Poppy Fields Forever

As usual, my friend Mark was on point by sending me this awesome image today:

Poppy fields forever.

Now, Canada, Justin Trudeau and other politicians, make this a paid Holiday all over the country. Our soldiers from WWI, WWII, Blue Berets and the soldiers that we lent to the Crown for wars such as the Korean War deserve the respect.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Playlist

Howdy!

As you may or may not know, June 24th is the Québécois National Holiday. Now, Québec's History is a tad complicated, born by treaties between the Aboriginals and French allowing for French settling, the French-Canadian forces helping the Americans first fight off the Brits to get their own country then assisting with some tribes in the "discovery" of the West, then modified by a losing battle against the British forces that resulted in the nullifying of the Settlers Pact, and subsequent attempt by the newly-formed English-Canadian political elite to assimilate and exterminate both French and Aboriginals on the Canadian territory, yet with all minority nations showing a sense of resiliency to remain alive - sometimes in name more than in fact - to this day.

Worth celebrating? I honestly don't know. Again, there are too many points to ponder and explain, with the word "nationalism" itself bearing a very different meaning in French (existence of a nation) than in English with the current undertones (superiority of or focus on one nation more than others), but I thought it'd be cool to concoct a hopefully-not-too-cheesy playlist for the 24 hours that will encompass June 24th.

Midnight - 1 AM:

ARCADE FIRE: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
ROBERT CHARLEBOIS: Lindbergh
SERGE FIORI & RICHARD SÉGUIN: Deux Cent Nuits À L'Heure
ME MOM & MORGENTALER: Héloïse
HARMONIUM: Pour Un Instant
BRAN VAN 3000: Forest (French and English versions)
DANIEL BOUCHER: Chez Nous
COEUR DE PIRATE: Tu Oublieras Mon Nom
DEAD MESSENGER: Fat Black Heart
LES PARFAITS SALAUDS: 200 Jours
LEONARD COHEN: First We Take Manhattan
JEAN LELOUP: Balade À Toronto

1 AM - 2 AM:

ARCADE FIRE (with DAVID BOWIE): Reflektor
OCTOBRE: La Maudite Machine
VULGAIRES MACHINS: Compter Les Corps
TSPC: Connaître La Suite
DEAD MESSENGER: Toothcomb
GHETTONUNS: Invitation To Love
GROOVY AARDVARK: Dérangeant
HOT SPRINGS: Cellophane
PLUME LATRAVERSE: Bobépine
HOLE: Gold Dust Woman
GRIMSKUNK: Gros Tas d'Marde
B.A.R.F.: Wô Wô Tabarnak
ANONYMUS: Décrisse
PRIESTESS: I Am The Night, Colour Me Black

2 AM - 3 AM:

OFFENBACH: Deux Autres Bières
ROCK ET BELLES OREILLES: Bonjour La Police
VILAIN PINGOUIN: Délinquance
MEN WITHOUT HATS: Sideways
SCARLET BEAST: Our City
CANAILLES: Titanic
BRAN VAN 3000: Drinking In L.A.
FRENCH B: Je Me Souviens
LOCO LOCASS: Libérez-Nous Des Libéraux
RAY CONDO AND HIS HARDROCK GONERS: All Night Long
ROBERT CHARLEBOIS: Entre Deux Joints
OFFENBACH: Chu Un Rocker
LES FURYS: Aide-Moi
LA RÉVOLUTION FRANÇAISE: Québécois

3 AM - 4 AM:

RENÉE CLAUDE: Le Début D'Un Temps Nouveau
JACQUES MICHEL: Un Nouveau Jour Va Se Lever
ROBERT CHARLEBOIS: The Frog Song
LOCO LOCASS: Le But
GRIMSKUNK: Looking For Gabbio
ME MOM & MORGENTALER: Your Friend
ORKESTAR KRIMINAL: Der Schmayzer
ARCADE FIRE: Abraham's Daughter
SAMIAN & KASHTIN: Tshinanu
JEAN-PIERRE FERLAND: Un Peu Plus Haut
RICHARD DESJARDINS: Tu M'Aimes-Tu?

4 AM - 5 AM:

NUANCE: Vivre Dans La Nuit
DEAD MESSENGER: The Glass Hotel
GERRY BOULET: Un Beau Grand Bateau
DANIEL BÉLANGER: Respirer Dans L'Eau
PAUL PICHÉ: Mon Joe
VINCENT VALLIÈRES: On Va S'Aimer Encore
MITSOU: Lettre À Un Cowboy
LUC DE LA ROCHELIÈRE: Ma Génération
JEAN LELOUP: Je Suis Parti
LES COLOCS: Dehors Novembre
LEONARD COHEN: Closing Time

5 AM - 6 AM:

ALACLAIR ENSEMBLE: St-Roch
GEORGES DOR: La Manic
MARTIN STEVENS: Love Is In The Air
LOCO LOCASS: Le Mémoire De Loco Locass
LUC DE LA ROCHELIÈRE: Sauvez Mon Âme
LEONARD COHEN: Hallelujah
LEONARD COHEN: In My Secret Life
ALEX NEVSKY: J'Aurai Les Mains
COEUR DE PIRATE: Comme Des Enfants
MALAJUBE: Étienne D'Août
LES COLOCS: Pis Si Ô Moins
PHILÉMON (CIMON) CHANTE: Dors Poupée Dors

6 AM - 7 AM:

KEVIN PARENT: Fréquenter L'Oubli
GILLES VIGNEAULT: Mon Pays
RICHARD DESJARDINS: Les Yankees
LUC DE LA ROCHELIÈRE: Amère America
FÉLIX LECLERC: Le Petit Bonheur
PAUL PICHÉ: L'Escalier
COEUR DE PIRATE: Des Maisons
LUC DE LA ROCHELIÈRE: Si J'Te Disais Reviens
FRENCH B.: Quitter Son Pays
LES COWBOYS FRINGANTS: Mon Pays
LES COLOCS:  Tout Seul
KNLO: Justeçayinque

7 AM - 8 AM:

BAD NYLON: Jingle Dead
ME MOM & MORGENTALER: Everybody's Got AIDS
MELISSA AUF DER MAUR: Meet Me On The Dark Side
LOCO LOCASS: M'Accrocher?
GRIMSKUNK: Head Games
MOZART'S SISTER: Mozart's Sister
GROENLAND: The Things I've Done
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT: Four Black Sheep
ALEXANDRE POULIN: Couleurs Primaires
RICHARD SÉGUIN: Sous Les Cheminées
JEAN LELOUP: Zone Zéro
BEAU DOMMAGE: Le Blues De La Métropole
VANESSA LAVOIE: Down By The Bonfire

8 AM - 9 AM:

LEONARD COHEN: The Partisan/Le Partisan
THE HOT SPRINGS: The Fog And The Horn
DEJA VOODOO: Down In Mexico
PRIESTESS: Run Home
NO JOY: Califone
DOUGHBOYS: Shine
THE DEARS: Lost In The Plot
FRED FORTIN: Mélane
SAFIA NOLIN: Va-T'En Pas
JIM CORCORAN: J'Vais Changer Le Monde
WD-40: Je Reviens De L'Est
ARIANE MOFFATT: Je Rentre À Montréal

9 AM - 10 AM:

DANIEL BÉLANGER: Dans Un Spoutnik
LYDIA KÉPINSKY: Andromaque
ARIANE MOFFATT: Jeudi 17 Mai
HARMONIUM: Comme Un Fou
FRED FORTIN: Gratte
SALOMÉ LECLERC: Tourne Encore
STARS: What The Snowman Learned About Love
THE BARR BROTHERS: Half Crazy
WD-40: D'Aussi Loin
RAID: Capitaine Vodka
GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR: Storm

10 AM - 11 AM:

LUC DE LA ROCHELIÈRE: Cash City
JEAN LELOUP: Le Dôme
LES COWBOYS FRINGANTS: Les Étoiles Filantes
TRICOT MACHINE: L'Ours
ROBERT CHARLEBOIS: Les Ailes d'Un Ange
GILLES VIGNEAULT: Les Gens De Mon Pays
PLUME LATRAVERSE: Les Pauvres
FRED FORTIN: Moisi Moé'ssi
RICHARD DESJARDINS: ... Et J'ai Couché Dans Mon Char
OFFENBACH: Seulement Qu'Une Aventure

11 AM - noon:

MARC DÉRY: Ostie Qu'y S'Lève Tard
ZÉBULON: R'viens Pas Trop Tard
JEAN LELOUP: Feuille Au Vent
LES COLOCS: Le Répondeur
MY EMPTY SCREEN: Deux Et Demi
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT: Leave Behind
RICHARD SÉGUIN: Journée D'Amérique
KANDLE: Not Up To Me
THE LINDBERGH LINE: Alissar
BRIE NIELSEN AND HER OTHER MEN: Be Alone
VILAIN PINGOUIN: Le Train
JEAN LELOUP: Printemps Été
MALAJUBE: Pâte Filo

Noon - 1 PM:

MARA TREMBLAY: Le Printemps Des Amants
GHETTONUNS: Blue Checks
LES ANTICIPATEURS: Sapoud
GHETTONUNS: Out On The Horse
LES DEUXLUXES: Springtime Devil
SÉBASTIAN HELL: Bitter End
KNLO: Mai (Ayayaye) (feat. Jam)
MANU MILITARI: Je Me Souviens 
SANS PRESSION: Vagabond Ma Religion
MUZION: La Vie Ti-Neg
YVON KREVÉ: Dans Nos Rues
KORIASS: Montréal-Nord
MANU MILITARI: La Traversée Du Lac Nasser
NOMADIC MASSIVE: Konba

1 PM - 2 PM:

LES ANTICIPATEURS: Findsemaine
MC LA SAUCE: Fuck You Estie
MANU MILITARI: Pour Chaque Goutte De Pétrole
BLACK TABOO: Police Plein De Pisse
SANS PRESSION & YVON KREVÉ: Pète La Coche
SANS PRESSION & AKHENATON: La Tendance Se Maintient
KORIASS: Nulle Part
ALACLAIR ENSEMBLE: Sauce Pois
BEAST: Out Of Control
VINCENT VALLIÈRES: Asbestos
JEAN LELOUP: Les Flamants Roses
PLUME LATRAVERSE: Les Humains
QUÉBEC REDNECK BLUEGRASS PROJECT: Tsé Quand Ça Va Ben 

2 PM - 3 PM:

LES COLOCS: Passe-Moé La Puck
BERNARD ADAMUS: La Question À 100 Piasses
WD-40: Ma Dépendance
FRED FORTIN: Tu M'Aimes-Tu?
LYDIA KÉPINSKY: Apprendre À Mentir
JASON BAJADA & JOANNE LABELLE: Tu Peux Dormir
WOLF PARADE: You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son
BEAST: Mr. Hurricane
PANOPTICON EYELIDS: Solar Mind
P/DO P/DRO: Jouïr
PONCTUATION: Obéïr À Ses Instincts Dans La Mesure Du Possible
MY DOG POPPER: We're Old, We're Fat And We're Slow

3 PM - 4 PM:

THE LINDBERGH LINE: Juggernaut
ARCADE FIRE: Ready To Start
OFFENBACK: Ayoye
MALAJUBE: Montréal -40
LES COLOCS: Le Pouding À L'Arsenic
BERNARD ADAMUS: En Voiture, Mais Pas D'Char
ZÉBULON: Job Steady
PLUME LATRAVERSE: La Pompe À Stime
WD-40: Gramme De Mort
LES MARMOTTES APLATIES: Détruire
BANLIEUE ROUGE: Sous Un Ciel Écarlate
BIONIC: Learn To Love The Goverment
LES HANDCLAPS: Pastiche

4 PM- 5 PM:

MITSOU: Mademoiselle Anne
JEAN LELOUP: 1990 (Original Rock Version)
MADAME: Propriétaire
THE BOX: L'Affaire Dumouthier
KANDLE: Control Me
ARIANE MOFFATT: Réverbère
DAVID USHER & MARIE-MAI: Je Repars
AVEC PAS D'CASQUE: En Attendant Que Ça Paie
DANIEL BÉLANGER: Rêver Mieux
SOUPIR: Les Larmes De Métal
NANETTE WORKMAN: Call Girl
THE BESNARD LAKES: Albatross

5PM - 6 PM:

LES SINNERS: Ne Reste Pas Sous La Pluie
LES CLASSELS: Si J'Étais Millionnaire
LES SULTANS: La Poupée Qui Fait Non
MITSOU: Le Ya-Ya
LES SKYLINERS: Wabash Blues
THE GRUESOMES: Don't Waste My Time
CÉSAR ET LES ROMAINS: Splish Splash Tout En Prenant Mon Bain
THE KINGPINS: Manon, Viens Danser Le Ska
LES DENIS DROLET: Dans Le Poulailler
RAFFY: Le Temps Des Vacances
PHILÉMON (CIMON) CHANTE: Vaincre L'Automne
LHASA DE SELA: Rising
MILK & BONE: New York
DUCHESS SAYS: Gainsbourg
JEAN LELOUP: Sang D'Encre

6 PM - 7 PM:

ROBERT CHARLEBOIS: Je Reviendrai À Montréal
LEONARD COHEN: Everybody Knows
LEONARD COHEN: I'm Your Man
LEONARD COHEN: Suzanne
LEONARD COHEN: So Long, Marianne
LEONARD COHEN: The Future
LEONARD COHEN: Waiting For The Miracle
LEONARD COHEN: Bird On A Wire
LEONARD COHEN: Dance Me To The End Of Love
ROBERT CHARLEBOIS: Ordinaire

7 PM - 8 PM:

ADAM & THE AMETHYSTS: Dreaming
LYDIA KÉPINSKY: Pie-IX
PONY UP!: Only Feelgood
THE STILLS: Still In Love
SALOMÉ LECLERC: Le Vent Nous Portera
JEAN LELOUP: Faire Des Enfants
LES HANDCLAPS: Cliché
WOLF PARADE: Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts
RAID (W/ I-RONEE): Wise Up
DUCHESS SAYS: Negative Thoughts
THEE SILVER MT. ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA: Fuck Off Get Free

8 PM - 9 PM:

RAID: Prendre Le Champs
THE KINGPINS: Watch Your Back
THE CARDBOARD CROWNS: Hats Off
THE BEATDOWN: The Other Side
SHALABI EFFECT: Mr. Titz (The Revelator)
NUTSAK: Innuendo Schminuendo
RIPCORDZ: Your Mother Wears Army Boots
CAPITAINE RÉVOLTE: J'Ai Oublié
ÉMILE BILODEAU: J'En Ai Plein Mon Cass
GROOVY AARDVARK & YVES LAMBERT: Boisson D'Avril
KERMESS: Y'A Pas Grand Chose Dans L'Ciel À Soir
B.A.R.F.: Le Petit Poisson

9 PM - 10 PM:

PLUME LATRAVERSE: Lisa Belle
JASON BAJADA: Loveshit
VULGAIRES MACHINS: Légaliser L'Héroïne
HOT SPRINGS: Headrush
VILAIN PINGOUIN: Salut, Salaud
MELISSA AUF DERMAUR: Out Of Our Minds
OFFENBACH: Câline De Blues
THE GRUESOMES: Hey!
THE AMERICAN DEVICES: You Wouldn't Understand
JEAN LELOUP: Voilà

10 PM - 11 PM:

ROBERT CHARLEBOIS: Indépendantriste
HARMONIUM: Un Musicien Parmi Tant D'Autres
ALACLAIR ENSEMBLE: Ça Que C'tait
JEAN LELOUP: Le Roi Se Meurt
CLAUDE DUBOIS: Si Dieu Existe
MES AÏEUX: Dégénération
LES COWBOYS FRINGANTS: En Berne
SÉBASTIAN HELL: J'Ai La Vie Qui M'Pique Les Yeux
ME MOM & MORGENTALER: Oh Well
ARCADE FIRE: Wake Up
SAMIAN & LOCO LOCASS: La Paix Des Braves
JEAN LELOUP: Paradis City
CÉLINE DION: L'Amour Existe Encore

11 PM - Midnight:

COEUR DE PIRATE: Adieu
ME MOM & MORGENTALER: Anarchie
SÉBASTIAN HELL: Selfish
DEAD MESSENGER: Master Plan
LES DEUXLUXES: My Baby & Me 
ALEX NEVSKY: On Leur A Fait Croire
HOLE: Celebrity Skin
LES TROIS ACCORDS: Dans Mon Corps
LOCO LOCASS: Sheila Ch'us Là
VULGAIRES MACHINS: Anéantir Le Dogme
JEAN LELOUP: Isabelle
ME MOM & MORGENTALER: Pepita La Pistolera
GHETTONUNS: Ten Years Down

Suggested films to watch: Elvis Gratton, Elvis Gratton 2, Elvis Gratton 3: Le Retour D'Elvis Wong, 15 Février 1839, Octobre, Le Déclin De L'Empire Américain, Jésus De Montréal, Les Invasions Barbares, Lost And Delirious, The Trostzky, Un Zoo La Nuit, Le Confessionnal, Le Polygraphe, Le Nèg, Eldorado.

Video Of The Week: The Killers

Christmas has come and past, the Holidays weren't meant to last, but here's a remnant with a bit of a twist, to be added to the original yuletide hit list, Don't Shoot Me Santa by The Killers, featuring Ryan Pardey in the role of a murderous Las Vegas-area Santa:

It was directed by actor Matthew Gray Gubler (of Criminal Minds fame).

Other Vegas staples in the video include digging a hole to bury a body in the Mohave, an old red convertible that Hunter S. Thompson would have loved, and a shitload of sand and dirt.

Happy Holidays!

At Year's End

Everybody wants a great Christmas or New Year's story - the emotional kiss goodbye, the romantic kiss hello at a landmark, seeing long-gone friends or family members for the first time in years, new beginnings... the works.

And those who are lonely just feel lonelier, particularly if they happen to fall upon Holiday movies, which are usually centered around people finding others they connect with. Worldwide, the Holidays are the most common time of the year for suicides.

I don't have a dog in either race (that I know of), though I know people who will live those types of situations. I was just making the most out of the extended fall season when winter came back with a vengeance.

I usually live my life on the levels - a two-year plan for the ''big decisions'' (job, place to live, things relating to comfort level versus the problems that come with them), and a minute-to-minute reaction to everything else, which at times can involve big decisions (breakups, where friendships are going) but are mostly just paths, left or right, yes or no and the like.

Mid-term plans aren't usually my thing, which is why I'm not a fan of purchasing show tickets months ahead of time, because I'll forget and remember it's taking place at least a dozen times. The Holidays have that for me in droves, planning to go see my family here and there yet forgetting what day of the week we're at when I wake up in the morning (or afternoon, as was the case for the past few days). ''Yeah, let's meet on the 31st''... then ''oh shit, we're the 31st?'' and having ten minutes to do what I thought I would have three days to do them.

I've been putting off going to the grocery store for over a week now. But I watched all of The Boondocks, though... Netflix and sleep.

As I'm writing this, I realize I'm five days away from going back to work, 9 to 5, staring down an abyss of numbers that don't mean anything, listening to some Robert Schimmel CDs. I wish I could hibernate.

2015 was a year. It wasn't all bad (like, say, 2012), but it wasn't spectacularly nice. It had its moments; I had some good times, a few people made me smile a lot, I laughed, I cried. It would have made a terrible B-movie, or a great one if a character actor (John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Giamatti) played me better than I did.

Top 10s: Holiday/Christmas Movies

Here's a list that could go many ways...

Best Film (that somehow involves the Holidays):

10. LOVE, ACTUALLY, Richard Curtis (2003)
9. BATMAN RETURNS, Tim Burton (1992)
8. EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS, Seth Kearsley (2002)
7. THE REF, Ted Demme (1994)
6. BAD SANTA, Terry Zwigoff (2003)
5. ELF, Jon Favreau (2003)
4. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Henry Selick (1993)
3. STALAG 17, Billy Wilder (1953)
2. DIE HARD, John McTiernan (1988)
1. BRAZIL, Terry Gilliam (1985)

Best ''Holiday Movie'' (i.e. ''Best use of the Holidays as a storyline''):

10. A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Brian Desmond Hurst (1951)
9. WHITE CHRISTMAS, Michael Curtiz (1954)
8. THE SANTA CLAUSE, John Pasquin (1994)
7. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Frank Capra (1946)
6. HOME ALONE, Chris Columbus (1990)
5. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Henry Selick (1993)
4. BAD SANTA, Terry Zwigoff (2003)
3. NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION, Jeremiah S. Chechik (1989)
2. MIRACLE ON 34th STREET, George Seaton (1947)
1. A CHRISTMAS STORY, Bob Clark (1983)

Best Actor In A Holiday Film:

10. WILL FERRELL, Elf (2003)
9. EDMUND GWENN, Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
8. DENIS LEARY, The Ref (1994)
7. EDDIE MURPHY, Trading Places (1983)
6. JACK LEMMON, The Apartment (1960)
5. JAMES STEWART, It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
4. BRUCE WILLIS, Die Hard (1988)
3. BILL MURRAY, Scrooged (1988)
2. JIM CARREY, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
1. BILLY BOB THORNTON, Bad Santa (2003)

Best Actress In A Holiday Film:

10. BARBARA STANWYCK, Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
9. TAYLOR MOMSEN, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
8. MARJORIE REYNOLDS, Holiday Inn (1942)
7. BEVERLY D'ANGELO, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
6. JANET LEIGH, Holiday Affair (1949)
5. SHIRLEY MACLAINE, The Apartment (1960)
4. CATHERINE O'HARA, Home Alone (1990)
3. LORETTA YOUNG, The Bishop's Wife (1947)
2. KITANA KIKI RODRIGUEZ, Tangerine (2015)
1. CATHERINE DENEUVE, Un Conte De Noel (2008)

Best Supporting Actor In A Holiday Film:

10. LEWIS BLACK, Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
9. PAUL GIAMATTI, Fred Claus (2007)
8. ALAN RICKMAN, Love, Actually (2003)
7. GARY OLDMAN, A Christmas Carol (2009)
6. RANDY QUAID, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
5. DAN AYKROYD, Trading Places (1983)
4. DANNY GLOVER, Lethal Weapon (1987)
3. ALAN RICKMAN, Die Hard (1988)
2. TONY COX, Bad Santa (2003)
1. KEVIN SPACEY, The Ref (1994)

Best Supporting Actress In A Holiday Film:

10. ELIZABETH HARNOIS, One Magic Christmas (1985)
9. FRANCES LEE McCAIN, Gremlins (1984)
8. PHOEBE CATES, Gremlins (1984)
7. LAURA LINNEY, Love, Actually (2003)
6. CHRISTINE BARANSKI, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
5. MELINDA DILLON, A Christmas Story (1983)
4. NATALIE WOOD, Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
3. MICHELLE MONAGHAN, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
2. JUDY DAVIS, The Ref (1994)
1. LAUREN GRAHAM, Bad Santa (2003)

Best Director, Holiday Movie:

10. RICHARD DONNER, Scrooged (1988)
9. BILLY WILDER, The Apartment (1960)
8. JOHN McTIERNAN, Die Hard (1988)
7. JOE DANTE, Gremlins (1984)
6. RON HOWARD, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
5. SEAN BAKER, Tangerine (2015)
4. BILLY WILDER, Stalag 17 (1953)
3. TIM BURTON, Batman Returns (1992)
2. HENRY SELICK, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
1. TERRY GILLIAM, Brazil (1985)

Independence Day

Not every people gets to experience their Independence Day. Not every country gets to tell its parents/owners/conquerors they want to try to make it on their own.

'Murrrrca, you're not perfect. You're probably still the most racist country on earth, and your insistence on owning weapons you will never know how to use will always exacerbate the difference of opinions your Founding Fathers cherished and thought would be the basis of your democracy.

The 2000s have divided you to extremes no one ever could imagine. Your once-promising culture resides no longer in the quality of your art and museums but to which dumb asshole you will put on a Reality TV show next.

But in the 1770s, you - with a shitload of help from the French and in particular Gilbert du Motier (a.k.a. Marquis de Lafayette) - told England to fuck off with their tea, and snobbery, and monarchy, and Old World colonial ways.

You were too selfish to help the French and Aboriginals fight back the English in Québec (New France/Lower Canada) in return, but at least you got your nice little country out of it. And you built it on the promise of Equality, which is nice.

It took a while to get there, sure, and the argument can be made that you still haven't (racial bias in the economic and legal systems, wage disparity, marriage equality), but the idea is there. If not for you, then perhaps for some future country/society with the will and openness to apply your theories.

So, Happy Independence Day, United States of America. 239 years in your experiment, you're either halfway there or on the brink of collapse. My thoughts are with you; let's hope for the best.

Happy St-Jean Baptiste Day!

It was going to be a paid Holiday like most others: spending three hours finishing the work I hadn't done last night, taking it slow, alone, in my shitty apartment, then heading out to see friends in a band performing, this time Orchestre Afrobeat Jeunesse Cosmique outdoors, at Parc Hibernia, in Pointe St-Charles.

But it rained, so all we got were the openers, Le Trio Poitras, for 75 minutes, then the rest of the festivities were cancelled.

But the Jeunesse Cosmique folks decided to turn the botched outdoors Québec National Holiday into a house party of sorts, and invited me over since I had friends in the band and was already there.

By the middle of the first song, i was the third percussionist, and by 10 PM we had recorded a live album. And I'm pretty proud of my playing on two tracks, particularly the last one.

And when I got home, I made myself the second-most Quebecest meal (because I wasn't going to make myself a maple syrup poutine this late at night), a bowl of spaghetti covered in Schwartz' smoked meat:

It was one of my best days in a very long time.

Happy 4th Of July

Saint-Jean-Baptiste

I mean, sure, I appreciate the effort, kind of. But, uh, maybe it lacks decorum and gravitas:

FYI: bridges are of federal capacity, meaning Canada, which owns Québec, manages these signs. Great Britain, which owns Canada, couldn't care less.

Kudos for the ''accent aigü'', thumbs down for calling the population a ''nagtioon''. Though, semi-funny. Like Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider asking if you ''like-uh the juice, eh, the juice is good, uhn?'' in classic episodes of Saturday Night Live.

Happy Memorial Day, My American Friends

From last Saturday night's game between the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks...



Love the (hockey-related) comment at the end...


(edit: I don't know how that works - saluting Veterans sent to - mostly useless - wars, who you don't provide adequate care for upon their return, yet celebrate by merely applauding their service yet don't want your taxes to foot their hospital and mental health bills; then again we do that here too, and the Feds even made our Veterans' Day no longer a mandatory holiday, so they don't even get an actual day's honour, just a random ''oh was it today?'' type of day...)

This Week's Top 10s

Top 10 Songs:

10. LIL WAYNE (feat. Ludacris), Eminem (2013)
9. SACRILEGE, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2013)
8. MONOPOLY, Bloody Diamonds (2012)
7.GELLO REGGAE, Pierre Verville (1989)
6. HOIST THAT RAG, Tom Waits (2004)
5. INTO THE VOID, Nine Inch Nails (1999)
4. DOOM AND GLOOM, The Rolling Stones (2012)
3. KARMACOMA, Massive Attack (1995)
2. BROKEN PROMISE (feat. Michael Stipe), Placebo (2006)
1. MAJOR DISTRIBUTION (feat. Snoop Dogg and Young Jeezy), 50 Cent (2013)


Top 10 Canada Day Songs:

10. SOUS UN CIEL ÉCARLATE, Banlieue Rouge (1996)
9. THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE, Neil Young (1972)
8. WICKED AND WEIRD, Buck 65 (2003)
7. LEAVE BEHIND, Martha Wainwright (2012)
6. MONOPOLY, Bloody Diamonds (2012)
5. ROLL THE BONES, Rush, (1991)
4. I LOST MY BABY, Jean Leloup (1996)
3. THE SUBURBS, Arcade Fire (2010)
2. LITTLE BONES, The Tragically Hip (1991)
1. WAKE UP, Arcade Fire (2004)


Top 10 4th Of July Songs:

10. I DON'T WANNA GROW UP (Tom Waits cover), The Ramones (1995)
9. GRIEVANCE, Pearl Jam (2000)
8. MAJOR DISTRIBUTION (feat. Snoop Dogg and Young Jeezy), 50 Cent (2013)
7. ALL BLUES, Miles Davis (1959)
6. HARD TIMES KILLING FLOOR (Skip James cover), R.L. Burnside (2000)
5. 9-1-1 IS A JOKE, Public Enemy, (1990)
4. LOVE SICK, Bob Dylan (1997)
3. TESTIFY, Rage Against The Machine (1999)
2. BORN IN THE U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen (1984) 
1. 4TH OF JULY, Soundgarden (1994) 

Happy July 4th

Teemu Selanne's birthday coincides with an important date in North America: Independence Day, the day the Declaration Of Independence was adopted (in 1776), when the United States emancipated from British rule.

Canada, for example, officially started in 1867 (although Lower Canada - part of what is now Québec, pretty much - and Upper Canada - Ontario - existed on their own 1791-1841) and has yet to declare itself independent from British rule. As a matter of fact, the Queen Of England remains Canada's political leader to this very day.

Which makes this quote from John Adams quite amusing:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Not just that he was off by two days, but also that ''the whole continent'' would celebrate... they don't. There are three other National Holidays celebrated on the continent: the Mexican Independence Day is September 16th, Canada Day is July 1st, and La St-Jean-Baptiste (Québec's national holiday) is June 24th.

The Philippines also celebrate on July 4th... but they celebrate the fact that they are no longer a U.S. territory... it's their own Independence Day. Oh, the irony!

Still... bring on the fireworks, the BBQ, the light beer, and celebrate the past to appreciate the present, on the day that John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe died and Calvin Coolidge was born.

The Sad-Off

Samuel L. Jackson and Anne Hathaway (with a cameo from The Daily Show's Jessica Williams) discuss how sad their upcoming movies are and, in the process,find common ground and some kind of Holiday Spirit.

The Sad Off with Samuel L. Jackson and Anne Hathaway from Samuel L Jackson     

My Mom Is The Best

I love my mom. We may not always see eye to eye, and that's one of the reasons why I couldn't live with her as long as my brother did, but in addition to always doing the best she could to raise us and give us everything we needed, she comes out with these simple, universal truths that she says in that smooth, soothing, calm Voice Of Reason that makes so much sense...

And last Sunday, while we went out for brunch for Mothers' Day with her boyfriend, my uncle, his wife, and my grandparents, the conversation slipped to current events - and the current student strike - for no more than ten seconds, as my aunt said ''I hope we kick Jean Charest to the curb in the next elections, with all the harm he's done in power''.

And my mom replied: ''Yes, and we need to thank the students for opening our eyes and acting on our behalves. They'll be the ones inheriting this polluted, crumbling, indebted world and will have to live with whatever we leave them, so they might as well shape it the way they want it''.

BOOM. End of conversation.

Video Of The Week: Rick Ross

While my cousins, aunts and relatives spent the Holidays putting LMFAO's I'm Sexy And I Know It on repeat everywhere they went, I went back to the original of the mid-song break, Rick Ross' Hustlin', a banging track that keeps it gangsta.

And I just love his accent when he says things like ''the boss'' (''tha bawss'').

In case you're wondering, that's not his real name, it's the name of a convicted drug lord who unsuccessfully tried to sue the rapper for 'stealing his name'.

New Year's Day

All is quiet on New Year's Day
The streets are empty
Even the snow's melting away
A new calendar won't erase old pains

But ring out the champagne
It's cause to celebrate
It's now or never
No reason to explain

Guns And Santa

The Holidays are fast approaching, and many cultures are going to celebrate them in their own ways, whether it's Hanukkah, the birth of Christ, or just Santa Claus bring presents.

Presents, and guns.

Heavy fucking guns, at that.

Basically, it's an Arizona gun club (the Scottsdale Gun Club, to be precise) who is offering ''children and families'' (uh huh) the chance to pose with Santa and heavy artillery.

The gun club's general manager, Ron Kennedy, had this to say:

Our customers have been looking for a fun and safe way to express their holiday spirit and passion for firearms.

They use these as Christmas cards and Facebook profile pictures - of course!

State Representative Steve Farley had this to retort, in protest:

To involve machine guns and Santa in a celebration in the birth of Jesus Christ is the worst kind of heresy I can imagine. I would suggest that the people who created this read some of the New Testament.

Because the Bible is shock-full of guns, of course. Probably in the same chapters where homosexuality and abortion are referred to.

Eitehr this is a ''the only way to deal with stupid people is with stupidity'' moment, or it's one for the ages for the ''why Humans will soon be extinct'' file.

Sigh.

Happy Thanksgiving

                                               (thanks to Yan Basque for the picture)


... if that's how you say it. Sounds weird to be all giddy about giving thanks and being grateful.

But enjoy the turkey, my American friends.

Happy Mother's Day

Sure, it's just another fake Hallmark holiday, but your mom deserves the best. And flowers.

The best flowers.

Happy Holidays