Without a Yard

Well, the post-E-day excitement has waned & my blogging habits have been less than stellar. Not for any real reason of busyness or other priorities, but I have been enjoying the mild weather & catching up on life/errands/etc. The weekend was mellow - Trekked up to High Park on Saturday for some Bread & Roses macaroons (the best in the city bar-none), read papers, half-hearted paper research, finishing the Munro novel, etc, etc.

Highlight: Seeing ‘Match Point’ & without disappointment in light of all the media hype. I’ve been sympathetic to his crappier recent ones (Small Time Crooks? I will never get those two hours back), and I was even more blown away than the jaded movie critics. Tentatively, I said that ‘Melinda & Melinda’ was ‘pretty good’ (well, the tragedy half was compelling) & that ‘Hollywood Ending’ was ‘interesting’, truthfully, I was just being kind. MP is without a doubt his best since ‘Sweet & Lowdown’…the same bitter-sweet melancholy themes, same insecurities and uncomfortable moments peppered with hear-wrenching passionate scenes. The easiest comparison is Crimes & Misdemeanors - but there is an air of discomfort throughout the entire film that I just can’t place. For the first 40 minutes I was completely convinced that I would hate the film. The characters were too cool & not compelling, and then it turned and won me over.

I guess Allen’s theme of the importance of chance/luck/minute details & how they make significant differences twisted in there somewhere. I was partly ill-at-ease with bits of the dialogue – I didn’t know (because of the British accents & unfamiliar geography?) if some of the lines were just clunkers or groaners or earnest failures in writing…..”You know that’s her Achilles heel – emotionally.” Ugh.

Anyway, I would highly recommend it despite my track record of recommending any & every Allen film released…& speaking of movie-surprises, this morning’s Oscar nominations omitted C.R.A.Z.Y. from best foreign flick - & my 3 letter response: W.T.F.???

Tonight’s Low concert snuck up on us all…I had no idea that January would zip by so fast, only two more sleeps until the big G-day! (You want a prediction about the weather, you’re asking the wrong Phil. I’ll give you a winter prediction: It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be grey, and it’s gonna last you for the rest of your life.) There are some untried opening acts at Lee’s - ‘His Name Is Alive’ & ‘Death Vessel’ – any opinions on these acts, peeps?

Also, we’re going to Nashville & Montgomery, Alabama in mid-March & I’m formally putting out my cyber-feelers (get your mind out of the gutter, perverts) for touristy suggestions(besides the Grand Ol’ Opery)..we’re already a go for a Predators game (stop laughing Yanks & Japanese buds, we’re Canucks on a business trip, okay?)

Peace
meegs

p.s….Whose side are you on in the Kensington Market saga?

From BoingBoing:

Hollywood’s MP loses the election — hit the road, Sam!

The Canadian MP whom copyfighters loved to hate has lost her job and the election. Sam Bulte was the Liberal Party Member of Parliament for Parkdale/High Park, my old riding, and she was embroiled in a scandal when it was revealed that she had financed her election campaigns at the entertainment industry’s expense, and subsequently brought down proposal for extremist, US-style copyright laws.
In last night’s Canadian elections, Bulte lost to New Democratic Party opponent Peggy Nash by 2213 votes. Nash lives in Parkdale/High Park (Bulte lives in a posh uptown neighborhood that’s kilometers away) and ran a very good campaign on a progressive platform; she also had the endorsement of Toronto’s much-beloved mayor.

Toward the end of her campaign, Bulte became increasingly desperate, but she really scraped the bottom of the barrel when she threatened to sue her critics and then published an editorial in the Toronto Star that lifted passages from Canadian Recording Industry Association speeches and literature nearly verbatim. (Thanks to everyone who wrote in about this, and especially to my old Parkdale/High Park neighbors who fired Sam Bulte!)

posted by Cory Doctorow at 10:39:20 PM permalink | blogs’ comments

Results Link - Bwhahaha

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Well, I guess I’m on my first ‘official’ business trip…If you don’t count the intern stretch in Austin as one big-ass business trip (everything IS bigger in TX), or my comp’ed experience at Canada Music Week - whilst interning at Heritage – a mini-business trip (everything IS smaller in the TO music scene); I was staying at the Beau’s that time so it didn’t feel too official without unfamiliar accommodations…all these intern-hyphen jobs, no wonder my nan thinks that I work in a hospital.

The only thing that I can compare this to is presenting a paper at a conference in TO after moving to Ottawa. Staying in a hotel, having weird Lost in Translation feelings (Bob: What do you do?, Charlotte: I’m not sure yet, actually) about being alone in the city, it felt nice to be a tourist in my now-hometown…This feels like being a tourist in my old-hometown…But I can’t dis the amazing homey digs of staying in a B&B. It is nothing like the Flirting with Disaster cauchemaur that I was anxious over (Agent Paul: Without spontaneity, the world of B&B’s is fairly meaningless.).

Lindsay is plagued with the same social/economic/lifestyle/crime issues that Parry Sound is (not) dealing with. Major drug use, high teen pregnancy rates, dropouts, little manufacturing jobs for said dropouts, difficulty recruiting workers to fill much-need health services jobs, etc, etc, etc. The basic rural vs. urban stuff.

Anyway, I made it safe & sound to Lindsay via Greyhound to Peterborough & a kind soul staffer picking me up (“I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers…”). To say that I am leery of staying in/near P-town is a huge understatement. When I was there earlier in the month for a campaigning day trip, the brutal low-self-esteem-resentment-filled-unhappy-traveling-uncomfortable-silences-do-not-resuscitate-bad-relationship-vibes wafted overhead.

That being said, there were some good times had – a McGarrigle Sisters concert where a Courtney Love-Hole joke flew over the entire audience’s heads…a Big Sugar gig with a ‘Brick House’ encore (that I mentioned to Gordie when I ran into him in ATX…he still has the same beautiful beadwork-ed guitar straps & amazing set of guitars), Moon Dance records staff acting more like the NPR ‘Car Guys’ than the snooty Soundscapes youngins. I learned the true meaning of ‘speak now or forever hold your piece’ back in the day. I’m sure that it hasn’t made life for subsequent partners or friends easier, but I am much more prone to call people on b.s.-lies-contradictions since the P-dot-weekending days.

Besides that, not much has changed, though. I still feel very much like the girl I was when I was in undergrad. Obsessing over music, escaping into good CanLit fiction, closing my eyes unselfconsciously at shows for just a couple of minutes & maybe even crying here & there, & still enjoying bus rides for the helplessness & free time to doze.

peace
meegs

p.s. - This back-blog is brought to you by good’ol fashioned dumb luck. Someone in their area is floating an airport-able signal out there. you never know unless you try kids!

Colour me Michael Douglas in Falling Down.

What a brutal start to a day – if I had know that I’d be walking to work – thanks to a senile citizen plowing their Caddy into a (*big*bright*red*) streetcar thisclose to Bathurst – I wouldn’t’ve dragged my ass out of bed so early to hit the gym…especially after a long night of meh-riffic Golden Globes.

To make matters worse – after dragging said ass to gym - one of the New Year’s Resolutionnairies, a gym newbie – pilfered my unfinished VICE mag after I left it unattended. Foiled! It was turning out to be a decent issue on native issues on the Blackfoot Reserve…argh!

That rant aside – I finally did get into the spirit of the season & vote hier soir at the advance polls last chance dance. No fireworks, stickers, congratulations or candy was offered. Guess it’s just our anti-climactic patriotic duty & all – sorry people you’re not getting a coupon to Future Shop for showing up. If I read one more ‘random hoser on the street’ piece about how Mr. & Mrs. Middle Class can’t be bothered to vote – too busy, too tired, disillusioned/general malaise (looking at you, douchebag-k-os) & uninformed - I will throw the TV out the window SCTV-style & wonder aloud *again* how many of these lazy-ass social parasites managed to thoroughly research the Best Buy-s on Boxing Day for electronics & appliances. Oh the horror. Brutal.

Rant-over-&-out
meegs

Phew! What happened to this week? There was a veritable maelstrom of campaigning for the federal election connected to work – that left me with late at home/early rises, tuckered out & lacking ‘downtime’ internet access at office-homebase. I can now say in full confidence that I have explored the
905 without fear or apprehension…well, there was some fear door-knocking in Scarlem & the ‘Schwa…but Whitby, Brampton, Etobicoke & the other GO Train tentacles aren’t so brutal afterall. It certainly made me grateful for my Lil’Portuguese proximity to work & venues & downtown….

Hmm, so many updateables & I’m paralyzed by blogger’s block. Last night we ventured to The Mod Club to check out the Meligrove Band’s CD Release Party. Having every intention of running into some long-time-no-sees, we were sheepishly corralled into a gong show all–ages floorplan. Unlike the KoolHaus, we could actually SEE the show & booze, but what incentive is it for the drinking of-agers to go to a venue that’ll round’em up & sepereate’em like social pariah smokers? Could’ve been worse, I guess.

Highlights were the always poppy & peppy Spitfires & Mayflowers – opening up at the unforgiving time of 9 o’clock…Tho the ‘audience participation’ segments were met with the requisite Toronto shoegazer self-consciousness…S&M persisted & Andy’s odd hybrid of TomPetty-meets-BuddyHolly vocals won the crowd over by the time they played ‘Hows & Whys’.

The Old Soul was a nice surprise, too, performing with a mandatory minimum of 7 members & embellishing tunes with a coconut clop-per, extra brass & xylophone accompaniment. They have a great energy with perfect melody-arcs, an incremental build towards a satisfying payoff – big & brassy choruses, sing-along chant-athons & dance-able rhythms.

Of course, the majority of the crowd was there for the debutante’s ball – Meligrove’s signing to V2, a new video & the cover of EYE Weekly is huge for a band used to lugging their gear in from the ‘sauga. I really do wish the best for these guys, I’ve seem’em act as opening acts for far too long. Their video is quaint – you can tell that V2 isn’t exactly betting the farm on the album/push, but judging by the draw last night, the positive local press & their exponential networking growth on MySpace, they’ve got as good a shot as any….OC Soundtracks here they come!!!

Notable music news since last post is that I finally met up with Mike Evin & we’re working towards a big blitz for his Tuesday, February 7th show at The Transac Club. This will prove to be the gig to end all gigs – let the manufacture of hype begin!
The big news – at least in the music nerdery circle – has been the New Pornos/Belle & Sebastian announcement for a Docks show. We couldn’t risk downplaying the ‘it’s gonna be sold out in 4minutes myth’ & participated (well, the Beau went on my behalf as I was harassing innocent stay-at-home moms, employment insurance recipients & retirees during working hours) in the lame-o ticket binge. But don’t count on us for any ticket brokering (side-stepped some pol-incorrect language – phew)…all 6 are spoken for…that is, unless someone volunteers to valet us to this god-forsaken barren wasteland of a venue & drop us off afterwards….so much for whatever small amount of non-downtown empathy I developed this week. All things must pass.

Peace
Meegs

p.s. Peg has informed me of the upcoming release of a Coachella doc (& pre-sales for C-Fest tix) & Gayle reminded me that the Animal Collective show (listed below) has moved to the Opera House. Choose wisely.

p.p.s. I did indeed jump the gun on expecting to travel to ATX when the state legislature wasn’t sitting. Brutal. Once the official trip is hashed out I’ll post accordingly & see if I can finnegle a visit nonetheless.