It was Canada's one-hundred and forty-second birthday yesterday... and it will be America's two-hundred and thirty-third birthday this Saturday... so I wanted to do a post to celebrate both of these neighbours... of which, I'm on the "North" side... being a Canucklehead... and since Brits and Europeans have such a difficult time with this, I thought I'd give you all...

#13: Step on his/her foot. If they apologise to you for being in your way, they're Canadian.

#12: If they have a hand gun or have a neighbour that has one, they're American.

#11: If they know who Stompin' Tom Connors is, they're a Canadian.

#10: Question them on who won "The War of 1812" between Britain and America. If they say, without hesitation, America... then they're American.

#9: Ask what a looney is. If they mention it's a denomination of cash, they're Canadian.

#8: If you leave an establishment after a purchase, and you hear a cheery "Y'all come back now!", you've heard an American.

#7: Ask them what Tim's is. If they answer that it's a great place to grab a decent cup of coffee, they're Canadian.

#6: If you hear about how your butt was saved in WWII by them, they're American.

#5: Ask them who the reigning monarch currently is. If they answer "Queen Elizabeth The First", they're Canadian.

#4: If they show genuine patriotism a lot of the time, unabashedly and with great enthusiasm, they're American.

#3: If they tell you they're travelling overseas, but first have to stitch their country's flag on all outerwear and their backpack, they're Canadian.

#2: If they can tell you just which number SuperBowl game is coming up this year, they're American.

#1: Tell them you believe they are American. If at that point they feel the urge to go on and on and on and on about the differences between Canada and America, they're Canadian.

Super Deluxe Bonus Entry:

If they're primary language is English... but know many basic French words... especially anything that might be written on a bilingual box of breakfast cereal, they're Canadian.

If they're primary language is English... but know many basic Spanish words... especially those from children's television programs, they're American.

For a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants, please click here.

Boatload of lemons? After they're squeezed, track-load of lemonade! Well, I can't even claim the lemons right now... my reason for being a touch late on my blessing... and what WAS going to be my excuse for NOT doing a blessing this week... after some thought WAS a blessing of a sort!

Usually, I write these posts on the Saturday to be posted right at 12:01am Sunday morning... thus freeing up Sunday for things away from the computer... except Saturday went from being a wee trip out on a weekend to something a little more active.

Sue and I missed going to her father's grave on Father's Day... which is something we do each year. Weather and a few other miscues kept us away... so this weekend, we called her sister and off we went.

After tending his grave (not a sad affair, but one of care and rejuvenation,) Sue mentioned my father's grave... a place that my whole family, by dint of location (too far) don't get to very often... and at first, I said there was no need to visit... that this was their day for their father... but... after a few minutes and the realisation the two women were, more or less, just going to head home... I said, "Well, Mount Pleasant Cemetery is an interesting spot... and Diane (Sue's sister) has never been... can we go?"

So, with no issue, we were on our way...

BUT!

En route, I'd mentioned a neighbourhood near where I grew up that I really didn't know anything about and was, in an odd way, in our path... Sue's sister was our driver and she said, "Sure! Let's check it out!"

I explained that this "neighbourhood" was small by any normal measures of the city's spaces, and was bordered by two park-like valleys, train tracks, and a huge ravine.

Well, we went into this odd sequestered neighbourhood and it was still as I remembered... right down to it's odd littler "main street" of commercial properties. It was/is a very obviously wealthy neighbourhood with fairly large homes on normal lots, a large lush park on the one side, and this little bank of shops... well... let's just say when I was a kid, it was a "convenience store" on this block... as an adult an revisiting with Sue and Diane, it had a sign to let you know it was a "Convenience Boutique". (I kid you not!)

We did stop in the fairly large, well stocked, and TREMENDOUSLY over priced grocery store for some supplies... (their stock, for the most part, is available in places not too far from our home at about 1/3 of the same price! I guess the store knows it has an oddly captive audience...) and looked about for some info on the area... none existing...

...then we went off to the cemetery where, indeed, I did need to tend to my father's grave (the stone is an "in ground" job and it appears to be sinking... and mud and grass had obscured the family name... I soon sorted that out,) and visited some of the more "mucky-mucks" and interesting monuments in the one side of the cemetery... and in a few hours, we were on our way again... but since we were now all fascinated, we decided to go back through the odd neighbourhood... and this time, I checked that local park I mentioned and got a name... it was a name I recognised, but couldn't place...

"Chorley Park".

Just so you know, here's a satellite picture of it thanks to Google...

Toronto, from SPACE! (...with the general area I'm speaking of circled...)

Chorley Park Neighbourhood...

...but why was the name so familiar to me?

Now, I had grown up (spent my teenaged years,) a spit and a whistle away from the place (probably about five or six miles North-East in a neigbourhood called Leaside,) but there was something else...

...and the amateur historian in me, once home, felt rather ashamed...

Diane looked up the name and... well... it was demolished in the early 1960's, but original "Chorley Park" (a name for a mansion, not actually a park,) was the official home for the Fourth Government House in Ontario... or the residence of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario... which is a job/title given to someone more or less as a ceremonial kinda thing... a throw back to our early colonial times... but a good one.

Yup, it was built in 1909, and had a rather interesting past... worth reading but too much for here... and then demolished when in 1961, it was considered an old and deteriorating eyesore. Something that made everyone here kinda mope... and I'm sure my friend DrillerAA probably weeps for this sort of thing too...

Wanna see "Chorley Park"? The torn-down, not worth saving, deteriorating, eyesore?

Image from Wikipedia...

Image from Wikipedia...

Image from Wikipedia...

Oh well, the short-sightedness of one era is the disaster and borderline vandalism of the next...

Anyway, after ALL this, we got home, Diane stayed for supper (the main parts from the over priced Chorley Park grocery store... again, nothing special...) and we were all suitably burnt out from a tonne of walking, exploring, and mucking about.

NOW...

You may ask yourself... how is any of this a blessing???

Easy!

My blessing today is spur of the moment adventures... the destination of which leads to learning something new.

Diane had never been to Mount Pleasant Cemetery which is an astounding place...

Although I had been as a teen, none of us really knew much about the neighbourhood of Chorley Park...

Although Sue and I had heard of the mansion, we didn't know (actually, we were mistaken about) it's exact location... and weren't aware of it's complete history.

I'd say it was a blessing of a Saturday... even if it did delay my blessing!

Blog Your Blessing Sundays is a creation of NeoBluePanther... who may or may not be the famed Luchador!

David Carradine... Ed McMahon... Farrah Fawcett... and Michael Jackson.

Isn't it odd... if I was only to work from current news, I'd only SEEM to know that...

David Carradine MIGHT have died in a bizarre solo sex-act in Bangkok.

...neglecting his amazing body of work and a truly interesting and odd character with an incredible family history.

Ed McMahon was in serious health and fiscal damage.

...but was probably one of the more genuinely witty and iconic figures of late night television as well as many other ventures... not the least of which was his unceasing work for charity. "Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!" is in our lexicon because of this man.

Farrah Fawcett was a face to an insidious form of cancer... one that may be a thing of the past for future generations rather quickly.

...which isn't at all a bad way to be remembered... but she was a heck of an actress and legitimately a touch-stone of her time. (Not only that, but I do remember her early interviews and she had a wit and charm that was as impressive as her beauty.)

...then there's Michael Jackson.

I've been watching the twists and turns in the blogsphere and on FaceBook over Jackson... his fans and his detractors...

I'm in a "fortunate"(?) space as I was never a fan. In fact, in the early eighties, I was heartily sick of Michael Jackson after being subjected to his music night and day... and it wasn't really my kind of stuff.

...so I watched his odd life unfold with detachment.

I'm sorry to his fans, but I have very little personal doubt that Michael had a "thing" for children that, by any stretch of the imagination, was over the line of healthy. Whether you believe he was sexually attracted to young boys or was, as he said, "trying to regain a lost childhood", at what point do you, if you're a friend or family member, step in before what happened... well... happened?

This isn't to say that I set the blame SOLELY on Jackson... I do look at the parents of these kids... especially the ones AFTER the initial allegations surfaced... and I do not wonder at all if they weren't willing to sacrifice their children for a cheque... granted, they could state that all they knew were allegations... and that wasn't enough for them... but as a parent, albeit a step-parent, it would be more than enough for me to not allow "visitation" without strict supervision if at all.

...but I digress a touch.

When looking at the man as a whole, he may not have truly "entertained" me, but he did entertain many... the majority, to be honest... and I won't take that away from him.

He was enormously talented... and he did break down many barriers that some people don't even know existed in terms of black performers... especially on the burgeoning "music video" stage of his time.

His fans, however, have to realise that he was a deeply flawed human being... regardless of intent, the optics of his life were and are impossible to overlook and indeed, will always overshadow his accomplishments to many.

History will be weird with Michael Jackson... accusatory, wary, and at the same time, complimentary and genuinely heaping accolades on him.

In essence, watching the fall-out over the necessary summing up of his life and accomplishments, there's storms brewing... but they are, regardless, tempests in teapots. There are no dogs left in this fight.

He was accused of many ills... and that I personally couldn't overlook myself...

...but he was talented and ground breaking... and as iconic as any "super star" that's been on the stage.

You can choose to celebrate his life and the good things... or you can choose to concentrate on his questionable behaviour and issues... both are valid... neither side should dismiss the other.

He has now passed into history... and perhaps, it is up to time and the future to decide how he will be, in general, looked upon.

I will give one piece of credit, however... you can't ignore him... even in death.

Perhaps that is all it will come down to... he will be immortal... with people hopefully balancing the good and the bad... and although acknowledging his talent and contribution, they will also have to necessarily mollify that worship with thoughts about what might have happened and regardless, the optics thereof of someone in his (personally) chosen position.

Either way, a lot of icons have passed in a relatively short period of time... and if nothing else, it's good to see people thinking and indeed talking about them on any level as opposed to these folks being discarded into the rubbish bin of popular attention.

To all those incurably stupid people that post blog entries during the Winter that said, "It's cold outside! See! Global warming? MYTH!" - May I please say... BITE ME. Other than being incurably bad environmental science ("GLOBAL" warming, not "localized temperature" warming...) our city, Toronto, is currently experiencing a garbage strike (mmmm... aroma!)... AND (of course,) 90-plus degree weather. (That's 33 degrees plus in Centigrade.)

None-the-less, and even better, the palatial Didier-Darroch Compound has only TWO antiquated electrical circuits (the building is over eighty years old,) and no, I can use the stove's circuit 'cuz we be cookin' with gas... so air conditioning is NOT an option. (Most air conditioners use 17 amps to kick over the compressor... meaning pop-a-fuse-a-mania!)

So, my Thursday Thirteen is kinda cancelled because it's too hot, sticky, and drippy to think... save for something for non-Canadians to consider...

#13: The polar bears are asking to be shaved down.

#12: Our igloos are melting... Many are being left homeless.

#11: Santa's dropped about fifty pounds just by sweating.

#10: Ice sculpture artists find water difficult to cut with a chain saw.

#9: Confused tourists are wondering if they're really in Atlanta, Georgia.

#8: Three words: Mosquito Heat Stroke.

#7: Canada Dry changing it's name to Canada Humid.

#6: Nanook of the North now sporting shades and a Speedo.

#5: Pucks and skate blades don't move well on concrete when the rinks melt.

#4: Suddenly, Americans hear us now saying "OW" in the words, "house" and "about"... but notice a twang in our accents and are frightened when Tim Horton's waitresses say, "Y'all come back now, y'hear!"

#3: Children are stealing the antlers from passing moose to use as fans.

#2: Great Lakes now more like expansive puddles.

#1: Sled dogs refuse to run on hot asphalt leading to terrible traffic jams.

Five more months...

Me? Obsessed? NEVER!

...it's just only THREE more "David Tennant/Tenth Doctor" shows on schedule and it's time for the regeneration into "Matt Smith/Eleventh Doctor"...

For a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants, please click here.

There's much to be thankful for this week... and in my eyes, anything you're thankful for is a blessing.

Lessee... Kid won her class spelling bee. Our wee dog (Kipling) hurt his leg and was teetering on a vet visit for a couple of days, but has mended quickly and back up to his old badness. Bills are all paid and work is busy. Friday was a "vacation" day so I'm well rested.

Most importantly, Sue had GREAT news from her doctor and should be fully recovered from her illness shortly!

...but how to choose which one is a blessing...?

The latter one is kind of a slam-dunk, but Sue wants to blog about it herself...

The other is a thirteen year old who, more than occasionally, doesn't like any "publicity" on parental type blogs...

As much as he means the world to us, Kippers' injury didn't last too long and he's back to full strength AND he was a Wordless Wednesday entry a couple of weeks back and I don't want this to become a vet blog...

Having all our bills up to date is wonderful, but in this day and age, we're very fortunate and know too many who are having troubles and I don't want to come off boastful in a bad way...

So what to do?

I KNOW!

My Blessing is that THIS WEEK the BBC finally gave us a clue as to when the next season (mini-series really,) of Torchwood will be airing!

Yup! "Children of the Earth" will be shown from July 4th-10th!

I know, I know... but it was a diplomatic decision!

Blog Your Blessing Sundays is a creation of NeoBluePanther... who may or may not be the famed Luchador!

I'm gonna be a bit... well... a bit of a pig today. Mind you, it's more a "re-living past piggishness" moment... because even though I was really raised in a fairly up-front matriarchal family, I still had hormones... and because of those, I was... well... "drawn" to certain women on TV. So, here's my list of...

#13: Colonel Wilma Deering

From the series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, actress Erin Gray set up a lifelong "thing" about women who look good in helmets.

#12: Mrs. Emma Peel

Diana Rigg played the unflappable and assuredly "kick-butt" superspy in The Avengers... and although no slouch in the looks and "kick-butt" department, I'm sorry to say that Uma Thurman just wasn't as... um... "intriguing" to me personally in the more recent movie release.

#11: Romanadvoratrelundar (Romana for short...) Second "Regeneration"

Don't think Doctor Who will be missed by me in this list... I'll be hitting another companion shortly. The interestingly named Lalla Ward (actually, she was born "Sarah" Ward... but who's splitting hairs?) was the Fourth Doctor's companion... and the Fourth Doctor's companion! (She was dating and briefly was married to Tom Baker while the production was going on.) Add interest to her story, author Douglas Adams was the fella that introduced her to her husband in 1992, Professor Richard Dawkins. She's quite fond of knitting and embroidery... and when I was a lad, she was the measure by which all "cute girls" were measured in my tiny male-hormone addled mind.

#10: Wonder Woman

Do I really, Really, REALLY need to explain to any male who was alive and had access to a television set between the years 1975 and 1979 why Lynda Carter got my attention? No? Good.

#9: Perpugilliam Brown (Peri for short...)

Doctor Who again... Age wise, Ms. Nicola Bryant and I are only three years apart... but as a "very young adult", Peri won me over as a companion to the Fifth and Sixth Doctors despite a rather sketchy American accent... and looked FANTASTIC in a bathing suit. What's really fantastic is I've seen recent photos and she still is a spectacular looking lady! (...and I still got ONE Doctor Who companion left in this list...)

#8: Sabrina Duncan

Much like males of a certain age only watched "" for... um... specific reasons, many young men in my youth watched Charlie's Angels for... um... specific reasons. Most of them for Farrah Fawcett-Majors who was/is a very beautiful woman... and a brave fighter... but me, I had a thing for Kate Jackson. Not that Farah nor Jaclyn Smith were slouches by any stretch, I just had a "thing". Sadly, there were plenty of Farah posters for my chums in junior high... but precious few of Ms. Jackson.

#7: Terri Alden

Again, bucking a trend... and again, Suzanne Summers is a fabulously striking lady (who looks pretty much as good now as "back then",) and all my friends were all about "Chrissy Snow" in the show Three's Company, I fell for the tall blonde "replacement" (HARDLY!) in the form of Priscilla Barnes... To each their own, even back then!

#6: Constance Weldon Carlyle

Oh yes, Morgan Fairchild caught my youthful interest... not that I ever saw a single episode of Flamingo Road, but I made a genuine effort to catch each and every interview on the talk show circuit she did... and to get my viewership, all you had to say about your TV show was Guest Starring Morgan Fairchild!

#5: Bailey Quarters

This one, back when, I found I was not alone in this. Often "overshadowed" by the rather unmissable Loni Anderson, Jan Smithers had quite the following in my junior high and high school with the young fellas. Perhaps our tastes were maturing (HAHAHAHAHA!) from years of Farah worship and we now wanted more "down to earth" kinda gals. (Yeah, like Jan Smithers' was somehow in our league!)

#4: Ann Marie

Okay, so Phil Donahue managed to snag her, that didn't take away my youthful exuberance in watching a young Marlo Thomas in That Girl... I was particularly jealous of Ted Bessell when watching that show!

#3: Ginger Grant

I think this answers the whole "Ginger or Marie-Ann" question you might have had with me... yup... the great Gilligan's Island question... right up there with "Betty or Veronica"... (Veronica, by the way... I like a challenge!)

#2: Jeannie

Okay, like with Lynda Carter above... do I really, Really, REALLY need to explain to any male who was alive and had access to a television set between the years 1965 and 1970 (and beyond in re-runs which is when I caught it,) why Barbara Eden got my attention? No? Okay, we're good here.

#1: Leela

My final Doctor Who companion to end of this list... In her "savage" outfit and accompanied by a hunter's instinct, Louise Jameson struck a note as a companion to the Fourth Doctor that stuck with me pretty much all through life... yup... a life-long thing for sexy, aggressive women. (Just ask Sue!)

Sorry for the late entry from me, and using an ICanHazCheezburger image, but the image should give you a clue as to what I spent most of last night dealing with... and this morning as well...

It was a "nine-step process"...

Step 1: Come home from work.

Step 2: Turn on computer.

Step 3: Download a software package to help with your web design jobs that someone at your "day job" recommended.

Step 4: Watch in agony as this software "does something" during installation that doesn't seem quite right.

Step 5: Thanks to your top-notch virus checker, you know it ain't a viri... so you ponder what indeed could be happening.

Step 6: The program wants you to re-boot (see picture above).

Step 7: Whip out trusty laptop and find out that something in your video drivers MIGHT have been altered... but the software package neglected to mention that before hand.

Step 8: Spend the rest of the evening and the next morning going in and out of "Safe Mode" until driver configuration has been restored and offending software removed.

Step 9: Plot the death of said co-worker... who you'll see in just a few short hours. (Hope they DON'T make the mistake of gleefully saying, "So, how'd it work?" because that will require an even more devious, slow, and painful demise.)

For a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants, please click here.

I am a HARSH critic of various arts... and in many ways, I admit to being a prime candidate for the concept of "Those Who Can't Do, Criticise."

...but when someone asks for an honest opinion, I tend to give it. Key word being, OPINION.

That said, many of my friends and family know very well that it is a BAD idea to read me their poetry or show me drawings... or any sort of artistic endeavour.

That said, I can and will LOUDLY applaud when I see something wonderful.

Now, to bash myself even further before going on... Sandy Carlson has taken a LOT of flack from me about her love of taggers and various types of graffiti. I honestly do not share that love... in fact, I am often (far more often) appalled at what those who seek a moment's fame will do to deface something wonderful... I honestly liken most taggers especially to being little more than small-minded dogs peeing on a wall to mark "THEIR" territory.

THAT SAID...

Again, I will also applaud those who's graffiti transcends mere scrawled initials or various "commentary" on appropriate surfaces. There is some truly wonderful and amazing "graffiti art" to be seen in places that need a little colour.

One of the best known "public artists"... often called "Gorilla Artist"... is Banksy... and artist in Britain who's "stencilled" works have literally been done (and copied) worldwide... and who now commands literally tens of thousands of dollars for canvases and other creations...

Banksy does something remarkable... art that is indeed a bit of an assault on the senses... it's at one time SEEMINGLY destructive... but also thought provoking and often coyly interesting.

I linked to Banksy's site above... but allow me to lift share some images from Banksy's show in Bristol as posted on The BBC website this week... see if you agree...

The exhibit is called "Banksy versus Bristol Museum".

I first "found" Banksy through the stencilled graffiti though (two examples below)...

...and I was blown away by the efforts on the Israeli-Palestinian Security Wall which are truly astounding (one example below)...

Interested? Click on the links provided above... or here's Banksy's Wiki entry (which has a selection of photos worth seeing...)

From said entry...

In May 2005 Banksy's version of a primitive cave painting depicting a human figure hunting wildlife whilst pushing a shopping trolley was hung in gallery 49 of the British Museum, London. Upon discovery, they added it to their permanent collection.

Apparently, it took three days to "discover" the faked painting.

Banksy is a blessing to me... in several ways.

#1: The work is very good.

#2: Banksy's made me re-examine my own take on graffiti as a whole... though I still loath taggers and people incapable of doing more than spewing profanity in paint on a wall.

#3: The work IS undeniably thought provoking.

Lastly, #4... The projects done amuse, educate, and stimulate. A perfect trifecta in art for me.

My blessing today is the gorilla (and not-so gorilla) efforts of Banksy.

If you found ANY of the images above stimulating, PLEASE use the links and learn more...

Blog Your Blessing Sundays is a creation of NeoBluePanther... who may or may not be the famed Luchador!

Believe it or not, I'm doing a FAIRLY serious Thursday Thirteen list... so all you fans of my comedic stylings, I apologise in advance... but there's been a dirth of bad news lately... luckily for my family, our bad news has been a not-so-long lasting flu bug hitting the kid, Sue's health being unsteady, and loads of the usual stressors of life... but we are blessed that things are reasonably okay for us... and although I personally remain optimistic about things in general, I thought I'd like to do a list of...

#1: My Girls

Number one is my family... my wife Sue... and my three steplings. All four of 'em have caused me stress, headaches, and often complain, kvetch, and can genuinely be pains in the bottom... but I can be all those to them too. I love Sue and I love all the girls... and thanks to Sue, I can share them a bit... with her blog. They are my reason for being in so many ways...

#2: The New(ish) Doctor Who

Kinda odd to go here next... but I had to make sure that #1 was the girls.

Now, I know that I go on and on about this program... as do many others... and MANY of you either already watch it OR can't seem to find it... and the occasional person has NO interest in it what so ever... but since we're winding down one part of this "modern era" of the program... and looking forward to a new one... I want to recommend it again to EVERYONE. It's family viewing... but it's not for kids completely. Our "hero" is non-violent by nature and wins battles with his intellect rather than a gun... but that's not the whole focus.

Current showrunner/writer/rebooter Russell T. Davies has done an AMAZING job in making the program relevant and wonderful and it's captured the imagination of all my kids and my wife... I was a "Who" fan from long ago, so Davies had me at the word, "Hello". I can also tell you that ALL my girls are madly in love with David Tennant... and the eldest holds a wee candle to Christopher Eccleston too! How to share? Well, you COULD watch your TV listings... perhaps rent a box set from your local DVD store (or borrow one from a friend)... and of course, I'd NEVER suggest torrents or file sharing... that's wrong... and bad... and pirating... and bad... so don't even think about it.

Want an idea of what it's like? The middle stepling was eighteen and had not too much interest in giving it a shot... and sat through episode one of season one from 2005 - the title of the episode was "Rose"... and said, "Well, it's ALMOST as good as Grey's Anatomy" (her favourite program at the time... then she sat through episodes two and three... and it was "...as good as Grey's anatomy." By episode four and five, she was hooked. She sat down and POWER WATCHED all our box sets... from a Friday night until Sunday evening... non-stop. She now bugs me every time a new episode is released to get her and her beau a copy... "NOW!"

#3: Maple Leaf Fudge

Sugary-buttery heaven. The BEST fudge I've ever had... and although it's from Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario... I can still share... because, indeed, they are ONLINE!

#4: The Furrier Side of my Family

Lessee... two dogs, three cats, and one dwarf bunny. Yup, there's much poop to be cleaned, often accidents, and more fur in various places at the homestead than you can shake a stick at... but I wouldn't trade them for the world! There is nothing as satisfying as the unconditional love of my furry family... and although not everyone can share them, everyone can have SOME sort of pet... some sort of living companion that doesn't judge, doesn't complain (too much) and just is there... and coming home after work to both my dogs is always a big treat!

#5: Non-Guilty Power Loafing

Every so often, I *try* to take a half day of legitimate "power loafing"... a time to do absolutely NOTHING and basically turn the brain off and simply "be". Sometimes, a book is involved... sometimes television... sometimes the 'net... but after working, working, working, and more working, it's not just MONEY one should award themselves with... but a chance to NOT work and NOT do anything... and everyone can and should do this every so often... just tell anyone around you it's "Power Loafing Time" and let them know you're on a wee break from anything except resting and relaxing... although I would more strongly recommend doing this at home, not at any workplace.

#6: Futurama's Coming Back!

Yay! I love this offering from The Simpson's Matt Groening about life in the future... complete with Groening's somewhat cynical, always odd viewpoint of our society! It was indeed happy news to hear that Fox has ordered twenty-six NEW episodes for broadcast after cancelling it in 2003! If you have a TV, live in North America, you probably have access to a "Fox" station or at least an affiliate thereof... and for the rest of the world, the internet is a wonderful thing!

#7: Historical Sites/Historical Re-Enactments

It's absolutely (and sadly) astounding how many people don't know their own part of the world... don't take the time to read historic plaques... don't know the historical relevance of their own town or city. Just a quick visit online to your local historical board and some well placed trips... or even walks... to find out places and things about your locale that you may not have ever known of. Even better, if you live reasonably close to one of these sites or museums, they often have historical re-enactments... where enthusiasts become living historians! There is NOTHING more fun than watching history come alive and especially if you have kids, letting them enjoy history on a more personal "in the flesh" level. Again, a simple websearch will reveal these things close to you... and they are GREAT!

#8: Sam Raimi Horror Films

I love a GOOD horror films... and in this age of "torture porn" (films intent only on finding new ways to make people shed blood and be in horrible pain,) and rip-offs of Asian horror movies (exception made for The Ring and The Grudge which were worthy!) it was SO nice(?) to see Sam Raimi make a NEW Horror Movie and it was with great glee we sat through "Drag Me To Hell" which delivered the usual Raimi mix of comic moments and genuinely nasty scenes mixed with really good scares!

It's low on body count and MAJOR amounts of blood and agony to appeal to the "torture porn" fans... and not "cerebrally creepy" and didn't take itself too seriously making it not a good one for the Asian-clone horror fans... and it's most DEFINITELY not for people who don't like horror movies... but if you do, and enjoy a good "roller coaster" ride and silly fun, it's SO worth while. I made this entry about ALL Raimi's films because if you're a fan of silly and fun horror... or think '78 Oldsmobiles are great cars... or love Bruce "The Chin" Campbell, you will love this film... and all Raimi's horror offerings... and many are a little on the "older" side and readily available in the discount bins and whatnot at your favourite movie stores.

#9: Long, Long, Long Walks

I'm a walker... a hiker... I love a good long stroll. Not too many years ago, it wasn't uncommon for Sue and myself to walk literally dozens of miles on a Saturday "just because"... We'd pick a direction and OFF WE'D GO... just to see what's out there. With Sue being not too well over the last couple of Summers, these dwindled to precious few strolls... but with her improving, I'm hoping to find our "Land Legs" again and re-take the miles and miles of exercise and neighbourhood observing of our past... through parks and to various places... it's all very good... and simple to share! Just find comfy shoes, pick a direction, don't set a goal... and walk until you see things you've never seen before.

#10: Markets/Yard Sales/Garage Sales/Car Boot Sales

Did I mention I hate malls? No, really... I *LOATH* malls... dislike them with a passion... despise them... really, Really, REALLY DO NOT LIKE malls. So, what's a guy to do for a little "retail therapy"? Markets! Yard Sales! Garage Sales! Anything that's outdoors, away from clone shopping, and offers unique stuff! I love bargains and I love to wander about different stuff at different places. Gimme a flea market, a "swap meet", an old country market... and I'm in heaven!

Simple to share... and most readers here already do it... simply look for these options. Watch for signs... look for places online... don't be afraid to travel to find 'em! So much better to support a small business, enterpeneur, or even a family household and find truly unique items than be a slave to the artificial atmosphere and cookie-cutter crappola that's dished out by "Major National Brands" which is USUALLY found at malls. I hate malls.

#11: Danny Kaye Films

An oft sung hero of the screen, he is one of the originally "gawky" funny men of Hollywood... capable of song and dance routines that only a man of the old Borscht Belt and Catskill nightclubs would be truly capable of! There is something SO amazing about watching this man... and I was SO pleased that our kids, in watching old DVD movies featuring him STILL was interested and found him funny, charming, and charismatic to the nth degree!

One of THE most popular blog posts here featured him already and I'm glad so many people visit... and remember... and re-enjoy his fantastic films! How to share? Well, try the discount "old film" bin at your local DVD store (which is our outlet for his films,) or even see if perhaps, in a moment of ACTUAL broadcasting smartness for family viewing, someone puts one of his movies on regular TV... I'd STRONGLY recommend The Court Jester and The Inspector General!

Walter Mitty is also a GREAT film... soon to be probably ruined in a remake though... so you've been warned. Best to give Danny a chance first before seeing the new one.

#12: Star Trek

My name is Matthew... and I've been a "Trekkie" back when "Trekkies" preferred to be called "Trekkers". Since my youth when my mother would mortify me by referring to Captain James Tiberius Kirk as "Captain Cutey" (I'm not certain that William Shatner would actually be offended or upset by that,) I've been watching the shows, reading the books, and generally enjoying the program all the more... through "The Next Generation" through to "Enterprise", I've loved 'em all... and for an "Old School Trekkie", I still LOVED the new movie! Now, episodic science fiction is NOT for everyone... and you do have to have a will or wont to try... it's (in my eyes) worth the effort. Turn on your TV at some point, and settle in... or, in lieu of that, try the new movie if you haven't seen it already.

#13: Double-Decker Buses

To hit the trifecta this week (see the posts below... I've managed to be "busly" three times in a ROW!) I still have a deep seated love of the old half-cab buses and look forward to the day WHEN I'll be working on my own... I'm in a much better place fiscally than when I started this blog... and with any luck, that will only improve... and then... (Remember: That WAS the point of this blog originally... and I haven't given up the hope!)

Now, I've tried to share my love and enthusiasm for these things here... and I do believe I've done a decent job... but how to share in a more "tangible" way... I KNOW! Next vacation you have to almost ANY major city, look through the bus tours of that place... Ten'll get you twenty there's a "Double-Decker Bus Tour" available... and if you can, PLEASE take it... weather permitting, sit on the top deck and enjoy the ride.