Another day another dollar.

My roommate likes hiphop. It took me exactly two years to "come around." One evening while cooking some relatively bland chicken he asked if I would put on some music. At this time in my life I had exhausted my CD collection and wouldn't own an ipod for another four years. The idea of playing Radiohead the Bends one more time was enough to make any decent man shaky in the knees. Please note: the Bends is a brilliant album- and track 12 "Street Spirit" will always have a place in my heart- but you get the idea. So the roommate pipes up and throws on some of his "hiphop." I was pleased and admitted to him after dinner that I was mildly impressed with his choice of music.

My interest in the various genres of music can be traced back to Spring '98 with Britney Spears' smash hit "Baby One More Time." At first I hated it. And then I couldn't get enough. At the time I was living on a 30 mile long atoll in Micronesia. I had just spent an hour snorkeling (trunks optional) off the reef and was still salty from the sea. Perhaps it was the baby pink cover that first drew me in. Or maybe it was the sweet Louisiana voice that did it for me. Either way I was hooked and listened to the song three times on repeat with oversized headphones. It was a life changing moment. On my return to Canada in June I noticed everyone seemed to know who this girl(not quite a woman) was. I instantly let it be known that I was a fan. I recall submitting a write-up to our highschool newsletter. The entire submission was written in pop song verses by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Page, and of course Miss Britney Spears.

My interest in pop music still exists today and there are so many great ones out there. I would like to touch on at least one before I head out. Her name is Ke$ha and yes- you do know her. Desite being a bit of a gongshow she released a song last year with a pretty sweet bridge. For those unfamiliar with "Tik Tok" you are in for a real treat. To put it simply: this song is quite possibly the most annoying song ever, yet at the same time it leaves you wanting more. My first experience with this train wreck was in late summer 09. At first I was in shock. But then I became curious: Who is this ke$ha? And why is she on TV? And why am I watching it? I admit I wanted nothing to do with her for the first few days. But persistence pays off in the end and I can honestly say she may not have had me at hello but she now has me with that slightly awkward first verse. Take a listen- you'll be glad you did.

An Introduction

I learned a long time ago that simplicity is key. With that in mind I have decided to keep my posts simple and clean. I reside on the Westside of Vancouver, B.C. I have lived in this city for eight years. I have had the same roommate for many of these years. We have enjoyed many a late night discussion on everything under the sun including but not limited to the age old question about the purpose of our existence and why unicyles are so popular all of a sudden. We have been friend since '94 and enjoy competing with each other in such activities as tennis and making salads. I enjoy wearing khakis two to three times a week in the summer. I feel about 40 years old when I wear them and I love it. There's something to be said about strutting your stuff in 28 degree heat in 100% cotton khakis. I will blog about this. I will also blog about what's hot and what's not in terms of popular music. I may venture into other avenues. Or I may not.

So a few things about moi:

I take French class once a week because I think it's got a great sound- and it's totally oldschool and you can't fuck with that. I also feel I should embrace Canada's second official language. On that note I should mention I am somewhat of a Canadian nationalist. But only because I think it's so hot to be one right now. I took a trip to Montreal last summer and it was heaven. But I felt like a fool for not understanding a word.

I enjoy a good song. Scratch that. Reverse it. I love a good song. Further to this, nothing beats a good verse... except maybe a good bridge. Like many people, I enjoy deconstructing songs and taking a few minutes to see what they're all about. But really, it's difficult to find a good bridge out there. They are few and far between. But if you have the time and want to hear an amazing bridge- listen to Avril Lavigne's skater boy from 2002. This bridge will take you out on a Friday night and treat you right. Like you deserve.

I try not to discriminate against musical selections. There are some amazingly catchy songs from Britney Spears. I feel it is my duty to blog about those gems. And that's exactly what I'll do. I don't care for a bad attitude. I am a firm believer in looking at the good things in life. Like that story about Jesus and the dead dog: Even though the dog was rotting and was quite smelly- Jesus said something along the lines of "his teeth are remarkably clean." That's what it's all about. Clean teeth and a good attitude.

And finally, I am sure I will be blogging about the East Coast of the United States and everything it entails (that is of interest to me- namely lifestyles of the oldschool preppies and anything nautical including Nantucket). I recently took a trip to Washington D.C. and loved it. Take the trip. You can thank me later.

I hope you enjoy five minutes with Cam. For me it's all about putting it out there. So you dropped a couple of folky seventies verses at the office, I would want to hear about it. And in return, I hope you would too...