Palmer's World

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which He had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made" (Gen. 2:2-3).

And on this seventh day as God rested, he looked around and said "I am hungry." and he created lunch meat for his killer sandwich. We're talking five layers of good lunch meat.

Then years later, Moses came around and produced the Fifteen Commandments, and the eleventh one stated:

"Thou shall not throw out your roommate's lunch meat while you are throwing out thine own. Especially if you proclaim to thyself "Huh, I don't remember buying ham." Very especially if you don't even open the package to give it the smell test."

The results of breaking this rule may have your roommate having to go out to buy some more lunch meat for his lunch in the morning. This involves going out in the cold bitter night after not only a hard day of work, but a hard day of class and then he has to sit in his freakin' cold car and it only warms up by the time you pull into the driveway. On the bright side, the car was warm when I had to go back out to get some lunch meat. There is always a silver lining people.

Let this be a lesson Michael. ;-)

iplaying: Everyday I have The Blues - B.B. King - 1949-1966 King of the Blues

You may not know this, but my love is for the Smashing Pumpkins.

So there is movement to the nth degree in the Pumpkins world so heck, before I start getting into other blog entries that I was planning, let me just throw out some randomness for you. For those of you who don't really care for my stream of consciousness posts, hit the skip button on the remote and fly to another chapter.

- So I threw on a little The End is the Beginning is the End - Remixes today and it brought forth a memory of visiting Carol in Oshawa when she just moved there and I just moved to Ottawa and both of us were unsure of the future in these gigantic cities but all went fine and I still remember the time I visited and Carol's roommate was out of town but Carol made me sleep on the floor instead of letting me sleep on the bed. What the heck? Ha ha, this was not what I had in mind for this memory, but this other one just popped up. I find it hilarious how at teenagers, there's this taboo against sharing a bed together whereas nowadays, we're older, wiser and realize that it sucks sleeping on the floor. Better to chance it with the morning breath and some drool hitting your face than to wake up underneath some desk. I would like to throw a shout out to Chantelle that weekend for allowing me to crash in her (on top of the covers of course) the next night that weekend after seeing the floor I had to sleep on. No worries Carol, I hold nothing against you. In fact, I am laughing right now at the memory.

ANYHOW, Carol ended up picking me up The End is the Beginning is the End - Remixes album which was amazing considering I hadn't even known this existed! I was very impressed by Carol's thoughtfulness. So that's what I was thinking about today in the car.

- Let's talk world tour for a second here folks. It's been confirmed that the Pumpkins are going to be playing in Germany this summer, as well as hints of festival dates all around the summer. What's a boy to do? Well, considering Vero has two months off this summer in between classes and work, and I don't have any classes either, methinks I'm going to try and convince Vero to hoof it over to Europe for the sole purpose of travelling the Pumpkins Express. We'll see how that idea flies. ;-)

- When I got into the Pumpkins, it was the Mellon Collie era. I absorbed everything they had. Hey, this comes back to Carol now also now that I think about it - she introduced me to Siamese Dream which was a killer album that I had only heard about after listening to Mellon Collie. Anyhow, you know my love of live music started from a little thing called 'MP3's which were pretty well unheard of back in 1996 when the Internet started. But slowly live concerts became available.

Let's just say I have a crazy collection of Pumpkins concerts...let's go to the point where I am obsessive and have pretty well every concert that has ever been recorded. We're talking well over 1000 concerts here. Yes, I am obsessed.

Anyhow, I never really gave the Siamese Dream era a chance but I am listening to 1994-07-16 Tinley Park, Illinois which I'm pretty sure was during the Lollapalooza '94 stint where they took the headlining spot after Nirvana clearly had to back out (due to Kurt Cobain leaving this realm). This concert is crazy amazing and I cannot believe that I never really gave the Siamese Dream live era a chance. I can see now that this was where the passion was. The raw energy of Billy howling into the microphone that you see once in awhile during the Mellon Collie era, but not really in his later years of the Adore/Machina era. This is THE moment of the Pumpkins.

- I had another random memory of the Pumpkins today. Backtrack in 1999 (or was it 2000?) when I was in Waterloo visiting Larisa and I went out to pick up the new Stand Inside Your Love single at HMV. I was a little scared I must admit. Coming off of the Adore album, I can't say that I cared for the new road the Pumpkins had took. Where was the guitar heavy, emo rock I grew to love? It was like...they were growing up. The angst was leaving swifter than the Thought Police stealing you away. So I holed myself up in a room and put in the 2 song single in the stereo.

WELL. I was blown away. Stand Inside Your Love to this day is one of my fave tunes of the Pumpkins. It was classic Pumpkins. Let's not forget the B-Side of Speed Kills. Why this never made the album is beyond me. Actually, it made it onto the vinyl release, but come on. This was beauty incarnate. I remember listening to that single about 40 times that evening. Now I know how the gents of old felt like when they crowded around the record player to listen to one song over and over and over again. Does anyone ever do that anymore? Sure, you may be into a song, but with a press of a button, it can leave fast.

Last night I arrived home to realize that a grand event had transpired. The entire series of Friends which I was downloading for three months was finally done. I couldn't believe it. I don't think it would have taken 3 months if everything worked out fine, but the computer crashed once in awhile in the meantime which deleted the downloaded copies, yada yada yada, it's all done.

So last night I watched a few episodes but then I stumbled upon a Special Feater about the making of an episode. This was the gem of the set so far.

It takes a look at every step of the process to making a TV show - writing, set building, rehearsals, live audience (did you know to film 22 minutes of a TV show usually takes about 5 hours on a GOOD day? So if you're going to see a taping of Friends, it's quite a long time to be sitting in the audience!), editing, music choreography. Craziness! I found the documentary to be entertaining and has left me with more appreciation of the craft of television making. It is too bad that Samantha is back home already as we were talking about how much we enjoy Friends and I'm sure she would have liked to see that special.

Hilarious article here about dating people who use different Operating Systems than you. I can relate. I once dated a girl who had an iMac and at the time I was thinking "What the heck?!" (this back in the day where Macs hadn't taken over the world.). I was sit there trying to get on the Internet and wonder why the menu bar on the top always changed. To sum up my experience, it was lousy.

Nowadays, it's a different story.


iplaying: The Resistance - Sam Roberts Band (2006-04-27 Toronto ON)

Click here for an interesting article then come back for my comments.

So, this is kind of scary news for the most part if further research proves it to be true. Sure, we've heard rumours over time that cellphones could cause some form of tumor, but no one really had any substantial proof.

Let's get one thing straight here - there's not really any substantial proof here now. This research is asking for others to continue the research to correlate their findings.

Now, it doesn't really go into details on how much you have to use a cell phone over 10 years to have the increased chance of a tumor, so for the benefit of the doubt, let's assume every day for 10 years, for a minimum of 15 minutes. That's your dose of those electro-waves frying your brain.

Anyhow, I'm not saying you shouldn't run out and buy the new iPhone right away, but this is an interesting development in the world of communications. Stay tuned over the next few years for further developments on this front.

iplaying: Rebellion (Lies) - The Arcade Fire (Funeral)

Supposedly you can microwave sponges to get rid of all the bacteria crawling around on it. Coolness!

http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070122_microwave.html

iplaying: Neighbourhood #1(Tunnels) - The Arcade Fire (Funeral)

So I was thinking the other day of what I will do when I take over the world. Granted, it won't start out with the whole world, so I'll have to start thinking of changes that I will implement while I'm controlling a nation.

Then President Bush beats me to the punch and comes up with the coolest idea in the world of ideas. This is the ultimate form of power, not this piddly manforce which is the invasion of Iraq. I'm not talking about the control of a major superpower's Nuclear weapons. I'm talking about something affects every living citizen of the nation...we're talking something on the Dr. Evil scale of eeeevil. Something to do JUST BECAUSE I CAN.

That's right folks - Daylight Savings Time is changing this year. Who would have thought? Clearly not I. I was surprised to actually see it happened. I believe I read about this a few years back and laughed it off saying "Who does this guy think he is? The King of the World? No one can change Daylight Savings Time!!!"

There you have it, he proved me wrong. I am must admit I am impressed. This could definitely be some plot from a great Bond flick. "Wazat? Good Lord, he changed daylight savings time by 12 hours! How will we live?!"

I send my two handed clap to you President Bush. You've achieved only what Greek Gods achieve. Something that directly affects everyone not only in your nation, but in the WORLD. Except for Saskatchewan - those blokes are either really dumb or really, really smart.

Nine Inch Nails released their multi-track files for a few songs off of their With Teeth album so you can import them into GarageBand and play around with this mix.

This gives me a whole new knowledge set to recording. You see EVERYTHING that is added to this song - ambient noise, toms, other percussive instruments. It's pretty wild.

If any of you out there have GarageBand, download the files from this page and give it a listen!

So, if some of you don't know it already, Vero is a star in everyone's minds. But more importantly, she is starting the transition from school life into work life this year.

What better way to start it off than with a part-time job on Rogers Cable Television show called RegArts?!

Vero applied for a position over at Rogers TV on a whim. She had to go do a few interviews and did some on-screen videotape auditions and she got picked!

Here is the website of the show she will be on: http://www.televisionrogers.com/option.asp?lid=12&rid=5&sid=21.

Here's the description:

Chaque semaine, Mylène Laurin et l'équipe de RegArts vous fera découvrir les artisans de notre ville et vous plonge dans un monde hors du commun. Des gens, des voix, des paroles et des gestes qui sauront démasqués une ville qui nous semble parfois dénudé et uniforme. En passant par les salles de spectacles, les galeries d'art, les musées, les théâtres et la littérature, RegArts promet de vous divertir et de vous faire découvrir un centre culturel pas comme les autres.


Supposedly, she would be responsible for doing a little segment on the show that would profile something in the arts world…like going to a play and interviewing people for it. AWESOME!

I must admit that I am proud of Vero as she is becoming one of those people that we all dream of being with…you know…the ones that will make so much cash that you won't have to work? Ha ha, I'm kidding! I am super pumped to see what is in store for this show. She goes for training in a few weeks and they said they would work around her schedule while she is in school. That's a beauty job.

Congrats babe! I like how Vero will be downplaying this as not a big deal. Well, to people like me who won't have a chance to be on TV until I'm caught for smuggling smoked meat across the Quebec border, it is a big deal!

iplaying: Tear - The Smashing Pumpkins (Adore)

Lately in life, I've made it a point to open myself to a lot more music to fuel the creative beast in me. Sometimes, this isn't a good thing as it makes me disappointed in my severe lack of ability to make sonic landscapes (but this will change over time). Anyhow, I've gotten into the habit of just downloading albums that people recommend to me and if I like it, I purchase their album.

Alright, this is what I would LIKE to do, but sometimes I just download a slew of stuff and then never get around to purchasing it. This is a BAD thing in the my personal views of supporting the artist. I'm putting it on the shelf for a day where I have a little extra cash on me and I can pick up a discounted album (like the new Metric album). Sigh…the Internet is WAY too easy to get music in my life.

A band I've been really digging is Silversun Pickups. I had originally heard of them on the Smashing Pumpkins MySpace website (YES, THEY ARE BACK TOGETHER, I AM IN LOVE ONCE AGAIN! THEY WILL MAKE YOUR EARS BLEED WHEN THEIR NEW ALBUM IS RELEASED.) as the Smashing Pumpkins like to highlight some of their favourite music at the time. I listened to the track and enjoyed it. But then my buddy Clive told me about this amazing album by the band that I had to listen to. That sealed the deal as he and I share the same musical tastes. I downloaded it and it is a killer album.

I am digging the bands of late that can create this other-worldly sonic masterpiece which just has you riding the music wave it creates. Think Mogwai, some Broken Social Scene…Silversun Pickups have some excellent fuzzed out guitar work which has you moving your body to it. James, I'm sending this review out to you as you enjoy the music I like. Pick up their album Carnavas and you will not be disappointed.

I have also perused their tour scheduled and they toured with WOLFMOTHER (awwww yeah!) but they are coming out on tour with Snow Patrol at the end of March in Montreal. I may have to check this out as Snow Patrol is…well, they are alright. I dig a few of their tunes, but I think I would be going more for Silversun Pickups.

Iplaying: Dream at Tempo 119 - Silversun Pickups (Carnavas)

A woman at work just dropped by and said she had dreamt that I was a hockey star last night. She was part of a team who were watching me play and wondering why I wasn't a professional hockey player.

I would like to think that dreams are doorways into alternate universes and that there is a 'me' out there that can skate.

On the note of dreams, they are funny creatures. Let's take this example - I don't even really know this woman but she has a dream of me. Why is that? Why does our mind plant images into scenarios? Is it all random? Is there a higher power at work?

iplaying: - The Dartmouth Soundsystem - Matt Mays (...When The Angels Make Contact)

If you are a smart shopper (not like me), you keep an eye out AFTER you make a purchase to see if anywhere has reduced the price. A lot of stores have a policy that you have so many days to go back to the store and say "Hey! That other store just put their item down by $50!" and they will refund you $50.

Maren pointed this out to me the other day and I think this little tool will help her out immensely. It is called Price Protectr. You just plug in the item you ordered (by finding it on their online catalog) and they will let you know within 'x' amount of days if another competitor has reduced the price.

Coolness! Obviously, it can't cover all merchants websites, but I'm sure it has a few you shop at.

May I just point out that I find it amusing that everyone with a cool idea wants to get on the Flickr bandwagon and leave a letter out of their name at the end and even take the same colourscheme as Flickr? Granted, maybe this tool is MADE by Flickr and I don't even know about it!

iplaying: Why Bother - The Trews (House of Ill Fame)

This is mainly for my own reference, but feel free to explore yourselves!

http://dbachrach.com/blog/2006/02/the-best-unknown-mac-apps-1/

iplaying: Octopus's Garden - The Beatles (Abbey Road)

By far, the best thing that happened to me yesterday was arriving home, and after shoveling the snow in the driveway, being treated to an amazing supper by Mike's sister who is staying with us for the week! She made chicken cordon bleu which was a first for me. I was mesmerized by its succulent taste and I couldn't figure out what I like better - the ham or the cheese! It was the best of both worlds! Topped off with a salad, this was the supper of kings after a long hard day of rocking.

I was also impressed by the actual formation of the chicken cordon bleu which deals with cutting the breast down so you can roll it back up. I can't say I fully understood it and will need to see it in person to believe it, but the end result was divine and it topped off my day.

Samantha, you are allowed to stay as LONG as you like!

May I also say that Sammy has the most amazing job in the world right now? So far, her work trip to Ottawa has consisted of one day off due to snow, and supposedly she goes into work around 11 today. AS IF!

iplaying: Be Yourself - Audioslave (Out of Exile)

Hey hey! I finally went into Best Buy to pick up my James Bond DVDs as their warehouse still hadn't sent them from my Boxing Day purchase. Sure enough, the store honoured the price I ordered them online for ($45 bones each!!!, down from $80) and I managed to get Volume 2 with a bonus 007 Scene It disc! Excellent day yesterday was.

So after realizing that my Xbox wasn't making the cut in the DVD playing department (the Special Features disc had Japanese menus and I couldn't figure out how to get rid of them) I switched my old DVD player on and it worked! I then rewired my entire home theater system so I don't use my Xbox for watching DVDs anymore. It will only be used for gaming and watching files on the network (read: TV shows we download).

I was thinking of watching them from the beginning but am toying around with the idea of having 'Nights of Bond' again so I decided not to start with Dr. No, but to watch Thunderball as I had just read the novel last month and wished to see how it related.

Considering the novel had ideas from the producer, Kevin McClory, it stayed pretty true to the novel. I was very impressed and have realized that I've only seen Thunderball one other time in my life back in Long Sault with my buddy Regan. That was…13 years ago? Wow, it's been awhile.

What's the big deal with the Ultimate Editions of James Bond films I picked up? The digital restoration my friends! It was amazing. The picture…oh my…it looks like something created in 2007. The sound…the glorious DTS soundtrack…the bombastic horns when an action scene in in full tilt. This is what James Bond is supposed to be like.

Thunderball is an epic Bond film (actually the first filmed in Widescreen) and it makes use of the new technology (1965ish). The spanning vistas create a painting of exoticism. I never realized how great of a film Thunderball really was. It may be up there in my Top 5 Bond films. I believe From Russia With Love takes the Number One slot but I'll have to watch it again to see if it holds true today.

The special features disc was pretty great also. Chock full of documentaries, I watched what the world was like back in '65 when the movie was released - commercials spawning James Bond 'Action Slacks' for purchase were hilarious, as well as other oddities.

I am most impressed with the Ultimate Editions of James Bond and no doubt will have rave reviews for the rest of the series.

iplaying: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is - JET (Shine On)

If I were in charge of making money off of a hit show, what would I do?

Well, first I would put it through the regular channels, aka sell it to a network, make the mucho buckos.

After that, heck, there are DVD sales.

The question is, how can I squeeze a little more money out of this TV show I have?

Season 6 of the show 24 started this week, and even though I have never seen this show (one day I will, one day), I am impressed with the marketing gurus who came up with this idea: Premiere the show on television, but before that, sell the first four episodes of the season on a $10 DVD.

Bingo. Those craving more just have to rush over to Future Shop and lay down the equivalent of eating out in a cheap restaurant and pick up the first four episodes of their favourite TV show before the slowpokes have to wait an entire month while watching it on television. Suckas.

Brilliance. I would like to think that there are people who would be fiscally-responsible and realize they are already paying for their TV cable connection, just wait and good things will come to you, but I have a feeling sales on this may be decent and will start a new trend in the serialized tv show/dvd craze which has taken our generation by storm.

Anyhow, I hope that I have provided some knowledge to those who didn't know the first four episodes of 24 are available for sale and they are rushing out right now!

iplaying: Lovedrug - Mobile (Tomorrow Starts Today)

Saturday brought Vero's Christmas gift to life - a hockey game! Saturday was Hockey Day in Canada, so what better way to celebrate than to head on out to the ScotiaBank Place?

Well, that must have been the thought of every other soul in the area as traffic sucked heading in there. We got there in time to see the puck drop, so that's what counts.

In the 'no-knowledge' zone of Palmer, I had picked up some tickets that were in Row S. "Great!" I thought. "At least it's closer than those poor souls who have to stand up in the top of the bowl (aka, the 900 Level). Little did I know that the rows don't go from A-Z in my section, they went from A-S! So we were sitting in front of the guys standing up. Not a big deal. Armed with a beer and some peanuts, life was good. Vero pointed out the fact that salted peanuts in the shell aren't actually salted inside, it's the shell that's salted! You know…it makes total sense, but I had never thought about it before.

We had picked up some Habs jerseys from Benoit (thanks buddy!) and were prepared for the onslaught of torture we would receive inside the Sens Home. However, I must say that a good portion of the crowd are Canadiens fans and we didn't have a problem. In fact, our entire row were Habs fans so whenever someone started a cheer of 'Go Sens Go', we dwarfed them with our vocal might yelling "GO HABS GO!"

Unfortunately for us, the Sens TROUNCED the HABS in an 8-3 score. I don't really follow hockey anyhow so I just like going to the game and hanging out with my girl, my beer, and my peanuts. Annie, Eric and Mike were appalled that we were there cheering on the Canadiens. I summed their feelings up by asking the following: "Well guys, if we all picked up and moved to Toronto who would you cheer for? Not the Leafs? That's what I thought."

We laughed at the little guys (aka the Timbits) on the ice during the intermission and had high hopes to win the 50/50 draw (so I can buy a MacBook!) but it was not in our cards that night. Plus, the Zambonis are always a treat.

A good game nonetheless, and I felt a moment of national pride taking part in something that all of Canada was taking part of on Saturday - Hockey Day in Canada.

iplaying: Looking Out - Mobile (Tomorrow Starts Today)

I meandered over to The Thirsty Toad pub last night with Mike, Carrie, Michelle, Holly, Brian and Alex for a celebration of Michelle's birthday. The Thirsty Toad used to be Stout Bros. which is a decent pub. I enjoyed their pub fare (aka, the potato skins) but was disappoitned that Holly never brought me back some chili from her house as she was picking up a birthday cake. Hey, I figured if we can bring some cake into the pub, why not some leftover chili?

Good times were had and I have been convinced I should attempt to grow the beard this year as Brian and Mike were both sporting some good face-guards. However, this may take me approximately 70 years to grow so I don't know if I should start out with such a commitment to facial hair.

iplaying: Spoonful of Sugar - Matt Mays (...When The Angels Make Contact)

Now…here's an album which makes me come back for more. I haven't felt this way about an album since We Were Born in A Flame by the Sam Roberts Band. Speaking about the Sam Roberts Band, I saw this hilarious interview with the band for This Hour Has 22 Minutes where the interviewer asked if Sam Roberts felt it was a sign that there was a band actually named after him and if that was how he decided to join. Hilarious.

Mike introduced me to My Chemical Romance, the emo/punk/whatever band whose singer wore a bullet-proof vest on stage for the last tour 'just because'. I enjoyed their second album, didn't really give their first album a chance, and was minutely turned off by their performance at the Scotiabank Place last year. So, I didn't bother rushing out to get their third album The Black Parade.

But then I started reading the reviews. Comparisons between Ziggy Stardust and Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness? What album evokes such a review? The same reviews kept coming in - best of the 2000s! THE defining album for this musical age. Well, I had to pick it up.

I knew it was loosely based on a cancer patient dying so I figured it would be the standard morbid affair that My Chemical Romance is affiliated with (and embrace).

This album blew me away with it's catchy hooks, soaring guitar lines (reminiscent of Queen sometimes) and a different vocal take from the singer this time around. I can't put this album down and it is probably my second fave album of 2006 (next to Chemical City of course). I even picked a copy up for my sister. I hope she enjoys it.

iplaying: Spoonful of Sugar - Matt Mays (...When The Angels Make Contact)

Hey, I dig Audioslave. I'm not overly in love with them to the point where I have to order an autographed poster of them for $20, but they are an excellent band. Krista picked this album up for me for Christmas and I listened to it a few times while driving to and from Hearst. The standard fare from Audioslave…I would say it's probably better than Out of Exile, but I'd have to listen to it a few more times to really make a judgement. However, I must say that I haven't felt the need to go back and listen to it numerous times so this may be a bad sign.

iplaying: Spoonful of Sugar - Matt Mays (...When The Angels Make Contact)

Ah, my love/hate relationship for Matt Mays is starting to become a full-blown love relationship. We all know the story…I went to see Sam Roberts Band and Matt Mays was opening for them and he blew me away. Promptly picked up his debut album which irked me as it was country-rock tunes and not the hard hitting rocker that I just saw on stage. That changed when his second album came out along with El Torpedo.

So when I heard there was a new solo effort out, I cringed. Would I like it? Has Matt Mays changed a bit in his solo ways so that I would appreciate it? Now, before I continue, let it be known that his debut album has grown on me and I enjoy it. But it took awhile. Actually, that's the mark of a great album. The albums which you take forever to appreciate end up being your faves.

When I was home for Christmas, I met up with Angele at the Legion who was talking about how she knows Matt Mays and the boys of El Torpedo (you can visit Angele's myspace page, complete with original, excellent tunes! At www.myspace.com/angeledesjardins) and how his new album is mind-blowingly amazing.

Well, I was hooked. I figured I enjoy the rest of his music, all I needed was a push. I haven't even listened to the entire album yet as I sit here writing this, but I am impressed. …When the Angels Make Contact is a soundtrack for an unfinished movie he was making until funding ran out. Dark, moody, cruising the highway on your motorbike tunes cover the map of this album with some fun appearances by Buck 65 (Canada's own hip-hop) as well as some hilarious visual appearances of Sam Roberts in the video. I am digging this album and am even contemplating skipping my class on Wednesday to check him out at Barrymore's. Actually, that's a lie. I'll probably go but skip out early. It's the least I can do.

iplaying: 1 For the Motor - Matt Mays (...When The Angels Make Contact)

Have I not talked about how amazing this album is yet? I ended up downloading this when it came out with fears that if I purchased it outright, I may receive another copy for Christmas. That never happened, so I picked the actual physical incarnation a week ago, but have been listening to the mp3s about month now.

What can I say? Let's start at my musical tastes. I enjoy remixes. I enjoy mash-ups. I enjoy anything that twists a song around and breathes new life into it. That is what 'Love' is. George and Giles Martin went back to the master tapes of the Beatles and constructed new tracks from within. For example, you may have the drums of one track blending into the song of another. Or just the vocal track for a song (like 'Because'). It's a beautiful piece of work. I am tempted to go to Las Vegas to take a look at the Cirque du Soleil performance for which this soundtrack was created for.

I recommend you pick this album up. Don't even tell me you don't like the Beatles…just pick it up. But if you breaks your heart to hear a song deconstructed and built into a Frankenstein-like monster, then don't bother.

What really piques my interest is the fact that there are various rumours flying around that the entire Beatles discography has been digitally remastered. Considering they were already knee-deep in the master tapes, I don't see why this can't be true. It's to gear up for the release to the digital realm, which there is a rumour that Apple Inc. will win the rights to sell them on their iTunes store. I don't own many Beatles albums for this sole reason. I have been waiting for the digitally remastered versions. For those who don't really know what the difference is, do yourself a favour and pick up Ride The Lightning both the original and the remastered copy. It's amazing what difference it can make.

iplaying: When The Angels Make Contact (Matt Mays - ...When The Angels Make Contact)

In late December, I handed in my final paper to my Qualitative Research Methods class - a 20 page biography on Philipp and his views on the comparison of German vs. Canadian customs.

This became my first A+ paper in my life but I owe it to a few people, namely, Philipp himself. When writing a biography, I didn't realize how much of it writes itself considering I am just restating what his own views are. In some instances, blatantly copying down his every word. So to Philipp, I thank thee as you pretty well wrote most of this report. I don't know if this is just a byproduct of writing a biography. I don't think there would be an instance where a biography wouldn't be a rehash of what the subject has stated, unless it was a biography of a dead person.

Some items of note:

• Some of the report is…well…false. Like the points of talking over the phone with Philipp. Didn't really happen. ;-)
• I added the photos after the fact for the presentation to the faithful readers of this website. I thought it would add to the experience.
• Unfortunately, I had envisioned this masterpiece of a biography that is on the best-seller list in book stores. However, I was hindered by the fact that I had to present it like an actual research paper and the juicy parts sometimes get bogged down with the finer details about how the research processes were conducted. I personally find it boring, but perhaps some people will enjoy it.
• I may or may not have lost the title of what Philipp studied in school by the time he left for Germany for holidays so I put bio-chemistry. This may be wrong.

You may find the biography here.

iplaying: Dry County - Bon Jovi (Keep the Faith) - of special note - this is the song which I used for greatest guitar solo in the iPod challenge. However, Mike had already won with Crazy Train. But I thought this was wild also.

I don't know if you have heard this yet, but Saddam Hussein was executed over the Christmas holidays.

I knew about his trial and how he was going to be executed, but the day he actually was executed hit me hard for some reason. For awhile I analyzed why it would hit me hard. I don't really follow world events, Saddam is more of a general knowledge thing to me, and I certainly haven't been following this story. But there you have it, Saddam Hussein is gone. Forever.

I realized later on (as I shared this at supper with Eric, Annie and Mike) that what really hit me was not the fact that he was executed, but this was an end of an era. Saddam Hussein has been part of my general knowledge since watching the Gulf War on television in Grade 8? (Grade 7? What Grade was it? It was around there. 1990). That's 16 years of my life where he has been in the background of thoughts whenever the word terror or middle east conflict comes up. He's the person that made me start to realize that a lot more happens outside our nation. He made me realize that there are world issues. His presence, his stature, his outfits…they stick to the brain. He was OUR generation's super-villain. We've never had one before. The Russians were long gone by the time we came around to general knowledge.

So, it's an end of an era. We will never hear about what Saddam Hussein has been up to. He has been stripped away from our lives. I can't say I disagree with his execution. I wholeheartedly agree. But it's just strange to think that we won't hear about his actions ever again (except for in history books).

Now, here's a little rant about what is available for the public viewing. I have heard that there is a video taken from a cellular phone showing Saddam before being executed. I don't really know the details of what is in the video other than him yelling at the crowd. I don't really care to see what is in the video. I don't live in the middle ages where everyone goes to the town square to see a good hanging. It turns my stomach to think about it.

Anyhow, so here I am avoiding all possible avenues of seeing any form of this video, but sure enough, like reading about the latest Survivor episode the day after you missed it, you can't really avoid it. Sure enough, there is an article on Canada.com talking about how you can be a reporter also with the use of your wits, and heck, a cellphone or anything that can capture a newsworthy item.

Sure enough, there's a nice picture of Saddam Hussein right before his hanging. Great. Strike one for Palmer. Ugh. I have this sick feeling in my stomach now. I think…hmm…how do I put this…there should be some strict rules in place about what should be shown on news outlets. I don't know…is this prudish of me? People used to see hangings live and in person…should I have the stomach to accept this and cheer for it? I don't know…I did my best to avoid any possible avenues of seeing photos/video of the event by avoiding all articles involving his execution. But it slips by in the form of a 'You can be a Reporter TOO! YAY!' article. I didn't even read the article yet, I just caught the headline picture on the main page.

Anyhow, that's Palmer's thoughts for the day (or the past few weeks which have just now materialized into printed form.)

iplaying: Crazy on You - Heart (Dreamboat Annie)

Yesterday afternoon was an interesting one…I finally had the time (and motivation) to head back to the swimming pool after a month's hiatus due to final exam time as well as Christmas holidays. Perhaps inspired by James' entry on his workout schedule, I decided to embark on a cold walk down the street where the wind was ripping through my ears like a sheet in the wind. Unfortunately, I had no access to a toque or gloves yesterday, however Vero made me realize that I should have just borrowed one for her. That is true, that probably could have formed into a 'smart idea'.

Upon hitting up the pool, I got in, did the stretches and dunked my head in and realized what a difference the salt water filter they installed has made! Instead of a shroud of chlorine as thick as Toronto's skyline, I could clearly see to the end of the pool. I could also see the bottom of the pool (which is five feet below the water level.) No joke, the chlorine prevented me from seeing the bottom before. Ugh. Salt-water filters are the cats meow. Sure I have a minor salt taste in my mouth, but it's a lot better than some chlorine.

After dogging it for the 90 laps, I ended up with a few muscle cramps I had to massage out, and the regular workout took me an extra 15 minutes. Am I disappointed? Not really. I suppose I could have expected that the regular workout would take longer than usual.

So, 4:30 has hit, and it is time to leave the pool and head over to Vero's for a bite to eat before class. I grab my towel out of the locker and hop in the shower. I hop out of the shower, head to the locker and BLAMO! It hits me.

"Hey, where's the key to the padlock?"

Usually, (as in every time I've ever swam), they end up next to my goggles on the bench outside the shower. There was no one else in the shower with me, so it couldn't have been stolen. Sadly, I realized that I must have locked them in the locker. After hauling on my wet swim trunks onto my dry body (ack!), I head outside of the washroom to the girl reading a magazine and say in French "I seem to have locked my keys in the locker. I'm sorry. Can we get it open?"

She then phones someone and asks for a 'passe-partout' and I think 'What does a TV show have to do with this situation?" but then realize that this may be code word for some kind of lockpick. ;-) I go and sit in the locker room for awhile until my saviour arrives, takes a look at the lock, notices that it's on #9 locker and heads back out to find a key.

Suspicion #1: Hey, why does he remark on the locker number when all these padlocks are just given to me from a basket on the front desk every time I go for a swim? The padlock doesn't correspond to a locker number! I can choose any locker number I want!

Anyhow, while waiting for the guy (let's call him Bruno for ease of use) again, a gentleman comes in, talks for awhile about where we work and whatnot and moves onto the gym. Nice guy, glad he killed some time for me. Here I am just standing there like a goof with my wet swimming trunks.

Bruno comes back with the key. Yee-ha! I can finally get out of here! Inserts the key, jiggles it, moves it to and fro…aww man, it ain't working! Surprise Surprise Bruno! At this point, he rambles something in French to me that I literally cannot make out so I just say "Non.". When in doubt, say no. Rule of thumb. Actually, this doesn't apply to all cases. If you are in a bar, and someone is smiling to you while passing you a beer, say 'yes' if you don't understand what they are saying.

I tell Bruno that the padlock isn't for locker #9 as the front desk just gives me any old padlock. He says this is not the case and runs back to get another key. Good lord!

Suspicion #2: What the heck man? I'm not getting out of here anytime soon! I have to MacGyver my way out of this mess!

So I think about the fact that if I did leave the key in my locker, chances are, it's on the bottom of the locker. So I pull on the door a little at the bottom so I can get my pinky finger inside and search the perimeter. Sadly, no sign of a key. This is odd! I poke and prod and find my schoolbag strap and yank on it thinking it may dislodge the key from its hiding place. No such luck. What the heck?! This doesn't make sense!

Then my mind starts going over it logically. I never leave the key in there, and if I did, it would have been on the bottom of the locker. I decide to search the room once again. I have already done this but I figure it doesn't hurt to try again. I check the shower, nope. I check the bench, no. I check the floor. No dice. I then think of the logical progression of the key falling from the bench and upon closer examination, I find the key lodged in between slats on the bench! SUCCESS!

After 30 minutes of waiting around, I manage to finally open up the locker, tell the girl at the front desk to cancel Bruno and thank him, and I'm on my way to a bitter cold night outside. Good thing my hair had enough time to dry! Perhaps this was the reason for the locker mishap!

iplaying: Crocodile Rock - Elton John (Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player)

Last night I went to my first class of Interpersonal Communications which seems like a snoozfest so far. So far, we've talked about how humans interact with one another - I say something, you respond! YAY! Man…I cannot believe this is a required course. It will be interesting to get to the point where I get to actually CHOOSE the courses I wish to take. Will I go into some cool courses like video production? That would be pretty swell. Who knows where I will go with it.

After class, I hung around Vero's for awhile in anticipation of the great night which laid before us - Salsa Dancing! I have been salsa dancing a few times with Vero before and I'll say that I'm an alright dancer, but I can say that there are certain salsa movements that just elude my feet. It just won't happen.

So then, Vero gets frustrated and then I try harder. Now, in my defence, I had some huge winter boots on the dance floor last night as this was a last minute thing. Think someone dancing in Sorels - or just think of any good ole small town dance. ;-) If I had my proper shoes, I'm sure I would have been a smash hit on the floor.

Anyhow, Vero has called us 'incompatible for dancing' which I think she only gets away with because I couldn't figure out this certain foot movement of salsa! Give me the other latin dances where all I have to do is swing the woman around and voila! I am a pro. At least in my mind when I watch reruns of Dirty Dancing. Speaking of which, Vero's sister watched Dirty Dancing 2 a few times and likes it, but has never seen the original. Is there not some rule against watching a sequel before watching the original?

iplaying: Wicked Come Winter (Matt Mays & El Torpedo - Matt Mays & El Torpedo)

Holy mackerel, they have the Consumer Electronics Show on right now and they have unveiled the coolest, bestest ever cellular phone ever…the ZACH MORRIS PHONE!

This amazing piece of techno-wizardry has a range of 10 feet from its base station, but who cares? It's wireless! Plus, it has easy to use buttons for those with big fingers (and unless you are a smaller-than-average person, then this phone is for you!).

I personally cannot wait to get my hands on this gem. The news stations are going crazy with the talk of this new phone on the market!

Is that a RED button on its faceplate? I THINK SO!

Some of my friends are hooked on some other phone that debuted yesterday, but they live in the past. This is the future!

"Oh, global warming is killing the planet! Look at the lack of snow!"

"The apocalypse is coming! Along with his horsemen of no-snow!"

"Hey, is that a puddle in my yard?"

Sure, these are things that I've heard all over the place this winter. All with the tagline about global warming.

I call bullshit on all this gobbledygook talk about global warming affecting this year temperatures.

Alright, alright, ya got me, I have no proof. I can't make ludicrous statements like "Global warming doesn't affect the temperatures!!!" or "James's new TV is the cats meow!" or "Matt is a uber-geek!" without any proof.

I just think that these weather specialists/global warming enthusiasts are jumping the gun a little here. It's only one mild winter - granted, it's never been seen before. But what is everyone going to be saying if we get the normal winters we've had for the next seven years? "Oh, I suppose it was just an off-winter."

If next year is the same, THEN I'll start thinking something is awry. But for now, I'm sticking to my guns and not jumping them.

…however…I am a fan of environmental consciousness and do agree that the citizens of this fair world needs to change their habits to help with climate change, and whatever other environmental problems we cause. I do agree that global warming is taking place…that's a fer sure. We have to stop it. What we need to do is create a bio-dome of sorts to start it off right. First, I shall watch a Pauly Shore movie to get some knowledge base.

So, back to the weather specialists…are they jumping the gun? YES!
Are they the smartest people in the world by using the weather to get their point across to the general population that we are messing up the world and that we should fix things? Yes, most definitely.

iplaying: Somersault - Zero 7 (When It Falls)

I am updating my blog (read: catchup) but I am tagging the entries from the dates stemming from Christmas vacation. So it's in your best interest to scroll down to find the entries starting from December 23 and read onwards. You will have to click on the Archives on the right hand side and choose December 2006 to go back that far.

Let's recap:
Supposedly Matt had people over on New Year's Eve and failed to get his beloved MythTV system working in time for the countdown.

This waged a war of MythTV vs. Windows Media Center with James and Matt.

James' Argument Here
Matt's Argument Here

Now, while I'm not about to get in between the two of them on which system is better, the REAL question is why the heck the both of them weren't smart enough to just plug a television set into the wall considering Matt has Rogers High Speed Cable? He would definitely get a few channels at least. Who knows...maybe Matt doesn't actually own a television set anymore, then that squashes my idea.

Remember how I said my wiper blades worked beautifully on the way up? Well, the opposite held true on the way back down. I have no idea how this happened, but somehow a metal bit of the wiper escaped the plastic and created a nice scratch in my windshield. Boy, was I happy. I am now pondering whether or not to write a letter to Canadian Tire or to the Manufacturer. Perhaps I should phone Mom to find out what I should do. (5 minutes later) Mom's Verdict: Contact Canadian Tire. See what they will do. In all, it doesn’t look like the scratch is that bad. Perhaps there is something that can remove a scratch? Anyhow, I have yet to go into the store and complain. I am a procrastinator to the end.

What does the new year bring me? Well, I don't anticipate many changes from the last year. I hope to continue my further education taking night courses. Sometimes it wears on me, but I hope I can make it through until 2009. Things are going well with Vero so far and I doubt that will change. However, there will be changes in the new year as she ends her life as a student and has to make the transition to slacker in the real world. Life with Mike is excellent as well and I don't think much will change there, other than the fact that I will hit him up to bring me to grocery store all the time with his new wheels. I think 2007 will be interesting to see Philippe grow up from a boy who can't speak, to a terror machine on two feet. That will be awesome. I would like to say that I will see my friends more and more this year, but I've come to terms that school has really taken up a lot of my life in the past year which has hindered my friend-seeing. I don't see that changing much this year. I hope to pay off my debts this year so I can start making new ones - perhaps finishing the basement in the house. I also hope to start my trek with Troy on the recording process and lay down some excellent tunes. Oh yes, and my love of songwriting is to return in 2007. I hope to fuel the beast with more reading - I want to branch out of my traditional reading habits and hit up biographies, world history, and some classics. Sitting in an office all day long doesn't fuel the songwriting beast.

Best to all in 2007. To those who had a crappy 2006, it can only get better. ;-)