Hiatus

I’m going camping. Be back early September. Sorry to disappoint all my nonexistent readers

The Cost of Development

Today I mourn the loss of a friend.

As you may or may not know, I enjoy sports. However, there’s only a few that I’ve really excelled at:

1) Skiing
2) Long-distance running
3) Basketball
(I’ve played soccer just as much as any of these, but, despite what the number of medals I possess says, I am not a great soccer player)

I started playing basketball when I was 12. Mostly because my friends were, but hey, when you’re 12, that’s the best reason to do anything. From then until last spring, most of my non-organized basketball life took place at Greenview’s basketball courts. They weren’t as big as Hillview’s, but they were less crowded. Me and my friends could go there and not worry about playing other people to stay on the court. And we were there a lot.

Now, they’re gone.

Just a casualty of Greenview Landing, the pilot project of Edmonton’s First-Time Homebuyer program. A program which has gotten off to an incredibly slow start. How slow? Try 15 applications for 85 units made available so far, with only 11 being approved.

Why the slow start? I’m attributing it to all the development locations being in the suburbs. Some people want to live close to downtown, Whyte Avenue, 124th St, whatever. Look where the large majority of rental units are in the city: Riverbend? Nope. Castledowns? Guess again. They’re central! The vast majority of people who are looking to buy their first home are renting in central-Edmonton, and, believe it or not, they might like their neighborhoods.

And there most definitely are suitable locations. How about in the Ottewell area? Braemar school is being used to educate pregnant teens and parenting teens. A worthy cause, but surely they don’t need all of the field space. How about Wellington, High Park, Newton, or one of the other schools that have been recently closed? There’s more space in a more central location.

This project has potential to do a lot of good, but I think it needs to re-evaluate its locations of choice. Maybe that will save other well-used parkland areas, like Greenview and my favorite basketball courts.

You can find the full list of potential sites here.

Pictures to follow…

Rant of the Week: Headphones while driving

I am really at a loss. AS I was driving down St. Albert Trail (’scuse me, Mark Messier Drive) this morning, I noticed not one, but TWO people driving with little white headphones on. The first, a portly fellow driving a magenta Neon, was full-on singing along, most likely poorly. The second, a young woman in a Ranger, appeared to be applying lipstick while she drove. I’m starting to think that we really do deserve our reputation of bad (at the very least, negligent) drivers.

I mean, c’mon. Yes, iPods are great. Headphones are the problem I suppose. When used together, they should be used when there’s no music available. If you’re in a car, you have a radio, probably a cd player, hell, probably even a jack to plug your iPod into. There’s plenty of other solutions available rather than making yourself even more oblivious to what’s going on around you. And it is an entirely different matter than having a cranked stereo. With headphones on, you’re hyper-focused. It may be easy enough to go straight, but I’m pretty sure its difficult to be aware of what is going on around you.

Forget cell phones. Little while headphones are a sure sign of an accident waiting to happen. Some people…

UPDATE

I’ve just been informed that this is, in fact, illegal. It seems that my frustrations are valid.

BESCoTW #1: Iran isn’t a threat, get over it.

That’s right folks, it is now time for the first-ever Bad Edmonton Sun Column of the Week, hereby to be referred to as BESCotW. This week’s BESCotW takes us to the ramblings of Ed Feuer, A new name for me in the realm of bad columns, although if he keeps this up, he might become a regular in this feature.

Mr. Feuer’s column is all about taking action before Iran develops nuclear weaponry:

Some wring their hands and say the world must accept a nuclear Iran, but that wouldn’t be like the old Soviet Union. Mutually assured destruction doesn’t work with martyrdom-seeking whackos.

Wait, Iran is actually developing a credible nuclear weapons program?! Since when? Last time I checked, it would take 1200 of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges a YEAR to make one nuclear warhead:

Even though the IR-2 appears to be easier for Iran to build, the new centrifuge maintains the same production capacity as Pakistan’s P-2. Both can enrich uranium about 2.5 times faster than the P-1 centrifuges Iran has already been running at Natanz. Under optimal conditions, about 1,200 IR-2 centrifuges would need to operate for a year to make enough weapons-grade uranium for one nuclear warhead. The same goal would require about 3,000 P-1 centrifuges. (Natanz probably has about this many P-1s, but they have not been operating at full capacity.)

Oh, and did I mention that Iran has nowhere near 1200 of these things? Their old P1’s are home-made, ramshackle devices that can’t even operate at full speeds. Good luck getting the new ones to work, boys. Even if Iran plans on manufacturing nuclear weaponry, they are about as far off as Mongolia conceivably would be. Sorry Mr. Feuer, you’re a bit off.

Now, onto Ahmadinejad himself. This man is no Hitler. He’s no Stalin. He isn’t even a Sadaam Hussein. This man is akin to the doomsday-prophet homeless guy that pesters you on the way to the bus. He SOUNDS threatening, but in reality, he’s pretty much harmless. Yes, he’s an anti-Semitic Holocaust denier partially in charge of a nation (still less power than the Ayatollah, might I add), but he’s in charge of Iran. Not Russia, not Nazi Germany, Iran. A country that poses no possible military threat to, well, any of us here in the west. The last thing we need is another Iraq scenario, and this is right where this thing is headed unless people stop believing all the BS the Bush administration and the UN Security Council is feeding them and wake up. Ahmadinejad is a two-bit attention seeker, and we’re giving him exactly what he wants: a platform to spew his anti-Semitic slogans and idle threats.

Just ignore him and he’ll go away.

Rant of the Week: Trains

I understand the need for trains. I like trains. I wish we used passenger trains far more here, and, with a country as vast as Canada, I can’t figure out why we don’t.

But.

There is a time and a place for trains, and rush hour is not that time when the place is the middle of a city. Yesterday, for the SECOND TIME THIS WEEK, I was stopped for a good 5-10 minutes by a train on my way home from work very close to 5:00 pm. Now, I understand the need for trains to run on time. I get it.

But.

There are two periods in the day, when automobile traffic is at its peak, that trains should not be running through the city. The train that I ran into crosses quite a few main routes along its line through the city’s south side. The one I keep running into trouble with crosses city streets on several occasions:34 st, 75 st, 86 st, 91 st, 97 st, and about 5 times along Gateway Boulevard access points. Now this would be fine at 8 pm, or something like that. But from 7:30 – 9 am and 4:30 – 6 pm, it causes problems. That’s only 3 hours, 1/8th of a day, where trains shouldn’t be filling city streets. It creates terrible backups, clogs interesections, and increases the risk of accidents. Not to mention, it contradicts the anti-idling movement that’s sweeping the nation. What’s worse than a 10-car lineup at a Tim Horton’s drive-thru? A 100-car lineup at a railroad crossing. There. Trains in rush hour = evil because they cause idling. No further proof needed.

Sure, maybe its just inconvenient and I’m attempting to justify the torrid pace of my lifestyle, but after all, this is the Rant of the Week, and this gets me a little hot under the proverbial collar. I need a nap.

Nine Inch Nails: Unforgettable

After taking in the auditory assault that was Judas Priest and Testament the previous night and waking up feeling like crap, I was unsure of the shape I’d be in for the Nine Inch Nails (NIN) concert. Thankfully, I persevered, otherwise I would have missed out on the best concert of my life.

From the first few notes of 1,000,000; an excellent track from NIN’s new album, The Slip, I knew I was in for a hell of a ride. The multi-talented Trent Reznor and his touring band started the show off hard and heavy, delving into new numbers like Discipline and fan-favorite March of the Pigs in front of a wall of rotating lights. The energy these guys brought to the stage was amazing, and they had the whole floor rocking out and singing along.

The first light show was good enough, but Nine Inch Nails surpassed anything I’ve seen during the rest of the show. As screens of LED lights descended from the rafters, guitars and drums were replaced with synths as NIN dove into some of their more electronic material in front of columns of green light. It was a eerie effect, and it set the mood perfectly.

I was even more surprised when the synths gave way to xylophones, cellos, and oboes (or was it a clarinet?) as NIN performed some of the tracks from their ambient album, Ghosts, finishing off with a new rendition of a classic, Piggy. If this was any other band, this would have been a low point in the show. However, NIN’s brilliant display of layered, semi-transparent LED screens with awe-inspiring lighting compositions provided the perfect backdrop for the laid-back, atmospheric music. From a desert scene complete with layers of clouds to a thick wall of static that eventually gave way to the band performing behind it, the concert was a treat for the eyes as much as the ears.

After the ambient interlude, Trent got right back to business, launching into classics like Wish and Terrible Lie before finishing the main set with an energetic rendition of Head Like a Hole. The show finished with a strong four-song encore, including fan-favorite Hurt and ending with the atmospheric In This Twilight.

Reznor’s voice was flawless the entire night, and his band’s multi-instrument work was a thing of beauty. I was apprehensive about how the material from more electronic efforts like Year Zero would translate from album to arena, but they sounded excellent. In less capable hands, this show could have been a mess, but Reznor proved again why he’s one of the best things going in the music business today.

Crystal Castles opened, but I could only stand two songs of their 8-bit-noise/house beats and painful vocals. 30 seconds into Nine Inch Nails’ performance and I had forgotten about them. Apparently their albums are better than their live show, so I won’t write them off entirely just yet.

Between the visual aspect and the musical intensity, NIN’s performance was unforgettable. Best show of the year? Try best of my life.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Bow to the Priest

I can almost die happy.

Last night, I was able to make my “bands I want to see before I die” list one shorter, and Judas Priest did not dissapoint. I was a bit worried that Rob Halford would have lost his incredible vocal range (he’s 56 years old now), but he performed admirably. Sure, he doesn’t move around quite as fast, but he still managed to change between a wide array of studded leather trenchcoats will relative ease. K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton still have the chops as well. Their dual-lead guitar stylings never fail to impress me on albums, and they were just as sharp live.

You have to love a show where the singer starts off by rising out of the stage wearing a shiny robe, carrying a trident, and singing about Nostradamus. A bit much for some, perhaps, but the crowd ate it up. Judas Priest didn’t dwell in new territory for long, though. They quickly launched into fan-favorites Metal Gods and Between the Hammer and the Anvil (a personal favorite), and from that, the crowd knew that they were in for an amazing show. Things kind of dragged in the middle with one of the slower songs from their new album, Nostradamus, and the forgettable ballad Angel from 2005’s Angel of Retribution (I would have preferred Judas Rising, by far the best track on that album). However, my faith was restored with the rousing finale of Sinner (the highlight of the night) and Painkiller, followed by an encore of Hellbent for Leather, The Green Manalishi, and, of course, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.

Opening act Testament made me an instant fan. I now regret not checking these guys out earlier, as they put on an intense, incredibly heavy opening set. The sound in the Shaw isn’t made for thrash metal, but Testament persevered with an onslaught of pounding drums and Chuck Billy’s crushing vocals. It’s the first time that my ears were ringing after the opening act, and I loved every second of it.

The only disappointing thing was the long line to get in followed by a relatively small crowd of 3500 in the venue. I know Monsters of Rock was yesterday and Priest played there, but c’mon Edmonton! This may have been your last chance to see the Metal Gods themselves (though I sincerely hope not), and if you weren’t there, you missed out on a hell of a show.

Rating: four out of five.

A win is a win… Eskimos squeak by Tabbies

Well, the Eskimos managed to squeak out a win over the lowly Tiger-Cats tonight. Was it overly impressive? No, but it was nice to see the Eskimo Defense rebound after a brutal outing in Toronto last week.

Defense
Holding Jesse Lumsden to 55 yards is no easy task, but the Eskimos D got it done. Sure, Lumsden probably isn’t 100% yet, and he still averaged 5.5 yards per carry, but most of those yards came later in the game. The Esks managed to throw him off his game early and he never got into much of a rhythm. Sure, Hamilton’s offense wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders, but the D put a ton of pressure on Casey Printers, and it paid off. Printers was scrambling all night, and was the recipient of a number of sacks for his trouble.

Offense
Another 300+ yards night from Ricky Ray. When he’s good, he’s good. It was also nice to see the ball get back into Kelly Campbell’s capable hands. After a plethora of dropped balls early on (including a potential Fred Stamps touchdown), I was a bit worried. However, the recieving corps came through, especially Kelly Campbell, who had the only touchdown of the game. If the last few games are any indication, when Campbell gets involved, the Eskimos win. Still, Ray threw 47 passes, and the Eskimos only managed 73 yards on 14 carries. Not bad, but not great. Our offense is still pretty one-dimensional, and I’d like to see the ball in AJ Harris’ capable hands a bit more.

On a serious note, I hope Jason Tucker is alright. He he didn’t return after a nasty helmet-to-helmet collision in the 3rd quarter. He was able to move his hands and feet later on, so that’s a good sign. Here’s to a speedy recovery.

Special Teams
Mr. Prefontaine goes 4 for 4, Tristan Jackson has another competent game, and they managed to hold Hamilton to very few return yards. Again, special teams may have won us the game here.

Final:
Edmonton Eskimos: 19
Hamilton Tiger-Cats: 13

Game Ball:
Noel Prefontaine, K, Edm
-Another near-perfect performance including 4 field goals and a nice 10-yard dash to avoid a potentially blocked punt. Well played, sir.

Vroom vroom….Wait, is that who I think it is?

So its Indy time in Edmonton, and you know what that means. Fast cars, Danica Patrick, sweltering heat, and…parties hosted by b-list celebrities? What a great way to start this blog.

Alright. I get it. Edmonton isn’t Vegas. But c’mon. Despite having aging-yet-awesome rock star Gene Simmons waving the starting flag at the race itself, we’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel:

“The downtown Globe Hospitality group (Globe, Oil City, Fluid Lounge, Bank Ultra Lounge) has put up its Indy Downtown Summer Party Tent, with Kevin Federline tomorrow and Mini Me Saturday.”

As reported in the usual local source for bad celebrity news, we’re gettin’ K-Fed to host the big party. If that wasn’t awesome enough, Verne Troyer is taking over for the second night of tent-partying.

Precious.

Personally, I think we would have been better off springing for someone who isn’t well beyond their 15 minute of fame. Even someone less famous, but a bit more, y’know, respectable. Really, what does this say about Edmonton when we have one of the biggest jokes in the entertainment business and a one-hit-wonder (Mini-Me of course, I haven’t seen Verne’s sex tape yet) hosting one of our allegedly hottest parties of the year? Do we really respect these people because of what they do, or do we just want to attach a name to our event to raise its profile? Note to the organizers: It’s an Indy car race. That’s a global sporting event that we are very lucky to host! Hell, even Gene Simmons is a fan; I’m sure we don’t need K-Fed and Verne to get people excited about it.

Oh hey, there’s a race going on too. Get out and enjoy it if you got free tickets from work. Otherwise, good luck

Tapping the keg…

That may be the last beer-related tagline you’ll see on here. Unless I’m actually talking about beer, which is a likely scenario at some point down the line.

So, you’re here. Thanks.
What can you expect to find here? Well, I won’t spoil the surprise. Check the “About” tab to see why I’d dedicate a blog to writing about Edmonton, and what exactly you can expect to find. This will be under construction for a while, so bear with me. I’m still working out a few kinks with WordPress as well, but I’ll get the hang of it soon enough.