Check it out:-Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

For those of you who love Buffy and Firefly (and for those who have never heard of them), take a look at Joss Whedon's new creative endeavor Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog. I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me... It was much better than Cats. Did I mention that it was a musical? Directed by Joss Wheden, and written by Joss Wheden, Zack Whedon, Jed Whedon, and his girl, Maurissa Tancharoen, the three episode series was released on the web in July for a limited time (a month). Nathan Fillian (as the hilarious and vapid Captain Hammer), Felicity Day (Penny) and Neil Patrick Harris (as Doctor Horrible) are uber talented and have lovely voices. There is, in fact, nothing wrong with the star-crossed, misdirected but lovably sarcastic Dr. Horrible. He really could do so much better than Penny. You can now buy the series on itunes and there is a full fan site to creep on as well. I am hoping for a t-shirt for Christmas.

Check it out-Culina Cafe

I stopped by one of my favorite Edmonton restaurants the other day for lunch: Culina Cafe. I used to live in the area and ate there at least once a week for a year or two. I think they actually might have been a little irritated at my regular presence and photographic recall of the menu. But, as always, things change-I moved, stopped eating out regularly, and just stopped going to Culina. And Culina just kept getting better. Owner and chef, Brad Lazarenko, has opened several other restaurants, expanded into BC, and still, Culina's food is simple, local, and delicious. Typically, the meals are breathtakingly beautiful as well as tasty. Most dishes base their flavor on fresh ingredients and are bolstered with clever taste pairings and subtle sauces. As usual, after my meal I felt wonderfully satisfied, healthy, and yet, still pampered.

The meal pictured here is the chophouse tomato and steak salad, with onions, blue cheese, spinach and a citrus dressing. Wow.

This week is the last week of Fork Fest, a celebratory week of menus presented by Original Fare -a consortium of Edmonton's local food entrepreneurs, of which Culina is a part. Meals are either $20 or $35 and are lovingly prepared to knock your socks off. So, go check it out.


Fork Fest 2008- Culina Cafe
first course: salad of romaine, cranberries, almonds, corn & feta, tossed in a sherry vinaigrette

second course: almond crusted red snapper served on a warm chickpea salad(couscous, peppers parsley & harissa)topped with avocado sour cream

third course: blueberry shortcakes with lychee cream

Price: $35.00

Infinitely worth it

A friend on mine called me a liar on facebook today. I have Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace listed as one of my favorite books. His note:

You're a liar. No one has read Infinite Jest.

Which is hilarious because it is probably mostly true. Infinite Jest is huge.
HUGE. It is like 2000 pages of small 10pt arial font densely compacted. It is an epic travel over four or five years of a young brilliant, drug experimenting Tennis hopeful, Hal Incandenza, in the "near but distant future". Oh, and it is about his family,friends and intertwining plot webs that connect randomly or nonrandomly over the course of these few years. Once you pick up the book and weigh its tomeishness in your hands and flip open the pages to the see the tiny tiny font, you also realize that the main chapters are really only a thousand pages. The second thousand pages are FOOTNOTES. Yes, footnotes. However, unlike most footnotes(which don't usually appear in long fiction anyway), these tell more detail of the plot in focus and begin to weave other plot angles all on their own.

The characters are brilliantly funny and tragic, the drug excursions are hilarious, and Wallace's "near but distant future" is so creative and satirical that it is both ridiculous and totally believable. To get you started, Hal starts out the story in The Year of Glad. Yes, the US (who has cluelessly convinced Mexico and Canada to form the "Organization of North American Nations" or ONAN) has finally sold the Year Calendar to corporate sponsors to make money. Just wait for The Year of the Tucks Medicated Pad.

Infinite Jest is old. It came out in 1996 and I probably read it the first
time in 1997. Yes, the FIRST time. I have read it three times. One, because I have a shitty memory and the thing is huge and two, because it is that fucking GOOD. It is my deserted island choice.

So, Buy it and read it. I dare you. And then let me know, because I have actually never met someone who has read it- and I LOVE talking about it.

Check it out-VICE Magazine

I love Vice Magazine. My cousin Pete gave me the Vice Do's and Dont's book for Christmas this year. It is basically a book full of photos of people that the authors rag on, make fun of, oogle or cut into tiny little pieces. Sometimes they were so funny I pee'd a little. Sometimes they were just so disturbing that I felt my skin shrivel.

Here is a little sample "Don't".

Caption: Dressing alike is for tween twins, Norwegian new parents, and roommates that are scared of the world.

Go to www.viceland.com and read for yourself.

Check her out-Melissa McClelland

I bought Melissa McClelland's new album, Thumbelina's One Night Stand, in the Second Cup in the Montreal Airport.

These are the songs she played at the Calgary Folk Fest and they are incredible. I caught wind of Melissa as the background voice on Luke Doucet's songs. She and Luke were married this summer and he has produced both her albums and plays and sings on this album, along with Sarah McLachlan and Blue Rodeo's, Greg Keelor. I think she has really hit on a fantastic sound with this album- an melodic and eerie mix of country, folk and vintage music, and a mix of canadiana and americana. She is a fantastic songwriter and her voice lulls you into a sense of serenity-until you start listening to the lyrics.

Oh, and she's hot.

Check him out-Kris Demeanor

I have been following Kris Demeanor for some time now. He probably thinks I am stalking him. Maybe I am, Maybe I am not. I definitely make sure that I see him whenever I can. I planned my Calgary Folk Fest activities around his sessions. I first saw him at Wayne Fest 3, where he wowed my three daughters and their friends with rendition of "Airport Master", which was really Airborne Bastard done with his young neice. I think they were most impressed, as we all were, that his neice knew every single word to an extensive rap commentary, but they did end up learning all the words (including the bad ones). My ex actually went out and bought the CD and we let our oldest listen to it until we heard the lyrics to the next few songs. Ah well, we're liberal parents. I think Kris might just rival my potty mouth.

Anyway, Kris is the ultimate entertainer. He is a musician with soul, he is a brillian lyricist and social commentator, he has the impeccable timing of a stand-up comedian, and he has that special presence about him that makes you just want to watch...and listen.

So, check him out. Buy his stuff. Make him rich.

I am going to see him tonight at the Blue Chair Cafe.

Check them out-The Dudes

I love The Dudes. Always have, probably always will. And I get to boast that I know them and that my brother in law used to play with them. Pat played music onstage at my wedding. I am not sure anyone remembers. But he did. So there.

The Dudes are pop/rock/punk/satirical genius and hail from Calgary, Alberta. The new album Brain Heart Guitar boasts some remixes of old songs and some pretty freakin' great new ones, including the best pop love song I have heard for years. Check out Do the Right Thing and tell me if it doesn't make you just want to go out and buy a ring, boys.

Other favorites of mine are Mendoza Line and Dropkick Queen of the Weekend, which you can now apparently download as a ring tone. Rumor has it that there are several "friends" of the Dudes who think they are the subject of Dropkick. We all have our suspicions.


Mendoza Line has one of the all-time classiest love lines in rock history.

Back when the rock was sweet and magical
I gave my guitar your name
But now you're in someone else's touring van
And the songs I sing are shame

Beautiful man. Beautiful.

Go out and buy their album right now.

Check her out-Rachelle van Zanten

Rachelle van Zanten may not even be on your radar, but she should be. I first saw her play in Painting Daisies, and she has since gone solo. She is the hard rockin' shit-kickin' farm girl you always wanted to be friends with.

I got to see her both at the Calgary Folk Festival and the Edmonton Folk Festival and she was consistently brilliant.

Oh, and here is my favorite moment from the Calgary Folk Fest. Feist, Mellissa McClelland, Chantal Vitalis, and Rachelle van Zanten all on the same stage.