Fractionals

My position on the whole "$700,000,000,000 bailout plan" thing is probably best represented by Fred Clark, so it should come as no surprise that I am very glad it got shot down. I'm not necessarily saying any bailout is going to be a bad idea, but this three-page wonder was such a piece of shit that passing it probably would have been a cure worse than the disease.

Listening to Switzerland again this morning, I'm reminded of how much I still stand by this, and how I also don't think I was explicit enough about my point: Electric Six are the kind of band you wish there were more of. I haven't actually gotten a copy of I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being the Master, but the tracks I've heard suggest I should remedy that, and their new record is a fantastically exciting prospect. (Anthony is one of the few critics who Gets It, although I'd add Alfred in there too) They are the Blue Öyster Cult our times demand, deserve and need.

One of my favourite small things about The Wire is seeing our heroes get, not just drunk, but paralytically, stinking, incapable drunk on such a regular basis. It's not really something I do (any more), but it still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The Atlantic has a pretty interesting review up of the book version of Stuff White People Like. Not sure whether I agree with it fully, but it's good food for thought.

My review of the new Oneida album, the first part of a trilogy apparently, is up today at PopMatters.

I've been too busy watching The Wire and trying to get caught up on crap to post here recently, but today sees my review of the new Tape record up at PopMatters.

My review of the new Paavoharju is up today at PopMatters.

He will be abashed, I am sure (for no good reason), but Will Swygart's piece on Goldfrapp's terrifying, beautiful "A&E" is still the best music writing I've read all year.

Via Alfred, we have a profile of Alec Baldwin that reminds me why he's my favourite Baldwin (not that, no offence to Daniel's fine work on Homicide, there's much competition).

I've been too depressed by the whole leader's debate thing to post anything here, but this article, by Joe Clark of all people, expresses my feelings pretty well.

Another short take today, this time on Grouper. The album as a whole left me a little cold, but "Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping" is a great song.

My review of the fine new Tamas Wells album is up today. Now you can maybe understand what prompted my earlier post, eh?

My interview with Alan Sparhawk of Low/Retribution Gospel Choir is up today over at PopMatters.

So I'm walking down Gordon Street towards home, lugging groceries and the remains of other errands I'd been doing. I'm listening to Charles Mingus play "Mood Indigo," and something above catches my eye. I look up; above is one of those mercilessly clear blue skies you get here in the summer, to the right is the tall concrete wall that sections off that part of the street. And flitting from one to behind the other is a Monarch butterfly.

I am pleased to report that I managed to appreciate the beauty of that for a good ten seconds before the cynical part of my brain kicked in and scolded me for falling for such sentimental, cliche nonsense. Thank you, modern Western culture!

Don LaFontaine has passed away. Who, you may ask? Let's just say he's the Voice of God. He did amazing work, and as that self-narrated YouTube autobiography (which you can find at the link) shows, he was also a great guy. He will be missed. Movie trailers just ain't ever going to be the same.

Is there anyone out there who can tell me where I can find in Canada, to buy, physical copies of Tamas Wells' first two albums A Mark on the Pane and A Plea en Vendredi? I can't afford to import the damn things from Australia right now, and not having them is slowly driving me nuts. Alternatively, if any kind, naive rich people would like to just give me, oh, about fifty dollars for no good reason, I'll do it myself.

I know, I know, I'm unreasonable; but in this day and age, working in a goddamned used record store, it makes me irrationally upset not to be able to buy things I love.

So I've got a few days off, wherein I am trying to get caught up on writing for PopMatters and elsewhere; naturally enough, this is also when I decided to start watching The Wire at long last (the first four seasons are mine, and I'm second in line at work for the fifth). As a longtime fan of Homicide, I didn't find it the slow start that some of my friends did - I'm badly hooked already. Damn it. I need to write another review now, not watch another episode. but we'll see.



Also, I voted today, in the advance polls. You can probably guess my choice. It's nice that Blair Wilson decided to join the party, and may even be crucial if it gets Elizabeth May a seat in the debates (as it should; the Green Party has received as much as 10% of the popular vote which is more than the NDP has gotten when they've taken up to 13 seats, it runs candidates across the country (something neither Reform nor the Bloc has done when they've been allowed in), and now they have an MP...). But that doesn't change my feelings about this by-election, assuming Harper actually lets it stand. Which he might not, because he's a venal, hypocritical douchebag. (I know, I know, all politicians are - but defying the 'law' he himself put in place is kind of blatant even for them)