Toronto Compound Bow Repairman

So where is the best place to get your compound bow repaired in Toronto?

Honestly... there isn't very many places.

#1. Bass Pro in Vaughan Mills

If you don't mind traveling all the way to Vaughan (just south of Canada's Wonderland), Bass Pro does offer a variety of repairs and tuning - but be prepared for several things.

• They will try to sell you a new compound bow.
• They will claim your bow is beyond repair or;
• They will claim it is "too expensive to repair" (this can sometimes be true).
• If your bow is really old - vintage - they might simply refuse to repair it because it is so hard to find parts.
• They will charge you an arm and a leg for repairs.

Now we have talked about Bass Pro in Vaughan before and it is certainly a good fun place to go shopping. But going there for repairs? Not so much. Expect to be spending at least $100 if someone dryfired your compound bow.

#2. Al Flaherty's Outdoor Store at 2066 Dufferin Street

More known as a hunting and fishing store, Al Flaherty's Outdoor Store also services compound bows and crossbows. However, it is more conveniently in York/Toronto and not way out in Vaughan.

However, just like Bass Pro expect the repairman at Al Flaherty's to:

• Try to sell you a new compound bow.
• Say your bow is beyond repair.
• Say it is more expensive to repair it than to just a buy a new bow.
• Refuse to repair your vintage compound bow.
• Be really expensive.

So yeah. More convenient perhaps, but really more of the same isn't it?

#3. ProjectGridless.ca Compound Bow Repairman in Toronto

I am getting to a point obviously.

ProjectGridless.ca is a website run by a guy in East York/Toronto. He makes his owns bows, his own bowstrings, repairs bows, repairs compound bows (both vintage and modern compound bows), he collects bows, and he even makes "Frankenstein Compound Bows" by mixing and matching parts from different broken bows.

He also buys broken bows to salvage their parts, so he can then repair other bows.

So unlike the others mentioned above, he will not try to sell you a new bow - because he doesn't sell new bows (although he does sometimes have old bows for sale).

Is your bow truly beyond repair? Maybe. Won't know until you ask someone who is willing to actually TRY repairing it.

Will it be more expensive to repair? Less likely, because he only charges $30 per hour for his services - which is comparatively cheaper to what you will find at Bass Pro or Al Flaherty's.

He collects vintage bows and compound bows, like the two shown further below from his personal collection. So his willingness to repair vintage compound bows is going to be higher when you consider that this guy is a fan of restoring vintage bows.

So who do you think will offer the best price, the best value and the best results when it comes to compound bow repair? Our recommendation is that you visit http://www.projectgridless.ca/p/compound-bow-repairs-in-toronto.html to find out.

1970 Model T Jennings next to a 1973 Black Hawk Chief Scout.

History Note

The compound bow was invented / patented in 1966 by H. W. Allen Jr., who then partnered up with Tom Jennings to create the first commercial compound bow in 1969.

Montreal Combat Archery / Montreal Combats à l’Arc

Montreal has a variety of locations that provide "Archery Tag", combat archery, battle archery or whatever you want to call it. It is nothing new.

However after the success of Battle Sports in Toronto, should it be any surprise if the new Sports de Combat opening in Montreal destroys their competition within the first year or two? Battle Sports has been dominating the archery tag scene in Toronto for the last two years - quickly becoming the most popular of all the archery tag locations because of their better equipment, better value for dollar, and their willingness to also also teach archery lessons / use the space as an indoor archery range during non-peak time periods. (Many archery tag locations don't even bother to offer archery lessons or to use the space for anything other than archery tag.)

When a business expands to a new city it allows the company to do many new things that they didn't do the first time around.

#1. Lease a larger space.

Sports de Combat now has Montreal's Largest Indoor Archery Range. Bigger than any other indoor range in the city, including those spaces being used by the various archery clubs in Montreal.

#2. Take what they learned in Toronto, and make it better in Montreal right from the beginning.

They already knew from their experience in Toronto that better quality equipment was the best way to get an edge on the competition, so they did more of that - investing in archery equipment that even amateurs will realize is better than anything the competition is offering.

Better equipment, more stuff to do, more options. In addition to archery, Sports de Combat also offers Axe Throwing, Knife Throwing, Nerf Guns, a Riddle Room, and an European style "Rage Cage" for smashing things.

Battle Sports has adapted to the marketplace already, expanding, learning, improving upon what they learned. But that was a process during the last two years since they opened in 2015. They have made all those changes in Toronto already, so the second time around they can simply do those things right away.

#3. Analyze the existing market in Montreal and then improve upon whatever the competition is doing.

It isn't corporate spies or anything ridiculous like that, simply researching what the competition is doing and then providing a better service and a competitive price.

Having made themselves a huge financial success in Toronto, they can afford to offer a competitive rate knowing they have the money to expand.

#4. Price.

$24.99 for 90 minutes. Which includes 30 minutes of introductory archery instruction plus 60 minutes of archery combat.

Now to understand why that price matters you need to see what the other locations offering similar services are charging.

#1. Combat d'Archers offers $22 for combat archery, but it is 80 minutes total - with 20 minutes of introduction and 60 minutes of archery combat. So they are cheaper, but at the expense of 10 minutes of introductory archery lesson time. And they use shoddy and cheap equipment.

#2. DodgeBow offers $24.95 for combat archery, but it is for 60 minutes total - with 15 minutes of introduction and only 45 minutes of archery combat. So in terms of value, they are the most expensive with the least value.

Price alone tells you that Battle Sports / Sports de Combat did their research. They knew people would be willing to pay the extra 4 cents to get 15 more minutes of combat archery compared to rival DodgeBow.

And that an extra $2.99 is better to get that extra 10 minutes of archery instruction plus the added bonus of using better quality archery equipment than the junk Combat d'Archers is using.

Special Note about Franchise Contracts

To be fair Combat d'Archers doesn't have much choice. They signed an agreement with the franchise "Archery Tag®" and they have to use shoddy cheap official "Archery Tag®" equipment. They don't have a choice. Even if they later left "Archery Tag®" and got better equipment, they signed a non compete clause with Archery Tag which prevents them from offering the same or similar service.

And because of that franchise agreement it also means that Combat d'Archers cannot offer other things to do like knife throwing, axe throwing, etc. They are limited to offering archery tag and ping pong in the lobby waiting area. Ping pong. Seriously. Because it doesn't violate any clauses in the franchise contract.

This was the same problem Archery District in Toronto had. Shoddy equipment that breaks easily and they were locked into a franchise deal with "Archery Tag®". When people realized that Battle Sports was offering better value, better equipment, better prices and more things to do, they quickly switched to Battle Sports. It was a no brainer.

Which is why it is also a no brainer that Sports de Combat will attract large numbers in Montreal too. They are not locked into any franchise agreement, and they can simultaneously compete with axe throwing leagues, knife throwing and other fun things to do.

The Future?

What else could Battle Sports / Sports de Combat do in the future?

Paintball?
Axe Throwing Competitions?
Knife Throwing Competitions?
Nerf Swordfighting / Fencing?
Sumo Wrestling Bodysuits?
Hosting SCA (Society Creative Anachronism) Events?
Hosting Zombie Survivalist Events?
Toronto Vs Montreal Team Competitions? Maybe even televise the events on YouTube live?

Pokemon Go: The Fastest Growing Sport in the World

sport, spôrt
noun: sport; plural noun: sports

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Yup, that describes the breakout sensation that is "Pokemon Go", a smartphone game app that encourages people to go outside and exercise, traveling from Pokestop to Pokestop to Pokegym in an effort to collect and train lots of Pokemon.

It is both an individual sport and a team sport. I am thus listing "Pokemon Go" as 'entertainment', 'games' and 'exercise equipment'.

Speaking for myself, I have already lost 8 lbs of fat in the last 3 weeks. I ended up getting a sore ankle the one day because I walked about 7 or 8 km while wearing sandals. (Word to the wise, wear comfortable shoes when walking long distances.)

The game uses augmented reality, by turning your camera on and allowing you to see what is behind it and then adding a Pokemon critter to the screen. You then toss digital Pokeballs at the critter in order to capture them.

Your goals essentially are to:

1. Capture lots of Pokemon.
2. Walk from location to location to get more Pokeballs and other useful items.
3. Visit Pokegyms to battle other Pokemon / train your Pokemon against members of your own team.

The more you walk (or rollerblade or bicycle) the more Pokemon you can catch, the more Pokeballs you get, the more Pokegyms you can visit and train at. Driving (cheating) in a car might earn you some Pokemon and Pokeballs along the way, but most of the time you will be driving too fast and miss them.

The game is basically perfect for people who are into jogging, which ultimately makes it a "walking / jogging / running / cycling / rollerblading sport". You could even do it while riding on horseback.

What methods people use while playing the sport doesn't really matter, but what is clear is that the game designers are deliberately making it difficult for people to cheat at the game.

If you try to cheat by driving around you will often find that Pokemon go "poof" and disappear because they got out of range before you could catch them.

They also recently updated the software to make it more difficult to locate Pokemon. Random Pokemon can be seen nearby, but there used to be a gamer-made app named "Pokevision" which allowed users of the app to better be able to see where Pokemon are and then be able to simply walk over to that spot in an attempt to capture those Pokemon. The game designers however felt that Pokevision was cheating (and it was using Pokemon Go's servers without their permission) and thus sent cease and desist letters before eventually pulling the plug and blocking Pokevision from working.

Also certain aspects of the game, like hatching eggs can only be done by walking 2 or 5 kilometers. Speaking for myself, I have made a goal of walking 3.5 kilometers per day each day that I am playing the game. If I play every day during a month I will have walked 105 kilometers. (A 200 lb person walking 105 kilometers will burn approx. 8000 calories, + extra calories due to the Afterburn Effect if your heart rate goes up during that time.)

It is possible to buy Pokeballs and other useful items for playing the game, but if you are doing that then you are missing the whole point of the game, which is to get more people outside and exercising. Buying a Pokeball costs between 4 to 5 cents each, which makes purchasing them really impractical as you go through them very quickly. Also if you can just walk down the street and get free Pokeballs by exercising, why would you ever pay for them?

Recommendations:

Wear comfortable shoes.
Check the weather forecast before leaving.
Dress for the weather. Bring an umbrella if there might be rain.
For added speed ride your bicycle, rollerblades, skateboard, etc.
Invite friends and family who also play the game.
Attend meetups and join Facebook groups to meet other players.
Take a drink with you. Water is best.
Take a healthy snack with you. Apples are good. Granola bars are good too.
Take a backup battery power for your smartphone. Having the game open regularly drains the battery faster.
Keep track of how much bandwidth data you are using on your smartphone. (Last month I had just received my new cell phone and I downloaded a lot of programs on the first day of having the phone, so I had to be careful how much bandwidth I was using afterwards.)

Also you do not need to wear the silly hats. That is for the dorks who get really into it.

Already there has been 10s of millions of people who have downloaded Pokemon Go and started playing it, making it the fastest growing sport in the world.

Also the game is free. All you need is a smartphone and a data plan. No purchase necessary.

See also:

Pokemon Go as a Workout Plan

Bass Pro Archery in Vaughan

By Charles Moffat - Professional Archery Instructor

Yesterday I went to Bass Pro in Vaughan to buy some new archery equipment. (I already have over 10 different bows so this is nothing new to me.)

I got a new compound bow - a Diamond Infinite Edge. (I researched and chose this bow because it is easily adjustable.) $349.99

6 new arrows (Blackout X5 Envy 400s). $44.99

A compound bow case. $49.99

Patriot trigger release. $32.99

Subtotal $477.96 + HST ($62.13)

= $540.09 TOTAL

Oh and I got a Bass Pro rewards card (on which I have already racked up $10 worth of points).

The service was excellent and I guarantee I will be going back again sometime.

Other archery stores I recommend are "Tent City" in North York, "Basically Bows Archery" on Queen Street East, "The Bow Shop" in Waterloo and "Archer's Nook" in London.

I also took a number of photos of the store itself. I want to note also that Bass Pro is specifically a hunting and fishing store - so it really only caters to hunters. You can still get wooden bows there, but they're hardly the store's specialty. If you are looking for a wooden bow you are better off going to one of the stores I mentioned further above.

Archery Lessons in Toronto

Some people call it the Katniss effect.

Whatever the reason, the Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Avengers, Arrow (Green Arrow), The Walking Dead, Revolution, Reign and every other recent movie and TV which has archery of some form in it is promoting archery as the hottest growing sport in North America.

Young girls and boys are keen to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow and the shortage of archery schools in Toronto has never been so apparent - with waiting lists for people looking for archery lessons in Spring and Summer 2014.

The sudden surge in archery's popularity has been connected to the Hunger Games book and movie franchise, with Jennifer Lawrence topping the current box office as ace archer Katniss Everdeen in the recent film Catching Fire. But it isn't just the movies and TV shows that is fueling the archery movement. Some argue it is because some people want more personalized sports and have lost interest in team sports like baseball, hockey and football.

“Without a doubt it’s because of the movie. It’s the only thing we can account the huge increase in numbers we have,” says veteran archer Joan McDonald, who coaches the Canadian Olympic team and teaches students interested in Olympic recurve archery. Note - Getting into Olympic recurve archery is really expensive! It is about $2,000 for the equipment and another $20,000 per year for an Olympic coach.

“We certainly have more girls sign up than I’ve had for years and years,” says Joan McDonald, adding that enrolment in an all-girls Olympic recurve class tripled in just three years. She now operates a waiting list of people wanting to get into her classes - and the waiting list is over 30 people waiting for their turn to have the former Olympian coach them in archery.

“I keep turning people away, which I have to tell you hurts my soul,” says Joan McDonald, who keeps an eye peeled for Olympic talent. “Maybe I’m missing someone that could be really good.”

But thankfully there are other archery coaches in Toronto.

#1. Cardio Trek Archery Lessons

One such coach is Charles Moffat from Cardio Trek, who is a sports trainer / personal trainer who has been featured on the CBC, TSN and writes articles about archery accuracy for magazines. Cardio Trek offers archery lessons in Toronto where you can get 10 two-hour lessons for $520. Or you can sign up for a single lesson for $60 to see if you like it. All equipment is provided by the trainer.

Note - For special events like Halloween, Cardio Trek also offers zombie archery targets and similar "for fun" archery targets for a variety of events. The poor zombie on the right side here got what was coming to him. :)

#2. Elite Archery Lessons Toronto

Another company available is run by Micah of Elite Archery Lessons Toronto, which offers 20 three-hour archery lessons for $2,000 and *gives* you $500 worth of archery equipment as a signing bonus. So you get the lessons PLUS you get to keep the equipment.

#3. The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre

The JCCC offers kyudo lessons, beginner and intermediate. But they only offer the lessons on Saturday mornings and admittedly kyudo is probably NOT what you are looking for. Kyudo is more like Japanese tea ceremony and is a very slow methodical process - and if you lack patience you are more likely to fall asleep during a kyudo class. The equipment is provided in the beginner class, but for the intermediate class you need to buy your own equipment.

#4. You Could Teach Yourself

Yes you could even take the DIY Approach to Learning Archery, in which case you should read the Canadian Daily article written by Charles Moffat of Cardio Trek. So this is a real possibility. You could buy your own archery equipment (costs you about $350 for all the equipment, $1,000+ if you want to learn compound bow instead, or $2,000+ if you want to do Olympic recurve). Thus you can learn archery by yourself, but if you discover it is harder than you were expecting then you might want to hire one of the above coaches to teach you archery the proper way.

Learn more about archery in Toronto by visiting the Archery Toronto website.

Roots Swim Shorts

I am throwing out my old pair of swim shorts.

Why?

I've lost weight in the past 4 years and they're now too baggy on me.

What I have purchased instead is a pair of Roots swim shorts, in black, which look like boxer briefs.

And I look freaking sexy in them! (Photo on the right isn't me, but its a close approximation. My legs are slightly hairier.)

Which means I am now ready to strut my stuff at beaches and pools this summer. Huzzzah!

Heart Rate Monitor Watches

Heart rate monitor watches have a number of benefits both for the fit and the ill.

#1. If you have high blood pressure you can monitor your heart rate and hopefully avoid stressful confrontations / heart attacks.

eg. Like the Incredible Hulk monitoring his heart rate so he knows when he is about to transform.

#2. If you are into exercising a lot - cycling, boxing, high endurance training, swimming, anything that is heavy cardio activities a heart rate monitor will give you a better idea of what your limits are and how far you can push yourself.

#3. Unlike checking your heart rate with your fingers having a watch do it for you means it is constant, much more accurate and hands free.

You can also get heart rate anklets too. Works better if you are missing both arms from a tragic car accident.

Heart Rate Monitor Watches make a good gift item.

They also come with a variety of features, so if you choose to shop around you may find some with some useful extra gadgets such as...

The watch still functions as a normal watch, telling you the time / day.

Plug and Play apps so you can track your performances.

Training reminders.

Stopwatch.

GPS speed and distance in real time.

Water resistant to 30 meters / 100 feet.

USB for recharging / downloading data to your computer.

How to Use Personal Training Services in Toronto

Personal training services can be used in a variety of ways and customized to suit your goals and lifestyle:

1. Use Personal Training Services in Toronto for Accountability

The most popular reason people hire a Certified Personal Trainer in Toronto is to purchase a block of sessions to guarantee that you exercise/train two or three times a week. If you know that a trainer will arrive at your house or condo as scheduled, there's no excuse to not exercise!

So for example Cardio Trek offers 40 Hourly Sessions for $1,050. Over a 2 month period that is 20 sessions per month and a guarantee that you are exercising, losing weight and gaining muscle (depending on what your goals are).

Some personal trainers are very expensive. $50 to $90 per hour. If you do the math the Cardio Trek offer is $26.25 per hour. That is an amazing price compared to what some other personal trainers are charging.

2. Use Personal Training Services from Anywhere in the World

Customized fitness programs are a way to get the benefits and expertise of a trainer without in-person sessions. This is ideal for someone who prefers to exercise on their own and doesn't want a trainer looking over their shoulder all the time, or perhaps they have no problem establishing a routine but would like a more technical or advanced program so they can challenge themselves more.

3. Use a Combination of In-Home and Online Personal Training Services

A certified personal trainer can customize a program and then come to your home to show you how to use it. This will include form and intensity. Follow-up sessions to re-vamp the program or to monitor progress are also recommended so you don't stagnate/slack off and are always challenging yourself.

Personal training is a fantastic way to reach goals and to learn the correct form to make the most out of every workout.

The certified personal trainer we recommend in Toronto is Charles from Cardio Trek, but you can certainly shop around if that is your desire.

You could hire someone more expensive, or if you're on a budget hire someone who isn't certified. Regardless if you're paying for someone to come to your house or condo and help you exercise, it is going to be more expensive than going to the gym or engaging in frugal exercises to save money.

Regardless of your goals or reasons for wanting to exercise having a personal trainer will help you to achieve those goals faster with much better results.

William Hill SUCKS

Ever heard of the gambling website William Hill?

Its a sports betting website, but they also run online poker websites / etc.

Well, I am really tired of seeing their stupid advertising. They're so annoying. So incredibly annoying I just had to comment on them and denounce their advertising tactics.

In fact, lets stop and denounce the advertising tactics of ALL gambling websites. I want nothing to do with them. If there was a way to block specific kinds of internet advertising, gambling advertising would be at the top of my list of things to block.

And seriously, what kind of person gambles? Lazy people looking for a get-rich-quick scheme. Go out and get a real job. Earn your keep.

And furthermore most gamblers ultimately end up losing their shirts. And their car, their house, their family. Gambling addiction ruins lives.

Want to spend your money and time productively? Go exercise. Live longer, be sexier, be stronger, be faster. Go hire a personal trainer, take up jogging and start weightlifting. You will be happier about yourself and your life and instead of betting on sports you will be playing sports.

Gambling is for losers. Exercising is for athletes and winners.

10 Reasons why Goodlife Fitness SUCKS

The following review is based on Goodlife Fitness clubs in Toronto, Canada.

#1. They're basically no different than other fitness gyms like Extreme Fitness, etc.

#2. They don't list pricing on their website.

#3. When you call you end up getting a sales agent who is on commission.

#4. The sales agent will want to sell you a yearly contract and he only gets his commission if he gets your bank or credit card info.

#5. Once they have your banking or credit card info Goodlife Fitness with then auto-charge your bank account or credit card once, twice or even three times monthly.

#6. When you cancel your membership they will KEEP charging your bank account or credit card, even though you cancelled your membership in writing months ago.

#7. If you try to get your money back from Goodlife Fitness they will REFUSE to give it to you, claiming that you used the gym during those months they charged you for and claiming that your membership was still active.

#8. The only way to stop them from taking money from your bank or credit card is by closing your bank account or cancelling your credit card.

#9. Goodlife Fitness will then try phoning you, demanding more money or alternatively being really rude to you when you are trying to get your money back from them which they have essentially defrauded from you.

#10. Goodlife Fitness isn't alone in this fraudulent behaviour. Extreme Fitness and many other "big name" fitness gyms all use this tactic of ripping you off financially. (Many cellphone companies do the same thing.)

Cherokee Archery Set

When I first decided to stop procrastinating and get into archery I was at the Central Surplus store on Yonge Street in Toronto.

They had a Cherokee Archery Set on sale and it was, according to the clerk behind the counter, "ideal for beginners".

And he was absolutely-freaking-right!

I used that bow for 2 years before finally switching to a more powerful wooden bow because I loved it so much. It was wonderfully easy to use, surprisingly accurate and I had a very quick learning curve when using it. Some heavier bows are more difficult to learn with because you're not used to the pull and need to work your way up to it.

I still have my Cherokee bow (which is best described as a recurve / reflex long bow) and I now use it for teaching archery here in Toronto.

My only piece of advice is that you buy more arrows and a nice quiver to go with it.

I also have a handmade arm guard that I use made out of rawhide and a shoelace that is wonderful to use. Sometimes its the things you make yourself which do the best job.

No word yet on when I will be done carving my first bow.

Snorkeling Equipment

I recently took up snorkeling and I thought I would share which pieces of equipment I purchased.

#1. BODY GLOVE silicone swim mask - Basically a pair of goggles these bad boys offer shatter resistant lenses, UV protection for your eyes, fog free and a strap for binding it around your head.

I picked this particular one in the store because it was: The most manly one there. That is really just enough reason to me. I could have got the really tiny swim goggles (for pansies) or some big huge honking goggles (for dorks), but I chose this one because it was normal looking and I didn't feel I would be embarrassed wearing them in public.

And not being embarrassed to wear something in public (ie. a god-awful ugly bicycle helmet) is reason enough for me. I don't think it matters so much what company it is so long as its quality, doesn't leak and you look good in it.

I chose the black goggles because I figured black matches everything.

#2. DIVE N' SURF professional dive snorkel - 100% submersible (meaning I can dive farther under and then come back up to breathe later as opposed to just floating near the surface), an attachment for my goggles, a purge valve and it is blue so I even liked the colour.

You can get a set for this which also comes with matching ugly goggles and fins, but I opted for JUST the snorkel because the goggles were so ugly and I don't want to wear fins. (Pourquoi? Les fins es tres embarrassing.)

Sadly I couldn't find a photo online of the snorkel without the set so instead I opted for a photo of a hot chick snorkeling. Huzzah!

I like the fact that it is 100% submersible. It has a piece which floats upwards and blocks off the tube to prevent water from getting in when going completely under, snorkel et al. However in actual practice I seem to have difficulty getting myself to go really far underwater. I guess I either float naturally or I am not that good at diving under.

Maybe I just need more practice.

#3. SPEEDO nose plugs - This is arguably the most important part of my snorkeling equipment. Without the nose plugs I simply can't control my breathing through my nose and end up having to pinch my nose when under water to prevent myself from inhaling. The nose plugs work wonderfully and make everything much easier.

HOT TIP: If you have to sneeze go back up first.

Happy snorkeling this summer and whenever else you get a chance!

Toronto Companies I Like and Don't Like

#1. Hotels

I really don't like the expensive ritzy hotels in Toronto.

Mostly because they're RUDE to people based on the way they dress. Why should I wear really nice clothes all the time just so I can be treated with respect? Absolutely nonsense. I would rather dress comfortably and go somewhere where I am at least treated like a person.

Thus I really dislike the following hotels in Toronto:

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Sheraton Centre
Delta Chelsea
Gladstone Hotel
Hilton Toronto
InterContinental
SoHo Metropolitan Hotel
One King West Hotel
Pantages Hotel
Courtyard Toronto
Marriott Toronto

Places I do like...

Any place that is a Toronto bed and breakfast, especially any that are downtown and offers something unique. The good thing about bed and breakfast places is that they appreciate your business and a lot more and you will get way better service.

I am tempted to say I also like The Drake Hotel, but that place is too noisy with the bar.

#2. Restaurants

I hate Greek restaurants. I've got nothing against the people, but it just feels like cheap overpriced garbage that they're selling you.

Lets list a few more places I hate.

Ethiopian House Restaurant
4 Irwin Avenue, Toronto
REVIEW: ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. The bread was all mushy and sponge-like. The food was spicy (normally a good thing), but tasted like crap. Spicy crap and mushy bread = WORST RESTAURANT IN TORONTO. It was overpriced too.

Forget About It
325 King Street West, Toronto
REVIEW: Food was cold and delivered late, the decor was lame and certainly not worth the money we were paying, and the manager was rude to us when we complained about the poor service. I can see pissed off customers throwing a brick through the window of this horrible place. I would love to forget about that horrible meal.

In comparison I'd rather go to Chinese, Korean, or Indian restaurants... most of the Asian restaurants are reasonably good, although some of them seem overpriced when you see how small the portions are. If you go to a restaurant and it seems like they only served part of your meal then you're getting ripped off.

I also love ALL the Sunset Grill locations. Breakfast places are usually good, but don't go to the Eggsmart places because they're CRAP and roach/rat infested.

#3. Clothing Shopping

The Eatons Centre - Plenty of variety, but nothing alternative. The shops for men's clothing rather suck.

Yorkdale - Really glamourous, but not much variety. Very blah. Men's clothing again is shortchanged here.

Queen Street West - Definitely a good place to shop if you're a man or a woman.

Yonge Street - Lots of variety, and increasingly more variety... my favourite shops along Yonge Street are: Central Surplus (army goods, good place to go for manly things), Hairy Tarantula (which doesn't sell clothes, but what the hell), American Apparel... I mention American Apparel because that is where I managed to find my green hoodie with no logo that I was looking for forever.

Yorkville - Overpriced and people often behave rudely. Yorkville really isn't really a good place to shop. Its more a place to get your nails done at a Yorkville salon, maybe go to a ritzy gym / yoga centre where you can be pampered, check out the local art galleries and then go home. Its really a place to be pampered. Shopping there is for the brain dead.

Whatever you do don't buy any clothes made by Peter Nygard or any other sweatshop owner.

#4. Entertainment

My favourites are:

Art Gallery of Ontario (free on Wednesday nights)

Any of the art galleries on Queen Street West (free booze on opening nights!)

The Ontario Science Centre

The Toronto Public Archery Range

Beaches (swimming, sand, sun, what's not to like?)

The movie theatre on Richmond Steet. Formerly the Paramount, but now owned by Scotiabank. I still call it the Paramount.

The SkyDome. I don't care if Rogers changed its name to the Rogers Centre. Its still the freaking SkyDome to me.

The Philosopher's Stage at U of T. Low budget productions by university actors, but well made and alternative. 2011's production is "Lysistrata - The Sex Strike" and is playing from July 20th to August 6th.

#5. Air Conditioning and Heating

See my post about air conditioners.

Zonelife is a company from the Kitchener-Waterloo area, but if you need a heating furnace they do sell them in Toronto. They also offer geothermal units, boilers and pool dehumidifiers.

#6. Shipping

I am boycotting Canada Post. The Canada Post strike annoyed me and lost me a customer for my business. If they don't want to work I am not giving them my business.

I therefore am recommending Purolator and UPS. I've used them both in the past when I was a shipping / receiving clerk for a pharmaceutical company and they both had excellent service and rates. I continue to use Purolator now because they have an office walking distance from my home.

For larger shipments across Canada I recommend sending air freight because you'll get a better deal straight from the middle man and cut out the sales clerk.

#7. Places to Exercise

Seriously people... parks, beaches, anywhere public. Fancy gym memberships are not necessary. See my blog post: My Fitness Costs = Practically Nothing.

And I strongly recommend against Extreme Fitness. Completely ripoff with a strong sales pitch. Its all talk and zero customer satisfaction.

My Fitness Costs = Practically Nothing!

I read a newspaper article today about "Easy ways to cut your fitness costs"...

And seriously, a lot of what the article said was a no brainer.

Speaking for myself my fitness costs in the last year have dropped from roughly $1000 annually to almost nothing now.

And the answer is to how I did it is because I just got smarter about how, why and where I exercise.

#1. WHERE: I only exercise in places that are FREE. ie. Public parks, community centers, the Toronto Public Archery Range, at home.

#2. HOW: I only buy equipment I know I will use, will never break and will never need to be replaced or fixed. Once I have said equipment I never have to buy it again.

#3. WHY: I now exercise for FUN. I pick athletic activities I actually enjoy, or take a boring activity and make it fun in some way. For example right now I am doing boxing in the park twice a week with a friend, archery once / week at the Toronto Public Archery Range and these are fun activities. I do all my weighlifting and yoga at home while listening to the kewlest music I can find.

I've also put in some extra effort into finding exercises that are not only more beneficial, but fun to do.

Now the newspaper article I mentioned above doesn't mention any of these things... their suggestion is based on deals and coupons. Things like Groupon coupons which offer discounted 20 yoga classes or 20 kickboxing classes for a mere $30. I admit those are pretty cheap, but if you factor in trasnportation costs it still doesn't beat FREE.

(I admit I do spend $5 per week to get to the Toronto Public Archery Range, but that is it.)

In addition there is also things like FREE SWIMMING at the beach or public pools. FREE running or jogging.

And you can advertise on Craigslist to find exercise partners. Again, free.

The newspaper article meanwhile was pushing iPhone workout videos which cost $2.

You can also get free eBooks online loaded with lots of free exercise advice and tips, more than any website would offer.

And there is free workout videos on YouTube. Come on people, the exercise industry doesn't need your money. You do, for all the new slick and slim clothing you can buy when you are thin and sexy!

You'll be beating the guys away with a purse filled with money you've saved by not wasting your money on fitness things / memberships you don't need.

Urban Edge Yoga: Yoga + Food, yummy for my tummy!

HEALTH - I give Urban Edge Yoga five stars.

#1. Small yoga classes, decent prices. Expect to pay $5 to $7 per class.

#2. Food is included! True, its vegan food and that might not cut it for everyone, but its still delicious (and I usually hate vegan food).

#3. Convenience: Its located at 324 Bloor Street West, near the Spadina subway in Toronto. Very easy to get to.

#4. Nice people. Both the staff and the other people who visit there are wonderful. Definitely a nice place to go.

#5. They also offer classes in a variety of other topics. Definitely worth checking out. The yoga centre is non-profit and run by the Hare Krishna Temple on Avenue Road, so you may have to get used to them praising Krishna constantly, but otherwise its all good.

#6. They're not uppity like other yoga centres. No need to bust out your lululemon clothing here. Come as you are.

Contact Info for UEY: 647-261-7499 or urbanedgeyoga@gmail.com

Boxing Equipment from CSN

ENTERTAINMENT/HEALTH - Awhile back I got into a fight with a crazed crackhead in downtown Toronto (see Fisticuffs in Kensington Toronto) and I revealed my interest in traditional boxing as a martial art.

Or as I like to call it, Good Ol' Fisticuffs.

Since then I was contacted by CSN stores and asked to write a review of their boxing products. They sent me the following items by courier:

* "The Champ" Boxing Focus Mitts
* Double Mouthpiece
* "The Champ" Velcro Boxing Gloves
* MMA Quick Wraps

However they made a mistake sending the quick wraps. They accidentally sent me TWO right handed hand wraps, and neglected to send a left-handed one. I am planning to contact them and hopefully they will send me the left one to complete the set.


Since receiving them the items which I've used the most are the boxing gloves themselves and the boxing pads, both made by Amber Sports. I've even shown taken them with me around Toronto to show friends and get their opinion on the products.

(That and it helps to have someone else holding the boxing pads and taking turns at it.)

I even brought the boxing gloves and pads to a Christmas get-together with some relatives and my cousin's children got to play with them. That was amusing all by itself and I wish I had taken photos of them.

So far I can give the following review:

Durability - 5 Stars (No rips, they're still in perfect condition despite regular usage.)

Fit/Ease of Use - 5 Stars (Very easy to use.)

Eco-Friendliness - 4 Stars (They're made from plastic polymers, like a tougher version of nylon. No animals or plants were harmed in the making of these products from what I can tell. Some of the bits look like faux leather. Note: Polymers are made using either oil or recycled plastic. I didn't say any any label that said "Made from Recycled Materials" so I am going to guess they're made from oil, so they lost 1 star for that.)

Seriously, the only complaint I have is that they messed up the order with respect to the left-handed quick wraps. Hopefully they will remedy that soon enough and I can post an update that they were quick to send the left hand wrap too.

Extreme Fitness in Toronto

I have been (on and off) a member of Extreme Fitness here in Toronto for the past 2 and a half years roughly.

Initially they gave me one month free.

And then in 2009 they gave me three months free, but I had to sign up for a whole year on a contract. (They lost 1 star right there.)

Plus there was the price. About $60 per month, pricey when you consider some other gyms in Toronto only charge $40 and don't hassle you with a contract or fees. (They lost another star because of the price.)

Seriously, for that price I could have been buying $60 worth of gym and exercise equipment every month and be able to work out in the comfort of my own home.

I might have been willing to forgive them the price, except for the lousy service. The one time I lost my water bottle, asked about the Lost & Found and discovered they didn't even have one. Apparently they just throw things out. That was not the only issue with poor service either.

They kept moving the gym equipment around every 3-4 months. You'd come to the gym some days and you couldn't find the piece of equipment you were looking for. ie. Today I went there and they had moved the punching bag and apparently put it in storage, thus totally negating me bringing my boxing gloves with me today. (This was the straw that broke the camel's back.)

I am utterly appalled by the low quality of their yoga studio and their instructors. Perhaps that is because I've gone to traditional yoga studios like Buddha Body Yoga (four stars) on Church Street or Urban Edge Yoga near Bloor and Spadina (five stars + vegan food).

Oh and one time I went there to discuss getting a personal trainer so I work on my boxing and learned that personal trainers cost about $75 per hour. Holy ****! What a fundamental waste of money. (Apparently $75/hour is pretty normal for personal trainers, but wow... I am in the wrong business!)

Oh oh oh!

And when I decided to cancel my membership I tried to talk someone in sales. Apparently they aren't allowed to cancel memberships, only the manager can do that. And the manager (Sam) is normally only there between 9 AM and 5 PM. Otherwise you have to make an appointment.

Well today Sam was in and I managed to catch him in his office, but there was a lineup of people. One of the staff asked what I was waiting for and I said I wanted to cancel my membership. So she gave me his card and told me to do it via email. Seriously. Canceling it via email. So I did so.

And to top this all off the Toronto Star recently ran a series of articles about Toronto gyms and how they are ripping people off and treating them like ****. Basically everyone is getting ripped off with fees, even if they cancel their gym membership and the gym conveniently "forgets" and keeps charging their credit card anyway. Or worse, charges cancellation fees on top of that.

So what are we down to...?

ONE STAR OUT OF FIVE.

And what did Extreme Fitness actually do to earn that one star? Well they have weightlifting equipment, a fair amount of it. Just like every other gym in Toronto. They also have the TVs on the treadmills, computers in the lobby/waiting area and saunas (which I never bothered to use). Just like every other hum drum gym.

Extreme Fitness also tries really hard to sell you "sex" although they don't actually come out and say it. They try really hard to be sexy, playing dance music (all the freaking time its the same songs by Katy Perry and Lady Gaga!) and they even have singles events (which I thought "Wow, what kind of loser goes to those?")

Thus Extreme Fitness is nothing special. Same crappy service, same equipment, and so forth.

They didn't even have a pool!

FYI! I am looking for a new gym so if any local businesses want to offer me a couple months (or a whole year) free please let me know and I will come review your gym. :)

Upcoming Review of CSN Boxing Products

We will be doing a review of CSN Boxing Products in the near future. The products we will be reviewing are:

Amber Sporting Goods "The Champ" Boxing Focus Mitts - $21.95
Amber Sporting Goods Double Mouthpiece - $5.95. in clear / white.
Amber Sporting Goods "The Champ" Velcro Boxing Gloves - $23.95
Amber Sporting Goods MMA Quick Wraps - $7.95
TKO Sports Boxing Wrist Wrap - $4.99

Total value is $64.79.

CSN Stores online sell a variety of products, including kitchen/bedroom/bath supplies store allmodern.com, exercise/fitness equipment store FitnessEquipmentAndMore.com, cooking supplies store Cookware.com, and dining room table store DiningRoomsDirect.com.

I picked boxing equipment because of my personal interest in classic boxing. I was tempted to try yoga equipment instead, but I thought boxing would be a fun activity to try with a boxing buddy.

Maybe in the future we will do a review of yoga equipment too.