Monday, September 28, 2009

You Know You Are From Newfoundland When...

1. You never meet any celebrities except Buddy Wasisname and Toni Marie Wiseman.

2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor-trailer on the "TCH".

3. "Vacation" means going to St. John's for the weekend.

4. You've seen all the biggest bands 10 years after they were popular everywhere else.

5. You measure distance in hours when traveling across the province, and full days when measuring distance across the country.

6. You know several people who have hit moose more than once.

7. Your classes were often cancelled because of snow.

8. You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

9. You use a down comforter in the summer.

10. Your grandparents drive at 100/km per hour through 13 feet of snow in a raging blizzard - without flinching.

11. Your social life consists of drinking at parties, in the woods or downtown, and bingo, darts, cards & fishing after 30.

12. You see people wear hunting clothes or jogging suits to social events.

13. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

14. You think of the major four food groups as moose meat, beer, fish and berries and a typical meal portion for you would feed a European for two days.

15. You carry jumper cables in your car and you know how to use them.

16. There are 4 empty cars running in the parking lot at the convenience store at any given time.

17. You only own three spices: Salt, Pepper and Ketchup.

18. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

19. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

20. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent and dresses funny.

21. You think lingerie is a short flannel night dress.

22. You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction.

23. It takes 3 hours to go to the store for one item when you're in a rush because you have to stop and talk to everyone you know.

24. You have a satellite dish/cable with 500 channels and still watch NTV.

25. You consider a snow blower a recreational vehicle.

26. Everyone knows a snowmobile in the back of a new truck is the sign of a well off person.

27. You have your own rubber boots & ball cap for picking berries and fishing.

28. The shed or the barn are acceptable places for grown men and sometimes women to drink and socialize.

29. You actually understand these jokes, smile, and forward them to all your friends from Newfoundland.

Pictured: NTV's Toni-Marie Wiseman

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Fun For Fall !


This Fall’s fun starts with a Pixar party. Look for their amazing re-release of Toy Story and Toy Story II now digitally re-rendered in 3D coming to theatres on October 2nd. If the return of Buzz and Woody are not enough, November 10th will bring the home video release of the latest Disney – Pixar masterpiece: Up. Carl and Ellie will finally appear on the small screen and the search for Paradise Falls will begin again.


As a long-time fan of Pixar, I went to see Up out of loyalty expecting just another animated feature. Two hours later, I walked away moved and stunned with its quality. It’s hard to imagine a movie better than this. I made a point of seeing it the next night in 3D. If you haven’t seen Up, pre-order the DVD now! Money back guarantee!


Have Mercy


My only bet for the 2009 Fall TV schedule is NBC’s new hospital drama called Mercy. Newcomer Taylor Schilling leads the cast as nurse Veronica Callahan, part of a troika of women meeting the demands of modern medicine. You may recognize one of the other nurses supporting Taylor played by Michelle Trachtenberg. Michelle is a now-grown-up teen icon best known for her roles in Gossip Girl, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the movie Ice Princess. NBC has heavily promoted Mercy with multiple free iTunes video clips and on-air spots. It seems to have a better-than-average appeal with fresh and edgy writing. It premieres nationwide on NBC-TV September 23rd.


See The World !


You might also enjoy a very interesting experiment being conducted daily by ABC News. Their World News Webcast represents a completely new wave of news broadcasting. You’ll see a refreshing new spin on content tailored for the under 50 crowd including great features like New Music Monday and Friday At The Movies. Someone at ABC is obviously thinking about the future. World News Webcast is technically anchored by their broadcast icon Charles Gibson but frequently replaced by a farm team of ABC correspondents on their way up. Many of the field reporters are testing their wings, as well. Make a point to watch this free daily download, available from iTunes or directly at http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Webcast.


Play Your Kazoo !


If you happen to be awake during the wee hours, try your radio for entertainment. One show should not be missed. Check out The Steve LeVeille Broadcast on the air on WBZ 1030 AM from Boston weeknights from midnight until 5 am. You’ll hear radio like it really should be: It’s fun. It’s local-oriented. It’s very informative. It’s habit-forming and – warning – it can be really silly. Steve is a wonderful combination of seasoned newsman, talented interviewer, insightful commentator and musical performer (he plays sax and a mean kazoo.) WBZ reached 38 states at night, but if your radio can’t pull him in listen on-line at: http://player.play.it/player/player.html?v=4.7.124&id=92&onestat=wbz.


Sweet Sounds


Musically, Colbie Caillat recently defied a sophomore slump with her tasty second full CD ‘Breakthrough,’ featuring her latest single ‘Fallin’ For You.’ Also look for a hidden gem ‘Hoy Me Voy,’ a duet with Colombian superstar Juanes. You’ll find it on Colbie’s EP ‘Coco Summer Sessions’ released last November. It’s hard to get Colbie out of a recording studio: Look forward to a handful of new Christmas songs to be released in the next few weeks. One for fun and fun for fall!



Friday, September 18, 2009

Are We Human?

It’s my favorite song of the year, but it leaves a lot for interpretation. The Killers, a Las Vegas based rock band, are enjoying well-deserved success from nearly everything they do including the mega-hit ‘Human.’ At first listen, it’s a 80s retro dance tune with a great beat and a wacky keyboard riff in the right channel. It’s got enough compression for AM Top 40. Warning: After a couple of listens, the lyrics will grab you!


Just what are they trying to convey? Their lead singer, Brandon Flowers, asks us ‘Are we human…or are we dancer?’ That’s ‘dancer’ singular. Possibly a new type of life form or discipline? We’ll see! It’s supposed to be all about a reference made by Rolling Stone guru Hunter Thompson that society is decaying into a bunch of directionless dancers. OK, sure.


Maybe the vision should be of a newborn coming to life: ‘I did my best to notice - When the call came down the line - Up to the platform of surrender - I was brought but I was kind - And sometimes I get nervous - When I see an open door…’ Another faction of Killers fans likens the song to the attributes of a puppet with the lyrics: ‘close your eyes – clear your heart – cut the cord.’ Indeed, maybe we are inanimate: ‘My sign is vital – my hands are cold – and I’m on my knees looking for the answer…’ What does it all mean?


Is something evil about to happen? Human sadness, defeat and resignment come next: ‘Pay my respects to grace and virtue - Send my condolences to good - Give my regards to soul and romance - They always did the best they could - And so long to devotion - You taught me everything I know - Wave goodbye - Wish me well.. - You've gotta let me go’ (Maybe even suicidal?) There is also a sense of departure reminiscent of David Bowie’s classic ‘Space Oddity:’ ‘Will your system be alright - when you dream of home tonight? - There is no message we're receiving - Let me know is your heart still beating!’ By the way, did Major Tom ever make it home?


You could think about this for days. I have! No matter how far you go in thought, it’s a great song musically and lyrically. You can even be silly: Maybe The Killers long to be Santa’s reindeer! ‘Are we human or are we Dancer?’ Onward Prancer! Onward Vixen! Give them a listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6r4KT8-VX0. The Killers’ CD Day & Age, including ‘Human,’ is available on iTunes and everywhere. Their three other CDs are killers, as well!



Monday, September 7, 2009

Look! Up In The Sky!

What a bright star! I wonder what it is? The night sky is constantly changing filled with mysteries waiting to discover! Only a passing interest in astronomy? It matters not! Free road maps are available. Just use the Internet to begin your journey!

My favorite guide to the sky is a very simple program called Skyglobe. It was written by Mark Haney when dinosaurs ruled the Earth back in 1989. Originally intended for the DOS operating system (pre-Windows,) Skyglobe allows you to identify all you see in the sky and more. You can easily change the detail and complexity of its portrayal to highlight the brightest objects you see. Want to recall something you noticed two nights ago? Press a couple of keys and you can fly back in time. It is the most simple and useful program you may ever encounter!

The latest DOS version of Skyglobe (3.6) can be downloaded for free at:
http://www.sidewalkastronomy.com/skyglobe.html. Even your old computer in the basement can display Skyglobe with ease! It will run on all versions of DOS and Windows up to XP. Recent computers with Windows Vista or XP can support a fascinating program called Stellarium. This is a quantum leap beyond Skyglobe with advanced graphics and features applicable to the most advanced user. Find it at: http://www.stellarium.org.

Looking for a nightly guide to the sky? Bookmark
http://www.earthsky.org/tonighthome/. You’ll be directed to stellar points of interest updated daily. What a wonderful way to learn about the universe! Its part of a wonderful gift called EarthSky, a wealth of knowledge and facts ready for your discovery. You could spend a lot of time here! Start tonight! Look! Up in the sky!