S.o.t.D. - Dead Fox – Courtney Barnett

Dead Fox – Courtney Barnett

Fun song about the dangers on the highway.

S.o.t.D. - Solitude – Killing Joke

Solitude – Killing Joke

In I think 93 or so, I commuted for a time from Toronto to Oakville and back for work, and this was an album (Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions) listened to frequently on the daily train rides.

S.o.t.D. - Boy.Rek – Crunch

Boy.Rek – Crunch

Discovered this on a Tipper at Shambala live set. Best track on a set list of pure awesomeness.

S.o.t.D. - It’s My Sound – Smote

It’s My Sound – Smote

Far too long since I’ve featured some Smote. Cool track.

S.o.t.D. - Bubble Control – Tipper

Bubble Control – Tipper

I’ve been seeing posts of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre show Tipper did with visuals by Android Jones and Alex Grey. I don’t even think mind enhancers would have been necessary for that show.

S.o.t.D. - Yellow Bird – Yellow Lights

Yellow Bird – Yellow Lights

The rest of this album is a bit grimy, glitchy hip-hop, but this is a bit more on the trip hoppy side.

S.o.t.D. - Evening Comes – DJ Okawari

Evening Comes – DJ Okawari

Lush.

S.o.t.D. - Old Town Blues – Boy and Bear

Old Town Blues – Boy and Bear

Another Saturday morning at the shop with Bryce discovery.

S.o.t.D. - Power To The People – The Timewriter

Power To The People – The Timewriter

Another insanely funky bootyshaker from Mr. Cochois

S.o.t.D. - Cinder and Smoke – Iron & Wine

Cinder and Smoke – Iron & Wine

Another folky-ish track discovered by hanging out at the shop with Bryce early one Saturday morning.

S.o.t.D. - Brown Eyes – DJ Okawari (feat. Brittany Campbell)

Brown Eyes – DJ Okawari (feat. Brittany Campbell)

This was undoubtedly not a huge hit, which just shows how unfair the world is. Damn is this ever good.

S.o.t.D. - Luv (sic.) pt 3 – Nujabes - (ft. Shing)

Luv (sic.) pt 3 – Nujabes - (ft. Shing)

I think this may be my favourite hip-hop track ever.

It’s funny how the music put times in perspective
Add a soundtrack to your life and perfect it
How far do we have to stretch the picture 
before pixelating the human texture?

S.o.t.D. - Out Here – Pendulum

Out Here – Pendulum

I’d heard a bunch of Pendulum a few years back and was really unimpressed. But I heard this and really liked it.

S.o.t.D. - I Feel For You – Azuni

I Feel For You – Azuni

Bibliophilia: Letter 44 (Volume 1: Escape Velocity) – Charles Soule, Alberto Alburquerque

Letter 44 (Volume 1: Escape Velocity) – Charles Soule, Alberto Alburquerque

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the cover. More graphic designed than illustrated. And the foil and varnish effects on it make it a real gem to behold. 

Then there was the interior. Alberto Alburquerque’s art is certainly up to par. No complaints there. It’s solid and well suited to the story. And it’s the story that’s really worth discussing.

If you like your sci-fi with a side order of political machinations, you will dig this. (If I was to draw a lazy parallel to current television shows, think Ascension and House of Cards.) The characters and setting are a thinly veiled reference to the past and current U.S. presidents. But it goes well beyond that.

The Clarke, (which I gather is named after Arthur C. Clarke) is a ship that was sent out 3 years earlier to reconnoitre an anomaly NASA discovered in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Namely what appears to be an alien mining operation. The incoming president discovers that a crew made up of a mix of 9 scientists and special forces troops, are on what is essentially a one way mission against what might well be an existential threat to the Earth. The outgoing president we learn, essentially got the country embroiled in wars the world over to have as many combat experienced troops as possible, should the worst happen.

This is a series on my to read right now list. Don’t wait for the trade paperbacks to come out, but grab each issue as it comes out. I liked it that much.

S.o.t.D. - Journey – Terry Lee Brown Jr & Greg Park

Journey – Terry Lee Brown Jr & Greg Park

Liquid gold.

Bibliophilia: Colder – Paul Tobin & Juan Ferreyra

Colder – Paul Tobin & Juan Ferreyra

Besides having one of the most unsettling and memorable covers on a graphic novel I can recall seeing in a long time, this is a really good horror comic.

Declan Thomas was an inmate in an asylum that burned down in 1941. He’s been in a catatonic state ever since, cared for by a nurse called Reece. And hasn’t aged a day in a long time, partly because he is cold as an icicle. He is being pursued by a really creepy antagonist called Nimble Jack who can suck out the soul of his victims.

Juan Ferreyra is quickly becoming one of my favourite comic artists. And Paul Tobin is also the author of the wonderful, and far removed from this genre, Bandette.

Gerber Dime

A friend had one of these and I thought it was a fun little multi-tool so I grabbed one.

I tend to have a pretty jaundiced view of Gerber. After hearing multiple bad reports from friends and acquaintances about their full sized multi-tools, their shilling of the cringe worthy Bear Grylls, etc., I don’t pay their stuff much mind. But this was $20. What the heck. I need a new gadget.

The package.

Closed, from all angles. The metal is 3Cr13 Stainless. Opened it’s 10.8 cm (4¼")long. Closed it’s 7 cm (2¾") long. And the weight is 62.3 grams (2.2 oz.)

Main body opened with the pliers exposed. That pivot where it opens will have any paint worn off in a few openings and closings. One side is metal and one side is covered in a plastic scale. Other models come in a gun metal on one side and a red or green plastic scale on the other.

The scissors. More on these later.

Screwdrivers.

Small screwdriver and file. And the bottle opener.

Large screwdriver. Well, large being a relative term.

Knife blade.

Box opener blade.

Just to give a sense of scale.

And easy to overlook, the tweezers.

So, my impressions. First off, the size and weight of it is great. Easy to carry, on a key chain for instance. And just less obtrusive. The design itself is really good. That it comes in tactical black is a big plus for all my covert multi-tooling activities. The blades and tools are quite stiff to open at first and might break a nail. They do seem to loosen up a bit with time. From my usage of it so far, the two knife blades have been good. The tweezers, file, screw drivers and pliers have not gotten much use. The scissors I have attempted to use repeatedly. I say attempt. Paper, fine. Hairs, okay. Tried some vinyl at work. Nope. Cord of any kind? Forget it. 550 cord? Bwahaha! Yeah right. I had a thread hanging from my shirt so I pulled the Dime out to cut it. The first bunch of times I thought I just didn’t have the thread centered between the blades. Made sure it was. Kept trying. And trying. And trying. No kidding, two dozen times and finally I managed to snip it. These scissors are terrible!

The little bottle opener is good though, as evidenced by this cap from a bottle of Innis & Gunn. Mmmmmm....Innis & Gunn.

Not a bad little key chain tool. So long as you don’t have much need of scissors.

When not to exercise

When you get a blood test, they tell you not to exercise for 24 hours. 8 hours later, admonition completely forgotten, I walk home and do my usual routine of going down the Escarpment stairs, by hoisting my 110 kilos up on the railings, holding it there for a bit, and swinging down two or three steps, and repeating, all the way down. This does indeed constitute exercise. Rather strenuous exercise at that.

This is my arm 8 days later. And it looks a lot better now than it did 4 or 5 days ago.

When you get a blood test, and they tell you not to exercise for 24 hours - don’t!

Sosoetry: Ranger Candy

Motrin, my old friend, my old enemy
I’ll be taking you till the very end of me
after a summer hike of quite some length
I’m sure to reach for the extra strength
for pains that seem to linger
from tips of toes to end of finger
for injuries that keep you awake
to that nagging, chronic ache
when every part of you is sore
from extremities to your core
ankle sprain or sartorius strain
it will alleviate all your pain
there are of course certain herbal remedies
but sometimes you need pharmachemistry
easily acquired over the counter meds
to help alleviate that pounding head

Signage: Whitwell Tire

S.o.t.D. - Looking For Real Love – Hollie Cook

Looking For Real Love – Hollie Cook

This is the official video, but I’m reasonably sure that after you hear it, you’ll agree with me that this is twice as long version is needed.

S.o.t.D. - Body Close – Synkro & Lyves

Body Close – Synkro & Lyves

Celebration time! Another track, and a damn fine one, by Synkro, with the great vocals of Lyves.

S.o.t.D. - Share It With The Class (Rozzo Mix) – Pop Out & Play

Share It With The Class (Rozzo Mix) – Pop Out & Play

S.o.t.D. - Really Love – D'Angelo and The Vanguard

Really Love – D’Angelo and The Vanguard

One of the many fun things about working at the tattoo shop is customers coming in and asking for music to listen to while they get tattooed. Good way to discover new music.

S.o.t.D. - Baltimore – Terry Lee Brown Junior

Baltimore – Terry Lee Brown Junior

Start your day off right with the funky, sexy sounds of Mr. Brown.

S.o.t.D. - Lost in Amsterdam – Parov Stelar

Lost in Amsterdam – Parov Stelar

I can say that, yes, I have been lost in Amsterdam.

S.o.t.D. - Booty Swing – Parov Stelar

Booty Swing – Parov Stelar

Another act the lovely miss Roxann introduced me too.

S.o.t.D. - Apart – Bering Strait

Apart – Bering Strait

Lovely.

S.o.t.D. - Heaven – Los Lonely Boys

Heaven – Los Lonely Boys

If you listen to this, and it doesn’t totally life your spirits by the time it’s over, there is something seriously wrong with you.

S.o.t.D. - Same Love (Der Wanderer Remix) – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Same Love (Der Wanderer Remix) – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Apparently Macklemore is some big deal. Wouldn’t know. This is pretty sweet however.

S.o.t.D. - Subphonic – Lemon D.

Subphonic – Lemon D.

Hard, but there are enough subtle elements in this to keep it really fresh and interesting.

S.o.t.D. - Camilo (The Magician) – Said the Whale

Camilo (The Magician) – Said the Whale

No idea if this was an obscure dud or a massive hit, since I pay no attention to commercial radio. But I thought it was a really fun song.

S.o.t.D. - Ghetto Love – Spinnerette

Ghetto Love – Spinnerette

My gal pal introduced me to this this weekend. Really catchy tune, hot babe singer (Brody Dalle), fun video.

S.o.t.D. - New Earth – Martin Mittone

New Earth – Martin Mittone

He really knows how to do this style of house justice.

S.o.t.D. - Cityroads – Frank Borell

Cityroads – Frank Borell

Like yesterdays track, this has a dancing as the sun comes up at a party on the beach of some tropical paradise vibe to it.

Signage: 663 Apts

Taken at night along King St. E. Loved the colours and the textures.

Untitled

Accidental Art

S.o.t.D. - Beachdancer – Pascal Dubois

Beachdancer – Pascal Dubois

Superb. Kind of chilled, and yet a total rump shaker.