Weirdness in the City

Yesterday was a day of firsts. It was the first time that I'd ever seen a live cockroach on the bus, just hanging out at the back with me and a couple of First Nation's moms.

It was SO disgusting. The thing was obviously oblivious to us, and just happy to be riding I suppose. I guess it lives on skin and nail clippings, as this seems to be an activity that some people use to pass the time while they're riding.

Also, it was the first time that I've come within 6 feet of a Skunk mummy and her baby, which she was carrying in her mouth like a cat.
And yes...she sprayed!
Though I'm certain that had I just moved along and not shrieked like a little girl, she wouldn't have bothered being alarmed and thus in the mood to spray me. I'm just glad that I wasn't behind her, but I still found myself encircled by the harsh cloud.

I feel worse for the poor kitty that got caught in the middle of it all. But she seemed unbothered that a skunk was just hangin' out. I asked some burnout walking down the street if he smelled skunk, and he said, "Yeah, someone's venting", as if they were say gardening indoors. But I assured him that it was a REAL skunk, and we went our separate ways.
Bye burnout, bye skunk. I just love life in the city.

YAYYYYYY!

Another bad ass teen has been reunited with her initally concerned, now irate father at The Patricia!.
Sounds like this wasn't the first time the pre teen has wandered off.

And she didn't look too excited to be found at the bus stop near the PNE!

ooooooops! she's got some 'splainin' to dooooo!

Vancouver's New Ghetto Bird

Last night for a couple of hours, a bloody helicopter was flying around overhead and shining the light down onto the ground and inside of people's houses. I know this, because when I woke up to check out the noise, the bloody light of the thing shone right into my bedroom window and onto me!
What the fuck?
I can't think that Vancouver needs one of these. The police really need to focus on just doing their job on the ground and not flying around in the air fulfilling all of their voyeuristic needs. It is LAME.
There are no highspeed car chases here, or celebrities on the run, and the work is on the ground, so come on boys, get on the ground and get to work.

I thought of calling 911, but all they do there now is redirect you to their non emergency line. Another job that could be conducted on the ground and no in the air. We'll see if it continues.

Ok, that's my Sunday Morning Rant for now.

Oh, I've just heard, that a 12 year old girl disappeared from Pat's Pub last night. She went out for a walk around 6 pm, and never returned. Not to disrespect the family, but if you're going to stay at Pat's Pub, in the heart of Vancouver's biggest shame, why wouldn't the front desk at least alert you to the fact that it is teeming with drug addicts, pimps and drug dealers. Let's not forget the scores of creeps looking to buy sex, or drugs or both who endlessly circle the blocks, night and day.
Will this finally be the tipping point? Especially after what's happened around the province lately?

gonna run and hide under the bed now!

Happily, I am wrong!

Correction. The girl has been found alive and 'well'.
The creep has been apprehended and arrested.

I won't say what I think the penalty should be.
Yee Haw!

No News Is Good News

Items in our local news this past week:

The body of a newborn infant is found in a dumpster. Infanticide is suspected.
I guess there are worse things than getting an abortion, like a mother killing her own new born infant.

A woman and her 3 children die in a fire. Arson is suspected. They were all refugees from the Congo.

An 11 year old girl disappears in small town BC going to and from the local video store. She arrived at the video store with scrapes and bruises, from a scooter spill, she cleaned herself up and was not seen again. Her scooter and video were found a block away in a parking lot. It's not uncommon for some sick bastard to just run girls off the road and kidnap them. It happened just last year.

The similarities between these 3 tragedies? Children were involved. We live in a culture that does not value children, or women. All you need to do is turn on the news to see the latest statistics. It is disgusting!!
Attitudes need to change.

Maybe it's time to break into that untouched Paxil prescription that sits in my desk drawer.

Happy Mother's Day

Just a shout out to my fantastic mother, whom I don't see nearly enough. She's always been a mom that my friends have adored,
"she's so smart", "she's so cool", etc etc
It just took me longer to realize this.
I am lucky to have her.

And mom, I promise to read that book you sent me!
...soon!
xoxo

TGIF!!

Ok, this will absolutely be my last post about Islands. I can't even say that I'm a fanatic about them, but it seems like I've been blathering on about them forever. Here and there. I was surprised in the Fall when Brent Bambury named one of their songs the best for 2005. I think it was that Hallowe'en one.

So check out Don't Call me Whitney, Bobby

You certainly can't listen to too much of Islands, 'cause it's so ridiculous sometimes. I think they're playing their instruments better now. I dunno. This is not my domain, so I should quit now. All I know, is that it can equally drive you to an angry place if you aren't in the mood for it. For now, just listen and get happy!

I'm just so glad that it's Friday!!

Flashback

I just remembered that some guy came to the door today in his underwear. I had some registered mail for him.
He was standing there, behind the door, and I was SO aware that he was in his underwear. uggggh



Then I started to wonder what he was doing sitting around in his underwear at 11:30 in the morning.
I don't want to know.
It was gross, and I'm recovering.

Saturday Night's alright for fighting

We all said goodbye to kidjmaj today. I forgot about the major road construction going on around the city, and ended up in traffic hell coming back from the airport. I don't know how people deal with the driving thing everyday. The bus is really no better with all the crazies among us. There's one regular guy who is super tall and looks a bit like some classic horror movie actor. He's obviously crazy, 'cause he'll start crying and moaning at the drop of a hat. It's bizarre. It can end as quickly as it begins.
I'm obsessing about another Final Fantasy song again.There is so much to listen to, and it bugs me that I can't upload the audio to buzznet. But since I don't really spend as much time on there as I used to...(!!!)....it's probably a good thing.For now I'll just use the yousend it thing,but I'm going to explore mitya's suggestion one of these days.

Settling back into the grind of the ordinary and the hyper urban is difficult. With the warm weather, out comes unbelievable misery around this neighbourhood. It is hard to take. I'd like to just remain on psychic vacation perpetually?
I'll try and stay positive for as long as possible.

Is Public Transit the new Mental Hospital?

It's hard to stay in the zen zone when unexpected crisis arises.
That and there was a shoeless manic woman babbling at me on the Number 20 bus today. It was nuts!

kids songs reverberating.....

Every road trip has a soundtrack. It's a given.
Our road trip CD for the summer '05 camping trip was "Album" by Duplex. We mostly got it for the little one, but we immediately loved it as well.
Kids and adults are in the band. They're fantastic!

So here we are again, having just returned from Tofino, where we tried to smooth out all the wrinkles and frayed ends, but it's hard to relax with a little person tearing all around and saying and doing just exactly what she pleases.....arrgh....

So we packed her Duplex CD along again, and she couldn't get enough of it. In fact, she would DEMAND it, and then 'cause an awful scene if we tried to say no! I'm dreaming that album right now, and it's not such a good thing.
You don't need to be a kid to LOVE this album, but everyone has their breaking point, and I've reached mine. I'm gonna have to take a break for awhile, but check it out!

Here are a couple of songs about pets.
Hanu
Mr Slim
The songs will get stuck in your head, and you'll be forced to really enjoy yourself and sing in your high voice and act pretty silly to say the least.
Go and buy one !!!

leaving it all behind

I took this quiz...

Looks like I am a pretentious indie fuck!!

"You're an Indie Pop Kid. You like songs about relationships and the prettiness of nature. You're sentimental, but not certainly not emo. Oh, and if you aren't an English Major, you should be.

4563 other people got this result!
This quiz has been taken 151867 times.
3% of people had this result."

...and for the record, I do have an English degree.
You wanna try?
You know Yer Indie. Lets Sub Categorize.

RIP

adieu mon amie.
be you in the pocket of some Chinese gramma, or some cracked out toothless twenty something, I hope you at least make someone else smile...

Life is just a Fantasy

I have been listening to much Final Fantasy of late. I can't get enough really. It could be bordering on the obsessive, but I'm not willing to fully admit it. I have been counting on Zoilus to keep me abreast of all his comings and goings. Go there to check out interviews and such. Here is Pitchfork's take on the whole Final Fantasy phenom.

I just love the music, and for anyone else who thinks that the indie rock can get a little boring sometimes, this is for you. There is so much to listen to, and it really gets the mind working. I can totally hear his "composition" training here, and I must say that I was blown away to find out that he taught HIMSELF to play the violin in university.
Um, WOW.
It's not an easy listen at all, and there is plenty of diversity there, though some might think that it all sounds the same. Not true.
Just to get you really hooked, here is another one.
I sure hope that he comes to Vancouver sometime soon. I will be there...
...unless I jam of course.

Happy Easter to everyone

This is a drawing done by my friend Carrie Walker. She's a fantastic Vancouver artist who has a nice spread in the latest Bordercrossings magazine. You'll have to buy a copy though, 'cause their webpage doesn't seem to be updated.
She gave it to me because it reminded her of my daughter. We often trade things, and I just love it. Though it's not on the wall, it has been sitting out with us for at least 2 years now. I move slow on some things.

I cannot tell a lie......

I jammed on the Destroyer show. Sold my ticket to my neighbour. They are gonna revoke my indie rock card!

I just couldn't face the idea of the next morning. I know......I'm a loser baby.....so why don't you kill me!

This Night

It's finally here. The moment Vancouver has been waiting for. Well, I had been waiting for last Saturday night, but hey, it's always good to have a few things to look forward to. After much waffling and jesting about selling my ticket to the highest bidding beardo, I am gonna get gussied up and hit the town. To the bar with the nastiest loo that I will venture into.....ack, but enough about that. Who thought there'd be a day when I'd miss the Starfish Room.

So I'm trying what Ian suggested about the music thing. In keeping with the spirit of all things Destroyer, this song is one I obsessed about recently mostly for the guitar line. I don't know why I love it so, but I do tend to focus on parts little parts or what have you....so it's an old favourite...Sublimation Hour
I hope this works. Let me know. I know it's not ideal....but I'm still a rookie.

I'd better have a nap!

across the tracks

The other day I was walking through some nasty stuff en route to get an overpriced coffee at a generic yet addictive franchise, when I noticed some guy in a station wagon cruising me. It's pretty bad when you are obviously walking a dog, yet some creep thinks that you might be working the streets. So as I became aware, I took a good look at him and started to laugh to myself.
It was Tubbs Tattsyrup, from the League of Gentlemen.

Of course I was no longer spooked, 'cause the guy was too funny with his big curly wig and super oversized lady glasses. Yoshi and I just laughed to ourselves and continued along our ramble.

that would be good

It's nice to see the Battles getting so much love. It's been a long time without 'em.

Go over to popsheep and check out their site. I have to learn how to post songs from my own 'puter. I'd like to put a song on here...'sigh.


You CAN go see a pic of their last show here.


On another note, it's been a busy morning. Street theatre, the police, and a woman with a cat carrier were all involved. Plus, I just saw some really ruff lookin' lady pluck every flower from the garden across the road. Grrrrrr.
Thankfully, we have a cocktail date at 4:30 that accepts toddlers. m hm....!