Foxymoron

S-A-S-S

Over tonight's grilled cheese:

Soraya: What's that? (pointing the Canadian Idol tattoo on my forearm)
Andrea: Um, yeah. I went to a Canadian Idol show last night. (Covers arm with shirt)
Teri: Andrea, why didn't you tell us? This is something you need to blog about.

OK. So my friend Maya thought it'd be pretty great if, for my birthday/going away present, we went to Wednesday's filming of the Canadian Idol results show. I was supposed to leave THIS morning and what better way to spend my final night in Canada than at Canadian Idol?

We made a very simple four-page sign — one for each of us — that spelled out S-A-S-S, for Canadian Idol judge, Sass Jordan of course. It's not that we love her that much, it's just that we couldn't think of any other appropriate four-letter words to cheer about in a kid-friendly environment, (they wouldn't go A-N-D-Y). We snuck our way down to the ochestra section, very back row, next to the telepromter and I was forced to sporadically jump up, hold up the "A" and scream without logic. It was fun but I was clearly the weakest link in the sign-holding. It was all worth it when Sue, the audience MC pointed us out to Sass (and the rest of the audience) with "Hey Sass, did you see that sign? You have fans" and Sass turned around and waved, "Better make sure all the Ss stay up if you know what I mean?"

Yes, yes we know. I wanted to hold this up everytime Ben spoke, but I didn't feel like getting yelled at by 12-year-old Mulroney supporters:

Anyway, I recommend the experience to anyone with a sense of humour and a love for the ridiculousness of television. You pay $5 to feel like a puppet and it's kind of nice, even if you are with the oldest non-parents there. It's nice to scream without reason. We spent the rest of the night with a bottle of read and eating so-so Thai noodles.

Photo: After the show was over, Ashley, the cute contestant who was booted off that night, cried on the centre of the stage while the remaining eight consoled her. Aww, they're so nice to each other.

Check your racks

The summer 2005 issue of the Ryerson Review of Journalism is now on newsstands across the country. Despite what some may have to say about certain articles, this is the second issue of the two issues this year that have received positive reviews overall. The summer 2005 issue (pictured above) is the same book in which you can find my article, "Growing Old Disgracefully" and the book in which I was the managing editor.

You can also find my article about War Child Canada in the latest issue of Shameless, which turned one-year-old last month.

Repition with a big change

Last day at work yesterday and it was nice, despite the flu. There was a "surprise" goodbye party with delicious gourmet ice cream, homemade chocolate sauce and an even saucier rendition of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" by certain superiors. Oh I'll miss work. I'm really lucky to be surrounded by a great group of people: filmmakers, writers, musicians, artists, animators, photographers and actors, whom are not only extremely talented, but also so much fun to work with.

Before I went to bed, I finally talked to someone at The Standard and it looks like I'll be leaving late next week, rather than late this week. That's fine, I'm not working which means no money, but it also means I'll have more time to get things ready for the big move.

Warp Level Cool

Guerrila Art Now. This is so totally wicked awesome. I want one.

Link via Photojunkie

National Fun Board

We went for afterwork drinks last night and history repeated itself when we ended up at The Gladstone for karaoke. Despite finding four flies in our first pitcher of beer, the place is a no-fail good time. With the aid of super supportive karaoke regulars and the general ridiculousness of the environment it was easy for us to get up and sing favourites such as "Faith," "Livin' on a Prayer" and possibly the worst performance of the night, "Amish Paradise," all going out to "The National Film Board of Canada." The evening ended with a very dramatic group interpretive dance to "I Can't Live Without You." Good times in Parkdale and I'm so lucky to work such great people, I'll miss them.

:(

*Please be reminded that all opinions expressed in this blog are my opinions and have nothing to do with my employer, past employers or future employers.

Gotta Have Faith Faith Faith

ThNow the plan is to leave for Hong Kong on Thursday. Seeing as I have neither obtained a working visa nor booked a flight (because I've not obtained said visa), this looks about 30% likely -- possibly less. The good news is that I have an internship at The Standard that is supposed to start on Aug. 1st despite all the above. I'm celebrating an early birthday and my departure (which will hopefully be sooner rather than later) tonight with dinner, drinks and if all goes to plan, debauchery.

We're having dinner in Lil' Italy and then down to Dundas for drinks at my favourite Toronto watering hole, The Press Club. If you're up for hard-to-find beers, improptu singing and good-lookin' people, come down and say hi.

Mp3s of the week: Please Please Please

Not one, not two but three mp3s for the taking!

I spent the day in and out of subways and streetcars. I ran errands with earmuff-like phones on my head. (Yes, I'd rather have better quality sound and sweat like a mofo than crappy ear buds falling out.) I listened mostly to the Shout Out Louds and I was immediately struck by the catchy melodies. The first track off of their full-length debut, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff titled "The Comeback" reminds me of The The's "This is the Day" (aka the song that plays during Empire Record's closing credits). That song sets the mood for the rest of the solid album of pop-rock with sad lyrics in the same neighbourhood as The Shins and Weakerthans.

Two weeks ago, while assuming the identity of one Ms. Nico when she went to Texas—I mean, Alberta—to visit family, I also stole her Final Fantasy CD, Has a Good Home. Owen Pallet, known for his work with Hidden Cameras and Arcade Fire, is a one-man band armed with a rockin' violin and his own version of pop music. I'm not fully taken with his vocals, I think he's holding back and the overall sound quality of the LP is sub-par. BUT there is some beautiful music. The violin makes wonderful sounds and the man (hearthrob to certain others) plays it well.

Lastly, Fiona oh, Fiona Apple. How you inspired some and scared many with your angsty speech at the MTV awards almost a decade ago. I wonder if she pissed off some Sony bigwig and got her completed (and hopefully forth-coming) record, Extraordinary Machine shelved. They won't even update her website. But thanks to the wonders of the Internet, we can all hear her new album and surprise, it's not bad. I don't think it's as good as her previous efforts, but it's better than nothing.

So what do these three acts have to do with each other? Absolutely nothing except that they all have a song named "Please Please Please" and those tracks happen to be some of the best tracks from the mentioned albums. I figured, let's upload them all!

mp3s of the week:
Shout Out Louds - "Please Please Please"
Final Fantasy - "Please Please Please"
Fiona Apple - "Please Please Please"

Which one do you like the best?

NB: Remember, mp3s are only up for a limited time.

A heart of stone, a smoking gun

It's very odd for me to be writing about being sad. I feel like I've spent the past few months, maybe even the past year, riding on adrenaline and the giddiness/lovable frustration of creating things (the magazine, the articles, cartoons) and now I'm kind of at a standstill. I don't like standing still.

For the first time in months, I had a really bad day yesterday. Nothing really different happened, but maybe panic just struck me. The stress of a recent grad and a 20-something girl. Hong Kong is now a big question mark (I don't wanna talk about it); I haven't been inspired in weeks to do much writing; and I live in the suburbs again. I just feel stuck and was looking forward to the overseas internship as a way to re-focus my energy and potentially my life. It's not like I'm unhappy, I'm just bored.

I need a change. Change is good. I need new people, new projects, new ideas. The good thing is that I've surrounded myself by things I consider positive and should incite some creativity. I'm reading a lot (Bright Lights, Big City - getting used to the second-person narrative); I've watched plenty of good films in the past few weeks (In the Mood for Love, High Fidelity, Lost in Translation); and occupy the in-between spaces with music I love and actively listen to (Bloc Party, Final Fantasy, Weakerthans).

MP3 of the week (month?)

I slacked off with sharing mp3s, I know. But I'm back with one of my latest purchases: Jason Collett. Collett has been hosting and performing at Radio Mondays on and off in the past couple of years. On his latest record, Idols of Exile, Collett calls on members of the Social Scene and Arts and Crafts family to contribute their musicianship, voices and hand claps while Howie Beck plays producer.

The album is nothing ground-breaking, it's just good summertime rock-pop, sometimes cliched but never over-the-top. Get it at Soundscapes (only $13.99), put it on, pour some sangria and watch the sun go down.

MP3 of the week "Hangover Days" (ft. vocals by Emily Haines, backup vocals by Feist)

Oh Canada

Same-sex marriage, health care and the best music in the world. I can't think of a prouder time to be Canadian.

Pictures from last night's festivities including the Feist/Apostle of Hustle show to come.