THE B LOG

Backtrack: April 1

2010-04-01T10:01:00.000-04:00

To mark the start of a new month, one that should definitely see the weather kick in to full spring mode (he says knocking on wood), a new edition of Backtrack. As previously noted, Backtrack looks at events that have taken place on this date in history.

In 1891, the Wrigley Company was formed in Chicago. Wrigley, of course, is famous for gum and for having their name on the ballpark where the Chicago Cubs have lost so many games over the years.

The Royal Canadian Air Force was formed on this date in 1924. This marked the formation of Canada’s first official national air force; the creation of the proposed Canadian Air Force in 1918 was aborted a year later when Britain decided to cut funding following the end of WWI. The Royal Canadian Air Force existed until 1968, when Canada’s army, navy and air force were integrated into the Canadian Forces.

Check out this link for rare archival footage of the first official Royal Canadian Air Force test flight. It's hard to believe they used to fly missions in these things.

Nunavut was established as a Canadian territory in 1999. It was formed from land that had formerly been part of the Northwest Territories.

Finally, in 2004 Google introduced Gmail. Some news media and bloggers were convinced Google’s announcement of Gmail was a joke, given its date of introduction and the fact that it offered unlimited inbox space (something then-unheard of from a free email provider).

12 Things I've Learned

2010-03-29T15:21:00.000-04:00

Over the course of my recent stint of joblessness, I've done a lot of different things. But the two things I've done the most of are job search, and think. And the latter has made me reflect on a few important lessons I've picked up in my 32 years on this planet - lessons I thought I would share here.

The way your peers define you when you’re 12 will be completely different from the way they define you when you’re 24, or 48. The trick is in realizing this yourself.

It’s never too late to start something. But the longer you wait to start, the more you’ll regret not starting it sooner. I started this blog in January of this year, after more than a year of people asking me why I hadn’t started a blog. I’m an editor and a writer, the theory went, I should have a blog. But I just wasn’t mentally prepared to keep up a blog enough to make it interesting, or so I kept telling myself. When I finally bit the bullet and started this thing, I realized there was nothing to fear, and no reason for me to not have started it sooner.

Everything in life is 95% effort, and 5% results. But if you always strive to do the things that are important to you, the 5% results will far outweigh the 95% effort.

You can’t change other people, and the effort you expend trying to do so will always leave you disappointed (see above).

No matter how much you try to be happy, there will always be times when you’re not. Ignoring the things that make you unhappy will just make it worse.

It’s okay to be an introvert as long as you’re smart and/or interesting, and have something useful to say when you do choose to say something.

Everyone can learn something from everyone else. This is because everyone you meet will be better than you at something; conversely, you will always be better at something than everyone you meet.

No matter how hard you try, you just can’t prepare yourself for certain things. Take buying a house, for one. I didn’t sleep a wink the weekend we bought our house, because I drove myself crazy wondering what we’d gotten ourselves into. I still wonder that, often. But I sleep more now, because I know there’s nothing I can do to prepare myself for the roof leaking, or a plumbing issue.

Real love only comes when you’re not looking for it. I’d heard this before and always thought it was some lame, hollow Hallmark observation. But it’s true. I’m not saying that finding the person is easy; I met the woman who is now my wife while we were living in different provinces. But the falling in love part just happened, even though neither one of us was fully prepared for it.

Everyone is always faking something. Your parents, friends, co-workers, your boss. The President of the United States. They’re all faking it. It’s not because they’re trying to pull a fast one over you; it’s because they’re just trying to get by in life. Nobody ever figures out everything about anything. Understand this and you will doubt yourself a lot less frequently.

You can't go back and change things that have happened. One day, humans will figure out time travel. Until then, this is a harsh fact of life. And you can’t always forgive and forget. But being able to move forward and not dwell on the past is often just as effective.

There is always a silver lining. You just have to find it. I’ve now been laid off twice in my career. The first time it happened, in my mid-twenties, I was devastated. And then, a few months later, I landed a better job for better pay. The second time I got laid off, four months ago, the sting was just as painful. But the perspective I’ve gained over the years has allowed me to think about what I want to do next and how to get there, and the time off has allowed me the chance to reach for those goals. I’m almost there.

Earth Hour 2010 a failure?

2010-03-28T17:34:00.000-04:00

Earth Hour 2010 took place last night, and depending on in what light you choose to review the results, Toronto’s efforts in reducing energy consumption were either successful or a complete failure.

I read a post today on the popular local website BlogTO, which was critical of Toronto’s Earth Hour performance. While, as the article points out, the city experienced a double-digit drop in energy consumption from 8:30 to 9:30 pm last night vs. a typical Saturday night in March, the author seemed to be more concerned with the fact that photos of Toronto’s downtown core show that buildings that are typically lit up overnight remained so yesterday.

But BlogTO wasn’t the only media outlet to give Toronto’s Earth Hour performance the thumbs-down – the Toronto Star also took the “if I can see lights on downtown, Torontonians must be heartless, environment-hating assholes” approach. To me, reactions such as these raise several important questions about Earth Hour:

What is the most important measure of Earth Hour – how the event promotes awareness of the impact of humans on the environment; or the actual quantitative energy decline that’s measured in that one hour?
If the most important thing is the measured drop in energy for that one hour, how do we measure that: using percentage drop figures from hydro companies; or by actually being able to see lights go off across a city’s skyline?
If we are measuring percentage drops in energy consumption, how much is enough? As BlogTO points out, Toronto’s measured energy drop for Earth Hour 2010 was 10%, compared to 15% in 2009. On the surface, this could be used as evidence to suggest that the impact of Earth Hour, or Torontonians’ interest in the environment, is waning. Of course, measure Toronto’s 10% decrease in energy consumption last night against the 4% drop seen through the whole province of Ontario, and Torontonians’ efforts are actually above average.

What if instead of just focusing on people’s efforts during a purely symbolic one-hour annual event, we focused on people’s energy consumption habits over the course of a whole year, as compared to previous years. And what if, instead of spending time criticizing citizens for not participating in Earth Hour at a level sufficient enough to meet purely arbitrary quotas, the media (both mainstream and blogs) focused their energy and efforts into looking at exactly how people and businesses have begun to cut down on their energy levels all year round, rather than just on some random March weekend?

As Ontario Hydro has pointed out, the province’s energy consumption has been on the decline in recent years—even as technology offers us more and more things to plug in and play with. Clearly, if we use this as our measure of success, awareness efforts such as Earth Hour are having the impact they’re intended to have.

Blast from the Past

2010-03-21T18:17:00.000-04:00

Canada lost an important member of its music industry last week, when Dan Achen passed away at age 51, from a heart attack suffered during a pickup hockey game.

Achen was perhaps best known as the guitarist for the great Hamilton band Junkhouse, from 1989 until their breakup in 1997. After the band split, Achen took what he'd learned about guitar sounds and recording, and opened Catherine North Studios in a converted Hamilton church. There, Achen worked with artists including the Trews, Kathleen Edwards, and his niece, Feist. He also produced City and Colour's second album, Bring Me Your Love.

I was a big Junkhouse fan back in the day, so it only seems fitting to remember Dan's great guitar work with a couple of the band's best tunes:

By the Numbers: St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T14:18:00.000-04:00

In honour of the annual celebration of shamrocks and shenanigans, a few St. Patrick's Day facts and figures.

249 - Age of the world’s largest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade, in New York City. The parade, which involves more than 150,000 marchers but no floats, travels a 2.1 mile route and lasts about six hours – at least until next year, when new city rules come into effect that will shorten all parades by 25 percent to save money.

98 - Length, in feet, of the world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade travels the length of Bridge Street in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The celebrity grand marshal for this year’s parade is Bo Derek.

13 million - Number of pints of Guinness that the brewery estimates are consumed on St. Patrick’s Day, up from 5.5 million on an average day.
125 - Number of calories in a 12-oz glass of Guiness draft, according to realbeer.com. This makes the “meal in a glass” a lower-cal choice than other popular beers, including Miller Genuine Draft (143), and Heineken (166).

119.5 - Length of time, in seconds, that the six steps involved in the “perfect pour” of a pint of Guinness should take, according to the company.

166,000 - Number of visits to Ireland made by Canadians in 2007, according to Statistics Canada.

44 - Percentage represented by potatoes of the 79.5 kg of vegetables consumed per Canadian, both fresh and processed, in 2008. This means the average Canadian consumed just under 35 kg of potatoes. That’s a lot of spuds, but it pales in comparison to the 140 kg consumed annually per capita in Ireland.

1962 - Year that Chicago began its annual tradition of dying the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day.

The B List: Songs that reference other bands

2010-03-16T18:47:00.001-04:00

Another new feature here at the B Log. In the B List, I’ll give a run down of some of my top picks in a random category. For the inaugural B List, I thought I would take a look at some cool songs that reference other bands.

Of course, these are just the tunes that came to my mind as I was writing this. There are many other examples out there. Leave a comment and remind me of some of the great songs I've missed.

Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes

This song, which references T. Rex, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, is considered an anthem of the glam rock era. It was written for the band by David Bowie, who was a fan and had heard they were on the verge of a split. The tune catapulted Mott the Hoople to stardom; the band subsequently repaid Bowie’s faith in them by never recording another hit and quickly breaking up.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama

This song was written in response to two Neil Young songs in which he is critical of Southern slavery and racism – “Southern Man” and “Alabama.” While the lyric “Well I heard Mr. Young sing about her/Well I heard old Neil put her down/Well I hope Neil Young will remember/A southern man don’t need him around anyhow” is commonly interpreted as Skynyrd telling Neil Young to mind his own business, singer Ronnie Van Zant has said the song’s been misinterpreted and that it’s actually agreeing with Young’s criticisms of southern racism.

Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel #2

Okay, so Leonard doesn’t make a direct reference to another musician in this tune. But the woman about whom Cohen sings “You told me again you prefer handsome men/But for me you would make an exception” was long understood to be Janis Joplin. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that Cohen finally admitted the song was referencing his brief relationship with Joplin. In a 1994 BBC interview, he expressed regret over using personal stories in the song, calling it “the sole indiscretion in my professional life.”

Bob Dylan - Song to Woody

This song, from Dylan’s eponymous 1962 album, is his tribute to folk legend Woody Guthrie. By the time Dylan wrote this song, Guthrie’s career was in rapid decline – he was suffering from Huntington’s Disease, his first wife had left him, and a campfire accident left him unable to play the guitar. Dylan eventually met his idol when Guthrie was hospitalized in Brooklyn the early 1960s, and would play for him.

Wilco - the Late Greats

Since – if history is indeed our greatest teacher – I’m virtually incapable of posting anything these days without a reference to Wilco, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to see this here. I’m also cheating a bit with this one, as it doesn’t actually reference a real band. But outside of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and everything on the Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack, this has to be the best song about a fictional band ever. (Actually, a band called The Late Greats does exist, though they took their name from the title of this song).

Veruca Salt - Volcano Girls

This song actually contains three separate musical references. The lyric “I told you about the Seether before/You know the one that’s neither or nor/Well here’s another clue if you please/The Seether’s Louise” reference’s the band’s only other hit single, “Seether,” as well as Veruca Salt member Louise Post. The third musical reference in the song comes from the structure of this lyric, which is a Beatles reference, as it mimics a lyric in the song “Glass Onion”: “I told you about the walrus and me, man/You know that we’re as close as can be, man/Well here’s another clue for you all/The walrus was Paul” (that lyric, of course, references both Paul McCartney and another Beatles Song, “I am the Walrus.”)

Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke

This song, from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life, was written as a tribute to Duke Ellington, who had recently died. In the lyrics, Stevie name-checks other greats of the Big Band era, too: Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Glenn Miller.

Back at it...

2010-03-12T19:27:00.000-05:00

So, it appears I've let this blogging thing slip a little bit over the past few weeks. Sorry about that. I wish I could say that I hada legitimate excuse or two. But the truth is I don't. I've been tied up with a few other things, mostly job-search related. And while that doesn't excuse the lack of posting - especially when writing a decent blog post isn't the most time-consuming activity - it has led to my mind being focused elsewhere.

Anyhow, enough apologizing. I hope some of you are still reading, or will at least come back and start reading again, because I'm planning on getting back to posting on a more frequent basis.

As a first step toward posting more often, I'm planning a couple small changes to this blog. First off, I've decided to abandon my self-imposed rule that all my posts have to start with the letter B. While I started this blog with that as my schtick (B Log = posts that start with B), I'm starting to realize that a good blog doesn't need schtick. Besides, as a writer and editor, limiting myself to writing post headlines that start with the same letter all the time was starting to drive me bonkers. So from now on, some posts will start with B (particularly the regular features I've already introduced), and some won't.

Secondly, I'm searching for a new look. This template has worked great for me as I've taught myself about the blogging world over the past couple of months, but it has its restrictions. I'm looking for something cleaner and more user-friendly. I hope to have something new in place in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for good Blogger templates, send them my way.

Blast from the Past: Jeff Tweedy 101

2010-02-25T15:50:00.000-05:00

After seeing Wilco in Hamilton earlier this week, I’m on a bit of a Wilco kick. With that in mind, I thought it might be interesting to trace singer Jeff Tweedy’s roots from his punk beginnings through the alt-country phase that made him famous, and to his current status as leader of the world’s greatest band.

We start in St. Louis in the early 1980s, where Tweedy was in a garage-punk band called The Primitives, with high school friend Jay Farrar and Farrar’s brothers Wade and Dade. While The Primitives never gained fame outside the Midwest United States, the band is notable for being Tweedy’s first step on the path toward Wilco.

Here is The Primitives’ “Psycho,” from a live gig in 1985. Jeff Tweedy is the really young looking guy rocking both the dress and the bass (two things that most Wilco fans have probably never seen him do).

When Primitives vocalist Wade Farrar left to attend college, the band became a trio and changed their name to Uncle Tupelo. Jay Farrar took over vocal duties, and their sound evolved into a fusion of punk and country.

While earlier bands had already combined elements of country with rock and/or punk (REM, The Replacements, The Jayhawks), Uncle Tupelo are widely credited as being the first true alt-country band.

Though both Farrar and Tweedy shared co-writing and singing duties in Uncle Tupelo, the band wasn’t exactly a Lennon-McCartney style partnership. For starters, Farrar in reality took care of the bulk of the singing, as Tweedy was just starting to find his voice. As well, Farrar and Tweedy’s sonic preferences were quite different.

To illustrate this point, a Farrar song followed a Tweedy tune. Here’s Jay taking lead vox on “Whiskey Bottle,” which features just about the most perfect country-tinged lyric ever: “Whiskey bottle over Jesus/not forever/just for now.”

And now, “Gun,” featuring Tweedy’s voice, which was nowhere near as full as it is today.

Tweedy’s drinking and his desire to move beyond his secondary singer-songwriter duties are widely regarded as two of the key drivers behind the tension that eventually caused Uncle Tupelo’s split in 2004. When Jay Farrar decided to quit the band, Jeff Tweedy elected to forge ahead with the other members of Uncle Tupelo, changing their name to Wilco. The rest, as they say, is history.

Here’s Wilco on Letterman in 1997, performing “Outtasite (Outtamind)” off their second release, Being There. Wilco fans will be amused to see how young Tweedy looks. Everyone else should watch just to see Paul Schaffer pretend he’s in a real band.

Being There: Wilco at Hamilton Place

2010-02-24T15:23:00.001-05:00

There aren’t too many bands around that would entice me to travel from Toronto to Hamilton on a Tuesday evening. But then, Wilco isn’t just any band. They are, at least in my humble opinion, the single greatest band playing music today. And so it was that my wife, sister and future-brother-in-law made the trek across the QEW to see our heroes in action.

This was the fourth time I’ve seen Wilco live, and each time I’ve commented that “The show was great, but I wish they’d played .” Last night’s setlist, on the other hand, had it all. Every song I expect to hear them play (“Impossible Germany,” the crowd-singalong favorite “Jesus, Etc.”). Every song I’ve wanted to hear them play at past shows but missed out on (“California Stars”, “Reservations”). And even some surprises, such as a nearly note-perfect version of Neil Young’s beautiful, soaring “Broken Arrow” (complete with the “Mr. Soul” intro as on Neil’s record).

This was Wilco’s first trip to Hamilton, and frontman Jeff Tweedy spent some time consulting with the audience about whether he should refer to it as “Hammertown” or simply “The Hammer.” This banter continued throughout the night; as the audience shouted the usual we-love-yous and song requests, Tweedy at one point said it seemed the audience had declared one particularly vocal fan their “designated spokesman.” Considering his longstanding reputation as a bit of a difficult and moody guy, it was good to see Tweedy so loose and playful.

The rest of the band was in fine form, as usual. Wilco has a particular knack for sounding both technical and polished and loose and jammy at the same time. A significant part of that is due to the incredible skill of guitarist Nels Cline, whose 30+ year career has seen him play jazz, punk and alt-country with equal brilliance. Bassist John Stirratt – the only original Wilco member besides Tweedy – is also a vital cog, as his bass lines skillfully keep songs moving in the right direction even as the rest of the band breaks into one of their frequent wall-of-noise jams (listen to “Bull Black Nova” in the Youtube clip above, for a perfect illustration, despite the less-than-stellar quality).

Having now had the good fortune to see Wilco in the Toronto area three times in just over a year, I suspect it might be a bit of time before I get to catch them live again. If I have to occupy my time with CDs and other things Wilco-related (a new Wilco-themed sandwich shop in Toronto, for instance), at least I know last night’s Hamilton stop will remain a vivid memory of the band’s live power for months to come.

Backtrack: February 23

2010-02-23T16:30:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I introduced a feature I’m calling Backtrack, in which I look at things that occurred on a particular date in history. In that first Backtrack post, I mentioned that it would be something I’d do whenever I felt like it. Given that my beautiful niece, Rylee, was born today – making me a first-time uncle – I can’t think of a better date for the second installment.

On this date in 2000, Carlos Santana somehow managed to win eight Grammy awards for his album Supernatural, tying the record Michael Jackson’s Thriller set in 1983. One day I’ll teach Rylee everything I know about music, and explain to her that once upon a time, long before 2000, the Grammy Awards actually meant something.

On another musical note, the first Juno Awards (actually called the Gold Leaf Awards until being renamed the following year) were given out on Feb. 23, 1970, in Toronto. Among the winners was a young Gordon Lightfoot – who, as you might recall, didn't die this past week.

As my niece comes into the world, Vancouver is in the middle of hosting the Winter Olympics. On Feb. 23, 1988, the previous Canadian-hosted Olympics opened in Calgary. Below is a clip from the closing ceremonies of those Games. Don’t be scared, Rylee – believe it or not, this is what people looked like in 1988.

Finally, the Tootsie Roll was introduced to the world on Feb. 23, 1896. As chewy and difficult to eat as they were, it would be another 35 years before Tootsie Roll Industries decided to take things to the next level by encasing the candy in the tooth-shattering shell of a Tootsie Pop.

But Can He Still Do 'Canadian Railroad Trilogy'?

2010-02-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

The follow is a transcript of my exclusive interview with Gordon Lightfoot, mere minutes after his ~~death~~ falsely reported demise:

Neil: Mr. Lightfoot?

Gordon: Yes, this is he…

Neil: How are you this afternoon, sir?

Gordon: Doing just fine, thanks. Just got back from the dentist

Neil: So… Umm… then you’re not dead.

Gordon: Dead? Nope. A little groggy, maybe.

Neil: From being dead?

Gordon: From anesthetic. Where the hell did you hear I was dead, anyhow?

Neil: Twitter. It’s all over the place.

Gordon: And you believe everything you read on Twitter?

Neil: Well, yeah. It’s Twitter, not TMZ. Any idea who might have started this crazy rumour?

Gordon: I’m not sure. Gord Downie, maybe. I did a gig with him a couple weeks ago for the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and I could have sworn I heard him mumble something about there being one too many Gords in Canadian music.

Neil: I’ve heard rumblings that Ronnie Hawkins was the one who started telling people you were dead. Aren’t you two friends?

Gordon: Oh yeah, me and Ronnie go way back. Still, I wouldn’t put it past him to do this. He’s a great guy, but he’s been a bit of a crazy old coot since The Band ditched him for Dylan.

Neil: Well, Mr. Lightfoot, I’m glad to hear you’re okay. One more thing… would you mind singing a few bars of ‘Drifters’ for me?

Gordon: Sorry buddy. Paying customers only.

(For those who haven't figured it out, this isn't real. I know it's pretty obvious, but I figured it should be said. So there.)

Buys in the 'Hood: Green Shag hockey cufflinks

2010-02-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

Green Shag is a cool bespoke men's clothier here in Toronto, started in 2002 by husband and wife team Neil and Victoria McPhedran. While the bespoke process harkens back to a time when men only wore suits and button-up shirts and therefore took the time to ensure they were made properly, the vibe of the store is definitely 21st century.

While their claim to fame is shirts designed by the wearer down to the smallest detail (I had my wedding shirt made there), Green Shag also specializes in cufflinks. Feel like supporting Team Canada in a unique way for these Olympics? The Shag team just released their latest in a line of Team Canada hockey cufflinks, showcasing Hockey Canada's logo from the 1930s to today (the 2010 logo is above). Not into wearing button-up shirts while you watch the game? Green Shag also has a variety of money clips featuring the logos.

Those who aren't able to visit Green Shag's Toronto store can be order online along with the rest of the hockey 'links series.

Being Me

2010-02-16T18:51:00.000-05:00

This blog has been a long time coming. I’m an editor and writer by trade. I’ve worked in communications all my life, developing content for other people – magazines, associations, corporations and others. But despite this (or perhaps because of it), I’ve struggled with writing purely for my own enjoyment… until a month ago when I finally started this blog.

As I alluded to in my first post, being laid off from my job as an editor at the end of 2009 was finally the kick in the butt I needed to get this site going. It’s been cathartic to write whatever I want, whenever I want. And on a more practical level, it’s been great to learn more about this whole online media experience; specifically, figuring out how to blog effectively, and how to drive traffic to it (translation: how to get you all to read what I’m writing). Traditional media is quickly moving into the online space, and I definitely feel like I’m building skills I’ll take with me in that journey.

As much success as I’ve had with this, and with getting people to not only read the blog but also offer positive comments on my writing, I’ve had one bit of constructive criticism given to me. My wife, Jenny, said to me the other day that I need to inject more of myself into my writing. And she wasn’t the first person to tell me that, either. I know blogs aren’t necessarily supposed to be anonymous, and I haven’t necessarily been trying to make this anonymous. But while I consciously focus on the writing and building of this blog, I’ve probably subconsciously taken myself out of the equation more than I needed to.

So, I’m going to try and put more of myself, and more of my life, into my blogging from here on. A word of warning to my readers: as an unemployed communications professional actively hunting for new job opportunities while simultaneously fighting the doldrums that come with being cooped up in the house for days on end, I can’t predict what part of “me” will get shared with you.

Of course, if I’m going to share myself with my readers, it’s only fair my readers share themselves with me. That means more comments on my posts, if you don’t mind. And let me know what’s on your minds, too. I’ve had many days over the past month where I just haven’t known what to write about. If my readers start feeding me their thoughts, topic ideas, or picks for restaurants to visit or music to listen to, some of those things are sure to give me ideas for posts. I can’t promise you a financial windfall in exchange for your help, but I can promise good karma. And if I’ve learned anything in recent months, it’s that karma definitely counts for something.

Betty White: Breakout star of 2010?

2010-02-16T17:08:00.000-05:00

Move over, Miley. It looks like 2010 could be the year of Betty White.

First, there was this Snickers ad aired during the Super Bowl, in which Betty and fellow octogenarian actor Abe Vigoda play some pick-up football with much younger men.

According to the USA Today Ad Meter, which measures viewer reactions to TV spots, the Snickers ad was the highest-ranking among all the big game's commercials.

Far from being a one-off return to the spotlight, the Super Bowl spot seems to have touched off a groundswell of support among the social media savvy to have Betty White stick around for a while. A Facebook fan page set up at the end of 2009 as a petition to the Saturday Night Live producers to consider giving Betty White a shot at hosting the show has taken off in recent weeks. An article released today by social media news site Mashable noted that the page had hit 342,000 fans this morning; at last check this afternoon, 352,000 fans had joined.

Rose from St. Olaf has always been edgy. SNL, on the other hand, has not. Count me among those who think that maybe Betty White is just the host needed to inject a little life back into the show.

Bruno Becomes Reality

2010-02-16T13:57:00.000-05:00

Proving once again that Hollywood's moral compass is broken, it appears from the just-released trailer above that some sort of film or documentary is in the works about Dimitri the Lover, Toronto's crude, mysogynistic answer to Borat. Fittingly, the producer behind the Dimitri film is Brad Goodman, known for his post-production work on the films Bruno and Borat.

Readers in Toronto are likely familiar with Dimitri, given the degree of coverage he's received on local blogs and morning radio. Those living outside T.O. got a taste of Dimitri last year when messages he had left a local woman were posted on Youtube and spread.

Despite how badly Borat the movie ruined Borat the TV character, I'm all for film studios making spoofs or mockumentaries about objectionable characters. The catch here is that Dimitri is a very real person. Dimitri, aka Dr. James Sears, was stripped of his licence to practise medicine in Ontario in 1992 following charges of sexual impropriety. After the decision, he continued calling himself doctor, and started a company specializing in medical investigations. And, of course, he took on the persona of Dimitri the Lover and began hosting meetings of Toronto Real Men, designed to teach men his unique ways of finding women.

All of this begs the question, where are we as a society when someone like this can become an overnight celebrity?

Be Mine...

2010-02-14T22:27:00.002-05:00

I hate Valentine's Day. I always have. Fortunately, this year I can officially shed the "He's just saying that because he's cynical/single/insecure in his relationship" tag that tends to be foisted upon those who publicly declare their disdain for this most love-filled of days. This is my first Valentine's Day as a blissfully happy married man... and I still hate Valentine's Day. Even better is that my wife also hates Valentine's Day. No, seriously. She's not just saying it. We refuse to buy into the hype by buying each other flowers or candy or cards. Instead, this morning I accidentally told her that she does everything better than I do; I was tired and didn't know what I was saying. Still I let her have the comment as my Valentine's Day gift. In exchange, she agreed to clean the cat's litter box. Beat that, Hallmark.

For those B Log readers who do get into the Valentine's Day spirit, though, I thought I'd present you some interesting facts about February 14, as my declaration of love to all of you.
• Nobody actually knows who St. Valentine was, or why we have a day that revolves around him or her. The day is linked back to a Catholic saint named St. Valentine. Unfortunately, there are three St. Valentine's, and little evidence exists as to which one we celebrate.
• The first Valentine's Day was declared by Pope Gelasius on Feb. 14, 496, possibly as a replacement for the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, also celebrated in February. The rites of Lupercalia apparently involved sacraficing goats and dogs, skinning the animals, and then dressing young nobles in the skins. The nobles would then run around the town whipping young girls with animal skins. That must be where the saying "nothing says I love you like getting whipped with dead animal flesh" came from.
• In Japan, it is customary for only women to give gifts to their male partners on February 14. In the 1980s, March 14 was declared "Reply Day". On that date, men are expected to give gifts to their valentines that are at least two to three times higher value than the gifts they received. Returning a gift of only equal value is considered an acceptable way to indicate you are ending the relationship.
• Love makes people stupid, and marriage makes people cheap. The U.S. National Retail Federation reports that the average consumer will spend $103 on Valentines Day gifts this year. Spouses, on the other hand, will spend $63.
• Before Hallmark got into the greeting card market in 1910, the practice of exchanging Valentines Day greetings was largely limited to between a man and woman. Fortunately, Hallmark quickly realized the holiday's unlimited retail potential, and has since made it possible for people to tell their mothers, fathers, siblings, dogs, postal workers, and bosses how much they mean to them.

And of course, for those who are like me and simply don’t care about celebrating February 14 as a day of love, here are a few other noteworthy events that happened on this day.
• In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone, as did another inventor by the name of Elisha Gray (AKA, “Elisha who?”)
• In 1989, the first 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS) were launched into orbit. Originally intended as a military technology, today GPS helps iPhone users stalk each other.
• In 1819, Joshua Abraham Norton was born in London. Norton moved to San Franciso in 1849, and became a wealthy real estate investor using inheritance from his father’s estate. He eventually blew a fortune trying to become a Peruvian rice importer, went broke, went crazy, and left San Francisco in a depressed state, before returning to the city and declaring himself “Emperor of these here United States,” and repeatedly tried to dissolve the U.S. Congress. When he died penniless in 1880, an estimated 30,000 San Francisco residents turned out to pay their respects to Norton. No, this isn’t the script to the next Coen brothers movie.

Happy Joshua Abraham Norton day!

Boo-urns, Facebook

2010-02-11T12:52:00.001-05:00

Dear Facebook,

I just don't get you anymore. We've been together a while, and I think I've put up with a lot - your frequent need for downtime, your need to let me know every time one of my friends finds an egg on their farm or needs a fish for their tank, the fact that I actually had to ASK you to stop sharing my personal details with EVERYONE on the internet. You've always been a bit high-maintenance, but I like you. Hell, I even stopped seeing Myspace for you (though, between you and I, that wasn't too tough once I finally realized how childish and obnoxious that Tom guy's place really is).

But frankly, I've never understood your constant obsession with redecorating. Just as I've gotten used to one look, you're on to the next. If I constantly came home to find that my wife had repainted the living room walls a different colour, I think one of us would eventually end up sleeping in the basement. Yet you basically do the same thing, and you somehow get away with it.

This latest round doesn't make a lot of sense, though. Just a few months ago, you basically went through the online equivalent of redoing the floors, changing the curtains, and completely reorganizing all of your CDs from alphabetical order to the somewhat-more-esoteric "by genre." As we both know, most people thought you were nuts. They hated the new look, and to be quite honest, so did I. Still you stuck to your guns. You let people bitch - they wrote hate messages on your walls; some of them even formed groups specifically to protest against you.

Of course, most people came back. Maybe that explains why, instead of just chilling and letting people get resettled in your new space, you decided to do it all again. Some of the new changes don't even make sense. What's the deal with hiding my new messages in the corner? Are you afraid people are sending me letters about you? You've even changed the names of stuff you've kept pretty much as is. News Feed and Live Feed are now Top News and Most Recent? What the hell is that? I can start referring to my bedroom as my sleeping chambers, but it's still the room where I watch The Office reruns every night until I fall asleep.

There's one thing that really boggles my mind. You moved the logout button. I now have to click on Account, wait for the pulldown menu to appear, and then hit Logout. Seriously, what gives? If I came over to visit you, would you lock me in a closet and tell me, "the key is somewhere in that mess. If you can find it, you can leave"?

You know what I've discovered recently? There are some other pretty cool places to hang out in cyberspace besides your 'hood. Some of them even offer the same things you do, but better. I can connect with my friends through LinkedIn just as easily as I can through you, only there we talk about careers and I can meet a lot of our mutual acquaintances without having to first ask for their permission. Yep, that's right. We do grown-up stuff. And you know about Twitter, right? I can share jokes and cool links with my friends there, and even meet new people.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to make you feel insecure... especially since I'm sure that insecurity is at the root of your constant need to "improve" yourself. We're still buds, and I'll still come by for visits. But I'm going to be hanging out more with Twitter and LinkedIn.

Have fun settling in to the new space. Again.

Your pal,
Neil

Bringing Foodies Together for Haiti

2010-02-10T19:31:00.003-05:00

My wife and I had the good fortune to attend an amazing event last night organized to raise money for Doctors Without Borders and the Haiti relief effort. Eat, Drink and Give gathered some of the best chefs from Toronto and other local communities, along with an impressive selection of local and international wineries, at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall.

And those chefs were ready to feed the 250+ attendees some of their best dishes. While I couldn't possibly profile (or even taste) every single item on offer, I can share some of our favorites from the evening.

Brad Long, perhaps one of the most widely known chefs present thanks to his stint on The Food Network's Restaurant Makeover, was there representing his new venture, Veritas. He prepared a great pork terrine, served on pear butter and topped with pickled onions.

Another chef well-known to local foodies is Scott Vivian. Having recently purchased Wine Bar from Jamie Kennedy, Vivian's contribution to the event, an all-Ontario reuben panini, served to promote his restaurant's local focus. With house-made pastrami, Ontario goat cheese and bread from the popular Toronto bakery Fred's Bread, it also served to patrons as a reminder of exactly how good Ontario products are.

Perhaps no region better represents the quality of Ontario produce than Niagara. Alongside the array of Niagara wineries was one of the region's finest restaurants. My wife and I had one of the most amazing meals of our lives at Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine a couple of years ago, and we've dreamed of going back ever since. This time, fortunately, they came to us to serve an interesting dish that definitely demonstrated their commitment to farm-to-table eating: head cheese. Having only been familiar with the often-unpleasant deli counter version, Treadwell's housemade version, served with piccalilli relish, was an enjoyable experience.

Local Moroccan resto The Sultan's Tent lent a bit of international flavour to the evening. They presented a number of different dishes, including one of the event's best - chicken bastilla, a sweet-and-savoury mix of cinnamon-flavoured chicken in puff pastry.

Another amazing dish was the French onion soup dumplings, from Forte Bistro. The soup was encased in a wonton wrapper, and topped with gruyere cheese. An intriguing presentation, and definitely one of the clear winners where taste was concerned.

But both my wife and I were unanimous in our choice for hands-down best dish of the night - Splendido restaurant's chicken liver parfait with madiera, which was covered in a thin layer of whipped butter, topped with a medjool date puree, and served on a great brioche. Rich and incredible. I could have stood at Splendido's booth all night just eating this if there weren't so many other things to try.

After so much eating and drinking, we were both ready to throw in the proverbial towel (and, as I've mentioned in previous posts, those who know me are aware how rarely I'm defeated by food). But we hadn't even tasted dessert yet. There were cakes, cookies, cupcakes, fudge, ice cream... they could have held a separate event just focused on dessert. But one of the sweet things I did manage to fit into my expanding stomach was well worth it.

Bobbette and Belle's macarons were beautifully presented, and tasted even better. Both the white chocolate and passion fruit and coffee with caramel cream flavours were enough for me to vow that I'd be back for more one day soon.

This is really just a small taste of the incredible array of food and drink on offer. But the most impressive thing was how quickly it all came together following the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. The group of Toronto food and wine lovers who joined forces to organize the event, and all the restaurants and wineries who donated their time and efforts - not to mention Roy Thomson Hall, which donated the event space - have shown what people can do when called upon to help. And given that much of the buzz and the collaboration that culminated in last night's event took place through Twitter and other forms of social media, it was also testament to the power of this important new medium.

With the death toll in Haiti topping 230,000 and the extensive rebuilding efforts required, efforts like Eat, Drink and Give will serve as important fundraising intiatives in the months and years to come.

(Credit for all photos in this post goes to my lovely and talented wife).

Biting Into: Caplansky's Delicatessen

2010-02-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

I'm currently reading Save the Deli, by Torontonian David Sax. The book examines the North American deli and deli culture, from its Jewish roots through its mid-century heyday, to its present decline in the face of changing tastes and health trends.

As artery-damaging as a plate of deli food might be, those of us who have eaten their weight in smoked meat from places like Schwartz's and The Main in Montreal understand how devastating the deli's decline really is. While those institutions live on in Montreal, the situation elsewhere is dire, with smoked meat that too often comes out of a package, mediocre fries and - perhaps worst of all - no Cott's black cherry soda.

Fortunately, a true deli revivalist named Zane Caplansky recently set up shop in Toronto. When Caplansky's opened in a tiny space inside the Monarch Tavern in summer 2008, the place was an instant smash. They were constantly packed, and frequently ran out of meat before the end of a week. By September of last year a bigger space was in order, which Caplansky's found right in the heart of the College Street strip.

Despite the rave reviews and my love of deli food, I was never able to make it to Caplansky's - until today, when the stars finally aligned and I found myself in the 'hood with an empty stomach. Unfortunately, it was also 10 a.m., and while Caplansky's serves breakfast, the meat cutters don't take their places until 11.

While my brain reasoned that I'd waited so long for a Caplansky's sandwich that it might be worthwhile to sit it out and wait the extra hour, my stomach had a simpler and ultimately more convincing argument: "Food. Now." After settling on the smoked meat hash, I began to regret my choice; every time I order the more-common corned beef hash, I quickly and happily eat my way through the dish, until I reach the halfway point and grow slightly revolted at the mushiness of the meat and same-ness of the flavour.

I needn't have worried. Caplansky's smoked meat hash is described on the menu as "Sandwich board leftovers griddle fried with onion, potato and eggs sunny side on top." While yesterday's table scraps might not appeal to everyone, most people's leftovers aren't like this: little morsels of hand-cut meat, with the perfect amounts of smoke, spice and fat, mixed with sauteed onions and julienned sticks of potato. Two eggs sit on top. It's a mountain of food, even for someone who eats like I do. But it's so good I can't stop. By the end, the unnecessary fruit garnish and half a piece of toast are the only things left on my plate.

As good as it is, breakfast isn't what Caplansky's is famous for, as evidenced by the fact that the place is virtually empty when I arrive at 10 a.m., but quickly fills with people eager for an early sandwich when I leave an hour later. I'll be back, too, and soon. If the smoked meat is this good at breakfast, I can't wait to have it hand-cut on a sandwich, with a side of fries, a pickle and a black cherry soda - the way real deli is supposed to be.

Backtrack: February 5

2010-02-05T17:05:00.001-05:00

Today on the B Log, we introduce Backtrack, a periodic (translation: whenever I feel like it) look at some of the weird, wild and/or wonderful things that happened on this date in history.

For those who woke up today wishing it was 1983 instead of 2010, I present a compelling argument for why 2010, with all its economic uncertainty, is still destined to be better than 1983: February 5, 1983 marked the day that "Africa" by Toto somehow found its way to the top of the Billboard 100 chart. You know Africa, the song that nobody looks cool singing, especially Toto:

In 1969, February 5 also marked the start, and the end, of what many point to as the worst TV show ever aired. The show was called Turn-On. According to Wikipedia, the skit-based show - whose writing team featured a young Albert Brooks - was picked up by ABC only after being rejected by CBS and NBC. The network cancelled Turn-On after one episode, but some of their affiliates didn't wait that long, choosing not to return to the program after its first commercial break.

Unfortunately, the first episode doesn't seem to be anywhere online. But here's a brief clip talking about the show and featuring scenes from Turn-On's never-aired second episode:

Lastly, on Feb. 5, Kareem Abdul Jabbar becomes the first NBA player to score 38,000 points, finally proving to the world that he's more than just a good pilot:

Biting Into: Xococava

2010-02-03T17:09:00.004-05:00

Anyone who follows foodie blogs or the whims of the best-known chefs is aware that combining meat with sweet is one of the hotter culinary crazes. Two items that fall into this category are among the best things to cross my lips in years: The foie gras pb&j at New York's Stanton Social, combining buttery foie gras with sweet jelly and peanut brittle; and the Mo's Bacon Bar from Chicago choclatier Vosges, which blends amazing milk chocolate with - you guessed it - crispy, salty crumbled bacon pieces (a bar that is, mercifully, available at various places in Toronto).

Toronto's Xococava (choco-cava), an offshoot of popular tapas bar Cava, has been a hot spot in the city since opening in 2008. A "candy store for adults," as owner/chef Chris McDonald put it in a review shortly after opening, Xococava is known for its unique truffle flavours. Their most well-known chocolate combination, the chorizo truffle, is what first drew me into Xococava about a year ago. I remember the taste of that truffle being definitely uninque, though rather unreminiscent of the Spanish spicy sausage and therefore disappointing.

Still, when I found myself in the neighbourhood again this week, I decided to give the place a second chance. The store's 25 truffle offerings include black olive, Pedro Ximenez, black trumpet mushroom, Szechwan peppercorn and preserved lemon. After careful consideration, I opted for salted caramel, rosemary and honey, birch syrup, fennel pollen, and - the reason I came back - another taste of chorizo.

Here are my impressions of each:

Rosemary and honey: Amazing flavour balance. The honey provides a silky, sweet base without being overpowering, and the rosemary kicks in the perfect amount of herbal undertones.

Birch syrup: I can't say I know what birch syrup is supposed to taste like, but my mouth is expecting boreal forest in a chocolate. That's definitely not what I get. The dark chocolate that envelopes the truffle is good and rich, and the syrup inside is sweet without being cloying. It’s also unmemorable. (after tasting this, I read that birch syrup is somewhat similar to maple syrup).

Salted caramel: There's a nice hit of sweet and salt initially with this one, but it fades quickly. Like the birch truffle, this is again made with dark chocolate. I've had other, more successful salted caramel chocolates made with milk chocolate, which doesn't mask the flavour of the caramel as much.

Fennel pollen: Having recently started experimenting with fennel pollen in my own cooking, I was excited to try this one. I've used fennel pollen in soups, on grilled chicken and fish, and in ice cream, and I find that the flavour is either really pronounced or completely hidden. In Xococava's truffle, the pollen is contained in the sweet cream inside the chocolate. I would have liked to taste just a bit more of the fennel pollen, but the balance of flavours is impressive.

Chorizo: Holy pork-chocolate, Batman! Here’s the flavour I was expecting from this a year ago. Smokey, a little spicy, a little salty – all the flavours you’d expect from a piece of good chorizo. And for those who are wondering, no, there are no actual pieces of meat in the chocolate.

Verdict: Of the five truffles I tasted, two (rosemary and honey, chorizo) wowed me. While that’s not good enough for me to make a special trip across town, it’s reason enough for me to vow that my third trip to Xococava will happen quicker than my second one did.

Barack Obama vs. the iPad

2010-02-01T18:09:00.004-05:00

Steve Jobs announced Apple’s new iPad last week, and the pre-release hype seen for it is at levels we’ve really only witnessed for one other pre-release product: President-Elect Barack Obama. Given this, I figured it might be interesting to compare some ways in which the iPad is similar to President Obama:

Like Obama, the iPad has been anointed as the symbol of a new revolution, and the hope for a new generation.
Obama has been in office for a year, and still many people aren’t quite sure what he’s capable of. Many are questioning what the iPad will really be able to accomplish, too - though in the device’s defence, it is still a couple of months away from release.
Obama has proven himself to be one of the world’s eminent public speakers. No word yet on whether the iPad will come equipped with a Brilliant Orator app.
In the months leading up to his launch, future President Barack Obama was the leading topic of conversation in the Twitter-verse. Same with the iPad, which is currently enjoying an edge in tweets over Haiti, according to Twitter.
Obama has had to deal with some unfortunate name comparisons to a notoriously infamous person. The ~~iPod~~ iPad has suffered similar comparisons.
Before even setting foot in the White House, Obama was seen by some as the saviour of the American healthcare system; others saw him as its killer. The iPad, on the other hand, is being touted as either the saviour or killer of the journalism industry. (Obama, incidentally, hasn’t done a lick to change the U.S. healthcare system one way or the other. The iPad’s initial effect on journalism will likely be similar).
The Grammy Awards, featuring the iPad (see vid below), drew 26 million viewers on Sunday night. Obama’s iPad-less State of the Union Address five nights earlier, on the other hand, managed to pull in 48 million viewers.

Advantage Obama, for now. Though I suspect we’ll have to wait for the release of both Obama 2.0 and iPad 2.0 to really decide which will have a more lasting legacy.

Building Haiti with Tweets

2010-02-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

The Onion published an article last week declaring,"Massive Earthquake Reveals Entire Island Civilization Called 'Haiti'".

Satirizing a tragedy as only The Onion can, the article pokes fun at the industrialized world’s habit of ignoring the plight of underdeveloped nations until such time as something really interesting happens – like a natural disaster. If it bleeds, it leads, as the saying goes.

Cynicism and satire aside, what’s been really interesting with this disaster is just how much of an impact social media has had on fundraising efforts for Haiti.

Traditional media has led the way in bringing Haiti’s plight to the world’s attention, by beaming images from the disaster to TVs, newspapers and websites around the world, and by broadcasting PSAs and fundraising initiatives on television and radio. But social media has been an essential link – starting almost immediately following the earthquake – by allowing the TV watchers and newspaper readers to direct non-traditional media consumers to these mediums, by giving non-profits and corporations an outlet to link their clients to fundraising efforts, and by providing aid agencies such as the Red Cross and CARE an opportunity to provide their followers (and by extension, their followers’ followers) with live to-the-minute updates from the disaster zone.

At a more micro level, several grassroots-organized fundraising efforts have both taken shape and been promoted largely through social media. In Toronto, fundraising efforts such as @HaiHaiTO and #EatDrinkandGive have been given exposure through the traditional local media channels, but for the most part they have attracted volunteers and sponsors, received promotion and sold tickets through Twitter, Facebook and blog mentions.

Given the speed at which these messages have spread via social media, it’s not hard to imagine that relief efforts for the next major global disaster will be led by social media, with traditional media taking a supporting role.

Many people point to the assassination of President Kennedy and subsequent murder of his alleged killer as the defining moment illustrating the power of television. Similarly, the around-the-clock coverage of the first Gulf War became the defining moment for dedicated news networks. Considering what’s taken place over the past couple of weeks, it seems the Haiti earthquake is sure to be forever linked with the evolution of social media from fad to phenomenon.

A Temporary Post

2010-01-27T09:40:00.000-05:00

The title doesn't start with B, which means one thing - this must be a temporary post that's going to get sent to the Island of Misfit Posts once I'm done with it. I'm posting this as a vehicle to include my Technorati claim token T86NKP97TR8A, so they can verify I'm the owner of this blog, and I can have it listed at Technorati for others to find.

Back-Ordered

2010-01-26T18:29:00.001-05:00

Steve Fonyo raised $13 million for cancer research in 1985 by running 7,200 km across Canada on one leg. He was presented with the Order of Canada shortly afterward in honour of his achievements, becoming the youngest person ever to receive the award at the time.

This week, Fonyo's Order was revoked due to his repeated run-ins with the law for crimes including assault, theft and impaired driving.

In the years since his run, Fonyo has battled depression and alcoholism, and has spent some time in jail. On the surface, it’s understandable how Fonyo could have fallen into this tailspin. When he began his run in 1984, many openly criticized Fonyo for trying to ride Terry Fox’s coattails to fame. But by completing the cross-Canada trek and raising millions for cancer research, Fonyo achieved two things by the age of 20 that most of us won’t likely do in our lifetimes. And despite the early criticisms, he became a media darling by the end of his run. It isn’t hard to see that Fonyo might spend the rest of his life struggling against the expectations of that early success and fame.

But of course, that’s beside the point here. What matters is that the Order of Canada is given to individuals whose actions have helped advance Canada and its people, and that Order can be removed if a recipient doesn’t uphold a lifestyle that befits such an honour.

Only three Order recipients have lost their titles:

Alan Eagleson: Eagleson was granted the Order in 1989 for his work promoting hockey around the world. He became the first person to have the Order revoked, in 1998, after being disbarred from practicing law and being sentenced to 18 months in jail for stealing millions of dollars from Hockey Canada, and from several former NHL players who he represented as an agent and as head of the NHL Players Association.
David Ahenakew: First Nations politician Ahenakew was granted the Order in 1978 for his work focused on the rights of Canadian aboriginal peoples. He lost the Order in 2005, after being convicted of promoting hatred for anti-Semitic comments he made in the media. Ahenakew’s conviction was overturned on appeal in 2009, with the judge ruling that while his comments were “revolting, disgusting and untrue,” they were not intended to incite hatred.
T. Sher Singh: Singh was granted the Order in 2001, in honour of his “vast record of public service” and his work helping to promote harmony among different races. He lost his Order in 2008, after his license to practice law in Canada was revoked for professional misconduct amidst allegations of failing to serve clients and misappropriation of clients’ money.

The Order can be revoked for conduct that goes against “generally-recognized standards of public behaviour which is seen to undermine the credibility, integrity or relevance of the Order, or detracts from the original grounds upon which the appointment was based.” By this logic, Eagleson surely deserved his fate, considering his crimes related directly to the activities he was honoured for. Singh, too. (While you could make that argument for Ahenakew as well, the counter-argument would theoretically be that because he was eventually acquitted, his Order should be reinstated).

But it hardly seems fair that Fonyo – whose achievements as a 20-year-old helped countless Canadians and happened years before his completely unrelated legal problems – should lose his Order.

Building a Better Magazine Industry

2010-01-25T17:15:00.001-05:00

Magazine publishers have taken one of the bigger hits through this economic downturn, as advertisers elect to redirect their budgets elsewhere. The resulting job cuts and title shutdowns are slowly bleeding the mag industry dry. But print magazines aren't dead yet.

While the profitability of magazines won’t likely return to levels seen before the economic downturn, advertisers need to realize that print magazines will continue to hold important strategic value long after the economy recovers. More importantly, publishers themselves need to start looking inward, to figure out what they can do to improve things.

Here are four aspects of the magazine industry that publishers would do well to re-evaluate:

Single-copy distribution

I had an eye-opening experience about a week ago. On my way to a lengthy subway trip, I decided to stop off and buy a magazine. Specifically, I wanted to pick up a copy of Spin. I stopped in at Shoppers Drug Mart, which didn’t have Spin among its relatively large selection of titles. I went around the block to Great Canadian News, thinking that a store that specializes in magazines would certainly carry one of the most popular music mags. Nope.

This isn’t an isolated case, either. Increasingly over the past year or so, I’ve noticed the conspicuous absence of many popular magazines from racks at leading retail outlets. In an industry with a major identity crisis, where the traditional format is dying a slow death, attempting to cut operating costs by reducing distribution channels seems less a sound business strategy than a way to alienate existing customers.

Rigid single-copy pricing structure

If my favorite book writer were to release a 500-page novel next week at $24.99, chances are I wouldn’t scoff at the price tag. But if the same novelist released a 300-page book later that year, logic would dictate that book should be priced somewhere around $14.99. Book publishers realize this logic, but magazine publishers don’t. There are an awful lot of consumer publishers complaining about their dramatic drops in single-copy sales, while at the same time regularly putting out 150-page issues of a magazine that typically boasts 250 pages of content, and charging the same $5.99 cover price as always.

The average consumer doesn’t understand that a magazine’s issue size is driven by ad sales, which are down dramatically in this economy. And they don’t care, either. By not adjusting a magazine’s cover price – even marginally – to reflect the amount of content in an issue, publishers are just losing once-loyal customers.

The rush to rebrand

When a human being goes through a dramatic change – a break-up, for example, or a job loss – he or she might respond by deciding to alter their look before re-entering the dating world or the job market. It might be time to hit the gym, get a new haircut, and buy some new clothes. Often, the effort will pay off, by helpiing the individual feel better about him or her self, and allowing them to stand out in a sea of singles or job candidates.

But magazines aren’t people. Why, then, do so many publishers seem to think that a sudden dip in readership is reason enough to launch a complete retooling of a mag’s content and/or design? Magazines are like pets; they are things people turn to for comfort and familiarity. Put a jacket on a poodle, and it’s still the same dog; there’s a good chance few will care about the change. But then, you always run the risk that the poodle’s best friends will end up thinking its new jacket looks stupid and won’t want to be seen with the poodle any longer.

The rush to pull the plug

Many of the best magazines appeal to several demographics, because their editors understand how to generate and position content that appeals to those of different age groups and lifestyles. Of the longest-lasting magazines, several have also enjoyed readerships that cross generations. Gourmet was one such example. People who remember their mothers reading Gourmet in the 1950s became loyal readers themselves in the 1970s and 1980s, and their kids became Gourmet readers toward the end of the millennium.

The magazine’s closure last fall followed almost 70 years of publication. And it came at a time when its subscriber base hovered around one million (a figure it had consistently been close to for more than a decade). Where Gourmet had faltered recently was on the newsstand, where sales had dropped approximately 25% through 2009.

This dip, and the associated advertiser panic that came with it, was apparently enough reason for publisher Conde Nast to pull the plug. When this happened, it sent a signal to many in the magazine industry that publishers were going to knee-jerk their way through this downturn rather than find a way to ride it out.

Bad Late-Night Decisions

2010-01-21T15:31:00.002-05:00

So the Conan-NBC divorce became final today, with NBC agreeing to give Coco $33 million as a going-away present. Conan, in return, gets the right to host a new show starting in September on whatever network he chooses (Translation: Fox). And he finally got to bring back Masturbating Bear last night… though perhaps for the last time, as all of Conan’s old bits are apparently now property of NBC’s legal team. He’s also going out with a relative bang on Friday, bringing back his first Tonight Show guest, Will Ferrell, as well as musical guest Neil Young. (It’d be nice to see Neil sing "Fuckin' Up", and dedicate it to NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker).

With Conan’s seven-month run as Tonight Show host at an end, I thought it might be fun to look back at some other late-night experiments that didn’t last very long.

The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers
Everyone’s favorite red carpet punchline hosted her own night time talk show on Fox from October 1986 until Rivers’ firing in early 1987. Rather than canceling the show, Fox renamed it simply The Late Show and featured a series of guest hosts – including a young comedian named Arsenio Hall – before finally pulling the plug at the end of 1987 (Arsenio, of course, landed his own gig in 1989).

The Dennis Miller Show
After leaving Saturday Night Live in 1992, Miller launched a talk show. The show, according to Miller's Wikipedia page and my own fuzzy recollections, was notable for featuring guests and musicians not seen on other late-night shows. It also featured ex-Police guitarist Andy Summers as musical director, and a writing team that included SNL alumnus Norm Macdonald, and Dave Thomas of SCTV. Unfortunately, the show also featured Dennis Miller. Viewers eventually realized this, and the show was cancelled later that year.

The Pat Sajak Show
In 1989, CBS decided that Sajak’s unique talent for making banal conversation with regular folk on Wheel of Fortune meant he would be naturally gifted at making banal conversation with famous people on a talk show. Inexplicably, The Pat Sajak Show ran for more than a year, from January 1989 to April 1990, even though the average episode looked like this:

The Chevy Chase Show
Pat Sajak’s first guest was Chevy Chase. Four years later, Chase had landed his own late-night talk show on Fox. Coincidence, or just a misguided attempt by Fox to try anything to remove the Curse of Joan Rivers (see above)?

The show was cancelled after five weeks, with Fox nobly announcing it was pulling the plug “in the best interests of its star.” In the years following the cancellation, Chase starred in Vegas Vacation, and a whole bunch of movies nobody has ever seen.

Thicke of the Night
What do you do if you’re a Canadian entertainer with a relatively successful daytime talk show running on CTV in the early 1980s? Well, if you’re Alan Thicke, you take your show to the U.S., and agree to run it in late-night syndication. Shockingly, viewers apparently weren’t quite ready for Alan, and the show was axed after one season.

Here he is doing his best “Jason Seaver interviews a band” imitation:

Blast from the Past Pt. 2

2010-01-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

RIP Kate McGarrigle, who passed away Monday from cancer, at age 63. While her kids, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, have enjoyed far greater fame in their short careers than their mother ever did, Kate and her sister Anna are Canadian folk music royalty.

Even if you've never heard a Kate and Anna McGarrigle album, many Canadians under 40 will recall their singing from this NFB short.

Biting Commentary

2010-01-20T12:47:00.002-05:00

Roger Ebert, the famous film reviewer whose TV show popularized the thumbs up/thumbs down rating system, recently wrote a piece for his Chicago Sun-Times blog revealing that ongoing treatment for his thyroid cancer has removed his ability to speak, eat or drink. The post focuses on how being denied the ability to enjoy food and drink has changed his life.

Surprisingly, the never-exactly-slim Ebert spends little time reflecting on how much he misses the taste of his favorite foods. Instead, he says, what he misses most is the interaction that comes with eating and drinking.

He writes that “when it comes to food, I don’t have a gourmet’s memory.” Unlike Ebert, I do consider myself a ‘foodie,’ and I’ve always focused my recollections of food primarily on tastes. I remember eating sweetbreads two years ago at Mario Batali’s NYC restaurant Babbo. I can recall my first taste of real gelato, during a family trip to Italy when I was eight years old. I can even remember my first anchovy at age three, snuck straight from an open can in the fridge.

Those are three eating experiences that will probably always stay with me. But when I really think about it and put myself back in those particular moments, it’s true that I don’t really, fully recollect what any of these things tasted like. At age 31, I know unmistakably what an anchovy tastes like, and I’ve had really good gelato more times than I can count. So, undoubtedly, if I do remember a taste when I reminisce about these experiences, it is more recent encounters with these foods that my mind is substituting.

What I do recall vividly in all these memories are people, and places, and feelings. I remember eating at Babbo because I was with my now-wife, shortly after we had gotten engaged; because eating at Babbo was high on my New York must-do list, impossible as it was to get a reservation; and because we managed to grab a table at 11 p.m. one night after eating dinner somewhere else and then going into the restaurant on a whim, thinking “we shouldn’t do this, but then, this might be our only chance.”

I remember gelato in Italy because as an eight-year-old kid, eating ice cream al fresco in a different country, where everyone I encountered was speaking in a language I’d previously only heard during visits with my dad’s relatives, made me feel special and worldly; and primarily because it takes me back to family vacations, at a point during my childhood when my family seemed to me to be a steady, unshakable unit.

And the anchovy experience? Well, I’m not even sure I’m pulling that one completely from memory, to be honest. When I think about it, I have a pretty clear picture in my head. But I’ve heard my mother tell that story in vivid detail so many times over the years—how I’d come into the living room after my snack and sat next to my mom, only to have her wonder why my breath smelled like cat food, and how my grandfather, who passed away only two years later, was visiting at the time. So perhaps I’ve allowed myself to create a mental image of the experience, so that I can hold on to that moment in time as long as possible.

I love food and can’t imagine not being able to enjoy a great meal. Food is life, in so many ways. But Ebert’s essay is a reminder that we don’t only eat with our taste buds. If you lost the ability to eat and drink, what memories from meals past would stay with you the longest?

Blast from the Past...

2010-01-19T19:21:00.001-05:00

Not sure why this song popped into my head today, but it did, which meant I just had to Youtube the video. Which means I had to share the video with you.

By Divine Right has been around for something like 20 years now, but for the most part it's been lead singer Jose Contreras and whatever grouping of musicians he feels like playing with at any particular moment. For one brief, shining moment in 1999, though, Jose put together a pretty decent band and made out with a pretty decent hit.

Even if you have no interest in the song, this video's worth watching just to check out a young guitar-playing Leslie Feist (before she became a superstar and the world forgot her first name). Those in the know will also recognize bass player Brendan Canning, the brains behind Broken Social Scene (looking a tad creepy here without his facial hair).

Back to the Future?

2010-01-15T17:14:00.002-05:00

In 1992, TV viewers lost a familiar face when Johnny Carson retired as host of the Tonight Show. His replacement, Jay Leno, did a pretty good job out of the gate considering he was replacing someone many people considered a legend.

Still, by the end of that year, there were rumblings at NBC that Leno might lose his Tonight Show gig in favour of someone who was also loved by viewers: David Letterman, who had a show on NBC immediately following the Tonight Show, and who was threatening to go to CBS and take their 11:30 slot. Jay was understandably upset and said he’d probably leave the network if they decided to give Tonight to Dave and try to place Jay on another show. Of course, in the end Dave went to CBS and Jay kept his show.

Fast forward 18 years, and we see a strikingly similar situation with Jay and Conan. The difference is that, NBC in 1992 decided the fair and just thing would be to stick with the new guy and give him a proper shot. In 2010, evidently, it’s out with the new and in with the old.

To say that Conan has failed as Tonight Show host (as at least one NBC exec has already said in no uncertain terms) misses some important points. One point to consider is ratings. The Tonight Show’s ratings have apparently fallen by roughly one third in the seven months since Conan took over for Jay, a steep drop to be sure (nevermind that Leno’s 10 p.m. show has been labeled by many experts as an unmitigated disaster after only four months). But Jay also experienced a bit of a dip when he first took over from Johnny. Not to mention, Conan and Letterman have consistently placed close to each other in the ratings since last summer. And more importantly, Conan has led Letterman for ratings in the 18-49 age category. I’m no TV expert, but aren’t those the viewers likely to keep watching Conan as he settles in to the Tonight Show host’s seat over the coming years?

Another factor is familiarity. Even before Leno was given the keys to Johnny’s office in 1992, he’d had five years of exposure to Tonight Show viewers under his belt, from guest hosting the show in Carson’s absence some 40 times. (Here's a clip of him somewhat awkwardly interviewing Roy Orbison and KD Lang in 1988). Conan’s total number of stints as guest host of the Tonight Show before taking over from Jay: zero. And while you could make the argument that Conan’s own show ran for 16 years, which should constitute an adequate rehearsal for the transition, the Tonight Show is clearly a very different animal with very different core viewers.

Jay turns 60 this year, and he will undoubtedly need to be replaced with someone younger when he decides to step out of the spotlight in a few years. NBC will then need to find someone who is younger and somewhat popular with viewers.

The thing is, they already have someone younger, who is popular with viewers. His name is Conan. He’s 47. What happens when Conan leaves NBC over this debacle? Do the NBC suits then let Carson Daly and Jimmy Fallon battle it out for the title of Least Worst Talk Show Host and put the winner on Tonight by default?

Byte-sized Stories

2010-01-14T13:23:00.003-05:00

Traditional media is dying. Time to sound the alarm.

That’s the view, at least, from a growing number of cultural pundits and armchair cynics, not to mention from a good deal of the people who work in traditional mediums, who say that social media and the blogosphere are killing news companies, publishers, and even the film and television industry.

As a writer, editor and project manager working in traditional print – who recently became a statistic of the job-cutting phenomenon facing all media organizations – I’ve seen the shift first-hand. But while it’s obvious that the media industry of 2020 will look significantly different than the media industry of 2010, I’m not ready to forecast the imminent death of print newspapers, magazines and books.

Kindle may be convenient enough to take on the subway, but – and feel free to call me old fashioned – you can’t fold it up and stick it in your coat pocket when you’ve reached your destination (although this might become a possibility before too long, which could be a game-changer). And it’s never going to be able to replace the feel of printed pages.

Media convergence is an idea that has been around in force since the dawn of the millennium. The prevailing notion back in the early 2000s – that individual media companies could simply merge into giant conglomerations as a way to cut costs and combine synergies (translation: lay employees off and just repurpose the same content across multiple information platforms) – has largely been proven wrong through the failed marriages of Time Warner and AOL, Canwest and Hollinger, and Canwest and Alliance Atlantis.

But the push for media convergence isn’t dead, it’s just shifting gears. With the emergence of real-time, omnipresent social media technologies such as Twitter, convergence is being approached as value-adding, rather than cost-reducing. A newspaper or magazine can have its journalists preparing an in-depth piece on a topic to run in the next day’s, or next week’s, print edition, while also getting those reporters to hook loyal readers through real-time news updates via Twitter. And a respected print publication such as The Globe and Mail can offer the same insight it always has through its newspaper, while also offering additional (and often less rigidly edited) insight on issues via reporters' blogs.

Of course, the popularity and ease-of-use inherent in social media technology means traditional media outlets face ever-increasing competition. I can break a story via Facebook or Twitter about something happening in my neighbourhood just as quickly and easily as the Toronto Star can through its website.

One can even write and publish fiction via Twitter, as I found out several months ago. Writers have experimented, alone or in groups, with developing short stories through a series of interlinked 140-character “tweets” on Twitter. Others have taken this a step further, by mastering the art of telling a complete story in 140 characters or less. You can read my attempts at 140 character Twitter Fiction @TOtweetrature, or check out some far more compelling works from writers such as @arjunbasu and @InstantFiction. While Twitter Fiction might never be up for a Governor General's Literary Award, it marks one of the more interesting and dramatic evolutions in storytelling that we've seen in many years.

It’s certainly going to be interesting to see how the shift takes shape over the next decade. I for one predict a media landscape by the end of the 2010s populated by a healthy number of traditional corporate media organizations made stronger (translation: forced to pay greater attention to the quality of their work) by the emergence of an ever-growing number of citizen journalists, fiction writers, etc. And more importantly, I believe we will see greater, not fewer, opportunities for individuals to earn a living through the sharing of news and information.

Best Albums of the Decade: 2000-2009

2010-01-12T17:52:00.004-05:00

First, there was Napster, the peer-to-peer file sharing service that debuted near the end of 1999. Then, in 2001, we had iTunes and the iPod. By the middle of the decade—as people began to pick and choose which songs they wanted to pay for (or, ahem, not pay for), download and listen to, and as it became more and more common to throw every album one owned on to an iPod and just hit shuffle, letting Apple’s tiny computerized DJ dictate musical habits—many in the music industry were seriously anticipating a quick end to the album.

Fast forward to the dawn of the second decade of the millennium, and we see that, while the single has experienced a rebirth as a vital part of a musician’s livelihood in the era of the 99 cent track, the album is far from dead.

The following are my picks for top 20 album releases of the past decade. But first, a few ground rules:

Only one album per artist. So, even though Wilco released four stellar albums over the past decade, I’ve forced myself to choose a favorite.
This list is based solely on music I have in my collection. So, it’s missing some great albums that I’ve heard and enjoyed, but don’t actually own in their entirety for whatever reason (TV on the Radio’s Return to Cookie Mountain, for one).
No greatest hits discs, soundtrack or compilation albums, b-sides and rarities collections, etc. Even though Tom Waits’ Orphans contained some great stuff, and Neil Young’s Anthology Vol. 1 is now the gold standard for all hits and rarities collections, I decided to look only at albums full of new material by single artists, the contents of which could reasonably be absorbed by a listener in one sitting.
This is my list, and reflects my personal musical tastes. Don’t ask me why Norah Jones, Coldplay or Nickelback aren’t represented here even though they sold zillions of CDs and took home boatloads of awards, because you’re probably not going to like my answer if you’re a fan of these acts.
Finally, and further to the above, I’ve restricted myself to looking only at albums released over the past decade that I still enjoy listening to today as much as I did when they were initially released. This rules out stuff by Franz Ferdinand, Kings of Leon, OutKast and other bands whose albums enjoyed brief moments of glory in my CD collection but are now largely collecting dust or get the occasional listen for nostalgic reasons.

Now then, on to my picks...

20) Feist, Let it Die

Leslie Feist, it must be said, recorded her masterpiece several years before she began helping Apple sell iPods. With Let it Die, Feist created a disc of gorgeous pop tunes, including covers from popular artists The Bee Gees and Ron Sexmith that stand up admirably to the originals. More importantly, it showcased the charisma that would help catapult Feist into international stardom, and reminded anyone who might have forgotten that women do indeed matter in the often male-dominated world of modern rock music.

19) Once: Music from the Motion Picture

You might be looking at this, and then looking back up at my rules which state “no soundtracks,” and thinking to yourself, “that hypocritical SOB!” Yes, this one is a movie soundtrack. But more importantly, it’s not a movie soundtrack. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova were cast in the movie Once as musicians falling in love. As the two real-life musicians set about writing and recording the songs that would feature in the movie, while also acting in said film, they began a real-life relationship. The awkward, vulnerable chemistry between the two is present in both the movie and these songs.

18) Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary

Selecting Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock to produce this debut full-length was a stroke of genius and a fitting match, considering both bands’ ability to create quirky pop-rock hooks. Brock’s influence shows all over these songs, and if anything, he produced an album that possibly exceeds anything done with his own band.

17) Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose

Loretta Lynn’s 37th album came at a point when the 69-year-old was largely being ignored by Nashville. But this 2004 partnership with Jack White of the White Stripes, who produced the album as well as playing on some of the tracks, saw Lynn tread new and exciting musical ground while finding an audience with younger listeners. It also marked only the second time in her recording career where she wrote or co-wrote all the tracks on an album. If Lynn doesn’t release another album (and she hasn’t to date), this would mark an outstanding bookend to a storied recording career.

16) Green Day, American Idiot

Best album by a band whose 10 minutes of fame was supposed to be long since over. After breaking out with 1994’s Dookie, Green Day could have put together maybe one great album’s worth of material from the stuff they released on their next three albums. Not only did this album reinforce the notion that Green Day can make great punk music, but it also showed they were capable of making great music that didn’t necessarily fit into a narrow category.

15) U2, All That You Can’t Leave Behind

By the end of the 1990s, when the only creativity they could muster in the seven years between Zooropa and this disc was the spotty Pop, I really thought these guys might be done. The huge stadium tours and Bono’s over-the-top, look-at-me actions went from interesting to annoying quickly once it became clear that they no longer had the musical chops to back it all up. Then this came out, and everything changed. While it certainly wasn’t the second coming of The Joshua Tree that so many reviews made it out to be, this album definitely saw U2 return to the heartfelt, meaningful lyrics and cohesive and interesting song structures that marked that great release.

14) The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips have enjoyed a small but dedicated fan base, who have followed them throughout their diverse, two-decade recording history. For those of us on the outside of that fan base, who appreciated the trips but could never quite get behind the journey, this release was a revelation. A quasi-concept album full of references to space, science-fiction and robots, with ethereal electronic noises to match, Yoshimi was the first Lips album to take the stuff going on in singer Wayne Coyne’s head and translate it so a wide audience could understand and appreciate it.

13) Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes

The 1960s came back full force in the 2000s, in clothing, design, furniture, etc. But one of the most interesting, and long-overdue 1960s comebacks was seen in music, from the fuzzed-out garage punk of The White Stripes and The Strokes to the folk-pop revival seen in bands such as the Shins and the Fleet Foxes. The Foxes’ self-titled debut effortlessly combines folk phrasings and multi-part vocal harmonies to create something that gets into your head just as easily as it can fade into the background.

12) TV on the Radio, Dear Science

This album took the unique sounds and bits of promise that weaved through their previous disc, Return to Cookie Mountain, and managed to harness them for an entire album’s worth of material. It also saw TV on the Radio achieve what Beck largely failed to do on his Midnight Vultures: blend influences including Prince, Curtis Mayfield and the Talking Heads and create an album that sounded like each of those acts reinvented for a 21st-century audience.

11) The Strokes, Is This It

With all due respect to bands like The New Pornographers, Modest Mouse and Sigur Ros, whose Y2K releases were already beginning to define the 00s sonically, Is This It was the first release of the decade that made people from all stripes and all musical tastes sit up and take notice. The ability of Julian Casablancas and co. to create a sound that was at once theirs and also transported the listener to another time and another place (the dirty, sleazy and musically vital New York City of 1977, in this case), was a feat often repeated, though seldom equalled, by other bands over the past 10 years.

10) Radiohead, Kid A

At some point between 1995’s The Bends and this release, Thom Yorke clearly got tired of being in a traditional rock band. You can hear the band’s first attempts to create a new sound on 1997’s brilliant OK Computer, and they took the experimentation a thousand steps further with this disc. Equal parts heavy, introspective, beautiful and challenging, Kid A clearly demonstrated that the Radiohead of old was dead. Pity, though, that nothing the band has released since this album has retained the same fresh, thoroughly listenable vibe.

9) The Hold Steady, Boys and Girls in America

“Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together; sophistication demands that they submit to sex immediately without proper preliminary talk. Not courting talk—real straight talk about souls, for life is holy and every moment is precious.”

So opines Sal Paradise, narrator of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. This quote formed the title, and lyrical direction of this album. Songs focused on the trials and tribulations of slacker kids who spend their days doing drugs and having sex. For many of us, this disc put to bed the long-held belief that concept albums—aside from maybe The Wall—generally suck, and/or are based entirely around deep space/middle earth/rock operas/prog music.

8) The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow

The idea of a mega-star of the cinema announcing, in a movie directed by a mega-star of the TV world, that a band will ‘change your life’ should constitute a nauseating scenario for any serious music fan. But when that band is The Shins, and that song is taken from an album like Chutes Too Narrow, that pronouncement can’t be too far from the truth. And while that flick paved the way for a string of so-called ‘quirky’ movies starring so-called ‘quirky’ actors such as Michael Cera and Ellen Page, and the Shins haven’t made a great album in more than six years, this album will forever stand as a testament that sometimes even Hollywood tells the truth.

7) Badly Drawn Boy, The Hour of Bewilderbeast

When Damon Gough, a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy, came seemingly out of nowhere and won Britain’s Mercury Prize (like Canada’s Polaris Prize, if the Polaris actually mattered) with this album, it was like the second coming of… well, something cool. The Hour of Bewilderbeast arguably kicked the singer-songwriter trend of the 2000s into gear. But while others of his ilk have tended toward simple guitar-driven melodies to get their point across, Gough combined his six-string with layers of electronic sounds, strings and horns. Unfortunately, Gough has since turned to more mainstream production and promptly disappeared from relevance, clear evidence of how quickly the industry will eat its babies if they fall out of line.

6) The Dears, Gang of Losers

Yes, lead singer Murray Lightburn sounds a lot like Morrissey. But whereas the lack of focus on the band’s previous releases often made this comparison stand out more prominently than the music itself, The Dears manage to rein in the Brit-pop and orchestral synth that sprawled across their previous releases and create an album’s worth of tight, interesting songs—grand and orchestral where need be, quiet and introspective elsewhere.

5) Arcade Fire, Funeral

Death has never sounded so beautiful. Various members of Montreal’s Arcade Fire were in the throes of personal losses at the time of recording this album, and that sadness and vulnerability comes through in the music. Songs about society in decline paint a picture of despair, but the immediateness and intensity of the music, and tunes such as “Wake Up” (If the children don’t grow up/our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up/We’re just a million little gods causing rain storms/turnin’ every good thing to rust) urge the listener to do whatever it takes to move forward and survive.

4) Okkervil River, The Stage Names

This 2007 album was the unofficial soundtrack to the time I spent falling in love with the woman who is now my wife, and I experienced the album like one might experience real love. I discovered it purely by accident, downloading it on a whim one day. And I still remember the feeling I was left with as I listened to it on my iPod constantly for weeks on end, Will Sheff’s vocals and the bands hooks burrowing into my subconscious until I couldn’t imagine a world without this album.

3) Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Selecting one Spoon release for this list was a particularly difficult task, not only because most of their albums have come out in the 00s, but Spoon is also not a band to rest on their laurels. Like the best bands in rock history, all of Spoon’s releases seem to adopt their own sound. But Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga managed to take the best of all the vibes, moods and influences that made up their previous albums and combined them into one ultimately outstanding effort.

2) The White Stripes, Elephant

Holy mother of god. That was the first thought that sprang to my mind halfway through my initial listen to this album, and it’s still the prevailing thought I have when listening to this today. How does a band made up of just two people—a vocalist/guitarist and a drummer—create something that sounds this angry, loud, raw and sonically satisfying? Of course, as the decade winds to a close and we’re able to look back on all the White Stripes and Raconteurs releases, we’ve begun to understand the simple answer to this question: Jack White is a musical genius.

1) Wilco, A Ghost is Born

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was a brilliant album, so when Wilco managed to top it with this follow up, it was almost as if the entire musical universe had stopped turning for a minute. If Wilco never makes a better disc than this, they can still say they created one of the greatest rock albums of all time.

Beginnings...

2010-01-12T14:41:00.002-05:00

This blog is essentially what happens when unemployment and creativity collide head first with a random idea and a lack of common sense.

As a writer, editor and professional communicator, I’m often asked why I don’t have a blog. My fallback answer is that I’ve never had a blog, because I’ve never had a good idea for one. Now I have a blog, but I’m not sure if I have a good idea. I suppose time will tell.

In the meantime, this will be a place where all entries I write will start with the letter B. Of course, I plan on taking liberties with the letter B. So a posting titled ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite’ might be about the Beatles and their songwriting. Or it might be about kites. Or it might be about Canadian financial policy. Point being, don’t expect a post titled ‘Blueberries’ that’s actually about blueberries. Unless, of course, I feel like writing about blueberries.

Just for fun, and because I like the interactive potential this internet thing supposedly holds, send me your ‘B’ topic ideas and I’ll try to do something with them. Unless they’re dumb, in which case I’ll just feed them to my cat.

So there it is. It’s a blog. It’s a social experiment. It’s a somewhat productive use of my free time that’s at least tenuously related to my career path. If nothing else, it’s something else to read on the internets.