Oh, Dear Readers, it has been an unexpectedly exhausting week. Work has been hectic, thanks ultimately to those greedy enough to have cultivated the reprehensible and irresponsible practice of subprime mortgage lending. But let's not go there. I'm tired, I'm spent, I'm emotional. So when I saw this I just about wanted to cry. Sod it, all I want is to give peace, love and kisses out to this whole stinking world... Have a lovely weekend, and be excellent to each other!! Carter USM [...]
Family FiL at Oyster Bay, Mayne Island, August 2007 Hello, Dearest Friends, I'm back. Happy as I am to be chatting with you once again, I will readily admit that I'm missing Mayne and the family, who are staying on for another fortnight. I'll be back on the forthcoming weekends, but that's just not enough... Actually, it was a funny old break. Thoroughly enjoyable, but slightly out-of-phase way, as if not everything was in its proper place. Much of it has to do with the odd summer we've been experiencing [...]
Village Bay Ferry Terminal, Mayne Island, July 2007 Dearest Friends, we're off shortly to our beloved Mayne Island for a week-long summer family holiday. We're looking forward to pootling about on the shores, communing with the orcas, evening barbecues overlooking the sea, and a spot of camping on nearby Saltspring Island. I am feeling rather tired and drained, so the slowdown to island time will be most welcome. I had both intended and hoped to post much more over the past couple of weeks. Really, I did. So [...]
Photo nicked from here Even though Tim's off getting set to wed, he's made sure that we've been taken care of this week. You see, he's prepared the next two Contrast Podcasts in advance so we would not go without. Hooray for Tim! Hooray for forward planning! Hooray for automation. And this week, hooray for Crash, who enjoys pretending life is like a song ! For this week's episode is his idea: DJ Russian Roulette. The idea is this: [...]
"I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it." Audrey Hepburn Alas, it seems that the enemy of affection is the schedule, the chore, the duty. Le sigh. Do feel free to set a spell. I'm here... Comsat Angels - Will You Stay Tonight? (out of print, but you can find the vinyl on eBay )
Photo courtesy of this man I fully intend to wax excited about more of my Folk Fest discoveries, but today is Tuesday. And that means it's Contrast Podcast day! To celebrate the sixty-ninth episode, SAS Radio served up a theme that's laden with double entendres : Dinner for Two. I think this is a meal that's best not shared with the kiddies. But if you do care to dine with us, help yourself to the buffet over here , or else [...]
Old Man Luedecke pickin' it in a new old skool stylee... My Dear Friends, I finally have a chance to breathe. The work week has been worked out, the sproglets are tucked up in their respective beds, the dogs (Dearest Father-in-Law's pooch is visiting) are snoring lustily, the washing-up is washed up, and Dearest Wife is out with her father at a Michelle Shocked gig. So here I am, a virtual mug of Horlicks in hand, ready to sit a spell and chat. Well, where to start? How about the Vancouver Folk Music Festival? [...]
OK, maybe I'm being a tad melodramatic. I mean, it isn't an event on par with the Bolsheviks seizing control of Petrograd's Winter Palace in October 1917. It pales in insignificance next to King Camp Gillette's introduction of the safety razor. But it's an important day for me nonetheless. You see, I finally got myself my own host. At first I'll only be using it to store my mp3 posts, but I'm sure sooner or later I'll move the whole damn pogo a go-go over. I feel so grown-up. [...]
Dearest Friends, there's something squiffy going on with Fileden, my file hosting provider. Since about a month the bandwidth use has shot up astronomically out of proportion to my site traffic. For instance, today I have had 90 visitors so far but Fileden tells me I had over 1.5 gigabytes of downloads. That makes no sense. I know other Fileden bloggers have had similar issues and Filden itself seems to be unwilling to help get to the bottom of this matter. The net result is that I'm over my bandwidth quota for the month with two weeks to [...]
I really meant to post a lot more over the past fortnight. You see, I've got stories waiting to be told. But alas, all that was pushed aside by more worldly demands. Sigh... I shan't be able to catch up this weekend either, for I'm volunteering at the 30th Vancouver Folk Music Festival . You may recall me waxing lyrical about last year's edition here and here . You see, folk is not really my preferred musical genre; though I do enjoy significant chunks of the oeuvre, I'm [...]
Artwork by Stephen Youll Like, faaaaar out, maaaaaaannnn.... Sorry, couldn't resist. The latest Contrast Podcast is out, and since this week marks the 67th episode, Dearest TiM has decided to take us back to the year 1967. Yep, back when it was all long hair, kaftans, free love, patchouli, psychedelia, be-ins, and all that hippy-dippy stuff. Actually, the contributions this week are very balanced, with only a smattering of hippydom. Yay! That said, when I think 1967 I think flower power [...]
Photo courtesy of Milk Milk Lemonade Dear Friends, I just got back from the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. Yes, you heard right. The Ukrainian Cultural Centre. And it was culture I got, but not Ukrainian. No, this was locally grown pop cultcha - The Tranzmitors. You may recall my disgruntlement at missing them a couple of months back . And I was right to be peeved, because they are a splendid band. Now, the Ukrainian Cultural Centre is a bit of an odd venue. It's basically a [...]
Dearest Friends, I got the shock of my life yesterday. While waiting at a stop sign on my drive home, I glanced at my rearview mirror and saw none other than Kim Jong Il,* Dear Leader of everyone's favourite renegade Stalinist kingdom, North Korea. He then followed me for part of my remaining journey. I can reveal that he drives a dark blue, older model Honda Accord. Though I did not see any ballistic missiles in his backseat, I did hear the following tunes belting out of his tinny car stereo: [...]
Come worship here For my 7th grade music class project, I prepared a report on Elvis Aaron Presley. I recall thinking at the time that it would be far cooler than writing something about Bach or Mozart. After all, wasn't Elvis "The King??" I rediscovered this artifact not ten days ago, over a quarter century later. As I leafed through the pages of handwritten scrawl and fading, photocopied photos, I was struck by how bloodless and factual it is. A mere narrative catalogue of [...]
Mayne Island, Active Pass. Photo courtesy of Cheryl J . Dearest Friends, I did indeed worm my way out of the Big Apple and am now safely back in BC. Alas, this week has been very hectic and this afternoon I'm off to glorious Mayne Island for the Canada Day loooooong weekend. So about 4PM Pacific Time, I'll be ensconsed on a ferry much like the one pictured above, munching nanaimo bars with Darling Daughter (our little tradition). All this means I'll continue to be scarce on the blogfront [...]
Hellooooo, Dearest Friends! I'm surviving The Big Apple!!! Over one week now and I've yet to be mugged, shot, or thrown under a subway train. Only another 48 hours to go... It has been a powerful strange eight days, and I'll give you the skinny upon my return. But right now, let me focus on a couple of unabashedly fantastic points: First, I had a lovely time reconnecting in person with Dearest Bishakh, both on the cruise and the following evening chez lui, where [...]
You can see my high school. Thanks andy in nyc! Dearest Friends, I'm off. Yes, FiL is going back to the old house; on Thursday I'm jetting off to the town where I was born, Noo Yawk Siddy. Now some of you know that I don't really have much love for the Big Apple. Indeed, though I grew up in New York, I am not a New Yorker. I gladly left behind the in-yer-faceness, the noise, the rush, the dirt, the crush some twenty-one [...]
Ch-ch-chaaain, chain of so-o-ong... Yes, Dearest Friends, its Contrast Podcast Day again, and this week sees the conclusion of the song chain that began waaay back in episode 48 and continued in episode 53. To remind you of the concept, one person chooses a song, then the next person chooses another song linked in some way to the previous song, and so on, and so on. Tim, being the ever-thoughtful forger of podcasts, has linked all three episodes together over here . But you can download just the third length over here [...]
Arrr, me Dearest Hearties! Shiver me timbers, splice the mainbrace, caulk the mizzen, and swab me poopdeck! This week the good ship Contrast Podcast sets sail on a sea of music dedicated to all things oceanic. And through the magic of the internet, you can all come along on the cruise! As a special treat, you'll hear the adventures of Cap'n "Salty" Tim and his band of cutthroat musical pirates as they face down the dangers of crap music and corporate greed. So slip on your eyepatch, screw on your pegleg, grab your cutlass, and come aboard! The [...]
Last night's tally: Two whisky sours Two gin & tonics Three glasses of white wine ( Sumac Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, yum yum!) One calvados Three beers One double Jack Daniels Went to bed at 4:00 AM, woke up at 7:30 AM, attended a presentation at 8:00 AM. And I suspect tonight will be the same. So time for a nap... P.S. It's pissing down outside, and I'm chortling at the thought of those out on the green worshiping the god of golf... RIAA - It's Whiskey [...]
pogo a go-go
Bison - Quill
Shinichi Osawa – Big Beach Mix 2012
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Mr Fogg - Eleven
