We will be heading down to SJ this evening to join Craiger in ushering in Canada's 141st birthday with a party on the Boardwalk. There are a full slate of performers (check it out) and I am very excited to see Hey Rosetta! in front of a big crowd.
This is a great event that allows one to celebrate Canada Day with a beer or two and not feel the effects the next day. Craig thought of that? Imagine...
Yesterday marked the end of another Black Spruce season. We played Ottawa and won 26-10 in front of the home fans. It was a great way to end our season and, at 2-3, our best season to date. I keep telling myself that I'll stop playing representative rugby soon but then I keep having such a good time that its hard to get away. I'll be back at it next year; if only because there are a crop of good young kids I want to take the field with.
Thanks, as usual to Keith, Malcolm, Jodi, Alison and Danielle for all they do.
I've been wathcing with grizzly interest as the story of the severed feet washing up on BC shores continues to puzzle everyone. The most recent find turned out to be a hoax but that still leaves five dismembered feet that have turned up on BC beaches. That would be a crappy thing to have your retriever come bounding back to you with. Just plain weird.
Having said that, the feet in cold water are a great segue to A Foot in Cold Water's classic that was later redone and given and 80's retool by Helix. Unfortunately, talking about helixes would have been more of a stretch for a segue. So here's AFIC:
Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, motherfucker, cocksucker, tits. Those are George Carlin's 7 words that you can't say on TV from one of his most famous routines. The routine was actually central to a U.S. Supreme Court decison to confirm the state's right to regulate content on television.
Carlin died yesterday at age 71. I never speat a lot of time watching his stand up (sadly, I think I probably remember him best as Rufus in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) but he was named the 2nd Greatest stand-up comedian in a Comedy Central special. He made a lot of people laugh and laughter is, of course, the best medicine so this man will be missed.
I've got soul but I'm not a solsticeToday is the Summer Solstice; longest day of the year and first day of summer. It's one of my favourite days of the year because on a sunny night it's dusk until 10pm. That's alot of daylight to pack some fun (or multiple naps) into.
In one sense its all downhill from here as the days only get shorter from here on out but in all other senses its the start of the best 3 months of the year - "no access, no limites; freedom!" Time for a dip.
In honour of our most sunlit day here's an old favourite:
This is a public service message for all of those kids graduating this week. Grad and prom are prototypical times for you to continue your experiment with your alcohol tolerance and take it to the next level. It is also a traditional, although cliched, time to convince your girlfriend/girl-friend/lastchoice to go all the way. It's important to note that, while they are not mutually exclusive, too much of one will drastically hinder the other. So don't drink too much and stuff a condom (or several) in your rented tuxedo pocket.
I thought of this because I've been coaching some high school kids with the club's junior team and they were all talking trash about how smashed they were going to get at prom. I had the exact conversation a few years ago. I also love this song because it makes me think of drinking in the park in Skyline. Drunk teenagers indeed.
As Don Cherry would say - you kids out there, be careful.
My cousin Jane (2nd girl from left, first girl facing the camera) bought her ticket to her Olympic dream today with a win at an Olympic qualifier in Poland. She and her 8 teamates in the Canadian Women's 8 boat beat The Netherlands to the line and therefore qualified for Beijing along with them.
This is a huge step on the road to fulfilling her dream. Now that they've secured their spot they can focus on training for this even specifically in the hopes their performance can complete dream sequence. In the meantime I hope she keeps us posted on her diary at the Globe - www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/WbBeijing.
I'm not sure how you can measure how big of a CONGRATULATIONS I want to extend to her but here's hoping that there will be an even bigger on in store for August.
I was listening to Q on CBC this week and Jian Ghomeshi was lamenting the fact that the MuchMusic Video Awards seemed to ignore hot Canadian artists in favour of US hip-hop acts and MTV 'personalities'. In his mind this was particularly egregious because Canada is currently fighting way above it's weight when it comes to exporting musical talent. Indeed on the same show last week Jian had a radio host for BBC on the show trumpeting Canada's musical talent and innovation; the Canadian Invasion?
I bring this up now because an event that focuses on Canadian (and Maritime) talent is coming up real soon. The Canada Day Countdown, an idea that I like to think came out of hazy late night conversations with Craig Allen, is happening again this June 30th. A 6 hour party on the Saint John boardwalk is capped off by a countdown to Canada Day at midnight. It is a great idea. I'm glad I thought of it; I just wish I remembered before Craiger got to take all the credit.
The big bonus this year is that it looks I will be able to attend. The last couple of years my rugby schedule has made it impossible. I'll get my due this time.
We played a game in Nova Scotia yesteday (and won!) and after the game I ran into an former Fredericton Exile named Ernie O'Hara. He congratulated me on a good game and relayed the fact that he played for the Exiles and NB in the late 70's. I told him he probably knew my father, Peter Pacey, at which point he threatened to punch me before smiling, shaking his head, and saying "You're father was a mother-fucker to play against!"
I've heard this from countless people over the years and as we get older and the days of him rumbling downhill on the pitch get farther away I sometimes forget that, as much as we share in our love of and success in the game, we are fairly different players. With the Calithumpians he became the Bull of the Woods but in a rugby jersey he was the bull in a china shop. They all said that trying to tackle him was like trying to tackle a tree. And so as not to pile the praise too high it should be noted that, while my strength may be in my passing, he was said not to know what that word meant. This led the introduction of a new position known as 'Outside Pacey' where players learned the finer points of playing the game without the ball.
Interestingly for all the people that have extended him this praise their number is dwarfed by the number of former students of his that have approached me to let me know that he was the best teacher/prof they ever had. I know that its the second group that will mean more to him but I also know that there is nothing quite like the feeling having someone bounce off you on your way to the try line, hence his reluctance to pass the ball.
These days he still makes his presence felt at the club but now its with his imposing voice and not his legs. I tend to think I play better when he is there so in that way he is still affecting the game.
Friday night was the Canadian Cancer Society's annual Relay for Life. Although I have stepped back from previous volunteer roles with the Relay Erin and I still went to the raceway to take part in the event in some way. This year's event had the theme Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back. The organizers did a very good job integrating all three into the evening.
The night started off with the Survivor Lap where cancer survivor's take a ceremonial victory lap around the track. After that the crowd was entertained by some live music including the Downtown Blues Band, who, in a warm touch, continue to hang Diane's boa from a mic stand at this (and all) show(s). At sundown it was time to remember with the Luminary ceremony. A pipe band walked the infield and families and friends lit candles in bags with written messages on them. I had met up with Nancy MacAfee and she showed me where her memorial to Diane was and we lit the candle and she said a prayer (or several). Its sad to see the sheer number of memorials laid out; it really shows how widespread this shitty disease is. At the same time there is optimism because of efforts like this night.
The third part of this year's mantra was Fight Back and, to that end, this was an unqualified success. The organizing committee, including my good friend and co-worker Tera Gillen, work tirelessly to put on a first class event that honours survivors, remembers lost loved ones, and, equally importantly, raises a ton of cash to help cancer research. This year they are expected to tally over $100k, which is a record for the Fredericton relay. Huge kudos to all of you for making a difference.
After the Relay we took Nancy home and had a mini-celebration for her and her winning battle. Thanks for being you Nance; Diane must be comforted knowing you're watching over the Pacey boys!
I was remiss in putting a team together this year but will point you in the direction of the Cancer Society if this post stirs your wallet. Click here to donate.
The debate over the Hockey Night in Canada theme song has slipped onto the back burners of the media hotstove. The reality is that it's gone from the CBC but will still be heard (probably moreso) but hockey fans in Canada. The next question for the CBC is how to replace that iconic song with another one. I've been thinking about this since I first heard the news and here is my vote.
To replace an iconic jingle, why not go to the most iconic band for the Gen X'ers that make up that key 18-54 demographic; the Hip. You could probably convince the boys to do their national duty and write a replacement but my suggestion would be for them to allow the use of what some folks describe as simply 'that hockey song'. Fireworks is the song on Phantom Power that grabbed you. The album has become one of my favourite Hip albums and this was the song that put the hooks in. You can see that its already set to go in this role here:
"If there's a goal that everyone remembers it was back in old '72 we all squeezed the stick and we all pulled the trigger and all I remember was sitting beside you" Classic...and I wasn't even alive in '72.
If you live in Canada and watch TV, listen to the radio, glance at a newspaper, surf the net, or talk to other human beings, you have doubtlessly heard that the venerable Hockey Night in Canada theme song is changing hands. The CBC couldn't reach and agreement with the ex-pat composer and CTV stepped in and paid the asking price.
Personally, I am very sad that I won't be hearing the song on HNIC; I just listened to it again and it is actually spine-tingling. That's kind of sad but it's just a matter of how deeply ingrained it is. Some of my earliest memories are of watching hockey and, while the players, equipment, and hairstyles changed, the song was a constant. When the song came on it was like a lifetime of Saturday nights (and playoff games) flashing through your head. That song makes me think of the Oilers beating the Islanders, Hextall gooning Chelios, Roy winning 10 straight in overtime, and listening to it while watching the game thanks to rabbit ears when the Rangers beat the Canucks in the middle of the Miramichi woods. I'll be very sad indeed not to hear it on CBC come fall.
Havind said that, I was still unable to understand some of the uproar about the song changing hands. There are some out there that called this our unofficial national anthem. The Globe had a good editorial piece about the issue and their point was simply that the CBC was (and is) in a tough spot. They are publicly funded and couldn't afford to pay upwards of $3 million for a jingle, iconic or not. I tend to agree; I can wax just as nostalgic when I hear the Richie's Carpet Warehouse jingle. I'll still tune in to CBC to watch the best games and to wonder how the hell Ron puts up with a senile Don Cherry.
I wonder what it must look like to an outsider when this is front page news in Canada. Steven Colbert did a good bit on it:
I mentioned the sounds of the seasons last week and with the trees at full foliage that summer has arrived. It arrived full on over the weekend with temps topping 35 degrees. This isn't entirely rare; we get a couple of weeks worth of stinkers every year. This year may be a bit early (and may have actually broken records) but the weather itself is not uncommon. What is uncommon is that along with the warm weather came the associated thunderstorms warnings and this time, when the warnings appeared on the weather network, they came with the little icon above. TORNADO WARNING!
This is new...I have heard of tornadoes touching down in NB - I think there was one somewhere in the Miramichi basin last year - but it was like a freak occurrence. This time the weather system blowing through actually warranted a warning. It was the first time I had to consider a twister in my plans. We were thinking of going for a walk last evening and saw the storm clouds gathering on the horizon and thought "I'd love an ice cream but a tornado would ruin my hair". We decided against the walk. Of course, the tornado never came and I still crave ice cream.
Next time I'm taking my chances...what's the worst that could happen; end up in Oz? I've got an uncle I would like to visit there so, hey, free trip.
Craiger sent me a link to a disturbing news story this afternoon. It appears that some wayward soul(s) has liberated the stone lions that used to guard innocent students at St. Dunstan's Elementary School from evil forces of all kinds. They did not do such a good job of guarding us from Mr. Burgoyne's strap.(depicted lion - not to scale)
The original stairs were removed when the grand old building was transformed from a school to an apartment building thus removing the lions' original perch. I'm not actually sure where they were situated when they were stolen but I can't figure out why someone would want to steal a pair of concrete lions. Unless of course they were looking to safeguard themselves from evil of all kinds. You'll get your strap too friend-o.
I make no secret of the fact that I am very happy to live here is New Brunswick. Its the people that keep me here but I also have a great love of the place itself. It is my comfort zone.
One of the things I like best about the Maritimes is that we do, indeed, enjoy 4 distinct seasons. Each of these seasons has its own sensory indicators from the colors - white in winter, green in summer - to the smells - stale dog shit and lilacs in the spring, fresh cut grass in the summer. But my favourite of these senses are the sounds of the seasons.
In summer its the sounds of the breeze cutting through sticky air ruffling the full foliage on the trees and the intermitent sound of thunder and rainstorms falling on my rooftop. In fall its the sound of dried leaves trembling on the trees and crunching underfoot. In Winter its the sound of snow falling (Normy swears he can here this - must be a Norwegian thing), the different crunch of snow underfoot, and the sounds of car engines struggling to start. In Spring its the squishy sound of slush and, later, the sound of the trees filling up. Sometime around the end of May, when we get a good rainfall, the trees suck up that water and their leaves go to full bloom. Although that probably takes place over a matter of weeks I've associated a sound with it; PHOOOMP is the best way I can descibe it. Once I hear that sound (or imagine hearing that sound) it means summer has started. I heard it after the rains last weekend.
So despite summer being a couple of weeks away on the calender its underway in my eyes. Time to dust off the flip flops. Sweet.
On my way to work the other day I listened to an author describe the essence of his book entitled Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy. Essentially he is arguing that our society's fixation with happiness, from smiling in the face of adversity to overprescribing Prozac, is demonizing one of the most important catalysts for human expression. He argues that sadness and melancholy, which, he importantly notes, are different from clinical depression, are key to fostering great works of art, music, invention, community, etc. Solid argument, I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter.
I do tend to agree; sadness is essential for everyone if, for nothing else, to appreciate the good times even more.
Rock and Roll lost another light yesterday with the passing of Bo Diddley. Diddley was considered a pioneer in the evolution from Blues to Rock and Roll. His sound can be heard in a lot of early rock and roll, particularly early Stones. Like most of the old blues men, he continuted playing and touring until he died.
...to the Canada Day Countdown
