A Kickin' Cultural Cocktail

In my ideal world, I would consume one excellent book, album, film, and art/museum exhibit per week. So I was very impressed that I managed to do just that last week without even trying. Props!

Book: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman

Klosterman's writing is self-indulgent, but he has the smarts and wit to make this book into a super-sharp analysis of his own obsessions with random bits of pop culture. My favourite chapter was the one on Saved By The Bell (and how "important things are inevitably cliche"—brilliant!), followed closely by the one where he spends a lot of time with a Guns n' Roses cover band. A very solid read. 

Album: Joel Plaskett, Three

JP rocks. I love his ambition in putting out this triple disc record and having all the discs be wicked. I listened the hell out of Ashtray Rock, so it's nice to have some—make that lots of— fresh Joel on the ol' iPod. The first single Through & Through & Through has been in my head incessantly — and, by the way, I love when Joel blanks out f*** in his songs because it's so blam! (Case in other point: Nothing More To Say on Ashtray Rock). There's lots of great mellow stuff on here, too, and it's undeniably (but, to me, inexplicably) CanCon. 

Film: Two Lovers

Joaquin is really that damn good in this film and you hope he's not serious about the whole quitting acting thing. And so is Gwyneth, who I haven't seen in a film in ages, but who I feel like I know on a personal level now somehow (perhaps because of GOOP and all my Spain...On the Road Again watching). But the thing I liked most about Two Lovers was its simplicity. It felt real in a lot of ways—the dialogue and the pacing were spot on—and that's hard to come by. 

Exhibit: Maximum Exposure (aka Max Ex)

This is Ryerson Image Arts' students exhibiting part of their final projects, many of which were very cool. I went with my photog friend Carmen and kept asking her, "how do they do that?" because there were so many lighting tricks and techniques I was unaware of. It was at the Gladstone, but it's done now. Sorry 'bout that.