Barbra Streisand

OK, I admit to being a really big Barbra Streisand fan back in the 60s and 70s. I was bowled over by her talent. I'd never heard anyone sing with that sort of passion and take-no-prisoners attitude. At university, my friend Eleanor and I spent hours listening to the Broadway version of Funny Girl and those other early albums.

But as her career progressed, I found myself less and less taken with what she was doing in movies and in her music making. Her singing seemed to calculated and self-conscious. At least to me.

A few weeks ago I was in a record store (one of the few that still exists, I guess) and came across her latest disc. It's a whole disc of songs with lyrics by her old pals Alan and Marilyn Bergmann. And I find myself liking it. First of all, it's got gorgeous, sumptuous arrangements of some pretty fine tunes. (Who can afford to pay all those violinists anymore?) And Streisand's singing seems to have lost that affectation and self-consciousness that has bothered me sometimes over the years. There's a wonderful version of "So Many Stars" a bossa nova tune by Jobim that's just lovely and I really liked "Nice n Easy". Who can resist that lush string orchestra? There's even a harp.

Olympic Mountains

Olympic Mountains, originally uploaded by canoe too.

One of the many pleasures of living in Victoria, British Columbia is the views of Washington State and the Olympic Mountains to the south. Often, especially during the winter, the views are obscurred by fog and heavy, low lying cloud. But around the this time of year, a walk to the Dallas Road area is rewarded with views like this.

Bikes and the Blue Bridge

The city of Victoria has a beautiful natural harbour. At a narrow gap, there are two bridges crossing the harbour to Vic West and the city of Esquimalt. (You'd never know you were in a separate city but that's a story for another post.)

These two bridges are side by side. One is for vehicles and pedestrians and the other is a rail bridge that also has a path for bicycles and pedestrians. A short while ago the city decided that the rail bridge was unsafe for the single car passenger train that used the bridge a couple of times a day. At the same time they decided it was no longer safe for bicycles and pedestrians.

I find it fascinating that within a few days a bridge can go from being able to support a many ton train to being unsafe for a few pounds of pedestrians and cyclists. But that's what's happened. I'm sure the bridge IS unsafe. However, it seems a bit over the top to restrict commuter use by cyclists and folk on foot. Couldn't city engineers have checked the bridge every few days to make certain it wasn't about to fall into the harbour suddenly?

And so the rail bridge sits in its fully raised position until it's torn down sometime in 2012 to make way for a new bridge that won't include rail.

Joaquin (Joaco) Teran - Slow Down

A video from the talented guy noted below.

Busker from Argenina

Busker from Argenina, originally uploaded by canoe too.

Accordion and Piano, you say

A whole album of music for accordion and piano. A bit of a tough sell I suppose. And I wasn't sure that it could be taken all in one sitting. But this collection of pieces by the comtemporary Italian composer Nicola Campogrande is a delight. There's plenty of variety among the pieces—various dance like pieces often with a latin feel—that it never becomes tiresome. The two performers play with great musicality. Another great find (for me) at emusic.

Dog Goggles

dog goggles, originally uploaded by fuffer.

This couldn't be more true. I meet many people when I'm out with the dog who know HIS name but I'm sure don't know mine.