March Year of the Ox
"The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones."
Julius Caesar is Shakespeare's most gripping political thriller. Torn between his loyalty to Caesar and his dedication to the Roman people, Marcus Brutus
struggles with the conflicting demands of honour, patriotism and friendship. His choice has the power to destroy the old world order and see a nation
descend into civil war. This production promises to deliver an action-packed theatrical experience that is both thrilling and terrifying. Source: www.citadeltheatre.com
Dan decides to stay home with a sick Angela, so I have to find two replacements to see Julius Caesar. Dan and I have been season subscribers to the Citadel for the past 5 years. The last three his wife Ang decided to join us. This is the first time in five years that I've seen a Citadel play without Dan. It was weird not having to wake him up when he nods off. Luckily Ashless are available. I meet up with Les and Ashly for the second time this weekend. The first act of the play was riveting. The second half all I could think of were storm troopers as the soldiers' costumes reminded me of Star Wars Return of the Jedi. COMMENTS?
For the first time ever, one musical act performs on The Late Show With David Letterman all week long. On Monday, they perform "Breathe." Tuesday's performance is "Magnificent." The band performs "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" on Wednesday. "Beautiful Day" is performed on Thursday. Rounding out the week is the prerecorded version of "Get On Your Boots." COMMENTS?
From U2.com:
No Line On The Horizon, the new studio album from U2, will be released on Tuesday 3rd March 2009 (and a day earlier overseas).
Written and recorded in various locations, No Line On The Horizon is the group's 12th studio album and is their first release since the 9 million selling
album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, released in late 2004. Sessions for No Line On The Horizon began last year in Fez, Morocco, continued in the band's
own studio in Dublin, before moving to New York's Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and finally being completed at Olympic Studios in London. The album calls
on the production talents of long-time collaborators Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, with additional production by Steve Lillywhite.
COMMENTS?
There are 22 trades made before the NHL trade deadline involving 45 players and 21 draft choices. In the Edmonton Oilers' first trade, the team obtains forward Patrick O'Sullivan and a second round draft pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Erik Cole and the Oilers fifth round draft choice in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The Edmonton Oilers also obtain forward Ales Kotalik from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the second round draft choice in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft acquired earlier from the Carolina Hurricanes. Hopefully with these two new forwards in the lineup, the Oilers can make their playoff push and secure a playoff position. LET'S GO OILERS, LET'S GO! COMMENTS?
A great way to end up the work week is having drinks with friends. COMMENTS?
I finally find a cheap and reliable ski jacket! It's just $80, from a regular price of $180. Instead of buying other ski gear, my friend Mike lends me his equipment!
Jaydon's has his one-month banquet! All the excitement tires him out and he sleeps throughout the dinner. COMMENTS?
Apparently it's fun in the sun night at Play Niteclub. But it looks more like it's sailors on leave night. COMMENTS?
I spend some quality time with Chelsea shopping at West Edmonton Mall. After a Japanese lunch, we raid the mall for any maternity wear. She's lucky enough to be jetting off to St. Lucia next week for a sun-filled tropical vacation. I also couldn't help myself by buying several articles of clothing...and it's not that I need anymore but the shopaholic in me wins. COMMENTS?
U2 announces the dates for it's upcoming world tour. No Edmonton dates yet, guess I'm travelling to Vancouver or Vegas to go see the boys. COMMENTS?
The Dream's "My Love" featuring Mariah Carey video premieres on MTV. Directed by Mrs. Carey himself, Nick Cannon, the video was filmed in February in Los Angeles. This hot collaboration which Billboard Magazine called the "sumptuous love anthem for couples this spring" is from The-Dream's sophomore album Love vs. Money. COMMENTS?
Kelly Clarkson's new CD has been over the interweb for the last three weeks. During that time I've had a chance to review and listen to this great pop record. Clarkson's last album, "My December" was a commercial and critical failure. But she is back with this pop gem. COMMENTS?
Leapin' lizards! ANNIE is coming! The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is back, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience this
classic musical about never giving up hope. Boasting one of Broadway's most memorable scores, including It's the Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, N.Y.C. and
the ever-optimistic Tomorrow, ANNIE is a delightful theatrical experience for the entire family. Don't miss this all-new production that Variety calls "a
winner!"The character of Annie is supposed to be instantly loveable. I felt that the actress who played her wasn't. She did have a good voice, but she just
wasn't all that expressive. Plus this Annie was a bit pudgy, and little orphan Annie shouldn't have any excess weight.
COMMENTS?
Originally I was going to bring Ian to the Oilers game versus the Atlanta Thrashers. Unfortunately he has to bail because of overtime work and misses all
the fun propaganda at Rexall Place during the Edmonton Oilers' Fan Appreciation Night. Dan joins me instead. After devouring our free popcorn and the first
period ends, my friends Mike & Sandy leave the game a bit under the weather. We're the lucky recipients of the move of the game...going from Standing Room
to front row ice level seats! It's a good game and goes into overtime. Roloson always seems to be the losing goalie during games where he's presented the Molson Cup
winner for the previous month. And the Oilers always let ex-Oilers score the winning goals against them...Thrasher Marty Reasoner scores in OT, the 2nd time the
Oilers have let an ex-teammate score an OT goal in the last couple of weeks
COMMENTS?
It's the second Friday the 13th of the year. It's a lucky day as Tamara and I have a couple of martinis for lunch. And for good measure we have another one on our break! Unfortunately I couldn't go for a Pho-riday the 13th. Instead the following day Lany and I have our pho-ix! COMMENTS?
The Oilers aren't just playing with any sense of urgency. They're so frustrating to watch these days especially when they're just on the brink of making
the playoffs. Currently in the final Western division playoff spot, they need to up their level of play and cement and solidify a playoff berth by beating
teams below them. For the third game in a row, the Oilers lose in overtime. Luckily the team salvages a point by tying it up before sending it to the
extra period. The Oilers only showed up to play for about five minutes. The most exciting part of the game was when the referee got hit in the balls!
Even sitting up in the nosebleeds, we could hear him yelp!
COMMENTS?
"What do you do when you're not sure?"
Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award
Set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, Sister Aloysius suspects a student is getting too much attention from the progressive Father Flynn. Convinced of the
priest's guilt but lacking any evidence to support her claim, her investigation transforms into an elaborate game of cat and mouse, plagued by uncertainties
and driven by obsession. This Broadway hit was hailed by the Associated Press as "the number one play of the year." Source: www.citadeltheatre.com
By far this play is the best of the Citadel Theatre season. Riveting and intellectual, there are four amazing acting performances from the cast. I love the pillow parable about gossip! Now I can't wait to watch Meryl Streep's movie. COMMENTS?
There was a falling out between the hosts of the Stardust Lounge. Unfortunately for the drag loving community, the show will go on monthly but with Vanity Fair and Bianca alternating months. I love them both, but it's their stage rapport between each other that makes for the best drag shows. Vanity Fair does a good job hosting solo, but it's not stellar. Vanity and Binki always feed off each other. I hope they can work out their differences so everyone can once again enjoy their full potential as drag hostesses together. More Stardust Lounge Photos here COMMENTS?
The power of suggestion is subliminally powerful. My friend Matthew's Facebook status today was "Abdul This." It took me all of a minute to start listening to all of Paula's greatest hits, starting with "Rush Rush." For those who don't know, before my room was plastered with Mariah Carey posters, there was about a 4-month period where the walls were lined with solely Paula Abdul posters. So for the past day, I've been listening to all the classics, "Straight Up," "Cold-Hearted," "Forever Your Girl," "Promise of a New Day" & "Will You Marry Me?" COMMENTS?
It's St. Patrick's Day and the Edmonton Oilers take on the St. Louis Greens...ahem St. Louis Blues. Rexall Place serves green beer and the luck of the
Irish are with the Oilers. For the fourth consecutive game, the Oilers head to overtime. Luckily they manage to escape overtime and magically win the
shootout with Roloson stopping all three shots and Ales Kotalik scoring the lone shootout goal.
COMMENTS?
I wanted to wait till after watching the play "Doubt, A Parable" before I watched the movie version "Doubt." Meryl Streep is phenomenal in the role of
Sister Aloysius! Her acting prowess never ceases to amaze me. The rest of the cast performance is riveting as well. The movie follows the play closely as
director John Patrick Shanley sticks to his main plot.
COMMENTS?
My friend Matthew finds a job! Hurray! I visit him before I have to head to work just to take pictures of him in his blue apron. Okay he tells me it's purple, but then again I am colour blind. He also makes me a shot of wheat grass, my first time ever drinking it. I'm not a fan so much. It tastes just like grass and I can't help but feel that I've just fell on the lawn and my mouth skidded a mile in the green. COMMENTS?
There must be something in the air. Maybe it's our imminent never-ending winter season. A plague of cancellations have cursed me the last several months. I've been cancelled on last minute for so many events, it's almost hard to keep counting. But I grin it and bear it. I suppose I do have a lot of shows and hockey games lined up. I also think that in the future when I invite friends to events to have them pay me for the ticket first. My thinking is if they have paid in the first place, it's more unlikely they'll cancel. And also I can't afford to be a bank. COMMENTS?
In I Love You, Man, a comedy from John Hamburg, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) is a successful real estate agent who, upon getting engaged to the woman of his
dreams, Zooey, (Rashida Jones), discovers, to his dismay and chagrin, that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man. Peter immediately
sets out to rectify the situation, embarking on a series of bizarre and awkward man-dates, before meeting Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), a charming, opinionated
man with whom he instantly bonds. But the closer the two men get, the more Peters relationship with Zooey suffers, ultimately forcing him to choose between
his fiancee and his new found bro, in a story that comically explores what it truly means to be a friend. Source: imdb.com
It's a bromance date as I have plans to watch "I Love You, Man" with Buck and pregnant Chelsea. Unfortunately when we buy tickets, there are only 8 tickets left and no guarantee that we would be sitting together. Instead we end up going to L'Azia for a bit to eat. I couldn't wait to get my fingers on the sauce for the frites! But my ginsicle was very disappointing. Afterwards we head back to their place to rent a movie, Breakfast For Scot, on Apple TV. The download takes forever so another movie is nixed. COMMENTS?
Another snowstorm. I'm sick and tired of winter. Where's the warm weather? It's a good thing I didn't go skiing in the mountains because I would be racing back to town to make it to work during this snowstorm. COMMENTS?
I'm not referring to college basketball but to the playoff fight in the NHL. The Oilers never seem to make their fight easy. They always have to wait till the last minute to secure a playoff position, if they are lucky enough to do it. I believe my Oilers will make the playoffs...I just wish it doesn't have to come down to the wire. Every day is game watching for the other teams. Currently we're sitting in 7th place so we do have a gasp of breathing room, but not much. Let's Go Oilers! Let's Go! COMMENTS?
The Detroit Red Wings visit town and beat the Oilers 3-2. The Oilers played a good game until there was five minutes left. Then they let
in two quick goals and couldn't answer in the dying seconds.
COMMENTS?
For the first time in modern franchise history, the Edmonton Oil Kings make the playoff games. The Oil Kings face the tough task of playing the beat team in the league, the Hitmen. Unfortunatley the Oil Kings lose the first two games and then lose their two home games to be swept. It was a good season for the kids. I had the opportunity to see them twice this year and the games are filled with energy and excitement. Let's hope for a better season next year. COMMENTS?
The doors to Rexall Place finally open at 7pm. As the heard enter, we are not allowed to take our seats. Beyonce is just doing her sound check so everyone is milling around on the concourse. The merchandise stand is disappointing – there are only two shirts and one tank top for sale, plus overpriced posters. I suppose it is the first date of her I Am…World Tour. In that case, Edmonton's show serves almost as a rehearsal of sorts. Being the seasoned performer, Beyonce performs a flawless show. The one setback is the length of the night. Opener and Canadian Idol winner, Eva Avila, performs a 15-minute, 4 song set. Perhaps the late sound check played a part in this. Beyonce takes the stage at 8:45pm and doesn't leave till after 11pm. She tried to cram in as many songs as possible. Her shoutout to Canadian singers is enviable. She sings parts of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" during "Ava Maria" & Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" in "If I Was A Boy." The latter made the boring ballad a welcome surprise. COMMENTS?
My video of Beyonce performing a cover of Alanis Morissette's classic angst anthem "You Oughta Know" has had almost 110,000 hits in is first
18 hours online. It has already received 47 honors on Youtube including #2 - Most Viewed (Today) - Music - Canada
My video is even stolen by Youtuber sonhadorbeyonce. It's pretty lame that the user would do such a thing. I owe thanks to Perez Hilton for posting my video clip on his website. It is the 9th most emailed about story of the day. But I wish Perez would have sent an email thank you for me sending him an email with a heads up. Also one of my Beyonce photos will be featured in Saturday's March 28, 2009 edition of the paper! And it will be credited to vwayner.com COMMENTS?
Mariah Carey celebrates the anniversary of her 12th birthday once again! I have several drinks on this special day. COMMENTS?
No media photographers were allowed in to the Beyonce concert. But all the fans were taking photos galore. I happened to take nearly 700 photos of the concert and I got some very great shots. So great that in fact the Edmonton Journal publishes one of them!
Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice to an enchanting world of comic eccentricity. Meet the high jumping White Rabbit, a calculating Caterpillar and
join a mad tea party of acrobatic craziness. In this topsy-turvy world, Alice will confront the tyrannical Queen of Hearts in a vast Garden of Roses. This
enthralling tale will linger in your mind long after the curtain has come down. Edmund Stripe's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic promises to astound
audiences as a fantastic, fun-filled, family-friendly adventure. Source: www.albertaballet.com
I wasn't really fond of this ballet because I found it too whimsical and targeted a younger demographic. The dancing was innovative but I found it appalling that the Mad Hatter spoke out "What? No tea!" not just once, but twice. It's the ballet and all I expect to hear are the instruments and the fluttering of toes. COMMENTS?
It's the annual court's show "Turnabout" where all the drag queens do boy numbers, and the the boys who hold boy titles perform in drag. The only reason I show up is to watch LJ perform drag. He's my "drag auntie" and each time he puts on a dress, it's a sight for sore eyes. Love ya Charity Case, but you ain't a pretty woman. Mia Fellow also is in drag, as she holds a boy title with the court this year. COMMENTS?
After Turnabout, I decide I can venture out to Play for a moment. It was a wasted moment. I've never really enjoyed my time there, except when I was drunk and in my Halloween costume. I guess it's a place to go if you're inebriated. COMMENTS?
Deanne and I go to another Oilers vs. Wild game. It's our second Wild game this year. In this crucial game, the Oilers lose 3-2 and are now out of a playoff
position. The Oilers now need to win as many of their final 6 games as possible if they want to make the playoffs. I introduce Deanne to the Macho Nacho
at Rexall Place. It's a lot of food and I still have yet to finish a whole order. I've come close each time, but the nachos are just loaded with the toppings.
COMMENTS?
Russell Peters hosts the Juno Awards this year in Vancouver. I agree with Matthew Good when he says the Junos are insignificant and a farce. It only recognizes Canadian music that has gotten acclaim worldwide and sells a lot of records. COMMENTS?
1) Daydream - every Mariah Carey album shaped me...but Daydream is my ultimate favorite. Fantasy remains the most important record she's ever done, combining pop with the rhymes of ODB.
2) Pop - most people hate this U2 record, but it was the one which made me fall in love with the band. Wake Up Dead Man, If God Will Send His Angels & Please are must listens! 3) Odelay - The New Pollution, Devil's Haircut & Where's It At makes this a classic! after his debut song "Loser," he follows up with this defining record. 4) Waiting For My Rocket To Come - I discovered Mraz over the Internet months before he was introduced to Canada. Completely fell in love with this debut record with The Remedy and Absolutely Zero. Mr. Mraz is my third favorite artist after MC & U2. 5) Under These Rock & Stones - Chantal sings my song "Wayne." But it was Surrounded & Imaginary Friend which are my faves on her debut record. I've seen her 11 times live now. COMMENTS?
A local radio station, Bounce 91.7 FM mentioned on air today that they saw my video of Beyonce's version of "You Oughta Know" on celebrity blogger Perez Hilton's site. Now I just need television coverage!
As an ongoing long-term subscriber to U2.com I'm part of their 'Horizon Group' of subscribers. And for such, I have the first shot of presale tickets for their upcoming U2360° Tour. The presale for Vancouver finally arrives and I purchase 4 General Admission Floor tickets. Hopefully one of my four tickets will scan my way into the area right in front the stage...it was called the Bomb Shelter or Ellipse during the Vertigo tour, and it was called the Heart during the Elevation Tour.
03.31 DUCKS VS. OILERS
The Oilers make it close late in the game by coming within a goal. But then the coach decides to take a delay of game penalty by asking the referees about
measuring a Duck's illegal stick. It fails and the Ducks score. The Oilers lose 5-3 to the Ducks. Their playoffs are pretty much dashed. Although not
mathematically eliminated, the Oilers will require divine intervention and a miracle. But then again miracles do happen...sometimes.
COMMENTS?
