| Wilt |
[May. 9th, 2008|08:24 am] |
My lungs feel like a bouquet being held too tightly at the bottom. It's crushing the stems and making the flowers wilt, damnit. My energy levels are way down. All I've been doing this week, it seems, is napping or sitting on my ass. I want to get back to dance and kung fu classes next week, but I'm not so sure my lungs will comply. Nevertheless, I did go for a decent walk yesterday, some calisthenics and my seniors' dance class the day before, and a run the day before that. I teach dance tonight. And I want to go for another run. Maybe I'll get some dance practice in today. Let's see how that goes.
Dancing. Yeah. I want to do a lot more of that. I recently got a copy of Ariellah's drilling DVD, and am eager to give it another try.
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Wow. I just remembered it's my anniversary this month (14th!). Umm, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) f00dave, what do you want to do for it? My weekends are full, but I have a raincheck for plans I've been making for some time.
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My tabs are filling up again. Have some tasty links.
Steampunk Star Wars: I'm pretty sure I linked to this before, but papajoemambo's post made me want to link to it again. You know what I want to see? Steampunk renditions of other 70s pop culture: Diff'rent Strokes, Jabberjaws, Towering Inferno, etc.
Plantimals: Corns have ears. Potatoes have eyes. These have, well....
My Beautiful Mommy: Children's book about plastic surgery.
50 Greatest Commercial Parodies of All Time: Cute.
The Ultimate Showdown of Homosexuality: NSFW. Just as brilliant as The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, but far more nekkid.
Katar Gallery: These are some almighty gorgeous daggers, and if I still had the facilities, I'd make one for myself.
Smell Yo Dick: Oh, pop music. How I love you so. |
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| Breathe. Breathe You Fucker! |
[May. 8th, 2008|12:06 am] |
Can anyone explain to me why Paris Hilton is on the cover of the newest National Geographic magazine? I find myself strangely irked, despite already being aware of the magazine's less than stellar reputation for anthropology and other ologies.
Why is the F key on my new keyboard so sticky? It feels like there's syrup on it, and I can't imagine why.
The Ministry show was a blast. And even though I was wearing spectacles and was still frightfully sick with my third cold of the season (grr...), I ended up in the mosh pit for "So What". I wore my leather jacket, despite the formidable heat. I considered it training for this summer's LARP season where I'll be running around in armour. I drenched myself in my own sweat, but the jacket prevented the sweat of the unwashed others from tainting my dainty flesh. When my eye glasses floated off my head and I just managed to snatch them back from certain doom, I decided to vacate the pit and watched the rest of the show from stage right. I had an excellent view of the show from the rear, and without anyone jostling me at all. I even got to lean on a security rail. Did you know that twenty guitars were used during the show? I learned it from my vantage point, where the guitars were stabled much like horses in little guitar stalls.
I suspect Ministry is soon to be no more because Al is looking remarkably like Ozzie, now. Eep.
Meshuggah did a kick-ass show, too, and I stayed just on the outside edge of the roiling mosh pit for their set.
This Sunday, I'm off to yet another metal show: Kill Switch Engage and Poison the Well. I blush to say I'm not terribly familiar with either band (although I enjoy KSE's cover of "Holy Diver").
And the next week is the KW Metalfest, where I'll be working the show as security and gofer. You should come to the festival. Really.
........
The other night, Rooster came to visit me from Toronto. We went to schwartzung's place and I refereed a few battles between the two of 'em. No injuries were sustained because of the boffer brawls, but somehow, mysteriously, both Rooster and snowy_kathryn sustained tendon pulls. It is a mystery.
Rooster and Schwartzung also endeavoured to teach Kathryn, Amelia, and I more hand signals for the future success of our military LARPing careers.
I still need a lot of work.
.........
My cold still plagues me in the form of that goddamned, pesky, persistent asthma constriction of doom. I'm waiting for my lungs to stop bearing down like a woman in labour. Grr.
........
Links? Ok.
Ape Genius reveals depth of animal intelligence: "Anthropologist Jill Pruetz believes she has made a landmark discovery - a species other than humans learning - and passing on - the skills to make a lethal weapon." The monkey wars are nigh.
German group patents 'smell-phone': Prank calls will hit a new low with the ability to transmit farts....
Haptic Heart Beats You To Sleep: Is this a new feature on RealDolls yet?
Yeah. Gotta sleep. Lungs want to kill me. |
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| A Mundane Recap of No Possible Interest to Any, Including Me! |
[Apr. 30th, 2008|01:58 pm] |
I felt utterly run down for the past two days. I think yesterday's therapeutic massage session and last night's excess of sleep has ameliorated the problem, somewhat. Yet somehow, despite the exhaustion, brutal neck pain, and f00dave's constant questioning (f00: "Are you depressed? You look depressed!" Me: "No. Just really tired and hurting." f00: "You sure?" Me: "YES!!!"), I managed to teach a dance class, take a yoga class, go for a run, go for a bike ride, and take my first advanced pole class.
Today I go for another run, teach another dance class, take another pole class, and go to the Ren to see Stephen Thrasher. You should go, too. Free show, interesting people, and cheap beer. What more can you want on a Wednesday night?
This weekend is busy again. I'm planning on scouting out the new LARP location. It's a sizable property, and I want to know where the hazards are. I'm also playing with sticks, knives, and fists with Sifu Chuck, lindalicious, gha5t, and company, and then I'm off to Toronto with schwartzung and Sara to see Meshuggah and motherfucking MINISTRY. Oh hells, yes! Then I'm bringing my new buddy Rooster back home with me for a couple of days so he can vacation in beautiful, scenic Kitchener.
I finally ordered business cards. It's about freaking time. Next up, I want promotional postcards to have on-hand for my various performance and teaching venues. I'm hoping there's a place locally which sells 'em for cheap. And then, I need to get my costuming book back in print. Oh yes....
Want links? I've got your links right here.
Help Mother Nature Fight Back: Bizarre promotional campaign meant to increase awareness of the plight of endangered species. Or maybe it's an attempt to up the arms race. I'm not sure which.
Lizards Rapidly Evolve After Introduction to Island: Lizardmen are only a couple of decades away....
Orangutan attempts to hunt fish with spear: Maybe that awareness campaign isn't so far off, after all.
And now for a video that boggled my mind (thanks, gha5t). These guys are total nutjobs, and I love them for it.
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| Sew What? |
[Apr. 21st, 2008|10:37 am] |
Yesterday I purchased a big bolt of stretchy black fishnet fabric. It's not a plain fishnet, but has a slight wave pattern to it. Now I need to make stuff out of it.
I really need to make some money in a big, big way, so I'm hoping to come up with some easily-made stuff (despite me knowing this is going to be a real bitch to work with) that people will want to buy. I'm thinking arm-warmers, fingerless gloves, overskirts, and the like. Do you have any other ideas I can filch consider? If I can get the stuff together, I'll set myself up with an Etsy account and begin selling like mad.
I'm also planning on using other fabrics, too, but since I have a whole frigging bolt of the black fishnet, this will be the main element of many pieces.
....
Do you remember those poop-pig key chains? You know, those horrid little squishy beasties that when you squeeze 'em, appear to be pooping? Well, I found a truly horrific version of it yesterday. It was a female pudendum, and when I squoze it, a nasty, slimy, white bulge erupted from betwixt the labia. It was the vilest thing I'd seen in quite some time, so of course I splurged the ten cents and gave it to schwartzung. He was suitably revolted. But then James squeezed it and licked it which was just.... Well, words can't describe just what it was, so you'll have to supply your own.
....
I had a brief fighting practice last night. Somehow, I've started using my broadsword as a bastard sword, and that's gotta stop. I also got hit good and hard in the eye. It felt like my eyeball bounced off the back of my skull. I thought I'd have a shiner today, but I think I dodged it. I did end up with what looks like rugburn on my eyelid, though. Good one, schwartzung....
....
Link time.
Life Before Death: Incredibly moving photo exhibit pairing pre- and post-mortem photography and brief bios.
An Exhibit People Are Dying to Get Into: "Gregor Schneider, a German artist, is planning the ultimate in art: a person dying as part of the exhibition."
Death Erection: A short but intriguing article.
The Diesel Tree: Grow Your Own Oil: "Australian farmers in the wet tropical region of North Queensland have bought over 20,000 of these so-called diesel trees. The intention is that in 15 or so years they’ll have their very own oil mine growing on their farmland."
Middle aged father branded 'hoodie' and thrown out of shopping centre for wearing hooded anorak: A baby was once evicted for a similar reason.
Vladimir Demikhov: "Chronicle about experiments of Vladimir Demikhov, a Soviet scientist who made the first transplantation of a dog's heart in 1952. The experiment, aimed at finding ways of replacing portions of the human body lost through injury or disease, was pronounced Russia's "most successful". In 1946 Demikhov replaced the whole heart-lungs complex of a dog without using the apparatus of artificial circulation of blood. In 1954 he conducted a revolutionary experiment, when created a two-headed dog by grafting a puppy's head to a full-grown pooch. Then scientists even observed the process of rejuvenation of the elder dog. Shown are the two dogs before the operation, Demikhov performing operations, the puppy's head lapping up water, demonstration of the dog on a scientists' conference..."
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| Not Just Another Song and Dance Act |
[Apr. 15th, 2008|01:42 pm] |
In case I haven't mentioned, I've been extremely busy, ( even for me. ) |
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| And while I'm at it.... |
[Apr. 12th, 2008|12:09 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | links | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  hungry | ] |
Have yourself a good, old-fashioned link dump.
Catch the Moment: Excellent collection of images taken at exactly the right time.
Nicholas Jones: A sculptor whose medium is books. Gorgeous stuff, but I hope he's using something useless, like Reader's Digest condensed novels or something.
Abortion hits roadblock on information highway: "Abortion" is a blacked-out term on certain search engines. What makes this even more perturbing is that it's happening in university and academic search engines. 1984 is here, again.
The anorexic woman who dropped to three stone after walking up to 12 hours a day: She's recovered, and is now quite the hotty!
World's Smallest Teenager: 1'11" and 11 pounds, and full of attitude.
Screaming Frog: I once picked up a toad, and it shrieked at me like this. I put him down and felt bad for having frightened it.
Parents Fight Over Which Gang Toddler Should Join: The Mom is a Crip, and the Dad is a Westside Baller. The 4-year-old is unsure. Something tells me this is what would have happened had Romeo and Juliet procreated.
'I didn't want a cabinet. I wanted a cab, innit?': "A teenager was greeted by a display cabinet instead of a taxi because her 'Ali G-style' slang confused a series of phone operators."
Skeleton Porn: NSFW soft-core anorexic porn. So thin that their coccyges resemble tails.
Ok. Gotta eat something before I faint or grow a coccygeal tail and take up a career in squicky porn. |
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| The Dream |
[Apr. 10th, 2008|09:42 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | dream, links | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | traffic | ] |
I dreamed a couple of things last night....
I'm traveling along the 401, and things are rather odd. Mixed in amongst the cars, semi-trucks, and motorcycles are a few people on horseback, and a carriage or two pulled by teams of eight to twelve horses.
One of these teams goes speeding by, almost putting a car off the side of the road. That's when a Mountie come in, riding a suped-up race horses. This horse is fast, and zooms by cars with a freakish acceleration, kicking and farting all the way. The horse also has cherry lights on its head.
I wake up before he pulls the team over.
........
I'm traveling to Jerusalem because Defence Mechanism is playing a Christmas day concert there.
I wake up before I get there, so I have no idea if they put on a good show or not.
........
Link time? Ok.
Blood and water fuel Maasai warriors' marathon: These guys are bad-ass.
“Rape is Like Being Force-Fed Chocolate Cake” Blogs BNP Official: As someone mentioned, this looks like something Sarah Silverman would say.
The Indestructible Man: NSFW. This guy goes poking around where he really ought not to. And since it's on BMEzine, you know it's going to be interesting....
Indian Corn: One of the worst poems, ever. Should end with "moose". |
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| With My Own Two Hands to Stand On |
[Apr. 3rd, 2008|01:59 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | gym, links | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  exanimate | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Gary Numan - Scanner | ] |
Monday, I did my first-ever full handstand (with a wall at my back). It was much easier to do than I thought it would be, and I suspect that with just a bit of practice, I can do push-ups from that position. I just think I need a spotter for a while until I get my balance figured out.
I did laundry, too, but it wasn't as exhilarating a sensation.
Yesterday, I went to a gym for the first time in ages, and was on the verge of being offended by their promotional slogan: Winning is Losing.
As far as I'm concerned, health and fitness is the goal, and not never too rich, never too thin. Hell, the more I work out, the heavier I get. At my biggest, I was 155 pounds, which according to those very useless BMI charts meant I was on the verge of obesity. As if.
I'm hovering around 138 pounds, right now. My muscles are falling off! But so is my fat. I'm feeling lean and strong, and am glad to be biking regularly again.
![[Baby burrito]](http://i26.tinypic.com/2mme6og.jpg "[Baby burrito]") More links? Ok.
Medication 'worsens Alzheimer's': "Anti-psychotic drugs commonly given to Alzheimer's patients often make their condition worse, a UK study suggests."
Tom Gleeson - You're Beautiful - take on James Blunt Song: "Listen to this guy's explanation of the song. I bet you didn't think about this song from the boyfriend's perspective. Imagine, you're hanging out with your girl on the train and psycho James Blunt is starting to hit on her all of a sudden."
Smallest Girl in the world due to Primordial Dwarfism: Does anyone else remember "The Littles"?
Man Caught Having Sex with a Picnic Table: I hear it was just asking for it....
When Pterodactyls Attack: NSFW. I've probably linked to this before, but it's worth a second look. One of my favourite strange porns.
Developer sues to recover 9/11 costs: "The developer of the World Trade Center in New York is seeking $12.3 billion in damages from the airlines and other companies associated with the September 11 terrorist attacks."
Convicted Molester Claims He Was A Victim of Bigfoot: I've got to say, the picture shows a man wearing the haunted expression of someone who may have been diddled by Sasquatch.
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| I am the New Techno Viking |
[Mar. 31st, 2008|03:27 pm] |
The weekend was a blast. I went to shbe and tailchaser's stag and doe party, where I decorated and performed. I wore a crazy technicolour Viking outfit (holographic dress, a mish-mash of various cultural jewellery, braids, a fluffy white sheepskin, hip scarf, Spanish silver belt, and what I call my gay Viking orgy hat). Then I danced to "Indiscrete" by Qntal, starting off with poi, dumping those and dancing solo, then grabbing a dagger and ending the performance with a pyrotechnic flash. Huzzah! It seemed to go over well, despite me looking like an utter goof and having never heard the music prior to the night before.
Afterwards (once the fire and dagger were put safely away), I got right and utterly wasted on beer, screwdrivers, whiskey, and vodka. On realizing I was staggering around and hoping to start bar fights, I drank enough water to submerge a submarine, and was fine a half hour or so later. Two days later, I'm still peeing like a race horse. I drank a LOT of water....
Want some links? Here you go!
How to be a Scene Kid: Includes such great advice as "Scene kids should listen to 'Conway Twitty', 'Jimmy Buffet', 'Harry Chapin' and 'Brook Benton'," and "Add extra letters to many of your words. For example: 'rawwr' 'kiiid' 'kayyy' 'baaby'."
Anti-Emo Riots Break Out Across Mexico: Ok, I understand that people don't like emo kids, but rioting over it? Hmm.
*barf*: Clamato beer? No.
USB Humping Dogs: I don't get it.
Ken Lee - Bulgarian Idol: Bwahahahaha!
Velvet Worm Juice: Now that's just too weird (thanks, shbe).
Rachachuros Seasoning: Pig: Necrophiliac bestiality cuisine ads. Just plain bizarre.
Naughty Nads: Kitties.
Appendix Removed Through Vagina: That sounds rather complicated, to me (thanks, gha5t). |
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| Fudge. |
[Mar. 29th, 2008|08:25 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | links | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sad | ] |
My new Monday afternoon teaching gig fell through. Damn. I was counting on that money.
Anyone wanna hire me?
Link time:
Man not insured for failure to use karate on dogs: "An insurance firm in China has told a man bitten by two dogs it was his own fault for not learning karate."
Japan Appoints Cartoon Ambassador: "Japan has created an unusual government post to promote animation, and named a perfect figure Wednesday to the position: a popular cartoon robot cat named Doraemon."
Teen pimp lures girls into illegal sex: The pimp is 13.
What Freaks You Out?: An oldie but a goodie--tales of things that squick nurses. I think my favourite is the catheter with the chicken feathers.
Food Art: Edible landscape art.
Expelled!: A very funny thing happened on the way to a creationist propaganda movie.... |
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| A Sudden Recollection |
[Mar. 19th, 2008|05:14 pm] |
Back in those years when I was living off the land, I remember gleaning the fields with my family. I can't quite remember what crop(s) we were picking. It might have been potatoes or beans. But the point was the field wasn't gone over twice by the owners. They invited people in to pick what hadn't been harvested, just as proscribed in Leviticus 19:10: "Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God."
I don't remember being thankful at the time. I was more annoyed that I had to do gardening when it would have been more fun to run wild through the forests. But times were pretty lean then, and whatever we gleaned from those fields put necessary food on the table.
So, here's a big thank you to whoever shared their fields with the needy.
Oh, and here's a virtual raspberry to Paul Hanson, a kid who was gleaning with me that day. I know he spied on me when I went behind a bush to pee.
And now for a completely unrelated link:
Traditional Bows in Contemporary Warfare: Fascinating photo essay of a recent battle fought with weaponry more associated with Agincourt. |
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| One Shan's Trash.... |
[Mar. 16th, 2008|09:43 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | links | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | okay | ] |
I am the pipecleaner of the intertubes. Enjoy.
Goth Clothes Prompted Killing: "A 15-year-old boy kicked and stamped to death a woman because she was dressed as a Goth, a court heard."
NZ dolphin rescues beached whales: "A dolphin has come to the rescue of two whales which had become stranded on a beach in New Zealand."
Wonder Sauna Hot Pants: Oh my.
Woman Sat on Toilet for 2 Years: You've likely read this one by now, as it's a current darling of the blogosphere. I have to wonder, though, if the toilet ever clogged. Every toilet clogs eventually, right? So if it overflowed, and she was stuck to the toilet, that meant it flowed up through her lap. Yummy.
Project Facade: "The First World War was a war dominated by high explosives and heavy artillery. Battlefield casualties included an unprecedented number with horrific facial injuries - injuries so severe the men were commonly unrecognizable to loved ones and friends. Often unable to see, hear, speak eat or drink, they struggled to re-assimilate back into civilian life. This secondary tragedy - the living unable to "live" - catalyzed Surgeon Sir Harold Gillies to transform the fledgling discipline of plastic surgery based on his unrivalled observation of the profoundly wounded and his ability to push the parameters of the profession beyond all known techniques."
Waterbed Testing: This video makes me grin.
So does this quotation:
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| Stuff and Nonsense |
[Mar. 12th, 2008|11:49 am] |
Today will be a day of leather, cleaning, and dance. James is coming over at some point to do armour stuff with me.
On Friday, I'll be auditioning for a burlesque show. I may be performing at yet another burlesque show in June. I keep myself busy.
Oh, yes! Yesterday, I received the good news that I'll be teaching more dance classes for good money. Huzzah!
Check out these links.
Futility Closet: My new favourite mailing list. It sends me all sorts of trivia, such as these:
- "Quite recently in China fifteen wooden idols were tried and condemned to decapitation for having caused the death of a man of high military rank. On complaint of the family of the deceased the viceroy residing at Fouchow ordered the culprits to be taken out of the temple and brought before the criminal court of that city, which after due process of law sentenced them to have their heads severed from their bodies and then to be thrown into a pond. The execution is reported to have taken place in the presence of a large concourse of approving spectators and 'amid the loud execrations of the masses,' who seem in their excitement to have 'lost their heads' as well as the hapless deities." – E.P. Evans, The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals, 1906
 – A.C. Orr, Literary Digest, 1906
- "In 1991 Harvard's music library discovered a lost canon of Mozart, the composer who Leonard Bernstein said offers 'the spirit of compassion, of universal love, even of suffering — a spirit that knows no age, that belongs to all ages.'
It's called 'Lick Me in the Ass.'"
Stormhunter: A storm chaser who lives in the same part of the world as I do. I need to meet this guy!
Spite House: Four stories tall, 100 feet long, and just five feet wide, Spite House was built out of, well, spite.
Gender differences in language appear biological: Does this explain why I feel smarter on paper than I do in person (thanks, f00dave)?
AP probe finds drugs in drinking water: "A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows" (thanks, warren_ellis).
The 5 Most Badass Presidents of All-Time: Pretty good points are made, here. Move over, Chuck Norris. Jackson and Roosevelt make you look like a pussy (thanks, tdj).
Nanaimo, The Google Capital of the World: No longer just known for its tasty bars, its now going to be known for its Big Brotherness.
Do the Test: I passed (thanks, gha5t). |
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| Hippy Hippy Shakes |
[Mar. 7th, 2008|01:28 pm] |
They say (whoever they may be) that you don't die in dreams without dying in reality. Well, I must be the new Messiah, because I've resurrected many times. The other night, I dreamed I was hung at a scaffold until I died. I counted the wraps on the noose before they put it around my neck. I felt the bounce after the drop, and the break in my neck. The whole experience was fascinating, in a clinical sort of way. I didn't wake up with a sore neck, either.
I've been very busy the past couple of days. I taught two hipwork-intensive dance classes the other night, walked for a good 90 minutes or so yesterday, went to tap class, and went to kung fu and did squats until I thought my legs would die. But then something did. During some routine technique drills with gha5t, my hip suddenly gave out on me. It felt like it was trying to pop out of joint in the most painful of fashions. I guess I haven't entirely healed up from the fall I took last month, and all that exercise over the past 48 hours exacerbated it. So when I went out to Ren last night, I didn't go dancing. I'm going to give my hips a bit of a rest, at least until Monday when I have to go back to teaching again.
For a very fit person, I sure am decrepit.
Tap class is so much frigging fun. How is it I never got into this before? Brush step ball change, hop step, spring step toe, all that stuff. I get to speed up as I become comfortable with a combination, and I get to make lots of noise while doing it!
Once I get my membership to CADA, I might sign up for private swing lessons, too. I can get one free private class at a studio in uptown Waterloo, so I'll check it out and see if I like their teaching style. If so, I'll go from there....
I also found a few places which offer voice lessons. I've been wanting singing lessons for decades, no joke. CADA may help subsidize that, too. Oh yes.
I lied to a telemarketer, yesterday. Someone called up asking if I'd received my free beef sample (hurr hurr), and I told them I'm a vegetarian. I did this once before to a beef phone spammer back in NB who'd been calling me regularly, and they never called me again. So here's hoping it works again this time. I don't want your frozen cow meats. No. Tonight, I'm roasting a chicken.
Links? Ok. I do have a couple.
Throne of Weapons: I can't say it looks like a very comfortable chair, but it sure is an interesting one with an extensive history.
Hunting Deer with a Trained Golden Eagle: I hadn't realized birds took down prey of this size.
Execution by Saw: That's one hell of a toy.
Forestiere Underground Gardens: A true DIY maestro made an underground Mediterranean grotto in Fresno, CA. I'd love to visit this place. |
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| Resume Dancing |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|12:15 pm] |
Yesterday I tried out partner dancing for the first time. Ok, maybe not for the first time, as I had a ten-minute merengue lesson with a Cuban hottie about six years ago. This time, I tried out Argentinian tango and West Coast swing. I found the movement styles very interesting--more like horseback riding or Wing Chun sticky hands than like any other dancing I've done. Both styles relied on pressure cues from my partner, and once I figured out what those cues were, I progressed very quickly. I think I'm more partial to the swing dance than the tango. I didn't get to try lindy hop, but I may get that opportunity yet.
After taking those dance classes (and teaching my own quick and dirty belly dance class), I went for a walk in the park with f00dave with my camera in hand. Unfortunately, although I saw many things I wanted to photograph, the light was very flat, and the shots don't pop the way I want them to. Still, I did get some practice in composition, and got to laugh at ducks sliding around on ice and marvelled at the destroyed computer sitting in a snowbank.
Today I'm working on my dance résumé. I have a couple of potential dance jobs coming up, and if I get them, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to save up for a better camera.
Links? Sure.
What a Choice! Sex With a Sleaze for $100,000 or Writing for Peanuts: I want a sugar daddy, but not that much.
Racial slur on sofa label stuns family: "When the new chocolate-coloured sofa set was delivered to her Brampton home, Doris Moore was stunned to see packing labels describing the shade as 'Nigger-brown'" (thanks, schwartzung).
Russian 'bird-boy' discovered in aviary: "Russian care workers have rescued a seven-year-old 'bird-boy' who can communicate only by 'chirping' after his mother raised him in a virtual aviary." They lie. He also shakes his feathers.
Erotic Falconry: Parts of this are NSFW, so be warned. "Where’s the deviance in wanting to pull feathers rather than blond hair? What’s abnormal about wanting to see your wife take a three-inch beak instead of a 10-inch African American phallus or a silicon, injection-molded forearm? How can a human vagina or anus even compare to hollow bones or a molty egg-hole."
Cougar Page: Kitties! The cutest frigging mountain lions, ever.
Mysteries of Radio: Number stations. What is the purpose of these bizarre broadcasts? I don't know, but I'm looking for my tinfoil hat....
Students exchanged nude cell phone photos: Little kids, actually. It's the high-tech version of playing doctor.
Fit By Jen: Jen was morbidly obese. Then she got control of her eating and exercise habits, and now she's a personal trainer, and pretty darned inspirational!
Alcoholic parents force children to suckle dogs: No mention if any of these kids ever went on to start their own Roman empires.
How creepy do you want it?: "The famously eerie tale of nine dead Russian hikers, with all the bizarre details you can handle." |
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| I Haven't Even Been Fighting |
[Feb. 29th, 2008|05:18 pm] |
I look like I've been jabbed all over with sticks. I have many bruises, and can only account for about half of them (last night's breakdancing experiment). Where the other ones came from is a complete mystery to me. But despite my brutish appearance, I'm off to do a photoshoot with angramainyu tonight.
As for the breakdance class, well, let's just say I harbour numerous doubts about my future abilities to throw down and battle. I don't think I have any potential as a breakdancer. Where some movement styles click with me right away, some do not. You can guess which category break dance is in for me. That being said, I do believe I can eventually get the basics for up rock figured out.... Except that I doubt I'll be attending any more breakdance classes. They happen during my regularly scheduled wing chun training slots. Last night's tap class, however, continued happily. Although I got lost during a few of the time signatures, I'm progressing so quickly as to utterly freak out my instructor and the advanced student in the class. So maybe I have a future in tap! I know I'm having a helluva lot of fun with it.
After dancing, I went to Ren with schwartzung, ostensibly for a business meeting, but our contact didn't show. So we hung around for a while and took in the drag show. I feel like an alien at these events. Seeing straight men dressed up like tarty women getting hit on by other straight men confuses my brains. And watching a strip-tease with a drag queen going down to nothing but strategically placed duct tape was certainly amusing. The front looked ok, but the back really looked like an arse taped shut. And I really have to wonder about just how it would feel to yank duct tape off such sensitive skin. Yikes.
Tomorrow, I'm off to London to check out the clubs there. This is just as much for work as it is for pleasure. I've been drafted into DSoL as a promotions assistant, and some of our events will be taking place there, and we want to see the clubs firsthand. Also, I may very well be dancing there this spring.
Today, I received an email from a dancer asking me to photograph her at a show. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go to her show, but it's very flattering to be asked for specifically as a photographer. I'm used to being asked for as a model, but this is my first time being requested as a photographer. I really do enjoy taking pictures, and I'm finding it an excellent creative challenge to photograph live shows, whether they're of dancers or musicians. I'll keep it up, and maybe someday I'll even get the camera that will let me take the kind of shots I want to take.
Links? Why yes!
Blind Irishman sees with the aid of son's tooth in his eye: This is probably the strangest medical headline I've ever seen.
Somebody Needs Some Pantene: Oh Christ....
Form and Function: A series of amazing photos of some amazing women: professional athletes in a wide array of shapes and sizes.
New theory (and old equations) may explain causes of ship-sinking freak waves: "On a stormy April day in 1995, the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 was sailing in the North Atlantic when the ocean liner dipped into a 'hole in the sea.' Out of the darkness, a towering 95-foot wave threatened to crash down upon the vessel, which the 70,000-ton ship attempted to surf in order to avoid being pummeled to the bottom of the ocean." This is the sort of thing that makes me question the wisdom of those planned floating cities.
And last, but not least, comes this: Pseudopod 79: Ice: creepy mariner fiction by elanya. Download it now, because I think it's only available for today. |
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| DANCE! |
[Feb. 28th, 2008|03:15 pm] |
After teaching my classes last night, I ended up doing some role-playing gaming online, something I haven't done in a decade or so. Just as I was wrapping up, my phone rang. It was Sara, wondering where I was. You see, last night was goth night at the Ren, and I am usually there around 23:00. Here it was, 23:30 or so, and I was nowhere to be seen. I guess the regulars were nervous! So I heeded my summons and got my arse down there.
I didn't end up doing too much dancing. I was pretty shagged out. However, I did try that descension from yesterday's Danse du Jour clip three times. The first time, it worked. The next two times, I got cocky and ended up falling flat on my back good and hard, and not at all with any grace. So yeah. That move needs work, but I know I can do it....
Today's plans include figuring out what I'm going to do for my next upcoming dance performances. I still have to figure out something concrete for the Beats Antique song, and I'm still contemplating what to mix with it. The venue has lots of room, so I could do poi, if I were so inclined. It might be a good accompanying piece for the "Trinkit" dance, which I see as being half standing up, and half down on the ground, and all pretty slow and controlled. So something speedy and energetic might be nice.
It would also be nice to use veil poi (or voi), but sufficient practice space is problematic. I need high ceilings. Hmm... I could go early to my Wednesday teaching gig, and use the room there. Huzzah!
I've been invited to perform at a couple other events in Toronto, but I'm still hedging. I'd have to make new costumes, just because of the themes of the show, and I'm not sure I have time to complete them plus put together new dances.
I also have an upcoming photo shoot with 8 Digital, and need to practice more for upcoming gigs with them. The black leather dance costume I'm working on would work well for this.
Tonight, I'm back to tap class, and then I'm going to try out a breakdancing class (although I won't be able to continue, because it's during my regular wing chun slot).
Oooh. I just had a cool idea for the costume I'm making. Gotta scribble it down while I'm thinking about it....
Oh yes. Inspiration. It could very well work. I'm going to need a lot of cord/lacing. Anyhow, I'll post these links, and then I'm back to work doing costuming while pounding my music deep into the recesses of my brain.
7 Abandoned Wonders of the European Union: From Deserted Castles Retrofuturistic Factories: The castle is especially beautiful. I wish I had something this amazing close by. Imagine the wonderful photo opportunities....
Google Gives All SF Homeless Free Voicemail: "A homeless person will be able to call in for his or her messages from any phone. The move by the city and the company would allow someone to be able to fill out a job application, which asks for a call back number."
New Underwear Technology May Devastate U.S. Masculinity: Is it really any worse than underwire bras?
![[Hardcore kitty dancing]](http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/fredd4592/roffles2.jpg "[Hardcore kitty dancing]") |
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| Pieces of Dance, Pieces of Me |
[Feb. 25th, 2008|01:28 pm] |
I spent yesterday afternoon listening to and reading porn at an erotica workshop. Next time, I'll have one of my own stories to read. Afterwards, schwartzung attacked me with a javelin, and I cut my finger down to the bone on a chipped plate. Blood was everywhere. I'm still not quite sure how that happened.
I've been listening to Beats Antique's "Trinkit" lately, getting myself prepared for an upcoming dance performance. It's a bit tricky, because I've been assigned this piece to perform to, and it isn't something I find terribly inspiring. So I'm listening to it to death, hoping that something will click. Right now, I only have an idea for two or three small sections of the song. I have to do much better than that. And I still have to pick out a complementary song to dance to. I'm thinking about "Crooked Spoons" by Otep again, but I'm not sure. I'd definitely have to do the Otep song second, because once I dance to that, there's nothing left of me. It just kills me. The last time I performed to it, it took me about a month to recover.
Not this time, but at some point, I really want to dance to the Dry Martini mix of Rev. 22:20 by Puscifer (available here). Yowza....
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I'm not especially afraid of heights, but this video gives me the willies. Gah....
Spot the 'invisible' men and women in artist's amazing photographs: Interesting exploration of invisibility/camouflage.
People Can't believe I'm single because of my looks: Oh jeeze.
Net admirers pay for breast implants: Ok, I'm not posting this for the reason you might expect. It's because of this statement: "Strathmore is scheduled for breast augmentation on April 10 -- when she will go from a 29A to a 36C cup". How the hell does that work? I can see how she can go from an A to a C, but how is she gaining seven inches around her rib cage? Are they giving her the opposite of liposuction? WTF?
Afghan reporter shocked by trial: Worst headline title, ever. "An Afghan reporter sentenced to death after downloading an article from the internet on women's rights has said his trial lasted just four minutes." Poor fucker.... |
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| Dink Lump |
[Feb. 22nd, 2008|10:10 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | links | ] |
| [ | mood |
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Lots of stuff for you, this time around....
PC beats doctor in scan tests: "Experts taught a standard computer how to diagnose Alzheimer's from brain scans, and got a 96% success rate. The accuracy of diagnosis from standard scans, blood tests and interviews carried out by a clinician is 85%."
Hugs From a Lion: Awwww! So frigging cute (thanks, superbrad)!
How the West Was Won: Some people survived being scalped.
Who Watches the Doctors?: It sounds like a cheap-ass horror movie, but it's not fiction. "A woman goes into her local hospital for routine minor surgery to remove a tiny lesion on her labia. But just before the anaesthetic is administered, her doctor leans over her - out of earshot of the operating theatre staff. 'I’m going to take your clitoris too,' he whispers."
Ex-Homecoming Queen Beats Sister With Fake Leg In Trailer: Oh dear. I'm overwhelmed by schadenfreude. How positively deliciously trailer-trashy horrible.
B.C. inventor wants to put pop bottle rocket into orbit: Well, I guess it's an alternative to landfill.
‘Human pelican’ guilty of drink driving: Oh lordy.
Raelians Rocket From Clones to Clitorises: Huzzah! Now that's what I call good charity work.
Ultrasound nails location of the elusive G spot: "For the first time it is possible to determine by a simple, rapid and inexpensive method if a woman has a G spot or not."
2 Horse Died After Colliding, Not Because of Foul Play: The title should instead be, dead because of horseplay, not foul play. Or maybe that's just my opinion....
Police Told Daughter To Stop Calling Before Murder-Suicide: "A Central Florida woman whose 17-year-old daughter was killed in a murder-suicide apparently committed by her ex-boyfriend said the teen was told by police to stop calling for help or she'd be arrested." Grr...
Tournament of blood: The sheer horror of horse-fighting: Terrible, yes. But I can't help but relive all my adolescent readings of Black Stallion and Island Stallion novels.
Tattoo implants go awry: Breast implants on a leg?
Barbed Wire Hula Hoop: NSFW. Ow ow ow. OW (thanks, warren_ellis)!
Electronic tattoo display runs on blood: I almost sorta kinda want one of these.
Dubai is Nuts!: Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on over there?
Bad air blamed for hundreds of deaths: This is where I live. Marvelous (thanks, snowy_kathryn).
Blue Planet: An Underwater Lake: So beautiful. So cool.
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sick
hopeful
busy
reminiscent
creative