The long weekend post

Running on fumes. In the midst of another attempt at sleep cycle normalization. Didn't sleep last night, and am about to take my quick nap, which will have to tide me over until hopefully whatever time normal folks sleep.

Last night was predictably amusing as I went to a random house party my friend threw. My conclusion is that I officially am way too old for house parties.

Today, took my parents for dim sum at Yang's up in Tha Rill (That's Richmond Hill, by the way. I just invented that phrase, and I will be demanding credit when inevitably you begin to use it). I just had to see what everybody is fawning over with this place.

Overall, was quite pleased. It's straight up modern HK, and the most distinguishing feature of the food I would say is that everything just reeks of FRESH. Freshly made to order, using fresh ingredients. Not mind blowing, but considering 8 dishes came to only $40 (tax and tip included), no complaints from me.

They had some special dim sum options as well, such as "Jumbo Shrimp with Grade A Foie Gras" for $8. I assume they mean Grade A pâté? There's no way it'd be that cheap otherwise. Something about duck paste and shrimp didn't sound appetizing to me, but I give them kudos for having unique choices...

All in all, we were impressed. Definitely going into the regular dim sum rotation from now on.

Perhaps my only caveat? The place is tiny. We went at almost 2pm and it was still pretty busy. I'd hate to imagine the joint between 11:30am and 1pm on a weekend. My head hurts just thinking about it.

White Castle or bust

You know how often, actors who take certain roles become pigeonholed for the rest of their careers? Say, for example, Shannon Elizabeth, or Chris Klein?

At first, it seemed that the main characters from Harold & Kumar were destined for the slapstick comedy hall-of-fame. More teen movies. More silly dick jokes. And good grief, they were both minorities! Surely these roles were not going to lead to real acting careers.

Except... somehow, for some reason, White Castle managed to launch (or in one case, re-launch) three careers into pretty much unheard of trajectories since Jon Stewart went from Half-Baked to Fake News Cultural Icon.

Let's run things down.

Neil Patrick Harris began the comeback with White Castle, and turned it into a successful and regular gig on one of TV's most popular sitcoms. He also was part of a cult-hit Josh Whedon smash musical, and has gone from obscure, retro-pop-culture reference to one of the few celebrities who are famous essentially for being themselves.

John Cho is probably the least famous, and asides from small movies did mainly guest-spot tv work since the last Harold and Kumar gig. However, this summer he managed to snag an almost assuredly recurring role in the most popular franchise reboot in movie history. Star Trek is going to be a monster. Mark my words. He's going to be rolling in cash from this one role alone (he's Sulu). Pretty good for a dude who didn't even really want a hamburger in the first place.

Finally, Mr. Kal Penn. Yea, he did some TV. And of course, he landed a regular gig on House. But the dude just left the show (with a bang!) to accept a position in the Obama Administration. His official title is Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison. I almost feel like this is on par with making the leap from Porn Star to legitimate actor. Has that ever truly been done? And I mean hardcore porn, not that Red Shoe David Duchovny softie stuff.

It's just strange how these things work out. Did anybody see this coming after watching White Castle? I mean, the tagline on the movie poster is "FROM THE DIRECTOR OF DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?"

Crazy.

Gentle reminders

Today is my mom's birthday.

I have a curious relationship with my parents. On the one hand, people are shocked at how I treat them. Which is, essentially, as equals.

What this means is that I will often make fun of them, mock them, or talk to them like I would talk to any other friend. If my dad says something dumb, I will rain down my sarcastic barbs on him just like I would anybody reading this blog (this happens a lot when watching the news). This behavior apparently is shocking to some.

This friendly relationship discounts however, any sort of "deeper" conversation, unless I'm really in need of advice about taxes or how to invest my money, or if we have any relatives who can find me a job in Asia.

Outside of these few circumstances, our day-to-day interactions mainly revolve around whether I will be home for a meal, whether they will be home for a meal, whether I am dating a certain girl, or if there's anything good on sale at Best Buy. In that order.

Today being another birthday, I am forced to yet again face the depressing mortality of my parents. They're getting up there, and it's not nice to think about, but I can't avoid the scenario in my mind I'm living in a basement by myself, instead of with parents above me. It's kind of frightening.

I guess it's moreso the fact that my parents are clearly beginning to act their age. They eat more canned soup because they're lazy. They drink instant coffee. They take long naps. Complain about crowds. Are blatantly racist.

Actually, now that I type it out, I suppose they haven't changed much. But I guess it's one of those subtle things you'd have to live with to notice.

Anyways, thinking about all this depressing stuff has spurred me to hit the job search hard again. I feel like before they shuffle off this mortal coil, they should see me... you know. Not living in the basement.

Covering your ass

When I got my latest issue of ESPN the Magazine in the mail last week, the first thing I noticed was that half of it was blank. It was folded over, with an adhesive material keeping a tab closed that said, on white background "you wouldn't settle for an incomplete cover".

Upon unfolding the tab, it was revealed to be a Powerade advertisement, which continued into the inside cover and first page, for a new Pepsi Powerade product.

I am aware of the recent trend of advertising on magazine covers, creeping slowly into the range of ubiquity due to financial constraints in these economic times. Closer to home, the latest issue of Macleans even pulled an Esquire, and features a large peel-back tab in the very centre of the cover.

Wittingly or unwittingly, the Macleans cover also seems to imply that by revealing the flap, more of the cover story (an article about teenage behaviour) will be revealed. Instead? The reader is treated to an ad for the Audi Q7. Tricky tricky.

A recent article on adage.com about the ESPN cover did manage to get quotes from the Mag: "In retrospect, we may have pushed the envelope in this case," [the ESPN spokeswoman] said, "but we continue to innovate and experiment, both editorially and in our advertising, to deliver one of the most compelling magazines on the market."

I am not willing, off hand, to simply throw stones at these publications. I understand the industry is being rocked. I know this because for the life of me, I cannot get a new job, and many, many colleagues have lost theirs. It hits close to home, and if these ads are the only thing keeping people employed, it becomes a matter that's not so black and white.

Yet still.

The cover of a magazine is the heart of a publication. It's what connects readers to a familiar brand. It conveys the spirit of a staff. It has historically been sacred ground.

I'm not averse to the idea of advertising on covers. But in both cases above, a shoddy job was done in drawing a line in the editorial sand.

If you're going to hawk wares on your face, make it apparent it is a cash grab. Do not insult readers and blur the line, insinuating that the editorial and advertising sides worked together to sell this product.

In other words, if ESPN wants to let Pepsi sell drinks on their cover, fine. But please, ESPN. Don't you try and sell me Powerade too. That editorial distinction is why readers buy your magazine. Because we trust what you're writing, we believe what you have to say and that your opinions are important, relevant, and most importantly, written with journalistic integrity.

Blurring that line might save a few jobs today. But in the long run, the reputation of your publication is worth more than a few zeros on a cheque. Sometimes, losing a limb is better than eventually losing your soul.

This is one case where some long, hard decisions are going to have to be made. I do not envy those who are in position to make these calls.

Let's nerd it up

(I think I had this exact poster. In scroll form...)

When I was in high school, I watched a fair bit of anime. I even went to the comic convention once and bought wall-scrolls, which I then adorned the walls of my bedroom with.

I never said it was a proud time.

Kitschy decor aside, I have recently kind of rediscovered a bunch of the old anime that I used to enjoy, and been pleasantly surprised to find that some of them are not only still relevant and entertaining, but are in the process of being completely redone and remastered. It's good to know that classics never really die.

Now, I realize I am not an anime connoisseur. To be honest, I haven't even seen that much, but of what I have enjoyed in my brief experiences, here are my top five favourite anime:

5) Macross

Space fighting, lasers, robots that transformed into airplanes. What more could you ask for? A classic.

4) Voices of a Distant Star

Admittedly, this 25-minute movie is kind of emo. It's about high-school kids in love, separated by time and space due to an intergalactic alien battle. The animation is even kind of simple. But take into account it was made entirely by one dude, on a G4 Mac computer, and everything becomes much more impressive. The story is also told in a very unique way, making use of text messaging to convey time, and a great theme song makes this a particularly unique, emotional and entertaining piece of work.

3) Dragonball Z

Another classic. Yea, it eventually ran kind of long, and there are episodes where nothing happened except angry staring contests. But those lulls where easy to overlook. When this was good, it was really, really good. It's an iconic franchise, even here in the western world. Debatably, it's the most popular serialized anime of all time. It was also blatantly racist, arguing that we'd all be more powerful if we could unlock our latent Aryan powers. Hmmm....

2) Princess Mononoke

Probably the most riveting cartoon movie I've ever seen. Well, it's up there, right up alongside the Lion King, at least. Also, it was environmentally friendly before being environmentally friendly was cool, yo.

1) Neon Genesis Evangelion

I just re-watched this series from beginning to end. I distinctly recall being a huge fan when I was younger, but being thoroughly and utterly confused by the existentialist ending at the time. Actually, I wasn't just confused. I was disappointed. I wanted giant robots fighting. And that was absolutely not what happens at the end.

I won't ruin it, but suffice to say that on my recent reacquaintance with the series, I had a much more nuanced and reflective experience. I was more aware of the philosophical queries and moral quagmires posed by the creators. I was challenged by the complex and patently dysfunctional characters as human beings, and not just pilots of giant fighting robots.

Basically, I really, really enjoyed watching this. Much moreso than even when I was younger, and I feel there was a deeper appreciation for it this go around.

The plot is confusing, convoluted and complex. There is no arguing this. But in terms of character development and arc, cinematography and artistic endeavor, Neon Genesis is right up there not just as anime, but one of the best pieces of television I have ever had the pleasure of watching. I'm glad I watched it again.

I know lots of people love Naruto, but I've never really gotten into that. Should I? It seems like Dragonball in that there's just too much ground to cover at this point. I also always wanted to watch Love Hina and Cowboy Bebop. Anyone watched those? Are they good?

Just as an aside, Neon Genesis is currently being redone as a movie quadrilogy, with each two-hour movie basically retelling 6 episodes of the original series. I just watched the first one (the only one out right now, the second releases this summer) and although some scenes are shot-for-shot reproductions, there is also a fair amount of tonal change that helps makes the plot much more accessible.

The drawing is redone really well, and apparently the final movie is going to completely redo the ending to appeal to a more mainstream audience. I'm excited.

ALSO, apparently DBZ is in the process of being remastered in HD as well. I wonder if I'd consider buying that. I have fond childhood memories of watching that show at my cousin's house every week, and renting each movie on laserdisc (!) as soon as it came out.

Pure nostalgia.

You're not staying for Japanther?

(Los Campesinos)

Been on a bit of a concert tear lately, March was just too good to pass up with Cut Copy, CMW and the Junior Boys all bunched up. I wanted to get out to a few more as well, but never made it. It would have been nice to have gotten into the Born Ruffians, but luckily I've seen them before so it wasn't a complete loss.

Saw Los Campesinos tonight, which was a pretty amazing show despite the fact they only played for maybe 50 minutes. This is not their fault however, as they only have 50 minutes worth of music to their name right now. But I loved their energy and overall quirkiness -- they're going to go places quickly, especially after being critically lauded in so many top-whatever lists at the end of last year.

Coming up, I'm finally going to stay for Japanther! Or rather, I am seeing Meligrove again, who are once more accompanied by Japanther. Last time I saw them, we all left before Japanther came on and the ticket person by the door basically cried when we walked out.

"You're not staying for Japanther??" he said to us, looking genuinely completely crushed.

Consider this a make up, mysterious ticket selling hipster guy.

Patrick Watson will be playing Trinity St. Paul's later this Spring, but before that Metric is playing the Mod Club with Holy Fuck, April 14. I don't know if tickets are gone yet, but I. Must. See. That. Show.

After that, I think I need to take a breather. And by breather, I mean stop spending so much money.

I bought my Los Campesinos t-shirt tonight though, my little splurge.

I have a strange affection for band shirts, even though I try not to buy too many.

Consider it love in moderation.

Random albums I am currently excited about:

1) Mirah - (a)spera

2) Fever Ray - Fever Ray

3) Metric - Fantasies

4) Yeah Yeah Yeah's - It's Blitz

5) Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains

It is, it seems, a pretty darn good month for fans of indie-music females both intro and extroverted. And fans of Built to Spill. Gooood times.

ahhhh

I feel like I've been hit with a tranquilizer dart. Awesome.

I feel like a certain medical student

In that, I find myself quite attracted to the unfortunately underage Yuna Kim after she won the World Figure Skating Championships last week. I didn't bother watching the women's since there were no Canadians in contention, but I did manage to catch the full long-program on Youtube HD, and I must say she really put on a show.

Of course, I assume she did, since I don't actually know anything about figure skating. But the NBC announcers sure seemed to say she did. And she set a world record, shattering 200 points in the new scoring system by SEVEN. (This is apparently a big deal, like running a three-minute mile for figure skaters. I have no clue either way; the judging rules all seem arbitrary to me.)

What I do know is she's 18. And she's a World Champion. And she trains with Brian Orser right here in Toronto (I assume because it's essentially Korea with lots of ice). She's also quite cute. This, all wrapped together, is an appealing total package.

Does getting older make me more open to dating girls below my half-age-plus-seven threshold? I used to be super opposed and completely unattracted to anyone more than one year younger than me. Am I starting to just care less, or am I turning into some sort of lecherous old man?

The real question however:

Do you think she's had any work done? I'm skeptical of those weak looking double eyelids...

The operation was a success

You know how everybody seems to be a doctor nowadays, I felt it my obligation to repair Ryan's broken Rock Band pedal. If I must say, I think it was a resounding success.

Rock Pedal, bass drum. A pedal barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's (probably 15,000th) bionic pedal. Rock Pedal will be that bass drum. Better than he was before.

Better, stronger, faster.

I am not good at planning meals

Nightcap

I'm totally ripping off Truehoop's bullets here, but I think it's unique in applying that approach to news. I'm probably just bored. And nobody is really ever going to read this. But it's for my own amusement, so bear with me and this way we can all have common conversation topics the next time I see you in person.

• An absolutely thought provoking article in the Times about the subjects of what define art and photojournalism, and perhaps where those two are beginning to overlap. Particularly it looks at the infamous Obama red-white-blue graphic. Also, some fascinating insight into the ongoing discourse concerning art-as-appropriation. "Copyright lawyers have been arguing over Fairey’s appropriation of a news photograph of for his “Hope” campaign poster and whether it constitutes “fair use.” But no one has disputed that it is a work of art. But what about the photograph on which the poster is based?"
• UConn was caught violating NCAA recruiting rules. I know this goes on everyday. Only a few days ago, there was a great article (also in the Times) about the seedy underworld of elite-amateur basketball all the way down to middle school. Am I the only one still waiting for a Nick-Nolte-from-Blue-Chips moment to actually go down any one of these days? I can absolutely see Tim Floyd walking out and retiring after USC wins a big game because he'd rather coach street ball kids on West Long Beach.
• More talk from Waterfront Toronto this week, this time about renovating Queens Quay with at $192-million boobjob. Are these guys ever going to actually do anything? What happened to that Harbourfront plan? Oh, it turned into a condo. What about the Cherry St. project? On the back burner you say. East Don Lands? What? Ok, let's pour imaginary money into Queens Quay then. I like David Miller, he's got some great ideas. But please. Follow them up with action. I'll even pay taxes for it, I swear.
• Oh the French. Can you imagine if, in Toronto, laid off workers of 3M barricaded the national manger in his office for a day, holding him hostage until he signed a deal to renegotiate with said-economic casualties? It'd be front page news. On the BBC website, this story barely made a squeak on the RSS feed. I kind of respect their proletariat-perseverance I suppose. Or as some may call it, "the crazy".
• The CBC is letting go of 800 employees Canada wide. The Ceebs has never been a shining example of fiscal responsibility. It's a company that loses money, but is paid for by the people, for the people. Therefore, it is owned by, the people. To see it have to start selling off properties is painful, particularly when this affects a few of my personal colleagues. Hopefully the industry is going to bounce back eventually, or I'll be writing these blogs to nowhere for a very very long time.
• North Korea is apparently going ahead with plans to test a long-range missile, says the Times in breaking news. Oh KJI. You whine about sanctions, run your country on hay, your people sleep in the dark because you don't have enough power, and yet you're building weapons... why? Even if you can get a single working nuke, do you honestly think you'd have the wherewithal to actually harm anybody but yourself with it? You're being watched by the world like Michael Jackson at a daycare centre. For pure entertainment though, you can never go wrong with a good North Korea story.
• The Raptors won last night, but really, there is no winning with this team. Ever. Just look at the talent on our bench. We're horrible. Even our starters are suspect at this point, when they're not out ducking alimony payments and such. For the rest of this season, I'll be rooting for the Suns, who are keeping the hope alive with a tense win over Utah last night. Grant Hill turned back the clock big time. That's the difference between the Suns and the Raptors. Their glue guy is a former NBA MVP. Ours is a former Euroleague MVP. Oh well.

And finally, something to really get excited about.

Self-awareness

I came home tonight and was all ready to settle down with a glass of bourbon, when I sadly realized I actually polished the last of it off... uh... right before I left the house.

I was filled with a tinge of panic.

Luckily, I realized I have both juice and gin on hand.

Problem resolved.

After some deliberation, I've decided to try and turn this little corner of the internet from personal blog to a news blog. Essentially, I want to just post stories and thoughts on current events, linking to all the interesting news that I come across from my many trips around the internet.

I calculate I spend roughly 4 hours a day, on average, surfing the internet. I figure the least I can do is provide informative, conversational news, in a somewhat entertaining format. We will see how this turns out.

Keitha? That's a man's name!

No thanks to a little help from my fellow Battlestar Galactica fans, I must go buy myself another bottle of bourbon tomorrow. I must say my ruminations on the finale cannot be shared for fear of revealing spoilers (basically, just for Cammie), but rest assured I was not blown away in a good way.

I also watched the series finale of Flight of the Conchords this weekend. Not exactly a complex show, but it was quaint, unpretentious and incredibly funny television. It will be missed, and I'm hoping that both Bret and Jemaine go on to do more incredible, unique projects.

My recent days have been full of sleeping, eating out, and doing things with friends. This is wonderful. However (there doesn't always have to be a but!) I feel some balance is starting to be called for, and today I felt those darn pangs of productivity pulling at me again. Unfortunately, I was limited in my capacity to satiate those desires. You know, outside of reading a book. At least it makes me feel smarter.

Anyways, to make this a mostly television related post, I must say that for the past six weeks, I've been following Dollhouse with casual interest, not wanting to commit myself to the show due to its somewhat vapid acting, so-so debut episode and decidedly un-Whedonlike writing.

Well, this last weeks episode was some what of a breakthrough. It really was an excellent episode, probably a more solid chunk of television than anything else that was on TV Friday (damn you Battlestar...). My expectations are now raised. Please don't disappoint me.

Also, on an unrelated note, I am again watching Korea and Japan slug it out in the WBC Championship game. If Asians are so great at baseball, why aren't I more of a pro-star at softball? Clearly I should dedicate myself to it and drop this silly basketball business....

Flap-gate

Is it actually an issue that people are getting upset about some Ontario flags being made in China?

It's understandable you might want "patriotic" items to stay local, but saying that its national pride is so completely hypocritical that one can't really take that argument seriously.

A Flag costs $18, and you're upset about outsourcing that while you have no problem wearing $120 sneakers, not to mention typing on a keyboard connected to a computer all probably made in China as well?

Seems pretty weak to me.

Simple pleasures

It's funny how temperamental we are. The smallest things can brighten my day.

For example, I found two dollars when buying subway tokens today. I suppose somebody forgot to collect their change? Either way, finding money is always a bonus. My highlight found money moments are probably:

1) When I went to the ATM to get $60 and it gave me $160 for no reason

2) When I got cash back from those Loblaws self-checkout machines and it gave me $60 when I only asked for $40

Everything else is just loose change. Has that ATM thing ever happened to anybody else?

Anyways, settling in with the laptop to do some light work while soaking in another solid 4-5 hours of March Madness today. I am disappointed Minnesota lost yesterday, but my bracket is still in somewhat decent shape.

Syracuse kicking off the day. Life is good.

What I'm drinking

Bulleit Bourbon. 90 proof, smoky but silky. I'm normally sipping on plain old Johnnie Black, but I read about this on Uncrate and saw it at the LCBO. It also helps that the bottle and packaging have won product design awards. You could definitely mug somebody with this corked, solid glass bad boy.

*It's currently 4:17am, and let me tell you -- Bulleit and Life Brand sleeping pills do not a happy experience make. Feels... like... brain dead...

Presidential Matters

I also picked UNC to win it all, although I have them facing UCONN in the championship game.

Also, I love this little bit at the end:

"UNC, I picked you last year, but I'm picking you again. Don't embarrass me in front of the nation."

Talk about pressure, yikes.

Who are these people?

$43M divorce settlement not enough, Swedish countess says

I actually don't think I can imagine a world where you require $54,000 a week to maintain your standard of living. How do you spend $8000 on travel a week? Are you flying around the world every other day?!

That's just nuts man.

television goodness

After watching the first season of True Blood, I've been seeing a lot of Anna Paquin. All I can say is... enh.

With that in mind, here are the top five shows you probably haven't watched, but should:

5) Undeclared

Judd Apatow before Judd Apatow was cool. This was only around for I think two seasons, but it's hilarious. Think of a mash-up between Superbad and the O.C. and you have a rough idea of what this is like.

4) Mad Men

Drinking, smoking and impeccable men's tailoring have never looked so good. Also, an entire cast of well-written, well acted, believable characters. The most important facet of any good tv in my books.

3) Friday Night Lights

I've spent enough words praising this show in the past. Watch from the start. It takes time to get to know the characters, but you'll eventually grow so close to them even the simplest life experiences will draw your empathy to wondrous heights. Watching a show about normal life is boring, unless you feel like you care about the people involved. And if you stick with this show, trust me; you will care.

2) Spaced

This was the BBC show that made Simon Pegg (the guy from Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead) famous. It's a sitcom, and I would describe it as a mix of Seinfeld, Friends and Family Guy all rolled into one. Wildly entertaining, and although it may not be as perfectly crafted or timeless as the shows that sandwich it, it's probably less well known and so deserves some extra props.

1) The Wire

Actually, many people have already seen parts of this show, but to understand and appreciate it fully you really have to watch it through from beginning to end, completely. It's a masterstroke and fulfills all the potential for storytelling that television offers as a medium. It's a novel told one hour at a time, and one that speaks on everything from social commentary to the dark nuanced humour of our daily lives. It's informative, educational, argumentative and incredibly captivating. It also has lots of scenes of people shooting other people, which is like, totally awesome. This is the greatest television show ever made. ever.

One year later

Interesting.

Apparently I am the recipient of a 2009 Collegiate Circle award, presented by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The awards were for Sweat magazine, which I was art director for during my final year at Humber. Apparently because of the timing of Humber's publishing cycle, it was entered in the 2009 awards instead of 2008.

Still, surprising and welcome news.

For those wondering, it's the magazine with the chick showering on it, if you've ever seen that lying around my room. I will hence refer to that as my "award winning cover."

And for those who haven't seen it... uh, it's not what you think.