There's a great initiative afoot to change the CRTC's Canadian Content regulations to give radio stations more incentive to play indie artists. I think it's a wonderful idea.
If you agree, and you're Canadian citizen, drop by the website and sign the petition.
Let's Fix CANCON
Monday, May 16, 2005
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Flux On, Flux Off...
Normal business hours where I work start at 8:30 a.m., but because I have a long commute by public transit, I come in around 9:00, and my boss is okay with that. Lots of other people come in for 9:00 as well. Tuesday morning, as I strolled in at the stroke of 9-ish, I saw everyone--and I mean everyone--from our 2nd floor marketing/creative services/repertoire/business analysis/web area assembled in the open-concept meeting room affectionately called "The Pit", with our Exec VP addressing the group.
My spidey senses were telling me that something was up.
I dropped off my stuff in my office and made my way to The Pit. I idled up next to one of our graphic artists who was standing near the back of the pack and hushedly asked for the scoop.
"We've been bought by BMG," he said.
Always trust your spidey senses.
We spent the rest of the week getting dribs and drabs of information about what it all means. Here's a little article on the subject.
Usually these kinds of mergers/acquisitions result in job losses--"efficiencies"--and that may very well be the case with this one, especially when it comes to the redundancies in the call centres both companies have in North America. Both companies have distribution facilities and call centres in the mid-west USA. I doubt they'll keep all of them operating as is. Both companies also have head offices in New York City. Word is they'll move both into a new building.
It's scary stuff, but the possible blessing for us in Toronto is that BMG doesn't have a presence in the Canadian market. BMG Canada was operating a music club here, but we successfully shut them out 6 or 7 years ago, and they pulled out of Canada. So, assuming the new company (BMG-Columbia House, or whatever it's to be called) will want to maintain a presence in this market--and I can't see why they wouldn't--they'll need our office. Plus, not to sound like a company man, but we've been doing some very good work recently, making some very bold moves to rethink our business and reach out to our customers. I think--hope--that when our new BMG overlords finish examining their new assets and start deciding how to best integrate the two companies, they'll recognize that we've been a very valuable part of the CH business.
It's still early days in terms of knowing how it'll all shake out, but it may be a very positive move for the business. BMG is strong in its music club, and CH is strong in DVD, so the merging of the two brands could create a very powerful entertainment direct seller, as they are saying. Plus BMG also owns Book of the Month Club and several other large publishing companies, as well as other interests, so the cross-selling possibilities are there.
I think it's also better to be owned by an entertainment company once again. The Blackstone Group, which had bought us a couple of years ago, is an investment firm. They were only interested in "flipping" their investment. BMG is in the same business we're in, and they apparently see this acquisition as a strategic move to expand their business. They see value in adding us to their group.
At least that's what I can glean from the press and from what we've been told through the message coming down from the company execs. I was impressed that Stuart Goldfarb, the CEO of BMG Direct, spent all day Thursday travelling around North America, visiting every facility the two companies own around the continent, to talk to the employees and answer questions. I was also impressed that he showed up in a sweatshirt and jeans! As someone at our office said afterwards, he looked like a roadie for a rock band. It's true: 40-something, beard, sweathshirt, jeans, running shoes. He said that's just how he's most comfortable, and he does his job well, so his bosses leave him alone. He didn't have all the answers as to what's going to happen, because, as he explained, they simply don't know yet themselves. But he seemed like a pretty straight-up guy.
So, all that can be done is to wait and see how it all shakes out. Government approval for the sale won't come through until at least July 1.
The more immediate good news for me is that we're bringing in the new copywriter on a short-term contract, to get around the two-week hiring freeze. (Turns out the freeze was a result of the impending announcement of the sale to BMG--so that explains that.) Plus we're bringing in the other guy on a contract as well. He'll come in for 20-25 hours a week to work on certain projects. So relief is in sight for me. I can actually look at working normal hours and doing a nornal work load again--and taking some time off in the not-too-distant future. Woo!
My spidey senses were telling me that something was up.
I dropped off my stuff in my office and made my way to The Pit. I idled up next to one of our graphic artists who was standing near the back of the pack and hushedly asked for the scoop.
"We've been bought by BMG," he said.
Always trust your spidey senses.
We spent the rest of the week getting dribs and drabs of information about what it all means. Here's a little article on the subject.
Usually these kinds of mergers/acquisitions result in job losses--"efficiencies"--and that may very well be the case with this one, especially when it comes to the redundancies in the call centres both companies have in North America. Both companies have distribution facilities and call centres in the mid-west USA. I doubt they'll keep all of them operating as is. Both companies also have head offices in New York City. Word is they'll move both into a new building.
It's scary stuff, but the possible blessing for us in Toronto is that BMG doesn't have a presence in the Canadian market. BMG Canada was operating a music club here, but we successfully shut them out 6 or 7 years ago, and they pulled out of Canada. So, assuming the new company (BMG-Columbia House, or whatever it's to be called) will want to maintain a presence in this market--and I can't see why they wouldn't--they'll need our office. Plus, not to sound like a company man, but we've been doing some very good work recently, making some very bold moves to rethink our business and reach out to our customers. I think--hope--that when our new BMG overlords finish examining their new assets and start deciding how to best integrate the two companies, they'll recognize that we've been a very valuable part of the CH business.
It's still early days in terms of knowing how it'll all shake out, but it may be a very positive move for the business. BMG is strong in its music club, and CH is strong in DVD, so the merging of the two brands could create a very powerful entertainment direct seller, as they are saying. Plus BMG also owns Book of the Month Club and several other large publishing companies, as well as other interests, so the cross-selling possibilities are there.
I think it's also better to be owned by an entertainment company once again. The Blackstone Group, which had bought us a couple of years ago, is an investment firm. They were only interested in "flipping" their investment. BMG is in the same business we're in, and they apparently see this acquisition as a strategic move to expand their business. They see value in adding us to their group.
At least that's what I can glean from the press and from what we've been told through the message coming down from the company execs. I was impressed that Stuart Goldfarb, the CEO of BMG Direct, spent all day Thursday travelling around North America, visiting every facility the two companies own around the continent, to talk to the employees and answer questions. I was also impressed that he showed up in a sweatshirt and jeans! As someone at our office said afterwards, he looked like a roadie for a rock band. It's true: 40-something, beard, sweathshirt, jeans, running shoes. He said that's just how he's most comfortable, and he does his job well, so his bosses leave him alone. He didn't have all the answers as to what's going to happen, because, as he explained, they simply don't know yet themselves. But he seemed like a pretty straight-up guy.
So, all that can be done is to wait and see how it all shakes out. Government approval for the sale won't come through until at least July 1.
The more immediate good news for me is that we're bringing in the new copywriter on a short-term contract, to get around the two-week hiring freeze. (Turns out the freeze was a result of the impending announcement of the sale to BMG--so that explains that.) Plus we're bringing in the other guy on a contract as well. He'll come in for 20-25 hours a week to work on certain projects. So relief is in sight for me. I can actually look at working normal hours and doing a nornal work load again--and taking some time off in the not-too-distant future. Woo!
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Life is Hard, Then You Blog
I've been really feeling the strain from covering two jobs at work for these past three months. Haven't really been able to have much of a life outside work. Get home around 8 p.m. or later some nights. Get a bite to eat, often a slice of pizza from down the street, read some e-mail, maybe watch the news, then try to get to bed at a decent hour, which is often hard to do when I eat late.
But there's light at the end of the tunnel. We interviewed a candidate for the Junior Copywriter position, and I think she'll be perfect. Fresh out of school and eager, and her writing skills are very good. She's obviously a natural writer and truly lives in the world of the word. And I'm sure she's bright enough to catch on quickly to all the other stuff that comes with working in an office, and having the pressures of production deadlines, etc. I sat in on the her initial interview on Wednesday with our HR guy because my boss was at an off-site meeting. I recommended that we should bring her in for a second interview with my boss. So she came in again on Friday, and my boss loved her. So we were excited that we'd finally found someone to fill the position, someone who seems perfect. Only problem is, as I found out on Friday, the company has just this week put a hiring freeze in place. And this comes after some of the other departments have made several hires in the past few weeks, making their staffs larger. We're just trying fill positions from staff we've lost.
So it's pretty frustrating, especially since it seems to me that there's been some foot-dragging in getting this position filled. All I hear is that there's lots of competition out there for jobs, especially for writing jobs, hundreds of resumes stacked up on HR desks. And we've interviewed a grand total of three people over a period of two or three months? And now we've finally found a perfect hire, and they announce a hiring freeze! I'm told that the freeze will only be in effect for the next two or three weeks though, which is strange in its own right. But my boss says she's working on the higher-ups to try to get things moving sooner, so we'll see how it all shakes out.
The good news is that we are going ahead with bringing in a guy on a short-term contract. He's a former copywriter there, just before my time. We'll bring him in to do some direct mail projects and he can also help me out in the interim. So there is relief in sight. Ideally by the time the new junior copywriter is on board, the contract guy will be able to shoulder some of my load while I spend some of my time training the newbie, and then once she's up and running, I can actually take some time off. What a concept! I dearly need some chill time. You know you need some time off when you're sitting at your desk, staring blankly at the computer screen, whispering Peter Lorre imitations to yourself.
"I am prepared to pay five thousand dollars for the figure's return."
"Reeck, Reeck..."
Yes, it's come to that. Life outside of work hasn't been much better. When the weekend rolls around, I'm usually too burnt-out to want to do much. Just sleep in and then chill out at my own pace. Been spending my weekends mostly in my own little cocoon. Hardly even venturing out during the day. The exception was a few weekends ago when we had a beautiful Sunday, 20-some degrees and sunny. People were walking about in T-shirts...and, thankfully, pants.
The day beckoned, so I took a walk up Kingston Road, and, on a whim, decided to turn down a random side street and wander through a Beaches neighbourhood I had never walked through before. I walked southward, making my way through the mostly large, beautiful and certainly expensive houses. I ended up on a street that ran south towards the main strip of the Beaches on Queen Street. On the left was a wooded ravine with a walking trail that followed the course of a stream. One of the nice things about Toronto is the system of ravines that runs throughout the city. Lovely to have access to nature in the middle of a city. Gotta stay in touch with the Mother. I saw a stairway of sorts carved into the hillside, so I descended into the ravine. It felt great traipsing through the shady coolness, hearing the trickling of the stream, the rustle of leaves in the trees, sensing the awakening of spring.
Today is another such day. Twenty-three degrees and sunny. People walking around in t-shirts. And pants. I probably won't get out today though. Gotta do my taxes. And my laundry situation has gone Code Red. I'm down to the third-stringers in my underwear-and-socks drawer. The bench-warmers that never get to play in the big game because I rely on my quality guys to carry me through. As they call it in the hockey world, playing a shortened bench. But now I'm calling upon socks I don't even remember owning. Underwear that now prompt me to question my initial purchase decision (ultra-briefs? What was I thinking?).
Anyway, I'm feeling a bit too cerebral to indulge in the simple pleasures of a sunny day. Not that they're mutually exclusive, but I just feel the need to write and cogitate. It's been a rare feeling lately. And I've been feeding my head with some good things. This past Tuesday was the "company store" day at work (a phrase that tickles me to no end: "You take 16 DVDs and waddya get..."), where I get to redeem the voucher that accompanies my pay cheque once a month. They set up a corner of the warehouse with about a dozen large tables of returned product, mostly DVDs, and we get to pick one DVD or two CDs. This time around I chose a 2-disc deluxe edition of the "Magnolia" DVD. I try to pick films that I'm likely to want to revisit at some point. That's my philosophy of having a DVD collection. Why have a bunch of films you'll watch once and then they just sit on your shelf? For those kinds of films, there's rental. I guess I see DVDs more like CDs than books. Oddly, I'm okay with having lots of books that I'll read only once and then they just sit on my shelf. Perhaps that's an issue to be more fully explored at some other time, but maybe it has something to do with the perception that books are more "permanent", an older technology. Or maybe it's that I've grown up conditioned to accept the logic of libraries, with no similarly popular concept of film libraries?
Anyway, I watched "Magnolia" Friday night, staying up way too late to do so. In fact, I couldn't finish watching it because I was just to tired, it was getting on to 3 a.m. or thereabouts--it's a long film--so I watched the last 45 minutes or so last night. It's the first re-viewing of the film for me since I'd seen it in the theatre, and it certainly is one of those films that rewards multiple viewings, if only just to get a clearer picture of all the characters and their various relationships to each other--literal and metaphorical.
[I interrupt this narrative with an announcement. I have decided to forgo doing laundry until tomorrow! I'm working from home tomorrow, so I'll be able to get that done while I work, just as long as I get it done before I have to leave for my dental appointment in the afternoon. Getting a crown done. Yay. So it looks like maybe I'll be able to get out and catch some of the Sunday sunshine after all. Me and my third-string socks and my ultra-briefs. And pants.]
The bonus disc has some interesting stuff on it. A bunch of outtakes which are quite funny. Some scenes that didn't make it into the movie. The complete T.J. Mackey seminar that Tom Cruise delivers ("tame the pussy!"), as well as the T.J. Mackey infomercial that plays mostly in the background on television during the scenes with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jason Robards on his death bed. There's also Aimee Mann's video for "Save Me" and a making-of documentary that chronicles the process as the film goes over schedule and over budget, and then wins a bunch of awards and film-festival honours.
I'll say this though: Paul Thomas Anderson is one hyper dude. Made me wonder what it'd be like to be in a room with him and Quentin Tarantino. Give them some speed and then watch them explode like frogs in a microwave.
"Yesbutitreallyharkensbacktofritzlangsmetropolisandntherereallyhasntbeenapropernoirstoryline
sinceimeanimeanlikelookatdarkcity..." *BOOM!*
Odd thing was, as I was about to pop in the DVD to watch the last bit of "Magnolia", I channel-surfed across "Six Degrees of Separation", which had just barely begun. I had never seen it before, and it captivated me, so I settled in to watch that. A fascinating film, though it didn't take long to realize that it was adapted from a play. Great dialogue, but I find it detracts from the effect when you can practically see the playwright writing the words, watch the actor on screen turning into a mouthpiece for an offscreen presence. Stage dialogue doesn't always survive the transition to celluloid, no matter how brilliant it may be. But it was brilliant writing. Will Smith's discussion of his thesis on the death of the imagination was spellbinding and inspiring. But I say it was an "odd" thing to stumble across this film on TV because it certainly has some thematic commonalities with "Magnolia", chiefly the interconnectedness of lives and stories.
And then, today I finally got around to listening to Ryan Adams' new CD, "Cold Roses". I dropped the laser on the first disc without even looking at the names of the tracks, and the first line I heard was "I want to go to Magnolia Mountain..."
And the Narrator from the movie says...
And it is in the humble opinion of this narrator that this is not just "Something That Happened." This cannot be "One of those things..." This, please, cannot be that. And for what I would like to say, I can't. This Was Not Just A Matter Of Chance. Ohhhh. These strange things happen all the time.
I think I'll go take that walk now. Twenty-three degrees and sunny. Chance of frogs.
I'll leave you with some more memorable quotes from "Magnolia".
But there's light at the end of the tunnel. We interviewed a candidate for the Junior Copywriter position, and I think she'll be perfect. Fresh out of school and eager, and her writing skills are very good. She's obviously a natural writer and truly lives in the world of the word. And I'm sure she's bright enough to catch on quickly to all the other stuff that comes with working in an office, and having the pressures of production deadlines, etc. I sat in on the her initial interview on Wednesday with our HR guy because my boss was at an off-site meeting. I recommended that we should bring her in for a second interview with my boss. So she came in again on Friday, and my boss loved her. So we were excited that we'd finally found someone to fill the position, someone who seems perfect. Only problem is, as I found out on Friday, the company has just this week put a hiring freeze in place. And this comes after some of the other departments have made several hires in the past few weeks, making their staffs larger. We're just trying fill positions from staff we've lost.
So it's pretty frustrating, especially since it seems to me that there's been some foot-dragging in getting this position filled. All I hear is that there's lots of competition out there for jobs, especially for writing jobs, hundreds of resumes stacked up on HR desks. And we've interviewed a grand total of three people over a period of two or three months? And now we've finally found a perfect hire, and they announce a hiring freeze! I'm told that the freeze will only be in effect for the next two or three weeks though, which is strange in its own right. But my boss says she's working on the higher-ups to try to get things moving sooner, so we'll see how it all shakes out.
The good news is that we are going ahead with bringing in a guy on a short-term contract. He's a former copywriter there, just before my time. We'll bring him in to do some direct mail projects and he can also help me out in the interim. So there is relief in sight. Ideally by the time the new junior copywriter is on board, the contract guy will be able to shoulder some of my load while I spend some of my time training the newbie, and then once she's up and running, I can actually take some time off. What a concept! I dearly need some chill time. You know you need some time off when you're sitting at your desk, staring blankly at the computer screen, whispering Peter Lorre imitations to yourself.
"I am prepared to pay five thousand dollars for the figure's return."
"Reeck, Reeck..."
Yes, it's come to that. Life outside of work hasn't been much better. When the weekend rolls around, I'm usually too burnt-out to want to do much. Just sleep in and then chill out at my own pace. Been spending my weekends mostly in my own little cocoon. Hardly even venturing out during the day. The exception was a few weekends ago when we had a beautiful Sunday, 20-some degrees and sunny. People were walking about in T-shirts...and, thankfully, pants.
The day beckoned, so I took a walk up Kingston Road, and, on a whim, decided to turn down a random side street and wander through a Beaches neighbourhood I had never walked through before. I walked southward, making my way through the mostly large, beautiful and certainly expensive houses. I ended up on a street that ran south towards the main strip of the Beaches on Queen Street. On the left was a wooded ravine with a walking trail that followed the course of a stream. One of the nice things about Toronto is the system of ravines that runs throughout the city. Lovely to have access to nature in the middle of a city. Gotta stay in touch with the Mother. I saw a stairway of sorts carved into the hillside, so I descended into the ravine. It felt great traipsing through the shady coolness, hearing the trickling of the stream, the rustle of leaves in the trees, sensing the awakening of spring.
Today is another such day. Twenty-three degrees and sunny. People walking around in t-shirts. And pants. I probably won't get out today though. Gotta do my taxes. And my laundry situation has gone Code Red. I'm down to the third-stringers in my underwear-and-socks drawer. The bench-warmers that never get to play in the big game because I rely on my quality guys to carry me through. As they call it in the hockey world, playing a shortened bench. But now I'm calling upon socks I don't even remember owning. Underwear that now prompt me to question my initial purchase decision (ultra-briefs? What was I thinking?).
Anyway, I'm feeling a bit too cerebral to indulge in the simple pleasures of a sunny day. Not that they're mutually exclusive, but I just feel the need to write and cogitate. It's been a rare feeling lately. And I've been feeding my head with some good things. This past Tuesday was the "company store" day at work (a phrase that tickles me to no end: "You take 16 DVDs and waddya get..."), where I get to redeem the voucher that accompanies my pay cheque once a month. They set up a corner of the warehouse with about a dozen large tables of returned product, mostly DVDs, and we get to pick one DVD or two CDs. This time around I chose a 2-disc deluxe edition of the "Magnolia" DVD. I try to pick films that I'm likely to want to revisit at some point. That's my philosophy of having a DVD collection. Why have a bunch of films you'll watch once and then they just sit on your shelf? For those kinds of films, there's rental. I guess I see DVDs more like CDs than books. Oddly, I'm okay with having lots of books that I'll read only once and then they just sit on my shelf. Perhaps that's an issue to be more fully explored at some other time, but maybe it has something to do with the perception that books are more "permanent", an older technology. Or maybe it's that I've grown up conditioned to accept the logic of libraries, with no similarly popular concept of film libraries?
Anyway, I watched "Magnolia" Friday night, staying up way too late to do so. In fact, I couldn't finish watching it because I was just to tired, it was getting on to 3 a.m. or thereabouts--it's a long film--so I watched the last 45 minutes or so last night. It's the first re-viewing of the film for me since I'd seen it in the theatre, and it certainly is one of those films that rewards multiple viewings, if only just to get a clearer picture of all the characters and their various relationships to each other--literal and metaphorical.
[I interrupt this narrative with an announcement. I have decided to forgo doing laundry until tomorrow! I'm working from home tomorrow, so I'll be able to get that done while I work, just as long as I get it done before I have to leave for my dental appointment in the afternoon. Getting a crown done. Yay. So it looks like maybe I'll be able to get out and catch some of the Sunday sunshine after all. Me and my third-string socks and my ultra-briefs. And pants.]
The bonus disc has some interesting stuff on it. A bunch of outtakes which are quite funny. Some scenes that didn't make it into the movie. The complete T.J. Mackey seminar that Tom Cruise delivers ("tame the pussy!"), as well as the T.J. Mackey infomercial that plays mostly in the background on television during the scenes with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jason Robards on his death bed. There's also Aimee Mann's video for "Save Me" and a making-of documentary that chronicles the process as the film goes over schedule and over budget, and then wins a bunch of awards and film-festival honours.
I'll say this though: Paul Thomas Anderson is one hyper dude. Made me wonder what it'd be like to be in a room with him and Quentin Tarantino. Give them some speed and then watch them explode like frogs in a microwave.
"Yesbutitreallyharkensbacktofritzlangsmetropolisandntherereallyhasntbeenapropernoirstoryline
sinceimeanimeanlikelookatdarkcity..." *BOOM!*
Odd thing was, as I was about to pop in the DVD to watch the last bit of "Magnolia", I channel-surfed across "Six Degrees of Separation", which had just barely begun. I had never seen it before, and it captivated me, so I settled in to watch that. A fascinating film, though it didn't take long to realize that it was adapted from a play. Great dialogue, but I find it detracts from the effect when you can practically see the playwright writing the words, watch the actor on screen turning into a mouthpiece for an offscreen presence. Stage dialogue doesn't always survive the transition to celluloid, no matter how brilliant it may be. But it was brilliant writing. Will Smith's discussion of his thesis on the death of the imagination was spellbinding and inspiring. But I say it was an "odd" thing to stumble across this film on TV because it certainly has some thematic commonalities with "Magnolia", chiefly the interconnectedness of lives and stories.
And then, today I finally got around to listening to Ryan Adams' new CD, "Cold Roses". I dropped the laser on the first disc without even looking at the names of the tracks, and the first line I heard was "I want to go to Magnolia Mountain..."
And the Narrator from the movie says...
And it is in the humble opinion of this narrator that this is not just "Something That Happened." This cannot be "One of those things..." This, please, cannot be that. And for what I would like to say, I can't. This Was Not Just A Matter Of Chance. Ohhhh. These strange things happen all the time.
I think I'll go take that walk now. Twenty-three degrees and sunny. Chance of frogs.
I'll leave you with some more memorable quotes from "Magnolia".
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Thursday, April 14, 2005
You Don't Know Dick?
First, we were The Braveyard Whips.
Then, we were Mavis.
Then, The Darktown Strutters.
All just phases. Necessary biways to reach our destination.
Long live The Dick Ellis Revival!
Then, we were Mavis.
Then, The Darktown Strutters.
All just phases. Necessary biways to reach our destination.
Long live The Dick Ellis Revival!
Monday, April 11, 2005
Mmmmm is for Martha
Check out the lovely and talented Martha Wainwright on Letterman tonight. Maybe she'll do the title track from her upcoming CD, BMFA (Bloody Mother-Fucking Asshole), apparently written more or less about dad Louden.
You may have noticed her in "The Aviator" as a big band singer in a nightclub crooning "I'll Be Seeing You".
Courtesy of her website, here are 3 downloadable songs from the new CD.
(right-click, "save link as"; Mac people: control-click, "save link to disc")
BMFA
I Will Internalize
How Soon
Martha rocks! Artistically strong, vulnerable, sexy, brave, passionate, smart. If you've never seen her play live, do whatever you can to rectify that.
Maybe she can hitch her wagon to the current "everything cool comes from Montreal" ethos. Although I think she spends most of her time in New York these days.
You may have noticed her in "The Aviator" as a big band singer in a nightclub crooning "I'll Be Seeing You".
Courtesy of her website, here are 3 downloadable songs from the new CD.
(right-click, "save link as"; Mac people: control-click, "save link to disc")
BMFA
I Will Internalize
How Soon
Martha rocks! Artistically strong, vulnerable, sexy, brave, passionate, smart. If you've never seen her play live, do whatever you can to rectify that.
Maybe she can hitch her wagon to the current "everything cool comes from Montreal" ethos. Although I think she spends most of her time in New York these days.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Oh, God
With all due respect to the Pope and catholics everywhere (myself being a recovering one -- it's a 12-step program; one for each apostle), I think this article speaks for itself about some of the inherent problems with the church, or at least with some of its employees.
I've always failed to understand how people who venerate "the lamb of God" and "the Prince of Peace" can be so comfortable doling out corporal punishment. People have heard of this Practice What You Preach thing, haven't they? It's been all over the Internets.
Then again, with George Bush pushing a "culture of life", what can one expect with that kind of consistency in moral leadership. I'm sure there are quite a few innocent Iraqi civilians who would have liked to be invited into that culture.
And while we're talking religion and hypocrisy, I noticed that as the Terri Schiavo case was unfolding over the past few weeks, the Rev. Jerry Falwell was hospitalized in "critical condition...battling his second case of viral pneumonia in just five weeks."
To recap, this is the man who said that the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon on 9/11 were God's judgment on America for "throwing God out of the public square":
I think it's pretty obvious to see what's happening here: In the midst of the hypocrisy, threats and general ugliness perpetuated by right-wing Christian wind-bag zealots like Falwell, God is striking them down to send a message. Seems like a pretty obvious conclusion to me. At least according to the same kind of "logic" used by people like Falwell. Funny why they don't see this obvious expression of God's displeasure with their actions. I guess it's easier to intuit the will of God when it supports one's own narrow, hateful, fear-inspring agenda. When America is attacked, God is obviously punishing America for creeping secularism, but when someone like Falwell is struck down with a serious disease, it's not God's will, it's just a medical condition.
Maybe God should start leaving "calling card" notes like Spider-Man does. "This hypocritical, hateful pompous zealot struck down by your friendly neighbourhood omnipotent deity."
I think maybe God needs some media advisors to make sure his key messages are getting through.
(BANG) - Madonna should be 'beaten' for dressing as a nun, a leading US Catholic has claimed.
I've always failed to understand how people who venerate "the lamb of God" and "the Prince of Peace" can be so comfortable doling out corporal punishment. People have heard of this Practice What You Preach thing, haven't they? It's been all over the Internets.
Then again, with George Bush pushing a "culture of life", what can one expect with that kind of consistency in moral leadership. I'm sure there are quite a few innocent Iraqi civilians who would have liked to be invited into that culture.
And while we're talking religion and hypocrisy, I noticed that as the Terri Schiavo case was unfolding over the past few weeks, the Rev. Jerry Falwell was hospitalized in "critical condition...battling his second case of viral pneumonia in just five weeks."
To recap, this is the man who said that the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon on 9/11 were God's judgment on America for "throwing God out of the public square":
"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"He was also quoted as saying that "God will not be mocked."
I think it's pretty obvious to see what's happening here: In the midst of the hypocrisy, threats and general ugliness perpetuated by right-wing Christian wind-bag zealots like Falwell, God is striking them down to send a message. Seems like a pretty obvious conclusion to me. At least according to the same kind of "logic" used by people like Falwell. Funny why they don't see this obvious expression of God's displeasure with their actions. I guess it's easier to intuit the will of God when it supports one's own narrow, hateful, fear-inspring agenda. When America is attacked, God is obviously punishing America for creeping secularism, but when someone like Falwell is struck down with a serious disease, it's not God's will, it's just a medical condition.
Maybe God should start leaving "calling card" notes like Spider-Man does. "This hypocritical, hateful pompous zealot struck down by your friendly neighbourhood omnipotent deity."
I think maybe God needs some media advisors to make sure his key messages are getting through.
Friday, March 25, 2005
The Goods On This Friday
This weekend marks the third anniversary of my adventure in blogging.
And I have nothing momentous or profound to say about it whatsoever.
So let's get on with it...
I'm enjoying a very restful Good Friday. And that's... good!
A very necessary period of downtime. Just relaxing, drinking good coffee, listening to good music, surfing the web, trying not to follow any agenda or attach myself to any schedule. Off the workaday grid, so to speak. Will get together with some of boys in the band tonight for a rehearsal, probably go for a few beers afterwards (wait a minute... are pubs open on Good Friday? Hmmm, I can't remember). Either way, it should be a good way to spend the evening.
What have I been listening to? The new Solomon Burke CD is quite good. He goes a little over the top at times, but even when he does, it's entertaining. The lead-off track "I Need Your Love In My Life", is fantastic. Great Keef-esque rhythm guitar.
Been quite impressed with Josh Rouse's latest album, Nashville. Nice, warm, acoustic pop. "It's The Nighttime" is a great, catchy tune. Hear it and other selections streaming from his site. The piano ballad "Sad Eyes" is a little on the saccharine/schmaltzy end of the spectrum, but I find it hard to resist nonetheless. Overall I find him a cut above most of the other pretty-boy folk-pop romeos around these days, people like John Mayer. Rouse may be travelling the same road, but he's not so firmly planted in the middle of it.
Been following the Schiavo case, of course. Sad, sad story all around. I don't know all the details, and of course, none of us do, unless we have firsthand knowledge of her telling her husband or anyone else that she didn't want to be kept alive artificially in such a vegetative state. But seeing as how 30+ judges have heard the case at virtually every level of the judicial process, and the findings have all concluded that she did express that view, and has a right to die, I'm inclined to believe that those were her wishes. Similarly with the conflicting medical opinions. I'll side with the court-appointed experts over the bought-off hacks on this one.
Pat Boone was on Larry King the other night. His grandson had been in a lengthy coma after a fall, and then came out of it, despite doctors' advise that he wouldn't. Pat was calling the Schiavo case murder, and tossing around unsubstantiated innuendo about abuse from her husband. The fact that Larry King pointed out that the kind of coma Boone's grandson was in is a medically different condition than the vegetative state Mrs. Schiavo is in, didn't seem to disqualify Boone as "the voice of morality".
The bullshit, faulty logic and spurious argument coming from the right is simply incredible. If I hear one more right-wing pundit use the dog analogy, I'm gonna scream. Here's the spiel. "If I did to a dog what they're doing to Terri Schiavo [withholding food and water], I'd be arrested." Wrong. If you did that to an otherwise *healthy* dog, yes. But Terri Schiavo is not a healthy person. Fact is, if your dog was hit by a car, and was in misery, you'd be *expected* to put it out of its misery, perhaps even legally required to do so, but certainly ethically and morally obliged to end its suffering.
Then there's this ongoing talk of "activist judges." Apparently an activist judge is one whose decisions run contrary to right-wing, conservative Christian agendas. I guess some of the Reagan and Bush appointees on the Federal bench and on the U.S. Supreme Court have now succumbed to the same disease. People are screaming that "the judges are running the country". Funny, I don't remember these people so upset when judges appointed George Bush to his first term as president.
The level of hypocrisy is truly astounding. But that seems to be the central principle guiding American decision-makers--and we in Canada have certainly seen it in the area of trade disputes--if the game goes against you, change the rules. Or even better, ignore the rules.
I was happy to hear a voice of reason on CNN use the phrase "sanctity of the marriage bond" in defense of Mr. Schiavo's actions and in criticism of the bill passed by Bush and the Congress. Ah yes, that creature that is under attack by the forces of immorality and needs to be protected: the heterosexual marriage. Thank god Bush and the neo-cons have such respect for that institution.
And then there was the guy on CNN today protesting via megaphone outside of Jeb Bush's gubernatorial mansion, seemingly outraged that the groundspeople were watering the plants while Mrs. Schiavo was being denied water. Do us all a favour buddy, and start denying yourself food and water. Interesting too how Jeb Bush seems to have lost his righteousness and stomach for doing "the right thing" now that opinion polls are showing that his brother's ratings are taking a hit.
And what happened to the time-honoured conservative value of keeping "Big Government" out of people's lives? If one good thing comes out of this, other than more people getting their wills and their wishes in order, maybe it's the prospect of a rift developing on the right when the more moderate conservatives get a real clear look at what kind of religious zealots they're politically sleeping with.
But I'll just say right now, in lieu of a real living will with all the proper legalese language, that if I ever end up in a vegetative state from which there is no hope of recuperation, I don't want my body to be kept "alive" artificially. That's not being alive.
To quote a T Bone Burnett song:
The frightening thing is not dying
The frightening thing is not living
And I have nothing momentous or profound to say about it whatsoever.
So let's get on with it...
I'm enjoying a very restful Good Friday. And that's... good!
A very necessary period of downtime. Just relaxing, drinking good coffee, listening to good music, surfing the web, trying not to follow any agenda or attach myself to any schedule. Off the workaday grid, so to speak. Will get together with some of boys in the band tonight for a rehearsal, probably go for a few beers afterwards (wait a minute... are pubs open on Good Friday? Hmmm, I can't remember). Either way, it should be a good way to spend the evening.
What have I been listening to? The new Solomon Burke CD is quite good. He goes a little over the top at times, but even when he does, it's entertaining. The lead-off track "I Need Your Love In My Life", is fantastic. Great Keef-esque rhythm guitar.
Been quite impressed with Josh Rouse's latest album, Nashville. Nice, warm, acoustic pop. "It's The Nighttime" is a great, catchy tune. Hear it and other selections streaming from his site. The piano ballad "Sad Eyes" is a little on the saccharine/schmaltzy end of the spectrum, but I find it hard to resist nonetheless. Overall I find him a cut above most of the other pretty-boy folk-pop romeos around these days, people like John Mayer. Rouse may be travelling the same road, but he's not so firmly planted in the middle of it.
Been following the Schiavo case, of course. Sad, sad story all around. I don't know all the details, and of course, none of us do, unless we have firsthand knowledge of her telling her husband or anyone else that she didn't want to be kept alive artificially in such a vegetative state. But seeing as how 30+ judges have heard the case at virtually every level of the judicial process, and the findings have all concluded that she did express that view, and has a right to die, I'm inclined to believe that those were her wishes. Similarly with the conflicting medical opinions. I'll side with the court-appointed experts over the bought-off hacks on this one.
Pat Boone was on Larry King the other night. His grandson had been in a lengthy coma after a fall, and then came out of it, despite doctors' advise that he wouldn't. Pat was calling the Schiavo case murder, and tossing around unsubstantiated innuendo about abuse from her husband. The fact that Larry King pointed out that the kind of coma Boone's grandson was in is a medically different condition than the vegetative state Mrs. Schiavo is in, didn't seem to disqualify Boone as "the voice of morality".
The bullshit, faulty logic and spurious argument coming from the right is simply incredible. If I hear one more right-wing pundit use the dog analogy, I'm gonna scream. Here's the spiel. "If I did to a dog what they're doing to Terri Schiavo [withholding food and water], I'd be arrested." Wrong. If you did that to an otherwise *healthy* dog, yes. But Terri Schiavo is not a healthy person. Fact is, if your dog was hit by a car, and was in misery, you'd be *expected* to put it out of its misery, perhaps even legally required to do so, but certainly ethically and morally obliged to end its suffering.
Then there's this ongoing talk of "activist judges." Apparently an activist judge is one whose decisions run contrary to right-wing, conservative Christian agendas. I guess some of the Reagan and Bush appointees on the Federal bench and on the U.S. Supreme Court have now succumbed to the same disease. People are screaming that "the judges are running the country". Funny, I don't remember these people so upset when judges appointed George Bush to his first term as president.
The level of hypocrisy is truly astounding. But that seems to be the central principle guiding American decision-makers--and we in Canada have certainly seen it in the area of trade disputes--if the game goes against you, change the rules. Or even better, ignore the rules.
I was happy to hear a voice of reason on CNN use the phrase "sanctity of the marriage bond" in defense of Mr. Schiavo's actions and in criticism of the bill passed by Bush and the Congress. Ah yes, that creature that is under attack by the forces of immorality and needs to be protected: the heterosexual marriage. Thank god Bush and the neo-cons have such respect for that institution.
And then there was the guy on CNN today protesting via megaphone outside of Jeb Bush's gubernatorial mansion, seemingly outraged that the groundspeople were watering the plants while Mrs. Schiavo was being denied water. Do us all a favour buddy, and start denying yourself food and water. Interesting too how Jeb Bush seems to have lost his righteousness and stomach for doing "the right thing" now that opinion polls are showing that his brother's ratings are taking a hit.
And what happened to the time-honoured conservative value of keeping "Big Government" out of people's lives? If one good thing comes out of this, other than more people getting their wills and their wishes in order, maybe it's the prospect of a rift developing on the right when the more moderate conservatives get a real clear look at what kind of religious zealots they're politically sleeping with.
But I'll just say right now, in lieu of a real living will with all the proper legalese language, that if I ever end up in a vegetative state from which there is no hope of recuperation, I don't want my body to be kept "alive" artificially. That's not being alive.
To quote a T Bone Burnett song:
The frightening thing is not dying
The frightening thing is not living
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Leg Up
Haven't had much time or cause to blog lately. Now that I'm doing two jobs at work, I've been busier than a one-legged man at a butt-kickin' contest.
As you may recall, I got a new boss back in January. So far, things are working out pretty well. New Boss has a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and a lot of very good ideas about how to make our magazines fresher and livelier and more interesting. Shortly after she came on board, we sat down and talked about what kinds of changes she'd like to see, and I like the direction she's going in. Wants to add more editorial content to our magazines, letters from the editor, that kind of thing. More interactive elements. Crosswords, games, etc. Things to make the reader feel like they're members of a club, and not just reading a catalogue of product to buy. Things that are more fun for me to write too.
And she really likes my work, and is quite a bit more supportive than my previous boss. Less stingy with praise. So, in turn, I find I'm coming up with better ideas and being more creative in general, which leads to more appreciation, etc etc...
We also talked about my role, and I pitched her on the fact that I'd like to have more control over copy decisions, and more responsibility. She seemed open to that idea.
Then about a month ago, the other copywriter quit. Since then I've been writing and overseeing all the copy for the company--Music and DVD/Video Club magazines, web, direct mail pieces, even a display for a trade-show booth and a telephone script for outcalls from our call centre CSRs (cutsomer service representatives). It's been a load of work with many late hours. Getting to know the cleaning crew quite well.
But, we've been doing some really interesting things with our magazines, adding the aforesaid contests (asking readers to match rock-star tattoos with their respective albums), getting more interactive with readers (asking them to go to our website and vote on their favourite albums of the moment, sharing picks from some our staff, etc.). I just finished writing some expanded, review-style features on the most influential albums of the past four decades. Our graphic artists have been doing some great designs and layouts, and everyone's been getting a lot more creative and coming up with fresh ideas, including me.
It seems that all is turning out well. And for me personally, it's meant a more satisfying work environment--albeit an extremely busy one--and greater job satisfaction. And help is on the way! We've begun interviewing for a junior copywriter.
Why "junior"? Because... [drumroll]... I got a promotion! I'm now the Senior Copywriter, and the new person we hire will report to me. I'll be responsible for overseeing all copy in the Music and DVD/Video Clubs, and other projects. The new person will write mostly for the Music Club. If I had my druthers, I would write the music stuff, but the fact is, our music sales are down and dropping lower, while DVD is growing. Career-wise, handling most of the DVD side of things is the smart thing to do. Better to be on the rising boat than the sinking one. Plus I get to deal with all our Playboy DVD products!
And speaking of getting a raise, I got a fairly decent increase in pay too. Nothing that'll change my income-tax bracket, but I was happy with it. I considered perhaps pressing for a bigger increase, considering I am in a bit of an advantageous position, as the only writer on staff. But, with the company in precarious financial health, I'm satisfied with what I got. There's promise of more in the future as we move forward. And if I choose to leave, I can market myself at a more senior level.
So, all in all, the work front is a lot more satisfying these days.
Things is lookin' up!
As you may recall, I got a new boss back in January. So far, things are working out pretty well. New Boss has a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and a lot of very good ideas about how to make our magazines fresher and livelier and more interesting. Shortly after she came on board, we sat down and talked about what kinds of changes she'd like to see, and I like the direction she's going in. Wants to add more editorial content to our magazines, letters from the editor, that kind of thing. More interactive elements. Crosswords, games, etc. Things to make the reader feel like they're members of a club, and not just reading a catalogue of product to buy. Things that are more fun for me to write too.
And she really likes my work, and is quite a bit more supportive than my previous boss. Less stingy with praise. So, in turn, I find I'm coming up with better ideas and being more creative in general, which leads to more appreciation, etc etc...
We also talked about my role, and I pitched her on the fact that I'd like to have more control over copy decisions, and more responsibility. She seemed open to that idea.
Then about a month ago, the other copywriter quit. Since then I've been writing and overseeing all the copy for the company--Music and DVD/Video Club magazines, web, direct mail pieces, even a display for a trade-show booth and a telephone script for outcalls from our call centre CSRs (cutsomer service representatives). It's been a load of work with many late hours. Getting to know the cleaning crew quite well.
But, we've been doing some really interesting things with our magazines, adding the aforesaid contests (asking readers to match rock-star tattoos with their respective albums), getting more interactive with readers (asking them to go to our website and vote on their favourite albums of the moment, sharing picks from some our staff, etc.). I just finished writing some expanded, review-style features on the most influential albums of the past four decades. Our graphic artists have been doing some great designs and layouts, and everyone's been getting a lot more creative and coming up with fresh ideas, including me.
It seems that all is turning out well. And for me personally, it's meant a more satisfying work environment--albeit an extremely busy one--and greater job satisfaction. And help is on the way! We've begun interviewing for a junior copywriter.
Why "junior"? Because... [drumroll]... I got a promotion! I'm now the Senior Copywriter, and the new person we hire will report to me. I'll be responsible for overseeing all copy in the Music and DVD/Video Clubs, and other projects. The new person will write mostly for the Music Club. If I had my druthers, I would write the music stuff, but the fact is, our music sales are down and dropping lower, while DVD is growing. Career-wise, handling most of the DVD side of things is the smart thing to do. Better to be on the rising boat than the sinking one. Plus I get to deal with all our Playboy DVD products!
And speaking of getting a raise, I got a fairly decent increase in pay too. Nothing that'll change my income-tax bracket, but I was happy with it. I considered perhaps pressing for a bigger increase, considering I am in a bit of an advantageous position, as the only writer on staff. But, with the company in precarious financial health, I'm satisfied with what I got. There's promise of more in the future as we move forward. And if I choose to leave, I can market myself at a more senior level.
So, all in all, the work front is a lot more satisfying these days.
Things is lookin' up!
Monday, February 21, 2005
Gidget Gone-zo
On the same day, we say goodbye to Hunter S. Thompson and Gidget.
Yep, just two peas in this crazy ol' pod we call life.
Yep, just two peas in this crazy ol' pod we call life.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
No More Mavis
As it turns out, there's a band in town called Mavis Drive. It's a street out in Etobicoke. I'd heard of Mavis Road, but not Mavis Drive. They've been around longer than us, have a CD out and a web page and everything. They're "Sabbath-style hard rock". So it's back to the name game for us.
I think we may end up going back to The Braveyard Whips. It's original, and it fits the way we sound. Although tonight at rehearsal we all seemed to like The Goers as a name as well. I suggested we could make t-shirts that say "I'm a Goer" on them. But I'm kind of partial toward The Braveyard Whips myself.
I also have to go back to the drawing board on the CD art I created for our demos we recorded at Bertie's. I burned CDs to give to each band member, but I left the drummer's name out of the credits. Oops, sorry Gerry.
I think we may end up going back to The Braveyard Whips. It's original, and it fits the way we sound. Although tonight at rehearsal we all seemed to like The Goers as a name as well. I suggested we could make t-shirts that say "I'm a Goer" on them. But I'm kind of partial toward The Braveyard Whips myself.
I also have to go back to the drawing board on the CD art I created for our demos we recorded at Bertie's. I burned CDs to give to each band member, but I left the drummer's name out of the credits. Oops, sorry Gerry.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
So...
I wasn't sure how I'd start back into blogging after the last entry. Jumping right back into some mundane entry about work or the band or something just didn't seem right. "Sad about Mike, but moving right along, this is what happened to me on the subway today..."
Uh-huh.
But, knowing how Mike loved to deconstruct awards shows, let's dedicate this entry in Mike's honour: The Good, The Bad and The Grammys.
Let's start at the beginning: The opening.
Well, I suppose it wasn't as lame as some from years past, but that's about the best I can't say abou it. Does anyone else want to strangle the singer from Maroon 5? The guy just bugs me.
Gwen Stefani. Please go away. This woman cannot sing without sounding like she's sitting on a washing machine on agitate.
One thing about the Grammys is that when people do perform live, you really get see the wheat parting ways from the chaff. To wit:
- Gretchen Wilson: The Nashville marketing gloss is stripped away to reveal a glorified bar singer. Course these days in the music biz, as in the entertainment biz in general, it doesn't matter if you're flat; that can be fixed.
- Tim McGraw: Visually: beefcake. Musically: deflated souffle. Or as some say... all hat, no cattle.
Speaking of wheat and chaff, the Janis Joplin tribute was a prime example. Joss Stone is supposedly the new soul diva? She's got the style, but sorry honey, you ain't got the soul. I'm not even that big a fan of Melissa Etheridge, but at least she has the balls to be able to sing Joplin as it should be sung (not to mention to show up bald, after undergoing breast cancer treatments). Maybe not the Janis heiress, but at least her voice has the power to get her in the ball park. Joss Stone just doesn't have the... stones, to sing that stuff.
Loved the Loretta and Jack show. That was hilarious. One of the night's best moments for entertainment value and for seeing a real musical treasure get her due.
Kanye West. Get over yourself. Tool.
Queen Latifah: Nice job hosting. Very nice job singing that jazz song.
U2. Great performance. Deserved wins. Are there any real rock bands anymore?
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. Big hyped duet. Big yawn. Where's the wardrobe malfunction when you need one?
Alicia Keys: I liked her performances. She poured a lot of soul into her singing. She was spending some stuff there. The duet with Jamie Foxx wasn't quite as great as it should have been, mostly because it shouldn't have included Jamie Foxx.
Ray Charles. Nice to see a legend get his due (especially at the expense of a tool like Kanye West), but it was all a bit predictable and safe.
The big "We Are The World Across The Universe" ensemble: A Simpsons episode comes to life!
See you next year!
Uh-huh.
But, knowing how Mike loved to deconstruct awards shows, let's dedicate this entry in Mike's honour: The Good, The Bad and The Grammys.
Let's start at the beginning: The opening.
Well, I suppose it wasn't as lame as some from years past, but that's about the best I can't say abou it. Does anyone else want to strangle the singer from Maroon 5? The guy just bugs me.
Gwen Stefani. Please go away. This woman cannot sing without sounding like she's sitting on a washing machine on agitate.
One thing about the Grammys is that when people do perform live, you really get see the wheat parting ways from the chaff. To wit:
- Gretchen Wilson: The Nashville marketing gloss is stripped away to reveal a glorified bar singer. Course these days in the music biz, as in the entertainment biz in general, it doesn't matter if you're flat; that can be fixed.
- Tim McGraw: Visually: beefcake. Musically: deflated souffle. Or as some say... all hat, no cattle.
Speaking of wheat and chaff, the Janis Joplin tribute was a prime example. Joss Stone is supposedly the new soul diva? She's got the style, but sorry honey, you ain't got the soul. I'm not even that big a fan of Melissa Etheridge, but at least she has the balls to be able to sing Joplin as it should be sung (not to mention to show up bald, after undergoing breast cancer treatments). Maybe not the Janis heiress, but at least her voice has the power to get her in the ball park. Joss Stone just doesn't have the... stones, to sing that stuff.
Loved the Loretta and Jack show. That was hilarious. One of the night's best moments for entertainment value and for seeing a real musical treasure get her due.
Kanye West. Get over yourself. Tool.
Queen Latifah: Nice job hosting. Very nice job singing that jazz song.
U2. Great performance. Deserved wins. Are there any real rock bands anymore?
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. Big hyped duet. Big yawn. Where's the wardrobe malfunction when you need one?
Alicia Keys: I liked her performances. She poured a lot of soul into her singing. She was spending some stuff there. The duet with Jamie Foxx wasn't quite as great as it should have been, mostly because it shouldn't have included Jamie Foxx.
Ray Charles. Nice to see a legend get his due (especially at the expense of a tool like Kanye West), but it was all a bit predictable and safe.
The big "We Are The World Across The Universe" ensemble: A Simpsons episode comes to life!
See you next year!
Friday, February 11, 2005
Mike Wolf
I was out all evening, and arrived home to the sad news that fellow blogger, regular visitor here, and long-time online friend Mike Wolf passed away last night.
I don't even know where to pack this away emotionally -- other than in the general area of shock and sadness and disbelief -- given that I never met Mike in the flesh. But I've "known" him for about 10 years, going back to the days of the Elvis Costello email list, which I was quite active in back in the day, along with other regular visitors here, Dean and Vernam (Tom). Was in touch with Mike more often in recent years since we both started blogging. I read his blog almost every day.
He had extended a standing invitation to me to come visit and stay with him in Stamford, and hang out in NYC. Wish I had taken him up on it.
I don't know what else to say. We'll miss you Mike.
I don't even know where to pack this away emotionally -- other than in the general area of shock and sadness and disbelief -- given that I never met Mike in the flesh. But I've "known" him for about 10 years, going back to the days of the Elvis Costello email list, which I was quite active in back in the day, along with other regular visitors here, Dean and Vernam (Tom). Was in touch with Mike more often in recent years since we both started blogging. I read his blog almost every day.
He had extended a standing invitation to me to come visit and stay with him in Stamford, and hang out in NYC. Wish I had taken him up on it.
I don't know what else to say. We'll miss you Mike.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
More Mavis
Here are some more live demos. We recorded these last Sunday at our keyboard player Roberta's place. I took my portable Boss digital 8-track studio over there and we used only one mic, because it only has input for one mic. Didn't have access to a mixer. But they actually sound better than the previous demos when we had 2 mics set up. Go figure.
Took another run at "Masterpiece" (I replaced the old "Masterpiece" file in the folder with this new version) and "Just My Imagination". I added the newer take on "Imagination" to the folder because it's a better recording (despite some cable crackling coming from somewhere), but I left the older one up because it has a nice vibe to it. We also ran through Murray McLauchlan's "Down By The Henry Moore". "I'll Be Back" is a song we've been doing in our set, written by Pat Temple. We also recorded our originals, "Thelma Jane" and the new one, "Saved By A Song" (subtitle: "Lanois Song"), but I'm not going to post those until we have them registered.
I'm playing my Epiphone again, through my little Fender SKX amp. Not a great amp, but it only weighs about 7 lbs, which is I why I got it, to take to rehearsals at Bertie's. Beats lugging my 30-lb Blues Jr. amp on the bus.
Overall, I think these recordings sound pretty good. Boag's voice is more prominent, which is the main thing. Bertie's keys could have be a bit louder. But until we do some multi-tracking, these will suffice. I think we're really starting to find our sound, kind of a country-soul-rock thing.
Enjoy.
[click on the link, then, on the page that opens, go to the "page" icon in the middle, right-mouse click/save file to disc, etc.]
Down By The Henry Moore
I'll Be Back
When I Paint My Masterpiece
Just My Imagination
Took another run at "Masterpiece" (I replaced the old "Masterpiece" file in the folder with this new version) and "Just My Imagination". I added the newer take on "Imagination" to the folder because it's a better recording (despite some cable crackling coming from somewhere), but I left the older one up because it has a nice vibe to it. We also ran through Murray McLauchlan's "Down By The Henry Moore". "I'll Be Back" is a song we've been doing in our set, written by Pat Temple. We also recorded our originals, "Thelma Jane" and the new one, "Saved By A Song" (subtitle: "Lanois Song"), but I'm not going to post those until we have them registered.
I'm playing my Epiphone again, through my little Fender SKX amp. Not a great amp, but it only weighs about 7 lbs, which is I why I got it, to take to rehearsals at Bertie's. Beats lugging my 30-lb Blues Jr. amp on the bus.
Overall, I think these recordings sound pretty good. Boag's voice is more prominent, which is the main thing. Bertie's keys could have be a bit louder. But until we do some multi-tracking, these will suffice. I think we're really starting to find our sound, kind of a country-soul-rock thing.
Enjoy.
[click on the link, then, on the page that opens, go to the "page" icon in the middle, right-mouse click/save file to disc, etc.]
Down By The Henry Moore
I'll Be Back
When I Paint My Masterpiece
Just My Imagination
Friday, January 21, 2005
Sound Off
Sorry for the problems with the Yahoo files. Yahoo says they're trying to fix my Briefcase access problem. It's been several days, though, and nothing has been solved. Took me forever on their Help page just to find a way to contact them. Maybe that should give me some indication of what kind of help to expect.
If you're really interested in hearing the demos we recorded, let me know (click on my name below to send me an email). I can email you a link to the files that apparently works.
If you're really interested in hearing the demos we recorded, let me know (click on my name below to send me an email). I can email you a link to the files that apparently works.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Sounds Of Mavis
As promised, here (in the Music folder) are a couple of the live demo tracks we recorded last Sunday at Tim's place. Obviously not professonal studio recordings, but it gives some idea of what we're up to. Don't forget to do the right-mouse-button-click "save as"/"save link to disk" thingy.
If my memory serves me well, we only did one take of "Just My Imagination" and two takes of "When I Paint My Masterpiece", the keeper being take 2. We may try re-recording these. I think Boag's voice should be more prominent. There's talk of maybe doing some multi-track recording, which would yield a much more professional sound, of course, but for now, these will suffice.
That's me starting off "Just My Imagination" with the tremolo guitar. Nice job on the backup vocals by Roberta, Sean and Tim. I think my solo sounds a little thin, and maybe lacks some "verve". I wasn't quite sure how long I'd be soloing. Was expecting Kenny to take over half-way through, but then Boag was gesturing for me to keep going as well, so my solo doesn't quite "tell a story" like it should (beginning-middle-end), but we kind of got into a bit of a groove near the end.
Please feel free to share your impressions. Feedback is always welcome.
If my memory serves me well, we only did one take of "Just My Imagination" and two takes of "When I Paint My Masterpiece", the keeper being take 2. We may try re-recording these. I think Boag's voice should be more prominent. There's talk of maybe doing some multi-track recording, which would yield a much more professional sound, of course, but for now, these will suffice.
That's me starting off "Just My Imagination" with the tremolo guitar. Nice job on the backup vocals by Roberta, Sean and Tim. I think my solo sounds a little thin, and maybe lacks some "verve". I wasn't quite sure how long I'd be soloing. Was expecting Kenny to take over half-way through, but then Boag was gesturing for me to keep going as well, so my solo doesn't quite "tell a story" like it should (beginning-middle-end), but we kind of got into a bit of a groove near the end.
Please feel free to share your impressions. Feedback is always welcome.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Making Tracks
Instead of our usual Sunday rehearsal, this evening we gathered at Tim's place to lay down some tracks for a little demo CD to shop around to club bookers, etc. Tim has a recording board that he runs into Garageband on an eMac. We just set up a couple of mics in the small den off the livingroom and played live -- myself and Tim on guitars set up in opposite corners, Sean on bass in another corner, Boag sat by the wall, positioned between both mics, Kenny sat on the couch and blew away on his harp, Roberta played a little Yamaha keyboard to my left, and Gerry set up his snare in the doorway to the livingroom, so it wouldn't be too loud. A couple of the songs needed a few takes, but we got pretty good performances of "I'll Be Back", "Just My Imagination", "Thelma Jane" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece".
Tim's apartment has fairly high ceilings, and even though the den is a pretty small room, and we were all crammed in there, we actually got a fairly decent sound. Add some reverb in Garageband, and it came out with a pretty nice vibe. Far from Abbey Road, mind you, but we were all pretty pleased with the results. If I get a copy of the disc, I'll see if I can post the results.
Tim's apartment has fairly high ceilings, and even though the den is a pretty small room, and we were all crammed in there, we actually got a fairly decent sound. Add some reverb in Garageband, and it came out with a pretty nice vibe. Far from Abbey Road, mind you, but we were all pretty pleased with the results. If I get a copy of the disc, I'll see if I can post the results.
Meet The New Boss...
So I met my new boss earlier this week. She was taken around on Wednesday to meet everyone. She seems quite nice. Hard to tell how old she is. Possibly my age or maybe even younger. Late-30s? Good sense of humour, it seems. Isn't a stickler about making sure we come in at 8:30 on the dot, which is refreshing.
Strange though that she didn't hold any kind of meeting with all of us in our department. I would have thought she'd want to hold some sort of pow-wow, even just a brief little pizza lunch just to get acquainted with us all, her new underlings. In fact she was oddly invisible for the remainder of the week. To be fair, I'm sure she had a lot of stuff to get up to speed on, being a newbie to the company. Lots of meetings. As well, there are several people in our department who were still away on holidays last week, so maybe she decided to wait until they returned.
So we'll see how things go. I assume she has the background to do the job, and she seems a lot more easygoing than my previous boss. I liked Phil personally, and I was sad to see him get canned after 17 years there, but the truth is that he could be a real hard ass, and it was quite frustrating to work for him sometimes. Maybe this will be a nice new beginning. Stay tuned.
Strange though that she didn't hold any kind of meeting with all of us in our department. I would have thought she'd want to hold some sort of pow-wow, even just a brief little pizza lunch just to get acquainted with us all, her new underlings. In fact she was oddly invisible for the remainder of the week. To be fair, I'm sure she had a lot of stuff to get up to speed on, being a newbie to the company. Lots of meetings. As well, there are several people in our department who were still away on holidays last week, so maybe she decided to wait until they returned.
So we'll see how things go. I assume she has the background to do the job, and she seems a lot more easygoing than my previous boss. I liked Phil personally, and I was sad to see him get canned after 17 years there, but the truth is that he could be a real hard ass, and it was quite frustrating to work for him sometimes. Maybe this will be a nice new beginning. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Blood On The Boardroom Floor
Major restructuring at work today. "Streamlining". "Efficiencies". Those words scare me.
They canned my boss, Phil, Creative Services Director, as well as the director of A&R, a marketing manager, and the web manager. A couple of other people "left to pursue other opportunities". And they're bringing in outside people to fill the newly "streamlined" management positions. Yikes.
Bit of a shocker. I meet my new boss tomorrow. Better get some sleep so I make a good impression.
They canned my boss, Phil, Creative Services Director, as well as the director of A&R, a marketing manager, and the web manager. A couple of other people "left to pursue other opportunities". And they're bringing in outside people to fill the newly "streamlined" management positions. Yikes.
Bit of a shocker. I meet my new boss tomorrow. Better get some sleep so I make a good impression.
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