"i look like i eat tuna casserole all day" lookin' boy

Stylish Vancouverite Eyeliah has tagged me for the 7 Random Things tag. I do so love this tag, it's my third time doing it. I don't find it hard at all, because I'm pretty self-involved, and I love thinking about myself (sounds cold but true).

1. The celebrities I get told I resemble are Gail Zappa, Cory Kennedy, Miss Sparky (from the GTO's), Katie Holmes and Irina Lazareanu.

2. The South Park moment that amuses me most consistantly is in the episode "Tonsil Trouble" where Cartman gets accidentally gets infected with HIV, and responds to every "Are you sure?" with "I'm HIV-positive". It just never gets less funny.

3. Even though my friends rule and I enjoy being with them so much, I love being by myself and doing things by myself. I know lots of people prefer to do everything with friends (shopping, eating out, etc.), but I think it's important to feel comfortable doing all these activities on your own. It might sound sad to say that I'm my own best friend, but it feels great!

Exit Music (for a Film) - Brad Mehldau
4. I play piano and I'm learning Brad Mehldau's cover of Radiohead's "Exit Music". I'm not a big Radiohead fan, but I love this version, it's gorgeous and so much fun to play.

5. I know I'm behind on the trends, but I recently discovered both 30 Rock and Chuck Klosterman, and I can't get enough of either of them.

6. A website I've found fascinating as of late is stopsylvia.com , an anti-psychic Sylvia Browne page devoted to exposing the fraud she so clearly is. As someone with an interest in the afterlife, I'd read a couple of her books casually without forming a strong opinion on her. This website changed all that. It's absolutely infuriating what this woman does. She actually will give people medical diagnoses based on her "psychic" powers (which can discourage them from seeking proper medical advice if she says they're fine), but perhaps most appalling is the "work" she does regarding missing children. Two of her more well-known cases are regarding Shawn Hornbeck (she told his parents that he was dead, when he in fact was alive - you can only begin to imagine the traumatic effect this would have on them) and Opal Jennings (she told her parents that she was alive and being sold into sexual slavery in Japan, when in fact she'd been murdered in Texas - also devastating in a different manner). It's absolutely shocking that this woman is not only generally accepted as psychic, but that she's hugely popular and disgustingly wealthy. I urge you to check out StopSylvia.com, especially if you're a fan of hers.
(Another great article that sums up Sylvia Browne's fraudulence in a more condensed manner can be found here)


7. On a lighter note, I got into "Lookin Boy" while I was in vacation in the South and was distraught to return home to find that it was virtually unknown in Canada.
Y'all ready for another round of 'lookin boy'? Good, you are now. It's allll in the delivery.
(0:027...the guy on the left...Jazzy Jeff or what?)

hey, hey, hey, all you young girls, whatever you do, well come on by and see me, i'll make it worth it to you!

Anybody here who has visited this blog before knows I have a friend named Nicola who runs an online vintage store, which I pimp out every now and then. I have some pretty exciting (for me, at least) news: after a year of watching Nicola have all the fun with scavanging and photographing and styling and wearing and have a general vintage-flavoured good time, I've decided to start my own online vintage store!

It's called Safe as Milk Vintage, (brownie points to whoever can figure out the reference) and right now, I have but 6 items for sale. But hang on, because I've got over a dozen really awesome and exciting items coming soon - including some really wicked long 70's dresses that I'm very stoked on. I'm getting my friend Jenn, who lives in Mission (she's an exception to the general lameness that affects many Mission residents) to photograph and model the clothes for me. Because it takes so long to transport the clothes to Mission, have them get photographed and then pick them up at some point, its hard to post clothes often, but I shall do my best, and keep you readers informed. I'm really very thrilled about this, so here's what I currently have in stock:
This sweaterdress is not only very mod and flattering, but its so warm and cosy too!

At first I just liked the colours of this sweater but when I tried it on, it was so flattering and comfortable, I had to share the wealth.

You can't see them very well in this picture but these bangles are so awesome, and complement each other so well.

This Rasta poncho was an exciting find - it's actually handmade!

As soon as I saw this sweatshirt, my first thought was Cory Kennedy. It totally looks like something she'd wear!

I love this belt so much that I'm almost tempted to keep it for myself, but I don't really wear belts. Someone else could pull it off much better!

Anyway, check out my shop and add the store on Myspace, and let me know what you think!

downy sins of streetlight fancies, chase the costumes she shall wear

I know fur can be a touchy subject, my feelings run along the lines of "eh, anti-fur...who has the energy anymore?" I'm really not an animal person, and I just can't bring mysef to be too bothered about it. Yes, I've seen the "HORRIFYING, OMG, HOW CAN SOMEONE DO THAT" videos taken secretly by PETA (I don't want to get started on them, lest I find some dead tofu on my front steps or anything) members. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just selfish and insensitive (I can live with that, really, anonymous comment leavers), because I love how badass and rock'n'roll a good fur coat looks.
Case in point: Who knows, maybe when I mature a little more, I'll realize what a truly barbaric practice this is, but until then, my fox fur coat (that I am in the process of acquiring from dear Nicola) and I will have many an adventure, and hopefully none of them will involve being doused in blood.
Dream big!

general inspiration

"Why will you take by force what you may have quietly by love?" -Chief Powhatan


"Going to spring break at Ft. Lauderdale, getting drunk and flashing your breasts isn't an act of personal empowerment. It's you, so fashioned and programmed by the construct of a patriarchal society that you no longer know what's best for yourself. A damsel too dumb to know she is even in distress." -Chuck Palahniuk

"I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among their virtues. To the logician, all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one’s self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one’s own powers." -Sherlock Holmes

"Sometimes we get so caught up in language, and this word and that word, that we lose sight of the bigger problems in the world. At one time, the word 'Bitch' simply meant female dog. Now, it has a negative meaning. Many negative words in one time and/or culture are meaningless in another. We’ve got to stop wasting time fighting over nonsense. I’m still waiting for aliens to come... " -George Clinton

[hey, thanks, corbis]

she will never let your spirits down, once you get her off the street

Oh, Cory.
Cory, Cory, Cory....is there no escape? Your greasy hair, your grungy clothes, your amusing facial expressions, each alone does not = amazing. Yet you are greater than the sum of your parts. Your divine essence is a siren's song that I can no longer pretend I am eluding. With your trash compactor-garbled beauty, you bewitch my very soul. Cast off the oppression of a world ruled by delicate features and carefully co-ordinated pieces!
Cory Kennedy, you are Style.

...yo dre drop the verse

Oh, hey, what's this? A new header? Could it be?
As is custom, I will now proceed to dissect this new "masterpiece". I was in mad, passionate love with my old header, and I still do prefer that one, but I was very ready for a change. This one has a "notorious celebrity holding alcohol" theme, though Keith is, as always, the exception to the rule. The picture of Amy Winehouse taking a shot while holding a baby is one that never ceases to amuse me. I love how happy Jimi Hendrix looks in that picture and Cory Kennedy looks rad as always. Keith Richards isn't holding any alcohol, but the beauty of this picture is the shirt. The "play on, playette" is a reference (of course) to one of my favourite songs, "No Diggity" by Blackstreet. The "you're either on the bus or you're under it" is a little complex. It's paraphrasing the famous Merry Pranksters' use of the phrase "on the bus" as a state of mind, and I've heard "on the bus or under it" in reference to my beloved P-Funk.

Welcome to the inside of my brain.

she lets her hair down, she lets her body down

Just to clarify: I'm not actually a Jonas Brothers fan. I dislike their music. I think the hoopla surrounding them is ridiculous. That being said, I have a strong sexual attraction to Nick. He's handsome and well-dressed, okay? So don't fear, and don't change your opinions of me. (Yes, I just wanted to clarify that solely as an excuse to post another picture of him)

Anyway, it's that time again....hubba, hubba, hubba, new header...I know people really liked the Polaroid header, but I go to my blog like a half dozen times a day and any picture, no matter how great, gets boring to me after awhile. I made this one while feeling a little burnt out with Eddie Murphy's "Party All the Time" stuck in my head.

It has, clockwise from bottom left, Mary-Kate and Ashley, Jimi Hendrix and girlfriend, Betty Davis, Cory Kennedy and Mick Jagger. (Ashcan Rantings does not advocate smoking, though if you're gonna do it anyway, I ain't gonna stop ya, it's pretty sexy) The background trips me out, and I hope it doesn't give you seizures. The fantasticly irrelevant quote in the upper left hand corner is from Batman, the Joker of course. If you can't read it, it says "And now, folks, it's time for 'who do you trust?' Hubba, hubba, hubba! Money, money, money! Me? I'm giving away free money! And where is the Batman? He's at home, washing his tights!" Does it apply to my blog at all? Uh, no, and don't look at me expectantly like you're gonna get free money. I will, however, dish out Batman quotes at will.
Hey, take what you can get, right?

i can tell you things to get you excited, things you never heard

The other night, as I was juggling oranges while watching Sherlock Holmes, I came to a realization. An epiphany, if you will.

A rough image of what I'd been doing. Note the lines between oranges indicating motion.*

I thought to myself, what am I doing?? How could four so very separate commodities - me, oranges, Sherlock Holmes and juggling - have collided into such a satisfying moment? It was there are then that I drew the conclusion that life's best moments are just that: a collision of little joys.
(I really ought to climb to the top of a mountain, grow a beard and charge people kumquats for advice.)
Sometimes, however, life, or should I say universe is overly generous and allows collisions of extreme greatness. Its the equivelant of the really expensive Christmas gift from an aunt you never see, that leaves you wondering what you did to deserve such magnificance.
I'll share some examples from my life.

Tim Burton's 1988 version of Batman really seems like the movie made for me. It stars my favourite actor, Jack Nicholson, with a soundtrack by my favourite artist, Prince. Before I saw it, I was a bit concerned because I hate action movies, plus I was worried it would be too much a good thing. Let me tell you something. "Too much of a good thing" doesn't exist. It's a fascist plot by the government to make people less greedy, so they can easily be more greedy. A good thing is infinity, which is why Batman is one of my favourite movies ever.

Continuing with the Jack Nicholson theme, I was really stoked about Chinatown, directed by my favourite director, Roman Polanski, starring Jack Nicholson. I didn't bother to worry about it being too much of a good thing, and it's a good thing I didn't because the movie was a very good thing.
Another good example is the fantastic duet "We Can Funk" by Prince and P-Funk leader George Clinton. I was into this song before I discovered Parliament-Funkadelic, but I certainly have a whole new appreciation for it now that I know who exactly the deep-voiced character singing "I'm testin' positive for the funk/I'll gladly pee in anybody's cup" is.
And then there's "Dancing in the Streets". Okay, so the song itself is no "Gimme Shelter" or "Moonage Daydream". What makes this Bowie/Jagger duet so magical is the rumours of a secret, forbidden (no! not forbidden! loved and accepted by all!) love affair between the two known bisexuals. I'm not the type to spell "hot" with an "aw" but if I did, I be typing "hawwwt" right now. Oh shit...

And then sometimes there's just pictures. You know, just a snapshot of an unexpected match of celebrities that just makes your day.

There's Pattie Boyd with the Rolling Stones.

Why did nobody tell me Jason Schwartzman and Zooey Deschanel dated?? I had to celebrate their coupling and mourn their breakup in the same thought! It was an emotional roller coaster...When the Olsens met Winehouse...I'd be very surprised if no cocaine was exchanged.
When Cory Kennedy met Lindsay Lohan...I'd be very surprised if no tales of herbal STD-treatments were exchanged.My precious, precious Arthur Lee with Jimi Hendrix. (Photo credit: Jeffrey Eisen)

There! Proof! Greatness + greatness = superterrifichappy greatness! And don't get me started on when evil joins forces (cough4minutestosavetheworldcough)

*May be slightly embellished. I can't juggle. It was just two oranges.