Patricia's super karate monkey death car

Photo

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 03:18:38 -0400

Happy Father’s Day! Seriously though - just to make it...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 03:16:40 -0400

Happy Father’s Day!

Seriously though - just to make it clear - this is not quite an exact reflection of how I feel about my dad. But it does make me cry.

Yes, I’m a fan of Old Style Batman dancing.

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 23:37:38 -0400

Yes, I’m a fan of Old Style Batman dancing.

kellyegan: I wish Kate Beaton was my twin. (Hark, A Vagrant!)

Sat, 05 May 2012 14:36:01 -0400

kellyegan:

I wish Kate Beaton was my twin.

(Hark, A Vagrant!)

Oh, Jo Go!

Tue, 01 May 2012 01:20:06 -0400

Oh, Jo Go!

"Right now, I am in Fallujah. I am in Darfur. I am on Sixty-third and Park having dinner with Ellen..."

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:12:34 -0400

““Right now, I am in Fallujah. I am in Darfur. I am on Sixty-third and Park having dinner with Ellen Barkin and Ron Perelman… Right now, I’m on Main and Hastings waiting to hit you up for change so I can get high. I’m taking a walk through the Rose Garden with Barack Obama. I’m helping Joseph Kony get a good night’s sleep…I was in that cave with Osama, and on that plane with Mohamed Atta…And what I want you to know is that your work has barely begun. And what I want you to trust is the efficacy of divine love if practiced consciously. And what I need you to believe is that if you hate who I love, you do not know me at all. And make no mistake, “Who I Love” is every last one. I am every last one. People ask of me: Where are you? Where are you?…Verily I ask of you to ask yourself: Where are you? Where are you?””

- “Jesus Christ” in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

"I mean, I ignore plenty of stuff, like school spirit days and the dirty looks i get from the..."

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:49:36 -0400

“

I mean, I ignore plenty of stuff, like school spirit days and the dirty looks i get from the Detentionheads while I try to slink through the halls unnoticed. But there’s something about telling other people what to ignore that just doesn’t work for me. Especially things we shouldn’t be ignoring.

Hear that girl in your class is being abused by her stepfather and had to go to the clinic? Hear she’s bringing her mother’s pills to school and selling them to pay for it? Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. Mind your own business. Don’t make waves. Fly under the radar. It’s just one of those things, Vera.

I’m sorry, but I don’t get it. If we’re supposed to ignore everything that’s wrong in our lives, then I can’t see how we’ll ever make things right.

”

- Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Oh man, this book is so heartbreaking, but with the sense that this type of heartbreak is a daily reality in people’s lives.

Talking to dad on skype on my bday

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:52:38 -0400

Dad: Did you gain weight?
Me: No, not really? Why...does my face look fat?
Dad: Yeah.

I think I posted this on tumblr already, but it’s a good...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:24:51 -0500

I think I posted this on tumblr already, but it’s a good day to post it again.

"Part of this D minus belongs to God."

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 02:16:33 -0500

“Part of this D minus belongs to God.”

- Bart Simpson

Good things to eat

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:04:43 -0500

Inspired by Van Mag’s 101 things to taste before you die list http://vanmag.com/foodanddrink/08oct/Food.shtml, here’s my own personal list of good things to taste and eat. I was gonna focus on Vancouver, but I’ll cheat a little and go across the world too. Will I reach 101? I’m not too sure, but I’ll give it a try.

1. Chicken or beef curry from Mui Garden (5 locations - Richmond, Main St. in Van, Victoria St. in Van, Coquitlam)
2. Chicken wings from Phnom Penh in Chinatown
3. Butter beef from Phnom Penh in Chinatown
4. Vietnamese subs from Au Petit Cafe on Main St.
5. Xiao long bao from Ning Tu on Kingsway, Burnaby or Dinesty in Richmond
6. Sashimi/Sushi (Crab loves papaya roll is good…any sushi from there is good, very fresh fish) from Sushi Garden on Kingsway, Burnaby
7. Cinnamon bun from Solly’s near Main and 22nd
8. Steamed lobster rice from Ho Yuen Kee on Fraser
9. Steamed ginger milk custard from Ho Yuen Kee on Fraser
10. Seafood pancake from Hanwoori on Kingsway and Imperial (alternately from Jang Mo Jib on Robson or the one in Richmond)
11. Moules et Frites (Mussels and French Fries) from Salade de Fruits on 7th Ave.
12. Belgian liege waffles from Patisserie le Beau on 2nd and Burrard - kernels of sugar inside. kernels of sugar.
13. Sandwiches from Patisserie le Beau on 2nd and Burrard, you can try the brie and chicken liege waffle sandwich or just one of the old fashioned baguettes (recommend chorizo).
14. Honeycrisp apples (I had several in Halifax - I don’t know if they’re on the west coast though)
15. Smoked meat sandwiches from Schwartz’s in Montreal (I once ate three of them during a week long trip to Montreal)
16. Latte from Cafe Artigiano
17. Sa mai pudin - Baked tapioca pudding from Sun Sui Wah on Main St.
18. Dimsum from Sun Sui Wah - ha kaw, rice roll with the chinese doughnut in the middle, chicken feet, duck tongue, those bitter melon balls filled with the black sesame filling (although they’ve stopped making it)…many things.
19. King crab with enormous amounts of garlic from Sun Sui Wah (only for v. special occasions…since it’s expensive).
20. Yogurtworld in California
21. Mangoes from the Philippines (will only be the best if you’re actually in the Philippines….not the imported kind, although that’s better than nothing :)).
22. Sisig from the Philippines - very heart-attacky. Various cut up pig parts boiled, broiled and fried up on a sizzling plate. Yum yum!
23. Pan de sal from the Philippines - fluffy bun, it’s a simple pleasure, only good when freshly baked and hot from the oven. In the Philippines, this could cost you around 1 peso each (approx. 1/40th of a Canadian dollar)
24. Pancit Palabok from the Philippines - rice noodle dish with thick shrimp sauce topped with shrimp, hard boiled egg, green onion, crispy stuff
25. Marbelous or cranberry oat cookie from Blue Chip Cookies at UBC
26. Gelato from Italy - I’ve heard that Florence has the best.
27. Halo halo from the Philippines
28. Gamjatang (spicy pork back bone stew) from Hanwoori on Imperial & Kingsway, Burnaby
29. Liang pi (spicy cold noodles with intestinal stuff) from Beijing - street food that I was willing to experience food poisoning for…repeatedly.
30. Patat friet (french fries in the Netherlands) - served with mayo and other condiments such as ketchup, curry, onions, etc.
31. Burger with fries and chili mayo at the Henry House, Halifax - you could choose the Ultimate Burger, which has a pineapple ring in the center, just like I used to do.
32. Chicken shish taouk wrap from Tarboosh, Halifax - roasted meat wrapped in a pita with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickled turnips. The thing that makes it extra good and perhaps not as “authentic”? The inclusion of french fries inside the pita. It’s yum.
33. Tri-tip shawarma from Zankou Chicken in Orange County, CA - Slices of Grilled Steak Served with Hommus, Tomatoes, Onions and Sesame Sauce.
34. Mocha from Cuppa Joe’s on Broadway and Main - yummy, properly steamed foam, chocolate whipped cream (chocolate whipped cream!) and fresh chocolate shavings. Mmm.
35. Hot torta subs from Duffin’s Donuts on Knight and 41st. Super cheap ($3.95) sandwiches with hot peppers, avacodo, lettuce and your choice of fillings like chorizo and egg (recommended), chicken, beef machacha on fresh home-baked buns. I haven’t actually eaten a donut here. Not much atmosphere but that’s what you get for reasonably yummy food at super cheap prices.
36. Taho from any man who yells “TAHOOOO!!!”on the streets of the Philippines (and balances two giant metal cans connected by a string on his shoulders). Sweet soft tohu with a malty sugary syrup and sago (tapioca). Is better than it sounds.
37. Ebi Mayo from Guu, downtown Vancouver
38. Croquette from Guu, downtown Vancouver
39. Tea leaf salad from Mandalay in San Francisco
40. All you can eat sushi from Mister Sushi, San Diego http://www.yelp.com/biz/mister-sushi-san-diego - even though it’s all you can eat, it’s fresh, good quality sushi and there’s quite a bit of variety.
41. Ice cream from Bi-Rite Creamery, San Francisco http://biritecreamery.com/- organic, handcrafted ice cream with a lot of different flavours to choose from. I had toasted coconut and salted caramel. Mmmmm.
42. Chicken salad with strands of jellyfish and crispy wonton skins - Koon Bo Seafood, Fraser St., Vancouver
43. Shaved ice dessert - Ice Keki, Hawaiian Gardens, California - with toppings like ice cream, mochi (tiny rice cakes), condensed milk, fruity pebbles
44. Szechuan cucumbers/lamb from Golden Spring Szechuan in Richmond - I didn’t realize until I was telling a friend the name of this restaurant that it might have other connotations. Apparently, the literal translation of the Chinese name is Little Szechuan - which sounds better to me. It seemed like pretty authentic Szechuan food to me. By the end of the meal, everyone was red and sweaty and looked like they were ready to explode. But the food was also super yummy as well as being super spicy. Just make sure you order enough white rice and keep the tea flowing.
45. Peach Mango pie from Jollibee in the Philippines and a few cities in the States, I don’t think there’s a franchise in Canada yet. Mmm mmm good. Mangoes (my favourite fruit) + peaches (my…4th or 5th favourite fruit) + pastry + deep fried = tasty fried fruity goodness
46. High tea at Secret Garden Tea House on West Boulevard and 41st. Devonshire cream, raspberry jam and scones. Very civilized. Drink your yummy tea with an extended pinky finger and then stuff your face with scones, cream and jam.
47. Mr. Jones burrito from Budgies Burritos, Vancouver, BC - Home of cheap n’ huge burritos. Be careful - everything’s vegetarian, so I have not yet tried the veggie ground round or the tofurkey (i.e. fake meat) burritos but I have tried the Mr. Jones burrito, which has rice, beans, cheese, salsa and lettuce. Simple, but filling and the burritos are huge. The Johnny O’s burrito (Mr. Jones w/ avocado and jalapenos) isn’t bad either. The place itself is filled with art and hipsters. dinehere.ca says service isn’t good, but they’ve always been nice to me.
48. Whole Foods cooked/raw food buffet. There’s stuff like the trendy quinoa, chicken and apricot tagine as well as food like poached egg - which are all things I don’t know how to cook. Plus according to the website, “all of the ingredients are natural or organic and as many as possible are locally grown.” However, make sure you watch your portions and don’t just dump a little bit of everything in your bowl because you want to try everything; it adds up to a lot of $$ if you’re not watching your portions ($2.99/100g).
49. Carnitas tacos from La Taqueria - I read a blog that said that the foremost “flavour of these tacos was the taste of oil.” Carnitas is pork confit with pickled red onion, so I understand that there’s bound to be fat and oil. But what’s in the midst of that fat and grease? Flavour. In the form of yummy pork goodness. And cilantro.
50. Tea smoked duck from Dinesty in Richmond - it’s easy for this dish to be overly dry, but there was still a lot of moisture and tea-smokey flavour in this duck.

Bardabus: John Steinbeck on Falling in Love: A 1958 Letter

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:38:45 -0500

Bardabus: John Steinbeck on Falling in Love: A 1958 Letter:

bardabus:

New York November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light…

I’m pretty excited about this. But I don’t have a...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:31:00 -0500

I’m pretty excited about this.

But I don’t have a red toque, a housecoat, or a beard, nor am I willing to spend money on these items (well, maybe the toque since I don’t have a toque and my head gets cold sometimes.) Will a swarm of hipsters attack and devour me? Or will they just sniff disdainfully and ignore me? I’ll leave you to decide which is the more likely scenario.

"A strong woman who recklessly throws away her strength, she is worse than a weak woman who has never..."

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:30:03 -0500

“A strong woman who recklessly throws away her strength, she is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw away.”

- Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (via littlemessenger)

"Excellent writing advice from JJ Lee: “I’ve always felt the best way to sort out how to tell a..."

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:22:19 -0500

“

Excellent writing advice from JJ Lee:

“I’ve always felt the best way to sort out how to tell a story is to pretend you’re in a noisy bar and you’re trying to convey something to that person with impact. All the while, you have to pare down, simplify in a relatively hostile listening environment.
Indeed, I miss the noise of the newsroom and its distractions because it trains you to keep your writing, not your thoughts, simple. Good radio writing is like designing a gun: make it easy to find the trigger and easier to figure where the bullet comes out.”

”

- Good advice!

JJ-LEE.COM: Ubyssey: questions, JJ Lee: answers (nearly unedited version)

(via myshal)

Hello. This is a fun waste of time.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:06:50 -0500

Hello. This is a fun waste of time.

Does the artisan jam syndicate have too much pull at city hall?...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:34:03 -0500

Does the artisan jam syndicate have too much pull at city hall?

“How far will Gregor Robertson go to support the sale of local berries and homemade jams?

I capsized to the Muppets marketing machine. In the midst of the...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:31:00 -0500

I capsized to the Muppets marketing machine. In the midst of the marketing-capsizement, I remembered this totally cool video of the two Kermits singing Freddie Mercury and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” The reason the puppeteer performed it was to bring more awareness to homelessness (look here for some ways to help the homeless without spending a dime)

darknessandstarlight: Kate Beaton and X-Men! TWO GREAT TASTES...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:39:22 -0500

darknessandstarlight:

Kate Beaton and X-Men! TWO GREAT TASTES THAT TASTE GREAT TOGETHER

David Foster Wallace's Syllabus for his English 102 course

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:44:27 -0400

David Foster Wallace's Syllabus for his English 102 course:

Awesome.

CLASS RULES ON PUBLIC DISCUSSION:

Anybody gets to ask any question about any fiction-related issues she wants. No question about literature is stupid. You are forbidden to keep yourself from asking a question or making a comment because you fear it will sound obvious or unsophisticated or lame or stupid. Because critical reading and prose fiction are such hard, weird things to try to study, a stupid-seeming comment or question can end up being valuable or even profound. I am deadly-serious about creating a classroom environment where everyone feels free to ask or speak about anything she wishes. So any student who groans, smirks, mimes machine-gunning or onanism, chortles, eye-rolls, or in any way ridicules some other student’s in-class question/comment will be warned once in private and on the second offense will be kicked out of class and flunked, no matter what week it is. If the offender is male, I am also apt to find him off-campus and beat him up.