Earthquake!

Yesterday, I went for a walk after work, down Market and then Mission to The Embarcadero. Upon arrival, I noticed a sidewalk extending a good distance into the bay and became interested in taking a walk. I wondered whether or not it was public, but then I saw a few joggers and a guy on a bike exiting it and I made my way towards the end. I got to the end, soaked in the beauty and turned around to face the city. I shielded my eyes from the glaring sunlight and walked back listening to Thom Yorke's jarring sound on my iPod. It was both idyllic and foreign in some fashion and I felt like a tourist in the city of San Francisco. At this point, I thought about all the San Francisco-centric images, songs and moods and tried to feel like an outsider. All of sudden, it hit me: you live in earthquake country. We may be more famous for that than for anything else. I have fear-pangs from time to time and I imagined the earth rocking, jolting the bridge and everyone's screams and cries. I thought about how interesting that would be, were it to happen.

I returned home, ate a sandwich, listened to some music and went to sleep about midnight. At approximately 4:42, was rudely awakened and I felt sick. Something I didn't understand was occurring. Was I dreaming? Was it the big one? A horrible rumble, as if I was in a jeep with bad shocks in the mountains. But I was lying in my bed. EARTHQUAKE! It shook and then petered out. Then, an second rocked my bed again.

I was frightened, but I drifted back to sleep, and forgot it, like a dream. Then, after arriving at work, I read the paper:

From various news sources:
-An earthquake jolted San Francisco Bay area residents awake early Friday, breaking glass and rattling nerves.
-The earthquake was centered about 2 miles northeast of downtown Oakland on the Hayward fault.
-The actual epicenter was in the Oakland Hills near Joaquin Miller Park and the Mormon Temple and had a preliminary magnitude of 4.2 according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
-It could be felt for up to 10 seconds on both sides of the San Francisco Bay.
-According to the USGS, 4.2-magnitude quakes are felt indoors and may break dishes and windows, and overturn unstable objects. Pendulum clocks may stop.
-This quake was strong enough to set off alarms and shatter windows. Pacific Gas & Electric reported 4,600 people in Oakland without power.
-"This is the biggest quake we've had in awhile," reported Rufus Catchings of USGS. "This was a strike-slip mechanism," he said. "These give very strong, if you're nearby, initial jolts from the (primary) wave and then rattling for a couple seconds from the (secondary) wave. It's possible that the temblor was a foreshock that could be followed by stronger seismic events," said Catchings.
-Several business owners in the Montclair District, about 2 miles from the epicenter, arrived at work today to find their merchandise in shambles.

I will be moving my John Coltrane picture from above my bed to a different spot. I don't need that smashing my head in and shattering.

Current music: Roxy Music - There Is Something

Canadian music

It has recently come to my attention that Canada has amazing music. When I was younger, all that I knew of Canada's music was Neil Young, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Alanis Morrisette, Barenaked Ladies and Our Lady Peace. Only one of those turned out well...... I am now aware that Leonard Cohen, The Band and Joni Mitchell are from Canada and that's definitely better, but that was a while ago.

Today, it continues with bad acts, but they are much more popular in the US: Avril Lavigne, Nickelback, Simple Plan, Sum 41. Canada seems to be as big here as England is!

Now, it has hit me how much music I have that I love that's from Canada.

Black Mountain (opened for Coldplay, from Vancouver)
The Dears (got it from a friend from Vancouver, from Montreal)
Propagandhi (punk/hardcore, grew up listening to them, from Winnipeg)
The Weakerthans (evolved from Propagandhi, saw them live at 17 at the Nile in Mesa)
Godspeed You Black Emperor (silly name, but good music, from Montreal)
Hot Hot Heat (dancy rock, from Vancouver)
Nelly Furtado (dance-pop a la Madonna, from Victoria)
Rufus Wainwright (wrote a popular song for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, from Montreal)
Arcade Fire (my vote for best new band, just got into them and makes me think that something new is happening in music, from Montreal, fronted by a Texan)

Innumerable other bands that I don't know, but have heard of, are also from Canada. I may be checking them out:

The Pink Mountaintops (related to Black Mountain, from Vancouver)
Broken Social Scene (from Toronto)
A Silver Mt. Zion (related to Godspeed You Black Emperor!, from Montreal)
The New Pornographers (from Vancouver, fronted by a Virginian)
Death from above 1979 (from Toronto)

So, Montreal is the artsy city, Vancouver the eclectic one and Toronto is largely absent...... hmm.....

All in all, I'm sure these cities have always had good music, and I am just left to wonder "why now are they getting recognition here in the us?" Anyway....

Current music: Arcade Fire - Intervention