Good Brothers and Sisters

Holiday time, yes another month or so of progressive stress and unnecessary debt.

The important thing is the time with the good brothers and sisters that we get to see less frequently than we might like to. This is what matters, to me at least. Although I do like to give gifts, receiving them is not one of my stronger points.

Anyways, they have been so far so good, and most people still don't get here for a couple more days. A reunion of the ultimate team concert, of sorts.

The cancellation/postponing of the Big Daddy Kane show until March was an inconvenience, but the impact was softened by the good times had on the 13th for the Dears, Metric and Sebastien Grainer and the Mountains.



Team members Jimmy and Colin joined me for this event, and disappointed we were not. Sebastien Grainger might just have the album of the year. There, I said it.



See the thing is, after several listens, I have realized that a) not only is every song amazing and beautiful. But that b) Not since Patrick Watson has an album effected me so profoundly. And those who know me, know that is a major statement.

So I have decided that this piece of art will find its' way into many a stocking this holiday season.

Looking into the future:

Jan 8/ Crystal Castles @ UP! on Carling in London

Jan 15/ MSTRKRFT @ UP! on Carling in London

Jan 16/ Emm Gryner @ London Music Club in London

Jan 21 & 28/ Trailer Park Boys @ Centennial Hall London

Feb 17/ Ben Folds @ Kool Haus Toronto

Mar 15/ Bloc Party @ Centennial Hall London

Mar 26/ Big Daddy Kane @ Phoenix Toronto


I will be doing my best to hit up all of these shows, I invite one and all to join me for good times in the new year.

The Joy of Free Learning

Yesterday was one of those good days. It's easy to feel fortunate when an already good day was supplemented with a truly positive experience.

Anita Badami was born in India in 1961. In India she pursued and successfully completed a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Madras, and she studied Social Communications Media in Sophia College, Bombay.

In 1991, Anita moved to Canada, attended the University of Calgary and was awarded her master's degree in English literature. Subsequently her graduate thesis became her first of many successful novels, Tamarind Men.

On December 4th, 2008, Anita Badami graced Fanshawe College with her presence. She is now the writer in residence for the University or Western Ontario, but lives in Montreal. She only works four days of each month in London, so I count myself lucky to have been in attendance.

What I found to be completely inspiring was her complete mastery of the English language. Keeping in mind, that English of course, is her second language. Badami read from her Regional Commonwealth Writers Prize winning book, The Hero's Walk, and what overwhelmed me was the incredibly vivid descriptions she uses, while avoiding being 'wordy'. The prose was elegant and the storytelling seamless; Badami's writing encourages you to engage your imagination in a way that most of us haven't done since we were children, when imagination was everything. You find yourself picturing every texture, every breath, every subtle nuance that many authors seem to breeze right past, and most of us ignore day to day.

Badami exercises a phenomonal use of language, but is not difficult to follow. Although she is easily talented enough to justify it, Anita Badami has no attitude of pretentiousness, either personally or within her work. She exhibits a subtle humor and a blatant honesty, which are both admirable qualities in my opinion.

Anita Badami has written five books, and at this point I have yet to read any of them. Although I have every intention of absorbing the entire catalog.

In conclusion, I would like to comment that this experience cost no money. Zero dollars. I spent the rest of the day inspired and enlightened and all I did was show up and listen. These types of things are happening all the time in our communities, and it's important the we make the effort to experience them. Free knowledge and inspiration sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

But that's just me.

You Are Only as Good as Your Current Negative Complaint

I once saw an interview with John Legend where he stated quite matter of factly that, "You are only as good as your current album." It doesn't take a genius to understand that he has pretty much hit the nail right on the head. This was surrounding the release of his second album "Once Again," which I assume garnered criticism for being a fraction as enjoyable as his first one (although still quite enjoyable). It should go without saying that he, as a musician was then equally as good, if not better than he was on his first major recording. The point being, in the eyes of the general public, your standing as a musician and artist is solidified by your most recent work.

For some reason people will not accept a similar album from an artist, as that would make them bland, recycling their own material. But the "music fans" also don't want anything vastly different, because...well, I don't know the because.

The most appropriate current example would be the new release of Kanye West's album "808s and Heartbreaks." Although I'm sure this will become a great success, there is substantial negative buzz about his use of Autotune, and his non willingness to rap.

I'm just going to say this for Mr. West; if there was ever a time for him to make a wacky Autotune-non-rap-pop-art album, it is now. Besides, in my humble and irrelevant opinion, Kanye's rapping is not his strong point. Not to mention that I personally have always been a subscriber to the world of synthesized voice; be it Zapp & Roger, Peter Frampton, ELO, Chromeo, T Pain, Lil Wayne. Less is more. It's true, admit it. And anyone who pretends to not enjoy robot voices is either lying or crazy.

Truth be told, I got the idea for this post after I started listening to the new Killers album, "Day & Age". I'm not gonna review it, cause I'm not done listening to it. But so far it's surprised me with its' new waveish, discoish sound.

It's times like these that I must remind myself that this album is not part 4 of a Killers rock opera, it is an entity on its own. For whatever reason they made it, and now it's available for us to enjoy. Not to slam it on the internet or dis it to our friends. It's necessary to give it more than one chance, and to listen to it for what it is, not for what it isn't.



Now, for your enjoyment. Here is Kanye on Conan O' Brian on Tuesday, Nov 25/2008. Towards the end of this video you will be rewarded with the gift of seeing Conan sing through autotune. You're welcome.

Nothing's due...this should tide us over

In the spirit of sharing awesome stuff that most people may unfortunately not be hip to, here is a gift from the ever inspiring and talented Toronto based MC by the name of Shaun Boothe. He is known for his incredibly original and sometimes famously bitten ideas. This is segement 2 of 12 in his "Unauthorized Biography" series, and as he has informed me, number 3 will be available very very soon. Enjoy or shut up. Or keep talking, it's cool.




I encourage you to follow Mr. Boothe and become a fan, because he my friends, is super dope.

Introduction to Silver Lining for Negative Jerks

The purpose of this blog is simple, everyone (myself included) are constantly focused on what is wrong with everything. Not only is this an absurd and counterproductive viewpoint but it also keeps us from enjoying the little things.

Therefore I will focus on the positive aspects of things that I encounter on a daily basis, with an emphasis on the small things that, for lack of a better phrase 'make life grand.'

Topics and areas of discussion may include interesting bus rides, healthy snacks, concerts with random teams of friends, movies with Curtis Jackson, walking the dogs, wondering what Rob Lowe is up to these days, unusually large draft beers, learning for free, people watching, reviving the art of conversation, the Popples, the old cartoon Cops and trying to name its characters, David Shrigley, waiting for the bus in the rain listening to the National, free hot dogs, why eating mush has a bad reputation even though there are several delicious flavours of mush, the word 'notion', solo travel, getting haircuts, Rescue Me, local cuisine, local celebrities, art shows, wax museums, mix tapes, Booka Shade, Stones Throw podcasts, jerk chicken, pedestrianism, Diplo remixes, coffee breaks, not punching people, using words like opportunist and perplexing, the town of Medecine Hat, sleeping in, waking up early, 20 dollar pants, dessert pizza vs. treatsa pizza, blackberry messnger, chicken wings, funk breaks, ex girlfriends, Greyhound bus missions, bad facial hair, celebrity gossip, Johnny Drama, Call the Office, hungover exercising, graffiti, Victoria Park, people who aren't really vegetarians but say the are, the Wu Tang Clan, french dance music, Upper Thames conservation authority, Chad Kroeger, childhood heroes, that Camp Grenada song, The Wire, glass blowing, claymation, the almighty vinyl, supporting locally owned business, water parks, the art of Jeremy Fish and David Choe, collecting art, t shirt art, the saying of nice things, honesty, cool ranch doritos, the dead frog on a string joke, beatbox battles, breakdance battles,Principal Skinner, weddings, babies, playing frisbee, marijuana cafes, too much tv, lying down, Ben Affleck's single line of dialogue in Clerks 2, making new friends, lovin the old ones, collab pieces, keeping regular, Jagermeister and Tequila, the high diving board at the Aquatic Centre, tacos, getting what you pay for, tight pants, finding money on the ground, arts and crafts for Christmas presents, puppies, kittens, lemmings, sarcasm, tasteful nudity, grandparents, the song Where I'm From by Digable Planets, Sundays to relax, puppets, soundtracks, meatloaf (arguably the greatest of all loafs), Boston and Journey, new era hats, holding doors for people and having them say thank you, scooters, vacation, fall, and adventures and kickin it with my peeps. Oh, and wondering about when that Common and Q Tip album is coming out.