The Most Beautiful Weekend of the Year

As usual, Thanksgiving weekend in Montreal was amazing: 21 degrees and sunny, all three days! The colours were beautiful, and the sun was shining in the way that it only does for the October long weekend.

Yesterday, I went out and sat in Parc Lafontaine with a couple of books, a blanket and my iPod. This picture is precisely what I saw when laying on the grass – well, the blanket on top of the grass I guess...

Successful Ad or City Landmark?

I don’t know why, but I find it disheartening to know that the Farine Five Roses sign is no longer lit up at night – and moreover, that it might be dismantled altogether (!!!). What’s more, I’m not alone. Since the new plant owners have turned off the sign and consideration has been given to removing it, a movement (albeit small) has formed to protect the sign as an historic landmark. I even found a blog (who’s name suggests) that it’s devoted to saving the sign (although it really doesn’t seem all that devoted if you ask me…). Check out the blog here.


So what is it exactly about a 20-foot tall ad that makes us feel that kind of attachment? I think that it’s just a ritualistic association. A constant, if you will. When I used to take the bus in the Pointe, I thought that I could feel warmth of the red letters shining on the skyline, and that the blinking neon kept a beat like a metronome. Trite, perhaps, but strangely, I believed it.

I have seen the sign regularly throughout my life, but I’ve also seen the Super Sexe sign on Sainte-Catherine -- perhaps even more often -- and I wouldn’t feel terribly nostalgic about that sign going to the dumpster.

I wonder if I’d feel the same way if the Salada sign near the intersection of Décarie and the 40 were suddenly in jeopardy?

R.I.P. Farine Five Roses, I’ll miss you.

Factoid:
According to this Montreal Gazette article, the sign used to read Farine Ogilvie Flour, and then Farine Five Roses Flour, before it’s current incarnation as Farine Five Roses.

Photo credit: Mr. T.

Coffee Connaisseurs

From my elevator ride this morning:

-KPMG Woman 1- “I’m going to have to go down to Starbucks and get my self a real cup of coffee.”
-KPMG Woman 2- Laughs “Oh, I can’t drink that stuff, I just don’t consider it real coffee.”

(Andrew experiences brief moment of relief)

- KPMG Woman 1 - “Oh really, where do you get your coffee?”
- KPMG Woman 2 – “I go to Tim’s – of course. It’s all about the taste. All about the taste.”

It was like a skit that I couldn’t have written any better. I mean what would you choose: sweat rung out from dirty gym socks and then boiled, or a hot milkshake with a sleeve around the cup? Your choice.

Barf (x 2)

Movie Season

It’s Sunday, it’s raining, and it’s October! October tends to be the beginning of my hibernation, and I start to think about all of the movies that I want to see during what I’m sure is to be a rainy fall, and a snowy winter. Right now, I’m particularly excited about two films: Running with Scissors and Shortbus.

Running with Scissors is being released in theatres on October 11th. For those of you who haven’t heard the buzz, it’s based on a memoir by Augusten Burroughs – a fantastic author. The book concentrates on Augusten’s younger years, when his parents get divorced, and as his mother slips into a deep depression: giving Augusten away to her crazy shrink. The story is unbelievable, shocking and touching, all surrounded by a delicious layer of humour. Watch the trailer here – although I recommend reading the memoir first (because, as usual, I don’t know how a film is going to do the book justice).

Secondly, I’m very excited about John Cameron Mitchell’s second film: Shortbus. The story is in essence an uncensored look at relationships and sex. CBC personality Sook-Yin Lee was nearly canned by the network for having participated in the project. It looks like the film is going to be provocative, innovated, and pushing the limits – what else would we expect from JCM? Watch the trailer here.

But the film fun doesn’t stop there! The image+nation film festival starts in a mere six weeks! More than a full week’s worth of queer films from around the world. I’ll write a separate post about that later…

Confessions of a 30 Year Old Bearded Man

I have started to grow a beard. It’s been nearly two weeks since my last full shave.

Out of curiosity (and Friday-afternoon-work-induced boredom), I decided to check out beard grooming sites, and came across All About Beards. Helpful and often creepy, the site is unequivocally devoted to all things beards!

Left menu options include “growing a beard”, “beard grooming”, “beard galleries”, “beard videos[!!!]” (emphasis mine), and on the “success stories” page, testimonials from many men about the beard growing process. When asked how he likes being a full-bearded man, Michael (17 y.o.) replies:

I love it! It makes me look wiser, older, and much more masculine. I am only 5'7" (170 cm) tall, so without facial hair, I would look like a kid. With the beard, I look like a man! People tell me that I look like twenty-one or older. It's great! I also feel much better about myself. I feel that I am truly a man. It's a means of self expression [sic]...

Needless to say, the testimonials are my favourite part. Really, I should stop being such a bitch. I mean, maybe the site will be helpful when I have a pressing beard related question. But now that I'm bearded, hence wise, I don't think I'll need the creepy site any longer.