Let's ask Mohammed about Kanye West posting as Jesus: Laurence Simon

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http://isfullofcrap.com/

Laurence Simons

Kanye West will appear as Jesus on the cover of Rolling Stone. Glenn Reynolds thinks if he had any balls, he'd appear as Mohammed.

If he really had any balls, he'd appear in a cartoon about Mohammed. So...



Thank you, Mohammed. It's all downhill once they put that spear in your side.

If you have questions for Mohammed the Prophet, send them to askmohammed (at) isfullofcrap.com.

Meredith's crotch : Mike G

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http://sneakinout.blogspot.com/

By Mike G

Yeah.
Meredith requested that I make a post about her crotch.
I do not remember why.

But i'll oblige her anyway.



So, for all you unbelievers out there, here is a short list containing all things currently known about Meredith's crotch.

• it is located just below her beltal region and her legs usually stem out symmetrically from either side of it

• she sometimes refers to it as "Xanadu"

• it makes a handy drink holder if you're in a fix
(girl, you so functional)

• it's quite photogenic

• it's usually covered in a thin layer of denim and another thin layer of whatever Meredith wears under her denim, if she does in fact wear anything under her denim

• it probably emits a pleasing warmth

• it's rumoured to smell of lilacs

And there you have it.
If anyone else would like me to endorse their anatomy in any way please don't hesitate to ask.
I'll be waiting.

Quick Survey: Mike G

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http://sneakinout.blogspot.com/

By Mike G

Quick Survey

Which would make a better, Awesome Band Name?
(Keep in mind that some of these ABN's will look even cooler when equipped with a Bitchin' Metal Font)

• Jeff Leppard

• Furious George

• Schindler's Fist

• The Sexy Peasants

• Vaginous Prime

Happy Birthday mUm!! : Becks & Posh

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http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/




To the Best Mum in my World...

Photograph of my mum taken many moons ago before I was even a twinkle in her eye. Mum has banned me from putting photos of herself on my blog, so I hope she'll forgive me for sharing this particular one. But it's so great, I just had to use it - and after all it is food-related, it contains a big cake! She can't really be cross with me, because back in the early 60s, when this photo was snapped, it was published in the local newspaper, so its already been on public display. And anyway, I am about to give her some good news...

Mum I have a surprise for you...!

Do you remember how I bought you a raffle ticket for the Menu for Hope draw? Do you remember how you didn't win? Were you disappointed? Well, be disappointed no more! Sandra, the winner of the gift I had hoped you would win, was unable to collect the Parisian part of the prize in person. She'd gotten wind of my hopes for your success in the draw so out of the blue she generously asked me if I might like to pass it on to you instead. Can you see where this is leading?

Dear Mum... I am sending you to Paris to eat Berthillon ice cream with David Lebovitz. Enjoy! (Watch out for David, he's a cheeky 'un). Oh, and will you blog it for us all, too? Please. You needn't be in the pictures.

Syphilitic Viral Marketing: The Antagonst

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Photo from www.nillahood.net/

The Antagonist

Syphilitic Viral Marketing: Just like ordinary viral marketing, only this time you know you're really being fucked.

In the event of a major terrorist attack on a day like July 7th - for argument’s sake, let's call it 7/7 - when the battle to beat down stories of independently verified facts about train times, train numbers, the movements of the alleged perpetrators, non-existent drivers of non-existent trains - you know, all the sort of niggly little details that matter quite a lot to an investigation into such an incident - what would YOU do to reclaim lost territory in the information battle for hearts and minds?



When all versions of the loosely tied-together 'official' story all fall apart from the very beginning of the narrative, and when this information is out there, in the public consciousness, solidifying and polarizing opinion and gaining greater and greater support from public figures that include film writers and directors, whistleblowers and those few high profile individuals that have the balls to tackle such things, what else is left in the great war of information suppression?
How would YOU go about increasing the noise surrounding an incident on the day of July 7th to drown out anything that vaguely resembles a signal?

Don something that resembles a thinking cap for a few moments, remember that 7/7 is the event that you now wish to bury in a dirge of unrelated drivel, shit and nonsense and see what clever little ruses you come up with.

If you're extremely wily indeed, one of those ruses might just involve a syphilitic viral marketing technique that revolves around making a whole series of normally quite sensible people waste valuable moments of their existences writing and publishing seven list of seven things that nobody - other than themselves - could ever really care about.

Seven lists of seven things. 7 lists of 7. 7/7.

From here-on in, all references to the events of July 7th, 2005 will be referred to as such, or in the abbreviated forms 'July 7th' or '7th July'.

Themes: Not Just a River in Southern England by Rob Williams

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

Themes: Not Just a River in Southern England

Had my first English Department meeting last night at the college where I start teaching next Tuesday. Overall a good group of folk-- and everyone's been very helpful, giving me advice, suggestions for teaching, samples of syllabi and assignments.

I'm also glad to note that many of the instructors, both adjunct and full-time, are also writers (poets, fiction, non-fiction, etc.). I don't know why it's taken me so long to realize that this (writing) is what many of these teacher types do-- teach, I mean--while they are writing their novel, working on their poetry, freelancing. I guess as I get further and further into adjuncting and further away from my MFA this becomes more apparent. For some reason I thought that being away from NYC and Columbia would mean that I was isolated from other writers, but after my meeting last night I'm feeling a little better. Met some nice other writers who are very involved in the San Diego writing scene.

Unfortunately the two classes that I teach (click here to see my name on the roster!) are brand new to me and very complex so I have some hefty prep work ahead. In addition, some of the instructors last night asked me, "So what is the theme of your class?"

"Excuse me?"

It seems that some instructors focus all of the readings and assignments around a theme: revenge, vampires, race, violence, etc.

I hadn't thought about that. What would my 'theme' be? And do I really need a theme? I like having a variety of readings, but maybe I should re-think it and look for some sort of theme.

Movies?

Glamorous stars of the 40s and 50s?

Cowboys?

T-shirts?

Decisions, decisions.

This, however, is my plan:

My teaching schedule is Tue/Thur from 8 am to 9:15 (YES 8 AM!!).

AND Friday from 9 am to 10:50.

Then I'll have my office hours from 9:30-10:30 on Tue and Thu (and from 11-12 on Friday).

After which I will go to the library and write/work on my book-- after lunch (oh, I'm going on a diet of carrots and water, so lunch will be very quick) that is.  I'm going to try to commit to at least four hours a day after teaching to working on my book. I'm going to be at school, close to a library, away from internet, away from (hopefully) distractions.

**By the way... yes, I know Thames is the correct spelling for the River in Southern England!

Thank You Book of the Month By Rob Williams

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

Thank You Book of the Month

Shelley Winters 1920-2006

I was ten when I found a postcard in my mother's Good Housekeeping for The Book of the Month Club. It was one of those 5 books for 1 penny offers. Naturally I signed up (what 10 year old wouldn't want 5 books for a penny--not to mention a sporty beige book bag). Of course I spent the next two or three years saving up my money to fulfill my membership and buy the 5 books back (I think my mom finally called BOMC and told them I was only 10).

In the meantime, I remember two of the books I initially got for that penny. One was a webster's dictionary, and the other was Shelley Winters' best-selling autobiography "Shelley, also known as Shirley."

These two things (words-- and Hollywood/Movies) would be the two biggest influences in shaping my destiny as a writer.

I read Shelley's autobiography from cover to cover-- in fact, I was so worried about the cover-- with the lovely Johnny Engstead classic picture of her on it -- getting ripped or dirty, that I took the cover off and saved it in a scrapbook. I took the book to school, much to the dismay of my teachers and the puzzlement of my peers-- and read it on the playground at recess.

This was the first star autobiography (or biography) I had ever read, and I practically memorized it. I was fascinated by the tiniest, but important, facts:

Shelley was Marilyn Monroe's roommate and she is the one who taught Marilyn how to do her trademark 'open-mouth smile.'

Shelley donated her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "The Diary of Anne Frank," to the Anne Frank Museum.

She took over the role of Ado Annie in the original Broadway production of "Oklahoma" (from Celeste Holm, I believe).

Before Bobby DeNiro and Charlize Theron made it just another acting exercise, Shelley gained 50 or more pounds to play the (Oscar nominated) role of Belle Rosen in (my favorite disaster movie) "The Poseidon Adventure" --where she also did all of her own stunts.

She studied with Lee Strasburg at the Acting Studio--and years later taught there herself.

She had numerous love affairs, including Marlon Brando (lucky girl!!).

She was one of the most versatile actresses of the 20th Century--going from pinup girl to two oscars-- and an activist for social change, marching with MLK Jr.

But what really astounds me is the number of classic films she has been in-- possibly more known and varied classic films than any other actress of her generation:

The Great Gatsby (the 1949 version)

A Double Life

Red River

Meet Danny Wilson

Winchester 73 (with Jimmy Stewart)

The Night of the Hunter

The Diary of Anne Frank

A Place in the Sun

I Am a Camera  (Cabaret, without the songs)

Executive Suite

Lolita

Harper

Alfie

The Poseidon Adventure

Well... there's another of the great ones I'm not going to meet.

Thanks for the inspiration, Shelley.

*A fan's tribute page to Shelley

*More pictures/posters of Shelley

Concert Fashion - Swank or Skank?

Concert Fashion



I didn’t know whether to file this under swank or skank because I was so overwhelmed by the getups that I realized if there are this many people dressing like this, perhaps it is ‘swank’ despite my personal reaction to some of the gear. One fellow actually gave me a good, solid, loud guffaw - an involuntary response to his absurd getup. In my view, many of these fashions are just retreads... but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... so I shall just file it under swank, and let you draw your own conclusions...

Every one of these outfits were for the concert, Story of the Year at the Croatian Cultural Centre. As this was an all ages venue, I found it interesting to see what the young ‘uns were sporting. Here is a list of the accessories worn by the youth present at the concert:

• fingerless gloves - 80’s throwback
• mohawk - 70’s throwback
• vans sneakers - constant through the years
• t-shirts with band logos - constant
• hats with ear flaps - what the hell?
• tight, tight, jeans - ‘80s throwback, although in the ‘80s it was spandex over jeans
• the colour pink - be it hair, make-up, articles of clothing
• dyed black hair hair
• striped tights black/pink, black/white - Pipi Longstocking style
• jailees (low slung, baggie skater shorts) 90’s grunge
• button pins - bands, expressions, awareness every decade covered here
• converse hightops - again, long term stylin’
• studded black leather belts - ‘70s contribution and kept growing
• guys wearing more eyeliner than the gals - Thanks Bowie
• rainbow dyed hair - throwback to the ‘70s and ‘80s
• striped sleeves and wrist bands (similar to the aforesaid tights)
• lots of black outfits, but always with one bright splash of colour - pink being the number one preference and blue coming a distant second
• toques with small brims - no one appeared to know what they were actually called - definitely a current year’s contribution

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

Swank Home

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

Swank Home


Laurence’s Home




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

Swank Home


Laurence’s Home

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.