A) Music
Er... what else? I could wrap things up there, in all honesty, but it simply wouldn't be cricket without a generous dollop of meandering guff. You're probably not aware, for instance, that the much-loved, widely-read and grammatically-correct musicOMH Tracks column (one-third of that description is true) is about to make a triumphant return, but may not exist much longer in its current format (is it soon to become daily posts in a news column? Who knows). What is more certain is that there are a number of exciting prospects in music for 2012. Have a gander at FOE, Milagres and Whitehorse, whose debut LPs I'm working through as I type:
Tyrant Song by FOE
Glowing Mouth by Milagres
2) Leafs
So there you have it. I think that all speaks for itself, right? I haven't forgotten, however, that such award-worthy embedding fulfills only one of three proposals for this post ("..including but not limited to an explanation as to why it's Maple Leafs and not Maple Leaves... and yet another FREE DESKTOP WALLPAPER!"), so with minimal clarting around, here is an angry Maple Leaf explanation I found somewhere on an internet back road:
With hockey season coming up, this is important to clarify, as I get asked this about twice a month in the off season, and every time I walk into a bar to watch hockey during the NHL season: The Toronto Maple Leafs are not named for the leaf of the maple tree. They are named for the symbol of Canada, known as the Maple Leaf, and which as a symbol is a singular and very proper noun. A row of Canadian flags are not maple leaves, they are multiple incarnations of The Maple Leaf. Hence, Maple Leafs. So forget about the tree. It’s not about the [goddamned] tree. I just want to have it somewhere where it can be searched, because everyone and their horse can’t grasp this simple concept. A Toronto Maple Leaf is not playing with a piece of a tree on their chest. That’s the symbol of a nation, gringo, and if you’re going to continue being ignorant about this, it’s you being ignorant, not that there isn’t a real answer to your question. The late and very great Conn Smythe may have been a corny ex-jock who had more patriotism than grammatical sense, but it’s been eighty years already, so at this point, I for one am willing to go with it. Pardon me if I sound defensive, but I’m just a little sick & tired of having to answer this question.
D) WALLPAPER
Such civic pride reminds me of Wallsend, its pristine facades basking in the warm North East sunshine. What I wouldn't give for an afternoon touring its many districts: in High Wallsend, the Barking Dog and the Rising Sun; in the Wallsend Riviera (formerly the Burn), the Rose Inn and the Rose Hill Social Club; in the heart of Wallsend's downtown core, the Duke of York, The Klub, The Anson and many, many more (disclaimer: if you actually intend to take me for a drink upon my return, I'd like to make it clear that I'd far rather go to the Ouseburn. That or City Vault).
And so, my proud Wallsend blood pumping through my proud Wallsend heart, I have lovingly crafted a desktop wallpaper (royalty free if you're reading, North Tyneside Council) that I feel evokes the grandeur of The Forum and its environs: as I carefully slipped a drop shadow under the tagline font, I could almost smell the Greggs, hear the bustling activity at Greenways food weigh house, and see the ne'er-do-wells retreat from the Jobcentre to Supa-Snooker, keen to set their balls on the green velvet. A truly wonderful place, and twelvety times better than North Shields could ever be.
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