one last thing before I quit

A great place for architects and dilettantes

2010-08-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

Wired is by far my favorite magazine. Their features and articles are always very informative as well as entertaining. They also change up their design from issue to issue, which makes for a nice treat every time you crack open the pages.
On top of that, they've got a tremendous blog roll. They cover all of our modern interests, cars, sports, photography, space, business, web and even one for the geeky dad.

While catching up on some of old posts from their Gadget Lab blog, I came across a very neat story covering the history of common computer symbols. Here's a few of my favorites:

POWER
Back during WWII, binary was used to label individual power buttons, toggles and switches. "1" meant "On"; "0" meant "Off". In 1973, the International Electrotechnical Commission put the two together to represent "Standby power state". That was later change by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to our present day meaning of "Power".

USB

Originally drawn to represent Neptune's trident. The USB promoters decided to change the three triangle tips to the square, circle and triangle to signify that all of the different peripherals that could be attached.

That's a small taste. They've got the story behind much more symbols, including Bluetooth, Firewire, Pause, Play, the spinning beach ball of death and even '@'. We see these icons everywhere we go in our regular lives. It's just neat to catch up on how they got to where they are. Go read up!

*Black History Month; Death From Above 1979

I ain't no brake man; Ain't no conductor

2010-08-10T11:53:00.003-05:00

Many tend to believe that bad things happen in three's, further strengthening the strong, positive bond that two's seem to possess. There are countless possibilities of who could achieve the ranking of being my favorite actor/director combination in the Hollywood.

Martin Scorsese & Robert DeNiro; Martin Scorsese & Leonardo DiCaprio; Tim Burton & Johnny Depp. They are all up there on my list, I don't quite think that there really is a clear number one out of any of those pairs.

But also making a strong push for top supremacy is Tony Scott & Denzel Washington. As with the other pairs, I rarely seem to find myself disliking a movie that gets made with these two involved. Yes, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3 certainly wasn't my favorite. But rest-assured, together they're starting to compile quite a wonderful collection of movies: Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3.

This all leads to a movie that they've got coming out on November 12th of this year. It's called Unstoppable and it's about rail company trying to stop an unmanned freight train full of combustible and poisonous chemicals from wiping out a city. Chris Pine, Ethan Suplee and Rosario Dawson also show face in this one. I absolutely love Tony Scott's choice of rich colors and style in his movies. Take a look at the trailer below.

*Southern Pacific; Neil Young

On a hippie trail, head full of zombie

2010-08-09T13:51:00.006-05:00

I don't spend a lot of time watching videos on YouTube. There are hundreds of viral videos that I can honestly say I have never seen, and I'm not really phased by it. I just never seem to have the time for it.

But today I came across something I hadn't seen before. What seems to be a New Zealand pizza chain called Hell Pizza has come up with a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' / Zombie chase video advertisement. You goal is to help Steve get across the city to deliver his pizza without being killed by zombies! If you manage to make it all the way, you can get entered to win a year's supply of pizza. I'm assuming you've got to be from New Zealand to actually win that though.

I think it's got excellent production value and is a great idea for gaining new customers. Good on them!

*Land Down Under; Men At Work

This is the modern way

2010-07-31T14:49:00.005-05:00

I found these the other day and I quite enjoy them. It's one guy's minimalist take on some classic album covers.

Jar of Flies - Alice In Chains

Nevermind - Nirvana

Sgt.pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

Check out Ty Lettau's flickr for the rest of his set, or his portfolio site, Sound Of Design, for more work that he's done.

*Modern Way; Kaiser Chiefs

Can I join for just a little while?

2010-07-22T20:14:00.025-05:00

Last week my favorite art gallery of choice had my favorite yearly exhibit hosted by my favorite movie director. Yep that's right, the now legendary Crazy 4 Cult show took place. And in traditional fashion, there were a ton of pieces that I love and shall share.

CRAZY 4 CULT 4 SHOW POSTER | Mike Mitchell

I'VE GOT A GOLDEN TICKET | Dave Perillo
5 color screenprint
Inspired by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

YOU'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT | Dave Perillo
5 color screenprint
Inspired by Jaws

HILL VALLEY | Eric Tan
4 color offset print
Inspired by Back to the Future

SELF-RESPECTING CONSUMERS | Laz Marquez
Giclee print
Inspired by Mallrats

BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II | Jim Horwat
Digital print (pen and ink process)
Inspired by Back to the Future II

RIVER TAM AND THE FIREFLIES | Joey Spiotto
Digital print with vinyl record
Inspired by Serenity

ARMS TO HOLD YOU | Chogrin
Digital print mounted on wood
Inspired by The Goonies

PULP FICTION - COLLECT THE WHOLE SET | Ian Glaubinger
Digital print
Inspired by Pulp Fiction

SIC TRANSIT GLORIA | Kevin Tong
Screenprint with metallic silver and glow in the dark inks
Inspired by Rushmore

THEY CAN BUY ANYTHING, BUT THEY CAN'T BUY BACKBONE | Todd Slater
3 color silkscreen on tan paper
Inspired by Rushmore

8 BIT POOL PARTY | Roger Barr and Louis Fernet-Leclair
Giclee print
Inspired by Various

HE IS THE WATER | Yuta Onoda

Acrylic and pastel on paper, mounted on wood
Inspired by Jaws

WONKA | Rich Pellegrino

Gouache, ink, watercolor and acrylic on hardboard
Inspired by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

ASH | Rich Pellegrino

Gouache, ink, watercolor and acrylic on hardboard
Inspired by The Evil Dead

THE SUNFLOWER LADY AND THE WILD DAISY BOY | Sunny Gu

Watercolor
Inspired by Harold and Maude

GREAT SHOWDOWN: RESERVOIR DOGS | Scott Campbell

Watercolor on paper
Inspired by Reservoir Dogs

GREAT SHOWDOWN: SPINAL TAP | Scott Campbell

Watercolor on paper
Inspired by Spinal Tap

GREAT SHOWDOWN: THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS | Scott Campbell

Watercolor on paper
Inspired by The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

ERASE/REFRESH | Ellen Schinderman

Marseilles cotton, cotton floss, feather/down pillow and nylon cording
Inspired by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

VRRRNN VRRRNN | Sean Clarity

Acrylic on board
Inspired by Evil Dead II

GOONIES | Andrew DeGraff

Gouache on BFK
Inspired by The Goonies

THE PARKING TICKET | Scott Listfield

Oil on canvas
Inspired by Star Wars

IT WAS LIKE A BIRD OF RAREST-SPUN HEAVEN METAL OR LIKE SILVERY WINE FLOWING IN A SPACESHIP,
GRAVITY ALL NONSENSE NOW. AS I SLOOSHIED, I KNEW SUCH LOVELY PICTURES | Scott Belcastro

Acrylic on panel
Inspired by A Clockwork Orange

DEADLY VIPER ASSASSINATION SQUAD | Ken Garduno

Acrylic-ink on wash
Inspired by Kill Bill

VERUCA SALT IS A HUGE... | Becky Dreistadt

Gouache on watercolor board
Inspired by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

WHERE WE'RE GOING, WE DON'T NEED ROADS | Michael Steele

Oil on canvas
Inspired by Back to the Future II

THE GOONIES: 2ND TIER OF IMPORTANCE | Kiersten Essenpreis

Flash paint on acrylic gesso panels
Inspired by The Goonies

LEELOO | Gene Guynn

Oil on wood
Inspired by The Fifth Element

I DON'T WANNA GET OVER YOU (MEET ME IN MONTAUK) | Danielle Rizzolo

Oil on wood
Inspired by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

*Joining The Cult; Adam Sandler

We can beat them; Just for one day

2010-07-13T20:13:00.003-05:00

There's an indie band from Brooklyn called Grizzly Bear. I've listened to some of their songs here and there, and they aren't too shabby. They've opened for both TV on the Radio and Feist, just to give you an idea of their genre. But that's not my point.

Growing up I never had MTV, Much Music or anything that showed music videos. With the emergence of YouTube over the years, I have certainly caught up on many of my favorite bands' videos. Something that I'm sure we've all found while looking for videos are fan videos. They tend to look like one of two ways: a photo montage of the band or a photo montage of the fan's friends with horrible typography tacked on everywhere.

But here's a rare gem. Gabe Askew put together a video for Grizzly Bear's Two Weeks song. Phenomenal. But compare for yourself.

Grizzly Bear - Official Video

Gave Askew - Fan Video

*Heroes; David Bowie

I like the way you move

2010-07-02T01:44:00.000-05:00

It's not too often that we see something new on a Jumbotron at a sporting event. I still remember the dancing hot dog at Winnipeg Jets games. It was a pixelated animation that didn't quite loop properly, and it was shown up through their last game in the 90's.

I came across this new technology called CrowdWave. It's an entertainment platform that's controlled by the fans, live! A bunch of cameras and software determine the movement of the crowd and translates it on screen. There seems to be a Guitar Hero example where you have to move your arms left, right or up at the right time to score points. There's also a hockey game where you have to move your arms in a direction to make a save. Super cool.

I don't agree with their statement that it'll bring more people to the games and generate more revenue, but I do think that it's a great way for the crowd to actually feel like a part of something. It could lead to less cameras panning around and looking for someone to dance silly, and actually help kids who struggle to sit through a full game move around.

I was unable to find any examples on YouTube, so I recommend that you go to their site and check it out there.

*I Like The Way You Move; OutKast

This is a song for the people in the streets

2010-06-25T12:53:00.014-05:00

I came across a cool initiative the other day. It's a project called CitID and it's these guys who are trying to get a different design/identity for every single city in the world. They're hoping to 'harness creatives' loves for their cities and create a global visual anthology of city identities'. Ambitious, much?

LONDON, EnglandBORDEAUX, France

With over 150 cities already done up, there certainly are some unique ones. There's also many places that you may have never heard of. Anyway, I think it's a very creative idea that designers around the world can take part in, be it from the big city, or a basement of a cabin in the woods.

The most surprising thing thus far? There are no entries for ANY Canadian city. There's not one for Toronto, Vancouver or even Montreal. Here's a few more examples:PORTLAND, United States of America

BERLIN, Germany

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

I encourage you to check out more. Maybe even spend a lazy day drawing up one yourself.

*City Hall; Tenacious D

I want to celebrate; See it shinin' in your eye

2010-06-17T20:31:00.002-05:00

In 2008, I was blessed to see a god on stage. I am fortunate enough to get the chance to see him once again. Neil Young is coming home in July to play back-to-back gigs at the wonderfully fitting Centennial Concert Hall.

I am unbelievably stoked for this show. After seeing him in '08, I never again imagined that he'd make it back to Winnipeg. There's too many words that can be used to describe Young and his imprint in music and politics. He's fought through polio, diabetes, epilepsy and divorce. He's compiled 46 studio albums, 6 live albums, 43 singles and has even directed 5 movies. I'm forever grateful that I've been able to share in part of his 5 decade shining career.

These couple of videos are from his Heart of Gold DVD. Without a doubt, this is the best concert DVD that I have ever seen. It's truly a showcase into his heart. I could no recommend enough for everyone to watch the whole concert.

*Harvest Moon; Neil Young

It's a chronicling of our rise; To power!

2010-06-09T22:01:00.004-05:00

I have to say that I had mixed feelings over the NHL's series of 'History' playoff commercials. I loved the first batch that features some of the most iconic plays, may them be saves, hits, goals, in hockey history and simply asks 'What if so-and-so didn't do this?'

Now I lost interest when they started taking relevant plays in this year's playoffs and put them in the mix. We'll have to wait many years to actually know if these plays were actually memorable, which I can't imagine the case being. Especially since I don't remember any of these plays, and it's only been a few weeks.

But, I do believe that they have redeem themselves with a new ad. I feel like it truly showcases the emotional and physical toll that it takes on a person. Having been fortunate enough to win a few small things in my lifetime, although the scale is clearly not as large, I can relate to this.

Congratulations Blackhawks! Nice to see the Cup come back to Winnipeg for a bit.

*History; Tenacious D

I know you hear it, I hear it too

2010-06-02T21:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Alan Cross for sharing this with us today...

This band is called Rudely Interrupted. They're a six piece from Australia. Their singer, Rory Burnside, lives with Asperger's and was born without eyes. And it gets better. four of the other five members have a kind of disability, including blindness, deafness and Down syndrome. CRAZY!

There's a documentary being made about them. This is the teaser for it. I'm not too sure how much of a release the movie will get.

Then there's a couple live videos. This band is for real folks!

Close My Eyes - Rudely Interrupted from Scope Victoria on Vimeo.

Thanks again Sir Cross.

*God Is In The Radio; Queens of the Stone Age

Wipe the butt clean with the paper

2010-05-29T20:23:00.004-05:00

Just saw this the other day. It's a public bathroom in China. It looks fairly nice, and is apparently really busy every day.

Now, I'm very open to new ideas and directions in advertising and awareness. Taking chances are how some of today's best works have been made. But the signage that they use in this bathroom just throws me right off.

*Plexiglas Toilet; STYX

Late at night you can hear the sound

2010-05-21T08:33:00.008-05:00

I was one of the lucky people to see Arcade Fire play here in Winnipeg back in 2005. I paid $20 for something that I would now pay $100 for. I knew very little about them going in, but they easily won me over right away. I've never been to such a high-octane show before. I was also then introduced to much loved Wolf Parade and Bell Orchestre. It was awesome.

Their 3rd album comes out sometime in the mid - to - late year and they just came out with a teaser for their first single Suburbs as well as it's b-side Month of May. I wouldn't really call this a teaser more as a crumb of a teaser. Click play to enjoy and the song names to switch tracks.

A. The Suburbs

AA. Month of May

I remember in 2007 when my beloved Foo Fighters covered them. It just melded worlds of awesome together. Good on ya boys!

*Keep The Car Running; Arcade Fire

For every invention made how much time did we save?

2010-05-17T22:14:00.003-05:00

Happy birthday... YouTube!

5 years ago today, the 2 billion daily user site was born. It's certainly changed all of our lives making the dumbest things ever popular. Here's the first ever video that was uploaded from co-founder Jawed Karim.

Fortunately, it also allows us to see rare gems, like this Pearl Jam cover of a Van Halen song. In all of their cover song glory, I don't know any other time that they've done VH.

*The View; Modest Mouse

Capatin's at the helm, sail across the sea of lights

2010-05-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

The beloved Ronnie James Dio has passed away this morning after a struggle with stomach cancer. It's very sad.

Despite my utmost respect for the man, I don't have a lot to say about the man. If you enjoy yourself some heavy metal music, than you know how he is. He was a marvel of a man that sang about the heavens, demons and medieval ways, all with a bunch of different bands. He'll also leave behind the legacy of the devil horn. His balding-curly-mullet hair cut was something as scary as some of his songs. His lyrics always had such a colorful description that painted such a clear picture of tales. But despite all of this, he is always describe as a humble man, that offers nothing but kindness to all.

I was introduced to him though the wonderful Tenacious D many years ago, and he hasn't left my playlists since. I was fortunate enough to see him play during his 3rd trek with Heaven and Hell (really Black Sabbath). I certainly won't forget that show. I firmly believe that the rock world just lost one it's best voices.

*Neon Knights: Black Sabbath

Y'all stuck on Super 8-bit; That low-fi stupid 8-bit

2010-05-08T22:08:00.003-05:00

I don't quite know how you'd describe JJ Abrams these days. I'm one of those mass amounts of people that believe he can do no wrong. I seem him as an adult geek that tries to always treat his audience as a very intelligent breed, and I appreciate it.

Even though his beloved Lost officially wraps in a a mere couple weeks, we'll continue to see his name everywhere. He has a new TV series that NBC picked up. It's called Undercovers, and it follows a married couple of retired FBI agents that have to go back to the job. I'm not quite sold yet.

But his other new pet, is a movie called Super 8. There was a teaser that came out during the previews of Iron Man 2 this weekend. It's the same sort of release that he did with Cloverfield a few years back. I've watched it a few times now, and I'm sure we all can't stop thinking about how this looks like it'll be a Cloverfield sequel. Little is known about Super 8. Abrams won't leak any info and he's just letting the buzz grow and grow. But the one thing that he has stated is that Super 8 is NOT a sequel to Cloverfield. He has not denied it being a prequel though... Start the countdown to 2011.

*Boom Boom Pow; Black Eyed Peas

With my pencil crayons I can draw it

2010-05-06T19:09:00.004-05:00

Yep. Another Kevin Smith one for ya...

So Smith and his longtime best buddy Scott Mosier have been doing a weekly hour-long podcast since February 2007. It's called SModcast and it's one of my most favorite things.

Their topics range... well, they really honestly don't have a range. Think of anything, absolutely anything, and I'm sure they've talked about. Example, the very first one touched the topics of: 'Oriental' becoming a derogatory term, parental groping, tall people, celebrating a birth day at the moment a child is born, and the tall people.

Most of these recordings take place at Kevin's home, where they just sit around a table and talk. A few special shows have been produced though, for instance, they recorded a 2 hour episode in Brantford following a road hockey tournament that they started participating in. They have even taking the show on the road, making stops in some American cities, selling tickets and just doing a live show, inevitably being released as episodes in the future.

SModcasts have always been just the audio, until now! A company (I really think it's just one guy) call StarkToons has been taken sections from a few SModcasts and animating them. He's done three so far. They might not have much context to you if you haven't really listened to a SModcast before. But at the same time it might give you some very quick insight on what you're missing out on.

I understand that comedy is sujective and not for everyone, but it you enjoy Kevin's writing, you'll definitely enjoy his off-the-cuff banter. And, of course, a NSFW warning. This is Kevin Smith talking after all.

#1 - The Great One (From SModcast #76)

#2 - Aquatic Justice (From SModcast #83)

#3 - Forgeticus Part 1 (From SModcast #90)

And lastly, SModcasts are free on iTunes. Yep. Free comedy.

*Drawing; Barenaked Ladies

Because I'm talking about the road

2010-04-29T20:10:00.005-05:00

I've been listening to a new band a ton these days. They're call Paper Tongues.

The band consists of seven different members with very different musical backgrounds. They started in Charlotte and decided to head over to California to try and get a recording contract. Their single that they released was based on this experience. This is what happens when you shove rock, hip-hop, funk, rap and soul into a blender. Here it is, Ride To California:

*The Road; Tenacious D

Come together now; Yeah, let's gel

2010-04-26T20:13:00.002-05:00

I've never been a big advocate for putting stickers on my electronics. I just figured that I'd grow old of it very fast and surely regret it as I'd never be able to scrape off all of the glue. But as many of my opinions have changed over the years, thank you technology, I am all for this stuff. Presenting GelaSkins.

GelaSkins are these custom covers that you can put on to protect your electronics, but also don't look like 2 dollar off-the-rack purchases. They are also removable.

NYC | eBoy

They make these for a ton of varieties of cell phones, gaming consoles and accessories, Apple laptops, iPods and even Kindles. There's a whole bunch of designers that have their work submitted, which is how I found out about this marvelous art. A few of the artists run in the same circles as Gallery 1988. Anyways, here's some of my favorites:

The Life Tree | Anthony Hurd

Underworld | Colin Thompson

Anatomie | Jason Freeny

Boombox II | Lyle Owerko

Tres | Alberto Cerriteno

The Enamored Whale | Alberto Cerriteno

*Gel; Collective Soul

My love for you is like a truck; Berserker

2010-04-24T14:32:00.004-05:00

Just watched Clerks again. I honestly don't know how many times I've watched it. I don't think that there will ever be a movie that gives me as much hope and acceptance to make my own. Friends as your cast. Hockey sticks as boom mics. General nonsense, yet intelligent banter. Cheers to one of the most stolen VHS movies in the US.

*Berserker; Love Among Freaks

Everybody likes to dance to a happy song

2010-04-15T18:33:00.004-05:00

The third Saturday of April is officially Record Store Day across Canada and the US. Go to a store and buy some actual music. A bunch of bands, both from the past and the present, are releasing a bunch of special edition vinyl.

Check out the list of stores participating. Yes, there's even our favorites in Winnipeg taking part.

*Pork and Beans; Weezer

And the fans all go insane

2010-04-13T20:06:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year where most non-sports fans just can't comprehend. Hockey in spring. Yes, it's possible. And it starts tomorrow.

The NHL playoffs kick-off Wednesday with the first half of their quarter finals games. I'm happy to report that my two teams have made it to the 'real season'. But unfortunately, they're both the 8th placed team and each have to take on the top seed. I just hope that they put up a good fight. Here's hoping that either the 17- or 9-year droughts can come to an end.

*The Hockey Song; Stompin' Tom Connors

Turn it up, set it off, before its gone

2010-04-09T14:52:00.003-05:00

Holy crap! I don't watch a ton of videos online, but I certainly believe that I watch most the good ones. And this might just be my most favorite. Ever.

It's called Pixels and it was put together by a company called One More Production. I definitely suggest that you check out their work, as they've got a bunch of great pieces. No idea how they did some of this, but it's fantastic.

*Got Some; Pearl Jam

When he plays; No one speaks

2010-04-05T20:38:00.003-05:00

There's little to secret to the fact that I am a Nirvana fan. They were one of the first bands that I would regularly listen to on my own and I have loved them since. Now, I don't love every song that I've heard, but I can certainly have them playing for days on end. Over the years, it seems as though I spin their records a little less and I really just think that it has to do with a lack of new material. It has been 16 years after all.

So here's my point. A story came out today about a guy in Aberdeen that found some old cassettes at a garage sale. They had KDC written on the back. He went home, had a listen, and he visited Nirvana's producers. They were Kurt Douglas Cobain's early recordings. Holy shit. Apparently the tapes' got singalongs with a ukulele and acoustic guitar on it, so a bunch of pre-Nirvana tunes. Unreal. Things like this make me want to reach into my inner-old-lady and just go to garage sales all summer. All of this 16 years after Kurt was killed. Boy oh boy.

*Friend of a Friend; Foo Fighters

Leave your legacy in gold on the plaques that line the hall

2010-03-20T19:47:00.001-05:00

20 years ago yesterday, music changed forever. I'm sure you've heard that millions of times, but I assure you, this story is new to you. And I will attempt to keep it short.

Mother Love Bone was a Seattle band that formed in 1988. On March 19, 1990, just a couple days before their debut album, Apple, was about to be released, their lead singer, Andrew Wood, overdosed on heroin. Mother Love Bone immediately dismantled which put into motion the start of our most popular grunge bands.

Former MLB members Stone Gossard (guitar) and Jeff Ament (bass) were approached by Wood's roommate Chris Cornell, to record a couple songs in memory of Woods. They accepted. Soon after, they were joined by Matt Cameron, Mike McCready and Eddie Vedder, and quickly turned the two songs into a full length album, all under the name of Temple Of The Dog. Following their one and only album, Cornell and Cameron went on to form Soundgarden, while Gossard, Ament, McCready and Vedder started up Pearl Jam. Wow.

*Andy, You're A Star; The Killers

And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

2010-03-12T20:51:00.006-06:00

If you've heard about Winnipeg, but are not from there, I'm sure you hear most people joke about how we have different seasons. It usual involves some words like mosquitoes, construction, winter and Hoth. I don't actually find it too funny.

Now, it seems like our winter is fading away quickly right now. So what would one call this season? Pothole season. It's talked about everywhere. We even have a 'hotline' to report potholes. Ugh.

There are two people who beat us to something that screams Winnipeg. Mypotholes is a place where a couple of artists are showcasing their pothole art.
Why couldn't we think of this?!

*Supermassive Black Hole; Muse

I know just what you need; I might just have the thing

2010-03-05T20:54:00.009-06:00

Jeff Anderson is not a name that will ring many bells. He's 40, from New Jersey and has appeared in only a handful of movies. But when I simply say that he plays Randal Graves, you'd better know who I'm talking about.

A little while Jeff met a man named Devin in a bar and they became friendly with each other. Not that kind of friendly. They bumped into each other again a few weeks later and had some good laughs. A while later, days or weeks, I'm not too sure, Devin was killed while sleeping in his bed as a tree crashed through his family's home.

Jeff learned about this shortly after the accident. He decided to try and help using his fame in the cult-movie industry. He made an offer to everyone, donate a minimum of $10 to a fund to help the family rebuild, and he'll send you a signed page from his Clerks II script. The minute I head of this, I jumped on-board. Not only can I help a family, but also get a thank you in the form of an authentic piece one of my favorite directors' movies. I waited many weeks, thinking that maybe I was too late, as there were only 103 pages in the script. Or maybe he just wasn't going to spend the extra money for international stamps to send a piece of paper to Canada.

But hell froze over and I got my gem!Pages 46 & 47 from a real on-set Clerks II script. Signed by Jeff Anderson. Awesome. I also have my name, amongst other things, in the credits of the movie. Unbelievable.

*Misery; Soul Asylum

When I hear you on the car radio; You're gonna be a sensation

2010-02-24T18:26:00.005-06:00

Creed Bratton. You may know that name from a character in The Office (US version). Well, that's the name that the actor ges by as well. I do watch the show every week and I absolutely love it, but I can't say that I'm a big fan of his character. Maybe it's just because he's not very prominent in most episodes.

Anyway. That's not the point. Much like many of the actors in the show, I knew nothing about them before the show. Some had starring roles in other TV series, or maybe they mostly just have a stand-up background. Well Creed used to play bass in a band. The Grass Roots. Since 1966. He had a top 10 single. And a platinum album. Seriously, insane! I hope he's got some musical scenes in an episode sometime soon.

*Rock & Roll Band; Boston

All we need is music; Sweet music

2010-02-10T20:12:00.004-06:00

I listen to a ton of music spanning many genres, and something I rarely find to be mediocre, and either just awesome or crap, are covers, remixes and sample songs. Sample songs and 'artists' seem to be constantly growing for the last 10 years or so thanks to the internet and its fun time download freedoms. So, curious as to who's playing whos song? Check out Who Sampled? It looks fairly new and just getting going, as sample artists like Mike Relm and Hot Chip don't have much info yet, but some more seasoned bands like Van Halen and Foo Fighters have some more songs going for them. Yes, this site certainly isn't close to perfect as Wikipedia is or anything, but maybe quite possibly it can blossom into a nice little gem of a site. And if it doesn't, oh well.

I get to go on an official bon voyage this Saturday as me and my lovely are both experiencing our first Europe adventure as we'll be hitting up Paris for a week. Chances are you shall be seeing some of this trip as it unfolds.

*Dancing in the Streets; Van Halen

Grab that cash with both hands; And make a stash

2010-02-04T19:54:00.004-06:00

Monopoly is a game I've certainly enjoyed. Sure, I haven't played it in many years but that's mostly due with the fact that it can potentially take three weeks to play a full game. Now why bring it up? Well, I don't mind the 731 spin off games that they've made, as I understand the niche demographic that they're made for. But their new 75th anniversary edition just seems strange. A circular board, no cash but a credit card. Weird.

Yes, I know what's going to happen. One of my friends will buy this and we'll end up playing. I'll get suckered into the new modern look and enjoy the lack of having to pay attention to counting bills. I shall get reeled in like many others, I'm sure. Crap.

*Money; Pink Floyd

Gotta solar-powered laser beam guitar

2010-02-01T20:15:00.005-06:00

Despite my unquestionable enjoyment for varieties of music, my actual musical capabilities are quite low. I spent my elementary years playing the traditional recorder, xylophone and wood blocks to a T, but that came to an abrupt end once middle school started. I did pick up a bass once though, in my college years. I learned about a dozen songs in two weeks and played a New Year's Eve at a frat house for, and with, a bunch of friends. That bass was never touched again. I've just accepted that I'll forever live my rock star dream vicariously through my best friend.

But maybe I can learn this. A company called Misa Digital has come up with this ... touch-pad guitar?! INSANE!

Here's the simplest description of it's possibilities that I've found: In electronic music, the timbre of the sound can be morphed in an infinite number of ways. For a guitar to do this, the strumming hand needs more control than just plucking strings. Apparently it allows you to control elements of the sound, such as sustain, pitch, filter cutoffs, contour or any other synthesizer parameter, in a way that has no physical constraints.

And yes, you can plug it right into your regular amp and fire away. I'm curious how long it'll be before Harmonix gets their hands on something like this for a new Rock Band experience.

*Spaceship Superstar; Prism

And we'll all get lost together; Until the light comes pouring through

2010-01-27T21:03:00.001-06:00

Since the pilot episode first aired back in 2004, I've totally been hooked on Lost. I was on all of the boards, rewatching episodes frame by frame and just pulling my hair in confusion during the first 2 seasons. Yes, I've calmed down about it all, and I've just been enjoying it more as many of my friends have also become big fanatics. Though, I still seem to get countless texts as new episodes air, asking who someone is, how they're related to one another, where we've seen them before, etc. But it's all in good fun.

So, to gear up for the upcoming final season premiere, here's a fun video I found. It's 5 seasons of Lost in 5 minutes. Let the excitement begin.

Side note: Despite the mind-bending story lines, wonderful scenery and large budget, it's super pathetic to see that they can't alter a background image of clouds properly. Clone-tool much?!

*Lost; Michael Buble

In the moonlight their scars flash like jewelry; Get too precious, get locked up in a cage

2010-01-09T18:37:00.007-06:00

Can't say that I'm the biggest Nicolas Cage fan, though I do enjoy most movies that he's in. Weird, I know. Regardless, he remains very popular with some.

For a whole lot more, visit Nic Cage As Everyone. I quite enjoy these.

*Reptiles; Them Crooked Vultures

Tender lumplings everywhere; Life's no fun without a good scare

2010-01-02T20:59:00.006-06:00

Do you enjoy Tim Burton?
How about the Museum of Modern Art?!
Well then SUCK ON THIS!

Warning: Much time will be spent admiring his work

*This Is Halloween; Danny Elfman

Everyone strapped in tight; We'll ride it out

2009-12-30T13:26:00.001-06:00

A short list of some of my favorite things from this past year.

Favorite Movies Released in 2009
(In no particular order)
- Up
- The Damned United
- The Hangover
- Where The Wild Things Are
- I Love You, Man
- Up In The Air
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Favorite Movies Released Before 2009
(That I watched for the first time this year)
- Milk (2008)
- Hype! (1996)
- A League of Ordinary Gentlemen (2005)
- W. (2008)
- Fanboys (2008)
- In Bruges (2008)
- Sugar (2008)
- Helvetica (2007)

Most Memorable Concerts
- AC/DC
- Eagles of Death Metal
- Coldplay

Favorite Albums
- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Phoenix)
- Lost In The 80s (The Lost Fingers)
- Backspacer (Pearl Jam)
- Them Crooked Vultures (Them Crooked Vultures)
- The E.N.D. (The Black Eyed Peas)

Songs Most Listened To
(According to last.fm)
- It's A Dream (Neil Young)
- Rise (Eddie Vedder)
- Kids (MGMT)
- I Got A Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
- Wheels (Foo Fighters)
- Billie Jean (The Lost Fingers)
- Andy You're A Star (The Killers)
- Lasso (Phoenix)
- The End (Pearl Jam)
- Love Lockdown (Kanye West)

*Next Year; Foo Fighters

What were all those dreams we shared those many years ago?

2009-12-28T21:42:00.002-06:00

Maybe about 10 days ago, I received an early Christmas present in the mail. I had ordered a book containing 229 Pearl Jam posters, all designed by the Ames Bros from 1995 - 2007.

The book is officially called Pearl Jam vs Ames Bros: 13 Years of Tour Posters and I think it's unreal! There are two different versions. The unbelievably cheap $50 US green copy is the one I ordered. It's got 229 posters, interviews and some explanations and inspirations behind some of the posters. The $200 US orange copy is numbered, autographed by the 3 Ames Bros head designers, 32 bonus pages featuring over 250 sketches, an 8 page overlay of the printing process, and 3 silkscreen art prints, just to name a few things.

For any fan of the band, the artists or poster art in general, I can't highly recommend this enough. It's just awesome.

*The End; Pearl Jam

Studied all the rules, and I want no part

2009-12-24T16:01:00.007-06:00

Back in '08, Kevin Smith had to change the name Zack and Miri Make a Porno to Zack and Miri. He then had to change his posters too. This is all due to the MPAA and their decision that it was too explicit and they thought that the word Porno would not be well received by the public. Ugh. Stupid. It's especially ironic since the Weinstein Company originally approved the project right after they just heard the title of the movie.

OriginalChanged Version 1Changed Version 2

So Smith's next project just had their trailer released. And despite him promoting the film for month's as A Couple of Dicks, it too has gone through the MPAA wringer. Now it's titled Cop Out. It's just not the same. Smith did argue this newest change, bringing up the Inglorious Basterds title that was approved. But due to the purposely misspelled Basterds, it was allowed. So Smith rebutted with A Couple of D.I.C.s (Detectives In Charge) and they still didn't accept it! I think they've seriously got something personal against Smith. Idiots.

To learn more on the MPAA and their unnecessary power, I'd suggest watching This Film is Not Yet Rated. It deals more with the ratings (PG-13, MC-17, R, etc) but still shows the struggle that film makers have.

*New York City Cops; The Strokes

Meeting you with a view to a kill; Faces to faces, secret places, feel the chill

2009-12-16T10:17:00.007-06:00

Two quick movie updates. First is Robin Hood. I think it's safe to say that many people are excited for this movie, not just myself. The Disney version hands down one of my favorite movies ever. Back to the point. A trailer for the new movie was released yesterday. Looks like it's got potential. It looks like it'll be more graphic and dark, which'll be a different way of seeing Robin Hood. He always seems to happy-go-lucky. Thank goodness for Ridley Scott. You are a truly solid director.

But quite possibly better than that, is the new Alice in Wonderland trailer that just came out. They had a shorter teaser released a while ago, but this newly cut full trailer is just more awesome. Quite possibly the best movie of 2010 perhaps?

*A View To A Kill; Duran Duran

I'm on that HD flat; This beat go boom boom bap

2009-12-09T20:43:00.007-06:00

Living without cable or satellite, to this day in fact, has certainly lead to me missing out on many shows and channels that everyone I know seemed to grow up on. If it wasn't for the internet, I would never have seen music videos, old sitcoms, etc. And as an avid internet-television watcher, I never thought that I'd miss commercials as much as I do. Last year I had the opportunity to go see the 2008 Cannes Lions Premiere. It's a 2 hour showing of the world's best commercials from that year. This year's showing will be happening in the next few days. Fellow Winnipegers can go here for more info.

Now, not seeing many American commercials, I get pleasantly surprised when I go to friends' houses and see some of them. In last years' Cannes, they showed a spot by Sony Bravia that I thought was extraordinary.

I went to go find that spot, and I was happily surprised with finding a new ad that they have done. I think it's just an extraordinary idea and the execution is wonderful. I'm certainly a fan of their creative. Just thought I'd share. There's the spot, but if you've got a couple extra minutes, a short 'behind the scenes' is posted below. Enjoy!

*Boom Boom Pow; Black Eyed Peas

On a live wire right up off the street; You and I should meet

2009-12-02T21:27:00.006-06:00

Kevin Smith is my all-time favoritest person from New Jersey. And also someone that I look up to a lot. I've admired his starting point in film since I started shooting my own films, as well as his ability to stay true to who he is: a fat comic-book nerd from New Jersey that should've been born in Canada. It's not an insult. I'm envious in many ways.

Now, I could go on and on, but I won't. All I have to say is that one of the websites that I check daily for my dose of movie and television updates is Ain't It Cool News. One of their larger bloggers, Capone, was able to do a 2-part interview with Kevin Smith the other day. It's a bit of a long read, but it's what any Smith fan loves, his brutal honesty. Oh well, enjoy.

Part One | Part Two

Also, don't forget about his uncensored SModcast with Scott Mosier on iTunes.

*1979; Smashing Pumpkins

Forever and ever; Also, forever

2009-11-28T13:53:00.008-06:00

As a self-proclaimed dork, I use Google for quite a lot. Searches. Gmail. Maps. I absolutely love it. During one of my many quests of random internet searching, I found out that Google actually has a blog. I decided to skim through a bit and I found a posting by a man named Dennis Hwang. His official job is Google's International Webmaster, which as Dennis says, means that he's responsible for managing Google's international site content. But he also does these:

It all starte din 1998, before Dennis started working there. Google inventors Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They went to the Burning Man festival and decided to put up this stick figure of the Burning Man in case the site crashed and people didn't know why no one was answering the phones. Such a stupid reason.

Dennis started in 2000 and has taking over these doodles. Here's a couple of my favorites from this year. But go here if you want to see all of them. Many are made for specific countries, so chances are you haven't a lot of these.

April 27, 2009 - Samuel Morse's Birthday

June 6, 2009 - 25th Aniversary of Tetris

July 20, 2009 - 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing

September 21, 2009 - H.G. Well's BirthdayOctober 2, 2009 - Brazil Wins 2016 Olympics

* Interlude; Them Crooked Vultures

People In The World; You're Gonna Lose Control

2009-11-22T17:30:00.005-06:00

I've been extremely busy at work these days. Not too much has inspired me lately, as I haven't spent much time freely surfing the net and looking at new things. But just last week, Them Crooked Vultures released their self-titled album and I've yet to put it down. I find that it's just an extension on Queens of the Stone Age, which works for me. Here's the second single that they released: Mind Eraser, No Chaser.

I can only wish that they'd tour closer to home.

*No One Loves Me & Neither Do I; Them Crooked Vultures

Well if it were me; It's all I'd ever do

2009-11-05T20:30:00.003-06:00

Last Friday, my beloved Foo Fighters decided to put on a show for all of their fans via the internet. Yep. They advertised it on Facebook and Twitter merely a handful of days and they were able to get a good 440,000 people watching it.

It was a nice surprise to see that they had a laptop set up on their equipment that was constantly updating with song suggestions from fans, and in between most songs, Nate or Dave would take a peak and read some out. There was even more that made this show special. One, the fact that the advertised one hour show ended up lasting around two and a half hours. Two, they pleased the 'hardcore' fans by playing many oldies and rarely heard songs. And three, there was one fan as well as myself who requested that they play the Ghostbusters theme song. Dave said that they'd play it and when it seemed like they were just about to start the song, he ended up telling a story about how Ray Parker Jr got sued. So close.

The show was in no doubt a way for them to get out word that their greatest hits album was just about to be released, but they hardly ever mentioned it and just seemed genuinely happy to be playing a practice-style show in the comfort of their own studio. It's hard to believe that the bands' been playing for a solid 15 years already.

Here's what they played:
01 The Pretender
02 My Hero
03 Times Like These
04 All My Life
05 Cold Day In The Sun
06 Skin & Bones
07 Word Forward
08 Generator
09 Young Man Blues
10 This Is A Call
11 Learn To Fly
12 For All The Cows
13 Hey, Johnny Park!
14 Monkey Wrench
15 Big Me
16 Up In Arms
17 Long Road To Ruin
18 Enough Space
19 New Way Home
20 Stacked Actors
21 Breakout
22 Wattershed
23 Everlong
24 Low
25 Weenie Beenie
26 Aurora

It might be obvious for them to do so, but I actually really hope that they release this on DVD. It was something nice.

*Generator; Foo Fighters

The one they call the vision that bears the gift

2009-10-21T20:51:00.004-05:00

About a month ago, I went to a camera sale that a bunch of businesses put on. I managed to pick up a Canon FT QL for $20. It even came with two lenses. A steal. After picking up some rolls of film and a new battery, my current interest in photography continues to grow. Oh, and I even picked up a SX-70 Polaroid camera for $10.

Anyways. That should give you a good idea of what's been on my mind lately, and sets up this post quite well.

I've watched Saturday Night Live for quite a few years now and one of my most favorite things, other then the Digital Shorts, are the bumpers that they have of the hosts and musical guests. It took me quite some time, but I finally figured out who was behind all of them. Her name is Mary Ellen Matthews.

She doesn't have a website. Or even a Fan Facebook page. But I'm most certainly a supporter of hers and am very intrigued in her art. It's not like her photos are revolutionary, they're basically all just portraits. But they are quite fun and they have purpose.

Pearl Jam
"Different lighting -- you know, I’m such a fan of music across the board, but of them, for sure. I just thought this would be an interesting take, especially with Eddie Vedder. His bone structure being that it is, this would really work for them."

Tenacious D
"I saw the Simon & Garfunkel cover -- 'Bookends' -- where they’re both in the turtlenecks and they’re kinda leaning on each other, so we kind of riffed off that. [Simon & Garfunkel are] one great duo in our musical history. They're just another one [laughs]. With Jack Black, you always kind of get a show. Kyle Gass as well. They’re loose, let’s say, but amazing musicians."

Foo Fighters
"I think it just says a lot about who they are, for sure. I think it really captured them. Dave Grohl is so free-spirited, free-living, has a great time with what he’s doing. And they’re such a group, I think they really enjoy what they’re doing. And they were happy to be there that day."

I haven't been able to find a massive place with all of the pictures that SNL has used, which sucks. So, here's just a bunch more that I really like that I've been able to find.

Alec Baldwin

Ellen Page

Hugh Laurie

Jack Black

Jack Black, again

Justin Timberlake

Michael Phelps

Natalie Portman

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti, duece

Scarlett Johansson

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks, numero deux

Will Ferrell

*In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3; Coheed and Cambria

Now it seems like too much love is never enough

2009-10-08T21:16:00.003-05:00

Growing up and listening to many of the bigger Seattle bands, like Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, Green River and Pearl Jam. has always made me appreciate how small a world it can be for bands. Within this small community, many of the musicians have come and gone, formed new groups, collaborated, etc.

This past Tuesday, Pearl Jam was playing in L.A. and had a few special guests join them on stage. Singer-songwriter Ben Harper was there, which isn't a large surprise. Jerry Cantrell, Alice In Chains singer-guitarist, also joined them on stage. Above average surprise. But BAM! The Chris Cornell showed up! Now, I'm not a massive Cornell fan, but I was certainly on the Soundgarden train, and also the Audioslave boat. But, as I'm sure most of the world feels the same way, his solo work just doesn't reach the bar. Oh well. Doesn't matter. Temple of the Dog was officially back!

At the same time that Pearl Jam was beginning to form, Temple of the Dog was working on their first and only album. The band was made up of Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready all from Pearl Jam, Cornell from Soundgarden, and Matt Cameron who started with Soundgarden and then has since joined Pearl Jam.

Anyways, Cornell went up and they sang their most well known song, Hunger Strike. It was the first time they've played together since 2003. That would've been something to see live.

And just for kicks, here's Cantrell helping out with Alive:

*Say Hello 2 Heaven; Temple of the Dog

She saw the pictures and she painted them; She picked the colors from the air

2009-10-01T07:32:00.003-05:00

T-shirts. Programs. Records. Hats. Books. All typical things I've seen at a concerts. But I've never seen this before. And I bet you haven't either. I don't know much about her but then Louise Ferguson actually goes to concerts and, rather then taking pictures of the band as majority of us do, she paint pictures. It's ridiculously neat.

Check out Louise's blog or her site for more. I wonder if this will catch on a bit more someday. I know I wish I could paint...

*Neil Young; Painter

I gotta say it now; Better loud than too late

2009-09-20T09:54:00.003-05:00

Sunday. September 20th. 2009. Finally.

Pearl Jam's new album Backspacer is out today. I love it. I managed to find a leaked copy maybe 10 days ago and I can't stop listening to it. It's got everything. The first four songs (Gonna See My Friend; Got Some; The Fixer; Johnny Guitar) just hits you in the face with the classic Pearl Jam rock that you'd expect. I wasn't even a huge fan of The Fixer the first few times I heard it on the radio, but I feel it's place in the album and I can't get enough now.

There's also a song called Unthought Known that is basically a tidal wave of awesome. Some critics have been describing it as almost a new Alive. Though I feel like it's a great song that continues to grow on me, I don't think it's going to be that inspirational to a generation.

There's some more tuned-down songs, much that you'd think were simply left off of the Into The Wild soundtrack but still important to Eddie. One of the best feelings I get is just driving to the whole record. It just takes a weight off of my shoulders and I just feel relaxed.

Now, I may be biased, well, I am biased, but I really love this album. I think it's a definite purchase for anyone who has or continues to enjoy Pearl Jam's music. This album isn't political, like their '06 album was. It's just the 5 guys getting back to doing what they know.

Also, if you pick up the album, you're given 2 out of 9 random live concert videos. Ya, that's cool. You should probably just buy it.

Here's a few of my current favorites:

Track 7: Unthought Known

Track 2: Got Some

Track 8: Supersonic

*Pearl Jam; Amongst The Waves

And if you like what you're hearing; Please hang on to me

2009-09-09T20:51:00.002-05:00

There are many varieties of sad stories that can be told. Some deal with life and death, dreams and aspirations, hope and miracles.

Paul Mawhinney has one that touched me. It actually also made me upset. No, it's not another 'Britain's Got Talent' contestant, but just a man and his record collection. Just watch. It's very self-explanatory.

I just don't get it. How could any music museum not want to own this. Or even just a record label. I think it'd be heartbreaking for this collection to just go to some guy who'll hang on to a few albums, then tuck the others away in the attic. Ugh. Does anyone have $3 million I can borrow?!

*Stereo; The Watchmen

Heavy decibels are playing on my guitar

2009-08-25T19:59:00.002-05:00

Music-potent post. Watch out. Here we go.

Pearl Jam played in Toronto the past Friday night. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists were scheduled to open. But their singer, Ted, was stuck at the border. So what to do?! Well, Pearl Jam decided to open for themselves. Eddie came out and played Neil Young's 'Sugar Mountain' and 'The Needle and the Damage Done'. Acoustically. Alone. Gah. Unbelievable. McCready and Stone each played a couple of their own songs, then The Pharmacists played a couple tunes as Eddie stepped in to sing.

While in Toronto, Eddie sat down with Alan Cross for an interview. Any Pearl Jam fan should take time to listen.

Their new album comes out on September 20th. But here's a new song that's made it's way out. It's called 'Supersonic'.

Next. Weezer was in T.O. as well, but on Sunday and opening for Blink-182. Their new album comes out on October 27th. It's called Raditude. Rainn Wilson, yes, Dwight from the Office, actually came up with it. Anyways. The ever amazing Alan Cross managed to also sit down with them for an interview.

Them Crooked Vultures have now played 4 gigs. Reminder: They are Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones. Video is now being released from these shows, and it's got potential. I'm very much looking forward to their album coming out. Here's a song called 'New Fang':

And lastly. Guitar Hero is making more and more band-specific games these days. And they just released the tracks for their Van Halen version. This will be a must-buy for me. I'm extremely happy that they're including 'Atomic Punk', 'Ice Cream Man', 'Hang 'Em High' and 'I'm The One'. Also, there will be 'Best Of You' by Foo Fighters, 'Master Exploder' by Tenacious D and 'Dope Nose' by Weezer as additional songs. This'll be fun! December 22nd. Hello Christmas!

*Rock 'N Roll Ain't Noise Pollution; AC/DC

You've got to promise not to stop when I say when

2009-08-19T21:10:00.006-05:00

Dave Grohl - Nirvana, Late!, Foo Fighters
Josh Homme - Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal
John Paul Jones - Led Zeppelin

THEM CROOKED VULTURES

Yes. It's a cream-dream rock and roll super group. They'd been working on material for a little while, and last week they played a post-Lollapalooza show in Chicago. No recordings, video or audio, have managed to surface.

They then posted a snippet of a teaser to a song, Nobody Loves Me And Neither Do I, on YouTube last week:

But I have since found this! Today they posted a better teaser will some footage from the studio.

They're playing in Amsterdam tonight. Gah. I just want to listen to their album. Soon enough, I know.

*Everlong; Foo Fighters

Hail, hail the lucky ones; I refer to those in love, yeah

2009-08-19T08:57:00.005-05:00

After not re-signing with their record label, Pearl Jam's been on their own for the past few months. I think it's doing them good. They're playing shows of their choice, both in concert for as well as the TV variety, including Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show debut.

Earlier this week they posted a wonderful promotional video on their MySpace page for their Backspacer album, coming out September 20th. I think it's a wonderful insight on the album, told straight from the band. There's also previews of a couple new songs, as well as their single, The Fixer. I just feel as though this wouldn't of been made if not for their newly acquired independent label status. Kudos to the boys. This album is gonna be awesome.

*Hail, Hail; Pearl Jam

Keep on playin' our favorite song; Turn it up while you're gone

2009-08-11T19:01:00.007-05:00

I had heard a quick story about a cover album a couple weeks ago and I finally remembered to look into it the other day. The label that put this album out is called Pterodactyl Squad. They got a bunch of different DJs/artists to redo a bunch of Weezer songs. But not like you'd think. They're totally done in the old 8-bit NES/GameBoy-esque style. I can only recommend you to listen to it. It's even a free download.

*In My Head; Queens Of The Stone Age

Well God sayin' somethin' but he didn't mean it; Everyone's life ends but no one ever completes it

2009-08-03T21:43:00.007-05:00

Before Heath Ledger passed away last year, he had started to direct an animated music video for Modest Mouse. The song is called King Rat, and it's off of their new album, No One's First And You're Next, that just came out today.

Ledger had approached the band about doing the project, which I find very random, but wonderfully honest. Ledger's film and music company finished up the project for him. Anyways, just thought I'd share this.

*Dark Center Of The Universe; Modest Mouse

It's always a mystery; Not what it seems to be

2009-07-31T09:10:00.011-05:00

I spend a lot of my days reading random sites and blogs, keeping an eye out for bands that intrigue me. Give or take a couple times a year, I find one that just intrigues me. And here's that one.

Boys and girls, Seasick Steve.

Born Steven Gene Wold, he left home at 13 and worked random jobs, sometimes as a carnie, cowboy or even a migrant worker. In the '60s, he started to form his craft of being a blues musician, even becoming friends with Janis Joplin. He learned to work in the studio and began producing music, including a few Modest Mouse albums. Ya, weird.

He then went over to Europe, and spent his time writing music and busking. In late 2006 he released his second full length album. Someone noticed him and invited him to play the New Year's Eve Jools Holland's 'Annual Hootenany' show in the UK (see video above). And then his popularity sky-rocketed. Well, so much that people now knew about him, and he even got his own Wikipeida page. Thankfully, as this is where this info is all coming from.

He plays a 3-string guitar that he bought for $75, and he refuses to add the other 3 strings missing too. He also plays a single-string guitar.

Anyways. He just looks like a weird creeper, but he isn't too shabby of a musician. Plus, no one knows when he was born, which just adds more to the mystery of this man.

*Mystery; Dio

Control yourself; Take only what need from it

2009-07-18T19:06:00.000-05:00

Gallery 1988. A place I seem to just tell everyone about, any chance I get. Their 3rd annual Crazy 4 Cult show took place this past week. The encouraged more 3-D works of art this year. As per usual, it's time to share some of my favorites pieces.

"Crazy 4 Cult 3-D: The Secret Weapon" by Tim Doyle
Various movies
Screenprint on archival paper
18 x 24 inches

"BTF 1" by Jim Horwat
Back To The Future
Giclee print on archival paper
12 x 16 inches

"Trap" by 2cents
Ghostbusters
Screenrpint on archival paper
16 x 20 inches

"Welcome Back To The Land Of the Dead" by Jason Limon
Army Of Darkness
Acrylic on wood
10 x 30 inches

"Cult Showdowns" by Scott Campbell

Lord Of The Rings, Rushmore, Aliens, Three Amigos, Trainspotting, Highlander, Big Lebowski, Boogie Nights, The Shinning, Point Break
Acrylic on watercolor paper
3.5 x 3.5 inches

"UHF" by Tom Whalen
UHF
Giclee print on archival paper
10 x 20 inches

"Mushroom Cloud-Layin' MF" by Billy Perkins

Pulp Fiction
100lbs cover stock 4 colors
20 x 26 inches

"Goonies Never Say Die" by Dave Perillo
The Goonies
Giclee print on archival paper
16 x 20 inches

"Well I'll Be Darned" by Terribly Odd

Edward Scissorhands
Acrylic and print on distressed wooden box
15 x 18 inches

"Buddy Christ Needlepoint" by Ellen Schinderman
Dogma
Needlepoint on silk
21 x 25 inches, framed

"I Want It Now!!" by Ayami Kawashima
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Oils and graphite on wood panel
12 x 12 inches

"Edward Scissorhands" by Rik Catlow
Edward Scissorhands
Acrylic and collage on board
15.5 x 17 inches, framed

Check out all of the rest here.

*Kids; MGMT

You know my hero; The one that's on

2009-07-06T20:48:00.005-05:00

I'm a mega Foo Fighters dork. I think Dave Grohl is one of the best people to ever grace our generation. Not only is he a unbelievable musician, but he's also a stupidly kind and sincere person.

So when Dave announced last September that the band was going to take a 'long hiatus', I was clearly saddened. Granted, they've never really stopped playing for years and there's many little babies that have since been introduced to the world.

But the FF were asked to play at the White House on the 4th of July. And they instantly accepted. They played a very short set, but one of the songs that they sang was 'Wheels'. This is a new song that they're planning to add onto an album that they've got coming out in November. Unfortunately, this album is supposed to be just a 'best-of' album but they do planning on adding two brand new songs this album, with Wheels being one of them. Which is awesome.

Here's the first live performance of Wheels.

I find it'll end up being a super nice summer driving tune, which makes it strange to be released in November. Oh well. I'll take any new Foo that I can.

Side note: Dave is working on some music with Queens of the Stone Age singer / Eagles of Death Metal drummer Josh Homme as well as Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Which just screams like it'll be fricken' awesome! I'm am eagerly anticipating this. Collaborations generally kick ass.

*My Hero; Foo Fighters

There's a purple hippopotamus riding on a bike

2009-07-02T19:21:00.002-05:00

Just a follow up to a previous post. I found some more images regarding Tim Burton's new Alice In Wonderland movie that's he's working on. They're mostly concept drawings, which is usually just as creatively awesome.

I found these all on a cool site that I had never knew even existed! The Art Of Disney Animation. This site has drawings from what seems to be most of Disney's flicks. I honestly assumed that all of this would be locked up in a vault, and tucked away for no one to ever see. So cool. Here's just a little taste.

Cinderella - 1950

Sleeping Beauty - 1959

Alice In Wonderland - 1951

Pinocchio - 1937

Peter Pan - 1953

If you're any sort of fan of animation, drawings or just enjoy something quirky, then I highly recommend spending a couple minutes and just appreciate the talents of Disney's extraordinary artists. And even let out a laugh at just how ridiculous some of the ideas were.

*Drawing; Barenaked Ladies

I've been first and last; Look at how the time goes past

2009-06-29T20:44:00.006-05:00

In the back of my mind, I feel as though one of my true callings might rest in the field of photography. There's just this certain spark that grows most times when I pick up a camera. I love composition. Ya, I admit it. Composing shots is just satisfying. That said, struggling to make a shot work is very frustrating.

I came across a very interesting site regarding a place in Russia's history. Thanks to the wonderful and always reliable Wikipedia, I've learned that The Siege Of Leningrad was an unsuccessful military operation in WWII, that actually lasted 872 days. Ok, enough history.

From what I could find online, since my Russian is a little rusty, this man named Sergey Larenkov has taken old photographs from the war and superimposed newer ones on top, figuring out the exact same locations and angles.

I think that this is just beautiful. In most cases, it shows the destruction of the past as well as the restoration of many buildings. Russian architecture doesn't really interest me too much, but I very much enjoy seeing the history of it all. Some shots are truly neat, seeing what used to be and what inevitably then stood there. See, history can be fun kids!

*Old Man; Neil Young

She opened strange doors that we'd never close again

2009-06-22T19:20:00.006-05:00

I truly enjoy that people know how excited I get over simple things. For example, this morning I received a half-dozen or so emails with links to just released pictures for Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. Boo-ya! Time to share.

Alice, Tweedle-Dee & Tweedle-Dum

Alice & Wonderland

Mad Hatter / Johnny Depp

The Red Queen / Helena Bonham Carter

Alice / Mia Wasikowska

Tweedle-Dee & Tweedle-Dum / Matt Lucas

The White Queen / Anne Hathaway

I honestly feel like Burton's imagination is equivalent to Einstein's knowledge. It's just incomparable. My only slight worry, and I emphasize slight, is that this movie comes out in March of next year and I hope a ton of things aren't spoiled before then and the movie losses a ton of it's surprises. I mean, we do know the general story, as it's been interpreted hundreds of times but as we saw with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I guess we'll just have to wait.

*Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps);David Bowie

There's a cold war coming on the radio, I heard

2009-06-16T16:37:00.004-05:00

Movies: They can awesome. Music: This too can be awesome. A music movie?! DOUBLE AWESOME!

I found this trailer this morning and it looks like it'll be a solid, fun movie. It follows around Jack White (White Stripes), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and The Edge (U2) as they meet up for a day to share their music, techniques and stories. I usually find it cool when good musicians get together to collaborate and play together, especially when they're from different generations and genres.

*Life In Technicolor II; Coldplay

Turn your clock back; Paint it red on black

2009-06-09T20:21:00.003-05:00

This was promised a couple weeks ago now. I guess making an entry 9 days in a row called for a break. Needless to say, I'd like to present to the world, Mr Dan.

As you may have read earlier, while in Pike Place Market on my Seattle trip in May, I ran into an local artist that just amazed me. He's got that street/graffiti style that I've always loved. Other then a few canvases that he does with some stencils, it's also all done simply by hand and memory, and usually in about an hour. I'm sure that one of the additional reasons why I enjoy his work, is my strong draw to hats, which just happens to seem to be his main bread and butter. I'm sure this is because it's an easier item to sell to passerbyers, but I've never seen it been done before.

I ended up buying 4 hats from him: A green spray-can design, a black Michelangelo, a blue Sloth from the Goonies and the red Stay Puft Marshmallow Man pictured below. Within the next month or two, I know I'll be ordering some online.

Here's some of my favorites from his site:

One of the 4 that I got...

He does music related hats, such as this Alice N Chains gem...

Movie and book themed, like Where The Wild Things Are...

Cartoons like Mighty Mouse...

City and nature inspired. This is part of his Rain themed hats...

Sports team themes. I love the cityscape and colors...

There's plenty of canvas ideas...

And then some random original designs. Such as this. Which is epic. The red creature is part of the enormous Elliot Bay shipping yard

I highly, highly recommend checking out his site. He does everything through his Myspace and he does do online sales too. There's a probably about two thousand pictures or so of things that he's worked on. And he's also just an awesomely nice guy with a terrific talent.

*It's About Time; Van Halen

Guess it's over now; I seem alive somehow

2009-05-25T11:31:00.004-05:00

Day Nine probably doesn't really count as part of the trip. It was just a travel day. Not much to write about...

We got up super early, caught a cab and went down to the train station. After a bit of waiting around, we boarded and started the trek back. It was nice though. The sun was out, everything was blue or green and you could see the mountains. It was a very relaxing ride back to Vancouver.

Our only 'nervous' moment was when we were waiting to go through customs at the train station. They didn't have any real security there. There wasn't an x-ray machine or a body scanner, but they did have a drug dog. Now, this was a little scary, because we had bought a tons of varieties of spices earlier on the trip, and they were in one of our suitcases. It's not that it's illegal or anything, it's just the explaining and trying to prove it's a spice. Fortunately, nothing happened. The dog just sniffed around. I guess they have really good training.

We caught another cab to the airport. It was smoldering hot in the cab, and unfortunately it must have been a good 20 minute ride.

We checked in, grabbed some food, took advantage of the free internet in the terminals, and got on our flight. We had an extremely short flight to Calgary, maybe 60 minutes long, and then we had another hour lay-over until another flight to Winnipeg. It was nice though, with the regular 3-hour flight broken-up. It was a fairly mellow day, but it usual is when one travels. Nothing like an 11-hour traveling period.

The trip is officially over.

*Over Now; Alice In Chains

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay; Watchin' the tide roll away

2009-05-24T10:20:00.001-05:00

Day Eight, the last real day in Seattle. ugh. Time flies when you're somewhere awesome.

After enjoying a delicious apple turnover from a little grocery store near by, we quickly made our way back to Pike Place Market, just so I could pick up two of the hats that Mr. Dan had worked on the night previous. I also picked up another on while I was there, of a few spray cans with the Seattle skyline in side. Stay tuned for a short post on this guy, with pictures, as it'll make more sense then.

After the hats, we took the free bus further down 1st Ave and stopped at the Central Saloon, just so i could get a picture of it. It's the city's oldest pub and where Nirvana played their first ever show in Seattle. From there, we walked a couple blocks to the piers and made our way to the ferry. We had planned to do this at some point on the trip, and we were just waiting for the right weather to do so.

We got on a massive ferry, with room for cars as well, and made our way over to Bainbridge Island. It was about a 25 minute ride, with about 10 minutes for loading and unloading. It was super cheap, about $14 for two people, round-trip even! The Seattle skyline looked gorgeous, and between the trip there and back, we saw the beautiful Olympia National Park mountains in the west, as well as Mount Rainier on the east. As for Bainbridge itself, we were in a town called Eagleton, a nice little cottage-esque feeling and view. We had dinner at a place with not the best service, but it was still ok, because we weren't in a rush. There were a few stores we stopped in, but nothing terribly exciting. We were just looking for a reason to get out of Seattle, and this was perfect. The front of the boat was super windy, which was fun for a while too. The sun was out and feeling nice as well. It was a beautiful day.

We wrapped up the day by just packing our things and we just ordered a pizza in. We had both been craving a pizza on and off during the trip, but figured we'd try to eat more local food, mainly seafood, when possible. But we decided that something quick would be nice, plus we could save a couple bucks from eating out, as well as relax indoors and figure out how much 50 pounds in a suitcase felt like.

*Dock Of The Bay; Pearl Jam

Standing on the stairs; Cold, cold morning

2009-05-23T08:08:00.002-05:00

Day Seven seems to have stopped by very quickly. We happily decided to go out for a late breakfast / early lunch. Figuring that we'd spend a good chunk of our day at Pike Place Market, we made our way to our new favorite place, Lowell's, for the third time on the trip. Even though we've gone there a few times, we always got something different. It was a nice, reliably delicious place to go, that was reasonably priced and somewhat close to the hotel.

We had been in and out, and spent no more then about 20 minutes at a time in the market, so we after grabbing some grub, we made our way to one end of the market and proceeded to check things out. There was tons to see with a bunch of people everywhere. After looking at a couple smaller nick-nack shops, we found ourselves by one of the big fish stations. The workers had little jingle-ish things that they yelled when they made a sale, got a tip, pretty much when anything happened. They even tossed fish from the front display to the workers behind the counter. It was somewhat exciting. We continued to walk around the market, looking at things ranging from fresh flowers and produce, to wooden puzzles and hand-blown bowls (which Jess bought one of).

But it wasn't until we left the indoors part of the market, and ventured to the little kiosks outside, that I found what I had been looking for. I'll post a longer post in a few days, but here's the gist for now. A local artist did his own drawings and caricatures on hats, shoes, bags, etc. He had things ranging from pop culture characters, to just names and locations. It was beautiful. After all was said and done, I picked up 3 hats, a Michelangelo, a Sloth and a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man one. I'll post pictures of these later as well. The guy was super nice too. That put me in a good mood.

The rest of the market adventure was short. We saw and listened to a couple buskers, admired some of the food on display, watched cheese be made, and then struggled our way back up the hilly street.

We jetted back to the hotel to drop of our purchases, and figured that we should get one last big splurge of shopping done. So we headed back to the business district downtown. This is where more of the box-stores can be found, like Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic and H&M. There were tons of stores, and they all covered at least 2 floors. We proceeded to dispose of plenty of our remaining money, because we like to help out the economy of course.

With the night rolling in, we stopped by the Fox Sports Grill of a quick bite. We each got a burger, easily a good 8 inches tall. It was super good though, and helped fulfill my BBQ craving that i had most of the trip. The night ended shortly after that as we just watched the Mariner's game from the hotel on the team's own TV channel. My only concern was about clearing customs in a couple days.

*D-7; Nirvana

We had joy; We had fun; We had seasons in the sun

2009-05-22T09:39:00.000-05:00

Day Six. Thursday. Not the best day we've had here. In fact, I'd say it was my least favorite. It started off by us going to Fremont, from what we though would sort of be comparable to maybe Osbourne Village in Winnipeg. We figured we'd take a taxi since it would've been over an hour long walk. So we ventured down the street, walking and waiting for one to come by. About 30 minutes and 20 cabs later, we finally got one. None of the cabs seemed to stop, even though no one was in them. Ugh. It was frustrating. Anywho, we found one by the Space Needle.

So we made our way over there and figured out a little system of walking around so we wouldn't miss anything. We went into a few women's shops, which was fine. I knew that there were two record shops close to each other, which I'd be able to spend plenty of time in. So maybe after 2 hours of waling around, and going up the hill to see the troll, we came back down and grabbed a light lunch. I went to one record shop but I couldn't find the other. We killed some time at the Antique Mall, which was fairly large and had some great old signs. After a few more attempts to find the second record shop, we just gave up and ended up going back to the hotel. It was very disappointing. We checked Google Maps right after, found out where it was, but we think it had to have been closed, because we walked in that area for quite some time, with no luck. Also, there weren't really any guy stores in Fremont, which was another let down. Oh well.

Since we spent less time in Fremont then we thought we would, we made our way back down to the far end of First Ave and walked our way back up it, looking for a few more places to drop some cash. But there was nothing too interesting. I managed to get a look at The Showbox, which was very exciting, despite all of the construction that was being down to the exterior.

We ended up going back to Lowell's for supper, which was once again absolutely delicious. I got the fish and chips and it was well worth the money. Other then stopping by the original Starbucks, we just did the window-shopping tour.

Our day ended up not costing as much as we were planning, but that's never a bad thing. It was, in the end, a more relaxing day with tons of sun and exercise, which was well needed.

*Seasons In The Sun; Nirvana

Barefoot in the shallow creek; I grabbed some stones from underneath

2009-05-21T06:26:00.002-05:00

Day Five saw us start of the day by going for a nice long walk. Well, it wasn't supposed to be as long as it was. We got a little lost. But it was nice out, so all was good. We ventured out to the Olympic Sculpture Park and spent over an hour walking around the different pieces of art, and then spending some time right off the coast, sitting on some rocks. It was nice and relaxing.

We then continued walking along the docks and stopped in for a quite fish & chips at a little shop. It was very delicious. The fish just melted in our mouths. Tasty!

Then we realized that we had a big problem with one of our other scheduled activities. Before leaving for the trip, we had bought tickets to see Doves play at the Crocodile Cafe. Our only option for ticket delivery, was to have them shipped through Canada Post. But we never got our tickets. We just assumed that we'd then be able to go to the Croc and pick up our tickets there, with our confirmation code. But nope. They aren't a Ticketmaster. Ugh. So we waited til the box office opened up, but they were all sold out. It sucked.

So we decided to go to this little place called Shorty's, which was a couple buildings down from the Croc. To sum it up, they've got a patio outside, a few booths inside and then a bunch of pinball and arcade machines. They also feature a variety of styles of hot dogs. You basically get to grab a beer and a dog, then go spend some quarters. It was a nice change from the usual tourist places we've stumbled on.

After our 'supper', we discussed further options, and decided to go to a Sasquatch! Festival poster gallery. We hit up a cab, and ventured across to a different neighbourhood. We thought we knew where we were going but I guess we didn't. We couldn't figure out where this gallery was, so we just walked around the area, looking for posters or anything that'd help. We ended up finding the statue of Jimi Hendrix that's outside of a record shop, so we took a couple quick snaps and continued on. We made our way to a shoppe called Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream. Knowing two things, one being that they were a little sponsor of the poster show, and two, that they had some of the best ice cream in the entire US, we stopped in. And I have to say, it was unbelievably delicious ice cream! It was very tasteful and so fresh. The waffle cone was also crazy delicious. Anywho, they sent us in the right direction, and we finally made it. Turns out we were at the right corner when we first got there, but the place had no signage and was in the shadier part of the street.

The gallery was moderately full, but there was a lot to see. A bunch of artists were asked to create their own gig poster for a different band, and there were some fantastic ones. We walked around looking at everything, then ended up taking pictures of a bunch of them, to share with our peers when we get back to work. It was a nice, relaxing evening of art.

Following the gallery, we quickly went to the record shop with the Hendrix statue in front and spent a few minutes looking through the vinyl. All I ended up buying was a Van Halen album, Diver Down, for just $3. It's one of my favorites. Day five was a very nice day.

*Bixby Canyon Bridge; Death Cab For Cutie

The day is done and I'm having fun

2009-05-20T10:07:00.003-05:00

Day Four is here, and it's bittersweet. We've been checking the weather whenever possible since we've been here and for a while it's been saying that there'd be some thundershowers all day. We've got a list of places we wanted to check out during the trip, so we picked two of the indoor ones. Clever us.

We quickly went to a little cafe for a bite to eat. It was called Deli Shez Cafe. It wasn't until the server answered the phone 'Delicious Cafe'. The food was cheap, tasty, and a nice start.

We then walked many blocks and visited the Experience Music Project. Jess and I have been anxious to go there since the first day we planned our trip out. I most certainly enjoy the music history while Jess enjoys the -er- 'unique' Frank Gehry design. It did look nice, and the colors were strangely cool, but it wasn't my reason for being there. After spending a chunk of time taking pictures of the building outside, we ventured in. When we went downstairs to pay for admission, we were quick to notice a display of roughly 10 Pearl Jam posters designed by Ames Bros. I was stoked!! What a way to start off!

We then went up to the 2nd floor and popped into the first room. They've got a 6-week or so exhibit on Jimi Hendrix. They had everything there, from his personal notebooks to lyrics written on hotel notepads and a few of his old guitars to one of his coats that he wore, starting a big trend. They also had iPods set up with what seemed like everything ever recorded, legal and not, for you to listen too. Super cool!

Next up was a large room with basses and guitars spanning from the 1800s to the present. There were many replicas of more famous designs, such as Eddie Van Halen and Paul McCartney's, but everything was a real guitar. There were also a few that were donated to them, like Bo Diddley and Kurt Cobain. It was a nice learning session.

Following that room was a section dedicated to Seattle's musical-imprint. They started with the old Gold Rush days, and continued to the present bands like Fleet Foxes. The grunge set-up was cool, where that just had a ton of magazine covers, comic books, a few LPs, some demo tapes and Nirvana's busted up instruments from the '92 VMAs. There were also some nice old signs from the Central Saloon and Off Ramp. There was too much Heart memorabilia for my liking.

That was pretty much the end to the music portion of the 'museum'. On the 3rd floor, a different kind of exhibit was going on. Hatch Show Print is a legendary letterpress printing company that's been doing event posters since 1879. I knew nothing of this. I was cool to see some of the posters with their actual carved, wood blocks hung up beside it. They've ranged in all kinds of music from the Hank Williams and Bob Dylan to the Beastie Boys and Eagles of Death Metal. It was a nice fit for a music gallery.

By the time we left, it was starting to rain, so we hustled back to a little grocery store, picked up a few items and had a make-shift lunch. We waited til the rain quieted down and caught the practical free bus, and headed down to the Seattle Central Library. This is another spectacle of a building that Seattle's got in their pocket. I don't know how to describe it, so maybe just go here and look for yourself. The inside is extremely open, graphic and modern. Much to what you'd almost not expect from a library. With all of the people inside, it was crazy as to just how quiet it was too. I felt bad for walking and making any noise.

Post-library, we kept the indoor theme going and stopped by a large mall to see what was inside, then just headed out for supper. We went to this Mexican restaurant Mama's Restaurant Kitchen. The food was fast, and seemed authentic. No more then 15 minutes after eating, we were both comfortably full but felt just horrible. Not the best way to end any day.

*Dumb; Nirvana

Between the shades; Assination standing still

2009-05-19T22:43:00.006-05:00

Yaaa! I just saw this this morning!! It sort of reminds me of a James Bond meets Sleepy Hollow. I love this English era. Gah! Whoo! I can only hope it'll be a great Christmas present for all.

OH! And also, the full trailer for the movie '9' was just released! I had posted about this a while back. It looks like it'll be good, not great. But good is still good! Watch it here.

*A View To A Kill; Duran Duran

It takes three legs to make a tripod; Or to make a table stand

2009-05-19T10:34:00.004-05:00

Day Three in The Emerald City. It wasn't too bad. It started off with a late breakfast at Lowell's. It took a bit of finding, but we managed to make it before the breakfast service had finished. Lowell's is a 3-floor restaurant and bar found in the famous Pike Place Market. It had a great view, overlooking Puget Sound and Bainbridge Island. I also hear that a scene from Sleepless In Seattle was shot there. I certainly do enjoy Tom hanks, but I haven't seen that movie. I'll believe it though. Even though it was just a breakfast, the food was extremely delicious.

Following the good eats, we went to a little shop called World Spice Merchants. They've got over one hundred different kinds of spices and seasonings available, and at a great price. You simply get to walk around, smelling the different kinds of spices in jars, and you just write down how much of what kind you'd like. You then drop off the list and come back in a bit to pick it up. We picked up 5 different orders for people back home, spanning roughly 40 different varieties. I personally picked up 5 different kinds of BBQ rubs.

We left the Pike Place Market area and went up to the business district for some shopping. The business district features more of the national chains as opposed to the local shops. We spent a bunch of time in Urban Outfitters with a super huge bill to finish it off, but it's well worth it. There's always some interesting items there. I even picked up an Arcade Fire - Funeral vinyl. It was just $14 which is well worth it. Awesome.

The night finished off with a nice dinner at Assaggio Ristorante. We had some fresh pasta and shared a delicious coconut sorbet actually served in a coconut! The services was great and the food was even better.

Day three ended with me learning that Mike McCready is playing the national anthem at the Mariner's game on Tuesday. Hmm. I'll have to consider that.

*Three Is The magic Number; Blind Melon

Just relax for a second and use your head

2009-05-17T23:02:00.001-05:00

Day Two of my vacation was also the first full day in Seattle. Slept in due to the previous long-ass day, and it was nice. Jess and I walked a few blocks over to a nice restaurant called CJ's Eatery. They've got an all day breakfast and it was really good. Especially the freshly squeezed OJ.

After that, we decided to make our way down to Safeco Field. We're going to catch the Mariners / Red-Sox game. It's one of only a handful of activities that we had planned out in advance. We took a free bus, which is just awesome. There's big area in downtown Seattle that offers free transit, which certainly helps the wallet for us travelers. We finally got there, after the human-sardine-can bus rumbled it's way down and it was wonderful. The stadium looked just beautiful. I can't believe that over 45 000 people can fit AND go to most games. It's just crazy sine Winnipeg's biggest venue is CanadInns Stadium, where maybe 29 000 can fit. Plus it rarely gets sold-out. Anyways, the game was great as it came down to the the bottom of the 9th and 2 out, and the Mariners pulling through. It was certainly interesting to see though, as easily more then half of the crowd was cheering for the Red-Sox. Tons of fun though.

After the game, we just made our way back to our hotel area, went for a nice bite to eat in a poorly serviced restaurant called Amber Restaurant and then went to bed. It was a perfectly relaxing day, following the long travel one we experienced.

*Answer (Bad Radio); Pearl Jam

Well I'm takin' my time, I'm just movin on

2009-05-17T08:48:00.002-05:00

Day One was most certainly a long one. We got the airport an hour early, which is fine for a domestic flight. But there was a solid 50 person line-up at the security check-stop. It took some time to get through that, but everything was fine. Our flight went well too. One of the better take-offs and landings the I've experienced. The only problem was trying to stay awake. Nothing like a 7am flight.

We got to Vancouver with 9 hours to kill before we could board our train. We decided to just grab some breakfast and relax in the airport for a bit. We then snagged a taxi and went to the Ikea in Richmond. I had the pleasure of waiting in the entrance with all of the luggage while Jess went shopping. Fortunately I had picked up a couple magazines while still in the airport. More time was killed, and plenty of stares were received from strangers, but we kept moving on.

We caught another taxi and drove down to the train station. I had only ever been in Vancouver for a night, and we only went on one of the industrial scenic tours, but this time we went through the more residential part of town. And this was nice. I always heard of how green Vancouver was, but had never seen it before. The plants were green and lush and it was nice.

Once at the train station, which looked awesomely nostalgic from the outside, we checked our baggage and proceeded to kill 5 more hours. We went for a walk and ended up in an antique store for a bit. They had a large variety but nothing terribly cool. We made our way to the riverside and just sat and read for a while. The best thing in the river that day, was a pirate ship! It totally reminded me of the car in Animal House. Hilarious. We just walked around, looked at random things and just ended up sitting around in the station for the rest of the few hours. The only downside to waiting in the station, was that they tried to keep that old train station atmosphere, which meant sitting on these uncomfortable wooden benches. Oh well.

We boarded the train, after boarding was delayed a half hour. But this was all worth it! I had never been on a train, other then in museums and junk, but this would easily be my top choice to travel! The fact that you can just walk around the whole time, or wait in your more-then-roomy seats (which even had footrests so you could put your feet up) or even sit in the lounge and just mingle with everyone else. We spent most of the 4 hour ride in the lounge, but it went by super fast. The windows were massive and the view with the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, all with the sun on it's way down, was more then worth the 30 bucks we spent on tickets. While in the lounge, we were sitting beside a lady who was in from London. She had written for the Warner UK and was now doing publicity for bands. And she was going to Seattle to work with PEARL JAM! GAH!! WHAT?! And I knew it was all true because I brought up the Jeff Ament stabbing, and she knew about it. We spent a lot of the ride just talking with her, and another younger guy who had seemed to have lived and traveled everywhere in the US and Canada. It was just nice to meet some friendly people. Later on, there was a younger mother and her friend who brought their kid up. He was just laughing and showing off to everyone, but it was just funny. He was well mannered and listened to everyone, which was crazy to see in a little kid. I forgot to mention that the train was a double-decker. We were on the top level. It was awesome. I'd seriously recommend this to everyone. It was a quieter, friendlier and more relaxing means of travel then anything else I've ever had.

We rolled into Seattle just after 10. The Mariners / Red-Sox game just wrapped up, which meant we had the privilege of waiting an hour for a taxi. It was a long 22 hour day.

*Foreplay/Longtime; Boston

Why go home?

2009-05-15T15:03:00.004-05:00

I leave for Seattle in roughly 16 hours. I am quite excited. Seattle is a place I've always wanted to go to. It's not New York. Or Paris. Or Sydney. Or even San Francisco. It's just a place that had spawned a lifestyle that I watched as I grew up. At the time, I was a little too young to understand it all, but I feel like I've always had a calling to get out there and see it for myself. Ah! Excited! I'm sure I'll have a few posts related to Seattle history / sites / experiences shortly after the trip. 8 nights in The City Of Goodwill will do me good. Cheers!

*Why Go?; Pearl Jam

It's been a long time since I did the stroll

2009-05-10T14:17:00.001-05:00

It has dawned upon me that I haven't updated in a little while...

One of things that's been keeping me busy is the wonderfully insightful Alan Cross. He's got his own radio show broadcast out of Toronto, and parts get picked up here in Winnipeg. I absolutely love his segments called 'The Ongoing History of New Music'. I remember listening to these back in high school, and I still love them. It's a weekly one-hour special where he'll indulge listeners in different topics, ranging from anything from 'Medical Matters & Mysteries Of Music' to 'How To Talk Like A Rock Star Snob'.

I suppose the big draw to me is the fact that I just love learning about the history of people. I could watch a biography on just about anybody, and it'd keep me entertained. I highly recommend getting your hands on some of his stuff and giving it a listen. He's also written a couple books about some of the topics he's covered.

Rock And Roll; Led Zeppelin

He could throw that speedball by you

2009-04-22T22:01:00.001-05:00

After a few years of going without, our work decided to rejuvenate our company softball team. Being a co-captain, and helping to put everything together, I was quite pumped for our team's first practice yesterday. Things went much smoother then thought, as most of us knew what we were doing, and those who didn't, learned fairly fast.

To keep that love going, I figured I'd share just a couple of my favorite baseball-related flicks that I've seen. For no reason. That's just how I roll.

BASEketball

Matt Stone. Trey Parker. This movie gave hope to many of us, letting us feel like those silly and quirky backyard games that you play on a lazy Sunday afternoon, could lead to a new phenomenon. SQUEAK!

Beer League

Pretty much sums up the beer league softball culture. I was sold when Tom Sawyer was brought up.

Major League

I remember watching this when I was younger, and not getting it. But it's good now. I promise.

The Sandlot

Ya. That's right. The Great Bambino would've been proud.

*Glory Days; Bruce Springsteen

Your circuit's dead; There's something wrong

2009-04-21T13:06:00.006-05:00

Sam Rockwell is one of those guys that seems like he's in everything these past few years: The Green Mile, Assassination of Jesse James, Frost/Nixon. Despite this, most people don't even know who he is, or even recognize him. But it looks like he's got himself a cool little movie coming out this summer. I think it has some potential. I mean, come on, space can be cool! Right?

*Space Oddity; David Bowie

Pull it out; A paper sleeve

2009-04-18T10:31:00.003-05:00

It's Record Store Day in Canada today.
Go buy some vinyl.

Here's some local supporters.

*Spin The Black Circle; Pearl Jam

Drivin' home on country roads; Sixty-five in a twenty-five zone

2009-04-10T11:41:00.009-05:00

They just released a new Public Enemies trailer!!!

I am really thanking Michael Mann for this. It looks like it'll be awesomely awesome.

*Everybody Get Dangerous; Weezer

And once you're gone, you can never come back

2009-04-09T21:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the 15th 'anniversary' of Kurt's passing away. Being a little-more-then-average fan of ol' Nirvana, I found myself reading a lot of articles regarding Kurt and the band. There are obviously tons of opinions on what happened on that Friday, April 8 and many discussions on what could have been if he were still around. I thought I'd share two of my favorites that I found:

SPIN put together a little slideshow of their favorite pictures of Kurt that has appeared in their magazine over the years. A few of them were new to me. I thought it was a more classy gesture.

And this second article was done through MTV. They got a couple of people's opinions on how they figure Kurt would be living, if he were still around these days. The difference with this article is the fact that they actually have people that knew and worked with Kurt, such as Butch Vig. But yes, I know that in the end it's just opinions, speculation and meaningless.

Oh, and they also have a little slideshow, this time more about Kurt's life. This one actually has one of my two favorite pictures of Kurt:

Oh, and my other favorite:

*My My, Hey Hey; Neil Young

Renegades with fancy gauges

2009-04-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

My favorite art gallery, by far, Gallery 1988, just wrapped up their 5 year anniversary show. Their show was called 'Idiot Box', rightly so with television as their theme. You can check out some of the many different pieces here on their blog, but I figured I'd share a few of my favorites.

"Idiot Box" by Punch Gut

18 x 20 inches

"Danger Is His First Name" by Sean Clarity

acrylic on board
24 x 18 inches

“Party Dude in a Half Shell" by Patrick Gannon
cut paper on wood
4 x 6 inches

"Interplant Janet Leaves the Boys Behind" by Patrick Gannon

cut paper on wood
7 1/4 x 10 1/8 inches

"Bunghole" by Rik Catlow

mixed media on wood
7.5 x 8 inches

"Seinfeldology (AKA 99 Seinfeld references)" by Kiersten Essenpreis

flashpaint and resin on wood
11.5 x 14.5 inches

"Unemployed Kids Show Characters" by Dave Pressler

acrylic on board
10 x 8 inches

"MacGyver" by Wade Schin

acrylic plastic, spraypaint, acrylic paint
4 1/2 inches tall

"BONANZA!" by Ben Walker

acrylic on wood panel
20 x 26 inches

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Meese" by Daniel Elson

acrylic and enamel on wood and metal
3 inches tall

"Five Across the Lips" by Augie Pagan
acrylic on canvas
24.5 x 18 inches

"The Terrible Twosome" by Blinky
acrylic, ink, spray paint
14 x 11.5 inches

"Latchkey" by N.C. Winters
acrylic on wood, resined
19 x 26 inches

"Greetings From Outer Space" by Andrew Wilson
pencil, ink, white gouache on Chipotle menu
4 x 14 inches

Remember. There's much, much more.

*Throw Away Your Television; Red Hot Chili Peppers

Cool as the other side of the pillow

2009-03-31T20:21:00.003-05:00

I'm not as big of a fan of pillows as some people I know. It's not that they aren't comfy, I just don't see the need to have a ton of them. I make due with just a couple. But hey, sometimes a few just isn't enough. Especially when they're in the shapes of rocks!

Smarin Design has a line of these pillows. They're shaped and colored to look like stones. Enough said. This is cool.

Side note: This, too, is cool.

They're pillows designed by Keetra Dean Dixon, FromKeetra. Ans yes, it is supposed to look like someone died. Fun!

*Cool As The Other Side Of The Pillow; Prince

I can't get enough of that diamond in the rough

2009-03-24T19:40:00.004-05:00

As of 5 minutes ago, I knew nothing about this iRI5, their portfolio or their ambitions. But I just saw this, and thought it was awesome.

She takes old cassettes, pulls out the magnetic tape, and then repositions it into portraits of music artists. She's also taken old film reels and have done the same. She hasn't done a lot of these, as has ventured into other mediums that I'm not as big of a fan of, but I just think that this is a nice unique idea. Kudos to her.

*Diamond In The Rough; Airbourne

People talkin' but they just don't know

2009-03-17T19:00:00.003-05:00

Speculation can merely end up as being nothing but a dream. I surely hope that that isn't the case with this.

Many sites have been saying that a new Apple store will be opening up in Winnipeg really soon. As soon as October some say. This is exciting. The closet store that we've got would be in Minneapolis, a good 8 hour drive away.

Would this store change lives?! Well, maybe a little. It might open up a large amount of eyes to something that's wonderfully awesome to people that wouldn't have thought otherwise. But the mere factor of having a place to pick up a new toy, or get something fixed up quickly in my own backyard, is extremely exciting.

Now, nothing has been officially announced, which raises one to question whether or not it's just a rumor. But if you were to venture off to the Apple site and go through the job section, there's a Manitoba selection available. Huh. Here's hoping.

*Come On (Let The Good Times Roll); Jimi Hendrix

I walk around in a wide-awake daydream

2009-03-14T16:28:00.001-05:00

I am easily impressed with gadgets and gizmos that really serve no purpose, but are just ridiculously imaginative and quirky. I came upon a page Yuri Suzuki a while ago. I can't seem to figure out if this a person or a company. Regardless, some of their design work is just crazy. Here's some of my favorites.

The Sound Chaser

Pieces of old records are cut into strips and then connected together like a train track. The 'train car' is then placed on top, turned on, and it circles the track, playing the old record.

Tip Tap

It's a hammer with a small metal tapper inside.

Bluetooth Tap Shoes
These shoes are wired up to play a portion of music, sound effect or a spoken word, depending on how the person steps. Here's a video.

Flow Watch

The time is displayed in the air if you move your arm from side to side.

*Dreamin'; Weezer

They like to get you there and smile in your face

2009-03-08T20:20:00.001-05:00

What to think.

I quite enjoy Kevin Smith's work. I generally enjoy Bruce Willis' also. And now they're teaming up for a new movie, A Couple Of Cops, looking to be released next year. The movie is being described as 'a pair of cops who track down a stolen baseball card, rescue a Mexican beauty and must deal with gangsters and laundered drug money.' It would just be awesome if this movie was like The Last Boy Scout.

But the movie is written by some TV writers, not Smith himself. And Willis' partner? Ugh. Tracy Morgan. Now, I don't watch 30 Rock, but I just can't see how it's boosted up his value in Hollywood. I mean, he wasn't even that funny on SNL. Maybe this is all Tina Fey's fault.

Well I'll end up seeing it anyways though, but I can only hope it they don't try to make it Bad Boys.

*Authority Song; John Mellencamp

See the boys and me mean business; Bustin out dead or alive

2009-03-06T07:56:00.005-06:00

I heard about this movie a while ago. I have been unbelievably excited this movie and with its trailer just being released, my anticipation has just grown. I love this era. I love this culture. I love hearing these stories.

It's nice that it's a change from another Capone movie. I'm also excited for the main components of this film. Depp, Crudup, Bale, Ribisi. That's just a talent pool. Plus Michael Mann; I can only hope that he can reach the same levels that he did with Collateral, Ali or Heat. Ugh, yes!! Why can't this be out now?!

* Jailbreak; Thin Lizzy

You can't sit down cuz we've got a job to do

2009-02-28T17:32:00.003-06:00

I'll be the first to admit that don't know much about furniture. I can't just look at a couch or a table and figure out if it'd actually look good in an already put-together room. That said, I do know what I like when I see it. And that would be this chair being sold by Arflex.

I think it looks sharp and is a nice change from the rectangular style of most all furniture. I like it a lot. I just wonder if it'd be comfy. I also like many other things on their site. Kudos to them.

* Ten Men Workin'; Neil Young

Tell me; Where did you sleep last night?

2009-02-21T19:46:00.008-06:00

It's exactly what it says. Jumbo Hostel.

I think that this is a clever idea. It's just an old 747 that is out of service, and was renovated and turned into a cheap nights' stay, as opposed to chopping it up and putting it in a landfill. There's 25 rooms, roughly 6 square meters, with 3 bunk beds in each. And they're planning on adding more rooms in the engine compartments, using the original rotor blades as venetian blinds.

You can even get a room in the cock-pit.

This just made Stockholm cool.

*In The Pines; Lead Belly

Big ole pile a them bones

2009-02-16T14:03:00.001-06:00

Creative ways that people go to raise money can be fun and unique. A group called 823KeyProject was put together to raise money for musicians, writers, painters, photographers, artists, etc. Simply put, they're selling keys.

823KeyProject is selling off 823 keys. They are one of a kind keys ranging in date from 1830 to 1940. For every key that is sold, the money is put into a fund. Once the 823rd key is sold, all of the money raised ($60 000 or so) is given to an artist in form of a grant. Then is all starts over again. They're looking to sell a total 0f 21 398 keys, or 823 for every letter in the alphabet.

This could be a very unique gift for someone you know, as no two keys are the same.

*Them Bones; Alice In Chains

Oh tonight is the night; For the moon in June; It is so bright

2009-02-02T19:02:00.007-06:00

Two things today.

One.
I've been waiting 2 years for this. I can't wait until it finally gets released:

June 19! Put it in your iCal.

Two.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), Zack and Miri Make A Porno comes out on DVD.

There's a bunch of deleted and extended scenes, a Zak and Joey documentary, 'Money Shots Shorts' and bloopers, just to name a few things on the 2-disc set. And if you're a fan of Smith, as I most certainly am, you've still got one day to go over to the View Askew-niverse and order an autographed copy.

*Steal Away; Murder By Death

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are

2009-01-31T23:31:00.003-06:00

I just finished reading Nirvana: The Chosen Rejects.

I was really skeptical after the first chapter was just about how this author was getting ready to see them play a charity show, and how excited they were. But it quickly switched over to start at the beginning of Kurt's life, and his early years. From then on, the book is simply follows Kurt growing up and then eventually meeting Krist and starting a band and goes all the way until Kurt's early passing.

The book is extremely factual. I found that very pleasing though. For most of the shows that took place, there's a mention of where and when it happened, what songs were played and how the band performed. There's also explanations regarding the meaning behind the songs, details on tours and of course, the behind-the-scenes drama.

What makes this whole book so detailed, is that the majority of the book is comprised of quotes straight from the band, their friends, family, business associates, fans and other journalists. These quotes mostly come from tv appearances, radio and magazine interviews, and other books already written.

There was, though, what seemed to be some push of opinion when it came to the event of Kurt's mental state. It seemed as though the author didn't attempt to think that the people around him (ie: Courtney) had any negative involvement in Kurt's health, and that he was just suicidal from the beginning. Now I know facts are facts, but at the same time, you never know what facts aren't mentioned. Also, some details in the crime scene that he describe contradicts what the police had in their report.

I would recommend this book mostly for the fact that it has the most extensive record of Nirvana's music in it. The last 40 pages or so, list off details on each album (how many copies of each versions were released, plus all of the different subtleties within the same album), a list of compilation appearances by each member and a list of every single song written by there band, including all credits for each part of the song, which albums it can be found on and a quick synopsis of the song.

I think that this book compliments a few other books that I've enjoyed reading on Nirvana, like Heavier Than Heaven and Kurt Cobain's Journals. The latter of which I wish was never released. It just seemed so impersonal and only raised more questions regarding every action that happened in Kurt's life.

Finally, I may be biased, but I was hoping for more about Dave in the book. There just wasn't a lot mentioned about him.

* Kurt Cobain

I see a glow that fills this room; I see it rolling out of you

2009-01-26T20:24:00.002-06:00

My, oh my. How time flies. It seems like only yesterday that it was 1984, and you were a mere 29-year-old Dutchman, flying around the stage with you long curly mane. Schooling young greasy adults and old greasy teenagers on your axe. Finger-tapping on your Frankenstrat.... So maybe I wasn't even alive when that would actually have taken place, but I most certainly have sifted through the stockpiles of footage and educated myself.

You turn 54 today. You've battled through a ton. Throat cancer. Alcoholism. Hip replacement surgery. DLR. Hagar. Cherone. Bertinelli. DLR again. You are clearly a strong man.

Thank you for being the greatest rock and roll guitarist ever.

Thank you for letting us see your young protege son Wolfgang on his first tour.

Thank you for writing some unbelievably kick-ass songs that will forever remind me of good times.

I can't wait for you to come back here and rock the 'Peg like only you can.

*I'm The One; Van Halen