tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14438121829611025362024-10-04T22:08:37.964-04:00In which Adam expounds on random topics of general and specific interestAdam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-48479178687833210922024-01-21T15:40:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:40:37.339-05:00

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-82160177681779658252024-01-20T15:44:00.001-05:002024-01-21T15:44:56.878-05:00

Thanks to my big sister, Jane, I grew up listening to New Order and other great bands in the eighties. My early memories of NO come from the Substance singles compilation LP, in particular the songs "Bizarre Love Triangle" (of course), "True Faith", "Perfect Kiss", and "Blue Monday". But the very first song on this album is the one that today gives me chills from just thinking about it. One might

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-48014055581378414772024-01-20T15:44:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:44:39.366-05:00

Like many members of my general age group, I'm sure, my first exposure to "Under Pressure" was not via the original Queen and David Bowie version, but another artist: a white rapper called Vanilla Ice, which (correct me if I'm wrong) basically translates into "Whitey White" or perhaps "Whitey Cool". In his hit single of 1990, "Ice Ice Baby", Vanilla Ice used a modified version of the bass and

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-62748124691077053022024-01-20T15:42:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:42:37.485-05:00

It seems that there was a time in the early 1970s when "stoned" was an adjective that meant something like "happy" or "blissful". But then maybe it meant "confused" or "trippy". I think I can say honestly that I don't know."Stoned Love" is one of my favourite Supremes songs. It's mature and understated pop soul with a subtle hook and a curious theme. Overall, a lovely song, though more of a

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-36418436708738726722024-01-20T15:41:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:41:12.508-05:00

Technicolor Ultra Mall, by Ryan Oakley (EDGE Books, 2011), looks into the future and finds humanity conducting its daily affairs within the walls of city malls, the outdoors reserved for toxic air and garbage. Populations under a roof. For the lowest on the ladder, a dim and desperate basement. For the middle classes, shopping and distractions on their own bright, green level, and sometimes just

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-22480962117786050992024-01-19T15:45:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:45:26.917-05:00

I don't remember precisely when I first heard Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)", but I can narrow it down to a brief two years, during which I lived at 607 Huron St. in Toronto, with my great friend Derek, to whom I owe much gratitude for invading his apartment and life, and often monopolizing his computer. If memory serves, that was May 2000 to May 2002. I'm not sure if that seems

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-78774543439367100362024-01-19T15:44:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:44:16.654-05:00

My good friend Josh Raskin recently sent me this song, after a long discussion of amazing stuff we're enjoying at the moment. I said the Junior Boys' latest album Begone Dull Care, which I find a really beautiful and excellent collection of songs. Josh mentioned the cable television series Peep Show and a couple of songs: a cover of Prince's "1999" by a band called Dump, led by Yo La Tengo's bass

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-86561305920243627632024-01-19T15:43:00.001-05:002024-01-21T15:43:44.627-05:00

Here are a couple of artworks I made a few years ago to send to a Young People's Foundation show in Los Angeles.I think I used summer photos, but I also think these pieces convey the feeling of fall pretty well.The original images are from somewhere in Montréal—probably Parc Lafontaine or the mountain.

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-46898424836571958782024-01-19T15:43:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:43:13.609-05:00

The name Billy Bragg didn't mean a thing to me until one early morning about 10 years ago, in the dingy upstairs of the pre-renovation El Mocambo. The name still only holds limited meaning for me, event though the man has made a comeback in the years since I first noticed his music. But that meaning is strong, and rests on the power of his first release, the EP Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy—in

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-50277811218575495232024-01-18T15:46:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:46:26.133-05:00

Here is the final draft version of my review of the Edward Burtynsky documentary “Manufactured Landscapes” for AND Magazine, issue 1, June 2007.“May I begin by asking what is the difference between natural and artificial, anyway? Then, can we just drop the pretense and acknowledge that we don’t know? Artificial, manufactured; these are words that signify things made or conceived by humans.

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-19924175987403359412024-01-18T15:45:00.000-05:002024-01-21T15:45:56.272-05:00

Here are a couple of base images from a painting I made several years ago as part of a Young People's Foundation show in Montréal. I don't remember the title of the final piece. I'm pretty sure it's sitting in my basement somewhere—I hope so! If I remember correctly, this painting was shown at the Coachella festival on a boat in L.A. I don't remember the details though.The view is of a

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-8171053712271885892012-12-28T10:17:00.000-05:002012-12-28T11:50:17.596-05:00

...About six weeks ago (in no particular order): Oliver had his first electrocardiogram. He has a small and benign heart murmur, which nobody is worried about and everyone expects will close up. We go back for a follow-up in February. Plus we got to tour Rexdale while we looked for the wrong address. I know so much more of the GTA since I've been a dad! He got his first shots. We delayed them a

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-42804466211932172172012-11-27T14:58:00.002-05:002012-11-27T14:58:39.295-05:00

Let's talk naps, before the last few weeks disappear into a sleepy fog. At some point, I read that a repetitive movement of approximately ten centimetres per second will lull a baby to sleep, and this is the principle behind rockers and swings. Well, it works with exercise balls, too (the big bouncy kind, not the heavy weight-training kind), and for a little while, I was getting Oliver to sleep

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-30153960246671926982012-11-14T17:43:00.000-05:002012-11-15T16:43:32.608-05:00

It takes a lot of energy to fail to put a baby down for a nap. Sure, sometimes it takes a lot to succeed at it, too, but failing just drains me. It's important to set limits. I imagine that's a lesson I'll learn again. It's probably the most generally applicable thing we've learned during this brief period of trying to teach Oliver to fall asleep (day and night) on his own, i.e., without nursing

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-90796678874730189522012-11-03T21:50:00.002-04:002012-11-04T10:59:36.218-05:00

Hey fine friends and family! I haven't had a lot of time to put finger to key recently, and I don't know when I will again, so I just wanted to give a brief update. First, the old news. (The fashion note everyone has been waiting for.) We were thrilled that Jane, Jean-Pierre (sounds funny ;), and my niece Raven came to Toronto from London, even for a whirlwind visit. Thanks to the The Shows for

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-21493930813718196442012-10-22T16:32:00.003-04:002012-10-24T12:29:34.896-04:00

The thing about sleep—for us, and I assume many parents will recognize this—is not that we get less of it. In fact, I'd say we sleep at least as many hours as we did before the babe. It's that that sleep is interrupted up to three times a night for periods from half an hour to three hours. I say this because so many people have said to us, "Oh, no more sleep for you!" or asked, "Are you sleeping?

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-89693144330762962162012-10-18T17:19:00.002-04:002012-10-18T18:16:28.987-04:00

So, wow: two weeks. I want to thank everyone who has offered help and advice, given us clothes and other baby stuff, and brought us food and cheer over the past eight-plus weeks. We appreciate everything, even when we haven't been able to use it! We are both feeling much better about this parenting business, and Oliver is growing and developing as well as we could ask. Now the news! When I

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-63650106552605384972012-09-30T12:14:00.001-04:002012-09-30T12:14:14.585-04:00

As we approach six weeks of parenthood, we are seeing more signs of Oliver's personhood. It is a tremendous pleasure to watch his face respond, his eyes follow, his lips curl into a smile, and it's nice to think that we are a part of that progress. He is happy, as far as I can tell, and we're happy, too, especially when he's calm! What else is Oliver doing? He's paying much closer attention to

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-70862956470155174742012-09-26T10:23:00.002-04:002012-09-26T10:23:51.159-04:00

After a busy week, a busy weekend, and then a return to something like normal. Plus: smiles! On Saturday, our friends Ben and Annick, who eloped the day Oliver was born, visited and were lucky enough to actually see (and hold) the boy. That is, he wasn't sleeping in confinement, which is often the case when people visit. It is terrific to see friends again and laugh and catch up a bit. We need

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-62350310181726039912012-09-22T21:00:00.000-04:002012-09-23T08:36:25.457-04:00

Well well, we've had a fair amount of excitement since Oliver passed the four week mark, and I have alternated between being too busy and too lazy to document it all. On Tuesday, we had a routine visit with the midwife, which was truly routine. She weighed him—nine pounds, fifteen ounces (4.51 kilos)—and answered some questions and then we were done. We said our goodbyes, since our final

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-57973178029043757642012-09-17T17:41:00.000-04:002012-10-21T10:12:59.979-04:00

There is some triple-nap action happening in our house these days (Oliver, Danijela, Pippin), and it is making clear the limitations of our space. We have six and a half rooms (using Québec notation, and not including the cramped utility/tool room and laundry corridor). The nursery, where Oliver sleeps during the day, is off the kitchen and has a hollow door that might as well be a beaded curtain

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-35850691397142807662012-09-15T17:11:00.005-04:002012-10-21T10:12:25.649-04:00

Lest anyone think that I'm having a bad time as a new father, I assure you I'm in love with my son and adjusting fairly well to my role as his dad. He is a beautiful boy, and I only pray I can do the right things to support him on his ascent to the stars. It is frustrating—often!—but that is the nature of challenge, particularly such a great one as parenthood. And the goal is one of the most

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-5515320167860460782012-09-14T21:29:00.001-04:002012-09-15T10:55:46.292-04:00

It's one thing getting used to interrupted sleep. Sometimes I get a chunk of six hours, followed by another two or three (oh sweet nights). Sometimes I get four hours, then three, then two. Sometimes, I get two, two, two, and two. I'm dealing with this better than Danijela, I think. I generally function okay on limited sleep; it's really only the nights with several interruptions that really set

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-15398077976310013552012-09-10T15:38:00.000-04:002012-10-21T10:11:54.385-04:00

Almost three weeks! I'd like to say that time seems to be going quickly, but really it just seems like time no longer exists. There is only waking, baby, eating, baby, sleeping, baby, hygiene, and baby. Occasionally there are television, reading, appointments, guests, cat, bills, the outdoors, and this here blog. But time? None of that! I am frequently reminded of the words of Ford Prefect in

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443812182961102536.post-45341707157570031582012-09-07T21:57:00.001-04:002012-10-21T10:11:30.268-04:00

A couple of nights ago, I drove from Symington to the edge of Markham, fifty kilometres each way, to pick up a strange baby-rocking contraption from a kind family that no longer needed it. They charged us fifty dollars for the otherwise two hundred dollar beast, so the two-hour trek was worth it. Anyway, I love a good drive. When I first saw the thing though, I was a bit stunned. There it

Adam Gorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03431808937873773636noreply@blogger.com1