Li Pao

This is probably over sentimental and depressive. But was trying to read Li Pao and ...

大道如青天
我獨不得出

The broad wayout is like the clear sky;
But, I alone cannot go through.

ROCKIT

I hear this song all the time, like the walkoff scene from ZOOLANDER, but I didn't know where it is from. Apparently, it's "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock from the album FUTURE SHOCK.

Jason and Stu: Just Chillin'

Alfies did Toronto

Just got back from an unofficial alumni party for Queen's. It's kind of interesting; to relive that whole Queen's meet-market experience. I swear more than half dug their club clothes out from the cardboard box marked "2001" in their basement.

I didn't know too many people their though. It atrracted many people, but not the type I hung out with back at Queen's. A shame, because I actually do the night scene now more than I did back then.

Baby Phat Ad in subway

I saw this in the subway station a few days ago. I don't quite know what to say. It's an ad for Baby Phat. Kimora is lovely, I guess.

It somehow felt really blank. Empty. Flat.

Three things I own that are a constant source of joy

I was just thinking today about those things I own that I am really happy about. The pleasure of buying something, thinking it would be great, and over the years, met and exceeded your already high expectations. It's an unusal thought, I guess, in our maniac society that swings, back and forth, between consumerism and peasant chic.

I like wealth. It is a means to acquire things that sets oneself off from the blandness of living. But, the notion that living the "high life" is not for me. People that pour rivers of the bubblies down their throats, seems to me, lack the ability to enjoy things, so they must resort to enjoy the concept of enjoying things.

The three things I want to talk about are things I bought throughout the years that kept on giving. On very top is my Bulova Selfwinding. It is wrapped around a near-empty bottle of Eau Sauvage. At the base of my totem to capitalism is a copy of the Pocket Oxford.

I bought my Bulova Selfwinding on eBay in a lot with another ladies Bulova for $35. I liked the look of it. The gold hands and lettering contrasted off nicely off the white dial. For that price I thought I would have to fix it up, but it came out of the UPS box running great and has kept great time ever since.

I cannot match it to any pictures in the catalog. I have opened it up and the ebauche is stamped as a Bulova. However, all the pictures of the Bulova Selfwinding I have seen have gold-filled cases.

I suspect that the original case wore out and it was replaced, along with the crown onto a generic, stainless steel one. But, for $35, this is a great timepiece. It is not too expensive (so I would be afraid to wear it), classy enough to wear with shirt-and-tie, and laid back enough for t-shirt-and-jeans. The black Spiedel band actually makes it standout even more. Most collectors would probably not think twice of it, but I get enough compliments from the average joe to be very happy with this watch.

This classic Dior cologne is favourite over with the perfume junkies at Basenote. It's an unmistakenable citrus -- light, soft and lemony. I find the smell incredibly soothing.

ES has been around since 1966. Unfortunate, it doesn't have much of a mass market appeal. Most people complain about it disappearing after 15 minutes. Not like one of those overpowering Italian colognes then seems irradiate half a nightclub. ES is very, very smooth and stays close to the skin -- you only really smell it when you stick your nose to it. The headnotes do disappear a few minutes, I usually spray it on after showering in the morning and completely forget I was wearing it. But, the beauty of this scent is in its heartnotes and basenotes. I can always smell the basil and vetiver the next day crawling out of bed, waking me up to a new day. If I have to love a disposable object, it will have to be ES.

I looked up in the OUP that the Pocket Oxford Dictionary is in its tenth edition. So the seventh edition copy I have owned all these years is very much out of date. It's all busted up as well, I have strips of bookbinder's tape along the spine. The original dust cover is long gone, and the covers are fraying along the side. Still, I don't know if I will ever stop using it.

I guess I am sentimental. It was one of the first "adult" book I bought as a kid. Somebody, maybe it was mom, gave me twenty dollars. I don't think I really knew what to do with that much money when I was ten, so I walked around and around inside of Cole's. I was still doing ESL then, so I figured I needed a dictionary.

There was this dictionary section with a shelf full of big, imposing tomes. I was just a kid, so I figured I should buy something I can carry around. I was originally going to get one of those mini's with the plastic cover. I was thrown into a daze but I saw the Pocket Oxford, and it too big to fit inside anybody's pocket. I also saw the Merriam-Webster Collegiate which was similar sized, but only cost half as much. But the bright red cover and the bold print seemed clownish. The understated blue and serif print convinced me that the extra cost was worth.

And I guess sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. (To this day, I still cannot use the Merriam-Webster. I take their "definitions" as helpful considerations.) My Pocket Oxford has been my constant friend and teacher. Not only does it give meaning to a word, but also carefully parses out the many similar, but different meanings. For example, under "liberty," it defines as "... freedom from captivity, slavery, etc.; right or power to do as one pleases; right or privilege granted by authority; setting aside of rules or convention..." It also has a brief, but illuminating explanations of the origins of English words. For the entry "parfait", the POD traces this ice cream treat to French "(parfait PERFECT)". I remember some happiers parts of my early youth when I picked up this dictionary and read random entries. I think I can trace my love for words back to this dictionary.

I find it kind of strange that I spent so much time writing about these little things. They are, after all, just things. But when it really gets down to it, I like them more than I do over a whole lot of people. If only everything lese has had a big of an impact on me as these things...

fwd: White People

From: J Cxxxx
To: Me
Subject: white people
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 12:20:34 -0700 (PDT)

hi:

This is the conversation just took place.

My office faces the sun, hence it's often very hot. So, I usually took of my shirt but with a tan top.

Seth came in and said "Jay put some clothes on".

I turned my head. and said "fuck you, man."

Then, he laughted, and walked away.

My mainlander office-mate had no idea how that consititutes a "greeting".

I simply said to him, "I know what I am doing ..."

Tip From the Hip: Coffee Diary

I saw this on the door of guy's office at UofT.

COFFEE DIARY...

#CUPS) MENTAL PROFILE
1) Decide to put off suicide until next day, go to bathroom instead.
3) Feel enthusiastic about everything, begin to annoy friends.
6) Begin pacing, desire more coffee.
8) First symptoms of dementia appear, go back to bathroom.
11) Can't sit still. Friends openly hostile.
15) Peace. Happiness. Enlightenment. Friends are suspicious.
23) Locked in bathroom by friends. Hallucinations of man with donkey. Vow to switch to decaf.

Right after passover, Matzo is cheap.

KOSHER FOR PASSOVER

HAGADA - Israel-made Matzos are baked under the supervision of the chief
Rabbi of Givatayim & Rabbi of Aviv group and are strictly kosher
le'pesach.

The Three Incestuous Sisters

I just saw this book today at my local library, "The Three Incestuous Sisters" by Audrey Niffenegger.

It's like a picture storybook for adults. No actual incest, but every other theme is there, love hate jealousy wisdom murder mistaken identity .... also has some direct references to Greek Mythology. I don't know the author, but she is apparently the bestselling author "The Time Traveller's Wife."

I just want to take a few pictures so people know what I am talking about in terms of a "adult picture storybook."

Antique Car

This car was parked a block away from my house. Super neat-o!

Hot Hot Property Manager

I just went to the property office this morning about the fence that has fallen over in our porch.

I was standing at the door and the assistant manager waved her little finger for me to come in. I think she is about 23, olive complexion, in an aqua tanktop that exposes most of her 32-inch bust, and glazed over in boredom.

Man. I kept trying not to look but it was kind of hard. I also tried talking but that was also kind of hard. The best I can managed was a few words like Tarzan, "Unit ... fence .. fell ... need fix"

I guess she must be used to it. Didn't really faze her. I was kinda grinning like a fool all the way along. Kinda ass-like.

Oh well.

A Little Bit of the Goodfellas

Last week's discovery of eight bodies in the middle of nowhwere, Ontario is pretty absurd. It truely is a case of life imitating art.

What the fuck. Media reports suggests they are biker related and police has already raided one home of a suspected biker associate.

This type of shit don't fly in Canada. Fuck. It's Canada. These two-wheel losers gotta stop watching so many Scorsesi movies. Next thing you know, they'll start hanging dead rabbits on fences or horse heads. Or, maybe they just learn to kiss each other, full on the lips....

Holly K.

What has she meant to me?

I should try to answer this question because it is important. That first girl, you know is a girl. Grade 2. With an impossibly big smile, summer blond hair like the gold of cornfields in the sun. She was also thr first person with blue eyes I looked up close.

She defines much of my relationship with women in the future.... I just remember when she tried to give me bundles of wild lilacs, I kicked her in the box...

sigh.