Apple Blood

Our music man, over at Lick of the Day, has a video called Apple Blood.

It won "video pick of the month" at Riffworks!

Check out the announcement here...

Congrats!

CC

A Combo Post

This post combines two ideas.

First, I love watching interviews with actors. They are among the most insightful people. Since I took a drama class at the mighty COCA (circa 2004), I've paid more attention to the craft of acting and its practitioners.

Here are two quick insights:

• In real life, those with dementia will (quickly) lose the ability to detect sarcasm.
• Many actors overplay being drunk: staggering around and being loud. Many people, when drunk, try to hide it from others.

A third insight pertains to this post:

• Guys converse and socialize by telling stories, in series. We rarely interrupt or respond. We respond with another story.

Tonight, I had dinner with my confidant JimO (not Jim G). He is getting older now (near retirement) and a bit hard of hearing, but other wise doing well.

Back and forth over dinner, we told stories. The initial ones were recent stories used to catch up on the news. As the evening progressed, we told classic stories. Jim would ask me if I had heard the one about X. I had indeed, but I denied it: it was time for it again. And it was a dandy.

We told stories for 2 hours. Many of mine were about back home, on PEI. e.g. I retold my famous motorbike crash when I was 12. Jim followed up with one of his crashes.

It was a fine evening. We never embrace, but shook hands at the end of the evening. I haven't seen him since February but he is a close friend.

CC

ps. Speaking of stories, The Island is no stranger to the art of a good tale. Most of my visits during the last trip, and the last evening with my family, were filled with good tales.

Food Inc

If you haven't read some of the latest books on the food industry (e.g. The Omnivore's Dilemma, 100 Mile Diet, or Fast Food Nation), then I recommend checking out the new documentary, Food Inc. It is very good.

I could write a lot on it but I suspect that most readers will eventually see it, or already get the idea.

The gist is a close look at Big Agriculture in the US. It is pretty scary.

• e.g. 4 meat processing companies handle 80% of the beef in the US.
• Chickens and other livestock are often raised in conditions that are neither fit for the livestock nor the workers.
  
• Runoff from fertilizer and especially manure causes unbelievable damage.
• St Louis' own Monsanto has a patent on a soy seed and protects its patent viciously: they have engaged farmers in legal battles and have won through sheer attrition. One farmer says that "justice is indeed blindfolded, and the side that puts the most money on the scales tends to win".
  

In fact, that was the best part of the movie: the farmers. One chicken farmer (a woman in KY) and an organic farmer (not sure where) really steal the show. They are principled, articulate, and, in the case of the organic operation, dedicated to old-fashioned values of quality product.

In one scene, on the organic farm, a chicken is killed. There is no ritual. There is no mystique. But there is a sense of respect -- an ingredient that is far removed from the giant agri-factories.

United Breaks Guitars

Steven Tyler once said: when someone crosses me, I don't just get mad... I write a song.

Well, that's what Dave Carroll (from Nova Scotia, no less) did when United Airlines broke his guitar. And he has become the latest Internet sensation. Guess what? When United caught wind of it, they settled rather quickly!

What a great story... a potent mix of ridicule, the Internet, and excellent production (the video is quite good). (Plus, honestly, it probably the best thing to happen to this guy's career).

C'est drôle!

Here's a special moment from my trip back home...

Binky and S have a daughter, ActionGirl. She is studying French immersion, as I once did, many moons ago. Unlike her younger sister, ActionGirl is quiet and a bit shy.

We were all down at a cottage (near the Confederation Bridge), playing on the beach, where the tide was out. I had forgotten how the beach is a natural amusement park for kids: there are all kinds of things to explore. (And it's all genuine, which is the best part).

As we walked along the rocks and shells, I thought about how to broach French with ActionGirl. I had to tread carefully. I remember very well being about 8 years-old and having every adult imaginable try to goad me into speaking French. It never worked: I would retreat into my shell even more. With ActionGirl, this approach would very likely produce the same effect.

(I wonder though if she gets it as often as I did: I was in a pilot program for The Island, and so it might have been more of a novelty back in the day. Thankfully, for the good of French Canada and the entire country, it is much more common now.)

I was in a pickle. Tentatively, I asked ActionGirl how school was going and received a one-word, bored reply. Then a bolt of lightning from the heavens: her Uncle R said the only French he remembered was:

J'aime manger la fromage dans la piscine.

(I love to eat cheese in the pool.)

Bingo! ActionGirl laughed, and Uncle R gave me a huge opening. Let the games begin.

My trick was to repeat the phrase, but to replace 'cheese' with various words. On the walk back to the cottage from the beach, I must have done this with a dozen words. The repetition and pun-effect was vaguely reminiscent from a previously successful game we played during the previous summer.

However, this one was so much better. I have no words for the feeling of making a child laugh in another language. I would just say a phrase, each more ridiculous than the one before, and she would laugh. She never replied. She never asked what it meant. She would simply walk along, and laugh, completely 'getting it' and smiling, be out of her shell at last.

CC

Midsummer Classic

I feel like I haven't really recapped the trip to PEI, but as with every trip, I am bursting with ideas, some of which I will blog, and some of which are too personal/alienating. Stay tuned, dear readers.

For now, some news from StL. The big news is that the Cardinals are hosting the baseball all-star game. On TV, you'll see the snazzy new (somewhat retro) stadium, which I quite like. What you won't see is the mess that is surrounding the place.

Part of the deal between the owners and the city was a "ballpark village" which would have all kinds of amenities and revitalize the long-flagging downtown area. (I live about 25 miles from downtown). Alas, the ballpark village has not materialized (primarily because the owners realized they can exploit the city even further). Virtually nothing is built; it is an unfinished construction site.

But, urban politics, aside, my main thought here is this: I enjoy baseball, but the pomp and circumstance of the all-star game is a bit much. I wish that our society spent 1/10th the money and applause on the all-star teachers.

CC

ps. That said, go Cards! I hope Albert Pujols gets some quality at-bats during the game.

C-64 versus the iPhone

I wish I had thought to show this to my father, when I was home.

Recently, someone wrote a Commodore-64 emulator on the iPhone. There was a big hubbub because Apple blocked it, but more interesting (to me) is this article, which contains a stat comparison.

e.g. The C-64 came out at $600. The iPhone starts at $99.

The C-64 runs at 1 MHz with 64 KB of memory.
The iPhone runs at 600 MHz with 256 MB of memory.

Naturally, the iPhone has 27 years of tech on which to rest, but still interesting.

It's a shame that the legal stuff barred the emulator. Imagine playing Gateway to Apshai while in line at a store!

Made 'er

I made 'er back to St Louis!

Much to recap on the trip, but for now, I can say that the travelling was smooth. Really fast trip home: 3 flights (between 50 and 90 minutes) and 2 layovers of about 1 hour. As part of my ongoing miscalculation of timing, I caught just part of the 5th set between Federer/Roddick, while in Montreal. Then I had to board. Never, ever fly during the Wimbledon finals!

I flew out at 11 am which makes life a lot easier, certainly for Dad. I don't think I'll fly at 6 am again (out of PEI).

The last evening was traditional: my bro-in-law and sister came to my parents and we ate dinner and hung out. This has been a standard since roughly 1994.

Going home twice a year definitely helps me stay connected with PEI! The weather was rather lame this year, but gorgeous weather is for the tourists :-) I am an Islander.

CC

ps. My Mom, my sister, and I attended an open-air performance by Youth Canada. Last year they celebrated Quebec. This year it was good old PEI. A great moment was when a young girl did a lymerick that basically said she was born on the boat and not considered a true Islander as the doctor cut the umbilical cord before they docked. LOL. It was wonderful!

The Bare Essentials of Air Safety

Air New Zealand has scored a coup with this video: it is an instructional vid on air safety, with a twist -- the staff are only wearing body-paint!

It has zoomed to 2+ million views in about a week. (Mostly on hype: it doesn't deliver the 'goods' but rather brilliantly teases throughout.)

I know that BryGuy and C-Book are going to NZ later in the year. I wonder if Air NZ is on the itinerary?

Happy Birthday, Mom

A quick note to wish my Mom a Happy Birthday!

The trip is going fine, and it is nice to be home for Mom's day.

An in-trip report:

• The weather has been generally overcast and very non-postcard. However, it hasn't rained a lot.
• My Dad and I went biking on the famous Confederation Trail for about an hour. That was fun...
• I'm visiting people left and right, getting to see a lot of people. Highlights include longtime friends over at Pater Audio and Poplar Point. I had a whirlwind trip in Kings County, making 6 stops in the span of about 3 hours. Not exactly quality time, but at least no one is upset (a perennial consideration).
  
• I spent Canada Day evening in a pub with my cousin, R. No fireworks viewing for us: we have a tradition of bailing at the first hint of chilly weather.
  
• I miscalculated the timing of the trip, with respect to cultural events. Plays, concerts, etc, really start in mid-July. e.g. Highlights include Stompin' Tom (!) and an all-Chopin concert by Alan Fraser, plus innumerable local acts. Ah well. A la prochaine fois!
  

CC

Happy Canada Day

A quick note to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day!

The trip has been grand so far... Weather has been only fair, but good times all around, including a big meal (all food within 20 km) at Vic and Colleen's. The downsides include Mom feeling quite unwell (though she is on the upswing).

This morning, my father and I went to a pancake breakfast (for Canada Day) and sat with Federal MP Wayne Easter (distant relation). That was pretty neat.

On Twitter, I put this quote:

Et ta valeur, de foi trempée, protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

1000 CC award points for anyone who identifies it.

Cc

Home Sweet Home

The big news here is that I'm going home to PEI on Saturday!

I am not looking forward to the usual crap at airports but it will be worth it to get home in the summer. Christmas is for family but summer is for fun and easy living.

Take a look at these pictures! Now imagine me in them. Nice. Especially considering you can fry an egg -- nay, roast the chicken -- on the sidewalks in St Louis.

if you are on The Island, I'll see you soon!
CC

Peace and Quiet (and Speed)

I've been tempted to write recently about how much noise there is in the city. Between equipment at work, and insanely loud AC at home, I am constantly bombarded with sound.

So, it was interesting to read this article about Ashley Fiolek.

She is 18 years-old, 5'2" and 105 lbs. She is winning motocross races left and right: as a rookie she won the championship for the Women's Motocross Association.

Oh, and by the way: she's deaf.

This may seem stunning but especially when you read the details about riding a motorbike. It has been years since I've been on one, but riders rely intimately on hearing for knowing when to shift. This is especially true when they occasionally 'catch neutral'. This young girl does have some trouble with neutral (a helluva problem), but her coach says she is uncanny at shifting at the right place in the powerband.

A terrific story.

CC

Quote of the Week

Burt and Verona are two characters rarely seen in the movies: thirtysomething, educated, healthy, self-employed, gentle, thoughtful, whimsical, not neurotic and really truly in love... For every such character(s) I’ve seen in the last 12 months, I’ve seen 20, maybe 30, mass murderers.

-- Roger Ebert

From the review for Away We Go.

I saw this flick last night. Not a great film, but fun in several places, profound in one or two. Worth seeing. Some reviews harp on the 'superiority complex' among the main protagonists, but I think it is more of a commentary that we all see everyone else as slightly crazy and just "not getting it" (and vice-versa).

Happy Father's Day!

Here is a Happy Father's Day wish to my father and all the Dad-readers (and Dads-to-be) of the blog.

My one-line summary of motherhood, as is well-documented, is that there is no stronger force in nature than a mother defending her young.

For fatherhood, I think my summary is that, aside from primal elements like hunger, nothing occupies a man's mind more than trying to live up to his father's example and legacy.

There are countless examples in history, sports, and film where a guy is driven to formidable heights, all predicated on just trying to make Dad proud. From Tiger Woods to Mozart, I'd say it is one of the motivating forces of civilization.

Personally, my father set the bar extremely high, and I'm grateful.

CC

Pushing Up Daisies

Click here for a great (implicit) commentary on the print media....

This is actually a sincere idea for old news boxes. But, the imagery is too good to pass up. Pushing up daisies, indeed.

CC

ps. I realize those may not be daisies!

Baby Train

One dear group of friends has had a lot of weddings in the past couple of years, and now, you guessed it, here come the babies! They aren't all here yet, but the train is steaming toward the station. At a recent baby shower/BBQ/party, there were several expectant couples.

(Ed's note: I'm playing it super-safe, and not naming names because I don't know who is truly 'public', and I shy away from that kind of thing in general.)

Naturally, one is excited both for the individual couples, and also collectively. This is quite a special, tight-knit group. I wonder if the children will play together -- grow up together?

Artifacts of a Move

Over the last few weeks, I've found the following stuff:

• A photo of me standing next to Herbie, the Miata, in either PEI or South Carolina (the soil looks quite similar). The photo was taken circa 1998. In the photo, I was wearing the same t-shirt that I was wearing as I stared at it, here in 2009. Though I don't wear this shirt to public functions, I think I need to update my wardrobe.
  
• I found a hand-written letter in a 'memory box'. I couldn't imagine why I had kept it, until I saw the sign-off at the bottom. The author was my cousin, who has passed away.
• For years, on my fridge, I have had a print/drawing of our church, celebrating its 150(?)-th anniversary. I turned it over and found a note from my mother. Nothing particularly dramatic, though she mentioned the wedding of a next-door neighbour. It was dated 1994. (Due to wear, this print did not survive the move, though I did take a picture of it.)

Just some of the things that make one stop and think.... There was a lot more, but it is too difficult to summarize, or much too personal (even above the bar I have revealed here).

One of the many issues with moving is that every box has the potential to stop you in your tracks with a blast from the past, and its concomitant introspection.

The Stanley Cup!

Game 7 was awesome! A great game.... Here are some thoughts:

• Talbot (sp?) for the Penguins, scored 2 goals that were just as a kid would dream, skating on a flooded backyard as a lad. One was a massive giveaway right in front of the net; the other was a strong slapshot to the top corner of the net (also known as "he roofed it").
• Congrats to Pittsburgh, but everyone in Canada knows that Sidney Crosby's home town and province will be wild with jubilation. He will never have to wait for a retaurant table again (though if he is smart, like Steve Yzerman, he will insist that he queue up with normal folks).
• It is true that Detroit beat Pittsburgh last year. This is unconfirmed but I heard a player left Pittsburgh this year for Detroit, for the express intent of winning the Stanley Cup. i.e. He has lost in the finals 2 years in a row, with the same 2 teams playing. This is a classic tragedy that is part of the Cup legend.
  
• I ran 6 miles for part of the game and watched the rest with some cool peeps. A great evening.
• Detroit really pressed in the final minutes. Every 20 years or so, a rookie goalie will win the Cup (Ken Dryden led Montreal to the Promised Land many years ago). Late in the game, there were some VERY close calls for the Penguin netminder, Fleury. I thought for a minute that the crossbar would win the MVP award.
  

I'm just delighted with that game.....

Stephen Colbert Cannot Be Stopped

Stephen Colbert is 'guest editor' of Newsweek magazine this week. It is a fun issue and a rather bold move by the magazine. I'll be very interested in seeing the Letters to the Ed next week.

(I imagine most know this, but if not: Stephen C hosts a satirical TV news show. It is brilliant.)