BeyondRobson | Posts by Jon

BeyondRobson | Posts by Jon http://www.beyondrobson.com/ Vancouver blog Copyright 2008 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:29:53 PDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Morning Brew: July 7, 2008 Two shootings and one stabbing this weekend break a "period of relative calm". So what, as long as everyones driving out to one of the suburbs to commit their violent crimes and we're only finding pieces of our other murder victims, then we're cool? It's not like our criminals can afford to live in the city anyway. Whatever, I'm totally on board with the whole CBC Surrey slander thing now.

False Creek 'fecal coliform counts' (already added to my list of potential band names...) are through the roof, with bacteria counts fifteen times higher than safe swimming levels. Apparently, it can be traced back to sewage malfunctions at the Olympic Village and Canada Line construction zones. If I were a jerk I'd say something about this being the first dribblings of the giant shit that the Olympic Beast is gonna take on our city. Keep your heads above the water from now on, kids.

The city will start cracking down on hookah bars. While shisha may be just as bad (if not worse) for your lungs. I'm pretty sure anyone who willfully enters a hookah bar is prepared to accept the bronchial consequences. I haven't been to one for maybe five years, but even this small-scale bureaucratic bullshit really pisses me off...

Weird milky soft drinks: Japan vs Iran.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/07/morning_brew_july_7_2008 http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/07/morning_brew_july_7_2008 News Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:33:15 PDT News Jon 2008-07-06T13:33:15 Ear to Ear - Music Piracy and the Listener

When was the last time you downloaded a piece of music? Now another question; when was the last time you listened to a mixtape (or mix CD)? And no, muxtape does not count.

People have been swapping music illicitly for a long time, but with the rise of the internet the methods and scope of that sharing have changed completely. The most popular means of trading copyrighted material has been the emergent peer to peer technologies (all seemingly kneeling at the altar of bit torrent). Recent changes in copyright laws, combined with high-profile lawsuits (including last fall's shutdown of the world's most popular peer-to-peer network, Oink), have not only threatened the way fans consume their art, but have temporarily brought even more attention to and interest in downloading music illegally.

While this turnaround in music distribution has had an invariable effect on the artist, it's also profoundly changed the way us fanatics listen to our music (the death of real rock appreciation? the end of a true musical community?) With all this in mind, Cornershop Projects has brought together Ear to Ear at the Or Gallery, on display this weekend only: "a community-based, ad hoc archive of contemporary popular music and music ephemera." The show brings together visual, audio, and printed materials including 29 specially commissioned mix CDs which'll be given out over the weekend. There's also a conversation today at 5:00 (with lots of guests) and a closing night party on Sunday. More after the jump...

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/ear_to_ear_music_piracy_and_the_listener http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/ear_to_ear_music_piracy_and_the_listener Music Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:49:41 PDT Music Jon 2008-07-05T10:49:41 Sled Island - Jose Gonzalez, Of Montreal, Wire, Mogwai, The Dodos, and Rock Plaza Central

After Friday's late start, I though we may as well cruise down to Mewata field as early as possible to scope out how many people would actually pull their bodies out of bed for Saturday's 12:00 pm start. That and Swedish singer Jose Gonzalez was playing, and I still had a major need to woo the girlfriend vicariously through music (Chixdiggit just didn't cut it, apparently...)

When we got to the field at about quarter to noon, we were surprised to find a large line, some more determined security, and a new 'strict, no re-entry policy.' Something about too many empty bottles and roaches left on the steps of the Telus World of Science to greet Saturday morning families, I'm guessing... Regardless, things went smoothly, and the policy was eventually shifted to a more reasonable 'no re-entry after 3:00pm.'

It was obvious Saturday's main stage schedule was packed solid (things started three hours earlier than Friday), when I realized that Gonzalez was only slotted to play for thirty minutes. He's gotten some love from Ami before, and the two albums he's released so far still get the occasional spin when I'm feeling extra mellow, or something...

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/sled_island_jose_gonzalez_of_montreal_wire_mogwai_the_dodos_and_rock_plaza_central http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/sled_island_jose_gonzalez_of_montreal_wire_mogwai_the_dodos_and_rock_plaza_central Music Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:09:17 PDT Music Jon 2008-07-04T10:09:17 Morning Brew: July 4, Rise of the Citizen Journalist?
One of the city's most important journalists, Frances Bula, has resigned from the Vancouver Sun. I blame that 'cute German immigrant who switched to Molson' article I vented about on Wednesday. Or maybe it was this recent reader poll: what would you like to see demolished pre-Olympics? Anyway, excited for whatever comes next. From Bula, that is... lets try and keep "Olympic demolition" metaphorical, at least until the riots. Oh, but some good news - looks like the downtown homeless will avoid a pre-olympic sweep.

Harper has upped his lawsuit against the liberals by $1 Million for 'misappropriation of personality'. Ummmm... I guess now he's definitely too lame to take my vote for most mediocre Canadian. I really like this random but wonderful blog post I found while searching for 'Harper + idiot'. Oh, and he's gonna pay for this lawsuit himself, right?

Bob Russell has a good editorial up on why the carbon tax isn't really about the environment, how Campbell botched it big time, and why the opponents still need to shut up.

The Vancouver police crack down on biking without a helmet. Nobody in bike-mad Amsterdam wears one, but c'mon, we all know you drive safer stoned. Here in Vancouver, you may be blitzed behind the one-speed... but the self absorbed dude behind the SUV probably isn't. To be honest, I can't really understand not wearing one. Aside: anyone know what the fine looks like for riding completely naked? [NSFW]

Looks like we may be swapping one overpriced Swedish meatball (too cold?) for another, as Sundin could join the Canucks while Naslund leaves for New York...

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/07/morning_brew_july_4_rise_of_the_citizen_journalist http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/07/morning_brew_july_4_rise_of_the_citizen_journalist News Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:59:54 PDT News Jon 2008-07-03T09:59:54 Sled Island - Yo La Tengo, Elliot Brood, Chixdiggit, Broken Social Scene, and The Clips

While I was decidedly amped about Sled Island after seeing that wonderful Thursday night lineup, after two days of traveling, a sleepless night spent on the road, and a midnight Clips show to check out, I was more than ready to take my time getting to the music on Friday. I could only stay in bed for so long, however, as It was time to get the obligatory hometown visits outta' the way; the sun was shining, my air mattress was deflating, and Yo La Tengo were scheduled to play in the early evening...

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/sled_island_yo_la_tengo_elliot_brood_chixdiggit_broken_social_scene_and_the_clips http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/sled_island_yo_la_tengo_elliot_brood_chixdiggit_broken_social_scene_and_the_clips Music Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:06:00 PDT Music Jon 2008-07-02T10:06:00 Morning Brew: July 2, 2008

Everyone have a good Canada Day? Beautiful weather, the possibility of public inebriation at noon under the guise of patriotism, spandexed biking and fireworks! Maybe a hot dog? You couldn't ask for a better setting to shrug off the new carbon tax. It was fun watching fuel costs progressively drop as we drove to Calgary last week, and the difference will just become that much more pronounced, as the price of gas has apparently shot up to $1.52 a liter in Metro Vancouver.

Tuesday wasn't just Canada day, it also marked the 150th anniversary of Darwin's theory of natural selection. And while I'm on the topic, this should always be in the back of everyone's mind: what will things look like around here if & when the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets melt? Facts always seem a little more convincing when done up in map form... thanks Richard. And relatedly, I'd highly recommend reading Alan Weisman's The World Without Us.

The Canucks offer Sundin a two-year $20 million dollar contract. 'ed best' on the comment roll pretty much sums it up:

Supposing he were to average 24 minutes every game for the entire season, that would be a tad under $5000 a minute. In other words, every 5 minutes Sundin plays, he will make more than Rocket Richard ever made for an entire season. How high can you raise the price of tiny seats (that make airlines seem generous), diluted beer and cheap hotdogs before the bubble bursts?

I dunno -- no matter what, this is still the third largest Canadian city (i.e. hockey will persist no matter what), but coming from Calgary, Vancouver's fanbase has always had a bit of a twisted relationship to their NHL team.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/07/morning_brew_july_2_2008 http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/07/morning_brew_july_2_2008 News Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:39:16 PDT News Jon 2008-07-01T18:39:16 Sled Island - Portico, Young & Sexy, Octoberman, and Chad VanGaalen

Our Sled Island experience began as we drove into Calgary Thursday afternoon with just enough time to move our legs and grab a quick bite before heading over to the Calgary Science Center (oh, so sorry, The Telus World of Science; I've been gone too long) for an early evening show. With the sheer number of scheduled acts and Calgary's limited selection of live stages, gigs were being held wherever sound and seating would suffice, with the Science Center possibly being the most unique of all the venues.

I'll be honest, I was almost as excited to see an indie rock show at my iconic home of elementary field trips and highschool summer jobs as I was to see three critically acclaimed Vancouver-based bands for the first time. The show definitely took me down memory lane, but how was the music?

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/sled_island_portico_young_sexy_octoberman_and_chad_vangaalen http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/07/sled_island_portico_young_sexy_octoberman_and_chad_vangaalen Music Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:34:24 PDT Music Jon 2008-07-01T09:34:24 Coming Down From Sled Island

I'm writing this from the car as we cruise out of Cowtown, on our way to a couple of stops in the mountainous midzone before rolling back into Vancouver for sometime around Tuesday...

I'm still trying to properly wrap my mind around (and recover from) the amazing performances (and blazing sun) I was able to experience at Sled Island. It's hard to believe both the amount and range of wonderful music that was up for consumption over the course of four days, and last night's set from mainstage headliners Mogwai, shredding guitars with grace like only they can, followed by a flawless late-night club show by underrated Canadian folk rockers Rock Plaza Central, was the perfect send-off to a festival that defined itself on eclecticism and near unmitigated musical quality.

More in-depth rundowns of each day's music will come soon, but for the time being enjoy this quick recap of the festival as a whole...

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/06/coming_down_from_sled_island http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/06/coming_down_from_sled_island Music Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:03:31 PDT Music Jon 2008-06-30T10:03:31 Morning Brew: June 24, 2008 Sorry about the lack of a Monday brew... I won't actually believe Sean has a computer now 'till he full out beats me at a round of Scrabulous. And this'll likely be my first and last of the week, as I'm off to Calgary for Sled Island, but my cohorts should step in to keep the morning news flowing.

So a little bit of catch-up is in order, first of all. The sun was shining for at least a portion of the weekend, and there were two great excuses to soak it up: The Dragon Boat Festival, and Greek Days. Did anyone spot some tofulaki? I teach ESL and just went to Greece. I found some grass and a book.

There was also a machete-ing, and commentators at the CBC site are sick of Surrey slander:

Another classic CBC's, "lets bash Surrey so that Vancouver looks better". Have you gone to Hasting and Main? I drive by there every day and it stinks.

If you haven't already noticed, the comment section over at the CBC is always busy and always hilarious/hysterical/depressing. But don't cry discrimination yet you beaver-murdering, axe-swinging baby-killers; Richmond has drugs and explosives, and you got the 'Surrey Sizzle'. Though I couldn't find a CBC article on him...

Holy shit! The Snoop Dog concert was cloaked in a haze of marijuana smoke! Meh, I guess it confirms we're at least cooler than Lethbridge. But cmon', even the upcoming Backstreet Boys concert will be cloaked in a haze of marijuana smoke.

How do you judge the quality of your Tequila? Well, when it leads to half of BC believing you might be the latest victim of a foot fetished Serial Killer, I'd say it's good enough. Nice to see you home, but get your own place before you take off without leaving a note. We get paranoid.

The Tyee on whether or not too many kids are going to University. Not really sure where I stand here, but since graduating from UBC, I've definitely been stripped of any delusions that the universities are a bastion of modern intelligence. Just another cog in the machine...

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_24_2008 http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_24_2008 News Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:52:29 PDT News Jon 2008-06-23T08:52:29 Morning Brew: June 20, 2008 Since I brewed yesterday, and have spent all my spare time wringing the sixth (now inhuman) foot dry for inspiration to beef up my creative writing portfolio, this one might not be as in-depth as usual...

The four biggies: Foot DNA doesn't match up to that Quadra Island plane crash, the Senate approves a new anti-spanking bill, rewards are now being offered for those (other) missing men, and that guy who was put in the hospital by an RCMP officer with an oldschool 'nonlethal weapon' -- pepper spray -- has died. Spanking jokes are too easy, and missing or murdered individuals aren't things to be joked about.

Must view: shouting match in Parliament over the new consumer-spanking copyright bill (I'm sorry). While Prentice lacks both proper grammar and an argument, he does demonstrate some major skill with the acronym as he unloads this gem: "the comments about the USA, DMCA are NDP-BS". Sounds like a Wesley Willis song or something (final link NSFW).

The Atlantic tells us how the internet is destroying our brains (watch out, he quotes Nietzsche). Or, in more 'easily digestible' web-speak: You're all a bunch of lazy bastards. Are blog readers really "selfish, lazy, and ruthless?" When we spend so much time online, we obviously train our brain to read in a certain way; but that hardly means one can't stop to savor a novel or essay (with a whit of effort). I'll say that the internet is ineffably superior to television, but people still need to get into the habit of reading a helluva lot more literature, and leave it at that.

Oh, and there's ice on Mars. And the news broke on twitter. "We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!" What ever happened to our image of the calm, collected, emotionally vacant astronaut? Ok, I'm not gonna slam the internet wholesale, but twitter is definitely killing our brains. "Daisy... Daisy..."

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_20_2008 http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_20_2008 News Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:28:45 PDT News Jon 2008-06-19T10:28:45 Morning Brew, June 19: Six Feet Under Alright, I wasn't planning on doing a Brew this morning, but how can I resist with the latest development in "THE CASES OF THE DISARTICULATED FEET"? Shit has gotten so weird Boing Boing is covering it. But seriously, I hope the police are just pretending that they haven't already firmly established an extensive investigation into potential foul play...

With those nicely outsourced Olympics and now the possibility of another iniquitous serial killer (and ohh, the food!), the word 'high-profile' only begins to describe our epitome of, um, 'livability'.

There'll be a major police crackdown, as Vancouver criminals are going straight to jail after... 30 convictions? I guess it's not that surprising:

Vancouver police inspector Rob Rothwell says for an addict to support a three quarter a day crack cocaine habit, they have to steal one-point -two-million dollars in property a year.

Beggars Group, Europe's largest collective of independent music labels marked 2008 as it's strongest in thirty years; "worries about online piracy are nearly non-existent." How surprising: fans of good music actually hold respect for the artists. If the majors started releasing music that mattered, I'm sure people would start paying for it.

Those recommendations on Taser use have finally been made. Solicitor John van Dongen is staying positive: "I think it's important that it also uh, confirms, uh that it is a useful tool for police."

This article about the infiltration of Russian salmon into BC only barely offers an excuse to link to these insane Ukrainian mafia tombstones... but you'll forgive me.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_19_six_feet_under http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_19_six_feet_under News Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:37 PDT News Jon 2008-06-18T10:42:37 Morning Brew: June 18, 2008 As West Van buys the Olympic bullet, I'm reminded that right from my first cab ride leaving the sleek, smoker-friendly (woo!) Athens airport, it was clear that the Greeks hold a lot of resentment towards the 2004 Olympic Games. The event did some major damage to the Greek economy, not to mention the forced resettlement of the Roma community.

The Athens games once again reveal that events of such magnitude are almost always accompanied by human rights violations such as the forced eviction of whole communities in host cities.

Let's not forget that the Downtown Eastside has Canada's largest urban First Nations population... A better piece, Olympics and the City shows what we can learn from Athens. While it has a focus on London's 2012 bid, it covers all the basics on why the Olympics are always escapist fun for everyone but the host. But dude, aren't our airports sweet?

Apparently, 96% of 18-24 year olds download copyrighted material, and the average teenager has 800 'illegal' songs on their iPod. According to those stats, under the new law almost every undergrad at UBC will owe the government about $400,000 (student loans not looking so bad now, eh?). I say we make that fine apply only to Dave Matthews Band, Sublime, and j-Pop tracks... that'll save the 5% of 'em who don't actually deserve it.

Greenpeace wants Canadian Supermarkets to axe upwards of 30% of the fish they're selling. Pescatarians are totally weaker than Vegans.

Is Vancouver's status as gay-marriage-tourism-capital of North America under threat?

If, like everyone else, you think the 2010 mascots are just a tad ridiculous, just be grateful they're not the 5 mascots of the apocalypse.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_18_2008 http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_18_2008 News Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:33:42 PDT News Jon 2008-06-16T09:33:42 Morning Brew: June 16, 2008 Well, I'm back from Athens, as close to tanned as I'll ever get, and more than ready to unload (on) the latest local news. Sean still seems to be living the unplugged life, so I'll plan on a Monday/Wednesday/ Friday brew for the time being.

So Sunday was Car Free Day, with pedestrians and bikers taking over three different streets for 2008 (the above photo at Denman). I wasn't there, but 125,000 were. I guess it wouldn't be a Vancouver parade without some shirtless male Mantique shoppers and transvestites on stilts, eh. And while I tend to dislike people when they gather in such large numbers, those streets are still a lot more pleasant than these: Hanoi Traffic Flows.

Parading was a no-go for me; still recovering from jet-lag and busy stewing over the new Canadian copyright laws. I've always been a firm believer in supporting our artists (financially and beyond), and spend way more than I should on music. I also download a lot before dropping any cash. The current internet free-for-all situation is certainly a bit of a mess, but this ain't any solution. Brendan Canning and Michael Geist have some good responses. And you might as well join the Facebook group... since... you know, democracy has moved there too now.

I was blown over by the consistent quality of the graffiti in Greece (I'll drop a link to some pictures soon)... but it's hard to beat this great Vancity street art: taser eye surgery. And how about this wonderful little piece on the absurdity of BC taser politics.

Oh and cyclists are complaining about another bridge, this time the Second Narrows. Meh, I say be grateful you're not riding wooden bicycles.

While the fate of 14-30 year old dudes' iPod libraries nationwide may still be in limbo, Canada's old-man demographic is guaranteed to feel the copyright burn, as the only song they still care about will no longer accompany the crack of a can on Saturday night.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_16_2008 http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/06/morning_brew_june_16_2008 News Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:33:38 PDT News Jon 2008-06-14T10:33:38 Screw Pemberton, Spend Your Time on Sled Island

As the 'indie' press has been reporting, 2008 is the summer of North American music festivals. With a band's income becoming increasingly reliant on live performance, a seemingly never-ending stream of hyped young talent finding release each week, and corporations everywhere still curious as to how much they can get away with charging for a bottle of water... if you like music, it's likely you'll be attending at least one festival this year. With New Music West behind us (not to mention Sasquatch), Waste just around the corner, and the Vancouver Jazz Fest on the horizon -- there's a lot to choose from in the Vancity area... and you're gonna' have to save some of that money for the water.

I'm failing to mention that big, bad, brand new corporate contender for your carbon tax cheque: Pemberton. While people are justly excited about such a major festival debuting in BC, a lot of us aren't sold on a lacking lineup, costly tickets, or stringent policies. It's a lot of money and energy to devote for a few glimpses at compelling music between the inebriated throngs. I've already decided that my money would be better spent elsewhere, and I've already secured my tickets to Calgary's second annual Sled Island festival, running from June 24-28.

What the hell is Sled Island, you ask? Well, the four day festival has Broken Social Scene, Wire, Mogwai, Yo La Tengo, Of Montreal, Tegan and Sara and the RZA headlining, not to mention a host of other bands playing at venues around the city (including Bison, Deerhunter, and Grizzly Bear, if animal acts are your thing). There's quite a few Vancouver musicians making the trek to Cowtown come the end of June, and perhaps you aughta' consider an Albertan roadtrip as well. It really is an appealing alternative (or addition?) to Pemberton, and who knows when we'll see this much pure talent in Western Canada again. More after the jump...

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/05/screw_pemberton_spend_your_time_on_sled_island http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2008/05/screw_pemberton_spend_your_time_on_sled_island Music Sat, 31 May 2008 16:04:39 PDT Music Jon 2008-05-31T16:04:39 Morning Brew, May 29: Biking to Work? First off, though Sean wrote about it yesterday, lemme add a 'hell ya' to Insite's big win. Doing the Morning Brew has forced me to focus a lot more attention on local politics than I'm used to, and it's great to see something positive in a city already wrapped up in some hardcore pre-olympic anxiety. I'm off to Athens for the next two weeks. I'll try my best to relay a few posts from Europe, but I'll be away from the Brew.

Following Tuesday's focus on Native rights... I feel impelled let you know that tomorrow is National Day of Action: "It's important for us to realize that we have to take a page out of Tibet and realize that we're not going to get it by issuing platitudes about relationships and reconciliation." More rallies are planned for the summer... now how long was that tank gonna take?

With bike to work week more than half over, how's it been treating everyone? Any broken bones or road rage incidents to report? After some digging, I found this article from 2004, which focused on Vancouver's need to improve space for bikers. This account of one cyclist's trip across the Burrard Street Bridge stopped me:

"My first memory is the sensation of a tube being pulled from my throat. I broke all the ribs on my left side, and had punctured and collapsed lungs. I fell into a mini van, and my head kind of got trapped between the car and the curb."

I was ready to break out the strong-arm after getting clipped by at least five bikers while walking across Burrard to hit the beach on Saturday... but after reading that short account, I'm more than willing to make room. I like this quote from a Vancouverite, found here:

"When I'm running, I hate cars and bikes; when I'm cycling, I hate pedestrians and cars, and when I'm driving I hate everyone."

I tend not to run, cycle, or drive; but I definitely sympathize with the hate. Damn... people.

Whatever, chances are are apparently one in ten that we'll all be obliterated by an asteroid anyway.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/05/morning_brew_may_29_biking_to_work http://www.beyondrobson.com/news/2008/05/morning_brew_may_29_biking_to_work News Wed, 28 May 2008 09:39:23 PDT News Jon 2008-05-28T09:39:23