my newest love is: 'nice, nice, very nice'

dan mangan's a sweet 25 years old, hails from vancouver and his newest album (available for listening here: http://www.danmanganmusic.com/site/chameleonplayer_pop_up.html) 'nice, nice, very nice' is perfectly true to its title. i urge you violently (yes.) to visit his website (here: http://www.danmanganmusic.com/) and read some of his reviews, dig his blog and, most importantly, take advantage of the pop-up music player. the device contains the ditties from 'nice, nice, very nice' (album, nicely enough, named after a kurt vonnegut poem), a pinch of tunes from 'roboteering EP' and a handful of songs from 'postcards and daydreaming' as well.

mangan's music sometimes makes me want to wash dishes quietly and independently (see: you silly git) and it sometimes make me long for fuzzy company and a wooden floor for flailing (see: sold). he's got big things to say and he says them simply. my favorite review is of the hour/ottawa express who exclaim:

“There’s a rasp in Dan Mangan’s voice. It surfaces when he reaches for certain notes. And though music teachers world over would be getting the cane ready, folks who like their music fresh, off the cuff sounding, will dig it. Who needs gloss when you have heart? Mangan’s quest is a hard one: to slip in alongside the many singer songwriters mining Canadian soil, and leave something of distinction for us to ponder. And by crikey, methinks he’s done it. The endearing vocal, stripped down guitar plucking, some horns when a song needs to swell; it all comes together in a dozen memorable tunes that sound as good as they appear on paper. Plus there’s a robot song. Hoorah!”

they also gave him a four-star stamp alongside their review and i must agree. he's infecting the day and the night. when i am serving countless jaegerbombs at the filthiest bar downtown to the tune of pitbull's newest song (by the way: barf) i am longing for the smooth peanut butter voice that dan mangan spews.

friends, enjoy. and, if any of you are anywhere near vancouver between now and august 29th please try and smash your way in to one of two dan mangan shows. both shows are held by the vancouver east cultural centre and both are sold out...you might want to consider sporting a hefty camera and claiming to be part of some sort of media group in order to get in.

from mother jones

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/09/fiji-spin-bottle

the above link hails from the september/october digital issue of motherjones magazine. the reporter, anna lenzer, dug herself into some incredibly dangerous happenings for the sake of this article. despite an intro featuring said upsetting personal account, what i found most ugly about the entire mess she writes of is the exhaustion and acceptance expressed by fiji government regarding its country name-turned-brand. anyway, i'll stop rambling and leave the good stuff to motherjones. thanks to www.feministing.com for nudging me toward this story.

bibliotheque

happy fact: the halifax regional library located on spring garden road has three floors of bliss within its walls.



sad fact: the halifax regional library is not air-conditioned and has no ceiling fans. it was closed yesterday due to "extreme heat".



one of the most enriching buildings in the city was so unbelievably uncomfortable that all librarians, researchers, readers, writers and students were forced to board up the doors and head for the nearest body of water. when i hopped off the bus to arrive at my favorite stop, my heart broke. i wasn't upset only for myself (who happened to being craving new music and books) but for the volume of treasures undergoing potential ruin inside. why are there air-conditioners and fans inside of the majority of downtown restaurants and shopping areas but not inside of the library? why are pages and people being put in uncomfortable (and crinkly) situations in one building but not in the others? does it have anything to do with where money is being spent and where it is not?



this closure reminded me of something else worth discussion: that the public washrooms available in the library have been neglected for (what appears to be) at least fifteen years. stall doors are crippled, hand-dryers are bust, sinks are cracking and even the toilet paper dispensers are ripped from their hinges. two stalls per floor mean line-ups and traffic jams whereas the park lane mall boasts fifteen (+) stalls in its facilities (not to mention the public washrooms located within empire theatres, located a sweet ten steps away). why is our free, public-friendly learning place falling to pieces and our capital-wrangling toy store under constant renewal?



it doesn't seem fair to me that documents dating generations past might shrivel up and die in this heat when our lip balms and rubber boots are in no danger of in-store destruction. to sacrifice one group of people (who happen to be enjoying material things at no cost) to the scorching sun and allow another group of people (who enjoy another public place at a certain cost) comforts and shields from health issues that come with over-heating is ridiculous. i understand that the demographic of library-frequenters versus those who frequent restaurants, malls and shops varies at different times of day, days of the week and months of the year and that, in some cases, some people always and only choose one place of visitation (and/or expenditure). i know too that government funding is tricky and tweeze-y and if a particular, privately-owned business so chooses to install hot-weather comforts for its clientele then there should be little blocks in the road to choose otherwise. regardless, i feel it is high time for funding the necessities and comforts at the spring garden road memorial library. the building itself was erected in 1951 and its name was birthed from casualties from WWI and WWII. it is 2009 and the library is growing older and more decrepid and the h.r.m. best zip up their social-savvy suit to offer some financial aid to its library.

funny, too: i jaunted my way to the library this morning to check out the books and cds which i so craved the day before. i'm lucky i made it in time. as i was leaving the building, an announcement was made claiming the library would have to close again today at 2pm since working conditions were borderline unhealthy. after the announcement was made, i stomped back to the reservation desk and parked next to the comment box. furiously filling out my little yellow card (and using both sides), i urged the h.r.m. to get their buns off the toaster re: library health. cutting hours on workers and patrons leaves me with a rotten taste in my mouth and i know it's not just because i've got a wad on dressing in there.

i want any and all of you reading this to look at your own public libraries. are they being kept in order? is the material satisfactory? are you afraid of any beams overhead causing you harm as you browse? are the open hours standing true to their claims? find out who is accountable for your grievances and write letters. be open about your concerns and speak up about shitty deals. situations and services can't improve until someone pokes out the obvious flaws in them. speaking up about public service needs is a lot like noting someone's booger caught in their nostril. the face is fine, the person is lovely but there's an enormous bat smooshed just inside of their nose-cave. the bat will sit and stare back at you all day unless you point it out to the person housing it. after a moment of blushing and slight fumbling, better things ensue and no one's staring at snot anymore. treat your public service grievances as nostril boogs. point them out and everyone wins.

tomorrow i'll spend my afternoon break crafting and perfecting a direct letter to the h.r.m. and i will keep you updated on what response(s) are offered. i will try to keep my sass and snot factors low. fingers crossed.

drool.

well, good morning. how about that sun? pretty hot? i know what you're thinking: no sun is anywhere close to being as hot as the bags beneath my eyes, the mouthguard-looking-thingy in my mouth. the combination of bags and guard provide me with the tools i need to frighten off peeping toms (an ever-increasing problem living in halifax) and offer me the privacy and silence i require for metro trips. with an accidental sliver of blood and drool slinking down my face, i am the most efficient and sexy catch of the week for any single frankenmonster.

the above photograph was taken post-peridontal plastic surgery, which is just a fancy way of saying that my gums were fixed with the skin taken from the roof of my mouth. the procedure took no longer than twenty minutes and left me laughing with a numb and drool-y face. it also left me with dressings that resemble upside-down mouthguards and a pink-stained grin. what makes the surgery worth writing about is its post-requisite of a restful day. meaning: i had to

take an entire day off of work.

i don't know what to do with myself! i feel fine, save a slight chin pang. it's beautiful outside, but i've been asked to refrain from physical activity so that i do not increase my heart rate (and blood flow). i've got empty cupboards needing filling but until the numbness wears off entirely, i don't think i'll set foot in public in case someone thinks i am a blood-drinking hockey player vampire (by the way, that is the worst type of vampire. know how i know? there hasn't been a twilight book written about one of those yet. BLAM!).

a blanket in the patch of grass i call a yard might calm me down. i'll lay out, i'll finish chuck palahniuk's "rant" and i'll start the next book on my reading list (which so happens to be another treat by sicky mr. p called "survivor"). i'll twitch and squirm because days off feel unnatural. i'll worry about laundry and who covered for me at the centre today. i'll eat ice cream and wear a bathing suit around the apartment. i'll nap whenever i want to...i will solve a crossword puzzle...

i will enjoy this day off, bloody face and all.

some learnin's

i am borrowing this neat idea from a fellow blogfriend (and real friend) to kick-start my re-admittance into postland. inhale and exhale followers, here's a few things to learn about yours truly (you are, after all, reading about my inner tics, tricks and piss-offs, it's about time the basics bubble out):

What time did you get up this morning? morning? you must mean afternoon. i woke up at 2:30pm but only because i worked downtown until the wee hours of the am.

How do you like your steak? not moving, not mooing, mostly not bleeding: medium? the flip-floppy choice.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Funny People. it was more stressful and uncomfortable than anything else. not funny.

What is your favorite TV show? news, saturday night live (if i'll ever catch it again) and my guilty pleasure: so you think you can dance.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? rome. i'd return with stories, language, tricks, tans and an unnerving, innate desire to make things my way.

What did you have for breakfast? raisin toast and a tomato and spinach omelette.

What is your favorite cuisine? potluck.

What foods do you dislike? after years of trying to give them a home in my belly, i am still not a big fan of mushrooms. i also dislike raspberries. also: green peppers too often ruin the taste of everything else around them.

Favorite place to eat? in bed with close company.

Favorite dressing: balsamic vinnie. toss, toss, toss.

What kind of vehicle do you drive? heels, sneakers, sandals.

What are your favorite clothes? green blanket.

Where would you visit if you had the chance? i would immediately go to calgary to catch up with vanessa. i'd then like to slither on to london to visit lindsey. i'd then hop on a plane to foggy little london town (the transatlantic one) and i'd stay with miss meghan for a good length of time. after that, i might take mr. w's suggestions seriously and visit australia.

Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? it's half empty if i am working at the bar. that way, i can replenish the drink and therefore make some more money. if i am not working at the bar, the cup is half full. pace is the trick.

Where would you want to retire? in a land of comfort, familiarity and certainty. probably somewhere in cape b. or fred-land.

Favorite time of day? 7pm.

Where were you born? north sydney.

What is your favorite sport to watch? spring-board diving.

Bird watcher? only for hummingbirds.

Are you a morning person or a night person? night. mornings can pinch and squeeze.

Do you have any pets? kitty lady puss cat who is suffering from a hot weather sickness. poor barfing whisker-face.

Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? yes. mom and dad are home and happy. daddio barbequed not very long ago.

What did you want to be when you were little? belle from beauty and the beast. after my kindergarten teacher told me that wasn't very likely, i chose to be a police officer.

What is your best childhood memory? digging holes and climbing on rocks over water; sharing tuna sandwiches.

Are you a cat or dog person? cat.

Are you married? absolutely not.

Always wear your seat belt? always.

Been in a car accident? a very small one when i was much smaller.

Any pet peeves? self-righteous body-grabbers, always-angry folk, the noises that come with having a stuffy nose, the new black eyed peas song.

Favorite pizza toppings? spinach, feta cheese, tomato, sausage, pineapple. yess.

Favorite flower? tulips and daffodils.

Favorite ice cream? hoof prints or butterscotch ripple.

Favorite fast food restaurant? dairy queen.

How many times did you fail your driver's test? ...never.

From whom did you get your last email? a lovely cb girl. i miss her face and her pointy-finger dances.

Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? chapters, superstore and ikea. see: stuffwhitepeoplelike.com

Do anything spontaneous lately? nearly daily.

Like your job? i love all three of them very much, though one of them stresses me out beyond belief. sigh.

Broccoli? my favorite veggie!

What was your favorite vacation? p.e.i. trips with my family when kelly and i still wore matching swimwear, a spontaneous montreal meet in november.

Last person you went out to dinner with? the one so many refer to as "the thug".

What are you listening to right now? snow lion - feist

What is your favorite color? i like black and white. crispy.

How many tattoos do you have? i have none of those - there are enough scars on my bod to stain my skin instead.

Coffee Drinker? of course!

many many

so much is happening!

bear with me, i have lots to say - i just lack the time to say it.