I am not in Kansas anymore. I never was. Though this past week I was in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Montana. Now I am back in Canada and writing from my parent's computer. I like their keyboard, I could get used to this.
Did I ever tell you about the time I exported my jeep from the US and imported it into Canada at the same time? No? Well remind me and I'll tell you about it sometime.
I told you it would be quick. I will be updating this thing again tomorrow more vigorously. Ttfn.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Searching For a Prayer, With My Good Eye Closed
So after a year of being down in the States and being healthy (I have had a cold twice in the passed year) I FINALLY got to go to the doctor today! YAY! Today was a stat holiday in the US so I wasn't working and THANK JEBUS because going to the doctor down here is a PAIN in the ass.
Yesterday my right eye was a bit tender and this morning when I woke up it was swollen shut. Not cool. So I canceled a shoot and went to the UMC. I got there and I signed in at 1:23 then I had to go to the lobby to wait. My name was called at 2:05 and went in for the pre-exam with some lady named Linda. She weighed me, took blood pressure, and asked questions like "do you have insurance?" and "have you fallen recently?". She also tested my vision. This posed a problem as my good eye - my right eye - was not opening fully, and my left eye is complete shite. Even with glasses I dunno what is up with my left eye. It just doesn't focus properly. Then I had to go back to the lobby to wait. At 2:47 I was called up to present my insurance and pay for seeing the doctor which I was told would be happening "right away". Then I had to go back to the lobby to wait. Then at 3:12 I was called in to see the doctor. I was given my own spacious waiting... I mean examination room and continued to wait. Doctor came in 10 minutes later and looked at my eye, asked me questions like "do you have insurance" and "how are you with a skill saw?". Then he said he was going to give me an antibiotic, and that I would get the prescription after I went back to the lobby to wait. At 3:53 I signed off saying that I was seen by said doctor and had sufficient amount of time to come up with a carefully planned bank heist while waiting in said lobby and was presented with said prescription.
Two and a half hours. Two and a half hours people. I must quote Gob from Arrested Development - COME ON!!!So by the time I had driven to the UMC, driven to get my drug from the pharmacy I had spent three and a half hours to get some eye medication. That is such a load of crap. I can't believe it took me that long. This country sucks.
So I was supposed to shoot with Joanna Krupa tonight and now I cannot. SUCKS. When you are a camera guy, you sort of need to see well. C'est la vie. Wish me luck on my drive home!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Yeah I can be cocky, I can afford it.
From time to time, I think I come across as a cocky S.O.B. I don't think this is a bad thing because for the most part I am a fairly modest person, when I think I can be cocky, I take full advantage.
One way in which I am cocky is my insistence that I have the best musical taste in the world.
Don't believe me? Well just take a look at my record collection. When I say record collection, I don't mean a stack of CDs or my iPod, I mean my LPs. I have close to 1,000 LPs in my parents basement (yeah they don't travel so well) but its all there. From ABBA to Arcade Fire I've got it all on vinyl, precious vinyl. If this isn't enough to make me an elitist prick musically I don't know what does.
When I was bartending at the Black Dog and making decent coin, I spent a lot of money at Sound Connection on 124th Street in Edmonton. That place was a goldmine. Every time I went in I would emerge with an aching neck from looking down, thumbing through LP after LP in search of that rare find that was sometimes something new, or another copy of a favorite album. I have 5 copies of the Joshua Tree and 3 copies of the White Album - just to name a few that I will buy on the spot EVERY TIME I see them for sale, no questions asked. Last time I was in Edmonton I was sad to see that it has closed OR maybe (crossing fingers) it has moved to a new location. The basement flooded a lot in the passed three years so maybe they moved because of that. So thank you Sound Connection for aiding my cockiness.
Another way I consider myself cocky is my undying belief that someone has my back.
When I was working in clubs like Lush and the Rev this was the case, if I was ever in a situation that I couldn't handle, I had 6 or 7 huge dudes a radio alert away from joining the situation. After a few months, just knowing that they were a call away, I started taking on more and more cases on my own and I found that I was assertive enough to diffuse almost any situation that presented itself - especially in those booze drenched crowds at 50 cent highball Wednesdays at Lush. This cockiness transferred over to when I was a doorman at the Black Dog. I dealt with EXTREMELY drunk people working the doorway between the best pub on Whyte ave and the Chads (read: chachi jocks) who had just been kicked out the "Thirsty Turtle". I rarely lost my temper and would go toe to toe with basically anyone who challenged my authority to deem them too drunk to be allowed in. Actually in the 4 years I was a doorman, I threw one punch and took one punch. Not bad. But I was assertive because I knew that if anything was to happen to me physically, I would have at least 3 other guys at my back in no time.
This effected me not only in real life situations, but also in print.
Remember in one of my earlier posts this month, I wrote about the time I was badmouthed in a local paper? Here is a link to it. Well I had been cocky enough to compare my band at the time to Jimmy Eat World, not really saying we were bigger than Jesus, but some people took offense apparently. Well the next week in the same paper, a retort from a friend and fan of my band!
Thank you friends, fans and co-workers for aiding my cockiness.
Finally, here is how I am cocky spiritually.
Recently I saw a video that almost made me a devout Christian.
Then I saw this.
Goddamn it. Well, it's back to my Jesus-bashing. Thank you science for aiding my cockiness.
One way in which I am cocky is my insistence that I have the best musical taste in the world.
Don't believe me? Well just take a look at my record collection. When I say record collection, I don't mean a stack of CDs or my iPod, I mean my LPs. I have close to 1,000 LPs in my parents basement (yeah they don't travel so well) but its all there. From ABBA to Arcade Fire I've got it all on vinyl, precious vinyl. If this isn't enough to make me an elitist prick musically I don't know what does.
When I was bartending at the Black Dog and making decent coin, I spent a lot of money at Sound Connection on 124th Street in Edmonton. That place was a goldmine. Every time I went in I would emerge with an aching neck from looking down, thumbing through LP after LP in search of that rare find that was sometimes something new, or another copy of a favorite album. I have 5 copies of the Joshua Tree and 3 copies of the White Album - just to name a few that I will buy on the spot EVERY TIME I see them for sale, no questions asked. Last time I was in Edmonton I was sad to see that it has closed OR maybe (crossing fingers) it has moved to a new location. The basement flooded a lot in the passed three years so maybe they moved because of that. So thank you Sound Connection for aiding my cockiness.
Another way I consider myself cocky is my undying belief that someone has my back.
When I was working in clubs like Lush and the Rev this was the case, if I was ever in a situation that I couldn't handle, I had 6 or 7 huge dudes a radio alert away from joining the situation. After a few months, just knowing that they were a call away, I started taking on more and more cases on my own and I found that I was assertive enough to diffuse almost any situation that presented itself - especially in those booze drenched crowds at 50 cent highball Wednesdays at Lush. This cockiness transferred over to when I was a doorman at the Black Dog. I dealt with EXTREMELY drunk people working the doorway between the best pub on Whyte ave and the Chads (read: chachi jocks) who had just been kicked out the "Thirsty Turtle". I rarely lost my temper and would go toe to toe with basically anyone who challenged my authority to deem them too drunk to be allowed in. Actually in the 4 years I was a doorman, I threw one punch and took one punch. Not bad. But I was assertive because I knew that if anything was to happen to me physically, I would have at least 3 other guys at my back in no time.
This effected me not only in real life situations, but also in print.
Remember in one of my earlier posts this month, I wrote about the time I was badmouthed in a local paper? Here is a link to it. Well I had been cocky enough to compare my band at the time to Jimmy Eat World, not really saying we were bigger than Jesus, but some people took offense apparently. Well the next week in the same paper, a retort from a friend and fan of my band!
Thank you friends, fans and co-workers for aiding my cockiness.Finally, here is how I am cocky spiritually.
Recently I saw a video that almost made me a devout Christian.
Then I saw this.
Goddamn it. Well, it's back to my Jesus-bashing. Thank you science for aiding my cockiness.
Monday, November 19, 2007
God Bless the Gateway
Just came across these nuggets from the past - my two favorite musical excursions from days passed. Woodabeen and ALCB. SO happy that the Gateway kept these on file. If you ever graced the pages of the Gateway and want to relive the past, go here.
Ron Paul Speaks!
So proud of my little internet TV station. We nailed an interview with one of the most interesting men in American politics today. As a Canadian, it's quite refreshing to hear Ron Paul speak. Here is the interview we did with him today.
I *heart* Spacemoose
Haven't posted in the past few days because I cut off my internet at home. So I am guerrilla posting at work. Spacemoose, bar none the funniest comic to ever grace the pages of the University of Alberta's Gateway. All of Adam Thrasher's toons were on the edge but this one got him exceptional attention, I am pretty sure you can guess why. Unless you are a hydrocephalic.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Just Purse Your Lips
I was listening to the Manic Street Preachers' song "You're Tender and You're Tired" today and it got me thinking about all songs I love with whistling. Now when you whistle in a rock song, you have to be careful, because if you get too complex, you'll end up sounding like Roger Whittaker - and no one wants that. But over the years, some bands have got whistling right and here are a couple of my favorites in no particular order.
Guns n' Roses - Patience
This whistle happens at the beginning of the song and I can't help but think that during previous jams on the song, Slash was responsible for the tune. Next time you listen to it, picture it as a guitar solo and you'll come to the realization that it's TOTALLY a Slash solo. Then during the actual guitar solo in the song, picture it as whistling. You'll agree with me.
Focus - Hocus Pocus
This song SLAYS me every time I hear it. These crazy Dutch dudes come up with one of the sweetest riffs in rock and roll EVER, and then alternate between the riff/competent soloing and yodeling, whistling, complete incoherent blabber and flute playing. I mean it's really song for everyone. If you haven't heard it, here it is LIVE on some American TV show in the 70s. They do get the standing ovation they deserve. On a side note, I own (rather my father owns) the record this song is on, it's called Making Waves. Do not buy it based on this song alone. The rest of the album is BO-RING - trust me.
Built to Spill - Broken Chairs
Broken Chairs your body conforms to
Out beyond the quieted garden
You can bring the man form into trust
Through the holes in my everydayness
Lends sustenance where starvation's necessary
Cause my head's a dictionary
Of long spring days and the speech of crows
Who themselves are mirrors of apprehensions
In the fallen sun
Alright
You can make it stay
A lot of critics of Doug Martsch's lyrics say he tends to have his lyrics fit rhythmically into his songs without much thought into the meaning. Maybe this song exemplifies said criticism or maybe it breaks the mold - I'll leave that up to you to decide. The album version of this song at a meaty 8:41 but if you really want to hear a better version of it get the Built to Spill Live album - it's twice as long. And, do NOT buy this album off iTunes unless you really are stuck because the 20 minute version of Neil Young's Cortez the Killer (video link is a live version including a REALLY skinny Neil Young dressed like Pete Townhend and Jawas???) is not included from iTunes - probably some licensing issue but it's really a shame. I got to see Built to Spill on September 10th of this year and they played the song, however there would be no whistling this time.
Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
This song has been covered so many times but no matter who covers it, the whistle solo makes the cut. What exactly were Paul and Julio doing down by the Schoolyard? Well Paul Simon has always remained cryptic on the subject, claiming that he never put much thought into what that something was. Oh sure Paul, that's what you said about Graceland. Like what is that anyway? Some sort of grace-land type thing? Come clean Paul. And how can she have diamonds on the soles of her shoes? I speculate she was just a rich tap dancer. Then again she could have been the reason Annie Lennox was walking on broken glass. Okay, I have said too much.
Warren G and Nate Dogg - Regulate
Okay this one is a special case because the whistling is clearly a keyboard. But I put it on the list anyway. I had to, or 213 would have to regulate.
Billy Joel - The Stranger
I didn't want to make this some sort of contest, but I will end with this song and yes, it is my favorite song with whistling in it of all time. It's my favorite for sentimental reasons though. Back in '82 my Dad got a betacam to start collecting family home videos. He also got a tripod because back in those days, the camera wasn't just something you had in your hand or on our shoulder like today, the part that went on your shoulder was just the lense! The tape and recording took place in the actual beta machine which you would have to carry in a shoulder bag. And even though I was only like 3 at the time, I could tell that thing was heavy. So when I was 3 in '82 my Dad was 28 like I am today. Hmmmm coincidence??? Lugging a camera is what I do for a living by the way. Anyway, my Dad (who is a REALLY bad whistler) took the camera to Stettler for xmas '82 and got the usual xmas morning gift opening and some roll of my brother's first birthday (his birthday is xmas-eve SUCKA!) but he and my Mom's four brothers decided on Boxing Day (the day after xmas day) to write, produce, and shoot some indie films.
One was a thriller based in the Northern woods where four men are stranded and waiting for a helicopter rescue at the graveyard. Of course nothing goes to plan and two of them succumb to a hand puppet dragon and one to a deflated Smurf blow-up chair. Both were gifts from the day before, the Smurf chair was for me and I guess after it was blown up, I sat down rather frugally and popped it and the dragon hand puppet was my brothers' who was one year and two days old and wasn't going to miss anything except his bottle. So at the end of the movie, my Dad makes it to the graveyard just in time to get picked up by the helicopter. The best part about this movie was that the soundtrack was all taken from Pink Floyd's The Wall. The intro and outtro were both taken from the song "Is There Anybody Out There?" and the helicopter came from "Another Brick in the Wall Part 1". Someday I will digitize that movie and put it up somewhere, someone will enjoy it. But getting back the The Stranger.
The next day after "The Weekend Nobody Came Home (except my Dad)" was filmed, my uncle and his friend Kevin took the camera to make a movie of their own. Theirs was entitled "Little Chicago" and was a short film that was basically a chase scene between cop and robber. Starsky and Hutch styles, it was most a car chase and not only a car chase, but the funniest car chase ever! Winter in Canada is not the best time to be in a car chase on the best of days. Roads are slick and good luck if you have to make a sudden stop. This was shot in Stettler, at the time, a town of no more that 2500 and so being such a small town, the didn't have much in the way of street sanders or plows that would routinely plow the streets like they do in the city. So my Uncle Rod played the cop and his friend Kevin was the robber. Kevin was in a light weight toyota truck and my uncle was in a whale of a car, it was a late 70s model Lincoln Towncar. Kevin was driving over the speed limit and e-braking around the corners, while my uncle was driving 10 kms under the speed limit because he KNEW that his parents would see the footage. The film ends when Kevin makes his by jumping out of his car and running up a hill, my uncle chases him, shoots him in the back and Kevin rolls down the hill and ends up lying dead at the bottom. The soundtrack to this film was all the intro and outtro from Billy Joel's "The Stranger" and I will always remember this movie when I hear it.
When I get back to Canada I am going to digitize both these movies and put them up. But until then, here is a video of my sister when she was 4 singing jingle bells, followed by almost cracking her skull open. Enjoy!
My brother flips my sister.
Guns n' Roses - Patience
This whistle happens at the beginning of the song and I can't help but think that during previous jams on the song, Slash was responsible for the tune. Next time you listen to it, picture it as a guitar solo and you'll come to the realization that it's TOTALLY a Slash solo. Then during the actual guitar solo in the song, picture it as whistling. You'll agree with me.
Focus - Hocus Pocus
This song SLAYS me every time I hear it. These crazy Dutch dudes come up with one of the sweetest riffs in rock and roll EVER, and then alternate between the riff/competent soloing and yodeling, whistling, complete incoherent blabber and flute playing. I mean it's really song for everyone. If you haven't heard it, here it is LIVE on some American TV show in the 70s. They do get the standing ovation they deserve. On a side note, I own (rather my father owns) the record this song is on, it's called Making Waves. Do not buy it based on this song alone. The rest of the album is BO-RING - trust me.
Built to Spill - Broken Chairs
Broken Chairs your body conforms to
Out beyond the quieted garden
You can bring the man form into trust
Through the holes in my everydayness
Lends sustenance where starvation's necessary
Cause my head's a dictionary
Of long spring days and the speech of crows
Who themselves are mirrors of apprehensions
In the fallen sun
Alright
You can make it stay
A lot of critics of Doug Martsch's lyrics say he tends to have his lyrics fit rhythmically into his songs without much thought into the meaning. Maybe this song exemplifies said criticism or maybe it breaks the mold - I'll leave that up to you to decide. The album version of this song at a meaty 8:41 but if you really want to hear a better version of it get the Built to Spill Live album - it's twice as long. And, do NOT buy this album off iTunes unless you really are stuck because the 20 minute version of Neil Young's Cortez the Killer (video link is a live version including a REALLY skinny Neil Young dressed like Pete Townhend and Jawas???) is not included from iTunes - probably some licensing issue but it's really a shame. I got to see Built to Spill on September 10th of this year and they played the song, however there would be no whistling this time.
Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
This song has been covered so many times but no matter who covers it, the whistle solo makes the cut. What exactly were Paul and Julio doing down by the Schoolyard? Well Paul Simon has always remained cryptic on the subject, claiming that he never put much thought into what that something was. Oh sure Paul, that's what you said about Graceland. Like what is that anyway? Some sort of grace-land type thing? Come clean Paul. And how can she have diamonds on the soles of her shoes? I speculate she was just a rich tap dancer. Then again she could have been the reason Annie Lennox was walking on broken glass. Okay, I have said too much.
Warren G and Nate Dogg - Regulate
Okay this one is a special case because the whistling is clearly a keyboard. But I put it on the list anyway. I had to, or 213 would have to regulate.
Billy Joel - The Stranger
I didn't want to make this some sort of contest, but I will end with this song and yes, it is my favorite song with whistling in it of all time. It's my favorite for sentimental reasons though. Back in '82 my Dad got a betacam to start collecting family home videos. He also got a tripod because back in those days, the camera wasn't just something you had in your hand or on our shoulder like today, the part that went on your shoulder was just the lense! The tape and recording took place in the actual beta machine which you would have to carry in a shoulder bag. And even though I was only like 3 at the time, I could tell that thing was heavy. So when I was 3 in '82 my Dad was 28 like I am today. Hmmmm coincidence??? Lugging a camera is what I do for a living by the way. Anyway, my Dad (who is a REALLY bad whistler) took the camera to Stettler for xmas '82 and got the usual xmas morning gift opening and some roll of my brother's first birthday (his birthday is xmas-eve SUCKA!) but he and my Mom's four brothers decided on Boxing Day (the day after xmas day) to write, produce, and shoot some indie films.
One was a thriller based in the Northern woods where four men are stranded and waiting for a helicopter rescue at the graveyard. Of course nothing goes to plan and two of them succumb to a hand puppet dragon and one to a deflated Smurf blow-up chair. Both were gifts from the day before, the Smurf chair was for me and I guess after it was blown up, I sat down rather frugally and popped it and the dragon hand puppet was my brothers' who was one year and two days old and wasn't going to miss anything except his bottle. So at the end of the movie, my Dad makes it to the graveyard just in time to get picked up by the helicopter. The best part about this movie was that the soundtrack was all taken from Pink Floyd's The Wall. The intro and outtro were both taken from the song "Is There Anybody Out There?" and the helicopter came from "Another Brick in the Wall Part 1". Someday I will digitize that movie and put it up somewhere, someone will enjoy it. But getting back the The Stranger.
The next day after "The Weekend Nobody Came Home (except my Dad)" was filmed, my uncle and his friend Kevin took the camera to make a movie of their own. Theirs was entitled "Little Chicago" and was a short film that was basically a chase scene between cop and robber. Starsky and Hutch styles, it was most a car chase and not only a car chase, but the funniest car chase ever! Winter in Canada is not the best time to be in a car chase on the best of days. Roads are slick and good luck if you have to make a sudden stop. This was shot in Stettler, at the time, a town of no more that 2500 and so being such a small town, the didn't have much in the way of street sanders or plows that would routinely plow the streets like they do in the city. So my Uncle Rod played the cop and his friend Kevin was the robber. Kevin was in a light weight toyota truck and my uncle was in a whale of a car, it was a late 70s model Lincoln Towncar. Kevin was driving over the speed limit and e-braking around the corners, while my uncle was driving 10 kms under the speed limit because he KNEW that his parents would see the footage. The film ends when Kevin makes his by jumping out of his car and running up a hill, my uncle chases him, shoots him in the back and Kevin rolls down the hill and ends up lying dead at the bottom. The soundtrack to this film was all the intro and outtro from Billy Joel's "The Stranger" and I will always remember this movie when I hear it.
When I get back to Canada I am going to digitize both these movies and put them up. But until then, here is a video of my sister when she was 4 singing jingle bells, followed by almost cracking her skull open. Enjoy!
My brother flips my sister.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Oh. My. God.
Just found this.
Do birds even have tear ducts? Oh right, I failed Animal Physiology 241...
Oh wait, I remember...
The Harderian gland of chickens contains numerous plasma cells and is considered as a peripheral lymphoid organ. Data about this gland in other avian species are scarce or inexistent. Considering that ducks show some unique characteristics regarding the immune system, which are important in evolutionary context, and that unusual location of plasma cells into the epithelium was recently described in primitive avian species, here we investigated the occurrence and characterized intraepithelial plasma cells in the Harderian gland of ducks, according to the immunoglobulin produced. Numerous intraepithelial plasma cells were found confined to the Harderian gland ducts. Plasma cells were also found in the ducts lamina propria. IgM-positive cells were the most abundant into the epithelium. In contrast, IgY- or IgA-positive cells were predominant in the lamina propria. The constancy of intraepithelial plasma cells in all specimens examined indicates that they may be essential mediator for an effective immunesurvaillance of the ocular mucosa.
Cleida A. Oliveiraa,
, 
, Luiz F. Tellesa, André G. Oliveiraa, Evanguedes Kalapothakisb, Higgor Gonçalves-Dornelasb and Germán A.B. Mahechaa
Do birds even have tear ducts? Oh right, I failed Animal Physiology 241...
Oh wait, I remember...
The Harderian gland of chickens contains numerous plasma cells and is considered as a peripheral lymphoid organ. Data about this gland in other avian species are scarce or inexistent. Considering that ducks show some unique characteristics regarding the immune system, which are important in evolutionary context, and that unusual location of plasma cells into the epithelium was recently described in primitive avian species, here we investigated the occurrence and characterized intraepithelial plasma cells in the Harderian gland of ducks, according to the immunoglobulin produced. Numerous intraepithelial plasma cells were found confined to the Harderian gland ducts. Plasma cells were also found in the ducts lamina propria. IgM-positive cells were the most abundant into the epithelium. In contrast, IgY- or IgA-positive cells were predominant in the lamina propria. The constancy of intraepithelial plasma cells in all specimens examined indicates that they may be essential mediator for an effective immunesurvaillance of the ocular mucosa.
Cleida A. Oliveiraa,
, , Luiz F. Tellesa, André G. Oliveiraa, Evanguedes Kalapothakisb, Higgor Gonçalves-Dornelasb and Germán A.B. Mahechaa
Sexy Results
Pretty good day at work today. We are working at the Clark County Courthouse for the OJ Simpson Preliminary Hearing. It's a madhouse - A MADHOUSE I tells ya. My guys are getting some good stuff as we have a feed recording from the 6 cameras inside the courtroom just like the big dogs like CNN, FoxNews and the like. And with the writers strike right now, we are the only media taking the comedy angle on site.
Pretty sweet. My job is pretty sweet sometimes. Over the past year one of my highlights was doing an interview with MSTRKRFT at Jet Nightclub at the MGM Mirage.
Okay sweet. That worked.
So yeah some of my questions made the cut and some didn't, but one question that didn't because it was a very Canadian in nature regarding their name. I asked them if they had paid a lot of Canadian Tire Money to secure the rights to their name. They laughed and confirmed my suspicions. Al and Jesse got their name from a tool box in their studio from "Crappy Tire" who carry the MASTERCRAFT brand tools. Take out the vowels, add a homage to Kraftwork and voila! A perfectly good name for a perfectly good duo.
I first met Jesse back when he was in Death From Above 1979 when they played the Starlight Room in Edmonton. When I told him where I was from, his eyes lit up and he said "We LOVE Edmonton - city of Champions" and then he chuckled. Anyway, the night DFA played I got kind of intoxicated and by kind of, I mean like obliterated. I barely remember their set which sucks because it was the only chance I ever had to see them and I kind of have a rule, never to get drunk at live shows because I don't want to forget anything. The only exceptions to this rule have been DFA, the smalls last show in Calgary at the old Mac Hall 2001 and Corb Lund at the Powerplant in support of 5 Dollar Bill so that was like 2003. In all three cases I have acted like a total idiot.
At the DFA show I somehow talked my way into the VIP area, wait, no, it's coming back to me now, Roselle and Al were cleared to go up and they thought if they left me I would just pass out in Victory Lounge and miss the show. So we all went up together. The VIP area was carved out of what used to be Oliver's office when he used to run the show so you had to look down and to the left to see the stage. It was like 20 feet above the crowd. Pretty cool spot to watch a show from what I remember. I also remember Lyle Bell (Whitey Houston) sitting down from me watching intently on what was going on down there as his band was also a drum and bass combo. The worst part about the whole thing was that I guess somehow I didn't seem all that drunk, so Al and Roselle kept feeding me beer. Bless their souls. But all good things must come to an end and I ended up accidentally dropping a full bottle of beer which hit my foot and glanced off it through the bars on the railing I was leaning on, and down onto a bouncer below. I almost got kicked out but we all claimed it was an accident and I got to stay for the rest of the show, though I was cut off. Finally.
So yeah anyway, MSTRKRFT, check them out. Fun stuff with I might add, sexy results.
Pretty sweet. My job is pretty sweet sometimes. Over the past year one of my highlights was doing an interview with MSTRKRFT at Jet Nightclub at the MGM Mirage.
Okay sweet. That worked.
So yeah some of my questions made the cut and some didn't, but one question that didn't because it was a very Canadian in nature regarding their name. I asked them if they had paid a lot of Canadian Tire Money to secure the rights to their name. They laughed and confirmed my suspicions. Al and Jesse got their name from a tool box in their studio from "Crappy Tire" who carry the MASTERCRAFT brand tools. Take out the vowels, add a homage to Kraftwork and voila! A perfectly good name for a perfectly good duo.
I first met Jesse back when he was in Death From Above 1979 when they played the Starlight Room in Edmonton. When I told him where I was from, his eyes lit up and he said "We LOVE Edmonton - city of Champions" and then he chuckled. Anyway, the night DFA played I got kind of intoxicated and by kind of, I mean like obliterated. I barely remember their set which sucks because it was the only chance I ever had to see them and I kind of have a rule, never to get drunk at live shows because I don't want to forget anything. The only exceptions to this rule have been DFA, the smalls last show in Calgary at the old Mac Hall 2001 and Corb Lund at the Powerplant in support of 5 Dollar Bill so that was like 2003. In all three cases I have acted like a total idiot.
At the DFA show I somehow talked my way into the VIP area, wait, no, it's coming back to me now, Roselle and Al were cleared to go up and they thought if they left me I would just pass out in Victory Lounge and miss the show. So we all went up together. The VIP area was carved out of what used to be Oliver's office when he used to run the show so you had to look down and to the left to see the stage. It was like 20 feet above the crowd. Pretty cool spot to watch a show from what I remember. I also remember Lyle Bell (Whitey Houston) sitting down from me watching intently on what was going on down there as his band was also a drum and bass combo. The worst part about the whole thing was that I guess somehow I didn't seem all that drunk, so Al and Roselle kept feeding me beer. Bless their souls. But all good things must come to an end and I ended up accidentally dropping a full bottle of beer which hit my foot and glanced off it through the bars on the railing I was leaning on, and down onto a bouncer below. I almost got kicked out but we all claimed it was an accident and I got to stay for the rest of the show, though I was cut off. Finally.So yeah anyway, MSTRKRFT, check them out. Fun stuff with I might add, sexy results.
Torture Demon Hellride
I don't recall why I was thinking about my birthday today, it's not till May. But for some reason I was and I was thinking about how it seemed at the time like Clint Eastwood was the only pop icon that was born the same day as me. So I went over to wikipedia to find out who else was born on May 31st too. Turns out there are some other notable people born that day including: Colin Farrell, DMC, Corey Hart (yeah I know I said notable - but he never surrenders), frickin' John Bonham!, Chris Elliot..., Johnny Paycheck (or Paycheque in Canada), Karl Bartos AND Fritz Hilpert from Kraftwerk (what are the odds?), Lea Thompson (it's written all over your underwear) and one Wesley Willis.
I thought back to the first time I ever heard Wesley and it was during a special broadcast back in '94 where Eddie Vedder did a radio broadcast from some jam space in Seattle. Eddie played a bunch of music he was into at the time including a demo of Dave Grohl's new band The Foofighters, had live performances from Soundgarden, Screaming Trees and Mad Season, and interviewed fellow musicians like Krist Novoselić and Stone Gossard. As a fledgling musician myself at the time it was alternative rock bliss.
At one point, Eddie calls Mike Watt at home for a chat and Mike immediately tells Eddie he has to hear something. So Mike Watt puts the receiver up to his speakers and plays "They Kicked Me Outta Church" by Wesley Willis. That whole radio session was so memorable and I recorded it to tape and must have listened to it a million times but that Wesley Willis song made me laugh every time. It was so random, extra crunchy due to the radio frequency/phone connection that I heard it through, Wesley sounded like an old blues singer. About a year later mp3 technology had come along enough that I found a few Wesley Willis songs on Napster and I was hooked. His songs were so simple, and hilarious.
I had no idea that he was a diagnosed schizophrenic but even when I found out, it didn't change my feelings toward his songs. I think that Wesley would probably have been happy about that. They say that he wrote and performed to help control the demons aptly titled "Heartbreaker," "Nervewrecker," and "Meansucker". He referred his psychotic episodes as "hellrides".
In 1999 I went to see Wesley at the old New City Suburbs in Edmonton and I think that Rock critic Will Robinson Sheff got it right when he wrote:
Willis’ "periodic appearances for crowds of jeering white "fratboys" evoke an uncomfortable combination of minstrel act and traveling freakshow."
I was SO disappointed with the show. Between the "fratboys" who kept jumping and yelling (read requesting) "ROCK AND ROLL MCDONALDS!!!" over and over again and Wesley's 7-10 minute bridges in each song where he would hold one finger on the keyboard and kind of rock back and forth - I had enough after 3 songs and left.
I know that what he was doing was therapeutic, but I wanted to come away with more than what I left with. All I really got from the show was the ability to tell people that "Yep, I saw Wesley Willis before he died."
Speaking of dying, here are some people that died on my birthday: Timothy Leary, Terry Sawchuk and Spuds Mackenzie.
But anyway, I should get going. Gotta end this the right way. You know what's coming.
Rock over London, Rock home Chicago. Bud Light: Right out of the Ice.
I thought back to the first time I ever heard Wesley and it was during a special broadcast back in '94 where Eddie Vedder did a radio broadcast from some jam space in Seattle. Eddie played a bunch of music he was into at the time including a demo of Dave Grohl's new band The Foofighters, had live performances from Soundgarden, Screaming Trees and Mad Season, and interviewed fellow musicians like Krist Novoselić and Stone Gossard. As a fledgling musician myself at the time it was alternative rock bliss.
At one point, Eddie calls Mike Watt at home for a chat and Mike immediately tells Eddie he has to hear something. So Mike Watt puts the receiver up to his speakers and plays "They Kicked Me Outta Church" by Wesley Willis. That whole radio session was so memorable and I recorded it to tape and must have listened to it a million times but that Wesley Willis song made me laugh every time. It was so random, extra crunchy due to the radio frequency/phone connection that I heard it through, Wesley sounded like an old blues singer. About a year later mp3 technology had come along enough that I found a few Wesley Willis songs on Napster and I was hooked. His songs were so simple, and hilarious.
I had no idea that he was a diagnosed schizophrenic but even when I found out, it didn't change my feelings toward his songs. I think that Wesley would probably have been happy about that. They say that he wrote and performed to help control the demons aptly titled "Heartbreaker," "Nervewrecker," and "Meansucker". He referred his psychotic episodes as "hellrides".In 1999 I went to see Wesley at the old New City Suburbs in Edmonton and I think that Rock critic Will Robinson Sheff got it right when he wrote:
Willis’ "periodic appearances for crowds of jeering white "fratboys" evoke an uncomfortable combination of minstrel act and traveling freakshow."
I was SO disappointed with the show. Between the "fratboys" who kept jumping and yelling (read requesting) "ROCK AND ROLL MCDONALDS!!!" over and over again and Wesley's 7-10 minute bridges in each song where he would hold one finger on the keyboard and kind of rock back and forth - I had enough after 3 songs and left.
I know that what he was doing was therapeutic, but I wanted to come away with more than what I left with. All I really got from the show was the ability to tell people that "Yep, I saw Wesley Willis before he died."
Speaking of dying, here are some people that died on my birthday: Timothy Leary, Terry Sawchuk and Spuds Mackenzie.But anyway, I should get going. Gotta end this the right way. You know what's coming.
Rock over London, Rock home Chicago. Bud Light: Right out of the Ice.
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Littlest Hobo
If ALCB ever gets back together we are going to remix this fo shizzle.
It just occurred to me that it's spelled The LITTLEST HOBO. Strange. It's like the chyron operator started writing it out and then just when he finished the word "The" he decided to put on the caps lock button and make it "LITTLEST HOBO". I guess this was well before the time when words in caps meant yelling.
That reminds me of the days when I first got into internet chatting with the mIRC client. I was only 15 or so and I used to be quite the rapscallion online if I do say so myself. Going into #edmonton on the EFnet server and typing in caps to annoy the channel operators so they would kick me. Then it would always elevate to a PING war and then onto a proper banning. God, those were the days.
If you have no idea what I am talking about then good for you. But if you do, load up your IRC chat client, log on to Efnet, /join #edmonton and tell em Yrasr sent ya!
Oh and please check out the Misfits song Hybrid Moments on the sidebar. It kicks SO much ass!
Holding Grudges
Take a moment and read this:
Almost six years ago this letter appeared in See Magazine, one of Edmonton's weeklies. Every time I read it, I can't help but chuckle. Someone took the time out of their day to dis me and my band. COOL! The best part of the whole letter is that he mentions our "shite keyboards". I would like to think that we were a little ahead of our time in that respect, as most bands these days have a keyboard element live or in studio or both. I was way into Jimmyeatworld when I was in this band and I even went on tour with JEW as a roadie for the opening act This Civil Twilight! I got the guys to sign my guitar when the tour ended.
I am not going to spend anymore time on this one. Just know that the person that wrote that letter is not well and I hope that he gets help. Oh and I had a blast on that tour - thank you Derpy!
Almost six years ago this letter appeared in See Magazine, one of Edmonton's weeklies. Every time I read it, I can't help but chuckle. Someone took the time out of their day to dis me and my band. COOL! The best part of the whole letter is that he mentions our "shite keyboards". I would like to think that we were a little ahead of our time in that respect, as most bands these days have a keyboard element live or in studio or both. I was way into Jimmyeatworld when I was in this band and I even went on tour with JEW as a roadie for the opening act This Civil Twilight! I got the guys to sign my guitar when the tour ended.
I am not going to spend anymore time on this one. Just know that the person that wrote that letter is not well and I hope that he gets help. Oh and I had a blast on that tour - thank you Derpy!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is like the US Veterans Day but it is observed mostly by countries that are or were in the British Commonwealth like Canada. It happens on every November 11th and since I was in Kindergarten on this day on the 11th minute of the 11th hour everyone gives a minute of silence for those that were killed in World War I (and WWII - though the original sentiment was to recall the end of WWI back in 1918). In Canada that minute of silence usually was extended by the length of whatever marginally successful musician had decided to make a Remembrance Day song - Bryan Adams and Tom Cochrane just to name a few - which was blasted over the school PA system. Since I was old enough to understand what Remembrance Day was all about I knew that some of my family members were in the "Great Wars". My Great-Grandfather who lived to 96 years was in both of them and I knew him quite well growing up. Most of my Great Uncles on my Dad's side were in WWII, one of which - Lee - was killed in action though I don't really know the whole story on that one. But when Tom Cochrane's Victory Day was blaring over the PA my head was always thinking of my Great Uncle David and his sacrifice.
I never knew Uncle David, he was my Grandma's brother on my Mom's side. He was in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve during WWII. I believe he was my Grandma's youngest brother and I think when he died he was only 21. What happened? Well he was stationed in the South of France during the German occupation and the Allies were trying to push the Germans completely out at this point. By 1944 they had almost completely pushed German forced back to western German borders. But Germany wasn't finished looking for other footholds in France.
What I believe happened was that his plane was damaged in a German air strike and he was going down, heading straight for a hill side but instead of hitting the hill he changed direction to hit a bridge instead. His plane crashed, he was lost, and the bridge was destroyed. Turns out that the bridge was where the approaching German forces were headed to cross into the town of Fuveau which is about 24 km from Marseilles. The Germans had no choice but to look for another way across and the town was saved.
When it was discovered what had happened, my Great Uncle was celebrated as saving the town and he was given a large memorial in the town. My Grandma visited Fuveau back in the early 90s and was thrown a parade in her brothers honour!
I really want to visit Europe someday, both my brother and sister have been to various countries over the years, but never made it to Fuveau. I think by the time I am 30 I want to visit Fuveau.
But first I have to brush up on my French. I haven't taken a French class since grade 8! Which is on the short list of classes I have failed in my life. Here is the short list:
French 20
Math 30*
Comp Science 114 (first year university)
Animal Physiology 241 (second year university)
*recommended by teacher to take the Math 33 final after struggling with Math 30 in case I failed - I later took Math 30 again and passed.
Looking at it, it's not too bad.
But I have gone off track. So today I won't be listening to any cheesy Canadian rock (well maybe some Rush) and instead I am going to think about my Uncle David.
Here is a snap of his name in the Second World War Book of Remembrance:
I never knew Uncle David, he was my Grandma's brother on my Mom's side. He was in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve during WWII. I believe he was my Grandma's youngest brother and I think when he died he was only 21. What happened? Well he was stationed in the South of France during the German occupation and the Allies were trying to push the Germans completely out at this point. By 1944 they had almost completely pushed German forced back to western German borders. But Germany wasn't finished looking for other footholds in France.
What I believe happened was that his plane was damaged in a German air strike and he was going down, heading straight for a hill side but instead of hitting the hill he changed direction to hit a bridge instead. His plane crashed, he was lost, and the bridge was destroyed. Turns out that the bridge was where the approaching German forces were headed to cross into the town of Fuveau which is about 24 km from Marseilles. The Germans had no choice but to look for another way across and the town was saved.
When it was discovered what had happened, my Great Uncle was celebrated as saving the town and he was given a large memorial in the town. My Grandma visited Fuveau back in the early 90s and was thrown a parade in her brothers honour!
I really want to visit Europe someday, both my brother and sister have been to various countries over the years, but never made it to Fuveau. I think by the time I am 30 I want to visit Fuveau.
But first I have to brush up on my French. I haven't taken a French class since grade 8! Which is on the short list of classes I have failed in my life. Here is the short list:
French 20
Math 30*
Comp Science 114 (first year university)
Animal Physiology 241 (second year university)
*recommended by teacher to take the Math 33 final after struggling with Math 30 in case I failed - I later took Math 30 again and passed.
Looking at it, it's not too bad.
But I have gone off track. So today I won't be listening to any cheesy Canadian rock (well maybe some Rush) and instead I am going to think about my Uncle David.
Here is a snap of his name in the Second World War Book of Remembrance:
Neutral Milk Hotel
Please listen to Neutral Milk Hotel's - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea if you haven't yet. So good.
There is a first time for everything.
Wow. This is my first blog. How exciting!
To start, I guess I should introduce myself. I am a 28 year old video producer from Edmonton, Canada and am presently living and working in Las Vegas. Well at least for another 3 weeks.
My visa expires on December 1st so I have to pack up and leave no trace of myself on US soil, then the plan is to come back over the border with my TN visa application in hand and acquire that said visa for another year in Sin City.
Sounds easy enough right?
Wrong.
My first visa experience started in September 2006. The job I presently do was here in Vegas waiting for me to get a visa and come on down. So I said goodbye to all my friends and family, packed up my Toyota Corolla, brought my Moms along for the ride and headed to the land of the free. Here is the sucky part. The customs agent I dealt with in Sweetgrass Alberta didn't like the looks of my application and turned me away. So, I hopped back in the car and my Moms and me drove the 7 hours back to Edmonton.
But that wasn't the end of it, I am down here now after all right?
So I tried again, couple of small changes to my visa application, but this time I flew to Calgary International to try and fly into Vegas. My lawyer suggested Calgary over Edmonton because he thought Calgary would be more familiar with my situation. So I flew down and applied again. This time, the customs agent told me I was "port-shopping". And since I had just been denied weeks earlier in Sweetgrass, he could not give me a visa or allow me to enter the US. So now I have a red flag on my file (which = a bunch of fun questions EVERY time I cross the border I have found).
After the second denial, I thought my bosses were in denial when they told me to hold tight, and they would prepare a third package and even get in touch with Calgary customs to arrange a pre-clearance for me (which doesn't actually happen I have read). My lawyer was responsible for getting a lot of famous international sports figures into the US including Daniel Negreanu and Greg Norman, so I held tight.
Now I was getting pretty sick of going away parties. And so were all my friends and family. They had all said goodbye to me twice already and I wasn't really expecting them to do anything for my third possible departure. Understandable.
It was just really weird for this period. Everything was so up in the air, I couldn't make any plans and every time I saw my best friends I wondered if it would be the last time for a while. Finally on November 29th 2006, I received word that Calgary's Port Director had issued me pre-clearance (which apparently happens once in a while), so I headed out this time very confident that I would allowed passage into the US to start my new job. And it worked!
So for the past year I have been working as an IPTV Management Consultant for PokerRoyalty LLC. They put me on an online network project they put together called RawVegas.tv. It has been SO fun! It has been a lot of hard work though. I don't keep track of my hours, and if I did I bet I would end up being paid $4/hour but I couldn't have asked for a better experience down here. RawVegas is valued at millions and millions since we launched on January 19th 2007 and a lot of that had to do with me. I am proud of the little website that could.
I have had a lot of freedom (freedom = $) to do a lot of cool things this past year. I went to Vancouver in May for my birthday and had the best vacation ever in my opinion. I went to Santa Barbara to see a good friend for a week, and went back to Canada 14 times (for haircuts among other things). I really haven't been homesick at all, the thing that gets me is that I have 0 friends down here. The only people I know are my employees or famous people. Neither of which I can really call friends. So I really enjoyed being able to get home and see my friends the past year. However, doing just that has lead me to a possible roadblock in my plans for three weeks from now.
I will save that story for another time though. It's 1:33 am and I think that is a pretty substantial first blog.
Don't you?
To start, I guess I should introduce myself. I am a 28 year old video producer from Edmonton, Canada and am presently living and working in Las Vegas. Well at least for another 3 weeks.
My visa expires on December 1st so I have to pack up and leave no trace of myself on US soil, then the plan is to come back over the border with my TN visa application in hand and acquire that said visa for another year in Sin City.
Sounds easy enough right?
Wrong.
My first visa experience started in September 2006. The job I presently do was here in Vegas waiting for me to get a visa and come on down. So I said goodbye to all my friends and family, packed up my Toyota Corolla, brought my Moms along for the ride and headed to the land of the free. Here is the sucky part. The customs agent I dealt with in Sweetgrass Alberta didn't like the looks of my application and turned me away. So, I hopped back in the car and my Moms and me drove the 7 hours back to Edmonton.
But that wasn't the end of it, I am down here now after all right?
So I tried again, couple of small changes to my visa application, but this time I flew to Calgary International to try and fly into Vegas. My lawyer suggested Calgary over Edmonton because he thought Calgary would be more familiar with my situation. So I flew down and applied again. This time, the customs agent told me I was "port-shopping". And since I had just been denied weeks earlier in Sweetgrass, he could not give me a visa or allow me to enter the US. So now I have a red flag on my file (which = a bunch of fun questions EVERY time I cross the border I have found).
After the second denial, I thought my bosses were in denial when they told me to hold tight, and they would prepare a third package and even get in touch with Calgary customs to arrange a pre-clearance for me (which doesn't actually happen I have read). My lawyer was responsible for getting a lot of famous international sports figures into the US including Daniel Negreanu and Greg Norman, so I held tight.
Now I was getting pretty sick of going away parties. And so were all my friends and family. They had all said goodbye to me twice already and I wasn't really expecting them to do anything for my third possible departure. Understandable.
It was just really weird for this period. Everything was so up in the air, I couldn't make any plans and every time I saw my best friends I wondered if it would be the last time for a while. Finally on November 29th 2006, I received word that Calgary's Port Director had issued me pre-clearance (which apparently happens once in a while), so I headed out this time very confident that I would allowed passage into the US to start my new job. And it worked!
So for the past year I have been working as an IPTV Management Consultant for PokerRoyalty LLC. They put me on an online network project they put together called RawVegas.tv. It has been SO fun! It has been a lot of hard work though. I don't keep track of my hours, and if I did I bet I would end up being paid $4/hour but I couldn't have asked for a better experience down here. RawVegas is valued at millions and millions since we launched on January 19th 2007 and a lot of that had to do with me. I am proud of the little website that could.
I have had a lot of freedom (freedom = $) to do a lot of cool things this past year. I went to Vancouver in May for my birthday and had the best vacation ever in my opinion. I went to Santa Barbara to see a good friend for a week, and went back to Canada 14 times (for haircuts among other things). I really haven't been homesick at all, the thing that gets me is that I have 0 friends down here. The only people I know are my employees or famous people. Neither of which I can really call friends. So I really enjoyed being able to get home and see my friends the past year. However, doing just that has lead me to a possible roadblock in my plans for three weeks from now.
I will save that story for another time though. It's 1:33 am and I think that is a pretty substantial first blog.
Don't you?
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