Foxymoron

I grew up at Ikea

I spent last evening reading the latest issue of Maisonneuve (theme: money and power). My favourite article was the piece by Poppy Wilkinson, "For the Love of PoÄng," about the store we all love/hate to love, Ikea. The story basically sums up my feelings toward the Swedish company. On one hand, I have had nothing but negative experiences with assembling the furniture. On the other, the furniture's simple and colourful design makes me happy. Generally, the latter feeling wins out. After all, I was practically raised in the big Blue and Yellow at Leslie and Hwy. 401. I still have memories of chillin' in the child care centre while my parents purchased plastic fold-up chairs and my now broken bed (Dad tried to change a lightbulb by standing on it). I remember that sea of red, yellow and blue balls fondly and every time I enter an Ikea, I secretly wish I was young enough to hang out there instead of swimming through the crowds.

In many ways, Ikea was the leader in big box stores, but for some reason, it gets away with it. Maybe it's the low pricing, or the meatballs, or the charming TV ads—Wilkinson says the lamp ad was created by Spike Jonze—it doesn't matter, it's an amusement park of home decor and cheap food. I love it! I love it! I love everything except putting Ikea furniture together.

Tonight, on The Amazing Race, the contestants went to the largest Ikea store in the world in Stockholm, Sweden. In a detour task they either had to count over 2300 items correctly, or put a desk together. Notice how most of the teams went for the counting first? It's because no one wants to put Ikea furniture together! Speaking of The Race, Jonathan is obnoxious. Lori (of Team Lori/Bolo, the professional wrestlers) must beat him up and make him cry. Now that my favourite team, Lena and Kristy, have been eliminated and I don't really like any one else, I will only watch the show to see Jonathan fall apart.

Pierre Berton is dead...

...and I am sad.

The 84-year-old journalist, writer, all around Canadian icon, Pierre Berton died at Toronto's Sunnybrooke hospital today. The cause of death is not known yet but he was battling with diabetes and congestive heart failure in his final years.

According to Canadian Press (via The Toronto Star and The National Post,) Berton churned out over 15,000 words a day at his prime. As far as I can tell, The Globe and Mail is currently the only paper running its own obituary.

Rest in peace Mr. Berton.

Joanna Newsom

SR was the first person to tell me about Joanna Newsom in the summer. She went on and on about some chick she saw in San Francisco who was on stage with a harp. I didn't think much of it then, but Newsom's name keeps popping up everywhere, most recently at Stereogum where I finally downloaded three of her tracks. Scott's (aka Stereogum) post about Newsom polarized his readers. The comments range from much love to much hate (without explanation). So far, I like what I've heard. Once you get past her slightly awkward, childish voice, I think there's is some really good music (love the harp) and I think her voice is kind of charming.

Yesterday, I was just thinking that not enough music videos take advantage of animation. She's promoting her current single, "Sprout and the Bean," with a cool video that uses chalkboard animation among other things. Hooray.

Does anyone have thoughts on Newsom?

Sarah Slean: Spreading love like a terrorist

Thursday night was the Sarah Slean + Ron Sexsmith show at the Danforth Music Hall. Slean was beautiful and far more entertaining than the slightly sick Sexsmith. Shot! (aka Wong) says it ever better than I could have: "The last time, she had just emerged from the woods and her charming eccentricity seemed to turn more into frightened lunacy." On Thursday, she was glowing and vocally, amazing. My friend JC (no, not THE JC), says that good performers are either one of two things a) they're just brilliant, get on stage and do their thing with little or no banter or b) they're slightly eccentric and have strange banter in between songs.
While initially, I wasn't really impressed with her latest album Day One, I can confidently say, I think Sarah Slean is both of these things. She'll headline her own tour around March 2005.

Bookstores: The new "it" spot

Forget Yorkville's snobbery. The best place for celebrity sightings is the local Chapters and/or Indigo bookstore. Last month, we saw Anthony Kiedis and Tommy Lee at the Chapters at John and Richmond for their promotional book tours. This week, the Indigo at Yonge and Eglinton is hosting two of my favourite male celebrities: Kyan Douglas (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Anthony Bourdain of the Food Network's A Cook's Tour on Friday at noon.

Bourdain is by far, my favourite Food Network personality and he's a great writer. Both his non-fiction works: Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour (which the show is based on and also written about in the book) are funny, well-written, often vulgar and interesting — especially if you love worldly food like I do. Bourdain, the man, is probably an arrogant asshole that would drive me crazy in "real life," but like I wrote about Christie Blatchford, he's kind of sexy, with his smoking and fuck-this-shit attitude. Maybe it's just a persona, but it's kind of hot, y'know, for an old guy. I'm just sayin' is all.

Red Bull is my friend/enemy

I'm still recovering from my weekend of Red Bull binge drinking. OK, I'm exaggerating, but I had my first two cans of this so-called "energy drink" on Sunday. The advertisements are true, I really did feel like a superhero with wings. I could concetrate and without the fidgetiness of coffee. But the yellow (like pee) appearance and the strange chemical sweetness makes me slightly paranoid. I suspect it's made in a secret underground lab with evil scientists. Not to mention it is linked to the deaths of drinkersfrom around the world. Still, the stuff works and I have another can waiting for me in the fridge.

Finally, something interesting in Ottawa

I wonder what Richard Addis thinks of this Carolyn Parrish thing. The former editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail thought Canadian politicians sure were boring when he came from Britian. In Chris Cobb's book, Ego and Ink: Inside the Story of Canada's National Newspaper War, Addis says:

"I met Paul Martin and Allan Rock formally in their officies, Stockwell Day, Brian Tobin, Preston Manning, and other minor figures. Apart from Chretien I found them all rather boring. They are much less articulate and confident than British politicans. They seem to have less need to be interesting and would bore you to death with details. British politicians meeting journalists always try to be witty, sharp, and pugnacious and get across some kind of character. Canadian politicians, other than Jean Chretian, reminded meof bureaucrats. I think Paul Martin may be the world's most boring man. Chretien may be wrong and infuriating, but he is a great character."

And it is my opinion that Parrish falls along the same line as Chretien. I don't think Martin was out of line when he fired her from caucus, he was dissed and he had to step up but at least the woman is interesting. Martin, on the other hand, makes me yawn no matter how many rock stars he claims to hang out with. For once people normally bored by politics are paying attention and that can't be completely bad. Not for politics or newspapers like The Globe.

(x-posted in RRJ)

The Big Apple North

To reinforce what a geek/procrastinator I am, it's Friday night and I'm blogging about Canada getting its own Apple stores.

According to AppleInsider and CNET, we can look forward to retail Apple stores in Ontario by mid-2005, that's in less than a year. The AI article says the most likely locations will be in the suburbs, specifically, Yorkedale and Vaughn Mills Mall.

Apple fans are crazy. According to the Grand Opening page, some lined up as early as 4 a.m. for the Washington, D.C. (10 a.m.) opening and started chanting "Apple! Apple! Apple!." I'm not that fanatical, but I will admit I hope/think the Apple Store is like an amusement park for Apple geeks. The site also has a video tour of the store featuring Steve Jobs in really tight jeans.

Parrish for the People

Liberal backbencer Carolyn Parrish is pissing people off again. She has taped an appearance on the CBC satirical show, This Hour Has 22 Minutes where she throws a doll of George Bush on the ground and smushes it with her boot. She has been a vocal critic of U.S. President George Bush and Prime Minister Paul Martin and her comments have caused some Liberals concern. They fear she will heckle Bush if he addresses parliament on his Nov. 30th visit to Ottawa, embarassing the party and threatening relations with Canada's closest ally.

Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan is quoted in today's Globe saying, "He is a visitor in our country. I don't know about you, but my mother brought me up to belive that when we had visitors we always treated our visitors in a polite, respectful way. And I would presume that my colleagues will treat President Bush in that way."

I think McLellan makes a valid point, however, I can't really blame Parrish for being a vocal biatch to Bush. The majority of Canadians do not support him as president, in fact, I think it's fair to say most of us really, really don't like him. While it's rude to heckle guests, when else is the American president going to listen to what Canadians have to say about him? While Martin tries to improve Canada-U.S. relations (as he should) and acts as the ass-kisser, I think we need to have someone like Parrish act as the ass-kicker.

Torontoist, George, CBC

+ Carl Wilson (aka Zolius) writes about the new Toronto blog, Torontoist put together by some young Canadian journos, mostly from the National Post. I like what I've read so far and hey, it's a pretty looking blog, (even with the advertisements,) which is more than I can say for the blogs of other journalists.

+ As Torontoist and many other blogs have reported, MuchMusic's last respectable VJ is no longer a VJ — not after Dec. 10th. George Stroumboulopoulos will work on CBC Newsworld. I really like George, I just hope he speaks SLIGHTLY slower if he's doing a real news report (MuchNews does not count).

+ Speaking of cool people and the CBC, former Smashing Pumpkin and Hole member, Melissa Auf Der Mar will be the next "advocate" on the search for The Greatest Canadian. She will be make her case for David Suzuki at 8 p.m. tomorrow night on the CBC. I already voted for Terry Fox, but I could be convinced...