Bad Little Habits

Tidbit

Interesting...

The beguiling Marion Cotillard a conspiracy theorist? C'est vrai!

Screw you, taxpayer!

Big news this week in Canadian cultural policy: the Harper government is was(?) moving through legislation that would empower the federal Heritage Minister to deny tax credits for film and television productions deemed 'offensive' or 'contrary to public policy'. The Globe and Mail caught the provisions, which are obscured deep inside an omnibus Income Tax Act bill, and published a story on Thursday. The arts community immediately picked up the scent of censorship; by week's end, vociferous (and unusually sensitive and well-composed) opposition was all over the Internet and overflowed the inboxes of MPs and Senators. Word on Friday evening was that the bill was been sent back to committee from the Senate. We're staying tuned.

Steven Harper should be taking extra vitamins this week, first feeling heat from the opposition on the Cadman affair and now the wrath of artists.

Some thoughts on arts funding from Kids in the Hall:

RIP Monday

I just saw the second-to-last episode of The Wire. Don't worry: no spoilers here. But spoilers aplenty here, here and, oh yes...here.

David Simon, your genius--almost a fact of critical consensus by now--continues to, for lack of a better term, freak me out. I need to take some Klonopin now, and lie down. You truly are the brooding Babe Ruth of cable television, pointing a chubby finger to the sky where the Franklin Terrance towers (Poot lost his virginity here, of course) stood before their demolition in season three, calling the shot for March 9th's last big episode, 93 minutes of deadly-accurate social commentary and crimino-mythos, a long angry kiss goodbye to Baltimore before you move on to New Orleans, 93 final minutes with the rumpled, haunted hot mess that is Jimmy McNulty.

I pray it ends well, but I know it can't.

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On March 31 Diamanda Galas will release Guilty Guilty Guilty, a collection of 'tragic and homicidal love songs' on Mute U.K.

Galas always fascinates, whether she's shrieking a death wail in whistle register or, you know, just speaking in tongues.  Her style is great (she's super-hot, strange, political and has dated Henry Rollins) and I am awed by her super/in/human singing abilities, but I admit that soft core as I am, I've always favoured more...accessible Galas. I love her covers, which are usually of gospel and blues classics, best: Malediction & Prayer's cover of Phil Och's 'Iron Lady' and her versions of 'I Put A Spell On You' and 'At The Dark End Of the Street' from La Serpenta Canta have been in my rotation for the past few years.

I'm in luck; the new album promises Galas's take on fresh old tunes like 'Long Black Veil' and the Edith Piaf standard 'Heaven Have Mercy', which, should be amazing:

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On a side note, it's been a good week for Piaf, or at least her estate, non?

Photo: Reuters

J'aime cette belle fille!