Dreampepper

a tiny punch to the heart

2009-11-06T19:32:41Z

Reposted from Sean:

The definition of love.

My housemate works at a men's formal wear shop in downtown Vancouver. Yesterday, a customer by the name of Justin came into her shop with both his mother and girlfriend, wanting to rent a tuxedo. Justin is eight years old, his girlfriend is ten, and Justin decided that he wanted to rent a tuxedo for a party that was being thrown on behalf of his girlfriend, so he tried on some of the finest suits in the shop for the love of his young life, accessorized with his brightest smile.

Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Well, the party is being hosted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. You see, Justin's girlfriend has a brain tumor which recently started growing at an alarming rate - so quickly, in fact, that she's not expected to make it past this coming weekend. Justin's in love with a girl whose life is being measured in minutes, hours if she's lucky.

Justin got his rental for free.

This Weekend's Excellent Events

2009-11-06T09:05:17Z

Vancouver:

Friday

Vagabond Opera! AKA I cannot believe I'm missing this! 1920’s European Cabaret! Vintage Americana! Balkan Belly Dance! Neo-Classical Opera! Old World Yiddish Theater! Welcome to the six-piece, Portland, Oregon-based Vagabond Opera. "The Vagabond Opera brings you the best in Balkan, gypsy, cabaret, vaudeville, jazz and opera! Singing in 14 languages, bringing in Bulgarian Accordion, sinfully fast cellos, jazzy drums beats, relentless upright bass and salacious saxophone." They will be performing at Capilano University at 8pm, as part of the Folk and Roots Series. Tix $28/$25.

The Fall gallery presents A Steampunk Symposium Live painting, music, mustaches and more! "Wear your best fancy clothes, this will be a formal event! If you dont have fancy clothing you are welcome to come ofcourse but we wanna get people looking stylish :)" Confirmed artsists so far include: Autumn Skye Morrison, Phresha, Shwa, Nomi Chi, Brianne Tweddle, Paul Hendriks, Tessa Rand, Alison Woodward, Jeff Simpson, Robin Hunt, Ben Worth. Kat + Mause @ Kiss My Flash Photography, (our very own Katherine Duncan), will have a steampunk photo booth set-up.

Rio Midnight Double Feature: Pink Floyd's The Wall & Pink Floyd live at Pompie. (Please note: this a double bill of Pink Floyd MOVIES. The Rio Theatre is also presenting a musical stage play of "THE WALL" that began November 5th). Tix $10, $8 in costume.

Saturday

Harm's Road play Sin Bin's grand opening. (Consisting of Erin Puckey, Bob Roxburgh, Mario Avila, and Alex Hawkins.) One night of musical madness at Vancouver's sexiest new venue, Sin Bin, 295 W 2nd Ave. Live Music, great food, and cheap drinks. Tic $5.

Monday

The Beige play The Biltmore Cabaret (Now this I will be at. Or ELSE.) Also playing are Solarists and Abramson Singers. Doors open 8pm. The Beige will be on around 10pm. Tix are only an unbelievable $5.

Poetry Slam Haiku Deathmatch at Cafe Du Soliex For those of you who like your poetry short and sweet refridgerator. Doors at 6. Tix $5.

Seattle:

Friday

The Tiger Lillies Twentieth Anniversary Rout at the Moore Theater. "With an international reputation for being the foremost avant-garde band in the world, The Tiger Lillies never cease to surprise, shock and entertain with their inimitable musical style, conjuring up the macabre magic of pre-war Berlin and fusing it with the savage edge of punk. The British trio returns to The Moore Theatre to perform songs from their Olivier award-winning smash, Shockheaded Peter, along with a selection of numbers from their Grammy-nominated album The Gorey End and other deranged fan favorites." Show at 8pm. Tix $20 or $40 for the really nice seats.

Also, Tiger Lillies after party: The Bad Things play at the Can Can.

Seattle H+ Discussion Group: A Cyberpunk's Apocalypse. If the structures we rely on disappeared, how would we survive, as cyberpunks/Futurists? General chat with a topic, no presentation. Kaladi Brothers, 511 E Pike St, 6 pm.

Danse Perdue & Joy Von Spain perform at Harem. Butoh, most likely. Ritual performance Alex Ruhe, Ariel Denham, Vanessa Skantze of Danse Perdue + others with Joy Von Spain and special guests. (And Alex, let me say, can dance.) 618 Broadway E., 7:30 pm

Saturday

Couch Fest Films Celebrating its second annual year in 2009, Couch Fest Films is a cozy shorts film fest hosted in people's houses. During Couch Fest Films, lovers of film can sit shoulder to shoulder watching short films while stuffing their faces with the snacks they thought they had to sneak in. 11 am - 8 pm. Tix $10. See the map for films, playtimes, and venues.

Seacompression 8! An annual alternative arts festival: a one-night extravaganza featuring music, performance, theme camps and art installations - all set in a 25,000 foot aircraft hangar. Music from DJML, GeminiTrix, Kadeejah Streets, Michael Manahan, and more! Aerial performances by Suspended Animation. Fire performances by Ignition, Furthermore Collective, Spinergy Arts and Womanipura. Live music by Klezterbalm, Big High, and EQLateral String Trio. Magnuson Park, Hangar 30. Tix $30 at the door.

poking a mammal with a stick

2009-11-05T23:18:51Z

His smile crackles, a semi permanent halo. I watch him from the window as he jauntily walks to work, fizzing with the knowledge that I am lucky, so lucky, to have him in my life. As he turns to wave, vanishing behind a building, I smile back, and mock groom the fluffy ears of our shared white monster hat. I love him so much in this moment, as I am sure he loves me, and with that thought, he turns, pouncing from behind the corner with his hands up like paws, trying to surprise me, as if his backpack hadn't been poking past the bricks as he hid, the feet of a child who hasn't quite grasped the intricacies of being unseen.

-::-

Hundreds of free animated films now available through National Film Board's new iPhone app.

-::-
We're going to Montreal soon, for Michel's wedding to a very clever woman I'm not sure I've met and to visit with Lung and Christine and Dee. I've hit that place in my travel plans where the imminent departure date has begun to make me nervous. Do we know where we're staying? Where we're going? Does everyone know when we get there? Daft concerns, the sort of fretting that helps no one. If I don't know yet, I soon shall, so put a lid on it, will you brain? It's not a panic so much as a very low grade adrenaline hum, as my subcutaneous tissue tenses in anticipation, as if I'm about to run in a race, pounding the pavement to music playing slightly too loud but just under the edge of my hearing.

"Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere"

2009-11-05T20:11:39Z

capitol hill, seattle, august, 2009

I'm so excited I'm practically vibrating.

2009-11-04T21:43:19Z

the tiger lillies - bully boys

The Tiger Lillies are playing at the Moore this Friday. Tony and I are going. It's their twentieth anniversary tour, it's going to be amazing.

v.a.s.t. used to be based in seattle

2009-11-04T07:03:13Z

your pretty, capitol hill, seattle, august, 2009

Whatever I see I swallow immediately Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.

2009-11-04T06:42:31Z

capitol hill, seattle, aug, 2009

blonde me looks like a comic book superhero stripper

2009-11-04T06:09:07Z

hair bleaching, jhayne & beth, vancouver, august, 2009, picture by david

jhayne in seattle, two days later, aug, 2009, picture by tony

like a silver space wimple

2009-11-04T06:01:06Z

hair bleaching, vancouver, august, 2009

Costumes! Bring out your dead!

2009-11-02T22:48:33Z

It was our six month anniversary this past weekend, so we went to Teatro ZinZanni, the dinner theater circus we went to on our very first date, as part of our glorious Halloween. Teatro ZinZanni celebrated with us, in turn, by signing us up for their costume contest, where we won third place! I'd never been in a costume contest before, so I was nervous, but it was ridiculously fun, and we won silly Teatro ZinZombie t-shirts. Plus, as a bonus, we were informed after that we were the number one staff pick! We're still thrilled. What better way to start an evening?

-::-

What was your costume(s)? Post pictures!

her costume killed

2009-11-02T02:01:06Z

Tony the clumsy knife thrower and Jhayne his hapless assistant
w. the fantastic mantis and the head of her ex-boyfriend

Tis the season.

2009-10-30T21:13:49Z

Song of Birth: The 3 Magi, Oil on wood, 30″ x 28″, by San Fransisco painter Isabel Samaras.

something caught in the throat, like a feather

2009-10-30T07:10:20Z

I found out second hand, when you cheated on the girl you were fucking behind my back. She came to me, crying,
and asked what she had done wrong.
She didn't know that we lived together, that you and I spelled a mutual m-i-n-e.
All she knew was that I was her friend.
I considered the satisfaction of throwing your things out the window then,
the meticulous movie moment of exploding chaos, socks spiraling to the street, books flapping their pages like miraculous paper birds attempting futile flight.
I had your childhood pictures and birthday cards from your sister.
Your special keepsakes in a box you had brought with you all the way from Australia, all the way from when you were born.
Perhaps it would be raining, when I did this Hollywood thing, this burst of scripted anger.
Even in August, it rains here a lot.
Your letters would get wet and the ink run in the gutters. Your jeans would soak through and become too heavy to carry.
Enough water and you would have nothing left with to remember your mother.
I thought about these things, and the mess, and the shouting, wondering if it would be satisfying, if I would feel absolved from your crime,
and I whispered a statement to the empty room, claiming it, before saying it to her,
and somehow, to you, rich with disappointment, I am sorry.

And now, once more, a drawer. What's inside? This time I do not know. Clothes, a toothbrush perhaps. It is a mystery contained, hard-edged. A simple pull on the handle and the secret is out, but I do not want to look. The idea makes me flinch. It is terrible how small I am in your absence.

I do not wish to be reminded, nor read again the topography of your things.

trying to get in with the deep and gritty

2009-10-29T19:26:28Z

Lollyphile: delicious, hand-made lollipops in flavours like Pomegranate-Tangerine, Maple-Bacon, and Absinthe.

-::-
Juan's been working overtime putting together a luscious Hallowe'en countdown series for The Secret Knots entitled The Brides of Dracula, that each showcasing a tiny short story about one of the mysterious women in question. Part I: Elena the Seer and Part II: Stana the Beautiful are now up, with Part III to come soon. Working on them has been really special, as hammering the language dents out of the scripts has been one of the creative highlights of my week, and I hope people like them enough to leave some positive reviews and tell their friends. They're really quite pretty, and as a bonus, Juan's posted a haunting little four panel he created several years ago, simply titled Vampire. Go see!

they're asking for taxidermy lends, but only heads

2009-10-29T18:24:35Z

Ray and I are going to Ravishing Beasts this evening, the taxidermy exhibit curated by Rachel Poliquin at the Vancouver Museum, tucked away under the Planetarium. (Ravishing Beasts runs until February 28th, 2010.) I was meant to go to the opening night with Fitz, but missed it. My own mistake, and one that's still bothering me. Perhaps tonight I will excise my feelings of failure in the glassy eyed embrace of a room sweetly full of stuffed meat.

they also had every star wars LP record ever made, including the ewok movie soundtracks

2009-10-29T07:25:43Z

antique store finds, oregon, dec, 2008

another world a few hours away

2009-10-29T05:40:39Z

morning

afternoon

on the I5, dec, 2008

the night I slept with steen

2009-10-29T04:21:18Z

lung, a chinatown bar, san francisco, dec, 2008

what are you, you beautiful creature?

2009-10-29T00:54:51Z

unidentified bird, (brewer's blackbird?), napa valley, dec, 2008

the napa valley was so bloody beautiful I damned near lost my mind

2009-10-28T21:56:09Z

california, dec, 2008

I didn't understand why people would look at me whenever the word science was used

2009-10-28T18:38:51Z

WANTED: Vegan Drummer

YouTube comment or e.e. cummings?

-::-
Spent the evening dying my hair and hanging about in Eliza's SWEATSHOP again as she worked to fundraise for her friend Lorraine, who recently fractured her back. Eight hours painting, by the end. Some bloody nice work. Nice, too, to spend time with people while stuck at home, (one of which was her father, Rick), chatting about late sixties sci-fi and introducing people to odd cultural treasures, like sexually charged religious sculpture, the Brick Testament, (now up to Revelation!), and tentacle rape soda.

Today I'm working from home, signed in to the help-desk, sewing the last sequins onto my hallowe'en bustier, and systematically going through my camera cards with PhotoRec, an open source data recovery program, rescuing photographs that have been locked away for far, far too long. Eye-strain and headaches aside, I'm eager to go through them, as I expect to find all sorts of treasure. Already I've found a forgotten batch from California, and the silly pictures from when Beth bleached my hair. Hopefully, soon, I'll come across the photos I took a few weekends ago at the Seattle butterfly house, which captivated me utterly, so amazing it was to be so close to such delicate beings.

-::-

FOR SCIENCE! High-Speed 'Other' Internet Goes Global, Space Sex! Astronauts rule out the Missionary Position.

Spaceship in Spanish is "nave espacial"

2009-10-27T19:53:28Z

Contrast

When he lays down with me, it is as if my flesh lightens, I become milk spilled against the shaded tan of his nutshell skin, we are so distinct. I feel drawn to our differences, how his muscles are shaped dissimilar from mine. The softness of my body, the taut, fragile corners of his. Sometimes I will wake when he sleeps and simply admire him, this curious and perpetually buoyant creature with the temerity to fall in love.

We are so full of possibility, I can see it like maps on the inside of my eyes.

Disparity

He is slow to reply when we are sad, our bodies curled heavily together, depressed letters thrown to the bed in a mess. I do not react well to silence, not while asleep at night, not when we speak. His pause, the length of fifteen breaths, disrupts my communication, sends me casting nets, discarding what I started with, trawling the ocean of our alphabet for a topic, any topic, that will be worthy of response, anything to delay my please talk to me.

Somewhere in the gaps when he's not speaking, there must be something to say.

before I jaunt off home from work

2009-10-27T00:24:12Z

Sweatshop alert! Eliza Gauger (on twitter as @3liza) is now working live at http://ustre.am/3Qjc

talking about a revolution, let's go play with robots in love

2009-10-26T21:22:41Z

Amanita Design, the Czech indie studio responsible for Samorost and Samorost 2, has finally released their newest beautiful world, Machinarium!

The on-site demo is free, the whole game is $14.

Previously, previously.

I've always loved this picture

2009-10-26T17:51:36Z

Oh My Deer, by Arizona-based illustrator Chiara Bautista aka Milk. (More images here.)