animal activism and terrorism: bad bedfellows

Disturbing for so many reasons:

CBC article, from The Associated Press, about an animal activist branded by the FBI as a terrorist.

On a less scary note ... (?)

TVOntario's Agenda program is taking up the issue of "Animals and the Law" tonight. It seems to be looking at the contradictions (and, perhaps, irrationalities) of human animal relations, from farm animals, pets, and property. Will it accomplish anything with this? I highly doubt it, but I'm glad people are talking about it.

Germans in my back yard

Oh, the misleading headlines... !

Obscura and Neuraxis played Hamilton last night, with a few Toronto/Hamilton openers, and it was just too close to home to miss, despite the crappy weather, the fact that I've seen Neuraxis before, and the fact that I had yet to hear anything by Obscura.

I made it in time to catch a few songs by Starring Janet Leigh. I think it's only been a few months since I saw them last. Tight performance, but not really my thing. Obscura, on the other hand, was surprisingly and unpredictably my thing. At least live. I picked up the CD but haven't given it a listen yet.

Recommendations (and their long trek from Germany) told me Obscura was the main event of the night. I'd only meant to stick around for a few Neuraxis songs - with their bassist stuck in the US, they couldn't be in top form, right? Nevertheless, I found myself thoroughly entertained, and the band announced their last song of the night well before I got fidgety or bored. Didn't think to take my camera, so no pics, but I do have that cd...

Canadian black metal and environmental refugees

No, there's no actual connection, unless Wolves in the Throne Room manage to pull one out of their gear when they play Hamilton and Toronto next month.

The second half of my heading refers to a documentary TVO aired tonight: The Refugees of the Blue Planet. The film followed the story of a large and growing group of people displaced from their homes and their livelihoods because of climate chaos, ravenous industrial/agricultural development, and the environmental destruction that ensues from both. Reminds me a bit of some of the material in Hope’s Edge by Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe, though with more focus on the effects of a wider range of processes and practices on the people most disadvantaged by the wealth of the West.

[if you're interested, I shared some of my thoughts on industrial agriculture with Echo readers after reading Hope's Edge - one of my more outspoken rants]

As for Canadian black metal, last night my friends and I were among one of the smallest concert audiences I've been part of in Toronto. Like maybe two handfuls of other people, we showed up at the Wreck Room to see two Quebecois black metal bands - Csejthe and Monarque - and an Ontario opener - Pagan Ritual. Before the show I knew I liked what I'd heard by all three bands but what I'd heard wasn't all that much. Live all three acts surpassed my expectations, performing tight, entertaining sets despite the small turnout. I hear they may return. I would definitely see them again. If you get the chance to check them out, don't let it pass you by. In the meantime, here's a taste of their visual atmosphere.

Recent exclaim! contributions, in case you're short of reading material:

Soilwork / Darkane / Warbringer / Swallow the Sun (plus a few low-res photos)
Borealis

Hellveto

Forest of Shadows

Gates of Winter

unrestrained laid to rest - the final issue

Several months ago I submitted my last interviews for Unrestrained! magazine. At the time we were expecting to have the issue out before Christmas, or at least the end of the year. Then - as you know if you've been reading along - Adrian Bromley died suddenly and unexpectedly, Unrestrained! died with him, and the final issue went into magazine limbo.

Thanks to some behind-the-scenes work and negotiations, that final issue is now available - downloadable as a pdf file, licensed under creative commons. Go here (www.unrestrainedmag.com) and download it for yourself.

Aside from the editorial the final issue is pretty much as Adrian last saw it and, as usual, it's filled with his writing. The rest of us never were able to keep up... Our year end picks are here and a multitude of interviews and reviews. Read it. Share it. And raise a toast or pause for a moment of silence in tribute to the man who made it all possible. 

cbc pays attention to anvil

I'm terribly behind on my metal documentary watching, and this weekend's Anvil! screenings in Toronto have just reminded me how much. Even the CBC website noticed the Anvil movie and though the Spinal Tap comparison is probably warranted it may be a bit harsh...

Maybe I need to start compiling a summer viewer list.

baby chicks can do math?

Well, not exactly, but apparently they have a 'natural' affinity for larger groups of similar objects, and can use some combination of memory and simple calculation to consistently choose the larger group in a test. It's hard to explain, so read about it yourself.

The conclusion to the article talks about other animals' math skills in comparison:

It is already known that many non-human primates and monkeys can count, and even domestic dogs have been found to be capable of simple additions.

But this is the first time the ability has been seen in such young animals, and with no prior training.

What about dolphins, like Mr. Smarty Pants?