The Golden Age of TV Comedy? And other thoughts of the 2009 Television Season

I usually share this story with my students to ask why it is we sometimes decide to stick with something that is difficult and other times we quit so quickly. I remember my first time snowboarding up at Blackcomb. The conditions were quite icy that day and the first hour was enjoyable trying to put together consecutive turns. Then as the day progressed, and my butt cheeks were repeatedly hammered like Eric Lindros' head hit by Scott Stevens, I realized that this snowboarding thing was no longer enjoyable. Getting down the hill was slow going, because my body refused to make any turns as it knew that pain was surely to follow.

Those of you who have snowboarded understand that the most difficult thing to do for beginners is to traverse over flat terrain. Downhill slopes, you let gravity do the work. Flat terrain means the boarder has to hold continual edges. This balancing act is difficult and if you bail, you have now lost all speed which means you have to start walking. Blackcomb is not a place for beginners, if the snow conditions aren't good at lower elevations, because up high, the "beginner green" runs are all-the-aforementioned-flat traverses. Now, why not take the quickest way down the mountain, the "blue" or "black diamond" runs? The problem is most of those runs are super steep and full of moguls* (why don't they just call them "bumps"?). At the end of the day, I found myself way too high up on Blackcomb, needing to meet family and friends at the bottom, and doing the math in my head that extrapolated my current rate of descent versus the distance I was at, which led me to the answer of 2 hours. This amount of time was also not factoring in the decrease in courage over time with the inversely proportional amount of bruising on my buttocks. As I sat there wondering how if I could ride my snowboard like a toboggan (I tried--it is difficult with moguls and you tend to start cruising out of control towards the edges of the hill or into the trees), a snow patrol guy came chugging along in his snowmobile.

*Wikipedia tells me that "The term mogul is probably of German dialect; akin to German dialect (Viennese) mugl, small hill." Again, I would have gone just with "bumps". But what do I know, I was formerly an ESL student. For one week. Even though I was born in Canada.

It was at this moment, I realized that I may have a future in acting. Of course, I am still awaiting my big break. I mustered up the saddest, most pitiful face ever that clearly shouted out to him, "Please sir, help me out" without losing any shred of machismo I had left at that moment. My WTF (Why the Face... for those of you who enjoy "Modern Family") must have appealed to his intrinsic nature of goodness, irregardless of the fact that his daily job was helping people out in distress. He slowed down and asked me if I was hurt. I told him no, but I needed to meet people down at the bottom at the mountain and I feared that at the rate at which I was going, that reunion would unlikely happen within that day. The kind man said I can give you a lift and we will strap your board in. My face lit up like my Korean friends on one glass of wine and was so appreciative of this rescue (ignore the fact that I was not injured). Quite honestly, as we zipped down the mountain on the snowmobile (can I say skidoo?) that was the funniest part of my snowboarding day. And the message to all you hitchhikers... work on your facial expressions.

Now what is the long preamble getting to? You would think after that terrible day of snowboarding--the negative experience of falling on ice in cold weather, the feeling of frustration in not being able to get your body in sync with the board, and the humbling experience of having a snow patrol bail out a grown adult--you would think this particular day would have effectively snuffed out my snowboarding career. Yet, there I was, weeks later, out on Cypress Mountain, to do something that I should have hated so much. This desire to be back on the hill meant that I felt some sort of need to try again. I can't explain it, but there was something about snowboarding I liked despite my first experience. Somehow I knew, that persevering through these initial forays (my second time was still all about falls and spills on the hills) would payoff for that one time down the road where I would be whooshing down a steep incline, floating on top of a soft-cushion of powder, filled with an exhilaration of freedom, all the while grinning from ear to ear due to the overwhelming feeling of excitement. Somehow I was willing to stick with snowboarding, because of that momentary feeling when I would link two turns together as a beginner and that told me that "Hey, this is something that I will like."

Isn't that the way it is with all aspects of life? Why do certain things that are tough cause us to quit initially, while other more difficult things cause us to power through? What motivates or appeals to each of our personalities? What is it about a certain television show that allows us to be more forgiving in the beginning and more willing to give one show a chance over another?

Case in point for the 2009 season. I couldn't stomach more than two episodes of "V". I am sure that it may turn around, but I wasn't willing to wait through all of it and see. Yet, I gave Flashforward about five episodes to win me over (it didn't... that is a show that I call a try-hard.) People are rarely willing to give "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" a shot, because of its preposterous name and the possible lingering negative effects of the movie that came out before it (starring Luke Perry of the original 90210 for those younguns out there reading). Somehow, I decided to give the series a shot recently on DVD and had a difficult time handling the cheesiness of special effects and the uneven tone they were trying to establish in the first half of season 1. And I hate saying this now, but if someone were to stick with the show through all the seasons (seven seasons worth) I think most people would be surprised at the depth and maturity of the issues that are tackled along with the breadth and scope of the characters that get the viewer involved and all of this from a show called "Buffy". My wife, certainly not a sci-fi/fantasy fan, mentioned the other day, that she thinks it is the best show she has ever seen, which I was shocked at. She almost gave up on it during season 1 and only at my insistence was she willing to give the show a try. And she was rewarded with a show with clever writing, great humour, and some romantic sappiness thrown in every now and then. I even remember my wife saying that the show was like Twilight, except I had to remind her that Buffy came before Twilight.

I find that comedy shows are the type of shows that you really need to give a chance. Often networks pull the plug on these types of shows, which is unfair as the writers and those involved are trying to carefully nail their vision of what they want to pull off weekly. To beat a dead horse further, my snowboarding story perfectly sums up what I go through with some comedies. A show like "Parks & Recreation" was not so great in its first season. It was actually all over the place and I wasn't sure it was creating likable characters. I also felt like it was forcing situations in the hopes that these over-the-top moments of absurdity would be viewed as hilarious. I almost gave up on the series, but there was something about it that I could not explain, something that made me willing to watch. As this 2009 fall season has passed, I found that "Parks & Recreation" as one of the comedies that I actually wanted to see the most on Thursdays, a night of packed comedies. I am glad that I stuck with the show, because there have been some glorious highlights thus far (Louis CK, Greg Pikitis-vandalizing teen, Chris, Ron). I am glad that I stuck with the uneven "Community" for brilliant episodes like "Debate 109" I could do without Ken Jeong at times (a try-hard), but the rest of the cast have really come into there own (plus I have a small crush on Alison Brie). A character like Abed, who I thought was just too kooky, is now in the perfect wheelhouse of funny supporting character. I never would have thought that "Community" and "Parks & Rec" would sometimes bring more laughs than "The Office" or "30 Rock". Funnily enough, the first seasons of Office and 30 Rock were not very strong either.

This all brings me to my main point (I like that I took 10,000 words to get to the crux of my thesis. My English teacher would have had a heart attack at my thesis inversion.)

Are we in the midst of a Golden Age of TV Comedy? I really believe we are for sitcoms. The laugh track comedy has gone by the wayside, the traditional format has been replaced by varying degrees of a mockumentary feel, and the settings have become zany. In essence, a lot of the filmed comedy approaches the ridiculous scenarios of an early Simpsons episode, yet the characters can still connect in serious ways. I could write forever about all the comedies out there I enjoy, but I don't have the time nor the energy to do so. However, I will write out a list of comedies that are currently running and I challenge those of you out there to think of a time that produced a slew of well-crafted shows like we have today. Of course, there are many of you out there, who haven't given any of these shows a chance. You really should try to watch some of these with the recognition that you have to be patient and allow for repeated viewings in order for the payoff later down the road. Sure, the hill may be a bit bumpy at first, but later on when you are smiling and laughing your way through the subsequent episodes you will be glad you got on(snow)board.

BTW these are my opinions and I could not have possible watched all the comedies that exist out there. I will list shows that are currently running (thus missing out on the brilliance of "Arrested Development").

ABC:
Modern Family: Ed O'Neal (Married with Children fame) has never been so effective. Manny, the chubby Colombian kid, makes me laugh every time.

CBS:
The Big Bang Theory: I didn't think I could like something that the guy from "Two and Half Men" created. But this show, really hit its stride last season and now Sheldon and Penny have some of the best chemistry out there.
How I Met Your Mother: This just in. This show is... wait for it... awesome.

NBC:
30 Rock: Uneven this season, but still has great moments like this "What everyone looks like on High Def" bit (sorry about the poor video clip, but it was the best I could dig up... the Baldwin part at the end is awesome.)
The Office: They managed to marry off two characters, yet still maintain a level of comedy week in and week out.
Community
Parks and Recreation
I guess "Chuck" may be deemed as a comedy.

HBO:
Curb Your Enthusiasm: This season's Seinfeld reunion was fantastic. More Jerry and more Funkhouser please.
Weeds: Haven't seen it. Want to see it.
Entourage: This show can no longer be considered funny. I don't know why I included it. Maybe because I wrote HBO.

FOX:
I don't watch these shows anymore, but the entire Sunday night of animation is devoted to comedy. Simpsons, Family Guy, etc etc

CW:
90210: Oh wait, it's a drama? My bad.

And then of course, people may mention Scrubs, SNL, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and a whole host of others.

Next up?

If I ever decide to write again, I will try for:

My Decade of Favourites for:
Movies
Music
TV
Video Games
Technology

However, I am making you think I will write something soon, which I will not.

Jimmy Fallon doing a dead-on Neil Young seeing Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song

Not the biggest Jimmy Fallon fan back when he was on SNL. That being said, I think this is one of the more amusing things I have ever seen him do (ugh, remember that Red Sox movie "Fever Pitch").

His Neil Young impersonation is perfect.
The fact that he is singing the theme song to Fresh Prince?
Even better.

Click here for link. Here.

How to make Custom iPhone ringtones

For all you iPhone users check this site out for instructions to make custom iPhone ringtones from your pre-existing collection of mp3s:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2160460_custom-iphone-ringtones-free.html

Pretty easy to do and my favourite I made last night has to be the Simpsons theme song Cuban style.

Also, you could use your VoiceMemos app, which will sync with iTunes, find the "VoiceMemo" folder and follow the same instructions to create your own ringtone. Pretty creepy, but imagine having your phone recite any recorded message in your own voice.

My farewell exam to my school

So, it has been awhile and I have been busy settling into the groove of a new job at Capilano University. What am I doing at that beautiful campus? Teaching Adult Basic Education. It was with a heavy heart that I left Byrne Creek Secondary where I enjoyed a fabulous four years of teaching. Here is the "letter" I wrote for the kiddies since I didn't get to say a proper good-bye because I made the switch in August.

Click the image to see the full-size.

Pool Shots and Maru the ultimate cat from Japan

The "pool" doesn't refer to swimming pools although you might be inclined to think so during this hottest stretch ever in Vancouver (we Vancouverites are weak when it comes to weather). No the pool I am talking about is shooting stick sort of pool.

Whenever I come across the World Cup Trick Shots competition or the Trick Shot tournaments I cannot resist and I have to sit and watch. It is sad to think I can recognize any of these amazing pool artists ("There goes Mike Massey!") but I dare you not to be at least impressed by what these guys can do. Anyways there are a ton of YouTube clips out there but click on the links to see a trio of ones by a German player, Ralph Eckert who has the best accent:

1) Crazy Eight Ball finish shot

2) Sinking fifteen balls with five shots
3) Trickshot montage from 2006. Pros: See Canadian Nick Nikolaidis win it all. Cons: The clip is long and you have to listen to Creed the entire time.

#1 is my favourite. Quite the impressive shot.

To continue with some more random clips, you have to check out these clips of Maru, a cat that lives in Japan. If the box-jumping clip or sliding into boxes doesn't get you laughing then you have a cold cold heart. I want to fly to Japan and kidnap Maru for myself.

1) Maru, Box jumper!
2) Maru, Paper bag head!
3) Maru, Box slider!

How many more exclamation marks can I write?! Thanks to Entertainment Weekly for the Maru find.

Ciao and meow.

Bonus! I hate really cute clips but this begging kitten (wait for the 18 sec mark) needs to be shown.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Random Thoughts

I thought the movie was well-done, even though it may have dragged at places. As well, the tone of the movie is grim and I found it almost weighed on me after awhile. I think it is interesting to note that you really do feel connected with all the actors/actresses because they have been doing these movies for so long. I have always respected how the writers have tried to put the best possible story up on the screen, but this was one time that the story felt incomplete in comparison to the book. The ending didn't feel right and the story felt incomplete and rushed. The entire title of the movie, an important plot in the book, is glossed over in this movie, which makes me wonder, if they should have just given this installment a different name. Harry Potter and the Empire Strikes Back? Finally, I am not sure how the last book (broken up into two movies) will translate on the big screen. The last book is not very strong, since most of the time it feels like the characters are on big camping trip. I am intrigued to see how the last book will be made into two films.

Some random observations/musings:

- When was the last time Helena Bonham Carter looked "normal" in a movie? Howard's End? When hanging out with Tim Burton on the weekends are they dressed in all black attire? I also find that I feel uneasy when she is on the screen. Fight Club included.
- I think I mentioned this before, but if I was Hermoine, I would have dumped Harry and Ron ages ago. Those two are pretty useless if you think about it. Harry lucks into one thing after another. In this movie, Harry is competent because of an illegal textbook. Ron just stands around. Hermoine does everything. She deserves more accolades. If they were a rock band, they would have broken up long ago due to egos and petty arguments.
- I used to think Quidditch was interesting on paper. Now it is seems like kind of a bore. Plus, not to be sexist or anything, but men shouldn't ride brooms. Witches ride brooms. Men wizards walk, hobble around with a cane, or ride a fast horse. Also, how come Harry Potter movies never have a cat riding shotgun on the back of a broom?
- If the movie had an "R" rating, what would that mean Harry's Felix Felicis (also called "liquid luck," is a potion that grants whoever drinks it unusually good luck source: Wikipedia), would do? Harry gets "lucky" with women? Wins a ton of money in a cash game of poker against Malfoy and some random kids in Ravenclaw? And if such a potion did exist, wouldn't you as a wizard be taking small quantities with your cereal in the morning everyday?
- Why wouldn't more students drop out of Hogwart's after seeing the success of Ron's brothers (the twins) magic shop? Couldn't you make tons of items to sell to humans as well? It is a no-brainer to get the rock out of Hogwart's and make some good coin selling magical products instead of having to hang out in a dank dungeon while be berated by Snape's sarcastic putdowns. Come to think of it, I would band together with some other nerdy wizards and create a better operating system than Windows. Oh the irony! A bunch of high school drop out wizards trumping Bill Gates the high school human drop out. One more point against the Muggles.
- Do you think the Sorting Hat ever gets down on itself? After all it is a sentinent being, can read people's minds, can sense people's personalities, but even with all these wonderful traits, at the end of the day, it is still a hat.

In closing, I leave you with my favourite Harry Potter clip, the Harry Potter Puppet pals. Ciao.

My favourite current summer album: Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus

I find that it is very difficult for me to come around on a band after trying out their first records. I think it is human nature that it is hard to overcome our first impressions and our preconceived notions.

The extreme example I can think of? Radiohead. When they came out with their first album "Pablo Honey" they had one significant single "Creep" that was played way too much on the radio. I got annoyed by the song and I thought they were a typical 90s guitar band that was trying to swim along with the grunge movement. I was not that big of a fan, which prevented me from giving their next album "The Bends" a proper listening to when it first came out. I was a full year late to realize that the album was tremendous. I also blame my lingering negative first impression for costing me to see Radiohead live at the Rage (which that club by the Plaza of Nations for you young uns... the club has changed its name at least 10 times in the last decade). "The Bends" is one of my all-time favs and then to see how the band continued to evolve and progress leading to their magnum opus "OK Computer" is a reminder how people/bands/restaurants/authors can improve over time.

Wilco, until their last two albums (which aren't that bad) were very similar. I finally felt with "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel" that they were a completely different band.

Which brings me to Phoenix. My friends (Kavie? Little Buddy?) introduced me to their first album awhile back. It was good but wasn't burning up my ears. With such little time these days, an album better be worth my time and worth repeat listens. Again, they were not a bad band at all.

But their newest album, "Wolfgang Amadeus"... this is an album I did not expect from this French group. The leap that they have made as a band makes me happy. Radiohead happy.

I hope you give them a listen to. Their single "1901"... I dare you not to tap your feet while you listen. One of many excellent tracks on a standout album. Isn't that what summer is all about? Listening to great songs.

Enjoy.

This Roy Halladay thing? I have seen it before. From Pedro to Twilight to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

My favourite baseball player for the last while has been Roy Halladay, pitcher of the Toronto Blue Jays. He is old school gunslinger, never completely overpowering people with heat, yet he can fool hitters in so many ways. He has an excellent nickname (Doc) and he just exudes cool on the mound. He is tough and you hardly get the sense that he gets easily rattled.

Now Doc is on the trading block and it is a shame that we probably won't get to see him enjoy a playoff run with the Blue Jays, one that he has been with for his entire career.

And if he does get traded, some other block of fans will get to enjoy his brilliant pitching and their eyes will be opened to the fact of how good he is. Of course, with him playing in Canada he doesn't always get the media attention that he should. To see him get the nod to start for the baseball All-Star game is pretty neat.

But this entire scenario reminds me of my other favourite pitcher from way back. Pedro Martinez. He played in obscurity for the Montreal Expos. I knew he was awesome, but the rest of North America was not completely aware of how great he was. I still remember seeing him pitch one inning during the All Star game when he was with the Expos and the announcers barely gave him a mention after he shut everyone down for the inning.

When he got signed by the Boston Red Sox and he went on through a dominating stretch and everyone started waxing poetic about him, I thought that it was no big surprise. He was that awesome with the Expos and he just continued to improve and dominate.

Now Halladay is older than when Pedro moved on, but I will be jealous to see whatever team that he moves on to and think of the fans that will enjoy at least a great three year stretch from the Doc.

(As you can see I am obsessed with good pitchers. There is just something weird about a person able to control a ball in such an unnatural and violent manner. Someone like Doc and Pedro who have at least four different pitches are amazing to watch. Someone cerebral and completely in control like Greg Maddux interests me as well. Currently the pitchers that you have to see? Felix "The King" Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners, Zach Grienke of the Kansas City Royals, and the stellar Tim Linecum of the San Fran Giants (who happens to be the starter opposite of Halladay for the All-Star game. Pitchers are my favourite positional player by far.**An aside: my wife is currently watching "Twilight" a silly movie that is submarined by the terrible vampire baseball scene... the girl pitching in slow motion can't really throw a ball and I don't care if you are superstar vampires, you can't play baseball with essentially only three people in the outfield playing defense. Actually just a totally superfluous scene. But that is just but one of many in Twilight. I hope that this little jab at Twilight incites the rage of all those Twilighters out there thus bringing me national exposure and media. Go see a better fantasy movie, a series that did it right from the beginning... Harry Potter. The new one looks good by the way.

Oh yeah, if I was Josh Whedon, I would try to sue Twilight for pretty much ripping of the premise of forbidden vampire/human love. Buffy the Vampire Slayer did this theme years ago and did it with grace, humour, solid dialogue, and true heartbreak. Get through the very shaky season one and you will be hooked. With TV repeats, my wife and I are finally going through the seasons and we have blown through them... working on season 3. At the season 2 point, my wife (a Twilight fan) said, "Isn't this Twilight?"

I said, "You mean isn't Twilight ripping off Buffy."

By the way, it took me over a year to convince my wife to sit and watch Buffy. After much skepticism and reluctance along with an initial struggle with season 1, she is now a Buffy addict.

Get over the terrible name of the series and give it a chance if you already haven't.

OK, somehow from pitching to Buffy, I end this rambling diatribe. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Cat Deeley and a certain Sesame Street character

Saw the very beautiful and charming Cat Deeley on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Cat Deeley is the host of So You Think You Can Dance.

While watching her, I couldn't shake who she reminded me of.

Then it hit me! I figured it out. Her eyes reminded me of a certain Sesame Street character.

Grover!

Bonjour! We can learn from bad movies.

Well, the wife and I went on a fabulous trip to Paris for a week with a side trip to the beaches of Normandy. I could wax poetic of the trip but instead let's keep the comments to trivial things.

So last night I was watching "Confessions of a Shopaholic". Not my choice. Honestly. Before falling asleep halfway, I was struck by the interesting fact that the main actress, Isla Fisher (you may know her as the redhead from Wedding Crashers) is actually Australian. And oh yes, she is with Sascha Baren Cohen (Borat and Bruno)... I know they have a kid with each other and may actually be married.

I often get Isla Fisher a bit confused with Amy Adams, who then I get confused with Amy Ryan... the two Amys don't look alike, it is just a name confusion deal.

Anyways, I was shopping today at Young Bros. (the best produce place in Vancouver) and I realized I needed some cash before I went. I needed a BMO and I went to the nearest Safeway, which for some random reason, was the only Safeway that didn't have a BMO affiliation. Great. So in my depression of knowing that I would have to drive further to the nearest BMO, because I was too cheap to pay the $3 ATM service charge (a charge by the way that I think is only surpassed by Ticketmaster's service charges), I bought a bag of chips.

Enter Confessions of a Shopaholic.

I remembered in the movie that Isla Fisher's character tried to do a cashback at a hot dog stand. I asked the Safeway lady if they do cash back with bank debit cards and le voila! They did. I got my money and I didn't have to go to the nearest BMO bank. I felt very satisfied. And the sad thing was (other than the fact my day was made by this really boring story) I owe it all to a terrible movie.

Moral of the story?

You never know where your learning opportunities will come from.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI

So we bought a car a couple of weeks ago after our 1992 Volvo almost went kaput. After much research and shopping, we settled on a 2009 VW Jetta TDI (Turbo Direct Injection), the new clean diesel that came out last year. We were really looking at the wagon, but the Jetta sedan was easier to get and cheaper as well.

Now, if you are thinking of a buying a new car, live in Vancouver, I urge you to think about the Jetta TDI. The mileage is awesome (first tank took my wife about 750 km of city driving), diesel is cheaper than gas right now, low CO2 emissions, tons of torque off of the line (this means the car is super zippy), and generous rebates from the government really make the vehicle attractive.

The BC govt will give you $1500 back on PST. As well, you get money back for scrapping your older vehicle if you are substantial reducing your CO2 emissions.

If you are really interested, get in touch with me and I will highly recommend Volkswagen of Guildford... trust me, I went to four different VW dealerships and they were the best.

If you need more convincing on a wonderful vehicle that will save you tons on gas and give you a great drive check out the reviews below. Oh yeah, the VW also won the Green Car of the Year Award and gives any hybrid a run for its money.

If you need to read a couple of reviews go here:
Canadian Car Driver
Auto123 review
Truth About Cars review

Roger Federer GOAT

Roger Federer is my favourite player of all time. Possibly one of my favourite athletes ever. The way he moves so smoothly on the court and how he makes things looks so effortless... the angles he takes to the ball.

I had the opportunity to watch him live at the Rogers Cup in Toronto in 2006. Seeing him live makes you realize how his brilliance cannot possibly be appreciated on TV.

I had woken up for three years in a row, hoping for Roger Federer to persevere in the French Open. I was sad for two days when Federer lost to Nadal last year in that mammoth five setter at Wimbledon. I shook my head wondering if Fed was done after falling apart in the fifth set against Nadal in this year's Australian Open.

But now here he is, tied with 14 with Sampras. Finally, I woke up early to see Federer finish off the career grand slam. I wish I could join Federer's entourage when he heads to the green grass of Wimbledon for the all-time record of 15. In a perfect world, he would meet Nadal, vanquish him for once and collect his silver plate.

Check out this awesome Federer article from a couple of year's ago by the great writer David Foster Wallace (he died last year?):

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/sports/playmagazine/20federer.html?pagewanted=all

Here is a nice cheesy commercial involving a reading of Rudyard Kipling's "If" by Nadal and Federer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEeLh5ItQcY

Star Wars Audio Mixer

Quite possibly the best time waster ever. To hear Chewie and Han saying your favourite lines over and over again. Brilliant. And you can make your own tracks too.

http://starwars.com/games/playnow/soundboards/index.html

This other one isn't as good, but hey, you will be entertained for about a minute:

http://www.najle.com/idaft/

Pixar: The most successful movie studio ever?

This weekend, Pixar's 10th movie is coming out. It is called UP. I don't really know what it is about and frankly I do not care. I will see it this weekend and enjoy it in glorious 3-D. I don't know why I had doubted Pixar on their last two movies: Ratatouille and Wall-E. But hearing about a movie about a cooking rat and a non-talking robot, I was skeptical.

I will doubt Pixar no more. Ratatouille was quite funny. Wall-E was a visual masterpiece and probably the best love story done in a long time.

When I saw the first commercial for UP with the old man and his house of balloons, I almost caught myself saying "This sounds silly...".

But I have learned. Doubt Pixar no more.

Can any of you think of a more successful movie studio? Try this game. Take the Pixar movies and try to pick your top three. It is an impossible task. Really the easiest thing is eliminating the weakest of the bunch, "Cars", which is actually one of the favourites of young boys everywhere.

Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Cars, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Wall-E, The Incredibles, and Monsters Inc.

Go ahead, try to pick your top three. As soon as you pick a line-up, then you start thinking about another movie and end up putting together a new trio.

Mine?

Wall-E, Toy Story, and The Incredibles

Although I laughed really hard in Monsters Inc. And Finding Nemo is so good.

I think this means I change my mind already. After this weekend with "Up" I know I will be changing my mind once again.

I wouldn't want to wish being a Vancouver Canucks fan on my worst enemy...

I just finished dinner late and either it is the overload on the carbohydrates or it is the start of my deep depression after the Vancouver Canucks lost tonight, which is making my body feel like it is shutting down.

There is so much I want to say, so much disappointment within me, and only so much I can take, but I don't have the energy to go off on a rant.

I only know that we have a world-class goalie, who got lit up for seven goals in the deciding game of a series. Never would I have thought that Roberto Luongo would have provided an exhibit for one of the worst goalie performances in Canucks history.

I think the reason why we love the 1994 run (other than they went to game 7 of the Stanley Cup) was that that team came through time and time and time again during that run. Even that game 7 was so close and none of us felt like they gave it away in that game.

When Daniel Sedin scored tonight to go up 5-4 with seven minutes left, who EVER would have thought that Chicago would score THREE goals in by the period's end?

I hate that we have to wait all over again to go through the Stanley Cup again. I really believed in this edition this year and now so much uncertainty:

How does Luongo bounce back from this? Can he overcome it? Is this game his Stanley Cup legacy?

Ohlund played his last game.
Sundin too?
Sedins gone to Toronto with Burkie getting aggressive?

Ugh. Let's trade Bieksa folks. People like him too much (did you see his bad wring around play leading to the 4th line of Chicago scoring?)

Today, I am reminded of how much of a loser legacy the Canucks have...


AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

My wife just told me a life. I think I just might.

Go Lebron James go.

Do not pass go, do collect $200, go directly to see Star Trek.

First off, I am not a huge Trekkie fan. I got nightmares from Wrath of Khan when I saw it with my dad when I was in Grade 2, because I got scared from the maggot things that crawled inside the brain of people (I covered my ears when I went to bed). I also had a Burger King meal deal with Spock on the box and got violently ill (food poisoning?) and thus boycotted Burger King for ten years and had an aversion to Star Trek.

I was a Star Wars guy. It was more exciting, the ships were cooler, and there was more action that a little kid could handle and understand. After the television show, Star Trek the Next Generation, I could certainly understand why people liked Star Trek. It was more cerebral and it consistently illuminated issues that we face today in society. However, the movies were pretty bland.

This new Star Trek is not your daddy's Star Trek. This Star Trek is jam-packed with action. It is exciting from the moment it starts leaving little time to breath. I was amazed at how quickly the movie establishes the characters that you may know, yet it didn't feel too forced or contrived. I never liked Captain Kirk. But, this one is great. I never liked the heavy-handedness of logic (Spock) vs emotion (Kirk), but in this movie, the juxtaposition was dead on and resonated more than usual.

For those of you who are not Star Trek or only think of it for geeks, you need to just put those notions aside. This movie somehow manages to appease all. For those who know nothing about Star Trek (like the two people I went with), you will just get wrapped up with this entire "new" crew. The humour and lines work with everyone and sometimes a bit deeper for those who know the history of Star Trek.

My wife is not a huge Star Wars fan. She knew nothing about Star Trek. After this movie, she couldn't stop raving about how good it was and how much FUN it was. It has been a long time since I saw something entertaining on the big screen. Do yourself a favour and go see this. It will be an entertaining two hours. My wife can't wait to see the inevitable sequel. I just realized, in a weird twist, I, the hardcore Star Wars geek, am now married to a Trekkie.

I never would have believed that statement until seeing this revitalized JJ Abrams Star Trek.

Live long and prosper.

This is a great time to be a sports fan...

Just about to settle down for the Pittsburgh and Washington game, which I think is must-see-TV for any casual hockey fan. I was talking to a buddy this week and asked have we ever seen a playoff matchup in our lifetime that has pitted the three best and most electric offensive performers in the league? It simply hasn't happened. Lemieux never faced Gretzky. I know you might list some other players, but I don't think anyone else matches the caliber of skill, charisma, and hype like Ovechkin, Malkin, and Crosby (for instance, Messier no doubt was a playoff performer and he had some great offensive years, but would you say that he got you excited with the skills that he exhibited? He was tough and scored great goals, but he is not on the same plane of talent of the three).

This match is hyped up and it should be. You should check out ESPN's Scott Burnside's article, a good read about this matchup, confirming what I thought about how the NHL has not had its Magic-Bird matchup ever. I like Washington's coach, Boudreau, saying that he likes the hype.

Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin all hate losing. Their regular season match-ups have been gigantic. To do this possibly SEVEN times. I can't wait.

If you haven't been falling the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics first round matchup, you have missed a classic. Again, I will refer you to ESPN's Bill Simmons, who captures how emotional of a rollercoaster of a ride the series has been. I thought Ray Allen was on the downside of his career after the last time I saw him live in Seattle. I was wrong. I knew Derrick Rose was something special when I saw him play in Atlanta. I was right. You need to check out Game 7 tonight if you used to be a NBA fan. This league is in a golden age. Look at the star power and how good these players are right now. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are singular forces of nature.

I would like to write more, but Sidney Crosby just scored and I have to get back to the game. This is a great time to be a sports fan. Go Blue Jays go.

LOST

I don't bother giving out recaps when there are so many better writers out there that do such a better job than I possibly could.

If you want a good review that isn't too long of a read check out this review at AV Club.

If you want something that is dense, rambling, yet really gets you thinking about the show, then check our Doc Jensen of EW, who has the best recaps (and previews) around.

I will say though that this season of Lost has been awesome. I love how the first time traveling episode was called "The Constant" and then this one was called "The Variable". I still am not sure how this is going to wrap up in one season, as the season finale is next week. I can't remember a more informative and definitive sentence as the one that Faraday says to Kate and Jack. And I am super excited for next week's finale, because every season for the last three years, the finales have been amazing and excellent.

Canucks

I went to Game 1 of the Canucks game and I would have to say that it was the best Canucks playoff game I have ever attended live. Which is not saying much when you consider the Canucks history in the playoffs. The only game I can remember that was good was the Minnesota Wild game where Matt Cooke scores with no time left to send it to overtime and then Trent Klatt gets the winner in OT. And that was a first rounder.

I also saw the Dallas Stars triple OT game, but that was more grueling than anything else, with a good outcome.

The litany of LIVE playoff games I have attended is too long.
Game 3: Calgary Flames was a loss in 1994
Game 3: New York Rangers Stanley Cup in 1994 was a loss. When Bure scored 1 minute into the game I thought I was in for the best day of my life. He got ejected later for an elbow, Kovalev and Leetch took over and that was that.
Chicago Blackhawks, Chelios picking off a pass to win it? I was there.
Colorado Avalanche beating the Canucks thoroughly? I was there.
(You can tell how much I want to erase those games, because I don't know what years those two playoff games were and I don't even want to expend energy to "Google" it.)
2007: Anaheim wins in overtime. That was the weirdest sound ever, because GM Place was dead silent and all you could hear was the Anaheim Ducks whooping it up on the ice. The term "sudden death" was never more apt at that time.

Even enduring all those losses, Thursday's game was a shocking reminder to me how much more playoff games are better in person than regular season games. The atmosphere was electric to begin with. By the second period, up 3-0, and with Welwood drawing another double minor, I became delirious. If the Canucks had scored, GM Place would have gone haywire.

Of course the Canucks didn't score and you know the rest. The Blackhawks came back to tie it. Why I believe the Canucks are going to win the Stanley Cup was shown in their fortitude that night. The OLD Canucks would have folded. If you blow a THREE GOAL lead that means momentum is gone and your team is on the road to defeat. And then that four on one appears out of nowhere and Sami Salo bangs it home (does Steve Bernier ever score on his first shot? Love the guy, but he has so many high quality chances that he puts into the goalie.)

And then once again, I was delirious, high-fiving every stranger around me, jumping up and down like a giddy child on Christmas. My friend, Kav, and I were ecstatic and still talking about the game the next day. My wife thinks I am crazy for being so wrapped up in a SPORT. Which makes sense to all outside observers. But like I have said many times in this blog, sports brings us together, sports adds to the spice of life. I have no qualms saying that I am a crazy Canuck fan. I am growing quite possibly the worst facial hair ever seen and I do not care about all the abuse heaped on me. Game #2 goes tonight and I will be in the building again. I hope that it will be a memorable game, not one that I want to erase from my mind. Go Canucks go.

Random Things That I Like That You May Not

Doodle, a website scheduler or poll-maker that creates a web link which people can answer to but don't have to create an account for.

Thanks to Little Buddy for introducing it to me. I recommend you try scheduling an event with your friends or for work. Super easy to use. It is easy to see who is available for what times, especially if you are trying to get a big group together. Click the link below to see the website.

www.doodle.com

Click this link below to try it out:

Who is your favourite current Vancouver Canuck during this drive to clinch the Stanley Cup?

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer

This was a far better book than the last one where Harry Potter was a whiny brat. Let's hope that the movie is as good as this great looking trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/harrypotterandthehalfbloodprince/

Enjoy.

This summer has some spectacular movies coming out, Star Trek, Up (does Pixar make a bad movie?), and this HP are the ones I am most excited about.

Friday Night Lights & The Wire: The Best TV Shows You Are Not Watching

I thought I would write something quick to burn some time on this Sunday, 45 minutes away from the start of Game 3 of the Canucks vs the Blue (14 wins away from the Cup and I am already trying to figure out where I want to sit/stand during the Stanley Cup parade down Robson Street).

The TV season is wrapping up and the only series that still commands my attention and that is running is LOST (two more episodes left and still so many questions to be answered makes me wonder if they can truly wrap things up in one more season). With rerun season approaching, I have two shows that I highly recommend to those looking for something new. (Actually, looking at my previous paragraph, I would be remiss not to plug "The Office" and "30 Rock" if you are a fan of brilliant comedy.)

I sometimes want to adopt a smug "I-told=you-so" to many of my friends when I recommend a show that I say is good, but they don't listen to me until two years later. It has happened with LOST and Entourage (although that show sucks now). My wife finally is a believer in 30 Rock. And her favourite show now is Friday Night Lights, which she was also reluctant to start watching in the beginning.

After finishing another fabulous episode of "Friday Night Lights", the second last episode of the season, I almost got a bit angry thinking of the lack of accolades that should be heaped upon this show. I get angry thinking of the quality of acting and writing in this show that fails to draw even a tenth of the ratings seen in shows like "Big Loser" or "The Apprentice" or any other reality show for that matter.

I highly recommend if you want to try something new to watch this summer, do yourself a favour and rent season 1 of Friday Night Lights (FNL). Connie Briton and Kyle Chandlar represent a great depiction of what it means to be a couple in love and in marriage. The scenarios are sometimes a bit contrived, but not really that far removed from the realities that I see in high school. More than any show, there is an emotional connection to all of the character as we get to see them make mistakes, learn, and grow. A surefire sign of how good the show is? Some of the characters that you are first dislike are now not as one-sided as you thought and you actually like them even though they are imperfect.

Friday Night Lights has something for everyone.
Let's play the stereotypes: For the guys?
Improbable football victories? Check. Sweet slow motion plays? Check. Quite possibly one of the hottest female ensemble TV casts? Check.
For the ladies?
Relationships? Check. Emotional arcs that will leave you in tears? Check. Quite possibly one of the hottest male ensemble TV casts? Check.

Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go see Friday Night Lights, Season 1.

Season 2 was a bit of a travesty. Very uneven and some silly plots. You still need to see it though, so you can enjoy the payoff of this season, season 3. Season 3 brings it back. There are some episodes that make you feel like part of the family. There are not always happy endings in this show, but it is impossible not to get sucked into it.

Please give it a chance.

The other show I love is HBO's "The Wire". The content may not be for everyone, as it is graphic, violent, and unflinchingly looks at inner city Baltimore and its problems related with policing, drugs, and schools. I think the reason it did not get more popular was because if you watch it, it is makes you feel guilty, because you realize that these problems exist and we are almost helpless to make a change. I really think that watching this show will make you realize the problems in Vancouver surrounding all of the gang-related shootings will not change by simply throwing boatloads of cash and police at it. United States has already proven with their infinite resources in comparison to Canada's, that their little "War on Drugs" did little to stem the tide. "The Wire" shows how the war on drugs is intertwined on so many different levels. It shows that even when people want to do right, their quotas or budgets or other people's agendas will trump what should be done. Season 1 sets up the characters and the police work that they do to try to take down a gang. What is weird is that as a viewer you are shown both sides, the police and the gangs, and you get to see that neither group area a bunch of angels. You actually get to know the gangs as well as the police. Season 2, brings the action to the docks of Baltimore. Season 3, follows the gangs again. Season 4, which we just finished, looks at the school and political system. I heard Season 5 looks at the newspaper media.

I know the synopsis doesn't sound great, but the show is a challenging and engaging series. You really need to stick with the series, because it is a slow burn and it doesn't necessarily leap of the screen. The characters are realistic, they mean well, they make mistakes, and you can't help feel their pain or revel in their small victories. I certainly think that some people need to see how a life of crime and drugs is not something that should be sensationalized. The brutality, poverty and unfortunate settings that some of the characters are born into breaks your heart. Life is cruel and unfair to so many people. The Wire is an education, an education about the inequality that exists in all major metropolitan cities.

But from a pure entertainment standpoint, The Wire is one of the best TV shows ever. Humour is wrapped up into the details of the every day life of these gangsters and police officers. The joy comes from watching a show that is so well done. You will recognize many of these actors who obviously got their recognition and start from this series.

Do yourself a favour and watch a series that is challenging and pushes the medium of television beyond the blah blah blah of most of the network shows out there.

Go Canucks go!

Random Thought about LOST (& Benjamin Linus)

For those of you who are still following Lost (Season 5 has been stellar... absolutely mind-warping episodes), should recognize that Michael Emerson, who plays Benjamin Linus, is a character that gets better with every episode. You can never trust the guy and his acting makes you feel uncomfortable whenever he is on the screen.

Tonight it hit me why this character makes me squirm... he speaks and talks like Gary Bettman, commissioner of the NHL. Gary Bettman is a weasel that has done much damage to our beautiful game of hockey. I am not a violent person, but I think I might want to kick Mr. Bettman. I can't stand it when he starts speaking with his lawyer-ese talk.

Benjamin Linus is much like that. What a character. To think he was supposed to be just a character to be used for season 2 and now has developed into a central figure.

Read Noel Murray's great Lost recap of last night's episode.

Greatest April Fool's item ever OR "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside."

So this website, created this April Fool's item, but it became so popular that there is a movement now by the website to see if it can actually be made.

I would buy one in a second.

Slow Clap

Was watching the movie "Definitely, Maybe" the other day. Not very good. I would say, definitely, maybe, no.

In the middle of this "rom-com" (and I would use that term very loosely), the movie throws in a completely unearned slow clap.

Now don't get me wrong, I am the biggest fan of the slow clap. I often like training my class to do the perfect slow clap. Nothing is greater than pulling the slow clap on someone who enters the classroom. However, in a movie the slow clap should only be pulled after some sort of stirring inspirational speech. Not for selling some seats to a fancy pants dinner like in Definitely, Maybe.

If you are not sure what the slow clap is I found a good slow clap montage from a bunch of movies. Great splicing. Love the Cool Runnings shot.

And that's that.

Random Thought Based on a Guilty Confession

On the plane ride home from Zurich to Vancouver, the international flight with Air Canada really treats you well. I don't think I have ever ate or drank so much on a plane ride. My favourite part of the trip was having my own personal entertainment display, the one that sits in the back of the chair. If you really like movies like I do, then having carte blanche of new movies is almost overwhelming. I get aggressive and just pound out movies back to back to back, thus maximizing my viewing time. I watched Body of Lies, Rock N Rolla, Four Holidays, and then in a moment of "what the hell" gave Twilight a whirl.

I haven't read the books. As a teacher, I keep hearing about it. So I thought I should do some research and watch the movie.

I really hope the books are better than the movie. Two of the students on the trip saw me watching the movie, which only further embarrassed me.

My guilty confession leads to my random thought:

I SO want to Twitter some false sightings of the Twilight cast, now filming here in Vancouver, to send fans scrambling frantically to search for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson only to be supremely disappointed.

"OMG RP AND KS are at Moody Park! BRB! LOL, ROLF, TGIF, MTFBWY, TTFN"
"IMHO RP is dreamy... ><. Just saw him outside Starbuckz on Commercial Drive!"

Imagine Twittering all day and creating a mini-riot all over town.

Stanley Cup Prediction

These thoughts have been building in me for a good month, but the Canucks solid victory over the Blackhawks today, confirms what I thought. Right now these Canucks put in consistently solid efforts and if they have a clunker they follow it with a determined game plan. They have shown me in games like tonight against the Hawks and the Dallas Stars earlier this week that they can play tough and won't back down. I really like how each line is hustling these days. Somehow it seems like we actually have some speed even though a lot of the players are from the same group last year.

I hope the Western Conference picture holds up like it is, because if it does, the Vancouver Canucks will win the Cup.

Detroit Red Wings vs Nashville Predators: The Preds for some reason have simply had their number. They beat them again tonight in DETROIT. Bye #2 seed.

San Jose Sharks vs St Louis Blues: The only team that I don't think that the Canucks match up well against is San Jose. However, with the way the Blues are playing I think they can upset the 1st seed.

I do not want the Canucks to pass the Flames, because I think the Blackhawks are a great match up for the Canucks. They possess a lot of skill, but there are not a lot of big, gritty forwards that will give the Canucks problems.

We have a very deep team this year. I really like an angry Demitra. Luongo will do his thing. Burrows makes the Sedins look dangerous and vice versa. Salo actually has been playing very well. Kesler and Sundin provide more than an average support for a second line.

I am simply going to say it right now. I believe in this team more than any other Canuck version. Canucks win the Cup in 2009.

Sorry for the absence

I have been travelling in Europe for Spring Break.

Right now I am in a small town called Singen in Southern Germany, only 5 minutes away from the Swiss border.

Quite the change in pace from Rome, Florence, and Paris, which I visited with students from my school for the last 8 days or so.

Staying for one more day and then flzing out of Zurich on Mondaz. This German keyboard has the Z and Y switched around. Annozing.

Ciao.

Keyboard Synthesizer Drum Set

Got some time to waste? Check out this sweet keyboard drum set you can play online.

http://www.ronwinter.tv/drums.html

Random Things That I Like That You May Not

Since October, I took the plunge and got an iPhone.

The negatives?
- Price. Not a cheap piece of equipment unless you tie it into a contract.
- Price. When you add up what you are paying for your Data plan, plus your existing monthly plan, you are looking at close to $100 a month.
- Battery life. You need to charge the phone every night. I have almost run out of charge before I have returned home for the evening.
- The lack of tactile buttons (especially raised buttons) allows for many errors when navigating/typing/looking for contacts.

The positives? Even after all the negatives that I listed along with the recognition that it is a shiny toy, it is nevertheless a phone that I immensely enjoy. I know business users lean towards a Blackberry, but having never used a Blackberry before, I love the way the iPhone essentially acts like a mini-laptop for me.

-Seamless integration. Since I already have a Macbook, I love how I can sync my calendar off of my computer with my iPhone and everything backs up automatically through iTunes. I have found that I have become immensely more organized, since my iPhone acts as my daily agenda planner and it makes it easy to enter in appointments and dates immediately. I also enter phone # and emails right way, thus eliminating the need to collect those stupid business cards that I inevitably lose and then have to spend time trying to find.
-Where I think the iPhone excels over the Blackberry is the wealth of Applications available to download. Now I can even download Applications through my iPhone so I don't have to connect to my computer. I think I only sync with my laptop once a week or so. My favourite app is ShopShop, which I used to generate a grocery list each week. It is free, simple to use, and extremely handy. You can even email your grocery list to other people in your family.

Other apps I like? I find that I read tons of news now off of the NYTimes app, and the Maps app is amazing. You simply type in the address and the GPS locator will track your iphone and you just simply follow the directions.

-Access to email. You can't set-up your Hotmail account easily, but I love being able to see/send emails from my accounts at any time.
-Sports updates. As a sports fanatic, I can always check what the scores out from wherever I am.
-Having access to the Internet. I love it when I am searching for some store or I need to find store hours that I can do so now instantaneously. And if a phone number is listed on the webpage, I can just tap it and automatically the phone will start dialing.
-Voice recorder/notes: I am able to make lists as soon as something pops up into my head.
-Music. If you love music like I do, it is great having an iPod with you all the time, since you have your cell phone on you all the time. No more carrying around two items. As well, when I have gone on some long trips, I have converted some of my DVDs into mp4 form, so I can watch the movie off of my iPhone. Wall-E looks amazing even on the small iPhone screen.

For me this last part about music and movies, makes me recognize how my iPhone will now shape my entertainment tastes. I am completely in charge of what I want to listen to. No more Team 1040 or bad radio all the time. Now I can listen to radio streaming onto my iPhone using F Stream at anytime (Thanks Cam for that one).

I am able to hook up my iPhone to my car stereo system and now I just listen to podcasts driving into work and I kid you not, my commute is so much more enjoyable. These days I like to listen to Bill Simmons' podcast and Adam Corolla's podcast. Please note that Adam Corolla's podcast will offend many of you, but I like to listen to humorous conversation while I am driving.

Adam Corolla's podcast does represent a new world of entertainment because of these smart phones. Corolla was the host of a popular morning radio station (I would listen to it on 107.7) but CBS cut the program due to budget considerations. Since Corolla is getting paid for the remainder of his contract, he decided just to podcast from his home. No censors, no sponsors, and completely free, fans have flocked to his podcast as he now is the #1 download on iTunes.

Podcasts aren't new, but now, I like how I can download podcasts, like CBC Radio 3 and NPR (excellent sources for music) immediately. Before I would have to sync things through a laptop and my iPod, which unless you do everyday makes many of the podcasts obsolete by the time you download. Now I can grab them at any time. Or I can just listen to them through a website through the iPhone Safari browser.

I like that I have ultimate choice of what I listen to. My most mundane chores (laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning) become less mundane, because of what I can listen to. I like that I can watch video podcasts of specific things (I am into cooking videos these days) or find recipes while at the grocery store.

As you can see I am impressed by the iPhone. For such an early version, I am amazed at how seamless it works. As I walk down the street listening to music through my headphones, a call comes in and the music fades out and I just have to click the one button remote on the headphones to answer.

And all these positives above are tied into one of my negatives: Battery life.

That particular negative is a bit misleading, because now my phone is not just a phone. I use it for a multitude of things throughout the day which means the battery takes a pounding everyday.

Complete unnecessary piece of technology? Yes. But I can't imagine going back to a regular cell phone.

Random You Tube Clip: Mario Brothers Matrix

Stumbled across some of these old clips on YouTube the other day:

For those of you who love Mario Brothers, check out this clip. It gets a bit long near the end, but make sure you wait for the great power-up moment.

If you have more time to burn check out Japanese Dinner and Ping Pong Matrix.

Finally, if you want to see more time wasting things, check out Human Tetris and Human Space Invaders.

People sure know how to waste time productively.

Sick sick sick Alexander Ovechkin

Two years ago I think people would have selected Sidney Crosby over Alexander Ovechkin. Now? Not even close. The passion with which Ovechkin plays hockey is infectious. And I think the people of Washington are beginning to realize how special of a player they have within there midst. This guy is going to be so awesome to watch during next year's Olympics.

Tonight's goal that he scored is AMAZING. I think I watched it about ten times. I defy you not to be amazed.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=290218023

The fact that I had to blog about it right now, gives you an idea how good it has to be.

The Mount Rushmore of Canucks

Matt Beimers left an interesting comment to my last post yesterday:

"We are streaking all the way to the playoffs. How about "10 Things I Love About Being a Canucks Fan" or your 10 Favorite Canucks or your 10 Favorite Canucks moments. The more Canucks-stuff, the better.

P.S. We told a story last week in the staff room about you sending a kid to the art room after an art teacher ranted about not sending kids to the art room. That was brilliant."

First, let's address the art room story. I felt really bad about that. But you know how there are times when you just are so tempted by something? I could not resist. I totally forgot about this incident. I purposely sent a student from my class to ask to borrow some paper from the art teacher after this teacher addressed the staff NOT to do so. So childish of me and the teacher was certainly not happy with me (nor the student). Again, I could not resist, but I definitely knew that I was going to get in trouble. Please do not follow suit in your own workplace.

As for talking about Canucks all the time? I cannot do that, because then I would feel like I am living in Team 1040 land permanently. If you mosey over to Matt Beimers' blog and look at the right side bar you will notice his top 5 Canucks of all time. His choices got me thinking.

The popular game out there right now is coming up with the Mount Rushmore of your favourite team. One of my favourite hockey writers, John Buccigross of ESPN, attempted to do this for all of the NHL teams. He came up with Pavel Bure, Trevor Linden, Stan Smyl, and Markus Naslund.

I would like to present to you my personal Canucks Mount Rushmore... remember that these are my choices and my Canucks attachment only goes back to the mid-80s (I vaguely remember the Stanley Cup run in 1982, because I was only 6 years old).

1) Trevor Linden: If you read my previous post about my favourite Canuck, then this needs no further explanation.
2) Pavel Bure: Up until he betrayed us, there was not a more exciting and breath-taking hockey player out there. Ovechkin matches the speed and excitement that Bure brought to the ice. What a goal scorer. I still remember how excited I was seeing him playing tennis at UBC.
3) Stan Smyl: I think you would be remiss not to include Steamer in the Mt. Rushmore pantheon, even though he wasn't my favourite player.
4) This last spot probably goes towards Kirk McLean. I can't decide between him or Markus Naslund, but that 1994 Cup run was the most memorable time for me as a Canuck fan, and his sliding save in overtime off Robert Reichel in Game 7 against Calgary has to be one of the defining plays of the Canucks franchise. Here's hoping that Luongo keeps playing well for many, many years with us, thus getting his face chiselled on Canucks Mt. Rushmore.

Hope that will satiate your Canucks appetite for now Beimers.

I would love to hear your Canucks Mt. Rushmore lineup.

Random Things That I Like That You May Not

1) Manuka Honey

My mother who has always been cognizant of her children's health, always sends us some sort of new trend. Usually I am skeptical, but her latest gift was a jar of Manuka honey. This stuff is expensive for honey, but I guess because it supposedly has tons of benefits and it is from New Zealand. I often think these sort of health items contribute a placebo effect, like when I take tons of echinacea when I start feeling sick. So, you can click on the link above and read slanted advertisement espousing all of the benefits of Manuka honey, or you can just go by my personal testimony of this honey.

a) It tastes so fricking good that Winnie the Pooh would be crashing through your windows to get his grubby paws on your honey jar.
b) Twice this winter, I started getting sick with a sore throat and a cocktail of Manuka honey, Vitamin C pills, and echinacea meant I never got a full-blown sickness, unlike my dear wife.

Of course, all of my immunity could be attributed to the fact that I got a flu vaccine this year and she didn't. But hey I still love this honey.

2) Kreations Bakery

My friend, Bryan, tells me about all the good places to eat in Vancouver. He recommended this dessert bakery on Cambie Street (around 18th Street). They make cakes, but also sell small individual sizes. As part of Valentine's, I picked up a cheesecake and raspberry ganache. They are about $5 each and I must say, the cheesecake is divine. If you live in the neighbourhood, do not past go, do not collect $200 and go straight to Kreations.

Click the link above and I dare you not to drool all over your keyboard.

Random Things That I Like That You May Not

I thought I would share some random quick hit thoughts in order to try to blog more. I am still writing a post about my fav 2009 movies, but at the rate I am going, I may have to start to write about 2010 movies.

1) House of Dosa: This Indian Restaurant makes these crepe-like wraps filled with what you want (ie lamb vindaloo). It is on the corner of Kingsway and Knight? (1391 Kingsway). Not the most amazing food, but something different to try out and on Monday nights everything is half-price.

2) For some reason I get annoyed by slamming cupboards. I bought a couple of these Blumotion hinges from Home Depot for about $8 each. Once installed, it acts as an air buffer that makes the cupboards close slowly. I find it utterly fascinating and unnecessary. I think I try to slam my cupboards over and over every day to watch the cupboards somehow not slam every time. Beautiful.

OK, how was that for some randomness?

Go Canucks go! Who would have thought that Alex Burrows would be the perfect fit for the twins? I went to the Montreal game and it was the best regular season game I have seen in years.

Time flies... let's try something new.

I think in order to maintain a blog, I need to have no job. I find that real life constantly interferes with my hopes of writing nonsensical things on this blog. This blog laziness makes me almost feel guilty, except that allowing for reality to be a higher priority than this blog is an OK thing.

Which explains my total lack of continuing my 2008 year in review. It is now February 2009.

Bravo.

So, I hope to post something monthly that will share something new or something that I like.

So the Twitter thing has been gaining lots of momentum over the last year and when I first read about it, I was reluctant. But I thought I might as well try it out. If you want a way to communicate to a social network that is better than text-messaging and even instant messaging, open up your account here. It is one of those useless but kinda cool technology things. If you have an iphone, it makes for even more fun.

So gather a group of your friends, sign up on Twitter and start sending the tweets to each other. See how it works for you.

My twitter for this blog will be: icecreamspinach

Bye. Come back in a year to read my next post.

Happy New Year! My favourite 2008 music tracks...

Hello everyone. The holidays were excellent except for being royally screwed over by Air Canada. We got stuck in Toronto and missed Christmas in Atlanta. Thank you Air Canada. Thank you for the long line-ups to different answers to my same questions and for not once providing customer service to a couple of people who like many others were just trying to share the holidays with their families. To those of you ever flying with Air Canada... if you encounter any problems just phone their 1800 number. Once you wait an hour to get through they will actually help rebook your missed connection unlike everyone else who just passes your problem along to someone else in some other line. Now I sound real bitter.

So I haven't wrote anything for a bit, so I thought I would follow the trends of all magazines/websites and share some of my favourite things from 2008 with you. Of course these lists become even more irrelevant when you share them almost halfway through January. Whatever.

First, I would like to share my thoughts on some of my favourite tracks of the year. My friend Chad organizes a CD swap every year and here are my tracks from the CD compilation I put together for the group:

I noticed a trend this year about the tracks that I like. I figured out that I am a sucker for horns (brassy trumpets especially) and if a swelling string section is thrown in for good measure, my ears like it even more. Assembling these tracks made me realize that I subconsciously fall for tracks that start off quiet, building to a crescendo of either guitars, drums, or sonic wailing. I am disappointed that I am that easily swayed.

Select the links to see some live performances or the video of the song/band.

1) The Rip (4:33) Portishead-Third- It has been awhile since Portishead released an album. Certainly, the layoff hasn’t hurt. I can’t listen to this album in the car, because it is too soothing.
2) Gobbledigook (3:05) Sigur Rós-Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust-I have no idea what this Icelandic band is saying, but their music is gorgeous. I feel like this is their most accessible album and their genius was confirmed when I caught their act at the Chan Centre. This was the last song of the set and I remember smiling as the confetti streamed down.
3) Oxford Comma (3:16) Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend-You know the inevitable backlash has begun against this band, but I won’t hold against these guys for producing one of the catchiest records of the year, which ties for my fav of 2008 with Sigur Ros. It was a hard choice choosing my favourite track but I love the beginning of this one.
4) Love Lockdown (4:33) Kanye West-808s & Heartbreak-Auto-tune was the choice of the rappers this year. Lil Wayne, T-Pain, and finally Kanye West. He ain’t a singer, but this track’s percussive throb propels me to pick this one. My actual fav is the repetitive chorus of the last part of “Robocop”. Too bad the rest of the track underwhelms.
5) Sex On Fire (3:26) Kings Of Leon-Only By The Night- Saw them on SNL. Heard it two days later on Gossip Girl. What a track.
6) Human (4:06) The Killers-Day & Age- “Are you human or are you dancer?” makes for a silly chorus, but this sounds like classic Killers. First saw this on SNL and knew it would be a winner.
7) Chemtrails (4:40) Beck-Modern Guilt - This is Beck? Once again, he proves his musical talents knows no bounds.
8) Lover's Day (5:56) TV on the Radio-Dear Science-There is so much going on sonically in this song. I hear something different everytime. I challenge you not to smile and tap your feet as this track builds up.
9) Lost Coastlines (5:32) Okkervil River-The Stand Ins- So relieved that their follow-up disc matches the rock of the previous one.
10) I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory (4:37) Kathleen Edwards-Asking For Flowers- I have always loved Kathleen Edwards. Anyone who sings Gretzky and McSorley in a song is fine by me.
11) For Emma (3:41) Bon Iver-For Emma, Forever Ago-I don’t know what to say other than that I love this track.
12) Stick With Me Baby (2:52) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss-Raising Sand-The only thing I don’t like about this duet is their success is probably preventing us from seeing the full reunion of Led Zepplin.
13) Lost+ (4:19) Coldplay-Prospekt's March-My first choice would have been Viva la Vida, but everyone has heard this. I choose this track because throwing Jay-Z into the mix makes the proceedings more interesting.
14) White Winter Hymnal (2:27) Fleet Foxes-Fleet Foxes- Great disc. Amazing song. They appear on SNL next week.
15) You Can Do Better Than Me (1:59) Death Cab For Cutie-Narrow Stairs-Such a sad ditty, but simplistic and representative of a solid album from DCFC. The version I found on YouTube is scored to some old surfing movie. Weird.

Bonus Tracks: These are not all from 2008, but they still dominated my listening.

16) Wreckless Love (3:53) Alicia Keys-As I Am-After seeing live at the Orpheum, she confirmed that she is beautiful and talented. Her backing band had the best jam of the year on “You Don’t Call Me Anymore.” I have a bigger crush on her now. Check out her American Music Awards performance with Queen Latifah. I forgot that the Queen could rap.
17) House Of Cards (5:28) Radiohead-In Rainbows- I came back to this album over and over again. This video is pretty neat.
18) A Milli (3:42) Lil Wayne-Tha Carter III Lil Wayne's lyrics may offend you, but I think he is pretty funny. Not the best song in the world, but I am always fascinated by anyone (specifically rappers) who can keep a constant verbal barrage going on yet somehow maintain rhythm. I can barely string three sentences together these days. I always wonder how rappers can remember what they need to rap live.
19) Today (3:20) The Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream I hate the Toronto Maple Leafs (sorry all of you TO lovers out there), but I loved their entrance to this track when I caught a game on the old CBC this year. Seeing those classic blue and white jerseys and hearing the perfect beginning riff of this song... I wish the Canucks could work on their entrance music. Sorry I couldn't find the entrance on YouTube.