Daily Epiphany: Commercials I love

You know those Bing commercials that suggest that doing a Google search gives you results that seem to have no relation to what you’re looking for? Well, sometimes those misguided searches give you something better than what you initially wanted. Case in point, I was watching the boob tube and caught this for Emery Cat. Besides the fact that this product is really no different than the corrugated cardboard scratching mat every cat owner already owns, my Google search of it brought me to the website Commercials I Hate. I’m sure many of you have seen this site or watched Nathan Alexander talk about his pet project on TV before, but if you haven’t, it’s really quite funny. File this in the “Why didn’t I think of this?” folder. Enjoy!

Today’s Special: Polvo & The Clean

Usually it’s the summer when your favourite bands of dwindling youth reform and play the lucrative summer music festival circuit. You know you’re not as young as you used to be when the style of music you were into in university starts to resurface once again as an immerging trend. But Polvo and The Clean haven’t reformed or gone away entirely. They’ve simply been on a long hiatus. But unlike so many groups that return with decent or sub-par albums and then promptly return to the “Where are they now?” file, these two acts have just released some of the best work of their careers. Sure, they all look older, have kids, and worry about throwing out their backs on stage, but they’ve honed their craft like professors telling their new students how to do it. It’s back to school time. You may think your teacher is old school, but then again, those were good old days.

Today’s Special: New Forms Festival

If you’re looking for something different to do, look no further than the 9th Annual New Forms Festival. I chatted with Jill Bennett this morning about the festival on CKNW radio in Vancouver. Ok, I’m more than a bit biased having been involved with the festival for the past 8 years in various and overlapping capacities. But hey, the groundbreaking music and art we bring to Vancouver every year is truly something worth witnessing.

Daily Epiphany: Going Barefoot

I recently came across this article through a colleague. It reminded me of a friend of mine who used to walk around Vancouver footwear free. This didn’t surprise me since this friend of mine was prone to be a little on the hippy side. For him, going sole free was just a phase. But for others, being a barefooter is a way of life. I booked Al Gauthier for the On The Coast CBC radio program on Monday this week. When Al came into the CBC newsroom, he was wearing these crazy looking foot gloves. Apparently, Nike and other big brands are also making shoes that let you feel like you’re not wearing shoes, but provide protection to both your feet and your reputation since showing up to the office or public bathroom footloose is generally frowned upon. Looking at the Vibram five fingers, I feel these barefooters should remain barefooted.