The prospect of not having to don corporate casual in a mere two weeks time has the fashion-obsessed chunk of my brain spinning through wild wardrobe-planning subroutines under and around all of my usual activity. Much as I continue to love Victorianna and the Gothic Lolita aesthetics, it's deeply frustrating to have a wardrobe full of stuff that I can't usually wear, unless I want to put up with weird looks, muted boyfriend concern and a steady volley of "what are you wearing" questions - which are fine and all, but a little tedious, given that the only proper response is "clothing, what are you wearing?".

At times like these, a lady's longings to turn deconstruction. Curious & artful, unique but not in a "urban attention seeker" sort of way, mature and playful: perfect, in other words.

Also, bloody expensive.

Which is a round-about way of noting that I've come across the AllSaints website, and am trying to puzzle around how they've assembled the skirt on the fabulous Bryony Hitch Dress.

I was mistaken: there's three weeks, not two, left on my current government contract. Lest you fear that I am joining the swelling ranks of the unemployed, be assured: I've already started my new job, doing marketing & promotions for UDON's Manga For Kids line.

As you can imagine, working two jobs has left me rather time-strapped over the past couple of months. Tunnel, light, etc.

Toronto gardening types: anyone want to come over in the next couple of weekends and help me figure out what to do with the meagre amounts of dirt in the ZubHaus back yard?

I am powerfully tired today, and officially two weeks from the end of my full-time contract with the provincial government, and trying very hard not to engage in any acts of career-limiting honesty during my remaining time, just in case I ever need to come grovelling back for employment again. It's making for a long week.

Distraction time!

Inspire me, now! (some really cool stuff - also some questionable stuff, but on balance, it's well curated)

Street Anatomy (medicine + art + design)

Invisible Red (covers some neat international advertising & contemporary art projects)

Urban Prankster (more indie-art-urban-hacking-inspiration)

Hel Looks (street fashion blog from Helsinki)

Itty Bitty Kitty Committee (because no links post is complete without catspam)

There's a casting call tomorrow afternoon for the Scott Pilgrim film: details are here, and we're thinking about meeting up around 2 pm. Anyone interested in coming along? You'll probably need to allot about 2.5 hours for transit there & back, plus the wait.

I have a handful of free passes for the Art Gallery of Ontario. The catch? They have to be used by this Thursday at the latest! Jim has a portfolio hand-in tonight, and I have my critique group on Tuesday, so we may go Wednesday after work. Your also welcome to snag them from me and go without us, since our plans are pretty tentative. This week is shaping up to be a bit crazy, schedule-wise.

Also: I am picking up tickets after work for the Edgar Wright double-bill, playing at the Bloor Cinema this Saturday. SHAUN OF THE DEAD & HOT FUZZ, director in attendance, $18 for both. The online service fee is crazy, so let me know by 4:30 pm today (via direct email, since I can't access Facebook at work!) if you want me to pick up tix for you as well!

Public Service Announcement: In case you haven't noticed, many banks and other financial groups are upping fees, adding new costs and otherwise changing around your existing service agreements these days. I highly recommend you carefully read through all documentation you get from such businesses, even marketing-styled stuff, if you'd like to avoid getting dinged with extra costs.

For example:

1. My Scotiabank Visa sent me an announcement that my cash-back rebate would be increasing on select purchases starting in April; buried in the fine print was the increase in annual fees (from $8 to $39) and a 2% hike in interest rates. Solution? I'll be cancelling my Visa before the new fees kick in. It's a back-up card anyway, and they've just made it more hassle than it's worth!

2. My TD Line of Credit is introducing a new $35/year inactivity fee, and upping the interest rate by 2% (noticing a trend?). Although I haven't used the line of credit in over three years, when I finished paying it off, it's still handy to have access to that extra $10,000 in emergency funds. Solution? Since there's no mimimum use required to avoid the inactivity fee, I'll be setting a regular calendar prompt to use my line of credit to the tune of one shiny dollah, once every 355 days (just to be on the safe side).

* * *

On a tangental note, Slacktivist makes an interesting argument for seeing creative billing profits as the primary business model for most large companies in this blog post.

On another tangental note, my cellphone is 8.5 years old. I gather that makes me a bit odd, but honestly, I don't see the point in upgrading: this one does everything I need a cellphone to do (voice and text communication, handy alarm function, fits in my pocket), and was paid off in full years ago. I can't be the only person who thinks upgrading a functional item is pointless, can I?

As mentioned by zubkavich, ZubHaus was hit by the Toronto blackout last night. We're both at work now, but as far as I can tell, there's still no power at home, which is a drag. We do have warm options for this evening, if worst comes to worst.

That said, I seem to be coming down with a cold of some kind, and I'd far prefer to do that at my own house. Hopefully Toronto Hydro will pull off repairs before we have to flee the city!

On an unrelated note, I am digging the Bloor Cinema's new Google Calendar feature. I use Google as my central organizing point and it's very handy to be able to add screenings to my own calendar with just a click or two.

I'd like to ask an Internet favor of y'all. Please go here and vote for 'Attack of the Redneck Mommy' as the Best Canadian Weblog 2008.

Why? Because the leading candidates right now is Ezra Levant, a conservative activist in favor of dismantling things like universal health care, minimum wage, subsidized tuition and public pension plans. I'd really like for him to not win, because winning a popularity contest like this sends a message that there's popular support for his opinions, most of which I personally find pretty reprehensible. Ezra Levant is the dude who gave up his elected seat to Stephen Harper, when Harper was elected leader of the Conservative Party, which alone merits a smack-down.

'Attack of the Redneck Mommy' is a fairly non-political blog, well-written and running second in the vote right now. Throwing votes behind her gives the best chance of knocking Levant off the top spot. Voting on the Canadian category is pretty low right now, so it shouldn't take much to have an impact.

You can vote once a day. Spread the word if you like, and thanks for your help!

From the 'Life is stranger than fiction' files:

Last night: Repo! The Genetic Opera screening.

Today: Man sues wife for return of donated kidney during divorce.

Caught up on my sleep last night, so I'm enjoying the pleasant sensation of not wanting to throw up from exhaustion today. Huzzah! I am now well-positioned to actually enjoy NYE, rather than grumping my way through the festivities.

( Random seasonal images )
Incidentally, if you are fond of Fluevog's Rococo or Teapots shoe lines, you might want to pick some up soon-ish. Store staff warned me they've been discontinued!

Work-safe retro pin-up glee. Somebody needs to take pics of thornleaf and prinsassy in this style.

In general, NebulaskiN's photostream is worth following on flickr - even her more conventional fashion shoots have a lovely quality to them, although she really shines with movement and creepy settings/moods.

Kate O'Brien's photostream is another great flickr find, if you prefer your pin-ups to be of the medieval or Victorian vintage. I'm really digging her Mark Ryden homage and the wide-eyed I Spy pieces.

Good news for booze-loving movie fans in Toronto: Cineplex Odeon is getting ready to serve alcohol in theatres at two locations, including the Yonge & Bloor Varsity. I'm surprised the article suggests the Bloor won't be going this route: the balcony would function well as a separate 19+ space, and it would play well with the audiences for their cult cinema screenings.

Things are good, but busier than I want them to be: I keep finding myself in the situation of not being able to stop and enjoy happy things as they happen because my schedule doesn't provide a decent chance to bask until days later. Which is, you know, not really a problem worth complaining about, so I won't!

Three things I have learned from reading through letters at Santa In The City:

1. Kids really love video games. Almost every single letter asks for a Wii, Playstation, or Nintendo DS. Cellphones, iPods and computers are also prevalent.

2. Except for 17 year-old Aleisha, who just wants books. Lots and lots of books.

3. I am a big sap.

If you're curious about foreign cinema, here's your chance to sample contemporary films from across Europe - for free! The European Film Festival is screening over 30 films during the next two weeks at the Innis College and Royal Cinema venues. They will likely hit you up for a donation at the door, but it's optional.

I'm potentially attending the following screenings:

The Art of Crying Tues Nov 25 @ 6 pm, Innis

DEFENDERS OF RIGA Wed Nov 26 @ 8:30 pm, Innis

WARDEN OF THE DEAD Thurs Nov 27 @ 6 pm, Innis

CARLO GOLDONI - VENICE GRAND THEATRE OF THE WORLD Sun Nov 30 @ 5 pm, Royal

Keystone Theatre Fundraiser @ Bloor Cinema, Nov 13
Tickets $15 advance, $20 at the door.

Dir en Grey @ Kool Haus, Nov 16
Tickets are $31 at Rotate This

Amanda Palmer @ Mod Club, Nov 30
Tickets are $20 + service fee

As a Canadian, there's been a certain frustrating helplessness in watching the American election process. I know who I would have voted for, and donated to, and volunteered on behalf of, if I was American. But I'm not. All I could do was hope from the sidelines, and hold my tongue while another country chose its next leader, even though that choice reverberates far beyond that country's borders.

And so today, I am so intensely grateful to everyone who was able to do more than hope. To the people who phonebanked and canvassed and donated and organized; to the people who poured their energy into making it happen, fragment by fragment, vote by vote.

Thank you.

Brett Marty's website has a fabulous collection of photos documenting their efforts, under "Surrogates and Supporters" and "Battleground States". If you're feeling good today, if the phrase President Elect Barack Obama makes you smile, I recommend checking it out, or stopping by a volunteer office (if you happen to be American) to thank them in person. These are the people who made it happen, and if things go well, they will be the vanguard who keep making it happen, who hold the new leadership to their word and who transform this opportunity into real results.

If I could buy you all an ice cream, I would.

The Art Gallery of Ontario is re-opening on Nov 14, and the first three days are free! Hours are:

Friday, November 14, 4 pm to 12 midnight
Saturday, November 15, 10 am to 12 midnight
Sunday, November 16, 10 am to 5:30 pm

I'm guessing Friday will be crazy - anyone interested in going on Saturday evening, however? A late-night gallery stroll sounds like fun, and I've been missing the Henry Moore room like crazy.

This Friday there's a fashion show at Savage - I'm supposed to be showing a few of my pieces, mainly the printed PVC stuff, and am in need of 3-4 models for the event. People who a) have modeled at Savage before (so you know how it works) and/or b) are around a size 6-8 (because that's the size of items I have on hand) would be ideal, but I can also tailor items to fit so long as I have measurements by Wednesday. I don't have the schedule yet, but I imagine the run-through would be around 9 pm and the show itself at either 11 pm or midnight. Leave a comment here or email me at stacykingATgmail.com if you're interested & available!

I've been sewing up a storm the past few weeks in preparation for the Bazaar of the Bizarre, which takes place this Sunday from 11 - 6 pm at 6 Noble Street, near Queen West & Dufferin (map to location, event flyer). The theme for the show appears to be Spats & Cravats, as that's what I had a yen to create, along with baby blankets, some printed vinyl items, gothy kid's dresses and some other odds & ends. The show should be fun, and the RSS is offering free delivery of items within Toronto for folks who are participating in the Zombie Walk, so you don't have to shuffle and carry stuff at the same time! The list of vendors is pretty great and admission is free, so please stop by if you're around.

There's also a contest to win a $30 gift certificate from the Cadillac Lounge (for brunch on Sunday) plus $20 in RSS Money (good for any item at the Royal Sarcophagus Society booth). To enter the contest, send your name, phone number & email to christine@therss.com . Contest closes today (Oct 17)!

One of my ongoing interests is the vast capacity people have to spout ridiculous ideas as if they were fact: Proctor & Gamble is run by Satanists, John McCain is a Mancurian Candidate for the Vietcong, a magical Sky Fairy watches everyone's every move, aliens have secretly been visiting our planet for decades, and so on.

One of the more insightful books I've read on the topic was Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. There's a pretty good overview of the book here and the first chapter is available online here.

On a related note, Fred Clarke over at Slativist has a two-part breakdown (part one, part two) of how this issue played out with the aforementioned Proctor & Gamble rumour, which touches on "why people get angry when you send them that Snopes link debunking their latest dumb email chain letter".

What's interesting to me about Clarke's analysis is his insistence on the responsibility of the people involved for their part in circulating information which they know to be untrue, and his insistence that they can not possibly believe what they are claiming. Richard Dawkins makes the same point every time he directly asks a religious individual whether or not they *genuinely* believe the dogma they've just spouted off. I've generally felt that people spewing this sort of nonsense were morally neutral by reason of reality distortion, but the suggestion that, beneath the cognitive dissonance, most people are aware of what they're doing when they embrace and propigate these lies is an interesting avenue to consider.