friends, i've just returned from toronto, and i'm proud and relieved to announce that i've successfully convinced the american immigration system to allow me to stay a little longer. it was necessary to take two days off from work for this mission, so i got to wander about this lovely city. when you're at home and you have nothing to during business hours, you're wasting time. in a different city it's like an anthropology field trip. this is what i learned, mummy: 1. street cars are great. more places should have them. 2. you've got to love a country that calls its currency the "loonie." 3. there are no ugly canadian women. 4. even when the sun is shining and it's 70° out, the good citizens run about in heavy jackets, like they're afraid of being flash frozen if they're caught without them. 5. canadians really like hockey, which is a weird sport. i've never seen two teams so happy after a 0:0 scoreless tie in overtime. we have those in soccer, of course, but they're seen more as a display of mutual impotence rather than extraordinary goalkeeping prowess. 6. they charge you tax when you buy postage stamps. thankfully, rumors of the church of the holy trinity's demise ("they tore the thing down right after the cowboy junkies recorded there, man") were greatly exaggerated. this is a wonderful space with huge floorplanks that creak, homeless people dozing in the corners and a rainbow banner hanging from the balcony. not something you see in a church every day. "trinity session" cd's were not on sale there, but there is a cafe where you can have lunch. the tower records had the very same faust cd on the rack exactly where i left it when i didn't buy it in july. it's not there anymore. i also bought the new mojave 3 album. the cashier girl had something to say about that and the following conversation ensued. "that's a really great album. the first one was too country." "that's what i've heard. i really like slowdive. but right now i'm totally into belle and sebastian. i was at the cancelled philly show" (delivered with an anguished grimace) "i totally hate them right now. i've heard them too much. i saw them live last year." "really? in new york?" (i'm surprised) "no, in glasgow. i saw them when they were, like, nobody." of course i'm speechless at all this ingratitude and underappreciation. i now choose to believe that she made it up, because i don't think i could bear to live in a world where such things can happen. so you see, toronto. the gig was really cancelled because you have traitors in your midst. by the way, the mojave 3 album is pretty good. i still have to listen to it more. most of it is pretty slow (at least the songs know when to stop) but the first track is a masterpiece. this song delivers everything i ever expected from the red house painters. and of course it has mick cooke, who does here exactly what he does for b&s. icing on the cake. also, the album came free with limited-to-2000, canada only 4AD sampler. toronto is great. it makes me wonder why i try so hard to stay in the us. -goon k.- ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list please mail "sinister@majordomo.net". To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to "majordomo@majordomo.net". For list archives and searching, list rules, FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister +---+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" +---+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+