Today was mother’s day, so I hope everyone who was supposed to call called. I heard from mine that her exciting plan today was to relax, have a cup of tea and maybe watch a DVD or two. Which, for a woman who doesn’t often sit still for long, is probably a nice mother’s day indeed.

It also happened to be brother #2’s birthday. Happy birthday, Picky.

I just got trapped by the Million Marijuana March. The parade of people walking down Bloor got turned onto Yonge just as I was about to cross it. I doubled back to the Manulife Center, crossed underground, and walked to the corner of Yonge & Bloor…and got there just as the last few people rounded the corner. Argh.

If I’d been smart I’d have just gotten into the parade and then jumped out when it got to my street. Oh well, I’m sick, I’m not at the top of my game. Besides, the way I was dressed (not to mention the way I look), I might’ve stood out a bit.

Forgot to mention that I’d watched The Take (imdb | rotten tomatoes) this week. Obviously it appealed to my ultra-lefty sensibilities, and it was interesting to see the other side of an notion which has been so forcefully presented to me throughout my commerce degree and MBA: that the World Bank and IMF are wonderful & benevolent bodies, and that unrestrained free market capitalism is a near-perfect model. Does it do more ood than harm? Perhaps. But Avi Lewis and Noami Klein, whose personal views were clear long before this movie was filmed, are intent on showing us the harm. And they should; it’s a failing of academia that people are considered part of the system, and the harmful impact on the unfortunates who fall through the gaps in the system should be front and centre in the minds of everyone involved in making monetary decisions. Too often, though, those decisions are being made by rich, greedy men in palaces and luxurious hotels.

Last night I watched I Heart Huckabees (imdb | rotten tomatoes), a movie so weird that it made last weekend’s screening of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy seem straightforward. I didn’t hate it, but I’m fairly certain that I didn’t much like it either. It’s pretty much the first movie that I’ve seen aim for “ironically deep” and end up with “cutesy”. Unless you go out of your way to watch movies which you think other people won’t like, so that you can sneer and mock and nattering masses for “not getting it”, don’t bother.

Guh. This cold isn’t just persisting, it’s picking up speed. I’m completely stuffed up, I have a wicked sinus headache, my throat is killing me, I have the cold sweats and I’m exhausted all the time. And yet, it’s my wife who’s still in bed. The girl likes her sleep.

I want to get out and do some things today, but I don’t know how much energy I can muster. And I can’t go three minutes without needing a kleenex.

The first reviews for Episode III are starting to roll in to Rotten Tomatoes. Everything I’ve read, the trailers, what I know of the storyline…it all makes me think I’ll love it, but I’ve been fooled before.

Alls I know is, wookies are better than ewoks.

I know this isn’t exactly big news, but…is this the first time we’ve seen Dilbert’s mouth?

Canadian CEOs: hypocrites?

[via]

Am I the only one out there who didn’t know about the kind of bands that Austin City Limits regularly plays? I mean, look at the 2005 festival lineup!

Coldplay, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Buddy Guy, Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, Bob Mould, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Sleater-Kinney, Kasabian, Keane, The Doves, The Black Keys, The Walkmen, Rilo Kiley, Spoon, The Decemberists, The Fiery Furnaces, The Futureheads, Kathleen Edwards, M83, Tegan and Sara, The Ditty Bops, Ambulance Ltd, etc., etc.

The only time I heard about Austin City Limits is when my uncle would talk about seeing the Del McCoury band (or some other bluegrass act) on the show. I had no idea.

Via Largehearted Boy.

Hollywood broke revenue records this year. [via] And yet, I’m still made to feel guilty by stuntmen before my movies start, despite never having downloaded one. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: take a million dollars away from Vin Diesel’s next contract and give 20 of your stunt actors & camera crews $50,000 bonuses. Maybe that way your movies won”t be leaked by your own people. [via]