Christian needs to have his typing fingers broken

osama is gonna jump out of a cake monday morning, everyone will ooh and aah, and no one will notice dick cheney stuffing the ballot boxes...

You idiot! You half-witted harbinger of doom, wtf did you say that?

Change in Numbers

Just wanted to let you know that my old cell phone number is now
Grae's cell number as of immediately. Grae's old cell phone, if
you've tried it lately, has been cancelled.

If you need to reach me, the house number remains, or by email.

Although, this may be temporary.

Help with happy fun games

I remember playing this game with dice, where the name of the game is important and the answers are all either even numbers or zero. Actually, zero is an even number, too. So, all the answers are even numbers. And the name is important. What was the name again?

Also there was this other game where it's some kinda world or something, and there are (for example) steers but no bulls and queers but no straight guys. I don't think the name was as important for this one, but I'd still like to know what it is, because every game needs a name.

I don't need a refresher on the rules, just the names. I remember how the games go. And also that this one guy was so amazingly awful at one of them that I wanted to hit something, maybe him.

P.S. If you haven't seen this yet, it's pretty cool. Actually, it's pretty cool whether you've seen or not, which makes this use of the conditional quite odd. I think I read a paper about that once. Something about cookies.

weekend update.

so what's the tentative schedule for this weekend? what's happening?

all I know for sure if party saturday at the clubhouse, all night movie marathon afterwards, and breakfast at kat's...

can't remember what other cinemuerte stuff was going on that people were interested in...

just trying to figure out who is doing what. anyone want to volunteer their plans? any non-muerte movies playing saturday or early sunday? any other social food gatherings planned?

I'd like to get some socialising done this weekend... available evening friday through evening sunday.

edit: cinemuerte tickets can be purchased online at http://www.cinemuerte.com... so who is up for a showing of tamala 2010 at midnight friday, for certain? I'm not gonna buy tix for miyuki and me if it's just us, 'cos she'll sleep through it anyway. tickets are $5.50 US online with a $1 service charge... but it's guaranteed seating without the hassle of waiting in line. paul is pussing out, so we won't have our line bitch anyway...

The Horror Of Moving or "How I learned to stop worrying and accept being homeless".

Well it's come down to this...a month of frantic searching for real estate that satisfies my criteria for location, space and non-leakage...a few offers, one acceptance on a spacious 1030sf condo and many horrible strata minutes later...I've decided that this is a sour time of year to shop for real estate in the GVRD. Hence, I've decided to rent in a brand new 1brdm + den suite that is managed by a family friend who has been incredibly hospitable...

Now the reason for last minute panic...my boss, with the F350, has a family emergency out of town and may not be able to offer help this weekend, hence I'm without a truck and down to 2 definites and 1 maybe for assistance. I'm going to try to see what can be rented at the last minute, but I'm not having a good day...so, anyone who'd be willing to contribute a vehicle or a hand with the lifting of 6 big pieces of furniture would definitely make my "people to appreciate" list and be treated to Mo 'n Meez donairs for lunch and sushi or indian food for dinner.

Not to compete with Paul, but I'm in a real panic over this, I don't have far to move and with the right size truck and a few extra people, I don't expect that the move would take more than 1-2 hours.

Duke

The Joy of Moving...

So, I'm moving out of my beloved apartment on Saturday... U-Haul doesn't have any trucks for the weekend, so I'm recruiting vehicles. I have two people bringing cars (Jim and Christian) but if anyone has a truck available (subtle hint here, Owen) between 1 and 3, then I can move the couch and bed. There will be plentiful Hon's provided, along with much gratitude and possibly beer.

Still unspoken for is my couch (which will go into storage if nobody's interested) and my bike. Anybody who wants to partake in the temporary goodness of my discarded possession, speak now.

Sketchy Sunday Breakfast

Not sure how many will be attending the Cinemeurte exploitation night on the 30th but for those of you who are or are availble for breakfast at 7:30 am, me and my room mate Cat will be having people over for breakfast after the movies.

we'll be walking back to my place after the last film so if you're not going to attend the exploitation night you can either meet us at Pacific Cinematheque or i can email you the adress of the appartement and you can stop by sometime after 8. Either way make sure to let me know.

RSVP, we need to know how much food to make and if we'll be able to fit everyone. if you have any requests let us know, feel free to bring food as well.

Sooooo much greeeeeeeeeeeeeease.

Watch me

Yeah that's it except for the disappointment in lack of comments with my last post. Haters of me. Screw you.

Hallowe'en night

So what plans do people have this year for the 31st?

I plan on going to the Sonar for Something Wicked This Way Comes, and with any luck, I'll experience a repeat of last year's win. Anyone looking to come out is more than welcome (provided they cheer their lungs out for me). I'll be heading down fairly early in the night, at approximately 9pm. If it is anything like last year, judging will occur some time around 1am, so plan on staying out late on a school night.

Top prize is $500 this year, with over $1000 in secondary prizes. Hope to see you there.

P.S. My mom will be attending too, and competing against me for best costume.

references required

I've got my job interview next week... would like to put down a couple of canadian references. unfortunately, paul is leaving for his untimely demise, so I don't think I can count on him. is there anyone else willing to provide a professional sounding reference for me, if need be? need to put some phone numbers down for the interviewer to potentially call.

if you'd like to volunteer, let me know on my email... melferburque at gmail.com

not sure who out there is really good at this stuff aside from paul. never really seen anyone else in a professional context. I'm more concerned with the references making a good impression than speaking glowing praise about me anyway...

ART WOW

I'm going to this:

Electra Exhibition Opening Reception
Thursday, October 21, 6-8 PM (that's today!)

at Electra (970 Burrard Street).

"Please join us for a wine and
cheese reception, celebrating the work of artists in
three diverse exhibits as part of the 2004 New Forms
Festival: Digitalis: Ethno Techno: An Exhibition of
Digital Print, First Nations Exhibit, and New Forms
Festival Media Installation. Local and international
artists will be in attendance. Admission is by
donation. For more information and a description of
the artists and their work, please visit
www.newformsfestival.com."

Anyone else interested? Did you hear that there will be local and international artists? In Attendance!!! Fuck yeah!

Den of Sin updates

Hey big change in schedule next week.

One we're back to tuesday on the 26th (and then back to wednesday on Nov. 10) due to Cine-Muerte starting up the next night.

Two no Orca or Jaws: The Revenge. Postponed til maybe December (and then maybe no Jaws since everyone seems to be sick of me purposely programming crap). After watching last week's "Sympathy for Mr Vengeance", to which Graeme and Brendan can attest to, we've decided to program some goodies as in actually good, really good.

Oct 26th
So this upcoming tuesday is a Chan-wook Park (director of "Sympathy for Mr Vengeance". One of my new all time faves) double bill.

7:00pm JSA (Joint Security Area) - A murder in the JSA of North and South Korea. The only witness commits suicide. Promises to be a decent thriller.

9:00pm Oldboy - Won the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes. Supposedly kick ass revenge movie. Can't wait.

Apologies to Owen after I promised tonight we would be watching Orca but, fuck, let's watch some damn good movies for a change (though Mariko's programming choices are usually excellent. Yay for her. Boo to me.)

Also Corrine rules because apparently she needs to hear that I give a shit. She and Graeme should also see I Heart Huckabees because I'm very curious what they BOTH think about it.

To end here are some previews of upcoming films

In december hopefully
http://www.subversivecinema.com/subversivetrailers/battle.mov

And in January (Oh yeah)
http://www.artsmagicdvd.com/trailers/9souls/qtlarge.html
(I love the music in this movie)

I'm such a nerd...

bosox win the pennant! bosox win the pennant!

My advance funeral...

Decided on the Atlantic Trap and Gill, a fun and tasty Newfie bar at Seymour and Davie, on Friday for my going-away festivities. Nothing fancy, just an eat-and-drink-into-total-insensibility thingy. They have a good house Celtic band and the food and beer are pretty cheap.

I'm thinking of getting started between 8 and 9. I'll try to reserve a table.

There'll be good Douglas College and SFU folk there too. C'mon out, it's your last chance to see me alive.

Another Day Procrastinating

I should be writing a paper, but instead I find myself showing off the
cool features blogger has to offer. Have any of you guys tried Hello
or emailing a post?

I'm trying out the emailing post thing right now, but I have used
Hello as the image hosting by using such program is the absolute
bestest for free.

Offerings...

Okay, I've gotten a handle on how much stuff I have to distribute... all this gear is available for the taking for the next 6 months, possibly longer depending on if I die or get another job abroad.

Queen-size bed (Still interested, Owen?)
Couch
Mountain bike (unless I figure out a way to take it with me)
6-foot-tall bookshelf
Coffee table
Three of those weird little stacking coffee tables
2 Ikea cube seats
Wheeled office chair

I also have miscellaneous kitchen stuff and minor crap like board games...

Also there's the big prize, my new TV, to which I may as well attach my dvd player, VCR, and about 120 dvds, only one of which is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. All for the low, low prize of offering up a few feet of storage space.

Oh, and there's more free stuff. I have two tix to The Glossy Awards from a coworker, but I'm otherwise occupied that night. Anybody wants 'em, they're yours.

GRRLS NIGHT

So,

this is short notice,

but grrls night is on Monday the 18th.

So far the activities include pedicures and baking cookies.

Start time is around 7:00pm

It's a school night for me so lights out at 11:00pm

Please feel free to bring any female friends along;

we'll giggle it up.

peace and love,

Karen

DUBYA GAME!

To help you through those debate evenings if you're so unfortunate to have cable.

Dubya Game

That karma thing again...

Life is occasionally sweet:

Via the Washington Monthly, some good O'Reilly news.

This is getting ridiculous

http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2421595&nav=168XRvNe

Round Three

Last debate, 6:00 at my place. Email for directions, of course.

Free gin for everybody if Dubya bursts into flames or suddenly declares his undying love of the cock.

Many things...

I'm vanishing in three weeks and gotta get a whole buncha stuff done in the meantime, like:

A Paul's-Gonna-Die-In-Africa Party! I've been wracking my tiny brain to try and figure out what to do to celebrate my impending doom. As October 22nd (Friday) is the only evening not eaten up by other preparations, I'm pegging that for the drunkenness. But I don't know what I'm doing yet, and suggestions are most welcome. An evening of foolishness at the Bree has also suggested an 11-hour Lord of the Rings marathon drinking game on the 23rd (starting and finishing somewhat earlyish, a friend's birthday is that night), but she and I may be the only people geeky enough for that. Let me know.

Furniture! In the next few days I'll have a decent idea how much furniture I'll have by the time I leave, but already I can offer a whompin' huge computer desk, a coffee table, a bookcase, three end tables, and a couple of those stupid little Ikea cube seats. Anybody wants to borrow this stuff while I'm gone, let me know - better than putting it in storage for six (or more) months. I may also have a queen-size bed and a couch up for grabs, but that yet remains to be seen. Sorry, but I'm forced to be an ass regarding the big prize, the TV, and lend it to someone who can store a half dozen biggish boxes for me in my absence. Preferably someone who doesn't already have a TV.

Website! Since my Fillerbunny reference has grown mighty stale, and I need a more all-purpose website, I'm trying to learn how to make one and have even reserved an URL. Inasmuch as I know nothing about web design, yet I'm expected to be writing websites in Botswana, I'd be eternally grateful to anyone who has any books on Dreamweaver or HTML or any other goodies for the internets, and can part with them for a time. I offer payment in tacky souvenirs!

Spam! In a time before blog, when I was in Japan, I chronicled the weirdnesses in overlengthy emails, now archived on my site, and sent them to everybody I know. They were well received, and I had a great time writing them, so I'll be doing it again. Much of the stories of what I see and do and eat and fall ill with and get gored by may make it onto my blog, but I won't have constant email access, and will sometimes be blogless for weeks at a time. Writing these journals on my laptop and sending them off when I find a net cafe will sometimes be my best way to stay in contact with the real world. If you want my spam, send me your current addy at psrushton AT hotmail.com

I'd heard this anecdotally....

But I just assumed it was a little silly, but here's some statistical analysis showing that terror warnings increase approval for the standing president. Now all we need is a study correlating the warnings to previous poll drops, or instances of bad press.

Animals...

On my walk home, an exotic-looking bird with clipped wings kinda hopped-glided down from one of the uppers floors of a West End highrise as I walked by on my way home. He (a gendered pronoun I arbitrarily apply) was clearly someone's pet, but calls to both the building's manager and the SPCA went unanswered. That was an hour and a half ago.


He's still sitting happily on my shoulder, as I type this, both of us waiting desperately for morning to arrive so I can take him to the SPCA or back to the building from whence he came. He needs a name... any suggestions?


I hope he enjoys the presidential debate.

sunday matinee

so I'm gonna be in canada this weekend, and it's beginning to look like no one but miyuki will benefit from it. I'd like to rectify this with a possible group outing to a movie...

ideally, I'd like to see huckabees, but I can't seem to find any movie times for it because famous players can't program a proper website. I could also go in for motorcycle diaries, playing at tinseltown. will anyone be available, say, 2ish on sunday?

granted, I should probably check with miyuki before committing to anything... but I don't think we have anything pencilled in for sunday. well, the stinkhawks are on, but I'm sure she'd rather go see a movie. she's very unamerican in her hatred of football. and nearly every other way as well.

Shaun of the Dead...

Thursday October 7th, Capitol 6 downtown. Drop a note, gimme a call, or just be there.

Halloween Party

Last Saturday in October (as per usual), the 5th Annual Clubhouse Halloween will start at 8pm.

Parade of Lost Souls will be going on at Grandview Park. Standard system for the parties, only this time with costumes!

Debates...

Good lord, that was dull.


John Edwards has not done well.

Oy...

I have absofuckinglutely no idea where to start with this.

Alaska in 5 Photos.

To those who weren't aware, I snuck out of Vancouver for a week to go and eat a lot of food on a boat. Have some pictures of my adventure.

Juneau, Alaska was the first stop. Here's what's behind the city.

Daily towel critter to appear on my bed. Also received were a snake and a puppy.

Harbour seals in Ketchikan.

Misty Fjords. Really.

Misty Fjords waterfalls.

Mt. St. Helens in 5 Photos.

Mt. St. Helens and her tuft of rock dust.

The media.

The worshippers of the Magma Jesus

The celebrations of ... dormant volcanoes. Cheap beer, expensive cigars.

The result. I ended up having ash inhalation.

THE HARDEST I'VE LAUGHED IN YEARS

Neil Hamburger and Pleaseeasaur
Saturday, October 2nd 2004

The Brickyard

So I arrived at the Brickyard around 9:00pm only to find the place was deserted with only one middle-aged couple eating dinner there (who would eat at the BY???). Blarney Stone lineup was at approximately 2.5 blocks long. Within about half an hour, BJ, Mariko, Nick and Damon arrived and tickets went on sale at approximately 9:45pm.

After a few pitchers of Rickards and a good dose of "Most extreme elimination challenge" (MXC/Takashi's Castle), the lights and music fired up for Pleaseeasaur! The stage was set up as two screens with a silver curtain in between and the Pleaseeasaur had assistants backstage projecting images and textbook illustrations on the screens to accompany his songs.

The first observation I'll make is that his costumes were amazing, everything from a 50's space suit to bad 80's workout clothes to a yeti to a granny carrying a baby on her back. The subject matter of his songs included a limousine service (no prob-limo), Sandy Duncan on good hygiene, strangers have the best candy (stay away from that white van badly in need of a paint job, children), a motivational fitness song. pizza brothers and sons (he had two chefs attached to his apron from the back), a corrupt law firm and meat island parts 1 and 2. Songs were brilliantly accompanied by overhead visuals that were animated by his assistant(s) and cardboard props would pop up from behind stage. The set concluded with grandma and baby exiting the stage through the jaws of a giant cardboard lion (meat island p2).

In between sets a guy in semi-ballet drag was dancing to George Michael. Alan Cumming bought him a shot. OH YEAH! Alan Cumming (X2, The Anniversary Party) was wandering around the bar with a shirt that said "Fuck Yoga".

Neil Hamburger took the stage in anticipated fashion, dressed like a burned out lounge comedian who just escaped from a 1950's time capsule with a glass of water under his arm. His routine, of course, is more of a laugh riot about his character, not so much the jokes he tells (although some were pretty amusing). His deadpan delivery, often preceded by a minute-long session of clearing his throat, was followed by his nervous groan and a comment on the most unruly members of the audience (his fans heckle him on purpose, they love his belligerent reactions). Neil attacked everyone from Courtney Love to Madonna to God; it was more the anticipation than the actual delivery that had people roaring.

"What's the difference between Courtney Love and the American flag? It would be wrong to urinate on the American flag."

The joke that I thought was going to put BJ in the hospital went something like this:

"Why will Courtney Love not be enjoying gravy with her turkey this thanksgiving seas-*MIC DIES*-this thank-*MIC DIES*-assholes...this thanksgiving season? You know, with the cranberry sauce and the stuffing and those little brussel sprouts, often followed by a course of dessert with the pumpkin pie and ice cream. The whole family gets together for the occasion and it's often at the grandparent's place. Anyway, the reason is that she'll be dead...from all the heroin." (It took 2 minutes to deliver)

Another long-winded delivery:

"Why did Ronald McDonald take a semi-automatic, put four bullets into his wife's chest and three into her head, then he went into his son's bedroom and threw him out a plate glass window down 3 stories, in their Illinois mansion, then he goes over to the daughter's bedroom and tosses her out the window down two stories into the swimming pool at which point he takes an uzi and riddles her body with bullets while she?s struggling to stay afloat. Then he takes a pistol and fires a shot into his head, but it doesn't kill him, it just grazes his scalp, see, so he lives through the whole ordeal. Now, *MIC DIES*...the thing...*MIC DIES*...why did all this...why would he do all of these things? Because he found KFC grease spots in his wife's underwear."

A two joke encore preceded a promised appearance by Robert Palmer and Jan 'n Dean. After screaming for Robert Palmer, we got to boogie to George Michael while people filed out at around 1:00am.

It was awesome; I'd expect to see crazy stuff like this in Seattle or San Fran, but Vancouver? We were privileged as Pleaseeasaur told me that when he toured with Giant Robot (Buckethead), they never went north of Seattle. We want P to do BJ + Mariko's wedding, I also suggested Neil as the MC.

Too surreal.

-Duke

You get but one treat right now. I have some more pictures, but this was taken about 4 hours after the eruption as I flew over. You can kind of see the broken up glacier. More news and updating when I get back from Mt. St. Helen's.

Things are looking up...

The Crawford Lone Star Iconoclast is George Bush's hometown newspaper.

And it just endorsed John Kerry.

That rocks.

In which I extend invitations...

Fresh from Round One of the debates, the bloodshed continues, and I'll be eagerly watching the remaining rounds from my place. All are welcome, but anyone who cheers for Bush should know that I live on the 19th floor and it's a long fall from my balcony.

Next up: Tuesday at 6, the Vice Presidential debate! This should be the most entertaining of the lot - slimy, scary and corrupt Dick Cheney squaring off against one of the best lawyers in America. I'm expecting a massacre.

Presidential Round 2 - Friday at 6: Bush and Kerry accept unfiltered questions from audience members in a Town Hall format. Inasmuch as last night was about the first time in nearly four years that Bush had to answer unrehearsed questions (and he got clobbered at it), I'm twitching with geeky joy at the thought of him having to deal with real people who just might not be drooling Republican stooges!

Round 3 - Sometime a week after that. I'll post more then.

Thanks to those Nick, Rachael and Bob for last night's visit and booze... I'll be summing up my thoughts on last night's rhetorical cage match on my own blog sometime today.