I'm Turning Into My Mother

I looked down at my plate at lunch, and I realized that I had mixed all of the vegetables together just like my mom does. Thing is, I always comment on how disgusting that is when she does it, and lookie there, I'm doing the same thing, and I like it.

Which brings me to the real topic of this post -- I've decided to go vegetarian for a while. I'm doing it to see how my body responds to the absence of meat, and because I just hit this point where meat kind of grosses me out. I didn't decide to go vegetarian on moral grounds, but geez, think of all the hormones we're consuming. Blech. (Notice that I don't refer to myself directly as a vegetarian -- I'm only eating like a vegetarian. I don't consider myself one. It's not an identity thing for me. It's just a diet.)

So today I've been on vegetarian diet for a whole week. I'm really liking it so far. Stay tuned, as I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat to see how this thing pans out.

Canada, the New Seattle

There's an amazing sound coming out of Canada these days -- a psychedelic, eerie echo, a haunting reverberation that seems simultaneously familiar and new.

I give you:

The Besnard Lakes
Arcade Fire
Patrick Watson
The Dears
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Wolf Parade
Broken Social Scene
Handsome Furs
Jets Overhead
The New Pornographers
Shapes and Sizes
Sunset Rubdown
Tokyo Police Club
The Weakerthans


I know that' s a lot of bands and links and that you will maybe click on about 2 of them. But I just think it's interesting that these bands all seem to have a unique sound quality to their music. I think the majority of these bands record in a tin-can or something. There's a muffled, undefined, blurry, echoing quality. (Anybody out there a sound engineer? I'd like to know specifics.) I love it.

And, too, I think most of these bands have mastered the art of the minor chord. It's such introspective, cloudy music. It feels like Seattle or Vancouver -- overcast, cozy, muffled. (But, then, I've never been to Eastern Canada. It could feel like Montreal or Toronto, too.)

Check 'em out. If you only click on a couple of links, I suggest the first and third bands. And the second. And the sixth, seventh, and eighth. . .