Has he really become Supersonic?

It seems that Jamiroquai has performed 35,000 feet about the earth on an airplane - breaking several records at a time. See video footage from Reuters here.

It's not very often that this happens, but I am kind of beyond words today.

Last night, after work, a friend and I went for a walk along the ocean and witnessed an awesome sunset as dusk fell upon us. Nature is, if I might say it again, is an amazing force... Providing that people take the time to witness it. And today, despite the crazy forecast of snow, it looks like we have another great day ahead of us. Lovely.

I'm going to try to be optimistic that this weather will continue into next week!

On these days, when I am feeling awfully observant about things, I happen to see some of the most interesting things. While on the bus home a couple of nights ago, I see this headbanger guy with his headphones on, flailing his head around in a most amazing display of air headbanging that I've seen outside a live gig. I am pretty amazed that he could continue to stand while he was staging this "performance". In fact, there were more than a few amused onlookers to this. I wonder how his brain felt from bashing against the inside of his skull...

It's pretty amazing what one sees if they just open their eyes long enough. You see miracles, amusements and tragedies as well. It makes life interesting for sure.

The one thing I missed this morning was the birds chirping. Maybe it was a bit too chilly for them today.

The birds were at it again this morning - obviously excited about the arrival of spring. I love to hear them again but it took just a bit more energy to get out of bed this morning. Mainly due to the fact that it would have been wonderful just to spend the day outside and not in the office. Oh well. That will happen soon enough.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish luck to my friend at Isn't it Queer on his impending journey to France. A bientot mon ami! It's time for you to realize your dreams...

Speaking of dreams, I have been having a lot of them lately. They are nothing spectacular and not particularly memorable except for the fact that they seem to mirror the small anxieties I have while I am awake. Last night was about me pushing a relationship too far and thus ending it. The other night I had a dream about buying a friend's birthday present and that same friend found it in it's hiding space and opened it weeks before the actual day of her birthday. Hell, I even had a dream about my friend that was leaving here. I don't know what's causing them. Maybe it's because I am actually taking care to get enough sleep. Who knows. Dreams really are perplexing sometimes...

I prefer the dreams one has that they can work towards. There is such a feeling of accomplishment when those dreams are realized. That's what this time of year reminds me of. A time where people can brush off their procrastinations and work towards something that can fulfill them.

So, T and all of you others, here's to fulfilling our dreams this year!

I awoke this morning to the sounds of birds chirping.

Surely this means that Spring will soon be upon us. Finally, I can come out of this fog that I've been in and move on to the more hopeful things in life. Winter has gone on for far too long as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, and I can also stop procrastinating...

Hmmm. It's Saturday and I'm here at the office writing a post...

I just saw a good friend of mine who will soon return home to her country and so I'm feeling a bit melancholy. While I support her decision and hope the best for her, I can't help feeling that this is another one of those cases where I am experiencing great loss. No, it's not as if there's been a death however, this departure is yet another of those situations that contributes to the void that already exists in my heart. It is also a situation that one has to try really hard to put aside that feeling of loss and realize that friendships really can transcend distances.

So, I will just say this: M! I already miss you and it's been only about ninety minutes...Thank you for your friendship and I know that we'll see each other somewhere in this world. Take care.

On another note, I've been doing a lot of thinking about independence. Sometimes I think that it's all very over-rated...

I received a letter from one friend and face-to-face words with another about the thought processes of men. I suppose that, while I understand what they are saying, I also feel that I now know why communication between the sexes can be so challenging. I try not to get frustrated about it but wonder how in the hell I am going to change my ways so that I don't end up being single for the rest of my life.

I was told that women shouldn't trust that she will get the level of emotional support that is required from that straight man in her life. Do you agree? While I don't want to, I think that I kind of have to side with that advice.

I guess what I don't understand is why? Some men are honest enough to admit that they are looking for someone to take care of them (ie. a mother) and that is often the expectation of the male half of a heterosexual couple. However, it also seems that women are expected to fill this role without actually getting the same in return. Who, may I ask, takes care of all of those "mothers" in a relationship? Are we supposed to just grin & bear it?

Okay. I don't want you guys out there to think that I'm just spouting off some sort of feminist rant. I want you to know, that is definitely not the case. I am just wondering about it and would really like to start up a dialogue about it.

I was brought up to believe that it's basically up to the men who take the lead in regards to who they want to be with. However, I've realized that this just leads to frustration because while men seem to be more relaxed around the actual asking a woman out, the women are busy questioning themselves with things like, "Does he really like me?" And while these guys often take their time with the whole relationship thing, women are busily trying to find ways to push the relationship to the next level. They call, making up excuses to get the guy to call back and thus end up having this person feel you are too needy and give up on things.

I'm just trying to learn something here. After all, I've only got the opinions of some really close gay friends and one surprisingly honest straight friend that happens to be male. Maybe, if this kind of dialogue happens, we can all find a happy medium. I'm not trying to start another "Men are from Mars" phenomenon, I'm just trying to work things out. After all, you can't blame men or women. It'd just be nice to know how to get along...

On a final note, along with saying farewell to my good friend M, I would also like to add a "good luck" to T. Keep in touch...both of you! (T, have you sent the ho-cho yet?)

Last night, while walking home from the mall near my house (a twenty minute journey, due to poor bus service after having to work late), I looked up into the slightly cloudy night sky and saw the most glorious sight. The stars were so clear and the air was crisp and a little cold. I couldn't take my eyes off of them.

The stars were like sparkling crystals in the sky, despite the moon being obscured by clouds.

I couldn't help to think, on that walk home, how romantic my circumstances were. The traffic was extremely sparse and I couldn't help thinking that - if I didn't have to get up to go to work this morning - how I could lie down and look up into that night sky for hours. It would have been especially lovely to share it with someone.

For a second or two, the whole thing made me feel a bit lonely. And small.

That feeling didn't quite go away by the time I got home, however, I couldn't help but feel I'd seen something magical in that night sky. I don't know when I will find that one special person to share this life of mine with... However, with skies like this one, I hope that it's sooner than later.

The reason is that the capacity of my heart expands when I witness such awe-inspiring sights.

Hey! I was just checking my tracking and noticed that the number of hits from Hungary have surpassed those from the UK. The strange thing is that the number of hits are from one or two people... (Thank you Viktor & Kitti, if it's you...)

It looks like this single-handed attempt may soon surpass hits from the US & Canada...

Have a great day everyone!

Happy Lunar New Year!

This pig's for you!

Last night, I saw the "Sunshine" singer hitchhiking north out of the city. Well, all I can say is that at least we'll get a bit of peace & quiet now...

It's funny sometimes. You think you've got someone figured out and then you get blown away when they do something totally out of character...

Like today. I got on my usual bus to come to work and the driver, who seems like a pretty gruff person, is whistling "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". I would hardly have expected him to be whistling this song however, it was nice to see that people aren't always able to be pigeon-holed into a certain group. Mr. Gruff obviously loves a good musical...

It reminded me about last night's episode of "Ugly Betty" when her nephew was on the train acting out the plot for the musical "Hairspray" because the subway stopped running and he wanted to show his deadbeat dad what he was missing. I love that show. I know that it's been produced all over the world but it's just so charming. I'm pretty much a "root for the underdog" kind of girl.

Anyway, today looks like it's going to be just beautiful. The sun is shining and the air smells so fresh. I trust that everyone will have a wonderful weekend!

No "L"ove in google? I was searching something on Google today and it looks like it's missing an "L". Or am I just not seeing it?

Anyone else out there able to see it?

(Image courtesy of Google)

He's back! Thank goodness! I've added his new incarnation to my links under All Things But None. Welcome back R!

I've also added a couple of new links. (Boys, if you are reading this, then you know that I've now connected your to mine which adds a wee bit of pressure to update more often.) So, folks, I introduce T's blog, Isn't it Queer and V's entitled Restoration Area. I am sure that they would both like to hear your comments as each has an open forum on the issues they write about.

The other day, I was reminded of that matron of misery Diamanda Galas who started her career as a artist, composer, keyboardist and vocalist in the 1980's. Here is what wikipedia says about Ms. Galas. It is said that she is "capable of the most unnerving vocal terror" and she has also been compared to Maria Callas. Although reading this, it seems that she has a method to her madness in that she writes passionately about on the "topics of suffering, despair, condemnation injustice and loss of dignity." I remember when she first released her albums however, it never really caught on here. Anyone out there remember her?

Well, I am going now to listen to Yoko in my office. Thanks Robert for the music. I am always inspired by your choices!

Wow. It THIS true? Will The Police go on tour? Really?

I had heard they were in Vancouver rehearsing a few weeks back. When I told my friends, we just knew that we had to go. It'd be great if it were a club tour...

Wow. Is it true? Is Anna Nicole Smith dead?

It's funny. The guy I wrote about yesterday got on the same bus going into town after work. He still had his guitar but now he had a friend. They played together on the upper level of the double-decker bus but I think they were both playing their own tunes and exactly the same time. Either that, or they had no idea how to play together. It was beyond intolerable dissonance... It was freaking annoying!

I've decided that we shouldn't have to wake up in the morning until it is light out. I have no desire to get out of my warm bed in the morning because it's still dark. Anyone out there care to campaign with me that working days should begin after the sun has risen? I'm tired of this whole winter thing... Would everyone out there who feels the same please raise their hands?

It appears that Axl Rose is alive and well and living on the streets of Victoria.

Well, at least the weird guy who was sitting in front of the Royal Bank on the corner of Douglas & Fort Streets playing his guitar and singing for spare change bore a striking resemblence to the rocker in his younger days... And, to tell the truth, his screaming was pretty close as well. Most of the people waiting for the bus couldn't figure out whether he was expressing his creative side or whether he was strung out on drugs.

I managed to not burst out laughing at the guy however, I think he scared the shit out of many of the passersby. Just when he was getting into his song, he'd scream out "Sunshine!!!!!"

Perhaps he was just praying for better weather...

Over the weekend, I went to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see some major photographic exhibitions that were on there.

The first, that started on February 3rd, was entitled "Acting the Part: Photography as Theatre" which examined the art of "staged" photographs from the year 1840 until the present time. After attending this exhibition, I did a bit of research and came up with the concept of tableau vivant which gives one a better idea of the concept. While I thought it interesting, I couldn't help thinking that I would have enjoyed it more if my friend "T" (otherwise know as "maxime") were to have been there. He has a much more theatrical sense than I do.

The second exhibition, Fred Herzog: Vancouver Photographs, was much more to my liking. It covers over 40 years of photographs taken by Fred Herzog, an immigrant to Canada from Germany who, in this collection, documented the city of Vancouver over almost 50 years of its growth into the metropolis that it has become. His work was both nostalgic but also demonstrates some amazing techniques.

Much of Herzog’s work was produced on Kodachrome, a colour slide film that was difficult to work with in a spontaneous fashion. Herzog’s use of colour was unusual in the 1950s and 60s, a time when art photography was almost exclusively associated with black and white imagery. In this respect, his photographs can be seen as a pre-figuration of the “New Colour” of photographers such as Stephen Shore and William Eggleston, which received widespread acclaim in the 1970s, and the work of contemporary Vancouver photographers such as Roy Arden, Arni Haraldsson, Karin Bubas and Christos Dikeakos.

I preferred this second one over the first, simply for the craftsmanship and the connection he had to his subjects. He caught so many different aspects of the city and its people that there were few, if any, that didn't keep me enthralled. It was interesting that most of them were inkjet prints but that didn't diminish from the quality of his work.

Interestingly, I didn't really look at any of the other exhibitions in the gallery, due to limited time and the fact that I was not feeling so well. If you have a love of photography, you should check out both of these. The Acting the Part show runs until May 21, 2007 and Herzog show runs until May 13.

By the way, did anyone else out there know that Yoko Ono is releasing a new CD? It's going to be called Yes, I'm a Witch and it will be released on Astralwerks.

It's 11:46 pm and on the shelf next to the computer terminal, the beta fish is having one of it's spastic moments. Why it does that, I haven't the faintest idea. All I know is that, after spending most of it's day pretty dormant in it's plastic bowl on the shelf and then, with no notice whatsoever, it seems to freak out and make a sudden movement. The water swirls around quickly and then it just goes back to lying motionless in the bottom of it's tank. Imagine awaking suddenly in the night, as many of us have done on occasion, only when you wake up, you are wearing dark blue flowing lingerie and you are lying in a bowl of water.

I suppose that I would be a bit spastic if I had to sit in a small plastic bowl at the dark side of the room. Too far from the window, you'd have little to observe and it would most likely be a bit boring.

Speaking of fish, I went to Kingyo Izakaya for dinner tonight. To be honest, I am absolutely glad that I did. The food was amazing, the decor was just my taste and, once I got over the initial shock of everyone working there welcoming me with a loud "irashaimase", I felt like I was in an art gallery where the inner sanctum and the food were as much the art as the serving dishes and sake bottles. Even the kingyo residing at the front door seemed happy in their traditional style bowl. Sorry there's no website but if you are interested in going there, you can find it at 871 Denman Street in Vancouver. However, here's a review I found on raj.

As well, earlier in the day, I went to Keis Bakery on Burrard (near 7th), a Japanese-style bakery. They have all sorts great breads and I must say that I couldn't help buying more than I should have. Again, I couldn't find a website but here is an entry on a blog entitled Good things in Vancouver.

Finally, in my adventuring today, I went to a place called Steeps on Broadway. They have a huge selection of teas and the organic blackberry apple pie was really great too. The cups are all different and they have tea serving utensils from all over the world.

The day is now over and the fish is quiet once again. I guess that's my signal to roll out my mattress on the floor near the fishbowl and get some sleep. Tomorrow it's back to my little town across the water. I should get back before the earthquake they've predicted(supposedly) happens. For more insight into the event, you can read about it here.

Sorry folks but I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. Ciao!

Okay, so I must admit that I haven't been all that chipper lately. Not sure what it is but I suppose that with happiness comes sadness. There must be balance in the cosmos.

It's not unusual for people to feel small some of the time. Nor is it unusual that someone loses patience or that they feel that they've just reached their limits. It's all part of existing. After all, without evil, there cannot be good because there would be nothing to compare it to.

So it is only natural that without negativity, there cannot be positive. Without white, there can be no black. And, quite frankly, with little sleep, this person can be more than a bit unbalanced. As well, a long, dark winter doesn't really help things either.

Nevertheless, this person can look at the beautiful morning and be thankful for it. It is cold because the clouds that surround the earth (like a huge fluffy duvet) are absent today. Without the cover of these large fluffy pillows, we can have the beautiful sun and a crisp day!

Everyone get out there and soak up some Vitamin D... The light is emerging from the dark!