Post Portia

In Orangeville for the wknd. Hadda check out of Tdot as I was in urban overload, ick...have about 24 hours left so soaking up as much rural vibes as possible - which means; get OFFA DA COMPUTER already.

Gah - there is a budgie swirling around my head and a sullen teenager on the coach so time for me to chow down yesterday's leftover grub, yum...chicken breasts w/ lemon, pasta with chive/cheese and zucchini/broccoli...

Later!

Is Ritmo on the water but its pouring out at the moment -should make for an interesting rest of the day.

Stay tuned...

just this article for now, whew...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/19/us/19poor.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I just erased an entire entry about a random sighting I had this evening on the way to dinner with Tdot Brit chick pal of the randomly gorgeous construction worker man -whew! My nephew reads this blog sometimes and it just wouldn't be appropriate. My W.O.R.D. specimen of specimens, steroetype of stereotypes, he was disturbingly hot...suffice to say that when I spotted random construction guy's arms, no PIPES of steel all beady and flexed, I lost my train of thought for several blocks...golly...

Not much else to report, lots of fires burning around the globe today relative to a week ago. Mumbai's tragedy is off the news page and a tsunami this wknd was a blip on the news radar.

At the water meanwhile, "the concert" on Saturday was a smashing, rousing success and I am definitely proud to have been on the job for that one. Nice, nice...so much other great music and programming though, golly - genre wide, globally -we have so much of it...

Went on a most interesting of dates on the wknd too which was super cute.

At the moment the humidity is the grossest ever and making writing barely bareable so I am cutting this short.

Actually nofink of import to report.

Somewhat of an odd day today. 9-5 took a turn southbound just w/ techie glitches, deadlines, etc which resulted in the longest day I've put in thus far. I had a moy caliente[no literally, and I don't even know what that means] break midday which took away some of the pain.

Looking fwd. to the wknd, the fruits of my labour and all if you will.

Signed on to do some blogging for hire this week - I am specializing in 80s music so stay tuned for dat...

Trying to think of ttc nonsense to share so that I can end on a high note but drawing a blank, sorry!

I'll share this in the meantime, a news item that really made me stop short...

http://www.sploid.com/news/2006/07/post_20.php

and then there is this gem. Pims anyone? haaaa heee hooo, fwah fwah...

http://www.sploid.com/news/2006/07/uk_asleep_on_th.php

Yesterday...

Ran RIGHT INTO Marlyn Persaud on the TTC yesterday, sweet. She looked like quite the blinged out hottie, too.

Ok - must mush. Lots on the run here at the water and I am starved. STARVED! And lots of rain out there, must break out the big gun umbrella to grab some grub @ Sobey's.

Skoooooooor...

Um hmmm...so as the world, the universe, the entire planetary system knows by now, Italy won the World Cup. St. Clair W. was soy congested that cops requested that the public cease in attempting to attempts to find their way down there. So, those who didn't listen were bounced up to which part of town? Yah - that would be me and my block. Grr...I fell asleep to the sound of car horns and darned if many of the people I saw when I was able to get home[after Afrofest] were non-Italians joining in the celebrations. yay tdot...

And waddup w/ Zizou, my Algerian hunk ending it all on a low note w/ the head butt crap. Ick.

So, after Stratford on Saturday with the girls[fabulous! Harlem Duet was fabulous!], I went to a girlie thing on Sunday and then Afrofest. Once again the park was packed. Nice. I am officially calling it as the new caribana.

Didn't make it to waterworld though - if not Tumi and Volume which I missed anyways, I would have LIKED to have seen Bembe and Mark de Clive Lowe...

Hmm, hoping for a civilized week as the wknd will bonkers and I need a fortifying build up to it; I feel as if a part of me professional or otherwise has been waiting a long time for a concert like Jamaica 2 Toronto.

Meanwhile, Salif Keita - wow; I love me some A&M, but I can't get his voice out of my head - truly TRULY majestic, woah...

Lets see what the week holds, shall we?

Sadly today is the anniversary of the bombings in London, UK last year - pathetic, unloved, manipulable terrorist bastids.

Well - a moment of silence to be sure.

Next, I have to acknowledge last night's incredible Salif Keita performance on the water, whew! He KILLED it and once again, confirms Mali as the music mecca that it is. I fear the rest of the world already knows this and me, ignant PR chick is just getting hip to it.

Stratford and Beats Breaks and Culture this wknd...stay tuned!

So much to report nowadays...

like EVERY SINGLE DAYAYAY! In my passion for Amadou & Mariam, not to mention the RASOSL, I forgot to mention the fantastic experience that was Seu Jorge's performance on Friday night - whew!

Also, funny stuff from Brazil re: that country's loss in footie. Ah Ronaldo, you can take the chips from your newly desecrated statue and fix your teeth hon, fwah fwah...

Next, a moment to acknowledge the lovely and aptly sardonic TTC ads re: littering. Ah, it is high time!

And lastly - what love I have for the story about the stroke victim from Newcastle, England who woke up speaking patois upon her recovery. omg...

Now - off to bed I go; wish me luck, footie fans from Portugallo and Italia have hijacked the hood and it is full on bedlam outside, gah - porto plays tomorrow. I cannot think about it...

Yah, I saw this article online and COULD NOT resist posting and sharing with the world cuz it is just so "share worthy"...

http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/07/03/brown-newedition-show.html .

And, for the record - I am calling it that Jamaican tourism, with respect, is dead. I just find that there is too much other Caribbean tourism going on in the world and that the distractions of greed have caused other less contributive and more destructive economic elements to grow at the peril of the sandier parts, titch titch...sorry but those random little tv ads with the arranged Bob Marley music just don't cut it in 2006.

And yes - I really do believe that Malian music is the best music today. I heard a sad panel on the radio today. Going on about some upcoming 20k music prize that is coming out for Canadian bands this week. Of course, all about rock musicians, solo and bands. Spoken about in a small, exclusive circle with the fondness of a dear friend. Lots of love for Harmer, Social and only marginal reference to one hip hop act. Complete blanking of all other genres.

FANTASTIQUE!!!

Wowzers, Amadou & Mariam, Refugee All Stars of Sierre Leone. What more do I need to say? What more do I need?

RAS Killed it. I mean slew everyone. Their reggae vibes are dead to rights.

I was in the front row, LEANING right on the stage barrier thingie, ready to charge the stage if necessary. I just about lost my mind and when Mariam was love caressing her man and when Amadou brought out the big gun rasta guitar AND when the band members were goading us during the performance on and then flirting after the show, well - it was more than I could handle I tell you.

Ah, I can't wait for Salif Keita on Thursday, weeee!!! Mali - the new music mecca of the world. whew!

Not a bad Canada Day...

If I say so mi'self. Took it easy and took in a visit w/ the parents. Dad buggered off to a baseball game, mom wound down the visit w/ an evening @ Aunt Elaine's. I watched some of the soccer insanity in between - Brazil out -whaaa?? Porto beat England huh??? Shocking. shocking.

Quite chillaxed and cooled out.

Sadly, that changed later and with a turn to the south in the wee hours of the morning. At somewhere around 3amish, I could hear inappropriately loud talking on the street. There were spats and outburst throughout the night which I credited to the soccer situation. However, at this certain hour, it was consistent and consistently inappropriate. My window was not open too wide but still, I could hear something dodgy. Next thing, the nephew comes storming down the stairs, looking for his dad. I was impressed that he had made it all the way down, in the dark, and in tact.

The outside convo was punctuated with a female voice saying repeatedly, "I don't care, I don't care" suddenly quite forcefully now. [come to think of it, I did hear a slam and a yell just before that too] I got up and looked out the window, in time to hear a male voice yell out "hey" and next thing, there is a wife beater wearing bad hair day skinny dude bolting southbound down my street, followed by a cop.

A few moments later, wifebeater guy comes running back northbound up the street, a male resident on Rogers is on the street in his gotch, the officer is back in pursuit[rather weakly I might add] and the street is soon lit up by the sounds and sights of sirens and poh-poh cars are everywhere. Gotch guy tells foot officer which direction wifebeater went and then the next 2 hours is a variation of police dog sniffing, flashlight search, police van, ambulance, rubber neckers, inquiring neighbours and lots of walkie talkie squawking.

Now that Diana has moved away next door - I am bent on seeing things be super cool around here. I am all about calling the fuzz for loud parties, spying on dodgy happenings from the apartment above the hair salon on rogers and regret NOT calling the fuzz when the random lady was shrieking outside the bank one night a few weeks back.

No use having any nefarious "element" thinking this is a good place kick up some dust. I won't have it! I spent too much time on the phone with everyone from garbage collection to 911 when dirty diana and her vile tenants were around, ick...

Listen - word on the barbershop circuit is that the roundup re: the boxing day shooting just down the street here was a long time in coming and that most folks knew the entire bunch were rotten to the core anyways. Titch titch...