Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Eid Mubark's Eve...

Eid is coming up for some in a few hours, for a few others it will be tomorrow. It all depends on when you see the moon do a dance in between a couple of mountains when a beetle crossing over dung in front of you after a baby belches and a sparrow swiftly spins it's tune in flight ;) Or something close to that ;) So I looked online to find some nice Eid cards to send out to family and friends and I was sick and tired of seeing the sloppy photoshop filters of blurring, drop shadowing, pillow embossing and stroking type... for me, I can't do it... just can not.

So last night I made a few different designs. October 1st is Eid-al-Fitr, the celebration and festivities after the month of Ramadan (the month of fasting) is complete.

Someone wished that peace be upon me and within me and now I do the same unto you...

004_Hot, Buttered Soul...

Down at the radio station there is something called FM Phasis going on which is a fund raising event that lasts roughly two weeks in duration. This is a community radio station and thereby ruling out the bix boxed advertising from the big cheese honchos. So we as a community come together to support all that is and the things that sometimes slide under our noses if it weren't for CFCR.

I decided to dedicate the entire show to the Motown sound, a sound that has been twisted and churned into amazing inspiration and influenced a myriad of artists. The Motown Crew rolls deep with name dropping like:

Chaka Khan & Montel Jordan / Eddie Kendricks / Marvin Gaye / Ben Harper / Jackson 5 / The Temptations / The Funk Brothers / Smokey Robinson & The Miracles / Diana Ross & The Supremes / Rare Earth / Me'Shell N'degeocello


The titles are in the flow somewhere and if you listen along then you can play along - the name of the game is Name That Tune! ;)

The Motown Sound...

Slowly and surely the journey unravels,
There ain't no mountain high enough

to keep me from keep on truckin on my travels.
A voice inside me says, "I got to give it up".


When I heard it through the grapevine
A dancing machine that got away.
Better use the energy wisely to pave the way.
I can't get next to you, so I give it time..

Falling for Bernadette, begins with a wait.
Begins with tears of a clown, a fool.
I want you back, like in the day
When we were chill, talking about love, child.

I just want to celebrate
With you on cloud nine

The sound that will constantly go around with hi-hat's that are like angel's voices...

Friday, September 26, 2008

I feed when the sun goes down...

I am the undead. Feeding when the sun goes down, going to sleep when the sun comes up. The only missing thing here is a serious blood lust and a coffin. I'm coming around the corner on the last few days of fasting. I can honestly say that I don't care very much for fasting anymore. I set out to fast for a lunar month just to see if I could do it. And I'm doing it.

My schedule has been flipped turned upside down and all I seem to be doing is sitting in front of a computer. I rarely go outside, feeling like I don't have enough energy stored in order to go and I prefer to have the blinds drawn when I'm inside. All I can do is immerse myself in developing a creative source for my energies to flow towards and through.

That means I withdraw from what surrounds me and I get enveloped in a world of thought. My head has been going over this and that with analysis on each pass only to regurgitate the information reducing it down to a more efficient use and then a millisecond later, I continue ;) Even when I finally would lay my head down to meet the pillow, there was still a charge left sparking synapses and engaging my train.

This creative and entrepreneurial train runs every once in a while and when it does there 'salways some last minute passengers that come along for the ride. I've never seen any family member on the train with me, but lo and behold, all that is drops a beautiful gift of support from the heavens to give me some coal to get the locomotive chugging. Like the guests in my house, I've got some space to share with some strangers and some, not-so strange. It's a ride, I know my journey is what's important... just sitting back to take notice of some moments of transition and potential that is finally being realized and met.

Tallyho pinkerton...

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Astronomically astrological apathy...

Those that know me know that I roll with a certain kind of flow. I do certain things and like to have things done in a certain way, this I'm hundred person certain. Exampla gratia like every Sunday I would check the horoscope section in the Sun, you know, the one written by Holiday Mathis that tells me:
You're so charming now, you can get to know anyone you want or need to know. There are lots of open invitations on the table throughout the week -- you're both giving them and receiving them, and they mean very little. Make specific requests with a time and date attached. That's how new relationships really start.
That's the first time in about six weeks I actually cared enough to read it, to be open to another perspective. My apathy towards all that is became all that wasn't. Not a good place to be in when you haven't eaten in a month ;)

Today something changed.

I've realized how much time I've spent by myself and how neglectful I've been to the rest of the world. My melancholy spilleth over and my friends, all few of them, have witnessed a rather uninspired individual. Well inspiration came through today and I am thankful to have had the perspective tweaked by that whom is capable of tweaking it in such a way that I can't begin to even comprehend. Thank you.

It reminds me of the conversation between Govinda, a son of a brahmin, with Siddhartha:
"We have learned a lot, Siddhartha, there is still much to learn. We are not going around in circles, we are moving up, the circle is a spiral, we have already ascended many a level."
It sometimes feels as if we are going around in circles, chasing our own tail if you will, and rather, it's a continual pathway that unfolds. From my experience, when I've absolutely given up on something... completely let go and accepted that it wasn't in the stars; I find that what ever it was that I was focusing on that frustrated me so is no longer and I'm well supported in ways I wasn't expecting.

I noticed that my breath went from shallow and apathetic to a inspired one with fresh air and faith and hope and courage... a deep feeling within me to continue doing what I'm doing.

Something feels right all right...

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The sky's the limit...

Momento...up'd by theusual...

I've been drawn to the skies lately for inspiration, clarity and insight. It is absolutely amazing at what expertise the sky is painted with diligent brush strokes. Patience to let the oil paint move and dry upon the canvas. Any little mistake is quite on purpose creating a pleasant collection of tumble and falls all lending to generate what seems to be perfection which are indeed many little accidents that were always meant to be. Funny how that be...

ed. One of the longest run on sentences I think I could have come up with ;) I won't change it... that's me off in some place or another...

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Three weeks in...

And I'm out. I've gone on a roller coaster ride while fasting this month. I'm 21 days in and I have to tell you this last week has arrived with a pack of unwelcome visitors. Which reminds me of the following Rumi poem, entitled...

The Guesthouse.
This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
I've been what seems like hell and back smiling at each guest as they come by unannounced. Each one I have to tend to with care and when they do not show it back I struggle and fall, step right back up and muster from somewhere... a smile ;)

In one week I will be done this quest... my unexpected vision quest. The darkness shrouded the sky and green pastures desaturated into a colorless picture. The feeling was ominous and constricting. Then by if some miracle when I could go no further, a beam of sunlight appeared through the clouds and began a wonderful painting through my windows.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

This ain't no block party...

Just designed a little number for momentum's Blog party. J-Swing from Vancouver is coming in and I'll tell you from experience that he puts on a good show. He's been a staple in Vancouver's hip hop scene for years and I'll guarantee that he drops some slick tracks.

October 2nd at Bacchus Lounge beside Earl's.

See you there...
momentum's blog

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Regurgitating recurring dreams...

Normally one wouldn't be dreaming about this kind of KISS. I went to Dr. Hoe Mark yesterday, he shares an office with Weiping Wang. I'd have to say he's the hardest working Hoe I know. Regardless of his work ethic, we travelled back to my youth to find the root of some physical symptoms I've been suffering. My ears, nose and throat issues all manifested at the age of about six years old. The age at which my father had a heart attack and at that young age I took on the responsibility of causing his heart attack. Pretty big responsibility to take on when you're six. Not to mention I had no control over what happens to anyone, including myself. Hoe asked me about my dreams at that age and I recall two recurring dreams, one possibly a nightmare since it left me crying out in absolute fear.

So this is how we come to KISS. In the early eighties I was exposed to the groups that my elder two brothers listened to, well, perhaps the one ;) I remember seeing the album covers and the make up that these guys sported. Scary stuff when some crazy tall man with monsters for boots and a tongue that spews blood in a mist similar to the sprinkler my next door neighbour has. Six years old and the KISS army was closing in on me. I think I've mentioned this dream before somewhere in my blah'ging history, so anywho... it starts out on Poplar Crescent and I'm outside riding my bike, picking my nose, throwing rocks... you know being six. And all of a sudden a UFO hovers between our house and the next door neighbours and a really long ladder starts descending to earth. At this point I'm frozen in astonishment and just waiting to see what is going to appear through the black rectangle of the ufo. Gene Simmons pokes his tongue around the corner and one after another the KISS army descends upon me. Now I'm freaking out. I run to the door of the house and it's locked. I can see through the window of the door that my brother is behind it and won't unlock it for he too saw the ufo and slips into survival mode. That leaves me running to the back of the house to try and get in. No dice. On the way, the KISS army surrounds me and I'm swallowed in darkness. On cue, I sit up in bed with tears of fear rolling down my cheeks and realize where I am and it was only a dream... a dream that I never thought would last six or seven years.

The other recurring dream that I had was right out of Indiana Jones. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dr. Jones is in a dark cave and it's booby trapped. One of the traps is a boulder becomes dislodged and rolling through the narrow cavern crushing everything in it's path. Well, that boulder gets transported into the house where I spent most of my early days. If you were to open up the doors in the house you could walk from one end to the other. Well this boulder would roll through the house (and through the door jams somehow, what am I supposed to say... it's a dream, boulders roll through door jams in my dreams) and rustle file folders full of papers that were really important to other people. I would run back and forth making sure nothing was out of place or any papers floating away due to the boulder creating a wind stream in it's wake.

So my Hoe says that I've inherited my father's struggle. Brilliant, I thought I had it hard enough ;) He struggled with his and made his choices to the best of his abilities to combat it. I had the privilege of witnessing it first hand. Now on my path I make the choices that he did not make. We were both on either side of the spectrum. Inheritances aren't always was they are cracked up to be.

There was one interesting thing that surfaced however. I have been numbing all sensations and emotions which by default puts my in my armadillo state (curled and shielded up) which suffocates the rest of me. By numbing everything away or out I was slowly killing myself. Which reminded me of a passage in Dr. Wayne Dyer's book, Your Erroneous Zones:

If you place a rock under a microscope and observe it carefully, you note that it never changes. But, if you put a piece of coral under the same microscope, you'll detect that it is growing and changing. Conclusion: The coral is alive, the rock is dead. How do you distinguish between a flower that is alive and one that is dead? The one that is growing is alive. The only evidence of life is growth! If you are growing, you are alive. If you are not growing then you might as well be dead.

Guess I've been dead this past month ;) Well, here's to being back from the dead!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

003_Hot, Buttered Soul...

This is my third show of Hot Buttered, Soul - today was inspired to get your head nodding 'cause your neck knows it's phat. Since FM Phasis Fest is coming up it cut into my line up a little bit and I didn't get to play the last Angie Stone track... so here it is in it's entirety... a little hot butter for your soul with the likes of:

The Detroit Spinners / Diana Ross / The Emotions / Pointer Sisters / The Beginning of the End / Evelyn King / Jean Jacques Perrey / Jully Black / Gap Band / Robin Thicke / New Edition / Angie Stone

The titles are in the flow somewhere and if you listen along then you can play along - the name of the game is Name That Tune! ;)

Respectfully I say to thee...

It's a shame that we don't act with love
scared to experience another love hangover.

Once you take the turn down the blind alley,
Only thing to say is "yes we can can" ;)

When she made me promise, the skies opened
Up and love come down
, upside down.
The extra vehicular activity, reminded me,
Of heaven, it smelled like coffee and crepes.


Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute,
Wrote this letter, finally decided to send it.
Last thing I heard you say was,
"You dropped a bomb on me". That's very true.

What else would have opened my eyes to see

Everything; I can't have my cake and eat it too.

So I'm going to cool it now, play with it,
Let it flow, slow my roll and just let it simmer.
So open up your spices, awaken them with a slow roast, let it marinate...

Monday, September 15, 2008

Once upon a Harvest Moon...

The time is upon us, to stay up all night and farm our lands with the light of the Harvest Moon illuminating that which confronts us. This is the last moon of the summer and transitioning into the fall season... my favorite season particularly because I can bring out my shawls and scarves ;) I don't know how I ever existed all these years without these over my shoulder, really... I don't even know how I managed. Not to mention that it's sweater season. So we move into the last quarter of the year, down by a touchdown with an injury to the quarterback that has left it up to the defense to make the game. It will be an interesting end to what's been an amazing journey from the whistle that started the first quarter, the half time show and now on to the finale.

The fall layers that follow are an experiment in creative flow, love the colors. Not much else to say, so I'm off to experience... the experience ;)

Sunday, September 14, 2008

A little Sol Exposure...

It's been years since I've spoken with Hilary Allen. She and I met a few years back over some similar appreciations over fine music. She popped up after such a long time and I just wanted to share with you her wonderful photography that I recently revisted and you should visit...

Sol Exposure

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Sunup to sundown...

So I have committed to fasting for thirty days. From sunrise to sunset I don't eat or drink anything. Why you may ask?! It is the month of Ramadan...

Ramadan or Ramazan (Arabic: رمضان, Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an was revealed to Angel Gabriel, to deliver it to Prophet Muhammad. It is the Islamic month of fasting (sawm), in which participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from dawn until sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the person patience, sacrifice and humility. Ramadan is a time to fast for the sake of God, and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance into the future, ask for help in refraining from everyday evils and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.

There are many reasons why I have chosen to do this. First, I've never done it for an entire month my entire life. I've made a week here, maybe a week there... a day slipped in just to make myself feel like I made an effort. I have to be honest with you, I never understood it. I'm beginning to see the self revelations that come with choosing to exercise will power. Secondly, and most important in my decision process... just to see if I could do it. Simple.

It's absolutely fascinating witnessing your thought processes when it comes to a necessity like food and withholding it from yourself, consciously refraining from eating or drinking anything. I found myself wanting to numb all that I could feel. I found ways of doing it, this time it was a new television series. Dexter. The story is about a serial killer who works as a blood analyst for the police department and only kills bad guys, a dark enforcer of sorts. It's bizarre that I would even be interested in watching such a show filled with darkness and blood, I got hooked... again. And funny enough from watching some of the episodes I've gained some insights into human nature and the kinds of things that can captivate us. Plus, I wasn't eating or drinking food... I was craving it and Dexter craved to kill, I found myself empathizing with him. Not like I'm fascinated with how artistically he disposes of his victims and the absolute attention to detail that he meticulously takes with every kill ;) I'm just kidding around... really though, it's a very well done show with great direction, imagery and that beginning sequence of Dexter cooking breakfast is outstanding! Every sound of eggs sizzling, knives cutting meat, sauce pouring out on to the plate... all so sharply edged to make your hair stand on end. If you can begin to get people to react that way to a sequence of images and sounds... I say well done.

Another reason I started watching Dexter was that I fell ill. After a week of fasting, my immune system was running on empty. It helped some of the time pass when it felt like someone had punched my legs like Eddie and Charlie Murphy did Rick James. I'm feeling much better now and out from the dark shroud of Dexter, fasting and being sick. Just a reminder to find balance in all that is...

I'm still truckin after two weeks, half way up the mountain... I'm gonna make it all the way. Without getting too deep into the depths of discovery, let's just say I'm on a journey... on my way to a pilgrimage.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

002_Hot, Buttered Soul...

Here was my line up for the second round of Hot Buttered, Soul - a show on CFCR 90.5FM in Saskatoon. It's a community radio station that has music that find a discerning listener like myself listenin ;)

The inspiration in this set was that of a recycled nature. The songs here have been sampled by urban artists in the past decade. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, I'm flattered to have the following people join me:

The O'Jays | Galt McDermott | Joe Cocker | Otis Redding | Bob James | Johnny Pate | Ann Pebbles | Ramon Morris | Johnny Hammond | Lakeside | Instant Funk | Eugene Wild | Betty Davis

The titles are in the flow somewhere and if you listen along then you can play along - the name of the game is Name That Tune! ;)
Some people try to fool you...

For the love of money, I'd have to say,

That a woman is sweeter any day.
Schleping from woman to woman,
Is hard to handle like that of a Nautilus.

You can't even walk in the park,
Fools being foolish, I pity the fool.
Don't ask me what comes next,
After shifting gears there's nothing left.

What is to follow through after is
Nothing less than a fantastic voyage.

I got my mind made up,
I gotta get you home tonight.
Your mama wants ya back.
Mission accomplished. Sights are set, the goal is within reach.
Over ;)

Monday, September 01, 2008

A little showcase...

I have now entered into the field of web design. Most of my endeavors up to date in this field were more in the identity and print areas. It's an interesting world that I'm entering that I don't have the first clue about ;) So I sought out the people that would help me and support me do what I do best and let them do what they do best. So, I have just completed work on the portfolio site for a local artist, Cheryl Buckmaster. Amazing work in here...

There will be more of this flow since I have finally done something for myself that I've always wanted to do... make my own t-shirts. As a designer and a guy who loves t-shirts, it just made sense. This month is the month I've chosen to integrate another section into this chapter. I can't wait to start playing around to see the permutations and combination of the shapes and colors that float around in my mind. It'll be nice to free up some space for some other blessings to come...

Just a heads up...
;)

 
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