Tea and figs

Big news

2010-08-10T11:12:00.001-04:00

There comes a time when you find yourself gazing across the breakfast table at your partner's lovely, toast-becrumbed face, and you smile. You thumb the handle of your coffee mug and think, "I am looking at the love of my life. I want to watch this face grow old, and, if they ever want to leave, it should be difficult and involve a lot of paperwork."

So it was with Jer and Meg, and one day that one writer turned to another lovingly and said:

"Dyawanna?"

And she said, "um, ok."

So, dear friends (and if you're reading this, that includes you), we wanted to share the news with you in a way slightly more personal than a Facebook status change: We're getting hitched.

We don't have any other answers, but here's what we're pretty sure of...

1. We know what you're thinking: "god dammit, another wedding?" and we share the sentiment. So we will not spend the next year blathering on about invites and doilies and all that stuff. And there won't be any cutesy-themed parties. (We both prefer showers of the "I've been out dancing all night and I'm sweaty and I need a shower" variety.)

2. Meg refuses to wear white. That gig is up.

3. There won't be a giant, poofy wedding. It's going to be a very small thing with family. But we promise that after the formalities, we'll have a big party for all, of the dance-your-face-off-all-night-till-you're-so-sweaty-you-need-a-shower type. So we guess there will be a shower, after all.

All our love,

M&J

This is the week that my hair tries to escape

2009-08-05T11:51:00.005-04:00

August 3 - 10: This is the week that my hair tries to escape

It's been working on these plans for years, really. And no one can blame it. It's endured horrific abuse at the hands of "professionals" for years: mousses, scissors, curling irons. At the end, it was made to look like a poodle, it was teased, it was beaten into submission. I may have split its ends, but I've never broken its spirit. And now it wants out.

I thought this was the usual rebellious phase that it goes through whenever the weather gets humid. I thought that maybe it would just go all pouffy and then send a few brave but tired souls down my bathroom drain again, to freedom. But this time, it's different. It's been saving its strength. And it's not going to take it anymore.

The week that the robot insects descend from the trees

2009-07-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

July 21 - 27: The week that the robot insects descend from the trees

What's that? A cicada? Wrong. It's not a giant, whirring insect; it's a tiny, deadly robot. It is, as yet, unclear what the little guy wants. But watch out for him, he's up to no good.

This is the week that the spiders test their boundaries

2009-07-12T14:04:00.006-04:00

July 14 - 20 - This is the week that the spiders test their boundaries

We've been having a pretty good go of it, spider. Yes, our relationship is a little co-dependent. You need me not to sweep you into the dustpan, give you the autonomy to build webs as you see fit, and keep the birds away. In exchange, I need you to eat the insects that really just want to land on my face while I sleep. I mean, it's my sunporch, I figure you have squatter's rights. You've been doing a fairly good job holding up your end of the bargain:

So why have you chosen this week to test the boundaries of our relationship? Did you think I would not notice the egg sac? OK, I did not notice the egg sac. And I even allowed one of the mini spiders make a tiny web around the base of my bedside lamp. But that is getting very close to my limit, spider. You have seven days to clean up your act. Be warned.

This is the week when the fruit flies are defeated

2009-07-07T11:52:00.000-04:00

July 7-13: This is the week when the fruit flies are defeated.

For weeks, they have been everywhere. Even after I got rid of all the fruit. The fruit flies were teeming, and they were trying cause great madness. So minute as to almost be a hallucination, they rose in great clouds from lemon rinds and the lips of glasses, inspiring fits of waving and coughing. Some might see this attack as opportunism: the flies, noting the municipal garbage strike, had seized upon the chance. But I possess evidence, which I have no doubt will prove admissible in court, that this plot predates the city's smelly woes.

The only thing that stood in our favour was that the summer has yet to bloom into unbearable heat. Had that happened, I have no doubt that this year, the flies would have prevailed. Dizzy from the heat and faint from the putrid fumes of our own refuse, we would have been overwhelmed as the flies numbered into the millions and beyond.

We have emerged victorious, for now. But the next wave lie in wait, blueprints at the ready. Remain vigilant.

Picnic in the grasses

2009-07-05T17:34:00.005-04:00

This is the week of the great slug conference

2009-07-01T11:29:00.009-04:00

June 28 to July 4: the week of the great slug conference.

On my way home, I passed four of them, silently stretching their way across the pavement. With every step, I feared the squish-pop under my shoe. These slugs were out for business. Surely, they would seek revenge.

I don't know what world event provoked such a meeting. There are safer things for a leopard slug to do than try to cross the road at midnight on a dark street. Perhaps the news of Michael Jackson's death just reached them. Perhaps they were on the long pilgrimage to a good viewpoint for the Canada Day fireworks (you know how slugs love fireworks). Perhaps this is the week when all slugs everywhere go back to the ravine and let the raccoons keep the city streets.

I made a book

2009-06-21T13:32:00.003-04:00

Phew. Finally, the book has arrived!

Stacey and I have been working on the book for more than a year, but it's done! The launch party is Tuesday at the Gladstone -- a This Is Not A Reading Series event hosted by Pages Books. The waves of nauseating anxiety are starting to subside. (I bought a really cute skirt from Peach Berserk to wear to the prom part of the evening, so I'm starting to look forward to the launch without needing to get some air.)

Come party.

Hurray, hurray, it's finally here!

2009-05-22T11:13:00.005-04:00

The Shameless book is finally here!

This is our beautiful cover, designed by the talented Sheila Sampath. Press release for our launch party is below.

SHE’S SHAMELESS / SHE’S WRITING
What media event five years ago transformed the lives of teenaged girls across North America? Here’s a clue: it had nothing to do with a boy wizard or the misadventures of trust fund brats. In June of 2004, Shameless, a magazine for “girls who get it”, first appeared on newsstands. Megan Griffith-Greene and Stacey May Fowles have assembled She’s Shameless: Women write about growing up, rocking out, and fighting back (Tightrope Books). To celebrate the launch of the inaugural Shameless collection, such contributors as Zoe Whittall and Shannon Gerard will perform short pieces. Five teenaged girls will join them on-stage and present monologues from a writing workshop conducted that afternoon by acclaimed writer and teacher Ibi Kaslik. The evening will conclude with an early ‘90s-themed, Sadie Hawkins prom, featuring a noted local DJ. – A This is Not A Reading Series event presented by Pages Books & Magazines, Tightrope Books, Shameless, NOW Magazine, Gladstone Hotel and Take Five On CIUT.

Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St West, Toronto
Tues June 23; 8pm (doors 7:30pm) $5 (Free with Book Purchase)

SHE’S SHAMELESS: Co-editors Megan Griffith-Greene and Stacey May Fowles have compiled She’s Shameless: Women write about growing up, rocking out, and fighting back, an anthology of fearless and funny non-fiction about strong, smart and shameless young women. With wit and honesty, the writers share stories of their teen experiences (both positive and negative) on everything from pop culture to high school principals. The book is founded on Shameless magazine's tradition of smart, sassy, honest and inclusive writing, and reaches out to young female readers who are often ignored by mainstream: freethinkers, queer youth, young women of colour, punk rockers, feminists, intellectuals, artists, and activists.

SHE’S WRITING: Acclaimed writer and educator Ibi Kaslik will conduct a late afternoon workshop at The Gladstone Hotel with five teenaged girls from across Toronto. Kaslik will guide the emerging writers through the process of creating a short piece. The girls will present their five monologues later that evening at the launch for She’s Shameless.

STACEY MAY FOWLES is an author, journalist and editor. She has contributed to numerous online and print periodicals, Open Book Toronto and The Walrus Magazine. Her first novel, Be Good, was published to wide acclaim. Most recently, she collaborated with artist Marlena Zuber on the illustrated novel, Fear Of Fighting She is the publisher of Shameless magazine. Fowles lives in Toronto.

SHANNON GERARD is an author and educator. Gerard’s recent installation Playing Doctor brought together various components of her multimedia projects, Boobs and Dinks: Early Detection Kits. She teaches a course at The Ontario College Of Art. For more info, visit: www.shannongerard.etsy.com

MEGAN GRIFFITH-GREENE is a writer and editor. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Shameless magazine, a Contributing Editor at Chatelaine, and the former Editor / Designer of The New Pollution. Her work has appeared in such publications as The Walrus and THIS Magazine. Griffith-Greene has long been an active advocate of youth rights, social justice and education issues. She lives in Toronto.

IBI KASLIK is a writer, journalist, and teacher. She graduated with her master’s degree in Creative Writing from Concordia University and her short stories and articles have appeared in literary magazines such as Matrix and Geist. Kaslik’s debut novel, Skinny, was shortlisted for Amazon's Best First novel award and the CLA Best Young Adult book is her second book, The Angel Riots, is her critically acclaimed follow-up, called “beautiful” by the Globe and Mail. Kaslik has taught creative writing in a variety of settings, notably high schools and The University Of Toronto. She lives in Toronto.

ZOE WHITTALL is a widely respected poet, novelist and performer. Her bestselling debut novel Bottle Rocket Hearts was on the Globe & Mail’s “Best Of Year “list. Whittall won the Dayne Ogilvie Award for Best Emerging Gay Writer in Canada, and was selected by NOW Magazine as emerging author of the year. Her poetry books include Precordial Thump. Whittall lives in Toronto.

Visit: www.shamelessmag.com and www.pagesbooks.ca

Stay in touch with your culture: join the This Is Not A Reading Series Facebook group

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Shameless: Stacey May Fowles, staceymayfowles@shamelessmag.com
Ibi Kaslik / This Is Not A Reading Series: Chris Reed, tinars@pagesbooks.ca, (416) 598-1447 ext 221

Random acts of Google

2008-12-19T10:55:00.004-05:00

Urg. Haven't blogged in a while, but there's nothing like a snowstorm to inspire a little typing.

Yes, it's white outside, completely white, with progressively fainter outlines of trees, chimneys, rooftops. Molly Johnson is singing on the radio.

Let's recap: where are we? My website desperately needs an update, and probably a fresh design (though I still love the frames). Poked around a bit in the stats today, and found out that in addition to people Googling my name (I am the only one), here are some of the search terms that people are using to find me:

scrunched nipples
gandhi's tortoise
cartoon ninja dance
fisheries unions chikura japan
genius percentile
milking herself
crude sextant
sextant of the old north church
megan griffiths on page 3
ninja rice cookies hammer
manx speakers
penny farthing builders australia
how to sit for the scholatic aptiude test in ghana accra
is harriet the tortoise still alive
show dandi in gujarat state in the indian map
ninja theyre everywhere

My favourite; that last one. My lease favourite? Maybe "milking herself".

Here's my current view. More soon.

xo m

You are lost

2008-01-06T18:10:00.000-05:00

The text for my piece in the December issue of The Walrus is up. For interested parties: Let's Get Lost.

NXNE x 2 + 3

2007-06-10T21:00:00.000-04:00

After three crazy nights, my NXNE trip is over for another year. But I am pretty pleased by this year's adventure. Only a few misses. Nights two and three went as follows:

FRIDAY:
UltraMagnus
Spiral Beach
Dance Yourself to Death
Five Hot Bitches

Had to leave the last one, I'm afraid. I like Peaches (and some of her derivatives), but at the end of night #2, just couldn't get into the headspace necessary to tolerate a band who were screaming at me.

SATURDAY:

Always be prepared, and when it's a hot ticket show like Saturday's lineup at the Horseshoe, go ridiculously early. We were there at 8, had a table, and were laughing and drinking beer while the throngs lined up around the block to get in. Lineup was:

The United Steelworkers of Montreal
Oh Bijou
Sebastien Grainger
We Say Party, You Say Die

Good times, good music, and good to have seats with the place packed. Oh Bijou was my favourite. After hearing Casey play the NP acoustic set a few weeks ago, I thought the band would be like a bunch of balloons blowing around the backyard in the sunlight. And while the band was heavier than I thought they would be (maybe balloons filled with water?), the result was just as delightful as I had hoped.

Last year I gave up mid-festival, tired of lines, and only seeing bands that I already knew and liked. This year was great: saw some fantastic shows, ran into friends, only waited in one line, and got some nice story ideas out of the mix.

NXNE

2007-06-08T13:34:00.000-04:00

Last night I explored the grungy, uneven depths of NXNE, managing to get to three venues and more than one decent show. Which, given past years, is an accomplishment.

Started off with Jer & Dani at The Gladstone to see Hey Ocean!, a Vancouver band that continues to impress. The music is an unusual mix of jazz, funk, r&b, pop, and fantastic performance. Very high energy, fun, inventive and musically rich -- they could play Massey Hall with such a professional set, I'm convinced. There are some songs kicking around on their myspace, I think, but the live set blows away the recorded stuff completely.

From there, we rushed to Reverb to see Spookey Ruben -- which was maybe more of an exercise in musical nostalgia than anything else. Haven't seen Spookey perform in something like seven or eight years, but his style remains distinctive. I had a very happy moment watching the show, remembering getting into music in high school and going around to see local bands. Seriously, if anyone has any Dig Circus or Leslie Spit Tree-o kicking around, I'll be set in adolescent memory. It was gratifying to remember that we liked good music back in the day. Spookey's style hasn't changed much, but that's kind of gratifying.

We hung around after with Spookey (who knows Danielle through an incredibly complex tangle involving exes). Watched Jason Faulkner (the man + guitar thing is pretty flat with an electric guitar and not too interesting). Met Dave Foley (cool) and his creepy lawyer-producer friend (who kept commenting on how girls' looks were working for them and talking about L.A.).

A slight tangent. I do not understand the appeal of L.A. I have a beautiful image of California, constructed of wisps of Joni Mitchell songs, Joan Didion prose and Lawrence Ferlinghetti and his dog. Why anyone would move to a town where young stars imagine themselves as bohemian in vapidly self-referential "art" movies like Don's Plum is beyond me.

I escaped at around 1 and cabbed it to Lee's where I hung out with Jason, caught the end of Ron Sexsmith and the whole sexy Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet show at 2. Amazing. Great show. Perfection. Skipped out on Blue Rodeo.

Surprisingly good times for NXNE. More tonight.

Shameless plug

2007-06-08T13:31:00.001-04:00

Hey,

Little article written about me in the National Post a few weeks ago [link].

Kind of happy about it, though the last question still strikes me as incredibly bizarre. And I was flattered that they wanted to write about me, but I do find it funny that they managed to label me both "activist" and "radical" in the display copy.

Party !

2007-04-10T14:00:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

Come out to the Shameless launch at the NOW Lounge on April 21 from 1-5. It's all ages, and there will be live music, free cake and punch, among other exciting goings-on.

Shameless !

2007-04-06T14:59:00.000-04:00

So word is finally out: I'm taking over as Editor of Shameless magazine, starting with the summer issue. It's been in the works for a while, and it's great to finally be able to talk about it openly.

Nicole and Melinda have been unbelievably generous about giving up their baby, and the three of us have been working together to assemble a great team. And you can look forward to more Shameless in the future: we're planning new editorial sections, more content and features on the website, and some great events and workshops.

And we're having a big party. We're launching the new issue (Spring) at the NOW Lounge on April 21 from 1-5. It's all ages, and there will be live music, free cake and punch, among other exciting goings-on.

More soon.

New Pollution #12

2007-04-06T14:54:00.000-04:00

New issue is up -- with pieces on Grizzly Bear, The Wooden Stars and The Carps, and a brand new podcast, of course. I took the pics for this issue, too -- it's a treasure-filled dollar-store extravaganza. The Maraschino cherries on the photography page are my favourite.

On a related note: anyone who is in need of a bird-shaped candle holder, fake flowers, plastic parachuting men, or who happens to like Maraschino cherries, get in touch and they're all yours...

Zoi Zoi

2007-02-25T11:36:00.000-05:00

Went out to fete Paul's birthday last night and we ended up at Zoi Zoi at Rancho. Now, call me conservative, but I think that dancing in Toronto hasn't been the same since Blow Up left the El Mo and the managers turned it into a dance studio (the only hint of the old El Mo was some bathroom graffiti which read "the new El Mo sucks").

Zoi Zoi is the best dance party I've been to in a long time. It's a night of French music: psychedelic bubblegum pop, rap, disco, new wave and soul. Tout en Francais! Magnifique!

Happy birthday to us

2007-02-25T11:34:00.000-05:00

The new issue of The New Pollution went up yesterday. It's our birthday issue -- I can't believe it's been a year since we started the mag in my living room. Jason let us use his fantastic photos from Buenos Aires for the main pages, and we have great shots of Geoff Berner from some friends out West. And--no bias here--Jer wrote a terrific story about Wayne Petti, the Cuff the Duke frontman who's just launched a solo project. Anyway, check out the issue at www.thenewpollution.net. And come to our party, Friday, March 2, 10:00 p.m. at Sneaky Dee's. The new print issue will be out, and there will be cupcakes too !

Birthday extravaganza

2007-02-22T21:31:00.000-05:00

Next Friday, The New Pollution
celebrates its first birthday. And it's second print issue. And the second time that I'm going to make cupcakes until my kitchen breaks.

Come to the party.

March 2
10:00 pm
Sneaky Dee's (College & Bathurst)
special guests A/V, Ultramagnus and The Carps
$8

What I've been doing

2007-02-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

Hey,

It's been a while since I've posted, but just a quick update to explain what's going on. I've been busy transitioning (yes, that word is very ugly when used as a verb) to a new job, training my replacements and psyching my body up to a (nearly) full-time work schedule.

As of next Monday, I'm taking a research role at Chatelaine. I don't help triple-test the recipes, but basically will become the Guardian of Truth for everything else.

The New Pollution print issue #2 went to press this week, and the new web issue is on the cusp of launching. There will be a big-ass party to celebrate our first birthday and our second print baby on March 2, so save the date and I'll send around details soon.

In non-work related news, Jer & I have rediscovered the joys of tobogganing, which is just really damn fun. Last night, we went out to see Radio Vault, a comedy troupe that tapes a podcast in front of a live audience. Quite funny by the end, I recommend listening to the show.

More news soon! And pictures! And words!

xoMGG

Chap spectacular

2007-01-30T17:45:00.000-05:00

Deguerrotype from the most recent outing of the Upper Canada Chap Society:

Gin was drunk, vulgoisie was suppressed (if only within our immediate vicinity), and the bar wenches at the Royal York Library Bar seemed impressed with our presence, and willing, after some persuasion, to concoct some reasonable glasses of Pimm's. The event, to welcome home one Oscar Wildeflower III (student of man) from his adventures among the cads and criminals of the far continent, was rich with both tweeds and rebellion.

I just died

2007-01-19T12:01:00.000-05:00

I've always been fascinated by the practice of advance obituaries, when newspapers pre-write obits for prominent figures and TV networks prepare mini-docs ready to drop on air the minute someone drops dead. The Queen Mum's obit was, reportedly, first written 63 years before she actually died. Bob Hope's obit was accidentally released on to the wire years before his death, which amused Hope. When I interviewed a producer at CBC's the National several years ago, there was a tape marked "Pope obit" sitting atop a stack on on his desk.

It's kind of the best and the worst about the media in general. Sure, news outlets are on the ball, ready to go with instant information, but you don't have to be superstitious to find the practice more than a little cold, even macabre.

The New York Times have decided to be a little more open, talking with old people about how they want to be remembered. They've posted a video obit of the recently departed humour writer Art Buchwald. And Buchwald opens with the line "Hi. I'm Art Buchwald, and I just died."

[Link]

Split-pea soup

2007-01-13T22:21:00.000-05:00

I made split-pea soup this afternoon, and damnit if it's not the most comforting thing you can put in your belly, and incredibly cheap to make. So, since I know that many of you are having as swamped and stressful a January as I am, here's a recipe to make you all feel a bit better.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried green split peas
4 cups water
2 cups broth or stock (I use chicken broth from a can, undiluted)
1/2 cup white wine, if you have it handy
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
3/4 cup carrots, chopped how you like 'em
1 medium-sized chunk smoked Portuguese bacon or salt pork (if you're vegetarian, or this item scares you, skip it, but I'd use more stock and less water to bump up the flavour a bit)
2 bay leaves
a few sprigs thyme or savory

Directions:

Cook onion in a big pot in a bit of olive oil, and throw in a bit of salt and a serious dash of pepper. Add carrot, bay leaves, and herbs. Swirl it around until fragrant and soft.

Throw in the rest of the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, lid on, at a low heat for a bit more than an hour, until mushy.

This part is a bit subjective: take a look at the soup, and see how runny it is. If you like it plaster-thick, then take the lid off and boil away some of the liquid.

Remove the chunks of pork or bacon and the bay leaves.

Ladle some of the soup (about 1/3 of it) into a food processor and puree. This will thicken the soup, but don't puree all of it or you'll end up with monotonous baby food.

When the bacon is cool, separate the fat from the meat, chop up the meat and throw back in the soup.

Enjoy.

Volver

2007-01-12T19:15:00.000-05:00

This has been a head-down-keep-working week punctuated by a breaths to keep my social skills from sinking evermore into the mud. Wednesday, Laura & I saw Volver, the new Pedro Almodovar movie. I loved All About My Mother and the sublime Talk to her a little more than Bad Education, but I think Volver tops them. What is so remarkable about Almodovar's films are his amazing characters -- particularly the women. Strong, proud, even ridiculous, and most amazing -- in Volver especially -- are the women who have suffered through some incredible shit, and are still funny, vibrant characters. They don't walk around in a fog of pain; they aren't martyrs or saints because of it.

Volver is essentially about ghosts, both literal and figurative. Don't read any plot summaries, see it fresh; the only thing I'll say is that Penelope Cruz is so much better in subtitles than in English. And even the closing subtitles are breathtaking.

Media liars

2007-01-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

Something has been bothering me about the Emily Haines concert the other night. About midway though the show, Haines was introducing the song "The Maid Needs a Maid" and she said (to paraphrase):

"You don't believe the media reports that say that this is a feminist retelling of 'The Man Needs a Maid,' do you?"

To which one enlightened soul in the audience yelled:

"The media lies."

First of all, it sits poorly with me that Haines should be so distressed to be labeled a feminist that she feels the need to deny this to her audience.

But I am also tired of hearing that bland, ill-informed, sweeping misstatement "the media lies." I'm both a member of the "media" (in as much as there is membership) and the holder of very progressive political values, and I make apology for neither. And there is nothing I hate more than hearing progressives make arguments that lack nuance and intelligence. There are fundamental, systemic imbalances in media coverage, but surely there is a more refined position on media literacy than "the media lies."

Part of the issue, I think, is that many of the people who've cornered me at parties and demanded that media bias is a solid fact, do not seem to understand the difference between opinion (columnists and editorials) and news writing.

Also, one thing I don't quite get about this argument is who exactly is doing the lying. I've worked for a bunch of different magazines and have friends throughout the media, and let me break the stunning news here: they're not that organized. There really is no secret meeting place where freelance writers or high-ranking editors drink scotch and muse over the policies they will set for administrations, instead, they usually work in sweatpants and fret over the minutae of industry gossip.

And, I'm quite certain that "the conspiracy" wouldn't include music journalists, anyway.

I spent a year working for two professors on a research project on media bias, and the arguments that do exists (on both sides) tend to be faulty and incomplete. For example, you can demonstrate the political beliefs of journalists at various levels, but you need to also make the leap to see how, qualitatively, those attitudes influence their coverage. Many of the studies (as far as I remember) that correlate news coverage and media ownership or journalists' attitudes are inconclusive, and when they're not, they're yelling loudly from both sides of the debate.

The research that I find most illuminating is that of Herbert Gans, who argued in 1979 that media bias exists in the myths we retell and how we recognize a good story. Here's a section on his ideas from a piece on the subject in the Columbia Journalism Review:

In his 1979 book Deciding What's News, the Columbia sociologist Herbert Gans defined what he called the journalist's "paraideology," which, he says, unconsciously forms and strengthens much of what we think of as news judgment. This consists largely of a number of "enduring values" - such as "altruistic democracy" and "responsible capitalism" - that are reformist, not partisan. "In reality," Gans writes, "the news is not so much conservative or liberal as it is reformist; indeed, the enduring values are very much like the values of the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century."

...

John Laurence distills Gans's paraideology into simpler terms: "We are for honesty, fairness, courage, humility. We are against corruption, exploitation, cruelty, criminal behavior, violence, discrimination, torture, abuse of power, and many other things."

...

Gans, though, notes a key flaw in the journalist's paraideology. "Journalists cannot exercise news judgment," he writes, "without a composite of nation, society, and national and social institutions in their collective heads, and this picture is an aggregate of reality judgments . . . In doing so, they cannot leave room for the reality judgments that, for example, poor people have about America; nor do they ask, or even think of asking, the kinds of questions about the country that radicals, ultraconservatives, the religiously orthodox, or social scientists ask as a result of their reality judgments."

Of course, doesn't participatory media negate the effect all of this? So, enlightened-girl-at-concert, shut up and blog.

NP10

2007-01-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

Here we go again ... issue 10 is now up, with stories on Of Montreal, All Of Your Friends, The Broken West and a wee photoessay on Wakefield, Quebec's rural indie hotspot The Black Sheep Inn. And the main pictures on the site are wonderful, weird pictures of ducks. Check it out. [Link]

Emily Haines

2007-01-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

Jason & I went to see Emily Haines last night at the Danforth Music Hall. We arrived to find a line snaking around the block, but managed to snag some pretty good seats. The concert was terrific, much better than Metric's show. I saw Metric maybe two years ago at the Mod Club, but found the show very contrived, plastic, choreographed. But last night, Haines was funny, disarming, intimate, and her solo work is more vulnerable and less detached than Metric. I've found a lot of solo breakaway work disappointing -- I thought Amy Millan's show was enormously dull, and I'll take The New Pornographers and Rilo Kiley over Neko Case and Jenny Lewis on their own any day -- but I could listen to Haines' voice forever.

Karaoke

2007-01-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

Friday night, we piled into a sports bar at St. Clair & Dufferin for karaoke and to celebrate Sarah L.'s birthday. Despite my insistance that private-room karaoke reigns supreme, this was a damn good time, and for most of the night, it was only us (and one random karaoke idol) at the mics. Above, Douglas, Josh & Jer as the Soggy Bottom Boys. Douglas's take on the Darkness takes my personal prize for Most Brilliant Moment, though Roopa gets the title of Karaoke Queen for her George Michael impersonation.

After, Josh, Steph, Jer & I cabbed to the Dance Cave. Talked to pyjama man, who gave us stickers and took his picture with us (it was his birthday). Haven't been there in a year, but, fans will be happy to know that the music has not changed. At all. It's sort of comforting.

For those who have never been dance cavers, pyjama man is a mystery. It's almost as though Dance Cave is a vocation for him -- I don't think I have ever been there, in the past five years, and not seen him, either on Friday or Saturday. In pyjamas. (I think he must change there, since I've never seen him on the streets in his flannels.) I don't know who he is, and probably wouldn't recognize him if I met him, sans-pjs. Why does he do it? How did it start? Isn't he hot, dancing to Franz Ferdinand in flannel?

Paper dolls

2007-01-04T12:46:00.000-05:00

Found an amazing site of paper dolls you can dress up in fantastic outfits. You can dress up Alexander the Great, Frida Kahlo, several eras of Jackie O, as well as your favourite literary heros and heroines. Seen here: Hedy LaMarr, movie star and inventor -- whose scientific innovations in the 40s led to cell phone technology, among other things... [Link]

I can tell the future

2007-01-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

A guilty pleasure, fine, but I love New Year's horoscopes. Yes, the zodiac is inane, unless you are a genuine fire dragon (which just kicks some ass). So, inspired by Mir, here's what my year as a fire dragon promises:

Fire Dragon - Your vivaciousness of mind and the rapidity of your reflexes will be surprising. However, your close ones will have a hard time following you, and you can't bear their slowness and their indecision. Be more tolerant.

Beware, close ones, of my vivaciousness of mind! Damn, I hope this isn't telling me to cut down on coffee.

J town

2006-12-15T09:44:00.000-05:00

The delightful Julia + John are in town starting tonight. Oh, there will be revelry.

Pan

2006-12-15T09:27:00.000-05:00

We saw Pan's Labyrinth last night, and I still feel as though I'm recovering. I loved the film, though I'm not sure I could watch it again. It's a kind of inverted children's story (and definitely not for children). What I mean is that the harsh reality that causes children to produce escapist fantasy lands (WWII in Narnia, horrible relatives in everything Roald Dahl ever wrote) is displayed in full, brutal detail. The film takes place in rural Spain during the civil war, as a girl and her fragile, pregnant mother go to live with her new husband, who's a captain in Franco's army. Del Toro paints monsters (both real and imagined) with nightmarish clarity -- and Jer thought that the Captain was the best evil character he has seen in a long time. Don't go to this film expecting a fairy tale; this is a story about how war affects children, and left me quite emotionally raw.

Svensk!

2006-12-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

New Pollution managing editor Paul Gagnon is hosting this kick-ass night of Swedish music tonight. If you aren't busy tonight, pop by the Sparrow for some Roxette.

CYD

2006-12-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

My friend Mike sent this around recently, and I think it's a reasonable, straightforward request. I was with him on one of the Queen Street jogs, shocking that alongside GAP and other megaretailers, one of the offenders was Pages Books.

I am disturbed by the number of retailers who leave their doors open while
running their air conditioning / heating. A casual audit of Queen Street
West tonight showed that 1/4 stores leave their doors wide open in near
freezing temperatures.

I find this unacceptable for several reasons: 1) There is no compelling
reason to do this, it's simply wasteful; 2) the high levels of power
consumption in the city require the use of 'dirty' power generation
including coal-fired plants that put smog and carcinogens like mercury into
our air and water; 3) the price of electricity is subsidized by the province
and taxpayers.

On occasion, I have spoken with store managers and contacted corporations
regarding this issue. Generally, I find that people are concerned and
responsive once the problem is understood. The Gap has been very responsive
and all of their stores in downtown Toronto seem to comply with corporate
policy on this issue.

I think lack of awareness is the main issue and I would like to ask all of
you to forward this email to others, to write your local representatives,
and to speak up when you are in a store that keeps their doors propper open
and their heaters / AC blasting.

Thanks. I'll hop down from my soapbox now.

Close Your Doors

Mike Cheng

News

2006-11-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

I turned 30 two weeks ago, which was fairly uneventful despite all the worried phone calls inquiring after my psychological well-being. I have, to date, occupied my first year of my third decade with boring busy-ness, and have hardly seen Jer as he is being held captive at a trade show and forced to wear a bright red shirt (I am forbidden to take photos). Nevertheless, here are some notes:

1. I currently have the strangest reading list ever. My split-personality lit choices are:
a) Naked, by David Sedaris
b) A Series of Unfortunate Events, book the second, by Lemony Snicket
c) How to Manage a Non-Profit Organization in the Twenty-First Century, by Thomas Wolf

I am enjoying all three, just not all in the same day, thank you.

2. The new issue of The New Pollution is up. I'm playing photographer this round, and there is a very nice article by a rather tall man of my acquaintance about a Danish band who are good but very loud.

3. Two new (old) records getting a lot of play, now that the record player has new spangly wires that sound nice:
a) Cat Stevens, Teaser and the Firecat
b) Come Dancing with the Kinks, the Best of the Kinks 1977-1986

4. I don't know when I became this way, but I find laying out my thoughts in an ordered, numbered fashion quite pleasing.

5. I am planning on making several holiday treats. On the short list:
a) Mustard flavoured with Guinness
b) Spiced pear butter
c) Dill pickles
d) Cranberry-orange vinegar
e) Lemon-thyme vinegar
f) Pomegranate jelly
g) Tea jelly
h) Vanilla sugar

I'm accepting votes. Please vote, as you know that these projects tend to get out of control (need I post the photo of 200 cupcakes for the launch, or wedding cakes? Points to any of you who remember the story of the giant zucchini that almost killed me.)

There are other plans in the works, which believe me, I'd love to blog about to the point of tiring you, dear reader, but must keep mum for now. However,
a) a domain name has been registered
b) several proposals are being written

I know that the prospect of several proposals does not sound exciting, but trust me, it is.

That's it for now. More to come.

I am a scientist

2006-10-11T15:32:00.000-04:00

I just bought a Dremel tool. Oh, the exciting experiments that Mia and I are cooking up.

You will all have to live in suspense. Except for Jer, who will have to live with the very loud buzzing whine the Dremel makes.

Imaginary conversations with my bookshelf

2006-10-10T10:54:00.000-04:00

Lawrence Durrell is looking at me.

The Avignon Quintet, which I bought recently at a used bookstore in an unusually northern location of the city, has had its eye on me for weeks. It's making it hard to work.

The trouble is that Larry -- if I may call him that -- is a demanding, needy, consuming literary boyfriend.

No, you may not call me Larry, the book answers. You may call me Mr. Durrell.

Problematical, I scoff at the book. (Not really a word, but some situations require the extra syllable.) This doesn't help: nothing irritates Mr. Durrell more than made-up language.

Mr. Durrell, I try to reason, I am already reading David Rakoff's Don't Get Too Comfortable, which in addition to being able to fit in my purse is also funny. (Given the choice of authors to have at a dinner party, Rakoff wins. He is witty, brilliant and, at this moment, alive.)

Avignon is a big book; weighty; not portable. It requires the reader to hold in his or her head a full mythology of people, place, timeline, legend, mystery and fact over five books and a dense 1370 pages. Some of the characters are the imagined creations of other characters; there are hidden forces at work which are only illuminated to that devoted reader who has remained faithful and focused. I've been through this before. I spent a summer with the lush, orchidacious prose of the Alexandria Quartet, which I still hold as one of my most favourite books for its exactness, its complexity and the precise if perhaps earnest articulation of language and landscape and psychology. In Alexandria, it was not uncommon for Durrell to slip part of a sentence into Greek or Latin or French, a conceit which was forgiven because his command over language was so masterful and precise as to humble rather than annoy.

I last attempted Avignon some years ago while in Japan. I needed the isolation that Durrell demands, especially on those days when any trip outside my apartment required effort (to deal with the looks, the leers, the peeking into my grocery basket, the endless curiosity). Durrell is everything my Japanese life was not: articulate and based on a thorough understanding of motives.

I got a book and a half into the five, then gave up. I think came home for a holiday, and you can't leave Durrell alone or it all gets mouldy.

Incidentally, the Rackoff book is wonderful, highly recommended, and only demands that you be awake.

There's too much love to go around these days

2006-09-12T10:32:00.001-04:00

There's too much excitement this week.

Yesterday, the new issue went online. Mia contributed photography, and I'm really happy with the layouts. We also have a new store, where people can get the print issue, with T-shirts and buttons to be added soon. Here's the cover:

Tomorrow, Bryan and I embark on New Pollution roadtrip #2, to go pick up the print issues from the printers, who are in Simcoe, Ontario. I am giddy, and trying not to think about it. And here's the cover of that:

Friday, the ever-delightful Julia Coey is swinging into town from London for a crazy week-long visit. The last time she was in this time zone was in February, so, once again, giddy, and trying to remain calm. Julia & Bryan at Mel's in February:

Also on Friday, I have to figure out how to make and box 200 cupcakes. Anyone with nothing to do on Friday is welcome to come by and help.

Saturday is the launch. Which, I'm sure, will be 12 hours of sensory overload.

Wedding roundup

2006-09-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

This has been a season of weddings. And, with friends more bohemian than most, this was my first spin around the chaos of wedding and pre-wedding events. So here's my advice, based on the photographic evidence that exists.

1. Don't let your camera drink.

This is what happens when your camera gets into the Sambuca and Greek dancing.

2. Hang out with the kids, especially once they get into the sugar.

This kid was the most awesome dancer of the summer.

3. Beware of demons. (This one might be tied in with the drunk camera phenomenon mentioned above)

Demons, everywhere.

4. Try not to take too many pictures where you will end up with people in the photos with that "Why the fuck are you taking a picture of me?" look on their faces.

5. Oh, and buy pretty shoes.

Fall

2006-09-05T19:40:00.000-04:00

Since leaving school, seasons are not so clearly delineated. Suddenly it's fall and there will be no more barbecues this year and I have to figure out where I put all my non-summer clothes when I moved. I miss school for that "it is fall, it is time to buy binders" sense of purpose.

Had a strange moment the other day on a street corner waiting for the streetcar right across from where I went to high school. I had the physical memory of myself at 16. I felt willful and focused and determined not to fit others' expectations. I could almost taste that strange adolescent combination of feeling alienated from most of society and culture and yet distinctly a member of a community. It was actually fairly gratifying, if somewhat surreal.

I've always felt reflective on that era, even at the time, which I suppose has something to do with how unusual my alternative high school was, and not just now because I'm almost 30 (which is such a boring and arbitrary reason to be introspective).

Invitation

2006-09-04T22:48:00.000-04:00

Here's what I've been busy with. 48 pages of the best of what we've done so far, which I've spent the last three weeks laying out, formatting, designing and illustrating. And I'm pretty amazed by the end result (well, fingers crossed because it's not back from the printer yet). The covers were designed by Trip Print Press, a Toronto-based printer that prints on old letterpress machines (Nicholas from Trip Print designed our cover on mid-1940s machinery).

So now that we've caught up on sleep and apologized to friends for our disappearances, all that's left is the party. We've teamed up with Henri Faberge and the Adorables (read about them here), who are launching their CD at the same time. It's at the historic Palais Royale (my grandmother used to go dancing there in the 30s), it's on September 16, and it's only $10. For 12 hours of music, that ain't bad. If you want tix, e-mail launch@thenewpollution.net. Buying tickets from us avoids service charges and helps support the magazine.

The break is not a long one -- the new web issue is due to go online this week.

New window

2006-09-04T17:34:00.000-04:00

I thought it was time to rearrange the furniture on my blog. Part of the problem is I have been rather busy of late, and part of the problem is that I am not in love with my camera, and so neglect to carry it with me sufficiently often to fuel a photoblog. So I think that I will start to write more, and see what happens.

A few weeks ago, for games night, a few of us played a game called "Things." Each of us wrote topics on index cards, which were then shuffled and then drawn as questions. Things that smell bad. Things you overheard other people say that were stupid. Things you think about in the shower. Things you'd rescue if your house was on fire.

It was less funny than most games nights have been, but more introspective. It reminded me of The Pillow Book (the book not the movie), a book that I've always been a little bit in love with. Since then, I have been compiling lists in my head, and thought I'd start off my fresh blog with an addition to the lists of things.

Things that I find sinister

A smokestack on a hospital
People who are too open about very personal issues with strangers
A small child wearing makeup
A man leaning against the outside of a bar, alone, late at night
People who talk a little too slowly
Seeing more than one dead animal in a day
Rooms with threadbare curtains

Accordion

2006-07-16T10:20:00.000-04:00

Graffiti door

2006-07-11T19:43:00.000-04:00

I am quite fond of mysterious doors. This one is in a slightly dodgy neighbourhood, found on the exhausted way back from a picnic.

Dollhouse

2006-07-10T09:03:00.000-04:00

Strange house on Markham Street, which seems to be occupied by a cult of suicidal dolls.

Maybe it's the sadder younger sister of this house.

The Boat

2006-07-07T16:53:00.000-04:00

Despite its popularity as a young indie-rock hotspot, I think The Boat is a bit of a dump. The bands sound terrible (The Boat's sound system is not great), you can't see them well (the stage is kind of in the middle of everything), and it's less the fun grungy of Sneeky Dee's, and more, well, dirty. But good bands play there, so I go.

I don't like the venue, but I do like this shot, taken from a Henri and the Adorables show (who we're writing about in the next issue of The New Pollution, stay tuned).

Myles

2006-07-07T16:47:00.000-04:00

Bad aunt, I am, posting a pic of newcomer Ben and not of Ben's taller, more articulate big brother. So here is Myles, on a trip to the countryside, taking a break from chasing his breathless aunt around a car.

I've written some rather nasty things about my sweetpea nephew in his infancy, but I'm pleased to report that our relationship has gotten much better since he stopped drooling on me.

Ben

2006-07-03T20:21:00.000-04:00

Lex gave birth on Thursday night, so this is my second little nephew. He's a real sweetie, named Ben Anthony DeCastro (already nicknamed Bananthony by Jer).

Mom & baby doing fine. Myles (super nephew #1) is apparantly very thrilled as well.

here we go again

2006-06-28T20:29:00.000-04:00

Issue 5, and I can't believe it's been six months ... we're hard at work on our first print issue, which will be launched at an event in September.

This is our European issue, with Sweden's The Concretes, Scotland's Mogwai and Montreal's Malajube on tour in England and Scandinavia. The photos on the site are of London's Camden Lock, taken by the very lovely (and contibuting writer) Julia Coey. And, as always, there is the ever-hot podcast too.

Check it all out at www.thenewpollution.net.

burgler

2006-06-10T23:46:00.000-04:00

There is a burgler in my birdfeeder. I chased the little bastard away the first time, the birds have enough shit to put up with in terms of bird social hierarchy (the sweet red bird is like the intern of the block, and gets booted out if one of the sparrows is hungry) ...

the plot gets more complicated now, however. i think the little rodent has really formed an emotional connection to the place, which we shall call "his condo." i saw him sleeping in it the other night. so now i can't evict him. so now i have a squirrel feeder outside my window. and his appetite has almost cleaned me out of birdseed.

Smoke

2006-05-26T08:43:00.000-04:00

My neighbours were lighting fireworks in their yard for Victoria Day, which was marvelous to watch as much as it was totally irresponsible and a fire hazard.

New Pollution 4

2006-05-15T16:58:00.000-04:00

The new issue is up ... check it out ... www.thenewpollution.net

my beautiful garden

2006-05-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

My post-industrial balcony is in the process of becoming a forest. And as I labour to get the new issue of NP up, my little seedlings are making me supremely happy.

New Pollution #3

2006-04-08T17:13:00.000-04:00

The third issue of The New Pollution is now live, with a feature on Edmonton's Cadence Weapon, something on You Say Party! We Say Die! and a colourful article on Toronto's The Ghost Is Dancing.

www.thenewpollution.net

Bowling

2006-04-06T00:45:00.000-04:00

I am tied to my desk getting the new issue of The New Pollution out (it will be up, with any luck, tomorrow). It's satisfying, but tonight just feels like it is sucking the life out of me through my eyeballs (oh, Photoshop is an evil, beautiful bastard).

So I'm thinking about bowling and summertime long nights and greasy fries and beer in bottles with half-peeled labels. And bad music and not knowing what time it is and not having to get up in the morning and stare into a monitor, slamming my head in the dictionary. Where's the glamour of freelancing again?

Meh, I'm a pretty terrible bowler, anyway.

door and window

2006-04-01T20:03:00.000-05:00

Arch

2006-03-31T12:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I said I would post every day last week. But I ran out of room. So here I am at a new address: teaandfigs.blogspot.com instead of on my website.

My dear friend Mia has just started blogging, so check out her lovely photos at: seekthesublime.blogspot.com.

Museum

2006-03-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

31

2006-03-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Streetcar

2006-03-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

So actually, this was my trying to distract myself from abject frustration at what should have been a fairly logical and reasonable transit route. Instead, it was interrupted by shuttle buses, short turns and the general charm of our TTC.

On a side note, recently (and I know I'm the only one here), I've had scads of spam coming at me from everywhere. And it's not that I mind clearing away my junk mail box, deleting offers to get my degree, find horny housewives and add three more inches, guaranteed (all of which I am clearly in desperate need of). But the lack of respect for the basic rules of grammar: that I cannot abide. "Hrdcore GirIs"? "3nlargmenSystem"? "BIIGER UR D1CCK"? Has the porn industry lost all sight of proper English usage?

Spoons

2006-03-25T20:41:00.000-05:00

Spoons. There were spoons hanging from a great stone wall at U of T, for reasons that are better guessed at than known.

Squat the world!

2006-03-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

I have been a very neglectful photoblogger. I've been busy.

I promise a new photo every day for the next seven days. So have some love and squat the world. No, I don't get it either.

But J & I wandered around last night taking pictures and there it was, so here it is.

NP2

2006-03-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

Here is the second issue of THE NEW POLLUTION.

This month: Paul Aucoin talks about his vibraphone supergroup The Hylozoists, The Lovely Feathers leave the nest, and Paul Gagnon searches for a scene in Charlettown at the East Coast Music Awards.

m

the new pollution

2006-02-06T11:21:00.000-05:00

The New Pollution is finally online. We have three features in the premiere issue, on Toronto-based Jon-Rae Fletcher, Regina quartet Sylvie, and the all-girl punk scene in Winnipeg. We also have a fantastic podcast hosted by Paul and Bryan. We are going to have a new issue every month, so be sure to bookmark it and check it out again on March 1. Comments, rants, raves, love letters and insults all greatly appreciated.

pavement

2006-01-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

well, j & i seem to be focused on the ground: her in london and me here in toronto. so this is another one for you -- from the alley behind your old grocery store. i've had a great weekend. it included, among other things: a KD-themed dinner party (view the creature we created).

haircut

2006-01-17T09:28:00.000-05:00

something wonderful from today:

"The main issue is not the map itself," he said at a news conference. "It is the potential of the information in the map to change history."

link

frost

2006-01-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

tree

2006-01-15T13:28:00.000-05:00

i have to write a love letter this afternoon ... oh, the interesting jobs that seem to find me ... but instead i'm feeling just a little dreamy, listening to cibo matto:

white pepper ice cream
it's like a line drawing
it stings my lips

i used to take too many pictures of trees, and they never turned out the way i wanted them to, they just seemed diminished. i was at a temple complex in north kyoto, and you had to look through this dark fencing, squinting to make out the dull, gilt buddha in the dark inner room. i tried for a while, forcing my eyes to adjust to the dark. but outside the temple, there was this old, tall tree, splitting in a hundred different directions, but propped up everywhere by wooden bars, shaped like very long capital Ts, carefully tied to the branches. it was pretty amazing, the effort that was taken to keep this tree up, and it was quite beautiful, this old, spidery tree wearing all these crutches. none of my pictures appropriately demonstrate this.

which is the first word,
sweet or spicy?
ca m'est egal
ca m'est egal
it's all the same to me

street 2

2006-01-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

church

2006-01-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

street

2006-01-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

last night, on my way to buy a bottle of french wine and look for strawberries. the only berries i found were limp and turning the colour of a bruise i have on my leg. so i left them, winding my way back through side streets, taking pictures of wet pavement and leftover christmas lights, which look a little sad in the rain. inside, there are much more interesting things going on.

--

two things from the news: giant jellyfish are taking over japanese waters. and an accidentally absurd headline at the BBC: "turkey diagnoses human bird flu"

the plant of good and evil

2006-01-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

one of my violets is "sporting" -- a genetic mutant where it is actually two plants, refusing to continue to be cross-bred. it started just before halloween, and in my home-office geekery, it continues to fascinate me. it is divided down the middle, with dark purple stemed-leaves producing rich purple flowers along one side, and bright green stemed ones pouring out a range of blooms from pale white to pinwheel. i'll post more interesting photos soon, as soon as the rain stops.

fish

2005-12-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

two new red shoes

2005-12-29T11:40:00.000-05:00

Patient friends,
Happy holidays.
I am back with a new sparkly camera just in time for New Year's resolutions.
All my love,
Two Red Shoes

desperately seeking

2005-08-24T11:02:00.000-04:00

as the post, below, frankly demonstrates, i am without a digital camera. this has left me an empty shell of a person (well, no, but i really miss it).

so. please, folks, pass on advice on buying a new spangly camera. what's terrible, what's fantastic, and, of course, if anyone you know has a camera that is looking for a good home, send details.

i'm back in town, arrived about 30 hours ago, though my head is still a soup of jet lag. it was hard to leave.

soho requiem

2005-08-08T06:23:00.000-04:00

dear friends,

lost in london:

1. one chinese coin purse with my bank card, £13, and nine stamps
2. one mobile phone, graciously leant by pete (housemate of nadine)
3. one very dear sony cybershot 4.1 megapixel digital camera, last seen in soho

shit. these are the things that london will have from me, along with my reputation as a person who does not lose things.

the first two items, i should qualify, were not my fault. i don't know when or how they walked out of my purse. the third was, quite clearly, my fault, or the fault of a certain briton who kept delivering double gin and tonics into my protesting hand.

either way, the indelible images of london will have to remain descriptions for now.

1. the sun suddenly coming out as i stepped into trafalgar sqare, breeze blowing mist onto the throngs sitting on the lip of the fountains, on the stairs. people helping one another on and off the giant lions that guard the square, that look south to big ben, north to the british gallery

2. nadine rolling a cigarette in the shadow of the tower of london, breeze off the thames.

3. the cemetery in stoke newington, victorian and overcome with ivies and blackberry shrubs and moss. the tree creaked and we looked behind us on the path and we jumped to see a cyclist, who laughed with us.

having a great time, wish you were here.

m

fan

2005-07-25T17:01:00.000-04:00

Sorry, guys, I know it's been a few days, and my pics have been more, well, picturesque, but it was a mad weekend and this is my scenery until Friday. Pulling a double crazy freelance one-woman circus week and then off on holiday ... Come next week, the view will be from London.

umbrella

2005-07-21T04:47:00.000-04:00

Blueberry pie and tall iced coffees on a hidden garden patio late yesterday under these incredible red umbrellas.

tigerlillies

2005-07-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

This is a disconnect, but it is also true: there is a kid outside, barking. He's been at it for ten minutes, maybe because whatever kid he's hanging out with is laughing really hard. That, of course, has nothing to do with tiger lilles, which I just like because they are sprawling and summery and they remind me of my cottage when I was a kid.

door

2005-07-20T00:58:00.000-04:00

OK, this picture is a few months old now. But a combination of work and humidity have kept me in my house a lot over past days, and there are only so many pictures of my two feet that I can put up here before people take a walk. This is a door in Kensington, where I am frequently, that I've never seen before, down an alley I've never noticed.

plant

2005-07-17T17:34:00.000-04:00

flight

2005-07-15T23:21:00.000-04:00

graffiti 2

2005-07-14T20:38:00.000-04:00

This is one of my other favourites from Sunday ...

neighbours

2005-07-13T23:38:00.000-04:00

beachglass

2005-07-12T01:49:00.000-04:00

I collect beachglass. I like to walk along the tip of the shore picking stray pieces and depositing them in my pocket. The beachglass collects dust on the windowsill, between a pathos lilly and a few reaching African violets.

fountain

2005-07-11T11:42:00.000-04:00

Wandered around with Jason last night taking pictures, to harbourfront, downtown, past strange parks and random piles of abandoned books. We were outside the American embassy for less than 30 seconds before the RCMP came by to find out what we found so interesting. This is my favorite from last night, although it was pretty easy to narrow it down. (Lesson: get a damn tripod, Meg, and remember to charge the batteries). This picture brought to you by a kind park bench, which stayed steadier than my own two hands.

feathers

2005-07-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

heat

2005-07-05T16:41:00.000-04:00

It's too hot to think, and today was marked by an audible haze. Everyone is muffled and dozy. Heaviness, to breathe you have to drink it. My mind is mud and I'm not getting anything done.

fence

2005-07-04T17:26:00.000-04:00

It's easy to forget that Toronto has beaches, and for most of us who live on the West side of downtown, we rarely, if ever, go (although I know this is my second post from there). But, like a tourist, I trekked eastward yesterday to have coffee and lovely little pastries with a friend. Afterward, we walked along the beach and she helped me collect beachglass. I think the fence is hilarious. Danger! Sand! Danger!
By the way, my archives are actually working now (apologize to any who have negiotiated those rude 404s).

Julia and light

2005-07-03T01:41:00.000-04:00

rose

2005-06-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

There is a garden near me growing roses in jars. So, on my walk home I had a nice little daydream about Saint-Exupery.

"Ce n'est pas important la guerre des moutons et des fleurs?"

shadows

2005-06-24T10:39:00.000-04:00

boxes

2005-06-21T10:50:00.000-04:00

My life has become boxes. Again. Moving is one of life's great traumas, along with long distance air travel and being born. Funny how I've slated two of these for the upcoming months. I'm finalizing plans for both in the next few days.

(My new room has its own balcony, a bay window, and a backyard with irises. Then in a few weeks, Nadine's going to meet me at the airport, and later, we're going to drive to Scotland for a few days.)

window

2005-06-13T23:33:00.000-04:00

beach

2005-06-08T10:24:00.000-04:00

coworker

2005-06-03T00:11:00.000-04:00

Coworker. Generally, fairly agreeable, although not such a conversational lunch companion. Unusually grumpy, for unknown reason.

blue kimono

2005-05-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

coffee with a friend

2005-05-23T17:53:00.000-04:00

Long coffees with friends. On this table: one glass of white wine; one gin & tonic; two coffees; one breakup; one trip to Europe; one conversation about human rights, legal precedent and relativism; a selection of musings on the nature of life, love and ambition; and the recipe for really good sweet potato quesadillas.

the party

2005-05-20T21:24:00.000-04:00

Great party - glam theme, good dj, everyone in the garden drunk in their makeup. My camera was clearly drunk too, or on something, or, that may have been what the room really looked like...