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I just feel that I am being ripped off with $13 shipping charges. After it was suddenly legit to sell in the US, it should have been just as legal to sell in Canada. I'm sure it is a totally pointless protest, but I refuse to buy this until it is available in Canada.

Well, this turn of events is deeply upsetting. Amazon.ca says that the Palo Alto date is going to be unavailable and they have cancelled my order. At the moment, Amazon.co.uk says the item is out of stock (and doesn't appear to be made available again). It's coming out soon in the US, though the proposed shipping (to Canada) is pure extortion. I guess I don't need this after all.

I generally don't go see films at TIFF during the festival itself, though I sometimes go to see films at TIFF Lightbox after the festival is over. A couple caught my eye this time around, with Night of the Kings/La Nuit des Rois by Philippe Lacôte probably being the most interesting. However, it is impossible to get in-person tickets, and the streaming costs $19, which seems on the high side. I'll wait around and see if it gets picked by another streaming service at some point. The next film I am likely to see in person is the new Wes Anderson, The French Dispatch, which opens in about a month.

Well, that certainly hasn't happened in Toronto (pre-COVID). We've basically lost all the clubs with the exception of The Rex and I guess Jazz Bistro, and none of them get really big stars anymore. This is a particularly bleak period, basically unprecedented, and I don't think many clubs outside New York, SF and Chicago are going to make it. My understanding is that a lot of clubs, bars and restaurants are limping to the finish line (i.e. the end of patio season) and then most are going to close for good. At least that's what's happening here. Maybe the final nail is that even after businesses were technically allowed to reopen, all the employees stayed home and so none of that downtown business crowd returned to keep these places afloat. I would think that new businesses won't even be able to get the insurance needed to reopen because the newly written policies will be so expensive.

Our employer is softly pushing people to come in to the office to try things out. I'm biking in 3-4 days/week and have been doing that for close to a month.. In Toronto there are two options for schooling - either 100% on-line or roughly 30% in-person/70% on-line. We're going to have the kids go in-person (as long as this lasts and isn't shut down by another Covid wave). Generally not eating out, though ordering pick-up from time to time. I am going to the gym about twice a week, and went to the movies twice.

Stumbled across this on iTunes - Danny Pucillo Quartet Plays Charles Mingus Like Nobody Else. With Bill Perkins (sax) and Chris Colangelo (bass).

Just saw Tenet in the theatre. 6 of us, including my son. It felt pretty safe, and we were well spread out. Still thinking it through, but there seem to be a handful of huge plot holes. I guess that's always the case with movies that involve time travel or time inversion in this case. Still, the effects were pretty cool and probably worth catching on the big screen if you can...

Pretty cool story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/mammoth-graveyard-1.5712058 Apparently, these have all been found during excavation for a large airport north of Mexico City. Hopefully they will decide to build a small science/interpretative center nearby, though most of the fossils will be sent on to labs and museums.

At the moment, Amazon.ca is saying Out of Stock -- no release date or anything. The irony is that I'm fairly sure for one or two more months (until the prorogued Parliament comes back) they haven't yet gotten around to updating copyright laws, though they are soon going to be in alignment with the States. So for the moment, the Palo Alto date should be just as legit here as in the UK. Oh well. I'm a bit surprised but pleased to see that some kind of agreement was worked out and it is shipping in the States. I assume I'll get it here eventually, and I can wait. But not too long...

I have to say, this update makes it much more likely that I am going to take a pass. I'm just not all that interested in alternate takes (only in very rare circumstances will I listen to them more than once) and definitely not in studio breakdowns -- and this sounds like 4+ discs worth. And if I am being honest, I've never cared for The Real Ambassadors in the first place. But clearly there are folks who are really excited about the set.

I don't know if it is the same everywhere, but here, they sell reserved seats (in pairs, though you can order just one ticket) and then the entire row in front and behind are blocked off. Then there are three or four seats left vacant until the next available pair, on both sides. I didn't calculate, but at this theatre, max. capacity is probably closer to 15%, not 35%, with all the blocked off seats. This could be an issue this weekend, but if it is too crowded, we obviously won't go (or even be let in). It is fair to say, I am only considering going (to the movies and also to the gym) because community spread is pretty low in Toronto, though edging up very slightly. In states where there are still thousands of new cases a day, it would be very foolish to go.

Saw the re-release of Inception in the theatre two weeks ago. Only 4 of us in there, and the tickets were only $5! I will have to find a mask that doesn't fog up my glasses though... Probably will see Tenet this upcoming weekend. Expecting somewhat larger crowds, but probably still not up to the 35% capacity limit.

About halfway through this. Definitely some good stories in here. It's been far, far too long since I read the canonical Cheever stories, but these early stories tread different ground (from what I can recall). Mostly they are about men and women at the margins of society, either dancers in burlesque shows or quasi-professional gamblers and other grifters. I guess it's arguable that Cheever came back around to writing about hard-luck types when he wrote Falconer (rather than this being a completely new direction). Technically 2 of these 13 stories ended up in the LOA volume of Cheever's Collected Stories, but one would be hard-pressed to track down the other 11. Still likely going to read Don Quixote next, though I may sneak in The Pilgrim Hawk by Glenway Wescott, as it is supposed to be quite good and is fairly short.

Very impressive. Was not familiar with the Willis Jackson/Groove Holmes LP. Apparently, this set also turns up as Live on Stage (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions), so I'll check it out that way.

I'm sure it's gotten worse. I thought Amazon wasn't that terrible 10-15 years ago, but like everything (Paypal, etc.) the fees for the small sellers have gotten much, much worse. Then the postal rates started increasing, but Amazon didn't (at that time) allow any increase in what they reimbursed for shipping. Then I moved to Canada, where the postal rates are basically insane (and there is no media rate equivalent), so I just stopped listing items. It simply isn't worth it any more.

My kids (and most Gen Z'ers) are 100% digital. They can't even conceive of wanting to hold onto a big pile of CDs or LPs. (Some Gen Y'ers/Millennials are definitely into the vinyl resurgence, which I honestly feel is a silly fad, but Gen Z'ers don't seem to want any part of this.) I would say over time I have really shifted. I am now 75% streaming, 20% purchasing downloads and 4% CDs and 1% LPs (in both cases only if there is absolutely no other legitimate way to listen to the music). I just look at how much stuff I have (and my heirs will end up trashing anyway), and I said to myself - no more. It's actually quite rare that I listen to a "CD" at all, though at work I listen to the music that I ripped from the CDs that I do own. (I still have plenty from my collecting days.)

I thought the Vijay Iyer livestream a few weeks back was not bad. But I am not that discerning an audiophile and was just listening over a laptop...

I see that as well, but I am just not sure it actually means what it is supposed to mean. I'll let someone else take the plunge...

I will be quite surprised if this is actually fulfilled (anytime soon), but if anyone succeeds going this route, please let us know.

I don't think it is necessarily an either/or option. I'm leaving my Amazon.ca order in place, just in case Canada gets the release before the States. But that doesn't mean I'm not poking around a bit on the interwebs...

This looks pretty interesting, though the wordless vocals are definitely a turnoff for me. I'm listening to the preview track now on Bandcamp, and I'm not really sure I will order it after all. This is really not something I would listen to more than once or twice. Somewhat curious that Tusques can't actually confirm whether Barney Wilen is on the tapes or not...

We Worked Hard So You Didn't Have To

And of course, "It DID a body good."

Did she or didn't she? Every kiss began with Kay What could brown have done for you? (UPS) Did you hear me then? Took a licking and kept on ticking The Quality Was slogan is choice. Is there a current slogan like "You've got a good thing going?" I did some sleuthing and didn't see anything, perhaps because it is too generic.

Looks interesting. Will keep an eye/ear out.