Archive | December, 2011

Everything Is Still Terrible

By on December 31, 2011 in Internet, Uncategorized

As 2012 creeps up on us here in Saskatchewan, remember a couple of things: 1) don’t let the man get you down, and 2) don’t mess with irascible tape hounds.

My favourite video blog Everything Is Terrible! recently had their YouTube account shut down when the subject of one their videos complained about them. EIT! used found video, often VHS tapes, and edits them, highlighting all the weird, hilarious, disturbing, and wonderful moments.

The video that got them in trouble was one man’s seminar on how best to discipline your kid with a rod. EITean Yonder Vittles explains what happened after that in the video above.

The best part? Now, people are mirroring the original video.

Comments { 6 }

Pick of the Day: New Year’s Eve

By on December 31, 2011 in Music, Uncategorized

There’s stuff happening at a number of locales tonight. As far as music goes, here’s some options.

At O’Hanlon’s Pub, it’s Regina-based hip hop artist Def 3 (pictured). 2011 was a big year for Def 3 (a.k.a. Danny Fernandez). Not only did he tour a ton outside Saskatchewan, he also released an EP called Amnesia. To give you a taste, here’s a link to his Band Camp page where you can listen to his song “Movin’” and more for free.

At the Distrikt tonight, it’s local bands Skavenjah and Method 2 Madness who are tasked with helping Reginans kick off 2012 in style. Doors are at 8 p.m., and tickets are $20. At the Exchange, there’s a Dance Party with Flatland Funk, Funk Heavy G and more. Finally, at Casino Regina its a triple bill with Wyatt, Chris Henderson and Jess Moskaluke. The show gets going at 8 p.m., and tickets are $30, $35.

Comments { 5 }

Six In The Morning: Elevated Rant Levels

By on December 30, 2011 in News, Uncategorized

1 YEAR-END Q & A WITH PAT FIACCO The Leader-Post has it.

2 ASIANS VS. ELEPHANTS Let’s take a rare break from bashing our own nightmarishly bad environmental record to yell at Asia for the rampaging cultural stupidity and ignorance that resulted in 3,000 elephants being poached for ivory in 2011. Killing threatened and endangered animals for knick-knacks and magical medicines is absolutely disgusting. I judge thee, Asia! And I decree thou to be SHITTY.

3 AND THEN THERE’S THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT’S ONGOING MURDERPALOOZA Fuckers.

4 EVERYONE IN SASKATOON GETS PEPPER SPRAYED What the hell is wrong with our northern neighbours? What’s with all the pepper spray? There was even a menacing machete incident. Get a grip on yourself, Saskatoon. You’re embarrassing Regina, and I don’t think I need to tell you that when you’re embarrassing Regina, you’re really, really fucking up.

5 SASKATOON WILL CHANGE ITS WARD BOUNDARIES BEFORE THE 2012 CIVIC ELECTION Not only is it true, it’s mildly interesting. Also, voters will have to produce photo i.d. with their current address, and a can of pepper spray, at poll booths.

6 THAT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR SUB IS NO LONGER ON FIRE Well, that’s a relief.

HEY IT’S GETTING TO BE THAT TIME A song!

Update: thanks for the copy edits as always Barb.

Comments { 18 }

Pick of the Day: Ink Road with Fortunate Isles

By on December 30, 2011 in Music, Uncategorized

Everybody’s probably prepping for tomorrow night, but if you’re looking for something to do tonight two local bands are playing at O’Hanlon’s. Headlining is Ink Road, while the back-up band is Fortunate Isles.

I caught the latter (who describe themselves as a dance rock band) at O’Hanlon’s a few weeks ago backing up Violent Kin and enjoyed their set. So check it out if you get get a chance.

To close, here’s video of The Fortunate Isles performing on a Saskatoon TV show called Stripped Down. And here’s video from 2010 of Ink Road playing their song “Tease” at the Exchange.

Comments { 1 }

New York Minute

By on December 29, 2011 in Music, Uncategorized

In her 9:30-10 a.m. segment today on CBC Radio, The Current’s Pia Chattopadhyay had an interview with Will Hermes (pictured). He’s a senior music critic at Rolling Stone, and he’s written a book called Love Goes to Buildings on Fire that chronicles the vibrant music scene that New York had going on in the mid-70s.

The city was in tatters then — bordering on bankruptcy, with a big-time crime problem and lots of derelict neighbourhoods. Bad for society as a whole, but for artists a dream come true — the derelict neighbourhoods, that is.

During the interview, Hermes noted how you could rent a large warehouse space in lower Manhattan for a couple of hundred dollars a month. Cheap enough that even musicians and other artists could afford to rent them. And that created the perfect breeding ground for all sorts of artistic innovation to happen. And down the road, that paid dividends by helping restore New York’s reputation as the pre-eminent cultural capital in the world. 

Here’s a link to a New York Times review of the book.

Comments { 4 }

The Last Blanking Top Six You’re Going To See From Rosie This Year

By on December 29, 2011 in Uncategorized

1 YEAH, THEY’RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT VOTER FRAUD? As right-wing governments use the fear of voter fraud as a Trojan Horse to bring in legislation to disenfranchise millions of potential voters, (The Guardian) let’s take a look at where voter fraud is really happening – in the Republican presidential primary campaign in Virginia. (Raw Story) Guess Republicans are afraid somebody will use on them the tricks they use on voters they disagree with.

2 LEAVE THEM LAUGHING WHEN YOU GO What would it be like to have a giant photo of yourself transported on the roof of a 35-year-old Lincoln Continental as millions of North Koreans wail in grief? Well, thanks to this guy’s inventive use of Photoshop, now you can! (Gawker)

3 THERE’S AN OLD GOON SHOW SKETCH IN THIS, SOMEWHERE BBC’s One of the BBC’s women of the year for 2011 – a panda in a Scottish zoo? (Jezebel)

4 AND THE YORK REGIONAL POLICE WILL INVESTIGATE EVERY TIM HORTONS TO FIND THE REAL KILLERS – ER, VANDALS An inter-racial couple in the Toronto-area bedroom community of Newmarket are run out of town by racists. (CBC Toronto)

5 MEANWHILE RON MCLEAN MACLEAN AND DON CHERRY AGREE SID THE KID IS A WIMP Twonies to Timbits, Sidney Crosby will never be the player he once was. (AP via Yahoo) At least he’s not on the list of hockey players that died in 2011. ESPN would have forgotten him, too. (Broad Street Hockey)

6 HARPER NOT GIVETH BUT HE TAKETH AWAY With less to show for government spending, and with it being much harder than ever to collect Employment Insurance, it’s reverse logic to accept the fact that the federal government will increase payroll deductions come New Year’s Day (CP via Global News).

MUSICAL MOMENT OF ZEN Because I damn well can, here’s Metric, taped in 2010 on the British television show Later with Jools Holland.

Comments { 19 }

Pick of the Day: Harvest King Records Christmas Party

By on December 29, 2011 in Music, Uncategorized

James Brotheridge did a post a couple of weeks ago on this Harvest King Records showcase that goes at the Exchange tonight. It starts with an optional pot-luck at 5 p.m., followed by music at 7 p.m. For info on who’s playing, here’s a link to J-Bro’s post.

Comments { 2 }

Calendar Quirk

By on December 28, 2011 in Economy, News, Uncategorized

When Samoans go to bed on Dec. 29, it will be with the knowledge that when they wake up it will be Dec. 31.

No, they’re not planning on sleeping an entire day away. Instead, the country is going to skip Friday to better align itself with its major trading partners Australia and New Zealand. Located by the International Date Line, it’s currently near the spot where the day officially ends (Samoa currently bills itself as the last country to see the sun rise and set).

Australia & New Zealand aren’t that far away, but they’re on the other side of the Date Line, so they’re 21 and 23 hours ahead of Samoa. That makes it hard to sync up business dealings and other forms of interaction, so Samoa is going to move over to the other side of the Date Line. In the process, it will become one of the first countries to see the sun rise and set.

You can read more here. If you do, you can find out which countries currently claim that day begins there, and the circumstances around a previous Date Line shift Samoa made in 1892 where residents repeated a day to get into proper temporal alignment with the rest of the world.

Comments { 3 }

Pick of the Day: Jeff McLeod & the YQR Jazz All-Stars

By on December 28, 2011 in Music, Uncategorized

Got a double shot of jazz in the next two days courtesy of current residents of the city and ex-pats who are home for the holidays.

Tonight at the Exchange, it’s Jeff McLeod and the YQR Jazz All-Stars featuring Kelly Jefferson (tenor sax), Jon McCaslin (drums), Donny Kennedy (alto sax), Andy King (trumpet) and Joel Kerr (bass). The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $20 Adults and $10 Students.

Then Thursday night, the Regina Jazz Society is hosting its annual Homecoming Concert at the Regina Inn. On the RJS website, the show’s being billed as Sam McLellan & Friends – the friends being Derek Friesen (trumpet), Carl Bray (piano), Sam Minevich (guitar), Cal Harle (drums) and McLellan (bass). The show’s at 8 p.m., with tickets $15 for RJS members, $20 for non-members and $10 for students.

Another option for tonight is a show that’s happening at Creative City Centre (1843 Hamilton St). It, too, was prompted by a holiday stay in Regina, and will see Toronto singer-songwriter Sam Cash perform with an opening set by Regina’s Erin Passmore. For more info, check out the CCC website here.

Comments { 0 }

Another Concussion

By on December 27, 2011 in Sports, Uncategorized

No PMO Photo Op this week as for the last few days I’ve been unable to access the photo gallery in the press release the PMO sends out due to some computer glitch on their end.

Pity, too, because there was one photo in the last communique that showed, and I’m quoting the caption here:  ”Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife, Laureen, [playing] a game of Dreidel with local kids at the Calgary Jewish Community Centre on the third night of Hanukkah.”

Had I written that description, I would have used “children” instead of “kids”. But whatever. It would’ve yielded some interesting quips, I’m sure.

Because of the computer snafu, I decided to do a post on hockey concussions instead. In the World Junior yesterday, Canadian forward Boone Jensen possibly sidelined 17-year old Finnish defenceman Olli Maata for the tournament with hard open-ice hit in the first period of Canada’s 8-1 victory. Then today, the Nashville Predators announced that star defenceman Shea Weber (pictured) would be out indefinitely with a concussion suffered in a game against the Dallas Stars when he took a hard hit from Mark Fistric (son of Boris, I wonder?).

Here’s a link to the TSN report. But really, it’s getting to be a pretty familiar story. And if something isn’t done, it’s going to kill the NHL. A couple of weeks ago, some news report said that the salary being paid to players like Sidney Crosby, Chris Pronger, Ryan Miller, James Reimer and numerous others who have been out for substantial periods of time with concussions was in the neighbourhood of $87 million.

That’s a lot of money for NHL teams to swallow. And what about the damage that’s being done to the game through the loss, sometimes for the season, of some of its brightest stars?

I never played a game of organized hockey in my life, so my perception is pretty much as a spectator. Given the size and speed of today’s players, I think the ice surface has to be expanded. Not to Olympic-size proportions, but somewhat, to give skill players a bit more room to operate.

I think something needs to be done to tone down the equipment too. All the enhancements that have been made through design and materials have essentially given players the capability to fly around like missiles and launch themselves at opposing players. Take away the armour, and the next time some goon takes a run at someone along the boards and misses even he’ll think twice about doing it again.

Those are my thoughts, anyway. Anyone else want to weigh in?

Comments { 36 }

Aw NFL Naw: Turning Postseason Dreams Into Misery Paste (Week 17)

By on December 27, 2011 in Uncategorized

Week 17 (the final week of the regular season and of my probation) kicks off this Sunday. Aw NFL Naw is ready for you after the jump with half-formed analysis and the laziest semen-based jokes in the Western Hemisphere. If your team has failed to make the playoffs, you’re allowed to skip this week’s column and spend 30 minutes using MS Paint. Please mail in your results if you choose to go the MS Paint route. Please make something that isn’t a penis or something that promotes race hate. MS Paint has been abused that way for far too long.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 33 }

Quote Of The Day

By on December 27, 2011 in Internet, Uncategorized

Son Im 38 I wwebsite as on the internet when you were a sperm in your daddys balls and before it was the internet, thanks for the welcome to message wurd up.

– The world of gaming is a never-ending fount of obnoxious blowhards, as evidenced by this thread of e-mails between an upset gamer and the developer that took the gamer’s money for some controllers that never arrived. One of the guys from Penny Arcade jumps in on the action, too. To say the very least, Ocean Marketing doesn’t come off great in the exchange.

Comments { 6 }

Pick of the Day: Regina Band Swap

By on December 27, 2011 in Music, Regina, Uncategorized

This was an idea that originated in Saskatoon a few years ago. It’s being held again this year at Amigos on Dec. 30. For the first time, though, there’ll also be a Regina version of the event. What it involves is 35 local musicians. Instead of playing with their regular bandmates, they’ve joined forces to create seven new groups. Each band has spent a day jamming, and tonight at 8 p.m. at the Exchange they’ll take the stage and perform a few cover songs.

Here’s a link to James Brotheridge’s cover story in our Dec. 15 issue. Tickets are $10 at the door, with proceeds to Carmichael Outreach Centre.

Comments { 6 }

Bang the Drum!: Whimper vs. Bang – 2 Out Of 3 Falls, 10 Round Limit

By on December 26, 2011 in Music, Uncategorized

Bang the DrumWhat is this? The year is over already? My latest batch of kids were born just before Thanksgiving, and in some ways, I never mentally made it past that second weekend in October. I haven’t listened to much music since then, and certainly haven’t heard anything new. Like two of my favourite, Tom Waits and Kathryn Calder, have put out new albums, but I haven’t listened to them so I can’t put them on the list. Lulu, the universally panned collaboration between Lou Reed and Metallica that inspired some of the laziest music reviews of the decade? Haven’t heard it.
Hey hey, you’ll say, why don’t you listen to them now, Emmet? What, and risk waking up the babies? Are you crazy?
I was originally going to write here about how I’ve stopped listening to music and can no longer write about it with any authority, in a kind of backwards spin on Dan MacRae’s excellent 3-part examination of the entrails of his own musical taste. But, y’know what, forget that. As I was drafting such a self-serving and dull essay, cycling through the many, many music files I’ve been sent over the last few months and until now ignored, I heard No Gold‘s “Council Jam” and I got excited.

And then I wondered if I could find another 15 songs from the last year that really got me excited to listen to or write about music.
Continue Reading →

Comments { 13 }

In The Event Of The Passing Of Margaret Thatcher

By on December 26, 2011 in Comedy, Fascism, News, Politics, R.I.P., Uncategorized

Apparently Britain’s Iron Lady is showing some signs of rust, and is headed to the recyclers (Daily Mail). So, there’s some debate in that sceptred isle about her upcoming funeral.

The British government does have contingency plans in case she kicks off, and she’s supposed to get a state funeral for some reason or other (Daily Mail). But, as that article suggests, that’s quite a pompous event, especially as opposed to the funerals of other British Prime Ministers that weren’t named Winston Churchill. And presiding over victory in the Second World War is a hell of a lot different than either presiding over victory in the Falkland Island conflict or fighting a civil war in your own country.

But this is Margaret Thatcher we’re talking about. This was a woman who opposed the welfare state. In my mind, expecting the British government to pay the estimated three million pounds sterling for your funeral – especially when you’ve got loads of your own money – is the very definition of being a welfare queen. And there are a few people in England who agree.

The Guardian has a great comment from someone who says that if Mrs. T thought the private sector should be the ones providing for people, not the government, then the private sector should pay for her funeral.

(Actually, it’s the commenters who are having the most fun with this.)

And talking about Thatcher’s funeral wouldn’t be complete without a couple of Scotsmen talking about their plans for the event on the British television show Mock The Week.

Comments { 3 }

Pick of the Day: Boxing Day Bashes

By on December 26, 2011 in Music, Uncategorized

Canada kicks off the 2012 World Junior Hockey Tournament with a game today against Finland (TSN, 2 p.m.) Unless you plan on getting to the bar really early, the broadcast shouldn’t interfere with any plans you might have to get pie-eyed tonight.

A lot of places are having Boxing Day Bashes, but here’s three I know of where live music involved. First, at O’Hanlon’s Pub the Regina alt-country band The Lonesome Weekends is playing. Last month, James Brotheridge did a post on some tunes the band had made available for free download. Here’s a link if you want to check them out.

At the Exchange/Club, there’s an assortment of metal/punk bands playing including EMO, Lest We Fail, Memorial, Contaminate and None Shall Sleep Tonight. Finally, at Conexus Arts Centre there’s a reunion show by a blues/rock cover band that was active in Saskatchewan in the ’80s. According to an article in Thursday’s Leader-Post they were originally called Bull Frog Frank, and are now called Frogsback. Proceeds from the show go to the Regina & District Food Bank.

Everyone who’s out have fun, okay? But stay safe.

Comments { 5 }

NBA Action

By on December 25, 2011 in Sports, Uncategorized

Hoops fans will be in their glory today when the NBA tips off after a labour dispute caused a delay to the start of the 2011-12 season. According to TSN there’s five games on the docket, with marquee match-ups abounding (among them, a rematch of last year’s final between the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat in the Big D, Boston Celtics at New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers).

Mind you, marquee match-ups are pretty much all the NBA has going for it. Like Major League Baseball, there’s a significant competitive imbalance with big-market teams plucking star players from smaller markets at will through free agency and lavishing cash on their own star players to keep them in the fold.

In other words, Toronto Raptor fans, don’t get your hopes up. Although it is always nice to see loaded teams like Miami last season come up short because of lack of team chemistry and clashing egos.

Comments { 4 }

12 Days Of Christmas: Rare Exports

By on December 25, 2011 in Film, Uncategorized

There are some movies that so damn odd they almost defy description. Rare Exports is one these movies.

This Finnish movie is based on two short movies that the director Jalmari Helander had made called Rare Exports Inc. (2003) and a sequel entitled The Official Rare Exports Inc. Safety Instructions 2005. Out of these brilliant short films comes a story about the origins of Santa Claus that I guarantee the vast majority of us haven’t heard.

Apparently old Saint Nick is actually an old man with horns who use to go around punishing and eating naughty children. A long time ago the good people of the Lapland decided enough was enough and buried Santa in a mountain. Centuries later an English-speaking businessman has a group of miners excavate the mountain where he believes Santa is buried. Meanwhile a group of local reindeer herders find their entire flock has been killed making it a lousy Christmas and really tough winter. Then strange things start happening. But a young boy who believes in the old legends knows what’s really happening. To say any more would be spoiling the fun.

I’ve read other reviews who say the movie feels similar to John Carpenter’s The Thing. I can see where they might think that but the movie has it’s own weird creepy vibe to it. This is a extremely entertaining movie and the filmmakers get far more mileage out of their short film than one would think.

Comments { 1 }

Tebow Watch

By on December 24, 2011 in Sports, Uncategorized

Broncos’ QB Tim Tebow continued his descent to mere mortalhood today with a putrid outting against the Bills in Buffalo. Last Sunday, CBS commentator Phil Simms noted that by never forcing the ball and always throwing away from defenders to spots that even his receivers often couldn’t reach (or words to that effect) Tebow had been able to keep his interceptions to a minimum.

Only down 17-14 early in the third-quarter, Tebow was able to play if safe. But once the Bronocs fell behind by double-digits he started to force the ball. The result? Four interceptions, with the Bills returning two for TDs on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter to salt away a 40-14 victory. Here’s a link to the TSN report.

Heading into the final week of the season, the Broncos and Oakland Raiders are tied for the lead in the AFC West with 8-7 records. Having won the season series against Oakland on points-for-and-against, Denver holds the advantage should the teams end up tied. And the way things stand now, a wild card berth is a long-shot for the team that finishes second in the division. Denver closes out the season at home on Jan. 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Oakland plays at home the same day against the San Diego Chargers.

Comments { 10 }

12 Days Of Christmas: The Silent Partner

By on December 24, 2011 in Film, Uncategorized

Elliott Gould is a bank teller who discovers that the bank he works in is about to be robbed during the busy Christmas season. Gould decides to help himself. He stacks his till full of cash. When the robber disguised as Santa Claus comes to rob the bank, Gould gives him some of the cash and pockets the rest for himself. When the robber played by Christopher Plummer discovers that more money was reported missing than what he actually took, he quickly realizes what has happened and wants his money. Gould is way over his head in dealing with the psychotic Plummer.

This awesome thriller is a brilliant game of cat and mouse. The Silent Partner (1978) is a Canadian movie made at the start of the Canadian governments “Capital Cost Allowance” plan to create more interest in the Canadian film industry.

Directed by Daryl Duke who biggest movies were The Thorn Birds and Tai Pan that he made for TV. The screenplay was adapted by Curtis Hanson from a Danish novel called Tænk på et tal by writer Anders Bodelsen. Susannah York and a very young John Candy co-star. The movie is hard to track down but it’s worth the effort.

Comments { 9 }
Older posts