Moldy Peaches

Music in the Year 2007

2007-12-22T18:01:00.000-05:00

The iPod was busy again this year with many downloads from iTunes. My favourites from the year are the following:

Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Tegan and Sara - The Con

White Stripes - Icky Thump

Peter Bjorn John - Writer's Block

New Pornographers - Challengers

Kings of Leon - Because of the Times

Kayne West - Graduation

Feist - The Reminder

Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

Blonde Redhead - 23

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Daft Punk - Alive

Wintersleep - Welcome to the Night Sky

Enjoy all with an Egg Nog.

No Riot

2007-11-26T16:33:00.000-05:00

Not the ones that did not happen in Regina or Saskatoon, but rather the reunion that will not take place now.

Kevin Dubrow, lead singer for the 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot was found dead in a Las Vegas home. He was 52.

Outsourcing at its finest

2007-10-04T12:10:00.000-04:00

Students Deliver Election Message Door-to-Door.... for the NDP.

CFS is so clever they forgot to mention that they are doing work on the missing person in the Ontario election - Howard Hampton.

College and university students delivered the Federation’s report card on the main political parties’ platforms and information about the Students for Electoral Reform campaign door-to-door in the Toronto Centre, Trinity-Spadina, and York West ridings. The Ontario Election 2007 Political Party Report Card gives each major party a letter grade on six different categories: tuition fees, ancillary fees, student debt, post-secondary education funding, quality of education, and system design.

It is interesting when a group writes a portion of a party platform and then provides a grade for said writing. Not sure that passes the fall down laughing test in most circles. However, in the world of the CFS where everything is a "left-off" and you are either with us or against us, they believe so.

Funny they actually have no opinion on the electoral system. They must have spent all their collective energy thinking of the roll-back fees to pre-McGuinty levels. Take a bow Sam Walton, you have inspired the CFS.

Spare a sandwich?

2007-09-25T20:12:00.000-04:00

Wow. I am not sure what is more amazing.

The fact that the woman - Isabelle Caro - in this picture is only 27! Or, the fashion industry actually cares about the underweight models they force into insane roaster dresses.

The model - of course - is an anorexic who weighs just 31 kilos (4 stone, 12lb - Love the british!), has been displayed on Milan billboards as the city celebrates its fashion week.

Caro indicates that her illness is a result of a rough childhood and she goes on to say that she has hidden herself - not hard to do - and covered myself - with floss - for too long. Now she wants to show herself freakishly - I mean fearlessly - even though she knows that her body arouses repugnance.

Who said it?

2007-09-25T00:18:00.000-04:00

The following is a quote from a provincial political party competing for power in an upcoming election. Who said the following?

continue the dialogue with the Canadian Federation of Students and other student leaders and stakeholders, exploring opportunities to improve post-secondary education and its capacity to prepare students for productive careers in ......???

Dirty Degrees Done Dirt Cheap

2007-08-20T16:51:00.000-04:00

I really need to go back to school.

Robert J. Oxoby, an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary in the Economics department, has written the dream Flobee paper.

A preview:

Among musicologists, researchers of popular culture, and rock and roll lovers of all ages there exists a common debate. That is, with respect to the rock band AC/DC, who is the better vocalist: Bon Scott or Brian Johnson? The band’s original vocalist, Scott, performed on seven of the band’s albums (excluding live albums and compilations), passing away in 1980. Brian Johnson joined the band in 1980, serving as vocalist on nine albums (excluding live albums and compilations). Since 1980, there has been near constant contention regarding who was the better singer.

In Need of Future Student Financial Assistance

2007-08-19T23:54:00.000-04:00

No need to put a bumper sticker on your car. Nope, this is a better forum.

Support the family of the troops even if - you like me - are not a huge fan of the "war."

Space Constraint

2007-08-17T08:33:00.001-04:00

This ad in Manhattan is causing a stir with some - read the Catholic group. This group forgets about the Constitution.

Clearly, Manhattan Storage is a liberal group and doesn't hide their politics.

More Corey; Less Huhn

2007-08-12T21:31:00.000-04:00

Buoyed by their "popular" television show - the 2 Coreys. Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander - are returning for the next "Lost Boys" adventure...and so is Corey Haim.

Kiefer Sutherland, the one from the movie with a career, is taking a pass. Angus Sutherland - his half-brother - is on-board for the new movie.

Post - Hold the National

2007-08-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

Atlantic Canadians outside of Halifax will have to turn to the Internet for their daily news courtesy of the quasi-National Post.

In other newspaper news, the Globe offers subscribers the Sunday New York Times in Saskatoon on Tuesday. I laughed and told the women to think about it for a second. Newspaper are stale news at the best of times. Do I really want it three days old? I don't even eat doughnuts that old.

Where is the Beef?

2007-08-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

A possible question that many in the Big Apple are asking before ordering a piece of prime rib.

Basebrawl

2007-08-08T00:33:00.001-04:00

The final score - 9 to 2 for Yankees - was irrelevant. Josh Towers adhered to the code. He plunked Alex Rodriguez early in the game to pay the loser back for his classless actions in Toronto earlier this summer. Towers did what any self-respecting ball player would do and hit A-Rod.

Towers is a horrible pitcher, however, he has earned new respect because he stood up for the code in baseball. Rodriguez will likely chase down Barry Bonds homerun record and then baseball will have two zeros at the ultimate record. Anyone who yells at other players on routine fly balls is a dud.

500 homers, hundreds of millions of dollars and no friends. Such is the life of Alex Rodriguez.

On the Mark T-Shirts

2007-08-06T21:45:00.000-04:00

More here.

Early Lead

2007-08-06T21:14:00.000-04:00

The best album of 2007 may have been found. Ryan Adam's ninth solo effort - has it really been that many - is by far his best since Gold. This is a must have for any music fan and it sounds like he has finally wrestled all the demons.

Je Me Souviens De Rien

2007-08-02T01:44:00.000-04:00

From my pal Bumf's blog - an excellent post on the assine nature of how groups now treat Remembrance Day. I have long had an issue - working in Central Canada - that it isn't an holiday option. Not in Quebec (that figures) and not in Ontario. It is a holiday for federal workers in Ottawa and Gatineau, however, for others it is a vacation day. We can celebrate the Queen's birthday, however, we can not properly honour our own. Shame!

Is it any wonder that morons like myself can't string together two facts about previous Canadian war moments when we are too busy to stop to honour the brave?

I got this from the head of our HR department this morning:

Hello everyone –

As part of our yearly planning process […] we have been reviewing the Christmas schedule and considering ways to make it more enjoyable for everyone and to allow maximum time with friends and family. After much consideration and consultation, given the Remembrance Day statutory holiday falls on a weekend in November, we had the option to provide a day off in lieu of the holiday following that weekend, or we could substitute the day off for a different time. We have elected to move this day into December, therefore allowing two full days off work over Christmas; December 24 and December 31. Our past practice has been to let staff leave early on December 24 and 31, so now we’ll provide the entire days off on the 24th and 31st.

We hope that moving the Remembrance Day holiday into December helps you enjoy even more time away with your family over the Christmas holidays.

Sincerely,

[…]

I understand the motive behind this, especially being someone who has to travel out-of-province every Christmas, and more especially so now that I have two families with whom to visit. However, I have a problem with using a day set aside to remember the tremendous sacrifice made by our men and women in uniform on our behalf over the years as nothing more than an excuse to get away from the office.

It is true that many people in this age regard November 11 as a given, as a way to break up the cold winter months between Thanksgiving and the holiday season. To many, it is one notch below Labour Day, another statuatory holiday whose origins we have (thankfully) forgotten but whose prominence is linked to that of one last long weekend before school is back in session.

I also understand that when citizens are given time away from work during the middle of the week to pay tribute to our fallen heroes, most people would never give an hour or two to attend the ceremonies in their respective communities anyway, whether it be attendence at their local cenotaph or a memorial service, or even simply dropping off their poppies at the nearest military memorial, and that will not change any time soon. In this circumstance, when November 11 falls on a weekend, perhaps the majority of people wouldn’t take advantage of the extra day to visit a war museum or stop by a Legion to hear the veterans’ stories, and instead use their time to get out of town. Maybe, to them, an extra day off is simply an extra day off, and that’s that.

That said, this still doesn’t mean that my good employer, who was thoughtful enough to allow me lieu time during the Christmas holidays, should not at least send a touching message on November 9th — the Friday before — as a reminder that we ought to pay our respects in our own way that following Sunday.

Simply put, November 11 is not our day off; the day belongs to our nation’s veterans. It is a shame that we have forgotten this.

Well said, Bumf, well said.

See Them

2007-07-24T08:07:00.001-04:00

They are old and the songs have been redone, however, Sting, Andy and Stewart are still worth the money.

I wish they would have played Miss Gradenko. Don't tell the director I said so.

Tax increase of 20,000 percent?

2007-07-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

Gentlemen, horde those stogies.

US lawmarkers are debating whether to increase cigar tax from 5 cents to $10. The increase is designed to pay for children's health insurance.

Street Meat

2007-07-15T18:54:00.000-04:00

The Government of Ontario has finally taken steps to increase the lunchtime selection of meals on wheels. No longer will citizens be stuck choosing between chicken, beef or veggie hot dogs. Other food is soon to hit the street.

This makes total sense given that Toronto is one of the, if not the most, ethnically diverse, city in the world.

Moley Russell's Wart

2007-07-15T18:49:00.001-04:00

Mole! If you have one, you may live longer than those without.

In other news, mole removal procedure appointments down 50 percent.

FYI - Classic John Candy

"Buck melanoma, moley Russell's wart. Not her wart. I'm, I'm the wart, she's my tuma, my, my growth, my er my pimple. I'm Uncle wart. Just old Buck wart Russell that's what they call me, or er melanoma head, they'll call me that."

Pass the Ketchup

2007-07-15T18:08:00.000-04:00

What seperates Canadians from Americans?

Old Dutch has the best!

Sore loser..

2007-07-11T00:12:00.000-04:00

... takes Darwin award.

A five car pile up, an axe weilding manic and a fierce game of bumper cars. All of these took place over the results of a couple of four-year olds ball games at a fun centre in Saskatoon.

Kenny, a 17-year-old boy who was driving a white Ford Mustang was allegedly run off the road in the incident. He asked that his last name not be used because he's scared the men will come after him and his family again.

Kenny's four-year-old nephew got into a ball-throwing fight with another child in the ball pit of The Fun Factory, an indoor children's play centre on Quebec Avenue, around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The mother of the other child, who was with a group of around 10, took offence to the ball fight and began arguing with Kenny's sister, Fallon, the mother of the child. A shouting match between the two groups then broke out.

Kenny told the men to "grow up," he says, and the next thing he knew he was lifted in the air by the neck. He said he was held in the air for almost 30 seconds. "I was trying to speak, but I couldn't breathe."

His neck bears several cuts and scrapes and the imprint of a hand, which wrapped around his neck. Police arrived and broke up the incident at the play centre and Kenny retreated to his sister's house to change and meet a friend.

As he was driving to McDonald's with the friend around 6:45 p.m., he noticed in his rearview mirror the man who choked him was driving a black truck and was pursuing him, he says.
Kenny floored the gas pedal to get away but was quickly run off the road, causing a massive five-car pileup and totalling Kenny's car, the truck and three parked cars in front of an apartment complex where kids were playing nearby, he says.

Shattered glass and vehicle debris littered the ground, the black truck was tipped over on its side and a van was flipped over on its roof two metres from where it was originally parked.

The brother of the man driving the black truck, who was allegedly involved in the chase but not the crash, came out of his vehicle wielding a three-foot long axe, witnesses said.

"The one guy was yelling, 'Get out of here or I'm going to chop your neck off,' " a 13-year-old boy who witnessed the accident and was cut by a piece of flying glass said on Sunday night.

Two men have been charged in connection with the incident. A 23-year-old man was charged with dangerous driving and a 25-year-old man was charged with one count of possessing a weapon dangerous to the public peace. The two men will appear in provincial court on July 24.
The incident at The Fun Factory is still being investigated. No one was injured in the collision or struck with the axe.

Kenny and his friend managed to free themselves from the demolished car. They ran and hid in a nearby city bus while the man allegedly threatened several onlookers who had come to check out the damage done to their vehicles.

When police arrived, Kenny left the bus but passed out, likely from a panic attack, and was taken to hospital. "We were scared out of our minds," Kenny said. "I thought he was going to kill me."

"When I showed up I just saw the damage to the vehicles and my son lying on the ground and I thought, 'He's dead,' " said Lana, Kenny's mother. "Then the guy who strangled my son says to me, 'I wish I would've killed him.' "

Kenny and his family say they are still afraid for their lives and are considering leaving the city. Kenny's mother has taken the week off from work and his sister said she is afraid to drive with her son in the car.

Kenny said he barely slept and is constantly looking over his shoulder. "All this over a kid throwing a ball," he said. "We're afraid they're going to come after us to finish the job."

Hat Tip to Shoes.

Who should sell the Sheaf??

2007-07-10T22:13:00.000-04:00

Welcome back Moldy!

Fresh off some R and R in Saskatchewan and struggling to find a headline to blog under. It is my lucky day. There are two - flags and ball games (next post).

The quintessential free market issue was raised the other day on newstalk radio (my first mistake) and it made me think, will Saskatchewan residents every change?

The issue is this:

Should Tourism Saskatchewan (a quasi-government department) sell provincial flags regardless of demand?

The majority of callers - many of whom would be rabid free-marketers under 90% of the circumstances - called in favour of Tourism not only selling the flags, but at a reduced rate (with a corresponding program designed to encourage flag wearing, waving and weaving). This attitude was expressed despite Tourism stating flag demand was low and Wal-Mart sold a flag 365 days a year.

Only in Saskatchewan would free-marketers call for government involvement in the selling and subsidizing of flags. FYI - many of these same individuals likely tore Shelia Copps a new asshole when she attempted a similar exercise years ago.

More cougar sightings in Saskatoon

2007-06-22T19:17:00.000-04:00

.... apparently the witnesses have been hanging around Jack's.

The headline is ripped straight from CBC.

Austin's Roughriders

2007-06-20T00:23:00.000-04:00

The Austin era has officially begun in Regina.

What is the over / under on the Leader-Post and thousands of fans calling for Tom Burgess by halftime on June 29th.

Keenan's Cowboys

2007-06-20T00:17:00.000-04:00

Does anyone in Calgary know if Brian Noonan or Stephane Matteau (again) have been spotted at or near Pengrowth?

The arrival of one Mike Keenan should spur a comeback from one or both since they made a living off of being Mike's guys.