Oh, the joys…
…thank you, May, for being approximately as warm as February. Much appreciated, for sure.
What have I done tonight? A brief recap:
This is why I don’t post about my days very often.
So, I took Klaus back to the body shop today to have his peeling paint issue resolved. Upon arrival, I was anticipating the ‘little Mazda’ they told me that I’d be driving while the repairs took place. However, when my ride pulled up, I was greeted by this:
“I’m really sorry…we’re going to have to give you the Mercedes,” says the employee.
“Oh, no…it’s fine. Really,” I retorted.
*puzzled look*
“It’s really old…” he added as he handed me the keys.
“I know!”
You have no idea how excited I am to be driving this 1984 190E. Sure, the radio doesn’t work. And it’s slow. And creaks if you do anything. And cruise control is a cruel joke. It has amazing leather seats, though, and undeniable, timeless style. It screams class…or at least Eurotrash. Either way, I love it. I took it for a joyride tonight and had such a blast twisting through the back country roads, rear-driven tires squealing. The first time I’ve gone driving just to drive since gas topped $2/gallon. I’ve missed it.
Klaus will not make an impact on the environment this year! For $35, I purchased a TerraPass for him to wear, indicating that he’s a zero emissions vehicle. This required no modifications under the hood. Instead, my money paid for the TerraPass company to buy 8,000 lbs of carbon emissions out of trading. These emissions will be parked, as opposed to giving a corporation the right to buy them and pollute. In a round about way, TerraPass neutralizes my car’s effect on the environment. At the same time, the profit that TerraPass makes is turned around and re-invested into clean energy initiatives all over the country. Pretty slick. And, to go with my peace of mind, I get a cool decal:
For more information, you can visit TerraPass online. They are even offering 10% off coupons for your first purchase. Definitely worth a visit, even if it’s just to calculate your current emissions level.
I rented a ton of DVDs this weekend. Well, four. But that’s a lot for me. There was a strange foreign film, Russian Ark, an old favourite, Being John Malkovich, and a documentary, New York Doll…all good. But the best was Hans Weingartner’s The Edukators.
The basic premise of the movie is this: The Edukators, social activists, break into the homes of rich German executives, rearrange their belongings and leave them a warning: “Your Days of Plenty are Numbered.” That’s all well and good – and would make an entertaining enough plot – but what happens when one of their executive thieves comes home while they are at work? Kidnap him in a Volkswagen Van and drive him out to your uncle’s cabin, clearly. The story hits its stride as the ‘political prisoner’ attempts to break down The Edukators…and learns a lesson in the process.
Reasons to watch:
P.S. If you aren’t listening to “Pure Energy” by Information Society on a loop, you really should reconsider that decision. Or I’ve lost it. Either way. “I wanna know what you’re thinking…”
…is now permalinked in the sidebar. Look under “Friends.” (Also, click here.)
Well, this has been sitting in my head for awhile. While I was in Rome, I had the pleasure of being reconnected with one of my absolute favourite bands from high school, Placebo. They were extraordinarily popular on MuchMusic (in its purely Canadian form, before it became Fuse, spun off the network and went back to its roots.) With painfully androgynous lead singer, Brian Molko, brooding style and necrophilic aesthetic Placebo is a dirty treat. Their newest album, Meds is as avant garde as I remember their sound being all the way back in 9th grade…and I love it.
Opening with the title track, we are quickly seared and shaken right into “Infrared,” my second favourite song on the disc. It’s edgy and rockin’…but not in a cliched kinda way. Nothing too complex, just enjoyable and tinged with a bit of anger. The best song, though is certainly “Follow the Cops Back Home.” It has a depth and beauty that I wasn’t expecting on my first listen…and is positioned as a respite in between the fire of the opening songs and the rest of the tracklist. All in all, a great, great album, I’d say. One you should check out.
The breakdown:
I may not have found them until late in the game, but I do so love Panic! At the Disco. This is my favourite song on their album, “Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Off Her Clothes”:
That’s what I call this one. Apparently the Indian eggplant crockpot casserole creation from this past weekend has weighed heavy on my brain…we’ve got curry colored backdrops, vaguely Hindu architecture and a Sanskrit om. Do enjoy!
