Three-Day Weekend! Woo hoo!

Hit Buffalo on Sunday for a day of shopping, food, and art. We hit all the stores we don't have in Canada. I got cute rain boots from Target! We also went to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery for an exhibit on abstract art, which was super interesting.

Oh, and this is the song I loved from my high school days that I was trying to sing in the car on the way back... It comes complete with cheesy early 90s video!

Place Des Grands Hommes (1989).

A Bad Case of The Mondays

You know how the common wisdom is the life is made of a series of small moments? Well, all my little moments today kinda sucked! Let's make a list, shall we?

- Woke up at 4:50 am because I had nightmares. That hasn't happened to me since I was a kid. Couldn't fall back asleep because I was so freaked out. On the plus side, I had a lot of time to get ready for work.

- Had to come back up 3 times to my apartment on my way to work because I kept forgetting things. I got halfway down the stairs to realize I forgot my bottle of water. Second time, I got just outside the door of the apartment building and realized I forgot the keys to the office. Third time, I was halfway down the street to the subway when I realized I forgot my agenda, which I needed for all the phone numbers in it.

- Oh, that bottle of water? I would have been better forgetting it home since it leaked a bit and got my library book wet! The poor book is now wedged between huge tomes to get it straight.

- I had a really tough case at work. My boss was on my case about a bunch of trivial things that she keeps changing her mind about. When I asked her for some info to help me do my assessment, instead of getting the info for me, which would have been a courtesy given that 1) I was working a patient all day while she was home writing reports, 2) this info was needed today and 3) she should have known the info given that she's the boss, she gave me a phone number to call to get the info. When she called at the office at lunchtime to know how things were going, her first question was, "So, did you get the info?" Given that I had spent the last 3 hours trying to assess someone who didn't want to be there, NO I didn't get around to it yet. Argh.

- Also I didn't have time to have lunch.

- To cheer me up, I stopped by the music store right by the office to get a CD I couldn't find on iTunes. When I got home, opened the case, and THERE WAS NO CD in there! I mean, really?! So I have to go back to the store and explain that!

- I decided to cheer me up by going to rent "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". I get to the video store. There is a box for it on the shelves, and then they tell me they're out of it. Seriously, universe?

- I wanted to go deposit a check. The ATM is out of envelopes. Of course.

- My cat also won't stop howling at the moon.

- Oh, and of course, the cherry on top is that, as Cher Horowitz would say, God decided it was the day for me to ride the crimson wave too. That never helps in making you not a bitch.

So in conclusion, October 6, 2008= freak day. It will go in the books in the minus column. LOL

How I Wish I Had Call Display...

This is a typical day at my apartment... I get maybe 6-7 calls, 4 or 5 of them are from telemarketing/survey people. I was waiting for an important call so I couldn't let it go to the machine. So I had to deal with super annoying people always trying to sell me the same crap. I don't need a new credit card/long distance plan/a free trip (yes totally free!)/cell phone plan. Leave me be.

In other news, I had the most amazing weekend. I took time off and it did me so much good. I went to Niagara with some friends. We saw the falls, went wine tasting, visited Fort George, and hung out in Toronto. We had good food, and it was the most relaxed I felt in months. So that was nice,

Also, newsflash: it is apparently the early 90s again and I'm 12 all over again, I listened to The New Kids on The Block new CD and watched the 90210 premiere yesterday. ;) NKOTB impressed me. I mean, I'm not going to start sketching little hearts in my notebook or anything, but what little I heard from their new CD sounds like good pop music. That's good enough by me. As for 90210, I was a regular watcher of the original for the first few seasons... I'm definitely too old for this stuff, but I love that Jessica Walter plays basically an unironic version of Lucille Bluth. Otherwise, it's just like any other teen soap, which basically means I'll have it on if I'm cleaning or really trying to avoid work.

Two Exciting Pieces of Info...

or why I have a very low threshold of excitement. ;)

1) They're finally building a Tim Hortons' next to my place. Not that I go there all the time, but I had been living in a TH void in my part of Toronto so this is exciting.

2) A little bit of elementary/high school nostalgia. I will be watching with bells on, no matter how cheesy it is sure to be. And 20th anniversary! I feel old all of a sudden.

Yay for Mix CD

I made myself a new CD for the summer... I am loving it. Here is the playlist:

1) Never Again, Kelly Clarkson - Yay for angry chick music.
2) Makes Me Wonder, Maroon 5 - Their whole album makes you want to dance.
3) Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne - Faux-punk princess meets bubble gum pop.
4) Middle of Nowhere, Hot Hot Heat - A band from British Columbia with a funky sound.
5) Lost Without You (Acoustic Version), Delta Goodrem - An Australian teen singer; this piano version is particularly nice.
6) Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield - I've been listening to her album for at least a year and I never get tired of it.
7) SexyBack, Justin Timberlake - Nothing to say that I can't not dance when I listen to that album... so I do!
8) Candyman, Christina Aguilera - I have enjoyed her throwback to 40s-50s music.
9) Here It Goes Again, Ok Go - Have Ok Go become mainstream at all? If not, they should.
10) These Walls, Teddy Geiger - "And even when I'm scared, I have to try to fly/Sometimes I fall/ But I've seen it done before/ I gotta step outside these walls"
11) When You're Gone, Avril Lavigne - Pretty ballad.
12) Extraordinary, Liz Phair - Girls rock!
13) Let Love In, Goo Goo Dolls - I hadn't heard the Goo Goo Dolls in a while... This is very good.
14) Courage, The Tragically Hip - The Hip = one of the best Canadian bands.
15) Islands in The Sun, Weezer - I just love it. You've seen the video with the band playing with animals? LOL
16) My Love, Justin Timberlake - See SexyBack.
17) Bad Day, Daniel Powter - Okay, so from what I understand, American Idol used that song a lot in previous seasons. It is still a good song though.
18) Keep Holding On, Avril Lavigne - Avril looks most unpleasant in interviews, but I like her poppy music.

Wig Gate and Party Music

Why do I enjoy the Internet? I'll tell you why. Because people can spend weeks discussing whether an actor is wearing a wig or not on a show, and they even provide evidence that his hair is much shorter in RL than on the show. Ha! I must say, regardless of whether it is a wig or not, John Krasinski's hair on The Office has been bugging me in the last few episodes because it does not look good. He was playing a 1920s football player at the same time he was filming The Office so they messed with the hair somehow. He needs to go back to his good hair days of Season 2 (how adorable!), although he was also looking good when he filmed License to Wed, which is coming out this summer. Which by the way, you know I will probably see, let's face it, because I have a hard time restraining myself in front of romantic comedies, especially when the only alternatives on July 4th weekend will be Bruce Willis being all macho again and 80s action figures.

On a totally unrelated topic, as I was running errands today, I was listening to music and felt like dancing. LOL Since dancing in public for no reason is not appropriate (ha!), I made a playlist in my head of 50 songs I'd like to dance to. I figure I can use that list if/when I have a party. If it is on my blog, it will be easier to find. By the way, I am fully aware I have music tastes that are pretty eclectic and sometimes veer towards cheesiness, but as Lucille Bluth says, I won’t hear it and I won’t respond to it.

So here is the list in no particular order: (I would have many more to add, but 50 is a good start!)

1. Sexy Back- Justin Timberlake
2. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)- ABBA
3. Like A Prayer- Madonna
4. Island in The Sun- Weezer
5. Love Shack- B-52s
6. Go- Indigo Girls
7. Brian Wilson- The Barenaked Ladies
8. Candyman- Christina Aguilera
9. Dress You Up- Madonna
10. Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leppard
11. Unwritten- Natasha Bedingfield
12. Thriller- Michael Jackson
13. You Drive Me Crazy- Britney Spears
14. Lady Marmelade- Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, and Lil Kim
15. Middle Of Nowhere- Hot Hot Heat
16. We're Not Gonna Take It- Me First and The Gimme Gimme
17. Since U Been Gone- Kelly Clarkson
18. They - Jem
19. Holiday- Green Day
20. Higher Ground- Red Hot Chili Peppers
    
21. Inside and Out- Feist
22. I Will Survive- Cake
23. Here It Goes Again- Ok Go
24. Kick Your Game- TLC
    
25. Astounded- Bran Van 3000
    
26. Canned Heat- Jamiroquai
27. Extraordinary- Liz Phair
28. Breathe- Michelle Branch
29. I'm Just a Gigolo- David Lee Roth
    
30. Born To Be My Baby- Bon Jovi
31. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting- Elton John
32. Groove is in The Heart- Dee Lite
33. American Girls- Counting Crows
34. Rhythm Nation- Janet Jackson
35. Walking On Sunshine- Katrina and The Waves
36. It's Raining Men- Geri Halliwell
37. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours- Stevie Wonder
38. For Once in My Life- Stevie Wonder
39. Where The Streets Have No Name- U2
40. Where's The Love- Hanson
41. Home for a Rest- Spirit of The West (The quintessential Canadian party song!)
42. If I Could Turn Back Time- Cher
    
43. I Want You Back- Jackson 5
44. New York, New York- Frank Sinatra
45. Rich Girl- Gwen Stefani
46. Crazy in Love- Beyonce
47. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper
48. Toxic- Britney Spears
49. You Shook Me All Night Long- AC/DC
50. Stop!- Spice Girls
    

Oh, and a slow song? Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight", TLC's "Red Light Special" or "To Make You Feel My Love" covered by Billy Joel.

Oh Kids!

You know your fandom is all grown up when you get caught in fandom wanking... There are actually people online who spend their time commenting on other people's insane fights on the Internet. What a weird and unproductive way to spend your time, not even participating in discussions on topics you like, although I guess making fun of total strangers is probably a hobby to some. The Internet is a strange place...

In other news, I've been back in Toronto for a week. Always a bit challenging to get back in the swing of things after the Holidays, but life is good overall. I am taking down my Christmas tree today, which makes me a bit sad. See you in 11 months, Christmas tree and ornaments and twinkly lights.

I got a lot of music for Christmas. My 2 current addictions: Justin Timberlake's Futuresex/Lovesounds (I know, shameful but it is highly entertaining!) and Ok Go's Oh No!

Music Blog!

I got Sarah McLachlan's new CD yesterday, which is a Christmas CD, but has a lot of winter-themed songs on it. River, one of my favourite songs, is covered, and she does a kickass job. I also adored her cover of Happy Christmas (The War Is Over). She also included Gordon Lightfoot's Song For A Winter's Night, which she already had covered on Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff, but which is so beautiful. By the way, I fully realize that by listening to this CD, I am listening to Christmas music in October. I just can't help myself! Christmas music is one of my favourite guilty pleasures.

I also got k.d. lang's Hymns of the 49th Parallel, which is a collection of covers of great Canadian songs. I have wanted it for a long, long time, and it happened to be on sale so I jumped at the chance. It is absolutely gorgeous so I was pleased with my purchase. Both CDs kick ass so it was a good music buying session!

This is definitely a music-themed entry because the other thing I wanted to mention is that Jim on The Office last night was singing "Lovefool" by The Cardigans to drive another character crazy. Do you remember that song? I have a distinct memory of listening to that song while driving in my mom's car on the highway on my way to school. It happens to be one of those songs that is a terrible ear worm. Once you start singing it, good luck getting rid of it. I have been singing it all day so I am now sharing my misery with you all. ;)

Ain't No Other Man

Oh, I bought Christina Aguilera's new CD (double album, in fact), which is a mix of jazzy/big band music with a modern twist. It's really good. I can't stop listening to it, and singing its songs. Addictive.

I don't know if you've been watching The Colbert Report & The Daily Show, but they have been particularly on fire recently, especially when Geraldo and O'Reilly goading Stephen and Jon, saying they were not funny, so Jon and Stephen decided to mock them (as you can see from the clips I've linked). Awesome. Oh, and some heroes out there created some Colbert staples for fans to use. You can create your own On Notice board or ThreatDown.

Finally, I can't help myself because I stumbled upon a trove of pictures from a photoshoot for the Improper Bostonian, and he is just too handsome:

This Is A Post Without A Title Because It Is Full of Random Stuff...

My writing muse struck again: Wild Horses. There is something about certain songs that just inspires me. Incidentally, I wasn't listening to the original version of Wild Horses when I wrote this, but to the cover by Alicia Keys and Adam Levine (of Maroon 5). I highly recommend it. Anyway, it is just a beautiful song.

A fellow Office fan compiled the colours of Jim's shirts and Pam's cardigans across episodes just because I dared her to.(She had compiled Jim's tie patterns last week, and I was kind of joking around...) First of all, what better use of Excel is there? ;) Second, I am amazed there are some people as geeky as I, who think stats can be fun. Finally, I think I may have discovered myself some powers of persuasion that I can use for evil. LOL (Yeah, I wish.)

Rented a documentary called Stupidity last night. Eh. It felt full of filler, and for a documentary deploring the pervasiveness of stupidity, I didn't exactly it offered a lot of insight into anything.

I made some fresh salsa, and mint & shredded chicken noodles last night. So, so good.

Because YouTube is awesome as always, I found a clip of an old SNL episode with Justin Timberlake as host. I remember being surprised how good he was. It had a skit where he played Jessica Simpson. It still cracks me up...

Because I'm Not All About Hate...

I can usually see the silver lining in the day. Speaking of which, aren't you happy to have a blog now roommate-rant free? So, so lovely. The kitty and I adore our new digs. I love that my work desk has a big window right next to it, and I can look at the busy street and people walking by while thinking. I adore that, even if it means I hear the city buses stop in front of the building every 5 minutes. I adore that my bedroom is for sleeping, and my living area is for work. I adore that I can organize things as I wish. I adore that the cat can run, and no one screams bloody murder. I adore that I can listen to music or have the TV in the background while working. I adore that I can hang my laundry to dry on the shower pole without anyone complaining. I adore that I can leave dishes in the sink over night without it becoming World War 3. I adore that my food has all the space it needs in the fridge. I adore that no one is moving my stuff around. My place is organized and clean, and doesn't have 4 gazillion carpets that need cleaning every day.

Talking of the ex-roommate, she has been trying to be very nice. She came by twice last week to see the cat, and came to give me a plant as a move-in gift. Very sweet. Clearly, we're better neighbours than roommies.

Oh, I'm listening to TLC's CrazySexyCool, which I hadn't listened to in a while. That is still one of my favourite albums. Perfect title by the way. Those songs make me feel a bit of all three.

Some Kickass Links

Pandora: You give the site an artist or song title and it creates a whole station with songs similar in genre. This is so awesome to discover new music. I'm surprised I had never heard of this.

Shakespeare on Google: All of Shakespeare's plays available at your fingertips.

Happy First Birthday, Blog!

I cannot believe it has been a year since I started this blog. I really didn't think I'd get into it but 185 posts later, I think I misunderestimated (mmm...nonsensical word!) its power. ;)

To celebrate, I thought it would be appropriate to post a sweet X-Files-themed video I found on (where else?)You Tube. It is set to the lovely song "We Belong Together" by Gavin de Graw. I thought it was very apropos since I meet so many of the people here through an X-Files board, and I think we all belong together. Hee. Okay, I'm done with the cheesy love fest, and I promise to bring back my sarcastic self pronto. ;)

On with the video:


I had to add one more video to my favourite TV UST relationship of the moment: Pam and Jim. It is really well done, I thought, and it is set to the song "These Walls" by Teddy Geiger (I totally bought his album today along with the green Weezer album and Back in Black by AC/DC. Yay for music store clearance sale!)

One of My Favourite Songs Popped Up on iTunes...

Billy Joel's cover of Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love". I think it is one of the most beautiful love songs. Makes me feel like writing sappy fiction. LOL

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love

Sad Thoughts

Every time I hear the music from St. Elmo's Fire (like my iTunes just made it pop up), it reminds me of my grandfather and makes me tear up. One of my uncles, who was a TV producer and actually died a few years ago of cancer, made a wonderful video of my grandfather's 80th birthday celebration. It has all these interviews with my uncles and aunts talking about their childhood, and my grandmother, who has also passed away now, talking about how she met my pépé and fell in love with him. There was a montage of the family in it to the music of St. Elmo's Fire. This took place almost 20 years ago, and it still makes me tear up every time I hear that song. My grandfather passed away in 1989, and I still remember coming home and seeing my dad cry. It was the first time I had ever seen my dad cry. I remember he was watching that tape either before or after the funeral, and I remember thinking in my kid's head he was torturing himself. But now, I think I understand why he had the need to rewatch it even if it made him sad. I think I need to get this tape from my dad and convert it to digital so I can make sure to preserve it.

All this sad stuff makes me think of even sadder things. I happened to see her interview with the author and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel on Wednesday. He spent teenage years at Auschwitz, and they showed a trip he and Oprah made there. He was explaining what happened at the camp. The scale of that place was just horrifying. They said it was half the size of Manhattan. A place where you use slave workers and kill millions of people was that huge. It gave me chills. I had a big ball in my stomach watching the whole thing.

On Thursday, she had these high-school kids who wrote in essays pertaining to "Night", Elie Wiesel's book about the Holocaust. The stories some of these kids told were so moving. In particular, there were these two girls who went through the Rwandian genocide. Their stories were so touching. Then, Oprah actually reunited one of the girls with her parents she had not seen since 1994. My eyes were full of tears. It was very powerful. I rarely ever watch Oprah, but I'm glad I caught that.

Live From New York, It's Saturday Night!

Disappointing show tonight. Kevin Spacey was the host, which has been a good thing in the past. Tonight, not so much. Sure, there was the best installment ever of The Falconer, and there was a very funny parody of The Usual Suspects, which I didn't see coming. The opening monologue of Kevin Spacey on American Idol was funny but the rest was take it or leave it. Last week's episode with Julia Louis-Dreyfus was so much better; actually, it was probably the best installment all year.

And what is up with Nelly Furtado? Her two previous albums were wonderful, so this change in style is a little disconcerting. She had such a style of her own before; this just felt like she was copying what is out there these days. It didn't even sound good. For shame, Nelly.

After the new SNL, there was an old show from 2000, with Britney Spears as host and musical guest. Surprisingly, it was a very strong show. There was a Chris Parnell rap about Britney (his raps are always so funny), an installment of the Ambiguously Gay Duo, and a lot of well-paced skits. However, many things about it felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Britney was looking good, funny jokes about McCain endorsing Bush for President (hahaha), about Clinton philandering, about Angelina Jolie and her recent marriage to Billy Bob Thornton. Strange. By the way, watching this old episode explained something from the new Update tonight. At the end of Update tonight, there was a tribute to Tina Fey with her favourite characters singing to her, and one of them was Rachel Dratch as a creepy baby with an arm sprouting from her head. This was supposed to be the child Angelina had with her brother. It made it funnier to know that.

Arrested Development! NewsRadio! Favourite Songs & Albums! Kittens & Puppies! All About The Love, Baby!

I rented the first DVD of the first season of Arrested Development. I never doubted it was a show that I would like but I always forgot to watch it. It was really right up my alley. I love irreverent comedy. Just how I like them. It reminded me in many ways of the kind of humour on NewsRadio (still pimping those DVDs!) although the format of AD is different because it is filmed with hand-held cameras & has a fast pace...

My previous post had current songs I like but I thought it was time to do a top 10 list of my favourite songs & favourite albums of all time. I hope other people post their choices too. I love to read about great albums I might not know.

Top 10 songs (in no particular order)

1. Like A Prayer-Madonna
2. Tiny Dancer- Elton John
3. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant- Billy Joel
4. Bridge Over Troubled Water- Simon & Garfunkel
5. Let It Be- The Beatles
6. I'll Stand By You- The Pretenders
7. With or Without You-U2
8. The Path of Thorns (Terms)-Sarah McLachlan
9. New York, New York by Frank Sinatra
10. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours- Stevie Wonder

Best cover ever: Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" covered by Billy Joel.

Guilty pleasure: "Brian Wilson" by the Barenaked Ladies

Top 10 albums (in no particular order) from the last 25 years. I decided to focus on more recent albums because a) it was just too hard otherwise, and b) I mostly own compilations when it comes to older artists.

1. Little Earthquakes- Tori Amos
2. Surfacing-Sarah McLachlan
3. The Joshua Tree-U2
4. Jagged Little Pill- Alanis Morissette
5. Play- Moby
6. Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live From Central Park- Sheryl Crow
7. White Ladder- David Gray
8. This Way- Jewel
9. Rumors- Fleetwood Mac
10. Welcome Interstate Managers- Fountains of Wayne

Today Was A New Day...

The benefits of just getting out everything that bugs you about someone is that then, you feel better. Thus, my roommate seems to be hunky-dory today. I would like to think too that she realized that she was being a little bit absurb, and that she is trying to smooth things over with me. I'm not really upset anymore although I certainly still think she is a control freak who wants to run my life when she is not entitled to at all. I'm willing to accept some of the criticisms that she brought up as valid (namely when it comes to cleaning & to my alarm clock) although I think that part of cohabiting with someone is putting up with some of their not-always-top-notch habits. The rest though was just a total overreaction but I'll give her (fake) happiness if that's what is needed. I can be nice in that "talking about generalities which are not anything I really care about but that should make her think I care". She has said she'll be moving next spring anyway, at which time I shall take the apartment over, and so I'll just buy peace until then. I guess this is the best conclusion to this story as I could hope for.

I had time to work out today, which was nice. I feel good. The weather is nice here too. The humidity has disappeared, and it's actually comfortable. Thank God.

I got 2 CDs at this used CD store yesterday. I got Liz Phair's eponymous album, which rocks. I also got a CD of Gershwin's songs produced by George Martin, the famous Beatles producer. My choir conducter mentioned it, and I just happened to stumble upon it at the store for less than 10$! It has Peter Gabriel singing Summertime (my choir is singing that this summer), Cher kicking ass on It Ain't Necessarily So (We're singing this too! Cher is so wonderful on this track!), Jon Bon Jovi singing How Long Has This Been Going On, Elton John & Someone To Watch Over Me/Our Love Is Here To Stay, Sting & Nice Work If You Can Get It,... The list of artists goes on: Elvis Costello, Sinead O'Connor, Chris De Burgh, Carly Simon, Kate Bush, Robert Palmer,... It's awesome.

My students' final grades are due tomorrow. They didn't too bad in the end. We have an average of about 67%, including some students who didn't complete all the work. The final was easy but we still only had an average of 69-70%. I actually thought I had made it too easy but I guess not! I loved teaching but I'm glad that stress is coming to a final close.

Okay, back to work for me!

Music & Sitcoms: Chicken Soup For The Soul

This blog is a funny thing. It allows me to be as neurotic as I want to be, a luxury not really afforded to me in the real world. Well, except when talking to my mom & my very close friends, who know the weird intracacies of my mind. I was rereading my recent posts, and some of it reminds me of the tortured teenager I used to be. I was a good girl as a teenager (except maybe for the heavyhanded sarcasm! LOL) but boy, was I an anxious mess. I used to have a lot of difficulty managing it. Everything was a crisis. I was succeeding, at least mildly, at most everything I did but I was always waiting for the impending failure or the other shoe to drop. Fortunately, I grew up, and things got better. I became more adept at managing stress, and I noticed that things have a way of working themselves out. At the same time, I've also learned that I'll never be happy in a job where I have too much stress. Having to repress the anxiety-filled side of me has had its consequences at time, especially in terms of my health.

Anyway, two of my surefire weapons against stress are music & sitcoms. I've termed them chicken soup for the soul because I was being so new age, and had to borrow the names of those books! LOL I'm listening to classical music at the moment, and it just made whatever knots in my stomach I may have had melt away. I think that's why I love singing in a choir so much. There is such a power in singing at the top of your lungs. This semester, we are singing Summertime by Gershwin! I love Gershwin as many of you know; I just wish we had also sung Someone To Watch Over Me, which is my favourite song. We're also singing some Rachamaninov & Dvořák pieces, and one badass Bach piece, Lobet Den Herrn, Motet #6. This Bach is so tough because it have no melodic line that repeats. The harmonies constantly change, and it is just so hard to count the beats because it goes so fast. Still, it is an entertaining challenge.

I have now changed my CD to classic 70s Quebec granola rock. LOL It's from one of the most popular bands of all time in Quebec called Beau Dommage. They've sold an incredible amount of records/CDs over the years considering only 8 million of people live in Quebec. It's urban poetry about love, friendship, city living (mostly in Montreal),... I feel home just listening to it. They wrote one of my favourite songs in French called La complainte du phoque en Alaska (literally The lament of the seal in Alaska). It's about a male seal who sits by itself on his iceberg in Alaska, missing his girlfriend who joined a travelling circus in the continental US. He ponders whether the ephemeral joy gained from exhibiting in the circus is really worth leaving loved ones behind. Anyway, it's a beautiful love song to which I could never do justice. I never tire of listening to it. Another balm to my soul.

Sitcoms are the comic relief in my life. You never get enough laughter in life. I love my NewsRadio and Friends DVDs. Oh, and they've been airing Cheers on the Comedy Network, which makes me happy. :) I got say, Cheers has aged well (unlike The Cosby Show) but the one thing that has not aged well about it are the clothes. Dear God, Sam wears horrifying sweaters, and Diane's clothing is plain scary.

Finally, I did forget one other stress relief in my life. Cute, ain't she? :) I need to scan even better pictures of her.

Live 8 Commentary

Sure, rock won't change the world but if it brings awareness to problems such as poverty, I'm all for it. It's one of those things I feel I can't be cynical about; every little step can hopefully help make things better. Today was all about kickass music to change the world.

I was glued to my TV, radio, and the Internet to catch the wonderful performances. CTV did a great job of covering the event. During the day, they broadcasted the Canadian concert, which was overall quite mellow although full of awesome Canadiana. I didn't see the whole thing but Simple Plan did a good job as did Bruce Cockburn and Our Lady Peace. During the evening, they broadcasted the best moments of the day across the world, and played U2 & Madonna's entire set. I *heart* you, CTV, even though you really need to get rid of Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim, two of the most idiotic TV presenters.

The one thing that was a bit unsettling about the camera work were the extreme closeups of some stars. You got to see some dental fillings and nasal cavities like never before! LOL

Here are, in no particular order, some highlights of the various concerts for me...

1) U2, baby!!!!!!!! They opened the London concert with Paul McCartney by singing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Very cool to see Bono and Sir. Paul singing together. Then, they sang Beautiful Day (they even released doves during the performance!) which morphed into Blackbird :), Vertigo, and then One. I got chills when he was singing One. Bono also spoke very eloquantly of the need for poverty relief. He looked kind of tired though. Regardless, it was awesome.

2) Like A Prayer! Madonna kicked major ass in London. Like A Prayer is my favourite song of hers ever, and it got to me as it always does. She also sang Ray of Light and Music, and she just got the crowd really excited.

3) Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban sang a lovely version of Angel in Philadelphia. I've seen Sarah in concert, and she just has so much presence. Two thumbs way up.

4) Stevie Wonder in Philadelphia. I didn't see his whole set but I saw him performing Superstition, Living For The City, Higher Ground with Rob Thomas, Signed, Sealed, and Delivered with Maroon 5. Such a talented artist.

5) London: Bittersweet Symphony performed by Richard Ashcroft (ex-singer of The Verve) with Coldplay. That was a really interesting version.

6) London again: Sting performed a slightly modified version of Every Breath You Take that was talking about watching politicians as they make their choices. "This time we'll see if our democracy is just a game you play, no matter what we say." It was just great, and in the backdrop, there were the portraits of all G8 leaders. Kudos, Sting.

7) In Berlin, Green Day covered We Are The Champions. Me likey Queen, and I thought they did a great job.

8) London: Pink Floyd. I never got what the fuss was about Pink Floyd. I think I do now.

9) London: Mariah Carey. She actually did a good job singing Make It Happen & We Belong Together. The thing though is that she was wearing a really short and tight dress with 4-inch heels (what a surprise..not), and she was trying to run but she looked like a rabbit who was jumping around. I must say it made me laugh more than it should have. LOL

10) London: REM with Michael Stipe looking very odd (not exactly a rare occurrence either!) with a blue, superhero-like, mask over his eyes. They sang Everybody Hurts, and it was touching as always.

11) London: Robbie Williams. I've enjoyed some of his singles in the past but I was never a major fan. I must say he impressed me today with his charisma. At one point when he was singing Angels, he looked straight in the camera and smiled with a little nod of the head. i must say I melted a little.

12) London: Annie Lennox. She sang a piano version of Why with pictures of African children in the back, and I got a bit choked up.

13) I heard Neil Young's Rocking in The Free World which closed the Canadian show was awesome but I missed it! I missed The Barenaked Ladies as well! Here is to hoping I am able to catch those moments!