Side Notes: Work in Progress

(1) The blog break is still in full swing, much to my chagrin. Three consecutive weekends out of town (including this coming Friday) and the rhythm really starts to fall apart. The mid-summer doldrums have finally arrived, and I apologize profusely. On the plus side, I'm hoping that all of this downtime will produce some solid posting in the coming weeks. There's been some loose talk of a print version in the fall. Any thoughts?

(2) The Ti-Cats are heading to Montreal this week to battle the Alouettes, kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening. The team needs to make some serious moves over the next few weeks if they want a shot at an Eastern playoff berth, especially with a 1-4 record out of the gate.

(3) On a lighter note, I found some old concert tickets the other day, including a Sloan/Flashing Lights gig from 2000. "Where the Change Is" is a classic, check out the tambourine work from Hamilton native Gavin Dianda. Just search "New Music Canada, Artists, Flashing Lights" on cbcradio3.ca, and enjoy.

O'Neill's

My friend Adam took me to a burger stand in the east end last night near the corner of Barton and Kenilworth. O'Neill's, "home of the one-pound burger," proved to be a solid little take-out restaurant with great food. There was about a 20-minute wait due to the large volume of orders being placed, but if you're patient and enjoy a great burger with fries, then O'Neill's is definitely worth a look. Check it out if you're in the neighbourhood, 1374 Barton St. E.

Note: I was at IWS for the Ticats game this afternoon, but I need to let the last-minute loss sink in a little before posting about it. So close, so close...

Side Notes: Links, Tunes, and Football

(1) Some good friends and former coworkers of mine have blogs of their own on the go, and they're definitely worth checking out. Sarah Beukema, Sarah El-Hamzawi, and Chris Arnett tackle all things fashion, culture, and strange. I'll post the links permanently under the "friends" category.

(2) Special thanks to Two Hours Traffic for playing a slightly extended set after we walked in during the last song on Wednesday. "New Love" was a great closer, I don't think they played it last time.

(3) The Tiger-Cats will be squaring off against Saskatchewan tomorrow afternoon at Ivor Wynne Stadium. I caught a few interviews with Jesse Lumsden and Kori Dickerson this week, and the team seems to be extremely focused. "11 wins this year" was the prediction from Dickerson. The last time the Cats went 11-7 was 1999, which was also the last year they won the Grey Cup. Eerie foreshadowing, or wishful thinking? I'm pulling for the former.

Mac News

I had an editorial published in the Silhouette this morning regarding Peter George's full contract and the message it sends to McMaster students. For those of you who aren't familiar with the fine details, you can view the contract here. If you're in the west end, grab a copy of the paper on campus. The content may not be posted online, so I'll run the full article on here if that's the case. 

Also: Because it's so nice out today, here's a classic track to ride out the afternoon. 

Thanks, CANCON

While listening to the radio this morning, I came across two stations playing the same song at the exact same time. Both 102.1 The Edge and Hamilton's own Y108 were pumping out "That Song," a Big Wreck hit from 1997.

I understand what the MAPL system is trying to do, but when you're regularly filling the gaps with music from over a decade ago, it's not exactly showcasing the best and brightest new talent in Canada. I can understand the move on Y108 given their classic rock format, but the Edge can do better.

Check out Let's Fix CANCON, a website devoted to overhauling current CRTC regulations.

Bird Rentals

Maybe I missed the boat, I didn't realize these guys were back together. Awesome in 2005, awesome today. Definitely one of the best groups to come out of Hamilton in recent years. Check out some tracks here, and you can catch the Bird Rentals live at the Casbah on July 18th.

The Abbreviations

I just put together a small bio for the Abbreviations, which you can read here. The band recently signed with Down by the Point Records, linking up with Matt Paxton, Cam Malcolm, and Cowlick. Give a listen on their MySpace page, "Never Walk when you can Ride" is a great track.

CFL-Congrats

The streak is over. Hamilton trounced the Argonauts 32-13 at the Rogers Centre, finally ending a seven year dry spell in Hogtown. As if the victory alone wasn't sweet enough, the team looked fantastic. Printers was a machine, the receivers looked sharp, and Lumsden/Smith tore up the backfield. Props to Lawrence Gordon for bouncing back from a rough game against Montreal.

This is the team's best start since 2004, and a win against Saskatchewan next week isn't looking so out of the question. Is it too early to use a "Boston Celtics of the CFL" tag?

See you in Box J on the 12th.

CFL- Game Two

Do you want to be a Hamilton Tiger-Cat? The Tabbies are currently lacking Canadian starters for tonight's contest in Toronto, and need to dress a minimum of seven by game time. You can contact the front office here. Special preference will be given to alumni from the McMaster intramural flag football league.

On a serious note, the Cats are currently boasting a 0-10 road record, and have gone 1-16-1 against the Argos over their last 18 meetings. We need this win, big time.

Prediction: One shot for every Ti-Cat penalty, and I'm running out of whisky.

Right Move on Lister?

Even though a Lister Block deal has finally been closed with LIUNA, I'm wondering if it really is the right move for the city. Don't get me wrong, it's about time something was done with the site, and I'm glad to see a plan in motion for the next 4-5 years. However, it's the specifics of the deal that have me scratching my head a little.

Check out Nicole MacIntyre's Lister Math (at the bottom of this page), there are some interesting figures to consider. The deal will cost taxpayers an extra $1.3 million per year, although the city will own the building in 20 years. Cal DiFalco also raised a good point on MacIntyre's blog, noting, "A new City Hall or retirement residences are things that ordinary people would see as staples of a city. Not attractions."

Is restoration still a good idea? What do you think?