the dot matrix

Episode 31 - "More Joy and More Cowbell"

A short description on what was another marathon podcast for Justin and Sean.  Just two topics made the cut this time out - Henry Yu's provocative op/ed piece in the Vancouver Sun and what else, the Olympics!

Episode 30 - "We can remember not to bring that up next time."

What exactly prompted Sean and Justin to say those words, you'll have to listen to find out.  But topics from this podcast range from Sean's new TV and Bluray player, their recent gym going habit, Google in China, Haiti relief efforts, and of course, the most pressing issue of the moment - Leno versus Coco!

Episode 29 - "Maybe we'll get this on before the New Year"

Well, the goal for posting the podcast came and went, but Sean and Justin's conversation is still as fresh as the day it was recorded.  Catching up on a lot that had happened in between podcasts, the UN climate change summit were top on their list.  The pair also discussed the legalization of gay marriage in Washington, DC, their Seahawks NFL game experience, and the Afghan detainee scandal here in Canada.  Tiger Woods and Lululemon's cheer gear made their radar as well.  And they ended their last podcast of the decade with a tiny bit of year in review.

Episode 28 - "Fish in Black and White"

Justin and Sean got back to being focused after a casual episode 27. To Justin's surprise they start off with an impromptu discussion about Julia Child in black & white; they then move on to something they always come back to, the Dziekanski tragedy.  Also getting a nod or perhaps a semi-nod is Barack Obama's Nobel prize win.  Sean tries to recap an opinion piece on Michael Ignatieff's feelings about Canada he found in the National Post, and they end it off with a fiery controversy of late - Roman Polansky's arrest in Switzerland.

Episode 27 - "27!"

After more than seven weeks since their last podcast, Sean and Justin brush off their old 'casting chops to record episode 27!  Kind of a random affair, talking about various personalities and happenings on Commercial Drive, then jumping around to short discussions about age and buying TVs, then bouncing around to being appalled about Tom Delay's selection on Dancing with the Stars.  That guy should be in prison!  A tiny bit of Canadian politics is thrown in for good measure of course.

Episode 26 - "Ticketmaster fiasco indeed"

After 25 podcasts under their belt, Sean and Justin embark on episode 26 in much the same manner - talking about random things that irk them or that stir their pasions.  The first topic was about Sean's recent Ticketmaster fiasco for his Slayer/Megadeth concert.  They do spend time talking about the death of Michael Jackson and of course the turmoil in Iran, but their thoughts about a recent Maclean's article that Sean read about Gene Heyman's theory about addition was the most refreshing since the early days of their podcast!

Episode 25 - "I don't want people to think I'm sexist"

Although Sean and Justin mainly focused on local issues on this podcast, the duo started it off discussing some recent international event - like former Presidents Bush and Clinton have a "conversation" in Toronto, or the nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court.  But then they get down to business, debriefing on the outcomes of the recent British Columbian provincial elections, including lamenting the defeat of the BC-STV electoral reform referendum question.  They end Episode 25 talking about some local transit issues, like the recent awarding of $600,000 to a local merchant affected by the construction of the new transit line to the airport, as well as lane closures for bikes on the busy Burrard Bridge to Downtown Vancouver.

Episode 24 - "I sort of started that without warning didn't I?"

Sean and Justin are back and eager to talk about the last three weeks - particularly about Sean’s vacation to Paris! Of course Justin has been nothing but happy since his girlfriend has come back from her own extended trip away, convincing Justin to try his hand at rock climbing in the process.  Surprisingly, he actually wasn’t bad at it!  The big topic of discussion this month was the women ski jumpers’ court battle with VANOC.  They end the podcast remembering the immense talent that was Bea Arthur, who passed away on the weekend.  Although the New York Times article about her is no longer available without logging in, here are three interesting reads, one from the LA Times, another about her Golden Girls co-stars, and one written by her Maude creator Norman Lear.

Episode 23 - "Its the difference between cultivating the land and raping it."

In record time, Sean and Justin hope to record and post their most recent podcast online.  Squeezing one last chat in between Sean heads to Paris for a civilized two week vacation in the grand city.  So needless to say Paris, the need for a vacation, and travel in general was top of mind, including Air Canada's impending bankruptcy!  Also, Justin continued to pine for his girlfriend, who is still out of the country.  But the duo got fired up, for what else, more infuriating activity at the Robert Dziekanski inquiry, along with their fears on how it is all playing out in Poland.  A fairly non-technical discussion about the economy and the banking system played out for a bit, but they mention President Obama a few times, which helped.  And the end with some musings about the Junos, including Justin's experience at the Juno Cup.

Episode 22 - "If you're gonna play music, it should be happy music"

After a hiatus of more than a month, Sean and Justin roar back into their podcasting mode this episode.  Although they gravitate to some repeat topics (that's what happens when you don't podcast on a regular schedule) like their new snowball mic (we hope the link to an image will suffice than posting an image directly here) and their man crush on Bill Moyers, they also provide some new thoughts on topics such as President Obama's inauguration, Sarah Palin, the Oscars (check out Justin's sister's blog about the 2009 ceremony) and the HBO documentary Right America: Feeling Wronged.  And though Justin and Sean don't do their Best of 2008 list as they had intended, they do look back at 2008 a bit, but do much more prognosticating about 2009.  One prediction - more podcasting for this year!