Farewell to "2010 the Taker"

Newspapers and blogs are replete with year end lists this week, but as last page turns on the calendar, politics and pop culture are low on the list of things I remember about 2010. Today my thoughts belong to the people we've lost- artists, political activists, friends, and community members who will be missed. Closest to my own heart are Will Munro, and my family member, Margaret Cross, both of whom left this world too soon, and gave of themselves endlessly when they were living.

Yesterday, as I returned to Toronto after holiday visits with family, I learned that David Noble had died suddenly. I didn't believe it at first; the man was overflowing with vital force. David was my teacher at York, and I spent a year participating in his weekly left winger group therapy sessions, also known as the "Technology and Western Culture" seminar, in a tiny basement room around the corner from the rodent experimentation labs. He often asked, "And how does that make you feel?" when discussing the course readings- a question rarely asked of students by their professors.

What I admire most about David Noble is that despite the nearly impossible battles he chose to fight, he never grew tired and lost his will to fight for social justice. There were many who were skeptical of his accusations, his claims, and his chosen struggles, but no matter what your position on Israel, capitalism, and the relationship between technology and labor, David's perseverance, dedication, and sense of humor call for admiration. He seemed angry at the microphone, and he was, but as soon as he'd sit down after a good shouting session, he would be smiling again and enjoying the company of his students, his friends, his peers. Rest in peace, David Noble.

And rest in peace, 2010. May 2011 be a giver.

xo
MM

Marietta's Sweet Melissa Records

Marietta, Georgia is a small town twenty minutes from Atlanta. If you've been to Atlanta you're probably familiar with the Little Five Points neighbourhood, with Criminal Records and a great used record shop around the corner from each other. You wouldn't suspect to find yet another amazing record store twenty minutes from the city, in the back of an antique shop, but that's exactly what happened to me on a recent southern sojourn.

Sweet Melissa's antique shop is full of model planes, post cards, furniture, and military memorabilia. Finding a few gems in a dollar bin at such a shop would not be such a shocker, but Melissa carries a wide selection of vinyl used and new and the quality of her collection is on par with standard bearers such as Toronto's Rotate This. Considering the size of Marietta (population 58, 748), and the difficult times many record shops are having, finding Sweet Melissa's record shop was a little surreal.

The highlight of the visit was finding a copy of The Kinks "Arthur" with the Queen Victoria paper doll inside, I also picked up Leonard Cohen's "Songs From a Room," The Cramps "Songs The Lord Might Have Taught Us," and from the dollar bin, Hank Williams' "I Saw The Light," Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman," and Sweet Melissa threw in Prince's "Dirty Mind" for free. I almost bought a Sonny Boy Williamson record, but I wasn't sure which Sonny Boy it was- the guitarist or the harmonica player- so I didn't bite. There were lots of blues records, new indie/pop records, and collectors items aplenty.

When I left Sweet Melissa Records to join my parents for lunch across the street, a man at the next table spotted the square bag under my arm and asked what records I'd found. He was in town for a business lunch with a colleague, so he didn't know about Sweet Melissa's shop. When he saw the Cramps record, he asked me, "Do you know who produced this? Alex Chilton. Have you ever heard of Big Star?" As it turns out, the friendly fellow- A.J.- hosts a community radio show on WWOZ in New Orleans. You never know who you're going to meet in America.

You can visit Sweet Melissa Records online at: www.sweetmelissarecords.com

Happy Listening,
MM