Dad's Party

Hey peoples,

On Friday May 26th - I threw my first ever surprise party for someone.
It was stressful, to say the least - organizing something like that. Getting everyone under one roof, on one night and keeping it all a secret.
It was for my dad's retirement (35 years as a letter carrier at Canada Post) and we had a pretty decent turn out. It was great. Seeing all these people there who liked my Dad...it made me totally proud - for real.
I got completely trashed out of sheer nervousness.
Hopefully I didn't offend anyone.
Then again - it wasn't like a drunk person would stand out at a party like that - everyone in the place was pretty much wrecked on booze.
My Dad later admitted to me he has no memory of getting home.
"Like Father, Like Son" - that phrase never rang truer, let me tell ya.
Yeah - ended the night talking to my dear Aunt Corrine and my mom about god only knows what.
Both were telling me how proud they were of me and somewhere in the middle I got "drunk teary-eyed-choked-up" but immediately regained my composure when a small voice in the back of my head said: "Dan. You're drunk. And you're talking to your Aunt. And your mom. And YOU ARE CRYING!! SNAP THE FUCK OUT OF IT!"
So i snapped out of it.
Catastrophe averted.
hopefully.
Jesus. Close one.
Anyway - it was "that kind of party" - messy, sloppy - but OH SO MUCH FUN!!
My dad had a great time which is all that really matters.
I thank EVERYONE for making it such a positive experience - I wouldn't have changed a single thing about it.
On that note - I'm signing off...I'm MEGA tired. I haven't had a day off in about10 days and I am not due for another day off until June 10th.
For real.
So - hearts, farts and shopping carts,

Daniel.
ps - Sister's birthday tomorrow and SLAM SLAM SLAM competition at Phog.
see ya there!
(WINK/FART)

My Oh My How My Friends Know Me Oh My...

I hate bragging brothers and sisters - but I cashed in this birthday.
Is it vulgar of me to brag?
Seriously - I can't HELP bragging about it...
Check it out:
A bath set. Yes. I know. gayest. thing. ever. But so help me god - it's been 2 and a half years since I discovered the SHEER JOY a good ole bath bomb can bring - and - I have no shame in admitting: I'm fucking HOOKED.
Thank you - a THOUSAND, coconut and lime scented baths OVER - to the friend who gave me EXACTLY what my bath time was lacking.
Next:
Three CDs I would never buy for myself - but always wanted.

Pink - I'm Not Dead
Prince - 3121
INXS - Greatest Hits

None of this music will change my world.
But so help me god - I LOVE IT!!!! LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!!!
THANK YOU for making my guilty pleasure daydreams...a REALITY!

NEXT:
A gift card for one of my FAVORITEST places in the WORLD to shop - a BEAUTIFUL homemade card and a FART WHISTLE.
It doesn't get much better than that.

THEN:
A book of EVERY SINGLE Rolling Stone Magazine cover - up to 1998, a solar float light for the backyard pond and some toys and accessories for a backyard party. I can smell the (veggie) burgers BBQing from here...


AND...
Another gift card for ANOTHER one of my most FAVORITEST placs in the WORLD to shop - plus a gift certificate to make MY OWN BEER!!! Complete with a menu of different types, strengths - I will have the equivalent to SIX cases of BEER!!! Yeah. I was floored.

Then...
Two DELICIOUS looking bottles of the stuff that creativity is made of: RED AND WHITE WINE - but the best part - the proceeds from that bottle goes to helping out my most current incarnation of social-activism: ANIMALS. So the fact that I get to get WASTED and KNOW that it's for my furry, peaceful, innocent and loveable brothers and sisters who roam the land while we sleep in our beds and drive our cars will make the bottom of BOTH bottles seem a whole lot friendlier.

THEN...
A gift cert to go out for din-din at a Thai restaurant i have NEVER tried...QUITE excited about that... Any kind of food that is known for causing explosive dirrhea excites me to no end. Sorry tummy...Thai food is on it's way...

and the final two...i gotta do a bit of a drum roll....
Now - EVERY gift blew my mind...but these two....WHOA.
And I mean "WHOA FUCKIn WHOA".

A Fender Bass Amp. For my Bass. It's no secret, Emily Carr stole back her guitar amp I was using when she moved to Montreal. Which left me pretty much...ampless... and an electric bass without an amp...it's kinda like a can opener without a can.
You can use it - but it won't really do anything.
For this SHOCKER of a gift...WOW...i'm speechless... speechless, I say!
Speechless. I missed playing my bass so much...playing it again is SO much fun...it's so relaxing and fullfilling to play a song on bass... *boom boom boom THWANG!!!*

Secondly....
Part of my musical Holy Trinity is being fullfilled this September...
I was gifted a COVETED ticket to the one...the ONLY:
ROGER WATERS!!!!
Yes - of PINK FLOYD - one of my hands-down FAVORITE bands ever.
He will be performing the ENTIRE Dark Side of the Moon album and then other Pink Floyd hits (which he wrote) and his own solo stuff...
I can't even get EXCITED about this right now, because I am STILL in shock that I get to see this LEGENDARY musician performing some of the FINEST music in my life...one of my top ten albums - EVER and he will be doing it LIVE from start to finish.
Holy. Fuck. Happy birthday to me.
Okay, no I'm bragging...but how can I not?

I made out like a bandit...
And - if I SOURLY forgot ANYONE on this list - it is NOT because I did not like your gift...it is because i am PISS TIRED right now and forgetful...
but seriously - gifts mean nothing to me at all....BUT ones like these that I got this year - TOTALLY do...reminds me of how LUCKY i am to have friends who are so thoughtful and who know me SO BLOODY well...

happy birthday - EVERYONE!!!!! LOL!

oh shit..remmeber that drunken blog post?
ME:
"Happy Birthday to anyone who's reading this.."

bye bye for now,

hearts and can opener parts,

daniel.

We're All On Drugs

We're all on drugs.
I thought I coined that nifty line, but it had a strange ring of familiarity to it.
So I googled it.
It's a song off the latest Weezer album. And the latest Weezer album sucks. So i'm claiming it as my own.
Life Partner and I have been without cable t.v. (or any t.v.) for about a month and a half.
Sure - we've been watching DVDs of movies, and we have been hitting Heather's house for our Wednesday night tradition of America's Next Top Model - but other than that...nada.
I got REALLY stoned last night and I was thinking about T.V., music, American Idol - how popular that show is - and how genius it is.
I mean, I'm all about making money for yourself off of genius ideas, even though I really dislike everything American Idol stands for. It is VERY genius - and if people end up finding a pop star out of that show that they like...COOL.
All music is good music.
But think of what American Idol REALLY is....
It's a group of marketers who own a nice BIG chunk of popular music distribution record labels. Their agenda is NOT getting quality music out there - it's making money. Plain and simple - and HONEST - and nothing wrong with that.
Let's face it though: While the majority of people who try to be on American Idol do LOVE singing with a passion - theyALSO want to be a STAR - first and foremost.
And record companies want to get people to BUY records - regardless of quality.
So what do they do? They CHARGE the population a FEE to call in and VOTE on (basically) who they would spend the most money on.
They let America be their talent scouts FOR THEM - and rather than spend money trying to find out who has the best public poll ratings - they CHARGE PEOPLE to let them know!!
And then - they sink the most money into promoting THAT PERSON - so that person can be seen everywhere and be known as the next "American Idol".
And then everyone goes out and buys the album because they were so connected with that person on the show. And if they voted for them...if they got THAT into it that they called up and paid the fee to VOTE for a certain person - chances are they WILL buy the album.
So right away - say you get a few hundred thousand people calling in (nevermind the MILLIONS who watch the show and are sucked in too) - just the few hundred THOUSAND who call in - most of who will PROBABLY buy the album - you already have a GOLD RECORD on your hands with regard to sales - and the artist hasn't even lifted a FINGER - and the rec company hasn't spent a DIME in marketing fees.
Instead - they made ANOTHER cool million off advertising from all the companies who pay to advertise during American Idol.
The scary thing...even though people THINK it is them who is picking the "next big thing" - they are only picking from a pool of already HAND PICKED people.
It's STILL what THEY want us to hear.
Radio stations too.
It's all what someone PICKED to be on the radio.
Even though some stations claim to be "the new alternative" or claim they "play everything" - they don't.
They play the same stuff as EVEYONE else.
Even the records we hear...how many of our favorite artists are ASSIGNED producers?? Or - have had versions of their record DENIED!!! And they have to do it again to make it more "radio friendly"?
WHAT?!?!?!?!?
"Radio friendly?"
Why does ANYTHING have to sync up? Why do the masses have to have everything sound the same??? Why does an ARTIST - for real - an ARTIST have to EVER "fit in"?
Isn't the WHOLE POINT of artistry - in ANY form - be it written, visual, aural - whatever medium - isn't the POINT of ART to be out of the norm?
To be CREATIVE?? to provoke a different slant or way of thinking about something? or percieving something?
But think of all the shows / movies / songs... it's all the same.
And I'm not being high and mighty here...I'm talking about the stuff I listen to as well.
Of COURSE if I like the Pixies, I like the Breeders.
Of COURSE I like Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis.
OF CORUSE I like Grandaddy and the Flaming Lips.
OF COURSE I like Tanya Donelly and Juliana Hatfield and Liz Phair.
I mean - all this music is JUST THE SAME. It's the ones hand-picked and GEARED towards people like me.
I buy into it as well.
We're all addicts. If we don't drink and do drugs, we watch T.V.
If we don't watch T.V. we shoot heroin.
If we don't shoot heroin we take ant-depressants.
If we don't take anti-depressants we stuff our faces out of boredom.
If we don't stuff our faces we pop speed pills to excel at our jobs.
We're all on drugs.
And what can I say....I'm hooked.
TOTALLY.
Life, is grand!
And I mean that! For real!!
Someone a few days ago at Phog was talking about my poetry - and I NEVER met them before - and they were telling their friend about me...and they said:
"You will never meet someone who HATES THE WORLD more than this man here."
Not true.
So not true at all!! I was disappointed they thought that.
i LOVE how fucked up we are as a people. and we are VERY FUCKED UP. VERY wrong.
Very stupid about so many things - but that's what makes us sooooo FUCKING COOL!! That's what I love about life.
Everyone is SOO FUCKING beyond weird, we have no idea.
I am SOOO weird in ways I will NEVER EVEN KNOW - as are each one of us.
Sure - we all "strive" to be "weird" in a good way - but we never get there.
People percieve us in ways we will probably NEVER fully EVER realize.
We will NEVER know how or what people TRUELY think of us...

Wow.
I'm not even stoned. Maybe this is all jibberish. Ranting. Whatever...
just food for thought I guess...or food for a midnight snack.
Or junk food - to throw out the car window on your way to Wheels Inn in Chatham.
Regardless.
just my thoughts for this fine Sunday...

farts too,

Dan

Gardening by Day / Partying by Nite...

Happy long weekend brothers and sisters.
Although, it won't really be long for me, seeing as I have to go in to the studio on Monday to produce shows no one else is around to produce. But, whatever.

I'm making the most of this most GORGEOUS Saturday.

Life Partner and I bought some midnight BLACK mulch and some Alysiums (sp?) to put in our front yard. It's shaping up nicely.

See - the old owners of our home were gardening and landscaping FANATICS! Like, they utlized EVERY SINGLE possible space in the front and back with rock placement, foilage, coverage, flowers, vines, ponds, path-ways, trees.

They did a good job.

The problem: Life Partner and I aren't exactly what you'd call Green Thumbs.
The only time we have green thumbs is POSSIBLY MAYBE on a particularily HEAVY weed-smokin night.
So you can imagine the peaceful, serene, escape that was once our garden has turned into a trashed, rock-bottom-hittin', weed infested version of itself.
But - it is beginning to shape up.
Lots of the high maintenance stuff has died off - and in their wake have sprouted new, full, thick bushes. Japanese maples are alive and thriving, clamattice (sp?) is in full bloom, we have a lilac bush that is flourishing and fire-trees in the front yard that go from fire-engine red to pink-panther-pink in the fall.
IT's not too shabby.
This year we have by far put the most amount of work into it.
We WILL get the pond up and running better than ever this year as well, that is a promise.
ANd finally - when that is accomplished - we will get some brand new patio furniture to replace our currently trashed set, which is decorated lovingly with dripped wax, cigarette burns and stains from many a spilled long island ice tea and red wine.

I will post pictures soon - I promise.

Also - tonight Life Partner is heading to a "Wedding".

A "Wedding" is this strange ceremony straight people have at a religious place. They dress up in a white gown and the guy wears a tux and they invite all their family and everyone gets wasted.
It's pretty cool - if you're going to a cool wedding filled with interesting and eclectic people.

It's great because people are so honest with each other at weddings. NO one knows each other. Everyone just gets smashed and flat-out tells you things about their sex life, their families, whatever. That alone makes it fun.
So yeah - that lives little old me to the house all by my lonesome.
But - fear not!! Julie to the RESCUE!! Julie is heading over tonight and we are going to have "date night"! That means dinner / drinking / sitting / smoking out in the back yard surrounded by trees and wild animals.

I can't WAIT!!!

Other than that...that's my night! Julie JUST got here, so I gots to go. Life Partner is getting all dolled up in his suit - he looks like a ken doll :)

I also must pass this on - if you are looking for a good CD to buy...a good, flat-out jangly summer record - grab "Under the Covers Volume 1" by Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet.
I've been playign it on my show non-stop.
It's the two of them covering songs from the '60s. Tunes by the Mamas and Papa's, Bob Dylan, Fairpoint Convention, Beach Boys, Neil Young...it's GREAT GREAT GREAT!!!
The coolest thing about it - you can TELL these two AMAZING musicians ONLy did this album because they LOVE the songs.

They are catchy, bouncey, carefree and WONDERFUL - very true to their original take, but done a great justice by these two incredible pop-artists sparkly guitars and smooth-like-honey hippy-vibe harmonies.
Please - pick up the Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet record...it WILL make you happy.

Oh also - Susanna Hoffs is obviously AGELESS. She's fucking HOTTER now than she was 20 years ago! And she MAY have gotten a little botox, but other than that...she looks QUITE Au-Naturale!
BRAVO to her - for a 47 year old - she looks DAMN FUCKIN HOT!!

As for Mister Matthew Sweet - his music has rocked my world since I was a teenager - so he can just do NO wrong. He's cool, personified in my book!

That's it for now, hearts and farts,

Dan

Congrats to my Dad!!!

Today marks the FINAL day my dad has to get up, put on a uniform and deliver mail.
After 35 years of slugging letters, boxes, parcels, cheques and bills for the kind and decent folk of Windsor Ontario, he's tossing his mailbag out the window and calling it quits the legit way.
Retirement.
Pretty fucking crazy.
Think about it for two seconds:
How would you feel if TODAY was your LAST DAY OF WORK?
Like - you're quitting.
Not to get a new job.
You're DONE.
You've served the allotted amount of time the government or whoever feels you HAVE to serve in order to just sit back and relax.
It's incredible.
I can't imagine how he feels.
My mom, sister, life partner and myself are all putting together a retirement party for him!!
I can say that because he's not the most internet savvy person and he won't read this.
It's a surprise.
It's happening May 26 at Rock Bottom - he loves that place.
Being the work-a-holic that he is - he of course already landed a new part-time job at a golf course, raking sandpits from 6am - 10am.
My dad is a total morning person.
It's great. They pay him under the table, or - in FREE GOLF.
Like, can you THINK of a more PERFECT retirement for a man who loves to get up early, loves to work unsupervised, loves spending time out doors, wanted to be paid under the table and LOVES to golf?
I can't.
He has worked SO hard for SO many years...I hope his retirement sees him at his MOST happy prime of life yet because he TOTALLY deserves it.

Cheers to you Dad!!!
Happy retirement!!

Dan

b-days..

Birthdays.
They feel just like...birthdays :)
I bet I could tell it was May 17th ANY day of the year.
I mean...my birthday - to me - has a very distinct feel.
Even if I didn't have a calendar - I bet I would KNOW EXACTLY when May 17th is.
It's almost uncanny. It feels the same EACH year. EXACTLY the same.
Strange.
You always THINK it might be shitty weather at first - ends up being absolutely BEAUTIFUL.
it's insane.
Anyway, this is the last birthday I'll have in my twenties.
So I got one year left, and as of today - the count down begins.
three hundred and sixty four days left of being a late-twenty-something.
*sigh*

Who knows where the time goes...?
For real.

Hope to see everyone out at Phog tonight if you can make it :) I'll be there between 8 - 8:45 - Karyn Ellis goes on stage at 9.

If you're curious... www.myspace.com/karynellis - or www.karynellis.com

The My Space site is better, because you can actually hear her.
And - don't JUST come for me. PLEASE. Come for her.
She is incredible, and even though Phog is a GREAT place to play - I don't know how busy it is on a Wednesday night. So please come out and support this gal - she self-releases everything and most of her stuff is recorded live, although you would NEVER know it by listening.

Pluto woke me up at 6:20am this morning, much to my delight - with birthday kisses and birthday head thumpings. She has this evil habbit of pouncing on my head in the morning to wake me up. She's so cute.
Although, some would probably turn her into a fur scarf for doing that at such an ungodly hour.
She's lucky I'm a morning person.

Anyway, I gotta run..I'm at work...can't wait to get out and party it up on this fine wednesday birthday evening... I ESPECIALLY can't wait until 2008 - when my birthday happens on a Saturday!!! Thank GOD.
This whole "work on my birthday" thing has NOT been going over that well with me for the last three years.

hearts and farts,

danny

Titillation and Sleaze Artist Collective Present...

Hello everyone....
June 15th marks the retun of yet ANOTHER Titillation and Sleaze Artist Collective show - the "Hoedown Throedown" - and yes - it is a "western" themed show.
Burlesque, striptease, video, performance art - all kinds of shite.
The GREAT news - it's going to be at the Avalon Front, rather than the fucking Boom Boom Room like I heard was going to happen.
That would have been fucking catastrophic!!
The Boom Boom Room is a 19 year old crowd of bar hoes and club jocks, where anorexic chicks laugh at GORGEOUS and CONFIDENT big gals and muscle-head steroid cases pound the faces of cowboy-fags like me into a meaty pulp.
I just can't see it being well-recieved.
The Avalon however....should be a well-recieved night with an audience that is getting bigger and bigger EVERY time.
I'll be performing TWO cowboy-themed pieces again and who knows what other surprises...
at any rate - I wanted to give everyone a heads up...
It's a great night out - especially if you're into the local windsor scene...
Doors are at 9pm - I suggest you get there early because it usually sells out in like, minutes after the doors are open, even on a work night.

HOpe to see LOTS of you there...
hearts and farts,

Dan

Snuffed.

Life Partner is quitting smoking.
Heaven help me!!!
Just kidding, although I am bracing myself and Pluto for a possible divorce.
Kidding again.
However, I do just want to say - my hat is OFF to smokers.
REAL smokers.
From my own personal experience, there are TWO kinds of people in this world:
People who CAN become addicted to cigarettes, and people who CANNOT.
Personally, I have smoked on and off since I was 16 to 26.
I went from SMOKE-Cuz-It's-cool, to "casual smoker", to "social smoker", to "only smoke when I drink" - straight up to habitual smoker - smoking anywhere from three cigarettes - to a FULL PACK of cigarettes a DAY from the age of 25 - 26.
Yet - somehow I am not, nor have I ever been truely addicted.
I'll be turning 29 (eeks!) this Wednesday and have NEVER really craved a cigarette.
Sure - back in the day - I would KIND of crave a cigarette - especially when I drank...but I think it was more of a nervous/habit thing..i didn't REALLY crave one.
Then - there are others.
Life Partner, Julie and Jeff.
TRUE smokers.
It's fucking HARD!!!
I always thought this quitting thing was a fucking JOKE.
But - when I see Life Partner all worked up about smoking, thinking about it, craving it - and I KNOW he is MEGA strong-willed...I'm just floored.
It's a fucking BITCH to quit smoking!!!
I'm sure I'm making it WORSE as he reads this - he is now THINKING of himself smoking and I am opening up an addiction scab that's TRYING to heal...but - I gotta commend him..he's quit almost cold turkey and (knock on wood) - (FOR REAL - KNOCK ON WOOD RIGHT NOW) he is doing a DAMN good job of it.
Okay..must change subject...must change subject...
OH!
The dream I had the other night...
You know how there is that LAME clothing store called "PLEASE MUM" in Devonshire Mall?
Well - I had this dream that they were opening up a new urban clothing store - like hip hop wear, lines like Bebe, FuBu, K-Swiss....whatever...like, hip hop clothing...
Anyway...the name of the store in my dream...was called:
"NIGGA, PLEASE!"
LOL!!
i literally woke up out of my sleep LAUGHING hysterically.
This marks that idea as COPY PROTECTED now.
It's published.
It's documented.
My idea.
I am SOO going to write a play or movie that revolves around an urban clothing store called "Nigga, Please!" and a bunch of big black girls are gonna work there :)

hearts farts fake-false starts,
danny

bday warning...

Wow...my last post..pretty wacky.
i have 3 glasses of wine and all of a sudden i'm fuckin' Jane Goodall, animal activist.
Mellow. Dramatic.
Anyway, just wanted to remind everyone in bloggerland that Wednesday May 17th is my b-day and I'll be at Phog lounge to watch the LOVELY Karyn Ellis play a set.
She rocks.
www.karynellis.com

so yeah - hope to see everyone there if you can make it...it should be a relatively early night...i mean, the show DOES start at 9pm...but will most likely be done by 10 - 10:30...which really isn't that late when you think about it...

anyway, hope ya'll can make it out - i'm turning the big 2-9!!!!!!!!!

talk to EVERYONE soon :)

hearts and farts,

Dan

Why?

Someone at work asked me a few days ago why I decided to stop eating meat, and I was too embarassed to tell them..
So, now that I can hide behind blogging....here's why:

Because no matter WHAT I did before - I KNOW DEEP DOWN - that they are NOT for frying, plucking, de-beaking, cooking, skinning, trapping, stomping or eating.

They are not for slow-cooking, cutting, carving, roasting, glazing, processing or chewing.

They aren't for dismemberment, tenderizing, barbecuing, deep frying, starving. tipping, kicking, or eating.

They are not for spiking, hunting, slaughtering, stabbing, beating, killing or for fulfilling some kind of fucked up POWER trip we are calling "tradition".

They do not have 9 lives, they have one - and since they can't speak the same language as us but are forced to live with us - it is our DUTY to make sure their lives are filled with nothing but curiosities to explore, cuddles, purrs, HAPPINESS and a safe home where they can be exactly what they were meant to be.

Because more than anything else - they want to be the best friends to US they can EVER be.

That's why.

And the fact that I was embarassed to say all of this is PROOF of how long I have to go before I'm TRUELY ready to start fighting for these poor animals who want nothing more than the freedom to be the creatures we want SO BADLY to love.

Seriously - if we buddy up and have someone to help US out of our INHUMANE eating patterns, we can quit eating our best friends. It sounds hard - but I'm not so sure that it is.

Who wants to help? Seriously...?

Dan

Cop Down

A cop just got shot in windsor a few days back.
Pretty scary shit.
The radio station I work at held a pole in wake of this happening.
"Should the penalty be stiffer if you kill a cop?"
If you "kill a cop" as opposed to "what"?
My dad? A pedestrian? A shopper? My mother? Us, cattle? A Student?
Of course not.
See, the way I was brought up - EVERY SINGLE human life is worth the same amount of prison time.
I mean, heartache.
And every single situation in which murder is involved, is different.
Crack whore or cop, homophobe or activist.
A life, is a life worth lived.
But, apparently, 78% of 700 people who phoned the station felt that YES - the penalty SHOULD be stiffer for being a cop killer.
Funny.
Funny how the gay kid who got shot across the border was little more than a fucking fart in the wind when it came to media coverage.
It's a shame on so many levels.
A) I am not sure if this gay kid is alive or dead.
B) It woulda made a great story seeing as both the U.S. and now our own fucking proud-to-be-canad'n government would like to make second class citizens out of us lowly queer folk cattle.
But fuck it.
Fuck it all.
Maybe it's Darwin, being proved right yet again.
Or, after all.
Survival of the fittest.
Maybe I should just count myself as one of the lucky ones.
I have my boyfriend who I have had the luxury of sharing my life with since I was the tender age of twenty-two years old.
I have the luxury of having a family who doesn't give a fuck who I choose to fall in love with and a group of talented friends who are as hilarious as they are geniusly creative and inspiring.
I have my own thoughts which I can write down on paper and recite in smokey bars and get my kicks off the rush of adrenaline I steal from the crowd as they continue to provide it with a generosity I will PROBABLY never realize or fully appreciate.
But all that means nothing.
Really.
Because i know deep down - just as FAST as happiness grows, it can be snatched away from you in a gesture that is as simple as WAKING UP out of a deep sleep.
It's gone in one WINK of an eye.
We just all take it for granted for so long.
At least I do.
At least, I did.
And if anything - that's my NUMBER ONE GOAL in life:
Don't take ANYTHING for granted.
Because it can disappear faster than you can EVER imagine.
And that's probably what I NEED to have POUNDED into my thick skull.
That's probably something I REALLY need to learn out of this giant fabulous puzzle we are all working on called LIFE.
Sucks to be me.
(No it doesn't.)

hearts and farts,

Dan
:)

A dream come true - for real.

Hey peeps and peepettes...
sorry it's been such a ridiculously long black hole...
i fear blogging is dying, which means ALL OF US MUST MUST MUST (increase our bust) continue to keep it going strong.
Keep in mind - that was SOLELY directed towards myself, the slacker.
I have been busy though.
interviewed Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's...it went AMAZINGLY well. She gave me a GREAT scoop - we chatted about our favorite singers, about her great new album - she told me to find her on Friday at Royal Music Theatre to say hello...it was really fucking mind-blowing talking to a LEGENDARY hero like Kathy Valentine.
Then....today...
Recieved an email today from...well..the BANGLES assistant and yeah...it looks like a dream of mine is going to come true.
I'm going to do an interview with the Bangles on Girlie So Groovie.
You have no idea how AMAZING this is for me.
I sent an email out to some friends...but to further get into how MUCh this impacts me:
The bangles were my ONLY saving grace when I was a VERY depressed kid, with my mom in the hospital while my dad tried his HARDEST to help us the only way he knew...by working more hours. It was lonely and as the OLDEST brother - it was always just assumed that I was the strongest one - and it didn't affect me.
But it did. I was pretty lonely.
And -
It sounds sad when a kid's best friend is a cassette tape of four girls playing songs about what a perfect world might someday sound like - but I'm living proof: It's some of the best company a kid could EVER keep.
In turn - this band empowered me when i was 8 and 9 and 10 and laid down the CEMENT and STEEL musical FOUNDATION of what would lead me to EVERY SINGLE musician I hold in HIGHEST regard today.
When I was 8 years old - I said to my class that I would rather be BLIND than deaf.
That was because of the Bangles.
And they all thought I was crazy.
People to this DAY say I'm NUTS for thinking that but it's as true today as it was in 1985.
I'd rather GO BLIND than not be able to hear my favorite music EVER again.
So the fact that I get this email - TODAY - from The Bangles assistant saying "Vicki Peterson has been looking at your site and is HONOURED to be mentioned among suched hallowed female artists".....
wow...
it's like a pebble in the pond effect.
Since I was 8 years old...I have been DIRECTING so much energy towards this band.
ANd finally - almost 21 years later - it reached them.
ANd THEY noticed me.
"They are interested in a radio interview for your show..."
It's a mind fuck people. It's full circle.
It's nothing short of a dream come true.
Nothing short.
Remember that big Rosie o'Donnel episode when she had Barbara Streisand on her show?
That's PRETTY much what this is.
Twenty years ago - I was an 8 year old walking into Dr.Disc asking if they carried "the out-of-print self-titled Bangles E.P. which was released on the now defunct IRS records label".
I didn't even KNOw what i was talking about - but I KNEW - that behind all those grown up words like "IRS" and "EP" and "OUT OF PRINT" - was the best fucking music I ever heard in my entire life.
The fact that they are gonna come on my show now - tells me I'm doing something right with my life. They have pretty much been one of the most consitent elements in my life.
It makes me so happy, I'm not even sure anyone will ever FULLY understand just HOW much their music means to me.
Honestly - i feel like i just won the lottery.

I had to share this.
I'll write more later :)

hearts and farts,

Dan