Better Late than Never... Paul Westerberg in Concert, February/05 by Timothy Burnett

Paul Westerberg: Commodore Ballroom February 17, 2005



" All the world's a stage, mine just happens to be a medicine cabinet" (Westerberg during the middle of his show)

The performance that Paul Westerberg and his Only Friends (aka ‘The Pharmacists’) gave was a rare experience. The 800 or so people who came to the show rarely ventured into a seat. Paul still loves what he does, rocking & rolling & rolling.

At times the sound got muffled as the soundman tried to push the amplitude; still, for the most part, it went unnoticed as the crowd sang along. 

This was Westerberg’s first date back after a brief hiatus and the new tunes that were added to the repertoire sometimes got caught up in themselves. Paul's solo with a six string was particularly indicative of just how much fun they were having. Paul enters the verse of his song and forgets the lyrics. The guitar player brings a written copy of the lyrics and hold it up... Paul tried his best to make it through the song but ultimately he ended up in laughter he could not control.  Rather than try to hide musical mistakes and lyrical glitches, the errors were turned into genuine moments of humor.  

They played a host of material culled from both the ‘Mats’ release and all Paul's solo releases including ‘Grandpaboy’. After offering the crowd to make requests, we were blessed with a kick ass version of ‘Smoke on the Water.’ The selections from his new C.D. "Folker" somehow come off a little more heartfelt than previous discs, and considering his past experiences with record companies he would be just as happy performing his latest work.

Holiday Time

Hey gang

We're on holiday here, but that's not to say swanktrendz is... check out our website for new articles in the various categories. We'll be back blogging par usual on Saturday...

Happy Hols

Christine

Dredg - Concert Review :Richards on Richards, Medium Capacity, July 22, 2005 By Christine Albrecht

The New Literal Definition of Deconstruction



Dredg is an art-metal band hailing from Los Gatos, CA that comprises of Gavin Hayes (vocals/lap steel guitar), Mark Engles (guitar), Drew Roulette (bass), and Dino Campanella (drums/keyboard). It’s hard to describe the band’s music other than multi-layered, metal, atmospheric, intricate, and thematic. Lyrically, vocally, musically and artistically, the members of Dredg are a cohesive unit.

Upon entering the venue it became immediately apparent that Dredg has an avid following. While scanning the audience, we noticed that the majority of listeners were totally mesmerized by the band, yet also singing along with every tune. Quite remarkable given that their latest cd has only been out for a month. This was not a crazy pogoing crowd, but an enthralled group (of mostly college-aged guys).

Hayes has an uncanny resemblance to Jim Morrison and appears to take his music very seriously. Hayes’ singing is impressive in that his pitch and key are on target, but he also uses his voice as an instrument accompaniment by varying positions of his mic while singing. He also demonstrates complicated fingerplay using a lap steel guitar with which Gavin uses a variety of objects (including scissors) to create an atmospheric sound.

A style note - the entire band is neither pretentious nor dressed to impress. Bass player, Roulette, performs barefoot (which we learned was because his bass foot pedals are very small, so it's necessary for live performances). Roulette also appears to be the relaxed; engaging with the audience in a fun way, between songs. Hayes appears more humble, truly appreciative of the audiences’ attention and thanks us for lending our ears.

If intensity of music could be measured by perspiration, this band would be the kings of intense. They were literally dripping with sweat, and we were half expecting a spontaneous electrocution. That being said, it further demonstrated that Hayes et al were too wrapped up in the music to even bother toweling off. It was as if they had been transcended to another place whilst performing.

Dino Campanella's drum playing is unique and manic and his piano playing is extremely accomplished. In fact, we found ourselves (as well as many others) mesmerized by this performer. There’s an unexplainable musical quality about him that keeps one continually being drawn back to him.

Mark Engles was extremely hard to capture on camera as his hand was a constant, hard thrashing blur. We’re always impressed to watch guitarists that agile with their fingers.

The ‘New Definition of Deconstruction’ subtitle came from the last song (which indeed was the last song - no such thing as encores from this group) in which the band members left the stage, only to have Campanella still playing while roadies systematically took apart his drum set. It was a brilliant ending right down to the last note.

Part of me wants Dredg to stay as is - perfect and unadulterated, yet another part of me wants them to play up something (ie: a gimmick) so that they may become more accessible to the public via radio airplay rather than remain indie stars. However, I have a feeling that Gavin would be totally opposed to that as he once said during an interview that “...they’d like to keep ourselves true to the music rather than the whole image behind it.

Dredg self-released its first EP, Orph, in 1997. Then came the full-length follow-up with Leitmotif. Interscope signed Dredg and the band worked on its second full-length album, El Cielo. In July 2005, Dredg released its third album Catch Without Arms.

To purchase any of these cds go to:

Dredg’s Site


An interesting aside - concert goers were seen with awareness bracelets, as well as confederate style baseball caps. Nothing deep to be read into that, just a trivial aside.

Mike’s Musings - My Summer Fetish

Mike’s Site




I'm sorry.
I just have a thing with the summertime.
I truly believe it's magical.

Here's a rundown of some of the magical things that have happened during the summers of my life. (Note: summer's 80 through 92 were all exactly the same - Def Leppard and family vacations.)

1993
-lit a lot of grass fires
-hello pubic hair

1994
-more grass fires (we called them "nasties")
-listened to 'Sabotage' like a billion times
-hello drugs

1995
-last summer before High School
-our little neighborhood plays host to an orgiastic landslide of underage drinking and sexy makeout parties
-two arrests (shoplifting and window smashing)
-I had long ass blonde hair

1996
-hello driver's licence
-the nightly Police patrols that were instated because of last summer's rampant hooliganism force us to build cabins in the woods. people come from all around. The’Age of Cabins’ has begun
-our little group finally gets a proper name, (CVT - Cantley Village Threat), bestowed upon us by the right honorable Dale Fahey
-smoked hash everyday

1997
-don't remember much
-Johnny had a convertible
-I think we went swimming
-wrecked the Accord (looking at babes, not road)

1998
-hello having a job
-Hello Nasty
-sit on a stoop on Bentic Street every night and drink
-also the summer that "drinking" finally matured into "full-on alcoholism"

1999
-my last summer as a cigarette smoker
-lake and field parties abound

2000
-spent about half my summer taking acid
-got kicked out of the community of Baddeck
-Johnny and I go see the Foo Fighters
-I move to Halifax

2001
-I operate a hot dog stand on Skin Garden Road
-I burn the bejesus out of my hand
-I learn of Daryl's fear of spores

2002
-again with the hot dogs
-regular plow sessions with a hot but insane wine-blooded redhead who happens to have a large, angry-type boyfriend

2003
-we live in a mansion
-we destroy mansion by having massive 80 to 100 people parties with live bands in the living room every other weekend
-lawsuits ensue
-survived the Evolve festival somehow

2004
-took a train across the country with Kathryn
-grew a beard
-saw Slayer, got Slayer'd
-watched two bisexual strippers fuck each other for money
-still drinking

2005
-hey Meredith, you should have a party

Goodbye Long John Baldry

Although British, our (Vancouver's) blues man is gone having died from a chest infection last night (July 21) at 10:30p. This man was eloquent, gracious, wickedly funny, chef extraordinaire, and had a voice that was as big as his height. This is the man whom Elton John took his last name from. Had a great encounter with Baldry and his band in the late 80s and will truly miss him. It Ain't Easy!

CBGBs closing by Lezah

Yup, it's true. The legendary CBGBs in New York's Bowery district, one of the few places that would book punk acts when they first came out, will be at the end of their lease August 31/05 - and simple economics make it appear as though they won't be signing a new lease.

The club opened 32 years ago in what legendary singer Patty Smith described as the 'skidrow district', and at that time they paid about $600 a month in rent. That price has jumped to an astronomical $40,000 a month (with an additional $80,000 a year required for insurance). Owner Hilly Krystal is looking at options; there is a 'Save CBGBs' petition out there, and individuals would like him to open a CBGBs in both New Jersey and California.

Time will only tell what the outcome will be...

image by http://www.gratefuljoe.com/cbgb.html

Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, September 2-5/2005 by Lezah

A few years ago, we had some friends playing at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival. We went down to see them, but once we were on the grounds we spent time walking around, and what an amazing experience - there were bands playing everywhere, all throughout the day. In addition to the bands, there was art and a variety of exhibits around the former Seattle World's Fair Site, located at the base of the Space Needle. I was so impressed by the number, quality and variety of bands that I've always wanted to go back - but I've never made it back to Bumbershoot, for a number of reasons. Looking at the list of bands offered there this year, I think I'm going to make a concerted effort to go this year - after all, it is the 35th anniversary of the Festival.

A severely abridged list of bands appearing at Bumbershoot this year includes: Devo, New York Dolls, The Decemberists, The Donnas, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, The Posies, Tegan and Sara, The Be Good Tanyas, Brazilian Girls, and Pretty Girls Make Graves (the complete list has over 60 bands). Also appearing is Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), the 1 Reel Film Festival, and The Art of Rock Poster Exhibit (to name but a few).

At only $18 a day, you can't go wrong. Go to http://www.bumbershoot.org for more details.

The Go! Team, The Long Ranger, The Saturday Knights, and Fankick! Concert Review by Lezah

Neumo's Crystal Ball Reading Room, Seattle, July 18, 2005 - capacity crowd



If the mountain won't come to Mohammed and all that...

Turns out The Go! Team were doing their first-ever world tour after selling out multiple shows at South by Southwest and headlining Glastonbury, but Europe's latest indie music darlings weren't planning on coming to Vancouver, so we tracked them down at their nearest stop: Seattle. They had just played Pitchfork's Intonation Festival in Chicago prior to the Seattle show, appearing with the likes of Broken Social Scene, AC Newman and Death From Above 1979.

To date, The Go! Team has been together for less than a year and has just one cd out (Thunder, Lightning, Strike, on Memphis Industries; a US record deal is in the works). This London/Brighton group consists of founder/musician/songwriter Ian Parton, singer/dancer Ninja, and musicians Jamie Bell, Sam Dook, Chi Fukami Taylor, and Silke Steidinger. Parton's idea when forming the band was to experiment with 'slamming together different kinds of sounds next to each other' in a never-before-done sort of way. And that they do!

After a two hour drive down to Seattle, we made our way over to Neumo's. The show started with a kitschy '80s dance act called Fankick! The two dancers leapt and hopped their way through about five pre-recorded 'popular' '80s tunes, enhanced by visual aids such as plastic hoop earrings, leg warmers and a Thigh Master. 'Nuff said.

Next up was a four-man group called The Saturday Knights who had obvious hip-hop leanings. Their first song's chorus went something like this: "If you ain't feeling us/You ain't drunk enough". By the end of that song, I was figuring that I'd be needing to get about two cases of beer into me to make it through their set. However, I was pleasantly surprised by them, as they improved as their set went on - they were a bit uneven at times, but full of humour and certainly showed some promise.

The next band was called The Long Ranger, and was a brother/sister/friend act. Sister was in charge of the laptop, sang a bit and danced; friend played the guitar; and brother sang and danced. We were 'treated' to 40 minutes of pretty similar sounding songs and some fairly repetitive dance moves, and eventually the powers that be at Neumos kicked them off the stage. It was kind of sad, as you could see they were really enjoying themselves and wanted to keep on playing - and playing - and playing - and playing...

Finally, The Go! Team came on - right at midnight. After three acts with no drums, I was starting to go into withdrawal, but The Go! Team fortunately has not one, but two - count 'em: two! - drum kits, so the evening was saved.

This band is hard to classify: are they dance? pop? old school hip-hop? experimental? funk? '60s soul? Northern soul? a grrrl group? all of the above? Their lo-fi sound is hard to categorize, and includes chanting, fragment sampling from 60s-sounding horn sections and plenty of their own instrumentation (In addition to two drum kits [played, at various times, by four different band members] and the requisite guitar and bass, band members also played the melodica, banjo, recorder, bells and harmonica), but whatever the case, this group played a wildly enthusiastic set.

Enough cannot be said about lead singer Ninja. She came on stage and immediately red-lined the show. Not only can this girl sing - she can dance! And dance she does! And dance is what the crowd did, too. I cannot think of any show I've been to - ever - where the audience was truly dancing (not pogoing, not head-bobbing, not swaying - but DANCING!) so much. The whole place was moving and the sweat was spraying everywhere. Ninja had some fun, imitating the dancers in the crowd, but it was done in such a happy, joyful way that everyone was just swept up by the sheer fun of it all.

The Go! Team played most of the songs from their album (Panther Dash, Bottle Rocket and Ladyflash being my faves), and also played about three new songs (including their encore song, at this point entitled 'Untitled' - but this is one song we're going to be hearing again real soon).

Following the Seattle show they were off down the West Coast and from there will be hitting Australia, Japan, and then back to Europe where they will finish off their summer by appearing at the Reading, Leeds and Bestival Festivals in England.
 
image by www.thegoteam.co.uk/

Illuminaries Festival at Trout Lake Park by Lezah

Public Dreams


A few years ago I read a newspaper coverage of an event called 'Illuminaries'; unfortunately, the event was already over by the time I read about it and all that remained were the newspaper photos. However, it really picqued my interest and last year I read that the event was on again, the weather was going to be great, and my social calendar was empty - serendipity!

I went to the event not really knowing what to expect, and (to borrow a phrase from the sixties) what I saw blew my mind!

The Illuminaries festival was held at Trout Lake Park (also known as John Hendry Park) in Vancouver's Commercial Drive area, and the place was packed. Many people had made their own illuminaries and were walking around with them, but there were also many professionally crafted ones. There were large illuminaries floating on rafts in the middle of the lake, 15 foot high angels, snake and dragon Illuminaries that involved close to 20 people to parade them around the park, and even illuminaries up in trees. It was like attending some sixties’ 'happening'; a Halloween party in the summer, or being at the site of a very, very friendly art installation.

In addition to the illuminaries there were many other activities going on, from 'Midsummer Night's Dream’-type fairies flitting about, sprinkling people with 'fairy dust', to fire dancers and a fireworks display to complete the evening.

This year the Illuminaries event is happening again at Trout Lake Park in Vancouver on July 23, starting at 6 pm - but, my advice is to go a bit later, when it's dark - that way you can get the full effect.

image by www.publicdreams.org

Haute Couture for 05/06 By Christine Albrecht

The Haute Couture line for Winter 2005/06 is now official.

Black is back, yet textured. Expect bows, tulle, brocade, taffeta, fur, satin, silk, feathers, quilted fabrics, embroidery, piping, and layered chiffon. The key component about the return of black is that the colour saturates the outer layers, allowing rich tones of emerald, lemon, fuchsia, lavender, (and the always chic winter white) etc. to peek through.

Silhouettes are slimmer, tailored, feminine, with a dash of beaded/chiffon overlaid flapper styles thrown in the mix. Sensual and sexy. Gold and silver accessories, stilettos and kitten heels added to the glamour.

Mike's Musings - Severe

Mike’s Blog




What the F?

What kind of night was that?
Could I have crammed anything else in there?
Probably not.

I was stinko before I even got to Stage Nine, where I was hijacked by legions of Jager-imbibing minions.
The Lighthouse Choir and Burdocks rocked me in all the right ways... yeah.. like that ...that's how they rocked me.

I got way too excited, accidentally smashing a shot glass in my hand, followed by a crash course in Drunken First Aid.
(I was later informed that our little group finished every last drop of Jager in the bar. Sweet, time bending, memory eroding Jager.)

Then there was a shift in time/space and I was in another bar watching a different band altogether.

(Don't ask questions, roll with it.)

Then bluurrrry. Then I'm at a party somehow.
Still drinking somehow.

Then I blinked and I was in yet another apartment.
Drinking wine (I think?)

Then all of a sudden the sun came up (thank God for that because I wouldn't have made it very far in the dark in such an advanced stage of intoxication.)
I ran into one of my Tobacco Customers at the end of my street and talked about the merits of the first four Black Sabbath albums until my eyes crossed and my knees buckled and the Giant Magnet dragged my ass back to my apartment.
To crumple on the floor and reflect.

I couldn't remember much, but I had that feeling in my my spine that every conversation I had that night was quite possibly the most important conversation I'd ever have.

I take a sick kind of comfort in not remembering exactly how everything went down, it lends the evening a sort of mythic quality.

On one hand, I wish every night could be a night like that.

On the other hand, that would kill a man.

image from www.cartoonstock.com

Autism and Vaccination - Link or Coincidence? By Christine Albrecht

On July 19/05, officials in Washington held a news conference declaring that there is no proven link between childhood vaccines and autism.

Having acquaintances who are dead-set against vaccinations because of the autism debate made me take notice of this news. I have vaccinated my child, and have been vaccinated myself, as a youth and with yearly flu shots. Luckily (knock wood) my child appears healthy and well. However, I have heard horror stories from friends regarding their children being diagnosed with autism months after a vaccination.

I am aware that autism is generally recognized around the age of two, when developmental progress becomes more apparent. I am also aware that vaccinations are given around this age as well. So what is the verdict? As the saying goes in science and statistics. ‘correlation does not imply causation’.

The news conference was deemed necessary as there is an increasing number of parents who are convinced the mercury-containing preservative, thimerosal, will cause autism. Thimerosal had been removed from most childhood vaccines in 2001, with flu shots being the exception. However, Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is emphatic that vaccines save lives and protect children.

There appears to be advocates for both sides of the controversy: public health officials on the side of vaccines, and politicians such as Florida’s Dave Weldon against the childhood vaccination. It should be noted that Weldon was a practising physician prior to being elected in 1994, and has sponsored legislation to omit thimerosal from flu shots.

I suppose my one question would be, “Why was thimerosal removed from vaccines in 2001? Was it because there was evidence (re: the link to autism) to support parents’ claims?” As yet, I have not found any answers to these questions.

image from www.momsonamissionforautism.org

Be Rachael Ray for A Day: Dine & Dish # 4 - By Becks & Posh

Becks&Posh




First I have to blow some huge air kisses to Sarah down in LA. I want to thank her for inviting me to be the first ever Celebrity Guest Blogger (her words, not mine) to host Dine & Dish and for letting me take part in this photo shoot too. It's amazing what they can do in Photoshop these days. Look how white they made my teeth!

But what about Rachael Ray - just who is this cutesy little upstart anyway?

Although Rachael is fairly well known in the USA, foreign readers might need a small explanation. Ms Ray is a TV Chef who is much derided
in some circles for her unrefined style whilst others argue that her detractors are nothing but food snobs. Either way you look at it, she must be raking in the money. Rachael hosts three shows on the Food Network
. The first is a cooking show for which she makes 30 Minute Meals. In the second, Inside Dish, she visits the homes and kitchens of celebrities to discuss their favourite foods. For the third show, the one we are most interested for this month's challenge, Rachael visits cities all over the world and eats, as a tourist, on a $40 budget. At this point I have to confess that this is the only one of Rachael's three shows that I have actually seen. And even then, I only watched the San Francisco episode as a matter of curiosity. And what did I think? Firstly I thought - if I wanted to show off the best of San Francsico, I'd choose completely different places to eat. Secondly, I thought, "Hey, I could do that", and so, here I am doing it, and I want all of you to do it too!

How to be Rachael Ray For the Day...
Instructions for Participating in Dine & Dish #4:

This is the perfect chance for you to show off your favourite, good-value, eating-out options in your hometown. If you are travelling you can still take part, by being even more like Rachael and posting your entry from the point of view of a tourist.

So here is the deal - your Dine & Dish #4 blog post should cover a whole day's worth of meals eaten outside of your home - breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snacks (if you have enough money), including drinks, for the total sum of $40. Take out options are viable too. A sandwich in the park for lunch, will help keep your budget down and leave you more pennies to spend on dinner.

Make your post informative. Imagine it is being read by a tourist who wants to try out your choices. Pictures would be great if you can manage them. Link to the vendors' websites if they are available and make a note of the cost of each part of your meal.

(Shhhh! Nobody will know if you cheat a little and don't actually visit all the places on the same day, just make it look as if you did for the sake of your post.)

I think Rachael includes the tip in her budget, but we aren't going to enforce that here, because different countries and different people have different ideas about how much a tip should be. So just tip as extra, as you would normally do, and don't bother to include that part of the transaction in your post.

Click here for a currency calculator
if you are outside the USA, to find out how much $40 equals wherever you are in the world.

Try and show off the good things about the area you are posting from. Rachael is nothing other than orgasmically happy about everything she consumes for $40 A Day and you should be the same.

Absolutely not: No taking vegetables home from the market and cooking a fabulous meal. This challenge is entirely about eating out and has nothing to do with eating in!

The Dine & Dish Deadline is Monday August 22nd. Please post your entry on, or just before, that date. Then send me an email with I AM RACHAEL RAY in the subject line.

Information I need in the email please:

Your name:
Your Location:
Your Blog Name:
Your Blog Url:
Your Blog Post Title:
Your Permalink Url for your Dine & Dish #4 post:
Your Final Budget Total:

email to becks dot posh at gmail dot com

Some Faint Hope for Moderate Justice? by the Political Heretic

Political Heretic



In my last piece I suggested a reason as to why we those of us on both sides of the abortion debate should put those differences to the side for now, unite behind a consensus moderate justice who will not overturn judicial precedents, and reject a justice who shares Justice Antonin Scalia's constitutional jurisprudence.

I don't believe President George W. Bush will pick any moderates and I don't think any Republicans will break ranks and bar an up or down vote on the nominees but there is a slight, (and I do mean slight) chance that enough Republicans will break ranks and vote against a conservative extremist.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) said the president should appoint a moderate to preserve the balance on the Court and according to this article
, Senators Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have also said they wanted someone "strike a balance."

I don't know if he was speaking seriously but Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) said Fred Thompson, a former senator from Tennessee, actor, and consultant on the president's judicial nominations" would make a good candidate on Jay's Leno's "The Tonight Show."

The key question of course, is if there are enough independent minded Republicans willing to break from the president to offset any Democratic defections (Robert Byrd - W. Virginia, Mark Pryor - Arkansas, and especially Ben Nelson - Nebraska).

June Showers Musings by Rob williams

Rob's Site




So my bachelor party is just about an hour (July 16th) away (we're going to Florent, in the meat packing district, to start off the night). iIm nervous! If it's anything like our wedding shower I just know i'm going to spend the whole night blushing and sweating from laughter and embarrassment.

What debauchery lies ahead for me? What kind of silly hat or t-shirt will they make me wear?

And will it match my shoes and pants?

Not only all that but i just found out that actress June Haver
died on July 4th!! not to be confused with June Allyson, but June Haver was my other favorite June. June Haver! How did I not know this? Why didn't any of my readers notify me? Arghhh.

She was a 1940s ‘sweet as peaches’ blonde starlet poised to take over Betty Grable's shoes, but it never quite happened. First, she left films in the early 50s to become a nun. But then she left that, after just a few months, to marry Fred MacMurray (which is pretty much the same thing as becoming a nun--just kidding!).

And now she's gone! I never got to meet her.

Among her film highlights:

The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

Look For The Silver Lining

I'll Get By (my personal Favorite)

The Dolly Sisters (with Grable)

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

How can I go and celebrate when there is such sadness in the world? How?

Ann Jillian is a God - Rob Williams' Musings

Rob's site


So, I've been inundated with requests to post a picture of myself with my new facial hair (well, ok, so it's a certain guy who wants to see it--thanks for the support, bj!).

I will post a picture by this weekend. I just haven't gotten anyone to take my picture yet, even though my boyfriend and husband -to- be, Ted, has a camera phone and a digital camera. I have been told that it does look pretty good, and somewhat similar to Morgan Spurlock (crossed with a young Anthony Michael Hall spliced with Martin Mull --did y'all know Martin Mull is an artist? And a damn good one--he went to RISD, for Godsakes!).

Great! so in my seersucker wedding suit I’m going to look like a member of a barbershop quartet!

And speaking of the wedding, this weekend (July 16) is my bachelor(ette?) party--thrown by dear friend, David. David told me to prepare for debauchery, raunch, illicit activity, drug paraphernalia (but no drugs of course, just the paraphernalia), veils of varying lace, noise-makers, possible intoxication, go go boys, go go girls, go go boots, monkeys, dried fruit, Kelly Ripa, skinny edgy hipster boys with shoulder bags, and the cast of "It's a Living"



I can't wait!

Pictures will be posted, write-ups will be written, cities will fall.

Sing along lyrics to "It's a Living":

Life's not the French Riviera, believe me, life's not, a charity ball.
It isn't all a great big bed of roses, it's not like showbiz, but the main thing I suppose is…
We're not the people you envy, believe me, we know we're doing okay.
We may be less than wealthy, but better yet, we're young and healthy,
and anyone who's young and healthy knows that that's the way the traffic flows.
We've no misgivings, It's a living.

The Empowerment of Internet Blogging by Christine

As I was trolling the internet in search of interesting Canadian blogs, I came across an incredibly disturbing post. Disturbing for two reasons: a) the horrific, detailed first-hand account of child abuse and b) the fact that this family has not received any closure or atonement for the abuse.

As I read through all of the entries, I kept wondering how a small town of 2500 people could not, or chose not to, see the obvious.

The creator of the blog is the eldest of 12 children (2nd eldest if you consider the death of his brother when he was one year old). My heart went out to him, and yet I was proud that he was pursuing his disclosure of the (alleged) abuse despite all odds against him.

Then I realized the true ‘crux’ of this article. The internet provides immediate therapy for those of us who are aching from within. The internet has allowed all of us a voice, especially in times where newspapers and media are only interested in the story of the day. You won’t see familial discord on the front page, unless, of course, there has been bloodshed. Although this family has suffered, albeit in silence, anger and shame, the internet has allowed Byron Prior a public forum. Even if he is never provided with closure (in the form of public and governmental acknowledgment) he is provided with an empathic audience - all because of blogs, websites, etc. All the power to him and I hope he can finally have resolution and put these demons to rest once and for all.

As for his mother, I can only shake my head and wonder... a born sociopath, or a ‘made’ sociopath (which you will understand if you read the blog). Either way, she is responsible for destroying numerous lives and probably refuses to take responsibility for any of them. She and her fellow ‘companions’ are despicable and I ask you to decide for yourselves the seriousness of her actions.

Perhaps even email Byron a note of acknowledgment; he has been heard. By the way Byron, Happy Birthday on July 29th - maybe by age 52 something good will come your way.

Image from www.missabigail.com



Byron Prior Details


www.alltrue@nl.rogers.com

Profile of Jeffrey Newman: B.C.’s Interior Intellectual

As I have mentioned before, I enjoy reading Jeffrey Newman’s Provocations site. Jeffrey is a web designer at present and I decided to delve further into the ‘workings’ of his mind and arrived at an interesting, thought-provoking individual. Here is Jeffrey in a nutshell, albeit not as thorough as space would allow.

Prior to moving to 108 Mile House, Jeffrey was born and resided in South Africa, then moved to England via France after graduating from university.

Jeffrey is an avid eco-friendly environmentalist and stumbled upon this way of thought after reading a newspaper report (1970) on The Club of Rome report Limits to Growth

In the early ‘80s, Jeffrey met his wife, Maddi, in Calgary. Maddi works in graphic design and always had a natural ability in this area. She describes herself as a ‘compulsive-formatter’ and a few years ago she landed a job as a production manager with a womens’ magazine which pushed her to become more serious as a graphic designer. You can view some of her work at Maddi


Jeffrey and Maddi were living in a community of 100 Mile House and when they left that community, they chose to stay nearby at 108 Mile Ranch. They enjoy living at 108 Mile, and they enjoy working from their home where they each have an office.

They provide community support for their area by encouraging support for local businesses and activities ie: he built a web page with information on where to find food produced or raised in the community. He is also on the board of the 108 Mile Ranch Community Association 108ranch
and he maintains the website (surprise). Jeffrey is also the member of the Airport Commission for the regional airport. Maddi and he share a seat on a committee in 100 Mile House that helps select local candidates for government support in launching new small businesses.

Jeffrey slid in web design gradually. He had been running a three-acre organic vegetable garden and the idea of his own web site appealed to him in the late ‘90s when more online sites were popping up. After about a year of fine-tuning his personal site, someone asked him what he would charge to build one for them. Over the next couple of years, Jeffrey did more web designing and less gardening until he became a full-time professional web designer. Prior to organic farming, Jeffrey’s careers included child care worker, drug rehabilitation worker and remedial teacher/counselor.

Not surprisingly for an inveterate eclectic, Jeffrey doesn’t have a favourite website. Recently he built a website for the BC interior because he didn't see one online that he found useful. This was the first time he had become his own client - and this ‘client’ was quite happy with the results. Jeffrey also heartily recommends Sacred Lifeboats, which has just been launched (sic). It is directed at US citizens but will be helpful to others and, he suspects, will be encouraging to many beyond the USA to know that such matters are getting real attention
there.

For his Provocations site, Jeffrey determines the content by whatever stirs him: from an event or an idea that he thinks could use more attention, to something that might even open a small door for a reader. It could be something as simple as switching to a bristle toothbrush.

Jeffrey could not pinpoint a specific intent for his websites as each piece stands on its own and has its own intent/reasons. He simply wants people to be provoked by what they’ve read and preferably act on it.

When asked what he thought was the future of the internet, Jeffrey felt he wasn’t very qualified to comment on this. However, he enjoys the increasing collaboration the internet facilitates; the building of community (real and virtual). He’s glad to see that Wikipedia is becoming so popular and well-used, apparently surviving the pressure of this increase usage. Freecycling is working well in the Interior and in many places around the world. It builds community as the Web provides an alternative to the corporate media. He sees blogs and other independent communication sites coming under increased pressure to conform.

Jeffrey had this to say about:

Internet hackers - reclaiming a sense of power; getting away with stuff(cyber-Ninjas); Robin hood types in some cases.

Virus spreaders - to make a mark on the world (power); anger and alienation, akin to other forms of vandalism.

Spammers - to make money.

Jeffrey’s general thoughts regarding the next twenty years are that dwindling energy sources will force us to be ingenious and more cooperative, especially at the local level. Either that or we'll be participating in the end of civilization. (See Richard Heinberg: A Letter from the Future.)

Some trivial, yet interesting facts about Jeffrey are:

With being so busy, he reads approximately two books a year. He’s currently reading Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver and recommends it highly. In fact it
inspired a recent blog post: Coming to Know my Place.

His taste in music is eclectic. Some examples: virtually everything that Mark Knopfler does - from Dire Straits to the Princess Bride soundtrack to Knopfler’s album with Chet Atkins and his most recent album, Shangri-la. Another contemporary favourite is The Be Good Tanyas. His all-time favourite jazz artist reflects His South African roots and the artist,Abdullah Ibrahim, comes from the same city where Jeffrey was born. One of Ibrahim’s finest and a fairly recent album is Cape Town Flowers(Cape Town being where they both are from; yet their experiences are vastly different because of apartheid). He loves classic Brazilian bossa-nova; enjoys classical Indian music and some classical western music - many of the usuals as well as Spanish guitar music by people like Granados,
Villa-Lobos and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

In closing, I asked Jeffrey if he had any formal training as a writer as his articles are often well crafted. He replied that, as a little boy, his mother would encourage him to write as he ‘was so talented’. He assumed her praise was that of a proud or ambitious mother.

Well, as we all know, Mother is always right.

To check out Jeffrey’s sites and writing go to:

provocations


Jeffrey’s company


British Columbia


Interior News


Sacred Life Boats

Ani Kyd - Evil Needs Candy Too - CD Review By Christine Albrecht

Evil Needs Candy Too is Ani Kyd’s first full length cd, although she is hardly new to the music scene having fronted numerous bands, including Rumblefish, Spanking Machine, Spankin' Betty, Kyd Monopoli, and Fuel-Injected 45, as well as doing solo shows and playing guitar for Canadian Rock legend, Thor.

Evil Needs candy Too has Ani’s personal stamp all over it. An eclectic choice of songs with an equally odd assortment of instruments: hard thrashing guitars, wicked drums, violins and cello which perfectly complement Ani’s vocals in a variety of bi-polar personas. It comprises of 16 tunes that range from thrash rock, punk, and soft ‘melodic’ tunes (but don’t let that sweet voice fool you) intertwined throughout.

As I’ve stated before, I will not shell out the money for a cd unless there are at least 3 good songs present. In ENCT 5 songs stood out. The first, ‘Rejoyce’, is a good rocker tune with Ani’s singing reminiscent of Linda Perry. ‘Rejoyce’, ‘Left Holding the Bag’, ‘Erase’, ‘Stranger Things’, and my favourite, ‘Hard Way Home’ are reason enough to purchase this cd. ‘The Involuntary Admittance of Jack Kyd’ is also a bittersweet, yet humorous, insert at the end of the cd, taken from an answering machine message from Ani’s son, Michael Kyd. ‘My First Kill’ is also a finely crafted tune, hard driven, ala Dead Kennedys, but then it lulls you into a false sense of melodic calm, only to assault you again with vocal and instrumental intensity.

From the fast and furious opening seconds, the band's power and musicianship are immediately obvious, and, even to the untrained ear, drummer Gene Hoglan's playing stands out, especially on the songs ‘My First Kill’ and ‘Lost’. The band is tight with excellent guitar riffs (especially on ‘Thirteen’, and ‘Left Right Left’) The song ‘So Far’ has violins and excellent double bass (courtesy of Jan Berman). ‘Stranger Things’ (an acoustic version of Ani’s former release with Rumblefish) has a cello accompaniment to Ani’s vocals. Although the song is sung with apparent vulnerability, listen closely and there is a sinister edge to it.

All the songs’ lyrics appear personal and harsh; this is a survivor’s tale. It is an angry, non sugar-coated cd, and not for the faint of heart, or those looking for mainstream rock.

Produced by Jello Biafra (of the infamous Dead Kennedys) this is a solid full-length debut cd from Kyd, and no doubt other future releases will be in the works. This is the only non-Jello release that Jello Biafra has produced, so that is a statement in itself.

Purchase your copy of this cd at theAlternative Tentacles store


Ani Kyd’s band consists of:

Ani Kyd, vocals and guitar
Byron Stroud - Bass
Gene Hoglan - Drums
Ian White - guitar
Jan Berman - Double Bass on ‘So Far’

For a more in-depth article of Ani Kyd, go to the category Music Profiles at Swanktrendz Home

My Recent Publications by Rob Williams

Rob’s Home Page


Good News? Part 2



This is me, bathed in a lovely red light, pondering the change of my short story collection to full fledged novel... (Yes, that is a trucker hat on my head but it's made of wicker!!)...over a beer at Metropolitan bar in Williamsburg.
(continued from previous post)

So, after a week of fretting about my book (this was over two weeks ago) I came up with some thoughts (more like panic attacks): can I turn it into a novel? do I want to?

Why, why, why, can't it stay an interconnected story collection? Is my agent giving me the brushoff?

Does she really not like the book and this is her way of saying buh-bye? How long is it going to take me to turn it into a novel? What kind of work is this going to be? What kind of a project? How am I going to do this AND get married to Ted, AND move to San Diego? Should I just toss it all?

I finally met with my agent, Sally, on Wed. June 29 to discuss.

First, a bit about Sally: she used to work for a bigger agency, but decided to go out on her own and start her own agency (with one or two other people, I believe). I met her when she approached me after a reading of mine. This was about 4 years ago. I had only about 6 stories then, and the collection wasn't connected (except that it was about folks in S. California in the mid-80s). We clicked instantly, she has some family in San Diego (where I'm from) and so we talked about places we love there. She also had some really nice things to say about the story I read and asked me about the rest of them. She gave me her card and asked me to send the stories I have whenever I was ready. I was also being courted by another agent at the time (a bigger agent, from a bigger agency) but I didn't feel as strongly about the agent and she seemed to have a different idea of what the collection should be.

I talked with Sally over the phone a few more times and finally decided I wanted to work with her. She seemed so genuinely enthusiastic about my work and shared the same vision for it as me.

Flash forward a few years and Sally is still with me (or I'm with her, I suppose) and she has always been nothing but patient, generous, supportive, encouraging, and always providing great feedback and advice.

Since I had had a week before meeting her to let things stew in my confused little brain, I was ready to talk about the 'new' plan for the book. I went to the agency and we sat down in their very sheeshee boardroom (there are other agents on the same floor) with all of their books on the shelves--many I recognized and respected. 

So, Sally laid it out for me. She loves the writing, she believes in the writing, and she loves the voice but that's just it--THE VOICE. she feels that the voice (with a few exceptions) is the same throughout and the stories are really about ONE boy--Joel (the main character in my story "Japanese For Blurred Image") So why not make this a novel about HIM. (again she mentioned "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time"--which I told her I'm reading).

I also told her that she was probably right. That this really is, or could be the same boy, except for a few stories. Joel was already in six of the eleven stories anyway, so why not just try to tell his story?

But we discussed further that maybe it should only be about a year in his life (well, that was my thoughts anyway). And I don't want it to necessarily be a 'coming out' story or anything. I mean, yes, Joel's gay, but the book's not really about his coming out to anyone. It's more a picture of him and his family and the mid-80s, a young boy growing up gay on the cusp of the age of AIDS/HIV.

Some of you may remember what the 80s were like? This was before Will & Grace, before Elton and Melissa E came out of the closet, before kd lang, before there was Gay Chic, or bi-chic or what ever chic it was that somehow happened in the early to mid-90s where kd lang and Cindy Crawford could pose on a mainstream magazine together.

Who did young gay kids have to look up to? Wayland Flowers? Boy George--was he even saying he was gay?

I also wanted to write about growing up on the fringes and in the shadow of a major city/influence like Los Angeles and Hollywood (which has always been an influence on my life and writing).

So we decided that's what I'm going to do. Make this a book about Joel, a mid-80s, arty, film-loving blonde kid from San Diego and the year that changes his life. Something like that.

And right now I'm really big on plans, deadlines, goals (what with a wedding and a move to San Diego on the very near horizon, I have to be). So my immediate goal is to take the 6 stories that Joel appears in and turn it into 100 pages of a draft of the novel by early August. Easy, right?

Yeah. Right. It's not that easy. It's a helluva lot of fun and work but it's not easy. I do appreciate the support and encouragement I've gotten from other inspiring writers like Aaron, Lola, Felicia, my bf Ted, and D. Travers Scott (thanks dts-- you're right when you say "I think they [novels] have some kind of pretentious stigma when in actuality they are a very comfy, loose form to work in"). I have found it quite comforting (amidst all the stress) to be able to take my time with things now. What I mean is, I don't have to neatly wrap things up at the close of each chapter (like I struggled at the end of a story). I'm enjoying filling out these characters--Joel, his mom, his dad, his grandmother, his sister (a new character--she wasn't originally in his stories, but another character I wrote about had a sister and now she's become Joel's sister). I'm enjoying letting the plot roll over into the next chapter and I'm excited about the new directions that the book is going.

I promised my agent I would send her a rough draft of what I've come up with in early August and I'm going to stick to that. Even if it's just 75 pages (though so far I've 're-written' almost 30 pages and I've been working on it less than a week).

So, yes, I've got a lot on my plate; no, it's not easy and I'm a bit stressed, but you know what? Before I left my meeting with the agent she said to me that she believed in this book and in my abilities and she was just as excited about it now as she was when she first heard me read at Columbia. And that, my friends, is what it's all about.  I'm very lucky to have her as my agent.

Naturally, I'll keep y'all posted.

*And now, from BookAngst blog-- here is fab author Lauren Baratz Logsted's experience with not one, but 5 agents (in her own words she was "on the fast track to becoming the Elizabeth Taylor of novelists"). Read it all Here