Escaping Suburbia

Feedburner Feed for my new blog

2009-05-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

New Blog at: escapingsuburbia.wordpress.com

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The end of something...

2009-05-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

is the beginning of something else. More specifically my time at blogger has come to an end. I am switching the entire blog over to wordpress. I find the design much easier to use and I've been wanting to change my url for a while anyway.

So please change your .rss feeds and keep reading my occasional musings.

New location: http://escapingsuburbia.wordpress.com
Link

Radio Topics for May 26th

2009-05-25T20:16:00.001-07:00

Adam and Mike are back again this Tuesday for their last go 'round in the month of May. As always, we air from 7am to 9am tomorrow on 93.1fm in Ottawa; www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

The Larry O'Brien trial continues as John Baird takes the stand and the transcript of Larry's interview with the police is released.

Tories announce EI reforms and Ignatieff threatens to go to the polls. Nothing better than a summer election during a recession fought over an issue most people don't understand.

Another community is in a fight with a developer, this time its Ottawa's Overbrooke community in Councilor Jacques Legendre's ward.

Seeking not to be kept out of the headlines by their southern neighbours, North Korea conducts an actual nuclear weapon test.

Ottawa's two universities hop on the Conservative Party's stimulus gravy train.

Cyclists score a victory in Toronto and get the mayor on-side.

How to deal with Gitmo? The debate continues.

An ill-advised involuntary haircut by a TA in Thunder Bay outrages Native community.

Radio Topics for May 19th

2009-05-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

Recover from celebrating Britain's longest serving Monarch by listening to Adam and Mike this Tuesday morning. At 8:30 Adam will be speaking with Olenka Krakus of Olenka and the Autumn Lovers who are playing Tuesday night at Avant-Gard. As always, we air from 7am to 9am tomorrow on 93.1fm in Ottawa; www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

The Bc Provincial election is over with the Liberals winning a majority, however...
More provincial election madness, this time in Nova Scotia. The province goes to the polls on June 9th. The big promise from the Tories this time around is to review the amalgamation of Halifax into the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Off duty Ottawa Police Officer attacks a taxi driver at Ottawa's airport in front of 30 witnesses.

The Conservative party, appearing to be in perpetual election mode, release three Iggy attack ads.

ICC is bringing the first person to trial for involvement in the Darfur case but its not who you think it is.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barrak Obama meet for the first time.

Alberta bill to allow parents to remove children from classes focusing on sensitive subjects such as religion or science comes under attack by Alberta teachers.

Radio Topics for May 12th

2009-05-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

After a week in the rural Ontario bush installing drywall and flooring Adam returns to civilization and radio. As always, we air from 7am to 9am tomorrow on 93.1fm in Ottawa; www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

Tamil protestors in Toronto close the Gardner Express Way. Taking a lesson from Critical Mass Toronto.

US Army claims that the civilian death toll in Afghanistan is extremely over exaggerated.

Terry Kilrae, the most famous candidate to ever drop out of an Ottawa Mayoral race, takes the stand at Larry O'Brien's trial.

Gatineau Park to become a national park? Paul Dewar and Lawrence Cannon hope so.

A double shooting at a nightclub? In Ottawa? Seriously?

The entire strange affair surrounding Ruby Dhalla only gets stranger.

Not content with the cuts the CBC has already made, the Tories demand more.

Radio Topics for April 28th

2009-04-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tuesday! Mike was gone last week, but real life can’t keep him away for two weeks in a row! As always, we air from 7am to 9am tomorrow on 93.1fm in Ottawa; www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

We have an exciting show lined up this week. At 7:30, I will talk with Rudyard Griffiths ,who wrote Who We Are: A Citizen’s Manifesto. At 8:30, Mike will talk with Jon Bartlett. He runs Kelp Records, which is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this weekend.

It’s the BC Liberal’s turn to lose a candidate!

Tories told to try to get Omar Khadr back.

North Korea, the petulant child of the international system, begins extracting plutonium.

Bank Street sees its semi-annual shut down.

Larry’s Trial to begin soon.

Radio Topics for April 21st

2009-04-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Its Earth Day eve and Adam will be alone for the first hour as Mike has a real life to attend to. For the second hour Simon Cameron, a regular guest on the Tuesday Morning Special Blend, will be joining him. As always will be on 93.1fm from 7am-9am; you can check us out at www.ckcufm.com if you are from away.

Day 16 of the Tamil protests are set to be the biggest yet with up 25 000 protesters expected to descend on Parliament Hill.

Ottawa's stadium debate reaches it conclusion on Wednesday when council votes on the issue.

Federal Inquiry Drama: The Karlheinz Schreiber edition.

Facebook pictures come back to bite another NDP candidate in the ass.

Freedom of Speech Issues:
1) Ssakatchewan doesn't want murders writing memoirs.
2) US Supreme Court to rule on whether a law banning the sale of videos depicting graphic cruelty to animals is constitutional.

Canadian plane hijacked in Montego Bay. All passengers escape without harm.

Proof that Moose are not urban animals comes from Edmonton West.

Radio Topics for April 14th

2009-04-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

After a two week break, both Adam and Mike will be back together for the show this week. As always will be on 93.1fm from 7am-9am; you can check us out at www.ckcufm.com if you are from away.

BC's election campaign got started on Monday with the NDP campaigning against a Liberal carbon tax. I wonder if the dippers will call it a tax on everything too.

BC voters will also get to vote on electoral reform...again.

The US relaxes its policy towards Cuba for the first time in decades. Could greater change be coming soon?

Bending Ottawa buses that won't bend. This calls for a lawsuit.

First the Portrait Gallery gets shelved, now The Museum of Contemporary Photography is in danger.

A Unionized Wal-Mart. You bet!

The best prof in Ontario teaches at a college. Two of the top ten teach at Carleton.

Woodland Caribou vs. Lumber interests

Berlin Zoo provides further proof that the world's largest carnivore and people don't mix.

Radio Topics for March 31st

2009-03-30T19:42:00.001-07:00

Its the last day of March, so its either going to be a lion or a lamb. Regardless Adam will be joined this Tuesday by semi-regulars Simon Cameron and Joel Eastwood. Mike has real life obligations so can't be here. Luckily Simon, Joel and Adam are avoiding real life for as long as possible. As always, we air from 7am to 9am on 93.1fm for those in Ottawa; www.ckcufm.com for those from away.

Academic doping? Its happening but is it a bad thing?

The de-amalgamation freight train rolls forward with a public meeting last evening.

Can ShamWow get you out of prison? We shall see.

Whacking Day comes true for Australia.

CBC Budget cuts affect Radio 3 but not as badly as expected.

Chrysler given 30 days, GM sixty and GM's CEO is given the boot by the White House.

Outspoken Scot George Galloway banned from entering Canada. Decides to blame Jason Kenney.

Medical journal The Lancet vs. The Pope over the science behind condoms.

Just in case we forgot them, North Korea reminds everyone they are still crazy.

Radio Topics for March 17th

2009-03-16T19:35:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Irish radio on this fine Tuesday morning. Apparently today is the day to celebrate a 5th century saint by drinking green beer. Here's to cultural traditions. At 8:10 on this weeks show Adam and Mike will be speaking with Alec who is currently biking around the United States and we literally mean around the United States. As always we air at 7am on 93.1FM in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

Speculation is starting already in regards to the Ontario PC leadership.

Athiest bus ads are now allowed on OC Transpo buses. Can you believe that?

What to do with the Sussex-Rideau intersection? The NCC has a plan.

Carleton Ravens win the CIS Basketball Championships in front of their home crowd.

No more enemy combatants at Gitmo, new classification TBA.

Oil Spill in Australia threatens Great Barrier Reef.

George W. Bush's first public speech since leaving the Oval Office is in Calgary.

Radio Topics for March 10th

2009-03-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

Apparently we are saving daylight by waking up and listening to Adam in the dark. Mike has real life commitments so Adam will be alone this Tuesday. As per usual I will be on at the usual times (7-9am) on 93.1fm, www.ckcufm.com for those from away and without radios.

CBC will have to make do says the Heritage Minister. Look for more ads on Hockey Night in Canada.

Canadian Military needs a break after 2011. Lets hope Toronto doesn't get another snow storm.

Toronto's Africentric schools gets the required number of students...barely.

Northern Ireland is shocked by three shootings in two days.

Ontario political parties have fun with altering their leadership.
The Tories
The NDP

Apparently Freon in the Ottawa River is bad?

Ban the seal hunt? The Senate doesn't think so.

Radio Topics for February 17th

2009-02-16T19:51:00.001-08:00

Recover from a wild Family Day by listening to Adam and Mike. At 8:30 we will be speaking with Luanne Gauvreau about Cycle Salvation and their work in Ottawa. As always we air at 7am on 93.1FM in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

Local Ottawa councilor Clive Doucet says amalgamation has failed us.

Venezuela decides that Hugo Chavez can run for president again...and again and again...

President Obama to visit Ottawa on Thursday.

This past week was a week of collisions, first a Russian satellite hits an American one then a British submarine collides with a French one.

The Privacy Commissioner, unsurprisingly, has objections to a new government bill which would allow the monitoring of private e-mails.

Andrew Cohen v. David Reevely on the nature of Ottawa.

A professor at University of Ottawa is suspended for giving every student in his class an A.

An eventful Friday night sees three separate suspicious fires, including one at local video store WestCoast Video.

Rejecting popular culture

2009-02-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

This stems from an interesting discussion Romeo, Waleed, Joel and I had at Seagrams during breakfast.

There are some artistic/cultural works which are held up as masterpieces. Be it in film, music or literature some works are almost universally hailed by critics as outstanding examples of the genre. However sometimes, despite every honest attempt in the world I just don't get it. Even if I understand why they are perceived as "good" I just don't enjoy the work on any level.

For example:
1) Film
Citizen Kane
While I understand why the movie is important from a film standpoint, I really had to force myself to watch the entire thing. I didn't find the script particularly clever and thought the ending with his sled wasn't entirely earned. Ultimately though, my subjective assessment is that I was bored by it.

2) Music
Sigur Ros
I realize that Padraic is going to berate me for this but ultimately I find their work to be passable background music at best. I really value lyrics and melody, neither of which are present in their work. They sing in their own, made up language after all. Generally I find music with lyrics to be more fulfilling and while the melody doesn't have to be particularly interesting, it should be recognizable.

3) Literature
Anything by Virginia Wolf
I'm not really a fan of modernest literature in general but I find her work particularly difficult to appreciate.

What are yours?

Radio Topics for February 10th

2009-02-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

With the buses rolling again our usual tag line isn't applicable anymore. Still, tune in to Adam and Mike this Tuesday. At 8:10, after the BBC News we will be speaking with presidential candidates for the upcoming Carleton University Student Association elections which take place Febuary 11th and 12th. As always we air at 7am on 93.1FM in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

If you kill 500 ducks in your tailing pond then expect to be criminally charged.

Maybe Mike Duffy shouldn't make comments about premiers and sleeping.

Senate clears the way for an $800 billion stimulus package.

Canada's Environment Commissioner has some harsh words for the Harper government.

Bike Share Service coming to Ottawa.

France's president didn't make any friends in Quebec with his comments.

Carleton Professor Tim Cook wins big money.

Whats that? an OC Transpo Bus?

Radio Topics for January 27th

2009-01-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Family Literacy Day. Celebrate by listening to Adam on the Tuesday Morning Special Blend. Mike is away this week, something about having a real job and real responsibilities. At 7:30 we will be speaking with The Rural Alberta Advantage who played a stellar show at Cafe Dekcuf last Friday. Then at 8:30 Adam will be speaking live with Andrew Vincent whose new album, Rotten Pear is released today on Ottawa's own Kelp Records. As always we air at 7am on 93.1FM in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

The 2nd Throne Speech in less than three months. The Usher of the Black Rod has never been so busy.

7 Billion of that $64 Billion deficit is dedicated to infrastructure spending say Transport Minister Baird.

University student is auctioning off her virginity on line. Current bid is $3.8 million.

Strike Day 47 and the city has substantially changed it position. Negotiations are back on for now.

Obama orders Gitmo to be closed, what now?

4 breakaway bishops who reject Vatican II reforms are reinstated back into the Catholic Church.

Want to drink unpasteurized milk? This man is standing up for your rights.

Review of Crimes Against Nature by Karl Jacoby

2009-01-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

Review of Crimes Against Nature: Squatters, Poachers, Thieves and the Hidden History of American Conservation by Karl Jacoby

In 1899 a letter appeared in the pages of Forest and Stream magazine from Edwin Daniel, a wealthy business man from Chicago. It described a new and curious poaching practice he discovered while hunting in Wyoming, close to Yellowstone National Park. He reported that a large number of elk had been shot and killed, only to have their upper canine teeth or “tusks” removed, leaving the carcass to rot or be eaten by wolves.

While readers of the magazine were unable to figure out the purpose of such acts, there was a logical explanation. Since its establishment in New York City in 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk had established a fashion among club members for wearing elk tusks as watch fobs, rings, cuff links and hat pins and so forth. This greatly increased the price of elk tusks and for those people living near Yellowstone, home to one of the last great herds of elk, provided a potential source of extra revenue. However, the administration of the recently established Yellowstone National Park sought to prevent such poaching, inevitably resulting in another conflict between locals and the enforcers of the new state directive of conservation.

It is this conflict between local residence and conservation agents of the state in three famous Parks, New York State’s Adirondack Mountains Park, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Canyon National Park, which Karl Jacoby focuses on in his book Crimes Against Nature. Jacoby seeks to challenge the traditional historiographical narrative of conservation, which he describes as, “…a triumphant tale of the unfolding of an ever-more enlightened attitude toward the environment.” Instead Jacoby posits that the narrative of conservation is far more nuanced and fluctuating. Rather than simply portraying the local inhabitants as a destructive force, retarding the states efforts at conservation, he instead seeks to demonstrate the complex interactions between local residents and nature. This interaction and the local practices associated with it have been termed moral ecology. Examples of such a concept include Adirondacks local David Merrill arguing that netting fish, despite being illegal under new game laws, was a more humane and ecologically conscious way to fish for it allowed fish to be killed quickly and ensured only mature specimens were killed. Similar examples are provided of attempts by locals in Yellowstone National Park to restrain shepherds and elk poachers and the Havasupai Indians hunting practices in Grand Canyon National Park.

Jacoby documents how the coming of conservation radically changed the lives of the local inhabitants. He highlights how local use and common use rights, while not being legally enshrined, were viewed to exist by many rural Americans, especially regarding resource use for basic subsistence. The coming of conservation generally resulting in the erosion or elimination of these rights. While examples of Yellowstone locals being allowed to gather deadwood and grazing animals within the park show how locals attempting to enforce their rights from below, these attempts were mostly unsuccessful.

One interesting transformation which Jacoby does not focus on to as great an extend, despite its importance, is how the growth of the conservation movement radically altered the economies of the three areas and saw the transition from a subsistence economy to one based on wage labour. Jacoby states that “By impeding [Adirondack] residents’ access to the local environment, conservation inevitably magnified the importance of wage labour as an alternative means of support.” Similarly, in describing the life of the Havasupai Indians in Grand Canyon National Park, he writes, “As early as 1890s, male tribe members had experimented with temporary wage labour as a way to supplement a subsistence cycle diminished by the loss of game and the tribes increasingly unstable trading situation. In subsequent years, the Havasupais’ need for the cash and supplies that wage labour brought had only increased.” While the author accurately describes the slow shift from a subsistence economy to a wage based economy for the residence of the Grand Canyon, his description of a similar transition for residence of the Adirondacks is lacking and non-existent in regards to Yellowstone.

There primary focus of the predominance of wage labour in the Adirondacks is his description of the rise of guides and their associations, such as the AGA. However while it is evident that guides were paid for their services, the accounts serve as an example of how guides influenced national or state conservation policies based on their own local expertise. The AGA is an excellent example of how the idea of moral ecology and “micro-loyalties” governing resource use came to exert some influence, yet serves only as a limited example of the transition to wage labour. In order to expose such a transformation, he should have discussed the experiences of workers in logging camps or dish washers in newly built hotels and lodges.

Part of the reason for such a limitation is the availability of sources to the author. Many of the people most affected by the conservation movement were poor and frequently illiterate, leaving very few written records. The illegal nature of acts such as poaching, timber theft and squatting also led the perpetrators to seek to minimize or eliminate any records of their acts. The author acknowledges such limitations when he writes of, “the difficulty involved in illuminating the rural demimonde …there exists few sources produced directly by those who engaged in acts such as poaching and timber stealing.” Despite such an admission, the book still suffers from an undue reliance on particular sources for the majority of research. Of note is the use of sporting magazines such as Forrest and Stream and Garden and Forrest as well as a reliance on official government reports. Despite attempts to read into the subtext of such documents, the author’s account inevitably is shaped by sources which mostly portray the local inhabitants as criminals and deviant.

One particular result of this is Jacoby’s willingness to be more sympathetic to the views of locals, as represented by his sources. In regards to the concept of subsistence hunting and logging, he is willing to accept a clear demarcation between the subsistence hunting practices of locals and the wasteful sport hunting practices of rich visitors to the park. Yet as Jacoby later admits, such a distinction was almost impossible to make and many Adirondack residents often relied on a combination of subsistence hunting, market hunting and wage labour.

Overall, Crimes Against Nature is an excellent book which is clearly written and logically organized. Each of the three sections tells a coherent narrative which feeds into the broader narrative of conservation in America. Jacoby manages to highlight how the traditional historic narrative of conservation has served to marginalize and misrepresent the views of the rural inhabitants of the newly protected areas. He convincingly argues for the existence of a local “moral ecology” which governed the use of natural resources. Despite neglecting to sufficiently examine the transition of the local labour force into the wage economy, he still manages to overcome limitations imposed by his source material to provide a previously unheard of account of how conservation affected many inhabitants of America. This book serves an important function as it serves to unify environmental history with social history in a engaging and informative style.

Radio Topics for January 20th

2009-01-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

Adam is back after a long absence. At 8:10 Adam will be speaking with Lawrence Conway about the Ottawa Winter Marathon. As always we air at 7am on 93.1FM in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

Harper and Iggy meet to discuss the budget. Will they agree?

York TAs to vote on latest offer by University to end the strike. Union leaders encourage members to reject offer.

Obama mania goes full scale today at noon.

The fighting in Gaza is over...for now. How long will the truce last?

With the economy looking bad the plan is to hide out at university until the storm is over.

Bus strike update:
Apparently letting buses sit for 41 days isn't good for them.
Want to live with Allan Rock?

Radio Topics for January 13th

2009-01-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

Adam has got the plague as a result of his trip to Ireland so Mike will be on his own today. As always we air at 7am on 93.1FM in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

Transit Strike Day 34

Obama to close Guantanamo Bay the day he takes power.

Canadian authorities move against Winston Blackmore and the Bountiful BC branch of the Mormons.

City to help fund the shuttles run by Ottawa area universities and colleges.

John Tory has found a seat to run in...finally.

From Joe the Plumber to Joe the Journalist.

Nortel's future up in the air with possible impact for Ottawa.

Rideau Canal is open, giving people another option during the transit strike.

The Top 12 Albums of 2008 (Albums 6-1)

2008-12-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the second part of my 12 Albums of the Year post. Differentiating between the top six was damn near impossible. Any of the six at one point was considered for the top spot and ultimately it was the emotional impact the albums made on me which gave them their rankings for if anything, great art should make you feel something and all of these albums did to one degree or another. Either way, put on the mix and enjoy!

http://www.mixwit.com/adamco14/albums-6-1

6) Black Mountain – In the Future

What makes In the Future stand out is the wide range of influences it draws from. “Stay Free” with its acoustic guitar and tambourine driven rhythm is as much Neil Young as Led Zeppelin. The eight minute epic “Tyrants” serves to reinforce everything that is great about the album. It juxtaposes heavy, sludgy guitar riffs with minimalist folk arrangements combined with the intertwining and haunting harmonies of Amber Webber and Steve McBean. Throw in Bowie-esque space pop and the 18 minute drug fueled “Bright Lights” and In the Future sounds both incredibly retro yet nothing like any other album released in 2008.

5) Elliot Brood – Mountain Meadow

The tag alt-country is liberally used to describe any album which contains the slightest bit of distortion and a little bit of twang. Consequently, the descriptor has become essentially meaningless. Mountain Meadow however is one of the few albums which perfectly fits the genre. It features traditional country instruments such as the banjo and harmonica mixed with a driving rhythm (played on a suitcase turned into a kick-drum), distorted (acoustic) guitars and a lead vocalist whose voice is as rough as any punk singer.

Without excellent songs though, such an album would merely be a novelty. On the driving rocker and lead-off track “Fingers and Tongues”, the band proves they can bring energy, melody and clever lyrics to bear in their fuzzed out version of country music. They also prove they can write more melodic and traditional ballads, such as the low-key “Notes” or the album stand-out “Without Again”. Despite dispensing with the distortion, these songs still have an incredible vitality and energy, and in the case of “Without Again”, one of the catchiest melodies of the year. Finally, just to tie the album together thematically, the entire 13 song cycle revolves around the Mountain Meadow Massacre of 1857. Rock n’roll combined with country twang and a sense of history? Perfect!

4) Deerhunter – Microcastle

This album is an example of why writing about music is, as one Ottawa-famous blogger wrote, “Like dancing about architecture.” How to describe Microcastle? It is both the most and least accessible album on the list, as well as simultaneously being the most beautiful yet most dissonant album. The pop melodies on the album are understated in the overall production yet are complex and memorable, equally as memorable as the noisy guitar breakdowns. Simply listening to “Nothing Ever Happens” describes the album better in 5 minutes and 51 seconds then these paragraphs will. The whispery vocals sing a catchy melody over a basic drum beat laid underneath droning guitars; gradually leaving behind the pop song behind to become a spaced out noise jam.

I could try and describe this as some combination of traditional pop, space rock, noise and alt-folk but just listen to ‘Agoraphobia” and “Nothing Ever Happens” and get lost in the world Deerhunter creates; its easier that way.

3) Blitzen Trapper – Furr

The temptation to pigeonhole albums and bands is overwhelming and often useful. Simply stating that an artist resembles ‘Ditch trilogy era’ Neil Young conveys much to the perspective listener. However, it also risks simplifying a diverse and complex piece of music into a few static elements. To compare Blitzen Trapper’s new album to any one artist would be to make such a mistake; rather Furr is the entire late 60’s and early 70’s in one album. The initial and obvious influences are CSNY for the vocal harmonies and the acoustic folk-rock of Neil Young, both evident on the title track.

To end the comparison there is tempting yet sells the album short. The influence of The Band comes through on excellent story songs such as “Black River Killer”, although this is The Band on Peyote. Similarly, the more rock elements resemble everyone from the Byrds to the Stones yet neither featured quite such trippy imagery or the spacey, electronic synths chirping in the background. This album is the soundtrack for hippies growing up in the early 21^st century and “Furr” provides the perfect hallucinogenic coming of age anthem.

2) Okkervil River – The Stand Ins

All great novels create characters the reader can both understand and believe in, yet how many albums can claim to do the same thing? The Stand Ins, Okkervil River’s companion to their excellent 2007 release Stage Names, manages to do just this, by creating some of the most memorable characters of 2008, bar non. “On Tour with Zykos” tells the story of a women used by a touring musician for a one-night stand and if, by the end of the 5 minutes, if you don’t feel intensely sorry for the main character, I question your humanity.

The stories are combined with the incredibly literate and poetic lyrics of lead singer Will Shef who turns his pen and poet’s eye on the music business. Frequently his lyrics can be scathingly satirical as heard on “Singer Songwriter.” This album also is the most ‘rock’ of all of Okkervil River’s albums and makes it entirely possible to get lost in the energy and lush arrangements of the songs. To do so however would be to miss out on the best 9 short stories of the year.

1)Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns

There are a lot of things I could write about this album. The fact that it features some of the most inventive and exciting percussion of any folk-rock record I’ve ever heard, the sheer energy which comes from the excellent drumming or the catchy melodies, beautiful guy/girl harmonies and sparse yet haunting arrangements are all reasons to award the coveted number one spot to Hometowns. While they certainly were factors in the decision, something more intangible was in play.

Those readers who know me best will know I had a tough time of it this past May-June. This album was the soundtrack for that period. Somehow the sentiments expressed in the songs seemed authentic and genuine, feelings I could connect with, despite being from suburban Ottawa instead of rural Alberta. I believe any great piece of art, music, literature, film etc. should make the audience run the gambit of emotion and to not only intellectually understand the emotions the piece is suppose to evoke but to actually feel those emotions as real feelings. This album does that for me and for that it takes the number one spot.

Radio Topics for December 16th

2008-12-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to the deep freeze this Tuesday morning as we enter into day 7 of the OC Transpo strike. Mike is sick this week so I will be on my own. This weeks show will be a little more music intensive as we focus on our favorite albums and songs of 2008. We will also have our usual mix of news, music, concert listings and community announcements. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

The OC Transpo strike drags on into its second week.

Stephen Harper supports an elected Senate...sometimes.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates wants Canada to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2011. Peter McKay however disagrees.

First the auto sector gets a 3 billion dollar bailout, now the forestry and mining industry is getting their handout too.

NCC to review Greenbelt Master Plan and wants the public's input.

A show in for best news story of the year... Iraqi journalist throws his shows at President Bush.

Turns out the Ontario government doesn't only ban things, it allows them. Like serving alcohol at movie theaters.

Albums 12-7

2008-12-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

12)Islands – Arm’s Way

Arm’s Way either represents everything that is wrong with indie pop/rock or everything glorious about it. I side with the later viewpoint; this album is excessive, ambitious and fantastic for it. From the eleven minute closing epic “Vertigo (If it’s a Crime)” to the perfectly orchestrated string section on “Pieces of You”, everything is shiny, polished and overly dramatic. Even lead singer Nick Thorburn sings like he is barely in control. It all adds up to one incredible and undeniably catchy package. The melodies are memorable and on the album’s high point, the disco-rocker “Creeper”, you have to be dead not to feel like moving.

This album winks at the listener, Islands knows they sound slick, overblown and a little ridiculous. However, underneath all the shine lies some extremely dark thematic material, with a frequent focus on death; just listen to lyrics on “Creeper” for proof. The band uses the melodies and tight arrangements to hide the darkness. Overall this is an album that can be enjoyed for its pop melodies and excess or on a deeper level.

11) Sam Roberts – Love at the End of the World

Sam Roberts returns to his roots on Love at the End of the World, his third full length release. For his previous album, Chemical City, he branched out into spacey, 70s psychedelic rock, a stylistic diversion forgotten on this album. Much like his first album, this album is comprised of accessible, radio-ready rock n’roll which is also smart and literate. Roberts alternates between more upbeat, rock numbers such as the title track and the excellent single “Them Kids” and the more mellow, singer-songwriter style best demonstrated on the outstanding duet “Words and Fire.”

Two elements separate this album from many of its contemporaries. The first is the lyrics. On “Them Kids” Roberts sings such cutting lines as, “No one feels more alone than the children of a dying breed/ You never feel at home when your just another mouth to feed.” Every song has a couple of memorable couplets and never any awkward or cringe-worthy moments. The second is, unlike someone like Matt Mays, whose new album reveals a slavish devotion to classic rock heroes such as Bruce Springsteen, Roberts’ influences are never as obvious. The album sounds like any number of bands from the 70s but never like one particular band. Ultimately, Love at the End of the World takes a time-proven formula and makes it sound new and relevant.

10) Hayden – In Field and Town

In Field and Town is an album of contrast. Hayden writes about the destruction and unraveling of a relationship yet despite the ever-present heartbreak, it is the lushest and most ornate album of his career with synths, xylophones, trumpets and pianos rounding out the often bouncy and catchy melodies. However, underneath the unforgettable synth riff in “Worthy of your Esteem” and the guitar freak-out of “Did I wake up Beside You” lies genuine sadness and regret.

The album also alternates both between slow ballads such as “Barely Friends” and more upbeat songs such as the memorable “The Van Song” but also between piano-led numbers (the latter) and acoustic guitar-led songs (the former). The contrast serves to provide needed variety from the rather similar subject matter. Just to continue the bi-polar nature of the disc, one of the strongest tracks is “Lonely Security Guard” about, of all things, an origami-loving rent-a-cop; just another little surprise thrown in to keep the listener always slightly off balance. In Field and Town is both entirely what you would expect a Hayden record to be yet nothing like you expect it to be.

9) The Constantines – Kennsington Heights

Expectations can be a bitch, ask The Constantines. Their two previous albums, Shine a Light and Tournament of Hearts, are two of the most critically acclaimed Canadian albums of all time. Hell, Shine a Light was even named as one of the top 100 Canadian albums of all time. Consequently, their new album was inevitably going to be compared to their previous works and, barring a miracle, was going to be found lacking. Well, there was no miracle and Kennsington Heights isn’t quite as good. That shouldn’t matter though, this is still a great album based off of The Constantines mix of jarring rockers such as “Hard Feeling” and melodic ballads like “Our Age.”

What makes the album so enjoyable is the sense of fatigue and frustration which pervades the entire record. There are more slower songs and less outright rockers than before, but even the rockers sound tired. The line “Too many hospital rooms/Too many hanging bags” from “Brother Run Them Down” sums it all up and then, just to reinforce the point, is followed up with “Credit River,” a song about drowning in debt. The band is beaten, frustrated and angry and the only escape is through music. Somehow, through listening to the album, the audience can also escape, all be it for only the duration of the disc.

8) The Racounters – Consolers of the Lonely

Consolers of the Lonely placing eighth surprises even me and it’s my list. I reviewed this album when it was released in March and the review was not glowing by any stretch of the imagination. Despite my initial lukewarm reaction to the album I continued to listen to it again and again. Throughout the year I would return to the album and even found it playing on my iPod only last week. Any album which can remain in regular rotation for nine months deserves immense credit. The simple consistency of the entire album also helped to place it so highly, every song is of equal quality and sufficiently unique enough that they don’t blend together.

The initial criticism of the album is what serves to be its greatest strength. It serves to combine the more pop/rock inclinations of Brandon Benson with the quirkiness of Jack White. Songs like the Benson penned "Many Shades of Black" and the country rock “Old Enough” sound nothing like the White Stripes would ever record but White adds just enough strangeness, like the squealing guitar solo on the former mentioned track, to prevent them from being formulaic and keep the audience coming back for another listen to uncover something new and weird in a familiar package. Sure, it doesn’t know whether it wants to be the White Stripes or power pop but that is what actually makes Consolers of the Lonely fantastic.

7) Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes make folk music for 2008. They combine the folk-rock harmonies of CSNY with more ‘authentic’ musical traditions, such as Appalachian folk songs, interpreted through modern indie rock. The instruments and production are 2008, the subject matter and melodies though indicate numerous time periods over the past 100 years.

Such a combination could fall apart at numerous points yet somehow it never sounds kitchy or overly nostalgic. On the excellent “White Winter Hymnal” the cuteness is balanced perfectly by the oblique references to a rather grizzly death. Similarly, “Your Protector” manages to be almost anthemic yet equally unsettling. All of the songs feature a strong melody and the band has more than enough pop sensibilities to make an engaging and unique record which is remarkably accessible and frequently beautiful.

Top Albums of 2008

2008-12-11T23:24:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is always the perfect time for lists; Christmas lists, to-do lists and of course, year-end best of lists. Consequently over the next few days I am going to be posting my picks for the top 12 albums of the year. Why 12 you may ask? Of all the albums I listened to and thought about this year, there seemed to be a natural break at the top 12. All of these albums deserved mention and each has its own merits but also its own flaws. Once the list was narrowed down to twelve, my ranking system was largely subjective. A few factors taken into consideration were the staying power of an album, the emotional impact it had and consistency. Ultimately though, I will make an argument for why I think each one of these records is essential listening but in essence it comes down to the simple fact that I really liked each of them in their own way.

The list also reflects my own limited musical perspective. It leans heavily towards folk and pop/rock with a huge North-American bias. It reflects the genres which I generally enjoy and my own personal biases of taste.

Since writing about music is inherently limited, I have also created a mixtape with two songs from each album. It can be found here. Put on the mix and enjoy the countdown.

Tomorrow is numbers 12-7. Stay tuned.

Radio Topics for December 2nd

2008-12-01T19:50:00.001-08:00

It was quite the week so to match we have quite the show lined up for you. At 7:30 I will be speaking with Christie Blachford about her book Fifteen Days which recently won the Governor General’s Award for Non-fiction. At 8:10 Adam will be speaking with Michael Jenkin, the president of the Old Ottawa South Community Association. Finally at 8:30 we will be speaking with Scott Thurlow about the political events of the past week. We will also have our usual mix of news, music, concert listings and community announcements. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Shineeramagate at Carleton. CUSA pulls its support for the Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser only to reinstate it Monday night.

Constitutional Crisis? Is it King-Byng or 1985? Who can tell. Either Way, the agreement to form a coalition is in writing now.

Baird desperate to keep the Tories in power so is promising all he can for Ottawa's New Transit Plan.

By the way, Ottawa finally has a Transit Plan.

Dalton McGuinty wants to take away your fruit-flavoured cigarillos.

Carleton University names Herb Gray as the new Chancellor of the University.

Radio Topics for November 25th

2008-11-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Winter has come to Ottawa. Wake up and enjoy the freshly fallen snow by listening to the Tuesday Morning Blend. Mike is away this week so Adam will be joined by Simon Cameron and Joel Eastwood. At 7:30 I will be speaking with Christie Blachford about her book Fifteen Days, which recently won the Governor General's Award for Non-fiction. As well, at 8:30 we will be talking with a representative of the United Way about their current fundraising campaign. We will also have our usual mix of news, music, concert listings and community announcements. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Hate speech shouldn't be covered by human rights act says new report.

...and then there were three. Bob Rae enters Liberal leadership race for real.

Mammoth DNA reconstructed from fur. Humanity takes another step down the road towards Jurassic Park.

Queens University to introduce the speech police.

University of Ottawa students vote to join the CFS.

Perfect condition piano found in the middle of the woods. What?

Goodbye arts funding

2008-11-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

I received this e-mail from the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Once I get some time I will post my thoughts on the funding cuts (hint: I think they are bad) but until then read through the press-release and get involved.

Arts organizations, festivals and fairs here in Ottawa are in serious trouble. We need your help.

The City of Ottawa recently announced its proposed budget for 2009. As part of the budget, arts, culture and heritage take the brunt of the blow in the City's cost-saving measures to the tune of 4.7 million dollars, representing a 43% reduction to the funding envelope. The proposed cuts include the elimination of artist grants, elimination of project grants, elimination of arts organization annual operating funding as well as the elimination of funding to festivals (including the Ottawa International Animation Festival), fairs, special event programming and heritage organizations and projects.

This cut would be a disaster for Ottawa's cultural scene. Given the economic downturn and the other arts cuts going on a federal level, there is no doubt that many events and organizations would be in serious trouble - including the OIAF!

The ramifications of these cuts would also be felt deeply in our local hospitality industry. Far worse I think would be the damage to Ottawa's image and to public morale.

What can do if your Ottawa still includes culture:

Contact your Ward Councillor and the Mayor in writing to oppose the cuts, indicating how the cuts will impact you and the community (personally, professionally etc.). Encourage your network of friends and colleagues to also write to their respective Councillors, especially if you know people living in the east end or rural parts of Ottawa.

Click here to locate your Councillor and address: http://www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/mayor_council/councillors/index_en.html

A sample letter you can personalize can be found on the Council for the Arts in Ottawa's website at:

http://www.arts-ottawa.on.ca/budget2009/sample-letter-en.php

Attend the Draft Budget Public Consultations and let your opinions be known at these Ward meetings. Click below for a list of dates and locations:

http://www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/budget/budget_2009/draft_public_consut_en.html

Make a verbal presentation to City Council during the public delegation process. Council will be hearing from the public December 1 through 3 and speakers are allowed 5 minutes to present their views. You must register for an appointment to address Council by calling 613-580-2424 ext. 12487;

Help us pack the Council Chambers on Monday December 1st at 10:00 am as the first delegations present to City Council; They need to see and feel the pressure of our presence to know we are serious and committed.

To view the list of cuts or If you want more details the Council for the Arts In Ottawa's website has comprehensive information on the issue: www.arts-ottawa.on.ca

Thanks!

Kelly Neall
Managing Director
The Ottawa International Animation Festival
2 Daly Ave, Suite 120
Ottawa, ON K1N 6E2
Phone: (613) 232-8769
Fax: (613) 232-6315

Radio Topics for November 11th

2008-11-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

Its Tuesday and Remembrance Day. As a reward for all our listeners who donated, Adam will be running up a floor of Dunton Tower for every fifty dollars we raised on the show. Since we raised over $1100 Adam will be running up all twenty-two stories. Tune in at 7:30 to hear Adam run and possibly collapse with exhaustion on-air. As an added bonus he will be discussing the topic of the day while running. It will also be filmed for Youtube posterity. We will also have our usual mix of news, music, concert listings and community announcements. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Remembrance Day ceremonies take place across the country.

Canadian journalist kidnapped in Afghanistan a month ago is finally...just nobody is sure why.

Macleans annual university rankings released and Carleton is only middling.

Another election to follow: Quebec!

Maldives looking to buy a new homeland.

President-Elect Obama talks with Lame-Duck President Bush about the economy. He also won an election.

Hope you don't run a festival in Ottawa because you aren't getting any money this year.

Harper government kills portrait gallery.

In a race where the headlines have been who isn't running, we finally get one about who will be running.

CKCU and I Need Your Help

2008-10-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

If you listen to indie music on the radio in Ottawa then you listen to CKCU. If you listen to Carleton Raven's games then you listen to CKCU. If you listen to Ottawa's Favourite Radio Show, "The Weekday Special Blend" then you listen to CKCU. If you enjoy cutting edge, independent, community oriented radio then you listen to CKCU. However programming such as this costs approximately $40 per hours and CKCU broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Every year CKCU FM raises over a third of its operating budget through funding drive. For two weeks every show, including The Tuesday Morning Special Blend, which I co-host, goes into PBS/TVO mode to raise funds. Each show has a role to play and mine is no different. We are looking to beat our total of $880 from last year and need your help to do so. I know many of you are students but every little bit helps. Even a ten dollar donation makes a big difference to us. There are also a couple of added bonuses. If you call in during our show then you can be snag some killer give-aways including a selection of recently released non-fiction. As well for every $50 dollars we raise I will be running up one floor in Duntion tower while talking about the political topic of the day. Thats Right! For every fifty dollars you donate you can put me one story closer to a heart attack!

So how do you help out or try to kill me? If you see me over the next while, I'll have pledge forms. If you email me with your address, I can fill them out myself. Perhaps most easily, you can donate online here- be sure to list "Tuesday Morning Special Blend" as the show you support.

Finally, if you'd like to donate live you can call (613) 520-CKCU between 7am and 8am, and (613) 520-3920 or 1-877-520-3920 between 8 and 9 on October 28th and November 4th.

Thanks for all your support over the previous three years and I look forward to it again.

Radio Topics for October 28th

2008-10-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the last Tuesday of November. It is also the start of our annual funding drive. We'll have a series of giveaways for those that call and contribute during the show tomorrow, but as an added incentive for every $50 raised during our program, Adam will run up 1 level of stairs at Dunton Tower while discussing some finer point of the topic of the day. I was the lucky bastard last year, and Padraic Ryan suffered the year before. You can here Padraic's ascent here. So, even if you don't listen to CKCU much, if you want to help make Adam's lungs explode, donate a little bit. For information on how to donate click here.

At 8:15 Mike will be speaking with Andrew Cohen about his new biography on Lester B. Pearson. We will also have our usual mix of news, music, concert listings and community announcements. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Canada's own Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the disappearance of thousands of aboriginal children.

Speculation continues on the Liberal leadership race, expect it to end in May.

Closed Circuit TV comes to BC streets.

In a sad note, Carleton student and army reservist Arielle Keyes-Oliver, was killed during military exercises in Petewawa.

Add Syria to the list of countries whose sovereignty the US has violated while pursuing the war on terror.

Want to keep pet chickens in Nova Scotia? You arer out of luck says the courts.

Report blames gigantic sewage spill of August 2006 on incompetence.

Its official, Ontario to run a $500 million deficit.

Radio Topics for October 21st

2008-10-20T13:21:00.001-07:00

Recover from the post-election hangover and listen to Adam and Mike this Tuesday morning. This Tuesday we will be joined by fellow Carleton University Debating Society member Simon Cameron. At 8:06, right after the BBC news, Mike will be speaking with Andrew Nikiforuk, the author of Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent. At 8:30 Adam will be speaking with A.B. McKillop, the author of Pierre Burton: A Biography. We will also have our usual mix of news, music, concert listings and community announcements. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Stephan Dion joins Edward Blake as the only Liberal leader to never be prime minister.

Voter turnout drops down below 60%.

Maybe it isn't such a bad idea to run a deficit?

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource is serious about you not drinking unpasteurized milk.

Another new plan for Lansdown Park.

Wal-Mart closes show were historic union contract was imposed.

Taliban targeting Christian aid workers specifically.

Election Predictions

2008-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here are my thoughts for the federal election.

CPC: 119
Liberals: 108
NDP: 35
BQ: 44
Ind: 2

I think the poll numbers in Quebec and Ontario which have the Liberal either ahead (Ontario) or gaining (Quebec) are particularly important. I certainly don't see the Tories gaining anything in Ontario and possibly losing a few close ones like Ottawa-Orleans. Similarly in Quebec I think the idea of Tory gains are mostly fantasy and a few Tory MPs are in trouble. Certainly no more than eight CPC MPs come back to the house. Add in a few seats lost in the east and BC and the Tories are down to 119.

The Liberals will benefit from the "anyone but Harper" movement to pick up some seats. Their poll numbers are rising and everyone enjoys the narrative of an underdog leader fighting back. Similarly, while the NDP benefits from an increase in their vote in Saskatchewan and BC, they will fail to make the breakthrough they need in Ontario.

Unfortunately I don't think Elizabeth May wins her seat. The Greens will probably poll around 9% of the vote though so make what you will.

Radio Topics for October 7th

2008-10-06T17:48:00.001-07:00

One week until the election. It also seems that summer has finally disappeared for real this time. Either way tune in and listen to Adam and Mike this Tuesday morning from 7-9. This week from 8:10 until 8:30 we will have representatives from each of the four major parties campus clubs on the air to discuss the issues in this election. We will also have our usual mix of news, music, concert listings and community announcements. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Largest drop in the markets so far on the second "Black Monday" of the year. Maybe they need a new description for markets that nose-dive on Mondays?

And it hits home, possibly driving Ontario into deficit.

Bus driver takes off with a two year old child still on board while mother chases after the bus.

McCain hurting in national polls...

and has shut it down in Michigan.

Election 2008
Economic Crisis is hurting Harper's poll numbers.
Stephen Harper really respects John Howard and Mike Harris...enough to use their speeches.
Fired candidate count: NDP is up to 4
The people have spoken and Stepher Harper has won...the English leaders debate.
We finally get a platform from the Tories.

Talks with the Taliban?

Radio Topics for September 23rd

2008-09-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

It seems that Fall has fallen upon us this Tuesday morning. Could that be frost on the ground? Either way tune in and listen to Adam and Mike. At 7:15 Mike will be talking with Major- General (Ret'd) Lewis Mackenzie about his new book Soldiers Made Me Look Good. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Federal election campaign day 16:
Tories pledge to get tough on crime yet again...this time they want to toughen-up the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The Liberals release their platform for a "Richer, Fairer and Greener Canada."
The NDP don't like corporate tax cuts. Shocking.
Your weekly Conservative gaff is brought to you by Chris Reid.

Carleton University's Saint Patrick's building is the site of some protest art.

New Montreal garbage cans really suck...literally.

US Deserter who was scheduled to be deported today gets to stay for now.

Montreal becomes the first North American City to introduce a Bike Sharing program.

Apparently lawyers accepting nude dances from a client is a good way to get kicked out of the BAR.

Problems in Pakistan... US raids, bombings, Taliban insurgents kidnapping diplomats, the list goes on.

Radio Topics for September 16th

2008-09-15T18:56:00.001-07:00

Welcome to day ten of the Federal Election Campaign. Joining us on the show this week is Mark Agnew, a good friend of the show and former Parliament Hill staffer. As well Mark will be celebrating his birthday on-air. As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Vancouver's Non Partisan Association has announced their full slate of Candidates for the upcoming municipal elections. This after rejecting Sam Sullivan, the incumbent mayor as their mayoral candidate.

New promises from the Tories and NDP:
Reducing the price of diesel fuel by cutting diesel tax by 2 cents
EI benefits for the self-employed.
Billion dollar plan to increase medical and nursing spots.

More bad news if you live or work near Bank at Sommerset.

Efforts to promote oral history in Hintonburg quashed because they violate the cities sign bylaws.

Former Ottawa mayor Marian Dewar dies.

A real bad day to work on Wall Street. Especially if you work for Lehman Brothers.

We don't like Ike. Or at least Texas certainly doesn't.

Radio Topics for September 9th

2008-09-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Its not just another Tuesday, its election campaign day number 3 making it the perfect time to listen to Adam and Mike. Beyond election talk, music, community anouncements and our usual discussion of the weeks headlines, Adam will also be talking with Ronald Wright at 7:30 about his new book What is America? As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

In other exciting news, CKCU's Morning Special Blend won the Golden Cherry for best Ottawa Radio Program. That makes us a little part of the award.

Want to see Elizabeth May, leader of the Federal Greens, debate the other leaders? The major networks don't want you to.

Want to know how much the war in Afghanistan has cost the taxpayer? The election is preventing Canadians from finding out.

University of Calgary is so sure that you will graduate in four years that they will pay the extra costs if you take longer.

Stop global warming by putting down your hamburger.

Small Alabama town offers Jewish families $50 000 to move to their town.

32 Carleton University students get their passwords and campus card data stolen by a fellow student hacker.

Radio Topics for September 2nd

2008-09-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday isn't your normal Tuesday. Mike returns from his European adventures and the kids head back to school. At 7:15 we will be talking with Andrew Powell who is heading off to his first day of school for the year after talking with us. At 7:30 we will be speaking with Chris Robinson about the Ottawa International Animation festival. As well we will have our usual assortment of news topics, entertainment announcements and music.

As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Another year, another large hurricane batters the US Gulf Coast.

Russia gets another warning...which it will probably ignore.

Both candidates in the American Presidential race appoint their VPs.
Sarah Palin for the Republicans and Joe Biden for the Demoncrats.

Harper and Dion got together for coffee yesterday afternoon. Apparently it wasn't so much of a discussion as Dion would have liked.

Maple Leaf Foods is having a really bad couple of weeks.

Hope you didn't plan on using Zoom Airlines for your European vacation.

Radio Topics August 26th

2008-08-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Another Tuesday morning and I have returned back to the radio after a week absence. Mike is still gone to see the sights of the old continent but will return in September. This week’s show will feature a bit more music and a bit less talking however we will still feature our usual rundown of weekly news, music listing and community announcements. As well Bill Ewanik will be joiningus on air to talk about swing dancing in Ottawa.

As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Beijing Olympics are done. We'll talk about our favourite moments from the past two weeks.

Bill before the House of Commons to stiffen penalties in cases of violence against pregnant women.

But all that is mute is the much hyped Federal election actually happens.

Lock up your bikes, bike theft in Ottawa up.

Ontario's provincial government thinks that municipalities pumping their sewage into local bodies of water is a bad idea.

Free Trade not Fair Tade...sort of

2008-08-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

A piece in the Economist about the recent failure of talks surrounding the Doha Round made mention of the tariffs (or lack there of) placed on coffee beans by first world nations. While free trade in raw coffee beans exists, the practice of tariff escalation creates a situation where the levy increases as beans are roasted, ground, decaffeinated and so on. Part of the agreement which failed, would have seen a decrease, and hopefully an eventual elimination, of the practice of tariff escalation.

Of course whenever coffee and free trade are mentioned in the same breath, fair trade usually follows. Now I have my reservations about fair trade as an effective method of development and poverty reduction, however, what I find most frustrating is the continued practice by fair trade advocates of denouncing free trade and trade organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Here was a situation where free trade practices could have hugely benefited developing nations, much more than paying a few extra cents on your cup of coffee.

Eliminating tariffs on value added elements to coffee production would allow the beans to be roasted, ground and packaged close to where they are grown; far more efficient than shipping raw beans to Europe or North America. As well, each successive stage of preparation increases the price of the final product and the revenue brought back into the country of origin. As it stands now, when the beans leave the country, they take any potential for further economic development with them.

Fair trade may help to ease the grinding poverty many coffee farmers find themselves it still creates a situation where primary natural resource production is the only form of employment. In this case free trade would have actually allowed genuine economic advancement.

Radio Topics for August 12th

2008-08-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Another Tuesday morning and I have returned back to the radio after a two week absence. Mike has gone and gotten married so is taking a few weeks off but will return in September. This week's show will feature a bit more music and a bit less talking however we will still feature our usual rundown of weekly news, music listing and community announcements.

As per usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm in Ottawa. For those out of town we you can listen to us on the web at www.ckcufm.com by clicking on the listen live link.

It only took four days to get the first case of doping at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Georgia and Russia in an open war.

Tim McLean laid to rest in Winnipeg after last weeks beheading.

Friendly Fire questioned in death of Canadian soldier in Afghanistan.

Bell doesn't want its line tenants to offer unlimited downloading.

Trying to stop drug smuggling in prison may be difficult...who would have thought?

Radio Topics for July 15th

2008-07-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Its Tuesday again. Bluesfest wrapped up on Sunday night, Mike and I are finished our marathon of concerts. We'll talk about what we liked and didn't like during the ten day festival. As usual we air on CKCU from 7 to 9am, 93.1fm for those in the Ottawa area, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.

First they come for your guns then your pesticides. Calgary to debate banning cosmetic lawn chemicals.

Harper to give millions of dollars to Nova Scotia to end feud.

Harper however doesn't mind angering China and refuses to attend opening ceremonies of Olympic Games this August.

Ottawa Folk landmark, Rasputin's get lit on fire...literally.

World Youth Day kicks off in Australia with a mass presided over by the Pope. As with any global gathering these days, climate change is on the agenda.

The government, or at least the Quebec government, is taking away Peer to Peer file sharing websites as well.

Ticketmaster wants you to be able to scalp your tickets.

Ottawa makes its pick for Curbside composting contract and something about the deal 'stinks!'

Most important story of the week...Quebec to finally allow yellow margarine.

A Case of Doing Things Differently

2008-07-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

A full Saturday at Ottawa Bluesfest under the hot July sun. I had the day off work so nothing better to do than take a newspaper, a blanket and spend the day at the Blacksheep Stage. This Saturday the Blacksheep Stage featured an all day Six Shooter Records showcase featuring Christine Fellows, Justin Rutledge, NQ Arbuckel, Luke Doucet and Elliot Brood. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no pictures from the four shows I was able to catch.

I got there at four so saw the complete sets of NQ Arbuckle, Luke Doucet and Elliot Brood. I also caught Six Shooter managed Jenn Grant and Band on the River Stage between sets. Beyond hearing the odd song on CBC Radio 3 I was not familiar with the music of any of the four. However both Justin Rutledge and Christine Fellows were long listed for the Polaris Music Prize and any lable that manages to have two nominees must have something going for it; something worth spending my afternoon and early evening listening to at least.

The real test of a live performance is whether after the forty five minute set, I am convinced to spend fifteen dollars on the album. With the gorgeous weather having a good time was almost assured so I was hoping that somebody would stand out from the day and be my musical discovery of Bluesfest. When the day wrapped up I had my answer, Toronto's Elliot Brood.

The real reason for Elliot Brood standing out from the rest was originality. NQ Arbuckle plays alt-country of a reasonably generic strain. Especially with the addition of a piano player for the show, the group frequently sounded like Blue Rodeo fronted by someone who couldn't sing as well as Jim Cuddy. A few songs broke from the mould, most notably "Part of a poem by Alden Nowlan called Ypres: 1915" about Canadian soldiers in World War One. While there was pleasant stage banter and some solid instrumental jams, this could have been any number of alt-country bands. A pleasant listen but not worth my fifteen dollars.

Luke Doucet also plays alt-country although with a heavy pop sensibility. With an excellent sense of melody, biting guitar licks, guy/girl vocal interplay and a solid backing band, Doucet should have been one of the shows everyone regrets not seeing at this incarnation of Bluefest. Despite starting strong with "Long Haul Driver" from his new record Bloods To Rich, his set never improved but didn't decline either. Instead all of his songs simply blended into one. All the songs comprised off a nice melody with passable lyrics, gorgeous harmonies sung by Doucet's wife Melissa McClelland then a long and impressive guitar solo played by Doucet. There was no variety in the approach taken towards any of the songs and by the end of the set I had heard enough.

Jenn Grant is essentially Fiest from PEI. Both are capable of fantastic pop songs ("1234" for Fiest and "Dreamer" for Grant) and solid singer-songwriter pieces. Grant's band included a violinist who added some variety but overall the two artists are pretty similar.

As previously said, Elliot Brood was the act which impressed me. They label themselves as "Death Country" but they play with genres to create something entirely unique. Even their line-up is unconventional, the trio features a drummer and two guitar/banjo/random stringed instrument players; no bass guitar to be seen. The group combines distorted guitars, banjo and harmonica with catchy melodies, gang vocals and a focus on storytelling in their lyrics. It certainly is an odd mix but it all serves to create something different. That something different was what I hadn't heard that day. Their new album, Mountain Meadows is also getting good reviews and combined with the show I saw, will be purchased in the near future.

True Patriot Love and lalalala (Adam talks with Joel Plaskett)

2008-07-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Photo by Adam Coombs

Happy Canada Day!

Today on Parliament Hill, Joel Plaskett plays two sets to thousands of people celebrating our nation's 141st birthday. Yesterday, a rainy and humid Monday, I got a chance to speak to Joel Plaskett about playing outdoor festivals, recording a new album and starting his very own record lable, New Scotland Records. The interview will air July 8th at 7:30am on mine and Mike Powell's radio show (Tuesday Morning Special Blend on 93.1fm CKCU FM). However, as a sneak peak, we have podcast the interview (search CKCU in the iTunes podcast directory) and posted it here.

Seeing as it is Canada Day, at the end of the interview I throw to "True Patriot Love" from Joel Plakett's 2001 album Down at the Khyber. Yet before we go to the song Joel talks about the multitude of factors which influenced this song, and yes, Canada-US relations are one of them. Due to copyright fun we can't podcast the song so listen to the interview then check out Youtube for the video.

Enjoy the sunny afternoon and the fireworks tonight!

My 5 for the Polaris Prize

2008-06-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

On July 7th at the Drake Hotel in Toronto, the Polaris Music Prize Short List of ten albums will be announced by Grant Lawrence of CBC Radio 3. Now for reasons I simply can't understand, I didn't get onto the 185 member jury so I don't get to submit choice for the five albums I think should be on the list. However, thanks to the wonders of the Internet and web 2.0, I can still have an opinion and make that opinion public.

Some of my favourite albums of the year didn't make the list but I've already complained about that in a previous post. I've made my five picks in the following post based on the forty albums which made the long list. The first four were easy choices as I have listened compulsively to the following four albums since they came out and they haven't grown old. The coveted fifth spot however was more difficult to decide upon. Ultimately, I made my decision and will post the five albums on my "Didn't Quite Cut It" list in the near future. So without further delay, here are my 5...

1) Two Hours Traffic - Little Jabs

Two Hours Traffic sing songs about girls in the same way that the band at your high school coffee house did. Two Hours Traffic though are the best high school band that ever existed. Sure, they sing about getting stuck with the same girl for the entire summer on "Stuck for the Summer" and while the lyrics and rhythms are simple, they can also be deceptivly clever as well.

The most important thing about this album is its damn catchy. Other than the closing track "Arms Akimbo", every one of the songs sticks in your head and the super smooth production of Joel Plaskett only serves to enhance the effect. Gang vocals, jangly guitars and catchy riffs are everywhere but thankfully never overwhelm, they simply allow the incredible melodies to come to the forefront. Simply put Little Jabs is the most fun album of this year.

2)The Sadies - New Seasons

There is a continuing theme among a lot of the albums on the long list; high expectations. The Sadies have an amazing back catalogue, including their 2005 release of the critically acclaimed Favourite Colours, and a rightly deserved reputation for being one of the best live acts in Canada. The answer to the question of how the Good brothers would deal with the high expectations for their 6th studio album was for them to team up with ex-Jayhawk turned producer Gary Louris, record and release the best album of their career and get nominated for the Polaris Prize. Pretty good response I'd say!

Most of the surf and garage rock have disappeared from The Sadies sound on this album, replaced instead with country and psychedelia influenced sounds, think The Byrds mixed with the country sounding recordings of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. A weird mix for sure, but it works. As is to be expected, the instruments are astounding but what surprises is the melodies; frequently gorgeous and haunting, they add unexpected depth to the album. The brother's vocal talents also improve each album and are in fine form here, particularly on "The Trial". Added on top of the whole mix is a hazy psychedelic feel to the entire album which serves to cement this album as one of the best of the year.

3) Wintersleep - Welcome to the Night Sky

On Monday, July 7th at Ottawa Bluesfest, Wintersleep is playing one of the side stages at 9:30pm. At the exact same time on the main stage, Feist will be performing in Ottawa for the first time since her sold out show at the Bronson centre last year. I am going to see Wintersleep solely based on this album. It really is that good.

The contrast is what is so impressive about Wintersleep's latest offering. The stand out track is "Weighty Ghost" with its 60's folk rock feel, sounds completely different than anything Wintersleep has ever done and remarkably different than everything else of the album. On "Dead Letter and the Infinite Yes" the piano led, down-tempo song is backed up by heavy, pounding drums. Even the heavy songs with loud, crunching guitars have catchy, accessible melodies designed to draw the listener in. Then, just for varieties sake, the band eschrews vocals on the instrumental "Search Party."

How then does an album with obvious sonic contradictions manage to be so good? The reason is, despite the seeming contradictions, the album is tied together by a feeling of immense loneliness and sadness. All the songs, to some degree, talk about being alone, afraid and desperate. The song "Astronauts" begins with the line, "do you still believe in God?"which sums up the album perfectly. Despite the melodies and distorted guitars, this album is about looking up at the sky in November and feeling so very small and so very alone. Welcome to the Night Sky makes the listener feel something and not many albums can say that.

4) Corb Lund - Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier

Corb Lund and his band, The Hurtin' Albertans play old style country music. Their latest album is a country concept album about serving in the American cavalry. At this point you may be tempted to stop reading and scroll down to find out who got the coveted fifth spot. However that would be your mistake as Brooks and Dunn this record ain't.

Instead, Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier is an incredibly smart record with fantastic lyrics that draw as much from The Decemberists as Hank Williams. Plus the album is a toe-tapper, with only two ballads it never drags and really does seem to 'gallop' forward. On the title track Lund takes listeners through 1000 years of cavalry warfare with numerous historical references including the line "I rode with Saladin and rode his swift Arabians." The clever lyrics when combined with Lund's great sense of melody and dynamics makes the entire record completely engaging. With songs like "I Want to be in the Cavalry" and "A Leader on Losing Control"the album never falls into the conventional, heart broken trap so much country music does.

And now.... the coveted fifth spot goes to:

5) Black Mountain - In The Future

This album makes me want to buy a panel van, take large amounts of illicit substances and listen to Black Sabbath's entire discography on 8-track. Or at least the lead-off track "Stormy High" certainly makes it sound like a good idea. However if the album was simply a throw-back to Deep Purple or Black Sabbath it would get pretty redundant pretty quickly and certainly wouldn't be on my list. While despite the title, the album is very 70's in feel, it draws as much from Neil Young's folk rock and Rush's sci-fi prog ala 2112 as it does from Stoner Rock. Somehow the band manages to take this huge range of influences and combine them into a cohesive whole that while sounding familiar is also utterly unique.

Polaris Prize Long-list Announced

2008-06-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Summer means festivals and Polaris Music Prize time for Canadian Music fans!

This means the search for the best Canadian album released from June 1, 2007 to May 31, 2008 is on! For the uninitiated here is how it works:

The 2008 Polaris Jury consists of 185 members from local and national media who
display a wide breadth and depth of knowledge of Canadian music and passion for
discovering new albums. All jury members submit a ballot indicating their Top 5
albums of the year; the results form the Polaris Prize Long List and, after a
second round of voting, the Polaris Prize Short List. An 11-member Grand Jury is
selected each year to convene at the Polaris Awards gala, where they determine
the Polaris Prize Winner. To ensure an impartial outcome, no one with direct
financial relationships with artists is eligible to become a jury member.

The top forty albums (The Polaris Long List) has selected by the jury has been released. The final ten albums to make the short list will be announced on July 7th. Hopefully before then I will post who my five picks from the long list are and some rational behind my choices (beyond they are really cool). However for now I'll just add some brief thoughts about the list.

1) For some selections it seems they got put on the list by virtue of name recognition. Congratulations! You have a new album out so you get a Polaris Prize nomination. The new Weakerthan's album in my opinion certainly falls into this category as does Stars, City and Colour and possibly Islands.

2) Some big names are on here that certainly deserve to be. The Sadies, Tegan and Sara, The New Pornographers and Kathleen Edwards all put out their best albums yet and rightfully deserve the nomination.

3) Two surprising exclusions were Immaculate Machine's Fables and Cuff the Duke's Sidelines of the City. I thought both were excellent records and certainly deserved a nomination.

4) As someone from Ottawa I'm happy to see The Acorn and The HILOTRONS make the list. Especially as both are (or were in the case of The Acorn) on local Ottawa label Kelp Records.

5) If the previous two winners are any indication then in order to win your office Polaris pool you need to select an album by a relative unknown that is mellow, melodic and slightly folky. Essentially it has to be something palatable to the entire 11 member jury. Hayden immediately springs to mind but he is far to well established. My front runners in this category would certainly be The Acorn or Justin Rutledge.

In the Ottawa Citizen Today

2008-06-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ian MacLeod writes an article detailing the upcoming trial of Momin Khawaja who, in 2004, was arrested and charged under the 2001 Anti-Terror legislation due to his alleged involvement with a group of Islamic conspirators in London and Pakistan. However, beyond being informative for someone like myself who hasn't been following the story, the article isn't particulary insightful. In fact, the most interesting portion is included almost inadvertently.

Here is what MacLeod wrote:

"The guilty verdicts were overshadowed, however, by the simultaneous
release of court documents detailing how Operation Crevice identified, but
failed to stop, two of the deadly July 7, 2005 London transit bombers.
Two of
the 7/7 bombers first came to the attention of investigators in February 2004
during the joint police-MI5 operation into the activities of the Crevice
defendants. But authorities mistakenly believed they were peripheral figures and
petty fraud artists trying to raise money for radicals, rather than training for
an attack. It was decided they didn't rate continued scrutiny, especially with
investigative resources already stretched thin."

Beyond providing some background information, why is this little section of a much longer article that interesting at all? The reason is it reflects the basic problem facing all security agencies; mistakes happen. Terrorist groups can afford to make mistakes because they only need a 0.01% success rate to achieve their goals. They can screw up 99 times out of a hundred and it doesn't matter because the one time they succeed, 52 London commuters die and an entire country is terrified. On the other hand, security agencies such as MI5 need to be 100% effective because with every mistake made, people could die. The members of MI5 needed to make a judgement call in regards to the 7/7 bombers and they did. In hindsight they made the wrong judgement call but when its people making these high pressure decisions, it is impossible to achieve perfection and ridiculas to expect it.

Now, this doesn't mean that western governments should cease to fund counter-terrorism activites or even that (financial) resources given to groups shouldn't be increased. After all with a greater ability to keep track of suspects, less judgement calls have to be made and that, is ultiamtely, how you lower an agencies error rate.

What this does mean is western democracies will never be free from terrorist attacks. The US, Britain and Canada will be hit because mistakes will happen. The question becomes, to what degree do socieites limit the civil liberties of their own citizens to decrease the chance of, but not eliminate the threat of, terrorist attacks. The trial of Momin Khwaja will force Canadians to look at this question. Not only will the case, which begins Monday morning, determine the future of a 28 year old Orleans resident, it will also be a test for the Anti-terror legislation introduced in the wake of September 11th. While the courts are engaging in this judicial exercise it would be useful to keep the questions of how far and for what in mind.

Feeling Sleepy?

2008-06-20T17:36:00.001-07:00

Why not take a nap?

But don't let listen to me. Take a look at the expert guide.

The hilarity of Early Modern Europe

2008-06-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

Normally the period of time between 1540 and 1648 isn't considered a particularly humorous subject, Europe was ripping itself apart with the Wars of Religion and later the 30 Years War which laid waste to much of Western and Central Europe. However, those looking for the lighter side only have to check out the Scientific Revolution. Granted the house arrests (see Galileo) and the executions (see Giordano Bruno) weren't exactly a hoot but try to look beyond that.

What is actually funny was the dichotomy of beliefs many of the early scientific pioneers held. Take Tycho Brule for example, he was a brilliant astronomer who made over 600 detailed observations of planets and stars...yet he believed you could use magic to turn lead into gold. Or Johann Kepler, who mathematically predicted and determined the orbits of many celestial bodies (using Brule's observations in many cases)... yet he believed these orbits could predict his future and allow him to communicate with the dead. Finally take Christian Huygens who discovered the rings of Saturn, helped to develop calculus and made the first accurate pendulum clock...yet believed that aliens were going to visit Earth in the near future. Proof that sometimes it becomes very tough to throw off all the intellectual baggage of your time, regardless of how smart you are.

Radio Topics for June 2nd

2008-06-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

June is here and to celebrate, Mike has left me alone this week. Apparently having a real job entails commitments and the like. I am on air from 7 AM to 9 AM on 93.1fm in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else across this far flung continent or, alternatively, for those at work. This week we have two interviews lined up. At 8:10 I'll be talking with Marcelle Kimberley, the events manager for Doors Open Ottawa which is occurring this week. At 8:30 I will be talking with Councilor Clive Doucet about his initiative for Clean Air Day which is taking place Wednesday. Finally, since I'm all by myself we'll be having a summer concert primer on the show featuring music from a variety of acts coming to Ottawa this summer.

As usual:

BC polygamists in Bountiful come under investigation again.

Hearings start over Mark Steyn's article which appeared in Macleans Magazine.

Motion calls on Harper's government to do what the refugee board refused to do, let American war resistors stay in Canada.

And the transit plan finally passes council.

Alan Rock is appointed as president of the University of Ottawa.

Apparently gun clubs and shooting ranges are the real problem in Toronto, or at least so says David Miller.

Radio Topics for May 27th

2008-05-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

Its a little late but better late than never right? We also have an internet .mp3 feed for your listening convenience so for those of you in the hinterland (read: anywhere that isn't Ottawa) you can listen to us via the magic of the internet.

It’s Tuesday! Mike and I are on air from 7 AM to 9 AM on 93.1fm in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.
This week, Mike will talk with Tracy Kasaboski and Kristen Den Hartog, author of The Occupied Garden. I promise*.

So, remember when we were admonishing the Opposition for asking crazy questions about how someone’s relationship might affect national security? Remember when we were told that such questions were the domain of busy bodies? Well, schadenfreude is awesome.

Other topics to be discussed will include:

We bought $3.4 billion worth of C-17s, but still need to rent planes when we want to send helicopters around the world?

AND 75% are unavailable?

AND our Search and Rescue Planes might not last long enough?
Gatineau Park expanding.

Quebec to grill Hollywood why there isn’t more film dubbing.

Halifax sets up website to help match carpoolers.

Wakefield Train for sale.
We have a transit plan! Again!
* This does not constitute an actual promise.

Radio Topics for May 20th

2008-05-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

The first long weekend of summer is over and summer didn't materialize. Adam and Mike are around at the usual time- 7:00 to 9:00 AM on CKCU- 93.1fm for those in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else. This week Mike will speak with one of Kristen den Hartog and Tracy Kasaboski about their new book The Occupied Garden, which reconstructs their grandparents lives during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

Reasonable Accommodations Committee to report on Thursday and finds that immigrants aren't this great threat to Quebec identity.

Whats with the west and electing senators? Saskatchewan to hold elect senators.

First land mines and now cluster bombs, what weapon of mass death will they take away next?

Vic Toews being referred to as "your honour?" Possibly coming to a Manitoba court room near you in the future.

Gordon Campbell criticizes the NDP's 1995 legislation restricting 3rd party spending but now introduces his own.

Ontario to pay for sex changes again.

Canada to get its very on Victoria Cross.

Half animal, half human embryos are cool with the British Parliament.

Radio Topics for May 6th

2008-05-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

Its May 6th, recover from your May Day hangovers by listening to Adam and Mike. As always, 7-9am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for everyone else. We have three interviews lined up this week. at 7:30am Mike will be talking with James Orbinski, former president of Doctors Without Borders and author of the new book An Imperfect Offering. At 8:10 Adam will be speaking with Michael Jenkin, president of the Ottawa South Community Association regarding their AGM to be held this Tuesday night. Finally at 8:30 Mike will be talking with Kate Van Slyck regarding the Amethyst Track Challenge.

An excuse to make very bad dead duck puns...Alberta environment minister refuses independent inquiry in death of over 500 waterfowl.

Proposal to remove the Lord's Prayer from the Ontario legislature attracts so much furor that it crashes the Ontario Legislature's website.

Harper government helping access to information by shutting down a key database...huh?

The next Tory election threat... Bill C-10.

Toronto may not be the only city with transit troubles in the future. OC Transpo and the union need the Feds to help keep them at the bargaining table.

Age of consent has risen to 16.

In one of those end of the hour stories, man dressed as ninja is arrested for sneaking into a Vancouver home with a sword.

Radio Topics for April 22nd

2008-04-21T19:37:00.001-07:00

Another warm Tuesday morning in April. Time for Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website. This week Sean McGuire who sits on CUSA council will be joining us to talk about campus politics.

RCMP pay a visit to the Tories national headquarters...and they even brought with them a search warrant.

Body pulled from Rideau River could be that of missing Carleton student Nadia Kajouji.

Canadian pilots supporting the war in Iraq? It seems Gordon O'Connor knew all about it.

Alberta gets snowed in while the last of ours melts away.

Ontario government to ban cosmetic pesticides.

Rich Hillier to step down as top Canadian soldier in July.

Larry O'Brien tells CBC reporter not to ask questions about his family, then tries to erase the tape.

Slow Ride for road safety on the Sea to Sky Highway.

Radio Topics for April 15th

2008-04-14T20:43:00.001-07:00

Another Tuesday, time for Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

Stop protesting against the seal hunt or else the Canadian Coast Guard will arrest you and then you'll have to pay bail in twoonies.

Turns out Bernier didn't really want the governor of Kandahar fired.

The Tory government to make something illegal (selling stolen cars) more illegaler.

Seriously? The Rocket Racing League!

John McCain joins the fray and attacks Obama for calling Pennsylvania voters "bitter".

Do you think an independant, public inquiry by the Military Police Complaints Commission regarding Afghan prisoner abuse is a good idea? Stephen Harper doesn't.

The Rideau River bursts its banks.

If the province makes Ottawa give out clean needles then they should pay to pick up the dirty ones too.

Prince George airport security guard who delayed play due concerns about HIV positive passengers infecting others has resigned.

Days worth celebrating...International Record Store Day on April 19th

Radio Topics for April 8th

2008-04-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

Its Tuesday morning and it is finally warm out. While the snow melts you can listen to Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

Haven't we all said things seventeen years ago that we regret? Well Tom Lukiwski and Brad Wall certainly wish they hadn't!

Ready for the next nature of marriage debate? This time its polygamy.

Don't forget to bring your own bags to the NSLC when you buy booze. No more plastic bags for you.

Another city, another Olympic torch relay that descends into "chaos." This time its Paris.

Apparently there was some big Canadian music awards last night in Calgary. The Juno's I think?

Ottawa Farmers Market at Landsdown Park gets a two year extension.

Are 4th graders good Catholics? The ones in the Toronto Catholic School Board will soon know.

France to send a battalion to Afghanistan meaning 1000 more American troops are on their way.

If you want to be an astronaut, then now is your chance!

Maybe, just maybe, lower tuition fees aren't the answer

2008-03-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Scotland has free tuition. While you do have to pay an "endowment fee" on graduation, for the four or so years that you attend a Scottish university, possibly with an English prince, you don't have to pay any tuition. Yet a recent article in The Herald shows that participation of lower income students has gone down by 25%. Throughout the mid 80's and early 90's the Scottish government engaged in a number of programs to increase participation in university. Despite these programs aimed at those in a lower socio-economic class, it has been predominately the middle-class who have benefited.

This is exactly the problem with the "Lower Tuition" rhetoric we get from CUSA (here at Carleton) and the Canadian Federation of Students. Advocating for lower tuition fees does not make education more accessible for poorer Canadians. Instead what it does is benefit students who are currently in university as they simply have to pay less for an education they are going to get regardless. The reason CUSA and the CFS lobby for lower tuition fees is they are a union, their job it is to represent student's interests. Lower tuition fees are directly in students interests in the same way that a semester OC Transpo pass is. It just makes it a hell of a lot more palatable to argue for lower tuition fees on some screwed up notion of social justice than to simply say we don't want to pay as much money to go to school.

The Racounters have a new album out?

2008-03-27T19:57:00.001-07:00

Seriously? They do? In the same way as Broken Boy Soldiers surprised everyone two summers ago, Consolers of the Lonely, the second album by the super-yet-not-really-super-group The Racounters, appeared this Tuesday. The Racounters seem to serve as Jack White's alternative to the White Stripes. While the White Stripes albums feature squalls of guitar feedback, bagpipe-guitar duels and mariachi horn jam sessions while covering the most unexpected songs, The Racounters seem to be a lot more... normal. Their first album was a 60's style pastiche of garage rock and psychedelia, best exemplified by the title track "Broken Boy Soldier." Sure, what they did was pretty unoriginal but they did unoriginal really well.

Here becomes the problem with the Racounter's second album. Half the time Jack White seems to want to make a White Stripes album with a bass player and a second guitarist; half the time he just wants to make a classic rock album. The problem is, The Racounters simply are not the White Stripes. Tracks like "Salute Your Solution" seem to really want to be the lost Icky Thump (it events features the same organ used on said album) single but never quite manage to be anything but forgettable. It just sounds to restrained, to polished, to be a great White Stripes song. The pattern repeats itself for about 10 of the albums 14 tracks, mostly mediocre songs interspersed with a few great tracks.

These great tracks are when the band actually decides to be normal. "Old Enough" is a fantastic southern/country rock song with a fiddle and an organ. Similarly, the Benson penned "Many Shades of Black" sounds nothing like the White Stripes would ever record and it is these tracks which make the album worth listening to. White adds just enough strangeness to these songs, like the squealing guitar solo on the later mentioned track, to prevent them from being formulaic.

In my mind a new album from The Racounters should be a chance to hear something completely different and yet strikingly familiar. It was on the first album but to often this time around it is only second rate White Stripes material. If I want that I'll listen to their B sides.

Radio Topics for March 11th

2008-03-10T19:15:00.001-07:00

Its Tuesday morning and everyone is still digging out from the blizzard. That means while shoveling you can listen to Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website. The listen live function is greatly improved as we have a new mp3 stream and a better sounding Real Audio stream. All for your listening convenience.

A national carbon tax on consumers sounds like a good idea. The surprise is who is proposing it!

Danny Williams going after Harper again...this time using John Crosby to do his dirty work in a throne speech.

Remember the Talking to American's Skit where Rich Mercer talked about Canada building a giant, climate controlled dome? It may come true in Edmonton.

Bill C-10 comes under fire from free speech advocates. Who would have thought limiting funding based on "offensiveness" would be controversial?

Now you get to decide which of the four O-Train options you want. This while 70% of us still drive to work.

No helmet exemptions for religious Sikhs who want to wear a turban while ridding a motorcycle.

Large Music bootlegger in Winnipeg shit down. No more $2 CDs from the back of someones truck.

Accusations that Harper tried to meddle in the US primary process.

All while Hilary starts to stage a comeback.

Radio Topics for March 4th

2008-03-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

Its just Adam this week. Mike apparently had a "real" job and has to work. Adam thankfully is a student. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website. The listen live function is greatly improved as we have a new mp3 stream and a better sounding Real Audio stream. All for your listening convenience.

This week Adam will be joined by fellow Carleton debater Garnett Genuis and a friend of the show, Mark Agnew. As well Adam will be speaking with Robert Brocklebank of the Federation of Community Associations regarding the proposed Manotick development by Minto and the appeal to the OMB.

An exciting week in Canadian politics: The budget passes a critical second vote and the Conservatives introduce a motion to end the Wheat Board monopoly over barley.

Chuck Cadmangate... The Conservatives threaten to sue the Liberals over accusations regarding Chuck Cadman.

Russia has its presidential elections and surprise of all surprises.... the candidate supported by Vladamire Putin wins.

Speaking of one party states, Alberta also went to the polls yesterday. And the Tories will probably win again!

Canadian sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia.

Carleton University to hold seperate Board of Governors elections this year.

York University the latest campus to ban pro-life clubs. (excuse the source and the obvious bias)

Radio Topics for February 26th

2008-02-25T18:51:00.001-08:00

Another Tuesday morning means its time for the Tuesday Morning Special Blend with Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website. The listen live function is greatly improved as we have a new mp3 stream and a better sounding Real Audio stream. All for your listening convenience.

This week Mike will be speaking with Erna Paris, the author of The Sun Slowly Climbs. As well we will be joined on-air by a friend of the show, Jan Florjanczyk... all the way from McGill University.

Parliamentarians acting like mature adults? Amazing but true as Dion and Harper essentially agree on Afghanistan.

Adios Fidel! Raul takes the reigns of power from his brother.

The FCC may well step in to let you continue to download illegal music and tv shows. Score one for net neutrality.

The Oscars happened on Sunday...and less people then ever cared.

University of Waterloo students vote to end student financial support of the campus radio station.

John Tory sticking around as leader of Ontario PC party.

Bars scanning your drivers license in Calgary? Not any more says the Alberta Privacy Commissioner.

Jean Chretien to receive the Order of Canada.

Everyone gets their day in court...even Ottawa's mayor and his day is April 9th, 2009.

Radio Topics fod February 19th

2008-02-18T19:53:00.001-08:00

Its not so cold this morning but that doesn't matter...its still 7am and time for Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

Kosovo unilaterally declares independence from Serbia and Russia is mad.

And the Canadian reaction.

Liberals will let the budget pass... IF it doesn't hurt the economy.

But in case it does, Dion is going into campaign mode and promising major spending on Canada's infrastructure.

A public inquiry into tazers in BC and a possible ban? Almost like they've had a bad experience with tazers before.

Carleton University Student's Association election results are in.

Minto development plan for Manotick rejected by council. Now onto the OMB.

Baseball is coming back to Ottawa...this time as the Ottawa Rapids.

Students at University of Ontario IT and Durham College encouraged to file a human rights complaint against the City of Oshawa.

Radio Topics for February 12th

2008-02-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

Another stupidly cold Tuesday morning...Must be time for Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

It is election time at Carleton University with the annual Carleton University Student's Association elections. At 8:10, right after the BBC news we will be having a round table discussion with all three of the Candidates for CUSA President: Brittany Smyth of "Standing Up For You", Helen Choi of "Students United" and Andrew Monkhouse. If you remember our Ontario Election Discussion then this promises to be just as good!

Arch Bishop of Canterbury in trouble after advocating for Britain to allow select elements of Sharia Law.

Even if Parliament decides to extend the Afghanistan mission is it really to 2011? Or forever? Ohh...And it is a confidence motion as well.

Apparently confidence motions apply to the Senate as well? Or at least if it is related to the Tories crime bill C-2!

Stockwell Day promises to keep the foreign prostitutes out of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Paying for parking on the weekend and evening in Ottawa? Never!

Baird defends denying transit funding during the 2006 election campaign.

Student Union executives get graded in leaked CFS report.

Radio Topics for February 6th

2008-02-04T20:08:00.001-08:00

It’s Tuesday. Wake up early and listen to Adam and Mike. 7-9 on 93.1fm for those in Ottawa, www.ckcufm.com for all the rest.

Wait, is this some kind of special Tuesday? Awesome Tuesday? Great Tuesday? I can’t remember. I’m sure Oprah will tell me.

City employee? The auditor wants to read your email.

Transit needs $40 billion over 5 years, or the puppy gets it.

Live in the greenbelt? Get ready for a 10% property tax increase. The province froze assessments for 3 years, but apparently now thinks that everything is just fine. Dicks.

Poor transit plan to set city back 10 years.

I promise to not make any dubious jokes: Poland offers Canada use of helicopters in Afghanistan

HIV rates up amongst Vancouver native drug-using population

If you work for citizenship and immigration, you shouldn’t be checking your blackberry at night.

Dalton McGuinty thinks that black-focused schools are a bad idea, but catholic-focused schools makes perfect sense.

CRTC begins hearings on future of Canadian Television Fund

Radio Topics for January 29th

2008-01-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

Freezing rain and early mornings...Must be time for Adam and Mike. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

The final state of the union speech by President Bush. Expect a lot of these last of moments in the next year.

R.V. Morgentaler twenty years later. Love it or hate it, the decision mattered then and matters now.

A (former) Liberal and Conservative agreeing? Harper agrees with Manly and says Canada needs help in Afghanistan or else combat missions are finished.

Toronto has a balanced budget...for the first time since amalgamation.

Urban and rural unite! Glebe Community Association opposes gigantic subdivision in Manotick.

Toronto Catholic school board refuses to partake in homophobia survey.

Canadian ISPs refuse to be gate-keepers and prevent illegal downloading.

Looks like Ontario businesses don't like Family...Day that is.

It isn't only students who want money... universities in Ontario also do, to the tune of $1.6 billion.

High Speed Rail to link Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto?

2008-01-14T12:33:00.001-08:00

The answer to that question depends on what a new study being jointly conducted by the provincial governments of Ontario and Quebec says. I for one think the answer should be yes, hopefully yes as soon as possible. Not only is rail far cleaner and efficient than air travel, a well-designed network will hopefully serve to dramatically reduce traffic on the 401 and the 40. If anything this will reduce the astoundingly high level of traffic related deaths on the 401. Furthermore the frequency of flights between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto dictates that the system should have a ready consumer base looking for a quick and price-effective alternative to flying.

However what I find amazing about the entire process is the tepid involvement of our Federal government. While they have agreed to partake in the study, there hasn't exactly been a full commitment from the transport minister (who is an Ottawa-Gatineau area MP by the way) or anyone in the Tories. The sheer fact that it has to be provinces who initiate the entire process is extremely frustrating.

This should be the responsibility of the Federal government. With an estimated price tag of 23 billion dollars there simply is no way Ontario and Quebec can afford this. However with the Federal government's stupidly large surplus, it is something Ottawa can certainly afford. Beyond that, this is a project the Harper government should be all over. Not only does it serves to provide an effective method of cutting greenhouse gases and boasting their environmental credentials, it caters to Quebec and Ontario, two areas where the Harper government is looking to increase their support.

However most likely this money is going to be pissed away with specifically targeted tax credits which don't do anything other than provide $70 more for people who already ride transit. I think this entire issue demonstrated what frustrates me so much about the current government. This is one of the few times in Canada's history when we have the ability to become involved in substantial national building policies and yet are squandering this possibility. The last time Canada was in such a posistion we did great things, everything from building the Trans-Canada highway to the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Sure, John Diefenbaker was crazy but he had a vision for what the country could and should be, something it seems all our politicians, regardless of political stripes, are lacking. I really hope they prove me wrong and sign onto this project...but I suspect they won't.

Radio Topics for January 15th

2008-01-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Tuesday again, that means more Mike and Adam time. As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website. This week fellow Carleton debater Elysse Devreaux will join us on air. As well, at 8:30 we will speak with Wallace Beaton from the Westboro Community Association regarding the possible closure of Golden Avenue.

After 9am I will be covering for Lucy and playing music. Stay tuned and judge me based on my music taste.

In the best Liberal accusation yet, Helen Guergis is accussed of risking the lives of Ignatieff and Dion by telling the Taliban where they were going to be.

Despite Larry O'Briens best attempt, crack pipes are still going to be given out for free thanks to the Ontario Government.

David Ahenakew to get a new trail regarding hate crimes charges stemming from his tirade of profanity in 2002.

Rejoice! The evil specter of an iPod tax has been removed.

Winnipeg is attempting to beat the Rideau Canal as the longest natural skating rink. At least we still have our NHL team though.

TGV style high speed rail coming to a town near you? Depends on what the 2 million dollar study says.

With all the talk about Landsdown Park, lets not forget Ottawa's other public space quandary... Lebreton Flats.

Waterloo to implement an online opt-out system for student fees.

Crack Pipes and Science

2007-12-20T19:51:00.000-08:00

A recent study of used crack pipes in Ottawa by a University of Victoria Professor determined it is possible to transmit Hepatitis C via crack pipes. (Link) The reaction from Mayor Larry O'Brien was he would have to see data that suggest the city program caused addicts to avoid sharing crack pipes before he would change his mind. This despite the fact that another study found that sharing of crack pipes actually decreased due to the program. Despite the study, this blog post isn't going to go in the expected direction. I think, despite the recent study, the city of Ottawa's decision to cancel the crack pipe program was the right decision.

I however don't think the decision on City council was made for the right reasons. Rather than admitting certain scientific facts such as "this program reduces the spread of diseases" you see an attempt by many on council to refute the scientific evidence or dismiss it. Overall on matters of medical science I am much more willing to trust a medical doctor or researcher than Jan Harder or Larry O'Brien. Elected officials should accept scientific evidence as fact and not try to interpret it for their own political purposes. This is a continual problem we see in the USA regarding sex ed and evolution and now it infiltrates our own little corner of the world. I think those on council, Mayor O'Brien included, who voted against the program should be intellectually honest and admit certain consequences regarding their actions. Admitting those consequences doesn't mean you made the wrong decision.

Personally, I believe the program should have been canceled because I don't believe it is always the governments responsibility to engage in any program simply because it reduces immediate harms. I fully recognize that more people may well get certain communicable diseases due to the cancellation. I think there are greater long-term problems with having a government essentially promote drug use. Anyway I perhaps will make a longer post on exactly why I don't like crack pipes.

Radio Topics for December 18th

2007-12-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

Next week is Christmas day. For those that would like to include Mike and I (and Josh Prowse and Giacomo Panico) in your Christmas mornings, we will be broadcasting our annual “Top 5 Least Important News Stories” of the year. These are the sorts of things that we all ended up talking about a lot, but in the end we probably all are poorer for doing so. In any case, that will take place at the usual time next week, and will be put up on www.mikepowell.ca sometime shortly thereafter. For real.

But what is the usual time? Tuesday Morning, 7-9am on 93.1fm for those in Ottawa, the CKCU website for all the rest.

As for tomorrow:

At 8:30, we’ll be joined over the phone by Kate Van Slyck of the Amethyst Women’s Addiction Centre as part of our ongoing series on Ottawa community organizations.

It’s December 18th. Do you know where your snow removal budget is?

Ottawa to close Swantanamo Bay, release Swans to someone else.

Zero may not mean zero, but good science still means no crackpipes.

Baird agrees to binding targets at bali. WTFBBQ?

Another “scandal” in the works? In other news, Noted lifelong liberal suggests ill of the mother corp on a competitors political talk show.

Santa writes to small children, signs “ho! ho! hoes!”

Props where props are due: NDP appears before Bouchard-Taylor Commission, sending their best star to not Ottawa on the day that Mulroney appears before Ethics Committee.

WSIB to keep up with controversial (but engaging) television ads.

Apparently it is racially motivated when Asian fisherman are attacked at night.

‘Topes Win: Ottawa restarts reactor despite best advice of Science, Common Sense.

Ottawa Senators Foundation Flap

2007-12-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late writing about this but that is okay. It hasn't been a week quite yet so the news is still"fresh" and "exciting". Last Monday First Place Pregnancy Center withdrew from the Ottawa Senators Foundation annual fund raiser hosted by the Senators "Better Halves", also known as the wives and girlfriends of current Senators players. The withdrawal comes after Planned Parenthood Ottawa issued a press release calling First Place an "pro-life" or "anti-choice" organization.

First off I think this is a scare tactic to prevent a perfectly legitimate group from receiving valuable funds. The only evidence of pro-life activities is the fact First Place refuse to make referrals for abortions and offers post-abortion counseling for women. I certainly don't think there is any requirement for a private group to make a referral for abortion. Furthermore if a women requests an abortion then First Place encourages her to visit a doctor and discuss her options with a trained medical professional. I for one, think discussing an invasive procedure with a doctor is a good idea, regardless of your political stripes.

Allowing women have access to information which offers other options other than abortion is something pro-choice people should be happy with. It encourages a free choice where information regarding other, lesser known procedures like adoption or keeping your child, is discussed. Without full information symmetry, it isn't really a free choice as currently abortion is often treated as a default option. I don't think this makes them pro-life, it simply means they aren't pro-abortion. There is a large distinction between the two. Even noted feminists like Hilary Clinton have said the ideal number of abortions is zero.

As for offering post-abortion counseling, this is simply providing a service which Planned Parenthood doesn't offer. Regardless of what you think about abortion, if women are having issues dealing with post-abortion stress then there should be counseling available. This is a valuable service provided which now won't receive money it should.

Another interesting issues is the use of language by pro-choice activists is interesting. No longer are groups such as Lifeline (a national organization on university campuses such as Carleton and UBC) considered to be pro-life, rather they are anti-choice. The change in rhetoric is noteworthy because it demonstrates an attempt to de-legitimize pro-life groups. To accept the term pro-life represents, on some sense, an acceptance of the idea that the issue of abortion is one which deals with life. If pro-choice groups concede that key admission, even subtly, then their own position is weakened. If it is a simple matter of choice that is one thing, but if it is a matter of life then it becomes much more difficult to convince a generally apathetic public.

Radio Topics for December 11th

2007-12-10T19:15:00.001-08:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

At 7:30 I will be speaking with Dave Bidini, former member of Canadian indie-rock institution The Rheostatics and the author of the new book Around the World in 57 and a Half Gigs.

Larry O'Brien challenged the OPP to either end their investigation or lay charges, looks like he got his wish.

Robert Pickton is guilty...but not of the crime the RCMP wanted to get him for.

Schreibergate continues today. Once he is done we get Mulrooney.

Philip Pullman and his books are creating quite the stir. Another school pulls The Golden Compass.

Robert Latimer, who ignited a national debate on euthanasia, is denied parole.

City of Ottawa to help businesses affected by the partial building collapse.

Planned Parenthood vs. The Ottawa Senators Foundation.

The CIA used "alternative interrogation methods" and then destroyed the tapes. Wow!

Radio Topics for December 4th

2007-12-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

Ottawa City Council wants 1% of the GST but not really sure how to go to go about getting it.

Bernard Lord will find out what the deal regarding bilingualism.

When the city's traffic control manager says we have a traffic problem, we have a traffic problem.

Don't give panhandlers change, give the money to a kindness meter instead.

Opening up the cellphone market in Canada. 40% of the spectrum to be reserved for new providers.

Centretown Movies future up in the air.

No cuts to front-line services in Ottawa.

Discover child porn and fail to report it? You're off to jail.

Canadian Islamic Congress launches a human rights complaint against Macleans for this.

Radio Topics for November 26th

2007-11-26T19:28:00.001-08:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website. This week we will be joined in studio by a former host of this show, Luke Cote and fellow Carleton University Debating Society member Andrew Lawrence.

At 8:10 we will be speaking with Warren Kinsella who has just published his new book The War Room.

At 8:30am we will be speaking with Wayne Petti of Cuff the Duke who will be playing a show this Saturday night at Barrymores.

As well, I will be playing tunes from 9 to 10am this Tuesday so be sure to tune in and judge me based on my music tastes.

The NDP makes the whole Karlheinz Schreiber just a little bit more crazy.

Harper pledges more foreign aid from Canada. Apparently 0.035% of GDP isn't quite 0.07.

And we thought the Carleton anti-choice motion was controversial. Protesters storm Oxford Debating Union building to prevent show debate.

Duke of Somerset to come down...again but this time its planned.

NDP MP is in trouble due to his election financing practices.

Ottawa Light Rail Plan #254.

Dion seeks clemency for man on death row in Montana.

Republicans win election in Australia and now want to get rid of her majesty.

Nothing like a good ol' fashioned book banning. Halton Catholic School Board is at the centre of this one.

Radio Topics for November 20th

2007-11-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

At 7:30 I will be talking with Christine Blatchford about her new book Fifteen Days about Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

We’ll also be joined by Phil Robinson of People for a Better Ottawa, a citizen’s group that (in short) advocates for greater city funding for social services. They had their city budget kick-off last Tuesday morning.

As well we will be talking with a representative from the Otesha Project who had their fifth anniversary celebrations on Sunday.

After tazering a Polish man twice in the Vancouver airport, a public inquiry has been launch ed. Shocking!

Want to smoke in your car with your kid? After today that will be against the law in Wolfville NS.

UN complains to Bush Administration about upcoming murder trail of Omar Khadr. Good to see the UN will lookout for our citizens when Canada won't.

In the midst of huge budget deficits Ottawa's Corporate Services Committee recommends $15 million more for the Congress Centre expansion.

Violent youth and identity thieves, watch out. The Conservatives have you in their sights.

BC NDP to take steps to increase number of women and minorities in the BC legislature.

Music downloaders beware. The Tories also are out to get you.

Radio Topics for November 13th

2007-11-12T19:04:00.001-08:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:00am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

This week I will be covering for Lucy and playing music from 9:00 to 10:00am. Tune in and judge me based on my musical tastes.

Further accusations against NATO regarding torture in Afghan prisons.

And Amnesty International doesn't stop there. A week after announcing Canada wouldn't seek the return of prisoners facing the death penalty, Canada refuses to co-sponsor a bill which denounces the death penalty.

NCC promises to actually consult public next time it choses to selectively remove information on Canada's history.

Hugo Chavez actually compares himself to Christ. Wow!

Toronto School Board proposes Afri-centric schools for black childre n.

Portrait Gallery looking for a home and not necessarily in Ottawa.

Want $1000 dollars? Write an essay and collect 25 signatures on a petition.

City considering pulling funding for Ottawa Concert Hall.

City investigates selling Hydro Ottawa to raise $300 million.

Radio Topics for November 6th

2007-11-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

We are back to the usual radio show format, what with topics and all. Thanks again to all those that donated and contributed to another successful funding drive. This show raised something just shy of $700, and the station total was 112,000, more than the goal. Forgot to donate? You can still do so at www.ckcufm.com; be sure to list "Tuesday Special blend" as your show of choice. As always, we air from 7am-9am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, the aforementioned website for everyone else.

The one piece of funding drive that we have to complete is Mike's run up Dunton Tower. As promised, he'll run up one floor for every $50 dollars we raised. Just under 700 translates to 13 floors. Mike didn't die in his run but he came damn to close to it.

The Saskatchewan election is now about a week away, and the Sask Party lead is sufficiently large that you can't see the end of it over the horizon, even in the Prairies. Adam Radwanski ponders why people want to do away with what seems to be a good thing.

The NCC to open board meetings! Mills also muses about selling part of the Greenbelt. Sacred cows do make the best hamburger.

Canada will stick up for you, until you are sentenced to death. In some countries. Maybe.

You have the right to remain silent, not the right to silence.

Late, but good: Mayor ignores city managers warnings of service cuts even with a tax increase.

Low income units at Lebreton flats threatened by lack of transit plan.

Campus bar's license revoked. Not for why you'd think.

OC Transpo to fine smokers near bus stops, even if outside.

Google entering phone market.

Carleton University Debating Society Success

2007-11-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

As many of you may know, I am the president of the Carleton University Debating Society and sometimes debater. Part of my job is to drum up public attention for CUDS so I figured I would post our press release on my blog. Furthermore I'm egotistical! Enjoy...

This weekend the Carleton University Debating Society (CUDS) competed at the British Parliamentary National Championships hosted by the University of Alberta in Edmonton. This competition featured schools from all across Canada and the United States as well as judges from across the globe. The Carleton team of Adam Coombs (History III) and Garnett Genuis (BPAM III) won the tournament and were crowned Canadian British Parliamentary Champions. As well Ian Freeman (English IV) was the top speaker at the tournament giving Carleton the distinction of having both the top speaker and team in the country. A first for Carleton Debate!

Carleton placed two and a half teams in the top 8 with Garnett Genuis and Adam Coombs winning the tournament while Ian Freeman and his Partner from the University of Toronto lost in the finals and placed second. As well Daniel Westlake (Poli-Sci III) and his partner Andrew Lawrence (Poli-Sci III) lost in the semi-finals and placed 6th. This marks the most number of debaters Carleton has ever placed in the final rounds of a tournament and also is the first title tournament the Carleton University Debating Society has ever won! In addition to the stellar success of Carleton's teams, Carleton also placed 5 speakers in the top twenty with Ian Freeman winning the prize for top speaker while Adam Coombs came 5th overall and Garnett Genuis 7th.

This marks an extremely successful weekend for CUDS. We hope to build on this success in December when Daniel Westlake and Andrew Lawrence compete at the World Championships in Thailand. As well at the end of January Carleton will be hosting the North American Championships with Ian Freeman as our Chief Adjudicator. The North American Championships will be the largest debate tournament in Canada and will serve to further enhance Carleton's reputation as one of the top debate schools in Canada.

Canada's Next Great Prime Minister...

2007-10-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

is my friend Garnett Genuis. Garnett and I filmed his application and it is up on Youtube. If you are interested click here and watch the video. Post comments, favourite it, let people know you like it. I personally like the fireside chat idea!

Cycling in Ottawa

2007-10-26T21:31:00.001-07:00

For those who are interested in cycling, be it in Ottawa or just in general then be sure to check out www.cyclinginottawa.ca. Myself, Padraic Ryan, Josh Prowse, Mike Powell and Ben Piper have started our own blog to focus on cycling related issues. If interested add it to your RSS feeds or make sure to check back regularly.

Radio Topics for October 15th

2007-10-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

As always, we go to air from 7am to 9am Tuesday morning on CKCUfm. 93.1fm in Ottawa, online for those that aren’t.

A heads up: October 19th marks the beginning of CKCU’s annual funding drive. You’ll be hearing more about it on air and in this space in the coming weeks, and if you’ve donated in the past you’ve already probably gotten a letter in the mail. In any case, in a little over two weeks, the station raises 1/3 of its operating budget. If you enjoy our show, or any show for that matter, please support the cause. You can donate securely online, just be sure to list “Tuesday Morning Special blend” as your show of choice.

Throne Speech Day! What do you want to see?

Election results: John Tory loses his seat, Liberals win a majority and MMP fails. Discuss.

Sometimes you can't always go home, just ask Bill Casey.

Ottawa Anglicans vote to approve same-sex blessings.

In what honestly sounds to crazy to be believed, Harper plans to build a tightly controlled government media in an old shoe store on Sparks Street.

John Manley now advising Harper.

Bitterness is the Liberal Party continues, Chretien calls Martin stupid and possibly insults his mother, I'm not to sure.

Harper and Halifax agree on a funding formula for natural resource revenue. Surprisingly enough Danny Williams is angry.

Gore and The United Nation's Intergovernmental Pannel on Climate Change awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and people are mad...very mad...

Radio Topics for October 9th

2007-10-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

As always, we go to air from 7am to 9am Tuesday morning on CKCUfm. 93.1fm in Ottawa, online for those that aren't. From 9 to 10am I will be playing music and talking about some of the songs so stay tuned.

A heads up: October 19th marks the beginning of CKCU's annual funding drive. You'll be hearing more about it on air and in this space in the coming weeks, and if you've donated in the past you've already probably gotten a letter in the mail. In any case, in a little over two weeks, the station raises 1/3 of its operating budget. If you enjoy my show, or any show for that matter, please support the cause. You can donate securely online, just be sure to list "Tuesday Morning Special blend" as your show of choice.Tuesday on the show: at 8:10 we'll be joined by Stuart Ryan, Communist Party of Canada Candidate for Ottawa Centre in Wednesday's provincial election. At 8:30, we'll have an interview with William Marsden about his new book, Stupid to the Last Drop.With the election a day away, we're bound to get into a little bit of armchair speculation, but we assure you not enough to be any more boring than the campaign itself.

A community grocery story in Centretown west?

Former head of Canadian Space Agency says Canada needs a national space policy.

Public funding for private clinics?

250% rent hike in saskatoon?

While it is not illegal to talk to a prostitute, the police sure want to make your life inconvenient for doing so.

Insite gets a 6 month reprieve. Harper promises American-style war on drugs, as it went so well there.

Ottawa threatens homeless man with fines for collecting people's bottles.

Radio Topics for October 1st

2007-10-01T20:50:00.001-07:00

Same Mike and Adam time, same Mike and Adam station.

At 8:30, I'll be joined by Anna Porter, author of Kasztner's Train: The True Story of an Unknown Hero of the Holocaust.

Leadership Matters: That's why John Tory is running from the only promise anyone has heard in this election.

Fiscal update: Liberals once again overtax and suprise us with hidden budget surplus. Wait, they aren't in power? Shit.

Oil patch CEO's back absolute emissions reductions

Statscan: Exports represented nearly half of the industrial emissions of greenhouse gases in Canada in 2002, the largest single share of emissions from a demand perspective, according to a new study.

Radiohead to release new album online. Pay-what-you-can. Seriously.

Ottawa Space: We've been talking a lot lately about space on the show, mostly about Landsdowne Park (for more details on the latest proposals, see here and here), but this week we'll talk a little about Wellington St., with the PMO's apparent plans to build a fortress Harper in the almost National Portrait Gallery former American Embassy. Details here, Kelly Egan's take, which I couldn't have written better myself, here.

Radio Topics for September 24th

2007-09-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:30am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

At 8:10 we will be having our own Ontario Election round table discussion. Representatives from all four major parties Carleton campus clubs will be joining us live on-air to discuss the big issues in the campaign so far and what they see as the defining issues in this election.

More expensive to fix Landsdown than actually tear it down and replace it.

Vancouver looking into opening co-op brothel.

Arctic sea ice at lowest ever recorded levels.

Loony hits parity with US dollar!

Another lawsuit over light rail in Ottawa.

Radio Topics for September 18th/07

2007-09-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:30am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website.

We will be having two interviews on the show. At 8:15 we will be speaking with Wallace Beaton, who is on the steering commitee for the Westboro Community Association. We will be discussing the results of the Westborough Community Association AGM. Then at 8:35 we will be talking with Don Stewart from the Federation of Citizen’s Association regarding their Property Tax Working Group Report.

By-election fun in Quebec!

The Danish cartoons row: Swedish style!

Police still need a warrant to access internet user data.

Conservatives are bringing the sponsorship program back.

The X-Prize version two: Put a robot on the moon for 20 million.

Nova Scotia to outlaw strikes by heath care workers in the province.

Ottawa City vehicles to have “Support our Troops” decals on them.

Two Hours Traffic makes great videos

2007-09-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

...Which don't get played on Muchmusic. Why? I don't know because this video and song are great. They are playing in Ottawa on October 3rd at Maverick's. Check out www.twohourstraffic.com for more details.

Radio Topics for September 11th

2007-09-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

As usual we air on CKCU 93.1fm from 7 to 9:30am. For those outside of Ottawa you can listen live on the web at the CKCU website. This week Garnett Genuis and (hopefully) Josh Prowse will be joining us to add to Mike and I's "expert" commentary.

Liberal MP claims Conservatives broke the election financing laws.

Veiled Muslim woman won't have to show their faces to vote.

Pat Binns named as ambassador to Ireland

Religious schools in Ontario would be allowed to teach creationism next to evolution if John Tory is elected.

Landsdown South-side stands are condemned.

Carleton University support staff on strike... and CUSA and the GSA engage in a sympathy strike

The race is on in Ontario, both for Provincial Parliament and electoral reform.

Large scale terrorist attack in Germany thwarted.

Former PM grudge match: Mulroony vs. Trudeau. It sounds like a poll from Calgarygrit...

Additionally we will be talking to Michael Byers, author of Intent for a Nation shortly after 9am.

Bomber Command

2007-08-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

The War Museum has decided to change their exhibit on The Allied Bomber Command during World War Two. Veterans groups have been pushing for this change as they feel the exhibit, particularly a text panel which states that the morality and effectiveness of bomber command is bitterly contested, doesn't give veterans the respect they deserve. In particular they feel that the exhibit paints the pilots as war criminals.

This is the wrong decision by the museum. The responsibility of the war museum is to educate Canadians regarding Canada's role in military conflicts both past and present. The simple fact is there is legitimate historical debate regarding both the effectiveness and morality of bomber command. The war museum should present this debate in its entirety. To fail to do so is to shirk its responsibility to Canadians. While it is important to show respect to veterans it is equally as important to be able to critically asses our actions in the past. What has been lost in the debate is that it is possible to honour and respect the sacrifice made by veterans while still debating the morality of the command decisions made.

A common argument made regarding the issue is that the war museum should put the operations into context by showing the effects of the blitz on Britain. While there may well be good reasons to present that information I think the issue of bomber command can be debated separately. While the German actions against British civilians were reprehensible they in no way justify reprisals. The campaign must be justified in and off itself. The Allies after all where the ones with the "moral high ground."

Radio Topics for August 14th

2007-08-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here is some of the topics Mike Powell and I will be discussing on air tomorrow. As always you can listen to us on 93.1FM or on the internet at www.ckcufm.com.

I realize that I've been a bad blogger and haven't posted much for a while. That will change now that I am back from vacation. Keep checking back or better yet add the RSS feed to your favourite feed reader.

The US Military just can't get the idea of a draft out of its collective heads.

Questions being raised regarding the HPV vacine, and surprisingly it comes from the left.

Cabinet shuffle speculation. I hear that Laureen Harper is going to be appointed to the senate and cabinet just to boost the number of female minister.

Canadian Bar Association calls for Khadr to be tried in Canada.

Quebec: Saving the enviroment one 20 cent plastic bag at a time.

Ottawa unveils a $612 million dollar transpo wishlist.

Nashville teen wanted for murder seeks refugee status in Canada.

I Talk About the White Stripes Again

2007-07-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

As pretty much everyone from Ottawa knows, The White Stripes played Bluesfest on Sunday night. I was at the show and due to a fantastic set by The Joel Plaskett Emergency wasn't close enough to catch Jack White's guitar pick when he threw it. Oh well, them's the breaks. Either way the show was fantastic. Here are my thoughts:

1) For a band that has adopted a minimalist aesthetic they had the most elaborate set so far at Bluesfest. Multiple levels, 6 microphones, 3 white amps, spotlights and even white dust that Jack could stir up while soloing. It was awesome!

2) For the first 45 minutes of the set he played old blues songs and threw in a few original blues tunes. He didn't play a single single or any song that anyone other than a real enthusiast would recognize. It didn't matter though, he held the audience's attention with ease. The sheer amount of sound that two people and two instruments can produce is absolutely astounding. While Jack White may not be the most technically proficient guitarist his ability to draw such an astounding array of sounds from one guitar and to make it engaging for the audience places him among the great guitar players of recent years.

3) All subsequent acts which seek to interpret old blues standards now have the bar set ridiculously high. Tonight The Steve Miller Band played a few old blues songs including "Crossroads" and despite having seven people on the stage it simply wasn't as much noise as The White Stripes. As Mike Powell said to me, "The standard of sound is now set. If Jack White can sound twice as good as you with 1/3 or fewer of the performers, you lose." White's ability to interpret blues music for a new generation is the same as what Eric Clapton did in the 60's. Other acts like Steve Miller and George Thuroughgood just sound lame by comparison.

I wonder what The White Stripes will do in Ottawa

2007-07-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

First they played a concert in a park in Whitehorse, now they play a concert on a bus in Winnipeg.

I really wonder what they are going to do in Ottawa. I think I'm going to try and e-mail him to see if him and Meg will play a gig in my garage.

Debate Musings

2007-06-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

I was driving the range cart at work today picking up golf balls as I sometimes do. The continual driving up and down a 250 yard field causes the thoughts to wander. During these wanderings I got to thinking about something which takes up a large portion of my year and has (happily)taken most of my first two years of university. I was of course thinking about debating! Here is my thoughts.

** Warning contains debate jargon and is most likely incomprehensible to 99% of readers**

I think the most overlooked and important aspect of debating and debater development is tactics/strategy. When developing new debaters, the focus is often on both developing a strong speaking style and developing the analytical skills needed to formulate arguments. However once a certain level has been reached these aspects stop making much of a difference.

In regards to speaking style there are obviously those who are charismatic speakers, people who can enthrall a room and there are those people who simply cannot. However, among all debaters who can be considered contenders, there is relative parity. While some may be funnier, some may be more dramatic, ultimately all can deliver their arguments in a manner that serves to keep the judge awake and taking notes. So long as they can do that without confusing the judge then their speaking style is effective. Realistically while jokes make an out round funnier, I have not seen a university debate in the past two years decided based upon style.

In terms of arguments and the related analytical skills required there is also relative parity. Most debate cases simply take a current news story and boil it down to a basic issue which as experienced debaters, they probably have already debated multiply times in different forms. The arguments are generally known by both sides and are simply played at the right time. Unless the person is a genius or extremely creative, the chances of coming up with a new and original argument are pretty small. Those rare few who can consistently do that are phenomenally successful but most people, myself definitely included, simply cannot think that far outside the box.

The combination of these two factors really make a debate like, as Ian Freeman, a fellow CUDS debater described it, a chess game. Everyone knows the basic pieces, what they do and how they will be initially played. The way to be successful within such an environment is to be original and creative within these set boundaries. This makes it extremely important to have a unified team. This is the part that is often overlooked. The two members of a team have to be able to make tactical decisions and stick with them. While both members could speak well and bring up good arguments, a disorganized team will most always lose. Most importantly decisions have to be made and followed. In a similar way in football the Qb calls the play and everyone follows it. I think that debaters have to be willing to allow one member of the team to make the decisions for the round and go with their call. The individual may disagree with the call but they should stick it out. If the person keeps making bad calls then change who makes the tactical decisions before the next round.

I think in order for newer debaters to reach a higher level they have to learn to make the decisions as a team and stick to it. Sometimes the wrong call is made and they learn from it. Debating is done in teams for a reason after all.

Radio Topics for June 19th

2007-06-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

As always, we are on the air from 7-930 on 93.1fm for those in Ottawa, CKCUfm.com for all the rest. This week Sebastian will be joining me on air as Mike is away. From 9:00 to 9:30am we'll be playing some tunes. Tune in every Tuesday!

Islamic group challenge Ottawa's "No-Fly" list because it is crazy.

Protesters in Halifax say they had to be violent to attract attention of media.

Talks regarding Western Sahara leaving Morocco. Imagine a country having a section of it want to leave.

New laws introduced by Quebec government to deal with the Dawson College tragedy.

Amnesty International targets Canada for abandoning Khadr.

Gay Bomb? What?

Review of Ottawa crack pipe program recommended.

War Museum exhibit, which questions the purpose of bombing Germany in WW2, is criticized by Senate Committee who demand the exhibit be changed.

Facebook used to halt teen's bush party.

Why Harper is right but still appears wrong

2007-06-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

The angry Dad is back at it again. This time with those rebellious children Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and their premiers Rodney McDowall(NS) and Danny Williams (NFLD). Both premiers are accusing Harper of passing a budget which violates the Atlantic Accord. The Atlantic Accord was signed under Paul Martin and promised that natural resource revenues wouldn't be included in the equalization formula. Harper has responded by threatening to sue Nova Scotia if they keep saying that he broke his promise. This probably isn't the most effective way of dealing with provinces seeing as when Harper started out his time in office he had four friendly Atlantic provinces. Due to electoral misfortune and the Conservatives actions he now has none. Saskatchewan is also pretty pissed off as well. Not the best way to handle provincial-federal relations.

All this being said, I think the idea of the Atlantic Accord and excluding natural resource royalty revenue from equalization payment calculations is a bad idea. In principle Harper is doing the right thing. In practice and in politics it is a whole other story. However lets look at the principle for now.

The first issue is even if natural resource royalties are included, the province still benefits just as they do with any other resource. It has never been explained why natural resources are any different than any other industry or resource. Natural resource extraction provides a large number of jobs and provides huge influxes of cash into the local economy. Citizens of said province gain employment, EI payments go down and with less people unemployed other issues relating to unemployment and poverty (such as crime) also begin to disappear. This not only increases the tax revenue that the province collects, it also decreases their expenditures. An example of this is Alberta. Even if all natural resource royalties were excluded from equalization payment calculations, Alberta would still be a "have" province paying into the system. The reason is their economy took off due to the influx of money from the oil industry. In a similar vein, Newfoundlands economic growth is being powered by oil and natural gas money.

The second issue is by exempting natural resource income is the province is then given a financial incentive to expand primary extraction capabilities while not being given the same incentive to expand secondary and tertiary industries which often are higher paying, higher skilled jobs. There is also an environmental problem associated with this as well. Natural resource extraction is extremely polluting and often results in huge emissions of CO2 and other harmful greenhouse gases. Look at the tar sands for proof of that.

The final issue issue is deals with two provinces make the other eight angry. Angry provinces cause problems. However breaking deals makes the provinces even angrier because now none of them think they can trust Ottawa.

New White Stipes Video

2007-05-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

From the title track of their album Icky Thump.

Enjoy!

Why Stories are better than orders

2007-05-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

In response to my post regarding he differences between Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II my friend Josh said, "I'll never forget seeing John Paul II spak at World Youth Day in Toronto; the way he dropped biblical verses made me interested in learning more about Christianity. People's opinions and behaviour are changed by stories, not orders."

This made me think of another post Josh made on his bog regarding the convincing power of stories. The link is here and it is to a video where National Geographic's resident explorer talks about the declining numbers of cultures in the ethnosphere. How does he convince us that this is a problem? He tells stories about people's cultures that will disappear. It works far better then commanding people.

The Joys and Frustrations of YouTube

2007-05-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

I've posted a couple of YouTube videos recently only to find out days later that they didn't post. While I think that I have been faithfully updating my blog, I find out that in reality nothing has been posted. I guess that I what I get for taking the lazy way out.

Anyway, in case it doesn't work, here is a really cool video by The Golden Dogs.

The Pope and Brazil

2007-05-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict the XVI is presently in Brazil. Brazil has the largest population of Roman Catholics in the world. It also has one of the fastest shrinking populations of Catholics in the world. I think I understand the reason for his visit now.

Anyway, beyond that he opened his visit with a mass in, what else, a soccer stadium in Sao Palo with a message for Brazil's youth. In the speech he spoke out against legalizing abortion and Brazil's free condom program. While there may well be a place for controversial moral teachings, a large public gathering is not one of them. By speaking about the evils of both abortion and condoms all the pope did was to help to further alienate more liberal Catholics from the church. If your mission is to help stem the defections from your church, issuing confrontational moral teachings isn't the way to do it.

John Paul The Second knew how to do it. Talk about God's love and the youth. Shake hands, kiss babies, appear in the papers and make everyone happy. By creating that positive energy you attract people to an institution that appears vibrant and lively. By taking your first public address and making it about sexual morality you appear old, authoritarian and defiantly not an organization that seems capable of dealing with the challenges of modern life. Leave the heavy-handed moral teachings for Rome, it works a lot better that way.

Why I like Catholic Schools

2007-04-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last week the Ottawa Public School Board voted in favour of Ontario adopting a two school board system, with one English language public board and one French language public board. In simple terms this means they voted to abolish the Catholic school board. Now beyond the hilarity of one board voting to abolish the other (Its like Ontario voting to abolish Quebec), I think it is worth looking at the Catholic school system and more broadly, faith based education in Ontario.

The current system of having two separate school systems is, I agree, problematic. However I don't think the answer to the problem is to simply eliminate the Catholic school system, rather I believe the answer is to adopt a model similar to that of Alberta. In the Alberta model if there is numbers to warrant it, any religious group can have their own publicly funded school. Under this model, if the Muslim community in Ottawa wants a school and they can demonstrate that they meet the required threshold for students then they receive their own school.

There are a few reasons why this model is a good idea. The first is that under the current system parents are allowed to determine what they value in a child's education. The public system currently provides options for children to attend gifted schools, arts schools and schools with excellent athletic facilities. The choice to send one's child to a school with a special program represents a choice regarding what elements of a child's education are important. In a similar way parents who feel that a religious education is important should be allowed to make that choice. The decision to send a child to an arts school is the same as the decision to send a child to a Catholic school. In the end I believe the state should support the maximum amount of choice in education.

The second reason is that the once religious schools are publicly funded the state can have greater control over what is taught within schools and the behaviour of staff. Currently private schools only have to follow the Ontario curriculum and beyond that are free to do as they choose. While this hasn't been a problem in Canada, in Britain there have been incidents of Islamic schools refusing to teach the Holocaust or the crusades. With state control, the government has greater ability to legislate what occurs within school and can prevent problems such as those that have occurred in the UK.

Finally, I am perfectly okay with Catholic schools (or any other religious school for that matter) only hiring practicing members of their faith. For many state jobs you have to accept certain beliefs in order to be hired. If my religion prevents me from teaching sex-ed, evolution or any other subject, then I can't be hired as a teacher. In a similar way if my religion prevents me from supporting same-sex marriage then I can't be a justice of the peace. I think that if you are going to teach in an institution dedicated to promoting certain values, you should believe in those values. If it is acceptable to discriminate on the basis of certain ideological beliefs then it is legitimate to discriminate on the basis of all ideological beliefs. Secular, liberal values are the same as religious values, they are beliefs and the state should treat them equally.

Close Encounters of the Wierd Kind

2007-04-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

In other news, Canadians sight over 700 UFO's this year.

And nobody had a camera to capture any of these sightings? I find that hard to believe.

If UFOs do exist I want to see one, because that would be cool. However the bigger question is, what do you do if you do see one? Report it and be considered a little odd by friends and relations? I don't think so.

Did everyone else attend the same Pandamonium Concert I did?

2007-04-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday April 4th, Buck 65, The Dears and Sam Roberts Band played a free show at the Civic Centre. The one condition on it being free was that you were a student at Carleton University or U of O. Instead of discussions regarding whether CUSA and SFUO should be using student money to do something like this, lets talk about the actual concert.

Buck 65 was awesome although he didn't play anything from Talkin' Honky Blues or Secret House Against the World which was a disappointment. That being said, he played mostly new songs which were quite good and makes me look forward to his new album (and the one after that). I think what was interesting about the performance is that it is simply Buck 65 and a set of turntables. This means most of the music is pre-recorded and he simply raps over the backing track and adds in the occasional scratch on the turntables. This leaves very little room for anything resembling improvisation and with it being only him on stage, there really isn't to much to watch. I question if the experience would have been that different if I had simply put a few of his discs on random and sat at home.

The Dears were great and it is a shame that the crowd on the floor wasn't into them. I'll let the video of a live performance speak for itself.

Sam Roberts Band was terrible... at least that is what I thought. The sound was bad, it was far to loud, the band was all over the place and any subtlety in songs like "Bridge to Nowhere" and "Mind Flood" was lost in trying to be loud and fast enough to get the college crowd to cheer. After seeing his performance at Bluefest, this doesn't compare what so ever. However then I talk to other people and they talked about how great the show was. Then this appears in the Ottawa Citizen today,

"For Roberts, it was a terrific night nonetheless, a chance to dig in and explore the groovier side of his tunes while enjoying a full complement of sound and light equipment. Unhurriedly, he and his band members wound through a setlist that not only included staples such as Brother Down and Where Have All The Good People Gone? but also breathed new life into Chemical City nuggets such as An American Draft Dodger in Thunder Bay and a spacey Mind Flood."

What?? What concert did I attend? It really seems like everyone was at a different one.

In the vien of very bad ideas

2007-03-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Comes this one.

"Hey guys, lets knock off a convenience store."

"Awesome, we can totally steal bus tickets. We'll be able to ride OC Transpo whenever we want for the rest of our lives."

"SWEET!"

2007-03-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Monday, March 12th was a good day for the second album in Neil Young's Achieve Series, Live At Massey Hall 1971, was released. The first recording in the series was released November 16th, 2006 and was a live recording of Neil Young and Crazy Horse playing at the Fillmore East in 1970. For the second album, the focus is radically shifted away from long, loud guitar solos and rock songs to contemplative songs performed solo by Young on either a piano or a guitar, there isn't even a harmonica to be heard.

This concert was recorded after the release of "After the Gold Rush" yet before the release of Harvest. After it was recorded David Briggs pressured for the release of this concert as a live album however due to the excitement generated by the sessions for Harvest, Young refused and instead pressed forward on the release of Harvest. The concert thus became, instead of a celebrated live album, a famous bootleg for over 35 years. It now has finally seen the light of day and the wait was well worth it.

The range of songs displayed in the show is quite expansive and contains many of the songs that would become part of his celebrated body of work. The songs played range from those written with Buffalo Springfield such as "On the Way Home" (rightfully sung by Neil), CSNY classic, "Helpless" and new songs written for the upcoming Harvest. It also features songs that would be slowly released throughout Young's career such as "Journey through the past" from Time Fades Away and "See the sky about to rain" from On The Beach. The real gem for Neil Young die-hards like myself is the release of two songs, "Love in Mind" and "Dance Dance Dance"* which up to this time remained unreleased.

The performances are generally of high quality and the highlights are extraordinary. His version of "Bad Fog of Loneliness " is stellar as is the foot stompin' "Dance Dance Dance". While it might be expected that certain songs such as "Down by The River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" would lose their effect without huge long instrumentals, the stark arrangement of the songs only serve to bring out their power. However this also doesn't work on all cases as certain clunky and awkward lyrics become more obvious with the sparse arrangements, such as on "Love in Mind" and "Journey Through the Past." Overall the biggest complaint that can be leveled against the record is the long spaces between songs as the crowd shows it's admiration or Young mumbles into the microphone. While the stage banter may have been hilarious (as shown by the crowds laughs) live in 1971, it is frequently incomprehensible on the record and only serves to slow the flow of the album. However if that is the worst criticism that can be leveled at it, then it isn't much of a detraction at all.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

*= This was recorded by Crazy Horse on their self-titled debut album.

In Response to Josh

2007-03-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

Josh responded to the Iran and Saudi Arabia post with the following:

"Too much is made of the supposed 'Sunni-Shia' divide. It's like saying that Muslims and Hindus don't get along. Certainly true if you live in particular parts of India, but inapplicable to the other 99% of the world. If the 'Sunni-Shia' divide weren't being accentuated by the politicization of religion in Iraq, then it would be no more serious than the Catholic-Protestant rift.

Do young people in Turkey care about the Shi'a or see them as different? No. I think that's illustrative."

I disagree with Josh on this one. While I do agree that the Sunni-Shia divide is accentuated by the politicization of religion in Iraq I do think the rift is real. If you read Robert Fisk's account of the Iran-Iraq war in his book The Great War for Civilization then you see how the other Sunni Arab countries come to the aid of Sadam and Iraq because he is Sunni. They allied against Iran because Iran was Shia. Also if you look in Lebanon during their civil war, many of the factions aligned themselves by religion: Christian, Shia, Sunni etc.

I response to the Turkish example I would say that Turkey has managed to create a national identity that transcends religious differences. This is something that other countries in the area have failed to do. I think the history of modern Turkey backs me up on this one.