s h ! n d ! d

DON’T LOOK AT ME, I’M HIDEOUS!!!

So I have this theory that preeeeeetty soon, John Mayer will be the younger, slightly saner, musical Tom Cruise… minus the Scientology.

I love the dude, but he’s going a bit nutso at the moment. He’s always been a bit of a showman, a comedian, writer, performer, muso. And now it’s all going full throttle with his celeb status. See the new tattoo? Crazy Japanese style sleeve over his left arm incorporating his old tatts. Fair enough, technically a nice tatt. But JOHN MAYER doesn’t get sleeve tatts! It’s John Mayer! (I still love the three boxes on his right arm, one of my fave concepts ever for tattooage). Plus there’s a new faux-hawk. I’m not diggin’ this new “cool” style. And the Jennifer Aniston thing (well, I don’t really have too much of an opinion on that), but the dude seems to have too much time on his hand.

Go make that new album already!

(update: looking for computer bags I stumbled onto this, from JM’s recent holiday through Nippon. I think it’s funny as a JM fan, that I am more jealous that he is friends with incase, rather than the other way…)

• 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]