Oct
30
2008
0

Outsider

Yes, that's what they said...

Image by circulating via Flickr

The establishment is victimizing Sarah Palin – because she isn’t part of the ruling class.  This is one of the best analysis I’ve scene of the situation.

America has a political ruling class, to which Senator Obama earned admission. That ruling class does admit newcomers, if they go to the right schools, come from the right family, inherit or marry money or last long enough in an old-boys political culture. All of which also sheds light on the other arresting personality in the current election, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Father Raymond J. de Souza: Sarah Palin, candidate from the real world, learns a lesson about elites – Full Comment.

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Oct
27
2008
1

Free Hannah Overton

Did anyone else see the Hannah Overton story on 20/20?  After 60 minutes, this is my favorite newsmagazine show.

I don’t know if this woman did it or not, but you’d have to think that if she had a better lawyer, she may have got off.  I doubt she intentionally killed her kid – most mothers wouldn’t – but one thing is for sure, she didn’t deserve a capital murder conviction.

The biggest tragedy here is that her husband has to single parent raise his 5 kids.  How does he make a living while raising small children?

This site was created for Hannah Overton and is intended to be a source of truth about her and her wrongful conviction.

Free Hannah Overton – Home.

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Written by Tim G. in: Crime | Tags: ,
Oct
27
2008
0

Can’t happen soon enough

Windows XP

Image via Wikipedia

Of course, Vista was supposed to start faster.  It may be 10% faster than XP at best, but it is still interminably slow.

The most fundamental change to the way people interact with PCs since the advent of the Internet may be occurring.

The Race to Instant-On Computers Begins – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com.

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Written by Tim G. in: Software | Tags: , ,
Oct
26
2008
0

Palintology

It’s too early to write off the Republicans if you ask me, but here’s a possible preview of what we could hear in a few weeks.

It’s hard to know what to make of this Palintology. It’s hard to make a reasoned and fair judgment about the Alaska Governor because she has been the victim of one of the nastiest, most sustained and comprehensive slime-jobs ever performed by a hyper-partisan national and global media.

Palintology will dominate the post-mortems | Gerard Baker – Times Online.

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Written by Tim G. in: USA | Tags:
Oct
26
2008
0

Carborexia

The sooner we get rid of this carbon obsession, the better off we all will be.

If so, don’t worry! You are probably suffering from “carborexia”, Or “energy anorexia”. Psychiatrists in America have identified a new mental illness that threatens the very fabric of society: an obsession with saving the planet. Some people are so addicted to cutting their carbon emissions that they seem to have gone quite mad.

Obsessed with saving the planet? There are worse fates – Telegraph.

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Oct
25
2008
0

Banning phones

Although I am on my bluetooth all day long (thank you CityFido), I have to say most non-professional drivers should not be on the phone while driving.

Media reports say Ontario will join Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Quebec in banning cellphone use while driving.

TheStar.com | Ontario | Driving on phone to be banned: Report.

Written by Tim G. in: Ontario | Tags:
Oct
19
2008
0

Morning after with Sarah

SNL: Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

Image by stevegarfield via Flickr

Last nights’ SNL with Sarah Palin was impossible to find quickly on Youtube, but we did find it easily via Google on NBC.com.  That said, Sarah looked gorgeous as always, the interaction with Alec was cool, and Tina Fey’s impression was of course great.

I hung in for the rest of the show, which was a mistake.  I missed an audience shot of Sarah, apparently, and although I was not tired, I passed out somewhere in the middle.  SNL is worse than it used to be, if that’s possible.  They have a monster cast to draw upon too, which is even sadder.

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Oct
18
2008
0

Black on the election

Stephen Harper

Image via Wikipedia

Anyone else think it’s funny that the National Post has a convicted felon as a columnist?  That said, he is a great writer and a great educator of history.

He says Quebec is finally out of the federal loop – and now is the time for Stephen Harper to seize the day and rule as a conservative.

Now it is time to demonstrate that Quebec doesn’t hold the balance of power in Canada any more, that its forty-year secessionist chicken game is over and that the Bloc Québécois’ fifty MPs are a self-inflicted deprivation to that notoriously patronage-addicted province.

Conrad Black: Harper’s future is an opportunity waiting to be grasped – Full Comment.

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Oct
18
2008
0

Oracle of Ohama has spoken

WASHINGTON - MARCH 13:  Warren Buffett, chairm...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Don’t worry, Warren Buffett is buying again.

Investors were moving back into equities Friday, as a bullish commentary from Warren Buffett outweighed the latest troubling indicator for the U.S. housing market.

Will The Street Obey Buffett? – Forbes.com.

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Written by Tim G. in: Business | Tags: , ,
Oct
16
2008
0

More giant sucking sound

The noise is getting louder from way down south.

The economic storm engulfing North America will sweep away more of Ontario’s key auto industry next year when Daimler closes its heavy-truck operation in St. Thomas and eliminates more than 1,300 jobs.

St. Thomas truck plant gets chop from Daimler.

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Written by Tim G. in: Business | Tags: ,
Oct
15
2008
0

What You Need to Know about the Bailout video

After today`s market crash, it doesn`t look like the bailouts have worked or will work.

Written by Tim G. in: Business |
Oct
13
2008
0
Oct
12
2008
0

Alanisized

I’m finally going to write about this week’s Alanis Morissette show at Massey Hall.  First I was going to do a full review, but that seems unnecessary since every major Toronto paper did one.  There’s also a good ongoing thread at what seems to be the leading Alanis forum.

Above photos courtesy of Jeff at concertaholics.com

To say I am a fan of Alanis is an understatement.  If her records were on vinyl, I’d have to keep buying them, as the needle would wear a hole in each album.  I cannot believe more people haven’t written that she is possibly the most talented Canadian musician alive today.  I like an eclectic mix of music, from Pink Floyd to Tom Cochrane to Rush to Abba.  Very few musicians have the skill to compose the music and lyrics – and perform without a band AND sound amazing.  I’ve put all her songs, plus as many live “bootleg” recordings as I can scrape from the ‘net, onto one usb stick/cd and played it over and over again for weeks now, and still don’t get tired of hearing her.  Sometimes I just listen to the incredible lyrics, trying to decode the meaning of her story.  Her lyrics are complex yet simple – no one can pack so many words into one line, into one song, and still make sense.  It’s clear from her writing that she must have a mensa IQ.   Watching interviews with VJs and DJs make me cringe, since none even approach her intellect.  She’s almost always amused by them, toying with them like a lioness and a mouse (if anyone has a link to her being interviewed by someone close to her level, please let me know).  People always seem to dwell on where her music came from, and overlook the fact that she writes, produces, and sings like no-one else out there today.  Although she may have peaked in popularity back with Jagged Little Pill, her latest albums are as compelling and sonically beautiful as they are varied in lyric and texture.

I was excited to see her in a setting as intimate as Massey Hall.  Alanis writes such personal and emotional lyrics, anyone who listens cannot help but be more moved by her words in such a relatively small setting.  You feel like she’s singing to you, and when you’re up close, you can see she’s not faking her passion for performing.

The crowd’s median age seemed to be greater than her 34, and one section on the right seemed to be more connected to her than the left side, which she noticed and played to.  The first 2/3rds of the concert rocked very hard, with an incredibly tight and excellent band.  The acoustic part in the last 3rd proved that no-one does it better than Alanis.  Her different arrangements of the songs kept me on edge and interested, like seeing an old friend with a new look.  While she may have preferred to play more of her new stuff, she knows that most people go to a concert to celebrate the hits as heard on the radio, so she did not disappoint there.

Although I’ve heard criticism of her harmonica playing, the crowd went wild whenever she started playing.  It’s

OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 04:  Singer Alanis Morissette celebrates after the Ottawa Senators scored a goal against the Anaheim Ducks in Game Four of the 2007 Stanley Cup finals on June 4, 2007 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Canada.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

an unusual instrument, but she makes it come alive.  During her ballads, her prayer-like stance in front of the microphone shows how intimate and heartfelt her songs are, creating an instant connection to the audience.  When she rocked out to her anthems, her pacing back and forth, her spinning and hair twirling, combined with the great lighting, created a fever-like crescendo.

Her using The Couch as a theme to the show, breaking it into three parts, was a neat touch.  The beautiful stage back drop, with her angel-like image with a flower on it, was projected onto with typewritten words relevant to the thought or theme of the played song.  The corralled drummer, with the high energy guitarists, created great electricity that didn’t let up in between songs.  You could tell the show was tightly orchestrated – some even say rushed with hardly any chance to catch your breath.  That’s probably only true because she really doesn’t have any bad songs, so you’re always waiting for the next note from the next song.

All in all, it was the fastest 90 minutes I’ve sat through in a long time.  I could have gone through 90 more without even noticing.

You know I’m giving her 5/5 stars.  She is a goddess!

Toronto Sun Review

Globe and Mail Review

Toronto Star Review

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Oct
10
2008
1

Good for Pizza Pizza

Pizza Pizza Limited

Image via Wikipedia

In our quest for the best pizza in the GTA, we found ourselves eating some pretty dry pizza from Pizza Pizza.

We then decided to tell them about it via a webform on their website.

Within a few minutes I got a call from 416-967-1111, and received a very concerned apology and a full credit.

Today I used the credit at another franchise holder’s location, and had a much better pie.

This is an example of great customer service…and they’ve kept me as a customer.

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Written by Tim G. in: Business | Tags: ,
Oct
09
2008
0

Rats for dinner

Good to see the City’s much vaunted restaurant checking system isn’t worth the colored paper it’s printed on.

It’s one of Toronto’s most popular Chinese restaurants, but on Wednesday those walking by Happy Seven were given plenty of reason to feel sad – and scared.

CityNews: Disturbing ‘Tail’: Rats Spotted In Local Chinese Restaurant.

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Written by Tim G. in: Toronto | Tags: , ,

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