Category: News

First rule of order: no more tuna

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

No matter how shitty a day you have — and believe me, I had a shitty day — these two things can make it a little bit better:  “No Pussy Blues” by Grinderman and a little lolcat action.

.:.

Man alive, it’s hard to function without your thumb. Buttoning a shirt, signing your name, tying your freaking shoes…all nigh unto impossible. Seriously, I’m convinced that our development of opposable digits is the only thing that’s keeping us in control of the planet right now. If dolphins (or even Jack Russell terriers) ever get thumbs, we are in serious trouble.

I, for one, welcome our delphinine overlords.

.:.

Britain has asked Israel to re-open the case of James Miller, a reporter who was shot by an Israeli officer while filming in Gaza four years ago. I blogged about this three years ago after watching a documentary about Miller on the first anniversary of his death. It was one more tragic story from a region rife with them. This appeal will surely cause an outcry in Israel, but one has to admire Britain’s doggedness in seeking justice for one of her citizens.

[tags]grinderman, lolcat, opposable digits, james miller[/tags]

The good, the bad and the criminally dumbass

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

We saw The Bourne Ultimatum (imdb | rotten tomatoes) last night after work. It was really, really good. Almost surprisingly so, considering it’s a spy/action movie. Probably the best of the three films, in my opinion. It echoed the second film and retraced an important theme from the first. There was subtlety and subtext to go along with the fight sequences and super-agent stuff. It was well-paced and well shot (I like Paul Greengrass’ hand-held style). Great cast too.

Well worth your ticket price…and with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes I guess I’m not the only one who thinks so.

.:.

At the other end of the film spectrum we find Bratz (imdb | rotten tomatoes) which is moving at a 9% clip on RT and inspired the following analysis:

“This is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. I’ll go as far as to call it one of the worst movies anyone’s ever seen. Bratz is one the worst movies a stillborn chicken in Peru has ever seen.” [Cinematical]

“But if your daughter feels far too good about herself or has bought into all this ‘It’s what’s on the inside that counts’ bullshit, then you not only owe it to your daughter to take her to this, but you owe it to the 20 or so guys that in ten years will be tagging her while she lies face first in a puddle of her own vomit. These girls don’t make themselves. They need your help, Dad. They need Bratz.” [Ain’t It Cool News]

“If you ever wanted a movie to put in the time capsule so future generations can puzzle over the bankruptcy of our current kiddie culture, Bratz is it.” [Boston Globe]

.:.

Let me give you an example of a big reason I wanted to move away from small-town Nova Scotia. This CBC News story is about a town very close to where I grew up.

Truro won’t be flying a rainbow-coloured flag at the town hall to support gay pride activities, unlike two other nearby Nova Scotia municipalities.

…

Council voted 6-1 against raising the flag to coincide with next week’s gay pride activities in Pictou County. Mayor Bill Mills is standing by the vote, saying, as a Christian, he simply could not support the request. “God says I’m not in favour of that and I have to look at it and say, I guess I’m not either,” Mills said.

The mayor said gays and lesbians already have equal opportunities and work and pension benefits, so he wonders what else they’re fighting for. By raising the rainbow flag, he added, that might open the door for other groups. “If I have a group of people that says pedophiles should have rights, do we raise their flag too? I don’t want to lump them in with homosexuals, but that’s the point, the issues, and that’s my feeling.”

Wow. That is some well-thought-out shit right there. He wonders what else they’re fighting for? How about a mayor who doesn’t imply they’re sexual deviants? Pedophile flags? Pedophilia’s illegal, you idiot. Although, it does raise the question: what kind of equality flag would homophobic public officials fly?

For every reason I love my home province, there’s some jackhole troglodyte like Bill Mills to remind me why I can’t move back yet.

[tags]bourne ultimatum, bratz, truro, mayor bill mills[/tags]

A song will lift as the mainsail shifts

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

That lovely shawl you see up there is, in fact, my new cast. Pretty, no? I didn’t have a choice of colours, so they gave me the clown motif. I’m thinking I’ll need to cover that up.

Good news, though: I should only have to wear it for four weeks, not six or more. It’s also far more comfortable than that blasted splint (so far, anyway) and gives me more use of my fingers…though my thumb is basically useless now. And you know what’s hard to do sans thumb? Tying your shoes. Try it tomorrow. You’ll curse like you’ve never cursed before.

.:.

Quick hits:

  • MC Rove is hiding behind his mommy’s skirts.
  • Irish singer Tommy Makem died. I know very little of Tommy Makem, only that he was a singer and that he performed a beautiful rendition (along with the Clancy Brothers) of “When The Ship Comes In” at Bob Dylan’s 30th anniversary concert several years ago. If you haven’t heard it, you really should. There’s nothing quite like a protest song sung by old Irish men.
  • I want a pair of Joe’s new running shoes. Wish I’d thought of that before my birthday…

[tags]broken wrist, gaudy cast, karl rove, tommy makem, saucony[/tags]

How ironic…the one time I want to punch somebody…

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I am not a happy man. Nor am I fully functional. While playing basketball tonight, some fuckwit, some asshat we don’t even know or like or want to play with, he does his signature move: he runs into me at full tilt, shoulder first. I go flying (230 pound guys do not fly readily, so you can imagine how hard this smacktard hit me) and land awkwardly on my wrist. I get up and swear at him a bit but keep playing, thinking I just jammed it. After a few seconds, though, I can tell this isn’t just a jam. I can’t dribble the ball. It’s hurt. I get the ball and I’m open so I take the shot. It goes in, but my wrist goes from numbness to searing pain. It’s hurt bad.

I can’t bear the thought of losing or letting this twat think he knocked me out of the game, so I finish, playing with one hand. Playing badly. To make this guy just a little bit more of a shitbag, he won’t play defense…he just cherry picks. So I hang back on offense to guard against that, and make sure to bump him a few times whenever possible. My team picks it up and we win the game. I get my bag and leave. My wrist is swollen as hell. I can’t even open my bottle to pour some cold water on it. Frosty kindly gives me a ride to a major intersection where I can catch a cab. Even getting myself and my gym bag into a taxi using only my left hand is a chore.

Now, as I (very, very slowly) type this with my left hand, my right hand is stuck at a 30 degree angle, pointing toward the floor. Moving a finger hurts. I can’t even pick up my Blackberry, let alone hold it. It’s probably not broken, but it’s clearly not functional. Obviously this is not my summer. I need to find a cave.

The worst part is that I wanted to tell this fuck not to play. We all did. None of us wanted him there, but we were all too nice to say it. If I’d said it my wrist would be fine. So let that be a lesson to you, kids. Never be afraid to tell an asshole that he’s an asshole.

.:.

On a sunnier note, my feeds tonight produced excellent examples of irony, balls, wit and whimsy.

And now, back to the pain. ‘Night, everybody.

[tags]wrist injury, basketball, polyps, darjeeling limited[/tags]

Mad dogs and religious men

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Two troubling things in the news today:

First, Ontario conservative party leader John Tory wants to fund religious schools.

Taxpayers should fund Islamic, Hindu, Jewish and other faith-based schools just like public and Catholic ones, Opposition Leader John Tory says.

If I thought there was any more to this than shameless pandering for votes I’d be concerned. The trouble is, it’s hard to justify not having an Islamic or Hindu school system as long as the senseless Catholic school system still exists. If no Catholic school board existed, the Ontario government could simply fall back on rationality and common sense; as it is, they look like hypocrites.

Second, the Michael Vick situation. For those who don’t know the story, Vick — star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons — has been indicted on dogfighting charges. The ensuing backlash against Vick has been fierce, from protesters outside Falcons headquarters to the NFL commissioner barring Vick from training camp.

Now, it’s no secret I’m an animal lover. The idea of dogfighting turns my stomach. If Michael Vick is found guilty of this, then I hope they hang him by his thumbs and leave him to rot in prison. But…he hasn’t been found guilty. He’s been indicted, and while the evidence seems damning, no verdict has been handed down. Until then, Michael Vick is innocent. PETA, who I usually support pretty strongly, is getting a little ahead of itself here:

The NFL said Vick would be continue to be paid. PETA took issue with that policy. “Vick should not be paid to sit at home and work on his defense,” the organization said.

In fact, that’s exactly what he should be paid to do. You can’t terminate someone because of accusations or trials. You terminate him if he’s found guilty. And if that happens, every last penny of his hard-earned money should be donated to animal shelters. Vick won’t need it behind bars.

[tags]john tory, religious schools, michael vick, PETA[/tags]

Happy Canada Day!

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

What a nice weekend so far. Yesterday Nellie and I slept in a bit, then got up and went back to our old neighbourhood to have some breakfast at Eggstasy and buy some new a/v-related furniture (stands for my side & rear channel speakers, and a new TV/component stand) at Bay Bloor. It was a beautiful day, and one of the first we’ve had in a long time to just spend at our leisure. We ran a few more errands, chilled at home for a bit and went to Fieramosca for dinner with Nellie’s mom and her boyfriend. When we got home the full moon and the wind created an amazing effect on the lake, so we sat outside (despite the cold wind) before heading to bed.

Slept in once again this morning before finding some brunch at the Irish Embassy — I was craving fish and chips, of all things — and saying goodbye to Nellie’s mom. Since then we’ve been trying to muster the energy to finish putting together the TV stand and set it all up, but have been unsuccessful so far.

.:.

According to Gothamist, the Copacabana is closing. This truly is the end of an era in Manhatt…wait a second. The fucking Copacabana is still open?

[tags]canada day, eggstasy, bay bloor radio, irish embassy, toronto, copacabana[/tags]

The best defense against ribs

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Normally after I write an exam I’d just come home and crash, but today I had things to do. I dropped my stuff and went up to the office; I wanted to get moved into my desk so I could hit the ground running Tuesday morning. I shared a brownie with T-Bone, caught up on some email, waited for Nellie so I could show her my new floor and then headed home. On the way I bumped into two of my classmates on Bloor; they’re hanging around the city for the weekend.  Now I’m home, catching up on a bunch of stuff, waiting for Nellie and her mom (who’s visiting) to make pizza. Tomorrow, when I have more energy we’ll visit the Distillery District.

.:.

If I lived in London today, I’d buy one of these t-shirts.

.:.

Thank goodness the Toronto Ribfest has moved out to Centennial Park (wherever the hell that is). I don’t think I could bear to have it just around the corner on Front Street this year.

[tags]keep calm and carry on, london bomb, toronto ribfest[/tags]

Can one glamp in Central Park?

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

This is my favourite time of night. Not day, but not night yet either. That’s St. James Cathedral, by the way. It’s the structure that inspired my building.

.:.

Apparently I’m even further behind the time than JR, ’cause I’d never heard of glamping either. But I like the sound of it. Someone needs to make a canoe with a Bang & Olufsen stereo in it. I’m also in the market for an inflatable 5-star bathroom.

.:.

Porter is now cleared to fly to New York. Well, Newark airport, but close enough.

Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, and now New York; I may never fly from Pearson again. Uh, until September when I got to Europe.

[tags]st james cathedral, glamping, porter air[/tags]

A big steel decoration

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

The good news: we picked up our barbeque today.

The bad news: our natural gas connection doesn’t seem to be working.

.:.

CBGB came over this morning for brunch. There was much sitting on the balcony. Then there was gelato. Then there was an overwhelming desire to nap, followed by work and some painting. Truly, a red-letter day.

.:.

We watched Nacho Libre (imdb | rotten tomatoes) yesterday. A few funny bits early on, but overall pretty disappointing. I expected more from Jack Black and the director of Napoleon Dynamite. One interesting thing: the female lead, Ana de la Reguera, looked like someone had spliced Winona Ryder together with Penelope Cruz.

[tags]natural gas barbeque, gelato, nacho libre[/tags]