MiltonSearch.com blog

Patrick Cross and Michelle Desrochers run Canada’s Most Haunted, a paranormal investigation company in Burlington, Ont. Halloween is their busiest season for ghost walk tours.

Real-life ghostbusters investigate paranormal phenomena and lead tours of spooky spots

By Adrian Ma

I don’t see dead people – but that’s not for lack of trying.

As a child, inspired by Ghostbusters and agent Fox Mulder in The X-Files, I searched for ghosts and ghouls at my parents’ house. Fastening on several layers of garbage bags for protection, I’d grab a flashlight and explore the cobwebbed recesses of the basement.

As a teen, I graduated to midnight visits to haunted locales. Since I grew up near Hamilton’s historic sites, there was no shortage of places for ghost hunting. I’d climb through the ruins of the Darnley Mill, the scene of an explosion that killed two people in the 1800s. Another favourite was the old Hermitage mansion, where a heartbroken coachman hanged himself almost two centuries ago after his lover’s father forbade her to wed.

I don’t recall ever seeing anything, but I do remember the chills I felt in the darkness, the whistling wind sounding like voices, the pulse-quickening mix of fear and curiosity that drove me on.

“I think the fear of the unknown is what attracts people to the paranormal world,” says Michelle Desrochers, a real-life ghost researcher.

“We all grew up with a thing under the bed or a boogeyman or something in the closet, and it’s still in us when we’re adults,” adds fellow ghost expert Patrick Cross.

Every year, hundreds of people fascinated by ghostly phenomena go to Canada’s Most Haunted, the Burlington-based paranormal investigation company run by Desrochers, 42, and Cross, 48.

Cross realized he had a heightened “sixth sense” or psychic ability to see and hear spirits while growing up in a haunted Rexdale home.

“I experienced everything – the sound of footsteps, spots of blood appearing on the cellar floor, doors closing,” he recalls.

His dual passions for history and the paranormal world has brought him work as a researcher and consultant for ghostly television shows such as CTV Travel’s Creepy Canada and YTV’s Ghost Trackers. He lives in Burlington, where he has guided ghost walks since 2001.

He met Desrochers on a tour a few years ago. The two bonded over their shared interest in the paranormal – she was born into a family of psychics – and describes herself as a “sensitive.” He hired her as a tour guide.

The duo complement each other. While Cross tends to visualize spirits, she senses energy and can telepathically commune with the dead.

They are the closest thing to real-life Ghostbusters. If someone believes their house has a spirit, Desrochers and Cross perform tests to determine if there’s something strange in the neighbourhood.

“A lot of people think you can just throw a device in the air and catch a ghost,” Cross says. But he says spirits act out in different ways – slamming doors, moving objects, speaking out – and appear in different forms such as orbs of light, mist and sometimes full apparitions.

“There are a few things we use: tape recorders, video, night-vision, infrared, electromagnetic field devices. We’re really looking for an energy or a feeling of a presence other than ourselves.”

Ghosts can show up in photos and videotape, often as balls of light. Cross says disembodied voices can also be recorded on audio tape and heard during playback, something known as electronic voice phenomena and featured in the movie White Noise.

It’s necessary, of course, to rule out other possible explanations, the investigators say. Exposure to carbon monoxide may explain strange sights, schizophrenia may account for someone hearing voices and squeaks in the night may have something to do with the household appliances.

But these ghost hunters say they often come across the real deal.

“I’ve been attacked by ghosts,” Cross says. “I thought I could handle it and I couldn’t. I’ve been punched and bitten. I’ve experienced the energy and seen things happen that make me a believer.”

Paranormal investigation can be lucrative, especially in the U.S., Desrochers says, where ghost researchers bill as much as $5,000 for a visit.

Desrochers and Cross offer their services free, charging only for expenses, such as travel.

They both have paying jobs. Cross is a media producer and Desrochers owns an oil-tank maintenance company. The ghost walk tours fund their investigations.

At Halloween, adventures with the paranormal are in high demand. Guided tours of Burlington’s most haunted landmarks are attracting more than 60 people a trip.

“People come to try to get that experience of seeing a spirit,” Desrochers says, adding that some are not disappointed. “We’ve had spirit sightings on tour … apparitions caught on film and photograph.”

Cross says Burlington’s rich military history makes it a hotbed of a paranormal activity. Soldiers were stationed there during the War of 1812, and many met tragic ends. Ghosts are often people who “unjustly died before their time or have unfinished business,” says Cross.

Of course, for every Mulder in the world, there is an agent Dana Scully, and Cross says they’ve encountered plenty of skepticism about their work. Because, despite all the unexplained blurs on photos, the eerie background voices caught on tape and the personal testimony, it’s impossible to prove ghosts exist.

To those skeptics Cross counters, “Prove that it doesn’t happen.”

Hmm. The truth is out there.

Spirit Spottings

One of the most popular tour stops on the Canada’s Most Haunted Burlington tourn is City Hall, where the haunted statue of a World War II soldier stands nearby. The bronze statue became a memorial for several fallen soldiers, including Alfred Edward Johnson, a Burlington man who died at Dieppe. According to legend, Johnson’s ghost haunts the statue and there have been several reports of people hearing the statue speak and seeing it shift its hands and arms during the night.

The Joseph Brant Museum is another spooky locale. The museum is a reconstruction of the 18th-century Mohawk leader’s home and is the site of a former soldiers hospital. Spirits have been spotted in the museum and incidents of flickering lights and mists have been reported.

One of the city’s more chilling ghost stories takes place at Burlington Bay, where a dock worker was tragically killed more than 170 years ago. The man was unloading a barge when a wave caused the boat to crash into the dock and crush his leg. His crewmates decided to finish the unloading and left him writhing in agony until he died. Legend has it a man’s screams can be heard at night around the docks.

The NFL goes international: The Miami Dolphins and New York Giants square off in Wembley Stadium in London, England this Sunday

Well, the Milton Pigskin Prognosticator has left me high and dry for the next two weeks as he’s off vacationing with his family at Disney World in sunny Florida (the nerve). This means you the readers are left with my questionable NFL Week 8 picks based on my knowledge (or lack thereof) of the NFL landscape…

It goes without saying that I really don’t follow football THAT closely. I know the standings and the major happenings around the league, but don’t expect any head-to-head comparisons from years past, key injury updates or offensive/defensive team rankings.

For the next two weeks, the NFL picks against the spread on MiltonSearch.com will quite simply be my best guesses.

Just being honest.

Before we get to this week’s matchups, I’ve been saving up some thoughts on a few other topics from around the world of sports…

Hockey Horror Picture Show

Maple Leaf Borje Salming needed about 250 stitches after a skate blade cut his face during a 1986 game in Detroit

I couldn’t resist. Just in time for Halloween comes this article from the Star’s Paul Hunter lists the top 10 most horrifying, calamitous (and non-fatal) NHL incidents ever to be seared into the memory of hockey fans.

To protest or not to protest

I could go on and on at the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs both on and off the ice this year, but I think I’ll save that one for now. That’s worthy of a topic on it’s own and I touched on a few of my issues with John Ferguson Jr. in the offseason. Here’s a fun article by Miltonian Mike Cluett on his disappointment with this year’s Leafs. I agree Mike. I’ve weaned myself off of the Leafs slowly since the lockout. The lockout which brought radical change to the NHL from which they’ve pretty much been the slowest team to react and adjust to - and it shows in the standings and in their quality of play nightly. I’m right there with you Mike - yeah, I still tune in every Saturday night, but it’s getting tougher and tougher to stay interested. Vancouver though? The Canucks?? They’re winning because they didn’t mess around when it came to acquiring a goaltender, but I’ll stay up late and watch their games once they pick up another bona fide scorer or two. I guess Vancouver’s not that bad. You could have said Red Wings, Flyers or Habs….

A Super Bowl in London?

The Dolphins and Giants take the field at Wembley Stadium in London this Sunday as the NFL continues to go international. Foreward-thinking commish Roger Goodell has mandated that all NFL teams play 1 game every two years outside of the good ‘ol U S of A and I think it’s a good thing. There were even mentions of eventually playing a Super Bowl outside of the U.S. which could be interesting…

I enjoyed my time perusing various forums and blogs over the past couple of weeks to see how John Q. NFL fan feels about all of this - as expected, Americans were less than thrilled with this proposition. Most of the comments were along the lines of “it’s our game, no Super Bowl should ever be played outside of the USA” and “keep the Super Bowl where real NFL fans are/can watch it.”

Pretty humourous stuff. Get over yourselves, Yanks. The NFL is the last North American league to not fully tap into international markets. Who can blame Goodell? The NFL isn’t just popular inside the U.S., and playing regular season games in other countries is a no-brainer. Every other league is doing it, trying to think out-of-the-box and increase revenues. Why not let fans here in Canada or Europe get a taste of some real NFL action? As far as a Super Bowl goes, again, why not?

The reaction was hilarous - like Americans wouldn’t watch the game if it was overseas or something… Are you kidding? It’s traditionally one of the most globally watched events already. Even when it’s held in America, only 70-80,000 people are there watching live. It’s the one game where the location really doesn’t matter. London, Berlin, Paris, Guam, Paducah, Kentucky…. The stadium will be packed and millions will watch worldwide. End of story.

It’s not like many fans of the two teams travel to the game either - Super Bowl spectators aren’t there to watch the game and cheer for either team. It’s a corporate schmooze-fest. Everyone is there just to say they were there, so again, the actual location of the game is really a non-issue. The NFL even currently has a two-week layoff between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl which is ridiculous and excessive, but would justified if you were to play the game in Europe.

In short, a Super Bowl in London would be a great idea. It would be a huge success and it would have absolutely no negative effect on the teams or fans. It’s going to happen at some point, so a message to those of you below the 49th: you had better get used to the idea.

The Toronto Bills?

Continuing along the lines of the previous topic, was the announcement this past week that the Buffalo Bills would like to play one regular season game and a pre-season game every other year in Toronto in an attempt to increase revenues by extending themselves more substantially into the Southern Ontario market.

Where this could really pay off is if the Bills could tap into the Toronto business community to help fill up their corporate boxes. Accessing Toronto, North America’s 5th-largest market, should allow the Bills to compete a little more easily with some of the NFL’s big spenders in the short term, even if current season-ticket holders lose a home game a year.

Long term, things could get interesting… Much has been made about the Bills’ financial struggles of late. The NFL is beginning to price out some of America’s smaller but more passionate markets. It’s hard to imagine the Bills franchise thriving long term in Buffalo, whose population is declining, now the 50th-ranked TV market in the U.S., down from 33 a decade ago. Much has also been made about owner Ralph Wilson’s plans - he has openly said that upon his passing (he’s 89 years young), the team will be sold to the highest bidder. You can bet Misters Tanenbaum and Rogers will be among those bidders….

Again, my time spent on NFL chat rooms and forums this week was entertaining…. There were the usual comments about how Toronto wouldn’t be able to support an NFL team, so why bother - “they can’t even support baseball or basketball”, “all U.S. sports have failed in Canada - why give them football?”. If I had a nickel every time I read those two statements, well, I’d have a few extra nickels today… I love the whole attitude like Toronto is some backwater or something, and few Americans actually realize that the U.S. Greenback has now displaced the Canadian dollar as the new ‘Monopoly money’ of North America. The Jays hold their own in MLB attendance. Considering they’ve got a yearly lock on third place, their attendance is about where it should be. The Raptors rank easily among the top NBA teams in attendance and apparently had the highest % of season ticket renewals this offseason…. I guess Toronto hates U.S. sports though.

Memo to our neighbours to the south: Toronto will easily support an NFL franchise. Yes there are problems - the Rogers Centre is below NFL standards for capacity, so that stadium would be temporary if a franchise were to move to T.O. Then, there’s the whole CFL/Argos/TiCats issue (I still think the CFL could work though - in Southern Ontario there are CFL fans and NFL fans - two different groups - allso, the CFL would be the more affordable football option for those priced out by bloated NFL ticket prices). Toronto is bursting with corporate dollars, and there would be no shortage of people willing to fork over the big bucks it would take for season’s tickets. A Toronto franchise would be an absolute success, no doubt about it. Granted, the tailgate parties may pale in comparison to Buffalo’s, but hey, maybe Toronto police will relax public drinking laws a little (yeah, right).

The next question is: what’s in it for the NFL? The NFL is already huge in Canada so do they really NEED a Toronto franchise? Since U.S. TV ratings don’t include Canada, then will a Toronto franchise really improve the league? The NFL is so big that I don’t think fans only watch their regional team - NFL fans watch every game they can no matter who’s involved for the most part, so I don’t see U.S. ratings falling off during Toronto games as much as they would in other sports. Any negative TV ratings would be offset by a huge increase in revenues that a market like Toronto could produce as opposed to a Buffalo, Jacksonville or New Orleans. The other thing you hear from most Americans is that there are several U.S. cities more deserving than Toronto - such as LA. Los Angeles is obviously a huge market, but the NFL hasn’t been there for awhile and things seem to be hunky dory, so I just don’t see the need to have a team there. They also have stadium issues as well. Also, I think it’s Goodell’s goal to become the first NFL commissioner to go global. The first step is random regular season games outside the country, but I have a suspicion he’s also like to oversee the first international franchise.

I also read an interesting theory: that Buffalo’s Toronto ‘experiment’ is just that. If things go well in Toronto, then it’s Goodell’s plan to either move the Bills or have them sold to a Toronto group at some point (within 5 years), and Buffalo will be granted an expansion franchise which will start playing 5 years after that in a brand new stadium rather than the outdated Ralph Wilson Stadium à la the ‘new’ Cleveland Browns after the ‘old’ Browns became the Ravens. Who knows? Buffalo is a passionate NFL market and it would be a shame to see them lose the Bills - I can understand the NFL wanting to be in both Toronto and Buffalo. The fact that Buffalo is a declining market though makes me doubt that you’d see franchises in both cities.

We’ll wait and see I guess. My thought is this: I believe the NFL wants to come to Toronto, and I think it will happen in the next 5-10 years. I know the CFL will have something to say about it, so we’ll see how that plays out, but I think it’s only a matter of time. Will it be the Bills that move here, the Saints, the Jaguars or will Toronto be granted an expansion franchise? That is the question.

Until then, chill out Buffalo. One game a year at the Rogers Centre won’t kill you and for now, it’s going to make your team more viable in your city.

It must be good to be a Boston sports fan

Can we just crown the Pats as Super Bowl champs right now? It’s getting a little sickening watching them just toy with their opponents week after week. ‘Spygate’ was the worst thing to happen to the NFL this season - the Patriots already looked like the favourites to win it all, but now they’ve got a chip on their shoulder and have made it their mission to not just win, but obiliterate, annihilate and demoralize the opposition. The only thing left to see is their game vs. Indy coming up. We’ll know at that point whether or not they have any challengers this year.

The Red Sox also look poised to win it all, with a 3-0 lead *yawn* over the Rockies.

Something changed when the Sox won in 2004. They lost that ‘loveable loser’ thing they had going on (which the Cubs still have) and became as evil and hated as the Yankees. Okay, maybe not quite as hated as the Yankees, but it’s definitely 1 and 1a at this point. And just think Blue Jay fans - you get to have not one, but BOTH of them in your division…. You’ve been in third place for most of the past decade and don’t expect much different for the forseeable future.

It makes you wonder how the other leagues so easily adopted salary caps but MLB has never been close to having one. I know a high payroll doesn’t guarantee anything, but I think you’ve got to do something before this league begins to really crumble - there are too many teams that are nowhere close to competing for a playoff spot year-in, year-out and you wonder how much longer it will take for fans of those teams to just lose interest altogether. You know the large market owners are trumpeting this Rockies playoff run as a reason not to institute the cap and that anything can happen, regardless of payroll…. Oh, the irony.

Oh yeah, and then there’s undefeated Boston College, coming off an improbable comeback this week vs. Virginia Tech and the suddenly relevant Celtics ready to begin the season featuring the dynamic trio of Pierce, Allen and Garnett.

Enjoy it while it lasts, Beantown.

Ok, NFL Week 8:

(Home team in CAPS)

Browns (-3) over RAMS
The Browns have surprised me this year, but can they be trusted to win this game? This has all the makings of the Rams’ first win, but I’ll take Cleveland because they need to win a game like this to prove to people that they are decent and that they are getting better. Plus the Rams suck.

Lions (+5) over BEARS
Could the Lions go to 5-2? I hadn’t even considered that possibility. The Bears have to beat the Lions at home, right? I don’t know. When in doubt, take the points.

Jaguars (+3.5) over BUCS
The Bucs have injuries, and they’re struggling - and they’re FAVOURED by 3.5 vs. the 4-2 Jags?? Take the points.

Colts (-7) over PANTHERS
The spread seemed kinda low considering the offensive numbers the Colts have been putting up and then I read that the Panthers’ QB’s are David Carr and Vinny Testaverde? Next.

Bills (+3) over JETS
The Bills are fiesty and the Jets stink. We’ll find out this week if the Bills’ strong play of late is confined to Western New York or if they can bring it East to the Meadowlands.

Steelers (-3.5) over BENGALS
You gotta take the Steelers in this one. If the Steelers are going anywhere this year, they need to start making their move now and the Bengals seem disinterested to me.

VIKINGS (+1) over Eagles
I can’t figure out either of these two teams. When in doubt, take the points AND the Vikes are at home. Next.

Raiders (+7.5) over TITANS
I can’t believe I’m taking the Raiders, but after the Titans nearly blew that big lead vs. the Texans last week, I’m afraid 7.5 may be too many for them to cover.

49ERS (+2.5) over Saints
This game is this week’s official ‘game to avoid watching a single play’ game.

Giants (-9.5) over Dolphins (in London)
Quite the marquee matchup for the folks in jolly old England. What a way to promote the NFL product: the New York football Giants clobbering the pathetic Dolphins by 2+ touchdowns… Enjoy.

Redskins (+16) over PATRIOTS
Ladies and gentlemen, this week’s pinata: the Washington Redskins. It’s likely the Pats will put the beatdown on the ’skins and win by probably 18-21, but they’re not going 19-0 against the spread. That’s NOT happening, so dammit, I’m trying the Redskins!

Packers (+3) over BRONCOS
The only team the Broncos could host where their cold-weather home advantage means nothing. Ok, I guess there’s the altitude as well - I forgot about that. Hell, I’ll stick with the Pack.

CHARGERS (pick ‘em) over Texans
Best of luck with the recovery process to everyone in the San Diego area.

Survivor Pool

(Pick one team to win outright each week, trying to put together the longest streak of consecutive winning picks while not able to pick any given team more than once during the season.)

Okay, my streak ended two weeks ago, but I got it going again last week when the Redskins edged the Cardinals. This week I’ll go international and take the Giants to beat the Dolphins at Wembley. The Dolphins can’t beat the Giants, right? At least not unless they can use the big inflatable guy in that photo of Trafalgar Square above….

Now Milton, what do you think?

Good Canadian boy Jeff Francis gets the Game One start leading the red-hot Rockies into the World Series vs. the Red Sox

2007 World Series Preview

Having won 20 of their last 21 games, the Rockies enter the 2007 World Series on an unprecedented hot streak. After scoring three runs in the bottom of the 13th to eliminate my Padres in a one-game playoff (I’m still not sure Matt Holliday touched the plate, but that’s a discussion for another day), then shredding the Phillies and Diamondbacks effortlessly, they look almost unbeatable.

That is, until they were forced to wait 9 days to begin the World Series thanks to the deep-thinking baseball schedule-makers. This will be the Rockies’ longest layoff without playing a game since February! Combine that with the fact that they’re matched up against a Bosox team that just rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to beat a very talented Indians squad, outscoring them 30-5 over the last 3 games, and suddenly you realize that even though they’ve won 20 of 21 (I still can’t believe that), they come into Fenway Park tonight as a huge underdog.

Although the Red Sox relied heavily on a couple of rookies (Youkilis and Pedroia) in winning the ALCS, you have to like their experience with many of the players still around from the 2004 championship team that rallied from 3-0 down to take out the Yanks and then the Cardinals for the title. Todd Helton is the token wiley old vet on the Rockies’ roster, but he had yet to reach the postseason before this year.

This should be a good series if you like offence - both Fenway and Coors Field are two of the best hitters’ parks in the game, humidor or not. Boston’s pitching should be ok though - I can’t see Colorado hitting Beckett at Fenway, although they may score some runs off a tired Dice-K as the series moves along, and I’m interested to see if Francona pitches knuckleballer Wakefield in the thin air in Denver in games 3, 4 or 5. The talk is that the higher altitude could really wreak havoc on that knuckleball, so that could be fun. Otherwise, I can’t see Boston’s offence letting up after they completely dismantled the Indians pitching staff. Colorado has some nice arms, and Canadian Jeff Francis has been impressive, but this isn’t your average cream puff National League lineup. The Red Sox have an intimidating array of hitters and I’m afraid things may get ugly…

I can see the games in Boston getting out of control quickly if the young Rockies start to fall behind and get rattled by the tough Fenway crowd. The games in Denver could get ugly also if guys like Ramirez and Ortiz start nailing 400+ ft. homers in the thin air and the Rockies’ offence sputters…

Basically, what I’m saying is that despite the streak, I just don’t like the Rockies’ chances here. Believe me, I have no love for the Sox and will be openly cheering against them (imagine adding Colorado to the list of newer teams that have won championships over the last few years that are just hard to accept: Angels, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Lightning, Ducks, Hurricanes to name a few), but it’s their year. They’ve been the best team in the majors all season and they enter the World Series arguably as hot as the Rockies given their pounding of the Indians, and they’re much more ‘fresh’, having only 2 off days to Colorado’s 9.

My prediction then? Well, I’ll have to say Red Sox in five games. Things could get interesting if Colorado can come up big and steal one of the first two in Fenway, but I see things shaking down like this: Boston easily sweeps the first two at home, then they go up 3-0 in Colorado before the Rockies take one only to lose in 5. I’m also predicting that the Sox victories will be big - much like the last 3 games vs. the Tribe where they unmercifully just kept piling on the runs.

Let’s hope the Rockies make it a series, but my gut is telling me that between the Red Sox and Patriots, it’s a good year to be a sports fan in Beantown.

Now Milton, what do you think?

The $80 Radiohead box set features download, vinyl and CD versions of In Rainbows and a booklet of artwork by longtime Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood.

MiltonSearch.com Album Review

(3.5 stars out of 4)

We all hate hype, but Radiohead is one act absolutely deserving of the mass geek excitement its every move attracts.

Yes, the Oxfordshire quintet tends to inspire a bit of critical hyperbole, but there’s nothing “overrated” about it.

I’ve witnessed Radiohead live shows that reduced me to giggling awe, one at a small theatre in New York four years ago that reduced nearly an entire row of concertgoers to tears. Its first six studio recordings have traced an artful, if intermittently – and admirably – perplexing arc of dogged, self-conscious musical growth that few bands in rock history have attempted or attained, let alone translated into enormous commercial success. Kid A was the sound of a new-school prog-rock band taking the nattering experimental electronic of Aphex Twin and Autechre to the top of the Billboard album chart in 2000. And let’s not forget: this is a group that has actually shifted the mainstream forward. There aren’t many of ‘em out there.

In Rainbows, released in the wee hours Wednesday on a “pay what you can” download from www.radiohead.com – and, a couple of hours hence, every BitTorrent-esque file-sharing site on the planet for free – is the most hyped album of Radiohead’s career. One of the most-hyped albums ever, actually, given its industry-shaking means of delivery. (Watch for this procedure become commonplace once sales figures are released – Radiohead was keeping them secret yesterday – and In Rainbows, though ineligible for “official” chart rankings, becomes the smashing success today’s incessant online traffic suggests it is.)

Bloggers lost sleep to register their general approval for the record first, websites such as PitchforkMedia.com and NME.com were updating their thoughts on the album religiously throughout the day and, while the download process itself drew praise for being, as one Chicago Tribune columnist put it, “smooth as silk,” traffic through the Radiohead site to get to the record was enough to cripple it early in the day.

“A staggering system seems to be in operation, meaning most fans have been able to download the record without any problems,” NME reported. “However, those trying to get the album today are having more difficulties with Radiohead.com, the portal that takes you through to the album download site.”

An average tally of the price fans were putting forth in the band’s “honesty box” for In Rainbows was unavailable, but Billboard.com claimed “unofficial sources suggest most customers have chosen to pay around five pounds ($10.17) for the download edition.”

Interestingly, the $80 box set featuring download, vinyl and CD versions of the album and a lavish new booklet of artwork by longtime Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood had exceeded the digital file in pre-orders, according to the artist himself. With good reason, he added.

“The finished product is quite a lush thing. It’s the most over-the-top project I’ve done with (Radiohead),” he told The Scotsman. “It weighs about half a kilo.”

And what of In Rainbows itself? Will it be obscured by its news value?

Hell, no. This thing’s aces all the way, definitely better than 2003’s Hail to the Thief, which was the first Radiohead album since The Bends to sound mildly predictable.

In Rainbows is, admittedly, also kind of what we expect from Radiohead at this point, as it continues the rebalancing between the band’s heady OK-Computer era “rockist” side and the fractured electronics of Kid A that’s been going on since 2001’s highly underappreciated Amnesiac.

The synthesis is much more complete here, though, since the band road-tested these tunes on a short tour last year and drummer Phil Selway – who freakin’ owns the album – operates on an utterly inhuman level throughout, bringing captivatingly erratic, “organic” accompaniment to 10 songs that give Thom Yorke’s singular voice and warm instrumentation (acoustic guitars, strings, piano) played by human beings precedence over the machines. The songs seem to hit a bit harder than those on Thief, too, although I write this on only my third pass through the album.

Anyway, here’s how it breaks down on early approach, track by track:

“15 Step”
In Rainbows is all about rhythm. The frantic beats are broken from the British drum-and-bass template, with Jonny Greenwood’s guitar lines weaving tendril-like through the fray and the eerie atmospheres in the background setting the tone for what is – surprise, surprise – a pretty bleak, end-of-the-world sort of album. Yorke sounds glum. A stab of sampled children screaming “Yay!” is a nice touch.

“Bodysnatchers”
This one’s a beast. A gristled, punkish juggernaut shot through with Raw Power’s riveting, assembly-line punk. The rocking-est thing Radiohead’s done since “The National Anthem.”

“Nude”
Jazz guitar chords, nudgy bassline, more of those eerie crooner harmonies Yorke’s been employing since he got into the Ink Spots circa Amnesiac. Yes, Radiohead knows a thing or two about atmosphere.

“Weird Fishes / Arpeggi”
Reminiscent of Yorke’s excellent solo album from last year, The Eraser, in its faintly hopeful take on personal Armageddon. He imagines an “earth on fire” where “everybody’d leave if they had chance,” but finds bittersweet solace in knowing that once we die and are eaten by the worms and returned to the sea, “we’re fishes.” Gorgeous track, this one.

“All I Need”
“I’m a next step waiting in the wings / I’m an atom bomb trapped in your hard core.” A theme develops. Piano piled up against a snarling undertow. Pretty gripping.

“Faust Arp”
Elliott Smith with snaky “Eleanor Rigby” strings. Almost folky and quite atypical of later-period Radiohead.

“Reckoner”
Tell me the last time you heard percussion recorded this well. All hail Phil Selway!

“House of Cards”
Considerably less oppressive and more concerned with human matters (of lust) than its surroundings, it’s still got some terrific Greenwood feedback etchings strafing the distance.

“Jigsaw Falling Into Place”
Acoustic guitars weave into a streamlined rhythmic freefall. Reminiscent of both Sonic Youth and Dire Straits, if that’s possible. Cool, but it reminds me of something other than Radiohead.

“Videotape”
Well, you knew this had to end with a death march. Mostly ominous piano chords and machine-gun rattles with Yorke concluding: “I know I should be afraid / Because this has been the most perfect day I’ve ever seen.” Radiohead’s not optimistic about the future, then – has it ever been? – but it definitely leaves us optimistic about Radiohead’s future.

By Ben Rayner

Also Read:
Radiohead’s bold gambit: Don’t misunderstand Radiohead: It’s not out to smash the music industry, merely to force some adjustment and much-needed self-examination upon it.

Mike Cluett says you’re taking your life in your hands trying to make a left turn onto Thompson Rd. from Yates Dr.

The following post is by Mike Cluett. Please visit Mike Cluett’s Milton blog site here:

One of the many concerns in Hawthorne Village (Ward 1 mainly) is traffic. While campaigning last year, that issue ranked number one as most residents were concerned about stop signs, traffic flow, and lights.

If anyone drives down Thompson Road south of Derry, you will find there to be a high level of traffic at Yates Drive. Those who live on the west side of Thompson on Yates have found it increasingly difficult to turn north or south without taking their lives in their hands. Many residents have asked for and demanded a stop light be installed…

To continue reading this column, go to Mike Cluett’s Milton Blog.

The tiny town of Eden Mills outside of Milton wants to become the first carbon neutral community in North America

Idyllic Ontario town wants to become the first carbon neutral population centre in North America

About 10 kilometres past the village of Brookville on the northwestern outskirts of Milton, past modest Victorian houses now being challenged by monster homes, is Eden Mills, population 350.

Nestled demurely by the Eramosa River, Eden Mills is turning away from the kind of progress symbolized by monster homes. Instead, it is contemplating a different path: It wants to become the first carbon neutral community in North America.

Reaching zero net carbon dioxide emissions won’t be easy. Many residents travel a fair distance to work – to Guelph, Kitchener, Cambridge, Toronto. Most heat with oil or propane, have air conditioning, and use electric water heaters.

Arriving at a zero balance will call for reducing emissions, substituting renewable energy for energy based on fossil fuels, and removing CO2 from the air. It will mean living with a much smaller environmental footprint.

The idea of going carbon neutral was brought home to Eden Mills in June by Charles and Anna Simon, fresh from a visit to Ashton Hayes, which is aiming to be England’s first carbon neutral village. Ashton Hayes claims on its website (www.goingcarbonneutral.co.uk) to have reduced CO2 emissions by 20 per cent in its first year.

Once home from England, Charles and Anna invited people over to discuss the idea. Glenn and Libby Little were among those who came. They immediately embraced the idea.

It’s not as if environmental issues were new to the two couples. Charles is an architect who has designed environmentally advanced buildings; the Littles live in a straw bale house that Charles helped them design; they, in turn, are trying to persuade the district school board to erect straw bale classrooms that could substitute for some of the board’s 180 portables.

This environmental gang of four quickly became a core group of 15. Another dozen people now assist.

For their formal launch next month, they’ve created a project outline that establishes goals, and proclaims a determination to “change the way we behave and think about the products we use.” In other words, the outline says, “It’s about changing the way we live.”

Everything is so scattered, says Charles, that reducing the amount of driving will be a major problem. It’s necessary to go to a nearby town even for routine shopping. A bike path and car pooling can only help so far and a more comprehensive solution is needed.

For Eden Mills, it’s a shame that the Toronto Suburban Railway no longer exists. It was an electric railway.

“Really,” says Charles, “it was just a long streetcar line,” which ran from Keele and Dundas Sts. in Toronto to Guelph and passed about three kilometres south of Eden Mills. It was abandoned shortly before the Great Depression. Were it still operating, it would solve many of Eden Mills’ transportation problems.

The organizers will work with the University of Guelph to measure the environmental footprint of households in the village. They will record emissions attributable to heating and cooling, appliances, and transportation, and will repeat the survey every year for the first five years to measure progress at each household. The university will also help develop plans for planting trees to absorb CO2.

The group also intends to create a scientific advisory board to provide ongoing advice, launch educational initiatives, generate renewable energy, and reduce fuel consumption.

With global warming advancing, sleepwalking into the future is not an option, says Charles. “We’re not powerless. Together we can do things.”

Maybe they can inspire other communities to do the same.

Written by Cameron Smith

Will the Patriots remain unbeaten? Maybe the more intriguing question is whether or not they can cover a 17-point spread against the league’s worst team, the 0-6 Dolphins….

Arizona (+7) at Washington
Washington is the clear-cut favourite to cover this spread – playing at home, having the 3rd ranked defense in the league AND playing a Cardinal team that is likely down to their third string quarterback for this game – Tim Rattay, whom they signed just after week 5 (so he’s still no where close to learning the play book for his new team – which will mean the Redskin D are licking their chops for a feast at home).
Redskins

Atlanta (+8.5) at New Orleans
Saints fans have to be praying that last weeks first win over Seattle means their team is finally back on track, and with the two teams leading their division having major injuries (4-2 Bucs down to third-string running back, and 4-2 Panthers having lost their star QB Delhomme for the season) the Saints have to take advantage of the opportunity they’ve been given (as their only other division opponent is the Falcons – say no more)! The Saints blew the Falcons out of the water in both meetings last season by scores of 23-3 and 31-13 – and that was when the Falcons had an All-Star QB.
Saints

Baltimore (-3) at Buffalo
The Ravens 4th ranked defense will spell trouble for the football-illiterate Bills. The only positive the Bills have is a great special teams unit – if they kept them on the field all game they’d have a shot! Baltimore should have no problem winning by over a FG in this one, and they beat Buffalo last season by 12 points.
Ravens

Minnesota (+9.5) at Dallas
Although only 2-3 this season, the Vikings have yet to lose by more than 7 points in their three loses – and that was to Favre when he threw for 332 yards – their other two loses were each by a field goal – so watch for this to continue. The Vikings strong defense (#2 rush defense in the league) and their awesome running game (ranked #1 in the league) will keep them in this game against an impressive Cowboy team that will be looking for redemption after being pounded at home by New England last weekend. Watch for Dallas to start this game flat, after two tough games (winning with the last play against Buffalo in the Monday-nighter two weeks ago, then being throttled by the Patriots in week 6).
Vikings

New England (-17) at Miami
I’d take New England to cover a 30 point spread in this game – they’re 6-0 with each win so far thus season being by at least 17 points, so why the hell would they not be able to keep that up against the horrendous Dolphins who have a honest-to-goodness “Lemon” for a QB. At least Lemon does complement a nicely fried fish!
Patriots

San Francisco (+9) at N.Y. Giants
The 49ers – who were offensively-challenged with QB Alex Smith in their line-up are really hurting for points with him still out nursing a sore shoulder. Sure back-up QB Dilfer looks like a spry young pup compared to re-incarnated Vinny Testaverde, but he’s not a game breaker. Watch for the Gaints D to feast on old-man Dilfer, as they did when sacking McNabb 12 times two weeks ago.
The New York Football Giants

Tampa Bay (+2) at Detroit
Detroit’s fifth ranked passing game will hope to duplicate the success the Colts had throwing against the Bucs for over 250 yards two weeks ago, however the Bucs D can focus on the Lions air attack knowing their running game is as weak as a kitten – averaging under 65 yards per game the past 4 weeks. The Bucs will win this game if their defense plays like they’re capable of.
Bucs

Tennessee (-1) at Houston
Before losing QB Vince Young with a leg injury last week the Titans were 9 and 2 in their past 11 regular season wins, with their only loses being to New England and Indi – the top two teams in the universe! Tennessee beat Houston in both meetings last season, but if Young is not playing Houston will win, despite going up against the top ranked run defense in the league, as Texans QB Schaub has looked good throwing for about 300 yards per game the past three weeks.
Texans

Kansas City (+3) at Oakland
With Duante Culpepper at QB the Raiders have the 3rd best rushing offense in the league, however K.C. has been keeping their opponents ground games minimized and they beat Oakland both times last season. Watch for Larry Johnson to have a great game against Oakland, with this game going down to the wire.
Chiefs

N.Y. Jets (+6) at Cincinnati
The Bears listened to me and benched Gross-man for Griese (and are already reaping the rewards), now I have to get the Jets to realize that the Chad Pennington era has to come to an end if they want to improve – he’s a bum! Trick question – which of these two teams has the better defense – the correct answer is “neither” as they’re both non-factors, with a slight edge to the Jets who’ve at least held two opponents to under 20 points, while the Bengals have yet to achieve this. Only because it’s in Cincinnati and because the Jets will in all likelihood start Chad the Bum again I’ll take the Bengals to cover.
Bengals

Chicago (+5) at Philadelphia
Brian Griese is starting to click as the Bears starting QB – throwing for 369 yards last week and as a result the Bear defense needs to get back on track with their ability to make things tough on the very sackable Donovan McNabb (sacked a back-cracking 18 times in the last three games!). The Bears will play tight in this game and could very well beat the Eagles at home.
Bears

St. Louis (+8.5) at Seattle
Seattle won both meetings against this division rival last season – but both were won by only 2 point margins. Rams back-up QB Frerotte should have an easier go passing against the soft Seattle secondary, which have averaged less than 1 INT per game over their past 5 games, while the Rams have thrown 8 INT’s in the past two weeks.
Rams

Pittsburgh (-3.5) at Denver
Pittburgh is 4-1, and is coming off a bye week with the #1 overall defense in the league (2nd against the pass and 4th overall against the run) along with the second best rush offense. The Broncos have been mediocre at best, with three straight loses and no chance against a much stronger Steelers team.
Steelers

Indianapolis (-3) at Jacksonville
Tune in for this game – it should be a great one! This game will not be a given for the Colts – as the Jags have the 5th best offense and the top pass defence in the league – meaning Manning’s passing game will be challenged. The Jags come into this game with four straight wins, and are yet to allow their opponents to score more than 17 points in a game. On top of that the Jags defeated Indi in one of their two meetings last season by a blow-out score of 44-17, and are a better team this year with Garrard at QB (who has yet to throw a pick this year).
Colts

Survivor

(Pick one team to win outright each week, trying to put together the longest streak of consecutive winning picks while not able to pick any given team more than once during the season.)

Here’s a summary of my correct picks in the first six weeks, my streak ending in week 6 with New Orleans shocking the Seahawks in Seattle.

Week 1 - Denver over Buffalo
Week 2 – Pittsburgh over Buffalo
Week 3 – Carolina over Atlanta
Week 4 – Dallas over St.Louis
Week 5 – Tennessee over Atlanta
Week 6 – Seattle over New Orleans XXX, you are dead to me Seattle – you let me down!
Week 7 – if I wasn’t eliminated last week, I’d pick Washington over Arizona – with the Cardinals potentially starting their recently signed third string QB they’ll be up to their eyeballs in turnovers….

Now Milton, what do you think?

The Milton Pigskin Prognosticator is a weekly contributor to MiltonSearch.com. His NFL picks can be read on Fridays every week from now until Super Bowl Sunday. Submit your predictions vs. the spread and see how well you stack up!

It’s a battle of the undefeated teams in Big D – and the MPP sees Romo and The ‘boys suffering their first loss

Cincinnati (-3) at Kansas City
This is a battle of two underperforming teams, a battle of the Bengals 3rd ranked pass offense against the Chiefs 5th ranked pass defense. I like Cincinnati for the following reasons: they won in K.C. last season 23-10 AND they’re coming off a bye week which has provided them extra time to prepare along with extra time to dwell on the fact that they’ve lost three straight games – they won’t lose 4 in a row and K.C. will no longer be in the top five for pass defense after this weekend.
Bengals

Houston (+3) at Jacksonville
Houston beat Jacksonville in both of their meetings last season and a high percent of the Jacksonville offense this year has been their running game – which will face one of the better run defenses they’ve had to face so far this season. The Texans offense is producing fairly consistently, averaging 23 points per week while the Jags have yet to score more than 23 points in a game all season.
Texans

Miami (+4.5) at Cleveland
With Miami’s inexperienced back-up quarterback, their 0-5 record (with the first 4 losses being with their “experienced” QB) and a road game on top of all that - the odds are stacked against these poor fish out of water.
Browns

Minnesota (+5.5) at Chicago
With the Vikings coming off a bye week and three straight losses (all close games), they should come out firing on all cylinders and impressive rookie RB Adrian Peterson will look to expose a middle-of-the-road Bears run defense to keep his team in this one.
Vikings

Philadelphia (+3) at N.Y. Jets
Both these teams have been huge disappointments this season – each team with just one win. I like the Eagles over the Jets as their only win this season was against a much better team (Detroit) than the Jets – who have only beat the winless Dolphins and by 3 points. I hate to think of what Michael Vick would do to either of these teams if they’re ever reincarnated as a dog!
Eagles

St. Louis (+9.5) at Baltimore
Baltimore’s offense is far from awesome so far this season – they’ve beaten three of the lower level teams (Jets, Cardinals and 49ers) by only as much as 7 points – so the Rams should be able to beat this spread – especially with their capable back-up QB Frerotte having shaken off the rust in his start last week where he threw for 242 yards and 3 TD’s.
Rams

Tennessee (+3) at Tampa Bay
Even a Bucs fan would take the Titans to beat the spread – they’re playing great ball while the Bucs have lost their top two ball carriers to injury (Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman) – meaning the Tennessee 3rd ranked league defense can focus in on QB Garcia and give him a really tough day.
Titans

Washington (+3) at Green Bay
Brett Favre runs up against the highest ranking pass defense he’s faced thus far for the season in Washington (8th in the league) and the best total defense they’ve faced as well (3rd). The Packers looked far more human last week losing to a 1-3 Bears team, and the 3-1 Skins are looking far better than da Bears so far this year – meaning the Packers will have stiffer competition than last week.
Redskins

Carolina (+4) at Arizona
Arizona has lost half of their QB tandem for this week, with Leinart out indefinitely. Watch for the Panther defense to keep them in this game by putting lots of pressure on QB Warner. Two of Arizona’s three wins this year have been by only 3 points, so Carolina is the smart choice for this match until field goals are worth 4.5 points to cover this spread.
Panthers

New England (-5) at Dallas
This should be the Monday night game, with two perfect 5-and-0 teams going head-to-head. The Patriots have the 2nd best offense and defense and have won each of their games convincingly (by a minimum margin of 17 points). The Cowboys have allowed an average of 6 points more per game than New England – and that has been against 5 fairly impotent offenses. The ‘boys stand to lose some of their swagger this weekend.
Pats

Oakland (+10) at San Diego
The #1 ranked Oakland rushing game will run the ball down San Diego’s throat this weekend. The Raiders have averaged 261 yards/game rushing the past three weeks (including games against decent Bronco and Dolphin defenses). San Diego could very well win this game, but certainly not by 10 points with QB Culpepper looking great orchestrating the Raider offense that’s had a bye week to prep for this game.
Raiders

New Orleans (+6.5) at Seattle
What’s the cure for a Seahawk team that was shut-out in Pittsburgh last week? 3 out of 4 doctors would prescribe a game versus a Saints team that has allowed an average of 30 points per game to be scored against them. The Saints have lost by an average of 17 points per game, so covering 6.5 points is very achievable for Seattle at home.
Seahawks

N.Y. Giants (-3.5) at Atlanta
The Giants have racked-up 3 straight wins after losses to two tough teams (Dallas & Green Bay). Once recently-acquired QB Byron Leftwich gets comfortable with the Falcon offensive schemes they may be able to contend – but he’s not there yet.
Giants

Survivor
(Pick one team to win outright each week, trying to put together the longest streak of consecutive winning picks while not able to pick any given team more than once during the season.)

Here’s a recap of my correct picks for the first 5 weeks:

Week 1 – Denver over Buffalo
Week 2 – Pittsburgh over Buffalo
Week 3 – Carolina over Atlanta
Week 4 – Dallas over St.Louis
Week 5 – Tennessee over Atlanta

For week #6 I’ll take Seattle over New Orleans – coach Holmgren won’t let his team lose at home to a winless team after being shutout on the road the previous week – playoff contenders don’t let that happen.

Now Milton, what do you think?

The Milton Pigskin Prognosticator is a weekly contributor to MiltonSearch.com. His NFL picks can be read on Fridays every week from now until Super Bowl Sunday. Submit your predictions vs. the spread and see how well you stack up!