, Brookfield Place' (formerly Canada Trust Tower)

I quite liked this one.

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In a reflection at the back of the galleria.

From outside.

The Luminato Box - every day is supposedly different.

I also took photos of downtown towers and reflections.

These look like Charle Pachter's The Painted Flag - not an official exhibit, just in The Exchange Tower.

Broken Arrow, which supposedly interacted with bluetooth devices and such, with audio chirps and so on - i thought i could hear dome.

RedBall again - this time at Ryerson. Not another one - it's been moving around the city.

After this, i went to see Shadow Notes, a photography exhibit at Yonge & Dundas Square, by "Danny Clinch and Ralph Gibson, two photographers obsessed with music, and the photos of Andy Summers, a musician obsessed with photography."

After the movie i saw Friday night, i walked back to my car and took a few photos.

Saturday was another hunt for artworks. This is Tony Oursler's installation (and not actually in Grange Park - apparently there were others i couldn't find). Hmm, i dunno.

Random guy.

Passed by some poppies. I wonder if you can harvest them?

RedBall again, this time on Queen near Portland.

Then it was down to Queen's Quay for food and circus. There's a wetland on the Waterfront? lol.

You can get pretty close to the water.

Set up for Cirque Du Soleil - apparently i was 90 minutes early...

But i was on time for 1000 Tastes of Toronto - "Join the city's top chefs as they prepare gourmet street food for only $5." This is the west end, just when it opened.

And it was already getting crowded.

My first sample - from Lai Wah Heen, one of the city's top Chinese restaurants, some dim sum. Chicken, shrimp and pork. Not big on shrimp, but, hey, it's Lai Wah Heen...

The far end - people are just signing styrofoam plates?

Looking back - you can't see how far it goes.

My second sample - a full meal really, from Dhaba. Rice, chick pea stew, salad, samosas, chicken. Not only did it fill me, it was kinda spicy. Okay, really spicy.

As i sat, i looked back, and saw the wavy boardwalk. Surprised you couldn't see any ducks, as they were floating around and begging for food.

Oh wait, here's the duck, lol. That's minced duck in crepes, with roast duck on top, from Ultra.

Lai Wah Heen's booth.

This is a bison burger, with blue cheese aioli, and (pinkish) pickled onions, on and organic english muffin. I liked the condiments, the burger was a little too lean. I think burgers work better when they're juicy. Also, i wasn't hungry anymore, lol.

The Harbourfront Centre venue for Cirque Du Soleil.

Piper - not sure if he was really playing.

They called their performances 'interactions', so i was thinking something buskery, but this was a full-on 45 minute show. Unfortunately, i didn't have the best location.

These guys boated their way over.

The bulrush heads just walked through the pond.

The boat guys did - do you call this acrobatics?

She was carted out just to observe, lol.

Apparently janitors, ha ha.

But actually acrobatics.

Pretty impressive, considering everything was wet.

The guys at Ultra, cutting up Daffy.

My final food was 3 skewers from On The Move (a catering company). I didn't remember to take a pic until halfway through, ha ha. I got them fresh off the grill, and it came with lemon and tzatziki sauce. The lemon was awesome on it.

That was all i could hack on Saturday - i wasn't expecting the Cirque show to last so long (or take 20 minutes to start, ha ha).

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 12:01 am: Luminato (part two)

On Sunday, i went back to TO to see the other Cirque performance. I stopped at Shadow Notes again to get some photos (i thought i'd find a decent selection online, but nope).

<lj-cut text="Luminato pics">

Photos by Andy Summers (ex of The Police).

Photos by Danny Clinch.

Photos by Ralph Gibson - i really like his work.

It was back down to Tastes of Toronto for lunch! This was a Alsatian/French style smoked bacon & gruyere sandwich -it was delicious (the lattice chips aren't really my thing).

Here's a chef from Auberge Du Pommier, another one of Toronto's famous restaurants, handing out the sandwiches.

The caterers at Mariposa cruises were handing out blackened angus roast beef sandwiches (forgot to take a photo, lol).

The homemade gnocchi from 'Local Kitchen and Wine Bar'.

That's coconut curry chicken with mint and coriander, basmati rice, and chick peas curry, from Indus Junction.

I was kinda of full, and it was time for the Cirque show, so i made my way to the Music Garden. Random Cirque people on stilts.

These people were somehow part of this thing - they were shouting at them.

Anyway, that wasn't the main event - it was over here.

Starting off with some acrobatics.

The guy on the right actually bent one of those bars!

This was the 'clumsy' idiot on roller blade & roller skate - he kept falling and recovering just in time at the edge of the stage, lol.

Yes, he's sitting on an audience member, lol.

They randomly pulled some kids on stage onto the sofa.

Then a couple came up with bells and chimes.

Someone brought up these giant brass balls.

Hilarious!

The one on the left built the stand, while the other one annoyed him.

Like grabbing his leg...

Okay, i leave you alone..

So, the stand is built...

Then the other one 'accidentally' knocks pieces out.

More pieces are gone.

You can see the bent bar of the dome.

He was rolling on the platform, and juggling.

And one last bit was added.

Then it was on to trampoline - this was a lot like in Corteo - amazing.

She was hiding under the bed.

It was a kind of a love story...

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<lj-cut text="Luminato pics">

Ah, love prevails...

The stage for the evening finale (which i couldn't make).

The crowds along Queen's Quay were crazy. Some of the booths had such long line ups, it was crazy!

I started eating before i remembered to take a photo. Luckily, i had a shot that happened to catch what i ate, so i shopped it in, lol. The upper right is 'prosciutto sushi with risotto, avocado, red pepper and carrot. One of the others is supposed to be pork tenderloin on crusts with Dijon and caramelized onion - and a compite with fresh berries and mango.

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 09:59 pm: Jammin' at Geordie's

One of our part time art teachers, Geordie, has these hippie-ish get-togethers evenings once a month in the warm part of the year, in his old farmhouse backyard (now surrounded by suburban houses). There's a stage he's built, and people jam. This Sunday people played from 6 to 9, and a band was on from 9-11.

This is the stage.

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One of Geordie's sculptures.</lj-cut>

Crazy! <lj-cut text="Get-together pics">

A gyroscope?

Geordie takes it for a spin.

The flames are geared to audio, connected to a laptop - crazy!

A zip line - no good can come of this...

Linzi.

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 10:35 pm: Drag me outta the cinema...

Monday night i decided to take a chance on Drag Me To Hell. The reviews have been great, but it reminded me why i don't like horror movies. If you remember the Spider-Man movie where Dr Octopus' tentacles jump out at the screen, you get the idea of Sam Raimi's direction. It's more startling than scary, and really cheesy.

Just don't piss her off. She has a 30 year mortgage? Seriously, her house should've been paid off by now.

Really, Alison, he's pretty lame for a boyfriend.

Where's the other girl?

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 10:35 am: Peace Dot Love

Wednesday, i met up with Lisa and we had lunch together, and decided to go to the McLaughlin Gallery's restaurant. Unfortunately, it's under new management, and they haven't quite got their act together. The food was fine, although not quite as upscale as before (my chicekn was a little on the boring side), and once she delivered the food, the waitress/hostess didn't visit our table again until we were done eating, so she never got the spoon she needed for her pasta. Not bad by any means, but kinda disappointing.

Thursday, i went to the Koolhaus for the PeaceDotLove festival, which had a pretty awesome line up:

Kool Haus Stage:
TMDP - 6:15
Stereos - 7:00
Rebel Emergency - 7:45
Down With Webster - 8 :45
Dragonette - 9:50
Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker - 11 :15

Orange Room Stage:
Anna Cyzon - 6:15
Rachel Goodrich - 6:40
The Jean Marie - 7:05
Mookie Morris - 7 :40
Blues In D - 8:15
Magneta Lane - 8:55
Sunriser - 9:35
Birds Of Wales - 10:15
We Are The Take - 11:00

I arrived a little late and missed the first few bands (argh!). When i got there The Jean Marie was playing, while the other stage was setting up for Rebel Emergency. The Orange Room has fewer gaps, i guess because smaller bands don't get to change the equipment as they feel like, ha ha. I wish clubs had Strongbow, although i'm kinda getting used to Rev, ha ha.

The Orange Room was pretty crowded, but the Kool Haus was not at all, which was too bad for an event promoting good causes:
"The first annual Peace Dot Love festival is inspired by Dylan Ellis and Oliver Martin who were senselessly taken from us in an act of random gun violence in June of 2008... Leave Out Violence, Peaceuilders International and D.O It! created Peace Dot Love to support national and local anti-violence initiatives through a music platform. Peace dot Love aims to educate, empower, inspire hope and make change in our community with an overall effort of raising youth awareness through the power of music and art."

I'd never heard of Mookie Morris before, but they were great!

Down With Webster.

Couldn't find an actual pic from the concert, but this is Magneta Lane - just colour it orange, not red, ha ha. One of my favourite bands.

The highlight was Dragonette.

She reminds me of Goldfrapp.

We Are The Take, the final band in the Orange Room.

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, the final band of the main stage.

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 06:47 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for June 19th, 2009

1. If you could go back in time to change one choice in your life, what would it be?
Possibly take art in university/college. Make more friends in high school?
2. What would you like your dying words to be?
The Sun is gradually becoming more luminous (about 10% every 1 billion years), and its surface temperature is slowly rising, such that the surface of the Earth has become too hot for liquid water to exist - eurgh!
3. If you HAD to change bodies with someone you knew for 1 year, who would it be?
Maybe a very attractive female, and i'd gone on a lesbian binge.
4. Choose your favorite license plate combination. What does it read?
I prefer random, less memorable ones.
5. What fantasy world would you live in (i.e., movie, tv show, book)?
DC Universe? Although it might be kinda scary - only if i have some kick-ass superpowers.

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 07:10 pm: Convocation 2009

Friday we had our Convocation, first for the Games group, fourth for Animation (sixth if you include the Grad Certificate students). The ceremony (in which teachers take a very back seat) was from 2 to 4 (1:30 to 4:30 if you include all the farting around). The teachers went to one person's place (Dawn's), had a drink, while the students did family and whatever stuff.

Getting seated for the ceremony.

Animation students, gotta love'em...

Our school will be less pink...

You wish you had a teacher this hip.

After, we met up for some fun times bowling, and then to club for drinks, goofing around, and a bit of dancing.

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 07:58 pm: Bunny Lake and Kawartha Lakes

Saturday i ran around getting stuff for Sunday, like alcohol, lol. Tried looking for a new bathing suit - no luck. Wandered around Queen Street a bit. I had supper at Jules (prix fixe!).

"This doll had almost been loved to death. You know, love inflicts the most terrible injuries on my small patients."

The movie i saw was Bunny Lake Is Missing, the first movie by Otto Preminger that i've seen. Comparisons were made to Blow-Up, but it's more straightforward than that, and not nearly so stylish.

"Having just arrived in London from Boston, single mother Ann Lake believes that she has dropped her four year old daughter off for her first day at her new school, but when she goes to pick her up, no one even remembers ever seeing Bunny. The further that the lead detective gets into the investigation, the more it seems like Bunny is a figment of Ann's imagination." I was a bit disappointed by it, especially the final act, in which one person's mental state came out of nowhere.

The mother, before things began to fall apart.

The nursery school staff - strangely unsympathetic.

The lead investigator - strangely casual.

The brother - strange.

The landlord - strangely coming on to a single mother whose child has gone missing, especially as he seems clearly gay.

On Sunday, i drove with my Dad up to my sister's cottage for Father's Day. First time i've been to it, actually - way in the middle of nowhere. Got there around 12:30. Too many bugs and dogs, lol. Lunch was various cold cuts and buns. Later, when it sprinkled on and off for a bit, a bunch of us played cards, while my sister made us snacks (cheese, crackers, fruit, kolbasa).

My brother and his family (excluding Katie in BC, but including Cheri's current BF) eventually arrived. Some people waterskied and boarded, while i read Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life. I didn't want to risk my fragile body, lol. It was amazing to see my brother-in-law skiing barefoot (right from the start), and three guys being pulled by one boat. Supper was BBQ chicken and steak, plus salads, potatoes, strawberry pie. After hanging about some more, we left around 8:30. Made a boo-boo turning right when i should've turned left - funny, because people were following me.

Somewhere around the red....

I had a meeting yesterday regarding my 'classroom observation' and student reviews, which were pretty awesome. I also had massage therapy yesterday, so my neck is kinda sore. I've done some light work, organizing files and such.

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 11:31 pm: Junko Mizuno

Last week was the last week of school. Got my laptop reimaged (after a lot of rigamarole). Wednesday i met up with Torrie and Felicia - we were going to see Kung Fu Panda, which was playing for only a dollar, but the place was PACKED full of kids about to finish school (some teacher had 20 with him), so we saw Up again. After, we had sushi, and Chris joined us, with his kids, which made it hard for him to sit and enjoy it.

After, Miah and i went to Jules for a drink and something to eat (i had the flank steak). We met Mo, Katelyn, Mark and Diego along the way to the other gallery.

When we got there, i realized i screwed up the date - the opening was Friday, not Thursday. Whoopsie! So, we went to Tortilla Flats for a drink, and/or food. I admit i had a second meal (enchilada), as well as a strawberry margarita.

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 08:18 am: You could've tried to make it interesting...

On Friday, Miah and i went to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Admittedly, it wasn't designed to be about plot or character...

You can't even ride a motorcycle...

Do you learn nothing from Jar-Jar Binks?

Okay, it's 400 kilometres between the Pyramids at Giza and Petra in Jordan, and Israel is in the way.

 
"Is this movie playing yet?"
"I fear it soon will be..."

"A single IMAX shot in the movie (df250) would have taken almost 3 years to render on a top of the line home PC running nonstop. If you rendered the entire movie on a modern home PC, you would have had to start the renders 16,000 years ago to finish for this year's premiere."

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 09:32 am: Pulp Fiction, D'Urbervilles, galette

Friday night i ended up going to the show at MOCCA by myself. It was the opening night for Pulp Fiction, which "examines the work of a new generation of graphic artists, contextualizing their works..." which "tend to be loose, non-linear narratives that incorporate a comic-book like aesthetic and multiple references to popular culture. Strange characters float across the page or screen, seemingly disjointed scenes are found on the same page, and text is often present. Where there is a narrative it most often takes strange twists and turns that are darkly humorous or sometimes simply wry observations on the world around us."

It was interesting, although i can't say it totally grabbed me, in the way something more narrative, or simply beautiful, would. It featured drawing, painting, mixed media and animation works by Marc Bell, Tasha Brotherton, Mark DeLong, Barry Doupe, Shayne Ehman, Liz Garlicki, James Kirkpatrick, Amy Lockhart, Jason McLean, Jennie O'Keefe, Seth Scriver, The Lions, and Peter Thompson.

It was a fun event - the place was packed, and in the court yard, they were serving drinks and some foods (you had to pay of course, it's non-profit). Also, party way through the evening, a band played, Toronto "synth-rock-pop combo The D’Urbervilles," who werre actually pretty cool.

After, i felt like a little, especially since i'd had a glass of wine, so i stopped at La Bréhandaise, "crêperie Bretonne", right next door. I ordered a galette, a Breton pancake made of buckwheat instead of wheat flour.

(not my photos)
I sat in the window, on the left, but i was the only customer at the time. My galette had cheese inside, and an egg and strips of very nice bacon on top. Half my salad was actually potato salad, and even though they serve cider, i just had an orangina. Yummy!

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 10:19 am: Four Seasons of Gardens in Kyoto

On Saturday, i went to the Japan Foundation to see the show Four Seasons of Gardens in Kyoto Photographs by Katsuhiko Mizuno. Excellent show - little images don't do them justice.

My new little camera doesn't do light as well as my other one...

(not my photo)

(not my photo)

(not my photo)

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 11:20 am: Jackie's Rooftop

After the show, i picked up some food at Spring Rolls and made my way to Jackie's, for a good-bye BBQ party for Mel, who'd been staying their during her internship at Spin. Miah, Jenn, and some of Jackie's friends were there. We were on the rooftop late enough to catch some Ontario Place fireworks, and then went to the club Tattoo, where i got to see a master in action, lol.

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Friday, July 3rd, 2009 09:50 am: Dead Sea Scrolls, Le Matignon, in Toronto

On Sunday, i did some shopping during the day - the beginning of a miserable cool wet period which has lasted nearly a week (isn't this the summer?). In the evening, Miah and i saw Up - hard to believe i kinda had to drag him to it, but he was blown away (and he's the trained animator).

Monday morning i did an all-day trip into TO, parking at Mo's.

First off, i went to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the ROM. It's actually part one (part two coming in the fall). Most of them were written in Hebrew (even though it wasn't the spoken language in the area at the time - 250 BCE to 68 CE), a few in Aramaic (which was), and a few in Greek (the common second language). It included parts of the Bible, such as Genesis, Psalms and Daniel, some psalms that aren't part of the current Bible, and other religious writings from the Qumran community. Included, but not actually a Dead Sea Scroll was a lease agreement. There is a lot of information about the period, showing vases, lamps and such of the area, historical-political background, video footage of the area and so on.

Very interesting. The scrolls themselves are hard to read - not that i can read Hebrew or Aramaic (i can read Greek letters, but only occasional words - 'kai' means 'and', ha ha ha). It was interesting to find out they actually scored the scrolls, creating horizontal lines to guide writing (much like 3 ring binder paper).

Big line-ups at the ROM after seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls.

I wandered along Bloor, and made my way to the nicest French restaurant, called Le Matignon. Instead of a main course i had a bunch of sides, including the soup of the day (mixed veggie, very nice). This is the toasted French bread with goat cheese, tomato and onion - i remembered halfway through i had my camera with me, lol.

I also got the romaine salad (more or less a Caesar), and what they call the best frites in TO (they are pretty darn good). You can also see the fresh warmed bread in the background, but only my glass of water, not the glass of chardonnay, lol.

And for dessert, fruit sorbets.

I walked down towards Yonge & Dundas. This is clubwear?

But it was humid and feeling like it might rain, so i jumped into the subway.

And it did rain - the sky opened right up while i was underground. I did a bit of shopping at the Eaton Centre before i went to see the first movie.

Friday, July 3rd, 2009 10:15 am: "Victoria Day" - the movie, not the day

The movie i saw was Victoria Day, set in Toronto in 1988. 16 year old Ben is a good hockey player, in the play offs, with teammate, former friend and current nemesis Jordan. Ben has a crush on Jordan's sister Cayla (and pursued by easier Melanie), but spends most of his time with his buddies Sammy and Noah. His life is thrown for a loop when Jordan disappears at a rock concert at Ontario Place, after Jordan begged some money off Ben to buy drugs (though Jordan hias disappeared for days before). It was very good, often funny, and felt very real - not melodramatic. Apparently, the disappearance is based on a kod who died at a Pink Floyd concert at the time, but eerily, a boy disappeared under similar circumstances around the same time this movie was released.

Field party.

Helping Cayla post signs for her missing brother.

I'm not sure how this helping...

After the movie, i subwayed back up to Mo's where i parked. I ended with going with Mo and Lindsey to Mountain Equipment Co-op before my next movie.

Friday, July 3rd, 2009 10:15 am am: Tokyo Sonata

The second movie i saw (at the Royal) was Tôkyô Sonata. It's about a family and their disintegration after the father loses his job (outsourced to China). Thing is, he doesn't tell anyone, and behaves as if he still does have one, though he beings to lash out at his family. The father is eventually forced to go to free food lines, gets humiliated in interviews, and ends up as a shopping mall janitor (he is told there is no hope of finding a decent paying office job). The older son rebels by deciding to join the US militar, and ends up being sent to Ira), the younger son wants to learn piano, secretly using his monthly lunch money to pay for lessons (and it turns out he's very good at it). The wife/mother tries to keep things together. Eventually, it everything comes to a head, and it explodes, the characters all wanting to run away from themselves. It sounds awful, but it's very good - the 'explosion' is more emotional than violent, and the movie is quite funny in places. The ending blew me away - a scene of calm and beauty.

Dinner consisted of popcorn at the movie (real butter), and then a hot dog while i waited for a streetcar back up to Bloor.

This is about 9:30 pm, at College and Bathurst.

Tuesday i just spent typing and cleaning stuff up - removed about 15 different tops from my closet for Goodwill, polished my boots and shoes.

Saturday, July 4th, 2009 12:19 pm: The Friday Five

The Friday Five for June 26th, 2009

1. If you can only hear one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
None - i would tire of it easily, and ruin it.
2. What one song would you like to be played on your funeral?
Cheap Tricks' I Want You To Want Me.
3. What one song that is best to describe your feeling right now?
Probably an instrumental, lol - just thinking about too many things.
4. What one song would you like to hear when you're sad and depressed?
None - i can't really listen to music then.
5. What one song that you wished you have written?
Anything by the Stone Roses.