Uninhabited Spaces

In case you missed it, NBC's Tom Brokaw provided a lovely and touching portrait of Canada for the American audience just before the opening of the Winter Olympic Games. Aw...geez...we are blushing a little...

Doug Babcock 1900-2010 The passing of Mr. Babcock marks the end of an era. His family mourns the passing of a great man. Canada mourns the passing of the generation that asserted our independence on the world stage and established our international reputation as an unwavering champion of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law . - Prime Minister Stephen Harper Canada was called to arms in August 1914 and the country quickly amassed a army of tens of thousands within months to serve alongside Great Britain. In the end, Canada lost 67,000 soldiers with another 173,000 wounded. It was an enormous sacrifice for the young and small country which fought for the first time as a distinct unit under a Canadian-born commander. Mr. Babcock is the last known member of this great generation that helped forge a new era and contributed to the beginning of vigorous nation-building. May he rest in peace.

The suicide of brilliant fashion designer Alexander McQueen last week predictably sent ripples through the fashion and entertainment industries. Folks were right to mourn his death, as with any loss of human life. Of course, the fact that he killed himself mars his memory and reputation. Suicide is a mighty difficult topic to talk about especially in Canada and the United States, where we live in a death-defying culture. It might in fact be trait of most of the northern hemisphere's countries. I am convinced that our reactions to suicide are closely linked to how we generally approach death overall. Of course, one's religious tradition also has a mighty powerful impact. If you believe suicide is a mortal sin then your reaction to a suicide will be loaded with harsh judgment. I have lost an uncle, two cousins, and two friends to suicide. Of the five, four were men. The cause of death varied, from gunshot, to carbon monoxide, to overdose, and also to hanging. Experts say that ...

Every once in a while I am shocked and eewed by the marketing gurus. Case in point is a new product being marketed to straight men called " Vulva " [link NSFW] vaginal scent. Uh...yeah...er....ok. It sells for $35 per little vial of the stuff. Check out the ridiculous ad below. It's meant to be serious, by the way... Download: FLV MP4 3GP

Vacation rental site Homeway.com has resurrected everyone's favourite family for more misadventures in travel. It's a hoot to see Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo back as Clark "Sparky" Griswold and Ellen Griswold. In a two-part short film called " Hotel Hell Vacation " poor Clark is once again at the mercy of hoteliers. The front desk manager is note-perfect as the snooty and borish foil to poor Mr. Griswold.

In the wake of the unbearable tragedy that Haiti has been bearing these past few weeks well-minded celebrities have been gathering to record themselves singing about it. Well, sort of... The most high-profile recordings are actually do-overs, with uber producer Simon Cowell herding one group to re-record REM's " Everybody Hurts ", and Lionel Ritchie and Quincy Jones corralling 100 celebrities to remake " We are the World ". During the recent "Hope for Haiti Now" all the songs performed were existing songs performed by the original artist or covered by others, with one sole exception, the the hastily authored single " Not Gonna Leave You Stranded " by Bono, Jay-Z, and Rhianna. If you are sufficiently moved and/or guilty you can purchase the song(s) here .

During a recent interview Sarah Palin opted for a Grade 8 solution to a Ph.D-sized problem...

Okay, so like thousands of youngsters I spent copious amounts of time doing some air guitar moves in my bedroom, as I listed to my tapes on my boom box from Sears. Aw, sweet memories of tape-to-tape dubbing and auto-playback. While I never did go on to become a real guitar hero (sniff, sniff) I thought I would share some of my favourite guitar moments...Note these are favourites; I am not claiming these are all-time best or greatest guitar songs, just those that have always been part of my life's soundtrack. The year in parentheses refers to original release year. Take it Back (1994) --Pink Floyd Guitar god David Gilmour takes us into to stratosphere with this grand tune and his unmistakable effects heroics. Big Love (1987) --Lyndsey Buckingham The guitar hero of Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham takes the 1980s pop-synth hit and turns it into a lesson in how to play the guitar. Watch a master at work with a less-is-more brilliance. The Fly (1992) -- U2 Not only is this the best version...

While many people know much of the U2 canon due to the popularity of the band's music, there are a handful of very special songs that you've heard by other artists that were actually written by U2 and/or Bono. Some of these are veritable gems and some of my favourite songs beautifully interpreted by other artists. Here is a sample: She's a Mystery to Me (1989) Bono wrote this gorgeous song for the inimitable Roy Orbison, who provides such a stunning vocal as only he could. This song would feature on Orbison's last album, released after his death. A lovely story about the song here . Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad Bono wrote this melancholy song with Frank Sinatra in mind but the song was popularized by Canadian jazz singer Matt Dusk. I am not a fan of Dusk's version, much preferring that of Nancy Sinatra. Check it out here (featuring Adam Clayton on bass and Larry Mullen Jr on drums). When Love Comes to Town (1988) Bono wrote this song for BB King and it deb...