BNJMN

Much has happened in the past month. I've been to two concerts, tried Geocaching, got an iPhone, cleaned my website, and got into following the municipal election. Concerts: Jason Mraz and Stars. Both were fantastic in their own way. I met Mr. A-Z (do people call him that? Shoulda asked), and fell in love with a few of his new songs, most notable What Mama Say. First concert at Scotiabank Place, to! Stars had fantastic lighting and a great crowd, and are really good live. Very impressed. iPhone: iPhone4. Is there more to say? It's perhaps the best device I've ever owned. Website: It was attacked somehow recently, and unwanted script ended up on every page. So I cleaned it out old school, and now there shouldn't be any malware warnings when people visit. Check it out: BenjaminWood.Net ! My blog, as part of the site, had also been flagged, so I hadn't updated it just because of that headache. Maybe I'll write more often now. Geocaching: One of the results of havi...

Photos: Alanis, Chickens, Meaghan Smith and Ron Sexsmith, Pixie Hollow, Snow in October, escalator, Halloween Costume (Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers), Pramod Dhakal, Wall-E and Eve art, someone's parcel paid in a whack of 52¢, 96¢, $1.15, and $1.60 stamps. I completed a huge project that didn't involve school. I'll reveal it very soon, as early as next week. It's pretty awesome, but still a secret. That's what I've been up to. I've also been working a lot and doing some school. Oh, and watching television shows! Stargate Atlantis, Dexter, and Pushing Daisies are impressing, and Heroes is getting pretty tricky. It makes me wish that there were two Bryan Fullers, one for Heroes and one for Daisies. And perhaps one for a new Star Trek as well. Speaking of Star Trek, someone revealed the new original Enterprise (photo) for the 2009 movie. I must say that I really like it, except for how the nacelle pylons' positions. But that's enough geek from me for one da...

I like concerts. There's something about live music, being in front of the people who make said music, being surrounded by people who are equally (or more) into the music than you are... something about that whole process that makes the music exciting. In contrast, I don't really like live concerts on cd. There are a few exceptions (Great Big Sea's Road Rage, for example), but the music without the atmosphere is only half the experience. Recently, I saw Buck 65 at the Bronson Centre, with Skratch Bastid and Cadence Weapon. It was a good show despite the mediocre sound and audience-not-at-capacity. Even though the venue is seated (it's an ancient high school auditorium), I still found myself standing by the stage. My ears aren't particularly happy when that happens, but it's worth it. It's even better when you get a few good shots. My battery life was limited (and died eventually), so I enjoyed the music rather than try to capture it. I wasn't particularl...

I love Maple Music . For the uninitiated, is a little online music retailer - one that specializes, or at the very least exclusively distributes Canadian music. Arrogant Worms, Billy Talent, Jill Barber, Sarah Slean I also love how my spell check doesn't know the words Slean, merch, nor hoodies. Anyway, I've made two orders with them so far, and they're just awesome! The prices are what I'd call reasonable, at least prices that would sway me to buy stuff if I were at HMV or something like that. I bought Simon Wilcox's newest, The Charm and the Strange and Kinnie Starr's Anything. A few years back, I bought Simon Wilcox's second cd, Smart Function, in part because the listening station had it and I was impressed (and in part because it'd give me something to see at Tulipfest). So a follow-up cd was a no brainer for me. Smart Function is a work of art. A slightly dark, highly-energized, low energy (if that makes sense) work of art. Kinnie Starr, I had hear...

Pictures: Ottawa Rideau Canal at night, in concert: Lioness, You Say Party We Say Die, K-OS. I had never been to a concert quite like this one. Usually there's a singer with a set list of songs and a word here and there, smaller, less exciting opening acts with a similar music style... This concert had two opening acts, both of which were very good. Their style was nothing if not tangibly in the same spectrum of what K-Os is all about; their music was a mix of electronic/house/dance/punk/everything else. And they were very energetic and interesting; they had everyone's attention, unlike some acts where nobody ends up paying attention. I actually wanted longer sets from both Lioness and YSP WSD (check out their music). Then, of course, there was K-OS. He just came out with his sonic crew and started playing and singing. Songs and beats just kinda blended into one another until it was time for a break, for him to talk to the audience, and for get us to wish one of his band mate...