Blue Monday

1. So today is Blue Monday, which is apparently the most depressing day of the year (also a great comic from Oni Press). The formula for arriving at this day is something to do with the lack of daylight, when mixed with impending credit card bills, tossed in with an (un)healthy mix of failure from all your doomed New Year's resolutions. Why January 21st as opposed to January 22nd is perhaps a bit more contrived than I need to dwell on.

One of the solutions to overcoming the blahs is more exercise and activity. Which sounds like a plan. I've been meaning to get back to the gym, but figured I'd wait until all the New Year's resolution people failed and dropped out. That essentially means I was waiting for Blue Monday. Guess I should swing by the gym sometime in the next week or so.

2. Imagine Iqaluit, but instead of the 7,000 or so people who live here now, imagine 200,000 people. Sound horrific? Sounds a bit like Yakutsk, the coldest city on earth. I'm kind of used to the cold up here at this point. I'm not saying I'm happy when I wake up in the morning and discover the temperature is around -45, but there is something oddly invigorating about going around with your jacket undone and no hat on your head because it's a balmy -20.

Having said that, I think one of the things that makes Iqaluit bearable is that it is relatively small and compact. There's something about a city of 200,000 people all dealing with that level of cold, with all the smoke and fog hanging in the air that sounds really unappealing. You actually hear Inuit in town complain about how big and fast pace Iqaluit is and how much they want to go back to their home community, where it's quieter.

Might sound crazy to those of us from larger places, but it makes sense. I think the idea of hell for most Inuit would be for Iqaluit to grow into some place like Yakutsk.

3. The East Coast Music Awards are being held in Corner Brook in 2009. I would have more to say on this, except I pretty much view the ECMAs as little more than the Nova Scotia Music Industry Awards, just on a bigger scale these days.

4. You've got to love the Japanese marketing ability. For those who need a smoke and a coffee to get going in the morning, the Japanese have a suggestion for you. Honestly, I want to buy this. Not for myself, but I can think of several people who love this. Although if you need a can of coffee and two packs of smokes to get going in the morning, you have problems.

Last Five
1. Windows blues - Band of Horses
2. Past due - The Weakerthans*
3. Choux pastry heart - Corinne Bailey Rae
4. A boy and his machine gun - Matthew Good Band
5. October - U2