1

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

It's Friday

"Trick yourself into thinking it's Friday." No, it's really not working. But I felt happier when they gave me the cute little cupcakes.
Virgin America was outside several locations around Toronto, including Yonge and Dundas just beside the Eaton Centre, with yummy red velvet cupcakes. Casie Stewart says "Keep your eyes peeled for the team cause they’ve got 2,500 cupcakes AND 20% discount coupons. Plus, to upgrade your Monday a little more, listen to Z103.5 and call-in-to-win 100% off tickets! Amazing, I know. Maybe, just maybe we can trick you into thinking it’s Friday!"

Blood and Thunder Roller Derby

Cripes, that scares the crap out of me. Blood and Thunder All-Stars, this Saturday, December 4th at Downsview Park: The Hanger. The Toronto Roller Derby ladies will be joined by top talent from over North America in the last game of the season - a post season battle on wheels. Break out the new hosiery and grease those bearings.


"Taking advantage of visiting talent for the Blood and Thunder Magazine training camp, happening that weekend, players for this bout will be chosen from the top skaters attending the camp.  This bout will showcase all-star skaters from various derby leagues, including Montreal, Michigan, San Francisco, and of course Toronto.  This will be a gruelling challenge for the skaters, as competition will be high for a spot on one of the rosters.  Rumour has it that top derby coaches will be present, scouting for potential players for the first ever Roller Derby World Cup – tentatively scheduled for 2011, and to be hosted in Toronto by ToRD.
Bring your lawn chairs if you’ve got them, grab some friends, and head out to the Hangar for one last dose of hits and whips before the year ends! 
Doors open at 6:30 pm with the bout commencing at 7:30 pm.  Tickets can be purchased in advance from our ticket outlets for $12, online for $14, or at the door for $18."

A home filled with castles is my castle

Note: This column appears in the 12/2 issue of The Glendale Star and the 12/3 issue of the Peoria Times

We live in a modest home. It’s a considerable upgrade, however, from where we lived in New Jersey, which was a two-bedroom condo.

There was more storage than we had stuff when we moved in. This was great, as everything could be packed neatly away. As the years progressed, and we acquired more and more stuff, and my wife maintained her refusal to dispose of the stuff we already had, that extra space dwindled. Now, we have a child.

There is no more space. In fact, the walls are closing in. There is a trampoline in our dining room. Next to my side of the bed rests a multi-colored jumper thingee that our daughter no longer uses, which has a plastic sun on it that sarcastically smiles at me each morning as if to say, “Still here!” At the foot of our bed rests a plastic dinosaur castle. It has compartments for the dinosaur egg balls it came with—obviously—but now our daughter uses those compartments for other things, like my cell phone.

It has become an ongoing battle between my wife and I, which I am losing, as to why we keep acquiring so many things. Of course I want our daughter to have toys, it just seems that most of these toys interest her only upon their arrival, and then she moves on to other things. Were it up to me, we’d have a house full of only battery-less remote controls, which I could easily store away each night.

Last weekend we went to pick up a kitchen play set that was offered to us by a friend who was moving. I thought it was going to be one of those cheap, plastic Fisher Price toys, but it most certainly was not. Were it not downsized, I would prefer to it to our actual kitchen. I needed a screwdriver to dismantle it. It barely fit into the back of my car, and on our way home I openly wondered where we’d put it. “Don’t worry,” my wife said. “We’ll find a spot.”

That spot is now in our living room, next to the TV. It used to be the spot where our dog rested on his bed, but he has since, to his chagrin, been displaced.
As I was lamenting what new plastic wonders Christmas would bring, it suddenly dawned on me—why am I hung up about this?

For some reason, I have always fashioned our living quarters as, ideally, being ready for company. But 97-percent of the time it’s just us. When family is visiting, or when friends are over, it doesn’t even matter. Who cares? It’s not like we’re hosting wine and cheese parties. Although if we were, it would be fun to rest the caviar on the dinosaur castle.

For the time being, our daughter loves her new kitchen. Sometimes, we will drag the trampoline into the living room, because the best thing to do after cooking a fake pizza is to jump around on a trampoline.

I also realized that the best way to get her to play with the toys is to play with them myself. Now I’m the one scattering toys around. Apparently, she’s getting a wiffleball swing set for Christmas. I can’t wait.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Posters and Graffiti

The Toronto Dominion Centre construction site is protected by large sheets of plywood advertising the Cadillac Fairview 77 King Street revitalization project. Someone has added a stencilled image of a man drinking, his shirt says "section 8", as the advertising caricatures stare in his direction. That's just crazy.
Down the road I come upon some posters plastered to newspaper boxes. Rather ironically someone has covered over the poster which states "we got balls". 
This was of course related to the cross, slash and turkey posters which were plastered over the downtown core earlier this year. There was no writing on the old posters to say what they were about, besides the bowling references. Now the trashy advertising has been covered up and you can't tell what it is promoting. Because the advertisements are annoying I won't mention the name either.

Another poster was for a local superhero: Captain Euchre, from Tights and Fights dotcom. You can also check out Fantabulous Gal on the entertainment website.

Freedom Arches and the skating rink

I was so impressed that the City got the skating rink in Nathan Phillips Square ready in time for the Cavalcade of Lights that I went back to take a picture of it during the day. It was definitely less busy in the square than the previous night. The Freedom Arches hold the holiday lights and stars above the ice.

Friday, November 26, 2010

2010 Cavalcade of Lights

The annual celebration of cold stuff and the interesting building that is the "new" City Hall provides plenty of sparkling lights and fireworks, although due to the proximity of all those windows and buildings the fireworks aren't like the big, exploding starbursts - more like giant streamers of fire.
Fireworks signal the lighting of the Christmas Tree.
Starting way back in 1967 this, the 44th annual event, is squeezed into the areas that are still in one piece around all the construction in Nathan Phillips Square. The stage is set up right in front of the entrance to City Hall.
They got the skating rink ready for the nights party.
Jam packed Nathan Phillips Square.
Debbie Travis poses for pictures with fans.

Debbie Travis will start off the night from 5:30 to 7:00pm, then the lighting the Christmas Tree, followed by concerts, fireworks and finally the skating party. Debbie Travis was sponsored by Canadian Tire who gave out free hats and scarves while Debbie posed for photos with fans (the pictures were printed and given to the fans). Musical guests are Shawn Desman, Divine Brown and Sarah Slean. There was also a really cool trampoline performance by Haut-Vol see my YouTube video here.
You can see more pictures of the night's fun after the jump.








The Fire Guy does a great show after the concert and fireworks.



The Toronto Star was giving out free newspapers - most of which ended up scattered on the ground.

You can see my pictures of the 2009 celebration here.

I want summer back

Wind, ice, snow, it can't possibly get colder than this! Damn, even today my windows were frozen and I had to get out of my car and actually go into Tim Hortons. It's already time to think back over the gorgeous weather that we had this summer. A seagull flies beside the clothing optional beach that is known as Hanlans Beach in the photo at top while a game of volleyball goes on at beach volleyball central - Ashbridges Bay.
Ahhhhh, summer. See more hot pictures after the jump.


The dog days of summer spent hanging down at Cherry Beach, Harbourfront or Queens Quay.

Or maybe even taking your donkey for a walk during Toronto Horse Day.

And who can forget the girls of the Fight Network (seen at the Indy)?

Oh well - time to grab a beer - at Hooters.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Tis the Season to be Jolly

With December just around the corner, Thanksgiving just a brief memory, the Santa Claus Parade a Shrek  photo op from last weekend and the Cavalcade of Lights this weekend it's now time to embrace Christmas. You can't get away from it so you might as well tune your car radio to all Christmas Song stations and start to stock up on some booze. Just try to forget about all that white stuff that is coming our way.
The 2010 Cavalcade of Lights is scheduled for Saturday, November 27 from 7 to 10pm and a big part of the night, besides the concerts and fireworks, is supposed to be a skate party but I don't know if they will be ready with the ice. Ongoing construction has seen the replacement of a big chunk of their freezing system. Yesterday the rink was still concrete and they looked like they were testing the system to see if it works before they can even get started on the ice making. You may have to bring your roller blades if you want to do some skating.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

It's Bizarre

It doesn't have to be out of the park to be bizarre. Sometimes it is a fine line between funny and just a little odd or peculiar. Toronto has a few strange things going on out there. You can help me find them - post your comments or send me an email about interesting or bizarre stuff.

Some wacked out pics after the jump.
A goth zombie

A Buskerfest bubble machine in front of the Flatiron building

Sometimes art is bizarre. These characters are in a garden down at harbourfront. 

A Pink Bikini-Tini (which I liked) - who comes up with these names? I tried to get the bartender to wear the pink bikini but no luck.

I saw posters with Nyla Stormy in all these newspaper boxes. While it was a little strange it was when I got close to the fab box and saw a little cartoon that things got funny. PS I think this could be the Nyla.
Ha Ha, cartoon wangs.

This picture has graffiti and poster leftovers. The amount of staples in this pole is amazing, it's like S&M for wood.


Ya know, as much as I loved the plastic moose campaign you have to admit they are weird.

Bugs on a building

Get Paid To Promote, Get Paid To Popup, Get Paid Display Banner