Foxymoron

Aren't Asians Great?

Yes, yes we are.

From Brianbrog

First snow of the year

Yesterday, the first real snowfall of the year left a pile of something white which remains unmoved on our driveway and stairs. It's not pure snow as the thick layer of ice produced by freezing rain tells the story of. Some of us are already asking "when will winter end already?" This isn't the kind of snow we had in mind. Snowballs are laced with ice spears, the road salt can't break through and now we leave the house through the garage, our front steps too dangerous still caked with five inches of ice.

[mp3] Hawksley Workman - First Snow of the Year
[mp3] Claps Your Hands Say Yeah - In This Home on Ice

So instead of attending the pizza and punch Golden Globes party downtown, I stayed inside my home and watched the ceremony. That Betty Suarez has my heart and my job! Three cheers for Ugly Betty and its surprise win. Three cheers for immigrant stories! Three cheers for the underdog!

[mp3] Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Winning

It's a much nicer day in Toronto today despite puddles, slush and seasonably normal temperatures below zero. Follow my adorable grandma's lead. Stay warm, wear  a tuque.

Rock out with your sock out

I admit I've been following Rockstar Supernova. It's not something I'm proud of but hell, I prefer rock over pop and I prefer the songs of Rockstar over those of American Idol. Actually, I loved American Idol too, but Rockstar inspires me to crank up the volumn, grab a hairbrush and blast some foot-stomping rock.  I like to believe that in the privacy of their own space everyone plays an air instrument and poorly screams out lyrics to sometimes questionable songs. It's just one of those things we don't talk about but we do it and we love it because it feels good. Uh huh.

These are some of my "pretend I'm a rock star" songs

Weezer - The Good Life
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date with the Night
Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer

Photo: Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene at Lee's Palace in early 2005. I haven't taken many concert photos since.

Very Good Adventures

A couple of my friends are working on a new animated series for the CBC: The Very Good Adventures of Yam Roll in Happy Kingdom. It's about a little superhero named Yam Roll, a sushi roll cab driver with superpowers. He has friends like Edamame, Yaki Tori, Sake, and Tamago. Too bad he loves that unappreciative Minamiko.

The show premiers on Feb. 6 at 4:30, but you can watch a preview on the website. It already looks like a winner. First, Yam Roll and his friends are cute. Second, the show is funny and original (unless there is already a cartoon about Japanese food superheros). And third, the merchandising possibilities are endless (video games).

Bad guys win

For anyone on the westbound Queen street car at Spadina around 7 p.m., that was me who fell knee and hands first on to the floor. Thankfully, I was helped up by a really cute fellow rider and that made my night. I was on my way to the Trinity Bellwoods area to scope out one bedroom apartments for under $750 and between you and me, there ain't much out there. I should have known the embarassing fall foreshadowed the bad apartments. Or perhaps it was a hint that the stupid evil couple would win Amazing Race 6. I'm so dissapointed Kris and Jon didn't win. The nice guys came in second and the evil ignorant "models" with no soul between both of them, Freddy and Kendra, came in first. I blame the lack of justice in the world and American Airlines for giving Jon and Kris false information about the flights. At the end of the show, Freddy said Kendra was a perfect soul, but I think he meant to say ignorant airhead. Remember when they were in Africa and she complained about everything including how the people wouldn't stop breeding. Yeah, real perfect.

Football and Advertising

My American friends paid a visit to the city this weekend. Of course, it was SuperBowl Sunday and they just had to watch the game, or rather, they just had to watch the commericals. I think one or two of them secretly hoped for a waredrobe malfunction. Under those CRTC rules, we were forced to watch lower budget Canadian commericals for Canadian products instead of those new American ones. But thanks to technology, we can view them online at AOL's website. The quality is terrible, but at least you get to see what you missed.

No comment about the ad poll winner :-| but I think I like the Ameriquest ads the most: smart and makes its point without beeing cheesey. You can watch their ads, with higher-quality, on their website.

CBC and the Olympics

If you're a fan of the CBC's Olympic coverage like me, you might be sad to learn that the CBC, who has been broadcasting the Olympic Games to Canadians since 1996, lost their bid to broadcast the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver to a joint bid between CTV and Rogers worth $153 million (U.S.). The bid gives the Bell Globemedia company to broadcast both the 2010 Winter Games and 2012 Summer Games.

It looks like it just came down to money. "In preparing our bid to the IOC, we knew, and we know still, that competing to win the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games at any cost is simply not a reasonable proposition for us," CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch said in a statement to CBC employees.

Via David Akin, (who unfortunately wrote the 2010 Games are in Calgary). Also, Fox News Australia writes bad headlines.

I guess I'm just used to the CBC's coverage of the Olympics. I like Ron McLean, Mansbridge and the woman I can't remember the name of. But since the Olympics are so obviously more about money now, the CTV, I'm sure, will do a fine job. The games are in in five years. I'm making plans to work the Olympics...

Oh! See!

It's OK now. It's OK to admit you watch The O.C. Everyone's doing it and it's almost cool to admit you do too. Hell, Seth and Summer awkwardly slowdanced to Feist's "Let It Die" this week. They never played music like that at The Peach Pit! Earlier in the episode, we witnessed the hot teenage bar manager, Alex demonstrate to Seth that a kiss is just a kiss when she smootches Homer (the beer delivery guy) and then (gasp!) a female co-worker. Oh snap!

If you think that's hot, then wait 'til you here this. Chris (aka Bloggplease) brings news of a crazy lesbian plot twist on the show. By "crazy" I mean that alcoholic psycho Marissa. According to TVgasm, the character played by Misha "Feed Me" Barton will get romantically involved with another female character later this season. Boy is her mother going to be mad.

Josh Schwartz, creator of The O.C. sat with Out.com to confirm the rumour and hint at what the storyline involves. According to the interview, this relationship might actually be real and not one of those fake lesbians who likes girls to get guys. Still, I'm pretty sure every hetereosexual guy is salivating just thinking about it. I am impressed with the potential real relationship. So we can all agree that the lesbian relationship is the "new hot" (or has it always been hot?) but maybe next season Schwartz can fit in a visible minority or two. It's The O.C. not Anchorage, Alaska.

I grew up at Ikea

I spent last evening reading the latest issue of Maisonneuve (theme: money and power). My favourite article was the piece by Poppy Wilkinson, "For the Love of PoÄng," about the store we all love/hate to love, Ikea. The story basically sums up my feelings toward the Swedish company. On one hand, I have had nothing but negative experiences with assembling the furniture. On the other, the furniture's simple and colourful design makes me happy. Generally, the latter feeling wins out. After all, I was practically raised in the big Blue and Yellow at Leslie and Hwy. 401. I still have memories of chillin' in the child care centre while my parents purchased plastic fold-up chairs and my now broken bed (Dad tried to change a lightbulb by standing on it). I remember that sea of red, yellow and blue balls fondly and every time I enter an Ikea, I secretly wish I was young enough to hang out there instead of swimming through the crowds.

In many ways, Ikea was the leader in big box stores, but for some reason, it gets away with it. Maybe it's the low pricing, or the meatballs, or the charming TV ads—Wilkinson says the lamp ad was created by Spike Jonze—it doesn't matter, it's an amusement park of home decor and cheap food. I love it! I love it! I love everything except putting Ikea furniture together.

Tonight, on The Amazing Race, the contestants went to the largest Ikea store in the world in Stockholm, Sweden. In a detour task they either had to count over 2300 items correctly, or put a desk together. Notice how most of the teams went for the counting first? It's because no one wants to put Ikea furniture together! Speaking of The Race, Jonathan is obnoxious. Lori (of Team Lori/Bolo, the professional wrestlers) must beat him up and make him cry. Now that my favourite team, Lena and Kristy, have been eliminated and I don't really like any one else, I will only watch the show to see Jonathan fall apart.

Arts, Crafts and Instructions

+ Good news! Not only is today the release of The Stars' new album, Set Yourself On Fire, but we got word from record label, Arts and Crafts that the band is going on a Canadian tour with Mr. Gentleman Reg. No Toronto dates yet, but be patient urbanites. In the meantime, download the first single "Ageless Beauty." So far, so good. This record is probably the best contender to rival Feist for my favourite album of 2004, judging from my love of its predecessor, Heart, winner of Chiu's favourite album of 2003. <3

+ Speaking of the labelmate, Feist is returning to Toronto, and this time I WILL see her. She will be at the Phoenix for a performance on December 2nd. Perfect way to start the winter.

+ I read the sad news that CHUM City's television program, MediaTelevision has been cancelled. Tragic really, since there isn't really anything to replace it and it was a damn good show. First Shift's death, which I never recovered from and now MediaTelevision. Is nothing sacred?

+ From the MediaTelevision website, I found Instructoart, the website for artist, Michael Vescovo. Part comic artist, part animator, Vescovo created short films of instructions for life. My favourites are "Three Second Rule" and "Musical Instruments" from the archive.