Eagles of Death Heavy Metal Band had an emotional interview about slaughter at their Mataclan concert in Paris.
Canada's Minister of Industry debated "Diversity" with Bill Maher, an American comedian on "Real Time " I don't know what that is.
A perfectly beautiful fairy sprite in filmy white costume, elevated herself in flight, in figure-skating competition .
Except for heavily-armed men in military uniforms, streets and squares in Belgian cities are silent and foreboding ,while people hide at home in fear of further atrocities.
Canada's Prime Minister was greeted by squealing teen-agers as the newest heart-throb.
In the snippet of the interview I saw, a small one to be sure, the question was not heard about the meaning of the band's name; Eagles of Death Heavy Metal Band. Think of the impression of our times when history records that terrible event.
Music is culture and a creative exercise . If culture influences ,what effect is intended on the fertile imagination of the young by naming a band "The Eagles Of Death. "
Can we talk?
Bill Maher makes a living out of shock. He is the jock of shock. He says something outrageous and his body language conveys the impression of looking back to see if Satan is gonna get him. Furtive comedy best describes him. His sparkle sputters. He's never sure what he can pull off in the name of humor.
Why did Canada's Minister of Industry risk an encounter with risk-inclined Maher on Real Time T.V.
This new and youthful government of ours has yet to establish an image of substance.
Yesterday's supporters will be four years older and Americans will still not be voting in our next election.
Does it matter for the world to take Canada seriously? Never more so.
It's not at all certain a teen-age heart-throb image is an asset to Canada's Prime Minister on the world stage either. In age, our nation is on par with the U.S. In terms of maturity, the record is spotty
at best. We are different but we should be equal.
I recall a moment early in his late father's career. His age had been given out as forty-eight years. Turned out to be fifty-two. His political image suffered no injury but the playboy persona was ever so slightly impacted.
Upon such trivial wherewithal, images are chiseled .....and sink like stone.
A wraith-like figure elevated and pirouetting on ice in filmy white gauze and heavily armed military personnel with masked faces, guarding subway station entrances in Belgian cities heretofore known for chocolate and lace and a King who chose to wear with Jews an armband with the Emblem of David, Nazi -ordered in war-time occupied Belgium, in stark contrast, they compete for our attention.
Outside, snow has begun to fall.
Grass is green and lush.
Yesterday, the first brilliant red Cardinal strutted around the bird feeder on the round table on the deck outside my window, in appreciation of an expressly intended invitation.
I did like that sly " Americans will not be voting in our election. "
ReplyDeleteIt made me grin. And one needs a grin. I am trying not to be so concerned with Their next election. It sets off echoes
of history from Germany in the 1930's.
Enjoy your red bird/ They once were only found in the states/
I hope to never again have people forced to wear arm bands to signal their vulnerability to a mob.
ReplyDeleteHere's an unrelated question: Why did John Gallo represent the Province of Ontario at the Remembrance Day wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph?
ReplyDeleteWe have to hope Trump implodes before he really does serious damage.
ReplyDeleteLot's in the post to comment about.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the name of this band. I think back to an interview that was given by the late John Lennon during the early days of Beatlemania. He was asked about the name, The Beatles. "It's just a name. I could of called it The Shoes, it doesn't mean anything.". If you understood the mind-set of heavy metal (if that is the genre this band is really), Eagles of Death makes sense. To analyse it outside of the mind-set, you will have difficulty.
Bill Mahar is an entertainer. Just like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, the Bill Mahar character is to incite the public. As a comedian, he is something of a failure - touring Aboriginal casinos around North America. I watched an interview of him recently and he was quite clear that his show is very much a scripted show in which he plays a character very different than himself.
To 23:30. Did Gallo's appearance agitate you? Remembrance Day sees many services happening all at the same time. The sitting MPP does not have the ability to be at every service. He probably asked Mr Gallo to do this. Mr Gallo is a member of the public, would it been better that someone you did not know do it instead? The pettiness of this web site is annoying.
9"00
ReplyDeleteYour third point on your strange comment.
You were responding to a simple question. there was no need for the side-bar.
If the pettiness annoys you so much, it is amusing that you find so much " to comment about "
Grammar ?
Mahar is absolutely nothing like Jon Stewart. More like Don Rickles imo.
ReplyDeletePettiness, 09:00? It sounds like you're projecting some defensiveness. It was a simple, honest question; posed without editorializing. If our local MPP was attending another ceremony, I would have expected another elected official or someone with a position with the Province as a stand-in.
ReplyDeleteEagles of Death Metal is not "just a name" 9:00 If you bothered to research the band you would understand that the name indeed does mean something. It is a deliberate misnomer suggesting their sound is The "Eagles" of Death Metal. There is no difficulty in determining the genre of music this band plays which is not heavy-metal, thrash-metal, nu-metal or death-metal but garage and blues rock. Again something you would understand if you bothered to analyse it instead of accepting it at face value.
ReplyDeleteMaher is the recipent of a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and in 2005 ranked at number 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time, both which do little to support your analysis that he is "something of a failure".
As for Mr. Gallo it is nice to see him out at public events, something he had great difficulty with finding the time for when serving as a councillor.
Mr Watts
ReplyDeleteIf you had checked into how someone gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (is that not on Wikipedia?) you would have found that those stars are not "awarded" to anyone, they are purchased and maintained by the "recipient". They are ego boosters at a minimum.
Furthermore, the "100 greatest of all time" is a clue right there. "Of all time".... At one point in time, Bill Mahar was a successful comedian. Now he is a character trying to keep his relevance. Of course that ranking was also 10 years ago by your acknowledgement... what have you done lately as a "Comedian" Bill?
Why are there no Republican comics ?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteRonald Reagan was a Republican comic, as were Rumsfeld and Cheney.
But no one is laughing anymore.
People nowadays take their comedians seriously because their politicians are such a joke.
ReplyDeleteIf you bothered to check 13:58 I never claimed Maher was "awarded" I wrote he was the recipent of.
ReplyDeleteThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is indeed on wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame
The nomination process outlined there states that 20 recipients are selected from 200 by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame Selection Committee. Maher recieved his 5 years ago.
I read that a $30,000 fee is usually paid by the nominating organization, which may be a fan club, or a film studio, record company, broadcaster, or other sponsor involved with the prospective honoree.
Nowhere do I read that stars are "purchased and maintained by the recipient". If you have evidence that Maher received his star this way then share your source.
Maher is not just a comedian, he is a writer, producer, political commentator, actor, media critic, and television host. With respect to his television gig on HBO ratings from late September are 4 million.
I fail to see how he is a "character trying to keep his relevance" simply because his live standup comedy tour includes casinos. There are 140 reviews of his comedy show on Ticketmaster, some as recent as last month, with an average rating of 4.2/5: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/Bill-Maher-tickets/artist/821441
To recap in the last 5 years this "something of a failure" has produced 3 television specials, appeared as himself in multiple television shows and films, hosted his own well received television show and a schedule of live comedy stand-up accross the US and Canada has done nothing lately as a comedian.
Furthermore the star he received on the Hollywood walk of fame was soley because he needed an ego boost, where John Gallo represented the Province of Ontario at the Remembrance Day wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph because he has done so much for the Province lately.
I think we all know why and who asked Mr. Gallo to be the Ontario representative at the Remembrance day ceremony. I was just surprised that Morris wasn't right there beside him. Wouldn't that have been a hoot?
ReplyDeleteUsually an MP or MPP sends their Executive Assistant or Constituency Office Manager.
ReplyDeleteDraw your own conclusions.
Isn't the Constituency Office Manager Phyllis Morris' son? Six of one, half a dozen of the other...
ReplyDeleteYes he is. Whst a surprise eh?
DeleteWith a riding the size of his, how many Remembrance Day ceremonies were there at the same time? Newmarket, Aurora. Any others?
ReplyDelete