I've got a gut feeling about this...

Monday, October Eighteenth, Two Thousand-Ten.



A day which won't, but SHOULD remain infamous in Canadian history. In short, it is the day "The Double Down" sandwich was allowed to be sold here in Canada. The sandwich which broke all the rules. Essentially it is two pieces of battered, 11 secret herbs and spiced, deep fried chicken breasts sandwiched on either side of a mound of pepperjack and monterey jack cheese, bacon and slathered in mayo based "Colonel Sauce". This is exactly what every dietician and nutritionist out there has nightmares about, and I am determined to live through this Mary Shelly inspired concoction to share with you the experience.



It took a lot of psyching myself up as I approached the doors of the KFC on Queen Street on the way home from work. As I entered I could see I was not the only one whom decided to ignore all their personal trainers calls today and opt for a decision best left to casino tables. The establishment was a buzz with regretful anticipation as we stepped through the queue like lemmings marching off a cliff.

"I'm here just for this sandwich." an off duty office pencil pusher bragged while trying to wipe the chagrin of his co-workers face. He too had purchased one being convinced by his co-worker... murder suicides are common place in high stress office jobs I thought to myself.



10 minutes. Ten minutes was what I was quoted before I would be able to receive my sandwich. As I waited I felt like a prisoner on death row. Not before his last meal, but afterward. Staring the needle which will administer the lethal injection into his arteries. Except this will be a lot slower.



Finally I received my contraband and proceeded on my way home. I felt more nervous carrying this brown paper bag under my arm on this short walk home than I would carrying drugs on me. And I was carrying drugs at the time. As I walked my sandwich home I thought about all the ills in human society, about all the wrongs we have committed against each other, and the pain and suffering we have brought upon ourselves. It seems that as humans we cannot escape being self destructive. Bombs, guns, drugs, etcetera. Our food however was supposed to remain sacred. It wasn't ever supposed to go this far. My god! What have we become?



I shed a tear for our society as I entered my building and proceeded to my kitchen counter. With bar stools as seating I decided to throw out my change in front of where I should dine to give it a more casino-y feel. This was of course a different type of gambling all together, but apropo none the less. The sandwich itself is exactly what you expect it to be. It just tastes like two pieces of deep fried chicken, cheese and bacon. No flavour explosion, no incredible taste sensation, just chicken... and grease.



I tossed aside the wrapping as soon as I was done with it. I couldn't bear to look at it anymore. I could hardly look at myself in the mirror. There was a point afterward where I had a moment of instant regret. Much like being at your first rave and buying ecstasy off of some much older creepy looking guy (because you don't know any better) then realizing "What have I done?". A million thoughts rush through your head;

"Should I have done that?"

"I should make myself puke."

"I hope I don't die from this."

"My dad would kill me if he found out."



But slowly all that subsides. Possibly because your blood is flowing significantly slower and clouding your judgment. MY left side begins to lose all feeling, my breathing has become heavy, there is a sharp pain in my chest, and my vision is tunneling. Effects of an unhealthy sandwich? Or am I just falling in love? I'll have to go with my gut on this one and say this is sandwich based. Off to the gym.



See you in the funnies.

~r.r.



*note* If I wake up dead please read this at my funeral.

Nuit Blanche

Nuit Blanche tonight!

Brushing up...

So I'm taking some time to "brush-up" as it were, on my brush work. A little more red here... ok now add a smidge of black... oh too much, ok some more red... no, don't get it on the green... wow. Happy little trees~!

~peace

Adventurer.Explorer

Hey so for my next trick I will be combining mediums into a eye-canylicious flavour explosion~! Photography and fine art, together at last~! Not to mention my fantastic costume creation abilities (I also have to give a huge round of thanks to Patricia Youn, who made the spandex onesies for me) which I have honed from years of cos-play, but Make-Up done by one of the most talented up and comers in the field, Miss Christina Nguyen. And of course to our models which we could not have done this without thank you so much~!
I got some studio time and put a lot of my blood, sweat and money into this project, celebrating our adventurous sides and taking us beyond what a normal single use of a work medium could ever take us. Imagination is limited only to the constraints we place upon ourselves, and so for this I have pushed myself into the canvas; holding up a brush as if it were my torch. Painting as it seems is beginning to become one of my strong points. Not immediately however, but practice makes perfect~!
Here are some concept teasers which i cooked up. Look forward to them, but not in too much anticipation. Although the Photography aspect of the project was able to go quickly, the brush work will come with patience.

~Peace

Bleed...

"Everything I do reminds me of you;
Because I wanted to do everything with you."

Quiet Riot...

Okay, so there is a lot of talk about what the recent G20 summit in Toronto has done to our society and the way we look at those sworn to protect our otherwise menial lives. The discussions of right and wrong have become so twisted in each other that it's hard to gather your own valid opinion of things without having to rely on the opinions and images crammed down our throat in order to validate what they want to show us. Weather it be excessive use of force, violent outbreaks, unfulfilled duties, so on or so forth my intention here is to provide an unbiased look at what happened, and some exposure to the circumstances... I cannot of course express myself on here without having an opinion, so I will have something to say about this, and you might not like it; that is no concern of mine:

Walking through the streets you could feel the tension so thick in the air you could cut it with a butter knife. A sort of underlying fear ran like chills through out our bones, protesters and officers alike. I witnessed the emotion in peoples faces as the massive crowds merged in stand-offs all over the city. Some anticipating the worst, others plotting it. Laughter mixed with chanting, and call signals echoed through the desolate streets, but this was only a diversion. As the hordes of cops herded the confused protesters away from tactical points, the anarchists (organized and unorganized alike) caused minor damages to store fronts at random. Chaos is reserved for the running of the bulls in Pamplona, this was nothing more than re-creation out of expectation. A riot was the expectation, so those wanting to be "part of something" that they may never experience in their lifetime re-create what they believe a riot should be. A lot of broken glass, minor insurance claims... Nothing was looted, no one was injured, purpose was lacking. This was no riot.

Meanwhile the war raged on between the police and the protesters. Complaints about waste of money, rights, peace, puppet governments, pretty much anything that has been argued by waving a handmade sign over your head was argued here... to the police... the mindless sheeps in wolves clothing. *sigh* As people shouted to get answers from bottom tier henchmen tempers grew. You're either with us or against us; and so the crowds took it upon the idolatry of the police force... their cars. The mice set fire to abandoned cars left by the uniformed felines busy chasing their own tails around the city. They had enough cat and mouse, and decided to pounce, to hunt the infesting vermin they saw as the protesters. Any and all were possible victims (when you have an infestation you don't stop to check moral values... you crush.) The police managed to organize themselves and went on an arresting spree. I can understand that people got caught up in it, hanging out behind enemy lines blurs your innocence, too bad the retaliation came after the anarchists had had their fun. These were just the stragglers , the stupid, or the unlucky, not the deserving.

However for us to judge one peon from another is idiotic at best. We become so blinded by emotion that blame is the first release we look for, and often times the pawns get caught up in this over glorified game of chess. The police have families to feed and egos to boost. Likewise protesters have rights to protect and causes that they are misinformed about to fight for. We mustn't forget that all this is cause of a trickle down effect. What we are going blind to is the "Men upstairs" issuing these orders. This modern day monarchy known as the G20, or whatever they wish to use. Allowing themselves to avoid our modern statutes of government, eliminating the vote with power... absolute power. Slowly and more gradually they are realizing the power of their coalition. Self realization can be a bitch sometimes. If you don't stop researching, if you don't investigate, probe and ask questions to everything (and I mean EVERYTHING). Knowledge is power.
~Love

Fine! Due to popular demand...

Hey guys ok so i've been taking a break from this interweb to get myself situated on some projects, but by popular demand (I never knew som many of you guys read this, and thanks for asking for more!) I'm back to scrawling my thoughts across the 1's and 0's of this vast binary ocean.

I got my self a new lens:

Y'know for getting all up in the grill of animals and superstars, as well as a wide angle & macro converters!!

This means lotsa new pics of things far and close and far and wide!! Be excited, 'cuz i said I'm back so I'll be bloggin' your little eyes off...

Love

Mornings on the Streetcar

Days end.
New beginnings;
Singing softly through still branches;
Chit chat, bells, honks, sneezes, yells
Row right past my ears.
When the robots talk
You know where you are...
Or where you should be,
And therefore;
Where you are going.

A University Degree

I'm trying to get a university degree....
...but you can't stop talkin about the parties, phone constantly ringing. leave a msg, leave a msg, leave a msg! it seems like McStupidstein never picks up. so txt's flood inbetween the outdoor stations, castle frank, keele, high park, islington.... come here, bring me this, where are you? I'm underground on the way to gettin my University degree....

...wanna get drunk? why haven't you finished your bottle yet? when are you rolling another one? well, when you do come find me? yeah right! pay me! I need to preserve what lil braincells i have left. I got bills to pay and thinkin to do, I have an excess of ink and too many thoughts, blank sheets of paper stacked next to the discard pile, next to the maybe pile, next to the keeper pile. They're all the same height except the keepers. and those piles will get way bigger before i get the chance to do anything about them, because i don't have time. I'm trying to get my University degree...

...that's rough man how do you do it? I dunno too busy focused on the why to start thinkin about the how now....brown cow :D and slowly as more time goes on and the wax melts more till it's just a barely lit flame sitting ontop of a pool of wax in the tea light. and even though i should be burnt out, catchin naps on commutes to my next responsibility that little fire is enough to burn the string which held the bait. the bait that fell infront of the hamster in the wheel, now running fruitless to get it. that little light is enough to keep me going, until i stumble my way home, and get whatever i can of this fairy tale called sleep, perchance to dream about getting my University degree...

...and i wish the bags under my eyes held information, so when i fall asleep in class they can catch what i miss. but i gotta focus; the body, the flesh are weak. the mind so strong perseveres, I'll kill myself for that extra bit of knowledge. so when I'm dead you can bury me with that peice of paper known as a University degree, cause I have the chance now! and i'm not tryin to get by i'm lookin to excel cause really I'm not supposed to be here. Canada? yeah that too but borders can't keep me from what i want, so i break those fuckin rules! fuck your money, fuck your class. i ran head first through a wind tunnel with a parachute on my back, and now I'm here where i'm not supposed to be. so what the fuck does "belong" really mean? who cares I'll figure it out after i get my University degree :D

A french revlutionary look on moving on; the guillotine

Caught between not wanting to let go of childishness and wanting something adult. Waiting to set blame on anything else, as if ignorance really was bliss. A refusal to accept consequence for one's own actions works, but not forever. Ask for nothing in return, and you need not respond in any way, for effort is not needed when it means nothing. Yet, when so much is asked, to take into consideration you, respect, to put in effort to retain this wonder fulfilling a hole left cavernous, dark, to enter a new fight and walk side by side.
"It feels so good to have your hand in mine.(Once on my own to you I'll play blind)"
Yet cry should it happen eye for an eye. It just doesn't seem right.
I reflect on the amount of dignity I am willing to sacrifice, and why should I nibble on this poisonous cake to savour it's sweetness before I am robbed of what makes my heart beat? Why would I prolong what I know will be an untimely death? Do I really believe this is worth all my effort, I should just eat it all and get it over with, making at least Marie Antoinette happy.
But what I see is truly genuine, actions have reactions and before that intent. And upon us a happiness has been heaven sent (or so it would seem should we believe in faeries like these.) You're scared and look too far ahead. Wedded bliss; not on the list. I want this.
I want this.
But if a little is too much to ask. like a mirror I want the same thing. A reflection:noitcelfer A. But it's a child in that mirror, still wanting it all... so it would seem like Marie was right. To grow up just a little would seem so hard? Yet in the world of spoiled children it's probably best to let them have cake... they can cry about it once it's gone.
~r.r.

My Work

I put together a little something something.... thought I might share it with the rest of y'all!
~Love

Over Due Thank You

After a magnificent showing. My debut went awesome. Of course, i could not have done it without the help of some wonderful people:

The Volition Co-Op
Alison Mackay
Michelle Langille
Andrew Church
Jason Matthews
David Tompa
R.J.
M.J.
DeLeon White Gallery
Matais M.
Ed Bear
Jacob Kovacs
Nick Kiverago
Raven Danylkiw
Casey Henderson
Margot Rodriguez
Sarah White
Eugene Z.
Beth Thompson
JenBen
Cat Essiambre
Kirsten White
Debbie Tymochenko
Cassandra Tymochenko (and the whole Tymochenko family)
Scott Maudsley
and last but not least Jennifer & Alfredo Rivera

Love you guys... if I missed anyone it's cuz you're not important.
look out for me in the future... it's all uphill from here~!
~love

The Shape of Things

So our collective show is happening right now! I just got back from seeing it and it is a saucy, racy, emotional roller-coaster ride which will leave you blown away! Come out and see it! Bring a date, some family, or just swing by on your own! This play is seriously off the hook! Also as an added bonus you get to see my first solo show!! You know you WAAAAANNNNNAAAA!!!
see you at the show~!
~easy

"Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better"

Alright okay, so all this hard work and scrambling is finally coming to fruition. My Show, Entitled "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" is openeing at the DeLeon White Gallery 1139 College Street West. (west of Dufferin) I will be showcasing a series of Photographs on stretched canvas mimicking past works of art from such artists as: Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Boticelli, and more! Opening Reception is Tuesday Feburary 23rd, and runs for about two weeks. The Volition Co-Op (a wonderful group of actors) will also be putting on a performance of "The Shape of Things" by Neil LaBute. It promises to be a great performance. Come out!, but pre-drink or make plans if you are not going to see the play... they don't want me sellin' booze because you're all supposed to be on your best behaviour!

Peace~Love

Sneak Peek

Hey guys, I know I've been M.I.A. from the internet for some time but it's for good cause~!
I've been working hard on this little project, with the Volition Co-Op. We'll be presenting "The Shape of Things" as well as a solo art show by yours truly [applause]. Here's a shot of the very talented cast. Cheers~!

Childhood memories never quite leave you...

I'm speaking a vertical language.
I'm building a tower
While I walk in a line that is anything but horizontal.
Through these streets which wind and curl
Like the physical being of a pocket-watch internal,
Except timeless.
Through a town in denial,
Wearing t he clothes of a city;
Childish games of make- believe.
But we all know each other,
And our sisters,
Street peddlars know you so well they've "Just the right thing!",
And the mad woman down the street screams at the top of her lungs
Pouring blame on anyone who walks by her in similar ignorance
And empty stares.
Familiarity breeds contempt.
The smell of pancakes and scraped knees from bicycles lingers in my nostrils
Like the grease from my chain on my bloodstained jeans.
I'm building a tower with words vertical.
A way out through the up,
Till the buildings resemble blades,
Of grasses in meadows leaving cuts on my heels;
Marks eternal