War & Occupation Protest

I went to the war & occupation protest at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday. I took some video of the speakers and some photographs, and thought I'd share their message.

I went there thinking it was going to be a Ron Paul meet up, wanting to get some bumper stickers or a t-shirt, and found these guys instead.

I was very sad to see the number of people completely ignoring the protesters, but I was really inspired by the words some of the speakers, especially the ex us militant.



I do have to make one comment about one of the photographs I took of one of the signs. It said "Zionism = racism". This is a bit of a touchy subject for me. There is a lot of history there, and I do believe the Jewish people need to have a homeland of some sort. Theres a lot of black, white and gray with this topic - but something I wanted to point out.

But check out the website of the protest organizers, theres definitely a lot of love and care there. Also have a look at the story of Alison Bodine, its sure to give you an angle on where our government is heading.

Peace and love
Jordan

Dreams from the Past

We all have had dreams that we never forget. Even if its a glimpse or just a flash of it. There are some that haunt us our entire lives, and some that we try to figure out the meaning of years after having dreamt. I have had many that stuck with me over time; many nightmares, a few awkward moments, some magical adventures, and lots of women.
Now usually when you dream of the opposite sex, you hardly ever remember what that person looked exactly, even right after waking up. And most times you don't even remember the dream at all. But when I was very young, I had a dream that never left my mind. It started out with me in a swimming pool outside a mansion somewhere in California. There were palm trees, the water was bright blue and warm, and all the colours were extremely vibrant. Then a beautiful woman in a classic 1950's bathing suit swam up to me. A brunette with her hair in a head cap, bright red lipstick, huge eyes, and a perfect smile. She was like a goddess. I remember not wanting to take up, because it felt like heaven. This woman I had created in my mind has been the epitome of allure, elegance, and beauty ever since. We went on to swim together, until another man came along. He was after her. I remember feeling the jealously completely flood my body, and I started to fight him for her right in the water. We dragged each other to the bottom of the pool, where it turned into the bottom of the ocean. We struggled for a while until I finally able to defeat him, and I was able to give a hug to the girl before I woke up. I remember waking up and lying in bed for the longest time. I knew I would never forget it.

I'm writing about this dream because a few months ago I was doing some casual channel surfing on a lazy evening, and I came across this one channel with these same vibrant colors I had in my dream all those years ago. So I continued to watch...

MY ENTIRE DREAM WAS PLAYED OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME

Everything. The pool that turned into the ocean. The colors. The warmth. The guy. The GIRL. It blew my mind! I didn't know if I was just dreaming again, or if I was caught in some weird twilight zone. I felt dizzy, sick and very zen all at once. It was as if I was in a state of deja vu that I couldn't escape.

The movie was On An Island With You starring Esther Williams. Now I don't know if I fell asleep while watching this movie with my grandparents, or if it was a vision from a past life. I have no idea. But it is one of the strangest things that I have ever encountered. I couldn't just sit and let this crazy phenomenon just pass me by. I had to do something. So the only thing I could think to do was write a letter to Mrs. Williams explaining everything. The next day I looked up her address and did just that, trying to sound as normal as I possibly could. But I had to keep it genuine at the same time. Now if you're not familiar with Esther Williams - here are some clips:






She was also an icon for for many military soldiers in the 1950's. View clip here

Now I've never written to a celebrity before. I find it to be a very strange thing to do actually. Makes me think of stalkers. But I couldn't NOT do it. I held my letter for a few days before I finally worked up the courage to send it. I knew it sounded completely crazy, but I figured that she probably wouldn't end up reading it anyways - so I figured: what the hell? I told her that I had never heard of her before I saw her on TV the day before. I also wrote that I didn't expect her to respond, and that I simply just wanted her to know about my experience. But today - to my amazement - I got a response. In a large yellow bubble envelope Esther Williams sent me a signed vintage photograph from the very same movie I dreamt of her in. She must have gone through some trouble to get it too, cause it is a VERY old photo. Usually I think they send out new reproduced copies, but this even has the official studio stamp on the back. It was really unexpected, and totally made my day.

I feel as if I wrote a letter that was sent to past, and she was able to reply to the future.

I will cherish this photo forever.




Thanks Esther!

Peace and love

Jordan

Mirror Photos

There is an illness on the internet. Not a virus, but a human illness. This epidemic has hit everyone with access to a digital camera. I'm talking about mirror photos. They're everywhere! Some done with taste, most not so much, some just make you say "what were they thinking?". But what impulses everyone to take so many pictures in their mirrors? I know I'm very guilty of taking a few myself. But what is it that we see in the mirror that we can't shoot by flipping the camera around or turning the timer on? Do people just enjoy taking photos in the bathroom? Or is there a side of us through the looking glass that we want people to see? Are these photos used to make memories? Or are they more just used to show off the goods(or most cases the not so goods)?

This plague of photo taking has come along through the popularity of photo rating sites, attention seekers, insecure chumps and bimbos, and the lack of knowledge of camera timers.

Here are some examples:
(I took these right after a shower, so don't mind the hair)

First we have the "check out mah bling"


the "still trying to figure out how this damn camera works"


the "emo"


the "check out my sexy outfit"


the ever popular "kissy face"


the even more popular "retarded kissy face"


and don't forget the "retarded kissy face with a check out my sexy outfit and pose"


the "thanks for the present but I don't really like it smile"


the "idiot who takes a photo of himself only to block out his face entirely with his camera"


the "this only angle that makes me look thin"


the "guy just trying to get himself in the frame"


the "check out my ass in this awkward pose, which also, usually comes with a retarded kissy face""


the "don't mess with me"


the "morons who use their flash only to expose their filthy bathroom mirror and hide face"


the "wake n' mirror pic"


the "guy whose afraid of his camera" or the "evil villain who someday plans to take over the world and has nobody to take a photo of him because nobody likes him" or the "evil villain who someday plans to take over the world and has nobody to take a photo of him because nobody likes him who is afraid of his camera"


the "nervous and naked"


the "confident and naked"


the "don't i look like a happy person? DON'T I?? I'm having a great time over here alone in my bathroom, I think you should know that! YAAAYY!!!"


the "look at what i have" (in which case a woman would be showing her breasts while covering her nipples with one arm across)


the "hidden camera trick"


the "naked British pedophile"


the "look I'm goofy, and so random...cause randomness is whats in and hip....and sticking my finger up my nose is quite random....dont you think?......you see....isn't it funny?"


the "extreme fish face"


the "guy who forgets to try to smile"


and last but certainly not least...

the "check out my hot body as I flex my non existent muscles and pop every vain in my forehead"



So I hope the next time you, or someone you love, decide to put your mirror pic on the net, that you take a good look at it. Look long and hard. Ask yourself, "should I really expose the world to this?".

Remember, they aren't memories, they're self portraits.

I'd like to thank the following photos for inspiring this blog:

*Let it be known that I found each of these AFTER I took the photos of myself

Peace and love

Jordan