Tag: Canada
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The Happy Pals are happening!
Late afternoon last Saturday I found myself walking past Grossman’s Tavern on Spadina in Toronto when a thought suddenly struck me: “Hey, don’t the Happy Pals play here every Saturday afternoon?” I went in and sure enough, the best traditional jazz band north of N’awlins was just setting up, as they have done every Saturday at…
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Rethinking 7 Generations
You may have heard of the 7 generations idea or concept or phrase. It is typically understood as being derived from First Nations culture and to mean that when making decisions today we should consider the implications of those decisions on people living 7 generations in the future. As such, it is a useful and…
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The Evil I by The John Waynes
The Evil I by The John Waynes John Sobol (vocals) & Wayne Kelso (piano) All words and music in this piece are 100% improvised. No plans, no paper, no second takes. From the unreleased CD TRUCE. Image by Kiyotei Hear Where the Bears Go by The John Waynes Read about Improvised Poetry and Our Digital…
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Franky Rousseau Large Band – Terrific Jazz By Any Other Name
Last week a friend sent me a link to this provocative blog post by famed jazz trumpet player, Nicholas Payton, who argues that jazz is dead. To me this isn’t news, since I wrote the same thing in a lengthy piece in Toronto’s eyeweekly back in 1992. And like Payton, who is being berated by…
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Public Gifting in Wellington West
Two weeks ago I played a role in a terrific local festival called Taste of Wellington West whose centrepiece is a massive public gifting event. This year 36 different independent local restaurants, bakeries and food shops gave out tens of thousands of free food samples to thousands of visitors throughout the afternoon. It is partly…
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Killer Cows and You
Not many people know that cows are killers. Or rather, cow milk. But yes, according to the Canadian Government, the milk that comes out of a healthy cow is toxic and we must at all costs be protected from it. Welcome to the OS2 world. Farmer Michael Schmidt of Durham Ontario is just one of…
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Earth Heroes on Parliament Hill
Just got back from cheering on 100 or so people getting arrested for protesting the Harper government’s pro-oil anti-earth policies, preceded by powerful speeches by elders and youngsters demanding justice and respect for the earth. I salute their courage and wisdom. They are trying to save all our asses. Among the many memorable speakers was…
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Giving, Giving, Gone – A Gift Edition Update
I have been writing a lot about gifts so far in this blog. Partly because I think Public Gifting and Gift Economies are important practices in the digital OS3 world, just as they are in the oral OS1 world. Also because I am publicly giving away gifts myself. Specifically I am giving away copies of…
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