So I moved in. And I unpacked, kindof. I brought 80% of the things in from my Van, but not before running out of space! Right now I'm sitting in a tiny little white fold out tubeframe and plastic chair, and the chair is being swallowed by an encroaching pile of "stuff". I'm being forced closer to the desk and my mobility is slowly being limited by the oozing of this seemingly living mass of crap I deemed vital to my survival when deciding what I needed to cram it into the back of my poor Van. The chair is too low for the desk and I hurt. The desk is SWEET. Bright red glass top, and big. Solid, and capable of supporting my 2 external monitors, my laptop (that's been moon-lighting as a desktop since I moved) my two hard drives, my cups of pens, pencils, tacks, Buddha figurines, kerosene lantern ignitors, silver, keys, watches, empty oatmeal bowls and coffee mugs, photo frame with picture of my Mom and Dad posing with Spongebob Squarepants while at Universal Studios on Vacation.
etc etc etc
My stuff. It's big enough for most of my STUFF.
But it's too big for the room. My damned queen sized bed takes up the entirety of the rest of the room! I've got a printer scanner copier on my dresser, and a big stupid locker crammed between the bed and the door. The door to the room doesn't shut unless you pull back the hoodies that hang from the locker, and it covers the lightswitch. There is literally a single line of floor from the door to my chair, with the option of falling sideways onto the bed, as you step over more homogeneous piles of my crap that fill said sparse floor! Actually, as a measurement, the landing strip, (or lets call it the runway, in keeping with the aeronautical theme, but with a glamorous double entendre) is four strips of press-board interlocking hardwood pieces wide! No Fat people in my room! I don't discriminate, it's just an unfortunate physical reality! They wouldn't fit!
So I don't know how to explain it, other then he sensed it, but Ivan somehow knew I was having a claustrophobic experience in my new office.
I never complained. I mean, my back aches, (Naomi gave me an hour long "adjustment" and told me my back was fucked, and it was from the office set up) but I was still so fucking pumped to be here that I couldn't think to complain about it.
Ivan started to make little suggestions randomly one day, about how we could improve our enhance the media sharing experience. By this point, whenever I wanted to use my Mactop in the livingroom, I'd unplug my external monitor, and switch the cord over to one that was strung from the livingroom, and into the bedroom (formerly Ivan's office) through a discreet hole in the base of the wall behind the couch. It was easy! There was a cord for the audio too, already set up in here!
(Oh God, "John Connolly - For Old Times Sake" just came on my iTunes. FUCK I love this song)
So I would just take my bluetooth wireless apple mighty mouse, and my bluetooth wireless aluminum apple keyboard into the livingroom with me and compute through the wall! (The keyboard and mouse both purchased second hand. Actually, the mouse was broken, and I got it for free and fixed it!)
So that was pretty cool! Great for sharing YouTube, and other videos on my computer, as well as iTunes and such. The iTunes visualizers look AMAZING floating in front of the cool Victorian inspired wall-paper on the big screen!
But I couldn't actually COMPUTE, this way. It was all fluff, no action. The keyboard cuts out every few minutes then reconnects. The mouse works shady at best. (If you want it to be smooth you can contort your arm oddly and awkwardly back into the couch. Or just use it on the coffee table sloooooowllllyyyy)
So it was amazing, and I was super happy about it. But it wasn't all it COULD be. Also, the picture was stretched on it that way too.
So I wanted to bring my computer out into the livingroom. Ivan often works on the couch on his lappy while some mindless Television or music is on in the background. And I draw or fix things or whatever. But I could never WORK on my computer in the livingroom.
My laptop looks like a Japanese Anime drawing of a robot girl. You know the one where the girl looks like a real girl in the face, but then her body panels are all opened up and there are a million umbilical chords sticking out of her back and arms and legs and shit? It's like that. I have two monitors plugged in.
"But PJ, Macbook pros only have one display output? You can't span a Mac Laptop across more then two screens (the laptop, and one external) and what would be the point of mirroring three displays?"
I know I know, random, long-winded, and thoroughly descriptive voice in my blog! I only have one monitor hooked up to display! Ivan's twenty something inch Sony monitor has spanned open my workspace significantly. While the other one (my 17inch Dell flat panel) is acting as a USB hub so that I can keep my two external hard drives (one Terabyte for general storage, and my 500 Gig set up to do Time Machine backups every hour) and my printer, and my Bamboo tablet, hooked up to my laptop at ALL TIMES!
So you see, my setup is PRIME right now. I HAVE EVERYTHING I always need EVER constantly plugged in. ALL of my images. ALL of my videos. ALL of my projects and client files and past work. It's all here, and connected. So I never wanted to just, pull off my laptop and take it into the livingroom with me. That would mean relinquishing the connectivity I've become so accustomed to in the first month here.
But Ivan had ideas, and didn't give up. We figured out that between the two of us, we might have enough USB extenders to string an umbilical through the wall in the other direction! Thus allowing me to connect to everything, but from the livingroom!
Ooooh and this worked gloooriously for the first day. I was pleased as peach. Sitting out there, on the corner of the big comfy couch, watching Price and sipping coffee while I worked away. Tablet connected, music playing through big 500 watt surround sound speakers! All wonderful. But then a new kind of back and shoulder pain. The "stuck in one position and on one side of the couch plugged into a USB umbilical" kind of pain. OUCH!
Ivan came home to me at this, the couches "sweet spot" three days in a row.
I couldn't give up the comfort of the livingroom, to go back into the crammed and cramped bedroom scene. Something had to change!
And I didn't even ask for it!
Ivan, again, kindly suggests; "What if we move the dining room out into the area off the kitchen by the big windows, where the shelf with all the plants is now, and then make a combo office out here where the dining room is now, behind the short side of the sectional couch"
BRILLIANT!!
So that was two days ago, and since then I've been cramped back up in the "Office Bedroom" scene. It hurts, but it's productive! Everything is here!
Soon, everything will be out there!!!
We're doing the "big cleanup and re-org" tomorrow. First thing in the AM were gonna get up, heat up a pot of coffee, make some breaky, and turn on some kickin' tunes and get to it! Clean sweep, top to bottom, then moving all the offices out of the bedrooms and into the common area!
SO GOOD!
Last night, right before sleeping, my body had a sudden urge to sit up and move. (there's a balcony door overlooking a mega-city that's one wall in my room. The room never gets dark.) I sat sideways across the foot of my bed, and suddenly knew this is where my head needed to be in this room.
When I'd moved in, necessity and time constraint, and fatigue, dictated the setup of my room. And it never felt right...
Ivan, being the keenly conscientious Roomie he is, sensed this, and offered a dandy solution! I'm so pumped to see it to fruition tomorrow!
Now I must get back to designing for moneys. My iTunes stopped playing because it got to the end of my search or some thing. I need to snap out of the blog bubble, post without proof-reading, and come back to this again another time.
My back hurts, I need to reboot my computer since I installed some scanner drivers anyway. So time to get up and have a walk around to stretch out.
:^)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Interweb Wins at Life!
As if the story couldn't get any better. I approached a fellow YouTuber who had a few double showcase winner vids up, and asked him if he happened to catch todays Double Win.
I think THIS EXPERIENCE has been my proverbial Double Showcase win!
Hahahaha
WIN!
EVERYBODY WINS!
I think THIS EXPERIENCE has been my proverbial Double Showcase win!
Hahahaha
WIN!
EVERYBODY WINS!
STOP THE FUCKING PRESSES!!!!
DUDE~
HE DID MENTION ME ON HIS PUBLIC PROFILE!!!
MY FOLLOWER COUNT IS RISING AS I TYPE!!
YYYYEEEEAAAAH!
%$^&$%^&#$^@&@$%^!!!!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!
What a wonderful day! It's so nice out, I want to go ride my bike around singing and whistling like an idiot!
BUTTERFLY IN THE SKYYYYYY, I CAN GO TWICE AS HIIIIIIGH!!!
HE DID MENTION ME ON HIS PUBLIC PROFILE!!!
MY FOLLOWER COUNT IS RISING AS I TYPE!!
YYYYEEEEAAAAH!
%$^&$%^&#$^@&@$%^!!!!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!
What a wonderful day! It's so nice out, I want to go ride my bike around singing and whistling like an idiot!
BUTTERFLY IN THE SKYYYYYY, I CAN GO TWICE AS HIIIIIIGH!!!
The Levar Burton Bromance continues
If my time as a dancer on the once hit Canadian cable television show, Electric Circus, taught me anything, ( other then how to look good in pleather and sequins ) it's that celebrities are generally turned off by gushing fans. They are real people, just like you and me, and if you run up to them, salivating, and chomping at the bit to vomit your verbal excrement of loving language all over them, they will be put off. How would you react if some stranger ran up to you and started telling you they loved you, and your such an amazing person, and bla bla bla. I would be put off personally, and wouldn't rush to make this strange excitable creature a regular fixture in my life.
Often times when Much would hold Intimate and Interactive events, or MMVA's or other "close and personal" live events, us veteran EC dancers were often hand picked to act as "filler" in these events. For the simple fact, that we understood that there was a show to put on, and no where in this show did anybody want hair clippings being stolen from the heads of the talent. They didn't want people sitting within' 2 feet of a famous person, if there was a potential for those people to go "Beatles fan" in the middle of the program, and start flipping out screaming. They knew we could keep our cool around even the most famous of famous stars, and we would smile politely, laugh wholeheartedly, clap gently, and dance perfectly (not too hard, not too bored), at the appropriate moments, with little guidance needed.
Stand there, smile, clap, and for fuck sakes, don't talk to the talent. They don't want to hear about how you have ALL of their albums and totally changed your haircut to be more like them!
They trained us. They taught us not to act a fucking fool around famous people. How did they train us? If you kept your shit together, you got more TV time. If you acted like an idiot, then you were quietly sent to the back of the crowd where, not only do you not get to sit 3 feet away from Gwen Stefani (ZOMG she's like, so tiny in person!) but your grinning mug doesn't get shown smiling and clapping politely on TV. (Hi Mom!)
So you'd think that now, 10 years later, I'd have a bit cooler of a head when it came to dealing with famous people who's work over the years I've enjoyed.
But no, here I am, fighting with all of my worldly might, not to stand on top of my proverbial soap-box and proclaim my adoration for one Mr. Levar Burton.
It all started back when I made that post about him being at the Digg party. I, along with the crowd at the party, was electrified by Levars sudden tangibility. I mean, here he was, the Reading Rainbow guy, and lets not forget Geordie Laforge either, offering us a glimpse into his life through Twitter.
Tiny, 140 character snipits. Mere tidbits. But still, he's there. Tangible, available, REAL!
It's terribly exciting to me. So much so that I've dove headfirst into the Twitter lifestyle, and can't get enough. I'm connecting with friends, and expressing and recording my life in an increasingly short and fickle manner. But it's great! All these tweets are going to be a riot to read in 10 years! I know because I've got 10 year old online journals and reading the old entries is HILARIOUSly revealing, and very very therapeutic. It's nice to look at where you've been, when you need help plotting where you want to go.
So back to me acting a fool in front of some famous person.
Try as I might, I just couldn't resist the temptation to reach out to Levar again today. I mean, the dude has 33 173 followers! (Who, 3 threes and a 17, TRIPPY!) and has 333 updates! (whoa! Again!) So a random person like myself can HARDLY expect that he would respond to them. He must get HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of tweets directed at him on the daily!
But today, someone won BOTH showcases on the Price is Right, while wearing a Reading Rainbow Tee-Shirt. It was too much. I couldn't resist!
Well,
About 20 minutes after I @ commented him, I got a direct message! But you don't have to take my word for it! Here's a screen cap:
HORRRAAAAH!!!!!!
HE ACTUALLY WROTE TO ME?!
WTF?!!!!
I mean, in an ideal dream world, he would have shot me an @ reply, but then he would have thrown my Twitter account open to all 33 173 people that read HIS feed. And that would have been irresponsible on his part. For the sake of my security and protection, I'm sure he was just being extra cautious and considerate. What a thoughtful guy, not wanting to subject me to all that extra attention. ;^) :^P
I find his response incredible encouraging. After sXe Phil whiffed me and didn't become my BFF, I was kindof disillusioned about this whole "normies and fame-ys" getting to talk to one another thing. But my faith was restored today.
And Levar, if you ever happen to for some ungodly cosmic reason read this Blog entry, know that when we meet in person I will be totally Kosher and not weird at all, and that I just had to write this entry to get the giggles out, so I could go back to twitter and be cool. I'm not gonna cause a big scene or anything. I'm just super pumped that your a real person, and that when I become famous, I don't have to loose touch with reality, and with real people.
Thanks for taking 3 seconds out of your life, to give me an awesome smiley boost in mine.
:^)
Often times when Much would hold Intimate and Interactive events, or MMVA's or other "close and personal" live events, us veteran EC dancers were often hand picked to act as "filler" in these events. For the simple fact, that we understood that there was a show to put on, and no where in this show did anybody want hair clippings being stolen from the heads of the talent. They didn't want people sitting within' 2 feet of a famous person, if there was a potential for those people to go "Beatles fan" in the middle of the program, and start flipping out screaming. They knew we could keep our cool around even the most famous of famous stars, and we would smile politely, laugh wholeheartedly, clap gently, and dance perfectly (not too hard, not too bored), at the appropriate moments, with little guidance needed.
Stand there, smile, clap, and for fuck sakes, don't talk to the talent. They don't want to hear about how you have ALL of their albums and totally changed your haircut to be more like them!
They trained us. They taught us not to act a fucking fool around famous people. How did they train us? If you kept your shit together, you got more TV time. If you acted like an idiot, then you were quietly sent to the back of the crowd where, not only do you not get to sit 3 feet away from Gwen Stefani (ZOMG she's like, so tiny in person!) but your grinning mug doesn't get shown smiling and clapping politely on TV. (Hi Mom!)
So you'd think that now, 10 years later, I'd have a bit cooler of a head when it came to dealing with famous people who's work over the years I've enjoyed.
But no, here I am, fighting with all of my worldly might, not to stand on top of my proverbial soap-box and proclaim my adoration for one Mr. Levar Burton.
It all started back when I made that post about him being at the Digg party. I, along with the crowd at the party, was electrified by Levars sudden tangibility. I mean, here he was, the Reading Rainbow guy, and lets not forget Geordie Laforge either, offering us a glimpse into his life through Twitter.
Tiny, 140 character snipits. Mere tidbits. But still, he's there. Tangible, available, REAL!
It's terribly exciting to me. So much so that I've dove headfirst into the Twitter lifestyle, and can't get enough. I'm connecting with friends, and expressing and recording my life in an increasingly short and fickle manner. But it's great! All these tweets are going to be a riot to read in 10 years! I know because I've got 10 year old online journals and reading the old entries is HILARIOUSly revealing, and very very therapeutic. It's nice to look at where you've been, when you need help plotting where you want to go.
So back to me acting a fool in front of some famous person.
Try as I might, I just couldn't resist the temptation to reach out to Levar again today. I mean, the dude has 33 173 followers! (Who, 3 threes and a 17, TRIPPY!) and has 333 updates! (whoa! Again!) So a random person like myself can HARDLY expect that he would respond to them. He must get HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of tweets directed at him on the daily!
But today, someone won BOTH showcases on the Price is Right, while wearing a Reading Rainbow Tee-Shirt. It was too much. I couldn't resist!
Well,
About 20 minutes after I @ commented him, I got a direct message! But you don't have to take my word for it! Here's a screen cap:
HORRRAAAAH!!!!!!
HE ACTUALLY WROTE TO ME?!
WTF?!!!!
I mean, in an ideal dream world, he would have shot me an @ reply, but then he would have thrown my Twitter account open to all 33 173 people that read HIS feed. And that would have been irresponsible on his part. For the sake of my security and protection, I'm sure he was just being extra cautious and considerate. What a thoughtful guy, not wanting to subject me to all that extra attention. ;^) :^P
I find his response incredible encouraging. After sXe Phil whiffed me and didn't become my BFF, I was kindof disillusioned about this whole "normies and fame-ys" getting to talk to one another thing. But my faith was restored today.
And Levar, if you ever happen to for some ungodly cosmic reason read this Blog entry, know that when we meet in person I will be totally Kosher and not weird at all, and that I just had to write this entry to get the giggles out, so I could go back to twitter and be cool. I'm not gonna cause a big scene or anything. I'm just super pumped that your a real person, and that when I become famous, I don't have to loose touch with reality, and with real people.
Thanks for taking 3 seconds out of your life, to give me an awesome smiley boost in mine.
:^)
Big Brother? Is that you?
Whoa. I love The Google Bot. The Google Bot is my friend.
Obey the Google Bot!
I mean, at least, I think it's the Google at work here.
That post I made about the Art Race TV show? Someone left me a comment saying "glad you enjoy our programming" with a link to the networks website!
They are Toronto based! Another station to pitch my insane "Guy takes and prints photos out of the back of a VW Van on a whirlwind trip across Canada" idea to!
I don't think anyone actually READS my blog. So it must be the Google bot scanning for mentions of the station in blog entries. Which I'm completely fine with. I mean, weather a it was someone I know who works for the station lurking lurking my blog but prefers to remain anonymous, or weather the Google knows everything and watches my every keystroke, and then tells another robot that gave it some money when people are talking about it, I'm tickled pink! I find BOTH of those possible solutions absolutely fascinating and would consider them both sufficient calls to action!
And since these people may be a future sponsor or promotional partner of mine, I might as well keep buttering things up by further plugging their exciting and compelling line of programming!
haha
Here's the site for Art Race
Obey the Google Bot!
I mean, at least, I think it's the Google at work here.
That post I made about the Art Race TV show? Someone left me a comment saying "glad you enjoy our programming" with a link to the networks website!
They are Toronto based! Another station to pitch my insane "Guy takes and prints photos out of the back of a VW Van on a whirlwind trip across Canada" idea to!
I don't think anyone actually READS my blog. So it must be the Google bot scanning for mentions of the station in blog entries. Which I'm completely fine with. I mean, weather a it was someone I know who works for the station lurking lurking my blog but prefers to remain anonymous, or weather the Google knows everything and watches my every keystroke, and then tells another robot that gave it some money when people are talking about it, I'm tickled pink! I find BOTH of those possible solutions absolutely fascinating and would consider them both sufficient calls to action!
And since these people may be a future sponsor or promotional partner of mine, I might as well keep buttering things up by further plugging their exciting and compelling line of programming!
haha
Here's the site for Art Race
Monday, February 23, 2009
My Inner Designer's Inner Child...
Secretly, somewhere deep inside, buried under two years of intensive training and education, there's bad graphic designer. A kid living life in the late 90's, raving and electric circus-ing his ass off, and LOVING the future-tech Rave culture derived design movement happening in certain sub cultures around the world. Cut angles, robotic and technical themes, horizontals and verticals, dancing between machined perfect diagonals. Circuits. Lots of circuit board inspired lines.
Anyway, stern talkings and nonchalant yet earth shattering ambivalence towards my early school work from Profs has all but killed that side of me, and for the better! For how could my own design style be permitted to evolve if I'd maintained an unhealthy obsession with the work of some of my predecessors?
Anyway, it's still hidden down there. Beneath the layers of sensibility and freshness, is a pleasantly crusty, stale, and very comfortably "worked in" appreciation for this style of design. The whole "lets called it 2001 because it's the year 1999 and we're obsessed with the future" thing just jazzes me. I actually love Futurism no matter what era it's in. The Habitat in Montreal, The Confederation Centre in Charlottetown. I love seeing what people think the future will look like.
Aaaaaaanyway. That was my third anyway. The Anyway's are the part of my brain that knows I should be working on something more productive then this blog non-sense, and wants me to wrap this rant!
I stumbled upon Infinite Designs while searching for some photychop inspiration, and I LOVE it. I KNOW it looks dated. It's trying too hard to be web 2.0 and ends up looking Just Pre Web 2.0. BUT I LOVE IT! The diagonals. The colours. The rounded corners. The reflection in the title! It's all there!
ESPECIALLY love the "break" in the middle bar with the chopped techy sections, and the drop shadow to push it farther back. So dericious!!
Heck even the name of the website as it appears in my Firefox tab is
.:Infinite Design:.
Hahaha. I LOVE ::Punctuation Decoration::
~punctuation~decoration~ is SO teH nU !nt3rWeb keWL!
Anyway, stern talkings and nonchalant yet earth shattering ambivalence towards my early school work from Profs has all but killed that side of me, and for the better! For how could my own design style be permitted to evolve if I'd maintained an unhealthy obsession with the work of some of my predecessors?
Anyway, it's still hidden down there. Beneath the layers of sensibility and freshness, is a pleasantly crusty, stale, and very comfortably "worked in" appreciation for this style of design. The whole "lets called it 2001 because it's the year 1999 and we're obsessed with the future" thing just jazzes me. I actually love Futurism no matter what era it's in. The Habitat in Montreal, The Confederation Centre in Charlottetown. I love seeing what people think the future will look like.
Aaaaaaanyway. That was my third anyway. The Anyway's are the part of my brain that knows I should be working on something more productive then this blog non-sense, and wants me to wrap this rant!
I stumbled upon Infinite Designs while searching for some photychop inspiration, and I LOVE it. I KNOW it looks dated. It's trying too hard to be web 2.0 and ends up looking Just Pre Web 2.0. BUT I LOVE IT! The diagonals. The colours. The rounded corners. The reflection in the title! It's all there!
ESPECIALLY love the "break" in the middle bar with the chopped techy sections, and the drop shadow to push it farther back. So dericious!!
Heck even the name of the website as it appears in my Firefox tab is
.:Infinite Design:.
Hahaha. I LOVE ::Punctuation Decoration::
~punctuation~decoration~ is SO teH nU !nt3rWeb keWL!
Collector Showdown: Lego edition!
Oh Em Gee!
The episode of Collectors Showdown today has two Lego Nerds facing off against one another in a Lego Collection showboat match!
A girl, (who organizes ALL of her kits by colour, and shape) and a guy who LOVES Star Wars lego and freestyles a lot of working models (he's more like me).
I'm no where NEAR as serious as these two geeks! hahaha
This is AWESOME!
Edit: I would have beaten BOTH of them in the question round. The "skill testing" build round is next! From the "coming after the break" preview, I would have beaten both of them in the build-off as well!
The episode of Collectors Showdown today has two Lego Nerds facing off against one another in a Lego Collection showboat match!
A girl, (who organizes ALL of her kits by colour, and shape) and a guy who LOVES Star Wars lego and freestyles a lot of working models (he's more like me).
I'm no where NEAR as serious as these two geeks! hahaha
This is AWESOME!
Edit: I would have beaten BOTH of them in the question round. The "skill testing" build round is next! From the "coming after the break" preview, I would have beaten both of them in the build-off as well!
Art Race, on Treasure HD
So, television is much better here then back in PEI. We have these high definition channels, four in particular, that offer compelling, original, and varied TV all day long! I'm watching Treasure HD now, which is part of a suite of four complimenting channels that one company puts out. Treasure is like The Antiques Roadshow on awesome, and not just for antiques. They have shows about baseball card collectors, and photographers. Super candid and personal stuff, lots of Canadian made TV. (I watch Aperture all the time. It's an amazing show where the host (a different B list Celeb hosts each episode) sits around drinking with the photographer until they reveal super personal details about their methods and journey. Anyway, right now I have it on in the background while I work, (laying out endless battery package shapes in illustrator copying and pasting from a spreadsheet, mindless stuff) and they are showing a program on gourmet pizza techniques. Different pizza experts talking about why their pie will win the championship this year, peppered with amazing high definition shots of deliciousness. They also just showed an ad for another show, called Amazing Cakes. They really are amazing! Anyway, the thing that sparked this entry was an ad for an upcoming series that is going to premier soon. It's called Art Race, and it's about two goofy looking young 30's art dudes, traveling across Canada in a race to see who can move on their art and personality across the country fastest. They start with a single dollar, and go on their way!
Edit: I just did some research, and while the ad said "Canadian Premiere" it was actually filmed in the US! So a Canadian one has not been done yet!
http://lastheplace.com/2008/03/23/art-race-seeking-artistsart-racers-for-show-to-win-20000/ for the show that I found.
Anyway,
They travel across the country coast to coast trading their art for money, travel, and experiences.
Sounds amazing'! Who wants to sponsor a Canadian version?
:^P
Edit: I just did some research, and while the ad said "Canadian Premiere" it was actually filmed in the US! So a Canadian one has not been done yet!
http://lastheplace.com/2008/03/23/art-race-seeking-artistsart-racers-for-show-to-win-20000/ for the show that I found.
Anyway,
They travel across the country coast to coast trading their art for money, travel, and experiences.
Sounds amazing'! Who wants to sponsor a Canadian version?
:^P
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Copyright, again. Facebook found me!
Ok, so, I'm not allowed using the song "Highway Star" by Deep Purple.
Maybe the next step is to e-mail the company in charge of their copyright? The record company? And ask permission to use it in my little interweb video?
Maybe the next step is to e-mail the company in charge of their copyright? The record company? And ask permission to use it in my little interweb video?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Lovely Miss B.Traits
I had the joy of building some posters for a show DJ B.Traits is playing in B.C.
Nice that I'm getting work from the west coast months before I even land there! :^D
I uploaded it to Flickr, and they have an HTML embed code... lets see if it works in my Blog.
Fi de rudegyal pon MySpace
Nice that I'm getting work from the west coast months before I even land there! :^D
I uploaded it to Flickr, and they have an HTML embed code... lets see if it works in my Blog.
Fi de rudegyal pon MySpace
Thursday, February 12, 2009
First Time Contributor?
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
First_Brush_Pack_ThePeej.abr
And thus, upon dipping my brushes into the bucket, I, for the first time, leave more in it then there was before I dipped!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
First_Brush_Pack_ThePeej.abr
And thus, upon dipping my brushes into the bucket, I, for the first time, leave more in it then there was before I dipped!
Who is this guy? He's Hilarious!
http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/56/Louis_CK_Everythings_amazing_nobodys_happy%3ELouis%20CK%20%20%22Everything%27s%20amazing,%20nobody%27s%20happy%22%3C/a%3E
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Digital Copyright Management
You know, I'm trying. I'm trying really hard. It's been a long time since I haven't bought a CD. I've spent the better part of a decade consuming music for free. I mean, I pay for concerts and live events, but generally, am given music by friends, or download the music illegally.
Last year I took the leap and bought 10 dollars worth of iTunes credit. Well, I was given 10 dollars of iTunes credit as a gift. I enjoyed the ease of use and reliability and sound quality iTunes downloads gave me. Super easy to find a song, super easy to preview it instantly to know if it's the right mix, and then super fast to download and the quality is guaranteed. Unlike P2P sharing communities which are so overloaded with shitty, patchy quality, misnamed files, that finding one song is nightmarish.
So I'd almost considered myself converted back into legal music consumption.
That is, until I started to try and use the music as I've become accustomed to being able to use music.
Tried sending music in an e-mail. Nope, digital rights management says you can only play this song on YOUR computer and YOUR iPod.
Huh?
Tried embedding music into videos. "Sorry, the song you've used is copyright protected, and won't play on anyone else's computer but yours.
The first time this happened was when I made the Christmas pictures slide show with the Diana Krall version of Chestnuts Roasting. The video played fine on my Mac, but had no audio when I uploaded it to Facebag. What?!
So I had to download a second copy of the song, illegally.
PFFT!
So just last month I heard this rumor on the internets that said that iTunes was converting to DRM FREE music! You pay a little bit more (1.30 instead of 99 cents?) and your able to actually USE the song you pay for!
HURRAH!
So I jump on, eager to spend the credit I have in my account. (I kept buying songs from them, just didn't try using them in videos or other projects) So I jump on and buy "Highway Star" by Deep Purple. A fairly obscure title, not easily found through illegal means without downloading entire albums. I don't WANT to steal THAT much music in order to use one half of one song in a video. So I log on and pay the bucks (funny, no buck thirty option seems selectable) and go about making my video. The video plays, with no warnings about it's audio copyright on my Mac, so I go ahead and upload it.
Eiiiiign! <----(FAIL buzzer noise from the Price is Right)
YouTube gives me a message about copyright, and asks me if I'd like to substitute my perfectly selected music, for some LAME copyright free tune they have in their databanks. There's even an automatic audio swap dialogue and a list of tracks! Kudos to them for trying to make it easy to work around, but FUCK!?
What motivation is there for anyone to legally procure songs?! I don't get a nice printed vinyl album cover to look through while I sit in my beanbag chair with my giant old offwhite headphones on. Nor do I get to use the music anywhere but within the bubble of my digital home.
Buying music online is great for a lot of reasons, and I'll continue to do so when I need a song quick and don't have the time to find it through other channels. But when I have the time to do it right, I'm going to have to continue to be a pirate. It's simply a better experience all around.
Sort it out Big Brother!
We're not going to play your game unless you make it fun and easy!
I'm uploading the revised, and now illegal, copy of my video to my YouTube channel now.
Check it out!
www.youtube.com/thepeej
Last year I took the leap and bought 10 dollars worth of iTunes credit. Well, I was given 10 dollars of iTunes credit as a gift. I enjoyed the ease of use and reliability and sound quality iTunes downloads gave me. Super easy to find a song, super easy to preview it instantly to know if it's the right mix, and then super fast to download and the quality is guaranteed. Unlike P2P sharing communities which are so overloaded with shitty, patchy quality, misnamed files, that finding one song is nightmarish.
So I'd almost considered myself converted back into legal music consumption.
That is, until I started to try and use the music as I've become accustomed to being able to use music.
Tried sending music in an e-mail. Nope, digital rights management says you can only play this song on YOUR computer and YOUR iPod.
Huh?
Tried embedding music into videos. "Sorry, the song you've used is copyright protected, and won't play on anyone else's computer but yours.
The first time this happened was when I made the Christmas pictures slide show with the Diana Krall version of Chestnuts Roasting. The video played fine on my Mac, but had no audio when I uploaded it to Facebag. What?!
So I had to download a second copy of the song, illegally.
PFFT!
So just last month I heard this rumor on the internets that said that iTunes was converting to DRM FREE music! You pay a little bit more (1.30 instead of 99 cents?) and your able to actually USE the song you pay for!
HURRAH!
So I jump on, eager to spend the credit I have in my account. (I kept buying songs from them, just didn't try using them in videos or other projects) So I jump on and buy "Highway Star" by Deep Purple. A fairly obscure title, not easily found through illegal means without downloading entire albums. I don't WANT to steal THAT much music in order to use one half of one song in a video. So I log on and pay the bucks (funny, no buck thirty option seems selectable) and go about making my video. The video plays, with no warnings about it's audio copyright on my Mac, so I go ahead and upload it.
Eiiiiign! <----(FAIL buzzer noise from the Price is Right)
YouTube gives me a message about copyright, and asks me if I'd like to substitute my perfectly selected music, for some LAME copyright free tune they have in their databanks. There's even an automatic audio swap dialogue and a list of tracks! Kudos to them for trying to make it easy to work around, but FUCK!?
What motivation is there for anyone to legally procure songs?! I don't get a nice printed vinyl album cover to look through while I sit in my beanbag chair with my giant old offwhite headphones on. Nor do I get to use the music anywhere but within the bubble of my digital home.
Buying music online is great for a lot of reasons, and I'll continue to do so when I need a song quick and don't have the time to find it through other channels. But when I have the time to do it right, I'm going to have to continue to be a pirate. It's simply a better experience all around.
Sort it out Big Brother!
We're not going to play your game unless you make it fun and easy!
I'm uploading the revised, and now illegal, copy of my video to my YouTube channel now.
Check it out!
www.youtube.com/thepeej
Sunday, February 8, 2009
MY FIRST HOME PRINT!
I had the USB cabled plugged into the Ethernet port in the back of my printer.
*IDIOT*
Thus not allowing me to connect until just now, when a website message board post suggested that I "make sure the usb cable is connected". I thought Pffft, of COURSE I have it connected... Wait, it's a bit loose, lemme take a look and... OOOooooh IDIOT!!!
So I plug it in correctly and then of course, just like the pretentious commercial says, the Mac and the Canon already know one another by name. And when I add it as my default printer, Mac says "you already have something in queue to be printed by this new guy over here, should I warm him up for you?" And I'm like, HELL YEAH!
AND LOOK!!!!
IT'S FRIGGIN RIDICU#$T#$^#&^%@$%T#$%T@Y^!!!
AWESOMESAUCE!
*IDIOT*
Thus not allowing me to connect until just now, when a website message board post suggested that I "make sure the usb cable is connected". I thought Pffft, of COURSE I have it connected... Wait, it's a bit loose, lemme take a look and... OOOooooh IDIOT!!!
So I plug it in correctly and then of course, just like the pretentious commercial says, the Mac and the Canon already know one another by name. And when I add it as my default printer, Mac says "you already have something in queue to be printed by this new guy over here, should I warm him up for you?" And I'm like, HELL YEAH!
AND LOOK!!!!
IT'S FRIGGIN RIDICU#$T#$^#&^%@$%T#$%T@Y^!!!
AWESOMESAUCE!
Friday, February 6, 2009
No athletic wear or running shoes?
It's been SO LONG since I've been to a place that had a proper, and enforced dresscode!
I'm going here tonight:
http://www.maro.ca/venue/
I'm going to see Dimitri from Paris.
http://www.myspace.com/djdimitrifromparis
Essentially House musics answer to 1960's lounge. But you can dance to it. His newer stuff is very electro, which should help my Techno-Mullet. LOL
I might have to wear my pointy shiny douche shoes. But hopefully the value village vintage brown leather shoes instead. They're broken in and comfortable at least.
I'm going here tonight:
http://www.maro.ca/venue/
I'm going to see Dimitri from Paris.
http://www.myspace.com/djdimitrifromparis
Essentially House musics answer to 1960's lounge. But you can dance to it. His newer stuff is very electro, which should help my Techno-Mullet. LOL
I might have to wear my pointy shiny douche shoes. But hopefully the value village vintage brown leather shoes instead. They're broken in and comfortable at least.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
FRESH FRESH FRESH
I just got the FRESHEST HAIRCUT!
No disrespect to my Charlottetown stylist. He always cut my hair to perfection, and cut outside the box by Charlottetown standards. And we had an awesome rapport and the conversations always flowed.
But I just stepped my hair game up 10 notches!
JUST HAD THE SUPERSTAR TREATMENT! Came out lookin', smellin', and feelin' oh so good!
So my PEI haircut was like, 28 and change, plus tip was like 34-35 bucks all said and done. And again, it was a haircut I was always pleased with.
But THIS place.
I got the inside scoop on this guy Loucas who was good. I called the spot in the mall that I can see from my desk right now as I type. They had ONE appointment available for the next three days and it was RIGHT NOW!
So I threw on some B.O.dorant and took off out the door and down the elevator. Ran in the freezing cold, and had to call the place again when I got in the mall because it's so freaking huge.
I walk in and was IMMEDIATELY intimidated. The spot was HUGE. There must have been 30 or more BEAUTIFUL and smartly dressed people there. And in I walk with my dirty ass old skate shoes, and my parted on the side hair, and my not-cleanshaven mess of a face.
The guy looked like Adam Lavigne from Maroon 5, if you were watching him on a widescreen TV that had only regular screen signal coming in. A bit rounder in the face, but otherwise, Maroon 5 guy. He was straight, which was nice, because I was able to talk to him about how intimidatingly gorgeous the reception girl who took my coat was. "Yeah bro, she's smokin' hot! I used to date that one over there, check it out"
haha
Lots of appropriate man talk.
Anyway, I gave him carte blanche and said go to town! Your an artist, and my disgusting mop is your canvas! And it went to down. It's hard to describe. I'd call it a heavily textured, asymmetrical faux hawk variant. The part is on the opposite side of my natural one and it's really fun. Lots of feathers in the back center going off to one side. And a curvy winding line at its edge. There's not a single hard edge on the cut. It's all curves around the back of my neck and ears. Very fresh!
So not only did I get a SICK haircut and some awesome man-banter. But then a smokin' statuesque blond takes me in the back for something called a "hot towel"!
It's even better then it sounds!
So they wash your hair like, 3 times, and during each washing there's a piping hot towel on your face! Then she pulls out this awesome soapy smelling stuff and washes your whole face! Then, without rinsing the stuff off, another hot towel. This one sits on your face steaming the pores open. At this point they could very well have left me under this towel with soap all over my face, and I would have been delighted to take a nap! It was damned comfortable! (the chair was like a lazyboy, it reclined and had a flip out foot rest) But instead of just leaving me there, she massages my head and neck! No word of a lie, an actual foreal and superbly executed head massage! I felt like a Hundredaire, or even Thousandaire! She takes of the towel slowly and gently, while using it to clean the soap off my face. Then she says "close your eyes and mouth for the toner" and a fine mist of some other nice smelling product goes on, followed by another towel. This towel sits for a few minutes of peaceful head massaging bliss, then another hair wash. Then the last towel comes off, and she massages some OTHER product into my face.
My face has never had three products lovingly applied to it in a row.
Back to Adam Lavi...er... I mean, Loucas' work-station, for a final chat and a style. He fixes my hair up proper, and does a bad ass rendition of the "here's the back of your head with another mirror" routine. In this version he gave ME the little mirror, and turned the chair around so I could see the hair in the BIG mirror.
Genius!
So I walk to the front to pay and the lady (this one still a different shade of delicious skin colour then the other three delightfully varied shades who assisted me in my hair freshening adventure) says to me "that'll be 31.50$. THAT'S IT?!
After the whole micro spa relaxation treatment I was expecting 40 bucks, MINIMUM! But it was 31.50!?
And she didn't ring in, or prompt me to ad ANY TIP! I of course made her put my card through again so I could leave them a proper tip. They made me put the fiver in a small envelope with Loucas' name to be written on it, and drop it into a weird over the top posh silver container that they for some reason stick all the tips in.
I strutted out of that fucking place like my shit smelled of bakery fresh cinnamon rolls and ran home to skype my Momma!
:^D
She was the first girl I showed my swank new Haircut too. Then I showed Kelley. I asked several other people if they wanted to see it, but none acted as excited as my Mom did. LOL
So I had to write this entry about it to get my fresh haircut excitement out of my system. Hahahaha
Shit. Now it's late and I'm very hungry. Off to the kitchen to cook some nitty grits!
I'll post some pics of my amazing hair cut from the future when I get some taken. Too hungry and excited to bother now.
No disrespect to my Charlottetown stylist. He always cut my hair to perfection, and cut outside the box by Charlottetown standards. And we had an awesome rapport and the conversations always flowed.
But I just stepped my hair game up 10 notches!
JUST HAD THE SUPERSTAR TREATMENT! Came out lookin', smellin', and feelin' oh so good!
So my PEI haircut was like, 28 and change, plus tip was like 34-35 bucks all said and done. And again, it was a haircut I was always pleased with.
But THIS place.
I got the inside scoop on this guy Loucas who was good. I called the spot in the mall that I can see from my desk right now as I type. They had ONE appointment available for the next three days and it was RIGHT NOW!
So I threw on some B.O.dorant and took off out the door and down the elevator. Ran in the freezing cold, and had to call the place again when I got in the mall because it's so freaking huge.
I walk in and was IMMEDIATELY intimidated. The spot was HUGE. There must have been 30 or more BEAUTIFUL and smartly dressed people there. And in I walk with my dirty ass old skate shoes, and my parted on the side hair, and my not-cleanshaven mess of a face.
The guy looked like Adam Lavigne from Maroon 5, if you were watching him on a widescreen TV that had only regular screen signal coming in. A bit rounder in the face, but otherwise, Maroon 5 guy. He was straight, which was nice, because I was able to talk to him about how intimidatingly gorgeous the reception girl who took my coat was. "Yeah bro, she's smokin' hot! I used to date that one over there, check it out"
haha
Lots of appropriate man talk.
Anyway, I gave him carte blanche and said go to town! Your an artist, and my disgusting mop is your canvas! And it went to down. It's hard to describe. I'd call it a heavily textured, asymmetrical faux hawk variant. The part is on the opposite side of my natural one and it's really fun. Lots of feathers in the back center going off to one side. And a curvy winding line at its edge. There's not a single hard edge on the cut. It's all curves around the back of my neck and ears. Very fresh!
So not only did I get a SICK haircut and some awesome man-banter. But then a smokin' statuesque blond takes me in the back for something called a "hot towel"!
It's even better then it sounds!
So they wash your hair like, 3 times, and during each washing there's a piping hot towel on your face! Then she pulls out this awesome soapy smelling stuff and washes your whole face! Then, without rinsing the stuff off, another hot towel. This one sits on your face steaming the pores open. At this point they could very well have left me under this towel with soap all over my face, and I would have been delighted to take a nap! It was damned comfortable! (the chair was like a lazyboy, it reclined and had a flip out foot rest) But instead of just leaving me there, she massages my head and neck! No word of a lie, an actual foreal and superbly executed head massage! I felt like a Hundredaire, or even Thousandaire! She takes of the towel slowly and gently, while using it to clean the soap off my face. Then she says "close your eyes and mouth for the toner" and a fine mist of some other nice smelling product goes on, followed by another towel. This towel sits for a few minutes of peaceful head massaging bliss, then another hair wash. Then the last towel comes off, and she massages some OTHER product into my face.
My face has never had three products lovingly applied to it in a row.
Back to Adam Lavi...er... I mean, Loucas' work-station, for a final chat and a style. He fixes my hair up proper, and does a bad ass rendition of the "here's the back of your head with another mirror" routine. In this version he gave ME the little mirror, and turned the chair around so I could see the hair in the BIG mirror.
Genius!
So I walk to the front to pay and the lady (this one still a different shade of delicious skin colour then the other three delightfully varied shades who assisted me in my hair freshening adventure) says to me "that'll be 31.50$. THAT'S IT?!
After the whole micro spa relaxation treatment I was expecting 40 bucks, MINIMUM! But it was 31.50!?
And she didn't ring in, or prompt me to ad ANY TIP! I of course made her put my card through again so I could leave them a proper tip. They made me put the fiver in a small envelope with Loucas' name to be written on it, and drop it into a weird over the top posh silver container that they for some reason stick all the tips in.
I strutted out of that fucking place like my shit smelled of bakery fresh cinnamon rolls and ran home to skype my Momma!
:^D
She was the first girl I showed my swank new Haircut too. Then I showed Kelley. I asked several other people if they wanted to see it, but none acted as excited as my Mom did. LOL
So I had to write this entry about it to get my fresh haircut excitement out of my system. Hahahaha
Shit. Now it's late and I'm very hungry. Off to the kitchen to cook some nitty grits!
I'll post some pics of my amazing hair cut from the future when I get some taken. Too hungry and excited to bother now.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Re-Connected!
WELL. Where the FUCK do I begin?!
It's been 10 years since I first moved to Toronto. Galvanizing the incredibility of this reality is a lovely collection of thought to be forgotten pics from my Electric Circus days currently making their rounds on the Facebooks.
Thanks Candace!!! :^D
The timing of the posting of those pics is a bit of the divinity for certain. It's intense.
I got lost "downtown" yesterday. The city chewed me up and spit me out.
I'm so happy to have been gone for 4 years. The absence, and the addition of a camera, have given me back my sense of wonder and bewilderment. I'm looking UP again! Head forever tilted back! I was constantly looking up when I first got here. The buildings astounded me. Monuments to man's insatiable need for "progress"! I live in one now. 21st floor! (20 stories high. No 13th floor) I've got a KILLER view of Toronto from a safe hour away. But I ventured downtown to see John Connolly play an AMAZING show at the Cameron House on Queen West on Saturday night. It's was a fucking mission and a half! But well worth it. John played one of the more inspiring and intimate sets I've seen out of any musician. The venue and crowd were perfect, and unlike anything I'd ever seen here or in Charlottetown. The Cameron house was a trip in itself. A venue of extreme historical significance that I had previously never been in. I got there just in time to see him play too. Literally just enough time to order a pint and sit down before his first song! The Venue was a classic old bar. You could sense the years of joy and escapism that had been experienced within it's walls. Décore that was so long pasé that it made its way back to chic by default. The front room was nearly empty when I walked in. And other rooms were not evident. So I was worried. Strung out from 6 hours of driving, 5 of which had happened earlier that day, and having just payed the better part of a 50 dollar cab ride downtown from the Saug, I was more then a little bit drained by the time I hit the venue. When I walked in to a room with no more then 10 people in it, and some loungy breakbeats playing from some unseen location, I didn't have high hopes that I'd made it to the correct venue. But I asked the bartender and she told me that the band was playing "in the back".
Perfect!
I stumbled back in my tired stupor and was met by a ragged old curtain, which led down a hodgepoge hallway to another tattered and torn red velvet curtain. The second curtain parted to reveal a WONDERFUL scene. A TINY venue, but in stadium setup. The back room of the Cameron House is about the size of Baba's in PEI. But picture it on a slope with tables. So the back of the room is about 6-7 large long stretched out stairs higher then the stage.
I sat down up front after a now, at this point expected, solid hug from John. Asked him if I had enough time to slip back out front to grab a brew and his said of course!
Came back in and sat down to photograph one of the most intimate and deeply connected sets I've ever had the joy of seeing an artist perform.
By John's third song an owner of the venue was heard to tell the ridiculously cute girl working the cash that the venue was about 5 people over it's 75 person capacity already, and not to let anyone else in. :^)
John killed it. The crowd was pleasantly and surprisingly responsive, and I was moved by the passion and connection. He took the crowd on a maritime journey, and they followed with enthusiasm. Each song more warmly received then the previous. He explained the story behind each song, and the small crowed cooed and cawed in appreciation with each descriptive verse and powerful guitar solo.
The band sat down after the set and John played his encores alone.
He played his last song sitting down, unplugged at the front of the stage. The crowd aghast with anticipation as he rounded the first chorus, and all of us joining in glorious harmony as he sang it for the third time. It was like Sesame Street, he said "everyone sing along" and magically by the second time the chorus came around everyone knew it and sang along! I belted it out with unbridled enthusiasm.
Needless to say, in my tired state, my second beer set me over the top and I was hammered. I stuck around to soak up the shmoozing and smiling after the show, ran out of business cards, hugged John again, and stumbled out into the dark and cold airy noise of the early morning club district.
It was far too late for me to take transit back to Mississauga.
I felt a bit helpless and trapped for a few seconds. So used to the freedom of my Van, or the closeness of everything on PEI. (where a 12 dollar cab ride is considered extreme. And her I am 50 dollars [by cab] from home!)
So I stumbled for only a brief moment, before remembering I used to own this area of the city, and should still have a phone number or two I can call for a favor.
30 seconds later I was hell toe expressing it to Casa De Vibe (Jesse Brown's spectacular downtown bachelor pad in the sky) and he had the Pizza Pizza with strip bacon ordered and on it's way!
:^D
So nice to know I'm still well taken care of in this city!
So I crashed at his place in the spare bedroom and woke up the next day downtown. Very comfortable indeed, but with a burning sense of urgency pulling be back to the Sauga. My Van was still not unpacked from the epic journey and I felt all but relaxed in Jesse's place.
I set off to try and figure the transit system out again. 4 years is a long fucking time to be away from this place. I feel overwhelmed by it again. I don't have a magic "get anywhere" card in my wallet (TTC Metropass). Nor do I have my routes memorized and able to be accomplished on autopilot. So I leave Jesse's with the goal of getting a coffee, and making it to the 1:20pm bus back to Mississauga.
Well, I got the coffee around 1:30, but didn't make the bus clearly. An hour walking around shooting photos slack jawed with my head cocked back, put me at the Go station at 2:22. Missed the second bus by 2 minutes. LOL Another 200 photos later and I made it for the 3:20 bus.
Got home around 4:20 and Ivan and I ordered some dinner. Thai food. Good thai food!
We finally unloaded the major items out of the back of my Van and things started to feel like home!
Then the most awesomesauce technological synergy happened. I've got my lappy set up in my bedroom/office. It's got my two monitors, my two hard drives, my tablet, and my bluetooth keyboard and mouse all set up.
I asked Ivan if there was a way I could bring my laptop into the livingroom and connect it to the 500 watt sound system when I wanted to play music in the main area. And he says, no need to bring it into the livingroom.
Seconds later, using existing plugs, (my room used to be his office) and cords already strung through a whole in the wall, I had my laptop connected, not only to the big stereo tuner, but also the big screen LCD!!!
THAT'S RIGHT!
So, without moving my computer out of my room, I'm able to take my bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse into the livinroom, and use my Mac on the 42 inch LCD TV, with the 500 Watt sound system, IN THE LIVINGROOM! There's an input channel on the TV and sound system for Ivan's PC in his room, and for my Mac in my room. You just press a button on the remote and both of us have our entire digital libraries accessible through the TV!
WOW!!!!!!
INSANITY!!!!!!
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!!!!!
I think I need to go make another single serving coffee in the futuristic wasteful over the top one shot disposable built in filter pack Jetson's coffee machine so I can build up the steam needed to finish this entry!
LOL
I need to tell more about the insane drive up to this place, and how the gas pedal of the Vanagon broke off on the highway when I was doing 120 behind two semi trucks with near 100% whiteout conditions.
I handled that one with gumption and gusto. But to say I still remained my annoyingly happy and calm self during that debacle would be a lie.
:^D
But I survived!! And made it!!!
I've got some pictures to upload. (138 gigs our of 460 done transferring from my old hard drive to my new one. I'll have room to upload them soon!)
Back to unpacking!
It's been 10 years since I first moved to Toronto. Galvanizing the incredibility of this reality is a lovely collection of thought to be forgotten pics from my Electric Circus days currently making their rounds on the Facebooks.
Thanks Candace!!! :^D
The timing of the posting of those pics is a bit of the divinity for certain. It's intense.
I got lost "downtown" yesterday. The city chewed me up and spit me out.
I'm so happy to have been gone for 4 years. The absence, and the addition of a camera, have given me back my sense of wonder and bewilderment. I'm looking UP again! Head forever tilted back! I was constantly looking up when I first got here. The buildings astounded me. Monuments to man's insatiable need for "progress"! I live in one now. 21st floor! (20 stories high. No 13th floor) I've got a KILLER view of Toronto from a safe hour away. But I ventured downtown to see John Connolly play an AMAZING show at the Cameron House on Queen West on Saturday night. It's was a fucking mission and a half! But well worth it. John played one of the more inspiring and intimate sets I've seen out of any musician. The venue and crowd were perfect, and unlike anything I'd ever seen here or in Charlottetown. The Cameron house was a trip in itself. A venue of extreme historical significance that I had previously never been in. I got there just in time to see him play too. Literally just enough time to order a pint and sit down before his first song! The Venue was a classic old bar. You could sense the years of joy and escapism that had been experienced within it's walls. Décore that was so long pasé that it made its way back to chic by default. The front room was nearly empty when I walked in. And other rooms were not evident. So I was worried. Strung out from 6 hours of driving, 5 of which had happened earlier that day, and having just payed the better part of a 50 dollar cab ride downtown from the Saug, I was more then a little bit drained by the time I hit the venue. When I walked in to a room with no more then 10 people in it, and some loungy breakbeats playing from some unseen location, I didn't have high hopes that I'd made it to the correct venue. But I asked the bartender and she told me that the band was playing "in the back".
Perfect!
I stumbled back in my tired stupor and was met by a ragged old curtain, which led down a hodgepoge hallway to another tattered and torn red velvet curtain. The second curtain parted to reveal a WONDERFUL scene. A TINY venue, but in stadium setup. The back room of the Cameron House is about the size of Baba's in PEI. But picture it on a slope with tables. So the back of the room is about 6-7 large long stretched out stairs higher then the stage.
I sat down up front after a now, at this point expected, solid hug from John. Asked him if I had enough time to slip back out front to grab a brew and his said of course!
Came back in and sat down to photograph one of the most intimate and deeply connected sets I've ever had the joy of seeing an artist perform.
By John's third song an owner of the venue was heard to tell the ridiculously cute girl working the cash that the venue was about 5 people over it's 75 person capacity already, and not to let anyone else in. :^)
John killed it. The crowd was pleasantly and surprisingly responsive, and I was moved by the passion and connection. He took the crowd on a maritime journey, and they followed with enthusiasm. Each song more warmly received then the previous. He explained the story behind each song, and the small crowed cooed and cawed in appreciation with each descriptive verse and powerful guitar solo.
The band sat down after the set and John played his encores alone.
He played his last song sitting down, unplugged at the front of the stage. The crowd aghast with anticipation as he rounded the first chorus, and all of us joining in glorious harmony as he sang it for the third time. It was like Sesame Street, he said "everyone sing along" and magically by the second time the chorus came around everyone knew it and sang along! I belted it out with unbridled enthusiasm.
Needless to say, in my tired state, my second beer set me over the top and I was hammered. I stuck around to soak up the shmoozing and smiling after the show, ran out of business cards, hugged John again, and stumbled out into the dark and cold airy noise of the early morning club district.
It was far too late for me to take transit back to Mississauga.
I felt a bit helpless and trapped for a few seconds. So used to the freedom of my Van, or the closeness of everything on PEI. (where a 12 dollar cab ride is considered extreme. And her I am 50 dollars [by cab] from home!)
So I stumbled for only a brief moment, before remembering I used to own this area of the city, and should still have a phone number or two I can call for a favor.
30 seconds later I was hell toe expressing it to Casa De Vibe (Jesse Brown's spectacular downtown bachelor pad in the sky) and he had the Pizza Pizza with strip bacon ordered and on it's way!
:^D
So nice to know I'm still well taken care of in this city!
So I crashed at his place in the spare bedroom and woke up the next day downtown. Very comfortable indeed, but with a burning sense of urgency pulling be back to the Sauga. My Van was still not unpacked from the epic journey and I felt all but relaxed in Jesse's place.
I set off to try and figure the transit system out again. 4 years is a long fucking time to be away from this place. I feel overwhelmed by it again. I don't have a magic "get anywhere" card in my wallet (TTC Metropass). Nor do I have my routes memorized and able to be accomplished on autopilot. So I leave Jesse's with the goal of getting a coffee, and making it to the 1:20pm bus back to Mississauga.
Well, I got the coffee around 1:30, but didn't make the bus clearly. An hour walking around shooting photos slack jawed with my head cocked back, put me at the Go station at 2:22. Missed the second bus by 2 minutes. LOL Another 200 photos later and I made it for the 3:20 bus.
Got home around 4:20 and Ivan and I ordered some dinner. Thai food. Good thai food!
We finally unloaded the major items out of the back of my Van and things started to feel like home!
Then the most awesomesauce technological synergy happened. I've got my lappy set up in my bedroom/office. It's got my two monitors, my two hard drives, my tablet, and my bluetooth keyboard and mouse all set up.
I asked Ivan if there was a way I could bring my laptop into the livingroom and connect it to the 500 watt sound system when I wanted to play music in the main area. And he says, no need to bring it into the livingroom.
Seconds later, using existing plugs, (my room used to be his office) and cords already strung through a whole in the wall, I had my laptop connected, not only to the big stereo tuner, but also the big screen LCD!!!
THAT'S RIGHT!
So, without moving my computer out of my room, I'm able to take my bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse into the livinroom, and use my Mac on the 42 inch LCD TV, with the 500 Watt sound system, IN THE LIVINGROOM! There's an input channel on the TV and sound system for Ivan's PC in his room, and for my Mac in my room. You just press a button on the remote and both of us have our entire digital libraries accessible through the TV!
WOW!!!!!!
INSANITY!!!!!!
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!!!!!
I think I need to go make another single serving coffee in the futuristic wasteful over the top one shot disposable built in filter pack Jetson's coffee machine so I can build up the steam needed to finish this entry!
LOL
I need to tell more about the insane drive up to this place, and how the gas pedal of the Vanagon broke off on the highway when I was doing 120 behind two semi trucks with near 100% whiteout conditions.
I handled that one with gumption and gusto. But to say I still remained my annoyingly happy and calm self during that debacle would be a lie.
:^D
But I survived!! And made it!!!
I've got some pictures to upload. (138 gigs our of 460 done transferring from my old hard drive to my new one. I'll have room to upload them soon!)
Back to unpacking!
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