"GO TERRY GO" - A Sign Post To Follow

I was driving my kids home from school the other day and I saw a young girl on the street walking with her mother, holding hands, skipping and carrying a home made sign that in large crayon block letters said "Go Terry Go". It was evident that this young girl, like thousands of other school children that day, had learned about the legacy of Terry Fox.

My six year old son had also finished the Terry Fox Run that day as well and he proudly announced what he had learned , that Terry Fox was "a man with a robot leg who helped lots of people" and that "he died a long time a go". He burned bright in my son's imagination as a new hero to discover, someone who did something so amazing as to warrant not only a class room discussion and video, but a school wide run done in his name.

I momentarily flash back to my own childhood. I remembered that my older sister and her friends flocked with 100's of other folks to go see Terry Fox run by our community during his Marathon of Hope. People screamed and cried when they saw him, as if he was a pop star or a famous actor. But no, he was something better.

Terry Fox permeated my young consciousness as well, though I wasn't old enough to appreciate what he was trying to accomplish at the time. I remember playing with a friend, and upon finding a one legged action figure in my collection, we made him run circles around the front lawn, complete with an improvised theme song that we made to accompany his journey.

So flash forward 27 years and here I am with my own children on a brilliant Fall day, the windows open in the car so I can breath in deeply the crisp and cool air. Just like the low hanging Autumn sun on the horizon, the multi-coloured words "Go Terry Go" written by a child burn brightly in my mind as I drive past, like a sign post that holds so many wonderful associations and points to something that is inherently good and worthy of admiration.

It reminds me that as humans, despite our stupidity, brokenness, and self-centeredness we can shine brightly as well, especially when we let go of our own pain, and run directly into the blazing horizon, blinded but filled with hope.

Thank you Terry!

DOUGLAS COUPLAND'S "50 BOOKS I HAVE READ MORE THAN ONCE"

I have always loved the physical sensation of leafing through a new book. The smell, the crackling of new binding, the texture of the over leaf are all an essential experience before I even begin to read. For me there is a physical relationship with books that is inextricably linked to their enjoyment.

No one knows this better than Douglas Coupland, whose background as a visual artist has made many of his own novels have their own unique design elements that are not superfluous in any way to the written content. With his latest installation "50 Books I have Read More Than Once" Coupland has taken his enjoyment of books and transformed them into a concrete entity that explores the physical manifestation of his love of good books.

The covers of these beloved books have been pasted to the end of wooden blocks, all of varying length and size. There is also a direct correlation between the books that impacted him the most, and the size of the block they are attached to. The completed pieces placed together form a larger structure that provides a physical form to his own reading history and how his imagination has been shaped.

According to Coupland, the piece provides "a methodology that would allow viewers to visualize the structure of their own bibliographic histories - no two of which are ever identical". He has also commented that asking which books one has read repeatedly is often a more honest indicator than the "desert island" question of essential books, which usually just becomes a method for establishing one's intellectual credibility.

Douglas Coupland's installation is on display at the Simon Fraser University Gallery until October 20, 2007.

ONE OF MY PICKS

One of the books that would place a high ranking in my sculpture would be "The Dictionary of Imaginary Places", a collection edited by Alberto Manguel & Gianna Guadalupi, originally published in 1980. My first edition hardcover commands a place of prominence in my library and has a strong physical presence; it is large, thick, and weighs a fair bit. Its not a book you lug around, and bringing it out is an event that requires the appropriate setting for perusal, as well as a certain degree of reverence when doing so.

It is full of fantastic maps, drawings and factual descriptions of various imaginary places as taken from many famous pieces of literature. It is wonderful because you can just flip through it and read a few entries as desired, or simply explore many of the maps or drawings of various imaginary kingdoms, countries or buildings. The map of the land of Oz is particularly delightful and well researched.

The smell, shape and texture of this book has become an old friend. I couldn't conceive of reading another edition of this book, as it just wouldn't be the same. Even when it sits idly on my shelf it is a physical reminder of the many other books that have shaped my imagination, a key that can open doors to many magical places.

I would mount it on a massive block and put it in a place of high prominence on my equivalent sculpture, alongside many other books, filled with poems, art, wild stories, polemics, biographies, all forming a rich and textured landscape of my always evolving and expanding imagination. It would form a map in its own right, never static and always growing.

HARD TIMES FOR BARBIE & HER FRIENDS (more ranting about the global economy)

INSIPID GREED INDUCED GROVELING FROM MATTEL.

This image, taken from the infamous and well circulated Barbie science fair project, is a great visual metaphor for the state of the toy industry and the far reaching consequences of the global economy. It seems we are all getting burned by the desire to uphold the bottom line, and as a result of our endless consumption of cheap products manufactured overseas. The jury is now out!

In many ways, life used to be so much simpler for Barbie and her cohorts; the Malibu beach parties, the yacht rides with Ken, going for adventures in the camper, it was all innocent fun and we bought these toys and others without any further thought for a few generations.

Now it seems that Barbie's makers are sucking up to the great wall of Chinese commerce, humbly admitting the folly of their "design standards" and their own role in making crappy plastic toys. Wasn't Mattel CEO Robert A. Eckert just shrugging it all off last month when Mattel's toys were recalled due to high levels of lead paint, saying that "no system is perfect" . It now seems that Mattel is giving lip service to having some corporate responsibility in all of this, not over concerns about the best interests of children, but in order to appease China and preserve their pool of flexible and cheap labour.

What is missing is any meaningful discourse regarding the negative consequences of the global economy in the context of this story. On a simplistic level I would phrase it as "you get what you pay for". Basically, when you outsource and sub-contract out to the lowest bidder to manufacture your product, what else do you expect? Design flaw or not, the flurry of toy recalls are a natural consequence of companies like Mattel that are far removed from any form of meaningful production.

They are ready to increase their profit margins on the back of cheap Chinese labour, though there is an unwillingness to examine the entire practice of outsourcing to begin with and whether this is in the best interest of the those who purchase or play with their products . Like many other companies, Mattel is so dependent on cheap foreign labour that it seems to cloud their judgement, and they have no other choice than to play nice to China, otherwise increased taxes or levies would hurt their bottom line.

Its time to demand something better. Not just in terms of quality of toys, but in terms of the ethics around how we do business and what we personally choose to consume . As history has taught us change will only occur if it is consumer driven. We need to demand something better, and if the big companies won't listen then we need to seek out the smaller companies that have a vested interest in pursuing more ethical business and manufacturing processes.

In light of my rant, and out of a desire to be proactive, I want to compile a list of more ethical companies that we can choose as an alternative to the bottom feeders at Mattel. Any suggestions out there would be highly appreciated. I don't want to get burned again, and poor Barbie it seems is in need of a pardon.

INSTANT LOGOS & OJ SIMPSON THEME MUSIC

Who's the one to decide that it would be alright To put the music behind the news tonight Jack Johnson - "The News"

I wonder how long it took the folks at Fox News or CNN to come up with a logo and theme music for the latest round of alleged criminal exploits of OJ Simpson? Probably faster than you can say "amusing ourselves to death".

According to Bob Cesca at The Huffington Post, Fox News had an over sized "FOX News Alert" logo on the screen that was a ubiquitous entity throughout the day this story broke, making it virtually "unwatchable". CNN's Nancy Grace and her rotating band of "experts" and pop psychologists must have already tried and convicted him within hours, based on that "guilty look" on his face.

Cesca's article is great, putting the "breaking" OJ news in the context of another, less significant story that was released that day; that record amounts of sea ice loss has opened up the Northwest Passage sooner than expected. He playfully asserts that perhaps if OJ was had stolen the Arctic ice, than maybe there would have been some better coverage of this non-event.

I for one am glad that the alleged criminal exploits of Mr. Simpson are framed as "breaking news", as this must mean that crime in general has dropped dramatically, and therefore this anomalous event warrants such intense scrutiny. I mean, it's not like there are thousands of crimes being committed elsewhere on a daily basis by any number of anonymous people.

Please tell me this is so, as I am craving some hope and I am still hiding my head in the sand from the increasingly depressing situation in Iraq. If you are not sure what I am referring to, its the type of news the networks are occasionally obliged to report on in between the latest celebrity mishap du jour. In many ways I wish Neil Postman were still around. In light of OJ trumping the arctic sea ice story he could pen an update to his classic book, titling it "Amusing Ourselves Into Extinction".

I knew there was a reason that my TV has been off lately. Long live the Blogosphere! At least there we are engaged in some meaningful dialogue, with minimal commercial interruption. Even better, I can create my own theme music!

BOOK BLOGGING: DYLAN'S CHRONICLES - part 2

KEEPING A "CLOSE EYE" ON WORDS THAT GRAB YOU.

It is priceless to read Bob Dylan's ruminations on the music and words that inspired him and shaped his universe. During a portion of his memoir where he is reflecting on making the album "Oh Mercy" he comments that his own song "Man in the Long Black Coat" was his equivalent of "I Walk the Line". Here are his words describing the impact this Johnny Cash classic had on him;

He sounds like he's at the edge of the fire, or in the deep snow, or in a ghostly forest, the coolness of conscious obvious strength, full tilt and vibrant with danger. "I keep a close watch on this heart of mine" Indeed. I must have recited those lines to myself a million times... Words that were the rule of law and backed by the power of God... it sounded like a voice calling out, "What are you doing there, boy?" I was trying to keep my eyes wide open to.

"I keep a close eye on this heart of mine". To me, one of the best opening lines to a song ever. It captured my imagination as a child hearing Cash's music on my dad's radio, and even more so as an adult when I rediscovered it. The power of a few simple words sung by a soul with a preacher's conviction.

Its difficult and perhaps unnecessary to over-analyze something that operates on a spiritual level like this. If I had to describe what it means to me I would say that is in a similar vein as Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel No. 2 where he laments being one of those "oppressed by the figures of beauty" . Perhaps one does need to keep a "close eye", letting the heart wander where it may is dangerous business.

A line from a more recent song that has come close to having the same impact is from "Hold On, Hold On" by Neko Case; "The most tender place in my heart is for strangers/ I know its unkind but my own love is much too dangerous" A haunting song, and these tragic & beautiful words have definitely taken a hold on me.

For me lines like these are snapshots, fleeting shadows that capture truth and offer a brief glimpse of a larger reality. They reference a place that exists just outside of your peripheral vision. A place that is always present, though rarely seen. Good music or poetry is a key that expands your vision and opens new doors. This was certainly the case for Dylan.

Its magical stuff reading Dylan's musings on the forces of life that shaped his identity. Its a powerful and life altering force having words or music become embedded in our mental landscape, forever altering our personal geography and giving it a dynamic new form. After a while they cannot be separated and simply become a part of who we are.

(Note: Here's the link for my first posting on Dylan's Chronicles)

BEING PART OF A VIBRANT CANVASS

A LATE SUMMER FOREST ADVENTURE...

Yesterday we stepped away from the blinking screens, away from the endless array of chores and projects related to family life and retreated to the forest. Only a few minutes from where we live, Mahon Park is a little oasis tucked away near a local high school and sports field. It is a remnant of a once larger forest that in recent years has been revitalised by the local community. This 26 hectare trail is a magical place for my kids, just big enough for a 4 & 6 year old to feel like they can successfully complete a hike. They both lit up when I discussed the possibility of going on a "forest adventure".

We were all feeling a little lethargic, grumpy and tired from our busy week, though interestingly my boys became energized as soon as we got into the forest. The late summer sunshine had difficulty penetrating the forest canopy, and it was cool and refreshing throughout the trail. The boys ran ahead, unafraid and self-assured that around each corner there would be a new discovery to tell us about. My 5 month old daughter even started to giggle uncontrollably from her stroller, transfixed by the pockets of light beaming through the tall trees.

Harrowing tales of trolls and bears dominated our conversation. We would take turns running ahead, hiding behind a large tree stump or rock around the corner, ready to jump and play tricks on the rest of our little crew. It was a safe place to let imaginations run wild. This to me is a moment where we are all connected, content just to be together in the presence of immense beauty.

In light of all this, I have been wondering, and perhaps worrying about how to instill certain values in my children. In an age defined by increasing environmental degradation how does one instill a sense of hope, or a belief in the inherent goodness of this world? It dawned on me that to a degree part of the solution is to allow the forest to become inextricably linked to my children's imaginations, another place to dream, play and feel part of the larger world.

To them it is a vibrant canvass, filled with something new every time they attend to it. They add to its beauty, and are inextricably linked to it. Therein lies the truth, they are all entwined; their laughter, gasps of wonder, the breeze and the sound of swaying leaves, the pockets of light that travel through the forest roof and gleam in their eyes - there is no separation, they are all part of the same world. All connected, all as one, all worth protecting.

BACK AS BLACK (Welcome Back Black Francis)

SOME FIRST IMPRESSIONS WHILE LISTENING TO "BLUEFINGER" BY BLACK FRANCIS

Today, a big welcome back to Black Francis (aka Frank Black). The endlessly cheeky auteur returns to his Pixies-era moniker, stating that "I couldn't get the Pixies back into a studio, but I would transform into my alter ego of yesteryear."

His new album (out as of Tuesday) is called Bluefinger, and is a tribute of sorts to the late Dutch artist Herman Brood. After only one listen I am impressed with the energy, wit and vitality of this album. Leave it to Frank to blatantly and unapologetically make a record that flaunts his passion for his own offbeat muse.

The opening track "Captain Pasty" is a slightly muted, though raucous number that immediately goes for the jugular. Playful lyrics also abound. On "Tight Black Rubber" he bellows "I'm all killer, no filler" and "Mary had a little lamb, the shit was pure as snow". Throw on some backing vocals from Kim Deal and this track would easily fit alongside many Pixies classics.

"Angels Come To Comfort You" is a jaunty number that chugs along as Francis sings about Brood's final days, referencing the hotel that Brood died in; "Now the Hilton hotel in Amsterdam/Good enough for John & Yoko man/Now you got the key to #902/Angels come to comfort you". The song ends with Ambulance sirens as the guitar slowly fades out.

The artist formerly known as Frank Black has had a prolific and varied post-Pixies output, and the increasingly slight odds of new material with his old band should not be cause for concern in light of what he is obviously capable of producing himself.

Needless to say, I am having a helluva lot of fun listening to this record so far. It was a much needed boost of hope today. One constant for me over the years is that records still have the power to make me giddy, excitable and believe in the transcendent power of art. I am not sure that a good rock record can save your soul, but it can certainly elevate it. Thanks Frank... er Francis, I mean Mr. Black.....

ALBUM REVIEW - The New Pornographers "Challengers"

Alongside Douglas Coupland, great sushi, and a breath taking never-ending springtime, The New Pornographers in my mind have always been one of the best things to be spawned from Vancouver. Like the city itself, they are an enigma that are hard to pin down. The music made by this talented collective defies easy labeling. After four albums they continue to thrill and perplex with their ability to craft complex pop masterpieces, the type of songs that have that rare ability to get stuck in your head while at the same time being somewhat indecipherable.

This album continues in this tradition, albeit in a slightly more subdued manner than its predecessors. The opening track "My Rights Versus Yours" starts of with the gentle vocal ramblings from A.C. Newman backed by subtle harmonies from Neko Case, building into a mid tempo number full of images such as "the truth in one free afternoon" and a "new empire in rags", which seems to be snapshots of a relationship that reaches a melting point and is forever altered. Lyrically this is more of a string of imagery than a coherent narrative, and could easily be the quintessential post-modern break-up song.

"The Old Showstoppers" sounds like traditional fare from the band full of the usual multiple vocal layers and a gradual build up. Strangely, the title track "Challengers" could almost pass as one of Neko Case's solo tracks, though there is more vocal restraint here. The moody and slow moving base line and complimentary banjo adds to the somber and dream-like state of this song about two people seemingly having to leave part of their lives behind and become "the challengers of the unknown".

"Myriad Harbour" & "All The Things That Go To Make Heaven & Earth" are more traditional Pornographers fare, with the former literally being a conversation among band members and the later being the type of manic punchy number that would have normally surfaced earlier on their past albums, complete with the type of chirpy backing keyboards that have made some of their past songs so endearing and playful.

"Failsafe" is a catchy and sleepy number complete with "How Soon Is Now" inspired vibrato from start to finish. Admittedly, the mid point track "Unguided" sucks some of the momentum away from the album and lost me a little, and at six and half minutes seems out of place in light of the bands usual flare for short perky bursts of brilliance.

From my vantage point the second last track "Adventures in Solitude" would have also made an appropriate title for the album, with its mellow strings, piano and chorus of "we thought we lost you.. welcome back". In many ways this album is a sort of adventure for the band, perhaps consciously shedding some of their power-pop inklings in favour of more melodic and subtle fare.

This is a forgivable and understandable foray for the band on their fourth outing, they are all credible musicians and artists in their own right and sometimes exercising more restraint is a necessary step. I do have to admit though that what has made the band so appealing to me in the past is their penchant for crafting the type songs that bounce around in your skull and eventually stick there like dense, sweet and sticky cotton candy. Some of those moments are here, though the sugar quota has been reduced slightly, and I suppose that this is necessary at times in order to prevent decay.

OUR OWN BRONZED APHRODITE?

Artist Marc Quinn, who has already modelled a number of Kate Moss sculptures has recently enlarged one of his previous works into a 3 meter high bronze version. This yoga posed statue of the super-model will be on display this month at Chatsworth House in the UK. It would indeed be a surreal vision to see a contorted version of this iconic figure overlooking the English countryside.

Perhaps a 1000 years from now some new civilization will scour through our ruins, find this statue and think she was some sort of goddess that we worshiped. Not far from the truth really, the cult of celebrity has reached nauseating proportions. It is a form of worship for some. Quin himself did refer to Moss as the "Aphrodite of our age", so for better of worse this would seem appropriate.

Is the cocaine snorting super-model really a mirror that reflects the "spirit if our age" as exclaimed by the artist? Is she a symbolic manifestation of our own twisted, contorted version of beauty and what we all aspire towards? I wonder who else we would place in our early 21st century Parthenon? Even more compelling, what does this say about us as a society and our collective longings? I think this one is worth pondering further.

JOY DIVISION SNEAKERS (going for a jog with an iconic pulsar)

This one has been circulating for a while, though it fits in with my last posting/rant regarding the over-commercialization of all things New Order. Recently its appears that New Balance has come out with a line of sneakers to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Joy Division.

The iconic image of the pulsar from the Unknown Pleasures album decorates these sneakers. For me, nothing says "I want go out for a jog" more than a pair of sneakers adorned by something that has since become a symbol of Ian Curtis' painful descent into oblivion..

Thankfully, the Ian Curtis biopic "Control" is coming out shortly to help me remember why Joy Division , and (to a lesser degree) New Order, were so important to me in the first place. I have heard that the film is more focused on Curtis' relationship with his wife Deborah than his music, though still, it will be good for my soul to remember that well before the tacky merch there was a unique & bold band that made fresh, haunting and visceral music.

Though Joy Division isn't exactly inspirational work-out music, just for the heck of it I think I will throw on the classic track "Isolation" on my IPod next time I go for a run, and I will wear my plain, angst-free grey sneakers. I would prefer to have the image of the dying star present in my imagination, rather than on the soles of my sneakers, where it will eventually rub off after continual exposure to friction anyways. The version in my mind will never get worn down.

ADD IMITATES LIFE (or, my growing frustration with having to hear my favourite youthful anthems used to sell crap)

I was going to do a piece (or rant basically) regarding the over commercialization of one of my favourite nostalgia inducing bands, New Order. As if using the seminal club anthem Blue Monday to sell Mars Bars wasn't bad enough, I reached my boiling point after a recent add for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that uses another classic, Bizarre Love Triangle.

As part of my research I went to the New Order site and noticed that recent feuding between Bernard Sumner & Peter Hook has pretty well eliminated the possibility of there being another album this century.

Strangely - the tag line for the Reese's add states that "peanut butter still talks to Jelly, but their relationship is very strained". OK, how bizarre is that? I think that Peter Hook would have to be the peanut butter in this case, after his rather nutty slagging of the band and announcement of their breakup on his blog.

I guess we'll be hearing more New Order songs in TV adds, the proceeds from which will likely be used to finance lawyers for the inevitable ensuing court battle. What a tragic end.

Rest in peace old chums - you saved my soul during many an otherwise horrible high school dance, so I can almost forgive you for hawking mass-produced, obesity inducing sweets....

A FRIEND HAIKU'D!

Looks like my dear friend Robyn Bright has been haiku'd too! I am especially intrigued that both of our stories relate to rather other-worldy birds that suddenly and briefly swoop into our lives, creating fleeting and beautiful magic. What does this say about us both? I do know that we are both prone to flights of fancy, though I am not sure what we have done to deserve these precious encounters. Perhaps they are just gifts, little reminders of the larger forces of life that we are connected with. (Here's the link to my Haiku, & Robyn's Haiku)

I have actually been studying, reading and writing Haiku for the last month and have been contemplating a Haiku related project myself. To me, the beauty of Haiku is the discipline of being in the moment, of staying tuned to each passing second and the poetry that exists when I am attentive to the world around me and not driven to distraction (as per usual). For me it is about pulling my head up, looking around and finally breathing....

NOTE: I am also now on a mission to have all my friends "haiku'd" by the fine folks at Haiku For You!

Also of note - staying on the bird theme, Robyn is part of a fine musical ensemble known as Cockatoo. If you can't get a mystical bird to swoop into your day, then at least allow their music to do the same!

September's here.....

The sun shines high above

The sounds of laughter,

The birds swoop down upon

The crosses of old grey churches,

We say that we’re in love

While secretly wishing for rain,

Sipping coke and playing games

September’s here again...

-David Sylvian (1987)-