I woke myself from a short sleep to greet Monday with saggy, heavy eyes. The morning air was topped with a crispy crust of fog with a mist and cloud-filled center. Habit forced me to stop for my usual Starbucks' fix. Lucky for me, I had half a dozen Starbucks' outlets to choose from during my five-minute walk to the Sky Train Station in downtown Vancouver. While I was waiting for my Venti Americano (aka extra-large coffee), I impulsively grabbed a bottle of water and paid $1.99 for this 'seemingly' normal beverage. Now, allow me to confess: I am not known for "paying" for water. Call me crazy, but I believe the freshness of water tastes just the same from the tap as it does bottled (aside from the general smug feeling one gets from the obviously elitist choice to pay for water), and such was the case with my purchase of Starbucks' "Ethos" water except Ethos had a promotion which spoke to my innermost humanity.After looking at the heart-tugging, subliminally prompting, (the image was of clearly thirsty Africans) and reading the "Help the World", or some equally similar hippie-bullshit promotion, I assumed that my Ethos water-purchasing-coins would contribute to implementing change in an otherwise, impoverished country.And then I scanned the information on the back label which read:
... only 10 cents of my $1.99 contribution would go towards building wells for villagers in Africa...and, I've gotta tell you, I was appalled. Here's a company which can afford to put two outlets directly across the street from each other, but can't afford to dish out more than 10 cents per bottle towards the promoted charity? Yet somehow they can justify charging two bucks for a bottle of water, by disguising the sale as a lame-ass excuse for a humanitarian mission instead of as the marketing ploy it is? I mean 10 cents? C'mon! That's not even 10% of the proceeds yet the charitable aspect is 90% of their campaign to sell the product. It's ridiculous to think we have to pay as much as $2.00 for water just to get a company to take some responsibility in helping someone.This whole scheme is marketing at its best. We are always force fed guilt like it's our job, as middle class working stiffs, to help the poor whom these corporations are generally getting rich from. Why do we have to buy a happy meal from billionaire corporations like McDonalds just to encourage their (tax-deductible) charitable contribution of 10 cents to Childrens' Hospital?Corporations are the only groups with the means to help and provide REAL change, yet time and time again they are ignoring their obligations by constantly passing off the responsibility to their consumers by using these charitable marketing schemes to play on our compassion.The funny thing about it is, I passed a homeless man on the way in who asked me for change and I told him to get a job. Had I given the clearly, alcohol-dependent man the $2.00 I spent on the water, at least I would have been giving to a more immediate cause, rather than having my money sucked into the vacuum of a faceless corporation. After all, everyone's gotta drink something.On the plus side, I am glad to see Starbucks do SOMETHING for a country they have been raping for all these years. I wonder how much those Ethiopian bean pickers make per hour?I wonder if it's more or less than a bottle of Ethos water?I hear it's awful hot over there...
I read recently that in tough economic times, comedies become more popular. Sadly, the quality of most comedies these days hasn't become any better than it was were our economy stronger. In fact, there is only one comedy out there in TVland right now that is any goo. But the great news is it's brilliant. Wednesday evenings on the Comedy Network you can tune into Flight of the Conchords, probably the best show on TV today. Based on the life of two band mates who have relocated from New Zealand to New York, Flight of the Conchords offers both comedy and songs (a combination that usually does nothing for me). And the actors Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement aren't too hard to look at, either. Their lives revolve around their low rent apartment, meetings with their manager (who seems incapable of getting them any gigs), their one fan, and Bret's ever-changing status as a band member. The twosome bill themselves as 'formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo'. Together, they have won a Grammy (2008, best comedy album), created a radio series for BBC Radio 2, been named to the list of top five new TV shows for 2007 by Time magazine, and still tour and perform at various venues (this year, they were on the main stage at Sasquatch Festival, and did a free show a Amoeba Records, to name but a few). Not to be missed.Image from Wordpress.
On Thursday, February 5 at Celebrities Nightclub (Davies Street, Vancouver) you can step back in time and celebrate the best music of the '70s and '80s - Bowie, Glam, New Wave - it's all there for you to hear and dance to!Promoter Vernand Goud pays hommage to the late, great Vancouver hotspot, Luv-A-Fair once again with Luv-A-Fair #4 - Bowie/Glam Night. I attended Luv-A-Fair #1 and #3, and the word is obviously getting out: the attendance at #3 had pretty much tripled from night #1.So, this is obviously a case of be there or be square!t
Peter Gerstenzang, (Feb/02/06), had written a piece entitled New Days for Psych Furs' Butler for the Rolling Stone magazine.Surely, life just keeps getting better for our favourite gravelly-voiced frontman Richard Butler.Richard Butler fronted the band, Psychedelic Furs who sung Pretty in Pink which was used for the 1986 movie of the same name. The band originally assembled in the late 70's, and continued until 1991. Artistic disagreements led to the band's semi-demise. The '80's were the glory years for the Furs; Heaven, along with Pretty in Pink kept the Furs on the airwaves. As a lover of all things Richard, I faithfully attended his shows, but in 1994, when he came out with LoveSpitLove, I found my Real Richard - brilliant. By 2000, LoveSpitLove was no more. Interestly, LoveSpitLove was on many movie soundtracks and televisions soundtracks and I am curious if that is when Richard decides to venture on to something new?In 2001, the Furs rejoined and have been playing ever since with the likes of the: Violent Femmes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, X, and Franz Ferdinand which would indicate the Alive and Kicking moniker is very appropriate.In early 2006, Richard released the critically acclaimed solo album entitled Richard Butler,which held a collection of songs dedicated to his and his friend, Jon Carin's deceased fathers (Both Doctors.)Richard Butler was originally trained as a visual artist, and his recent works have receive much world attention. He has had gallery openings in New York, Miami, Florida and Florence. One of his paintings is his CD's cover art; but that is for you to figure out.I had formally noticed that in 2004, the Furs have had an extensive tour schedule; Richard has recently released the song Work it Out (written by Vince Clark of Depeche Mode) for the children's show, Johnny Bravo (and perhaps as a keepsake for his daughter, Maggie Mozart Butler, 11, in 2008).In August 2004, a book about the Psychedelic Furs was released, entitled Beautiful Chaos.Present bandmates in the Furs are: Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass), John Ashton (guitar), Frank Ferrer (drums) and Amanda Kramer (keyboards). Butler, (June 5, 1956) presently resides in New York with his wife and daughter. Updated according to the ever resourceful Wikipedia, PLEASE keep it honest.
receives his latest assignment involving the delivery of a 'package' from "Marseilles to Odessa on the Black Sea." However, Martin's European 'delivery' is not without (predictably) at least one 'twist'. Furthermore, his usual 'delivery' method is hampered by his being outfitted with a wrist device that will ensure explosive death and destruction if Frank ventures beyond 75 feet of his vehicle.Unfortunately, this 'twist' immediately brought to mind the movie, Speed, as the underlying premise/theme is similar. E.g.: If the main hero alters/changes his course, in opposition to the villain's projected demands, the outcome will be life-threatening mayhem.I openly admit that Jason Statham did an excellent job despite being given an average script; containing some gad-awful dialogue, as well as plenty of clichés reserved for "bust 'em up/bang 'em up" movies. Moreover, Statham's acting should be noted for his having to respond to (with a straight face) his co-star, villain, Robert Knepper as Johnson. But more about Knepper, later.Of course there is the standard love interest between the Prime Minister of Ukraine's daughter, and our hero, Frank. Despite how important her character is to the movie's central plot, (her role is played by Natalya Rudakova) ... I could NOT recall her character's name! I had to google both the character's and actor's name (which turns out to be Valentina). This does not bode well for any actor attempting to make her mark in the 'biz'. As well, despite her character's important addition to the plot, as well as to the "twist", Rudakova did not leave any impression that would make us a) want to know her name or b) care to learn who was performing the role.François Berléand, once again played Inspector Tarconi, (Frank Martin's sidekick/closest thing to a best friend) and, once again, Berléand did a solid and consistent job at injecting some humour and the occasional dramatic urgency into an otherwise, lukewarm role. The main villain was one of the 'worst' villains I've seen, and I did not buy into/believe in his character for one minute, I would label his acting as "old school"; as in, I would liken Transporter 3's villain to the original Joker from the black and white television series, Batman.Overall, the plot for Transporter 3 was dull, been-there-done-that, and simply pathetic (with exception to anything being blown up, or any computer generated excitement.) Then again, these effects should be a 'given' in any action movie genre.
So, why do I say pathetic? When the audience is thrown subplots, or extra information that is even more unbelievable than the movie's, "Villain character's" acting... Well? What would you call it? For example, the police department and the government learn the villain's real name and location, and rather quickly, in the movie! At least in other espionage/action flicks, the bad guy will toss out a couple of red herrings to keep the 'good guys' and audience wondering what's going to happen next. I was able to predict this movie's plot and ending, but it's times like this when I hate to be right. I guess the most intense guessing, wondering or predicting I did during the 90 minutes was... trying to figure out when the movie was going to end? Is this movie worth spending cash at the box office, or is it a wait-for-the-DVD type of flick? Definitely a wait for the DVD, as it is the most disappointing movie of the trilogy and will, no doubt, go straight to video within three months. 1.5/5 (and the half point was strictly for the guns, explosions, and computer generated effects. And, 1 point to Jason Statham for doing a good job in a stinker of a movie).
The term Seagull Manager dates back to the late '80s, and was used in an article by Michael Madison, who used it to describe a particular management approach of interacting with employees, of only dealing with them when a problem arises, making quick-fire decisions about things, then leaving and letting others have to deal with all of the mess left behind. But is was Ken Blanchard who really quantified the term in his 1999 book , 
Read this line those years ago, and for awhile enjoyed the guilty pleasure of quoting it when dealing with issues as a middle manager. And if you've never dealt with Seagull Management yourself, then just think of 
Here is a story which I am sharing with you courtesy of 
If you want to be really pedantic (oh, and I do), Merriam-Webster describes a hologram as
During her career, Enya has collected four Grammy Awards, winning Best New Age Album for Shepherd Moons, The Memory of Trees, A Day Without Rain, and Amarantine, as well as three World Music Awards in 2002 for Best Selling Female Artist, Best Selling Irish Artist and Best Selling New Age Artist.Enya has also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, both in conjunction with her musical partners Nicky and Roma Ryan, for the song, May It Be, which was written and recorded for the movie, Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring. May It Be was written at the personal request of director, Peter Jackson. The song also won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for Best Song and was also nominated for a Hollywood Golden Globe Award.Check out your local music store on November 11.
The show stars Hugh Dillon as Detective Mike Sweeney; Sweeney has left Toronto following the death of his partner, and the near death of his wife (to cancer). Still dealing with the emotional after-effects of both of those emotionally traumatic events, Sweeney is plunged right into the middle of a serial killer hunt in his new hometown, the suburb of Durham County. Complicating matters further, it turns out a nemesis from his youth lives directly across the road; as well, the young woman he fell in love with at the cancer support group turns out to be his daughter's high school English teacher.In addition to the adult cast, the teens in this film are especially noteworthy. Laurence Leboeuf stars as Sweeney's daughter, an independent young lady who enjoys recreating crime scenes in her doll house during her spare time; her counterpart is the shy, artistic son of his father's nemesis. Rounding out the cast is the youngest daughter, a character who appears in most shots wearing an over-sized Sailor Moon mask. Altogether, the story is a convoluted, twisting journey through an everyday neighbourhood where good and evil co-exist.Not to be missed.
Wal-Mart is evil. Don’t get me started, or I’ll rant all night. Information on Wal-Mart’s cancerous “race to the bottom” tactics is not hard to find: just Google the term “Wal-Mart is evil” and you’ll find lots. And most of what you’ll find is both sad and nauseating.The most interesting (and balanced) item I found was from the Markulla Center For Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, who considered the question “Is It Ethical to Shop at Wal-Mart?” and concluded:
and The Charlatans UK will be playing at Richard's on Richards.
As well, the extremely popular The National played there in 2007.I'm not sure of the reason for currently popular bands being booked 'down' in Canada, but I'm always grateful for the 'up close and personal' experience. I often wonder how the performers reacted to the venue. Were they surprised, appalled, embarrassed, oblivious, annoyed, or indifferent? Canadian concerts spoiled me as I now refuse to attend a concert if the venue holds an audience larger than 1000 (using The Commodore Ballroom as my quota template). The Commodore's capacity limit is advertised as 990, but sardine-packed audiences at sold-out gigs appear 'fuller'.TV on The Radio will be playing the Commodore on Sept. 7th. 
Canada's knack for showcasing amazing talent in contrarily matched venues consistently baffles me. The only explanation I've arrived at is our nation's tendency towards delayed appreciation. The Fine and Performing Arts rarely receives priority status in the media. As a teen, I was reliant on local/national Canadian media for my music news, and our country remained six months to over a year behind the rest of the world. Although the Fine and Performing Arts are still largely under-reported, the internet has allowed music lovers to fall into sync with similar-minded fans around the world. However, the average Canadian concert-goer still depends on the media to alert him/her to an upcoming concert rather than proactively seeking updates.With an 'audience alert' in mind, here is a sample of upcoming performances by artists presently riding a popularity wave. And to avid fans of specific bands - Canada may be your last chance of viewing your favourite musician(s) in a more intimate setting (and you won't need a video screen to see her (them) perform). I may not understand the reasoning, but I appreciate the bang-for-yer-buck entertainment outcome.September 1st - Estelle - The Commodore Ballroom (capacity 990)The London rapper/singer/producer (Shades of Lauren Hill) coos her "American Boy" hit .... groove from will.i.am that's way better than his half-baked crap. Spin MagazineSeptember 7th - TV on the Radio - The Commodore Ballroom (Capacity 990)... one reason TV on the Radio gets listed among the best American bands of their generation is because their free-ranging sound... Rhapsody Mp3 Spin Magazine 2006's Artist of the Year.October 8th - The Charlatans UK - Richard's on Richards (Capacity 400)...played a number of high-profile supporting gigs during the summer of 2007, including for The Who and The Rolling Stones, at venues including Wembley Stadium and Twickenham Stadium in London... WikipediaOctober 16th - Duffy - Croation Cultural Centre (Capacity up to 1000)
Duffy's rise to success has been remarkable. She already has a number 1 single under her belt, as well as critically acclaimed TV performances and is the current darling of the music industry.
October 17th - Sara Bareilles - The Vogue (Capacity 1150)achieved success in 2008 with the hit, "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. WikipediaOctober 28th - Lykke Li - Richards on Richards (Capacity 400)... the Swede of the month... tentative, tuneful love song, "Little Bit", is buoyed by wispy indie-tronic production...To see more upcoming concerts go to 
Curly Howard Image from: www.art.com
Brett Hull Image from: rangers.lohudblogs.com
The evening’s lineup includes:IncuraInnocent BystanderCold DrivenVersus the NothingJordan CarrierWith Special Headliner: ThornleyOne of these top five acts will receive the Platinum Award which provides: 
I received a band alert from Windup Records, and I do believe we have a potential ‘winner’ with Tickle Me Pink.Colorado’s latest musical export reminds me a bit of Story of the Year, especially with their release Typical (due out on radios next week). I prefer the melancholic tune, Madeleine, and predict it will become as popular as Typical.One note of sadness, the band's bassist, Johnny Schou died on July 1, 2008. This must be heartbreaking; to have one of the most important days of your life (album release date in the USA) be countered with one of the most saddest.Check out the tunes yourself at
and solo spoken-word gigs. I've heard the Glastonbury legends for years and I'm finally going to see for myself, and under the exact circumstances, which I had most hoped for. After just over three weeks in England the cuts and scrapes on my limbs from a month of tree planting have finally healed and I've completed my seasonal metamorphosis from a beast of burden into a purveyor of linguistic animal magic. If you're curious about what our new Edinburgh show is going to be like, take a moment to read some press on The Rebel Cell
As you all know by now, I love almost everything about the ‘80s, but especially the music and movies. One of my very favorite guilty pleasures is the movie The Karate Kid (the original from 1984). I am not sure exactly why, but I have always loved this movie. Maybe it is because it is about the underdog who overcomes tremendous obstacles to achieve his goals in the end. Maybe it is because it is a story about the power of friendship, trust and honor. Maybe it is the thrill of victory and that all of the hard work and training really does pay off. Maybe it is battle of good versus evil with the good guy losing some battles, but ultimately winning the war? Maybe it is because of Elisabeth Shue? Maybe it is a combination of all of those reasons, but I love this story about Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi and whenever it is on I cannot help but sit and watch it. Here is a 
So, what did you think…? If you are not a big fan of The Karate Kid, you might not find it as amusing as I do. It is good to see that Zabka does not take himself as seriously as many of his 80s characters did. Hope you enjoyed this little piece of pop culture gold. Peace and much love. If you enjoyed this article and would like to read some more 80s-related articles, If you 
Quote of the day: The fruits of life fall into the hands of those who climb the tree and pick them. -Earl Tupper (American entrepreneur and Tupperware inventor) Download this: What's Been Going On? by Amos Lee - I have recommended a couple Amos Lee songs in the past and he just released a new album titled Last Days At the Lodge with this song being one of my favorites. 
For one, I could tell immediately upon the first few listens that this guy is a true, musical journeyman both as a songwriter and recording artist. Even if a specific song didn't do it for me; after the first couple of plays, I could hear the genius in the details which, I've learned as a seasoned listener, separates the men from the boys, so to speak.And there are a lot of details in the song's respective locations, aptly complementing the individual track they're enhancing, instead of taking away. A good example is on the catchy You Haven't Changed At All, where there is a continuous guitar solo throughout a portion of the track. Yet the song is mixed at just the right level so that it doesn't become a distraction. And just as the song is nearing its end, a great layer of harmonica and gentle picking of the guitar strings subtlety trail off in a sonic dance of bliss. This song is one of the standouts on the disc and reminds me of a cross between Blue Rodeo, Tom Cochrane, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The real beauty is that it's all pulled off without sounding derivative.But make no mistake, this album will conjure up comparisons to a whole whack of rockers from bygone days. As well as the before-mentioned acts, I'm constantly amazed at how closely Marq's voice resembles that of a young Mick Jagger from the Let It Bleed era (but only on certain songs when he accesses his lower vocal range.This leads me into my one critique of this effort, which lies with in the apparent production inconsistencies which crop up now and again, negatively impacting the overall sound. It is most apparent on the hard rocking All You Had To Say Was Hi!, which is a song that has grown on me despite my initial confusion as to why both back up singers' (Amanda Sonic Guests) appear to rock in a lower register than their natural range would indicate.I also found that track one's Prey Becomes Predator, appears to be unlikely slagging fodder for some pundits who feel this thrash metal tune just doesn't "fit" with the rest of the disc. This song is one of my favorites, in no small part due to the fantastic guitar layering and the solos that leave me shaking my head in respectful awe. Fair enough, the vocals appear recorded and/or mixed in a way that just isn't congruent with the quality on the rest of the disc. This is unfortunate, because you know DeSouza's instincts are too aware for him not to have known that. There's definitely not a lack of vocal ability with Marq, as DeSouza's pipes prove to be first rate, most notably on the cuts You Haven't Changed, Glimpse of Her, and the kick-ass Some $, Somehow. This track is an impressive offering of balls-to-the-wall rock of the Cougar/Hip/Stones/Skynyrd calibre, and it would be an injustice if this song doesn't crack Canadian radio soon as this tune should be topping the summer charts across the entire country.Following behind is the trackRazorburn which is another Skynyrd sounding tune, especially during the latter half of the song which graces us with some of the most impressive guitar manipulation I've heard since Slash was in the Gunners.This musical skill is what impresses me the most after listening to, and getting addicted to, this disc. Despite being an independent release, the quality of songwriting and musicianship on this album is comparable to some of the best records released, which is a testament to DeSouza's: talents; abilities; staying-power, and the-all-important-gift - instincts. Marq could steal Springsteen's tag of hardest-working-man-in-rock music with his two-year labour of love, which does not disappoint.I don't usually rate the albums I review, but I need to give this disc a nine out of ten, 9/10 and I hope Marq DeSouza's Self-Titled CD generates enough critical and commercial buzz. that his follow-up attempt will get the financial backing it deserves (ahem...Bob Rock as producer)? But if an offering of funding and production assistance is not forthcoming, I am sure Marq will still deliver top quality music on a working man's budget.Great work, man. You have yourself a new fan in the Eastern part of the country who can't wait to see what the future holds for you.Check out Marq's sites and see for yourself!
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