Meow Motherfucker! 

Rants aplenty!

Now Playing - I'll Be Here Awhile by 311


Now, I've tried to refrain from mentioning Terry Schiavo, but I find that there's just something that I have to say. Everyone is trying to do something for her, help her die, help her live, and everything in between. The one thing nobody seems to be willing or able to do is to let this poor woman die in dignity. Nobody should want to know how sunken in her eyes have become or how calm she is.

Ok, on to something else. Looks like the US senate is trying to reinstate Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs. Basically, the thought there is that Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, the only three player to have broken the record have all been on steroids. Good! But how are you going to prove retroactively that these guys were on the juice? Bonds and McGwire both have accusers in the form of BALCO and Canseco, respectively, but nobody has come out and said they know for sure Sammy Sosa (The only guy to break the record three times) was on 'roids. I don't really have a point, more of an opinion.

Dear god help me, I'm actually optimistic about the Blue Jays this season... at this point, I'm like a homeless person who sees an empty lunchbox and hopes there's a full meal inside, only to find it empty. Yet I still keep checking, because on the off chance you find something good, you don't want to miss it because you're a pessimist.

To get off Baseball, I was at a great LAN this weekend run by the folks over on the Red vs Blue boards, and I will now commence 'shout-outing' Lukie, Redhott, Shashi (ladies first, of course) Dimono, Microbe, loopster, TheGame, Cobra Commander and... crap, I forget who else, oh well, a good time was had by all, and I won a hippo! I'll have a pic up soon.

Now Playing - Come Down by Bush

Pics and Ruminations

Now Playing - First Straw by 311


I hate it when great bands are coming out with new cd's (Eels, Millencolin) and wait until the last second to get a tour together, come on guys, I want to see you live!

Re-read Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, and really, there isn't any better work of fiction that deals with the effects of war. I'd also argue it beats most of the non-fiction as well.

I think if I were anally probed, I'd start believing in Aliens.

I'm always amazed at people who have the same birthday, Tiger Woods, Sandy Koufax and LeBron James, all athletes who have been (or will prove to be in LeBron's case) the most dominant forces in their sport of their era were born on Dec 30th. Makes me think I should have listened a bit closer to that psychic... nah, I've got nothing to worry about, you know who's famous that I share a birthday with? Mischa Freaking Barton... that's right, I share a birthday with the anorexic overacting Marissa Cooper from The OC.

Now Playing - No Light by 3rd Strike

I've been known to belt out a tune from time to time 

Of Geeks and Men (With Apologies to John Steinbeck)

Now Playing - These Days by Alien Ant Farm

This post is dedicated to all the good folks at the York Region Role Playing Guild, and everyone on the Red vs. Blue Boards.

I've become astounded by turns of events recently. I looked around at the friends I've got and realized that somehow, subtly I have shifted a bit on the cultural scale. From fun loving jock who doesn't take anything seriously to fun loving geek who doesn't take anything seriously. How did this happen to me? I used to beat up the kids who played D&D in my younger days... now I'm a card-carrying member of a Role playing guild (just as a quick note, I don't like D&D, but for [purposes of clarity let that stand in as an example of the whole of roleplaying games).

For those that don't know him, I blame Phil. Phil was a good guy, I thought, drank with him at frosh week, talked about all the hot girls walking around, and then never saw him for a year. I come back to register for courses and all of a sudden there he is with... two girls (!) talking about role playing trying to sign people up at York. The more signatures they get the more funding is available form York, so I signed on to help them out. Phil told me to come to a general meeting, meet and greet sort of thing. Listening to people talk about the games they were going to run, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath... was I actually going to do something like this? What would the dudes rom Hamildump think?

I tried it and it didn't suck. I started hanging out at their office, and it slowly came to me... These geeks are alright people. Despite the fact it looks like I may have to drop out of roleplaying for good, I consider the hours I wasted playing alot more productive than taking another nap.

The topic has come up of Anime as a few people try to slightly to push me in that direction. Is there really a comic I'd enjoy more than Undergrads or Family Guy? Ahh hell, I can't go that fa, I'd still rather watch Junior A Hockey games on Rogers television... phew, that was a close one.

Now Playing - Big Bad John by Johnny Cash

My dad with the Cutest Niece Ever 

Eminem and Munsch!

Now Playing - Poster Child by Mock Orange


Just saw Eminem's new video Mockingbird this afternoon and the word hypocrite brings to mind. For those of you who haven't seen it the video is made up of clips of home videos featureing a pre-fame Slim Shady and his kids. The only part of the lyrics that I can recall hearing are 'tried to hide you from all this.' Guess what, doofus, you don't hide your kids from the abysmal life you've setin front of them by airing every p[art of your dirty laundry in your videos and them feature your kids as some kind of white-out to say you're above it. Grow up and stop hiding behind your kids, your mom and your ex-wife.

Ahhh, now that I got that rant off my mind, it turns out there is a debate about one of the most famous paintings of all time. Edward Munsch's The Scream is the subjct of controversy among art critics. It seems that people are unable to decide if the man is, in fact screaming, o is covering his ears hearing a scream from elsewhere. There really isn't much to say about this, I always thought he was afraid of something in nature, justoutside the frame of the painting, but I'm interested to see what other people think.

Now Playing - Outshined by Soundgarden

News & Ruminations

Now Playing - I Like It Down Here by Euphoraphonic

Well, it's been a ew das since I had anything to say, and guess what? I'm an Uncle!. On Sunday, Anne and Ross gave birth (Well, Anne gave birth, Ross was more involved in the creative process) to a beautiful girl. This means that of course, I get to play the doting uncle, after years of joking about being Uncle John, now I am one. An interesting note, in the 24 hours following her birth, I already had numerous pictures as well as a video waiting for me in my email. This kid better be ready to have every second of her life documented, because I imagine that's what's going to happen. Interestingly, she shares her birthday with Shaquille O'Neal... I don't know if that means anthing or not, but I find it interesting.

I've just a couple of other things that have been on my mind. Does the DooM movie even need a plot? It's got The Rock in it and a tonne of stuff blowing up... I'd pay matinee prices to see that.

One thing this NHL strike has taught me is that I can get along just fine without NHL hockey, yeah I miss it a little bit, but not as much as I thought I would. Ask me about it when the first couple of rounds of the playoffs would be playing and I might change my tune, but I've been doing fine so far.

Spring has sprung, the grass has risen, time to get ready for baseball season. Ok, I know that rhyme sucked, but it is true, I can honestly say that the Jays will do better this year than last. Might not be much better, but there will be an improvement.

Finally is it just me or has here not been a really good book released in a while?

Now Playing - If I Ever Lose My Faith by Sting

More Politics!

Now Playing - A Million Days by Bad Religion


Well, I thought I got this all out of my system yesterday, but thinking about it, Ive got a little bit more political ranting to go. On the docket today... cigarettes. Now, before I launch into my rant, I'd like to explain that firstly, I am a non-smoker, but as you'll find out not one of those militant non-smokers who are, frankly, assholes. People have no right to force their ideaology on others, and let's face it, if releasing dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere was a bad idea, we'd never have invented the fossil-fuel burning car, or have things like steel and plastic for that matter, the two most popular substances on this planet that aren't a derivative of wood.

My bone of contention actually isn't with the clean-air initiatives that have been launched in seemingly every major mertopolis, but rather the odd ban on cigarette advertising. To borrow a line from Geore Carlin "Let's face it, kids don't smoke because a camel in sunglasses tells them to, they do it for the same reason adults do." Sadly, because of this ban, the arts around the country are what suffers.

The Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire, gone for good and replaced by frankly, nothing more than a cheap light show. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra just built a new centre for the arts in downtown Toronto... with money it saved from being sponsored by Du Maurier for so many years, along with a government grant, of course. The Du Maurier Open up at York University became the Rogers AT&T Cup... now not only is that a worse name, but only a fool would think that the world class tennis players that descend on York every year smoke cigarettes, now some may, but they are the exception that proves the rule.

Nopw, the solution is simple... let cigarette companies sponsor events. Firstly, it savs the government money that it can then use to fund more of those 'stupid' commercials. It's not being a hypocrite if you use their own money against them. Another, more important thing, is the simple fact that smaller events may not even exist at all without this kind of sponsorship. All you're doing by not allowing them to sponsor events is letting them keep their money... if cigarettes are so bad, wh not take money from the companies that make them. With the amount of information available, nobody is taking up smoking thinking they're chock full of vitamins A, B, C, and D.

Well, I think I've finally run out of steam, please leave your comments, I'd love to know what people who read my ideas actually think.

Now Playing - Another Drinkin' Song by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

News of the Day, Political Ranting

Now Playing - Crowded Elevator by Incubus

Well hello again, I just wanted to post another like to Jeskid's website. Check out his movie and tell all your friends ot do the same, he's not in this to make money, after all.

Now, Martha Stewart is scheduled to be relased from prison where she has allegedly been 'the model inmate.' Now, I think that people who have done time for their crimes, especially on a first offense, should be able to go free, but according to CNN, Martha Stewart is almost 500 Million dollars richer than when we went in. For those of you won don't remember, good ol'Martha was indicted for insider trading... people should not be allowed to have their companies make money in prison. Sadly, Martha made more money in her stay in a jail cell than I ever will in my lifetime.

Now, in other news, prostitutes... that's right, actual ho's, as opposed to models in rap videos, staged a protest to attempt to convince the government to legalize prostitution. Now this may not be your cup of tea, but let's face it, it makes sense. Firstly, it encourages girls who have no other choice but to sell their body to be able to do so in a controlled environment, where they can earn money without fear of getting beat up by a pimp or killed by a john (no not me). Another good reason... disease! If the Women of the Night can work legally, then odds are they'll have better access to getting screened to protect themselves, and their customers.

Another reason decriminalizing prostitution and marijuana makes sense... Taxes. Let's face it, our lovely Canadian government taxes the hell out of everything we do, wouldn't it be nice to have a hooker tax and a pot tax? If you dropped the alcohol tax one percent with the additional monies being substituted by two new taxes, the canadian public would go for it in a second. Our gay marriage rules show that we're already more forward-thinking than our neighbours to the south.

...And speaking of Americans, who'd be more likely to take advantage of our new liberal-leaning policies? It would create another infulx of cash into a system that, unfortunately, is bereft with problems.

Hey, here's an idea, if the province of Ontario is losing doctors, as so many commercials on the radio have taught me... why not hire a few to look after the hookers? If doctors are leaving the country, then they're just showing themselves to be paid mercenaries, more inclined to take of their chequebook than your illness.

Now Playing - A Daisy Through Concrete by Eels

New Job, New Innovation, ALTdot and more!

Now Playing - Poster Child by Mock Orange

Well hello folks, I thought I'd take the time to say and talk about m new job which starts at... well, I have to leave in half an hour. Suffice to say if anyone wants to come by the Pizza Hut by the Dufferin Mall, they can spy on me all they want.

Now, you might have noticed the Now Playing part at the top of this post. I ripped that off another columnist because I thought it sounded like a good idea, I'll do him one better, though and put another song down at the bottom, because well, it takes more than three minutes to write one post, there's alot of my blood sweat and tears that goes into this.

I want to mention that I was at the 8th anniversary of the ALTdot comedy lounge on monday night. This is a Toronto comedy institution, and a great place to see comedy in the city for a great price. I've been going since I was 17 and have always had fun, even when I've been bitched out by comedians, for knowing that the G in G-spot stands for (The answer would surprise you). Having a friend of mine complain loudly while quite obviously intoxicated (although it turns out he just had mono). And, Jo-anna Downey bought me a beer, so I automatically love her.

I thought there would be more for me to say when I wrote the title, but I guess not, hgave a good day, folks.

Now Playing - Over It by Pulley