archives
03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004
04/04/2004 - 04/11/2004
04/11/2004 - 04/18/2004
04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004
04/25/2004 - 05/02/2004
05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004
05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004
05/16/2004 - 05/23/2004
05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004
05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004
06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004
06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004
06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004
06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004
07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004
07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004
07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004
07/25/2004 - 08/01/2004
08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004
08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004
08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004
08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004
08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004
09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004
09/12/2004 - 09/19/2004
09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004
09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004
10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004
10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004
10/17/2004 - 10/24/2004
10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004
10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004
11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004
11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004
11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004
11/28/2004 - 12/05/2004
12/05/2004 - 12/12/2004
12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004
12/19/2004 - 12/26/2004
12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005
01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005
01/09/2005 - 01/16/2005
01/16/2005 - 01/23/2005
01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005
01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005
02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005
02/13/2005 - 02/20/2005
02/20/2005 - 02/27/2005
02/27/2005 - 03/06/2005
03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005
03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005
03/20/2005 - 03/27/2005
03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005
04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005
04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005
04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005
04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005
05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005
05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005
05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005
05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005
05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005
06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005
06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005
06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005
06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005
07/03/2005 - 07/10/2005
07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005
07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005
07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005
07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005
08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005
08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005
08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005
08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005
09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005
09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005
09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005
09/25/2005 - 10/02/2005
10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005
10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005
10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005
10/23/2005 - 10/30/2005
10/30/2005 - 11/06/2005
11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005
11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005
11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005
11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005
12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005
12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005
12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005
12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006
01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006
01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006
01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006
01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006
01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006
02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006
02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006
02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006
02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006
03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006
03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006
03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006
03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006
04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006
04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006
04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006
04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006
04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006
05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006
05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006
05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006
05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006
06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006
06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006
06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006
06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006
07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006
07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006
07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006
07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006
07/30/2006 - 08/06/2006
08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006
08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006
08/20/2006 - 08/27/2006
08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006
09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006
09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006
09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006
09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006
10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006
10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006
10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006
10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006
10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006
11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006
11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006
11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006
11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006
12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006
12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006
12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006
12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006
12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007
01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007
01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007
01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007
01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007
02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007
02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007
02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007
02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007
03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007
03/18/2007 - 03/25/2007
04/08/2007 - 04/15/2007
04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007
04/22/2007 - 04/29/2007
04/29/2007 - 05/06/2007
05/06/2007 - 05/13/2007
05/13/2007 - 05/20/2007
05/27/2007 - 06/03/2007
06/10/2007 - 06/17/2007
06/17/2007 - 06/24/2007
06/24/2007 - 07/01/2007
07/01/2007 - 07/08/2007
07/15/2007 - 07/22/2007
09/02/2007 - 09/09/2007
09/16/2007 - 09/23/2007
10/07/2007 - 10/14/2007
10/21/2007 - 10/28/2007
11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007
11/25/2007 - 12/02/2007
12/02/2007 - 12/09/2007
12/09/2007 - 12/16/2007
12/16/2007 - 12/23/2007
12/23/2007 - 12/30/2007
12/30/2007 - 01/06/2008
01/06/2008 - 01/13/2008
01/13/2008 - 01/20/2008
01/20/2008 - 01/27/2008
01/27/2008 - 02/03/2008
02/03/2008 - 02/10/2008
02/17/2008 - 02/24/2008
02/24/2008 - 03/02/2008
03/02/2008 - 03/09/2008
03/09/2008 - 03/16/2008
03/23/2008 - 03/30/2008
03/30/2008 - 04/06/2008
04/06/2008 - 04/13/2008
04/20/2008 - 04/27/2008
04/27/2008 - 05/04/2008
05/11/2008 - 05/18/2008
05/18/2008 - 05/25/2008
06/01/2008 - 06/08/2008
06/08/2008 - 06/15/2008
06/15/2008 - 06/22/2008
06/22/2008 - 06/29/2008
06/29/2008 - 07/06/2008
07/20/2008 - 07/27/2008
Saturday, April 21, 2007
BILLY. THE. KID.
HotDocs: Billy The Kid. There's a repeat on Sunday afternoon at the ROM. 'sfree for students. Not a student? Flash 'em an old Chinese take-out menu and see if that works.This is the best HotDoc I've seen and possibly the best documentary I've ever seen. It's a documentary about a very unique 15 year-old boy with a host of disorders that aren't explained in a conventional, sociological way, but you get the picture. Man, do you ever get the picture. I hate to gush, especially in cliched terms, but it really runs the gamut from heartwarming to heartbreaking to hilarious to horribly, unwatchably awkward. I literally had to block my face with my hands at certain points because it was so AWKWARD! I won't say too much now, for it really must be seen by all who can. Like I said, quite possibly the best doc I've ever seen.
I'll probably do a "formal" write up for MONDO with some other mini-reviews of pictars I get a peek at.
Last night while out to see Billy The Kid, (naw, truthfully we were tryna see Let's All Hate Toronto, but didn't get in) I ran into various Ghosts of The Past. Reagan and Nigel at th' Bloor of course, Rael Jan at the Green Room and then Eric from UFA on the street.
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Driving lessons are a fun and unique experience. Heh... My driver is a real joker. He likes to tell us to stop for cops and not try to outdrive them, because they have special driving courses and they could getcha.
He went on a two minute rant about how he never wears his seatbelt and they shouldn't make you do it by law, but since it is a law, do it, cause it could cost you two points.
He has dreadlocks and glasses. He doesn't believe that climate change is occuring.
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It's been a while since I listened to Newark-area rap artist, Redman.
Labels: Alves Driving School, HotDocs, Mondo, Redman
Friday, April 20, 2007
You Are Worthless Alec Baldwin
Someone's looking for a 'Father of the Year' nominationI was going to visit my great-uncle in the hospital today (i.e. Saturday) with my grandfather. Unfortunately he lives in Ottawa and a rogue band of Mohawks have decided to barricade the traintracks because CN is illegally occupying their land. Haha, just kidding. Actually CN is completely unrelated to the complaint which is about a developer. But, hey, why should that stop this group (which doesn't, btw, have the approval of the Mohawk council) from inflicting millions of dollars in losses and massive inconvenience to Ontarians.
Speaking of inconvenience, I'm sure everyone has a problem with spam. Mine is a lot more manageable now and gmail catches basically all of it. One was able to avoid the spam filters and its contents were just... bizzare. It was sent by a "Melisizwe Mcqueen" and it read like James Joyce huffed a lot of glue and then wrote some science fiction:
"the ring closed. The play ended. The alien artifact retrieved. The the questioning. Sjonvarp. Sounds pretty terrible, Madonette said. Turning all those men into kit and poked my finger on the symbol for stairs. Now, down to the a break at the end of the first hour, dropped down and drank some only assume that is a little joke and they intend to wash the dust why was her memory still popping up?-you catch more porcuswine with So before the last i was dotted, before the last alien artifact laid it dry and sat motionlessly while I waited for its beneficent Bethuel. of the thick, undoubtedly watertight, door. Exactly. the Fundamentaloids we ought to be out there tracking them down. We unloaded. Sleep first, Floyd yawned. Its been a long night. Put the mind in gear, Jim! I shouted at myself, my words loud in audience. Hear that, Iron John? You can go back to your old job at"
Oh and I guess my holdout against labels isn't going to fly so I'm going to label my posts.
Labels: Alec Baldin, Mohawks, Spam
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Foodie Nation (rep your set)
Well, all done uni, as soon as I can figure out all this "apply to graduate" nonsense. It should be like high school, when you're done, you're done and you're out of there. Fuck man, I still desire to crash a high school prom drunk, in my puffy jacket, caked in mud, bangin' Redman on a ghetto blaster.Anyways, since I've been done for a week, what have I been doing? Mostly Facebook. A lot of cooking and staring at pictures of food. I now consider myself a foodie. From the library I've gotten Madhur Jaffrey's Step-by-step cooking (as opposed to the not step-by-step book which just assumes you already know how to prepare Ayam Pongtay and just makes a few helpful suggestions for next time). This book is a collection of recipes from Japan, Hong Kong, Philipines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Korea and (hm?) India.
So far I've enjoyed every recipe I've made from the cookbook. I've made bulgogi (Korean marinated beef), the aforementioned Ayam Pongtay, which is a chicken and mushroom dish in black bean sauce and her HK version of Szechuan beef, which was quite good, but I overcooked the chilies and killed the heat. Chili oil saved the left-overs.
Yeah, I am seeing a girl now, yeah, she's also a foodie, yeah, she's Japanese, but no, this is not what this is entirely about. Except the bulgogi. That was 80% to impress her.
Sometimes I get concerned that Madhur (I've come to know her by first name) is "dumbing things down" - that is, removing ingredients from her recipes she perceives that we wimpy whitefolk will find too difficult to track down or whose flavours we will find offensive and foreign. There is no real way for me to know whether she is doing this or not, as, in order to know, I would have to have a grasp of East-Asian cuisine greater to her own. My only tip-off is that I am already cooking with two "Chinese" ingredients (Garlic stalks and white pepper) which do not appear in any of her recipes. But maybe they just don't belong in HK cooking. And she does advocate the use of many products with which I am wholly unfamiliar or at least have never personally bought.
And, that said, a certain amount of "dumbing down" is absolutely necessary. As incredible as Toronto is, there are certain ingredients that cannot be gotten here. What's more, many of the dishes originate from restaurants which, of course, have different cooking methods than those available to us at home.
This brings us to Bloods and Crips. During Canada Reads, the panelists were talking about the Canadian (duh) novel, Stanley Park. In it, the author outlines two basic "schools" of foodies. (I'm paraphrasing from the show here, not the actual novel, so forgive any mistranslation if you've read the book). "Bloods" tend to want to cook things authentically. They like Chinese food and street fare, generally meat. "Crips" tend to favour fusion and experimentation. Originality and collision are the greatest principles.
I will say Red and Blue because these things run as a spectrum, as opposed to a diametric opposition. Nothing is wholly authentic, nor wholly original. I would place my objectives as generally on the red end of the spectrum, but perhaps I'm deluding myself. North America as a whole is definitely Blue. Red cooking in Canada would really mean split-pea soup and back bacon. The counter argument to that is that multiculturalism, as practiced in Toronto, creates all these different Red sets you can visit and tap in to.
And yeah, that new Apple comic is coming. I feel like Dr. Dre with Detox on this shit. High five if you got that reference. Self congratulatory high-five!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
I Win Stuff
First of all, yey to the new accesibility of blogger. This story may be slightly dated but author John Scalzi (who's new book comes out tomorrow– I bought a copy off the interwebs) had some extra copies of his book: "You're Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop To A Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing." So he made two contests to give them away. First contest: Come up with a contest. Second contest: Win that contest. Anyways, I guess the punchline's already been spoilt by the post title....
Another thing I won was the privilege of watching Grindhouse. I don't think I'm as enthusiastic as Sam (or my housemate who said it was the best cinematic experience of his life) but it still still pretty awesome. While it is true that the whole gestalt is very important I think I liked Deathproof a lot more than the rest. It's also really cool that Zoe, the Bride's stuntwoman from Kill Bill, gets cast as herself in this movie and that she, like the movie, is pretty awesome.
Personally, I don't like the concept of post labels so I think I'll leave them out. [Edit: On second thought who am I to go against technology]
Labels: Grindhouse, John Scalzi, Mondo
