SOTD - Bullet the blue sky

For all of the songs U2 have ever done with a pop sheen (not that this is necessarily a bad thing), they have some rockers that soar with the best. I have to admit, some of U2's early gritty material wasn't my cup of tea, but songs like Bullet the Blue Sky are masterpieces of adrenaline and punch.

It starts with that jabbing drum line. Then The Edge comes in and shows why he is one of the gurus of guitar effects. All the while, Adam Clayton's bass is hypnotic to the point of delirium. It is damned near impossible for me to hear this song and not start flailing my arms about like a lunatic on acid. I've never seen U2 live, but I bet that this song played with thousands of watts behind it would be intoxicating.

First (and last) take your cat to work day

Thanks to Carla for the tip.

My first Edward Gordon!

I have been wanting to own an Edward Gordon print for a long time. I have my eye on a glicée that I'd like to get someday, but much of his work is great.

I came home to an Edward Gordon today. Darlene found it on kijiji in Halifax and they shipped it here.

Yay!

Apologies for the reflection artifacts and linear distortion, but that's what happens when you're in a hurry and use a phone camera......

Sassy Siri

SOTD - Toccata and fugue in D minor

What's that? Don't I like any classical music? I love classical music. I like pipe organ music too.

This is Andrew Davis playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

You're really going to appreciate this song interlude of the day if your computer speakers includes a decent subwoofer.

This is what the fearful society does

According to an FBI article, coffee shop owners, baristas and other customer service folks to be on the lookout for anyone using cash to pay for coffee and other small ticket items. This because people paying cash are typically trying to prevent a paper trail and might be terrorists.

I hope CSIS doesn't have the same philosophy, otherwise, I could be on a watch list. I use cash almost all the time.

I'll call it "The Cuppa - your single serve beverage dispensary"

As you probably know, I own a Keurig coffee maker. I have discovered what is the most annoying part of being a Keurig (and I'm guessing Tassimo too) owner. The buying of the cups (or in the case of the Tassimo - the discs).

What I mean is that you can buy boxes of the same flavour (12, 18, 24, 40 per box), but with the exception of a few lame combo-boxes, you can't buy a box of 12, 18, 24 or 40 of any combination of flavours you want. The Timothy's kiosk almost has it going on at Crossiron Mills mall, where they let you mix and match, but they only have Timothy's flavours, maybe a dozen varieties if you're lucky. Do you know how many varieties of coffee, tea and other hot beverages are made for the Keurig? Like freaking over 200! Check 'em out.


Well, I have a business idea. I'd like to operate a Keurig / Tassimo shop that not only sells the machines at decent prices, but I would have in stock every flavour that is made and offer to sell them in any mix and match combination you want. Of course, getting to choose your own flavours outright would cost a little more, but I think it's worth it.

As an added bonus, we would have samples for tasting. You want to see if that Cafe Escapes Chai Latte is any good? Let us make one for you - on the house. Buy one of our machines and we'll throw in 2 boxes of product for free. Buy 2 single flavour boxes, we'll give you a mix and match box for the same price.

But that's not all. I'm thinking that all of Darlene's amazing baking recipes would sell like hotcakes at this store. Pies, mini pies, cupcakes, muffins, cakes, cookies - all made from scratch and no preservatives. When you come into our store, all you'll smell is great hot beverages and the best baked goods you've ever tasted in your life.

Who's in?

SOTD - You sent me flying

The thing about Amy Winehouse is that beyond that voice, that unique style, she told some heartbreaking stories in her songs.

You know, stuff a little deeper than the usual pop syrup.

Things I learned this week 19 Feb 2012

• The Ontario Catholic Teachers union thinks wi-fi in schools is unhealthy.
• According to Canada's public safety minister, if you're not in favour of internet service providers to give subscriber data to police and national security agencies without a warrant, you're "with the child pornographers".
• We seem to have passed the point where it is permissible to laugh at Olivia's cuteness. "Why are you laughing?"
• Four former B.C. attorneys general are calling for the legalization of marijuana.
• Holding a flag clenched between your bare buttocks and running as the Queen's motorcade drives past will cost you about $800.
• Apparently, we don't quite have enough Starbucks in Canada (referring to Target partnership with Starbucks in new store openings)
• An electric powered Smart car is coming to Canada later this year.
• Who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong.
• Why raccoon and panda bears have black eyes (thanks Ricky Gervais).

People watching

I love people watching. I love it for every reason anyone would like to watch other people. I like to watch their presence, their poise, their style, the way they interact with their surroundings - including other people.

This morning, I'm in line at a Tim's to get a quick caffeine / sugar fix, and I'm watching the people in line in front of me. The store is filled with young people, obviously on their way to the slopes based on the their outfits. I'm watching a woman, who is behind a girl not only sporting what some men would refer to as a body built for performance (take that as you will), but she has donned ski attire that leaves little to the imagination. It shows off every element of her physique. The woman behind cannot stop measuring this girl up and down with her eyes, not with appreciation, but with utter disdain and contempt. The look on her face and the rolling of the eyes say it all.

It was very entertaining.

SOTD - Unanswered question

Brought to you by Amel Larrieux.

Happy Family Day long weekend to all my Alberta readers.

Canadian government MPs don't like looking bad on TV

A Canadian Conservative MP doesn't want medium-wide camera shots in the broadcasts of Parliament on Friday afternoons. Fridays are when many MPs travel to their home ridings the camera angles used show a largely empty House of Commons. An MP chaired a committee to revise the rules and asked the CIO to change the camera shots, because it reflects badly on Parliament. The CIO said no.

Here's an idea - using the miracle of modern technology, they could put text overlays across the empty seats to explain where the MP is. Text overlays could read "On their way back to their riding", or "Having a late lunch with the entertainment industry", or "Tweeting funny posts to #TellVicEverything from the back of the limo".

Mini me's

That's just scary.

The sky is not falling at all

Much of what government sponsored entertainment industry subsidization, such as SOPA, PIPA, Bill C-11 and ACTA is based on, is the premise that the content creation industry is in dire straits thanks to things like the internet. Nothing could be further from the truth.

All of the following are trending up over the last few years:

• Worldwide box office
• Global TV & Film spending
• Feature films produced worldwide
• Book publishing revenues
• Book titles produced
• eBook revenues
• Global music industry value
• Music transactions
• Artists' share of US music revenue
• US Video game related companies
• Worldwide video game industry

Not just 'up'. 'Up with a bullet'. Check out the info-graphic here. Check out the full report here.

SOTD - Crazy (cover)

Alice Russell, brings a slightly different spin on the crazy popular hit single for Cee-Lo.

Cat breading

If you can think it - it is on the internet.

For example, cat breading.

No, it's not about preparing a cat to be consumed. Yeah, I knew you were thinkin' it......

Ooo Noo!

An oversimplified, but cute video about moving to cleaner energy.

What they think I do

In the spirit of the numerous "This is what society / my mom / my boss / my friends think I do versus what I really do" posters, I made this about my job.

SOTD - Midnight rider

This is the reworked, Gregg Allman solo version from the 1973 album Laid Back, not the original Allman Brothers band version. Yeah, it's a long story. Yes, he was married to Cher in the 70s.

Who moved my cheese?

There was a time when I was young that I didn't care about organizing my stuff at home. You might even say I was a bit of a slob. Just a bit though, I knew people who were a lot worse than I.

When I was 26, I met Darlene. I moved in a year later and she was tidy. Not a neat freak - just tidy. I started getting organized. It was a gradual process to be sure, but slowly I was getting particular about how my things should be arranged / stored. Now it's bordering on OCD. Not about everything, but certain belongings in certain locations have a very strict arrangement about them.

Darlene thinks it's an age thing. She thinks that our loss of memory as we get older creates a need to get strict about how we organize our stuff so that we can find it again.

She may be on to something. Or is it possible to develop OCD later in life? Maybe it's a manifestation of ego? So many thoughts from such a little brain...

Any thoughts from readers?

How it should have ended

Hilarious site with animated videos suggesting alternate endings to movies. Star Wars; X-Men: First Class; Tron; Aliens; Inception.....

Nice celebrity pose

Photographer: George, can you make like you're going to whack Brad in the groin?
George: You mean I can't follow through?
Brad: Hey!!
George: You better run after that shutter clicks, boy......

SOTD - Some other time

Here's a pretty ballad from The Alan Parsons Project, from the iconic 1977 album I Robot.

Bohemian solo

I've lost count of the tribute videos by unknown artists doing Bohemian Rhapsody.

This one might be the best one to date. Very nicely done.

Ruined poker face

There's a good reason why chameleons don't like playing poker.

Word Art news commentary

Too soon?

SOTD - Mexican radio

Wall... of... Voodoo!

Weather is complicated y'all

Just when you think you've got the idea of anthropogenic climate change all figured out, now we have to contend with the Arctic Oscillation.

Oh yeah. Just go read the BoingBoing article already before the next Snowpocalypse. In a related story, I think they just ran out of shovels in Eastern Europe.

Siri has some attitude

SOTD - Papa was a rolling stone named Jack

Here's another example of a mashup.

For those of you new to my blog and mashups, just picture the music from one or more songs mixed with the lyrics of a completely different song (or 5).

This mashup artist is Voicedude.