Amusing Heineken Beer Commercial

They're trying really hard to look kewl in this ad. So much that it becomes cheesy. The guy ends up looking like an idiotic show off.

But whatever, I still like Heineken anyway.



As beer commercials go I still find these ones way more funny...

The Walking Dead, Pillars and Thrones

I recommend watching the following TV shows:

The Walking Dead



Pillars of the Earth



Game of Thrones

The Spotted Dick, 81 Bloor East

I keep coming back to "The Spotted Dick" located at 81 Bloor Street East.

And why not... the name is amusing (it has to do with Dalmatians, not diseased penises), it has WiFi access, its good for business meetings, casual get-togethers and dates.

The food is excellent (above par for pub food) and the service is more than adequate. On a busy night the service may be a bit slow, but that is to be expected.

And I really like the big painting of the Dalmatian on the east wall.

If that doesn't interest you there is also "The Duke of York" (39 Prince Arthur Avenue), which is the pub I suggested when my parents visited Toronto for my birthday. Its more upscale, more classically British, and the service / selection is fantastic. Expect to pay a bit more than a regular pub however.

Voice Recognition Software = Horrible

TECHNOLOGY - I just spent over an hour trying to use Windows Voice Recognition software on my Toshiba notepad. It was horrible, as you will see from the text below. It didn't seem to matter how many clearly I enunciated my voice, it still could not write down what I wanted properly.

Clearly voice recognition software has a long way to go.

I thought it might be a way to make blogs easier, just talking to the computer in a clear voice and let it do the typing, but apparently even my clearest speaking voice is too difficult for the computer to understand.

I wanted to try and write this blog post using the voice recognition software, but it was too difficult and I got an headache. (I recommend Advil or Ibuprofen.)

At several points I even swore at the computer and told it was wrong, but even those epithets wasn't correct. Maybe someday the software will be better, but not yet.

Consider the following a bit of 'failed voice recognition poetry'...

"All glen Ellen and you hear me all I think that is wrong. The way at the above long island online one I've

A lone figure entered

On the line and all I am writing you age alive at anchor and camp

All I am a liking the throat
To an hour
To enter key rough and cover your
enter
For

IN right thing to

Ole annual lighting
Your citizen after the lawn and garden machine after
For

All I am writing the weary of being a recognition voice recognition of where of where of where I live off when the water ridge road conditions of where
In
And

Recognition are lower

All one wall of the recognition withdrawn commission vowed not

Let an issue and the wearer with a vision of where a event of an all I have been better and I live"

Building a Cabin

While I write this review I am sitting my apartment building's laundry room, with Toshiba notebook computer, drinking chilld tap water from an old Bek Se Ju (for those that don't know, I am a huge fan of Korean Bek Se Ju [pronounced baek say joo] which is made from rice, sweet potatoes and 12 traditional herbs). I think the bottles are great for drinking water out of.

Also in front of me is Snuggle fabric softener 'Fresh Rain' and Purex 2X Ultra Concentrate. I have no complaints about their cleaning ability, stain fighting power, softness-fying or the nice smell I get when I pull them from the dryer.

I find the laundry room a nice place to sit and write blogs on my notepad. Its relatively quiet and secluded, the only sounds being the constant whirring, ka-thunk ka-thunk and splashing sounds of the washing machines and dryer. They're strangely melodious.

What I want to write about today is that sense of tranquility and calm you get in being in such a nice quiet place. Some people might start to feel bored or anxious, but I think its an excellent opportunity to unwind, relax and get away from the other sounds of living in downtown Toronto... the sounds of trucks going by, police sirens, fire truck sirens (I live near a fire station), construction, traffic, noisy neighbours and so on.

Now there is other ways to get away from such sounds...

#1. You could go camping. In which case I recommend Canadian Tire if you want to go buy a tent and other supplies / camping gear. I should note however that I am a firm believer in the "less is more" style of camping. You pack as few things as possible, only as much as you can easily carry up a steep hill while getting whacked in the face with branches (I did this back in October 2010 with my girlfriend at the time, loads of fun!) without getting yourself hurt. Food/water, a source of heat, sleeping bag, toilet paper, tent... you know, the bare essentials! Anything more than that and you're not really camping.

#2. You could get a cottage, ie. Muskoga Cottage. My sister and her husband got a cottage last year and although I have yet to visit it I do know its on a river near Georgian Bay, which allows them to go kayaking whenever they feel like it.

But here is the thing... I would like to do one better than both of these... I would like to someday buy a chunk of land in Northern Ontario (and the land up there can be pretty cheap depending on where you look) and BUILD a shelter, eventually a cabin up there.

I am going to break this down into a number of stages so you can get a better idea of what I am talking about...

#1. Build a basic shelter to live in, the first step you want to do so you have a place to live while working. You could use a tent, but I think that would get pretty cramped over time and isn't really much protection from moose or black bears. Therefore an actual wooden structure, regardless of how crude it is, sounds much better to me.

My method would be to build something akin to a cedar log fence, but in the shape of a square or hexagon. Build it up so its 8' tall and then peak the roof inwards like you are building a pyramid. Then cover interior with mosquitoe netting. Then use whatever you have available to reinforce the walls, roofs and so forth until you have a shelter which will adequately keep out the sun, rain and insects.

#2. Build your Outhouse or Bathroom NEXT. I say this because I'd argue this is probably the most important place in your would-be-cabin-away-from-it-all.

When building your bathroom you will want to have a rough idea of how the rest of your cabin should be designed (with rooms for future additions).

In my case I want my cabin to be combination of stone, wood, cement and glass. I want mortared stone to be the main part of the building's structure. I might use some commercial roofing along the way to speed up the process or metal panels on the sides if I can't get lots of stone to do the job, but that is still the long term goal.

The beauty of stone (I think) is that is doesn't have to be used in straight lines like brick or wood is. You can make rounded walls, as thick as you want them to be, different colours of stone, the flat sides facing outwards or even the rounded sided facing outwards. I actually prefer the rounded look, the bumpy quality of it.

Inside the bathroom you want to think in terms of several things...

A) Plumbing, you will need a clean source of water. The proverbial water barrel with tubes might work for some people, but others might want to have a professional plumber come in and install everything like its a normal house.

B) Drainage, some place for your leftovers to go that won't cause a huge stink with the neighbours. A pit in the ground filled with water is typical of what most outhouses use.

C) Pottery / Ceramics... I bring this up because I think this is an excellent way to both decorate your bathroom and make it easier to clean. Handmade pottery can be used for the sink(s), toilet seat, and shower/bathtub tiles.

Or you might decide to bathe in the local river, pond or lake... in which case try looking for some environmentally friendly soaps.

#3. Build the ground floor and walls next. In theory you could build over and replace your existing shelter, or be building a whole new place to live. Either could be ideal depending on your plan.

Again I think stone and mortar would be an excellent method of accomplishing this. Other people might prefer to use wood or other materials, but I like the permanency and reliability of stone. True, it will be tough work to quarry, lift and mortar all that stone, but just imagine your biceps by the time you are done! It would be a great weight loss program!

When doing this you should also be concerned about building a fireplace and chimney. Myself I would be tempted to design this in a way it can be used for cooking, baking and even as a kiln for pottery.

#4. Lastly you will want to build a roof, one which hopefully lets the light in, but can withstand the weight of snow in the winter. For me I want to build a steep peaked roof so the snow slides off frequently and doesn't get a chance to build up to any thickness. Also, I want to use as much space as I can to put in glass roofing windows / sky lights to get as much natural light in there as possible. In the summer I can draw shades or soap up the windows to keep it cool inside, but for the rest of the year I want the inside to be brightly lit and as warm as possible.

I firmly believe that you can find for free, salvage most of the materials you need, buy used materials, barter, pay some hippies to help you build it, etc... You don't need to resort to buying everything if you have the Do-It-Yourself Mentality.

#5. Adding Insulation...

I firmly believe in the idea of adding buffer zones and continuing to insulate a home more and more. The idea is to eventually make it so insulated and cozy on the inside that you don't even need a fireplace. You can do this cheaply, by finding ways / materials to cheaply insulate (heck you can even find printable coupons for things that can help you, but again I am a traditionalist... my preferred method would be to simply keep adding more stone to the walls. Mortar and stone are both cheap, so you can keep adding to the structure, making the walls thicker, adding entry sections, buffer zones, additional walls, etc.

I also like the idea of having a greenhouse as part of the cabin. This could be built like a glass pyramid, using very little other materials, and connected to the rest of the cabin... This would then provide both food, heat and a place to relax.

(Heck, you could LIVE inside a greenhouse if you really wanted to... I would just advise putting lots of thick plants around the sides so the neighbours can't see in so easily. The greenhouse could also be used to get rid of your bathroom drainage...)

#6. Electricity...

Assuming you actually want electricity this is where that peaked roof comes back into play. Stick a windmill turbine up there, attach it to some batteries, maybe add some solar panels... voila! Enough power for a toaster, a small microwave and a laptop computer. Need more than that? Add a larger solar array or build a waterwheel that can be put in the nearby river.

The Finale!

At the end of all of this you've just managed to make a place, a home possibly, where you can live comfortably away from the stress of the city... you will be "off the grid" in terms of electricity, and combined with your greenhouse and some gardens pretty self sufficient in terms of food. Depending on where you bought the land the land taxes will be pretty cheap too.

Some people might even design their cabin to look more like a Buddhist temple, using designs for traditional Asian cabins which use thick paper for interior walls, windows, etc. Definitely an excellent place to enjoy the tranquility and harmony with nature.

Below is a traditional Korean cabin which was built by some friends of mine in Jeonju.

Tough Guys - Movie Review

Tough Guys is an awesome movie starring two of my favourite actors:

Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.

Two amazing actors playing a pair of ex-cons (convicted of train robbery and sentenced to 30 years) who finally get out of prison and try to adapt to civilian life.

The Cassandra Crossing

The Cassandra Crossing is a 1976 British disease epidemic thriller film directed by George Pan Cosmatos and starring Irish actor Richard Harris, Sophia Loren, Martin Sheen, Burt Lancaster, Lee Strasberg, Ava Gardner and O. J. Simpson.

 Myself, I love anything with Burt Lancaster in it.

But what amazed me about this particular film was the array of stars... Richard Harris! Sophia Loren! Martin Sheen! O. J. Simpson!

AND Burt Lancaster, all in the same film??? Oh and its technically also an action movie with guns, bad guys who wear masks, explosions, and trains! Oh my!

The main characters are played by Sophia Loren and Richard Harris - and if you don't know who Richard Harris is then watch the first two Harry Potter movies and pay attention to the old guy playing Dumbledore.

Totally worth watching.

Swimming, Pool, Patio and Dance

Nothing beats swimming in a lake, and that is why I am starting this post with a short of beaches I recommend.

#1. Keewatin Beach, North of Goderich.

#2. Goderich Beach

#3. Beaches, Toronto

But if beaches aren't your thing there's also swimming pools, such as those run by the YMCA. And if you really have your heart set on owning your own pool then you can visit progreenlandscaping.ca which does landscaping, pools and renovations in the Toronto region.

Of course once you have the pool most people also rush out and start buying patio furniture, most likely from Canadian Tire or some other low budget source.

HOWEVER before you do I want to point out that many of the products sold in Canadian Tire are not actually made in Canada. And worse, the quality is so low that in 3-5 years you will have to replace everything.

This is why I am recommending Velago Patio Furniture. Made in Canada, high quality, and it won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Lastly I want to talk about dance classes. I recommend the following places to learn dance.

#1. York University Dance, Toronto.

#2. The National Ballet School of Canada, Toronto.

#3. Danceology, Toronto.

#4. Ballet Creole, Toronto.

The King's Speech

ENTERTAINMENT - I give The King's Speech five stars out of five. I saw it on the weekend with my girlfriend and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.



A bit of warning, its a happy tearjerker, so bring a kleenex.

On the Oscar front The King's Speech has received 12 Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and for once I actually agree with their choice. The closest rival, The Social Network, received only 8 nominations.

I also give True Grit five stars as well. If I had to choose between the two, I think True Grit would win Best Picture.

2011 OSCAR NOMINATIONS

1. Best Picture: “Black Swan,” ''The Fighter,” ''Inception,” ''The Kids Are All Right,” ''The King's Speech,” ''127 Hours,” ''The Social Network,” ''Toy Story 3,” ''True Grit,” ''Winter's Bone.”

2. Actor: Javier Bardem, “Biutiful”; Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”; Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”; Colin Firth, “The King's Speech”; James Franco, “127 Hours.”

3. Actress: Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right”; Nicole Kidman, “Rabbit Hole”; Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter's Bone”; Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”; Michelle Williams, “Blue Valentine.”

4. Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, “The Fighter”; John Hawkes, “Winter's Bone”; Jeremy Renner, “The Town”; Mark Ruffalo, “The Kids Are All Right”; Geoffrey Rush, “The King's Speech.”

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “The Fighter”; Helena Bonham Carter, “The King's Speech”; Melissa Leo, “The Fighter”; Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit”; Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom.”

6. Directing: Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan”; David O. Russell, “The Fighter”; Tom Hooper, “The King's Speech”; David Fincher, “The Social Network”; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “True Grit.”

7. Foreign Language Film: “Biutiful,” Mexico; “Dogtooth,” Greece; “In a Better World,” Denmark; “Incendies,” Canada; “Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi),” Algeria.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, “127 Hours”; Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network”; Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, “Toy Story 3”; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “True Grit”; Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini, “Winter's Bone.”

9. Original Screenplay: Mike Leigh, “Another Year”; Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson and Keith Dorrington, “The Fighter”; Christopher Nolan, “Inception”; Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, “The Kids Are All Right”; David Seidler, “The King's Speech.”

10. Animated Feature Film: “How to Train Your Dragon,” ''The Illusionist,” ''Toy Story 3.”

11. Art Direction: “Alice in Wonderland,” ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” ''Inception,” ''The King's Speech,” ''True Grit.”

12. Cinematography: “Black Swan,” ''Inception,” ''The King's Speech,” ''The Social Network,” ''True Grit.”

13. Sound Mixing: “Inception,” ''The King's Speech,” ''Salt,” ''The Social Network,” ''True Grit.”

14. Sound Editing: “Inception,” ''Toy Story 3,” ''Tron: Legacy,” ''True Grit,” ''Unstoppable.”

15. Original Score: “How to Train Your Dragon,” John Powell; “Inception,” Hans Zimmer; “The King's Speech,” Alexandre Desplat; “127 Hours,” A.R. Rahman; “The Social Network,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

16. Original Song: “Coming Home” from “Country Strong,” Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey; “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” Alan Menken and Glenn Slater; “If I Rise” from “127 Hours,” A.R. Rahman, Dido and Rollo Armstrong; “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3,” Randy Newman.

17. Costume: “Alice in Wonderland,” ''I Am Love,” ''The King's Speech,” ''The Tempest,” ''True Grit.”

18. Documentary Feature: “Exit through the Gift Shop,” ''Gasland,” ''Inside Job,” ''Restrepo,” ''Waste Land.”

19. Documentary (short subject): “Killing in the Name,” ''Poster Girl,” ''Strangers No More,” ''Sun Come Up,” ''The Warriors of Qiugang.”

20. Film Editing: “Black Swan,” ''The Fighter,” ''The King's Speech,” ''127 Hours,” ''The Social Network.”

21. Makeup: “Barney's Version,” ''The Way Back,” ''The Wolfman.”

22. Animated Short Film: “Day and Night,” ''The Gruffalo,” ''Let's Pollute,” ''The Lost Thing,” ''Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary).”

23. Live Action Short Film: “The Confession,” ''The Crush,” ''God of Love,” ''Na Wewe,” ''Wish 143.”

24. Visual Effects: “Alice in Wonderland,” ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” ''Hereafter,” ''Inception,” ''Iron Man 2.”

Magic the Gathering SUCKS

ENTERTAINMENT - Now by saying that Magic the Gathering, the collectable card game, sucks, what I am also doing is admitting to previously playing the game.

Truth be told, an ex girlfriend in high school taught me how to play the game. On her bed. That was 13 years ago and I have gone through periods where I played every day and periods where I didn't play for years. Its addictive, but for the wrong reasons.

But enough about that, lets discuss the game itself.

#1. Magic (or MTG) is a game wherein new card sets are always coming out and players can collect the cards, trade them and play with them. The collecting part can be quite addictive, because the cards have fantastic art on them and I can definitely appreciate the artistic elements.

#2. As a card game however Magic has a variety of different formats one can play. Classic, Extented, Standard, Freeform, Broken, Multiplayer, Two-Headed Giant, Three-Headed-Giant, and so forth. This was you can play against a friend, against multiple friends, in teams, etc.

#3. There are 6 basic card types: White, Black, Red, Green, Blue, Artifact and Land. You need land to play the other cards in your hand against your opponent. You can only play 1 land per turn normally. The different colour of cards have different affinities (things that they do well). White tends to be soldiers or birds, black tends to be undead, green tends to be elves or forest creature, blue is sea creatures or birds, artifacts are magical items that are useful, and land you just plain need to use the other cards.

#4. However, the goal of Magic as a card game is to defeat your opponent. This is where the game runs into some serious issues. Its basically designed to turn you into an a$$***e. You play the game long enough and you will become a prick and a scoundrel, and then you will wonder why you don't have any friends. Worse, you become addicted (its a weird egotistical thing) to being a prick. You become obsessed with defeating your opponent in the first 3 rounds of the game, or defeating them in such a way that its embarrassing for them. If you lose, it just reaffirms your commitment to trying to get revenge on them. IT IS NOT A FRIENDLY GAME.

#5. I have determined over the past 13 years that I will no longer play Magic in any competitive way. I still have a huge collection of cards, but they're more like an art collection now. I only play with friends on rare occasions, and even then its purely as "a for fun only game" and the decks I design for such occasions are designed with that in mind. I keep them simple too, that way hapless players who are just learning don't have a steep learning curve.

#6. There is also Magic the Gathering Online, which is even worse on the prick factor because you're not even playing with friends, you are playing against other pricks online. Their goal there is to see who can be the biggest prick. I tried that out too and can confirm that the people on there must have no life because they make the most boring decks I've ever seen (I swear they just try to bore you to death).

(There is an amusing clip from a TV show where Osama bin Laden dies and is awarded with 40 virgins... unfortunately it is 40 virgin men all playing Magic the Gathering Online.)

There are much better games out there to be playing if you want to play fantasy games. ie. Munchkin is always hilarious. Traditional AD&D (with pen and paper) is always fun, and there is also Dungeons and Dragons Online, which is free and won't cost you a cent. DDO is a much better game, far more exciting and its emphasizes friendship and teamwork. That is the kind of game I would much rather play.

Magic the Gathering is for losers who don't have any real friends. :p