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!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
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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