Expozine 2010 was overwhelmed with amazing ideas as always, a great place to make new connections and friends, drink too much coffee, and people-watch. Pictured here are zines from the St. Henri Walking Distance Zine Distro, Signifipedia zines, an encyclopedia of meaning (which many have contributed their meanings to since 2008), and a sign-up sheet for The Lifelong Learners Association.
The LLA holds monthly nerd conventions for knowledge enthusiasts (i.e. adult field trips). In the past, we have visited an apiary, a racetrack, and attended a Montreal Aquarium Society meeting. Our next adventure is in development and will be announced shortly. If you are interested in being involved you can email signifipedia (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and check out our zines, it was a fun weekend.
This fall, Signifipedia is compiling ideas, compositions, photos & art to make a zine for Montreal's largest small press fair, Expozine. Signifipedia is a subjective encyclopedia of meaning, we make it up as we go along.
So OK yeah there are all these things: books, swamps, tic tacs, etc. but what do they all mean? Everything has a meaning, but it is always changing as meaning is defined by the individual. Everything means something to someone at some time, the goal of Signifipedia is to provide publication of what something means to someone (i.e. you) now.
These zines are organized in themed volumes, for this issue the theme will be "memory" - to give an imaginary synthesis, a cohesion of meanings around this idea. We've already got some exciting content in development and would love to include your contributions.
All written submissions should be no more than 750 words, all visual art submissions should not exceed two pages. Signifipedia zines will be distributed through Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and beyond, and as thanks you will receive a free copy of the zine in the mail. You are welcome to pass this invitation along to any friends you feel might be interested. All entries should be sent to signifipedia at gmail dot com before Friday, October 29th.
Ideas to inspire: the politics of memory (what is included/what is omitted) nostalgia forgetting exaggeration through repetition re-membering moments: photos/films/writings/drawings photo/film/music/art reviews (can be something you saw long ago) goldfish have two second memories/elephants never forget how does lighting/setting/music affect your memory how do emotions/adrenaline affect your memory tips for increasing/decreasing memory "stock memories" - memories you're supposed to have your memories interview someone for their memories memories you would like to make recipes/skills you know by memory digital/electronic memory memory foam etc.
On August 20th, seven Learners met at Old Market Square for the Death and Debauchery walking tour, with aspirations of learning the weight of history ingrained in the streets and buildings of an oft-frequented neighbourhood: Winnipeg's Exchange District. Unfortunately there was a problem with the advance on my camera and so none of the pictures turned out, but thanks to the internet and our good friend Ryan Trudeau, we will still be able to provide some visual stimulants to accompany a recollection of our tour.
At 3pm, our tour guide* promptly began an annotated escort down Albert St.
(*not our real tour guide)
The boom era of Winnipeg was illustrated with a story of the Roblin House on Adelaide, where two caged black bears were tied up in front of the establishment. Passersby fed the bears food and alcohol, which caused a raucous bear to escape! The bear climbed a downtown lamp post, where an RCMP officer finally shot it, and the nearby hotel served bear for dinner.
It must be said that during the course of our tour three police cars drove by, a reminder that suspicions of the Exchange District as a space of debauchery is not entirely a thing of the past. This was also my first time seeing the new black and white/zero-tolerance design for Winnipeg police cars, complete with the slogan "Building Relationships" written on the side. This is a great scapegoat slogan because they do not have to disclose the type of relationship they are building: a relationship really only conveys the connection between two or more things. That RCMP officer built a "relationship" with that bear, but that didn't go very well for the bear.
The walking grounds a few feet away from Old Market Square were once the site of Manitoba's first courthouse and jailhouse. Apparently, while doing construction on this area, they found entrances to old jail cells. Between 1874-1876 marked Western Canada's first executions. The first hanging was for a man convicted of stabbing someone 30 times, in his defense he claimed he was "maddened by liquor."
On Fridays at 8am, they would raise the black flag, bells would toll (although executions were not open to the public), a noose would be tied around the neck of one about to be executed, and the trap door would be pulled out beneath them so that the fall would break their neck. For one hanging, the regular executioner was unavailable, and so a call was put out for a volunteer to do the job. The volunteer executioner didn't tie the noose correctly and the man strangled to death.
Something to think about when you see live concerts here, on approximately the same site:
photo by Ryan Trudeau
The tour was advertised as ending at the Royal Albert Hotel, recounting the brutal murder in room 309. According to this Winnipeg Free Press article, the killer is trying to claim that his intoxication is to blame for the "disorganized thinking and impaired judgement" involved in the murder committed, a similar plea from the hanged man of 1874.
This segment has been removed from the tour, undoubtedly due to complaints that murder is not to be sensationalized for entertainment purposes. The tour is required to please their audience, such as the couple in khaki shorts and matching orange Guadalajara t-shirts. One thing that we have learned is that similar crimes can occur 200 years apart and people still don't want to talk about murder.
If you want to hear a story about room 309 at the Royal Albert with a little more firsthand weight, just ask rockabilly wildman Bloodshot Bill. I met up with Bloodshot Bill in Montreal to interview him for Signifipedia's upcoming zine publication for Expozine.
BLOODSHOT BILL performing at The Royal Albert with Winnipeg's The Angry Dragons
BB: "The first time we played that summer, showing up at the Albert, it was front page news, it just happened. It happened two nights before. Body decapitated, dismembered, disemboweled, all this stuff, I heard about room 309 and everything. The next time I came up, they always give me a room at the Albert, and they gave me room 309, which was the murder room. They painted the walls a really light light green, and you could see lines of blood on the wall. And I took a bath in the bathtub, and that's where I found out that they found all the body parts, in the bathtub. I had all these horseshoe bolo ties on the wall for good luck."
There you have it, folks: Horseshoes will save you from murder Guided tours will always be biased
The Lifelong Learners Association makes its first splash in Montréal with the SLU edition (Special Learners Unit), a smaller focus group that will explore this peculiar "fishclub" which meets at a church in NDG: The Montréal Aquarium Society
THIS WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8th, 8PM The Church of St. Columba, 4020 Hingston Avenue (NDG)
"A few people got together in 1933 to share their knowledge of keeping fish in the home aquarium. This small group met in each others homes and eventually had to expand to larger locales. Henceforth, monthly meetings were held which are still perpetuated today.
We are a non-profit organization and the goals are to promote the mutual interest of its members in acquiring, breeding and raising aquarium fish and plant life."
Thoughts/Questions for the meeting -What did aquariums look like in 1933?! -What kind of "fishclub" meets in a church? Is this also some kind of religious cult? -Discuss the politics of aquariums/captivity and the importance of voyeurism -What are your favourite fish? -Is this whole fish thing a cover for a secret devotional fan group to Scandinavian pop band Aqua's 1997 prolific album, Aquarium? -Recommended readings: The Breeders Award Program
We know that due to geographic restrictions many of our past keen Learners will be unable to make this field trip, we ask if you know anyone in the vicinity who might be interested in swimming with these ideas, to please extend an invitation! Hopefully we will all learn together again quite soon!
On July 23rd, sixteen Learners took to the stands at Assiniboia Downs for a day at the races! Our goal was to learn firsthand the highs and lows of gambling, while observing the majesty of horses in motion.
Admission and parking to the Assiniboia Downs racetrack is free, if you are interested in getting more information on the races, you can purchase a Live Racing Program for $2.25 from one of the many betting booths. The program spells it all out for first-timers, with an introductory "How To Read The Program" section, followed by "How To Place A Bet" which you can also read more about here.
TYPES OF BETS
Betting on a horse to win, means you are betting it will come in first Betting on a horse to place means you are betting it will come in first or second Betting on a horse to show means you are betting it will come in first, second or third Betting on the exacta or perfecta means you are betting on the first two horses to win in the correct order of finish Betting on the quinella or quiniela means you are betting on two horses to come in first and second, but those two horses don't have to finish in any particular order Betting on the daily double is betting on the winners of two races. You must be correct in both races to win the bet.
On the second floor, the VLT room is a dark space cove of colourful machines where edgy patrons reserve surrounding seats to maximize their jackpot chances. Noni found herself unimpressed by her VLT experience, "It's just like watching your money slip away" she said. Stylistically, the VLT cavern was quite bland considering Assiniboia Downs' 52-year history, the walls are painted beige, which allows projected illuminations of oscillating fruit to provide the decoration. In the back corner stood a stoic remnant of the early days, an old-fashioned cigarette dispenser, selling du Maurier smokes for the new-fashioned price of $14 a pack. The good news about this dimly-lit den is that it provides unlimited free coffee.
ASSINIBOIA DOWNS PROMOTIONS:
PHOTO RADAR RELIEF: Bring your unpaid photo radar ticket down to the track on the last Saturday of each month, they'll draw one, and pay for it, up to $250. I would like to propose a slogan: "The racetrack always has your back"
MANITOBA DERBY DAY HAT CONTEST: This year it was August 2, but for any creative hat makers, this is an excellent opportunity to begin working on a hat for next year, as there is a $100 prize for best hat in the following categories: *Best Racing Theme *Most Glamourous *Funniest/Most Outrageous
TRACK REPORT
Hopes were high and many bets were down for Grand Vision (#3) to win the third race, but on their way to the starting gate, Grand Vision threw off his jockey and made a breakaway run in the opposite direction down the track. The race was delayed as jockeys tried to get hold of Grand Vision's reins, and this free-spirited sprint took its toll on Grand Vision's performance, who started out last in the race, and although he was able to pull up fourth, ultimately lost to Kommando Kate.
Before a race, horses are led for a few laps around the paddock, so that racetrack enthusiasts may have the voyeuristic privilege of observing the horse "backstage" if you will... to see if they can get a feel for a winner. Owen relayed advice his Mum had given him, that if a horse looks you in the eyes and holds eye contact with you, that's the one. Horses are also identified at this point by their lip tattoo to ensure accuracy of the horses racing. You see, this is an interspecies trend!
TOP 5 FAVOURITE HORSE NAMES
Pearly Shirley Endless Winter War On Terror Ancient Symbol Regal Forest
At the end of the races, almost all of us had bet at least once, almost everyone had won a race, but the majority of us lost money. The big wins for the night were Patrick, who bet $5 on Playin' Jane and won $14.50, as well as $6 on Ancient Symbol and won $23.50. Luke bet $2 on Canela Twist to place odds and won $20.40.
Further research into horse racing reveals that this "sport" can be detrimental to both horse and jockey, not to mention the many gamblers who lose great sums at the track. So what is the point or benefit of going to the racetrack? Well, as always, it was a Learning experience.
That was it! The night of nights! That was it! It hit the heights! Oh what heights it hit! That was the show, that was it! That's all folks, thank you all so very much for a full out fun time in the backyard last week, and all your love and enthusiasm for Cabaret throughout the year! Dominique, Margaret and The Broke Spokes are interested in continuing Cabaret, possibly in the very same backyard, if anyone is interested in being involved in this exciting venture, you can send them a message or feel free to approach them in person to share some ideas... that's what this whole thing is all about.
In case you missed out on this great event, don't worry, technology has your back. Although I don't have any footage of that show specifically, here is a treasure map of links and videos of past performances by the people who graced the stage last week!
JULY 30 PERFORMERS:
Andrew Lizotte you can catch him being comedic at the Cavern on Sundays Alex's ghost story SURPRISE ENDING
Dawson Blaine made a beautiful new music video with Tyler Funk
Dominique & Cédric played a song inspired by The LLA's trip to the apiary! here's a video of them playing with Jeff, as Kite:
Donnell Dacillo though he played guitar and sang last week, Donnell is multi-talented and once taught a linedancing workshop at the beginning of a Cabaret! it is also his birthday today: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONNELL!
Margaret Howison has been playing Cabaret since the very beginning, and keeps getting better as she goes along here's an early video of her playing with Brett Nelson at one of the first Cabarets at The Standard:
Aaron Simm performed for the very first time at Cabaret less than a year ago, and is now onto the National Slam Poetry Competition in Ottawa! here's part of his June 18 backyard performance:
Blinken & The Samphibian were also unable to perform due to illness, but here is a video from their performance with the Folk Festival Campground Parade, in case you are curious about SCIENCE
The Broke Spokes got everybody dancing, playin' sounds so good that people by the river jumped the fence to join in here's a video from one of their earlier shows at The Standard:
J.R. Hill & The Oktars closed up the night with some wild sounds in the woods, and now are heading off on tour! their kickoff show is August 12 at Ragpickers! that will be a fun show, guaranteed!
Thank you to everyone who has supported this event over the past year, in all kinds of weather, those who were just passin' through town and those who live down the street, you created many marvelous evenings of sharing creative energy in our community! It has been so cool to see everyone's diverse talents only improve over time, those who overcame their stage fears to perform inspired me to get some guts and go for it myself. Whether Cabaret was something you really looked forward to, or something you just kind of stumbled upon in your night wanderings, I just wanna say how much I appreciate your contribution, encouragement, enthusiasm & support!
Thank you to Ellen, Bronwyn & Alex who generously shared so much delicious food! Much gratitude towards The Standard Tavern and The Wonderful Woodrow Women
