On Tuesday, we learned that Justin Trudeau and the NDP reached a deal that will keep the Liberals in power until 2025. Immediately, I had a few questions…
How?
As it turns out, this agreement is not a coalition, but something else called a confidence and supply agreement. This is a type of deal where one political party agrees to support the government by voting in favour of them or abstaining from voting against them. These deals are usually limited to motions of confidence (whether a person is deemed fit to continue in their position) and the budget. This does not mean that the other party can’t continue to vote in line with their own ideology, personal conscience, or when it comes to legislative matters. It is essential to distinguish this from a coalition, a far more binding agreement where political parties join together, and there is an expectation to “toe the line.” With the confidence and supply agreement, the NDP is still free to act as an opposition.
But Why?
After all, we just had an election, one where Trudeau failed to regain the majority government that he lost in 2019. The election seemed to clear that Canadians are tired of “playing politics.” The whole thing was hardly a vote of confidence for any party.
To Trudeau, this is about not allowing the parties’ differences to “stand in the way of what Canadians deserve.”
Candice Bergen, the interim leader of the Conservative party, was quick to dub the agreement as a coalition, backdoor socialism, and an attempt by Trudeau to stay in power at all costs.
“This is an NDP-Liberal attempt at government by blackmail. Nation-building is replaced by vote-buying, secret deal-making over parliamentary debate, and opportunism over accountability. His answer is to stay in power at all costs, including implementing the even harsher and more extreme policies of the NDP. “If this NDP-Liberal coalition stands, Canada is a very rough ride.”
– Candice Bergen ( Interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada)
I have always felt that when you have to ask “why?” in politics, any answer or opinion is invariably partisan.
.
What?
The agreement is called “Delivering For Canadians Now”. If the Liberals are to be believed, the agreement is supposed to work towards goals that include tackling the climate crisis and developing a better healthcare system.
What are your thoughts on this confidence and supply agreement between the Liberals and NDP? If you voted NDP, are you concerned that the party’s vision will be lost in a Liberal agenda? If you voted Conservative, do you see this as an attempt to keep the party out of office? A hail-Mary attempt by Trudeau to save face amidst a weakening case for his re-election?
Metro-Vancouver gas prices are currently the highest in North America, with the going rate at some pumps being 209.9 cents per liter last Sunday.
This is your sign to buy a Tesla
The previous record for gas prices was also set right here in Metro- Vancouver, which was all but two days prior.
As someone who takes public transit most of the time or drives his mother’s electric vehicle, I feel more empowered than usual. Instead of using my newfound validation as a pedestrian, I would like to draw your attention to a few of the other things that we pay too much for as residents of the lower mainland. Gas prices may be “enjoying” the spotlight right now but there other contenders out there that I feel compelled to pay tribute to.
Why should gas get all the credit?
After all, if you didn’t overpay for it, did it even come from Vancouver?
White Spot
One of my best friends and I like to joke that we “grew up” at White Spot. We’ll neither of us ever worked for the chain; going to White Spot became our thing after we met in our first lecture in our first year at SFU.
As a total aside, how the hell was that seven years ago?
Like most 18-year-old university students, we were pretty cash-strapped and hungry all the time. White Spot was where we didn’t have to pay much to get a sizeable portion of fair-quality food. It was a consistent, safe, and comforting choice that was always there for us. Many long days of studying were concluded with great conversations at the White Spot on North Road near Lougheed Mall. That restaurant was part of the backdrop that facilitated the growth of our friendship.
A B.C. Tradition
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, so I guess it’s hardly surprising that all these years later, White Spot is still a place I hold pretty dear to my heart. These days instead of it being a post-study thing, it’s an apres-ski or late dinner after bouldering at the climbing gym.
It was just a few weeks ago, after an evening of climbing, that we decided to go to White Spot and “opened our eyes .”I swear, maybe they changed the font on the menu, or I was looking for something to complain about, but I was horrified that the price of a “Double Double” was now $19.49.
It’s wasn’t just the price.
The food wasn’t really the same either. The burger itself was noticeably smaller, the buns were comically oversized, the fixings (especially the lettuce) were as close to their best before as you could reasonably expect without sending it back, and there was hardly any Triple-O Sauce. The burger didn’t look good either; you could tell that it was hastily thrown together. If the food wasn’t cold, maybe I could have looked past everything else.
I understand that these are challenging times for restaurants; almost everywhere has raised prices or cut portion sizes to an extent. Unfortunately, when White Spot becomes the same price as Earls ( a “Bigger Better Burger” is only $18.75) I take notice. When White Spot then also cuts its portion sizes and lowers its standards, I take issue. This isn’t a one-time mishap either, I may have just woken up to the price, but I have noticed the quality take a step back over the last few years.
It seems White Spot has gone the way of all things that are “properly” Vancouver: overpriced.
Vancouver Clothing Brands
There are some great local clothing brands. In all honesty, I have never bought local and had any concerns about quality, durability, or attention to detail.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been a few times where I felt like I overpaid for a piece of clothing from a Vancouver brand, in spite of the quality. Tentree, Lu Lu Lemon, and Arcteryx are the victims of my ire. I have zero negative things to say about the quality of the products that I have purchased from any of these brands. They have and continue to serve me well, and they look good as well.
That said, why does a Ski shell from Arcteryx, not even a fully insulated winter jacket, have to cost me $850?
Why does a pair of joggers, even if my purchase went towards planting ten trees, cost me $100?
But there can be no doubt that the most extensive beatings my wallet has suffered have come at the hands of LuLu Lemon. It’s hard to compete for the distinction of being Vancouver’s most overpriced brand when Lu Lu Lemon is charging nearly $80 for a humble workout shirt.
I won’t stop buying from these brands, not just because I support local but because the quality is always there.
I won’t stop complaining about the price either.
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Want to pay $60 to walk across a bridge?
Christmas lights or not, can somebody explain this to me in a way that makes sense? Until they do, you will never see me there again unless someone else pays for it.
I will stick to the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge.
Houses
No explanation is required.
Our Ski Hills
I know it seems like I have it out for the North Shore, but I feel somewhat vindicated after this year.
So long as I live in the lower mainland, I will continue to ski regularly at our local hills, but the crowds this year (parking, traffic jams, lift lineups) , on top of the moderate hassle of making it out to the North Shore or West Vancouver from the Tri-Cities, made me think about the price for the first time.
The hills are always busy, but this year they felt busier.
Going up and down Cypress Bowl Road and Mt Seymour Road was a nightmare, and that’s without the battle of finding parking.
The wait times for the Grouse Mountain gondola were extra-long.
Skiing felt more like a chore at times this year.
It makes paying up to $95 for a lift ticket a hard pill to swallow.
For my money, Steve Lukather is probably the best guitarist that most people have never heard of.
He “came of age” in the early 1980s, a time when a new sort of a guitar hero was beginning to emerge; ushered in by the ground-breaking playing of Eddie Van Halen. These types of guitar players were far more technical, educated (often in classical and jazz), and most notably: a hell a of a lot faster with their hands than the generation of guitar greats that came before them. It’s truly quite remarkable the leap that was made on the instrument even just between the late 1970s and early 80s.
Stylistically, Lukather had the technique to go down as an all -time guitar great, which he still is, of the Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, or Joe Satriani caliber. Fortunately, he chose a more low key career path that would see him put his guitar virtuosity, producing skills, and composition to be the band leader of Toto while lending his talents to over 1,500 albums spanning from the 70s onward.
In addition to his guitar work with Toto on songs such as “Hold The Line” or “Rosanna”, Lukather has been a part of the recording process as either an player or engineer with musicians including.
Elton John
Chicago
Barbara Streisand
Boz Scaggs
Don Henley
Cher
America
Lionel Richie
Joni Mitchell
Olivia Newton John
Michael Jackson
The Ones You Should Know
Dirty Laundry -1982
Lukather rips the outro guitar solo on this early 80s hit from Eagles front man Don Henley.
Runnin With The Night – 1983
Quite a shame that the guitar solo was cut when this song first debuted on the radio.
It is hard for me to believe that we are already 3 months into the 2022. It feels more like the third chapter or a second encore of 2020 than it does a new year. With more time stuck at home, like all of us, I used the time to try to better understand what I’ve learned this far and the series of decisions that have got me to this point. I feel more capable of introspection, productive self-analysis, and empathy than every before. My humility has grown immensely and with it a desire to be a more deliberate, intentional, and passionate human being moving forward. I don’t want to learn any more lessons the hard way, something I had a knack for prior to that first lockdown in the Spring of 2020. For my own sake, I am not going to tell you how I learnt these lessons but the truth is, how we learn things (even if through making mistakes) is less important than the fact that we learned them at all. The past can’t be undone but the future can be a lot better if you apply what you learn.
Trust Your Parents
I can’t tell you how long it took me to finally feel comfortable opening up and having clearer lines of communication with my parents. They were, and are, nothing but supportive, loving, and providing of every opportunity me or my siblings have ever wanted or needed. Yet, whether it was a baseless fear of punishment or not wanting to disappoint them, for most of my life; I never turned to my parents for help when I really needed it. I could be in trouble, in search of advice, or needing to get something of my chest; I just couldn’t do it. Our parents love us and they have been through many of the same things that we are currently experiencing or will in the future. My parents specifically just wanted us to be happy above all else. It took me a long time to realize this but once I did my relationship with them was more genuine. I have made a lot of mistakes but no matter what bombshell or mishap I came into, my parents never stopped believing in me.
Don’t Say Stupid Shit
My step-father used to say this all the time to us growing up. It’s a simple message but its importance and resonance with me has grown over time. My step-father didn’t mean that you shouldn’t be silly or make jokes. He was telling us to careful when speaking in extremes to avoid bullshiting, and to not over speak. There are few things in life that warrant us talking about them as arrogantly as many of us (myself included) do sometimes. If you don’t know anything about what’s being discussed, you don’t have to pretend to. You might fool some people but you will always look foolish when someone, who knows what their talking about, picks up on it.
Be Honest With Yourself
That little voice in your head (your “gut” instinct) is usually right about things. Don’t ignore it in pursuit of what you think others want you to do or what is going to “validate” you in their eyes. It is your life, and you need to choose the path that is going to fulfill you. Such a simple truth but it took me a long time to understand it.
Pay It Forward
Another one of my step-fathers favorites. You owe it to the world to put back the same time and opportunities that were allotted to you. Maybe not right away, but somewhere along the line when you have the means to do so.
Do you remember being in school and there is always that one student who just says “fuck-it” and does all the work himself? Than the rest of the group just smiles and gets to pretend that they contributed anything when everyone gets an A.
Of course you do.
Did you know that some of the greatest bands in classic rock were just like that?
This is a tribute to the bands that were at their essence a true “one man show”. This is not to say that they were the exclusive performer on an album or that they didn’t have help once in a while. But, when it came to song writing, musical direction, and composition it all came back to just one guy. These bands were all great but they did not and could not exist without their respective mad geniuses.
BOSTON (Tom Scholz)
Tom Scholz is Boston and Boston is Tom Scholz.
In fact, the only two “members” of the band that were signed to a record contract (with Epic records) were Scholz and singer Brad Delp. With the exception of vocals, Scholz played basically every instrument on the bands 1976 debut album. An album which sold over 17 million copies making it one of the most successful debut albums of all time.
Tom was a pretty smart guy apart from music as well.
He had studied mechanical engineering at MIT and was working as a product-design engineer for Polaroid full time while recording music ( much of it that would go on to be a part of Boston’s debut album) at home. He played a lot of instruments including the guitar, drums, bass, and all types of keyboards, however, his guitar work (especially the solos) are what stands out most.
He has a tone that can’t be mistaken. A large part of that comes down to the arsenal of effects pedals that he built himself. These let him create sounds that you will only hear on Boston songs.
If it is a Boston song, Tom Scholz wrote it: every word and every note.
The next time you hear “More Than A Feeling” or “Peace Of Mind” on the radio, just think how that all began with one (really smart) dude.
PINK FLOYD – (ROGER WATERS)
I am going to piss some, or a lot, of people off with this one but the truth hurts.
Roger Waters was definitely not the most visible bandleader, on stage at least, but more times than not he was the driving force creatively for Pink Floyd. This was increasingly the case as his tenure with the band came to a close following “The Final Cut” in 1983.
Of course a big part of the Pink Floyd sound, and what established them as progressive (psychedelic) rock pioneers was the lush “spacey” soundscapes created by guitarist David Gilmour and keyboard player Richard Wright. Yet the impetus was always Waters.
Roger Waters wrote the lyrics for every track on “Dark Side Of The Moon” which to me says that he always valued control over musical direction. Even on this early masterpiece of an album he was only making a compromise in some respects. He demanded full control over the story (created by the lyrics) but was willing to make some concessions when it came to the soundscape (the music’s non-lyrical components). Eventually, Rogers would take full control over every aspect of the band’s music. If you look at the song writing credits over time (between 1973 and 1980), Rogers was always writing all the lyrics but eventually he started doing all the music as well and taking over duties on lead vocals. Earlier on, the role of lead vocalist more often fell to David Gilmour.
In 1978 “Animals he wrote 4/5 songs all on his own and performed lead vocals on every track. For “The Wall” in 1979, he wrote every single song save for a few shared credits with Gilmour. By 1983 with “The Cut”, his final album with the band, he wrote and sang lead on every song. He even took over keyboard duties.
It seems like he grew into his own as a musician along with the bands success.
NIRVANA (KURT COBAIN)
As far as I can tell, the only reason Nirvana remains relevant in pop culture today (primarily on graphic tee-shirts) has more to do with their image than it does the music. That image was Kurt Cobain, and the band died with him.
Seriously can you picture the band existing with literally anyone (regardless of talent) as the lead singer?
No …
JIMMY PAGE (LED ZEPPELIN) .. SORT OF
This one will definitely piss some people off which is why I attach an asterisk of sorts to it. I get it: Jimmy Page was not the sole songwriter of the band, John Bonham is the greatest rock drummer of all time, Robert Plant one of the greatest rock singers, and John Paul Jones was the quiet but versatile musician who was a “secret weapon” of sorts.
Yet, there can be no doubt that it was Jimmy’s band.
He wrote nearly all the music, was the primary composer, and generally the one with the vision or direction for the band. The band was put together because Page had to fill contractual obligations after the disbanding of his previous group: “The Yardbirds”. He needed to perform a series of concerts in Scandinavia and went about building a new band in roughly the same format.
He is best known as a guitar player but Page was so much more than that. He was a musical visionary whose pioneering work in hard rock and heavy metal can’t be overstated.
Recently, actor Sam Elliott went on an all-time nonsensical rant criticizing the Netflix, academy award winning western “Power Of The Dog”. The bulk of his criticisms were directed towards the films allusions to homosexuality, the lack of horse riding among other familiar western tropes, and the film being shot in New Zealand as reasons why the film was “a piece of shit”.
His rants, particularly the bits about homosexuality, are just down right disappointing.
“That’s what all these fucking cowboys in that movie looked like. They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the fucking movie.”
And
“Where’s the Western in this Western? I mean, Cumberbatch never got out of his fucking chaps. He had two pairs of chaps, a woolly pair and a leather pair. And every fucking time he would walk in from somewhere — he never was on a horse, maybe once — he’d walk into the fucking house, storm up the fucking stairs, go lay in his bed in his chaps, and play his banjo. It’s like, what the fuck?”
Sam Elliott knows a thing or two about playing cowboys in western movies. After starting his career with a small role in “Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid”, he would go on to become a mainstay in the genre for the next 50 years, from films like Tombstone to the Yellowstone spin-off series 1883 today. His tall lanky physique, low raspy voice, and walrus mustache are a huge reason for his success in the genre. The man really looks like a cowboy.
Regardless of whatever credentials he thinks he has to be a “voice of reason” for western films, Same Elliott is all kinds of wrong for his criticisms.
The truth is that most western movies, especially today, are really not that good. Too often they revolve around a hyper-masculine, straight-shooting male protagonist who carries an unrealistic authority that no one seems to question. Early western icons such as John Wayne, Gary Cooper, and James Stewart excelled in these kinds of roles. Appropriate and reflective of their time? Sure, but a little tacky as well. People aren’t like that in real life, even those who we decide are “heroes”. The result is that western movies are often difficult to take seriously because of their overreliance on these types of male protagonists.
Quite frankly I find them boring, uncompelling, and somewhat laughable.
Not to mention, how many more mindless shootouts, horse-riding scenes, bank robberies, or a lone sheriff take on all the bad guys?
That’s the sort of mindless escape that Marvel movies provide for us today. Westerns need to be better and that starts with pushing the genre forward in films like “Power Of The Dog”. Without spoiling the film “Power of the Dog” I would like to say that one of the male leads: a character named Phil Burbank (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) is the most compelling lead in a western I have seen since Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis) in “There Will Be Blood”. Phil is a closeted homosexual who overcompensates with brash hypermasculinity and behavior. The film as a whole paints a kind of western that is far closer to the one that probably did exist. It effectively greys the genre by introducing themes of sexuality, anger, imperfect lead characters, and real (therefore complicated) love, not the kind that begins and ends with saving the girl.
We need more of this because western movies not only need to become better, they need to become more accessible to different type of people. Otherwise all the genre will ever be, moving forward, is a sort of “safe” place where die hard western fans can indulge in the same tropes and themes till the end of time. The kind of films that carry about as much artistic as the latest installment of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The way an idea or genre, as it pertains to film, stays alive is by evolving. Striving to be more inclusive, realistic, and comprehensive than its predecessors. Sam Elliot doesn’t seem to understand that or worse.. he does understand it but chooses to attack the film because he feels threatened by change. But it isn’t really change because the types of cowboys he made his money playing don’t exist and they never did.
If you haven’t seen many westerns, that is totally understandable. It is not the most accessible or well-crafted genre most times. However, there are some gems that I would to recommend if you are curious.
No Country For Old Man
There Will Be Blood
Power Of The Dog
Brokeback Mountain
Jeremiah Johnson
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid The Hateful Eight
Django Unchained
Once Upon A Time In The West (The Only “Spaghetti Western” I think is any interesting)
Their complexity as characters is what makes them compelling as they navigate their way through their respective series. Whether they be conflicted, tortured, broken, or just insecure it’s that turbulent nature that makes everything they do as interesting as it is consequential.
Things happen because of them and then unfold through them.
It’s a draining endeavor when you develop a vested interest in a fictional character who seems to be hell bent on frustrating you. They may be fictional but the lessons I learned through watching their story unfold are packed with truth.
Donald Draper – Mad Men
Lesson: If you can’t learn from your past, the future will be no better
Donald Draper lives his life through an expertly crafted network of lies designed to enable him and protect him from the consequences of his behavior. He is successful, handsome, and charming but he is always looking to fill a void. He was not loved as a youth and now, as a grown man, no amount of money, sex, alcohol, or cigarettes is able to convince him that he is deserving of love or that he should accept himself.
Every single ounce of trouble he gets into over the course of Mad Men comes back to just this. He never realizes it and so he always falls into the same traps and relives the same cycles of behavior.
His “accomplishments” include:
Cheating on both of his wives with a long lineup that includes: coworkers, his secretary, his children’s school teacher, the neighbors wife, and random waitresses.
Crashing his car while drunk
Turning away his younger brother leading to his suicide
Stealing the identify of a man whose death he caused
Descending into full blown alcoholism
He is always running from his past and he lives in constant fear that it will one day catch up with him. So he keeps up the façade but the pressure of living up to it eats away at him. This is why he consistently looking for an escape.
He once said “I have a life and it moves on direction…. forward”
Only when Don says this, it really means that on the rare occasion that his layers of deception fail him: he just plans on running away from the situation. He will abandon his family, his job, and his entire life to not have to confront his past. Donald Draper is tragic because he never learns that there are no true fresh starts in life. If you don’t look at your past critically and learn from your mistakes, you will continue to make them in the future. You can move to an entirely different part of the world but you would still be the same person. It must be exhausting to be Don.
Jax Teller – Sons Of Anarchy
Lesson: If you don’t believe you can change, eventually you will be right
As tragic a character that there ever was.
At the beginning of Sons Of Anarchy he carries an aura of youth and idealism. He is fiercely devoted to his motorcycle club, SAMCRO, but has deep disdain for excessive violence and the illegal ventures the club is tied up in.
To me, Jax represents a gradual loss of hope that is all too real for many of us. He goes from trying to fulfill his late father’s vision, to steer SAMCRO towards peace and legitimacy, to eventually resigning himself to the understanding that he was destined to never be anything more than a criminal.
Of course, he didn’t get there overnight but slowly he turns into exactly what he sought to destroy: a violent, cold, and merciless killer.
His death sums up his life: ironic and tragic.
Squidward – SpongeBob
Lesson: Don’t be a victim. You don’t get to complain about something in your life if it is within your power to change.
Everyone’s favourite Squid who is actually an octopus but only has six legs so we call him Squidward.
DON’T BE LIKE SQUIDWARD
I should just leave it at that.
I think Squidward is kinder than he gets credit for, and more patient as well. Would you be much happier if you lived next to SpongeBob?
Yet, he has a tendency to play the victim card and indulge in self-pity.
Squidward is clearly insecure about where he is at in life. He is presumably into his 30s, at the very least, and he still works at a fast food joint. I would give him credit for owning a house if not for the fact that Patrick owns one as well so it can’t mean much in the Bikini Bottom universe. He wants to be admired and taken seriously as artist and musician but that hasn’t happened yet. When that doesn’t happen he looks anywhere but inward and then takes it out on others, mostly SpongeBob.
Instead of blaming others for his unhappiness, Squidward should work on himself!
Practice the clarinet more so he can be a musician. If he really want’s a better job than being a cashier at the Krusty Krab, he is going to have to work at it.
Stop comparing himself to others (especially Squilliam who seems to be everything Squidward wishes he was and has everything Squidward wishes he did) because that never does anyone any good at all.
Smile and treat others better. I get it that SpongeBob is annoying but he’s still a good guy who clearly cares about you.
Squidward is what can happen if you choose inaction. You can’t have it both ways. Try and be better or otherwise sit tight. Don’t be a victim because no one likes that guy. Sorry Squidward.
Every movie that I consider to be one of my favorites, I have seen less than three times. Some of them just once. I don’t think of movies like I do music. Or perhaps I don’t want to make the same mistake with movies that I do with songs I fall in love with.
Whenever I hear a song I like, really like, for the first time it almost always goes the same way. I find out the name of the song, thank you Shazam, and then listen to it whenever and wherever I can. While studying, working out, on public transit, doing work around the house, and literally any other excuse I can find.
In other words: hide the aux cord when Griffin finds his new “favorite” song or you will suffer the consequences.
Unfortunately, after indulging in a song over a period of a few weeks, maybe a month at most, I am completely burnt out and intent on not hearing that song again for the foreseeable future. Too much of a good thing I suppose. It’s quite disappointing when something you were so in love with just days before, no longer evokes the same feelings or excitement. The process may be gradual in theory but it never feels like it. Just one day I will wake up, decide I have had enough and then move on to the next thing. I have wrecked a lot of great songs by doing this, too many to count here.
So that’s why about three years ago I decided to never fall into that trap when it comes to the films and television. If a movie is able to capture my attention, I don’t fight it. I allow it to reel me in and I immerse myself fully in the world playing out on screen. Afterwards, I enjoy spirited discussions and analysis about all the aspects of the film. Plot, theme, devices, tropes, foreshadowing, allusion, score, and characters. I love getting nerdy about a film and stacking it up against other great works.
Then… I don’t watch that movie again for a LONG time. It could be months, at the earliest, but more likely than not it will be a matter of years before I willingly watch a movie for the second time.
Why?
It comes back to a principle of mine. I am a big believer in keeping the magic of the past alive but never trying to go backwards in order to evoke it. Over time I have learned that when you try to recreate a moment, you are only setting yourself up for disappointment. That moment existed because of how all the “stars” aligned to make it what it was. The people, place, day, circumstances; they won’t come together in that exact way ever again, therefore that moment can never be created exactly as it was. If you don’t realize this, and attempt to recreate the past anyway, you can actually hurt the magic of the original moment in question. That’s nothing to be lamented. The future can be as bright as you choose to make it so focus on creating new memories and new special moments as opposed to chasing old ones. Simply put: BE CAREFUL WITH NOSTALGIA.
So when it comes to my movies and television: I want my lasting memory of them to be like the first time for as long as I can. Rewatching a movie doesn’t make me love it more. The anticipation, the anxiety, the curiosity, it’s all gone now and with it, any excitement I could ever get. If I love a film, I want it to stay frozen in time for me.
Some movies, people say get better the second time you see them because you pick up on things that you didn’t at first. To this I say that part of my enjoyment was not having the benefit of hindsight and an overly analytical perspective. I don’t want to go back, I want to enjoy the “a ha!” moment .
My weird way of keeping the magic of a movie alive.
P.S. here are some of my favorite movies along with the number of times I have seen each of them. As you will see, I am not one to watch my favourite movies all the time.
“The bass is for people who aren’t good enough to play the guitar” is what my guitar teacher once told me. Being 11 or 12, I was ignorant enough to believe it. It wasn’t until years later, after exposure to different types of music and seeing the instrument in various contexts, that I realized how silly that statement was. The bass guitar does not have the sheer diversity or voice-like expressiveness of its six-string counterpart. Instead, it can help anchor the song and push it forward with a resonant authority that the lead guitar does not have.
Think of the bass as the foundation of a building. The hard blue-collar work that has to get done or everything else fails. You don’t look at towering skyscrapers and first admire the rebar, electrical, or carpentry work. But you sure will notice it later if those jobs weren’t done to a high level when the building has issues further down the road. In the same way, the bass guitar is rarely the first thing you notice when listening to a song, even though it is hard at work laying down the foundation for the other instruments to succeed. Sometimes though, the humble worker does such a good job that you can’t help but notice.
These are ten songs where the bass guitar did more than round out the rhythm section. These songs gave me a new appreciation for the instrument and how it can be so much more than just a support role.
Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
No introduction needed here. You know the song for its cheeky bass-line as much as you do for Freddie’s vocals.
Guns of Brixton – The Clash
How about a reggae bass line in a song about police brutality by an English Punk Band? This bass line isn’t just cool, it grooves.
Roundabout – Yes
This bass line sort of takes you around. It almost sounds circular.
Ramble On – Led Zeppelin
Listen to how busy the bass is during the chorus. Its like he’s doing his own solo.
Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
Just three notes and a thumping beat is all it takes for one psycho iconic bass line
Good Times – CHIC
Best bass line ever?
Walk On The Wild Side – Lou Reed
Listen to how the bass is doing its own melody underneath the verse.
The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
Most iconic outro of all time? It’s up there, and it all starts with that bass line.
Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala
You know this song about one second in when that bass comes in.
The Boss – James Brown
If there ever were a song that epitomizes “cool” this is it. Behind that horn section and jangly guitar, the bass lays it all down with just a few notes.
I would love to know when society arrived at the mutual understanding that moustaches are “creepy.” Something so archaic, goofy, and “improper” that the only time it is ever acceptable to sport one is for one month of the year as a fundraiser.
Now do not get me wrong here: Movemeber is a super important movement. Men’s health is no joke, and many of us shy away from opening up on our best days. If the moustache can be used to create a space where we can have those difficult but essential conversations, that is a great thing.
Unfortunately, for all the good that Movemeber brings in terms of awareness and fundraising for men’s health, it comes at the moustaches expense.
Wait How?
By encouraging men to grow out a moustache for one month of the year, we utilize society’s perception of the moustache ( hypersexual, macho, pretentious, creepy, etc.) and thus reinforce it. If you, like many, sport a moustache for just that one month, you are inadvertently saying: “This thing is so ridiculous but let’s all look ridiculous together for a good cause.”
It is a worthy cause… but moustaches are not ridiculous: they are fantastic. So you should trade in that beard, or upgrade your baby face, to rock one for more than just one month of the year.
Sadly
With some bitterness, I have resigned myself to the fact that moustaches will probably never be on par with beards or a simple clean-shaven look in terms of popularity. But, in the same way that rock music is kept alive by a select few, the moustache will never entirely disappear. There will always be Movemeber, hipsters, and bartenders to keep the look afloat.
Yet the more men choose to keep a sweater on their upper lip, the better because the mustache has magnetism and boldness that no beard can ever match. To wear a mustache, you need to embrace its polarizing nature. If you’re up to the task, you have yourself a shameless attention grab, conversation starter, and a testament to your boldness. Why restrict limit yourself to just one month’s worth of moustache power when you can use its greatness year-round? That’s the way I see it. Plus.. there are so many styles to choose from!!
The first time I began flirting with a moustache was in February of 2020. I am blessed with quick-growing facial hair genetics, so I had something quite formidable before too long. After the initial wave of “that’s creepy” or “nice pedo-stache” comments, I was able to appreciate standing out. I loved knowing that I had what very few men are bold enough to try. I stood out like a sore thumb, but I loved it. I do not wear a moustache year-round, probably half the time, but when I sport that upper lip sweater, I always notice some things.
– People are more likely to approach me
– Lots of looks
– Fewer boring conversations
– I feel more willing to stand out in other ways
– More confidence
– I run faster (I’m superstitious so let me have this one)
Inspiration
The first moustache I saw that had an impression on me was my father’s. He didn’t have one at the time, nor has he ever so long as I’ve been around, but I came across his RCMP depot photo. I remember thinking how cool he looked in an offbeat sort of way. The chevron shape, the Mountie uniform, it all just worked. The man in this photo was clearly my dad, but he had a particular “it” factor that the middle-aged, greying dude I knew just didn’t.
I encourage you to start looking and find a style that speaks to you. Here are some moustaches that inspired and shaped my devotion to the look to get you started. As you will see: I have a clear preference for the “Chevron” style.
