Furthermore...

It's still hot. But really, here's an interesting article on the history of sport doping from CBC:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/photoessay/top10-doping/index.html

You'll find all the usual suspects: East Germany, China, USA Track and Field, and, of course, Ben Johnson. Surprisingly, the article is somewhat sympathetic to Johnson, claiming that while he did indeed shoot up, he was the only one caught and so he's not really a cheater, just not a very good doper. Even 20 years later, after all the fiascos surrounding the occasion, he still will not say he was wrong. And, just in case you're still feeling the need for more drug-related scandals, Justin Gatlin, Olympic and World Champion in the 100 metre dash and co-record holder, has failed a drug test taken in April. Turns out humans really can't run that fast. At least American humans can't. Have a good Sunday. Hopefully there are no positive drug tests today.

Another Hot Post

First and foremost - it is hot!! Moving on: things are pretty slow around here with Bonnie gone. It's only five more days until I join her in Saskatoon! I'm excited. We are moving in September to a better place - closer to downtown, ten-minute walks to work and school, respectively, close to coffee shops, pubs, theatres; anything, really. It took us all of two days to realize that our current apartment was way out the way of anything fun (except Tim Horton's - no end to the fun there). It will be nice to be able to make decisions on a whim - "let's go grab a beer" and then five minutes later we are having said beer.
In the news, how does Floyd Landis sleep at night? He makes up an impossible time difference from one stage to the next - 8 mins - and the next day he wins the Tour de France. Guess which day the sample in question came from? That's right, his "impossible day". Coincidence? "Oh, my testosterone just happened to be high that day. If he has a naturally high level of testosterone, wouldn't that be factored in to the testing? The circumstantial evidence is too much. With Lance, he is just a machine. Seven years of dominance is proof of that. For Landis, to have one day of dominance combined with suspected doping is just too much. By the way, he coincidentally pulled out of an event in Belgium last weekend. Perhaps he felt the heat. Who is this guy? Okay, I got a little hot under the collar there. I'm better now. Stay cool, everyone.

Halfway Home!!

Well, it's been twelve days since I saw Bonnie last. I know, I know, suck it up. But it is hard! I'm finding that I don't do very much, even though I've got a lot to do (like cleaning the house). Don't worry Bonnie - I will clean up before I leave town. I leave for Saskatoon on the 4th. And then I will not let her out of my sight, not even once. We are travelling to Wynyard for the Dunville wedding on the 12th. I hope it's not brutally hot like it has been for the last few weeks. I might need some creative cooling tactics to keep me sane. I am excited about the trip home, to see friends and family, to see familiar places once again. It will have been almost an entire year since I saw the great plains of SK. I am looking forward to it. Look forward to more posts, for now that I have reached the halfway point my spirits are up.

Canada Day on the Hill

Well. Saturday was a great, great day, despite the spattering of rain during the fireworks. Bonnie and I got up "early" to see the RCMP Musical Ride - we made it there by 10:30 just in time to be about a hundred metres back - behind a thousand other people who have a different conception of early. We didn't actually see the show - we had to rely on the massive video screens at various places. Still, it was interesting to be there - especially when we realized that we didn't need to see the horses to smell them. There were a lot of obnoxious people about, and we couldn't stay there long. We watched the PM and GG come in and then the Snowbirds flew over top - so low I felt as though I could touch them if only I reached. Not really, but they flew pretty low. And they patched one of the pilots into the PA system so he could say "Happy Birthday Canada!" as they flew overhead. Such pride in the Snowbirds!!
We then walked around downtown for the rest of the day, after stopping at a pub to watch England lose in a shootout. The pub, located directly across from Parliament Hill, charged $2 for water!! We were appalled. They also asked for payment up front, which is a little more understandable. At about five, we went to the Canal to curl up under a tree and take a nap. Then we met some friends from Bonnie's class and went for supper before heading over to see the 'works. We managed to see the band Stars, but we couldn't get close enough to hear them, oddly. They were the last act on the main stage, a hefty honour if I say so myself, yet the lead singer chose that occasion to protest our gov't. He wore a shirt (pretty clever, actually) that read "Harper's Bizarre". I'm all for free speech and he is certainly within his rights to express himself, but I also feel that class and respect count for something. Call me old fashioned (Scott, I know you will). Then the fireworks. Like I said, it rained a little, but that did not dampen our spirits. The show was impressive - going for what seemed like an eternity but was actually only 12 minutes. That's a lot of fireworks. It was a show befitting the National Capital, to say the least. We managed to wrangle ourselves out of the crowd and made it home by 11:30. And then straight to sleep. We were bushed. What a great way to spend Canada Day!

Pre-Canada Celebrations

The city was abuzz today in anticipation of tomorrow's festivities. Seriously, everyone seemed to be on edge. It didn't help that continuous rain showers kept everyone running for doorways and such. Bonnie and I took in the downtown this afternoon - after, of course, watching Germany dispose of Argentina in penalty kicks. I had the day off (huzzah for stats!) and decided to enjoy myself. We went to the mall, grabbed a coffee at The Second Cup, ate lunch at Dunn's Famous Deli. I had the famous Smoked Meat - just like in Montreal that time after CIs. We walked home, getting rained upon three separate times in the process. It was a great day. Tomorrow begins with the Musical Ride at 10:30 and then chock-full of Canada Day activities, ending with a most spectacular fireworks display (one hopes). Oh, and Go England!

Good News!

Bonnie and I are pleased to report that we are getting married! We are very happy and excited!

Do Not Watch This Movie

Last weekend I watched Nacho Libre, which was fabulously hilarious. Go watch it - now!! But unfortunately there was a preview for another movie - Barnyard, which seems to be the story of a young party cow's adventures. There are two problems with this movie, as you can see from the trailer. First, the protagonist is male, yet he has an udder. A male is either a steer or a bull (if you don't know the difference between those two, shame on you), not a cow. I'm not sure that cartoons should be anatomically correct, but they should not give the audience the impression that cattle are some sort of hermaphroditic animals. Second, the movie suggests that cow-tipping is real. People, you just can't tip a cow. Trust me. I will no longer tolerate this nonsense.
I am extremely aggravated by the misrepresentation of our bovine friends, so stand up for cattle and boycott Barnyard.

Will Ferrell - Bush on Global Warming

Here's something I saw on CBC's The Hour. It's Will Ferrell in old form imitating the president. I won't write any commentary, since Bush is too easy a target. Anyhoo, have fun with Will Ferrell.



Will Ferrell - Bush on Global Warming

New Additions

As you can see, I've added some new links to the blog. I've begun to enjoy checking out music blogs, as they can get you excited about a song and then let you listen to it. So check them out and maybe you'll find some music you'll like. At the very least you'll be able to hear "what all the kids are listening to" these days. In other news, the Oilers begin their quest for the Stanley Cup tonight against the Hurricanes (I am extremely confident that the Oilers can pull this off). Also, I have started biking to work. It's great excercise and it really wakes me up in the morning. It also beats having to pay $71 for a monthly bus pass. I guess I am doing even more for the environment. Anyhoo, having fun.

I Just Have to Blog About This

Well, it is Bob Dylan's birthday today, and I happened to come across this tribute. I would've put "Tangled Up In Blue" #1 and "Went to see the Gypsy" would've been on my list, but other than that, I can't complain. I mean, how can you? 65 Dylan songs? "Forever Young" isn't on the list, but it should be. Happy Birthday, Bob!

Ms. Jackson - by the Vines?!?!?!?!?

Yes, I was as skeptical as you are right now. But take a listen and then tell me that you hate it. I have a little bit more respect for The Vines than I did an hour ago.

Go Sabres Go

Late Strokes Review

So Bonnie and I went to the Strokes on Tuesday at the Civic Centre here in Ottawa. Most Serene Republic was the opening band; I highly recommend them if you are enthralled by recent ensemble acts like Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene. If you feel that a trombone has no place in rock music, Most Serene Republic isn't the band for you. Their opening act was pretty good, but not so good that we were underwhelmed by The Strokes. Such is the dilemma of the opening act. I bet if you upstage the main show you're on your way out after the show. Anyhoo, The Strokes came on to polite applause and proceeded to blow everyone out of the water with sheer volume (my ears are still ringing just a tiny little bit). The songs were great, of course, but at times the volume caused the music to blend into a noise that sounded curiously like the noise caused by those homemade kazoos of wax paper and toilet paper rolls we used to make in elementary school. When I could make out the individual instruments or Julian Casablancas (attired in a not-too-subtle Ramones-esque leather jacket), the result was, as Barney would say, legendary, topped off with some pretty kickin' concert tees - Bonnie and I each picked one up and immediately put them on - just kidding!! That act was reserved for the myriad high schoolers in attendance. Overall, I give the concert four toilet paper roll kazoos out of five.

Go Sens Go

Since the inevitable disappointment of games 1 & 2 (I didn't watch game three), I have developed a sense of the desperation of Ottawa fans. When the Sens finished first in the east, I thought, "they're unstoppable"; of course, I was mistaken. And everyone here in Ottawa old enough to remember 2004's excruciating loss to the Leafs knows how mistaken I was. The Sens choke when it comes to big games. Have you seen Alfredsson's play lately? Neither have I. He's been virtually invisible. Ditto Heatley, Havlat, Chara and Philips. Actually, I have noticed Philips, but only because he's been making mistakes every time he touches the puck. Anyhoo, at the end of it all, I am calm and collected, resigned to the fact that the Sens, and Sens fans, will have to wait until next year. I'm just hoping that they can make it resepctable: going out in six games isn't as bad as going out in five. Here's to hoping.

Music Review Mayhem

A couple of weeks ago I posted about music blogs, and here's another one to add to the list: Almost Cool. From reviews to extensive comment rolls to numerous links, this site will keep you occupied for hours. And, if you click back to the home page, there's a link to a blog that is almost as cool. Enjoyable reading, though I daresay these people are music snobs. Not like us, of course. ;)

Welcome to the Blogosphere!

My dear Amie, along with her bf Tim, have started a blog called Dis Aliter Visum. I believe that this roughly translates to "I Love Ponies!!!" It's a great read, so check it out and leave weird, anonymous comments in Latin for Amie to translate.

Living With War

Neil Young's new cd comes out on the 9th, but you can preview it via streaming audio here. It is vintage Young, rockin' in the free world, daring critics to speak against him. It's audacious and raw, as all Young albums are, but it is also refreshing - I guess you're never too old to protest the president (one of the songs is titled "Let's Impeach the President). Along with Pearl Jam (released yesterday) and Bruce Springsteen, May perhaps be dubbed "Protest Month".

PS the Pearl Jam album is pretty good.

Let's go Oilers!

Like most of you, I am hoping for the Flames to finish the Ducks so that we can have the first Battle of Alberta in 15 years. But a Flames victory is more or less expected; an Oliers upset of the Red Wings most certainly was not. Who is more dominant than Chris Pronger? More consistent than Ryan Smyth? More surprising than Dwayne Roloson? Yes, the Oil have injected this year's playoffs with giddiness, the likes of which we have not seen since les Canadiens went up 2-0 on the Hurricanes (and have, subsequently, lost four straight). It should be a fantastic second round, and outright incredible if the Flames can pull it out. So get on your Flames gear and cheer them on tomorrow night! (I'm looking in your direction, Chubby).

Hutty.ca

Today we recognize a mainstay in the blogosphere, hutty.ca, which will soon begin a hiatus of undetermined length. It was a brilliant run of consistently funny and meaningful posts (except for that Saget one. That was just crude). But let us not mourn, my friends; if anything, let's remember the good times:

1. The Walk Light: "My comic moment of the week -- Having just pushed the walk-light at the corner of College and Fieldhouse Drive, waiting to cross the road, a man walked up behind me. It was obvious that he had seen me push the walklight but insisted on pushing it himself (forcefully). So, I turned to him and said, "what, you don't trust me?" He laughed (awkwardly)."

2. The Dangers of Moving: "As Craig tried to attach a final bungee chord to a hook on the truck it slipped out of his hands, flew across the width of the flatbed and struck me, unsuspecting Dave, directly above my right eye. This sent me to the ground in a small panic, as I couldn't see. However, I discovered that I couldn't see because I had blood running into my eye from a two inch gash between my eyebrows (I've posted a photo in the gallery for a visual representation)."

3. Bring Ikea to SK?: "My suggestion yesterday that that Saskatoon federal election candidates should campaign to bring better movies here (so that we don't continually feel like we're waiting for the future to arrive), was a joke, partly. However, less of a joke would be campaigning to bring Ikea to Saskatchewan. I've had umpteen conversations with friends/family that complain that "we don't have an Ikea." It's quite disturbing, actually, how much this plays into our cultural psychology. Like the movie thing, we see ourselves as perpertually culturally behind and waiting for the next trend to arrive"

4. Should the reading age be raised?: "I chuckled when I read an article in Maclean's "Stop him before he votes". The "New Macleans", as it, like the New NHL, has come to be known, seems to publishing anything and everything to create buzz. Virtually every article in Maclean's now simply takes a side and defends it, letting the other side air its concerns in letters and in the blog-mad world wide web. It's opinion dressed as news. Which certainly isn't "wrong" or without a long history of yellow journalism as precedent. And for a magazine that's attempting to reinvent itself, it's actually quite a brilliant strategy, especially, I would argue, in the hypertext age where sometimes you have to scream to be noticed and 'linked'."


5.Pushing Boundaries Since 1912: "After not publishing the muhammad cartoons, the Sheaf, the University of Saskatchewan student paper, decided to publish a cartoon featuring Jesus Christ that's arguably way more "offensive." Jeremy Warren, the Sheaf's news editor and a friend o' mine, resigned over the paper's decision not to publish the Muhammad cartoons. He now has more on the ironies and paradoxes of the situation."

This last one is my personal fave. You presented the facts and let the readers decide. I had fun, in hindsight.

Hutty.ca, we shall miss thee.

"Wonderwall" Day

Everyone knows that I am not the biggest Oasis fan, but tonight I listened to "Wonderwall" for the first time in a while and I liked it - I liked it a lot. So maybe do yourself a favour and listen to "Wonderwall" today.

It Was 23 Years Ago Today

April 24th, 1983: Sharon E. Drake, meet the world. World, Sharon. Hmmm. This seems strangely familiar.

Destruction of Government Property

Yesterday Garry and I went to Parliament to enjoy the sunshine (all 20 degrees, that's right). In the tulip beds we saw this woodchuck, who, strangely, was not chucking any wood at all. I guess that answers the riddle. He was eating the tulips in the flower beds in front of the building. Who knew woodchucks were so politically active.

It Was 25 Years Ago Today

April 17, 1981: Bonnie K. Hughes, meet the world; world, Bonnie. Send along your best wishes as Bonnie must spend her 25th wading through myriad assignments. Happy Birthday Bonnie!

Defy and Conquer

Seriously, this might be the best movie of the spring. Shove it, Take The Lead! This one will knock your socks off. The trailer starts off with "From the writer of Bring It On": that's all you need to know. Keep your eyes peeled! This gem may only be around for a single weekend.

Stick It (2006)

If I didn't have essays/marking, I would do this...

Oh eggies, how I miss you (not Otto Ege, Ukrainian eggies). If I could somehow make a living doing this, I would quit school. Seriously. So please send me requests and credit card numbers.

Dear Amie

The Strokes on May 9!

The Strokes are coming to Ottawa on May 9! We got our tickets today! I am really excited: The Strokes are one band that I would never get to see in Saskatoon. I hope the summer will bring many more bands. I'm thinking Bob Dylan, Radiohead, RHCP, etc. Who knows? All I know is that The Strokes are going to rock!!

Check out this tune

If you've never heard the Feist version of Mushaboom, do that first. Then listen to this remix by Postal Service. It's my pick of the week.


Feist - Mushaboom (Postal Service Remi Mp3 Download

See This Movie Now

Bonnie and I went to see Tristram Shandy yesterday. It is a po-mo remake of a po-mo book: the scenes from the story are intertwined with scenes about making the movie, which is the actual movie; sounds cliche, I know, but cliche it is not. Funny, it is. Steve Coogan (left) and Rob Brydon (right) are the film's "stars" and, fittingly, provide the funniest moments (such as the Al Pacino-off). It is a highly entertaining film; see it as soon as possible. Five "unfilmable novels" out of five.

Good News Update

Some good news to report. Last week I had two jobs - this week, one. Now, that doesn't sound like good news, but when that one job is a full-time position at Chapters, it is good news. Unfortunately, I had to give up the Bohemian dream of working at both a book store and a coffee shop, but it is worth it. So, wish me luck!

A St. Patrick's Day Joke

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Irish?
Irish who?
Irish you a happy St. Patrick's Day!

Congratulations, Lindsay!

Seb's Blag: February 19

Bonnie and I were pleased to discover Seb's blog the other day. He is a prolific blogger: his archives are organized not by post, but by weeks. He often has several a day. Anyhoo, check it out if you like smart, silly things, exemplified by "Piano Schmiano" (you have to scroll down to get to it).

Common Wins

Though it took me a few months and sale at HMV, I picked up Common's Be. I was surprised when Christeen put it #1 on her list, but now that I have heard the album, I am in full agreement. It is a fantastic album: smooth beats and cool melodies, distinct vocals, and even an appearance by album producer Kanye; it all adds up to legendary. Common is an innovator, and, like Mos Def or The Roots, ensures that hip-hop will always include an alternative to "gangsta" rap. Now, me and Christeen aren't from the 'hood, but we do know music (at least, she does), and I fully agree with her on this one. It's my pick of the month.

Yay Bronze!

Congratulations to my sister, Sharon, who captured a bronze medal in the 300 metre at this weekend's CIS Track and Field Championships in Saskatoon. Sharon runs for the University of Manitoba, and this is her fifth and final year as a Bison. It is exciting that she won this medal: she's won relay medals in the past, but never for an individual event. I am an extremely proud older brother!

Update: On Saturday, Sharon won a second bronze medal as part of the 4x200 relay team. Two medals! Unfortunately, she pulled her hamstring in the process and wasn't able to run in the 4x400, the race that is, above all, her race. She is hurting physically today, I'm sure, but she should be proud that she ended her career on such a high: it is extremely impressive and attests to her hard work and determination. Again, I am an an extremely proud older brother!

Another clip

We've just been clippin' along here lately. Pun intended. Here is a real life version of The Simpsons' intro.

MilkandCookies - The Shining: Alternative Trailer

Okay, today's clip is a shoutout to all you Shining fans out there - and you thought it was creepy! Here is a trailer that reworks movie clips so that the previously spooky movie looks like a family film - brilliantly done! Needless to say, No scenes of blood cascading through the hallways.

Portman brings it

Thank you SNL digital shorts! Check out Natalie Portman's gangsta rap. Soo funny.

A Little Disappointed

Okay, so the buzz on the street lately is the utterly offensive cartoon published in this week's Sheaf. I have not the stomach to reproduce it here, so I will direct you to The Sheaf to see for yourself (it's in Section A, page 16). I warn you, however, that it is offensive in almost every way, and to Christians in particular. I don't really know what to say or what should be done, but I think that the letter to all U of S students from U of S President Peter MacKinnon demanding a public apology is a correct move. For more opinion and perspective, check out Dave's blog, Jeremy Warren's blog, or Caitlin's blog. I know that Caitlin is more than a little affected by this whole ordeal, as she is both reporter for the Sheaf and a Christian, and I can say that I empathize.

Cuz Fugly is the New Pretty

My new favourite way to waste time is to browse through the Go Fug Yourself website. I'm not generally interested in the lives of celebrities and try to avoid even thinking about the lives of entities such as Brangelina, TomKat, and Filliam H. Muffman. However, the mocking of celebrities, their wardrobes, and "thoughts" is highly entertaining. Check it out.

Now Hear This!

The Ottawa Citizen's Weekly Arts and Books section included an article that could not be more apropos if I had edited it myself: Bruce Deachman reviews 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. How do you tackle a 960-page tome? Deachman compares his own (short) list of "must haves" to the book, and bases his judgement on whether or not those certain few gems are included. It is a good way to do it: an album everyone agrees on is certainly a must-hear. I will refrain from publishing my own set of prerequisites; the book has (so far) not disappointed and I will spend too much time thinking about what should have been included. If you think about it, 1001 albums is really too much. The editors must have been scrounging for semi-worthy albums (one major omission, I must say, is Dylan's Desire. It includes "Hurricane," which is enough, but also other gems, such as "One More Cup of Coffee." Like I said, I could go on for a while with this). Deachman's article isn't that great. But I like the coincidence.
I'm at 1996. Next up: 1997.

Flowers for Algerbon

My Valentine's flowers from the Drake. :) I can't show you the jelly beans because I ate them all.

Love notes in the laundry room...

I came across this note at Found Magazine, which publishes ephemera found by the magazine's readers. This particular note is too weird/scary to not post about.I would like to find this guy and put him in a dryer until he is dried to my satisfaction.

1982 and counting

Since I'll be reading 1001 Albums for a while, I figured periodic updates were required. I'm at 1982 now - finished with punk, California rock (=Eagles) and heavy metal. New Wave is just beginning, as is "post-punk," which seems to be a catch-all phrase for bands that seem smarter than The Sex Pistols, which is pretty much everybody. Rap and hip-hop are also burgeoning: I just read about Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. But the most interesting synopsis of a 1982 album is also the most obvious:

"Thriller is surrounded by a cloud of statistics - the biggest album in history, it sold more than 40 million copies on its first release; it shifted a million copies a month in the first half of 1983; of its nine tracks, seven were hit singles.
It does not stand up as well as Off The Wall overall, but some of its meticulous fusions of pop, rock, and R&B manage to improve on even that template. Ignore the ridiculously camp title track - a song that drains the life out of the record at the end of side one - and concentrate on the undisputed masterpieces. The funk opener "Wanna Be Startin' Something" serves the same funtion as Off The Wall's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" - a minimal, riff-based framework for Jacko's hyperkinetic hiccups. It also "borrows" rather heavily from Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" (Jacko's lawyers made a large out-of-court settlement). Elsewhere you will thrill to the airbrushed funk-rock of "Beat It" (Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo was cut and spliced from 50 different takes); while "Human Nature" is a digital ballad so beautiful that Miles Davis covered it.
But the star turn is "Billie Jean," on which a creepy, electronic bassline gets under your skin while the dubious lyric asks you to side with the paranoid millionaire superstar rather than the impoverished single mother. Like the rest of Thriller, it is machine-tooled pop that has been painstakingly crafted by state-of-the-art session men for months, but there is not a note out of place.
Jacko's increasingly freakshow lifestyle should not detract from the brilliance of this album." - John Lewis

Ahhh the good old days. I've actually reached albums that I remember listening to. I enjoyed Thriller, both the album and the song, of which I think the reviewer failed to account for its popularity among five-year-olds. Don't forget to watch the Olympics. Another medal for Canada today.

the Homepage of Mr. David Hutton

As a former editor of the U of S student newspaper, Hutty has certain views on "freedom of the press"; I'm delighted to see that that includes linking to those incendiary cartoons. Power to the people, Dave!

My Buddy Kenny

Be sure to watch the Olympic bobsleigh event in the next couple of weeks - a friend of mine, Kenny Kotyk, is on the 4-man team (thanks for the link Jamie!). Kenny starts on the 24th, so be sure to watch!

Check out CBC's bobsleigh site here.

Revolver is the greatest

I'm reading this great, great book right now called 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (edited by Robert Dimery). Though I normally don't dwell on death (I'd call the book 1001 Albums That Make Life Great), this book is a great read. It's more in depth than Rolling Stone's Top 500 albums, and it's ordered chronologically to give a less subjective feel. The descriptions give, I think, a good idea about why the particular album is on the list, as well as what other albums are linked to it and thus should also be listened to. I've only reached 1973 (Stephen Stills and The Byrds appear a lot, surprisingly, along with the usual suspects), and I started at 1961, so I've got a bit to go. I have tried to put on the albums that I own after reading its review: Music From Big Pink, Moondance, Led Zeppelin III, All Things Must Pass, The Velvet Underground and Nico, Who's Next, Bridge Over Troubled Water; so far the best listen, and review, belongs to Revolver:

"Once The Beatles were fab and gear; now they oozed self-assurance. It is there in the mysterious black-and-white cover, a line drawing-cum-collage created by Klaus Voorman, whom The Beatles knew from their Hamburg days. It is there in the ambiguous title - so much cooler than the mooted Abracadabra, Magic Circles, and Beatles on Safari.
And it is there in 14 unimpeachable tracks. Or 11 if you were American in 1966, since Capitol put "I'm Only Sleeping," "And Your Bird Can Sing," and "Doctor Robert" on Yesterday and Today, a hodgepodge of album and single cuts that Revolver actually knocked off the top of the Billboard chart (again, very cool).
Revolutionary at the time - 'I am sick,' declared McCartney, 'of doing sounds that people can claim to have heard before' - Revolver resounds down the decades. Earth Wind and Fire brought the brassy strut of "Got To Get You Into My Life" into the disco era. The Jam carbon-copied the rifftastic "Taxman" for their UK chart-topping "Start!" And The Chemical Brothers based a career on "Tomorrow Never Knows."
Revolver is cited as the point when The Beatles broke up: they played their last paying gig weeks after its release, Lennon and McCartney were no longer writing together, and Harrison was rumbling with resentment.
The payoff was astonishing, and summed up by its sole single, "Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby": one side a children's song that will outlive us all, the other a string-driven lament that even today sounds nothing at all like pop music - yet is still, like its parent album, simply brilliant." (Bruno MacDonald)

I hadn't listened to this album in a while and was blown away all over again: "She Said She Said," "For No One," "I'm Only Sleeping," "And Your Bird Can Sing," "Eleanor Rigby" - the rest of the songs are great, too. Give it a listen next chance you get. Then read 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Knoop admits false identity of writer JT LeRoy

More identity forgeries in the world of literature. This is becoming scandalous: the literary world is well on its way to being as reputable as baseball or wrestling. Or, in the defense of authors, editors and publishers are becoming lazier. I'm sure that most publishers insist on meeting an author face to face. Perhaps a valid driver's license should be required before signing a contract. Of course, authors are resourceful if not nefarious and could easily obtain the proper identification. Gee, sounds like a novel.

CBC Arts: Knoop admits false identity of writer JT LeRoy

A Chance Meeting With the PM

I guess I should've reported this last week, but I was too excited. On Friday I was working at Chapters when who else but (now former) PM Paul Martin comes in. He's got his goons with him and everything, and he browsed the Social Science section before heading to the Travel section, which happened to be in my general direction. In fact, he walked right toward me. I took the opportunity to say hello and shake his hand. I also thanked him for his (seemingly) honest final press conference; I appreciated the candor, I said, and he responded with a (I'd like to think) genuine thank you. What I didn't say was that he could've used such polite manners during the campaign. He might still be in office had he done so. Anyhoo, apparently he picked up some books on Turkey, so perhaps that's as far as he has to go to get away from the embarassment that was the Liberal loss. Also, he's much taller than I guessed: at least 6' 3'' in my opinion. I don't know why that's important, but there you are.

Confessions...

I've been listening to a lot of interesting music lately and I thought I should share my list of favourite songs with everyone since I'm not posting about anything else (insert apology here). I'm not sure what to call this list; there is no unifying theme other than they're on my hot list this week.

Local God - Everclear. This gem from the Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack is a true rocker released before they got too big for their britches.

Morning Bell - Radiohead. Both versions have been on repeat. I recommend listening to the Kid A version first and then kicking it up a notch with the Amnesiac version.

One More Cup of Coffee - The White Stripes. This is a Dylan cover from The White Stripes' first album.

Helpless (live) - Neil Young and The Band. I recently picked up The Last Waltz, a concert film about The Band, and determined that this version of "Helpless" is one of the best performances on the DVD. Neil never fails to impress.

Snowbird - Anne Murray. This may surprise some, but if you've never heard it before, I recommend that you take a listen before you pass judgement.

Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt - We Are Scientists. This new cut is pretty catchy.

Sirena - Calexico. Another catchy tune, this time with horns and a "south of the border" sound.

The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash. The title track from Cash's last studio album is the best song on an album that includes covers of "Hurt," "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Personal Jesus."

You Only Live Once - The Strokes. The latest album from the Strokes is still in heavy rotation.

Movies of Myself - Rufus Wainwright. Rufus's voice is a little bit much at times but here it's just right.

Publish My Love - Rogue Wave. All you fans of The O.C. know this song.

Hung Up - Madonna. {no comment}

What They Really Think About Monkeys

Read Craig Taylor's article at CBC about The Arctic Monkeys and Britain's pop machine.

Oprah soap-rah continues

CBC.ca on Oprah; Slate on Oprah

Yesterday James Frey appeared on Oprah's show to apologise for "lying": "Frey said Thursday that 'most of what [the site] wrote was pretty accurate,' and that the Smoking Gun writers who found the discrepancies did "a good job.'" Oprah is pissed and regrets any words that defended Frey: "I made a mistake and I left the impression that the truth does not matter and I am deeply sorry about that. That is not what I believe." So, the truth does matter. But why does Oprah feel that she had confront him publicly? Couldn't she have condemmed the book or the author in a press release? I've got two words in response: publicity stunt. Let's see how many copies of Million Little Pieces are sold now.

Snow threatens election day

Political analysts were optimistic about voter turnout for Monday as most of the country was enjoying unseasonally balmy temperatures. However, in Ottawa and, I suppose, most of Eastern Canada, disaster: Well, not really, but it is definitely the worst blizzard I've seen this year. If the snow continues until Monday and it is extremely difficuly to get about town, half-assed voters might just think it isn't worth it. It's too bad, really, especially since the hearty Westerners, who are used to such weather, will probably still vote in droves and will probably vote Conservative. Ideally, only NDP voters will continue to vote in force and Jack Layton will become "The Snow Scandal" Prime Minister. It must be a boring election campaign if this is how I amuse myself. Going back to the Conservatives, even though I disagree in principle with much of Harper's social policy, he seems to be the only leader worthy of leading this country. Martin is embarassing himself with every speech, Duceppe is not in the running and Layton, though he would do some good, bases his platform on the premise that he won't get in. It is sad to see Martin fall so hard. I feel a little bad for him, but then I remember that he is the head of a crony network who will do anything to stay in power and is so arrogant about his worth to Canadians that he campaigned on a platform of fear rather than real policy. Remember to vote, even if the weather is the worst weather you've ever seen: it will always be worth it!

First Noteworthy Album of 2006

I picked up the new Strokes album, First Impressions of Earth, a couple of weeks back but I didn't blog about it for various reasons; actually, only one: I was lazy. But now I am blogging about it to tell others that it is a very good album, one that should be mentioned come year-end list time next year. I say "noteworthy" and not "great" because it isn't a great album: it's a solid album that won't disappoint current fans but likely won't attract new ones. It's more aggressive, as though Julian Casablancas is through with his bouncy, happy-go-lucky songs of the past and now deals with harsher things. Rolling Stone will tell you that he comments on "God and fate and the meaning of the universe" and Spin reports that Casablancas "may incur accusations of terminal flameout." The lyrics are conveniently vague, but the music is darker, heavier, harder ("beefier") than the previous two albums; this album has some weight to it. Key songs are "Juicebox," "Heart in a Cage," "Razorblade" and "Ize Of the World." I'll give it three and a half meditative singers out of five.

Million little topics of discussion

I know this is an old story, but if you haven't read about the controversy surrounding James Frey's Million Little Pieces, read The Smoking Gun article here. It raises many questions about authorial intention blah blah blah, but if you like to see what gets Oprah squiriming, read all about it. Slate's take can be found here, or read about the book's "emotional truth" here. I really have no opinion, except that a good read is a good read, even if the author seems to misrepresent him-/herself. Would you enjoy a book any less if you knew more about the life of the author? Should you?

Update, finally

Sorry about the lack of posts lately - we've been a bit busy. My dad visited us from Manitoba last week. We showed him the sights as best we could, but due to unpredictable weather, we mostly stayed in and watched the first season of Lost (thanks Jess and Mark!). Now, we've stayed away from Lost for a few reasons, the main one being that we missed the first episode. This show is good. At least, it kept our attention for six straight nights. Now we have to catch up on Season 2. My dad and I also went to see Munich on Friday. It is a great film. Some people don't like him for his "Hollywoodization," but he makes enjoyable films: that's the bottom line for any paying customer. Anyhoo, it was a great visit with my dad. It was really good to see him and we enjoyed having him at our humble abode. I've also been working a lot in the last few days, and as such am a bit rundown: I've got that nasty cold everyone seemed to get over the holidays. Not to worry, the blogging should be back to normal now.

The Biggest of 2005: The 200 Bestselling Books of the Year

As an employee of Chapters, I am familiar with most of these titles. It is an interesting contrast to any "best of" list, though there will inevitably be some crossover. Check it out, but kindly disregard the incorrect use of "it's" in the first paragraph - I'm sure the editors of this site need not be reminded of the irony of a grammatical error on a top-selling books list. Or perhaps it's indicative of the growing divide between "literary" and "popular". You decide.
The Biggest of 2005: The 200 Bestselling Books of the Year

Quick! Buy books!

The advent of the Sony Reader may change the book industry - for real, this time. For years, book purists have been lamenting the "death of the book" in the face of digital technology; for years, the paper book has thrived nonetheless (evidence at Chapters is overwhelming). The drawbacks of digital technology, such as the low-quality reading screen of computers, have prevented ebooks from replacing published books. I, for one, feel that the paper book will never become obsolete. However, Sony is making me question my confidence. The new Reader, a hand-held screen about the size of trade paperback, may just change the way people think about books and reading. Read this article from David Derbyshire of The Daily Telegraph; then check out the Reader's main site. Will the book become obsolete? I hope not.

Starbucks revealed

I used to think that Starbucks was just an overrated product, an easy and convenient way to get coffee without much consequence. However, two things have changed my outlook: one, I now work for The Second Cup; two, I've had some decidedly bad cups of coffee at Starbucks lately. Since I also work at Chapters, it is difficult to not go to Starbucks, but I feel that even the trip to Tim's is worth it over a cup at Starbucks. Tim Harford, I think, agrees with me: his recent Slate article examines the economics of the "tall" cappuccino. At the Second Cup, our regular size is smaller than the SB's tall, making it a better drink (we also add a touch of love). Coffee drinkers and economists, and especially coffee-drinking economists, will enjoy this article.


Starbucks Economics

Yay Canada!!!

We may complain about the weather, but we're not complaining about Canada's junior team - a perfect 6-0 for the second straight year and a second straight gold medal. The Canadians beat the Russians soundly, convincing those naysayers that Canada is always in the hunt for the gold. Yay hockey!

Farewell, Irving

No, not John Irving but Irving Layton - one of Canada's most important - and controversial - poets. He was a Jewish writer from Montreal, contemporary with Mordecai Richler, A.M. Klein, Al Purdy, as well as mentor to later poets, particularly Leonard Cohen. He is a great favourite of mine, as he is, I feel, the Canadian equivalent to D.H. Lawrence. Read more about him here and here. In tribute, here's a favourite Layton poem of mine:

Whatever Else Poetry is Freedom

Whatever else poetry is freedom.
Forget the rhetoric, the trick of lying
All poets pick up sooner or later. From the river,
Rising like the thin voice of grey castratos - the mist;
Poplars and pines grow straight but oaks are gnarled;
Old codgers must speak of death, boys break windows,
Women lie honestly by their men at last.

And I who gave my Kate a blackened eye
Did to its vivid changing colours
Make up an incredible musical scale;
And now I balance on wooden stilts and dance
And thereby sing to the loftiest casements.
See how with polish I bow from the waist.
Space for these stilts! More space or I fail!

And a crown I say for my buffoon's head.
Yet no more fool am I than King Canute,
Lord of our tribe, who scanned and scorned;
Who half-deceived, believed; and, poet, missed
The first white waves come nuzzling at his feet;
Then damned the courtiers and the foolish trial
With a most bewildering and unkingly jest.

It was the mist. It lies inside one like a destiny.
A real Jonah it lies rotting like a lung.
And I know myself undone who am a clown
And wear a wreath of mist for a crown;
Mist with the scent of dead apples,
Mist swirling from black oily waters at evening,
Mist from the fraternal graves of cemeteries.

It shall drive me to beg my food and at last
Hurl me broken I know and prostrate on the road;
Like a huge toad I saw, entire but dead,
That Time mordantly had blacked; O pressed
To the moist earth it pled for entry.
I shall be I say that stiff toad for sick with mist
And crazed I smell the odour of mortality.

And Time flames like a paraffin stove
And what it burns are the minutes I live.
At certain middays I have watched the cars
Bring me from afar their windshield suns;
What lay to my hand were blue fenders,
The suns extinguished, the drivers wearing sunglasses.
And it made me think I had touched a hearse.

So whatever else poetry is freedom. Let
Far off the impatient cadences reveal
A padding for my breathless stilts. Swivel,
O hero, in the fleshy grooves, skin and glycerine,
And sing of lust, the sun's accompanying shadow
Like a vampire's wing, the stillness in dead feet -
Your stave brings resurrection, O aggrieved king.

"O Layton, your dead feet will never be so alive now that you are one with the earth. Breathless! It is the mist and the wind, blowing the mist across my face with such aggression and jealousy that I do not fall and bow. Whatever else, Layton, your poetry is freedom, and we your subjects."

Great news for the New Year

The previous post documented some of the moments that made our weekend so great. But one such moment requires its own post. Lindsay and Monique came back from Australia (where they spent Christmas) engaged to be married. Congratulations! Bonnie and I are extremely happy for the happy couple, who will most certainly have a wonderful life together.

New Year's festivities galore!

This year's New Year's celebrations were by far the best I've ever experienced. We had a full house - the Prairies were well represented by Bonnie, Scott, Lindsay, Monique and I. We went to three major museums: National Art Gallery, Canadian War Museum, Museum of Civilization. We hit a hockey game, walked around Parliament Hill, went to a Scottish pub, replete with piper, for New Year's Eve. Everyone left today and Bonnie and I are certainly sad. We will never, ever, forget this year - our first Christmas away from home was joyous and fantastic (though we still missed going home for Christmas). As I said, we'll never forget it; with the following pictures, nor will you:

This is the War Museum. The building is tremendous - a great tribute to our past, present and future soliders.

Here's Bonnie putting on her happy face at The Highlander. She pretty much smiled the whole night, except after doing those tequila shooters.


Here's me, Bonnie, Lindsay and Monique shortly before New Year's. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.


This is Scott's happy face talking to Ben at Saskatchewan New Year (we celebrated twice).

Well, there you have it. Those are just some of the moments of our weekend that made it most memorable - Bonnie and I are lucky to have such wonderful friends. Happy New Year, everyone!

Friends-a-plenty in Ottawa

Our house is full today - Scott, Lindsay and Monique are all in town and bunking with us. A full house, or fuller, anyway, but much appreciated. "The more the merrier" seems to be the motto of the day. Today we are going to the War Museum, and then tonight Chubby, Scott and I are going to the Islanders-Sens game at the Corel Centre. It should be a fun filled day!

Merry Crochet-mas?

Bonnie has recently taken up crochet. We now have many a dishcloth with fancy colours, in addition to some bigger projects: Bonnie made herself a toque. It is the cutest thing I've ever seen:
She's just relaxin' in her new toque, not a care in the world: just how a toque should make you feel. Bonnie's new hobby borders on obsession after only a month and a bit. That's some addictive stuff! While she can't get enough of crocheting, I can't get enough of Kill Bill. Bonnie insightfully gave me vols. 1 & 2 for Christmas (which we promptly watched), concretizing what was only a passing fancy. I really like those movies, or that movie, as Tarantino would no doubt say. I think they're in my top 10 (as one entry). We are also enjoying microwave popcorn for the first time in a while, as my mom and my sister got us a microwave for Christmas It's so useful! You can cook a lot of different things in a microwave. Like eggs. Who knew? Though the microwave is useful, we haven't forgotten about our beloved toaster oven, which has served us dutifully for years. You can't toast stuff in a microwave oven, and that will never change, no matter how advanced the technology gets. Anyhoo, Bonnie and I quite enjoyed our Christmas. It was a nice, relaxing day and we talked to our families and friends throughout. Though I worked Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, I still felt like I had a nice long, break. Scott's coming to Ottawa today and Lindsay and Monique are coming tomorrow: we'll have a full house for New Year's, but, as far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier!

PS here's what I mean about Bonnie's new hobby being a "big" thing:

PPS "toque" isn't in the blogger spellcheck dictionary. No surprise there. When will Americans adopt the term?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Samberg and Parns save Christmas

If you missed last week's SNL (with Jack Black), you also missed a kickass "digital short" from Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell ("Samberg and Parns"). Slate's Josh Levin writes about it here: "Andy Samberg (aka Samberg) calls up Chris Parnell (aka Parns) 'just to see how he's doin'.' Soon enough, they 'mack on some cupcakes' from the West Village's Magnolia Bakery and debate which online map service will reveal the 'dopest route' to an Upper West Side screening of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Then the chorus kicks in: 'We love that Chronic—what?—cles of Narnia / Pass that Chronic—what?—cles of Narnia.'" Though the article is a pretentious jab at SNL's "decline", he thankfully links to the video. Check it out for that reason alone, but if the description above doesn't convince you, he also provides a link to the infamous "more cowbell" sketch about the making of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper". Consider it a Christmas bonus.

Holiday spirit rising

Okay, so this morning Garry wasn't a happy bunny. Indeed, I was sad being away from friends and family for Christmas, plus the fact that I am working a heck of a lot in the next week. However, the holiday spirit has reached me this evening and today was, in the end, a good day. Chapters is really busy and sometimes frantic but people are always nice - only one or two rude customers today. I was cheered by the store spirit - people are happy when they find what they want for loved ones. I also heard from Scott today. He's coming up to visit us on the 28th to celebrate New Year's here in Canada. Then, on the 29th, our friends from Sk Lindsay and Monique are coming to Ottawa on their way home from Australia, where they are spending Christmas. It will be a fantastic Sk reunion for the New Year. Bonnie and I are quite excited. And this weekend, we are going to have a nice Christmas, even if it is just the two of us. So don't worry! We are happy and cheerful in this holiday season.

Christmas season - *sigh*

It's really early in the morning and I'm about to head off to work and it's cold - cold for here, anyway. It just got thinking this morning that it isn't like Christmas at all. We have the tree up, and I've been eating chocolate like there's no tomorrow, and we've received several packages from home - but Christmas in three days? Doesn't seem possible. I am getting a little sad for home, and worried that Christmas will be so different that we won't hardly recognize it. But the important part is that Bonnie and I are together and we'll make it our own Christmas - and it won't be bad. We miss everybody terribly, though. Enjoy your day, everybody.

A Christmas Must-Read

Marshall Heyman's review of The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie, available here, proves that celebrities should be encouraged to write more books about their lives so that the average person can gain access to the glittering world of the famous. The book seems to have something to offer everyone. Even those of us who are fairly well-read can learn more about the English language. For example, I can now add the triple negative to my repertoire of writing tricks: "We were nothing if not unoriginal," the narrator, a character named Nicole Richie, tells us about her friends. Richie's language is rich and powerful, presenting the reader with similes and metaphors that will remain with her forever: A reporter is "harder to get rid of than body lice." Kicking heroin "is kind of like the worst flu you ever had combined with the worst food poisoning you could imagine, and then times the whole thing by forty." No matter how hard I try, I know I will never be able to create such gems.

I am truly in awe of such brilliance. I can only hope to find this under the tree on Christmas morning.

Christmas at Parliament Hill

Whatever the collective opinion of the occupants of the Parliament Buildings here in Ottawa, the buildings themselves are truly magnificent this winter. Bonnie and I ventured to the Hill this Saturday to take in the lights: The glint off the centre path made for some incredible images. In one picture Bonnie's breath is visible, making for another great shot: Here's one of Bonnie in her new coat:
Here's one of the "Saskatchewan" tree:
Ottawa is quite beautiful this time of year. Pretty soon we'll be skating on the Canal - we'll put pictures up then, too.

John Lennon 1940-1980

Today is the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's untimely death. I still get a little choked up when I think of the life that was wasted; while Mark David Chapman rots in prison getting fed and staying warm and being able to live, all those who loved John Lennon and/or his music must mourn eternally. This day was good, however, as I successfully convinced the management at Chapters to play 2 full hours of Lennon in the store today in homage, and I plan on listening to more Lennon here at home. If you can, listen to some Lennon music today, either The Beatles or his solo work, but hopefully not The Plastic Ono Band.

Anatomy of a Latte

Okay so this is a cappuccino, but they're virtually identical. Yesterday I was tutored in the ways of the barista, and I can now steam milk like no one else, save for, perhaps, every other coffee shop employee in the world. I made some mean hot chocolates last night during my second shift at The Second Cup. The customers had to wait while I fumbled my way through the process, but they weren't disappointed. Well, some of them may have been, but I didn't hear about it. It's a great place to work, however; my co-workers are all friendly and helpful, and we all want to serve the customer the best we can. I know this sounds like a shameless plug, but it's true. Anyhoo, I work again on Sunday night, and then on Monday morning at Chapters. I'll be tired, for sure, but those Christmas gifts aren't going to buy themselves.

New Job News

Since Xmas season is upon us and I am in need of cash, I managed to get another job - at The Second Cup. Everyone else knows that this is a coffee emporium similar to Starbucks, but those in Saskatoon may not be familiar since there is no Second Cup in S'toon. Well, my professional life now mirrors my private life: books and coffee. All I need now is a job at a record store and everything will be in place. I am excited about the new job. I start tonight - we get to wear snazzy black pants and a snazzy golf shirt. Anyhoo, that's the news there. December is coming but it is pouring rain here, and the talk of the town is, obviously, the federal election on January 23. I'm looking forward to the campaign drama more than the actual result - chances are we'll get another minority government; the question is, which party will actually form the government? It's close, for once. Don't forget to watch Gilmore Girls tonight.

Art Gallery: Volume #2

Today Bonnie and I, along with our Ottawa friends Cory and Poonam, went to the National Art Gallery. It is our second trip, but certainly not our last. It is as though each piece requires three or four viewings to be truly appreciated.My favourite piece of this visit was Hans Baldung's Eve, the Serpent, and Death. Baldung depicts Adam transforming into Death after eating the forbidden apple. It is typical Renaissance painting, but the subject matter seemed much darker than the surrounding "Virgin with Child" pieces.
The gallery is quite huge and there is a lot left to explore. Can't wait!

Tiny Cities With Giant People

Being a Modest Mouse fan, I was intrigued and excited for the latest Sun Kil Moon release, Tiny Cities. It is a cover album of MM songs, covering everything from last year's "Ocean Breathes Salty" to 1995's "Dramamine." It is a solid album; SKM's frontman Mark Kozelek, formerly of Red House Painters, brings a his unique sound to these songs. Modest Mouse singer Isaac Brock is rough and tumble, which adds a lot of personality to his songs, but Kozelek manages to showcase the songwriting talent of Brock by minimizing that sound. "Trucker's Atlas," is, I think, my favourite, but that can change in a day as there are many good ones here. A recent review on Herohill.com Media confirms my own findings: fans of both Sun Kil Moon and Modest Mouse will be delighted by this disc. I think it's #13 on my top albums of the year.

Anatomy of a Mix Tape

My sister sent me this great article from Winnipeg this week: The Anatomy of a Mix Tape. Now we've all seen High Fidelity and know that Rob is a master of the mix tape. John Cusack stated some standard rules of the mix tape, including "start strong but don't blow your wad," and I'm pretty sure that the author of this article (from the U of Winnipeg student paper) plagiarized Hornby a little bit. But since these are general rules, it may fall into the category of general knowledge. Anyhoo, the article details the qualities of a good mix tape: sequence, song selection, flow, mood, and, of course, great songs. He made a great point that the tangibility of the tape is a feature in itself. With the advent of cd burning technology and mp3 players, the analog tape is no longer in vogue but the mix tape still is. iTunes has an iMix feature, allowing users to submit their favourite compilation mixes. Most times these are useless, as a really good mix tape is meant for someone. Hence Sharon's excellent cd that she made for me would not have the same effect on someone else, though the songs themselves are good. Mike Lewis, the author of the article, sums that point up in a question: "What do I need this tape to say?" Indeed. A tape is only good if it is supposed to mean something. Now I may be overdramatizing this a little (or just dramatizing), but a mix tape is different than a cd with songs by various artists on it. I have made cds of good songs before, but without the flow or meaning, they're just a bunch of songs and not very interesting. If you want to check out the whole article, you'll have to download the November 3rd issue in pdf from The Uniter's website. I recommend it, if only to relive your high school days of sitting around and making cds or tapes simply for something to do. The article goes well with my previous post about influential albums: many of those songs were on many a mix tape in my day.

Song of the Day

Today iTunes released a 3-song ep from the Fashion Rocks concert in September. The three songs? The three numbers that David Bowie performed with Arcade Fire. The song of the day, therefore, is "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire with David Bowie.

Most influential albums

As promised, here's my list of most influential albums. Obviously these are my top five all-time albums, but they are the albums that contributed most to the music sensibilities I enjoy today. As such, they are all albums that I first heard while still a young grasshopper, specifically the years 1993-95.

1. Nevermind - Nirvana. I know this is cliche, but it is cliche for a reason. It is an influential album (and band) that affected a lot of people my age. For me, it was the album that made me stop listening to Wilson Philips.

2. Vs. - Pearl Jam. PJ's second album is still their best, in my opinion. I listened to this one many times over. I enjoyed this album immensely, but I also think it was the first album to prove that a band could be part of a trend and still write good music. This album set Pearl Jam apart from other grunge bands like Alice in Chains or Mudhoney.

3. Day For Night - The Tragically Hip. Believe it or not, I bought this album before Fully Completely. I didn't see what all the fuss was about until Day For Night; the dark lyrics and heavy music converted me to the Hip fan I am today.

4. Pinkerton - Weezer. This was the album that made me a true Weezer fan. Sure, Weezer had some catchy tunes and it is still a fun listen, but the songs on Pinkerton were etched in my brain. They were loud and sad but funny and, well, good. I guess I have a mini-crush on Rivers.

5. Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan. This album came out in 1975 originally, but it wasn't until I saw Jerry Maguire that I pulled my dad's lp out of its sleeve. Cameron Crowe featured "Shelter From the Storm" at the end of the movie and I was hooked. "Tangled up in Blue" became my favourite Dylan song, and my Dylan collection began from there. If it weren't for Blood on the Tracks, I wouldn't be the Dylan fan I am today. Or maybe I should thank Cameron Crowe?

There you have it. I specifically chose older albums because I know what their impact has been. You'll notice that even though I am a big Beatles fan, no Beatles album made the list. Well, thanks to my parents I have liked the Beatles for as long as I can remember, so no one album really made an impact; the Beatles were always part of my musical consciousness. Some albums that were in consideration for this list but didn't quite make it were The Bends by Radiohead, Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins, The Doors in Concert, and London Calling by The Clash. Ten years from now I predict my list might include some newer ones such as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco, White Blood Cells by The White Stripes, Funeral by The Arcade Fire and You Forgot it in People by Broken Social Scene. Oh, and Illinois by Sufjan Stevens. Hope this gets you thinkin'!

Canada's most important books

This week the Literary Review of Canada chose 100 books that are supposedly the "most important Canadian books ever written" (all quotations are from Friday's Citizen). I am shocked that only 33 of the hundred were fiction titles; it seems that fiction influencs a culture much more than non-fiction at times. However, the list was constructed based on "the work's impact on the Canadian landscape." Though a book cannot have an actual effect on a physical landscape, I'm sure the editors meant "cultural" landscape. Well, I can't disagree. Three quarters of the list I have never even heard of, let alone read. Is this a list of important books to read? Hardly. Who wants to read Account of the Second Voyage of the Navigation of 1535 and 1536? It is certainly not light reading. It may have been the first text to mention Canada by name but it will only be important in terms of its impact then, not now. One author remarks that "The chosen books look like the backbone of Canada, both historically and in terms of shaping and reflecting culture." I agree. Historically. Why is the Literary Review of Canada dabbling in such a list? There are textbooks, biographies, hockey instruction manuals and even government reports. The Massey Commission has an entry but Michael Ondaatje does not. This would be a good reading list for those doing a degree in Canadian History. Maybe someday the Literary Review will publish a list for those who like to read for fun.

Snow!

I know this is nothing special for people in frigid Saskatchewan, but today in Ottawa there is snow for the first time this season. Just to demonstrate how great Ottawa is, the high for tomorrow is 15 degrees. Yes!

Most influential books

This is from Slate today: "In celebration of College Week, Slate asked journalists, cable-news personalities, novelists, Hollywood types, and other great thinkers a question: What's the most influential book you read in college? What made you slam down your café au lait and set out to conquer the world?" The list contains many people that are unfamiliar to me, with one notable exception: Harold Bloom. That's right, the venerated literary critic and professor at Yale. I thought that I would give my own list of books that influenced me in college. Since I am still technically in college, this should be easy. But I will limit my list to books taken in a class.

1. Surfacing - Margaret Atwood. I took this book in my first year from now-retired professor David Carpenter. He taught this difficult book in such a way that made me want to major in English.

2. Henry IV, Part One - Like Harold Bloom, I connected to this play more than any other Shakespeare work. I wrote a paper comparing Prince Hal to Hamlet and in the process determined that Prince Hal is a much more interesting character.

3. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie. I taught this while I was a TA for Professor David Parkinson. It's a complicated book and it was fun to see first years struggle with it. I also learned a lot about teaching. If Dr. Parkinson could get this book across to students, then anything is possible.

4. A History of Reading - Alberto Manguel. This non-fiction title gives a rather non-academic look at the history of the book, from the scroll to the digital era. It made me ask, "what is a book?"

5. "Bavarian Gentians" - D.H. Lawrence. This poem is not a book, but studying it in Professor Ron Marken's Techniques of Poetry in English led directly to my thesis topic.

That's my list. It is interesting to think about what books led me to think differently about the world, life, etc.; maybe tomorrow I will do a music list that asks the same questions.

Bonnie Needs...

After months of Garry's nagging, I have finally been convinced to post. Garry is trying to tell me what to write, but I'll have none of it. He is too bossy.
Anyhow, here Stop that right now!!!! (see?) is my contribution to the blog game (blogame?).

Bonnie needs only one clock (or timer) to determine the time.
Bonnie needs the following information:. Your name, a credit card number, and type of card.
Bonnie needs something that can show up as an external hard drive.
Bonnie needs your help.
Bonnie needs to butt out.
Bonnie needs a foster home.
Bonnie needs a new home.
Bonnie needs a big yard to run in and lots of attention.
Bonnie needs money.
Bonnie needs a haircut badly.

I think these are all pretty funny and true to varying degrees. By the way, I will take credit cards.

Top Five Rebel Movies

For some reason I got to thinking about movies about rebellion. No, not Braveheart, but movies about rebelling against society. It's a genre everyone's familiar with. Let's check the list:

1. Rebel Without a Cause - James Dean has no cause but he smokes and Natalie Wood likes him for it.

2. The Wild One - "What are rebelling against?" Marlon Brando: "Whatcha got?"

3. Easy Rider - These guys are possibly the nicest "outlaws" you'll ever meet.

4. The Breakfast Club - Bender smokes in school. He's too cool, apparently.

5. Pump Up the Volume - Remember this one? Christian Slater plays a high school pirate radio dj who wins the heart of a community.

Funny, I can't think of any good 90s or 00s movies that fit - has society changed that much that we need not produce movies of teenage rebellion? Or have I changed so much that I don't see rebellion movies as particularly rebellious?

Christeeny's Daily Blog

Check out fellow blogger and former Huskie Christine Fleury at Christeeny's Daily Blog. She's out in Prince George working for the good folks at Shoppers Drug Mart. It's really pink, but don't let that stop you from checking it out.

Well, I guess.

Since Dave, Daniela and now Scott have done it, it seems that I am behind the times. Here it is, my "Garry Needs" list:

Garry needs to mind his own business
Garry needs to make a stand
Garry needs salvation
Garry needs to learn to take jokes a bit more lightly
Garry needs to go out on a date
Garry needs his Grade 12 diploma
Garry needs to spend about $200000 per month
Garry needs to be a lot more gentle with the throttle
Garry needs to win Game 5
Garry needs to pay attention to faculty
Garry needs to win Game 6
Garry needs a chair
Garry needs to get out more

Apparently we all need to get out more.

Remembrance Day Remembrances

Today Bonnie and I went to the War Memorial here in Ottawa to join thousands of others in remembering our veterans:
Though we couldn't see the ceremony or hear any of the speeches, we definitely heard the cannons and we sang along to O Canada (but not to God Save the Queen - we were surprised to see that military personnel salute; I guess the Queen is still technically head of state in Canada). There were a lot of kids there, too, which was really good to see, since in 10-15 years there won't be any World War veterans left. After some dinner at the Parliament Pub (I had a pint in honour of the vets), we headed back to the memorial to check out the wreaths. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also there, and another thing I didn't know was that people put their poppies on that tomb in added tribute:
It was hovering at zero degrees and sunny; a nice day to celebrate and remember our veterans.

Top 1000 Albums of the Year

That's right, 1000. Thanks to Dustin, I checked out Rate Your Music's Top 1000 albums of 2005 based on user recommendations (electric_s, you have 900 albums to go!). I'm not surprised at all that Illinois came in #1; it is such a good album. There are some surprises in the top-ranked ones, but as with any list of 1000, pretty much every release is included. They must have had trouble even coming up with 1000 albums. For example, Kelly Osbourne came in at #890, The Cardigans were #980, and Limp Bizkit was #776 (you mean there were 224 albums ranked worse than that one?). The top 100 are pretty solid, though. So check out this list and think about your top 1000 albums of the year.

Shout out to Sharon

I got a mysterious package from my sister today and it turned out to be an awesome day-maker. A while ago I sent her a couple of cds of songs on my computer that I thought she'd like. Today, she returned the favour, and even though I have some of the songs, it is an awesome, mellow cd good for listening at any and every occasion. Here's the list:

1. Shelter - Xavier Rudd
2. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
3. Mr. Ambulance Driver - The Flaming Lips
4. The Police and the Private - Metric
5. This Modern Love - Bloc Party
6. Yeti - Caribou
7. Portions for Foyes - Rilo Kiley
8. Poster of a Girl - Metric
9. I Believe in the Good Life - The Hidden Cameras
10. I Believe in Symmetry - Bright Eyes
11. Casualties of Glass - Martha and the Muffins
12. Concerning the UFO Sighting - Sufjan Stevens
13. Message in a Bottle - John Butler Trio
14. When Doves Cry - Damien Rice
15. The Transfiguration - Sufjan Stevens
16. These are the Days - Van Morrison
17. Ending Start - Metric

Thanks again, Sharon. I hope others are inspired to listen to these songs, or at the very least answer this question: what is the best compilation cd you've ever received?

Rock snobs unite!!

Scott emailed me this link today: it's a review of The Rock Snob*s Dictionary. I suppose I am a rock snob by default, since I am posting about The Rock Snob*s Dictionary. I also make lists for any sort of occasion, and try to at least know of the original version to popular cover songs. I also appreciate music on many levels, only one of which being the aesthetic pleasure. Thus I am okay with being a rock snob, and so is the author of this article, Stephen Metcalf, since he rightly feels that "only one thing is more incorrigible than [rock] snobbery, [...] and that's [...] indefensibly crappy taste in music." I feel justified. But another article, from Michael Crowley (whom Metcalf cites), indicates that rock snobbery is dying out because digital access to every song imaginable eliminates "rarities" or "trivia". Now everyone can possess those once-impossible-to-get live versions. And the growth of the iPod means that a physical music collection, cds or vinyl (*gasp*), is out of vogue. In ten years, will people even be able to buy a cd? I don't know, but I like my cd collection; it's part of what makes me a rock snob. I am also proud of my digital collection, in a different way: I think about what I will say to someone if they see that song by John Mayer or Supertramp on my iTunes list. I will, inevitably, have to defend myself. I even feel a little bad for liking John Mayer; nevertheless, he's in my collection. So I agree with Metcalf: even if everyone has every single song at his/her disposal, it is what she/he actually listens to that is important. I know that you're thinking, "I better not admit that I like so and so to Garry, he'll bite my head off," but I assure you it's not true. I am not one of those "militant" snobs that laughs at everything because he can't quite be sure that it's good enough not to laugh at. I prefer to appreciate diversity and secretly judge people based on their music interests, or at the very least why they have those interests. So you like Bon Jovi because you're from Jersey and Richie Sambora went to your high school? Well, that I can live with. I guess I am a rock snob snob, too.

Bookstore song list

In celebration of my new job, I thought I'd do a list of songs that relate to the book industry.

1. Peace and Quiet - The Librarians. Low-fi mini-Pavement dudes who detest loud conversations in the stacks.

2. Baudelaire - ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. The rather gruesome band name fits perfectly with the 19th century French poet whose major work is entitled Fleurs de mal.

3. I Thought I Was - Rainier Maria. This trio is a shout-out to melancholic German poet Rainier Maria Rilke.

4. Poets - The Tragically Hip. Gord Downie doesn't want to know "what the poets are doing," so don't tell him.

5. Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits. Mark Knopfler's great song updates the 16th century tragedy. It has nothing to do with the Danes/DiCaprio film version.

6. Song for Myla Goldberg - The Decemberists. This cerebral band salutes best-selling author Goldberg, whose only notable credit is 2000's Bee Season.

7. Everyday I Write the Book - Elvis Costello. Costello certainly rewrites the book on quirky pop-rock. I don't know about every day, but often.

8. Shakespeare's Sister - The Smiths. A lesser-known hit from the melancholic princes from Manchester. See also one-hit wonder band of same name.

9. Slouching Towards Bethlehem - Joni Mitchell. Mitchell puts W.B. Yeats's "Second Coming" to beautiful music, making it one of my all-time faves.

10. Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant's inexplicable obsession with The Lord of the Rings shows up yet again in this toe-tapper.

There are, of course, myriad others, and I probably failed to mention some real knee-slappers. This list made my day, however, and I hope it does the same for you.

More Digital Ash

CBC reports that Microsoft has plunged into the world of digitzing books. Like Amazon and Google, Microsoft will provide search access to "25 million pages of material from the British Library." Unlike Google, Microsoft will only digitize older books that are in the public domain, thus not infringing any copyright laws, though they plan to expand the collection "in the future." It looks like the trend is catching on. Perhaps most books will be available online in just a few years; this is a good use of the mega-power that these companies have. I hope that authors see it that way, too.

Runnin' With the Devil

Yesterday I learned that I was the newest employee of book megamonster Chapters. Though I do not necessarily feel that Chapters/Indigo is the saviour of the world, it is still a bookstore and I am still pretty happy about working there. I mean, working at a huge, corporate giant bookstore is still better than not working at any bookstore at all, right? Anyhoo, I start tomorrow; now I can get to work on my thesis without worrying extensively where that next cup of coffee's going to come from (Starbucks, of course). Speaking of my thesis, I have finished a rough draft of the bulk of my thesis; all that's left is a shipload of editing and, of course, the conclusion. The chapter that makes sense of it all. That should be easy. It's going well, and I have a job so there will be a Christmas this year after all (though I will most likely be working that day), and Bonnie is happy and relieved (I stress the latter).

Literally LMAO

Ok, so not literally. But apparently that's a major problem: misusing the term "literally". An article on Slate examines the problem further. I know that everyone uses the term, and often incorrectly. It is not always easy to slip "figuratively" into a sentence. But if you're already talking figuratively, why be redundant? No one would say "I was figuratively laughing my ass off", because the metaphor is sufficient. But to differentiate between "sort of laughing my ass off" and "really laughing my ass off", people use "literally". But it does not mean "really" or "especially," it means "actually" or "to the letter". It is an interesting discussion (okay, so I'm bored). The Slate article also links to another blog: Literally, A Web Log. It tracks the proper or improper use of the word "literally". It's pretty amusing, especially for you grammar Nazis out there. It also links to another site that has become my personal favourite (I was LMAO): A Gallery of "Misused" Quotation Marks. Chubby, I know you'll enjoy that one!

TIME's All Time 100 Novels

Here's the sure-to-be-controversial list I discovered today:
"TIME critics Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo pick the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present" Why 1923 you ask? Well, that's when TIME magazine began operations. Lacayo explains that "that Ulysses (1922) doesn't make the cut." Too bad, I guess. The mission statement is pretty good, too: "Lists like this one have two purposes. One is to instruct. The other of course is to enrage. We're bracing ourselves for the e-mails that start out: "You moron! You pathetic bourgeoise insect! How could you have left off...(insert title here)." We say Mrs. Dalloway. You say Mrs. Bridge. We say Naked Lunch. You say Breakfast at Tiffanys. Let's call the whole thing off? Just the opposite—bring it on. Sometimes judgment is best formed under fire. But please, no e-mails about Ulysses. Rules are rules" Check out the whole list here. The biggest omission, I think, is Canadian content. There's only one! (Atwood's Blind Assassin) I think that, by now, Canadian literature has a greater impact on the world than that. No Margaret Laurence? No Alice Munro? No Moredecai Richler? Furthermore, as far as I can tell, the list is 98% British or American. Salman Rushdie and Atwood are the only exceptions; why not call it a list of "100 novels from British or American Authors"? Are Rushdie's and Atwood's books that good that they had to change the list criteria? There are certainly other books written in English that deserve attention. What about Nobel Prize winner J.M. Coetzee? Well, that's the end of my rant. I really feel that Barney's Version by Richler should have made it; otherwise, my favourite book on this list would have to be Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. My dad will like the fact that Atonement by Ian McEwan is on there, and my friend Deanna will appreciate the presence of Their Eyes Were Watching God. This will certainly give me some ideas for books to read, as I am either unfamiliar with or haven't read most of the books on this list. Let the discussion begin!

Friday Blues Night

I've been listening to a lot of blues-like rock lately, and so I felt a list or two was required.

Top Five rock songs with "Blues" in the title:

1. Roadhouse Blues - The Doors

2. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Bob Dylan

3. Instinct Blues - The White Stripes

4. Hyacinth Blues - Constantines

5. Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

If you've never noticed, it's hard to find songs with "Blues" in the title (unless you listen to Blues songs). These are the top five songs that I enjoy. I especially recommend the Constantines song, since it is probably the least known on this list. The White Stripes song is from the newest album and the others are pretty straight forward. Of course, some would classify Cash as country, but he rocks as hard as anyone, I'll tell you what. Any other "Blues" songs to recommend? Remember, they can't actually be blues songs.

Top Five Blues-Rock Songs That I've Been Listening to Lately:

1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Take 1) - Bob Dylan

2. Sweet Virginia - The Rolling Stones

3. Pull A U - The Kills

4. Devel's Waitin' - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

5. Greyhound - Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

These aren't actually blues songs either, but they've got that foot-stompin' beat that I associate with the blues. What are your favourite blues songs? Remember: they can't actually be blues songs.

Futon Construction 101

We finally got our futon. Now we have a place to sit!

It was delivered, but unfortunately in three pieces. We had to assemble the thing ourselves. I'm tired of assembling furniture! I should at least get paid for it. Nevertheless we have a futon and it is dang comfortable; Survivor is on tonight, and now I'll be able to watch it in luxury.

Hallowe'en Hijinks

Not really hijinks, I guess, I just needed something that was alliterative. Anyhoo, my friends back in S'toon had a smashing Hallowe'en party and I was sent some great pictures by Jamie. Here's one of my faves, a couple costume from Chubby and Monique:

They've been innovative in the past, and this one's no exception; the only thing against them is the lack of spotlight given to these two characters recently. I'm not going to spoil it here, so what is your guess? (If you said Peter and Belinda you'd be in the right arena but wrong nonetheless). Anyhoo, I'm sad that I missed this festive occasion.

Time to Step Up

This is from my friend Scott at Northern Exposure: Behold, the Caesar’s Bath meme! List five things that people in your circle of friends or peer group are wild about, but you can’t really understand the fuss over. To use the words of Caesar (from History of the World Part I), “Nice. Nice. Not thrilling . . . but nice.” He challenged me to do the same. So here goes:

1. Lance Armstrong. Sure, the guy won some Tours. But hosting Saturday Night Live? Is he a celebrity because of his athleticism or because of his girlfriend?

2. Pineapple on pizza. Some people swear by it, and I'm sure that by abstaining, I have raised the ire of pineapple lovers. I just don't think pineapple should be served hot. Cold pineapple, or even room temperature, that's another story. But I can't stand it on pizza.

3. Coldplay. They're reputed as the best band in the world, but I just don't see it. I enjoy their songs, sure, and I even have two of their cds. But the latest cd does not make them the best band in the world.

4. Drinking games. I would rather sit and enjoy a drink on my own time - no sense being stupid about it. Of course, as a youngster I indulged in a game or two of Root That Pig or Beer Pong, but generally I was content drinking my Labatt 50 at my own rate.

5. Blogs. Just kidding! I love these things.

The tradition is to pass on the challenge to three other bloggers, so I challenge the crew from The Buzz Review, Dean, and Rick Mercer.