Column

A to Z: Atlantic News Perspective #80 (Aug 25)
The office of African Nova Scotian Affairs opens, exploring Labrador's uranium deposits and Stompin' Tom closes the school house.
By: Iain K. MacLeod

Column

A to Z: Atlantic News Perspective #79 (Aug 18)
Full Moon fever, trucking toxins and flying boulders.
By: Iain K. MacLeod

Web

Speaking of math, Google is a calculator.

The Mathematics of Marriage

Wife's equation: w(t+1)=a+r1*w(t)+ihw[h(t)]

w= wife, h= husband, t= time a= a constant representing the wife's state of mind when she is not with her husband. r1*w(t)= represents how easy it is to change her state of mind when she is in conversation with her husband. ihw= "influence function" -- a measure of the influence that a husband's remarks have on his wife. h(t)= the husband's "score" during their 15-minute conversation. w(t+1)=how the wife has reacted to her husband's conversation -- the higher the number then the greater the likelihood of divorce

Husband's equation: H(t+1)=b+r2*h(t)+iwh[w(t)]

b= a constant representing the husband's state of mind when he is not with his wife. r2*w(t)= represents how easy it is for him to change his state of mind when he is in conversation with his wife. iwh= "influence function" -- a measure of the influence that a wife's remarks have on her husband. w(t)= the wife's score during their 15-minute conversation. H(t+1)= how the husband has reacted to his wife's conversation -- the higher the number then the greater the likelihood of divorce

[from the National Post]

Music

Sure Thing: Dimitri from Paris (Sunday at Velvet Olive)

The All Music Guide calls the sounds of Dimitri from Paris "ironic lounge, spiked with shots of electronic house." Rolling Stone said he "creates a universe that is as goofily coherent as it is infectious." Radio France Internationale describes it as "eclectic fusion of house beats and smooth French easy-listening sounds." Pitchfork Media said he "does kitsch better than most," but then went and confused him with DJ Dmitry from the one-hit wonders Deee-Lite. Identity crisis aside, this Turkish DJ honed his craft on the radio in France by pairing trendy beats with French singers like Julien Clerc, Etienne Daho and Richard Gotainer. Dimitri also crafted luscious soundtracks to fashion shows on the runways of Paris. His debut record, Sacre Bleu, was released in 1996 (1998 in North America) and crowned album of the year by MixMag. As a re-mixer, he was reworked tracks by Pizzicato Five, New Order and Bjsrk. With one foot in the boudoir and the one hand on the mixer, his latest achievements include a pair of Hefner-approved mix compilations entitled A Night at the Playboy Mansion in 2000 (part of the Respect is Burning series on Astralwerks) and the double CD After the Playboy Mansion, released last year. Anyway you spin it, the swinging sounds and snappy style of this acclaimed international playboy will be hitting Halifax's Velvet Olive this weekend. Expect to hear DFP's fresh French twist on dance music with a high probability of grooving and ample chances to chill. �Iain K. MacLeod (The Coast | Volume 11 Number 11)

E-list

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Music

Solid Steel presents The Herbaliser: Herbal Blend

Film

Bubba Ho-Tep Trailer

Tech

"I think Macs threaten the livelihood of IT staffs. If you recommend purchasing a computer that requires only half the support of the machine it is replacing, aren't you putting your job in danger?" - Robert X. Cringely (I, Cringely)

TV

The Stellar Acting Career of Troy McClure

Music

2003 Long List of Nominees Announced for the Shortlist Music Prize

Column

A to Z: Atlantic News Perspective #78 (Aug 11)
Recycling coal, arson in Dartmouth and stolen handguns.
By: Iain K. MacLeod

Quote

"Our music generally appeals to children and retarded people," - Aaron Freeman a.k.a. Gene Ween (The Onion A.V. Club)

Column

A to Z: Atlantic News Perspective #77 (Aug 4)
A convicted candidate, a bong and a pool of beer.
By: Iain K. MacLeod

Music

"The record was designed so that if someone were to walk in the room and heard it playing at ANY volume they should ask you �what the hell are you listening to?��and then walk out. Ween doesn�t necessarily think that this will be the record that breaks them through at radio. Actually they could care less anymore---instead they plan on raping their core audience of fans who will buy just about anything they release. This includes 4 cd live albums that were recorded on cassettes. If that plan were to fail, Ween instead plan on trying to steal fans from the burgeoning �jam-band� scene, where they are becoming increasingly popular. So far people have been fooled, but no one�s sure how much longer it will last, because historically, Ween have managed to alienate themselves from just about everyone including their most die-hard fans at one time or another." - Sanctuary Records Group

Quote

"Students are revolting all over the world. I don't know what they're revolting about, I just know they're revolting." - Bob Hope during the protests against the Vietnam War (National Post).

Anyone know how many small children Mr. Hope indirectly killed in his 100 years?