On Musical Discoveries

("Leonard", 5/31/09, Ottawegian Valley)

To make a long story short,
A couple of years back I got my first iPod
I loaded it up with lots of Leonard Cohen songs
My first batch of Leonard Cohen music
What the heck
Hadn't known his stuff much before
(Was always on the Dylan side of the fence)
Next day, I listened to the Leonard Cohen tunes carefully on a flight to L.A.
What do you know...
Found it to be excellent
"So that's what people are raving about," I thought
Stepped off the plane
There he was walking by the baggage carousel
I couldn't resist
"Pardon me, Mr. Cohen...
I'm a nice Jewish boy from Montreal like you

To make a long story short, I got a new iPod yesterday
I loaded it up with lots of your music
My first batch of your music
Hadn't known your stuff much before
And here you are! Wow!
I just wanted to say:
Mazel tov on all that fine music."

He laughed, thanked me and walked on.

Sounds like one of those weird dreams, but it's true.

Here's to musical discoveries coming at just the right time.

Ez

UPDATE: My friend Gnome who's on a scooter from Edmonton to Montreal I write this, adds: "Ez, this reminds me of when I put Joni Mitchell's documentary on my iPod Touch last summer and... boom... synchronicity. Wowza. True that, Ez."

(Gnome and Joni, 2008)

Tires Weaving

("Tires Weaving", 5/31/09, MTL, Ezra S.)

Wheelie good of you to drop by Ez Sez again.

Ez

Smashy-internashy

("Closed Rose", 5/2/09, Ottowegian Valley, Ezra S.)

I thought of a new expression today... It goes something like this:

Smashy-internashy

It means super duper.

Once I thought of a word in French:

Cardinalement

It means absolutely everywhere, or towards all cardinal points.

OK, must run. Have fun!

Ez

Yiddish Fest!

("I Love Yiddish", photo from Google Images)

Fan of Yiddish?

The Montreal International Yiddish Theatre Festival starts tonight (6/17) at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts.

Come see Yiddish films (with Eng. subtitles!) at my the film screening room I run, CinemaSpace, from June 18-25. The full film schedule with synopses and pix is here: http://www.tinyurl.com/yiddishfilms

Close to half the shows are sold out already so act quick!

Ez

Smell Some Flowers

(Click LineDot ArtText drawing quick for juicy view)

Send you a smile

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

Fear Flu

(Click for juicy view)

Tireless

("Escabeau means echelle means ladder means climb!", 6/09, Manotick, Canada, pic by Ez)

TIRELESS
(6/10/09, Rock and roll barnburner in the key of E for Escabeau)

Barely even wireless
Hardly ever guileless
Tireless, you're tireless

Up and go on at 'em
As you friendly chat 'em
Tireless, you're tireless

Love your way
Fear no thing
Fight with good
Let it sing
Let it super sing

Tireless, you're tireless
Let is super sing
Tireless, you're tireless

Keep going strong
Let summers go long
Sweet nothing is wrong
Tireless, you're tireless
Tireless, you're tireless


Sending a busy hello to all from Montreal.

Keep on climbing.

We're getting somewhere.

Ez

(Click pic quick for juicy view)
('Wholey of Wholies', 5/22/09, MTL, by Ezra S.)

It's the bulk bagel-wrapping room at Fairmount Bagel Bakery in Montreal. Stacked to the ceiling before being loaded onto trucks.

I've always wanted to photograph this room and finally got my chance on Friday.

Ez

New Hemp Suit

Thanks to Alvin for the custom hemp suit.

Ez

Happy Mother's Day

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

Happy Mother's Day to all moms reading Ez Sez.

Ez

Swine n' Dine

(Know?Mag Winter '08 photo shoot by André Pinces)

Hello Again Ez Sez Readers,

I've been busy showing lots of films at CinemaSpace and haven't had much time to blog, but I'm back on the swine with this post about my old friend André Pinces in Vancouver.

André is one of Vancouver's finest photographers and has just launched his new blog. I thought I'd pass the good word on to you. Lots of shiny things to look at there.

All the best to all from Montreal.

Keep your own cameras snapping...

Ez

YouTube Symphony Orchestra

Full-on cross-internet musical wildness!

Enjoy this video of the "YouTube Symphony Orchestra".

Ez

Films at CinemaSpace

It's not just my birthday today, I aso have cool news for all you film lovers...

Tons of great movies coming in April and May to CinemaSpace, the 77-seat screening room I run at Montreal's Segal Centre for Performing Arts.

We're hosting films from Vues D'Afrique and a multi-week Italian film series.

Drop on by for top-quality films and our famous hemp-covered movie theatre seats!

View the complete schedule HERE.

See you soon!

Ezra

Good Watermelon

My friend Mike Evin has made a fun new video for his catchy new song "Good Watermelon". Watch it by clicking HERE.

See Mike launching his new CD, also called Good Watermelon, at Montreal's Divan Orange (4234 St-Laurent) on Wednesday, April 15th, 9pm. Opening act is Leif Vollebekk. $6. UPDATE: Show cancelled due to a cold Mike caught 2 days before the show. Stay tuned for rescheduling announcement.

More info about Mike at MikEvin.com.

Ez

Running The Numbers

(Barbie Dolls, Chris Jordan, 2008, 60x80"; Depicts 32,000 Barbies, equal to the number of elective breast augmentation surgeries performed monthly in the US in 2006.)

American photographer Chris Jordan's photo series "Running The Numbers" is both beautiful, mind-boggling and eco-brilliant.

Have a look-see over HERE.

Ez

(Detail of nipple if you walked up to the print in a museum.)

The Honeymoon is over...

...But the photo-sifting has just begun!

("Las Palmas")

Sorry for being out of touch, Ez Sez Readers.

Alexandra and I were just on our honeymoon in NYC and Mexico. Here are a few highlights. Click any pick for a juicier view....

Ezra

("Wave Goodbye")

("Alex at Sundown")

("Mexican Julep")

USA Today today...

I am very excited for my friend Marc Ostrick for a super write-up in USA Today today! Read about his site eGuiders in the article here.


Enjoy all those videos... When you emerge it may be a new day. (A new week?!)

Ez

Bumblin' on...

Serious beasting.

I love Montreal and the honey it oozes,

Ez

The Deep of Winter...

(Autumn Coming, 10/08, MTL, by Ezra S.)

THE DEEP OF WINTER
We're in what seems like the deep of winter
Around the corner, Summer and Fall
No time to feel small
Come on, embrace it all
Be now strong and tall
We're in what seems like the deep of winter
Around the corner, Summer and Fall

Smile, friends.

Ez

My 'Hemp For The Homeless' project appears on Yahoo.ca

(Photo source: Yahoo.ca)

Cool news, Ez Sez Readers... my Hemp For The Homeless project was recently written up on Yahoo.ca by Yahoo's Tim Carlson.

The article is part of a series of articles on what different people do when they win money. In my case, I'd won $500 and decided to create a project called Hemp For The Homeless. This led to a several more strokes of luck and good fortune involving Ralph Bronner of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Rumi Restaurant, Homeless Nation, the Montreal Native Women's Shelter and my wonderful wife Alexandra.

The whole adventure, unbelievable but true, was covered first by CBC radio (listen) and now appears on Yahoo.ca.

Enjoy the new article. And good luck to you in your adventures...

Ez

Here's more about Hemp For The Homeless as it appeared earlier on Ez Sez.

Some days...

Some days feel like this...


And some days feel like this...


As long as there's feeling, that's half the battle.

Have a great day.

Ez

JL/BO

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

What time is it?

On Change...

In whomsoever can one trust?

Better News

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

It might seem like hard times, but good times are around every corner.

Ez

eGuiders.com premieres "Broadway New Year's Day"

(Click to watch the short film at eGuiders.com!)

Welcome back Ez Sez Readers,

First off... Happy 2009!

Very cool New Years news to share with you in this latest Ez Sez installment...

A 3-minute film I made called "Broadway New Year's Day" (in which I walk the entire 252-block length of New York's Broadway turning it into a musical 'stop-motion documentary') has launched today on eGuiders.com.

The brand new L.A-based eGuiders site describes itself as "a video website that uses a remarkable collection of industry insiders and pioneers to help people find the most engaging original videos on the Internet. We search, you watch." I've seen many of the videos there and they really are the cream of the crop of online content.

My old NYU classmate and friend Marc Ostrick (co-creator of our award-winning short film Pressure Drop) is one of the two founders of eGuiders and I'm very excited for him on the recent launch of this phenomenal new site.

While it's still in 'Beta-test' form, eGuiders.com already has tons of web videos up with more coming soon. If you like short films and web videos, jump aboard the eGuiders Newsletter List to get updates on new content at the site. Many celebrities and TV industry folks like our NYU buddy Damon Lindelof (co-creator of ABC's "LOST") will be featured at the site e-guiding you to their favourite web video picks. Others are: Jerry Stiller, Shawn Ryan (writer, The Shield), John Landis (director, Blues Brothers) and many more.

To watch my film "Broadway New Year's Day" for free, click here: eGuiders.com. I'm happy to point out that this is the film's online premiere. I've only ever shown it at live speaking engagements to illustrate taking wild ideas (like walking Broadway top to bottom fueled only by orange juice and sesame seed bagels) and running with them!

Finally, some more good news... After getting engaged in July, Alexandra and I got married on December 21st! Read the next post down the page for more wedding info and to see pix.

Have a super-fine '09! Enjoy my walk down Broadway... Turn the speakers up and enjoy the trip!

Ez

Just Married!

(Ezra & Alexandra, Dec. 21, 2008, MTL.
Photo by Tristan Brand)

Dear Ez Sez Readers,

Alexandra and I got married on Sunday in a small & sweet ceremony at our local Rabbi's study.

I wore a hemp suit, tie, shoes and custom hemp keepah. Alex wore a super-cute dress and matching veil.

It was an amazing day and we're happy to share the pix here.

Lots of love from the Newlyweds!

Ez

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays from EzSez.com!

More good things coming to you in the new year.

Have a super-fine '09!

Ez