Haven’t made a post about my iPod in a while. As usual I am weeks late catching up to a meme: iTunes 4.9’s podcasting feature!

I’m listening to the following podcasts all available from iTunes:

The SciFi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica. It’s like listening to DVD extras for a tv show. Executive Ronald D Moore explains the “why” of this surprisingly good show. For semi-to-hard core fans.

Z100 Phone Taps. Not much new here in the way of creative phone pranks but its super funny to hear NYC accents try to talk over each other. “Yooah deaahd to meah!” “No! Yooah dead to meah!”

Dawn and Drew Show. I listen to these two faithfully. They’re not much on content, in fact they ramble quite a bit but they have a spark that is infectious. Its like eavesdropping in on a couple deep in love, chatting away behind you. They’re candid, playful and chatty and completely addictive.

Zug. (not from iTunes yet. Get it here. Drag and drop the link into your Podcast folder) On his site, John Hargrave pranks up big business which borderlines on culturejamming. For his podcasting, he only has three past articles converted to audio but expect more from him. He needs to step back from the microphone a bit but he’s going in the right direction.

These aren’t podcasts, but I am loving this collection of Gerry Anderson/Barry Gray MP3s. Space 1999 to Thunderbirds (highly reccommend you download the theme to UFO, it’s frikkin groovy!), including some wicked remixes. FUN!

Any reccommendations, kids?

ROTC tried to open the event. Why were they performing in the beer garden where nobody could see them? It started to rain pretty hard and we stuck around as long as we could, which in the past, seems to always kick off FFN. Maybe next year they could start it later and give themselves more time to recoop from the dance the night before? Bitsie performed her act for all of 5 people.

Mike, dilligent volunteer when the rain started to come down. Thunder and lightning forced us back to Sharkboy’s and we returned after 3pm. As we were leaving, a homeless guy asked one of the security volunteers what was going on. “Folsom Fair North,” says the volunteer. “Falcon Fair?” asks the rubbie. “Yeah,” says the volunteer.

We came back after the rain stopped. Public displays of S&M. The booths were plentiful and the location was great. Much better than a parking lot.

Blair, a manager at Woody’s, possibly the nicest man on Church Street. Great idea of having live stage apart from the dance area. It seperated the hard core punk/s&m crowd from the tweaking circuit kids.

Kids On TV: the best thing about Folsom. I publically take back everything I ever said about them last year. They brought life to the party. Crackpuppy was a messy live band. We didn’t stick around for Lesbians on Ecstacy.

I’d give the day a B.

Isn’t it weird how something comes to your attention and suddenly you can’t stop seeing it? Once a friend of mine ranted and raved that he wanted an orange VW van and now I see them constantly.

The last couple days I’ve had muevo hits from people searching for Zanta. Its like Torontonians want a hero.

Great series of articles just starting up on Salon.com about a straight man enrolling in Ex-Gay therapy sessions (requires you sit through some ads before/while reading it, but the article is worth it). Funny and at the same time horrific.

The whole thought of being “cured” sickens me (participants aren’t allowed to wear Calvin Klien) and I am saddened that people actually think they can change themselves through these outmoded belief systems. Unfortunately the Church won’t take a lesson from history (yeah a cheap plug for my brother’s book) or listen to current psychological proofs . After reading that article I am reminded of when I first started to cruise the internet and came across a cache of anti-Scientoligst sites, my favorite (and most popular) being Operation Clambake and I dove into these sites. Slowly I had my bemused curiosity towards this destructive cult changed into anger. I would hope that some closeted person would read the Salon article and have their mind changed. The right way, that is, by deciding for themselves after informed research.

Mind control comes in many shapes and sizes, kids. Now if you excuse me, I have to go unlock my Hot Coffee.

Where were you when they landed on the Moon? I was in the creek beside the cottage, the usual place, with my rubber boots (I hated leeches) and plastic boats when my sister yelled at me to come in and see something on TV. I was 4 and was anticipating my 5th birthday. Its one of my earliest memories. Google Moon is pretty funny. Zoom in close!

Sadly, Scotty left us this day. He was one tough some-beeach:

At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

Well that’s just great. All we have left now is Geordie LaForge. I don’t count Chief O’Brien because he deserted to that crappy space station.

In just seven days, Sharkboy and I take off for a week long celebration of camping with extra special guest stars Grizzly and Evil Panda. Also starring is The Busdriver and The Mailman.

The first weekend, the theme is “Boxers”! Sharkboy and I are prepared to be the Paris ‘n Nicole of the evening with outstanding underwear acquired from intensive shopping excursions into the heart of Toronto. Home made jewelry cheapens adorns our outfits as well!

During the week we will be taking day trips to lovely and historical Tillsonburg to show the boys various Tobbacco Museums, greasy spoons and German berry picking outlets. I can hear their excitement rise from here!!

The weekend after is The Point’s popular and sold out “Bear” weekend. The pool filters will be filled to the max, hairily, as hirsute and burly men float, cavort and chortle their weekend away. Here’s hoping we can convince Griz and EP to stay an extra few days so they can actually see the pool go from pristine blue to emrald green. And see Mr X go mental with rage since he has to clean it!

Here is a partial list of things I am brining:

• My telescope. Gotta see a moon.
• Barbie. An extra special Burning Barbie episode. Think “Lucy Lui” in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. With American guest stars too!
• An extra bed pad. I love the sound of bullfrogs at 3am but if I don’t get at least 7 hours of sleep I will purchase some firecrackers and shove them in their grenouille asses. Feh! It’s not these little critter’s fault for calling out at all hours for a mate. I can’t sleep because of the bouncy air mattress we have.
• Booze. That’s right. The liver problems I was having a while back are gone and it’s Daquiris by the pool, sommabitches!

For those of you who will not be attending, expect images of the highest calibeer… uh …ber.

While I am away, DR will be “down” (readable, but hobbled). To reduce the constant referal attacks, I will be stripping it of comment/last referal entries. Sorry kids.

Soulpepper has a new actor on their stage tonight: my brother, Michael Healey adapted Ferenc Molnár’s comedy, Olympia for this Toronto run. Michael also appears as Count Albert. I wonder if he’s nervous with this double threat?

He tells me that updating the play has been a challenge but exciting. I hope he does well!

UPDATE: From the Toronto Star (four point five stars out of five):

Michael Healey’s adaptation is a major bonus, keeping the dryly witty tone intact while shading it with just enough contemporary resonance to make it interesting.

Yeah baby!

We rented Death Race 2000 and Last House on the Left and without knowing it, Martin Kove was in both. Eeeerieeee dooo doo doo doo! He’s like Jon Erik Hexum but alive. And old. Seeing this guy in two movies from the same decade wasnt much of a stretch since he’s done so much. I guess I’m a sucker for 70s boufy hair and a cleft chin.

I loved DR2K. I thought it was brilliantly sly and incredibly formaggio. The production quality was like watching season 3 of V or the worst episode of Buck Rogers.

Saw The Island as well. Fummm. Typical summer movie. Turn off your brain and smile as it rambles along. Sure there were glaring logistic errors in the story (why the elaborate hologram? Why not just put them on a frigging island somewhere?) but I accepted that as SciFi summer fun. Like getting sun burn. The only thing I didn’t like was the blatant product placement. Two lingering shots of beverage labels just before a character took a swig from it. Not cool. I can accept ads in the background as that it’s inevitable that you will see product during your regular day but movies are starting to beat this crap over our heads. So reject Aquafina and Michelob. Please.

“And mummy will pack up all his stuff and put it on the street.” — Woman to her dog at 6am as Sharkboy and I trundled off to the gym.

“The Greeks and the French are the same. We just don’t give a shit.” — Wasn’t sure if he was Greek or French.

Girl: “Are you wearing eyeliner?” Mom: “Would you shut up?” — Mom ‘n daughter bonding moment.

Busty woman to old waiter at The Studio Restaraunt: “Do I look tired to you?” Waiter: (pauses, obviously wondering if this is some sort of trick)”…You do look… a bit…” Woman: “I have been up all night!”

…I have achieved or am proud of:

1) I can tie my shoes. I prefer zippers or Velcro. I can dress myself without feeling self conscious or worry that I am not appropriately dressed for certain situations.

2) My upbringing. It was rather liberal despite the Catholic overlords of grandparents insisting I was to be Confirmed. I know when to say “excuse me” or “thank you” or let people off the subway cars first. I don’t dawdle when I am at a bank machine and I am aware of my surroundings 90% of the time so I don’t burden others with my clumsiness. I turn my phone off in theatres.

3) My opinions. They’re mine, unless asked or provoked. Or blogged about.

4) The nuns who beat me over my knuckles to print clearly. Seriously. Schooling for kids these days is extremely easy yet at the same time, the social structure of schools themselves applies more pressures than ever before. When I was there, it was heavy on the learnin’ and you had your small circle of friends to fall back on. I am glad I was run through the school-mill when I did.

5) My fused kidney. I have been joking about it a lot lately but it seems so bloody clear to me now that the reason I never became an alcoholic as a teen was because I couldn’t hold my liquor. To this date, I am feeling sick after three beers.

6) The drugs I took as a teen and into my 20s. I am actually quite grateful for the risks of experimenting. While I utterly despise drug use these days (myself or with others), I am thankful for the different perspective these chemicals offered me.

7) Being able to speak to my parents while on drugs. I got away with it. I am a good actor.

8) Being able to tell my parents these days when I was on drugs. And not getting a lecture.

9) Playing the Cowardly Lion in my last year at high school. And adlibbing a line that got a big laugh.

10) Trying out for The Ontario College of Art. And not getting in. I was told that I was too “middle class” and needed to travel and experience more. Best advice I have ever got.

11) Having at least three pieces of art selling within an hour of putting them up on a wall.

12) Living in England. I think that everyone should live in a different country at least one year before going into school.

13) Dating someone nearly twice my age. Maybe not brining him back to meet the folks, but I am grateful for all that Nigel did for me while I was homesick.

14) Driving Nigel’s Mini (not a remake BMW Mini, but an honest to goodness Mr Bean Mini) while in London. And discovering exactly what “Inertia” really meant with my brother and my father in the car as we tried to stop behind a lorrie. Montreal driving is a cake-walk compared to navigating central London. Also driving Nigel’s friend’s Alfa Romero Spyder for three blocks before being told to “slow down, stop and get out of my car”. I guess I was driving crazy like.

15) My first experience with a round-a-bout. Nailed it, thanks.

16) Travelling to Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and Sitiges.

17) Fine French cuisine. And Spainish food. And Mexican. I would love to travel back there some day to eat like a pig.

18) While we’re on food: Sushi. Quail eggs raw on a bed of rice. I did two. And Eel. I’m proud of that.

19) I am proud I can make lasagna from scratch, pasta noodles included.

20) I am proud I got the opportunity to manage an historical building in Ottawa for 2 years. I maintained a 160 year old jail that had been converted into a hostel for travellers, dispensing advice and lodgings to the weary. My staff was fantastic and required very little overseeing, making my stay there one of the most proudest, patriotic jobs I have ever had.

21) Experiencing ghosts in same building. I believe in an afterlife (maybe not in a religious sort of way) and what I saw there confirmed it. We do live on and it’s governed by how we live now.

22) Understanding the concept of “Squash and Stretch”. Animation school taught me so much about perspective and how to look at things. When going to the Royal Winter Fair to sketch animals, my teacher told me that the best way to draw them was to sit and be patient. Penned animals usually will come back to the same pose you started to draw them at. I applied this to how I cruised for men and it works the same.

23) Working retail. And working catering. And doorman for a bar. Very humbling. Makes you respect your fellow man and tolerate people’s minor mistakes. And makes you tip a bit heavier than usual. And affords you an insight into how people think and behave rather than spending $$$ on a university education.

24) My stuff. Or lack there of. I am proud that I don’t feel the need to have the best things in all aspects of my life or fill up my life with things. I am proud that I have never owned a car yet thank my Da for letting me borrow his whenever I want to go camping.

25) My attitude towards life: It’s precious. While it’s impossible to live every day like it was your last, I do recommend that you make the time you have got worth while. Stress destroys. Love builds. Yadda yadda yadda.

26) I am proud to have had a near death experience.

27) I am proud that I can change a flat.

28) I am proud that I can hold a design job while being red-green colour blind.

29) I am proud that I can HTML, CSS and Javascript prune better than some designers out there who make more money than I. I’m not happy about it, but hey…

30) I can maintain orchids and other plants.

31) I can make it through an Aquafit class without much panting or wheezing.

32) Standing up before 1 million people and declaring my sexuality.

33) Standing up before 1 million people a few years after that and twirling a flag with only 5 months of rehearsal time. I only dropped once.

34) I am proud of the footprint I leave on the internet. Deadrobot was started back in ‘99 thanks to Mr X and has been an evolving lesson in communications since. I have close to 45 RSS sign-ups and I don’t know who you people are. Thanks for reading my bad enlish spelling messtakes.

35) Never having committed a crime larger than teen-age drug taking, forgetting to pay a TTC fare (NOT GUILTY, I swear!) or parking violations. Okay I speed some but I haven’t been caught yet. No accidents either.

36) Being cheated on and being lied to by “friends” and “lovers”. Like a kick in the gut, these made me push my boundaries on trust. I’m proud of how I handled it.

37) The men I truly loved: Nigel, The Kiwi, the Gymnast, The Archivist, The Bear, Mr X, Swollen Uvula. Some I still love and stay in contact. Some I don’t. These guys made me who I am today.

38) The man I love today. Without going mushy, I have to say that Sharkboy is the most comfortable and lovable guy I have ever been with. We prop each other up when down and make each other laugh. He’s a clean pressed shirt to my crumpled t-shirt. He makes me think and appreciates my opinion. I couldn’t wish for a better mate.

39) My friends. They laugh at my jokes. They put up with my moods. They’d let me sleep on their couch (hopefully).

40) My immediate and extended family. I am humbled and happy for the qualities all these people bring to my life. They’re smart, funny, pragmatic, crazy, earthy, easy-going, loving, and available at my beck and call. My family rocks.

So that’s my 40th birthday review. Hope you enjoyed!