Anyone who knows me, knows that the Barenaked Ladies are a longtime favourite of mine. And so, I would be remiss if I said nothing about the departure of Steven Page from the band.
I've given it a day or two to sink in to see how I really feel about it. Sure I'm sad, but mostly I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed that he thinks he needs to leave to do solo work which doesn't make sense because he's been doing that for at least the past 5 years. I'm disappointed that the new woman in his life might just possibly have something to do with this, and I'm disappointed by his timing. The guys have been talking for months about their "big 20th anniversary" this year. There was supposed to be a box set and a celebratory tour in the fall.
So why couldn't he have waited? What is so pressing right this very moment that he didn't feel he needed to live up to those commitments? Not that I know him on any kind of personal level, but it just doesn't seem like him. He and the rest of the band have always taken their obligations to their fans very seriously. More than any other musical act I've seen, they are true performers. Their shows aren't about special effects or highly choreographed dance numbers (at least ones that aren't done in jest). Their shows are about them just being themselves. They are fallible, humble and self-deprecating in their hilarity. They are consummate professionals. As such, considering how long they've be hyping their 20th year, it's a surprise that Steven wouldn't ride it out.
Steve has often been criticized for seeming aloof and standoffish when he's not "on". Offstage, not performing he seems uncomfortable with the attention. As intelligent as he so obviously is, he doesn't have a heck of a lot to say to his gushing followers. He's appreciative, but never seems to want to deal with the fame aspect of his career. Can't really blame the guy.
Then he meets this new girl. The break-up of his marriage didn't surprise me. Anyone who's paid attention to his lyrics has been party to the progression and then demise of that relationship. But this new girl seems to pump up his ego like his high school sweetheart never did. The MySpace superfan has managed to intrigue him in a way that has captivated him instead of turn him off. Wow, that seems a little harsh, but getting him caught with coke doesn't win her too many points with me. She simply doesn't seem to fit the life he's created for himself as a family man who's passionate about social justice and the environment. And perhaps that's exactly why he's into her? It's disappointing that his "life is just one big pun". Middle-life crisis? Really?
But more than anything, I'm disappointed that I didn't have a chance to say good-bye. I know they're not going anywhere - not really. But a little heads up and a chance to see them all together one last time would've been nice. I just listened to the download of their last show from the cruise they just wrapped up, and well Steve, I love ya, but it kinda sucked. You were funny and all, but I sure wish that your last gig as a Lady would've been as stellar as I'm used to instead of the flat, strained, note-missing attempt that it was. Oh well... That's the fallible part of them that we love. I've seen these guys live more times than I can remember and I now cherish how obsessive Mark has been in making sure I got to see every show they played, being at a bookstore in North York or the ACC or the Mod Club. I have an iPod full of classics and improvs that won't leave the rotation for quite a long while. My consolation is that living in the boys' hometown, I have every expectation that they'll perform together somewhere, for something, eventually.
I guess in the end, the guys don't owe me a thing. They've given voice to many different times of my life and I hear new things in their lyrics all of the time that make me smile, weep or both. Thanks Ladies, for the past 20 years.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Oprah's a Bad Influence
*** I wrote this on February 5th and posted it as a note on my Facebook. I figured I'd put it here as well to start this thing off...
I watched Oprah the other day... yes, I'm that girl... It was an episode about money and being thrifty in hard economic times and there was a segment about a woman who makes it her "job" to save her family as much money on groceries as possible. Sounds rational, doesn't it? So I watched hoping to get some tips I could apply. In the end I was horrified by her methods so much so that I wrote to Oprah about it.
A little backstory: The woman took us to the supermarket. Amongst her tips for buying on sale, etc. her main advice is to use coupons. Now I've been known to benefit from a coupon or two, but in good conscience I could never go to her extreme. "See this bag of carrots is on sale for 49 cents, but I have a coupon for 50 cents, so FREE CARROTS!! And check to see if your store accepts double coupons because then you can save twice as much. This bottle of shampoo is 88 cents, but I have two 50 cent coupons so THAT'S FREE TOO!" And so on, and so on... In the end, her $127 worth of groceries (all on sale already) cost her $37 because of coupons. In my mind, this kind of consumer is evil. It's selfish and it's wrong.
My comment to Oprah is below:
--------------------------
I have to say straight out that while watching this show two days ago, I couldn't help but be disappointed that this is the kind of behaviour that Oprah is promoting. Can't you all see that this kind of consumerism is narrow-minded, short-sighted and incredibly selfish? Perhaps it is because I'm Canadian (and have more of a socialist mind), but I see this as an extension of the mindset that has got America into trouble in the first place. "What I want. What I need." - with no thought to cause and effect.
Nothing is free. Nothing should be free. Everything comes from somewhere. Someone grew those carrots and spent time and energy and money to do so. Someone made that shampoo. Someone had to drive the truck to get everything to the store and someone had to stack the shelves. The farmer and the resource miner and the manufacturer are the backbone of any economy and the American consumer seems intent on screwing them any and every chance they can because it helps their immediate individual bottom line. $127 worth of groceries should never cost less than $40. Coupons are not money. They are a reward for being a loyal consumer. Who's winning in that situation? It might seem like you are, but that's a fallacy. How are you helping the economy? The farmer's being screwed because he's getting pennies for his produce. The manufacturer has to layoff line workers because they can't sell their product for the cost it takes to make it. What you all seem to fail to realize is that eventually, that's going to come back to bite you. Economies are cyclical. What goes around, comes around. If you insist on getting your carrots for free, next time, there may be no carrots on the shelf for you to scam. Or at the very least, the farmer will have a lot less revenue to spend in turn on your services.
It's going to be a long and painful lesson for Americans to learn how to pay for things what they're *really* worth. Products in America are ridiculously cheap compared to prices paid around the globe. You don't realize this, but neither do you seem to care. Shampoo should *never* cost only 88 cents in the first place, and scamming it for free is wrong. It's stealing. It's taking food out of someone else's mouth for the sake of your own pocketbook. Shame on you. Fair value and fair trade are ideas that "Joe the Plumber" will struggle to identify with as Americans have never been good at thinking how their actions affect others. There is an inherent selfishness in the American psyche that I'm not sure will ever go away. So far this is and will continue to be your downfall.
The trick is everyone insists on being "paid what they're worth", but they refuse to pay someone else enough for the value they offer. This deficit *will be* recouped somewhere down the line. Nothing is free. Everything comes from somewhere and a price must be paid for it either in cash money or in kind.
I heartily implore that as more and more layoffs occur and more families are struggling to make ends meet, please try to bear in mind what affect your actions will have down the line. If you want cheap produce, go to a farmer's market. That way you know that every penny is going to the person who's done the work. If you must save every dime you can, by all means, wait for the sales, comparison shop, be savvy. But "double couponing" is just immoral if it means getting things for free. You may be having a hard go of it, and that's unfortunate, but if you're thinking "better him than me", you're only hurting yourself because eventually, you're just biting the hand that feeds you.
I watched Oprah the other day... yes, I'm that girl... It was an episode about money and being thrifty in hard economic times and there was a segment about a woman who makes it her "job" to save her family as much money on groceries as possible. Sounds rational, doesn't it? So I watched hoping to get some tips I could apply. In the end I was horrified by her methods so much so that I wrote to Oprah about it.
A little backstory: The woman took us to the supermarket. Amongst her tips for buying on sale, etc. her main advice is to use coupons. Now I've been known to benefit from a coupon or two, but in good conscience I could never go to her extreme. "See this bag of carrots is on sale for 49 cents, but I have a coupon for 50 cents, so FREE CARROTS!! And check to see if your store accepts double coupons because then you can save twice as much. This bottle of shampoo is 88 cents, but I have two 50 cent coupons so THAT'S FREE TOO!" And so on, and so on... In the end, her $127 worth of groceries (all on sale already) cost her $37 because of coupons. In my mind, this kind of consumer is evil. It's selfish and it's wrong.
My comment to Oprah is below:
--------------------------
I have to say straight out that while watching this show two days ago, I couldn't help but be disappointed that this is the kind of behaviour that Oprah is promoting. Can't you all see that this kind of consumerism is narrow-minded, short-sighted and incredibly selfish? Perhaps it is because I'm Canadian (and have more of a socialist mind), but I see this as an extension of the mindset that has got America into trouble in the first place. "What I want. What I need." - with no thought to cause and effect.
Nothing is free. Nothing should be free. Everything comes from somewhere. Someone grew those carrots and spent time and energy and money to do so. Someone made that shampoo. Someone had to drive the truck to get everything to the store and someone had to stack the shelves. The farmer and the resource miner and the manufacturer are the backbone of any economy and the American consumer seems intent on screwing them any and every chance they can because it helps their immediate individual bottom line. $127 worth of groceries should never cost less than $40. Coupons are not money. They are a reward for being a loyal consumer. Who's winning in that situation? It might seem like you are, but that's a fallacy. How are you helping the economy? The farmer's being screwed because he's getting pennies for his produce. The manufacturer has to layoff line workers because they can't sell their product for the cost it takes to make it. What you all seem to fail to realize is that eventually, that's going to come back to bite you. Economies are cyclical. What goes around, comes around. If you insist on getting your carrots for free, next time, there may be no carrots on the shelf for you to scam. Or at the very least, the farmer will have a lot less revenue to spend in turn on your services.
It's going to be a long and painful lesson for Americans to learn how to pay for things what they're *really* worth. Products in America are ridiculously cheap compared to prices paid around the globe. You don't realize this, but neither do you seem to care. Shampoo should *never* cost only 88 cents in the first place, and scamming it for free is wrong. It's stealing. It's taking food out of someone else's mouth for the sake of your own pocketbook. Shame on you. Fair value and fair trade are ideas that "Joe the Plumber" will struggle to identify with as Americans have never been good at thinking how their actions affect others. There is an inherent selfishness in the American psyche that I'm not sure will ever go away. So far this is and will continue to be your downfall.
The trick is everyone insists on being "paid what they're worth", but they refuse to pay someone else enough for the value they offer. This deficit *will be* recouped somewhere down the line. Nothing is free. Everything comes from somewhere and a price must be paid for it either in cash money or in kind.
I heartily implore that as more and more layoffs occur and more families are struggling to make ends meet, please try to bear in mind what affect your actions will have down the line. If you want cheap produce, go to a farmer's market. That way you know that every penny is going to the person who's done the work. If you must save every dime you can, by all means, wait for the sales, comparison shop, be savvy. But "double couponing" is just immoral if it means getting things for free. You may be having a hard go of it, and that's unfortunate, but if you're thinking "better him than me", you're only hurting yourself because eventually, you're just biting the hand that feeds you.
Flair for the dramatic
I've been told by quite a few people in my life lately that they think I should be writing. Apparently I have a knack for it, but I think what's more likely is they know I need an outlet in which to vent. I tend to react quite strongly to things that I read, or experience in my life. I always have an opinion (Right or wrong).
But it seems that mostly I'm not entirely incorrect, and have influenced others in what I think are positive ways. So what the heck, I'll give this a shot.
I haven't quite decided my goals for this blog, so don't be surprised if one day I'm critiquing a movie and the next railing against international injustices. I do my best to listen to others and educate myself before I open my mouth, but admit there are moments where my feelings spew straight from the heart.
For those of you who take the time to read and/or comment on my ramblings, thank-you. It's good to be validated!
But it seems that mostly I'm not entirely incorrect, and have influenced others in what I think are positive ways. So what the heck, I'll give this a shot.
I haven't quite decided my goals for this blog, so don't be surprised if one day I'm critiquing a movie and the next railing against international injustices. I do my best to listen to others and educate myself before I open my mouth, but admit there are moments where my feelings spew straight from the heart.
For those of you who take the time to read and/or comment on my ramblings, thank-you. It's good to be validated!
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