Flying pasta deities, Plastic blocks, An old friend [The IT Crowd]

Season 2, Episode 1: The Work Outing

03:37 - The right half of a hand-drawn picture of the Flying Spaghetti Monster can be found on the fridge, next to an open source poster.

[A cult phenomenon spread quickly across the 'Net when the Kansas School Board refused to acknowledge an alternative theory of their Intelligent Design curriculum proposed to them by one of their child students. The boy proposed that the deity he believed in resembled a familiar pasta dish. Outraged by this notion, the school board sent the boy home. The parents, seeing no harm in what their child was doing, wrote a response in an open letter to the Kansas School Board. The news quickly spread, and pretty soon, the infamous Flying Spaghetti Monster found its way onto T-shirts, bumper stickers, and has amassed a large cult following.]

05:17 - Soliloquies by Richmond:
"Passing through my window, I stepped on a piece of Lego. Oh, it went right through the heel!"

06:27 - Moss' reaction upon finding out the musical he is about to see contains scenes of homo-eroticism set in the Thatcher years:
"Oh no, it's set in the eighties!"
And again, at 06:55: "Roy, what are we doing here ? It takes place in the past!"

Geek Pop Icon [Doonesbury]

August 15, 1979 - John Travolta
Zonker is getting ready for his outing to Studio 54 with Mark:
"Mark: Serious boogie togs, man! You are definitely ready to roll!
Zonker [dressed in white polyester in front of a mirror]: You think it's me ?
Mark: Sure. You and six million other John Travolta look-alikes!
Zonker: Who ?
Mark: Who ? Did you just say "Who", Zonker ?
Zonker [thinking]: Uh-Oh.. Here we go again.."

Despite being a high school drop-out, John Travolta landed roles in Broadway musicals (including the popular Grease!). From there, his career blossomed, but he will always be remembered as the talented disco dancer Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, which became a hit in 1977, one year after Travolta gained fame playing Danny Zuko in the movie Grease!, and two years before Zonker realizes who he is.

Studio 54 [Doonesbury]

August 14, 1979 - Studio 54
Mark invites Zonker to the infamous Studio 54 in New York to cheer him up after losing the national tanning championships. After CBS started marketing the popluar Disco, it was not unusual to spot artists such as Calvin Klein and Andy Warhol hosting parties there. Although it eventually closed its doors in 1986, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas managed to recreate the famous hotspot, featuring state-of-the-art sound, video and lighting, live dancers, wall walkers and chart-topping dance music.

Jim Woodring, geeky gadgets, music, and foodstuff [The IT Crowd]

Visuals
All Episodes

[The entire intro is drawn in primitive vector graphics, primarily in old monitor green. Throughout the intro, we see the show characters grossly drawn in 8-bit graphics, bearing an eerie resemblance to the actors.]

[Zoom in to an old CRT monitor with the word !FAIL! in big bold letters]

[At the end of the intro, the screen flashes to a Windows Blue Screen of Death, followed shortly by a Windows 1.0-looking warning window.]

Season 2, Episode 1: The Work Outing

00:30 - Behind Roy's desk is an original Jim Woodring print, entitled Stranger Cartoon.

You can also catch a glimpse of a green Mr. Bumper toy on Roy's desk, to his left. (Coincidentally, we get introduced to its box 7 seconds later).

00:36 - A vintage Atari 2600 game console is sitting on the top shelf of the bookcase located behind Jen's desk, to her right.

The joystick to play said console is conveniently located on top of the cabinet.

00:37 - The box of the previously identified "Mr. Bumper" toy sits on the top of the cabinet next to Roy's desk, to his left.

00:38 - An apparently defunct Commodore PET sits on the bottom shelf behind Moss' desk, to his right.

00:45 - A Guitar Hero poster is clearly leaning on its long side against the shelf behind Jen's desk, to her left.

00:50 - Fun anti-piracy stickers can be found pasted on the door to the IT department: "MP3 is not a crime", "Fair use has a posse", as well as two Electronic Frontier Foundation stickers. An ominous "Danger of Death" sign warns visitors to the IT department of impeding doom.

00:51 - A copy of Frogskin Goggles, another print by Jim Woodring, hangs taped to the upper-right hand corner of another (as of yet unknown) print.

00:54 - A poster for Mr. Scruff's album "Beyond" hangs on the wall next to the doorway found to the right of Jen's desk.

00:56 - You can see the handle of a clearly unused Tony Little Gazelle (it is folded) on the floor, next to the wall found to the right of Jen's desk, as she walks past it to greet a visitor to the IT department.

01:01 - More Jim Woodring paraphernalia can be found in the hutch of Roy's desk.

01:15 - A Jim Woodring exhibition poster hangs on the wall to the right of Jen's desk. It is clearly visible here, as Jen speaks to our visitor.

02:15 - A "Back In Bleck" album poster (or perhaps a 7" record) by Johnny Ryan stands on the wire shelf behind Roy's desk, to his right.

02:35 - A copy of the "Underworld Volume 3: Ink Punk" comic book can be found standing up behind the previously mentioned "Back In Bleck" album, located on the shelf right behind Roy's desk.

02:46 - A stack of four board games sit on the top shelf behind Roy's desk. They are, from bottom to top: War on Terror: The Boardgame, Ticket To Ride, Mystery of the Abbey, and Wage.

02:49 - A grocery cart full of useless PC's sit right next to the entrance of the IT department (fitting, isn't it) ?

02:55 - Both Moss and Roy have a poster of My Morning Jacket and VHS or Beta (when they toured together in 2001) behind their desks.

03:19 - There is an Open Source poster sitting on top of the fridge in the back of the room.

04:19 - You can easily spot the C# reference book sitting on the bookshelf to the left of the entrance.

04:41 - There is another poster of My Morning Jacket tour poster with a bear hung up on the wall immediately to the right of the door.

[Scene jumps to outside the office, not much geek stuff until Roy goes to the toilet]

13:18 - A poster for the play Proof by David Auburn sits on the wall opposite the toilet. The play centers around the daughter of a mathematical genius.

13:21 - An advertisement for the English play Blonde Bombshells of 1943 is posted on the opposite wall in the washroom.

[Both these posters can be found later in the hall of the theater]

13:57 - A poster advertising the arrival of Tony Robinson, an English stand-up comedian.

20:04 - A variety of British and European beers sits in the fridge behind the beer, including one of our favorites, Leffe beer.

Also note that there are munchies in the fridge, including an unopened bar of Kit Kat.

Star Wars, analog music, pinballs, and AT&T [Doonesbury]

May 20, 1979 - Star Wars
TV to empty room: "It is twelve o'clock, Earth time. May the force be with you."

June 14, 1979 - Audio cassette
Sheila to Duane, in reference to practicing her California-speak:
"I've been working with cassettes."

June 22-23, 1979 - John Denver
Jim Andrews to Duke, upon visiting Duke's mansion:
"Jim: Duke! You've got John Denver in your backyard!
Duke: I'd like to explan. See, both the dobermans are at the vet's...
John Denver (singing): Take me hoome, country road..
Jim: I can't believe it! John Denver!
Duke: I hate to waste a good silver-tip, but this is an emergency..
John Denver (singing): West Virginiaa..
[BLAM!]
John Denver: Darn it all, Duke! Cut that out!
Jim: What a shot!
Duke (thinking): Oh, hell!
Jim: Clean through the guitar neck!
Duke (thinking): The darn sight must be off!"

June 24, 1979 - Pinball machine
Brenner on the phone with Zonker, unable to find Duke anywhere in the mansion:
"Brenner: He's due in this afternoon from Washington, man. And when he sees this mess, he's going to have my HIDE!
Zonker: No, he's not, Brenner. Listen, go down to the rec room and look under the pinball machine.
[Last frame]
Brenner: Found him. He must have got in last night.
Zonker: Right. So it's not your responsibility, okay ?"

July 8, 1979 - AT&T Slogan
Phone to empty room:
"Riingg! Reach out! Reach out! And TOUCH someone!"

Marc's Ultimate Mix IV [Summer Music]

A Certain Girl - Eric Clapton
A Great Day For Freedom - Pink Floyd
A View To Kill - Duran Duran
Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) - The Doors
Astounded - Bran Van 3000
Beautiful - Moby
Break It To Them Gently - Burton Cummings
Breathe - Swollen Members
Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Burning Bridges - Remy Shand
Come Back Baby - Eric Clapton
Courage - The Tragically Hip
Crystal - New Order
Darlene - Erasure
Don't pass me by - The Beatles
Down By The Seaside - Led Zeppelin
Eldorado - The Tragically Hip
Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
Five Long Years - Eric Clapton
Fly Robin Fly - Silver Convention
Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc
Help Me Up - Eric Clapton
Here With Me - Dido
Heroes Never Die - Mostly Autumn
High Hopes - Pink Floyd
Hotel California - The Eagles
How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
I Can't Quit Her - Blood Sweat and Tears
I Like Dirt - Red Hot Chili Peppers
I Put A Spell On You - Creedence Clearwater Revival
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for - U2
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
I'm Goin' Down - Bruce Springsteen
I'm Not The Man I Used To Be - Fine Young Cannibals
If You Could Read My Mind - Stars on 54
In the Light - Led Zeppelin
Infinite Dreams - Iron Maiden
Into The Great White Open - Tom Petty
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - The Georgia Satellites
Land Of Confusion - Genesis
Layla - Eric Clapton
Le frigidaire - Tex Lecor
Let Me Be - Xavier Rudd
Lights - Scissor Sisters
Locomotive - Guns 'N' Roses
Looking Over Your Fence - Otis Taylor
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - The Beatles
Mama Told Me (Not to Come) - Three Dog Night
mix4.txt
Moondance - Van Morrison
Murder By Numbers - The Police
Natural Blues - Moby
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - Arcade Fire
Old Love - Eric Clapton
Paint It, Black - The Rolling Stones
Pedal To The Metal - Kazzer
Pigeon Camera - The Tragically Hip
Planet Telex - Radiohead
Please Come Home For Christmas - The Eagles
Please See Me Mister (Live) - Ben Harper
Prints in the Stone - Mostly Autumn
Quand ‡a tourne pas rond - Tex Lecor
Radio Ga Ga - Queen
Red Hill Mining Town - U2
Riders On The Storm - The Doors
Road To Hell - Bruce Dickinson
Rome Wasn't Built In A Day - Morcheeba
Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd
Running On Faith - Eric Clapton
Russians - Sting
She Bop - Cyndi Lauper
Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin
Smooth Operator - Sade
Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles
Suicide Blonde - INXS
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Take On Me - A-Ha
Tea In The Sahara - The Police
The Prophecy - Iron Maiden
The Return of the King - Mostly Autumn
The Rover - Led Zeppelin
The Trial - Pink Floyd
The Turn Of Friendly Card - The Alan Parsons Project
The Way I Feel - Remy Shand
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
They're Red Hot - Eric Clapton
True Faith - New Order
Warning - Green Day
Where You End - Moby
Whisper a Prayer for the Dying - Coverdale and Page
Wisemen - James Blunt
Would I Lie to You_ - Eurythmics
You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate
Young Bride - Midlake

Taj Mahal [Bluesfest]

(Blues)

Following Keb' Mo' as the second act of Ottawa Bluesfest was Taj Mahal. I am of course referring to the great Blues master, not the rapper of the same name (although it is strangely ironic, as indicated below). A talented musician, Taj Mahal can pluck the banjo and steel guitar like there is no tomorrow.

He is also greatly involved in the African-American grassroots blues movement, and has iterated publicly his disappointment regarding rap music in African-American culture circles. On this subject, he is quoted as saying, "Eighty-one percent of the kids listening to rap were not black kids. Once there was a tremendous amount of money involved in it . . . they totally moved it over to a material side. It just went off to a terrible direction."

Politics aside, it is very refreshing to hear such a pure and original banjo-plucking, guitar-picking, all-around awesome singer!

Keb' Mo' [Bluesfest]

(Blues)

Keb' Mo's mellow musings entertained us during our first act at the festival.

Born in Los Angeles in the 1950's, his appreciation for Blues and Gospel gave him the motivation he needed to start his musical career playing the steel drums in a calypso band. From there, he moved to play in a variety of blues bands as a singer, as well as playing guitar and harmonica.

In 1994, he released his self-titled debut album, "Keb' Mo'". This is the album that turned me onto Keb' Mo', and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for harmonious lyrics, a soulful voice, and an all-around good listen.

33 shows on 6 stages in 10 days [Bluesfest]

What a wonderful two weeks it's been! Our pilgrimage to this year's musical extravaganza, The Ottawa Bluesfest, was a success. I have been faithfully attending this round-up of talented musicians since its inauguration in 1993, and have discovered some great (and not-so-great) acts that deserve the public attention. My wife joined me 4 years later, and with the exception of the year we got married, we have been doing the lawn-chair shuffle at the festival every single year.

With over 150 acts to choose from, and with only 10 days to do it all, we had to carefully plan which artists would entertain us the most. This was not an easy task, as the festival was set out over 7 weekday evenings and 4 weekends from noon until midnight.

Over the next little while, I will be writing about some of the artists we thought deserved special mention. I won't be boring you with stuff like reviews, not only because music is very subjective, but because you can read about the festival all over the place.

My goal here is to expose you to a variety of artists either just breaking into the music scene, or to make you aware of a specific talent. I encourage you to keep an open ear, and try listening to something you are not used to - you may actually like it!

If you have not yet heard of this amazing event, I invite you to check it out. And if you did attend this year, I would love to hear your comments on some of the rockin' bands you thought were hot this year!