Concert Review - Story of the Year by Christine

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Story of the Year Concert Review
Jan 8/06 Croatian Cultural Centre
Medium Capacity

Arena Thrash comes to the Croatian Cultural Centre

After numerous superficial fashion observations see here, we got down to reviewing the performances.

Story of the Year is presently on tour to promote their latest album, In the Wake of Determination, released in October of 2005; co-produced by Steve Evetts (Hatebreed, Cure, Saves the Day), and the band delivers an edgier, more thrash metal set - quite a separation from the emo-power rock of their last cd, produced by John Feldman.

Story of the year was supposed to be supported by two opening acts Every Time I Die and From First to Last. Singer Dan Marsala had to inform the crowd that Every Time I Die’s van flipped over and the band was unable to play for a few dates, but they would rejoin the tour shortly. In fact, Dan often stop and made announcements, observations etc - he was very audience aware. ‘If you see someone fall down, be sure to help them back up’. You heard his lament about crossing the border, and you heard him reprimanding himself for saying ‘ we have this little ditty’...

From First to Last had ... well ... they had great artwork on the merchandise they were selling. The lead singer, Sonny (whom for some reason had red paint down one side of his face), didn’t have a huge vocabulary when it came to addressing the crowd, unless of course, it had an ”F” sound resounding throughout the words. Nonetheless, the audience seemed to enjoy themselves - bodysurfing and dancing. The tunes were fine, just not great. However, hats off to Matthew and the other guitarist, Travis, as both were clearly talented and essentially carried the show.

When Story of the Year took to the stage, the theme to Star Wars started to play. This was hilarious, yet somehow appropriate - go figure.



Right from the first strands of We Don't Care Anymore the band members came off as seasoned pros, and given that this is the 10th year together for some members, it all makes sense. When they launched into Jarhead you could definitely feel the shift in direction. Story of the Year was prepared to go down a much darker, edgier, thrash rock avenue.



They played their requisite Until The Day I Die, Anthem Of Our Dying Day, and Falling Down with fans singing along. The singer kept an ongoing rapport with the audience - both spoken and physical. In fact the whole band enjoyed getting down the the fans’ levels.



Story of the Year Had their own personal statements made in the form of tshirts. Adam Russell, the bassist, had a Pantera shirt on which Lezah noted was probably something to do with Dimebag Darrell’s death over a year ago. Ryan Phillips was wearing a Davidson t-shirt, Dan Marsala was wearing a Pitchfork.com shirt and the drummer had on a Celtics jersey. Another observance - each of the fellows in the band were definitely worth looking at/ watching.



Story of the Year proved to be highly entertaining, and engaging. They all are quite the performers, both athletically and musically. Exchanging guitars in midair, body flips off of speakers while playing instruments, are part of the show for this band.

As well, during the set the band launched a medley of ‘80s/’90s tunes: Guns N Roses Sweet Child of Mine, Twisted Sister, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, More than a Feeling, and Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer. We were beginning to wonder if they had ever heard of the cover mastersThe Dan Band?

Half way through the set, Dan noted that, “Basically anything I say you will repeat?” He went on to throw out random sentences and sure enough, the audience chanted back some of the most ridiculous sentences. The bandmates also joked with each other frequently, teasing their soundman, comments to Ryan about being the unibomber. But throughout the jokes, and talking, the music remained unscathed. Definitely arena rock fellows in a small venue.

Canadian Swank - Current Fashion Store

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Canadian Swank by: Christine

As Langley emerges as Vancouver’s suburban mini shopping mecca, ‘Current’s’ only outlet store has opened. Current is a clothing chain known for its Canadian focus as well as its finely made clothing and accessories mixture. The owner chose Langley because he always wanted to put a store where there is a lot of strip mall shopping and he felt the need to target more people in the Fraser Valley. He also plans to open a store in Calgary, Alberta.

Current fashions has been in the ladies’ retail clothing business for 12 years. Its parent company is Kudo’s Fashion Corp which was started 17 years ago by Frank Zaetler and Sandy Hayden.



The first store opened in downtown Vancouver and then relocated to Broadway. Current has stores on West Broadway, Granville between 13th and 14th, Kerrisdale, Blundell Centre, Ironwood, Whiterock, Edgemont Village and Park Royal on the North Shore, as well as Metrotown.

With 11 stores in the lower mainland, this is Current’s official first outlet store. Imagine a reserved La Chateau mingling with a Holt Renfrew design (with the occasional Mexx, Mac&Jac, Kenzie, Jana, Jag and Donna thrown in) and prices marked down up to 75%!



Initially Kudo's manufactured for Mr Jaz, Virani and Marjorie Hamilton. Current has its own in-house design team and factory in Vancouver. the company’s label is Current, but they also use Origins (one of our original labels) in their factory sale stock. Langley has our only Outlet store and its called The "Current Outlet Store".

As for my own ‘Current Outlet’ purchases, I purchased 3 pairs of slacks and 1 military style jacket for $140.00 as well as a timeless lightweight corduroy knee-length spring coat for 49.00 (from 129.00).

It is so nice to be able to shop Canadian and yet not pay an exorbitant amount. As well, the items on sale are not the styles of yesterday - there are many classic pieces that will last for eons in a suitable wardrobe. As for our American counterparts - come on up and take a look, you’ll be pleased with the bigger savings the dollar exchange will allow you.



For more information go to www.currentladiesfashion.citymax.com.

A big thank-you to Lynne Ramsay who not only works at the Current Outlet store but also helped fill in the blanks for information I couldn’t locate.

Story of the Year - Interview Ryan Phillips and Adam Russell

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Interview with Story of the Year: Ryan Phillips and Adam Russell
By: Christine Albrecht



Ahhh yes, faces only mothers could love...

Although our interview with Story of the Year occurred last Sunday (January 8, 2006) I am late getting it out for several reasons:

Reason number one - I generally like to give the band 48 hours to review and add to or correct misinformation, but I forgot to get the band’s contact email (as they’re on the road).

Reason number two - I enjoyed the interview so well, too well in fact, that it was hard to write from a more objective view. I felt as though I had known these fellows forever and I can honestly say that there were many questions I did not get to just because of our general ‘chit chat’.

Reason number three - I had difficulty getting their tour schedule through technology glitches (thoroughly of my own doing).

So, I apologize to Ryan, Adam, Dan, Philip, and Josh up front for not getting their final thumb’s up for the interview, but hey, Adam and Ryan were just as guilty of being too comfortable as we were.

Story of the Year consists of:

* Dan Marsala – Vocalist



* Ryan Phillips – Guitarist #1 (Lead)



* Philip Sneed – Guitarist #2 (Rhythm & Melody)



* Adam Russell – Bassist
* Josh Wills – Drummer

The band was fresh off a busy summer and fall headlining tour, and now continues to support its latest cd release with a slew of new 2006 concert dates.

The interview was almost a ‘non interview’ as I could not get ahold of the Maverick label to supply Swanktrendz with the band’s contact number, press/publicity agent (Jim Baltutis), manager etc. I was even getting bounced from Maverick to Warner’s and back; I was beginning to wonder if Story of the Year even existed anymore.

At the concert venue (Croatian Cultural Centre) I managed to discuss the lack of label communication with SOTY’s road manager, Timmy; everything was set into place and within 20 minutes of their closing song, Lezah and I were discussing Story of the Year’s adventures with Adam Russell, and the oft quoted Ryan Phillips. What was to be a quick 15 minute Q & A turned into a 45 minute session with a lot of laughs. Without a doubt, this group is personable and humorous and was one of the more entertaining groups I’ve talked with.



Whilst sitting in the back room waiting for our Q & A, Lezah and I managed to observe that Josh Mills (drummer) was extremely ‘aggravated’ with his performance as his thumb was swollen out of proportion and he felt he didn’t hit his stride until several songs into the set. However, this was completely unnoticed by the audience (including myself). Ryan was annoyed that a fan who body surfed right up and on to the stage was turfed by security. Ryan didn’t feel that was right. And of course, there was the obligatory fainted fan receiving first aid a few feet away from us. As she moaned and sighed while her vitals were being checked by paramedics, there appeared to be a miraculous recovery (or perhaps a lead in to another dead faint) as she excitedly received a signed poster and concerned condolences from Adam and Ryan. It was amazing to see the adoration factor kick in with the sincere and concerned acknowledgment of her situation, from two band members. This made me aware of a rarity with popular bands; unlike some other acts I’ve interacted with, Story of the Year truly appreciates and embraces their fans. Throughout our interview, they often expressed how much their fans and audience meant to them and they had no airs about why they were here. They recognize their audience and the fact that the band’s popularity continues as a result of the loyalty of the fans.

Another example of fan awareness was when our ‘15 minute’ interview stretched toward the 45 minute mark. Ryan was concerned about the fans waiting in the rain by the tour bus. He and Adam explained that they had to get out there soon, as that was ‘a long time to wait’ for the fans. ‘Our fans our loyal’, stated Ryan. ‘In fact, male fans in particular are loyal and always stick with the band’.

During the initial part of the interview, we recapped some of the milestones during Story of the Year’s climb to the top.

Beginning in 1996, ‘BigBlueMonkey’ made the club circuits in St. Louis, Missouri. The BBM name was dropped in favour of ‘Story of the Year’ back in 2002 because of a ‘Blues group having the same name’. However, Ryan also intimated that they simply ‘did not like the name’ and were glad to be rid of it (as well as the former singer). Swanktrendz had to agree with the name change - BigBlueMonkey is not the most spectacular representation of a thrash metal rock band. (Now, some of you may be wondering how a former emo-power rock band could be considered thrash metal, but their latest cd, In the Wake of Determination, released October 11, 2005, pulls away from their usual formula, offering hard driven chords and lyrics - ‘We Don’t Care Anymore’ and ‘Jarhead’ being prime examples.) Changing producers from John Feldman (The Used) to Steve Evetts (The Cure, Hatebreed) may be the reason why the album debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

When we asked when and where they write their music, Ryan replied that unlike others, he ‘enjoys writing on tours’ and that ‘it just comes to’ him. ‘I love seeing different cities and sights and I feel inspired to write’. Adam didn’t appear as enthusiastic as Ryan about writing while on the road, but does share lyric writing duties with Dan when motivated.

Dan (former SOTY drummer) became the lead singer and the present SOTY lineup remains cohesive and fresh. 2002 was a powerful year for the band due to the culmination of several events, beginning with the winning of a radio concert which allowed them to open for the Headlining Goldfinger on the second stage during Point Fest. (Coincidentally, Goldfinger had played the same Vancouver venue just days previously). They went on to saturate the crowd with SOTY merchandise at Point Fest; managed to be signed with Maverick Label and began to record their cd, play the Viper Room, and scoop the opening position for Linkin Park’s 2004 tour. Which reminds me - I never did get the chance to clear up the story regarding a fracas they got into with the roadies of Godsmack during the 2004 tour. The so-called ‘Went for Ice Cream together’ resolution that their press released was ... well, yeh right ... give me the real story.

Another issue I wanted to address with Ryan and Adam was the lack of proper promotion from their label, Maverick. As far as I could see, this was a band seasoned and prepared for arenas, large venues, etc. I heard of SOTY’s Jan 8 concert from a 20 year old, named Sam. (I had asked Sam if there were any good acts coming to Vancouver and he mentioned SOTY and talked about seeing them when they toured with Linkin Park.) Word of mouth is fine when you are a struggling new act, however, it can be a death knell for an established act. In fact, the Vancouver venue was not even close to being sold out and the lack of merchandising was lamentable. Merchandising is a huge source of revenue for touring acts, and although they did have enough t-shirts on hand, the lack of cds available for purchase was simply not acceptable. Again, Maverick dropped the ball with this arrangement.



Adam’s birthday is Dec 8 (he recently turned 26) - being the same day that Dimebag Darrell was murdered in 2004. Adam pays homage to Dimebag by wearing his Pantera t-shirt while on tour. As Adam noted (when we were discussing fans’ loyalty to bands) if Dimebag were alive today, Adam would have no problem ‘paying thousands of dollars just to see him play’. Adam also gives a nod to the band, H20, with his lyrical tattoos ‘One Life, One Chance’.

The boys are a mixture of kickass rockers, bickering (in a been-together-long -enough way) buddies, a solid finish-each -other’s-sentences relationship, and basic, goofy pranksters. They find humour in just about everything and it was hard not to get caught up with their antics. They have a good sense of humour whether it be poking fun at their soundman or poking fun at themselves. As Ryan announced to the concert audience, ‘Dan’s mom is a MILF’, to which all band members agreed. I wonder if Carleen (Dan’s mom) is aware that she is part of tour conversation (albeit in a wayward complimentary fashion). That and simple statements such as, ‘I’m warning you, my feet smell like diapers - baby diapers that is, as opposed to... you know, adult ones’. Adam mentioned watching Brokeback Mountain and then went on to encourage me to write that Ryan likes cowboys, too. Ryan was oblivious to this, answering a separate question at the same time.

When I asked them if they honestly enjoyed touring the smaller venues (such as the Croatian Cultural Centre) they insisted they enjoyed the all ages forum as they believe that is their original fan base. We discussed some of the fans present who appeared young and a security guard interjected that there was a 6 year old in the audience. (Youngest I’ve heard of!) Adam and Ryan went on to explain how important music was to them at an early age (averaging 10 to 11 years old). At that age, they were listening to Megadeath and Pantera and they believe that whatever you’re listening to at that age, largely influences what you’ll be playing if you end up in a band of your own.

I also asked if there was ever a time that they hated being on the road and hated touring. Ryan laughed and said, ‘Are you kidding, we have the greatest job ever’ and the only time he was ‘sick’ of touring was when he had ‘104 degree temperature in Japan’. They both spoke with such earnestness that one had to believe them. I suggested that they stick with this present SOTY lineup as each individual is equally important to the band; they appear to gel/ interact well (at least when a roadie isn’t tossing guitars at them - Ryan will affirm what I mean) and their presence, as a whole, is commanding. They agreed that they felt this was the right lineup, and have no intentions of anything (or anyone) leaving for the duration.

I asked Ryan and Adam to mention some bands that they felt should have some media acknowledgment. Adam mentioned Monty from Providence Rhode Island - and Ryan made mention of He is Legend

Quick chat about Adam and Ryan’s communication style. As I was asking questions I noted that both Ryan and Adam had different ways of retrieving information. Adam, was a definite visual guy - the one that can “see” the big picture, whereas Ryan was more of a kinesthetic person and I jokingly said, ‘You were probably the kid in the class breaking pens and taking things apart to see how they operated while the teacher was teaching’, whereas Adam was staring out the window visualizing bigger things to come, perhaps including future lyrics. Ryan laughed and said, ‘Matter of fact, I was the kid eating the crayons and pissing on the radiator’. Yep, truly a kinesthetic guy. Thank God he plays guitar - who knows what mayhem he could cause.

When I asked what interview question annoyed the group the most, it was a definitive ‘So... what is the story of the year?’ Lezah and I just looked at each other as this was most asinine comment we’ve heard, and frankly, one that would never even venture into our line of questioning.

The guys were getting anxious about their waiting fans so we drew the interview to quick closure. It was a pleasure meeting them and I look forward to this cd breaking new ground (and new fans) for them. They were a pleasure to interview and gave us a laugh as well. Days later, I mentioned to a friend that I was concerned that perhaps the ‘thrash metal’ genre was coming to a close, when he responded it was quite the opposite. As music is cyclical, he figures speed metal music will be coming back to the forefront aka Dead Kennedy’s style. If that is the case, then Story of the Year still have quite a few years left in them.

Toque campaign for Homelessness February 7/06

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By Christine

Raising the roof

Helping put a toque on Homelessness

Our Annual Toque Campaign
gives people from all walks of life the opportunity to show their support for solutions to homelessness by purchasing a Raising the Roof toque and wearing it proudly!

Toques are $10 each, with proceeds supporting grassroots community homelessness agencies across Canada, as well as Raising the Roof's public education initiatives.

For more information about participating in the Toque Campaign, click here.

To order your toque NOW, click here!

Arteriors:Motto: ’Exceed the expectations of the customer and the marketplace.” By Christine

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Any furniture accessories company that names itself ‘Arteriors’deserves an article just for having a great name. Yes, one could have been dull and call their company, ‘Interiors’, or ‘Artistic Furniture for Interiors, but Arteriors...? Brilliant.



Arteriors’ press page displays numerous magazine covers and/or interior pages where Arteriors products have been prominently used, and the press page gives the item’s model number so a potential customer may know exactly what to ask for.



Given the amount of magazines presenting Arteriors products demonstrate that I’ve jumped on the bandwagon late, again. Then again, nothing is noted for Arteriors during the year, 2005, so maybe it’s time to remind those do-it-youself home renovators of this intriguing company.



Arteriors Home and Arteriors Fine Accessories were give the Arts Award for the second year in a row in 2004. Their distinguishing feature in 2004 was their Manufacturer portable Lamps.



Arteriors Home was also proud to be win as Designers of the Year in 2004. Arteriors also was recognized at the 1997 Eighth Annual ART’s Award for Manufacturer of the Year for Accessories. I realize that home decoration, like any art form, must move on with the times, but I feel Arteriors still have intriguing products that flow and change in synchcronicity to these times.



Based in Dallas, Arteriors Home started as an accessory resource offering a carefully chosen grouping of traditional pieces. The Tanner Collection was the first portable lighting venture; introduced in 1995 and was followed by a lifestyle lamp company called Keane in 1999.



Arteriors continued to grow until the company finally merged its divisions and overhauled its offerings to include a complete selection of modern home accents with coordinated collections.

Arteriors Home is represented in permanent showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver and Seattle. A nationwide network of sales representatives sells the products throughout the United States and Canada.
Arteriors offers both catalogue, showroom, and online shopping. It’s wonderful that today’s designers are not held back by borders and distance.

The catalogs feature unique and imaginative selections that are grouped by category and style. The company introduces over 500 new items every year to select from. Arteriors is proud of its first quality merchandise track record.



While browsing the online Arteriors home - I plugged in postal codes (zip) to see where I would be able to purchase the products. Although there was nothing present for Vancouver, Canada, an address could be found for Bellingham at 1105 11th street. My Lucky sister in Maryland has 3 stores to choose from. Use the Arteriors zip code feature to find a store nearest to you at


To Shop online with Arteriors design, simply go toand they accept all major credit cards as well as Paypal.




Most of all, enjoy the whimsical and traditional pieces as well as imported novelties/ pieces. Lay back, close your eyes... and envision these pieces in your newly painted/renovated/updated space and Voilá, art by design - to your specifications - appears at your doorstep, courtesy of online shopping.

All Things Cowie - By Christine

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images source colincowie.com



Here I was, thinking about whom, or what, to write about for our interiors section. (The category has been abandoned temporarily as we’ve all pursued other features). Then I remembered how taken I was with some ‘Cowie’ tableware displayed at JC Penney. I quickly found my ‘Things to Write About’ notebook and settled in to research.





As I flipped through the well worn pages of my notebook (note to son: hint hint... Christmas gift... quick and easy...) I found the Colin Cowie section with its ‘first impact’ impressions. Looked promising... interesting... great, ready to go!



Well damned if there wasn’t an article on Colin Cowie in December’s In Style Home I swear, I think the magazine/e-zine communities can read Lezah’s and my minds and grab our cognitive headliners to trump us. (How typically egocentric of me - to assume the Swanktrendz's’ ideas are being stolen by In Style et al when in fact we are all merely reporting the same trend at the same time, and even that is an arrogant assumption.)

Back to Colin - His designs/ideas etc. are unique, exciting, beautiful yet safe, but what’s more incredible is his resume. This man can and does just about everything. He’s gotta be a type A personality (or at least have 200 invisible assistants working beneath him).



I went to his website http://www.colincowie.com/index.aspx and the first thing I noticed was that he has a membership section. That’s right, you can become one of the inner circle Cowieites and be the first to receive the latest tip or access Colin's newest recipe according to the site.



African born, Colin Cowie is known for his elegant yet extravagant attention to details, from a flower girl’s simple seashell headband , his beautiful dreamy wedding sites, to his table settings for an intimate dinner party. When Colin arrived to the United States in 1985, he immediately formed Colin Cowie Lifestyle. Lifestyle has now grown to include offices in New York and Los Angeles





Cowie is an all-in-one kind of guy. He designs clothing, homes, accessories, furnishings, lifestyles and he has authored several books designated for the bride-to-be or the gourmet entertainer. Colin Cowie Lifestyle has planned some of the most highly publicized parties and weddings of the decade including the marriages of Lisa Kudrow, Paula Abdul, Kenny G., Don Henley, Hugh Hefner and many others. Not only that, Colin is a contributing editor for InStyle (aha explains the scoop of the story), Eating Well, and Honeymoon magazines. Currently, Colin appears weekly on AMC's Romance Classics as the star of "Everyday Elegance with Colin Cowie."





Lastly, when one has been invited to appear on Oprah as a headliner, and has People magazine write an article with the headline “An Affair To Remember: Part Patton, part Barnum, Colin Cowie is Hollywood’s premier wedding designer.” you know that Cowie has arrived ... moved in permanently ... and is subletting to others.



http://www.colincowie.com

Lancing the Boil of French Envy By: Laurence Simon

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Lance Armstrong may have beaten testicular cancer to go on to win the Tour de France seven times, but apparently it's managed to spread to the media organs of France in the form of virulent, spiteful envy.

America's seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has reportedly claimed that allegations made about him taking drugs was part of a witch hunt orchestrated by the French. The 34-year-old added, however, he would not give either the French newspaper L'Equipe which published the claims he had tested positive for blood-booster EPO in 1999 nor the laboratory involved the satisfaction of suing them.

"The paper has no proof whatsoever," Armstrong told Saturday's Het Nieuwsblad newspaper. "It is a witch hunt and a publicity exercise."

Maybe it's burning envy?

Nah. That's just parking lots around Paris.

Fireside Smirk By: Laurence Simon

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I am hesitant to watch a recording of Bush's "fireside chat" speech because I know that everything he says about Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorism, and democracy will be applied in reverse with the murderous deathcultist Palestinians. Polling places are overrun by gunmen or burning, terrorists are running as candidates in a process Bush said should produce "leadership uncompromised by terror" and yet Bush keeps telling Condi Rice to yank at Sharon's leash over and over again demanding concessions and humanitarian gestures.



It makes me wonder if that speech in 2002 ever took place at all.

It's truly sad when the people have to look to Congress for moral clarity with regard to cutting off the money supply for terrorists pretending to engage in free and peaceful elections. Hamas is engaging in the process not as part of an overall plan to moderate their views and disarm, but to grab a hold of the aid coffers as a war chest to escalate their war on Israel... upon civilization itself.

Bush, who through his envoys has been demanding free passage of terrorists from Gaza to Egypt or the West Bank, continues to show himself for the backpedaling, double-dealing, double-standard president who started the ball rolling back in 2002.

If the Qassams were being launched from Tijuana on San Diego instead of from Gaza to Ashkelon or Sderot, there'd be a smoking crater full of dead donkeys and whores where Tijiuana used to be.

Pajamas Media
has a roundup of opinions other than this one. If there's anybody else in that list noticing the disparity between Bush's view on Iraq and his rose-colored-glasses view of the Palestinian track record of violence, incitement, and lies, I'm having a hard time finding it.

Expiring domain By: Laurence Simon

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I get a panicked note from a customer begging to know when their domain expires.

Here's a pop quiz for you folks. How can you find out when your domain expires?

At the command line, do a whois and then the domain name.

Or look up the domain name with one of the many hundreds of whois tools at registrars and such.

If you registered anonymously or with a registrar that doesn't give out the expiration date, well, go to the registrar, sign in, and check your account.

Don't remember how to sign in to your registrar? That's between you and their customer service department.

Don't remember who your registrar is? Well, do a whois of your domain and you'll get the details on who the registrar is and how to contact that registrar.

Hell, a Google search for "when does my domain expire" gives you a link to a site that tells you to do a whois.

If every single one of those steps is completely alien to you, someone else should be running your website for you.

Pajamas Media, Pathfinder, and Go.com By: Laurence Simon

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I've been thinking about Pajamas Media and how it reminds me of the Pathfinder and Go.com fiascos a bit more. Or maybe I've forgotten I thought about it and I'm typing this all over again like that guy from Memento.



Sammy who?

Pathfinder and Go.com were artificial "portal site" constructs developed by Time Warner and Disney. They were utterly devoid of content in and of themselves beyond a few bells-and-whistles and navigation trickery. In the end, they were just another annoying layer of navigation that made you hunt and click for your content more than before.

On the other hand, Pajamas Media is also an artificial "portal site" construct. Unlike Pathfinder and Go.com, it's got a bit of unique content to it, like the Blog Jams or the Iraqi Elections Reporting or the various roundups. Tack on a blogroll and some wire feeds and that's pretty much it for the consumer.

You can also still get to the Pajamas Media member sites without a hassle of slogging through Land Of A Thousand Clicks like go.com and pathfinder.com were. Your feeds still work, your bookmarks still work, your permalinks still work.

The eerie parallel between Go/Pathfinder and Pajamas Media is that you had two huge companies with amazing brand recognition. You know Time and CNN and Disney and ABC. However, some marketing morons decided to take all of those well-recognized brand names and shove them to the backburner while promoting completely artificial and unknown hub names.

Bad mistake.

So in this new Pajamas Media Venture, they went from Pajamas Media to Open Source Media and then back to Pajamas Media.

I wonder if any of the consultant geniuses mentioned anything about Go.com or Pathfinder before heading down the same exact road of trying to establish a whole new portal name.

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

They call them diet Coke and Coke Zero and Cherry Coke for a reason, you know. If they had its own name (Light Cola, Cola Water, Cherry drink), it wouldn't sell as much.

The rule is not to create an unknown brand name to smother your collective well-known brand names, but to take an existing brand name and expand it to embrace all of the lesser brand names.

So, what would I have done?

The crown jewel of the network is obviously Reynolds' Instapundit site with Malkin as a close second.

Fine. Build upon that brand name.

Expanding the well-known InstaPundit brand to encompass the network of bloggers, calling it "The Pundit Network" or "InstaPundits" (plural) or "Instant Punditry" or whatever.

If it fails, well, jettison the network part and go back to just the core InstaPundit brand.

But then, what do I know? These geniuses actually came up with "Jellyfish" for a while during their spitballing sessions.

In the end, I think it's "Network of ad banners" that's #1 on the list, nothing's #2, and #3 is... um... hey, wasn't it a great launch party?

O Little Town of Bethlehamas... By: Laurence Simon

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Well, the Israelis are thinking about leasing security restrictions on the West Bank for pilgrims to reach Bethlehem on Christmas, so you know what that means...


Security forces on Monday morning chased down two Palestinians near Jerusalem who had apparently intended to carry out a terror attack in the capital city, Army Radio reported.

The two youths, who threw firebombs at security forces during the chase, were eventually arrested attempting to cross the separation fence near Jerusalem's southern Har Homa neighborhood.

The two, aged 16 and 17, were carrying carrying two pipe bombs, fire bombs and knives and had a Hamas flag.

But that's not all...

Also Monday, Israel Radio reported that security forces have captured a Palestinian terrorist who had managed to infiltrate southern Israel from the Gaza Strip.

The terrorist, who was carrying an explosives belt, firearms and grenades, was captured near Kibbutz Nir Am, located adjacent to Sderot in the western Negev region near the Gaza border.

Security forces were involved throughout the night in chasing the terrorist, who was captured alive. He had apparently intended to carry out an attack inside Israel.

Sadly, none of these captured terrorists were allowed to martyr themselves in sealed concrete bunkers along with their explosives.

How hard it must be for their virgins in Paradise, waiting a little bit longer for their beloved to arrive in bits and pieces. I feel badly for the... what's three times seventy-two again?

Cromulent Pete's Holiday Pop-Culture Poll: Laurence Simon

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Since ASV has gone tits-up, I guess you need to get your daily dose of pop-culture polling from Cromulent Pete.

Today's poll is "The Bestest Classic Christmas TV Special of All Time."

If you're wondering why I'm writing so much these days in the evenings and Nardo's spending time in my lap, my wife is watching each and every one of these Holiday Season abominations at least three times. Plus, she's checking out all the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime Channel holiday movies.



She watched Forest Gump last night.

Worst. Move. Ever.

I love the book. The sequel book is great, too.

Movie sucks.

If it wasn't so damned cold out, I'd go for a walk and get some exercise. Or I should head to the workout room and spend an hour and a half on the treadmill.

Instead, I've been taking notes of each movie and finding the awful commonalities between them are.

Oh. God. That Dolly Parton movie is on tonight, isn't it?

Do they make Drano in cherry flavor? Make mine a double.

The Parallels - Interview with Vancouver’s Indie Group By: Christine

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The Parallels - Interview with Vancouver’s Indie Group

Dictionary meaning of parallels: an arrangement or state that permits several operations or tasks to be performed simultaneously



Last month, my colleague and I were fortunate enough to attend two great gigs - The Magic Numbers, and their opening act, The Parallels. I was immediately struck with The Parallels’ raw energy; their get off your ass and start moving riffs and their onstage ‘we’ll have fun with or without you’ confidence. They performed like veterans of the touring route and I was surprised to learn they had only been together for less than a year.

The group consists of four members: Mike Flintoff (guitar), Mike 'Mick" McDiarmid (drums), Tyler Mounteney (bass), and Jarrod O'Dell (organ & guitar)). After their gig I immediately approached them to find out where they were from and was pleased to note they are one of Vancouver’s ‘own’ home grown. We discussed possibilities of an interview but soon realized that an online approach would work best. After determining an assortment of questions I was soon on my way with Mike Flintoff and Jarrod O’Dell stepping up to answer the questions presented.



Swanktrendz: First of all, thank you for taking the time to converse with us, and let me add that we are thoroughly enjoying your cd, 1961 McLean. I'd like to get right to the cd. Could you please let us know who plays what instrument(s) and sings which type of vocal (ie: lead, etc.)?

The ParallelsWithin The Parallels there is no specific "lead" vocal. The vocals are shared by Mike, Jarrod and Tyler.

ST Where did the name 'The Parallels' come from? How did the group arrive at, and agree upon, this name?

TP It just looks good on a poster, doesn't it?

ST What are the ages and marital status of members in the band?

TP
Mike Flintoff 25 - Almost there
Tyler Mounteney 25 - Married
Jarrod O'Dell 25 - Married
Mike "Mick" McDiarmid 26 - Spoken For


ST The title of the cd is '1961 Mclean' and the insert states the cd is dedicated to Frank William Flintoff. I assume the Flintoff in question is related to Mike. Could you please explain the significance of the cd’s title?

TP The title of the CD "1961 McLean" refers to a warehouse where The Parallels formed and wrote this record. While recording the record we moved on from the warehouse and felt the need to document that ‘era’ of the band. The dedication of the record is for Mike’s grandfather, Frank Flintoff who passed on during the making of this record.

ST Well that clears up my preconceived notion that 1961 was a significant year in some regard.

ST I've also noticed that 1961 McLean is the first release for the Upstart Hi-Fi Logo. Are you associated with and/or or shareholders/owners of Upstart Hi-Fi? If you are involved in the company - what is its purpose - recording studio, producing facility, etc?

TP Upstart Hi-Fi was, at the time of ‘1961 McLean's’ release, strictly a vanity label meant to draw interest for what was ahead. In November, 2005, construction began on the Upstart Hi-Fi studio based in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Fully owned and operated by The Parallels, Upstart Hi-Fi are looking to be fully operational by February 2006.

ST Be sure to remind swanktrendz of the grand opening ( when the date is set) so we may advertise it to Vancouver’s musical community.

ST Who writes the lyrics/music? How does the writing process evolve, and in which area do you write the best (ie: jamming session, or a song will come to one of you and you bring it to the rest... or...)

TP As for the writing of the music The Parallels work as a collaborative effort. The main source of the songs comes from Mike, Jarrod and Tyler, however once the band has its hands on the tracks, the songs evolve so that each members’ personal contribution is fused.

ST What Major musical influences did you have while growing up?

TP British R&B, Soul, Ska, Reggae, '77 Punk Rock.

ST What are the band's personalities like? Is there the ‘introverted one’ or any other stereotype you can think of? Who is the main spokesman for the group?

TP No single member of The Parallels can shut-up long enough to allow for a single spokesman. Everyone speaks for the band, and usually at the same time. The Parallels are essentially one person split into four! Energetic, spastic, and passionate about music and culture to a fault.

ST What do you think of the comparison Swanktrendz made between the Parallels to ‘Joe Strummer meeting the Blasters’?

TP The comparison to Joe Strummer is quite flattering as it strikes a strong chord for all members in the band. As for The Blasters we can understand the hint of R&B and the energy produced by the band. However, there are no members in The Parallels that are avid listeners of The Blasters.

ST Do The Parallels have a following as yet and what type audience do you want/hope to attract?

TP Most members of the band are avid scooterists and culturalists, from the Mod scene to Skinhead Reggae to "indies". Nonetheless, The Parallels aren't aiming to please one specific crowd. We've been fortunate to have support from a wide range of audiences within Canada and are humbled by the great response we've received in recent months.




ST Any other opening gigs for 'important' (depends on your definition of important) bands? Ie: Magic Numbers is garnering acclaim everywhere and no doubt will go on to bigger and better things. Is there anyone else you've opened for and thought, ‘Hey now, this group is going places?’

TP We would consider Ted Leo and The Pharmacists an important act that we have opened for. Opening for The Magic Numbers was a pleasant surprise, we didn't know too much about the band until the coming weeks before the gig. The Magic Numbers are definitely a band garnering acclaim, turn on the TV and you'll see them on Conan O'Brien.

ST Conan, in my opinion, is a perfect ‘recognition’ platform for indie bands as his producers seem to recognize the ‘just-on -the-edge-of-full-blown-success’ factor. It’s almost equivalent to Johnny Carson giving comedians high profile by inviting them to ‘join him’ at the desk. Saturday Night Live tends to showcase bands AFTER they’ve made a name for themselves.

ST Any favorite local Vancouver acts at present?

TP Our favorite local Vancouver acts at present are The Transmitors,
The Jolts, and Vancougar.

ST What is your present touring schedule so that we may publish it. Also, provide a contact number to book a gig.

TP The Parallels are currently focusing on setting up the Upstart Hi-Fi recording studio. Over the remaining winter we will be compiling new material for our live set and our next record. Tour dates will be available for the New Year! Stay posted at Upstart Hi Fi and at www.theparallels.net. For booking and general contact: theparallels at upstarthifi dot com

ST How long did it take from inception to end product to create 1961 Mclean?

TP While recording "1961 McLean" the Parallels were in a transitional time. The record originally had two sides; one side Rock 'N Roll and the other side Ska and Reggae. During post production we found ourselves evolving and leaning towards the Rock 'N Roll side of things. From inception to end the process took just under a year.

ST What category, in a music store, would you like to see your cd placed under?

TP Rock 'N Roll

ST It was a pleasure meeting you and watching you perform. I would also like to thank you on behalf of the swanktrendz community for allowing us a glimpse into ‘The Parallels’ world.

BEBE - Swank ‘Fave’ Brand - Installment 1 By: Chrisitne

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BEBE - Swank ‘Fave’ Brand - Installment 1 

By: Christine

bebe has been a long standing brand that I have always admired - both for its whimsical style and for its price. bebe does not pretend to be haute couture as it is a retail venture, however, that does not stop celebrities flocking to the brand just as easily as versace or D&G. Celebrities donning bebe include Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Ciara, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Shakira, Virginia Madsen, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Lopez & Mischa Barton. bebe fashions have also been featured in numerous hit television shows, including The O.C., Las Vegas, Eve, One Tree Hill, Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives, American Idol, CSI Miami, as well as many others.

Pronounced ‘bee-bee’, the name was selected because it represented the philosophy of the time (‘70s - ‘to be or not to be’) as well as other multilingual meanings including the Persian name for the queen in a deck of cards and the Turkish word for woman.

bebe's target customers are women between the ages of 18 and 35, who seek current fashion trends interpreted to suit their needs. The "bebe look" carries a signature hint of style, whimsy and sensuality.

Current Chairman and Founder Manny Mashouf founded bebe as a San Francisco boutique in 1976, a time when three categories dominated the women's wear market: Junior, Bridge and Missy. Deciding that there needed to be a ‘new category’, Manny decided to offer an alternative to the population of stylish women. His concept stuck and bebe reaped early success.

bebe currently has three brand names: bebe Sport, bebe, and bebe O (outlet). Of the 227 stores in operation, 172 are bebe boutiques, 20 are bebe outlet stores, and 35 are bebe Sport stores. bebe’s boutiques can be found in USA, Puerto Rico and Canada. They also offer an online store at www.bebe.com. (See below for more information on the online offerings.)

On November 23, 2005, bebe announced a new accessory store called ‘Neda by bebe’. The plan is to offer distinctive accessories, handbags and shoes with the bebe signature whimsical and sexy style. The inspiration for the name of the new store is Neda Mashouf, bebe’s vice chairman, who is, and has been, bebe’s muse for over 20 years. Her eclectic, sexy and sophisticated style clearly represents the bebe design aesthetic. The company anticipates opening additional ‘Neda by bebe’ stores in 2007.

bebe also has an incredibly popular online shopping site at www.bebe.com which offers a varied sampling of their retail boutiques. Not only does bebe have the styles that I often find myself drawn to, but they offer prices that do not drain one’s pocketbook, considering the quality of the merchandise. Go to their store online and check it out for yourself. Definitely a brand that is here to stay.

Win An Amazon Gift Certificate Simply for Writing a Letter to the Editor

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By: Christine, Swanktrendz Administrator

As we would like the 'Letters to the Editor' to be a lively and/or controversial addition to swanktrendz.com, we are offering $20.00 amazon.com gift certificates for the first 5 letters that get published in our new section, 'Letter to the Editors'.

This is a one time offer - so get those letters in!

This is your chance to sound off, contribute ideas, discuss your favourite contributor, have your opinion be heard, suggest new categories, and/or make suggestions for our web design layout. Peruse our archives as well and write a letter about anything that catches your eye/attention.

The steps are easy:
a) click on contact,
b) write your name (or a pseudo name) your email address (for verification)
c) write your letter to the editor*
d) submit
e) wait and see if your letter is published.

Remember - we do NOT harvest email addresses to forward to others. Your email address will be deleted as soon as the winners have been chosen and informed.

Get involved! Swanktrendz.com is as much for your entertainment, as it is for ours in producing it.

*Swanktrendz reserve the right to edit letters for brevity and clarity.

Fiona Apple by: Kirk Bage

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http://www.kbswasteland.blogspot.com/



Fiona Apple

This was a long time coming. After two astonishingly mature (beyond her years at least) and rich albums it looked as though female singer/songwriters had a new champion. The passing of the torch from the likes of Alanis Morrisette and Beth Orton to Fiona Apple was undeniable. But something happened... Rumours abounded of rifts with record company execs, of nervous breakdowns, of anorexia and severe depression. For several years, the world was void of the originality and strange soul that is Fiona Apple.

I am biased - I adore everything about her and have since I saw the PT Anderson directed video of Across The Universe, the main theme to the movie Pleasantville.

I next saw her popping up in the behind-the-scenes footage of Magnolia, with above noted PT (whom she comments on often in her new lyrics) and again I fell in love with her shyness, intelligence and obvious talent. Her songs fill any room with mood; challenging you to feel - sometimes joy, sometimes anger, sometimes frustration, sometimes deep loss, but feel nonetheless! The melodies of her previous work may stretch your taste, so if you play her the wrong way, the songs will scrape and jar... but that is indicative of the passion which motivates this sometimes young genius.

She has gone on record, both in interviews and in her song lyrics, as saying that singing and the fame it afforded her also brought her anxiety and panic, and she needed to leave for a while to find peace of mind. In this new CD, that difficult time she experienced comes out in every note, every word, sweet, bitter and a little bit older.

A quick glance at her website will allow you to see a set of photos that show the ever photogenic waif to be less edgy and intense - more soft, mature, yet still deeply scarred. I think she looks great, but it is the music that I'm most excited about. Of course nothing of Fiona’s is ever easy and there are multiple uses of discord and "noise" in her music. But each and every song is laced with beauty in some form: often revealing, touching, thought-provoking and life affirming, and never, ever dull.



As seems to be the norm with anything/one I worship beyond reason, this album is not for everyone. Those of you who despise a hint of jazz in any way should definitely stay away. But those listeners who actually ‘get’ Fiona, will be like-minded in wanting more, and hopefully before another five years go by. 9/10

Albums 2005 By Mike

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 http://sneakinout.blogspot.com/

Albums 2005

I think most of you will agree with me when I say that 2005 was an interesting year ("Interesting" meaning "fucked up"). Now I can't speak for everyone (except the mutes and maybe some of the deafs), but for me personally, these were the records that shaped 2005. Not only providing a soundtrack, but carrying things along, inspiring us, and hopefully getting us into a bit of trouble along the way.

So here they are.
They are in no specific order.
(Of course they are.)
They are not.
Let's go:

• Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
This album is sprawling and gigantic, a million shiny hooks happily drowning beneath a tsunami of beautiful, churning noise. Complicated and dense yet still utterly appealing, It's an absolute mess and it works perfectly.

• Burdocks - What we do is Secret
With taut, charging rhythms, impossibly charming melodies and jerky, angular guitar work, these songs are scrappy, caffeinated and catchier than the avian flu. Vote Burdocks.

• Stephen Malkmus - Face the Truth
Steve Malkmus is a weird guy, and it's never been more apparent than on this album. These songs are all over the map, ranging from synth-y dance experiments to extended guitar jams to twinkling balladry and folk-infused indie rock. Yet it's still unmistakably Malkmus.
And unmistakably great.

• Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
Not only the biggest and loudest rock album of the year, but the biggest and loudest rock album IN years. Sleater-Kinney have cranked this puppy to 11 and sent everyone else packing.
Here they are. Rock you like a hurricane.

• Blood on the Wall - Awesomer
Awesomer than what? Than most other albums this year. I'm not even sure why I find these sloppy little rock songs so endearing. probably because they make it sound so easy.

• Beck - guero
Mr. Hansen is back with another loot bag full of random pop-culturalisms and here-and-there musical inclinations, meshing it all together with his usual panache. He manages to sound very much like the Beck of yesteryear, but a little older, a little wiser; a twinge of maturity rearing its head through the junkyard riffage and whiteboy funk. His best album? No. An f-ing great album? Hell yes.

• Kiss Me Deadly - Misty Medley
Jittery and nervous, but as inviting and seductive as a geisha made of silk. The sublimely dance-y rhythms and percolating beats keep things moving along nicely, and vocalist Emily Elizabeth's breathy sqeal makes it sound as if she's sitting in your lap, quickly running out of oxygen but having way too much fun making you blush and squirm.

• Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain
This record is an absolute menace. Played loud it's the aural equivalent of rolling down a jagged mountain on fire and on drugs during an earthquake and loving every second. And when that really happens to you, you'll say the same thing you said the first time you heard this album. "This is fucking awesome."

• The Kills - No Wow
Not so much love songs as they are songs about the nuclear fallout that can accompany love when it all goes sour. Stark, sexy and sometimes jarring, these songs absolutly seethe with paranoia and betrayal. But they still kinda wanna do you.

• DangerDoom - The Mouse and the Mask
What's this? A hip hop album that's actually fun? In the era of bling-blang and G-Unit faux-gangsta bullshit? Who could have done this? Only MF Doom. With a little help from Danger Mouse. (And a little more from Master Shake, Meatwad, the Mooninites, etc). Danger's bouncy old school beats are a perfect counterpart for Doom's brilliant/nonsense flow. I also enjoy all the Adult Swim samples, (because I'm a giant nerd). Funny how an album with a dozen late night cartoon characters running all over it can turn out to be the least bullshit hip hop record of the year.

Honorable Mentions:

Dog Day - Thank you EP
SS Cardiacs - Fear the Love
Ladytron - Witching Hour
Sharp Like Knives - No Pressure
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth

Best Compilation:

Public Enemy - Power to the People and the Beats

Best Reissue:

Sonic Youth - Goo: Deluxe Edition

Best Remix Album:

Beck - Guerolito

Best Album That Didn't Actually Come Out In 2005:

Triumph - progressions of power

Readers Please help out with Our Letters to the Editors Column

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Dear Swanktrendz/Lezah blog readers,

I can't believe that a year has flown by already! Lezah and I have immersed ourselves wholeheartedly (with our wonderful contributors) into our online website, Swanktrendz.com.

At present, Swanktrendz is a non-profit e-zine (and if you need some free advertising send us an email and we can probably assist you). We are hoping that, with time, we’ll eventually sell advertising space, but for now advertising is free.

For those of you who have taken the time to visit our site I ask, (no, make that beg) you to take the time to write a letter to the Editors (Editors being Lezah and myself, Christine)

Choose any category you wish, any articles (archived or not) you want and offer suggestions, compliments, opinions or critiques. If you would like to see more articles written in specific categories - voice that. If you have a favourite contributor - note that.

I’m simply asking that you write a letter to the editors, so that we may provide a more interactive space for the e-zine. In order to contribute a letter, go to:

i) Swank Home

ii) click the contact button;

iii) write your letter re: the topic/category you’ve chosen,
and provide yourname (or any moniker you wish ) as well as your email address. (We need your email address merely for clarification purposes).

Remember, swanktrendz prides itself in being an above board e-zine that does NOT harvest email addresses.

We are excited about the prospect of the Letters to the Editors because we rely on you to provide us with your insight. We’re hoping to get enough Letters to the Editors that we will be able to add the feature within the next 10 days.

Thank you in advance for participating in this new adventure.