I'm just heading down to the apartment to haul the last of the garbage and crap out of there before the new tenants move in, and then off to work. As promised, I shall resume with the actual writing soon. It's going to be hotter than an untrained doberman's balls (ZB), I'm going to haul trash, shower again and then head into work for a 12 hour shift. There's only one thing to do before I head out into the sauna called Planet Earth: crank the air conditioner and do a highly choreographed dance!
OK Go - A Million Ways
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager
From the YouTube videosite, source of all my "trying to buy time before the end of my move" videos comes this funny tale of Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager.
Life is hard when you're Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother and you manage a grocery store.
Brought to you by Blame Society Productions. Watch many more of our films on our main website at: http://www.splu.net and also check out http://channel101.com for more shows like this - the unavoidable future of entertainment!
Written and Directed by Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan
YouTube - Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager (episode 1)
Credit: Nikita for sending this in
Life is hard when you're Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother and you manage a grocery store.
Brought to you by Blame Society Productions. Watch many more of our films on our main website at: http://www.splu.net and also check out http://channel101.com for more shows like this - the unavoidable future of entertainment!
Written and Directed by Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan
YouTube - Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager (episode 1)
Credit: Nikita for sending this in
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Snakes on the Soundtrack
I continue to settle into the new digs and the new job, and wrestle with a wireless connection that doesn't seem to work when I use my wireless phone. So to keep you occupied, here's the official theme song from the upcoming movie Snakes on a Plane.
Is all that buzz going to star Samuel L. Jackson's head? Nah, just Sam being Sam while presenting the award for best movie at the MTV Movie Awards:
Official Snakes On A Plane website
Is all that buzz going to star Samuel L. Jackson's head? Nah, just Sam being Sam while presenting the award for best movie at the MTV Movie Awards:
"I'm here tonight to present the award everyone's been waiting for: best movie. This award holds a special place in my heart because next year I'll be winning it for Snakes on a Plane. Now I know, I know that sounds cocky, but I don't give a damn. I'm guaranteeing that Snakes on a Plane will win best movie next year. Does not matter what else is coming out. New James Bond... no snakes in that! Ocean's 13... where my snakes at? Shrek the Third... green, but not a snake. No movie shall triumph over Snakes on a Plane. Unless I happen to feel like making a movie called Mo' Motha-fuckin' Snakes on Mo' Motha-fuckin' Planes."
Official Snakes On A Plane website
Monday, July 24, 2006
I've landed
First broadcast from the home office in Richmond Hill. And let me start off by saying I can't find anywhere in this damned town where I can drink coffee on a patio that isn't a Starbucks or facing a major road. Nothing like a 5 dollar cup of coffee and a lung full of exhaust. There endeth the bitching about the burbs. And to prove that it's not all bad up here, I am really looking forward to dining on some Korean BBQ and locating an Indian restaurant someone recommended to me. And while I'm at it, dim sum in Markham will be terrific too.
The move was a farce. I was stupid-hot. That means I was so hot I dropped 40 IQ points and neglected to think things thru: not enough boxes, not enough time to purge myself of excess clothes and books, trash the magazines. Just stupid stuff that resulted in a chaotic start to the Saturday move. But Trev, Steve, Jen, and Randy all came through for me, helping me quick-pack the essentials (I'll go back for the rest). As a couple of them said, I am entitled to one free move, and that was it. From here on out it's professionals. And this isn't the forum to name call the one guy who no-showed without a phonecall after Blackberrying me that he promised to be there. Nosireeebob, the internet is not for name calling. Nimrod.
Some odds and ends from the move:
My friends gave my some interesting advice that never occured to me: make the bedroom just a bedroom, and claim some basement space as my home office. That way I go to the bedroom to rest, not to mess around on the internet until dawn or work. This never occurred to me because for the past 10 years or so, I've been used to having the TV and computer set up in my bedroom. It seems like a simple thing, but I think it will help me get proper rest for a change.
My new job is challenging (good lord are a lot of people going to be focused on the results of my project), but one of the things I noticed is I've started to wear a watch again. Must indicate I am serious enough about it to show up on time.
The commute on the train is kind of pleasant. It's only a two blocks to the shuttle bus to the station or 15 minute walk to get to the train, and it was much better than the prospect of jamming into the rush-hour subway car, wall to wall with assholes and elbows. Can't wait until my iPod replacement arrives though.
I have to go back to the apartment to move out the remaining things and clean up. Among the crucial things left: my liquor cabinet, lamps, and all my right socks. All the left ones are here, can't seem to find any right ones.
It was a bit telling, that first night when I went to catch Pirates of the Caribbean 2 with friends. After the movie, I caught myself turning to go south to The City instead of north to the Burbs. Things sunk in. It may be stupid, but at least getting back to living in Toronto is a good solid goal to have. And having to drive to go anywhere is a bit ridiculous, I'll get used to it. Dare I say that I think this can work?
Your faithful 2scoops will continue blogging. It may be a bit sporadic while I settle into a new routine (did you know there was a 6 in the morning, as well as the evening?) and settle in. I have some painting and renovating to do in the home office, but I'll be back to full speed in no time.
And a quick thanks to all the folks who've been posting comments or mentioning in person they've been enjoying the blog. It means a lot to me.
The move was a farce. I was stupid-hot. That means I was so hot I dropped 40 IQ points and neglected to think things thru: not enough boxes, not enough time to purge myself of excess clothes and books, trash the magazines. Just stupid stuff that resulted in a chaotic start to the Saturday move. But Trev, Steve, Jen, and Randy all came through for me, helping me quick-pack the essentials (I'll go back for the rest). As a couple of them said, I am entitled to one free move, and that was it. From here on out it's professionals. And this isn't the forum to name call the one guy who no-showed without a phonecall after Blackberrying me that he promised to be there. Nosireeebob, the internet is not for name calling. Nimrod.
Some odds and ends from the move:
My friends gave my some interesting advice that never occured to me: make the bedroom just a bedroom, and claim some basement space as my home office. That way I go to the bedroom to rest, not to mess around on the internet until dawn or work. This never occurred to me because for the past 10 years or so, I've been used to having the TV and computer set up in my bedroom. It seems like a simple thing, but I think it will help me get proper rest for a change.
My new job is challenging (good lord are a lot of people going to be focused on the results of my project), but one of the things I noticed is I've started to wear a watch again. Must indicate I am serious enough about it to show up on time.
The commute on the train is kind of pleasant. It's only a two blocks to the shuttle bus to the station or 15 minute walk to get to the train, and it was much better than the prospect of jamming into the rush-hour subway car, wall to wall with assholes and elbows. Can't wait until my iPod replacement arrives though.
I have to go back to the apartment to move out the remaining things and clean up. Among the crucial things left: my liquor cabinet, lamps, and all my right socks. All the left ones are here, can't seem to find any right ones.
It was a bit telling, that first night when I went to catch Pirates of the Caribbean 2 with friends. After the movie, I caught myself turning to go south to The City instead of north to the Burbs. Things sunk in. It may be stupid, but at least getting back to living in Toronto is a good solid goal to have. And having to drive to go anywhere is a bit ridiculous, I'll get used to it. Dare I say that I think this can work?
Your faithful 2scoops will continue blogging. It may be a bit sporadic while I settle into a new routine (did you know there was a 6 in the morning, as well as the evening?) and settle in. I have some painting and renovating to do in the home office, but I'll be back to full speed in no time.
And a quick thanks to all the folks who've been posting comments or mentioning in person they've been enjoying the blog. It means a lot to me.
Landed by Ben Folds
We'd hit the bottom
I thought it was my fault
And in a way I guess it was
I'm just now finding out
What it was all about
We moved to the west coast
Away from everyone
She never told me that you called
Back when I was still
I was still in love
Till I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's "bye-bye. Goodbye, I tried"
And I twisted it wrong just to make it right
I had to leave myself behind
And I've been flying high all night
So come pick me up
I've landed
The daily dramas
She made from nothing
So nothing ever made it right
She liked to push me
And talk me back down
Until I believed I was the crazy one
And in a way I guess I was
When I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's "bye-bye. Goodbye, I tried"
Treading the sea of her troubled mind
I had to leave myself behind
Singin' "bye-bye. Goodbye, I tried
If you wrote me off
I'd understand it
'Cause I've been on
Some other planet
So come pick me up
I've landed
And you will be so happy to know
I've come alone
It's over
I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's "bye-bye. Goodbye, I tried"
Down comes the reign of the telephone czar
It's ok to call
I will answer for myself
Come pick me up
I've landed
Friday, July 21, 2006
boxing which is not foxy
Remind me to never move in the summer. It's too hot to pack. The temperature is sliding down a bit to a manageable mid-20's this weekend.
Some thoughts go through my head as I pack:
It's been stuck in my head all morning. If I suffer, you suffer too.
You don't know my pain but you read my blog.
Some thoughts go through my head as I pack:
- I have a lot of books.
- books are heavy when boxed.
- must remember to keep all the parts of my Ikea shelving taped together in a ziplock so I can figure out what goes with what.
It's been stuck in my head all morning. If I suffer, you suffer too.
You don't know my pain but you read my blog.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
I need to learn Braille
Two bar stories to start the day. One will make my friend Grant swear with envy, and one that'll make him laugh. Spot the common thread.
I was at The Local tonight, and got to chatting music with Sean. Whilst chatting, he told his "best show ever" story.
It was probably the late 80s and Sean was all of 17 years old, in Quebec City for a swim meet. It was Sunday night, nothing to do, so someone recommended checking out this young guitarist playing at this little club downtown. So the boys go down there and pay the $5 or $6 to get in. Maybe 20 people are there. A blind guitarists makes his way onstage and starts playing.
It's Jeff Healey. Jeff. Freaking. Healey. Young Jeff, pre-Road House, Healey, wailing on the guitar. Sean is blown away, sits through 2 sets.
Third set starts, Jeff tells the crowd "There's a friend of mine in town tonite, I'd like to ask him to come onstage and join me for a set."
It's Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie. Ray. F'in. Vaughan.
They then proceed to cover Jimi Hendrix tunes for 40 minutes or so.
It would be at this point that Jason and Grant, having emerged from their Time Machine or Tardis, proceed to die of bliss.
----------------------------------------------------
Which leads to my story.
A few years ago, Grant invited me to meet him and Glenn at Jeff Healey's bar in downtown Toronto. Glenn is a blind co-worker of Grant's, a real stand-up guy. Well, apparently Glenn went to a blind school with Jeff Healey.
I go to the bar, meet the guys, sit through a set by Jeff and then meet him after the show. Hell of a nice guy, reputed to have one of the best vintage jazz album collections in the country, just great to be around him. I'm having the time of my life, Jeff is buying a round. Jeff and Glen are telling school stories. You assume when you're blind, that you act a little more carefully, like when you're sighted and the lights go out, you move slow so you don't stub a toe. Not Jeff and Glenn: "Remember when you fell off that roof that time?" "Yeah, how about when you jumped off that bridge?"
It's all good. I get up to go to the washroom. There's a step-up to reach the bathrooms and I trip on it as I go in. I return to the table and mention to Jeff how I almost tripped on the ledge. He laughs and tells me that the banister (the railing on the staircase) on the way down to the club has Braille written under it, so when if you read Braille and feel it under the rails you walk down, it will read: "Don't tell the sighted guys, but there's a step up to reach the washrooms. They'll trip and we'll have a laugh." Glenn laughed and said "Oh yeah, you didn't notice."
I believed that story for 3 f$#&ing years. I'm told Glenn still laughs about it.
*sigh* good thing i'm so pretty, 'cause stupid don't pay the bills.
Jeff Healey: world class blues-rock guitarist. Funny guy.
PS If anyone remembers me telling a story about how Jeff Healey showed up at a gig and jammed on trumpet, email me. I can't remember the damned details, but I remember him joining a band onstage and playing horns. I know I saw him do this, I just can't remember for the life of me where. May have been the same night.
Jeff Healey - Wikipedia
I was at The Local tonight, and got to chatting music with Sean. Whilst chatting, he told his "best show ever" story.
It was probably the late 80s and Sean was all of 17 years old, in Quebec City for a swim meet. It was Sunday night, nothing to do, so someone recommended checking out this young guitarist playing at this little club downtown. So the boys go down there and pay the $5 or $6 to get in. Maybe 20 people are there. A blind guitarists makes his way onstage and starts playing.
It's Jeff Healey. Jeff. Freaking. Healey. Young Jeff, pre-Road House, Healey, wailing on the guitar. Sean is blown away, sits through 2 sets.
Third set starts, Jeff tells the crowd "There's a friend of mine in town tonite, I'd like to ask him to come onstage and join me for a set."
It's Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie. Ray. F'in. Vaughan.
They then proceed to cover Jimi Hendrix tunes for 40 minutes or so.
It would be at this point that Jason and Grant, having emerged from their Time Machine or Tardis, proceed to die of bliss.
----------------------------------------------------
Which leads to my story.
A few years ago, Grant invited me to meet him and Glenn at Jeff Healey's bar in downtown Toronto. Glenn is a blind co-worker of Grant's, a real stand-up guy. Well, apparently Glenn went to a blind school with Jeff Healey.
I go to the bar, meet the guys, sit through a set by Jeff and then meet him after the show. Hell of a nice guy, reputed to have one of the best vintage jazz album collections in the country, just great to be around him. I'm having the time of my life, Jeff is buying a round. Jeff and Glen are telling school stories. You assume when you're blind, that you act a little more carefully, like when you're sighted and the lights go out, you move slow so you don't stub a toe. Not Jeff and Glenn: "Remember when you fell off that roof that time?" "Yeah, how about when you jumped off that bridge?"
It's all good. I get up to go to the washroom. There's a step-up to reach the bathrooms and I trip on it as I go in. I return to the table and mention to Jeff how I almost tripped on the ledge. He laughs and tells me that the banister (the railing on the staircase) on the way down to the club has Braille written under it, so when if you read Braille and feel it under the rails you walk down, it will read: "Don't tell the sighted guys, but there's a step up to reach the washrooms. They'll trip and we'll have a laugh." Glenn laughed and said "Oh yeah, you didn't notice."
I believed that story for 3 f$#&ing years. I'm told Glenn still laughs about it.
*sigh* good thing i'm so pretty, 'cause stupid don't pay the bills.
Jeff Healey: world class blues-rock guitarist. Funny guy.
PS If anyone remembers me telling a story about how Jeff Healey showed up at a gig and jammed on trumpet, email me. I can't remember the damned details, but I remember him joining a band onstage and playing horns. I know I saw him do this, I just can't remember for the life of me where. May have been the same night.
Jeff Healey - Wikipedia
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Smart actors, stupid industry
Alan Sepinwall offers two great quotes from the TV press tour
'I'm not dumb! I'm Taye Diggs! I wouldn't sign on for that!'
- Taye Diggs on questions of whether his new cop thriller 'Day Break' will be confusing
'I didn't know I was fat until I started acting. I didn't know how fat and ugly I was until I started going on auditions.'
-America Ferrera, the lovely actress who ironically has the title role in ABC's comic soap opera "Ugly Betty," on not being built like a lollipop
Dungeons & Dragons coming to DVD
Blog@Newsarama: Dungeons & Dragons coming to DVDBCI has officially announced the Nov. 7 release of a Dungeons and Dragons four-disc set with all 27 episodes of the ’80s cartoon series. No official word on a Canadian release, but we can assume it will be at the same time and a similar price range. Finally this will replace all those worn out VHS tapes out there. The collection, to be released under BCI’s Ink & Paint banner, will retail for $49.98 US. Sadly, no lost episode where they kill off that annoying unicorn...
These are the people in my blogger-hood
A little glimpse at some of the folks in my blogroll. Make with the nicey-nice and check them out.
Jen Dzuira's McSweeney's submission on mind control
Wow. Now that would be a Happy Meal.
Also check out some of the more absurd replies to her article from some folks who may not be aware McSweeney's is a humour site, and then read up on her recent wedding at CBGB's. Scan down the page for various posts on the subject, but damn that's what a wedding should be like. There are people living cooler lives than mine. This is one of them.
Our Little Institution
In which the lovely Waghorn couple move from Ottawa to North Virginia, and weather the transition without resorting to pharmaceuticals, whiskey, or firearms. Dealing with everything they've been dealing with would drive me to at least 2 out of the 3.
a girl i used to know
If my career counselor had offered a position that entailed rescuing abused dogs in Australia, living in a seaside Sydney, and taking photos of cityscapes and clouds in my spare time, I'm pretty sure I'd apply.
Naked Knit Girl
Maria covers such randomness as life in Toronto, a love of chicken wings, late-night cooking and knitting. She makes it all work quite well, thankyouverymuch.
clara*s victory dance
This is Clara. Everyone wave to Clara. She likes Toronto, Terry Pratchett books, Bruce Campbell, and finding humour in the absurdity of life. That makes her good people in my book.
Random Acts Of Reality
A blog based in London, England, written by an E.M.T working for the London Ambulance Service. He kills far less people than I would have. This blog is a great insight into the insanity that Ambulance Services deal with, and why nobody would blame them for dipping into the anti-psychotic meds.
LORD of the WINGS (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the suicide)
If you like wings in Toronto, you should check out Jeff's blog. It's all about the wings. No, seriously, it's just about chicken wings. Some great tips, recipes, and recommendations to be found.
Jen Dzuira's McSweeney's submission on mind control
Wow. Now that would be a Happy Meal.
Also check out some of the more absurd replies to her article from some folks who may not be aware McSweeney's is a humour site, and then read up on her recent wedding at CBGB's. Scan down the page for various posts on the subject, but damn that's what a wedding should be like. There are people living cooler lives than mine. This is one of them.
Our Little Institution
In which the lovely Waghorn couple move from Ottawa to North Virginia, and weather the transition without resorting to pharmaceuticals, whiskey, or firearms. Dealing with everything they've been dealing with would drive me to at least 2 out of the 3.
a girl i used to know
If my career counselor had offered a position that entailed rescuing abused dogs in Australia, living in a seaside Sydney, and taking photos of cityscapes and clouds in my spare time, I'm pretty sure I'd apply.
Naked Knit Girl
Maria covers such randomness as life in Toronto, a love of chicken wings, late-night cooking and knitting. She makes it all work quite well, thankyouverymuch.
clara*s victory dance
This is Clara. Everyone wave to Clara. She likes Toronto, Terry Pratchett books, Bruce Campbell, and finding humour in the absurdity of life. That makes her good people in my book.
Random Acts Of Reality
A blog based in London, England, written by an E.M.T working for the London Ambulance Service. He kills far less people than I would have. This blog is a great insight into the insanity that Ambulance Services deal with, and why nobody would blame them for dipping into the anti-psychotic meds.
LORD of the WINGS (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the suicide)
If you like wings in Toronto, you should check out Jeff's blog. It's all about the wings. No, seriously, it's just about chicken wings. Some great tips, recipes, and recommendations to be found.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
dear world, please don't end, signed the2scoops
Dear World,
I realize we haven't spoken in a while. How have you been? I hear you've been having one crazy summer.
Well I realize these are trying times for you, but could you do me a favour? PLEASE STOP GOING CRAZY!!
You see, life is starting to get pretty good for me at the moment. And it would be a lousy punchline for World War 3 to break out and bring that life to an end. I realize life is not as pleasant in other parts of the world, but maybe life would not be as crappy if folks would stop trying to kill each other over the lines on a map or oil in the ground. When I start to pay attention to the news and notice how Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Israel all seem poised on the brink of exploding, along with continued conflicts in Iraq and the occasional terrorist bombing to keep us on our toes, you make me pine for the days of simply worrying about The Cold War. In closing, let me say, I like living on this planet, so please do your best to keep down the noise and continue providing me with air to breath and ground beneath my feet. You do for me, I'll do my best to do for you.
Thanks, keep in touch,
the2scoops
Daily Show clips:
Jon Stewart a tad worried about current world tensions
Jason Jones and Your Emotional Weather Forecast
I realize we haven't spoken in a while. How have you been? I hear you've been having one crazy summer.
Well I realize these are trying times for you, but could you do me a favour? PLEASE STOP GOING CRAZY!!
You see, life is starting to get pretty good for me at the moment. And it would be a lousy punchline for World War 3 to break out and bring that life to an end. I realize life is not as pleasant in other parts of the world, but maybe life would not be as crappy if folks would stop trying to kill each other over the lines on a map or oil in the ground. When I start to pay attention to the news and notice how Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Israel all seem poised on the brink of exploding, along with continued conflicts in Iraq and the occasional terrorist bombing to keep us on our toes, you make me pine for the days of simply worrying about The Cold War. In closing, let me say, I like living on this planet, so please do your best to keep down the noise and continue providing me with air to breath and ground beneath my feet. You do for me, I'll do my best to do for you.
Thanks, keep in touch,
the2scoops
Daily Show clips:
Jon Stewart a tad worried about current world tensions
Jason Jones and Your Emotional Weather Forecast
Zach's Soundtrack for The Last Kiss
For fans of the Garden State soundtrack
, Zach Braff had a hand in compiling the soundtrack to the new movie he stars in, The Last Kiss.The Last Kiss soundtrack is available for Amazon pre-order
but in the meantime here is the track listing:1. Chocolate - Snow Patrol
2. Star Mile - Joshua Radin
3. Pain Killer - Turin Brakes
4. Warning Sign - Coldplay
5. Ride - Cary Brothers
6. El Salvador - Athlete
7. Hide And Seek - Imogen Heap
8. Reason Why - Rachael Yamagata
9. Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
10. Prophecy - Remy Zero
11. Paper Bag - Fiona Apple
12. Today's The Day - Aimee Mann
13. Arms of a Woman - Amos Lee
14. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk (Reprise) - Rufus Wainwright
15. Paperweight - Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk
Look for an iTunes listing soon. Last Kiss is in theatres September 15th.
Apple - Trailers - The Last Kiss
: : : ZACHBRAFF : : :
Pepperpot - Odds & Ends
Monday, July 17, 2006
50 NFB Cartoons up on net & Log Driver's Waltz
Torontoist brings us a pleasant way to spend the hot afternoon. Get the iced tea, put the feet up and check out 50 National Film Board of Canada Animated Shorts. There are several things Canada does well - comedy, beer, funnel cake, and animated shorts.
They haven't added the Log Driver's Waltz up there, but we have it thanks to YouTube. If there's a top 5 favourite Canadian animated shorts, this would be in there for sure.
Focus on Animation - ONF
They haven't added the Log Driver's Waltz up there, but we have it thanks to YouTube. If there's a top 5 favourite Canadian animated shorts, this would be in there for sure.
Focus on Animation - ONF
discreet exit
There was this beautiful day 2 weeks ago, so with time to kill I wandered the city. I ran some errands, dropped by St. Lawrence Market (Pernon 4 Year old Quebec cheddar is particularly tasty) and walked along Front Street. I had some time before work, so I thought after a nice long walk that a pint with dinner was in order. I popped in at the Duke of Argyle at King and John. The patio was full, so the waitress seated my inside in the back room. I was all set to settle in my seat with my magazine, when I noticed about 2 dozen people in a group across the room.
"Hmm, that looks like that red-head from Human Resources. And that's the Senior Production Manager. And that's..."
oh hell.
It appears I stumbled upon some senior management outting. While they wouldn't object to me having a beer or wine with dinner, I still felt perhaps this wasn't the best time to be seen downing a pint: "Hey, isn't that the new Training Officer drinking by himself there".
I slid out without being noticed and approached the waitress: "Yea, that's my entire management team in the back. I'm gonna need a seat in the front room."
What, I was going to leave? They make good bruschetta and pour a cold glass of beer. I had an idea that if I saw my manager come out, I was going to have the waitress spread 3 or 4 empty shotglasses on my table. I had a second thought that he might not have gotten the joke.
"Hmm, that looks like that red-head from Human Resources. And that's the Senior Production Manager. And that's..."
oh hell.
It appears I stumbled upon some senior management outting. While they wouldn't object to me having a beer or wine with dinner, I still felt perhaps this wasn't the best time to be seen downing a pint: "Hey, isn't that the new Training Officer drinking by himself there".
I slid out without being noticed and approached the waitress: "Yea, that's my entire management team in the back. I'm gonna need a seat in the front room."
What, I was going to leave? They make good bruschetta and pour a cold glass of beer. I had an idea that if I saw my manager come out, I was going to have the waitress spread 3 or 4 empty shotglasses on my table. I had a second thought that he might not have gotten the joke.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
old dogs and new tricks
I hosted the last official bash at Casa de Carlin before next weekend's move, a birthday party for my friend Greg. A rousing good time was had by all, and just to prove you're never to old to learn, here are some lessons from last night:
In the meantime, perhaps we should have watched this Daily Show classic clip before the party this weekend. Steve Colbert and Steve Carell show the dangers of irresponsible drinking. And yes, Carell admits it is all true.
- White wine sangria is a nice way to melt away the heat and the humidity.
- However, drink the sangria after you do any BBQing, not before. Things like timing how long to cook or how hot the grill is get a bit blurry after the first fishbowl of sangria.
- It is easy to mistake a pitcher full of raw margarita ingredients (1 bottle tequila, 1 cup triple Sec, 1/2 cup lime juice) for sangria or lemonade.
- There is an age where it gets dumb to kill out a whole bottle of tequila by yourself. We have pinned that age down to "32". There's a half glass of it on the balcony and even the bugs are staying away. How Tara Reid keeps up this lifestyle is beyond me.
- You're never old when you have so many friends to keep you young.
- The only time a soldier has his gun set to full automatic is when they sweep and clear a room (yes, that was an odd topic of conversation).
- If it's only 7:30 pm and your guests start trying to light things on fire, such as an apple slice soaked in ouzo, that's probably a sign to slow down.
- Buy fireproof curtains.
- When drinking in 35+ degrees of heat, the 1:1 ration needs to be in effect: 1 serving of booze, 1 glass of water. Also, a kiddie pool is a great place to park yourself.
- When it's 7 in the morning and your guests don't have their glasses on, yes, I suppose you could mistake a packet of alka-seltzer left on a bathroom counter for a condom packet. "Wow, Jay sure is considerate of his guests. "
In the meantime, perhaps we should have watched this Daily Show classic clip before the party this weekend. Steve Colbert and Steve Carell show the dangers of irresponsible drinking. And yes, Carell admits it is all true.
Friday, July 14, 2006
the art of distraction
yes readers, the light and fun the2scoops you know and love is here. You can find the fun stuff below this extra-chunky "where my life is" post. i know it's long, but I had time on my hands: my iPod is in the shop. (note to self: stop using humourous banter to distract people)
Hey look over there, a dancing car!
Hey look over there, a dancing car!
papa's got a brand new bag
When I talked about moving out of my apartment for a few months, I alluded to some work opportunities I was pursuing. Now that papers have been signed and things are in motion, I can explain it a bit more.
Part of my "Moving Forward" plan was to save some money by moving to my dad's for 6 months. Part 2 of said plan was getting a good full-time job so I would have money to save. For the past few years, ever since "The Job I Really Loved And Put My Heart Into Kicked Me To The Curb" (or T.J.I.R.L.A.P.M.H.I.K.M.T.T.C.) happened, I've been jumping from contract to contract. You can make a living working contracts for various companies, but those long dry spells in between gigs can get longer and longer. It can be a bit demoralizing and knock the wind out of any momentum you have. And that's where I found myself 3 months ago, working 2 data entry job that both were slowly killing me. Not literally, because the work was purposeful and the people were good, but there wasn't any potential to progress.
Up until T.J.I.R.L.A.P.M.H.I.K.M.T.T.C., I would start in an entry to mid-level position with a company and work my way up. Jumping from contract to contract, I've been working hard and hoping for full-time offers, but nothing really emerged. So I was doing the safe thing, day in day out, punching the clock. I did something dangerous: I got comfortable with where I was. And it got harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning. And then the afternoon. I didn't want to go to work and started sleeping a lot. That's called depression. It's not pretty, it's not easy to notice when your in it, but in retrospect, that's what it was. And when I noticed it, I fought like Ali to get out of it.
I snapped out of that fog a few months ago. I was at the Gladstone Hotel karoke night, chatting with a girl I had just met, and she asked the inevitable question: "So what do you do?" And I answered her.
"Wow" she said with refreshing honesty, "That sounds really dull."
And she was right. It did sound dull. My answer even bored me.
I thought about my answer for the next few days and decided I needed to get my fire back. I started revamping the resume and cruising the internet. And so I started searching. And getting up in the mornings.
Fast forward to a few weeks after that night. Some changes were happening in my workplace (aka The Night Job) and I took the initiative. I emailed both our Human Resources representative and my production manager (who also has plenty of HR experience) and updated them on my goal to work a managerial full-time position, and reminded them of my qualifications and experience. When you work a data entry position, you stay working on one or two particular tasks - it can be tricky to stand out from the crowd when it comes to demonstrating initiative and drive.
They emailed "thanks, we'll take a look" emails, and I let that marinate for a day or two. Then a bit later, this would be June, my HR advisor asked to meet with me. My HR advisor asked if I had seen a particular job posting, one that HR hadn't been able to fill. It had been posted before my "Boring Answer" epiphany, and as it was in a different department, so I hadn't really taken notice.
The position was essentially a Training Coordinator. The goal was to learn the workings of a new department, then develop a training program: manuals, classes, presentations, evaluations, the works.
A little bell went off, a eureka moment: shit, I'd been doing that for years. I've been training people since my first Mc-Job, in almost every job, I've trained or written procedures. Wait a minute, I thought. I'm pretty damned good at that. And I like it too, like teaching but in a corporate environment. Hot damn, if that doesn't sound like some translatable job skills that I can use in a career.
We set up an interview. The interview was a 2-parter. Part 1 was giving a 5 minute training presentation on any subject I wanted. I chose how to set up a blog in 5 minutes: lesson for today kids, work from what you know. I sweated out procedure sheets, a Powerpoint presentation and checklists. The manual came together quick, especially after the initial panic. The panic was born out of thinking "Oh bugger, didn't I hire Liam to do the manuals at the book company?", and then remembering I actually paid attention to how he did it and remember I knew how to write procedures to. Took a moment, but I remembered.
I knocked that interview out of the park.
Of course I didn't feel that way directly afterwards, just hot, over caffeinated and anxious. But the actual interview went well, and I knew it. I explained my training methods and philosophy. Yes, I had forgotten that I have an actual training technique. This is what 2 years of button pushing does to your brain. I showed my people skills, gave examples based on experience, the works.
And a week later I got the job offer. Full-time, salaried, can lead to bigger and better things, pretty damned good work that makes me look forward to getting up in the morning. It felt like my old friends passion and confidence had gotten a boost.
I'm as jacked about the actual work as I am at returning to daytime work. My 6pm - 12am shift was interesting, but for single bachelor music-loving guy, it gets restrictive when it comes to planning social life and going to concerts. It's a good change. I'm in the same office building downtown, so I just take the GO Train from Richmond Hill to get into work. An hour to listen to music or read everyday.
And that’s the long and short of it: new (old) place to live for a little bit, new job, new opportunities, new potential and new clothes (say what you will, but new clothes and shoes put a spring in my step). Add in some patching up I did with my Mom a couple of weeks ago (relationship spackle is handy), and a summer that has seen me reconnecting with lots of old friends I haven't seen in ages, and things are really rolling along.
We end this story with me feeling pretty damned good.
He ain't no drag.
Papa's got a brand new bag.
And I would be remiss if I didn't thank that friend who got me into The Night Job in the first place and encouraged me to take the initiative. You know who you are.
Part of my "Moving Forward" plan was to save some money by moving to my dad's for 6 months. Part 2 of said plan was getting a good full-time job so I would have money to save. For the past few years, ever since "The Job I Really Loved And Put My Heart Into Kicked Me To The Curb" (or T.J.I.R.L.A.P.M.H.I.K.M.T.T.C.) happened, I've been jumping from contract to contract. You can make a living working contracts for various companies, but those long dry spells in between gigs can get longer and longer. It can be a bit demoralizing and knock the wind out of any momentum you have. And that's where I found myself 3 months ago, working 2 data entry job that both were slowly killing me. Not literally, because the work was purposeful and the people were good, but there wasn't any potential to progress.
Up until T.J.I.R.L.A.P.M.H.I.K.M.T.T.C., I would start in an entry to mid-level position with a company and work my way up. Jumping from contract to contract, I've been working hard and hoping for full-time offers, but nothing really emerged. So I was doing the safe thing, day in day out, punching the clock. I did something dangerous: I got comfortable with where I was. And it got harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning. And then the afternoon. I didn't want to go to work and started sleeping a lot. That's called depression. It's not pretty, it's not easy to notice when your in it, but in retrospect, that's what it was. And when I noticed it, I fought like Ali to get out of it.
I snapped out of that fog a few months ago. I was at the Gladstone Hotel karoke night, chatting with a girl I had just met, and she asked the inevitable question: "So what do you do?" And I answered her.
"Wow" she said with refreshing honesty, "That sounds really dull."
And she was right. It did sound dull. My answer even bored me.
I thought about my answer for the next few days and decided I needed to get my fire back. I started revamping the resume and cruising the internet. And so I started searching. And getting up in the mornings.
Fast forward to a few weeks after that night. Some changes were happening in my workplace (aka The Night Job) and I took the initiative. I emailed both our Human Resources representative and my production manager (who also has plenty of HR experience) and updated them on my goal to work a managerial full-time position, and reminded them of my qualifications and experience. When you work a data entry position, you stay working on one or two particular tasks - it can be tricky to stand out from the crowd when it comes to demonstrating initiative and drive.
They emailed "thanks, we'll take a look" emails, and I let that marinate for a day or two. Then a bit later, this would be June, my HR advisor asked to meet with me. My HR advisor asked if I had seen a particular job posting, one that HR hadn't been able to fill. It had been posted before my "Boring Answer" epiphany, and as it was in a different department, so I hadn't really taken notice.
The position was essentially a Training Coordinator. The goal was to learn the workings of a new department, then develop a training program: manuals, classes, presentations, evaluations, the works.
A little bell went off, a eureka moment: shit, I'd been doing that for years. I've been training people since my first Mc-Job, in almost every job, I've trained or written procedures. Wait a minute, I thought. I'm pretty damned good at that. And I like it too, like teaching but in a corporate environment. Hot damn, if that doesn't sound like some translatable job skills that I can use in a career.
We set up an interview. The interview was a 2-parter. Part 1 was giving a 5 minute training presentation on any subject I wanted. I chose how to set up a blog in 5 minutes: lesson for today kids, work from what you know. I sweated out procedure sheets, a Powerpoint presentation and checklists. The manual came together quick, especially after the initial panic. The panic was born out of thinking "Oh bugger, didn't I hire Liam to do the manuals at the book company?", and then remembering I actually paid attention to how he did it and remember I knew how to write procedures to. Took a moment, but I remembered.
I knocked that interview out of the park.
Of course I didn't feel that way directly afterwards, just hot, over caffeinated and anxious. But the actual interview went well, and I knew it. I explained my training methods and philosophy. Yes, I had forgotten that I have an actual training technique. This is what 2 years of button pushing does to your brain. I showed my people skills, gave examples based on experience, the works.
And a week later I got the job offer. Full-time, salaried, can lead to bigger and better things, pretty damned good work that makes me look forward to getting up in the morning. It felt like my old friends passion and confidence had gotten a boost.
I'm as jacked about the actual work as I am at returning to daytime work. My 6pm - 12am shift was interesting, but for single bachelor music-loving guy, it gets restrictive when it comes to planning social life and going to concerts. It's a good change. I'm in the same office building downtown, so I just take the GO Train from Richmond Hill to get into work. An hour to listen to music or read everyday.
And that’s the long and short of it: new (old) place to live for a little bit, new job, new opportunities, new potential and new clothes (say what you will, but new clothes and shoes put a spring in my step). Add in some patching up I did with my Mom a couple of weeks ago (relationship spackle is handy), and a summer that has seen me reconnecting with lots of old friends I haven't seen in ages, and things are really rolling along.
We end this story with me feeling pretty damned good.
He ain't no drag.
Papa's got a brand new bag.
And I would be remiss if I didn't thank that friend who got me into The Night Job in the first place and encouraged me to take the initiative. You know who you are.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Thom Yorke interviewed on NPR
Boing Boing: Thom Yorke interviewed on "Fresh Air"
Available now on the National Public Radio site is an interview with Radiohead lead singer and songwriter Thom Yorke, from the radio program Fresh Air. Host Terry Gross interviewed Yorke about his new solo release, "The Eraser".
Link to Fresh Air interview
I'm enjoyed my first listen tothe new album, and can't wait to pop on the headphones, get into the tracks a bit deeper and bliss out.
Available now on the National Public Radio site is an interview with Radiohead lead singer and songwriter Thom Yorke, from the radio program Fresh Air. Host Terry Gross interviewed Yorke about his new solo release, "The Eraser".
Link to Fresh Air interview
I'm enjoyed my first listen tothe new album, and can't wait to pop on the headphones, get into the tracks a bit deeper and bliss out.
Teeth on The Dial - Soprano News
'Sopranos' NOT returning in January ... we'll have to wait till March
We just got through a round of tense contract wrangling that almost saw several key supporting cast members exit the show . I'm not sure how that would have been written: terrorists strike Meadow's wedding, ala Dynasty. Now comes word it'll be a longer than advertised wait for the concluding 8 episodes.
TVtattle.com
We just got through a round of tense contract wrangling that almost saw several key supporting cast members exit the show . I'm not sure how that would have been written: terrorists strike Meadow's wedding, ala Dynasty. Now comes word it'll be a longer than advertised wait for the concluding 8 episodes.
'We don't have a premiere date for 'Sopranos' yet,' HBO chief Chris Albrecht told TV critics on Wednesday. 'We've talked about maybe slotting it in next to 'Rome' before that season ends, or maybe waiting until that's over. Best guess would be beginning of March. It definitely won't be in January.' Albrecht says the delay for the final eight episodes was partly due to James Gandolfini's knee surgery, which stopped production for several weeks."I know some folks were disappointed with the final episode before the break, but storywise, this is the calm before the storm. I think that Christmas scene is the happiest any of them will ever be before what comes next.
TVtattle.com
CHUM bought by Bell Globemedia
Before I have a chance to read up on the latest on the big $1.7 billion buy-out that places CHUM in the hands of Bell Globemedia (owners of CTV), I perused the web and found some facts and figures. Can do you spell monopoly boys and girls?
The players:
CHUM Limited
Bell Globemedia
Keep an eye on Toronto Star Media Critic Antonia Zerbisias' Blog.
More to come to be sure.
Updated: TheStar.com - New media marriage cause for alarm by Antonia Zerbisias
- 281 initial jobs lost due to changes in the News, Operations and Traffic departments of City TV stations in BC, Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba, with local news in several communities being hardest hit. With the CBC cutbacks on local news coverage, who's left to tell the stories of communities across Canada?
- Winnipeg saw a heavy toll as "Effective Wednesday, Citytv Winnipeg's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. night newscasts are off the air. Cam Cowie, the station's general manager in Winnipeg, says 28 on-air reporters, anchors, camera operators and other staff will lose their jobs." Look for more housecleaning of CityTV news departments across the country.
- I think that means MTV Canada and MuchMusic are now owned by the same people. Will they keep both, or turn one into an actual music video channel?
- even with current CRTC regulations requiring the merger to divest itself of A-Channel stations in Alberta and BC, this is still a scary amount of channels under one company. A monsterous segment of the Canadian media is now under one roof now. Previous to the merger, Bell Globemedia (who also own the Globe & Mail) owned 21 station affiliates across the country and 17 specialty stations, including TSN, Discovery, MTV, Comedy Network, Outdoor Life Network and the NHL Network. CHUM Limited has 33 radio stations, 12 local television stations and 21 specialty channels, including MuchMusic, FashionTV, Bravo, Space, and that channel that plays nothing but Law & Order.
- Global and CBC are looking like they can't even compete in the same league. It's like the Brazilian and Italian football teams merging, and then the Canadians and the Norwegians asking if they can play too.
The players:
CHUM Limited
Bell Globemedia
Keep an eye on Toronto Star Media Critic Antonia Zerbisias' Blog.
More to come to be sure.
Updated: TheStar.com - New media marriage cause for alarm by Antonia Zerbisias
BlackBerry interrupted, world grounds to a halt
Looks like my friend G. at Rogers may have had a double-rye day at work today:
TheStar.com - BlackBerry service interrupted:
"Numerous “CrackBerry” addicts on Bay Street and beyond had withdrawal symptoms Wednesday as BlackBerry service from Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. was down for several hours."
TheStar.com - BlackBerry service interrupted:
"Numerous “CrackBerry” addicts on Bay Street and beyond had withdrawal symptoms Wednesday as BlackBerry service from Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. was down for several hours."
Materazzi's kid is going to Guantanamo
BBC SPORT World Cup 2006 | Materazzi denies terrorist insult:
"I didn't call Zidane a terrorist and certainly didn't mention his mother." said Italian player Marco Materazzi. "I am ignorant, I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is; my only terrorist is her," he said pointing to his 10-month-old daughter.
Zidane, who was born and grew up in Marseille, is the son of Algerian immigrants and has suffered taunts about his heritage throughout his football career.
"I didn't call Zidane a terrorist and certainly didn't mention his mother." said Italian player Marco Materazzi. "I am ignorant, I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is; my only terrorist is her," he said pointing to his 10-month-old daughter.
Zidane, who was born and grew up in Marseille, is the son of Algerian immigrants and has suffered taunts about his heritage throughout his football career.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Thom Yorke plays "The Clock" live
Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, has a new solo album, The Eraser, hitting the stores this week. Here's a preview of the album as he performs "The Clock" on an upcoming episode of The Henry Rollins Show (IFC in the States, why isn't it up here yet?). I love that Thom's playing shows some real spark and passion. It reminds me of one of Radiohead's early tunes, Thinking About You off of Pablo Honey. Maybe this will satisfy some older Radiohead fans who prefer Pablo Honey to Kid A. (Update: nope, the album is more electronic bloops and bleeps with Thom's wonderful falsetto.) With Radiohead populated by stellar guitarists like Johnny Greenwood, I had forgotten Yorke can strum a four-string too. Terrific song, and I'm looking forward to listening to the album.
Radiohead is one of the artists that hasn't allowed their music into the Apple Itunes Store. They consider their albums to be just that - albums start to finish, and if you allow people to purchase just a single off the album, it diminishes the whole. So it was a little surprising to see Thom's new album show up on the Itunes site. Is this a one-off, an experimental toe dipped in the waters of Apple or have they softened their stance? A compromise would be if Radiohead can allow their catalogue to be available only as "Whole Album" purchases, they have the business pull to get that option if Apple wants them bad enough.
Supplementary links:
Chris Turner @ Planet Simpson on his dinner with Radiohead, a cool thing happens when the band quotes him, but the record label makes Chris pay to quote the band
, hitting the stores this week. Here's a preview of the album as he performs "The Clock" on an upcoming episode of The Henry Rollins Show (IFC in the States, why isn't it up here yet?). I love that Thom's playing shows some real spark and passion. It reminds me of one of Radiohead's early tunes, Thinking About You off of Pablo Honey. Maybe this will satisfy some older Radiohead fans who prefer Pablo Honey to Kid A. (Update: nope, the album is more electronic bloops and bleeps with Thom's wonderful falsetto.) With Radiohead populated by stellar guitarists like Johnny Greenwood, I had forgotten Yorke can strum a four-string too. Terrific song, and I'm looking forward to listening to the album.Radiohead is one of the artists that hasn't allowed their music into the Apple Itunes Store. They consider their albums to be just that - albums start to finish, and if you allow people to purchase just a single off the album, it diminishes the whole. So it was a little surprising to see Thom's new album show up on the Itunes site. Is this a one-off, an experimental toe dipped in the waters of Apple or have they softened their stance? A compromise would be if Radiohead can allow their catalogue to be available only as "Whole Album" purchases, they have the business pull to get that option if Apple wants them bad enough.
Supplementary links:
Thom Yorke “The Clock (The Henry Rollins Show)”.mp3
Chris Turner @ Planet Simpson on his dinner with Radiohead, a cool thing happens when the band quotes him, but the record label makes Chris pay to quote the band
60s & 70s Drugs Ads are better than drugs
A fantastic Flickr set, groovy 1960s and 1970s pharmaceutical ads from Spain. Just beautiful and trippy looking. These will come in handy when I'm printing CD covers or postcards. Check out the Flicker set here.
courtesy of Boing Boing: Groovy 1960s and 1970s pharmaceutical ads from Spain
Also: for more fun flashbacks, check out this Flickr set of 1950s Science magazine covers.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
the2scoops iPod toolkit
I've been getting emails lately from friends who have bought into the Cult of the Pod. It's easy to start up with an iPod, but you'd be surprised what you can do with iTunes and the iPod. These links are helpful for tips, extension programs, reviews and forums on all things iPod. If you need more help, give me a shout through the email or MSN link in my profile:
iLounge - this site is the be all and end all of iPod. Loads of reviews on iPods and accessories, I found it particularly handy in finding the best iPod case and headphones for my needs. The forums are helpful for all you questions and there are several excellent "How The Hell Do I..." iPod 101 tutorials available.
I was trying to clean up my collection of MP3 files when I came across this handy post Tidy Up iTunes MP3 Collection - Fix ID3 Tags And More. It lays out the steps to properly manage your database:
1. Tagging - MusicBrainz free program helps get your album info correct
2. Re-import or update iTune files (deselect the "Rename File" option in your MusicBrainz program or this will get complicated)
3. Remove Duplicates using iTunes
4. Import Album covers to the music files using iTunes Art Importer
The handy links:
The most useful MP3 tool out there. MusicBrainz is a free community based music database. You can use the Musicbrainz program and database to automatically identify and label your music files with all the correct artists and title info, and format everything consistently. Be sure to uncheck the "Rename File" option in the toolkit if you are scanning your active iTunes music files, otherwise iTunes won't be able to find the files based on the old filenames.
The other useful tool is iTunes Art Importer, which copies the album art off of Amazon to your iTunes files.
the2scoops tips:
1. First thing you do: register that Applecare agreement. The iPod is hardware and software. Like all computers, weird shit can happen to make it non-functional. Keep that warranty up to date. The two times something happened with my older model iPod, I was surprised how easy it was to go in to the local Apple Store, get it tested, and leave with a replacement quickly.
2. Leave the headphones in the box. I don't care if you think it's trendy to have those little white iPod brand headphones - they are cheap and offer a limited range of sound. Invest in a decent pair of headphones, even a $20-30 model, and you will be surprised at how rich the sound is out of that little gadget. I prefer over the ear headphones as ear-buds never fit right and irritates my hearing. Two of my favourites are the Koss Porta-Pro and the Sennheiser PX 100 Headphones: function over form.
3. Get a decent case to protect your investment - I have tried a few and the best I've had are the Marware brand cases. Tough, portable, and the newest iPod cases have a kickstand so you can stand up your iPod and watch videos.
4. When you put your music on the iPod, the easiest way is to set up a playlist called "Ipod Stuff" or "Ipod Library", drag and drop the music you want to take with you into the playlist, and sync the iPod up to that rather than sync your entire collection. Use several playlists for variety: I have use a variety of lists including Morning Wake-Up, City Walks, and Get My Energy Up for Work.
4. Learn what iTunes can do - take some time and learn how to keep your music neat, organized, and experiment with the Smartlist function. If you have a lot of music you can use Smartlist to put together playlists for you based on your ratings, how often it's played, the last time you heard or any combination of criteria. Handy for when you can't pick what to put on your iPod.
My ratings:
5 star - Never get tired of this song, desert island picks.
4 star - Great song I like to hear often.
3 star - Good song. Average.
2 star - I only keep this song because I want the complete album. I wouldn't miss it.
1 star - Reserved for bad songs to delete or broken mp3 that need to be fixed.
Handy previous posts:
the2scoops: The Post About Music Blogs
the2scoops: the2scoops Podcast list
iLounge - this site is the be all and end all of iPod. Loads of reviews on iPods and accessories, I found it particularly handy in finding the best iPod case and headphones for my needs. The forums are helpful for all you questions and there are several excellent "How The Hell Do I..." iPod 101 tutorials available.
I was trying to clean up my collection of MP3 files when I came across this handy post Tidy Up iTunes MP3 Collection - Fix ID3 Tags And More. It lays out the steps to properly manage your database:
1. Tagging - MusicBrainz free program helps get your album info correct
2. Re-import or update iTune files (deselect the "Rename File" option in your MusicBrainz program or this will get complicated)
3. Remove Duplicates using iTunes
4. Import Album covers to the music files using iTunes Art Importer
The handy links:
The most useful MP3 tool out there. MusicBrainz is a free community based music database. You can use the Musicbrainz program and database to automatically identify and label your music files with all the correct artists and title info, and format everything consistently. Be sure to uncheck the "Rename File" option in the toolkit if you are scanning your active iTunes music files, otherwise iTunes won't be able to find the files based on the old filenames.
The other useful tool is iTunes Art Importer, which copies the album art off of Amazon to your iTunes files.
the2scoops tips:
1. First thing you do: register that Applecare agreement. The iPod is hardware and software. Like all computers, weird shit can happen to make it non-functional. Keep that warranty up to date. The two times something happened with my older model iPod, I was surprised how easy it was to go in to the local Apple Store, get it tested, and leave with a replacement quickly.
2. Leave the headphones in the box. I don't care if you think it's trendy to have those little white iPod brand headphones - they are cheap and offer a limited range of sound. Invest in a decent pair of headphones, even a $20-30 model, and you will be surprised at how rich the sound is out of that little gadget. I prefer over the ear headphones as ear-buds never fit right and irritates my hearing. Two of my favourites are the Koss Porta-Pro and the Sennheiser PX 100 Headphones: function over form.
3. Get a decent case to protect your investment - I have tried a few and the best I've had are the Marware brand cases. Tough, portable, and the newest iPod cases have a kickstand so you can stand up your iPod and watch videos.
4. When you put your music on the iPod, the easiest way is to set up a playlist called "Ipod Stuff" or "Ipod Library", drag and drop the music you want to take with you into the playlist, and sync the iPod up to that rather than sync your entire collection. Use several playlists for variety: I have use a variety of lists including Morning Wake-Up, City Walks, and Get My Energy Up for Work.
4. Learn what iTunes can do - take some time and learn how to keep your music neat, organized, and experiment with the Smartlist function. If you have a lot of music you can use Smartlist to put together playlists for you based on your ratings, how often it's played, the last time you heard or any combination of criteria. Handy for when you can't pick what to put on your iPod.
My ratings:
5 star - Never get tired of this song, desert island picks.
4 star - Great song I like to hear often.
3 star - Good song. Average.
2 star - I only keep this song because I want the complete album. I wouldn't miss it.
1 star - Reserved for bad songs to delete or broken mp3 that need to be fixed.
Handy previous posts:
the2scoops: The Post About Music Blogs
the2scoops: the2scoops Podcast list
the doctor is in
This is a typical conversation with a friend who has spent 10+ years in medical school, honing her ninja-doctor skills:
Quick with the friendship, the medical, and the funny all in in one breath... Ninja Doctor!
Me: ...yea, things have been good lately, had a run of good dates and I'm meeting new people too.
Dr. M: Ooh that's terrific, glad to hear it. (beat) Did you know syphillis is coming back?
Quick with the friendship, the medical, and the funny all in in one breath... Ninja Doctor!
99 Problems With Buddy
Run. Run now, even if you have scissors, and take a look at this while you have the chance. Thank Gurj for the showcasing this summertime smoothie of hip-hop nerd-rock first:
I am sorry, but as I am a straight edged, law abiding type, I have no idea where to find some sort of version of an album like this on the interweb. Perhaps it's in one of those tube thingies, along with some funny ass photo mash-ups.
Bring me Guinness and dancing girls and we'll talk
I keep a myspace page, mainly to keep track of bands I like, do a little social networking. Occasionally I get "Friend Requests" from people who want to be added to my profile: usually bands, some friends and some "I'll be your friend and by the way I have a webcam" types.
It was a bit of a suprise to see a bar wanted to be my new friend.
I don't know if they are trying to lure me away from The Local, but another area pub set up a profile and wants me to be their friend. Apparently the competing bar is single and a Leo, and likes NTN bar trivia. We may have to talk over a few drinks. But just because she buys me Sangria doesn't mean I'll put out (OK stop laughing, we all know it does. No need to point out the obvious).
It was a bit of a suprise to see a bar wanted to be my new friend.
I don't know if they are trying to lure me away from The Local, but another area pub set up a profile and wants me to be their friend. Apparently the competing bar is single and a Leo, and likes NTN bar trivia. We may have to talk over a few drinks. But just because she buys me Sangria doesn't mean I'll put out (OK stop laughing, we all know it does. No need to point out the obvious).
George Strombo lands big US gig
Looks like another case of Toronto boy breaking into the American markets. It's not enough that Canada does a healthy business of exporting comedians, but now they are getting our best pop culture hipsters. George Stroumboulopoulos has been announced as the host for ABC's The One: Making of A Music Star, a reality competition that has 11 aspiring musicians compete for a contract. If it follows the pattern of past summer talent searches, this will be a big hit for ABC and a huge boost to George's career if he is looking at getting American exposure.The good news is that George is still doing his CBC show The Hour come fall, which is moving from Newsworld to late-night on the main network. I've been following George's career since his days as a DJ on Edge 102 and then MuchMusic. One of the best morning shows Edge ever ran was the 3 or 4 times when George filled in for the usual morning show gang for a couple of weeks. He was always funny, disarming and shared a wide knowledge of music. Come on, how many hosts of major American network shows love Tom Waits, Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash? His depths of political and musical knowledge peeked through on Much, notably in his on-the-spot coverage during the Quebec City Summit of the Americas demonstrations (crackdown by riot police) in 2001.
It may be inevitable, but George may end up working in the US more and in Canada less. I look forward to the inevitable Daily Show interview, but with the lure of American exposure, how long until The Hour is up?
But George for the love of Cash: please don't end up hosting Access Hollywood.
Update: The inevitable "George Stroumbo- wha?" articles are starting in the US. Commence the buzz:
CANOE -- JAM! Television: Stroumboulopoulos to host U.S. show:
"...we're curious to see how a guy who's been a longtime champion of the indie and underground music scene in Canada adapts to babysitting a batch of American reality-show pop stars.
The kind of hard-working, groundbreaking bands that Strombo used to profile on MuchMusic's The New Music and The Punk Show would kill for the exposure a series like The One offers to its crop of Kelly Clarksons and J.D. Fortunes. Yet they'll never see a fraction of this sort of fame, will they?
'I don't think that's a reason not to do it,' Stroumboulopoulos said. 'I am still the guy who, on my radio show, plays bands no one has ever heard of. But am I supposed to be one guy forever? I mean, God, I would like to be an enriched human being instead of a one-page book.
'People will watch the show and make up their own mind,' he said. 'And that's cool.'"
TV TAttle: ABC taps George Stroumboulopoulos to host "The One" -- who?TheStar.com - Strombo's 'The One'
Stroumboulopoulos -- or "Strombo" -- just might become the next Ryan Seacrest. The host of "The One: Making A Music Star" is a Canadian CBC personality described as a "tattooed, pierced and black-clad golden boy."
Monday, July 10, 2006
Your mother smells of elderberries Zidane
So just what was said to provoke Zidane to do this and take a stupid red card at such a crucial point of the finals match?
Thanks to those of you patient enough to answer my questions during my football education. Keep your cleats on the pitch.
Congratulations Italy. Hope all the players have a league to go back to that doesn't involve playing against 8-year olds. See you all in South Africa in 2010.
Links:
Italian football scandal spreads - Sport - Times Online
FIFAworldcup.com - The Official Site of FIFA World Cup
Thanks to those of you patient enough to answer my questions during my football education. Keep your cleats on the pitch.
Congratulations Italy. Hope all the players have a league to go back to that doesn't involve playing against 8-year olds. See you all in South Africa in 2010.
Links:
Italian football scandal spreads - Sport - Times Online
FIFAworldcup.com - The Official Site of FIFA World Cup
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Happy Birthday President Bush
Be sure to also check out Slate.com's card to Dubya:President Bush's Birthday Card - By Alan Cross and Paul Fourie:
"President George W. Bush spent Thursday, his 60th birthday, meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Earlier this week, Bush celebrated with a White House party that included a buffet of shrimp and fried chicken. Check out the card below, then click to open it and read birthday messages from family, friends, and colleagues as the commander in chief hits the big 6-0."
the runaround
I'm running around doing errands today, nothing terribly exciting about that. Work was crazy busy this week: apparently this is a big week for housing purchases (and payments) with schools being out. I'll be posting later tonight and tomorrow morning. I still owe you kind readers:
- the one where Jason enjoys his first day of summer with a job interview, a long walk and a chance encounter that wasn't
- the one where Jason gets the new job
- the one where The Flaming Lips think Richard Ashcroft is a twat
- the one on some great upcoming films like Mira Nair's The Namesake which stars Kal Penn and Last Kiss starring Zach Braff
- the one where Jason tries to talk about the Emmy nominations without swearing
- the one about the 5 great sweaty Summertime movies that make you reach for the lemonade
- the one about great Toronto jazz club Montreal Bistro closing
- the one about the secret origin of The2scoops and other phrases
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
National Disgrace at War Memorial
Let's play a game. Can you spot the douchebag in this picture?
The ways this could be worse is if he is:
A) in the Canadian military
B) from Quebec
C) American
Update: there's a possibility the nimrod is from Montreal. God I hope the separtists don't pounce on this.
Do yourself a favour and read about the type of sacrifices the National War Memorial represents. Read "July 1, 1916: The Somme of all loss By David MacFarlane" from last Saturday's Globe & Mail (register at site to read whole article). It's a moving piece on the bloody price Newfoundland paid in The Battle of the Somme 90 years ago. Also available from the same paper is a review of "The Battle of the Somme: The Heroism and Horror of War by Martin Gilbert".
Oh and those jackasses who pissed on the Memorial? They should have to cover the cost for security and maintenance on the War Memorial for the next year.
Photograph by : CP PHOTO/HO - Michael Pilon
Yep, this is the fine young man you've been hearing about who was photographed taking a piss on the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Canada Day. If he and his friends had brains, they'd come foward with a public apology. But come on, does this guy look like he has brains?The ways this could be worse is if he is:
A) in the Canadian military
B) from Quebec
C) American
Update: there's a possibility the nimrod is from Montreal. God I hope the separtists don't pounce on this.
Do yourself a favour and read about the type of sacrifices the National War Memorial represents. Read "July 1, 1916: The Somme of all loss By David MacFarlane" from last Saturday's Globe & Mail (register at site to read whole article). It's a moving piece on the bloody price Newfoundland paid in The Battle of the Somme 90 years ago. Also available from the same paper is a review of "The Battle of the Somme: The Heroism and Horror of War by Martin Gilbert".
Oh and those jackasses who pissed on the Memorial? They should have to cover the cost for security and maintenance on the War Memorial for the next year.
Ignorant people in positions of power
This is the contraption I use to "get an internet". Why, what do you use?
Senator Ted Stevens gave us his woefully bizarre explanation of the internet during Senate hearings, giving a scary vision of what lawmakers and common people imagine when they picture the internet. I'm surprised he didn't mention the handcrank powered modem:
Boing Boing: Sen. Stevens' hilariously awful explanation of the Internet:So very much more...
Senator Ted Stevens, a neutricidal maniac who wants to allow the phone companies to charge Google and others for delivering their packets to you, gave this incredible description of his understanding of how the internet works. This man is so far away from having a coherent picture of the Internet's functionality, it's like hearing a caveman expound on the future of silver-birds-from-sky and why we need to keep them from flying so high they anger the gods.I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why?
posted by Cory Doctorow at 11:45:49 PM permalink
Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially...
They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
It's a series of tubes.
And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.
wake-up call
I'm bleary-eyed after a late night at work, talking to my Dad on the phone this morning...
Dad: yaddadyadada... oh by the way, your friend Michelle called yesterday.
Me: What? She called your number? Why?
Dad: I don't know, she said she is at her parents. I left the number at home, I can get it to you tonight.
(Oh God, what's wrong? Is the baby okay? Did something happen between her and her husband? Where the hell's Greg? Did the house burn down? Pirates? )
Me: Which parent?
Dad: She didn't say. "J" something...
Me: Did she say to call her at her parents in Etobicoke or Barrie or what!?
Dad: She said call her parent's place in Richmond Hill
Me: What? Her folks don't live in Richmond Hill.(beat) Do you mean Martina?
Dad: Oh sorry, that's it. She said call her so you can get together Friday.
Helldamncrap, I hate when my heart jumps into my throat at 9 in the morning. At least I won't need that first coffee yet...
Dad: yaddadyadada... oh by the way, your friend Michelle called yesterday.
Me: What? She called your number? Why?
Dad: I don't know, she said she is at her parents. I left the number at home, I can get it to you tonight.
(Oh God, what's wrong? Is the baby okay? Did something happen between her and her husband? Where the hell's Greg? Did the house burn down? Pirates? )
Me: Which parent?
Dad: She didn't say. "J" something...
Me: Did she say to call her at her parents in Etobicoke or Barrie or what!?
Dad: She said call her parent's place in Richmond Hill
Me: What? Her folks don't live in Richmond Hill.(beat) Do you mean Martina?
Dad: Oh sorry, that's it. She said call her so you can get together Friday.
Helldamncrap, I hate when my heart jumps into my throat at 9 in the morning. At least I won't need that first coffee yet...
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Series of Fortunate Events
About a month ago I was thinking about my decision to move to my Dad's place for a couple of months, still going over whether it was the right thing to do or not. I'm sure it was the right choice, but if only I had a sign...
*Ring* - phone starts to ring.
...some sign that I knew that it'll all work out.
*ring**ring*
I should probably get that.
Papers were sent, signed and returned, and there you have it, one shopping spree. I know some of you will point out the previous prize I won back in 2004 and ask how do I win these things. The answer: random luck. I never seem to win cold hard cash in the lottery or office draws, just on the contests that I don't consciously obsess about entering. I have to be reminded I entered these contests when I win. I entered online and had my number drawn, no tricks or technique, just luck and good timing of a prize I could use, since I am a sucker for clothes, especially more jeans. I picked up some new gear, got some shoes and shirts, a sweet Triple 5 Soul hoodie, and jeans that look like the pair I got from the Gap last month, but cost seven times more.
Most disturbing fact: the store stocks 7 For All Mankind jeans for toddlers. Does baby really need a $120+ boot-cut cross-stich pair of jeans for a playdate? Are there baby nightclubs that won't let them past the velevet rope in a simple pair of OshGosh?
I also discovered that you need a body fat percentage of about 5% to fit into a Diesel brand shirt, and everything is low-rise these days. That being said, Paper Denim and Mavi make really comfortable men's jeans. And the most comfortable sandals ever are made by Rockport (also learned buying a half size down for slides makes the fit tighter and less of the floppity-floppity noise that bugs the crap out of me).
Anyway, thanks Pizza Pizza for making my month with a pick me up.
*Ring* - phone starts to ring.
...some sign that I knew that it'll all work out.
*ring**ring*
I should probably get that.
Phone: Hi Mr. Carlin, this is XXXX from XXXX Marketing. We're calling to let you know you've won our Pizza Pizza Personality contest. Congratulations.
Me: Wha-
Phone: You've won $1000 to spend at Over The Rainbow and $1000 to spend at The Shoe Company. Mr. Carlin?
Me: $2000 of clothes? Jesus, is that you?
Papers were sent, signed and returned, and there you have it, one shopping spree. I know some of you will point out the previous prize I won back in 2004 and ask how do I win these things. The answer: random luck. I never seem to win cold hard cash in the lottery or office draws, just on the contests that I don't consciously obsess about entering. I have to be reminded I entered these contests when I win. I entered online and had my number drawn, no tricks or technique, just luck and good timing of a prize I could use, since I am a sucker for clothes, especially more jeans. I picked up some new gear, got some shoes and shirts, a sweet Triple 5 Soul hoodie, and jeans that look like the pair I got from the Gap last month, but cost seven times more.
Most disturbing fact: the store stocks 7 For All Mankind jeans for toddlers. Does baby really need a $120+ boot-cut cross-stich pair of jeans for a playdate? Are there baby nightclubs that won't let them past the velevet rope in a simple pair of OshGosh?
I also discovered that you need a body fat percentage of about 5% to fit into a Diesel brand shirt, and everything is low-rise these days. That being said, Paper Denim and Mavi make really comfortable men's jeans. And the most comfortable sandals ever are made by Rockport (also learned buying a half size down for slides makes the fit tighter and less of the floppity-floppity noise that bugs the crap out of me).
Anyway, thanks Pizza Pizza for making my month with a pick me up.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Scott Kurtz's Review of Superman Returns
Says it all, as if I needed convincing to get me to go.
(click on image for larger version)
(click on image for larger version)Saturday, July 01, 2006
Just don't mention the war Basil.
Thanks to a CBG Brit living in New York, I now know the correct way to cheer for England in the World Cup, just like Her Majesty the Queen:
I plan to write it on stationary, just to show I mean business. Much more appropriate then my "Suck a Crumpet" chant that never really took off.
As we ready for the English match with Portugal, I notice a peculiar situation: Germany and Italy are through into the semi-finals. With an English win and if France can eke out a win over Brazil on Saturday, we have a reunion of the major participants in the Second World War. I wonder if this will be acknowledged, or will it be awkward silence, like being seated at a wedding and finding you share the table with your ex-wife, her lesbian lover, your fiancée, and Hermann Göring.
Just don't mention the war Basil.
CAAAAAAAAAM OOOOOOOOORWN EEEEEENGLAAAAAAAAAND!!!
I plan to write it on stationary, just to show I mean business. Much more appropriate then my "Suck a Crumpet" chant that never really took off.
As we ready for the English match with Portugal, I notice a peculiar situation: Germany and Italy are through into the semi-finals. With an English win and if France can eke out a win over Brazil on Saturday, we have a reunion of the major participants in the Second World War. I wonder if this will be acknowledged, or will it be awkward silence, like being seated at a wedding and finding you share the table with your ex-wife, her lesbian lover, your fiancée, and Hermann Göring.
Just don't mention the war Basil.
Basil Fawlty: Now, wait a minute. Well, I got a bit confused here. Sorry! I got a bit confused, 'cause everyone keeps mentioning the war. So, could you— what's the matter?
Elder Herr: It's all right.
Basil: Is there something wrong?
Elder Herr: Will you stop talking about the war?!
Basil: ME?! You started it!
Elder Herr: We did not start it!
Basil: Yes you did — you invaded Poland.
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