It's a one-week return to the world of mashups for today's musical selection. I heard the Sklar Brothers use this last week...The Beatles meet Shaggy. Give it a shot, you'll be impressed.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
September 29, 2009
Most of what I post on here is my own ramblings, for my own pleasure. I love when you guys leave comments, and I feel like it adds greatly to the blog overall, but from time to time, I specifically ask for you participation. This is one of those times.
I mentioned in an earlier post how I was listening to Jay Mohr on the radio last week. He brought up an interesting topic of discussion that he put out to the audience in one blunt question:
Would you rather be the World Series MVP, or be in the Baseball Hall of Fame and never win the World Series?
Interesting question. Would you rather have that long lasting career that saw you as one of the game's greatest of all time, or would you rather reach the pinnacle of your sport (The World Series) and be the best at that time, while always being able to say you were part of the team that won the Series?
In essence, as Mohr put it: Would you rather be Ted Williams...or Scott Brosius?
Discuss below. You don't need to be a baseball fan, or even a sports fan to have an opinion on this. I hope this gets a good amount of discussion, I'm interested to hear your thoughts.
I mentioned in an earlier post how I was listening to Jay Mohr on the radio last week. He brought up an interesting topic of discussion that he put out to the audience in one blunt question:
Would you rather be the World Series MVP, or be in the Baseball Hall of Fame and never win the World Series?
Interesting question. Would you rather have that long lasting career that saw you as one of the game's greatest of all time, or would you rather reach the pinnacle of your sport (The World Series) and be the best at that time, while always being able to say you were part of the team that won the Series?
In essence, as Mohr put it: Would you rather be Ted Williams...or Scott Brosius?
Discuss below. You don't need to be a baseball fan, or even a sports fan to have an opinion on this. I hope this gets a good amount of discussion, I'm interested to hear your thoughts.
Monday, September 28, 2009
September 28, 2009
A movie trailer for The Shining...if it was a romantic comedy. Trust me...just watch it.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
September 27, 2009
Well, I just finished watching the 2-hour season premiere of The Amazing Race, and here are my initial thoughts, which are obviously pretty limited after just one episode.One of my favourite things is always the introduction of the teams, with a little explanation and video clip of them doing something sporty or outdoorsy, or relevant to who they are, along with a brief video chat with them. Tonight's introductions were great.
- The two brothers who are both gay, telling the story about how they came out to each other. "Hey, I'm gay." "No way! Me too!" "Get out!" "High Five!" The only logical next line in that conversation had to be "We should go on The Amazing Race."
- The token 'Dating On And Off' couple who are trying to figure out if they should stay together or break up. What on earth makes these people think that throwing themselves into a high-energy, high-pressure situation where they are likely going to fight and argue is the best idea for this sort of relationship...yet we always see it. Unfortunately, we won't get to see what's-his-name and what's-her-name-the-fiesty-Colombian anymore since they got eliminated. Shucks.
- Cheyne? There's a guy named Cheyne? Worst parents ever.
- When you're introducing the older couple in their fifties who met on the internet, clearly the logical choice is to show them enjoying each other's company...at archery? What the hell?
- I love that the Harlem Globetrotters are going by their court names, Flight Time and Big Easy. Awesome.
- The Yoga instructors were gone in the first 5 minutes after losing that license plate challenge, but I was disappointed because there was so much potential for this blog based solely on their opening interview. Did he really call it 'Yoga In The Hood'? Damn, that's spectacular. I could have shortened it to just call them YITH all season. And his closing remark (with dramatic pauses) was that they were going to be "Numero...Frickin'...U...No." Um, not so much. More like Numero Frickin' Last-o. Hope you enjoyed the set visit to that awesome scene from Grease.
- The Boston couple. Oh my god, where to I start with them? First of all, in the introductions, he's shown making a throat-slash gesture (always classy) and doing some lame-ass spin-kick. Then his wife says how he's "so smahhhht". Oh how I love a chowderhead accent. These guys are gonna be wicked ahhh-some. Then, when they're racing with YITH to find the final license plate to not get eliminated, and they find it first and run to the mat to give it to Phil, and then he starts trash-talking like they just won the challenge. "That's Right! That's Right, baby! Oh yeah!" Newsflash, Red Sox-fan...you just came 11th out of 12...you didn't win the Olympics. Then, later in the show, he does the throat-slash two more times! Have the producers not mentioned anything? NFL players get fined and suspended, and kids get kicked out of school, but this muscle-bound 'lawyer' thinks it's ok in a Reality TV show race? He even later went on to describe himself as 'cuthroat'. I'm not joking...he really did.
- I'm obviously rooting for Maria and Tiffany, although it's tough to watch Reality TV show producers edit the poker players to be the villains. I'm talking to you, Celebrity Apprentice! For those of you that think Maria and Tiffany are just two no-names, they are both very accomplished in the poker world. Maria Ho was the last woman standing in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, finishing 38th out of 6,358 players, and Tiffany Michelle was the last woman standing the following year in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, finishing 17th out of 6,844 players.
- Mika and Canaan win the award for weirdest named couple ever on the show, and I didn't think Kynt and Vixen were ever going to lose that one. Nice that he's a 'diamond in the rough' who doesn't want to have sex with her, but feels comfortable yelling at her non-stop as she's trying to herd ducks. (I bet that sentence has never before been spoken or written in the history of the English Language. Remember you were here.)- Glad to see Maria and Tiffany survive that first hour, and I like that they threw the non-elimination leg in on the first episode. I totally saw it coming though. It would have been a shocker had they not ditched a team at the start line. There's no way they were going to lose three teams in one night. Good analogy by Tiffany on the one-outer.
- The Sushi Roulette challenge was funny, and I couldn't stop laughing every time they showed the animated graphic and played the high-pitched Japanese voice saying "Eat the wasaaaaabi!"
- First season premiere in a long time that didn't have the teams bungee jumping off of a bridge, dam, cliff, or something. I'm sure it's coming soon.
- Any Reality TV contestant who says "Game On" at any time other than the start of the race/game/show should be given some sort of punishment.
Looks like the makings of a great season. As always, check out Josh Wolk's recap at EW.com tomorrow.
September 27, 2009
This week's musical selection is Jason Mraz. I know he has exploded onto the mainstream of pop music consciousness over the past year and a half, but I was first introduced to him about 5 years ago by my ex-girlfriend on a CD she had made for me. The first song I ever heard from him was an acoustic version of 'You and I Both', and I was hooked.
Now, with a record number of weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for 'I'm Yours' (72 weeks and counting!), and his duet with Colbie Caillat, 'Lucky' that was all over the airwaves this past spring and summer, everyone knows his music. He's a great singer-songwriter with a unique vocal style that's tough to duplicate.
The clip I'm giving you today is an acoustic version of 'The Remedy', which was a single back in 2002. I was never really a fan of the radio version of this song, but the acoustic version blew me away. Hope you enjoy it.
Now, with a record number of weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for 'I'm Yours' (72 weeks and counting!), and his duet with Colbie Caillat, 'Lucky' that was all over the airwaves this past spring and summer, everyone knows his music. He's a great singer-songwriter with a unique vocal style that's tough to duplicate.The clip I'm giving you today is an acoustic version of 'The Remedy', which was a single back in 2002. I was never really a fan of the radio version of this song, but the acoustic version blew me away. Hope you enjoy it.
September 27, 2009
Sorry for the lack of posts this week...it's been a rough week, but let's get back to normal, shall we?
- With the return of my favourite reality shows this month, you can expect to hear a lot more on Survivor, Amazing Race (premiering tonight, 2 hours!), and Top Chef. I was thinking of working some new shows into the mix, because some of the new fall lineup looks interesting, but other than Flash Forward, I haven't planned on anything yet. Flash Forward premiered last week, and while I recorded it, I still haven't watched it yet. It's supposed to be "The New Lost" and ABC plans on it snagging all of the Lost fans to keep them after the final season of Lost in 2010. On that note, only 4 months until Season 6! Jenn and Jeff, you two have to catch up on Season 5 before January (DVD is released December 8), because I don't want to have to make special posts for you guys since you are behind.
- Survivor is interesting so far. Russell certainly is a made-for-TV villain, and he's making people forget about Coach from last season faster than I ever could have imagined. I was pretty impressed how he found the immunity idol without any clues. That was pretty unbelievable. Yasmin is crazy, and what Reality TV show is any good without a little insanity? As always, Dalton Ross' recaps and Survivor Talk show with Josh Wolk are great to watch on the Friday following the show, but the highlight now has become Jeff Probst's blog. Here is a link to this week's blog from the host.
- Saturday Night Live was ok last night, and Megan Fox was surprisingly entertaining compared to what I expected of her. The accidental F-Shot during Biker Chick Chat was pretty funny...perhaps not the best impression for a new cast member to make on their first episode.
- Jay Mohr was guest hosting on the Jim Rome show again this week, so it was an entertaining radio show. He told a funny story about Megan Fox, actually. When he first met her, he noticed her tattoo of Marilyn Monroe on her left forearm, and joked, "That's so bizarre, because I have a tattoo of Joe DiMaggio on my right forearm." She just looked at him dumbfounded, and asked "Who's that?" So, let me get this straight, you're such a big Marilyn Monroe fan, that you had her tattooed prominently on your body...but you've never heard of the famous Hall of Fame baseball player she was married to?! She's beautiful...but really not that bright.
- The Sklar brothers hosted Jim Rome on Friday as well, and it was almost as funny as Jay Mohr. They had one line that just cracked me up, "Ed Hardy clothing looks like a clown had diarrhea in American Apparel." If you're on Twitter, follow the Sklar brothers at Twitter.com/SklarBrothers. You're guaranteed to get at least one good laugh every day.
- Congratulations to my friend Norm, who has made two straight cashes at our monthly HPA tournaments, and won one of them. I'm kind of embarrassed I brought him into the league since he's finished higher than me all three times he's played now!
- I had been seeing commercials for the new show, Glee, on Fox. I didn't think much of it, but a friend at work told me that I would enjoy it, and I trust his opinion, so I gave it a try this week. It was VERY entertaing. I recommend you give it a shot. I've embedded a clip below, and whether you give the show a chance or not, I recommend you watch the clip, because it is hilarious.
- With the return of my favourite reality shows this month, you can expect to hear a lot more on Survivor, Amazing Race (premiering tonight, 2 hours!), and Top Chef. I was thinking of working some new shows into the mix, because some of the new fall lineup looks interesting, but other than Flash Forward, I haven't planned on anything yet. Flash Forward premiered last week, and while I recorded it, I still haven't watched it yet. It's supposed to be "The New Lost" and ABC plans on it snagging all of the Lost fans to keep them after the final season of Lost in 2010. On that note, only 4 months until Season 6! Jenn and Jeff, you two have to catch up on Season 5 before January (DVD is released December 8), because I don't want to have to make special posts for you guys since you are behind.
- Survivor is interesting so far. Russell certainly is a made-for-TV villain, and he's making people forget about Coach from last season faster than I ever could have imagined. I was pretty impressed how he found the immunity idol without any clues. That was pretty unbelievable. Yasmin is crazy, and what Reality TV show is any good without a little insanity? As always, Dalton Ross' recaps and Survivor Talk show with Josh Wolk are great to watch on the Friday following the show, but the highlight now has become Jeff Probst's blog. Here is a link to this week's blog from the host.- Saturday Night Live was ok last night, and Megan Fox was surprisingly entertaining compared to what I expected of her. The accidental F-Shot during Biker Chick Chat was pretty funny...perhaps not the best impression for a new cast member to make on their first episode.
- Jay Mohr was guest hosting on the Jim Rome show again this week, so it was an entertaining radio show. He told a funny story about Megan Fox, actually. When he first met her, he noticed her tattoo of Marilyn Monroe on her left forearm, and joked, "That's so bizarre, because I have a tattoo of Joe DiMaggio on my right forearm." She just looked at him dumbfounded, and asked "Who's that?" So, let me get this straight, you're such a big Marilyn Monroe fan, that you had her tattooed prominently on your body...but you've never heard of the famous Hall of Fame baseball player she was married to?! She's beautiful...but really not that bright.
- The Sklar brothers hosted Jim Rome on Friday as well, and it was almost as funny as Jay Mohr. They had one line that just cracked me up, "Ed Hardy clothing looks like a clown had diarrhea in American Apparel." If you're on Twitter, follow the Sklar brothers at Twitter.com/SklarBrothers. You're guaranteed to get at least one good laugh every day.
- Congratulations to my friend Norm, who has made two straight cashes at our monthly HPA tournaments, and won one of them. I'm kind of embarrassed I brought him into the league since he's finished higher than me all three times he's played now!
- I had been seeing commercials for the new show, Glee, on Fox. I didn't think much of it, but a friend at work told me that I would enjoy it, and I trust his opinion, so I gave it a try this week. It was VERY entertaing. I recommend you give it a shot. I've embedded a clip below, and whether you give the show a chance or not, I recommend you watch the clip, because it is hilarious.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
September 24, 2009
Back in the mid-80s, when Eddie Murphy was huge, the movie The Golden Child came out. When it was first on video (yes...VHS), we used to watch it all the time. There was this hilarious scene in Nepal where Eddie Murphy puts on this big speech in front of these military guards, we called it the "Viva Nepal scene". There is this one guard who is making the most ridiculous face (see above) as he's smiling, and my friends and I would always crack up every time we saw it. I mean, 'have-to-stop-the-movie-we're-laughing-so hard-we're-crying' type of laughter. Now, we were 13 years old at the time, so it was understandable.(I'm not going to post the video on here, but you can watch it at this link. Forgive the Scandinavian subtitles, but it's all I could find. The key moment comes between 1:10 and 1:20)
Fast forward 23 years later to 2009, and any time in the past that I would reference that scene, nobody would know what the hell I was talking about, so I was wondering if it was just my childhood friends and I who thought it was funny. Then a few weeks ago, my friend Matt in Vancouver said something about The Golden Child, and I took a chance and threw out a "Viva Nepal!"...and he lost it! Finally, I found someone who could relate!
So we both tried to find screen captures from that scene, so we could use it somehow, but there was nothing to be found. I kind of forgot about it until a couple of days ago, a package arrived for me at work, and it was from Matt. I opened it up, and inside was a white T-Shirt with this on the front:
I let out an extremely loud laugh that had to be explained to my co-workers in adjoining offices. What a fantastic T-shirt! I called Matt and asked him how on earth he made it. He told me that he downloaded the movie, got a screen capture from that scene (which you see at the top of this post), and then got it made from a place where you can Obama-cize an image. How awesome is that?Huge kudos to Matt for a great surprise, and a great gift.
Viva Nepal!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
September 23, 2009
Wednesday was scheduled to be this week's cover version musical selection, but the new Foo Fighters single, Wheels, was released literally 10 minutes ago, so that obviously takes precedence.
September 23, 2009
Yesterday's post elicited quite a response, and the Comments section turned hostile, so I've decided to remove it. I know the tone in the original post contributed, and not to take away from the point, but this blog isn't about that. This is about laughing, and enjoying, and having a good time...and mindless babble about reality TV shows, or music, or condiments, or whatever the hell else is on my mind.
So on that note, let's get back to business, and enjoy the video below of a Real-Life Pac Man.
Real-Life Pac Man Terrorizes People - Watch more Funny Videos
So on that note, let's get back to business, and enjoy the video below of a Real-Life Pac Man.
Real-Life Pac Man Terrorizes People - Watch more Funny Videos
Sunday, September 20, 2009
September 20, 2009
You may be getting tired of hearing about them this week, but today's musical selection is Muse. I've already talked about the ultra-hyped appearance on the MTV VMA's last week, and the new album that came out on Tuesday, so they were the obvious choice for this week's featured artist.
I've attached two clips below. One is Starlight, my favourite single from their last album, Black Holes and Revelations. And the other one is Uprising, the single from the new album, The Resistance. Uprising is a great, catchy pop tune with a bit of an egde, and a feel of the the theme from Doctor Who resonating in the background somewhere.
My favourite part of the Uprising video is how lead singer Matt Bellamy plays the major guitar hook in the song. Every time it comes up, he throws the neck of his guitar upwards as if he's playing Rock Band and trying to go into Overdrive. (If you've played Rock Band, you'll have a good laugh.)
I've attached two clips below. One is Starlight, my favourite single from their last album, Black Holes and Revelations. And the other one is Uprising, the single from the new album, The Resistance. Uprising is a great, catchy pop tune with a bit of an egde, and a feel of the the theme from Doctor Who resonating in the background somewhere.My favourite part of the Uprising video is how lead singer Matt Bellamy plays the major guitar hook in the song. Every time it comes up, he throws the neck of his guitar upwards as if he's playing Rock Band and trying to go into Overdrive. (If you've played Rock Band, you'll have a good laugh.)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
September, 19, 2009
It's the annual tradition...September 19th...International Talk Like A Pirate Day (ITLAP). Don't believe me, check out the website.
So on that note, shiver me timbers matey, hope you enjoy the celebratory Pirate Keyboard pictured below.
ARRRRRR!
(Please keep all Comments in Pirate-speak)
So on that note, shiver me timbers matey, hope you enjoy the celebratory Pirate Keyboard pictured below.
ARRRRRR!
(Please keep all Comments in Pirate-speak)Friday, September 18, 2009
September 18, 2009
Ok folks, it's time to play "Which Piece of Furniture is More Awesome?"
A) The Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite Desk
or
B) The Scrabble Couch
Discuss below.
or
B) The Scrabble Couch
Discuss below.
September 18, 2009
Last week at the Toronto International Film Festival. Damn...I knew I should have gone this year...
(photos from www.justjared.com)
(photos from www.justjared.com)Thursday, September 17, 2009
September 17, 2009
When we were in Las Vegas this summer, before we were playing in our WSOP events, we were having a discussion of what it would be like to have certain pros sit at your table, and whether you would be intimidated by them or not. I had the opportunity to play with Phil Gordon at my table in the 2007 WSOP, and for this trip, both Tony and I had a number of big-name pros sitting at our respective tables, but the question still remained, who would intimidate you.
I’ve played enough tournament poker, and I’m confident enough in my skills, and I’m not super star-struck, that I’d like to think there aren’t many that would really intimidate me. Daniel Negreanu would be fun to have at your table, but the nature of his style of conversation would eliminate any intimidation or fear that you might have. Doyle Brunson is a living legend, and I would just want to bend his ear and thus wouldn’t be focused on the game, but that’s still not intimidating. If Shannon Elizabeth or Tiffany Michelle were at my table, I may be staring at them too much to even know what my hole cards are…but again, that wouldn’t really be intimidation.
I came up with 3 players who I thought would be intimidating if I had them at my table…who would make me nervous or apprehensive playing against them. First on the list is Phil Ivey, who I find intimidating based solely on his skill level and ability to know what to do in any given situation. Second is Patrik Antonius, who I can never get a read off of, and is an extremely skilled player. And third is Tom Dwan, but I amended that selection to only say that it would be intimidating in a cash game instead of a tournament, because of his utter fearlessness and my inability to put him on a hand based on his wide range.
I brought up this topic because I want to hear your thoughts on this. So what do you think?
Poker players, dealers, fans….who would YOU be intimidated to have sitting at your table if you were playing. List as many as you would like.
I’ve played enough tournament poker, and I’m confident enough in my skills, and I’m not super star-struck, that I’d like to think there aren’t many that would really intimidate me. Daniel Negreanu would be fun to have at your table, but the nature of his style of conversation would eliminate any intimidation or fear that you might have. Doyle Brunson is a living legend, and I would just want to bend his ear and thus wouldn’t be focused on the game, but that’s still not intimidating. If Shannon Elizabeth or Tiffany Michelle were at my table, I may be staring at them too much to even know what my hole cards are…but again, that wouldn’t really be intimidation.
I came up with 3 players who I thought would be intimidating if I had them at my table…who would make me nervous or apprehensive playing against them. First on the list is Phil Ivey, who I find intimidating based solely on his skill level and ability to know what to do in any given situation. Second is Patrik Antonius, who I can never get a read off of, and is an extremely skilled player. And third is Tom Dwan, but I amended that selection to only say that it would be intimidating in a cash game instead of a tournament, because of his utter fearlessness and my inability to put him on a hand based on his wide range.
I brought up this topic because I want to hear your thoughts on this. So what do you think?Poker players, dealers, fans….who would YOU be intimidated to have sitting at your table if you were playing. List as many as you would like.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
September 16, 2009
- I’m very happy that Jordan won Big Brother, but I’m not going to devote an entire post to it. To be fair, she really didn’t do much in the game, but she won at the final HoH when it mattered the most, and made the right decision on who to take to the final. I’m kind of bummed that Natalie won second place, and the $50,000 prize, but it’s better than her winning the half-million. I didn’t like the format of the finale, with the jumbled mess of everything that they had to do…it just looked like everyone was confused at all times. The pre-planned jury questions were ridiculous, and it changed the show that they weren’t able to speak freely as they questioned the final two, as they had been able to do in previous years. I wanted Natalie to have to deal with the fact that her “allies” couldn’t stand her anymore. Oh well, Congratulations Jordan…it’s tough to be upset about a feel-good story winning the grand prize.
- It’s been one month since I’ve had a Coke now. To be fair, I have had a Coke Froster from Mac’s after Lucas and I went for a nice long walk the other night…but I don’t think it counts.
- I’m already wearing out my new Jet album. Now the new Muse album came out yesterday—and it’s great!—and a new Weezer album next month, and the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits in November. Throw in the movie release of Where the Wild Things are next month (it’s only one month away!), and it’s shaping up to be an exciting fall. If you haven’t seen the amazing trailer for Where The Wild Things Are, check out my March 30th post. And how awesome is the cover of the new Weezer album?
- I was flipping around on TV the other day, and I came across Criss Angel’s show. I’m sorry, I’ve seen it before, and it’s just all so ridiculous. If you’re watching this show and actually believing that these ‘illusions’ are taking place in front of real people, I’m afraid I have very little hope for you. There is no way that these idiotic tricks are done without camera trickery and editing, and there is about a one hundred percent chance that anyone who is participating in ‘the trick’ or is one of the spectators…are all paid actors. It is absolutely idiotic to think anything otherwise. This is why this moron doesn’t do a live show, because he can’t do his “illusions” without the camera or the paid responses. And don’t even try to tell me that his show in Las Vegas, Believe, qualifies…because even though he stars in it, he doesn’t do magic! It’s all theatrics with Cirque Du Soleil. And do you know why he doesn’t do live magic? Because he can’t!
- I’ve mentioned a number of times on the blog here, how I love Swiss Chalet. Let’s be honest…who in their right mind doesn’t? I had dinner the other night at Swiss Chalet with my friend Norm, and when he plopped a giant pile of ketchup on his plate for his fries, I asked why he would choose ketchup over the always-delightful Chalet sauce. Norm proceeds to tell me that he likes them mixed together…so much so that he sometimes POURS THE KETCHUP IN THE CHALET SAUCE. (I’ll pause for you to get past the involuntary gagging and partial vomiting that most of you are experiencing right now.) Now, I have to ask, why on earth would you mix these 2 things together? I actually asked him later in the week, and his response was “I really enjoy the ketchup and chalet sauce as it swirls together forming a heavenly blend of two great tastes.” Yes…he actually said that. First of all, you can’t group ketchup and Chalet Sauce together as both being ‘great tastes’…you just can’t. Second of all…never mind…I can’t even talk about this anymore, it’s just so disgusting.
- It’s been one month since I’ve had a Coke now. To be fair, I have had a Coke Froster from Mac’s after Lucas and I went for a nice long walk the other night…but I don’t think it counts.- I’m already wearing out my new Jet album. Now the new Muse album came out yesterday—and it’s great!—and a new Weezer album next month, and the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits in November. Throw in the movie release of Where the Wild Things are next month (it’s only one month away!), and it’s shaping up to be an exciting fall. If you haven’t seen the amazing trailer for Where The Wild Things Are, check out my March 30th post. And how awesome is the cover of the new Weezer album?
- I was flipping around on TV the other day, and I came across Criss Angel’s show. I’m sorry, I’ve seen it before, and it’s just all so ridiculous. If you’re watching this show and actually believing that these ‘illusions’ are taking place in front of real people, I’m afraid I have very little hope for you. There is no way that these idiotic tricks are done without camera trickery and editing, and there is about a one hundred percent chance that anyone who is participating in ‘the trick’ or is one of the spectators…are all paid actors. It is absolutely idiotic to think anything otherwise. This is why this moron doesn’t do a live show, because he can’t do his “illusions” without the camera or the paid responses. And don’t even try to tell me that his show in Las Vegas, Believe, qualifies…because even though he stars in it, he doesn’t do magic! It’s all theatrics with Cirque Du Soleil. And do you know why he doesn’t do live magic? Because he can’t!- I’ve mentioned a number of times on the blog here, how I love Swiss Chalet. Let’s be honest…who in their right mind doesn’t? I had dinner the other night at Swiss Chalet with my friend Norm, and when he plopped a giant pile of ketchup on his plate for his fries, I asked why he would choose ketchup over the always-delightful Chalet sauce. Norm proceeds to tell me that he likes them mixed together…so much so that he sometimes POURS THE KETCHUP IN THE CHALET SAUCE. (I’ll pause for you to get past the involuntary gagging and partial vomiting that most of you are experiencing right now.) Now, I have to ask, why on earth would you mix these 2 things together? I actually asked him later in the week, and his response was “I really enjoy the ketchup and chalet sauce as it swirls together forming a heavenly blend of two great tastes.” Yes…he actually said that. First of all, you can’t group ketchup and Chalet Sauce together as both being ‘great tastes’…you just can’t. Second of all…never mind…I can’t even talk about this anymore, it’s just so disgusting.
September 16, 2009
It's Cover Version Wednesday, folks! Not much explanation needed for this one, except to say this is another reason why Dave Grohl is awesome.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
September 15, 2009
This is the next in my ongoing series of players from the poker room at the Brantford Casino. Today’s featured player is a crazy Romanian woman who has played there for years. I don’t know her name, but she’s in her mid-to-late 40’s, and I’ve played with her dozens of times over the years. She is one of the craziest people I have ever encountered…at a poker table or away from it. Since I don’t know her name, and she’s certifiably insane, she has become referred to as the Insane-ian Romanian, so for this post, I will call her the “The IR”.
One funny thing about The IR is that whatever level she’s playing, she’s always on another list, waiting to play another game. I have generally only played with her at the $5/10 game, and when she invariably loses piles upon piles of chips at the table, she repeatedly exclaims how she doesn’t care because she’s so wealthy, and should be playing at a higher level. This woman plays every hand, and plays top pair as if it’s the nut flush, regardless of what her kicker is, so it’s pretty easy to make a significant amount of money when she is at your table. Often she is there with her daughter as well, who is either roaming the casino floor playing something else, or playing poker at the $2/5 game. If The IR is at your table, and the daughter is in the building, you can count on repeated visits from her to visit her mom and ask for more money.
So, I’m at Brantford a few weeks ago, and I’m playing at the $2/5 table, and The IR is at my table. And apparently having some sort of mid-life crisis, because she now has Kool-Aid shaded pink hair streaks. She’s being her regular angry and belligerent self, yelling at the waitress at one point because she didn’t stir the honey well enough in her tea, and to take it back and bring her another one, “And do it right this time!” I’m serious…this is how she talks to people.
On this one hand, I have King-7 on a seven high flop, and she bets. I raise her, and she 3-bets me, so I just call. She bets the turn, which is a 9, and then when the river is a 3, she bets again, which I call. She proudly turns over 7-3 offsuit and yells “Ha!” when she sees my King-7. She bet all the way with a 3 kicker, gets lucky on the end, and then shoves it in my face as she stacks the $35 dollar pot. I just laughed because this is what she does, and you can’t let it rattle you, especially when she’s nuts.
So, about half an hour later, I have Jack-7 of hearts, and the flop comes Jack-Jack-six. She checks and I bet, a couple of callers in between us and then she calls as well. The turn is a King, and she bets out $5. I raise to $10, everyone folds, and she makes it $15. Could she really have Jack-King? She was in the small blind, and I was in the big blind, so she could have anything. I just called. The river is a 7, so I now have a full house. She bets out, and I say to her, “Do you have Jack-King?” She just shrugs and I say, “I should raise you here, but I just call.” She turns over Jack-six for a flopped full house, and I slam my cards down on the table and yell “POW!” to show my bigger full house. The table erupts in laughter because she had it coming after her “Ha!” suckout earlier.
She goes on and on as I’m stacking the chips, ranting in half-English and half-Romanian, I let her go on and on for a bit before leaning over to her and asking, “So…I guess a date is out of the question, then?” And again, the table had a good laugh., and she wasn't pleased.
The next hand is playing out as this is happening, and the flop was 3 diamonds, ace high. She’s betting the entire way, and on the river, a fourth diamond comes. My friend Norm raises her on the river and she calls, and immediately shows Queen-three of diamonds for a flopped flush. Norm stands up and looks across the table at her cards and then yells “POW!” and slams down the King of diamonds and some other random card, for the only hand that could beat her. We lost it. The guy between us is laughing so hard he’s actually crying.
I know it sounds a tad rude, but it was in response to the way she had been acting and the things she was saying. The IR was over the top, and if anyone deserved Back-To-Back Pows….it was her.
One funny thing about The IR is that whatever level she’s playing, she’s always on another list, waiting to play another game. I have generally only played with her at the $5/10 game, and when she invariably loses piles upon piles of chips at the table, she repeatedly exclaims how she doesn’t care because she’s so wealthy, and should be playing at a higher level. This woman plays every hand, and plays top pair as if it’s the nut flush, regardless of what her kicker is, so it’s pretty easy to make a significant amount of money when she is at your table. Often she is there with her daughter as well, who is either roaming the casino floor playing something else, or playing poker at the $2/5 game. If The IR is at your table, and the daughter is in the building, you can count on repeated visits from her to visit her mom and ask for more money.So, I’m at Brantford a few weeks ago, and I’m playing at the $2/5 table, and The IR is at my table. And apparently having some sort of mid-life crisis, because she now has Kool-Aid shaded pink hair streaks. She’s being her regular angry and belligerent self, yelling at the waitress at one point because she didn’t stir the honey well enough in her tea, and to take it back and bring her another one, “And do it right this time!” I’m serious…this is how she talks to people.
On this one hand, I have King-7 on a seven high flop, and she bets. I raise her, and she 3-bets me, so I just call. She bets the turn, which is a 9, and then when the river is a 3, she bets again, which I call. She proudly turns over 7-3 offsuit and yells “Ha!” when she sees my King-7. She bet all the way with a 3 kicker, gets lucky on the end, and then shoves it in my face as she stacks the $35 dollar pot. I just laughed because this is what she does, and you can’t let it rattle you, especially when she’s nuts.
So, about half an hour later, I have Jack-7 of hearts, and the flop comes Jack-Jack-six. She checks and I bet, a couple of callers in between us and then she calls as well. The turn is a King, and she bets out $5. I raise to $10, everyone folds, and she makes it $15. Could she really have Jack-King? She was in the small blind, and I was in the big blind, so she could have anything. I just called. The river is a 7, so I now have a full house. She bets out, and I say to her, “Do you have Jack-King?” She just shrugs and I say, “I should raise you here, but I just call.” She turns over Jack-six for a flopped full house, and I slam my cards down on the table and yell “POW!” to show my bigger full house. The table erupts in laughter because she had it coming after her “Ha!” suckout earlier.
She goes on and on as I’m stacking the chips, ranting in half-English and half-Romanian, I let her go on and on for a bit before leaning over to her and asking, “So…I guess a date is out of the question, then?” And again, the table had a good laugh., and she wasn't pleased.
The next hand is playing out as this is happening, and the flop was 3 diamonds, ace high. She’s betting the entire way, and on the river, a fourth diamond comes. My friend Norm raises her on the river and she calls, and immediately shows Queen-three of diamonds for a flopped flush. Norm stands up and looks across the table at her cards and then yells “POW!” and slams down the King of diamonds and some other random card, for the only hand that could beat her. We lost it. The guy between us is laughing so hard he’s actually crying.
I know it sounds a tad rude, but it was in response to the way she had been acting and the things she was saying. The IR was over the top, and if anyone deserved Back-To-Back Pows….it was her.
Monday, September 14, 2009
September 14, 2009
I watched the MTV Video Music Awards last night, and it was quite an eventful evening. It’s hard to believe the VMA’s have been around for 25 years now…I can still remember being 11 years old and watching Madonna perform Like A Virgin at the first awards ceremony and thinking “This is way better than the Grammys”. And to be fair, if you see Madonna rolling around the stage like that when you’re 11 years old, it’s going to be your new favourite awards show, too.
Madonna opened the show with a tribute to Michael Jackson. As a kid, I was a big Michael Jackson fan, and I was shocked to hear the news of his death in June (although I was trapped in a plane in Colorado Springs, so that made it significantly less dramatic at the time). I’ve tried to not address the Michael Jackson death/rumours/allegations topic on the blog because I’m not fully sure how I feel about it all. I will say, however, that while I can’t decide if I agree with what she said, Madonna’s tribute was very well-written, well-spoken, and poignant. The dance number that followed was enjoyable to watch, because it brought me back to a time when Michael Jackson was just a musician, and he truly was amazing. I did enjoy watching Janet Jackson perform…I mean lip-sync…Scream with the video wall of Michael at the same time. There was a great camera shot of Janet on the stage, and Michael on the screen over her right shoulder…both dancing it unison. It was a good moment.
Russell Brand is a good host for the show, but it sure would be interesting to hear what he would say if he could say whatever he wanted, don’t you think? His introduction put me off a bit, but only because of Joe Perry. I’m all for the splendour of a rocking version of We Will Rock You as an introduction, and I don’t even mind that they got Katy Perry to sing it…but if you need someone to play the guitar, why was it Joe Perry? Why not get Brian May to perform his own song? I was not a fan of MTV Aerosmith-izing a Queen song.
Lady Gaga certainly has a flair for the dramatic, doesn’t she? Independent of her theatrical performance of Paparazzi, which saw her ending up covered in blood and hanging lifeless on the stage (???), her outfits alone were enough to make me shake my head.
They sure made a big deal out of Muse’s performance as well. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a big Muse fan, and I’ve been waiting patiently for the new album (which is out tomorrow), but they built it up as this big “Introduction to America”, which I think is great. The new single was fantastic, and I hope all the hype around them will make them as big in North America as they deserve to be.
The funniest moment of the night was when Megan Fox and Adam Brody (or as 99% of men referred to him, “some random guy standing next to Megan Fox”) came out to introduce Green Day. First of all, Megan Fox looked so confused, and didn’t know when to start talking, until Brody leaned in to her and said “Just start talking”. THEN, as she’s reading her lines off of the teleprompter, Brody is standing beside her mouthing the words as she’s saying them and he’s reading along. Are you serious? This guy is supposed to be a professional actor! To be fair, The O.C. and Jennifer’s Body aren’t going to qualify anyone to sit across from James Lipton on Inside The Actor’s Studio, but you can’t have someone else say their lines without you moving your lips? Come on!
One of my favourite things about awards shows is the unexpected winner, and the complete and total shock you see from them when they had no idea that they could possibly win their award. Last night it was Taylor Swift, and while I’m not a country music fan in any way, it was nice to see how shocked and surprised she was, and how genuine she was when she began her speech. But then Kanye West decided to be the complete and total douchebag we all know he is, and jump on stage and interrupt her to declare that Beyoncé deserved the award. That was one of the most classless things I’ve ever seen. I know he has a history of doing crap like that, but it’s one thing to do it when you feel that you have been wronged (still 100% wrong), but even worse when you take up the cause for someone else like that. Did you see the look on Beyoncé’s face when he did that? She was embarrassed, for him, for her, for Taylor Swift.
When it came time for Beyoncé to give her acceptance speech at the end of the night for her award, I thought it was one of the classiest things I’ve ever seen when she asked Taylor Swift to come out on the stage and “have her moment” and complete her speech. Great to see the audience react the way they did, as well. A good turnaround to redeem a horrible situation.
Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable show…maybe a little over-the-top on the “We Love Michael Jackson” front, but musically speaking, he did deserve something on a grand scale for the career he had.
Did you watch? What did you think? Is Lady Gaga just a flash in the pan…or the new Madonna? What would you have done if you were Taylor Swift? Let me know in the Comments section.
Madonna opened the show with a tribute to Michael Jackson. As a kid, I was a big Michael Jackson fan, and I was shocked to hear the news of his death in June (although I was trapped in a plane in Colorado Springs, so that made it significantly less dramatic at the time). I’ve tried to not address the Michael Jackson death/rumours/allegations topic on the blog because I’m not fully sure how I feel about it all. I will say, however, that while I can’t decide if I agree with what she said, Madonna’s tribute was very well-written, well-spoken, and poignant. The dance number that followed was enjoyable to watch, because it brought me back to a time when Michael Jackson was just a musician, and he truly was amazing. I did enjoy watching Janet Jackson perform…I mean lip-sync…Scream with the video wall of Michael at the same time. There was a great camera shot of Janet on the stage, and Michael on the screen over her right shoulder…both dancing it unison. It was a good moment.Russell Brand is a good host for the show, but it sure would be interesting to hear what he would say if he could say whatever he wanted, don’t you think? His introduction put me off a bit, but only because of Joe Perry. I’m all for the splendour of a rocking version of We Will Rock You as an introduction, and I don’t even mind that they got Katy Perry to sing it…but if you need someone to play the guitar, why was it Joe Perry? Why not get Brian May to perform his own song? I was not a fan of MTV Aerosmith-izing a Queen song.
Lady Gaga certainly has a flair for the dramatic, doesn’t she? Independent of her theatrical performance of Paparazzi, which saw her ending up covered in blood and hanging lifeless on the stage (???), her outfits alone were enough to make me shake my head.
They sure made a big deal out of Muse’s performance as well. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a big Muse fan, and I’ve been waiting patiently for the new album (which is out tomorrow), but they built it up as this big “Introduction to America”, which I think is great. The new single was fantastic, and I hope all the hype around them will make them as big in North America as they deserve to be.The funniest moment of the night was when Megan Fox and Adam Brody (or as 99% of men referred to him, “some random guy standing next to Megan Fox”) came out to introduce Green Day. First of all, Megan Fox looked so confused, and didn’t know when to start talking, until Brody leaned in to her and said “Just start talking”. THEN, as she’s reading her lines off of the teleprompter, Brody is standing beside her mouthing the words as she’s saying them and he’s reading along. Are you serious? This guy is supposed to be a professional actor! To be fair, The O.C. and Jennifer’s Body aren’t going to qualify anyone to sit across from James Lipton on Inside The Actor’s Studio, but you can’t have someone else say their lines without you moving your lips? Come on!
One of my favourite things about awards shows is the unexpected winner, and the complete and total shock you see from them when they had no idea that they could possibly win their award. Last night it was Taylor Swift, and while I’m not a country music fan in any way, it was nice to see how shocked and surprised she was, and how genuine she was when she began her speech. But then Kanye West decided to be the complete and total douchebag we all know he is, and jump on stage and interrupt her to declare that Beyoncé deserved the award. That was one of the most classless things I’ve ever seen. I know he has a history of doing crap like that, but it’s one thing to do it when you feel that you have been wronged (still 100% wrong), but even worse when you take up the cause for someone else like that. Did you see the look on Beyoncé’s face when he did that? She was embarrassed, for him, for her, for Taylor Swift.When it came time for Beyoncé to give her acceptance speech at the end of the night for her award, I thought it was one of the classiest things I’ve ever seen when she asked Taylor Swift to come out on the stage and “have her moment” and complete her speech. Great to see the audience react the way they did, as well. A good turnaround to redeem a horrible situation.
Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable show…maybe a little over-the-top on the “We Love Michael Jackson” front, but musically speaking, he did deserve something on a grand scale for the career he had.Did you watch? What did you think? Is Lady Gaga just a flash in the pan…or the new Madonna? What would you have done if you were Taylor Swift? Let me know in the Comments section.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
September 13, 2009
This week's musical selection is World Outside by The Devlins. I discovered this song after listening to some other Devlins stuff, and fell in love with it before I found out it was used in Closer (the film with Natalie Portman, in the scene with Clive Owen in the strip club), or used for an HBO DVD promo for their shows (and used very well.)
The Devlins are a group from Dublin that recorded basically in the mid-to-late 90's. One of their songs, Waiting, was also used in the show Six Feet Under. They're not making music anymore, but one of the members, Colin Devlin, has put out a solo album and is still touring and recording. It's great music, I suggest you check it out.
The thing about World Outside, is that I truly believe it is the sexiest song ever. Combine the tempo, music, and lyrics of the song itself, the way it was used by Hollywood, and a tad of personal experience..it is #1 on my list. Which leads me to ask you...what is the sexiest song of all time? Sound off below in the Comments section, I'm interested to hear your choices.
But for now, enjoy this clip of World Outside (audio only)
The Devlins are a group from Dublin that recorded basically in the mid-to-late 90's. One of their songs, Waiting, was also used in the show Six Feet Under. They're not making music anymore, but one of the members, Colin Devlin, has put out a solo album and is still touring and recording. It's great music, I suggest you check it out.The thing about World Outside, is that I truly believe it is the sexiest song ever. Combine the tempo, music, and lyrics of the song itself, the way it was used by Hollywood, and a tad of personal experience..it is #1 on my list. Which leads me to ask you...what is the sexiest song of all time? Sound off below in the Comments section, I'm interested to hear your choices.
But for now, enjoy this clip of World Outside (audio only)
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
September 10, 2009
Just a few more Random Thoughts...
- I was reading a story yesterday that I found astounding. The internet service in parts of Africa is so slow that they ran a test to see what would be faster, an electronic transfer of data, or a data card strapped to a carrier pigeon. The pigeon won. Click here to check out the story.
- Look what album is being released on November 3rd. I'm quite excited to say the least. Greatest Hits plus 2 new tracks! And a limited edition 2-disc set.
- Less than a week of Big Brother left. If Natalie doesn't get evicted on tonight's episode, I'm going to be furious.
- We got this album through work this week, another in a long line of lullaby albums featuring the music of pop or rock artists. But let's be honest...is this really the best name for this album?
- The season premiere of Saturday Night Live is coming up on September 26th, and the host is Megan Fox, with U2 as the musical guest. Should be good, and gives me an excuse to post this picture of Megan Fox.
- I'll leave you with two great quotes that I read this week:
1) Poker is a game of skill until the poker gods shit on you.
2) A Friend with Benefits is like a unicorn that craps cupcakes. Fun to imagine, but not real.
- I was reading a story yesterday that I found astounding. The internet service in parts of Africa is so slow that they ran a test to see what would be faster, an electronic transfer of data, or a data card strapped to a carrier pigeon. The pigeon won. Click here to check out the story.
- Look what album is being released on November 3rd. I'm quite excited to say the least. Greatest Hits plus 2 new tracks! And a limited edition 2-disc set.
- Less than a week of Big Brother left. If Natalie doesn't get evicted on tonight's episode, I'm going to be furious.- We got this album through work this week, another in a long line of lullaby albums featuring the music of pop or rock artists. But let's be honest...is this really the best name for this album?
- The season premiere of Saturday Night Live is coming up on September 26th, and the host is Megan Fox, with U2 as the musical guest. Should be good, and gives me an excuse to post this picture of Megan Fox.
- I'll leave you with two great quotes that I read this week:
1) Poker is a game of skill until the poker gods shit on you.
2) A Friend with Benefits is like a unicorn that craps cupcakes. Fun to imagine, but not real.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
September 9, 2009
Here is this week's cover version, Music by Out of Your Mouth. I bet most people wouldn't even recognize this as a Madonna song...
September 9, 2009
There are very few things in this world that make me very happy, but Jennifer Connelly looking smoking in a little black dress on Jimmy Kimmel last night is one of them...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
September 8, 2009
- First day of school for Lucas today! I can't believe he's in Grade 3 already...it seems like just yesterday I was taking him to his first day of Junior Kindergarten.
- Top Chef premiered last night on Food Network in Canada. I was pretty upset a few weeks back when it premiered in the U.S., but wasn't being shown simultaneously here in Canada, as they had done in previous seasons. I was worried that they weren't showing it at all, but then I found out it was 3-4 weeks behind, so it's better than nothing. I enjoyed the first episode, and the Las Vegas setting is obviously great having just been there. Looking forward to a good season.
- I hate Big Brother right now. Can't stand that Natalie is HoH and waltzing around like she owns the place. I'm so mad I don't even want to talk about it.
- Survivor starts next week and Amazing Race the week after that. For those of you that started reading over the summer, get used to me rambling on incessantly about TV shows. The summer is a down-time...trust me.
- My friend Phil went to the CNE last week and told me that they were selling Chocolate Covered Bacon. Then, 2 days later, my friend Matt in Vancouver tells me that he made some...and sent me pictures. Ok, first of all...chocolate covered bacon sounds absolutely disgusting. Second of all...it looks even worse. And third of all...are you seriously going to pay $5.00 for a piece on a hot day in August? Your thoughts? Sound off in the comments section below.
- An update on my Coke Zero trial for those of you who were following along. I tried only Coke Zero for the full week, and to those of you that told me that I wouldn't taste a difference after a week or so...you're all LIARS! It was just as nasty at the end of the week as it was in the beginning, and I decided that it was not an option as a suitable replacement for Coke if I'm trying to cut down, or cut it out. So I turfed it, and will likely never drink it again. However, the good news is that I still haven't had a Coke yet, and it's been three full weeks now. I'm craving it, but I've been able to hold off. We'll see how long that lasts. I've been drinking more water, and Gatorade, but trying to cut soda out as a whole. This is my 'quitting smoking' for all of you smokers out there...and I'm trying. I'll update you...
- Top Chef premiered last night on Food Network in Canada. I was pretty upset a few weeks back when it premiered in the U.S., but wasn't being shown simultaneously here in Canada, as they had done in previous seasons. I was worried that they weren't showing it at all, but then I found out it was 3-4 weeks behind, so it's better than nothing. I enjoyed the first episode, and the Las Vegas setting is obviously great having just been there. Looking forward to a good season.
- I hate Big Brother right now. Can't stand that Natalie is HoH and waltzing around like she owns the place. I'm so mad I don't even want to talk about it.
- Survivor starts next week and Amazing Race the week after that. For those of you that started reading over the summer, get used to me rambling on incessantly about TV shows. The summer is a down-time...trust me.
- My friend Phil went to the CNE last week and told me that they were selling Chocolate Covered Bacon. Then, 2 days later, my friend Matt in Vancouver tells me that he made some...and sent me pictures. Ok, first of all...chocolate covered bacon sounds absolutely disgusting. Second of all...it looks even worse. And third of all...are you seriously going to pay $5.00 for a piece on a hot day in August? Your thoughts? Sound off in the comments section below.
- An update on my Coke Zero trial for those of you who were following along. I tried only Coke Zero for the full week, and to those of you that told me that I wouldn't taste a difference after a week or so...you're all LIARS! It was just as nasty at the end of the week as it was in the beginning, and I decided that it was not an option as a suitable replacement for Coke if I'm trying to cut down, or cut it out. So I turfed it, and will likely never drink it again. However, the good news is that I still haven't had a Coke yet, and it's been three full weeks now. I'm craving it, but I've been able to hold off. We'll see how long that lasts. I've been drinking more water, and Gatorade, but trying to cut soda out as a whole. This is my 'quitting smoking' for all of you smokers out there...and I'm trying. I'll update you...
Monday, September 7, 2009
September 7, 2009
This is why it is critical to always use spellcheck. Last week I inadvertently listed a link to this blog at http: //sfurfaro.blogPSot.com, and that simple little transposition of letters led my readers to this page. (screen cap below) Sorry to those of you who were confused and thought that there was a shift in focus here. Rest assured it's still TV, poker, music, and ranting.
September 7, 2009
The restaurant at the casino in Brantford recently changed their menu, and they've added a bunch of new items. Whenever I would order food there, I would have to decide between the all-day breakfast, the open-faced chicken sandwich, the steak sandwich, or sometimes just a steak. But now, they've introduced a new item, and I can't order anything else.
It's called the Back Bacon BLT, and it has nice thick peameal bacon, topped with cheese, lettuce and tomato, and slices of crispy bacon, on a nice soft ciabatta bun. Yes...you heard that right, bacon ON bacon. I've had it a few times and always recommend it to people. Seriously, take a look at how good it looks.
So, I'm there on Friday night with my friend Norm, and I order my regular sandwich with my favourite server Amy...and somehow get talked into a Bud Light Lime by Norm...big mistake. I obviously order mine without tomato or mayo, and no pickle or coleslaw on the side. If that's confusing to you at all, I suggest you read my post on the evils of condiments.
Anyways, Norm and I are sitting at our table later that night, and one of the players at our table is going on a meal break, and he asks what to order. I obviously pitch the Back Bacon BLT, and he ends up ordering it and coming back very happy. After that, Mark, another player from our table, decides that he's going to go down and get it as well.
As Mark is on his dinner, I decide I'm going to go down for a piece of Key Lime Pie, so I'm walking in the restaurant, and I see Mark ordering his meal with Amy, who I just realized that night looks exactly like Christina Applegate, so I'll put this picture up to add to the dramatic storytelling.
It turns out that just before I walked up, Mark was telling Amy that a guy at his table had recommended this sandwich to him, and she asked what he looked like. He was describing me, and as he was, I was walking in...and he saw me and pointed at me and said "He looks just like that." Amy turns around, already smiling and says "I knew it was you." I laughed and then she asked me "You're back for Key Lime Pie?"
She's good.
(Thanks to Mark for sneaking that pic of the sandwich to use in this post.)
It's called the Back Bacon BLT, and it has nice thick peameal bacon, topped with cheese, lettuce and tomato, and slices of crispy bacon, on a nice soft ciabatta bun. Yes...you heard that right, bacon ON bacon. I've had it a few times and always recommend it to people. Seriously, take a look at how good it looks.
So, I'm there on Friday night with my friend Norm, and I order my regular sandwich with my favourite server Amy...and somehow get talked into a Bud Light Lime by Norm...big mistake. I obviously order mine without tomato or mayo, and no pickle or coleslaw on the side. If that's confusing to you at all, I suggest you read my post on the evils of condiments.Anyways, Norm and I are sitting at our table later that night, and one of the players at our table is going on a meal break, and he asks what to order. I obviously pitch the Back Bacon BLT, and he ends up ordering it and coming back very happy. After that, Mark, another player from our table, decides that he's going to go down and get it as well.
As Mark is on his dinner, I decide I'm going to go down for a piece of Key Lime Pie, so I'm walking in the restaurant, and I see Mark ordering his meal with Amy, who I just realized that night looks exactly like Christina Applegate, so I'll put this picture up to add to the dramatic storytelling.
It turns out that just before I walked up, Mark was telling Amy that a guy at his table had recommended this sandwich to him, and she asked what he looked like. He was describing me, and as he was, I was walking in...and he saw me and pointed at me and said "He looks just like that." Amy turns around, already smiling and says "I knew it was you." I laughed and then she asked me "You're back for Key Lime Pie?"She's good.
(Thanks to Mark for sneaking that pic of the sandwich to use in this post.)
Sunday, September 6, 2009
September 6, 2009
This week's musical selection is one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands of all-time, The Lowest of the Low. When their first independent album, Shakespeare My Butt... was released in 1991, I actually wore the CD out, and needed to buy a second one in later years. I was waiting in anticipation for their second album, when CFNY (now The Edge) featured a song on one of their yearly new music samplers. It was called Gamble, and was a song that I had seen them perform in concert numerous times.
Gamble later appeared (in a slightly modified recording) on their second album, Hallucigenia, the following year, but the excitement of that one song between albums was something to remember. It's a fantastic song, and while I can't find a suitable clip of the band performing it, here is a video of Lowest of the Low's Ron Hawkins performing it live and acoustic at the Rivoli in 2007.
Gamble later appeared (in a slightly modified recording) on their second album, Hallucigenia, the following year, but the excitement of that one song between albums was something to remember. It's a fantastic song, and while I can't find a suitable clip of the band performing it, here is a video of Lowest of the Low's Ron Hawkins performing it live and acoustic at the Rivoli in 2007.Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
September 2, 2009
I've decided that Mashup Wednesdays have run their course, and I'm now switching the focus on Wednesdays to cover versions. Every week, there will be a new cover version, and considering I made a 6-CD box set of my favourite covers (and that was five years ago!), I shouldn't run out of material anytime soon.
This week's cover version is Lily Allen performing The Kooks' Naive.
This week's cover version is Lily Allen performing The Kooks' Naive.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
September 1, 2009
Entertainment Weekly did another fun bracket tournament with 32 Guilty Pleasure musical artists. I thought it was an interesting collection of choices…some actual guilty pleasures, some real great acts, and some real Grade A cheese. (click on the picture to enlarge to full-size)
Take a moment and figure out, based on the brackets, who your favourite Guilty Pleasure is, and then give your result in the Comments section. If you feel so inclined, include your Championship Match, or even your Final Four.
My (non-shocking) result, along with my full Final Four in the Comments section below.
*Bonus trivia* - The first person in the comments section to correctly identify which THREE of those 32 musical artists I've seen live in concert will win a six-pack of Coke Zero.
Take a moment and figure out, based on the brackets, who your favourite Guilty Pleasure is, and then give your result in the Comments section. If you feel so inclined, include your Championship Match, or even your Final Four.
My (non-shocking) result, along with my full Final Four in the Comments section below.
*Bonus trivia* - The first person in the comments section to correctly identify which THREE of those 32 musical artists I've seen live in concert will win a six-pack of Coke Zero.
September 1, 2009
Today, my friend Dwayne texted me while I was at work. The text message said, "Can you email me, please? I need to email you something."So I emailed him, and a few minutes later, an email came back from him that said, "If you have a second, can you call me?"
So, let me get this straight...you texted me...to email you...so you could email me back...to ask me to call you?
I should have faxed him to tell him I was busy.
September 1, 2009
I took Lucas to the Waterloo Busker Carnival on Saturday night. There were a couple of things we wanted to check out, despite the apparent alarming ‘coincidence’ of approximately half of the acts being some sort of acrobatic routine. Lucas wanted to see The Pogo Dudes, and Phil had recommended that we check out Charlie Caper, a magician from Sweden. We headed to Uptown Waterloo around 7:00 pm on Saturday night, so that we could catch Charlie Caper at 7:30 and then The Pogo Dudes at 8:15. (we had checked the schedule on the website)
We got there and picked up a program from the information booth, and saw that Charlie Caper was going to be performing on Pitch E, in front of Starbucks, so we headed over there to get a good seat up front. We watched the finale of The Phantastyks (kinda cheesy), and then were mulling around waiting for him to show up. 7:25 rolls around and no one is there, so I try to find someone to ask. I figure I’m not just asking any volunteer, I’m looking for someone with a headset so that if they don’t know, at least they can find out. I find someone and ask if he’s still performing there at that time, and he just shrugs and says, “He’s supposed to be.” Obviously this guy doesn’t care, so I go back to the information booth, which is now inaccessible because they’re doing a show on Pitch C right in front of it.
Why on earth would you set it up this way, so that people who need information can’t get to the booth? It was ridiculous. I went around to the back of the tent and asked about the show, and another woman with a headset told me, “He generally shows up right when the show starts. He should be there soon.” without checking anything. Obviously, no one was interested in actually providing information at the information tent. She also told me that “he doesn’t have much equipment, so it doesn’t take him long to set up.” Well, I know for a fact from my friends who are street performers that you don’t just ‘show up’ and start your show with no crowd. He has to build his crowd. And if he’s not there now, he’s not coming.
Now I’m pissed off because this is the one show we really wanted to see, and it’s obviously not happening. Plus Lucas doesn’t understand what’s happening and I’m trying to explain it to him. I ask another person that I run into, and they just shrug again. Then I run into a fourth person (it is now about 7:40), and when I ask him, he tells me “Oh, he’s on the Public Square stage doing his show now. He’s just finishing up.” I mention that he’s listed at a different time and location in the program and on the website, and he looks at me like I’ve said the dumbest thing he’s ever heard, and tells me “We haven’t been following that schedule all weekend.”
Oh, I see. You just make up a schedule and then ditch it? Why even make it in the first place? The worst part of this entire situation is that there is a big white Dry-Erase board at the information booth that says “Schedule Changes”, and I made a point to look at it when we picked up our program…and it was blank.
We never got to see Charlie Caper. That was his last show of the night. Well-organized as usual, Waterloo Busker Carnival.
We got there and picked up a program from the information booth, and saw that Charlie Caper was going to be performing on Pitch E, in front of Starbucks, so we headed over there to get a good seat up front. We watched the finale of The Phantastyks (kinda cheesy), and then were mulling around waiting for him to show up. 7:25 rolls around and no one is there, so I try to find someone to ask. I figure I’m not just asking any volunteer, I’m looking for someone with a headset so that if they don’t know, at least they can find out. I find someone and ask if he’s still performing there at that time, and he just shrugs and says, “He’s supposed to be.” Obviously this guy doesn’t care, so I go back to the information booth, which is now inaccessible because they’re doing a show on Pitch C right in front of it.
Why on earth would you set it up this way, so that people who need information can’t get to the booth? It was ridiculous. I went around to the back of the tent and asked about the show, and another woman with a headset told me, “He generally shows up right when the show starts. He should be there soon.” without checking anything. Obviously, no one was interested in actually providing information at the information tent. She also told me that “he doesn’t have much equipment, so it doesn’t take him long to set up.” Well, I know for a fact from my friends who are street performers that you don’t just ‘show up’ and start your show with no crowd. He has to build his crowd. And if he’s not there now, he’s not coming.
Now I’m pissed off because this is the one show we really wanted to see, and it’s obviously not happening. Plus Lucas doesn’t understand what’s happening and I’m trying to explain it to him. I ask another person that I run into, and they just shrug again. Then I run into a fourth person (it is now about 7:40), and when I ask him, he tells me “Oh, he’s on the Public Square stage doing his show now. He’s just finishing up.” I mention that he’s listed at a different time and location in the program and on the website, and he looks at me like I’ve said the dumbest thing he’s ever heard, and tells me “We haven’t been following that schedule all weekend.”
Oh, I see. You just make up a schedule and then ditch it? Why even make it in the first place? The worst part of this entire situation is that there is a big white Dry-Erase board at the information booth that says “Schedule Changes”, and I made a point to look at it when we picked up our program…and it was blank.
We never got to see Charlie Caper. That was his last show of the night. Well-organized as usual, Waterloo Busker Carnival.
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