NUIT BLANCHE Toronto 2009

During Nuit Blanche this year the highlights for me were three sound events.  The first you’ll hear is Sound(e)scape curated by Darren Copeland at New Adventures in Sound Art in Toronto’s Wychwood Barns Artscape venue.  The next is a segment from the storytelling event at the Barns. Finally I share an event called In Search of a Wife in Search of a Husband. First is the memoirs of the wife of the Crown Prince of Korea, and her “experiences before and after her father-in-law, King Yongjo, forced her husband, his 25 year old son, to climb into a rice chest.   The chest was then sealed and her husband died in the chest eight days later.”  Later, the letters between Hester Lynch Thrale and Dr. Samuel Johnson are read.  The exchange is from 16 days between June and July 1784.  Thrale communicates her in intent at 43 years old to remarry and Johnson reacts strongly to the threat of the end of their twenty year association.

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Links:   http://www.angelusnovus.net/events.html, Hector Centeno, Andrew Stewart , Nuit Blanche Toronto 2009

Listen to it at this link:

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Special K and I head to downtown Toronto to star gaze during the Toronto International Film Festival.   We actually see Juliette Lewis, Marcia Gay Harden and Richard Kind.   But we have to wait a long time during which I muse about mango shakes at The Green Fusion. We then head over to an upscale nik-nak store called Teatro Verde where I read randomly from the books on display and check out the scary, spooky halloween stuff like eerie origami.   Finally we go to Starbucks and meet fake stars that people insist on taking pictures of.  Who are all the men in black suits?

Custom Motorcycle (Photo By Ninja)

Custom Motorcycle (Photo By Ninja)

Other famous people mentioned:  Jodie Foster, Laura Dern, Steve Lawrence, Donald Sutherland.  Other important links:  6 Billion Others Project, Eleven Thousand Things to be Miserable About.

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Globe Thistle is very soft

Globe Thistle is very soft

Hop on the Magic Bus.  Naw – it’s just part two at the Market.   More vegetables and items of curiosity.   Fantastical clocks at Arts on King,  a visit to the bank, and we discover that Charlie is a master at parallel parking.

A clock adorned with a feather

A clock adorned with a feather at "Arts on King" Toronto

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Parallel parking is about doing it at all.   Bring your own bags to the store or it will cost you 5 cents a pop in Toronto since June 1 and Charlie needs to buy one for the steak she will be making for herself.  Charlie is a slow poke like we are.

5centbags in Toronto

All the gay people are out with their pink bags and bicycles.  Pigs are hanging in the window. Special K reveals a TTC Scam Story.  Famous 70s Rock Stars mentioned: Alice Cooper

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International Space Station (Photo from New York Times Nasa/Reuters)

International Space Station (Photo from New York Times Nasa/Reuters)

On this, the summer of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing,  Special K and I head outside the house one late evening to catch a glimpse of the space station making its way round the earth.  We are surprised by its speed, size, colour and certainly by the fact that we are actually able to view it.   We have less than five minutes to watch it pass overhead.

Scarborough Dude (Photo by Ninja)

Scarborough Dude (Photo by Ninja)

On the first morning of Podcasters Across Borders in June, the Dude was called up for the first jolt session of the conference. This session is meant to be exactly five minutes and is intended to stimulate the mind and conversation during the break before the next longer scheduled session.  True to form The Dude expressed himself in his characteristic stream of consciousness way when the alarm sounded ending his five minutes.   We took pity on him however and gave him a precious few more moments to read a dude original poem –  irreverent yet moving.  By the way the Dude is completely NSFW : that is:  not safe for work.  You have been warned (audio of the Dude’s jolt courtesy of Whitney Hoffman).

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scroll

Last week Special K and I went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum.   We roamed among the historical artifacts that support the scroll exhibit and we were thoroughly awed by not only the scrolls themselves but the events themselves by which these items have finally made their way to public display.

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In keeping with the semi-biblical theme, a few weeks ago I saw the most charming, delightful and poignant one woman show called The Burning Bush.  In this part musical, part ode to Madonna, and part dance, the main character Barbara Baumawitz embarks on a journey to teach Kabbalah to strippers.  In the process she makes friends, makes amends for past sins, and finds her true path in life.

Tracey Erin Smith is Toronto’s own, an actor and a playwright.  She teaches the art of solo shows and works with seniors and people with cancer focusing on comedy and personal story telling.

Regardless of what I may have expected from this play, some titillating strip tease or other erotic acts, I was surprised by the journey that Tracey Erin Smith took me on.  She takes us from silly geeky awkwardness to learning how to make her dreams come true. And how to bring joy to other people. This is how she makes the audience feel by the end of the show: Joyful

In a short talkback session after the performance, Ms Smith and the director Anita La Selva answer questions from the audience and talk a little about the artistic process of this one woman show.

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6stringnation4

It took Jowi Taylor 11 years to collect the pieces and create “Voyageur”, the Six-String Nation guitar.   It was made from 64 individual artifacts modern and ancient.  Each tell a story from the history of Canada.  A piece from former Prime Minister Trudeau’s canoe paddle, wood from the sacred albino spruce, (also known as the golden spruce),  of the Haida First Nation people, the top of Wayne Gretzky’s hockey stick, part of the cabin of a former S. Carolina slave John Ware, a piece of the handle from a championship oyster-shucking knife, and many more objects adorn and make up this guitar.  Jowi calls it a living museum because he invites people to touch it, photograph it, and of course play it.

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Photo By Ninja

This episode of Hot Fossils is an homage to this living piece of history, this unique method of telling 64 wonderful stories.  Jowi Taylor gave the keynote address at this year’s Podcasters Across Borders. I attended the weekend of June 21st.  After the keynote, Jay Moonah was invited up to play the guitar.  My show today opens with Jay and Bob Goyetche playing “With A Little Help From My Friends” by Lennon and McCartney, followed by the question period.   I have edited out portions of the question period in order to focus on the story of the guitar itself.

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After the question period, I talk to Jowi and he describes additional pieces that make up the guitar case.  For those of you interested in obscure and not so obscure Canadian lore, you’ll find out about the fun fur that lines the case, pieces of the costume that Karen Kain wore during the ballet Sleeping Beauty and material from the sportcaster Don Cherry’s pants.   You can read all about the six-string nation guitar project at the site sixstringnation.com.

6stringnation6

Photo by Ninja

Platter de Fromage

Off to the Fromagerie for all types and ages of cheeses.  It’s our quarterly trip to the St. Lawrence Market.   Charlie is late, but when she does catch up to us, she brings along the specs for several laptops.  We invite her over to our place only to discover she’s going to bring her laundry with.   We discuss the number of expletives in the film In Bruges and Charlie informs us that Belgium is the Newfoundland of Europe.  Who knew?  Onions, Hot Cross Buns and how much weight Ninja and Special K are putting on.  Toothpicks and tear saving kitchen gadgets like onion goggles. Wind up bunnies and high bouncing balls that do not bounce. Ninja startles small children again and Charlie buys more potatoes.  Finally, Ninja is duly impressed by the Mulholland Drive California mandarin oranges.

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Mashed Potatoes (No Gravy)

Billy Bob Thorton acted like a petulant, spoiled child on April 8 during a CBC interview with Jian Ghomeshi to promote his new band and musical venture the Boxmasters. Or is that the Mixmasters?   Boxmatches?  Boxcutters? I don’t know.  In any case,   for whatever reason,  Thorton seemed to be overestimating his importance and talent in the matter.  I think that he fancied that he was punishing someone by checking out of the interview.  It has been a long time since I have had the misfortune to witness such arrogant self-importance.  If you haven’t seen or listened to this insulting train wreck of unfathomable immaturity, you can catch it on at this youtube link: Jian Ghomeshi interview with Billy Bob Thorton.   Special K and I deconstruct his behaviour and then move on to discuss two movies about political figures.   It’s been 30 years since the White Night Riots after the city politican and gay activist Harvey Milk was murdered by Dan White.  We talk about the movie and how we feel about what happened during that time in gay history.  We move on to explore our reaction to a movie very difficult to make since it focused completely and solely on a conversation and a very difficult one at that.  We discuss the portrayal of David Frost and Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon.

And finally I give you my first and original mashup of Billy Bob Thorton’s most annoying utterances from his April 8th excuse of an interview on CBC radio.

Harvey Milk - Gay Pride 1978 - Photo by Terry Schmitt

Harvey Milk - Gay Pride 1978 - Photo by Terry Schmitt

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Prop Hate

On May 4th Ninja interviewed Sara Beth Brooks the Executive Director and founder of San Diego Equality Campaign , an organization fighting to legalize same sex marriage and civil rights for LGBT people.  Sara talks about California’s Proposition 8, Camp Courage, and Join the Impact.   You can follow her on Twitter at:   http://twitter.com/sarabethbrooks.

Other Links: San Diego Equality Campaign on Twitter, Day of Decision, Gathering StormPROP8 – The Musical,

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Special K and Ninja finally make it to an HD Simulcast of the New York Metropolitan Opera performance of  La Sonnambula or The Sleep Walker.   It’s a different opera experience than either of them had ever had and one they plan on repeating.   Have a look at Mike Fan’s review on his blog.

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People: It’s time to take down your Christmas lights.  C’mon it’s spring.   Ninja, Special K and Summer take a walk to the park to celebrate Earth Hour 2009.   Among the subjects discussed are dollar store lava lamps and flashlights, pickpockets and purse snatchers, girls rawk and trees that are pruned too much.  Famous celebrities mentioned: Lindsay, Britney.  Pests mentioned: porcupines, skunks, raccoons, sloth, carpenter ants. Movies mentioned: Over the Hedge, Doubt, Aliens vs. Monsters, Coraline.

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Blue Mountain Snow Trail (c) The Wryit Group

Blue Mountain Snow Trail (c) The Wryit Group

On the Snowshoe trails with Special K and Ninja.   There’s porcupines in them there hills.  They sit searching for serenity  in a steaming hot outdoor pool in subzero temperatures.   Special K promises to take pictures of Ninja if the podcast is turned off.  Ninja follows the winter stream instead.

Baraka - Snow Monkey (Film Still)

Baraka - Snow Monkey (Film Still)

oscar-pistorius

Ninja thinks the ability of the body to adapt is marvellous. She shares highlights from New Scientist’s January 07 2009 article about the technology being developed to provide better prosthetics. The human body proves even more interesting as we listen to one blind man’s ability to navigate himself and many others out of the World Trade Centre on 9/11.

Ninja knew there was reason she didn’t want to see He’s Just Not That Into You. Is it just because she isn’t a fan of chick flicks? No. Seems that homo stereotypes are still alive and well in the movie industry. She shares highlights from a review she found at queerty.com.

Famous cheetahs mentioned: Oscar Pistorius. Famous Centre Square mentioned: Paul Lynde.

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Chinese Eggtarts - A Favourite All Year Round

Chinese Eggtarts - A Favourite All Year Round

Valentine’s day mustard. Charlie meets or rather almost misses Special K and Ninja at the market for some breakfast and shopping. Special K shares a close call with mushy peas. Small children are fascinated by Ninja and it may be the most popular she has ever been on Valentine’s Day.

Links: Ontario Canada’s Family Day, Habitat for Humanity, J.S.Bach, peas on a bun, Sudoku, Black Harp

Strong Medicine

Strong Medicine

Podcast Transport

Podcast Transport

The show’s podcast location has moved.   My hoster: BLOGMATRIX  is no more.  But Hot Fossils lives on. BLOGMATRIX is no longer serving up the podcast – so please use the following link henceforth to subscribe to the show using for favourite podcatcher (iTunes, Media Monkey – I for one am not particular):

http://www.mevio.com/feeds/hotfossils.xml

MEVIO is just my parking spot for now.  I’m looking for a permanent host for the podcast.  I’ll keep you posted.

Oh and by the way:  A new show will be posted soon.  So stay tuned.

Aretha's Hat at Obama Inauguration

Aretha's Hat at Obama Inauguration

Special K decides to take in the Obama Inauguration at Toronto’s own Bloor Street Cinema. Special K shares what she thinks are the high points and the low points of this historic event.   Things mentioned that white people like: Fair Trade Coffee. Special K’s Favourite Morning Show: Breakfast Televsion.  Homophobes Mentioned: Rick Warren.  Poets Ninja Likes : Elizabeth Alexander and her inaugural poem.  Rhyming Ministers Mentioned: Joseph Lowery.  Societal Limitations Mentioned: The Glass Ceiling.  Who will be the minority in 2030 in the UK: White people.

Announcement:   I have changed my podcast hoster – at least for now.  You can subscribe to the show using the following RSS feed file: http://www.mevio.com/feeds/hotfossils.xml in iTunes or your favourite podcatcher.  If you search for the show in iTunes, pick the entry that displays “Ninja” as the artist.  That will point to the new feed.  The old feed will no longer be accessible after February 2009.

Ninja and Special K attempt to grow crystals in their science laboratory.  Alchemy will never be the same.  Ninja figures the whole experiment will be as successful as growing grass on a chia pet or raising sea monkeys.  She is pleasantly surprised by the results.

Ninja and Special K’s Crystal Experiment (2009) (Photo by Ninja)

“I love coffee. I love tea…” Special K is finally given license to discuss one of her favourite topics:  the Java and the best places in the world to find it.  Join us for an exploration of the cuppa.   Visit the Delocator for independent coffee shops in Britain, Canada and the U.S.

Cafe Doutor in the Ginza, Tokyo, Japan (2007) (Photo by Ninja)

kent_monkmanThe Rape of Daniel Boone Junior by Kent Monkman

Redesigned and enhanced by Frank Gehry, the renovated Art Gallery of Ontario impresses Ninja and Special K. They wander around the old and new exhibits, compellingly arranged. Special K enjoys the new architectural improvements. Ninja finds herself intrigued by the Cree artist Kent Monkman’s eerie landscape painting The Rape of Daniel Boone Junior, the welcoming interactive piece called Urban Disco Trailer #3, and the international art award winner, The Index, by sculptor David Altmejd.


Detail from The Index by David Altmejd

Ed Nyman October 2008

Guillain-Barre is considered a rare syndrome that causes progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. It develops over a few days or up to about four weeks and lasts several weeks or even months. As a temporary inflammation of the nerves, it often follows recovery from a viral infection such as a cold or gastrointestinal infection.  In some cases it is seen after immunization for flu. It causes the immune system to attack the peripheral nervous system. The syndrome is an inflammation of the covering of the nerves, the myelin, the surrounds nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. Also, the elongated portion of the nerve cell, the axon, can be damaged. The axon conveys electrical signals to distant areas of the muscles and from one nerve cell to another. This damage and inflammation cause muscle weakness, loss of sensation and paralysis because the nerves cannot transmit the required signals to the muscles. The individual can become dysautonomic, meaning he or she becomes unable to feel heat, cold, and pain.  Approximately 95% of people who develop the syndrome recover, most of these, fully.

There are three main courses of treatment for Guillain-Barre. One treatment is to let the syndrome run its course, since it normally is a temporary condition. Another treatment that is used is known as plasmaphoresis, or plasma exchange. Antibody laden blood plasma, which is the liquid portion of blood, is removed from the body. Red blood cells are separated and put back into the body with antibody free plasma. This treatment lessens the symptoms and hastens recovery time. A third treatment is the administration of intravenous immune globulin which also lessens the symptoms and hastens recovery time. Sometimes both of these last two are administered to the patient. Physical therapy and exercise is also usually part of the regime to full recovery.

I had an opportunity to talk with Ed Nyman who got and recovered from the syndrome in April 2008.   And this show focuses on his experience.

Links : Toronto Star Article Guillain-Barre Syndrome – Answers Wiki Entry

Steve

That’s what we love about Scarborough Dude, the host of Dicks ‘n Janes podcast. He’ll raise the difficult questions and not let them go. I don’t want him to let them go, despite anyone’s opinion of them. He’s an activist that you’d rather have on your side than against you. Still he adamantly refuses to be on anyone’s but his own. I always listen to the dude, because he always has something to say to think about. This is part two of the geek fest held on October 18 at the Imperial Pub during which Scarborough Dude takes issue with us not wanting to talk about our day jobs. I spent some time talking with Steve Saylor. a writer who shares his superhero and adventure mystery novels on the internet. You can find the Black Shadow at http://stevesaylor.net/node/264 or http://feeds.feedburner.com/the12thdisciple. His newest effort is The 12th Disciple at http://stevesaylor.net/node/301 or http://feeds.feedburner.com/the12thdisciple. We discuss his novels, his artistic process, copyright issues and finally the size of podcaster egos. Also featured is The Closet Geek of closetgeekshow.com If you listen carefully you can hear him eating popcorn in the background while barely concentrating on our conversation.

Hot Fossils and Rebel Matters 157 – Autumn GeekFest

Saturday, November 8, 2008 8:17 pm

On October 18, Toronto hosted another podcaster’s meetup.  Things got pretty meta with Omar Ha-Redeye (Law is Cool), Connie Crosby (Community Divas) and Shadow and James. Ninja is surrounded by lawyer types.  We talk about Omar’s voice, podcasting, podcamps, twitter and finally politics.

Honey.  Much sweeter than wine.  The secrets of honey, their delicious properties and their healing properties.  Honey supplies instant energy and many are better for you than refined sugar. Ninja goes to the New Zealand honey counter at the market and samples all the expensive ones.

Are you afraid of the dark?  Well, you will be after you hear Ninja’s ghost story, from Alfred Hitchcock’s Ghost Stories for Young People, (an LP released in 1960).  Happy Halloween.

Ninja and friends hang out in Harbourfront on a warm, beautiful, thanksgiving day.   Topics covered: politics, movies,  work, memories, love, the Monkey King and theme cakes.

Jet Li as the Monkey King

Meditation
Yom Kippur is known as a time of renewal, meditation and reflection. It means literally the day of repentance or day of atonement.  The intent is for observants to reflect on the past year and look forward with hope and a fresh outlook to the new year. The new year begins in the autumn season in Judaism. Ninja shares some quotes, a short tale for you to think about, and then a soundscape recorded during the canadian thanksgiving weekend.
Portuguese Guitar

Know the limits.  Know your stats.  Separate media hype from science fact.  For example, how many people died of the Ebola virus in the Congo in one year versus the Congo civil war.  Well the ratio is a staggering 255 to 2.9 million!  So how afraid should you be of the Ebola virus?  Very large and very small numbers are discussed.  Better have your bit conversion calculator on hand.

Other science facts.

Whack-a-Mole – A Carnival Favourite

I have no idea where I am. I hope I’m over here. More nonsensical audio from Ninja wondering why she goes to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) every year where it’s hot and too many people. Too many people. Did I say too many people? We give it up for Marty on the trampoline, eat a Philly cheesesteak at the Schwarzwaldhaus (Black Forest Inn) and sample the Tibetan singing bowls.

Tibetan Singing Bowl

Myong Hee Kim and the Peace Mask Project

On the last day of Podcamp, Ninja interviews Adam Silver and he shares his artistic and cultural passions with her as they walk to the Boston T (subway) stop. A former teacher and school principal, Adam retired and opened The Asian Cultural Center in Battleboro, Vermont which also is the home of the CX Silver Gallery.

Links:

GalleryXIV

Asian Cultural Center Vermont

CX Silver Gallery

Xi Cai and the Infinity Within Series

Born in October 2007, released in alpha to the public only this summer, Seesmic is another social networking tool. It is unlike YouTube or podcasting in the sense that it interactive and considered by the creators and participants to be more intimate than any of twitter, facebook, or chat. With Seesmic, you can visually converse with your cyberfriends and colleagues. How is it different or the same from Webcam conversations or another new videoconferencing tool, OovOO? Well we’ll have to see what it has to offer in the coming months. In the meantime, I spent about forty-five minutes with Tiil, an artist and Seesmic zealot during Podcamp Boston in July to get his enthusiastic testimonial about Seesmic.

Wiki page for Seesmic: http://wiki.seesmic.com/Main_Page

Tiil’s website : http://www.tiil.us

Tiil’s hair cut : http://www.tiil.us/seesmic/hair-cut

Seesmic blog : http://seesmic.typepad.com/en/

Seemic owner’s blog : http://www.loiclemeur.com/

OOvOO : http://www.oovoo.org/

Famous Hollywood celebrities mentioned: Steven Speilberg, Harrison Ford. Famous New Media celebrities mentioned : Chris Brogan, Freida the retired art teacher who was involved in new media in the 80s. Other video messaging tools mentioned : OovOO. Famous Investors mentioned: Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis (who sold Skype to Ebay).

Join me for lunch with Michelle and Jeff during Podcamp Boston.  They talk about why they love Burning Man so much. By the time you hear this, they may be on their way in their Airstream to enjoy this August desert festival.

Links:

http://www.bigrigjig.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWGx0PhDGlU – Crude Awakening at Burning Man

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/08/crude-awakening.html

http://www.burningman.com/

Crude Awakening
photo by Ryan Jesena

Big Rig Jig, a sculpture conceived and designed by Mike Ross, is built from two repurposed 18-wheeler tanker trucks.