QUOTE OF THE DAY : "People expect you to celebrate diversity --without actually pointing out each other's differences." - Colin Quinn

SONG OF THE DAY : The Stills - Ready For It

LINK OF THE DAY : Help Howard Stern Fight Censorship.


Don't make me take this sword out Hollywood.

It takes two to tango my friends. One to lead and one to follow. Hollywood has taken the lead, each movie more craptastic than the one that proceeded it. Hollywood has a case of the screaming shits; The screaming shit of mediocrity.


They alone are not responsible for this trend. People are obviously paying to see this stuff. Scooby Doo 2 was the number one movie in the US and Canada this weekend. The critics said it was a monstrosity of a film, and I said the same without actually seeing the film. If you keep paying to see this crap, they're going to keep making it! Prove me wrong! Don't be lambs to the slaughter! Boycott shitty movies!

I'm starting to sound like Hollywood. I'm replaying the same old tired shit people have heard a million times. So this will be the last you'll hear of my complaints against Hollywood... Unless of course they come up with another "Contemporary Retelling" of something I cherish. Do it Hollywood! I dare you! So help me, I'll blow up your precious studios if I have to. That will stop you.

Sorry about the depressing note of the previous blog. But hey I don't make the news I just report it. That story really hit home with me.

On to more light hearted matters. The Maple Leafs walloped the Atlanta Thrashers tonight 4-2. They're now tied for 1st with Boston in the Eastern Conference. The play offs are going to be awesome this year, the Leafs are looking really good.

Spring is upon fair York at last. Thank goodness Winter is over. Good riddance old man!

Kampai

- Will

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for." -Unknown

SONG OF THE DAY : Oasis - Fucking in the Bushes

LINK OF THE DAY : Nobody listens... And then this happens.

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body's work's expir'd.

I think I'm stating the obvious when I say that sick fucks who kill children should be made to pay for what they have done.
And nowhere is this statement more true, than in the case of whoever killed Cecilia Zhang.

Cecilia was a 9 year old girl, living in Toronto. She was abducted from her home in mid October. Not snatched at random, but someone actually broke into her home... And abducted her.

You always hear these stories and just hope that the kid is alive. When in your heart you probably realize that they're already dead.

After an exhaustive four month search, they finally found her. Dead. Dumped in the woods behind a church in Mississauga.

I don't wish death upon the person responsible for this. I wish suffering upon them. They should be locked away for the rest of their lives, in a dark windowless cell. Made to hear a recorded loop of children crying and screaming 24/7. This person should be beaten on a bidaily basis, and have their testicles pounded with a sledge hammer on a bi-monthly basis.

Then when this person has reached the end of their miserable life, they should be kept alive as long as possible, in as much pain as possible until his final agonizing breath.

I have no pity for these sick bastards. They have taken their perversion to the ultimate level, and actually done something to a child. WHO THE FUCK KILLS A KID?!

The same thing happened to a 11 year old Carlie Brucia recently down in Florida last month. You may recall that abduction was caught on tape, which aided in the capture of the twisted individual who raped and murdered her.

I hope he is punished to the full extent of the law in Florida. If that means the death penalty, then so be it. Some may say it's not for us to say who lives and dies. Well to them I say... It's not up to him... To do what he did to that little girl... This makes sure it won't happen again. You can't rehabilitate the kind of person who would commit that malicious act.

When they catch Cecilia Zhang's killer, he should be made to remember for the rest of his life... What he did.

This happens all to often, to children around the world. They didn't even get a chance to live their lives.

Rest in Peace Cecilia Zhang and Carlie Brucia

- Will

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "There are only two things I won't tolerate in this house. Racism and Constipation." - Karen Walker

SONG OF THE DAY : Elliot Smith - Sweet Adeline

LINK OF THE DAY : What is LARPing you say? LIGHTNING BOLT!

When Envy breeds unkind division:
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.

Tales from Europe.

"The bus doesn't run after 5 pm? Pourquoi?" I asked as stomach sank.

The kindly older woman said she didn't know, but offered to call me a cab. The stationary store had become my base of operations in Bretteville-sur-Laize, France.

"Uhhh... It will be 40 euros to get back to Caen." She told me in broken English.

"Oh... Damn... Well then forget that. Merci beaucoup, I'll figure something out." I replied.


As you can see, I was in the middle of nowhere.

I had taken the bus from Caen to this small town in Normandy earlier that day. I came to visit the grave of Everett Borgald, a relative of mine that had been killed in the subsequent weeks after D-Day. Aside from the fact that I had to walk 10 km through damp French country-side, the trip had been a success. I had paid my respects to my cousin, and been the first in my family to visit his grave. I now had to get back to Caen, where I was staying. Unfortunately, it appeared that the bus didn't go to Caen after a certain time. I was told this by the bus driver of the bus that I had been waiting 2 hours to catch. It was now dark and getting cold, so I returned to the nearby Stationary Store and had the previous conversation.

Then like some sort of ... French angel, a 30 something woman who had been waiting in line at the store asked what the problem was. The store owner explained my quandry to her, and then she spoke to me in French. To my amazement I understood. Explaining that she was going back to Caen in about 45 minutes, and that she just had to run some errands and pick up her daughter first. She said she'd be happy to give me a ride.

Thank you French class. Though I didn't know it at the time, what I learned saved my ass on this little venture. I understood what people were saying, and could converse to some degree with people thanks to my studies.

I was blown away by the kindness offered to me by a total stranger, and was only too happy to accept the ride.

After a trip to the grocery store we headed to her daughters basketball game. It was in a freezing cold gymnasium on top of a big hill in the middle of no where. Nothing like going to see the intramural basketball game of a strangers 10 year old daughter in small town France.

Oddly enough one of the kids was wearing a Toronto Raptors Vince Carter jersey. I thought that was pretty cool, and tried to tell the kid that I was from Toronto. It probably came out like this. "I Toronto come from. Nice shirt. Vince Carter good." Suffice it to say the kid was only mildly impressed.

Anyways after the game, I got my ride back to Caen. The drive featured mostly one sided conversation from mother and daughter directed at me. I did my best to converse, but as I've always said I understand it better than I speak it.

"Merci, Merci beaucoup! Thank you so much!" I said as they dropped me off at the train station.

It's a shame I can't even remember the woman's name, or that of her daughters. I bought my ticket, grabbed my bag from the hotel(There are noo auberge de jeunese in Caen in the winter.) and headed for Paris.

Since we're on the topic of France. I was most pleased to hear today that in the Liberals new budget $1.5 million has been allocated for the Juno Beach Centre in Courseau-sur-mer just north of Caen. Wonderful that they are honouring the brave soldiers of yester-year. If only the same could be said of today's soldiers and the federal governments feelings towards them.

retrospectively yours.

-Will

P.S. Why don't people comment? Since I wrote my last blog over 250 people have visited the site. I'm pretty sure most of them weren't me. I have a comment forum for a reason. FEEDBACK PEOPLE! No matter how inane. I just need proof that people are reading this stuff.

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - Unknown

SONG OF THE DAY : The Roots - Over the Water.

LINK OF THE DAY : The Eccentric Billionaire Owner of the Dallas Mavericks has a Blog.

O, it is excellent to have a giant's strength,
But it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.

And The Cramming Continues...

Well thank you Hollywood! I can now die a happy man because those crazy cats that brought us the original Scooby Doo movie are sending us another cinematic tour de force... Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed!


That's a computer generated dog! NO WAY!

Don't worry though, I'm sure the producers of this future Oscar winner are making it with the best of intentions. HEY! No they aren't! They're raping the collective childhood of millions of people and shaming a classic cartoon! Oh you studio execs... When will you learn that preserving classics is more important that making a quick buck.

Now I've heard that Matthew Lillard does one hell of a Shaggy impersonation, this however does not redeem the movie. Congrats dumbass you can imitate a cartoon character in a horrible live action version of the original! Casey Kasem would be spinning in his grave!

The film(if I dare call it that) also stars Freddie Prinze Jr. , Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alicia Silverstone. It was also directed by the same man who brought us the original movie. Raja Gosnell. Director of Big Momma's House and Home Alone 3. Boy... They sure are scraping the bottom of the barrel on this one. When was the last time one of these people made a decent movie? Oh yeah... Never. We all know the successes Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard have brought us in the past: She's All That, Wing Commander, Summer Catch, and the first Scooby Doo movie. Their resumes speak volumes of the inevitable crap-fest that will be Scooby Doo 2. I mean... Wing Commander! Did you see that movie?

I've seen bits in pieces of the first one. Only as a result of working at a movie theatre and being bored on that particular day. There was no way in hell I was paying to see that one. My verdict, without a doubt one of the shittiest movies I've ever seen. I tried to see it from a child's perspective... Presumably it's target audience... And was awe struck by the laboured humour and lame story. An average episode of the cartoon was far superior to the film.(Again I use this term loosely.)

As for the titular CGI dog. Well done for what it was, but it doesn't look real at all. Isn't the point of making a live action film to strive for some sense of realism? Cartoon physics do not work well in live action, it just looks weird. I'm sure the modellers and animators worked hard on Scooby Doo so I'm not going to take a crack at them... It just doesn't work. And I anticipate the same if this trailer is any indicator of the finished product.

You'll notice the trailer for Scooby Doo 2 contains many monsters. Apparently the plot of the new movie is that all the monsters the gang fought previously are back... For some unknown reason. My favourite has to be the 7 foot tall mummy-ogre thing... It looks like Yoda on steroids with a pinch of cave troll. Well done.

The Recipe for a Scooby Doo Movie.

4 Parts talentless actors from lame teen movies.
1 Part mediocre director
1 Part mediocre writer
1 Part Studio eager to make a quick buck on people's childhood memories.
1 Badly executed Computer Generated cartoon dog.
1 Part classic Saturday Morning cartoon.

Mix and Bake... Badly. Serve to clueless public who has no idea what they're getting into.
Make enough money to ensure another sequel... somehow.

This formula should be a recipe for disaster... But somehow the people just keep coming. If you keep taking the crap that Hollywood is dishing out... THEY WON'T STOP SERVING IT! Boycott bad movies!

Believe me, I'm not an eternal cynic... I just don't like bad movies. Especially bad movies that are remakes... Oh wait... Must use industry word for that.... Ah yes... Contemporary retellings of things I enjoyed a great deal as a child.

If they do this to The Transformers movie that's in the works... There will be hell to pay.

In other news, my friend just got Battlefield Vietnam the anticipated sequel to Battlefield 1942. It's a massively multiplayer first person shooter set in, you guessed it Vietnam. Yesterday's horrific warfare is now todays online entertainment! I can't wait to play it.

If only we could instill some of the horrors of war into the gameplay. Players should actually incur injuries! Shrapnel wounds, Agent Orange exposure, Napalm burns, Sucking chest wounds, Being shot by Americans from Huey's for entertainment etc.

I actually really want to play the game. It lets you do pretty much everything. In games with up to 128 people! You can drop bombs and napalm in an F-4 Phantom, dog fight with MIG's, patrol the river in PCF boats, engage Charlie in brutal guerrilla warfare in the jungles of Vietnam.... Yes good times indeed. You can be the North Vietnamese or the Americans in what is sure to be a classic.

Sincerely

That guy who writes this blog.

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?" - Unknown

SONG OF THE DAY : Zack de la Rocha and DJ Shadow - March of Death

LINK OF THE DAY : An Ignorant American's Guide to Canada.

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings;
Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.


How could you stay mad at this?

Wow. Who knew that other Canadians hated Toronto so much?!

I guess I've never really thought about it too much, but there seems to be a growing dislike of my fair city. I encountered some subdued contempt for my hometown from a few fellow Canadians, but I didn't really pay it any mind.

This is just one of the many articles I've read on the subject of how much "Toronto Sucks!"

I was born in Toronto. North York actually, but it's part of the city now. I've lived in Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto. I think I have a good gauge of what Canada is. Many Canadians outside Toronto, most of whom have never even been to the city will look down on you if you say you're from Toronto. They've made broad generalizations and assumptions about people from Toronto for some reason. Is it because they have met a rude person from Toronto? Probably, but I'd like to think we export more cool people than jerks. There is a simple ratio for jerks to cool people.

For every 10 people, 4 will be jerks, and 6 will be cool. If this ratio proves true, it means that Toronto; a city of nearly 5 million has a lot of jerks. Is it my fault that they were rude to you? No.

I don't make snap judgements about the rest of Canada, because I've lived in the region you're from, I have friends in your area, and I like visiting your city or town. I won't come in and say "HEY I'M FROM TORONTO! I MOCK YOUR SHITTY LITTLE TOWN AND MY CITY IS FAR SUPERIOR TO YOURS!" And yet people expect me to, because I'm from York.

In the U.S., the jerk to cool people ratio must be a little higher, because I've met more American jerks in my travels than cool people. Which is a shame, because I love you guys. I don't like your government but I have no beef with you. So to the jerks I say, quit being jerks and ruining it for the cool Americans.

I say the same thing to the jerks from Toronto, quit ruining for the rest of us! Especially me!

"Cool, you're Canadian. Where you from?"

"Calgary. You?"

"Nice, I know some people there. Toronto."

"Oh... I see."

I'm a proud Canadian, I just want what is best for this country. I'll always stick up for my countrymen, I won't judge you, so don't judge me.

It actually upsets me, this hatred towards my birthplace, the city I love and call home. Of course I have pride in where I'm from, you have pride in where you're from and I would expect no less. It's a cool place to live, and I'm going to let people know that when I'm abroad, but I'm not going to have this holier than though attitude that people might expect.

I'll close with this. If you have some strange hatred for Toronto, based on nothing but what you've heard. Come try it out. You might like it. And if you don't, then you don't, but making snap judgements is retarded. I only make fun of places I've been if I don't like them, because I've been there and know. You're entitled to your opinion, but at least speak from an educated perspective, or you do look like an ignorant country bumpkin. Ever think that maybe that was the reason why we say what we say about rural people? Broad generalizations work both ways, I'm only going to speak from experience and expect you to do the same.

FARKERS! I WANT A FARK PARTY! Email me and we can organize something! wperkins@rogers.com

RoninKengo

- Will

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now."

SONG OF THE DAY : The Strokes - Reptilia

LINK OF THE DAY : Adam has a blog. God help us all.

One fire burns out another's burning,
One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish.


IT IS DELLA REESE! WE MUST FLEE!

Normally I take 2 buses to school. Today however I took the subway. What an odd day I had.

On my way to Centennial this morning I was confronted by the mullet squad. I'd been sitting on the subway minding my own business when we pulled into Victoria Park station. Four guys straight out of the early 1980's got on the subway. This mulleted crew sported jean and leather jackets, and two of them even had thosewispyy moustaches. On top of that they were all hosers. They spoke like Canadian country bumpkins... Albertans if you will.... TAKE THAT ALBERTA ! Truly frightening.

Then I went to class. Nothing exciting happened.

Back on the TTC, I had resigned myself to looking at the floor of the subway. Normally I look around the subway car, trying in vain like everyone else to avoid eye contact at all costs. Today was different.

"Hey Boss! How are ya?" A kindly looking old man said to me from across the way.

"Uhhh... good. You?" I sheepishly replied.
With nearly every seat on the train taken, my participation in this conversation was a fait accompli.

"I'm wonderful, you know what program I enjoy? Touched by an Angel. It's on that channel 9...The Christian television channel. It's a good program." He then gave a spirited expose on the greatness of a particular episode that caught his fancy, and gave me a detailed description of Della Reese's many hijinks.

Of course, I despise Touched by an Angel, but he was a kindly old man, I wasn't going to say "I hate that god damn show." So I smiled and nodded, inserting 'cool' and 'ya' here and there.

Luckily a beautiful woman came to my rescue. Well sort of. This incredibly attractive girl around my age sat down next to me, she must have been a model because she had legs for miles and a face that could friendly the evilest of evils.

Anyways, the elderly chap continued his exposition, all the while incredibly distracted by the attractive girl. He even began talking to her, by that point it was about some cooking show that helped you lose weight. The conversation continued into last weeks church sermon... which then invariably evolved back into Touched by an Angel. He sure loved that show.

During all this model girl, henceforth known as Drop-Dead-Gorgeous; were exchanging glances. Saying with our eyes "What is this guy talking about?" All the while smiling and nodding at the elderly gentleman.

"Well this is my stop. Good talking to you!" I proclaimed as the train pulled into Main Street station.

"Yes you too Boss. Remember to have a look at that program I was telling you about." He replied.

"I will. Take care."

As I got up to leave the train I gave Drop-Dead-Gorgeous a smirk that said 'Thank god I'm outta here.'
She returned my smirk with an exasperated smile that said 'Don't leave me here!'

I should have stayed on the train and talked to her some more, but alas I had to get home and write this harrowing tale of mullets, subway ambush, a gorgeous girl and geriatrics gone awry.

*Smacks forehead* Why didn't I stay on that train?

- Will

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself." - Unknown

SONG OF THE DAY : The Stills - Love & Death

LINK OF THE DAY : Wesley Crusher has a Blog!

And I no friends to back my suit withal,
But the plain devil and dissembling looks,
And yet to win her,--all the world to nothing!


After traveling half way across the world on planes, trains and automobiles for a week straight did I take a break?
No, I went to a midnight showing of Return of the King.

More Pics from the Midnight of ROTK here.

'Have you ever stood and stared at the world? Marveled at it's beauty, it's genius? Billions of people just living out their lives, oblivious.'

There has to be more to life. People are satisfied with the daily rat race because it provides them a menial existence. In debt up to their eyeballs, they're determined to maintain some high standard of living above their means. Why don't people want more? Is this what we call living in this day and age? Working our collective asses of from womb to grave for what? To what end? I don't understand, I can't comprehend... Why?

Wrote my social science mid term today, it went well. I'm glad it went well. One more step up the ladder. Another step on the golden path.

Right now I'm feeling like a look in that picture. Tired and sitting on a blue chair.

The Maple Leafs acquired Brian Leetch from the New York Rangers, and tonight he proved to us that he's a hell of a defensemen. A fine addition to probably the best Leafs team in 30 years. We really have a shot this year, I know I say that every year... But I can feel it. We're close. GO LEAFS GO!

*Looks over at TV* My God that's an attractive woman.

- Will

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "The Bible was written by the same people who said the Earth was flat." - Unknown

SONG OF THE DAY : Nine Inch Nails - Closer

LINK OF THE DAY : MORE DVD'S !

If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour!


Welcome to the internet my friends.

Busy week. In that I did a whole lot of nothing. Good old reading week.

A time when you commit to reading stuff for school in preparation for some mid term tests...Butt invariably end up doing... well not as much as you'd like to have done.

I used my Christmas gift certificates finally. Max came along on my Eaton Centre odyssey. We came, we saw, we kicked it's ass! We survived the journey into the belly of the beast. American Eagle Outfitters.

As Max says, that place should have a no black people sign. It's the whitest place in Toronto, not a minority in sight. I wanted to vomit in terror while in there. Though I did get a nifty shirt. I Carry No Ca$h, the shirt proclaims...It fits me perfectly because I rarely carry cash.

I had $100 dollars worth of gift certificates at Indigo, which I think I spent well. Bought 2 dvd's, a book and a magazine.

DVD's
The Wrath of Khan
Gladiator
Book
The Da Vinci Code
Magazine
Maxim # 75 Featuring the beautiful homegrown Elisha Cuthbert, 24's Kim Bauer. Yowza!


Proof that there is indeed some sort of God.

A good haul, it was like Christmas all over again.

After the Eaton Centre we hit Mountain Equipment Co-op. Max had a store credit there so he had $150 bucks to blow on something. Was it Ultra pants? Or Samurai vests? Or perhaps my favorite Ronin Shorts? No, though they were all available. So to answer your question... I don't even remember what he bought. I think it was some kind of shirt.

If you think the idea of Jesus getting his ass kicked for 2 hours appeals to you...By all means go see The Passion of The Christ. I had the misfortune of seeing this film on Wednesday. It's brutal, and heavily biased of course. I had no idea Mel Gibson was such a whacko. At this point I could begin some kind of anti-religion rant...But I won't. Technically it was a very well made film, visually stirring, and impressive to watch. I can't believe people are taking their kids to this movie. The film is unflinchingly brutal and graphic. Not for the wee ones, no matter how religious your family is. What was made even more creepy, was how silent it was at the end of the film. The audience was completely quiet, and silently shuffled out of the theatre, which was made even creepier is that a lot of people there had the ash marks on their foreheads... They were all like a bunch of crazy religious zombies. JESUS! BRAINS ! JESUS !

Yes, yes you Christians and Catholics all like your Jesus... I have no qualms with him, but his beliefs and teachings have been perverted to such a degree over the years that I have decided that it is pointless to even follow them. The basic ideas of Christianity are essentially common sense things in this day and age anyways. So who needs organized religion? Well people do, because they want something to look forward to after they die. Good for them. I can't join them on that band wagon though, and because of my different views I'm not going to heaven according to them. If I were religious, no God of mine would have that my way or the highway attitude. For shame Jesus, for shame.

It was my Grandmother's 70th Birthday on Saturday. We had a big family gathering at my Uncle's house to celebrate. Good times. I wanted to go to Hamilton afterwards for my friend Johnny's 21st birthday, but sadly, Hamilton is not a place that's easy to get to at 11:30 PM on Saturday night if you have no car. Instead, I headed to Darcy's Winter Blah's party. Good times. I'd be dead and cold in the grave if I didn't get at least a little buzzed on Saturday night.

In other news, I dyed a large section of my hair blonde and gave myself a faux-hawk. You may laugh, but at least I had the balls to try something different. Besides, it looks fine.

I'm just going to finish watching The Lord of the Rings show... I mean the Academy Awards. Wow... They just won... again. They are cleaning up!

Vaya Con Dios Amigos! Wait... don't.

- Will

P.S.
Thanks to WinslowLeach from Aint It Cool News for the Charicature.