Youth= early 90s =Halifax, for me. It’s where I was on December 6, 1989, the day nine women were shot at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique. It’s where I was when the Berlin wall fell, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist, when the line in the sand was crossed, when the Charlottetown accord failed, and, sadly,continue reading
Dalton48 Archives
December 5: “Free Nelson Mandela,” The Special AKA
I’m sure there are radio stations playing “Sun City” tonight in their reports on the late Nelson Mandela and his extraordinary life as an anti-apartheid leader and the first democratic president of South Africa, but around here, it’s The Special AKA’s “Free Nelson Mandela”. This is an energetic romp that you can enjoy without havingcontinue reading
December 4: “Shalyai-Valyai”, Chaif
A friend who also studied Russian has been staying with me so I was happy to rewatch the delightful Russian film from 2008, “Stilyagi” (somewhat misleadingly translated as “Hipsters”) with her. The movie is a musical that takes place in 1950s Moscow, but the songs are from Russian bands in 1980s and early 1990s andcontinue reading
December 3: “Can You Celebrate”, Namie Amuro
“It could get to be addictive, he believed, not understanding what people were saying. Time spent in another country would probably always be spent misunderstanding a great deal, which might in the end turn out to be a blessing and the only way you could ever feel normal.” – Richard Ford, “The Occidentals” The helplesscontinue reading
December 2: “The Wagon”, Dinosaur Jr.
What makes a college radio show great? A host thrilled to share his or her eclectic collection and knowledge of music with others, adept at cueing up multiple turntables and CD players and lowering the volume just so so there’s a nice fade between the end of that and the beginning of the next. Low-keycontinue reading
December 1 – “Don’t Stop Believin'” (Journey) – George Lamond
A dance remake of Journey’s 1981 classic? However did this end up on my iPod shuffle? Well, cast your mind back to 2008… It seems like a long time ago now, doesn’t it? Five years, a financial crisis, a messy Arab Spring, a drone program, a dysfunctional Congress, and… OK, let’s forget all that andcontinue reading
November 30 – “Just Like Honey,” The Jesus and Mary Chain
I have long had in my head a movie opening set to “Just Like Honey” by the Jesus and Mary Chain. The beginning drum beats – ba, ba-ba, then the stairs at Spadina subway station, then the next drum beats – ba, ba-ba, then a girl (me?) coming down the stairs onto a mostly emptycontinue reading
The infantilization of childhood
On the radio the other day, a CBC host gamely ad-libbed in an interview about the catastrophe in Japan, asking the interviewee’s children, in Japan, were coping: “What about the seven-year-old? At seven, children are aware of some things.” “Some things?” A seven-year-old is hardly just learning to focus his or her eyes. At seven,continue reading
Real estate geography
Where would you guess this is: Beautiful Semi-Detached 4 Bedroom Brick Home In Annex, Corner Lot, Det Brick Garage, Private Drive. To be generous, Seaton Village? Past Christie Pits? But no: Steps To Public/ Seperate Schools, Dovercourt Park And Tennis Courts, Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club (Full Daycare/Children s Programs). Minutes To Dufferin Grove Park…continue reading
Blame the victim (again and again)
Even when the circumstances in pedestrian deaths clearly point to driver error, Toronto police don’t hesitate to point the finger at the person who wasn’t behind the wheel of the vehicle: Sgt. Tim Burrows said the victim was crossing slightly west of the crosswalk at the intersection. “It’s difficult to determine who is at fault,”continue reading