U2

You can all see from a photo posted earlier in December that I am a big U2 fan. But, when I try to list "U2" in my favourites list of music on the blogspot profile, no matter how I try to list it, it just seems to refuse to go up there. So, I am instead going to put up this direct link to U2.com right in the text here.

I do not really need to elaborate about U2, but, what the heck. U2 are a great band. The Joshua Tree (1987) is an extremely influential album, produced by Canadian Daniel Lanois, and winner of multiple Grammy awards. Huge singles from this influential album, such as "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You" were playing ad nauseum on every AM radio station that our car picked up as we drove across the Trans Canada highway moving from Prince George, B.C. to Ottawa in late July and early August of 1987. Something about those songs, while watching great Canadian landscapes go by through a car window, really etched those songs and that album into my psyche. I went on to develop an appreciation for U2's back catalogue and pretty much everything they have done since then. I have seen them perform three times: in 1997 I saw the PopMart tour from the floor of Wembley Stadium, London, UK; in 2001, I saw the Elevation Tour from the upper deck of the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton; and, most recently, I was right in the front row of general admission to see the Vertigo tour as it rolled into Ottawa. I actually came home to Ottawa from Calgary just for that. Had to. It was probably the biggest concert event in Ottawa since about 1985, when U2 played the Civic Centre. Or at least since the Rolling Stones played at the football stadium this past summer. The other thing I admire about U2 is their, primarily Bono's, sense of political activism and responsibility in the world. In 2005, Bono was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and he was recently named one Time Magazine's persons of the year alongside Bill and Melinda Gates. That is an impressive achievement to me. I know that the old joke used to be "How many members of U2 does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" Answer: "One. Bono holds the lightbulb and the world revolves around him." But what differentiates him many years later is the maturity, vigour, and intelligence of his approach. For him, it is not a little hobby and a bit of PR. It is a real mission. I can only follow his example in the smallest of ways, but I am quite proud to do so. Coming back to music, what I love about U2: they rock. They put out relevant material, album after album, that is on such a better level than so much of the corporate product rock/rap/hip hop/bubble pop we are plagued with today. And, they have grown older, but remain so relevant. Rock on, U2!

Throw to some blogs I like

Testing out the hyperlink function:

James 'Goulet' Bowie lives in the Glebe in Ottawa Centre, Ottawa, and attends Lakehead University up in Thunder Bay. He's got a decent blog goin' on with lots of links to other stuff of note:

JamesBowie

Aldege 'Al Duce' Bellefeuille lives in Orleans, making his riding Ottawa-Orleans. My man Al has a propensity for an incisive quip, and doesn't like to mince words. He's a proud father, patriot, and Liberal, and an increasingly active force in a different sphere: the concerned citizen interested in backyard issues for our good city. This will make municipal campaigns more interesting in 2006. Incumbents: be on guard, be prepared to step up your accountability a notch, and prepare to think intelligently outside the box. Or you may hear of it in many ways. Check it out by clicking on this link:

Aldege

Peace out, my homies.

Chinook!

5 PM weather report at Calgary airport from Environment Canada:

9 degrees celsius. Wednesday night low to be -1 celsius.

From the Weather Network:

9 degrees celsius. Wednesday eve 5 degrees. Wednesday overnight + 1 degree celsius.

Remember, it is December 21st. Winter starts today.

Ottawa, its big pile of snow from last week, and whatever temperature I arrive to around midnight on Friday the 23rd... risks being shocking. But I will be toting my big industrial Northern pipeline NOMEX parka, with the fur zippered off the giant hood, so I will be okay. And amusing people with the size of the parka!

New shout outs: none.

Paul Martin definitely is not supportive of the separatists continuing to be elected in Quebec nor of a referendum process as a goal. What the heck is Harper drinking.

Actually I do have a shout out: Helene Scherrer, for speaking a hard truth around Quebec city. Good luck to you as a candidate again.

Kensington Shout Out

Just as I am gradually recovering from an excessively political life in Ottawa by moving to Calgary and living in Kensington, it seems a friend of mine has done the same by shifting to culinary delights and homemaking in the Manor Park area of Ottawa.

Check out www.kenschelseamarkettimes.blogspot.com

Shout out to David Gourlay. A chef I don't want to see naked, but encourage to keep on cookin'.

"Cheers mate."

more shoutouts

Crazy Melvin: Hah-Cha-Chah!
Derek Gowan & Jennifer Capiral
Ayrin
Marcelo Silva & Patricia
Olivia
Ron & Fiona
Kayleigh
Parnell and Sandberg and the Chronic"what?"cles of Narnia on a lazy Sunday
Marie-Anick and NGPS folk
Greedo
Uncle Jim
Uncle Reg
Aunty Sal
Aunty Marie
Glenn Murray
Joel Monfils
Homer
Troy McLure
Family Guy
American Dad
Spiderman
Wolverine
Cyclops
Hawkeye
Kathleen Edwards
Radiohead
Peter Gabriel
Arcade Fire
Saugeen Stripper
Barenaked Ladies
Wilco
Cracker
Pearl Jam
Beastie Boys
Pulp
Oasis
Crowded House
Neil Finn
Steve Martin
the Orb
the Killers
Pet Shop Boys
Jim Bryson
James
Massive Attack
Joel Plaskett
Nova Scotians
British Columbians
Ontarians
Quebeckers (especially Montrealers)
Albertans
Uncle Eldon
and all the other friends to the end

A great photo

Here is a favourite photo of mine. I am posting it because the Ottawa Senators toyed with the Toronto Maple Leafs again... 7-2 (at last count?)

Liblogs - let's consider it a casual reference and not hard propaganda

Whazzzaaap!

Al Duce
Richard Mahoney
The Beaver
See-Monh
Marc-Andre
Mailman
Edwina
Leisure Class Loungers
Marc B
David McGuinty, MP
James "Goulet" Bowie
Warren Kinsella
Hon. Dalton McGuinty, MPP
Hon. John Manley, PC
Hon. Jim Watson, MPP
Matthew "Skinny Me" Eason
Chuck Collins
BBC
Giac Panico
David Nguyen
Dom Aquilina
Farhad
Denis Schryburt
Dr David Cashaback, PhD
Jenn & J-P
John & Yoko (?)
Allan Rock
BCF
Anybody Else in the FAC posse old and new : wish I'd been there longer
Ottawa Citizen Letters page
Murray Evenson
Hi Mom
Brianna
Dad
Bono
Ho's I Knows
Good Ones That Got Away
Lise
Chantale
Julie
Gavin
Henry Mooney
Jean-Luc 'Picard' Callahan
Liberals I like
Tories and Dippers I like too (I can be non-partisan because I'm more detached)
Mayor Bob
Terry Kilrea, Bayshore Shirley, and the CFRA Nation
God
Allah
Budha
Hunter S. Thompson [RIP]
Tom Wolfe
Nate Dog
MattMan
Jason Spezza
Dany Heatley
Chris Phillips
Wade Redden
Alfie
Havlat
Zdeno Chara's Ass (may it block more pucks next playoff)
Paul Martin
Dion Phaneuf
Roman Hamrlik, because we are the same age
Nat St Hilaire
Amy Carr
Pamela
Jai
Research
John Deere
Linda
K
James - you are indeed a lucky bastard
John Jr.
Stephanie
Junior
Emily
Frank McKenna
Iggy in Etobicoke - I still can't picture you shaking hands in Inuvik
Iggy in Calgary
Canadian Junior Hockey Team
Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Team
Canadian Women's Hockey Team
Cassie Campbell - call me
Georgina
Matt Good
Edge
Larry
Adam
Players
Haters
Player Haters
Ottawa South L.As
Shauna
Kate
Jesus
Mohammed
Elvis
Ottawa Centre
milton@politician.com
Yoda
Han Solo
Marc
Andrea in London
Denise
Tim
Smedley - yer alright - may you keep yer sanity
Montreal
Smallegange
Gregor
'Cartney
Hutch
Carroll
Holly
Little ones
Ursula
Minister Dion
Bourque
Frank
Jocular Rabble Rousers
Politicos
Chetna
All These Things I've Done
Richell
Pietro
Uncle Fred
Uncle Matt
Belinda 'cause it's fun to say and probably gets a few hits
Maurizio 'cause it's also fun to say
Jean Chretien
Douglas Adams RIP
Charles Schulz RIP
Charlie Brown
Linus - he knows where it's at
Snoopy
Woodstock
Sheryl Crow
Maclean
J. Brown (where you at?)

I always wanted an opportunity to write liner notes and give shout outs.
2:20 AM in Calgary about a week before I go home for Christmas seems a good time.

Hey! Will you look at that! That's a pretty damn decent photo of Bono snapped from a disposable Kodak! I was back in Ottawa Nov 25 (and 26th) mainly to see U2 at the Corel Centre [big ups to Matt Senft, Nathan Gordon, and Erin in Vancouver!] We were all in general admission, and, through a variety of efforts, we had great spots at the very top of the round circle ramp (but not inside the Bomb shelter, which just means I will have to try again sometime) All that said, it was the best view on U2 I have had so far in three concerts. Hope you dig the photo.

Long Time No Comment!

What can I say? I launched the blog tool, found it a bit frustrating, set it aside. A little later I took a new job, which totally undercut my earning potential but could have been a good fit I could grow out of. It wasn't - because there was no room to grow and the capacity to grow and contribute was stifled, not encouraged. Most unfortunate. So that job reached a natural end much sooner than expected. Instead, I won a much better, permanent, far better paid job, moved partway across our big country, established myself in an apartment, and am adapting to new things.

But I got back on the blog and I am once again going to attempt to make good use of this fine outlet.

Now how do I connect to some friends? Inserting links into the text is also easy, and mastered.

How do I post photos? Well, that's mastered.

Onward, upward, westward ho.

Northward, too.