And The First Day Of Summer ....

Quotation of the day: John Sebastian -- Hot town, summer in the city / Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty / Been down, isn't it a pity / Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

As some of you will know, i (as penance for the sins of my previous life) make my living as a cook.  I always work weekends (today -- Tuesday -- is my only day off) and this past Sunday was Father's Day.  Traditionally, it's a busier-than-usual Sunday, not as crazy as Mother's Day, but very busy.  This year, Sunday -- and Saturday for the matter of that -- were insane.  (There was also a ball tournament in town, and i've written before about how much the restaurants here, hate the ball teams http://spriggsblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/working-for-living.html ....)

I left on Sunday feeling utterly shattered, drenched with sweat and miserable.  How did i ever get into this schtoopid business, moan groan, poor me, etc.  In fact i'm only now starting to feel alive again.

However, Tuesday, the only day i really have to do housework, i'm wasting it with my butt parked in front of the computer....  Oh, i cleaned Cate's litterbox earlier, made breakfast, had a bath, shampooed a rug, but there are so many other things to do and guess what, i ain't doin' nuffink else today.  (I tell a lie, i have to do laundry later.  I have no more clean work uniforms.)

What i intend to do, after i log off here is (a) have some lunch and (b) watch my favourite Marx Brothers movie

















And it's the first day of summer....

Day Off! And A Rave

Quotation Of The Day:  Frank Zappa: Rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, in order to provide articles for people who can't read.

Hi, everyone, it's a while since i posted but the last time, i had a rant, now i have a rave. I was bewailing the fact that i couldn't get my paws on a couple of CDs (new albums by Kate Bush and Rory Gallagher).  I could have ordered them through amazon.com or some other corporate elephant, but i prefer to go through my friendly local independent dealer, Video + Books And CDs (http://www.videoplusbooks.ca/)  They do a super job of finding stuff for me, but it must be frustrating for them, too, when an album is advertised for release at a certain date, and then isn't.

But!  I've got them now, hurrah!


And, another victory for the independents:  Graeme Thomson's biography of Kate, "Under The Ivy," came out in England last year.  When i went to my favourite local book shop, Fanfare Books, to order a copy, i was told that its Canadian distributor had gone out of business.  Well, there was much gnashing of what remains of my teeth when i learned that, i can tell ya.

But! again:  Fanfare called me last week.  The book had a new distributor here in the frozen north, and they had a copy for me.  I picked it up on Saturday.

It's been a good week (the trials and tribulations of work notwithstanding).  A little expensive, though (but heck, what the hell else do i have to with my hard-earned?).

But then, now, i have to add, today is a sad day here at Spriggs Towers:  on this day in 1995, Rory died, of complications following a liver transplant, and in 2009 my beloved cat Watson succumbed, to liver disease.  (Amazing, really -- i drink too much and the cat gets liver disease, sigh.)


On a happier note, it's also my sister's birthday today (she'd kill me if i told you how old she is).  Rest assured that, although i am in fact drinking to her health today, that's not the only reason....

Day Off! And A Rant.

Quotation of the day -- Douglas Adams: You have destroyed most of a small galaxy. Please pick your words with greater care.

 There, to my left, is a brand-new pic of my dear Cate. 

Today, i went to my friendly local CD shop, optimistically expecting that they'd have two albums waiting for me -- the new Kate Bush, and the new Rory Gallagher.  I've had them on order for a few weeks, and they were supposed to arrive today.

Wrong again.  The release of  Kate Bush's "Director's Cut" in Canada has been postponed for the third time, and the Rory Gallagher (a previously-unknown "lost" album) has likewise been delayed.

Now, consider this.  The record companies are constantly bewailing the fact that they're losing millions to free file-sharing sites and such.  I honestly believe that they are 100% responsible for the troubles they have.

Kate's album almost made #1 in the U.K. charts a couple of weeks ago.  She has a huge fan base in North America and this is bound to be a big seller.  Record company exec says, "let's not release it yet."  Brilliant move, Mr Executive. Meanwhile i already have it as a download (S.K.F., you know who you are!) but ... i want the damn CD!

On to Rory Gallagher.  He has a massive fan base in North America -- all of his albums have just been released in newly-remastered versions but ... the release of the "lost" album?  Record company exec says, it won't sell as much as Lady GaGa so let's leave it for a bit.  Meanwhile, i have already found it as a free download from one of my favourite music blogs (http://zinhof.blog.hr/2011/05/index.html#1629252614) and i could have downloaded it.  I didn't, though -- i want the damn CD!

Record company exec. says, "file-sharing is killing the industry!"  To which i reply, eff off, you are killing the industry by not releasing what the people want.

Okay, rant over. (And, to ease my pain, i bought the new album by The Strokes, "Angles."  Which is pretty good but it's not Kate or Rory...).

Day Off!

Quotation Of The Day: Emmanuel Kant --  All the interests of my reason, speculative as well as practical, combine in the three following questions: 1. What can I know? 2. What ought I to do? 3. What may I hope?

After a complete and utter bullshit week at work (i'll spare you the sordid details), i finally have a day off.  And what, i hear you ask, have i done?  Went to the beer store; two loads of laundry; scrubbed Cate's litterbox; started last night's supper dishes....

On a more cerebral level, though....

I bought two new CDs last week, and these are they:

The Paul Simon is really nice.  Not as groundbreaking as "Graceland" of course -- that was a once-in-a-lifetime deal --but pretty good for an old geezer.  (No, i'm not referring to myself, how dare you).  So i listened to that and then to Kate & Anna, and their "new" album is a real treasure.

It's a 3-CD set.  Discs 1 & 2 are remastered versions of their first two albums, which are and always have been utter magic, but it's disc 3 that's the draw here: previously-unreleased recordings & demos, which are invariably delightful.

But why, oh why, has their "The Logdriver's Waltz ever been released on CD?



Anyway, after all of that i was in a Rory Gallagher mood and watched disc 1 of the "Live At Montreux" DVD.  Funny how, when i'm in a crappy frame of mind, Rory always gives me the energy to keep going.  The Beatles have the power to do that, too, but Rory had so much energy himself that it inspires me.

I should probably finish doing last night's supper dishes now, and start on tonight's supper....

Obsession

www.theadjsutmentbureau.com  Did i spell that right?  The Adjustment Bureau dot com

It seems that every once in a while, i become obsessed with a movie.  This time, it's "The Adjustment Bureau."  Here's a link to a featurette:  http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3122240281/

Just learned that the official release date for the DVD is June 21st.  That's soon! This is a must-buy DVD for me.

www.theadjustmentbureau.com

Can true love prevail when even the angels are opposed?  Well, for Emily Blunt.... yes, i'd fight for her, too (for that is she, at the left there).


Sigh

$$$$$$

As a further to my previous post on the subject, i have just discovered, by the innovative method of checking my AdSense account, that i have actually made $10.80 from this blog in 2 and a half years. Guess i won't be quitting my other job just yet.

Perez Hilton i'm not LOL

Haiku

Knocks on head
sounds hollow
must be management