So I had a birthday the other day and I’m a walking “Touch of Grey” commercial… some grey to let you know I know what I’m talking about. But not enough that you don’t think I can have erection… ya dig.
My Mom and Dad sent me some money which was clutch because on my birthday I once and for all killed my headphones.
When I started at the Zone, I bought a pair of headphones… that was back in 2003. And I still had them in something resembling working order till Monday. Sure, they were down to one ear-muff. And they used to electrocute me occasionally (nothing dangerous, just a little love buzz to let me know they cared). I got that fixed. I did love these headphones.
But on Monday, I caught the cable on the chair when I turned my head to answer the Zone phone, and I really ripped the cable out. Real good.
I am sure Russ the Engineer could fix them, he can fix anything. But maybe it was their time. In headphone years… they were like 100.
Sad, I cheered up when came home to a birthday card with some money stuffed in it . I bought new headphones.
A brand called “Skull Candy.” Click <– that link… pretty bad ass right? OK, not really, I bought them at London Drugs. They had really expensive home/audio headphones, real cheapo Maxwell and then Skull Candy splitting the middle. So I bought Skull Candy. Bad idea for the Zone. Maybe its because they’re new and different, which… with women is exciting, but for headphones, not so much. Luckily Coral has the same brand as my old ones… so I brought the Skull candy home and traded.
This is working out great, because for home use, these Skull Candy muffs sound awesome on my laptop.
And the longer tougher cable of the Sony Headphones of Coral’s works better at the Zone. It like soccer where all the games end in 1-1 ties. Satisfying. I now understand why that sport is popular.
Got back around 11PM last night after a wicked and savage 28-ish hours in Seattle. Bearing witness to an historic Seattle Seahawks football game. The unlikely 7-9 Seahawks bounced the defending Super-Bowl champion New Orleans Saints out of the NFL playoff during Wild Card week. If it isn’t the GREATEST playoff upset in NFL history… it is damn near the top. And I was there with Pol Plastino and a couple of Zoners.
We took the “borrowed” Chevy Cruze on a crazy roadtrip that began Friday night with a bee-line straight to the Coast Tsawwassen Inn.
Wake up time was 6AM. Wake up Pol!
God bless the complimentary continental breakfast. Last square meal I’d have all day. It is now 6:30ish AM.
Seattle!
First order of business… find a party! (and some red plastic cups). Zoners Erin and David brought the high heat with good canadian beer to drink during the pre-game. Hmm what time is it? 10:30AM maybe? Sure, beer is a good idea.
Our mission was clear… seek out and destroy street meat hotdogs! And there were many.
Holy moly that looks good! I wish I wasn’t the designated driver, because the only thing that goes with a hotdog this exact…. is beer. Pol, Erin and David are in on them. Funny, red cups repel cops. Seattle knows how to throw a street party. The city of Victoria needs to send our leaders to figure out good times.
We head into the stadium around 12:30 for the 1PM start.
The action of the football game was intense. But the Hawks NEEDED me, I was the 12th man. Most football teams only field 11 guys, so as you can imagine, the fact the Hawks have 12 is a big advantage. (please don’t make fun of my double chin)
Sitting up in the “Hawks Nest” was rad. The rowdies up there knew how to party and sitting in front was a woman I used to work with at Starbucks in Saanich. Weird… she came with her family and took this picture of David, Pol and myself. This is right near the end, when we could all feel the win!
Pol and I took lots of video clips and we’ll ask Bud to edit them up into something resembling entertainment. Hope to be able to share that video with you soon. Lots of of clips of the street party and tailgaters.
Driving the Chevy Cruze to Seattle was the best time. And these outrageous adventures get put together at the Zone very fast… we don’t know when the next one will be, or to where yet… just that it will happen, and you could be coming with us! Follow the Zone on Facebook, twitter and LISTEN to 91-3 FM.
This game is a historic event AND the Seahawks will be jamming out their playoff game against the defending Super Bowl champions… the New Orleans Saints.
Today on the show… Pol and I will qualify one more Zoner then we’ll do a draw live on the radio at 6PM. One couple leaves from the studio with us to the ferry… Two couples go home.
Molly is the one-month old baby girl that was diagnosed with leukemia on December 24th. It is exceptionally rare for a child as young as one-month to be stricken with this form of cancer. The doctors estimate it happens in British Columbia once every two or three years.
Yesterday she began her chemotherapy. Basically the treatment involves using chemicals to destroy cancer cells in the body. They also kill healthy cells and make life not as delightful as maybe we’re all used to. It sucks in an adult who can at least logically understand what’s going on and the cost/benefit of the process. In a five-week old tiny baby? Yeesh. It is so heart breaking.
The doctors have told Dave and Rebekah (the parents) to expect 24 hour crying as Molly will experience nausea and nerve pain throughout her entire little body.
24 hour crying.
Coral can barely handle Madelyn if she asks for a treat in a whiny voice…. all day, everyday, without rest? Yikes.
I wonder if I can volunteer to hold the baby? But I guess it would be weird to have a stranger hold your baby during such an emotional and exceptional time.
The friends of the Campbell family have made a website with news, updates and ways you can help should you feel so inclined.
Ash Poon is a guy I went to college with. Ash Poon is also the man that taught me not to judge a book by its cover.
The first time I took a crack at the wonderful world of radio broadcasting I was at BCIT in Burnaby and I jammed out a weekly indie rocker radio show on the Vancouver community radio station CiTR.
The class was full of media wannabe hopefuls. Some I knew better than others. Some just kids I went to school with. Ash was for sure, one of the latter. I knew him, good guy. I don’t think we were in too many of the same classes, just same program. The radio class is split into two… A and B. I think Ash was an A and I was a B… But its all kinda fuzzy.
I worked part-time at CFUN as a board op/slash/infomercial-kinda-producer type. Ash applied there as well and got hired on. So we worked together.
I also had a shitty band and was into rock and roll so Ash invited me to check out his band, In Medias Res, sometime.
Ash was this geeky, Asian kid and to be honest… I thought, “hmmm? I guess.” Most the Vancouver rockers I knew at the time had nipple piercings, a jam studio in New West, bitchin’ T-shirt logos, and smoked a ton of pot. Ash showed up to work everyday and I think he is a Christian. He gave me a burned CD of their first ep and I brought it to my radio show.
In Media Res – “Best Kept Secret”
That song changed my world and remains an all-time favourite of mine. If I ever made a Morning After Show best of record, that song would need to be on it.
I saw In Medias Res play a show at the Purple Onion in Gastown and the man blew me away. His band was fantastic and Ash was a rock and roll demon on stage. Not at all how I had stereotyped him. Lesson learned… stop being a snobby minger.
I quit working at CFUN in… 2001? to go work at Telus and would eventually move to Victoria in 2003. I stayed in contact with Ash and In Medias Res through the power of the internets and loved their first full-length LP Of What Was (2004).
In Medias Res – “Shakeher”
In Medias Res played a ton of shows in the mid-2000s and then… you know, people get older, they get married, life, work. Didn’t really hear too much from them until just the other day I got a Facebook message from Ash.
New record.
On January 4th, 2011 you can point your mouse over to http://imr.ca and download It Was Warm and Sunny When We First Set Out. Also being pressed on vinyl? OK Ash… I guess I’ll owe that much and buy that too.
The cover is great. Nice vintage family shot that speaks to the themes and title of the record. I like how the title also appears to be a nod to the band, and their journey. Nothing like getting older and reflecting on what it was like back in the late 90s/early 00s when you first starting thinking about future and how rosey it would/should/might be. What is that saying, “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step?” awwww. Maybe their journey begins now? And it is filled with optimism? As they’ll say later on the record, “tonight I am new.”
First listen and immediately I like it. The record feels warm and recognizable as soon as it pops in. Their first album in almost 7 years and if you know and love Of What Was, you can grab on to this collection of music.
In Medias Res creates an atmospheric, sweeping brand of rock music. Great slow dirges that build into cascading guitars, fuzz and howling vocals before settling back down into lullabies and echo.
The record is broken up with some spazzy rockers and begins with the ferocious “The Final Flight of the Bees.” The distortion and reverb are also turned on and up on the aptly named “Fight Song.” Noises…. “Bears” is another savage jam that I hope really is about BEARS!
I like In Medias Res best when the slow it down and then build it up. “Come Back Down” or the most excellent “Tonight I am New.” “Tonight” is an older song as I know I’ve heard it before. I think they recorded it as a one off or it was finished sooner in the album recording process so they shared it. I asked my friend Alix what her favourite song on the record is so far, and she said “Tonight I Am New.” It must have been released before.
What a great song and a stand out on the album so far during my first listen.
In Medias Res – “Tonight I am New”
I don’t really know what Andrew Lee is singing about with this song… but it sounds romantic. If Coral and I get married again, and we had a first dance song, this one would need to be short-listed. So Pretty.
Ash Poon is a great guy, we don’t send each other Christmas cards or anything (but damn, we should!) but blessed be the internet and I am thankful he took 4 seconds to write me a message.
So I had a birthday the other day and I’m a walking “Touch of Grey” commercial… some grey to let you know I know what I’m talking about. But not enough that you don’t think I can have erection… ya dig.
The Morning After 