Metro Loves Biking

Over the last decade, Dieppe has grown up from a town to a city.

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Bernard C. Cormier/TIMES & TRANS

[Photos:© Bernard C. Cormier 2010]

Marcel LaPlante recommends that anyone interested in biking to lose weight use a BMX bike, rather than a mountain bike as, with only one gear, it requires more energy.

But, despite its municipal adulthood, its residents' love of bikes is bigger than ever.

Not only does Dieppe have bike paths wrapped around it, it is home to The National Cycling Centre - Atlantic Canada, which has a mandate to develop cycling and train cyclists to compete at the highest levels of competition. The Centre's facilities are located in Dieppe's Rotary Park and include a BMX track and an oval-shaped velodrome track.

"The bike path and all of that stuff really helps the city and the people living in the city," says Luc Arseneau, head coach of the National Cycling Centre - Atlantic Canada. "Also, I think the demographics of Dieppe, in general, with lots of young families with generally OK or above-average income, not that cycling's an expensive sport but it is something that families really like here."

Jim Goguen, a bicycle industry veteran and co-owner of Mike's Bike Shop, agrees that there has been an increase in bike usage but doesn't see it as a phenomenon exclusive to any given municipality.

"In Dieppe, Moncton, Riverview, (interest in) biking as a whole has expanded tenfold compared to 10 years ago."

Goguen says that now it's not uncommon to sell bikes with retail values exceeding $1,000. He believes that a partial reason for such an increase is motivated by a desire to improve heath.

"Doctors are telling (people that) they have to get out, get healthier, lose weight. They say, in general, Atlantic Canadians are not healthy, well I can tell you, anyone who's cycling is healthy! More and more people are taking their bikes back and forth to work. Even on rainy days, if you look around, you'll see people on bikes, maybe not as many (compared to sunny days) but more and more people are heath conscious."

Some bike enthusiasts are very particular about what they ride. Marcel LaPlante, a Dieppe resident and musician who records under the stage name of "Mars Creation," is one such enthusiast. His interest in bicycles is so great that he's shot many videos featuring bikes and motorcycles. He plans to eventually record a bicycle-themed CD, like Kraftwerk's 2003 album Tour de France Soundtracks. LaPlante only drives BMX bikes for many reasons, including physical fitness. He recommends that people interested in biking for weight loss use BMX instead of mountain bikes.

"With BMX, there's only one gear. You'll definitely get tired and it will take a lot of energy and it will drain you out. It's better with BMX than (with a) mountain bike. A mountain bike (has easier) gears, (it's easier) work."

When it's possible, he bikes to work and encourages others to do so.

"It will save mileage in gas plus it's good exercise and, like I say, it's a good feeling."

Although everyone seems to agree that cycling is healthy, Metro Moncton is sprawled over such a large distance that biking to work may not be practical for everyone. People living near the old airport in Dieppe, as an example, may not want to commute to work on a bicycle if they're employed at the casino located in near Magnetic Hill. Arseneau understands that.

"It's a factor that the Greater Moncton area was not developed into neighbourhoods, like Vancouver was. Here in Dieppe, as an example, one thing people will often say is that the next corner store is 8 km away. It's true. That was the way (the cities were) developed. It is a fact here that the cities are so spread across that it could mean 10 kilometres to work. For me, that's almost nothing but for anybody on the street, 10 kilometres is a lot of biking! If you have to come back (home) at 4 o'clock in the afternoon or 5 o'clock after a long day at work, that's a lot of work.

"But after a few months or weeks of training or practising, 10 kilometres is not that far on a bike and everybody can do it."

Arseneau suggests on way to reduce commuter mileage on a bicycle: use Codiac Transit to cover part of the distance since many of its buses are equipped with bike racks.

He also believes that people would be more encouraged to bike to work, and to other places, if business owners would be more accommodating to those interested in using that method of transportation.

"The businesses need to adapt," he says. "(As an example), in Paris, there are showers now in most of the new buildings so that people who bike to work can shower and have a clean day at the office."

"(Metro Moncton has) all of these nice businesses where you can have a coffee or something but (they don't have) bike racks! So, you bike, you have a nice bike path or bike trail or lane, whatever you want to use, but you get to that place to take a coffee or go to a restaurant, whatever you want to do, and there's no place to even lock your bike! That's not really positive and encouraging for people to go to those places by bike, so they'll just take their car."

Arseneau believes that such moves by local businesses would be beneficial to the environment and it would impress bike-using consumers.

Another bike-related concept absent from Metro Moncton is the coin-operated bike rentals that are found in larger cities, like Montreal. Both Arseneau and Goguen don't believe that Moncton has a population to support such ventures but they would support the idea if it were ever introduced in the region. Goguen says that success of those rental units would be dependant on tourism.

"A local person is not going to rent a bike just to go out for the afternoon but someone travelling can't always have their bike with them."

* Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

Join In The Fete de la Musique

Every year since 1982, people around the world have been celebrating La Fête de la Musique.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Bernard C. Cormier

[Photo:© Bernard C. Cormier 2010]

Glen Burg will perform in downtown Moncton Monday as part of Fete de la Musique.

Meaning a "Celebration of Music," it is sometimes identified as, among other things, "World Music Day" in English, and occurs each year on June 21.

Its origins can be traced back to 1976 when Joel Cohen, an American musician employed by a French government-owned radio station, thought up the idea of having an annual celebration about music. He also thought that it would be best if such a day would take place on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

The first Fête de la Musique took place five years later during legendary French politician Jack Lang's stint as Minister of Culture, a political position that is highly regarded and respected in that country. Since that time, La Fête de la Musique has spread out into the rest of the world.

"It was a French initiative," says Gilles Courregelongue, the Consul General of France based in Moncton.

Although the Minister of Culture oversaw it in the early days, he says that it was always a non-governmental activity. "Of course, it went much further than the limit of the French government's competence and its goals," the consul general says. "Now it's in so many countries! In every country of the world, the French embassies are always taking part in it and helping (with) it but it should not (be seen) as a "French Government Action." We are just a part of it. We have maybe been the leader at the very beginning but it's not at all the situation today and that's not the image we want to give because we don't deserve it anymore."

La Fête de la Musique is a day to celebrate music: any music, all music, and any way a person wants to, as long as it's about the music and the musicians perform for free.

Therefore, it is totally acceptable, for example, for anyone to pull out a guitar and walk up and down Mountain Road while playing acoustic death metal.

To make things a little more structured and organized for people who wouldn't do that in Moncton, a committee of various organizations led by the French Consulate, which include The Province of New Brunswick, The City of Moncton, and Music NB, plan free public performances to be held on Monday.

"(The French Consulate) introduced the idea (in Moncton) in 2004," says Mamadou Konté, the co-ordinator of those performances.

This year, as with the previous ones, Konté was involved with the selection process that decided which artists would effectively be performing at the "organized" venues, which include City Hall and Mascaret Park.

"We're open to all genres of music because we're not selecting bands for us but, instead, for the public," Mamadou says. "We don't know what the public will like, so we make sure to offer all musical genres. One night, we sat down and listened to what each band interested in performing submitted to us. We tried to make a line-up that held together and included all musical genres. It certainly was difficult in making decisions to cut bands when we were nearly finished with the process, but I can assure you that we didn't cut many. We had to cut some acts due to time restraints."

Another person involved with the process was Jean Surette, executive director of Music N.B. Jean is also a member of the band Les Païens.

"One of things that the (selection) committee tried to do was to involve as many people as possible," he says. "Have a list of people who wanted to play and try to cater to everyone, if possible. That, obviously, wasn't possible but we tried to. It was to give a good mix, depending on what time of day, where was the venue and what kind of event we wanted to create, like "early-evening/late-afternoon.

"Well, we tried to cater more to families but later in the evening we were able to program maybe heavier or more adult' bands.

"One thing that's beautiful about music, especially on a day like La Fête de la Musique, is to let people have the chance to discover new music, whether it be music that they're not used to hearing or that they don't get to hear. So, it's giving people the opportunity to discover new music."

"The Spirit of La Fête de la Musique is that you play every kind of music at every level! That means that you can have world famous artists and also young kids just learning," says Gilles.

The organized La Fête de la Musique events in Moncton this year will include Alcaz, a band from France.

For some of the performers at La Fête de la Musique, it presents them with a new platform and, perhaps, an exercise in audience interaction.

Local musician and radio personality Glen Burg will participate in La Fête de la Musique for the first time. Although his experiences in public performances include impressive experiences, like playing on stage with members of Gentle Giant, Glen sees his solo acoustic Main Street morning sidewalk set as a welcome challenge.

"It's easy for me to get up on stage in front of thousands of people as I've done before in a band setting and be just like OK! Let's kick this! Let's do it right!' Myself, in front of two or three people, forget having thousands of people! Just having two or three people there, one of whom I might not have known beforehand...the stakes are raised! For me, that's the challenge that I push myself into at the same time with La Fête de la Musique. It's like, OK, maybe people will be more receptive today but at the same time I'm going to be nervous as heck!

"I don't have stars in my eyes playing on the sidewalks of Moncton," Glen adds, "but it's nice to be part of this activity because, over in France, where it originated, you get music on every street corner! "

"The big difference in France, and in Europe, is that (the performances) are small and more spontaneous," Gilles says.

"Here, it's more organized. Also, the cities are different. In Moncton, you cannot do things (that) you can do in Paris. In many European cities, (bands) are playing on the pavement, in the streets..."

In case anyone thinks that he's panhandling, Glen will place a sign in front of him saying I'm not soliciting. I'm here for International Music Day.'

* Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

Reviewed: "Che: A Graphic Biography"

Tommy Cash Pays Tribute To His Brother

Tommy Cash, the youngest sibling of late entertainer Johnny Cash, and his backing band, The Cash Crew, will take the stage tomorrow at Moncton's Capitol Theatre.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Tommy Cash started out managing his brother Johnny Cash's music publishing company in 1964, before launching his own recording career the following year.

"It's been a long time since I played any shows in New Brunswick," the 70-year-old singer said last week during a telephone interview from his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. "(I played there) back in the '70s and maybe in the '80s. It's been a long time, so I'm looking forward to (going) back to that part of (Canada)!"

The youngest of seven children and eight years younger than Johnny, Tommy Cash somewhat followed in his older brother's footsteps by becoming a singer in the 1960s despite being advised not to.

"He told me to stay out of his business. He said, "It's rugged and it's tough and it'll kill you! Travelling, and being up and being gone all the time..." but I didn't listen!"

"I came to Nashville in 1964, after I got out of the U.S. Army, to manage Johnny's music publishing company. I worked at that for two or three years and then eventually went out on my own and started touring with Hank Williams, Jr. and Connie Smith. I then had a few hit records of my own."

Tommy Cash's recording career began in 1965 with the 45-rpm singles "I Guess I'll Live" and "I Didn't Walk The Line." His first LP was Here Comes Tommy Cash. His only album for the United Artist record label, it was released to the public in 1968.

His next half-dozen albums, including 1970's Six White Horses, were recorded for Epic. The title track of Six White Horses, would become his most successful song. It reached No. 1 on Canadian country music charts and No. 4 in the United States.

Throughout the years, the older Cash assisted his brother by including him as a guest on The Johnny Cash Show and in various TV specials. The two also recorded songs together as late as the 1990s.

Although Tommy Cash continued to record and perform, the music industry took somewhat of a backseat in the 1980's as his priorities shifted towards real estate.

"I got a real estate licence in 1984 to help the family with their real estate needs: brothers and sisters and parents and so forth. I liked it so much that I just stayed in it! I still do a lot of real estate, too."

But his involvement in real estate never made him retire from recording and touring, it just made him less available for such activities. Over the last decade, Tommy Cash has been reducing his real estate workload and refocusing on music, as he did in the 1960s and 1970s. He's away on tours for as many as 120 days each year.

"I'm taking more bookings than I did in the '80s and '90s. I still enjoy it and I'm still in good health. So, as long as I feel that I can do a good show and as long as I'm feeling well enough to travel, then I'll continue to do it. When the time comes when I need to retire from all of this, I will."

His most recent album, Fade To Black: Memories of Johnny, which includes duets with George Jones and Marty Stuart, was released in 2008. It was his first album for the Christian record label InLight Records. Like Cash, InLight Records is based in Hendersonville. "The label contacted me. I signed a contract with them to do three albums and (Fade To Black: Memories of Johnny) is the first one. I haven't done the second or third one, yet, but we're negotiating as to whether I should stay with this label or go with another label.

"At my age, you know, people are not jumping up and down and knocking at your door to sign you to a record contract!

"Even though myself or someone else in my position might be singing as well as they ever did and performing as well as they ever did, or better because of experience, the record labels are not interested. They're interested in the young people with money to promote themselves.

"In other words, they're wanting the young people on their labels, not the older people. If you (go) to the labels with a big production package and lots of money, they may put an album out on you or they might put a single out on you but they're certainly not knocking on your door to get you to sign with a major label. It's sad in a way that the record labels are that way but they're only interested in making money. "They're not interested in promoting an older artist's career."

Tommy Cash has performed in 37 different countries and, as one would expect, has had many different types of experiences while on the road, even some negative ones when entering Canada.

"The only time we've ever had a problem at the Canadian border is that I had a bus driver who did not tell me that he had a pistol in his tote bag! That held us up a few hours!

"We explained to the Canadian authorities that I didn't know that he had a pistol and that he shouldn't have tried bringing it into the country. They confiscated it, of course, and let us go on our way. That was a time that was quite scary!"

Unlike his brother, Tommy Cash has yet to be the subject of a biopic but he was included in Walk The Line (2005).

"I was a 10-year-old in the movie. When (Johnny Cash) puts a little boy on his shoulders and says "Where's Tommy?", that's me. Also, I was in another scene where I was dancing in the background as a 10-year-old."

Although the film's producers didn't ask him for his permission for such inclusions, Tommy Cash was flattered that he was incorporated into the story.

"I think if they would have done more with the family (then) all of us would have been in the movie, all seven of us...but the movie was about Johnny and June (Carter-Cash). It wasn't about the family, it was about Johnny and June."

Tommy Cash gives the film a passing grade but dislikes some of the creative liberties it took with some of his family members.

"(The film's producers) showed us a rough-cut of the movie six months before it was released to the public. I was surprised about a few things. For an example, they portrayed my dad as a mean-spirited, hard-boiled, hard-to-get-along-with person and he wasn't that way at all! Especially the last 30-40 years he lived, he was very mellow. I didn't understand why they did that and I asked them to change it but they didn't. When the movie came out, (the portrayal of the senior Cash) was actually stronger because there were scenes in the rough-cut of the movie that were not in the (final cut) of the movie and vice versa!"

Regardless of the manner his father was portrayed, other members of his family, in his opinion, were right on target.

"Reese Witherspoon as June Carter-Cash was outstanding! She had June's personality down-pat. She was wonderful!

"I suppose that's why she won an Oscar for that performance!"

* Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

Tommy Cash

This weekend on "Bernard Brule Les Ondes!" (BBLO!): an interview with Tommy Cash (Johnny's brother).
The show starts Saturday night at 12 midnight AST.
Listen to it live on FM or online:http://public.bellaliant.net/asx/CKUM.asx

What are you drinking this summer?

[Photo:© Bernard C. Cormier 2010]

Officially, it will not be here for almost a month but its seasonal temperature has already struck our region.

That means it's a good time to invite friends over to, like many locals would say in chiac, "timer" (pronounced "time-é": party, drink).

If you're going to entertain people in such a manner, you probably need to be prepared to provide them with something to wet their throats. For such occasions, a person must be mindful of who's coming over to keep you company and if any liquid consumption exceptions exist for them.

The first step in planning is at the grass roots level of your inner circle of friends.

According to Saint John-based sommelier and freelance writer Craig Pinhey, that fundamental fact's a no-brainer.

"You know how it is: you hang out with people of liked interests, right? It's very rare for somebody to be coming to my place that doesn't drink wine or beer. It's just like I don't have any smoking friends, really. It's rare to a few," he says.

"People who are interested in food are not going to come (to my residence) and eat Kraft Dinner, right? I wouldn't invite people for a potluck supper who only know how to make hot dog casserole, you know. That's not snobby, it's just, like I said, liked interests."

Pinhey says that he would likely not serve pop to guests. Instead, if necessary, he would serve water.

Moncton resident Marty Gautreau shares a similar point of view on the topic, especially concerning guests that don't consume alcoholic beverages.

"(If they don't drink alcohol), they're not (one) of your guests!," Gautreau says with a laugh and adding in French, "You're asking the wrong question to the wrong people!"

However, Pinhey takes his views towards gatherings a few steps further than Gautreau.

"I don't believe in pop," Pinhey says. "I just think it's the discourage of North America. I just think that pop is the reason for obesity in this country, especially when people allow their kids to drink it. Pop is just sugar. All pop is. You can use sugar-free pop and it will just taste sweet. It doesn't really bring a lot to the party in my opinion."

Although Pinhey doesn't encourage pop to anyone, he does, upon occasion, use it as an ingredient for some drinks.

"I usually keep Coke around for rum and coke but I would use way less (Coke) than most people! You hardly need any in that! It needs a lot of lime and then, you know, probably like half as much as what you see most people use when they're making rum and coke."

Besides pop, there is another drink Pinhey would not serve to guests: coolers.

"I wouldn't drink them and the reason (why) is (that) they're just sugar bombs. They're basically pop with alcohol in them and artificial colouring and flavour, you know. I just don't have time for that," he said. "I don't consider that a valid source of enjoyment for an alcoholic beverage. It has no purpose in my life ... (Coolers) are marketed heavily towards young people and women. Coolers are so sugary that you don't even taste alcohol in them. They're deceptive. You have to be careful with them, very dangerous!"

Tammy Brideau-Lirette, a sommelier and product advisor with NB Liquor, says that the possibility of weight gain due to alcohol consumption likely occurs when physical activities and exercise are reduced.

"Coolers are full of sugar and beers are full of yeast and all of that bloating stuff," she says. "These days, young people don't do as much exercise as they probably should with all of the video games, Internet, and all that. It's a big possibility that with all of that stuff, (weight) is accumulating.

"Exercise (with) moderate (alcohol) consumption. Be responsible."

She adds that it's very important to have some non-alcoholic drinks on hand in case some of your guests cannot drink liquor for medical reasons, like pregnant women.

Gautreau is experienced with hosting social gatherings. In the summer months, he's usually hosting such gatherings at an average of one per week. The drinks he serves and the structure of his gatherings are tailored for warm weather. In his opinion, the ideal summer gatherings are those focused on barbeques.

"Barbecue. Friday night. Suppertime. Have a few guests over, a little steak, and a little Corona followed by poker, you know," he says.

Pinhey, Gautreau, and Brideau-Lirette all have different recommendations for the perfect and appropriate alcoholic drinks.

Gautreau's recommendations for alcoholic drinks this summer are Coronas and "Blue Margaritas." He says that guests will likely accept the offer when it's a Blue Margarita.

"Everybody wants a Blue Margarita! It's like the Flaming Moe!" he says referring to a drink featured in an episode of The Simpsons. He also recommends bartending how-to books like "The Complete Bartender" by Robyn M. Feller.

Pinhey recommends classic cocktails like gin and tonic.

"They're simple to make. You can't beat gin and tonic in the summer!

"For me, in the summertime, my drinking changes a lot. I hardly drink any red wine. I drink a lot of light, refreshing white wine then I drink a lot of low alcohol white wines. Wines that are 10, 11, 12 (per cent) instead of 13, 14, and a lot of dry rosé wines. In the winter, it's not uncommon for me to get strong ale or Belgians strong beers. You kind of get a craving for them sometimes, like winter warmers. In the summer, I drink mostly pale ales and good quality lagers... and more cocktails.

"You definitely change your drinking habits when the weather gets warmer. No question about it."

Brideau-Lirette emphasizes the importance of being ready for any unexpected issues related to when your guests consume.

"If I have a group of people, I always try to have a little bit of everything to please everybody. I'll have a little bit of wine. I'll have a bit of a few import beers (and some) rosés.

"It's always nice to have people try something new."

Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer, and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. He can be reached at: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

Blowing The Pipes and Banging The Drums

For numerous years, the Moncton-based Codiac RCMP Pipes and Drums Band has entertained audiences.

The local group, which was the first of seven presently in the nation, has an origin that can be traced back to the early 1990s, years before the Moncton Police Force was decommissioned in favor of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“It was the Centennial Anniversary of the City of Moncton”, reflects Pat Fox. A retired member of the RCMP and former member of the Moncton Police Force, she’s the group’s Quartermaster. “Back then, (the Chief), with the Moncton Police Force, decided that we should have a pipe band in Moncton. I remember the memo that came out. The Chief was looking for anybody that wanted to learn how to play bagpipes!”

As time progressed and the group’s reputation solidified, the band’s playing brought it to places well beyond the city limits.

In the opinion of Art Cormier, former member of the Pipe Band, inclusion in the band opens the doors to life experiences and adventures that most people don’t have the pleasure of having.

One of the highlights he had was one involving royalty.

“In order to have your kilt put in your name like the RCMP, you have to have royal decent. In our case, it was Princess Anne in Fredericton. So we went there and played for her. We also had meals with her. It was so exclusive that the only ones that were allowed in there was the band and her security, which she had five or six (people). So it was nice getting pictures of her. I got pictures of her with my daughter. She was very normal. I had thought that maybe she would be much more different because she’s royalty. Even the press was not allowed inside that room. The thing I really noticed that I thought was kind of interesting was that I would take a picture of her and a member of her security team would be taking a picture of me!”

Wayne Beattie, Band Manager, concurs with Cormier on the issue of travel and experiences.

“We perform at probably anywhere between thirty and forty events per year, including RCMP functions such as police memorials, ceremonies. We do parades, such as the “Gold Cup and Saucer” in PEI in conglomeration with the composite band of RCMP Nova Scotia from Halifax. We also have members who have attended events in England when George The RCMP Horse was presented to Her Majesty The Queen. Scott Murray, our Pipe Major, was honored to go with a composite band from the RCMP.”

“It’s a great opportunity to travel,” Beattie continues. “We travel all over the country. We’ve been to Ottawa. Some of our members have been down to Las Vegas. There’s lots of opportunity this year, there’s lots of opportunity coming up.”

Although the group’s affiliated with policing, members of the general public who are basic civilians can participate as members. With membership numbers currently in the early-twenties, the Codiac RCMP Pipes and Drums are in need of new members.

“Our main objective is to draw people to come out, perform in our band, be part of it, and be proud of what we do,” says Beattie. “As Band Manager, that’s my plea to put out to anyone who is interested!”

Membership to the group is open to people of all walks of life and demographics, even children. However, potential members must pass an RCMP criminal record check and be able to afford some of the necessary cost, like those related to some of the equipment.

In the case of Cormier, who had twice of the expenses as most other members due to the enrolment of his then-adolescent daughter, he was lucky not to worry about such costs.

“At that time, I was working (for a company), doing a lot of detailing, and I had this gentleman who was a very nice customer of mine. He was a little bit older, maybe in his 80s. He used to be at my shop every week getting his car washed. We became friends over the years and always talked. (One day he asked) “Art, What’s new?”. I said, “Geez, funny you should ask. I just joined the RCMP Pipe Band.”

Cormier proceeded to tell his regular customer about wanting to be a father participating in regular bonding activities with his daughter. His customer was touched by Cormier’s approach at parenting and told him to remind him of his conversation when he’d return later in the day to pay for his car wash.

Upon his return, the customer asked about the cost of the kilts. Cormier told him that they each had a price tag of $1,100. The customer proceeded to write him a cheque for $2,200. The generous customer told Cormier “I’m paying for it (but) they’re your kilts. You get to keep your kilts! You don’t owe me anything! The only thing I want in return is that you send me a list by e-mail letting me know of all of the gigs when you’re going to play because I really want to watch and enjoy them.”

“That was always a big memory before I got in the band”, Cormier says.

Occasionally, being a member of the RCMP Pipes and Drums Band can lead to strangely comedic situations, as Cormier remembers.

”We used to play for the Air Force Vets in Moncton for Remembrance Day. (One year) we went there and played for them. I remember one of the guys went up to the bar while I was sitting down at the table having a drink. There was a senior citizen, a woman (at the bar). She was probably in her 80s. As he was standing there, I saw her head tilting and tilting. I guess what she was trying to figure out the big question, you know, “Do you wear anything under the kilt?” She was trying everything to see. I remember her trying to sort of flick his kilt, trying to see if he was wearing something! That was quite funny!”

As for that popular question the old lady was trying to solve, Cormier provides an interesting answer: “The only way to know is for (a person) to actually join the band!”

Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. He can be reached at: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

No BBLO! Tonight; It'll Return Next Week

My radio program, "Bernard Brule Les Ondes!", will return next weekend.

The Man In Black

Johnny Cash entertained generations of music lovers with his vast catalogue of recordings and television programs.

Although mostly identified as a country music singer, he was also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

His impact on late-20th century and early-21st century popular culture is too significant and detailed to be summarized in a few lines.

The man in black passed away in 2003 but left behind thousands of fans, many of whom wish they had the chance to see him perform live.

For those fans, "The Man In Black" tribute show, starring Shawn Barker, aims to keep Cash's music alive on stage.

Originally, Barker, a 37-year-old actor/musician from St. Louis, Missouri, began in the tribute circuit performing as Cash's Sun Records label mate Elvis Presley. After a few years of performing as Elvis, Barker went to Hollywood to audition for a part as Presley in the play "The Million Dollar Quartet," which was set in the early days of the pioneering rock and roll record label. Instead, he got the part of Cash and has been performing as him ever since.

"I started out singing my own music and in cover bands," he says. "I kind of accidentally got into the tribute side of it and was doing Elvis tributes for a few years. That's how I got contacted for the play in Hollywood."

"It was a casting agent for the play who knew that I did Elvis and asked me to audition for (it). I originally auditioned for the part of Elvis (but) was cast as Johnny Cash in the play.

"For about a year, I was going back and forth to Hollywood working on the play. I called Kurt Brown, who's my manager now, and kind of asked him if he had any work for a tribute, maybe doing Johnny Cash, and told him what I was doing. I sent him a couple of tracks of me singing and stuff. He put me in a show he had that was multiple tribute artists doing different country singers. We came out, filmed it, and sent the film out. The whole thing just kind of snowballed from there."

Now a seasoned Cash tribute artist with six years worth of performances under his belt, Barker's stage presence continues to attract an increasing fanbase. This is especially true in Quebec.

"It's been great up there, you know. It's funny how we've done really well in the States but, for some reason, in Quebec the Johnny Cash show just went huge! It just blew-up huge!," he says with a level of excitement and awe easily transmitting over the phone.

"Last year, we did the summer (in Quebec) and we sold over 60,000 tickets. It went beyond just being a Cash tribute. Me, myself, (I) went over huge. I just did one of their big sitcom TV shows where I played "Shawn Barker"! That was my part -- me as a person and as a recording artist."

The television program Barker will appear in is L'Auberge du chien noir (2003-present). It's broadcast on SRC.

"That episode, as far as I know, won't air until October 4," Shawn says.

"I'm actually, I think, the only English-speaking character they've ever had on the show in all these years (that) it's been on!," he adds with a chuckle.

Barker is tri-lingual: he knows English, German, and French.

As a person who's always interested in self-improvement, he used his time in Quebec to improve his knowledge of the French language.

"If you don't use it, you forget it! It's like over the summer, I was getting really good at my French. I was picking up quite a bit and I spent most of my time just immersed in (French in Quebec City).

I made friends and spent my time with people who were French. I spoke French.

"After we closed in Quebec City, I lived in Montreal for three weeks, with people who were only French-speaking. I learned quite a bit but I've been gone for a year. I forgot a lot of it already!"

Despite being a tribute to Cash, "The Man In Black Show" is not affiliated with the late singer's estate or business entities.

"People from the estate, the attorneys from the Johnny Cash estate, did come to Quebec and (saw) the show. (They) enjoyed it, you know, they really enjoyed it. So, they know I'm out there and that I'm doing it. As far as like a partnership with the Cash estate, no, we don't have anything like that," he says.

Barker says people attending "The Man In Black" can expect representation from all eras of Cash's career and repertoire.

"The band is four musicians, two female back-up singers and then myself," he says.

"So, there are seven of us onstage altogether and we go through Johnny Cash's career as much as we possibly can in the two hours that we're onstage. From the stuff he did at Sun Records, Memphis, Tennessee, in the very beginning of his career, all the way up to touching base with the stuff he did before he passed away with Rick Ruben and the American Records.

"We don't really stick with one period. Like I said, we go from everything, from the '50s (onwards). We do the stuff from Folsom Prison, stuff from his TV show, all the way (upwards).

"We had a meeting. We sat and tried to pick out the songs that would best represent Johnny Cash's career. Being a fan, I pretty much knew most of the stuff already but there was stuff that I hadn't heard -- the guy recorded over 1,500 songs!"

Barker usually ends his Cash tribute with the song "Hurt," a track originally performed in the 1990s by Nine Inch Nails, years before the elder singer publicly adopted it as his own. As a fan of all sorts of rock music, Barker sometimes feels tempted to perform with a slight NIN slant.

"I actually break character on that. I want to kind of cut loose with it a little bit!" he says, laughing.

With a "non-Cash" CD due to be released during the upcoming summer months, Barker hopes his Cash performances will spin off into success for "Shawn Barker."

"That's what we're hoping for! That's what we've always hoped for! We've always tried to put my name up front. It's not different than Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash (in the 2005 movie Walk The Line). That was just one part that he played in his career and that's kind of what it is for me.

"It's just one part of a bigger thing that I do: acting, singing, and (playing) music."

* Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

Melissa Auf der Maur (Madm)

Tonight (technically tomorrow) on "Bernard Brule Les Ondes!": an exclusive interview with Melissa Auf der Maur (ex-Hole, Smashing Pumpkins): http://public.bellaliant.net/asx/CKUM.asx

The show starts at 12 midnight AST (Toronto + 1 hour).

Enjoy Free Comics Today

(Photo: © Bernard C. Cormier 2010)

May 1 will be the 9th Annual Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) at comic book specialty stores around the world that have accounts with Diamond Comic Distributors. It happens during the first Saturday, each May. As one would expect, the event results in physical movement patterns among comic fans that are similar to that of a university freshman year pub-crawl in which participants get plastered for free.

You get the picture.

Whether you "get" it or not, you'll be able to get free comics, especially printed for the event, at most comic book stores on that day, providing that the establishment you visit is participating.

FCBD is the result of North America's comic book industry attempt to profitably rebuild itself in the late-1990s and attract new clients while keeping the ones it already had. Much to their good fortune, the modern era of comic book based movies began during the same era, which resulted in a strengthening of the industry due to the publicity that the films generated. The idea of FCBD is credited to Joe Field, owner of a Concord, California comic book store.

"Actually, the idea was the answer to a deadline!" chuckles Mr. Field from his store during a telephone interview.

"I had a column when I was writing in (Comics & Games Retailer) from a retailer's perspective. I had proposed something like a Free Comic Book Day about five years earlier but it wasn't as fleshed out or as easy a concept to deal with. So, when I sat down to write my column that month and was really short of searching for ideas, and looked outside and saw that there was a line outside of my store going next door to the ice cream store for "Free Scoop Day," I thought 'you know, if they can do that for ice cream, we can certainly do it for comics!' So, I put the whole thing together, put the column together. At the same time my column was published, industry reaction to (FCBD) was published. We were able to build up steam from there! So, yeah, (the idea) came from me as a retailer."

"When he suggested (FCBD), (he was) likening it to Baskin Robins' Free Scoop Night," recalls Brent Frankenhoff, editor of Comics Buyer's Guide. "He made the suggestion and it took about a year, maybe even two, to get all of the mechanisms in place, to get Diamond onboard to help, and to get (an advisory) panel together."

The first FCBD occurred in 2002 during the first Saturday of May, thus enabling it to piggyback on the publicity of the first Spider-Man movie, which was theatrically released on the same weekend. Nearly every FCBD has been coordinated to happen during the opening weekend of comic book-based movies. That's not the case in 2010. However, the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" will be released to theatres the previous day making it an "un-official" tie-in movie of the event.

The "Free" in Free Comic Book Day comes from the free comics that are given to people who visit participating comic book stores. Publishers usually use the occasion to print one-shots that promote either all of a given company's output or a specific series or crossover event. Although the comics come with a $0 cover price, retailers need to buy them. Many see the related wholesale expense as a cost of doing business and give the comics away until they're gone in a "first come, first served" manner others do not and opt to limit quantities that customers can receive.

"It's sort of a nice barometer to see where the (comic) industry's at, to see who's putting out what," says Paul Kaminski, an associate editor at Archie Comics who's responsible for Sonic The Hedgehog comics and was involved in the creation of Archie's first homosexual character, Kevin Keller, including this year's FCBD featuring the character. "The only Archie comics I owned prior to working there was from FCBD!," he confesses. Nothing in life is black or white, and that's true with FCBD, which has its own share of controversies. American graphic novelist and comic book enthusiast Jeffrey Brown sees FCBD from multiple angles.

"I'm always a little disappointed that a lot of the comics seem to be for kids and/or it's stuff that's not original, like it's just excerpts from somewhere or reprints. I always liked the idea that it would be something, you know, totally new and I know some publishers do that!

"This year, (FCBD) has a Fraggle Rock/Mouse Guard free comic that (has) all new stuff but that's related to my own personal benefit. So, maybe I shouldn't complain," says Brown as he refers to a comic he contributed to. "One thing I've seen more in the past couple of years has been fathers coming in with their kids, both boys and girls, which I think is interesting because a lot of times these are people that don't read comics as much anymore but they finally have a way to introduce their kids to comics."

Don Mann, Comic Book Accounts Manager at Gamezilla in Moncton, sees it in different ways, too.

"I don't think that it reached its full potential. I don't know if it's ever going to. We found that it does bring in readers but there's a lot of preaching to the choir," he says referring to those who are already regular readers.

Due to its original objective to increase sales and attract new customers for both the publishers and the participating comic book specialty stores, FCBD could be seen as analogous to a gateway activity to a shopping addiction of comics and related products. It could be said that the soap opera-esque nature of serialized superhero comics, like those of Marvel and DC, likely leads to spending of thousands of dollar over the span of a person's lifetime.

Kaminski agrees, "FCBD is so important because it gets you started."

Field objects to that analogy.

"Is someone overspending if they go to the golf course every weekend when it costs $100 for green fees? No. I haven't seen anybody who needs a 12-step program for comics."

Fellow retailer Mann sees things a bit differently.

"It's like 'here's your free sample' and hopefully they'll come back and spend some money later! That analogy is not completely false but I don't think that reading a comic is as destructive as getting your first (drugs) for free to come back and (get more)!"

Mann has witnessed some customers going through their mid-life crisis by buying comics. Along with other staff members, like store manager Craig MacArthur, he has to "manage" the customers in question.

"If (retailers) got people coming in because they're having their mid-life crisis, which usually means getting into something they enjoyed when they were a kid, like comics, (retailers have) got to make sure that they don't overstep (their budget) and, all of a sudden, it's not fun for them!"

Free Comic Book Day will take place tomorrow. Visit www.freecomicbookday.com to find a list of participating retailers.

Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer, broadcaster and graphic novel critic. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. http://bernardccormier.blogspot.com. He can be reached at: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

Jesse Cook: at Work and Play

Jesse Cook: at Work and Play

by Bernard C. Cormier

This weekend, internationally renowned musician Jesse Cook will return to Moncton for two shows at the Capitol Theatre.

"For quite a long time, we've had a really nice reaction in Moncton and it's always fun to do shows there", said Cook, who gained fame as a flamenco guitarist on (mostly) instrumental recordings usually found in World Music and New Age sections of music stores.

"There's really kind of a...I don't know if it's that French/English-thing because we get the same kind of reaction in Montreal. I find that, early on, people in Montreal had that connection to the music, which was really exciting to us as performers.

"Since it has happened in Moncton as well, I've sort of contributed it to cities where there are two languages in "full flower," you know, in the same place and somehow those people are used to cultural cross-pollination. That kind of music that pollinates two different styles of music together and sees what kind of fruit you bear. It's been good."

Although he initially captured the attention of his fans with what's usually classified as "Nuevo Flamenco," his recordings have evolved to include elements of other musical styles. That approach was consciously put in a metaphorical spotlight for his most recent album, The Rumba Foundation (2009).

The album, his eighth studio recording, is a concept album due to its experimental approach of merging specific types of world music into a sonic hybrid. It was recorded in Colombia with musicians originating from countries as diverse as Cuba, Brazil, and the United States.

The album received a warm welcome from fans. So welcoming, his band and an ensemble of guest musicians performed for 70,000 people at the Montréal Jazz Festival. Much of the performance was edited into a DVD, also titled The Rumba Foundation (2010), which intercuts it with footage documenting the album's production and other visuals.

"There were a lot of people, coming on and off stage for different songs and, honestly, there were times when I felt more like a ringmaster. I was trying to keep in my head "What are we doing? What comes next? Who do I introduce? What key is it in?...you know, that sort of thing. It seemed like there were a million things I was trying to keep straight in my mind!"

His own background is as uniquely cultured and diverse as the music he makes.

Born in Paris, Jesse moved to Canada as a child with his sister and television producer mother when his parents divorced. His father was photographer and filmmaker John Cook (1935-2001). Although a Canadian, his father adopted Europe as his home. He directed four feature length films: Ich schaff's einfach nimmer (1973), Langsamer Sommer (co-directed; 1976), Schwitzkasten (Clinch; 1978), and Artischocke (1982).

"I was never on his film sets," Jesse says. "My sister did (go on them). She went and spent a summer working as an assistant on one of his films. My mom was a television producer. As kids, we spent just days and days and days in the editing room where, after school, we'd hang out while she finished editing or something and then we'd go home with her."

"There's lots of artists in my family but my sister's a lawyer, actually," Jesse says. "I have a lot of friends who, when they told their parents (that) they were going to become musicians, their parents were disapproving and didn't support them in their decision. My family is the opposite. We've got a bunch of artsy-fartsies and when my sister told my dad she was going to be a lawyer, he said "Oh, that's pathetic! That's so pretty bourgeois!," he recalls, laughing.

"That seemed strange to me. I think most parents would be so proud that their daughter would become a lawyer, you know. Only my crazy, artsy family...

"My cousin was a ballet dancer with the National Ballet of Canada. My uncle is an artist and his work is in the National Gallery in Ottawa and he won the Governor General Award, so there are lots of artists in the family! As a kid growing up, it was really inspiring to be in the milieu."

It should come as no surprise that his creative urges extend beyond music.

"In recent years, I've become enamored with photography," he says. "My dad was a photographer; my uncle, for a period, was a photographer; my sister at UofT was photo editor of the school paper. There's certainly a lot of interest in cameras and photography in the family.

"I always avoided it, like the plague, because I thought that area was too covered! There are too many good photographers around and they're just going to be judging my work if I pick up a camera.

"I never did until a few years ago. My dad had passed away, my sister had become a lawyer, my uncle was no longer doing photography, and suddenly it seemed like the field had opened. I bought a DSLR and started taking pictures. I really enjoy it!

"When you're travelling around the world, there comes a point when you've been travelling so long that you stop looking out the window! You forget just how fantastic an experience like travel can be because you're doing it all the time. Photography gave me a reason to do that -- to look out the window, to go out of my hotel when I would arrive somewhere I've never been and take pictures.

"I enjoy the fact that I don't have to make a living from it. It allows me to really just do it for the love of it and not feel in any way obligated to go out and shoot (photos of things)."

While in Moncton, he'll be mixing business, pleasure...and family.

His wife, a dancer, is also touring with him and accompanying them are their children. An absence of shows for two days between the Fredericton stop (Tuesday) and the first date in Moncton (tonight) will create a sort of family vacation.

"Yeah, on our time off, we're going to actually go down to Fundy National Park and (his wife) got a whole bunch of things that she wants to do. I think that she wants to go to the Train Museum and Magnetic Hill and all of that stuff!" he says with a burst of laughter.

"We're going to bring the kids and have a bit of a camp-out!"

* Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

My 2009 Article About Dave Gibbons

More than 20 years have passed since the comics maxi-series Watchmencame to its conclusion, and, March 6, a long-awaited and anticipated film adaptation will open in movie theaters around the world.

Hype for the film has been steadily building since its trailer was first shown in the summer of 2008. As expected, the film’s hype has spilled onto other Watchmen products that are simultaneously cross-promoted. DC has released a new hardcover edition of the collected series and, in December, began reprinting the entire story as it was originally presented: a monthly comic series.

Meanwhile, Titan Books has released Watchmenillustrator Dave Gibbons’ Watching The Watchmen, a “behind-the-scenes” book focusing on the series he co-created with Alan Moore. Despite being a professional involved in the comics industry for more than 30 years, one of Gibbons’ best-known projects remainsWatchmen. As expected, it’s a double-edged sword, he said. “I’ve worked in comics for a long, long time and I’ve had all kinds of prophecies. Some of which have been very successful; some of which haven’t been very successful; some of which I’ve really enjoyed doing and others I haven’t enjoyed doing so much, you know? It’s always been my ambition to work in comics, so as long as I’m doing something in comics, I sort of take the ups and the downs and the rough and the smooth. Certainly, I mean, I think that many people would love to have something that’s as successful as Watchmen that they could talk about. I’m sure that when … in the very far day when my obituary is written, the word ‘Watchmen’ is bound to be in at least the first three lines of it, and I’m quite resigned to that fact.”

The current interest in Watchmen from the mainstream press, along with perpetual attention from those focused on the comics industry, might annoy many artists who have a stand-out piece of work in their repertoire but who have produced many other meritorious projects. Gibbons is not like many artists. He said, “As long as people are interested in it, I’m quite happy to talk about it, I think. I have done so much press, but people seem to keep coming up with new and interesting questions that I can give new and interesting answers to. Watchmen’s always been very good to me, and I’m really pleased that I had a hand in something that’s just become such a successful thing and that so many people had pleasure out of.”

According to Gibbons, a Bob Dylan song may have inspired the whole Watchmen story. “The kind of spark of the first issue of Watchmen — and, arguably, the whole thing — was a track called ‘Desolation Row,’ which I first heard when I was very, very young. I can vividly remember going to a friend’s house and borrowing the vinyl album [Highway 61 Revisited] from his older brother and taking it home and playing ‘Desolation Row’ over and over again and being, you know, intrigued and thrilled by the verse which says, ‘At midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew.’

“Alan and I talked quite a lot about music when we were doing it. We had these well-rounded conversations and talked about everything from comics to, you know, vague childhood memories to pieces of music to what we were watching on TV or whatever, and sometimes a song would come up and seem absolutely appropriate as a chapter title. The pieces of music inWatchmen were really just used as the inspiration for chapter titles.”

The songwriters of the lyrics used within the series were paid for the use of their work, as documented on the credits page of the collected editions. Gibbons added, “We did get clearances from them. DC wouldn’t have been happy using the credits otherwise. I think some of them asked for rather more money than others, and, interestingly enough, the more well-known ones were not the ones who asked for the most money. I don’t know the precise details but I know that, quite surprisingly as it might seem, Bob Dylan’s people were very happy to have his lyrics used, and his track ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ ’ actually features very strongly at the beginning of the Watchmen movie. My understanding is that ‘his Bobness’ is pleased to have it in there because he’s a big fan of, I think, comics in general andWatchmen in particular — which is something that gives me an incredible thrill, because I’m an incredibly huge fan of his.”

The more “mature” feel of modern mainstream super-hero comics is generally traced to Watchmen and similar titles from the ’80s. Gibbons said that creating such an impact through influence was not the goal of the project. “I think all comics are influenced by what’s come before. Watchmenitself is heavily influenced by Harvey Kurtzman and Will Eisner and Steve Ditko. The real downside of what happened post-Watchmen was that we were showing another flavor of super-hero comic books, not ‘the only flavor’ or ‘the future of super-hero comic books.’ I mean, it’s tedious that lots of people jumped on that bandwagon and came up with these, you know,Watchmen-type examinations of super-heroes or tried to make them seem real in the way we had. I mean, certainly, if we had done another super-hero title, it would not have been a grim and dirty thing; it would probably have been a light and fluffy thing, you know? I think maybe if what we did had a bad influence there, it wasn’t anything we ever intended. I suppose we like the idea of variety in comics. I think it’s good that there are ‘mature readers’ comics and I think it’s good there are comics for less mature readers. I just think there should be, in any mature medium, work that appeals to a wide spectrum of people and deals with a wide spectrum of subject matter.”

Since big-budget science-fiction action movies usually generate enough profit to justify the existence of a sequel, logic signals that a second Watchmenmovie might be made. Gibbons does not support the idea: “I’m not interested in a sequel at all, in comic-book terms or in movie terms. Watchmen is not just an ‘adventure’ of a bunch of characters. It is a story. Yeah, I guess you could do a sequel to anything. They eventually made a sequel to Gone with the Wind, which seemed pretty complete as it was. I don’t know how it did commercially, but, artistically, it seemed like a slightly dubious enterprise. I certainly would look upon any attempt to do that with Watchmen as being, artistically, very dubious and I certainly wouldn’t have any interest at all in taking part in that.

“And I think it goes without saying that Alan definitely wouldn’t.”

Bernard C. Cormier is a broadcaster and member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. Visit his webpage atwww.myspace.com/bernardccormier or e-mail him at Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com.

Gary Fjellgaard Visits Metro

Juno Award-winner and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member Gary Fjellgaard's takes the stage at the Riverview Arts Centre this Saturday.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Times & Transcript

Country musician Gary Fjellgaard takes the Riverview Arts Centre stage Saturday night.

As a veteran musician with a music career spanning four decades, he has extensively toured most regions of Canada, including southeastern New Brunswick.

"I've travelled through (New Brunswick) before in different configurations," the British Columbia native says. "I remember years ago, I came through with, I think it was Ronnie Prophet and also, I toured once with Ian Tyson. I've been back for different festivals and whatnot, too. Last year, I was back for the Maritime Acoustic Music Festival. I'm actually coming back again this summer for that same festival."

In recent years, his tours include the musical team of Darrel Delaronde and Saskia as the regular opening act, and they will join him for the Riverview show.

"(Saskia and Darrel) are leaving Saskatchewan right now (March 8th) and I'll fly out on the 16th to Halifax and then we'll do a series of dates. We'll actually end up in Ottawa. I'll fly home from there," he said in a recent interview. "We've got some dates in Alberta and Saskatchewan, then we're off to Europe for a month. So, we're getting around."

The inclusion of his opening act is no coincidence.

"(Our association) started out when Saskia took a Christmas project for food banks in a certain section, area of British Columbia," Gary says. "She got (musician) Valdy and I involved. So, we contributed some songs for a Christmas CD and then, slowly, one thing led to another. Then we did a couple of concerts together. I thought (it worked out pretty good). So, the deal was (that) she started booking me and they would book themselves as an opening act.

"That's the trade-off sort of thing. It makes my life a lot easier in that they do all of the legwork. So, it works really well. It sort of evolved, too, because I'd be backstage (while) they'd be onstage doing their thing. I learned a few of their songs just sitting backstage and then (I'd) wander out with a mandolin or something. Pretty soon we'd do these songs together. Now they join me in some of my sets and I join them in some of theirs."

As he put it, "It works out pretty good."

As anyone would expect, life as a touring musician has changed over the years.

"I think that we travel around now in a little bit more style, I guess," Gary says before being temporarily overcome by laughter.

"Instead of travelling in the old Chevy van, now we're out in the motor home. (We) fly to a lot of dates now, too. It's very interesting ... immediately backtracking, I just did Yellowknife with my friend Valdy. How often do I get a chance to go up to Yellowknife? Not very often.

So, I got up there and now I get a chance to do the Maritimes and, last year, (to) Europe and travel all over. It's very exciting, especially after 40 years in the business. (It's) still exciting."

While in New Brunswick, Gary will be sure to make time for a few old friends.

"We got to know (Ivan and Vivian Hicks) last year," he says. "We actually did two house concerts at their place as we were travelling through. We got to know them really well. It's always nice to visit people like that, and I know a lot of people, a lot of people from the Maritimes, a lot of entertainers."

As for Gary's last name, "My father was from Norway. He died when I was just a baby. He was the only one in the family that ever came over (to Canada)."

Over time, Gary discovered that he had numerous things in common with his father, including his love for music.

"I didn't really know anyone in my family on my father's side and, 45 years later, went (to Norway) for a visit. So, I saw all these people. I looked like them and they looked like me. It was really weird! I didn't know, of course, but (my father) played classical music on violin. He conducted choirs."

Like father, like son.

* Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster.www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. He can be reached at: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com

It's time to think about RRSPs

Some people love number crunching and abstract intangible financial things with such acronyms as GIC and CCA.

Other people are not particularly interested in having anything to do with them.

For those who classify themselves among the latter group, it is still wise be open-minded towards some of those intangibles, especially the ones known as Registered Retirement Savings Plans.

The RRSP is a tax-free financial plan, registered with the federal government. Its existence is to enable us to save money more easily for our eventual retirement through contributions to the plan. The plan is not a specific type of investment. It's a method of holding various types of qualifying investments that include stocks, mutual funds, bonds, guaranteed investment certificates, and others.

"People are allowed to make contributions on a yearly basis through various registered organizations or on a self-directed basis", says Ernest J. Boudreau, a partner in the Moncton accounting firm Boudreau Porter Hétu.

"The contributions are made based on the level of income (the contributors) earned the year before," he says.

The maximum contribution for 2009 is 18 per cent of the previous year's income, to a maximum of $21,000.

According to Boudreau, "The contributions that are made are tax-free. So, in other words, when you make a contribution, you're allowed to deduct this contribution from your income on a year-to-year basis. You're able to defer the tax until you retire and then you withdraw the tax from there. You pay taxes at that time."

The maximum amount for contributions will rise to $22,000 for 2010.

"The reason that the government puts a cap on (the annual contributions) is that that sort of income, that amount of money that you're putting into your RRSP is not taxable," Boudreau says. "The government is not receiving the tax on that money. They don't want people to put any extra than that amount of money because they would be losing that tax revenue."

In most cases, people invest in RRSPs at regular intervals with a periodically fluctuating interest added to the principal. As such, the investment is a compound-interest annuity.

Something important to think about when planning to retire, regardless of when or how far into the future retirement might be, is how much money you want to have. Once that is determined, it will be easier for you to decide on where and what to invest into RRSPs.

As an example, let's say that Mr. Investor would like to have an RRSP worth $2,000,000 when he retires at age 65. Today is his 30th birthday, which means that his 65th is 420 months away. He's thinking of entering into an investment that pays 15 per cent interest. With all of that information, he or his financial advisor can calculate how much money he needs to invest per month in order to reach his goal.

This basic formula is useful in helping to filter through the different investment options available to investors.

"Either you're contributing to an RRSP that's being administered by someone, a bank, a trust, or qualified professionals or insurance company, to whom you pay a fee," Boudreau says, "or there's a self-directed RRSP. In other words, you decide; you direct the RRSP plan yourself. You decide where you want the money to be invested in the stock market, mutual funds, or interest directed by yourself without the help of a third party.

"As amounts grow in your self-directed RRSP, it could be useful to seek the help of professionals who have tools to research various investment markets; this could increase your potential returns on investments."

Like with anything else, Boudreau says that investors can mishandle things and make common mistakes.

"(If) you invest in something (and) you lose the money that's in your RRSP, certainly you're out the money. So, the mistake is not being able to manage the money correctly and efficiently to get a good rate of return."

As the population lives longer, many of past social norms are changing. One of those changes is the fact that many people are working past the traditional retirement age of 65.

You cannot, however, buy RRSPs past the age of 71. People who have reached that age must also remove or transfer what they have previously invested.

"At 71, you have to transfer your RRSPs to a registered retirement income fund (RRIF), annuities, or start taking them out in an orderly fashion, so that, essentially, you use the money for your retirement rather than keep deferring it over certain years," Boudreau explains.

"The government is probably worried about the fact that, when people arrive at these types of ages, that they probably need that money and that they shouldn't be worrying about being on social assistance and things of that nature. Certainly (the government) would be looking to the fact that the taxes were deferred and that now's the time when you need the money. You should be using it in an orderly fashion."

To maximize future benefits of RRSPs, Boudreau suggests the following: "Over-contribute up to $2,000 in any one year to the RRSP and that amount of money will keep growing in your plan without having the deduction for it. However, the income on that extra $2,000 will not be taxed and it will make your retirement plan even higher."

Basically, the earlier people contribute to RRSPs, the better it will be for them.

Boudreau offers some final words of caution:

"It's always good to have a balanced approach to finances and to make sure that you don't build-up too many debts in other areas so that you can constructively contribute to RRSPs."

* Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com, © Bernard C. Cormier 2010

Unused Review: YEARBOOK STORIES: 1976-1978

(The following review was written to be published in the pages of Comics Buyer's Guide but never was.)

Yearbook Stories: 1976-1978

Top Shelf Productions

$4, b&w, 32 pgs., available now

Writer: Chris Staros; Artists: Bo Hampton, Rich Tommaso

Reviewed by Bernard C. Cormier ****

Yearbook Stories: 1976-1978 is a one-shot reprint comic collecting two autobiographical stories written by Top Shelf Productions co-publisher Chris Staros. The two stories are about some of his high school experiences between 1976 and 1978. Additionally and appropriately, the book contains photos of Staros taken during those formative years.

The first tale, “The Willful Death of a Stereotype”, is about how Staros ran for president of his high school. In the second one, “The “Worst” Gig I Ever Had”, Staros shares his experiences playing in a band at a private, dynamite filled, biker party in the middle of nowhere.

Although both stories are humorous, comedy is more central to the second one. As the reader discovers, its title is a bit of self-referring joke. In its punch line, anyone can easily determine that it was certainly not the “worst” gig scenario any protagonist could possibly have.

The stories were initially printed in the 2001 and 1999 editions of Small Press Expo Anthology, respectively.

This one-shot is certainly worth the time and money required to read it.

www.topshelfcomix.com

Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. http://www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. http://www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2008

Review of NEMI 3

Nemi 3

Titan Books

$14.95, color, 144 pgs.

Writer and Artist: Lise Myhre

Reviewed by Bernard C. Cormier **

Nemi, the cool gothic chick by Norwegian comic artist Lise Myhre (born: 1975), gets another English reprint collection from Titan Books.

Nemi 3 covers much of the same territory that was already explored in the previous two collections. Many of the strips are about Nemi hanging around with Cyan and her friends. Usually such activities take place at bars.

The title character’s sarcastic personality provides entertainment by escorting the punch lines to their expected outcomes. There’s nothing wrong with that except readers will likely know roughly where each strip will go after reading a few.

Some of the strips appear to fleshed-out longer stories taken from comics or magazines instead of newspapers. A good example to mention is a Christmas tale, “Monstrifer”, which takes place during Nemi’s childhood. It’s about her chance encounter with an abominable snowman.

The book has a few problems, which could be seen as minor to some but quite major to others. Those problems consist of the absence of the strips original publication dates.

In an overall way, Nemi 3 is a fine, entertaining book.

www.titanbooks.com

ISBN: 9781845766153

Bernard C. Cormier is, among other things, a freelance writer and broadcaster. http://www.myspace.com/bernardccormier. http://www.twitter.com/bernardccormier. E-mail: Bernardccormier-gncb@hotmail.com © Bernard C. Cormier 2010