June 24, 2009

Wow. What a day. Farrah Fawcett died. Then Micheal Jackson died. She so got shown up by a pretty boy.

Her hair her hair. I grew my hair long when I was 12, after years of my mom getting my hair permed. Then I went to get it curled, playfully like FF. Not that I would have admitted that then, or since, until now. But her hair was was good. My hair, was 1974 perm all over again in 1980 . Tight curls like my blue haired grandma; okay it was like my poodle. It took about 2 years to grow out, which is to say, get scraggly, then get cut off. By then FF and her girly look were passe for me. A passing phase into something a little darker.

By the time Micheal Jackson solo'd his way into my early 80s cultural self, I was all hard and defiant. Not so hard as to glue my mowhawk up or live only for dna or the pistols, but my bad self was current with the metal and full of enough defiance to label and ostracize most conventions. MJ was too embraced for me to like. And for me, now watching old video, it was weird. Not in the weird way most of society sees him. But he was too theatrical. Too coordinated, choreographed. It was all weird and story and dark.

I liked Jim Morrison who some would say is weird and story and dark. But MJ was little mj of the Jackson Five. I associate it with my parents and music tv and the 70s. Not my time. I still don't know why. Same reason I disliked Madonna. They did not represent me. I guess I was more Suzi Quatro or Heart, or wanted to be. Probably more Pat Benetar or Toronto or Darbie Mills.

I always joke that I use to beat up people who liked MJ or M. Funny hey? Maybe I scared myself into not liking it.

But i guess i had to create an 'other' to my love of questioning and experience. For me MJ was a poser and M was slightly stupid insincere mouthy girl. Not my goal in life at 15. Maybe mouthy.


One thing I always forget was that at the time, music videos were rare. Music was still via the radio and your friend's music collection. M & MJ made MTV and vice versa. But music on tv was relegated to late night and weekend specials. When cable came in, I was moving out. And 19 is not the time of planned budgets or even adequate income. No cable, no video.

Yet MJ probably spurred video like few others. And he lived until 50. And FF was 62. Not old. I have a theory. I think there was something in the water or at least in the hair product.

Invasive Species

A plant clinging to rocks at the edge of the Pacific ocean. A flowering succulent. Small, alone, yellow, green. Not where I expect to see a dry region plant. Not where I expect to see any plants. Algae maybe, on these rocky eruptions that get bashed by the wind, waves and sun. What could grow here?

Obviously this plant with flowers the colour of plastic can.
My horticulturist friend says it is invasive.
Invasive of what I ask? What would be here if not for it? To be honest, my friend is an old one. And he's crafty. It is possible he's yankin' my chain.

Scotch Broom is a real invasive species in my area. Local lore goes, the foreigners brought it. I tend to believe this. Its green is very green, juniper or cedar braid like spikes. Prolific yellow flowers that light up the bare brown earth of development or clearcuts. Their smell is even richer wafting through every ditch, green space and shoreline.

We have burning parties up and down the coastline and in the hills. Bring your kids, your grandad and your gloves. The local paper gives detailed instructions on how to kill this plant and rid our area of its seed. 'Cut below ground when not in flower,' under a moon, any moon wearing a red hat. By the looks of the broom this summer, our ritual needs greater interest.

Maybe we need greater awareness too. What's invasive?

My friend allegedly bought a Broom at a nursery in the same province but a few mountain ranges to the east. If it's invasive, is that legal? Knowing what I know here, it will spread. Is that bad? What happens?...
All I hope is that if she plants it on her 40 acre mountainside they don't curse her name in ten years at the Annual Death To Broom Day in the Kootenays.

So what's invasive? Something that displaces a native and takes over its land, food and space. If, as my buddy says, we should kill it; my community says burn it and report its presence, what should the natives do about our invasion? I hope they are as gentle as I am with the succulent, leaving it in its watery craggy home.