Listening to Now: Le Vent Du Nord - "Elise"

By Richard K. Barry

One of the really great things about having moved to Canada over 30 years ago is that I get to enjoy the very broad range of cultures that make up the country. One of the most important cultures, of course, is Quebec. And one of the most important groups performing traditional Quebecois music is Le Vent Du Nord.

The group plays a number of instruments not typically heard in more popular music such as the hurdy gurdy and the piano accordion, not to mention foot-tapping, which is an essential part of the experience. 

They have been nominated for and received a number of awards in both Quebec and the rest of Canada. 

I have been privileged to see them live. It's all very high energy and very lovely music.

Here is something called "Elise":


(Cross-posted at Hogtown Hipster.)

Sarah Palin, pranked

By Michael J.W. Stickings

As you may have heard already, a couple of notorious radio hosts on Montreal's CKOI-FM -- The Masked Avengers -- called Sarah Palin today pretending to be French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

I generally don't like "comedy" like this -- tricking people and making them look stupid -- even when Palin's the target.

But it is somewhat funny when "Sarkozy" talks about wanting to go hunting in helicopters with Palin (and, in French, mentions killing baby seals); claims that he can see Belgium from his house (which he obviously can't); says his "special Canadian advisor is Johnny Hallyday; says that singer Stef Carse is the prime minister of Canada and comedian Richard Z. Sirois the premier of Quebec; and asks if Joe the Plumber is Palin's husband (and then says the French equivalent is "Marcel the guy with bread under his armpit" -- in response, Palin says, "right, that's what it's all about...").

And, of course, Palin is utterly oblivious throughout.

She even laughs when "Sarkozy" says he just loves "killing those animals" ("take away a life, that is so fun"), and, in response to "Sarkozy"'s comment that they shouldn't take Cheney, says that she'd be "a careful shot."

She also doesn't catch on when "Sarkozy" gives the wrong names for the prime minister and premier. (Though it may be too much to fault her for not knowing the name of the premier -- it's Jean Charest, by the way -- but she doesn't even blink in responding that "Sirois" hasn't been to one of her rallies.).

It's also funny when she brings up the real Sarkozy's "beautiful wife," singer Carla Bruni: "You've added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours," says Palin, chuckling, adding, "give her a big hug from me." Whereupon "Sarkozy" informs Palin that his wife is "so hot in bed" and has even written a long for Palin. In French, the title of the song is "Red Lipstick on a Pig," but "Sarkozy" translates it as "Joe the Plumber."

And when "Sarkozy" refers to "the documentary they made on your life," the "really edgy" Hustler video Nailin' Paylin. Palin replies, cluelessly: "Oh, good, thank you, yes."

Whereupon "Sarkozy" comes clean: "Governor, you've been pranked." Leading to an amusing last few seconds of confusion on Palin's end.

Well, okay, it's actually much funnier, as I'm going over it again for this post, than I first thought. But, if check it out for yourselves. Here it is:

Liberals prevail in Quebec election

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's the latest, as of 1:37 am, from the CBC:

-- Liberal Party (48 seats; 33.08% of the vote)

-- Action Démocratique du Québec (41 seats; 30.80% of the vote)

-- Parti Québécois (36 seats; 28.32% of the vote)

Premier Jean Charest's centrist and federalist Liberals thus win a second mandate, although they will govern in the minority in a closely divided National Assembly (the province's first minority government in almost 130 years). The ADQ, a conservative populist party, will be the official opposition under Mario Dumont. The separatist PQ, which had promised a referendum on sovereignty if elected, ends up third.

It looked as if Charest was going to lose his Sherbrooke seat, but he has prevailed.

The Liberals may have benefitted from the recent federal budget, the ADQ from the general unpopularity of the heretofore two leading parties and their respective leaders, Charest and André Boisclair, as well as from its platform of fiscal conservatism and cultural nationalism (nationalism without sovereignty, for now).

The Liberals were behind in the polls just a week ago, although they had generally been ahead since January.

For more, see Wikipedia.