Up to No Good

From L-R: Charlie Bubar, Louie Caron, Lloyd Lobb, Rolfe Evelith, George Bubar

Music Is My Saviour

As further evidence of the fact thaf if you’ve been listening to music without listening to Neko Case and Wilco you’ve been doing it wrong I offer up this clip from YouTube of Jeff Tweedy’s performance on Zed.

Fleeting Moments

It was the first year of the Discovery Channel Ecochallenge television event started by Mark Burnett that eventually spawned the phenomenon that is Survivor. I was working on bay street, wearing suits to work every day and had a desk on the 55th floor. I was young, and ambitious, and worked with some amazing people.

I started a recruiting drive. Isabel was first, and she was enthusiastically onside.

“Isabel…here’s what I’m thinking. Team Trimark for next year’s Ecochallenge.”

“Sure,” she replied. “What do I have to do.”

I knew she’d say that. It’s always best to start with success.

I moved onto my next candidate, knowing that I’d need to flesh out the skillset. Isabel and I could handle the mountain biking, running, horse riding (ok, mostly Isabel for that one), and general active outdoors skills. We needed nautical skills for the inevitable water portion.

“Richard. Next year…how about we start Team Trimark for the Discovery Channel Ecochallenge.” I said.

“Sure Scott. No problem. Who else is on the team?” Richard asked.

“So far just Isabel and I. We’ll get more though.”

“Ok. I’m in. As long as I get to take my smoke breaks every twenty minutes as usual.”

It’s moments like that I miss, and moments like that that disappeared four years ago.

First, Control The Distrbution of Media

One of the first rules of war is that you want to control the distribution of news and information. It’s not the content that matters, it’s the distribution channel.

The major American television networks are not going to give up their distribution channel very easily.

Report: CBS/YouTube Deal Goes Sour - News and Analysis by PC Magazine
02.21.07

By Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) — A deal between Google Inc. and CBS Corp. that would let YouTube users watch clips from CBS shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, has unraveled, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The two companies had been closing in on a multi-year deal, the paper said, citing people familiar with the matter. The companies also discussed ways to peddle CBS Radio advertising spots to Google advertisers, the paper said.

But the media company and the Internet search company could not agree on issues such as how long the deal would run, the paper said, citing a person knowledgeable about the talks.

Pan’s Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the most beautiful and lush films I’ve seen in years. That it’s not nominated for Best Picture and Guillermo del Toro isn’t nominated for Best Director speaks to the insular nature of the industry that is Hollywood. The film is entirely in Spanish.

See this movie.

Best Postcard Ever

Neko Case, Commodore Ballroom

Neko Case will one day write and record the greatest album of our generation. Last night, she played the Commodore Ballroom

my true love drowned / in a dirty old pan of oil / did run from the block / of a Falcon sedan 1969 / the paper said 75
— Star Witness, from the album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

She sings with the voice of an angel, and she’s playing Bellingham tonight.

Continue reading "Neko Case, Commodore Ballroom"

60 Most Respected American Corporations

An interesting Harris Interactive survey identifies America’s 60 most respected corporations.

The new is not good for some companies, most notably American automotive manufacturing.

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Riding with Rilke, Ted Bishop

A finalist for the Governor General’s Award when it was published, Riding with Rilke has a good place on any list of modern books about motorcycling. It’s well written and interesting to read.

This doesn’t meant that it’s not without it’s share of flaws.

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Thoughts on Digital Rights Management

Steve Jobs’ Thoughts on Music have stirred up quite a bit of controversy.

Essentially, Steve is saying “let us sell unprotected music. it’s the right thing to do.”

There’s a major problem with “the music industry’s response.”

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Myriam Bedard’s Got Nothing on This Lady

The strange tale of Myriam Bedard had Canadians shaking their heads over Christmas. Further proof that fam is no guarantee of sanity.

Astronaut charged with attempted kidnap-murder
Tue Feb 6, 2007 5:57 PM EST
By Barbara Liston

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) — A married U.S. astronaut was accused on Tuesday of trying to kidnap and kill a rival for the affections of a male astronaut after she drove 950 miles wearing adult diapers to confront the woman.

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, who has three children, was released from jail in Florida after posting bail.

Nowak was initially arrested on attempted kidnapping charges on Monday in Orlando after assaulting Colleen Shipman, a U.S. Air Force captain, police said.

That little line about wearing adult diapers takes the cake.

Joss Whedon Is My Master Now

Joss Whedon has pulled out of Wonder Woman. making this movie substantially less interesting to look forward to.

Wonder Woman film director quits
Joss Whedon will focus on writing and directing thriller Goners

Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon has pulled out of directing a feature film about Wonder Woman.

“I had a take on the film that nobody liked,” he told a fan website, saying he and the film’s producer Joel Silver “just saw different movies”.

“At the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that’s never gonna work,” the writer and director added.

Complaints Choir of Helsinki

William Gibson’s blog pointed me in the direction of The Complaints Choir of Helsinki.

A beautiful project.

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TicketMaster

TicketMaster has long been the bane of complaints — ridiculous service charges, a silly policy enforced through legal threats in the late 90s of prohibiting links to areas of its site are but two of the things that have made them resented throughtout North America.

I bought tickets tonight for Neko Case at the Commodore Ballroom and nothing’s changed.

It’s still going to be a great show, but a $3.50 venue fee and $2.50 delivery fee for tickets by email (at no cost, of course) is money that isn’t going into an artist’s pocket.

$7.05 for a convenience charge is just ridiculous.

All told, my CDN$23 ticket comes close to CDN$40 with those additional seventeen dollars going into Ticketmaster’s pocket. That just seems exorbitant considering that they’re not even printing my ticket anymore.

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