For my own benefit I will share some notes from the shows. We saw some of Coheed & Cambria. There were lineup issues getting through security on this first day so we mostly heard them from a distance. I was okay with this. I later learned that a member of Coheed would hold up a pharmacy and subsequently be arrested. Saw Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros the same day; they tried too hard. The Flaming Lips put on quite a stage show, and Soundgarden was incredible. I definitely got the impression that Chris Cornell was enjoying the experience of performing for a large group of people again–probably more than he ever had before.

The next day Will and I went a little earlier and had chairs. We heard Alberta Cross, which were good enough to convince us to get some of their music, then Monkeyjunk, who will be playing at Kingston’s bluesfest. The Roots were popular, for reasons unknown to us, and Ben Harper was pretty darn good. Will told me that he’s not a big fan of slide guitar, but Harper did it well.

On Thursday I forgot our tickets so we arrived a bit later, but caught enough of Big Jeezus Truck that we weren’t sad to have missed what we did. We walked past Infected Mushroom and decided that was more than enough for us. The Sheepdogs were pretty good–certainly more Will’s style than mine. Steve Miller Band was a band that we couldn’t name a song that they performed, but knew almost every one that they did. It was a great show.

Friday was epic storm number one day, but before that we heard Cage the Elephant. They were quite good, and included a nice super-long crowd surf from the lead singer. Rise Against was…well, we were happy others enjoyed it. After Rise Against a big wind and rain storm came down on the park delaying the Black Keys for an hour. They finally went on around 10:30 and played almost an hour, blowing through the 11:00 pm cut-off. This was welcomed by everyone at the park, and the Black Keys saved it somehow.

Did you notice that asterisk up there in my first paragraph? Will and I decided to skip Saturday. The Tragically Hip were playing and we thought the best Hip concert would be the one we didn’t go to. A collective high-five right there.

We wrapped up the first week with guitar-talking Peter Frampton, who was awesome. Huey Lewis & the News treated us to a music sensation that unfathomably did not include their hit Hip to be Square. It actually left Will and I in a bit of shock, but we were still able to pack up our chairs and move over to the A Perfect Circle show at the next stage. APC’s music was alright, but it totally sucked that they didn’t want to be there. If you were there you know what I’m talking about.

The fun re-started on Tuesday with Three Days Grace (thumbs down), and John Fogerty (thumbs way up). Fogerty just might have been the highlight of the festival. This was another artist where I couldn’t have named the songs he sings, but I knew every one that he played. Really, really great.

On Wednesday we showed up in time for Metric. Meh. We took in Buddy Guy, who was great and who also brought an incredible 12-year-old blues playing kid with him. This kid could play guitar like a veteran. It was really amazing.

Thursday saw Will return to Kingston, but I kept going. A short stint to see Al Wood and the Woodsmen was ended when Brian directed me to John Primer’s stage. A good choice–definitely better than Cancer Bats. I went to see Arkells next and was pleasantly surprised. I will check out their new album when it is released this fall. I finished the night at the Tea Party show. I admit that I did wander over to Billy Talent and stumbled upon their singing Try Honestly. I didn’t care for the lead’s voice and was happy to return to the Tea Party.

On Friday Adam and Kyla joined and we heard Hannah Georgas, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, a little bit of Classified, and then Blue Rodeo. Blue Rodeo was quite good. I didn’t recognize most of the songs, but I appreciated that they were Canadian classics and enjoyed them.

The second Saturday was my day. I was very, very excited for Death From Above 1979 and Jane’s Addiction. I arrived early enough to see what all of the fuss was about Braids, but quickly moved to hear Amos the Transparent instead. When Amos finished I moved into position for DFA and was blown away with how good their show was. I never thought I would see these guys perform again, so it was a real treat. The mosh pit was crazy, but I kept clear. I didn’t notice any major injuries. Jane’s Addiction followed and I got an even better spot for them. They basically played their greatest hits, I got confetti cannoned, and I enjoyed the show in relative comfort guarded by a nearby, protective father and show security. Perry Farrell obviously loved the fans and seemed happy to be performing. A completely awesome day.

The second and final Sunday was set to be quite good. Adam and I arrived early and heard a little bit of Derek Miller (small crowd, it was sad), Tristen (a bit weird), and then Lupe Fiasco. Lupe was surprisingly entertaining, though I don’t think I would listen to the music at home. We caught the first 20 minutes of Cheap Trick and were just on our way to see Ra Ra Riot when pandemonium struck and the whole thing was cancelled. We were hoping to later see John Butler Trio and probably would have peered in on Death Cab for Cutie for the last half-hour or so but that was all ruined by a little storm and collapsed stage. Oh well.

All in all, an amazing couple of weeks with some great music. It was exhausting, though. I have lots to catch up on, and a 30 page paper due soon. Tomorrow I think I’ll return to running and/or the gym, just in time for 35+ degree weather.

Without argument, Starbucks has played a supporting role in my life. It is a place of warmth–literally and figuratively–warmed by coffee, friends, and love. The experience is nearly perfected, and is consistent across cities, countries, and continents. In those areas where Starbucks can improve they welcome ideas from customers and staff from around the world via mystarbucksidea.com.

The moment you walk into a Starbucks the contemporary music fills the air mixed with various conversations and the occasional sound of spray from the milk steamer. The cashiers are consistently welcoming and happy to take your order. Even when your drink has four modifiers the cashiers or expediters are happy to record and call-out your order.

This is the first step to your own hand-crafted beverage, made just the way you want. Behind the bar the magic happens as the barista mixes tea, syrup, espresso, milk, and/or spices to make exactly what you are waiting for. As the time passes you can find a seat, chat with a friend or fellow customer, or catch up on emails via your BlackBerry.

Is there a better moment then the one when the barista calls your drink to announce that it is ready at the bar? In the summer the cool feeling of a frappuccino or iced latte is refreshing; and in the winter, the warmth from a latte is overwhelmingly appreciated. A visit to the condiment station to dress up your drink a little more, or just cap it with a travel lid is the last step before you partake in the exact thing that you crave.

If you are enjoying your beverage “for here” the Starbucks experience continues, with comfortable seating and intimate table settings. You can sit alone and read the daily news, or sit comfortable as a group from 2 to 10. This is universally true, whether you’re in Ottawa, Kingston, Vancouver, Frankfurt, London, Karlsruhe, Munich, Prague, Madrid, or Zurich. Anywhere in the world you are welcome, and feel welcome.

The wonder of Starbucks doesn’t stop at the experience–just ask anyone who works there. Starbucks provides benefits to more of their employees, as well as higher wages when compared to others in the food service industry. The Corporation encourages employees to contribute to the long-term success of the company, and offers a stock purchasing program to provide extra incentive. I have heard people describe working at Starbucks as working with friends, even if you have gone into a store knowing nobody on staff.

And perhaps it is that work atmosphere that creates the welcoming atmosphere for customers. I have no doubt that every little thing contributes to the Starbucks experience which leads me to endorse Starbucks Corporation in its entirety.

From Montreal we continued our drive through Quebec and down through Vermont, New Hampshire (where there is no seatbelt law for people 18 and older), and into Massachusetts. We arrived to Boston with plenty of time to stop at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge to pick up some of Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup. I haven’t tried it yet but hear that it’s delicious.

After checking in at Le Meridien we enjoyed a pizza dinner at Cinderella’s. We rested up a little before heading out to the Paradise Rock Club to see the show. Local band Pretty & Nice opened, followed by Revolt Revolt. Built to Spill was excellent, and we were well situated just a few rows from the front, right in front of a young lady who was too short to see over even Adam.

On Saturday we walked around quite a bit. It was clear that we didn’t have nearly enough time to “see” Boston so we just saw a few places. We ate breakfast at a little sandwich place called Mike and Patty’s. Lunch was had at a crappy burrito place somewhere near Boston University campus. We would have visited Fenway, but a game was happening so things were busy.

We drove from Boston to Providence RI and checked into the hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Providence in the Herman Melville suite. We were going to visit Fire+Ice for dinner but the place was packed, so we ended up in the food court. We also used the opportunity to stock up on some snacks for the night.

The show was in Pawtucket RI at The Met. P&N opened again, followed by RR. The crowd was smaller. Everyone formed a big U shape in front of the stage, as if the band were the girls standing across the gym from the boys at a grade school dance. Adam and I waited for P&N to nearly finish and then easily took a place at the stage, front-and-centre for RR and BTS. It was an excellent experience.

On Sunday we decided to visit Nick’s on Broadway for brunch. It was over this delicious meal that we decided to alter our plans and to see BTS play one more time in South Burlington VT. Adam had made friends with some people and managed to get us on the guest list so it didn’t cost us anything except for time. The drive was an extra half-hour or so, compared to driving directly back to Ottawa, but we then had some time to kill before the concert and then the concert time itself. This meant that we didn’t get back to Ottawa until about 3:00 a.m.

But, it was totally worth it. All three shows were awesome. We have bootlegs of two of them, and set lists for all three. Adam picked up Revolt Revolt’s CD, as well as a CD of synth versions of BTS songs by Brett Nelson. The drive was nice and comfortable, and the hotels were luxurious. Next road trip will be Toronto to see Hanson–but this time one night only.

This afternoon I have been listening to the symphonies. I don’t have much better way than to just watch “videos” of performances on YouTube. I found a cool video that shows the first movement of Mozart’s 40th visually. You can see the video for yourself.

I have a Polk Audio PSW10 10″, 100-watt subwoofer. This little subwoofer might be perfect for, say, a garage. I’ve had this sub for a while and it’s done its duty. It weighs 26 pounds.

My second subwoofer is an Infinity PS212. I haven’t used it yet, but I suspect it would go great in a living room. I have only great great things about this sub. The sheet says it can dip down to reproduce 25 Hz sound. It weighs 44.7 pounds.

My third subwoofer is a JBL L8400. This one has served faithfully in my home theatre for half a year now. This impressive little guy has a response starting at 22 Hz, and a 600-watt amplifier. It weighs an impressive 58 pounds.