CBC Radio 3 - Canada's Best Music Venue in Canada Search

I just heard Grant Lawrence on cbc radio, talking about radio 3's search for Canada's best live music venue. My two cents for best venue in Toronto is the Mod Club. It's in a great neighbourhood, is the perfect size for medium-sized acts (Amy Winehouse, Metric, CSS, etc. etc.), has great staff, a great bar, it's slick, and hell, it's owned by Mark Holmes, former singer of legendary 80s band Platinum Blonde! I have never had a bad time there. The next show I'm contemplating seeing there is the Alan McGee-championed Scottish band Glasvegas.

My two cents for most over-rated venue is Lee's Palace. I have never had a completely good time there. The staff is surly, the bar is always crowded, and don't even get me started about how horrible it used to be when they allowed smoking in there. Yarg. I even wrote a little article about their neanderthal bouncers once, years ago. It was published in eye magazine, but I have since lost my only copy, and it's not in their archives unfortunately.

If you haven't seen this site, check out daily dose of imagery. This guy's photos are awesome, and his more recent additions give you some idea of just how freaken cold it's been in Toronto this winter.

Prop 8 Google Map Mashup

So, yesterday on cbc radio Elvira Kurt was talking about a google map that someone has put together, mapping the donors to the Prop 8 campaign. These are the people who cared enough about opposing gay marriage that they donated money to the cause. You can find this map here: http://www.eightmaps.com/

I love maps, and find this totally fascinating, in spite of the privacy concerns that such a map presents. I am also fascinated by the sheer amount of money these people have. I have NEVER been in the position to donate $1000.00 to any cause, never mind $5000.00 or $25,000.00 for that matter. Also, I am amazed that people care about gay marriage so much that they would donate any money to oppose it. Finally, suprised that companies would want to attach their names to an anti-gay marriage bill - like "here is an affirmation that our company does not like gay people". Crazy.

Through Black Spruce by Jospeh Boyden

I just finished reading Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden. This novel was the winner of this year's Giller Prize, and I was fortunate enough to attend an informal question and answer with the author at the Paddock the night after the Gillers. The book was great, telling stories of the lives of an older Cree man and his two twenty-something nieces. The events take place in Moosonee, a small town in Northern Ontario near James Bay, as well as Toronto, Montreal, and Manhattan. There are great descriptions of life in the north that are going to stick with me.

In other First Nations thoughts, I think I am going to start lobbying the cbc to bring back a radio show (or at least bring back the host for a different show) they had on this summer called Revision Quest which was a darkly funny show debunking myths and misconceptions about Canadian Natives. You can listen to past episodes on the cbc site and I would totally recommend them!