newmusicmonday #53 :: The Box Tiger

image :: The Box Tiger, by Lawren Moore, via Last.fm

Genre	indie art rock
Members	Sonia Sturino (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Glenn Tavas (Guitar, Vocals), Jesse Horvath (Drums), Massimo Decaro (Bass)
City	Toronto, ON, Canada
Upcoming Tour Dates	Lee's Palace 29 July@8:30; The Silver Dollar 5 August; The Foxx Club, Barrie, ON 6 August; The Mod Club 22 August. Full Listings

website	MySpace	Facebook	CBCr3	Twitter	Wikipedia	last.fm

This week newmusicmonday features The Box Tiger from here in Toronto, which formed relatively recently in late 2009. There's something about their sound that draws me in. It's a throwback to 80s new wave and "art rock" is an apt discriptor. I also hear a bit of post-punk in the vein of Xmal Deutcshland and Siouxie. The raw emotions of the lyrics of "Feel It" {see CBC Radio 3 link above} come through with the vocals with an arrangement that draws upon multiple styles. Also on CBCr3 is "Ballad of My Bones" with dour lyrics set to an infectious propulsive beat. For something a bid different, check out the acoustic version of "Little Letters" on the MySpace link above, which is more folk tinged

There are a few live videos on YouTube and one of my favourites is this performance of "Life Crime" from the Upstreet Lounge, which I think is in Vaughan {Ontario}, on 2 January::



You can download a live track of "Faceless" here from Bandcamp. I'm hoping to make their live show at Lee's Palace on Thursday. They go on at 8:30PM and the show is $8 before 10, so there's really no excuses.

I'll leave you with "Fancy Books" from the Raw Indie Concert on 20 December 2009::



Twitterversion:: [blog] #newmusicmonday in its sophomore year feat.The Box Tiger {@boxtigermusic}.Upcoming show @ Lee's Palace+free download link. @Prof_K

Friday Night Videos :: Lloyd Cole & the Commotions

image :: screencap of page listing tracks from forthcoming Lloyd Cole album, 'Broken Record'

from Lloydcole.com

Samples are available on the 'Broken Record' page of Lloyd Cole's site. I'm looking forward to this album. The last one {non-compilation} was 'Antidepressant' {2006}, which I played quite a bit, but left in California. Ironically, I briefly dated someone on heavy-duty antidepressants at that time and it all ended rather predictably {not that I'm the sanest person} and given Lloyd's penchant for songs about failed relationships, quite apropos.

It's been six years since I've seen Lloyd Cole live, the last time was 2004 in San Francisco. Lloyd Cole's music always reminds me of northern California, since I've played his stuff on many a road trip up there, starting with 'Rattlesnakes' with the Commotions in the 80s and his solo stuff in the 90s. He always does a great show and in 2002 he had a marathon session at The Great American Music Hall with an intermission. On one of his shows, he parodied his own vocal style from his days with the Commotions, which was quite funny.

Here's a live version in Germany of "Are You Ready to be Heartbroken?", which is the final track on 'Rattlesnakes' {1984}::

Fellow Scots, Camera Obscura, responded in 2006 with 'Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken'::

Here's another track from 'Rattlesnakes' is "Forest Fire"::

and "Lost Weekend" from 'Easy Pieces'::

My two favourite tracks from 'Easy Pieces' are "Rich" and "Grace"::

Twitterversion:: [videos + blog] #FridayNightVideos features live Lloyd Cole & the Commotions & a Camera Obscura video. @Prof_K

The Shakespearian Rogue :: Palin’s Neologism

Originally posted on ThickCulture

While Sarah Palin's recent use of "refudiate" twice would be a double facepalm moment for most politicians, perhaps she gets a bye because of her folksy patois. I do think she's self-conscious of appearing none-too-smart and rather than just shrugging these things off, she gives them too much play, which is more fodder for the press and pundits. Of course, this keeps her in the limelight even more. While I think that might be shrewd for being a political celebrity of sorts, I think all of this self-consciousness undermines her credibility as a potential political candidate to an important demographic—educated suburban/urban moderates and independents.

This reminds me of the old Fox show In Living Color and Damon Wayans' character, Oswald Bates, full of his own unique patois::


Just in case anyone cares, if you type in "refudiate" in Twitter...

there is a spellcheck that lets you know you're in neologism territory...or are just misspelling words.

Song:: The Stills-'Lola Stars & Stripes' {lyrics}

Twitterversion:: [blog] Sarah Palin's "Shakespearean" neologism of "refudiate" reminds me of an old Damon Wayans character. #ThickCulture @Prof_K

newmusicmonday #52 :: The Burns Unit

image :: "the unit in wee boxes", from MySpaceMusic

Emma, Mattie, Karine, Michael, KC, Kim, FP, MC Soom T {L-R, top to bottom}

This week's newmusicmonday marks the one year milestone featuring Scottish-Canadian "supergroup" The Burns Unit {MySpace}. Their bio on their site explains how they came together::

“'We may be the world’s first accidental big band,' says Johnston. The Burns Unit formed out of a one‐week songwriting retreat ‐ called 'Burnsong' ‐ held in rural Scotland in December 2006 (that also included Squeeze’s Chris Difford). Each musician arrived with virtually no connections to or knowledge of one another. 'Together, we’re such a mishmash of personalities and styles', says Johnston, 'we had no right to have gotten along as well as we did, let alone form a band and make an album. We often joke that we’re the band nobody asked to be a member of.'”

This video also explains the genesis of the band::

The band's début album, 'Side Show', is due to be released on 2 August in the UK {10 August in Canada & the US} and samples of their songs are available here on their site. The song "Trouble" {see previous link for sample} was Janice Forsythe's {BBC Scotland} song of the month. Also, there are a handful of upcoming performances in the UK. I stumbled across the band via Songkick and searches stemming from wondering whatever happened to The Delgados.

from Thomas Gavin shoot

I've been listening to the samples and various videos of live performances and started getting into their eclectic sound, although the term “indie pop meets carnival rock” doesn't seem to do them justice. It might be my mood today, but I'm gravitating towards the more uptempo songs. For example, I really like the arrangement in this live video excerpt of the "What Is Life" from last summer::

I'm also a fan of this clip of "Helpless to Turn" from a Glasgow show at ABS in February of 2009::

Finally, here's an excerpt of the folksier "All of This in Writing" from Homegame 2009 {BBC Scotland}, which I've warmed up to after several listens::

Twitterversion:: [blog+video] 52nd. installment of #newmusicmonday on #rhizomicon feat. Scottish-Canadian The Burns Unit {@burnsunitband}. http://url.ie/6thl  @Prof_K

New G20 Meme :: Officer Bubbles

image :: vidcap of "Officer Bubbles" from trnn.com

This weekend, protests of police tactics during the G20 in Toronto last month made the mainstream news, along with the story of how the "Officer Bubbles" video was going viral. Ah, if only the story were about Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys::

The short video shows how an annoyed officer threatened a protester blowing bubbles with an assault charge if one of the offending bubbles touched him::

The offending bubble-blower is later seen being being taken into custody. This video provides some more context for the Officer Bubbles altercation and the concerns about civil liberties.

I've written on the G20 civil liberties issue already and I think there's a troubling precedent being set here. These types of intimidation tactics and protocols create disincentives for freedom of speech and voicing dissent. How I see it, the "Toronto G20 protocol" in some circles could be viewed as quite effective in quashing dissent, both peaceful and violent alike. Unless the police tactics turns into a political PR nightmare for the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario, and the federal government, I'd expect more of the same.

Song:: MC5-'Kick out the Jams'


Twitterversion:: New #G20 meme of "Officer Bubbles" goes mainstream & viral, keeping #Toronto Police conduct in the limelight. @Prof_K

Au Revoir Simone :: Great Hall, Toronto 15 July 2010

Here's a good review of the Au Revoir Simone {MySpace Music} show over on Panicmanual.com {Hattip:: LinnyQat}. I didn't get there until right before Alexa Wilding's {MySpace Music} set, due to a recreational diversion through Trinity Bellwoods Park and an overreliance on Google maps {a search for "Great Hall Toronto" yields the correct address on 1087 Queen West, but the wrong location on the map}.

This was the first time I ever saw Au Revoir Simone, although I've been listening to them since 2006. The show was pretty tight and their music translates well live. While some might say their performance was rather wooden, I didn't seem to mind. Maybe it's the library chic look they're sporting. I wish my camera wasn't having difficulties, as I wish I could have shot their cover of Don Henley's "Boys of Summer".

Here's a few of my favourite songs of theirs, but, alas, I didn't keep track of the playlist.

Twitterversion:: [photos] Three from Au Revoir Simone's Toronto show {15 July 2010} at Great Hall. @Prof_K

Web 2.0 Wayback Machine & Friday Night Videos :: Martha & the Muffins/M&M

image :: Martha & the Muffins LP jacket for 'Metro Music', featuring a portion of a map of Toronto

While looking for designs of Peter Saville {here's an earlier blog on him I did last year}, I stumbled across this 1980 LP cover for Martha and the Muffins for 'Metro Music' {on Virgin/Dindisc} and the import compilation 'Faraway in Time' {1987}, both of which contain "Echo Beach"::

I must admit I wasn't that into their 1984 hit "Black Stations/White Stations" when it first came out, but it sort of grew on me. It might have been the video::

"Black Stations/White Stations" was banned by many US radio stations for its "controversial" content or basically calling out the radio stations::

"A voice inside my car told me today

there was a song of love they would not play
She was black, He was white
A voice inside my car told me today

Black stations, White stations break down the doors
stand up and face the music, this is 1984
Black stations, White stations feet on the floor

dance on the ceiling with us, this is 1984, Ha!"

Their 1984 'Mystery Walk' album was co-produced by Daniel Lanois and featured both band names, Martha & the Muffins and M&M. When in Ontario, the latter doesn't remind me of those candies but meats::

which also contained the single "Cooling the Medium"::

Twitterversion:: #Web2_0WaybackMachine & #FridayNightVideos feat. 3 fr.Martha & the Muffins w/Echo Beach, Black Stations/White Stations.   @Prof_K

Summer Diversion :: Peach Kelli Pop

image:: vidcap from "Do the Eggroll"

I stumbled across this sugar pop Ottawa band {CBCr3} this week on MySpaceMusic. Peach Kelli Pop {Allie Hanlon from The White Wires} is named after a Redd Kross song {scroll down to listen to excerpt}.

Twitterversion:: [video] Summer diversion Peach Kelli Pop from #Ottawa w/ "Do the Eggroll" #rhizomicon @Prof_K

Compilation of 100 Movie Insults

image :: vidcap of Malcolm McDowell as Alex in Kubrick's A ClockWork Orange {1971}

This one has made the rounds and was on gawker. I saw it via Virginia Madsen's Twitter {@madlyv}.

Here's a link to the films included, which is also provided below::

0’00 - Roxanne, Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Gleaming the Cube, The Princess Bride, A Fish Called Wanda, Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Casino, Three Amigos, A Clockwork Orange

1’05 - Dolemite, Glengarry Glen Ross, Bad Santa, The Witches of Eastwick, The Big Lebowski, In Bruges, Full Metal Jacket, There Will Be Blood

2’05 - Toy Story, Casablanca, Encino Man, The Women, Predator, Army of Darkness, They Live, Uncle Buck, Big Trouble in Little China, New Jack City, Billy Madison

3’00 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Departed, Carlito’s Way, In the Loop, Glengarry Glen Ross, Stand By Me, Grosse Pointe Blank, Duck Soup, Caddyshack, Planes Trains & Automobiles

4’00 - South Park, Napoleon Dynamite, Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, As Good as It Gets, The 6th Day, Step Brothers, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Full Metal Jacket, City Slickers, Road House, True Grit, Shot Circuit

5’00 - Raging Bull, The Usual Suspects, Snatch, Caddyshack, The Last Boy Scout, Ghostbusters, The Sandlot, As Good as It Gets

6’00 - 48 Hrs, In Bruges, Silver Streak, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Fish Called Wanda, Goodfellas, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Mist, Trading Places

7’00 - The Warriors, Point Break, Gangs of New York, Reservoir Dogs, The Breakfast Club, The Cowboys, Full Metal Jacket, Dodgeball, Donnie Darko, Scarface, The Good the Bad and the Ugly

8’00 - Anchorman, Tropic Thunder, Sexy Beast, In the Loop, Get Shorty, Blazing Saddles, The Way of the Gun, Blade: Trinity, Clerks, The Boondock Saints, The Exorcist, What About Bob?, Weird Science

9’00 - Con Air, True Romance, In the Loop, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Lake Placid, The Front, Gone with the Wind

Song:: Lily Allen-'Fuck You'



Twitterversion:: [video] ♺ of viral vid. from a few weeks back of the 100 greatest movie insults. #rhizomicon @Prof_K

Web 2.0 Wayback Machine :: Ontario Lottery's Black Eye for Blackface in 1983

image :: vidcap from commercial for Lottario/Provincial, fall 1983

Last year, John Slattery {Roger Sterling} on Mad Men donned blackface circa 1963 with the point being that nobody batted an eyelash back in the day.

I saw this gem on the Retrontario YouTube channel. It's two versions of an Ontario Lottery ad for the Provincial that ran in 1983. It's a cartoon with likenesses of film stars and entertainers from the 1930s::

Retrontario provided some backstory for the two versions::

"In [late 1983], the Ontario Lottery Corporation produced an ad for Lottario which was extremely racist, as well as sexist. It was a cartoon, portraying a number of high-profile figures including a caricature of Louis Armstrong depicted in an offensive way, and Al Jolson in black face singing "Mammy." A ten year old boy named Michael saw the cartoon and was very upset by the way in which the only Black person he had seen on TV was portrayed. He said he never saw Black people who looked like the people he knows he was himself Black.

The next day, with the encouragement of his mother and teacher, he called the Ontario Lottery Corporation to complain. Needless to say, at first, they were not very sympathetic to his concerns. However, Michael was persistent. Again with a little support from adults in his life, he called Jo Jo DeChinto with City TV. Jo Jo decided this was an important story and took immediate action, beginning with a call to the President of the Ontario Lottery Corporation, followed by interviews with several organizations who shared Michael's concern with the ad. The ad was pulled and Michael, inspired by his success, went on to continue monitoring and responding to other examples of racism in the media. I don't know where Michael is today, but I do know that he proved that advocacy and resistance can make a difference."

Perhaps most telling is how many still question any racism in the ad in the comments to the video. One commenter offers that perhaps the use of the culturally iconic Al Jolson may have been used ironically. 

Also in 1983, Taco {one-hit wonder} had a video for his cover of Fred Astaire's "Puttin' on the Ritz" that featured dancers in...blackface.

This is now known as the "uncensored" version, so there's a pattern here.

What's an advertiser to do? The core issue is when cultural iconography/rhetoric runs into the dicey terrain of power and representational imagery/logics. In short, it tends to be fair game to lampoon or derisively depict those with cultural power. A student of mine a few years back noticed that the concept of "dad" was used in advertising as the proverbial whipping boy. It's fair game to poke fun of dad and call him an idiot, often relating to stereotypical maleness or dadness. Can you do the same thing to mom? We're back to dicey territory on that one because of historical trajectories of gender and power.

Song:: Belle & Sebastian-'Black & White Unite'

Twitterversion:: [blog+video] #Web2_0Waybackmachine #Retrontario video of 1983 Ontario Lottery commercial w/cartoon Al Jolson in blackface. @Prof_K

newmusicmonday #51 :: The Bad Moods

image :: The Bad Moods poster for first show, MySpaceMusic

This week's newmusicmonday features Ontario pop punk outfit The Bad Moods {CBCR3}. There's something infectious about the gravelly vocals and guitarwork that goes beyond the three-chord punk stereotype. I don't know much about the band more than is on the MySpace & CBCr3 links above, but I think they're on to something with their sound. Click below to hear tracks from their MySpaceMusic profile.

click on the above image to open MySpace Music profile and player

I think the recently recorded "{You Give Me} Heart Attack" is a great song and definitely worth a listen. The perfect pick-me-up for a Monday morning. There are two upcoming shows. While not quite the "calibre" of Meatloaf at the GM Centre, they have upcoming shows in the 'Schwa {23 July} and Pickering {31 July}.

If I find out more about this band, I might post a follow-up.

Twitterversion:: #newmusicmonday featuring Ontario punk band, The Bad Moods. Upcoming dates in the 'Schwa & Pickering. @Prof_K

Le Vagabond...Littlest Hobo en français

I just found this today, i.e., the French intro to CTV's The Littlest Hobo {1979-1985}. So, why does London lose his diminutive nature in Québec?

Some may recognize the song from the original airings {not on video} of Beavis and Buttheads' commentaries on music videos.

Song:: Whale-'Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe'

Twitterversion:: [video] Intro for the French version of The Littlest Hobo...Le Vagabond. @Prof_K

Friday Night Videos :: Tokyo Police Club

image:: Tokyo Police Club, by KEXP blog

I've been really busy so I haven't have time to post this week. I have several blogs lined up related to social media, which I'll post next week. Here are three from Tokyo Police Club {MySpace} from Newmarket, Ontario. This link {CBCr3} has quite a few streamed tracks to listen to.

The first two are older tracks from a few years back, "Your English Is Good" from 'Elephant Shell' and "Nature of the Experiment" from the 'A Lesson in Crime' EP, and the last one, "Wait Up {Boots of Danger}" is brand new. They have a new album released last month, 'Champ', and are currently on tour. They opened last night in the heat for The Flaming Lips at the Molson Amphitheatre here in Toronto, with Spoon and Fang Island.

They're on Twitter and if you donate to the ASPCA you get a video download and two remixes. [website]

Twitterversion:: [videos] #FridayNightVideos features three from Newmarket's @TokyoPoliceClub. @Prof_K

newmusicmonday #50 :: The Stormalongs

image:: The Stormalongs, from the stormalongs website

This week's newmusicmonday are The Stormalongs {MySpace, CBCr3, Twitter, YouTube} from Toronto. My take on their take is where picking up where 90s indie rock {à la Pixies & Sonic Youth} left off and moving it forward. Their workaday lyrics and rock sound is tempered on more recent material with a melodic sound drawing upon Lennon, Neil Young, and the Smashing Pumpkins {see link below for free download of 'Cadence'/'Equinox'. Their forthcoming 2010 album is 'Raise Up Your Head'.

"Domicile" is a protest song from their first album 'Fell Like Bricks' {2009} and this video has footage from the G8/G20 Protests::

This video gives a glimpse of the inner sanctum of The Stormalongs off of Richmond Street in downtown Toronto, featuring 'Clowns' and 'Domicile' once more::

Here's a live version of 'Snow Eyes' in all its low-fi glory from Clinton's Tavern in 2008::

A free Canada Day download of 'Cadence'/'Equinox' is available here. Upcoming shows are at The Horseshoe in TO {31 July} and in Ottawa at Café Deckuf {21 Aug}.

Twitterversion:: [blog+videos] #Toronto's @thestormalongs, this week's #newmusicmonday.G20 protest video for "Domicile" & link to free MP3 @Prof_K

Toronto G20 Civil Liberties Post-Mortem

image:: Vidcap of Jason MacDonald at a G20 Protest, Queen West & Spadina, Toronto, Canada, via impolitical

Cross-posted on ThickCulture
Notes from North of 49ºN

I was far from the fray two weekends ago when the G20 was in town here in Toronto and I thought the mainstream media was being overly dramatic about the "violence" in the city due to anarchist protesters. On Saturday, the 26th., statements on the news like "Toronto will never be the same" while shots of boarded-up shopfronts on Yonge Street and a police cruiser set ablaze conveyed the message that the city was under siege. More on the cruiser later.

The fact of the matter is that the "destruction" was isolated and targeted at corporate entities, but the lingering fallout will be that of lawsuits and questions pertaining to civil liberties. There were over a thousand detainees stemming from the G20. The Toronto Star {via impolitical} summed things up regarding the detainees and the police use of section 31 {breaching the peace}::

"According to section 31 of the criminal code, officers can arrest anyone found to be 'committing the breach of the peace or who, on reasonable grounds, he believes is about to join in or renew the breach of peace.'

But according to criminal lawyer Paul Calarco, there is 'no legitimate basis' for many of this weekend’s arrests.

'Wearing a black t-shirt is not any basis for saying reasonable grounds (for arrest),' he argued. As for arresting peaceful demonstrators en masse, “that is not a proper use of Section 31. That is an intimidation tactic,' he said.

'Standing on the sidewalk and exercising your constitutional rights is not a breach of the peace.'"

While some might argue that the G20 protests had the potential to truly get out of hand, the reality was that incidents were isolated. The problem is where is the line drawn with respect to police actions under these circumstances? Should civil liberties be expected to be waived due to extraordinary circumstances and how are these circumstances defined?

One would think that a transit worker in uniform going to work, blocks away from protest activity would be OK, right? Particularly if nothing was "going on". Wrong. A fare collector spent 36 hours handcuffed in detention for being "in the wrong place at the wrong time". Gerald Yau heading to work at the Queen's Park TTC station was tackled and told to stop resisting arrest::

“'I told them I wasn’t resisting arrest, that I was on my way to work. I was in full uniform with TTC shirt, pants, full ID, my employee card, everything,' Yau said on Wednesday. 'They said, ‘Really? Well, you’re a prisoner today.’

Moments before, another man had run into him but kept going, Yau said, adding that man was also arrested. There was no protest in sight and not many people in the street, he said.

Berating Yau and swearing at him for being an 'embarrassment' to the TTC, officers dragged him half a block in handcuffs and shackles and threw him into a paddy wagon, he said.

After a TTC supervisor arrived to vouch for him, he thought he’d be released but was sent to the Eastern Ave. detention centre instead."

The tactics used by the police bring into sharp focus the lines between public safety and the rights of citizens and visitors to Canada. I tend to agree with Boyd Erman of the Globe & Mail who said the actions of the police give Toronto a black eye::

"But the events of this past weekend have shaken that faith for many. Some of the scenes on Toronto’s streets during the G20 recalled for witnesses those more often associated with dictatorships. There were plainclothes officers snatching people from the midst of seemingly peaceful demonstrations and stuffing them in the back of minivans, before speeding away. Passersby arrested just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There were cops busting into homes and pointing guns at innocent people in their own beds. (That’s what one Toronto couple, veterinarians both, claim happened to them when police snuck into the family apartment at 4 a.m. by mistake, then hemmed and hawed when asked to produce a warrant.)

There were police charges at crowds with no warning. (This is a point the Toronto police dispute, but most eyewitness accounts, including those of journalists, are in agreement that warnings were inadequate, inaudible or even non-existent.)

Some showcase. A few broken windows by lawbreaking protesters have, sadly, become expected at these events. But police behaviour like this and the criminalization of civilian dissent is not expected, certainly not in Canada.

None of the criticism of the police absolves all protesters of blame. Both the criminal element who damaged property and taunted police, as well as the many peaceful protesters who nonetheless refused to disavow violence as a tactic, are at the root of the problem.

However, the police must be held to a higher standard. These were the biggest mass arrests in Canadian history, numbering more than 900. There were surely legitimate reasons for some, but the vast numbers of people simply held then released suggests that police simply picked up everyone in sight, a civil libertarian’s nightmare."

While it might not seem like a big deal that a peaceful protester gets a little bloody from a police shield, the damage is done when it comes to perceptions of proportional use of force. Frankly, it makes Toronto look bush league with a city government worthy of derision, given prior debacles when the city wasn't able to handle "crises", such as Mel Lastman's snowmageddon, when the army was called in to remove the snow. {BTW, I'll leave it to Rick Mercer to give his un-PC rant about Toronto and the weather}. Sure, nobody expects the Spanish inquisition, but there should be better planning, policies, and procedures in place to deal with crises—that don't throw civil liberties out the window.

With the luxury of hindsight, this was indeed a debacle and it's not as if there wasn't plenty of lead time to prepare for it, including the expectation of Black Bloc activity. There were also plenty of funds to go around. What about the violence and police cruisers set ablaze? Some are saying that they were "bait", as in props to fuel the media frenzy. Sounds pretty paranoid, right? Well, in Montebello, Québec in August of 2007, a rock-wielding police infiltrator was "outed" at a protest, which was captured on tape and made the rounds on YouTube.

While it may not be surprising that the underground media is stating that the police "staged" the "violence" or at least allowed the "violence" to seem more threatening than it actually was, what might be surprising is that the mainstream media are picking up on this theme. David Warren of the Ottawa Citizen offered this::

"...No one was seriously injured. It would have taken very little traditional police effort to prevent almost all of the property damage that occurred last week. Instead we spent something like a billion dollars in overkill, necessitated by the bureaucratic need to permit violence before awkwardly suppressing it."

And so it goes...

Song:: Nick Lowe-"So It Goes"


Twitterversion:: [blog] Post-mortem review of G20 #Toronto police actions & civil liberties fallout. #ThickCulture http://url.ie/6p4d

Canada Day/4th. BBQ Idea :: Meat-Filled "Turtle"

image :: meat-filled "turtle" with ground beef & hot dogs, from cafe society blog

This seems straight from the minds that brought us turducken, not to be confused with Aasif Mandvi's proposal on The Daily Show to form the nation of Turducken, uniting the Turks, Kurds, and Iraqis. Anyway.

On the blog I saw this on, one commenter said it was a version of "bacon explosion". I wonder what this would taste like with soy hot dogs, fake burger patties, and fake bacon. I suppose if you had gallows humour, you could and have a Deepwater Horizon homage and slather the mock turtles in a dark barbeque sauce or concoct a cajun blackened version...sorry, a sauce caramel in colouring might be more accurate according to Hayley Barbour.

I think Williams Street should get on this & have Meatwad as the spokesmeat::

Song:: Suzanne Vega-'Caramel'

Twitterversion:: [blog] Perfect for a gallows humour Canada Day/4th. BBQ:: Meat-filled "turtles" slathered in caramel-coloured sauce! @Prof_K

Stewie Griffin as Steve Jobs

image:: via dateline: gotham city & geekpr0n

Sort of taking it easy on this Canada Day weekend, as PRIDE envelops the neighbourhood at the 30 Gloc Studios. I thought I'd hop on the "Apple is the new Microsoft" bandwagon before more people jumped on the Apple bandwagon. Perhaps this isn't quite as funny as Stewie as Nick Cage, um, on second thought it's pretty damn funny.

No caption was supplied, so what's Stewie/Steve saying? The "safe", albeit boring, answer would be, "One more thing..."::

Ah, I might be off to listen to some trance music...or I could just open the balcony door, but it's just not the same.

Song:: EBTG-'Little Hitler'

Twitterversion:: [blog] via Tumblr is Stewie Griffin as Apple's Steve Jobs. What is the perfect caption? #rhizomicon @Prof_K