From Olympics to handbells to porn music...
Heh. As I write this, there are many honking and cheering revelers out on the streets below. Most people I know haven't been following the Olympics if they can possibly avoid it - which, for my fellow Canucks at least, has been pretty darn tough the last couple of weeks - so out of deference to them I will cut my blather about it.
Yes, I enjoy the Olympics. Yes, I know how problematic they are in so many different ways. Nonetheless, they just reach past that to the wonder and joy they gave me when I was a kid. Did you know, I applied to be a torchbearer in the '88 Olympics, and when I wasn't chosen I still ran alongside them for several kilometres when they came through town (freaking my parents out who had no idea where I'd gone - sorry guys!). So I've really loved the past couple of weeks, and the excitement it's brought so many people - including me. Hell, I've been watching hockey! And curling! ME! No, I can't quite believe it either.
I'm also extremely amused by the tone of the Canadian media. You know, we've had this whole "Own the Podium" thing going on *waves hand vaguely* in an attempt to kickass with medals or whatnot, but since we weren't actually doing that, for the last few days all the coverage has been about how it's been the "people's games." But as of yesterday/today when it came to light we've got the most gold medals of any country ever in a winter Olympics, or something, suddenly the papers are all, "yeah, people's whatever - we OWN THE GOLD." I think I may hurt myself with all the eye-rolling I'm doing over here.
Also? The war of the pants will never not be funny. Oh, Norwegians. Never change.
Anyway. As I just said on Facebook, while enjoying the partying revelers outside, on a serious note I'm astonished and relieved at how minimal the loss and damage from the Chile quake was - even with all the deaths and displacements. Most people don't realize the Richter scale is exponential, and just how much MORE horrific the consequences of an 8.8 quake could have been. (For comparison, the one that hit Haiti was 7.0, so this was over TEN TIMES stronger.) Thank heavens for strict building codes!
Finally, I had promised various people a few different links. Firstly, we have the sheer awesomeness of Pavlov's Dogs Handbell ensemble, a collection of local women - most of whom used to be members of the youth group I helped out with, making any performances they make IN the burlesque shows that they frequently perform at A LITTLE AWKWARD FOR ME AAAUGH - who play covers of music with handbells. Yes, handbells. Several octaves of handbells, in fact, and these gals are darn good at playing them. Here they are with the opening strains of Queen's "Somebody to Love" (I love they way people start singing along as they recognize it) and OMG MY FAVOURITE the Imperial March from Star Wars.
SO. AWESOME. I HAVE NO WORDS.
And on a vaguely-related (music?) note, I thought y'all might be as delighted/amused as I to learn that I have stumbled across BAD PORN MUSIC GEEKERY. I can't even remember what I was surfing anymore when I stumbled across this *shifty eyes* but this is a fascinating look at 70s vs 80s porn music, complete with audio clips and such quotable gems as this:
80's porn music reeks of repetition, stupidity, loneliness, unoriginality, and unrelenting sadness -- and that's a great thing. 80's soundtracks actually speak to the visceral experience of masturbation itself: it's like the dull, throbbing death-beat of your heart in your head as you forsake real life and real partners for yet another unhealthy, scared wank.
The guy clearly has some issues, but it doesn't make me any less delighted that I live in a world where some people can get all enthusiastic talking about TERRIBLE PORN MUSIC. Sometimes my glee about the internet in particular and the world in general just has no bounds.
Yes, I enjoy the Olympics. Yes, I know how problematic they are in so many different ways. Nonetheless, they just reach past that to the wonder and joy they gave me when I was a kid. Did you know, I applied to be a torchbearer in the '88 Olympics, and when I wasn't chosen I still ran alongside them for several kilometres when they came through town (freaking my parents out who had no idea where I'd gone - sorry guys!). So I've really loved the past couple of weeks, and the excitement it's brought so many people - including me. Hell, I've been watching hockey! And curling! ME! No, I can't quite believe it either.
I'm also extremely amused by the tone of the Canadian media. You know, we've had this whole "Own the Podium" thing going on *waves hand vaguely* in an attempt to kickass with medals or whatnot, but since we weren't actually doing that, for the last few days all the coverage has been about how it's been the "people's games." But as of yesterday/today when it came to light we've got the most gold medals of any country ever in a winter Olympics, or something, suddenly the papers are all, "yeah, people's whatever - we OWN THE GOLD." I think I may hurt myself with all the eye-rolling I'm doing over here.
Also? The war of the pants will never not be funny. Oh, Norwegians. Never change.
Anyway. As I just said on Facebook, while enjoying the partying revelers outside, on a serious note I'm astonished and relieved at how minimal the loss and damage from the Chile quake was - even with all the deaths and displacements. Most people don't realize the Richter scale is exponential, and just how much MORE horrific the consequences of an 8.8 quake could have been. (For comparison, the one that hit Haiti was 7.0, so this was over TEN TIMES stronger.) Thank heavens for strict building codes!
Finally, I had promised various people a few different links. Firstly, we have the sheer awesomeness of Pavlov's Dogs Handbell ensemble, a collection of local women - most of whom used to be members of the youth group I helped out with, making any performances they make IN the burlesque shows that they frequently perform at A LITTLE AWKWARD FOR ME AAAUGH - who play covers of music with handbells. Yes, handbells. Several octaves of handbells, in fact, and these gals are darn good at playing them. Here they are with the opening strains of Queen's "Somebody to Love" (I love they way people start singing along as they recognize it) and OMG MY FAVOURITE the Imperial March from Star Wars.
SO. AWESOME. I HAVE NO WORDS.
And on a vaguely-related (music?) note, I thought y'all might be as delighted/amused as I to learn that I have stumbled across BAD PORN MUSIC GEEKERY. I can't even remember what I was surfing anymore when I stumbled across this *shifty eyes* but this is a fascinating look at 70s vs 80s porn music, complete with audio clips and such quotable gems as this:
80's porn music reeks of repetition, stupidity, loneliness, unoriginality, and unrelenting sadness -- and that's a great thing. 80's soundtracks actually speak to the visceral experience of masturbation itself: it's like the dull, throbbing death-beat of your heart in your head as you forsake real life and real partners for yet another unhealthy, scared wank.
The guy clearly has some issues, but it doesn't make me any less delighted that I live in a world where some people can get all enthusiastic talking about TERRIBLE PORN MUSIC. Sometimes my glee about the internet in particular and the world in general just has no bounds.