Fire burns on White House grounds while its confirmed the fire is under control, it remains to be seem if in fact the cause was "liar liar, pants on fire."
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
A bonus for anyone who loved the "Slapsgiving" episodes of How I Met Your Mother as much as I or What's Alan Watching did:
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Non-spoilerish thought from "Heroes" last night:
Company Bob, why does your super jail have no surveillance system?
What's Alan Watching has a review for the episode Four Months Ago up on his site.
Company Bob, why does your super jail have no surveillance system?
What's Alan Watching has a review for the episode Four Months Ago up on his site.
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Hellboy 2 movie website added a gallery of concept drawings last week, including Hellboy’s “Big Baby” gun.
"Facebook's a bubble (because, basically,it's a shit interface used primarily for telling people you're a madbitey zombie pirate monkey)"
- Warren Ellis on social network sites
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
On the NBC show "30 Rock" this week, I was witness to a comedic tour-de-force as Jack (Alec Baldwin) helps Tracy (Tracy Morgan) to quit dog-fighting by working through some issues in a hilarious and distrubed role-playing therapy session. After we watched the scene again, Rando turns to me and says "I think I just watched Alec Baldwin win an Emmy". View the clip of Emmy-winning comedy here.
Friday, October 26, 2007
"That poster was obviously photoshopped. A real unicorn would have collapsed under the weight of Neil Patrick Harris' awesomeness." - comment by furry_tom on EW Popwatch
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I've been too busy to really put any thought into a Halloween costume for this weekend. Any suggestions for quick/clever/cheap costume ideas?
Value Village is a pretty good resource for materials and dollar stores tend to have accessories. Drop any inspired ideas into the comments section. Don't make me go out as Erik Estrada from the 1977 - 83 T.V. show C.H.i.P.s this year.
Value Village is a pretty good resource for materials and dollar stores tend to have accessories. Drop any inspired ideas into the comments section. Don't make me go out as Erik Estrada from the 1977 - 83 T.V. show C.H.i.P.s this year.
Due to popular demand, the Canadian indie pop band Stars have added a fourth show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Thursday, November 29th. For a preview of what to expect, check out NPR's All Songs Considered website. They have a full concert and interview with Stars, from October 20th in Washington D.C. available on streaming. The new album In Our Bedroom After The War is terrific by the way, "an artful mix of sadness and joy, set against a wash of '80s-pop-inspired guitars and rhythms."
Tip: If you subscribe to the All Songs Considered podcast (at least on iTunes), you can probably still download an MP3 copy of the concert and interview with Stars. It 's worth getting as it makes a great live album, about 2 hours all together. All Songs Considered has been making a terrific series of concerts available through podcast, with acts like Iron & Wine, Apples in Stereo, and Travis, with upcoming shows from New Pornographers and Spoon to come.
Tip: If you subscribe to the All Songs Considered podcast (at least on iTunes), you can probably still download an MP3 copy of the concert and interview with Stars. It 's worth getting as it makes a great live album, about 2 hours all together. All Songs Considered has been making a terrific series of concerts available through podcast, with acts like Iron & Wine, Apples in Stereo, and Travis, with upcoming shows from New Pornographers and Spoon to come.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
One of my favourite new shows of the fall season is Pushing Daisies, so I was pleased to see that Pushing Daisies got a full season order. This whimisical, fun, and wickedly sly show is one to watch - the whole production really come together to make a wonderful product. Hopefully we'll see full orders for my other favourite new shows, Dirty Sexy Money and Chuck. I've liked Reaper, but it's been a bit forumulaic in the first 5 episodes. Hopefully they shake things up before long, as the cast are great, especially Ray Wise as The Devil. I still have to catch up on Life before I figure whether I'm sticking around.
"Viva Laughlin" wins 1st scripted cancelation of the season after two episodes and dismal ratings. Generally speaking, the networks have been slow to cancel new shows that didn't get immediate results. Speculation is this is due to a potential actors or writers strike in the new year making replacement shows hard to come by.
"Private Practice" picked up for a full season. ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff has been the highest-rated freshman series with 12.8 million viewers. CBS picked up "Big Bang Theory" for the season too.
"Gilmore Girls" creator's new show may be in trouble. Fox has cut down the number of episodes of midseason show "The Return of Jezebel James" from 13 to seven episodes.
And Scrubs starts it's final season tommorow night on NBC. 18 episodes until the end, with signs that J.D. (Zach Braff) will finally grow the hell up. That was one of my complaints about this favourite of mine: J.D. has been narrating about all these things he's been learning every episode, but he still makes juvenile decisions and exhibits irrational behaviour. With a set deadline to wrap things up, I have faith that the show will end on a strong note.
Update: Another show I'm enjoying this year got picked up: the newsroom comedy"Back to You" earned a full season - Fox will air a grand total of 24 episodes this season. It won't take you anyplace weird, but it's fun in a "traditional sitcom" type of way.
source: TV Tattle
"Viva Laughlin" wins 1st scripted cancelation of the season after two episodes and dismal ratings. Generally speaking, the networks have been slow to cancel new shows that didn't get immediate results. Speculation is this is due to a potential actors or writers strike in the new year making replacement shows hard to come by.
"Private Practice" picked up for a full season. ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff has been the highest-rated freshman series with 12.8 million viewers. CBS picked up "Big Bang Theory" for the season too.
"Gilmore Girls" creator's new show may be in trouble. Fox has cut down the number of episodes of midseason show "The Return of Jezebel James" from 13 to seven episodes.
And Scrubs starts it's final season tommorow night on NBC. 18 episodes until the end, with signs that J.D. (Zach Braff) will finally grow the hell up. That was one of my complaints about this favourite of mine: J.D. has been narrating about all these things he's been learning every episode, but he still makes juvenile decisions and exhibits irrational behaviour. With a set deadline to wrap things up, I have faith that the show will end on a strong note.
Update: Another show I'm enjoying this year got picked up: the newsroom comedy"Back to You" earned a full season - Fox will air a grand total of 24 episodes this season. It won't take you anyplace weird, but it's fun in a "traditional sitcom" type of way.
source: TV Tattle
CityTV has some new digs and it's going to be... the building formerly known as the Olympic Spirit "tourist attraction that nobody ever went to" tower/site at Yonge-Dundas Square. At least it'll be hard to miss.
When CTV bought the CHUM Media Group, part of the sale was the iconic City TV building at Queen & John. CTV had to give up CityTV as part of the sale (I believe it was a Canadian Radio Television Commission ruling, something about owning more than one local station). This led to CityTV needing both a new home and new owners. Rogers Media bought CityTV, and the stations founds itself a new home in the heart of Toronto.
As far as I know, MuchMusic and Bravo (owned by Rogers) will continue to be housed in the building formerly known as the CityTV studio building.
Update:
When CTV bought the CHUM Media Group, part of the sale was the iconic City TV building at Queen & John. CTV had to give up CityTV as part of the sale (I believe it was a Canadian Radio Television Commission ruling, something about owning more than one local station). This led to CityTV needing both a new home and new owners. Rogers Media bought CityTV, and the stations founds itself a new home in the heart of Toronto.
As far as I know, MuchMusic and Bravo (owned by Rogers) will continue to be housed in the building formerly known as the CityTV studio building.
Update:
Rogers will also relocate its two OMNI Television operations to the new complex.
The sale of the five-station Citytv network was a CRTC condition of CTVglobemedia's $1.7-billion takeover of CHUM Limited. Rogers Media received approval late last month to buy the stations for $375 million, and now retains a binding agreement to purchase the Dundas Square site. CTVglobemedia will keep Much Music in place at the former CHUM-City building at 299 Queen West, where the music channel has been broadcasting since 1987.
Marc Lostracco - Torontoist
Monday, October 22, 2007
This is an instant pick for the next Stupid Fun Movie Night with the guys:
Via NewsaramaMike Russell with the Oregonian chats with actor Bruce Campbell and Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson, who are working together on My Name Is Bruce, a horror-comedy that was co-written and directed by Campbell and produced by Richardson. In the film, Bruce Campbell is kidnapped by a town that believes he’s the hero from the Evil Dead series because they need him to kill a demon.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Not that I've ever given it thought one way or another, but J.K. Rowling confirmed that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and mentor to Harry Potter, is gay.
She was doing a reading for Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows at Carnegie Hall and was fielding questions from the audience when one young fan asked whether Dumbledore finds "true love."
She was doing a reading for Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows at Carnegie Hall and was fielding questions from the audience when one young fan asked whether Dumbledore finds "true love."
"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.Rowlng regards her Potter books as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" and urged her fans to "question authority." I think that deserves another round of applause.
She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down."
Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."
"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."
J.K. Rowling Outs Hogwarts Character
By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer, San Francisco Gate
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
A lot of ink and internet has been given to comparisons between the works of Bruce Springsteen and his influence on bands like The Arcade Fire. Both Bruce and the AF sing about striking out in the face of darkness, to lift that weight off your back that's holding you down, of fighting back when the powers that be threaten to break you down. So it was with a little "hell yeah fist-pump in the air" that the inevitable happened in Ottawa this week as Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire joined Bruce and the E Street Band on stage
Good read: Eye Weekly - Why Springsteen, Why Now? - Michael Barclay
Good read: Eye Weekly - Why Springsteen, Why Now? - Michael Barclay
This year’s artists nominated for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2008:
Afrika Bambaataa
Beastie Boys
Chic (were on last year’s ballot)
Leonard Cohen
The Dave Clark Five (were on last year’s ballot)
Madonna
John Mellencamp
Donna Summer
The Ventures
Five artists out of this list will be inducted into the hall in March 2008. Out of that list, Madonna is a lock, with Beastie Boys, The Dave Clark Five (2nd year in the running), and John Mellencamp being strong contenders.
ALOTT5MA does this interesting exercise where they determine whether a band/artist or musician is worthy of inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame using the “Keltner” list, which is usually used to evaluate whether a given baseball player belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Band/artists run through the Keltner already:
The O’Jays (merits induction – inducted in 2005)
Rush (not worthy – never nominated)
Phil Collins (as a solo act, not worthy, but would be in the running as part of Genesis)
Patti Smith (merits induction – inducted 2007)
Depeche Mode (borderline – New Order and The Smiths would be ahead of them in the line, followed by The Cure and Depeche Mode; never nominated)
Chic and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (worthy as pioneers in disco and hip-hop respectively both nominees in 2006, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five were inducted. Chic is on the ballot again this year)
The Replacements (worthy – eligible but never nominated)
R.E.M. (worthy and inducted in 2007)
John Mellencamp (worthy - nominated for 2008, vote pending)
Duran Duran (worthy – never nominated)
Metallica (worthy – eligible this year, not nominated)
Madonna (worthy - eligible this year and nominated)
Bon Jovi (worthy – eligible next year)
According to FutureRockHall.com, among those artists eligible for the first time this year -- but denied -- are Metallica, Sonic Youth, The Cure, Don Henley, 10000 Maniacs, Ice-T, Janet Jackson, Michael McDonald, Wham! and the Violent Femmes.
Artists are eligible for nomination 25 years after their first album released. In the next few years, we're going to see more nominees that reflect the rise and fall of arena rock (Metallica, Guns and Roses), the increased popularity of rap (Run DMC), and the rise of indie music that would pave the way for grunge (The Pixies, Flaming Lips, and Sonic Youth).
Eligible in 2008: Billy Bragg, Run D.M.C., The Smiths, Bon Jovi
Eligible in 2009: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Cave, Pet Shop Boys
Eligible in 2010: Stone Roses, Whitney Houston, L.L. Cool J, The Flaming Lips
Eligible in 2011: Crowded House, Guns N’ Roses, Yo La Tengo, Poison
Eligible in 2012: Pixies, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Soundgarden, Sinead O’Conner, Jane’s Addiction
Eligible in 2013: De La Soul, Massive Attack, Fugazi
Eligible in 2014: Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Pavement
Eligible in 2015: Smashing Pumpkins, Moby, Mariah Carey, Blur, A Tribe Called Quest
Eligible in 2016: Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey
Eligible in 2017: Beck, Radiohead, Dr. Dre, TLC, Rage Against the Machine
(source: FutureRockHall.com)
Wiki - Inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Afrika Bambaataa
Beastie Boys
Chic (were on last year’s ballot)
Leonard Cohen
The Dave Clark Five (were on last year’s ballot)
Madonna
John Mellencamp
Donna Summer
The Ventures
Five artists out of this list will be inducted into the hall in March 2008. Out of that list, Madonna is a lock, with Beastie Boys, The Dave Clark Five (2nd year in the running), and John Mellencamp being strong contenders.
ALOTT5MA does this interesting exercise where they determine whether a band/artist or musician is worthy of inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame using the “Keltner” list, which is usually used to evaluate whether a given baseball player belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1. Was the band/artist ever regarded as the best band/artist in pop music? Did anybody, while they were active, ever suggest that the band/artist were the best band/artist in pop music?
2. Were the band/artist ever the best band/artist in pop music in their genre?
3. Did the band/artist have an impact on a number of other bands?
4. Were the band/artist good enough that they could play regularly after passing their prime?
5. Are the band/artist the very best band/artist in history that is not in the Hall of Fame?
6 Are most bands who have comparable records in the Hall of Fame?
7. Do the band's records meet Hall of Fame standards?
8. Is there any evidence to suggest that the band/artist was significantly better or worse than is suggested by its records?
9. Is it the best band/artist in its genre who is eligible for the Hall of Fame?
10. How many #1 singles/gold records did the band/artist have? Did they ever win a Grammy award? If not, how many times were the band/artist nominated?
11. How many Grammy-level songs/albums did the band/artist have? How many Rolling Stone covers did they appear on? Did most of the bands who played in this many Rolling Stone covers go into the Hall of Fame?
12. If this band/artist was the best band/artist at a concert, would it be likely that the concert would rock?
13. What impact did the band/artist have on rock history? Was it responsible for any stylistic changes? Did it introduce any new equipment? Did it change history in any way?
14. Did the band/artist uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?
Band/artists run through the Keltner already:
The O’Jays (merits induction – inducted in 2005)
Rush (not worthy – never nominated)
Phil Collins (as a solo act, not worthy, but would be in the running as part of Genesis)
Patti Smith (merits induction – inducted 2007)
Depeche Mode (borderline – New Order and The Smiths would be ahead of them in the line, followed by The Cure and Depeche Mode; never nominated)
Chic and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (worthy as pioneers in disco and hip-hop respectively both nominees in 2006, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five were inducted. Chic is on the ballot again this year)
The Replacements (worthy – eligible but never nominated)
R.E.M. (worthy and inducted in 2007)
John Mellencamp (worthy - nominated for 2008, vote pending)
Duran Duran (worthy – never nominated)
Metallica (worthy – eligible this year, not nominated)
Madonna (worthy - eligible this year and nominated)
Bon Jovi (worthy – eligible next year)
According to FutureRockHall.com, among those artists eligible for the first time this year -- but denied -- are Metallica, Sonic Youth, The Cure, Don Henley, 10000 Maniacs, Ice-T, Janet Jackson, Michael McDonald, Wham! and the Violent Femmes.
Artists are eligible for nomination 25 years after their first album released. In the next few years, we're going to see more nominees that reflect the rise and fall of arena rock (Metallica, Guns and Roses), the increased popularity of rap (Run DMC), and the rise of indie music that would pave the way for grunge (The Pixies, Flaming Lips, and Sonic Youth).
Eligible in 2008: Billy Bragg, Run D.M.C., The Smiths, Bon Jovi
Eligible in 2009: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Cave, Pet Shop Boys
Eligible in 2010: Stone Roses, Whitney Houston, L.L. Cool J, The Flaming Lips
Eligible in 2011: Crowded House, Guns N’ Roses, Yo La Tengo, Poison
Eligible in 2012: Pixies, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Soundgarden, Sinead O’Conner, Jane’s Addiction
Eligible in 2013: De La Soul, Massive Attack, Fugazi
Eligible in 2014: Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Pavement
Eligible in 2015: Smashing Pumpkins, Moby, Mariah Carey, Blur, A Tribe Called Quest
Eligible in 2016: Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey
Eligible in 2017: Beck, Radiohead, Dr. Dre, TLC, Rage Against the Machine
(source: FutureRockHall.com)
Wiki - Inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Monday, October 15, 2007
J.J. Abrams, the man who brought you 'Lost' and 'Alias' is producing and directing a rebirth of the Star Trek franchise with a new movie set during the early years of Kirk and company. The Star Trek franchise has been pretty quiet since the end of 'Star Trek: Enterprise' in 2005, and the lackluster box-office draw of 'Star Trek: Nemesis' back in 2002.
The new movie, simply titled "Star Trek" will bring back Leonard Nimoy as Spock, in what I would suspect is a framing device/hand-off as old Spock relates an adventure of young Spock. Think of it as "How I Met Your Shanter", set in the early first-mission days of the original Star Trek crew.
The cast so far is interesting to say the least:
Zachery Quinto (Sylar on 'Heroes') as young Spock, Anton Yelchin as Russian navigaotor Pavel Chekov, Zoë Saldaña ('Guess Who') as communication officer Uhura. Last week eye brows were raised as John Cho (Harold from the 'Harold & Kumar' films) would play helmsman Sulu, and Simon Pegg ('Shaun of the Dead', 'Spaced', 'Hot Fuzz') would play ship's engineer Scotty. I should point out that while Cho and Pegg are known for comedic roles, both have the range to play drama and have shown signs of this in their work. Eric Bana is onboard as the villain of the film, but story details have not been revealed.
The roles of Captain Kirk and Doctor "Bones" McCoy are uncast at this writing. "Star Trek" is set to film from November - March, and open Christmas 2008.
The new movie, simply titled "Star Trek" will bring back Leonard Nimoy as Spock, in what I would suspect is a framing device/hand-off as old Spock relates an adventure of young Spock. Think of it as "How I Met Your Shanter", set in the early first-mission days of the original Star Trek crew.
The cast so far is interesting to say the least:
Zachery Quinto (Sylar on 'Heroes') as young Spock, Anton Yelchin as Russian navigaotor Pavel Chekov, Zoë Saldaña ('Guess Who') as communication officer Uhura. Last week eye brows were raised as John Cho (Harold from the 'Harold & Kumar' films) would play helmsman Sulu, and Simon Pegg ('Shaun of the Dead', 'Spaced', 'Hot Fuzz') would play ship's engineer Scotty. I should point out that while Cho and Pegg are known for comedic roles, both have the range to play drama and have shown signs of this in their work. Eric Bana is onboard as the villain of the film, but story details have not been revealed.
The roles of Captain Kirk and Doctor "Bones" McCoy are uncast at this writing. "Star Trek" is set to film from November - March, and open Christmas 2008.
The world's largest BitTorrent tracker, The Pirate Bay, has now taken up residence at IFPI.com, a domain once owned by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, an anti-piracy organization. The Pirate Bay says the site will now promote the International Federation of Pirates Interests. IFPI can still be reached at ifpi.org. Torrentfreak has up a brief interview with Brokep, one of the administrators of The Pirate Bay, who says: "It's not a hack, someone just gave us the domain name. We have no idea how they got it, but it's ours and we're keeping it."
from Slashdot
from Slashdot
Friday, October 05, 2007
I've had no time to write or blog this week. I'm just too busy this week, so here's fun video from the folks at How It Should Have Ended to keep you occupied until I get back on track here this weekend.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
I've been getting some interest in this particular picture I took at Nuit Blanche, so I thought I'd re-post a larger version.
The Blue Room at Toronto Reference Library
art à la carte
Group exhibition
Coinciding with its 30th anniversary, the Toronto Reference Library transforms into a space of discovery, art and culture. Unleash your imagination among installations from the Library, AGO, Gardiner Museum, Textile Museum of Canada and others - all colliding in one interactive space.
art à la carte
Group exhibition
Coinciding with its 30th anniversary, the Toronto Reference Library transforms into a space of discovery, art and culture. Unleash your imagination among installations from the Library, AGO, Gardiner Museum, Textile Museum of Canada and others - all colliding in one interactive space.
Monday, October 01, 2007
The Night Starts Here
10:30 pm - Meet up with Kay and we start at Charles Street at the top of the University of Toronto campus. The Canard Development Group is a concept of a development company office, but all I saw was a canvas roof suspended by balloons. It was a beautiful and strange thing to find floating over campus. "Strange" and "beautiful" would be the theme of the night.
11:30 pm Hollander York Gallery in Yorkville for Progression: Painting and Jazz
Midnight: The "art à la carte" all-nighter at the Metro Reference Library.
12:30 am Noite De Sao Joao: under a laneway of star flags, Brazillian field recordings immerse you in the Night of St. John
1:30 am The Distillery District where it wasn’t as packed as Queen or Yorkville. The site was lively with nightlife as many of the artists who operate out of the area opened their doors to the night. The glass sculptures by David Chihuly on display in the Sandra Ainsley Gallery are some of my favourite things.
2:00 am - The highlight: Dance Ontario presenting a live performance of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance number.
The crowd cheered them on as they thrilled into the night.
3:30 am – Ontario College of Art and Design had a number of works and installations on display
Lorena Salomé’s Closeness embeds autonomous technologies inside kinetic sculptures to probe temporality, randomness and mutual destruction
The view from the 6th floor of the OCAD structure, looking west on the city.
Some of the art on display at OCAD
4:30 am – After strolling through Grange Park behind OCAD we popped in to catch the last few minutes of the Theatre of Ephemeral Music in the Music Gallery. We’re in a church, with a guitarist, pianist, DJ’s and multimedia artists are mashing together in a mellow, trance-like way. The mood is relaxed, the visuals hypnotic, and the music otherworldly. A perfect end to the night.
Theatre of Ephemeral Music in the Music Gallery
5:00 am – Time to call it a Nuit. Off to catch the subway to bed.
"Hello everyone.
Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days;We've called it In Rainbows.
Love from us all.
Jonny"
A new Radiohead album, out digitally October 10th! Nice surprise, huh?Not only do we get a double album (!), but Radiohead are trying an unconventional distribution route by not releasing through a record label and simply releasing it themselves via their website, at least for now. And even cooler: the digital download is Pay What You Can! You can pay $20, you can pay $10. Maybe you were turned off the band after "Kid A" or "Amnesiac"? Don't pay anything and give them a try again.
The digital download is available in 10 days, with a sweet looking boxed set to follow in December:
"This consists of the new album, in rainbows, on cd and on 2 x 12 inch heavyweight vinyl records.
A second, enhanced cd contains more new songs, along with digital photographs and artwork.
The discbox also includes artwork and lyric booklets.
All are encased in a hardback book and slipcase.
The album download automatically comes with this pack."
Vinyl albums? Shit, this may be enough to make me get into record collecting...
I know some folks are only into Radiohead's first three ablums, but I'm in the "love it all, give me more" category, so this is fantastic. A new Radiohead album, the coming fall weather, some pumpkin muffins and a pint of Guinness: just magic I tell you. And while I crab about the high cost of the live shows, and that sweet boxed set will set me back about $75 dollars, it balances out nicely with this PWYC pricing on the album.
Pitchfork has the tracklisting and details
Radiohead - Official Site
Radiohead - Wikipedia
Radiohead - Last FM page
thanks to Frank at chromewaves for the heads up
"The night starts here, The night starts here Forget your name, Forget your fear." [MP3] Stars - The Night Starts Here
After an all-night contemporary art crawl, it's been one lazy Sunday for me. So while I snack on some cupcakes, here's how my first Nuit Blanche went. In case you didn't know:
Armed with: a guide book, two cans of Red Bull, couple of light layers of clothing, power bars, comfortable walking shoes, iPod, and a camera.
Should have also brought: water and a small flashlight to help read the guide.
The Night Starts Here:
Link: Nuit Blanche Toronto 2007 pictures (Flickr)
Link:the2scoops Nuit Blanche photo essay - The Night Starts Here
After an all-night contemporary art crawl, it's been one lazy Sunday for me. So while I snack on some cupcakes, here's how my first Nuit Blanche went. In case you didn't know:
Nuit Blanche: a free all-night contemporary art thing
September 29, 2007 - 7:03 pm to sunrise
For one sleepless night, experience Toronto transformed by artists. Discover art in galleries, museums and unexpected places. From alleyways and demolition sites to churches and squash courts, explore more than 195 destinations. One night only. All night long.
I had a relatively late start to Nuit Blanche: I had a baby-shower type thing in the afternoon, so I crashed for a few hours before heading out.September 29, 2007 - 7:03 pm to sunrise
For one sleepless night, experience Toronto transformed by artists. Discover art in galleries, museums and unexpected places. From alleyways and demolition sites to churches and squash courts, explore more than 195 destinations. One night only. All night long.
Armed with: a guide book, two cans of Red Bull, couple of light layers of clothing, power bars, comfortable walking shoes, iPod, and a camera.
Should have also brought: water and a small flashlight to help read the guide.
The Night Starts Here:
Link: Nuit Blanche Toronto 2007 pictures (Flickr)
Link:the2scoops Nuit Blanche photo essay - The Night Starts Here
10:30 pm - Meet up with Kay and we start at Charles Street at the top of the University of Toronto campus. The Canard Development Group is a concept of a development company office, but all I saw was a canvas roof suspended by balloons. It was a beautiful and strange thing to find floating over campus. "Strange" and "beautiful" would be the theme of the night.
10:45 pm - Deepature (Exhibition #A3) was a film installation. The footage is of a wolf and a deer confined in the same white, featureless room. Your conventional expectations are rattled as both animals don't know what to do in this unnatural environment. Each movement from the wolf illicits a gasp as the tension builds.
11:00 pm University Avenue in front of the Royal Ontario Museum and the Gardiner Ceramics Museum are jammed tight with pedestrians.
11:30 pm
Midnight - The line-up for the exhibit at Lower Bay Subway Station was ridiculously long, so we took some time to check out the "art à la carte" all-nighter at the Metro Reference Library.
1:30 am - We made our way over to The Distillery District where it wasn’t as packed as Queen or Yorkville. The site was lively with nightlife as many of the artists who operate out of the area opened their doors to the night.
2:00 am - The highlight: Dance Ontario presenting a live performance of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance number. The crowd cheered them on as they thrilled into the night.
2:30 am РCoffee and cake break at Caf̩ Uno in the Distillery. A number of cafes are open extra late. And man was that coffee tasting good.
3:30 am – We make our way to the Ontario College of Art and Design. Heads are starting to nod and eyelids flicker
4:30 am – After strolling through Grange Park behind OCAD we popped in to catch the last few minutes of the Theatre of Ephemeral Music in the Music Gallery. We’re in a church, with a guitarist, pianist, DJ’s and multimedia artists are mashing together in a mellow, trance-like way. The mood is relaxed, the visuals hypnotic, and the music otherworldly. A perfect end to the night.
5:00 am – Time to call it a Nuit. Off to catch the subway.
Getting Around:
The good news was that the Toronto Transit Commission were providing some special late night bus and subway services until the next morning. The Yonge/-University subway line from St. George to Eglinton, and the Bloor-Danforth subway line from Christie to Broadview will also run all night. Also there were all night shuttles between sites in addition to the usuall all-night bus and streetcars lines. All in all it was a good and easy night, except for the long wait time between shuttles. Hopefully next year will see the subway routes extended a few more stops.
The bad new: TTC day passes were sold out at multiple locations last night. Fortunately my friend Kay had managed to get one, so we were covered. While I'm glad enough people were taking transit to warrant a sell-out, I hope to see more passes made available next year.
Overall:
We spent most of the night in Zone A and Zone B, and I would have loved to have more time to explore the Queen Street area of Zone C. But there is so much to see and so little time. The streets were jammed with people and line-ups ran around the block for some exhibits. By about 1 am, the crowds started to thin out a bit as the families and lightweights went home. It was a great night, with a few fantastic finds.
Too bad I missed: The Stables at Casa Loma, The Ghost Station at Lower Bay Station, Bloor Nightlight installations at Bloor & Lansdowne.
Next year: More planning on my part, better route, bigger group. I’d probably start in the less congested areas and make my way over to the Bloor and Queen areas by early morning.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Sesame Street turned in a little slice of brilliance in their funny version of Law & Order, Special Letters Unit. I expect this would explain if 3-year olds started imitating the ubiquitous Law & Order "chung-chung" sound.
Sesame Street's Law and Order: Special Letters Unit.
"Mommy, why is Elmo confessing to a double homicide?"
I can't help but laugh knowing that somewhere out there are muppet versions of Richard Belzer (Munch) & Chris Meloni (Stabler).
via ALOTT5MA
"Mommy, why is Elmo confessing to a double homicide?"
I can't help but laugh knowing that somewhere out there are muppet versions of Richard Belzer (Munch) & Chris Meloni (Stabler).
via ALOTT5MA
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Judging from the blogs and buzz, The Weakerthans will be the next Canadian band to take the US by storm. Following in the paths of Broken Social Scene, The Arcade Fire, and The New Pornographers, The Weakerthans are poised to be "discovered" by American indie-music hipsters. Their albums are critical hits, their live shows are infectious fun, and the fan following is strong and devoted. We've seen bands from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver embraced by the music bloggeratti, so it's about time these boys from the Canadian prairies got some attention.
I must have played their third album Reconstruction Site
to death. I mean, how could you not love "Plea from a Cat Named Virtute" (mp3 from Epitaph Records), a song written from the perspective of a depressed person’s cat? Or “I Hate Winnipeg”, about the city they simultaneously love and hate? They sing about the prairie winters, curling, hockey, sadness, and joy. You get that sense of national pride you used to have listening to 90s era Tragically Hip albums.
The Weakerthans have a sound that sets them apart from indie exports like Arcade Fire and BSS, covering all the bases from rock to punk to a touch of folk and country. There are ballads and power-chords and melodies. They make albums you want to listen to at the cottage or on the road. And the songs are really well written: I just like the stories they tell and the images they illicit. It’s as simple as that. With The Rheostatics more or less finished, The Weakerthans have my vote for “Canada’s National Band”. There’s this indescribable…. “Canadian-ness” to The their sound, that ability to connect with everyone spread out across this vast country. I listen to them and I remember how good it feels to love music, and I have that comfort of knowing someone in Calgary, Moncton, Dawson City or Victoria feels the same thing when they're listening to The Weakerthans.
They’ve just released their fourth album Reunion Tour to positive reviews, and they're making the rounds in the press. Minnesota Public Radio's the Current features the Weakerthans with an interview and in-studio performance, while NPR's All Things Considered profiles the band. (via Largehearted Boy) There’s also a good Q&A write-up in Exclaim and there is a great CBC Radio 3 Podcast that features The Weakerthans.
The Weakerthans play in Toronto on November 8 at The Phoenix
The Weakerthans (official site)
The Weakerthans (MySpace)
Epitaph Records – The Weakerthans (mp3s and album info)
I must have played their third album Reconstruction Site
to death. I mean, how could you not love "Plea from a Cat Named Virtute" (mp3 from Epitaph Records), a song written from the perspective of a depressed person’s cat? Or “I Hate Winnipeg”, about the city they simultaneously love and hate? They sing about the prairie winters, curling, hockey, sadness, and joy. You get that sense of national pride you used to have listening to 90s era Tragically Hip albums.The Weakerthans have a sound that sets them apart from indie exports like Arcade Fire and BSS, covering all the bases from rock to punk to a touch of folk and country. There are ballads and power-chords and melodies. They make albums you want to listen to at the cottage or on the road. And the songs are really well written: I just like the stories they tell and the images they illicit. It’s as simple as that. With The Rheostatics more or less finished, The Weakerthans have my vote for “Canada’s National Band”. There’s this indescribable…. “Canadian-ness” to The their sound, that ability to connect with everyone spread out across this vast country. I listen to them and I remember how good it feels to love music, and I have that comfort of knowing someone in Calgary, Moncton, Dawson City or Victoria feels the same thing when they're listening to The Weakerthans.
They’ve just released their fourth album Reunion Tour
to positive reviews, and they're making the rounds in the press. Minnesota Public Radio's the Current features the Weakerthans with an interview and in-studio performance, while NPR's All Things Considered profiles the band. (via Largehearted Boy) There’s also a good Q&A write-up in Exclaim and there is a great CBC Radio 3 Podcast that features The Weakerthans.The Weakerthans play in Toronto on November 8 at The Phoenix
The Weakerthans (official site)
The Weakerthans (MySpace)
Epitaph Records – The Weakerthans (mp3s and album info)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
It's a shame they don't broadcast competitions like this Saturday's Second Annual Klingons v. Furries Bowling Tournament in Atlanta. The after-party is presumably in somebody's mom's basement.
Anyone know how to say "I will own your furry behind with this 7-10 split"? in Klingon?
Via Boingboing.
Anyone know how to say "I will own your furry behind with this 7-10 split"? in Klingon?
Via Boingboing.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Be sure to check out Anthony Bourdain’s Overrated Menu from Radar magazine’s Hype Report. Chef Bourdain puts the pin to the pretension balloon by pointing out overrated items that you’ll find on the menu of many “fine dining” restaurants. Click on this link to read Chef Bourdain's explanation of each item. And yes, there are restaurants that have a Water Sommelier on staff.
For more fun and visceral Bourdain blogging, be sure to read Anthony's Blog, where he's covering this season of the reality TV competition "Top Chef", on which he appears as an occasional guest judge.
"Top Chef fans? Just as no one can say boo about the judging this week, no one -- NO ONE -- can complain about the challenges. No quirky, kooky, product-placing roach-coach stunts this time, my friends. No one had to make quesadillas over an open can of sterno in the back of a moving Rav 4. Or prepare a festive snack out of Froot Loops while wearing a Glad Family of Bags over their head. Tonight, the challenges were not only perfectly suited to the task of deciding who might someday be a "Top Chef", but were also perfectly matched to the judging panel."via Accordion Guy and ALOTT5MA
The A.V.Club has published a Primer on Canadian Indie-Rock that, for a U.S. website, is impressively thorough. Aside from the usual suspects like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, some great bands get name-checked including: The Weakerthans, The Sadies, The Rheostatics, The Constantines, and some bands without "The" in their names like Stars, Tegan & Sara and Wolf Parade. The one disappointing aspect is that the article lacks links to the various bands' websites so you can listen to some of the songs and check out some live dates. Good thing you came here than:
Great Lake Swimmers / Wintersleep / The Russian Futurists / The Russian Futurists / Joel Plaskett Emergency / The Dears / Novillero / Elliott Brood / Christine Fellows / Matt Mays / Ladyhawk / Stolen Minks
And don't forget the hip-hop!
Cadence Weapon / K'naan / More or Les / Buck 65 / Vangel / Spesh K
And electronica and dance!
DJ Champion / Caribou / Akido / Kid Koala
To get a bit deeper into Canadian independant music, be sure to check out a national treasure, CBC Radio 3. Their website and weekly podcast are a fantastic way to discover new music.
Links:
Sloan / Arcade Fire / New Pornographers / Broken Social Scene / Islands / Wolf Parade / The Weakerthans / The Rheostatics / Shapes and Sizes / Frog Eyes / Tokyo Police Club / Most Serene Republic / By Divine Right / Constantines / Hot Hot Heat / The Sadies / Peaches / Tegan & Sara
The music coming out of Canada's indie-rock scene is one of our great exports, along with writers, comedians, and beer. The A.V. Club couldn't have caught them all, so here are some other great Canadian indie bands and artists to check out:Great Lake Swimmers / Wintersleep / The Russian Futurists / The Russian Futurists / Joel Plaskett Emergency / The Dears / Novillero / Elliott Brood / Christine Fellows / Matt Mays / Ladyhawk / Stolen Minks
And don't forget the hip-hop!
Cadence Weapon / K'naan / More or Les / Buck 65 / Vangel / Spesh K
And electronica and dance!
DJ Champion / Caribou / Akido / Kid Koala
To get a bit deeper into Canadian independant music, be sure to check out a national treasure, CBC Radio 3. Their website and weekly podcast are a fantastic way to discover new music.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Backstage at the Emmy's on Sunday, a reporter posed a question to The Daily Show's Jon Stewart asking what would Jon say to OJ Simpson if he had the first post-arrest interview:
Last night The Daily Show praised O.J. Simpson for bringing a nation back together, united once again, as a montage of newsclips played showing every news channel was using a variation on "whatever happens in Vegas, didn't stay in Vegas for O.J." like they were the first to come up with it.
Meanwhile, the city of Las Vegas should look for a new motto, as this one seems to have jumped the shark.
Jon Stewart: ''Wait, he's in jail? For the Vegas thing? [Pause] Is this how it goes down, Capone? You kill two people and they get you for knocking over a room in Vegas?''And a similar exchange between Conan O'Brien and a reporter:
Reporter: "Oh, and, Conan, did you hear about O.J. Simpson going to jail?"
Conan: "'Yeah, I just heard. Mary Hart told me. And the guy from Extra who used to be in a band told me about prime mortgage interest rates collapsing. I haven't read a newspaper in 14 years. I just get my news from these guys.''
Last night The Daily Show praised O.J. Simpson for bringing a nation back together, united once again, as a montage of newsclips played showing every news channel was using a variation on "whatever happens in Vegas, didn't stay in Vegas for O.J." like they were the first to come up with it.
Meanwhile, the city of Las Vegas should look for a new motto, as this one seems to have jumped the shark.
Today is Talk Like A Pirate Day. So put on the eye patch and listen to some Ringo Starrrr in your carrrr as you pick up some sandwiches from Arrrby's, on your way to see Superbad, which is rated RRRRRRRRR.
YouTube - SNL Pirate Convention with honored guest Peter Sarsgaard
Pirate Joke.com
via ALOTT5MA
YouTube - SNL Pirate Convention with honored guest Peter Sarsgaard
Pirate Joke.com
via ALOTT5MA
My Emmy highlights (let's see how long these links last):
Steve Colbert and Jon Stewart give the award for best male performance in a comedy. Winner Ricky Gervais is absent so....
And the highlight of every year, the videos announcing the nominees for Best Writing for a Comedy or Variety Show:
And the rap battle between Kanye West and Rainn Wilson (The Office):
Best line of the night:
Kanye West "I never win."
Steve Colbert and Jon Stewart give the award for best male performance in a comedy. Winner Ricky Gervais is absent so....
And the highlight of every year, the videos announcing the nominees for Best Writing for a Comedy or Variety Show:
And the rap battle between Kanye West and Rainn Wilson (The Office):
Best line of the night:
Kanye West "I never win."
Monday, September 17, 2007
Author Robert Jordan, a seminal fantasy writer, has passed away at the age of 58. Though I was never a big fantasy reader myself, I know many of my friends are fans of his works, especially his best-selling Wheel of Time series. In the last few years, fans have grown a bit frustrated because there seemed to be no end in sight for the long-running series, although that hasn't stopped the series from being a best-seller. Jordan had been suffering from a chronic illness for several years, affecting his ability to finish new installments in the series. The twelfth and (according to Jordan at the time of his death) final book in the series is supposed to be A Memory of Light (working title). The novel was incomplete as of the time of the author's death. I expect that whatever was done of that book will be worked into some publishable shape and eventually released.
Robert Jordan - Wikipedia
The Wheel of Time - Wikipedia
Robert Jordan - Wikipedia
The Wheel of Time - Wikipedia
Thursday, September 13, 2007
My favourite film of the festival so far has been The Band's Visit, directed by Eran Koliran from Israel. It was the only one of the four films I’ve seen so far that had the audience laughing and cheering together. An Egyptian police band enroute to a performance at an Arab cultural centre takes a wrong turn and is stranded overnight in a desolate rural Israeli settlement. The town takes in the band for the night, and the tension between the cultures gives way to a prevailing sense of awkwardness. But there are things that cross political boundaries, like the universality of loneliness, love, joy, and music. It takes some humour to navigate through the seriousness of life, and The Band's Visit finds its way with a deft comic touch, both whimsical and moving all at once."Once, not long ago, a small Egyptian Police band arrived in Israel. They came to play at an initiation ceremony but, due to bureaucracy, bad luck, or for whatever reason, they were left stranded at the airport. They tried to manage on their own, only to find themselves in a desolate, almost forgotten, small Israeli town, somewhere in the heart of the desert. A lost band in a lost town.
Not many people remember this.
It wasn’t that important.”- opening of The Band's Visit
The actors are brilliant, with the band’s conductor Tewfiq (Sasson Gabai) as the stoic leader trying to maintain a sense of dignity in an undignified situation. He plays well off of the other band members and especially with the sensual and self-assured Dina, the Israelli café owner who takes in the band, played by the stunning Ronit Elkabetz. The youngest member of the band, Haled, is played by Saleh Bakri with a handsome movie actor charm that wins you over quite easily. 
The dialogue is quite clever and some scenes had me laughing hard – the scene where the dashing Haled tries to show one of the Israelis the finer points of dating at the local roller disco had me in tears. The whole cast seems to have taken an advance course in deadpan humour. Director Eran Kolirin has crafted a gentleman of a film - handsomely attired with impeccable timing and charm.
The movie, without being heavy handed about it, really builds to the final scene where the band finally performs together. We’ve gotten to know the individual burdens the band members carry, but to see them come together united in performance is so beautiful and powerful, that the audience cheered and whooped. It was really quite moving to see the band’s conductor Tewfiq, a man who carries himself so polite, so stoic and properly noble, expressing himself so beautifully through song. Even without knowing the language, you know what he is singing. A joy of a film, this is the type of discovery that makes me glad I go to the Toronto International Film Festival each year. 5/5
Official Site: The Band’s Visit
Variety Review: The Band's Visit
“California Dreaming (Endless)” was my first experience with Romanian film, and just a taste left me looking forward to a second serving.
The story is based on a real-life incident during the Kosovo war. It’s 1999, and a unit of American soldiers, led by Captain Doug Jones (Armand Assante) and Sergeant David McLaren (Jamie Elman) are escorting a piece of radar equipment to Kosovo, when their train is halted in a small Romanian village (based on a real event). Doiaru (Razvan Vasilescu), the station master and town troublemaker/fixer, seeks to teach the Americans and Romanian government a lesson and holds up the train in red tape. Meanwhile, the rest of the villagers embrace the Americans. They represent opportunity in the form of commerce, romance, or escape. For the pandering mayor, it may be a way to rid them of Doiaru. To Doiaru, they are soldiers who have arrived 50 years to late to do him any good.
A real life tragedy is that the director, Cristian Nemescu, was killed in a car accident along with his sound editor, Andrei Toncu, on August 24, 2006. I would have loved to see what he would have done next, as this film is an excellent first feature that showed more potential than flaws. I wonder what the film would ultimately look like if he had survived: the film was not completed when Cristian died, but was finished to a point that it can be shown. I imagine there would have been some subsequent tinkering as the story and editing could use some tightening, and the ending a little ambiguous (it's Romanian New Wave, so maybe that's to be expected). But the film serves as a beautifully shot and poignant testement to his life.
A real life tragedy is that the director, Cristian Nemescu, was killed in a car accident along with his sound editor, Andrei Toncu, on August 24, 2006. I would have loved to see what he would have done next, as this film is an excellent first feature that showed more potential than flaws. I wonder what the film would ultimately look like if he had survived: the film was not completed when Cristian died, but was finished to a point that it can be shown. I imagine there would have been some subsequent tinkering as the story and editing could use some tightening, and the ending a little ambiguous (it's Romanian New Wave, so maybe that's to be expected). But the film serves as a beautifully shot and poignant testement to his life.
The story itself is interesting without being heavy handed and overly sentimental, with the Romanian’s viewing the American’s as both saviour and interloper, and the American soldiers just wanting to complete their mission and move on. Razvan Vasilescu as Doiaru and Maria Dinulescu as his daughter were excellent, and I was impressed by this turn by Jamie Elman, whose previous work included the lead in the old YTV high school sitcom Student Bodies (he was the cartoonist working with his friends on the school paper). The movie’s cast manages to convey the humour, the hope, and the inevitable disappointment, as the Americans can’t fulfill all the promises expected of them. 3.5/5
Chansons d'amour begins as a French bedroom musical that takes a dramatic turn. While the songs themselves are pleasant enough, the premise is a bit flimsy. Ismaël, his wife Julie and their friend Alice share a pleasant ménage a trois arrangement, and the opening scenes depicting that relationship are charming. Then things get heavy when suddenly Julie dies. Ismaël despairs the loss of his wife, the attentions of her grief-stricken family, and the attraction of the brother of the man now dating Julie. Ismaël then precedes to screw anything that moves. The cast look like they’re out of the pages of a Benetton catalogue. And they all sing what they’re feeling. It’s very French. And a bit too precious for my tastes.
On the plus side, the actors and Paris sure looked pretty. 2/5
Philippine Science gets it right in depicting high school life, in that Degrassi Junior High type of way. There's even a moment when the school heartthrob puts on his hat ala Joey Jeremiah. Director Auraeus Solito depicts life at his real life alma matter, the elite Philippine Science High School, during a turbulent time in Philippine history. The film, based on his own experiences, follows 8 students from freshmen year through to graduation, during the early 80s. The format keeps the story moving well, as each of the four years focuses on 2 or 3 of the students in the group. And there could be parallels made to the Degrassi series: there’s a Joey, a Caitlin, a Mr. Raditch. But that’s not as much a case of deliberate imitation as it is recognizing the universal themes of high school life: dating, making grades, establishing identity.
What’s different is that they’re depicted against the backdrop of 1980s Philippines, a time of upheaval that builds to the People Power Revolution and the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The students contend with rebellion, class systems, and the high expectations carried by being chosen to attend Philippine Science High School. The kids are sweet, but the script is a little clunky: one well intended (based on an old schoolmate) but poorly executed plot doesn’t occur until the last act, as one student starts suffering a headache, and 3 scenes later he’s got cancer. The camera work was odd as it was excellent in the middle segments, but was dizzying as the opening theme of orbits is shown by keeping the camera constantly circling actors. But all in all, it was a sweet movie that I enjoyed. Like watching old Degrassi reruns. 3/5
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
It's never to early to think about the Academy Awards, as they've already confirmed that Jon Stewart has been invited back as the 2008 Oscar host. Stewart first hosted in 2006 to mixed but generally positive reviews.
"I am thrilled to be asked to host the Academy Awards for the second time because, as they say, the third time's a charm." - Jon Stewart
You can refresh your memory of Jon Stewart's first time as Oscar host at the2scoops Oscar Wrap 2006.
Amusing side note: The Emmy's are on Fox Television this year. Fox chose Ryan Seacrest over Hugh Laurie as host. The reason? Apparently they thought Hugh Laurie speaking and acting like his charmingly witty British self, as opposed to the difficult cantankerous American character he plays on House, would distract the audience. Basically, his British accent would freak out America.
Toronto Star: Buffalo Bill with spinal injury may walk
MATT HIGGINS Sep. 12, 2007
Two days after he was paralyzed during a game, and one day after doctors described his condition as potentially life-threatening, Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett was moving his arms and legs yesterday.(more at The Star)
Very very fortunate for NFL player Kevin Everett. I saw a video of the hit and it looked horrible. It is miraculous he has any feeling in his arms and legs, let alone movement.
This is a good opportunity to point you towards the good folks at Canadian Spinal Research Organization could always use donations and attention.
The CSRO is dedicated to the improvement of the physical quality of life for persons with a spinal cord injury and those with related neurological deficits, through targeted medical and scientific research. The CSRO is also committed to the reduction of spinal cord injuries through awareness programs for the general public and prevention programs for targeted groups.
I spent some time working at the CSRO office when I was 20. I hadn't had a lot of life experience at that point, so it was really eye opening to spend time with para and quadriplegics. On the one hand you see how random life can be, hearing how different people ended up in their wheelchair. I learned about the different degrees of spinal cord injuries, the research being done to improve the quality of life, and the adjustments those with spinal cord injuries have to make to be able to do everyday things. I also learned about coping through humanity and humour, and that you don't have to treat someone like a delicate pieces of glass just because they're in a wheelchair. And all that 10 years before the documentary Murderball made the same points.
I confess one of my more humbling moments occurred when I was talking about blood donations with a co-worker at CSRO, and how I had never gone to one because I wasn't comfortable with needles. My co-worker then casually mention how many pints of blood he went through in his last round of surgery. I shut the hell up at that point and have since gotten over the minor discomfort of a needle. That's when I learned that whatever I perceive as a hardship is usually really minor when compared to actual genuine problems. It's formed a bit of my philosophy to this day - keep things in perespective.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Now what kind of pop culture blogger would I be if I didn’t talk about the pop culture story of the week: Britney Spears disastrous performance on the MTV Video Awards.
You know the word “dignity”? That was the complete opposite of that word.
Ms. Spears staggered about the stage with no energy or enthusiasm. She couldn’t muster the energy to lip-sync, let alone dance. She gyrated like some drunken aunt at a wedding. She chose to wear a completely unflattering and inappropriate outfit that highlighted the fact she's not the taunt teen-aged sexpot she used to be, and she can’t find time to fit the gym between rounds of clubbing and PR disasters. Her song isn’t that good, she hasn’t had a hit since Toxic, and opening the MTV video awards was supposed to be her rising like a phoenix from the ashes. Instead, she self-immolated into a parody of her former self. I kept expecting her to just stop halfway through the opening, mutter “what the hell am I doing up here?” and wander off. Frankly, I think we kind of hoped that would happen. It was awkward and embarrassing. This is the point where Britney goes beyond the amusement of schadenfreude and is simply just a sad spectacle.
No one is looking out for this woman’s best interests. By all reports the number was hastily thrown together after the venue vetoed the smoke and mirrors magic number she was to do with illusionist Criss Angel. She was going to have to be followed by the notoriously vicious comedian Sarah Silverman. Someone, anyone, should have just said, “Stop. You aren’t ready, and this will do more harm than good. You have to know that everyone will be talking about this tomorrow morning. Think of your reputation. Think of your kids.” Instead she went out there looking like a deer in the headlights. You catch that glassy, confused look in her eyes during her performance? I’ve seen that in two other places: concussed wrestlers and actresses at the Oscars who took one too many Xanax before the show.
In short, it was a disaster that was less of a comeback and just one more chapter of the story that is "Britney's Worst Year Ever". When even P. Diddy and 50 Cent are visibly embarrassed on your behalf, it’s time to step away. You won’t even play Casino Rama or Branson Missouri with that quality of performance.
I’m sure Britney is not coping well with the fallout (Sarah Silverman’s monologue alone would send anyone to put their head in the oven) and is wondering what the hell to do. I’m paraphrasing a few things that I read off other blogs, but here’s my advice Brit. Put down the bottle of Jack Daniels and listen:
Take 3 years off. Hide, enter the witness protection program if needed, just disappear. Keep a low profile, cut out the clubbing and concentrate on raising your kids and getting healthy. Stay out of the damned tabloids. You’re a mother, not a child. When enough time has passed and you’ve gotten yourself back together, you see if Timbaland is free and then you make a comeback.
Take the advice or leave it, but at this rate you’re going to end up as another Anna Nicole.
Oh, one more thing: for God's sake, buy some underwear and don't leave the house without putting some on! I do not need to see that ever again. It looked angry and sad at the same time.
You know the word “dignity”? That was the complete opposite of that word.
Ms. Spears staggered about the stage with no energy or enthusiasm. She couldn’t muster the energy to lip-sync, let alone dance. She gyrated like some drunken aunt at a wedding. She chose to wear a completely unflattering and inappropriate outfit that highlighted the fact she's not the taunt teen-aged sexpot she used to be, and she can’t find time to fit the gym between rounds of clubbing and PR disasters. Her song isn’t that good, she hasn’t had a hit since Toxic, and opening the MTV video awards was supposed to be her rising like a phoenix from the ashes. Instead, she self-immolated into a parody of her former self. I kept expecting her to just stop halfway through the opening, mutter “what the hell am I doing up here?” and wander off. Frankly, I think we kind of hoped that would happen. It was awkward and embarrassing. This is the point where Britney goes beyond the amusement of schadenfreude and is simply just a sad spectacle.
No one is looking out for this woman’s best interests. By all reports the number was hastily thrown together after the venue vetoed the smoke and mirrors magic number she was to do with illusionist Criss Angel. She was going to have to be followed by the notoriously vicious comedian Sarah Silverman. Someone, anyone, should have just said, “Stop. You aren’t ready, and this will do more harm than good. You have to know that everyone will be talking about this tomorrow morning. Think of your reputation. Think of your kids.” Instead she went out there looking like a deer in the headlights. You catch that glassy, confused look in her eyes during her performance? I’ve seen that in two other places: concussed wrestlers and actresses at the Oscars who took one too many Xanax before the show.
In short, it was a disaster that was less of a comeback and just one more chapter of the story that is "Britney's Worst Year Ever". When even P. Diddy and 50 Cent are visibly embarrassed on your behalf, it’s time to step away. You won’t even play Casino Rama or Branson Missouri with that quality of performance.
I’m sure Britney is not coping well with the fallout (Sarah Silverman’s monologue alone would send anyone to put their head in the oven) and is wondering what the hell to do. I’m paraphrasing a few things that I read off other blogs, but here’s my advice Brit. Put down the bottle of Jack Daniels and listen:
Take 3 years off. Hide, enter the witness protection program if needed, just disappear. Keep a low profile, cut out the clubbing and concentrate on raising your kids and getting healthy. Stay out of the damned tabloids. You’re a mother, not a child. When enough time has passed and you’ve gotten yourself back together, you see if Timbaland is free and then you make a comeback.
Take the advice or leave it, but at this rate you’re going to end up as another Anna Nicole.
Oh, one more thing: for God's sake, buy some underwear and don't leave the house without putting some on! I do not need to see that ever again. It looked angry and sad at the same time.
You know that warm glowing feeling that having the hometown sports team win a game gives you? Well they don't know that feeling in Philadelphia. That's why for the 2007-08 season, the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers will be offering two sections' worth of "all you can eat" seats entitling you to all the hot dogs, popcorn, nacho chips/cheese/salsa and soft drinks you can consume to replace that feeling of pride in your local team.
Can't they just mix that all into one container and serve it as a Failure Bowl?*
* yes I know that's a Patton Oswalt comedy routine. Just seemed appropriate was all.
via ALOTT5MA
Can't they just mix that all into one container and serve it as a Failure Bowl?*
* yes I know that's a Patton Oswalt comedy routine. Just seemed appropriate was all.
via ALOTT5MA
Monday, September 10, 2007
Courtesy of NOW Magazine, here’s a rundown of movies showing at the Toronto International Film Festival that will be opening commercially in the next few months. Dates may be changed as the season rolls on. Many of these films will be making a run for the Oscars, building on the buzz generated at TIFF.
Opening September 14:
Across The Universe / Eastern Promises / The Brave One
September 21:
In The Valley Of Elah / The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
September 28:
The Jane Austen Book Club / Shake Hands With The Devil / Into The Wild / Silk
October 5:
October 12:
October 19:
My Kid Could Paint That / Reservation Road / Poor Boy’s Game
October 26:
Sleuth / Run, Fat Boy, Run / Fugitive Pieces
November 2:
November 16:
November 23:
To be confirmed, mid-fall to early winter:
Atonement / Cassandra’s Dream / Lust, Caution / I’m Not There / The Savages / Redacted / The Walker / Persepolis / The Diving Bell And The Butterfly / Lars And The Real Girl /
Friday, September 07, 2007
I received passes to go see "Shoot Em Up" last night, and I have to say this is just the palate cleanser I need before all the "artistic" and "Oscar caliber" films I'm seeing in the next few months. "Shoot Em Up" is a whole lot of good craziness.
The movie is one long manic, lunatic, funny running gun battle. It goes over the top, with Clive Owen is a man named Smith, who saves a baby and finds himself acting as protector while the child is being hunted by Paul Giamatti and his endless supply of flunkies. Both actors are in on the joke with this movie - it's like watching Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd going at each other with handguns. It's not an Oscar winner, or a contemplation on morality. It's about guys trying to kill each other with lots and lots of bullets. The action is cranked up to ludicrous speed. The movie as a whole is sly, relentless, and darkly funny, winking at the audience as if to say "Yes, we know its ridiculous and implausible, but it still looks cool". Smith easily has the sympathy of the audience, finding time while mowing down hitmen to deliver his own brand of justice to pony-tailed posers and those drivers dare change lanes without signaling.
The dialogue is littered with one-liners and innuendo, and only Clive Owens has the gravitas to deliver these lines straight faced, such as after dispatching a hitman with a carrot "Eat your vegetables". Clive Owens, Monica Bellucci (as a lactating call girl - hey, baby's got to eat) and Paul Giamatti are all accomplished actors, and they have fun with this film. They never act like they're above being in this sort of movie, but jump in with manic energy, keeping the pace pounding forward. There is a plot, but it's incidental to the action. Even the characters remark on the weirdness of it all. Everyone knows that this is a cartoon come to life.
Director Mike Davis really delivers on the action sequences, which are top notch and have a perverse sense of logic to them, like the comic fallout of a gunfight that takes place while free falling from an airplane. And the soundtrack is hard rocking with Nirvana, Motorhead and Motley Crue thrown into the mix, keeping the beat as every body and bullet casing hits the floor. I defy you to not throw the horns.
It's a perversely funny ride, and I'd recommend it if you like your action and laughs firing from both barrels.
Apple - Trailers - Shoot 'Em Up
IMDB - Shoot Em Up
Rotten Tomatoes - Shoot Em Up (70% Fresh)
Thursday, September 06, 2007
I don’t know why Apple just doesn’t grab me by my ankles and shake my money out of my pocket. They really make it hard for me to resist picking up their new toys. A revived and renewed line of iPods was annouced yesterday, and there are some nice surprises:
iPod nanos have been redesigned and now plays video. This comes as a surprise as I thought Apple would stick with the more gym-friendly/pack of gum shaped player. The new players appear to be the size of an iPod cut in half, with a 2-inch screen that Apple claims has the same high quality resolution as the full-sized video iPod. They come in a 4GB ($169 CDN) and an 8GB ($219 CDN) version, with battery life estimated at 24 hours audio, 5 hours video playback. These will be in the stores this weekend.
The video iPod is slightly touched up with a new name (iPod Classic), a new metal shell, and a hell of an upgrade on the storage size: an 80GB model ($279) and a 160GB ($399) model. Holy crap, it comes in “Jason Size”. Nice to see that I can back-up all my music on the iPod and still have room for TV shows and movies. The new iPod Classics are on the shelves this weekend.
The winner though is the new iPod Touch model. Basically it’s the iPhone without the phone service, but you still get Wireless Internet! You get a touch screen iPod with a web browser, and now you can finally buy music wirelessly direct from the new WiFi iTunes store. Add in the direct link to YouTube videos and that’s good geeking right there. I wasn’t waiting for an iPhone, but I’d love to use an iPod Touch. The memory appears to be flash like the nano, so the capacity is smaller than a standard iPod. The 8Gb model runs $329 CDN and the 16GB model runs $449. This model won’t be in stores until the end of the September. It will sell well this holiday, but I hope to see a 80+ GB model soon. Now that would sell.
No changes to the iPod Shuffle aside from some new colours. It runs you $89 CDN with 1GB storage.
No announcements on the iPhone coming to Canada yet, but the price in the US dropped. The iPhone is now only available in an 8Gb model, but the price dropped down to $399 US.
Another interesting initiative: Apple and Starbucks are in partnership to sell music wirelessly in Starbucks outlets. You go into Starbucks, you hear the song playing, you break out the iPod Touch and go to the WiFi store, and it shows you what songs are playing right there in the Starbucks. A couple taps and you can buy the song right there on the iPod Touch. Holy corporate synergy. It’s not exactly a feature that fans were clamouring for, but it’s an intriguing idea. Apparently iPods and coffee go together. No idea if this is US only or when it will rollout in Canada.
Apple’s lineup for this holiday season: the iPod shuffle in 5 great new colors; the iPod nano with video; the renewed iPod classic with up to 40k songs/160GB in your pocket; and the hot item this season, the iPod Touch with WiFi. Consumers, start your spending.
Full coverage of the Apple presentation by Steve Jobs
Apple Store Canada
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