adam giambrone should NOT be mayor!

As a journalist and a freelance writer, I try to stay non-partisan when it comes to certain things.  But with all this talk about next year’s mayoral race in Toronto, I just have to say something.

As we all know, current Toronto Mayor David Miller thankfully will not be running next year — which is probably the smartest move he’s made in the last few years.  That of course opens the flood gates for anyone with the ambition (and the money) to run for office.

It would seem that Adam Giambrone, the Chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission, thinks he might make a good mayor.

And I think it would be a bad idea.  A very bad idea.

Normally I would just laugh this off.  I would hope that the people of this city would think twice about electing someone like Giambrone to be mayor of Toronto.  Sure, by comparison anyone would do a better job than the mess the city is in because of David Miller.  But sometimes “anyone” is not the answer.

Just look at the TTC these days.  Look at all the problems we have had in this city with transit over the last few years — or better yet, since Adam Giambrone has been chairman.  Problem after problem.  Labor disputes, service interruptions, countless dollars being wasted, fare hikes… the list goes on and on.  In my honest opinion, he is not qualified to be the Chairman of the TTC and he is CERTAINLY not qualified to be mayor of Toronto.

As a human being, I can’t say what kind of person Adam Giambrone is. I’m sure he’s a really nice guy. But as a Chairman of the largest transit company in the country and one of the most important departments of this city, he’s not the man for the job.

had to make some changes

While I know a lot of you think there’s some magical force at work that makes this web site work, I assure you that it’s nothing more than 12 highly trained chimps working in a top secret lab in Brampton.  That, and GeoCities.

Actually that was the case until today.  After years of being a free, on-line hosting thingy, Yahoo’s GeoCities was laid to rest.  And people with web sites or pages or whatever they had were up the creek without a paddle .  (But don’t feel too sorry for those folks,  they had months of advance warning.)

And while there are some graphics on this site, originally they were hosted on a GeoCities account.  That of course meant I had to get someone to move them to another on-line place so there would be a seamless transition today when GeoCities went bust and people would have been otherwise stuck with that busted picture icon.

Yes, it’s all the behind the scenes antics that you don’t see that makes this web site so much fun. And now you know what goes on in my life when I’m not talking about wearing leather pants. (Which also was the case today, as we are officially into fall and the weather is just perfect for them.)

The chimps are still hard at work.

freddy krueger returns

I saw the teaser trailer for (the new) A Nightmare on Elm Street.  Not sure what to think of it just yet.  It’s sharp (pardon the pun) and polished, but on the down side, it’s produced by Michael Bay.  (If you’ve seen Transformers Revenge of the Fallen you can understand my concern.)

From what I can tell, the new movie re-tells the story of the first film (originally released in 1984) and adds some background and new twists.

Being a horror fan and especially a fan of the Freddy movies (I searched the entire city of Toronto, looking for one theater showing Freddy vs. Jason the night after the Blackout of 2003.  Amidst a darkened city, I finally found one. ) I’ve been on the fence about this movie.  Part of me really wants to see it, as well as Jackie Earle Haley’s take on the role of Freddy (previously played by Robert Englund) but I’m also worried that this new Nightmare will be made into another “teen girls who all look the same, wearing in skinny-jeans running around in their bras” movie.

You can view the trailer for the movie — set for an April 2010 release — on the official move web site.  Judge for yourself.

not so scary after all

Maybe I’m just immune to all things scary these days, but after watching Paranormal Activity this weekend, the only thing I could think was: “It wasn’t that scary.”

There were a lot of “waiting for it” moments and of course the spookiness of the film itself (sitting in a dark theater waiting for a supposedly scary movie that you’ve heard so much about to begin) but even when the shocks did come, they were light compared to what I was expecting.

It seems to be part of human nature that we want to be scared because we enjoy the thrill.  But when a movie promises to be one of the scariest movies ever made, (their words, not mine) you expect at least to be frightened or on the edge of your seat.  Doors slamming and shadows that lead to nothing don’t really do it for me.

It was the same thing with The Blair Witch Project.  Hyped beyond all belief, but nothing more than a giant tease and letdown.

What folks behind Paranormal Activity did succeed in doing is generating a brilliant viral campaign that helped sell the movie and make it highly in demand.

After all, they got $6 from my purse.

I’d like to thank…

Personally, I hate award shows.  I especially hate award shows where “celebrities” sit around and hand out trophies to themselves for doing their jobs — then for some reason thank God for the honors.  (As if God really cares about someone named Lil’ Wayne.)

Thankfully I do work for a media outlet so to speak, yet I don’t feel the need to cover the MTV Video Music Awards.  Especially after what happened last night with Kayne West interrupting someone named Taylor Swift who had just won her first Spaceman award.

(I was later informed that Taylor Swift is a cross-over country singer who apparently launched her career without the help of a scripted and predetermined reality show/talent contest which makes her somewhat of a legitimate recording artist.  I still don’t know any of her songs.)

I did catch some of the show because I was curious to see if host Russell Brand would do anything noteworthy — I still maintain that I am one of the few people in North America who knew about this guy before MTV put him on stage — and to see Janet Jackson’s tribute to her late brother Michael.  (He died, just in case you hadn’t heard.)

Most of the night was spent switching back and forth between an the award show and the disturbing 102 Minutes that Changed the World documentary on CBC about the collapse of the World Trade Center.

I will however say this… Kayne West needs to get over himself.  Nobody cares what he thinks. And Beyonce didn’t win that award because she didn’t deserve it — despite what West thinks.  (As far as I’m concerned, Beyonce didn’t deserve any award because “Single Ladies” is quite possibility not only one of the worst songs ever made, but also one of the worst things ever made.  ‘Dreadfully awful and horrendous” doesn’t even begin to cover it.)

Here are just a few other random thoughts from last night’s 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

• Someone really needs to stop inviting Jennifer Lopez to televised events.  Or any event for that matter.
• Madonna… nobody cares about how you think your life is comparable to Michael Jackson.
• Since when do award shows need a “house band”?
• Was Jimmy Fallon a seat-saver or does he own shares in MTV?
• As puzzling and bizarre as Lady Gaga’s performance was, she’s still interesting to watch.
• Beyonce’s “classy move” was nothing more than a publicity stunt to fuel her over-inflated ego.
• Pink sucks.
• As much as I dislike Green Day, the smartest thing said all night came from Billy Joe: “MTV needs to play more music videos!”

And that’s why I edit things about award shows rather than cover them. That being said, MTV still knows how to make their annual ego-fest a top-notch production that never lacks when it comes to water-cooler moments. MuchMusic’s D-list guest list award show still has a long way to go.

days of summer are gone

The summer has come and gone.  And that brings me to the end of my sabbatical.  Funny thing is I wasn’t planning on taking any time off, it just sorta happened.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and concerned emails.  I am okay, I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth and yes, whenever possible I have managed to slip into a leather skirt (summer evenings can allow for this some times) and a satin blouse.  But as anyone will tell you, satin sweats which you can imagine is not a pleasant feeling.  And for the record, summer — even the cool days and nights — is too warm for leather pants.  )That will start later this month, for those keeping score.)

This summer marks the first time since my move to Canada in 1995 that I didn’t head home to New Jersey for a two week “vacation”.  (Is it really a vacation if you’re visiting your home town and family?) But 2009 isn’t over just yet.  Of course my annual holiday trip will happen in December, but I’m still gunning for that summer (or now it appears late fall) getaway.  We shall see what happens in the coming weeks and months.

Life in Toronto is the same as it ever was.  Crowded, over-taxed and tired.  But making the best of things as they come along.

I do plan to blog more often, just finding the time to do so with everything going on can be tough sometimes.

And is it too soon to already be thinking about Christmas shopping?  Just wondering…

so much to do

I know it’s been months since my last post, but there has been a great deal going on in my life.  Granted, the idea of a blog such as this would be to share those things, but sometimes I feel so drained (emotionally and physically) that I just don’t have the strength to blog about everything that happened to me.  It would be the same as living all over again.

This summer has forced me to adapt to some changes.  A few things have happened that have made me take stock of my life as I’ve watched the lives of others unfold.  I should point out that nothing bad has happened, but nevertheless, I haven’t felt myself lately.

Health wise, everything is okay.  I could probably force myself to exercise a little more, but other than that, I’m okay.  It’s just the weight of things I think about too much, if that makes any sense.

I know in time everything, as it most always does, will fall into place.  That’s what I’m looking forward to.  For now though, I’m smiling and nodding, almost as if on cruise control, while I watch things unfold.

Two months is too long to go without posting something and I have reiceved many worried emails. I will make sure that doesn’t happen again.

happy mother’s day

While I can’t be back home with mom this year, I hope she has a nice day.  Also, big happy wishes to all the mothers celebrating today.

Lots still going on in my life.  Nothing too exciting, mind you.  Just run of the mill average things.

There are a couple tidbits that came as a small shock, but like a total rock star, I’m dealing with them.  As it turns out, a couple friends are moving away.  I knew this would happen, sooner or later, but it was more the fact that I finally heard what I was expecting for some time. I’ll follow up with that as the weeks roll on.

I may also take a few days and head out to Montreal.  I haven’t been there in a while, so it might be nice to get away for a bit.

resurfacing

Yes, I’m still around.  I’ve been a little busy the last couple weeks and neglected my blogging duties.  But I have been working, so not everything was a wash-out.

I spoke with a good friend yesterday.  A close, personal friend who I have known for many years.  And that friend dropped a train on me.  Not literally, mind you.  But that friend told me something that I had a feeling was coming, but wasn’t ready to hear.

Still, for this friend, it’s good news.  For me, I’m not sure.  It would mean that we as friends arrive at a crossroad in our lives.  A point when one could go one way, while the other goes another way. It’s given me a lot to think about, and right now, that’s way too deep for a Friday afternoon.

So that being said, I’ll let it sink in and address the issue on Monday when I’m supposed to help this friend with another important moment — figuring out if its possible to install a satellite radio with minmal damage and cost.

fanboys movie was worth the wait

After years of waiting, I finally got to see Fanboys this past weekend.  And you know what? It was totally worth it.

What made the movie good?  The fact that it wasn’t bad, if that makes any sense.  There can be a lot of hype around a film, but then that movie can fail to deliver when the time comes.  With Fanboys, there was no disappointment.

I was pleased to see they kept the original story-line as there was some talk about changing it to make it more appealing to mass audiences.  And the addition of a Zoey geek character (although according to the credits she spells her name without the Y) made the movie that much better.

Honestly,  Fanboys is one of the best comedies of the last ten years.  The characters are real, the jokes are in all the right places and even though some of the best gags were already spoiled in the trailer (isn’t that always the case?) the movie still made me laugh from beginning to end.

And the cameos? Well, let’s just say that only adds to the already near-perfect movie.  Without any hesitation, I can highly recommend this film not only to Star Wars fans, but to anyone who needs that movie-experience escape

fanboys movie now playing in canada!

After what seemed like forever, Fanboys has finally opened in Toronto (as well as two other cities in Canada).  And as luck would have it, it’s playing right downtown and I’m going to see it… tomorrow.

Yeah, I know.  You would think that after all the hype I’ve put on it I would have been the first in line on Friday when it opened, but in all honesty I only found out about it on Saturday and I was already knee-deep into my day. (And thank you to the nearly two dozen people who emailed me over the last couple days to tell me the movie was finally in Toronto. I really should make more use of my “Movie Showtimes” feature on my Samsung Instinct)

So before I hunker down to enjoy Wrestlemania XXV Sunday evening, I’ll spend the morning watching a movie that I’ve waited almost two years to see.

It’s about freakin’ time!

Folks in Montreal can see the movie at AMC Forum 22, while those in Vancouver can see it at Cinemark Tinseltown on Pender Street. Toronto, of course, has it playing at the AMC Dundas Square.

wrestlemania in atlantic city

Hard to believe that 20 years ago, (April 2, 1989) Wrestlemania V was held in Atlantic City.  Seems like just yesterday that my sister and I cheered on Hulk Hogan to victory over then-champion Macho Man Randy Savage.  (Although truthfully I was also rooting for Savage because Hogan was such a do-gooder and for once it would be nice to see the bad guy win.)

The year before, Wrestlemania IV had also been held at Trump Plaza (in reality, it was Boardwalk Hall dressed up with Trump signage) and while my sister and I begged our father to take us, he said that tickets were impossible to get but promised if the World Wrestling Entertainment (back then known as World Wrestling Federation) ever came back to town, we would go.  Naturally, he never could have guessed that a year later, it was announced that Wrestlemania would be held in Atlantic City again.

True to his word – and probably with some regret – my father got three tickets to the show and took us to watch the nearly four hour event. My mother decided to sit this one out.

That of course set in motion my addiction to the “Super Bowl of Wrestling” which – even though the product is piss-poor these days – will have me watching this Sunday for Wrestlemania XXV.

Wrestlemania has never been held back-to-back in the same city and venue.  This little factoid is often overlooked when people talk about the history of Atlantic City and the Boardwalk Hall – which up until a few years ago was also the home of Miss America.

While I’m sure historians will continue to overlook this, for me it was awesome to have the biggest pro-wrestling event held (almost) right in my backyard.

the girl is back in town

Back in Toronto after a fun-filled weekend in Buffalo.  Yeah, I know some people have a hard time imagining that, but it’s true.  Some times it’s nice just to get away.  And this was one of those weekends.

I did some shopping – which I equate to doing my part to help stimulate the economy – and relaxed for three days.  Honestly, the grind of living in Toronto gets to me.  Be it the career, the people, the daily stress. Whatever you want to call it. (And I know you get that in any town.) It’s a great city, but I feel the need to get away every once in a while.

And is it wrong that I’m already planning my next weekend getaway?  Actually, I’m planning two of them.  One to Buffalo (probably towards the end of April) and another little excursion that I’ll fill in the details in the next week or so.

So no sooner than I unpack my bags, I’m already thinking about what I’ll be putting in them next time.

checking in

Normally when I spend the weekend in Buffalo, I stay at one of those cost-effective motels – which I did do last night on account of pulling into town late. Not the motels you see on the news where the reporter says “well Tom, they found the hooker in the bathtub after the bullets starting flying…” but rather one the “economy” motels where you don’t have to spend too much.

The reason for that is because it doesn’t make sense to do Stateside shopping and then blow all the money you save on a hotel. But this time, I decided to splurge a little.

But it’s been a good month financially for me so I figured I would treat myself. On PR Marissa’s glowing recommendation, I booked a room at the Indigo Hotel in Amherst. Turns out the Indigo properties are owned by the folks at IHG who also own Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza and are something of a new age/spa concept hotel chain.

The lack of a bathtub was a little upsetting — I like to soak in a tub each night — but the indoor pool, on-site cafe, business center and fitness center more than made up for it.

Not to mention the room.

Ohhh… the room is wonderful. The pillows are a little too soft for my liking (I’m a “extra firm” type of girl) so I may have to take a stroll down to the front desk afterward and inquire about getting something. But everything else is bang-on amazing.

I’m off to explore more of the hotel — and of course to do some shopping.

in early

I strongly considered it and finally followed through. I left this evening and arrived in Buffalo – or rather the greater Buffalo area – a day earlier than I had planned. Yes folks, my long weekend just got longer!

Because of that, the hotel I had made reservations at didn’t have any rooms for tonight, so I’m hanging my hat in a surprisingly decent Motel 6. I remember staying here once or twice when it was a Marriott Fairfield Inn in a former life. It’s still a nice place.

The friend’s I’m traveling with – (they decided to come down for a weekend and I decided to tag along, but in my own car and room) – managed to get the room they wanted at “the other hotel” where I’ll be tomorrow night. (Except a blog post about that as I seem to be in the social media mood these days.)

My first thought, which turned out to be more of a pipe dream, was to hit up the Anchor Bar for some Buffalo wings. But sadly, by the time I would have driven all the way downtown they would be closing. (They’re only open late on weekends it turns out.)

The other downside to getting in late is that most large stores (such as Target and BestBuy) close at either 10pm or 11pm. So those places, like the mountain of Buffalo wings I’ve been craving, will have to wait until tomorrow. But the Walmart Supercenter on Transit Road is open 24 hours. And as luck would have it, that’s right down the road from here.

cp24 breakfast: what a train-wreck!

I’m sitting at my desk, watching a videotape (yes, people still use ‘em) of the new CP24 morning show, imaginatively titled CP24 Breakfast. It competes directly against CityTV’s increasingly awful Breakfast Television and the national Canada AM (The Canadian equivalent to the Today show.)

This new “Breakfast” is downright terrible. Okay, maybe not terrible. But it needs some work.

Melissa Grelo, who has potential, seems nervous and off her mark.  But I’m sure there’s room for improvement. (She has demonstrated in the past she’s a professional so I’m sure it’s just first day jitters.)  It’s nice to see Nalini Sharma back in the mornings doing weather. (The woman always looks fabulous.  I don’t know what her secret is, but I wish I rolled out of bed looking that good.) And of course Ann Rohmer is a constant professional in everything she does.  It’s also nice to see her back in the morning. (She was host of Breakfast Television before Liza Fromer.)

But cheese n’ crackers, man… what were the suits at CP24 thinking when they chose Matte Babel has co-host of their new show? The guy looks and sounds unprofessional.  (What’s the deal with that hat? Thanks for dressing up, Matte.) He was never that great on MuchMusic and he’s even more puzzling as morning show host.

And we’re not talking Conan O’Brien circa 1993 bad when folks said “Oh give him time and he’ll get better.”  No. That’s not going to happen.  Babel has been on TV for years now and still hasn’t hit his stride. I doubt that suddenly something profound is going to happen and he’s going to turn into Kevin Frankish overnight.

Honestly, if you watched this train wreck and actually thought it was good and that everything flowed perfectly, then you’re probably the type of person who was inspired by your high school gym teacher.

I don’t like to be too critical of media folks because I know how hard it is to work in that profession.  But really, couldn’t CP24 have done things differently?

After watching this, unless some changes happen, it’s a safe bet that “Breakfast” is one meal I’ll be more than happy to miss.

iThink that iMight get an iPhone

I was wrong, okay?  Let’s just save the “I Told You So” Dance and let me explain.

When the Apple iPhone launched in Canada in 2008, I was one of the folks who got to see it up close and personal.  I was even offered an introductory deal on it if I wanted to keep it.  But I passed.

Sure, it’s a neat little device. And with all the applications (called “apps” by the cool kids) and features and ability to take notes like a Blackberry, the iPhone truly is an “everything phone”.

But one of the things that turned me off of the iPhone when it came out (both in the U.S. and Canada) was the fact that everyone had to have it.  Including Kevin Smith and Lindsay Lohan.  (Although the latter is good enough reason not to get one.) Sure, it does a lot of things, but would you really line up for hours outside just to get it?

Now, nearly a year later, I’ll be the first to admit I may have been wrong about a few things. When my friend insisted that I try an iPhone again before I passed final judgment on it, I realized that maybe I had been a tad harsh on it. But I’m a PC girl and I don’t like Rogers Communications — two things that stand in the way of my getting my own iPhone. (It was then pointed out to me that Fido also offers an iPhone package and while Fido is owned by Rogers, it wouldn’t say Rogers on my monthly bill, so that’s little peace of mind.)

Thing is, now I’ve done a 180 degree turn and would consider getting an iPhone of my own,I have a year and a half left on my current cell phone plan before I can either upgrade or leave the provider all together.   I’m currently with Bell Mobility and am the proud owner of a Samsung Instinct — known in some circles as an Apple Eater or iPhone Killer.

I guess it’s good because it gives me 18 months to really think about it.

teena would be proud

Teena, of the blog It’s All About Me, has often written about being healthy.  Be it cooking sensible meals, walking to work or having the commitment to go to the gym.  Me, I blog about eating Buffalo wings and how tight my skirt feels.

However, as of late I’ve been having a change of heart.  While I still enjoy the idea of blogging about what meals I’ll eat, it doesn’t hurt to do something that’s good for me as well.

So I’ve been walking.  A lot.

I have somehow forced myself to plan out smart meals for the week and to go on walks every night when I get home.  Sometimes I’ll even surprise myself and take a half-hour walk around lunch too.

That of course means investing in a good pair of running shoes.  Sadly, my “sneaks” (or whatever the cool kids call them these days) aren’t up to scratch.  I’ve been using the same pair for years.  But before you turn up your nose in disgust, keep in mind that they really don’t see the light of day that much.  In fact, for the longest time one shoe was used to hold things in place (similar to the way a Mötley Crüe greatest hits CD is simply used to even out unbalanced table legs) while the other shoe was used for hitting things.

But now the time has finally come to try the healthy road instead of the “exra mayo and large order of fries” road that has been a very comfortable and well traveled path for me.

have friends, will travel

People who follow me on Twitter have already seen mentions of my so-called “upcoming North American tour” that is supposed to go down this spring.

I’ve mentioned such bustling cities as Ottawa and Montreal with the possibility of New York City and of course a return home to Jersey being tossed in too.

In fact, my road trippin’ adventures get underway this weekend as I plan to shove off to Buffalo for a few days of somewhat work-related mirth and merriment.  But that’s only one of the stops on my so-called North American Tour.

I’ve been rather ambiguous about where else I’ll be going — hinting only that there are three “surprise cities” being added to my travel itinerary.  Truth is, I wanted to wait until I was 100% sure of what’s going on.

And now, I know. (And knowing is half the battle.)

Thanks largely in part to my ability to be a third wheel when it comes to friends who travel, I’ve latched myself on to a very exciting opportunity.  Two close friends are heading out this spring and I’m lucky enough to go along for ride. Nailing three places that I’ve always wanted to go to, but never had the chance — until now.

So where will I go?  How long will I be away?  Will I pack enough clean socks for my trip?

Here’s the skinny: (which when you consider one of the places I’m going, is a rather ironic word to use.)

• All three cities are close enough to drive to (but not from Toronto)
• They are all Wrestlemania host cities
• All three are the biggest cities for their respective states
• So yes, I will be visiting three separate states too

I guess you could say I’m still being a little vague about where I’m going, but I figure I’ll tease the idea for a little while longer before I officially make the announcement.  (You can also guess by leaving a comment.)

And yes, I will blog and “tweet” from the road.

the road to recovery

We all learned something yesterday.  And that is “I’m not as young or as able as I was ten years ago.”  Honestly though, my abilities to enjoy a good old fashioned pub crawl pale in comparison to my efforts from just five years ago.

Friends and colleagues donned green and took the streetcars and subways as we hit various pubs throughout the city.  Sadly, our whole 12 pubs in 12 hours thing didn’t work out too well.  Couple that with the whole “one pint, per pub” and you can understand why my friend’s couch seemed like a good place to head next by the time twilight rolled around.

Although to our credit, we did manage to visit eight pubs.  We started bright and early (at 11:00am sharp) on the west side at the Foggy Dew and worked our way eastward, with a slight detour north that allowed us to visit Mick E Fynn’s across from the old Maple Leaf Gardens.  However the place we went to last – sometime around 6:30 – a quiet little place in the Beaches on Queen Street East, was more of a “plenty of water/recovery” pub than another one of the list of green beer watering holes.

As much as I wish I could reclaim my youthful days of squeezing into my schoolgirl/St. Paddy’s day kilt (which by the way was a spur of the moment purchase back in 1996 and has nothing to do with actually attending a real Catholic private school) I realize now that I’m older, and probably not wiser as I seem to think I’m back in my twenties every time a holiday like St. Patrick’s Day rolls ’round.  Sadly, that’s just not the case.

So next year, when March 17th comes up, I can safely say that while I will enjoy a pint of green brew with friends, we certainly won’t be crawling our way around town again.

notice anything different?

Yeah, I figured in keeping with the whole “getting started early” thing and getting caught up in the rush of St. Patrick’s Day which falls on Tuesday, I would give my site a slight makeover.

In case you still haven’t figured it out — which means you don’t notice the little things in life or you are one of those people who REALLY got started early — the banner has been changed from it’s normal colors and font is now green.

I chalk it up to doing my part the way the city of Montreal paints the dividing line on Saint. Catherine’s Street green for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.  After all, I already have the red hair, so I just blend in with everyone else who decides that tomorrow, everybody’s Irish! Even comedy writers the Shark Guys have fail safe tips for getting into the St Paddy’s Day spirit.

The normal site layout will return once the green beer is gone and the headaches have subsided.

UPDATE: The normal layout has returned now, but traces of green beer and hangovers still remain.  Will update soon.

got started early

With such nice weather on Sunday, a few friends and I decided to get an early start on the whole green beer at a local Irish pub thing.  Even though the real St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, I figured I would give St. PRACTICE Day a shot.

As the luck of the Irish would have it, Pogue Mahone Irish Pub on College Street was making merry with revelers from the nearby Yonge Street St. Paddy’s Day parade, so we stopped in for a lunch a (few) pint(s).

Much to my disappointment, the majority of the idiots people in the pub didn’t have green beer.  And they call themselves party-goers.  How can something like this happen?  It’s not as if the bar wasn’t obliging those who asked for it.

Seriously.  Anyway, it’s not as if green beer is a mystery or anything.  Five drops of food coloring will change any blonde pint into a green brew that would make Saint Patrick himself proud.

Except for this sorry excuse for a second round where the bartender seemed to mistake me for one of the boring people and only slightly tinted my beer.

But all in all, it was a good day – and it got us in the spirit for Tuesday, which as luck would have it, will be very above seasonal which makes for perfect pub crawling weather.

sweet home chicago?

You can add the City of Chicago to the list of places I would consider moving to if the opportunity ever came up. (But no, to crush any rumors and to make sure friends and family don’t have heart palpitations when they read this, I am not planning on moving any time soon.)

I was having a late-night discussion with a friend the other day about what places we would live if we ever had to move away from Toronto to start something fresh.  Naturally, back home to Jersey was my first vote.  And of course Ottawa, which I loved living in back in the summer of 1997 – albeit for only six months.

But after having visited The Windy City – and loving every minute of it – and having seen some of the neighborhoods (NOT the South Side) the possibility of calling Chicago home is not so far-fetched.

Lincoln Park is a really nice part of town and probably the area I would want to live in.  Not too far from the downtown, accessible by L-Train with nice people, lots of nice restaurants, local supermarkets and even a White Castle a few miles away.  And it’s right down the road from Wrigley Field.  So I guess I’d be a Cubs fan.

At 34 years old, I’m not sure if I have it in me to start something new in a new city.  But often times, people do make that choice – and it’s a lot more hectic for them later on in life because it’s not always something they want to do.

Problem is the newspapers in Chicago aren’t doing so well these days.  And journalism is my bread and butter – although I have been in a digital newsroom (editing on-line features) as of late and I do rely heavily on freelance work too, so I guess things could be worse.

And I know that one day I probably will have to settle down, so why not take advantage of being young enough and not tied down to anyone or anything at the moment? Do you see the conflicting thoughts in my head these days?

Don’t get me wrong, I like Toronto a lot.  (Even with all the problems)  The city has been good to me and I know I would miss it.  But I’m also a writer – and the in the heart of a writer lies the spirit of a traveler.

gaga for lady gaga?

Would you believe up until this morning, I had no idea who Lady GaGa was?  If you had told me there was a grown woman who goes by that name, I would assume she’s either a professional wrestler or a stripper.

Turns out she’s neither. (At least not yet.) She’s a singer. And she has a song called Poker Face. Yes, as shocking as this may seem, I knew nothing about this. (Nobody clears anything with me anymore.)

After getting a quick recap of who Lady GaGa is, courtesy of a colleague of mine, turns out that I’d actually heard the song before, but of course had no clue that Ms. GaGa was the person behind it.  It’s something you hear in the background when you’re shopping at Dynamite or LeChateau — which, despite being 34, I still do from time to time.  (What can I say?  They have satin skirts.)

Well, I’ll just add this little nugget to the ever growing basket of examples of how old I’m getting and how out of touch I am with what “the cool kids” listen to.

Here’s the video so you too can have “can’t read my, can’t read my, no he can’t read my p-p-p-p-poker face” stuck in your head all weekend too.

watchmen was great

Despite a rather large turnout, we managed to get in to see the midnight screening of Watchmen last night.  And we had excellent seats. (Always a bonus when seeing a movie in a crowded theater.)

I personally loved it. Certain scenes were shot-for-shot right out of the comic itself.  But I’m someone who has read the graphic novel and has been a fan of the series, so for me it was what I expected it to be.  But to someone who has never heard of the Watchmen and figured they will see the movie for fun, that’s a different story.

I hate to side with critics out there, but if you haven’t read the graphic novel or aren’t an open minded geek, you will most likely be either bored or confused or both.  That of course will probably hurt the film’s chances of getting the mainstream recognition it deserves.

Visually, the film is a masterpiece.  Story-wise, it’s dead-on — and that’s only with the theatrical release.  Warner Bros is already planning a 191 minute director’s cut for release some time in July.

Now I can just enjoy the rest of my Friday — which had a rough start on account of only getting a few hours sleep after getting home at 3-something in the morning.  (A nearly three hour movie will have that effect on people.)

But since the weather is nice, I might as well make the most of it.

(Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.)

watchmen midnight screening

A few of us have decided to do the “comic book movie thing” and see a midnight screening of Watchmen tonight. (Most comic book movies have midnight screenings the day before they open.)  I was offered the chance to see a pre-screening of it through some colleagues of mine, but I passed.  Something like this is meant to be seen on the big screen with fans who really appreciate it.

For those who don’t know, Watchmen is based on the best selling, most critically acclaimed graphic novel of all time.  And yes, it’s a superhero movie.  It’s set in an alternate 1985 and from the looks of things, is going to be awesome.

I’ve been waiting for years for this movie — there has been a lot of behind the scenes hassle to get it made to the point when everyone wondered if it would ever get done — but finally I get to see the comic come to life.

late night with jimmy fallon night #2

Just finished watching the second episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and I have to say I’m really impressed. (I couldn’t sleep and besides, I wanted to see how the second night would play out.)  Tonight’s show was leaps and bounds ahead of the first show.

Fallon seemed much more relaxed and in his element. Even his comedy bits (a short one poking fun of Facebook status updates) went over pretty well. And watching him chat with guests Tina Fey and Jon Bon Jovi, he looked right at home.

I’m glad to see things working out for Jimmy.  As I said in my take of the first show, he seems like a nice guy and he truly believes in the show he’s doing, so to be fair everyone should give him a chance.

And let’s not forget, it took how many years before America warmed up to Conan when he first started?  I’d say Jimmy already has the potentinal, he just needs to keep bringing his A-Game and make the show his own.

i’ve got to get out of this place

I’ve never been one of those people who complains about the winter to the point that I actually go as far as to book a flight and haul my ass out of town for Spring Break before — but I’m seriously thinking about it this year.

Having worked in newsrooms and covered the “local” beat a few times, I’ve witnessed the legion of morons people who all book their Spring Break vacations at the same time and then end up sitting around Pearson International waiting for flights that are inexplicably overbooked, canceled, delayed, whatever.  All because they just had to leave Toronto and get away from the winter weather.

late night with jimmy fallon

I figured in all fairness, I would sit down and give the new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon a shot.  Without even watching it, I knew what to expect.  I’ve never been the world’s biggest Jimmy Fallon fan.  In fact, I think I stopped drinking Pepsi for a while when those annoying commercials with him and Parker Posey were all over the place.  But he seems like a alright guy, so I figured what the hell — I’ve watched worse things at twelve thirty in the morning.

After all, I said I wanted to be fair.  The same way I did for Conan O’Brien when he first started.  And I must say, while Fallon was up to his usual tricks and trademarks – a little jumpy and nervous – he did a pretty good job.

The show was slick and polished looking and had a drastically different feel than Conan’s version did.  And bringing out Van Morrison and Robert DeNiro as guests was a nice touch too.  I could have done without Justin Timberlake though.  (And it was nice to see Conan make a quick appearance as a symbolic passing of the torch, the way Letterman did for  him 16 years ago.)

In my old age of 34, I don’t know honestly know if I can do the whole ‘late night’ thing anymore.  In college is was one thing, but now, I’m thankfully that God invented PVRs.  But it will be interesting to see what Fallon does with the show from this point forward.  And of course to see what Conan will do with Tonight Show.

ann coulter is what’s wrong with america

I had the misfortune to catch a few clips from the recent CPAC where right-wing nut-job Ann Coulter took the opportunity to turn her speech into a one-woman comedy show taking shots at the president and the Democrats.

I don’t want to turn this into a political rant or anything – you can read the article and see for yourself – but I honestly believe that people like Coulter are what’s wrong with America.   She will say anything just to keep her name in the press, even at the expense of the President who is trying to fix the mess we’re all in after the last eight years.

It’s cheap-shots and in-fighting that create animosity between Republicans and Democrats.  Can’t someone just have political beliefs without being made fun of or insulting someone else?

Instead of just shutting her mouth and respecting the President as every American who loves their should (Lord knows I was NOT a fan of George W Bush, but there was still respect for him and title he held)  there’s Coulter stirring the pot and hoping to sell more of her propaganda books.

For a good laugh, watch how she gets her ass owned by the CBC during an interview.

it’s not delivery – and it’s not fooling anyone

With nothing better to do the other night and still on the road to recovery, I decided I would finally put to test that long standing slogan from Kraft for their Delissio frozen pizza (Known as DiGiorno pizza in the United States)  The promise they make in their annoying commercials is “it’s not delivery it’s Deslissio/DiGiorno“. Meaning of course that you as a pizza connoisseur, will not be able to tell the difference between the stuff Pizza Hut brings to your door, and the frozen pie Kraft offers you.

I always figured if this claim is true, then you, as a legally retarded person, think reality shows are real, professional wrestling is a sport, are shocked every time Darth Vader tells Luke “I am your father” and believe that Sarah Palin was a good choice for the Republican party.

After all, I was born and raised in New Jersey – and there’s one thing Jersey Girls know,it’s pizza.

A trip to the grocery store and seven dollars later, my pizza had “arrived.” Please note the triangle hole in the box showcasing all the meat you will find on the 3 Meat Pizza.  (Yes, because nothing says “butcher-fresh goodness” like shrink-wrapped mini meatballs and half a sausage slice.)

So my “at home” adventure begins. I preheat the oven and remove the Delissio pizza from its box.  I kept thinking that maybe I should ring the doorbell, just for effect.  (I was saddened to learn the box does not open with a flip-top the way a real pizza delivery box as seen in the commercials.)

In the oven the pizza goes, cooking for some astronomical amount of time in which I probably could have ordered pizza from various pizza places and had the steaming hot pies arrive and eaten them before the only-slightly-larger-than-a-dinner-plate pizza in my oven was ready.

After what seems like forever, the pizza is finally cooked…

Okay, I’ll say this much about it;  it wasn’t bad at all.  Consider that I paid less than $10 for it, I was only cooking for myself and I honestly didn’t feel like doing the whole delivery thing, Delissio scores “above average” in my books. Then again, I really haven’t had frozen pizza since I was a starving student back in 1995, so my basis for comparison is a cross between “limited” and “fuzzy”.  Still, Delissio was better than I remember most frozen pizzas being.

Would I get it again? It’s fair to say that I would. Did I start a fight with my fellow Italian stereotypes over their stubborn refusal to believe it’s not delivery or let some nerdy kid dressed up as a pizza guy into my swank party because he made me think that some frozen pie was actually from a real pizzeria?  No.

bell canada bends me over – one tweet at a time

I was all happy because as a  Bell Mobile customer, it appeared that finally the day of being the Dog instead of the Hydrant had arrived.  With the popularity of iPhone and all the applications you can get, Rogers seemed to own the smartphone market.  But then Bell struck back.  They became first (and currently the only) mobile provider to offer SMS Twitter updates — something Rogers and other Canadian mobile providers haven’t been able to do since Twitter stopped offering the service to Canadians.

So naturally, I stuck it in everyone’s face, singing the praises of MY mobile provider FINALLY caring about their customers and how much better Bell was than Rogers.  And so on.  (I’m sure you’re well aware of how the Victory Dance goes.  It looks especially good when done in leather pants, by the way…)

But like all good things, that came to an end – and pretty fast too.  It was announced on Wednesday that Bell Canada will be charging 15 cents for every Tweet sent via Text message and every Tweet received — even if your mobile plan includes unlimited text messages.

So where does that leave Samsung Instinct users like myself who subscribe to Bell?  Up the creek without a paddle. Bent over the kitchen sink like a goat in Greece.  Out of luck… (oh, hell, you get where I’m going with this one…)

Way to go, Bell.  Thanks for being a bunch of douche-bags.  And cheap ones too.

Rogers customers who own iPhones and Blackberries have since discovered the wonders of Twitterberry and similar applications that have been a smart way around the no SMS Twitter problem here in Canada. Bell, however, found a way to once again stick it to the customer.  Just when I thought they were finally “getting it” and actually respecting the people who line their pockets.

UPDATE: It seems that Bell has bowed to public pressure and now lets their subscribers use Twitter without any additional charges.  I received an email stating that Bell spokespeople have confirmed this, but I shall wait – or maybe find out for myself – just to be sure.

clean bill of health

So yesterday I did what I had to do in order to get the bottom of my “mysterious illness”:  I went to the doctor and discovered that I’m not actually dying. (From what I was told, I’m actually far from it – although it wouldn’t hurt if I got into better shape and maybe added more vegetables to my diet.)

Turns out I have Vertigo – a very common occurrence that follows flu-like illness and has something to do a viral infection. I honestly kinda tuned out after I heard what I wanted to hear and found out that I wasn’t suffering from some incurable disease.

What I have to do now is to continue to get as much rest as possible, not to overexert myself with work or other things that could cause strain and to just wait it out.  The final remaining traces of Vertigo should clear up before the end of next week.

I never saw myself as one who overreacts when it comes to illness and automatically thinks the worst, but having a reoccurring dizzy sensation can sometimes play tricks on your mind.

fanboys movie in toronto? don’t hold your breath

There’s one movie I’ve been eagerly awaiting for the past two years and that’s Fanboys.  The story of a group of friends who desperately want to see Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace before it opens. (Apparently they had no clue who Jar Jar Binks was at this point.)

The film grabbed my attention when both my sister and a friend’s brother showed me the trailer, knowing my full-on love for all things Star Wars. (Really, watch it right now and tell me you don’t want to see this movie.)  I was hooked and practically camped out in front of my local cinema awaiting the release.

Well, weeks became months and months became years – but finally Fanboys got its release.  And guess what? It’s not playing in Toronto.  Hell, it’s not even playing in Canada.

It’s playing at “select cinemas” in a “limited release” with more screens being added as the weeks go on.  But still, the biggest city in Canada ends up with squat? That doesn’t seem fair to me.  Russia, Iceland and Singapore of all places have releases lined up, but nothing here yet.  And what really pisses me off is the fact that there’s a big enough fan base here of people who want to see the movie.

At this point I might as well just wait for the Blu-Ray.

But I shouldn’t have to.  I’ve waited for two years for this movie.  And now I’m told that I have to email the Weinstein Company and suggest that the film be released here?  There was a tease that Toronto was on the February 20th release list, but it turned out to be false.  In fact, one of the film’s writers saw my Twitter posting and emailed me to ask where I heard that.  Again, it was confirmed to be nothing more than a rumor.

So I sit and wait for Toronto finally get a Fanboys screening. Or at least one to come to Buffalo or a nearby city.  I’ve waited this long, what’s another few months?

stop trying to make “rappies” happen, rick

I was doing something the other day that I don’t normally do – and that’s listen to 1010 CFRB-AM.  Don’t get me wrong, I like Bill Carroll and (most of) his opinions, and on a good day I can stomach John Moore, but the chance of hearing one of their bush league reporters bumble through another newscast has me avoiding the station at most times.

Be that as it may, I happen to catch a sports report from Rick Hodge who last year joined Carroll in the morning.  And what should grab my attention? His use of the word “Rappies“.

Now, at 7-something in the morning, I’m not the sharpest crayon in the box, so it took me a few seconds before I figured out what Hodge was talking about.  He meant “The Raptors” — as in the National Basketball Association team that has been playing in this city for something like 14 years now. If they were going to coin a nickname, it would have happened by now.  And it sure as hell wouldn’t be “Rappies”

See, what Hodge was trying to is what every journalist dreams of doing — and that’s coming up with a nickname for a team or sports building that sooner or later, everyone will use.  (Kind of like how in Chicago, US Cellular Field is called “The Cell”, or the Dunkin Donuts Center is called “the Dunk”.)  Montreal Gazette columnist Jack Todd tried it years ago.  He tried calling the then-named Molson Centre “the Keg” – until a certain steakhouse told him to get a clue (or cease and desist – whatever it said on the lawyer’s letter.)

Turns out after asking around, Hodge has been trying to make “Rappies” happen now for some time – but I don’t think it’s working.  And it certainly sounds dumb. Reminds me of that scene in Mean Girls when Gretchen Weiners is trying to make the word “fetch” happen to no avail until she is finally scolded by one of her friends

Way I see it, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. (But you should also know when to throw in the towel.)  Nickname creation isn’t for everyone.  Hell, I’m still trying to get everyone to call a certain Desperate Housewife “Eva Longwhoria.” (It’s slowly catching on, I tell ya.)

I can’t blame a guy for trying, but besides don’t the Raptors already have a nickname? Aren’t they called The Unlovable Losers The Dinos?