Month: May 2003

A couple of weeks ago, my trusty Olympus D-320L digital camera met an unfortunate end. It was sitting on a table when the long clothing of someone rushing past brushed against it and swept it off. The guy was moving pretty quickly and the table was on a platform; as a result it flew across 15 feet of room, bounced off a staircase and then landed seven fee below with a very loud smack, turning its insides into a mishmash of small broken electronic parts.

The camera was due for replacement anyway. I bought it in 1988, when one-megapixel cameras were cutting edge. The standard resolution of the camera was 640 by 480, the largest SmartMedia card it could take was 8MB, and it had no zoom. However, it was a tough little beast, took wonderful pictures in all manner of conditions and has been to one trip to Europe, two trips to Asia, a week at Burning Man and several jaunts across the United States and Canada. All told, I took about 10,000 pictures with that camera, all of which have been dutifully archived on CD-ROM.

I’m shopping around for a new one and would appreciate any advice. I’m looking for a camera in the CDN$800-or-less price range (that’s US$500-or-less). While picture quality is important to me — the D-320 took amazing pictures for a camera in its class — I’d prefer a ready-to-go-on-adventures camera that took decent pictures over a bulky, don’t-jostle-it-too-much camera that took amazing photos. This camera is more likely to take photos at beer-sodden nights in Toronto or Prague, bacchanalian revelry in Black Rock Desert and pictures of my nephews rather than Pulitzer Prize-winning photos of politicians or shots that will end up in coffee table books. Optical zoom would be nice too. Let me know in the comments.

Double the karaoke goodness, double the fun

Kickass Karaoke, the best karaoke night in Accordion City, takes place twice this week:

• Tomorrow (Wednesday, May 21st) at the Bovine Sex Club (542 Queen Street West, half a block east of Bathurst)
• Sunday. May 25th at the Rivoli (332 Queen Street West, half a block east of Spadina).

As always, the events are hosted by the Grandmaster of Karaoke himself, Mr. Carson T. Foster.

Some little tidbits of Kickass Karaoke:

• The CityTV piece on Kickass Karaoke (including a short bit of me doing Born to be Wild on accordion). QuickTime required.
• April 2003
• August 2002
• July 2002
• June 2002
• March 2002
• November 2001

In related news: Melisma, or “I will always love you-u-u-u-u-u-u-u…”

While we’re on the topic of singing, you might want to check out this New York Times story on a certain style of vocalisation that’s getting overused by the contestants on American Idol: melisma…

The cover of the new CD “American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs” features grinning head shots of 11 of the television talent show’s 12 finalists — an attractive, amiable-looking group that could be a high school glee club. Don’t be fooled. Competitive karaoke is not for the fainthearted; “American Idol” contestants do not sing songs so much as attack them. In nearly every verse of every number on “All-Time Classic American Love Songs,” the young singers pursue a strategy of violent Mariah Carey emulation. Their credo is clear: never hesitate to warble seven notes where one would suffice.

This past weekend was a holiday weekend in Canada: Victoria Day, held in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday, whose actual date is May 24th. While the holiday is no longer held on May 24th — it’s now just held on the Monday before May 25th — it’s known colloquially as “May two-four”, the “two-four” being a reference to the 24 bottles in a case of beer. People traditionally open their cottages this weekend and the unwritten fashion rule states that you’re allowed to wear white pants between Victoria Day and Labour Day.

Then there’s the matter of the fireworks.

I’ll post some photos later today, but here’s a taste for now: some hardcore accordion playing, with me playing the bass-and-chord buttons with my left hand, while holding a Roman candle in my right.

I’m taking advantage of the fact that it’s a long weekend in Canada. See you Tuesday!

…partly because I’m tres busy today and partly because it’s an interesting one.

(I like the jab at emo kids.)

Carson’s posted the photos from last Sunday’s Kickass Karaoke at the Rivoli, which includes this one:

Hardest workin’ man in Accordion Business, that’s me.

I’m busy today, so the entries are going to be a little light.

This one’s a quick note to the small handful of concerned people who’ve written in, asking if I’m all right, what with all the blog entries about hassles.

I’m cool. They’re really more amusing than anything else, and I’m not sliding into some kind of depression. Job opportunities abound, I’m getting into the best shape ever, my family’s doing well, the single ladies are out there and my accordion playing’s improving too.

In the grand scale of things, the hassles about which I’ve been writing are minor “First World” annoyances. Most of the world is occupied by guys with names like Chang, Gomez and Mobutu who’d love to have my problems instead of theirs.

Besides, they’re great inspiration for writing, aren’t they?

As Carrie “Princess Leia” Fisher notes in Postcards from the Edge (I’m paraphrasing): “Sure, you can give someone a perfect and carefree childhood, one without want or worry and free of the traumas that are part and parcel of growing up, but what kind of person usually results? Dan Quayle.”

(But thanks for writing anyways, guys!)