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Quick poll for the readership: can folks name anything about Toronto that has gotten better in the past five years? Ten years?
I'm just thinking about gentrification and the corresponding death of music and unselfconscious weirdness. Various cons relevant to my interests have either withered or flat out died. Neighbourhoods I am used to thinking of as "my" neighbourhoods to hang out in are unrecognizable.
But surely I am focusing on the negative, as is my wont? Can anyone on my flist think of some place, event, or organization that is more fun than it was in the past? Surely, there must be something out there that has gotten niftier?
I'm just thinking about gentrification and the corresponding death of music and unselfconscious weirdness. Various cons relevant to my interests have either withered or flat out died. Neighbourhoods I am used to thinking of as "my" neighbourhoods to hang out in are unrecognizable.
But surely I am focusing on the negative, as is my wont? Can anyone on my flist think of some place, event, or organization that is more fun than it was in the past? Surely, there must be something out there that has gotten niftier?
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The full write-up for Sleepers is up, with all the rules and, most notably, sample characters.
Not only is Sleepers the game for spies and secret agents, it's also the game to find out what happens when Roy Batty fights River Tam while Echo from the Dollhouse teams up with Chuck Bartowski.
Not only is Sleepers the game for spies and secret agents, it's also the game to find out what happens when Roy Batty fights River Tam while Echo from the Dollhouse teams up with Chuck Bartowski.
The Food
Tuesday March 2nd
Leftover Oyako Don Buri
An old standard for Lizard and I. The name means something like "parent and child on rice", since it's got both chicken and egg. We've meddled with the traditional recipe over time to the point where someone from Japan would likely not recognize it as Oyako Don Buri, but we likes it. It's basically a broth of chicken stock, soy sauce and mirin with chicken, onion, scallion and mushrooms, and eggs dropped in to set at the end, served over rice. While one can make a vegetarian version with fake chicken, I haven't been impressed with any of those attempts. These leftovers are from the proper dead animal version.
It's salty and chewey and high in protein. The leftover container had enough broth that it's basically chicken soup. Delicious and satisfying. Ideally, it should have more vegetables in it for proper nutritional value, but it's tasty comfort food.
The Music
Album: VNV Nation's Of Faith, Power and Glory
Genre Much like Front242 created the term "EBM" to describe their sound, VNV Nation came up with "Futurepop" to describe themselves. The genre is basically the next generation of dark industrial synthpop. Still EBM, in other words.
Similar Bands: Apoptygma Berzerk, Assemblage 23, Ayria, Rotersand
Review: Exactly what I have come to expect from VNV Nation. A few heavy, dance tracks, a couple slow Sad Ronan Is Sad tracks, and a few poppier tracks. Unlike last week's pick, with VNV Nation it actually pays to listen to the lyrics. I've counted religious themes from at least three different faiths in previous albums. Thus far I've mostly picked up on the existential angst that tends to run through a lot of their lyrics.
One of the things that sets VNV apart from most of the rest of the genre is that one of the band's two members, Mark Jackson, actually plays drums - most EBM/Futurepop relies exclusively on drum machines.
All in all, a solid album that I am happy to have in regular rotation. Nothing surprising or mind-blowing, but not disappointing either. Some of the poppier tracks are a little too synthpop for my taste (Where There Is Light), but VNV Nation hasn't had a genre-shift the same way Apoptygma Berzerk had.
Playlist Potential Art of Conflict may make it on the workout playlist. VNV Nation is already pretty well represented there. Pro Victoria might wind up on the Nano-Victorian Future playlist.
Tuesday March 2nd
Leftover Oyako Don Buri
An old standard for Lizard and I. The name means something like "parent and child on rice", since it's got both chicken and egg. We've meddled with the traditional recipe over time to the point where someone from Japan would likely not recognize it as Oyako Don Buri, but we likes it. It's basically a broth of chicken stock, soy sauce and mirin with chicken, onion, scallion and mushrooms, and eggs dropped in to set at the end, served over rice. While one can make a vegetarian version with fake chicken, I haven't been impressed with any of those attempts. These leftovers are from the proper dead animal version.
It's salty and chewey and high in protein. The leftover container had enough broth that it's basically chicken soup. Delicious and satisfying. Ideally, it should have more vegetables in it for proper nutritional value, but it's tasty comfort food.
The Music
Album: VNV Nation's Of Faith, Power and Glory
Genre Much like Front242 created the term "EBM" to describe their sound, VNV Nation came up with "Futurepop" to describe themselves. The genre is basically the next generation of dark industrial synthpop. Still EBM, in other words.
Similar Bands: Apoptygma Berzerk, Assemblage 23, Ayria, Rotersand
Review: Exactly what I have come to expect from VNV Nation. A few heavy, dance tracks, a couple slow Sad Ronan Is Sad tracks, and a few poppier tracks. Unlike last week's pick, with VNV Nation it actually pays to listen to the lyrics. I've counted religious themes from at least three different faiths in previous albums. Thus far I've mostly picked up on the existential angst that tends to run through a lot of their lyrics.
One of the things that sets VNV apart from most of the rest of the genre is that one of the band's two members, Mark Jackson, actually plays drums - most EBM/Futurepop relies exclusively on drum machines.
All in all, a solid album that I am happy to have in regular rotation. Nothing surprising or mind-blowing, but not disappointing either. Some of the poppier tracks are a little too synthpop for my taste (Where There Is Light), but VNV Nation hasn't had a genre-shift the same way Apoptygma Berzerk had.
Playlist Potential Art of Conflict may make it on the workout playlist. VNV Nation is already pretty well represented there. Pro Victoria might wind up on the Nano-Victorian Future playlist.
Tags:
March is Bat Month! at the ROM. The new batcave opens this weekend.
I am half tempted to get dressed up at Batman and go down this weekend. Zil and I have memberships that let us bring in a guest each. The cape and cowl could use some maintenance anyway...
(Next week's post may involve discussion of bruises recieved battling the forces of evil. also known as the ROM's security...)
I am half tempted to get dressed up at Batman and go down this weekend. Zil and I have memberships that let us bring in a guest each. The cape and cowl could use some maintenance anyway...
(Next week's post may involve discussion of bruises recieved battling the forces of evil. also known as the ROM's security...)
Tags:
Post-Apocalyptic Strawberry Shortcake Leads 80s Toys' Rebellion
Rainbow Noir
Rainbow Noir: the Mountains and the Sky
An Unclean Legacy: the Children of Montecristien Gargamel
The first is art, the rest is text. All are awesome.
Rainbow Noir
Rainbow Noir: the Mountains and the Sky
An Unclean Legacy: the Children of Montecristien Gargamel
The first is art, the rest is text. All are awesome.
Good/Bad:
Good: Shipment from ThinkGeek; I now have a samurai umbrella, 3 monitor mounted mirrors for work, a coffe cup power inverter that gives me 1 usb power socket and 2 standard power plugs for the car, two power squids, and laser scissors.
Bad: My lungs hate me today.
Good: Managed three good solid workouts this week. In bodycombat, the instructor took my request and worked one of my favourite song/exercise combos in. Also, next time the schedule shifts, she's also taking my suggestion to have a thursday night class, which a) works perfectly with my schedule, and b) means it'll be a full hour class instead of the truncated 45 minute classes we have at lunch.
Bad: Due to excessive caffeine, my guts also hate me today. (The caffeine usually helps with the lungs).
Good: Contact Dance is coming along well. I think by the end of this course, I might actually feel comfortable enough to try a Jam. Though the timing sucks for me.
Bad: The appartment is reaching terrifying levels of messy. We have a moth infestation, though I think (hope!) that they're the sort that eat our food instead of our clothes.
Good: My Indigo shipment also came in - a book on electronics, Cherie Priest's Boneshaker, and a couple non-fictions on superheroes.
Bad: Still having periodic issues with the jaw. Hopefully the dentist on Tuesday will help.
Good: Cafeteria food this week has included meatloaf wrapped in thick slices of bacon with mashed potato and veggies, and veal saltimbocca (sp? basically veal cutlets with fancy ham on top) with a baked potato and veggies. This is why 52 weeks of music and lunch will be hard - the cafeteria food here is *good*.
Good: Despite the good food, I seem to have lost a little bit of weight.
Bad: Despite having just moved into this cube on Monday, I am moving again March 5th, and probably again two weeks after that. I found out about the second move after I'd unpacked everything. The new cube has two walls instead of the three I am used to.
Good: The number of moves is to ensure that we don't end up in "tripods", where they cut the current cubes to 2/3 of their original size, so you can't back up without smacking into the person behind you (where the third wall ought to be). Move 2 has our current cubes tripodded, while move 3 has us move over a couple desks to cube that will not get the tripod treatment.
Good: Shipment from ThinkGeek; I now have a samurai umbrella, 3 monitor mounted mirrors for work, a coffe cup power inverter that gives me 1 usb power socket and 2 standard power plugs for the car, two power squids, and laser scissors.
Bad: My lungs hate me today.
Good: Managed three good solid workouts this week. In bodycombat, the instructor took my request and worked one of my favourite song/exercise combos in. Also, next time the schedule shifts, she's also taking my suggestion to have a thursday night class, which a) works perfectly with my schedule, and b) means it'll be a full hour class instead of the truncated 45 minute classes we have at lunch.
Bad: Due to excessive caffeine, my guts also hate me today. (The caffeine usually helps with the lungs).
Good: Contact Dance is coming along well. I think by the end of this course, I might actually feel comfortable enough to try a Jam. Though the timing sucks for me.
Bad: The appartment is reaching terrifying levels of messy. We have a moth infestation, though I think (hope!) that they're the sort that eat our food instead of our clothes.
Good: My Indigo shipment also came in - a book on electronics, Cherie Priest's Boneshaker, and a couple non-fictions on superheroes.
Bad: Still having periodic issues with the jaw. Hopefully the dentist on Tuesday will help.
Good: Cafeteria food this week has included meatloaf wrapped in thick slices of bacon with mashed potato and veggies, and veal saltimbocca (sp? basically veal cutlets with fancy ham on top) with a baked potato and veggies. This is why 52 weeks of music and lunch will be hard - the cafeteria food here is *good*.
Good: Despite the good food, I seem to have lost a little bit of weight.
Bad: Despite having just moved into this cube on Monday, I am moving again March 5th, and probably again two weeks after that. I found out about the second move after I'd unpacked everything. The new cube has two walls instead of the three I am used to.
Good: The number of moves is to ensure that we don't end up in "tripods", where they cut the current cubes to 2/3 of their original size, so you can't back up without smacking into the person behind you (where the third wall ought to be). Move 2 has our current cubes tripodded, while move 3 has us move over a couple desks to cube that will not get the tripod treatment.
Tags:
The Food
(Tuesday Feb 23rd)
Orichiette with mock chicken, spinach, peas, and sun-dried tomatoes. I added extra salt and hot sauce, knowing that the original was a touch on the bland side. That said, the mock chicken is pretty good, and it's hard to go wrong with sun-dried tomato. The percentage of calories from protein is not as high as I would ideally like, but that's a minor complaint for some tasty leftovers.
When we had this for dinner, we added pine nuts and grated parmasan cheese to it at the plate - I should have thought to add some to the leftovers this morning.
The Music
Everybody Hates You by Combichrist
Genre: "AggroTech", which wikipedia lists as an offshoot of Electro-Industrial, itself spawned from "Industrial", and defined in opposition to EBM. In short, AggroTech is fast-paced, aggressive techno with lots of yelling and sci-fi movie samples. In the "music made by people with computers" terminology, AggroTech is like angry people having kinky sex with computers.
Similar Bands: Suicide Commando, God Module, Grendel, :wumpscut:, Alien Vampires
Review:
The album featuring club hit "This Shit Will Fuck You Up". Much like that track, pretty much every track on this album is very, very dancable. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, and occasionally problematic to the point of bordering on icky - there are ways to read it so that it's not icky, but several ways to read it that are. Still, I don't listen to AggroTech for the deep, thoughtful lyrics, I listen to it because it makes me want to move as fast and hard as possible. In that regard, this album is an unqualified success. This is music that will get my heart rate up into the endorphin zone (for me, if I can get my HR over 160 for a minute or more, I get the endorphin buzz.)
Lyrics like "Next time you open your mouth/I'll ram my fist down your throught/So far you cannot swallow/I'll make your body hollow" give you an idea of how over-the-top aggressive this album is. This is not a subtle piece of work.
iTunes in general failed with this album - the tracks are mis-labeled. Though, since the lyrics are simple, that's easy to fix. Also, the review on iTunes was apparently written by someone who doesn't like Industrial music in general. I am not sure why someone whould bother to write a review for music they would have known in advance they wouldn't like.
Playlist Potential: This part of the review will call out any songs that I think need to end up on one of my specialty playlists. My Workout, Bedtime, Meditation and Driving playlists are all subject to occasionaly additions to keep them from getting stale. "This Shit Will Fuck You Up" is already on my workout playlist, as well as my workout (heavy) playlist, for those parts of the workout when I want my heart rate to soar and my face to snarl.
"Today I Woke To The Rain Of Blood" may also end up on the Workout list.
(Tuesday Feb 23rd)
Orichiette with mock chicken, spinach, peas, and sun-dried tomatoes. I added extra salt and hot sauce, knowing that the original was a touch on the bland side. That said, the mock chicken is pretty good, and it's hard to go wrong with sun-dried tomato. The percentage of calories from protein is not as high as I would ideally like, but that's a minor complaint for some tasty leftovers.
When we had this for dinner, we added pine nuts and grated parmasan cheese to it at the plate - I should have thought to add some to the leftovers this morning.
The Music
Everybody Hates You by Combichrist
Genre: "AggroTech", which wikipedia lists as an offshoot of Electro-Industrial, itself spawned from "Industrial", and defined in opposition to EBM. In short, AggroTech is fast-paced, aggressive techno with lots of yelling and sci-fi movie samples. In the "music made by people with computers" terminology, AggroTech is like angry people having kinky sex with computers.
Similar Bands: Suicide Commando, God Module, Grendel, :wumpscut:, Alien Vampires
Review:
The album featuring club hit "This Shit Will Fuck You Up". Much like that track, pretty much every track on this album is very, very dancable. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, and occasionally problematic to the point of bordering on icky - there are ways to read it so that it's not icky, but several ways to read it that are. Still, I don't listen to AggroTech for the deep, thoughtful lyrics, I listen to it because it makes me want to move as fast and hard as possible. In that regard, this album is an unqualified success. This is music that will get my heart rate up into the endorphin zone (for me, if I can get my HR over 160 for a minute or more, I get the endorphin buzz.)
Lyrics like "Next time you open your mouth/I'll ram my fist down your throught/So far you cannot swallow/I'll make your body hollow" give you an idea of how over-the-top aggressive this album is. This is not a subtle piece of work.
iTunes in general failed with this album - the tracks are mis-labeled. Though, since the lyrics are simple, that's easy to fix. Also, the review on iTunes was apparently written by someone who doesn't like Industrial music in general. I am not sure why someone whould bother to write a review for music they would have known in advance they wouldn't like.
Playlist Potential: This part of the review will call out any songs that I think need to end up on one of my specialty playlists. My Workout, Bedtime, Meditation and Driving playlists are all subject to occasionaly additions to keep them from getting stale. "This Shit Will Fuck You Up" is already on my workout playlist, as well as my workout (heavy) playlist, for those parts of the workout when I want my heart rate to soar and my face to snarl.
"Today I Woke To The Rain Of Blood" may also end up on the Workout list.
Tags:
From a discussion on someone else's LJ on whether or not it is possible to belly dance without cultural appropriation; Appreciation, Appropriation, and Exploitation in Ethnic Dance
I wonder, actually, if the same examination is relevant to the martial arts - most people who study Asian MA these days are several levels of remove from the culture that spawned the art, and that culture is usually echoed in the training.
(Even more tangentially - where does that leave Brazilian Jujitsu; a Brazilian style of a Japanese martial art?)
I wonder, actually, if the same examination is relevant to the martial arts - most people who study Asian MA these days are several levels of remove from the culture that spawned the art, and that culture is usually echoed in the training.
(Even more tangentially - where does that leave Brazilian Jujitsu; a Brazilian style of a Japanese martial art?)
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It occurs to me that if I bring lunch from home once a week, that will nearly pay for me buying an album a week from itunes. Which might make a great 365 (or, I guess, 52) project - if I buy an album a week for the next year and give a short review on it, say. Not that 98% of the people I know would actually be interested in most of what I listen to. I could also review the sandwich or leftovers I bring to work to pay for it.
It's a thought, anyway.
The next question, of course, would be if I could actually find time to listen to a new album every week reliably.
It's Monday now - if I can get myself organized enough to bring something from home for lunch this week, I will start this week.
It's a thought, anyway.
The next question, of course, would be if I could actually find time to listen to a new album every week reliably.
It's Monday now - if I can get myself organized enough to bring something from home for lunch this week, I will start this week.
I completely forgot to acquire loonies for laundry. No laundry for me today! I have 2, maybe 3 days before the underwear shortage gets dire.
At least this gives me more time to go shopping for pants. And shoes. And, perhaps, underwear.
At least this gives me more time to go shopping for pants. And shoes. And, perhaps, underwear.
The Rules...
You have 5 minutes from the time you see this tag, to take a photo of yourselves. NO staging, NO primping... just you and your lovely self. As is. Upload your photo and tag some peeps.
I tag anyone who wants to do this.
You have 5 minutes from the time you see this tag, to take a photo of yourselves. NO staging, NO primping... just you and your lovely self. As is. Upload your photo and tag some peeps.
I tag anyone who wants to do this.
Tags:
Recipe one: dinner.
My jaw is still messed up, so I wanted something that required little to no chewing.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
neeuqdrazil was nice enough to put out some lentils and rice to soak throughout the day for me this morning (I was late because I decided to iron. I hate those pants.)
My plan was a simple lentil and rice porridge with some veg of some sort - the lentil are soaked, and hence should melt away after some boiling.
Well, between being an hour late due to traffic and pants this morning, and the need to get more toilet paper (not optional!) after work, I got home at 6:30, and need to leave to dance class by 7:45 at the absolute latest.
So, I put the lentils and rice with water, salt, "curry powder", 4 garlic cloves and about half as much chopped ginger in a pot and set it to boil. I then grabbed a wodge of frozen spinach bricks from the freezer and microwaved 'em. When thawed, the spinach went into the pot too.
Unfortunately, by 7:20, it was all still far too un-porridgey. So I panicked and put it in our blender on purée.
Now I had steaming hot dark green paste of roughly peanut buttery consistency. It tasted lovely, and was easy to eat, but looks... frightening. I have a container of it in the freezer now for emergencies that require green protein paste.
Recipe two: post dance drink.
1 part agave syrup
2 parts lime juice
4 parts tequila
fill glass with soda water
Sweet and mellow - unsurprisingly, tequila and agave syrup merge together on the pallet.
In other news dance class was good, thoughmycrazyhair wasn't feeling quite awesome. For my own part, I feel like I'm finally getting it - while dancing with an experienced dancer, I "read" that a lift was available, and smoothly lifted her. Later, after working with a guy and then meeting him during the open dance part of the class, he asked if I'd dance with his (I assume?) girlfriend, since I was, in his words, "really good". I would not describe myself as really good, or even good yet, but I feel like I'm actually starting to get it. Maybe some day I'll feel comfortable enough to actually try a jam!
My jaw is still messed up, so I wanted something that required little to no chewing.
neeuqdrazil was nice enough to put out some lentils and rice to soak throughout the day for me this morning (I was late because I decided to iron. I hate those pants.)My plan was a simple lentil and rice porridge with some veg of some sort - the lentil are soaked, and hence should melt away after some boiling.
Well, between being an hour late due to traffic and pants this morning, and the need to get more toilet paper (not optional!) after work, I got home at 6:30, and need to leave to dance class by 7:45 at the absolute latest.
So, I put the lentils and rice with water, salt, "curry powder", 4 garlic cloves and about half as much chopped ginger in a pot and set it to boil. I then grabbed a wodge of frozen spinach bricks from the freezer and microwaved 'em. When thawed, the spinach went into the pot too.
Unfortunately, by 7:20, it was all still far too un-porridgey. So I panicked and put it in our blender on purée.
Now I had steaming hot dark green paste of roughly peanut buttery consistency. It tasted lovely, and was easy to eat, but looks... frightening. I have a container of it in the freezer now for emergencies that require green protein paste.
Recipe two: post dance drink.
1 part agave syrup
2 parts lime juice
4 parts tequila
fill glass with soda water
Sweet and mellow - unsurprisingly, tequila and agave syrup merge together on the pallet.
In other news dance class was good, though
mycrazyhair wasn't feeling quite awesome. For my own part, I feel like I'm finally getting it - while dancing with an experienced dancer, I "read" that a lift was available, and smoothly lifted her. Later, after working with a guy and then meeting him during the open dance part of the class, he asked if I'd dance with his (I assume?) girlfriend, since I was, in his words, "really good". I would not describe myself as really good, or even good yet, but I feel like I'm actually starting to get it. Maybe some day I'll feel comfortable enough to actually try a jam!Tags:
Watching White Collar and Chuck is having an odd effect on me. I am having increasing cravings for traditional men's wear - suits, ties, fedoras, vests, etc. I actually pulled out the ironing board this morning and not only ironed my work pants, but my shirt as well. As a consequence, I was an hour late getting to work.
I really must remind myself that I cannot afford to go get myself a couple suits, some tie pins/clips etc. And a pair of button braces. And pants modified to take button braces (I am *done* with clip-on suspenders when wearing a vest.)
I need to hire a wardrobe consultant to shop for me and make clothes for me. Sadly, I seem to have misplaced my production budget.
I really must remind myself that I cannot afford to go get myself a couple suits, some tie pins/clips etc. And a pair of button braces. And pants modified to take button braces (I am *done* with clip-on suspenders when wearing a vest.)
I need to hire a wardrobe consultant to shop for me and make clothes for me. Sadly, I seem to have misplaced my production budget.
Tags:
Grr.: Seem to have messed up my jaw significantly - it's painful enough that I've gone through the tylenol-3s I didn't need when I got snipped. I should probably go see the dentist about it being all mis-aligned and painful, but I feel guilty since I went to the doctor last week for my asthma. Also; wtf, body. Just work properly and stop whining/breaking. Also, pls deliver the washboard abs I requested last year.
Grr.: $100+ USB microphone I bought for the last NVF session seems to have completely died. I was great for the session it worked during. I no longer have the receipt.
Yay: Got enough mikes working in the room that we managed anyway. I am half wondering if I should start recording these to make campaign logs easier.
Yay: Sound effects - gaming is even more fun with The Drama Button, Sad Trombone and Instant Rimshot.
Yay: Awesome anniversary dinner withneeuqdrazil. Our first date was 13 freaking years ago. We OLD.
Grr.: $100+ USB microphone I bought for the last NVF session seems to have completely died. I was great for the session it worked during. I no longer have the receipt.
Yay: Got enough mikes working in the room that we managed anyway. I am half wondering if I should start recording these to make campaign logs easier.
Yay: Sound effects - gaming is even more fun with The Drama Button, Sad Trombone and Instant Rimshot.
Yay: Awesome anniversary dinner with
neeuqdrazil. Our first date was 13 freaking years ago. We OLD.Tags:
- 6. Science of Superheroes by Lois H Gresh and Robert Weinberg,
- A book about superheroes and science written by two people who, so far as I can tell, hate superheroes. But they like science. And also Donald Duck. This reads like the obnoxious guy who keeps interrupting folks discussing stuff they like to tell them why it's stupid and they shouldn't like it. I grabbed this at the bookstore in a rush - what I really wanted was the Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios, who from his youtube vids seems to actually like superheroes.
- 7. Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
- I've heard a lot over the years about Vinge, and how brilliant and thought-provoking he is. No one mentioned that he's also a pretty good writer. I really enjoyed this - smart in a similar way to Charlie Stross, but not quite as manic.
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