Check Out Top Albums 2006

Head on over the Top Albums of 2006 for, well, the top albums of 2006. Scott and I have posted so far and I hope others post soon. On another note, my favourite artist of the past month or so is Neil Young. I just thought I would ask everyone to listen to some Neil Young - maybe even take a chance on a Young album never before experienced. Also, watch Heart of Gold. That's an order, not a request. It's a must see - one of the great movies of the year. It's renewed my interest in Neil and ensures that I will always be a fan of his. In the spirit of year-end lists, here's my top ten favourite Young albums, but not in this particular order - they're all too good!

Harvest
On The Beach
Comes A Time
Harvest Moon
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Rust Never Sleeps
After The Goldrush
Live at the Fillmore East 1970
Prairie Wind
Deja Vu (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)

Listen to some Neil Young today!

Thank You, Lady Justice

Despite my earlier protestations against censorship, I am delighted that O.J.'s book is not going to be released. I do not feel that he should be prevented from doing what he wants; if he wants to write a book and someone wants to publish it, more power to him. However, every aesthetic and moral fibre in my body cringed when I heard about this endeavor. Personally, it disgusts me. I am glad that others feel the same way as I do and further pain and exploitation cannot result from this man's sad delusions.


Murdoch pulls plug on O.J. Simpson book, TV special

Deep Thoughts

There's a few things that I wanted to blog about this week, so this post's going to be multifaceted:

1. Stranger Than Fiction. Bonnie and I went to see this movie on Thursday. It was extremely enjoyable and satisfying on many levels: great music, great acting, great writing, and, most of all, one of the main characters was an English prof. So you know it's gotta be good. Seriously, though, check this movie out.

2. Accordingly, here's my revised top 5 movie list of 2006:

1. Stranger Than Fiction
2. The Departed
3. Thank You For Smoking
4. Borat
5. Little Miss Sunshine

3. Huskies in the Vanier Cup. This weekend the Saskatchewan Huskies beat the Ottawa Gee Gees to make it to the Vanier Cup - the fifth time in six years - against Laval, the other powerhouse team in the CIS. It will be an epic battle and I am pleased that the Huskies will play in front of the hometown crowd. It looks as though the money to bring the Vanier Cup to Saskatoon was well spent.

4. "How I Met Your Mother". This is a great show. I'm pretty sure it's narrated by Bob Saget, and Neil Patrick Harris is in it. Check it out here.

Now it's personal

So now Iran has my attention. I felt before that they were deliberately provoking the Americans for fun or to unify its citizens and lionize the president, but this is one scary step. They've banned books and music. I can only think of Hitler's infamous bookburning ceremonies and the dire consequences. Is Iran ready to take on the world? I don't think that many nations will stand for this type of behaviour if it escalates into human rights violations. First, it's the ideas that are the problem; next, the people who have those ideas will be removed. Soon, anyone who has any independent thought at all will be removed. As much as I wish to avoid cliche, can anyone say 1984? Opponents of western hegemony will argue that America and Bush are just as evil, but because we agree with those policies we don't see it as such; I tell you this: Americans will fight tooth and nail for their rights. No one can argue that Americans suppress the rights of individuals within their country (of course, within legal and reasonable circumstances). For proof of this, go out and buy O.J.'s new book. The potential apocalypse aside, I feel that banning books in particular is a violation of human rights. Can you imagine not being able to read a book as a child? How do you expect children to grow as thinkers? Iran doesn't: they want robots fighting tooth and nail for their president. I recently had a discussion with a co-worker about the fact that Mein Kampf is not available for sale at Chapters stores. Aside from my personal feeling about the book, I feel that it is the fundamental right of private business owners to sell what they want. The CEO of Chapters-Indigo, Heather Reisman, who is Jewish, decided that she did not want to offer that particular book within her stores; it is her right to do so. If the government said that citizens were not allowed to read that book, that's another matter. And that's what's happening in Iran. So now it's personal.

Iran bans books

Boratmania

Bonnie and I went to see Borat this afternoon. I was utterly speechless upon emerging from the theatre. But now I have found my tongue. It is a brilliant comedy, complete with scenes of obsurdity and immense discomfort. Sacha Baron Cohen made everyone alternate between squirming in their seats and laughing uncontrollably. How he kept a straight face the whole time I'll never know. Yes, there were some unsuspecting people who were seemingly victimized, but it wasn't that bad (except, maybe, for the frat boys in the RV). And the surprise ending truly made the movie an event. If you're uneasy about seeing other people in impossibly uncomfortable situations or offended my male frontal nudity, do not see this movie. Otherwise, laugh away! I give it my highest rating, four Baywatch babes out of four.

When the Deal Goes Down

Last night Bonnie and Poonam and I went to see Bob Dylan! We had floor seats and no one in front of us and it sounded great - couldn't ask for a better show. Foo Fighters opened with an acoustic set; they're a really, really good band. Dave Grohl is not only a great musician but one of the funniest as well. He had people in stitches all night. The highlight of the FF set was Grohl singing "Best of You" solo - and he yelled it. Literally, he yelled as though it were an electric performance, yet it was just him and an acoustic guitar. It was truly awesome. Then Bob came on. People after the show complained that he didn't acknowledge the crowd, but he never acknowledges the crowd - that's been his thing for, like, 40 years. It is the music that mattered. But he almost danced on more than one occasion. What more can you ask for? There was almost a fight a couple of rows in front of us between two young dudes smoking pot and an old dude who should've been smoking pot, there was a crazy guy behind us screaming "Free Ruben Carter!" and an old guy kindly asked me if I would mind sitting down (I did). Bob's band was impeccable, as always, and the new arrangements on old songs like "Maggie's Farm" and "Tangled Up In Blue". He played two new songs, "Nettie Moore" and "Thunder on the Mountain," and a lot of old ones; in fact, the first six songs were all from 1966 or earlier. "Just Like a Woman" was awesome, as was "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine," "She Belongs to Me," "Watching the River Flow," and "Ballad Of A Thin Man". He closed with "Like a Rolling Stone" and "All Along the Watchtower": an awesome end to a fantastic concert. I was truly satisfied. It will definitely hold me until he comes back this way again. Oh, and I bought a t-shirt.

Welcome Trudy Bear!

Welcome wishes are in order for Trudy Bear, the newest blogger to hail from our old neighbourhood west of the Great Lakes. Welcome!

What A Girl Wants

But you can't go home again, at least not if you're planning to eat there

Slate does it again! Such passion, such expectation for every single thing. This week's target: The Joy Of Cooking 75th Anniversary Edition. It is a treat to see seemingly trivial matters blown up into news. It's like high school all over again, except this time I'm laughing a lot more. And I'm not as awkward around girls.

The latest edition of Joy of Cooking falls short

Death Cab For Cutie Show

On Saturday Bonnie and I went to see Death Cab For Cutie at the Civic Centre. It was a great show. My sister said that she felt that Death Cab was the best concert she's ever seen; after seeing them for myself, I think I can include them in my top five (Dylan and The Hip were still better shows IMO). They are such a good band, not only with great songwriting but also as musicians, and because they play so well together. Anyhoo, we enjoyed it. We'll go see them when they come back (Ben Gibbard, lead singer, said that we'll see them "soon"). As a tribute, here is a list of my top five all-time favourite Death Cab songs. Use this list as a starting point if you're unfamiliar; if you're a Death Cab fan, use this as a starting point for debate (Christeen, I'm looking at you).

1. Movie Script Ending
2. Expo '86
3. Soul Meets Body
4. Why You'd Want To Live Here
5. Transatlanticism


For more "info", check out the band's Wikipedia page

830! How an article made my week

I saw this article on Slate yesterday: 830! How a carpenter got the highest Scrabble score ever. It truly makes my week, even my month. It would've been enough if it were an ironic look at the world of competitive Scrabble; however, as far as I can tell, the author is truly emotional about this record: "In the community of competitive Scrabble, of which I am a tile-carrying member, the [record-breaking] game has been heralded as the anagrammatic equivalent of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962 or Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series." The best part? The record is diminished because the players involved weren't "true" Scrabble players; the scores were a fluke: "If 830—or any record—happens as a result of boneheaded play, tactical ignorance, or the pursuit of a good time, should it count? Or should records be reserved for those who have earned the right to set them, and who set them in expert fashion?" Oh, it is a great article. Bonnie thinks Slate is off its rocker, but I think its at the top of its game. In a world where we're one step away from nuclear war, Scrabble is still the most exciting thing to talk about. I love it!

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe go f*** yourself"

Bonnie, Poonam and I went to see The Departed on Tuesday: brilliant, brilliant movie. I'm inclined to agree with Peter Travers about this movie: "Each new [Scorcese] film absorbs the others, creating a body of work that can stand with the greatest. Scorsese tops the list of American directors because, even when he fails, he strives passionately to make movies that matter. The Departed, a defiantly uncompromised vision of a society rotting from the inside, is one of his best." I loved every minute of it. It was intense, suspenseful, emotional, brilliant. I hope this time he gets his Oscar. Of course, he didn't make Flags of Our Fathers, so who knows. Another great point - the music. Rolling Stones, Lennon, Van Morrison singing Rolling Stones; all the songs (and the score) were perfect.
In light of this new favourite movie, I'm releasing my top five favourite movies of 2006:

1. The Departed
2. Thank You For Smoking
3. Nacho Libre
4. Little Miss Sunshine
5. V For Vendetta

Two movies that have yet to come out but could very possibly be on this list are Stranger Than Fiction and Borat. This list will undoubtedly be revised in a couple of weeks. Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing The Prestige as well. Finally, another great part of The Departed involves Leonardo DiCaprio drinking cranberry juice. You'll have to see the movie to find out what it is because it's too risque for this publication. Or you can ask Bonnie.

Snubbed by the Pres

Last night Bonnie and I went to a U of S Alumni reception featuring... President Peter MacKinnon. He gave the usual rah rah go research speech, culminating with a statement something like "I love Synchotron". We thought it was all very standard. He is a very good speaker, though, and as such we were impressed. Until, that is, he showed his true disdain for the Humanities by snubbing two English graduates. After the speech, I politely stopped President MacKinnon to ask about maintaining the balance between the sciences and humanities. He began another stock response and I thought he was happy to have a real dialogue about his university. In no way were Bonnie and I critical of his speech or his vision of the U of S. However, he is a busy man and soon enough his attention was diverted by a former MP from Saskatoon. Bonnie and I thought that we would politely wait for him to finish his greetings with the other (more VIP-like) alumnus; we waited while he spoke with four other people, with his back turned the whole time. Then, we left. While the role about the humanities within science-based institutions will always be a hot topic, I felt that Bonnie and I were two concerned Alumni with a genuine concern. I suppose that we'll get the President's attention 20 years and $20,000 from now.

World Container can't hold them

Well, another Tragically Hip album is out! World Container is not so much a departure as a progression for the perennially great band. I don't have to sing their praises too much; just get this one. My favourite songs so far are the title track and "In View". You can listen on iTunes - if you don't already have the album, of course. I think this album will make an appearance on my top albums list of 2006 - coming soon!

Yay Amie!!

Congrats to Amie Shirkie, M.A!

Ban This

Although it's the last day of Banned Books Week, check out the American Library Association list of 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. The Canadian Library Association's website does not have such a list, and although books certainly have been and continue to be challenged in Canada, oppostion to certain works seems to be more vehement in the States. PEN Canada presents the Canadian version with Freedom to Read week. The ALA list is quite interesting, as is the list of those who initiate challenges. I haven't read all of the books on the list, and I admit that I will likely never read many of them (including numbers 58, 60, and 87), but there are many titles which are undeniably important in both the cultural and the literary sphere. So, screw the censor and read a banned book in support of Banned Books Week.

Happy Birthday Garry!

And we're back

We've finally been hooked back up to the outside world. We had to go 17 days without phone or internet, but now we're back!! Look for more posts - We've had a terrible summer for blogging. Good summer overall, though. Anyhoo, email us for our new address and phone number. The old ones won't work.

For all you wanna be cult leaders...

I was interested to learn that Warren Jeffs, the leader of a polygamist sect, was arrested today in the US. Jeffs has ties to Bountiful, a community in BC, which has been under scrutiny for some time. Winston Blackmore, former leader of the Bountiful sect, was interviewed earlier this year by Hana Gartner. The Canadian case certainly exposes the difficulties of adhering to freedom of religion while also trying to protect individuals, namely women and children. I'll be interested to see what happens to Jeffs, and I truly hope that he ends up in jail, where he will experience a whole new kind of polygamy.

Finally

Happy to come home and see this on the wire:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/08/14/macleans-universities.html

I always felt that the University of Saskatchewan was particularly affected by the insufficient evaluation criteria. Hopefully this will change Maclean's's tune. Then again, the feature story of the latest issue is an expose on the Playboy mansion. Perhaps if Maclean's hired some actual journalists we'd see some changes. Of course, the highly entertaining Paul Wells is exempt from any complaint about Maclean's. His contribution is almost worth the cost of the subscription by itself.

Off to Saskatchewan!!

I'm off to Saskatchewan! I'll be visiting friends and family for 11 wonderful days but I'll soon be back to tell you all about it. Have a good week!!