Chevy is Stupid

Honestly, what did you think would happen letting people design their own commercials for the gas-inhaling Tahoe SUV? Links to the ads are in the the top story. Advertise THIS! | MetaFilter

Bummer

Looks like Ben didn't win after alls said and done. Too bad, I think he would hae made the best MPP for the job.ELECTIONS ONTARIO

Today is the Day

Today is byelection day for three Ontario ridings: Toronto-Danforth, Whitby-Ajax, and Napean Carleton.

While we can't say much about the other two Liberal candidates, Ben Chin is the candidate for Toronto-Danforth. Ben has a history of political involvement, and his site reflects his progressive views. He is the Daily Nar's choice for today, and we suggest that if you live out in the riding, get out and vote. Visit Ben's site here.

Site Update

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to take this opportunity to let all you loyal listeners know whats up with the site and all the wicked developments in the pipe...

We're just about to re-launch The Daily Nar as a fully blown website, replete with all the subsections you'd expect: News, Politics, Music, and more! The new site design is rad and easy to navigate. And the big news...

We've got contributors! As of today, we've got at least 5 new savants eager to add their amazing knowledge, wit, and insight to the ass-end of the blogosphere we call home. Only it won't quite be part of the blogosphere anymore, weird.

We're going to expand everything you've come to love about the site, and more. More news, more posts, more interviews, more music, more pictures, more ads, more money, more fame, more More MORE!

Yup. I should be awesome, and I'm happy you'll all be a part of it. Because the site will basically be an extension of everything I've been about to this point: free and fun. Everyone that contributes to the site will do it because they want to be a part of it, not because they need a paycheck. As much as I'd like to pay everyone that takes the time to contribute, even I don't get anything out of this, except the odd email from a reader and the satisfied of venting my useless barf on the masses. Its a quid pro quo thing,

So, anyone who's currently linking to the site, make sure you update your links to http://www.thedailynar.com , so when the site makes the switch, you're not left out in the cold. DO IT NOW. It'll still work now, and will only add to your site's cool-factor in the future.

I know some regular features, like the New Music Friday and the podcast, have been missing as of late; but that's only because we've been working on a more stable and appealing format for y'all. Everything should be sorted out soon, and hopefully, we can have a big party to celebrate the new site. Anyone who wants to contribute, email me at thedailynar@gmail.com. I guarantee nothing.

Never fear, the Nar is here.

Rock on,

The Daily Nar

(the Daily Nar listened to Moneen, RKL, The Fall of Rome and Still Remains while writing this, so cannot be held responsible for any unintended awesomeness that may have resulted).

By-Election Time in the City

If you live in the toronto-danforth riding, its time to get out and vote on Thursday. Ben Chin is your boy, trust us. Head on over to his site to read up and educate yourself, and GO VOTE. No complaining if you don't.


Vote Ben Chin - Your Liberal Candidate for Toronto-Danforth

Vive le General Strike?

This stuff's really getting out of control. Now I know that people in France like nothing better than to strike at the drop of a hat, but this one may actually be with some merit - depending on who you ask.

We are all probably familiar with the the reasons why students and young people are striking. This law carries with it the potential for all kinds of labour abuses we would never tolerate here or in any other industrialized country. Think about it: would YOU be OK with a law that allowed employers to fire you for no reason at all for up to 2 years? 2 years is a long to time to dedicate to a position just to be shown the door (trust me I know) because of the way the wind blows. We would never tolerate that here in Canada... oh wait, we do. Its called temporary or contract hiring, and its all the rage. I myself have fallen victim to the pitfalls of contract work, where not 10 years ago, that same position would have been classified as "permanent", and would have had all the luxuries they don't have to include to contract employees (benefits, wage increases, longer vacation time, etc.). A rose by any other name huh?

However, there is another side to this story; the one, I admit, I would be all to hasty to dismiss. According to French friends and others that have spend a good deal of time over there, this law is actually an attempt to HELP the very people who are in the streets protesting against it. You see, France has a staggeringly high unemployment rate amongst youth (over 22%). A lot of people have linked this unemployment to the recent riots that spread across France and neighboring countries. The problem, as it was defined to me, is this: when a company hires a person to a full-time position, it is very difficult to get rid of them. Ergo, a company faced with the choice of hiring a proven professional with a track record of employment, versus an unproven graduate or young immigrant, will always go with the older (and therefore more qualified) applicant. This law is supposed to be an attempt to ease the fears of employers and entice them to take a chance on young employees. If its not working out, you can let them go.

That's as far as I'm willing to wade into this one though. I leave it to you to pick your sides and follow the story. I will add this: it seems the massive protests are having an effect. Whereas the French PM vowed last week not to re-open the issues around this law, it seems he has been has been quoted in this article as "open to suggestions for change". Interesting.
CBC News: Millions bring France to a standstill over youth jobs law

Science stuff you got wrong at School

Interesting stuff for those of you, like me, who need to bulk up on their Cliff Claven-esque trivia for parties and the like. You know, the guy who always comes up with completely useless info that seems to kill any conversation? Yeah, that'd be me. Sorry about the off-colour ads (may be NSFW)
2Spare - 10 Science stuff you got wrong at School

WTF?

If anyone has any info on what a "Better off Undead" party is, email, us.
CBC News: Man shoots and kills six partygoers after Seattle zombie rave

The Slits are Back

Courtesy of Truth Explosion:

March 24th, 2006
Legendary female punk rockers The Slits are reuniting. Members Ari Up, Viv Albertine, & Tessa Pollitt have scheduled two shows in May and are planning on working on a new album.

A little history: the Slits formed in 1976. By 1977 they were on the White Riot Tour, opening for the Buzzcocks and the Clash. In 1979, they released 'Cut', an album that went down in punk rock history.

On-U Sound's Adrian Sherwood (Depeche Mode, the Fall, Nine Inch Nails) will mix the shows live, and he's on board to produce a new Slits album, tentatively due in the fall.

The bands two shows so far:

05-03 Dublin, Ireland - The Crawdaddy
05-04 Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg

If Jack Bauer lived in a different period of time...

Photoshop contest for a little Friday humour.
FARK.com: (1958919) Theme: If Jack Bauer lived in a different period of time...

Province Complicates York University Extension With Money

Jame Bow does an excellent job disecting the subway announcement. Not all its cracked up to be.
Spacing Wire � Province Complicates York University Extension With Money

The Daily Nar Doesn't Get Fashion

The Daily Nar gets invited to all sorts of weird events. Last night, we were "lucky" enough to be invited to the Elle Canada/TFI Fashion Incubator somethingerrather. Personally, we were there for the wine tasting, but the fashion made the ladies happy. Met some nice people, including OPS staffers, OLP employees, PhD students, some guy who worked out at the gym way too much and didn't wear a shirt under his v-neck sweater, and market researchers.

But here's what I dont' get: most of the things you see on the runway never makes it to stores. The designers "normalize" their designs to a more practical or wearable version for sales in stores. So my question is, what the heck is the point of a fashion show if it's not showing you what you may be able to buy. Some responses I received to that question last night included "its so you can see the creativity of the designer". Well hell, if that's all it is, with no expectation of following through with crap in stores, I could do that. I could design what I think is the weirdest, wackiest, avant-garde shit; with socks on your head and upside down skirts, and call it art, if that's all it takes.

However, I suspect that it takes a little more than that.

Mom had `decoy' child in carpool lane

Lame

TheStar.com - Mom had `decoy' child in carpool lane

The Fullblast break up

truth.explosion.magazine. News: The Fullblast break up

The War in Iraq is Illegal

Friend and fellow blogger (as well as a lot of other things) Warren Kinsella has given us permission to reprint this timely and on the money article, so here you go:

What does a nation at war look like? Looking at the American media, it's hard to say.

Precisely three years after the commencement of the war in Iraq, on a cloudy, cool day threatening rain, the Fox Network affiliate in Atlanta offers up three fools to dissect the meaning of the conflict that has killed more than 2,300 Americans and more than 30,000 Iraqis. The blonde one in the middle says: "Some would say things are better, some would say things are worse. But one thing is for sure - a lot has happened in the past three years!"

Her co-hosts sombrely nod at this profound assessment. Fox producers then cut away to recent night time footage of Baghdad being bombed. They superimpose the greenish images of destruction with the headline: "REBUILDING IRAQ." To call any of it Orwellian is a cliché, but apt.

Three years later, though, it is actually true: a lot has happened. Along with the thousands dead on all sides - along with the many more thousands grievously wounded, the $6 billion (U.S.) spent monthly by the Pentagon, and an Iraq sliding inexorably towards the abyss of civil war - George W. Bush's pre-emptive action against Saddam Hussein's fictional weapons of mass destruction has profoundly altered the configuration of many lives, in Iraq and the United States. But what has it done to the spirit of Americans? What do they feel about it, three years on?

Pollsters sometimes suggest they have the best insights into these things, and there certainly were no shortage of polls to dissect this past weekend, as America grimly contemplated the third anniversary of the war, and as puny crowds gathered in cities around the globe to protest it. One Gallup survey, headlined on the front page of a copy of USA Today picked up on a Saturday at a convenience store in south-western Florida, finds that - by a margin of nearly three-to-one - Americans say the impact of Bush's war on their lives has been negative. Sixty per cent, Gallup noted, said the war wasn't "worth it." Half admitted that they had even cried because of it.

Fox Network bimbos notwithstanding, some further insight into America's zeitgeist is found, perhaps, in the newspapers one can pick up along Interstate 75 - the highway that many Canadians, seeking Spring Break sun or Snowbird getaways, know well. Unscientific a survey as it may be, a reading of these U.S. newspapers tells the tale of a nation wrestling with despair, doubt and denial - and, here and there, no small amount of defiance, too. The breezy rightist jingoism that characterized much of the early coverage of the Iraq war is gone, however.

What is left in its place, even in Republican-red Southern states, is a lot like what one sees in the lead editorial of USA Today, strenuously condemning Bush's pre-emptive strike: "[Iraq] was a blunder of historic proportions that has made Americans less, not more, safe...[the cost] in U.S. lives, money and credibility has been incalculable." In all, seven outstanding pieces of journalism about Iraq are found in the newspaper. Wartime boosterism is conspicuously absent. There is anger for George W. Bush and his defence chief, Donald Rumsfeld. But for the troops themselves, limitless pride.

Reading some newspapers, it almost seems as if the war is a Hollywood construct. In the Tampa Tribune and the Fort Myers News-Press, plenty of front page stories about golf or abortion pills, but about the war? Little or nothing. In a modest obituary in the latter, there is a dry recounting of the tragic death of a 27-year-old local man killed in an attack near Ar Ramadi earlier in the week - and an equally sterile Associated Press wire story about an anti-insurgent drive near Samarra. The coverage seems routine and disinterested, even when a local boy dies. It is almost as if the newspaper's editors do not want to remind their readers about it. That seems likely.

The fabled New York Times, picked up further along the I-75 on the same day, is not much better. A man who falsely claimed to be the victim of brutality at Abu Ghraib prison - the one seen in the infamous photograph, standing on a box, hooded and electrical wires dangling from his arms - merits front-page coverage, and a tortuous, self-flagellating Editor's Note on page two (the post-Jayson Blair Times remains jittery, it seems, about its journalistic credibility). But inside the newspaper of record? Not much about Iraq on this day.

In the pages of the St. Petersburg Times, further up the road, there can be found an unsettling profile of a 48-year-old man who actually enlisted to avenge the death of his 22-year-old son, killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad two years ago. "I don't really have love for the Muslim people," says the man, who says he is a Christian missionary. "It's hard to love people who hate you." In the local section, a sad story about a local 29-year-old killed in a related conflict that Canadians know increasingly well, in Afghanistan.

Further north, on Sunday morning in Atlanta, the Journal-Constitution fills page after page with exemplary stories about Iraq - including one that describes, in detail, how the war has shattered the lives of five Iraqis. The U.S. has stayed too long, concludes one Iraqi father, whose wife, daughter and father-in-law were killed in a mortar attack. "We had great expectations but all those expectations have been destroyed," he says.

On the same day, in the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the front page carries a moving tale about a small-town Georgia Marine, Lance Cpl. Josh Scott, whose death left behind a 21-year-old widow and a six-month-old daughter. Says the young mother, recalling that her husband knew his daughter for only a few short weeks: "There's never going to be a day that goes by that I'm not going to remind her and tell her how much he loved her."

Reading it all, it would be manifestly unfair of any Canadian to suggest that Americans are remotely gung-ho about the war in Iraq. If their journalism is any indication, and it usually is, the people of the United States no longer approve of it. Even for the editorial boards with a Republican tilt, you can observe the growing sense of dread. But, as with Vietnam, Americans are hesitant to say so out loud - because too many young Americans have lost their lives to now dismiss it all as just a waste. It is a dilemma Canadians will increasingly face, as Afghanistan unfolds in the weeks and months ahead.

The last word goes, as it often does, to the Sunday New York Times, picked up at a coffee shop along the Interstate in Ohio. In it, someone has written a fiery editorial about what the newspaper calls "the Iraq debacle." The newspaper proclaims: "The last three years have shown how little our national leaders understood Iraq, and have reminded us how badly attempts at liberation from the outside have gone in the past.

"While we are distracted by picking up the pieces, there is no time to imagine what the world might be like if George Bush had chosen to see things as they were, instead of how he wanted them to be three years ago. History will have more time to consider the question."

The same goes for the despairing American people, and the journalists who serve them; the same goes for the United States, the country that does not seem to be at war, but surely is. They will also consider the question, and pick up the pieces.

There will be more stories to be written, up and down the Interstate, and far too many obituaries written about young men and women. And there will be plenty of time to consider the question, and the quagmire, which now bears the name Iraq.

World Water Day

Today is world water day - a day to think about water pollution and the world-wide lack of access to potable water. WWD was created in 1992 after a United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio.World Water Day - World Water Day

ETA decalres permanent ceasefire

This is good news for Spain.
After 40 Years, Separatists in Spain Declare Cease-Fire - New York Times

Music downloads set to outpace sales of physical media by next year

Apple iTunes killed the CD star - vnunet.com: Music downloads set to outpace sales of physical media by next year.

Listen to the New Boy Sets Fire Album

AOL is streaming Boy Sets Fire's The Misery Index online now.AOL Music: Full CD Listening Party

AND, check the top to check out new From First to Last, Appleseed Cast, Anti-Flag, Mates of State, MCR, Ben Harper, Evils Costello, and Motherf*ckin' Kenny Rogers!

As if on cue!

After posting that link below about saturday morning cartoons, I find this: Hasboro has uploaded a bunch of G.I. Joe and Transformer cartoons (along with a bunch of other stuff I dont' know). Hooray!action - video

Watch this and then you have my permission to kill yourself.

Ben Weasel Has a Blog

Ben Weasel, frontman for legendary rockers The Screaching Weasels, has himself a blog. It seems to be a mish-mash of personal thoughts on domestic life, bands, and goings-on in music. Check it out. He's on the blogroll now.
...::: BENWEASEL.COM :::...

Saturday Mornings Just Aren't the Same?

Do you remember how awesome Saturday Morning Cartoons used to be? Even when the shows were dumb, the commercials were still there, dutifully informing you which action figure or breakfast cereal you should be getting next.

I saw this site and nearly cryed.
X-Entertainment's Download Center - Watch Hundreds of 80s Commercials, FREE!

Snowboarding is Fun

This is me at Blue Mountain this weekend. Decided to hit up the hill for two days. I am old. Case and point: my gear is older than most of the kids who blazed past me on the hill over the course of two days. All in all, still fun. Wish we could have gone more, but alas, I don't own a car.

Happy Birthday War in Iraq!

Wow, you're almost four! It's amazing how fast they grow up. I mean, it seems like only yesterday you were just learning to say your first word ("Mission Accomplished"), standing and walking (and ducking and covering).

So I thought to myself, what do normal four-year-olds do? Well, those who show promise have their parents enroll them in Junior Kindergarten. In honour of that, here is my gift to you: the insanely apropos "Goals of Junior Kindergarten".

"By the time they enter Junior Kindergarten, children have developed a basic understanding of how the world works. In Junior Kindergarten, our goal is to help the children determine their roles, both as part of a community and individually. They work as a class to develop rules that will benefit them all.

At this stage of development, the children are establishing a sense of self. It is important for them to experience success and to be proud of their achievements. The children are developing an understanding of concepts about themselves, others and the world around them through observation, interacting with people and real objects, and seeking solutions to concrete problems. Their learning is a complex process that results from the interaction of the children's own thinking and their experiences in the real world. The children continue to work on social skills such as cooperating, helping, negotiating and talking to solve interpersonal problems. Our goal is for them to develop high self-esteem and positive feelings toward learning. "

Nice, eh?

UPDATE: OK, so I rounded up a little. I'm including the year run-up to the actual invasion, that included such #1 hit singles as "Yellow-Cake" and "Mobile Chemical Factories". Expect the Greatest Hits CD soon!

Ali G interviews a feminist

Who could possibly be better to interview the head of The Center for Gender Studies than Ali G? Yeah, I don't know either.
Ali G interviews a feminist

The New Music Friday Vol. 46

Just a quick rundown of things we've collected this week:

- Saves the Day's Sound the Alarm, and Moneen's The Red Tree both hit stores April 11th. Here's four tracks to get you lubed up.vagrant

- Blowing the doors off the end of April. ::: New England Metal And Hardcore Festival:::Schedule

- I think I mentioned this before, but maybe not. Ric Ocasek and David Robinson aren't in "The New Cars", just so ya know.
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | The Cars reunite for Blondie tour

- Lollapalooza announced its Summer 2006 line-up. truth.explosion.magazine. News: Lollapalooza Announces The 2006 Lineup

- Skateboard Canada is hosting a party tonight to celebrate the new issue. It all goes down at the El Mocambo tonight starting at 9PM. $7 bucks get you in to see some new skate videos by Enjoi and 5boro, DJ Wykid Kyller, Leland, and Female Jello Wrestling? The Nar will try to make an appearance.

-Blogcritics.org: South By Southwest Festival 2006 - Over 900 Artist MP3s for Free Download

- The Galbraiths report they are "recording". What that means is a bit of a mystery: meaning we could expect new material from any number of bands (The Smile, Kids in Divorce, RaiseThemAndEatThem, or Aarows).

- Rosesdead have announced their CD release party for Stages. The party goes down Friday, March 31st at The Underground in Hamilton. The show includes Rosesdead, Sydney, Arise and Run, The Cancer Bats, and the Gorgeous. $10, doors at 6PM

- Silverstein will be touring as part of the Canadian leg of The Taste of Chaos Tour in April

- From First to Last have a new video here.

-Let It Die, which originally formed as the hardcore side project from Black Dahlia Murder guitarist Jon Deering, has called it quits. Guitarist Chris Trestain posted this on their official website:

I'm sorry to have to announce this, but we are breaking up. We will be playing the remaining shows we have booked and will call it quits after that. Its been a blast, but its time for us to go our separate ways. Our last show is gonna be on April 27th at the Magic Stick in Detroit.

Thanks to everyone who has supported us in anyway during the last 3 or so years.

The band previously released Stick To Your Guns.

Good luck, Mr. Martin

"If you look closely, you can see that's sponsorship money he's pocketing."

Something tells me this man will land on his feet, or sea legs, as it were. After all, it cost a cool $75K to make him PM last time. I'd like to say something more gracious than "don't let the door hit you on the ass...", so I won't say anything at all. Bye-bye.

The Toronto Game

Cool idea. The Toronto Game

Listen to new Saves the Day and Moneen Here

Saves the Day, Sound the Alarm, and Moneen's The Red Tree both hit stores April 11th. Here's four tracks to get you lubed up.vagrant

New England Metal And Hardcore Festival

Blowing the doors off the end of April. ::: New England Metal And Hardcore Festival:::Schedule

The Cars reunite for Blondie tour

I think I mentioned this before, but maybe not. Ric Ocasek and David Robinson aren't in "The New Cars", just so ya know.
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | The Cars reunite for Blondie tour

Lollapalooza Announces The 2006 Lineup

truth.explosion.magazine. News: Lollapalooza Announces The 2006 Lineup

Google Page Creator

Google has rolled out a new and simple interface for building quick and easy pages for all us Net-illiterate. Sign up for the beta here.

F-ass-hion Week in Toronto

Our buddy Dan over at Modelresource has his initial impressions of Toronto Fasion Week up at his site. He's not a happy camper at the organizers, I can't say I blame him. Dan and I used to work together at the unnamed Government Ministry, and I know what he's talking about. Read on and clicky the ads for the poor fashionista, ok?

Skateboard Canada Issue Lanch Party Tomorrow

The Ides of March

I don't have any particular reason for throwing up this picture. I'm just hoping something happens to make this appropriate today. That, and we'll finally be switching serivce providers here at Nar HQ, so we may be out of commission tomorrow.

Abandon all hope, ye who subscribe to Rogers High Speed Internet.

Slow News Day=Fearmongering #4

Funny, because this wasn't really a "slow" day for news per se. That being said, this little note about listening to music too loud can damage your hearing is nothing new. Not even close to new.

Being a musician for many years, my hearing is pretty shot. I listen to my walkman loud (at least I think its loud). In fact, one of the things I like about my iPod is the fact that it is louder than most walkmans (trivia: the iPod is loud because Steve Jobs, apple CEO, has crappy hearing).

But this story just points out the obvious. Loud music for a long time can hurt your ears. Is it a national crisis? Nope. Leading off the story saying half of American high school students show some loss of hearing is totally misleading. I'm sure if we tested American high school students for, say, toxins in their bodies, we'd get an even higher percentage that would look scary as hell. Do you think anyone in their right mind would simply blame that on "modern society", or one product in particular?

Rock on, I say. If you ride the subway, get a nice pair of noise canceling headphones. I just got some from Sony (about $100) and they are amazing. In fact, I'm willing to bet that listening to your music at a reasonable volume with good headphones is better than listening to the jackhammers, cranes, alarms, sirens, and commercial ad chatter you'd otherwise be bombarded with.
CBC News: Ipod generation risks permanent hearing loss, U.S. poll suggests

U.S. Senator puts forward motion to censure Bush

The move is considered largely symbolic since the Senate is controlled by the Republicans and the motion has no chance of passing.
CBC News: U.S. Senator puts forward motion to censure Bush

Downloading dents Canuck song biz

Hmmm. I still don't buy this arguement. I'm not sure what the Liberals new legislation that died on the table was, if anyone is aware email it to us at thedailynar@gmail.com
Downloading dents Canuck song biz

2006 Vans Warped Tour Bands Announced

Canadian acts (as far as I know) include Alexisonfire, Billy Talent, The Fully Down, Moneen, Protest the Hero, and Silverstein.
2006 Vans Warped Tour

International Youth Summit on Sustainable Urban Transportation

Spaces available for 80 action inspired youth, between the ages of 18 and 24.

South By Southwest Festival 2006 - Over 900 Artist MP3s for Free Download

Blogcritics.org: South By Southwest Festival 2006 - Over 900 Artist MP3s for Free Download

We all should have seen this coming

I'm sorry, but we are all stupid. To think, there would be one thing in the US that Halliburton had not gotten it's grubby, sausage-like, shooting-old-people-in-the-face fingers into was a mistake on all our parts. Shame on us.
Dubai Ports World Is Considering Selling U.S. Operations To Halliburton

York University Subway Extension is a Go

The provincial government will announce funding to extend the Spadina subway from Downsview to York University in finance minister Dwight Duncan’s first budget on Thursday, March 23. Spacing Wire � York University Subway Extension is a Go

Is this the new Ipod A/V in action?

Probably not, but it gives us a good idea of what to expect (fingers crossed).

Yanni Arrested in Alleged Domestic Dispute

Yanni Arrested in Alleged Domestic Dispute - Yahoo! News

Wal-Mart using bloggers White House Style

Sprawl-Mart is taking a page from the Bushies and hiring blogers to run a psuedo-campaign against legislation that will force the 'Mart to spend more on it's worker's health insurance. Wow.
Wal-Mart enlists bloggers in P.R. campaign | CNET News.com

150,000 Ontario college students facing strike

??? Did I miss something?
CTV.ca | 150,000 Ontario college students facing strike

Warren Kinsella is a lucky bastard

Mr. Rub's-Elbows-With-Everyone-You've-Ever-Wanted-To-Meet has, well, added another name to his illustrious list of buds. Head on over to Warren's site (over on the right, because he's totally starved for hits, so let's help him out if we can) to read about his encounter with Former President Bill Clinton. I tell you, if could make a list of world leaders I could hang out with, Mr. Clinton and Mr. Chretien would be on them. And this guys done it. I better get my act together and start returning Tony Blair's messages.

Massive Oil Spill in Alaska

This spill, which I hadn't heard about in the news until just now, took place this morning. It is already being called the second largest oil spill ever (next to the Exxon Valdez).Alaska pipeline spill amount debated - Environment - MSNBC.com

Robo-Atwood

This is weird. Margaret Atwood can now use her army of robots to sign books for her/track down Sarah Conner. No, that's not actually the story, but its still weird all the same.Wired News:

Preview the New Rosesdead here.

ROSESDEAD - STAGES - OUT MARCH 28 2006

AfterDowningStreet.org | CensureBush.org

Interesting site, worth a looky. They've got a compilation CD coming out too. Read on.
AfterDowningStreet.org | CensureBush.org

Winners of the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards

truth.explosion.magazine. News: Winners of the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards

Daily Nar PSA: Blogs aren't funny in Syria

I always thought major news organizations differed from blogs by actually having a payroll to pay for people to fact check stories, especially when they come off the internet. Sheesh.
Boing Boing: Blog satire mistaken as news by agencies in Syria, Pakistan

Downloading dents Canuck song biz

This is an industry rag, so I call BS on this story.
Variety.com - Downloading dents Canuck song biz

T.O. to become wireless hotspot

I think this is a wonderful idea. I assume you will have the option to "opt-in" on you hydro bill. I smell a "Daily Nar posting from every bar in the city" challenge, yes?
TheStar.com - T.O. to become wireless hotspot

Real Life Simpsons Intro

Too cool.

The New Music Friday Vol. 45

At least I think it's number 45... big deal. It's late, I spent 10 hours helping someone move, I'm cramped, and I'm off to go snowboarding. So piss off, this will be fast:

- Truth Explosion's got a bunch of pictures from the recent Choke/Moneen show up at their site. Check it out at www.truthexplosion.com

- The Black Maria have retreated back to Toronto to regroup after the departure of Kyle Bishop (ex-Grade frontman). Expect some new material by year's end.

- Check out Hayden's relatively new CD, Elk Lake Serenade. I'm a little behind on Hayden, but this guy is a genius. Mark my words, he is the next Neil Young. Just type "Hayden" into google, or hit up Hardwood Records for his site with links to music and videos. My choice track is Hollywood Ending.

- The Ataris new album will drop in June

- The Early November have a new track available at www.downloadpunk.com

- This year's Bamboozle festival will be huge. Bands confirmed so far include:

Fall Out Boy
All American Rejects
Armor For Sleep
BAYSIDE
CHIODOS
DRIVE BY
Endeavor After
Endever
From First to Last
Halifax
Happy Endings
Hawthorne Heights
HelloGoodbye
HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW
HIT THE LIGHTS
HOUSE OF HEROES
In Harms Way
Inventions
JParis
John Ralston
JONAS BROTHERS
Just Surrender
KEATING
Mae
Matchmaker
Me Without You
MINUS THE BEAR
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
Never The Nines
October Fall
OVER IT
PARAMORE
Patrick Droney and Bleak City Band
PISTOLITA
Red Jump Suit Apparatus
Relient K
Silverstein
Streetlight Manifesto
Strike
SUNGLASSES AT KNIGHT
Sybris
The Hush Sound
The InOut InOut
The Killing Sequence
THE ROCKET SUMMER
The Sleeping
The Spill Canvas
THIS DAY AND AGE
Thursday
Veda Skyes
Taking Back Sunday
30 Seconds To Mars
A Thorn For Every Heart
Amber Pacific
ANTERRABAE
As Cities Burn
CAFFEINE
Captured by Robots
Circa Survive
It Dies Today
Cute Is What We Aim For
EMANUEL
Every Time I Die
Gym Class Heroes
HE IS LEGEND
HIM
I AM THE AVALANCHE
LIFETIME
Linc's Special Guest: Method Man
Living Things
MC Lars
Men Women and Children
Moneen
NIGHTMARE OF YOU
Paint It Black
Panic! At The Disco
Permanent Me
Poison The Well
Saves The Day
Say Anything
Senses Fail
Sound The Alarm
Stretch Arm Strong
Strike Anywhere
The Bled
The Fall of Troy
The Receiving End of Sirens
Underoath
Van Stone
ZOX

May 6th and 7th @ The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ. Info at www.thebamboozle.com

Don't Drink Pop.

Ever.
Soft drinks found to have high levels of cancer chemical

Who shares your birthday?

This is realted to nothing at all.

My birthday includes the following people I've heard of:

- Roxanne Biggs-Dawson, actress (B'Elanna Torres-Star Trek Voyager)
- Neal X, rocker (Sigue Sigue Sputnik-Love Missile F-111)
- Mick Talbot, rock keyboardist (Style Council-You're the Best Thing)
- Jon Moss, rock drummerer (Culture Club-Do You Really Want to Hurt Me)
- Lola Falana, Camden NJ, actress (Golden Boy)
- Mickey Hart, drummer (Grateful Dead)
- Bernie Dwyer, rock drummer (Freddie & The Dreamers)
- Brian DePalma, Newark NJ, film director (Body Double, Dressed to Kill)
- Robert L Crippen, Beaumont Tx, Capt USN/astronaut (STS 1, 7, 41C, 41G)
- Valentino, Milan Italy, fashion designer (Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis)
- Ferdinand Marcos, Philippines President (1965-86)
- Gerhard Schroder, German minister of Defense
- Feliks E Dzjerzjinski, Lithuania, founder (KGB)
- ... and more!

Find yours at the link below, just hit birthdays in the top menu.
September 11 Birthdays in History

oh yeah...

Video Ipod-awaiters rejoice... sources confirm the new video iPod is still on the way (March or April). Click the link for photo goodness and more info.

Latest iPod video rumors: 4-inch display, Jobs scrambling for content - Engadget

Hmmm....

I figure this is a political move I'm just not smart enough to understand completely. In the last two days, we seen news that Harper is committed to reforming - but keeping - the Senate. Today, Harper is on the record more or less brushing aside McGuinty's requests to redirect more of Ontario's money back to Ontario. Could this snippet be McGuinty's way of slapping back? Let's face it, he swings a big stick when it comes to political power; AND, he's pushing it like he does the transfer payment issue: that Ontario is misrepresented in federal decisions. It's a strong argument that plays well to the average person who can see the results of a fiscal crunch (whatever the reason may be).
CBC News: Ontario Premier ponders getting rid of Senate

Think OSAP would cover this?

Indiana State University is to become the first school to require all students to have a laptop. Starting in 2007, all students in that freshmen year will need a notebook. But don't worry, the school has already worked out a deal for them with IMB/Lenovo.
TribStar.com - Terre Haute, Indiana - Indiana State adds ThinkPad to list of essential school supplies

Bush was warned about threat of Katrina, video shows

I find it hard to shake my head at stories like this anymore. First 9/11, then Katrina. Does anyone seriously support the Bush administration anymore?
CBC News: Bush was warned about threat of Katrina, video shows