9 degrees Fahrenheit right now. That's my cue to leave!
I'm off for a much-needed break. If I knows ya, maybe I'll see you down south soon.
Raptors victorious over those thugs from Indianapolis. Thug-style--that's how Indianapolis rolls!
Looking forward to reading my new book by Canadian writer Stuart McLean, who hosts The Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio.
Right, time to mellow out with some Club 8. Happy holidays...
Friday, December 14, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Smokey
Here's a rarity, a TV "performance" from back in the day with live vocals and instrumentation, instead of lip synching. A classic from Smokey and the Miracles:
Speaking of which, I just picked up A Motown Christmas, and said Miracles have several tracks included...
Speaking of which, I just picked up A Motown Christmas, and said Miracles have several tracks included...
Thursday, November 29, 2007
I like this one
It's a few years old, it is. Mr. Tom Vek and his fantastic keys sound --->
P.S. - Happy St. Andrew's Day!
P.S. - Happy St. Andrew's Day!
Burrrrr
What the heck has been going on? That's right, I've been away for ages but I'm back. With a frostbitten vengeance. It's 27 F at the moment, with 20 MPH winds. Snow coming this weekend. Just what the Canadian Doctor ordered for a Southerner! Bring it on, I say.
I've been back to the states not once, not twice, but thrice since my last post. The first trip was to the Old Dominion for work and such, but it was great to catch up with family, Tadow, DM, RS and RV, amongst others. This past week I went back to the HOD for US Thanksgiving, as I'm now used to calling it (Canada's Thanksgiving is in Rocktober). Most of my family was there, so it was good to catch up with them. A certain football game cast a black shadow over Saturday, but it didn't spoil the visit, which for me included lots of Mello Yello, some Guthrie's chicken fingers and some Krystal's burgers. Mmmmmmmm.
In between those visits, I headed just over the border to Buffalo to witness the annihilation of the Bills by the New England Patriots. It was a surreal night--COLD, with an 8.15 kickoff. I witnessed fist fights in the stands after Belichick started going for it on 4th down whilst up by 40 points. The place went berserk, and with the Bills fans (who'd been drinking all day) getting riled up and the Patriots fans (also drunk) jawing back, all hell broke loose. The police were carting people off right and left. The game was a laugher, but it was still fun to see the well-oiled Pats machine steamroll (at least for the first half).
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings had the audacity to postpone their December show in DC, so no luck for me (the re-scheduled date is in January). Ah well. In other music news, the new Hives record is a good one. A lot of it was recorded in Oxford, Mississippi, and the second track features backing vocals from the Ole Miss cheerleaders. Yes! Swedish garage rock recorded in Mississippi with help from Ole Miss cheerleaders. That's got SITGWN written all over it. Here's the newest video, for "Tick Tick Boom" (they've disabled the ability to embed this one):
JM? He's started nine games in a row. Unbelievable. Winning fans right and left up here. Over and out!
I've been back to the states not once, not twice, but thrice since my last post. The first trip was to the Old Dominion for work and such, but it was great to catch up with family, Tadow, DM, RS and RV, amongst others. This past week I went back to the HOD for US Thanksgiving, as I'm now used to calling it (Canada's Thanksgiving is in Rocktober). Most of my family was there, so it was good to catch up with them. A certain football game cast a black shadow over Saturday, but it didn't spoil the visit, which for me included lots of Mello Yello, some Guthrie's chicken fingers and some Krystal's burgers. Mmmmmmmm.
In between those visits, I headed just over the border to Buffalo to witness the annihilation of the Bills by the New England Patriots. It was a surreal night--COLD, with an 8.15 kickoff. I witnessed fist fights in the stands after Belichick started going for it on 4th down whilst up by 40 points. The place went berserk, and with the Bills fans (who'd been drinking all day) getting riled up and the Patriots fans (also drunk) jawing back, all hell broke loose. The police were carting people off right and left. The game was a laugher, but it was still fun to see the well-oiled Pats machine steamroll (at least for the first half).
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings had the audacity to postpone their December show in DC, so no luck for me (the re-scheduled date is in January). Ah well. In other music news, the new Hives record is a good one. A lot of it was recorded in Oxford, Mississippi, and the second track features backing vocals from the Ole Miss cheerleaders. Yes! Swedish garage rock recorded in Mississippi with help from Ole Miss cheerleaders. That's got SITGWN written all over it. Here's the newest video, for "Tick Tick Boom" (they've disabled the ability to embed this one):
JM? He's started nine games in a row. Unbelievable. Winning fans right and left up here. Over and out!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Well, things had been mild, but tonight as I approached that last set of stairs that lead me out of St. Andrew station and on to King St, I felt a little draft, shall we say. And by the time I was above ground, I was freezing. Time for a real jacket tomorrow! In the meantime, I'll leave it to Ms. Sharon Jones to keep things warm.
Here's the fantastic new video from Sharon and her group The Dap-Kings, for "100 Days, 100 Nights." I love the new record, especially "Tell Me," which is a little more soul and a little less funk (just my style). I'll miss them in Toronto but hope to catch them again in December in DC!
How old does this thing look?
Here's the fantastic new video from Sharon and her group The Dap-Kings, for "100 Days, 100 Nights." I love the new record, especially "Tell Me," which is a little more soul and a little less funk (just my style). I'll miss them in Toronto but hope to catch them again in December in DC!
How old does this thing look?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
'bout time for an update, methinks...
Well, it's been ages, but here I am. Before I jump into what I've been doing, here are two quick forays into music:
First, here's a great interview I found with the late, great Desmond Dekker. RIP, self-titled King of Ska (who was a bit more of a Rocksteady guy, really). Ohhhh, Ohhhh, the Israelites! I had a chat about Desmond with the cable guy, a Jamaican native, last week.
Second, big news out of the Charlatans camp. With help from their new manager (creator of Creation Records and discoverer of Oasis) Alan McGee, they've partnered with XFM to release their new album... for free! The first single "You Cross My Path" is available for download here, with the full album coming early next year. Yeah, yeah, Radiohead, whatever. They still have a physical product coming out at some point. The Charlies' record will be MP3-only, and free of charge...
--------------
Now, some news. I'm in love. I know, I know, I've been here for just a few months. But, it's true. The object of my affection is none other than La Hacienda, on Queen Street West. Now, good Mexican food is hard enough to find in Toronto anyway--we are rather far away from Guadalajara, no? But this place?
- suitably low-key decor in a cool neighbourhood? Check.
- great chicken quesadillas with black beans? Check.
- a fantastic range of music played, thanks to the former musician owners? Check.
- whiskey sours (even available by the pitcher) made with lemon juice and sugar instead of bar mix? Big check. The best I've had.
Needless to say, I'm happy it's a 10-minute walk away!
--------------
So, what have I been up to? Well, my good friend Mr. Ta-Dow paid a visit not too long ago, which was great. We walked all over the city, made the obligatory trip up the CN Tower (my first since moving here), and went to some great spots new to me, including Fort York and Casa Loma. Ta-Dow also lent his mechanical expertise for some furniture construction, which was greatly appreciated. We also hung out in Little Italy, which is a fantastic area (and home to a great record store, Soundscapes).
Shows have been coming fast and furious, and in the last week I've seen Shout Out Louds from my favourite city on earth and also Figurines from the Kingdom of Denmark. Both good shows, especially the latter...
--------------
On Friday night the building next to mine was the site for a movie shoot. The location manager put fliers in my building just to notify everyone (it lasted until 2 in the morning). It's called The Love Guru, and if I'd looked it up before Friday instead of after I might have done some prowling around. It's the new Mike Myers film!
--------------
Also went to see the Raptors this week, courtesy of JM. They beat the Cavs easily, but it was cool to see LeBron James (and of course the Raptors too!). Hung out with JM for a few hours last weekend, and everything's going well for him with the team.
Think that's it for now...
First, here's a great interview I found with the late, great Desmond Dekker. RIP, self-titled King of Ska (who was a bit more of a Rocksteady guy, really). Ohhhh, Ohhhh, the Israelites! I had a chat about Desmond with the cable guy, a Jamaican native, last week.
Second, big news out of the Charlatans camp. With help from their new manager (creator of Creation Records and discoverer of Oasis) Alan McGee, they've partnered with XFM to release their new album... for free! The first single "You Cross My Path" is available for download here, with the full album coming early next year. Yeah, yeah, Radiohead, whatever. They still have a physical product coming out at some point. The Charlies' record will be MP3-only, and free of charge...
--------------
Now, some news. I'm in love. I know, I know, I've been here for just a few months. But, it's true. The object of my affection is none other than La Hacienda, on Queen Street West. Now, good Mexican food is hard enough to find in Toronto anyway--we are rather far away from Guadalajara, no? But this place?
- suitably low-key decor in a cool neighbourhood? Check.
- great chicken quesadillas with black beans? Check.
- a fantastic range of music played, thanks to the former musician owners? Check.
- whiskey sours (even available by the pitcher) made with lemon juice and sugar instead of bar mix? Big check. The best I've had.
Needless to say, I'm happy it's a 10-minute walk away!
--------------
So, what have I been up to? Well, my good friend Mr. Ta-Dow paid a visit not too long ago, which was great. We walked all over the city, made the obligatory trip up the CN Tower (my first since moving here), and went to some great spots new to me, including Fort York and Casa Loma. Ta-Dow also lent his mechanical expertise for some furniture construction, which was greatly appreciated. We also hung out in Little Italy, which is a fantastic area (and home to a great record store, Soundscapes).
Shows have been coming fast and furious, and in the last week I've seen Shout Out Louds from my favourite city on earth and also Figurines from the Kingdom of Denmark. Both good shows, especially the latter...
--------------
On Friday night the building next to mine was the site for a movie shoot. The location manager put fliers in my building just to notify everyone (it lasted until 2 in the morning). It's called The Love Guru, and if I'd looked it up before Friday instead of after I might have done some prowling around. It's the new Mike Myers film!
--------------
Also went to see the Raptors this week, courtesy of JM. They beat the Cavs easily, but it was cool to see LeBron James (and of course the Raptors too!). Hung out with JM for a few hours last weekend, and everything's going well for him with the team.
Think that's it for now...
Monday, October 15, 2007
score!
This is crazy. In my last post, I mentioned somewhat randomly that I was bummed I still hadn't seen The Ponys.
Notice how I mentioned I was going to see Spoon on Monday? That's in a few hours. And I just found out that the opening band is... The Ponys! Nice.
The Raveonettes were great last night--more on that later.
Notice how I mentioned I was going to see Spoon on Monday? That's in a few hours. And I just found out that the opening band is... The Ponys! Nice.
The Raveonettes were great last night--more on that later.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Saturday, it's a Saturday
(semi-obscure De La Soul reference)
I had one of those Eddie Izzard "aaaah aaaah aah aaaaaaaaaah" moments today. After running through my new neighbourhood for the first time (cool), I walked a few blocks to a Subway (errr, the sandwich place, not the TTC subway) I had spotted for a quick lunch. As soon as I walked in, I thought, "Waaaaaaaaiiiit a second, this looks really familiar."
Now, I'm quite aware that Subway is not known for a tremendous range of decorative styles. That "old school NYC Subway diagram/map" motif is pretty much universal. Still, the place looked really familiar. And then it hit me: I'd eaten in that very Subway almost two years ago when I was here on vacation. Seeing huge buildings and famous spots again isn't really a big deal, but there was something about walking in to a sandwich place in my new neighbourhood and realizing I'd eaten there as a tourist two years ago that seemed strange. Not bad, just strange.
---------
I spotted Georgia AND Virginia license plates this week. The Virginia car was from Prince William County. It still seemed a bit cooler to see Nova Scotia plates this morning. Yeah, it's in Canada, too, but it's a LONG way from Toronto...
---------
There's a new quarter here highlighting the 2010 Winter Olympics, taking place out west in Vancouver, British Columbia.
---------
Finally hitting the concert scene again on Sunday, as the stellar Danish duo The Raveonettes are coming to Lee's Palace, a venue on Bloor Street. And on Monday I'm seeing Spoon at The Phoenix, the same place I saw Rilo Kiley a few weeks ago. Otherwise I'm just trying to get my place organized!
I still haven't seen The Ponys live, much to my chagrin...
I had one of those Eddie Izzard "aaaah aaaah aah aaaaaaaaaah" moments today. After running through my new neighbourhood for the first time (cool), I walked a few blocks to a Subway (errr, the sandwich place, not the TTC subway) I had spotted for a quick lunch. As soon as I walked in, I thought, "Waaaaaaaaiiiit a second, this looks really familiar."
Now, I'm quite aware that Subway is not known for a tremendous range of decorative styles. That "old school NYC Subway diagram/map" motif is pretty much universal. Still, the place looked really familiar. And then it hit me: I'd eaten in that very Subway almost two years ago when I was here on vacation. Seeing huge buildings and famous spots again isn't really a big deal, but there was something about walking in to a sandwich place in my new neighbourhood and realizing I'd eaten there as a tourist two years ago that seemed strange. Not bad, just strange.
---------
I spotted Georgia AND Virginia license plates this week. The Virginia car was from Prince William County. It still seemed a bit cooler to see Nova Scotia plates this morning. Yeah, it's in Canada, too, but it's a LONG way from Toronto...
---------
There's a new quarter here highlighting the 2010 Winter Olympics, taking place out west in Vancouver, British Columbia.
---------
Finally hitting the concert scene again on Sunday, as the stellar Danish duo The Raveonettes are coming to Lee's Palace, a venue on Bloor Street. And on Monday I'm seeing Spoon at The Phoenix, the same place I saw Rilo Kiley a few weeks ago. Otherwise I'm just trying to get my place organized!
I still haven't seen The Ponys live, much to my chagrin...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
return to the red and white
As Marty DiBergi would say, my car finally lost its extradition battle today. That's right, I'm back in Toronto with my car, having left Buffalo behind. Blue-and-white Ontario plates are all I need...
-----------------
Last night I walked around after dinner, trying to find the movie theater showing Eastern Promises. Seven or eight blocks down Main St., and I turned right around. Hated to do it, but I wasn't liking the vibe, and I go with my instincts when I travel. A quick search on Wikipedia when I got back to the hotel confirmed what I noticed: Buffalo has a huge number of vacant buildings. In fact, the only US city with more vacant buildings is St. Louis. It makes sense, considering that in 1950 Buffalo's population was more than double what it is now. Still makes for a sad sight, as there are some sharp-looking buildings just collecting dust. I did like The Sidway, an old building with loft apartments over a bar.
-----------------
Does the term "Mod shower curtain" sound odd? Well I have one.
-----------------
The Ontario provincial election was today. The CBC is reporting that the Liberal Party has been returned to power with a reduced majority. Dalton McGuinty will be Premier for another parliament. The NDP is doing well, and the Green Party's support has risen to about 8% of the vote, although I don't think it will win any seats. Its leader Frank De Jong came in fourth in his riding of Davenport.
Rosario Marchese of the NDP has been re-elected in my riding, Trinity-Spadina, and George Smitherman of the Liberals was re-elected in Toronto Centre, where I lived last month.
Sadly, the proposed multi-member, proportional representation system for future elections was voted down in a referendum. Guess Ontario wasn't ready for Scottish-style proportional representation.
-----------------
I was pleasantly surprised to find biscuits among the hotel breakfast foods this morning. No grits, but this is Buffalo we're talking about! Southern beggars can't be choosers.
-----------------
Without further ado, a completely random transition to a clip of the fantastic "Venus." Here is Shocking Blue, the pride of The Hague-->
-----------------
Last night I walked around after dinner, trying to find the movie theater showing Eastern Promises. Seven or eight blocks down Main St., and I turned right around. Hated to do it, but I wasn't liking the vibe, and I go with my instincts when I travel. A quick search on Wikipedia when I got back to the hotel confirmed what I noticed: Buffalo has a huge number of vacant buildings. In fact, the only US city with more vacant buildings is St. Louis. It makes sense, considering that in 1950 Buffalo's population was more than double what it is now. Still makes for a sad sight, as there are some sharp-looking buildings just collecting dust. I did like The Sidway, an old building with loft apartments over a bar.
-----------------
Does the term "Mod shower curtain" sound odd? Well I have one.
-----------------
The Ontario provincial election was today. The CBC is reporting that the Liberal Party has been returned to power with a reduced majority. Dalton McGuinty will be Premier for another parliament. The NDP is doing well, and the Green Party's support has risen to about 8% of the vote, although I don't think it will win any seats. Its leader Frank De Jong came in fourth in his riding of Davenport.
Rosario Marchese of the NDP has been re-elected in my riding, Trinity-Spadina, and George Smitherman of the Liberals was re-elected in Toronto Centre, where I lived last month.
Sadly, the proposed multi-member, proportional representation system for future elections was voted down in a referendum. Guess Ontario wasn't ready for Scottish-style proportional representation.
-----------------
I was pleasantly surprised to find biscuits among the hotel breakfast foods this morning. No grits, but this is Buffalo we're talking about! Southern beggars can't be choosers.
-----------------
Without further ado, a completely random transition to a clip of the fantastic "Venus." Here is Shocking Blue, the pride of The Hague-->
Monday, October 8, 2007
Art Deco = fabulous
Well, Buffalo is rather north from my perspective, isn't it? So, as I'll be here until Wednesday morning (long story), I thought I'd have a look round the place and post some thoughts.
I'm staying downtown, and walked a few minutes to the Theater District, on a stretch of Main St. with a train but no cars allowed. It was 7.00 pm, and it was a ghost town. Hardly a soul in sight. Kinda eerie, considering there are some fantastic old buildings. Shea's is an ornate, old theatre with bright white lights, and nearby is an old art deco theatre with rounded walls and everything.
Then I wandered over to City Hall, and was awed by its art deco splendor. (I'm a fan of art deco, if you hadn't noticed.) Finished with terrible timing as the Depression was in full swing, the building is really, really imposing in a city the size of Buffalo. It has 32 stories, and a whole lot of windows, all of which open inward. Read all about the building here.
I was pleased to see that one of the statues near the building is of Buffalonian Millard Fillmore. As you scratch your head trying to remember where you've heard that name, I'll give you the scoop: he was a US president in the early 1850s, moving up from VP with the death of Zachary Taylor. Fillmore was the last president from the Whig Party. He wasn't nominated by them after finishing Taylors's term, and the disastrous showing by Winfield Scott in the 1852 election led to the demise of the Whigs. Many moved on to the new Republican Party, but Fillmore ran in 1856 for the nativist, anti-immigrant American/Know Nothing Party, carrying the state of Maryland.
Why did I care to see a Fillmore statue? I did my grad school research on that political time period, and thought he was an interesting chap. There's no question he's thoroughly anonymous these days, so I was happy to see his adopted town honor him.
And now, after my brushes with the NFL's chief executive and a broadcaster, I'm watching the Bills-Cowboys game on TV (it's taking place 20 minutes away). The Bills, surprisingly, are ahead. Maybe I've brought them luck to western New York!
I'm staying downtown, and walked a few minutes to the Theater District, on a stretch of Main St. with a train but no cars allowed. It was 7.00 pm, and it was a ghost town. Hardly a soul in sight. Kinda eerie, considering there are some fantastic old buildings. Shea's is an ornate, old theatre with bright white lights, and nearby is an old art deco theatre with rounded walls and everything.
Then I wandered over to City Hall, and was awed by its art deco splendor. (I'm a fan of art deco, if you hadn't noticed.) Finished with terrible timing as the Depression was in full swing, the building is really, really imposing in a city the size of Buffalo. It has 32 stories, and a whole lot of windows, all of which open inward. Read all about the building here.
I was pleased to see that one of the statues near the building is of Buffalonian Millard Fillmore. As you scratch your head trying to remember where you've heard that name, I'll give you the scoop: he was a US president in the early 1850s, moving up from VP with the death of Zachary Taylor. Fillmore was the last president from the Whig Party. He wasn't nominated by them after finishing Taylors's term, and the disastrous showing by Winfield Scott in the 1852 election led to the demise of the Whigs. Many moved on to the new Republican Party, but Fillmore ran in 1856 for the nativist, anti-immigrant American/Know Nothing Party, carrying the state of Maryland.
Why did I care to see a Fillmore statue? I did my grad school research on that political time period, and thought he was an interesting chap. There's no question he's thoroughly anonymous these days, so I was happy to see his adopted town honor him.
And now, after my brushes with the NFL's chief executive and a broadcaster, I'm watching the Bills-Cowboys game on TV (it's taking place 20 minutes away). The Bills, surprisingly, are ahead. Maybe I've brought them luck to western New York!
we always hang in a Buffalo stance
Well, well, today's post finds me in sunny Buffalo, New York, mere minutes from the Canadian border.
I've been back in the States for a half-week or so, and drove up last night to be able to export my car from the US and import it in to Canada this morning. Slight problem. It's Columbus Day (gee, what a fantastic guy to celebrate), so when I got to the border the US Customs guy politely informed that I'd have to wait until tomorrow. D'oh. I knew weekends and "holidays" were non-export days, but hadn't really thought of this as a "holiday." (On a side note, it is Thanksgiving in Canada today.)
So, I turned right around and headed back into Buffalo (just 10 minutes away). Went back to last night's hotel. Sold out. Went to the Hyatt. Sold out. Why, you ask? Multiple hotel sellouts in downtown Buffalo? This is why. The Bills are hosting the Dallas Cowboys. As I left the Hyatt roomless, I walked past a bloke in a suit who said "hello." I returned the favor. He was heading into an ESPN luncheon at the Hyatt, and his name is Roger Goodell. He's the commissioner of the National Football League! Crazy.
The Hampton Inn had an opening, so here I am, writing away in its business center as I wait for my room. And who was next to me in the business center? This guy, who works for Fox Sports. Nice guy. I'm having all sorts of NFL sightings.
My plans for getting into Toronto early today so I could get lots of things unpacked and put up in the new apartment were definitely thwarted, but there's nothing I can do about it. So I'll enjoy my day in Buffalo (never been here before, except late last night). Maybe I'll wander over to Niagara Falls and sing Interpol's "Pioneer To The Falls"...
I've been back in the States for a half-week or so, and drove up last night to be able to export my car from the US and import it in to Canada this morning. Slight problem. It's Columbus Day (gee, what a fantastic guy to celebrate), so when I got to the border the US Customs guy politely informed that I'd have to wait until tomorrow. D'oh. I knew weekends and "holidays" were non-export days, but hadn't really thought of this as a "holiday." (On a side note, it is Thanksgiving in Canada today.)
So, I turned right around and headed back into Buffalo (just 10 minutes away). Went back to last night's hotel. Sold out. Went to the Hyatt. Sold out. Why, you ask? Multiple hotel sellouts in downtown Buffalo? This is why. The Bills are hosting the Dallas Cowboys. As I left the Hyatt roomless, I walked past a bloke in a suit who said "hello." I returned the favor. He was heading into an ESPN luncheon at the Hyatt, and his name is Roger Goodell. He's the commissioner of the National Football League! Crazy.
The Hampton Inn had an opening, so here I am, writing away in its business center as I wait for my room. And who was next to me in the business center? This guy, who works for Fox Sports. Nice guy. I'm having all sorts of NFL sightings.
My plans for getting into Toronto early today so I could get lots of things unpacked and put up in the new apartment were definitely thwarted, but there's nothing I can do about it. So I'll enjoy my day in Buffalo (never been here before, except late last night). Maybe I'll wander over to Niagara Falls and sing Interpol's "Pioneer To The Falls"...
Monday, October 1, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
and the winner is...
Me! (In the category of Runners Wearing University of Mississippi Hats--at least I think so.)
Seriously, though, the 5k went well, the weather was perfect and it raised tons of money for a great cause. It was funny to see dogs dressed up in pink taking part. I started out strong, slowed down between 3-4 and then picked it up for the last k. Not bad considering I've only been back in a running groove for 3 weeks or so. It wasn't timed at all, adding even more to the "this is for a cause, not competition" vibe that prevailed.
Rest assured, when I don't find Southern links, I find Scottish and Scandi links! As I gulped down some post-race water and meandered over to the stage they had set up, I heard some recorded fiddle music. Its beneficiaries? Some Highland dancers! The crowd loved it. I liked seeing it in the shadow of the ultra-modern city hall, designed by a Finn!
---------------
I'd left my keys at my building's front desk, so had to run with just two things (besides my iPod): my card that gets me into my building and my subway pass. The train was full of fellow racers, so Queen Street station saw a mass exodus of riders. Speaking of the iPod, I warmed up to a wide array of tunes, from Chuck Berry to Kaiser Chiefs. During the race, I listened to a race-specific playlist I created when I ran some 10ks in the spring. It includes a hodgepodge of things, from The Ponys to The Raveonettes to The Pipettes.
---------------
While waiting for the subway, I noticed a woman pacing. A lot. Had a strange look on her face. She walked up and started talking. (You can imagine my delight.)
Her: "Are you running the Race for the Cure?"
Me: "Yes."
Her: "Where did you get that number?" [the race number pinned to my shirt.]
Me: "I got it when and where I signed up for the race."
Her: "What songs do you have on your iPod?"
Me: "Oh, lots of them. Too many to name."
Her: "Do you have any Cyndi Lauper?"
Me: "Err, no, I don't." [Peers anxiously down the track for any sign of the train.]
Her: "She had that 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' song."
Me: "Yeah, she did." [Looks lovingly at the train that has just arrived.]
----------------
When did Wilco become SO BORING? Good grief, I used to count down the days to their new record releases. Those days appear to be over. I was really put off by all of the endless, self-indulgent guitar wankery on their last record, and their new one just puts me to sleep. Really. Insomnia? Put on the new Wilco record! I was gonna ask myself, Self, what happened to the Wilco that put out Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and those Billy Bragg/Woody Guthrie records? But I know what happened. The lineup changed. Repeatedly. Does this scene from This is Spinal Tap ring true? I think so.
--------------
I'll leave you with The Duloks!
Seriously, though, the 5k went well, the weather was perfect and it raised tons of money for a great cause. It was funny to see dogs dressed up in pink taking part. I started out strong, slowed down between 3-4 and then picked it up for the last k. Not bad considering I've only been back in a running groove for 3 weeks or so. It wasn't timed at all, adding even more to the "this is for a cause, not competition" vibe that prevailed.
Rest assured, when I don't find Southern links, I find Scottish and Scandi links! As I gulped down some post-race water and meandered over to the stage they had set up, I heard some recorded fiddle music. Its beneficiaries? Some Highland dancers! The crowd loved it. I liked seeing it in the shadow of the ultra-modern city hall, designed by a Finn!
---------------
I'd left my keys at my building's front desk, so had to run with just two things (besides my iPod): my card that gets me into my building and my subway pass. The train was full of fellow racers, so Queen Street station saw a mass exodus of riders. Speaking of the iPod, I warmed up to a wide array of tunes, from Chuck Berry to Kaiser Chiefs. During the race, I listened to a race-specific playlist I created when I ran some 10ks in the spring. It includes a hodgepodge of things, from The Ponys to The Raveonettes to The Pipettes.
---------------
While waiting for the subway, I noticed a woman pacing. A lot. Had a strange look on her face. She walked up and started talking. (You can imagine my delight.)
Her: "Are you running the Race for the Cure?"
Me: "Yes."
Her: "Where did you get that number?" [the race number pinned to my shirt.]
Me: "I got it when and where I signed up for the race."
Her: "What songs do you have on your iPod?"
Me: "Oh, lots of them. Too many to name."
Her: "Do you have any Cyndi Lauper?"
Me: "Err, no, I don't." [Peers anxiously down the track for any sign of the train.]
Her: "She had that 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' song."
Me: "Yeah, she did." [Looks lovingly at the train that has just arrived.]
----------------
When did Wilco become SO BORING? Good grief, I used to count down the days to their new record releases. Those days appear to be over. I was really put off by all of the endless, self-indulgent guitar wankery on their last record, and their new one just puts me to sleep. Really. Insomnia? Put on the new Wilco record! I was gonna ask myself, Self, what happened to the Wilco that put out Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and those Billy Bragg/Woody Guthrie records? But I know what happened. The lineup changed. Repeatedly. Does this scene from This is Spinal Tap ring true? I think so.
--------------
I'll leave you with The Duloks!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Friday adventure!
Well, well, someone chose Friday evening to jump in front of the subway. My friend C. and I had made it 4 or 5 stops from work when the announcement came over the intercom (no, not that announcement--just that there was "a track-level injury" at St. Clair resulting in trains being stopped in both directions. Other riders had heard about the suicide on the news.).
We all hopped off the train, and then there was a muffled announcement about shuttles taking people to Bloor, a central stop (and ours, as fate would have it). Everyone went up stairs trying to find the buses. We made our way to the regular stops for east and west buses (subway goes north/south). A bus labeled "Special" stopped, and people stuffed it completely. We didn't make it on, so then waited as dozens of east/west buses came roaring through. There was another announcement, but no one could hear it. A TTC worker walked by and everyone asked him what was going on; he said everyone was waiting on the other side of the station, but he wasn't sure what the plans actually were.
So, we wandered outside to that spot, and subway riders were flocking there in droves. Finally a bus pulled up, and we just barely got onboard. I was standing on the edge of a step off of the bus, with my back at a weird angle. After 20 minutes, we finally arrived at Bloor! Complete chaos. The whole thing made it seem like the TTC isn't prepared for these types of issues; it definitely should be.
-----------
On Sunday I'm running in CIBC's Run for the Cure to benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It's a 5k run, and the course goes right through my temporary neighbourhood. I'm back in a running groove, although I wouldn't be up for a 10k just yet. So a 5k for a great cause seems perfect...
-----------
I got a leaflet in my door from Sandra Gonzalez, the NDP candidate for the Toronto Centre riding in the upcoming Ontario provincial election. Her website has welcome messages in Bengali, Somali, Vietnamese and Tamil, if English doesn't do the trick for you. While the NDP holds my riding-to-be of Trinity-Spadina, the Liberals are the incumbent party in Toronto Centre. The election is on October 10th...
-----------
Last Saturday JM and I watched a heartbreaking overtime Crimson Tide loss. His wife met up with us, too, and she's really nice. She's also from the H.O.D. They're away for training camp now, so I'm left to my own devices to steer us through our game against the Seminoles, being played in the "neutral" site of Jacksonville.
-----------
In four days I move! I'm also headed back to the US the day after that for a couple of days. Should be great, except for one thing: I'm missing the Hives' headline show in Toronto. They're the opening act (appallingly) on Maroon 5's North American tour, but are doing a handful of their own shows in select big cities. Ah well, next time...
We all hopped off the train, and then there was a muffled announcement about shuttles taking people to Bloor, a central stop (and ours, as fate would have it). Everyone went up stairs trying to find the buses. We made our way to the regular stops for east and west buses (subway goes north/south). A bus labeled "Special" stopped, and people stuffed it completely. We didn't make it on, so then waited as dozens of east/west buses came roaring through. There was another announcement, but no one could hear it. A TTC worker walked by and everyone asked him what was going on; he said everyone was waiting on the other side of the station, but he wasn't sure what the plans actually were.
So, we wandered outside to that spot, and subway riders were flocking there in droves. Finally a bus pulled up, and we just barely got onboard. I was standing on the edge of a step off of the bus, with my back at a weird angle. After 20 minutes, we finally arrived at Bloor! Complete chaos. The whole thing made it seem like the TTC isn't prepared for these types of issues; it definitely should be.
-----------
On Sunday I'm running in CIBC's Run for the Cure to benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It's a 5k run, and the course goes right through my temporary neighbourhood. I'm back in a running groove, although I wouldn't be up for a 10k just yet. So a 5k for a great cause seems perfect...
-----------
I got a leaflet in my door from Sandra Gonzalez, the NDP candidate for the Toronto Centre riding in the upcoming Ontario provincial election. Her website has welcome messages in Bengali, Somali, Vietnamese and Tamil, if English doesn't do the trick for you. While the NDP holds my riding-to-be of Trinity-Spadina, the Liberals are the incumbent party in Toronto Centre. The election is on October 10th...
-----------
Last Saturday JM and I watched a heartbreaking overtime Crimson Tide loss. His wife met up with us, too, and she's really nice. She's also from the H.O.D. They're away for training camp now, so I'm left to my own devices to steer us through our game against the Seminoles, being played in the "neutral" site of Jacksonville.
-----------
In four days I move! I'm also headed back to the US the day after that for a couple of days. Should be great, except for one thing: I'm missing the Hives' headline show in Toronto. They're the opening act (appallingly) on Maroon 5's North American tour, but are doing a handful of their own shows in select big cities. Ah well, next time...
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
No Dejalo
Hi, friends. Last night I went to see Jenny Lewis's hotpants Rilo Kiley at the Phoenix, a cool old venue on Sherbourne. It reminds me of the TLA in Philadelphia--big, old, with lots of red and cool lighting. Now, my friends J and A (and probably their dogs) agree with me that the last RK record, ballyhooed though it may have been, was not all that great. Kinda boring--no songs stood out... yet they rode it to a major label deal and an opening slot on a Coldplay tour. Go figure. Now the one before that is a different story (as the same trio agrees). That's The Execution of All Things, and that is quite the record. I put it in my Top 9 of the year it was released.
Anyway, they have a new one, which is oddly poppy and danceable for them, but it's growing on me. They put on a good show. Lewis's voice was superb, and she bounced around from guitar to keys to bass. (And she was wearing sort of a hotpants/jumper combo.) The new song "Dreamworld" sounded especially good, although they infuriated me by not playing the excellent tune "Dejalo." One song from Execution made it into the set list: "Paint's Peeling."
The middle act was Lewis's boyfriend, Johnathan Rice. He's a weird chap who writes some pretty good songs. He tried the banter angle with the crowd, but the crowd wasn't that interested until Lewis came out for a duet. He was a little better than the time I saw him at the 9.30 Club, opening for someone (Belle & Sebastian or Napalm Death--can't remember which).
The first band... my my my. They're named after the nickname for a political party, and they're fronted by a woman who sings and plays the drums. But... she uses a headset microphone. Oh dear. You could be the love child of James Brown and Sugar Pie DeSanto, but if you use a headset microphone, I'm not gonna take you seriously!! Think about it. What do you associate with headset microphones?
A) McDonald's drive-thru associates
B) boy bands
Need I say more? I'm sure it helps her play the drums while singing; nonetheless, I dock her 600 rock and roll points.
OK, switching gears--it's time for some late breaking Canadian political analysis! I know you've been on the edge of your seats waiting, so wait no more. Turns out there were some by-elections a few days ago for the Canadian parliament, all of them in the province of Quebec. As you might suspect, politics are a bit different in that province. One of the biggest parties there doesn't exist in any other province. It's called the Bloc Québécois, and it aims for a Quebec independent of Canada. While it's federal, it has a sister party that operates on the provincial level called the Parti Québécois. The Liberal Party has done well of late in Quebec, while the Conservatives have been clawing back some ground they had lost (conservatism makes sense to a province that is overwhelmingly traditional Catholic). The NDP has next to no presence traditionally in Quebec.
So, there were by-elections in three ridings (AKA districts/constituencies). Here are the results:
Roberval-Lac-St-Jean
Conservative gain from the Bloc Québécois
Outremont (Montreal)
NDP gain from the Liberals
St-Hyacinthe-Bagot
Bloc Québécois hold
As a whole, it was pretty embarrasing for the Liberals, as their national leader is a Quebecer and he's looking to solidify his position. That he presided over a loss of a seat to the NDP (only the second NDP victory in Quebec EVER) in his home province will not be construed as a sign of strength. The Bloc's loss doesn't bode well for them, either, as it was in one of their traditional strongholds. The Conservatives are looking strong, and because they're the governing party the prime minister may be more likely to call an early election (ah, the British system--the PM can call the election when he/she feels like it, as long as it's within five years of the previous one).
Oh, and Halloween stuff is everywhere in the shops. And Canadian Thanksgiving is October 8th!
Anyway, they have a new one, which is oddly poppy and danceable for them, but it's growing on me. They put on a good show. Lewis's voice was superb, and she bounced around from guitar to keys to bass. (And she was wearing sort of a hotpants/jumper combo.) The new song "Dreamworld" sounded especially good, although they infuriated me by not playing the excellent tune "Dejalo." One song from Execution made it into the set list: "Paint's Peeling."
The middle act was Lewis's boyfriend, Johnathan Rice. He's a weird chap who writes some pretty good songs. He tried the banter angle with the crowd, but the crowd wasn't that interested until Lewis came out for a duet. He was a little better than the time I saw him at the 9.30 Club, opening for someone (Belle & Sebastian or Napalm Death--can't remember which).
The first band... my my my. They're named after the nickname for a political party, and they're fronted by a woman who sings and plays the drums. But... she uses a headset microphone. Oh dear. You could be the love child of James Brown and Sugar Pie DeSanto, but if you use a headset microphone, I'm not gonna take you seriously!! Think about it. What do you associate with headset microphones?
A) McDonald's drive-thru associates
B) boy bands
Need I say more? I'm sure it helps her play the drums while singing; nonetheless, I dock her 600 rock and roll points.
OK, switching gears--it's time for some late breaking Canadian political analysis! I know you've been on the edge of your seats waiting, so wait no more. Turns out there were some by-elections a few days ago for the Canadian parliament, all of them in the province of Quebec. As you might suspect, politics are a bit different in that province. One of the biggest parties there doesn't exist in any other province. It's called the Bloc Québécois, and it aims for a Quebec independent of Canada. While it's federal, it has a sister party that operates on the provincial level called the Parti Québécois. The Liberal Party has done well of late in Quebec, while the Conservatives have been clawing back some ground they had lost (conservatism makes sense to a province that is overwhelmingly traditional Catholic). The NDP has next to no presence traditionally in Quebec.
So, there were by-elections in three ridings (AKA districts/constituencies). Here are the results:
Roberval-Lac-St-Jean
Conservative gain from the Bloc Québécois
Outremont (Montreal)
NDP gain from the Liberals
St-Hyacinthe-Bagot
Bloc Québécois hold
As a whole, it was pretty embarrasing for the Liberals, as their national leader is a Quebecer and he's looking to solidify his position. That he presided over a loss of a seat to the NDP (only the second NDP victory in Quebec EVER) in his home province will not be construed as a sign of strength. The Bloc's loss doesn't bode well for them, either, as it was in one of their traditional strongholds. The Conservatives are looking strong, and because they're the governing party the prime minister may be more likely to call an early election (ah, the British system--the PM can call the election when he/she feels like it, as long as it's within five years of the previous one).
Oh, and Halloween stuff is everywhere in the shops. And Canadian Thanksgiving is October 8th!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Keith Moon and other Moons
As if I needed any more proof of my new city's vibrant multiculturalism, on Friday I went to a Swedish music DJ night at a Senegalese restaurant on the edge of Chinatown. Right on. Turnout was (apparently) lighter than usual, but it was good to meet and talk shop and Sverige with the DJs and to hear some great tunes, including the new Hives single and a hilarious country cover of Peter Bjorn & John's omnipresent "Young Folks." By all accounts the Swedish expat community in Toronto is tiny, which is a shame.
Today I had the fortune of seeing the second and final showing of the new documentary Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who at the Toronto Film Festival. The first showing was last night, and was the world premiere. It was really well done, and I was thrilled especially to see long-lost footage of the band in its Mod phase covering "Heat Wave" by Martha & the Vandellas at a London ballroom in 1964. The interviews were enlightening, and just hearing the recorded songs in high quality in a grand old theatre was a treat. The directors and producers did a Q&A session afterward, which was icing on the cake. The movie will be out on DVD in November, including a second disc of stuff not shown today. Maximum R&B!
Tonight I watched the Alabama-Arkansas game (which underdog Bama won with a touchdown pass with eight seconds left) with a fellow Alabamian. Not just any Alabamian, for that matter. This guy. We just started chatting when I realized he was cheering at the same time I was cheering, and hung out for the rest of the game. He's a really nice dude. So, one of my first non-work friends here is an NBA player. Go figure!
Oh, I had to give up my US driver's license on Friday. Nope, didn't get in trouble--traded it for an Ontario one, which I had to do within 60 days. Thankfully there's a reciprocal agreement that meant I didn't have to take any tests for it (because I've had a US license for over 2 years). I spent a total of 50 minutes in the offices of Service Ontario, most of it in line. Not a bad experience, overall...
P.S. - If you've never listened to Lee Fields, you should!
Today I had the fortune of seeing the second and final showing of the new documentary Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who at the Toronto Film Festival. The first showing was last night, and was the world premiere. It was really well done, and I was thrilled especially to see long-lost footage of the band in its Mod phase covering "Heat Wave" by Martha & the Vandellas at a London ballroom in 1964. The interviews were enlightening, and just hearing the recorded songs in high quality in a grand old theatre was a treat. The directors and producers did a Q&A session afterward, which was icing on the cake. The movie will be out on DVD in November, including a second disc of stuff not shown today. Maximum R&B!
Tonight I watched the Alabama-Arkansas game (which underdog Bama won with a touchdown pass with eight seconds left) with a fellow Alabamian. Not just any Alabamian, for that matter. This guy. We just started chatting when I realized he was cheering at the same time I was cheering, and hung out for the rest of the game. He's a really nice dude. So, one of my first non-work friends here is an NBA player. Go figure!
Oh, I had to give up my US driver's license on Friday. Nope, didn't get in trouble--traded it for an Ontario one, which I had to do within 60 days. Thankfully there's a reciprocal agreement that meant I didn't have to take any tests for it (because I've had a US license for over 2 years). I spent a total of 50 minutes in the offices of Service Ontario, most of it in line. Not a bad experience, overall...
P.S. - If you've never listened to Lee Fields, you should!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
O Canada
So, here I am. A Deep South native who thought moving 700 miles north to Virginia a while ago was like moving to another planet, only to choose to move over 500 miles further north now. A Southerner on a secret mission to find grits, Mello Yello and SEC football on TV in Toronto.
Actually, I'm just a guy lucky enough to get the chance to live in another (nearby) country for a few years. There are plenty of similarities between the US and Canada to be sure, but join me as I sort out loonies from toonies and that sport played on the ice. I'll also undertake research to find out why Mountain Dew in Canada has no caffeine (no caffeine in the Dew? How is that possible??) and why Canadians write "centre" instead of "center" and "labour" instead of "labor" but switch to US style with "analyze" instead of "analyse."
-
I've been here a week and a half, and just yesterday secured a permanent place in a really cool neighbo(u)rhood (in the Fashion District, which I can hardly say with a straight face). My temporary digs are at ground zero for the Toronto International Film Festival, and I'm seeing a new documentary about The Who as part of it this weekend. I've seen the Blue Jays a few times, and hope to see Toronto FC sometime in the next month. I spent most of last weekend on the gorgeous Toronto Islands seeing the Canadian edition of the Virgin Festival. I've been running the last few nights in Queen's Park and through the University of Toronto, and I'm thrilled that a city as big as this has such leafy, quiet green spots just blocks away from skyscrapers and lots of noise.
I've moved at a fantastic time to observe political culture, as the province of Ontario (which includes Toronto) has an election on October 10th for seats in the provincial parliament, which is located in the very same Queen's Park. I've already gotten two notices from Elections Ontario reminding me when and how to register if I'm eligible (I'm not, of course--I'm a US citizen). I'm not getting any other mail yet, so I've been happy to study the emphatic messages: "Don't Let Others Speak For You!"
Provinces have an awful lot of power (more than US states, or so it seems), so while a lot of the parties have the same name as the federal parties, they're run on their own. For example, the federal Progressive Conservatives and Canadian Alliance merged into the Conservative Party of Canada several years ago, but here in Ontario the centre-right party is still called the Progressive Conservatives.
Anyway, the Liberal Party (centre-left) is currently in power in Ontario, led by the Premier Dalton McGuinty. Besides the Progressive Conservatives (AKA Tories), other major parties running include the NDP (New Democratic Party, left wing) and the Green Party.
You can read about them below. I'm off to finish some laundry...
Ontario Liberal Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Ontario NDP
Green Party of Ontario
Actually, I'm just a guy lucky enough to get the chance to live in another (nearby) country for a few years. There are plenty of similarities between the US and Canada to be sure, but join me as I sort out loonies from toonies and that sport played on the ice. I'll also undertake research to find out why Mountain Dew in Canada has no caffeine (no caffeine in the Dew? How is that possible??) and why Canadians write "centre" instead of "center" and "labour" instead of "labor" but switch to US style with "analyze" instead of "analyse."
-
I've been here a week and a half, and just yesterday secured a permanent place in a really cool neighbo(u)rhood (in the Fashion District, which I can hardly say with a straight face). My temporary digs are at ground zero for the Toronto International Film Festival, and I'm seeing a new documentary about The Who as part of it this weekend. I've seen the Blue Jays a few times, and hope to see Toronto FC sometime in the next month. I spent most of last weekend on the gorgeous Toronto Islands seeing the Canadian edition of the Virgin Festival. I've been running the last few nights in Queen's Park and through the University of Toronto, and I'm thrilled that a city as big as this has such leafy, quiet green spots just blocks away from skyscrapers and lots of noise.
I've moved at a fantastic time to observe political culture, as the province of Ontario (which includes Toronto) has an election on October 10th for seats in the provincial parliament, which is located in the very same Queen's Park. I've already gotten two notices from Elections Ontario reminding me when and how to register if I'm eligible (I'm not, of course--I'm a US citizen). I'm not getting any other mail yet, so I've been happy to study the emphatic messages: "Don't Let Others Speak For You!"
Provinces have an awful lot of power (more than US states, or so it seems), so while a lot of the parties have the same name as the federal parties, they're run on their own. For example, the federal Progressive Conservatives and Canadian Alliance merged into the Conservative Party of Canada several years ago, but here in Ontario the centre-right party is still called the Progressive Conservatives.
Anyway, the Liberal Party (centre-left) is currently in power in Ontario, led by the Premier Dalton McGuinty. Besides the Progressive Conservatives (AKA Tories), other major parties running include the NDP (New Democratic Party, left wing) and the Green Party.
You can read about them below. I'm off to finish some laundry...
Ontario Liberal Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Ontario NDP
Green Party of Ontario
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