How does one support all that is great about the Olympic games (i.e. the spirit, the coming together of the world, the celebration of sport and the greatest athletes in the world) while at the same time oppose all that is terrible about the Olympic games (i.e. VANOC and their complete disregard for human rights, civil liberties, the homeless and disadvantaged, the indigenous nations of our country, not to mention the huge cost overruns that are already leading to cuts in health care, education, social services and the arts. And let’s not forget everyone’s favourite: corporate greed and control)? I’m not sure how to navigate these waters yet. Any ideas?

This feels a bit like supporting the troops but not the war…

Well, in my extensive research, I have discovered a different type of Disaster Capitalism. And it involves two of our favourite things: Celebrities and The Interweb. Whenever a celebrity takes a nose dive, there is a firestorm of web based entrepreneurship waiting to snap into action, and make a shitload of money off the impending personal collapse.

The obvious culprits are the press. Brad and Angelina are merely rumored to be on the rocks at the moment and they are on the cover of every tabloid magazine that you see flying off the grocery store shelves. When something disastrous actually does happens, like our friend Tiger and his proverbial wood, even the “reputable” magazines, like Vanity Fair, get in on the action.

But beyond the papers, lays an online ocean of capitalistic capitalizing on our fellow human being’s sufferings. You see, when a celebrity disaster hits, the public doesn’t know what to do. We are shocked! Everything we thought we knew and loved about this person is suddenly put into question. We need more information, and more importantly, we need more products to satiate our thirst for scandalous blood.

If you will indulge me for a moment… some examples:

Remember OJ? How can you not? Who saw that one coming? That trial created a whole new industry: OJ merchandise trading, not to mention a complete redefining of 24 hour news networks. You could watch CNN all day and not learn a single thing about the rest of the world. Memorabilia from that trial is still worth millions: http://www.cnbc.com/id/20872506

And let’s not forget Billy Clinton. That scandal single handedly reinvigorated the cigar industry: http://www.politicalgifts.com/monicacigars.html

Even minor press scandals like Rosie O’Donnell vs. Donald Trump can garner an entrepreneurial fiesta: http://www.cafepress.com/+trump_odonnell_2008_womens_dark_tshirt,105300252

But the cherry on top of the crumbling celebrity sundae is Tiger Woods. This was as big a fall from grace as we’ve scene in years. And my favourite product to be released in the wake of this story is by far the “Tail of the Tiger Golf Balls”: http://www.tailofthetiger.com/index.html

But to be honest, I’m really not sure how to feel about all these celebrity disaster based products that I have just ordered online to be delivered to my home in 4-6 business days. I figure either all these online entrepreneurs are greedy, power hungry, manipulative disaster capitalists, or all those politicians and CEOs are just clever business people with quirky ideas. I’m not sure which is true… yet.

There’s a very distinct difference between the crying of an adult and that of a child. You never see a grown person wailing their lungs out after they’ve soiled themselves. And if you do, you agree that they should promptly be heavily medicated. And you never see an infant quietly sobbing to himself, tears quietly rolling down his cheek, with his shoulders bouncing. I think that’s one of the first transitions in the life of the human being: when you stop crying loudly and start crying quietly.

2. Movie Ratings

Overall the movie rating system makes sense to me. You have your G: good for everyone. PG: maybe a couple swear words. PG-13: a little bit more raw, perhaps some heavy petting. Then we have this 14A, which used to be called M: someone’s definitely getting shot and you might even see a boob. Then there’s the coveted R spot (or 18A? Is that the same thing?): this one’s strictly for adults, but only because people are getting slaughtered and using the F word a lot, not to mention the likely full scale nudity (which is apparently as damaging to a young mind as the image of mass scale human death and suffering). And then there is the oft internet searched X rating: we all know what this is about. And then this is where the wheels come off the cart for me. We go directly from X to Triple X. What’s with that? Is there no Double X? I have never in my entire life ever heard of a movie being rated Double X. Is that fair? I’m sure there are some people out there who watch an X rated movie and think, “Egh, it’s okay, but it’s a little tame for me,” who then go try out the Triple X and are repulsed. Where do these people go? At the moment, nowhere. Is there no in between? Have we as a society not yet acknowledged that the truth so often lay somewhere in the middle? I’m just saying, let’s be reasonable. Let’s add another category. Double X. Not that I have ever seen any films like that, nor do I have any interest in seeing them in the future. It’s just the principal of the thing. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my “Girls Gone Wild” marathon.

10. Tegan and sara – Sainthood

These girls are amazing. They make pop songs like no one else. It’s almost infuriating how good some of their songs are. “Hell” is a perfect pop song. It’s like “Back in your head” on their last record. I catch myself constantly humming it. There’s a couple tunes on this album that lose me, but overall, another stellar effort.

9. Jay Z – The Blueprint 3

Why do I love Jay-Z so? He’s fascinating. The beats and production on this record are just stupidly good and Hova is undoubtedly the elder statesman of modern hip hop. Plus he’s just cool beyond the rest of us mere mortals. He’s like those Gatorade commercials where the athletes are sweating Gatorade, but he sweats cool. But beyond all that, he is fascinating. The first song he says he only wants to talk about “real shit” and doesn’t want to talk about the past, and then the next song he’s bragging about his fancy suits and how rich and famous he is and all his past accomplishments. It’s crazy, and it’s totally charming. How does he do that. How do I think one minute, “Wow, this guy’s totally down to earth,” and then the next I think, “This guy’s the biggest egomaniac alive?” And I just love him more for it all.

8. Ben Lee – The Rebirth of Venus

Ben’s a friend of ours and couldn’t be a nicer man. This album is quite possibly my favourite of his. It’s a tribute to the feminine energy of the planet. That’s something I can totally get behind, especially these days. He begs for Yoko Ono to come save us, and often times, I feel like that’s our best chance to turn things around. There’s a power in the feminine that we need to embrace. We’ve spent thousands of years trying to supress it, to stifle it. We need to embrace it. I think that’s where our future is. Ben does a  great job of putting all that into pop songs. Full of pop gems, hooks, humour, and truths, this album just makes me feel good. Well done Ben, well done.

7. The Swell Season – Strict Joy

Beautiful. These guys are the duo from the movie “Once,” and he’s (Glen Hansard) the lead singer in the band The Frames. He’s amazing. I want to be him. He’s so good, and she compliments him perfectly. There’s a great poem in the booklet with this CD called Strict Joy, and it’s all about how the job of the artist is to take sorrow and transform it into joy. I love that. And FYI: mission accomplished.

6. Pearl Jam - Backspacer

I loved Pearl Jam when I was a teenager, and then they kind of lost me for a number of years. Well, I’m back. Some friends of ours spend their holiday time following these guys around North America on tour. I’ve never really understood that. But after I heard this album, I wanted to hide in their suitcase so they’d take me with them. This record rocks. Front to back it kills. Perfect pop rock songs. Short and sweet, like a bank heist. They get in and out before you even know what hit you. Eddie Vedder sounds so awesome on this album, and there’s a couple slow ones for good measure.

5. David Gray – Draw the Line

Mr. Gray is one of my favourite’s and one of my biggest influences. And this record has everything I like about him. Politics, love, heartache, soul searching, and all of it has life, it doesn’t feel soft or distant. This album has an energy that his more recent albums have lacked. It sounds live, and like he’s singing for his life. It grabs me. I’m in.

4. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

It was great to see these guys finally break through to the superstardom they deserve with this record. They nailed everything they are about on this record. Awesome pop songs played really really well. Those first couple songs, “Lisztomania” and “1901″ were enough to make my list alone. I could listen to those songs back to back for well over an hour.

3. Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King

Dave Matthews Band is one of my all time favourite bands. This record is by far their best of the last decade. I think it captures their live energy better than anything they’ve ever done. It certainly rocks more than any of their other records. And it’s laced with tribute to their fallen comrade, Leroi Moore. I love this record. We saw them in September at The Greek Theatre in LA. Beautiful intiimate venue, and we got in for free (that’s another story). It was amazing! I couldn’t stop listening to this record for a week afterwards.

2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz

This album is perfect. It’s got everything I could ask for. Rockers, dancers, and beautiful emotional ballads. “Hysteric” is probably my favourite song of the year. So beautiful, so melodic, and executed wonderfully. Karen O is the incarnation of some Hindu goddess, I swear. Either that or she is channeling pure divine rock n’ roll power.

1. Band of Skulls – Baby Darling Doll Face Honey

Definitely my favourite album this year. Our friend Jared recommended this record to me and I can’t thank him enough. Every song is awesome. Great musicianship. Great soul and groove. And it’s all marinated in 190 proof coolness.Album of the year. Fo shizzle. (I thought I’d use “fo shizzle” one last time in the only decade it will ever be considered cool.)

So there you have it. Those are my faves. A couple honorably mentions are The Dead Weather, Flight of the Conchords and Gomez. All great as well. Happy new year to everyone! And may the next decade be filled with love, compassion and amazing music!

The event starts at 5:30 and we play at 7:00pm on Thursday. Check out their website for more details. $25 gets you in, a free drink and 5 raffle tickets for lots of awesome prizes. $75 gets you all that plus a canvas and paints to paint whatever your heart desires throughout the night. 100% of proceeds go to the School Nutrition Initiative. $25 provides 165 meals for the children. $75 provides 495 meals. We hope you can join us for this special night.

Future Sounds is a very cool site, check it out. Also check out their online station woxy.com.

Love this city; so much creative energy and everybody’s pushing something or got an idea for the next best thing. Pure ambition. There’s a feeling that anything can happen.

Our first show is tonight at The Hotel Cafe. It’s become such a renowned venue that even Barbara Walter’s was talking about it on her radio show yesterday. And if any of you watch The View, you know that if Barbara’s talking, everyone listens. I’m assuming, based on her praise of the venue, she’ll be there tonight and we’ll all party in the dressing room after the show and then she’ll look at her watch and be like, “Oh shit, it’s 4 am, I gotta get to New York to film The View!” And then she runs off to catch her private jet. And then a moment after leaving the room she comes back in and says, “Hey! You guys should come with me and play on the show! We’ve got Enrique Iglesias on today, but we’ll totally bump him for you.” We agree, hop on the jet with Babs, keep the party going all the way to the big Apple, shotgun some Red Bull, and play to millions of housewives, home sick children and unemployed college grads, thereby selling millions of records and headlining stadiums by January.

Sure it’s a bit of a long shot, but this is LA baby! Anything can happen.