Red Letter Day: let this week be over!

It has been a tough week for Toronto residents. Our mayor was ousted and I allowed myself a brief moment of jubilation.  But what followed was a playpen of childish ranting, raving and legal punditry that had me turning off all media. I love my city. But I'm way past fed up with our municipal leaders.

Distractions, mercifully, are plentiful. Here are some good ones for the weekend:
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Besmirched, lacklustre and dauntless: Hurrah for words!

 If you ever have the chance to study with a master of your chosen craft, run headlong with no delay.
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Your Tuesday groove

   The Purple Master may be a recluse but when he emerges from his musical vault, he appears ageless.  Prince is back with a new hairdo and performance video, quietly released on YouTube over the weekend.

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Red Letter Day: Epic time

It is closing weekend for The Clock at the Power Plant Exhibit in Toronto.
Long line ups are expected for this sensational exhibit, a collage of sound and film that has been called a masterpiece by critics around the world.
Swiss-American artist Christian Marclay spent years compiling a 24 hour montage featuring thousands of classic film clips of time related scenes synchronised to real time. In doing so, he went from respectable artist to international celebrity. In an excellent essay explaining how it was done, The New Yorker says seeing The Clock on its global tour has become its own competitive sport. Only 50 are allowed in to see it at one time but visitors can stay as long as they like. Repeat visits are common ( and necessary if you ask our family art critic, Kate) but this is your last chance to see it in Toronto: it closes Sunday. 

If seeing The Clock makes you think about time while you waste your time in the most clever fashion then resist the urge to shop. Yes, I know about Black Friday but do we really have to import every American tradition? 
Winter is at the doorstep but can we all just pause?
The last days of November are, for me, one last sip of my coffee before the rush.
( See final days of Autumn 2012)
I can linger on the season's riches as we have settled into our pace.  First term report cards are in and everyone is on course. The first mark of 100 reached in this household's history has been noted with cheers and awe from this life long student. To use my children's parlance: WTF????
 The only 100 I've seen was on a credit card bill.  

My kids achievements are their own. But I will allow for a jolt of inspiration. It is better than caffeine.



Have a great weekend!

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Dark Controversy

Director Cynthia Mort has stepped in it.

 In casting Zoe Saldana, an Afro-Latina actor, to play singer Nina Simone, the filmmaker has caused a storm of fury from Simone's many fans. 

Courtesy Getty Images

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We were all children once.

An excerpt from my poetry collection"Holding Glass" in honour of today, Universal Children's Day.

Poetry, Alburnum Press, 2001

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Pink steals the show...again.

"There are no rules for artists. None that I can't break at least."

Could that be the mantra musician Pink intones every time she considers her next performance?

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