Kennedy Gordon

Fantasy, swords, all that crap, in podcast form, with some Sarah Deeth action and probably some commercials. We aim to please here at Books You Should Read. We’re on iTunes, too, but if you don’t do the Internet thing, and if you ask nicely, I’ll mail you a cassette. And then I’ll ask how you knew to ask. Because I’m a cynic, as you probably already knew.

You can tell it’s Friday the 13th, because I have completely lost the ability to type.

Part of my work involves interviewing famous-type people, like Gordon Pinsent, Blue Rodeo, Jon Bon Jovi, William Shatner and Tortelvis from Dread Zeppelin. This week, I am going to be speaking with Brian Vollmer of Helix, a legendary Canadian metal band from the ’80s. I saw Helix live at the Sudbury Arena once, and they put on a great show, so this is an interview I know I will enjoy.

Of course, I gummed it up.

Brian and I have been emailing back and forth trying to set a time, and in the first of these emails, I referred to him as “Lips.” His reply was concise: “Lips is in Anvil. I am in Helix.”

I know this. I knew it the minute I clicked “send” on the email. See, I have a copy of the new Anvil CD, Juggernaut of Justice, sitting here on my desk, and in my head I was mixing up ’80s Canadian metal bands. This may be a result of having too tight a ponytail in the ’80s.

Luckily, Kick Axe was nowhere to be found. And we won’t even talk about Thor.

Helix plays at the Red Dog May 14. You should go, and you should bang your head, baby. I’ll have a full interview in the paper and online this week.

Here’s the latest episode of the books podcast I produce and host for Simply Syndicated. This one features the Book Club, our crew of hosts from our branch office in Leeds, U.K., talking about two of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. You can listen right at the site or subscribe via iTunes. Books You Should Read is sponsored by Audible.com. Enjoy.

Here’s the best email I received this week. It came to my work account, no less. Internet spam robots, as it turns out, are really, really stupid.

To whom it may concern,

My name is Terry Thomas. I would like to know if you have Pine Lumbers
Available and i'm looking for expensive and less expensive ones you have.
Could you please let me know the prices  that are
2x12 S4S (1-3/4” x 11-1/4”)

I would be happy to make my payment by credit card if you accept them.

I await your reply,
Sincerely,
Terry Thomas.

My daughter wants to be a filmmaker. This is her epic.

As the city where I live talks about closing or changing a few popular toboggan hills because of risks and/or drunks, maybe, I would like to point out what we saw a while ago when we took the kids sliding at a certain hill that shall remain nameless.

• … When you stand on the ridge in my back 40, you can look down on this hill. When you get there, it seems impossibly steep.
• … On icy days, it offers a Guaranteed Broken Leg™ if I try to slide, but then again, I am very stupid.
• … Things you don’t want to see at the bottom of a toboggan hill: the snapped-off steering wheel of a GT Snow Racer.
• … Things you don’t want to see at the top of a toboggan hill: The other half of the GT Snow Racer, which makes no sense.
• … Things you don’t want to see in the bushes at the top of a toboggan hill: seven empty mickeys of rum and rye, a couple of dozen smashed beer bottles and tons of PBR cans left by people who don’t get the irony, but like the price. Well, it explains the GT Snow Racer situation.
• … Things you don’t want to see halfway up the hill: A winter boot. Belonging to a small child.
• … Things you don’t want to see halfway down the hill: “Whoah, someone made a jump — “

On the latest episode of Books You Should Read, I am joined by reviewers from two other continents for a look at the stories of hope that came out of the Holocaust, and the legacy left for modern Jewish writers. Remember, if you’re in the U.S., listening to the show can get you a free audiobook from our sponsor, Audible.