S$# 009 Mike & The Mechanics | Word Of Mouth

After the huge hit The Living Years (the song and the album) in 1989, expectations were high for the follow-up from Mike & The Mechanics. Word Of Mouth was released in 1991 on the album of the same name.

The song, written by leader Mike Rutherford and co-producer Christopher Neil, is a rousing live number - but it's not actually live. Audience cheering was mixed in to a studio recording to add effect. Paul Young's vocals are great.

But is Word Of Mouth a political anthem? Is it a statement about gossip or street gab? A rail against propaganda? It's vague enough that the listener can infer from it what she/he wants to:

From the west side to the east side
From the north side to the south
You’ll never get bad information
If you believe in the word of mouth

You don’t believe the information
You don’t believe it when it’s denied
So when you’re reading explanations
You have to read between the lines

Word Of Mouth is also available on the collection called Hits.

A$# 009 Bob Seger | Stranger In Town

Outside of the Beatles oeuvre, Bob Seger's Stranger In Town is my very favourite album.

It's a masterpiece, a tour de force. It's bloody brilliant. I can't get any more effusive in my praise. You won't see it near the top of any critics' lists of top albums of all time, but what do they know?!

Bob Seger has always been a master of straight-up rock, and in the second half of the 1970s had really hit his stride. Following on the heels of 1977's successful Night Moves, he released Stranger In Town in 1978. It went platinum several times over, and garnered a fistful of massive hits. But it's not because it has hit singles that this album shines.

No, it's because he takes those famous themes of alienation and displacement - much like ELO would do three years later in a much different way on Time - and weaves a set of songs that are positive and optimistic, while not shying away from exploring the pain of dislocation. Bob sings of being lonely in Tinsel Town, people who refuse to change, vintage musical tastes, feeling like "a spoke in a great big wheel", two lovers who share one last night etc. In other words, he sings about the human experience.

What are the standout tracks here? Well, the short answer is all of them. I've always thought Ain't Got No Money is the weakest (but barely), and Old Time Rock 'N' Roll did get a bit too much airplay. Which is the best? That' really hard to say. Let me put it this way - at least five songs tie for no. 2. If I really had to pick one track for no. 1, it would be Till It Shines:

Like an echo down a canyon
Never coming back as clear
Lately I just judge the distance
Not the words I hear
I've been too long on these islands
I've been far too long alone
I've been too long without summer
In this winter home
Still if we can make the effort
If we take the time
Maybe we can leave this much behind
Till it shines

TIS is a folky rocker, as is Hollywood Nights. Still The Same and Feel Like A Number really rock out. We've Got Tonite and The Famous Final Scene are great ballads. All of the tracks blend together to make a great cohesive aural experience.

Get this album!

Track listing:
1. Hollywood Nights
2. Still the Same
3. Old Time Rock & Roll
4. Till It Shines
5. Feel Like a Number
6. Ain't Got No Money
7. We've Got Tonight
8. Brave Strangers
9. Famous Final Scene

George Harrison's birthday

My favourite Beatle would have turned 63 today.

Happy Birthday to George Harrison. It was all those years ago that he made such great music.

It just turned all to merde

Have you ever had one of those days when everything just turns to merde? Yesterday was like that. But today is a new day.

Traffic in the LA of 24

I've never been to Los Angeles, but I know that there's lots of traffic there.

Have you ever noticed that on 24, every destination seems to be within about a 15-minute drive from CTU headquarters?

Maybe they know some backroads that others don't know about :)

A fine SF TV writer

I was talking about some Star Trek episodes with a friend the other day, and the name of René Echevarria came up. He wrote some fine scripts for both TNG and DS9, as this entry from IMDb shows:

Star Trek: The Next Generation (16 episodes)
1. The Offspring (10 March 1990) - Writer (writer)
2. Transfigurations (2 June 1990) - Writer (writer)
3. The Minds Eye (25 May 1991) - Writer (story)
4. The Perfect Mate (25 April 1992) - Writer (story)
5. I, Borg (9 May 1992) - Writer (writer)
6. True Q (24 October 1992) - Writer (writer)
7. Ship in a Bottle (23 January 1993) - Writer (writer)
8. Face of the Enemy (6 February 1993) - Writer (story)
9. Birthright: Part 2 (27 February 1993) - Writer (writer)
10. Second Chances (22 May 1993) - Writer (teleplay)
11. Descent: Part 2 (18 September 1993) - Writer (writer)
12. Inheritance (20 November 1993) - Writer (teleplay)
13. Lower Decks (5 February 1994) - Writer (teleplay)
14. Eye of the Beholder (26 February 1994) - Writer (teleplay)
15. Firstborn (23 April 1994) - Writer (teleplay)
16. Preemptive Strike (14 May 1994) - Writer (teleplay)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (25 episodes)
1. Equilibrium (17 October 1994) - Writer (teleplay)
2. Past Tense: Part 2 (9 January 1995) - Writer (teleplay)
3. Improbable Cause (24 April 1995) - Writer (teleplay)
4. Explorers (8 May 1995) - Writer (teleplay)
5. Facets (12 June 1995) - Writer (writer)
6. Rejoined (30 October 1995) - Writer (story) (teleplay)
7. Crossfire (29 January 1996) - Writer (writer)
8. The Muse (29 April 1996) - Writer (story) (teleplay)
9. ...Nor the Battle to the Strong (21 October 1996) - Writer (teleplay)
10. Trials and Tribble-ations (4 November 1996) - Writer (teleplay)
11. The Begotten (27 January 1997) - Writer (writer)
12. A Simple Investigation (31 March 1997) - Writer (writer)
13. Children of Time (5 May 1997) - Writer (teleplay)
14. Behind the Lines (20 October 1997) - Writer (writer)
15. Statistical Probabilities (24 November 1997) - Writer (teleplay)
16. Honor Among Thieves (25 February 1998) - Writer (teleplay)
17. Afterimage (14 October 1998) - Writer (writer)
18. Chrysalis (28 October 1998) - Writer (writer)
19. Covenant (25 November 1998) - Writer (writer)
20. Chimera (17 February 1999) - Writer (writer)
21. Penumbra (7 April 1999) - Writer (writer)
22. When It Rains... (5 May 1999) - Writer (story) (teleplay)
23. The Dogs of War (26 May 1999) - Writer (teleplay)

He also appeared as an extra in these two DS9 shows:
* What You Leave Behind: Part 1 (2 June 1999) - Extra
* What You Leave Behind: Part 2 (2 June 1999) - Extra in final holodeck scene (uncredited)

The standouts here for me are his tirst, The Offspring (the wonderfully moving episode in which Data constructs a daughter), and Second Chances, when Will meets his double – a man who still loves Deanna.

S$# 008 Traveling Wilburys | Nobody's Child

After Roy Orbison's death, the Traveling Wilburys returned as a foursome in 1990 with the follow-up album, Vol. 3. Just a couple of months before that album was issued, they released Nobody's Child, a charity single, and an accompanying album by various artists, called Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal.

The charity had been set up by the four Beatle wives (Olivia (who was the prime mover), Yoko, Linda and Barbara, in case you didn't know) to support children affected by HIV/AIDS in Romania. Visit their web site.

To support the cause, the Wilburys recorded Nobody's Child, a song written by Cy Coren and Mel Feree. It had some very à propos lyrics:

In ev'ry town and village
There are places just like this,
With rows and rows of children,
Baby's in their cribs.
They've long since stopped their crying,
As no one ever hears,
And no one's there to notice them
Or take away their fears.

The track featured each of the guys on vocals, and it's really vibrant with the Wilbury treatment. George had a history with the song too, since the Beatles had backed Tony Sheridan on a recording of the song in Hamburg back in 1961. (Jeff had written and recorded a completely different song of the same name with Electric Light Orchestra on the Eldorado album too.)

As with the other Wilbury works, the single and album are out of print.

A$# 008 Traveling Wilburys | Vol. 1

One of the greatest supergroups to come along ever, the Traveling Wilburys included my two top musical heroes, and three other great rockers - George Harrison and Jeff Lynne, plus Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.

It didn't start out as a supergroup. It was just George and some friends recording a b-side for one of his singles. But as they worked on the wonderful Handle With Care, they knew that it was much more than a hunch, that this group must somehow form a supergroup. That's the way they all became the Traveling Wilburys.

Eschewing egos, they took on Wilbury personas, and they shared songwriting credits. The resulting album offers up 10 catchy songs that reflect the styles of the writers. If I had one complaint, it would be that Jeff's vocals aren't featured prominently enough. But never mind, this is a great album - not a profound statement, but a great collaboration by top-notch artists and friends.

The stand-out tracks for me are Handle With Care, Rattled, Not Alone Any More and End Of The Line.

Sadly, Roy died an untimely death just weeks after the album's release.

Vol. 1 has been out of print for years, though Barbara Orbison and Olivia Harrison have both talked about a remastered reisssue of this and its follow-up, Vol. 3. I hope this comes true soon.

Track listing:
1. Handle With Care
2. Dirty World
3. Rattled
4. Last Night
5. Not Alone Anymore
6. Congratulations
7. Heading For The Light
8. Margarita
9. Tweeter And The Monkey Man
10. End Of The Line

Rock is his life

I saw Randy Bachman's Every Song Tells A Story concert a couple of days ago. It was a really great show. Randy can still really play. Here are the songs he did, as I remember anyway. They might not be in the precise order:

• Prairie Town
• No Sugar Tonight
• No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
• Undun
• Let It Ride
• These Eyes
• Laughing
• No Time
• American Woman
• Looking Out for #1
• You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
• Taking Care of Business

He did an autograph session afterwards. He signed a copy of Jazzthing for me, making it out "To Dropping Pin". (I didn't tell him that it's one word, all lower case.) He seemed amused when I told him that's my screen name.

I said he should play some more obscure stuff when he tours with Burton this summer, and I suggested Of A Dropping Pin and A Wednesday In Your Garden. I'm not gonna hold my breath, but at least someone put the idea in his ear.

I was going to ask if Axe or the Ironhorse albums or the Union album are going to be released on CD, but I didn't get a chance. There were a lot of people wanting autographs.

A small plug for the opening act: blues guitarist Matt Andersen. He can really play. Very impressive.

Calculus gets a reprieve

The Government of Ontario is reviewing its plan to cut calculus from the high school curriculum.

According to Gerard Kennedy, the education minister, a task force will review the math curriculum to determine how much calculus should be taught. Its recommendations would take effect in the 2007-2008 school year.

So there is a chance yet that wiser minds will prevail. The task force will include a parent, a math teacher, an employer, a student and math specialists.

Stop and go

Have you ever come across acronyms that you can't figure out? Quite often there are many possible answers to a set of letters. Try Acronym Finder or Acronym Attic.

Here's what you'll find for STOP and GO.


STOP:

• Safe Tables Our Priority
• Safety Training Observation Program
• Satellite Tracking of People LLC
• Satellite Tracking Of Polluters
• Secure Tips Online Program
• Secure Transportation Offender Partition
• Selected Test Optimization Program
• Services/Training/Officers/Prosecutors
• Single Title Order Plan (bookselling)
• Skid Tires on Pavement
• Slightly Tap on Pedal
• South Texas Organization of Police
• Special Tactics and Operations (police team)
• Squeal Tires on Pavement
• Stack Overflow Protection
• Statement of Opposition
• Stop Taxing Our Patrons
• Stop the Ocean Pollution
• Stop the Oppressive Powerplant
• Stop This Outrageous Purge (1950s civil rights group)
• Stop Transmission of Polio (CDC/WHO program)
• Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan (rescue)
• Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy
• Street-Teen Outreach Program
• Structural/Thermal Optical
• Students & Teachers Opposing Pollution
• Students and Teachers Opposing Prejudice
• Students Thinking of Peers
• Supporters to Oppose Pollution

GO:

• Gothic (linguistics)
• Getting Out
• Greatest-Of
• Game Over
• Government-Owned
• General Obligation
• Gene Ontology
• Greek Orthodox (church)
• Government of Ontario
• Government Operations
• Government Organization
• Goias (Brazil)
• General Order(s)
• General Officer
• Ground Out (baseball)
• Geometrical Optics
• Glass Onion (Beatles song)
• Group Organizer
• Got Owned (gaming chat)
• Gaia Online (online game)
• Government Obligation (finance)
• Guest Observer
• Grand Organ
• Giga Octet (French: gigabyte)
• Gorizia, Friuli (Italian province)
• Gamma Omicron
• General Observer
• Gary Oak (Pokémon)
• Gentil Organisateur (Club Med host/hostess)
• Guardians Office (Scientology)
• Grands Ontario (Car Club)
• Geroderma Osteodysplastica
• Gesamtoeffentlichkeitsarbeit (German: Public Relations)

TV stations in Illinois

Here is a list of 36 TV stations in Illinois:

City	TV Station
Carbondale	WSIU TV 8 (PBS)
Champaign	WCIA TV 3 (CBS)
Charleston	WEIU TV 51 (PBS)
Chicago	WBBM TV 2 (CBS)
Chicago	WCFC TV 38 (IND)
Chicago	WCIU TV 26
Chicago	WFLD TV 32 (FOX)
Chicago	WGN TV 9 (WB)
Chicago	WLS TV 7 (ABC)
Chicago	WMAQ TV 5 (NBC)
Chicago	WOCH TV 28
Chicago	WOCK TV 13
Chicago	WPWR TV 50 (UPN)
Chicago	WTTW TV 11 (PBS)
Decatur	WAND TV 17 (NBC)
Decatur	WBUI TV 23 (WB)
Harrisburg	WSIL TV 3 (ABC)
Macomb	WMEC TV 22 (PBS)
Moline	WQAD TV 8 (ABC)
Moline	WQPT TV 24 (PBS)
Peoria	WEEK TV 25 (NBC)
Peoria	WHOI TV 19 (ABC)
Peoria	WMBD TV 31 (CBS)
Peoria	WTVP TV 47 (PBS)
Peoria	WYZZ TV 43 (FOX)
Quincy	KHQA TV 7 (CBS)
Quincy	WGEM TV 10 (NBC)
Quincy	WQEC TV 27 (PBS)
Rockford	WIFR TV 23 (CBS)
Rockford	WQRF TV 39 (FOX)
Rockford	WREX TV 13 (NBC)
Springfield	WCFN TV 49 (UPN)
Springfield	WICS TV 20 (NBC)
Springfield	WRSP TV 55 (FOX)
Springfield	WSEC TV 14 (PBS)
Urbana	WILL TV 12 (PBS)

Eating wood

Well, it's not really eating wood. That would taste better. There's a British snack food called Twiglets. They're sort of based on pretzels, I think.

Actually, the reason I got to know them is that I like the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway. (The original British one, that is. The American spinoff is funny, but the British one is much better, because it's not censored so much, and it doesn't feature Drew Carey. But that's for another blog entry.)

Paul Merton was a frequent contestant in early seasons of the show, and he was always joking about Twiglets. I got to try some at the very first Whose Line convention back in 1998. Here's some more info about this awful snack food.

S$# 007 Bob Dylan | Positively 4th Street

Having discovered electricity in 1965, Bob Dylan continued to reinvent his sound. Positively 4th Street, recorded for his Greatest Hits album in 1967, features cool organ and electric guitar, and some of his most witty lyrics:

I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment
I could be you

Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You'd know what a drag it is
To see you

P4S is also available on the Biograph box set and The Esssential Bob Dylan.

A$# 007 Roy Orbison | Mystery Girl

The world suffered a great loss when Roy Orbison died suddenly on December 6, 1988 at the age of 52. His career was really flying high then, after he'd rerecorded Cryin' with kd lang and he'd joined up with George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty to form The Traveling Wilburys.

Mystery Girl was released just a couple of months after Roy's death. It's an excellent album, showcasing his biggest asset - his resonating voice.

Three cuts are very closely related to the supergroup Wilburys: You Got It, California Blue (both written by Roy, Jeff and Tom) and A Love So Beautiful (written by Roy and Jeff). Jeff produced and played on all three. Tom played on YGI and CB, and George played on ALSB. Another powerful song is She's A Mystery To Me, written by Bono and The Edge, featuring Bono on production and guitars.

The presence of all this talent does not overshadow Roy's. Not at all; in fact, it reinforces his wonderful songcraft and singing.

Roy may have died, but his fantastic music lives on.

Track listing:
1. You Got It
2. In the Real World
3. (All I Can Do Is) Dream You
4. A Love So Beautiful
5. California Blue
6. She's a Mystery to Me
7. The Comedians
8. The Only One
9. Windsurfer
10. Careless Heart

Dividends with divs?

When it comes to designing a web site, it's better to use divs than tables whenever possible. I am no web expert. I've been trying to create a site with some divs, but I can't get things to float properly. And I know nothing about scripting. When somebody designs a site with cute graphics for the navigation bar, I don't know how to make changes to that. I've been fiddling, but the results are just weird. Text hyperlinks are much easier for a web-know-nothing like me to deal with.

Expo 67 was cool!

I was too young to attend Expo 67, but I have always thought that it must have been really thrilling to experience. It's been said that the World Fair was Canada's coming of age. It was cool to go to Montreal during that summer of love to celebrate Canada's Centennial and view those great monuments of futuristic grandeur.

And grand they were - from the geodesic dome of the US Pavilion to Canada's Katimavik inverted pyramid, from the seemingly origami-inspired Ontario Pavilion to the replica Buddhist shrine of the Thailand Pavilion, the exhibits on those human-made islands were anything but plain and ordinary.

The theme of Expo was Man And His World / Terre Des Hommes. [Sexist terms were pretty much standard back then.] Sub-themes were Man the Explorer, Man the Producer, Man in the Community and Man the Provider. There was the cool Habitat housing development and the Mini Rail train system.

I recently watched a neat DVD called Expo 67: Back to the Future, part of CBC's Canadian Experience series. There are some interesting reminiscences of people who were there. It's available from the CBC Shop.

A couple of cool web sites can help you relive - or learn about for the first time, perhaps - the experience of Expo. Expo 67 - Montreal World's Fair features some articles and maps. Even more comprehensive is Expo 67 in Montreal - A photo collection about Canada's Centennial Celebration! It's full of photos of exhibits, memorabilia and other stuff. There are also some audio files.

Some of the audio stuff includes:

• CA-NA-DA - the anthem by Bobby Gimby (in English and French)
• A Place To Stand - a presentation about the Ontario Pavilion
• The Sounds of Expo 67
• Hey Friend, Say Friend / Un Jour, Un Jour (the official Expo song, in English and French)
• links to items from the CBC Archives

The memorabilia section is very extensive, featuring such items as:

• Alcan Dolphin Show Ticket
• Auto Parking Ticket Receipt
• Autostade ticket for Rodeo show
• Blue + Red Expo Shooters
• Blue and White Sadler Mug
• Boy Scout Patch
• Canadian Pacific Airlines Travel Bag
• Canadian Pavilion Medallion
• Centennial Mug
• Centennial Pin
• Ceramic Tile
• Expo 67 Coin Letter Opener
• Expo 67 Edukit Booklet
• Expo 67 Pencil
• Expo 67 pin-back button
• Expo Charm
• Expo Drinking Glass
• Expo Glass Dishes
• Expo Medallions
• Expo Passport
• Expo Pennant
• Expo Postcard
• Expo Scarf
• Expo Stamps
• Expo Tote Bag
• Fire King Mug
• First Day Issue: USA Postcard
• First-day cover issue: Canada Centennial 1867-1967
• First-day cover issue: France
• First-day cover issue: United Nations
• Fisher Pocket Lighter
• Hostess Brooch Pin
• Laterna Magika tickets
• Match Cover Collection
• Multiple view serving tray
• Ontario Medallion
• Rendez-Vous Expo Medallion
• Royal Darwood Cup + Saucer
• Sadler Mug
• Shallow Triangular Bowl
• Super 8 Films on Expo
• The Official Commemorative Medallion
• Ticket stub for teenage quiz show: "Reach For The Top"
• USA Lighter
• USA Tray

The pages detailing pavilions and themes have info on:

• Africa
• Air Canada
• Alcan
• Algeria
• Arab Nations
• Atlantic Provinces
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brewers
• Britain
• Burma
• Canada
• Canadian National
• Canadian Pacific - Cominco
• Canadian Pulp & Paper
• Ceylon
• Chatelaine House
• China
• Christian
• Cuba
• Czechoslovakia
• DuPont of Canada
• Economic Progress
• Ethiopia
• European Communities
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Guyana / Barbados
• Gyrotron
• Habitat
• Haiti
• Hélène de Champlain
• India
• Indians of Canada
• International Scout Centre
• Iran
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Judaism
• Kaleidoscope
• Kodak
• Korea
• Kuwait
• Labyrinth
• Man and Health
• Man and Music
• Man the Creator
• Man the Explorer
• Man the Producer
• Man the Provider
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• OECD
• Olympic House
• Ontario
• Polymer
• Québec
• Scandinavia
• Sermons from Science
• State of Maine
• State of New York
• State of Vermont
• Steel
• Switzerland
• Telephone
• Thailand
• Trinidad & Tobago and Grenada
• Tunisia
• USSR
• United Nations
• United States
• Venezuela
• Western Provinces
• Yugoslavia

Beep update

I did some more search on the net for the elusive beverage called Beep. I found this one.

It's made by Farmers Dairy, a cooperative dairy in Atlantic Canada. They have a wide variety of products, including fluid milk products, chocolate milk, single-serve milk, specialty milk products, lactose-free milk, specialty creams, cultured products, frozen yogurt & sherbet, ice cream products, long-life milk & milkshakes, juice and drinks, bottled water, butter and spreads, as well as cheese.

Farmers Beep "is a popular drink with kids of all ages. Available in 250 mL Twist & Go single serve and -litre take home size, Beep is a refreshing fruit beverage made with 25% real fruit juice."

Is this the same stuff that I remember from Ontario almost 40 years ago? Stay tuned. I'm still investigating!

An auspicious debut

The Beatles made their live American TV debut on this day in 1964, on the venerable Ed Sullivan show, performing to a record-busting audience of more than 70 million viewers. (Lots too up here in Canada, I'm sure. But I was too young, so I did not see the show during that night.)

The Fabs played five songs: All My Loving, Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Saw Her Standing There and I Want To Hold Your Hand. And so the invasion was in high gear.

There would follow three more Sullivan appearances for the group (on the two following Sundays, February 16 and 23, 1964, as well as September 12, 1965). You can see the complete shows, including original commercials, in a great 2-DVD set put out by SOFA Entertainment. It's available at Amazon.ca.

These are also essential viewing: The First US Visit, a documentary by Albert and David Maysles; and of course Beatles Anthology, which follows their whole career together.

Flying by the letters

Here's another list. Airport codes are usually a seemingly random set of three letters. Some make perfect sense (eg LHR for London Heathrow, and JFK for JFK). Canadian ones aren't so obvious. Here's a list of a lot of them.

Code	Airport
YXX	Abbotsford, BC
XFS	Alexandria, ON
YEY	Amos, PQ
YAA	Anahim Lake, BC
YAB	Arctic Bay, NU
YEK	Arviat, NU
YIB	Atikokan, ON
YBG	Bagotville, QC
YBC	Baie Comeau, PQ
YBK	Baker Lake, NU
YBA	Banff, AB
ZBF	Bathurst, NB
ZEL	Bella Bella, BC
QBC	Bella Coola, BC
XVV	Belleville, ON
YBV	Berens River, MB
YBI	Black Tickle, NF
YBX	Blanc Sablon, PQ
YVB	Bonaventure, PQ
XPN	Brampton, ON
YBR	Brandon, MB
XFV	Brantford, ON
YBT	Brochet, MB
XBR	Brockville, ON
YPZ	Burns Lake, BC
YYC	Calgary, AB
XAZ	Cambellton, NB
YCB	Cambridge Bay, NU
YBL	Campbell River, BC
YTE	Cape Dorset, NU
XAW	Capreol, ON
YRF	Cartwright, NF
XZB	Casselman, ON
YCG	Castlegar, BC
XCI	Chambord, PQ
XDL	Chandler, PQ
YLD	Chapleau, ON
YHG	Charlottetown, NF
YYG	Charlottetown, PE
XCM	Chatham, ON
XHS	Chemainus, BC
YCS	Chesterfield Inlet, NU
YMT	Chibougamau, PQ
ZUM	Churchill Falls, NF
YYQ	Churchill, MB
YCY	Clyde River, NU
XGJ	Cobourg, ON
YCK	Colville Lake, NT
YQQ	Comox, BC
YZS	Coral Harbour, NU
YCC	Cornwall, ON
XGK	Coteau, PQ
YCA	Courtenay, BC
YXC	Cranbrook, BC
YCR	Cross Lake, MB
YDN	Dauphin, MB
YDI	Davis Inlet, NF
YDQ	Dawson Creek, BC
YVZ	Deer Lake, ON
YDF	Deerlake, NF
YWJ	Deline, NT
XDM	Drummondville, PQ
YHD	Dryden, ON
DUQ	Duncan/Quam, BC
YEG	Edmonton, AB
YEL	Elliot Lake, ON
YPF	Esquimalt, BC
YFO	Flin Flon, MB
YPY	Fort Chipewyan, AB
YGH	Fort Good Hope, NT
YMM	Fort McMurray, AB
YYE	Fort Nelson, BC
YFS	Fort Simpson, NT
YSM	Fort Smith, NT
YXJ	Fort St John, BC
YFX	Fox Harbour/St Lewis, NF
YFC	Fredericton, NB
YQX	Gander, NF
YGP	Gaspe, PQ
YND	Gatineau, PQ
XHM	Georgetown, ON
YGX	Gillam, MB
YGB	Gillies Bay, BC
YHK	Gjoa Haven, NU
XZC	Glencoe, ON
YGO	Gods Narrows, MB
ZGI	Gods River, MB
YYR	Goose Bay, NF
YQU	Grande Prairie, AB
YGZ	Grise Fiord, NU
YHZ	Halifax, NS
YUX	Hall Beach, NU
YHM	Hamilton, ON
YHY	Hay River, NT
YOJ	High Level, AB
YHI	Holman, NT
YHO	Hopedale, NF
ILF	Ilford, MB
YEV	Inuvik, NT
YKA	Kamloops, BC
YLW	Kelowna, BC
YQK	Kenora, ON
YGK	Kingston, ON
YKT	Klemtu, BC
YLQ	La Tuque, PQ
XLB	Lac Brochet, MB
XEE	Lac Edouard, PQ
XEH	Ladysmith, BC
XEJ	Langford, BC
YLR	Leaf Rapids, MB
YQL	Lethbridge, AB
YLL	Lloydminister, AB
YXU	London, ON
YSG	Lutselke/Snowdrift, NT
YSP	Marathon, ON
YMH	Mary's Harbour, NF
XID	Maxville, ON
YXH	Medicine Hat, AB
XEK	Melville, SK
YQM	Moncton, NB
YYY	Mont Joli, PQ
YUL	Montreal, PQ
YMX	Montreal-Mirabel, PQ
YMO	Moosonee, ON
YDP	Nain, NF
YCD	Nanaimo, BC
XEL	New Carlisle, PQ
XEM	New Richmond, PQ
XEY	Newcastle, NB
XLV	Niagara Falls, ON
YVQ	Norman Wells, NT
YYB	North Bay, ON
YNE	Norway House, MB
XOK	Oakville, ON
YOO	Oshawa, ON
YOW	Ottawa, ON
YOH	Oxford House, MB
XFE	Parent, PQ
XPB	Parksville, BC
YPC	Paulatuk, NT
YPE	Peace River, AB
YTA	Pembroke, ON
YYF	Penticton, BC
XFG	Perce, PQ
PIW	Pikwitonei, MB
XPX	Pointe-Aux-Trembles, PQ
YPB	Port Alberni, BC
YZT	Port Hardy, BC
YHA	Port Hope Simpson, NF
YSO	Postville, NF
YPW	Powell River, BC
YXS	Prince George, BC
YPR	Prince Rupert, BC
XPK	Pukatawagan, MB
XQU	Qualicum, BC
YQC	Quaqtaq, PQ
YQB	Quebec, PQ
YQZ	Quesnel, BC
YRA	Rae Lakes, NT
YOP	Rainbow Lake, AB
YRL	Red Lake, ON
YRS	Red Sucker Lake, MB
YQR	Regina, SK
YRG	Rigolet, NF
XRP	Riviere-A-Pierre, PQ
YSY	Sachs Harbour, NT
YSJ	Saint John, NB
XIM	Saint-Hyacinthe, PQ
YSN	Salmon Arm, BC
YZP	Sandspit, BC
YZR	Sarnia, ON
YXE	Saskatoon, SK
YAM	Sault Ste.Marie, ON
YKL	Schefferville, PQ
YZV	Sept-Iles, PQ
ZTM	Shamattawa, MB
XFL	Shawinigan, PQ
XFM	Shawnigan, BC
YXL	Sioux Lookout, ON
YSH	Smith Falls, ON
YYD	Smithers, BC
YFJ	Snare Lake, NT
XSI	South Indian Lake, MB
YAY	St Anthony, NF
YCM	St Catharines, ON
YYT	St Johns, NF
YSL	St Leonard, NB
XIO	St Marys, ON
YST	Ste Therese Point, MB
YJT	Stephenville, NF
YSF	Stony Rapids, SK
XFD	Stratford, ON
XTY	Strathroy, ON
YSB	Sudbury, ON
ZJN	Swan River, MB
YQY	Sydney, NS
XTL	Tadoule Lake, MB
XFO	Taschereau, PQ
YXT	Terrace, BC
YQD	The Pas, MB
YTD	Thicket Portage, MB
YTH	Thompson, MB
YQT	Thunder Bay, ON
YTS	Timmons, ON
YAZ	Tofino, BC
YYZ	Toronto, ON
YTZ	Toronto, ON
XLZ	Truro, NS
YUB	Tuktoyaktuk, NT
ZFN	Tulita/Fort Norman, NT
YVR	Vancouver, BC
YYJ	Victoria, BC
YWK	Wabush, NF
YKO	Waskaganish, PQ
YKF	Waterloo Region, ON
XFQ	Weymont, PQ
YLE	Wha Ti/Lac La Martre, NT
YWR	White River, ON
YXY	Whitehorse, YU
YWM	Williams Harbour, NF
YWL	Williams Lake, BC
YQG	Windsor, ON
YWG	Winnipeg, MB
XIP	Woodstock, ON
XWY	Wyoming, ON
YQI	Yarmouth, NS
YZF	Yellowknife, NT
ZAC	York Landing, MB

I got it for the articles ... really

A long time ago, I got a copy of the June 1975 issue of Playboy magazine. Of course it's a cliché to say that you buy it for the articles. But this issue actually had some interesting stuff to read.

There was a profile of photographer Richard Avedon; an article by Norman Mailer about a boxing match; a feature interview with Catch 22 author Joseph Heller; articles about gadgets, such as a concept vehicle called the Playboy Land Yacht. Mind you, the pictorial features were interesting too, including an exposé of sex in French cinema, the lovely playmate Aziza Johari, and Playmate of the Year Marilyn Lange (pictured on the cover).

Marilyn Lange had earlier been featured as Miss May 1974. She has not made any public appearances in many years. She's probably enjoying a happy private life.

I remember Beep

Years before Five Alive and other mixed-fruit juices, there was a drink called Beep. It came in an orange carton, and I think there was a lame little bird logo. It had orange juice and pineapple juice, and I'm not sure what else. I don't even remember what company made it. A Google search didn't reveal anything. I'll have to dig deeper.

Arrival

The Beatles arrived in North America on this day back in 1964. I was too young to appreciate at the time what their arrival met. But it was huge. Even up here in Canada, the joyous shockwaves were felt ... and are still reverberating.

S$# 006 Elton John | The Last Song

Elton John released some albums in the 80s in which he seemed to have lost some of his vitality and genius. By the time of 1992's The One, he was back in form. The standout track for me is The Last Song, a moving tale of reconciliation between a man dying of AIDS and his father.

'Cause I never thought I'd lose
I only thought I'd win
I never dreamed I'd feel
This fire beneath my skin
I can't believe you love me
I never thought you'd come
I guess I misjudged love
Between a father and his son

Bernie Taupin's lyrics exude the candour and brilliance from the duo's heyday. Elton wraps the song in a moving (but not treacly) melody and sings the lyrics with a real sense of honesty.

The Last Song is available on The One. There are also a couple of live versions out.

A$# 006 Jethro Tull | Heavy Horses

Heavy Horses from 1978 is the second of a trio of albums by Jehtro Tull that might be called pastoral / folk rock. It is my favourite Tull record.

Of course, Ian Anderson's flute and Martin Barre's expert guitar work are present. But it's more than that. The lyrics, the instrumentation and the arrangements all evoke images of a rural England that no longer really exists.

Anderson sings about cats (And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps), moths (Moths) and mice (One Brown Mouse), and laments at the coming of industrialization (eg lyrically in Journeyman and musically through the harder-edge rock of No Lullaby). But it is in the sweeping, majestic nine-minute title song where Anderson really brings this lost world to life, as he paints a wonderful tribute to the large regal creatures.

Iron-clad feather-feet pounding the dust
An October's day, towards evening
Sweat embossed veins standing proud to the plough
Salt on a deep chest seasoning
Last of the line at an honest day's toil
Turning the deep sod under
Flint at the fetlock, chasing the bone
Flies at the nostrils plunder.

The Suffolk, the Clydesdale, the Percheron vie
With the Shire on his feathers floating
Hauling soft timber into the dusk
To bed on a warm straw coating.

...

Bring me a wheel of oaken wood
A rein of polished leather
A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky
Brewing heavy weather.

Track listing:
1. And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps
2. Acres Wild
3. No Lullaby
4. Moths
5. Journeyman
6. Rover
7. One Brown Mouse
8. Heavy Horses
9. Weathercock
plus bonus tracks on remastered CD:
10. Living In These Hard Times
11. Broadford Bazaar

Definitely worth another viewing

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released in 1969, but I first saw it 28 years ago today (on February 5, 1978). It is my very favourite 007 flick.

OHMSS is unique among James Bond movies for several reasons:

1. It's the only one to star George Lazenby as Bond.
2. It's the only one that the incredible Diana Rigg appears in.
3. It is the only film in which Bond gets married.

Following in the footsteps of Sean Connery was no small feat. I thought Lazenby did a good job playing the suave secret agent. To me he seemed more urbane than Connery. And he brought an edge to the character that Roger Moore never did. (Don't get me wrong: Connery is my favourite Bond. But OHMSS is my favourite Bond movie, and Connery is not in it.)

We'll never know what might have happened if Lazenby had repeated the role in more movies. But in this outing, he holds up well as Bond gets tangled with Tracy Draco (played by Diana) and battles Blofeld (portrayed this time out by Telly Savalas).

The film has a strong plot, as Bond works to defeat Blofeld's plan to poison the world's food supply. (Maybe in 1969 bioterrorism seemed farfetched, but it doesn't now.) But it's his relationship with Tracy that gives the movie its heart and soul.

Diana brings equal amounts of strength and vulnerability in her performance as the troubled Tracy. (This was one of Diana's first roles after her run as Emma Peel on The Avengers, so I think she really put her heart into the part.) It's these characteristics that attract Bond to Tracy. I think there's great on-screen chemistry between the two characters, even if the on-set chemistry between the two actors was fizzly, at best.

Call me sentimental, but I was moved by the story. It has so much more depth than other Bond adventures. You can buy it on its own at Amazon.ca, or as part of a set of 007 DVDs.

Winter's not over yet

Wiarton Willie did not see his shadow on Thursday, which is supposed to mean an early spring. We had some very spring-like weather over the last few weeks, so that conclusion seemed quite logical. Logical, that is, to the extent that one can depend on a rodent for weather prognostications.

Well, guess what?! It's snowing in Southern Ontario today, and we're supposed to get 10 to 15 cm tonight. Hey, this is Canada. Winter is never over in February.

Never listen to groundhogs.

Frown

A lot has been written about Smile, the lost (and now found) masterpiece by Brian Wilson. I plan to do an album spotlight about it in the coming months. But today I thought I'd write about the fictitious anti-Smile. It's called Frown. Here is the tracklisting:

1. Your Prayer / Gosh
2. Zeroes And Millions
3. Do You Like Snails?
4. Backyard
5. Young Pathetic Artist / You Drank My Moonshine
6. Skyscraper Cologne
7. Terrible
8. Song For Grownups
9. Man Is Father Of The Child (Paternity Suit)
10. Skateboard Down
11. I'm Out Of Shape/I Don't Wanna Be Here/Playground
12. Fruits
13. Work Week
14. Weather Vane
15. Arsonist's Matches
16. Blue In Alaska
17. Bad Vibrations

Worth another viewing

There are a number of movies that I watched years ago that I would like to see again, but my local video store doesn't have them. Some are available through retailers like Amazon.ca, but I don't purchase many movie DVDs.

● Coming Home (1978, directed by Hal Ashby) is a powerful Vietnam War-era drama set in the US. You're probably familiar with this one, since Jane Fonda and Jon Voight both won Oscars for their moving performances.

Voight plays Luke, a paraplegic vet who's fighting the demons, physical and psychological, from his time in action. Fonda portrays Sally, an officer's wife who has her own problems, not the least of which is her relationship with her emotionally distant husband, played by Bruce Dern. Sally and Luke become romantically involved, but their happiness is overshadowed by their frailties.

Coming Home is available on DVD at Amazon.ca.

● Vanishing Point (1971, directed by Richard C. Sarafian) has Barry Newman as Kowalski, a car delivery service worker who has to drive a 1970 Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco - in 15 hours. Cleavon Little plays a DJ who helps Kowalski outwit the cops in his frantic cross-country ride.

I haven't seen the film in years, and I don't know how it would stand up today. At the time, Kowalski came across as an anti-establishment anti-hero. Would we see him today as merely a drugged-out criminal who endangers his life and others? Not sure.

Note: There was a made-for-TV remake from about 1997. The DVD of the original, available at Amazon.ca, features the US and UK versions. The latter is somewhat longer as it contains scenes not included in the US prints.

● Sylvia (1984, directed by Michael Firth) is a biopic from New Zealand that explores the life of Sylvia Ashton Warner (played by Eleanor David), who worked to promote literacy among Maori children.

I caught the flick on the big screen in the UK more than 20 years ago, so my memories of it are somewhat fuzzy, though I remember being impressed with Eleanor David's performance. The Time Out film guide review says that the film's dramatic impact was limited because it focuses too much on Sylvia's romance with another teacher, when it "could have been something altogether more inspirational and fascinating." The film has yet to see release on DVD.

● The Quiet Earth (1985, directed by Geoff Murphy) is a small New Zealand science fiction movie in which a man awakes to find himself completely alone in the world. As far as he knows, he is alone, which causes him to become very lonely, and he veers towards madness. But then he meets two other survivors. The film is available on DVD in Europe, but not in North America.

● Clambake (1967, directed by Arthur H. Nadel)is not the greatest Elvis movie, but it certainly isn't the worst. The King plays a wealthy heir who switches places with a lookalike waterskiing instructor.

This variation of The Prince And The Pauper is amusing, and there are the usual silly songs (eg the title song), but it's an enjoyable enough experience. And of course Elvis gets the girl (played by Shelley Fabares). You can get it on DVD at Amazon.ca.

● Vampires in Havana (¡Vampiros en La Habana!)(1985, directed by Juan Padrón)is a Cuban cartoon about Vampire gangsters battling for control of a potion that allows vampires to go out and about in the daytime.

This is not a Disney cartoon, that's for sure. It has an interesting and funny storyline, and it's well presented. It is available on DVD at Amazon.ca.

● Dream Life (La Vie rêvée) (1972, directed by Mireille Dansereau) was the first Canadian feature directed by a woman. It's a feminist film about two young women who are obsessed by sexual fantasies about a married man they know. The plotline is not strong, but I remember finding the ideas of the film intriguing. It's been more than 20 years since I saw it, though. Time Out says of Dream Life that, "filmed as a punctuated story - with narrative, fantasy, flashback and slow-motion - it's a superbly rounded and sensual presentation of ideas." The film is not available on DVD.

Travel to friendly Manitoba

This blog entry was going to be another list - in this case, a list of distances from Winnipeg to other locales in Manitoba. But then I thought I'd put some context to it.

Check out the Travel Manitoba site. There's all you need to plan a trip to the province that is the geographic centre of the country.

You can download maps: North of 53, Parkland, Interlake, Eastern, Western, Central Plains, Pembina Valley and Winnipeg.

There's information on many activities: beaches, entertainment, fairs & festivals, golf, hiking & camping, historical sites, hunting & fishing, museums & galleries, outdoor recreation, performing arts, professional sports, shopping & dining, and urban parks.

Oh, and here's the list. The distances are in kilometres:

Municipality	From Wpg
Altona	98
Beausejour	46
Bisset	227
Boissevain	241
Brandon	197
Carberry	158
Carman	62
Cranberry Portage	692
Dauphin	304
Emerson	96
Falcon Lake	126
Flin Flon	743
Gimli	76
Grand Beach	87
Grand Rapids	408
Grand View	349
Hecla	164
Killarney	217
Lac Du Bonnet	91
Leaf Rapids	952
Lynn Lake	1066
Melita	310
Minnedosa	203
Morden	104
Morris	52
Neepawa	175
Pine Falls	111
Portage la Prairie	70
Rivers	227
Roblin	386
Russel	338
Selkirk	21
Snow Lake	679
Souris	226
Steinbach	48
Stonewall	24
Swan River	476
The Pas	602
Thompson	738
Virden	277
Wasagaming	253
Winkler	102
Winnipeg Beach	66