The next civic election is still fifteen months away, but already the political landscape is caked with slung mud. The increasingly negative coverage of Vision Vancouver was punctuated this week with blogger Alex Tsakumis’ release of a purported media “hit-list”. According to Tsakumis, whose source remains anonymous, the list details members of Vancouver media that Vision has identified as problematic and targeted for smear campaigns.

“I know you have little children but they will one day become big children and smear campaigns by people with powerful, monied crazies can last a long time,” warned the source in a dramatic statement published on Tsakumis’ blog.

Over telephone, Tsakumis, a former 24 Hours columnist, claimed that his source is a Vision insider with exceptional credentials.

“I sat down, I looked at his material, I said: it’s not good enough for me to just see the material, I need to talk to you – I need to put you on tape.” According to Tsakumis, the leak initially declined but eventually decided that the story was too important; they completed a taped interview and Tsakumis ran the piece.

An anonymous source coming forward with damning information about the Mayor’s office has become a regular occurrence in Vancouver.

Listed as Vision enemy number one is Michael Klassen, editor of CityCaucus.com. Klassen has been at the centre of a spate of stories and leaked documents that have been bad news for Vancouver’s governing Vision party. Recent items of note are the leaked staff survey bemoaning the management style at City Hall; the exposure of no-bid, no-tender contracts; and the leaked claim that 15 iPads and iPhones are on order for the Mayor and City Council, despite the City’s financial woes.

Klassen and CityCaucus.com are the center of Vision opposition in local media, and have professional ties to the opposition NPA. CityCaucus co-founder Daniel Fontaine served as former NPA Mayor Sam Sullivan’s Chief of Staff, and Klassen did communications work for the Mayor’s office during that time. Both Klassen and Fontaine have tendrils extending deep into City Hall and consistently break leaked stories that the mainstream media can’t.

Or won’t.

In the case of the chic new Apple hardware supposedly ordered for Robertson and Co., Klassen admits that he published the claim before he was able to verify it. Still waiting for confirmation by way of a Freedom of Information request, CityCaucus.com chose to run the story, their headline reading, “15 iPads & iPhone 4 devices requested for Mayor & Council.”

“It was a tough call on that one,” admitted Klassen by email, “but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

In the case of the iPads, Klassen has chosen to risk his credibility, banking on the reliability of his disenfranchised sources inside City Hall. So far, the gambles have paid off, but they also hint at the dangerous game being played by Klassen and CityCaucus.

Other media have begun to home in on the dangers of leaked information and anonymous sources. The same day Tsakumis broke his “hit-list” story, The Vancouver Observer published a piece claiming that Klassen is manipulating local non-partisan journalists by feeding them falsified leaks. (Incidentally, the hapless journalist fingered as Klassen’s stooge is veteran Sun reporter Jeff Lee – number nine on the supposed “hit list”.) The article also alludes to patronage positions awarded to Klassen as a result of his relationship with former NPA Mayor Sam Sullivan, with an editorial promise of more info to come.

But if Klassen’s relationships are a matter of public interest, so are The Vancouver Observer’s. Ian Reid, author of the Klassen piece is a former Vision campaign manager, and The Observer’s Vision links don’t end there. Follow the money, as they say. Founder and publisher Linda Solomon is the sister of Joel Solomon, President and CEO of Renewal Partners, an organization that invests in and offers financial support to businesses they see as fostering positive social change. Renewal invested in Gregor Robertson’s Happy Planet Juice Company, and Joel Solomon and Renewal donated a combined $32,935.10 to Gregor Robertson’s 2008 mayoral campaign. Joel Solomon is a close personal friend of the Mayor’s, and many consider him to be one of the main drivers of Vision policy.

So far, that policy has been to deny the anonymous claims of iPads and hit-lists. Responding via email, Executive Assistant to the Mayor Kevin Quinlan wrote: “There’s no truth to either; there’s no ipad order and no mayor’s office hit list.”

Wendy Stewart, Acting Communications Director for the Mayor’s office makes the same claims: “Nothing is in the pipe and IT has not ordered anything that is being reported.”

Clearly, someone is lying.

According to Tsakumis, number two on the disputed list, the Mayor’s office has begun planting information to trap and fire unauthorized sources within the organization. “They’re trying to identify internal leaks at City Hall and their internal leaks in party to get rid of them. They’re setting traps throughout City Hall all the time. The atmosphere is toxic.”

Asked whether he was concerned his source may have been fed false information, Tsakumis was adamant: “If it were a plant they would NEVER risk something that could hurt them so badly and going sideways as it has. They would never take such a risk,” he wrote.

“Besides, I know this man well enough and he is as decent as he is forthright.”

With the recently-leaked survey of non-union City staff indicating a growing dissatisfaction with operations at City Hall, it’s likely that more leaks will come, and they’ll be published by way of CityCaucus.com and Alex Tsakumis. The Mayor’s office, meanwhile, will grow ever more paranoid.

Between the spin, the lies, the competing interests and the sources unwilling to stand publicly behind their claims, the coming months have all the ingredients of politics and media at their very worst, and will leave the general public with little hope of untangling the mess.

If the truth in life seems elusive, in politics it seems downright impossible.

Excerpt from a Facebook Conversation Between DJ Strangelove and Ian Hannon (edited mercilessly for spelling and grammar)

DJSL:
Five?

IH:
Um…

DJSL:
FIVE?

IH:
Yeah, man.

DJSL:
FIVE!!??

IH:
Yeah.

DJSL:
Fuck you. You didn’t get five.

IH:
Yes, I did.

DJSL:
No, you didn’t. There’s no fucking way you got five. Nobody EVER gets five.

IH:
Really?

DJSL:
FIVE?

IH:
YES.

DJSL:
Fuck you. No you didn’t. There’s no way. You couldn’t have. Did you really?

IH:
I’m serious, man. I’ll forward you the email.

DJSL:
Fine. Do it. Do it right now. There’s no fucking way.

IH:
There.

DJSL:
Fuck.
You DID get five.
How did you get FIVE?

IH:
Just awesome, I guess.
Marta, Starla, Linzi, Anne, and Lucille.

DJSL:
Lucille? Hahahahahahahaha! The piano teacher?

IH:
Don’t make fun of her. She was nice.

DJSL:
I bet she’s a tiger in the sack.

IH:
That’s sick.

DJSL:
No, man. The minute you get those white gloves off, I bet she gives a mean handjob.

IH:
Shut it. She sent me an email already.

DJSL:
WHAT? Really?

IH:
“I enjoyed your recommendation of the band Sigur Ros. Please also enjoy the band Blonde Redhead. Hope to hear from you soon!”

DJSL:
Hahaha. Jesus.
Yeah, she would do all kinds of freaky shit to your man-parts.

IH:
No sharks this time?

DJSL:
We’ve moved on from that.
So, did you get back to her?

IH:
Nah.

DJSL:
Why not?

IH:
I can’t do it, man.

DJSL:
WHY NOT?

IH:
These people’s lives are already hard enough. They weren’t at Speed-Dating because they were giant losers. They were there because their priorities are different. They’re not your kind of people.

DJSL:
“My” kind?

IH:
You know. One-night-stand people. People who make sex a priority over relationships. They’re there because they want something more, and they don’t know how to go about finding that kind of someone. The last thing they need is ME fucking with them.

DJSL:
Ian, you need to be meeting people. Like, weekly. How are you going to learn if you don’t practice?

IH:
I know.

DJSL:
The goal isn’t to get laid. Getting laid is just a pleasant side-effect. The goal is mastery of the Social Arts. To be able to walk into a room and own it. To be able to get what you want from people.

IH:
That would be nice. But, at the same time, man, I don’t know. What kind of a person is it that can control a whole room?

DJSL:
The kind of guy who knows how.

IH:
I’m not sure that’s how I roll is all. Besides, it’s been so long since we’ve done any work. I don’t know if I’m up to it.

DJSL:
Are you kidding? You’re on fire right now, buddy. You’re finding something.

IH:
I don’t know. I need to be solid in myself before I can let anyone else in. I’m such a protective person, usually. It’s probably my biggest flaw. This goes for everybody. Friends, girlfriends. Whatever.

DJSL:
So, no more Speed-Dating.

IH:
Maybe not right now.

DJSL:
But you still need to meet people.

IH:
Yes…

DJSL:
…
How do you feel about online dating?

IH:
Not a chance.

DJSL:
Come ON, man.

IH:
Really?

DJSL:
Yeah.

IH:
Really???

DJSL:
I’m serious, man.

IH:
Fuck you. There’s no fucking way.

DJSL:
Why not?

IH:
It’s full of losers. Besides, I don’t know if I’m comfortable selling myself like that. Like I’m some kind of product.

DJSL:
But, you are.

IH:
I don’t like it. I’m not going to put rules on who I am.

DJSL:
Dude. How many times do I have to tell you? Nobody’s trying to change who you are.
The first time we meet somebody, we ARE a product. Our soul is not the product. Our mind is not the product. But, how we stand, how we carry ourselves, what we say, how we say it? How we present ourselves? THAT’s our product. These are all things we can control, and there’s no better venue to learn how to craft your image than on the internet.

IH:
I don’t know.

DJSL:
Whatever, I’ll even sign you up. I’ll totally write your profile and everything.

IH:
What? No way! That’s SO dishonest.

DJSL:
Are you kidding? There are BUSINESSES in Vancouver that will write your profile for you. Like, professionally.

IH:
That doesn’t make it right.
It’s just going to be more of the same speed-dating people anyway. Not my scene.

DJSL:
Dude, plentyoffish was invented in Vancouver – the online dating scene is HUGE here. It’s not a bunch of mouthbreathers and basement-dwellers – it’s regular folks looking for the same things as everyone else. They just might not know how.
Sound familiar?
And it’s a great place to practice.

IH:
Nope. I won’t do it.

DJSL:
…
I’m making you an account right now.

IH:
Don’t you fucking dare.

DJSL:
I’m doing it.

IH:
Fuck! Don’t. Just-
Let me do it.

DJSL:
Okay, fine. Deal.

IH:
Thank you.

DJSL:
Do it tonight.

IH:
I will.

DJSL:
You better.

IH:
I said I WILL.
Fuck.
Sometimes it’s like you’re my girlfriend or something.

DJSL:
Most action you’ve had in awhile.

IH:
You’re an asshole.

DJSL:
Ha.
Go write a profile.

IH:
Maybe I already am.

DJSL:
That’ll be the day.

IH:
I’ll let you know how it goes.

DJSL:
Do that.
Later.

IH:
Later.

DJSL:
No, but seriously. Five?

IH:
Dude. Just fucking deal with it.

Special guest appearance: Mel Gibson.

All told, it’s been a bizarre week for The Swell Season. Sunday night, just three days after a 32-year-old fan committed suicide at their Saratoga, CA performance by throwing himself from a nearby rooftop and onto their stage, the Irish-based folk/rock duo played to an appreciative crowd at Vancouver’s Malkin Bowl.

“We’re glad to be here,” singer Glen Hansard said, “we’ve had a very strange couple of days.”

As a result of the tragedy, security was tighter than usual – in fact, oppressively so, and the mood at the open-air venue was decidedly tense. Opener Black Francis (of The Pixies fame) and his band were sloppy and under-rehearsed, and managed, with “Nimrod’s Son”, to somehow butcher a cover of one of their own songs.  And finally, the Livenation decision to fill the audience area with plastic lawn chairs and charge an additional $10 entry fee was a near-fatal blunder that managed only to turn the front of the stage into an audience dead zone. While a number of seats in the front sat empty, the remainder of the crowd was relegated to a distant hilltop, mere metres from the fence, and a bank of less-than-aromatic outhouses. In fact, were it not for Hansard’s warmth and congeniality, the performance could have been a very dour experience indeed.

Hansard noticed the mood, exclaiming, after only a few songs: “Why are you all so far away?”

A nervous chuckle ran through the audience.

“No, really,” Hansard continued, “what are you all doing back there? I’d like you all to move up, if you can.”

People began, uncertainly, to stand.

“Nobody move!” shouted Security.

But Hansard pressed, motioning to the stage itself. “Right up here,” he said.

Suddenly, the audience surged forward, clambering onstage, and spent the next several songs literally seated at the band’s feet, treated to up-close renditions of Swell Season classics like “When Your Mind’s Made Up”. The joy of the moment didn’t last long, however. Within two numbers, an embarrassed-looking older fellow with a sizable stomach had waddled onstage, and shooed everyone away, to resounding audience “boos”.

“We’re sorry,” Hansard called after them, jokingly, “we thought we were doing a good thing.” And they played the audience off, with a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Blue Moon.

Clashes between crowd and security continued throughout the evening, finally prompting Hansard to exclaim: “A little peace would be nice. Let ‘em sit where they want. Fuck the formation.” Then, he added, sheepishly: “Pardon my language. It’s an Irish thing.”

With the mood settling, the 7-piece band turned in more than a 90-minute set, performing well-known songs from the “Once” soundtrack (including the Oscar-Winning “Falling Slowly”) as well as newer fare such as “Young Hearts Run Free” from their recently-released album “Strict Joy”. Hansard’s visceral, straight-from-the-guts singing voice contrasted wonderfully with the ethereal, bell-like tones of his counterpart Marketa Irglova. Hansard remained an attentive and convivial host; in fact, he remained so attuned to the crowd that at one point, upon hearing the wailing of a small child, he dedicated a song to them, remarking with a smirk: “But it’s okay. If your kid doesn’t like our band, that’s fine with us.”

Irglova, by contrast, still seemed shell-shocked, on one occasion having to leave the stage and collect herself. However, moments such as this only served to bring performers and audience closer together; the performance was vital, emotionally-charged, and despite the happenings of the past few days, the band remained wholly committed to their audience, playing three separate encores. The finale, a spirited rendition of The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” (performed with Francis and Hansard on vocals) was a triumph.

“Everybody just get down here!” Hansard screamed.

And, suddenly, the aisles were filled with bodies, surging toward the front of the stage, cheering, chanting, and, much to the chagrin of Security, (who, by this point, had no choice but to step back and glower) finally being able to behave like actual music fans.

Given the circumstances, it’s a testament to The Swell Season’s professionalism and commitment that they performed at all. But that it was a show so energetic, emotional, and affecting in spite of everything it had going against it is what made the performance a truly memorable one.

Another Dependent “Serious” Newscast – the Vancouver 2010 Zombie Walk.

Chris covers the news.

Writing Credit: James Masters

Last weekend over 6,000 costume-clad fans of anime, manga, video games, film and music gathered at UBC for the eighth annual Anime Evolution Convention – a celebration of popular Asian culture. En route, I imagined the event: a computer-lit room filled with young men quietly discussing their passions for Japanese animation. Even having spent two days on site I’m still not exactly sure what I saw, but it certainly wasn’t quiet.

Off the bus, on my way through campus, I passed a long line up of costumed characters waiting to get into the UBC REC centre. Three Japanese girls sauntered by, wearing tuxedos and presenting elaborate fake cakes, followed by a skipping Sailor Jupiter, a giant teddy bear, and a Stormtrooper.

According to Gregory Neher, communications director for the convention, Anime Evolution is the next stage of anime fandom. “We like to think that we represent the various subcultures that have grown from the appreciation of Japanese pop culture in Vancouver.”

Dressing up is apparently an integral part of that appreciation, and everywhere I looked, there were folks in elaborate, home-made costumes.

“‘Cosplay’ stands for ‘costume play’,” explains Neher. “It’s when people dress up as a favourite character, usually from a Japanese animation or a manga – which is a Japanese comic – but it could also be from a video game, a North American cartoon, or even a live-action film.”

To the left of our trailing storm trooper, young men posed for photos in various battle positions, entering deep into their characters’ psyches. Beneath the shade of some nearby trees, costumed groups relaxed and chatted, their role-playing on hold. I took a seat next to a platoon of blue uniformed characters and scanned the schedule of the day’s events: ”cosplay chess,” was the first item listed, followed by “Team Four Star,” “Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged”, “Carl Horn- Show a Fansabu,” and, a personal favourite: “Robot Unicorn Attack”.

Overwhelmed, I waited for the photographer before approaching the group in the matching blue suits. They informed me that their costumes represented characters from a video game. When asked how they got coordinated, they explained that it was all done over the internet, and brought to life by a few in-person sewing parties. They were all too happy to pose for a picture.

Next, I chatted with an all-female group whose scene came from a video game called Fat Princess, which they informed me was a lot like capture the flag, (with the ‘flag’ replaced by obese royalty).

Reeling, we made our way to the centre of a “cosplay contest” – a glorified talent show for the role-playing, costumed individual. The photographer and I sat, watching closely, as those who looked more accustomed to fighting battles online were given the chance to do so in real life.

“Dressing up in costume and pretending to be a character that you see on television or in a video game – there’s definitely a level of escapism in there,” says Neher. “You get out there and you be a little silly with other people that are a little bit silly and it’s a good break – it’s like a vacation, but you’re still at home.”

Taking a vacation from the cosplay contest madness we headed towards the REC centre where the merchants resided for the weekend. The wares, like the costumes, were not explicitly anime-related; there were wigs, clothes, costumes, magic cards, samurai swords, stuffed animals, chain mail, dragon paraphernalia, and even a man selling a card game of his own invention.

I turned around to see the photographer snapping pictures of a cute, young girl in front of a big brown teddy bear. Upon returning, the photographer informed me that the bear’s name was Pedobear, a pedophilia loving bear, who has his roots on 4chan – an image-based bulletin board where anonymous users post comments and share images.

Neher is keen to distance the convention from 4chan, which is a notoriously racist and sexist website:

“I’d say there are people from that culture that come to anime evolution; we’re no different from the Olympics when it came to Vancouver – Pedobear ended up there, too, right?”

Prepared to put some thought into the meaning of Pedobear at a later time, we walked to the last event of the day: “Team Four Star.” When we arrived five minutes before the event, there was a lineup around three corners. The room was never full; people just wanted the best seats they could get.
Inside, a strange, wrestling-like spectacle ensued, where a man with a belt indicating him as the “Patty-Cake Champion” took the stage, only to be rushed and verbally assaulted by a man with a fiery headband who spat water into the air and threw out inflammatory proclamations of the true nature of the Patty-Cake Champion.

A small, staged shoving-match ensued before the panelists took their seats and the Q and A began. It was scheduled for two hours, but suddenly, feeling that I was intruding on a community I didn’t understand, I felt compelled to leave.

Still trying to come to terms with the past day’s events, I returned to the convention on Sunday. It being the last day of the three-day event, the environment was wholly more subdued. I noticed three young girls who looked somewhat disconcerted, and I asked them how they liked Evolution this year. Miranda, 17, wearing a bright blue wig, said that she’d been to the convention for four years running and that this year hadn’t been very good. Last year’s Anime Evolution was held in Vancouver’s Convention Centre. Candice, 16, and sitting under a tree in a bright yellow dress said the maps were terrible and that it was too hard to get around. I asked the three of them what drew them to the convention every year, and Candice said: “it’s a way of meeting people with similar interests.”

Despite the group’s criticisms, the convention this year was a rousing success. According to Neher, attendance grew from 5,000 last year to 6,150 this year.

Asked why he believes the convention has been so successful, Neher cites the open nature of the community: “What really got me involved with Anime Evolution was, I came to the event as a fan of Japanese animation and recognized that it was a place where pretty much anybody could go and be accepted. Nobody judges – we’re all just going there to have a little bit fun, and like I said, be a little bit silly.

“We’re accepting of pretty much everyone, assuming that it’s safe and friendly for everybody. As long as people are there to have fun and be silly, we’re okay with that.”

Maybe next year I’ll know how to be a little sillier.

All told, I’d expected more wookies.

Last week we discussed the four ingredients of beer – malt, hops, yeast and water – and the role that each plays in the brewing process. Brewing, however, is about more than just tossing ingredients together, cooking them up and hoping for the best – it’s about balance. A true brewmaster will know her ingredients inside out: the terroir of the hops, the difference between two-row malt from different malthouses, the different profiles a yeast will develop when fermented at slightly different temperatures, and the subtle, seasonal variations in mineral content of the local water supply. A brewmaster isn’t simply mixing and matching, she is striving for balance – that perfect blend of four ingredients that makes the difference between a good beer and something sublime.

A beer judge will spend years developing their palate. In competition, a beer is assessed on its appearance, aromas, mouthfeel, textural characteristics, and finally the range of flavours that are present in the mouth. This all contributes to a language of beer that is every bit as complex as the languages of cheese or wine. Amidst all of this language rests the slippery notion of balance, and a well-balanced beer will always stand out from both relatively flavourless commercial beers and strongly hopped or malted extreme craft beers.

In the simplest terms balance refers to the ratio of hops to malt. For every variety of beer a different balance is struck. In the bitter family (consisting of pale ales, IPAs, bitters and ESBs), the balance of the beer tends to favour hops. Brewers can create full-bodied versions of these beers, but what most often stands out are the hops. Many Belgian Abbey ales, on the other hand, are balanced in favour of malt. While the hops offer a necessary bitter counterbalance to the sweetness of these ales, the most dominant flavour in many of these beers is a rich malt body, whether light or dark. In stronger versions there is also often a sweet finish, that reveals the presence of unfermented malt in the beer, and further tips the balance in favour of malt over hops. In both these examples there are dominant flavours and supporting flavours. Balance is not achieved with equal parts hops and malt, but rather by creating an appropriate relationship between the dominant and supporting flavours present in each of these ingredients.

Of course, balance is about more than the duality of hops and malt – there are four ingredients in beer after all. Real balance must also consider the role of yeast and water. Last week we discussed how yeast is used in brewing, and the different types of yeasts available to brewmasters. To continue with our examples above – British bitters and Belgian Abbey ales – yeast makes all the difference in the final product. British bitters tend to forefront the balance that exists between the malt and hops, and many British ale yeasts used in bitters are low in esters, low in fruitiness, and provide a clean finish. This choice of yeast lets the malt and hops speak for themselves. Belgian Abbey ales, however, use yeasts that emphasize the malt characteristics of a beer. These ales tend to offer high esters and a fruity nose that brings out the body of the beer. This choice of yeast complements the brewmaster’s malt and hop choices, providing a complex supporting taste.

Water remains the basic building block for beer, and though subtle, can have a substantial impact on the final product. Soft water will create milder flavours, conducive to the production of light lagers and ales, while hard water provides the necessary alkaline balance to the acidity of dark malts, used in porters and stouts. Too heavy a mineral content can cause yeast to suffer, or a batch to taste overly bitter. With knowledge of local water conditions, brewmasters adapt their efforts to meet the conditions of their geography.

A truly balanced beer represents a subtle, yet profound achievement for a brewmaster. A successful brewmaster cultivates the flavour provided to her in the appropriate proportions, with an understanding of local conditions. In a balanced beer the flavours imparted by each of the ingredients cease to be individual aromas or tastes, and instead come into concert with each other. They support and complement one another, providing the complex experience that comes with tasting a finely crafted beer.

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Matt Thomson is a decorated homebrewer and dedicated beer geek. Read his weekly column on local beer right here on The Dependent.