Pop Culture Blog: Music, Movie and Humor

Leveraging low-hanging synergies outside the vertical fruit box since 1999.

Mayberry Moments


in

After 10 years of living in the North End, small town vignettes are not something I’m particularly accustomed with. That is probably why they stick out to me like sore thumbs. I drove in to Portland today for two purposes – to send a package at the post office and pick up some groceries. I decided to hit the post office first and walked into the foyer to discover they were closed. Yesterday was Remembrance Day so I knew it wasn’t a holiday-related closure. And the hours clearly read 8-5 so I was perplexed. There were two old men in the foyer opening their respective mailboxes and one of them finally muttered “something… something… 1:30“. I nodded like I’d actually understood what he’d said and walked back to my car.

After putting the items to be shipped back in the Charga I walked over to the little Grocery store on the main drag. A nice lady greeted me and I quickly asked her if there was any reason the Post Office was closed. Without missing a beat she replied “Mike’s on his lunch break until 1:30“. As I only had 15 minutes to wait I did my shopping and by the time I had put my groceries in the car I could see Mike, whom I’d never met before, puttering around with the post through the front window. I walked in, selected a big padded envelope and wrote out the destination and return addresses. I handed it over to Mike who glanced at it and asked “Did your parents get off to Florida like they’d planned?” I was shocked as I live a good 10 minute drive away… in the woods. But that’s small town life for you, and it’s growing on me.

I can’t help but wonder who I’d be speaking to if I ever had to call 911. The O.P.P. polices towns like mine which are too small to warrant their own forces and the closest station I know about is 15 minutes away in Smiths Falls. Would Gomer Pyle be the responding officer who arrived half an hour after my cat and I had already been hacked into a dozen pieces by an escaped lunatic? What if my imaginary girlfriend’s period attracts bears? I think Pumpkinhead may also be buried in the mound which makes up a good chunk of my mother’s garden. Good heavens, I need me a 12 gauge if I’m ever going to build that still.

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Veekend Video: One Thirsty Kitty


in Animalistic, Veekend Video

Earlier this year I took my cat, Boss, to the vet to be tested for diabetes. The reason? His incessant fascination with, and imbibement of, water. He’s always been fascinated with the stuff – when he was a kitten at our house in Guelph he’d charge into the bathroom whenever anyone got out of the shower and sit in the tub watching the faucet drip. We nicknamed him “the inspector” and chalked it up to that old kitty curiosity.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qd0lZIIn3A[/youtube]

Now that he’s 10 years old, 27 trips to the water dish, faucet, shower or sink a day is a little unsettling. Hence the visit to the vet. His bloodwork came back completely normal and I was told he is exceptionally healthy for a creature of his age. I suppose then that his water OCD is just that – the same fixation he’s had since his inception. In which case, it’s kind of cute. I made this video last Sunday, edited the clips together and set it to a classic Tom Jones tune. It turned out remarkably cute and funny, so have a gander.

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It’s Official: I am an American Citizen


in Heartwarming

Yesterday I took my oath and was sworn in as a United States Citizen in Boston’s awesome and historic Faneuil Hall. I sat in the main gallery with nearly 400 other people from every corner of the world who, like me, had decided to go through the long and arduous nationalization process. I sat near a friendly Russian and had a great conversation with my new buddy from Ghana who’s name I have no idea how to spell – so I’m not going to insult him by trying. Hopefully he will check in here himself and set me straight. We told many jokes, poked fun at some of the more breathtaking patriotic apparel and shared a real awe of the absolute hell many of the people in that room had to endure to get there. Congratulations to us all, and good luck in Texas, buddy. I’ll see you in Canada when you come to visit.

Tonight we’re having an informal gathering to mark the occasion of Citizen Pye at Silvertone in downtown Boston. If you’re not looking to shoot me for any reason, I invite you to drop in. We’ll be in the back room after 9pm. Here is a photo taken by my sister outside Faneuil after the ceremony yesterday. The document I’m holding cost me roughly $3,000 in terms of fees, plane tickets and lawyers – but it is beautiful and worth every cent. I only wish the passport photo used wasn’t taken so soon after I bashed in my face last December. I’m lucky for that reason my application wasn’t tossed into the circular file in the Tip O’Neil Building.

United States Naturalization Document

While we’re on the subject of photos, I have added a few new galleries to the site. Check out the rest of the photos from yesterday as well as various other shots from my latest Boston trip: Dave’s a Yankee Doodle Dandy. Then have a gander at the photos I took last weekend when Jason and Amy came to visit me in Portland. It’s a beautiful part of the country and the leaf peeping was sublime: Best Buddies Awesome Autumn Invitational. Also feel free to politely peruse photos from a Halloween party where I appeared as Indiana Jones, as well as a collection from another recent jaunt to Newport Rhode Island: October 2007. And finally, you might just find a picture of yourself in my tribute to the last few Halloween celebration ingeniously entitled: Ghosts of Halloweens Past. Having read and viewed all of the aforementioned, if you’re not thoroughly sick of my nutty life – you really should be. Looking forward to seeing many of you tonight.

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Wednesday Wadio: Geto Boys ‘Mind Playing Tricks on Me’


in Wednesday Wadio

I made it to Beantown in one piece this evening and enjoyed Buffalo chicken sandwiches and Harpoon IPA with Moynihan, Joanna and my sister at Bukowski’s in Inman Square. As we drove back to Janet’s place in Medford, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” crackled through on the always reliable WERS and we had a jolly good time singing along. Collectively, ladies included, we knew about 80% of the lyrics by heart and it was a nice little trip down memory lane for the lot of us. Not exactly the most patriotic of tunes on the eve of my induction into American citizenship, but to the best of my knowledge Bushwick Bill never recorded a version of “Ballad of the Green Berets”.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU2TPUimrLk[/youtube]

Blatantly copied from somewhere because I have to go to sleep:  “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” was the only number 1 single ever released by the Geto Boys. It was featured on their 1991 album We Can’t Be Stopped. Bushwick Bill (a.k.a. Dr. Wolfgang Von Bushwickin the Barbarian Mother Funky Stay High Dollar Billstir) continued on with other records with both a solo career, and later updated records with The Geto Boys. It is the most successful Geto Boys single ever based on its gold certification. [1] Not so oddly, it is on the most successful Geto Boys album based on its platinum certification. “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” heavily samples Isaac Hayes’s song “Hung Up On My Baby” (1974) from the Tough Guys soundtrack.

“Mind Playing Tricks on Me” was rated number 18 in the 100 Greatest Rap Songs by About.com. The Kottonmouth Kings remixed the song for their album Hidden Stash II under the same name. “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” has been referenced by Prodigy, of Mobb Deep fame, in his single, Mac 10 Handle, and by The Clipse, in the song “Nightmares” of their third album, “Hell Hath No Fury.” The Notorious B.I.G. references “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” and sings the guitar line from the song’s chorus in his hit “One More Chance.” In the song “She Lives In My Lap” off the highly successful 2003 OutKast album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Andre 3000 samples Scarface’s vocals from Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me.

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