Voices Escape

Fred Penner

2011-07-28T19:56:00.001-07:00

Just a photo of me and my new friend, Fred Penner. It was taken at the Hillside Festival in Guelph last weekend. Such a fantastic experience to meet a childhood hero!

Nostalgia

2011-06-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

"Being nostalgic is like taking an offramp and getting a sandwich – and then you get back on the highway. I don't want to be spending the rest of my life at the gas station."

- Eddie Vedder

Word Cloud: How Toy Ad Vocabulary Reinforces Gender Stereotypes

2011-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I believe all social experiments should include at least one word cloud. This is why.

And so it was ...

2010-12-31T14:57:00.001-08:00

2010

I've never been a huge New Year's Eve fan, meaning the flashy outfits, cheap dollar-store tiaras, and the outrageous cover charges, but I've always loved the idea of ringing in a new year. To me, this means reflecting on a year gone by and looking forward to the next one to come.

2010 was an emotional year, filled with (at times) absolute bliss, but also heartbreak. I don't think a month passed where we didn't receive news of a death, whether of a friend, a mentor, a friend's parent, or a grandparent. Just yesterday, Jordan's grandmother passed away. And only a week ago, an old colleague's son drowned in Ottawa. Most of the people we lost were way too young, and left us way too suddenly.

But this year was filled with emotional highs. Jordan and I saw France. We ate at French restaurants. We cooked French food in our apartment that overlooked the Eiffel Tower. We had an emotionally charged, but wonderful day, exploring the area around Vimy Ridge. We travelled through the Riviera, exploring Nice, Monaco, Saint Paul de Vence, to name only a few. I could go on and on about how incredible our trip was, and how it has only given me the urge to travel more.

There were amazing concerts (Sufjan! Flaming Lips!). I met Farley Mowat! I acted like a tourist in Toronto for the first time, finally going to the top of the CN Tower and taking a cruise to the islands. There were trips to Ottawa (Two this year) and many, many great days and nights with friends in Hamilton and Toronto.

And now it's time to celebrate, and hope for a happier 2011. Instead of waiting in line at an overpriced bar, we're heading to Matty's for a low-key cocktail night. Cheers to 2010, and welcome 2011!

How Facebook and Twitter Are Replacing Blogging

2010-11-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

How can I not re-post an article with this title, as it's exactly what seems to be happening here on my beloved blog. It's not something I'm proud of, and not something I hope continues, but I've made false promises before.

Amisfield

2010-11-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today the morning started off with a visit to Amisfield, right near my house. Who knew? We were lucky enough to get a peak inside as well.

An original photo of the building can be seen here.

Bliss

2010-09-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Nice, France

2010-09-02T09:24:00.001-07:00

I will be in Paris in three days!

City of Lights

2010-08-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Last night I did something that I've been planning for a very, very long time -- I booked a flight to Paris! Five weeks from now Jordan and I will be spending a week there before heading to the south of France to spend another handful of days on the beach in Nice (and surrounding area).

Trip planning has been monopolizing a lot of my time (and budget!) lately, but besides that it's been a busy summer. A few weeks ago I headed to Ottawa for Bluesfest (and to visit a wonderful friend who I haven't seen in at least three years), where I saw my first Flaming Lips show. I've been lucky enough to see dozens of amazing concerts over the last decade, and this one was right at the top of the list. They closed the show with "Do You Realize" and it really was just one of those moments where the whole world seems to pause. It was unreal. The photos don't even do the craziness of a Flaming Lips show justice.

That's it for now, but I do hope to bring a laptop with me on the trip so I can post photos, etc., while I'm in France. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know!

"All of us see ourselves in her."

2010-05-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it, but twitter has replaced my blogging. Luckily (for my all-but-abandoned blog), this quotation is more than 140 characters long.

Why we love Liz Lemon, from Girldrive:

"All of us see ourselves in her. With the women from Sex and the City, maybe we saw ourselves in that we have those conversations with our girlfriends, but I don’t think that most people [really] saw themselves. But Tina Fey’s character is so popular because people feel like floundering basket cases. Especially now … You prioritized your career over personal life and it creates a whole set of issues."

- Liz Tigelaar

All Grown Up

2010-04-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

R.I.P Dan (From Auteur Recordings)

2010-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

I wish my return to this neglected blog was to share some happier news. Instead, it's to share a piece written by my wonderful better half about the death of his close friend and producer, Dan Achen. He's heartbroken, as the rest of the Hamilton arts community is by Dan's sudden death. Dan truly believed in The Rest and gave them so many opportunities, and for that, I'm thankful.

The Rest at Catherine North

From Auteur Recordings

I’m really happy I knew Dan Achen.

Last Thursday I hung out at Catherine North Studio. I was stopping by to pick up a guitar that Dan was helping me sell. A guitar that Adam and myself had purchased off of Dallas Green a few years back while Dan and I had been working on Dallas’ record. I had just finished working my 4th consecutive 10-hour shift and was super exhausted. I told him how my plans for the afternoon were to grab the guitar and run home to nap before a show that our band The Rest was playing. In true fashion, Dan successfully transformed our five-minute meeting into almost 4 hours.

“You gotta try this coffee, smell it, doesn’t it smell good?”

“Smells awesome.”

“You take yours black right?”

“Yep.”

“Me too… but with cream. Haha.”

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Dan for the past five years. I remember the first time I met him. We wanted to record a full length, and our friends from the band Cities and Dust had been working at his studio. Through them Dan had heard our demo for Innocent Fools, and after seeing an amazing photo of the studio we met up at Doors Pub here in Hamilton. This same photo on a business card with a friendly handshake landed Dallas and countless others at his door.

Dan loved to sell you on stuff, whether it was a guitar, or a Mac book, or an idea for 5-second section in a song. Dan could convince with such passion. And our first meeting with him was no exception. Still to this day I’ve never heard anyone explain the mechanics of a melotron with such enthusiasm. Dan loved to talk about gear, how it worked, what it sounded like. His love for it was infectious.

Last Thursday was no exception either. As I walked around downstairs at the studio I looked over and noticed a strange looking electric guitar.

“What’s that?”

“It’s an Idol.” (A crazy looking 60s Japanese electric guitar)

“Cool.”

Dan then picked up the guitar and played some blues riffs. I think I’ve heard him do the same thing a thousand times now when he picks up a guitar. His tester riff. It’s like 4 chords and then some dancing. It’s always impressive. Then he hands it off to me and I try my best to pretend like I can play something.

I’ve had the pleasure of working a lot with Dan in the past 5 years. I’ve engineered records with him, mixed records with him, driven to airports to get people for him, mopped studio floors for him, made coffee, cleaned toilets, driven 2 hours away to pick up pre-amps for him. I would have driven 20. When you worked hard for Dan you could always tell he appreciated it and would reciprocate ten fold. Dan had his hands in everything we worked on. Even the allegories record that was recorded in my parents’ basement was transferred to tape by Dan, dithered by Dan, sent to mastering by Dan. With The Rest he turned a group of sloppy, naïve, high school buddies into a real band. Dan’s power was in his ability to give others power, and that made him truly special. I spent countless hours staring at a screen mixing albums with Dan. And we truly had an amazing work system together. It took a lot of convincing to let him let me mix records at first, but I’m so happy I was bullheaded enough to pull it off. I’ve learned more about how to make music from him than any other person in my life.

On Thursday we sat down at the mixing console and he showed me his newly acquired vintage speakers. I told him how excited I am for the new songs that we are working on. He was super excited to mix new stuff with these speakers. We spent the next hour or so listening to stuff back and forth, speaker set to speaker set. He glowed about how much air he was getting off of the two inch machine. He told me how he had been playing more guitar than he had been in years. He showed me what he had put down on Amanda’s record. It’s fucking amazing. The next day I saw her and blurted, “It’s fucking amazing!”

And I’m an absolute mess right now because he is gone. And I can’t help but be thankful that I didn’t go home and take that nap. I will forever miss him and be grateful to him for all of the good he brought into my life.

It’s really hard to sum up a person in just a few words but I will say this about my friend.

Dan loved his family. Dan was great at what he did. Dan was an endless source of inspiration and enthusiasm. Dan was cool as shit.

I’m really going to miss you Dan.

- Jordan

Literary Mourning

2010-03-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

Two full months into a new year, and I've yet to post. Not good. Not good at all.

Stumbled upon this article in the New York Times this morning. I'm not familiar with Barry Hannah, the author who died of a heart attack earlier this week, so I can't eulogize him here as I often do when people of note die.

However, I did find this article about his work — and how we mourn authors — completely beautiful.

"It’s strange, the way we mourn our writers. We react to the news of their passing, typically, by rushing out to buy their books. Volumes that have sat on shelves for years, gathering dust and perhaps remainder stickers, are suddenly carried off in stacks. For many writers, especially those in midcareer or of midrange repute, death is the best (and last) great sales push they ever get. I like to think of the posthumous book purchase as an example of what Raymond Carver called “a small good thing,” offered up as consolation and condolence for those yet living, part of the same chain of motive that fills homes in mourning with casseroles and pies.

Knowing that this is how the reading public mourns, it makes perfect sense, and is even in some sense commendable, that bookstores come swift to our aid. Nonetheless, the sudden appearance of memorial tables and displays may leave a sour taste in the mouth of the literary mourner. However noble the motives, however dignified the presentation, commerce in the face of death is ghoulish. It just is. And what’s worse, the Memorial Sales Display turns the experience of loss into a jostling for front-of-table real estate. It is, in this sense, quite terrible, a compounding brutality to the fact of the death itself."

"All things go ... All things go ..."

2009-12-31T12:07:00.001-08:00

My 2000s playlist.

I've been thinking about compiling a list for awhile now — listing the songs that were constants on my discman, minidisc player, and eventually my iPod in the 2000s. This isn't a definitive list and it changes day by day, but these, for the most part, are the songs I blasted through Eli's speakers, danced to at Zaphod's, belted out in a front row of concert halls and listened to on repeat in an unforgettable decade. All things go ... All things go ...

1. Lover’s Spit, Broken Social Scene

2. I’m Trying to Break Your Heart, Wilco

3. Untitled #1, Sigur Ros

4. Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois, Sufjan Stevens

5. Neighborhood #1, Arcade Fire

6. My Girls, Animal Collective

7. Memory Lame, Jim O’Rourke

8. Jesus, Etc., Wilco

9. Yoshimi Battles on the Pink Robot, Part 1, The Flaming Lips

10. Chicago, Sufjan Stevens

11. Ballad of a Lonely Construction Worker, Cuff the Duke

12. Bird Gerhl, Antony and the Johnsons

13. Glosoli, Sigur Ros

14. Cause = Time, Broken Social Scene

15. And I Remember Every Kiss, Jens Lekman

16. I’ll Believe in Anything, Wolf Parade

17. How to Disappear Completely, Radiohead

18. Reservations, Wilco

19. Crane Wife 3, Decemberists

20. Lost Cause, Beck

21. So This is Goodbye, Junior Boys

22. Skinny Love, Bon Iver

23. Thin Blue Flame, Josh Ritter

24. Lover’s Spit (Bee Hives version), Broken Social Scene

25. Widow’s Walk, Swan Lake

26. Wake Up, Arcade Fire

27. Did You See The Words, Animal Collective

28. She Sends Kisses, The Wrens

29. District Sleeps Alone Tonight, The Postal Service

30. Guaranteed, Eddie Vedder

31. Hummingbird, Wilco

32. Molten Light, Chad Vangaalen

33. The Park, Feist

34. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, Fleet Foxes

35. Do You Realize, Flaming Lips

36. Stars and Sons, Broken Social Scene

37. Your Ex-Lover is Dead, Stars

38. Combat Baby, Metric

39. One More Mouth, Josh Ritter

40. At Least That’s What You Said, Wilco

41. Walking For Two Hours, Twilight Sad

42. Devastation, The Besnard Lakes

43. Bye Bye Bye, Plants and Animals

44. Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl, Broken Social Scene

45. Universe Above, The Vanity Press

46. Piano Blink, Hawksley Workman

47. Hope There's Someone, Antony and the Johnsons

48. Hymn 101, Joe Pug

49. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

50. Decibully, Tables Turn

A Charmed Life, by Liza Campbell

2009-12-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

I read this one on a beach, toward the end of summer, while camping with a group of friends. I think because of that I'm somewhat biased. It really is the best way to read a book.

As the daughter of the 25th Thane of Cawdor and the last child born in the fairy-tale castle made famous by Shakespeare, Liza Campbell was privy to not only wealth and history, but also to the madness of a father fuelled by drugs and power, all of which are documented in A Charmed Life, a beautifully written memoir that is rich in detail, but somehow leaves readers wanting more.

Farm City, Novella Carpenter

2009-12-14T19:03:00.001-08:00

All right, I'm going to have to start doubling up on my one-sentence book reviews until I'm all caught up. Just one tonight, though. Ben is sleeping on one of my arms, so typing is a time-consuming endeavor right now!

Farm City, by Novella Carpenter

Inspired by her hippie parents and a love for the fresh food and city life, blogger-turned-author Novella Carpenter chronicles her heartbreaking failures (think mangled carcasses following a wild dog attack) and triumphant successes (backyard self-sufficiency) in her witty memoir, Farm City, The Education of an Urban Farmer, a tale of dumpster diving, mail-order poultry, and above all else, mouth-watering, sustainable food.

Playing Catch Up

2009-12-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

I should have known my ambitions were greater than my time management here. Just a week after beginning my one-sentence book reviews, I've already failed miserably. I have some catching up to do! And I will catch up, I promise!

Time Windows, by Kathryn Reiss

2009-12-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite books from childhood, Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss, is just as addictive fifteen years after I first cracked its spine, as it follows Miranda's discovery of a life-like dollhouse capable of transporting her back in time, taking her on an adventure that seamlessly weaves tales of the underground railroad, World War II, and even a child's body in her own attic...

Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape, edited by Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti

2009-12-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Twenty years ago today, 25-year-old Marc Lépine opened fire at the École Polytechnique, killing 14 female engineering students before turning the gun on himself. In remembrance, today's one-sentence book review will be on Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape, edited by Jaclyn Friedman and feministing founder Jessica Valenti. Both are reminders that each day women are targeted and victimized simply for being women.

In attempt to move beyond the "no-means-no" model associated with rape, editors Jessica Valenti and Jaclyn Friedman assembled an impressive cast of writers, including Hanne Blank and Stacey May Fowles, in a revolutionary and necessary anthology that should reach beyond women's studies classrooms, encouraging readers to critically view the ways in which society vilifies female sexuality and pleasure, thus supporting a culture of rape.

Half World, by Hiromi Goto

2009-12-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

Swept into a violent purgatory, Melanie Tamaki is the unlikely hero of Hiromi Goto's novel for young adults, Half World, a twisted, yet addicting, tale of three mysterious realms, brimming with vivid detail and beautifully illustrated by Skim's Jillian Tamaki.

Columbine, by Dave Cullen

2009-12-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Ten years after two gunmen opened fire at the now-notorious suburban high school, Columbine, Dave Cullen -- a respected American journalist present at Columbine on the day of the attack -- released his haunting tale of tragedy, Columbine, which acts not only as a chilling tribute to the 12 students and one teacher who died on April 20, 1999, but also debunks dozens, if not hundreds of the myths, rumours, and errors that defined Columbine, many of which continue to circulate in the media a decade later.

Notice a trend here? I read a lot of non-fiction! I'll try to switch it up tomorrow.

My Life as a Dame, by Christina McCall

2009-12-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

Weaving together personal journalism and social commentary, the late journalist Christina McCall was known for her eye-opening looks at Canadian politics, including, among many subjects, the Liberal Party of Canada and the women's movement, two topics that are included in My Life as a Dame, an anthology featuring some of McCall's most memorable work, acting as an excellent read for fans, aspiring journalists and even those, like myself, who are unfamiliar with McCall's work and her contribution to Canadian journalism.

Egg on Mao, by Denise Chong

2009-12-02T09:22:00.001-08:00

Beginning with a paint-filled egg, hurled upwards toward the giant oil painting of Mao that hung in Tiananmen Square in 1989, Denise Chong's Egg on Mao is the heartbreaking, yet inspiring, true story of Lu Decheng — a Chinese man whose act of vandalism helped to unmask a violent dictatorship — acting as a humanizing snapshot of one person's quest for change that is easily of the best non-fiction releases of the year.

Let the run-on sentences begin!

2009-12-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Inspired by today's launch of the Advent Bookblog and a pathetically low 2009 post count right here on my own blog, I've decided that I'll make myself useful in December by committing to write a one-sentence book review each day. Seems simple enough -- Hell, I probably write hundreds of sentences a day, but I have a feeling this might be a greater feat than I imagine. It requires both commitment (amidst Christmas shopping and holiday partying) and calling on my memory to think of some of the titles I read this year. While I can't promise each review will feature a book written in 2009, it will feature a book I read in 2009.

Let the run-on, likely front-loaded sentences begin!

Proving he didn't drive himself too close to the brink of craziness during his previous two experiments-turned-books, Esquire's Encyclopaedia-reading, adulterer-stoning, pigeon-egg fondling A.J. Jacobs was back in 2009 with the Guinea Pig Diaries, a succinct, yet hilarious series of social experiments, each highlighting Jacobs' awkward fumblings and witty anecdotes, while at the same time shedding some light on the absurdities of modern North American life.

2009-11-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

Feeling inspired.

"They're out to get you, there's demons closing in on every side ..."

2009-10-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

I had no plans this weekend, unless you count taking our new addition to the vet to get his shots and recovering from one of the worst flus I've had in years, yet somehow it turned out to be an absolutely fantastic weekend -- complete with zombies, blood, and, well, the far less intriguing act of picking our own fruit.

In an act of complete spontaneity, Jordan and I ended up taking to Hamilton's streets as part of the city's zombie walk from Gore Park to Tapestry Bistro. I've got to say, people in this city don't shy away from getting involved and seeing hundreds of zombies -- many of which stayed in character the entire walk -- was quite the sight.

Today we drove up Ancaster way, in search of pumpkins and apples. We were successful, hauling back two decent-sized pumpkins and enough end-of-season apples to last us awhile.

Anyone know any decent apple recipes? Let me know!

Should I keep him?

2009-10-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

First Weekend of October ...

2009-10-04T18:49:00.001-07:00

I had an exciting weekend, busing back and forth between Hamilton and Toronto for the rabble.ca staff retreat. It was both productive and encouraging, and made me very happy to be a part of the site.

Unfortunately, my camera was having some performance anxiety on Saturday, so I wasn't able to take a picture of our delicious (and eco-friendly) catered lunch from Zero Waste Catering, or the new restaurant in Kensington Market where we had dinner. It was called Krepesz and I'd highly recommend it.

Luckily, my camera overcame it's anxiety in time for Nuit Blanche. I stuck pretty close to Union Station so I could be home by a reasonable hour, but as always it was great to see everyone take to the streets to appreciate art.

Blog By Request: Pictures of Arlo!

2009-10-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Lazy Sundays

2009-09-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

"Mirabelle Buttersfield moved from Vermont hoping to begin her life. And now she is stranded in the vast openness of LA. She keeps working to make connections, but the pile of near misses is starting to overwhelm her. What Mirabelle needs is an omniscient voice to illuminate and spotlight her and to inform everyone that this one has value, this one standing behind the counter in the glove department and to find her counterpart and bring him to her."

-Shopgirl (2005)

I'm finally having the day I've been dreaming about for weeks -- a day to simply stay at home and clean, read, watch movies, and listen to records. It's sort of an odds and ends type day, which seems to be a rarity these days. I'm half way through Shopgirl, which is definitely a Sunday afternoon sort of a movie.

The summer is winding to an end, way too prematurely it seems. Luckily, I love Fall, except for the ominous feeling that accompanies it.

This summer's final hurrah was a solo trip to Montreal last weekend. Without getting too Elizabeth Gilbert about it all, solo travelling really is wonderful.

Here are just a few of the many pictures I took.

Jackie Washington, Part II

2009-08-30T19:36:00.001-07:00

Since Jackie Washington died a few months back, there have been a number of tributes to him, both in this city and across the province. I was lucky enough to go to two of them: One at Jackie Washington Park and another at Festival of Friends. It's taken me awhile, but I've finally posted the video of the twilight memorial that followed a few days after his death.

2009-08-07T06:38:00.001-07:00

While researching, I just stumbled upon this quotation by one of my favourites — Farley Mowat.

"It is in our nature to travel into our past, hoping thereby to illuminate the darkness that bedevils the present."

This is beyond priceless ...

2009-07-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Vanity Fair edits Palin's acceptance speech:

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/07/palin-speech-edit-200907?currentPage=1

Miley Cyrus: Too Young for Hooker Boots?

2009-07-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Interesting article from Salon.com about the ways young women are sexualized.

"The outrage has so little to do with her being sexualized and everything to do with the way she's being sexualized. We're all too happy to see her clad in a girly frock and schoolgirl socks -- however, black thigh-high boots, and a black pushup bra? Horrors, that's a child! But in both cases she's an eroticized 16-year-old celebrity who has been very successfully marketed and sold to the masses. It's the straightforwardness of the sexual imagery in the Elle photos that trips our cultural inappropriateness alarm. Instead of sexualizing her childlike innocence and naiveté, it pictures her as a sexually motivated and experienced teenager (similar to the apparently outrageous bedsheet photo). Miley has crossed that fine cultural line between sexy purity and sexiness that is actually sexual."

Great things - 2; Bad things - 1

2009-07-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Two great things happened while I took a few well-deserved days off and headed to Ottawa for Canada Day. A not-so-great thing happened, as well.

The Good:
Sarah Palin resigns.
Al Franken finally wins his senate race.

The Bad:
Karl Malden died at the age of 97.

Two Eulogies

2009-06-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that I have a bad habit of eulogizing celebrities, but that's a vast understatement. Fact is, I eulogize everything: Record stores that I've never stepped foot in, friends who move away, time periods of my life, a pet, and even entire years.

I guess, really, that's what this blog is -- A series of eulogies. And this post will be no exception.

1) Michael Jackson:

The second tape I ever bought was Michael Jackson's Dangerous. My sister and I would belt out "Heal the World," standing on top of our twin beds, fighting over who would recite the monologue at the beginning of the song. Eventually, we decided just to take turns.

This is just one of dozens of Michael Jackson memories I have. After all, I was a child of the 80s. However, it's not my first Michael Jackson memory.

I remember seeing the video for Thriller when I was just a few years old. It must have been the first music video I ever saw, because I didn't know what it was. I remember thinking "They're making movies out of songs now." Because, really, that's what Thriller is -- a short film, set to music.

I truly don't think I can think of another artist who is as entwined with my childhood, and even parts of adulthood, as Jackson, whether it be: The friend who used to kiss the screen when the Michael Jackson video came on at the end of the VHS copy of Free Willy; The Super Bowl half-time show where he stood completely still, for what seems like hours; Listening to Billie Jean on repeat in the Fshop audio room because it's what was used to test the speakers; Dirty Diana on car rides home.

I realize I'm jumping on a bandwagon here. Jezebel posted the perfect headline this week: When a Superstar Dies, Everybody Gets to be a Jerk or a Poet for 15 Minutes, but I'm unapologetic about it. The last few days have been nostalgic, as everyone seems to be paying their own tribute to the King of Pop by blaring his albums from car and house windows.

2) Jackie Washington:

While the death of Michael Jackson is being felt on a global scale, this one hits closer to home. Yesterday, local-legend Jackie Washington died, at the age of 89.

For as long as I can remember, Hamilton's Festival of Friends has been a long-standing family tradition. And nearly every year, until arthritis made it too difficult for him to play, Jackie Washington was a staple.

According to The Hamilton Spectator, Washington was the grandson of a slave, and performed for 80 years.

It's a bad, bad week for music.

Youtube Channel

2009-06-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have no flashy title for this one. It's simple really — I was very productive this weekend as Jordan was jet-setting to New York with the band, so I created my very own Youtube channel. I've even posted some content. More to follow!

News flash ... Sarah Palin cares about women's rights ...

2009-06-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

... But only when they affect her personally.

It's funny how someone who is seemingly willing to roll back the women's movement by a century, can issue a statement like the following and expect to be taken seriously.

"I would like to see him apologize to young women across the country for contributing to kind of that thread that is throughout our culture that makes it sound like it is OK to talk about young girls in that way, where it's kind of OK, accepted and funny to talk about statutory rape."

I'm not defending Letterman's joke, but seriously, this is clearly a subject that Palin knows nothing about.

26/7

2009-06-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

I just wrote a lengthy post about how I'm pretty sure decades from now I'm going to look back at the simplicity of this time in my life with great fondness, but I seem to have pressed something I shouldn't have, because the whole post is gone. Unfortunately, I don't have time to rewrite it. I'm off to put the finishing touches on a book review for Ricepaper.

So, just a few quick things:

I had an incredible birthday. Jordan surprised me with tickets to see Macbeth at Stratford, which I thought was wonderful, though the Toronto Star obviously did not, calling it "worse than murder."
As if turning 26 wasn't enough to make me feel old, Jordan and I are heading to the Royal York on the weekend to celebrate 7 years.

I'll have to write later to make up for the deleted post!

R.I.P Jay Bennett

2009-05-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

Jay Bennett, dead at age 45

Jay Bennett, a rock musician with deep ties to Chicago best known as a former member of Wilco, died early Sunday morning in downstate Urbana, where he had been running a recording studio, according to a spokesman for his family.

The singer and multi-instrumentalist was 45 years old.

"Early this morning, Jay died in his sleep and an autopsy is being performed," said Edward Burch, a friend and musician who collaborated with Bennett on the 2005 album "The Palace at 4 a.m." "The family is in mourning and is unavailable for comment at this time."

2009-05-14T14:23:00.001-07:00

Amazing!

Wikipedia hoax points to limits of journalists' research

2009-05-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think this is brilliant!

Wikipedia hoax points to limits of journalists' research

"Wikipedia may be a fantastic resource, but any savvy Internet user is aware of its limits. Edit wars, entries made and modified for PR purposes, hoaxes, and basic inaccuracies all creep into (and back out of) the system, meaning that any use of the information there for purposes that might be considered significant should require some serious fact-checking. And, accordingly, many academics don't accept references to Wikipedia, and its entries have been rejected as evidence by US courts. So, it's a bit of a surprise to find out that one Wikipedia hoax, perpetrated by a sociology student, managed to appear in a variety of news reports, and has stayed there even after the hoax was revealed.

According to the AFP, the hoax traces back to Shane Fitzgerald, a student at Ireland's University College Dublin. Upon learning of the death of the Oscar-winning composer Maurice Jarre, the student modified his Wikipedia entry, adding a completely fictitious post that was nicely designed to fit perfectly into any obituary. "When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head, that only I can hear," the added material read in part.

Fitzgerald was apparently curious how far his hoax would spread, and expected it to appear on a variety of blogs and similar sites. Instead, to his surprise, a search picked it up in articles that appeared at a variety of newspapers. Fitzgerald eventually removed his own fabricated quote and notified a variety of news outlets that they had been tricked, but not all of them have apparently seen fit to publish corrections or to ensure that their original stories were accurate, even though fixing a webpage shouldn't be a challenging thing."

Visions of patio bars dance in my head ...

2009-04-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

I can hear people having fun on the patio across the street. It's nearly ten thirty, but it's still 20 degrees in Hamilton. Jordan's down the street having a few beers on another patio. All of these things can be quite depressing for someone stuck inside with some strange 24-hour flu, which luckily I seem to be on the other side of.

Until last night, when the flu kicked in, we had a great weekend. The Rest's CD release was a great (and sold out) success. The guys are headed to New York City later this week to tape a Take-Away Show, so everything seems to be going really well in music land. There isn't too much to tell about Saturday and Sunday, which is probably a good thing. I've been overbooking myself again as of late, so I've needed a few days just to unwind.

But how can I not overbook myself with so many interesting things out there to do? Jordan and I went to a panel discussion at the AGH this week that looked at Creative Cities and the role of the arts in Hamilton. It turned out to be a yelling match between some members of the city and some local artists, which was both depressing and exciting all at the same time. This happened the same week of the CD release and my date with Hawksley Workman, so it was a busy week.

I should also mention that rabble.ca celebrated their 8th birthday about a week ago, and we celebrated by hosting a panel discussion with Peter C. Newman and Linda McQuaig. The Maclean's magazine blog posted some pictures on their blog, available at: http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/04/24/eight-years-of-rabbleca/

Public Radio Love

2009-04-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Rest's Walk on Water in NPR's Song of the Day today. Check it out at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103402095&ft=1&f=4703895

Album Out!

2009-04-22T14:15:00.001-07:00

One quick, quick, quick thing before I rush out for my date with Hawksley Workman, Mom, Dad, and Sis.

The Rest's latest album is out, and it can be purchased here: http://auteurrecordings.com/. The Ceeb has a little blurb about them up today on the front page of Radio 3 and there's some other great things coming, including a few trips to NYC, which unfortunately does not include band girlfriends.

Also, we're celebrating Friday night with the Toronto CD release. Shoot me a message for details.

Hawksley time!

Remembering Kurt Cobain - Fifteen Years Later ...

2009-04-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Jezebel has a great post about Kurt Cobain today, summing their article up with the following:

It's strange to think that Nirvana might become (or, perhaps, has already become) one of those bands that is talked about more than listened to: I knew people in college who had Jim Morrison posters on their walls ("he's like, such a poet") but never listened to The Doors; it was more about the image, the encapsulation of a time period, that Morrison provided, rather than the music itself. One wonders if Cobain's iconic image will serve the same purpose. Or, perhaps, Nirvana's music will be there for those who seek it out, for the "real" fans, who appreciate Cobain for his songwriting as much as for his pop culture legacy. And that, perhaps, is the most hopeful scenario.

And who knows. There isn't an answer to the question "What is Kurt Cobain's legacy" and there likely never will be no matter how many biographies are written about him. To me, I can still put on a Nirvana album and it seems just as relevant as it did when I first started listening to them in the 90s.

It doesn't cease to amaze me how fast time goes by.

I know I've posted this before, but here's my own tribute to Kurt Cobain from Halloween 2008!

Friday Afternoon Listening

2009-04-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

If I could recommend one thing today, it would be this: Go listen to Joe Pug's song Hymn #101. I saw it performed live at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival a few months ago and I still can't get it out of my head.

How could you with lyrics like:

I've come to meet the legendary takers.

I've only come to ask them for a lot.

Oh, they say I come with less,

Than I should rightfully possess.

I say the more I buy the more I'm bought.

And the more I'm bought the less I cost.

Hear it here: http://www.myspace.com/thejoepug

Who's Your City?

2009-04-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but like many things right now, adding to my blog has been put on hold. But, today is the one-year anniversary of me getting the keys to my apartment, so it's an especially fitting day to post this.

When I moved in I was very insistent that the apartment was my own place. It was a token of independence, both personally and financially. Even though Jordan was here every night, I seemed reluctant to call it our place, but now I can't even think of it any other way.

Which leads me to one of the few books I'm reading right now: Who's Your City, by the brilliant Richard Florida. Early in this book, he poses a number of questions, calling readers who have seriously pondered their answers to these questions a "very small minority."

I spent the better half of a few years pondering these exact questions as I struggled to picture myself anywhere but Ottawa. Who knew that a year or two later, I'd be in Hamilton, loving this city more than I thought possible.

Florida asks his readers to think about the answers to these questions. So, here goes:

1. How do you like the place you're living now? Is it somewhere you really want to be? Does it give you energy? When you walk out onto the street-or the country lane-in the morning, does it fill you with inspiration, or stress? Does it allow you to be the person you really want to be? Are you achieving your personal goals? Is it a place you would recommend to your relatives and friends?

Hamilton is energetic in ways I hadn't even thought about when I moved here a year ago. I chose Hamilton for one primary reason — the cost of living is considerably lower here than most other parts of the G.T.A. What I've discovered is an arts community that seems unparallelled to the suburbs I grew up in, to Ottawa, and even to Toronto, which is often cold and clique, for lack of a better word. It's a tight-knit community, because the size of it's downtown allows it to be, a luxury that Torontonians likely don't have. And I do recommend it to people, though it seems most people have preconceptions about this city, many of which aren't true at all.

2. Have you thought about moving? If so, what are the top three places on your radar screen? What do you like about them? Specifically, what do you think they offer you? How would your life be different in these places?

I've spent way too much time than I should of over the last few years contemplating moving. I've contemplated moving to and from Ottawa more times than I can count. I contemplated living in Toronto, instead of Hamilton, and though I love this city, I still find myself going down the mental checklist of all the other places in the world I'd love to visit or live. Among them, Europe and Canada's east coast. And yes, I do think about Ottawa still, especially as I feel myself drifting away from the people and the places that were so close to me for more than four years of my life. But my life would be different and I'm still young. I feel that right now I'm in exactly the place I need to be right now, focusing on my career and paying down my looming student loans while enjoying a practical cost of living.

3. Have you ever sat down and compared where you're living now to those places? Honestly, have you given this a fraction of the thought and energy you've given to your job and career prospects, or if you're single, to your dating life?

I have spent too much time contemplating these things and I'm happy to be at a point now where I know longer need to — at least for now!

Arlo and Emmett have another playdate

2009-03-17T08:56:00.001-07:00

Emmett, Arlo, and Libbie

Emmett and Arlo tire each other out.

Arlo: The aftermath

Emmett: The aftermath

Is it bad when your dogs have a more exciting social life than you do?

A note on GO Train etiquette

2009-03-17T05:24:00.001-07:00

It's simple. Don't cut your fingernails on the train. It's disgusting. Nobody wants to hear you clicking away and people are sick of choosing seats that are sprinkled with nail clippings.

How does this manage to be such a difficult concept for people?

CD Release (one of many)

2009-03-11T15:11:00.001-07:00

Come one, come all, come everyone, all at once! (Excuse my cheesiness; It's been a long day). This is the first of a number of record release shows. Stay tuned for more info on this and the others.

Presale of Everyone All At Once starts now!

2009-03-10T22:12:00.001-07:00

www.auteurrecordings.com

THIS Magazine redesign

2009-03-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

I just got home from Kensington Market where This magazine, a staple in lefty independent media relaunched with a colourful redesign. But, I must admit a huge reason I made the trip into the city was the cupcake decorating contest. Above is the design of Michelle and I, representing rabble.ca in the indie-media cupcake showdown. There was no red icing provided (conspiracy?), so we did the best we could!

Arlo

2009-03-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well, he's definitely not this tiny anymore!

Academy Awards: The morning after.

2009-02-23T05:55:00.001-08:00

I'm quite tired. As always, I stayed up to watch every last minute of the Academy Awards, which to many wouldn't be worth it, but for me, just hearing Sean Penn call the Academy "Commie homo-loving sons of guns" was worth it. And, coming from someone who has seen Slumdog Millionaire not once, but twice, it was all-around a great night. Oh, and Heath! Alright, it's coffee time!

Everyone All At Once

2009-02-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

Emmett and Arlo

2009-02-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

A (pro) Valentine's Day rant ...

2009-02-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's Day, and while I could rant about the commercialism of it all and boycott the day all together, I'm not going to. Fact is, I kind of enjoy it. For more than four years Jordan and I were in a long-distance relationship, and neither of us had the disposable income to commute back and forth between Ottawa and Toronto on a regular basis. This meant we missed many holidays together — Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays among them.

However, Valentine's Day was different. Through no prior arrangement ourselves, we always managed to spend the day together, usually because at least one of our univeristy Reading Weeks seemed to coincide with it. One year, while I was in my third-year radio class, Jordan was at my house in Ottawa cooking me a lobster dinner. Sure, we probably would have done that even if it wasn't Valentine's Day, but that's beside the point.

This year, Jordan had to work. He was just promoted to Chef at the bistro he works at, so the hours are long. The upside of that is a late dinner at the bistro once all the diners leave. It's 10:06 PM right now, so I'm remarkably hungry and hoping for his phone call any minute.

I guess my point is that I know so many people that go out of their way to rant about the reasons they don't celebrate Valentine's Day, and really, my thoughts are: Why not celebrate? Sure, it's trendy to say "Fuck it. I'm boycotting this holiday that was created by the card companies ..." and that's just fine! But while you're doing that, I'm off to have a late-night dinner with the guy I love!

Seeger still singing after all these years

2009-02-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

rabble.ca

(www.rabble.ca/news/seeger-still-singing-after-all-these-years)

By Jessica Rose

The crowd at the Hill Auditorium, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, erupted into a standing ovation the second 89-year-old Pete Seeger took to the stage. For many, like myself, this was the first time they'd seen the folk elder - a contemporary to Woody Guthrie - perform live. And he didn't disappoint. Seeger's performance on Jan. 31 was part of the two-day Ann Arbor Folk Festival.

Without really knowing it, as a small child, Pete Seeger was part of the culture I was eagerly soaking in, albeit through popular covers of his songs. Most notably, I recall my Dad listening to the Kingston Trio's version of Seeger's song "Where Have all the Flowers Gone," which played countless times in our house. And of course, what child of the 1980s doesn't remember Fred Penner's version of "This Land is Your Land," which was originally written by Woody Guthrie, but has been performed by Seeger for decades.

Last year, another road trip took me to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Here, lining a wall near the entrance to the main exhibit, is a number of modest black and white photographs, each honouring an artist who was a precursor to Rock and Roll. Among artists who are long gone - Leadbelly and Billie Holiday among them - is Pete Seeger, who is very much still alive and performing.

It seemed only natural to pack my bags and load into a van, en route to Ann Arbor, to see Pete Seeger take the stage at the 32nd Ann Arbor Folk Festival. The festival seamlessly blends the old and the new, featuring traditional roots musicians and contemporary folk-inspired singer songwriters. Among the performers at this year's festival were Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Kris Kristofferson and Canada's Luke Doucet.

The festival was a perfect fit for Seeger, who took up the banjo and began playing in the late 1930s. A pro-union, antiwar leftist at the core, Seeger's politics resonate in his passionate songs. He was investigated for Communist involvement by the HUAC and Senator Joseph McCarthy in the late 1950s and he has spent his entire career acting as a social activist, folklorist and singer songwriter.

Seeger was accompanied on stage by his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, and by Sarah Lee Guthrie, daughter of Arlo Guthrie and granddaughter of Woody Guthrie.

Seeger's uplifting song "Midnight Special" kicked off the set, followed by a humourous cover of a song called "English Is Crazy," which points out the unpredictability of the English language. However, one song stood out among the others - "Amazing Grace." Keeping with his tradition of storytelling, Seeger told the audience the story behind this well-known song, leading in to a sing-along, where 4,000 audience members acted as Seeger's back-up choir. By far, the audience at the Hill Auditorium was the most attentive crowd I have ever seen at a concert, barely uttering a word, or even a cough, during Seeger's set.

Seeger was spry and enthusiastic as he bounced to and from the stage before performing his encore. First was an antiwar protest song called "(If you Love Your Uncle Sam) Bring Them Home," which was originally written during the Vietnam War. However, Seeger's lyrics in this song still resonate today.

Last, but hardly least, Seeger was joined on stage by the rest of the festival's Saturday night performers, including Kris Kristofferson, to lead the crowd in a sing-along of "This Land is Your Land." Seeger recently performed the same song with Bruce Springsteen at the Lincoln Memorial as part of Barack Obama's Inauguration Concert.

With his 90th birthday only a few months away, Seeger isn't playing as many concerts as he used to, but for those lucky enough to see him, one thing is clear - Pete Seeger is still just as politically charged as ever, whether he's singing and talking about Vietnam or Iraq. It was an honour just to sit in the audience and listen to the stories of this legendary folk troubadour.

A Day in the Life of a Book Editor

2009-02-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

Inspired by this post, aptly titled the same as this one, along with a copy-cat post called A Day in the Life of a Feminist Writer/Activist, I thought I’d do exactly the same, and chart my day.

My first instinct is to wait until another day, maybe on the weekend, when I’m doing something really exciting, and chronicle it, instead of jotting down an uneventful Thursday. But, that would defeat the purpose. Unlike the other posts, I can’t remember events down to the exact minute, but I’ll do my best.

6:07: The alarm rings. For the first time of many, I hit snooze.

7:10: I’m finally sick of hitting snooze every nine minutes, so I climb out of bed. I gather my lunch, plug in my strengthening iron, brush my teeth, and realize I’m way too tired to function. I’ll take the late bus.

7:15: I go back to bed.

7:40: Up again.

8:01: Pause only to say goodbye to the cute boy snoring away in my bed. Rush out the door.

8:05: Go Bus leaves the station. I promptly fall asleep.

8:14: Go Train leaves the station. I catch up on some reading. Today it’s the second book in the Gossip Girl series. Don’t ask. I only have a few vices and non-progressive, consumerist, crappy teen fiction is one of them.

9:10: I arrive at work, pour myself some coffee, and get crackin’ on editing some graphic novels and unanswered emails.

12:10: Today, lunch is leftover yellow beans and some zucchini, along with a cheese and onion bun. It's nothing special, but it does the trick.

12:30: Back to work. Today I'm juggling a few graphic novel manuscripts, all of which I'm in a mad rush to get back to authors or into design. Also, I get a kick-ass rough layout, which I'm really excited to review in the morning.

4:30: Apparently my meager lunch didn't do the trick. It's healthy snack time. Today it's apple slices and raspberry yogurt.

5:00: Out the door to catch the next train. Here, I read a chapter of my trashy novel, but fall asleep, only to wake up in a panic. I have both forgotten my phone at work and my keys at home.*

6:10: Home! And the good news is, so is Jordan, who lets me in and ridicules me for always forgetting my keys. We curl up on the couch and watch some TV, until he has to leave for sound check at Pepperjack's.

6:45: My snack at work ruined my appetite, so I had a lousy dinner of cheese and crackers. Dinner followed reading in the bath and then some awful reality television.

9:00: Rush out the door, heading to Pepperjack's for the Allegories' show. The guys don't go on until ten, so I enjoy a bottle of 50 with the better half.

10:00: The show is a success, especially since it's only their fourth show outside the comfort of The Rest.

11:00: Being the party pooper I am, I head home, though I've heard nothing but good things about the last band tonight. I need to rest up, since I'm going snow tubing with the crew tomorrow, in what could end up being a late night.

11:26: I've finished updating my blog, and now I'm going to go watch a half hour of bad TV and brainstorming about the rabble article I was just asked to write about my road trip to see Pete Seeger. Maybe I have a future as a concert review after all.

*ETA: My cell phone wasn't at work. Widespread panic has since ensued.

The Rest – Modern Time Travel @ Catherine North Studios

2009-02-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

Pete Seeger and Kris Kristofferson @ The Ann Arbor Folk Festival

2009-02-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Review of My Life as a Dame

2009-01-29T10:03:00.001-08:00

Here's my latest from rabble.ca, which is available at

http://www.rabble.ca/books/reviews/christina-mccall-feminist-arms

I'm off to Ann Arbor for the weekend for the Ann Arbor folk festival (Jeff Tweedy, Kris Kristofferson, and (holy shit) Pete Seeger!

Have a good one!

Famed author John Updike dies at 76 - CNN.com

2009-01-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

"My Father's Tears" is one of my favourite short stories. Very sad news.

Famed author John Updike dies at 76 - CNN.com: "Author John Updike, regarded as one of the greatest and most prolific writers in modern American letters, died Tuesday, his publicist said. He was 76.

John Updike won many literary awards. His books, such as 'The Witches of Eastwick,' were also best-sellers. Updike passed away Tuesday morning after battling lung cancer."

The Food Issue - An Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief - Michael Pollan - NYTimes.com

2009-01-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

Seems like Michael Pollan has asked the new president to create a Victory Garden on the White House lawn, inspiring the creation of www.whitehousefarmer.com. Here is just a snippet of Pollan's article from the New York Times.

The Food Issue - An Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief - Michael Pollan - NYTimes.com: "Since enhancing the prestige of farming as an occupation is critical to developing the sun-based regional agriculture we need, the White House should appoint, in addition to a White House chef, a White House farmer. This new post would be charged with implementing what could turn out to be your most symbolically resonant step in building a new American food culture. And that is this: tear out five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn and plant in their place an organic fruit and vegetable garden."

"I don’t need to tell you that ripping out even a section of the White House lawn will be controversial: Americans love their lawns, and the South Lawn is one of the most beautiful in the country. But imagine all the energy, water and petrochemicals it takes to make it that way. (Even for the purposes of this memo, the White House would not disclose its lawn-care regimen.) Yet as deeply as Americans feel about their lawns, the agrarian ideal runs deeper still, and making this particular plot of American land productive, especially if the First Family gets out there and pulls weeds now and again, will provide an image even more stirring than that of a pretty lawn: the image of stewardship of the land, of self-reliance and of making the most of local sunlight to feed one’s family and community. The fact that surplus produce from the South Lawn Victory Garden (and there will be literally tons of it) will be offered to regional food banks will make its own eloquent statement."

Speaking of Obama, I can't help but to swoon over the energy in the U.S. right now, though I think way too much pressure is being put on one man to do the impossible. Regardless, it's a gigantic leap forward, and I was on a high all of inauguration day.

Parent claims Atwood novel unsuitable for high school students

2009-01-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

It seems to me, that it's acceptable for parents to see their high-school age teens read about the brutalities of war, whether in a Timothy Findley novel or a Shakespearean tragedy, but the second students are asked to read about a war on women, it's considered too "brutal" or too "violent" by some.

Parent claims Atwood novel unsuitable for high school students: "A Toronto parent has filed a formal complaint with the Toronto District School Board, saying that Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is unsuitable for a high school curriculum.

The Canadian novel's focus on 'sex, brutal situations, murder and prostitution,' and is not acceptable material to be studied by high school students, Robert Edwards said in his complaint.

The book's foul language, anti-Christian overtones, violence and sexual degradation, he argued, violate the board's policies of respect and tolerance.

First published in 1985, The Handmaid's Tale is set in a futuristic totalitarian society in which women are used as breeders.

It won the Governor General's award in 1985 and the 1986 Booker Prize."

*I wrote this Friday, but hit "save" instead of "publish," in case I seem incredibly late on this one!

2008, a self-indulgent look back

2009-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

I’m not above one of those self-indulgent “Year in Review” posts that show up everywhere this time of year. Hell, I had a great year, and why have a blog if you can’t be self indulgent?

A long time ago, I watched Ally McBeal. Remember her? Besides Ally herself, I couldn’t tell you the name of one other character on the show (though I could go into a lengthy rant about how fabulous Robert Downey Jr. was as a guest star), however I do remember one quote that always sticks in my mind this time of year, paraphrased of course: If you can’t shed a tear at the end of a year, it was a year wasted. It was rather deep for a show about dancing babies. But I think it’s true.

2008 was ...

The year I sat in the audience while Leonard Cohen read poetry and belted out Hallelujah, as though I was the only person in the room.
The year I spend a lot of money on many other big-ticket concerts and theatre, which I usually avoid. However, it did mean standing a few feet away from Neil Young as he belted out “It’s better to burn out than to fade away,” and Eddie Vedder as he covered Dylan’s Masters of War. Oh, and Bon Jovi. I even managed to decipher a word or two during Bob Dylan’s set at Copp’s Coliseum. And alright, I even fit in a Canadian Idol taping.
A year of theatre, including nose-bleed seats to Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music, Hamlet, and sitting two rows back from Christopher Plummer as he played Caesar in Caesar and Cleopatra. (It inspired me to give his book a read, but I gave up after his detailed sexual accounts gave me nightmares.)
Three shows at Massey Hall: Blue Rodeo, City and Colour (only because Jordan was assistant on the album, and free shows are good shows, especially at Massey Hall), and Eddie Vedder.
Not the year of travel I had hoped for, but I managed to squeeze in a few road trips, and one incredible trip with Jordan out East. My road trips meant seeing Wilco in a high school in the outskirts of Cleveland, and another trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a first sunburn of the year on a patio in Ottawa in April, an annual Canada Day celebration in Ottawa, and a family road trip to Pennsylvania to visit Arlo, our latest addition.

An incredible few days out East, including probably my favourite night of the year — walking arm in arm around an eerily quiet Lunenburg, full of lobster and Caesars. This came after a day of climbing rocks near the tourist trap that is Peggy’s Cove, driving the coast and admiring the beautiful Fall colours, and checking into the very-highly recommended Spinnaker Inn. Our Lunenburg whale tour didn’t turn up as much wildlife as we had hoped, but we did spot a few dolphins and Minke whales, and it meant a day on the ocean with my main squeeze.

Collecting shells at Martinique Provincial Park and watching very daring surfers brave the frigid ocean.

Eating a Colville Bay Oyster in Halifax, after reading about them in Margaret Webb’s book From Apples to Oysters.
Skipping Nuit Blanche in Toronto but stumbling upon Nocturne in downtown Halifax. Though I did manage to make it to Wintercity and a number of other Toronto festivals this year (including my favourite, Word on the Street), and many of Hamilton’s festivals, notably carrying on the Festival of Friends tradition (despite the rain), and a number of James Street Art Crawls, including one that had Jordan and Adam (as Allegories) playing at Christ’s Church Cathedral.
A number of wonderful shows by both The Rest and Allegories, where they played with some amazing bands, including Plants and Animals and The Besnard Lakes.

The Hillside Festival in Guelph, which is easily one of my favourite days of the year, despite the coldest rain I’ve ever felt. It’s amazing that in all my years of concert-going I have never attended. We were able to check out: Hayden, Belle Orchestre, Broken Social Scene, (members of …) Plants and Animals, and Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café, to name only a few.
Schmoozing (alright, having a five-second long conversation about Jem and the Holograms) with the very talented Jessica Valenti of Feministing.com and hearing her read from her two books, Full Frontal Feminism and She’s a Slut; He’s a Stud …
A love for all things Hamilton, including my adorable little bachelorette pad that didn’t stay that way for long. Decorated with vintage finds from the Christie Antique shows, Jordan’s record player and our merged vinyl collection, it’s a place that is just ours, and I couldn’t be happier! There is even a great patio bar right across the street — so close in fact, we can look out our living room window to see if there’s a free spot! It’s in walking distance to some of the 19th century architecture that I love about living in an industrial town, the Maker’s Market and Farmer’s Market, the library, and some fabulous restaurants and pubs.
Along with Hillside and Lunenburg, another favourite day was the Hamilton From Seed to Scrap bus tour, which took me to a number of local farms and gardens, looking at where our food comes from, supporting local food systems, and urban agriculture.

A year of a number of side projects, including getting to know my neighbourhood by working for H Mag in Hamilton, as well as writing book reviews for rabble.ca, a rabbleTV event at My Dog Joe’s in Westdale, and helping to organize rabble’s October re-launch party at the Steamwhistle Roundhouse in Toronto.
A year of reading for both the rabble book lounge and for pleasure, I read A LOT of books this year, many of which have been on my “to read” list for years. It might be having my own apartment to relax in or having a lengthy daily commute on the train, but I’ve managed to do a lot of pleasure reading, which was one of my very successful resolutions from last year. Among my favourite reads were: Branding Miss G__, by Michelle Miller, Harvest for Hope, by Jane Goodall, Full Frontal Feminism, by Jessica Valenti, Dreams from my Father, by Barack Obama, and Shakespeare’s Face, by Stephanie Nolen (though that may have been late 2007 when I read it).
Time to watch a lot of movies, though most were not new. Jordan and I are revisiting the AFI (1997) list of the top 100 movies of all time, a list that I’ve been working to complete for years. Though a notable 2008 movie is Wall-E. I loved Wall-E and own it now, so I plan to love it many more times.
Cross dressing for Halloween (and winning a prize because of it!)
Barack Obama. It was a politically charged year, on both sides of the border, but I must admit that I was glued to the television, radio, and newspaper watching the American elections, and was teary-eyed with the rest of the world with Obama walked on stage to make his acceptance speech.
The year of funerals — four in total, with a number of friends losing a parent, and watching Grandma Rose spend her final two weeks in a hospital bed. My Dad’s side of the family managed three deaths in the span of a few months (two of which were ten days apart). With bad comes good and I’ve managed to piece together a lot of information about my family’s history, especially after we found Grandma’s bible, published in 1883, stuffed full of old photographs, obituaries, and hand-written notes, likely written by her mother.
Gracie. The death of a person can somehow celebratory. The death of an animal is different somehow, and was likely my lowest of low.
Arlo. Hardly a replacement, Arlo has only been with my parents for less than a month, but he already seems to be part of the family.
A New Year’s Eve to remember at Michelangelo’s in Hamilton, where there was so much food I was full halfway through the first course, though mostly from the contents of the open bar. 2008 began with at Pepperwood with Jordan and ended singing Auld Lang Syne with him and his family.

2009-01-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

One resolution that I failed to write down greatly contradicts another: Don’t overbook myself. Don’t over commit to things, knowing that they’ll drastically cut down on my time and leave me frazzled. Committing to freelancing more this year really doesn’t support that. Already, it’s a week into 2009 and I have a few things lined up, including planning a book launch in Hamilton. The problem is, I love doing this stuff!

The one thing I think would solve a lot of problems is cutting down my commute. I takes me just over an hour, each way, to get to work. That’s an extra two hours a day I could be sleeping, cooking, writing, cleaning, etc. Unfortunately, my two options to reduce this are either to buy a car (which ultimately doesn’t make sense with the train station so close to my house and it also saves me money. Plus, the Go Train means prime reading/napping time.), or move to Oakville (which also doesn’t make sense, because, well, I don’t want to. I love my apartment and I love my city.)

I guess I’ve always been quite contradictory, so cheers to another year of that!

globeandmail.com: Your 2009 horoscope

2009-01-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

I think my horoscope is promising me travel this year! (Jordan's is not. Jordan's is telling him he should be alone this year. I choose not to show him that one!)

globeandmail.com: Your 2009 horoscope: "GEMINI MAY 22 - JUNE 21

The economic forecast may not be promising, but why should you care? With your chart pointing to 2009 as being the year when you discover where you truly belong, your personal outlook is exciting and inviting. The winds of change will start making you restless around the time of the solar eclipse at the end of January, and by mid-February you will have a better idea of where you are heading. A change of priorities, and possibly scenery, will remind you that the world has more to offer in terms of experiences and environments than you have encountered so far. With three of the year's six eclipses focusing on your finances, your attitude to money will alter and Plan B will become an attractive alternative."

Welcome, 2009

2009-01-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

New Year's resolutions are usually pointless, at best, but that doesn't stopping me from making some, so here goes:

A) Less crawling out of bed with fifteen minutes to spare, sliding a brush through my hair, and rolling out the door. I want to make a better effort to be organized in the morning, giving me some time to wake-up fully and not show up at work looking like I've been out a drinking binge the night before, when in reality I did nothing more than stay home and read a book.

B) Increase my freelance work. 2008 was a great year for freelancing, but there's always room for improvement.

C) Travel ... Travel ... Travel, even if it's just a few road trips, though I'm itching to go bigger. I could care less when I see friends getting married, buying houses, or dogs, or whatever other wonderful things they're up to ... but when I see Facebook photos of an acquaintance roaming some cobblestone street in Europe I want to cry. It's my turn.

Holidays 2008, a re-cap

2008-12-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

The holidays are not quite over for Jordan and I. We've both taken the 31st off from work and we'll be doing our gift exchange and brunch then, before getting ready to spend New Year's Eve at a restaurant in Hamilton with his family. I think each will be the perfect end to a busy holiday season.

First, the picture above is the living room of our apartment all decked out for the holidays. I have a feeling the tree is going to stay up for the better part of January because it just makes everything so cozy, especially when our faux fireplace (while lovely to look at and hang stockings on!) is a mere decoration. The living room was perfect for multiple viewings of It's A Wonderful Life, hosting The Rest Christmas Party (despite a snowstorm), and celebrating my Dad's birthday. With the abundance of kitchenware I received for Christmas, I'm assuming people think I need to be entertaining more often! Luckily for me, Jordan is quite possibly the best host. Not only does he cook, but he has a knack for noticing when people's glasses are emptying. Usually after a glass or two of wine or a few Caesars I've completely forgotten that a host is expected to flip the record over and refill drinks. Ooops.

Our 2nd annual party devoted to the absurdity of Facebook, named CHIPS, was a success, drawing a guess of 75-plus people. Not bad for a party that requires at least a paragraph of explanation and dumbfounded looks on the faces of invitees. It resulted in a dance party, which I caught on camera, but despite my best efforts I can't seem to get it to upload correctly.

I'm not sure how I've gotten this far without mentioning Arlo, my family's puppy! I don't want to get snippy and say things like: "My puppy is cuter than your puppy!" because that's not nice, but seriously, look at this face:

Besides a minor shoe fetish and some accidents in the house, he's been a relatively good puppy! Libbie has her moments that border hatred, but overall, I think deep down she likes the little guy, she just won't admit it yet. They got along pretty well, sharing their bones on Christmas morning.

Overall, a wonderful December! I'd write more, but I have a few last presents to wrap before Jordan gets home from the bistro.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Next year's ultra cheesy Christmas card?

2008-12-22T10:43:00.000-08:00

Best of Rabble 2.0

2008-12-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve volunteered to help spread the word and mail out copies of The Best of Rabble 2.0, the book that rabble.ca put out to commemorate our re-launch.

From the Introduction:

“The Best of Rabble 2.0,” brings together a diverse mix of writers and activists who embody Gramsci’s maxim, ‘pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.’ That is, they bring a critical perspective to their writing, while at the same time identifying with – and often participating in – movements for social change.

“In this collection of articles published at rabble.ca in 2007 and 2008, you’ll find stories of aboriginal peoples’ fight for land and rights, analysis of poverty and addiction on the city streets, critiques of mainstream art, reviews of progressive books and interviews with some of the more inspirational activists today.”

If anyone wants a copy, please shoot me a message. Each book is $10.00, plus $2.95 S&H. I can get them in the mail tomorrow, hopefully meaning they’ll arrive in time for Christmas.

Reviews: The Rest – Everyone All At Once – Herohill

2008-12-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

Reviews: The Rest Everyone All At Once - Herohill: "It’s another enjoyable wrinkle from Hamilton’s ever-blossoming scene and honestly, one I wouldn’t have thought I’d enjoy so much or have such a hard time turning off."

Bettie Page, Queen of Pinups, Dies at 85 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

2008-12-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

Bettie Page, Queen of Pinups, Dies at 85 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com:

"“I want to be remembered as I was when I was young and in my golden times,” she told The Los Angeles Times in 2006. “I want to be remembered as a woman who changed people’s perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form.”"

I actually just watched the 2006 movie, starring Gretchen Mol, about Bettie Page a few weeks ago. It was wonderful.

Can't type now ... I'm at work.

Many, Many Things

2008-12-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

I apologize in advance, because this is going to be a very long and rather disjointed post.

I’ll start with the obvious. I’m in love with the Where’s Waldo-esque picture above, especially the part where Jordan is serving a shoe to his band mates. And equally as great, The Rest has a new single up on MySpace. For anyone that checks in on this blog from time to time, you’ll remember that I took Jordan out for dinner when the band first hit 1,000 plays in one day. I brilliantly reminded him of that right about the time The Rest was rounding 800 last night, taking him up on his offer to take me out if they did it again. So, sushi it is!

And, speaking of the new song from the new album, I keep telling Jordan they should put a comma in the title, making it “Everyone, all at once!” The nerd in my loves how the meanings of a phrase can be changed around through just one tiny punctuation mark.

One of the few things I love more than punctuation is listing things. I’ve managed to check quite a few things off my “to do list” as of late, including a large chunk of Christmas gifts. I was successful at this weekend’s Maker’s Market in Hamilton, and the next day at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto. I picked Jordan up a great gift. A really great gift I might say! But unfortunately, I can’t share my glee, because I know he occasionally checks up on me via the blog, so I have to keep quiet until after Christmas. And speaking of the Maker’s Market, I don’t know if I write enough about how truly happy I am in Hamilton. I pined after Ottawa for quite awhile after I left, and even half believed some of the stereotypes about Hamilton, but honestly, what a great and energetic city. On one hand, I wish people would give it more of a chance, but on the other I’m glad they don’t. It’s like my own little secret, and it’s somewhat shady reputation keeps the snobs from the “concrete jungle” away. Hamilton’s art and media community is very tight-knit, more so than I’ve seen in Toronto or Ottawa, and I’m happy to be a part of that even if just in a small way.

Alright, that’s enough pro-Hamilton propaganda.

Wait, one more thing. A friend of mine had a birthday on Friday night and we went pub crawling on Augusta. As usual, we spotted Tom Wilson, which always makes me happy. Though I seem to cross his path at least a few times a month, this Hamilton celebrity sighting always excites me.

My family has decided on a relatively low-key Christmas this year, each drawing a name for another family member's stocking, and then sticking to a strict $20.00 budget for the remaining two family members. Yet, mostly due to last minute concert-ticket purchases for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, my VISA is still hating me and taunting me. Holiday decorations have been another drain on my account, as I try to spice up my apartment for the holidays (quite successfully, I think).

Speaking of music, holy fuckity fuck, I stood less than ten feet away from Neil Young the other night. I have always loved Neil Young, but not to the point where I’d fork out a hundred bucks to go see him – Until I found out that he was sharing the bill with Wilco, which is just way too great of a combination to pass up. At first, general admission at the Air Canada Centre seemed way too overwhelming. I didn’t even bother to bring my camera, since I figured I’d be struggling just to catch a glimpse of Neil Young, with my view obstructed by hundreds of bobbing heads. Somehow, I managed to be right in front of his microphone, with only one person ahead of me. And it was an amazing show. This guy has more energy than I will ever, ever have and he’s somewhere in between my father’s and my grandfather’s age.

A few more quick things before I stop rambling.

1. Jordan set up our record player and the sound quality is mind-blowing.
2. An old drugstore from the 50’s was just unearthed in Hamilton, with all it’s contents still in place. Check out the video here: http://www.thespec.com/videogallery/476949
3. CHIPS is this weekend. If I haven’t explained to you the significance of CHIPS, I apologize, but I’ll post pictures of the 2nd annual event early next week.
4. Last but not least, Embloggery is my new favourite blog: http://embloggery.blogspot.com/

And c’est tout! Except, Arlo is coming home (well, to my parent’s home) to stay on Monday. He’s gigantic!

Fed on myths, preying on men

2008-12-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

Seriously? Fuck you, National Post.

Fed on myths, preying on men: "November was Domestic Violence Awareness month. Truth in advertising suggests it should be Y-Chromosome Apartheid Month. Far from promoting 'awareness' of a social problem or remedies for men and women with anger issues, the month is basically a radical feminist war dance around the Original Sin of maleness, cheered on by 'progressive' media sympathizers."

Keeping it real | rabble.ca

2008-12-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

Keeping it real rabble.ca: "Teen fiction, like the wildly popular Gossip Girl series, excerpted above, often reads more like a Brett Easton Ellis novel than a Judy Blume, allowing readers to spy on the lives of wealthy teens with unlimited credit card access and romanticized eating disorders. In fact, according to The New York Times, Gossip Girl and contemporaries Clique, and A-List have collectively sold 3.5 million copies."

My hair is acne free!

2008-12-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

I just washed my hair with face wash, which I don't think is a good sign that I'm staying sane this holiday season. Luckily enough, I wasn't too distracted that I actually noticed that my "shampoo" wasn't lathering as it usually does and I was able to remedy the problem quickly, though I'm kind of curious what the end result would have been.

I just got home from shopping with my Mom and sister, which was moderately successful. I was able to round up a few stocking stuffers for my Dad, as well as some kick ass stocking hooks for my mantle. My mantle/faux fireplace in my apartment is a definite plus, especially at Christmas.

Life has been busy ... work is picking up again, Jordan is playing a lot of shows, there is puppy preparation at my parent's place, I've put up my tree, and I'm working on a "best of" holiday shopping for "locavores" in Hamilton for H Mag, which is due tomorrow.

Oh, and did I mention we're getting a puppy? Right in time for Christmas? I have a feeling I'll be taking even more pictures than I usually do Christmas morning. Which brings up another thing. I've made the decision to sleep over at my parent's place on Christmas Eve, partly because it's my Dad's birthday and partly because I can't help but feel I'll miss being there Christmas morning. Plus, the greedy part of me knows that means I'll have two Christmas mornings, when Jordan and I have ours either a few days before or a few days after Christmas.

Jordan brought home baked brie and garlic buds from the restaurant last night, and we sat in our decorated living room and indulged, while I drank a caesar and he drank a beer. It's pretty swanky living.

Alright, I'm going to bed before I end up drinking nail polish remover or falling asleep in the bathtub, or any other mixed up combination that I'm apparently prone to tonight.

Oh wait, one more thing ... Coalition? Craziness in Canadian politics and I'm intrigued!

Zzzz.

Know what's gross?

2008-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Pictures of your puppy gnawing on a chicken neck.

Arlo, at five weeks

2008-11-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

This is Arlo, who is still way too young to leave his Mum. But, once he does, he’s coming home to live with my parents and sister, with frequent visits from Aunt Jessica. I think if he’s half the dog that Gracie was, we’re going to have ourselves one fine pup! Especially if he's as handsome as Callaghan, his dad (above).

Life as a female reporter - Feministing

2008-11-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Life as a female reporter - Feministing: "Newsweek recently posted a Q&A with Jean-Claude Van Damme conducted by Sarah Ball, a female reporter in her early 20s. I know that women are sexually harassed at work every day. But not all of those women have got a tape-recorder on them..."

Ick. See the creepy transcript at Feministing.

Swoon

2008-11-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, to you — in jail!

"It's research, I swear!"

2008-11-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

“Welcome to New York’s Upper East Side, where my friends and I live and go to work and play and sleep, sometimes with each other. We all live in huge apartments with our own bedrooms and bathrooms and phone lines. We have unlimited access to money and booze and whatever else we want, and our parents are rarely home, so we have tons of privacy. We’re smart, we’ve inherited classic good looks, we wear fantastic clothes, and we know how to party.”

Alright, let me explain. Yes, this is from the introduction of the pathetically popular series Gossip Girl (no, not the TV show, but the books). And yes, I am reading it. But – it’s research, I swear! It actually is research for my article on fiction for young women, which I have completely missed deadline on.

So far I’m only a few chapters into Gossip Girl, and already it is dripping with all the things I thought it would: privilege, beauty, wealth, jealousy, gossip. It’s basically all round trash! My curiosity is piqued, and while I was planning to only read the first few chapters to get an idea about what is in the market, I think I’ll read it the whole way through. I’m also reading Chrisopher Plummer’s memoir, In Spite of Myself so I’m switching between very low and very high-brow reading. I actually stress the spine of Gossip Girl when reading it on the train, hoping that nobody will see.

Also, who knew Christopher Plummer was the Great-Grandson of Canada’s third prime minister. I’m only a few pages in, and I’ve already learned something remarkably interesting! Seeing Plummer from the second row of the Stratford Festival a few months ago was easily one of the highlights of 2008.

Speaking of 2008, how the heck is it already November? I’m already knee-deep in “Secret Santas,” dinner plans, holiday shopping and even a little bit of decorating. I haven’t filled my apartment with reds and greens (silver and golds) quite yet, but I did stock up on decorations from IKEA this weekend.

And I’m in love with my first etsy purchase! They’re coaster-sized labels with my name on them to include with my holiday baking. Wow, am I ever organized this year!

Last but not least, my iTunes shed some interesting light on my music-listening. A simple click of the mouse rearranged my iTunes list from artists listed in alphabetic order to play count, showing me exactly what songs I’ve listened to the most over the last year or so. Music tells so much about a person, but it’s strange when the mirror is turned on yourself and you realize you’ve listened to quite a number of melancholy songs over and over again. Here are just the first fifteen:

The Park, by Feist (45 plays)
All Fires, by Swan Lake (31 plays)
Tell Me Baby, by Blue Rodeo (29 plays)
Young Folks, by Peter, Bjorn and John (26 plays)
Lover’s Spit (Redux), by Broken Social Scene (24)
So This is Goodbye, by Junior Boys (19)
Via Chicago, by Wilco (19)
We’re Just Friends, by Wilco (19)
Already Gone, by Blue Rodeo (19)
The Crane Wife, by the Decemberists (18)
The Close Western, by the Rest (18)
Memories Like Photographs, by the Rest (18)
She’s A Jar, by Wilco (18)
A Postcard to Nina, by Jens Lekman (17)
Your Ex-Love is Dead, by Stars (17)

Oh, one more thing! Congrats to me on my 300th blog post. I've actually kept this thing up!

The Times They Are A Changin'

2008-11-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

It’s American Election day, plus three, and I’m still elated. Without getting too sentimental about it, as I usually do when it comes to watching history unfold, I honestly can’t stop smiling. I know that “Where were you when the United States elected an African-American president,” will fall in line with “Where were you when the first plane hit the building,” as the questions that this generation is asked for the rest of our lives. To be honest, I was downstairs, showing Jordan my mom’s new keyboard, when CNN called the winner. It still seemed as though there was some time to go before the inevitable, so we snuck downstairs, only to return to the brilliant words written across the screen — Barack Obama elected next president of the United States.

He’s faulted, sure, and we’ll see what sort of change he puts into action. But, regardless, this is a gigantic step forward – a magnitude which I cannot fully understand. And to add to it, I really like the guy too! I read Dreams from my Father a few months ago, back when I still feared that America would again make the wrong decision. For the first time in my life, I’ve seen a candidate that I supported, either Canadian or American, on a Federal level take the whole thing. Now, that’s a great feeling! With both the Canadian and American elections over, I wonder what will fill our time.

In other news, for the first time in years I’m prematurely excited about the holidays. Maybe it’s the thrill of having a place all of my own, where I can finally put up a tree and celebrate properly. I never bothered to do this in Ottawa (with the exception of a small, flimsy plastic tree in 2006) because I always spent the holidays back in Burlington. I even received my first etsy purchase in the mail yesterday. And yes, I’ve started shopping, but that’s not because I’m overly excited, it’s because I’m often broke, and leaving all my shopping until December 24th, as I usually do, will only result in debt, debt, and more debt. Luckily, my family has decided that we will celebrate Christmas-Lite, limiting the amount of money we spend on one another.

Did I mention that I missed Halloween? Despite (for the first time ever) assembling what I think was a pretty kick-ass costume, I spent Halloween in bed, with a roll of toilet paper and a package of cold medicine. Luckily, we had celebrated the week before, however I did have to miss Jake’s party in Toronto. And I was looking so forward to seeing Jordan in a skimpy dress and feather boa again! Trust me, that is one thing no woman should ever see. It’s a quick way to see your other half in a whole new light.

Yes, We Can.

2008-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder about how long this thing has really gone on! I took this picture last winter, while on a trip to Cleveland. If this election has done one thing, I hope it has opened people’s minds to the amount of sexism, racism, and classism that still exists in the western world. In fact, Microsoft Word doesn’t even recognize classism as a word. There’s something wrong with that. This is a historic election, regardless of who wins, but I am truly optimistic enough to think that the right man will win.

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

Why I love Rachel Maddow ...

2008-10-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

An East Coast Vacation

2008-10-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday, and I just read a whole book of poetry out loud, to myself, which is something I've never done. My mouth is dry now, from talking to myself. "What It Feels Like For A Girl," by Jennica Harper is one of the books that I hope to include in a feature that I'm writing for rabble.ca about the best of fiction for/about teen girls coming out of Canada this Fall. Who knew that reading out loud could be an excellent tool for absorbing material.

I've been trying to read as many of these books as possible, but spare moments have been rare this week. Monday Jordan and I flew back from Halifax. It was an absolutely wonderful trip, and I'm already itching to get back out East. This time I'd love to drive the Cabot Trail and see the other Maritime provinces. We picked the perfect time to go. The weather was surprisingly sunny and the colours were fantastic.

Those are just a handful of the hundreds of pictures I took while away. Needless to say, it was a well-needed vacation for both Jordan and I. And the food was remarkable! We even gave oysters a second chance, and we were blown away.

Since we flew back on Monday, neither of us have had much time to relax (let alone unpack). Jordan started a new job yesterday, and I've been back and forth to Toronto a number of times this week. Tuesday was The Sound of Music on stage, and it was surprisingly wonderful. It was especially the sets that blew me away. And Thursday was the day that many of us have been working toward for months (even years) now, the rabble.ca relaunch. Overall, a wonderful night, with very few hitches. I even walked away with a signed copy of The Shock Doctrine, as well as a copy of rabble's new "best of" book, which even features one of my articles. We had lots of great prizes, special guests, and the new site should be up soon. It can be previewed at http://beta.rabble.ca.

To top things off, Jordan and I won trophy last night! Now that's a first for us! It's more of a plastic skull, spray painted gold than a trophy, but it came with a lot of candy, so there are no complaints. This was our prize for best costumes at last night's Halloween kegger. I have pictures to prove how awesome our costumes were, unfortunately, we've got another party to go to on Friday, and I don't want to ruin the surprise by posting pictures. They'll follow shortly!

Wishing everyone a fabulous relaunch!

2008-10-23T10:23:00.001-07:00

After months of preparation, today is the day! It’s the rabble.ca relaunch at Steamwhistle in Toronto. Hope to see some familiar faces there! Check out www.rabble.ca/relaunch.

Gracie, 1999-2008

2008-10-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

I’m heading to Halifax tomorrow with a very heavy heart. This weekend, instead of gorging on Thanksgiving dinner, we had to put Gracie down, after we found that she was full of cancer and growing very weak, very quickly. Part of me wants to skip the trip and stay in bed, but that won’t do me much good. Ah Gracie-girl, or Princess Grace, we’ll miss you.

From Seed to Scrap Bus Tour — October 5

2008-10-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here I bought some delicious ground cherries, which have become my new addiction.

One of OPIRG McMaster's newest working groups (if not the newest), P.E.A.S, hosted the first From Seed to Scrap Tour of Hamilton fields on the weekend, and it was wonderful! First stop was Heart's Content Organic Farm and then off to the Dundurn Castle garden and later West Avenue Growers. For $7.00, we all loaded on to two school busses, for an event that gave a whole new meaning to "Field Trip."

Toronto Life: Steeltown Revisited

2008-10-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Toronto Life: Steeltown Revisited: "How do you know when Toronto is too expensive to be hip? When the artists move to Hamilton. Our high-priced real estate is fuelling a growing exodus down the QEW. And it’s an entirely different migration from moving to the burbs. Hamilton—with its downtown-centred 19th-century layout, industrial heritage and fiery smokestacks—is as urban as it gets. Though it’s uneasily close to Toronto, it is not a satellite; it has an orbit of its own."

I thought this article was necessary to post, as I usually receive strange looks when I tell people I voluntarily live in Hamilton (and no, I'm not addicted to drugs, I don't litter, and I have running water and don't live in a shack). Plus, the pictures I've posted are from my neighbourhood (Within a five-minute walk). Doesn't look too slummy to me!

So long, Blue Eyes.

2008-10-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

I’ve been getting a little choked up about my salad dressing. Before you judge me, you should know it isn’t Kraft or President’s Choice, rather it’s Newman’s Own and on it is the likeness of one of my favourites — Paul Newman. I hate to post that cliché blog post where a fan tries to sum up the career of someone they’ve never met and make it sound like this person, whether an actor, musician, writer, had any real impression on their lives. But I tend to place a lot of value on these things.

I’ve kept the magazine articles and newspaper clippings from when Katharine Hepburn died, which is in a pile along with a growing collection of LIFE magazines from the 30’s and 40’s, and clippings about Gregory Peck and rock stars who met an early demise. Funny thing is, I don’t consider Peck or Newman to be ‘old Hollywood,’ though I guess I should. Which I think is what saddens me. I remember Jimmy Stewart, Katharine Hepburn, and many others alive in my lifetime, and to me they were old Hollywood. To me, Newman’s death, is proof that now this second generation of Hollywood are octogenarians, and soon will be a rarity, leaving us only with Tom Cruise and Kevin Costner flicks (well, in the mainstream anyway).

I loved Paul Newman and always have. There was something genuine in him, even in his most conniving characters. And he did good things. Not in the way that some celebrities show up to charity galas or speak out against crappy republican Vice-Presidential nominees (You rock Matt Damon!). He was a hands-on, kind-hearted philanthropist, and I truly believe he made a difference. And oh my was he easy on the eyes!

Alright, I’m gushing. The photo above is one of my all-time favourite pictures. I went through a strange face in high school where I thought black and white pictures, featuring elegant ladies or rugged men cigarettes were romantic and arty, and this (along with those of Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn) was among my favourites.

There is something so endearing about a millionaire, who made his friends homemade salad dressing to celebrate the holidays, and somehow turned it into a multi-million dollar charity, even calling it the “joke that got out of control.”

It’s months away, but I guarantee I’ll be a blubbering mess when the Academy Awards tribute comes around this year.

David Letterman's Paul Newman Tribute.

Loose ends

2008-09-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

First, rabble's relaunch is less than a month away. More info @ rabble.ca/relaunch.

Also, my review of "Branding Miss G__" is up at rabble.ca.

And, since this post is already pretty self indulgent, I also have a review of the Eadweard Muybridge exhibit at the AGH in the latest H Mag. Pick it up in Hamilton.

I love the Fall. September is really the perfect time of year, partly because I still have that feeling of new beginnings. Even though it’s been 3 years since I last stocked up on school supplies and made the drive to Ottawa to start a new year of school, I still get that rush of adrenaline and that clean-slate feeling that tells me I can start fresh and focus on things that I’ve neglected while sipping Caesars and taking road trips over the summer.

Unfortunately, September comes with an ominous feeling, knowing that winter is just around the corner, and the days are getting shorter and shorter. Luckily, that ominous isn’t quite so overwhelming this year with my trip out East only a few weeks away. I’m reading Margaret Webb’s Apples and Oysters right now, which has me drooling over East-coast seafood.

One last thing, as my lunch at work draws to a close — I was two rows back from Christopher Plummer last week. Yes, Mr. Von Trapp himself starred as Caesar at the Stratford Festival, and I was in awe for the entire two hours. I only reserve the word dapper for a few very special gentlemen (ahem — Peter Mansbridge), but holy smokes, Christopher Plummer is perfectly suited for the word.

The Upshot on Palin and Her Updo - NYTimes.com

2008-09-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with the New York Times. Today, it’s full of hate. This morning they ran a full piece about Palin’s “updo,” which featured an interview with her hairdresser. Seriously. There damn well better be an interview with Obama’s barber tomorrow.

...

The Upshot on Palin and Her Updo - NYTimes.com: "When Mrs. Steele heard that Ms. Palin was running for governor, Mrs. Steele called her: “Let’s get you all picked up for campaigning!”

The two experimented with full bangs, side-swept bangs, clips, curls, twists and blond streaks. “We just kept polishing her look,” Mrs. Steele said. “We would try more warm, red and coppery highlights or more of a contrast with pale highlights, not to be severe but just more striking.”"

I nominate Tina Fey

2008-09-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

Not quite Fall.

2008-09-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Jordan and I braved the patio last night, despite the fact that the restaurant staff had already stacked the chairs and folded the tables, thinking the cold night would keep everybody inside. I say it’s way too early to give up on summer, even if it means shivering underneath a hoodie while drinking beers and Caesars.

We’re gearing up for our trip, trying to find a bed and breakfast on the Ocean. It’s our first real trip together, aside from a road trip here and there, always within Ontario’s border, or on the rare occasion (well, just once) to the States (Cleveland). Part of me wishes we were road trippin’ it there and back, rather than flying in and out of Halifax, however that would require taking more time off from work, and neither one of us is willing to do that. Plus, aside from renting a car to explore some smaller towns on the outskirts, I think we’re both looking forward to a few days of relaxation in Halifax, where we can actually visit some museums, take some tours, catch up on some reading, and enjoy hotel living.

Speaking of reading, I’ve been reading more than ever lately. Most recently, I finally read Heather O’Neill’s Lullabies for Little Criminals because I need a quick fiction break between all the non-fiction I’ve been reading. I should have a review up of Branding Miss G__ on rabble shortly. It’s been in the making for much of the summer, but kept getting delayed as other things crept my way. I just finished Jessica Valenti’s Full Frontal Feminism. Full of crude language and relatively light on the feminist theory, I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it. For anyone who thinks sexism does not exist any more, I’d love you to read this one. Not only because it’s full of great information, but also because you can take note of the way people stare at the cover of your book while you read it, or how you receive comments from asshole cab drivers like, “I hope you don’t keep that on your desk at work,” implying that I should keep it hidden from employers. (Note: This was after he ranted about how wonderful Palin’s speech was and how McCain will bring positive change.)

That brings me to another point. Sarah Palin terrifies me. And not in the good horror movie kind of way, but in the George W. Bush kind of way. I’ve moved on to reading Barack Obama’s book right now, and I’m completely stricken at what a brilliant writer he is (unless he had a remarkable editor).

Here's some political fun for the end of a Thursday work day:

Note to mainstream media: Sarah Palin is NOT a feminist

Bill O'Reilly contradicts himself

Guilty Pleasure: The VIEW

2008-09-09T19:41:00.001-07:00

Some of the greatest things about co-habitation (Yes, I gave Jordan a key) happen between midnight and 8 AM. No, I'm not talking about "that" — I'm talking about sleep talk. There are few things better than middle of the night ramblings that you remember with a heavy head the morning after.

The other night, I was rambling about the Democratic National Convention, though not very articulately. Or better yet, Jordan is usually full of wonderful half sentences and strange questions when I'm getting ready for work at 7 AM.

Jordan: Jessy. Are you wearing pants?

Jessica: Yes.

Jordan: Good. (Starts snoring).

I really have been more than happy with this apartment (and with sharing it) over the past few months. Over all, a close-to-perfect summer, though I'm refusing to believe it's over.

As per usual, I've been a bad blogger lately, due to a zillion things on my "to do" list, plus a pretty bad case of election fever. Strangely enough it's American election fever that's hit me, and not the looming Canadian one. I'm reading Obama's book right now, though I'm only just past the introduction, so it's hardly time for a review.

Jordan and I are in the middle of planning a trip out East. We even have a flight booked! A few days on the ocean are well-deserved for both of us and I think we're both getting excited of the idea of a change of scenery for a few days.

I'm off to finish watching the documentary Helvetica. I know, a whole two-hour documentary about one typeface might sound boring, but so far it's very entertaining.

I just had the idea it would be fitting to change my font to Helvetica for this post, but it seems that it's not an option on blogger!

Well, it's that time again.

2008-09-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

http://election.rabble.ca