It's just a few days away. So do you have your costume ready?
Hallowe'en is probably my favourite single day out of the whole year. Christmas' appeal wore off years ago (although I look forward primarily to the family time), birthdays get less and less fun the more candles appear on your cake, and New Year's Eve is really just another party. National Aboriginal Day (June 21st) on the other hand, is really fantastic, but I think the fact that First Nations cultures still thrive in this country today makes every single day special. Plus, you're not Ojibwe/Maliseet/Haida/etc. for only one day out of the entire year, right?
Which is why Hallowe'en rules. For one glorious night, you can suspend all belief. Be anything you want to be. Bend the rules. Simply just put a lot of time and effort into having fun. It's both exciting and suspenseful. Who'll have the best costume? Who'll be the biggest surprise? Sure, the idea of a costume party is kinda lame, but once you're in the thick of it it's a helluva great time.
This year, I'm heading to the nation's capital to revel in the eerie evening. My brother and his roommates are throwing their annual Hallowe'en bash, and people are coming from afar to outdo one another. I've heard of some pretty great outfits so far. Mine is coming along nicely, and should be done come the weekend. If you're wondering what it is, I'm not gonna give it away. But here's a hint: it was the breakthrough role for this actor, who has now carved out a (questionable) career in politics. I'll post pics when I get back.
Whatever you're doing, have fun! I know I will.
The debates are done. The daily polls carry on, swinging back and forth, depending on the pollster. The rhetoric continues in thirty-second doses in between "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy". But in the barrage of soundbites and juicy photo-ops, what does the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election mean? The fate of the world hinges on the impending November 2nd vote. Ethnic, special interest, and religious groups are listening to each candidate, trying to decipher what exactly their choice should be. Who would better represent their people and their cause?
Given their small numbers, Native Americans rarely hear their plight outlined in either election platform in an election year. Although they are the original inhabitants of this beautiful continent of Turtle Island, their vote is almost seen as expendable. But in recent years, their votes have generated enough clout to impact election results in states like New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona. So of the two candidates vying for the most powerful job in the world, who is actually making ingrounds into Native America?
At this point, the only real choice is Senator John Kerry, running under the Democrat banner. Although it may only look like lip service - and his promises have to be taken with a HUGE grain of salt - Kerry has been campaigning rather significantly in Native communities. Last summer, he rolled through Indian Country in both NM and AZ, promising improvements in health care and education, strengthening economic development on-reserve, and last but not least, a plan to promote and reinforce tribal sovereignty. His counterpart, President George W. Bush, on the other hand, was hard-pressed to even define tribal sovereignty when asked at the summer's UNITY Journalists of Color conference in D.C. Like a deer in the headlights, Bush stumbled and stammered through a half-assed and clueless response that even garnered some laughter from the audience.
Perhaps Bush can't take full blame for being so out of touch - you'd think his handlers would have at least briefed him on some of the more pressing issues facing Native America before speaking to a room full of Aboriginal media. But his record speaks for itself. His administration has done very little - if anything - for Indian Country in the past four years. At a time when Native communities are finally emerging from the cycles of abuse triggered by attempted genocide, they are finally starting to flourish. And bridges need to be built between the ruling order (which had once tried to wipe them out) and reserves.
Throughout his career in the senate, Kerry has been building these bridges. He's had a deep understanding of the needs of Native communities and how to foster a working Federal/Aboriginal relationship. He's spearheaded many economic development initiatives to help reserves become more self-sufficient. A list of these efforts can be found on his website.
This is probably the most important American election in history. It will have far-reaching and long-lasting implications, so I beg of my friends and family in the U.S. - please vote! Who you vote for is entirely up to you. But whereas one candidate would probably rather see Indigenous people continue to waste away, another sees them as a vital and vibrant component of American society. Needless to say, I will be glued to the T.V. on November 2nd.
Hey everybody - this is an album review I wrote for a particular online music site, which wasn't picked up. So I'll post it here for you to dig. It's an album I've spun quite a bit since the summer, but I'm still really diggin' it. However, if you're not a fan of heavy music, I don't think you'll like it.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
Every generation, there's a beacon light that shines through in a certain genre that turns eardrums inside out. In 1999, it was the Dillinger Escape Plan - who did it not only with their sheer aggression and volume, but also with their progressive take on hardcore music. Their breakthrough album, Calculating Infinity, was nothing less of a technical masterpiece - combining unconventional rhythms with profound and furious riffs - leaving a mark on the scene that's been unrivaled since. Until, of course, their follow-up.
Fewer new releases were more anticipated this year in hardcore/metal circles than Miss Machine. A savory audible stew of intensity, precision, and even (prepare for the collective gasp! from the hardcore kids) melody, this album is indeed a progressive step for a band that grew out of the limited bark-and-scream vocal offerings of conventional hardcore. Not to mislead the traditionalists - the light-speed chops and driving rolls are still there - but Miss Machine yields something that is musically more suitable to the almost jazz-like technical and mathematical roots of DEP.
This is due in large part to the contributions of new frontman Greg Puciato, who came on board in 2001 after the departure of original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis. Puciato screams, barks, sings, and whispers through the album quite cohesively, at points channeling one Sir Mike Patton (who, in fact, sang on DEP's 2002 Irony is a Dead Scene EP). Purists needn't fret, however. It's still hard as fuck. But the vocal melodies and choruses on songs like "Sunshine the Werewolf" and "Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants" make Miss Machine much more accessible to a wider audience.
Not to say that actual "singing" is what this band needs for credibility. But the sheer talent of guitarists Ben Weinman and Brian Benoit (Eddie Van Halen on a week-long tweak binge couldn't match their fury or accuracy), glued together by the water-tight rhythm of bassist Liam Wilson and drummer Chris Pennie can no longer go unnoticed. This band is metal perfection, as heard on the stop-and-start melee of the opening "Panasonic Youth" right through to the sweetly schizophrenic "Baby's First Coffin". What these masterminds needed was a more eclectic frontman; one who could adapt to and even challenge the band's complex takes on metal. And that's where Puciato fits in.
As the title suggests, Miss Machine is a more mechanic approach to what's become of contemporary hardcore and heavy metal. Although DEP has never been afraid to push beyond the boundaries of the genre they found themselves pigeonholed in early on, this album is officially their eruption from the fold. From now on, they draw the boundaries.