Print Edition: January 30, 2013
Do I have to pay for this ticket?
One of my biggest beefs about UFV is the parking situation. There is maybe nothing worse than pulling into UFV only to realize I have arrived at that awkward time between classes and there are no parking spots left. I’m filled with fury, frustration and the urge to park on the lawn or the sidewalk simply to prove a point.
The parking pass per semester is $150. I only buy this pass to save time at the meter, I have no idea if this actually saves me money or not in the long run; I assume it doesn’t. Now, to anger me further, there is nothing quite comparable to the moment you arrive at your car and find a ticket under the windshield wiper. Staff parking violation. WHAT?! This is a supposed staff lot now? Oh, I see … there’s a sign 100 feet away. Do people actually pay these things? Not sure, but I’m on my way to finding out what happens when they don’t.
Board games aren’t just for the bored
Board and card games aren’t just for awkward families and lost-cause social events.
Since when are board games uncool? Since they were forced upon youths as an acceptable use of social time? Since their inception? Hasbro certainly hasn’t helped matters in recent years with their “family game night” advertisements depicting families who smile unnaturally and laugh at a card being flipped over.
There’s a stigma attached to games like Monopoly and Apples to Apples, as if the minute it’s pulled out of someone’s back pantry, the night has gone so far downhill the only way to fix social awkwardness is with a joint activity. Granted, that is an excellent buoy to throw at an unfortunate party, but it’s also a great way to spend time. Have you ever had a few beers and played Quelf? Ever continue a Dutch Blitz game where the goal is to beat the other person by 150 points? Ever really want to find out who killed Colonel Mustard in the conservatory?
Board games need not be just for the bored, they are actually a lot of fun.
Rob Ford is wrong about the cyclist
As I write this, Rob Ford has won his appeal to stay in office. To me, Rob Ford is synonymous to those who hate cyclists. As other cities move to encourage more cycling, Rob Ford does the opposite, wanting to end “the war on cars.”
I hear an awful lot of complaints when it comes to cyclists on the streets. One of the more recurring complaints I hear is how cyclists break the rules of the road. But since when have motorists never broken the rules of the road? When did motorists never run red lights? Or drink and drive, the leading cause of criminal death according to Transport Canada. And just as bad, when did motorist never text and drive?
Sure, cyclists break rules. Yet I am still waiting for a good reason as to why cyclists should not be on the streets. Negligence is far more dangerous behind the wheel of a car than behind a set of handlebars.
Cycling is here to stay. Embrace it. Encourage it. One more bike on the road is one less car on the road. Isn’t that a good thing?
I would certainly hate to see a Rob Ford get elected out here.
Needle in the groove
I recently went record shopping. It’s been a while, but as soon as I began flipping through the racks and caught the scent of old vinyl filling the air with the soul music blaring over ancient speakers, everything just clicked.
I found myself at Toronto’s Play de Record, which specializes in dance music. What was playing was a funky, vocal-heavy groove I’d never heard before. I picked a New Order LP out of the racks and brought it to the till. But I couldn’t leave without asking the clerk what was playing. He handed me Brotherman OST, by the Final Solution. I decided to go for it, no prior knowledge but that one track playing over the speakers: “I gotta get through to you/ No matter what I have to do.”
I finally had the chance to listen to the album when I got back home. It’s fucking fantastic. The soundtrack, as it turns out, was recorded in less than 24 hours in 1974 for a blaxploitation film that was never produced. Because of this, the tracks are mostly missing the over-the-top orchestration that typified their contemporaries, relying more heavily on guitar flourishes and raw vocal harmony to propel the songs. It creates a distinctive off-the-cuff feel that makes it all the better. The soundtrack was lost until somebody found it in 2008 and deemed it worthy of a CD release. And if I hadn’t set foot into that shop, I’d never have found it. That’s what I love about record stores.
