Seven thoughts in lieu of a full recap

Well, since Mark pretty much gave the lowdown on our weekend of fun in the Big City, with pictures no less, I thought I would just hit the highlights with a few thoughts:

1 - Preparing for the Revolution
As usual, we were very well fed and adequately sauced throughout the weekend. The Boris (and other less revolutionary but equally tasty beverages) was free-flowing and we were treated to Mark's culinary skills with the likes of southwestern tofu sammidges, Toad-in-the-hole (that's right Mark- "Toad" but I will admit that a traditional toad-in-the-hole is made with sausages and yorkshire pudding, the egg/bread one is a bastardized version), and curried hashbrowns, and a wicked salad and "doubles" by Danielle. More good stuff was found at Mt. Everest and the Vegan place on Baldwin and, of course, the local watering hole (with or without toads)

2 - The really big shew
What prompted our latest sojourn to Toronto was the Constantines/"Better"thans show. While we missed the two openers, the two main acts were pretty damn good. The Constantines rocked real hard - very high energy - and I thought put on an excellent show (but they didn't play "Blind Luck" what's with that?). Although the bassist was pretty creepy. Weakerthans were also very good. Not great, perhaps (the show they played in Kingston last summer was, in my humble opinion, better. It did benefit from a guest performance by Sarah Harmer so that may have tipped the scale for me) but certainly nothing to complain about - we had dinner with Foucault and lost the cat in the impending class-war (good thing we had our Boris'!) - so it was a pretty full evening.

3 - Dancing on Bloor, Wu Li style
A memorable event of the night was Mark's exegesis on the nature of matter in the universe while walking back from the concert. He explained how the new physics with the particles and the waves and "the wrathfulness and the vengeance and the bloodrain and the 'hey hey hey it hurts me'" (and so forth), was really only a rehash of Buddhist philosophies. At the most essential level, everything is one and the same, things only exist as they are upon observation and we alter things by observing them (by the way, I remembered the name of the "tree in the courtyard" philosopher - it was Berkeley) etc. While he was not the first to say such things but it is nevertheless interesting. And more than a bit impressive given the hour and the amount of booze he consumed up to that point.

4 - There is some hope for the world (or, why is this stuff not on the market yet?
While not without a number of problems, the Massive Change exhibit had its fair share of interesting and enlightening aspects. All I have to say is that, judged on the products shown in the exhibit, Dean Kamen and his DEKA research outfit are doing stuff right. While the world may be going to hell in a handbasket, with people like him, there is still some hope alive. As far as exhibit design goes, it was uniquely set up, if not always successful. Of particular note was the blank white room that opened up to a room that was chock-full of images: everything but the ceiling, including the floors and benches had images on them. While startling at first, it was a gallery that paid off with attention to the individual bands as you could begin to pick out the meaning of some or all in that 'spectrum'. By and large it was devoid of text - which while it would have interfered with the overall effect, would certainly have helped answer the "what the hell is that" question (I see that the website goes into quite a bit of detail explaining the different imaging technologies, but I wish I had a little more on-site). It is an ambitious, problematic, tiring, but worthwhile exhibit.

5 - I'm OK, You're Karaoke
Alright, that was lame. But the singing wasn't. A cramped, hot room did not do any damage to vocal stylings of the ex-FISers and their significant others. Highlights: rousing renditions of more crap '80s tunes than you can shake a stick at. Lowlights: my version of I am the Walrus. Thankfully only Danielle heard it; although I am sure she will forever be scarred when she hears the words "Goo goo g' joob".

6 - Terrible, just terrible!
Why am I so bad at Metroid? Mark kicked my ass all over the spacestation. Ugh. Freaking awful.

7 - It was a beeee-utiful day in the neighborhood
A sunday walk in Christie Pits, what could be finer?

All in all a very fun (and full) weekend. Thanks yet again to our hosts. Can't wait 'till the next time.
rgsc