The Picture Says It All

My cup runneth over.

As of right now, I have way too many things on the go and not enough hours in the day to accomplish them all, which means some things are going to start failing by the wayside for the next six weeks or so.

Bugs isn't going anywhere. They gave me my start and I will stick with them come hell or high water. Besides, the Jays season ending is where I got the six weeks from, so after that, baseball takes a spot on the back burner a little.

This bad boy right here isn't going anywhere either. How could I spend nearly a year putting in work to build a readership (thanks all 8 of you!) and then shut it down? Not going to happen.

Since I can't walk into my manager's office at Montana's, pull an Ed Norton in Fight Club and get paid to not show up at work, ditching delivering dinners is out of the question as well. Actually, it's a big part of the reason my beverage container is overflowing. I've working six days a week, closing three of those nights and a man has got to sleep sometime...

Where does that leave us?

I've already pretty much stopped writing at Epic Carnival over the last month. I can't tell you when I last posted there. In fact, I had made this decision long before my drinking glass couldn't hold any more theoretical liquid.

The thing with Epic is that it's a Boobs & Babes site - which there is absolutely nothing wrong with - except that Boobs & Babes isn't what I do. Call me ridiculous, but I want people reading my work because I have something interesting and insightful (or scandalous and off-kilter) to say about the topic, not because I have a picture of some tart in her bra and panties.

Unfortunately, bras and panties generate a lot more hits that witty banter and actually having something to say...

In the end, it looks like Season Three of The Wire is what is going to suffer the most.

Even though I just picked it up yesterday and am dying to tear into the next batch of episodes to see what's happening with everyone, the DVD player is going to have to stay off.

Either that or I give up working out.

"Fat guy on the beach who has watched every episode of The Wire" or "Guy with the toned physique who doesn't know what has been happening with The Barksdale Organization" come April?

Decisions, decisions...

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In a Way, I Hate Myself

Technically speaking, I am part of the media.

No, not because I operate this here blog o'goodness, but because someone pays me to write things that are accessible to millions, though only about 47 people ever read them.

Over this weekend, listening to and reading all the coverage of The Masters has made me very,very angry with the media.

Therefore, I was very, very angry with myself, in a way. See how that works?

Now, the truth of the matter is that I called my peers out on this yesterday over at Epic Carnival and have done so again today with a follow up piece reminding everyone that Trevor Immelman won, as opposed to Tiger losing.

But this isn't confined to golf. Or sports. It's an all-encompassing epidemic and it's taken over mass media.

The biggest names get the biggest coverage even when their story is of the least significance. I know this is because the biggest names draw the most attention and yield the most dollars for the companies and conglomerates who produce the product, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it.

This is the same kind of machine I was raging against earlier this year when I started my Press Coverage series at Epic; drawing attention to the stories that are worthy of our attention, instead of just the arrested athletes and boozy trainwrecks of the world.

What happened to that segment? It fell by the wayside because (a) there just aren't enough great stories in sports over a week that you can find coverage of and (b) readership wasn't that strong because none of the articles involved sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Pushing positive is a precarious position.

Don't get me wrong - I love my Pop Culture and know all the scoops and all the stoies; it's just that I also know about the shady electoral results in Zimbawae and the Seal Hunting Scandal back East, which makes Pop Culture the junk food in my information diet, not the main course.

The big names may sell the most issues, but when the big names aren't doing big things, why not focus on the little people who are?

At least Esquire called themselves on it with their current cover - the picture may be Jello For Brains Jessica, but the words tell you they "used this picture to get your attention" so you read the story of an American soldier in Iraq that is outstanding. For now, I'll take these little victories.

For now...

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Leaving on a Jet Plane

Today really sucks.

Tomorrow is going to suck even more.

Everything except the things we're each bringing on our respective flights is packed and ready to be picked up, which means I'm sitting here in a big-ish empty house surrounded by boxes and even though I've done it more times than I care to count, it still gets to me.

Leaving Newfoundland is a lot harder for me than some of you may believe.

I know I bitch about things out here fairly regularly on this space, but the truth is that the best two years of my life, relationship wise and professionally, have taken place since I landed on the shores of Dear Ol' Newfoundland.

Coming here to be with Sarah was a huge leap of faith; a belief that the feelings we shared in our three weeks together before she returned for school were real and that the beautiful weekend we had at my cousin Rob's wedding that Thanksgiving could be duplicated.

Seventeen months later, I can't imagine being without her, even for this next month and know that the decision I made in October 2006 was easily the smartest decision of my life.

But Newfoundland has been about more than Sarah.

This is where my writing talents flourished and found homes.

I found Bugs & Cranks sitting in our apartment on Crosbie Road while scouring the Craigslist Toronto website one day. Passion Magazine happened the same way. Epic Carnival came from my work at Bugs.

And this little number right here was born out of an evening of drinks and dinner for my birthday at Fog City.

All the future success that may come via the pen or the keyboard originated in Newfoundland and that makes getting on a plane tomorrow with an indefinite return date a very hard thing to do.

What makes it a little easier is knowing that the friends I've made here are going to be friends for life.

They don't have a choice... I'll Facebook Stalk them!

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10 Things I Learned This Week

Been another interesting week...
Here is what I learned...

1. Atonement: Good Movie... Really Fucking Slow!
I won't give anything away, other than the pace. Turtles move faster than this movie and it's only two hours long. It's not like some three and a half hour epic or anything like that, which actually makes it worse. The problem is you can't walk away because it is a really good film.

2. Moving Day is Getting Closer
Funny how selling and shipping out the two main pieces of your living room makes packing that much easier. Since Calvin was coming to pick up the goods he overpaid for, we had to have them ready and that meant packing. Now, we're three weeks away from moving and have nothing but clothes left to deal with for the most part. This makes Sarah very happy.

3. Winter Isn't Over
We got dumped on today. It's expected that we're going to get dumped on tomorrow too. And all week. For everyone who said it looked like winter was coming to an end, punch yourself. Then come shovel my car out.

4. My B&C Colleagues Are Baseball Nerds Too!
A handful of us are taking part in a What If? Baseball League, where we've drafted the best possible versions of our teams from 1982 to Present and set out to decide who reigns supreme. Since the season kicked off Monday, my inbox has been flooded with bitching and whining about the less-than-accurate ratings players have, how there is no way Team A would ever sweep Team B and on and on and on. It's nice to know I'm not alone...

5. "I'll Win This Again"
Sticking with Fantasy Baseball, I just thought I would make it even more official than the ridiculously cocky team name above and tell everyone who cares (and all of you who don't) that I will be winning the Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball league I am in with my buddy Sab, his friends from Sudbury and a couple guys from the casino. Updates coming every Sunday once the season starts.

6. I'm Giving Myself a Promotion
Instead of being a once a week contributor at Epic Carnival - it was twice a week but I ixna'ed Press Coverage Mondays - I'm going to become a more regular (read: 3-4 times a week) contributor. Why? I got paid more money for three months of work there than I made all last year at Bugs & Cranks. If I triple my output, I triple my money. If I triple my money, I'm that much closer to staying home and doing this full time.

7. If You're Making Homemade French Fries, Stay Away from the Yukon Golds
They don't crisp up very well. What they do manage to do well is retain oil and form into a big, greasy mound of potato in the bowl I was intending to serve them in. Too bad too because I made an awesome spicy ketchup to dip them in and everything.

8. North Carolina Wins The Tourney
I knew this at the start of the year actually, but since today is Selection Sunday, why not make the announcement now? Psycho T & Co. will bring another NCAA Tournament Title back to the Dean Dome after The Madness. And yes, I'm willing to bet on that.

9. Even Though I Don't Deliver The Mail, I Still Might Go Postal
If another person drops an F-Bomb on me when I'm just trying to do my job, I'm going to lose it. Nothing kicks off your Sunday at work better than having someone go on a rampage over the phone about how I should have called him sooner to remind him that the movies he rented needed to be brought back...

10. Best Stumble Upon Find EVER
Every so often, I click the old Stumble! button on my toolbar. 9 times outta 10 I get crap. Every once in a while I get something good. And then there is this - Proof That Girls Are Evil. BEST. STUMBLE. EVER.

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10 Things I Learned This Week

1. There Is Some Good to Working at Blockbuster
Okay, that's not fair. There is a lot of good that comes from working at Blockbuster. The money is good, all things considered, and who is going to complain about free movies? Oh and the people are best kind too! Beyond all of that, working there in the midst of all kinds of movies has made me even more interested in the Oscars than normal and that too is a good thing.

2. I Really Am A Dork
At least when it comes to Fantasy Baseball. I dedicated most of my day off Thursday (and a couple hours at the tail end of Wednesday when I got home from work) to prepping for my initial draft of the Fantasy season. One was supposed to go today but it got postponed, which rocks because now I can make sure that I'm around for it. I have two more tomorrow, plus the B&C Live Draft later this month. See, I'm a dork.

3. I'm A Dork Who Is Really Good at Fantasy Baseball
We all know I like to pat my own back from time to time and this is one of those times. I don't care that I'm a Fantasy Baseball dork because my dorkdom brings championships. Now, I understand that being excited and proud of winning fantasy baseball leagues on the regular may make me an even bigger dork to some of you, but whatever. I named a team "Betcha I Win This" last year... they won. This year, they've been re-named "I'll Win This Again"... I'll keep you posted.

4. Sarah Being Smart Increases My Book Collection
The soon-to-be nurse ordered one of her textbooks online from Chapters earlier in the term. Expectedly, it got here the day after her exam. Turns out she didn't need it, as the textbook-free 82 she nabbed was solid enough to make her return the book. In it's place, a gigantic textbook-like writing guide for your favourite blogger.

5. People Tend To Stare At You When You Have a Mohawk
Not that this should come as a surprise to me, but the gawking is getting way too obvious. The casual glances and occasional dirty looks just for the sake of giving me a dirty look I was cool with, but doing the old double take when I walk through the mall, into The Guv or stand behind the counter at work is a little ridiculous. It's not like it's dyed pink or anything...

6. A Month Before I Leave and I've Finally Found My Pub
Not that I was looking that hard to begin, having retired from the competitive drinking circuit years ago, but having a quiet place with quality food and the dark on tap is always a must. Sadly, I only ventured into The Guv for the first time like three weeks ago. Went back Friday night and it was just as good, if not better, thereby making it my pub of choice. That being said, I leave in five weeks... who knows how much drinking I'll be doing between now and then.

7. Penguins Are Really Weird Little Creatures
This is my grand revelation after watching March of the Penguins last night. Cute little bastards waddling back and forth every couple of months, beating the crap out of each other during mate selection, sliding along on their bellies when they're too lazy to walk any more. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do. Very entertaining.

8. Morgan Freeman is the New James Earl Jones
"This is CNN" aside, Freeman could narrate anything and I would find it captivating, much like the voice of Darth Vader back in the day. He just has a tone to his voice where I'm always interested in what he is saying, even when he's just talking shit on Actors Studio. The guy is just awesome.

9. The Apocalypse Is At Hand
It must be, because there is no other way to explain how I managed to go an entire week at work without someone flying off the handle at me. Seriously - not one cursing customer the whole week. There really is a first time for everything.

10. LeBron James is Leaving Cleveland Come 2010
I know he put on a happy face following the recent trades GM Danny Ferry made to "improve" the team. But you can't tell me that Bron Bron - arguably the best player in the NBA (along with The Black Jack Bauer) - is going to stick around to play with Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Boobie Gibson when he can go somewhere else and play with real talents. If Danny Ferry called LeBron that day, I bet it really went down something like this.
(Yes, this was a long-winded lead in to linking to my latest Epic Carnival post... shameless, I know!)

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The Joys & Pains of Being a Writer

This writing thing isn't as easy as it looks.

I know what you're thinking - if a half-wit like me can make a go of it, a set of trained chimps hammering on a bunch of typewriters should be able to churn out something mildly entertaining in no time. Sadly, no one has gotten that to work for them as of yet, so I still come off looking somewhat talented.

Anyway...

Yesterday was one of those good day / bad day dichotomies that occasionally pop up in my writing life where a whole truckload of things go really well, but one thing goes piss-poor and spoils it all. Ironically, it's that the one thing didn't go at all that put a damper on an otherwise outstanding afternoon.

First of all, a day without Blockbuster is automatically great. Nothing personal to those of you from The Block who happened to work yesterday, but I love my time away from there more than almost everything in life. I'm sure you all understand.

Second, I smashed out two posts yesterday - the soundtrack piece below and a little fun piece about an idiot on the San Diego Chargers who should have kept his mouth shut over at Epic Carnival. Any time I can manage to actually put together two well received pieces in one day is pretty sweet.

Adding to the sweetness, I did an interview with a guy I went you university with who is trying to change the world one t-shirt at a time.

His name is Jeff Woodrow and he runs his own t-shirt company. I'm not going to go into great detail - (1) so you'll buy the issue of Passion a couple months from now that features the interview and (2) because I want you all to go to his site and find out about it for yourself. As with most things here, you'll thank me for doing so...

Long story short, I hadn't talked to Woody in a long time and it was wicked to reconnect and talk to someone of like mind who has given up everything to chase his dreams and try to make a difference.

But of course, since everything was going so wonderfully smooth and I was in such a great mood, something had to come up and ruin it. As I said before, it's actually that it didn't come up that made me mad.

Yesterday marked a full month since I hurriedly put the finishing touches on my next article for Passion, a feature (2000 words!) on Celebrity Comebacks for the January/February edition. This is the piece that I had to put together and submit while we were home on vacation, you know, when I was supposed to be relaxing and enjoying my time off.

So, d'you know how many emails and pieces of correspondence I have gotten since being told I needed to have the piece in pre-Christmas as the next issue was going to be put together before New Years? I'm pretty sure you can make a good guess...

ZERO

As my man Smitty said to me back last month when I bitched to him about the suddenly sprung deadline, it is quite amazing how someone or a collection of someones needs a month or more to layout my words. I know it is a much harder task than I actually think it is, but here's the rub:

I haven't even got back a "Article looks great, here are the corrections / edits we need you to make" email as of yet. Either I wrote a perfect article (Not effing Likely) or we're still not at the editing stage which makes me wonder why the hell I needed to get that piece in so goddamn early in the first place?! I could have spent another week easy doing more in-depth research than I did and would have had an even better article. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great and you're going to love it, but I know it could have been even better.

ARGH!

The one silver lining to all this is that the one email I have gotten from Passion Magazine in the last month was a request for a photo and professional bio for the next issue's Contributors section.

That's right - a picture of me and my mohawk all up in the next issue - plus a shout out to B&C and a mention of a little blog project too...

I'm done whining... thanks for listening.

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Working Interferes With Working

The title might sound like the most ridiculous thing anyone can say, but in my life, it is 100% accurate because my life pretty much revolves around work in some way, shape or form.

For those not 100% up to speed:

I work 30-40 hours a week as a Shift Leader at Blockbuster Video. As I've said before, it's not glamorous, but I love the people I work with and the free movies are a good perk, plus the freakshow customers make for interesting blog material on a slow news day. This is the work that is deemed interference.

The work that is interfered with is, of course, my writing. At present count, there are three jobs (Bugs & Cranks, Epic Carnival and Passion Magazine), two side projects (This Blog and Nudigs, the real estate site I occasionally contribute to) and three aspirations that aren't getting the time they deserve (my book, my screenplay and a book a friend would like me to help him write).

Now I know what you're thinking: How much time can it possibly take to sit down and churn out the drivel that I throw up on this site on a daily basis? The answer, in all honesty, is not that long, at least not here. But the B&C and Epic work takes a little more time, Passion is somewhat labor intensive, although only in bi-monthly intervals and there is the simple fact that the rest of life needs to take place as well. You know, little things like eating, sleeping, spending time with Sarah that isn't her sitting on the couch looking at my back as I sit here typing feverishly.

Basically, I'm just whining. Life dictates that I need to earn money to pay the bills et al and since writing doesn't provide financial security as of yet, those 35-40 hours rockin' the Block are very much required, no matter how much I want to try to justify staying home to work on my craft.

What does all of this mean to you? Nothing probably, unless you or someone you know owns or operates a publishing company, magazine, newspaper or website that wants to pay me the equivalent of my Blockbuster earnings so that I can sit at home in my housecoat all day telling everyone I'm a writer.

Oh - you could also help boost the profile by buying up copies of Passion, checking out all my stuff on all my sites and becoming a fan on Facebook, but that's just me shamelessly self-promoting...

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Just Like Jared Leto

So I run, hide and tell myself
I'll start again with a brand new name

Just as Jared Leto's 30 Seconds to Mars said on their debut single "Capricorn," I too announced a running away from the my original name here on this site, proclaiming that I would return with a new and improved moniker.

That was a week ago and so, it's time to reveal the new name...

I BLOG BECAUSE I CAN

Catchy ain't it?

Honestly, in thinking things over for the week and flipping through the various sites that for some reason allow me to post my ramblings on a regular basis (Thanks ShowHype!) I figured changing the name at this stage would be stupid. Instead of wanting to differentiate myself from the other peons who use the name, I figured I would just annihilate them with my vicious and witty rhetoric until only one blog was left standing. If at that point it isn't me, I'll come up with something else.

"7283792367"
"6226188142"


Those two random numbers are me officially claiming this here blog on BallHype and ShowHype, two sites you should definitely check out if you like (a) sports or (b) celebrity gossip and news. See why I'm there often?
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In a totally unrelated story, we live below hillbillies! Sadly, it isn't Jed and his kin either...

Nope, we live below the hillbillies who celebrate moving into a new place by breaking down doors and getting into a domestic 36 hours after moving in. Nothing spells lovin' like having the cops show up to your new place inside 48 hours.

What makes it all better, if it could even happen, is that they like fighting at 4 AM. Nothing is nicer to wake up to than a couple of freakshow skeets who I haven't laid eyes on yet cussing at each other and slamming doors while I'm trying to get some sleep. I love being woken up to the words "Get The Fuck Out" being yelled over and over and over and over.

The capper? He, the male hillbilly, doesn't even live here. Apparently just his hillbilly woman does... he broke down the door to start the fight last night. Awesome!
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Canada won it's fourth straight World Junior Hockey Championship Gold Medal this afternoon. Just in case anyone thought of questioning who the most dominating nation on ice is, our boys delivered yet another resounding answer.
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Apparently, a number of people either (a) share my hatred of the Boston area or (b) think I have some writing talent, as my I Hate Boston piece that went up on Epic Friday is gaining some votes and links throughout the Interwebs.

It pales in comparison to the Return of Cash Considerations, but I'm pasty like that...
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Go rent The Kingdom. If you listen to one bit of movie advice from me ever, make it this... again, you'll thank me.

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Back on the Scene / Makin' Like Diddy

Crispy and Clean

You can try

But then why?

Cuz you can't intervene...

It's been too long my friends, it's been too long.

Since I last checked in, I've left Ontario, spent four hours in the airport in Halifax with nothing open (not even Timmy's), worked Christmas Day and Boxing Day (boo-earns, even though I volunteered), moved into the new pad and have finally gotten online to check the goings-on and get back to doing what I do best....

Procrastinating.

Jokes aside, this has been a painful thing, this being without access to this here space. I didn't think it would be that bad, since it was only going to be about a week or so and there was a ton of stuff that I had to do, but I tell you what... I need this...

As much as this is an opportunity for me to do even more writing than I already do, it's also my way of winding down. All the other stuff is work, where this is just, as my friend Paul put it, stream of consciousness blogging about whatever junk is in my head or songs I love or idiots like the Spears Clan who piss me off. None of these pieces are rehearsed, planned or penned out in advance; they just happen and they usually happen fairly quickly and that is the joy of it...

So it's great to be back. I hope you missed me. All seven of you.

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Spencer's Health Update

Not that you necessarily care, but I thought I would let you all in on a few developments, health wise, for your friendly neighbourhood bloggerman.

I quit smoking, as of 9:52 this morning, when I ran out of smokes. I haven't bought any and I don't intend to. That shit'll kill me.

Sans car, walking has become my method of transportation to and from work. It only takes about fifteen minutes, but a third of it is uphill and since it's goddamn freezing on this stupid island, the forty-seven layers of clothes I wear make me sweat like a bastard, so I'll at least lose a little water weight.

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Penning a new segment over at Epic Carnival starting Monday.

The series is called Press Coverage and will highlight athletes who deserve to be recognized for their contributions to society and for the things that they have overcome. After being so pissed off about all the negative press and negative stories over the last handful of months, I decided that writing about the good guys is one way to pry the focus away from the jackasses and knuckleheads out there doing dirt.

Make sure you check it out... Up first - Captain Canada, Steve Nash

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It's time to get my Diddy On!

Much like the name changing chameleon known to his mother as Sean Combs, it's time for this place to get an update.

I Blog Because I Can is used by a bunch of other people and it just doesn't have the umph and flare that we all know I have. Dan Tobin's wife has the best named blog I've seen in a while - A Blog In My Throat - and I want to christen this place with something unique and original like that.

That being said, I want your suggestions and ideas. I may not use them, since I am the creative one here (except for you, Newt...), but fire off some thoughts and we'll unveil the new handle in, say, a week.

Next Saturday: new name. As for now, it's The Blog To Be Named Later...

(The truth? I want to be more findable via Google... I'm an attention whore!)

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It's Official: I'm A Writer!

With all due respect to my boss at Bugs & Cranks Jesse Pugh, my man Doug "DC Scrap" Scheckler at Epic Carnival and you my dedicated seven followers here at this blog, picking up the first magazine to ever put my name in print earlier today is the mark of my official foray into the writing world.

My man Smitty told me it would be a bit of an overpowering feeling seeing my name in print for the first time. He wasn't lying; I welled up just flipping to page 46 of Passion Magazine to see the words "By E. Spencer Kyte" on the glossy page of my Hive Mobility Profile. Then to flip through the next set of pages and see my second piece in the magazine, a beautifully laid out Christmas tech gifts piece called iChristmas - my title, rather ingenious I know - it was more than I have ever experienced. I was like a first time dad showing off pictures of his newborn son today to everyone who came into work, flashing them the cover, opening to my articles, preening like the proud Papa I am...

Now I have clippings!

One thing I do want to make clear though - this serves as the "official" foray only because some in the industry are too blind to acknowledge and understand the value and significance of the online and blogging industries. My real first step into the writing world came courtesy of Jesse Pugh at Bugs and Cranks and he knows how eternally thankful I am for getting that opportunity. Everything I have achieved and done in writing since then has been through my work at Bugs...

Now I gotta get sentimental and sappy for a second, so leave if you're not interested:

I wouldn't be where I am - published and moving forward - without the encouragement and constant support of my beautiful girlfriend Sarah. And no Brad, I'm not just angling for more touching...

To my lost friend Chrissy who first encouraged and pushed my penchant for writing I thank you. I have no idea if she reads this stuff, but she was a huge part of me getting her, so she needs to be acknowledged.

To The Bugs: Fuck you all... just kidding. Your work makes me a better writer and pushes me to do the best I can with each post and piece. Thank you for that.

As stupid as this sounds after having rambled on as long as I have here already, words can't describe how I feel today. It's some combination of rewarded, blessed, fortunate and motivated... and a little bit drunk from the bottle of Pinot Gregio I've drank since I got home!

Cheers!

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Dispensing Distractions

Just a minute ago I was sitting here at my computer drafting a basketball team on NBA Live 06, part of the EA Sports 06 Pack that I bought the other night with twenty bucks that Faye had sent me for my birthday. I figured, buying Live 08 for $50 didn't make as much sense as getting five games with older rosters for $20...

But I turned it off mid-draft. I'm actually contemplating uninstalling the software. Why? I'll tell you why...

I NEED TO WRITE!

Last night, I had a breakdown. One of those "I Just Want It All To Be The Way I Want It" type moments where I was just pissed about everything and one of those things was that I don't have enough time to do the writing that I want to do. I'd blame Blockbuster, but it's not so much Blockbuster's fault as it is just an economics thing...

Since I'm intending to make this writing thing the way that I pay the bills and support my family, I can't rightfully have a breakdown yesterday night and then spend today playing video games. I got shit to do. The list looks something like this:

• Post #2 @ Epic Carnival (Done... CLICK HERE)
• Daily Post at The Blog (You're reading it...)
• The Eulogy of Philip Lawrence Kyte (A Book About My Relationship with My Dad)
• Go over my notes from the Untitled Project with Sarah's Professor

Mix into that an extended shift tonight rockin' the Block and there really isn't much time for anything else, yet alone building a virtual basketball dynasty. I'm not even going to watch Shrek the Third that I brought home this weekend...

I'm just going to write. That's it. Eat, sleep, write, work, with healthy doses of Sarah mixed in there too. Oh, and smokes. Can't forget smokes... I love to smoke!

Time to go - smoke break, then I'll get to work, honest.

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Things I Learned This Week

WOO HOO! Two weeks in a row...

Betcha thought I was giving it up when you saw the Film School post, huh? Just decided to pull a little double duty today since I skipped out yesterday is all.

This week's list:

1. A New Word
Disapprobation: [noun] strong disapproval, especially on moral grounds.
Thanks Chalk... you wordy bastard!

2. Give People A Second Chance
Sarah & I were supposed to meet a couple last night at 8:30 to see an apartment. They didn't show initially. As we were jumping in The Shitbox, a truck pulled up. It was them. I was fuming. Bad business bothers me. Sarah told me to take a deep breath, go in and humour them and have a smoke when we got out and I agreed.

Forty-five minutes later we had found our new place and know that we have outstanding landlords.

3. JT is My Man!
I don't know how in the hell I left him off Wednesday's Rundown, but Mr. Jessica Biel should definitetly be there, perhaps in place of Robbie Williams. Why am I remembering this now? Watched a concert film of his from MSG this afternoon...

4. The Boston Celtics Might Make a Moron Outta Me
My debut post over at Epic Carnival asked the question "Why is everyone handing the Eastern Conference to the Celtics?" Their 5-0 start, in which they have looked every part the best team in the East, has me wondering what is an appropriate side dish for crow?

5. I'm A Thief
Or at least, I will be come the New Year. I plan on stealing an idea from my man Dan Tobin and compiling a running list of all the books I've read during the year. You don't have that copyrighted or anything do you DT?

6. Casey Affleck Steals Ocean's Thirteen
Watched it the other night and have to say, in addition to the best mustache I've seen in some time, the side plot of Casey's Malloy Brother organizing a strike and revolt at the Mexican Dice Plant was the best part of the movie. And he has the best line too, with his response of "I hate that question" to Scott Caan's "Are you in yet?" Every guy hates that question...

7. December Can't Get Here Fast Enough
Normally, I'm not an advocate of the winter months, but this December brings with it a trip to Vancouver and Ontario, Sarah & I driving back to Newfoundland, a "new" car and a brand new apartment. Oh yeah... Christmas too!

8. I Really Do Love to Smoke
The plan was to quit after my birthday or whenever the pack I had at the time ran out. Can't do it... there really is something about lighting a dart after a meal/on the way to work/while drinking coffee/pretty much whenever that I love. I know - that's sad.

9. It's Been Two Years, Again...
Since I last talked to my old man. And it's his birthday today. You're right Smitty - I gotta write that book.

10. My Focus Here Has Changed
With adding Epic Carnival to the fold, I now how an outlet for all things sports, as well as a strictly baseball forum with Bugs. So, from here on out, this bad boy is all about Pop Culture and me, nothing more. Hopefully that doesn't alienate any of the seven people who actually read this mess.

16 Days until I'm Published...

OUT
N
E

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My Carnival Debut / Rain + Shitbox = Soaked Car

First, my debut piece over at Epic Carnival is up, so you have to go check it out. I'll even make it real easy for you... [CLICK HERE]

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It's pouring rain here - has been since I got up at 7:30 this morning.

I drive a car known by one and all as "The Shitbox" or "The Shitty" to it's close friends. Back in the Midland, Ontario days, it leaked like a sieve. Pools of water would accumulate at my feet and the seat would just suck in the water like Lindsay Lohan does the booze and blow... then it stopped.

For some unexplained reason, sometime last April or so, the car stopped leaking. We stopped having to bring fresh towels and garbage bags to sit on. I no longer had to worry about the cuffs of my pants getting drenched in the watery build-up that congregated at my feet.

So when I went out for a smoke a couple minutes ago I thought I'd check out the car, just for curiosity's sake. That, and I have to leave for work soon so I wanted to know if I needed to bring a towel to sit on.

The answer? HELL YES! Drenched, that is the only way I can describe it. Droplets of water are actually falling from my interior...

Good thing we're getting rid of the Shitbox come December! (Thanks Garry)

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Odds & Ends & Updates

The last 24 has been a pretty busy time, so I figured what better space to keep everyone up to speed than right here...

My interview with Cabral Richards - TV's Cabbie on the Street is up at Bugs. Gotten some nice feedback from the crew and even earned a few votes at both BallHype and ShowHype for my troubles.

That post was actually my third of the day yesterday at B&C with the other main one being the continuing saga of Barry Bonds, Marc Ecko and Injustice... seriously. People are tossing around terms like injustice, morality and disapprobation about baseball players and balls. I don't even know what that last word means. You can get the latest here.

Somehow, in the process of just riffling through emails last night, I got another job too.

Yours truly is now a proud member and contributor at Epic Carnival, one of the top sports oriented sites around. It boasts a roll call of some of the best from various sites and I'm honoured to have gotten the invite. My debut post should be up some time tomorrow after noon, so go read it and tell them how much you love me...

What else?

I started reading the Don Cheadle / John Pendergrast book "Not On Our Watch" today at Chapters and I gotta say, it's equal parts motivating, depressing, sickening, educational and ultimately exceptionally well done and really, really sad. The situation in Chad / Darfur is dire and has been for years, yet still, nothing is getting done. The book outlines way you can get involved, and I intend to however I can. Learn more by visiting Not On Our Watch.


Other than that, not much to report. Settling in for a quality two hours of television - Grey's followed by flipping between The Hour and Score Tonight to see if I get a shout out for the interview.

Until tomorrow... you stay classy readers!

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