The 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos

One last post for 2009. Check it out, The 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos of the decade, here.

Happy new year, don't say I never give you nothing....

courtesy of http://www.urlesque.com/

Happy New Year!!

Be safe and have fun. All the best to you and yours in 2010, from The Adventures of Mad Mal and Hobbes (and Calvin too!!).

Bloon Moon Shines On New Years Eve

A Blue Moon is an astronomical phenomenon. It's a full moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days compared to the lunar year.
The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years there is an extra full moon. And that's what's happening this year. The term 'blue moon' is commonly used metaphorically to describe the rarity of an event, as in the idiomatic expression, 'once in a blue moon.'
courtesy of http://presurfer.blogspot.com/

Christmas Snaps

Some shots from Christmas, enjoy.
Hope you had a very merry Christmas. Now its time to get ready to say goodbye to 2009 and usher in 2010 and new decade.

Christmas 2009

I didn't get a chance to send out any Christmas cards this year, so you will have to consider this your Christmas card for 2009.

Dramatic Chipmunk Gets His Revenge

A present from me to all of you, merry Christmas.

Christmas Funny

The big bad wolf makes a Christmas mistake.

Merry Christmas

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends and family a very merry Christmas. May your day be filled with joy and love. I hope Santa is good to you and you get everything you've dreamt about.
Peace and love.

Schu Got To Be Kidding!

Look who's back...
Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is coming out of retirement to drive for Mercedes in 2010, saying he expects to contend for the title again.
The German, who turns 41 on Jan. 3, announced his comeback on Wednesday after three years away from the sport that he dominated for the first half of the decade.
'Three years of absence gave back all the energy that I'm feeling right now,' Schumacher said in a telephone conference. 'I feel ready for some serious stuff.
'I still feel absolutely on the edge. It's thrilling and exciting. I believe I can be absolutely competitive.''
Schumacher, who will join Nico Rosberg in an all-German team for the 2010 season, said he and Mercedes are in discussions about a deal through the 2012 season.
'We are talking about a three-year deal. It's not a one-off thing,' Schumacher said. 'We are looking for some continuation.'
Schumacher competed in 249 F1 races from 1991-2006 with Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari. He won the F1 driver's championship in 1994 and 1995, and five straight years from 2000-2004. He set records with 91 race wins and several other milestones in the sport which still stand.
'I am convinced that together we will be involved in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship next year,' he said."
To read the full article, click here.
And Kimi gets paid $20 million to sit out the season. Recession in F1? I think NOT!!
courtesy of the Toronto Star.

The Simpsons Factor

Because of the hit TV show, the Simpsons, Americans believe that nuclear power may not be a good thing.
Really!
Check it out: "An American philosophy professor who has edited a series of books about how much TV programs as the Simpsons has affected popular culture says many people may be concerned about nuclear power from watching the animated cartoon show...
Homer who works at a nuclear power plant--has perhaps put a negative spin on nuclear power by doing such things on the show as trying to stop a melt-down by randomly pressing buttons...
Mr Brurns is portrayed as a greedy, while Homers daughter, Lisa who is opposed to nuclear power -- is portrayed as a staunch environmental advocate."
To read the full story, click here.

All together now, D'oh!
courtesy of the Toronto Sun

A Class Act

Halladay takes out a full page ad in today's Toronto Sun to thank fans for their loyal support.
I will be the first to admit that I am not a big baseball fan, but I am a fan of Roy Halladay.
The city of Toronto has had many star athletes come and go throughout the years and usually when they are shown the door, it isn't pretty.
Not Roy Halladay.
Every time the Doc stepped on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays, you knew he was bringing his "A" game, each and every time. That's how he played from day one, and that's how he went out, still at the top of his game, pitching strikes.
The same can't be said about some of our other former sports superstars, right Vince Carter or Matts Sundin??
Thanks for the memories Doc.
A class act right to the end.

Hello Winter

Today is winter solstice. Which means it is the shortest day of the year, and the official first day of winter. Starting tomorrow, the days begin to get longer.

Summer is just around the corner...

Best Commercials Of The Decade

Here's another one for you, the best commercials of the decade. Not too impressed with number one, so far my money goes to Nike: Tag. But the Bud Light: Swear Jar is pretty funny as well.

Check it out here, and let me know which one you like best.

courtesy of the Toronto Sun

Top 10 Animal Videos Of The Year

Its that time of year...stumbled upon this site, Top 10 Animal Videos of the year. Pretty cool, check it out, here.
courtesy of www.urlesque.com

The Olympic Flame Burns Down The House!

The Olympic flame came through town yesterday on it's cross country journey to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver next February.

I sat glued in front of my set from about 5:30 to 8:oo pm watching as the flame made its way down Yonge street and was struck by how compelling this actually was to watch. The relay runners carrying the torches almost brought tears to my eyes, as I watched as the touched torches and shook hands or hugged as the flame was passed on from one runner to the next. There was tears, there was joy and a lot of Canadian pride. The streets were lined with people shouting encouragement, I could not believe how many people were out along the route to show their support.

At one point the flame was blocked by protesters on Yonge street, just before it was supposed to make a stop at Sick Kids Hospital. There was some question as to whether a few idiots would ruin the spectacle for everyone else. After a few tense moments, the flames was extinguished, and the mother flame safely hidden in the camper van following the runners, was whisked away down a side street.

The relay reestablished in front of Sick Kids Hospital, where runners who had missed their opportunity to carry the flame on Yonge street were reassembled in time to parade it in front of the waiting kids, assembled in the main foyer. It was jammed with kids, some who had waited for more then 3 hours just to glimpse this flame. They were not disappointed.

By now everything was way behind schedule, but the crowds just kept getting bigger, and bigger, waiting for the flame to appear at city hall.

When the the flame eventually arrived at city hall to a crowd of thousands, it was met by this huge cheer. It was amazing to watch how this simple flame could bring so much joy, for those that carried it and even for those that simply watched it go by. It was a moment that seemed to bring this city together, and it left me feeling proud to be a Canadian.

My mom was driving along York Mills yesterday just as the relay went by them. My nephew David was able to snap a couple of shots with my mom's cell phone camera. Pretty good for a cell phone camera.

Thanks to my mom for the cool shots.

We Meet Again

We ran into the coyote again today when me and the mutts went for our afternoon walk, this time it was in the Quarry.
The Quarry, just like it sounds is the land that a quarry once occupied. It is now abandoned and over grown with grass and empty fields. Many people use it as a place to walk their dogs. It is just north of where I live and about 5kms due north of where we last saw the coyote in the beach. It's pretty conceivable that this is the same one we saw last time, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was another one.
Today I spotted him on the path ahead of us, as we were on our walk through the tall grass. He spotted us and he kept one step ahead of us as we walked in the same direction. My dogs couldn't care less, but he kept a weary eye on us and he wouldn't let me get close enough for a shot with my crappy iPhone.

The coyote is just up ahead of the dogs on the path.

He would make sure he was far enough away from us and would stop and turn to watch us a we approached, and then move to another spot further up to watch us some more. He didn't appear to be worried about the dogs. Eventually he got bored with us and disappeared into the nearby marsh.

Again, the coyote is at the top of the shot watching us --really! Crappy iPhone camera!!

The things you see in the middle of the day in the heart of the city when you are out walking the mutts...

Look Who's Three!

The Fat Cyclist

The Fat Cyclist is a blog I stumbled upon awhile back.
It was a blog about a middle aged guy who lives in Utah, who decided to chronicle his fight with his weight and his love of bicycling on a blog he called the Fat Cyclist. It was a blog filled with funny stories and pictures of his mountain bikes rides.

And then his wife got sick with cancer and eventually died.

The blog changed into something different, it became more about a man and his struggle with life and death, then just his love of bicycles.

He began chronicling his wife's fight with cancer, and at the same time, he contacted the Live Strong foundation as a way for him to deal with what was going on in his life and a way for him to give back. More people began reading his blog, and even more began donating, in honour of Fatty's wife, Susan.

Something like this would be enough to crush anyone, but it didn't crush Fatty. Instead he threw everything he had into tirelessly supporting the Live Strong Foundation through the one thing he knew and loved, which was biking.

This year he managed to raise almost a million dollars for cancer research, made some friends like Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel, who donated some great prizes for his donation efforts, which Fatty in turn raffled off to his loyal blog readers as a thanks for their support.

This blog has been an inspiration, I highly recommend you check it out, here.

RIP James Delorey

An incredible story with a very sad end. If you didn't believe in the power of animal loyalty and love before, then this story should open your eyes to the lengths an animal will go to protect the life of their owner.

SYDNEY, N.S. — James Delorey's dog hung its head outside the window of a hearse at the boy's funeral service Monday, a moment that symbolized the loyalty the faithful family pet displayed for the seven-year-old boy.
Chance sat in the front passenger seat as the funeral procession arrived at a church in Cape Breton, where hundreds gathered to mourn a boy who captured hearts across the country.
James got lost after following Chance - a mixed-breed - into the woods near his home in South Bar, outside Sydney.
Chance returned two days later and searchers found James unconscious, curled up under a thick stand of spruce, after they traced the dog's paw prints in the snow.
Hopes that James would survive were dashed a day later after he died in hospital of hypothermia.
During his sermon Monday, Rev. Errol MacDonald said while the fervent hope that James would recover did not come to pass, the frantic efforts to find him brought people together.
"This is the busiest time of the year. Everyone is caught up with their own agendas," the priest said, standing before a casket draped in white.
"Yet in the past week, everyone stopped. And in that stopping they found the true meaning of Christmas - that a child would give us hope."
MacDonald also expressed hope during the service that the tragedy might create a broader understanding of autism.
The search for James was made more difficult because he was autistic and couldn't speak.
Searchers were told that he probably wouldn't respond to their calls.
They were told to shout words to which he might respond, including pizza, his favourite food, and "Come on, let's go see mummy."
James had run away before, usually showing up not far from his home at a neighbour's house. Many of the police, paramedics and ground searchers who helped look for the boy formed an honour guard outside Holy Redeemer Church after the service and some placed spruce cuttings on top of the casket after it was carried out.
The service included a choir singing Christmas carols.
An emotional Paul Vienneau of Cape Breton search and rescue could barely speak as he described the funeral as "very sombre, very heartbreaking."
"I lost it when they started singing Silent Night," said Vienneau.
Cape Breton Liberal MP Mark Eyking was among the mourners but he too said he found it hard to talk once outside the church.
"This time of year, it's hard. Just a sad, sad situation," he said.
"But there was a lot of inspiration there too from the priest's word that we all stick together here in Cape Breton. It was a powerful message."
James wasn't wearing winter clothes when he was reported missing. A snowstorm hit Nova Scotia hours later, which hampered search efforts.
Rescue officials said James probably clung to life by seeking shelter in the thick underbrush and huddling with Chance.
He was suffering from extreme hypothermia when he was found and airlifted to a children's hospital in Halifax.
But the cold took its toll.
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

The Great Debate: Finally Settled

Check this out. Finally science answer's the question to the age old argument, which is smarter, a dog or a cat?

"December’s New Scientist magazine has answered one of the great questions of our time: Which pet is better, a dog or a cat?
While the science involved in determining which animal is superior is slightly suspect (surely, it is a case of personal preference, no?), writer Kate Douglas went at the question from a scientific angle, formulating 11 categories and rated dogs and cats accordingly.
1. Brains
Dogs have larger brains, but cats have larger brains as compared to their body size. But what’s really important is the number of neurons found in the cortex which indicates information processing capacity. Cats have almost double the number of neurons than dogs at 300 million versus 160 million.
The winner: Cats
2. Shared History
Human life has been intricately bound with the dogs and cats for thousands of years, but which animal was first in our hearts? The latest research seems to show that dogs may have been domesticated as late as 16,000 years ago – notably as food, not companionship. Scientists believe cats only became domesticated by about 9,600 B.C.
The winner: Dogs
3. Bonding
To test how close the emotional bonds are between dogs and humans, dogs were given a “strange situation” test. A dog gets distressed when the owner is absent and the environment is unknown, and happy when the owner returns. Naturally the bond between the dog and the owner is very close.
Cats refused to participate in the test in the first place and were upset when taken out of their own environment, which may say more about their character than their bonding qualities.
The winner: Dogs
4. Popularity
Without digressing and pointing out it’s easier to keep a cat in an urban environment than an Irish Wolfhound, the magazine compares number of animals in the top-10 cat- and dog-owning countries in the world. In pure numbers, the cats win with 204 million felines in those countries versus 173 million dogs.
The winner: Cats
5. Understanding
Dogs can learn to obey verbal commands, hand gestures and discern information from the look on the pet owner’s face. Scientists believe cats are capable of these feats as well but, once again, the cat’s independent nature and lack of motivation prevents scientific data from being compiled. Dogs win this one though we suspect cats could care less.
The winner: Dogs
6. Problem solving
Cats typically refused to participate in this round as well. However, dogs have not done as well in problem-solving tests as compared with their cousins, wolves, whose brains are one-third larger. Yet, when it comes to working dogs that help the blind, sniff out drugs of find trapped humans, there is no comparison. Who ever heard of a Police Feline Unit?
The winner: Dogs
7. Vocalization
Dogs bark and cats purr and it’s obvious which sound is more attractive to the human ear. Scientists believe that cats are using their “solicitation purrs” to bring out the nurturing side of humans. Barking is something that alerts us to danger but doesn’t make us feel as warm and fuzzy.
The winner: Cats
8. Tractability
Tractability, or the ability to be trained, is a quality that dogs excel at. Dogs respond to stimulus and reinforcement and are really interested in making their owners happy. Cats? Meh.
The winner: Dogs
9. Super senses
In the smelling skill area, a bloodhound will top a cat but in fact the average cat has more smell receptors than the average dog. Cats also have better eyes and ears.
The winner: cats
10. Eco-friendliness
A medium-size dog's green eco-print is 0.84 hectares, the area it takes to feed it annually. For cats, it’s just 0.15 hectares. The magazine notes that both pets are menaces to local wildlife such as birds.
The winner: cats
11. Utility
New Scientist has delved into health benefits of owning these pets. Cats can relieve stress when you sit and pet them but walking a dog can add years to your life by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The winner: dogs
The conclusion: Dogs are better than cats, but just by a hair.
Dog owners can rejoice and cat-owners, like their pets, can simply take no notice at all."

Just as I suspected; dogs are smarter than cats, but good luck trying to get a cat owner to believe it.

courtesy of the Toronto Sun

The Shadow King

I came across this article this morning and found it very interesting, maybe you will too.

Prince William to share Queen's duties: Treasury document reveals secret plan to make him the 'Shadow King'
"The Queen is to hand over a substantial part of her public duties to Prince William to help him prepare for the day when he becomes King, according to a confidential document obtained by The Mail on Sunday. Secret papers reveal that plans to ease the strain on the 83-year-old monarch and her 88-year-old husband, Prince Philip, are at an advanced stage...
...This will add to speculation that the Queen believes William, rather than Charles, represents the best long-term interests of the monarchy..."
Read more, here.

Why is this of any interest to us here in Canada? Because as a Canadian we are a country that is ultimately governed by the Queen of England. Check it out:

"As per the Constitution Act, 1867, Canada is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the role of the reigning sovereign is both legal and practical. The Crown is regarded as a corporation, with the monarch, vested as she is with all powers of state,[9] at the centre of a construct in which the power of the whole is shared by multiple institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority;[10][11] the Crown has thus been described as the underlying principle of Canada's institutional unity,[12] with the executive formally called the Queen-in-Council, the legislature the Queen-in-Parliament, and the courts as the Queen on the Bench."

courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org

And even though at first glance this may seem like a trivial story, news like this is of actual significance to Canadians like you and me.

story and picture courtesy of http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Winter In The City

Here are some shots of winter arriving in Toronto.

Wednesday morning, the day of the "big snow storm"

More like the big wind storm -- just ask Hobbes.The day after the big storm, Thursday morning, there was some snow, but not much.Calvin was not impressed with the first snow storm of the season.Sun rising...Storm clouds without the snow.Ice on the rocks this morning.

News Flash

The great storm that wasn't has arrived in Toronto. Not even enough snow on the ground for me to get out my camera and take a picture. Welcome to Canada in December, where it snows in winter. Get used to it.

Amazing Squirrel

Check out this cool ad from Carlsberg.

That is one serious sports drink.
courtesy of http://www.bigredkev.com/

Toronto Traffic Hell

Have you tried getting around the downtown core lately? Traffic in this city is outrageous! There is literally construction everywhere you turn and once you're in it, there is nowhere to go without hitting more.

Queen street between Yonge and Church is closed due to streetcar track repairs. Church street is down to one south lane only from Jarvis to Queen because of streetcar repairs. Richmond is down from four lanes to one due to streetcar repairs.

Streetcars from these routes are lined up 5 deep on other major arteries as they try to get around all this mess causing even further delays to traffic.

Yonge and Bloor was down to one lane in both directions this morning right in the middle of rush hour due to line painting. (They were painting bike lanes, in December!)

Not too mention all the other construction going on in the city, which include road repairs and water main repairs on almost every frikken corner!

It was bumper to bumper all the way from my house to downtown and then the same thing on the way home.

From what I saw out there, the TTC certainly isn't the better way, in fact I would go so far as to say streetcars are a major contributing force to the congestion in downtown Toronto. (But we all know where I stand on the streetcar issue.)

You would think that instead of turning the entire city into a construction zone they would pick an area, fix what ever needs to be fixed and then move onto the next area, not do it all at once paralyzing traffic in the process.

No, that would make too much sense for the clowns in city hall. Who cares that the people sitting in traffic fuming (be it on the bus or in their cars) are the ones that run and fund this city.

Do you think they are getting fair value for their tax dollar?

Take a drive downtown and let me know what you think.

And So It Begins...

The weatherman is forecasting a major storm is on the way, expected to hit the GTA Wednesday morning -- maybe. See, its too early to tell right now (Monday), but they are watching it as it takes shape in Colorado. It may come this way, it may not. It may snow, then again it might be rain. At this time its just too hard to predict, but they just wanted us to know that there is a possibility that I could happen ... and if it does, than maybe Wednesday.

So to paraphrase, be ready, cause you know it's like December in Canada and it like may, you know, snow. It's been known to happen.

Don't forget, you heard it here first.

Sugar Streak

This has got to be the coolest ad campaign ever! Check it out



An added bonus-its all shot in Toronto. Pick out the landmarks as Sugar Streak runs by.
Kudos to Koodo!
courtesy of http://www.blameitonthevoices.com/

Plastic Bag Guilt

When did grocery stores stop bagging your groceries? Was it when they started charging for the plastic bags you used?
I won't mention any names, but there is one in particular (it rhymes with Bloblaws) that I am talking about.

I don't use reusable bags. I like plastic bags. I use them to pick up after my dogs when I take them for a walk. And because I have two dogs, I use a lot of plastic bags.

So, I don't mind paying for them IF I have to.

But what bugs the hell out of me is when I am at the cash paying for my groceries and ask for Plastic bags, instead of bagging my groceries as they go through the check out like they used to, now they let it all accumulate at the bottom of the conveyor belt and then try to figure out how many bags I need at the end.

Bad enough I have to pay for the bags, but now the cashier has given herself twice the amount of work to do. Why not bag the groceries as you go along and then total the bags up at the end?

No, that would be too easy. Instead you ask me at the beginning, how many bags I will need.

How the hell do I know?

Who can up with this process?

I just want my groceries put into as many plastic bags as I need so I can go home.

Why can't you just scan them and bag them like you used to? When did we cross that line? What happened to our relationship? When did it change and go so horribly wrong?

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Where Have All Your Manners Gone?

Whats the deal with people and manners these days? And by that I mean, where is it and where did it go?

Let's start with say, I don't know, going to the theatre. (Movie theatres apply here too.)

Why would you go to place, pay money, and then talk through the entire thing you paid good money to see? And by talking I mean talking loud enough so you can hear yourself above the musical number.

WTF?

Do you not see the other people all around you sitting quietly trying to enjoy the show?

SHUT THE FUCK UP!

If you insist on talking, whisper, get out or better yet, don't even come.

Why do people do this? What happened to their manners?

I mean really?

And if that's not bad enough, how about putting a hand over your mouth when you cough. I should not be feeling your breath on the back of my neck and the side of my face ...WTF?!?

H1N1 --- Heeeelllloooooo!!!
Is it just me?

The Toxic Avenger

I took the wife to see the Toxic Avenger last night at the Danforth Music Hall, and I've got to tell you, we had a rocking good time.
Right up there with Little Shop of Horrors and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Toxic Avenger is a musical comedy about an unlikely super hero, his beautiful blind girlfriend, a corrupt city mayor, and two guys that play everyone else.

Really?!

This show was a blast from start to finish.

(David Bryan in black shirt second from the right.

picture taken with my crappy i-Phone camera. Sorry Tina!)

Co-created by Bon Jovi keyboardist, David Bryan, this show had everything. It was touching, and funny and the musical numbers were smartly done and left you laughing in amazement.

Hats off to the two guys who play everyone else, because they really do play everyone else!

Tickets to this show are pretty reasonably priced, but I will let you in on a secret. We got same day rush tickets, available after 1:00 at the box office, sat in the 6th row from the stage and paid $30 for both of us. This was cheaper then going to the movies and there is an unbelievable amount of restaurants to choose from in the area.

So if you go, why not make a night out of it, you won't be disappointed.

No Snow In Sight

December 4th and we are still waiting the arrival of snow here in the big city and quite frankly I'm OK with that.

Our Brush With The Beach Coyote

About a month or so ago, I came home from work about 2:30 am in the morning after working the late shift. As I got out of my car and was standing there in the street locking it, I noticed an animal walking towards me on the opposite sidewalk. I stood there and watched as a coyote walked towards me and then past me, never giving me a second look as I shook my head in amazement.

This morning, like most mornings, I took my dogs for a walk along the beach, down at the bottom of the R C Harris Filtration plant or the Waterworks as it is also known as.

We were playing at the bottom of the hill, when I looked up and spotted him. It was the coyote, casually walking past us, along the top of the top of the hill. At first I thought it was someones dog running ahead of its owner, it was that big, but then I realized it wasn't. It was the infamous beach coyote, walking by us like we were part of the scenery.

The area I was in was fairly busy, even at 7:30 in the morning, with people walking their dogs and construction workers on the roof, working on the filtration plant. Even with all this action going on, it didn't seem to bother the coyote one bit, it just kept on walking like it was supposed to be there.

As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared, along the greenbelt that runs parallel to Kingston road and turns into the Bluffs on the east side of the Waterworks.

Not five minutes earlier another guy and his dog, much smaller than mine, had been walking along the same path the coyote walked along, and if they had met, I guarantee you the coyote would of made quick work of that dog.

Now not only do we have to worry about the leash police, but now we also have to keep our eyes peeled for Wile E Coyote looking to make the next little dog he sees dinner.

How's that for life in the big city?