the rain, the rain...

Alberta.

Well I've seen a little of it now and I'm told these are the best bits. Surrounded by enormous mountains it is kind of strange how some days it just seems the same old, and some days you feel in awe of such rugged pieces of rock thrust out of the earth by some kind of molten force somewhere far below us.

I just moved into my own room in a place close to work in Banff with some cool kids.

Last night we made sushi and had a dance party in our kitchen fuelled by a lot of red wine.

xx

BP Oil Disaster Response Line...

Just thought I'd re-post this email I received back from them. Make sure you make them know it's NOT OKAY.

"Unified Command for the BP Oil Spill Deepwater Horizon Response

to me

show details Jul 14 (2 days ago)

The following inquiry was submitted to Unified Command for the BP Oil
Spill | Deepwater Horizon Response on 07/13/10 21:47 (492203):
From : Joint Information Center
Date : 07/14/10 10:35

Dear Ms. Faye,

Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. Every member of Unified
Command deeply regrets the impact this spill has had on wildlife and
the residents of the Gulf Coast. We are doing everything possible to
stop the flow from the well, contain spilled oil and minimize the
environmental impact and economic damage.

In the meantime, we appreciate your interest and concern, and encourage
you to follow our progress.

While ultimate responsibility for this terrible accident will be
determined in due time, right now all of us - Unified Command, BP, the
Administration, Federal, State and Local agencies and contracted
responders - are working together towards our ultimate goal of
environmental and economic restoration for the Gulf and its residents.

BP has assumed full responsibility for the spill, and where people have
legitimate claims for damages BP will honor them.

Regards,

Joint Information Center
Deepwater Horizon Response
------------------------------

-----------------------------------------
From : Julie Faye
Date : 07/13/10 21:47

The whole situation in the gulf is disgusting. I hope that your whole
company will be liable for all claims and all clean up costs.
Worst environmental disaster in years!
Makes me totally sick, I wouldn't even be driving a car right now even
if I hadn't recently sold mine.
I would volunteer, but certainly not through your organisation.

-----
If you have further questions or would like more information, feel
free to contact us via the link below.

https://www.piersystem.com/go/inquiry/2931/?i=492203"

I don't think they get it... it's not just people along the coast, they have affected the whole world by poisoning the ocean.

Douche-bags. xo

Festival it up folks...

well... i can walk 2.6kms with my massive pack on, in the blaring afternoon heat and not die. It's a start.

So I spent 5 days in Victoria on Vancouver Island for the Ska Fest. The fest was fun and I met some nice people and saw some great bands.

Katchafire and The Black Seeds represented our neighbours from the East (New Zealand) and The Resinators represented Australia.

My highlights were definitely the Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Fishbone.

Off to Banff in about 10 days to work in a Hostel up there.

But before that, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival will help me pass the time.

xx

Terry Goodkind - I think you're pretty awesome...

yeh so I do... and I'm ridiculously behind with the series I know, I know...

So I just finished reading Chainfire... there are at least two if not more books beyond this I am yet to read, and have just seen a new Richard / Kahlan book will arise in 2011.

I also didn't know there was a television show made out of the story. I mean, come on, have I been living in a bubble?!

Oh right, I was living in Brisbane.

Chainfire was a great read, once again, I hadn't really recalled the final parts of the previous book, perhaps a re-read at some point in the future, but you know you always get those little snippets of past events whilst reading, therefore it all made sense.

And so it begins... a great battle I am sure is about to ensue. And yet I am at the end with the answers to the puzzle, but not the battle to proceed it. ARGH! I hate it when that happens.

So anyways I will order the book to arrive before me in Banff, but am on to Chris Carlsson's NOWTOPIA, which he kindly signed for me at the group discussion a week or so back.

Oh... here is my 2010 list in case I have not posted it thus far... in fact I probably haven't... and you know, actually, I am not going so badly on some items:

1. Volunteer on at least 10 festivals - thus far, 1. Laneway (Brisbane), 2. Soundwave (Brisbane), 3. In The House (Vancouver), 4. Car Free Vancouver Day (Commercial Drive, East Van), 5. Vancouver Jazz Festival (starts today, my first shift is Sunday), Upcoming: 6. Victoria SkaFest (second week July), 7. Van Folk Fest (16-18 July), 8. Calgary Folk Fest (August)...

2. Get paid on at least 5 festivals - thus far, 1. Melb International Comedy Festival...

3. Pay 2K off credit card.... NEXT!!!

4. Lose 10 kilos... I have no idea how much I weigh so who knows

5. Travel to Canada, USA including Alaska.... part 1 complete!

6. Knock cholesterol down to 5.5 - yay hereditary illnesses!

7. Don't take jobs you don't care about!! - well i did one shitty job for the first couple months of this year but it was a means to an end (getting to MICF and getting OUT of Brisbane and getting TO Canada, so i kind of forgive myself for it)

8. Learn some french.... NEXT!!!

9. Plant some trees / learn about horticulture.... been researching this one... standby...

10. Read lots more books!! - 1. The Tale of Genji, Lady Murasaki (in progress) /2. Chainfire, Terry Goodkind / 3. Nowtopia - Chris Carlsson (currently reading)...

standby i said, standby...

foxtrot uniform charlie kilo... breaker breaker, do you read me?!

xx

things i've noticed about Vancouver...

There are LOADS of community gardens. They are everywhere. The lovely lady I am renting my head laying place from has one. They are just everywhere. And as you walk the streets you can often see into yards with fruitful gardens. Good on you Vancouver for trying to be super sustainable.

Also there are LOADS of cyclists. Which is also very cool. I mean not to the extend that they outnumber cars. But yeh it's pretty awesome. They do things like critical mass midnight bike rides and they had naked bike day here on Saturday. Hehe.

There are also quite a large number of homeless persons of all shapes and sizes, which makes me sad, and whilst I can somewhat understand it, I'd like to understand more why the help isn't getting to some of them. I think we all acknowledge that there will always be a portion of street persons who do want wish for assistance, but a few times i have seen the same lady with a particular sign, and it makes me kind of sad.

East Van is totally the place to watch the world cup right now if you're into that kinda thing. I mean I'm not but I may go watch a game or two, just to drink it up I guess.

Vancouver also has can and bottle deposit recycling like South Australia. Woo! (Why ALL Australian states don't have this I will just never know! It's up to 10 cents in SA, I mean catch up Australia!)

The weather is very unpredictable. We had a stunning sunny day here and a few hours ago it started to hail! I was kind of like hmmm... what's that... opened the blinds and low and behold it's bouncing off the window sill. Ha!

Buses are largely electric which is cool. I haven't been on the skytrain yet but I will eventually when I need to.

It is an expensive city, apparently one of the most expensive in the world. But it's all relative. It depends on how you want to live really. I'm more than happy in my current situation. Allowing me not to work and just concentrate on building my festival/arts network here.
Though there are little things you notice here and there that are more expensive, and then some less. Like berries of all descriptions are always cheaper than I have seen in Australia. But laundry powder is more costly, and I think toilet paper too.
The bus is certainly cheaper than Brisbane!! $2.50 for 90 minute transfer. There are other cheaper options I haven't quite sussed out yet like 10 trip saver type things and monthly passes.
If you wanted to buy a house round here though you'd be looking at a cool million but!

Canada, eh?!

xx

Canada, eh?!

Yes, it's even on t-shirts that... canada, eh?!

So I've been here a week and already worked a festival... www.inthehousefestival.com

What an interesting concept, strangely reminiscent of old parties in the suburb of Dulwich, South Australia, in which one time someone decided it was a good idea to light a flare and throw it onto the laundry floor filling the house with smoke!!

The weather held out beautifully for Saturday but Friday and Sunday were rainy off and on, causing a little havoc.

Moved much furniture, met nice people, had a laugh, had a boogie, stayed with a nice lady who has been doing exactly what i am now trying to do for the last twenty years (she, not i).

Vancouver is very pretty. It's easy to know which direction you are going because as long as you can see the mountains, you know it's North!

Bought another jacket to rival the ever popular 'kermit jacket'... similar in style but peach, and this time a bargain at $5...

Hopefully have found a place to stay for at least a few weeks, small studio space in the vicinity of Commercial Drive. Which, you know, is apparently one of the places to be in this town. A little bo-ho, lots of organic places, nice houses... so yay to that. Cross all available appendages that it all goes without a hitch.

Moving in that is.

xx

my friend the shazzy-cake...

hey that's weird.

anyhoo, my friend Sharon now has a new online store for her handmade kids clothing. You can find it here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sparklepanda

that be all. xo

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010

I had the absolute pleasure of working in the Victoria Hotel with a bunch of awesome front of house, engineers and performers at this years festival.

It was my maiden voyage as a worker and I hope I held up my end of the bargain.

Here's a couple of random pics. xo

Rodriguez...

yes that's right, RODRIGUEZ... not of the vs gabriela variety but of 70's stoner folk rock guy.

Went to the Corner Hotel in Richmond last night, my first time there apart from picking up the ticket. The beer was relatively cheap, the crowd really huge and receptive and it was simply a great night indeed. Photos to come.

And at the end some girl near me said 'man, he only made two albums and he couldn't even play STREET BOY?!" which made me laugh.

back to work again tonight. only 9 days left of the festival. i may cry.

xx

2010...

Well hi 2010, thanks for stopping by, you sure are turning out to be a nice little year indeed...

Rodriguez C Gabriela - Sunset Sounds, Riverstage, Brisbane, Jan 2010

Amanda sliced and diced my hair at the end of February...

Played at X&Y once Tank arrived in Queensland...!!

And I packed up my little house in Bristanbul and headed for Melbourne Town...

thanks for being patient, dear readers, if there are any of you left that is... there will be more, real, detailed, crazy tales very soon i can tell you.

xx

*blowing the dust off the blog*

oh sorry blog... i keep telling you i will look after you like a puppy and i get so caught up in the universe and stupid other interweb based programs that i neglect you... accept my deepest apologies...

so recently... ok so this year totally blew for about the first three months for a variety of reasons... apart from having the complete misfortune of being involved with someone who had put too many holes in their brain and didn't understand the words 'common decency', fell out of work and was completely broke at the wrong time too... well i mean this is never for long but it was all terribly bad timing.

anyways, took me a wee while to understand and all, but the point of the whole thing was well you can't control other peoples behaviour, only your own. and the reality is that i walked away a little bruised but unscathed really. and truly have been having a WAY more fun time instead of hibernating with the one person all the time.

i mean shiz, it can be totally great hibernating with a special person, but starting to believe i was more like a convenient piece of equipment to prop up the ego and cop all of the negative rantinga bout the universe than anything else. shit happens eh?

and so more recently and quite by chance i met someone out and about in brisbane who evidently is a little bit special... has been completely upfront about baggage from the get-go, albeit brief, confessed to missing me after not really having been apart for all that long (i felt exactly the same, and said so, is it stupid?) and being simply happy in my company... and has now asked for time to get his focus back and sort out some aforementioned baggage. which is completely fine with me. it's way too important to be let lie so i would never stand in the way of anything like that. my door is totally always open to him and i am grateful to know an adult who just steps up and says it rather than fucking me around.

people who know me very well probably realise that i am a frikn prude, don't sleep around or waste my time too much with people that aren't worth my time (ooh, except that ex-one, my bad).

so i leave it as it lies, press pause as it were, and just keep asking the universe to assist him with his gear and me with my gear, and that we will again cross paths and be excited about each others company...

xxoo

how did i know...

that i would become less of a prude in my old age?!

haha, yes yes i know not that old particularly but you know, it kind of works in that sentence...

today i had the delicious Gabi stab me in the guts with body jewellery.

i want my tattoo designed by my best mate and tattooed by a lovely lady who shared my house with me last year.

i want to go out and see more music and i want to be more creative and sing a lot more.

and make random videos for youtube to share silliness with the universe.

i bought some cowboy boots.
and some more perfume.
thanks to the pennies from kevin that is.

however i do overall feel like i will not fuck up or fail myself this time and certainly won't forget who i am for the sake of somebody else.
about freakn time.

rock.
and god damn do i want that boy ;)
no not THAT boy... a different one.
xJ

ps. this is rocking my world right now...

can't sleep...

because i think i just worked something out...

as you get older you all recognise that time actually moves terribly quickly...

hence, the reason that my mind is still bouncing around like a yo-yo is that it feels like it wasnt that long ago.

when the reality of the situation is that its taking me just about as long as the actual 'relationship' lasted itself to get out of the funk.

sometimes i guess you think you know people... when in reality you dont know shit.

so i wipe my hands of it all. numbers have been deleted. i am giving up trying to be nice. etc. etc. and seriously trying to get on with my life.

so much has actuallly happened since then when i think about it. i have done heaps of stuff, fun stuff, hard work, and made quite a bit of progress personally.

besides that, i keep meeting rad people who i love and they don't need a sad sack around ruining their chi either.

he never ever saw me angry, few people do, it usually takes a lot for me to actually yell, but if i saw him now i'd give him a piece of my mind. tenthousand.

i mean you have to be pretty stupid to use your womans computer...

thankyou thankyou to s, s + c for all of your support. i love all three of you crazy ladies. lots.

xJ

jebus tapdancing ch-rist!

hahahaha! almost laughable what i discovered today.

isn't it funny when people have two sides, possibly a split personality, and obviously no respect for the woman who is supporting them.

and who in their right mind advertises for such 'relations' on myface? retards that's who.

so initially i freaked and went 'what the...?' and now i just think whatever dude.

seriously, had fun, no regrets, except perhaps i wasted time worrying about it for so long afterwards.

bwargh hargh hargh hargh hargh. loser.

his number deleted, associated relatives numbers also deleted. I've had enough and am looking forward to getting on with my existence.

applied for work at another festival today. have got two more lined up already for later in the year. looking good.

and i will get my proper contract for work this week, even though i can see we are in for a long tough time...

heading off to drink with my bestie and her bro and some visiting englishmen. i can tell there will be much beer and silliness. just what i need. looking forward to it.

have a gorgeous evening all.

xxJ (the amused)

life in bristanbul...

well i feel a wee bit more like me and a little less like sad sack confused julie which is particularly nice.

body is very sore, probably too much fluffing about on the laptop this weekend.

just had a quick phone convo with a mate who i have left behind in adelaide. kinda sad.

but yes, the last week or so we have been cooking lots, talking crap, walking home in the middle of the night, spending time with nice people and i have been working particularly hard.

xxJ

the globe...

random!

dark corners...

lampy mclamp lamp...

ez pez...

umm, i don't think the pool cue's on fire...

me and new roomie yvette...

all in all disappointed with the 20 bux we spent to see an 'intimate' show of the basics.... film when you wanna see the real band is a bit ripped off. not to say you guys aren't good but brian and i went for coffee and cake and returned and were still disappointed.

boo hiss.

xxJ

it's raining....

again!
see it would be good if we could all stand outside, blow, and move these clouds down to SA where they need it a hell of a lot. or at least blow half of them.

saw my ex lover and friend the other day. it made me kind of sad. because even though the whole thing really hurt, and i have been through every emotion imaginable in the past couple of months, i still miss my friend.

but because he is not willing to talk about it and seems only ashamed of the whole thing, i am not sure there is a point seeing him unless he changes his mind about discussing it.

so i mainly spent the weekend smoking, drinking and sleeping. not to excess or anything, but of course i am again distracted, worried about money, worried about myself, trying to get my motivation and my mojo back...

i think, overall, i am tired of feeling like shit, feeling drained and feeling confused.

i guess i know that it was nothing to do with me. troubled? yes.

xJ

where did you get that funk???

where did you get that funk....???

so many people got twitter accounts because ellen degeneres said so. hehe. that's funny.

so i'm still kind of in this funk because now that i'm a week or so behind in rent, with little cash, starting work again on monday, need a housemate, waiting to hear on melb comedy festival work application, lah lah lah.

on top of that my computer decided to shit itself but at the moment it's stable. which is terribly weird, they're sending me a new hard drive and everything but it seems ok since i got it to do a check disk thingy. damn technology. especially when i need it to look for courses and jobs and such and such.

anyhoo so cross your fingers and toes that a) i can eat for the next week, b) my sleeping goes back to normal and c) i can meet a non emotionally retarded man sometime soon as well. hehe.

much love,
xJ

fringey bits...

Monski Mouse spruking for the Puppet Palace

Leigh Stardust in between sets at the Garden...

me and shuzzbutt hanging in the garden...

Frehd Astarr - There's Something About Fairy - Rhino Room

xJ

struggling a bit today...

it's taking all of my willpower to refrain from being nice as well...

it's his birthday today you see. i would have spoilt him rotten today and been taking him to a-town for fringey goodness this week... instead i am going alone.

thought i didn't care, i obviously do. damn emotions!

anyhooooo... watching 'smart people' for the second time, as the first time i didn't really watch it properly, but as you can probably tell again i am not watching it properly! BUT i will say that i think it's quite a good interesting movie indeed, they're all a bit disfunctional. i like that.

can't wait til they fix the roof properly then i can set the bloody office back up properly!
well set it up PROPERLY for the first time i guess. starting to move in the right circles i feel... it's taking me a while but i know the year of the darned earth ox is upon us so it will not be easy for many of us.

oh and it's so darned hot again today as well, must be mid 30's at least... and not much air moving. quite unpleasant. yukky.

have a great day anyways folks!
xJ