SOCIAL COMBUSTION

ALLEGEDLY AMERICAN APPAREL?

BUSTed by BEETLE

I own a ridiculous amount of american apparel clothing. I own several of the same things in a variety of colors. It's kind of how i roll... i mean, why mess with a good thing? If you know that you love their T's  and sweaters... why not own it in 98439 different colors? 

It's crazy to see how popular it has become, it really has become a fashion sensation. Here are some facts about American Apparel (thanks to www.americanapparel.net )

	American Apparel operates largest garment factory in the U.S.
	We are vertically integrated, eliminating the use of sewing subcontractors and offshore labor
	We employ more than 10,000 employees worldwide
	We have experienced rapid sales growth, reporting $545 million in total sales in 2008
	We exported sales of more than $200 million in 2008
	Our first retail store opened in 2003, we now have over 260 stores worldwide in 19 countries.

Wow, impressive. I am a pretty lazy shopper, and american apparel is usually a pretty quick shopping fix for me. due to their marketing and such, i was pretty confident that i was reducing my carbon footprint in some way, shape or form by shopping there. Since they are such advocates for 'green' and 'gay's... i was pretty happy about my purchases. however, in the last couple of months... american apparel has been making waves in the media as being completely un-green, un-greencarded, un-attractive and un-deraged? woah man, back that shit up.

it was reported in the beginning of September that AA's new ad campaign featured a semi-nude 16 year old girl. The campaign was featured in the UK for a brief amount of time before being pulled. It contained 6 images of a young girl, three of which she was bare-chested. AA responded that the model was in-fact 23 years old and only appeared to be severely underaged... YEAH OKAY. in my opinion, the girl doesn't look a day over 14... let alone 16. And regardless, the point of their campaign was clearly to cause a stir. They wanted to get under people's skin by sexualizing a seemingly underage girl. MISSION ACHIEVED. personally, i think it is a pretty classic AA campaign... sans nipples. The campaign's 3 semi-nude pictures were pulled, the remaining 3 images are still shown in the UK.

Secondly, good 'ol AA and their green ways has been failing to check green cards... allegedly. Over 1600 employees have been let go because they have been deemed 'illegal' to work in the states... ouch. talk about budget reduction. My favorite asshole, Dov Charney, American Apparel's CEO has stated that any of the employees who got laid off will be given preference for rehiring once they get their shit in line. geeeee, thanks Dov. (let's not forget to mention that this layout encompasses 10% of their workforce!!!)

It's no secret... you don't get hired at American Apparel unless you are an anorexic hipster. Nooooo secret. Basically... if you don't meet the self-dubbbed "AA Aesthetic" you don't get any game. Well. Now Charney is asking stores to send in a group photo so that he can see if 'unattractive' employees are harming the stores. Ouuuuch. I mean, we have all heard of his explotives with young females in the AA work force... but firing people over 101 lbs? come on now... don't be a douchebag.

I have to say... after being an avid american apparel shopper for a number of years... I cant help but let this leave a bit of an un-savoury taste in my mouth. I don't really like scandal. Will i continue to shop there? Yup. 

If you want to learn more about American Apparel and Dov the Douche, check out this video:

Photo credit to: www.cocoperez.com

American Apparel facts: www.americanapparel.net

SOCIAL COMBUSTION

DUDE, WHY DO YOU DRIVE A CAR? SERIOUSLY!?

ComBUSTed by MsHighMaintenance

You are driving along, and the driver in front of you is just driving you CRAZY. You begin to wonder “How on earth did this person EVER get their license?” Here are the top ten things that just drive everyone crazy when they are out on the road!

Hey have you heard of the speed limit? Whenever you are in a rush, and are in a (for example) 60 km/hr zone, the driver in front of you insists on going at a speed of 40. You know you are very pressured for time, and if you could just maybe go around 65 you would definitely meet your deadline. However, this person driving ahead clearly has an undiagnosed phobia of acceleration, and the outcome of this event is: you are late – VERY late

Put the cell phone DOWN. Sometimes everyone needs to make an emergency call while they are on the road, but the unnecessary twenty minute conversations... they HAVE to go. Some memorable moments I can refer to are when you get cut off at the very last second because someone needs to turn left, but they were so involved with their phone conversation they completely forgot where they were going. Another time this happened was someone turned their signal light on by accident, and drove with it on for the next seven blocks. You try to honk at these people to warn them they are doing something wrong, and instead you get the finger. Can you ever win?

Oh my ears. Just because you think your music is REALLY cool does not mean the entire neighbourhood wants to hear it! Playing your music at a reasonable volume not only saves you your hearing for when you are seventy, but when the ambulance or police is coming through, you might not hear them. Another thing which is annoying is when you have your music turned up, at two in the morning, while driving through a residential area. Can anyone say wake-up call?

Hold your horses! Whenever you are driving down the highway with a speed limit of let us say, 100, and you are breaking the rules by going 120, there is always someone who can STILL beat you. You have to stop and wonder what kind of rush they are in that they are willing to go that fast? I am sure the cops will not care?

Hi, you keep staring at me, can I help you? You are sitting in a huge line of traffic, and the guy who has pulled up next to you keeps looking at you. You know when you are staring at someone, and when they notice, you look away? Some people don’t! And then comes the creepy smile. Seriously... take a picture it might last longer!

For slower traffic, keep right. This means business! If you want to follow the speed limit, or possibly below it, get out of the left lane! These people have a deadline to meet, and you are kind of being a road block. Learn to read, and then follow the rules.

Use the crosswalk, please and thank you! Just because you think it is my duty to stop for all pedestrians, you have designated cross walks and side-walks you are supposed to be using! Do not run out in the middle of the street especially when I am going at full speed! I might see you this time, but next time I am sure you will pay the price. I am definitely not the one who will be suffering from scratches, burns and broken bones!

You did NOT just do that. The stupid kids that stand on the side of the road during the winter and throw snowballs at your car will get caught one day! Same with the ones who throw eggs. You might think you are getting away with it, but oh man; drivers will team up and take you down sooner than you would think!

Personal bubble, please! Everyone who thinks tailgating is a good idea, I have news for you: You are wrong! Quite honestly, you are not going to get there any faster if you drive closer behind the person in front of you. But to those of you who are being tailgated, here is a quick tip: Slam on your breaks. Your car might be in a bit of damage but it is not like you will be paying for the repairs! And the insurance of the person who did it will go sky rocketing. Sound like fun, don’t you think?

I cannot believe this even happened! So this one technically is not a pet peeve, but it was a pretty horrible thing. As I am driving down the street, a motorcycle had pulled out behind me and started following quite closely. His lights were also shining into my rear view mirror, creating an awkward glare which was quite blinding. I am already going a little faster than I should be, but I decided to speed up just a bit more to get away from this sketchy driver behind me. A few seconds into this, the car behind me turns on their red and blue lights. It was the cops. I had gotten tricked into speeding... can you even imagine that? Luckily I got off easy, but wow was that an experience I will never forget!

DISMANTLING THE BAND

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SYNTH!

disMANTled by beeTle

A couple of years ago my best friend and i were cruising myspace for new tunes and we stumbled across a little indie girl from Canada with an adorable smile and a kick-ass synth. LIGHTS, based out of Toronto, is a cornucopia of bubble-gum pop, fun indie-synth riffs and lyrics that you can't stop singing in the shower. 

She started out writing tunes for Sony in 2005... then began to capitalize on her own talent. Very shortly, LIGHTS became one of myspace's top viewed unsigned artists, getting thousands of hits everyday, with very little effort. Today, with over 16,000,000 plays and 9,000,000 page views, I don't really think that one could argue that she has truly become a Canadian sensation. Since her first physical EP was not released until 2008 LIGHTS, in my opinion, has really showed how an artist can grow and expand their fan basis simply via an online social media outlet. 


When we first found LIGHTS, one of the tracks on her myspace, "Casanova", won us over. For those who haven't heard it, it's pretty much a 'fuck you' break up song. 

"Don't Casanova me, I'm over you; it's over obviously". 

It's a great song that I must have listened to 343234 times on repeat through my first high-school breakup. I mean, come on... what girl hasn't been Casanova'd?! HELLO HEATH LEDGER?! Throughout the years, LIGHTS has moved onto more heart-filled songs such as "Drive my Soul" and "February Air". Which I also have lots of love for... I don't really care to confess how many times I have cranked "Drive my Soul" while driving alone in my car... (Take a look at my ipod's top 25 tracks and you might get an indication...LOL)

The best part about LIGHTS is she is actually as adorable and sweet in person as she seems. I have had the pleasure of meeting her several times at various Skate4Cancer events as well as when she toured here in January. She is a genuine human being with a real appreciation for what she has. I think that is super rad to see considering she is a young girl with alot of talent, it annoys me to see people take advantage of that. 

This Juno award winning Pop sensation won me over years ago and continues to impress me with her new material. Her live show is tight with a tangible amount of  energy and fun. "The Listening", due out near the end of September will be her first full-length release. (She has had two EPs, "Lights EP" and "Saviour EP") I can honestly say that I like what I have heard thus far and cannot wait to get my hands on the new album.

Check out the brand-spankin' new vid for the first single off of her up-coming album:

"Saviour" Music Video

Anyways, check out her myspace: myspace.com/lights and see why this young Canadian is heating up the charts all across north-america. 

Lights, darling, i wish you the very best of luck. And please, keep rocking the headbands.

FILMSYNTHESIS

GAMER PWNS. SRSLY L33T.

sYNTHesized by black0pz

Everyone has played video games in their life, most of them being shooter games of sim(ulation)s. Gamer takes this to a whole new level with their introduction of “Slayers” a FPS (first person shooter) game where you take control of a living being and shoot the crap out of other player controlled humans. Sounds fun eh?

So basically Gerard Butler (Leonidas-300, Phantom – Phantom of the Opera) totally kicks ass, or at least the player the controls him does. In the opening gaming scene he headshots like every person in the fricking server, so its full of action, as well as some Laugh out Loud gaming references that probably made the person behind me cast evil bolts of resentment into the back of my rofl’ing head. Gerard plays his character well, like most cinematics that he is in he plays the badass protagonist who is misunderstood and secretly loves under his spray on abdominal exterior.

Michael C. Hall plays the seemingly redneck genius that is Ken Castle, the creator of Slayers and Society (his sims-like game). He is obviously the antagonist of the story, who basically pwns Bill Gates and Blizzard on the sole reason that you can have sexual relations with people instead of resorting to /kiss command and getting turned on by removing armour. Anyways, Castle is a total D-bag in the regard that he does some pretty fucked up shit to Kabel (Gerard) for the sole reason that...well he doesn’t really have a reason.

The movie is a great and entertaining show, it has action for the men, some love for the ladies and some Lawl-able gaming references. I give it 8.5 frags out of Ten, the points being deducted because of the length of the film (run time being about an hour and a half) Ludacris’ role was distracting and could have been casted better, and the incredibly obese male gamer who controls Kabel’s wife and does naughty things with creepy men...ya that was hella disturbing. I couldn’t help but feel guilty at wanting to play Slayers after the movie, but then turned off by the thought of a “female” T-bagging me  

      Quotes:

      “ Awe, he’s fucking T-Baggin’ him!” – Random Gamer on Voice Chat

      “Oops..” – Random Techy working for Castle

AUDIO DECONSTRUCTION

Brendan Benson is Back!

deCONstructed by atlantictiger

Cult power-pop genius is finally on the radar with My Old, Familiar Friend

To say that Nashville-based Brendan Benson was overlooked for 10 years is a bit of an understatement. In those collective 10 years, he released three bouncy, yet melancholy power-pop albums that could have possibly sold like hot cakes. Turns out one of his good friends, a man by the name of Jack White, made it huge in the alt-rock community of Detroit, where they were both originally based.

White teamed up with Benson in 2006 to create The Raconteurs, with fellow Greenhornes buddies Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Naturally, the focus was all on White, since he was the main who coined the infamous jam on everyone’s iPod entitled “Seven Nation Army”. People began to research the other members in the band, and Benson began to gain popularity, but White still seemed to be the shining star of the prog-rock Raconteurs.

Now that White has united with his fellow bandmate Lawrence, Raconteurs/Queens of the Stone Age guru Dean Fertita, and Alison Mosshart of the Kills to create the Dead Weather, Benson is free to be on his own and finally release his anticipated fourth album, My Old, Familiar Friend. Fans of “BB” definitely think it was long overdue.

A few of his demos that leaked in 2006 made it onto the album – the pulsing, building “Feel Like Taking You Home”, the synth-driven “Gonowhere”, and the piano/guitar jam “Poised and Ready”. All three have interesting, almost story-like lyrics that make you actually want to listen what he has to say, which is definitely a trait that most artists wish they could covet. In fact, all of Benson’s tracks are lyrically driven, put together with solid rhymes and strangely tolerable woes about losing the girl. One particular track, “Garbage Day”, featuring a Motown-style beat and disco-tinted strings, has Benson promising that he won’t mind digging through the love of his life’s garbage bin to fish out her trashed heart.

At first listen, the album may appear almost cheesy, but after a few rotations, you’ll find you can’t stop humming the tunes and mumbling the words. After all, Brendan Benson’s got a way with hooks – musically and lyrically. Hopefully this is the record that publicly sets him apart from Jack White and allows him to be the leading man for a change.

FILMSYNTHESIS

"9": LITTLE BIG PLANET ON ACID

sYNThesized by theRealist

So tonight I had the privilege of going to see the premiere of the movie, "9" produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov and directed by Shane Acker. First and foremost, this movie was NOT written by Tim Burton, and this is a very important detail. Shane Acker wrote the story which was then transformed into the screenplay by Pamela Pettler.

If you don't know anything about the movie then I'll let you know in a nutshell that it's about a post-apocolyptic world (which seems to be every movie nowadays. we are seriously obsessed with our own demise as a species. anyways.) where robots have taken over, and the only living creatures left are small bean-bag people who have no names, only numbers, which refer to the time they were created.

The visual effects of "9" are stunning. The animation is beautiful and fluent throughout the whole movie, and the ideas behind some of the robot creatures and characters are impressive. The machines are made up of parts that are left scattered around in the debris, giving us a couple really interesting looking monsters. A pterodactyl with a fan as a propeller, a cat creature with a robotic body but a cat's skull as a head and the creepiest of them all was a snake like creature that looked like a burlap sack. It opened itself up to show a doll's head with pincers and spider like limbs. The bad guys definitely kicked some serious ass in the movie.

But the good guys didn't fall far behind. Elijah Wood voiced "9" who is the most standard of all the bean-baggers, as I shall now refer to them. John C. Reilly voiced "5" who was a quirky character who'd lost an eye, which when asked about he replied, "I like it better this way. It lets me focus on one thing at a time." Finally the last main character, I would say, would have been "7" voiced by Jennifer Connelly. She shows up shortly into the beginning of the movie and kicks some serious ass, which continues throughout the rest of the film. Her character is a little bit more white than the rest of the bean-baggers and she constantly wears what looks like an old birds skull over her face as a warriors mask.

Now on to the actual story. My biggest complaint with the film was that it moved much too fast. The run time was only seventy nine minutes, which would have been fine, had the creators not tried to cram a ton of information in to said time slot. It felt as if there were no lead up, and that everything was just happening one after the other, with very little time for explanation, if there was any at all. I also found the voice acting between Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly horrible, which was sad because Jennifer Connelly is usually great. I am deciding not to blame her, but to blame the writing instead, as there was horrible, HORRIBLE dialogue a few key times throughout the film. Things like, "No! Don't! Go! In! There!" Screamed in a very soap opera-esque fashion. It didn't surprise me that Elijah Wood's voice acting sucked though, because he sucks as a whole. He ruined Lord of the Rings, but that's a different story all together. His voice never seemed to match the scene and his character was way too dramatic, again, chalked up to poor writing, but also to shitty acting on Mr. Wood's part. Loser.

In saying that the movie was too short I should add though, that this was a problem for me ONLY because I thought they could have gone so much deeper with the story line. Not to make anyone out there sound dumb, but 90% of the movie will go over your head if you don't pay attention. There's talk of souls, and talismans and things I can't even remember because they came at me so fast, that I didn't have time to process them.

The movie also brings up a lot of philosophical and theological points. Each of these little bean-bag men are a part of one human's soul, broken up and transfered into nine little people, which obviously brings religion into play. Then there is also the talisman, which is regarded by many cultures as an amulet or something similar that protects you from evil spirits. This is what separates this movie from what everyone thought it was going to be like, or so I believe. It is hard to use religion in modern movies, but it seemed like the idea of a soul being split into nine pieces and transfered via a talisman into bean-bag men was somehow a little more tangible. It seems a bit crazy to me, but it would have worked had they just expanded more on their ideas. Philosophically we are faced with the questions about life after death, (which of course could also be looked at theologically) and on our own existence as a species.

So many mediums these days display our own destruction, which bothers me on a severe level. It's like when someone tells you that if you keep talking like that it's going to come true. We are fascinated by a world, barren of human life, devoid of any living, breathing creature. We want comets to hit, we want earthquakes and tsunamis and we most definitely want global warming to kill us all. That's how movies portray it anyway. But "9" has a different message, one that I actually liked because I share the same outlook.

The brain invented that causes all the problems in the first place, is a giant robotic computer that is initially meant for good, that is until the US government gets their hands on it. Needless to say, you've all seen Terminator at least once. The scientist warns in a message that mankind is slowly crafting their own demise, which I enjoyed hearing, especially since I knew there were little kids all over the theater going, "Wtf?" in unison. The overall movie had a feeling of hope and promise, but also a warning of danger, but through a much different medium than a movie like, "The Day After Tomorrow," where they just show everything going to shit and well, life sucks, get over it.

Alright, so, all in all I would have to say that this was an incredible movie, IF you are wanting to watch something that is going to make you think. It's not a movie that is difficult to understand, but more-so a movie that causes you to question a lot of things in life, and think a lot more about the world around us, while enjoying some cool little bean-bag action fights between extremely wicked robot creatures. I just have to reiterate that the voice acting between Jennifer Connelly and Elijah Wood is pretty bad in parts, borderline terrible, but John C. Reilly pretty much makes up for it, as do some of the other characters. Also take in to account the time constraint on the movie, and the fact that once you've seen it you will understand what I mean about the fact that it most definitely could have been extended well into a two hour movie, which would have truly made this an epic film.

I would still recommend going to see it when it comes out next wednesday, Sept. 9th. (09.09.09 Get it?)

DISMANTLING THE BAND

WHO IS INCURA? 

DISmantled by t-rex

Vancouver based quintet Incura formed in the winter of 2005 in Southern Alberta and has since garnered serious attention from the press and audiences alike. The word "genre" thrown around to categorize bands is rarely applied to Incura, as they cross between numerous styles and take influence from every musical moment they hear.

Incura has never been subject to the confines of any single musical style or genre and their live performances are always met with critical acclaim.

Lead vocalist Kyle Gruninger was born to perform on the stage. Involved in hundreds of performances as a jazz theater actor and choral singer, his unique operatic tenor voice gives the group a biting distinction that separates Incura from all the other bands. His idol and largest influence on style is the great Freddy Mercury of "Queen" and playwrights such as Andrew Lloyd Webber. Kyle is the unique front man and face of Incura who is the driving force and unforgettable operatic performer that leads this band.

Kyle is backed by a very talented band that draws out the complex metal framework that is Incura:

Jim McLaren (keyboardist, samples and bandleader) is a music theory master who holds a degree in Physics and Music Education who also plays guitar, Chapman stick and bass at a studio level. Jim scores all the ideas of the songwriting process in the studio and assumes the role of the bandleader during rehearsals. On stage he takes on the role of the stage director of the band and has the central role of triggering all the samples and effects that add the required layers to the show. He is also in charge of the behind-the-scenes electronics such as the click track and the other important roles that make the show the musical experience that it is.

Gatlin Fitzgerald (guitarist) is the principal composer of Incura who draws inspiration from Japanese composers and animation. Gatlin spends hours tirelessly in his room creating the demos that become Incura songs and cites Final Fantasy musical composer Nobuo Uematsu as his principal influence. He is known for changing between multiple tunings frequently and crafting melodic riffs (many of which take years to develop and perfect). Gatlin is always recording demos and has an archive of hundreds of scratch tracks that will eventually form the next Incura record.

Jon "Jono" Olson (bassist) has an unforgettable stage presence as one who weaves in and out of all the complex time signatures and tempo changes effortlessly. Jono and Gatlin have been a songwriting duo since he first picked up the bass, giving the two the tightness and solidarity impossible to find in other groups. A noted perfectionist in the studio and in rehearsal, Jono is always listening very closely to every piece and making positive that every bass drum note and guitar harmony is perfectly in sync.

Phil Gardner( Drummer) holds the role of meshing all the different styles together and hammering out the time signatures to give the songs fluidity and rhythm. This is no trouble for the drummer who is highly skilled in the areas of hip hop, rock, metal, funk, reggae, and latin. Playing since the age of two, Phil's musical influences include drummers Carter Beauford and Tony Royster Jr. Marching band is where his inspiration and ideas come from and why he is praised for his precision, stick control, rudiments, and self-discipline when writing and performing.

These five talented individuals are no strangers to the studio setting, having recorded numerous studios demos such as "A Way Out" (2003, Tonesmith Studios, Lethbridge, Alberta) and "Is Everyone Ready to Face what we are Fighting For?" (2005, Sundae Sound Studios, Calgary, Alberta).

2007 marked the release of their debut effort "Swords.Souls.Secrets" recorded at the acclaimed Greenhouse Studios with producer Jay Evjen (Hot Hot Heat, Wide Mouth Mason, Todd Kerns) in Vancouver, Canada.

2009 release “The lost Ep” marks a stepping stone for INCURA. With powerhouse music industry veterans, such as producers Brian Howes (Hinder, Hedley) and Jeff Dawson (State of Shock, Daniel Powter), The mixing magic of Mike Fraser ( Metallica, AC/DC) INCURA's latest efforts are proving to exceed all industry expectation.

In August of 2008, INCURA won the coveted CFOX SEEDS 2008 Platinum award sponsored by Vancouver's top rock radio station CFOX. INCURA beat out over 5000 bands to reach this goal and with this honour, was awarded an opening slot with Sloan and Stone Temple Pilots among other industry advantages.

With management through “Coalition Entertainment” (Finger eleven, Our Lady Peace) and “The Agency Group” backing this 5 piece rock act, they're ready to take on anything that is placed in their path.

A favourite in their current town of Vancouver, an Incura show is always filled with fans who can't seem to get enough of their unique live performance as well as seasoned musicians taken a back by a performance with such high emphasis on musical complexity and style mixing. Deemed "operatic metal" or "math rock" by critics, no genre will entrap Incura as every future recording and performance will keep audiences and critics guessing.

Instrumentation

Kyle Gruninger - Vocals

Jim McLaren - Keys

Jon Olson - Bass

Gatlin Fitzgerald - Guitar

Phil Gardner - Drums

Discography

INCURA EP - is everyone ready to facewhat we're fighting for?

2005

INCURA FULL LENGTH - SWORDS.SOULS.SECRETS

2007

99.3 THE FOX SEEDS 2008 Complation CD-Platinum winners INCURA

"The lost Ep"

2009 

SOCIAL COMBUSTION

BACK ON THE BUS

bLOWn out by DizzyDose

I handed over the keys to my car yesterday, so today I find myself, "Back on the Bus."  Not a horrible thing, but a somewhat inconvenient.  A normal 30 minute drive to work has transformed into an hour and 20 min average bus ride with 2 transfers.  Although lots of the day is now taken by public transit, it’s probably a good thing considering my road rage was getting to an epic high of screaming at and flipping the bird to other drivers. Lets be honest, 98% of the people on the road are complete and utter idiots who don’t belong behind the wheel.  Also on the plus side besides reduced idiot stress, I think I'll be getting a lot more reading done.  I miss reading and listening to my iPod.  Exciting fun, the bus finally gave me an excuse to update my iPod, something that hadn’t been done for about 4-5 months.

Anyways finding myself back on the bus, the lady that sat beside me on the 1st bus literally smelled like a nasty fart.  How do these people not notice these things?  I really hope when I'm old, I don't completely lose my sense of smell and can still take care of myself.  Kinda sad, at the same time she did look well enough and not to the point of being decrepit old so she couldn't take care of herself... So really, the question still stands.

At the 1st transfer, some other lady started bitching about how the bus waited until it was actually in the bus loop to drop customers off because she missed her transfer.  My advice to her is: catch the bus that runs 10min earlier; maybe a little harsh but, in all sincerity, logical if nothing else.

How is it that some select few bus riders think we form some sort of secret society that bonds us all together?  There seems to be no form of boundary with half the people on the bus for conversations with complete strangers.  It’s can range from being angry at the bus drivers, to the government, to aliens watching from above, to work, to personal problems etc.  I don’t know you… talk to someone who does and who cares.  Unless you’re crazy and talking about aliens and the government conspiring to read your thoughts and the chips they implant in us while we’re sleeping, cause you’re amusing.

On a random note, seriously though, if I had known the 2nd bus would have taken as long as it did to come, I would have gotten a coffee.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, or the... You get the idea.

The rest of the bus ride to work was fairly uneventful and neutral smelling.  I can't wait till I get on one of the racing buses.  You know the ones where the driver flies down the road about 20-30 above the limit and then slam on the breaks so the passengers brace themselves for impact and the people waiting for the bus have to run half a block to where the bus finally stopped.

Break for a mind-numbingly eight hour shift then back to the bus.

So speaking of inconveniences, the 1st bus on the way home... 25min late.  When the driver finally pulled up, apparently I didn't look all that impressed and he gave me this cheeky 'Check it out, I'm here!' grin.  I understand that traffic can be bad, but when the 1st stop is only 3 stops before on a residential street with no traffic jams, how is a bus 25 freaking minutes late?  Later, we pick up a couple more passengers and the driver cheerily says, “Yeah I’m a little late hahaha.”  You don’t say?  This is the point I want to start calling him names, but if he’s going to be the usual driver, I don’t want karma kicking me in the ass when it’s winter, cold and wet and miserable.  Fingers crossed it was a one time thing, I suppose it’s unavoidable on transit sometimes.

The bus’ front is filled with a group of teenage boys, I forget how young teenagers are now, and how they think they own the world.  Wow, can I not wait till they get out of high school and mommy and daddy's place and start to figure out real life.  Although portraying the attitude with their body language and giggling (yes, teenage boys giggle), I have give it to the kids, they were pretty respectful of the bus and other people on it, in terms of keeping the volume down.  A pleasant rare exception.

Luckily by the time we actually pulled in to the buss loop, the 2nd bus (although not the one I usually take) hadn't left, and the driver was nice enough to wait for us to board before taking off.

Now on said 2nd bus, we encounter the couple with totally over the top pda's. Don't get me wrong, I fully support public displays of affection, in fact I've come to accept the fact that my boyfriend and I are that couple that's so cute it makes you sick... HOWEVER, we don't just completely make out with each other in public, eating each other's faces! Like seriously, wait till you get home or to a seedy-ass hotel!  I get a little kiss here and there, hand holding, maybe a little cuddle while sitting together but really, keep it pg people.  No one really wants to see you count each other's fillings with your tongues.  And if they do, do you really want that type of person watching you, logging the memory for when they get home for a little fun?  My first assumption, probably not… It’s pretty creepy.

Bus #3, at first seems a pretty normal bus ride, just a bit of a funky b.o. aroma.... Then I look at the window beside me and it appears that some has left little chunks of their lunch for others to view.

I understand sometimes people get sick, it's an unfortunate part of life... but considering there was none on the seat, and it didn't smell like vomit one would think this is a cleaning crew issue. I guess all I can say is 'ew'..

Until next time.