tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256900292024-03-13T09:13:40.918-07:00pogo a go-goFiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.comBlogger298125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-17399021903473624502010-10-10T22:06:00.000-07:002010-10-11T17:40:37.069-07:00You Go, Grrlz!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_qCB2aWoLhnRsh_UOLoX3Ubvti49PKzMSE1TBUnI4b2KgjjIqO-9gFfs8321-uhpNKXzjeK8H2FH976h1awzFVbX6w20cQ3YmnJ-mLVz1MLTeWLhhgiq0mfDWHhKMgj8acV5fw/s1600/DonitaSparks_cl_3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_qCB2aWoLhnRsh_UOLoX3Ubvti49PKzMSE1TBUnI4b2KgjjIqO-9gFfs8321-uhpNKXzjeK8H2FH976h1awzFVbX6w20cQ3YmnJ-mLVz1MLTeWLhhgiq0mfDWHhKMgj8acV5fw/s400/DonitaSparks_cl_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520385416070192610" border="0" /></a><br />Alright, I put it down to a looong, post-Joan Jett hangover. All that estrogen and all those chords pumping through major amperage, why, it's given me a crrraving for grrlz wot rock!!<br /><br />Erm, what more to say? Well, I guess I could try and explain why grrl rawk entrances me so. Is it the inherent challenge of women appropriating a male artform? Possibly. Could it be the juxtaposition of the female voice and clangy gee-tarr?? Mebbe. Could it be that when they do it properly, they rock with in-yer-face growl & howl unmatched by any male? Quite probably.<br /><br />Argh, enough with the floundering. Here's what I'm talking about:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bandplanet.co.uk/forgottenbandplanet/silverfish/index.htm">Silverfish</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/03%20Vitriola.mp3">Vitriola </a>(buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Organ-Fan-Silverfish/dp/B000008KPM/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/?cid=OAS-US-DOMAINS-itunes.com">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Not the creepy crawly that eats yer books, but the in-yer-face Camden noiseniks fronted by formidable feminist Glaswegian goddess, Lesley Rankine. Subsequent to Silverfish s-he swapped the shoutiness for downtempo trip-hop and formed <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rubymuzic">Ruby</a>. Last I heard she had taken time off to devote to another awesome female pursuit, i.e. motherhood.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://thepackafterdeath.com/"><br />Pack A.D.</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/The%20Pack%20A.D_we%20kill%20computers_08_B.C.%20is%20on%20Fire.mp3">BC is on Fire</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/We-Kill-Computers-Pack-D/dp/B0038NMDS8/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1286843398&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Pack-A-D-we-kill-computers-MP3-Download/11918628.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ohh, yess, here's some awesome, home-grown, blues-n-garage rawk from Vancouver's own Becky Black and Maya Miller. Growly, gritty, straight-up goodness. Currently finishing up a US tour on the east coast.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://damagedgoods.co.uk/band/?c=Thee-Headcoatees">Thee Headcoatees</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Thee%20Headcoatees%20-%20Teenage%20Kicks.mp3">Teenage Kicks</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Punk-Girls-Thee-Headcoatees/dp/B003552R58/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1">here </a>or <a href="http://damagedgoods.co.uk/band/?c=Thee-Headcoatees">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And since we're on the subject of garage rawk, I doff my hat to these fine, fine, female acquaintances of Billy Childish. Although they started off as his backing band, make no mistake: Kyra, Holly, Ludella, and Debbie were no less loud & proud.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo_Queens">Voodoo Queens</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Voodoo%20Queens_Kenuwee%20Head_03_Supermodel%20-%20Superficial.mp3">Supermodel Superficial</a> (buy <a href="http://cgi.ebay.ca/VOODOO-QUEENS-SUPERMODEL-SUPERFICIAL-7-/380248703635?pt=UK_Records&hash=item588896c293">here </a>or<a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Voodoo-Queens-Kenuwee-Head-MP3-Download/11046010.html"> e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Back to Camden, then, to have a howl and a shout circa 1993 with Ms Anjali Bhattia, whose sentiments on mainstream fashion were --and still are-- spot on.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://l7official.com/">L7</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/L7_Smell%20The%20Magic_08_Just%20Like%20Me.mp3">Just Like Me</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smell-Magic-L7/dp/B0000035EM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1286843734&sr=8-4">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/-Smell-The-Magic-MP3-Download/11859749.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Donita Sparks? I wanna be just like her. Sigh...</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-72839690912694402010-09-07T05:46:00.008-07:002010-09-07T12:43:25.738-07:00I Love Rock 'n' Roll<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTBTG55LFIdonDudpIJoU_2nz4hMH4QwL76g1ZAF_dBUVDdPj24-QNVZqaklq2lpXdfQyiod3SDUwx4Ng04bZjQPkzjMwUp3TStIHoOnd4tlNtoBHX5VBwyq8OXSMHSb0BKBczA/s1600/jj.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTBTG55LFIdonDudpIJoU_2nz4hMH4QwL76g1ZAF_dBUVDdPj24-QNVZqaklq2lpXdfQyiod3SDUwx4Ng04bZjQPkzjMwUp3TStIHoOnd4tlNtoBHX5VBwyq8OXSMHSb0BKBczA/s400/jj.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514154854600762034" border="0" /></a>JJ courtesy of Lorena<br /></div><br />Yes, well, I know it's been a while. Close to five months, actually. But Dearest Friends, I'm not going to spend oodles of e-screed explaining where I've been or where my blog-o-mojo went. It's all good, I'm all good, good to be back. But what brought me back, you ask? That's a fair question, and one deserving of an answer. Rock 'n' roll brought me back, Dearest Friends, and to be more specific: <a href="http://www.joanjett.com/index.html">Joan "F**king" Jett</a>. Oh, yessssss...<br /><br />Back in May I watched The Runaways while I was 30,000 feet over the Canadian prairies. Suddenly, Air Canada booze and reheated chicken lost it's appeal; I wanted to rip my tiny screen out of the seatback, undergo a sex change, piss on the stewardess, and play whirling air guitar while belting out "Ch-ch-Ch-ch-Ch-ch-Ch-ch- CHERRY BAWWWMBB!!"at the top of my lungs. But I restrained myself, and consequently remain off the "No Fly" list. That said, the film became firmly cemented in my Top Ten faves and may well be the best rawk film I have ever seen. And henceforward I will never be able to hear The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" without getting a warm, tingly,throbbing feeling down there. You have been warned.<br /><br />My first exposure to Joan Jett (no, not THAT kind, you pervy lot) came in the early 80s with her & The Blackhearts's version of "I Love Rock & Roll." Pretty standard for all sniveling brats of my era, I supposes, but I was taken by JJ's attitude and snarl. Over the course of my subsequent musical education, I became acquainted with and appreciative of various bits & pieces of the Runaways story, hagiography, and oeuvre. But the film really pulled it all together and put everything into place; the lineage from glam to punk, the hard graft, the shit, the dedication, the insecurity, the passion, the attitude.<br /><br />So when I saw that Joan Jett & The Blackhearts were playing the <a href="http://www.pne.ca/">PNE </a>in my Beloved Vancouver on 27 August, well, I just had to go, didn't I? So my chum Dearest Lorena and I and headed out to enjoy all that the Fair had to offer - landmines, pigs, newborn calves ripped from their mothers at Safeway Farmland (vegetarianism beckons), deep-fried Mars Bars, and the finest rock 'n' roll going. JJ took the stage looking small and tough in skinny black jeans and Chuck Taylors to a screaming audience comprised of small children, fortysomethings, lesbians, and me. The crowd went wild, and JJ greeted it by dedicating the show to her mother, who had died the previous morning.<br /><br />Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.<br /><br />Gasp.<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />Pins drop. Clangingly.<br /><br />And then she rips with no quarter into "Bad Reputation," followed by "Cherry Bomb." I cream my jeans, along with every little nobody shit in the crowd. Each number is a stormer, from the earnest, self penned "Change the World" to the plethora of covers on which JJ&B have built their kick-ass reputation.<br /><br />The following day I found myself in Vancouver's mighty <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.neptoon.com">Neptoon Records</a>, chatting with the owner while negotiating the purchase of a Fall album and some obscure 60s garage compilation. He relates that some friends of his who had attended the gig reported arsely that JJ really doesn't have enough original material to sustain a full show. I venture that they were fucking prog rock geeks who had missed the fucking point. Sure, much of what JJ & co played covered hallowed ground ("Crimson & Clover," 'I Love Rock & Roll"). But it was played with heart, verve, passion, and belief that exceeded everything the songs' progenitors had ever put into them. And her original compositions, while perhaps not always up to the technical perfection of those of her ancestors, were heartfelt, honest, and fully meant. So fuck you, friends of Neptoon Records owner. JJ means it, maaaaan.<br /><br />When I got home that night, I picked up the <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/2008/01/look-what-i-found-under-tree.html">dust-coated guitar my Dearest Father-in-Law had given to me two years ago</a>, plugged it into my heretofore dormant amp, turned everything up to eleven, and for the first time ever strummed out a few discordant, uneducated chords. It felt electric good, like nothing else ever.<br /><br />I love rock & roll. And Joan Jett.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.joanjett.com/index.html">Joan Jett</a> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Stig">Evil Stig</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Evil%20Stig%20feat.%20Joan%20Jett%20-%20Crimson%20&%20Clover.mp3">Crimson & Clover</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Evil-Stig/dp/B000FKP42E/ref=ntt_mus_ep_wlb_dpt">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Evil-Stig-Evil-Stig-Featuring-Joan-Jett-MP3-Download/11442365.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cover of a cover born of a benefit collaboration between Joan Jett and members of Seattle's The Gits in memory of the group's lead singer, Mia Zapata, who was raped and murdered.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.joanjett.com/index.html">Joan Jett</a> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jones_%28musician%29">Steve Jones</a> & <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cook">Paul Cook</a> of the Sex Pistols - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/19%20I%20Love%20Rock%20%27N%20Roll%20%28With%20the%20Sex.mp3">I Love Rock & Roll</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flashback-Joan-Jett-Blackhearts/dp/B000NNUX24/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1283877631&sr=1-13">here</a> or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Joan-Jett-and-the-Blackhearts-Flashback-MP3-Download/11474650.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I know, all you 80s brats out there think this here song was penned by JJ herself. Well, it was actually written & recorded in 1975 by a UK band called The Arrows. Joan wanted to record it with The Runaways, but her bandmates weren't keen. So in 1979 she partnered with Messrs Cook & Jones to record it. Though this version never got a release, it got heavy rotation and wild audience appreciation on the mighty <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WLIR-FM">92.7 WLIR</a>.</span><br /><br />And finally, here's a tune I had clear forgotten about until Joan launched into it at the PNE. Penned by La Jett along with <a href="http://www.paulwesterberg.com/">Paul Westerberg</a>, it's a beaut:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jnKZW89lW4Y?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jnKZW89lW4Y?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-42895443764478694632010-04-06T23:09:00.005-07:002010-04-06T23:52:27.283-07:00It's Still Paul Haig Day Over Here<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqnmf4SG-iyNH_wJm4_2zfUWd41EwXfkTLr4TUjMS9S3BhZ7o97TefwF0LH2tuNi3TXij75OUmeKKhJ7w5TtF8CyQY0feLEIV8K-AsVxOHEJYEibCZjrbarJ_zjxS4OSgg0p8nA/s1600/JKI.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqnmf4SG-iyNH_wJm4_2zfUWd41EwXfkTLr4TUjMS9S3BhZ7o97TefwF0LH2tuNi3TXij75OUmeKKhJ7w5TtF8CyQY0feLEIV8K-AsVxOHEJYEibCZjrbarJ_zjxS4OSgg0p8nA/s400/JKI.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457282461711816034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />By my watch it's 11:10 PM here in Vancouver, which means I'm still in time to add my voice to the second annual <a href="http://www.myspace.com/paulhaig">Paul Haig</a> Day. The event was born out of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act">DMCA </a>takedown notice received by the marvelous JC, aka <a href="http://thevinylvillain.blogspot.com/">The Vinyl Villain</a>. Rather than retell the story, pop on over <a href="http://thevinylvillain.blogspot.com/2010/04/paul-haig-day-ii.html">here </a>to get the full meal deal. Indeed, I'm not sure I can really add much to what has already been said in the blogosphere to commemorate the event - heck, even the song I've posted I'm sure has already been tacked up by someone more prolific these days than I am.<br /><br />So then, why do I care enough to take part, and why should you? OK, to distill it down to the key points:<br /><ul><li>Haig produced some of Scotland's finest indie pop, and continues to do so - sign up to his label's mailing list at <a href="http://www.rolinc.co.uk/">Rhythm Of Life</a><br /><br /></li><li>Unlike many of his fellow musicians, Haig is a keen supporter of the blogging community and has been very gracious in allowing bloggers to post his oeuvre<br /><br /></li><li>His first band, Josef K, is named after the protagonist in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka">Franz Kafka's</a> <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/7849"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Trial</span></a>, a masterpiece whose nightmarishly absurd story has similarities to the music industry's campaign against bloggers. </li></ul>If you want more reasons (and it's in your interest to), then drop by <a href="http://thevinylvillain.blogspot.com/2010/04/paul-haig-day-ii.html">The Vinyl Villain</a>, read up, and visit the many fine blogfolk who've participated in Paul Haig Day II.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ltmpub.freeserve.co.uk/jkbiog.html">Josef K</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/sfl.mp3">Sorry For Laughing</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Entomology-Josef-K/dp/B000I2IRLY">here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Paul has become quite disenchanted with his first band's output, but apparently he makes an exception for this track.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Which is good, coz it's one of my favourites of his. And if you want to viddy the vid in all its jelly-belly goodness:</span><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/INMrHVkVzGo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/INMrHVkVzGo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-74261903961855464422010-03-23T01:18:00.008-07:002010-03-30T00:32:32.363-07:00Let's Get Nekkid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03qW1ew1KPSftVB0a541LKtMliu-42VPkHN3VI4xuEpycvQnAD5FGecpvRohW0AQXzyFDUBytd4yROODdihST-bIm-5G7H94vdXdG0CoxuPUi-6caeJvJpocPYkCWdU31R8LH1A/s1600/wreck+beach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03qW1ew1KPSftVB0a541LKtMliu-42VPkHN3VI4xuEpycvQnAD5FGecpvRohW0AQXzyFDUBytd4yROODdihST-bIm-5G7H94vdXdG0CoxuPUi-6caeJvJpocPYkCWdU31R8LH1A/s400/wreck+beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454308441342430882" border="0" /></a><br />Oh my! I've been roused out of my torpor not only because <a href="http://lostinyourinbox.blog-city.com/">Dearest Marcy</a> and Dearest Tricia --two of the finest examples of female pulchritude and luminosity in the podcast/blogosphere firmament-- provided the ever titillating <a href="http://www.timyoung.net/contrast/">Contrast Podcast's</a> most recent theme, but also because that theme happens to be: Naked!! I mean, if you can't get excited by the prospect of wodges of excellent choonz coupled with the heady, free rush of nudity, then your soul must be a dry, withered thing, indeed.<br /><br />Speaking of dry, withered things, this CP reminded me of a little beach walk I took with my then-five-year-old Darling Daughter soon after we arrived in Vancouver. We happened to be up by the <a href="http://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> and I vaguely recalled that there was a beach nearby. Sure enough, I soon found the steep, looooong flight of stairs that wound down the steep, wooded path to <a href="http://www.wreckbeach.org/">Wreck Beach</a>. It wasn't until we had nearly completed the tiring descent that I ran into the sign posted at the top of this post. Ah, I had forgotten that this point at the westernmost tip of the university peninsula was bastion of naturism...<br /><br />For a moment I considered retracing our steps, wondering if it would be awkward to continue on down with a child. But I swiftly thought better of it; meh, if she asks, I'll tell. So we continued on down. Sure enough, we were pretty much the only ones who'd exercised our option to stay clothed. But Darling Daughter was oblivious to both the drumming, fire-juggling hippies and the dry, withered, and wrinkly senior citizens out for their constitutionals. Instead, she was all about the shells and seaweed and sand - y'know, the beachy stuff. And I felt stupid for having considered, even for just a second, turning around...<br /><br />Anyway, head over <a href="http://www.contrastpodcast.com/cp/100309Contrast206.mp3">here </a>if you want to catch last week's first installment of nudity, and over <a href="http://www.contrastpodcast.com/cp/100316Contrast207.mp3">here </a>if you want to bare yourself to this week's naturist offerings, a teaser of which I offer you below:<br /><br /><p><strong>(00:00) <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/BillyMitchell">Billy Mitchell</a> - The bumble bee invaded a nudist colony</strong><br />Tim from <a href="http://thefaceoftoday.blogspot.com/">The face of today</a></p> <p><strong>(03:49) <a href="http://www.ironandwine.com/">Iron and Wine</a> - Naked as we came</strong><br />Linda from <a href="http://www.speedofdark-web.com/blog/">Speed of Dark</a></p> <p><strong>(06:41) <a href="http://www.vargasblues.com/">Vargas Blues Band</a> - Striptease</strong><br />Greer from <a href="http://asweetunrest.typepad.com/">A Sweet Unrest</a></p> <p><strong>(10:18) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Dread">Judge Dread</a> - Take off your clothes</strong><br />The In Crowd from <a href="http://learning2share.blogspot.com/">I’m learning to share!</a></p> <p><strong>(17:38) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orb">The Orb</a> - S.A.L.T.</strong><a href="http://sasradio.blogspot.com/"><br />SAS Radio</a></p> <p><strong>(25:26) <a href="http://www.spaceagepop.com/malvin.htm">Artie Malvin</a> and <a href="http://www.wfmu.org/365/2003/223.shtml">Lois Winters</a> - Dressing myself</strong><br />Mike from <a href="http://www.wearedust.com/">Wearedust</a></p> <p><strong>(28:45) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weather_Prophets">The Weather Prophets</a> - Naked as the day you were born</strong><br />John Q.</p> <p><strong>(34:44) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depeche_Mode">Depeche Mode</a> - Stripped</strong><br />Conrad from <a href="http://www.eronrecords.co.uk/">Eron Records</a></p> <p><strong>(38:56) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barenaked_Ladies">Barenaked Ladies</a> - Alcohol</strong><br />James from <a href="http://appetitefordistraction.blogspot.com/">Appetite For Distraction</a></p> <p><strong>(43:35) <a href="http://hallwayofmemory.blogspot.com/2008/06/yay-nudity.html">Hilary</a> - Drop your pants</strong><br />FiL from <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/">Pogoagogo</a></p> <p><strong>(50:04) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jessematheson">Jesse Matheson</a> - Nothing at all</strong><br />Marcy from <a href="http://lostinyourinbox.blog-city.com/">Lost in your inbox</a></p>My offering is a bit of New Wave synth naughtiness from Hilary that got me quite excited when I was a spotty teenager. But I also considered stripping off to these:<br /><br /><a href="http://music.aol.com/artist/class/biography/1199032">Class </a>- <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/clothes_off.mp3">We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off</a> (off of the Double Agent 1980 compilation, which I've no idea where to find)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Peter Green and Leigh Tsai take a wistful, tender, indie-as-fuck take on Jermaine Stewart's R&B , erm, classic.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://music.aol.com/artist/class/biography/1199032">Velocette </a>- <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Velocette%20%28Beggars%29_Spoiled%20Children_03_Strip%20Polka.mp3">Strip Polka</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00002DD51/ref=ntt_mus_ep_olp">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Velocette-Beggars-Spoiled-Children-MP3-Download/10776394.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Aww, these lasses delivered some lovely, bright, shimmery pop straight outta Camden in the late 1990s, when the rest of their Wiija labelmates were noisily lurching about.</span><br /><br />And finally, as mentioned during my intro, while I was off skiing in the Swiss Alps this January, I lost my iPhone on one of the runs. Thankfully I found it a few hours later, but I quickly realized that someone had used it to record a video. I offer it up to you below for your consideration. Be warned, it deals with nudity and nakedness...<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KRheB_BmyRU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KRheB_BmyRU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-36098630312661639232010-02-25T22:14:00.006-08:002010-02-26T00:09:38.296-08:00My First Purple Heart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4tG85VSucykDlcEqEqeC1-TFmSGbVxKtoZodGIp5IjfyQMRfiOXAqAHzx7JCHSrNMXW32FlAcjcSvhVuySV6-KahmOzEUPZPz9EDjEi2BPJRl7cfYfIxrPPuH0kn3vUWQEq1vw/s1600-h/purple-heart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4tG85VSucykDlcEqEqeC1-TFmSGbVxKtoZodGIp5IjfyQMRfiOXAqAHzx7JCHSrNMXW32FlAcjcSvhVuySV6-KahmOzEUPZPz9EDjEi2BPJRl7cfYfIxrPPuH0kn3vUWQEq1vw/s400/purple-heart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442431980972294866" border="0" /></a><br />Well, quite frankly I'm surprised it hasn't happened before. After all, it's been nearly four years that I've been peddling my musical wares for your titillation, and up until now I've been pretty much left alone. But today I was whacked by one of those digital drone attacks that have become all-too-common in the blogosphere, a DMCA C&D, fully known as a Digital Millennium Copyright Act Cease & Desist order.<br /><br />It seems I was wounded (hence the self-awarded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart">Purple Heart</a>) in the latest spring offensive launched by The Man in His attempt to crush the rag-tag band of music bloggers that he sees as a threat to his way of life. Now, it seems I got off lightly; Blogger merely took the offending post from 9 February offline and flipped it back into Edit mode, while informing me that I was welcome to republish it once the objectionable material was removed. Trouble is, while I was invited to visit <a href="http://www.chillingeffects.org/index.cgi">Chilling Effect</a> to see the details of the C&D, upon visiting I couldn't find it. Moreover, after perusing the other C&Ds listed, I'm not sure I'd be able to figure out which of the three songs I had offered up was to blame. Two came from PR sources with what I thought was pretty explicit permission to post, but there are Kafkaesque stories galore about bloggers getting blessing from the artist or PR to post, only to find themselves enmeshed in nightmarish battles with rekkid companies who have other ideas. So, having little time or inclination, I just removed all three tracks.<br /><br />It is actually getting very serious out there; along with a squadron of others, Dearest Coxon of <a href="http://todiebyyourside.blogspot.com/">To Die By Your Side</a> recently had his blog shut down. You can read about it all in this <a href="http://todiebyyourside.blogspot.com/">Guardian article</a>. Now, I don't intend to add to the steamy indignation out there, largely because my energy is needed elsewhere - like <a href="http://stopeducationcuts.org/districts/vancouver/">Sunday's demonstration against the evisceration of public education by the BC Government</a>. But let me go on record as stating that I abhor the persecution of bloggers --who by and large are music lovers dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Good Music and putting $$$ into artists' pockets-- by the big record labels and their lackeys. Moreover, the Holy Bible of Copyright that they allege to defend was originally crafted to promote innovation and the flourishing of ideas, not to lock intellectual property up in crates and milk them for decades. I would encourage you to listen to the podcast <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/who-owns-ideas/index.html">Who Owns Ideas?</a>, a fantastic <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/">Canadian Broadcasting Corporation</a> programme about this very subject. It's a war folks, a war for culture.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm going to go lick my flesh wound, but in the meantime here are a few tracks to get you stoked:<br /><a href="http://www.sex-pistols.net/"><br />Sex Pistols</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Who%20Was%20It%20%28aka%20EMI%29%20Sex%20Pistols.mp3">Who was It [aka EMI]</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spunk-Official-Bootleg-Sex-Pistols/dp/B000GUJEY2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267170850&sr=1-3#moreAboutThisProduct">here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Taken from the Spunk bootleg, reissued by Castle, which is now a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Say, is that the buzz of a drone I hear??</span><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Romeo">Max Romeo</a> & <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Upsetters">The Upsetters</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/War%20Ina%20Babylon%20Max%20Romeo.mp3">War Ina Babylon </a>(buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/War-Ina-Babylon-Romeo-Upsetters/dp/B000025XL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267170769&sr=8-1">here </a>or <a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=war%20ina%20babylon&SearchSourceOrigin=1">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It's a war folks, a war for culture.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ninjahighschool.info/">Ninja High School</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/01%20It%27s%20Gonna%20Be%20Us%21.mp3">It's Gonna Be Us</a> (buy <a href="http://www.thebluehouse.org/details.php?id=607">here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yep, that's right, we who love tha choonz shall prevail! Ninja High School was a Toronto noisenik outfit that sadly disbanded in 2007. Choose now, Babylon or Zion. </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/IG-88">IG-88</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> take the stand!!</span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-43008598519543219632010-02-15T23:46:00.000-08:002010-02-16T00:53:26.260-08:00Love Is Not A Commodity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8tKXWyaj30P482-HS-JT1vuouIlc7TDnH8U9GUFv_n3ZDMQFliETPfZ3QY848vTjyS0hvY0rtaM962fuqLrn8VnWYFGUwPFwCAJxx3yNmqfs3hfwOW0uAtkG24tbZJsHjlc-ZA/s1600-h/CupidIsDead.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8tKXWyaj30P482-HS-JT1vuouIlc7TDnH8U9GUFv_n3ZDMQFliETPfZ3QY848vTjyS0hvY0rtaM962fuqLrn8VnWYFGUwPFwCAJxx3yNmqfs3hfwOW0uAtkG24tbZJsHjlc-ZA/s400/CupidIsDead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438753653661871058" border="0" /></a><br />If you've been round here before on or about February 1<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">4, you may recall I'm not a big fan of the whole Valentine's Day schtick. It's not that I'm not all about The Lurve and romance - indeed, I'd like more of both, pretty please. It's just that I do not like our economic system dictating to us when and how we get and give it. And this year , thanks to all of the commercialism swilling round town due to the the Olympics, I was even more crotchety than usual.<br /><br />That's not to say Dearest Wife and I didn't use the occasion to attempt to carve out for ourselves a quiet night in with a tasty, simple, home-cooked dinner and a mutually acceptable DVD. Try we did, but as those of you with offspring can attest to, nothing can kill romance dead like bickering, squalling children. By the time the dust had settled, we barely had time to eat dinner and get halfway through the film before bedtime beckoned. Bah and humbug - it's not just for Xmas, you know.<br /><br />But despite my spite, I still do love you all, so here are a few apposite tunes for us to frug to in a cool-ass-funk, post-punk-with-extra-added goth stylee. Mwah, mwah!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gangoffour.co.uk/">Gang of Four</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/gangoffour_isitlove12.mp3">Is It Love? [Extended Dance Mix]</a> (buy <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Gang-of-Four-UK-12-Is-It-Love-extended-Good-Car_W0QQitemZ320483835730QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item4a9e533f52">here </a>or get the album versh <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Gang-Four/dp/B001BO186O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1266310013&sr=1-2">here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Put on constant rotation at the mighty <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WLIR-FM">WLIR </a>back in the days when it would "Dare To Be Different," this is one of those tracks that covertly shaped and sculpted my musical sensibilities as a wee lad.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.killingjoke.com/">Killing Joke</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Killing%20Joke%20-%20Love%20Like%20Blood.mp3">Love Like Blood</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Time-Killing-Joke/dp/B000VWWSCA/ref=ntt_mus_ep_wlb_dpt">here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When I was in 8th grade, I had a secret crush on Angela, the punky goth senior who would slip Killing Joke references into her submissions to the school literary magazine. Le sigh.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.genelovesjezebel.com/">Gene Loves Jezebe</a>l - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Gene%20Loves%20Jezebel_Voodoo%20Dollies_%20The%20Best%20of%20Gene%20Loves%20Jezebel_08_Desire%20%28Come%20and%20Get%20It%29.mp3">Desire </a>(buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Voodoo-Dollies-Best-Loves-Jezebel/dp/B00000K1N8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1266309962&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=gang%20of%20four&SearchSourceOrigin=1">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I think the singer manages to stay on the correct side of sounding like a cat in heat. But only just.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalek_I_Love_You">Dalek i</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Dalek%20i%20-%20Destiny%20%28Dalek%20I%20Love%20You%29.mp3">Destiny [Dalek I Love You]</a> (buy <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Dalek-I-LP-Compass-German-New-Wave-Electronic-Ska-UK_W0QQitemZ230390868429QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item35a45da9cd">here </a>but be quick!!)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Aww, those </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalek">bumpy dustbins of intergalactic terror </a><span style="font-style: italic;">are quite sweet, really...</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.throbbing-gristle.com/index.php">Throbbing Gristle</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Throbbing%20Gristle%20--%20Hot%20On%20The%20Heels%20Of%20Love.mp3">Hot On The Heels Of Love</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Funk-Greats-Throbbing-Gristle/dp/B000003Z5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1266309619&sr=8-1">here)</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Everybody throb together!!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-47838774208502561862010-02-09T00:12:00.006-08:002010-02-25T22:13:11.399-08:00Sailing into New Seas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGG7ibwBU3DsD_oy7TZeIfmY1SB5qIDqRVEd9zvaioQidYVPXM3IdpA3cwVAIxR-bqLubqMRFUHCcTnWMh2CO6-qMhfH_nCufGoD8T6CkxnP_sbqkH7s2KFKRrZCj2sv46bCHVVQ/s1600-h/Summer+2009+211.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGG7ibwBU3DsD_oy7TZeIfmY1SB5qIDqRVEd9zvaioQidYVPXM3IdpA3cwVAIxR-bqLubqMRFUHCcTnWMh2CO6-qMhfH_nCufGoD8T6CkxnP_sbqkH7s2KFKRrZCj2sv46bCHVVQ/s400/Summer+2009+211.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442431209375895202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NOTE: On account of me receiving a C&D order under the DCMA for something unspecified in this post, out come the song linky-linx and in go the YouTube feeds instead.</span><br /><br />It's true, Dearest Friends, the good ship SS FiL has embarked on a brand new journey, leaving behind my musical doldrums of 2009 and sailing into a shining new sea of tuneful goodness. And speaking of goodness, well... GOODNESS! If you're still sticking around after that forced metaphor, then you deserve a reward.<br /><br />So far the start of the year seems to be shaping up all fine and poppy. After the idylls of The Idyllists last week, I've got three bouncy bits for you. First up are <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thesleeplessnights">The Sleepless Nights</a>, four rather hirsute young fellows from Halifax who produce some fine, slackey pop that motors on by, stopping only to pick you up for a laid back, fuzzy, smiley ride. The band appears to have been driving around for several years now, and are currently touring the East Coast (of Canada, you Yankees! Yes, we have one as well.) in support of their latest EP, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Phone Booth Outside The Video Store</span>. This is in fact the second of a planned three EPs which the band are GIVING AWAY!! Are you dancing right now? No?? Well get with the programme, coz everybody is!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thesleeplessnights.com/">The Sleepless Nights</a> - <del>Everybody's Dancing</del> (download <a href="http://www.thesleeplessnights.com/PHONEBOOTH.HTML">e-here</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oh well, no vid for this. I doubt this was the track wot did it, but since it's all getting very perverse out there, you'd best just go follow the link to where you can download tha shizz directly.</span><br /><br />Next up are (shhhhh!!!) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/friendsofthesecrethistory">The Secret History</a>. Y'know, every once in awhile a group comes by that manages to pull together all the really good bits of things that have gone before. So you look at them (one NYC indie cult god, a luuurvely lady singer whose dad is a glam-rock icon, and A.N. Other cute gal) and listen to them (think vocals by a Dusty Springfield/Kirsty MacColl/Morrissey genetic experiment wrapped in hooky, twee, glamness and underpinned by parping farsifa and jangly guitars) and you expect to be disgusted by how contrived it all is. But you aren't, because it's so lovely that you want to snuggle down into it and hug it and kiss it and call it your own.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/friendsofthesecrethistory">The Secret History</a> - <del>Johnny Anorak</del> (album comes out 22 March, but in the interim you smug Brooklynites can see them perform various gigs in your very own borough)<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8j0thjXsOIY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8j0thjXsOIY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />And finally, those superb Swedes, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds">The Shout Out Louds</a> are about to release their third album of shimmering, heart-plucking, pop beauties. They're supporting it with what seems to be a grueling tour schedule that puts them in Vancouver on 25 May. Yay!! Yay again!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds">The Shout Out Louds</a> - <del>Fall Hard</del> (buy their stuff <a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/store/store_search.php?band_id=116">here and e-here</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Were I a betting man, I'd say I think this was the offending track. But who knows...</span><br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ENqNgTnXi8s&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ENqNgTnXi8s&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br />And speaking of live shows, I'm excited to say that there seems to be a whole queue of excellent folks signed up to play this fair city from now into the spring, starting with the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc">Vivian Girls</a> on 12 Feb at The Biltmore. This particular Olympic Scrooge may well find himself there instead of watching the opening ceremonies...<br /><br />P.S. Aren't you glad that, despite my opening paragraph, I played neither Christopher Cross, nor Rod Stewart??<br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-22828627826919880482010-01-29T21:32:00.007-08:002010-01-29T22:36:29.259-08:00Happy New Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii13rvwaCH3YuXKJbvIz88uJZl-1ukpObkS8U1_xqjB_nnwLMBoQpRjb3iVDnEJycPjjpXByEL76fIhMcgdmHvAOHUMBhGG99TPWYkWAfAypVd5F5earjV86TXkKz_3bexdRuJ-w/s1600-h/happy-new-year-2010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii13rvwaCH3YuXKJbvIz88uJZl-1ukpObkS8U1_xqjB_nnwLMBoQpRjb3iVDnEJycPjjpXByEL76fIhMcgdmHvAOHUMBhGG99TPWYkWAfAypVd5F5earjV86TXkKz_3bexdRuJ-w/s400/happy-new-year-2010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432406584135779026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >What did you say, Dearest Friends?</span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >It's almost February??</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Gadzooks!</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >How did that happen??</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Oh well, I suppose it's not yet too late to extend you my heartfelt wishes for a faaabulous 2010, one full of everything that your wonderful hearts desire and that your beautiful souls need.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Truth be told, most of my January was spent confusing my internal clock by slinging myself from timezone to timezone.<span style=""> </span>Indeed, as I type these words I'm going fast, 500 miles per hour, some 38,000 feet in the air over deepest, darkest Saskatchewan.<span style=""> </span>Dearest <a href="http://mentokthemindtaker.blogspot.com/">Mentok</a>, can you see me waving?<span style=""> </span>No??<span style=""> </span>Oh well, I'd best shut the door before the stewardess gets mad.<span style=""> </span>Only more two hours till glorious Vancouver...</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Anyway, back to the New Year.<span style=""> </span>Last year, contrary to my longstanding practice, <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/2008/12/resolved.html">I made some resolutions</a>, and it would therefore only be right and proper for me to have a look see how I did vis-a-vis my intentions.<span style=""> </span>So, let's have a reckoning, shall we??<span style=""> </span>And then I might even set some for 2010...</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">GET IN SHAPE FOR THE 2009 VANCOUVER SUN RUN</span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Actually, this one I met spectacularly well, if you will allow me to crow, Dearest Friends.<span style=""> </span>I started training with trepidation early in the year, and in the space of four months I went from a wheezing sack of lard unable to run more than two minutes without respiratory, cardiac, and muscular arrest to a somewhat less lardy sack that ran the ten-kilometre <a href="http://www.sunrun.com/">Vancouver Sun Run</a> in about 1 hour and 11 minutes.<span style=""> </span>On top of that, I have developed a fairly hardcore addiction to running.<span style=""> </span>Mind you, it has been enabled by the fact that I can run gorgeous routes along Vancouver’s stunning shorelines.<span style=""> </span>That said, I have even set out on the gritty, grotty, grim streets of Toronto, so I suppose I am truly infected with the sickness.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">At the same time I was getting hooked, I was following the trials of my aforementioned Dearest Friend, Mentok of Saskatchewan.<span style=""> </span>He had embarked on <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_0" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" leohighlights_keywords="the south beach diet" leohighlights_url="http%3A//thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/highlights/keywords?keywords%3Dthe%20south%20beach%20diet">the South Beach Diet</leo_highlight> and appeared to be meeting with remarkable success in shedding pounds.<span style=""> </span>While the running was getting me fitter and had resulted in some de-larding, I still felt I could do better.<span style=""> </span>Now I have always been a diet sceptic, but I was particularly intrigued since Mentok is an eminently reasonable chap, not given to flibbertigibbety flights of faddy fancy.<span style=""> </span>So after consulting with him, I embarked on the same path.<span style=""> </span>I shan’t go into the mechanics, Dearest Friends, but it worked.<span style=""> </span>I stand before you<span style=""> </span>some 55 lbs, three trouser sizes, and 1.5 collar inches less of a man than I was a year ago.<span style=""> </span>My whole eating software has been rewritten and I feel great.<span style=""> </span>Never better, in fact.<span style=""> </span>At least physically…<br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">START TAKING GEE-TARR LESSONS</span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Oh my, total fail on this one.<span style=""> </span>The gee-tarr is still sitting in the corner, untouched, silently gathering dust.<span style=""> </span>But this Christmas Dearest Father-In-Law gave me an amp and a wah-wah pedal to go with it.<span style=""> </span>So this may very well be the year that I do it.<span style=""> </span>In fact, why don’t I make it my first resolution of 2010??<br /><br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">LISTEN TO MORE MUSIC</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Erm, another fail, methinks. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Somehow 2009 seemed to largely pass me by.<span style=""> </span>Yes, I realize that dabbling in music bloggery can make one unhealthily worried about keeping up with the musical internet Joneses, but I do feel I missed out on shedloads of good stuff.<span style=""> </span>This year I’ll pay more attention. Promise. Another one back on the list...<br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">VOLUNTEER, COS TALKING ABOUT CHANGE ISN'T ENOUGH</span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Oh dear, didn’t do too well on this one either.<span style=""> </span>Yes, I did volunteer for the <a href="http://thefestival.bc.ca/">Vancouver Folk Music Festival</a> again, and I did work my patootie off during the fest weekend.<span style=""> </span>However, it was in exchange for the major perks of seeing loads of<span style=""> </span>grand music and chatting with the sweet <a href="http://www.basiabulat.com/">Basia Bulat</a>.<span style=""> </span>Hardly world-saving, is it?? Sigh, must try harder.<br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >SORT OUT THAT THING I SHOULD HAVE SORTED OUT AGES AGO</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Ah yes, this was the tough one.<span style=""> </span>Facing a demon that, quite literally, for years caused my knees to go weak, my sweat to flow, and my guts to turn to water.<span style=""> </span>For a while it looked like I wouldn’t be able to do it.<span style=""> </span>I was too scared of my own failings.<span style=""> </span>Then something happened that brought me right to the door of Room 101, so I seized the doorknob, twisted it, and went in.<span style=""> </span>It was a stressful couple of weeks in there.<span style=""> </span>Migrane-inducing stressful.<span style=""> </span>Dearest Wife, Darling Daughter, and Little Man endured a crabby, cranky FiL.<span style=""> </span>But I did it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And it was OK.<span style=""> </span>Yay.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >On balance, then, two abso-fucking-lute successes, one miserable fail, and two not-quite-so-abject failiures. So the list for 2010 is gonna look pretty familiar:</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ol style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" ><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Learn how to play the electric guitar.<span style=""> </span>In a punk rawk stylee.<span style=""> </span>Nuff said.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Volunteer.<span style=""> </span>For something other than the Folk Festival.<span style=""> </span>Also ‘nuff said.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Tell more stories.<span style=""> </span>This blog was started in large part as an outlet for me to tell my stories, to write them up on a virtual bathroom wall for y’all to see.<span style=""> </span>Last year, despite some very obvious highs, life unfolded such that my stories got all bottled up inside.<span style=""> </span>And they’re sitting there uncomfortably, needing to come out…<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">More music.</span></li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let me stop there, Dearest Friends.<span style=""> </span>Oh, I could list more: be a good father/spouse/son, become authentic, etcetera.<span style=""> </span>But in keeping with true corporate management indoctrination, let’s keep those goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable,<span style=""> </span>Realistic, and Timely.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Right, let me get cracking on resolution #4:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.buzzcocks.com/site/index.html">Buzzcocks</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Promises%20Buzzcocks.mp3">Promises </a>(buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Singles-Going-Steady-Buzzcocks/dp/B000000QGE">here</a>)<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >I hereby promise to keep my resolutions. If I don't, you can roger me sideways with a dead ferret.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.theidyllists.com/">The Idyllists</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/letsflyaway.mp3">Let's Fly Away</a> (buy the new album here or<a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Idyllists-The-Long-Hours-Between-Sunset-Morning-MP3-Download/11373005.html"> e-here</a>)</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><br />I discovered these lads in my e-mail inbox, all thirsty and hungry as they'd been sitting there for several weeks. The least I thought I could do was give them a listen, and I'm glad I did, as they are a warm & bright pop tonic for the winter months. California goodness mixed with solid Brit sensibilities, with a dash of retro nostalgia for good (great?) measure.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.myspace.com/nothingpeople">Nothing People</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > - </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Nothing_People-enemy_with_an_invitation.mp3">Enemy With An Invitation</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > (buy </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/nothing.people.html">here</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Oh wow, this is grand - all stark and sweeping and relentless and loud with a burst of the old feedy-backy right at the end. Like an army of those wind-up Japanese tin robots. Only speaking English.</span><br /></p><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><span id="leoHighlights_iframe_modal_span_container"><div id="leoHighlights_iframe_modal_div_container" style="border: 1px solid black; position: absolute; visibility: hidden; display: none; width: 394px; height: 40px; z-index: 32768; background-color: white;" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOver();" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOut();"> <div id="leo_iFrame_closebar" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 394px; height: 40px; z-index: 32768; background-image: url(chrome://shim/content/highlightsFilter-3/header.gif);"> <a href="javascript:%20leoHighlightsIFrameClose();"> <div id="leo_iFrame_close" style="position: absolute; top: 10px; left: 360px; width: 20px; height: 20px;"> </div> </a> </div> <iframe id="leoHighlights_iframe" name="leoHighlights_iframe" title="leoHighlights_iframe" src="about:blank" vspace="0" hspace="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" style="position: absolute; top: 40px; left: 0px; visibility: visible;" scrolling="no" width="250" frameborder="0" height="100"> </iframe> </div> <script defer="defer" type="text/javascript"> createInlineScriptElement("var%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG%20%3D%20false%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG_POS%20%3D%20false%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_INFINITE_LOOP_COUNT%20%3D%20300%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_MAX_HIGHLIGHTS%20%3D%20200%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_ID%20%3D%20%22leoHighlights_iframe%22%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID%20%3D%20%22leoHighlights_iframe_modal_div_container%22%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_SHOW_DELAY_MS%20%3D%20300%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_HIDE_DELAY_MS%20%3D%20750%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_DEFAULT%20%3D%20%22transparent%20none%20repeat%20scroll%200%25%200%25%22%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_HOVER%20%3D%20%20%20%22rgb%28245%2C245%2C0%29%20none%20repeat%20scroll%200%25%200%25%22%3B%0Avar%20_leoHighlightsPrevElem%20%3D%20null%3B%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20General%20method%20used%20to%20debug%20exceptions%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20location%0A%20*%20@param%20e%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28location%2Ce%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20if%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20alert%28%22EXCEPTION%3A%20%22+location+%22%3A%20%22+e+%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%22%5Cn%5Ct%22+e.name+%22%5Cn%5Ct%22+%28e.number%260xFFFF%29+%22%5Cn%5Ct%22+e.description%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20is%20a%20dimensions%20object%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20width%0A%20*%20@param%20height%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28width%2Cheight%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09this.width%3Dwidth%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.height%3Dheight%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.toString%3Dfunction%28%29%20%7B%20return%20%28%22%28%22+this.width+%22%2C%22+this.height+%22%29%22%29%3B%7D%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22new%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%09%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20is%20a%20Position%20object%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20x%0A%20*%20@param%20y%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20LeoHighlightsPosition%28x%2Cy%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09this.x%3Dx%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.y%3Dy%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.toString%3Dfunction%28%29%20%7B%20return%20%28%22%28%22+this.x+%22%2C%22+this.y+%22%29%22%29%3B%7D%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22new%20LeoHighlightsPosition%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%09%0A%7D%0A%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ADJUSTMENT%20%3D%20new%20LeoHighlightsPosition%283%2C3%29%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_HOVER_SIZE%20%3D%20new%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28394%2C236%29%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_CLICK_SIZE%20%3D%20new%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28394%2C512%29%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_CLOSE_BAR_HEIGHT%20%3D%2040%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_HOVER_SIZE%20%3D%20new%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_HOVER_SIZE.width%2C%0A%09%09%09LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_HOVER_SIZE.height+LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_CLOSE_BAR_HEIGHT%29%3B%0Avar%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_CLICK_SIZE%20%3D%20new%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_CLICK_SIZE.width%2C%0A%09%09LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_CLICK_SIZE.height+LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_CLOSE_BAR_HEIGHT%29%3B%0A%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20Sets%20the%20size%20of%20the%20passed%20in%20element%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20elem%0A%20*%20@param%20dim%20%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsSetSize%28elem%2Cdim%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09//%20Set%20the%20popup%20location%0A%20%20%20%09elem.style.width%20%3D%20dim.width%20+%20%22px%22%3B%0A%20%20%20%09if%28elem.width%29%0A%20%20%20%09%09elem.width%3Ddim.width%3B%0A%20%20%20%09elem.style.height%20%20%3D%20dim.height%20+%20%22px%22%3B%0A%20%20%20%09if%28elem.height%29%0A%20%20%20%09%09elem.height%3Ddim.height%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22_leoHighlightsSetSize%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%09%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20can%20be%20used%20for%20a%20simple%20one%20argument%20callback%0A%20*%0A%20*%20@param%20callName%0A%20*%20@param%20argName%0A%20*%20@param%20argVal%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsSimpleGwCallBack%28callName%2CargName%2C%20argVal%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20gwObj%20%3D%20new%20Gateway%28%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28argName%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09gwObj.addParam%28argName%2CargVal%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.callName%28callName%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22_leoHighlightsSimpleGwCallBack%28%29%20%22+callName%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20gets%20a%20url%20argument%20from%20the%20current%20document.%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20url%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg%28url%2C%20name%20%29%0A%7B%0A%09%20%20name%20%3D%20name.replace%28/[%5C[]/%2C%22%5C%5C%5C[%22%29.replace%28/[%5C]]/%2C%22%5C%5C%5C]%22%29%3B%0A%09%20%20var%20regexS%20%3D%20%22[%5C%5C?%26]%22+name+%22%3D%28[^%26%23]*%29%22%3B%0A%09%20%20var%20regex%20%3D%20new%20RegExp%28%20regexS%20%29%3B%0A%09%20%20var%20results%20%3D%20regex.exec%28url%29%3B%0A%09%20%20if%28%20results%20%3D%3D%20null%20%29%0A%09%20%20%20%20return%20%22%22%3B%0A%09%20%20else%0A%09%20%20%20%20return%20results[1]%3B%0A%7D%0A%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20allows%20to%20redirect%20the%20top%20window%20to%20the%20passed%20in%20url%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20url%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsRedirectTop%28url%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%09top.location%3Durl%3B%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22_leoHighlightsRedirectTop%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20is%20used%20to%20report%20events%20to%20the%20plugin%0A%20*%20@param%20key%0A%20*%20@param%20sub%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsEvent%28key%2C%20sub%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20gwObj%20%3D%20new%20Gateway%28%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.addParam%28%22key%22%2C%20key%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.addParam%28%22sub%22%2C%20sub%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.callName%28%22leoHighlightsEvent%22%29%3B%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22_leoHighlightsEvent%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20will%20find%20an%20element%20by%20Id%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20elemId%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28elemId%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09var%20elem%3Ddocument.getElementById%28elemId%29%3B%0A%09%09if%28elem%29%0A%09%09%09return%20elem%3B%0A%09%09%0A%09%09/*%20This%20is%20the%20handling%20for%20IE%20*/%0A%09%09if%28document.all%29%0A%09%09%7B%0A%09%09%09elem%3Ddocument.all[elemId]%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28elem%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09return%20elem%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20for%20%28%20var%20i%20%3D%20%28document.all.length-1%29%3B%20i%20%3E%3D%200%3B%20i--%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09elem%3Ddocument.all[i]%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09if%28elem.id%3D%3DelemId%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20return%20elem%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%09%09%7D%0A%09%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%09return%20null%3B%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20Get%20the%20location%20of%20one%20element%20relative%20to%20a%20parent%20reference%0A%20*%0A%20*%20@param%20ref%0A%20*%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20the%20reference%20element%2C%20this%20must%20be%20a%20parent%20of%20the%20passed%20in%0A%20*%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20element%0A%20*%20@param%20elem%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsGetLocation%28ref%2C%20elem%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20var%20count%20%3D%200%3B%0A%20%20%20var%20location%20%3D%20new%20LeoHighlightsPosition%280%2C0%29%3B%0A%20%20%20var%20walk%20%3D%20elem%3B%0A%20%20%20while%20%28walk%20%21%3D%20null%20%26%26%20walk%20%21%3D%20ref%20%26%26%20count%20%3C%20LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_INFINITE_LOOP_COUNT%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20location.x%20+%3D%20walk.offsetLeft%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20location.y%20+%3D%20walk.offsetTop%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20walk%20%3D%20walk.offsetParent%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20count++%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%0A%20%20%20return%20location%3B%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20is%20used%20to%20update%20the%20position%20of%20an%20element%20as%20a%20popup%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20IFrame%0A%20*%20@param%20anchor%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos%28iFrame%2Canchor%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20Gets%20the%20scrolled%20location%20for%20x%20and%20y%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20scrolledPos%3Dnew%20LeoHighlightsPosition%280%2C0%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28%20self.pageYOffset%20%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20scrolledPos.x%20%3D%20self.pageXOffset%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20scrolledPos.y%20%3D%20self.pageYOffset%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20else%20if%28%20document.documentElement%20%26%26%20document.documentElement.scrollTop%20%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20scrolledPos.x%20%3D%20document.documentElement.scrollLeft%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20scrolledPos.y%20%3D%20document.documentElement.scrollTop%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20else%20if%28%20document.body%20%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20scrolledPos.x%20%3D%20document.body.scrollLeft%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20scrolledPos.y%20%3D%20document.body.scrollTop%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20/*%20Get%20the%20total%20dimensions%20to%20see%20what%20scroll%20bars%20might%20be%20active%20*/%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20totalDim%3Dnew%20LeoHighlightsDimension%280%2C0%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28document.all%20%26%26%20document.documentElement%20%26%26%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09document.documentElement.clientHeight%26%26document.documentElement.clientWidth%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09totalDim.width%20%3D%20document.documentElement.scrollWidth%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09totalDim.height%20%3D%20document.documentElement.scrollHeight%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20else%20if%20%28document.all%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7B%20/*%20This%20is%20in%20IE%20*/%0A%20%20%20%20%20%09%20%09totalDim.width%20%3D%20document.body.scrollWidth%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09totalDim.height%20%3D%20document.body.scrollHeight%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20else%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09%20totalDim.width%20%3D%20document.width%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09%20totalDim.height%20%3D%20document.height%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20Gets%20the%20location%20of%20the%20available%20screen%20space%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20centerDim%3Dnew%20LeoHighlightsDimension%280%2C0%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28self.innerWidth%20%26%26%20self.innerHeight%20%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20centerDim.width%20%3D%20self.innerWidth-%28totalDim.height%3Eself.innerHeight?16%3A0%29%3B%20//%20subtracting%20scroll%20bar%20offsets%20for%20firefox%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20centerDim.height%20%3D%20self.innerHeight-%28totalDim.width%3Eself.innerWidth?16%3A0%29%3B%20%20//%20subtracting%20scroll%20bar%20offsets%20for%20firefox%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20else%20if%28%20document.documentElement%20%26%26%20document.documentElement.clientHeight%20%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20centerDim.width%20%3D%20document.documentElement.clientWidth%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20centerDim.height%20%3D%20document.documentElement.clientHeight%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20else%20if%28%20document.body%20%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20centerDim.width%20%3D%20document.body.clientWidth%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20centerDim.height%20%3D%20document.body.clientHeight%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20Get%20the%20current%20dimension%20of%20the%20popup%20element%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20iFrameDim%3Dnew%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28iFrame.offsetWidth%2CiFrame.offsetHeight%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28iFrameDim.width%20%3C%3D%200%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09iFrameDim.width%20%3D%20iFrame.style.width.substring%280%2C%20iFrame.style.width.indexOf%28%27px%27%29%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28iFrameDim.height%20%3C%3D%200%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09iFrameDim.height%20%3D%20iFrame.style.height.substring%280%2C%20iFrame.style.height.indexOf%28%27px%27%29%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20/*%20Calculate%20the%20position%2C%20lower%20right%20hand%20corner%20by%20default%20*/%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20position%3Dnew%20LeoHighlightsPosition%280%2C0%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20position.x%3DscrolledPos.x+centerDim.width-iFrameDim.width-LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ADJUSTMENT.x%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20position.y%3DscrolledPos.y+centerDim.height-iFrameDim.height-LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ADJUSTMENT.y%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28anchor%21%3Dnull%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20//centerDim%20in%20relation%20to%20the%20anchor%20element%20if%20available%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20topOrBottom%20%3D%20false%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20anchorPos%3D_leoHighlightsGetLocation%28document.body%2C%20anchor%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20anchorScreenPos%20%3D%20new%20LeoHighlightsPosition%28anchorPos.x-scrolledPos.x%2CanchorPos.y-scrolledPos.y%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20anchorDim%3Dnew%20LeoHighlightsDimension%28anchor.offsetWidth%2Canchor.offsetHeight%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28anchorDim.width%20%3C%3D%200%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09anchorDim.width%20%3D%20anchor.style.width.substring%280%2C%20anchor.style.width.indexOf%28%27px%27%29%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28anchorDim.height%20%3C%3D%200%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09anchorDim.height%20%3D%20anchor.style.height.substring%280%2C%20anchor.style.height.indexOf%28%27px%27%29%29%3B%0A%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20Check%20if%20the%20popup%20can%20be%20shown%20above%20or%20below%20the%20element%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28centerDim.height%20-%20anchorDim.height%20-%20iFrameDim.height%20-%20anchorScreenPos.y%20%3E%200%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09//%20Show%20below%2C%20formula%20above%20calculates%20space%20below%20open%20iFrame%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20position.y%20%3D%20anchorPos.y%20+%20anchorDim.height%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20topOrBottom%20%3D%20true%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20else%20if%20%28anchorScreenPos.y%20-%20anchorDim.height%20-%20iFrameDim.height%20%3E%200%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09//%20Show%20above%2C%20formula%20above%20calculates%20space%20above%20open%20iFrame%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09position.y%20%3D%20anchorPos.y%20-%20iFrameDim.height%20-%20anchorDim.height%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20topOrBottom%20%3D%20true%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28topOrBottom%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20We%20attempt%20top%20attach%20the%20window%20to%20the%20element%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09position.x%20%3D%20anchorPos.x%20-%20iFrameDim.width%20/%202%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28position.x%20%3C%200%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09position.x%20%3D%200%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20else%20if%20%28position.x%20+%20iFrameDim.width%20%3E%20scrolledPos.x%20+%20centerDim.width%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09position.x%20%3D%20scrolledPos.x%20+%20centerDim.width%20-%20iFrameDim.width%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20else%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20Attempt%20to%20align%20on%20the%20right%20or%20left%20hand%20side%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28centerDim.width%20-%20anchorDim.Width%20-%20iFrameDim.width%20-%20anchorScreenPos.x%20%3E%200%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20position.x%20%3D%20anchorPos.x%20+%20anchorDim.width%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20else%20if%20%28anchorScreenPos.x%20-%20anchorDim.width%20-%20iFrameDim.width%20%3E%200%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%09position.x%20%3D%20anchorPos.x%20-%20anchorDim.width%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20else%20%20//%20default%20to%20below%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20position.y%20%3D%20anchorPos.y%20+%20anchorDim.height%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20/*%20Make%20sure%20that%20we%20don%27t%20go%20passed%20the%20right%20hand%20border%20*/%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28position.x+iFrameDim.width%3EcenterDim.width-20%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09position.x%3DcenterDim.width-%28iFrameDim.width+20%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20Make%20sure%20that%20we%20didn%27t%20go%20passed%20the%20start%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28position.x%3C0%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20position.x%3D0%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28position.y%3C0%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%09position.y%3D0%3B%0A%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%20%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG_POS%26%26LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG%29%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20alert%28%22%20Popup%20info%20id%3A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%22%20+iFrame.id+%22%20-%20%22+anchor.id%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20+%20%22%5Cnscrolled%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%22%20+%20scrolledPos%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20+%20%22%5Cncenter/visible%20%20%20%20%22%20+%20centerDim%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20+%20%22%5Cnanchor%20%28absolute%29%20%22%20+%20anchorPos%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20+%20%22%5Cnanchor%20%28screen%29%20%20%20%22%20+%20anchorScreenPos%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20+%20%22%5CnSize%20%28anchor%29%20%20%20%20%20%22%20+%20anchorDim%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20+%20%22%5CnSize%20%28popup%29%20%20%20%20%20%20%22%20+%20iFrameDim%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20+%20%22%5CnResult%20pos%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%22%20+%20position%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%0A%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20//%20Set%20the%20popup%20location%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20iFrame.style.left%20%3D%20position.x%20+%20%22px%22%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20iFrame.style.top%20%20%3D%20position.y%20+%20%22px%22%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22_leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20will%20show%20the%20passed%20in%20element%20as%20a%20popup%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20anchorId%0A%20*%20@param%20size%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsShowPopup%28anchorId%2Csize%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09var%20popup%3Dnew%20LeoHighlightsPopup%28anchorId%2Csize%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09popup.show%28%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22_leoHighlightsShowPopup%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%09%0A%7D%0A%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20will%20transform%20the%20passed%20in%20url%20to%20a%20rover%20url%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20url%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20_leoHighlightsGetRoverUrl%28url%29%0A%7B%0A%09var%20rover%3D%22711-36858-13496-14%22%3B%0A%09var%20roverUrl%3D%22http%3A//rover.ebay.com/rover/1/%22+rover+%22/4?%26mpre%3D%22+encodeURI%28url%29%3B%0A%09%0A%09return%20roverUrl%3B%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20Class%20for%20a%20Popup%20%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20anchorId%0A%20*%20@param%20size%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20LeoHighlightsPopup%28anchorId%2Csize%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09this.anchorId%3DanchorId%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.anchor%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28this.anchorId%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.iFrame%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_ID%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.iFrameDiv%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%09var%20url%3Dunescape%28this.anchor.getAttribute%28%27leoHighlights_url%27%29%29%3B%0A%0A%20%20%20%09this.iFrame.src%3Durl%3B%0A%0A%20%20%20%09leoHighlightsSetSize%28size%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%09this.updatePos%3Dfunction%28%29%20%7B%20_leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos%28this.iFrameDiv%2Cthis.anchor%29%7D%3B%0A%20%20%20%09this.show%3Dfunction%28%29%20%7Bthis.updatePos%28%29%3B%20this.iFrameDiv.style.visibility%20%3D%20%22visible%22%3B%20this.iFrameDiv.style.display%20%3D%20%22block%22%3B%20this.updatePos%28%29%3B%7D%20%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%20%09this.scroll%3Dfunction%28%29%20%7B%20this.updatePos%28%29%3B%7D%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22new%20LeoHighlightsPopup%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A*%0A*%20This%20can%20be%20used%20to%20close%20an%20iframe%0A*%0A*%20@param%20id%0A*%20@return%0A*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsSetSize%28size%2CclickId%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09/*%20Get%20the%20appropriate%20sizes%20*/%0A%20%20%09%09var%20iFrame%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_ID%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09var%20iFrameDiv%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09/*%20Figure%20out%20the%20correct%20sizes%20*/%0A%20%20%09%09var%20iFrameSize%3D%28size%3D%3D1%29?LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_CLICK_SIZE%3ALEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_HOVER_SIZE%3B%0A%20%20%09%09var%20divSize%3D%28size%3D%3D1%29?LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_CLICK_SIZE%3ALEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_HOVER_SIZE%3B%0A%0A%20%20%09%09/*%20Refresh%20the%20iFrame%27s%20url%2C%20by%20removing%20the%20size%20arg%20and%20adding%20it%20again%20*/%0A%20%20%09%09var%20url%3DiFrame.src%3B%0A%20%20%09%09var%20idx%3Durl.indexOf%28%22%26size%3D%22%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09if%28idx%3E%3D0%29%0A%20%20%09%09%09url%3Durl.substring%280%2Cidx%29%3B%0A%09%09url+%3D%28%22%26size%3D%22+size%29%3B%0A%09%09if%28clickId%29%0A%09%09%09url+%3D%28%22%26clickId%3D%22+clickId%29%3B%0A%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09iFrame.src%3Durl%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09/*%20Clear%20the%20hover%20flag%2C%20if%20the%20user%20shows%20this%20at%20full%20size%20*/%0A%20%20%09%09if%28size%3D%3D1%26%26_leoHighlightsPrevElem%29%0A%20%20%09%09%09_leoHighlightsPrevElem.hover%3Dfalse%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09_leoHighlightsSetSize%28iFrame%2CiFrameSize%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09_leoHighlightsSetSize%28iFrameDiv%2CdivSize%29%3B%0A%09%7D%0A%09catch%28e%29%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsSetSize%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%09%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20Start%20the%20popup%20a%20little%20bit%20delayed.%0A%20*%20Somehow%20IE%20needs%20some%20time%20to%20find%20the%20element%20by%20id.%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20anchorId%0A%20*%20@param%20size%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsShowPopup%28anchorId%2Csize%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%09%09var%20elem%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28anchorId%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09if%28_leoHighlightsPrevElem%26%26%28_leoHighlightsPrevElem%21%3Delem%29%29%0A%20%20%09%09%09_leoHighlightsPrevElem.shown%3Dfalse%3B%0A%20%20%09%09elem.shown%3Dtrue%3B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsPrevElem%3Delem%3B%0A%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%09/*%20FF%20needs%20to%20find%20the%20element%20first%20*/%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28anchorId%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%09setTimeout%28%22_leoHighlightsShowPopup%28%5C%27%22+anchorId+%22%5C%27%2C%5C%27%22+size+%22%5C%27%29%3B%22%2C10%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsShowPopup%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%09%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A*%0A*%20This%20can%20be%20used%20to%20close%20an%20iframe%0A*%0A*%20@param%20id%0A*%20@return%0A*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsHideElem%28id%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09/*%20Get%20the%20appropriate%20sizes%20*/%0A%20%20%09%09var%20elem%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28id%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09if%28elem%29%0A%20%20%09%09%09elem.style.visibility%3D%22hidden%22%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09/*%20Clear%20the%20page%20for%20the%20next%20run%20through%20*/%0A%20%20%09%09var%20iFrame%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_ID%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09if%28iFrame%29%0A%20%20%09%09%09iFrame.src%3D%22about%3Ablank%22%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09if%28_leoHighlightsPrevElem%29%0A%20%20%09%09%7B%0A%20%20%09%09%09_leoHighlightsPrevElem.shown%3Dfalse%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%09_leoHighlightsPrevElem%3Dnull%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%7D%0A%09%7D%0A%09catch%28e%29%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsHideElem%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%09%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A*%0A*%20This%20can%20be%20used%20to%20close%20an%20iframe.%0A*%20Since%20the%20iFrame%20is%20reused%20the%20frame%20only%20gets%20hidden%0A*%0A*%20@return%0A*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsIFrameClose%28%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20try%0A%20%20%7B%0A%09%20%20_leoHighlightsSimpleGwCallBack%28%22LeoHighlightsHideIFrame%22%29%3B%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%7B%0A%09%20%20_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsIFrameClose%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20should%20handle%20the%20click%20events%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20anchorId%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsHandleClick%28anchorId%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%09%09var%20anchor%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28anchorId%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09anchor.hover%3Dfalse%3B%0A%20%20%09%09if%28anchor.startTimer%29%0A%20%20%09%09%09clearTimeout%28anchor.startTimer%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%09%09leoHighlightsEvent%28%22clicked%22%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09leoHighlightsShowPopup%28anchorId%2C1%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09return%20false%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsHandleClick%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%09%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20should%20handle%20the%20hover%20events%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20anchorId%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsHandleHover%28anchorId%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%09%09var%20anchor%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28anchorId%29%3B%0A%20%20%09%09anchor.hover%3Dtrue%3B%0A%20%20%09%09%0A%20%20%09%09leoHighlightsEvent%28%22hovered%22%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09leoHighlightsShowPopup%28anchorId%2C0%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%09return%20false%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsHandleHover%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%09%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20will%20handle%20the%20mouse%20over%20setup%20timers%20for%20the%20appropriate%20timers%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20id%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver%28id%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09var%20anchor%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28id%29%3B%09%09%0A%0A%09%09/*%20Clear%20the%20end%20timer%20if%20required%20*/%0A%09%09if%28anchor.endTimer%29%0A%09%09%09clearTimeout%28anchor.endTimer%29%3B%0A%09%09anchor.endTimer%3Dnull%3B%0A%09%09%0A%09%09anchor.style.background%3DLEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_HOVER%3B%0A%09%09%0A%09%09/*%20The%20element%20is%20already%20showing%20we%20are%20done%20*/%0A%09%09if%28anchor.shown%29%0A%09%09%09return%3B%0A%09%09%0A%09%09/*%20Setup%20the%20start%20timer%20if%20required%20*/%0A%09%09anchor.startTimer%3DsetTimeout%28function%28%29%7B%0A%09%09%09leoHighlightsHandleHover%28anchor.id%29%3B%0A%09%09%09anchor.hover%3Dtrue%3B%0A%09%09%09%7D%2C%0A%09%09%09LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_SHOW_DELAY_MS%29%3B%0A%09%7D%0A%09catch%28e%29%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%09%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20will%20handle%20the%20mouse%20over%20setup%20timers%20for%20the%20appropriate%20timers%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20id%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut%28id%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%09%0A%09%09var%20anchor%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28id%29%3B%0A%09%09%0A%09%09/*%20Clear%20the%20start%20timer%20if%20required%20*/%0A%09%09if%28anchor.startTimer%29%0A%09%09%09clearTimeout%28anchor.startTimer%29%3B%0A%09%09anchor.startTimer%3Dnull%3B%0A%09%09%0A%09%09anchor.style.background%3DLEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_DEFAULT%3B%0A%09%09if%28%21anchor.shown||%21anchor.hover%29%0A%09%09%09return%3B%0A%09%09%0A%09%09/*%20Setup%20the%20start%20timer%20if%20required%20*/%0A%09%09anchor.endTimer%3DsetTimeout%28function%28%29%7B%0A%09%09%09leoHighlightsHideElem%28LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID%29%3B%0A%09%09%09anchor.shown%3Dfalse%3B%0A%09%09%09_leoHighlightsPrevElem%3Dnull%3B%0A%09%09%09%7D%2CLEO_HIGHLIGHTS_HIDE_DELAY_MS%29%3B%0A%09%7D%0A%09catch%28e%29%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%09%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20handles%20the%20mouse%20movement%20into%20the%20currently%20opened%20window.%0A%20*%20Just%20clear%20the%20close%20timer%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOver%28%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09if%28_leoHighlightsPrevElem%26%26_leoHighlightsPrevElem.endTimer%29%0A%09%09%09clearTimeout%28_leoHighlightsPrevElem.endTimer%29%3B%0A%09%7D%0A%09catch%28e%29%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOver%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%09%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20handles%20the%20mouse%20movement%20into%20the%20currently%20opened%20window.%0A%20*%20Just%20clear%20the%20close%20timer%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20id%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOut%28%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09if%28_leoHighlightsPrevElem%29%0A%09%09%09leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut%28_leoHighlightsPrevElem.id%29%3B%0A%09%7D%0A%09catch%28e%29%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOut%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%09%7D%0A%7D%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20is%20a%20method%20is%20used%20to%20make%20the%20javascript%20within%20IE%20runnable%0A%20*/%0Avar%20leoHighlightsRanUpdateDivs%3Dfalse%3B%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsUpdateDivs%28%29%0A%7B%0A%09try%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09/*%20Check%20if%20this%20is%20an%20IE%20browser%20and%20if%20divs%20have%20been%20updated%20already%20*/%0A%09%09if%28document.all%26%26%21leoHighlightsRanUpdateDivs%29%0A%09%09%7B%0A%09%09%09leoHighlightsRanUpdateDivs%3Dtrue%3B%20//%20Set%20early%20to%20prevent%20running%20twice%0A%09%09%09for%28var%20i%3D0%3Bi%3CLEO_HIGHLIGHTS_MAX_HIGHLIGHTS%3Bi++%29%0A%09%09%09%7B%0A%09%09%09%09var%20id%3D%22leoHighlights_Underline_%22+i%3B%0A%09%09%09%09var%20elem%3D_leoHighlightsFindElementById%28id%29%3B%0A%09%09%09%09if%28elem%3D%3Dnull%29%0A%09%09%09%09%09break%3B%0A%09%09%09%09%0A%09%09%09%09if%28%21elem.leoChanged%29%0A%09%09%09%09%7B%0A%09%09%09%09%09elem.leoChanged%3Dtrue%3B%0A%09%09%09%09%0A%09%09%09%09%09/*%20This%20will%20make%20javaScript%20runnable%20*/%09%09%09%09%0A%09%09%09%09%09elem.outerHTML%3Delem.outerHTML%3B%0A%09%09%09%09%7D%0A%09%09%09%7D%0A%09%09%7D%0A%09%7D%0A%09catch%28e%29%0A%09%7B%0A%09%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlightsUpdateDivs%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%09%7D%0A%7D%0A%0Aif%28document.all%29%0A%09setTimeout%28leoHighlightsUpdateDivs%2C200%29%3B%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20is%20used%20to%20report%20events%20to%20the%20plugin%0A%20*%20@param%20key%0A%20*%20@param%20sub%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHighlightsEvent%28key%2C%20sub%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20gwObj%20%3D%20new%20Gateway%28%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.addParam%28%22key%22%2C%20key%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.addParam%28%22sub%22%2C%20sub%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.callName%28%22LeoHighlightsEvent%22%29%3B%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHighlights%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/*----------------------------------------------------------------------*/%0A/*%20Methods%20provided%20to%20the%20highlight%20providers...%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20*/%0A/*----------------------------------------------------------------------*/%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20will%20redirect%20the%20top%20window%20to%20the%20passed%20in%20url%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20url%0A%20*%20@param%20parentId%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHL_RedirectTop%28url%2CparentId%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsRedirectTop%28url%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHL_RedirectTop%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0A/**%0A%20*%20This%20will%20set%20the%20size%20of%20the%20iframe%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@param%20url%0A%20*%20@param%20parentId%0A%20*%20%0A%20*%20@return%0A%20*/%0Afunction%20leoHl_setSize%28size%2Curl%29%0A%7B%0A%20%20%20try%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09/*%20Get%20the%20clickId%20*/%0A%20%20%20%09var%20clickId%3D_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg%28%20url%2C%22clickId%22%29%0A%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20var%20gwObj%20%3D%20new%20Gateway%28%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.addParam%28%22size%22%2Csize%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20if%28clickId%29%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.addParam%28%22clickId%22%2CclickId+%22_blah%22%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20gwObj.callName%28%22LeoHighlightsSetSize%22%29%3B%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%20%20%20catch%28e%29%0A%20%20%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%09_leoHighlightsReportExeception%28%22leoHl_setSize%28%29%22%2Ce%29%3B%20%20%20%09%0A%20%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A"); </script></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-66923132583625497042009-12-24T12:29:00.005-08:002010-02-26T00:10:11.981-08:00IT'S CHRIIIIIST-MAAAAASSSSS!!!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspEtOp9Eq2iSFtWsdw29vLdk5emjpNmKnE8nSFv3ahpwK56o78EK5rn1DT4eqryfdstuc5-3devC3cW-q-6I24rcGz8qiJwn3XA-ekmoyk15WXK6bXwO_aqhBXXMCOtlFB2owPw/s1600-h/SantaFiL.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspEtOp9Eq2iSFtWsdw29vLdk5emjpNmKnE8nSFv3ahpwK56o78EK5rn1DT4eqryfdstuc5-3devC3cW-q-6I24rcGz8qiJwn3XA-ekmoyk15WXK6bXwO_aqhBXXMCOtlFB2owPw/s400/SantaFiL.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418903645731047138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Waitaminit, that St Nick looks vaguely familiar...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Dearest Friends, here's wishing you a very Happy Christmas and Season's Greetings (as appropriate). I can think of no better way to tell you how wonderful I think you all are than to share with you five of my all-time favourite Chrimbo choonz. If you were here in past years you'll know they're reposts, but enjoy them anyway.<br /><br />May you get exactly what you want in your stocking. See you after the hols.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vandals.com/Vandals/Home/Home.html">The Vandals</a> - </span>Oi To The World<span style="font-size:100%;"> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Vandals-Oi-World/dp/B00004T9YT/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1261687845&sr=8-2">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Vandals-Oi-To-The-World-MP3-Download/11057890.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.testtubebabies.co.uk/">Peter & The Test Tube Babies</a> - </span>I'm Getting Pissed For Christmas<span style="font-size:100%;"> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000784YK/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1261688419&sr=8-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Peter-And-The-Test-Tube-Babies-Alien-Pubduction-MP3-Download/10852038.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Miller">Jacob Miller</a> - </span>All I Want For Ismas<span style="font-size:100%;"> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natty-Christmas-Jacob-Miller/dp/B000VQQYEE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1261687880&sr=8-2">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Jacob-Miller-Natty-Christmas-MP3-Download/11096210.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.hollygolightly.com/">Holly Golightly</a> - </span>Christmas Tree On Fire<span style="font-size:100%;"> (buy <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Holly-Golightly-Christmas-Tree-On-Fire-MP3-Download/10976061.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_Miser">Heat Miser</a> - </span>The Heat Miser Song<span style="font-size:100%;"> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Year-Without-Santa-Claus-Deluxe/dp/B000S0PLGA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1261687786&sr=8-6">here</a>)<br /><br />P.S. There is no Slade here. Apologies to those who were deceived by the title.<br /><br /></span></div></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-5014980897985577422009-12-22T22:17:00.002-08:002010-02-26T00:10:35.548-08:00The Christmas Invasion<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3rnIMn-29n8DaAHoMmrIgWkjHNw25VlhTWr5dQOF7AhofN89zYAFrT8cuVZp5pVnj6wbd-4Qhyphenhyphen7fIj9CzB1v4yON6lOpMng56RWKh8I3gZ0cqdWBEWtJsgV9kM9FhvdCMo7X-Q/s1600-h/Space+Reindeer.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3rnIMn-29n8DaAHoMmrIgWkjHNw25VlhTWr5dQOF7AhofN89zYAFrT8cuVZp5pVnj6wbd-4Qhyphenhyphen7fIj9CzB1v4yON6lOpMng56RWKh8I3gZ0cqdWBEWtJsgV9kM9FhvdCMo7X-Q/s400/Space+Reindeer.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417940903551317970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Roswell reindeer. I barely escaped with my life.<br /></span></span></div><br />Whoa, so, like, what is it about Chrimbo that makes folks do alien things? Like, drink appalling concoctions such as Baileys, eggnog, and gingerbread lattes. Or spend mind-numbing hours packed into sickening malls along with thousands of others? Or think that a <a href="https://www.chiaobama.com/flare/next">Chia Obama</a> makes the perfect gift??<br /><br />It must be them space reindeer. Once they lull us into a holiday stupor, they'll laser us with their shiny noses and use us as fodder for their young.<br /><br />But it doesn't have to be that way; the resistance can start right here:<br /><br />Just say "No" to eggnog...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shonenknife.com/">Shonen Knife</a> - Space Christmas (buy <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/SHONEN-KNIFE-Space-Christmas-CD-single-MINT-unplayed_W0QQitemZ400014166649QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item5d22b3ca79">here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.thebellrays.com/">The Bellrays</a> - Rocket Ship Santa (buy <a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=alien%20sex%20fiend&SearchSourceOrigin=1">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.asf-13thmoon.demon.co.uk/">Alien Sex Fiend</a> - Stuff The Turkey (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Alien-Sex-Fiend/dp/B000056UQE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1261554283&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=alien%20sex%20fiend&SearchSourceOrigin=1">e-here</a>)<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-14128786769152663322009-12-12T00:20:00.007-08:002010-02-26T00:11:12.864-08:00Don't Need No Spirit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicFXN-lKn-L7kqKGLGgUNiWoc-tf-cZ_9F6XXBTOwCeYe8cZ7B4fymZHiOU7bwExSJYTYRAxh_neGYelEyhL95ZnY1JMs6UOQFM3pndsuwK2Y4BwRLyQpgbUMza8INc-XH01HrA/s1600-h/santarock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 458px; height: 343px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicFXN-lKn-L7kqKGLGgUNiWoc-tf-cZ_9F6XXBTOwCeYe8cZ7B4fymZHiOU7bwExSJYTYRAxh_neGYelEyhL95ZnY1JMs6UOQFM3pndsuwK2Y4BwRLyQpgbUMza8INc-XH01HrA/s400/santarock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414279332842803170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So this is Christmas. No no, please don't scurry away, I promise you: no more John Lennon!! OK? Are we friends again? Have you stopped screaming?? Good.<br /><br />I was looking back at my Chrimbo <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/2008/12/piss-off.html">posts from last year</a> and I was struck by how Grinchian and grumpy they were! My goodness, pre-visitation Scrooge had NOTHING on FiL circa December 2008. Much of that was due to circumstances; I shan't go into details, but it was one of those burdensome Yuletides where I knew no matter what happened it was likely to end in stress and tears. Paint that over my inherent dislike of the frenetic consumerism of the season and the overpowering imperative to get into the CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, and I think that just about explains my attitude.<br /><br />This year it ain't so bad. Our plans are very simple and revolve around our nuclear family. Moreover, I've decided that if the spirit moves me, great. If not, that's fine too. What I'm trying to focus on instead is finding opportunities amongst the Xmas hubbub to share time and enjoy being with thems that matter to me. And so far it's been so good; last weekend I went shopping with Darling Daughter on one of my favourite drags, Main Street. We shopped <a href="http://smokinglily.com/">here </a>and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=barefoot+contessa&init=quick#/pages/Vancouver-BC/Barefoot-Contessa/47737517055?ref=search&sid=536615648.1825213164..1">here </a>and <a href="http://frontandcompany.ca/">here</a>, then we went to the <a href="http://www.rhizomecafe.ca/">Rhizome Cafe</a> where we had an excellent brunch and I told her about community activism and the power of art. Right on. Then tomorrow morning the whole family is ascending <a href="http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/">Grouse Mountain</a> for a party thrown by my workplace. There will be lashings of pancakes and eggs and sausages and bacon, and Santa will appear and give out presents. And tomorrow evening Dearest Wife & I are off to a kids-free Chrimbo knees-up. Shit, this year is looking OK...<br /><br />Since I'm of such good humour at the moment, Dearest Friends, may I invite you to share some noisy good cheer in the garage? I always like to venture in there at least once during the season.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thedollyrots.com/">The Dollyrots</a> - (buy <a href="http://www.blackheart.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_42&products_id=175&zenid=27978d95a8a0755615afe58ed9e01124">here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.billychildish.com/home.html">Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians of the British Empire</a> - Dear Santa Claus (buy <a href="http://damagedgoods.greedbag.com/buy/christmas-8/">here </a>or <a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=run%20run%20rudolph&SearchSourceOrigin=1">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/theenewbombturks">New Bomb Turks</a> - Christmas [Baby, Please Come Home] (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Birthday-Jesus-Various-Artists/dp/B000003KZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1260611300&sr=1-1">here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.thechesterfieldkings.com/">The Chesterfield Kings</a> - Hey Santa Claus (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Go-Go-Various-Artists/dp/B001FBSMXA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1260611226&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=run%20run%20rudolph&SearchSourceOrigin=1">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.fleshtones.org/">The Fleshtones</a> - Run, Rudolph, Run (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stocking-Stuffer-Fleshtones/dp/B001FBSLNQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1260611204&sr=8-2">here </a>or<a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=run%20run%20rudolph&SearchSourceOrigin=1"> e-here</a>)<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-11046572737605005692009-12-05T19:50:00.001-08:002010-02-26T00:11:37.884-08:00A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Toystore<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JJVV2nX7UYuC_CGGYHrREFU_tLwWeCEIL6HG5fmFYbp0be-Scvx8cGI8m2Mq4l5zWVHdhg4wJL04Qv-yIUvWxsWcE8NAiJPUXM0WQZUrQKNQRyL3L3oJb-bVGiFwFOoP86-WQg/s1600-h/Summer+2009+1599.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JJVV2nX7UYuC_CGGYHrREFU_tLwWeCEIL6HG5fmFYbp0be-Scvx8cGI8m2Mq4l5zWVHdhg4wJL04Qv-yIUvWxsWcE8NAiJPUXM0WQZUrQKNQRyL3L3oJb-bVGiFwFOoP86-WQg/s400/Summer+2009+1599.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411817083819682338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pieces of childhood</span></span><br /></div><br />Little Man has been having a few issues at school as of late. An incompetent teacher with the organizational skills of a headless chicken. Work that's frankly waaay too advanced for 75% of the class. And classmates who've taken to taunting him so as to provoke a reaction that usually gets him into trouble.<br /><br />Sigh. It's tough being seven.<br /><br />At a meeting between Dearest Wife, myself, Mrs Headless Chicken and The School Principal (who is an awesome steel fist in a velvet glove), it came out that Little Man really enjoys playing with the class supply of Lego. So that got me thinking...<br /><br />Back at home, I stood on my tippy-tip-toes and pulled down a large, dusty plastic bag from our bedroom closet. I called out to Little Man that he should shut his eyes tight, then I went to the playroom where he was desperately trying not to peek. I gave him the bag, and let him look. His eyes grew wide...<br /><br />Inside was my entire childhood collection of Lego, a multicoloured jumble of plastic bricks 'n' bits with which I used to construct entire universes. I had brought the whole lot over to Vancouver from New York after years of nagging from Mother to "deal with my stuff in the basement." I had been long intending to pass it on to Little Man, but the right moment had never presented itself. Until now.<br /><br />We immediately embarked on building a police station, complete with windows, swingy doors, and Lego homunculi. As I rummaged through the bag, looking for THAT precise piece, I began to find bits of unexpected flotsam from my childhood.<br /><br />A quiver from a Playmobil Indian.<br /><br />A wooden Tinkertoy connector.<br /><br />A skipole from a GI Joe arctic warfare set.<br /><br />A rocket from a James Bond "The Spy Who Loved Me" Lotus Esprit Sportscar Submarine.<br /><br />Tokens from a London Underground boardgame.<br /><br />Each unexpected artefact brought with it a concentrated shot of memories, nostalgia, and vivid feelings. It was all actually a bit disconcerting. Thank goodness I had Little Man and a half-built police station to keep me anchored.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:ymf2zffheh2k%7ET1">Pianosaurus</a> - A Funny Thing Happened On The way To The Toystore (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Groovy-Neighborhood-CD-Demand-Pianosaurus/dp/B0000003J6">here </a>or<a href="http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT1641676&octid=CT1641676&eid=128364090191819148&name=eMusic%20Search&q=pianosaurus&SearchSourceOrigin=1"> e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.themaccabees.co.uk/">The Maccabees</a> - Lego (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Maccabees/dp/B000OMD47U">here</a>)<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-44281262899081249112009-11-14T22:43:00.001-08:002010-02-26T00:12:01.273-08:00Tra La La La La I'm Not Listening<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hQRYpa2G4HeoideTmQR0dKkwtVOPIIvjFY69ALTGZx6H3Ym2k9FYEIoR1Ij_dvokkdBAQObWR_Ddrb9IHltwT6uC63_Pd2jd0qWgYkCeAEet0xrBKQywP7aqs2c27GJnBsI4tQ/s1600-h/getyourchristmason.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hQRYpa2G4HeoideTmQR0dKkwtVOPIIvjFY69ALTGZx6H3Ym2k9FYEIoR1Ij_dvokkdBAQObWR_Ddrb9IHltwT6uC63_Pd2jd0qWgYkCeAEet0xrBKQywP7aqs2c27GJnBsI4tQ/s400/getyourchristmason.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404258902752160418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Oh, for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">fuck's</span> sake. I know I've been preoccupied with this 'n' that as of late (children - can't you put them on autopilot or something??), but I wasn't expecting this quite so soon. No, not at all. You see, I was starting to come to grips with the falling leaves and the falling temperatures and the early falling of darkness. I was falling into Fall. But just as I thought I had the fall under control, I was mugged. Most brutally and painfully.<br /><br />Little Man & I had popped into our local Shoppers Drug Mart (yes folks, it's true, here in laid-back Vancouver we have retail stores selling weed, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">shrooms</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">skag</span> on open shelves) to pick up some codeine tabs for Dearest Wife and her irrepressible bronchitis cough. As we wended our way through aisles of pomade, unguent, powders and carbolic soap, my gaze was wrenched by a display of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Toffifee</span> boxes with smiling, rosy-cheeked fat men in red suits.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">OMFG</span>! IT'S STARTED!! THEY'RE SELLING CHRISTMAS!! ALREADY!!!<br /><br />As I reeled in amazement, I was sucker-punched in the ears by a mawkishly mewled version of that bane of Yuletide music: Last Christmas. To make it worse, it was some dreadful cover version - The Cheetah Girls, I think. It were '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">orrible</span>, it were.<br /><br />Sigh. It all seems so desperate, so tawdry: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">c'mon</span> folks, get into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Chrimbo</span> spirit! Do your bit to prop up global capitalism! Spend spend SPEND your way outta recession! Here, start with this delicious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Toffifee</span>...<br /><br />And THAT song!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Argh</span>!! Truth be told, there are some fine versions of it out there, which I suppose means that the tune itself has some merit. Shame Messrs <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Ridgeway</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Michaels</span> butchered it from the get go. Here, have a listen to these (if you've not been round here for Xmas before), whack one or two on your Xmas partee playlist, and watch Aunt Edna whizz it up:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Xmas-Massacre/41833616699">Xmas Massacre</a> - Last Christmas (buy <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=299635063&id=299635041&s=143457">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A pretty ripping take by a mysterious Norwegian ska-punk outfit<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/therevolverspunk">The Revolvers</a> - Last Christmas (dunno where you can get it, but it looks like <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Revolvers-Its-Christmas-Time-Again/release/1740346">this</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Best. Version. Ever. Even if it's by some superannuated German punks.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.jimmyeatworld.com/">Jimmy Eat World</a> - Last Christmas (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Music-O-C-Mix-Merry-Chrismukkah/dp/B00063MCT8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1258279699&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/last-christmas-studio-version/id31610463?i=31610468&ign-mpt=uo%3D4">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We wish you an emo Christmas...</span><br /><br />Sigh again. Christmas has always been something I prefer far more in theory than in practice...<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-8338594900261438572009-10-16T21:21:00.004-07:002010-02-26T00:12:22.011-08:00Streaming<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiluz0XyYHX5WqrDwFCG6LNqD1HYxx6zn2-Sp_-0iLFdD4bxtlsonU6hXIUZckdP36TnvcIBr8c8qFb1VN4kOVq_vTflVk5ynARO-Gt_ndWyf9oQsdF5zsLVQHPdNeyr9-yl-49Q/s1600-h/IMG00819.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 533px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiluz0XyYHX5WqrDwFCG6LNqD1HYxx6zn2-Sp_-0iLFdD4bxtlsonU6hXIUZckdP36TnvcIBr8c8qFb1VN4kOVq_vTflVk5ynARO-Gt_ndWyf9oQsdF5zsLVQHPdNeyr9-yl-49Q/s400/IMG00819.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393419423220197634" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">6:50 AM, 16/10/09</span></span><br /></div><br />So the past two weeks have been one blurry stream of numbers and anxiety and cortisol pump pump pumping through my screaming veins, sweeping all else aside. A bitter soup that fed deep, not wholly rational fears. A contrast medium that highlighted my shortcomings.<br /><br />Heh. And just when I thought I was getting back on track round here.<br /><br />But yesterday a high water mark was reached and the flow has subsided. For now. And I shall use the clarity afforded to consider those shortcomings...<br /><br />But this morning, driving to work through a phosphene image of street light traffic light tail light against the a dark, rainy predawn of a dawn that ended up never really breaking, I could still feel the slightly sickening buzz at the back of my head. Twin Crystals provided a focus. Of sorts.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/twincrystals">Twin Crystals</a> - Children (buy <a href="http://www.myspace.com/twincrystals">here </a>or <a href="http://www.zulurecords.com/">here</a>)<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-44488735926004855952009-09-30T22:33:00.002-07:002010-02-26T00:12:45.846-08:00Champagne, Girls, & Hearts<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ohwgznxxx4pzczqg7hx18LXgBB7-dKQi0f7zLBM36SpZduj_pvIlzgXvL6dLPlHcBE8ARRuzmRn8W1Lg7oH5pmctG1-XrR2-tAZTa6Zwcx9raFRbT1G_vdsR6Hs4EzsOJQMHmQ/s1600-h/champers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ohwgznxxx4pzczqg7hx18LXgBB7-dKQi0f7zLBM36SpZduj_pvIlzgXvL6dLPlHcBE8ARRuzmRn8W1Lg7oH5pmctG1-XrR2-tAZTa6Zwcx9raFRbT1G_vdsR6Hs4EzsOJQMHmQ/s400/champers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387520241845775554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Ich trinke champers mit Herzfisch, sagt <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/niddynoo/">niddynoo</a>...</span><br /></div><br />I took yesterday's weather as a sign that it was finally time to purge the last of the summer backlog and get on with matters at hand. The day had started abysmally: suffocated by a smoky grey pall of clouds and drenched in the hard, cold rain that the Pacific Northwest does so well. By mid-morning I was convinced it'd never get truly light, and the subsequent fierce gritting of pea-hail that set off the car alarms outside seemed purely gratuitous. I was musing that summer was well and truly over, when the clouds and hail and rain were suddenly ripped off like a dirty bandage to reveal a newly healed blue sky and a defiantly bright sun.<br /><br />So one more chance, then.<br /><br />Lest you think from previous posts that the summer was spent in a hippy-folk haze, I'll have you know that I found time in my schedule for other popular beat combos, thank you very much. In late July I toodled down The Biltmore (a venue I like more in theory than in practice) to see The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, with whom I had fallen in love earlier in the year. I shan't wax prolific, but suffice to say that they were charming and lovely and wonderful. Their fuzzy dreampop washed off the stage and over the audience like frothy waves of happy ache and yearning, while the band members themselves were graciously sincere and seemed genuinely pleased to be playing to us. Big, warm hugs all round.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thepainsofbeingpureatheart.com/">The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart</a> - Young Adult Friction (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pains-Being-Pure-Heart/dp/B001LGXIDS/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpp_1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Pains-of-Being-Pure-at-Heart-The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart-MP3-Download/11335738.html">e-here</a>)<br /><br />Then there were the opening bands. First up were TPOBPAH labelmates Champagne Socialists, who I mistrusted from the start. Several slightly awkward lads (one apparently of rather good Glaswegian gang <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bricolagetheband">Bricolage</a>) strummed and drummed, while a singer with a passing resemblance to Amy Winehouse went through the motions in an uncomfortably am-dram stylee. Oh dear. So imagine my surprise when I downloaded their 'Teardrop Tattoo' and found that their meh stage presence seemed to have camouflaged a pop song that, while rough around the edges, was actually rather evocative and tweely catchy, what with its "woo-ooo-ooo-ooo-oohs" and all. Apparently in the last month or so they've decided to call themselves Neverever, should you be inclined to investigate further. I might be.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/thechampagnesocialistsband">Champagne Socialists</a> - Teardrop Tattoo (a 7-inch single for you <a href="http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/#champagne">here</a>)<br /><br />Next up we had Girls. No, not those kind - it wasn't that sort of a show. I'm talking about two fellows from San Francisco who spun some fine songs out of strands of dreampop, the 1960s, melancholy, bittersweetness, and shimmer. Truth be told, I was unimpressed at first listen. But as thes stood their ground and worked their magic, I was drawn in and found myself both liking it and wondering why I did, particularly since some of their songs did go on for a while. I guess it was all of those beautiful strands...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/girlssanfran">Girls </a>- Hellhole Ratrace (debut album slated for release on 6 Oct and you can get it <a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/girls/">here</a>)<br /><br />Right, summer is now officially over.<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-57101346063943681732009-09-19T08:00:00.004-07:002010-02-26T00:14:12.736-08:00Big 'n' Hairy<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmPGtKC3zrOAkgM_dok1RoH3Rxdpy920dIV6ir0XLm3wSyunT-Cw1qZm5pMyWnwHJcFV7zAXp28sbwVUCYvAnJlRaKhNBBXJQkdFeF_OFNMaljJxMZ4Zs9IsXO2WJ4-OAsene2g/s1600-h/hedwig1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmPGtKC3zrOAkgM_dok1RoH3Rxdpy920dIV6ir0XLm3wSyunT-Cw1qZm5pMyWnwHJcFV7zAXp28sbwVUCYvAnJlRaKhNBBXJQkdFeF_OFNMaljJxMZ4Zs9IsXO2WJ4-OAsene2g/s400/hedwig1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382709770403078018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Ladies & Gentlemen, whether you like it or not...HEDWIG!!</span><br /></div><p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dearest Friends, it's time to toss your tresses, shake your split ends, and fluff your fringes, coz this week <a href="http://www.timyoung.net/contrast/">Contrast Podcast</a> has gone all hairy. Yes, this episode is dedicated to all things hirsute and hispid, so get ready for some Vidal Sassoon stylin' and download the grizzled goodness <a href="http://www.contrastpodcast.com/cp/090915Contrast181.mp3">here</a>.</span></strong></p><p>The full range of tonsorial services on offer:<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>(00:00) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PJ_Harvey">PJ Harvey</a> - Hair<br /></strong>Tim from <a href="http://thefaceoftoday.blogspot.com/">The face of today</a></p> <p><strong>(04:20) <a href="http://www.theheartstrings.com/">The Heart Strings</a> - Nina and her very long hair<br /></strong>Kevin</p> <p><strong>(08:31) <a href="http://www.ronsexsmith.com/">Ron Sexsmith</a> - Strawberry blonde<br /></strong>Jeremy from <a href="http://www.fingertipsmusic.com/">Fingertips</a></p> <p><strong>(13:35) <a href="http://www.thewho.com/">The Who</a> - Cut my hair<br /></strong>Adam from <a href="http://pretendinglifeislikeasong.wordpress.com/">Pretending life is like a song</a></p> <p><strong>(18:12) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretenders_%28band%29">The Pretenders</a> - Don’t cut your hair (live on later)<br /></strong>Chris from <a href="http://www.culturebully.com/">Culture Bully</a></p> <p><strong>(20:49) <a href="http://www.cinderpop.com/">Cinderpop</a> - Blonder<br /></strong>Marcy from <a href="http://lostinyourinbox.blog-city.com/">Lost in your inbox</a></p> <p><strong>(24:02) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuk3">Timbuk3</a> - Hairstyles and attitudes<br /></strong>The In Crowd from <a href="http://learning2share.blogspot.com/">I’m learning to share!</a></p> <p><strong>(28:05) <a href="http://www.thedivinecomedy.com/">The Divine Comedy</a> - Bernice bobs her hair<br /></strong>Robert Todd</p> <p><strong>(33:07) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Early_November">The Early November</a> - Hair<br /></strong>James from <a href="http://appetitefordistraction.blogspot.com/">Appetite For Distraction</a></p> <p><strong>(36:42) <a href="http://onetrickponymusic.com/">One Trick Pony</a> - Scary hairy song<br /></strong>Tricia</p> <p><strong>(39:11) <a href="http://barbagallo.bandcamp.com/album/grey-lady">Barbagallo</a> - Wait<br /></strong>Eiron from <a href="http://castingthenet.blogsome.com/">Casting the Net</a></p> <p><strong>(44:22) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mikrofisch">Mikrofisch</a> - Bad hair days<br /></strong>Linda from <a href="http://www.speedofdark-web.com/blog/">Speed of Dark</a></p> <p><strong>(49:26) <a href="http://www.fosca.com/">Fosca</a> - The Millionaire of your own hair<br /></strong>John Q</p> <p><strong>(55:40) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hum_%28band%29">Hum</a> - I’d like your hair long<br /></strong>Bob from <a href="http://gimmetinnitus.com/">Gimme Tinnitus</a></p> <p><strong>(01:01:31) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Nicks">Stevie Nicks</a> - Gold and braid<br /></strong>Greer from <a href="http://asweetunrest.typepad.com/">A Sweet Unrest</a></p> <p><strong>(01:08:32) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/stilllifestill">Still Life Still</a> - Planets<br /></strong>Tart from <a href="http://www.loveshackbaby.net/">Love Shack, Baby</a></p> <p><strong>(01:13:22) <a href="http://www.queensryche.com/">Queensryche</a> - Almost cut my hair<br /></strong>Natalie from <a href="http://natsthename.blogspot.com/">Mini-Obs</a></p> <p><strong>(01:18:42) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vini_Reilly">Vini Reilly</a> - Hairdresser on fire<br /></strong>JC aka <a href="http://www.thevinylvillain.blogspot.com/">The Vinyl Villian</a></p> <p><strong>(01:24:04) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedwig_%26_the_angry_inch">Hedwig & The Angry Inch</a> - Wig in a box<br /></strong>FiL from <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/">Pogoagogo</a></p>I had to go with my choice because I've long wanted to contribute a song from <span style="font-style: italic;">Hedwig</span>, one of my most favourite films of all times. Fantastic music, a glorious plot, journeys, self-doubt, authenticity, inauthenticity, trust, love, betrayal - ZOMG, it has it all. And Hedwig herself is a personal hero of mine. Someday I hope to see it in its original staged incarnation.<br /><br />But as usual, there were other potential choices:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thelocust.com/">The Locust</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/hairspray_suppository.mp3">Hairspray Suppository</a> (buy here or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Locust-The-Locust-MP3-Download/10924892.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In the end I figured this bit of speedcore chicanery from San Diego's wierdest might be a bit too much.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2001/1220/cd4.htm">The Exploders</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/The%20Exploders_New%20Variations_01_Put%20On%20Your%20Wig.mp3">Put On Your Wig</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Variations-Exploders/dp/B00005Y4PS">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Exploders-New-Variations-MP3-Download/10902894.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I seem to have been submitting a fair bit of garage punk of late, so these Toronto racketeers were denied.</span><br /><br />Despite my limited output here on pogo a go-go of late, I never missed a single opportunity to submit to the Contrast Podcast. That's not meant as a brag, but rather as an indication of how wonderful I think the CP Nation is. The folks who contribute are a fantastic group of folks, and the eclectic musical joy they contribute is soul-enhancing. <a href="http://thefaceoftoday.blogspot.com/">Dearest TiM</a> is a demigod for putting it all together for an amazing three-and-a-half years!! And the chance it offers me to dig deep into the cluttered, absurd depths of my mind to pul out my intros has probably been lifesaving. Several of you have said kind words aboutthem, and it gives me unbridled pleasure to think that you might find them amusing. For those of you who find them tedious, I do apologize and hope that your podcast player of choice has an easily operated fast-forward function.<br /><br />In celebration of the Contrast Podcast (BTW, in case you've never listened and are having difficulty catching the subtext: GO LISTEN NOW!!! THEN CONTRIBUTE!!!!) and in penance for my silence here, I offer you a smattering of tracks that were recently in the running for submission:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shonenknife.com/">Shonen Knife</a> - Cycling Is Fun (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Knife-Shonen/dp/B000000WJ9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1253374456&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Shonen-Knife-Yama-No-Attchan-MP3-Download/11148166.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Almost made it into <a href="http://www.timyoung.net/contrast/?p=271">CP 178</a>. I luv Shonen Knife and their "Ramones-meets-Peanut-Sisters" vibe. Off to see them next month - w00t!! </span><span> <a href="http://www.testtubebabies.co.uk/">Peter & The Test Tube Babies</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/01-Peter%20&%20The%20Test%20Tube%20Babies%20-%20Banned%20From%20The%20Pubs.mp3">Banned From The Pub</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pissed-Proud-Peter-Test-Babies/dp/B000005HLW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1253374308&sr=1-3">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-The-Best-Of-Peter-The-Test-Tube-Babies-MP3-Download/10878015.html">e-here</a>)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A contender for </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.timyoung.net/contrast/?p=273">CP 180</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, coz you play darts in pubs, so some classic English pub punk would have been in order.</span><br /><br /></span><span><a href="http://www.stereolab.co.uk/news/">Stereolab </a>- </span>Outer Bongolia<span> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outer-Bongolia/dp/B001GCGFU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1253374242&sr=8-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/media/page/0,,1006290-2553160,00.html">e-here</a>)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Possible destination for <a href="http://www.timyoung.net/contrast/?p=272">CP 179</a>, as it was the closest I could get to Mongolia in song (Tuvan throat singing aside). But one day I shall visit for real, oh yes...</span><br /><br /></span><span><a href="http://www.thespecials.com/">The Specials</a> - </span>(The Dawning Of) A New Era<span> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005YU95/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1253374271&sr=301-1">here</a>)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Though an old track, I considered it for </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.timyoung.net/contrast/?p=269">CP 176</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Well, I remember it sounding new and fresh to me at some point in my yoof...</span><br /><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-54357187216029164172009-09-12T01:06:00.001-07:002010-02-26T00:15:40.148-08:00Where The Hell Are You???<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAalSgRwBLKjzV3CwI4t8xPwIvq4m6wBH2SzlYMwHRakzP1aC3tjNu_Rmki2LZDVRFLS_ulAtmNto8x5rxi0-xy7Yq5Log8tpc0AIuaZvkmoH1c5EE7qNq3Q8q-_ir3Owv5JELA/s1600-h/Summer+2009+781.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAalSgRwBLKjzV3CwI4t8xPwIvq4m6wBH2SzlYMwHRakzP1aC3tjNu_Rmki2LZDVRFLS_ulAtmNto8x5rxi0-xy7Yq5Log8tpc0AIuaZvkmoH1c5EE7qNq3Q8q-_ir3Owv5JELA/s400/Summer+2009+781.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380437343451096082" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Here I am, closer than I appear.</span><br /></div><br /><br />Dearest Friends, that's the question <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/05090608248723528292">Dearest JC</a> posed below. Short, sweet, and shot straight. And it's one I thought best answered by a comeback, plarticularly since he mentioned me in a <a href="http://thevinylvillain.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-did-i-start-this-thing-part-4.html">very kind post of his a few days ago</a>. But how to make my re-entrance? Where to begin?? What to say???<br /><br />You don't want the litany of reasons, primarily because it'd be pretty banal. An uninspiring mix of work, laundry, garden watering, erranding, that amounts to the taxing reality of summer bachelorhood. Admittedly, there is also the running, which might be a story worth telling, but not now. Suffice to say I've wanted to spend more time here, and the evidence can be found in the half-formed bits of prose that are moldering in the corners of my Blogger "Edit Posts" box. And in my frustration - les visible, but most tangible.<br /><br />So, I think I have it now -- it's time for a cleanout, a pump 'n' dump, a spray 'n' pray. They will necessarily be the abridged versions (and there still may be some mold stuck to them), but here's the first from the pile of what might have been over the past weeks/months:<br /><br />I have a terminal weakness for compilation CDs. They make me feel all savvy & clever, getting a brace of killah-not-fillah tracks from multiple bands, all for the price --sometimes discounted-- of one disc. Yes, I know these days you can achieve the same by trawling the net and sampling its wares. Yes, I admit that often the killah to fillah ratio is low. But yah boo sucks to all that, I still love them.<br /><br />The problem is that I usually get fixated on two or three tracks, and pay scant attention to the rest. Take the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009ATJY/ref=s9_simz_gw_s0_p15_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=002HJMAPDX3ZYBXK0K1S&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846">Yes New York</a>" CD that on a whim I tossed into the car stereo the other week. When I got it back in 2003, I locked in on <a href="http://www.r4ny.com/">Radio 4</a>'s "Save Your City," "Olio" by <a href="http://therapturemusic.com/site.html">The Rapture</a>, and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/dfarecords">DFA</a>'s remix of <a href="http://www.letigreworld.com/sweepstakes/index.html">Le Tigre</a>'s "Deceptacon." So tracks 2, 8, and 14 got heavy, heavy rotation. Fast forward to 2009 and imagine my utter surprise when track 4 grabs me by the ears and shouts in my face:<br /><br />I'VE BEEN HERE ALL ALONG AND I'M TOTALLY FUCKING AWESOME!!!<br /><br />A squealy intro of feedback. Chugging guitar, Fizzing distort,. Shouty vocals. Densely erudite, eloquent lyrics that sliced straight through flesh to plug directly into my soul.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Today I woke up uncertain</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> And you know that gives me the fits</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> So I left this land of fungible convictions</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Because it seemed like the pits</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> And when I say, "conviction" I mean it's something to abjure</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> And when I say "uncertain" I mean to doubt I'll not turn out a caricature</span><br /><br />My God, in a flash I <span style="font-style: italic;">got </span>this song so utterly, so completely. I made that trip. It was a pure epiphany, and the only thing the white light/white heat couldn't completely drown out was the little voice screaming "What the Hell took you so LONG???" at me.<br /><br />So now I'm somewhat obsessed with this song. Somewhat? I mean totally.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tedleo.com/index.php">Ted Leo & The Pharmacists</a> - The Ballad Of The Sin Eater (buy here or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Ted-Leo-The-Pharmacists-Hearts-Of-Oak-MP3-Download/10739556.html">e-here</a>)<br /><br />And so begins the return. Thanks, Dearest JC, for kicking me up the jacksie. It feels good to be back. To misquote another track that's had heavy airplay in the FiLmobile of late: I won't fade away...<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Division"><br />Joy Division</a> - Digital (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Soul-Joy-Division/dp/B00005MKHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1252737150&sr=1-2">here</a>)<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-35972782539087840382009-08-20T23:39:00.001-07:002010-02-26T00:16:11.866-08:00I've Been To The Folk Festival<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5ixykGOjX5yZUbxq_3v2DCEJzBxZgDV1Z4-_WgleskLQrsPCejAFfu7J5mxEb_4GhTaRF-jPbQALIU-Y7qcIH8LSe6iIBqEWQi4NlkyHypNYWp1kDMAMXgjYg6KGdmiGO2kYWw/s1600-h/revp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5ixykGOjX5yZUbxq_3v2DCEJzBxZgDV1Z4-_WgleskLQrsPCejAFfu7J5mxEb_4GhTaRF-jPbQALIU-Y7qcIH8LSe6iIBqEWQi4NlkyHypNYWp1kDMAMXgjYg6KGdmiGO2kYWw/s400/revp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362663918895168386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Rev. Peyton & his lovely wife, Breezy</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Vancouver Folk Music Festival, 16 July 2009</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Picture nicked from </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bswift/">bswift</a><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Dearest Friends, you won’t believe what happened to me! There I was, minding my own business, when all of a sudden I was abducted by a gang of hippies and folkies! It’s true!! I was held captive for three days during which I was fed nothing but patchouli, quinoa, and Pete Seeger. But that was just the beginning! After they had their wicked way with my innocence, they sold me into the slavery of Real Life!! Oh, the horror!! For a brief while I escaped on holiday, but as I was beginning to recuperate, Real Life found me hiding on an island and once again shackled me to a grindstone. Not the least comfortable grindstone I’ve ever been shackled to, but a grindstone nonetheless. Now I’ve been given a ten-minute loo break, which I’ve chosen to share with you, my lovelies!!</span><br /></div><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></div><div face="georgia" style="text-align: left; font-family: georgia;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div face="georgia" style="text-align: left; font-family: georgia;"> </div><div face="georgia" style="text-align: left; font-family: georgia;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div face="georgia" style="text-align: left; font-family: georgia;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Right, I promised last time to tell you all about the <a href="http://thefestival.bc.ca/">Folk Festival</a>, didn’t I? Well, I had a fantastic time - but not really for all the same reasons as previous years. You see, when I first started going to the Fest, it was purely for the music. Then I started volunteering, and my motivation became 80% music and 20% the volunteer “experience.” Well, this year I was surprised to find that I was equally rewarded by both aspects. Upon reflection, this was partly due to the fact that I wasn’t as galvanized by the music as in previous years; some of it left me unmoved, most of it I enjoyed mildly, and almost nothing triggered an epiphany.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Probably what surprised me the most was <a href="http://www.arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/">Arrested Development</a>, who put on a series of intelligent, uplifting, and storming performances. I had long thought that gangsta and corporate bling had exterminated the Daisy Age in the hip hop wars, but I was inspired to see that there is still a guerrilla campaign of positivity being waged. In addition to their stonking headline on Friday’s main stage, AD’s core participated in a soulful Saturday morning session with Jamaican word warrior <a href="http://www.dbiyoung.net/">d’bi young</a> (whose raw, defiant broadside against sexual violence both chilled and inspired), reggae poet <a href="http://www.mutabaruka.com/">Mutabaruka</a> (righteous, if occasionally heavy-handed), and lyrical activist / mother <a href="http://lizagarza.com/">Lisa Garza</a> (who nearly made me cry).<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I had wanted to catch <a href="http://www.basiabulat.com/">Basia Bulat</a>, but scheduling meant I only saw her perform a couple of songs. However, I later bumped into her eating an ice cream (she likes vanilla, BTW) and had a sweet little chat with her about our common Polish heritage. You see, the Fest is like that: you just run into artists, moreso if you're volunteering. In the kitchen tent I had another nice conversation with veteran Glaswegian firebrand folkie <a href="http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk/index.html">Dick Gaughan</a> (reference: he sings with Billy Bragg on 'The Red Flag' off of BB's 'Internationale' EP). I asked him if he was going to play 'Stand Up For Judas,' which a friend of mine gave me in high school on a compilation tape that was one of my earliest exposures to Billy Bragg. He replied that he no longer played it live after discovering years ago that fans were bringing their religious friends to his gigs to shock them with the song. Though he was critical of religion, Dick didn't want to insult for the sake of insulting, even inadvertently, so he dropped the song from his set. Alas, shift timing meant I couldn't listen to what is in his set these days.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Still in Scotland, <a href="http://www.theproclaimersofficial.co.uk/2003/">The Proclaimers</a> put in an appropriately energetic set on Saturday night's Main Stage. Yes, all the songs you'd expect at one of their gigs were performed, including (natch) 'I'm Gonna Be,' which set the folkie crowd dancing in a sorta gawky pogo-helicopter stylee. A big, crowd-pleasing performance it was, and one that I found pleasant, if largely for reasons of nostalgia.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">So, what moved me? Well, I was seriously impressed by <a href="http://www.stubbyfingers.ca/">Matt Andersen</a>, a mountainous bluesman from New Brunswick whose voice he summons up from somewhere elemental Down South. I only saw him for a few songs, but they were something else. I also enjoyed <a href="http://www.myspace.com/katereidacoustic">Kate Reid</a>, but not for the reasons you might expect. Kate does a good line in dyke-folk, in a sorta Ferron-meets-Indigo-Girls-meets-Ani-DiFranco-on-the-edge stylee. Which isn't admittedly my favourite idiom. But what got me was that she has soul. By which I mean she was earnest, righteous, determined, vulnerable, uncertain, honest, funny, witty, direct, unabashed, and celebratory, all at once. After seeing her I wanted to go out, right some wrongs , and hug people along the way.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">My one moment of pure epiphany came, appropriately enough, on Sunday morning when I attended the hootin' & hollerin' service of <a href="http://www.bigdamnband.com/">Reverend Peyton & His Big Damn Band</a>. Oh yeeeeeaaahhhhh!! With Reverend P pickin' on gee-tarr, his brother Jayme on drums and pickle barrel, and his wife Breezy on washboard, the Big Damn Band pumped out an electrifying mixture of punk, bluegrass, delta blues, country, and moonshine. This was a stompin' revival meeting at which the Holy Spirit Of Music descended and whacked you upside the head until you spoke in tongues and became a true believer! And just to make the point, Breezy set fire to her washboard during the last song. Phew!!<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >But enough about the music. At least half of the reason I enjoyed the Festival so truly, madly, deeply was that I had a blast hanging out with, and basking in the glory of, all the wild, weird, and wonderful people I met while volunteering. I once heard the Festival described as a sort of Brigadoon: a magical community that appears once every while out of seeming nothingness, then disappears suddenly, leaving you wondering if you ever really had been there. Now, with few exceptions (i.a. Sweeney Todd, Threepenny Opera, Little Shop of Horrors) I despise musicals, but I think the comparison is entirely appropriate. So a big shout-out to the Chess Nut, Frank the Prof, Magnificent Mairghread and her Team Z Commandos (who came to my aid as I shouted for backup chasing a crazed rogue cyclist through the crowd), Jennifer the Space Station Tracker, Mike the Dipsomaniac, Wistaria, Pascal, all of Team G, and the rest of the exotic fauna I omitted to mention. Slumber well until next year.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Right, loo break over - back to the grindstone. But here, have a few of these:</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.bigdamnband.com/">The Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band</a> - </span>DTs Or The Devil<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Damnily-Reverend-Peytons-Damn/dp/B001B92EIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250754696&sr=8-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Reverend-Peyton-s-Big-Damn-Band-The-Whole-Fam-Damnily-MP3-Download/11260490.html">e-here</a>)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Are DTs AND the Devil an option? Cuz I think it's both...</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.stubbyfingers.ca/">Matt Andersen</a> - </span>Tell Me<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > (buy <a href="http://www.bustedflatrecords.com/shop.html">here</a>)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">He deserves to be huge.</span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/">Arrested Development</a> - </span>Revolution<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Malcom-X-Various-Artists/dp/B000059WGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250757043&sr=1-1">here</a>)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Get on up!</span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.myspace.com/katereidacoustic">Kate Reid</a> - </span>Uncharted Territory<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > (buy <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/katereid2">here</a>)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the song that sold me on Kate.</span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk/index.html">Dick Gaughan</a> - </span>Stand Up For Judas<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Different-Kind-Love-Song/dp/B000005BPF/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250757133&sr=1-10">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Dick-Gaughan-A-Different-Kind-of-Love-Song-MP3-Download/11065829.html">e-here</a>)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">One of those songs that takes what you know and tilts it on it's end for a different view.</span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://lizagarza.com/">Liza Garza</a> - </span>My Everything<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > (cannae find anything of hers for sale!!)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the song that choked me up at the Festival. She sang it acapella, and quite frankly I think the backing music lessens the power. Here, look at this instead - this is much more like it. And yes, she choked up at the Fest as well:</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oGLspUixk9o&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oGLspUixk9o&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></span></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-40889855342242217462009-07-14T23:18:00.006-07:002010-02-26T00:16:36.299-08:00Folksiness<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVJoS-oBOP5VKEJXRBHTjKX5bIFwjxSJrQ0zsC2nWCZVJ07QP9zGYfjkAnI_-fUFdSomyAY8AnggudFJLOkVBUop6af3Uo0SBDLQBCkZkfKs98E_5G6pyt8j-cAobqIj3xGNCDA/s1600-h/PeteBanjo600.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 345px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVJoS-oBOP5VKEJXRBHTjKX5bIFwjxSJrQ0zsC2nWCZVJ07QP9zGYfjkAnI_-fUFdSomyAY8AnggudFJLOkVBUop6af3Uo0SBDLQBCkZkfKs98E_5G6pyt8j-cAobqIj3xGNCDA/s400/PeteBanjo600.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358567652154875490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The <a href="http://thefestival.bc.ca/">VFMF </a>mascot, Pete Seagull. Can't beat folky humour...</span></span><br /></div><br />Egads, where have I been all this time? Well, Dearest Friends, abroad for a good chunk of it. Abroad for me and many of you, in yer backyard for some. You see, I was in the good ole U.S. of A with the family, visiting Mother. Almost two weeks we were there, staying on the upper fluke of Long Island's tail like sea lice on a whale. And I had intended to tell y'all all about it, honest. But the whole trip became so wrapped up and impacted and encased in baggage that the story grew hard to tell without scratchy rawness and muddle and destructive emotions. I did try for the past week, mind you, thinking that forcing it out into the light of blog would disentangle it, make it easier to reconcile the strands. However, all my attempt just ended up in frustratingly tighter knots. Sigh, and fuckit...<br /><br />So then, let's talk about shinier, happier stuff. And what's shinier and happier than MUSIC, hmm?? This weekend coming up is one I've been looking forward to all year, because it's that of the annual <a href="http://thefestival.bc.ca/">Vancouver Folk Music Festival</a>!! Yay!! As you may recall from here and here, I've grown very fond of the Festival and is broadly stretchy definition of "folk" (Celtic fiddles? Check. Bhangra? Check. Dub? Check.) , so much so that this year will mark my third as a volunteer. In return for 12 hours of putting life & limb on the line as a security pig, I get to go for free and get fed mung bean soup! W to the O to the O to the T!!<br /><br />Undoubtedly it'll be someone I never heard of who blows me away (cf <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/2007/07/old-folks-new-folks-young-folks.html">Old Man Luedecke</a>, <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/2007/09/through-wars.html">Rodney DeCroo</a>, and <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/2009/01/they-say-tardy-fruits-fuller-wine.html">Abigail Washburn</a>), but as usual there are a few acts in <a href="http://thefestival.bc.ca/lineup-2009">the lineup</a> who I'm interested in seeing for one reason or another. Winnipeg's folk-funk-popsters <a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theweakerthans.org%2F&ei=qohdSsnzBYHysgPvxqyxCg&usg=AFQjCNG3FrDyjkdKeDf9F0xUvA3P_ObGQw&sig2=HocXSTNXJqCeVrK8IDpWeQ">The Weakerthans</a> I've been keen to see for a while now. Likewise <a href="http://www.basiabulat.com/">Basia Bulat</a>, over whom many of my lovely blogobuddies have been drooling for some time. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/losdeabajoska">Los de Abajo</a> promise to offer up a mix of Mexican mariachiness and ska - how can one resist that?? And it will be interesting to see <a href="http://www.arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/">Arrested Development</a> (yes, Mr Wendel's friends) show off their daisy-age hip hop (remember: "broadly stretchy definition of folk") as they promote their first North American album in 12 years.<br /><br />And then there are <a href="http://www.theproclaimersofficial.co.uk/2003/">The Proclaimers</a>. Um, yes...<br /><br />Why the hesitation? Well, as a yoof I loved their debut LP, "This Is The Story" (especially the brilliant rant against linguistic fascism, "Throw the 'R' Away"), their frantically earnest singing, their Red politics, and their engaging live performances. "Sunshine on Leith" didn't do it as much for me, but I still enjoyed the album, particularly "Jean." From then on it all went a bit adrift; I found I didn't relate to their strong, overtly religious stuff, while their strident nationalism --like almost all of its kind-- left me uneasy. Then there was "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," which, thanks to goddamn <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oY5tSxv4oU">Benny & Joon</a>, got stuck in the heads of mononeuronic eedjits everywhere as the beginning and end of all Caledonian lyricism: "Oh, I LOVE Scottish music! I listen to The Proclaimers all the time!! 'I would walk foyve-hundred moyles...' " Now I realise that all of this is my problem, and not that of Messrs Reid & Reid, but it is the monkey that I am bringing with me on my back. But I'm also bringing open ears and an open mind, in the hopes of (once again) being delighted. We shall see.<br /><br />Dearest Friends, I'll give you a fuller report after the Fest, but in the meantime would you like a smattering of tunes?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theweakerthans.org/">The Weakerthans</a> - Tournament of Hearts (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UGG3M8/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1247645234&sr=8-2">here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/losdeabajoska">Los de Abajo</a> - Joder (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cybertropic-Chilango-Power-Los-Abajo/dp/B00005V91W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1247645525&sr=1-2">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Los-De-Abajo-Cybertropic-Chiango-Power-MP3-Download/11000971.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.theproclaimersofficial.co.uk/2003/">The Proclaimers</a> - Throw the 'R' Away (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Story-Proclaimers/dp/B000006N5M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1247645274&sr=1-2">here</a>)<br /><br />And as is customary in the run-up to the Festival, please allow me to mock in advance all of the dirty hippies I'll have to endure with their tie-dye, unchecked body hair, sweaty-patchouli stink, and helicopter dancing. They're actually all quite lovely, but I have an image to maintain.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.deadmilkmen.com/">The Dead Milkmen</a> - The Thing That Only Eats Hippies (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Your-Paisley-Dead-Milkmen/dp/B000003BFL/ref=pd_sim_m_3">here</a>)<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-79785296933119618952009-06-16T22:30:00.005-07:002009-06-17T00:16:37.373-07:00Cheese, Glorious Cheese!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHvpiGDrpsbWMQ4IrHNob_HD9Bw8847_G7rvdlT0_7klY12dLMhdntVpIJrXkTBQ1NUWwZ99StzxTzmiJ_I1VDgc_3ix0diBIydiVBjtmgbD0mWjPleZo89Al7s27PbKBOM6q6g/s1600-h/nyd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 504px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHvpiGDrpsbWMQ4IrHNob_HD9Bw8847_G7rvdlT0_7klY12dLMhdntVpIJrXkTBQ1NUWwZ99StzxTzmiJ_I1VDgc_3ix0diBIydiVBjtmgbD0mWjPleZo89Al7s27PbKBOM6q6g/s400/nyd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168064392434002" border="0" /></a><br />Dancing across the Stilton wall, Neal's Yard Dairy.<br />Snapped by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/semiotheque/284638944/">semiotheque</a><br /><br /></div><br />Hello Dearest Friends, remember me?? You do??? How good of you!!! Right, it's time to (re)start this party right, it's time to (re)start it cheesy! Yes, Dearest TiM was gracious enough this week to turn this week's <a href="http://www.timyoung.net/contrast/">Contrast Podcast</a> over to my favourite foodstuff, le fromage. I can't get enough of the shizz- mind you, I'm talking about tha good stuff, not your waxy Kraft slices toilet paper or Velveeta toejam. No, I mean the molten pungency of Stinking Bishop, the essential goatiness of a log of Golden Cross, the creamy prickle of a slab of Cashel Blue, the better-than-sexness of an Epoisses....<br /><br />Findings songs about cheese seemed to pose a challenge for the CP Nation, but rose to it they did, and there was some excellent lateral thinking, such as Kevin's choice of the well matured Barry Manilow. You can dowload the whole cheeseboard <a href="http://www.contrastpodcast.com/cp/090616Contrast168.mp3">here</a>, or have a peek below at what's what:<br /><br /> <p><strong>(00:00) <a href="http://theevaporators.com/">The Evaporators</a> - (I’ve got a disease) I’m addicted to cheese</strong><br />FiL from <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/">Pogoagogo<br /></a><strong>(06:20) <a href="http://twotonbaker.com/">Dick ‘Two Ton’ Baker</a> - I like stinky cheese<br /></strong>The In Crowd from <a href="http://learning2share.blogspot.com/">I’m learning to share!<br /></a><strong>(09:13) <a href="http://www.chenardwalcker.com/">Chenard Walcker</a> - Cream cheese<br /></strong>Eiron from <a href="http://splus7.blogspot.com/">The S+7 Method<br /></a><strong>(11:51) <a href="http://www.moldypeaches.com/">The Mouldy Peaches</a> - Cheese<br /></strong>Tricia<br /><strong>(13:40) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theumcs">The UMCs</a> - Blue cheese<br /></strong>Greer from <a href="http://asweetunrest.typepad.com/">A Sweet Unrest<br /></a><strong>(18:00) <a href="http://www.planetgong.co.uk/">Gong</a> - Dynamite / I am your animal<br /></strong>Chris from <a href="http://www.phosphorous.net/">Phosphorous.net<br /></a><strong>(23:09) <a href="http://www.theheartlessbastards.com/">Heartless Bastards</a> - Done got old<br /></strong>Tart from <a href="http://love.apt6d.com/">Love Shack, Baby<br /></a><strong>(27:13) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cheeseburger">Cheeseburger</a> - Tiger<br /></strong>Andy from <a href="http://howmarvellous.blogspot.com/">How Marvellous<br /></a><strong>(30:49) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_White_Mice">Exploding White Mice</a> - Let the kids dance<br /></strong>Dirk from <a href="http://sexy-loser.blogspot.com/">Sexy Loser<br /></a><strong>(34:40) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Flying_Circus">Monty Python’s Flying Circus</a> - Cheese shop<br /></strong>Tim from <a href="http://thefaceoftoday.blogspot.com/">The face of today<br /></a><strong>(39:20) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bearhuntermusic">Bear Hunter</a> - My nemesis the cheesegrater<br /></strong>Linda from <a href="http://www.speedofdark-web.com/blog/">Speed of Dark<br /></a><strong>(45:17) <a href="http://www.lylelovett.com/">Lyle Lovett</a> - Here I am<br /></strong>Jeremy from <a href="http://www.fingertipsmusic.com/">Fingertips<br /></a><strong>(50:00) <a href="http://www.comfortstand.com/catalog/003/index.html">Stark Effect</a> - Bunnyrabbits, satan, cheese and milk<br /></strong>Rhiannah<br /><strong>(53:02) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%2B44_%28band%29">+44</a> - Make you smile<br /></strong>James from <a href="http://appetitefordistraction.blogspot.com/">Appetite For Distraction<br /></a><strong>(57:48) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cheese_and_Lounge_Against_the_Machine">Richard Cheese</a> - Rape me<br /></strong>Stuart from <a href="http://theaccies.blogspot.com/">The Accies Blog<br /></a><strong>(01:00:31) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thephotographic">The Photographic</a> - Millie rode to heaven on the back of an orca<br /></strong>John Q.<br /><strong>(01:07:37) <a href="http://www.manilow.com/">Barry Manilow</a> - Can’t smile without you<br /></strong>Kevin</p><p>My pick this week was obvious, I must admit; on top of it being about a cheese addiction, it's served up by local garage band Thee Evaporators, which is fronted by Vancouver's very own madcap, musical savant, <a href="http://www.google.ca/url?q=http://www.nardwuar.com/&ei=wIY4StGDEpHwsQPS1en9Bg&sa=X&oi=spellmeleon_result&resnum=1&ct=result&usg=AFQjCNGuq2s4xsoI5KS7Q9PvrkyWG0f5Pw">Nardwuar the Human Serviette</a>. Nardwuar's become something of a fixture in Vancouver, and indeed nationally in Canada, for his goofy guerrilla interviews with musical luminaries. Rather than explain, have a look at his<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYFiTJ7IJcI"> pisstakey chat with Hilary Duff</a>. Yes, I said Hilary Duff.</p><p>I wasn't always a cheese addict, you know. Though I was fond of the curd, it wasn't until I moved to London in the mid-1990s that I became exposed to the full panoply of fantastic fromagery. It started with an epiphany: a visit to <a href="http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/">Neal's Yard Dairy</a> in Covent Garden. I fell in love instantly with the stacks of Stilton truckles against the wall and the deep, rich smell of dozens of fine British cheeses that suffused the tiny shop. Several years later we moved to southwest London, and my local train station happened to be right next to <a href="http://www.teddingtoncheese.co.uk/">The Teddington Cheese</a>, another tiny Tardis packed with cheeserifficness from across Europe. I lost my virginity to <a href="http://www.teddingtoncheese.co.uk/acatalog/de339.htm">Stinking Bishop</a> in that shop. I fretted that my move to Vancouver would strip me of ready access to decent cheese, but Providence smiled when She gave me a job within walking distance of Les Amis Du Fromage, and then did so again when two brothers named Benton <a href="http://www.bentonscheese.com/">opened up their labour of love</a> within striking distance of home.</p><p>But my Dearest Friends, it is rather paradoxical that this podcast has come out during a time when I am off the cheese and will be so for the next few weeks. You see, as I have begun my journey past the big four-oh, I decided the time had come to take matters corporeal in hand and get myself fit. So I started this running lark (about which more soon) and decided to pay closer attention to what and how much I was stuffing in my gob. With <a href="http://mentokthemindtaker.blogspot.com/2009/02/dr-agatston-and-mr-hyde.html">Dearest Mentok as my bodhisattva</a>, I embarked on the unthinkable and started a diet, the South Beach one. I tell you, it's working a treat; I feel miles fitter, have dropped a waist size, and shed around 15 lbs so far. Yes, I miss the cheese, but the regime offers enough diversionary food to allow me to power on through. And I know it'll be waiting for me soon...</p><p>But back to the music. Had it not been for Nardwuar, I would have had to think laterally. And this is where my mind would have gone:</p><a href="http://eyevocal.ottawa-anime.org/fatimamansions/index.html">Fatima Mansions</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Blues%20for%20Ceauseseu%20Fatima%20Mansions.mp3">Blues for Ceausescu</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Viva-Dead-Ponies-Fatima-Mansions/dp/B000UTOQLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1245222232&sr=8-1">here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Perhaps he would have fancied a nice gorgonzola, or maybe a sharp Picos blue. BTW, I have been known to run around shouting in falsetto: "I am Nicolae Ceausescu and I want my country back!!" Long story.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/jenngrant1">Jenn Grant</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Blue%20Skies%20Jenn%20Grant.mp3">Blue Skies</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orchestra-Moon-Jenn-Grant/dp/B000P3AYIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1245222303&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Jenn-Grant-Orchestra-For-The-Moon-MP3-Download/11103443.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">An antithesis to the previous song, performed by the wonderfully ethereal, PEI-born Jenn Grant. I really took a shine to her when she played last year's Vancouver Folk Music Festival (more about 2009's fest coming up soon). I think she'd like a more subtle Beenleigh blue.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.stereolab.co.uk/">Stereolab </a>- <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Stereolab%20-%20%20French%20Disko.mp3">French Disko</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Refried-Ectoplasm-Switched-Vol-2/dp/B0000019QL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1245222371&sr=1-1">here)</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I like French discotheques, cos they dance around to synthy pop while noshing on fromage. I think I could quite happily bop to this while enjoying a Mimolette Vieux.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.deenvoice.com/">Deen </a>- <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/eurovision04%20-%20In%20the%20Disco.mp3">In The Disco</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eurovision-Song-Contest-Istanbul-2004/dp/B00021LPOM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1245222493&sr=1-2">here </a>if you are loaded)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Speaking of discos, let's face it: nothing smells more strongly of cheese than this, Bosnia and Herzegovina's dancetastic entry for the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest. Finished in 9th place - they wuz robbed!!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-70601115503157212009-05-28T10:45:00.000-07:002009-05-28T10:47:02.266-07:00Eat The Rich<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yi651_ASiQ4oqtOMFiHIXo_FqfL9KxUotD10AfhZAbLUz0rsydPNObe2kPnTwg7hCqpH6IlGeLMX_D8taxYJSrDquZm8bITmmOBAtA8qkxxTCGZhb8NXorBRToCB1wX4GCk-PQ/s1600-h/4320_oxford_university_lawn_tennis_photograph_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 476px; height: 354px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yi651_ASiQ4oqtOMFiHIXo_FqfL9KxUotD10AfhZAbLUz0rsydPNObe2kPnTwg7hCqpH6IlGeLMX_D8taxYJSrDquZm8bITmmOBAtA8qkxxTCGZhb8NXorBRToCB1wX4GCk-PQ/s400/4320_oxford_university_lawn_tennis_photograph_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339988884035384466" border="0" /></a><br />Overheard recently:<br /><br />"The fundraising drive for the construction of the community centre tennis courts was very successful. There's even $20,000 left over which can be used to resurface them in a few years time."<br /><br />"Oh, I resurface mine every year."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imotorhead.com/">Motörhead</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/2-11%20Eat%20the%20Rich.mp3">Eat The Rich</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Mot%C3%B6rhead/dp/B00004X0AS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1243532745&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/">e-here</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-38756449404220428092009-05-24T00:15:00.000-07:002009-05-24T03:05:46.344-07:00Shragadelic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy147ScTtosv95nE6ReOwxUcYWXIjhyphenhyphenwE6WphbAQ00ZPmWqeMIP1ULp6M71Iq3y0sByvM9W5Vjis9_tL59Q1lTeuTrMvLZSslLioAZYCGBt0vHUkp99Ze0bXkDUMXEdLGjBootrw/s1600-h/shrag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 452px; height: 339px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy147ScTtosv95nE6ReOwxUcYWXIjhyphenhyphenwE6WphbAQ00ZPmWqeMIP1ULp6M71Iq3y0sByvM9W5Vjis9_tL59Q1lTeuTrMvLZSslLioAZYCGBt0vHUkp99Ze0bXkDUMXEdLGjBootrw/s400/shrag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338517275217463538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Yes, yes, I know it's been ages since we've gotten together. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa</span>. Now look, I can fritter my time away explaining how I was held prisoner by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morlock">Morlocks </a>in the wastelands of Mississauga, then besieged by small people and forced to work in the salt mines, or I can get on with what I came here to do, namely draw your attention to some fine music. The choice is yours.<br /><br />What's that? You're going for the music?<br /><br />You sure??<br /><br />You have chosen wisely...<br /><br />Dearest Friends, I suppose it was almost three years ago that I came across <a href="http://www.myspace.com/shrag">Shrag</a>'s debut single, "Pregnancy Scene," while frolicking through the meadows of the interwebbynet. The dang thing stuck to me like a burr, what with its eerily parping synthline, stalking guitar, and SHOUTY vocals. Rather than pick the thing off my woolly jumper, I left it there, hoping it would grow into more tunes. Alas, though this Brighton-based quintet have released a total of five singles over the past two-plus years, all of them have been on lovely, yet postally inconvenient vinyl. And thus I have had to make do with what I had. So imagine my joy when I discovered the other week (only four months late, I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">sooo </span>cutting edge) that Shrag had finally bundled their singles together, thrown in a couple of extra tracks, and released the whole scrummy, squirming mess on an eponymous album available both as a see-dee AND in newfangled digitalese. Hooray!!<br /><br />So what will you find when you dig down? Rich, crystalline veins of angular post-punk riffage, dense deposits of bolshy pop attitude, and a mother lode of sardonic savvy. Gems include "Talk To The Left," which sets us all straight on matters of ardour (<span style="font-style: italic;">Did he really say "baby, now I'm heading south"? / Funny, I was almost there / And then he opened his mouth</span>) and "Mark E Smith," which makes a helluva brain-churning racket. But go beyond the upper crust of sarcasm and shoutiness, and you'll find caves full of emotion and feeling as well; "Hopelessly Wasted" is an aching break-up song, while the marvellous "Forty Five 45s" drips with melancholy memories of a relationship entwined with a singles collection. Le sigh.<br /><br />Then there's their name itself - how deliciously succulent! Go on, say it: "<a href="http://www.myspace.com/shrag">Shrag</a>." Can't you just taste the juiciness? And its very sound brings to mind cheesy 70s carpets, immensely satisfying copulation, shrubbery, goofy sea birds, corrupt elections, and soulful dancing. Oh yes, what a combo! Just forget the prosaic fact that it's actually an acronym for <span class="fullpost">Sussex Heights Roving Artists Group</span> - an in joke, apparently.<br /><br />In June they'll be playing several UK dates supporting The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, and I'd give vital parts of my anatomy to see one of those shows. But alas, anatomy is no substitute for time and money...<br /><br />Right, enough verbiage, here's some tuneage:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/shrag">Shrag </a>- <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Shrag_Shrag_06_Forty%20Five%2045%27s.mp3">Forty Five 45s</a> (buy <a href="http://www.roughtrade.com/site/shop_detail.lasso?search_type=sku&sku=305648">here </a>or <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaXR1bmVzLmFwcGxlLmNvbS9XZWJPYmplY3RzL01aU3RvcmUud29hL3dhL3ZpZXdBbGJ1bT9pZD0zMDUwMTYzMTYmcz0xNDM0NDQ=">e-here</a>)<br /><br />Oh, and while we're at it you might as well also have the ooer, fnarr fnarr video of "Talk To The Left:"<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yb6YL-56m2c&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yb6YL-56m2c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-44215259917124676212009-04-23T20:10:00.008-07:002009-04-24T00:51:31.175-07:00Bad Experience<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a4ZJvd7SHbhwTzLIstJAUahQHw9c_OfoZIA2h86BudJeStOKjKJtfpECbDFkbp7HcdJBFcW6PlIqDZZZoqKTGbWf95J_LOxJ4I7P1-SxUpjgC6r6X8cTfOActQWOLSKGE9F-7w/s1600-h/guitar+money.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a4ZJvd7SHbhwTzLIstJAUahQHw9c_OfoZIA2h86BudJeStOKjKJtfpECbDFkbp7HcdJBFcW6PlIqDZZZoqKTGbWf95J_LOxJ4I7P1-SxUpjgC6r6X8cTfOActQWOLSKGE9F-7w/s400/guitar+money.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328151826239453410" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Origami cleverness from <a href="http://zacksmoneyfolds.synthasite.com/">here</a><br /></span></span></div><br />When I first saw it, I didn't believe it. I thought it was a joke, something crafted by a latteklatsch of ultra-cool, web-savvy, hyper-ironic hipsters with designer haircuts.<br /><br />But it's not.<br /><br />It's real.<br /><br />And it made me nauseous.<br /><br />Step right up folks, you too can have the ultimate <a href="http://rockandrollexperience.com/">Rock & Roll Experience</a>. Yes, for a mere $7,999 you'll get to play in a rock band with "world-famous musicians!" Jam with "iconic rockers!" Attend private workshops with "platinum rock stars!!!" What's more, the price of this 5-day package includes luxury hotel accommodation at the four-star Hotel Renew in Honolulu!!!! You will be "treated like a celebrity and catered to accordingly!!!!!" Confirmed rock gods participating are <a href="http://www.glenmatlock.com/">Glen Matlock</a> (he was always the weediest Pistol anyway), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Casale">Gerard V. Casale</a> (Devolution, indeed) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Kramer_%28guitarist%29">Wayne Kramer</a> (say it ain't so!!).<br /><br />Dearest Friends, this is a travesty. This is not rock 'n' roll. This is balding, fiftysomething, system analysts with their remaining strands of hair scraped behind their heads into dork handles. This is Euro trustafarian brats decked out in Bench and Von Dutch. This is the annoying, botox-injected fucker who cut me off today in his Porsche Boxter. This is whore meets john.<br /><br />Oh my, I think I need a cocktail of proper music on the rocks to clear the taste of sick from my throat...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chuckberry.com/">Chuck Berry</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Johnny%20Be%20Goode%20Chuck%20Berry.mp3">Johnny B. Goode</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Johnny-B-Goode-Chuck-Berry/dp/B00003OOUB/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240559308&sr=1-3">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Chuck-Berry-Reelin-And-Rockin-MP3-Download/11067147.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/subwaysect.htm">Subway Sect</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Rock%20and%20Roll%20Even%20%28A%20Different%20Story%29%20Subway%20Sect.mp3">Different Story</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Odd-Years-Goddard-Subway-Sect/dp/B000025AHX/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240559341&sr=1-4">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Subway-Sect-Twenty-Odd-Years-MP3-Download/11248954.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Kennedys">Dead Kennedys</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Pull%20My%20Strings%20Dead%20Kennedys.mp3">Pull My Strings</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Convenience-Death/dp/B000000F75/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240559449&sr=1-2">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Dead-Kennedys-Give-Me-Convenience-or-Give-Me-Death-MP3-Download/10929890.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Pistols">Sex Pistols</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/21_-_The_Great_Rock__n__Roll_Swindle.mp3">The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Rock-Roll-Swindle/dp/B000025IQA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240559383&sr=1-2">here </a>or e-here)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-86101438505699138992009-04-17T22:45:00.001-07:002009-04-17T23:52:57.853-07:00In The Mood For Ska<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmd_Ita0IfiyzhnuR9wgZVEq3QXnVXl3PGuIqr90Ew3O8kNRR0FsVapk157SH0Jd6c5L2E2kZBrMidBqgiT7TP-l2A2RgYX7mYQKtKpYInPSX-7ILy3vWU2QsT9X-G7b3ANlL5g/s1600-h/dansette.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmd_Ita0IfiyzhnuR9wgZVEq3QXnVXl3PGuIqr90Ew3O8kNRR0FsVapk157SH0Jd6c5L2E2kZBrMidBqgiT7TP-l2A2RgYX7mYQKtKpYInPSX-7ILy3vWU2QsT9X-G7b3ANlL5g/s400/dansette.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325702604270891698" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Rudettes and dansette penned by the mahvellous <a href="http://www.blurredbooks.com/cats/som1/pages/000.html">Bishakh Som</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > © 2009</span><br /></div><br />It's been a lovely Friday, what with it being the end of the week and a glorious, late afternoon burst of sunshine apologizing for the rest of the day's rain & gloom. When it's lovely outside, I feel lovely inside - call me shallow, and I will plead guilty. And so it is I find myself in the mood for some old time ska. Come along, Dearest Friends, the rude girls have cranked up the dansette and as the glorious sunset fades into starry evening, it's time to skank the night away.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mentomusic.com/tanamo.htm">Lord Tanamo</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/I%27m%20in%20the%20Mood%20for%20Ska%20Lord%20Tanamo.mp3">I'm In The Mood For Ska</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T4CE4C/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1240031893&sr=8-3">here </a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0bfwxqe5ldae%7ET1">The Ethiopians</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Train%20to%20Skaville%20The%20Ethiopians.mp3">Train To Skaville</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Its-Ska-Time-Original-Classics/dp/B0000249HS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240032062&sr=1-3">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-Fuel-Absolutely-The-Best-Of-Reggae-Volume-1-MP3-Download/10602752.html">e-here</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.duffus.com/sundaynews7_27_04/Singer%20Shenley%20Duffus%20is%20dead%20at%2062%20-%20JAMAICAOBSERVER_COM.htm"><br />Shenley Duffus</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Shenley%20Duffus%20-%20Rukumbine.mp3">Rukumbine </a>(buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Intensified-Original-1962-1966-Various-Artists/dp/B000003QHA">here</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandy_Livingstone">Dandy Livingstone</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Dandy%20Livingstone%20Rudy%20A%20Message%20To%20You.mp3">Rudy, A Message To You</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Suzanne-Beware-Devil-Dandy-Livingstone/dp/B00006GOD4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240032353&sr=1-2">here</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gbfwxq9kld0e">The Bleechers</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/1-08%20Check%20Him%20Out.mp3">Check Him Out</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Am-Upsetter-Story-Scratch-Golden/dp/B00077374C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240032441&sr=1-1">here</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Morgan">Derrick & Patsy</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Derrick%20&%20Patsy%20Housewives%20Choice.mp3">Housewife's Choice</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001O3SRUM/ref=dm_ap_alb3?ie=UTF8&qid=1240032523&sr=8-1">here </a>or<a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-Gems-From-The-Treasure-Isle-CD1-MP3-Download/11398240.html"> e-here</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25690029.post-19402417438546235602009-04-15T22:39:00.000-07:002009-04-15T23:38:03.844-07:00Resolution Revisited<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYQZjcJomV8ggcuDmTVFp2kQlLGvf3LiugDtVQjCuMwd_uPf6oTChiN9HHELuutW4QfQZ5mn2t0HQMe_QdZLOhr_Jg5NQwSux6-y84KFLn6dFpoUwJZ0vh2-WWP6fen-bLXizTQ/s1600-h/Runing+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 338px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYQZjcJomV8ggcuDmTVFp2kQlLGvf3LiugDtVQjCuMwd_uPf6oTChiN9HHELuutW4QfQZ5mn2t0HQMe_QdZLOhr_Jg5NQwSux6-y84KFLn6dFpoUwJZ0vh2-WWP6fen-bLXizTQ/s400/Runing+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325174556143810546" border="0" /></a><br />Dearest Friends, you may recall that back in January I was rash enough to <a href="http://pogoagogo.blogspot.com/2008/12/resolved.html">put into cyber-print my resolutions</a> for the year. Ignore for the moment items two through five, which are still in various stages of completion (er, like between 0% and 20%), and let's focus on the first resolution, namely getting in shape for the <a href="http://needlessinput.blogspot.com/">2009 Vancouver Sun Run</a>.<br /><br />Well, roger me sideways with a sweaty ferret, but the run is this coming Sunday and methinks I'm going to be set for it.<br /><br />Hear that slapping? That's the sound of my gob being smacked.<br /><br />You see, I've tried many times over the years to get into this running lark, but I've always ended up hating, loathing, DESPISING it. I never understood why; it's something you can do alone or with company, it involves no real prep or planning, and I love walking round in The Great Outdoors (urb or rural). But no, no, no, a thousand times no.<br /><br />This year I was helped along by the lovely Miss J, a work colleague who kindly offered up her running expertise twice a week to lead a training clinic for the Sun Run, which has become something of an institution in Vancouver. I also had an attack of bloody mindedness; dammit, this is something I CAN and WILL do. Finally, I was heartened by the dashing exploits of <a href="http://needlessinput.blogspot.com/">JaG</a>, who overcame her own inertia to run like the wind (and will do so again, once she sorts out her iron will)!!<br /><br />So, some ten weeks ago I strapped on my running shoes and set off on my first training run: three minutes running, two minutes walking. I just about died and dissolved into a heap of cramp, asthmatic croaking, and sweat. Fast forward to today, when I finished my second 10K run in a series of 10 minute intervals separated by one minute of walking. We're not talking Chariots of Fire timing here, folks, but I did it and actually felt (gasp!) rather good at the end. Inbetween then and now it's been a mixed bag of bloody fucking pain and flashes of pride.<br /><br />Now, please excuse me, but I'm going to break out the can opener and open up a tin of corn. You see, Dearest Friends, I've actually learned a shedload from this whole exercise. I'll spare you most of the zen insights, but allow me to relate two:<br /><br />First off, the pain is manageable. Almost every outing something went wonky: my hips ached, I got a stitch in my side, my calves cramped up, my right knee got all wobbly. At first I focused on what was going wrong, which was, well, wrong. But over time I developed my own sort of R2-D2 in my brain. You know; R2 would sit in the back of Luke's X-Wing fighter and deal with all the bits falling off ("I'm hit, but not bad. R2, see what you can do with it." "R2, try and increase the power."). Well, my R2 tends to all the shit that goes wrong with me so I can stay focused on the run. If my shins cramp, R2 tells them to relax. If I accelerate up a hill, R2 shortens my stride to maintain my pace. So now the discomfort is secondary. Moral of the story: get yourself your own R2 unit.<br /><br />Second, I'm my own worst enemy. For years I talked myself out of running coz simply because I believed I couldn't do it. And, since we've already strayed into Star Wars territory, let me quote Yoda: "That, is why you fail." I can't afford to forget this lesson.<br /><br />So now the Sun Run is but four days away, and I'm confident that I can do it. But y'know, even if I don't, I've already won on this resolution.<br /><br />Right, you'll be wanting some music after all that. So here you go, a clutch of fine running tunes:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Messiah">Messiah </a>- <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Messiah%20-%20Temple%20of%20Dreams%20U.S.%20Edit.mp3">Temple of Dreams</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Temple-Dreams-Messiah/dp/B000002M37/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239861669&sr=1-1">here </a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">They weren't the messiah, they were two very naughty techno boys named Ali and Mark.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tonesontail.com/">Tones On Tai</a>l - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Go%21%20Tones%20on%20Tail.mp3">Go!</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Music-Tones-Tail/dp/B000006H73/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239861620&sr=1-2">here </a>or get the club mix <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Tones-on-Tail-Everything-MP3-Download/10775819.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Post & pre-Bauhaus goodness. Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-yaya-ya. You get the picture.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.njhindl1.demon.co.uk/gbh/index.htm">GBH </a>- <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/GBH%20-%20Race%20Against%20Time.mp3">Race Against Time</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Bristles-Studs-Acne-Gbh/dp/B00006IQEL/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239861531&sr=8-2">here </a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kinda hard to run in your 18-hole Doc Martens and levver jacket, but the punks don't care.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.freewebs.com/viviangirls/">The Vivian Girls</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Where%20Do%20You%20Run%20To%20Vivian%20Girls.mp3">Where Do You Run To</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vivian-Girls/dp/B001CQP48E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239861590&sr=1-1">here </a>or <a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/Vivian-Girls-Vivian-Girls-MP3-Download/11294633.html">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Righteous grrl noise straight outta Brooklyn. Eruditely named after a mammoth 15,000-page magnum opus by outsider artist <a href="http://www.nathanielrich.com/darger.html">Henry Darger</a></span><br /><br /><a href="http://mp3.mondomix.com/markus-james">Markus James & The Wassonrai</a> - <a href="http://www.thisisfil.com/music/Far%20as%20I%20Can%20Run-Majirica%20Sambe%20Markus%20James.mp3">Far As I Can Run / Majirica Samba</a> (buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Calabash-Blues-Markus-James/dp/B000BHN7F2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239861563&sr=1-3">here </a>or <a href="http://mp3.mondomix.com/markus-james">e-here</a>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Think Tom Waits playing those old time blues in Timbuktu. Yes, it's that good. Another one of my favourite discoveries at the 2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival.</span><br /><br />No Star Wars music, you'll be happy to hear, but have a look at this and larf until the banthas come home:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sv5iEK-IEzw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sv5iEK-IEzw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/PogoAGo-go" title="Subscribe to my feed, pogo a go-go" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border:0"/></a></div>FiLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744819120424789247noreply@blogger.com7