Magic 3:16

Onward

2011-05-11T20:42:00.000-04:00

What a silly time to be me, haha. Got back into school for a cup of coffee, kicked ass and was able to leave after 3 months after "jobbing out."

The last six months have again seen major change in my life, and I don't know where life is taking me next, but for the first time in a while there's calm. It's kind of like a plateau that I have hit. Got my foot in the door and landed a sweet sales job at a radio station in Toronto.

It took me some time out of the program to get my shit together and allow me to come back physically and mentally better than before.

I'm in a better place but it's not without its sacrifices. Lost a few soldiers along the way. Lost some friends that had been with me for years. My fault? Their fault? Hmm.. It's complicated. And when the hell isn't it? But I hold no hate toward anyone. Life's too short to hate. And I know that at least one of my friends that I lost along the way, even though we're not BFF's or anything like that, I know I can go to him should I ever need to. It's a weird thing. And I would do the same for him.

But on the flip-side of this whole deal, I've met some pretty cool cats. Cats that I know will be friends of mine for years to come. It's a cool feeling to know I'm building a back support. And of course that goes both ways -- I've helped where I could.

So things aren't bad, they're not terribly good, but for now everything's neutral. I guess I'm in that state where I'm waiting for the chips to fall where they may.

I'm optimistic everything will turn out for the better.

And hey, if the sun can come out every now and again then there's no reason to crack a smile here and then.

Be well, everyone.

Just fucking LISTEN!

2010-11-27T03:11:00.002-05:00

I walk out of the house. It's a nice, fall night. (pitch black, but the temp is neutral. Not hot, not cold. Enough that you can make it on a t-shirt alone.) We're in the suburbs, probably in the old house we first bought in Maple.

I walk out, looking for you.

You're in between the two cars out front.

I see you.

I grab you by your sides.

"I'm fucking, sorry!"

You're balling your eyes out.

"I can't."

Your tears and crying. Uncontrollable.

Ringing in my ears. Ringing.

I grab your face between my hands, squishing it.

"Listen to me, this is a dream, but I connect to you through my dreams, do you read my dreams?"

You have a confused look on your face.

All I want, is what I had in the past.

And yet, I know this is quite impossible.

"Waaaaaah."

Ringing. I can't stop the ringing.

You continue crying uncontrollably.

I continue squishing your face between my hands.

"I still love you."

It's ringing in my ears.

I want you to understand me.

Lazying Around At Work

2010-04-08T14:50:00.003-04:00

So I've taken a 2nd job to help me save funds as I go into my final year of school. I DO NOT want to work like an animal and do school like I have done in the past. Mostly this is because I want to finish strong and get a good internship position. And I don't want to have to worry too much about paying bills and such.

This new job is retail and allows me a lot of downtime. I have decided to make the most of it though. I'm catching up on some reading but also I'm writing a new script. The ideas are still rolling around in my head. Some days they come hard and fast, other days are slow and I get nothing going. Writing is a tough thing but I think that's what makes it so rewarding when it's all over.

I'm also planning on grabbing an old script I wrote back in school-days and rewrite it, making the dialogue a lot deeper in meaning and emphasizing certain key story points.

The job may be slow, but it's perks like these that will keep me here looking busy and keep my creativity flowing.

Alright, now off to more reading and writing!

MMA to Toronto? Not yet....

2010-03-24T12:21:00.004-04:00

Ever since I first went to Montreal back in 2008 to check out the Matt Serra/Georges St. Pierre fight I have had an itch, much like the rest of Torontonians, to see MMA get sanctioned here in the greatest city in the world.

The feeling and vibe in Montreal was electric! Thousands of people from all over the world had come to "la provincia" to check out the UFC's 83 card that featured homeboy Georges St. Pierre attempt to avenge his title-loss to the champion, seasoned veteran Matt "The Terra" Serra.

Thousands of people crowded the streets, bars were packed, lineups to clubs out of this world and just an overall feeling of excitement resonated from everyone around me.

The UFC fighters roamed around the streets like free-range animals in one of those big African zoos taking in the sights, sounds and the people of Montreal. In one instant, my cousin and I got to get real close to England's Michael "the Count" Bisping. His girlfriend was extremely patient while single fans turned to tens, twenties and before we knew it, there were over 50 people surrounding the Count asking for pictures and autographs.

As the day turned into night the buzz became feverpitch red as those with tickets headed toward the Bell Centre while everyone else ducked into any bar, nook and cranny that was playing the event live on Pay-Per-View.

After the event, there were various events throughout the city such as Georges St. Pierre's after-party at a nightclub and Tapout's UFC 83 Afterparty among others. Fans and groupies alike crowded the entrances to most of these clubs as the in-crowd and wannabes got in their respective lines to get into the various joints.

My cousin and I were lucky enough to sneak into the Tapout afterparty and rub elbows with the likes of Forrest Griffin and Heath Hearring. They were real friendly and posed for pictures and signed autographs. These warriors were real down-to-earth, humble people that completely went against their over-the-top personalities displayed inside the octagon.

21,390 fans rammed the Bell Centre to witness St. Pierre their hometown hero dismantle Matt Serra and win back his Welterweight Championship with so much determination, style and gusto that it forever cemented St. Pierre as the representative face of MMA in Montreal and Canada for that matter.

The next morning we made the drive back to Toronto filled with great memories and the needing and the wanting to have the UFC one day come to the ACC or even the SkyDome. (that's the Rogers Center, ace.)

Dana White made a visit to Toronto this week for a public Q and A to discuss anything and everyone MMA and UFC related. Dana is vying for the UFC to come to Toronto but that will meant that the mixed martial arts sport must first be licensed in Toronto for the events to be staged here.

What's holding this from happening is that Ontario is not going to expedite this sanctioning. Dalton McGuinty has said that it's simply not a priority--but at least he's listening.

Toronto could use some influx of cash flowing through the businesses here. An MMA event in Toronto would bring in money to the city and province and help bring in people from other countries that would not visit the city or country otherwise.

In order for MMA to ever get sanctioned here, it would have to be taken seriously by the monkeys in the government buildings. Many of them still believe this is a Bloodsport 3-type event where there is a bloody fight to the death in front of blood-thirsty fans cheering in yelling in the same of violence.

The truth is that MMA is a sport that obviously by name combines many forms of martial arts. These different styles clash in exciting and often breath-taking matches that take place in an eight-sided cage that is also used as an advantage for those that know how. There are various weight classes and strict drug policies in place in order to keep everything clean. Certain areas even issue medical suspensions after a fighter has suffered a severe loss via knockout or technical knockout or in a manner that would pose a hazardous risk to their health should the fighter come back too early from that match.

It is made as safe as possible to keep an even playing field. The rest is up to the fighter himself to train, eat healthy and maintain weight in order to be ready for fight-night.

This is far different than the UFC that debuted back in 1993 that the media still loves to show clips of to explain what the modern-day UFC is like. Everyone in the know knows that this is not the case. The sport has come a long way since the days of low blows and hair-pulling with no weight classes. It is becoming a legit sport more and more as the days go by and will one day be taken just as seriously as boxing was in their golden years.

For now, Torontonians will have to wait and see what happens next in the ongoing saga that will hopefully one day end with MMA in Toronto.

To end this off, I ask this question of Toronto: if our city is as diverse and open minded about different values, cultures and tastes, such as hosing Caribana or the Pride Day Parade, and we already sanction MMA sports boxing and muay Thai, then why can't they see that MMA will do so much more for the city than just satisfy the "blood-thirsty" appetite of the MMA hardcore?

Fail. Continue?

2010-03-18T16:00:00.002-04:00

2009 was definitely a year of change, a year of loss and a year of redemption.

My attempt to ignite an old flame failed but through that failure I opened my eyes to someone that was right in front of me and who had been with me through the best and the worst.

2010 proves to be a year of learning, a year of understanding, and hopefully a year to look back at and smile.

When I was down, my true friends came through for me and I am very grateful for them.

Not dwelling too much in the past, I'll just say that 2009 was an overall year of finding myself and I look forward to what surprises 2010 will have in store.

Heart Racing, Mind Clear

2009-08-18T17:46:00.002-04:00

Good evening friends.

It has been a long, long time since I have updated the blog. Well I guess it's due now.

A lot has gone on in my life in the past few months. Actually, a lot has happened this year.

It has been a roller-coaster of ups and downs.

The most important development right now is that I am firmly in love with a very special girl.

It took me a lot of time to realize it but it was more or less me being stubborn that prevented me from seeing the light.

Now I am on the comeback trail. I will do whatever it takes to get her back and I don't know if I will pass or fail but I am going to leave it all out on the line. I love this girl. I'll keep you all updated.

UFC 90 Predictions -- October 25, 2008

2008-10-22T01:02:00.003-04:00

Middleweight Championship match: Anderson Silva Vs Patrick Cote
Anderson Silva has been running over every single person in the middleweight division. Though he respects Rich Franklin as his toughest opponent yet, Travis Lutter is probably still the one to have given him the most problems. Patrick Cote has had a long, winding road to get here and earned this title shot by beating Kendall Grove, Drew McFedries and Ricardo Almeida. The truth is, Patrick Cote just doesn't have enough to beat Silva. Cote is a boxer, kickboxer, wrestler and just recently started BJJ. Anderson Silva is a monster who has beaten guys of all sizes and guys as deep as a Dan Henderson with no problem. He even beat Lutter who beat Cote in the Tough Enough 4 Final. I hate to play the "He lost to this guy so..." game, but the truth is Cote just doesn't have what it takes in my mind to dethrone the king.
WINNER: ANDERSON SILVA, 2nd round submission

Thiago Alves Vs Josh Koshceck
Koscheck is probably in the top 2 or 3 in the UFC in terms of wrestling. The kid is sick. And lately in the last few fights he has been coming on strong and showing he can punch and kick as well. Thiago Alves is a beast. He has run over everybody, and made short work of an aging Matt Hughes. Originally supposed to be Alves Vs Sanchez which would have been a matter of who knocks out who first, this is now thrown all in the air with Koscheck stepping in for Sanchez. Alvez destroyed an up and coming Karo Parisyan and his last loss came to Jon Fitch which is nothing to be ashamed of. Koscheck is improving with every match and he is an intelligent fighter. We saw the strength of his ground and pound against Chris "Lights Out" Lytle, and I think he is going to try to use that to neutralize his opponent. I see a long, winded 3 round judges' decision in this one.
WINNER: JOSH KOSCHECK, by judges split decision

Fabricio Werdum Vs Junior dos Santos
I have NO IDEA who dos Santos is. Werdum really impressed me by stopping Gabriel Gonzaga and then beating "The Truth" Brandon Vera in a "controversial" decison, but in a match that I think even if it had gone on longer, the result would have been the same. I think the UFC sees a big future ahead for this guy and are building him up with a match against a relative unknown in this one.
WINNER: FABRICIO WERDUM, by 2nd round knockout

Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk Vs Tyson Griffin
When I saw Sean Sherk battle Hermes Franca back in summer 2007 I thought to myself "Man this guy is not human!" Turns out as I was half-right as he was then busted for steroid-usage. His big comeback match earlier this year was disastrous as BJ Penn just OWNED him for 3 solid rounds ending with the Shark unable to continue. While Sherk has been gone, Tyson Griffin has really been coming into his own. His defeats of Marcus Aurelio, Thiago Tavares and Clay Guida move him ever closer to a championship fight. The problem is that he has not finished someone in over 2 years. He has won by unanimous decision and that's great, but Sean Sherk is coming to fight. For Sherk this is a must-win. Tyson Griffin is going to have to stop Sherk if he wants to turn heads. A win here for Tyson Griffin would get him pretty damn close to a championship title shot at BJ Penn down the line. Tyson is maybe 2-3 matches away from a title shot and he needs to stop Sherk. Sherk has nothing to lose and everything to gain as he tries to prove that he can still roll after missing over a year with the suspension. I see a long, hard-fought battle with the Shark getting the judges decision.
WINNER: SEAN SHERK by judges unanimous decision

Gray Maynard Vs Rich Clementi
WINNER: RICH CLEMENTI, 2nd round submission

Thales Leites Vs Drew McFedries
WINNER: THALES LEITES, 1st round knockout

Spencer "The King" Fisher Vs Shannon Gugerty
WINNER: SPENCER FISHER, 2nd round submission

Mat Horwich Vs Dan Miller
WINNER: MATT HORWICH, 2nd round knockout

Hermes Franca Vs Marcus Auerelio
WINNER: HERMES FRANCA, 2nd round TKO

Josh Burkman Vs Pete Sell
WINNER: JOSH BURKMAN, judges split decision

UFC 89 Predictions

2008-10-18T20:38:00.003-04:00

The UFC card is TONIGHT, live from Birmingham, England. So I thought I'd have some fun and give out my predictions.

Michael Bisping Vs Chris Leben
Bisping is 2-0 since moving to Light-Heavyweight and Chris Leben now stands in his way. Bisping has looked excellent in his last few fights, and he's come a long way since his UFC bouts with Matt Hammil and Elvis Sinosic. Chris Leben though, is always that guy that's been in the background. He's been a staple in Ultimate Fight Night and now this is his chance to pull away from all that and establish himself as a serious threat. If these guys were to fight 10 times, I would say Bisping wins 7 of those 10 fights. But something in my gut tells me that Leben is going to come out hungry. There is no denying Leben's heart and I just hope he doesn't come out there swinging wildly. Though Bisping is the better of the two figthers, Leben is going to upset Bisping and overwhelm him in the 2nd round.
WINNER: CHRIS LEBEN with a shocking 2nd round ref stoppage.

Brandon "The Truth" Vera Vs Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine
Brandon Vera has not done SHIT since he came back to the UFC after re-negotiating his contract. He had that boring fight with Tim Sylvia, and then Werdum overwhelmed him in their encounter at Heavyweight to convince him to drop down to Light-Heavyweight. He's beaten Reese and that's about it. Keith Jardine is coming off a mauling to the Axe Murderer and he's looking to make a comeback. The thing with Jardine is that he has never impressed me. Yes he beat Forrest Griffin. Then he got killed by Houston Alexander. Then he beats Chuck Liddell. Then he gets killed by Wanderlei Silva. Keith Jardine needs a solid win here, CHECK THAT: They BOTH need a solid win to move a step forward and be taken seriously. The "Truth" about Brandon Vera is that he hasn't done SHIT. Keith Jardine has not done anything since he beat Chuck Liddell. This match should be fast, explosive, and probably not get past the 1st round. Though Jardine will come out swinging, I think Vera has a lot more to prove here and he needs a DECISIVE win.
WINNER: BRANDON VERA by knockout, 1st Round

Enjoy the show kids!!!

Review - Batman: Dark Knight

2008-07-21T00:36:00.005-04:00

!!!WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!

-- Having finished watching the movie, the crowd roared to life with applause and whistles. Partly because it was a brilliant film, partly because it was Heath Ledger's final film, and partly because it was a mouthful to take. Make no mistakes about it, Batman: Dark Knight is a movie of epic proportions. It's not an epic like say 300, or Gladiator. But rather it is an emotional, action-filled event that blends great acting with a deep, rich story that's almost Godfather like in certain parts.

Heath Ledger was great as the Joker, in fact brilliant in some very pivotal scenes. One of my favourite scenes in the movie is the scene in which the Joker and Batman have a face to face in Gotham's interrogation room and Batman begins pounding on his face to find the locations of Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes who are being held in two separate locations. Ledger's version of the Joker is different from Jack Nicholson's over the top, crazy maniacal Joker from the first Batman, but it works. It works because in the Gotham city that has been painted, in the deep, dark story that has been created, the Joker thrives because he is a product of this society. You believe that someone like the Joker could have come from such a city. He doesn't appear randomly or feel out of place like Mr. Freeze or the Riddler in the Schumacher Batman movies nobody wants to remember.

Ledger plays to the Joker amazingly. You never get the impression "Oh this guys trying too hard," or "he's trying to act like so and so." His delivery was great! The big question now is is it Oscar-worthy? It is definitely deserving of a nomination, but for the win I'd have to see the other actors in the running and the respective films. For what it was I thought it was an amazing performance for an actor who passed to early and was getting better and better with every film. The Joker is great, evil, and funny at times, but without ever trying too hard. Joker in a nurse's gown? Hilarious! The Joker is evil, cruel, and yet you find his reasons for being him understandable and I found myself sympathizing with him at certain points. The movement of the eyes, the pouting of the lips, and the way he smacks his lips almost makes you want to hand him a glass of water. Ledger leaves some big shoes to fill for whoever is going to take on the Joker role next.

Christian Bale kicks ass as Batman and the fight scenes are more realistic with less camera blocking. This is probably in part to a better more flexible Batman suit. Christian Bale shows more depth as Bruce Wayne, even affording some smiles which is more than the pretty-boy smirks he gave us in Batman Begins. His take on the death of Rachel Dawes is pretty emotional and yet he doesn't dwell on it too much because there is so much other stuff going on that he doesn't have the time.

The death of Rachel Dawes adds to the drama and it was a good call probably because everyone still has Katie Holmes in their mind. This will at the least make room for another love interest for Bruce and a fresh start without the bad Katie Holmes aftertaste. And even though Bruce Wayne is not 25, Rachel Dawes looks like she aged about 8 years since Batman Begins.

The movies action scenes were great and there were some genuine surprises. When they "killed" off Gordon's character that was a "WTF" moment for me. I was glad that it wasn't so, because Gordon is the bridge between Batman and the rest of the city and the police force. When the truck door popped open and the theater saw Gordon, they literally broke into "ohhhs" and applause.

The brooding, build-up of Harvey Dent to Two Face was done subtly and intelligently. By the time he does the turn, Christopher Nolan almost teases us by not showing us his ugly side until late in the scene. Well done.

The ending of the film sets up the next one obviously, and from what happens at the end, I would expect the most emotionally charged Batman yet. Dark Knight moves quickly, and rightfully so. A LOT of story, a LOT of ground, a LOT of development occurs in the 2:32 in the film and the pace keeps it fresh and interesting. It clutters in a few spots, and you wonder just how close Two-Face was holding Commissioner Gordon's family to the building in which Batman hung the Joker, because Batman gets to Two-Face in about 2 minutes. But that aside, well executed film, finally a revitalized Batman franchise that makes us Batman fans proud to BE fans. I'm excited for the next one, and if it takes three years then so be it. Let them take their time and put together another quality film. It will definitely be worth the wait.

This Batman surpasses Batman Begins, but then again they are two different films. One builds the Batman and the next one continues to develop the character while pitting him against bigger issues. This movie may have been overshadowed by Heath Ledger's death, but it is not in vain, as Ledger puts forth an amazing performance. This will go down in my memory as one of my favourite movies seen in a rammed theater packed with Batman fans.

As for who Batman will face next? Who knows. But if I can take a stab, I'd like to see Johnny Depp as a new, darker, more evil Riddler. And bring back Chris O'Donnell as Robin, as he didn't get a fair shake in the Shumacher debacle.... Okay, I'm kidding about Robin! (Seriously though... :P)

A- with Honors

The BIG 2-5

2008-05-07T23:20:00.003-04:00

Well, this is my first post as a 25-year old. It has come and gone with a lot of fanfare. I was lucky enough to have two parties this year, and filled in the gaps in between with other activities.

It's weird being 25. I feel like I'm young, and a part of me tells me I'm not young, but getting older. Whatever this means, it's all going on in my head and there probably isn't much I can do about it.

I feel wiser, that's for sure. For the first time I feel like I know what I want to do with my life and am on a clear path to my goals. School's done for the year, and it was ONE YEAR, yes one YEAR since I wrote that post about not knowing my path: Public Relations VS Radio.

Thankfully, Radio has worked out and I am on a path to become a Sales Rep at a wicked ass radio station. I have one more year to go and hopefully that will be the end of school for good and the beginning of a career in radio. God-willing, I will have a career in about a year. I will definitely keep you posted.

For this post I thought I'd flip it from me to some of you. I decided this year that I would write down the first 10 people that wished me a Happy Birthday and write a little something about them. I always like getting the Happy Birthday not so much to see how many people remembered, but to see who remembered. Here's this year's TOP 10:

1. Gaby -- She has been absolutely fantastic this past year that I've spent with her, and she was the first to with me a great day. A great girlfriend, and a good person overall. I just sometimes oversee that, and it's something I have to work on. Thank you.

2. Phylicia -- You can write a drama about my relationship with Phylicia.. We once worked in the same place, once lived in the same apartment, and once even had a relationship together. Still, I look at Phylicia as a friend and though we don't hang out like we used to, we do get together whenever big shifts or movements occur in our lives and we fill each other in. She's been there for me in times of need, and god knows I've been there for her with nothing but her best interests in mind. Despite what anyone may say, we are nothing more than friends.

3. The People's Looch, Luciana -- I went to work on my birthday and didn't announce to anyone that it was my birthday. Somehow Luciana had remebered my birthday and it felt nice. The Looch is someone who I disliked when she first arrived at 110 Bloor because I thought she was lazy. I went onto realize that though sometimes she does drag her feet, she's the one that keeps the place afloat. I will miss her when she leaves at the end of May/early June because she has been the mother figure at 110 Bloor.

4. Umar -- One of my best friends and a member of the 4 Horsemen (Jorge, Makara, Umar and myself comprise the stable) Umar and I have been through a lot. Umar used to date #2 and that caused a rift between us that lasted for almost a year. Still forgiveness is a powerful thing. Though I don't forget and though our relationship is not as strong as it once was, I still consider him a close friend and turn to him for guidance whenever in need.

5. Glenda "2 Splenda" -- Glenda has been one of my best friends to come out of 110 Bloor. I have shared many secrets with her and never once had to worry about her spilling the beans. True at times I have exchanged "secrets" that I knew would reach their destination, but at the end of the day she is a trustworthy friend that I would trust with everything. She is a great person with a great soul and I hope accomplishes everything she has set out to do.

6. Leo -- My future brother in law, Leo has been a welcome addition to the family. I have always respected him and he and I have had a good realtionship which is key if he's going to marry my sister, hahahaa.

7. Jorge "El Cardinal" -- Cardinal Carter is my first cousin and we've been cool as long as I can remember. Though he falls in love with girls at the drop of a hat, he's a guy I turn to for advice. His only fault is that whenever he's going through stuff he prefers to deal with it on his own rather than ask for help. That's fine for now, but in the long run in unhealthy. Still, the boy is making moves to improve his life and I couldn't be happier.

8. J.P. -- The J-Man is an old buddy from high school and someone that's really a good friend. Unfortunately, we haven't had all the time in the world to hang out but I'd definitely like to hang out some more with the J-Man. Huge MMA man and a good friend to have on board.

9. "Big Mac" Makara Kem -- I always knew this guy was married and how's proven me right. He's the first Horseman to get engaged. He's been a dear friend of mine since 2002 and we have been through a lot. We once even lived together for a while. Cool friend, funny as hell, and you just never know what kind of crazy shit he'll end up pulling.

10. The Torres Family -- The entire family OBVIOUSLY wished me a great day and it never gets old. I am a family guy, no doubt aboot it, and was greatful by the wishes from the family. Everyone from my mom, dad, two sisters, grandmother, and I think even my dogs knew something special was up.

25 and still ticking. I still wonder what's around the corner and where I'll be in 1, 5, 10, 20 years down the road. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the trip. Thanks for reading.

Thanks 110

2008-04-06T22:44:00.003-04:00

Last Monday night after my shift concluded I was approached by my lord, Dino Erodotu.

He sat me down and fixed me a mug of ale and some decent beef jerky and said to me, "Chris. I need you to step up and do some deep cleaning. Lord Andrew Fagititus III and Jacques Rougeau of a French Starbucks are coming by to dine in our halls. I need you to stay behind and clean, clean, clean. I need you to be my main man. I need you... 110 NEEDS you... To be the Franchise...."

While he was kissing my ass, I have my hands to my hips looking up and off to the horizon like a conquering hero about to embark on an incredible journey.

Actually he just said, "Torres, can you stay? I need you clean some stuff for me."

And that was it. I stayed, and worked a "Deep Clean" shift cleaning things that I didn't know were dirty. I just thought they came in that "dark brown" colour. But alas, I finished and at the end of my shift, when I went to my wallet to grab my tickets, I noticed all SEVEN gone.

I immediately began wondering where they may have gone. After getting 2 tickets loaned from Brad, I got the hell out of there and went home. Needless to say, I was pissed. I posted about the incident and informed 2 Splenda. 2 Splenda then told the important people and that's that.

Now what I wasn't expecting was for 110 Bloor to pull together and put together a "token fund" for the Franchise. The "Token Fund" idea was coined, no pun intended by moi. Fellow Legendary Barista "The People's Prisciak" TM had her 10 tokens stolen about a month or so ago. The culprit was never found. I thought it would be nice if we all pooled our loose change and whatnot and put together a fund. The People's Prisciak was very pleased and that's all that mattered. Did if fix the situation, no, but it showed the unity amongst the 110 Crew when the first theft in 4 years occurred.

So I got my token money and was able to purchase 10 more tokens and for that I am very grateful to the crew at 110 that put together that fund. Whoever you are, and you know who you are, thank you very, very much. The Franchise loves you all.

Of course that still leaves the culprit at large, but I just hope all this has made him/her feel like dog-shit and maybe, just MAYBE they will think twice next time before taking something that doesn't belong to them. The end.

The Big Move Confirmed

2008-04-05T00:56:00.002-04:00

Thanks for holding the door open kiddies. I had to step out for a bit, but now I'm back.

A lot has gone through my mind in the last 30 days and one major development is the decision to move out. Indeed, this will be Move 2, after the first move back in 2004. I just figure it's time, and with career-searching beginning next year, it will be good to already be out rather than have to worry about finding a job AND moving out.

Plus this will enable me to be closer to work and maximize my hours. And of course, I'll be in Toronto, HOME, and that is huge. I'll also be closer to my hoes, so that will also be a good thing. Kidding.

Now the big question is where or where to move... I mean, I don't want to live in a small neighbourhood in the middle of an obscure area in Toronto, at the same time I don't want to be directly on a main street with all the noise that comes with it--cool to party in, just not a good scene when you're trying to get some sleep.

I'm planning on moving out either July 1st or August 1, with an OUTSIDE chance of moving out June 1st should things open up and become available.

Already I have a few friends that are telling me about spots opening up in their shared apartments and that's cool because to move in to a house with a trusted friend is definitely a plus.

But I still am doing my homework, and truth be told it's still a little early seeing as my move is still 90 days away.

For now I am saving up the rent money and also putting some aside as "just in case."

The main streets I was THINKING about moving to are Bloor, College, Davenport and Dupont. As west as Dufferin and as East as Yonge. So there's definitely a lot of room to work with. I still have time, and will definitely explore all my options before deciding. I will keep all you loyal readers posted on what happens next. But yes, the People's Champ is coming back baby. I'm back!!!

Reality TV Killed Good TV... Fuck right off, mate!

2008-02-29T03:05:00.004-05:00

A buddy old pal of mine one Stuart Johnstone recently ran into a has-been celebrity at our store who is now a regular and they started discussing the good old days of tv and how reality TV killed "good tv." Whatever that means. It got me thinking, you know, got the wheels turning, and I wrote up a response. It got so long that I no longer wanted to post it on facebook because of its length and because it would spawn some ridiculous rebuttals from idiots saying, "what about the Simpsons?? What about London Inc?" People who will completely miss the message here. I'm not arguing. I'm TELLING YOU. And the following is my argument.

I don't think reality TV destroyed "good tv." First off, what the FUCK is good tv?

Far as I'm concerned as originators, Big Brother, Idol, Survivor, Next Top Model, and Miami Inc really set the standard for the other billion reality tv shows that came along. Do I think the reality gimmick has been overdone. Without a doubt, and it has over-saturated the market. Having said that, I also believe that good tv will survive regardless. Good tv will survive because people that are smart enough to look for it, find it. There is no room in 2008 for another "Friends" or "Frasier" or "Cheers" or "Will and Grace."

To survive in 2008, the show has to be innovative, different, clever, and never insult the audience member by pretending to be something it isn't.

The Office anyone? The Colbert Report, The Sarah Silverman Show, Family Guy are just some examples. A little show called Heroes is also pretty good. Pretty FUCKING good.

IF you have HBO check that out as almost everything is awesome on there including the now finished Sopranos, Dead Like Me, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, and Rome.

Heard of Lost?

Chappelle Show definitely broke a lot of new ground, and even stuff like Curb Your Enthusiasm was damn funny.

House M.D. and Grey's Anatomy are the NEW "ER" of it's day but you would not get an "ER" vibe from the shows because they are not there to replace ER or to remind one of ER, they are there to be an entity all on it's own and are unique and creative in their own ways.

CSI is a phenomenon that spawned many other CSI's and other "CSI-type" clones that have different titles but all work around the same concept.

The Disney Channel has some really cool children's and young teen's programming with That's So Raven, Hannah Montana, and even the Hilary Duff show all making celebs out of the three leads. I've checked out all three shows, and though I wouldn't follow either of the series, I will say that they are current, hip, and definitely innovative in their own right.

If you like crime there is no shortage on the A and E Network. The First 48 comes to mind, as does American Justice. Solid, solid, programs.

The Hour with George Stombo is a wickedly wicked hour long program where he interviews big name news-makers and celebrities alike, asking them the though questions. Strombo also includes mini-segments that open your eyes to stuff going on in other parts of the world. Best part is that it's a Canadian-branded show and I couldn't be happier.

But there is good TV now and there was good TV when reality tv was still hot.

Remember Band of Brothers like 5 years ago? Again, more solid, solid TV.

As far as I'm concerned "Good tv" died toward the end of the 90's. If I remember correctly that's when everyone started tuning OUT because everything was dog shit. In fact, I remember the time pretty well.

It just so HAPPENED that when everyone began tuning out, Reality TV made it's way back in followed shortly by the followers that made money off already made reality tv shows but WERE THEN also followed by people that said "oh fuck this shit" and who brought their own brand new, innovative shows to the helm.

In my opinion Scrubs and South Park are one of the few shows that don't suck that are still around and were around in the 90's.

Like I said, this is just my opinion, and someone could rebuttal and say there were great shows in the 90's such as Sex and the City that still survived into 2000 and beyond, but then I would just laugh at you.

Seriously though, after 9/11 "good tv" was changed forever. People didn't want to be comforted by Frasier, Friends, Will and Grace, 3rd Rock from the Sun, or Home Improvement or anything of the like. People wanted something cutting-edge, new, and exciting. Luckily for them all those series were DEAD and with nothing on TV except reality, this made way for innovators to step in and change the "standard."

Reality TV didn't kill good tv, it only re-spawned it. Flip your channels nowadays and some of the best stuff is on TV RIGHT NOW. It's very rare to say "Oh, nothings on" because usually something IS on. Even the advent of Texas Hold 'Em Poker has found a nice little spot on TV and check out the Sci-Fi Network or Space here in Canada. Tiny show called Firefly. Just awesome stuff all around, so as far as I'm concerned TV is alive and better than EVER.

With the explosion of "TV on DVD" people now have the wicked option of going backwards and catching up on any and all tv they may have missed. This is good for insane DVD sales but is also good for the show as most viewers will catch up and then watch the show on TV from where they left off. This means more viewers, which also means the series goes on longer as a result. You couldn't do this in the 90's. If you missed four seasons of Seinfeld, too fucking bad. You had to wait. What? You missed the first 5 seasons of Fresh Prince? You're screwed... DVD changed all of that, and now one can go to their local video store and rent out whatever TV series they want, and they may even discover something new. It's really a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Just don't tell me that reality tv killed good tv. That's a fucking cop-out.

Sure there is not a Cheers-type show, or a feel good family sitcom on right now or a campy after-work show to watch like MASH, but that's because today's market doesn't demand it. What people want is innovation. People want something new. People want something that's fresh and doesn't feel recycled. As far as I'm concerned I'm real happy with the quality of stuff that's on TV right now and with time in the digital age, there is going to be even more mind-blowing stuff that will make us all "ooh" and "aah" all over again. And I can't wait. The end.

I Blew a Gasket but Survived....

2008-02-27T20:19:00.003-05:00

So I know I didn't mention this, hahahaaa, and why would I, you kneel at my feet anyway, why should I mention anything to you, you scoundrel!!!! Fetch me my goblet and my grapes you fool! Muhahahahaahaaaa....

Okay, so to the two people that are still reading after that verbal assault, hahahaa, I have decided to get back into soccer. Having quit smoking full-time, whatever the hell that means, I am now at a point where I feel comfortable getting back into the physical element of things... Ahem... So that means hitting the treadmill again. Or at least running around the block once this old bastard named Winter decides to take his bottle of bourbon and a hike back to his homestead in the Northwest Territories or something until it decides to once again make the circuit back.

Anyvays, and yes I said vays, I decided to get back into soccer when my old buddy old pal from High School Andy Chiappetta aka Paul Heyman called me to join his team. The team's name is NRG which either can stand for energy or if we suck, "Not Really Good." I missed the first game, and it was a wipeout, a 9-2 loss. But never mind that.

This past Sunday was my return to the pitch after a long, long absence from the field. Our team started off strong, blocking several plays from the opposing team and even connecting on some nice plays up the pitch. I played as a defender and prevented several potential goals. We just didn't seem to be able to get the ball in the net, which is pivotal in this sport. We were down 1-0 at the halftime, and it stayed that way until about 5:00 into the 2nd half when the other goombas scored again to make it 2-0. We then turned up the heat with Chiappetta coming close on more than one occasion to try to close the gap. With time winding down, I subbed out for the last time,(there are unlimited subs, hockey style) and watched the game wind down with another close chance with 2 minutes to go. In the last minute the enemy scored a spectacular "easy does it" header off a corner kick. Bam, 3-0 and with that we move to 0-2 to start the season. Still after the game we were all patting each other on the back. A fine effort, luck just didn't seem to be on our side.

Now as for me personally, I thought I played ok. I wasn't my best, but I didn't exactly mess up any plays or cause any goals to come into my net or the opponents. I played a safe game if that makes sense. But next time out, this coming Sunday, I am definitely going to have to step it up a notch. My physical condition is decent, I do need a lot more cardio work, but that will come with time. All in all not bad, but I have to improve cardio. I really did feel like I blew a gasket nice and early in the game, but I still managed to pull through and finish the game. Our next game is against the Mustangs who finished 3-5-2 last season, so hopefully we can pick up some valuable points there....

In any event, I just can't wait to get back on the field. It was a long time coming, but I fully expect to be back next season. Cheer-i-O......

And the Career Path Moves Onward

2008-02-20T04:14:00.002-05:00

Once again I find myself at another fork in the road. I have come a long way since first realizing I couldn't get into Journalism because the course was fully-booked, to entering into the 1-year Media Foundations course, to now, almost at the end of 1st-year Radio Broadcasting. Indeed, without the Media Foundation program I may never in this lifetime have pursued Radio Broadcasting. But alas, I have found it quite the enjoyable program, and now look into the future to see what path in radio I can take.

The obvious first choice is announcing. This would be your jock deal, where you host a program, or are an on-air personality somewhere at some station. The other choices then dive into news, where you can probably find yourself on one of the AM stations reading off the news. The Writing path goes into deeper writing and you can find yourself as a writer for commercials, spots, etc. The Sales path will see you get into the business of selling radio air-time to would-be clients advertising their respective business. Right out of the gate, this is probably the most financially secure of all the paths.

And therein lies the predicament.

Do I risk everything and go work for $10/hr and try my hardest in a small town somewhere as an announcer and work my way back up? Or do I pack all of that away, dress up in suit and tie and make secure money en route to becoming some kind of success?

The choices are really one of two for me right now. Announcing or Sales.... And then News is in the close 3rd place. I'm not going to choose the writing path because I know I'm a damned good writer, good enough to write radio commercials and honestly feel I can do more damage as either an announcer or as a salesperson at a station.

Unfortunately for me I have to make my decision by next week, hahahaa.. And of course when I graduate the diploma will say "Radio Broadcasting Diploma" and won't specify where I "majored" in so I really can change my mind when I finally do go out there looking for a job. Nothing is set in stone. The difference though IS that "majoring" period next year where I will be engulfed in whatever area I happen to choose. Right now I'm leaning towards sales, and everyone I've talked to has said that I can pretty much sell bubble gum to a lockjaw ward... Whatever that means. Sales is paid on commission and having said that everyone I've talked to has said that the absolute WORST salesperson makes 40,000 a year... That's the absolute WORST. And I sure as hell don't plan on being the worst. My advantage is 4 years of post-high school education and a lifetime of street smarts. I think I'm ready. We'll see. The decision lies ahead of me, but the more I think about it, the more I begin to sell myself on sales. Besides 40,000 a year is about four times what I'm making now making espresso-based beverages and putting up with b.s. from customers in business suits. Maybe I'll be one of them one day? Hassling people in coffee shops to get free milk, or foam, or espresso? Well, the suit, yes, but I don't think I'll spend part of my day making the life of a coffee company employee miserable, but we shall see....

R.I.P. Robert Jordan

2008-02-13T02:41:00.005-05:00

In the harsh (okay, not really) winter of 2005 I picked up Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World" novel. I began reading it and saw many similarities between it and the Lord of the Rings realm which I briefly flirted with, reading the Hobbitt and the first of the 3 main LOTR books, the Lord of the Rings. Anywho, I read on onwards and finished the first book, the Eye of the World. I took a break from the world of fantasy and read other books. In the meantime the series was on book 10. Book 11 was subsequently released, and the series would end at 12. The series got kicked off in January 1990 when I was only 6 and half years old with "The Eye of the World" and went on from there.

Last summer I read that Robert Jordan was working on the 12th and final book but that he had a rare form of cancer. Needless to say everyone had mixed feelings in different places. Nobody wanted Robert Jordan to die of cancer obviously, but at the same time there were people that didn't want him to die merely for the fact that he had the fate of the 11 previous books' characters' fates in his hands. And only his.

In early September Jordan wrote in his blog that he was ill but would rebound and that rumors of him being "gravely ill" were over-exaggerated. A few days later his friend wrote in the blog that Jordan was indeed sick but was hopeful that his new medication would work. A few days after that, the blog was updated saying that "the Dragon was gone." Robert Jordan passed away before releasing the final novel and before realizing many of his other projects that he had intended to write. Indeed a blow to the fantasy-novel world, Jordan was only 58 when he passed. But before he died he left the blueprint for the last book as well as the finishing denouements for the characters in the care of his close friend and his wife. From that point, his wife was on a mission to find the right author to pen the final book of the legacy that her husband created. Her choice: Brandon Sanderson, who has only been writing Fantasy since 2005, but quickly captivated RJ's wife with his debut, Elantris. The final book will be released late 2009 and will finally end the Wheel of Time legacy once and for all. I'm sure RJ would obviously liked to have seen the last book on the shelves, but sometimes things just don't workout for whatever reason. Rest in peace my friend.

In the meantime, I've gotta whole hell of a lot of reading to do, and I have to continue the Wheel fo Time series which I've been meaning to pickup again, this time on book 2. Think I can catch up to book 11 by late 2009? We shall see my friends, we shall see. In the meantime, I'm off to visit the sandman. Thanks for stopping by. Sleep well...... I said "thanks for stopping by!!" Now away with you fools!!!!

I'm Over the Girl

2008-01-04T14:16:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of y'alls and I hope nothing but the best in the good old '08!!!

Now, onto the first post of the new year.

As many of you may or may not know, I came out of a vicious, vicious breakup in 2004. What some may know is that it took a long time to get over that, and what fewer of you may know is that even after I got over that, I had some occasional bouts of withdrawl from this chick. Now, I know some of you may roll your eyes and say "that's because you were NEVER over her." No, no. Not true.

You see, after the breakup and the getting over period, I was in a state I like to call Purgatory. You see in my opinion, the breakup state consists of 4 stages.

1. The Explosion. This is where the breakup happens, and the cork pops off the bottle. Ugly period of disbelief, anger, sadness, basically a combination of feelings. You are LOST.

2. Purgatory. All the powerful feelings are gone. No anger. No sadness. No nothing. You are in a room by yourself. Dim lit. A time to reflect at what you've been through and what you want to accomplish. When it is time to leave, you turn off the light and leave the room.

3. Rise of the Phoenix. From the ashes, rises the phoenix. This is a period of rebuilding. This is when you make your comeback. Now before cueing the Rocky music, it should be noted, that this is also a time where mistakes may happen. So what, take them. Mistakes happen, no worries about it. Just keep coming back, keep rising.

4. Higher Ground. This is the best thing about a breakup. Where you finish. It's not "even ground." It's HIGHER ground. And it's Higher Ground because you're even STRONGER than you were before. You're BETTER than you were before, and SMARTER of course. And THEN you are ready to be in a relationship where you are not the rebound, you are not with a rebound, and you are not hurt, or troubled, and you will give your partner 100% of yourself without selling either of each other short. Meaning it has a great chance of working out. And if worse come to worse and it doesn't work out, then you can at least say on your part you gave it 100%.

Back to the story.

I was in Purgatory. I wasn't angry or sad or anything. I was just in a state of nothing. So anyways, I deleted her number, threw out a bunch of her stuff, just pretty much erased her out of my life. So one day she comes into the store where I work, and bam. Just like that, I felt uneasy. Pinned to a corner. My heart started racing. I saw her there just standing looking at me, and I felt very, very vulnerable. I talked to her real quick, but mostly to see what she was doing in my store. She told me she likes this store in particular. I knew it was a bullshit answer. She was fucking with me, and it was working. Dammit. Why did she have to come and poison MY environment?

So anyways, after that she left. She'd keep re-appearing in and out of the store and keep fucking with my emotions. I knew I was over her, and couldn't care less but could not explain why I was feeling this way. Then after some careful consideration I realized that even though I was over her, there were still some feelings, some emotions that came to play whenever I saw her. So I was over her in the sense that I could care less where she went, or who she dated or slept with. But it was my own feelings faintly messing with me. I warned her again to stop coming to the store. And she did.

A long while passed by and we met up about a year later randomly for lunch. And that was it. Just lunch. More time passed. This time over a year. During that time I was well into the Rise of the Phoenix. I was improving all the little aspects of my life that make ME who I AM. I went back to school full-time with more drive than ever. I reduced drug use to barely occasional. I quit smoking. I took care of my friends better. I worked harder at my job than ever before. And I met an awesome girl. I had risen, and stood at Higher Ground.

In early December 2007, I was working when all of a sudden. I saw her in line. The ex. I had just come back out of lunch and she was ordering drinks. I looked her up and down. She hadn't changed much. But my heart didn't race this time. My palms did not become sweaty. I wasn't thrown off, nor did I feel like I was being pinned in a corner. I looked her in the eye and said, "hey." I then proceeded to take her order. It was made, and then she left.

As the doors closed behind her, I smiled to myself. There was officially no more feelings, no more regrets, no more denials. I was over her, I believed. But this was the perfect proof I needed because you'll never know if you're over the person, until something like this happens. And it happened, and I can safely say I'm over the girl.

Update Time???

2007-11-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

Well the folks are out of here in a month's time. After that, they're gone till February 2nd or so, with the old man coming back around mid-January. Should be a hell of a vacation for them, and me. I mean, hell, I think we all deserve a little time apart. It's healthy no?

I have not updated this thing in a while, but also, I have not done anything terribly exciting. I've been working almost full time, while going to school. I have to pay for the 2nd and final installment of tuition, so I'm cranking out hours for that.

Remember I have been seeing 111 and 444 everywhere I go? Well, on November 1st (1/11) the Pick 3 number came out. Pick 3 is a standard lotto here where they choose 3 numbers at random. The winning numbers that day? 444. Unbelievable. I almost choked on my food in the bar I was in when I saw that. Coincidence!? Don't believe in them, but whatever.

Recently saw American Gangster and it was indeed a pretty bad ass film. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe do their thing. Good story line, and some pretty intense parts. Though nothing happened in the film that completely shocked me, it was nice to see a classic movie saving us from all the traps and gimmicks that directors like Jerry Bruckheimer seem to feel is necessary to keep the audience on the "edge of their seat."

Everything at work is cool. I'm in a good position on the totem pole to feel that my job is safe. It's exactly what I aimed for when I dropped my 2nd job earlier this year. Come back to work bigger and better and position myself in a powerplay that would be able to see me survive any bumps that come along the way and at the same time allow me to get most of my requests cashed in no questions asked. So far? All ships sailing full speed ahead. It was also of concern to me to be able to make the most of my part time job. I'm in a position now where I feel nothing can stop me from at least scoring a full raise on my upcoming review. I KNOW that it will be due either at the end of December or early to mid January. So, I've been cranking up the volume in my work ethics and whatnot so that when the review comes in, I can make the most of it. Then I can go back to business as usual as work steadies lazily for February-April.

Everything with Gaby is going well, I suppose. We don't see each other as often as we should and any lesser of a girlfriend would have broken up with me by now. We average about 1-2 times a week. I've let her know this, that she can let go of me at any point if it becomes too much. But she's assured me that she's not going to do that, and that we are being put to the test right now but that we'll come back from this. I told her she's doing me no favor, but that I appreciate her attitude. That means a lot to me. It's just right now I have to concentrate on 1. school. 2. Paying for school which equals 3. working a lot, including my beloved Sundays.... Ho humm.... So Gaby is really at number 4 right now. But when I look at it, I really do have my priorities in check and she knows this. I respect her for sticking by me. Hopefully we can pull through this tough period.

With my folks leaving soon, and just me and my sis staying behind, they want us to keep the family strong. Yesterday we got a sit down talk from my mom and old man, and they want us to be together for Christmas. This comes after they found out that I would be with Gaby and my sister with her boyfriend, respectively. They don't care what we do for New Year's, but they want us to stick together for Christmas. I met this with little resistance, whereas my sister rebelled that decision. In the end, Christmas at the Torres' house. hahahaa...

School is going great so far. I got one disappointing 68 mark in "Intro to Radio" a bird course taught by a bumbling caffeine-addicted idiot that I could care less about. The three marks I care about most are Announcing, where I have a 75, Sales which is an 87 and News Development which is an 86. I need those marks to stay strong so that I have a chance of becoming either a radio sales person, or an announcer or news announcer. It's tough competition but with the right marks, the right attitude, and my monster personality, I believe I should be able to pull it off.

Yesterday we shared a class with the Section 2's. (there are 2 sections, us being one, and them being 2.) Got a good look at the competition. Aside from a few notables, the rest were MEH... Destroy ALL, take no prisoners!!!

For the first time in three and half years something went missing from work. A co-worker's tips mysteriously went missing from his jacket. I can't even fathom somebody stealing, because that would change the game up at work. Up until now nobody has ever had anything go missing like that. I just hope it was a one time mistake. Purposely done or not.

Well, I'm going to go this weekend to see if I can get my little sister's camera fixed. I tried to hold off showing it to her, but I showed her on Tuesday and told her I would fix it. Of course, she went to my father the next day, so now it's a public story. Thankfully, there is a 1 year-warrantee on this thing, so I'm going to go see if they will be able to cover the damage. The damage happened last weekend when I was at a friend's party at a new club called "Circa." I passed the camera to a friend, but she dropped it lens first on the wooden dance floor. I checked the price for the damn thing and it's 200 dollar pink, limited edition Breast Cancer Supportive Edition, so I'm damned if the warrantee doesn't cover it. I'm going to go see Saturday or so at Best Buy. My 2nd plan is to take it to a dealer in Markham who will be able to fix it for a price. I think it's time I get my OWN camera. Hahaha... Shit.

There are other things going through my mind right now, but I don't know how to put it down on here. So I'm going to wait a few weeks before I do. Things should clear up and I should have a better idea and handle on these things.

I'm outsies folks, till then take care!!!

Vicki Vale, I'm Batman. This is my Batcave.

2007-09-30T13:36:00.000-04:00

In the 1989 Tim Burton film Batman, we see Batman rescue Vicki Vale from the dangers of the Joker. He then puts her in the Batmobile and they take off at insane speeds towards the Batcave. Vicki up to this point only trusts Batman because he has saved her life. She is indeed reluctant but she finds herself riding in the passenger seat of the large vehicle. As Batman drives ever so faster on the dark, leaf-ridden roads to the Batcave, she begins to really look at Batman and realizes she knows nothing of him. She is even intimidated now, even a little scared. She begins asking him questions to which he just merely glances at her from the corner of his eye. Just when it appears that they will drive on forever, up ahead is a rocky-faced wall. Seemingly going to drive right into it, Vicki puts her hands out to protect herself and gasps, just as the wall moves and the Batmobile drives into the darkness of the Batcave. Remember that Vicki does not know that Batman is actually Bruce Wayne. Batman puts the car into park, and they both exit. This is all new to her. It's new to him. It's awkward.

The video. Watch from 5:00 to understand what I'm talking about.

He's never let someone in like this before. And she has no idea where she is, or who Batman is. But for whatever reason, she's growing closer and closer to him. There's something mysterious about Batman that seems to draw her toward him. She slowly grows closer to him, asking questions and being careful not to step onto any feet, but Batman is noticing this the entire time. Batman snaps up and inches closer and closer to her. Is he going to kiss her? Or kill her? Batman raises his arm and tells Vicki that she has something else that he wants. Vicki Vale awakes in her own bed, alive, and even more curious about this Batman.

I believe every person in the world has their own Batcave. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but every person has a vault that only a few get in. And few leave, once in. For myself, there of course, is a Batcave. I don't tell everyone my dealings. However, I find solace in this blog because I can give everyone a glimpse of my "Batcave" without actually telling anyone anything. It's sort of a release. A way of getting stuff out that wouldn't necessarily get out through other means.

Have you ever met someone that you had assumed everything about, and in one shot, you came to realize that you were dead wrong? Assumptions are based on experience. The problem with that is experiences are different for everyone. For some people, this all goes back to morals.

Take O.J. Simpson for example. The man has been on the news and on the radios non-stop for the past several weeks. Just like America was taken over by his trial in the mid-90's, we find him the topic of discussion on countless American talk shows. The point is that if you were to poll people on how they feel about O.J. you will get several different opinions. Assuming that those polled are from the general public and not done by people O.J. personally knew, then you would get answers ranging from "murderer," to "an innocent man the media won't leave alone," to "a complete, bumbling fucking idiot." The point is that none of know him, and we know him through assumptions. And those assumptions come based on our morals. The other day I said jokingly to my mother as I was watching O.J. on tv, "Can't they just leave the poor guy alone? First they drag him through court for over 2 years for a murder he clearly didn't commit, now they're saying he was the mastermind behind these thefts? Crazy talk." My mom just looked at me and said, "Chris, he's a murderer." Indeed, my mother has never met the dude, and I never will, but I made that joke just to get a reaction, and I got it. The thing is, you can't really know O.J. until you meet the dude. Did he do it? Maybe he didn't. Maybe he did. Maybe he just wants to release all the torment of having done it. Maybe he just wants to play with the media.

Either way, O.J. wrote his book, "If I Did It," which was later changed to "If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer" when the Goldman family got ownership of the book. Did the man have so much guilt inside of him that he needed his own "blog" to release information? One thing is for sure, most people that get away with murder usually end up booking themselves because they cannot keep their mouths shut. It's the old tried and tested formula of a person that needs to spill the beans because that is their nature. If O.J. did it or not is irrelevant. What I find interesting is the need for the man to continue to put himself out there. Who really knows O.J. honestly. And if you had a chance to enter O.J.'s "Batcave" would you want to go in?

I have a Batcave. I let certain people in. Others, not so much. It all depends on the person. And always when I let someone in, I watch over them, I usually like them, but above all else, I trust them. I will go above and beyond for them, and do whatever it takes to keep them happy. They are a part of the cave itself, and whatever I share with them, is exclusive between us. My life, like most people's, could be told in a large book. What I do is I give people little glimpses of certain chapters. Eventually, as I trust you more and more, I give more and more of myself to the point where you know too much and you don't want out of cave. And neither do I. I was talking to a friend the other day, and she had no idea I had sisters. She thought I came from a family of brothers. But its' the opposite, and in retrospect, she realized she should have known that all along. Whatever that means.

But I guess the reason people keep these batcaves is because the world is always assuming, always judging. That's why I feel I'm at liberty to say what I want, should I choose to say it, when I want. And always to an audience that I can trust. Because the world isn't always ready. This blog is a certain batcave of mine. It's just one little stream that comes from my life that I get to share with you all. My thoughts, as honest as possible, at any given point.

We are all Bruce Wayne. And we all have a Batman side to us. We all have a Vicki that is trying to figure us out. Whoever we decide to make our Vicki Vale and let into the cave is entirely up to us. And whatever consequences that come with it, you then deal with together. But to truly understand yourself, to truly keep your secrets secret, you have to be able to separate your Batman from your Bruce Wayne. If you begin to merge the two together, you'll get yourself in trouble. And it's easier said than done. But doable. Keep them separate, and you'll be okay. Let the trust-worthy into the cave, but always with caution.

And if you think that's a metaphor for something, well then, it is. It's a metaphor and the only reason you could reach such a conclusion would be based on your own morals, ethics and experience. A person untouched, unhinged by things in life would have never assumed that this blog was one big metaphor. We are all different, at different stages of our lives, so we analyze things differently. Am I Bruce Wayne right now? Or Batman? That all depends on my mindset. For now, get out of my cave.

Matters of the Heart

2007-09-19T08:03:00.000-04:00

Welcome back, fellow minions, to another installment of the People's Blog. I find myself in class right now. I look like any other student. Just sitting on my computer, typing away at stuff. Waiting for the instructor to start the class. But beneath the surface, I'm very different.

You see, just underneath my shirt are five electro-magnetic patches that are hooked to a cardio recorder. It's recording my heart rhythms, patterns, and any irregularities. Everything.

It all started a few years ago. I began to have what I call "irregular heartbeats." The reason for the quotes is because there actually is something called "irregular heartbeats" and I don't know what that means specifically and I don't want anyone out there to assume that is what I have. But to me it feels like something I would describe as that. Alright, all that jibber-jabber out of the way, I began to have them. It feels as if my heart is skipping a beat, but literally. And that quite frankly, can't be a good thing. I began to get them maybe once every few months. I figured it was nothing and they would go away. Then they began to happen maybe once a month. Then once every few weeks. And then once a week. That's when I drew the line. I went to see a doctor 2 weeks ago and he basically signed me up for about eight different blood tests. Seven tubes of blood were removed and put into tiny test tubes. I'd never had so much blood taken out. And the Doc also set me up for a Holter Monitro to be attached to me. It's basically those cords they stick on you and they monitor you through this really cool box similar to an ipod that's attached to your belt. Trendy, I know. It's the latest look in all the fashion capitals.

But uh, yeah I'm hooked onto that and hopefully they can find out what's wrong. I'm hoping they do find something. The reason being is that I know there is something wrong, and for them to say they couldn't find anything would be a bummer.

***UPDATE***

So it's Thursday now, the pack was given to me on Tuesday, and I returned it last night. I didn't get any of those "irregular" heartbeats while on the machine! How fucked up is that! Yet today at 11:11 AM (I'm not making this shit up, I swear on my mother's life) I got another irregular hearbeat. How FUCKED is that!? It's like those really bad movies where every time the dad checks under the bed, the monster is never there.

So needless to say, I want to get this over with, and I want to know what is wrong. I'm sure the severity of the whole deal will direct whether I need pills and medicine to fix this, or open heart surgery. I'm hoping it's not a huge deal, but either way I've made peace with myself that I will do whatever it takes to fix this. Whatever it takes.

I returned the kit yesterday and that was that. I hope that the results come quickly, and I am expecting the worst so that I can deal with this in the most positive way possible. I know, it's weird, I'm weird, but that's how I'm approaching this. In the meantime, I just have to go about my everyday duties. Done school for today, and I work till 11pm tonight, so I'm just focusing on that. I'm a little nervous, but I'll be even more nervous if they don't find anything. Right now I just have to put a smile on my face and go do my "Franchise" thing. Be well, folks.

Syrups, Tsunamis and OSAP, oh MY!!!

2007-09-12T08:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome back my fellow minions. Grab a pop, beer, whatever the hell it is you drink, sit back and enjoy my latest rant.

I'm into Week 2 now of the 2 year Radio Broadcasting Program, and can already tell it's going to be a lot of work! Having said that I'm really excited about the whole program, even though we are a big group. (36) The people here are from all ages and races which is cool to see. The program is going to be intense with different instructors each teaching a different sector of this business. Next semester we get to choose which path we are going to take for the rest of the course be it announcing, the technical side, news, or sales. Sales has the biggest dollar signs next to it so it's always tempting. But I feel like I should be on the air. And at this point in time if I had to make the decision, then I would follow the announcing route.

I've finally done it. I'm sick. I've got a runny nose, semi-sore throat, and I'm just feeling exhausted for no apparent reason. <> The intro to this blog was done on Wednesday morning, it's now Thursday morning. Feeling much better. Took some medicine last night (which I usually don't do) and I feel much much better. The weather is definitely getting crispier out there. Went to the mall last weekend, and I was looking at some fall jackets. My grandmother happened to be with me, as she was helping my mom find some new sneakers for my sister. I was looking at some nice jackets, but the price was a little high for the jacket, even though it feels completely worth it. The inside is all wool and it's a nice brown sweater with a zipper. Frowning at the price I put it back. Low and behold, my grandmother ends up buying it for me. How awesome is that? I love that old lady. I said it several blogs back and I'll say it again.

How about those earthquakes in Indonesia? Strange times we live in. Just last night I was tuned into Coast to Coast AM, and was listening to this specialist on world issues, and he was going on about insane changes in the weather and how things are quickly going to take weird and dangerous turns in the years to come. I wake up at 6:20 am to find out that 2 earthquakes in the span of six hours has once again rocked the tiny islands that were plagued by tsunamis just last year and the year before it. Crazy. I don't think the word tsunami was known to the common person even as little back as three years ago.

Read a horrific story in the paper the other day of a boy who jumped 27 stories to his death. Apparently the parents were fighting over his marks, when the boy decided to end it all. It's just unbelievable the amount of stress these days on students. In a recent study done in the U.S. they came to the conclusion that now in 2007 though people live longer lives, the younger generations are dying young from circumstances that fifteen years ago would be considered crazy talk: stress, heart attacks, strokes. It's a lot more pressure these days on students to do well in school as well as juggle all other aspects of their lives considering that life standards have increased since the mid 80's. Taking into consideration that tuition fees are at an all time high with no sign of decreasing, it's hard for even the part-time student to juggle it all. I know of several people I have encountered that I could very well see succeeding at a university or a college of their choosing if only it weren't so expensive to get back into school in the first place. It's not like in the mid 90's when the biggest issue was the dropouts. In 2007, it's the tuition rates coupled with the rise of rent and standards of living in a big city such as Toronto that has some potential students living paycheck to paycheck just to survive. Sure, there's OSAP, but that's not always the better choice. Some people don't find it fun to be in debt for the next 5 years of their lives after just spending 4 of them in school. I've never had OSAP and I hope to continue down that path. There's nothing wrong with OSAP, but I rather not owe anything to anyone. And that's that. Kids, I gotta check out, have a good day...

This is the end, my friend...

2007-08-29T12:09:00.000-04:00

A new home, a new dream. That's what I thought in my head when we moved to 163 Drummond in early 2002. As I fill box after box of my valuables and other not-so-valuable stuff, I can't help but put the boxes down to reminisce a little of the times spent here in this house we turned into a home.

Wednesday afternoon here live at 163, where I have lived for the past 5 years, save one year that I moved out in 2004-2005. This Friday, we move out of 163 to a new home, just up the street. There are many reasons why we're moving but the short of the long of it is my parents status here in Canada is up in the air. By that, I mean I have no idea if they are staying or moving back. My old man is 50, and my mom 43, and they don't want to spend their "glory" years here in Canada. That leaves me and my sister Jen, 19, here in Canada. That also leaves Tiffany, 12, in the middle. But she has told us that she wants to go to Argentina, so more than anybody else I will miss the little bugger.

So the house is nearing empty now, as all of our belongings are in boxes. It's kind of sad moving out of this particular home, because it was the home bought by my dad. It was brand new, and it was something that he had worked very hard to obtain for us. The house brought with it new hopes and dreams, and a new beginning. The house made us dream, made us think that anything was possible. There we stood in a huge, brand new house, and the whole feeling was foreign to us. It was a great feeling. It's hard to imagine not having moved up here to Maple. For better or worse, it brought us closer as a family. I still remember day 1, slowly moving in, sitting on the kitchen floor, pizza box on the ground, eating. My grandfather was there, as was my grandmother. (they are separated.) My aunt showed up with my cousins. (they had moved up to Maple years before us.)

And moving to Maple also reunited me with my cousin Jorge. You see, what most don't know is that Jorge and I spent a good 4 years apart. And they were 4 years that Jorge a.k.a. Carter was in high school. So everytime we had a get-together in his house, I saw him change, like a chameleon. Nonetheless, we were together again, and even had the chance to work together in the same place for 2 and half years.

The new house was also home to many asados ("South American BBQ" for the white-washed) on Sunday afternoons. There was hardly a time I came home on a Sunday to NOT find a vistor or two or ten sitting in front of the tube watching the Boca Juniors game, or everyone out in the back porch eating and drinking wine with Sprite.

The house was only 4 walls but we turned it into a home. This is where I brought my first long-term girlfriend. This is where I chased my little sister up the stairs. This is where I punched a hole in the wall in my room when I got pissed one night. This is where we all met up after the lights went out in 2003. This is where I got my first car. This is where my uncle from Argentina and my cousin and I had one of the worst Whiskey-made drinks ever created on the back porch. This is where my grandparents on my father's side stayed when they came over here in 2002. (big deal right? They are in their late 70's and that is the ONLY time they have ever flown on a plane.) This is where we ordered countless pizza pies, and buckets of chicken. This is where everyone slept over one New Year's because they were all too drunk to get home. This was home.

We are moving into a new home, renting this time. And it's going to be different. My mom and my little sister are out of here come late November, if all goes well. My father will follow suit in early December. That will leave the two of us at the home. Yes, I know. That 's great isn't it? It is. And believe me, with it, will come the perks. And it will be a lot of fun, don't get me wrong. I'm ready for the responsibility. I'm not afraid of that. I lived on my own for a year in not the safest area, so I will survive.

But what I'll miss are the Sunday asados, and the birthday parties and all that fun and jazz. And I'll miss my little sister more than anything else. She's 12. If I don't see her for 1 year, it will be crucial, because she'll be a different person the next time I see her. And so on and so on, and that's life I suppose.

What I'm saying is that this is a new direction for me. It has absolutely nothing to do with living on my own, more than just missing being around my folks. When I moved out it was different. I always knew my parents would be home if I ever needed to go visit, or go watch a soccer game with my old man. I could come and go as it suited me. This time, we are all on our own. Phone cards and phone calls will become the new "norm." All of this is experimental obviously. My mother is going to go see what living is like there in 2007. But having visited the country twice in the past three years, I would assume she's going to like it. It is her home after all.

Obviously I will update you more as the date approaches of the big shift over to Argentina. In the meantime, I'm picking up my box and am continuing to fill it with stuff, voting out garbage into the trash can. Another home, another dream.

When Does One Become a Sex Fiend?

2007-08-07T15:06:00.000-04:00

Often times, when one becomes involved in a relationship, there comes a point in time--usually not too far out of the gate--when it becomes sexual. At first, awkwardness. It's like two pro athletes feeling each other out. Trying to figure out what the other has. Especially if the two participating have been active in the past, this can be especially eye-opening. If anything is to be learned, is never assume. There are predators posing as house cats all over the place. So you have sex. It's either good or bad... Indeed. There is always work to be done. Always room for improvement. But the question I beg in this particular blog, is not so much quality, but qauntity. How often? How much is enough? When does one become a sex fiend??? When does someone go from loving to have sex to someone who has other issues not really evident at first glance. We shall examine that here.

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Well, I guess in a relative sense, you can't unteach an old dog old tricks. Or at least old habits. Case in point. If you're a person that came out of a relationship and were accustomed to having sex roughly 3 times a week, then that is something that unknown to you, you will want to keep up. At least, once you are at that average, you will want to keep it at that rate in any new relationship. The hardest part of that to deal with, is that this will not hit you until you are already in a new relationship. Leading a healthy sex life begins sometimes in your earliest relationships and carries onward. It evolves. That's normal. For those of us that come from past relationships where we were used to having sex 3-5 times a week, anything lower than 3 becomes foreign. New again. And definitely not a good "new." Anything less than what you have been used to becomes shitty. It really does. It doesn't matter how great or how bad the relationship is, if you are not getting the amount of sex you were at one point getting, it's never a good thing. I mean, that's like eating a really good cereal as a kid, and not getting enough marshmallows. Honestly now.

There is no doubt that there are a lot of sex fiends out there. People who cannot live without not so much it, but live without large doses of it. There are no boundaries for these people. Whether it means risking it all and doing it in some random space at some random time, or doing it while sick or bed ridden, or while going through some mind-boggling drama. At first it seems distasteful to even think of such a thing, but sex can be a band-aid for any of life's challenges. We are only human.

After World War II, the U.S. advised all Americans to live their lives to their fullest, multiply, and continue building "the greatest country in the world." The result was a huge boom in the population, and what today is being felt in the form of the baby boomers reaching their pension age.

So how much sex is a healthy dosage? Well, the answer, though lame in sound, is true: Whatever is comfortable and bearable to both parties of a relationship. How to spot a sex fiend? These people will hold the relationship at hostage to get what they want. Sometimes, a person will even threaten to leave their partner if they don't get what they want. Though this may sound like a terrible thing, it's actually more common than you would think. The best thing you can do is talk to your partner. If your partner doesn't know, they'll never react or at least try to work with you. Sex is a part of most relationships. How big a role it will end up playing will all depend on each individual. But if it reaches a point for any one person where sex comprises more than half of the relationship, then I would seriously attempt to go back to the drawing board and analyze things all over again.

Working with someone that comes from a low-sex past, at least relationship-wise, is sometimes a tough thing to do. It's not easy. That's like having a vet and a rookie on a two-person team. Yes, yes, anything can be worked through, but sometimes it's really frustrating. I mean, there are always greener pastures out there, but at the same time, there are people that are always worse off. I've heard of some people going months without having sex. And to each his/her own, but that to me, is not normal. Sex is an integral part of every relationship. It redefines the relationship, plants seeds of trust, and connects two people way more than a movie or a silly outing will do. At the very least, when done correctly, it can be a good workout. Okay, so yes, I'm being silly. But I really stand by what I'm saying. Some sex is good. A lot of sex is better. No sex just sucks. Personally, I'm in the middle ground somewhere, but I rather be ahead than lag behind if that makes any sense.

I've never dated a sex fiend, but I dated someone that made it easy to come by. In fact, looking back, I remember few times I heard the word "no." But every person is different, and I respect that. The person I am with now is not her and I accept that, and I don't insinuate that in the slightest that she is or should be. I'm speaking merely on a habitual level. I'm smart enough to know that I am still in the beginning stages, the part where the two sports athletes feel each other out, so I'm not drawing any permanent conclusions just yet. I guess the point of this blog is to talk about the role sex plays in a relationship. A good amount is great, but when it becomes overbearing for one of the partners in the relationship, when it becomes too much for one to handle, when it takes over the relationship, that's when it's no longer healthy. And in that situation, I'd choose the relationship over sex any day, point my finger at the person and say "sex fiend!" before helping them out to the nearest help center.

Done Deal

2007-07-01T12:48:00.000-04:00

Alright folks, so it's been awhile since my last update, partly because I'm been busy, and partly because I've been too lazy.

But alas, I'm back with another quick update.

As I sit and type this, my entourage is on its way to pick me up. They are going shopping in Buffalo, New York, at all those crazy discount places, so I'm going for the ride. I'm not actually buying anything, but I'll definitely go and check it out.

Alright, so the deal with Gaby is done. We are official. The deal was made at 4 King, perhaps the biggest Starbucks I've personally been in. We just reached a point where we could continue what we had and see where it went, or just leave off as friends, and we'd still be in waters shallow enough that nobody would get hurt. Now I'm in the deep end, hahahaa... Should be a crazy ride, they always are. I'm very excited about this new opportunity, and I really like her, so we'll see what happens. Baby-steps, baby-steps....

Work is great, I've been working a lot lately. I'm so shocked I haven't burnt out after working 36 hours in the last 4 days, including one day I stayed an extra 3 hours for the closers. (it was a pizza affair, plus some very interesting characters in Bryant, who never has anything dull to say, Sem, who's usually harassing me about one thing or another, or Laura, who's just, well, LAURA.

I managed to pay for school a full week and a half before deadline which was exciting. I'll be doing radio broadcasting in the fall, which was another hotly debated topic of mine in recent months.

Camping is slated for the end of July, which will see me out of town for 4 days, 3 nights, which is going to be AWESOME!

This year's lineup includes the complete 4 Horsemen: Myself, Jorge, Makara, Umar. Then the Wives: Gaby, Maria, and Phylicia. As well as Maria's sister and brother, Makara's brother and cousin, and also our honorary cousin, Rodger, and Jorge's friend Jonathan. And my sister and her boyfriend will also be joining in. It's going to be an awesome weekend of beer, some very zen-like herbal smoking, and food, my god, the food!

Gaby's off for the weekend in Orillia, and I have just been lazy-ing around the house today. My first day off since Wednesday, and the first time I have two days off in a row in more than a week. I'm back in the grind tomorrow, Monday.

In other news, I'm planning on getting myself a Wonderland Season's Pass probably next pay check, or next week if I have some extra money laying around. These bad boys go for $88, but they are worth it if you go at least 2 times.

Has everyone seen the new I-Phone? INSANE how crazy people are over this phone! I mean, trusting the innovators of an MP3 player with what is supposed to be a crazy multi-media, multi-functional device to the point of waiting in line for hours, even overnights to get first crack at this thing is beyond me.

I agree the I-Pod is the King of KINGS when it comes to MP3 players, but they are just starting out in the cell phone business, and we shall see what the reviews say. I know the early ones are all positive, but hey, it could have been bad right?

Folks, that's all for this update, as I have to hurry and take a shower for my ride to Buffalo, but I will update later this week with a more serious topic, and something that has been on my mind for the past week: The murder-suicide of Chris Benoit.

Until next time, take care.

444

2007-06-11T02:16:00.001-04:00

Good evening, my fellow minions. The time now is 2:15 in the morning, and I was in the tedious process of going to sleep, but that of course failed. What with a trip to the washroom, then down to the fridge to grab some orange Powerade, a few scoops of peanut butter, there was no way I was ready for bed. So I figured, I'd kill some time and write this blog. As of my last blog, I have smoked eight smokes. I know, that's terrible. But they made me! I swear! Actually, I went out last night with one of my boys, and an entourage that consisted of his step-brother, and one of his friends, and his cousin, and friend, and I lost track after that. There was about 7 of us. Anyways, I got to drinking some Coronas and the smokes came easy. I know. Bad boy. Hey, I am trying...

Before we dive into today's topic, which is a definite hot one, I just want to update you all on what the hell's been going on. Okay, so first, Gaby is definitely coming back to Toronto either Friday or Saturday. Now I'm hoping Saturday because I have to work both Friday and Saturday, and would ideally like to see her Saturday night. I just would hate to have to squeeze her in Friday night after work, knowing I have to work the next morning also. That would suck. I rather suffer two shifts on two days and know that she's at the end of the track. In any case, she will be back. My other Horsemen, Umar, is back from England as of today. I haven't seen him yet, but he fired me a text message around 7 pm to let me know he was back in town. So, all the players will be back in the game once Gaby gets back on Saturday. Everything else is kosher, and work is still work.

Okay, today's topic: 444...

For the past 4-6 months I've been noticing this number popping up everywhere... And when I mean everywhere, I mean E-VER-Y-WHERE... It appears on receipts, punch-out times, on the clock, on the radio, on websites, on buses, everywhere...

At first I thought it was pure coincidence. "Okay, maybe I'm just being too alert. Maybe I'm just looking for it myself." I let that mini philosophy carry me over for the 4-6 months that I was seeing this. And I say 4-6 because that is when I can remember actually paying attention to this strange phenomenon. So during that time, I kept noticing it. I would go on a bus that had "444" as part of the serial number. I would work a shift and punch out at 4:44pm. I didn't think too much of it. I just kind of brushed it off. I figured it's one of "those things." I guess I should have started to pay attention, because what would come next would prove to me that whatever was trying to get my attention, obviously thought he/she/it wasn't getting the job done this way. They took a more stronger approach in what "they" (being whoever it is) would do to get my attention to this number.

One night, I went to bed and woke up in the late-night to go use the washroom. It was late. I don't usually wake up that late so I checked the clock out of curiosity. It was 4:44 AM. I had to blink a couple times. I literally groaned and said, "what the fuck!?" I thought for sure someone, somewhere was fucking with me. So I got out my cell phone and took a picture of the clock. (that's the one up top.) Went to sleep and that was that.

Another number that began to rear its head was the number "222." I guess the younger brother of the "444" decided to help out its older brother. Or something like that. In any event "444" and "222" began to double team on me. I know that adding up "222" and "444" gives you "666." But it honestly didn't and still doesn't worry me.

The only person that I admitted this strange phenomenon to, was my cousin Jorge. I explained to him what was going on, and to his credit, he listened and didn't make fun of me. Though the fucker did at one point make mention when I was buying a chocolate pretzel that "what if it came out to $4.44?" Fucker. But it actually came out to $1.11 with the partner discount. What if I had bought 4 pretzels??? Not that it matters, that's not here nor there. I told my cousin, but that was it. I was afraid of people thinking I was some nutbag.

So I continued to see the number. I would continue to wake up at 4:44AM and it would still spook me every now and then. One night I was watching tv, and decided I was going to go downstairs for a drink of water, and maybe a granola bar or something. As I walked down the steps in the dark, the alarm system's LCD screen beside the door flashed exactly 2:22AM. I said, "fuck this shit," and made the quickest U-turn back into my room and went to sleep. I could not believe it. This is when I decided to start looking into this.

The next day I woke up, and immediately fired up my laptop and went into researching this "444" business. So I went to google. Now, I didn't think I would actually find anything. I figured more or less I'll get results of 444 B.C. and 444 A.D. or "444 hoes for $1.99," you get the point. To my shock, I found hundreds of pages pertaining to people having a strange encounter with this number. It was then that I realized, without going into any page, that at the very, very, very least I was not alone. I began reading other peoples' stories and their encounters with this number. To say it was surreal would be and understatement. The sheer nature of how they encountered the number was picture perfect to the way I was finding the number. In weird places, at weird times. I read articles from people thinking they too were just "lucking out" and running into coincidence after coincidence before something finally clicking inside of them that "hey, maybe there's something more here."

So I continued to read up on it, and read their testimonials. Do not get me wrong, I know that some of these sites were trying to sell me stuff, and I understood that going in, but I kept an open mind, and put what I read and what I knew, and came up with my own ideas and theories. The common prevailing idea is that the number appears numerous times throughout the Bible as get this, messages from angels. Messengers of God. The number appears various times, and many spiritualists around the world believe that the number is some form of sign, or medium from angels in which they try to communicate with us. The angels are sending us messages. Maybe something big is coming up. Good or bad, I don't know. The fucked up part? My house is an ANGEL SHRINE!

I swear! My mother is obsessed with angels. They are everywhere! We have 3 giant portraits of angels going up the stairs. There are statues ALL over the house. They are in the living room, the dining room, they are in the kitchen. They are everywhere! They are even at our front door. There's angels everywhere in this house. The messed up part is that I always tease my mom about this. I always tell her "we better be careful, the "angels" are watching us." Now I don't think that's so funny anymore. So is that also some coincidence? Or is there more? What are the odds of the "444" showing up everywhere I go, and then finding out it's related to messages sent by angels, then to add that up to the fact that there are angels all over the house? What are the odds? Maybe, 4 in 44? Okay, I'm kidding there, but seriously. This is happening. I don't know how to counter the messages that are being sent. All I can do is just keep an open mind, and acknowledge that this phenomenon is happening. For whatever reason, I don't know. I just have to keep my eyes open.

Now if you think by reading that last sentence that I'm finished, you are dead wrong. I'm not done, yet.

So right now, my parents are looking for a new house for us. Something still in the area, but something different. The mortgage came up on the house we are at, and we got a new real estate guy that has agreed to mortgage it up for us, but he advised us to find a different place, and he will get us a better percentage rate. So that's what they have been doing. A couple days before they sold our house now and went to look at a few prospect houses, I told my mom about "444." I told her about the angels and everything. She immediately made me remember how I made fun of the statues all over the house and whatnot. I immediately felt like an idiot. I used to grab one of the bigger angel statues (about 3 feet tall) and parade it around my room like a Stanley Cup. I know, I know...

So they were house hunting. The next day I was working and I called home to see what was up. My little sister picked up and told me that they saw a really nice house just a few blocks away from here. When I asked her what the asking price was, she told me I was not going to believe. I said "shoot." And she did. The price? $444,000!!! I couldn't believe it. I came home and my parents confirmed it. I asked them if they were shitting me. My dad reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small stack of lotter tickets with the numbers 44 and "444" on the Pick 3. My dad would NEVER go that far to try to freak me out. I immediately smiled and said, "well, I don't know too much about 444, but I say we go for the house!" Maybe it was a sign from above to go for the house. That things would turn out well. I wasn't sure, but it was my gut instinct. I couldn't believe it. And this was last Friday. This was nuts. And even more nuts... Was something that happened at work also on Friday earlier that day! For skeptical Baristas reading this, check with Luciana for the scoop.

So this was before I called my little sister at home to see what was up. I was on break, and Luciana had just hung up the phone. She turned to me and asked me if was looking for extra shifts. Now, she had just got off the phone while I happened to be on a 15 minute break with a store that needed partners to go work there. Coincidence? Again. Maybe not. So she hangs up and asks me the question. I say to her, "Luciana, what store is it?" She says to me, "444 Eglinton Ave." I immediately looked at her and said, "Please tell me you're kidding!" She smiled because she saw how excited my face got. She said, "What's wrong with that?" I said, "Nothing." I asked her if she was a spiritual person, and she told me it all depended. I always ask because I don't want to talk to people that at the very least don't keep an open mind. So I explained everything, and then when I expected her hearty laughter at the crazy sound of it, she explained to me that she knew a girl once who kept seeing the number, "1111." Now, Luciana explained the story to me, and I asked her if the girl ever found out what it meant. Luciana said "No." Luciana explained that she had lost contact with her a while back. I asked her if maybe she knew, and again, she said she didn't.

NOW, remember I have done the research. I know the "444" and "OTHER" numbers like it. The "222" or the "22" or the "2" even. And guess what... GUESS what the "1111" falls under? It's another number used by angels to communicate with humans on Earth. NOW, I didn't actually tell that to Luciana, and she has no idea what the "111" or the "1111" mean. The reason I didn't tell her? So that if anybody at work wants to check for themselves with her, they can go ahead. She has no clue about the "1111" or what it means. And then the skeptic can go ahead and google "1111" or "111" and find out for themselves. This shit is too crazy, too insane, to intricate to be made up by lil' old me.

I don't know why I am seeing this number, I just am. It's everywhere. Be it "444" or some variation or "222" or some variation, it's everywhere! I started going backwards in my life to try to find that number and key spots where it may have played a role. I couldn't really find it too many times, but I am still going back in my mind when I get the time, to try to storm up where I have seen that number. When I was an employee at Maple McDonald's here, I was employee #44. Coincidence? Again. I don't know. I'm just throwing everything I have on here, so that further experiences and stories can be compared. It's nuts.

I explained this story to Glenda at work today, and she kind of believed me. I think. But then she started asking me if it was 4:44 yet, even though she fucking knew it was more like 7pm. Well, I'll take it I guess. But there is still something out there, somewhere trying to communicate with me. For now, I am continuing my investigation into this. I have ordered a book called "Messages From Your Angels" by Doreen Virtue, who is a guru when it comes to angels and numbers. I will continue to update on this blog any new findings I get. But I'm telling you, I don't have to look too far. One more story, and I'm out. When I was talking to my mom and dad on Friday night in their room when I was trying to see if they were messing with me or not, I turned and bumped into a box on a dresser and it fell. I picked it up, and it was a computer processor. The number? "333 MhZ." I showed my parents. My mom was a little spooked. For whatever reason, the triple numbers keep coming up. Maybe I should hit a casino, and go for a "777?" With that in mind, I'll close off. I do have THREE more "angel stories" to share with you that CONTINUE the "coincidence" of the whole phenomenon. And I use quotes because the more and more I dig, the less and less I think it actually is a coincidence... But that's for another day.

Be well internet friends, wherever you may roam. And keep your eyes open. You never know who's watching...

Two Grandparents Pass Away; Gaby Update; the Power of Nicotine: More than you know....

2007-06-02T20:23:00.000-04:00

In the movie "Old School," Vince Vaughan quips at Blue's funeral, "That's what old people do--they die."

Though I laughed at the joke the first time I heard it, I shook my head along with it, because even though in the connotation of the film I "got it" and took it for what it was worth, I knew deep down inside, from my own knowledge and experience, that it's way more than that. Old people are some of the most majestic and inspirational people in the world. I know you may have just raised an eyebrow at majestic but it's true. These people are magic. Human time capsules filled with stories, experience, advice, on what to do, what not to do, what to watch out for, and and most importantly, the ability to understand that "it's never too late," and to "always try everything you want to try, and never hold back." When I was working at Kensington Place, those old people there were amazing. They taught me a lot about them, their values, customs, and more importantly, about myself. They were kind, and were always honest with me, even if that meant I had to take my licks. My grandmother is one of my most favorite people in the whole world, and she is always throwing me advice. I listen all the time, and I follow it some of the time, but just to know she is there is a real comfort. I appreciate her now as opposed to later, if you get where I'm going with that. I don't need anybody to tell me "appreciate your grandparents before it's too late" or anything like that, because she is one of the few things in the world, that I actually do value highly now. Not later. I try to talk to her often, and I try to keep an open ear, even though sometimes I may not want to hear her advice--only because I know that she's right in the end. I love that old woman, and knowing what she has been through, I will be her soldier until the end of time.

In my last blog, I talked to you about Morrie Schwartz and the amazing book I read. Again, advice, ideals, wisdom all thrown into that little book. After the 192 pages, I came out feeling like I had known the man personally. It was like a therapeutic session for me, and I came out of that feeling warm and positive about life again. Things were clear. And I was left scratching my head wondering why I hadn't figured it out myself. But that's life. That's the experience you can't buy anywhere. If I have any advice, it's respect your elders. Respect your elders... You have no idea how valuable they are until they are gone. Enjoy their company, their stories, their wisdom, in the "now" and not the "later"...

So in the one week, I read that book, and on the night I finished it, my buddy's grandfather passed away, which was eerie. I don't think my friend was that close to him, he never really talked about him. That coupled with the fact that he lives all the way in England may have strained things. But I do know that Umar is a quiet guy to begin with, and doesn't really like to delve into his family too much. I like to think they had some kind of relationship that will have an after effect on him.

So Thursday, Umar's grandfather passed away. He's scheduled to leave for England later tonight to be there for the funeral. He will probably be there for a week or so and then return home. Then, today, Gaby calls me practically crying, and tells me that her grandmother on her father's side has passed away. The Gaby one caught me off guard, especially since she was pretty much crying. I kind of lost my composure for a quick moment, just because I felt her pain, and I didn't know how to stop it. In any event, I've canceled plans I had with the boys tonight, out of a show of respect. I couldn't go out with the boys knowing that Gaby has one less grandparent, and that she's leaving at any point now. Yeah, she's leaving the country too, but to Ecuador, where her grandmother will be buried.

I feel really bad for her, and to couple with that, tonight they were supposed to throw a little party for her mother. (it's her birthday tomorrow) I don't know if that's still a "go" or no, but we will see. The sad part was that Gaby's grandmother was supposed to fly into Canada either next week or the week after to come visit Gaby and her family... That's not going to happen now, obviously.

I think Gaby is leaving tomorrow morning more than likely, and I want to go to the airport to at least see her off. I have not seen her for week now, because we had reached a point in dating where it was either going to turn into a relationship or step down into a friendship. We are at a point where it can go either way, though I do know I want to start a relationship with her. (and this is not some cheesy forum to subliminally let her know--she doesn't read my blog, in fact, I doubt she even knows it exists.)

So even though I'm not her boyfriend, I think out of respect, it made sense to cancel plans tonight, just to show that I do care, and at the very least will be there to listen if she calls and wants to talk again about it.

----------------UPDATE------------------

Okay, so after I just finished writing that paragraph, Gaby just called me to let me know that she was on her way to the airport with her father and uncle to see if she could round-up some tickets to Ecuador leaving tonight or early tomorrow. And while we're talking, she gets an update from her father that there has been a change of plan. The new plan is to get a ride to New York, and then take a plane tomorrow night at 10pm from New York to Ecuador. I guess the big wrinkle was getting a plane to New York or something with a connection there to Ecuador. She asked me if I was still going out tonight, and I told her that I wasn't, and that I had canceled plans out of respect for her death in the family, and I couldn't possibly go out and enjoy myself stupid with beer and bowling and chicken wings and whatnot, when there is a death in her family. I explained that from the beginning I had said that I am not one to be greedy in relationships, and if it is important to her, then it is important to me. And I didn't expect any surreal fanfare from that comment, but she was taken back by my words, and what I said, and I could hear her smiling as she said "thank you" and whatnot. But I didn't do it for gratitude or attention or anything. I don't know. I did what I thought was right. Wouldn't you all have done the same?

So tonight one of my best buds is leaving to England, and Gaby is leaving to New York City. It's been a weird week, and at this pace, it's set to make next week an even weirder one. The fact that I'm not going out tonight does kill more than one stone as I am ass broke, and kind of tired, so it's at the very least going to benefit me in more than one way. But the important thing is that I am available tonight to talk to Gaby as she makes her trek to New York City. It may be a week, maybe a week and a half before I see her again, and that coupled with the week we have taken off already to analyze where we stand and where we want to stand -- we were supposed to meet tomorrow -- will make it two weeks, maybe longer by the time we see each other again. Now that by no means is something to write home about, certainly nothing on the grand scale of say, a soldier who has not seen his sweetheart in years, but at the beginning of a possible relationship, it's just those humps that suck. When the car is just leaving the parking lot, the last thing you want are those humps. Once you again momentum though, these things are easier to deal with. If this had happened maybe six months, maybe a year from now, it wouldn't be so bad to go a few weeks apart, but at the very beginning, at the very Genesis of the relationship, it's definitely a stone to the stomach. So what am I going to do this week? Do what I always do when I want to forget about something. Bury myself in work.

Go to work everyday, fuck around with my baristas, have fun with customers, the works. Work for me for the most part, and on most days, works as a way to get away from my "real life" and just work, and forget about my issues. I know for some, work sucks, but for me, working at Starbucks sometimes does act as the "third environment" it bills itself as. It's definitely something that doesn't appear on the pay stub, but sometimes it is a home away from home, and I am thankful for that. So that's what I'm going to do.

Plus, it will give me time to start jogging again, something I've wanted to do for quite some time. Aside from some momentary inspirations to put on my Nike Shox and run around the block a few times, I haven't really committed. PLUS, I'm on the "Evenings and Weekend" smoking plan... Yes, I know, a lot of people don't even know I smoke, that's because my smoking is now contained. I still crave it. I was never that bad at it. It's not like I was one of those "yep, back in the day I smoked two packs a day," -types, but there was a point where I would go through about 2-3, maybe a pinch more packs of smokes a week. And that to me, was just crazy talk. Grant it, there is the "Mooch Factor" to consider -- people that never have their own packs -- but overall, what was going INTO my own system was close to 2 packs for sure. But times were different then. I was working for McDonald's, eating Big Macs and french fries like nobody's business, and smoking, and not having to walk because I drove everywhere, and going home to plop down on my sofa and eat cheesies and play video games all night, washed back with beer, have little to no sleep, get up in the morning, throw a large coffee from Second Cup down my system, or a triple espresso, put on my Mickey's manager tie, pick up smokes from the Hasty Market, and do it all over again!!! It was insane. I'm glad I'm not like that now.

These days I average about 4-6 smokes a week and that I can live with. And I get the mad cravings every now and then. Especially if I am drinking beer... Grrr.... Smokes.... As I write this, I'm getting a craving.... I once heard that nobody ever really quits smoking, you just stop doing it momentarily. As much as that saying scares the crap out of me, I try to think on the positive and on the fact that I am trying here. I haven't bought a pack of smokes since March, and before that, and you'd have to open the 2006 files. Yes, because of that, I can be considered a moocher, but that's life right now. I just am afraid that the minute I buy another pack, I will continue to smoke away my lungs. And I think at 24, it's not too late to change. Plus, things are looking up, and I want to get back in shape, and I am in a positive vibe right now. I want to continue that, so of course that makes it easier. It's like my example of the car, the parking lot, and momentum. Once you start, you can go over many curbs, big and small, no problem. The issues lie at the beginning. That's when it's hardest, and I don't doubt that for one second. But I think I'm doing okay, and I take that with me to bed every night. My only regrets about smoking, is that I got my two buddies to start smoking. (one of them is averaging a pack every 2 days.)

I had a friend named Paolo who I used to live close to when I lived in Toronto. One day, we went out for a walk, and I pulled out a pack. He said, "Whoa, I've never seen you smoke before," and I told him I had just recently started. I offered him one smoke. From there, we would smoke every now and again, but then months later I moved. I saw him again three years later at a car garage, and he came over to say hi to me, with a cigarette clenched between his teeth. It killed me to watch him. He offered me a smoke, and I accepted, only because I would had felt guilty to say no. My other buddy, Makara, smokes a lot too, and I feel bad for that one too, as it was me who offered him one of his first smokes. It sucks especially, because his girlfriend and her whole family smoke like chimneys. Hell, the father and mother buy smokes for the whole family. That is just crazy talk. So yeah, when I go to bed, yes I feel good that I'm not that hooked to smoking as I was, but as my head hits the pillow, I feel bad for having offered Makara and Paolo smokes. Now I know some of my fans may say that it's not my fault, and that I didn't put the smoke in their hands, light it, and smoke it, but I still feel bad about it. At the time, it's not that I didn't care, I guess I just didn't think about the future. I do now. But you learn from stuff like that, and now I will never offer a known non-smoker a smoke unless they ask. It just makes sense to me.

And that will do it for another blog, as I ash this cigar-blog into the ashtray for another night. See ya, folks. Take care.......

Hail the KING; An AWESOME BOOK; and What's up with lil' ol' me!!!

2007-06-01T04:14:00.000-04:00

King James just put the Cavaliers up 3-2 in the conference finals in the NBA Playoffs! The boys came back from a 2-0 deficit against those pesky Detroit Pistons, but now it seems like they are going to take those Pistons and pound them into oblivion! Does King James have what it takes to get his team into the finals? There are still doubters. I mean, for one, they are NOT IN THE FINALS, YET. And secondly, the San Antonio Spurs ARE, and they are just chilling like villains, awaiting the winner of this series to combat in the finals. That means the San Antonio Spurs, fresh off resting from their 4-1 romp of the always "folding in the playoffs" Utah Jazz, will be looking to see who wins this thing. If anyone doubted LeBron at the beginning, all those doubts were put to rest tonight after Lebron scored 48 POINTS, FORTY-EIGHT! That's just ANIMAL-LIKE! LeBron is the man, and hopefully, they can continue this momentum, as the series now goes back home to Cleveland where hopefully, LeBron and the boys can do it up right and put themselves in the NBA FINAL!

Sunday, I was supposed to have lunch/dinner with my good friend Su Tran, so I walked over to Bloor and Bay and waited at the Indigo until she got off. Well, she never did get off, as she had to stay and finish late, thus ditching me, hahahaa.. But it's all good. While I was there, I was reading through some of the books in the biography section when I ran into this little book. "Tuesdays with Morrie." Now, I have a pretty good photographic memory, so I'll be the first to admit, I'd seen this cover before. The name intrigued me, so I flipped to the first chapter, and began reading. It was quickly drawing me in, and before I could continue reading it, my phone went off with Su on there canceling and I stepped outside. So I went home that day, and that was that. Monday arrives, and I was still thinking about the little book I had previewed. With already 2 books I'm working on now, I knew adding a 3rd would be crazy talk. But the premise of the book kept chipping away at my brain, until finally, after work that day, I went to Indigo and picked it up for a cool $10. Thursday night, as I took the bus home, I polished off the book. Now it wasn't a long read at all, but the book just hooked me. It has so many little things in there, so many lessons, so many little pieces of advice that you just can't help but open your heart to the book. The book is about Mitch Albom, a former student of Morrie Schwartz, who he re-unites with 15 years later when he gets some terrible news that he has ALS. Mitch and Morrie become great friends once more, spending Tuesdays together talking like father and son. Mitch learns a lot about himself and about life, things that can't be taught anywhere else. The book is just a great little tool that guides the reader along, feeding them little pieces of advice at a comfortable pace. The hard part about reading the book, is that you know that as you get farther and farther into the book, you are inevitably going to reach the part where the old man finally passes. But because you have learned so many things along the way thanks to this little old man, you accept it for what it is, and you can't help but smile, because in a weird way, it is a success story. For me personally, the book was a nice tool that has helped open my eyes to things I hadn't paid attention to. I'm not going to go on a whim and say that it changed my life drastically or anything, BUT, it does offer you tools, and advice, and wisdom to help you with whatever is affecting your life. I HIGHLY recommend this read to anybody out there looking for that little "edge" that little piece of "help" or advice that they seek. I'm glad I was able to be in the right spot at the right time to leaf through this little book and finally decide to buy it. It has changed the way I think about a few things, and even though some things in the book I already see that certain way, there is a lot of material dealing with death that I learned that I had no idea was "like that" when somebody reaches a certain point in their life. The book is awesome, and the best thing I can do is recommend it here. I have passed my copy onto my cousin, because there's things in there, that I KNOW he can definitely use, and hopefully to his benefit. Awesome, awesome book, one of my favorites no doubt, and one of the few books that actually made my eyes a little damp at certain points. I won't even lie. It was kind of funny reading it on the subway, and then getting to a tough part, and looking around and there's so many people, and I'm like "shit, don't tell me I'm going to actually cry here." Hahaaa... But it's true, it's just a really good book. Check it out.

Everything with Gaby is continuing to go well. Everybody thinks she is my girlfriend, but I keep holding back and saying "no, not yet," or "no, we are dating," lol. Which is true. We are dating, we are seeing where we want this to go, and we have to have a mutual vision of what we both want. It would be greedy for me to drag her into a relationship where only I benefit and wouldn't care if she fits into my life or not. Truth is, I like her a lot, and I do want things to workout. But as I stated prior, if things cannot workout, then at least we can definitely have a friendship. She's been great to me, and has come to me in a point in my life where I am ready to commit to a relationship again after having a few "one-offs" and of course the big "3-Year" Titanic that sank, ironically, three years ago, almost to the day. So we shall see where that goes. But as it stands right now, I would definitely stay tuned, as there could be some further developments in this department in the coming days. In fact, I would suggest checking back in on Monday. But Monday night, I will have a clearer idea on what is going on, and what will go on, and I will report it here for all my loyal readers.

Other than Gaby, right now, I'm just working, trying to make tuition so that I can start my 2-year diploma in Radio at Humber North. Work consumes me these days, as I have the deadline of June 27 to pay up. This means I have been working a lot at Starbucks. Couldn't sleep tonight. In fact, I have a shift today at 7:30-4pm after I just closed last night until 11:30 pm. Went out with the boys to shoot some pool at Wegz so that was alright. I need the money for tuition, and after that, the money will be mine for spending and whatnot. Tuition is due at the end of the month, and I have to come up with it, there's no excuse. So yeah, I figured I'd update this badboy. At this point, I'm just going to crash and burn for 1 hour and half before getting up, showering and going to work in the morning. I'm at my cousin's store at Weston and Rutherford today, not far from here, so that should be pretty exciting. Special shout-out to Laura Martinez, my blog stalker! Hahahaa, I'm kidding! ;-)

Folks, I'm outsies once more, come back to me in a few days, and I should have another blog up for you. Until then, stay safe, and all HAIL KING JAMES!!!

The following took place between April 20 and May 20, 2007....... BEEP... BEEP.... BEEP... BEEP.....

2007-05-20T04:22:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how much can change in a 30-day period. In that time-frame, a best friend and I decided to part ways, celebrated my 24th birthday at "WrestleMania" at Cantina Charlie's, I decided on my next career move, I got to watch the Argentina/Canada game in the Under 19 World Cup, I got fired/quit from one my two part-time jobs, one other of my best friends got into a major car accident pretty much writing off his car, and oh yeah -- there's a lady in my life.

Soooo, where the hell to start. Let's begin with the trash of the trash. My second job at the Retirement home is no more. :-(

Now this completely sucks because I really liked that job, and all the old people were cool and all. BUT, as I stated in my last blog, the MANAGEMENT SUCKS AT THE FUCKING PLACE!!! Bitch named HANNAH OKSEMBERG decided she was going to start fucking around with me. I booked off a said Friday and Sunday, MOTHER'S DAY Shift.... Now if anybody knows me, they'll know that 1. I'm a crazy fuck. But 2. Don't fuck around with my book-offs... ESPECIALLY if it deals with something like Mother's Day. In any event, I NO-SHOWED Friday to go watch Argentina Vs Canada at the BMO field, then No-showed again on Mother's Day and went to Niagara Falls Instead. Friday night, not showing up, on my cell phone I got 13 missed calls. Sunday, the Mother's Day No-Show, 9 missed calls. Monday, I had another shift, 4 missed calls. Wednesday, yet another shift, 0 missed calls. I think they got the point, and realized I was not coming back.

I will miss the staff of that place, especially Nadia, and Teresa, but more than anyone else, all those amazing elderly people that made it fun to work for. They are an amazing bunch of old people, and I learned so much about myself and about them, and the Jewish culture while I was there. I take this experience with me in a positive stride, no doubt about it....

Next... Career.... So after witnessing the battle of Public Relations take on Radio in my mind for the past 45 days, I decided to take Radio. NOW, I will be the first to admit that there is WAY more money in PR as opposed to Radio, at least to start. BUT, a career is WHAT YOU MAKE IT, and I plan on going all the way with Radio. My dream is to one day have a talk show, or a call-in show, expressing opinions and whatnot on the daily topics that infest our daily newspapers, and other media outlets. Definitely exciting. Now all I have to do is come up with tuition by June 27. VERY possible, lol. Watch out, here comes the "Prince of All Media!" Boo-yah!!!

And theeeeen.... Okay, so my friend Makara, one of my best buddies in the whole world this side of Texas was T-BONED by some dumb fuck, thus writing off his Volkswagen Golf "DUB" edition. Which really sucked! He was okay though, but still, when I saw the pics, I was like "damn, dog. You a crazy mutha-fucka." But he is fine. We went to visit him the next day, and he seemed to be in "ok" spirits. Hopefully insurance will cover another "Dub" edition... The crazy part was that the night of the accident he had left a message asking what I was up to, and I didn't get the message till later, and if I would have gone, I dunno... The damage was done on the passenger side... BUT, that's neither here nor there, so I shouldn't really fret about that. The important thing is that the Cambodian is okay.

One of my best buddies who I will not name and I decided to part ways. It was a two-way deal. To put it nicely, we were stepping on each other's toes, and telling tall tales and curved "truths." And I just didn't want to be a part of the whole deal anymore. It had changed from what it had started out as, but that's life. Our relationship was kind of messed up, and our words were our morphine, but now that we've stepped away, it's actually a lot easier. Off life support, there is no more lies, no more pain. Right now, I'm happy. In the long-term? We shall have to wait and see.....

Celebrated my birthday party on April 21, a few days before the actual date. The location was set up at "Cantina Charlie's," a downtown club with a laid back atmosphere. Everyone that meant anything to me was there, so it was pretty cool. But the club itself was definitely lacking. And the later events of the night would prove to make the whole night kind of sour. To not tell long stories, my friend and his girlfriend got into a fight, chasing each other all over the club, until the point where I told him to leave if he wants, and gave him the key to the hotel room. (we rented out a small hotel room for the event.) Later on though, just when you thought it was all over, it wasn't. My cousins continued their "About a Girl" play by trying to ask each other questions they already knew the answers to. It ended with security pulling them apart in a dismal effort to make peace. I don't know how much longer that's going to last, but if I learned anything that night, it's that I'm doing exactly what I should be doing: being neutral. I do hope the two dorks will be able to fix their shit before it festers into something much larger. In what should have been the best birthday party, it turned out NOT to be. In fact, out of the 24 birthday parties, this one ranked in the top half, but BARELY, slotting in at No. 12, or No. 13. I would love to have pulled this shit at some other people's parties to give 'em a little TAY-SHTE... But that's not my style... And that's me just being me. That's the truth.

listening to song: "When the Sun Goes Down" by the Arctic Monkeys

Flash forward, ONE WEEK. Two days after my birthday, my cousin chips away and chips away at me until I finally decide to come with him. (I WAS EXHAUSTED and had almost NO fazools on me. Oh well, it ended up being PRETTY ALRIGHT, INDEED....)

So we rolled down to the club "4:20" style, so we got a good vibe going down there. Nothing bad, just a little rizzle, just to turn it up a little... Parking became a mission, but MEH... Parking, we went down to the doors, and found a huge line-up. (unknown to us at the time, this was NOTHING to what we would see later. The club was MANA, down on College Street. The night was pretty warm, one of the first LEGIT warm nights in LONG TING. So we went down the steps, and that's when I thought, I thought, I saw a puddy, I said a puddy cat I recognized. A girl named Gaby that I had not seen in at least 4-5 years.

It was weird, we began clicking RIGHT away, and the rest of the night was history. We danced for the latter half of the night, had a few drinks, and made small chit-chat. By the end of the night, I gave her my number. (my phone had died earlier in the night before we event got to the club.) So that was that, and went real well. Since then we've been on a bunch of dates, and everything is going well. I just want to continue that laid-back vibe we got going right now, and see where things go. If things work out, then that will be absolutely awesome. And if not, then I guess there isn't anything we can do about that, except walk on. In any event, we are having a good time right now, talking about the same things, and laughing at the same stupid things that I usually laugh by myself, at. If anybody knows me, they know I have a strange sense of humor that sometimes finds only me laughing at my own jokes, which is alright, I'll do it any day of the week. But Gaby is awesome, and so far, everything is going well and I want to keep it that way. We shall see where we go with what we have...

And how about those Cavaliers?? King Lebron man! I told everyone in the 1st Round that they were fixing up LeBron's championship ring for him, custom-made and all, and that they would take the Championship this year. Well, as my friends continued to dismiss my taunts, LeBron now finds himself in the NBA semi-finals, four games away from the Championship series. I'm telling you, it's time for the KING to rise to the top and take the NBA Championship! The man is insane! In the three years he has been there, he has taken the team from winning less than 20 games in the season before he arrived, to now being 8 wins from the NBA Championship! Hopefully, it WILL happen. STAY TUNED!!!

So now without my 2nd job, I'm working more at Starbucks, which isn't so bad. We really have a bunch of awesome baristas there, and only a feew noobs ;-) which makes the whole experience much more tolerable! In any event, the summer will definitely see me working there a lot now it seems!

Well folks, I'm off for another night, hope you enjoyed the update, you now know the entire scoop! Until next time!!!!

Thoughts on Radio and the Kensington Place Kingdom

2007-04-09T23:59:00.000-04:00

So my internal debate on Public Relations Vs Radio is coming to a close soon. Right now, Radio has P.R. against the ropes. I really think I can do an awesome job behind the mic. So having said that, the program is a 2-year deal beginning in September and going until April. The 2nd year things pickup as we get hands on training in the built-in studio at the school, which is a pretty neat deal. Public Relations is also interesting, but I think I can let my creative juices flow better in the radio world. So as it stands now, I more than likely will be getting into radio.

Work has been okay as of late. Jewish Passover is coming to a close. Time to pack away the plates and cups and put away the matza for one more year. This leads into my topic for today which is...

My 2nd part-time job is working at a retirement home, which has been very interesting to say the least. I hate the management, but the residents there make it worthwhile working there. I feel like a part of the community, even though I'm just a waiter and the guy that serves the meals. The place is kosher and so obviously, only houses Jewish people. It's amazing because I have never really ever met any Jewish people, at least on a personal level. Yes, there are the millions of jokes about the race and the religion, but working with them for a year now, I have garnered a huge amount of respect for them. They are undoubtedly some of the most interesting people I have ever met. Sometimes when I need advice I will go to one of my old folks, and ask them for tips. After all, these are eighty-something, ninety-something aged people that have lived three, almost four times as many years as I have. Sol, an old, white-haired man with a bushy white beard, and serious no-nonsense look is one of the coolest cats in the land. He's got a funny sense of humor, and has some awesome advice. Another cool cat is Mr. Pivnick. His wife is blind, and can barely walk, and he takes care of her so well, that it amazes me. I hope I can take care of my old lady like that someday, if it comes down right to it.

They have advice and some crazy stories that are not to be believed until heard by these people. After all, some of them have been through concentration camps, all of them have been through World War II, and tons more of them immigrated into Canada with almost nothing, to carve out a new life for the generations that enjoying the benefits today.

There are of course, the crazy characters as well. Queenie Champagne (I kid you not, that is her name) was the first person I met back in March 2006. She immediately asked me for pills. Which kind of pills, I don't know. But she wanted them, and I didn't have them. She can often be found roaming the halls of Kensington Place (name of the place) looking for the nurse, and other people. She wants to get out of there and go home to Montreal, and once even asked me if I could drive her there, hahahaaa... Awesome. There are about 90 of them right now, and each one is a character. I've seen about 10 of them pass away since I've been there. At first it's a huge shellshock. I remember my favorite old man there, Mr. Robbins, a happy-go-lucky man, stricken with Alzheimers; he was a cool cat, and I missed him terribly. But as more began to pass away, as bad as it sounds, you sort of get used to it. It has taught me not to become to attached to them. I try to stay my distance and just do my job, but often find myself sitting down and talking to them. It's been a great ride up until now. Too bad the management is shitty, though.

The people at Kensington that I work with are really cool, but as a whole, do not do justice to the legendary people at Starbucks. Nothing bad, it's just that there are really only 4 good apples in the basket. Nadia, a black, take no prisoners type, who says it like it is, and sometimes needs me to hold her back, or keep peace, is absolutely awesome. She does a great job, and the residents are huge fans. Then, there's me. I'm LEGENDARY of course. Then there's Phylicia, one of my best friends, and an awesome employee. She makes it fun to come to work, and you get a feeling of happiness just being around her. That's why she's often dubbed "sunshine" or "happy kid." And lately, there is the arrival of Arlene, the new kid on the block. I am a huge fan of Arlene because she's quick on her feet, and very fun to work with. She's one of the few people on the planet that can understand my stupid jokes. She makes me feel like a comedian or something. And of course, since we share a similar sense of humor, I laugh at her "randomness" and weird sense of humor as well. We've clicked since day 1, and I hope to keep it that way. So there you have it, the Fabulous Four at Kensington Place. The rest of the staff are cool too, but they just don't match up in the "Legendary" meter.

As long as the core 4 stay together, I don't see myself leaving anytime soon. But the management sometimes make things difficult. Why? Don't ask, that's just the way it is. In any event, I'm surviving.

Folks, on that note, I'm going to get to bed. Goodnight.

-Chris

One Man's Rise to Starbucks Dominance, and the AMAZING People I WAS/AM PRIVILEGED to work with...

2007-04-03T14:19:00.000-04:00

For the past three years I've been working for Starbucks Coffee Corp. It's been an absolute blast. I remember going into my first Starbucks and ordering a drink in 2001. It was actually at the Yorkville store. It was pretty darn cool, all the choices, all the options. I thought the guy behind the counter had the coolest job. I remember thinking, "Man, there must be a huge knowledge base that must be learned to do the job." It was cool. My first drink was this red drink. It was like a slushy. I don't remember the name exactly but it was like a 'Tazza Razza' or something along those lines. It was very tasty, and very exciting. I was with a girl I was seeing, Maria, and her brother actually worked there, so it was on the house. At the time I was working for Paramount Canada's Wonderland in my 2nd of 2 years there as a Supervisor.

That was my first experience at a Starbucks. It wouldn't be until May 2004 when I finally strapped on my first Green Apron, that I finally fulfilled my short term goal of becoming a Barista! And it was everything I had hoped for. It was a great experience.

When I got to Starbucks in May 2004, I came in with 3 years experience as a shift supervisor at Maple McDonald's. I took a paycut to come to Starbucks, but it was 100 percent worth it! It was night and day difference between the company that served the legendary drinks and the company that served up the greasy burgers and the french fries. It was a shell-shock because I remember saying to those around me, "My god, THIS is what IT is supposed to be like." And by "IT" I meant the industry. Be it fast food, coffee shops, etc, the system at Starbucks was awesome. The whole thing was well organized. The training was systematic. Booking off days had its own system. You could control your own vacation hours to be put on your next pay. Plus, I was working with people in their early twenties and up, as opposed to working with teenagers. Meaning, there were no "no shows" or episodes of people coming in late an hour and etc.

For me, that was the hardest part. Coming from a very lenient company, I would be late a LOT of the time. I became Mr. Late. Whenever I would call, they would cut me off and say, "Let me guess.. You're going to be late..." And then I would quietly say "yeah" and quickly make my way downtown. That was also the same time I moved out on my own with my former best friend, Umar. It was a time of change. I had also just gotten out of a 3 year relationship with my girlfriend, Jessica, and I was reeling from all that. To add more to the mix, my car, my 1995 Green Pontiac Grand AM was beginning to be a bitch. It was sucking up way too much gas, and it sounded like it was going to explode.

Going into Starbucks, I had my doubts, so I kept my job at McDonald's and I would literally do both. I would get home from McDonalds, switch my shirt to a Starbucks polo, grab my keys again, and was OUT the door to 110 Bloor. A lot of the time I was late, and Jamie the manager at the time, rode me about this, but never documented. He gave me many warnings. I then saw another Barista get written up for being late once or twice. I realized that Jamie liked me. He knew I was working 2 jobs to pay the rent, and that I was coming from Sheppard and Keele, and Maple when I worked at McDonald's. So I think that's why he took it easy on me. In my first summer there, I mastered Fraps and I would often get stapled on there on my own. It was a blast. I hustled, I worked hard, and I always stayed calm when shit hit the fan. I was easily one of the "go to" guys when it came to answering questions on a drink, or making a drink correctly.

I wasn't perfect in the beginning though. I originally went into an interview at Starbucks in February 2004 under the advice of my girlfriend. I was with my friend Umar as well. Both of us applied. I was interviewed by Louise and that was that. I didn't hear from them until May, when they called me in saying I had been hired, but they had lost my application which is why they had a tough time calling me... Riiiight... I didn't buy that one, but I accepted the job. Umar on the other hand, didn't.

So I started off with the training, and I didn't know where to begin learning. It was a LOT. Funny thing is, there is even MORE now than there was then. There was no green tea frap, or green tea latte, or even iced green tea. At that time the only options were black or passion. That was it. And there was no Cinnamon Dolce or Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce. There were no juice blended fraps, and there were no stupid sandwiches. The Marble Mocha Machiatto was still a dream, and of course, no red tea, or black tea lattes. There were two different types of lactaid, and there was no coffee cream. The iced tea lemonades were sweetened using our Valencia syrup, and we had shaken Iced Coffees at the time. That's really about it.

Training was done by David Chow. A no-nonsense shift supervisor that quickly taught me the basics of a barista. He laughed his ass off when I made my first frap. I put all the stuff in, and then put it in the plastic blender, but forgot to put a lid on it! So the frap smeared all over the plastic. I thought I was going to get fired! On my first day, I also opened a compressed whip cream container! The head went flying forward, bounced off the menu, flew back into the seating area, and almost hit a lady having a drink. I thought, "Okay, NOW I've gone and done it!" Hahahaaa. I survived that, and Jamie came up to me and said, "Do you know how compressed air works?" And I'm like "Uh, no." Hahahahaaa.... Great times...

From there I began mastering the basics and really honing my craft of creating QUALITY beverages. I began to call myself "The Franchise" to which the name began sticking, and soon, even Jamie was calling me "Mr. Franchise." Jamie taught me a lot through his managing skills. Very good manager. He lacked a few people skills at times, but to me, he was always fair and just. When I took my licks, it was justified. When he left the store in January 2006, I knew the store would never be the same. Not to say it would go downhill, but I knew it just wouldn't be the same.

From my first days at Starbucks, I realized the people that this company hires are some of the most outgoing, unique personalities out there. The people I have met at Starbucks all stick out as memorable for me, because they are UNIQUE. It doesn't get any better than the people I met at 110.

I met Stuart Johnstone in the beginning, and from the start, we clicked and could completely carry on conversations for hours on end. Stuart is still a kid stuck in a thirty-something's body. Still plays video games, has an awesome sense of humor, and is a cool cat overall. I know he's battled personal demons in the past, and I know the shit he's been through. I respect that guy. Fuck what anyone says.

Bryant and I talked, but it was mostly about work. None of us knew the other one was into films, haha, and that story will be saved for another day. Archie at the time came in during the evening for drinks. I didn't know who he was. He looked like an intimidating bald guy, but he always said hi to me. I never even knew his name, lol. Janet Ngo was one of the loudest, cut-throat, say it like it is people I have EVER met. I wondered why the hell she never got herself fired. She said a lot, did as she pleased, and got away with it. The reason? Her work ethic. She was a working machine. Did everything she was asked to do, so I guess she was given certain liberties. When I first got there, we kicked it off on a good note. She was kind of intimidated by the fact that I was a supervisor for a former company coming in to Starbucks as the new guy. But, we were cool. I listened to her, and she never disrespected me. Subita and Louise were also there at the time, and they were both awesome. Subita I respected a lot, because she was like the mother figure, and everything that she said, went. Stephanie was also there, though I rarely worked with her. Hell, to this day, we've only maybe worked about ten shifts together. So that was "Season 1" of Starbucks 110 Bloor under the Franchise Rule, ending in May 2005.

Season 2 of 110 Bloor saw some new faces enter the foray. Gregorio returned to Starbucks after a few years off, and made the return at 110. Greg has one of the most unique personalities out there. Because mine is not exactly "normal" either, we clicked right away. He's a funny guy, but when he puts his foot down, watch out. Through the years, I've conditioned myself to working with him. I know what he expects and the rest is history. This can apply to any manager though, really. Bart came into Starbucks, and from day one, I knew this bastard would go onto become a Shift. He had it in him. It was his nature, the way he carried himself. Another character, Patrick, also was gunning for Shift during this time. And also during this time, Subita came up to me, and told me that Jamie was wondering if I would be interested in applying for Shift Supervisor. It was the 1st of 2 requests that I would receive for the position. At the time, I turned it down because I would not be able to give into the availability they were asking me for. During this time, Janet got fired for too many lates or something like that. I can't fully remember. I met Janet's best friend at the time, Sue Tran, and thought she was an amazing girl. She had just been hired by 110 Bloor, and worked a few shifts with Janet, before Janet was let go.

Season 3 of 110 Bloor for me started in May 2006, with a host of new faces. Matt, Amanda, Alanna, Tristan, Alysia, Sarah and many more were added to the mix early in the year. I had taken off to Argentina for 45 days which Jamie allowed, in January 2006. (thanks, Jamie) When I got back, I found out that Jamie had been moved to another store, but that we had new faces. Matt was awesome from the beginning. I remember being taken back by his height, lol. I would constantly bug him by saying things like "So, uh, how tall are you? Like? 6'2?" And he would say "Yeah, something like that." Cool cat, and very funny dude. Amanda was also awesome. She was a hard worker from the beginning, and to this day fully believe that she can be a successful Shift Supervisor. Tristan is a funny, funny dude, who's full of one liners. Another awesome worker. If there is another person who I look at as a "JR" Franchise, it's probably Tristan. Great work ethic. Alysia was barrels of fun, and she is always reading one book or another. It's funny to hear her cry and complain about something, lol. Sarah was awesome, but I found her too quiet, but she was great nonetheless. We would eventually talk a little more, but that was toward her exit from the company. Alanna was a cutey pie, but she rarely worked. I think she got more out of the markouts than anything else, lol. She's got a brain of gold, and she's well on her way to becoming a nurse somewhere. That year also saw many new faces come into play.

Laura entered Starbucks and was the first South American Barista to enter 110 after myself. She was funny as hell, very smart, and she has one of the most contagious laughs I've EVER heard. Just hearing it, makes ME want to laugh. And plus, she's very, very pretty, and wears the coolest Barista clothes around. Yaaaay! Very fun to be around, and I'm glad I still have the chance to work with her.

It was around end of Summer/early Fall 2006 that the Franchise kind of disappeared, lol. I took a lot of time off, and was working here and there. I heard there was a girl named Melanie who worked for our store at one point. I don't remember EVER working with her, lol. Glenda entered our store with hopes to become a Shift Supervisor, and I met her once, and then didn't see her again, till about, oooh, three weeks ago as of this writing, hahahaaa. She's very funny, and yes, another Spanish person at 110 Bloor!

Sheriff is a very controversial guy in the sense that he rubs some people off the wrong way. Though I can see glimpses of why, he and I, (like most "controversial" supervisors, ASMs) work well together. He is a HUSKY when it comes to cleaning and stocking up, and I look up to that. For a guy that works 18 hour days, you usually cannot tell. (he doubles as a Security Guard at night for a popular gay men's strip club.) He and I work well together, and I can't complain about the guy.

Katherine and Erin entered the mix as well in '06. Katherine is the poster child for underage drinking. But aside from that "image" she's a really cool cat, and an awesome Barista. She's got a great personality, and fun to work with. Erin and I have not worked that often, but from what I've seen, I would argue anyone that says "she's quiet." Truth is, she's not, you just have to talk to her, and listen. She's really funny! Many times, she's thrown one-liners that if you don't listen closely, you'll miss. She's got a quick wit, so next time you joke with her, be ready for the quick reflexive reply. She's good like that. She's awesome, and will one day be a famous dancer. I better get tickets.

Sue Tran. The "Drama Queen" as I have called her. Su Tran has been through enough sit to write a book about it. She's an awesome partner, and very legendary. She knows about 85 percent of the morning people that come in. (their drinks, cookie, etc) I was introduced to her through long-gone Janet, and she's always been very animated in her ways, and very exciting to be around. Sometimes I like to just grab a drink and listen to her latest rant about something that is bugging her. She's cool because she WILL ask for advice, and listens intently. Sue Tran, you're awesome.

Victor Wong. Mistah Wong and myself have only worked a handful of shifts, and in my list, he's right behind Tristan on the list to becoming the next Franchise, lol. Victor is a hard worker, and funny as hell. I remember first meeting him, my hands were wet with water, and I shook his hand while saying, "I'm Chris. Oh, and uh, don't think that's hand sweat it's not." To which he replied, "Oh, because I totally thought it was hand sweat." I smiled and walked on. Victor is great.

Bart, we miss ya buddy, what can I say?

Sem. Semret came to us last year as an assistant, and we got off on an awesome note from the beginning. She's funny as hell, and very fun to close with. Though she's been criticized for not doing enough work, and disappearing off the floor, I have yet to have an issue with her. Can't wait till she gets her own store. We shall see.

Gregorio. Greg is prob. my favorite ASM to work with. He's funny, and he's got aspects of a husky. He makes stressful situations fun. Though he too has been critiqued by some as a guy that disappears, and whatnot, I don't pay any attention to any of that "propaganda." Sure he's had a couple "off" days, but so has everyone. I remember coming in some days, and just sitting on the fridge door, not wanting to do a damn thing. He was unfairly double teamed last year in a bunch of bullshit that I somehow became the messenger in. But whatever. I have always maintained that nobody is perfect. Outside of work, Gregorio is a real cool cat, and while at work, Greg is awesome to work with because he makes it fun to work during stressful times, in much the same way that I made working at McDonald's fun for the employees that looked up to me as Magic. Working 8 hour shifts was a tough task, but I tried my best to distract them, often by making myself look like an ass, just to get them to smile and laugh. It was worth it. I look at Greg, and I see that in him.

The best closers I've worked with: Matt, Bart, Greg, Sem. And all four of them have taken flack in the past over bullshit that I KNEW was bullshit. I remember Bart being treated unfairly at certain points, and him taking a "whatever" attitude. I knew the attitude was justified. I won't mention names, but that person no longer works here. They were good workers, not because the "top management" said so, but because the baristas can SEE it.

I just met Dino about three weeks finally. Dino is the new head manager of the store, and he comes fresh from the fishy waters of Red Lobster. He's got a funny ass sense of humor, and kind of DARK, too. ( you gotta LISTEN.) Real funny guy, and I hope he can hone his skills on producing decent schedules and coming up with new and exciting incentives for the Baristas. Leave the rest to us. We'll get those numbers. We're 110.

Looking into the future, I think I'm going to stay with 110 Bloor for the time being. I just need to get a car to make the commutes less painful. I am thankful for each and every Barista I get the chance to work with each and every shift. I may be the Franchise, I may make legendary drinks, I may be a hard worker, a hustler, I may be a crazy, unorthodox bastard like Dr. House, but just like House, I get the JOB DONE. And I couldn't do it without the support of all the legendary people at 110 Bloor. I am HONORED to put on an apron and stand along my fellow soldiers as we fight off ward after ward of customers. I really am. Thanks cats and chicks.

On that note, I'm OUTTA HERE.

Moving on Up

2007-04-02T01:40:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those random days. I decided to help my cousin's friend move. He gave me one of those, "What are you doing Sunday?" calls the other night, to which I had no idea what he was up to, and didn't want to say no, or yes, because it all would weigh-in after he found out what my response was. Hell, it could have been a Maxim Guys Getaway or something along those lines. So I said, "nothing, fool," to which he asked me to help his girl-friend of his move from a basement to an apartment.

So after being woken up by my cousin Carter, we went over to my old stomping grounds near Keele and Sheppard and helped her move her stuff to her new place near Keele and Finch. The day was marred by rain, and I was kind of hoping that due to the rain, the move would be canceled. Hahahaa... Didn't quite work out that way.

Carter and I even joked that we could probably start a moving company. "Primos Moving Company," lol. I know, not the most imaginative title to be made up. But whatever. We moved everything in record breaking time, and if not for the breaks, and the stalls, we would have gotten the hell out of there quicker. But the girl we were helping, Christina, treated us to Swiss Chalet which was totally awesome, and beers! Yuss! So indeed, it was not an afternoon wasted. Even if there was no cheese at the end of the string, I would still have helped her move, because I told my boy I would, and I usually am good on my word. <-- I'm working on it. The latter part of the evening saw us install a new door knob on her door which was everything BUT "academic." We had to stick it in and out a couple times before we got it right. By the time I looked at my watch, it was nearing 10P.M. and I was completely beat. After being taken to Downsview Station to pickup my weekly GTA pass, I was taken home, where to my surprise my mom and sister were in my room watching "Big Brother" from Argentina. It's the same deal as the U.S. version, except that this one is in Argentina, and so obviously my mom and dad seem to be hooked on it. Stupid "reality" television. Hahahaa....

We missed the Leaf's hockey game, but who gives a rat's ass? A 7-2 ROMP by the New York Rangers was more than enough of a reason to SKIP and not watch. The Leafs' remaining games are Philadelphia on Tuesday, New York Islanders on Thursday, and the season will wrap up with Montreal on Saturday. For some reason, I feel like the game on Saturday will be the moneymaker. It will come down to Saturday's game, and depending on the outcome (which will MORE than likely be "Leafs MUST get 2pts") we will see if the Leafs can get themselves a playoff berth. I want to see it, but we shall have to wait and be patient. I hope the blue and white can get into the playoffs. It's been TOO long. GO LEAFS GO!!!!

Folks, that is the end of the weekend, and what a QUICKIE. My goodness. Another week, another workload, another beer, another Sunday going to sleep late.

Happy April Fool's you silly WABBITS, I'm turning 24 in 23 more days, BOO-YAH!

Goodnight!

-Chris

Welcome.... to my world, turd nuggets

2007-04-01T02:38:00.000-04:00

The term "turd nuggets" I stole from a little movie called "Grandma's Boy." Now, I never paid much attention to this little nugget of a movie, and I actually refused to watch it. It looked stupid, cheap, and smelled of something that had been made in under five minutes. But low and behold one night it's three in the morning, and it's on HBO, so I'm checking it out. And it made me chuckle. The movie is so bad, so un-funny, that it's actually GOOD! Go figure. So it was a nice waste of an hour and a half that's filled with really lame jokes, and some stuff that's just way over the top. What's the point of this stuff about Grandma's Boy? Absolutely nothing. It's part of my opening monologue if you will. HA HA HA... alright, all the laughs out, lets get into my first blog.

First, the reason I began this blog.

2007 has only been with us for 4 months, but already there are insane ups and downs happening in my life that's made me reflect deeply over the past few months. I figure it's best I write (type) these things down so I don't forget. Part of learning is looking backwards at what you said and how you thought, and using it to your benefit. So, allow myself to introduce... myself...

My name is Chris, I'm 23 years old right now, soon to be 24. :-( I feel like my life is beginning to take shape for the first time. I finally have some clear direction. In terms of my future, I know I want to make some short films, but I will do that under MY rules, MY way, and for no other company, organization, and/or other entity. Having taken Film before I know how to get the job done. But I need the tools and the crew. That will come in time.

My life can be split into the following categories: Work, School, Friendships, and Love.

Now having said that, when I write, some of these categories will spill into others. It's just the nature of the beast. School may dip into love. Or friendships may find their ways into work, etc, etc. That is normal. But for the sake of introducing myself, I will split up the intros into their respective sections. In this particular blog, I will talk about school. The rest will follow. You'll just have to tune in, won't you?

Let's get this show on the road:

I'm finishing up a 1 year program right now at Humber North called Media Foundations which is a sample platter of all courses media-related. The ones that have piqued my interest the most have been Radio and Public Relations.

The public relations stuff turns me on because I get to deal with people. I also get to deal with events, new ideas, company goals and events, as well as deal with the hardships that come upon every company when things don't always to according to the "blueprint."

I can see myself in a dress shirt and tie working in a company of some kind, coming up with new incentives and ideas while working as part of a team. I really could. And maybe deliver a few speeches in front of a rival company or the public on a new product.

The other interest that is scratching at my brain is Radio. The world of the "theater of the mind." I'm a big fan of the radio. My friends always got annoyed with me when I lived with them because I would leave the Radio on at night and listen to whatever. Whether it's the Maple Leafs recap show with Andy Frost, or "Coast to Coast" AM with Art Bell or George Norry, I always seem to be listening to something. In the mornings in high school it was always Howard Stern. These days it's Dean Blundell on Edge 102.1. Radio is huge in that it connects you straight with the people. Whether it's news, sports, opinions, or whatnot, radio can express your thoughts to the world.

Announcing on the radio would be a huge thrill for me, because I've always wanted to express myself in one form or another to the world. And I think I would make a good commentator if not announcer for any given sport or event. Plus, I could see myself sliding out from behind the curtain of radio and going on television to doing other projects. One of my wildest dreams would be to become a commentator in the world of pro wrestling. As insane as that sounds, hear me out. All through life I was a fan. Being only 5'7" I eliminated any chance of actually becoming a pro wrestler. Still, the thought of working in that industry has always scratched at my curiosity. Guys like "Good Ol' J.R." Jim Ross and Mike Tenay are probably the two top best right now. To be in that elite group one day would be amazing.

But again. Back to square one. So I can start either a 3-year course in Public Relations in September, or slip into the world of Radio in a 2-year course. Either one would be amazing, I'm just SPLIT. I know I will run with whatever I choose. Right now I'm leaning towards Public Relations, but I'm having mixed feelings now. What the hell should I do? That's my first "issue" because I would not call it a problem. It's a win/win really. I choose P.R., and I win. I choose Radio, and I still win. The only question is which one do I go for? I feel I would excel at both. But I'm not sure which path to choose. Is there a Scarecrow out there somewhere that can point me in the right direction? Time is running out, as I must make my decision soon time.

And on that note, I'm out of here. Take care, folks.

-Chris