pomdla

Let Me Take You Down 'Cause I'm Going To...

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:20:49 PDT

so a couple of weeks ago, on Oct. 9th, it was John Lennon's birthday.... I made a pilgrimage to Strawberry Fields in Central Park, just steps away from The Dakota apartment building where he lived and was assassinated.... I went three times actually, before going the first time though, Soulmate took me to Shake Shack for burgers.... after she finished going all paparazzi on Matt Damon's ass there, we took our burgers to Strawberry Fields.... best burgers ever... with awesome burger-eating-music... here was our view while we ate, and a sneak peak of the birthday festivities....

Soulmate had to go home early, so I ended up coming back by myself and got up close and personal to the "Imagine" mosaic....

I just have two words to say.... AWE and SOME! enjoy....

sorry, camera was full so "In My Life" was cut off short :(

Later that evening, I went back with Trinidad and we stayed for over three hours, 'til almost 11 pm....

we got to sing along with most of our favorites, unfortunately no more space in my camera.... but luckily, Steve Baldwin aka brooklynparrot on youtube sent me a video response to my youtube videos.... I saw myself a couple of times in his video shot by his friend Juliet Hanlon.... I'm standing near the couple making out during "Starting Over".... enjoy....

Peace and Love y'all....

TECHNORATI TAGS: strawberry fields, central park, new york city, john lennon's birthday, the beatles, the meetles
WHERE IS THIS?: check the map

There is a Rose in Spanish Harlem

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:07:18 PDT

Soulmate,

I cannot possibly express in words the gratitude which resides in my cardiopulmonary system.... it not only resides in the circulatory pump by which I am ensanguinated, but resounds within the alveoli that oxygenates my being.... from within the depths of my gastrointestinal tract it churns.... and from within the marrow of my axial skeleton it longs to break out and radiate onto you....

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and so I will not even attempt to express this energy with inadequate utterances.... false prolixity.... impostors of what lies deep within myself!.... instead, I offer you these images of the ordinary which surround you, made extra ordinary by eyes which see the beauty and goodness of the extraordinarily ordinary things that you do.... and the goodly soul that you are.... you make my spirit defy the gravity of despair's primordial ooze and reach up to evolve to the light....

shine on Soulmate!

I love ya,
pomdla

Thanks as well to T and G.... HAPPY THANKSGIVING folks!

TECHNORATI TAGS: a Canadian in the U.S. giving thanks on Canadian Thanksgiving Day

Scenes from Bryant Park

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:17:17 PDT

I am on a roll typing an essay about my life story.... feets don't fail me now! The ideas in my head flow in undulating waves of cerebral energy transferring from neuron to neuron down my arms into my fingers, ending up as words and sentences of such eloquent composition on my laptop screen.... out of nowhere comes some loud mouthed girl on her cell phone... she stands within earshot of me bragging to her friend about her awesome office and how they need to meet up for lunch or whatever... I wish you would SHUT UP!... my roll is halted and here I am instead on my blog....

thanks a lot loud mouthed girl (who at this point walks away)....

Yes, I'm blogging to you from a park.... okay, it's not just any park, it's Bryant Park.... right behind the New York Public Library main branch.... what did we ever do without free WiFi and wireless laptops? I don't remember those dark ages anymore, so don't ask.... when the library closes I come here to continue what I'm doing.... what kind of nerd f*@kery am I doing in the New York Public Library you ask?.... that's another blog....

back in the day Bryant Park was a mecca for drug deals and probably wasn't the safest place to be... today there's little kids on the carousel, people playing chess, pétanque, and ping pong, people on laptops, or people just lounging around on the lawn furniture....you can even have your lunch here while a famous pianist plays for you.... oh and yes, there's an occasional person doing drugs....

on this particular night, there seems to be a bevy of hot girls in short skirts walking around... following one of them (don't worry, I'm not a stalker type or anything), I'm led to a big white tent that has consumed the entire lawn of the park.... it's some kind of fashion show.... which explains the bevy of hot girls I guess....

there are a lot of couples making out around me.... I read this on one of the lawn chairs....

stop encouraging them.... someone needs to engrave a lawn chair with "Get a room".... geez why so cynical Angelo?....

a couple approach the couple who were just making out, the asian girl's kinda cute.... I think they're trying to evangelize the fornicators... I have a quick and easy excuse in case they come to me... "I already love Jesus and I'm on a roll with my essay, so I'm sorry, but I don't have time".... luckily when they approach me, they see me typing furiously... from the corner of my eye, I watch them as they hesitate and walk away... phew! I dodged that evangelical bullet....

I buy a falafel and sit down to eat by the fountain.... the big white tent is gone by now.... in the distance there's a stage and the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players sing from the score of the H.M.S. Pinafore.... rock on muther effers! man, I love New York....

I should not have been surprised to see a lot of smokers in a park.... but wait a second, that's not cigarette smoke I smell.... someone has to keep the druggie legacy of Bryant Park alive I guess.... gimme some o' dat you sons of bitches!.... I have to apologize, New York has turned me into a bit of a potty mouth.... which explains the uncontrollable urge to chew on a bar of soap whenever I'm in the shower....

here is the Bargemusic Chamber Ensemble playing Vivaldi's "La Primavera" (Spring), first movement "Allegro"....

they're called Bargemusic because they actually play on a floating barge at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.... check them out if you're looking for chamber music played on water with the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop...

I think I'm pretty much done with my nerd-fest at the New York Public Library for now.... so for my last night in Bryant Park here is the Brooklyn Philharmonic playing a contemporary piece by Daniel Bernard Roumain titled String Quartet No. 5 Rosa Parks "I Made Up My Mind Not To Move"....

one last falafel in Bryant Park under a clear New York autumn night sky, with the Brooklyn Philharmonic playing in the background.... EFF, I love New York....

TECHNORATI TAGS: bryant park, bryant park fall festival, bargemusic chamber ensemble, brooklyn philharmonic, new york city
WHERE IS THIS?: check the map

pour toi casmehre

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:24:37 PDT

Adieu, Bonbon, ma rose blonde,
Qui m'as aimé pendant six ans ;
Les plus courts plaisirs de ce monde
Souvent font les meilleurs amours.
Sais-je, au moment où je te quitte,
Où m'entraîne mon astre errant ?
Je m'en vais pourtant, ma petite,
Bien loin, bien vite,
Toujours courant.

Je pars, et sur ma lèvre ardente
Brûle encor ton dernier baiser.
Entre mes bras, chère imprudente,
Ton beau front vient de reposer.
Sens-tu mon coeur, comme il palpite ?
Le tien, comme il battait gaiement !
Je m'en vais pourtant, ma petite,
Bien loin, bien vite,
Toujours t'aimant.

Que de tristesse, et que de charmes,
Tendre enfant, dans tes doux adieux !
Tout m'enivre, jusqu'à tes larmes,
Lorsque ton coeur est dans tes yeux.
A vivre ton regard m'invite ;
Il me consolerait mourant.
Je m'en vais pourtant, ma petite,
Bien loin, bien vite,
Tout en pleurant.

Que notre amour, si tu m'oublies,
Bonbon, dure encore un moment ;
Comme un bouquet de fleurs pâlies,
Cache-le dans ton sein charmant !
Adieu ; le bonheur reste au gîte,
Le souvenir part avec moi :
Je l'emporterai, ma petite,
Bien loin, bien vite,
Toujours à toi.

de "Adieux à Suzon"
par Alfred de Musset

bonbon,

le surmoi connais que c'est la vrai chemin.... mais la vérité est cela: je ne veux pas te laisser partir.... reprend là où nous nous sommes quittés!.... comme c'était hier.... hier de six ans.... je ne sais pas ce que je dois faire.... dites-moi peut-être?... ou peut-être, ne moi dites pas.... parce que je connais ce que vous direz.... adieu?

pom

TECHNORATI TAGS: adieux à bonbon

Look Up

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:01:50 PDT

So on Sunday night, Trinidad and I went to see an off-Broadway show called Fuerzabruta.... I thought it was pretty cool....

dance music, flashing lights, ladies prancing across the walls around you....

some big ass trampoline like thing made of foil oscillating several feet above your head while a dude and a chick hang on for dear life....

people smashing into stuff....

audience members being smashed on the head with stuff (sorry it's blurry)....

oh, and did I mention all the scantily clad ladies swimming around on a water filled transparent surface that moves down from the ceiling to just a few inches from the top of your head....

Awe...

wait for it....

some....

and at the end it turns into a wet dance party...I'd rather see a show like that than Lea Salonga on Broadway any day... sorry Trinidad LMAO.... I had a great time....

TECHNORATI TAGS: fuerzabruta, off broadway, new york city

9-11-2009

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:34:46 PDT

It's been eight years....

Earlier today, I listened for Tu Anh Pham's name to be called, and tonight I payed my respects at Ground Zero....

I took the PATH to New Jersey to get a better view of those ghostly Twin Towers, known as "Tribute in Light"....

eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them....may they rest in peace....

TECHNORATI TAGS: 9-11 2009, new york city

I Love New York - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:41:03 PDT

I can't believe it's September already.....

Here are 10 things I saw in New York City over this past summer:

1) Weird clouds....

2) Times Square in the daylight....

3) The Naked Cowboy....

4) This guy....

5) The President of the Republic of the Philippines.... she offered a mass for the late President Aquino at St. Patrick's which I happened to attend....

6) The Waldorf Asotria.... where she stayed....

7) I don't know what the heck these people are doing....

8) Super Me! All Natural Smooth....

9) OH CANADA! We've made it to the center of the universe! There are Tim Hortons all over Manhattan....

10) Another year go by.... Thanks Trinidad, SM & G....

Bonus: I swear I saw Lucy Liu near our building.... the taxi we were in almost ran her over... couldn't get to my camera in time, sorry folks...

Enjoy what's left of the summer....

TECHNORATI TAGS: random new york stuff

A New York Summer Night

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:06:17 PDT

'Twas noontide of summer,
And mid-time of night;
And stars, in their orbits,
Shone pale, thro' the light
Of the brighter, cold moon,
'Mid planets her slaves,
Herself in the Heavens,
Her beam on the waves.I gazed awhile
On her cold smile;
Too cold- too cold for me-

There pass'd, as a shroud,
A fleecy cloud....

And I turned away to thee....

Proud Evening Star,
In thy glory afar,
And dearer thy beam shall be;
For joy to my heart
Is the proud part
Thou bearest in Heaven at night,
And more I admire
Thy distant fire,
Than that colder, lowly light.

"Evening Star" by Edgar Allan Poe

TECHNORATI TAGS: jupiter and the moon over manhattan

Maraming Salamat po, Tita Cory

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:15:46 PDT

Dearest Madame President,

Today the Filipino nation ends it's official period of mourning for your passing. I sense however, that many of us will continue to mourn you in our hearts for much longer. We have you to thank for restoring democracy to our most deserving nation. The world has you to thank for showing us that even a "mere housewife" in a yellow dress can stand up against, and defeat a dictator. You began a tidal wave of people power that did not only sweep across the Philippines, but found it's way to the shores of many nations who longed to rid themselves of tyranny.

I have you to thank for awakening in me, even at a young age, a pride in my people. Pride in our long and tortured history of enduring and fighting against foreign oppressors, and then, oppression from one of her own sons. I was born a martial-law baby, but I never grew up as a martial law child. I knew a little bit about where I had come from, but mostly I knew that it was a place where corruption was the norm, and the "little guy" really had no power. But from our family room in Brampton, I learned lessons that no history book could have taught me. My family would gather each night to hear the evening news from the homeland. From that fateful day in 1983 when your husband was assassinated, until 1986 when you stood before the United States Congress declaring that you had returned as the "President of a free people", we were there in spirit. I learned that I had come from a place of brave heroes who stood up for what was right even if it meant death. But what impressed me the most, was the fact that my people did not regain their freedom, this time around, through bloody revolution. They did it with songs, prayers, flowers, and their own bodies to face down the military's tanks. Equally impressive was the refusal of the military to fire against their brothers and sisters. And so from the Avenue of Epifanio Delos Santos I received my own epiphany.... thanks to you President Corazon Aquino.

As we bid you a final farewell, I know that in the hearts of most Filipinos you are welcomed into the pantheon of Filipino Bayani - heroes who have, through the centuries, sacrificed, fought, and died for the sake of their people's freedom. And so from a grateful son of a grateful nation and people please accept my eternal thanks, respect, and love. Paalam po.

TECHNORATI TAGS: the book of condolence for President Corazon C. Aquino, Philippine consulate, New York City

Prelude in E-minor, Op.28, No.4 by Chopin

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:31:55 PDT

oxygen eludes me in this Suffocation of circumstances....

a tremendous ocean encasing and weighing down my existence.... once fluid, it has now congealed into a semi-solid that makes swimming to the surface progressively more difficult.... I claw against the density and fight the inertia of my self.... the glimmering under-surface appears so close that I can almost feel the deoxygenated breath within me bursting out in the hopes of a reflex inhalation of fresh, sustaining air from the other side.... I try to muster all my desire and strength, but it is never enough.... breaching that surface remains an unobtainable goal.... I'm running out of air.... amidst this struggle, I encounter air-breathing-water-dwellers.... they ease me in my struggling, and generously commiserate with me....
they share their breath with me.... and I share mine with them.... this is what will sustain me until I reach the surface.... this gelatinous milieu will soon liquefy, I'm certain of it!....

at least that's what I'll continue to tell myself.... thank you fellow creatures of the depths, my eternal gratitude....

TECHNORATI TAGS: american museum of natural history hall of ocean life, new york city

Sunset #13,149

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:43:45 PDT

Deo gratias

TECHNORATI TAGS: a New York sunset

On the Corner of First and Amistad

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:47:03 PDT

Domine, ubi es Tu?

1 Usquequo, Domine, oblivisceris me in finem?
usquequo avertis faciem tuam a me?
2 quamdiu ponam consilia in anima mea;
dolorem in corde meo per diem?
3 usquequo exaltabitur inimicus meus super me?
4 Respice, et exaudi me, Domine Deus meus.
Illumina oculos meos, ne umquam obdormiam in morte;
5 nequando dicat inimicus meus: Prævalui adversus eum.
Qui tribulant me exsultabunt si motus fuero;
6 ego autem in misericordia tua speravi.
Exsultabit cor meum in salutari tuo.
Cantabo Domino qui bona tribuit mihi;
et psallam nomini Domini altissimi.
Psalmus XIII

TECHNORATI TAGS: Psalm 13

I Love New York - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:29:06 PDT

10 things I saw in New York over the past few weeks:

1) The newest member of the family... 2) Pom Pom Diner....

3) Canada Day in New York.... no fireworks, flags, or parades, so to commemorate the 142nd anniversary of Confederation, I wore red and crossed the NY streets ONLY when the sign said "walk".... Happy Birthday/Bon Fete Canada!

4) The Brooklyn Bridge 5) The Manhattan Bridge.... 6) Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, at midnight today....

7) Harry Potter himself....

8) Ron Weasly himself....

9) Hermione Granger herself....

10) and Ginny Weasly herself....

Bonus: That's a police car those crazy fans are walking all over.....

TECHNORATI TAGS: new york city

Psychomotor Retardation

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:11:31 PDT

I, standing still.... the world whizzing around me, by me, past me.... I try to latch on to someone.... one of those shiny happy people.... but they're traveling at the speed of light.... and I, at the speed of stone, am left behind.... they pass through my solidity like phantoms....
I desperately want to break free from this time warp.... the overwhelming desire to move forward has been welling up inside of me for far too long.... I try to concentrate all of that desire into one foot, so that perhaps, whatever iota of strength I have left in me can take that first step to finally propel me into the mix....
Instead, whatever iota of strength I have left escapes through my pores and dissipates into the ether.... as does my desire, once again, to move....

I refuse to be defeated.... especially by my own self....
I well up again all the desire I can muster.... I try to concentrate all of that desire into one foot, so that perhaps, whatever iota of strength I have left in me can take that first step to finally propel me into the mix....
escapes.... dissipates.... refuses....
I'm so retarded.
TECHNORATI TAGS: grand central terminal during rush hour, new york city

I Love New York - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:45:59 PDT

10 things I saw in New York City over the past week:

1) Staten Island....

2) Lady Liberty....

3) Ellis Island....

4) The usual suspects and the bold and the beautiful.... you decide who's who...

5) Shrooms.... sorry, they're not of the magic variety....

6) How not to lock up your bike in NYC....

7) Tres Amigos...

8) Michelangelo's first painting....

are you kidding me? Pretty good for a first painting, we were expecting stick figures.... oh and sorry, photography was prohibited so it's a picture of the sign.... if you want to look it up, it's title is "The Torment of St. Anthony" circa. 1487-88.

9) The inside of a NY club....

10) A girl's leg....

Party on!

.... and a Happy Canada Day from the Big Apple!

TECHNORATI TAGS: new york city

Do Do Dooo Dooo Dooo Dooo Do Do Do Do Dooo....

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:48:05 PDT

Born a poor young country boy, Mother Nature's son..... All day long, I'm sittin singin songs for everyone....

Sit beside a mountain stream, see her waters rise....

Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies.... Do Do Dooo Dooo Dooo Dooo Do Do Do Do Dooo.... Find me in my field of grass, Mother Nature's son.... Swaying dasies, sing a lazy song beneath the sun.... ...... oh ...... mother nature's son....... ...........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................for full screen experience, click here
TECHNORATI TAGS: Nermal, mother nature's son

Bombus

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:44:52 PDT

When I was in grade 7, Lori-Anne Galati sang me this song as she strummed on her air guitar.... I think of it, and of her whenever I see a bee.... I wonder what ever happened to her...

"Who flies from flower to flower"....

"The bee....

the bee....

l'abeille"....

"Who stings with such force and such power"....

"The bee....

the bee....

l'abeille"....

Sorry, that's all I remember of her song, but please remember to be kind to you local honey bees.... "colony collapse disorder" is claiming about 30% of hives each year in the US alone, and it looks like it's a world-wide phenomenon.... scientists are not yet certain as to the exact cause of the die-off, but believe it may be a combination of factors including pesticide use, lack of adequate nutrition, genetic dilution from the way they've been bred, a mite infestation, fungal, viral and parasitic infections.... the little guys in the pictures are actually bumblebees (Bombus sp.), a close relative of the honey bee, but equally deserving of our respect.... all these busy guys pollinate most of our food sources.... so if their colonies are collapsing, the supply of many of our food sources could theoretically follow... think about that the next time you swat at one unnecessarily....

TECHNORATI TAGS: bombus, bumblebee, bee and crabapple

Testicles

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:35:36 PDT

I need to stop bitchin' about how I need a DSLR, but dude! I am so ready for one now.... my old point and shoot 5.1 MP Sony Cyber-Shot just isn't doin' it for me anymore.... not that I don't appreciate all the great shots it's taken for me over the years, but I've played with all it's settings already and I've reached the plateau of it's learning curve... I need more power, more control, more MP's.... as you can see from my sorry attempts at macros....

They're not that bad actually, but they're not great.... I'm ready to learn how to do great... you know the kind of great where you take a picture of a bee pissing on a flower and the droplets of urine are captured splashing against the petals like crystal clear orbs of yellow quicksilver?...

wish me luck on deciding which one to get and then scrounging up the money for it....

Oh, I almost forgot.... about my title.... it's because "ORCHID" is Greek for "testicle".... so like in surgery, when you want to cut off a guy's ball, it's called an "ORCHIectomy".... if you want to cut off both his balls, then it's called "MARRIAGE"... oh sorry!, did I say that out loud?.... I meant "bilateral ORCHIectomy"....

if you want to bring down a boy's un-descended testicle into his scrotum then it's an "ORCHIDopexy".... this is important to protect spermatogenesis and to make early detection of testicular malignancies more feasible as undescended testes are more predisposed to developing cancers compared to normally descended testes...

so now you know.... and knowing is half the battle!

TECHNORATI TAGS: orchid macros, phalaenopsis

Oncorhynchus mykiss

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:53:38 PDT

It was a beautiful spring day for a trip to the Glen Haffy Conservation Area....

C invited me to tag along with her and the fam for some fishing last week...

She had just got back from her great adventure and what better way for us to catch up than over a lazy day by the fishing hole.... I hadn't fished in ages, but I hadn't lost the touch if I do say so myself....

Helloh.... what's that then.... I think it's a Oncorhynchus mykiss.... say what? English please: a Rainbow Trout....

She's a bute....

Okay, it only LOOKS small from that angle....

See, it's actually pretty big...Get in my belly, so I can digest you.... click on fishy's eye a few times to see what happened before it got into my belly for the purposes of digestion....

Thanks again C, and thanks for the pics of yours truly.... just let me know when I can come with again....

Go fish folks!

TECHNORATI TAGS: rainbow trout, glen haffy, fishing

A Scene from the GO Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:08:05 PDT

I miss commuting to the city.... whether it's on the train, bus, or the subway, I miss the interesting happenings and characters I encounter there.... I know the last time I blogged about the I said that nothing interesting ever happens there.... maybe by comparison, the subway had desensitized me to what is potentially bloggable ..... so instead the scenes had to come via my Sony Cybershot through a dirty window.... well, I guess I just needed to ride it a little longer....

I hop on the 11:50 express from Meadowvale Station to Union Station, I was starting my day late.... an express bus means that it won't be making any stops along the way and will take you straight to your destination.... of course that also means that it's already made a bunch of stops before it got to Meadowvale...

I turn from showing the driver my ticket, to a sea of occupied seats.... scanning down the aisle I find an opening.... beside the open seat sat a figure in a dark hoodie.... with the hood pulled up all the way, it yields only a faint profile of a face.... as I approach, I soon learn that the dark figure is a young lady as she un-hoods to reveal her young face.... young, but weathered by some unspoken burden .... we smile politely as I sit.... I sense a dark aura around my new companion.... it suddenly makes sense to me as to why this was the only remaining seat on board.... in an attempt to avoid conversation, I pull out my notes and start reading....

"Excuse me, do you have the time?" she asks me.... "oh, it's about 5 mins to 12" I respond.... I sense her question was merely an attempt at conversational overture, so I quickly return to my reading.... in the corner of my eye I see her peeking at my notes.... "What are you studying" she asks me.... here we go, I think to myself, for the next 40 mins you're going to be this girl's bitch.... conversation bitch that is.... "oh, I have an exam" I respond avoiding any further divulgence....

"oh" she responds....

"Are we far from Toronto?" she continues..... "oh, not too far, probably half an hour? Are you not from around here?".... I'm so stupid, I think to myself, why am I helping this conversation along?.... "I was in Vanier for a while" she says..... "oh, where's that?".... she looks at me amused at my innocence.... or is it my ignorance?..... "it's the women's prison in Milton".....

"oh" I replied....

How long were you there for, what did you do to get thrown in there, I hope it wasn't murder.... these are the questions that dart through my head, but I thought it rude to verbalize them.... I did my best to maintain a stoic visage.... "Ya, I was in there for a few months for drugs" she volunteered.... clairvoyance?.... or am I just that transparent..... offering my hand to her, I say "I'm Angelo, it's nice to meet you".... "I'm Margaret"....

And so for the next half hour, I was Margaret's bitch.... so long extra half hour of studying.... just take it as an opportunity to practice your listening skills I soothed myself.... Margaret expressed to me her desire to stop using drugs and clean up her life...."marijuana".... "cocaine".... "alcohol".... "heroin".... "you don't smoke do you?".... I guess she got the gist of what I was studying for.... she recounted to me her strong urge for a smoke since she got out of the joint.... like reflex, I began extolling the virtues of smoking cessation... shut up Angelo I tell myself.... I shift to extolling the virtues of quitting drugs.... in Margaret's eyes I could see that this was a concept she had already taken to heart....

"Could you tell me how to get to [someplace downtown]?".... I pull out my map of the city to try and locate [someplace downtown].... Margaret studies the map.... the bus pulls into Union Station.... Margaret expresses once again her desire to clean up her life.... I wish her well.... we prepare to part ways.... she hands me back my map.... "oh, you can keep that" I say, again wishing her well....

I hope she finds her way....

'Does the road wind up-hill all the way?'

'Yes, to the very end.'

'Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?'

'From morn to night, my friend.'

'But is there for the night a resting-place?'

'A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.'

'May not the darkness hide it from my face?'

'You cannot miss that inn.'

'Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?'

'Those who have gone before.'

'Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?'

'They will not keep you standing at that door.'

'Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?'

'Of labor you shall find the sum.'

'Will there be beds for me and all who seek?'

'Yea, beds for all who come.'

"Uphill"
~ C. Rossetti

TECHNORATI TAGS: GO bus ride

No Three-Way for Me

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:12:47 PDT

Unfortunately, the storms clouds over Toronto did not clear in time for Sunday night's three-way conjunction between Luna, Mercury and The Pleiades.... I tried to catch the left-overs of the celestial orgy tonight, but Mercury and The Pleiades had moved away from the moon and disappeared behind the horizon before it was dark enough to see them.... all I could get was the crescent moon.... which wasn't bad actually....

can't see her?.... let's get closer....

even closer....

whoaw....

you can see her pores.... Mare Crisium or the Sea of Crisis is the big crater at 4 o'clock....

I'll have to keep an eye out for more interesting shows up there, 'til then.... wishing you all clear skies ahead....

TECHNORATI TAGS: crescent moon

Peromyscus maniculatus

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:33:52 PDT

A few months ago, I was in the basement getting a beer from the cold cellar.... I opened the cellar door and switched on the light.... there, sitting on the shelf, was a little deer mouse looking at me.... we stared at each other for a few seconds, each contemplating the next move of the other.... he hopped away, but not before turning around to take one last look at me and then scurrying off.... After making such profound eye contact, I couldn't bring myself to kill the little guy in a mousetrap.... so instead, here he is....
I intended to immediately release him into the woods somewhere far from the houses.... but in his shivering, cowering, post-capture shock-like state....
I thought I'd keep him for a while, feed him, and let him recover before introducing him to a completely new environment....
Nermal seemed to like him, he would sniff and tap the cage every so often.... Nermal could often be found sitting by the cage just watching the mouse run around.... at night sometimes, you'd find him sleeping nearby.... I know, I know, my cat is weird.... you'd probably think that he would have knocked the cage over and killed the thing by now.... no, not Nermal....It's been almost two weeks now since Mousey was captured, and I figured he was ready to face the real world again.... the weather has gotten really nice and he'd chewed enough holes in his cage (an old hamster cage btw), that I thought it was time to let him go.... before he let himself go, right back into the cellar....So long and good luck little guy....and Happy Earth Week....

TECHNORATI TAGS: deer mouse

A Tag, Another Tag, and Screw Lea Salonga

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:32:35 PDT

From Mel: You need to list 5 addictions and pass this tag/award to your friends.

1) Coffee.... a chronic addiction.
2) Lost.... just got hooked last year.
3) Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry.... a new and current addiction... I used to hate this book!.... now it's riveting hehe ya right....
4) Star Wars.... since I was 5.
5) Blogging... again.... after a pretty long hiatus.

Okay friends, any takers?

From Bry: I just realized that this tag has to be handwritten. Great, good luck reading my chicken scratch....

(a) Write who tagged me,
(b) Answer the following questions:
(b1) my name/user name/pseudo
(b2) right-handed or left-handed?
(b3) my favorite letters to write
(b4) my least favorite letters to write
(b5) and I should write "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
(c) Tag five other people.I used to have a huge crush on Lea Salonga, then I met her in person after a Miss Saigon show in New York.... she seemed full of herself. Then I went to the Philippines and my gf at the time kept showing me all the reasons why I shouldn't like Lea Salonga, like how she was maarte (sorry, can somebody help me translate that into English - too something?, it's one of those words that I can't quite find the English equivalent to, kinda like 'umay'.... but I digress...) and how she was a terrible actor. My ex was right, my ex was also the jealous type.... anyways, move over Lea Salonga, I got Susan Bolye now!

damn that was hot.... I have been watching this over and over again and watching her on the news for the past 4 days.... when I first heard that song, I was in grade 9 on a field trip to see Les Miz with my French class.... in my 20's I heard Lea Salonga sing it.... but those were the years "when dreams are made and used and wasted".... a decade later and that song makes more sense to me now that I've met those tigers with voices soft as thunder.... subtract her awesome voice and she's still the perfect person to deliver that song.... thanks for inspiring me Susan, I'll still refuse to believe that "there are dreams that cannot be, and there are storms we cannot weather"....

I'll kiss you Susan Boyle and Nermal sends a high five to Pebbles....

TECHNORATI TAGS: tags, susan boyle

Two and a Half Hours at the AGO

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:07:47 PDT

A couple of weeks ago, I was in downtown Toronto for an interview, so I figured since I was already there, I'd take a break from my studying and check out the new and improved Art Gallery of Ontario....

I had been waiting for the new Frank Gehry addition to the AGO since 2006 when they started construction.... it is his first major work here in his own hometown.... I liked it better than I had expected... I thought it looked kinda boring from the scale models and renderings.... I thought it could have been more funky, it is Frank Gehry after all... but I guess the finished product is funky enough, but boring enough to fit right in here in Toronto.... the glass facade took on an almost metallic quality in the sunshine.... quadruple click the center of the picture to see how it looked back in June 2006....

Very cool and purdy.....

From Grange Park, you can see the back of the new and improved AGO.... quadruple click The Grange to see it back in 2006.... I'd bet that building would disappear if the sky was just the right colour....

Twisty stairs....Twisty stairs echoed by the trees....

Twisty stairs continued inside....
Climbing those stairs got me dizzy.... literally....

I met up with my friend Chuck at 6pm, admission is free on Wednesdays from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm.... I figured I might as well appreciate some of the art inside, and not just the architecture..... fortunately, she is an art appreciator.... unfortunately the AGO doesn't allow you to take pictures of the art.... but don't underestimate the power of the Force....

We didn't get to see all the art because we joined a tour of The Grange.... it turned out to be more interesting for me than the art.... The Grange is the oldest brick house in Toronto, and is part of the Art Gallery of Ontario.... it was built in 1817, and donated to the art gallery in 1911... during the time of the renovations, the gallery received letters written by the original butler of the house, and it told of a young maid named Mary O'Shea, who the butler often caught keeping candle wax leavings and then burying them all over the house.... he would follow her secretly taking note of where she would bury the pieces of wax.... included in his letters was a map of where she had hidden her treasures.... so during the renovations, they decided to excavate.... they found the little treasures and so much more.... the first piece of wax they found was rolled up into a ball and contained within it was DROPS OF BLOOD..... dooo do do do doooo.... I won't tell you the rest of the story coz you should check it out for yourself.... but let me just say it gets weirder and weirder....

Anyways, here's what the glass facade looks like from the inside....

I'm gonna have to go back to see the rest of the art.... I also intend to do some more clandestine photography.... I don't get why we can't take pics, most of the other museums I've visited allow photography.... oh well, I love a challenge.... stay tuned..... here's a last shot, you can see the CN Tower's reflection....

TECHNORATI TAGS: art gallery of ontario, ago
WHERE IS THIS?: check the map

sono ad me Domine

noreply@blogger.com (Angelo) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:29:11 PDT

I have no wit, no words, no tears;
My heart within me like a stone
Is numbed too much for hopes or fears.
Look right, look left, I dwell alone;
I lift mine eyes, but dimmed with grief
No everlasting hills I see;
My life is in the falling leaf:
O Jesus, quicken me.

My life is like a faded leaf,
My harvest dwindled to a husk:
Truly my life is void and brief
And tedious in the barren dusk;
My life is like a frozen thing,
No bud nor greenness can I see:
Yet rise it shall--the sap of spring;
O Jesus, rise in me.

My life is like a broken bowl,
A broken bowl that cannot hold
One drop of water for my soul
Or cordial in the searching cold;
Cast in the fire the perished thing;
Melt and remould it, till it be
A royal cup for Him, my King:
O Jesus, drink of me.

"A Better Resurrection"
~ C Rosetti

R.Domini: .........................

lux lucis te rectum ad domus tui et ignitum ossa vestrum....

A Happy Resurrection Sunday
Joyeuses Pâques
Maligayang Pasko ng Pagkabuhay
Chúc Mừng Phục Sinh
Isuta Omedetou

pax Christi vobiscum

Here's to better resurrections, whatever it is you may be seeking, working towards, working through, hoping for, waiting for, etc....

TECHNORATI TAGS: Easter