Foxymoron

R-E-D-A-S-S

Last night, over a really nice dinner, a friend told me about another friend's adventure in teacher's college at Windsor. Monday mornings in Windsor is gym where they play games like octopus. Remember octopus? The image of grown adults playing this game in a gym is so odd to me, it's just out-of-place. But then I got thinking about all my primary school favourites like tether ball, king's court (aka dodgeball) and the always popular and sometimes dangerous recess game, red ass. Red ass was always my favourite, probably because there was the element of fear — if you lost, you'd have to stand against the wall while your competitors threw the tennis ball at you. I think it was banned one year due to an overwhelming number of red asses and black eyes. Truth is, I really miss playing these games and think there should be a gym devoted to these activities, not just a one-off kings court event, I want a weekly competiton for adults! I secretly want to join these people for the Dodgeball get-together. If someone knows of a gym, not one of those sports clubs things, that offers such services in Toronto, please let me know.

Blog on blog

I've been thinking about the "technoculture" of blogs lately. Tuesday's BSS show was not only a wicked performance from some of this city's finest performers, but I also go to see a number of friendly faces from the past. And you know what we talked about? Blogs. Blogs!

Part of me thinks this is embarassingly geeky. But the other part of me is like eff it, you're reading this and who are you to judge me for being a webgeek who likes to write? I'm a journalist damnit! This is what we do. We write and people read and we secretly get an ego-boost when someone turns around when the Stars come on stage and says "You know what's funny Chiu? I know how much you love the Stars."

Haha. Maybe Chris is right, we need real world friends, but the funny thing is, most of us started off as real world friends. It's the way of the future kids, strap on your wrist guards and ride the carpal tunnel syndrome highway of information.

National Film Board of Cool

It was a very busy day at work today. Phones were ringing off the hook with news of our two Oscar nominations. The National Film Board's films, Ryan and Hardwood are nominated for best short film (animated) and best documentary (short subject), respectively. This is exciting news and in case you're wondering what the big deal is, you can watch both films for FREE at the Mediatheque.

I, of course, have nothing to do with either production except that I have watched them both and talk about them with people. Instead, I teach kids how to make their own animation and documentary films, which I think is cool--not Academy Award cool, but cool anyway.

Art

I spent the day at the AGO, finally taking in the work of Modigliani. Someone told me I would find the best lips in the city at that exhibit and she just might be right. I decided to purchase the student AGO membership while I could.

The idea of being no longer a student but a real, official adult who pays real, official adult prices is unimaginable to me right now. But what's worse is the idea of not having learning in the real traditional way. I think I'm a late-blooming student. I never appreciated the gift of education until recently and find myself rushing to absorb as much knowledge as possible while still as student. We all know that the learning doesn't stops once you're out of school, it just happens that we switch gears and learning is no longer a priority like it should be while a student. I never took full advantage of the opportunities I've had to expand my knowledge of history, art, geography, politics, etc. during my undergrad and now I regret it. I don't want to fall into the trap of a full-time job that consumes my life and restricts learning about everything else in the world!

Anyway, I made a new pact to myself, (it's kind of a resolution for this year,) I'm going to re-learn art, first and foremost, art history. I know, just like jazz, it's a large project, but I don't mean to be an expert, I just want to know the basics of who contributed to what movement and where and why and how. So I need to start again from the beginning and with my unlimited visits to the AGO and perhaps a book or two, I'm going to learn all I can about art.

If anyone has suggestions for good books, films, etc. to start with, please share!

Music Music Music

The past few nights have been a blur of live music and unbearably cold weather. I'm proud that Torontonians won't let a little bit of wind and snow get in their way of good music (and drinks). Thursday night's show at the Opera House was a fun get-together of this city's urban music talent. We may have poked fun at Saukrates prior to arriving, but the dude put on a very respectable set (with guest appearance by Choclair). You should know that I already love Ivana Santilli. epecially in a live setting and especially with the trumpet, but she did a duet cover with Nasri of Maxwell's "Whenever, Wherever, Whatever" and I was very happy. Esthero and her band hit the stage with pirate getups and although she didn't play a single track from Breath from Another, she and big brother Jay Englishman performed an amazing version of Concrete Blonde's "Joey." The evening was made cooler when we saw Conor (aka Bright Eyes) chillin at the bar and M discovers he's "just a hip hop fan like you." The following night, Conor, who re-assumed the position as rock star/heartthrob, rocked the Phoenix. Never having heard much from Bright Eyes, I found myself frienship crushing on Conor despite Magg's report of his "bad British teeth." I fell in love with Tilly and the Wall's performance—STOMPesq with that cute member who only tapdances. The music on the site doesn't do the band justice. Fellow openers, Cocorosie had an interesting sound that included a vocalist whose voice was a blend of Joanna Newsome/Macy Gray sound. I think I would appreciated them more in a smaller venue because I like their eclectic and sometimes strange style.

Links:
Photos from Esthero's set at Love Supreme

Extra! Extra!

I have an extra ticket for Thursday night's A Love Supreme at the Opera House. Performers include Esthero, Ivana Santilli, Brassmunk, Saukrates and more. The funds go to UNICEF's tsunami relief fund so I don't really feel like I've wasted my money. BUT, I would like someone else to enjoy what I think will be a very good show, so if you're interested e-mail me and it's yours in exchange for some wisdom or a good knock, knock joke. But it's gotta be GOOD!

The new H(omo) bomb

Back in 1984, the U.S. Military considered creating an "aphrodisiac" to make its enemies gay, leading to lowered morale. The proposal, which was part of a $7.5 million non-lethal chemical weapons initiative, was rejected, but let's just pause to imagine what could of been...

An aphrodisiac to turn heterosexuals into homosexuals? Isn't that exactly what every gay man and lesbian who has had a crush on a straight person wanted?

And to quote George Stroumboulopoulos on This Hour, "Lower morale? Have seen gay pride?!"

Smorgasbord

I visited my old school, The University of Wealthy Ontarians on the weekend. It was a short trip I dubbed "Spring Break!" but it was a very cold break in London, Ontario. Re-visiting the past is a nice way to re-connect with oneself. I found myself reverting back to old habits: taking the same walk around Gazette office, using the same bathroom stall down the hall, eating familiar favourite foods, etc. It's only been a couple years, but lots of changes happened and well, what can you do? (Now that I've seen the makeover with my own eyes, I'm still angry with The Spoke "Lounge.")

On our way out of the city on a very cold Monday morning, we called in to my favourite radio station, CHRW and made some requests for the drive out. Magical Mystery Mondays was kind enough to play some Stars and Arcade Fire for us and speaking of The Fire...

Stereogum posts two mp3s from Arcade Fire's visit to KCRW where they covered the Magnetic Field's "Born on a Train" and a new original "Intervention."

I'm braving the frigid cold to go to Spacing's Public Space Invader fundraiser at The Drake tonight. It's an evening of short films about life in public space and it should be good. I'm just grateful for fundraisers that aren't the generic DJ+bar formula. Whoot.

And speaking of fundraisers, we at the Ryerson Review of Journalism are looking for a place to hold our fundraiser. It needs to be wheelchair accessible and we prefer somewhere with reasonably priced beverages. Ideas?

Maisonneuve

I spent the afternoon in a classroom studying the art and design of magazines. I love that shit—typography, photography, headlines, cutlines, etc. I think I fell in love with the production of magazines again. Then, D and I went to the bookstore and frolicked in the magazine section. I picked up Ready Made and even though it will be delivered to my parents' place up north, Maisonneuve because I was drawn to the stellar cover lines, one in particular: "Anthony Bourdain is One Sexy Beast." Two of my favourite things together at last: Maisonneuve and Bourdain. I love that sexy beast and I don't care who calls me a freak!

I've only read a few articles from the latest issue but I can tell already, it's a gooder. One of the things Maisonneuve editor, Derek Webster told me he wanted to do better was humour. Judging from the past two issues, I think they're improving from the pretention of the earlier issues. I like Siri Agrell's "The Clothes Make the Man," a piece about those annoying smartass t-shirts. I swear, Maisonneuve can read my mind. Just the other day, I was complaining about Neighborhoodies and the endless ironic t-shirt possibilities the site creates. "They are the passive-aggressive accessories of a mute generation," writes Agrell and she is so right.

So I came home, flung out the Visa to purchase a Maisonneuve gift box (at reduced $19.95!) and the first ever issue of Maisonneuve, which is almost as much $ as the gift box.

Smoke baby

It's past 4 a.m. and I can't sleep. If I was fighting insomnia two or three years ago, I'd probably be outside enjoying a cigarette right now. Not tonight. The reasons are obvious. I know, smokers know: smoking is stupid. I'm enjoying this latest anti-smoking campaign by the Ontario government, especially the commerical with the woman holding a giant metal pole on the top of a hill during a rainstorm. I think this campaign is more effective than the American "Seek Truth" advertisements whose message is more about reminding us that smoking is bad for our health. I personally find these ads less useful because everyone and their dog knows smoking can kill you, even those who didn't have the cigarette packs with the disgusting lung or the droopy cigarette that warns of impotence.

It's a filthy habit, but you know what? Cigarettes are sexy. I'm obviously not referring to the gross smell of smoke, disease and certainly not impotence, but the act of holding a cigarette. The image is hot and that's what I think often prevents people from quitting, which is why Stupid.ca and its commecials are probably more effective than TheTruth.com. They breakdown the "cool" image of cigarettes, not with the boring health facts, but by pointing out the ridiculousness of the habit on a more down-to-earth level (eg. girl smothering herself with dog poop).

And for me? Well, I will admit that a beer's just not a beer without a smoke. But with Toronto's increasing non-smoking areas, there's really no point in even thinking about lighting up.

If you're really curious about the smoking issue, follow the Toronto Live Journal community's thread. There are interesting arguments made for both sides of the smoker's rights vs. non-smoker's rights debate.