the mountain west

the concept of political realignment is one of my favourites. a realignment is a major shift in the partisan orientation of the electorate, 'the chief tension-managing device avaliable' in modern politics. 1993 was the ultimate realignment, seeing the liberals catapult to a majority over the nearly-dead PCs and NDP, and challenged in parliament only by the bloc and reform. 1988 could have been a similar realignment, had the NDP held through and taken 75 seats to the liberal's 40-odd seats, instead of the reverse result we saw. 1991 was almost a major realignment on the provincial scale, but the new dynamic quickly regressed; bc in 2005 is effectively the same as bc in 1986. the new federal dynamic has yet to reverse, however; mulroney's majority coalition has yet to reconvene, and a shifting social climate, coupled with increasingly antagonistic relations with the US make it severely unlikely that alberta and quebec will ever work under the same political banner again. the NDP has yet to find footing in the realignment and, it seems, is still waiting for a further correction to the political fabric.

i was very nervous during the last federal election because it felt as if the country was on the verge of a realignment. none occured, however. what did occur was the catapulting of a huge amount of previously-untouchable seats into electoral play. the 2006 election will either see a limited realignment within the vast array of swing-seats acros the country, or a consolidation of gains for each party, the conservatives stabilizing between 80-90, and the NDP edging up to 25. i expect the former; a lot of flipping, redefining regions, but leaving parliamentary totals largely untouched.

the NDP's crucial realignment will be the day that it overtakes either the liberals or new conservatives as the official opposition. until that point, i fear the party will be effectively treading water as far as its national influence goes.

a list of albums from the living room
bruce cockburn, speechless (2005)
bows, blush (1997)
blonde redhead, misery is a butterfly (2004)
kate bush, the sensual world (1989)
kings of convenience, riot on an empty street (2004)
sandy denny, the north star grassmen and the ravens (1971)
leonard cohen, recent songs (1979)
leonard cohen, dear heather (2004)
his name is alive, last night (2002)
bruce cockburn, the charity of night (1996)
hope sandoval and the warm inventions, bavarian fruit bread (2001)
damon and naomi, playback singers (1998)
joe jackson, big world (1986)
the new pornographers, twin cinema (2005)
richard and linda thompson, shoot out the lights (1982)
joni mitchell, court and spark (1974)

ominous cloud

this is the first day that i have had internet access at home since monday, as we had to disconnect computers that day for the installation of our new windows, which led to the discovery of bedbugs in the building. i have since been executing my duties as 'chairman of the board' at my co-op to coordinate action against the bug invasion.

i have had meetings almost every night this week as well, in addition to taking two days of from my moonlighting gig to sub in as a constituency assistant. i think that i could be quite good at it in time, once i develop confidence on taking casework. it is a difficult thing to do, and i admire those who can master it.

it is a universal truth, i believe, that knowing the rules and procedures of an organization can often be the greatest power of all.

our most important spy

there won't be a bike ride, as fort awesome was robbed. the horrible panic we got thrown into in surrey when our house was broken into(three times! once they kicked in the front door, the second time they came in through the downstairs bathroom window, and the third time they knocked the whole carport door off of its frame) is not something i'd wish on anyone. we feel very secure in our space right now, but that will only last until we're broken into. there will be several weeks of worry, every time we're out. of course, we have a dog that will tear the face off of anyone who comes in without our approval. i've offered my services to fort awesome in whatever capacity i am needed, but i think they're too busy sleeping in to answer.

this is the title: "field commander cohen, he was our most important spy." i choose titles that i find evocative and warm. i find a lot of warmth in 'our most important spy'.

two new cds:
leonard cohen, new skin for the old ceremony (1974)
depeche mode, playing the angel (2005)

lots of underworld as well, both beaucoup fish and second toughest in the infants, which i can only assume are the two that garett has. i like jumbo and cups the best, also pearls girl. i listened to these a lot in 1999, and not often since then. those were the early days of the virgin megastore; i was interested in the cover of beaucoup fish, and listened to cups on the in-store headphones. i bought it because i liked the opening airy synth bit, before the bass starts. so lovely. there's a whole range of music that i associate with summer trips down to eugene, oregon. not just second toughest in the infants, but also kate bush - the whole story, joni mitchell- don juan's reckless daughter and the hissing of summer lawns.

we've been buying appliances. a microwave(for the first time in my life! crazy!), a coffee grinder, and a coffee machine. i want to call it a coffee percolator, but apparently that is a specialized term, rather than a generic reference to 'electric coffee making machine', as i'd though. so, it is a coffee machine. ground coffee beans and water go in the top, and coffee comes out the bottom. wonderful!

the electro-mountain caverns

the alternate title was going to be 'colloqium for change'. hooray for the learning roundtable! the govt's appropriation of consensus terminology delights me to no end. partially because i have autocratic tendencies. i readily admit to needing to know everything that is happening at all times. i read newspapers obsessively. i want to be as aware as possible. being caught unawares, in fact, is one of my great anxieties. while i am merely the university relations officer, i have been working to make sure that there is an aspect of my portfolio in every issue that arises, so that i can keep a finger on every pulse. i want to be up on every single item of discussion. not in control, necessarily, but aware. then, if the need arises, i will have enough background to take control.

the anxiety of influence is one of my very favourite concepts.

i'm still catching up from last week, i feel. i've spent all week in meetings, or rushing to prepare for meetings. i have meetings again from 10.00 to 2.30 tomorrow. i had hoped to take friday for catch-up, but friday we're having a revolution, apparently. i'd eat the ducks, but i am worried about bird flu.

should i make plans for the future around bird flu? apparently we are all going to die of bird flu. it's coming to canada in big container trucks. maybe in tankers. great big tanks of bird flu. i'm suspicious of the ducks in the park, because they might give me bird flu. how much agency do the ducks have, when it comes to bird flu? if they connect me with my dog, who chases them for kicks, will they give me bird flu? i am the only person that i know who is concerned about bird flu. i'm not even that concerned, but rather fascinated at how calmly everyone is accepting bird flu, despite the daily pronouncements in the newspaper about how horrible bird flu will be when it finally happens. there is no vaccine. all the theory dictates that we will have an epidemic of something, and it might as well be bird flu. it will come to humans, and we will have no defenses, no boilerplate antibodies to press into service. bird flu will kill us all. the newspapers have told us this repeatedly. bird flu is on an inexhorable march across the planet, and the only chance we have of stopping it, apparently, is killing every bird in advance, which we do not have the capacity or will to do. we are calmly accepting these reports, nodding and smiling at the scientists but the scientists are repeatedly telling us that we are going to die. bird flu will kill us all. are we all just inured to the hyperbole? this should mean something more to us.

bird flu seems like something out of a don delillo novel. at times, i conciously model my dialogue after don delillo. i'll be really happy if don delillo writes about bird flu. i want his analysis.

albums that i really enjoy, but rarely ever listen to:
underworld, beaucoup fish (1998)
k.d. lang, all you can eat (1995)
dire straits, brothers in arms (1986)
destroyer, this night (2002)
dead can dance, into the labyrinth (1993)
the tragically hip, phantom power (1998)

then, there are albums that i cite as the best ever, that i am frightened to listen to often, for fear of destroying their mystique.
bruce cockburn, the charity of night (1996)
cocteau twins, heaven or las vegas (1990)
joni mitchell, don juan's reckless daughter (1977)
michelle mcadorey, whirl (2000)

look at me one last time

below are some of my favourite songs, and one request. the leonard cohen is a small, self-referential song about how kind women are to him in his old age. it's is lovely. wkrp in cincinnati is for garett! angela is the theme from 'taxi'; it is incredibly beautiful. please listen to it. the josh rouse song is one of my favourite new pop songs. so mellow. i just got the album, called nashville. the last song, saint etienne's who do you think you are, is one of my favourite of their early singles. people who do not know me well are often genuinely shocked and surprised at my taste in music. most people don't understand. i hope that you will listen to each of these songs, and come to understand.

these songs will all expire on oct. 22nd; act fast!

leonard cohen, because of (2004)
steve carlisle, wkrp in cincinnati (197?)
bob james, angela(theme from 'taxi') (197?)
josh rouse, winter in the hamptons (2004)
saint etienne, who do you think you are? (1995)

patchwork nation

the new depeche mode album is avaliable here for streaming. i think it's fantastic.

i'm surprised at the lack of love for sebastian tellier's politics over at fort awesome. garett gets it; 80's television themes! wonderafrica, zombi, and ketchup vs. genocide are all after that tradition. broadway and la ritournelle are different, more elegaic and beautiful. mauer is another notable song, weird and sad. just skip track 9, la tuerie, and you'll be fine. that one's just noise. there are some beautiful, unconventional songs, shameless and exciting. fort awesome is crazy. i'll have to stick to more conventional albums for now.

morrissey's got a new album out again next year, called, apparently, ringleader of the tormentors. my fascination with these aging icons is odd.

we had dinner at the szechuan chongqing, on the corner of 12th and commercial and saw the chud, mla for vancouver-kensington having dinner with judy darcy. then, who leaves from the back with a large party but john nuraney, mla for burnaby-willingdon. fun times!

a message from the telephone

go download the songs below and tell em what you think. esp. the industry song. so great! and mbv too. just click on the link and you'll get to a page where you can download the song. it'll only be there for 7 days, so act fast. here's another song: the grapes of wrath, misunderstanding (2000)

i need to spend some time in the woods soon. more than just a hike; i want to go camping. at this time of year it will be cold, sure, but there won't be any kids or frat boys around. i can go camping and read atlas shrugged.

another good bike ride this morning.

the studs that match your eyes

for amanda, here's the design a new police car page of the vancouver police department. they've picked a new design already, but the solicitation of submissions from school across the city makes for some very interesting takes on the police, and what the most visible expression of the city's police force should be. crazy kids.

i've started reading atlas shrugged again; the first sequence on the train, where we first meet dagny taggart, is still incredible. the book is almost cartoonish in its scope and cardboard characterization, but there's a demented majesty to the prose that works for me. it's about railroads! i can't wait to meet hank rearden again. amanda, have you started it yet?

albums that i'm listening to, now that it's fall.
rem, up (1998)
the sundays, static and silence (1998)
belle and sebastian, dear catastrophe waitress (2003)

i've listened to up about six times this week, skipping the second song, lotus, everytime. there was a stylus 'playing god' article about it last week, which reminded me that i had a copy. to be honest, i think i've listened to it more times in the past week than in the two years plus that i've had it in my collection. it's a good album, esp. the pairing of you're in the air and walk unafraid, two wonderfully spooky songs. it's the only rem album i've ever heard.

albums i want to listen to, but haven't gotten around to.
weeping tile, cold snap (1995)
weeping tile, valentino (1997)
damon and naomi, the earth is blue (2005)
yo la tengo, and then nothing turned itself inside out (2001)
mojave 3, spoon and rafter (2003)

also a lot of random songs. like the one below, which you should listen to.
industry, state of the nation (198?)

the weekend immediately following the provincial election(which we won! jan and i have a lucky streak in the ndp at the moment; we've yet to work on a losing campaign), we went camping at sloquet hot springs with old, good friends of jan's. it wasn't great; we left early due to rain, and the hot springs gave me a headache after about 15 minutes. the trip there and back, however, was oddly remarkable. we had to go up to pemberton, around garibaldi park and lilooet lake down to the campsite at the top of harrison lake. between the campsite and pemberton was a long dirt road, which went past skookumchuk, a tiny first nations town with a number of trailer homes and a gorgeous old gothic church. it was the history of canada in one little town. just before pemberton, our cellular phones went 'out of service range', which was exciting. it's a cheesy line, 'out of service range', but it mattered. the riding was west vancouver-garibaldi. i'm very upset that the federal riding of dewdney-alouette has been changed to pitt meadows-maple ridge-mission. there's been a shift at the federal level from descriptive riding names to mere lists of towns that the riding encompasses. i don't like it. i'd also like to change the name of vancouver- kingsway to collingwood-riley park, or renfrew-cedar cottage, or even kingsway-cedar cottage.

protein from the sea

i watched all 11 episodes of tanner '88 this week and, on balance, enjoyed it. it's officially a satire of media-age politics. jack tanner is a fictional congressman who runs in the 1988 democratic primaries alongside mike dukakis and jesse jackson; the series follows his campaign through the primary season to the convention floor in atlanta. while there was an over-reliance on pratfalls in some episodes, the incredible political drama of the 10th episode made the whole series worthwhile. on the floor of the convention, tanner's campaign lodges a challenge to the super-delegates, who are separate from the official state delegations. with the super-delegates voting, dukakis has a majority, but without them, there are enough uncomitteed delegates to open up the convention. to do this, tanner has to win the challenge on the convention floor, which is one of the most exciting sequences i've seen in a political film.

tanner '88 is fun, too, for the hyper-reality playfulness of it all. situating the fictional jack tanner in a very real race between jackson and dukakis is neat enough, but it's taken further by centering jack tanner's appeal on his 'realness' as a candidate. early in the series, the tanner camapign is floundering, and jack makes an angry speech to his campaign staff in a hotel room; it's cliche, but he manages to say, off the cuff, what he's been unable to convey in his official advertisements: why he's running for president. one of the staff, however, tapes the whole impromptu thing, and turns it into a tv ad. it not only rescues the campaign, but gives the tanner campaign a delightful tagline: "tanner '88: for real."

below are six songs that i really like lately. you can download them too; they'll be avaliable for seven days or 25 downloads, whichever happens first. let me know what you think.

five songs:
swing out sister, breakout (1986)
my bloody valentine, you made me realize (1988)
kate bush, king of the mountain (2005)
leonard cohen, first we take manhattan (1988)
fleetwood mac, dreams (1977?)
depeche mode, precious (2005)

adrian spoke in the legislature on bill 12 and called it 'collective bargaining by franz kafka', which i appreciated. i read hansard every night not only so that i can keep track of what's going on, but also to judge each new mla's rhetorical abilities.