Deko-ze’s birthday is one of my favourite events to host, as hectic as events such as this may be it’s the urgency which keeps me going. This year his birthday was held at Footwork Bar & Afterhours on March 5^th, 2010 with Adam K, Mark Falco and Deko-ze on deck.

The night started off with me ensuring a film crew was organized who were coming to shoot for an upcoming documentary, but at 8pm it started to get hairy; my phone was ringing off the hook, texts were flying in to the sound of my “knock-knock” tone, emails poured in all wanting guest list. Read the full story

So there I was on public transit, the subway to be precise…feel the mood? I was just thinking how lucky I am that I don”t have to start and end my day eating this shit sandwich when, as the doors were closing, something caught my eye. Someone actually, I thought I’d just seen Shaun Proulx as the train pulled away. Which was a bit of shock for me because some of Shaun’s footwear is way too nice to be on the TTC, never mind the subway. “Oh well, sucks to miss the train,” I thought. “That’s what you get for running like a girl” is what a more hateful person would’ve said next but before I could think it…there was Shaun Proulx waiting at Bloor. I’d only just caught a glimpse of him but what I did see didn’t look out of breath or anything. In fact he looked pretty good and he had a hat on his head.

Which is a hard thing to pull off on transit. Tweens are mean is all I’m saying.

How did he do it? Did he hear what I was going to think and use his powers to beat me to Bloor so he could slap me like a girl? Wait, there he was again! Just as the train pulled to a stop, there was Shaun Proulx…again! It was like Children Of The Corn all over again, except gayer and in a pretty hat. Suddenly I knew what was going on. I was having a stroke. Yes, that’s it so to be kind, I got off the train to finish having my stroke out of everyone’s way and then the light of reason flooded in. Funny how it’s always florescent. Anyway, there in front of me was still Shaun Proulx, or what I had thought was Shaun. It was a billboard for one of TVtropolis’s fashion show. Hilarious! TVtropolis’s marketing had gotten together to have meetings, discussions and focus groups on just the right face to put on their new fashion show promo and after all the dust settled, it turns out that the best face use to promote fashion is Monsieur de la Proulx. There all the time. In the Village. The Face Of Fashion. Of course he is! But now that it’s official, we’ll probably have to start pronouncing his name Sade.

Kisses!

So there were two strikes against me. It was rush hour AND I had to get on the subway. Ugh. Not the greatest combo at the best of times but factor in my need to go North from Wellesley station, and you’ve just lined up all the ingredients for the greatest reality show never seen: When Commuters Go Wild! There I was on the northbound platform with 30 or so other TTCers as the third subway, packed to capacity (around the doors at least. What is wrong with you people? Push in!) without anyone else being able to get on. Nerves were raw. I get it. Chances are, no one had a great day. And when you bookend a “cattle drive” commute around that nugget of hate you call a job, you end up with a shit sandwich that bites back! So people were tense is what I’m trying to say when miracle of miracles, the next subway train had people getting off! A glimmer of light. Space! Hope! And then catastrophe.Apparently this angry white woman had had enough waiting on the platform for yet again another train, decided to push people onto the subway car to make room for her. Two of the people she pushed were black tweens. I’m sure that’s why Angry pushed them, not because they were black but because they were tweens, kids. Mind you, I wouldn’t push a tween these days. I read the papers, they’ll cut you! Anyway, it seems Angry gave the Bleens quite a push because the boy got hurt and his sister may have done some spitting, some of which may have made contact with Angry which did nothing to calm her mood. That was the line! Angry pushed the Subway’s alarm and f-bombed everyone’s ride home. As Angry exited the train to complain to the conductor, half the train came with her! The buzzards were circling. I’ve never seen so many strangers all turn on one person like that before. When Angry asked, with regards to being spit on, “what country are you from?!”, I thought it was over right there. People, no matter what colour, age or how they were dressed all started yelling at her. This one businessman looked like was about to throw down, “I’m half white, don’t pull that colour card on me!”. They were mad! If we’d been in the middle east, they’d have stoned her right then and there! Well finally the cops came and soon after the subway chimed (lovely sound) and everyone except Angry and the Bleens jumped back on the train. The doors closed and no one on my car said a word about it. “What the hell was that?” I asked myself. Will there be fines? Charges? A book tour? With a name like Angry And The Bleens, you don’t just walk away. Unless that’s what is was. A distraction, much needed by the people all focused on one thing…getting home. I know my subway experience seemed less problematic from that point on. Drama, love it or hate it, you never have far to go to find it. God Bless the subway and all who ride her!