I'm such a long-standing (and proud) comic-book nut... I just read the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man. Spidey gains a huge sum of money from a slimy mobster he was a bodyguard for (really, just there to stop the story's villain from killing the mobster's daughter, an innocent).

At the end of the issue we learn what he spent the money on: he puts up a plaque that reads "Future site of the Gwen Stacy memorial library".

This is really a note for those of us who were readers in the 1970s. We know the significance of Gwen - and were moved by it.

Today is Canada Day, my country's birthday...

Considering that I don't drink and I'm already pretty much off all the time, another day off doesn't really matter to me.

Tomorrow will potentially be a tense day in Montreal: the artificially created moving day in the city. I managed to avoid it last year, and I'm glad I don't have to worry about it this year either!

CNN.com - Legendary actress Katharine Hepburn dies - Jun. 30, 2003

She was one of the last remaining people from "old Hollywood", a classic and classy actress. She was in many of the most memorable films I saw in film school.

She'll be deeply missed - by many people, but by me especially.

CNN.com - Country singer turns to jazz - Jun. 29, 2003

The new Blogger works for the BlogThis! link!

This doesn't sound like the gag from Spinal Tap fortunately... (the group calls their latest ramblings jazz)

Finally. FINALLY!

I fixed up the template for this blog last night. All it took was moving the style sheet code a line, and my problem with posts shrinking each time was solved.

Now to see if I can fix the archives as well.

Buddy Ebsen the actor who played Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, just went into hospital from an illness.

To be honest, I didn't even realize he was still alive. It turns out that he's the incredible age of 95.

We can hope that like Bob Hope, he makes it to 100.

How's this for hypocrisy:

"Comical Ali", the enthusiastic media rep for Saddam Hussein who always denied the regime was in trouble, was captured.

He was found watching sattelite TV, something Saddam had banned.

Dumb Warnings

Some of these attempts at "covering your backside against lawsuits" are just too funny for words. Mine, at least. You have to see them yourself.

No More AOL CDs!

I've gotten about 8 of them in my mail the past year alone...

I don't need that many drink coasters, so I'm mailing them here.

The Montreal Jazz Festival starts June 26^th this year. That's next Thursday.

I'm hoping to try a trip or two to it this year. In a way, this will be a trial run for using my wheelchair at WorldCon...

"He was the John Lennon of newsmen."

These words by Pat O'Brien on tonight's Access Hollywood may have been a very apt way to describe legendary David Brinkley's role in life. He was 82 years old, and next to Walter Cronkite a national treasure I'll sorely miss.

I also leaned today that another legend, Gregory Peck, died in his sleep yesterday at 87. Only a few days after his lawyer role in the film To Kill a Mockingbird was voted number one in the AFI Top Heroes of Cinema.

The NBA Finals are actually interesting this year; it isn't a case of the overpowering Lakers (the Bulls before them) and the team they dominate. This makes the second year that the New Jersey Nets are there, but we get to see them against the San Jose Spurs this time.

I'm looking forward to an actual challenging series this year!

How out of it do I feel about this:

Justin Hansen, the drummer from the group behind the annoying song M'bop, has not only been married now for a year, but is also the father to a 7-month old child. Oy...

This didn't seem appropriate to print yesterday, but I feel I have to speak out:

All of this supposed patriotic zeal in the US, booing the Dixie Chicks just because lead singer Nathalie Mayne spoke out on "president" Bush? Grow up people!

Last I heard, Freedom of Speech was a right in America. Now people are giving them grief because they actually used it. To me, that's really pathetic.

37th Montreux Jazz Festival

Seems like the Montreal Jazz Festival isn't the only one to deviate to other musical styles. Jamiroquai?

Diana Krall Already At Work On Next CD

Personally, I'm not a fan of hers, but she has won many accolades of late (Grammy, Juno), and General Motors has really pushed a series of ads with her... I guess I have to grudgingly accept her as one of ours.

We had hot water again this evening. The city turned it off since Tuesday.

That meant my first shower in 3 days. Words can't adequately express how good it felt!

It's been far too long that I haven't been updating this blog. Time to change that.

I think that in trying to post mostly jazz-related content here, I may have limited it a bit. I mixed in many other things before, and it resulted in more frequent postings. So, I'm returning to that.

This week's Friday Five:

1. Would you consider yourself an organized person? Why or why not?
I try to be, but there's always room for improvement.

2. Do you keep some type of planner, organizer, calendar, etc. with you, and do you use it regularly?
I used to go with a manual paper organizer, but as writing by hand became more difficult I migrated to using Outlook on my PC.

3. Would you say that your desk is organized right now?
Far from it! My desk is a mess.

4. Do you alphabetize CDs, books, and DVDs, or does it not matter?
The most I've done here is to group CDs by the same artist together.

5. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to organize?
Just organizing unpacking in a new apartment. Almost a year later now, and I still have a lot to do.

I can't believe how much time has passed since I last posted here!

Musically, I've been following this year's American Idol, just like last year. It's obssession enough that I've been missing the final episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for it. Those I'll likely be able to see in re-runs.