Your prayers have been answered, Kingston

An all-chick Weezer cover band, that plays only Pinkerton and the Blue Album, is coming to Kingston the last Sunday of Reading week.

$9, The Mansion.



... and one from Pinkerton.



Pre-drinks, dancing and singing at my house.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Female singer connections / music for today

Zoe Keating, Canadian Cellist, moved to San Francisco, like Andrew Bird, uses electronic sampling and layers during her live performances.


Zoe Keating - Escape Artist

Also, she's been on a RadioLab blog episode, where Jad and Zoe discuss the physics of looping sound, and how to use a 17th century instrument to make awesome electronic music.



http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2008/aug/25/quantum-cello/ 

More: http://music.zoekeating.com/track/escape-artist (I really like this song)

Zoe's old band, Rasputina, is playing Lee's Palace Feb 19th.



However, that's the same night Jenn Grant is playing at the Horseshoe, which sounds like the better deal.



She's getting good reviews for her new album, and sounding more and more like the new Julie Doiron, which, I think, is a good thing... a little more lively/poppy wishing for edgy. (Download here)



Julie Doiron: I can wonder what you did with your day - Click here to download great album.

Bike Helmets

I know I've talked about this before, but the video below just reaffirms some thoughts.



"This almost pornographic obsession with safety equipment... this culture of fear has created a bubble wrap society."

"If the bicycle helmet was a vaccine or a medicine there is no way it would be approved by the ministry of health; there is simply not enough proof."

The fact is that there is a strong negative correlation between the safety of cyclists and the prominence of bicycle helmets. Wear a helmet if you like, but certainly don't begrudge anyone who doesn't. Instead, just thank them for being out there with you, cuz the number of active cyclists is the single largest contributor to your safety.

"Every single health warning on a pack of cigarettes applies directly to car traffic. We don't even have to write new texts... we can just copy and paste them."

Did you know that the automobile industry is one of the largest proponents of bicycle helmets?

Why? To instill that feeling of fear in a potential cyclist. It's also certainly no coincidence that this is precisely juxtaposition to the false sense of security and power they have injected into their vehicle owners (against all statistics).

It's actually scary (and hilarious once you realize) to the extent our lives are controlled by these subtle influences. A great Slate article looked at Hollywood's contempt for the carless. How not having a car became Hollywood shorthand for loser.

"And so anything outside this dominant culture is treated as, well, a little weird. Hollywood's representation of cyclists, for example, as blogger Bike Snob puts it, has "pretty much been nerds on 10 speeds." The list of prominent bicyclists in film history includes misfit teens (Napoleon Dynamite), eccentric Einstein-like scientists (the license-less Jeff Goldblum character in Independence Day, in which the bike is, admittedly, shown as a pretty decent way to escape Manhattan), vaguely countercultural types (Mark Wahlberg's character in I Heart Huckabees, or Carl Bernstein in All the President's Men) perpetual man-children (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure), and people who otherwise refuse to grow up or are out of touch with real life and the working world. (Consider the couch-surfing Owen Wilson character in You, Me, and Dupree, whose answering machine message announces: "If this is in regards to employment, please be aware that my Class Four driver's license has expired.")

In The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, for example, Steve Carell is that rarest of filmic creatures: a bona-fide bike commuter, shown pedaling to work, navigating the various hazards of the traffic landscape. A boon for alternative modes, perhaps, except for the fact that the bicycle, like the character's penchant for collecting action figures and his virginal status, is treated with a certain condescension. "I'm not the only person in the world who rides a bike," he protests to his co-workers, one of whom replies: "Yeah, everyone rides a bike, when they're fucking 6."

--

Interesting article addressing the subtle manipulations all around us. Next up? Gender roles!... just kidding... kinda...

Anyway, that's it for now!

It's not the weekend yet,

but I wish it was!

Profound, I know.

Ok, so this weekend, Cuff the Duke plays the Grad Club on Friday night. Saturday night is our semi-formal, to which I'm just finishing up some "art" to submit (more on that later.. ). Also, I've been told there may be a potential visitor or two! Trying not to get my hopes up, but ya know...

BUT, what this post is really about is that I wanted to let you know, if you haven't heard already, about the PATHS Conference being held over the weekend.

From the facebook page:

The purpose of the conference is to provide diverse career options to law students. We explore various career alternatives available to law students who are not interested in pursuing work in large firm settings. We focus on legal education as a tool for enacting social change, developing specialty law practices, achieving professional excellence, and discovering truly rewarding careers.

The conference is FREE for all Queen's Law students and registration is not required.

Schedule is as follows:

Friday, February 4 (room 001):

Opening Remarks by Professor Darryl Robinson
1:00 - 2:30: work-life balance in the legal profession

Panelists:
Leann Beggs - Director, Career Services, Queen's Law
Jasmine Daya - Associate, Wolfe Lawyers (personal injury litigation)
Christine Peringer- Mediator, private practice
Lynn Wheatley - Deputy Judge, Small Claims Court (Toronto)
Moderator: Nick Bala
**Pizza lunch provided.

Saturday, February 5 (room 001):
9:30-10:00am: Breakfast provided (law lounge)
10:00-11:30am: Panel 1 - new lawyers in practice up to 5 years
11:30-12:30pm: Lunch provided (law lounge)
12:30-2:00pm: Panel 2 - seasoned lawyers in practice 5+ years

Speakers (Panel 1):
Travis Allan - Zizzo Allan Climate Law LLP
Jennifer Hockey - Litigator, Department of Justice
Kristin Muszynski - Templeman Menninga LLP
Jan Peiris - In-house counsel, Uni-Select Inc.
Moderator: David Freedman

Speakers (Panel 2):
Steven Bookman - Sole-practitioner, family law
Michael Dineen - Criminal lawyer, Pinkofskys
Marco Filice - Director of Development, Liberty Development Corporation
Kirsty Mathers McHenry - Policy Counsel, Legal Aid/ sessional professor, Queen's.
Moderator: Art Cockfield

Closing remarks by Associate Dean Corbett

FREE FOOD, FREE COFFEE, FREE INSPIRATION.

See you all there!

The Paths Committee

--

Alright, so a really great opportunity to bust the chops of lawyers succeeding outside of the Bay Street path. On top of that, a familiar face in Steven Bookman is going to be on a panel. Steven has helped me out huge in the past (from getting me a job driving limos way back when, to writing a recommendation letter for Queen's Law) and it's more than fair to say that I wouldn't have the opportunities I have today without his help.

Fresh Kils

One of my buddies from high school became an officially nominated JUNO award producer yesterday! Fresh Kils (Andrew Kilgour) actually has his name on two of the five albums nominated for Rap Recording of the Year; D-Sisive's "Vaudeville" (which also features a Ron Sexsmith cameo) and Ghettosocks' "Treat of the Day".

His MySpace page here.

I got to admit, it's not my cup of tea (a cup of tea is more my cup of tea), but geez, this is pretty awesome/inspiring news.

This would also be a pretty good time to whip out those grade 10 photos, but as he's only going to get bigger, I'll bide my time.

Congratulations man. This is really exciting news.

--

Vaudeville. Download here (this download is a bit complicated (not impossible), but it's the only source I found... )

D-Sisive is a one-man music machine cruising to the hum of his own engine. After last year’s triumphant return to the hip-hop limelight with both his Polaris Prize nominated gem Let The Children Die, and his second classic full length of 2009, the acclaimed Jonestown, one would think the accomplished Toronto MC would be content to rest on his ever-expanding laurels. Not D-Sisive. The enigmatic one is back – and this time taking things to an entirely new level with the epic Vaudeville. Produced in tandem with Andrew ‘Fresh Kils’ Kilgour and featuring a surprise cameo from legendary Canadian songsmith, Ron Sexsmith, Vaudeville is filled with incredible hip hop tracks, smoke and mirror gags mixed with punch lines, and intense stories. An album that showcases the wide variety of influences and themes which only an enigmatic master of ceremonies like D-Sisive could pull off.

Kilgour's name is also all over the Ghettosocks album.

TREAT OF THE DAY. Download here.
Written and performed by Ghettosocks except where noted
Arranged by Ghettosocks and Fresh Kils at The Kilzone
Tracks 04, 06, 07, 08, 09, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 recorded at The Vault Studios in Halifax
Tracks 01, 02, 03, 05, 10, and 11 recorded at The Kilzone in Toronto
Additional production on track 04 by Ghettosocks
Additional production on track 15 by Dexter Doolittle
All Tracks recorded by Fresh Kils, except tracks 08, 09, 14, and 16 recorded by Beatmason
Mixed by Fresh Kils at The Kilzone
Mastered by Tom Rogers at Atomix Media

Go see Fresh Kils live when you get the chance. I've seen him in Toronto twice now (with More or Les) and both were great shows. Not sure if I could get through an entire album myself, but live, I gotta admit, the music kicks ass.

http://openmedia.ca/meter

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are about to impose usage-based billing on YOU.

This means we're looking at a future where ISPs will charge per byte, the way they do with smart phones. If we allow this to happen Canadians will have no choice but to pay MUCH more for less Internet. Big Telecom companies are obviously trying to gouge consumers, control the Internet market, and ensure that consumers continue to subscribe to their television services.

These Big Telecom companies are forcing small competing ISPs to adopt the same pricing scheme, so that we have no choice but to pay these punitive fees.

This will crush innovative services, Canada's digital competitiveness, and your wallet.

We urgently need to send a clear message to Ottawa, saying that we won't stand by while some of the most profitable companies in the country indiscriminately add new fees to our Internet bills. Enough is enough.

UPDATE: The CRTC just made a decision that paves the way for new internet fees to be added to your bill. To stop this we need to raise our voices now more than ever.



Click here to sign a quick and easy petition:

3 songs by The White Stripes!

Such a great album. Download torrent here, although, let's be honest; you're probably better off downloading the discography. Also, buy the albums here while they last.




What a great mike.



I put this version in cuz it's embedable, BUT, this video of Denial Twist rocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DodG8IcnOZk

Saturday night! Going to see New Country Rehab tonight at the Mansion. No, Dan Ackroyd doesn't own it anymore. :( But first, dinner with my new Joel Plaskett friend (is it possible that she likes him more than me?.. I doubt it, but we're about to find out) Clara, who, funnily enough, is dating the bassist in New Country Rehab. Small fucking world. Even in Kingston.

So, what's going on in Egypt?

I was going to do this myself (honest), but this seems like a pretty fair assessment/cop out for me to take.

http://promotingpeace.tumblr.com/post/2969260999 (via BoingBoing)

Some additional commentary, also via BoingBoing.. comments section!.. Look out!

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/28/imagining-new-egypt
After a good summary of the situation, the writer adds:
"I have started getting reports from citizen journalists that government-hired thugs will make sure that nothing about tomorrow is peaceful. They say that in several low-income parts of Cairo and Alexandria, government-hired thugs were seen to be splashing petroleum over parked cars. This to prepare for protests in which they'll light vehicles on fire when the time is right for them.
"They've also heard rumours that the intelligence services will release a separate group of thugs under the name Akhwan al- Haq, or Brothers of Truth, a trumped-up extremist group, that will charge through the streets with swords and caustic acid to splash on the protesters - thus placing all the blame of a peaceful uprising gone violent on a certain kind of Islamic extremism."
 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/27/egypt-riot-security-force-action
Guardian reporter Jack Shenker recounts his beatings and arrest by Egyptian officers. While detained inside an Egypitian police facility where protesters were being beaten, he says, when he identified himself as a British reporter, a high-ranking officer punched him and yelled "Fuck you and fuck Britain."

Update: 

 "Confirming what a few have reported this evening: in an action unprecedented in Internet history, the Egyptian government appears to have ordered service providers to shut down all international connections to the Internet. (renesys.com)

--

Basically, at this point I'm apparently content in a single media source (being lazy) and ripping off BoingBoing. Whaddya gonna do?

I swear at some point this weekend some real content is gonna make it's way up here... and if not, whaddya gonna do! ;)

Also, happy, happy Friday! See below:

Update:

A good one: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/01/whats-happening-egypt-explained

Also US implications.

And we were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife

Guess who just picked up the Bat Out of Hell album!



Other than the fact that Lord "Meat Loaf" looks like he's about to keel over (would love to see this as an SNL short, preferably with Meat Loaf himself), this is an incredible song. That's right. Paradise by the dashboard light is incredible.

1. PARADISE
BOY:
I remember every little thing
As if it happened only yesterday
Parking by the lake
And there was not another car in sight
And I never had a girl
Looking any better than you did
And all the kids at school
They were wishing they were me that night
And now our bodies are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
C'mon! Hold on tight!
C'mon! Hold on tight!
Thought it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard light

GIRL:
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
'Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
Ain't no doubt about it
Baby got to go and shout it
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed

BOY:
'Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
Baby doncha hear my heart
You got it drowning out the radio
I've been waiting so long
For you to come along and have some fun
And I gotta let you know
No you're never gonna regret it
So open up your eyes I got a big surprise
It'll feel all right
Well I wanna make your motor run
And now our bodies are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
C'mon! Hold on tight!
C'mon! Hold on tight!

Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
Paradise by the dashboard light
You got to do what you can
And let Mother Nature do the rest
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
'Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely-

We're gonna go all the way tonight
We're gonna go all the way
And tonight's the night...
We're gonna go all the way tonight
We're gonna go all the way
And tonight's the night...

RADIO BROADCAST
OK, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here,
Two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth,
There's the windup, and there it is, a line shot up the middle,
Look at him go. This boy can really fly! He's rounding first and really
turning it on now, he's not letting up at all, he's gonna try for
second; the ball is bobbled out in center, and here comes the
throw, and what a throw! He's gonna slide in head first, here he
comes, he's out! No, wait, safe-safe at second base, this kid
really makes things happen out there. Batter steps up to the
plate, here's the pitch-he's going, and what a jump he's got,
he's trying for third, here's the throw, it's in the dirt-safe at
third! Holy cow, stolen base! He's taking a pretty big lead out
there, almost daring him to try and pick him off. The pitcher
glances over, winds up, and it's bunted, bunted down the third
base line, the suicide squeeze is on! Here he comes, squeeze
play, it's gonna be close, holy cow, I think he's gonna make it!

II. LET ME SLEEP ON IT
GIRL:
Stop right there!
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further!
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
Do you love me!?
Will you love me forever!?
Do you need me!?
Will you never leave me!?
Will you make me happy for the rest of my life!?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife!?
I gotta know right now
Before we go any further
Do you love me!?
Will you love me forever!?

BOY:
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I'll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I'll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I'll give you an answer in the morning

GIRL:
I gotta know right now
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further
Do you love me?
And will you love me forever?

BOY:
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I'll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it

GIRL:
Will you love me forever?

BOY:
Let me sleep on it

GIRL:
Will you love me forever!!!!

III. PRAYING FOR THE END OF TIME
I couldn't take it any longer
Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a tidal wave
I started swearing to my god and on my mother's grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore that I would love you to the end of time!
So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I'm praying for the end of time
It's all that I can do
Praying for the end of time,
So I can end my time with you!!

BOY:
It was long ago and it was far away
And it was so much better that it is today

GIRL:
It never felt so good
It never felt so right
And we were glowing like
A metal on the edge of a knife

Phil Rizzuto!

Charlie Louvin passes away

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/arts/music/27louvin.html

“When it comes time for the harmonies to come in, I will move to my left because my brother and I always used to use one microphone,” he said of performing solo. “Even today, I will move over to the left to give the harmony room, knowing in my mind that there’s no harmony standing on my right.”

Coolest postcard ever +

Just received the coolest postcard ever. Yes, that is a piece of the Berlin wall in the centre of it! Amazing.

This came from Justyna, who also just finished her Basic Outdoor Survival Course, just outside of Winnipeg.

Here's an exerpt from her email:

We spent 5 days learning all kinds of survival techniques and sleeping in all kinds of makeshift homes. One night was in a tent, for one they gave a parachute per 9 people and we slept under those, one night we piled snow for a couple of days into these huge mounds and then dug little homes inside the mounds (2people/mound) and slept in those one night. They were like a little igloo/cave combination i guess, except that we didn't cut blocks of ice and pile it, we just dug into huge piles of snow. They're called quinzees. And our last night was in little cabins.

So on the 6th day we got dropped off at the edge of a lake with a gps coordinate, a pair of snowshoes and a backpack of equipment (including a piece of a parachute, saw, shovel, radio, knife, 12 candies at 50 calories/candy and 3 little packets of juice crystals to mix into your water). Our last meal was a rabbit that my fireteam parter killed and i gutted (it was boiled rabbit though so it didn't taste that great.) Then we were by ourselves for 3 days with not much but a brain full of knowledge. Let me tell you, it was an adventure.

The coldest it got was -37 deg C. But the many tasks we had to accomplish in 3 days (shelter, continuous fire, smoke signal tower-took hours to build, rabbit snare, a number of signals for the plane to see, and continuously boiling snow over the fire in my little canteen cup) kept me very busy. Surprisingly I didn't feel hungry until the 3rd day (they had deprived us of food a bit in the 5 days leading up to it so my stomac had shrunk a bit already by solo time.) It did get a little lonely though and i got a little anxious every evening at sundown (which was around 6pm) as my pile of firewood never seemed to be big enough and the nights were long and cold. I collected wood in between every little task i did (like cutting down trees or gathering boughs-which was a never ending task as you need boughs for everything you have to build,) and giant piles up to my waist would burn out in an hour or two. i was pulling full dead christmas trees out of the ground (in the swampy areas there were many dead ones) and even those burned out as quickly as i could collect them.

When it came to evaluation time on the 3rd day, my tasks were all deemed to be good and i didn't have to re-do any of them (unlike my comrades, most of whom had to either re-build or upgrade their smoke tower signal). We all got to light our smoke signals at the end of the exercise. They were like mini volcanoes that turned into infernos (they work both for day and night cause of the massive plumes of gray smoke that come out of it during the day-no plane can miss that, let me tell you, and the fire tower that's created afterwards works great at night for a signal). Pretty cool to see!

Assuming you passed, there were 3 things you could have had written for each component on your course report: passed, barely passed or easily passed. My course report reads "Easily passed all PO Checks". Yea, that's right!

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I think it's time I admit that my younger female cousin may be tougher than me. ;)