Our View, Next Few Days

You will probably notice a slight disruption over the next few days, with respect to the regularity of my usual posting times.

This cannot be avoided - but I will eventually get to this task sometime during the day, or at 3:00 AM, given circumstances entirely in my control....herding Mrs. That Dan Guy away from one-armed bandits!

We are here for an anniversary getaway - and as it happens, we have somehow managed to make this a country music trip - more on that as the next few days go by. You will see what I mean.

That said, Vegas is filthy with cowboys and cowgirls right now - there's a big rodeo in town, and several shows I'll be commenting on in the next few days. I'm pretty sure we saw Cowboy Troy from Big & Rich hop onstage last night in Cowboyville for a few songs, and the crowd went nuts.

Incidentally, the killer band was also playing Canadian hits, including "Taking Care Of Business", by BTO - from my hometown of Winnipeg! Thanks for making us feel welcome pardners!!!

On a side note, it is unusually cold here - we're used to milder weather, but I see from all my friends' Facebook posts - it is going to be an ugly winter if what we are seeing now is any indication.

Well, as The Duke used to say: "We're burnin' daylight, Pilgrim"

More later!!! 

If This Is Fall, I Don't Want To See Winter...

Holy Frostbitten Polar Bears, Batman!

This is still only fall, yet Calgary managed to be included on a list of the coldest places on Earth this past week. We've had two days of blizzards, and we awoke this morning to more snow and cold.

In short, if this is fall, I don't want to see what winter is going to look like!!

Until this settles back down, I'd rather be:

1) Enjoying a nice relaxing three-hour root canal,
2) Offering some literal finger food to my pet shark,
3) Accompanying Mayor Rob Ford on a clandestine midnight run for "Eggos"...
4) Teaching a tuna to tap dance,
5) Taking a sunrise, sprinkling it with dew. Covering it with choc'late and a miracle or two.
6) Charlie Sheen's abstinence coach,
7) Solving a problem like Maria,
8) ANYWHERE ON EARTH WARMER THAN HERE!!!

Later...

Chicken Scratch

A Classic Entry:

Chicken Scratch, Dec, 2011

"The Bird MisBehaving..."

Cluck For Now!

:-( I've Had A Column Censored...

cen·sor  (snsr) n. 1. A person authorized to examine books, films, or other material and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable. This is a first for me. As a former weekly newspaper humour columnist, it wasn't unusual to have readers grumbling about the subjectivity of humour. As Dave Barry has reminded us over the years, there are people that are just humour-impaired. However, I received an email from my current editor, regarding a letter and some calls he was getting regarding my recent entertainment review. It was with respect to a tongue-in-cheek reference to choosing the best song in the show, and in that I compared that process to Sophie's Choice - which was the ignition point for some readers. The Urban Dictionary currently describes the definition of Sophie's choice as:  "From the novel and film of the same name, an impossibly difficult choice, especially when forced onto someone. The choice is between two unbearable options, and it's essentially a no-win situation."" That is the point I approached my comments from - however I did acknowledge to my editor that there is a delicate balance, and agreed that I could have made a better choice. However, the online version of the column has now been pulled, which is unfortunate for the venue that relies on those reviews, so I regret that unfortunate collateral damage. The ironic part is that as I was talking with my wife about it last night, the TV was on in the background, and as it happened, we were both jolted from our conversation by the latest episode of CBS's The Millers, using Sophie's Choice in the same general vein of comedy, for laughs. Have to admit, I'm not a fan, we don't watch the show, but it was a funny scene. I track my online rankings religiously, and the column had the highest number of "Likes" I have ever had for a review (they now shift feedback to a Facebook page), and was continuing to grow almost a week after appearing in the paper. As a Google Search result, it was also ranked highly, alternating with competing reviews for first place. Not much I can do except try to learn from the experience. The real world being what it is, if I had made a comment about Garfield struggling to decide between two lasagnas, the paper could have received comments from upset cat lovers. That is the fine line that separates humour writers from other opinion columnists. Later

-26 Degrees Celsius

Google that, to see what it may be in Fahrenheit.

If you can type, and your computer doesn't require cutting a hole as if you were about to ice fish, you are in better shape than we are today.

I'll give you a clue - it's so cold...

(HOW COLD IS IT???)

It's so cold, our neighbour Sarah Palin can't see through her frosted, ice-caked kitchen window. For all she knows, Russia has paddled down to the Gulf Of Mexico...

Later!

Stage West Calgary Interviews (finally)

Well, despite the best efforts of technology to thwart me and asphalt my soul, both versions of my cast interview with members of Stage West Calgary's "Love Train The Soul Of Motown" are now live!

For the podcast version either download it for free from iTunes (thatdanguy's podcast), or scroll back up to to the photo montage above and click on it - that will take you directly to the broadcast.

It is also live now on my YouTube Channel.

For the record, links to that are live over to the right of this text...

Enjoy!!

Later..............

AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!

WTF.

I spent hours last night editing an interview and loading it, only to find out it is not available.

Now, I'm trying to make it available on YouTube, but that is seeming to be over an hour away, but we will be leaving before then. That's if it loads there....

I love technology.

FM

Later.

Blizzard

Wow!

We are getting hammered here - Day One of a predicted 48-hour blizzard. We can see all the way across to the Crowchild Highway from our home, and it is a gong show.

Of course, it would be the day that my review is in the physical newspaper.

Oh well, I'll get my butt out into it a little later - try avoiding the worst part of rush hour.

Winter in Canada - oy....

Later!

Review: Stage West on track with Love Train

Review: Stage West on track with Love Train

Stage West Calgary - My Official Calgary Herald Review: "Love Train, The Soul Of Motown"

Stage West Calgary

Love Train The Soul Of Motown

Calgary Herald Review

My official Calgary Herald Review has landed!

It's live online right now, and in print tomorrow.

Check it out by clicking here.

Later today, I am interviewing three cast members. Hopefully that link will be live pronto as well!

Later!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken...)

Survivors

a poem by Charles D. Chicken

Thanksgiving may be fer tha birds

But here's two birds that didn't heards

(tha news...)

We's survivors, after tha American holiday

Happy ta be Canadian birds, we must say.

All you hoomans that cook your gooses

Get stuffed, ya upright mooses!!

Cluck fer now.....

My Latest Column - El Cheapo-O

Do you know someone that goes on a holiday, THEN decides to follow excessive prudence measures?

You might recognize this guy then:

Holidaying With Scrooge McDuck

Enjoy!

Later...

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark...

...Be Afraid Of The Dork - well, not all dorks, just the technologically savvy ones.

Other run-of-the-mill dorks are just mousy goofballs.....

Later!

Thinking About Starting A New Business

I was a big fan of Sanford & Sons when I was younger - boy, that was one funny show.

But would running a scrapyard REALLY be that much fun??

I mean, I like junk, but do I want to spend my whole day looking at your junk?

I guess one way to know if this is the business for me would be to ask for readers to send me pictures of their junk - then I would know if...

Pardon me?

Say what now??

Junk is slang for....

Oh dear..................

You know, I was a big fan of Gilligan's Island when I was younger - maybe a travel tour operation would be a good business to get into......

Later!!

"Snow" Man Identified

A rumoured "snow" man contortionist linked to Toronto mayor Rob Ford has been identified, pictured here in an apparent disguise, while attempting a difficult yoga pose.

Known in the criminal underground as Fross T, this notorious dealer has also been connected to drug deals as far reaching as the sordid 2007 Elves Gone Wild bust, and at least one Miley Cyrus video session.

Not a big proponent of wearing pants, the tree in the foreground is not just a seasonal prop...

Later!

If Wile E. Coyote Had Better Aim...

...with those Acme safes....

Later!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken)

Howdy hoomans! Sunday mornin' comin' down!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Juss getin' mah Sunday best on fer church - ah bin a lil ramiss with attendin' as of late.

I mean, I did get out that one Sunday in 1983...

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Ah may be thwarted tho - I can't keep mah pants on in this suit!

Don't help that ah'm a Size 2 inseam, an these cluckin' pants are a 30!!

Ah kud mebbe borrow Tom Curuise's elevator shoes??

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Why am ah thinkin' about goin' back ta mah flock?

Well, there's tha wine fer one thing...

An...OK...I'll be honest here - Church ladies!!

Ah'm gonna clean up mah act, an get me sum attention frum tha chicks at church - like Christian Mingle without the user fees!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

I can't see anything goin' wrong with THIS plan!!!

Cluck fer now!!!

Calgary Folk Club 11 22 13 - Lunch At Allen's, with Ashley Condon

Calgary Folk Club

11/22/13

Lunch At Allen's

Featuring Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan & Ian Thomas

with opener Ashley Condon

The Saturday Morning "Before-Noon Entertainment Review": The Calgary Folk Club, 

featuring Lunch At Allen's, and Ashley Condon

A gathering of icons...

A flock of fantastic folkies...

For the final night of the 2013 portion of the Calgary Folk Club's current season, the members and guests attending were invited into an intimate evening with four of Canada's most enduring and successful artists - there were moments over the expanse of their two sets that I felt like pinching myself to make sure I really was wide awake and less than 20 feet away from some of these greats.  Two at least were a significant part of the soundtrack of my youth.  

More on the collective that is Lunch At Allen's in a moment though. Let's start with the young lady that warmed up the crowd on a chilly fall evening. 

PEI's Ashley Condon didn't take long to endear herself to the appreciative crowd, who sang along to the captivating stories and memories shared in her songs.

I had the good fortune recently to sit down and ask her a few questions while she was in Calgary two weekends ago for the 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards (she was a nominee herself). I posted that last week - but you can still read it now by clicking here.

Having previewed her YouTube channel ahead of last night's performance, I was already sold on the title track of her latest album, "This Great Compromise". However, it was quickly apparent that with heartfelt songs like "Sea and Land", or "Betty's Song" (dedicated to and inspired by her mother), her nomination for this album was more than well-deserved. 

With an easy-going charm and gentle humour to fill the moments between songs that ultimately linger with you, Condon 's folk music star is surely on the rise...

Check her out online for yourself!

Headliners Lunch At Allen's are a tour-de-force of enduring Canadian hit-makers. The foursome is comprised of Marc Jordan, who has penned hits for Cher, Josh Groban, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart ("Rhythm Of My Heart") and many more, to name but a handful - as well as enjoying commercial success on his own with " (Living In...) Marina del Ray"  

Jordan is joined in this endeavour by Murray McLauchlan - who I am reluctant to admit I haven't seen live since the late 1970's. That was happily rectified last night...

With a wealth of chart singles himself, he showcased fine chops on piano, guitar and harmonica last night, and surprised me when he shared stories of songs I wasn't aware he had either written or co-wrote. 

Ian Thomas sure brings humour to this combo, but he's not the only one - every member of Lunch At Allen's has a quick wit and that was as much a part of the enjoyment as the songs were last night. 

He also brings decades of songwriting skills -  alternately funny, but often poignant. His "Painted Ladies" took me right back to 1973, but his "Six Teams In The NHL" makes me wonder if I'll be thinking of THAT song in much the same way 30 years from now...

Cindy Church rounds out the foursome, an alumnus of Ian Tyson's band, Great Western Orchestra, and Quartette - in addition to racking up awards  on her own along the way.

Some of the quietest moments in the hall last night were when Church was helming lead on the vocals - an amazing, sweet voice that combined wonderfully with the gentlemen surrounding her.

The evening was essentially a showcase for Lunch At Allen's Christmas album "Zuzu's Petals" ( I think they may have performed every track, or darned close), but no one was complaining. The songs were a reflection of the camaraderie between the four - warm, funny and on occasion poignant.

No surprise these folks can fill a room all these years later, never mind evoking fond memories or winning over the crowd to their new music. It was a walk down Memory Lane is some instances, but more than anything, it was a time to be proud of what Canadian music has done, and continues to do for audiences - combining the two acts las tnight, there's clearly no end in sight on that note...

You can find out more by clicking on:

Lunch At Allen's

Marc Jordan

Murray McLauchlan

(Google him, there's more sites to choose from...)

Ian Thomas

Cindy Church

and, as always - remember to check out The Calgary Folk Club, or become a member and support live music!!

Later!

  

Stage West Calgary's "Love Train - The Soul Of Motown" Review

Stage West Calgary

"Love Train - The Soul Of Motown"

The "Before-Noon Entertainment Review"

 - Stage West Calgary's production of 

"Love Train: The Soul Of Motown"

If you want to be "getting your groove on" over the next couple of months, you could make that happen much more easily with the assistance of the wide-ranging array of soul hits presented by the hum-dinger of a cast in Stage West Calgary's latest musical revue.

If there's one thing that almost always ensures a sure-fire hit at this theatre, it's the combination of well-known hits and top-notch performers - in many cases igniting applause as soon as the audience recognizes the songs that Timothy French and Howard Pechet have chosen to be showcased in this expansive reflection on the pervasive influence of soul on the music charts.

If your tastes go as far back as Big Mama Thornton and Etta James, or stay a little closer to modern times with Beyonce and Bruno Mars, you are guaranteed to find songs that will connect and make you wish there was a dance floor somewhere in the immediate vicinity. 

Having just opened, the first few performances before media viewings are typically an opportunity to work out any kinks before we get in to gauge the show for our reviews.

What kinks??

If these 10 singers get any better, they'll want to record a show or two live off the floor and sell CDs in the lobby!  When you hear the precision of the songs presented, like "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "Hound Dog", "This Magic Moment", or "Up On The Roof" - I can't even begin to list the highlights here! And those are just in the first act!!

Troy Adams, Aurianna Angelique, Tafari Anthony, Andrew Broderick, Starr Domingue, Rob James, Cavelle-Nell Romeo, Katrina Reynolds, Jeremiah Sparks, and Lee Siegel take turns showcasing their own capabilities, as well as songs that just never get old - even if they are so contemporary you can still hear them on the radio. Or internet - whatever your choice of technology may be...

I'll post a link when my official Calgary Herald review goes live online and in the paper next week, but for now, I hope you are getting the gist of what I'm trying to say here - put on your boogie shoes, unpack your leisure suit, and get on down to Stage West Calgary for this show - this production has an abundance of irresistible soul!

  

One Day Early - My JFK Anniversary Piece

Hello Readers!

As I will have reviews posted tomorrow and again the day after of events I am tasked to attend over the next two nights, I thought I would just jump the gun by a day to post a column I wrote several years back, that never did get published.

I don't think I need to do much more by way of explanation than that - here's the piece:

“Covering Chaos” in Dallas

Long before CNN, smartphones, embedded reporters and every-day civilian social media sites made news-reporting instantaneous, a routine appearance by the President Of The United States in Texas ultimately sparked a frenzy of activity by news outlets worldwide, as they scrambled to relay to listeners and viewers that John F. Kennedy had just been shot by a sniper. 

Television was really still in its infancy back then, and radio was primarily providing the light entertainment menu of the time. Newspapers (if you can believe it now with the state of the business here in 2013) were considered the most important medium for hard news devotees. 

The Sixth Floor Museum At Dealey Plaza in Dallas is a permanent exhibit dealing with the life, times, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy, housed in the infamous former Texas School Book Depository Building. From the sixth floor of this historic building, employee Harvey Lee Oswald was believed to have fired the three shots that killed President Kennedy, and wounded Governor John Connally.

In late June 2005, as a member of the National Society Of Newspaper Columnists, I was part of a group that had a sneak peek at a fascinating temporary exhibit, entitled “Covering Chaos”. 

The efforts put into recreating the reporting timeline between the initial gunshot fired, to the somber reading of Kennedy’s passing by Walter Cronkite was nothing short of spellbinding, given the limitations for news delivery that were standard in the media outlets of the day. 

From November 22-25, 1963, wire services, print media, radio and television stations covered the event, and their efforts were recounted in this temporary exhibit. Two videos were broadcast in this exhibit room continuously, showcasing the ongoing news footage of the era. Just a few of the journalists highlighted were Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, Bob Shieffer, & Jim Lehrer.

One entire sidewall of the museum featured newspapers from around the world, released as news of the shooting began to spread. Another area featured actual network TV cameras, reel-to-reel tape recorders, and other tools of the reporter’s trade, circa 1963.

Standing at the window, looking down at the curved roadway that the President and his wife had been traveling along in their motorcade, you can’t help but feel a rush of history. This setting and scene has been played over and over hundreds of times on television and in movies, countless times in print. 

Markings on the road indicate the approximate location of the car carrying Mr. & Mrs. Kennedy, when the unexpected and unthinkable happened. 

Our group of columnists at this preview had the additional privilege of attending an address by three individuals who were on the scene at the time of the assassination. Bert Shipp was a Forth Worth TV news reporter, and Hugh Aynesworth a former reporter for the Dallas Morning News. Even amidst the gravity of recounting the situation they found themselves in, humor found a place, as Aynesworth recounted a story of borrowing a giant wooden pencil from a schoolboy on the side of the road, to write up his article. 

Jim Leavelle was the former Dallas police detective who was handcuffed to Lee Harvey Oswald, when Oswald was shot and killed by businessman Jack Ruby. He had the attention of everyone in the room as he recalled not only the events leading up to Oswald’s arrest, but the drama that unfolded in front of him, as Ruby stood out and killed the man that had shot “his President”. 

Heading back to our hotel on the shuttle after our special access event, one colleague from California admitted that he hadn’t expected it to be so emotional. He was one of the luckier ones. We heard later how other attendees just broke down into tears. Even being a Canadian just-a-little-too-young to have experienced the magnitude of the event at the time, you can’t walk away from this place in history without feeling affected. 

If you are going to be in Dallas area, especially close to this sad anniversary, I can’t advise strongly enough to take the time to check out this moving and history-filled exhibit facility. 

The Sixth Floor Museum is located at 411 Elm, Dealey Plaza, in Dallas Texas. 

To find out more about this exhibit, go to www.jfk.org.