inside the wonderful world of vee

this past weekend (friday the 26th) was supposed to be freak night 11 with infected mushroom, mstrkrft, dieselboy, and dj bailey, amongst others. IT GOT CANCELLED ON THE DAY OF. how does some shit like that even happen? i’m not sure. some people said the venue cancelled. some people say the city of seattle caused the venue to cancel. who knows what really happened. if you know, tell me.

but that sucks because this is the third time i’ve wanted to see infected mushroom and could not. BLARGH. did i already mention this? i feel deja vu-ish… i feel bad for the people who drove all the way up from portland, though, assuming that something must happen… massives don’t get cancelled! some shit did happen at element with headliners like dieselboy and rank one and mstrkrft, but element is tiny…

my octopus pumpkin i carved last week was starting to mold. the mold was light green and coming out and looked like soap sude ^_^ at least it wasn’t too squishy to pick up. that would have been gross! uber gross!

i need to get my new website domain up but there are other things that need to be done first. arggh! blarghh! so much to do *brain explode*.

by the way, dick’s is this fast food joint in washington and it is gross. in-n-out pwns its fucking bones through the roof.

hmm, watched “ricki-oh” yesterday because i think that movie is right up lenny’s alley. and it was, for he was amused. that movie is so fucking absurd. if you like gore, you should watch it. funny gore, that is. but very, very gory. LOL. god.

on friday night, instead of freak night, lenny and i bummed around and hung out and went to go see david sedaris. $40 tickets (per person). it was entertaining, somewhat, but some parts of his reading were boring. and it’s fucking highway robbery, charging that much for a READING. it’s not like he’s a stand-up comedian coming up with new ideas. he’s just reading. not worth the money, even though it was my first time at benaroya hall (not really as impressive on the inside as it looks on the outside). so in conclusion… sorry, david sedaris — i love your books, but i’m never going to pay $40 to see you read some shit to me ever again. not even $30. not even $20. maybe $15. you shouldn’t be allowed to charge that much anyway. that shit was sold out. give me a break. damn you david!

er anyway, afterwards we went to scarecrow and got some movies, including “tekkonkinkreet” which was well, amazing. AMAZING. amazing. i couldn’t shut up about it the whole time i was watching it, which was probably pretty annoying, but what can i say? it was some good shit. the animation style and use of cg were amazing. the director was a first-time director, but i must say, he had a really good vision of what he wanted the movie to be like. i have no complaints. it was a great movie.

on saturday, posa, linh, lenny, and i went to nw trek in tacoma, which is this outdoor err… safari type thing only their animals are kind of lame. only animals like bison (the most exciting), two types of deer, moose, elk, mountain goats, etc. (aka non-threatening animals) were present. other animals were present in the park, but not in the “observe them in their natural habitat!” type fashion. did get to see a wolverine for the first time, though, and those things are pretty damn weird. not what i thought they’d be like at all. foxes are so cute. so are wolves. i want a wolf! or a dog that looks like a wolf more like. cuuuute. point defiance was more exciting than this one, though. but, i’m saving up all my film of all these animals and i will soon be able to put together some kind of uber animal video or SOMETHING. i dunno. but i sure to go to a lot of zoos. might as well make something of it!?

cynthia was up here from portland, so me, lenny, cynthia, alex, jennifer [villaruz], and robin dressed up half-assedly (only jenn and robin had real costumes) and went to en restaurant in belltown. i hate belltown, by the way. anyway, alex was dressed as a ninja so i decided to half-assedly join him as well. i had a hoodie on and i put one of jenn’s shirts (black) over it, and then took alex’s weird orange striped handkerchief and put it over my face to be a “no face ninja”… when asked, we were going to say we were from an unknown manga called “kuma no _____” (i forget the last word)… which, translated in english, would mean “bear’s penis.” however, the restaurant was pretty empty and once there i immediately did not care for any kind of dressing up, so i stopped wearing the no-face.

there was this guy outside named rodney who was a beggar but sang for the seattle men’s chorus as well. anyway, he kept singing songs to different groups of people and initially he was singing to randoms, then cynthia and lenny, and then i heard about it and decided to go outside and listen to him. he dedicated some song to me. and sang it. he was a preetty good singer. not the best but definitely had a lot of control over his voice. evidently he asked me for a dollar, and later alex when he came out to join me, but didn’t ask cynthia and lenny. weird. i asked him a few questions, though, and i asked him how long he’d been doing it — he said he was 47? and had been doing it for 30 years? and i asked if it’s something he’d always wanted to do and he said he had no choice — his grandmother was the head of some choir of a church and required them (him and his 12 siblings) to participate… so all of them sung and played instruments (rodney played piano). if they didn’t do it, grandma would beat them. LOL. oh so christian-like you are, grandmama! later he was singing, “all the world needs now… is love, sweet love,” and gave us a hug and i totally like kissed his bald head because it was perfect height to my mouth lol >_<

later that night alex, lenny, and i went to taqueria del riconsito and got food to go, and found out that reading the spanish newspaper isn’t difficult at all! the question, now, was whether it wasn’t difficult because they use simple vocab, or because our spanish was so good. i think the former is probably the reason, although i’d prefer the latter! we got back to lenny’s place, though, and he proceeded to puke a few times (in addition to the times at the restaurant) and went to go pass out. then he woke up and made me make sure he had flushed. which, of course, he hadn’t, and it was gross?!!

alex and i watched “cable guy” though, cause it was free on comcast on-demand “free movies” (my new best friend when i go over). i’d never seen that movie before but there were some really very funny parts. WOOOO.

so i finally told my parents (well, my mom first, since my dad is out of town) that i have a boyfriend. lol. two years later! my mom was like, “i knew it!” because she has met lenny before and said she could “tell from the way i talked to him.” OH WHATEVER. but anyway, they don’t seem to mind, so that’s good, and i told her it’s cause she was mean initially so it’s all good!!!

***

anyway, going on a really expensive cruise tour next year in september. here is what it’ll be coming down to if i have my way:

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN:

Vasa Museum - The museum?s centerpiece is the 17th-century warship Vasa, the oldest fully preserved ship in the world. Built as the flagship of the Swedish navy, the Vasa foundered on her maiden voyage. The wreck was discovered and raised between 1956 and 1961. After your guided tour, enjoy free time to explore the museum?s other exhibits and displays of historic items recovered from the harbor floor.

Royal Armory - The award-winning museum is situated in vaults beneath the Royal Palace. On display are magnificent gold-embroidered costumes from coronations and royal weddings, weapons and armor along with elk-hide jerkens from the battle of L?tzen in 1632 as well as Charles XII?s muddy uniform from Fredriksten fortress in 1718.

Old Town - Join your guide for a narrated walking tour of Gamla Stan, where Stockholm began over eight centuries ago. Stroll the narrow, cobbled streets and see buildings ranging from the 16th to 19th centuries. The district is home to art studios, chic boutiques, restaurants and shops.

Coronation Church - This late Gothic church is the site of coronations, royal weddings and christenings. The plain fa?ade belies the ornate interior, with its ebony and silver altar and a sculpture depicting St. George and the Dragon.

HELSINKI, FINLAND

Suomenlinna Fortress - Your knowledgeable guide leads a walking tour through the grounds of this mighty fortress, the largest fortification in Finland. Built by the Swedes in 1748, the complex spans six islands in Helsinki Harbor. Then enjoy free time to explore the surrounding parks, graceful buildings and beaches. Suomenlinna is more than a fortress; the island is really a city within the city of Helsinki, boasting its own library, health center, fire brigade and elementary school.

ST. PETERSBURG (2 DAYS):

Medieval Novgorod - One of the greatest art centers in Europe The town has preserved a unique complex of architectural monuments with frescoes of the 11th to 17th centuries. The school of icon painting, jeweler?s and decorative applied art became famous all over the world.

Kremlin - The citizens of Novgorod call their walled fortress ?Detinets.? Russia?s oldest Kremlin dates from 1044 though the current walls and towers date from the 15th century.

St. Sophia Cathedral - Located within Novgorod?s Kremlin, the cathedral dates to 1045 and is home to a priceless collection of murals, iconostases and icons, including the revered 12th-century icon ?The Virgin of the Sign.?

Yaroslav?s Court - This open-air museum features a collection of 14th, 15 th and 16th century buildings including the Cathedral of St. Nicholas and the Church of John the Baptist.

Yuriev Monastery - Founded in the 12th century by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the monastery is also home to the Cathedral of St. George. The buildings are quite plain yet beautiful with their whitewashed walls and gold, silver and turquoise onion-shaped domes.

Hermitage - The Tsar?s former Winter Palace and four other buildings house one of the world?s premier art collections. Your guided tour visits the display rooms, which contain over three million artworks, including paintings by Da Vinci, Rafael, Monet, Rembrandt, Renoir - to name a few. Designed by Rastrelli, the Baroque Winter Palace boasts patterned parquet floors, ornate staircases, molded and decorated ceilings and gilded appointments.

Peter and Paul Fortress - Originally built to protect the city from Swedish attack, the fortress soon became Russia?s Tower of London, a place for imprisoning political prisoners - including Peter the Great?s own son. Visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral ? the city?s tallest structure in the days of Peter the Great and even today only the television tower exceeds it in the height. The ornate interior boasts gilded iconostasis, 18th century paintings and icons - and the tombs of many Tsars and Tsarinas, including Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.

TALLINN, ESTONIA

Toompea Hill - Your guided walk of old Tallinn will begin at Toompea Hill, known as the Upper Town. The focal point will be Palace Square, named after the pink baroque Toompea Castle, home to the Estonian Parliament. On the southwest side of the castle stands the Pikk Hermann Tower, topped by the national flag of blue, black and white.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - Dominating Palace Square, this Russian Orthodox Cathedral is a strong testament to the influence of years under the rule of Russian Tsars. Its cupolas and golden crosses rise high above the rooftops of the Upper Town, contrasting with the needlelike copper spires of the Lower Town. You will have a chance to step inside this working cathedral to view the numerous golden icons and mosaics which line the walls.

Dome Church - Gothic St. Mary?s Cathedral - simply called the “Dome Church” by the locals - is the city?s oldest church and an architectural landmark that has played a prominent role in Tallinn?s history. It has served as a burial site for the nobility since the 15th-century, and inside you will see elaborate sarcophagi and more than 60 medieval coats of arms.

Town Hall Square - Having retained its charming time-worn appearance, Town Hall Square is still a hub of activity with its many caf?s, restaurants and shops. Dominated by the monumental Gothic Town Hall, this square has been the center of life in Tallinn?s Lower Town since the 12th-century. Be sure to raise your eyes upward to the Hall?s minaret-like tower, where “Old Thomas the Watchman,” an ancient weather vane, has served as the city?s sentinel since 1530. Across the square stands the Town Council Pharmacy which has occupied the site since 1422.

Holy Ghost Church - The sky blue clock on the outer wall of this 14th-century church is the oldest in Tallinn. Inside the church are 15th-century woodcarvings and an ancient wooden altar.

GDANSK, POLAND

Malbork Castle - Located on the Nogat River, construction on this, one of Poland?s oldest surviving castles, began in 1274. Built by the Order of Teutonic Knights, the fortress boasts massive brick walls, towers, dungeons and a host of architectural details. Your guided tour includes the castle complex and its exhibition halls with their collections of ceramics, sculptures and Baltic amber.

Gdansk Main Town - Your guided walk begins near Golden Gate, an ornamental arch that allowed access through the medieval city?s walls. Walk along Long Street, passing Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings to the Town Hall, Long Market and Artus Court, a 15th-century merchant?s palace. Pause at Neptune?s Fountain, a symbol of Gdansk?s Hanseatic Past. Walk to a waterfront canal before turning up St. Mary?s Street with its terraced buildings and quaint shops.

St. Mary?s Church - The pride of Gdansk, this Gothic church is the largest brick church in the world and can accommodate some 25,000 worshippers. The interior boasts 30 chapels, an elaborate altarpiece, a stone floor with ancient tombstones, and a 15th-century astronomical clock in the north transept complete with zodiac, and a calendar of saints.

OSLO, NORWAY

Viking Ship Museum - The museum is home to three Viking long boats uncovered during 19th-century, and early 20th-century excavations near Oslofjord. In addition to the superbly crafted ships, the museum exhibits sleds, jewelry and other artifacts found aboard the vessels.

Vigeland Sculpture Park - Once considered controversial, the park is now one of Oslo?s favorite attractions. Your guided walk visits the stone, iron and bronze sculptures of Gustav Vigeland. The sculptures depict a complete human life from birth to death. After your walk, a brief period of free time is allowed to explore the park on your own.

Holmenkollen - Perched high above Oslo, Holmenkollen is the cradle of ski jumping and the site of the 1952 Olympic ski jumping competition.

JUST SAY NO. MCDONALD’S DOESN’T WANT YOU TO EAT ITS HEALTHY FOOD!!

this conversation below between joe and i will illustrate why they do it and why their fruit & walnut combo — a seemingly very easy thing to get right — is fucking disgusting. picture soon to come

***

vee: fruit&walnut or something its called. well, i bust it out to eat it and the shit was fucking bitter. like… unnaturally bitter. gag! so gross. i thought it was just me so i had lenny try it, but it was straight up bitter. like “burning bitter,” he said.

joe: apples arent even supposed to be bitter though :OO sour, maybe

vee: i know. thats why its so amazing

joe: wtfsors hahaha

vee: so, there were the regular red apples, and there were granny smith apples. our rationale was: the sour of the granny smith apples will overpower the bitterness. NOT SO!!!

joe: loooool. i bet, if you ordered that, left it in the refrigerator for 2 months, and took it out.. it’d look and taste the same!

vee: ahaahaha probably T_T

joe: yum yum!

vee: sad. they probably want kids to hate eating fruit! hahaha! EAT MORE MCDONALDS THEY SAY! DONT EAT HEALTHY

joe: OR they make their “healthy foods” that bad so the people would just order the crappy food the next time they came in! so now instead of you getting their apple yogurt mix (which probably costs more to make than a breakfast biscuit), you’ll probably get their breakfast biscuit! geniuses… pure… geniuses.

vee: i know! totally!

joe: obviously the people who order healthy stuff like that from mcdonalds are aware of how bad the food is… and the fact that they ordered means that they were probably forced into ordering something, so mcdonalds wants to make the most out of their involuntary meal orders!

vee: truuuue! shit man, we’ve cracekd their shit

joe: DAMN RIGHT! NOW LETS GO FOR A BIGMAC

vee: HAHA OK

joe:

vee: dude i started eating these nuggets from jack in the box that use real chicken… and now when i eat chicken nuggets from mcdonalds, it’s like gross… cause its like not real chicken

joe: really :O what do they put in it haha

vee: well, i mean at jack in the box, the nuggets are all different sizes. and when u bite into it, it’s like biting into a chicken leg — whereas at mcdonalds, its like these premade MOLDS

joe: ground chicken! lol

vee: yeah, basically… like, “oh here ithe occasional boot shaped chicken nugget… it’s naturally shaped like this! really!”

joe: they try to make the most from their nuggets too, targetting the poor innocent children ;( making nuggets that are shaped like familiar items… little kids would prefer those to.. just… strips of chicken

vee: they should make dino mold ones if they were smart.

joe: oh yeah dino molds! yay

vee: yay!

lenny and his coworkers went to this italian restaurant today and had to wait one HOUR and fifteen minutes to get their PASTA. hahahaha. HAHAHA. then they paid and had to wait fifteen minutes to get their change. hahahaha.

some old ladies at the table next to them got pizza and it took their pizza forever too. they were two old italian ladies, and i guess they were like, “you guys don’t know how to make pizza.” laughable. wish i was there. lenny spent $15 on squid ink pasta which i bet will be gross cause it’s from that restaurant. ROFLSKATES.

this sure makes me feel better about motherfucking freak night getting cancelled tonight. just barely, though. dammit. i really wanted to see infected mushroom tonight. sigh. this will be my third time sadly missing their performance. i am most… sad.

the friendly land of amsterdam is, according to lenny, outlawing shrooms in a few months because some 17 year old french girl committed suicide while one them. i am most sad. count on foreigners to ruin it for them. anyway. i enjoy the discussion between users on this blog. it is amusing.

i am saddened greatly by this, though. honestly. there goes one dream…

here is an AP article on the topic.

i’d copy and paste it but i THINK that’s illegal.

apparently the whole wide world thinks that baby porcupines and baby hedgehogs are the same thing — possibly, they even think adult hedgehogs and adult porcupines are the same thing. i’m not sure. i stumbled across this problem when:

i did a search for “baby porcupine” in google image search.

i was told that this was a baby porcupine… hm, maybe, but they kind of look like hedgehogs.

out of suspicion:
i then did a search for a “baby hedgehog” in google image search.

dammit, that same little buster is popping up again!

well, this is a real baby porcupine (click him to enter the rainsong sanctuary):

they got the hedgehog right, though. get it straight, people of the internet. hedgehogs and porcupines are NOT one and the same, even though they ARE both spiny (and pretty cute… although i’d say porcupines moreso when young and hedgehogs moreso when old).

i was reading the voter’s pamphlet for the primary in november and came across one most fascinating candidate who i just have to endorse. he has one opposing candidate: harium martin-morris, who, from reading blomstrom’s website, i have discovered blomstrom has dubbed “whorium.” that in itself is pretty funny. but it gets better.

first off i have to say that i agree with some guy who wrote a blog post on him here: http://thepapernoose.blogspot.com/search?q=mark+worth. blomstrom is kind of shooting himself in the foot as far as votes go. i mean… i appreciate the fact that blomstrom says he cares about kids, but if you’re saying things and calling other candidates whores, some people are never going to give you a chance. and as much as swallowing your ego for a few seconds to get some votes from people you are likely going to hate is going to suck, at least then you’d actually have a CHANCE at getting into office and MAKING a difference. saying controversial things that will alienate people who might otherwise agree with you is NOT a good tactic. i hope he reads this blog because i tried to find his email address but i could not find it anywhere (or at least not a recent one). i think this is an important point. maybe what he says is important, but the fact that he disses on everyone — liberals, green party members, libertarians, conservatives, “fake seattle activists”, some former candidates, seattle people in general, etc. etc. — IS a turn-off for some people. i don’t think he’ll ever get his foot into the door at this point, honestly. but i’ll vote for him. cause he’s right. his opposing candidate, “whorium” honestly DOESN’T have an opinion. he DOES play it safe. it’s good to have someone who is extremely outspoken and whose views are quite different from everyone else’s, because controversy generally makes for good change. but i just wish he would change his tactics if making a difference was the real goal.

you can check out david blomstrom’s website at http://2007.seattle-mafia.org/. whether or not you agree with him, it no doubt makes for a good fucking read.

anyway, i’m going to type out his message in the voter’s pamphlet because i find it AMAZING that his statement made it in here to begin with, but i guess you can’t NOT have people in the booklet.

in the words of david blomstrom:

“america is being destroyed by corporate corruption, and we must fight back. yet how can we bring george w. bush and bill gates to justice if we can’t even reform our own local school board? in other news, did you know this may be seattle’s LAST school election? the media, public officials, and school board candidates are complicit in their stunning silence on this issue.

a former seattle schools’ employee turned whistle-blower (see “the olchefske files” online), i’ve advocated an authentic audit of the district since my first campaign in 1999. (our new superintendent hasn’t earned $250k!) let’s replace the seattle education association with a real union (e.g. the wobblies) and ban the WASL, a tool used by corporations to keep children down.

i also advocate socialism - not soviet-style, but more in line with venezuelan president hugo chavez’ vision. the oil industry should be nationalized, and money spent on weapons used to murder civilians in iraqistan would be better used to fund free medical care. (by the way, as a children’s advocate, i cannot support the troops who have slaughtered so many children in foreign lands. shame on them.)

our schools should similarly be un-privatized, and the alliance for education given the boot. (how many schools have been ruined or closed since bill gates began “donating” money to the seattle school district?)

i say screw seattle civility, and embrace children and democracy instead. even if your only concern is rising property taxes, you ignore seattle’s education mafia at your peril. beware candidates to proclaim themselves “national education consultants” and avoid the issues yet are endorsed by our corrupt media. (remember: the seattle times endorsed president AWOL.) (continued at www.seattle-mafia.org; bonus: my adventure with the privatized u.s. postal service!)

haahahahahahahahaha.

i just got off the phone with sherry we went to new york this past week for some photographer conference. she went to a restaurant and there was this good-looking african-american guy. she was staring at his gorgeousness and wondering who it was. she didn’t want to ask the table, though, for she was with a client. finally, she could bear it no more and asked. one lady looked and then flipped out about how she was a huge fan of tyrese (she, who was evidently married with two kids) and said that it was tyrese. she knew, because she had seen tyrese’s movie, “baby boy,” three times.

she obstained from speaking to tyrese until after the meal, when she was convinced by her friends to go and speak with tyrese. she did. she went to tyrese’s table and talked to him about how she was a huge fan, and talked to his mother about how she must be so proud of tyrese. after much complimenting, she finally asked tyrese for an autograph.

tyrese said, “sure, but i’m tyson beckford.”

owned.

she insisted she was STILL a fan, but i’m sure the effect was quite diminished. :O

tonight is a night of p’s i suppose. ryan had a few homies over for pumpkin carving tonight! i played hookie on german class (i’m awful) and joined in on the pumpkin carving action. ryan did john cusack with a radio over his head, dana and britta did cats, and tamarind[?] did three bats on a HUGE pumpkin. some guy was there too but i didn’t catch his name :0 :0 :0 i did an octopus and it looks okay but the arms are really skinny so it doesn’t let enough light through unfortunately. +__+ but other than that it looks okay, shape-wise and all that. i like octopusses. they are so clevar.

anyway, it’s 11:36pm in i guess what i will now call the hood but not really since i’m talking to nate and nate is from the real hood known as lakewood (featured on “cops”!) and anyway, some cops were outside some guy’s door earlier saying, “OPEN UP! WE HAVE A WARRANT!” and then banged a couple times and then waited a while. and then resumed (this was like 20 minutes later) and was like, “OPEN UP!” and started to kick the door, and eventually someone opened the door halfway and they kept screaming to open it all the way unless they wanted to get tazed. i dunno. more screaming. then the door was open and they were telling him to, “GET DOWN ON THE GROUND OR GET TAZED!” and then there was some quiet so i decided to go to the bathroom for literally two seconds but when i came back the door was closed. i opened the window in time to hear some gagging sound. not sure what that meant but then the two cop cars left pretty quickly. wtfs?!

i have been a huge katamari fan since the first time i laid eyes on the beautiful game but i can safely say that this newest release, “beautiful katamari,” pretty much blows, especially when compared to the second one. +__+ it’s so depressing. i spent $40 on the game, for a console i don’t even have (xbox 360), and beat the entire game in 2 hours (this is including repeats of some levels and periodic .pdf edits for tizag.com in-between). it’s such a disappointing game. the creative aspect seems completely removed from it. i am so unbelievably disappointed. i think i’ve said that a lot so far, but i truly am just disappointed, asshole!

the original creator of this game did not sign on this time which may be partially why it is so fucking bad. whereas the other games have different levels and are creative relatively about each level, this game pretty much uses the same levels every time… you just start out at different sizes to begin with. for example, the initial level, you’re inside a house. a second level puts you in the house and allows you to go outside. a third level allows you to go outside the house and maybe to a different town, and so on. but always the same house, the same town, the same adjacent town — even with a lot of the items in the same fucking place. really fucking weak sauce. and the last level — the level where you roll up the world — is even poorly done graphically and lo-res style. not sure what the deal was.

positive points: “it is now available in hd!” and they don’t keep from telling you this. NO LOAD TIME. which is dope. and a lot more items within view at all times… but why is this bad? it seems it’s just a bunch of items dumped onto the page at once, and not really put in a way that is conducive to rolling. i’m not positive about this but i feel like the other one paid attention to ‘where you started off’ and this one just kind of throws you wherever. GOD IT IS SO UNCREATIVE. OH NO, I’VE TAINTED THE POSITIVE SECTION!!

the multi-player on the other hand is pretty fun, but honestly, it’s hard to fuck up katamari multi-player. and even then they don’t give you a chance to “roll as big as possible” — it’s only “roll as big as you can get while picking up one particular item that they want you to pick up.”

i’m so disappointed. i seriously regret purchasing it, even though i was happy initially because i got the last copy at toys r’ us.