Doors Open 2009

I took 259 photos yesterday at Doors Open 2009; here they are.

Doors Open 2009

Of all the years I've been attending Doors Open, this one was definitely the best. This was the most fun I've had taking photographs in a while.

One Down, Three To Go

I did something totally unexpected this morning: I paid off one of my student loans.

Even though I'm not working right now, my former employer is helping me in my job search with its own brand of employment insurance. Unfortunately, I cannot access my pay stub online anymore, so I can't know what my net pay will be in advance. As a result, I had to wait until this morning in order to find this out.

When I plugged the numbers into my budget spreadsheet (which is really more like a spending plan), I discovered that I had enough money left over in order to pay off the balance of one of my student loans. Ergo, I did just that.

Yes, I'm pondering the biggest decision of my life right now - but even with that, I have cause to celebrate today. Pop the bubbly and get me a chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard while you're at it...

Eric B. & Rakim - "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em"

I used to borrow CDs from the library when I was younger; one of them was Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em by Eric B. & Rakim. I didn't realize the significance of what I had back then, but I'd come to realize that Rakim was - and still is - one of the most respected hip-hop lyricists of all time. Listen to the title track from the aforementioned album and see how Rakim's deft wordplay makes people like Soulja Boy Tell 'Em sound like cheap impostors.

Mind you, this is coming from someone who likes "Kiss Me Thru The Phone."

Do I Know Where I'm Going To?

As I continue to recover from my recent outsourcing, I'm faced with possibly the biggest decision of my life so far: continue to look for a job or go back to school.

So far, it looks as if I should go with the former option. If I go with the latter choice, I'd still need to look for a part-time job to sustain myself while I hit the books. I'm the primary breadwinner in my household and I have no one to fall back on if my income dries up. Besides, Lord only knows that this job could be an even bigger insult to my intelligence than my former job ever was, and there is no way that I'm going to willingly put myself through that again. Having said that, some short-term pain (the part-time job) is probably warranted in light of the long-term gain (the dividends from returning to school).

At least my provincial (Ontario) government has a program to help people who are in my situation and willing to go back to school for retraining. It's fittingly called Second Career; the gist is that the government pays for tuition and other expenses if you qualify for this assistance. Mind you, there is a process which every applicant needs to go through - however, the prospect of changing careers on the government's dime sounds worthwhile, especially considering the possible long-term benefits.

Personally, the fields of study relating to the arts sound very appealing to me, especially as a person who thrives on being creative. I used to produce drum 'n bass music as Charlie Van Pelt, and I terribly miss those days...

Victoria Day Fireworks 2009

These are photos I took at the 2009 edition of Toronto's Ashbridges Bay fireworks show.

Victoria Day Fireworks 2009

Fact: I walked down Coxwell Ave. and up Woodbine Ave. to/from the show. I don't feel exhausted at all, but I'm thankful that the washroom at Bloor station was still open on my way back home!

ETX = A-OK

I previously said that I was planning to see Star Trek in ETX at AMC's Yonge-Dundas location. I did that this morning and, for what it's worth, ETX gets more than a passing grade. I'm not saying that it gives IMAX a run for it's money, but I was suitably impressed.

Star Trek's visuals were already amazing in the regular version, so I don't think there was any significant improvement in the ETX version. On this subject, though, I must say that I felt ripped off a bit. ETX boasts a "20% larger floor-to-ceiling screen," but the movie didn't even use all of it. This may have been due to the movie's dimensions, but if IMAX-formatted movies can make the necessary adaptations, surely they can be done for ETX.

One area where ETX proved itself very capable was the sound. We're dealing with "11-channel surround sound with 57,000 watts of power" (direct quote), and the wattage really made itself evident whenever the bass frequencies were involved. When it comes to sound (or music), I particularly pay attention to the lower frequencies; boy, did they get a workout here.

If my suspicions prove correct and Transformers 2 ends up screening at AMC in ETX, I may very well pony up the additional two dollars and check it out.

Plans For The Weekend #3

Thank God this is a long weekend, although thanks to my unemployment situation, the last two weeks have felt like one really "long weekend." But I digress...

Besides repeat viewings of Earth and Star Trek (both of which I highly recommend), I'll also be getting my first manicure in more than one year at The Ten Spot. I was always promising myself and Kristen Gale (the owner) that I'd return, but a few days ago, I just went for it and booked my upcoming appointment. In order to give my esthetician something to work with, I let my nails grow really long (for me, anyway).



I also plan to take in the annual fireworks display at Ashbridge's Bay Park on Victoria Day. I missed it last year due to the biggest brain cramp in the universe, but barring bad weather, I'll surely be there this year!

We Just Sat There...

This afternoon, I was took the subway to pick up a rice cooker at my former place of employment. While riding, a fellow passenger accidentally spilled a few items from her bag. She started picking them up while we sat there for about five seconds.

Yes, I said we sat there for about five seconds.

In my case, I hesitated with the decision to help her, thinking that someone else sitting closer to this passenger would be more willing to help. Unfortunately, that did not happen; only after I volunteered to help did someone help pick up the spilled goods. While I expressed disgust that these other passengers looked the other way (metaphorically speaking) while another passenger obviously needed help, I might as well have said "Hello, pot. My name's kettle."

The next time this happens, my prayer is that I'd lead by example.

Kid Cudi - "Day 'N' Nite"

This is what loneliness can drive some people to do. Not that I've ever taken it so far as to dabble in drugs, but it's a feeling that I wish on no one.

Bonus points if you can catch the very clever Prince reference.


kid cudi - day 'n' nite
by 75_prod

I'm Listening To... #1

Those were the days...R.I.P. dnbscene.com.

I've Found The (Mani)cure!

For the longest time, I've been promising myself that I'd return to The Ten Spot and get a manicure. Understand that it's been more than one year since the last time I did that...actually, my last manicure was on March 22nd of last year! Talk about anticipation...

Yesterday evening, after returning home from church, I finally booked my comeback appointment using their new online booking system. I missed having the opportunity to seduce the receptionist, but this new system not only allows you to pick a service and the date thereof, but also the person who will be doing the procedure. In light of that, congratulations *** - I just made your day.

Besides, I can always seduce the receptionist on the day of my appointment. Two for the price of one! ;-)

Special Delivery

This morning was pretty mundane; I spent time with God and took my shower as I usually do. However, as I stepped out of the shower, someone knocked on my door. It turned out to be a mailman with a package for my mom, and he couldn't wait for me to moisturize and put on my undies. I told him I'd be right over...

There was no way I was going to answer the door in my birthday suit, so I wrapped a towel around myself and proceeded to the door. Upon opening it, I said, "You'd better hope this doesn't fall off."

That mailman probably didn't want to risk seeing what he shouldn't have seen, even though I was covered. He ended up dropping the mail on my floor before leaving.

Your tax dollars at work...

Set Phasers To Stunning

I was going to see Earth for the second time, but that plan got scuttlebutted. I didn't wake up early enough to do what I needed to do before attempting to catch the 10:30 a.m. screening. That's okay, though - I ended up watching Star Trek and it turned out to be worth every penny of the six-dollar admission price. This is one movie which probably benefits from IMAX, but I honestly didn't miss it at all.

I also didn't miss the recently-implemented Enhanced Ticket Experience (ETX) which, upon a casual glance, looks like AMC's answer to IMAX. It seems as if only the Yonge-Dundas location offers this feature, which includes a "20% larger floor-to-ceiling screen, 11-channel surround sound with 57,000 watts of power, and 8.8 million pixels providing 4X the resolution of HD" (quoted from AMC's movie listings). It also offers a two-dollar surcharge because there's always a catch. I'm offhandedly inclined to think that IMAX comes out on top, but you can see what IMAX offers for yourself.

In any event, I plan to see Star Trek again, likely in ETX for comparison's sake. I hope it's solid; AMC's Yonge-Dundas location may very well be screening Transformers 2, and I was definitely looking forward to seeing that in IMAX!

Fountains Of Wayne - "Stacy's Mom"

Happy Mother's Day!


Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
by kellyfan42

In Defense Of The Jonas Brothers

I like the Jonas Brothers' music...well, from A Little Bit Longer onward. That statement alone is enough to make me lose a lot of cred in some readers' eyes, but I don't care.

I'm male and almost thirty years old, so I'm way outside of their demographic. A few years ago, I wouldn't have given them the time of day, neither. Every time a song like "When You Look Me In The Eyes" came on, I'd cringe. I used to dismiss them as a band that tween girls go ga-ga for; the story should have been over at that point.

Around the release of the aforementioned third album, I checked out "Burnin' Up," the lead single. Thanks in large part to the melody and the fact that "Kiss"-era Prince influenced the song, I ended up actually liking it. However, it wasn't until I heard "Lovebug," with its genius structuring (saving the rockout until close to the end) and tap dancing in the second verse, that I started to admit that the JBs just might sneak their way into my CD collection.

As of late 2008, they did - and they'll probably do it again with the release of Lines, Vines And Trying Times in a few months. "Paranoid" is the lead single this time around; I heard it yesterday and it sounds as if the JBs may have been influenced by The Killers and Weezer. Lyrically, it could signal a shift away from the romance-centred lyrics of their third album, although it devotes a few lines to taking shots at an ex. I bet the music press will be all over them, perhaps wondering if Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus is the intended target.

In any event, this is one album I look forward to checking out.

The Art Of Doing Nothing (Part 2)

Up to this afternoon, I was planning to go to the gym and do strength training on my back. I even packed my gym bag with deodorant and a fresh pair of underwear, although I would have needed to take a shaker cup and some protein powder, as well.

I had lunch around 2:00 p.m. after playing N for two hours straight (I'm currently trying to get past episode 37). After this, I took what should have been a short nap on my living room sofa.

The key phrase here is "should have been."

Besides getting up once to "take care of business" (i.e. take a piss), I didn't get up again until 7:00 p.m. in order to eat dinner. Now that I'm unemployed, working out on Fridays is an option and I plan to do this tomorrow...if I don't take another "short nap."

For those of you wondering where part one is, it's not here. Kristen Gale, the owner of The Ten Spot and blogger behind Dating Myself, wrote a blog entry where she explained the art:

It’s a little motto I think I made up, that I try to live by when confronted with a situation that can go one of two ways – either escalate or descalate (I made that word up – it’s a verb and means the opposite of escalate).

You could say that I descalated this situation...for five hours.

Regretting My Low Social Capital (Part 3)

This is the final post in this series. I promise.

Up to now, I've been lamenting my low social capital. The solution here should be really easy: get out more, deliberately meet more people and stop living like a hermit. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

As a matter of fact, I've come to the point where I'm so used to the disease that I'm afraid the cure will kill me.

For example, this weekend, a "surprise" birthday party is being held in honour of one of my church's pastors. I put "surprise" in quotes because he probably knows about it already, but he'll need to act surprised at the event. Anyway, being an active member of my church, you'd think that I'd sign up right away - but I didn't. Actually, I didn't sign up at all.

It's not that I have anything against the pastor himself. Au contraire, I very much respect him, especially for sometimes injecting secular songs into his sermons and not giving a crap what people think about it. It's just that I don't want to find myself in a socially embarrassing situation, where I end up sitting with people I don't know and become the odd one out while they talk amongst themselves. Worse, I could end up being forced into conversation when all I want to do is sit, eat and take in my surroundings. Given the fact that I'm on stage every week (I sing on backup and in the adult choir), this is a very real possibility. I've been through these situations enough times to know better than to risk repeated public awkwardness.

There are only two types of people who willingly jump into the same fire twice: firefighters and idiots. At least firefighters get paid for it.

So I'm going to let that "celebration" pass and do what I think is best: go to Indigo and read a few magazines...by myself, thank you very much.

Tsar Kasim Vs. $2.50

As J.D. Roth at Get Rich Slowly says, nobody cares about your money like you do. Case in point: I checked my VISA account this morning and saw a $2.50 bank charge for a cash advance I processed on Tuesday.

Allow me to provide some context: I used my budget spreadsheet to reconcile my VISA account on Monday. Unfortunately, I ended up duplicating one payment I already made on the previous weekend. As a result, my VISA account had a negative balance (i.e. an overpayment) in the amount of the duplicated payment. I corrected that error on Tuesday, hence the cash advance.

Yesterday morning, I checked that same VISA account and it had a zero balance. This morning, however, was a different story; there was a nice shiny service charge for $2.50 applied for the cash advance. I decided then and there that I would not pay any service charge for correcting an honest mistake. I then called the number on the back of my VISA card and calmly explained the situation to the agent on the other end of the line. While acknowledging that this service charge is applied to all cash advances regardless of the VISA account's balance, he gracisously reversed it since he knew what I was trying to do. After expressing my gratitude, I promised to be more careful in the future.

Keeping abreast of your financial situation is of utmost importance, especially in this recessionary climate we're in right now.

Regretting My Low Social Capital (Part 2)

I had a lot more to say in part one, but it would have been too much for one post. Picking up from where I left off...

I'm at the point in my life where I'd love to share it with a special woman, but due to my low friend count, I sometimes think that I'm getting ahead of myself - as if I'm putting the cart before the horse. A good number of dating articles say that being a loner can be a red flag when looking for a mate, although some say that this can work for good, too. Having said that, in my experience, my lack of friends always proves to be a stumbling block.

A few years ago, there was one pretty (or so I thought) young lady who recently started going to my church. Honestly, it was a crush from first sight; it took me quite a bit of time to chalk up the nerve to ask for her number. When I did, I didn't exactly play it smooth, but I ended up coming off very nervously. Perhaps she sensed this and already wrote me off before I dialed her digits and made my pitch.

That first call was very awkward, to say the least. Among the questions asked: when did I last have a girlfriend (junior high school), what was my testimony - or did I not have one (I found that last part very rude), and who did I hang out with from church? The lady was already unimpressed, but when I answered that last question, I might as well have given up then and there. Ironically, she told me that I need to "go out and meet people" - which, strangely enough, is exactly what I was trying to do here. After putting up with being told that my life is "so boring" for two calls in a row, I ripped up her number and put it where it belonged. I'd much rather be lonely and single than go through that crap.

She isn't the only person I've encountered who thought it odd that I don't hang out with friends on a regular basis. A few weeks ago, I was talking with a fellow churchgoer about a movie I recently saw; it was probably State Of Play. He asked if I "called my boys" and watched the movie, to which I replied, "What boys?" His reaction wasn't nearly as rude as that of my former crush, but I could tell he was surprised to hear that my social "circle" is really a dot.

There are other reasons that I can't even think about dating right now, like being unemployed. I think the then-prospect of it hurt my chances with a recent lady I went on one date with, although the fact that I "speak in parables" (her words) probably didn't help. Regardless, people always tell me that love strikes when you least expect it, so perhaps I should set aside one month's salary in anticipation.

Actually, I would...if I was still earning a long-term salary in the first place. ;-)

Get Your Coconuts Broke

And now for something on a lighter note, courtesy of Meghan Telpner. Fast forward to 2:29 to witness the act.



No word yet on what the lime thinks about this. ;-)

That's an intentional grammatical error in the title, by the way. It's a play on one of Len's album titles: Get Your Legs Broke.

Regretting My Low Social Capital

I spend most of my time alone (or by myself among strangers). I like to think that this is by choice and that I enjoy it, but the truth may be different.

I'm not anti-social and I don't have a social phobia, but somehow, I've become very comfortable with solitude. I'm not entirely uncomfortable with being around people, but my reaction depends on the situation. In any event, I don't have to worry as much about seeming awkward or unintentionally inciting disapproval when I am alone.

I can think of one incident a few years ago at a Lush party among strangers. I made an attempt to chat up a female journalist, which ended up being massively unsuccessful. To make things worse, she tried to chat me up a few minutes later; once again, I came off like an inept fool. Events like this are typical of my predicament; it's not that I don't want to talk to people, but since this makes me risk embarrassment, I often don't bother.

I can also think of the many times I pushed people away when I was in high school, particularly grades nine to twelve. It's not that I was a total jerk; au contraire, I treated people with respect most of the time. However, when I lost my temper, I really lost it. I did this often enough to make fellow students approach me with caution.

One particularly crushing event happened while my class was in Washington, D.C. with students from another high school. We went into a restaurant to eat dinner; I remember running up the stairs and picking a booth, thinking that at least a few people were longing to have the pleasure of sitting with me. I'd soon find out otherwise; I ended up sitting with two classmates, but only after being passed up by student after student after student. After confiding in a fellow classmate about this, I found out that I unintentionally made myself a pariah thanks to my outbursts.

Fast forward to the present. I'm almost thirty years old and my friend count is practically zero. I don't have a social network I can call on, and it really would have helped me deal with my job loss. Mind you, my workouts serve as my stress release. However, picking up the phone and calling someone to talk or do something with them is not an option right now.

That could make for a very lonely thirtieth birthday. If it's going to be anything like my twenty-seventh, I'm not looking forward to it at all.

Might As Well Not Jump

I read an article in Metro a few weeks ago saying that Virgin Radio pulled a few advertisements due to their references to subway suicide.

They missed at least one. Here's proof.



This is the bus stop at Trethewey Dr. and Todd Baylis Blvd. I noticed the ad while being driven home from choir practice last night.

I'll be emailing Metro and Virgin Radio shortly after posting this entry.

CD Collection Update #1

Earlier this evening, I picked up my copy of an album where I did some backup vocals. I normally post an image of the album cover, but this isn't possible at the moment.

Artist: Dennis C. Brown
Title: Are You Prepared
Genre(s): gospel

You can't miss my voice; I'm the only male backup singer. ;-)

Download my updated CD collection.

Len feat. Biz Markie - "Beautiful Day"

It's way too bad that Len turned out to be one-hit wonders; You Can't Stop The Bum Rush has some very good songs on it. This is one of them.

Speaking Of N...

Like I said, I've been playing a lot of N ever since I downloaded it. Here's my current progress.



Each square represents an episode consisting of five stages. As you complete columns, new "flavours" (i.e. colours) of ninja are unlocked. You start with a black ninja, but you can eventually choose from colours like blue, brown and pink (my favourite so far). As you can see, I've completed 32 episodes and 160 stages thus far, with many more to go.

N is 100% free to download; I highly recommend it. It's not a game where button bashing is the key to success; you'll need to strategize and think your way through each stage.

Thoughts Of A Newly Unemployed Man

I can sleep in tomorrow morning. That's weird.

I can stay up as late as I want to tonight. That's weird, too.

As you know, I lost my job last week. After having been on the workforce for four years (including approximately one as a temp), this is my first week as an unemployed man. I'm not finding it too hard to adjust, but at the same time, I pray that I find my next job sooner rather than later.

At this point, I have yet to hear from the career transition firm which will help me, but I'm not concerned. I don't have the clearest idea of what I want to do next, but as long as I'm not doing my previous job, I'll be very happy.

In the meantime, I'm working out, playing lots of N, and enjoying my "vacation" as much as I can.

Depeche Mode - "Wrong"

I took a listen to a few songs from Depeche Mode's latest album, Sounds Of The Universe, on Saturday afternoon. This song was easily the highlight; it sounds really good.

Depeche Mode - "Wrong" (official music video)

The Clothing Show - Spring 2009

Photos from the spring 2009 edition of The Clothing Show.

The Clothing Show - Spring 2009

I should mention that since Picasa Web Albums have a limited amount of space for photos, I'll delete old albums and their corresponding posts as necessary.

Plans For The Weekend #2

I was planning to see the new X-Men Origins movie tomorrow morning for $6.00, but seeing the middling reviews that it's getting, I might scrap that plan. By contrast, Star Trek comes out next week, but it's already earning positive reviews. Mind you, future reviews could lower the average critical ratings, but if enough of them say that you don't have to be a Trekkie to enjoy the movie, then I'll probably check it out (in IMAX, if possible).

In any event, I definitely plan to attend The Clothing Show on Saturday evening. I attended the last edition in the fall of 2008 and I was pretty impressed with one of the runway shows. Many designers are featured, although they tend to cater mostly to women. Not that I'm complaining... ;-)

A few years ago at the very first Clothing Show I attended, I scored a vintage Mr. Yuk shirt. I still wear it every summer; it's one of my favourites because I'm not likely to see anyone else wearing it.

Oh yes - can't forget to play lots and lots of N! I'm currently trying to get past episode nine.

I Lost My Job Today

This is how my office looked right before I left it for the last time.



As of this afternoon, I am unemployed.