Time has recently published an exceptional excerpt from Al Gore’s latest book, Assult On Reason. In this excerpt, Mr. Gore provides commentary on the current state of democracy in the US, focusing in on the systematic failures that are occurring in every branch of the government, and the disillusionment of the US public as a whole.

He argues (rightfully in my opinion) that the American democracy is now in danger as a result of the consolidation of media corporations, the various communications/manipulation tactics used by politicians through the various media channels, and the prohibitive cost of using these channels.

I highly recommend you take a moment and read it. It puts into perspective a number of things that I’ve been thinking about, albeit in a far more concise and educated way. And while it doesn’t directly affect me any longer, I really wish Gore would run for President again. The more I’m exposed to him, the more I’m convinced he could actually bring about the necessary change in the United States.

“10 people, running around, playing an assortment of instruments, jumping into the crowd, playing to a sold out crowd, and generally rocking the house down.”

That’s about the best way I can sum up the 2 Arcade Fire performances Jess and I had the opportunity to see this week.

For those who haven’t seen them perform live, it’s quite an event. They’re very animated on stage and bring with them an energy that most performers simply don’t have. The onstage band consists of 10 musicians, all of which play a variety of unusual instruments throughout the show. Accordions, violins, french horns, trumpets, keyboards, organs, guitars, drums and so on.

I hadn’t had the luxury of seeing the band live until these performances, and while these were most definitely entertaining - I definitely wish I had been able to see them in a smaller venue. It must be tough for the band as their fan base continues to outgrow the intimate venues they used to frequent. Stories of their earlier life changing performances make me wonder what kind of person I would be today had I seen them sooner.

Regardless, these 2 shows did not disappoint and the band took full advantage of what Massey Hall had to offer. And while it wasn’t exactly life-altering, I do think Jess came close with her description of the first night: “That was the best concert I have ever seen.”