Technical Difficulties

Epic fail on the tech front today, but only a handful of people showed up to witness it anyway.

Lulu and Blogging

I am struggling to like the new and unlikely union of Lou Reed and Metallica. In case you haven't heard, they recorded a double CD and are now streaming the tunes online. It kind of leaves me speechless, which could indicate that we are listening to genius or it might be that Lulu is the worst album ever made. It's really difficult to say.

I have been a Lou Reed fan for ages, but there is not a single Metallica CD in my collection. I think the only song I could recognize as Metallica's is "Enter Sandman". I don't hate it, but it's not really my cup of tea. I am not even going to attempt to review Lulu. Just listen to it and see what you think. I should point out that I am not afraid of heavy music. After all, I do have some Tool in my collection as well as some Black Sabbath. But, I am not a metal head.

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I am not sure if this post reflects a return to blogging. Occasionally, I recall with fondness some of the post I have published here. And, sometimes, I think about digital diets. Many blogs have died with the rise of Facebook, mine included. I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook for many reasons. But, I persevere mostly because I have immediate connections with family and friends and it's a great place to share family photos. It's also a huge waste of time.

I tried Google+, but aside from Circles (which is a really fabulous idea), I have little good to say about it. Generally, my friends on Google+ are the same as my friends on Facebook (though there are fewer of them), so when I realized that I was posting the same info twice, I stopped updating Google+. As for Twitter, I have had two accounts and I can conclusively say that I hate Twitter. It's truly amazing to me that so many people are addicted to it. Maybe if I liked Justin Beaver, things would be different.

The real problem, of course, it that it is impossible to keep up with everything that has been posted by friends, and if you tried, you would never get anything done. You would be reading and commenting all day long.

And that leaves Flickr, the place where I spend most of my time. Flickr is my favourite place to be. That's not to say that Flickr is not without its problems. I could name several things I hate about Flickr.

I may post again, or I may not. It's unclear.

Closing, probably for good

It's been fun, but my enthusiasm for blogging is dead.  If you want to connect with me on another network, just send me a message. I am on Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, although I am very ambivalent about Twitter, having deleted my first account and just recently set up a new one. I am not sure if I will stay there.

Contact me here: zydecofish @ gmail dot com.

Goodbye and thanks for all the fish.

Super Bowl Half Time Show :(

I think that the word suck doesn't even begin to describe this half time mess.  Perhaps quantum sucking is a better description.  There is no way that the half time show could ever be confused with music.

The Butt by Will Self

Don't you hate it when you favourite writers write a book that irritates you?  I sure do.  Self, a writer I admire, has just done that with The Butt.  After the fist few pages, it meanders into absurdity, which I normally would quite like, especially from the likes of Self, who has penned some really fantastic and satirical novels.  Great Apes, for example, is quite excellent. Reading The Butt, however, only made me wish that the book was 100 pages shorter.  Why did it take so long to get to the end?  And then there was that overpowering sadness at the loss of so much time spent cursing this book.

The reader never knows what kind of bizarre or fantastic world is going to unfold in a Will Self novel.  Nor is s/he incapable of being in awe of his linguistic skill and vocabulary.  But, this book borders on the incomprehensible.  Sure, there are some amusing passages, and one cannot help but admire his writing, but I was left with a feeling that this wasn't really the best he could do.  I truly felt tired at the end of it, and I had no interest in recalling any part of the book after chucked it aside with considerable relief, like a cigarette butt left to slowly disintegrate over time in a ditch.  

Read Will Self, but skip this one.

Damn Spam!

Apologies if you have received spam from my email account.  Some bastards hacked in and "borrowed" my email account and posted to this blog.  I have had to change my password.  I have no idea how they managed to do it, since my password was not really a word, more like a string of letters and number.

Anyway, if you want to retaliate, feel free to email bomb them using the email addresses listed in their message. 

The hack came from IP 58.49.251.55 in China on January 18th, 2011.

On Religion

(Sadly, this blog is either dead or very close to it).

I do not hail from a religious family.  I think that this is a positive thing, and I remain thankful for that.  On the other hand, certain traditions that have currency among religious sects have invaded the cultural zeitgeist and led to travesties, such as widespread circumcision, for which I am not thankful.  But this post is not about genital mutilation.  It is about religion.

I was baptized in the Presbyterian church and, as far as I can remember, the only times I ever set foot in a church for many years hence were to appreciate the architecture or for weddings or funerals.  I was in my third year of my undergraduate degree when I checked out a Christmas sermon with a female friend (not a girl friend).  We sat at the back.  I have to say that I remember very little, but what I do remember was that I was sinner.  The message was repeated over and over again.

As a child, I was spared Sunday School, spared religious indoctrination of any kind, but knowledge of it seeps in from many places, like literature and TV and movies.  One can't really exist in our society without being aware of faith.  Nor should we.  We need to know what is written, but there is no reason to believe it.

Very early on in my life, I discovered that there were other religions.  I recently read that there could be 3800+ religions just on our little planet.  Doesn't it strike you as intolerant and chauvinistic to accept your religion (the one you were born into) and by extension reject all others?  When I first learned that there were other religions backed by legions of blind followers, I moved from agnosticism to atheism fairly quickly.  I was still in public school when I made the switch.  For me, Jesus Christ was equal to Santa Claus or a character in your favourite childhood fairy tale.

if you have spent any time reading the bible or the new testament or the Koran or other "holy" texts, you will no doubt be aware that they are filled with impossible acts and impossible-to-believe stories.  Are we really to believe that for all of human existence, god ignored us and then, for some odd reason, he decided to intervene but only to a handful of people in a remote area of the middle east?   I say no, but don't believe me.

I beg you to read god is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens.  He does a magnificent job of annihilating all religions, including Islam, the so-called religion of peace.  Islam is a violent religion.  Hitchens argues that "The real axis of evil is Christianity, Judaism, and Islam."  I agree one hundred per cent.  No educated person could ever read the scriptures and come away thinking that they are to be believed.  And, no one could come away with the belief that religion makes us peaceful.  Pick up any history book are read about the evils that religion has brought to the world.

The people who wrote the various scriptures had two goals in mind:

1) to impose a bizarre morality
2) to explain where we came from

I beg you to also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.  No thinking, educated person could ever read Dawkins and Hitchens and argue that there is a god watching everything we do and say and think. It's nonsense.  These "holy" books are obsolete, at least in terms of the points above.  I would never advocate eliminating these books, well, except for the Book of Mormon, perhaps.

Darwin was correct.  Humans evolved. We were not created by some dude in six days; nor did some god begin the process of so-called intelligent design (which is merely code for creationism).  Creationism has had its time.  There is irrefutable evidence that we evolved; there is zero evidence that we were created, other than the pages of a book that has no author.  There is simply no proof for anything in these religious writings.

On a different Christmas eve, many years after I ventured into a church with my friend, I was dragged to a Catholic church for an Xmas service.  Again, I was admonished for being a sinner, yet I knew that I was "created" in god's own image.  Does no one else see the problem with this or with original sin?  It's nonsense.

The world would be much better off without any religions.  It would be a more peaceful planet without Islam and without Christian sects running around Africa trying to convert  everyone in sight.  Without religion, the world would have been spared a plethora of religious wars and crusades.  Count up the wars that have been (or are) religious and those that weren't, and you will see what I mean.

We would all be farther ahead if we adopted a humanist outlook free from religious dogma and deception.  And, someone really has to bring the Pope in for questioning about child rape.  He knows more than he is saying.  What kind of a sick organization permits and enables the rape of children?

The Best Rock and Roll Band in America

I saw them in July in TO :-)

Vacation...
back later this week.

This Movie is Broken

Last night, we attended an Open Roof Films screening of This Movie is Broken in the parking lot of Amsterdam Brewery.  Prior to the film, a Toronto band called The Little Black Dress (not to be confused with Little Black Dress) played a few tunes.

I guess it's common for more than one band to choose the same or similar names.  The difference here is the definite article.  I don't like the name at all. I think both bands should give up and try a new name.  Leaving that aside, I was not terribly impressed with the band.  The sound was OK and the music was not too bad, but I couldn't get past the lyrics and the vocals.  Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea.  Anyway, on to the movie.

I love Broken Social Scene.  I like many of the offshoots too.  So, I was happy with the live concert, documentary portion of the film.  I enjoyed that part very very much.  As for the rest of the film, well, not so much.  In fact, I felt that the film was quite boring aside from the music, at least until we got to the twist near the end.  Yes, that was surprising and it served as a wake up segment.  But, I found that scene hard to believe though well done.  Still, it was enjoyable, and then we had a leisurely bike ride home along the very dark waterfront trail.

That's it.  Have a nice weekend.

Reads

Pseudo-reviews of some of the books I have read recently...

The Zero by Jess Walter - This is the second Walter book I have read (the other being Citizen Vince).  IMHO, The Zero is better.  This book also happens to be the third 9/11 book I have read.  I'd rank Ken Kalfus's A Disorder Peculiar to the Country higher than The Zero, but I'd place The Zero ahead of DeLillo's Falling Man, a novel I did not really like, though I admit it has moments of genius.  The Zero is a kind of thriller, I suppose, and a sort of dark comedy with some noir thrown in.  It'sa good summer read.

The Grifters by Jim Thomspon - Essential Jim Thompson.

The Elementary Particles by Michel Houellebecq - I loved Platform very much. This book?: not so much.  Despite the graphic sex that should appeal to me, the book reads like a too-long essay on the social history of France told by way of biographies of two half brothers.  The trouble is that the novel is unbelievably boring.

A Partisan's Daughter by Louis De Bernieres - I am a huge fan of this writer, but I hated this book. 

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk - I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't.  I mean, it's OK, and it's certainly not terrible.  If you removed the sex parts, though, you would be left with an unreadable book.  I'd really hate to use the word stupid to describe this book, but I might have to.

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall - I imagine that if the publisher packaged this book as a mass market paperback and placed it at the checkout at supermarkets, it would sell quite a few copies.  I fail to understand why this book is being referred to as literary.  I just don't see that.  It's a quirky sort of book that is not challenging to read.  Literary it is not.  It might pass for good.  It's not brilliant.

Ratner's Star by Don DeLillo - I'm a big fan of DeLillo. I've loved everything I had read, except for Falling Man, as I have already mentioned.  This book is great, but a bit of a chore to get through. If you are a serious DeLillo fan, you will already have read it anyway.

Kockroach by Tyler Knox - Kockroach is sort of the reverse of Kafka's Metamorphosis.  Imagine a cockroach turning into a man who gets involved in organized crime.  It's a fun read.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - The idea behind this novel is fascinating and I enjoyed it at some level, but I would say that it shouldn't have been a novel.  I really think that this book would have been better as a long short story or a novella.  I think it was difficult for the author to sustain the story, or maybe I simply tired of it.

The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by Irvine Welsh - I suppose this is a modern twist The Picture of Dorian Gray.  It's thoroughly enjoyable, but you have to accept the crazy supernatural concept.

Leading the Cheers by Justin Cartwright - Not bad, but Justin has done better.  White Lightning, for example, is better.

Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis De Bernieres - Awesome.  This is book two in the Latin American trilogy.  Book three is waiting for me. De Bernieres is a talented writer and he has a gift for comedy and political satire.

G20

Thankfully, I was unable to go downtown to have a look around the G20 protests.  If I had, I am sure I would have been arrested, probably for the crime of taking photos or simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, even if that place was the designated protest site.

As we have heard, the police arrested people with very little or no cause, including reporters.  I think the police ought to be held accountable for the failure to contain the violence everyone knew was coming, despite the obscene amount of cash spent on security.  The police ought to be accountable for the catch-and-release program, in which they illegally arrested people just to get them off the streets, even if they were peaceful protesters.

I am a law-abiding citizen who has never had anything but respect for our police, but I am shocked and appalled by the police tactics during the G20.  We lived in a police state during the summit.  It was like martial law without the declaration. 

We need a comprehensive and independent review of all police actions during the summit.  We also need clarity of the issue of the security fence being declared a public work.  After a brief visit to the fence to take a couple of shots, I bailed, when I saw others with cameras being searched and asked to produce ID for no reason.  

I would never have described myself as anti-police, but after the G20, I have lost faith in the police.

The Funeral

Back in May, I had the solemn task of attending my father's funeral.  Of course, it was a sad day, and yet it was punctuated by stories and laughter, as always happens at funerals when family and friends remember the lives of those who have passed.  In some ways, it was like any other funeral I have attended.  We had an afternoon visitation and an evening visitation, followed by the funeral the next day. 

Perhaps it's my age speaking, but I have to say that I was stunned by what people choose to wear to the visitations.  My cousin wore a pair of ratty old jeans, white running shoes, and a faded yellow t-shirt.  Others came in shorts and sandals, short skirts and halter tops, and garments that made it look like they had been out for a hike.  I do not think that a black dress or suit are requirements any more (though I wore a black suit), I think that people ought to make an effort to dress properly to show respect.  I think it's insulting to the family to show up wearing something you would wear to a bar-b-que or to change a flat on your car.

At the funeral home, I was greeted by an aged woman who asked if I knew who she was.  A name popped into my head immediately, but then I rejected it thinking that it was an impossibility that she could still be alive.  After a few seconds, I uttered her name at the same time as she.  I almost fainted.  How is it possible that you are still alive, I wanted to ask.  I manged to restrain myself.  My grandmother is older (now 91), but I always thought that this woman was even older, but maybe that has to do with the beard and mustache she has sported for her entire life.  And, of course, this explains why she never remarried after her husband died a very young man.

I knew the even older woman standing beside her instantly, though she was even older.  She is someone I could never forget.  Throughout the day and the next, I saw people I hadn't seen in 20, 30 or more years.  So, I guess the themes of the day were grieving, nostalgia, remembrance, and reacquaintance.

Bike Tax

What is it with all of the people suggesting that cyclists should be taxed or licensed?  You've got to be kidding me.  Stop the madness!

1) Erecting financial barriers to physical fitness is a bad idea.  We ought to do whatever we can to encourage exercise - walking, cycling, running, etc.  Imposing costs will prevent at least some from cycling, and will ultimately put pressure on our health care system.  We are getting fatter, or so I have read.  Let's all get some exercise.

2) All levels of government should do everything they can to promote green methods of transportation.  Whether you accept the theory of climate change is irrelevant.  Cars pollute; bikes do not.  I've cycled through enough exhaust to know that we need less pollution.

3) I am frustrated by those who suggest that cyclists ought to pay for the road since they use it.  By that argument, we ought to tax everyone who uses the roads and sidewalks.  This would include skateboarders, roller bladers, runners, and even pedestrians, including moms pushing baby carriages.

4) Cyclists pay taxes, despite what the anti-cyclists say.  Even renters pay taxes indirectly.  We all pay tax.  Cyclists ought to get a tax break, not penalty for helping the environment and getting some exercise.

5) Bikes do not damage the roads. Cars and trucks damage the roads, and so it makes sense for them to pay for vehicle registration and other fees.

6) Many lower-income residents (especially students) can not afford such a fee.

7) I've read long rants from drivers who complain about cyclists getting in their way, slowing them down on their way to work or to the corner store.  Drivers ought to promote cycling.  Imagine if all of the cyclists they drive past were drivers stuck in traffic in front of them.  Wouldn't it be better to get some of those people out of the cars on the road ahead and make more room on the road?

Imagine a family of four that wants to take a bike ride through some residential streets on a Sunday afternoon.  Suddenly, they have to pay for four licenses?  It's ludicrous.  And, what if you have two bikes?  Do you pay twice?

Despite what Rob Ford believes, cycling is good for everybody.  Rob Ford really needs to hop on a bike and go for a ride.

A Pause

I will probably not post anything for much of the summer.  My blogging enthusiasm has waned and I have little interest at the moment.  Maybe later this summer or fall.  Have a nice summer.

RIP

I am sad to have to write that my father passed away on Friday, May 14th.  It's been a difficult year, with my brother's stroke and my mother's declining health: she is frail and depressed and looks ten years older than she is.  I will make a return trip to the town of my birth for the funeral this week.

Sad Day

I am taking the kids to see their grandpa today, probably for the last time.  The doctors don't expect him to make it past the weekend.

My Dad & Brother

I headed out to the rural parts of Ontario last weekend to visit my father in hospital.  He has been battling various types of cancer for a few years, but the illness now seems to be taking a greater toll.  I am sure that the steady stream of pharmaceuticals are also inflicting some sort of hell on his brain and systems.  He was not vocal at all, only managing a few mumbles, though since the visit, he has been more communicative.

My step-mom fed him soup and ice cream,  I have to say that watching one's formerly vital father being fed is not a pleasant sight.  It reminded me of when I fed my children.  It's the same really: they turn their heads to refuse the offering; they decide they want more; they change their minds. He looked weak and frail, something I could never have imagined when I was young.

My dad's future is uncertain.  Doctors are reluctant to offer an estimate on his remaining time, but seeing as though the cancer has migrated to his spine, his time here would seem to be severely limited.  Even if he rebounds, he will not go home.  My step-mom can't control him.  It may have been the drugs, but he recently moved some furniture out of the house and threw a plant out the door as well. Even when he was at home, he wanted to "go home" and waited for the movers to take his stuff back to his real house, in his real town, and be with his real wife.  This may be Capgras Syndrome, wherein those afflicted feel that a family member is an impostor.

My mother has been in a nursing home for two or three years, since she broke her hip.  Her mother, now 90, is also in a nursing home.  She has no idea who anyone is anymore.  And then there is my brother.  The good news is that the doctor was proven to be completely wrong in his diagnosis.

My brother, once thought to be on his deathbed, executed some sort of remarkable recovery.  He can walk with the aid of a walker.  He can talk.  He has problems with short-term memory.  His is weaker on one side.  He remains, it has to be said, susceptible to further strokes.

My brother, should he continue to improve, will be placed in a rehabilitation facility. My dad, should he improve, will end up in a nursing home for some period of time.  Most of my family will be in institutions.

The Gum Thief

I guess I keep hoping for the best whenever I pick up a Douglas Coupland novel.  I liked the early stuff, such as Generation X and Shampoo Planet, but then I hated most of the other stuff.  Microserfs is the worst book I have ever read, and probably the worst book ever written.  It perplexes me when I note that someone has awarded it 5 stars on Amazon.

I read Eleanor Rigby when it came out.  I got an advance copy directly from Mr. Coupland.  He signed it for me too.  I hated it.  I hate The Gum Thief too.

The book has no plot.  There is a vague story with lots of his quirky pop culture references, but the book has little to keep one reading, except for the bizarre Glove Pond novel-within-a-novel sections.  To me, this is the most interesting part of the book, and it goes nowhere after its dusty beginning, except for a meandering ending.

The only real plot event is one that is telegraphed early in the book, and it follows a clichéd trip to Europe device that is disappointing and not terribly interesting.

Of course, those of you love DC will love it.  I will probably avoid Mr. Coupland from now on, but I still plan to finally visit Canoe Landing Park this summer.

A Look at my CD Collection, Part 9: Daniel Ash (and David J)

Got distracted by various things.  Life is busy, and I have been neglecting my blog. I took an extra long weekend last week and have another long weekend this weekend.  Every weekend ought to be long, if you ask me.  Anyway, because I have nothing better to write about and because blogging expectations have rarely been lower, I continue with a series of self-indulgent posts.

___

Bauhaus disintegrated into several subsequent (and less interesting) parts starting in 1983, when the band first broke up.  Bauhaus reformed many years later, but I have no idea what is happening now.  I will save my discussion of Bauhaus, Peter Murphy, Love and Rockets, and Tones on Tail for later.  But now, I have to talk about Daniel Ash and a little bit about David J, both of whom were members of Bauhaus.

I would describe Daniel Ash's first solo record, Coming Down (1991) as a mediocre affair.  I got this CD free from CFNY.  I got lots of freebies from CFNY over the years.  I was never comfortable with calling this station The Edge.  To me, this station died when it stopped being The Spirit of Radio.  Sadly, it is now owned by Corus, and has been reduced to a crappy radio station, just like all of the others.

Coming Down isn't terrible but it isn't great either.  A highlight for me is the title track.  I also like the guitar lick in Daniel Ash's This Love too.  The sad truth is that I haven't played this CD in probably 15 years, which says a lot.  Perhaps I should sell it.  Not surprisingly, I have no other CDs from Mr. Ash.

Having said that, I was less impressed with David J's solo work. I picked up the Candy on the Cross EP and was quite interested to learn that he covered one of my favourite John Cale songs, Antarctica Starts Here.  This track did nothing for me, and I think that the sad experience of listening to that EP scarred me and prevented me from buying any more of his music.  Maybe that's unfair, and I guess I ought to investigate his other music.

The truth seems to be that Love and Rockets and Tones on Tail are better than Daniel Ash of David J on their own.  The same is true of Bauhaus, a band that is far greater than the sum of its parts.