s h ! n d ! d

• I’ve started to collect and display real art work from my fave international artists and friends.
• Painted my entire abode colours to my choosing.
• Bought a cute tea set!

Gigiddy Gigiddy.

420: The term 420 originated at San Rafael High School, in 1971, among a group of about a dozen pot-smoking wiseacres who called themselves the Waldos, who are now pushing 50. The term was shorthand for the time of day the group would meet, at the campus statue of Louis Pasteur, to smoke pot. Intent on developing their own discreet language, they made 420 code for a time to get high, and its use spread among members of an entire generation. So there ya go, someone’s parents out there invented the term 4/20.

Vancouver is very very proud of it’s B.C bud. April 20th, 2008 saw the celebration of all things Mary Jane related. I was shopping for DVDs when I stumbled upon 6,000 odd people and a smelly smoke cloud over the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG - for short!). I had no idea how open Vancouver was about weed until I got here… I’d say it’s attitude is probably only second to Amsterdam with it’s cafes and all. I don’t have fancy photos like on Tim’s site, but my camera phone is handy.

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There’s definitely a flavour or a tone about Australian videos (and even film for that matter) that sets them apart.
I’ve noticed it has a lot to do with colour grading into cooler temperatures/drowned colours, darker lighting and mixing a lot of motion graphics into live footage. I like videos that are a little crafty - especially to pretty heart felt songs… I’m probably completely biased cos I miss Rage so much.

I’ve been trying to get into some new music of late and have found it incredibly difficult. I don’t know whether I’m just being resistant to the new, or if it’s because I don’t have much time to concentrate on them, the fact that I have to listen to small earphones on the ipod (as opposed to great speakers from a real life tangible CD), OR cos there are just sooo many songs to listen to.

edit - I just noticed that both posted videos are heavily focused on puppeteering… Another current visual meme/trend, I guess?

The Forbidden Kingdom cast

Monkey Magic!

I’m currently too lazy to make it out to a camera swap meet in Burnaby. It’s too far and I just lugged a bed from Downtown… - yep, just checked it on Google Maps, and it’s definitely too far for a commuter. I really am considering moving closer downtown or West. I don’t have any business in the East. It just takes too long to get to work and play. Though I like the abundance of cheap Asian stores and restaurants.

Speaking of Asian (a topic I am well aware of dawdling over); last night I watched the new Jet Li/Jackie Chan Hollywood film The Forbidden Kingdom (after seeing THE Daniel Johnston live - pics of which will follow soon). The film itself was pretty silly, but cute cos they take the piss out of so many kung-fu/martial arts films before it. My favourite dopey eyed gutless “loser” kid is in it too - Michael Angarano of Snow Angels and SKY HIGH! It also uses the Monkey King story. That then reminded me to go buy the Monkey Magic boxsets - DID YOU KNOW: Canadians don’t have the same love affair of the classic Monkey Magic the way Aussies do?! It and King Arthur were my favourite heroes when I was a young’n grownin’ up in the ‘burbs. I remember making sure I got home after school each afternoon in time for The Afternoon Show with Michael Tunn to watch Inspector Gadget and Monkey, Piggsy and co. I even pretended to do the migraine thing the androgynous lil’ priest use to do to Monkey. Loved the dubbing. So bad it was good. [Read more]

Yes, I am a little slow on the uptake sometimes. Dexter the TV series (based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay) is about a Forensics cop by the name of Dexter who is also a serial killer when he’s not on duty. It’s been screening since 2006 and I have been told repeatedly by everyone to watch it since I got to Vancouver. Tonight was the night. Moonlight wasn’t working (a new series about vampires starring Shannyn Sossamon - go figure), so I tried it out. And it turns out I like the blood, the gore, the twisted sense of dark dark witty humour, but more surprisingly his frank openness to admit he’s completely disconnected with the rest of society - his inability to empathise. Though sometimes it seems he is or can, he just chooses to over-analyse it and thereby not recognise it as something he’s capable of possessing.

He sums it up: “All you can do is play along at life, and hope that sometimes you get it right.”
And: “My sister hides who she really is so she doesn’t look like she cares, I hide who I really am so it does.”

The best bits of the show are when he totally wins at being an ethical serial killer and a freakishly nerdy forensics cop, but immediately after fails as a human being. He’s very awkward and distant most of the time - and he knows it. Sometimes it feels so genuine and funny, it’s almost like the writers are sharing a personal joke with you. (The writers include Scott Buck and Drew Greenberg of Six Feet Under and Buffy/Angel amongst others.) And I wonder; does the success and cult following of a show of this nature and humour signify the growing disconnection we feel in our ever technically connected lifestyle? Has growing up with politically incorrect cartoons (now banned) and Tim Burton-esque films made me a subversive cynical person? Or is my generation just more aware of this? Is this just my generation? What will my politicians be like in another 10-15 years?

Dexter stars Michael C. Hall (David from Six Feet Under) and is somewhere between SVU and American Psycho. I don’t know how the show passes censors, but damn it I’m glad it does. Films can’t get away with this kind of subject matter anymore; where good wicked humour is under the guise of vigilante justice for the ethically minded serial killer - it’s only in TV that they can have the freedom to explore the really sinister side of ourselves. Of course, Dexter is still very lovable as he only kills “bad” guys.

Biked round me hood - East Van yesterday. I’ve decided to make a pin-hole camera experiment in the coming days. Will take more of my new environment then. Tried to find a park I saw earlier in the month, but couldn’t. Shame. Coulda had a few curious shots. Ever so slowly getting back into my images.

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