What was the last gaming console to have been a "Big Deal" for you?

The Wii was kind of a Big Deal. I remember the Christmas of '06 driving out to Costco, then Toys 'R' Us, then BestBuy before finally surrendering and asking my wife's coworker's son-in-law to call when Wall-E World got stock. That will forever be "R___'s Wii" because she helped us get it. 

And it's got backwards-compatability with the Nintendo GameCube, doncha know? 

The Wii had bowling and Super Mario Galaxy and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. These thoughts (and more!) all come to me as I read this piece. I know I dreamed of gaming again, but hey, I also dreamed of playing guitar. And joining a band of men!

And eating! And shopping! Born to consume, that’s me!

"Prairie Mary" Strachan Scriver, 1939-2022

My last email from "Prairie Mary" Scriver begins, "Alas my 80 years are catching up with me."

I'd never guess it from Mary's typing. She was one of the few I told of Luce's transitioning. She calmed me the fuck down with some straight talk. And then I disappeared. 

This is her picture: 

Mary Strachan Scriver

Mary Strachan Scriver was a Writer. She can be read on Medium and blogspot. Her books at Lulu are here. Bronze Inside and Out  can be had at the University of Calgary Press here. I got this picture from her Twitter feed here. 

My thanks to Michael Blowhard at 2Blowhards for the introduction. And special thanks to Dave Lull and Cowtown Pattie for keeping me in the loop. 

This is We Want GroOove. “Prairie Mary” might hate this song — I don’t know. But this is my blog and I get to do what I want. And the Mary I remember would love that!

Of Vox Mini-SuperBeetles and podcast interviews

My brother and I tried the Mini Super-Beetle at Quest Musique in St. Vital. We both had GAS in the worst way, but neither of us was going to take that sucker home -- it broke up far too quickly, and we didn't like that little speaker cabinet.

It looks better than it sounds... 

I've been mulling over this, probably more than I should. Wilson really wants to give it up to the vinyl die-hards. But CDs are what they are, and what they are is good. Wilson also explains the re-mastering process, and why remasters are worth your money and time. This was probably the last, best thing I heard before waking up in a city not my own. (P.S. the Jimmy Page Led Zeppelin remasters are totally worth it.)

Rattling in my brain-pan...

Author stabbed! It's only been, what, 35 years? Why, this pup wasn't even alive. I gas on about what it was like selling The Satanic Verses when (I thought) all the furor was finished over here. Lessee: we also sold The Bell Curve, The Turner Diaries, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion ... all sorts of fun stuff. 

Superbad. It's only been, what, 20 years? 20 years -- McLovin!

I'm a sucker for this conversation. I acquired two Fender products and Blues You Can Use by John Ganapes. I can't even sign my own name but I want to hear the Vox MV50 Clean amp again. The Tele and Strat are no-brainers. But should the Boss ME-80 go in front?

I was using the Blues Cube Artist when the MV50 came out. I was showing off the amp (I wasn't doing Roland any favours, trust me) at Long and McQuade on Pembina Highway to my brother. A salesman moved from behind the counter to plug the MV50 Clean into an Orange cabinet. 

"Whoah," said my brother rather sagely, "Your ears won't ever un-hear that."

I traded in the Blues Cube Artist for an Orange 1x12 cab black (good for 60 watts) at Long and McQuade Whitby. I drove to LM Stouffeville for the MV50 Clean. And when I'm not using the THR10c I fiddle with the attenuator on the back of my MV50 Clean. I pigeon-toe the controls on the front, and using my Les Paul Studio (ebony, a LM Peterborough purchase, two Humbucker pickups, 490R and 498T -- like I say, I haven't so much as signed my name for the last year and a bit, nor would you want me to). The volume is what it is. With the Humbuckers the amp will start to break up between 10 and 11 o'clock. We'll see what it does with Fender's single and Lipstick coils. 

I practice, in other words. Sometimes, if you're the neighbor and you're lucky, I use the headphone jack. In the meantime I eavesdrop on conversations.  

The ascension of Disney+

I've been taking the shoes to Disney+ but facts are facts. 

I had to live without Disney+ for a week and it was excruciating. 

I have a friend from bookstore days. She says that her boys cannot be arsed with Star Trek. As I cued up Netflix and watched Errand of Mercy for the umpteenth time, I realized if I were 12-years-old today that'd be me. Between the Star Wars Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (both Disney "properties") I'd be gassing on about the mythological this-and-that without any care for the actual underpinnings (kind of like the older version of myself). 

As for Star Trek, never mind Bible stories: *pfft* -- forget it. 

The Mandela Effect begins... 

My wife fixed all the telly troubles. Do I begrudge this generation? If I'm honest -- yeah, just a little.

But that's for another post. In the meantime use the comments to tell me what a rotten person I am. 

Rattling in my brain-pan...

Paul Auster

Drugs change everything.

I wish I had access to my bookshelves. I'd reach for Ellison, Didion and Pynchon, even though I can't read a word. 

I gas on about the first 18 pages of Moon Palace by Paul Auster here.