Comics Blast Blogs

I saw this in the paper the other day and I laughed, and then I said, "what a minute!" then I said, "yeah, it's funny" then I said, "if you can't make fun of yourself, who can you make fun of?" then I said, "why do you have to make fun of anyone? Is it impossible to avoid making fun of someone?" then I got hungry and forgot about the whole thing. Anyhoo, here's the impetus for this Miller-esque semi-rant: (I found it on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer website) It's an interesting opinion about blogs that is almost dead on. Still, I think blogs do some good: they are entertaining, for one. This is an argument that will go on for roughly 6 more months until blogs are accepted by the dinosaurs of society as a viable way to communicate. Why shouldn't someone post thoughts about thoughts? Perhaps that would inform people about our society better than, say, Fox News or The Globe and Mail. It's like The Daily Show - keepin' it real.

Broken Social Scene Tonight!

Tonight Bonnie and I are going to see BSS! I am excited; I've seen them once and they were awesome - with this new album, they should be even better (If you haven't checked the new album out, I suggest you do so post-haste). I don't know who the opening band is yet. I am hoping for some BSS alumni like Metric or Feist or even, fingers crossed, Stars or Wolf Parade (Wolf Parade includes two members of Arcade Fire). It promises to be a great show, even though I am giving up Survivor to see it. I'll have to rely on the expert reportage of the website this week. The previews look like they're going to shake it up again, and, frankly, they need to. This edition is pretty boring so far, with no interesting characters or even storylines. Gary doesn't want to reveal that he used to be a quarterback? What is this, Days of Our Lives? I dunno, I'm gonna keep watching because I took the time to learn everyone's names (except that nurse-lady on Nakum: Nancy? Meredith?), but this is no Pulau, that's for sure. Anyhoo, it's a sunny day out here for once, so I hope everyone has as great a day as I hope to have.

Check out the fog!

No, not the "hit" movie that came out this weekend, but the fog right here in Ottawa:

I guess it's not that impressive, but it is a nice view nonetheless. Looks like it will be rainy for the rest of the week, with temperatures hovering around 10; no snow for a while, thank goodness, since I hear that a lot of snow falls here when it does come. Have a good Tuesday!

Top Album list

Okay, so the end of the year is near, and I would like to collectively compile a top albums list for 2005. If you would like to contribute, you can leave suggestions in the comments tab or email me with your list. There are a few of you out there that I expect responses from, and you know who you are, so you have until the end of, say, 2005 to get those in. I know it's a bit early to start compiling such a list, but I'm bored and need something to do. No need for explanations, though perhaps some imput into some lesser-known bands would be helpful. I'll get the list started with five contenders:

1. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
2. Make Believe - Weezer
3. Howl - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
4. No Direction Home: Bootleg Series Volume 7 - Bob Dylan
5. Employment - The Kaiser Chiefs

So there's a small sample of which albums may indeed be in the top 10 at the end of the year. Consider your list carefully, and send it in. It will be exciting!

Under the Weather

I've been a bit lax lately with the posting because I've caught a cold. It's just a little sniffle, but enough for me to go through a box of kleenex in a day. I suppose it's inevitable, but it is sure inconvenient. I've been taking my vitamins, just like the Hulkster said, and I've found that Neo-Citran works wonders for about 4 hours. Then you wake up in the middle of the night with a monster headache and a stuffy nose. Today, however, I feel good enough to blog. The weekend was quite eventful, as Bonnie and I spruced up the apartment with the addition of a few pieces of furniture. We bought a desk for Bonnie to work at, a bookshelf for the living room, and, finally, a futon. We've been using an air mattress and kitchen chairs for the past little while, so an actual piece of living room furniture will be nice. Our living apartment is instantly more liveable. We are quite pleased with it, and though we are settling into life in Ottawa, we still miss our friends and family back home. I guess it will take a while for that to get better.

Leggo My Ego - GooglePrint and the other culture war. By Tim Wu

I found this article on Slate Magazine (I'm properly citing my source, btw). Yes, it concerns the ongoing debate about Google's intent to make millions of books "searchable" on the web and the implications of that. It's a good article, I think, but of course I agree, so of course I think it's a good article. The paragraph that nailed it for me was this one:
"We must remember, looking to the future, that books, as a medium, face competition. If books are too hard to find relative to other media, all authors of books lose out, and authors of searchable media like the Web, win. And that's too bad for those who love books—those who still like a slow read better than the blustery urgency of blogs."
We do live in a commercial world and some people - indeed, most - would rather do a web search on a topic than read a book about it. But perhaps if we think differently about reading, then that will change. Is the web a competitor with print? Certainly. Is it making print obsolete? Not yet. Not if books and print culture can move ahead to meet that competition. This is an interesting idea to ponder and I will return to it from time to time. Just how much are blogs affecting books? I'll read more and let you know.

Nobel Prize announced

Today it was announced that Harold Pinter has won the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature. The British playwright is much decorated, and, I suppose, is deserving of the honour. I am not familiar with his work, though I have heard of him before. I guess that's more than I can say about last year's winner, Austrian Elfriede Jelinek. I am a little disappointed because there was conjecture that Canada's own Margaret Atwood was in the running. Canada has never won a Nobel Prize for Literature before, and I think Atwood would be a prime candidate. I can't think of many authors that have affected both academic and cultural circles like Atwood; even if you've never read any of her novels or poems, you still know her name. Anyhoo, I thought maybe she'd win. Good for Pinter, though. It's not like British literature has been celebrated enough or anything (And yes, I realize the irony of this statement).

Front Page News?

Here's what made the front page of the Citizen (for the full article, click here): "You can see the forest, but the trees are sure dull. The seasonal splendour that brings armies of tourists and buckets of money to the capital region is missing in action, Mike Gillespie reports." It's about how the trees and forests of the Ottawa Valley are "disappointing". Normally the Citizen reports "good" or even "real" news, but this seems a little fluffy. Maybe an article on the economic impact? Or even the potentially severe environmental impact of such an erratic summer? Maybe next week they'll report the lack of butterflies or the complain that there aren't enough rainbows. Personally, I think the colours are great:

Beat Jeremy Coon

Scott introduced me to this site (it's linked to his page, too). Beat Jeremy Coon This blog has one of the funniest concepts I've ever heard: "I graduated from Berkner High School in 1997. So did Jeremy Coon. I went on to co-write a musical that all my friends in Austin saw. Jeremy Coon went on to produce Napoleon Dynamite. Our high school reunion is in two years. I know I'm better than Jeremy Coon. But in two years, I have to prove it. I have to beat Jeremy Coon." Check this out! You won't regret it. This guy is goofy but we want to cheer for him. Ironically, the same thing could be said about Napoleon Dynamite.

List time

In honour of the return of hockey, here's my picks for the most exciting players to watch:

1. Dany Heatley - Senators
2. Todd Bertuzzi - Canucks
3. Alex Ovetchkin - Capitals
4. Sidney Crosby - Penguins
5. Vincent Lecavalier - Lightning
6. Jerome Iginla - Flames
7. Daniel Alfredsson - Senators
8. Jaromir Jagr - Rangers
9. Roberto Luongo - Panthers
10. Ryan Smyth - Oilers

It should be a great season - they're already comparing this "new style" of hockey to the fast-skating high-scoring games of the 70s and 80s. I predict that someone - perhaps one of the above players - will score 80 goals. It's bold, I know, but it's possible. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Pitchfork - the online music mag

As an online music mag, Pitchfork beats the crap out of better-known mags like Rolling Stone or Spin. There's a ton of info, reviews, news, profiles - everything! If you want to be up to date on music, check this one out (and then check Bring Back Vinyl! for T.V. appearance news, among other things).

Why take a car when you can take a bus?

We were downtown yesterday and - Hutty this is for you - we saw the greatest motor vehicle ever:

It's an aquabus! It provides tours of Ottawa by land and by water. It seems fun; we didn't indulge, unfortunately, but it is a cool pic nonetheless.

Another Culturally Successful Day

Today Scott, Bonnie and I went to the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau (just across the Ottawa River). To start with, it is an impressive building: The museum is fantastic, covering everything from First Nations history to the history of stamps. The best part may have been the Children's museum, where Scott learned the value of being your own boss: Overall we had a great time, and this year we are certainly thankful for friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hittin' the town

Bonnie, Scott and I hit the town today, heading to the War Museum first, then Celtic Cross pub and ending up and the Lieutenant's Pump. It was all very fun. The rain wasn't very much fun, though. As we got off the bus the rain started to pour and we got really, really wet. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the War Museum very much; it is a great monument to our veterans, as well as a fantastic teaching tool: we shall not forget indeed. Unfortunately, the Celtic Cross and Lieutenant's Pump do not have such status: we will probably forget those. We definitely had "more than a few" pints, hoping to forget the rain that really, really sucked. However, our trip to the "Pub District" was great - we will certainly head there again. Here's me at the War Museum looking very dashing:
Here's Scott, really wet, in the foyer of the War Museum. It is an impressive piece of architecture:
And, finally, here's Bonnie and I gettin' drunk at the Pump:

Thanksgiving Guest

It's raining here but the weekend should be exciting: Scott McCormick, of Northern Exposure fame, is visiting us for the weekend. We're going to hit all the hot spots, including the National Gallery, Tim Horton's and, hopefully, Best Buy.

Welcome Back Hockey!

October 5th: a day long awaited by most of the men in this country. Tonight the 2005-06 NHL season opens after lockout/crybaby-itis robbed us of a hockey season. The salary cap means that the league is much more even - the Flames are being touted as the ones to beat. The Flames are a great team; the playoff run of 2004 certainly proved that. But did anyone pick them to make the final that year? This year, however, it's all about to change. The Flames, Canucks, Oilers, Senators, Canadiens all have a chance for the final (sorry Hutty but the Leafs look like the same old Leafs). Living in Ottawa, I am especially exicted about the Sens. How could I not catch the wave? Heatley will be one of the greatest players of all time when he finally hangs them up and Alfredsson, as captain, is a Swedish Steve Yzerman - it's a bold claim, I know, but it took Stevie Y a long time to get a cup, too. The Sens also have Hasek, who, even at 85% is still better than any goalie in the league. I think I have my new favourite team (sorry Rangers you're out - 8 losing seasons in a row just isn't good for a fan's spirit). I'm even developing a hatred for the Leafs (again, sorry Hutty). This season any game will be a good game. I used to cringe when TSN would show Nashville versus Phoenix or Columbus against Carolina but now those games might actually be entertaining. Huzzah for hockey!

Tuesday's Hot News

Well! It's so hot here! It's just really uncomfortable trying to get anything done in 27 degree heat. I hope it cools down tomorrow - 20 or 21 would be just right. The other Tuesday news is entertainment: Broken Social Scene's new album comes out today; Bones is new on Global tonight; the baseball playoffs begin today (I'm picking the Cardinals against the Red Sox); and, finally, get set for hockey season to start tomorrow. Whoopee! That's a long wait for hockey fans. Hockey! In this heat!

Judith Miller, martyr?

If you're not up to date on the Judith Miller saga, it might be interesting to read a little more on it. Miller, a reporter for the New York Times, was sent to prison after refusing to reveal a source before a grand jury. Apparently the source waived his confidentiality rights which releases Miller from her obligation to keep quiet. This all relates to a CIA leak last year or something, and now people question whether Miller even knows anything or not. While that is a hot issue, the other issue is Miller's principles. She went to jail for refusing to reveal a source: that's integrity. Yet now, though the source (I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff) has waived confidentiality, there are concerns that Miller has sold out her principles. But she went to jail! There is a suggestion that perhaps she had things other than the truth in mind:
"Fellow source-hoarder Matt Cooper's thrilling tale of a last-minute reprieve had seemed cinematic at the time. Good stuff, we thought, but what's a book about being a journalist martyr without sleeping on cement and not being able to watch CNN? When Miller stayed clammed up while Cooper sang, people wondered what she knew and now it's clear: She knows the dollar value of minor humiliation and anecdotes about prison laundry" (from Wonkette). This story, to me, just got a little interesting. It turns out that Miller is far from a reputable reporter, according to Alexander Cockburn. Is this a tale of journalistic integrity, upholding the rights of the media? Or could it be that everything is a production and we (more specifcally, I) are caught up in it like it's the latest episode of Survivor? I'm sorry, but I've fallen for the hype.

Weekend Wrapup

This weekend thankfully warmed my toes as Saturday hit 24 and today is expected to hit 25; I am appeased. The weekend was uneventful, save for a Friday afternoon fire alarm. Being on the 19th floor, Bonnie and I don't care for those much; we had to stomp down 18 flights of stairs. Turns out the "fire" was no more than ambitious cooking, as the firefighters came out with a sour look on their faces. Yes, it's their job, but still: they were probably watching Seinfeld or something. Other than that, the most exciting events were on the T.V. The Sopranos captivated us on Friday night (Feech was taken care of); on Saturday we enjoyed the Denis Leary-vehicle Rescue Me, about firefighters with major baggage. These guys are heroes, sure, but they're also a**holes. Anyhoo, I recommend it. Saturday Night Live with Steve Carrell was pretty entertaining, as Mike Myers guested in a spot with Kanye West to joke about West's telethon antics (Myers was onstage with West when the rapper made his infamous "Bush hates black people" statement). Today brings Grey's Anatomy as well as the MLB season finale. The Red Sox, having already lost the divison to the Yanks, must now win today to get into the playoffs. It will be tense for Red Sox fans, since they've lead the division for 4 months or something and now they must fight for a playoff spot. Have a great day!

Hit and Run

Here's a comment forum from reason magazine that expands on my earlier post ("For the Good of Humanity?") about the Google lawsuit (thanks Scott). It is interesting and infuriating at the same time. Will books ever lose relevance in our society? No - that is not debated. The physical artifact that is a book will always be popular, even if it is within a specific community. Google is not trying to abolish the book, it is trying to make the book and, more importantly, ideas more accessible to everyone. For you purists out there, wake up! This is no longer the technological revolution! It has come to pass and we are now living in an age where technology and information are vital to our survival. Farhenheit 451 is truly science fiction! (Sorry. I got a little worked up there) Anyhoo, read the article.