Twilight Drive-in – Opening Delayed Again by Lezah

Image from www.wolseley.ca/



It’s so hard to watch someone who has a passion for something trying to do what he or she loves, and being foiled at every turn. It’s made worse when what is being done is something that would provide happiness and entertainment to the community, too, and it’s not just a solitary or self-satisfying sort of dream.

Such is the case with the owner of the (hopefully) soon to be opened Twilight Drive-In in Aldergrove, BC. After being forced out of his previous location, the Hilltop Drive-In in Cloverdale due to our current housing boom, the owner was determined to keep the Lower Mainland’s one remaining drive-in movie theatre operational.

Now, taking things like the fickleness of audiences, seasonal weather, and many other variables into account, I’m pretty sure that this guy is not raking in the dough running this business – but it’s his passion, a labour of love. So, after searching far and wide he eventually discovered property in Aldergrove. And that’s when the problems started: first it was zoning concerns from the council; next the neighbours were complaining; after that we had unseasonably (even for us!) wet weather that delayed construction; then the screen collapsed as they were erecting it; and finally, insurance payouts were delayed following the screen collapsing.

But, after a projected spring opening that was pushed back to an early summer opening that was delayed to a BC Day grand opening, what do we get but more problems, this time in the form of complications from a telephone strike. It turns out that due to job action, there has been yet another delay in the opening of the theatre, as phone lines have to be moved before the final work can be completed on the electrical lines. Right now, we are looking at a projected Labour Day opening.

It never rains, but it pours, as they say. And in the drive-in movie business, that’s not the kind of reports you want to hear…

Mike’ Musings - Tiny Lightning

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So there I am, heating up my hour-old coffee in the microwave before trotting up to work, when I hear an odd 'buzzing' sound.
It wasn't quite a 'waspy' buzz or a 'someone mowing their lawn down the street' buzz... it was a little off.

While I was mentally investigating this audio mystery my eye picked up some wild flashing in the peripheral field, which seemed to be coming from my once trusted microwave.

So I flicked off the kitchen light, and sure enough, there was a tiny lightning storm pouring out from the bottom part of the microwave door and onto the counter.

I've seen lightning 'inside' the microwave many times, like when I put CDs in there, but seeing it escape the confines of the appliance is a bit unsettling.

This microwave is only four years old, and I find it bizarre that it suddenly decided to release random bursts of energy.
There must be a breach in the door mechanism.

When I finally opened it there were scorch marks and the distinct smell of burning equipment.

This did not affect the taste of my coffee.

Mike’ Musings - Take Your Non-Themed Party and Shove it

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Hot damn.
That was without a doubt the sexiest, drunkiest cowboy/cowgirl/gangster themed party of the season.
Proof again that all you have to do is throw some fun hats into the equation to make the night a memorable one.
It's too bad the coppers had to bust it up so early.
But, as Churchill said, "It's all good."
I needed a reason to drink in the park anyway.
(has anyone seen my cap gun?)

Mike’ Musings - Steakermeister!

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Mr. Chad and I have theorized a way to make food more fun, more delicious, and more dangerous, all at the same time.
Think Jagermeister.

But don't think of Jagermeister as just a time-bending, memory-eroding, logic-devouring liquor.
Think of it as a tasty marinade.

I believe that Jager's unique, 56 herb-infused flavor would lend itself well to many dishes.

Like:
wild salmon with caramelized Jager sauce.
Ginger and Jager chicken (with lemon!)
Jagerberry sherbet.
Fettuccine Jagfredo.

The list goes on.

So be creative. be adventurous.

Impregnate your gut-sack with my dirty little Jager-babies.

Goth is DEAD by Kenn

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Get over it. Move on. Get a fucking life. Goth has been usurped by 13 year old middle class American mall rats. It's over already. It's in the movies. It's on tv. It's done. Once it's on tv it's fucking over. Deal with it. If you really want to be on the cutting edge then find something else to do. I don't know. Pierce your brain. Cut your balls off. Yeah, that's it. The next big movement on the bleeding edge of being different isn't going to be piercings or tattoos. It's going to be turning yourself into castrati. Look it up yourself. And don't sue me because you're a big enough moron to cut your balls off just because you read it here. I have no responsibility for your stupidity. It's just evolution in action.

"Wasteland... The Comeback!" by Kirk

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Bless me, Elvis, it has been eleven weeks since my last blog entry... Hey, hey, I'm back! It may not be 1968 alas, nor am I The King, but this surely marks the biggest comeback since that famous time in Memphis.

Last time you heard from me was shortly after the UK elections in May and shortly before the dramatic climax of the 2004/05 premiership season and Boro's highest ever finish to gain automatic inclusion in the Uefa cup (hurray!!!) - my excuse is that I had a real job (well, some acting) to get on with for a bit, but now I'm back in the dole queue and with today being the first day of a brand new premiership season I thought it was the perfect opportunity to re-ignite The Wasteland to once again comment on the best pop culture has to offer, as the nights draw in and we head towards another long Winter. I've thought long and hard... well, for a reasonable amount of time, somewhere between mild enthusiasm and total apathy... about a few changes:

Firstly, I think it best, looking back over old entries, to restrict my passionate commentaries on the fortunes of MFC to moments of exceptional achievement or failure, and not to include an entry for them for each game - I may, however, comment more on the state of the premiership season generally if it seems appropriate.

Secondly, I may toy with the idea of devoting certain days of the week to certain topics - Monday is movie day, Friday is for music, Sunday is for sport, etc. As always, comments are very welcome, as are any suggestions for improvements and / or requests on stuff to take a look at. So, let's get back to it and see where it all leads... Kx

Match of the Day Submitted by kirk

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Gary Lineker returns in the chair for a new season and a bit of a facelift again for Britain's favourite football show. So, yeah, I promise less football with one hand and then deliver my first proper new post on that very subject. Well, no apologies really, as there are few days in a sport-lover's calendar more exciting than the first day of a new season.

Man Utd and Wayne Rooney stole the headlines, perhaps, beating Champion's League hopefuls Everton 2-0, but there was lots more to cheer: with promotion play-off winners West Ham getting off to a superb start, coming from behind to beat Blackburn 3-1 and Spurs also getting off to an excellent start with a 2-0 away win over Portsmouth. As for my beloved Boro, they played host to the recently crowned champions of Europe and the ever intimidating Steven Gerrard as they struggled to a 0-0 draw - Ugo Egiogu was sent off with 20 minutes to go and it was backs to the wall after that, so a decent point, all things considered... as for the highlights show in question - well, it beats forking out for Sky plus, and despite the irritating banter between regulars Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrensen, is still miles ahead of anything ITV or, ahem, channel Five can offer. The furniture might be new, but the format is more or less the same and that's how we like it; Motty is still there in snow, rain or or shine and that's good enough for me. Just hope I can win some tickets in the goal of the month competitions this year - it's been ages since I managed a live match anywhere - tut, call yourself a fan! Come on Boro. Kx

Mike's Musings - Simple Music for Complicated People

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Here is the new as-yet-untitled summer project:

Make a series of mixtapes and scatter them in completely random places throughout the city. Places like park benches, under chairs in coffee shops, next to trees, taped to dogs, by the sink in the ladies washroom, etc., etc.

Each tape will have a different cover and contain an email address scrawled somewhere inside for tracking purposes. Each tape will also contain a small note that will read something like: "Take me home, listen to me. If you like me, keep me. Make copies for your friends and lovers. Play me at parties and in your car. If you don't like me, please put me back on the street for someone else to find."

The tapes will not, however, contain a tracklist of the songs within. By doing this people will actually have to listen to the whole tape to find out exactly what's on it. If they do want the tracklist all they have to do is send a quick email, and said list will be soon forthcoming.

My goal is to see how far these tapes can actually travel, how many copies will be made and how many people actually get to hear them and hopefully enjoy them.

The first trial tapes are nearly completed and will be distributed over the coming weekend.

My greatest hope is that people enjoy the tapes so much and on so many levels that they keep them close, like on their bedside table. Then, hopefully, the tiny cameras inserted inside each tape will be able to film people having sex.

Emergency or not? Submitted by Sashi

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Just saw this news item on Bernama
:

Haze Worsens, API Above 500 In Two Areas

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) — The Air Pollutant Index (API) in several areas in Klang Valley have worsened markedly Thursday with readings above 500, classified as “hazardous” to health.

However, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the decision on whether to declare an emergency, will be made by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as Chairman of the National Disaster and Relief Management Committee.

As at 6 am today, Port Klang recorded an API reading of 534 while Kuala Selangor, the level had breached 510, he told reporters after attending a meet-the-people session with the Chinese community here today.

However, he said the API reading in Kuala Selangor at 11 am had risen to 531 while in Port Klang, the level had fallen to 529.

However, he said following this development, the ministry was waiting for further advice from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office on the next move.

A few bloggers on PPS point out that foreign news agencies are reporting that we have declared ‘a state of emergency’ (see BBC, Channelnewsasia, Forbes).

So what is it, dear elected representatives of the Malaysian people? Are we in a state of emergency or not?!!

UPDATE: OK. So it is an official emergency
now - for Port Klang and Kuala Selangor, anyway. If the status-*cough*-quo remains, it’s gonna be a state of emergency for the rest of us too… (Thanks, Papi, for the pointer!)

The Return of Hans by Laurence Simon

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The challenge was to use the word lips and I got a little loose with .the theme


Hans the Angry Dutchman is a recurring character in all my old stories. He hates tulips. He despises his neighbors. His windmill turns counter-clockwise where everybody else's turns clockwise. He steals signage from foreign lands ("Welcome to New Jersey") and props it up on the public roads of his village.

It's not easy trying to fit Hans into a 100 word story, but I think I managed.

Hans will be on the podcast soon enough. And I'm sure he'll be back.

As for Mustard Man, let's just say I'm not pleased with the dozen or so stories I've written up for him after the last one. My view of Mustard Man has been infected with thoughts of Harvey Birdman, and that's just wrong.

T-Shirt Freak Strikes Again Submitted by Rob Williams

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http://emptybeach.typepad.com/emptybeach/

Why oh why, when I'm totally struggling and strapped financially (because Ted and I are about to move to San Diego)-- do I have this impulse to buy something?!

I’m talking about this shirt:

It's from karmaloop
-- a fabulous website featuring the coolest clothes (especially t-shirts) for men and women. this t-shirt is a tribute to openly gay Judas Priest rocker Rob Halford-- but, as you may also know, it is my name too! (And, as you may know from my previous blogs--i'm a t-shirt freak!)It's $15.40.

Anyway, I'm so tempted to buy it from karmaloop --because now it's on sale-- and if you sign up for their email newsletter you get $10 off your purchase. so that would make the shirt about  $5.40 (not including postage and handling).

Even the girls clothes are hot. Why is it that girls/women always have better selections than men? I've noticed this often-- at Old Navy, or Urban Outfitters-- the women have much more of a selection of the cool and groovy clothes, slinky outfits, great colors and patterns, while the men (especially at Old Navy--where I can never find anything for me) are relegated to Frat-boy fashions.

I'm serious.

Come on, you have to admit it: you're out shopping at Navy, or Urban, or the Gap or Banana (actually the Gap is getting so boring now, huh?), and you look at the rows of kakhis and thick-striped polos in green and red in the men's section and then you look over in the girl's section and there is shit like the above 'off the shoulder' shirt, or cool jackets, or tube tops.  Why don't mens' clothes designers (ESPECIALLY AT OLD NAVY AND GAP AND BANANA REPUB) try to be a little more inventive, creative, risky, hell, even fun?

That's why I’m forced to look online for clothes, because online stores like karmaloop and asos
and guyshops/girlshops.com offer more unique and less cookiecutter fashions.

Damn, I sound like such a gay don't I?

I can't help it. I've always been a fashionista-- as evident in this photo of me

(Oh, wait. i think my mom made that shirt for me-- but I did pick out the necklace...)

What’s the Weather? By Lezah

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David Lynch. Ah, now there’s a director whose films evoke some strong memories in me – like seeing ‘Blue Velvet’ in an old Glasgow theatre, complete with long velvet curtains, and then getting lost and wandering around town during the dead of night trying to find my hotel, or visiting North Bend, Washington, where they filmed the freaky TV show ‘Twin Peaks’, or watching ‘Eraserhead’ on video and getting the feeling that I’m barely, barely keeping my head above water…

Well, it turns out that the king of the kinky, cool and nerdy has his own website and you can log in, join up (it is, unfortunately, user-pay) – and he’ll do a weather report for you. There are also a few more things of interest on the site, so if you’ve got a few spare bucks in your pocket, give it a shot – with Lynch, you never know what you’ll get.

“Why White Kids Love Hip Hop” Submitted by Lezah

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image from http://www.see.umd.edu

Bakari Kitwana knows his hip-hop. He is the hip-hop consultant for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland; wrote the definitive books on hip-hop, “The Rap on Gangsta Rap” and “The Hip-Hop Generation”; was the executive editor of The Source; lectures at universities around the country on both black culture and hip-hop; and recently wrote a book that looks at the absorption of hip-hop into mainstream culture, “Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wanksters, Wiggers, Wannabes and the New Reality of Race in America”.

Kitwana claims that hip-hop is responsible for white youth “processing race differently”, which as a result is affecting a certain amount of social change, similar to what happened during both abolition and the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Kitwana was initially inspired to look further into his book’s concept as a result of a quote from Northeastern University’s Professor Murray Foreman, who stated in his book “The Hood Comes First” that “the real test of white kids in hip-hop is what happens when the white kids growing up on hip-hop become police in black communities.”

Kitwana has been on a book tour this summer, and spoke at the University Book Store in Seattle last month.

Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts Submitted by Lezah

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The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is taking place at the Rockwood Centre in funky Sechelt, BC from August 11 to 14th.

Reading from their work will be such authors as Erika Ritter, M.G. Vassanji and elite chef Karen Barnaby.

Booker Longlist Announced

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image from news.bbc.co.uk


The longlist for the Man Booker Prize for fiction was announced August 10 in London. The Observer stated that 2005 is the “richest year for contemporary British and Commonwealth fiction since the launch of the Booker Prize in 1969”. This year, 17 books were chosen from 109 entries. The winner will receive a prize of 50,000 pounds sterling (about $120,000 Canadian); the six shortlisted authors will receive 2,500 pounds each.

In order to qualify for the Booker prize, the author must be a citizen of Great Britain or the Commonwealth, and have written a book within the past year. Books are nominated by the publisher and each publisher may nominate two books per year. The exception to this is previous Booker winners and authors who have been shortlisted within the last ten years; they can nominate themselves.

The 2005 longlist is as follows:
Aw, Tash The Harmony Silk Factory
Banville, John The Sea
Barnes, Julian Arthur & George
Barry, Sebastian A Long Long Way
Coetzee, J. M. Slow Man
Cusk, Rachel In the Fold
Ishiguro, Kazuo Never Let Me Go
Jacobson, Dan All For Love
Lewycka, Marina A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
Mantel, Hilary Beyond Black
McEwan, Ian Saturday
Meek, James The People’s Act of Love
Rushdie, Salman Shalimar The Clown
Smith, Ali The Accidental
Smith, Zadie On Beauty
Thompson, Harry This Thing Of Darkness
Wall, William This Is The Country

The above will be narrowed down to a shortlist on Thursday, September 8, and the winner will be announced Monday, October 10 at Guildhall, London; a live broadcast will be aired on both BBC TWO and BBC FOUR.

Jeanne’s Bakery Submitted by Lezah

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What do J-Lo, Queen Elizabeth and Winnipeg all have in common, you ask? Why, Jeanne’s Bakery, of course!

Jeanne’s Bakery has been a Winnipeg institution since the 1950s, and their cakes are popular with many, many people – including the aforementioned illustrious ladies.

Specifically, the Jeanne Cake, a log-style cake (in four flavours: vanilla, chocolate, marble and banana) complete with shortbread crust, real-butter icing and a topping of chocolate shavings (Belgian, of course). It’s so popular that there used to be an outlet store at the local airport. Now, of course, you can shop on-line and the cakes will be shipped to you direct, or, if you’re in the Calgary area, you can find them at Family Foods.

Winning Wines Submitted by Lezah

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image from www.ltgov.bc.ca/images/BCWine

Recently, local BC wines were subject to great scrutiny at the third annual competition to determine the winners of the BC wine industry awards. Sponsored by the Government House Foundation, entrants must be made from 100 percent BC grown grapes.
Winning wines were as follows:
- Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards 2003 See ya Later Ranch Brut
- Summerhill Pyramid Winery 2004 Ehrenfelser
- Cedar Creek Estate 2003 Platinum Reserve Chardonnay
- Wild Goose Vineyards 2004 God’s Mountain Riesling
- Domaine de Chaberton 2004 Gewurztraminer
- Jackson-Trigg 2002 Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Shiraz
- Burrowing Owl 2003 Syrah
- Sandhill Small Lots 2003 Syrah Phantom Creek Vineyard
- Poplar Grove 2002 Benchmark Cabernet Franc
- Cedar Creek Estate 2002 Platinum Reserve Meritage

Coming up soon is the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society Fall 2005 event, which will be running from September 30 to October 8. Expect not only an eclectic mix of people, but also a mix of education, seminars and tastings. Results of their Spring Wine Festival were:
- Chardonnay: Golden Mile Cellars 2003 Chardonnay
- Riesling: Wild Goose Vineyards 2004 Riesling
- Pinot Noir: Quails’ Gate 2003 Limited Release Pinot Noir
- Open Table Red: Jackson-Triggs 2002 Prop. Grand Reserve Cab. Sauvignon Shiraz
- Cabernet Franc: Sumac Ridge 2002 Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Franc
- Sparkling: Summerhill Pyramid Winery N. V.
- Open Table Wine: Wild Goose Vineyards 2004 Autumn Gold
- Pinot Gris: Wild Goose Vineyards 2004 Pinot Gris
- Syrah/Shiraz: Jackson-Triggs 2003 Proprietors’ Reserve Shiraz
- Red Meritage Blends: Jackson-Triggs 2002 Prop. Grand Reserve Red Meritage
- Pinot Blanc: Sumac Ridge 2003 Black Sage Vineyard Pinot Blanc
- White Meritage Blends and Varietals: Sumac Ridge 2003 Meritage (2003)
- Gewurztraminer: Wild Goose Vineyards 2004 Gewurztraminer
- Blush/Rose: Arrowleaf Cellars 2004 Red Feather
- Merlot: Quails’ Gate Estate Winery 2002 Family Reserve Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon: Jackson-Triggs 2002 Prop. Grand Reserve Cab. Sauvignon
- Late Harvest and Desserts: Arrowleaf Cellars Vidal Select Late Harvest
- Icewine: Inniskillin Okanagan 2003 Riesling Icewine Dark Horse Vineyard

Artist Trading Cards Submitted by Lezah

image from www.countryarts.org

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On August 10th I was at the White Rock Community Arts Council Gallery to see Karen Kroeker’s collage art exhibit ‘A Wandering Mind’ (see Swanktrendz July 25 article under Fine Arts). It turns out that opening night was wildly successful for the artist - 19 of her pieces sold, setting a record for the gallery, and since then three additional works have sold. The artist is off to Holland tomorrow to view and select some art for her personal collection, but the exhibit will run until the end of the month.

While at the gallery, I chanced to talk to another artist who was telling me about another, fairly new, and hugely popular, art form: Artist Trading Cards, or ATC.

ATC are small hockey or baseball-like trading cards showing original work by the artist who created the card. There are a few simple rules for ATCS:
- ATCs must not be sold, but only traded
- ATCs MUST strictly adhere to this size: 64 x 89 mm(2.5” x 3.5”)
- On the front must be the image
- On the back must be the following information:
Artist’s name
Contact information
Title of work
Number of work
- the card must be sturdy and of a reasonable thickness
- varnish, wax, or a plastic sleeve is recommended to protect the work
Unique pieces are referred to as originals; numbered sets of the same piece are referred to as editions; sets of different works are called series.

ATC is the brainchild of Swiss performance artist Vanci Stirnemann, who came to Canada in 1988 for the Olympic Arts Festival. While in Canada, he observed hockey-crazy adults trading hockey playing cards. Unused to adults trading cards (as this is a pastime that only children indulge in in Europe), Stirnemann brought the idea back home to Switzerland with him, but it was not until 1997 that he held an ATC exhibit in Zurich. Stirnemann’s ATC exhibit was a success, and since then ATCs have become extremely popular around the world.

ATCs can be traded in person, by mail, or contacts can be made over the internet. It is a unique form of art: it rejects the critiquing, pricing, and selling of art.

This coming Monday evening (August 22) at Ethical Addictions Coffee House in Langley City (at the junction of Fraser and Glover), there is an ATC exhibit and trade happening.

Queen Bee - Submitted by Lezah

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Queen Bee Designs is a company that produces jewellery. But not just any jewellery – oh no – designer Leanne Ghallager has a variety of hand-cut gold or sterling-silver earrings, necklaces, charm bracelets and rings in her stable. They are chunky, highly textured and come with brightly coloured gemstones that are a delight to the eye.

Farrah Fawcett is a fan, and wore a set of silver and crystal shoulder-duster earrings designed by Ghallager on the Leno show.

Queen Bee Designs are available on-line at www.queenbeedesigns.com, at Chachkas in Vancouver, Artworks in Edmonton, and Rubaiyat and Kismet in Calgary.

AAA Radio Submitted by Lezah

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AAA Radio is short for adult album alternative radio (also known as hot adult contemporary). AAA radio is radio for those of us out there who are sick of the whole vapid Britney/Christina/Jessica crap that has taken over the airwaves.

Even if you’re not from the broadcast area, you can still listen in – through the Internet. You’ll probably need QuickTime or some similar program, and then you’re good to go. Here’s a couple to try:

- Virgin Radio/1215 (London) – playing contemporary British alternate rock
- WCBN (Ann Arbor, Michigan) – world beat and more – like Johnny Cash…

Barbershop Cool Submitted by Lezah

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Well, it turns out that Vancouver is the home of the world champion barbershop quartet, Realtime.

Yes indeedy, on July 9, 52 quartets from all over North America (as well as England and Sweden) converged on Salt Lake City for the annual Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQA) convention.

The winning quartet is comprised of 34-year old Tom Metzger (Yaletown software company executive by day, barbershop singer by night), his brother Mark, Tim Broersma (who hails from just over the border in Bellingham, Washington), and Australian ex-pat John Newall.

This group doesn’t just sing for the pleasure of it: they usually do about one paid gig a month, and have appeared all over North America. They have also sung in Finland and are booked for a gig in Russia in 2007; their CD, Four Brothers, has already sold about 10,000 copies.

Believe it or not, barbershop singing is very popular, and there are about 40 different chapters of male and female – called Sweet Adelines – singing groups in the Lower Mainland. In fact, last fall a local female group called Brava won the world female championships.

For more information, contact www.singers.com/barbershop/real-time.html

Symphony in the Park, August 7, 2005 Submitted by Terry

Stanley Park, capacity crowd

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Stanley Park is often described as Vancouver's jewel, and on a luminous summer evening with some free music in the air, it certainly fit that description. Hundreds of people streamed in and sat on the grass in front of the portable stage, awaiting the arrival of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. A dusty orange and purple twilight was settling over the mountains, the forest canopy glowed, there was a bit of a breeze off the ocean, and I saw a bald eagle drift past, looking for a fish.

I was shooed away from the front of the stage by a guy who said that there would be horses riding through there shortly, so I moved back and read the program:

Rossini: William Tell Overture
Lehar: Gold & Silver Waltz
Dvorak: Slavonic Dance No. 8 in G minor
Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
(with a violin soloist named Christel Lee)
« Intermission »
Borodin: Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances
Elgar: Enigma Variations, Op. 36: Nimrod
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Op. 49

"Mostly crowd pleasers," I thought, but the concert was great. I'd never seen a symphony orchestra live before, and I was very impressed. When you were raised on pop music (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums and maybe a keyboard player), well... that's not very complex. Music is much different when you see 35 or 40 musicians on stage, all working together and meshing perfectly. Very good players, very good promo for the VSO.

Maestro Bramwell Tovey is a jovial fellow and did indeed arrive, with his children, in a carriage drawn by two white horses, and accompanied by the Stanley Park mounted police. He's popular, and has a good common touch. He has the audience in the palm of his hand and he knows it, but he's modest about it, and has good rapport. He tells jokes as he's introducing each piece, and the audience loves it. A very good showman, and he's clearly enjoying himself up there.

Ms Lee the soloist turned out to be all of 14 years old, another child prodigy on her way to a brilliant career. She appeared onstage on a bright red gown (so she stands out against the black and white of the orchestra) and played her heart out. Humbling to think that at 14, this girl already knows how to do something way better than I'll ever know how to do anything. People ran up to the stage and gave her bouquets.

I'm curious about how things work, so I moved around until I could see how the orchestra was arranged, and who played what. The strings do most of the work, and the horn players (especially the trombones and tubas) don't have much to do at all. For the second half of the show, I made sure I got myself into the mosh pit, so I could best experience the cannons in the 1812 Overture. Symphony orchestras are fully miked; they have PA systems and sound board guys, too. Who knew? Certainly not me.

A great many children were in attendance, including one very cool little 3 year old girl sitting near me (down in the mosh pit) in her baby brother's stroller, cheering and laughing and waving her arms around wildly. She obviously liked the maestro.

They started with 'O Canada' and even did an encore: a lively Strauss waltz where the audience was invited to clap along, and we all did.

Time spent: about 2.5 hours, and it was time well spent indeed.

Another free concert is scheduled this Friday (August 12, 7:30 PM) in Deer Lake Park in Burnaby. This will feature Ken Hsieh as conductor, and Christopher Lee as clarinet soloist. Between now and then, I'll be getting out my map, the better to learn where Deer Lake Park might be.



Vancouver Symphony

Pastis Bistro, 2153 West Fourth, Vancouver: By Lezah

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Last night I was part of a group of five who had dinner at Pastis Bistro prior to heading out to a play. Although they normally open at 5:30, they accommodated our special request for an earlier table time with great ease.

Pastis specializes in French Bistro-style fare, and is located in the funky Kitsilano area of Vancouver. The ambiance of the restaurant was very pleasing, the décor was French country, and the wait-staff was both plentiful and exemplary.

Three members in our party ordered wine, a white Zinfandel from La Firenze winery in Naramata, BC. This choice was made as one of our party had done a wine tour in the Okanagan and actually had a wonderful visit to this vineyard. Only one person ordered an appetizer, which was a beautifully presented salad of butter lettuce.

Now, I’m not overly keen on fish (which accounted for about half the menu) and won’t eat either veal or lamb on principle, so by the time the figurative dust had settled, I really had two choices: a New York steak or a vegetarian cheese in phyllo pastry dish. Since I had eaten a cheese & phyllo pastry for lunch, I figured a 5 oz. steak should be the order of the day. Unfortunately, the steak was slightly overdone (I had ordered medium rare, and this particular steak had no hint of rareness), but even worse, it was very tough and grisly. I actually almost had to ask for a different knife in order to cut it - it was so tough. On the other hand, the béarnaise sauce was the best I’ve ever had, and I was given a very generous portion. The menu had stated that the steak would be served with pommes frites, which, it turns out, is French for french fries. The fries were not your usual McDonald’s fare – although they did resemble them, they tasted nothing like fast food fries, and instead had a rich, slightly salty - but not too salty - flavour. They were lovely. There were no other vegetables served with the meal – not even a piece of parsley! When you consider that this was the cheapest item on the menu (at $21.95), I expected a bit more.

Everyone else in our party ordered from the fish menu, and all were happy. Trout, bouillabaisse, shrimp and mussels were all ordered and consumed with no complaints.

Only two of our party ordered dessert - guilty party here! I chose the Half-Baked Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream, which at $9 was a bit pricey, considering the cake had a diameter of roughly 2.5 inches and the ice cream was just one small scoop. Again, the presentation was wonderful, and the taste was indescribable. It had an interesting blend of characteristics: the outside was a spongy crust but inside it was molten chocolate that oozed out in a veritable Callebaut stream; the ice cream was homemade with traces of vanilla bean. My friend ordered the apple tart, which was a work of art.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, (Tom Stoppard) By Lezah

Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, BC – July 13 to Sept. 22

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Directed by Dean Paul Gibson; starring Haig Sutherland as Rosencrantz, Stephen Holmes as Guildenstern and Russell Roberts as The Player

“Audiences know what to expect and that is all they are prepared to believe in.”

Last night, we went to see Tom Stoppard’s play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which was presented as part of the Bard On the Beach festival, as it is tangentially connected to Shakespeare’s Hamlet – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern being the two stooges sent by King Claudius to accompany Hamlet to England.

In Stoppard’s play we see two ill-fated pawns, little more than plot devices in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, suddenly elevated to starring roles in their own drama. Unfortunately for them, they neither understand their scripted lives, nor are they able to deviate from them. In a featureless world where logic and the conventional structures of time and memory are empty of any significance or reliability, the characters are forced to use word games and wagers as a form of currency and to ask questions in order to ease their over-arching anxiety.

Due to the nature of this world, R & G must depend on others to give their lives meaning, but when they are presented with information that will help them understand who they are, where they are going and where they came from – in the form of a play presented by the Player and his Tragedians – they are unable to assimilate and utilize it.

Looming questions of mortality are offset by humour, although the bleakness and desperation beneath the humour becomes increasingly more apparent as the play progresses.

The irony in all this lays in the similarity between Hamlet and his victims, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – stuck as they all are in their own dilemma, which seem insoluble and inexorable; they are mere spectators of their looming demise. All of us, both the ‘stars’ and the ‘bit players’, are the heroes of our own human drama – our struggles are as important and vital as the struggles of princes and kings or Olympian gods.

Last night’s Bard on the Beach performances were strong, with the possible exception of Colleen Wheeler as Gertrude, who delivered her lines in a sing-song style reminiscent of a Grade 8 Shakespeare production. The theatre-in-the-round seating worked well for this play, and we were blessed with a beautiful, warm night. Altogether, a great experience.

The Dan Band with Cherrybomb - Kitschy, Kitschy Koo Aug/05 By Lezah

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We arrived at the Commodore Ballroom fairly late – shortly before the first band came on, in fact - but the place was still nowhere near full. The crowd seemed to be, for lack of a better word, a bit older, for the most part. And although there was the odd stylin’ person there, the place appeared to be full of people who had spent every one of their lunch hours in high school hiding out in the band room. In addition, I saw more wacky dance moves perpetrated by follicularly-challenged 30-something guys than one needs to see in one’s lifetime – and this was before the first band had even started. Now this might all sound kind of catty, but just wait until you hear what happens later…

The opening band was the Vancouver act ‘Cherrybomb’. They are fronted by two female singer/guitarists who were, in turn, backed by a very solid band. Their sound is very commercial, kind of ‘Heart’ meets ‘The Donnas’, and their look is very – hmm, let’s just say they’ve covered every rock-fashion cliché in the book.



Next up were the headliners, ‘The Dan Band’. Now, I had never heard this band before, nor had I seen the movie ‘Old School’, which helped gain them a broader audience base, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I had heard they were funny, but funny can come in many different forms, obviously. Turns out The Dan Band is currently the toast of the Hollywood celeb scene – the LA Times called them “LA’s hottest nightclub act”, while Entertainment Weekly described them as “one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood”.

The band is fronted by Dan Finnerty, who dresses in mechanics duds and wears a backwards baseball cap. He has two back-up singers/dancers, the deadpan Clark Kent clones Gene Reed and John Kozeluh; and the rest of the band is made up of David Arana on keyboards, Marc Strommer on guitar, Lex Luther look-alike Dana Decker on bass, and drummer Dave Johnstone. Now that might seem pretty straightforward, but this band’s ‘thing’ is that they sing only ‘girl’ songs – and dance (sometimes quite badly). It’s pretty much a case of “beer and karaoke tragically colliding”, as Finnerty so eloquently puts it.

This band is all about irreverence, and they have perfected their own brand of mock‘n‘roll, complete with choreographed dance moves further enhanced by the addition of some rhythmic gymnastics. Their shtick is that they take (as I said earlier) ‘girl’ songs from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s (think “Gloria”, “Muskrat Love”, “Waterloo”, “Fernando”, “Mickey”, and the like…) and make them uniquely and frighteningly their own. Even sadder is the audience reaction – I strongly believe that people should not make it public knowledge that they know the words to these songs, and yet there they were, enthusiastically (and shamelessly) singing away…



Finnerty engaged in a lot of audience interaction between songs, and certainly handled the crowd like a seasoned professional – so much so, in fact, that it occurred to me that he was more about acting than he was about singing. That was a thought that stuck with me for the rest of the night, and when I later found out that Finnerty is a veteran of shows as diverse as “Stomp” and “The Guiding Light” (and is also married to actress Kathy Najimy), it all started to make sense. Which leads me back to the audience, which I had dissed so badly earlier: at one point, when Finnerty was talking to an audience member (the ubiquitous “What’s your name? Where you from?”), he got a response from a young lady from Washington state – and the crowd, upon hearing she was an American, resoundingly booed her. I was horrified – shocked – dismayed – ashamed – embarrassed – not to mention disgusted - by this behaviour. Fortunately, the young lady took it quite well – at least on the surface. But there’s no excuse for that sort of thing. It definitely coloured my perceptions for the rest of the evening…

For a band that “started off as a joke”, The Dan Band has definitely developed a loyal geek squad following – and they’ll be back on home territory in time for a show at the Avalon Hollywood on August 19 – if you’re there, you might also catch some of their non-geek fans like Brad Pitt and Laura Dern. Hopefully they’ll be better audience members than the ones I saw the show with.

Becks & Posh Food Review: Featured Restaurant: Piatti Locali, By Sam of Becks & Posh

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Becks & Posh Home




Piatti Locali,625 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941.

Maybe you won't like the idea of dining in a restaurant that has expanded into a nationwide chain. But you may be interested that Piatti, which grew out of Napa, has turned one of their branches into Piatti Locali which puts an emphasis on using sustainable local produce from the farmers' markets.



Fred and I had lunch at Piatti on Tuesday. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with stylish black and white photographs of the staff, the farmers, the farms and the markets. The Piatti Locali menu is scattered with references to local farms. I tried to ask the waiter about the source of ingredients not singled out on the menu. He wasn't very clued-up. He told me all of the pasta was made in house. "Even, the spaghetti?", I asked, clearly surprised. "Yes, all the pasta," he assured me. This made me suspicious, so when I was rooting around on their website for information and saw they had a comments section, I decided to write to the chef and see if she would answer some questions for me.

I had a lovely and heartfelt reply from Lissa Kane the Locali Executive Chef which I would like to share with you all.

Thanks for your interest in our products. I am a big proponent of eating locally and I try to support local growers as much as possible; I believe the food tastes better and is healthier for our bodies and our environment. It is also better to leave the jobs and dollars in our community and not for the mega-agri giants. That being said, I will try to address your questions regarding where the food comes from at Piatti:
* Pasta: we make angel hair, pappardelle, tagliatelle and cannelloni. Spaghetti and penne are from Italy.
* Flour: we use Giusto's flour. I believe the wheat is grown in the Midwest, I will follow up on it.
* Prosciutto, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar & Grana Padano (parm) are all imported from Italy.
* Mozzarella: North Beach Cheese Company out of Hayward, CA
* Ricotta: I use two brands depending on availability: Calabro from Connecticut & Bellwether Farms in Marshall, CA.
* Tomatoes for Pizza Sauce: California grown
* Pepperoni: made in San Francisco by Molinari
Thanks for making me research some of our 'basics'. I shop at the Farmer's Market 2x a week both in SF and San Rafael, so I am very aware of our produce. I try to buy locally caught fish and locally raised poultry and meat. I just got some samples fro m Niman Ranch for some salami and speck (an alternative to Prosciutto di Parma). I also serve a few types of local artisan cheeses - please try our cheese plate complete with house-made locally grown fig 'salami'!!
Lissa Kane

The email was good news for anyone who is interested in eating from local sources. When I was at Piatti, it felt a little as if, maybe, they were just jumping on a bandwagon. But when I received the email from the Chef it was clear that the good intentions and the passion behind the move to a 'locali' restaurant were genuine. Piatti Locali is situated overlooking the 101, but once inside, the view, over a stretch of water with Mount Tam in the background, is far more attractive. Food is Italianesque. I tried the Niman Ranch Beef Carpaccio which was a classic interpretation of the dish. On the side I had the seasonal special - two delicious, fat, deep fried squash blossoms filled with a zingy herbed ricotta, a bargain at less than $5. Fred had a margherita pizza with pepperoni from their wood burning oven which he concluded wasn't very tasty.

Lissa Kane is hosting a special 'Dinner in the Garden' on Saturday, August 27, at County Line Harvest in Petaluma. She is planning an Italian inspired feast featuring produce picked that day from the farm. The idea is to eat in the field where the products are grown. There will be a tour of the farm at the start of the evening. She plans to serve grilled California Wild Salmon and Roasted Prather Ranch leg of lamb as well organic Bonterra wines. The cost of the event is $100 a person all inclusive. If you are interested in the dinner contact the restaurant.

PS. This review was a Back for Seconds

Married Writer By Rob William's

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Rob William's Home




(Swanktrendz sends its congratulations and best wishes for a long, healthy and prosperous lifetime together to Rob and Ted! The ‘big day' occurred on July 30th which also happens to coincide with one of our editors parent’s anniversary, so they can count on at least 50 years together.)

So, yes. I'm married now. Ted and I, in our J. Crew seersucker suits and bow ties (all on sale!) tied the knot last Saturday, July 30, at Galapagos in Brooklyn.

See info about it on our wedding blog
. It was wonderful - a celebration of friends and family and love and commitment and good food and good drink and beautiful minds
(shout out to Lola). but more on that on our blog.

BTW - Feel free to email the Times to complain about its decision not to include us in their "Weddings and Celebrations" section. The section was four pages long on July 31, 2005, and the paper did not include any gay or lesbian couples. We sent our announcment six weeks in advance, and sent our photograph 12 days in advance--well within their published guidelines. The Society desk is society@nytimes.com. The Times Public Editor (their ombudsman) is public@nytimes.com. Letters to the Editor should be sent to letters@nytimes.com. Or all three!

Speaking of beautiful minds - I'm just about going out of my mind about my book. Just kidding. It's actually not been too bad, working on it. (Just a reminder - I am taking my interconnected story collection and turning it into a novel). I only wish I had more time to do it. During the week of my marriage I think I only was able to put in a couple of hours of writing. (Sorry, was busy pulling my hair out - buying streamers, helium, a cake, etc. ).

But really, I feel as if I think about my book all the time now. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a thought or idea (which I run into my office and write down). I have been filling up a notebook with ideas and corrections and edits and thoughts and character sketches and plot points for the novel.

Yesterday I went to the Brooklyn Library and wrote (I've been trying to do so every day) a whole new chapter (not a re-write of previous stuff). I've also added a sister to the novel (the character didn't have a sister in his previous stories) who I'm beginning to adore (she's a totally angry clove cigarette smoking sixteen-year-old bee-atch).

One of the more difficult things I've had to do, though, is to rearrange stories and cut and splice from them to make the novel work (in chronological order) and make sense. It's all been very exciting and challenging. I love it when my work challenges me.

Since Ted and I are leaving NYC in a little less than two weeks (if all goes well) I'm supposed to give whatever I have written (most likely close to 100 pages) to my agent so she can take a look at it while she has her baby (she's 8 1/2 months pregnant!). Of course I don't expect her to be looking at it while she actually gives birth (though she's a great agent - dedicated - so she just might do it...). I expect that while Ted and I are getting settled in San Diego she'll be looking at it - sometime in September - while I’m hopefully working on the second half. I have to say - giving myself deadlines is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m not so good with regimen, but if someone is expecting something from me - if they give me a deadline - I am so afraid of letting people down that I'll fulfill it, for the most part.

***

Oh, and so I finished "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime", which I really enjoyed. I love how the character, a 15 year-old autistic boy, would just tune out of what's going on around him and would do something like explain a math formula, or read all of the signs in the train station, or explain his feelings about God. These interruptions were in the form of a new chapter - brilliant!

[Actually, I've been experimenting with voice in my novel, because my character often makes pronouncements or spouts out strange trivia about movies, fashion, and boys - so it was interesting to see how this author, Mark Haddon, transitioned into the parts where his character tunes out - by stopping the chapter where it was and interrupting it with a chapter of the boy's coping mechanisms.

Started reading Allison Smith's "Name All The Animals"
- so far very good, very touching and, she grew up around the same time I did (70s-80s), so it's interesting to see her take. ALTHOUGH iIm torn between continuing to read it, and reading Lisa Shea's novel "Hula"
- which is a wrenching, beautiful coming of age tale taking place in the 60s (I've read the first two chapters). The reason I'm torn is because Shea sets her novel in the present tense "We are sitting on the front steps watching the storm come. The sky is getting dark and the air smells sharp and wet.". My novel is also written in the present tense. I've struggled with this decision, but ultimately it's what feels right to me. It's immediate, I know, but that's what I want for the book. For me the book is like looking at a series of snapshots in a photo album and when you look at a picture you don't say - oh, there "Rob was walking the dog." instead, when you look at it you say "I love this picture where Rob is walking the dog" or you say "there I am walking the dog" - right? well, that's what I think anyway. And it's my book!

John Roberts and the Activists on Romer v. Evans By The Political Heretic

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Heretic’s Home




Many religious conservatives were until recently quite pleased with President George W. Bush’s decision to appoint John Roberts, a Circuit Judge of the District of Columbia, as retiring Justice Sondra Day O’Connor’s successor on the highest court of the land.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research council
said the Supreme Court nominee is well respected for his “fair judgment, intellect and integrity ”who “will strictly interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench.” Jan LaRue of Concerned Women for America said that “everything we know about Judge Roberts tells us that he fulfills the President’s promise to nominate a judge who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench” but the enthusiasm coming from their side of the aisle has dampened somewhat after The Los Angeles Times
published an article concerning his involvement in a landmark gay rights case back in 1996.

Mr. Perkins now expresses some reservations
concerning Mr. Roberts nomination though he still backs the president and as of yet, did not retract his statement of support for the Supreme Court nominee. His “initial reaction” to the news was that Mr. Roberts was “aiding and abetting” a group whose values are in conflict with that of the religious conservatives and Mr. Paul Weyrich said the judge should have risked his job and declined to take this pro bono case on behalf of gay rights advocates.

Mr. Roberts, then affiliated with the Hogan & Hartson, was approached by the head of the pro bono department at the firm and asked to help Jean Dubofsky, the lead attorney seeking to overturn a state constitutional amendment barring
Colorado’s governing bodies from protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination:

The amendment reads as follows:

"No Protected Status Based on Homosexual, Lesbian, or Bisexual Orientation. Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or departments, nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions, municipalities or school districts, shall enact, adopt or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of or entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination. This Section of the Constitution shall be in all respects self-executing."

In effect, the amendment, which passed with 54% voter approval in 1992, repealed the governor’s 1990 executive order barring employment discrimination against gays Colorado’s Insurance Code forbidding insurers from considering one’s sexual orientation when reviewing one’s eligibility and premiums, and similar level of protection offered by any other state or local governing body within the state. Gays could not seek redress for what they viewed as wrongful discrimination without first appealing to the state to repeal is own constitutional amendment.

The state’s highest court overturned the amendment but gay rights activists feared a reversal after the Supreme Court decided to hear the state’s petition for a reversal. Jean Dubofsky was ultimately successful, however, and the activists’ fear proved unfounded. The six-justice majority led by swing Justice Anthony Kennedy ruled against the state and affirmed the decision reached by the state and lower courts because it imposed a substantial disadvantage in a whole wide array of civic activities on a single group of people subject to ridicule, contempt, and scorn.

Mr. Roberts’ own role in this effort is not clear. He did not partake in the oral arguments for those familiar with that case would know that Jean Dubofsky herself went in front of the judges and answered oral arguments, but Mr. Roberts did serve on a moot court panel to prepare her for the oral arguments and Mrs. Dubofsky viewed his limited time with her as “crucial” in winning a majority on the Supreme Court.

Religious conservatives were not pleased with the outcome or the legal reasoning involved but they have not yet come out against Mr. Roberts. Mr. Perkins’ press release following these revelations urges caution before leaping to conclusions:

"As a former policy maker and now full-time advocate for family values, my first thought in response to the LA Times story was 'aiding and abetting,' which I would venture to say is how many of our supporters would see this news. However, I urge caution in jumping to that conclusion. "Judge Roberts was an attorney with a large firm where helping colleagues when called upon was expected. Attorneys are not necessarily advocates or activists. In fact, activists are exactly what we don't want on the court. I spent the good part of yesterday on the phone and in meetings to get the facts. I have verified that his involvement was limited to about 5 hours of participation in a moot court as he played the role of one of the High Court's conservative members asking tough hypothetical questions of the attorneys who actually prepared and argued the case.”

The latest revelation may say more about President Bush’s nomination strategy and activists who are taking sides more than the nominee himself. The president’s nomination strategy has up to now been to minimize Mr. Roberts’ own legal views on school prayer and overturning abortion rights by suggesting that he was acting on behalf of his client – the United States government. We have been told that Mr. Roberts will not answer any questions about pending legal cases or those concerning hot button social issues because that would require him to prejudge cases without reading the briefs, and deliberating with his potential colleagues on the Court.

Mr. Roberts’ legal analysis made on behalf of the government and in private practice may reveal something about the man as judge or it may not. He says that he was acting on behalf of his clients and like any good attorney, he provided sound legal counsel for those clients.

Liberal activists are not buying it and are using the legal work he did on behalf of the United States government to portray him as a right-wing conservative judge who will vote with Justice Antonin Scalia, William Rehnquist, and Clarence Thomas to overturn privacy rights, narrow protections from government-based discrimination, and overturn environmental protection legislation.

Fair enough. He chose to align himself with conservative administrations and he chose to sign onto legal memorandums, briefs, and opinions limiting the role of the judicial branch and questioning the right to privacy. If he found the opinions reached by his bosses morally objectionable he could have resigned.

But the same can be said for his pro bono work for Jean Dubofsky. Mr. Roberts could have told the law partner that he found it morally objectionable to advance the gay rights cause and declined to help Mrs. Dubofsky but he chose to give her the best legal advice he could so she could win a landmark gay rights ruling.

The conservative religious activists pretended to buy into the president’s argument because they thought they had a reliable ally who opposes abortion and homosexual rights but are now beginning to doubt it. Mr. Perkins prefaced his remarks about his initial concern of ‘aiding and abetting’ by noting that he is “an advocate for family values” and some conservatives have said a lawyer would not take a case that is viewed as morally objectionable. Mr. Weyrich said Mr. Roberts should have risked his career and job by declining to take the case.

If the religious conservatives truly wanted a judge who is capable of separating his personal views from his legal obligations they would have no problem with his work on behalf of his gay clients but they were troubled and until “reassured” by those working for the Bush administration, expressed that concern because they don’t want a person who will not prejudge a gay rights claim in their favor. A true strict constructionist could, after all, rule (as any strict constructionist would) against a gay person’s gay privacy rights and a woman’s abortion rights and still use the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection promise to strike down as unconstitutional anti-gay amendments like the one at issue in Romer.

The White House says Mr. Roberts should not be asked to prejudge a case. To buy into this argument however, we must assume that every nominee joins the court with a clean slate with the ability to put his or her own biases and preconceptions aside and look at the merits for the positions taken by the opposing side. The president cannot say he wants a strict constructionist who will “interpret the Constitution” without also admitting that one of that persuasion does have preconceived negative views on the decisions handed down privacy rights in Roe v. Wade, Lawrence v. Texas, Griswold v. Connecticut, and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Connecticut. And that exactly is what the White House and the activists on both sides of the political aisle were and probably still are counting on that.

sashi-isms is now Adsense-free

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Sashi’s Home


image from www.livingroom.org.au



BIG FREAKING MAJOR CLARIFICATION:This post is not an attack on Google Adsense, nor is it an attack on any blogger who does or doesn’t use Google ads. It’s not an attack on PPS and I’m not requesting anyone to remove their Google ads, boycott Google ads or stop pinging PPS. My meaning is extremely simple: I’m removing the ads because they were making me feel greedy and envious of other successful ad-driven blogs. I like all those blogs and more, and I don’t want to feel envious anymore - hence this decision. Thank you.

You see them everywhere nowadays.

Most blogs - especially many of the ones that ping PPS - have them somewhere in their pages. Some display them in a corner, out of the way of their content. Some display them prominently, right in your face.

All Most of them share the same dream - making money from blogging. (Edit: Alright. Some put them up because they can.)

Once thought to be an impossible dream, it has become a target within touching distance, thanks to money-making-bloggers like Darren, Jacob and our very own LCF.

Google Adsense ads have become such a fixture in blogs that it almost seems odd when you come across a blog that doesn’t have it.

And that’s ok. We all try to make the best of our resources, so there’s absolutely nothing wrong with placing ads in the hope of generating some pocket money.

But then, a few blogs have been really going at it aggressively - to the extent of perhaps committing fraud.

There have been an increasing number of bloggers - here and abroad - whose Adsense accounts have been suspended (meaning their ads got deactivated by Google) for reasons that mainly seem to be related to fraudulent clicks.

All of these bloggers cried foul, of course. Some deny any wrongdoing; some claim that there’s a conspiracy to frame them; some, incredibly enough, place the blame entirely on Google by saying that the Billion-dollar Internet Giant didn’t want to pay out the coupla hundred dollars the bloggers are owed. Yeah, right, that’s probably it.

(Edit: I should be more clear here. I’m not accusing anyone of fraud. I mean that’s what Google seems to be implying. I’m also aware of the possibility that there may be vindictive and just plain mean individuals who could be sabotaging honest bloggers’ Adsense performance by repeatedly clicking on the ads until it trips Google’s fraud alert.)

People seem to forget that Google is a business entity, and like any other business entity, are not in the business of getting screwed. Their clients - advertisers - don’t like getting screwed either. The advertisers pay good money to Google to help them market their products and services, and they pay out even more when people come to their sites via these ads. Google began sharing some of these revenues with website and blog owners and publishers who helped Google display these ads and reach out to a greater public.

Unfortunately, a few people seem to be forgetting who their paymasters are. It’s as if they should paid money just because they’re displaying Google ads. And then there’re those who claim to blog for blogging’s sake, but really, they’re in it for the money.

LCF’s blog is a good example of an ad-driven blog; plus, unlike certain bloggers, LCF doesn’t pretend to be anyone he isn’t - his aim is to be a pro-blogger. That’s ok. The important thing is that he DOES have good content.

Some ad-driven blogs don’t. There’s this one blog
that puzzles me. His content are just mostly duplications of stuff found elsewhere. No big deal, many bloggers (including me) do that. And yet, not only does he get tonnes of unique visits, he makes quite a healthy amount of dough from Google. And this for a Malaysian blogger who’s been blogging for just 6 months.

Does that sound like envy to you? It probably is. I’m not the only one who’s envious - judging by the recent furor over his alleged ’spamming’ on PPS, quite a substantial number of PPS bloggers have had their feathers ruffled by this upstart. I cannot speak for them, but I think I know why I’m annoyed: it’s because I had Google ads longer than he’s been blogging and I’ve only made about US$50 to date.

And before any Adsense expert starts lecturing why this is so, let me pre-empt you: I KNOW why this so. My content doesn’t really have any marketable worth. Most of what I write has no commercial appeal, and the ads reflect this, ergo readers are not compelled to click. (I’ve been wanting to add “ergo” somewhere in my posts, and now I have.)

As time went on, I got more envious and more greedy - I tried switching templates in order to maximize ad real-estate. I placed ads in prominent places so that readers cannot avoid it - which I’m sure annoyed quite a few readers out there. I’m sorry for that.

Sometimes, due to server connections, the loading of the Google ads end up slowing the entire blog loading time. This is not a big problem, but if it has inconvenienced anyone, I’m sorry for that too.

I’m not the only one whose greed and envy has been growing. This disease has been infecting many other bloggers, and these emotions have been joined by hate and anger.

Bloggers are slagging off other bloggers, lambasting them from every corner, creating a level of animosity within the “PPS blogiverse” not seen since the occasional Tim-Yang-bashing-sessions.

It’s even forced LCF to announce
he’ll stop pinging PPS anymore. (Not that it matters to me, since I subscribe to his RSS feed anyway…)

As Eyeris said in this PPS announcement/post: “going through PPS is just no fun anymore…”

I don’t know if all this is going to get nastier, but I certainly don’t want to be part of this hostility.

As such, I am withdrawing all Google ads from this blog. I don’t like feeling jealous, or envious of anyone (including the afore-mentioned new blogger - and I must say this - despite the fact that his contents are not original, they sometimes DO tend to be interesting: like the Flash game, which I find to be fun, in a juvenile, red-neck sorta way… ) and I hope that removing all these ads will help me get to grips with this simple truth: I did not start blogging for the money.

sashi-isms is not a vehicle for revenue-generation. It is not a means to exploit the commercial opportunities afforded by the web.

sashi-isms is me. And since I’m not the kind of person who’d walk around plastered in ads, neither should this blog.

Bye, Google ads. It’s been fun. Not.

I've Broken Down... Submitted by Andrew Hoshkiw

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Hoshkiw Home


For the last two nights, to deal with the problems of not enough battery power and not having internet at home, I've gone to a local cafe where, for the price of a cup of coffee, I can plug-in and surf their wireless network for free.

It's a good deal, I think, and it may be enough for me to spend an extra month in the cabin before moving to town.

But probably not. It's already getting dark too early for my tastes. The windows in the cabin are small, and at 11:00 p.m. there isn't enough light to read my notepad and write a story.

Mind you, there's still enough light outside, but there are too many bugs for working outdoors to be an option.

I think I'll do it again tonight. Meet a band at the cafe, interview them and then write the story while I'm there.

Actually, tonight there's a fundraiser for a jazz music camp. Maybe I'll go to that.

And then go to the cafe and write the story.

I really would like to get away from arts and write something different, but everything else it seems is covered by the staff reporters. The only thing I can think of that I could do would be sappy human interest features.

I don't like the idea, but it may happen.

Anyhow, my side of the office is either too quiet, or they put on bad 70s "classic" radio. I think classic rock is a farce. The whole idea that everything, once it reaches a certain age, becomes a classic, is ridiculous. Bad music remains bad music, no matter how old it gets. So, to rectify the problem, I went shopping for speakers to play my iPod loudly.

First I went to Superstore. They had 10 watt computer speakers for $49. Nope. Next I went to the store formerly known as Radioshack. Their 10 watt speakers were $69. And then I went to Wal-Mart.

You know, I don't know why I look anywhere else any more. I should just go straight to Wal-Mart from now on. Too bad they don't sell fresh produce and Nikon lenses. Then I'd be able to buy absolutely everything there.

They had a 14 watt speaker system, complete with subwoofer, for $29.

I in fact walked out with the 26 watt system for $48.

At home, I use puny, little 6 watt battery-powered speakers I've had for years. When I do move into town, I think I'll switch the systems and have loud music at home.

Inundated with Free CDs, and other Ramblings Submitted by Andrew Hoshkiw

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Hoshkiw’s Home


In the last three days, I've been given four CDs to review, I have two more sitting on the shelf waiting to be dealt with and I know of another two which'll be coming within a week.

Now that music festival season is over, it seems CD reviews will be the order of the day. It's been years since I've written one though. Maybe I'll go buy a music magazine are see how the pros do it.

Tonight, I'm going to interview a musician for one of them. Tomorrow night, two of them are having a joint CD release party.

There are a few other things to be covered though. This Saturday there's a mangathon, and after that, I might do a feature on a local photographer who's working his way backwards (with film) rather than forward (with digital). He even makes his own developing chemicals.

On Saturday I went to a stick gambling competition, about 50 km west of here in a small First Nations village. It was very interesting.

Basically, stick gambling involves two teams of six who sit on the ground facing each other. One team will have each member hide a small stones in one hand or the other, and the other team must guess which hand it's in.



image by www.virtualmuseum.ca

Surrounding them are dozens of deafening drummers and hundreds of raving spectators.

It doesn't sound like much of a sport, but they took it quite seriously. There were 18 teams, with a $300/person entry fee and a grand prize of $10,000.

They were excited to have press coverage, and I was invited to the banquet, where I had moose roast.

Anyhow, it's started to get colder and the stores are now selling school supplies. Several people I know say summer is almost over, but I disagree. When I look at the calendar, it looks like we're not even halfway there. By my reckoning, midsummer's eve is August 5.

Ah well. I'll enjoy it. But then, I'm strange. I'll probably be camping right up until October.

Anyhow, I ought to go do that interview.

Swank Concert Goers Take Note: Submitted by Christine Albrecht

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Swank’s tblog Home

Swanktrendz Myspace Home


Whilst at a concert last night, we came across this beauty (Ariana) and I asked if I could photograph her 'swank' outfit and she said sure.



Take note people - putting clothing items together should look like they belong together, be it funky, punk, classic, elegant, fun, etc. Never overdo the accessories when the clothing makes a statement - note our swank beauty is not overdone with jewelry. Here’s a gal ‘in the know’ about what is swank!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Book Review Submitted by Lezah

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It was Aug. 3 at precisely 10:38 AM when I finally finished ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’, written, of course, by the world’s richest woman, J. K. Rowling. Now, I was one of the many, many people who lined up at 12:01 AM on July 16 to get my copy of the book, expecting to crack it open tout de suite. So why did it take me so long to read the darned thing, you ask? Well, it turns out I’m pretty low on the old totem pole in my house, as I was allotted the number three spot when it came to reading what has since become the fastest selling book in history. Yup, I kid you not; not only were there two others in line in front of me, but one of these individuals chose to take the book away on holidays for a week – reading only one chapter while away! I was outraged!

Finally, I got my hands on the penultimate book of the series, only to spend the first few chapters going, “Who? What? Hunh?” Sadly, you see, I had read the fifth book two years ago – and had completely forgotten most of it. So it took me a few chapters to get back into the swing of things, as they say… And about those few chapters: now, maybe I was completely out of touch with the world of HP, but whatever the case, I found the first few chapters a bit slow. Once we got back to Harry though, things picked up and flew – so much so that I logged 400 pages in one day (certainly not a world’s record, I realize, but significant when you consider the logistics of my schedule that day).

With all hands pointed toward ‘Mortal Peril’, this HP kicks off in high alert – and frankly, the parallels between Harry’s world and the current war against terrorism are kind of frightening. Whereas the last book satirized the educational system, this book makes some insightful political comments that speak to the increasing maturity of Harry, the character, and JK Rowling, the author of said character. ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ examines the past of Voldemort in greater depth, revealing a character even worse than before. As well, Harry chances on a old textbook called “Advanced Potion Making”, which had previously been owned by someone who mysteriously referred to himself as ‘The Half-Blood Prince’; love blooms and hormones rage at Hogwarts; the increasingly public followers of Voldemort continue to wage war against all that is good and pure; more and more people spend their time reading the obituaries; and life (and Quidditch) go on.

Now, I’m not going to let out any big secrets here (like who falls in love with whom or who the Half-Blood Prince really is), but what I will say is this: love figures prominently in this book, and does so in both the mundane, totally expected sort of way; as well as in a very unexpected – and fundamentally important – sort of way. Thematically, the power of love becomes the key to Harry’s problems – let’s just hope that the fellow who now refers to himself as “Dumbledore’s man through and through” realizes exactly how important love will prove to be.

I’ll be interested to see how everything is wrapped up in the final book – and between you and me, I’m expecting a few ‘surprises’ (maybe some of the things that happened at the end of the sixth book aren’t exactly what they seem to be...)

With 6.9 million copies sold within the first 24 hours, and sales already in excess of $100 million, the movie version of this book (planned for 2008) will likely be a blockbuster, as well.

Fashions That draws a Big Yuck! Submitted by Lezah

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Here's my list of current fashion items that are big yucks in my book:
- Tunic shirts: quite frankly, these things are only becoming if one happens to be pregnant.
- Big, big sunglasses: want to look like a bug? Just go out and buy a pair of these babies!
- Feathers, leather and fur: what can I say that hasn't been said a million times?
- Tiered skirts: okay little girl, dress up time is over... back to the land of grown-ups again!
- Voluminous skirts/coats/pants: unless you're obviously super-skinny, it's just going to look like you're trying to hide that extra weight you put on.
- Boho: time to send this one back from whence it came – Diane Keaton’s armoire.

Baby: Low Risk, Average Intelligence - Based on a Picture?? Submitted by Sashi

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Sashi Home





I bet the kid’s parents must be very happy to know their child has a Very Low Promiscuity Factor.

Go on. Try the FaceAnalyzer. Submit a pic of anyone - or any THING - and see what they come up with.


Face Analysis

The Booker Prize - Submitted by Lezah

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For some strange reason that even I don't understand, I am obsessed with the Booker Prize. Just in case anyone else out there has the same interest, the Man Booker Prize people just emailed me their important dates for this year, and here they are:

Aug. 10 is the Longlist announcement
Sept. 8 is the Shortlist announcement
Oct. 10 the winner will be announced at Guildhall
BBC Two and BBC Four will be doing a live broadcast of the event.

The Shoe for You - Submitted by: Lezah

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When we were in Seattle we visited Barneys New York and I was immediately attracted to the shoe sale - don't ask me why...

Anyway, here are a few trends I noticed:

• many of the shoes were adorned with bows or brooches - go to link
• round toed pumps are showing up more and more often
• animal prints were something else I saw a lot of

As an aside, I picked up a pair of Manolo Blahniks and I can truly say that I am in love, love, love! Even the outer sole of this shoe is sinful - a luxuriously soft leather like you've never felt before. So rich!



dolceandgabbana

Cariboo Wilderness Adventures Submitted by Lezah

Your Ticket to the Beauty of BC

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Well, I just returned from BC's Cariboo region in the Interior, and what the license plates say is certainly true; this is the place that helps our province live up to the name 'Beautiful British Columbia'. On our trip we saw deer, elk, fox and a forest fire, as well as the ever-changing face of nature.

Which leads me to my next point: if you are ever planning a trip to the Interior of our beautiful province and are at a loss as to what to do or where to go, perhaps you should look up Lee at Cariboo Wilderness Adventures.

This company provides a variety of services from fishing to kayaking, canoeing, river rafting and hiking, as well as historical and houseboat tours. In a word, they do it all - and do it well!

So well, in fact, that Lee has been asked to do weekly educational and historical spots for the local TV station. The show airs on Shaw, but only in the Central-to-Northern BC areas. However, these spots will soon be available for viewing on their website - stay tuned.

Cariboo Wilderness Adventures has tenure over a huge area of the Cariboo (it extends from south of 150 Mile House all the way up to historical Barkerville, and includes 52 lakes).

So, if you're interested in getting hooked on adventure, or just want to see and learn more about this beautiful area of BC, contact Cariboo Wilderness Adventures at Cariboo
or contact lee_walters@telus.net.

Mike’s Musings - The "List" List (Short Version)

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Mike’s Page


A brief summary of the things I not only hope to, but will accomplish, before the end of my twenty-fifth year. Watch me.

• be ordained "All-Time World Champ" of Mega Man 2.

• have a monkey. Not as a pet, but as a friend.

• walk down a beautiful, patio-lined street on a beautiful late summer/early autumn afternoon. When I look up I realize that the most beautiful woman who ever lived is walking towards me. Just as our eyes meet and she begins to smile, she trips over a dog's leash and scrapes her knee on the sidewalk. I immediately get her to her feet and help her to a seat at the small ‘Europeanish’ cafe we happen to be in front of. I ask the waiter for a cold glass of ice water, a clean cloth and a small bandage. As I quietly tend to her wound, gently dabbing the blood from the ugly breach in her perfect milky skin, she is suddenly overcome with emotion. A tiny gasp passes her supple, perfectly formed lips as she comes to the powerful realization that she will love me, physically and spiritually, for the rest of her days. When I’m finished applying the bandage I say, "There. All patched up. My name is Mike." To which she'll reply; her birdsong voice trembling with absolute joy; "I'm Persephone."

• win a major award at a major ceremony (for whatever). The crowd’s applause is deafening because they realize just how much I deserve this award (for whatever). When I reach the podium to make my speech I will say one of two things. I will either say

A) "I thank you all. We're golden. We're all golden. Let's party." The moment after I say this, Journey's 'Any Way You Want It' will blast through the stadium's speaker system and liquor will be distributed freely.

Or I will say B) "I only thank Batman."


• when crossing the street I realize a large bus is is about to slam into my body, thus crushing it throughly. At the very last second I do a perfectly timed backflip, landing in the back of a passing pickup truck, making it in only by inches. I then pounce out of the moving truck, grab onto a nearby lamppost, swing around it a couple of times, letting go at exactly the right second for me to launch myself back across the busy street and land comfortably in an empty seat at a table full of highly trained ninjas, who proceed to give me a standing ovation.

• I wake up with a mouthful of gold teeth.

Sky High - Movie Review Submitted by Lezah

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Everyone has to survive their first day of high school - even superheroes, or superhero hopefuls and wannabes. A good pedigree can help one gain acceptance in high school , too - like, for instance, if your Mom and Dad happen to be the top superheroes of the time - but ultimately, it all comes down to the individual. According to Mom and Dad, everyone is super, but even in the high school superhero world, it turns out some are more super than others.

This is the theme that is visited in Disney's latest film, Sky High, starring Michael Angarano, as superhero hopeful Will Stronghold; and Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston as his parents, The Commander and Jetstream. Teenage angst abounds and social castes are revisited in this gentle parody of both the super hero and high school film genre.

Directed by Mike Mitchell and with a screenplay by Paul Hernandez, Mark McCorkle and Robert Schooley, this film offers some good laughs: like when Will brings his new girlfriend home, only to have the dad ask him, "You're not that guy with the six arms, are you?" (unfortunately, I think I was the only one in the theatre who actually laughed out loud at this one - but it was funny!). The story was well-paced and offered lots of suspense - I observed one young lady near us literally sitting on the edge of her seat.

For all you parents out there, the nostalgia factor will be very high. From the eighties music - all covers (one notable cover is a Styx song, done by Tribe - a band who happens to be fronted by the absolutely gorgeous Steven Strait, who plays Will's arch-enemy Warren Peace in the film), to the blasts from our TV past: Wonder Woman Lynda Carter appears as the school's principal, Cloris Leachman as the school nurse and Kids in the Hall Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald - hilarious as mostly useless, super-powered teachers. Most notable, of course, is Kurt Russell, originally famous as Disney's teen heartthrob of the late '60s - early '70s, who has now come full circle to play the ambitious, but loving parent. Bruce Campbell, of Evil Dead fame, is also excellent as an obnoxious gym coach.

The film opened July 29 and finished the first weekend in third place, raking in 14.5 million (behind the summer hit The Wedding Crashers). Rated PG for no reason, this is a good summer family show.

Beauty Night Makeovers - Get Involved to Help Marginalized and Disfranchised People! By Christine

Because Dignity is Beautiful.

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Beauty Night


I was speaking with a peer when she mentioned her daughter (a hairdresser) was participating in something called ‘Beauty Night’. After a bit of poking about I came across the organization’s website.

Beauty Night Society was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, on December 15, 2000. Caroline MacGillivray started Beauty Night while she was a volunteer at WISH Drop-in Centre and has gone on to make it a much larger, independent organization. (Wish usually sponsors Beauty Night in May and November or early December.)

Beauty Night Society is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that provides makeovers and other wellness programs to marginalized adults and youth. Our programs provide tools for clients to increase their self esteem and find the inner strength to make positive change in their lives.

Today, Beauty Night operates in Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto and has given more than 4,000 makeovers to clients * all without any funding*.

It's thanks to the generous donations of people, organizations and businesses that we are able to offer BEAUTY NIGHT EVENTS

A Beauty Night is a volunteer-organized event where we work with marginalized and disfranchised people to help them improve self-image and self-esteem. An event will either take place in a salon or at the hosting agencies’ facilities. We go to drop-in centers, transition homes, clinics, group homes and hospitals and we plan to acquire our own program space as well.

For our events, we bring in volunteers who offer services such as hair cutting and styling; make-up application and lessons; basic manicures and pedicures; relaxation massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and healing touch. Our image consultants help clients pick out clothing. Healthy delicious appetizers are served. Depending on the venue, sometimes music or films are played for our clients’ benefit. Gift bags are given to participants.

We are currently raising money to sustain our existing programs and to offer more programs to our clients. Check out our calendar for upcoming FUNdraising Events, in which you can participate.

Without the tireless efforts of our volunteers, there would not be a Beauty Night. Our volunteers vary from hair dressers, make up artists, massage therapists, aestheticians, nail tech's, reiki masters, reflexologists, aroma-therapists and image consultants to fundraisers, public relations and marketing professionals and event facilitators.

We average three Beauty Nights a month, so we are constantly collecting products for these events. We have given over 2000 makeovers to our clients since December 2000. Thank you so much for all of your support!

Learn how you can participate in Beauty Night, through volunteering, clothing drives or by making a donation.

Volunteer Facilitators Wanted
To learn more about becoming a volunteer facilitator phone:

Vancouver 604-601-1383
Toronto 416-379-8456
Victoria 250-360-8992

Responsibilities include: responding to emails and phone messages, coordinating events at different agencies in the city, coordinating volunteers, some public relations and fund raising, proposal writing and grant writing.

The ideal candidate should have access to email and a home telephone. She (we would prefer a female as many of the agencies we work with only want females on the premises) would also own or have access to a vehicle as Beauty Night events take place at host facilities.

All inquiries can be sent to:
Caroline MacGillivray
C/O Beauty Night Society
6187 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6M 3E2
or emailed to carolinema@beautynight.org


Below are some of the people and organizations that Beauty Night have has the pleasure of partnering up with. Thank you!

Sponsored by:

• Davis and Company
• Clear Choice Technologies Inc
• Social Empire Visit Our Website at www.socialempire.com
• Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
• Dianne Anderson and University Hill Church
• Joji's Hair School
• Colour Box
• Baxter's Hair
• Bambu Hair Salon
• Bloom Essential Spa

Donations

$2000 - 2500
• Joji's Hair School

$1600-2000
• Shannon Chowscanio, Charlene Burr, and Tracie

$1000-1499
• None noted

$200 - 500
• Fidel Thomas, Inner Visions
• Checho Tomasso's VOC Soul Gospel Choir

$99 - 200
• Defiant Women's Fund

Organizations that Beauty Night works with:

• WISH Drop In Centre
• Capilano College runs a literacy program at the WISH Drop In Centre at the First United Church and also some programs at their Pender Street office
• Spirit Way
• Elizabeth Frye Society
• DTES Women’s Centre
• DTES Community Health Centre
• Sheway
• CHIAS
• Dr. Peter's (Women's Group)
• Positive Women's Network
• Peers Vancouver
• BC Women's Hospital
• Plea's Daughters and Sisters Program
• Youth Health Fair (provided by Disease Control)
• Union Gospel Mission Youth Outreach
• Union Gospel Mission Women's Program
• Broadway Youth Resource Centre
• Collingwood Neighbourhood House
• Kettle Friendship Society
• Cornerstone Academy
• Job Quest (Burnaby Open Learning Centre)
• Trade Works
• Immigrant Services' Stepping Up Program
• Grace House (closed July 2002 due to cut backs)
• Rapha Place

In Toronto:
• Jean Tweed Centre
• Grant House
• Red Door Shelter

In Victoria
• Peers Victoria
• Open Door

For those out there who have the ability to assist with this selfless act of kindness, please step up to the plate and volunteer! Every single participant can make a difference in someone’s life.