DVD Review: "Bloodsport: ECW's Most Violent Matches" (2005)

Unpolished, low-rent and sloppy, but gritty, ballsy and fun are all terms that apply to what was Extreme Championship Wrestling. This two-disc set presents the most brutal matches presented by the promotion through the mid-90s to the early 2000s. Barbed wire, broken glass, chair shots, flaming tables, flaming branding irons, ladder matches, entrance ramps that give way, thumb tacks ... it's all here.

What this DVD demonstrates very clearly is that the WWE copied so much from ECW during the Attitude era in terms of hardcore matches and the like, which, combined with Vince McMahon's production budget, TV deals and superior character development, allowed for much wider exposure for the "new" WWE to a lot of people who had probably never heard of ECW.

Needless to say, if you're looking for artistry, you won't find it on this DVD. What big-time moves there are not as slick as what we might expect from the likes of some of the WWE fellas, but that's not the point. When you see 55-year old Terry Funk putting his body through hell to entertain the Philadelphia fans who paid their hard earned money to drink beer, cuss, and watch rasslin', that's what ECW was about. Despite how much Vince McMahon has annoyed me over the years, and especially as of late, I'm a WWE loyalist so it's not 100% my taste. I also enjoyed "The Rise and Fall of ECW" DVD a little more because it exposed the business end of the industry rather than just the carnage that often ensued at ECW events, but if you need a fix of violence, this is a solid pick-up.

Overall rating: 6.75/10

DVD Review: Dennis Miller - "All In" (2006)

In this HBO special taped at Las Vegas' MGM Grand, Dennis Miller provides his observational take on topics ranging from the types of people you find out on the Vegas strip to the US space mission. Things don't really get going till the second half of the performance as during the first half hour, Miller is reduced to making jokes like "the clasp on the jelly bean jar in my hotel bar fridge is harder to get off than Martha Stewart on dirty sheets". OK, that's actually kinda funny, but it's a bit of a stretch. In the second half, Miller does what he does best and that's provide upmarket social commentary (sorry, Simpsons fans). The hawkish, libertarian-leaning Miller pretty much tells it like it is but not in such a rapidly partisan way that he comes off like he's doing a Republican infomercial.

A few knee-slapping moments, but nothing I'd really go out of my way for.

Overall rating: 5.5/10

The 2006 Redneck Roadtrip

MONDAY EVENING UPDATE: The pics are now uploaded!











The 2006 Redneck Roadtrip is in the books and the reviews are in.

This past weekend, myself, my good friend Dave, and his classmate Rajiv headed to beautiful Renfrew County to take in the Palmer Rapids Twin Music Festival, a poor man's version of the Havelock Country Jamboree. (Not that I've ever had the jam to actually go to Havelock.)

I have to admit that I did feel a little out of place for a few reasons. First, I have up smoking cigarettes years ago. Nor do I have any tattoos. My rental car was a Nissan Sentra rather than a Chevy Silverado. I have difficulty using outhouses, I don't have any immediate family members named Lorne or Elmer, and finally, I don't usually show affection for my friends by calling them "cocksucker". Nevertheless, we persevered through two thunderstorms, a dead car battery, no cellphone reception, and the demolition two cases of beer between the three of us within the first 24 hours. (Not bringing enough booze is one of the categories on the official Palmer Rapids Stupid Card, which a couple of fellers down the line from us were handing out if you were deemed "stupid". Other infractions include "drinking beer with butts in it", "shitting instead of farting", "passing joint the wrong way", and "coming alone/leaving alone", among others. Since we left our women at home and being the faithful and trustworthy husbands we are, we had the last one covered by default.)

Friday night saw us finding our bearings and getting acquainted with our neighbours and many of the attendees who were sporting cowboy hats purchased at GT Boutiques all across Eastern Ontario. (I know, because I have one.) We missed the set by headliner Beverly Mahood, but I did catch her cover of Kim Mitchell's "Patio Lanterns" when rambling around while waiting for Dave and Rajiv to arrive. I also took a gander by the vendors, who were selling T-shirts with sayings like "Work Harder - Millions On Welfare Depend on You" and "I See the Fuck-Up Fairy Has Visited Us Again". Alas, I was tapped, there wasn't a bank machine around for at least 20 miles, and they didn't take Visa.

On Saturday, much fun was had by all watching drunk college-age women lead the charge as the main road in front of the Madawaska River became a mud slide mid-Saturday afternoon. (Upon reflection, that was the same spot in the road I saw a beagle take a massive crap earlier in the day, and I don't recall the owner stoopin' to scoop any poop.)

This led into the evening's entertainment as provided by Diane Chase, whose hits "Takin' Back My Heart" and "In the Middle of Something" were augmented by covers of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" and the Doobie Brothers' "Listen to the Music". Brad Johner followed up with an uneven set which included Great Big Sea-ish Maritime jams, Glenn Frey-esque ballads, and a couple of tunes which summed up the spirit of country music perfectly: "You Can't Break The Farmer's Back" and a song about winning the lottery with the chorus "Hard Work Never Hurt Nobody, But I'd Rather Be Lucky". Hear, hear. Also, playfully pleading with the fans to buy CDs so his kids could drink "real milk" rather than the powdered crap added some levity to the occasion as did the inbred ballad "I'm My Own Grandpa".

Finally, headliner Carolyn Dawn Johnson took the stage and belted out her hits like "Georgia", "Dress Rehearsal", "I Don't Want You to Go", "Just Another Girl" as well as some material from her latest CD. Anyone who regularly tunes into CMT will be familiar with CDJ as would people like Scott Lyons and myself who caught her opening for Keith Urban on his second-to-last cross-Canada tour. We capped off the night with T-bone steaks over the firepit and some Carling Light that we purchased off a fellow honky-tonker.

Sunday morning it was time to call it a trip and head back to civilization. I stopped in Quadeville for some French toast and sausage as served up by the lovely Betty (no doubt the only landed Chinese immigrant for miles around) and then it was on to Arnprior for lunch to sample Wes' Chips, which, as advertised, did not disappoint.

Stay tuned for pictures, courtesy of the Parking Lot.

Individual ratings:

Diane Chase: 8/10
Brad Johner: 6.75/10
Carolyn Dawn Johnson: 7.25/10

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Book Review: "Life on Planet Rock" by Lonn Friend (2006)

The editor of late 80s/early 90s heavy metal bible RIP! has delivered the book that I've been waiting for since Fargo Rock City.

From his "fly on the wall" vantage point, the reader gets an inside look at why Axl Rose seemed like such an asshole on the "Illusion" tours; the tension between Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora; Alice Cooper's religious conversion; how Metallica's Black Album came to be: the money-making mind of Gene Simmons; what was going through Ian Astbury's mind as he fronted the Doors of the 21st Century; why Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder rejected the way business was done and how they fought to change it; and in my opinion, the sickest, filthiest, most depraved episode involving any rock musician ever (see pages 221-223 for details), all seen through the eyes of a very human individual who loves the music and the men and women who make it.

Beginning with his days at Hustler under the tutelage of Larry and Althea Flynt, Lonn Friend is really just an ordinary guy who found himself in extraordinary circumstances. "Life on Planet Rock" is far above and beyond any run of the mill tell-all with exaggerated myths and cheap re-packaging of old Circus articles. If you've ever wondered what separates one unsigned band from another in the ears of the record company execs, how guys in bands really hang together (or not) and manage each other's egos, or how rock journalists balance living in a 1200-square foot house with their wife and kid while jetting around the world in the company of rock royalty, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

An instant classic which belongs on your shelf right beside "The Dirt" and "Hammer of the Gods".

(Oh, and speaking of Zeppelin, the episode referred to above makes even the fish incident look tame in comparison.)

Overall rating: 10/10

Thursday digest

- A couple of days ago, my loony left play of the day came from Chicago city council and their attempt to ban foie gras from the city's eateries. And now, for the first time, the loony left play of the day goes to the same contestant in the same week with news that the council has set a wage floor as it applies to Walmart and other big box retailers. While smaller discounters will be allowed to pay employees the minimum wage of $6.75 per hour, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Kmart and Toys R Us will have to pay their workers at least $10, or over one-third more, per hour, not including benefits (mandated at $3 per hour on top of the $10, which almost doubles the cost of each worker at current rates).

This is going to have a number of very harmful effects:

1. There will be less incentive for these employers to both hire more workers and open more stores because it will be more cost-prohibitive for them to do so;
2. This in turn is going to make it harder for unskilled workers (the former welfare recipient who would be a good candidate to stock shelves, for example) to break into the labour market and gain valuable job experience through these positions; and
3. Prices are going to have to go up in order to pay for these wages, which is going to make it more difficult for lower and middle class families who rely on Walmart and Kmart to purchase items like food, clothing and school supplies.

Once again, the actions of government, when taken to help the unfortunate and underprivileged, in effect harms those who it is supposed to help. Sit back and see the law of unintended consequences at work here, folks.

(HT: Right Wing News.)

- On that note, I have the sneaking suspicion that some people don't get how business responds to incentives or coercive discouragement because they have grown to take certain things for granted. A word to the wise: don't.

- Hey look, it's one of Cindy Sheehan's pals embarassing herself during the Iraq PM's speech to Congress yesterday. I also couldn't help but notice that the Canadian New Democratic Party's Libby Davies has decided to join Cindy's fast. Maybe she'll return to Ottawa when the House re-opens in September looking a little more svelte and I can lower how much I'd have to be paid to make out with her from a cool mil to $950 K.

- Another Dem mis-step yesterday as DNC Party Chair Howard Dean finally revealed his position on Hezbollah. How did he do this? By referring to the invited guest of the US Congress, the aforementioned Iraqi PM, as an "anti-Semite" because he hasn't condemned them. Why did Dean have to wait for two weeks and a speech a predominantly Jewish West Palm Beach crowd to finally spell out his position? I'd say it's because as the hero of the Angry Left he couldn't bring himself to say that Israel has the right to defend itself against terror until political expediency demanded that he do so. There's no question that the Republicans have made several huge mistakes on a number of issues, but day after day, week after week, the post-Clinton Democratic party just keeps screwing up royally, leaving mainstream America with no other choice but to support the current Administration, especially when al-Qaeda continues to declare holy war.

- I think this type of thing happens more frequently in Quebec than we might think. I have long thought that minorities are always the hardest on other minorities, especially when we're talking about francophone "bluenecks". Blanket statement, but my sneaking suspicion nonetheless.

Rock Star: Supernova Week IV

Hello everyone. This week, my dear hubby the Hammer has graciously invited me to share my views on this show as a “guest” reviewer. Want to hear what I have to say? Doesn’t matter, here it goes…..

First off, I think Supernova has proven last night beyond a shadow of a doubt that this show is nothing more than a TV show, PERIOD!!! They are not really looking for a singer for their band. If they were, Zayra would have gone home last night and not Phil. Sure, Phil might not have been right for this band, but he sure as hell has more talent than that wannabe Power Ranger. What the hell were they thinking?!? It’s obvious that Mark Burnett told them to keep her around for ratings as long as possible. It’s a joke if you ask me. At least last year, INXS was really looking for a singer and kept around the ones that deserved to stick around. I’m not saying that JD Fortune was the best in the bunch, but I think he was the best fit for INXS. Supernova has lost a lot of credibility in my opinion by doing this, and in reading the message boards on their website, they are pissing off a lot of fans too. I mean, what do we have to do to give them the message that we don’t want her around anymore? We keep putting her in the bottom three and she keeps coming back. The fans are doing their part, I’m afraid the band isn’t. What a shame!!!

Anyways, enough of her, she doesn’t deserve all the attention she is getting. On the other hand, I think some other “rockers” are finally getting the recognition they deserve, e.g. Storm. Wow!!! What a performance she gave. That dive into the crowd at the end of her performance was genius! She really won points with Tommy Lee for that one. I am glad she got the encore this week. Great job! She has always been one of my favourites even though the band doesn’t seem to like her much. Maybe they will pay attention to her from now on and leave that freaky Lukas in the lurch. I hate that guy. I think he is way overrated. He thinks he is all that and he is NOT. The guy looks like a freak and he can’t sing. I totally agree with Jason Newsted’s comments about him damaging his voice by singing they way he is and if Lukas had my old vocal coach, she would crucify him. He doesn’t articulate when he sings and we can’t understand a thing. Go back to your Leafs, Lukas, you suck just as much as they do!!!!!

My personal favourite, Dilana, did well again this week. Although her song choice wasn’t the best (Cyndi Lauper), she delivered it. She is perhaps not the best singer in the competition vocally, but she sure is the best when it comes to stage presence. She just brings you in and keeps you there until the end. She is awesome and I can’t wait to see what she will do next week. Supernova, please give the “rockers” better material to work with. The songs you choose are for the most part really lame if you ask me.

As for the other “rockers”, I would like to mention that Patrice has done an amazing job this week when she sang that Radiohead song to save herself. She is without a doubt the best singer in this competition and I hope she will stick around for a while so that she can show what she can do. I’m not sure she is right for the band, but she is awesome nonetheless.

Josh: Poor Josh! He doesn’t belong there. He can sing, but he is more of a boy band/R&B guy, not rock n’ roll. Sorry dude! You gotta go as well.

Jill: What an annoying little pest!!! She is so not right for this band either. She may have a good voice, but she yells too much for my taste. You gotta go as well, and the sooner the better.

Dana: Although she did well this week, she is way too young (22 years old) and unexperienced for this band. Keep singing cause you have a great voice, but you are no rocker either. Good luck to you.

Magni: I love this guy’s voice. In my opinion, the best male vocalist in the bunch. However, I don’t think he quite fits with this band. I know it’s horrible to say it, but looks are important in Hollywood, and I just don’t think he has the look they are looking for. Great musician though, and I think he has a great future in music.

Ryan: It’s about time he brought it. His performance this week kicked ass. I really liked his energy and I hope he keeps it up. I guess we’ll see next week.

Last but not least, Toby: This week, he didn’t impress me. He sings well enough and he is drop dead gorgeous, but I just don’t know. He just doesn’t have that chemistry that a band leader needs to have to really connect with the crowd. It’s just my opinion.

All in all, I agree with the bottom 3 this week, but I totally disagree with Supernova for kicking off Phil. Zayra MUST go NOW!!!!!!!

Signed,

Mrs. Hammer

DVD Review: The Black Crowes - "Freak and Roll ... Into the Fog" (2006)

This set is taken from a stint the reunited Crowes did at San Francisco's Fillmore in August 2005. I really don't know why they got back together as this show is basically Chris Robinson and the Dildoes. Brother Rich "Blackmore" Robinson simply stares ahead blankly with zero enthusiasm and the other guys in the band are basically a bunch of pylons just mailing it in. This is Chris' show from start to finish and he works and sings his bony ass off through an impressive set list that will satisfy both the casual and die-hard fan. Because of that, it's a half-decent addition to one's music DVD collection, but the limp stage presence of the band as a whole is disappointing.

Also disappointing are the hand-held shots of the guys going around San Francisco during the jam in "My Morning Song". Personally, I would have rather heard the music, but I did get a kick out of a brief glimpse of the interior of the Vesuvius Cafe (which I recognized from a visit I took to the City by the Bay four years ago.) It's right across from the Lusty Lady, but to quote the narrator of Hammy Hamster, that's another story.

Overall rating: 7/10

Wednesday digest

- A coule of UN do-gooders have now become part of the collateral damage file in the Mideast conflict. Why the surprise? When you insert yourself into a war zone, this kind of stuff is likely to happen. Perhaps this will remind international organizations that you can't play peacemaker when there's no peace to keep.

- Time for a reality check for those who would pin all the trouble in the Middle East on W., including the NYT and other media.

- Here's a giant headshake which basically wonders why the Dems can't get their act together. Part of the reason is because Americans, generally speaking, distrust the NAACP and teachers' unions, to name two major components of the Democratic base.

- More on the most desperate attempt in years to make a name for oneself, here, and no, I'm not talking about Noam Chomsky's latest diatribe (that is, of course, going to be lapped up by all the twenty-something Kool-Aid drinkers whose capacity for critical thinking AND credibility disappeared the minute they put on their made-in-China Che T-shirt).

Tuesday digest

- The Saudi royal family has waded into the Mideast crisis and have threatened pan-Arabic war against Israel. I have one thing to say about this:

Yawn.

The House of Saud cares about one thing and that's protecting their own privilege and all of the hookers, cocaine and oil money that goes along with that. The last thing they want is to upset the apple cart. However, they're obligated to both fund terrorists and match that with rhetoric from time to time in order to deflect internal Saudi criticism away from their own corrupt, hedonistic lifestyle and towards the US and Israel.

- Peter Mackay is on his way to Rome. Could anyone be less qualified to provide the Canadian position on the intricacies of international affairs than the former Crown prosecutor from New Glasgow? There is no member of Cabinet more in over his or her head.

- At least some at the UN aren't afraid to say that Hezbollah are using civilians as shields, although it does come with the usual moral equivalence. Is anyone really surprised? As for this disproportionality stuff, I disagree. Israel has put up with enough, although the usual suspects at a recent anti-Israel protest in London would disagree with me. Saddam apologist George Galloway, of course, was right in the thick of things.

- While on his way to Iran, Cindy Sheehan's buddy Hugo Chavez is stopping in Moscow to buy a billion dollars' worth of air armaments. Still going to speak out against militarism and aggression, Angry Left, or do you only do that when it's not one of your own who's engaged in it?

And as a former university buddy of mine used to say, "It'll always be the G-7 to me".

Well put.

Monday digest

- Today's loony left play of the day comes to us from the shores of Lake Michigan, where in an effort to protect residents of the Windy City from themselves, Chicago city council has banned foie gras. What is it with municipal politicans wanting to ban things like smoking, fatty foods, and in the case of Ottawa, pesticides, but when someone like Terry Kilrea comes along suggesting that the City should send an anti-urination and defecation on public property message, it's somehow beyond the pale? For those who like to jump to conclusions, I'm not endorsing Kilrea's plan, nor am I his press secretary. I just think that if local governments believe it's their role to police people's own health choices, shouldn't the basic sanitation of public spaces be something worth considering rather than some of the other nonsense that city pols across North America like to occupy their time with?

Or would that be lacking compassion?

- Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman has tapped a winner to help him in his Senate race, and that man's name is neither Dean, Gore nor Kerry.

Speaking of the haughty, French-looking Massachusetts Democrat who, by the way, served in Vietnam, he says that if he would have won in 2004, the current Mideast crisis would not have happened. He could be right. Perhaps Israel wouldn't have pulled out of Gaza, where this latest conflict first began, had Kerry and friends been in the White House because the terrorists would have been far too emboldened to warrant a chance to prove their commitment to co-existence with Israel in the first place.

And what about the possibility of a McCain-Lieberman ticket?

- I love Gregg Zaun. He's a guy who plays hard every day, puts the team before himself, and hates losing. I mean hates it. And if you don't reflect those same values, he'll let you know about it.

Great stuff.

Film Review: "Superman Returns" (2006)

Bryan Singer resurrects the sacred Superman franchise with this offering and I have to say that it fell short of my expectations on many levels. If you don't mind spoilers, read on; if you do, be warned that this review contains some.

First of all, the way this film is shot relies far too heavily on computer imagery. One of the things that made the Reeve films so special was that they looked realistic, as if a guy could actually fly. This? No way.

Second, the characters of Lex Luthor and Lois Lane were left wanting for me. I loved Gene Hackman's portrayal of a sarcastic, bumbling yet ambitious Luther in the first series. In fact, I thought he was often hilarious. Here, though, Kevin Spacey doesn't play Lex Luthor as much as I suspect that he just plays Kevin Spacey, who has always reminded me of the kind of guy you'd find hanging around a highway rest stop (and that's even before the rumours). And no Ned Beatty or Valerie Perrine's Miss Tessmacher to provide Luthor's sidekick, but just Parker Posey doing what she always does best - annoy.

Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane is not as hard as nails as Margot Kidder's was. A little sandpaper was needed for this role and I don't think Bosworth was the right casting choice. On that note, the use of the kid in the film as Lane's son was just sappy. An example is when Superman is seemingly on his deathbed:

Kid: "Is Superman gonna be OK?"
Lois: Some forgettable tripe
Kid: "I like him".
Lois: "I like him, too."

Cue the violins. I mean, come on. This is the Man of Steel, dammit, not Jerry Maguire! Little kids aren't supposed to "like" him. They're supposed to be in complete, speechless awe of him. And what's with the scene when he goes flying by Lois' house and pulls a Peeping Tom? Kinda chumpy, if you ask me.

Finally, the situations where Superman saves people are not as spine-tingling as I would have hoped. No kids falling into Niagara Falls, helicopters falling off the top of skyscrapers, or malfunctioning Eiffel Tower elevators (damn terrorists). Instead, we get a botched 777/space shuttle combination take-off. Huh? Whatever the opposite phrase of "my hair was standing on end" is, well, that was me.

It's not all bad. The guy who plays Lois' new beau is a decent actor. There's also respect shown to the first series, from Superman talking about the safety of air travel, statistically speaking of course; Clark's use of the word "swell"; Superman showing up when Lois is on a balcony and saying "I didn't mean to startle you" and his patented "Goodnight, Lois" when he drops her off; and finally, his commenting on Lois' smoking. For his part, Brandon Routh does well with what he has to work with, namely, a mediocre script.

I am biased because I thought the first two movies of the Reeve era were incredible, and I still do. I also never watched Smallville, The Adventures of Lois and Clark or any of those shows so I don't have any frame of reference for any other portrayals of the characters except for the ones from back then.

Go if you have to, but otherwise, I'd skip it.

Overall rating: Meh ... an ambivalent 6/10.

Sunday digest

- A word on the wrong-headedness of "peace" movements from Thomas Sowell as thousands marched against Israel in Toronto, Ottawa and elsewhere yesterday. No word if anyone suggested that the hostilities would never have broken out had Hezbollah and Hamas not kidnapped Israeli soldiers. And as far as civilian casualties go, as a friend of mine pointed out, if Israel REALLY wanted to target innocents, the number of Lebanese deaths would be ten times as high as it is now.

- As the old saying goes, "Except for ending slavery, fascism, Nazism and communism, war has never solved anything", so here's to it. Two reminders of what this conflict is all about here, and here. Mark Steyn is at his acerbic best, here.

- A few thoughtful articles on whether the US made a mistake in the Middle East by going after Iraq rather than Iran, here, here and here.

- And during these troubled times, I'd like to offer the lyrics to George Strait's "If The Whole World Was A Honky Tonk". Seems only fitting.

Saturday digest

- I have a pretty hard time with this whole "no dual citizenship" thing. In the year 2006, people migrate. That's just a fact of life. Sometimes, that results in divided loyalties on a personal level, but so what? As long as they're not referring to "Hezbollah as their protector", which some unfortunately have done, I don't see the big deal of having two citizenships. What I do find distasteful is when political parties exploit those twin loyalties for political gain at the national level, often at the expense of Canadian unity. (I'm loving the fact that playing ethnic politics has caused the two biggest Trudeaupians in Canada to have a falling out.)

I have more respect for those who take risks to make a new life for themselves and their families halfway around the world than I do for those who never leave their little corner of the globe and by extension, don't allow themselves to be exposed to other ways of life.

Also, a word about the small number of evacuees who are bitching and complaining about how hot and uncomfortable the boat ride was. What did they expect, the Concorde? It's not like Canada has a fleet of Princess cruise ships just waiting to be deployed to the world's hot spots to pick up anyone who just happen to be visiting their second cousins when war breaks out.

I guess the mother's milk coming from the government teat will just never be warm enough for some people.

- Until Thursday night, I was on the mailing list for an Ottawa nightclub by the name of Zaphod's. I very much enjoy live music and I try to support up and coming artists when I can, so I like to know who's coming to town. However, I received this unsolicited message from them on Wednesday night:

Sorry for those who already got this from other sources, but considering the state of war in Lebanon this is rather urgent.

Why pressure the Canadian government?

Israel has killed innocent Canadians.

Since last Thursday, Israeli attacks have killed more than 300 innocent civilians in Lebanon, hurt hundreds more and forced the displacement of hundreds of thousands more. Adding up to this are the damages to main transport and communication means for the country, effectively trapping the population inside. During that time, the Canadian government has supported the Israeli military strikes unconditionally (more than all other states, including the United States). This is the image Canada is now sending to the rest of the world.

We believe war is a last resort: that terrorizing and killing innocent civilians is not a valid means of defense, like it is said explicity in the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians (1949): *Article 33. - Aucune personne protégée ne peut être punie pour une infraction qu'elle n'a pas commise personnellement. Les peines collectives, de même que toute mesure d'intimidation ou de terrorisme, sont interdites. *

The same type of "collective punishment" is currently applied to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defense Forces.

What to do?

1 - Write to the Prime Minister (Stephen Harper - Harper.S@parl.gc.ca), to the Foreign Affairs minister (Peter McKay - Mackay.P@parl.gc.ca), and your MP (http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx).

2 - Send a copy of your message to the media:
Ottawa: Le Droit (French, alarocque@ledroit.com), Ottawa Citizen (English, letters@thecitizen.canwest.com
National: La Presse (French , forum@lapresse.ca), Le Devoir (French,
redaction@ledevoir.com), The Globe and Mail (English, egreenspon@globeandmail.com).

3 - Participate in the public demonstrations (July 22nd): http://www.acp-cpa.ca/en/Palestineaction.htm
in Ottawa, the demonstration will be at 11 AM on Parliament Hill.

4 - Encourage people you know to do the same.

CANADIAN PEACE ALLIANCE
Call to Action - Saturday, July 22, 2006
END ISRAEL'S ASSAULT ON GAZA AND LEBANON

The Canadian Peace Alliance is demanding that the government of Canada call for an immediate end to the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. This escalating conflict may destabilize the entire region and result in a larger war.

Israel's actions have now killed eight Canadians and hundreds more Lebanese and Palestinians. Stephen Harper's refusal to condemn these attacks is shameful. We are calling on peace loving groups and individuals to protest against these attacks and the Harper government's inaction this Saturday July 22, 2006.

The Israeli assault on Lebanon is targeting civilians and vital infrastructure resulting in a humanitarian disaster. Each day we hear of more attacks on civilian neighborhoods in Beirut with dozens of innocent people killed.

The situation in Gaza is even worse with infrastructure in a shambles and more violence each day. Recent reports from the Director of Public Relations at Gaza City's Al Shifa Hospital, Dr. Juma Al Sakka, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health have confirmed that Israel is using chemical weapons against the Palestinian people in Gaza. According to Dr. Al Sakka, "These Israeli bombings are entering the body and fragmenting, causing internal combustion leading to up to fourth degree internal burns, exposing the bone, and affecting the tissue and skin." The international community must condemn this brutality.

The United States is using this escalating conflict to further demonize Iran and Syria. Just as the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan are part of a broader campaign, led by the United States government and transnational oil corporations, to assert control over the Middle East and Central Asia, the current conflict in Palestine and Lebanon is being used by the US to justify military aggression against other sovereign states in the area. George Bush was unable to sell yet another bill of goods about weapons of mass destruction in Iran to the global population so he is now using Iranian support for Hezbollah as the smoking gun he needs to justify intervention against Iran.

Canada has thus far been shameful in its support for the aggressive Israeli and US position. By voting against key UN humanitarian resolutions and cutting off funding to the Palestinian Authority after the Hamas victory, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper is showing that it is the willing tool of US ambitions from Afghanistan to Palestine. We in Canada must demand in the name of humanitarianism and Canada's historic diplomatic role that our government reverse its shameful support for US and Israeli aggression.

I replied, "Why not just ask the terrorists to hand over the kidnapped Israeli soldiers if you want peace?" and hit send. Now, this:

Goodbye from our Newsletter, sorry to see you go.

You have been unsubscribed from our newsletters.

This is the last email you will receive from us. We have added you to our "blacklist", which means that our newsletter system will refuse to send you any other email, without manual intervention by our administrator.

If there is an error in this information, you can re-subscribe: please go to http://www.zaphodbeeblebrox.com/lists/?p=subscribe and follow the steps.

Thank you.

Given that asking this question got me "blacklisted" from the mailing list, I can only conclude that the owner of the nightclub known as Zaphod's will only take money from people who support Hezbollah.

I wonder what the organizers of the so-called "Canadian Peace Alliance" think, given that they probably preach an unwavering commitment to tolerance, diversity and respect for differing perspectives.

I think I can probably guess.

- This article suggests that embryonic stem-cell research wouldn't need public money if it had any promise, but apparently no private donors want to fund it anymore because it's not producing any results. Interesting. I should have thought of that.

Book Review: "Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away" by Martin Popoff (2004)

This book by Toronto rock writer Martin Popoff details the career of Canadian rock legends Rush by looking at each album and tour ranging from 1974's "Rush" to 2004's "Rock in Rio".

It's fascinating to hear the boys reminisce about how things were in the early days, from playing church basements in Toronto through to the recording of their debut and subsequent tours in Econoline vans across America with the likes of KISS and Aerosmith. (Just imagine the sweet tinted teardrop windows they must have had.) However, there's a lot more than just road stories here. The creative process, which I love reading about, is detailed by Popoff's critical eye with recollections from the band members themselves. One thing I found is that some of my favourite Rush albums are not remembered with much fondness by the band themselves, like "Hemispheres", "Signals" and "Counterparts", while some of their weaker moments, in my opinion, like "A Farewell to Kings" and "Roll the Bones" are some of their favourites. And what would have happened if U2 producer Steve Lillywhite would have produced 1984's "Grace Under Pressure", like he was supposed to?

It's also fantastic to hear what it's like recording an album. How do they actually do it? How do they pick a producer? How do they deal with the inevitable disagreements? Each band is different and each member of Rush has their own impressions of how it's been done over and over and over again, and how each time differs slightly from the last. Obviously, they're successful at it because they've grown and evolved with each other for over 30 years without a lot of either press or radio play.

The quality of writing here is second to none and Popoff has an uncanny ability in his interviewing to really get his subjects to open up and be candid. This results in a mixture of observations, opinions and tall tales that give you an excellent flavour of how Geddy, Alex and Neil view themselves, each other and their body of work thirty years on. No tell-all exposés of 27-year old "poets" dying in their hotel's bathtub while rubbing one out; just a history of excellence through the eyes of three brothers who have stuck together through thick and thin to make some of the most enduring music in rock history.

Overall rating: 9.5/10

Thursday digest

- For the second day in a row, one of my heroes has disappointed me. First, Kid Rock lets himself play Pam Anderson's rebound guy, again. Now, word that lifelong New Jersey Devil, three-time Cup champion and recovering alcoholic Ken Daneyko has been charged with drunk driving. Shameful. How am I going to wear my #3 Devs away jersey, purchased in June of '00, with any shred of pride from now on?

I can only wonder which one of my boys is going to step in it next. Perhaps Al Pacino will get caught beating his wife or the CLB will be found with a hard drive full of kiddie porn.

I hope not.

- Usually, I end up hearing CBC Radio when I'm in the back of a cab or something, and I frankly don't mind it all that much. However, if I did what this guy did, which is try to listen to it for a week straight, I might.

- With personal debt loads through the roof due to excessive reliance on charge cards and the like, I have a hard time believing this, but if it's true, great.

- This article blames the current woes on the Israel-Lebanon border entirely on the Bush administration. Although it's clear that mistakes have been made, I don't recall W being in office in either 1948 (the first invasion of Israel by her neighbours), 1967 (the Six-Day War), 1973 (the Yom Kippur War), 1982 (when the PLO was using Beirut to launch attacks into Israel), 1987 (when Hezbollah was formed and the first Intifada began) or 2000 (when the second Intifada began). It's partisanship of the most naked kind to lay this, the latest chapter in a decades-long Islamist battle to wipe Israel off the map, at the feet of the White House.

- I also think it's a shame that the actions of hateful terrorists have once again laid waste to one of the most vibrant cities on the Mediterranean.

- And we can always count on Quebec elites to side against those pesky Juifs, can't we?

- Smart Cars annoy the piss out of me. If I ever want to cut my lawn in air-conditioned comfort, I'll just go down to John Deere, get a front-end mower, and throw it on one of those little clown boxes. I'm also suspicious of SUV's, though, because they just put more money in the House of Saud's pockets. This fascinating article blows the lid off any contention that hybrids are environmentally and thus morally superior to Hummers, even though I still find them equally deplorable (and not because I really care about the so-called man-made causes of global warming).

- As the most overreported non-story since Mike Harris was accused of having six toes is mercifully exposed for the farce that it is, an arrest in the most underreported story of the decade so far.

- How much longer until 9/11, part II? In the meantime, I fully expect that this film will make me openly weep.

- Interesting article here on the morality of the rip bar.

- Finally, courtesy of Daimnation, an article from benz-driving socialist Tarek Fatah who has left the NDP because they're establishing a "religion" caucus. I'd like to see all those Dippers who froth at the mouth any time church and state are even mentioned in the same sentence follow Fatah right into the waiting arms of the Liberal party, but I don't see it happening, just like I don't see them writing letters suggesting that religious holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Good Friday be eliminated as statutory holidays by the government in the interests of - you guessed it - separating church and state.

Rock Star: Supernova Week III

All of the performers brought it up a notch this week, but I think the bottom three of Dana, Jenny and Josh were pretty much right on the mark. I loved Jenny's version of "Vasoline" and it was cool seeing Dana do Sass Jordan rather than her regular Alannah Myles-lite schtick. I thought Josh should have been booted because his Nick Lachey vibe is just irritating, but Jenny got sent home, which was an inevitability anyways.

Although Phil, Magni and Jill (looking good!) all did really well this week, and for the first time, Zayra demonstrated why she made it through auditions for this show, there are really only a handful of serious contenders for the gig. Toby has an outside chance if he picks it up a bit ... last week's rendition of "Somebody Told Me" was great, but this week, he fell down hard with, what was it again? Oh yeah, I forget.

Week III was a massive improvement over Week II. Hopefully, the trend continues.

This week's top 3:

1. Lukas (as if he didn't know "Let's Spend the Night Together")
2. Storm (not that sturdy vocally this week, but what an alluring stage presence)
3. Dilana (we need to see more range over the long haul)

Honourable mention: Patrice (the total package, but is she balls to the wall enough for this spot?)

Album Review: Lacuna Coil "Karmacode" (2006)

Long before Evanescence appeared on the scene, there was Italy's Lacuna Coil. The fourth release from these atmospheric, Ozzfest second-stage favourites incorporates deep and throaty bass lines, strings, and amazing female vocals to make up for the lack of guitar solos. The first three tunes are just amazing but then things take a down turn with the obligatory power ballad, "Within Me". Although the tunes end up sounding sorta the same mid-point (and let's face it, only AC/DC can pull that off and get away with it), the album ends off on a high note with a crunchy cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" which will keep you coming back.

On the whole, a good album for the gym and a decent intro into some new hard rock if you're hungry for fresh material.

Overall rating: 7.25/10

Wednesday digest

- I'm very disappointed in my boy Kid Rock today. It's obvious from her comments that his two-time fiancée Pamela Anderson is still pining for ex-husband Tommy Lee. Pam and Rock were already engaged once, without a wedding date, either, prior to their first break-up three years ago. I think that Rock should have realized then that if a wedding date isn't set at most a couple of weeks after proposing, one of you probably doesn't really want to get married (and in this case, I doubt it was Rock). I give this one two years, tops. And Rock, after you find her in bed with Tommy enjoying a backsliding booty call, you better not disappoint me with some coffee house recording talking about how broken-hearted you are. You should have known better.

- Ottawa mayoral candidate Terry Kilrea promises to sweep the streets of panhandlers, drug dealers and other vagrants if he's elected mayor this fall. No doubt the poverty industry types are already preparing their legal arguments stating that the right to harass and intimidate passersby is guaranteed under the Charter should Kilrea get in (a dubious proposition at best).

- In another political masterstroke, the PM is taking a detour home from France and stopping on the island of Cyprus to pick up stranded Canadians displaced by the Middle East conflict. Harper's acumen is really amazing me lately. After eyebrows were raised when Dubya referred to him as "Steve" (you know where that would have played most poorly - Quebec), he went on a Calgary radion station and declared that French was Canada's first language. Then, he gets a hard time for supporting Israel, but goes out of his way to assist Canadians of primarily Arabic descent. The guy is just smart.

- According to this poll. John McCain is more popular among Republicans than Howard Dean is among Democrats when asked about potential nominees for '08.

That could mean one of two things: either Dems don't care for Dean that much, period, or perhaps they like him as chair, just not as a nominee. (On the other side, Dick "Big Time" Cheney is acceptable as a nominee to just over one in three (34%) of respondents, but you can't tell me he's not a rock star in GOP circles.) One thing's for sure - we can expect a tough, ideas-driven campaign from this guy.

- W. is going to veto federal funding of embryonic stem cell research because he says that it doesn't respect human life, which he considers embryos to be. I generally agree with that opinion, but I think he's wrong on this because a bill was passed which would ban "fetus farming", thereby preventing the creation and subsequent destruction of embyros for scientific purposes. It's true that there are other ways to conduct stem cell research - through the use of umbilical cords, for example - but my understanding of this is that only those embyros created through the in-vitro fertilization process, which are not expected to survive, would be used for research purposes. So yes, while the embryos would be willfully destroyed to perform potentially life-saving research, they would not have lived anyways.

If I have it right, this is a sop to pro-life extremists, plain and simple, and is a perfect example of politics getting in the way of good public policy.

- In the Middle East, one theory is that the US is letting Israel slam southern Lebanon for one week before stepping in to impose a ceasefire. Plausible, but I hope not. Terror networks need to be destroyed. Look at Iran, for instance. Months of weak-kneed diplomacy have only emboldened Ahmadinejad. One positive development, which would bode well for the long-term future, is that even the Saudis are speaking out against Hezbollah.

Tuesday digest II

- I thought that I took a backseat to no one when it came to posing unconvincingly as a cowboy, but Stephane Dion definitely takes the cake (pictured here at the Calgary Stampede, courtesy of Calgary Grit).

- Speaking of the Liberals, Bill Graham is giving Stephen Harper a hard time over his refusal to waffle on the Middle East conflict. Generally speaking, I expect the Liberal party to clam up when it comes to issues of right and wrong, especially when ethnic votes are at stake, but I'm still disappointed with Graham. However, that's infinitely preferable to the NDP, who clearly have a favourite in the conflict. Guess who they're rooting for? And another take on the cycle of violence, this time from Thomas Sowell.

- Today's loony left play of the day comes to us from the New York Times itself, which is cruelly about to throw hundreds of men and women out of work for the sake of - gasp! - profit!

Where's the compassion?

Where's the justice?

Oh, the humanity!

From The American Thinker:

A profitable company is to shutter a factory it built in 1992 as part of a much-hailed visionary strategy to take advantage of technology. But now it is just a cost to be cut. Eight hundred jobs, many of them well-paying blue collar positions (supposedly an endangered species) will disappear, while managerial and professional jobs are being protected.

Normally, this would be a juicy target for series of articles on the front and business pages of the New York Times. You know the drill: a parade of blue collar people victimized by the Bush administration, and now facing a bleak future. Meanwhile the insiders make out fine. There's even a fat cat CEO whose compensation package has done a whole lot better than its profits or stock. If Howell Raines still were editor, he'd get at least 40 stories out of it.

But today, the company in question is the New York Times Company. So don't expect the same rules to apply.

Nothing personal - it's just business.

And in typical limousine liberal do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do fashion, they can't even refer to the little people on the line as part of the team:

The Times is well known for its elitism and its unconscious condescension toward those occupying less lofty stations in life. Editor Bill Keller let slip a telling remark in remarks reported by the AP:

"...this is a much less painful way to go about assuring our economic survival than cutting staff."

The blue collar denizens of Jersey never quite made it being considered staff, after all. Not in the eyes of Bill Keller his colleagues in Manhattan. Not even close.

No wonder Joe Lunchbucket reads the right-wing Post.

- And on that note, you just gotta love a tax-cutting, Commie-hating, F-bomb dropping President, even if he's named Kennedy.

Tuesday digest

- Reports today suggest that the Canadian Arab Federation is blaming the Prime Minister of Canada for the deaths of eight Canadian civilians in Lebanon over the weekend because he supports Israel's right to react to attacks on its territory. (Note the US' contention that Hezbollah deliberately places targets in civilian areas.)

While civilian casualites are always unfortunate, I don't hear the Canadian Arab Federation condemning Palestinian suicide bombers who decide to blow themselves to bits in Tel Aviv discotheques and pizzerias in order to maximize the number of civilian casualties. Just by looking at the titles of their recent news releases, it's impossible to seriously claim that they've got any credibility speaking out against civilian casualties of any kind. While I'd like to say that I'm sure the Canadian Arab Federation wishes Hamas and Hezbollah would go away, I can't, but what I can say with infinitely more certainty is that they wish Israel would disappear.

Also appalling are the comments of Lloyd Axworthy in the story above who is urging more appeasement, more coddling of terrorists, and more moral relativism. Here's a little reality check for both Axworthy and the CAF, who clearly need reminding that Hamas in particular started the most recent conflict by provoking Israel through the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier even after Israel had ceded territory in Gaza. (More historial context here, an Israeli hawk weighs in here, and some common sense here.)

- A couple of good articles here and here which ask if the neoconservative project to transform the Middle East has really been worth it. I don't think we're going to know for twenty years or more, but the questions need to be asked. (Here at the Hammer, we're never afraid to look in the mirror.)

- Yesterday, I mentioned that Hillary is pro-Israel. With centrist candidates like Hillary and Mark Warner contending for the nomination, I have to wonder if the Deaniac wing of the Democratic party (conspiracy theorists, activists who don't care about the advance of radical Islamists, and those who think it's more important to keep an eye on the White House than on bin Laden, to take three examples) will nominate a third-party candidate. (Maybe Al Franken will be available once Air America closes up shop.)

- I'm as big a fan of Ronald Reagan as anyone, but I think that his admirers get away with sweeping a few things under the carpet a little too easily (like his record on spending, for example). Here's a comparison between Reagan and Dubya which shows that the current President is indeed Reagan's heir when it comes to big-government conservatism.

- And speaking of the 80s, a list of the greatest metal bands of all time.

Monday digest

- While Israel's resolve is firm, Syria is offering to help Americans trapped in Lebanon find safe passage home to the States. Perhaps the President's profanity was taken as a message to the Assad regime that they are clearly in the US' sights and so now they're trying to play nice, which would isolate Iran. I also think that putting an international force on the ground there would be a bad idea, since peacekeepers would have no peace to keep. The way out of the impasse is simple: lean on Hamas and Hezbollah to hand over the Israeli soldiers.

- Hillary has come out four-square behind Israel, but for some reason, I don't think she's going to face the type of challenge that Lieberman is.

- The guy who emerged from the shadows last week to admit his role in the recent Toronto arrests, Mubin Shaikh, is an odd cat. Here's a guy who is a Sharia-law activist, pro-Taliban, and also goes to the press after having helped uncover an alleged terror plot. What I think is most troubling, though, is that certain members of the Muslim community, like Ali Hindy, infer that he was somehow working against Islam and his community by assisting the authorities.

Rock Star: Supernova Week II

I finally got around to watching this week's edition of Rock Star: Supernova on Saturday morning as my wife taped it for me because I was out Bluesfestin' most of the week.

Last week, my top three were, in order, Dilana, Lukas, and Storm, with an honourable mention going to Patrice. This week, I have to revise the rankings as follows:

1. Dilana
2. Toby
3. Storm

Honourable mention: Patrice

Although it's clearly a matter of time before people like Zayra and others get kicked off due to their overly defensive attitudes and inability to take constructive criticism, the bland and vanilla-flavored Chris got the boot this week. Toby's scorching version of the Killers' "Somebody Told Me" vaunted him into my top three, replacing Lukas whose tortured Coldplay stylings seem to be wearing on Jason Newsted. Storm is the wild card in all of this as her stage presence is magnetic, but vocally, she's not as strong as Dilana who did a torch version of "Ring of Fire" to much love from the band. As for Patrice, it was revealed that she plays guitar and so this may keep her around for a bit. (I would be tempted to bring her into the band as a fourth member just for harmonies and rhythym, personally.)

I want Zayra to stick around for ratings (she's clueless) and I really want that chumpstain Phil to get voted off. Lukas is a punk who needs to be brought down a notch or two as well.

Saturday digest

- Let's review what's going on here.

Less than a year ago, Israel pulled out of Gaza, giving the Palestinians more autonomy than they've ever had in that territory. After a few skirmishes, earlier this month Hamas decides to build a tunnel and kidnap an Israeli soldier. The Israeli beast starts to awaken and takes action against Hamas' leadership, and then Syrian and Iranian-backed Hezbollah decides to capture two more soldiers just because. Israel decides that it's going to respond accordingly by bombing Hezbollah and Hamas' outposts in Gaza and south Lebanon. And this is somehow Israel's fault? Listen to the Syrian ambassador to the US:

Look, let me say this: Syria has never, ever had any hand with any terrorists or violent, or anything that is happening in the occupied territories. What's happening in the occupied territories, a vicious circle of violence and counter violence, has everything to do with the Israeli policies there. You know, they build their walls deep into the Palestinian territories, they demolish houses there, they expropriate territories, they assassinate Palestinian leaders and people. Syria has nothing to do whatsoever-- nothing-- in what's happening in the occupied territories.

By pointing fingers at Syria and trying to blame Syria for the catastrophic events that are happening there and the tragic events, I think they're just trying to shift the blame.

The bottom line as I've said many times before is that this has little to do with anything other than the fact that in just over 50 years, Israel has built a successful, modern, secular, liberal, egalitarian, democratic, capitalist state in the heart of a region where (most of) the leadership has repeatedly shown that it detests all of those values. As Krauthammer points out, rhetoric about occupation etcetera is just covering up the real issue which is the very existence of Israel itself.

Thumbs down to Condi this week for calling for Israel to show "restraint" while thumbs up goes to our PM for unequivocally standing by Israel.

I hope that Israel completely destroys Hamas and Hezbollah.

More analysis here, here, here and here.

Meanwhile, over on the Left, the netroots are imagining a world without Israel and suggesting that Iran was right to suggest that Israel cease to be a sovreign state. I believe the exact words were, "wiped off the face of the Earth" or something to that effect. And as the Middle East moves towards total chaos, we have Wilson/Plame deciding to file a frivolous lawsuit, reportedly on the same day they were on the way home from a meeting with congressional Dems. If there was ever any doubt, ideas really don't matter in that party these days. Here's some video commentary on the Sheehan fast (note the lampooning of our hero's attempt at prose), and even Slick Willie is incredulous at his party's stupidity these days.

- I have to hand it to Belindy for having the guts to challenge the Liberal party. These are good suggestions as that party that needs to reinvigorate itself through debate around inventive and creative ideas, (even if they'll never fly).

- I also have to hand it to Strombo for finally realizing that economics and geopolitics should best be left to the experts, and he should focus on something he's more qualified to do for a change: reality TV.

- Finally, this is the loony left play of the day (subscription required). Bureaucrats with nothing to do have decided that it's time for the state to ensure that faucets won't run too warm, because little kids might burnt.

I thought that was mom and dad's job, but perhaps I'm just stuck in the Stone Age.

Is this really what government should be doing?

Give me a frickin' break.

Live Review: Wintersleep/Holy Fuck/Fiery Furnaces/Metric, Ottawa Bluesfest, MBNA Stage, July 14, 2006

For my last Bluesfest show of 2006, I hit the MBNA stage to check out this lineup. Although I underwhelmed by the first band, Wintersleep, which sounded like Tool with a disco beat, they were positively fantastic compared to the schlock that followed.

This schlock included Holy Fuck, a "band" which "plays" drums, bass and turntables. Very wanky and absolutely pointless in my opinion, unless you get off on hearing music from 80s arcade games that bring the words "game over - insert coin to continue" to mind.

Things went from bad to worse when the Fiery Furnaces started. A White Stripes wanna-be brother and sister act, the chick looked like a feather-haired early 80s Geddy Lee and sorta sounded like him, too. (I had a roommate once who hated Rush because he thought Lee sounded like a woman singing. Just thought I'd mention that.) Since I'm not really into college bands, I thought the Fiery Furnaces absolutely sucked.

Finally, Metric. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Belinda Stronach fronted a new wave band? Well, wonder no more. Another 80s revivalist act, Metric was made better by both the acts which preceded them, which were by and large shyte, and also their very impressive light show. The CBC-pinned, Guevara-T shirt wearing throng was also very appreciative of the lead singer's comments about marketing and independence (nothing like a little rebel sell to establish credibility with the kids, I suppose). Not bad, but I doubt we'll remember them in five or six years.

Individual ratings:

Wintersleep: 5.25/10
Holy Fuck: 3/10
Fiery Furnaces: 1/10
Metric: 5.25/10

Overall rating:

4/10

Honourable mention: guy who had a green T-shirt on with an outline of the Land of Lincoln and the phrase "Come On Feel the Illinoise": 10/10 (the shirt, not the guy).

DVD Review: Pink Floyd - "Pulse" (2006)

I had fully intended to head down to Bluesfest last night to see the Road Hammers, the new Canadian band from whom I shamelessly stole the name for this weblog, but the sun, crowds, junk food, beer, loud music and late nights were kinda burning me out, so I decided to stay home, kick back and watch some Floyd instead.

I'd been waiting for this DVD for years. I saw this tour live in July 1994 at Toronto's CNE Stadium and it's always been a toss-up for me between that and the August 1996 KISS reunion show at the Skydome for the most memorable show I've ever seen (and I've seen well over a hundred). The VHS release of "Pulse" from the mid-90s was excellent but technology has evolved. On DVD, despite some visual limitations which are to be expected when the master was filmed on video (by today's standards it would have been captured with more sharpness), this is a worthy addition to any music fan's collection.

The first disc focuses heavily on tracks from "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason", with the highlights being "Sorrow" and "High Hopes". Check out the big-time laser show that accompanies David Gilmour's shredding on "Sorrow". (Unfortunately, another stellar track from the "new" Floyd which showcases Gilmour's incredible mastery of his instrument, "What Do You Want From Me?", is not included here.) The set ends with a very intense version of "One Of These Days" complete with inflatable pigs with spotlights for eyes on either side of the stage. Live, I recall this being pretty heavy, no doubt partially because of the chemicals I was under the influence at the time. You have to see it to fully appreciate it as it defies description.

The second disc contains a complete version of "Dark Side of the Moon" as well as other classics like "Comfortably Numb", with keyboardist Richard Wright sharing vocals with Gilmour (Roger who?) and capturing the experience of an overdosing, bloated, egomaniacal rock star through song better than any other version I've heard, "Wish You Were Here" (a song I've always personally hated because of the wuss factor), and a massive "Run Like Hell" to end things off.

One thing that even non-Floyd fans have to respect is that they give their fans value for their money. This show is the hugest I'd ever seen and it still would be today. Lasers, smoke bombs, visuals, it's all here. I remember paying $42 for my ticket, which is more than I can say for the bands of today that charge well over double that just for the privilege of basking in their glow. The other thing is that Floyd never does anything unless there's a creative reason to do so. No cash-grabbing greatest hits tour here or big-money reunion tour, despite numerous offers over the years. On "Pulse", you can see that Floyd still enjoyed making music together well over 25 years after it all began.

This DVD is sheer excellence and was totally worth the wait. If you ever get the chance to see it, do so, if only for the spectacle of it all.

Overall rating: 9.5/10

Live Review: Live/Nelly Furtado/Mobile, Main Stage, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 12, 2006

Last night was my one and only main stage show of the entire festival. The area in front got very full very quickly, which isn't surprising given that it girl du jour Nelly Furtado was up tonight. The majority of the crowd was comprised of female twentysomethings with lots of them wearing those awful bumblebee sunglasses, like the kind Nicole Ritchie wears. (Girls, in ten years you are going to look at pictures of yourselves and go, "What was I thinking?")

First up was Canadian U2 wanna-bes Mobile. Without legislated requirements for Can-con music to be played on the airwaves, this group would have absolutely no future, and the less said about what little future they do have, the better. And any band that uses pre-recorded samples gets a thumbs-down in my book.

Next was Nelly. She came on wearing a form-fitting black dress and gold platform shoes, looking like a million bucks. Along with a couple of dancers and an MC, it was time for some guilt-free bubblegum pop courtesy of the #1 artist on Billboard.

Although she seems to have gone a little skanky these days, Nelly's outfit and stage presence was all class, with slinky (but not slutty) moves and lots of crowd interaction. The audience was very enthusiastic for hits both new, like "Maneater", and old, like "I'm Like a Bird" which featured a Bob Marley interlude ("Everything's Gonna Be Alright"). I especially enjoyed hearing "Turn Out the Lights" because I remember my first night in Cancun in winter 2002 with my buddy Leroy walking into the Bulldog nightclub hearing that over the PA system, which began one of the most fun vacations I've ever had. Good times and a great show by Ms. Furtado, even if she didn't play my favourite tune by her, titled "Remember the Days". If she plays her cards right, she'll have a lengthy career.

Finally, Live. This band often gets lumped with pedestrian rock groups like Third Eye Blind and the Goo Goo Dolls, but I have to admit that their 2001 album "The Distance to Here" is one of my favourites of the decade so far. This set was like a greatest hits. Almost everything was there: "I Alone", "Selling the Drama", "Lightning Crashes", "Lakini's Juice", "All Over You", "Heaven", "The Dolphin's Cry", "Run to the Water", "Dance With You", and a few tunes from their new album as well like lead-off single "The River". The only two tunes I would have liked to hear that they didn't play were "Turn My Head" and post 9/11 tribute to the FDNY, "Overcome". (Then again, they were playing the capital city of a country where a former three-term majority Liberal PM said that the US had the terrorist attacks coming, so maybe they just dropped it from the set for last night's show. But I digress.)

Uber-confident lead singer Ed Kowalczyk seemed to feed off the crowd as the show went on, and I think that's probably because they haven't played to a number this large in quite some time. Another suprising highlight was the very creative and not-lame-at-all cover of Cash's "I Walk the Line". Of course, all the Nicole Ritchies knew every word, but I doubt that 10% of them could tell you what Fulsom Prison is. Anyways, last night's show was one of the top three I've ever seen at Bluesfest. There's nothing better than a two or three beer buzz, the evening sun, and great live music.

Individual ratings:

Mobile: 4/10
Nelly Furtado: 8.5/10
Live: 9.5/10

Overall rating: 8.25/10

Wednesday digest

- Prime Minister Harper, appearing on a Calgary radio show yesterday, said that French is Canada's first language, and proceeded to say that this explains why he begins news conferences in French. As soon as I heard this, I thought "could distinct society be far behind"? Politically, the francophone identity politics thing sells better in Montreal than Calgary, so he should have said it there and in French to boot, but we'll see how worn his Teflon is by the reaction of western Conservative activists to this. (So far, there's been very little, which I have to say surprises me.)

- American columnist Robert Novak says he found out that Valerie Plame was a CIA agent by reading up on her husband in the book "Who's Who in America". Clearly the Bush haters are so unhinged ... so convinced to the absolute evil of Rove and company that they couldn't even consider for one minute the possibility that Plame's identity was on the public record, as it turns out it was all along. Conspiracy-mongers, it's finally time to move on. Your feeble attempt to besmirch the White House amounts to this: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

- Today's loony left play of the day comes to us from The Progressive magazine and their interview with Marxist President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez. Widespread corruption, media intimidation and a stacked judiciary apparently aren't topics worth asking for the social justice crowd as long as he's anti-Bush, I suppose. Note the first two questions: "Your opponents say you're starting a dictatorship" followed by "Those same opponents are in bed with Bush, so are you going to send them to jail"? Now that's hard-hitting journalism for ya. A more sober view, here. (Thank God the socialists lost in Mexico.)

- On W., I love this article by Max Boot on how the Administration is letting people get away with things that they shouldn't be allowed to get away with. Now is no time to lose one's nerve, even if it's an election year for Congress.

- One of the most powerful forces besides in the world besides Bush-hatred is anti-Semitism. Hezbollah has captured two Israeli soldiers in addition to the one Hamas is holding in Gaza. I have to wonder just how dumb the terrorists really are. Don't they realize that Israel could crush them? Or do they really care, just as long as they are poking the Jews in the eye?

Live Review: Son Volt/Mark Kozelek/Joe Grass, Black Sheep Stage, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 11, 2006

I parked it down in front at the Black Sheep stage last night not knowing what to expect because I was completely unfamilar with all three artists, but pretty sure that I'd enjoy it more than I would have enjoyed Blue Rodeo (seen em once, seen em a million times) who was playing over at the main stage.

Moncton's Joe Grass started things off by playing his acoustic guitar on his lap. Very impressive picking and not a lot of grinning by this 20-something, whose husky voice makes him sound world-weary well beyond his years. He came close to venturing into male Alanis territory, but thankfully he kept it just short of that.

Even more pickin' with a heck of a lot less grinnin' by Mark Kozelek, who expressed his disappointment at both the bleeding sound from the other stages during his set as well as the fact that his audience was by and large white-skinned (I'm serious). He cut his set short after 45 minutes with nary an AC/DC cover to be heard. I think it was because he was having difficulty concentrating. A very morose sound that would be the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon of self-mutilation, but talented nonetheless.

Finally, critical darlings Son Volt were up. I had heard rave reviews about them from my pal Goggles Pizzano but at about the third song, I had them pegged as a poor man's Tom Petty and Crazy Horse (or is that Neil Young and the Heartbreakers?). They all looked like they hadn't bathed in six weeks, were dressed in the finest attire Value Village has to offer, and were trying their best to revive the grunge scene from the mid-90s, which was never really my speed (Beavis and Butthead would have had a great time tearing these guys to shreds).

I'm also naturally skeptical of anyone who the Rolling Stone crowd adores. As the first half of the set went on, I started to really want to hate them even more as I was increasingly surrounded by Birkenstock-wearing plain Janes and horn-rimmed collegiate boys probably in town for the summer on co-op, but I didn't. They were actually pretty good ... but certainly not mind-blowing.

Individual ratings:

Joe Grass: 7.75/10
Mark Kozelek: 6.5/10
Son Volt: 6.75/10

Overall rating: 7/10

Tuesday digest

- Fatalities are numbering well into the triple digits after Bombay's commuter train network was struck by explosions today. Whoever did this is going to have hell to pay. More than ever, the onus will now be on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to crack down on Islamic militants, and it's another reminder that urban transit networks are a prime target for terrorists.

- Example #76 of why the words "Palestinian leadership" and "accountability" do not belong in the same sentence: this article from today's Washington Post. Two things stick out for me: first, the conspiratorial use of quotation marks around the word "kidnapping" in reference to the Israeli soldier at the centre of all this, and second, the reference to the "core 1948 issues". The writer is clearly asserting his beliefs that Israel is staging the entire affair just as a pretext to invade Gaza, and also, that the creation of Israel itself is a score that still needs to be settled. How can one count on the Palestinians to be partners at the table when the time comes to negotiate peace when the same old tired rhetoric like this is trotted out over and over again? It's time that they look in the mirror instead of blaming external forces for every problem they face, especially those which are self-imposed through the use of suicide bombings against innocent civilians in the name of their own perverted definition of justice.

- Here is a sad article about what political correctness has done to inquiry, debate and discussion in America on even the most inoffensive of subjects.

- In today's loony left play of the day, an update on how Cindy Sheehan's hunger strike, which apparently includes coffee and ice cream, is going. Note how even the tedium of travelling is made worse by the 2000 and 2004 "coup attempts".

- Ralph Klein says politics isn't any fun since he quit drinkin'. I don't see how going into work hung over every day can be a good time, but if you're a Tory in Alberta, you can get away with pretty much anything, I suppose.

- Finally, I think the Sens did really well with the recent trade. They dumped a guy who only cares about himself (Havlat) and a guy who is on the downside of his career (Smolinski) for a regular D-man entering the prime of his career(Preissing), a blue-chip prospect (Hennessey), another youngster (Barinka) and a second-rounder. When you consider that Havlat - who was adamant about signing a one-year deal with the always competitive Sens in favour of testing the free agent market next year - then turned around and signed a ridiculous $6M contract with the hapless Chicago Blackhawks, Sens fans should be happy to be rid of this selfish prima donna.

It's time for fans of this organization to take a page from this year's Jays team and finally realize that just good enough actually isn't good enough. It's about winning, dammit, and guys like Havlat will not get you a championship, so I say good riddance.

Live Review: Eddie Turner/Detroit Women/Mem Shannon and the Membership, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 9, 2006

The missus and I trucked it on down to the Blues till Dusk stage Sunday afternoon for some fun in the sun.

First up was Denver's Eddie Turner, who I'd seen a few weeks back at the Rainbow Bistro here in Ottawa. More Cleveland than Mississippi, Turner's blues-infected rock sounded great in the heat. His soloing was more impressive this time than when I last saw him, but his overall performance was left wanting for lack of stage time (little more than an hour) and also because he didn't play standout new tune "Jody" from his latest album, "The Turner Diaries". Still, very, very good. If he's ever in your area, you ought to check him out, as he's another hidden treasure just waiting to be enjoyed by fans of good music.

We then headed over to the MBNA stage for the Detroit Women, a group of Motor City mamas. Despite a pretty cool cover of the Band's "The Weight", this entire affair was far too gospel-ly for my tastes and it more resembled coug night at the karaoke bar than anything else. Forgettable.

Back to the Blues till Dusk stage for Nawlin's Mem Shannon, a 350-lb former cab driver turned professional musician. Talented playing, with the highlight being a funked-up version of the Beatles' "Elinor Rigby", but not really my speed as it was too ... well, bluesy. But if you're into that, you'd have liked it.

Artist ratings:

Eddie Turner: 8.5/10
Detroit Women: 5.5/10
Mem Shannon: 6.5/10

Overall rating: 7/10