Author: Dan Dickinson

Bonne journée

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Well, that was a good day. After the kind of work week(s) we’ve had it was nice to take a day to enjoy the sunshine, eat some good food, drink some good wine, get some stuff done and generally just coast through a day.

We were up relatively early, picked up some staples at St. Lawrence Market, grabbed (at Natalie MacLean’s recommendation) a 2007 Tricyclo Cab blend from Chile, warmed our insides at Hank’s, did some errands, had lunch at The Corner Place, got groceries, got my hair cut, threw out some junk, and then relaxed a bit before the evening got underway.

As if that weren’t enough, today was beautiful…sunny, almost warm and the first bright blue sky of the year. Doesn’t feel like spring yet, but it’s close. Desperately, lip-smackingly close. Tomorrow: 9° and sunny. Bring it.

Crazy shakes

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I had a lot to do. I was supposed to work out. 30 Rock was on. The apartment’s messy. I have stuff to read. The cats are (presumably) feeling neglected. I had all this to take care of and much more, and yet…

We had dinner at beerbistro. And a drink. Or two. And “two” might have been Delirium Tremens. Which might have been tasty.

Dear TTC

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Hey there Toronto Transit Commission. Meet me at camera two.

I love that you now have email alerts for service disruptions. I know now when a subway stops running so that I can avoid the station, stay at work, call a cab, etc. Been getting them for a couple of months now. Very helpful.

However, it would be just a tidge more helpful if you would also email when the disruption ends, so I know when I can start using your service again. For all I know these outages are lasting hours, or even days. Might want to keep us in the loop. Just a thought. Cheers.

"[A] false choice between sound science and moral values."

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Reading these words from a sitting American president is almost enough to restore my faith in…well, in American presidents.

“Promoting science isn’t just about providing resources, it is also about protecting free and open inquiry,” Mr. Obama said. “It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it’s inconvenient especially when it’s inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.”

Contrast that with George W. Bush’s words in 2001:

In recent weeks, we learned that scientists have created human embryos in test tubes solely to experiment on them. This is deeply troubling and a warning sign that should prompt all of us to think through these issues very carefully.

Embryonic stem cell research is at the leading edge of a series of moral hazards. The initial stem cell researcher was at first reluctant to begin his research, fearing it might be used for human cloning. Scientists have already cloned a sheep. Researchers are telling us the next step could be to clone human beings to create individual designer stem cells, essentially to grow another you, to be available in case you need another heart or lung or liver.

I strongly oppose human cloning, as do most Americans. We recoil at the idea of growing human beings for spare body parts or creating life for our convenience.

I’m not sure I could find a better example of progressive vs. conservative.

Evaluations

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The new Neko Case album is excellent. The new Alela Diane album is fantastic. The new Dan Auerbach album is pretty good, but the song “Heartbroken, In Disrepair” is kickass. Listen.

Watchmen (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was ok but not great. I didn’t read the comic so I can’t judge how well they translated the story, but I do know they forgot one cardinal rule: make it fit the medium. 2h43m was just too long…it’s hard to sustain interest and excitement over nearly three hours with a story that dense and jumpy.

Innis & Gunn oak-aged beer is very tasty indeed.

"This band's biggest problem is that they're not so much authentic as they're trying to indicate to you that they are authentic."

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This morning I finished reading Rock On: An Office Power Ballad (amazon) by Dan Kennedy. It’s Kennedy’s memoir of working in the music business, and the tragic hilarity (and crushing disillusionment) that followed. It’s a quick, entertaining read that will reinforce everything you probably already know about the “music” business, and corporate culture.

I’m recommending here that my brother Tim read it, because he will find it amusing, but also because Kennedy’s description of watching Iggy Pop live will probably resonate with someone who sees as many gigs as he does.

One final note: I’m very glad that in the book Kennedy makes fun of The Darkness. Atlantic was representing them at the time so there was much discussion over whether or not they were serious (they were) and how that could possibly be. As someone who hated that band just as much as I hated Nickelback or Creed, I enjoyed reading that chapter a great deal.

Next up: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

I couldn't C5 things on the menu that I wanted

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Last night five of us (it should’ve been six but one of our party took one — a kid’s fever, specifically — for the team) had dinner at C5. We had booked dinner with the intention of participating in the Crosstown Kitchens event Stop For Food, but when we arrived we were disappointed to find that, unlike Winterlicious, there was no choice in the courses. Since the lone price fixe menu option didn’t impress, the five of us opted for the regular menu. So much for going easy on the pocketbook.

The food we ordered from the regular menu was good, not great. The buffalo mozzarella amuse-bouche was excellent. My pork belly and calamari starter was decent…really, I’ve had better pork belly and the calamari may as well have been left out. My venison was quite good, and the other touches — sweet potato puree, beets, etc. — were delicious. Our wine — a Morgan Pinot Noir — was excellent. Nothing on the dessert list appealed so I passed. Nellie enjoyed her meal less than I did. I got the sense that our other dinner companions were up and down as well, and no one seemed blown away. I feel like what I had wasn’t the best that C5 had to offer, especially given that Toronto Life just ranked it the 10th best restaurant in the city, but compared to a recent visit to Nota Bene or yet another return trip to Canoe (which TorLife ranked #1 this year) it just doesn’t stack up.

However, in such pleasant company, the evening was still more than enjoyable. And the space, it should be noted, is spectacular. I would happily come here for drinks, especially if my other option in the immediate neighbourhood is Lobby.

But are we getting smarter?

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Statscan is a great site if you like poking your nose into Canadian demographic data (or just about anything else). Recently I wondered how the percentage of Canadians holding post-graduate degrees had increased in recent years. A few clicks later I found a summary table that I’ve condensed a little more below:

educationallevel1

Those are some pretty drastic changes in all levels of education over those fifteen years. The proportion of people earning bachelor’s degrees grew by 59%, as did those earning a doctorate. The proportion earning master’s degrees jumped 81%. Pretty remarkable. The drop in the group without high school diplomas is probably largely due to the death of those born before compulsory schooling laws like the Schools Administration Act came into effect.

Another summary table caught my eye: the educational level attained by farm operators. In 2006 7.4% of farmers held university degrees. In 2001 it was just 6.1%. Hard to say what it would have been in the mid-60s when my dad got his.

"I wanted the glory, I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls to come up and say, 'Hi, I see that you're good at Centipede.'"

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Last night I watched The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (imdb | rotten tomatoes), a documentary about…well, Donkey Kong. And it was amazing. That 97% rating on RT isn’t an aberration, folks. This was one of the best films I’ve seen in months.

Even if you didn’t play arcade games in the 80s (I was barely old enough to, though I never played Donkey Kong) you’ll find it entertaining. You’ll be amazed at this group of men who’ve achieved some kind of stasis, not really leaving the early 80s. More than that, though, it’s a great story. Interesting people, humour (intentional or not), douche-y villains and actual suspense. This probably would have made my top ten list in 2007 if I’d seen it in the theatre.

Rent it, or find it on TV. You’ll be glad you did.