Propaganda

What grand weather we’ve had here for the past couple of weeks. Makes you think that Kingston is one of the best places in the world to call home. News: it is, save the period between November and March, even April (T.S. Eliot’s cruelest month) — when exam and paper marking vie with churning through the piles of paper known as tax fun. But folks, we’ve had a terrific few days here, emphatically saluting Danny Finkleman and the Doug Reilly Soul Review that played the Grand Theatre the other night.

Finkleman was Finkleman, not a mean bone in his Ichabod-Crane-like body as he had scads of fun as an MC on the way out after two decades of entertaining us on “Finkleman’s 45s” every Saturday night from 8 until 10. The soul review had a packed house on its collective feet — and although this observer shook a bit when The Five Satin’s “In the Still of the Night” came across in soul form, there were several things to say about the night that redeemed the few doo-wop spectaculars. The MC, of course, we shall miss him. The band — amazing — sax and electric guitar — and Reilly on the piano and organ, and his son ben Reilly on the drums. The sound — really, really loud. My ears rang with excitement (deaf already — I really heard this stuff) and my ears were ringing the next morning when I went to my dermatologist to have four keratoses burnt off.

SIDEBAR — My dermatologist is a hero, and in his new digs, new office, brick wall — a poster of a gorgeous blonde woman in a bikini….NO NO Not an add for Coppertone (r), but an in-your-face (you have to look at it) warning against basal cell, squamous cell, and, of course, the nasty melanoma). Just thought I’d get that one in there because I believe in giving my students — esp. in lecture courses when the subject becomes dim –pep talks on health. You know, floss! condoms! Lavabo Manos!! (in the intonation of the late Pope John Paul II) — it works, and you can even try it at home…end sidebar and preaching.

Back to Finkleman: People prove that they do stay home on Saturday night and don’t watch hockey night in Canada — or watch the hockey, turn off the sound, and listen to Danny. Highlights beside the host (who retires this year, and really enjoyed himself), the renditions of “Rock and Roll Lullaby” (Belmonts), “Daddy’s Home” (Shep and the Limelights and the Heartbeats), and above all–”Cry-y-y-y-i-i-i-ng Over You” (Roy Orbison, a much underrated talent). Kudos Danny, Godspeed.

Then, as Jack Kerouac wrote long ago (Truman Capote called it typing, not writing), my companion and I headed down to Toronto (Tuesday), to see a play and then attend a book launch. The day was grand, wonderful–and CBC interrupted its broadcast to bring us a special bulletin. Michael Enright announciong a new pope! But the new pope took his time, really took his time, and the CBC assembled disembodied voices (radio analogy for talking heads) strung out descriptions as the clock beat on and our car went past Belleville, Trenton, etc. Finally! Joseph Ratzinger, a doctrinal conservative (why not in these hugely doctrinal conservative times) stepped forward to address the faithful in St. Peters’ Square as Benedict the Sixteenth. That’s a mouthful, and for liberal Catholics hoping for reform in the Church, and even for lapsed Catholics such as myself, and even for atheists who have never lapsed, Ratzinger with his attitudes on morality and old-time hierarchical values, and his record as THE Vatican enforcer on matters theological and behavioural, does not herald much change.

But not to rant on about the new church leader, save to say, he was NOT a Nazi, but he seems a pretty good fascist–the curia is loaded with them, especially with the power that John Paul II had in naming cardinals. It’s very much like the impact Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan had in naming United States Supreme Court Justices. Second, and Rosie DiManno got this right in The Star, there was a whiff of fear surrounding the fourth-fastest white smoke appearance in history (or so I was told the other day). Who would want to cross this guy, what with his record in doing the kinds of things high school vice principals do every day.

So we have another conservative time awaiting us — and it takes little jump to make comparison between what radical Islam does to its apostates, and what conservative Christianity to theirs–historically. It’s right there in black and white, and red. And we need much, much more humanity than theology these days. More on this to come.

The play we saw at the Tarragon Theatre was former Globe and Mail columnist and award-nominated author David Macfarlane’s “Fishwrap,” a roughly roman a clef account of his being dumped a couple of years ago. His quirky insights in “Cheap Seats” provided intellectual depth to Canada’s best newspaper, but as anyone who has written for the Globe, or who has aspired to write for the Globe, space is as dear as on the shelves at the A&P. John Jarvis did a superb job acting, but there was little that one could love about his character. He showed no human feeling, only angst about loss, ranging from his bicycle (which he prized most) to his wife, who walked out on him in favour of a tradesman. Jarvis had several good lines, and threw his all (literally) into a pyrotechnic and peripatetic performance–the set stood up to running, falling, jumping–and it was undergoing renovations! That’s when he got his notice, but one still had trouble feeling for him……..Very little beyond neurotic masculine angst (tho’ I enjoyed the performace immensely–probably will never make it as a critic).

Then the next day, Wednesday, killing a rainy day along Queen Street, out past Spadina toward the Edward Day Gallery……we found a couple of great eateries, especially The Beaver, a coffee shop with class (highly recommended *** — that’s three stars on the Geoff Smith blogogandaboard because the meals taste good and don’t cost an arm or a leg! Another bistro, the Tournesol, up on DuPont, was terrific too. Much more dear, though. There are a lot of galleries along Queen, and if the weather turns inclement, they provide signficant cover, if at times one has difficulty getting with the artistic program. I may return to this, save to say–if I had $6700 I would have brought a couple of things home to William Street…..but I didn’t bring the cash with me. Alas, no not really.

Finally the book launch. together with new friend Ted Ho and colleague Karen Dubinsky, and Roberta Hamilton, who does her best to keep me out of trouble. Probably 100 or so of the usual suspects present to fete Varda Burstyn, one of our best social critics, for her new novel, Water, INC. Looks as though she’ll do well with it, and the food and drink were great, the people fun, including Anna Maria Tremonte, of “The Current” fame on CBC, a number of writers, architects, sport sociologists, lefty social movement types–you know, the heart and soul of our thinking community.

I’ve got to get back to reading theses, right now……I am on sabbatical, save for the students who need me. Fortunately they are fewer and farer between this alleged year “off”. Hope all of you are enjoying the weather–I know why living in Canada is tantamount even to enjoying a day where clouds come across a clear sky and the temperature struggles to hit 15. We appreciate weather far more here than, say, in California. Growing up there, I took it as a personal affront when a cloud came across the horizon during the summer months. Canada and Kingston have been a growing experience. And yes–I must admit that my favourite TV channel, the BIG reality show of our time, is “The Weather Channel”. Bye for now.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 21st, 2005 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Whimsy & Misc.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.