i love vinyl!

Well, i don't do it as often as i used to , to be sure.

But there's nothing like the thrill of walking down the steps into a basement record shop with money in your pocket to spend on a potential score. I think the smell that slowly fading vinyl emits must be universal. I bet if I was to walk into a record store anywhere in the world, it would strike me as familiar, and instantly send me into a nostalgic swirl of musical memories.

Anyway, today I ventured into a shop in my hood that i have ridden by many times. After flipping for a few minutes and being tempted at times to commit to the likes of kate bush and a smiths single, I intuitively sensed that there was still greater treasure to be found- if i just gave it more time...

and I did. and I scored. (in MY mind!) I adore the 4AD label and have an ongoing quest to find old releases. Today I got a This Mortal Coil that I have not seen before. Pretty happy!!!

I LOVE THIS!!!

this made me tingle. this made me cry. this made me feel united with those aroundf the world who remember, who believe, who KNOW that WE ARE FREE! and we can live our beauitufl free lives here together. there is nothing to be afraid of and hugging strangers and loving everybody is our birthright!!!

yuck!

so kids....

...apparently we are now living in the future.

It has been reported, and you can read for yourself, that American Apparel and others, are now selling their wares with an added bonus!

You get your very own RFID microchip conveniently sewn right into the clothing. And it will even transmit personal and private information for you, about you and your life to...?!?

Hmmm...that's a good question, really.

Who is taking the courtesy of eavesdropping on our lives, and why?

tapestry woven from silk. spider silk.

this is truly amazing. truly.

wow. humans are impressively ingenious at times.

but i must admit to having mixed feelings about the use of the spiders. i tend to be annoyed by humans who impose their own will over another life-form.

Aside from this "typically vegan" perspective, i can certainly appreciate the magnificence of this beautiful tapestry and what went into bringing it about.

In fact I'll go so far as to choose to believe it was a collaborative effort...i like to think of the spiders consciously choosing to take part in such an intriguing project.

"You wanna what??! Make a wall-hanging out of my body-silk?!....OK. Yeah. Let's do it!"

Perhaps this particular kind of art will encourage a movement towards greater appreciation for life, in general, and a deeper compassion for all the creatures with which we co-exist.

Let's hope so.

funny.

Martin Streek is

a blast from my past.
He's also dead.

And according to this article in EYE WEEKLY, he killed himself.

I can't believe it.

What a wonderful life chapter that was: highschool radio....CFNY.

Not only would i go to sleep listening to whatever was being aired, I would wake up every day to my radio alarm clock, with "102.1 the Edge" cranking out some wicked tune. I loved the 'live to air' shows, too, which he and May Potts hosted.

Basically, I learned about cool music listening to him and others on CFNY. Needless to say, it was a hugely formative time for me.

Without more information to go on, it appears it may have been depression from having been let go by the station he he worked for twenty years. Maybe his identity was so wrapped up in being a DJ that he didn't know who he was without the job. We will never know for sure.

Thanks for the education, Martin Streek.

swine flu, aka the viral farce

hello my long lost blog-readers....

I am not doing a great job of posting regularly, am I?

I promise to write every week, if not every day from now on, as part of my determination to share information and inspiration.

Today's post is a bit of a shocker (not so much, really) in the sense that so many people are too trusting of the one's in charge of their health "care".

Not I. From the moment I first heard the swine flu propaganda I knew it was nothing to take seriously. Not only is the mainstream media in charge of perpetuating fear and self-"dis"empowerment, the ones who pay them to spread the bad news also have a lot to gain from our believing what they say to be true.

It takes a minimal amount of research to discover that the world health organizations, 'scuse me, CORPORATIONS, do not have our best interests at heart.

And one brave journalist is now speaking out about the bio-engineered swine flu virus and the attempt by the powers that be to cause a mass pandemic.
PLEASE read It is empowering and fascinating.

But never forget that your health is in your hands.

this is nuts!

I couldn't help but imagine how he would react if someone was to cut it all off when he was asleep.

I'm pretty sure he would cry.

woooweeeeeeeeeee!

I sure am a lazy blogger!

But here is a new post meant to impress.
I have big news...I found the man I want to marry:



Right? Am I right???!!!!

been recordin!

hey!

so it's SOOOO springy! i'm loving the sun and the breath of fresh air...

After months of hibernating and working on some songs, I have finally been inspired to sketch them down into recordings.

Back in February, I wrote a song that I have loved playing and singing. It's kinda in the style of a 50's pop love song...and I have been casually imagining what it might turn into once I record the foundation and start building layers upon layers.

So far so good.

Though I do notice it's a bit of a struggle to keep the perfectionist side of me out of the driver's seat. I've been experiencing a bit of a recording drought, and so at this point, I am happy to be using my time to record anything at all. I'm doing my best to drop the expectation that I will produce my greatest masterpiece within the next 45 minutes, and instead sit back and enjoy the ride...

I am reminded of the above Alan Moore quote at this moment...particularly the idea that enjoying the process of making something entirely new out of nothing is the state of being from which we give birth to the most satisfying creations. A thing born out of a moment of bliss, out of love and not doubt or urgency, is given a quality that transcends all physical boundaries and targets the soul.

So after I post this blog, I will go back to my "studio", pick up my guitar, and do my best to not control the outcome.

I will play...

my first quilt!

So after months in the making, I am finally dreaming sweet dreams beneath my very own self-made blanket...

Henry Rollins on "selling out"

I stumbled upon this short treat from the ever-so opinionated Rollins. In a short flash of fire, he distinguishes between a band "selling out" and a band simply getting their due after years of making little to no money.

It amuses me and inspires me to get some paycheques in exchange for my music!

vegans ROCK!!!

WOW! It has been WAAAAAAY too long since I posted something interesting about my life, or the world in general. I think what's holding me up is a lack of batteries for my nifty camera. I have decided I will buy some today so I can include pictures with my posts, and so you can see all the wonderful things that I have been experiencing.

I recently purchased a sexy new amp for my sexy red guitar and rocked out with them 3 times last week! The first show was at C'est What? on Tuesday- AWESOME night. Then I was at the Boat for a VEGAN Rock fundraising event for the Toronto Vegetarian Association. The above pic shows how fun it was...especially the eating of scrumptious many vegan treats.

I am off to work for now...but will bring some batteries home with me...!!!

a TED talk on creativity

This made me cry....I feel inspired and joyous and encouraged to keep doing my art (not that stopping is an option!). Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love" discusses the fears and insecurities that arise in artists when faced with the daunting task of having to express genius...every time they make something. She suggests that it is the perspective that creative genius is personal, a characteristic of the individual rather than an external godly force that strikes or flows through the artist, that hinders us to feel free in our creating. Our job is to "show up for work" and allow for inspiration to join us.

i love new york

This vid made me smile, which means that it's blog-worthy.
Check it.



In total, this improv group has created 80 scenes of "chaos and joy". Click here for more info about the above stunt and all the others.

it's all going according to plan....

hahahaha. made me laugh....

gigs gigs gigs

It has been a while since I've written- 'scuse me, "blogged"; not because I haven't been living, but because I have!

I feel so much in the flow of things, like I'm streaming down a river towards all that I have ever wanted, and man o man, is it a great feeling!

I played two fun shows last week and am looking forward to yet another...NOTHING makes me feel more fulfilled and purposeful than getting up on a stage and singing my songs to people who care to listen.

And speaking of songs, I wrote a new one a week ago that is still compelling me to play it several times a day. It was one of those miraculous moments that had me feeling like I was less the creator and more the mid-wife to it's delivery. Instinctively, I matched some lyrics from a month-old page in my journal to a few chords on my guitar and ten minutes later it was born, alive and well, with all of it's necessary parts to ensure it a good life.

So basically, life is tasting sweet and I am enjoying being hungry.

What a perfect combination...!

(gotta go play my song!)

doin' the monk-walk

yummy minestrone

I looooooooooooove making soup.

Unless you are REALLY stunted in the kitchen, it's virtually a fool-proof meal to make, as you cannot possibly get it wrong! Not only is the ancient art of mixing an assortment of ingredients into a pot of seasoned water fun & super easy, I always end up with a tasty surprise.

Here is a lovely minestrone I threw together last night, and I'm gonna tell you what I did:

First, I heated up some grapeseed oil in a soup pot and threw in bay leaves, coriander seeds, thyme, basil, rosemary, chili pepper, garlic and onions. As the spices simmered together, I prepared mybroccoli, green pepper, carrots, zucchini, potato, red onion, spring onion, cabbage, mushrooms, and then threw them into the pot along with some more water and Bragg's liquid soy.

After a couple of minutes of stirring the mix, I filled the pot with water, turned the burner on MAX and added a can of pureed tomatoes, chickpeas, a few split green peas and some rice pasta (for the authentic minestrone feel!)

Once the water was boiling I added some apple cider vinegar, pepper and sea salt. I turned the heat down to MIN, placed on the lid and sat back and excitedly awaited my yummy dinner!!!

I garnished the soup with some nutritional yeast and some pretty dried thyme that my sweet friend, Alex D, gave to me from his garden...!

my first coleslaw!

I find it really easy to go the grocery store and buy the same things over and over...(and over and over and over...!). Well, today I decided to challenge my little food rut, and dared to buy a head of cabbage. As a child, I loved eating the bits and pieces my mom would feed to me as she was preparing the cabbage for a soup. And, (I can admit it) I LOOOOOOVED the coleslaw that accompanied my Kentucky Fried Chicken. mmmmmmm......damn it was good!

So, given how much I love raw cabbage, I chose today to prepare my very own version of a vegan coleslaw. And I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Here's what I did:

I thinly sliced half a head of green cabbage (as there is only one of me :), leaving the pieces nice and long. Then, using a peeler, I sliced thin strips of carrot right into the bowl. I like using the peeler to grate because you end up with lovely pale, almost translucent, strips of carrot which match the light green of the cabbage nicely. Next up on the chopping block was one granny smith apple, and then half a small red onion...both as thinly sliced as possible.

For the dressing, I simply KNEW that sesame oil was the way to go. So i mixed some of that in a bowl with some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, seeded mustard, and good ol' salt and pepper. As I tossed that around with the salad, I threw in some organic raisins for good measure!

And now I am eating a really nice, well-balanced crunchy salad for lunch, with LOTS leftover to eat later!

it might make you puke but it will definitely make you laugh!

Check out this "hybrid" of technology...David Lee Roth vocals mixed with Microsoft Songsmith.

WARNING: Listening on anything other than an empty stomach may result in your stomach emptying itself!!

new year...new focus! (new haircut!)

Hi. Happy New Year! and, just as importantly, Happy Tuesday.

After a bit of a break from reading the news over the holidays, I have decided to resume my blog and my life with a new and improved perspective, with a better refined focus...on the GOOD stuff.

As a believer in the Law of Attraction, that law which simply declares "like attracts like", I am choosing to focus on what makes me feel good, on what gets my juices flowing, on the wonderful waves that rock my fantastic boat. Naturally, I greatly value information about what is happening in the world and will never intend to turn a blind eye to global events. But I have affirmed for myself that I value my power to shape what WILL BE more...

And so in order for me to step fully into my role as a "good-doer", I must keep my focus on the vision of what I wish to see, as opposed to my reactions to what already IS. Having been conditioned to be a "reactor" my whole life, this shift will take a bit of practice, but boy am I up for it.

I'm allowing myself to start with the small things...little changes I can begin to implement on a daily basis, that will improve my degree of presence and thus diminish the liklihood of me going on auto-pilot. For example:

1. I want to eat more slowly, chewing and savoring my food without the distraction of reading the news or watching a video. This way I will ensure the absorption of nutrients my body needs to keep it strong and healthy and grounded.

2. I intend to listen more, and interupt WAY less. I recognize my habit of interjecting my ideas when others are talking and that's just rude! The way to fight fire is not with more fire. Likewise, if I can be one less needy ego in the world, well...then there's one less needy ego in the world. 'nuff said!

3. I refuse to beat myself up anymore! It's hard enough being alive on a wild & crazy, spinning planet of beauty & madness. I certainly will be better off if I befriend myself to the point of non-judgement. To simply honour my perfectly flawed self is to emit more waves of love into the world, rather than those of fear, anxiety and sadness.

Three is enough to start! And I will certainly add more as they come to me.

I just want to let you know that it is my intention with this blog to have you feel better than you did when you first came to my page. To post info and vids and docs and passages that enlighten and enliven the spirit! To be a proponent of beauty and light and art and magic....

Enjoy your day and days...

Jacqueline