Every weekday around 2:30pm, be listening: I'll ask you a question. You then go online to find that answer and call me back at (705) 727 1075 to win! (June 29- July 3) Lunch for Two at the Fishbowl Restaurant on Bayfield St and a gift certificate for 3 tans in your choice of any 3 beds at Beverly Hills Tanning Centre, with 4 locations in Barrie.
June 25
Above is a picture of my in one of my favourite items of clothing: my fuscia coat from Joe Fresh (ie. the grocery store brand!).
Well, I washed it the other day and it shrunk. Just about the only time I've ever failed to read the washing instuctions and material content, it comes back to bite me. The coat is/was 100% wool but I didn't bother finding out and washed it in warm water. It's not completely unwearble but significantly tighter than it should be.
So, the question is: Is there anyway to reverse the damage? Have you ever gone the borax way and did it work?
The coat was last year's collection and I don't think I can buy another.
Ps. This picture was taken in Belfast. We're standing in front of the dock where they built the Titanic.
June 22
I was clicking around online and came across, again, Bakerella's website. She makes the most magical things for dessert. Check out her website Click Here. The latest thing is Hambuger and Frenchfries made out of cupcakes, brownie and sugar cookies.
Well, I scrolled down to read old entries that Iud missed and saw the measuring spoons below. Aren't they sweet? I want them! But where can I get them in Canada? The places online that have them seem to only ship to Canada and I love to be able to support a local store to buy them. Have you seen these anywhere? They are from GANZ.
June 18
Recently, I went to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls. I hadn't been in ages and had forgotten all about the cocoon section. Well, let me tell you, I was blown away by the gold cocoons. They are incredible. We took a couple shots from different angles. I think below is the best shot of the set. Shots like this is why I love having a DSLR camera.
Enjoy! And go see these beauties in person sometime soon!
June 17
Some of the best music he ever heard was on the street on the way to the studio. This sparked an idea. Grammy award winning Mark Johnson began his amazing project Playing for Change that revolved around his belief that music can break down barriers and create human understanding. He recorded people all around the singing and playing songs and created the album Songs Around the World.
Above is a video which includes the song "Stand by Me". In that video, you can see Clarence Bekker singing on a dusty street. He's getting a lot of attention now and will be perfoming at the renowned Glastonbury Festival Great Britain.
With all the popularity of Playing for Change and the album, Johnson says that the performers, like Bekker, will share in the royalties pool.
Watch the video above, look for more on youtube and Click Here for the Playing for Change site.
June 15
The below video is a Random Act from a group called FLEP from New Zealand. They use Jason Mraz's song "I'm Yours" to order at Mc D's.
Jason found the video on Youtube and posted it on his myspace blog. The members saw that he'd seen it and were ecstatic! Imagine if you covered your favourite song and found out that the musician saw it and loved it!
It's very cute and must have taken a lot of pratice.
Enjoy!
June 11
Cakewrecks.com is a fun website that I've linked to before. It's all about professional cakes that 'go horribly wrong'.
Recently, the site owner snapped a picture of a sign promoting a new bakery called "Perfect Cakes Bakery". Click Here to see the sign. It's good!
(I'll put my vote in for 'Dramatic Irony" given the whole context.)
June 8
I've run across something very interesting: Elimination Communication. It's a way to avoiding using a lot of diapers and avoiding the terrible potty training battle at age 2.
How? Well, you start when your child is a baby is tiny, like 4 months old. You get used to when she needs to go and the things she does just before she goes and then you take her to the potty/ bowl.
This is, they say, something that cultures all over the world do with their children but it's a skill that's been lost in the West. What I've stresses that this isn't 'training' but working together with your baby and her natural functions.
I don't have kids yet but I've always dreaded the potty training months/year as I've seen how hard it sometimes to get the toddler to give up the diaper.
Here's a link (Click Here) for more information on elimination communication. It's pretty fascinating. If you've used this method, let me know how it's turned out.
June 5
Ok... It's going to rain on Sunday, but Saturday is looking great! Sunny and not too hot. Enjoy Celebrate Barrie on Barrie's waterfront. Check out the community events page for details on seeing the movie Iron Giant on Saturday night, out doors! There are outdoor movies all summer thanks to the Barrie Film Festival's Lawn Chair Luminata.
Cookstown is having their annual Wingding. And, of course, there's a whole list of garage sales on this site.
Happy Weekend!
June 1
.. is me sitting in the studio trying to stop the tears that were rolling down my face. They were good tears; just struck by the beauty and poignancy of life.
I was reading some random woman's blog. It's called GirlsGoneChild. Click Here to read it. The entries she has on the first page today are just beautiful. Here's an excerpt: My Nana turned eighty-years-old on Monday and in two weeks Archer will be four, their birthday celebrations days apart. And in the same way I want to stop the clock, hide the birthday cake from Archer, tuck the presents under the bed so do I want to keep my Nana away from the party hats. Don't blow the candles out. "They make me want to live forever," she says about her grandchildren, smiling. "So I plan to do just that." We agree she will outlive us all, writing books and taking canoe trips cross country, painting landscapes, telling stories. Watching the children play at her feet, leading their standing ovation. There are days when I long to stop clocks, hide birthdays from little boys and older women, knowing quite well the things that time is capable of taking away. ...But far more often than that there are moments that serve as reminders of the immense benefits package time offers its employees, like wrinkled hands that open to tiny fingers and second hands that overlap with the minute.
May 29
A psychologist, Dr. Glenn Wilson, says that they way you hold your drink glass reveals the type of personality you have. Click Here for the article and the explanation. He did the study for a bar, so... well, take from that what you want. The categories are: the flirt, the gossip, fun lover, wallflower, the ice-queen, the playboy, Jack-the-lad and browbeater.
Happy Friday!
May 28
There's a case going on in Manitoba where two children were taken away from their parents because they were being taught to be racist, white supremacists, or so it's alleged. The little girl came to school with a swastika on her arm. The teacher washed it off but the girl returned with one the next day. The school called CAS and the children were taken away.
Click Here for background on the case. Here's an excerpt:
On Monday, the hearing was told the girl spoke of this being a white man's world and provided graphic suggestions of how to kill people of colour, a social worker testified.
"My daughter would never say something like that. Ever," said the mother. "I think the social worker put a lot of ideas and words in her mouth and in her head."
But the mother does not deny drawing the swastika on her daughter's arm. The mother described it as an ancient pagan symbol for prosperity.
There are other concerns like alleged drug abuse in the home etc.
But I think the main reason the kids were removed was that the parents were allegedly teaching the kid what amounts to 'hate' ...depending on what you consider White Supremacy to be. And I think most of us would look at the case and say, yeah, these parents are nuts and shouldn't be spreading that mind set around.
But where's the line? If we are intolerant of these, albeit extreme and hurtful beliefs, are we really tolerant or beliefs? Or is there a point when we can say "it's clear this is wrong"?
And too much interference might lead to another case like this: Click Here
May 26
Below are two of my favourite pictures, so far, from the trip. The site has cropped them a bit but you get the idea!
If you enjoy reading other people's reviews of various products, I found a pretty fun site written by a woman in Florida. Here's the link: Click Here
May 25
And.... I'm back!
It's nice to be back in Canada where the sun can shine all day and food is a little more flavourful. But, I have a fantastic time in Ireland! The North is absolutely beautiful and, truly, I don't mind it raining once or twice a day. We did get a lot of brilliant sunshine which is reflected in most of my photos from the trip. Speaking of photos, I lugged my camera to work today with the intent of pulling off one of the photos and posting it here. I haven't gone through and resized and posted them on Facebook or anything so I had to bring the camera with me to have access to the shots. But.... I forgot my USB cord so I can't get the photos after all!
The shot I wanted to post for you was taken as we were on our way to the Causeway, taking the scenic route. I could have stopped every 5 minutes to take a picture because the place is stunning. Well, at one of the places we stopped on the side of the cliff on a winding road, Jana went on a little trek around the bend and came back to show me a photo that was pure "Irish": a celtic cross overlooking the sea with the glen in the background too! She's seen a tiny opening in the hedge and noticed a small gate. She followed the almost overgrown path and discovered this one large cross overlooking the bay. Well, we went back and I shot a couple photos too.
That shot was what I was going to share with you, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.
I definitely recommend going to Northern Ireland (or the north of Ireland, if you prefer). It is expensive though: prepare to be paying the same amount for dinners except in Pounds. ie. if it cost 7$ for a burger and fries here, expect to pay 7 Pounds which is almost double. Self Catering options might be much cheaper plus you can make the kind of food you like and crave.
Here's a link to the place we stayed in the north. Click Here. It's a B+B in Glenariffe called Dieskirt Farms right on the edge of a national park. It's a perfect place.
We also stayed at Dundrum House Guest House in Armagh because it looked wonderful on the web. It's an old manor and the owners are really delightful. Click Here The lawn needs manicuring but other wise it's gorgeous.
I'm already dreaming of going back!
May 13
A few years ago, my eldest brother started warning us about plastic bottles saying that when they got hot the material started to break down, releasing toxic chemicals into the water. He'd seen some obscure doumentary or read a then-obscure report. He said these chemicals were harmful and, in lab tests, had been shown to create gender confusion in mice.
We have now been officially warned about the toxic effects of chemicals like BPA which were/are common in baby bottles and food can linings.
Click Here for a new report on how these chemicals are affecting males in utero, causing problems with their reproductive systems. Here's an excerpt:
Chemicals found in many food, cosmetic and cleaning products pose a real threat to male fertility, a leading scientist has warned.
Professor Richard Sharpe, of the Medical Research Council, warned these hormone-disrupting chemicals were "feminising" boys in the womb.
He linked them to raising rates of birth defects and testicular cancer and falling sperm counts.
Campaigners called for action to address the problem.
They warned that while exposure to a single chemical may cause no harm, the cumulative effect could be profound.
May 10
Above is Wendy Chandler's reaction when the door opened and she realised she'd just won a brand new Zancor home! What a night we had on Friday! For more photos, check out the photo gallery.
Happy Mother's Day!
May 8
Above is an Australian advertisement for quitting smoking. When it aired in the USA, there was controversy! Why? Because the kid's reaction is real. He really thought his mother had left him. Some people think that it's not right to have done that to the boy.
What do you think?
May 6
In Quebec, the name you choose for your child has to be approved by the Registrar of Civil Status. The reasoning: "Marie Godbout, a spokeswoman for the Registrar of Civil Status, said Monday that provincial law allows the registrar to step in when it thinks a child may be getting an uncommon name that might subject them to ridicule. It's always in the best interests of the child that the Registrar of Civil Status intervenes with parents to ask them to consider replacing a first name with another."
Yesterday, we were talking about this because a man wanted to give his son, Logan, the middle name Avalache but it has been rejected. It took them months and months with thier last kid to get the middle name "Glacier" approved. Click Here for more details.
I got some calls saying that, yes, parents shouldn't give their kids crazy names, but the government shouldn't be the enforcers. Then I got some others saying that a bad name is pretty much child abuse so it's reasonably within Canadian law to do something like this.
I think it's a 'slippery slope' or 'thin line'. First, who decides what a bad name is? Sure, some are obvious like curse words or "It's an Angel!"
But how far does the goverment go to 'protect children from ridicule'? Kids will always find some reason to tease each other. Gosh, even if you have a normal name they'll find some way to tease it. Or you're fat or too skinny, you have a bad hair cut or ugly shoes... you'll be teased! I got teased because I was too goody goody; I got teased because I had a bit of buck teeth.
So what's the government going to do in those situations? Because, if you're going to tell parents what they can and cannot name their kids, what about telling them what they can and cannot dress their children in or what kind of hair cuts are acceptable; fine them if their kids are overweight?
Frankly, I think kids should just be taught to be more accepting and get used to the fact that some people might have different kinds of names. I just think the government approving names is a little silly.
May 4
An art student painted a car to make it look invisible.
Click here to see a photo that's quite amazing and not done in Photoshop!
April 29
Above is a picture of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Bernier and his then-girlfriend Julie Couillard at Rideau Hall for his swearing-in ceremony. The dress Couillard is wearing just sold for $1000 at a charity auction for Epilepsy. Pretty good for a dress that isn't that special.But, Ms. Couillard was disappointed, expecting that it would get $5000! huge over estimation, in my opinion. She figured that it would fetcha higher price because of all her 'controversy': the clevage it the dress showed! Oh no!But maybe she was banking on the fact that she once dated Hell's Angels Bikers before getting in with Bernier, the fact that Bernier left classified documents at her apartment and that got him fired/he resigned. Couillard has also recently released a book about herself which includes details about her relationship with Bernier.
Here's what she said about the dress "What happened with this dress is just the living proof that sexism is still out there and very healthy and it's only politically correct to just say that we have equality among the sexes - but we don't. It's still a man's world.," Click Here for article. I can't tell if she's saying this because it 'only' fetched $1000 or because people cared that it showed clevage.
And now, to the Beauty Cream!
British researches have concluded at test that 'proves' a certain face cream actually does combat wrinkles! That cream is Boots No. 7 Protect and Perfect Intense Beauty Serum (formerly "Refine and Rewind").
"The team tested [...] found it stimulated the production of fibrillin-1, a protein that promotes elasticity in the skin which is lost with sun damage.As expected, the Boots cream increased fibrillin production. But it also appeared to smooth out wrinkles." One in 5 will find these extra benefits over a regular face cream. Researchers say that any cream with the same sort of ingredients would probably do the same thing. Click Here for the article.
April 27
I'm back from 4 days in Syracuse New York. It was the annual regional competition for Region 16 of Sweet Adelines International. Sweet Ads is women's Barbershop and it's a lot of fun!
My chorus, the Barrie Huronia Soundwaves came in 6th place. Not bad, but not as good as we had hoped. Something went wrong during our first song and we were dinged for synchronization issues. But still, 6th out of 22 ain't bad at all! Plus, we had had plenty of fun. Other than the singing, I love that this chorus means I get to play dress up at least twice a season! We all have a lot of fun putting on the make up and doing our hair. We noticed that many of the other choruses didn't put one bit of effort into hair and makeup. I saw one contestant who looked like she rolled out of bed and put her hair in a pony tail. I'll admit, with all the stage makeup, I think I look a bit like a drag queen up close. Pictures coming soon! haha!
Click Here for a picture of our chorus and our competition/fellow Ads. The group with a million members won this year, again. They're like a singing chorus and a dance troupe in one.
ETA: picture below! That makeup is a task to get off. I think it took 5 cloths to get all the foundation off.
April 21
As I predicted, they charged me $93 to find out that there was a misfire in cylinder 4; exactly what I told them was wrong. Awesome. $278 later, the car is no longer on the verge of death, so I guess I should be thankful.
Yesterday, I ran across this video of Marianas Trench singing a song from the Beach Boys. They claim that they "just figured it out in the hallway" but fans know they sing it at concerts quite often. I'm thoroughly impressed with the harmonies.
Start the video at 48s and try to not notice that it's from another radio station on the West Coast! haha Click Here
April 20
My 10 year old car has decided to give me a lot of trouble. It started running funny - jumping a bit and shaking while idling. My father and I changed the spark plugs hoping that would fix the problem. It did for a day or so so then things got worse and the poor car was just wrought with the shakes. Finally the engine light came on and we could check to see what was happening. My father brought up his code reading machine and we discovered that there's a mis-fire in cylinder 4. Unfortunately these codes don't say things like "and this is what you need to do to fix it!" I wish!
So, I brought it into a dealership today because we thought it would be best to have the people who are experts in the car to try fix it. The thing is, all places try to charge you for even just reading the code. Some places are known for charging up to $80 for hooking up the car and reading the code. So I tryied to explain to the woman taking the car that we know what what's wrong: "Cylinder 4 Misfire", so please don't charge me for hooking up a code reader. "Well, if you won't let us test, what are we supposed to do? You'll have to just tell us how to fix it!" she told me. It took a while to try explain that they could test but skip the code reading part because I've just told you what it's going to tell you.
And then I thought, you know what, I just want my stupid car fixed and maybe their machines will pick up a code we couldn't. If I get overcharged and ripped off, well, there's nothing I can do about it. And, you know what? It's too bad car fixing places have to deal with that stigma of being the type to rip people off.
What a way to start a Monday! Have a good one!
Ps. Thanks to my best friend who has the day off and leant me her car so I could get to work. My car has been sitting in the dealer lot since Sunday!
April 16
Click Here for the British woman who blew them away on Britain's Got Talent. I mentioned this to Rob on -air yesterday. Everyone was laughing at Susan Boyle when she got on stage and it ended in a standing ovation.
Click Here for my new favourite thing: Sun-Rype Fruit Source Mini-bites. This snack is made 100% from fruit and/or veggies with no artificial colours or flavours or extra sugar. It's like eating jujubes except better because they don't stick in your teeth as much. Pick up a bag and you won't regret it! Your kids will probably love it too!
Thanks for stopping by!
April 15
Vanessa, a local business owner and KOOL listener heard about the need for donations to the Grocery Assistance Program at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Simcoe County. She rallied other businesses together to help raise donations. From now until the 25th, they are accepting your donations of non-perishable food items. In exchange for a minimum donation, you get into a draw for some great prizes from the businesses like a facial from The Green Day Spa or a photoshoot from VanessaMariePhotography!
Check our Community Events Page for more details.
April 14
Considering they used to draw everything by hand, taking a few shortcuts is understandable. Today, I ran across a video of Disney movie clips showing how many scenes from our favourite movies are exactly the same as each other; just the characters and context change. Click Here for the video. It's not quite mindblowing, but it will make you go "huh! Wow!"
April 13
Tonight was the last episode of Corner Gas. Good show! It was a good 6 season run. I missed most of this season; good thing there's TV on DVD!
Tonight I saw that there was a special Corner Gas reunion show. It turned out to be an "eTalk" special. What a trainwreck that was! Not only are the hosts still rather robotic, but I'm pretty sure they let the highschool intern run the sound. The problem sounded like they were amplifying the sound in the room as well as feeding it on air so the room sound was being picked up by the mic causing a pretty annoying echo. For one of Canada's biggest media companies, I don't know why they couldn't even get the sound right.
Anyway... good-bye Corner Gas! What will we do without Oscar leroy?
Below is also some Canadian Content: The Jitters! This song is just ...fun!; the lipsynched performance.... not so much. Enjoy!
This is what I love about the World Wide Web: you link from one thing to another to another and end up discovering something wonderful. Yesterday, I discovered a very talented artist.
It's been a long time since I've featured a visual artist on this page. This time it's a Canadian artist (or, at least, he lives in Canada) and the art is so reasonably priced that I just bought 4 miniature paintings, including the one below.
April 6
Click Here for an interesting article from the BBC. While the British did not segregate their troops, when it came to the the liberation of Paris, the British and Allies wanted the group to be Whites Only! The Americans had something to do with that. Here's are a few excerpts:
In January 1944 Eisenhower's Chief of Staff, Major General Walter Bedell Smith, was to write in a memo stamped, "confidential": "It is more desirable that the division mentioned above consist of white personnel.
[...] A document written by the British General, Frederick Morgan, to Allied Supreme Command stated: "It is unfortunate that the only French formation that is 100% white is an armoured division in Morocco.
"Every other French division is only about 40% white. I have told Colonel de Chevene that his chances of getting what he wants will be vastly improved if he can produce a white infantry division."
[...]
For France's West African Tirailleurs Senegalais, however, there was little to celebrate.
Despite forming 65% of Free French Forces and dying in large numbers for France, they were to have no heroes' welcome in Paris.
After the liberation of the French capital many were simply stripped of their uniforms and sent home. To make matters even worse, in 1959 their pensions were cut.
April 5 ABOVE
I found this video from a link on Kalan Porter's Twitter that I liked to from his website which I found by searching for it on Google.
Check it out... funny!
April 3
BELOW is an advertisement for Canadian Tire's Jump Start Program. Man, what an ad! It gets me every time! It's far better than the one which is out now. You know the one I'm talking about: the kids gets out of school and there's like a beam of light on the ground in front of him and he can't jump over it. Click Here if you need a refresher. Well, when I first saw that one, I thought he was being followed by someone in a car and the light was a reflection from the side mirror. thought maybe it was an ad about over protective parents. On further thought, I guess that wouldn't make much sense.
My point, though, if I have one, is that the below ad is incredibly well done. And, man, it pulls on my heart strings!
April 2
In the last year and half, I've been able to travel to 3 different places on 3 different airlines. Ranking on top is Delta and its transatlantic flight to and from Holland: great service, lots of extras and even Haagen Daz icecream as the snack on the way back. On the connecting flights, we were well taken care of too.
On the bottom of the list... of 3!... is an airline I will avoid at all costs now: American Airlines.They always say, at the end of their flights "We know you have a choice when it comes to who you fly. Thanks for choosing us." I took them to Costa Rica and I will never again do so unless I don't have an alternate choice. Service was horrible and no real food was offered. On my Delta connecting flights from NYC to Toronto, we were given little sandwhich set ups. On AA, the connecting flights were from TO to Florida and then Florida to San Jose. On both these flights, which were longer than YYZ to JFK on Delta, there was nothing but nuts and pop!
But a lot of airlines are cutting back. They've got to so something to make up for the cut backs.
BELOW is a video of a flight attendant who, I'm sure, made the passengers' flight just that much better. Check it out!
Mar 30
I went to The ROM this weekend. The diamond exhibit is not on anymore, as I had thought (and mentioned on air with Rob). But, let me tell you, the mineral and crystal etc exhibit is there and it is incredible. I have never seen so many beautiful sparkling rocks in one place. And I've never seen rocks/crystals like those before.. They're like Nature's works of art! Loved it!
The other exhibits were pretty cool; found the stuffed bird area a little weird though and I felt like I was stepping into the 50s.
I took a neat picture of the ROM building that I was going to post here. I lugged my D40 to work and then realised I forgot the USB cord at home so I can't get the photo on my computer. Oh well!
Mar 27
This week, I received my first copy of The Walrus. It's a monthly magazine akin to Harpers but Canadian. I've been a subscriber to Harpers for a few years, but their articles were getting more boring by the month and far too United States focused for my tastes. I can't blame them, it is an American publication, but I don't relate to it.
So, I decided to get a Canadian magazine instead. I had not actually seen this magazine before purchasing it. The little Canadian maple leaf beside it's name in the directory was enough for me. And, I wasn't wrong. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
I just finished a 'flashback' article written March 31, 1949, about Newfoundland the day after they joined Canada. The article tells of the somber mood through-out the once individual nation in the British Commonwealth; an interesting read.
I hope you have a great weekend. Sunday can't come soon enough for me. I get to sing my heart out in the morning then go to the ROM.
Mar 26
ABOVE I saw the above video a day or two ago, but it's just been put on youtube which means I can post it here ( I don't know how to post other video sources!) It's a really well done re-mix video.
Boy, does the sound track bring back memories!
Mar 24
As promised, I'm finally posting the pictures of the spouts I've been growing. I bought a $16 grower from Bradford Greenhouses and bought a $5 bag of seeds from Foodland (the seeds in the bright orange cellophane). I'm on batch #4 now and I love love eating the spouts. I eat a bowl of just sprouts with a little bit of dressing.
Well, my nephew was over the other day and I showed the sprouts to him and said, "Would you like to eat some grass?" He laughed and shook his head "No". So I said "Well, Tante is going to eat some. It's delicious!" He watched cautiously and then, being the adventurous little 2 year old he is, he eventually reached out, grabbed a few and stuck them in his mouth. He then proceeded to feed everyone sprouts. I don't think he quite got used to the long thing strands of the sprouts but he seemed to like the taste.
Mar 19
The Grocery Assistance Program at the Elizabeth Fry Society in Barrie is running so low on food that they are pretty much bare.Click Here for more about this.
If you could help out with a donation of non-perishable foods or monetary donations, please contact them. Also, if you are in need of assistance that's what they're there for too.
Call Amanda 725 0613 X235
Mar 18
I ran across this story via boingboing.net: a woman let her son walk 1/3 mile to his soccer game and some 'concerned' neighbours called the cops. The cops initially told the woman she could face child endangerment charges! Click Here for more!
So, there's a movement called Free Range Kids... or maybe it's just one person. Anyway, the link above will bring you to the freerangekids.wordpress.com website. Click Here for a story from the author about letting her 9 year old son ride the subway on his own. Clearly, you wouldn't let a country kid go to the city and do that, but when it's "home turf" why not? Here's what she says: "The problem with this everything-is-dangerous outlook is that over-protectiveness is a danger in and of itself. A child who thinks he can't do anything on his own eventually can't.[..] These days, when a kid dies, the world — i.e., cable TV — blames the parents. It's simple as that. And yet, Trevor Butterworth, a spokesman for the research center STATS.org, said, "The statistics show that this is an incredibly rare event, and you can't protect people from very rare events. It would be like trying to create a shield against being struck by lightning."'
Mar 10
The council has given initial approval to the smoking ban we were talking about yesterday. They say an all out ban is more easy to enforce than the "certain feet from the doorway" rule. People will be able to smoke in parking lots.
Click Here for more details.
Mar 9
As we were talking about on air, tonight, Barrie City Councillors are considering a motion for a smoking ban on city property like parks playgrounds and sportfields. Click Here for more details.
We got lots of calls from people who like the idea of this ban, especially parents who don't want their kids finding cig-butts in the sandboxes. I'm not a fan of smoke. When I was young, second hand smoke would cause me to go into something like an asthmatic attach. However, I can imagine that a ban like this will tick off a few too many people and have smokers advocacy groups up in arms. I've got to wonder about banning smoking in open air places like that.
Dan gave me a call. He's a father and a smoker. He thinks that the city should put Butt Stops around these places so there aren't butts all over the ground. He made a point that the city has put similar things out for dog owners so there isn't dog-dirt everywhere. Ron called to say he's not so sure about an all out ban but it is annoying to go watch his kid's ball hockey game only to have to hop from spot to spot to avoid the smokers lighting up around him. Liann emailed with a very good point: outdoor smoking areas. She says they seem to work at Wonderland. I'd say that's the way to go. And then make the fine even more than $100 for smoking outside these areas.
Keep voicing your opinion: attend the meeting tonight or let your councillor know what you think.
Have you recovered yet? The only solace is that, come Autumn, we get to turn the clock back and get an extra hour sleep.
Click Here for a well referenced Wiki article on why we do this Daylight Saving thing. Happy Monday!
Mar 8
Below is an ad found in a news paper promoting the movie One Week, which came out this Friday. It looks like a pretty good movie: guy road trips across our beautiful country as he faces the idea of death. Really, it's a movie I'll likely see.
But the way they are trying to market this movie in the ad below... well, it baffles me! On the ad is a bunch of statements from anonymous people who have maybe seen the movie. Then you look and see, they got the quotes from Youtube! Seriously? You couldn't be bothered to actually go to a theatre showing the movie and get people's comments that way. You use Youtube and then say "All of Canada is talking about it"? Last time I checked, Youtube isn't all of Canada nor does it represent most of the people I know.
Youtube is the place where you find crazy fan girls and people who want to start arguments; the regular folks, I believe, are not really represented greatly on Youtube.
Just the other day, I was looking up some old videos of Jacob Hoggard on Canadian Idol. Surprisingly, on 2 year old videos, there were comments as recent as a day earlier. But, again, most were "OMG! Liek he's hot! I luv him!" The Fan Girl was well represented. Then there's the Fight Guy "OMG, that's so gay. He's totally gay" "Um. no he's not. I'm, like, pretty sure he likes women" "Ha! Keep dreamin' sistah, he's a flamer"
The marketing people behind One Week must be real lazy. Not a smart marketing tool, using Youtube comments, unless you want 14 year old girls being the only ones to see the movie. What do you think?
Mar 6
Yesterday, I went to the movies with my Little Sister. We saw Coraline at the Bayfield 7 Cinemas. What a creepy movie! Good, but creepy. My Little Sister is 14 and even she jumped out of her seat at one point. I don't know if it's a good movie for younger kids.
I also discovered that the popcorn at the Bayfield 7 is amazing. I loved it! When they put butter/Becel, they really load it on! Not too salty, perfectly crispy. Definitely my favourite movie popcorn by far. I might be going there more often!
Mar 4
I love sprouts and recently bought a package of "zesty mix" seeds so I can grow them myself. But I'm not about to pay another 10$ for a mason jar and some mesh, even if it does come in a reuseable bag. Plus, I hear that method is not the best for growing sprouts.
My friend Betty now lives in London Ontario. Last time I was at her place, I saw a sprouting tray, like the one seen below. I found out she bought it in some small suburb of Ottawa years ago. So, I need your help. Do you know where I can get a sprouter like this in the Barrie/Alliston/Cookstown/Newmarket area? Please let me know if you do!
Above is the entry from Ontario boy Mitchell who wants to get the job as Great Barrier Reef Caretaker also known as The Best Job in the World. Of over 3000 applications from all over the world, 50 have been short listed. Of those, 7 are Canadian which gives us a 14% share of the 50 finalists. Go Canada!
Anyway, I think Mitchell's is a great appliation. I'm a sucker for musicals and his is delightful.
You can vote for your favourite by Clicking Here. The chick from Russia has over 11 000 votes so lets get going and get Mitchell into the Top 10!
Mar 3
Maybe you've been asked "what could be better than..."; better than something you love, like chocolate or steamed vegetables with old cheddar cheese melted on top. Usually nothing, right?
My best friend is obsessed with The Tudors, a scandalous show on Showcase/CBC. It's pretty good.
Last night, I was talking on the phone with her and she said "What can be better than The Tudors? You know how much I love The Tudors!" "Umm... nothing? What could be better?""The Tudors mixed with my love of Freddie Mercury and Queen!!!! You have to get on your computer and watch this."
Below is the video she insisted I watch. Check it out. You'll just adore it... if you love Queen and The Tudors!
Feb 27
I mentioned a week or so ago about the new 'supergroup' called Tinted Windows. It's fronted by Hanson's Taylor and includes Bun E.Carlos from Cheap Trick, Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne and James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins.
Above is a video of the group; a few clips of some catchy sounding songs. But it looks so... fake! The TV show looks like it's from the 1990s. Can anyone say if this is really for real? Or is it just a prank? Maybe an Ashton Kutcher game?
Feb 26
Chat rooms.
I don't think I've been in an online chat room since, I'd say, 1997. That was until this week. A couple times, I've popped in and out of a chat room filled with fans of a certain band. Last night, as we enjoyed hearing the creation of a kicking new tune by the boys, I made a joke about something. Not long after, I found myself being labeled as a "Smart-Ass" by someone else. And not in the good way either. She was, I took it, rather annoyed with me! I was stunned. I didn't understand where she got that idea from. o I asked her to explain.Well, it turns out that she assumed the joke I made was directed at her, then another thing I said was again, directed at her in a negative way. Perfectly harmless things that, were you conversing in real life, would be nothing. But, because all you have is text in a chat room, the other readers suddenly filter your intentions through their preconceived notions of the world and of everyone else in the chat room; filtered through their own insecurities of what people might think of them, I suppose. This chick didn't realise I was playing off of something I thought she had made a joke about and, instead, thought I was directing an underhanded comment to her.
Yikes. Well. I think it's safe to say, I'll be avoiding chat rooms again for another 12 years. Because, really, I'd rather just avoid people who will so easily pass judgement in a text based chat room.
What about you? Do you visit chat rooms? Or do you just talk to people you know via MSN or Facebook Chat?
Feb 24
We announced yesterday that we're giving away a Zancor Homes house. No Strings Attached. The contest isn't "someone might win a house"; someone will win a house.Starting Monday, March 2, listen for the doorbell sounder. Caller 7 will win a 'golden key' to attend our House Winning Party in May. At that party, one of the guests will win a house. So, even if you don't win the house, you still get to attend a pretty cool by-invitation-only party.
Don't forget: an extra chance to win is right here on the website.
Also, I meant to pass along this link yesterday. Click Here. It's Yvan Pedneault's website where you can hear one of his new songs.
Feb 23
3 things
Happy Monday.
1) Today marks the 324th anniversary of the birth of composer George Frideric Handel. I'll admit that I only know one of his works, but I know it well. Handel's Messiah, usually heard around Christmas, is probably my favourite musical works. It was a great day when I received the complete work on a 3 CD set. In April, they will be marking the 250th anniversary of Handel's death. Click Here for a rendition of his probably best known pieces.
2) If you've ever wondered what the recording process is like to make an album you're in luck! A band I love and respect is streaming the entire process on their website. Click Here to see The Elms in action.
3) Remember Yvan Pedneault? Of course you do! He played the lead in the Toronto production of We Will Rock You and he visited us in November to perfom his new music. The song 'Stay' was just stunning. Well, he contacted me to let me know that his cd is coming out soon. Click Here to pre-order your signed copy.
Feb 20
The Abbey Road album cover from the Beatles is what they call "Iconic". Click Here to see it.Below is a timelapse video of tourists trying to re-create the album cover. It's rather funny especially the exaggerated poses some of them do. Check 'er out!
Feb 17
There's one industry that's not doing too bad despite the economic slowdown: upscale housing in Toronto. I have an uncle who, in his retirement decided to go into realty with his partner. They recently sold a place for an older lady who was moving to somewhere with a bit of assistance (like the Village at the Beeton Manor). He was told by the family to just do what ever with the left over contents of the house. He had a sale for some of it but was left with a lot of jewelry he thought was costume jewelry. He passed it on to my mother who tried to tell him: I'm pretty sure it's real gold. She brought it to me and asked me to read the tiny markings. Sure enough most of it was marked declaring it real gold.
FYI- anything marked with 417 is 10k gold and all real gold must be marked. So check and see if there's a 417, 585, 750, 10k or 14k etc. If there isn't a marking, it's not gold. Anyway, I got a pretty little ring out of the deal. (Surprisingly it fit my big size 9.5 fingers. That's hard to find!)
Maybe it's just me but... does it seem like the US government it paying GM and Chrysler (USA) billions for laying off employees. I keep hearing how they have to restructure to get this bail out. And the restructuring includes closing plants and laying off thousands. I sure hope the people being laid off are getting a good chunk of money themselves!
Finally Click Here for a marvelous pun.
Feb 15
It's good to put things into perspective. I think you'll find the above video very informative.
Love one another.
Feb 14
I'm filling in for Simon The Scottish Guy tonight on the All Request Saturday Night. I'm sorry if you wanted to spend your Valentine's Day evening with him. Broken hearts all over ;)
I ran across something on the BBC tonight: Lee Redmond of Utah, who has held the Guinness Book of World Records for longest finger nails, has lost the title. She was in a car accident and the nails were shattered. She's been growing them since 1979 and the longest was 2ft 11in! Yikes!
Click here for the article and a picture of these nails. Really- how did this woman get any work done with those monstrosities?
Feb 12
It was announced yesterday that Ryan Adams [above] is engaged to Mandy Moore. Yup. He's no longer an eligible bachelor "off the market" as they say.
He and Mandy Moore [A Walk to Remember] had been dating for a bit, a while ago (you can tell how much I pay attention) but they broke up him citing the contanstant media following she had. However, yesterday, Moore's rep confirmed that the two are engaged to be married. Details Here
I know we don't play Ryan Adams on the station but he's one of my absolute favourites. He and the Cardinals [click for info] make beautiful music. He's been described as "Alt-Country" a la Blue Rodeo, I guess. If you want to start with some Ryan Adams, pick up Heartbreaker. You'll love "Oh My Sweet Carolina".
Adams himself is an interesting figure: once a drug addict for more than half his life, he's been clean for a few years now at the age of 34. He's also a visual artist, a poet, and he's losing his hearing. Despite his melancholy, I find him beautiful. Not to mention dark hair and blues eyes are my favourite.
However, under Mandy Moore's watch, he bleached his beautiful locks to a horrible yellow. So, you know, I don't know how good she is for him! haha. Joke!
Feb 11
Since the day of love and roses and chocolate is around the corner, I thought I'd type the above headline into Google and see what turned up. The first result is a veritable compendium of strange and weird Valentine's cards that were meant to be sweet, such as the one above.
I love the commentary from the site on this one --It's the card that says, "I've given up on any hope of real love, and will accept any affection I can get, even if I know it is only in pity." Just what is the Cupid doing here anyway? Here's your pity, lady! Whack! --
Click Here to view some more! Some are quite funny, others not so much; some commentary hilarious, some not so much.
Feb 9
The weather is teasing us! This morning it felt and even smelled like spring. It's going to get as warm as +11C by Wednesday. This morning I thought "Maybe it will just stay this way. Maybe this global warming thing has finally hit us properly." Of course, I'm just reading too much of Margaret Atwood's dystopian Oryx and Crake. The next thought was "Nope, it's going to get cold again. Enjoy this while you can!" And I will; busting out a skirt tomorrow!
On to other matters: I was at Michael Kaeshammer's concert on Friday at the Gryphon Theatre, part of February Blues. As a follow up to the last post, I can tell you that this man is incredible in concert! You must see him is you get the chance. He not only plays the piano the way I imagine God would, but he uses the piano as percussion too! Who knew some foot stoping, hand clapping and finger snapping and piano tapping from one guy wandering a stage could sound so good!
The two guys with him were pretty great too.
ABOVE is a picture of me with Kaeshammer (centre) and Robin, who runs the Barrie Jazz Blues Fest and the February Blues. Why I look so tired and horrible when Michael was the one who spent the night working up a sweat on stage... ? He looks great!
Feb 6
It's been a long time since I've done one of these entries so I'm due for big one soon. Today, though, just one shout-out in Music Love: Michael Kaeshammer! See Video Above
I haven't actually seen the man live but I was hooked within the first few bars of the song "Cinnamon Sun". Click Here for his Myspace to hear that song and more. Click Here for him rocking out on the piano.
He's playing tonight at the Gryphon Theatre; part of February Blues XII and I'll be there! Hope to see you there too!
Click Here and scroll down for tickets!
Feb 4
On Monday, I went to see Slumdog Millionaire which is playing now in Barrie. It's the 'underdog' movie nominated for a bunch of Academy Awards including Best Picture. It might just win too! It's heartbreaking, funny, poignant and beautiful.
I was kind of expecting more dancing a la Bollywood just because I kept seeing clips of a big dance scene on the internet. Well, there weren't dance scenes but it really is a fabulous movie and worth seeing in theatre. (There's one dance scene at the end of the movie during credits. It's pretty cute.)
While the movie is nominated for Picture of the Year, none of the actors are nominated which is a shame. There are 3 main characters- Jamal, Latika and Salim. Each character is played by 3 actors and I think the boys who play the youngest Salim and Jamal should be nominated for just brilliant performances! Also, the older Salim struck me as worthy of a nomination.
Below is an old video of two of the stars on the Today Show. It'll tell you a little more about this wonderful movie.
Feb 3
50 Years ago today something happened which has been called the "single most influencial creative force in early Rock and Roll". A plane crashed killing its passengers: the pilot Roger Peterson and 3 young talented musicians, Ritchie Valens, 17, Buddy Holly, 22 and The Big Bopper, 28.
Don Maclean's song, American Pie talks about this. Click Here for an analysis of that song.
**
And Click Here if you don't like the Jonas Brothers. It's a funy satire about possibly firing the ugliest one because Disney needs to cut back in expenses. Funny quote: "it's pretty clear singing isn't necessarily their strong suit." Their vocals, he points out, are electronically "enhanced" in the studio, "and it'd be just as easy to make two brothers sound as good -- or as bad -- as the three brothers sound now." bahahaha! Plus, they certainly don't know that skinny jeans look horrible on them.
Ok. I'm done being mean about the Jonas Brothers. The Love Bug or whatever-it's-called song is quite catchy.
Jan 30
About a month ago, I told you about The Greatest Job in the World: move to Australia as the caretaker of the Great Barrier Reef. Your duties are to feed the fish and, otherwise, sit around and soak up the sun and blog about it for the world to read.
I've found out that someone from Barrie is entering the contest! Click Here for more details on how you can support her. 10 of the 50 finalists are chosen by onlin popularity so let's help Jess make it to Australia even if for just the interview!If you want to apply, you have until February 22 to do so.
Jan 29
It was Family Literacy Day on Tuesday. I had been invited to read to students at a local school during their evening Family Literacy event. I wish I could have done so but I had a mandatory choir practice. We were going to read from our favourite children's books. Had I gone, I would have read from a Jamaican book called Young Warriors. It's a story about two Maroon boys in Jamaica during the time that British were fighting the Spanish... I think. I guess I should read it for again! I first heard the story when I was in school in Jamaica. Our principal, a tall formidable woman, read it to us. For years afterward, I thought about the book and finally got a copy of my own several years ago.
Young Warriors is one of the few books I've read more than once (3 times, I think). Others include Girlfriend in a Coma, The Sleepwalker but the late June Callwood and the Chronicles of Narnia series.
While I cherish my book collection, I tend not to reread books; I'm not sure why. But I've decided to start doing that to save money and time (I don't have to go out and buy more books). I've started with Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. This only half counts since I never finished it the first time! It was a "required reading" that I just didn't finish. Don't get me wrong: I was very much enjoying the book, I just ran out of time. I plucked it off the shelf a day ago and started at it again. I realised I'd completely forgotten what the book was about! It's nice to rediscover the book.
What's your favourite book? Do you re-read your favourites?
via boingboing.net- Posted on this site [Click Here] are photos of modern St. Petersburg, we think, spliced with scenes from the WWII siege of the city. The result is haunting. The site is in Russian.
Jan 26
This weekend, I heard about a wonderful homegrown art project/ business called Joy Apparel. It's run by a guy named Jeff Woodrow (of Toronto?) who wants to help make the world a better place... though t-shirts. www.joytshirt.com
The concept is that you wear on you shirt, close to the heart, the hand-drawn face of another person. But it's not the face of anyone famous- just an average Joe from anywhere across the country and even the world. You get a card with the person's name and his or her passion in life. As you wear the shirt, you think of this other person. Jef says that maybe one day, for example, a Palestinian will be wearing an Isreali face and vice versa. They couldn't help but think of each other in a different way.
After you buy a shirt, you can send Jeff your own picture. He will draw you and make your face available for shirts. Check out the video below for more details. I think I'll be buying a shirt soon. My favourites so far are Lee Van Baaren and Mat Austin Sadowski.
Ps. According to the website you can buy some of the shirts in Barrie at Awkward Stage, Lakeshore Mews.
Jan 23
Woohoo! The federal budget is being presented on Tuesday. Ok. I'm not actually whooping with excitement. I'm a little worried. I know the NDP is gung-ho "No more Conservatives!" not matter what the budget is, but I think Ignatieff won't cause an election unless the budget is really really bad. "Iggy" seems like a cool, level-headed guy.
I'm still begrudging Harper and his divisive politics. My brother likes to say "Harper has to be bully because they've got a minority and a Liberal Senate". Well, the latter problem is now fixed. But I don't agree with my brother; a minority government is the last place to be a bully because you end up pissing off the majority who can vote 'non-confidence'.
My mother then says "Sometimes a leader just has to do what he needs to do to get things done." To a point I agree. But I respond saying " A great leader gets done what needs to be done while also bringing the country together."
On another note, the National Film Board is giving you access to their catalogue. You won't have to wait to see these works on TVO or on CBC every blue moon. They're online for your viewing pleasure; very old works up to recent day. So, watch some good Canadian documentaries etc for free, whenever you want! www.nfb.ca
Jan 21
As I sit here eating a bag of Dark Chocolate M&Ms.... Click Here for the rest of the article of 10 ways to cut down on calories in your food. More worried about sodium intake? If you're not, you should be! haha! Well, I don't care too much about calories but I have this fear of sodium which is rampant in canned soups and prepackaged food like microwave dinners..
In stead of buying soup, here's an easy soup to make: Split Pea Soup. Super tasty and really cheap to make. Off the top of my head, here's the recipe is: a small bag of split green peasBoil the in enough water to cover them. Skim off the froth while it's boiling. Drain and rinse off.
Cut a couple carrots into coins, slice one or two celery sticks into bitsDice half an onion or use dehydrated onions (which I use because it tastes the same in the end and it's much easier!)
In another pot, put a tablespoon of olive oil and heat upAdd Onion and brown, then add carrots, celeryAdd peas and 2 cups, or so, of water Add 2 cuts of chicken or vegetable broth.Add 1/4 tsp of Marjoram and Thyme eachDrop in a bay leaf (optional, I guess)
Bring to a boil, then let simmer for an hour or 2 until the peas have broken down.
Eat with a buttered piece of toast for dipping. Tasty!
Jan 15
Ok. So, I haven't seen E.T., The Breakfast Club, Ghostbusters etc. but I have seen the original 3 Star Wars. I must have seen them when I was maybe 13 or 14. Before that, when my friend Meredith and would play house and she would say "I'm married to Luke Skywalker!!" I'd always think of a tightrope walker... wearing a white outfit. I don't know how I knew he wore white. She mist have told me.
Well, Below, is an incredibly funny video. Someone recoded his friend telling the plot of the Star Wars movies. She had only seen bits and piece of each but was pretty sure she knew the plot. The guy then added some great animation and made this soon-to-be classic. Enjoy!!
Jan 14
You know what ticks me off? People who do asinine things like throw acid on girls going to school. What kind of idiot can rationalise doing something like that. And yet, they do! The same kind of people that are all for blowing themselves up in a busy marketplace to make some sort of point. I wish they'd just step back for a moment and say "what are we doing???"
I found an article today [via fark.com] on The New York Times website. It made me angry, and then it made me cry; not full out sobs since, well, I'm at work and can't exactly been seen doing that. But the tears can not out of anger but out of pride and hope. The story is about some girls in Afghanistan who were attacked with acid on their way to school. Now that they've recovered, they're back at school despite the threat. And not just them, but 1300 other girls. These girls and their families are determined to rise above the ignorance that allows people to throw acid on another human being; they are refusing to let the idots run their lives. There is hope.
Click Here for the article. Well worth the read.
Jan 12
I ran across this article [Click Here] this morning and found it funny and bittersweet all at once. It is about service provides in Japan who offer lounges where you can hang out with cats or you can rent a dog for a few hours. This is convenient for people who travel a lot or don't have the room to keep their own pet. Cute right?
Well, the article goes on to talk about services where people can rent husbands [who will do things like help the kids with homework and go to Parent Teacher Interviews]; they can rent friends, people to play relatives at funeral services; it ends with the story of a blind man who rents a 'father'. Read more about it in the above link.
Jan 9
I know, I'm on a bit of a "cake kick" but I just had to share this car commercial. [Above]
Click Here for more; the "making of".
Have a wonderful weekend. I think I'll be making a cake.
Jan 6
Thanks to listener Julie for making me aware of the email hoax that is going around. If you receive an email about a boy, Evan Tremblay, missing from Hockley Valley, don't open it! It's not only a hoax but it has a virus in it.
Above, I've posted a video (via cakewrecks.com) of some woman making a cake with Mario Lopez (Saved By the Bell, Dancing with the Stars). I should say 'decorating' not making. This woman claims at the beginning of the clip that this method of hers turns a $40 cake into a looking like a $500 cake. And I can only laugh. Watch the clip and tell me if you'd ever pay $500 for that! "Priceless" indeed!But hey, she makes a good point that it's easy and fun for the kids to decorate.
However, if you'd like a cake so tasty that you don't need fancy decoration, Click Here. I make it without putting the lemon or orange extract in the icing. Double the recipe for a good sized cake or for two tiers. I promise you, this is not a hoax. It truly is the best cake ever. And it costs less than $40 to make.
Dec 31
2008 is just about finished. I hope you had a good one and that 2009 is even better; all this I do wish despite the collapsing world economies and tight times ahead. Life is more than money and things- it's about experience, family, friends, love.
So cheers to 2009!
Have you made your resolutions? If I made them on the eve of 2008, I don't remember what they were.
This year, I might make resolution to lift weights or something. I spent a few days with some friends who have a baby and a Wii console. So, I carried around the kid, lifting him up and down and bouncing him on my hip. Then we got into Wii Sports. (Too much fun!) We didn't even play all that much and, yet, boy do my arms hurt! Baby carrying and Wii playing shouldn't hurt this much. Clearly I need to work out my arms a bit more.
Beyond that, I'd like to paint one nice picture this year. I bought acr