Art Review #2

As with the first 'Art Review' this pièce d'oeuvre is displayed in Guy-Concordia metro. It is unquestionably about how the internet has negatively affected society post-September 11th. This type of post-structuralist (though undeniably pre-neoplatonist) social commentary has become popular as of late, attaining popularity than can only be compared to the ranks of tucking one's jeans into one's boots.

This piece effectively translates the visual dialogue between neo-technological anti-humanism and pre-technological artisanism. For those not familiar with these terms, it basically shows the way in which spellcheck and word processing has degraded handwriting. This degrading of handwriting is evident in the illegible 'scribbles' that not only lack readable orthography, but are often not following the western convention of writing from left to right. Human 's have just forgotten how to write by hand.

CSA Season

It's that season again. The season where it's not considered unreasonable to fantasize about summer. If you want to think about your organic food needs, you'll need to soon sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programme. Equiterre has just updated their database for the 2007 season (you can get to the directory directly here). For two years, Andre Samson was my farmer. After taking a year off and delving into community gardening (a disaster i wish never to speak of) i think i will change this year to Les Jardins du Petit Tremble. Andre was into squash and herbs a little too much, and i ended up accumulating to many unidentified dried herbs and squashes that i ended up giving away (luckily i found someone who loved them).

Here's an interesting tidbit: according to Equiterre, its CSA is the most popular in the world. I can't seem to find the page where i read that, so i can't link to it.

UFOs and Climate Change: Who Would've Thunk?

I'm not sure if this is old news, as i've been out of the loop for a couple days, but a former Defence Minister says that UFOs could hold the answer to stopping climate change. I wonder if he also supports the legalisation of recreational drugs. God i love Canadian politics, although this is just as loopy as many things coming out of American politics (just more fun and less fear).

Farewell Montreal Gazette

I've done it. I've cancelled my subscription to The Gazette. For the last 4 years i have done nothing else after waking up but reading the latest edition of the Gazette with a cup of coffee. This habit has not been completely static:
In 2005 I switched to the digital edition. This allowed The Gazette to penetrate anywhere there is an internet connection, even my vacations (Toronto, Vancouver, Moncton, Paris, Amsterdam, etc.).
In 2006 cigarettes no longer were part of the equation (i only lit up the first cigarette once i had sat down in front of the paper).
In 2007 I got a cappuccino machine, and filtered coffee was ancient history.

Though the nature of the ritual has changed over the years, The Gazette has remained there. My boyfriend (If it were a gender it would definitely be a middle-aged man from Beaconsfield), if you will, who i would wake up to.

I don't know what I'm going to do now. I feel a little lost. This is almost worse than quitting smoking, and i just cancelled the membership an hour ago. The Globe and Mail is just too nationally-focused and expensive (35$/month does not justify reading news mostly about the ROC, Rest Of Canada). I've already gone through the 2-week trial of Lapresse in order to have a smooth transition, but i found out that reading French in the morning is equivalent to eating a poutine for breakfast.

Why, one may ask, am i doing this? Well, many would agree that The Gazette mostly consists of a club of West-Islanders. I've felt for a long time that it is a bit too conservative, but it's hard to give up on habits. Especially when it involves someone (me) who many (Jeannette) believe may be a little (or very much) OCD.
All i ask is for your patience in dealing with this. And if you have suggestions of where else i can get some local news, please let me know.

Québec Votes

It's strange how this commercial encouraging people to vote has a 'green' image to it. Considering this is supposed to be from the non-partisan Directeur Général des Élections du Québec. You know the Charest administration had nothing to do with it considering they are not 'green' (although they love to think so).
I can't imagine the farmer (i'm assuming he is part of that 3%) voting for Charest unless he wanted highway 30 cutting through his land.

It just makes me want to vote green.

Nuit Blanche 2007: Fait Accompli

So the Nuit Blanche was a success... Though i only lasted until about 3 am. The Chai tea, though incredibly delicious, was less effective than i thought. Here are some photos.

brooms brushes and such. unfortunately they had already given out the 1000 brooms

this goes out to Liz

these last photos remind me of nightmares i used to have as a little kid

they were in tiny little boxes with windows

a modern day sweatshop?

i love the little Kraft peanut butter jar

South Shore LRT

Henry Aubin wrote an interesting editorial in The Gazette on Tuesday. Yes, Tuesday is the day i have a midterm... and yes, i know i should be studying instead....
In the editorial, he criticises the AMT's report on creating a Light Rail Train line between downtown Montréal and Brossard. Aside from the fact that he HATES the idea, i have beef with his evaluation of the costs. He merely divides the total cost by the number of new public transit users that are expected by the LRT (4 150 by 1 Billion$) and claims it will cost 240 000$ per new public transit passenger..... Yet, how about all the potential users (the people who use the buses now)? Then think about all those people who get to ride free thanks to those 'new' passengers who paid 4 thousand each!!
I mean come on. What a shoddy way to present something.

Fallen Pryde

My brother has just been featured on the FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing) website. His clothing line, Fallen Pryde, has started picking up. He lives in LA right now, but he just told me that he's decided to move his business to Montréal this summer, and will be opening up a store somewhere in the Plateau. The government offers quite a bit of money to young entrepreneurs, as well as those involved in the clothing industry... so why not?

Paris 2005

Back in 2005, Jeannette and i went to Paris. This was our first big trip together. I had just gotten the digital camera, and i may have had a little bit of digicam fever.

this was the view from the hotel we stayed at the first night. it was in the 9th arrondissement (i think) on Rue de la Magenta. i don't know how i remember that

a view of the Sacré-Coeur from the centre Pompidou

i got mugged in front of this. But i returned the next day to face it, this time without any money on me

Rue Lamarck

a nice view from our first day

La Nuit Blanche 2007

This year will be the 4th instalment of the Montréal All-Nighter, part of the Montréal Highlights Festival. The only problem i have with this, is that there are waaaaaaay too many things to do. And all in just one night. I went to 2004's event, and ended up watching french barbie porn at the NFB's cinémarobothèque. Thank god for government subsidised films!

I'm trying to convince Jeannette and Liz to come and visit that weekend. And i've gone through most of the programme to make an itinerary. There doesn't need to be a sequence to this, but it would be nice to start from the Old Port and work our way back home:

1. Quai Jacques-Cartier (Free)
8:00 - Fireworks

2. Notre-Dame-de-bon-secours Chapel (Free) 400 Saint Paul East
8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 - Gospel Music in Montreal's oldest stone chapel

3. Hôtel W (Free) 901 Square Victoria
7:00pm - 3:00am - Cléa Haugo explores the manufactured image of modern woman.

4. Darling Foundry (Free) 745 Ottawa
8:00pm - 3:00am - Art Matters exhibitions and performances surrounding the theme of 'humanism'

5. Montréal History Centre (Free) 335 Place d'Youville
8:00pm - 5:00am - African Rhythms. Percussion and dance performances.

6. Pointe-à-Callière Archaeology and History Museum (Free) 350 Place Royale
7:00pm - 3:00am - Two exhibits will be open all night long: 'St. Lawrence Iroquoians, People of the corn' and ' Where Montréal was born.' Plus there's some sort of Native-inspired musical celebration.

7. Canadian Centre for Architecture (Free) 1920 Baile
8:00pm - 3:00am - The exhibition 'Environment: approaches for tomorrow' is open all night, as well as tasting and experiments involving the environment. And there's a DJ and movies showing.

8. Camellia Masala (Free) 351 Emery
10:00pm - 7:00am - This place will be serving traditional Indian Chai until 7AM!

9. Belgo Building (Free) 372 Ste. Catherine West
8:00pm - 5:00am - Tonnes of stuff is going down in this building. It's full of art studios.

10. Hydro-Quebec (Free) 75 René-Lévesque West
6:00pm- 5:00pm - Check out Jean-Paul Mousseau's giant illuminated mural.

11. Contemporary Art Museum (Free) 185 Ste Catherine West
6:00pm - 5:00am - Tonnes of stuff... Their main exhibit will be open as well.

12. Métro Place-des-Arts (Free) 175 Ste Catherine West.
1:00am - 5:00am - Breakdance and hip-hop competition with DJs.

13. Piano Nobile @ Place des Arts (Free) 175 Ste Catherine West
from 11:30pm - 5:00am - Salle Wilfrid Pelletier is turned into a cabaret with various Quebec artists performing.

14. Hall des Pas Perdus @ Place des Arts (Free) 175 Ste Catherine West
11:00pm - 5:00am - Karine Giboulo's installation/Social Commentary

15. Centre de Design de l'UQAM (Free) 1440 Sanguinet
6:00pm - 5:00am - An exhibition of brushes. Some 2 000 brushes are going to be displayed, and you can take one home with you. Whatever, it's art!

16. ITHQ - Institut de Tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (Free) 3535 Saint-Denis
6:00pm- 6:00am - the 10-storey building will put on a light show. It seems to be put on by 'LSD Design'.... Hmm, must be good then.

17. Graff Gallery (Free) 963 Rachel East
8:00pm - 2:00am - There is a 'greenhouse' exhibit, and a silk-screening demonstration.

Kyoto Causes Suicide?!?

In the latest blow, a Conservative MP says that implementing Kyoto could cause suicides. This is the funniest load of shit i have heard, and if it weren't so early in the morning, i would be rolling around laughing. Of course instead i am clutching my coffee wondering if i am indeed awake and not still dreaming.

Of course, how can you not think suicide would increase when, i quote, " you lose your job, or when you lose a $30-an-hour job to work for $8 or $10 an hour."

I can't even write. This is so hilarious. You just have to read it.

New Years Resolution?

I bought the book Montréal Resto À Go-Go by Sarah Musgrave. I actually asked for it for christmas, and never got it (not necessarily asked but made it extremely obvious that i wanted it) . Basically it lists "200 cheap and fun places to eat and drink in Montréal." I've looked through a lot of it and already put marks on the places i would like to visit. They are all bars so far, which really tells you where my priorities are...

Here's the list of bars i would like to visit in the next year. Consider it a New Years resolution, in February:

L'Assommoir
Benelux
Bily Kun
Cheval Blanc
Dieu du Ciel
Le Ste-Élisabeth (shouldn't it be La?)

Any more suggestions?