Boozeless Wedding with Decorative Milkshakes

I like this concept of a boozeless wedding where people have health drinks and milkshakes instead.

You start by hiring a caterer who can make really amazing decorative milkshakes.

It means less problems with the alcoholics in the family and less drama during the wedding (for some families which has lots of angry drunks this is an huge benefit).

The other benefits is that it saves a lot of money and is healthier for the guests to be drinking juice, energy drinks, milkshakes and numerous health-oriented drinks instead.

Less people falling down while dancing. Less people passed out on the lawn.

More happy memories!

And lots of fun decorative milkshakes! Huzzah!

Umcomfortable Dress Shoes

I don't know what brand I am wearing but my dress shoes are bothering my feet. I have worn steel toed boots which are more comfortable.

I must admit I don't have a high opinion of dress shoes in general.

They are, in essence, overpriced and uncomfortable. They aren't even worn to impress - they are worn to fit in at business meetings, funerals, weddings, etc.

Which makes me wonder if I should buy DANCING SHOES instead of dress shoes because at least at weddings they would be comfortable for dancing in.

If I could go to business meetings barefoot I would.

Maybe I should have more meetings in Japanese restaurants where you have to take off your shoes anyway?

Proof that I would rather go barefoot than wear something uncomfortable.

Quadra Bike School

So you like to fix bicycles eh?

Do you live in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or the North Western United States?

Well then the BEST bicycle mechanic school in the region is the Quadra Bike School located on Quadra Island in British Columbia.

I know because I also know the guy who runs the place. An old bicycle mechanic by the name of Smokey Dymny. His name even suits him, due to his "smoke grey" handlebar mustaches.

He's been fixing bicycles for 40 or so years. The exact number, I can't tell you. I can only tell you that he is really good at teaching how to fix bicycles of all shapes and sizes.

Really knows his stuff.

You might own lots of tools, you might even have some experience fixing bicycles. But chances are likely you haven't been trained in the proper ways to fix a bicycle - how to fix it faster, more efficiently, with less hassle along the way.

And lets face it. When you are looking to get hired by someone to work in a bicycle shop, they are looking for someone who doesn't just know how to fix the bicycle - they want to hire someone who can fix it quickly and properly so that they are getting the most out of you on an hourly basis.

And the more experience and training you have on your resume the more likely you are to get hired.

Pain & Gain, film review

Pain & Gain is best described as a "criminal comedy" about three not-so-bright bodybuilders who decide to rob a Columbian criminal living in Miami Florida.

And its a TRUE STORY.

Whether you are a fan of weightlifting (or making fun of weightlifting) you will still enjoy this movie. Other movies I would compare it to are Snatch and Pulp Fiction.

Overall I give this film 4 stars out of 5.

It is not a life-changing film, but it does manage to teach some valuable life lessons while simultaneously being funny about it.

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!

Sears Canada

I have a word or two to say about Sears Canada.

#1. If they are going to have outlet stores and retail stores, they should really change the names.

And their websites. That way if you browse something on sears.ca and then go to a particular store... only to discover that certain stores don't carry the same merchandise.

They should rebrand the retail stores and give it a new name that is more fitting. Keep the outlet stores as "Sears".

#2. Does anyone even use Sears catalogues anymore?

I mean yes, you can order things from a Sears catalogue and then go pick it up. Super convenient. Works even better now that we have the internet. But when you have the WHOLE internet at your disposal why would you buy anything through Sears? Better variety? Nope. Better prices? Nope, not that either.

In which case Sears is missing a huge opportunity. They could dramatically improve the variety of things they sell through the Sears catalogues and website and get a lot more sales that way. They could even expand into electronics and give Best Buy and Future Shop a run for their money. (Again, this new direction should be rebranded under a different company name - something that will inspires tech people.)

#3. Service, or lack thereof.

I do not go to Sears for their quality service. It would be nice if they did have higher quality service, but at this point its barely lip service. They "pretend" to give you service.

Today I wandered the bedding department looking lost for over 10 minutes, expecting one of the staff to offer to help me. (Normally in a store they're rushing over and asking if you need any help, especially if you are looking lost.) Eventually I had to go to a clerk and ASK for help. I shouldn't need to ask. It should just happen and then I can either politely say "No thanks." or "Yes, I am trying to find blankety-blankety-blank."

Edward de Gale, Toronto philanthropist

This isn't really a product review. Its a kudos.

Kudos to Edward de Gale, a local Toronto philanthropist and charity worker who donates his time (and sometimes his money) helping others who are in need.

Toronto needs more people like Edward de Gale. So kudos to him.

In contrast we could use less of our idiot mayor Rob Ford. The guy makes Dumb and Dumber look smart.

And if you've never seen the comedy Dumb and Dumber then I strongly recommend you go watch it.

Oblivion Review

Better than I thought it was going to be.

No spoilers here.

So I got dragged to this movie by a friend who didn't even know it was an alien movie and #2 doesn't know how to spell Tom Cruise (she spells it Cruz...).

After bickering about where to sit I sat closer to the front of the theatre and she sat at the back. We figured oh well, we can discuss the film AFTER instead of during, much to the happiness of the people sitting around us.

Without the spoiling the film for anyone I give it 4 stars. It was a pretty decent film, even though I kind of despise Tom Cruise. I suppose if it had been an actor I actually like I might have given it 5 stars or 4.5. Hard to say.

What was kind of weird was the soundtrack... It kind of felt like we were watching Tron Legacy. *cough* Which is probably because it was directed by Joseph Kosinski, who directed Tron Legacy. So small surprise there.

Even the plot is a bit like Tron Legacy too. And similar to Avatar in a weird way.

The good news is that the plot was nicely tied up in a bow too, which means no chance for a sequel. Which is good because I don't want to see Tom Cruise in "Oblivion II".

Mouthwashes Review - Scope Vs DualBlast Vs Listerine

When it comes to cleaning your teeth toothpaste is very important.

But I would argue that rinsing your mouth out afterwards with a good quality mouthwash is every bit equally as important to kill all the germs in your mouth.

Or at least 99.9% of them.

Scope is the brand I've been using for years. It is the brand my parents use, continue to use and the brand I am most accustomed to.

However a number of years ago Scope came out with several new flavours including Citrus and Cinnamon. I didn't really like the cinnamon, but the Citrus flavour was so good I completely switched over to that and ditched my old Scope.

But then they took the Citrus version off the market a few years ago.

Arg!

So now I am back to the old mint flavour, which sucks in comparison.

As a result I am now in a constant search for a new mouthwash that tastes as good as the citrus version.

I've tried various bottles of Listerine. They ALL taste horrible and ingredients wise its the same stuff (alcohol) which is cleaning your teeth and killing the germs. I'd rather swish my mouth with vodka than use Listerine.

The old mint Scope is boring... But I still buy it regularly.

Today I tried DualBlast Scope - the Icy Mint flavour. Meh. It is okay but nothing special.

Hey Scope executives, if you bother to read this, bring back the Citrus scope!!!

2013 Zombie Movies

Lots of zombie movies coming out this year.

"Gallowwalkers" is a zombie movie starring Wesley Snipes - a zombie movie / western.

"World War Z" is a zombie apocalypse movie starring Brad Pitt - with super fast zombies.





Also on the horizon is "The 4th Reich", a zombie movie starring Sean Bean - with zombie nazis.

And... The Harvard Zombie Massacre... starring nobody famous, but interesting because it has "smart zombies".

And last but not least...

The remake of "The Evil Dead" is already out in theatres. Haven't seen it yet. Not sure if I want to, the originals were so hilariously good.

The Call - Movie Review

"The Call" is essentially just a remake of "The Silence of the Lambs", except with three major differences - the main character is a 911 operator instead of a FBI agent, the whole "Hannibal Lector" bit is skipped entirely and replaced with a lot more action, and the ending is quite different but I don't want to say how (no spoilers here!).

Overall I give "The Call" 3 stars out of 5. Its not a spectacular movie, but its not bad either.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

I am surprised nobody has made a Hollywood blockbuster remake of this classic film - 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

Maybe that is because the original Disney film starring Kirk Douglas is just so awesome all on its own.

Butchered Pork, Much Tastier than grocery store pork

Earlier this year I bought a pig.

Or rather half of a pig.

My sister and her husband purchased the other half of the pig.

Now I am not talking about a cute little tiny piglet either.

I am talking about a huge boar weighing several hundred pounds.

This pig we purchased was then butchered and made into...

Sausages
Pork Chops
Ham Roasts
Spare Ribs
Butt Chops
Side Pork (similar to bacon)

And so forth...

Now there is a huge fundamental difference in the quality of the meat you get from your grocery store and the quality of the meat you get from an Ontario farmer and a local butcher.

#1. Butchered meat tastes waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.

#2. Healthier too. No additives and dyes.

#3. The meat is fresher, locally grown, and the pigs in Ontario are better fed.

#4. The sausages taste way better because they are made from better quality parts of the pig instead of from the poorest quality parts of the pig.

And to top it all off... its cheaper to buy a pig and get the meat butchered this way. Costs about half as much as buying the same quantity of meat from a grocery store.

If you buy meat straight from a butcher you will still be paying a mark up price like you would in a grocery store. But when you buy the pig yourself and then pay for the butchering, you cut out the mark up price and save yourself a bundle.

So better tasting, healthier pork in your freezer... and more money left in your wallet. Its a win-win scenario.

The only downside is that you need a nice big freezer with lots of space to store a whole pig's worth of meat.

Which is why in my family we buy a pig and then split it between siblings. Saves us space in our freezers.

Buying your pork from the grocery store??? That is for suckas.

Scrub Free??? Pfff!!!

Ever tried Scrub Free on your bathtub, sink, toilet or shower?

Chances are likely you still had to scrub the bathtub, sink, toilet or shower afterwards.

In order for Scrub Free to do what it claims in the TV commercials you have to spray a LOT of it on the surfaces you are trying to clean. And then wait 3 minutes to see if it worked or not.

And sometimes you may need to go back and spray it twice, and even then have to scrub the specific surface you are trying to get clean.

That being said it is still better than some older products on the market because this product does still reduce the amount of time spent scrubbing.


However there are also lots of similar products now on the shelves too, including:

Scrubbing Bubbles
Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner

As to which of the three products is BEST, I haven't had a chance yet to try out the other two. But seeing as my current bottle of Scrub Free is almost empty I shall try to remember to buy 1 of the others and test it out.

Idea for a T-Shirt

Note to self.

Get the following printed on a t-shirt:

MY TESTICLES

ARE MICROSCOPIC!

HAHA, MADE YOU LOOK!

I come up with funny ideas for t-shirts on a regular basis but I am also forgetting to write them down and have them made into an actual t-shirt. Maybe if I write them down here I will remember to have the t-shirt made.

Will Canada's lack of a penny spur coin collections?

I have a sizable collection of coins in my closet.

Most of it is Canadian silver dollars, about a hundred of them.

Now the reason why silver dollars are so valuable is two-fold...

#1. They're very rare.

#2. Silver is very valuable these days.

And as a bonus, depending on the age of the coins, they can be worth even more because of their age.

However if I was to sell my coin collection, I am not sure how much I would get for them.

If I check various websites online their value (depending on the coin) varies between $10 to $25 per coin.

And if I check the price of silver online it is currently hovering around $23.50 per ounce... which means I might get better value for my silver if I took it to a "cash-4-gold" place which also buys silver.

But what about the rest of my coin collection?

Well there are websites which specialize in coins online auctions whereby I could sell each coin (or a set of coins) to prospective buyers in much the same way people sell things on eBay. So it is possible I could sell my collection that way. Or expand my collection if I felt the desire to do so.

In Canada the Canadian mint has also decided to get rid of pennies as part of the national currency. All pennies currently in circulation are slowly disappearing, either being gobbled up by banks and resold back to the government, or being set aside by people who think the pennies might be worth something eventually someday.

Well, its partially true. The old pennies (the older the better) will certainly be worth something. But any pennies made during the 1970s, 1980s or more recently are basically worthless. Only the pennies dating from 1960s or earlier will be worthy of any true value for collections. (Unless they have a printing error on it.)

I do think however that this shedding of pennies may cause more young people to take an interest in coin collecting. In 50 years coins may disappear completely out of circulation and everyone will be using "change cards", which works a bit like a credit card or debit card, except its only good for small purchases.

These change cards are also being referred to as "Value Cards", but basically it will result in people becoming more dependent on credit and debit cards - and more dependent on bank accounts.

It is even a scary prospect to some people, because such prepaid "Value Cards" signals an economy even more dependent on credit - credit which has become an Achilles Heel to the USA's economy in the past, and will no doubt be the source of future problems as government overspending in many countries and household debts continue to skyrocket.

As of April 18th 2013 Canada's National Debt is now $609.6 billion.

Of which each Canadian's personal share is roughly $17,400.

Canada's consumer credit debt reached $477 billion in December of 2012 and continues to grow. Divided evenly between Canada's population of 35 million that means the average Canadian has approx. $13,600 in credit debt.

Taken together that means the average Canadian owes $31,000 just in government and credit debt.

The lion's share of which is government idiocy, followed by mortgages, and then credit cards / lines of credit, car loans, personal loans, etc.

And now back to the issue of coins.

If someone were to sell off a coin collection, how much of their personal debt could they get rid of? Probably not a lot. Most people don't have coin collections laying around worth thousands of dollars. I would wager my old coin collection is worth less than $2,000 altogether.

But if anyone out there wanted to make me an offer to buy my coin collection for $1800 (or a better offer) I'd probably snap my heels and shake their hand. They're just collecting dust in the closet anyway.

Escape from Planet Earth

As aliens movies go...

"Escape from Planet Earth". Meh. Kinda lame.

I imagine even kids would find this movie kind of boring.

Yes, it has some funny bits. But its not overly exciting, the plot is James Bond-esque (evil villain planning to destroy all the planets), and the sibling rivalry between the two main characters is more childish than realistic.

But to be fair it is a film for children - except I think it fails even as a children's film.

...

All the best parts are in the movie trailer. So watch the trailer and skip the movie.

Dark Skies - An alien movie that makes Signs look tame

Dark Skies is a movie about a family being visited by aliens interested in abducting their son. As alien films go it is actually pretty good - even better than Signs - which was an awesome movie all by itself.

So if you loved Signs, yes, you will probably love "Dark Skies" too.

I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Definitely a good film to watch with a girlfriend / boyfriend so you can grab them during all the scary bits.

Why does Skim Milk have a bad rep?

When I was much younger I was raised on raw milk.

My parents bought it from a dairy farm north of where we lived.

However when my younger sister developed an allergy to something in the raw milk we ended up switching to store-purchased milk.

And I remember the switch clearly, because the store-purchased milk tasted watery in comparison.

Whereas raw milk is more creamy and rich.

Thus when comparing different types of milk....

2% milk

1% milk

skim milk

There really isn't that much difference between them. The only real difference is the amount of fat content found in the different types of store purchased milk.

Raw milk (which is boiled before you drink it to kill the bacteria in it) tastes absolutely amazing because it has all the original creamy goodness in it.

The milk you purchase in a store however is triple pasteurized. I know this because I grew up near the small town of Teeswater, which is home to the Teeswater Creamery (founded in 1872) and we would get tours of the creamery since the school was just down the street. It is the oldest creamery in Canada that is still in operation.

So what is triple pasteurization???

Well basically you boil the milk, skim the fat off, and continue boiling it down until all the water is gone and you are left with powdered milk.

That powdered milk is then re-added to water, boiled all over again, re-skimmed, and boiled down a second to into powdered milk again.

Seems silly doesn't it? But wait!

They do it a third time! Add water, re-boil it, and re-powder it.

Then the powdered milk is shipped to wherever it needs to go in powder form. Then water is re-added to it. Its boiled again so the atomic bonds of everything hold together, and then it is package and shipped to the store.

Oh and in the case of 2% milk and 1% milk they also RE ADD FAT to the recipe. It is fat that was skimmed off earlier in the process, pasteurized and labeled "cream", but its really creamy fat that they're adding to the mixture.

And then it is sold to idiots in groceries stores at a higher price because lets face it, fat tastes better.

Meanwhile skim milk, which in North America has 0% fat in it (in the UK it is approximately 0.2% fat), gets a bad rep from ignorant morons who think that skim is less healthy - when in reality skim milk is actually MORE healthy because it has zero fat content in it.

It just doesn't taste as good as its slightly more creamy counterparts 2% and 1% milk.

And certainly no where as good as raw milk.

Raw milk also has a bad rep too. It is illegal to sell raw milk in some countries, including Canada.

The reason is because of the name. People think it is literally "raw". Not realizing that it has in fact been boiled once already to kill the bacteria before you drink it.

The difference really is that when you purchase raw milk straight from a farmer then the farmer has either already boiled it for you, or you go home and boil it yourself on the stove before cooling it and drinking it.

CONCLUSIONS

So skim milk, which is extremely healthy for you, has a bad rep because of its complete lack of fat in it. (I personally love skim milk.)

And raw milk has a bad rep, despite being free of bacteria because its been killed in the boiling process, because it is illegal to sell raw milk to people - purely because the boiling / pasteurization process isn't "government approved".

SIDE NOTE

Some people also diss Chocolate Milk! How silly is that? They claim that chocolate milk is made with less quality milk and then they just add chocolate and sugar to it. And yes it is true, there is chocolate and sugar added to chocolate milk, but it has nothing to do with any "less quality" at all. It is made with the same triple pasteurized powdered milk that all the other store bought milks are made with.

EXTRA SIDE NOTE

For extra protein, I recommend mixing skim milk with whey protein powder (preferably the chocolate flavoured kind). The company I recommend is Six Star. Good for people who are into weightlifting like me.

DropBox - File sharing with your friends and your gadgets

DropBox is a handy file sharing service which is available for your PC/Mac, your SmartPhone, your tablet, whatever gadgets you have basically...

It allows you to transfer files between various gadgets easily, and also to share your files with friends quickly and easily.

To sign up for DropBox just click here!

Calvin Klein Socks = Itchy!

So my mother bought me socks for Christmas.

Haven't worn any of them until today. They are black dress socks and I was originally planning to wear them to business meetings, funerals, weddings, etc.

Except now that I have them on (wearing them right now) they are incredibly itchy. I am not allergic to any fabrics, they're just plain itchy socks.

So I check the label to see what brand they are... Calvin Klein. Which is a brand name...

And while you would think a brand name company like Calvin Klein would know enough to avoid making itchy socks, apparently there is always exceptions to the rule.

They're so itchy its difficult to concentrate. I keep wanting to bed over and scratch under the surface of the socks.

So now what? Do I throw them out? I can't wear them to a funeral, I will keep wanting to bend over and scratch constantly. They're basically garbage.

Fortunately I have other black dress socks I can wear to meetings, funerals, weddings, etc. So its no big loss. But I do feel the need to warn people against buying Calvin Klein socks.

Diplomatico in Little Italy

4 stars.

Good fish n chips, good pizza, good drinks, good service.

Par prices.

Decor is a bit lacking.

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.

Snakes and Lattes

Snakes and Lattes is a cafe / gaming place with lots of board games. I wanted to go there for my birthday, but they don't take reservations because apparently the manager is a moron.

So instead we showed up, no reservation because you can't get one, waited over 2.5 hours. Never got a table. Gave them my cell # so they could call/text when the table was available...

Total time?

4 hours before they called. Complete waste of time.

I give Snakes and Lattes ZERO stars out of five. Complete disappointment.

---

Meanwhile my family and I found a glorious Korean restaurant down the street that serves traditional Korean food (including samgyopsal and bulgogi BBQ).

So check out Arisu, if you enjoy fine / traditional Korean cuisine.


Their website is www.arisu.ca.

584 Bloor Street West, Toronto

Phone 416-533-8104 for reservations (and yes, they take reservations, so no worries there).


I give Arisu 5 stars out of 5. The prices are a tad expensive, but the service, menu and atmosphere are all impeccable.

And they had a Korean cinnamon tea drink that I have been trying to find since 2005 when I first tried it in Insadong in Seoul. So that totally boosted their rating simply because they had things on the menu I couldn't find anywhere else (and I am a bit of an expert when it comes to Korean restaurants).

The drink is Sujeonggwa... And here is the recipe if you want to make it at home.

Yield: 4 -5 servings

Ingredients:
4-5 dried persimmons
5 cinnamon sticks
½ cup of ginger, sliced
1 cup of sugar
pine nuts
7½ to 8 cups of water

1. Wash, peel, and slice ½ cup’s worth of ginger. Put it into a pot or kettle.
2. Rinse 5 cinnamon sticks and put them into the pot.
3. Add 7½ to 8 cups of water and boil for 20 minutes over high heat.
4. Lower the heat to medium and boil for another 25 minutes. If it boils over, take off the lid.
5. Add 1 cup of sugar. Stir and cool it down.
6. Remove the stem of the dried persimmons and wash thoroughly.
7. Strain cinnamon sticks and sliced ginger in a colander.
8. Pour it into a glass jar or glass bowl and add the persimmons.
9. Put the lid on and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. It will keep in the fridge for more than 1 week.
10. Serve cold with ice cubes. Use a ladle to give each person a small bowl of punch. Each serving should have one persimmon in it with a few pine nuts sprinkled on top.

The Frankenstein Theory

I give "The Frankenstein Theory" 3 stars out of 5.

I realize that is a small budget film, and while it is an original idea as far as the first 5 minutes of the film goes... the rest of the film is incredibly predictable.

It is one of those films where if you made it into a drinking game (drink a shot every time you notice a predictable plot development) that you will be drunk in very little time.

Firefox keeps crashing on me today

Firefox (my internet browser of choice) has crashed on me over 5 times today.

So far.

I think I need to restart my computer, but I am not sure if its the computer's fault - you see Firefox has been crashing a lot on me during the past week.

Very annoying when I am working on something.

I prefer Firefox over Internet Explorer, Chrome and other internet browsers... but if it keeps doing this I am going to need to try reinstalling it and see if that fixes the problem.

If that doesn't work I may need to try a different browser for awhile until Firefox sorts out whatever bugs they have in the system.

It doesn't even give me an error message. It just randomly shuts down without warning.

Firefox has a bad reputation for crashing a lot (see the image above). Its because of all the plugins.

Now the thing is I haven't added any new plugins recently. Its the same plugins I always use and I rarely get crashes except for the last week - and especially today. So what gives?

Virgin Mobile referrals? Waste of Time!

Virgin Mobile in Canada offers a referral program whereby if you refer friends to Virgin, you get a $25 gift card for each friend you refer.

However what they don't tell you is that the referral program is ridiculously complicated (you and your friend both have to be on Facebook, and you need to get a code off a Facebook page, which your friend gives to Virgin, your friend has to sign up for 1 specific package deal, and your friend has to pay their first bill on time to be considered a proper referral).

So to repeat that you MUST have the proper code.

You must both be on Facebook to qualify.

It only counts if your friend signs up for Virgin Mobile SuperTab™ or 3 year agreement.

And the first bill must be paid on time.

Or else you get nothing.

Lastly, the prize?

Its just a gift card. Possibly even has an expiry date. A mere $25. If you spend 3 hours talking to your friend, getting the proper code, going with them to the store to browse phones, make sure they pay their first bill on time... well then its not even minimum wage.

A better solution would be a decent number (say $40 to $50 per referral), ignore the Facebook requirement, ignore the "on time" requirement and make it "as soon as they pay their first bill"...

And don't make it a lousy gift card. Make it $40 or $50 cashback. Virgin Mobile Canada can certainly afford it, they're owned by BCE which reported $5 billion in profits in 2010.

Now you might think, hey, if you refer lots of friends each month then you could basically get free service on your phone... but there is a limitation in the fine print.

You can only refer up to 5 friends maximum. After that you get nothing.

Basically Virgin is looking for FREE social marketing from people promoting their products - social marketing they don't really have to pay for, because the gift cards are being supplied for free from advertising partnerships.

But I don't recommend people actually bother referring friends. Waste of your time. You would be better off getting a part time job, starting a profitable hobby, or even starting your own business.

Film Noir movies

The following is a list of Film Noir movies I recommend... I have watched them all during the last month and have become a bit of a film noir buff during the last month.

If you are unfamiliar with Film Noir they are defined as stylishly made crime dramas dating from the 1930s to 1950s.

The films from this genre I recommend are:

Touch Of Evil         1958
Beyond A Reasonable Doubt    1956
The Night Of The Hunter     1955
Sudden Fear         1952
Detective Story         1951
Ace In The Hole         1951
The Third Man         1949
Key Largo         1948
The Lady From Shanghai     1947
Out Of The Past        1947
Dark Passage        1947
The Killers        1946
The Big Sleep        1946
The Maltese Falcon        1941
Suspicion            1941
Angels With Dirty Faces     1938

My favourites from the bunch is Sudden Fear (starring Joan Crawford), Detective Story (starring Kirk Douglas), Key Largo (starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall), Dark Passage (starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall), The Big Sleep (starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall).

Now you might think looking at that list that I simply love Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall together. Not so. Joan Crawford and Kirk Douglas are definitely my faves, but I must admit Bogart and Bacall worked well together.


I also really like Orson Welles' work in "The Lady From Shanghai", but he doesn't impress me so much in some of the other things he did. Touch of Evil for example was a good film, but I didn't really like Orson Welles in it... Charlton Heston playing a Mexican however, that is just hysterical.

Mink Fur Shawl

Who would actually wear that these days?

Nobody. But I know some young women who would wear a cute knitted shawl that only looks like a mink.

Similar to the Hippo knitted shawl below.

Automotive Insurance Vs Leasing / Renting

I want to take this moment to point something out.

If you live in a city and don't actually drive that often you can save a bundle of money by renting or leasing... Simply because you don't to pay for insurance quite so much.

This is especially true if you are young and male.

Example - A friend of mine has his car in his wife's name just so they can save on insurance. Because it is in her name they only pay $3000 per year on auto insurance. If the car was in his name the insurance would be $5500 per year.

However lets pretend for a moment that they took the subway / TTC to work and they only drove two days per week... Well then they would save a huge bundle of money on the following things...

Auto insurance.
Car repairs / maintenance.
The cost of purchasing a car.
Renting or leasing thus can be a huge money saver.

It is true that you can later sell the car... And then buy a new one, which is another problem because then your insurance goes up because its a newer / more expensive car. If you buy a new car every 5 years you will end up spending a bundle on new cars, replacement parts, automotive insurance, repairs...

Thus if you don't really drive that often it really makes huge economically sense to rent or lease only when you actually need a car.

A Trip to the Post Office

Yesterday I got a note from the post office in my mailbox informing me that a package had arrived.

I had no idea what was in the package - as I had neither ordered anything recently and was not expecting any products being sent for me to review. (If you want a product reviewed, contact me and I shall give you my mailing address.)

On Tuesday I received a free wedding dress from simplybridal.com, which will be used for my sister's upcoming wedding in 2014, so I wasn't expecting anything else to show up in the near future.

When I went to the female clerk in the post office I also spied a series of Zodiac based stamps for sale. The Sagittarius stamps especially caught my attention (because I like archery).

So on a whim I purchased some stamps. I can use them for snail mailing relatives.

The clerk came back with my package, which turned out to be a package of underwear and socks from "MeUndies"... I had previously reviewed MeUndies on the Fashion Salon website.

The package included a letter which said:

"Hi Charles!

Here are some samples from the brand new men's and women's product line we've put together at MeUndies. It includes some awesome patterned socks, newly designed and super comfy Lenzing Modal undies, and some of the best fitting basic tees around.

We would love to get your feedback!

Best,
Greg Fass
Head of Marketing"

Now when I received the package I was really only expecting a rather delayed package of women's underwear which was supposed to be sent back in Mid September 2012 - and is now 6 months late being delivered. I had already reviewed the men's underwear for the Fashion Salon website, but I was going to give the ladies underwear to a female friend so she could review it also. Except it never arrived.

And now, 6 months later, a package does arrive... and it does contain...

4 samples of women's underwear
1 pair of red socks with black dots
1 pair of boxer briefs with a water tower pattern on it
1 white shirt, size medium
1 black shirt, size large

Which is all really wonderful - and they do look really comfortable. But I am left wondering... what happened to the women's underwear for my friend which was supposed to be delivered 6 months ago???

And then I look at the package... USPS (United States Postal Service) and then Canada Post.

If the package from 6 months ago was sent... did it get lost in the mail? Or was it never sent?

Luckily, Greg Fass included his email in the letter so I will be emailing him soon in an effort to discover if the older package was ever sent.

Maybe they simply ran out of "Briefs, Medium, White"...? Which I doubted until I checked their website (which has been updated recently) and it no longer lists white briefs as something they sell, so maybe they really did run out of them...

FedEx (which delivered the wedding dress on Tuesday) never had any problems with that showing up. But things do sometimes get lost in the mail...

eg. When I was 18 I ordered a package of music CDs from Columbia House... and then they never arrived. So I had to ask them to resend them.

And it really isn't so much that things get "lost" in the mail. Nobody "loses" a package of things like that. Its simply that sometimes postal workers realize what is in a package and just steal it for themselves.

Which is why I NEVER send large important packages via regular post. I always pay extra for courier because the rate at which packages are not delivered is significantly lowered. That doesn't mean FedEx, UPS, etc doesn't steal stuff too... it simple means they don't do it as often because they know the packages are being tracked electronically.

Which begs the question, since the postal service is evolving anyway due to the internet / email / text messaging / etc... maybe its time they also evolve to add electronic tracking to all their parcels too? Just slap a barcode sticker (stamp???) on each package, scan it, and then track the package from being sent to the place it is delivered.

Yes, over time that means that prices will go up - but the prices at the post office are going up anyway!

Those Sagittarius stamps I purchased? $7.12 for the package of 10. $0.712 each.

If I wanted to send a small package by courier I might be spending $10 to $20 on it, depending on the weight. If I try to send the same package using nothing but stamps... It might take all 10 stamps to do it... and it might get lost in the mail. So it is worth spending a little extra so you can track its progress and make sure it doesn't get lost. Especially if its something valuable.

Thus stamps are really only good for sending small items - letters to relatives, friends, etc.

Horse Riding Lessons in Toronto

I am looking for a place in Toronto that gives horse riding lessons.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a new fast food restaurant on Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto, not far from the Eaton's Centre.

Today I tried their burgers (and their fries)... But I am sadly disappointed. Their burgers are really only par. And while the fries were excellent they really were not worth the price.

My conclusion is that if you want a good burger go to a pub or to Hero burger. Hero has really good burgers. But I must admit I still prefer pub burgers much more. True, it takes longer to get your burger, but the quality is way better.

The whole thing about Five Guys Burgers and Fries is that it is supposed to be authentic California style burgers - or at least it is as close to that as they can possibly get without being in California... However all this proves to me is that California burgers really aren't that good and don't deserve this reputation of quality.

It simply was not that good of a burger. Not when compared to Hero burger or to a typical pub burger.

It was certainly better than McDonalds or Burger King or any other, you know, - cheap - fast food place, but really not as good as some people like to say it is. Its reputation is overblown.

Final review? 3 stars out of 5. Nothing special.

Oscar party: The Life of Pi

I just came home from up really late night Oscar Party - and I think it's time for me to watch the movie The Life of Pi. I saw the trailer previously and I did wanna see it sometime but I just haven't got around to it yet. I am now watching it right now. Literally right now. Details to come later on how much I liked it or whether I hated it.

New Blue Hoodie from American Apparel

I just purchased a new blue hoodie from American Apparel for $62.15 CDN.

It is basically identical to the green hoodie I bought awhile back. Proof that if you love a product you go back for more.

Reasons why I love this particular hoodie?

#1. No logo. I am a huge believer in NOT advertising brand names on my clothing. (Unless of course I am being paid to do so, then it would actually make sense. The people out there wearing GAP on their shirts and paying extra to buy such a shirt probably has a gap in between their ears where their brain should be.)

#2. Comfort. These hoodies really are super comfy.

#3. Handy zipper and pockets. It annoys me when I have to pull a hoodie over my head. (Or off my head during coitus - I think people should use the word coitus more often. Its a fun word.)

#4. Plain colours. I prefer primary colours. Weird . bizarre colours are just not for me. Plus primary colours are easier to match with.

#5. I wear these hoodies regularly. My green hoodie I typically wear once per week.

The only problem I have with American Apparel is that their sizes are all incorrectly labelled... they undersize their clothing.

Extra Large is really just a large.
Large is really a medium.
Medium is really a small.
Small is really an extra small.
And extra small is really XXS.

Basically its because they want to sell only to fit / skinny people. They don't sell XXL in their stores (they might claim to do so on their website, but if you go to a store in person you won't find anything that big). The biggest size is XL and its really just a large with the wrong label.

So if you're either a really big muscular Arnold type person... or a rather obese person... either way you can't buy clothing at American Apparel. Their clothes are just too small.

The Harry Potter film franchise

If you haven't seen the Harry Potter films yet you'd better hurry up and go to watch them before someone ruins the ending for you.

The films are very good and there's 8 of them. So you really have no excuse for not watching a piece of film history. And a piece of literary history too.

If you are 1 of those people who have been living in a cave recently and haven't seen the Harry Potter films then evidently there is something wrong with you. It's past time you've seen them. If you don't someone's grandmother is going to ruin it for you because their grandmother will have already seen it and you haven't.

If you're 1 of those people who think that there is nothing that Harry Potter has to offer for you, I'm sorry, pull your ignorant head out of the sand and go watch it already.

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a book central to the Hare Krishna religion. There is various versions of the book which include different interpretations / translations of the Hindu text. The version I own is known as "As It Is".

I must admit the book is very interesting (it has to be, there is a whole religion based off of it) but at the same time I must point out my own general disbelief in this book - its logic is full of gaping holes.

And to be fair, so is the Christian Bible and many other religious texts. Religious books in general no doubt win over converts who are ignorant of science, theology and logic. But to someone like myself ( who is best described as over-educated ) it all amounts to rubbish due to gaping holes in the logic.

I am not writing this to cause any arguments with any religious folks out there. You are free to believe on whatever hogwash you want to believe in. Speaking for myself however, it is not for me.

And I have quite a few books on the subject. See the photo below. So its not for lack of reading and research on my part. It is simply that I have read enough of all the various religious texts to be able to recognize when I am being lied to.

American sign language dictionaries

For the past several years all I have been privately studying American Sign Language (ASL).

Below is a photo of 2 books that I recommend for learning American Sign Language.

Aloe Juice + Apple Berry Juice

I am a fan of mixing different juices together in an attempt to make something even more tasty.

Today I tried mixing aloe juice with a cocktail of apple juice and Saskatoon berry / raspberry juice. It was extremely good!

So good I felt like blogging about it. Here is a photo of the 2 juices I used.

Safety Vests and Hard Hats

Ooo I should also do a review of kevlar flak vests / bulletproof vests... That would be fun!

Although to be fair I have no idea where to buy bullet proof vests... Online I guess. Anywho, that is off topic.

But I do know where to buy safety vests and hard hats... Both good when working around heavy machinery or operating industrial tools where visibility and head protection are a factor. (I once hit my head on an industrial sheer when I was digging pieces of metal out of the back - ogawd I wish I had been wearing a hard hat at the time.)

For those that don't know a safety vest (aka, a high visibility vest or jacket) is typically orange and sometimes has yellow reflective strips on them to make them more easy to spot. Like the image below.

 There really is nothing special about such vests. They have pockets... ooo... pocketses! My precious!

And they're designed to go over top of your other clothing.

The same thing goes with hard hats - if they are SA Approved that is all you really need to know.

All of my steel-toed boots that I've been buying since the age of 18 have been SA Approved (although to be fair I have yet to find a pair of safety boots that are NOT SA Approved - possibly because the places I shop at make sure that all the safety boots they sell are approved).

The real issue with hard hats is finding one that fits you properly.

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR HARD HAT FITS PROPERLY

Suspensions

The inside of a hard hat has a harness of suspensions into which your head fits (OR should fit, if its the correct size). The suspensions create a gap between the head and the top of the hat where an impact can occur. Hard hats utilize either a four-or six-point suspension system and are usually adjustable. To adjust a hard hat so it properly fits you, adjust the suspensions. Pull on the suspensions to make them tighter if you have a smaller head, or loosen the suspensions to make more room if you need it. You want the hat to fit snugly so it doesn't fall off, but you also don't want to make it so tight that it causes discomfort and headaches.

Chin Straps

Some hard hats also come with chinstraps connected to the inner sides of the hat. You can adjust the chin straps so they are the proper length to fit snugly around your chin. This type of additional support provides extra security for your head when you are working in unusual conditions, such as windy environments, extreme heights or underground tunnels.

Wish - 3 Charles Street Toronto Restaurant

Wish is a restaurant at 3 Charles Street East in Toronto. Its food is okay - the prices standard for a better than average restaurant in the GTA - but its the decor that is fantastic.

And the HEAT. If you want to go somewhere for a HOT date then go to Wish. That place is so hot you will want remove your clothing... Especially in the winter.

Thus Wish makes a great date spot during the Winter. Not sure what they do in the Summer...

My only complaint is the sheer amount of seafood on the menu.

A Good Day to Die Hard sucks

I have just watched the new Bruce Willis movie "a good day to die hard". It sucks. Worst. Die. Hard. Movie. Ever.

I think I know why they released the movie in February instead of in the Summer or during Christmas. It's because they knew this movie sucks. And all the other movies during February suck too.

I am guessing that this fifth installment of the Die Hard series might be the 1 that kills the franchise.

UPDATE

I am not the only person who says this movie sucks either. Check out the review from Rotten Tomatoes.

" A Good Day to Die Hard is the weakest entry in a storied franchise, and not even Bruce Willis' smirking demeanor can enliven a cliched, uninspired script. "

RT gave the film 16% freshness. That is pretty awful.

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!

Into The White

"Into The White" is a 2012 film about two British Airmen and three German Luftwaffe who become trapped into the same Norwegian cabin and have to learn to cooperate in order to survive.

It is actually a very good drama film - complete with guns, survival skills and political commentary.

Nuru Massage Oil

Nuru is a massage oil typically used for erotic massages. Typically with both parties completely nude and covered in nuru oil. The word Nuru originates from Japan and means "slippery / smooth" because the oil was first popularized by Japanese massage parlours.

Nuru massage oil is an essential and integral part of all nuru massages. The liquid isn't even a real oil - it is water based, and is mostly odorless and tasteless massage gel, which is derived from seaweed leaves. The gel is applied to a large area of the body and then spread around using the hands to create a very slippery surface. During the massage participants often try to get the widest possible physical contact in terms of skin-on-skin, so that participants can enjoy the feeling of slippery skin going back and forth...

Lovers using Nuru / Nuru masseuses often use their entire body to take advantage of the strong tactile sensations, which are very useful for relieving stress.

Nuru massage is best performed in specially heated rooms as the gel works best when warmed to an appropriate temperature.

Because Nuru gel is water-based, colorless, odorless, and tasteless its very safe for people to use. In contrast some people develop allergic reactions to oil-based massage oils - including baby oil / mineral oil, which has a distinctive smell. The main component in Nuru gel is the sulfated polysaccharide fucoidan, which is obtained from the leaves of the brown seaweed plant (Sphaerotrichia divaricata). Other ingredients include Chamomile (Azulene) and minerals. Nuru gel is similar in composition and application to medical gels such as those used for ultrasound examinations.

Around 2010, Nuru massage has become popular around the world. Many massage parlors and independent massage providers in Canada, the USA and Europe have started offering nuru massage services. There are very few places currently which provide Nuru massage in Toronto, but one of the places that do provide it is the escort service "Naughty Nuru".

Golf wedges and golf equipment

Golf wedges are used for getting your golf ball out of a sand trap. That's really all they are good for except maybe attacking a burglar in the middle of the night. Personally if I have a burglar in the middle of the night I reach for my katana...

But today we're supposed to be talking about golf. I don't play golf. Except miniature golf, I have played that. So I am definitely not an expert on the topic of golf. I think golf is a sport for people with no physical talent or prowess.

And Tiger Woods, well, he's just a douche-bag who cheated on his wife... And his parents were apparently hippies for calling in Tiger Woods.

What else can I say about golf wedges and golf equipment? Well, I do use golf tees in archery to pin up the targets. They're very handy that way. Golf bags, golf clubs, golf balls... I don't use them for anything nor do I have any interest in getting them for anything.

To me golfers are doing it all wrong when they are practicing... Instead of practicing long drives they should actually be practicing "difficult shots".

Such as dropping 20 golf balls deliberately into a sand trap and practicing getting the balls out of the sand trip.

Or dumping 20 golf balls in rough terrain (with obstacles) and practicing making quality shots despite the rougher and tougher circumstances.

I also think they should be using targets when doing long drives, so that they have something to aim at. If they're just whacking the balls as far as they can hit them then they're just as likely to knock the ball into the rough or the trees because of their shoddy aim.

Another thing I don't like about golfers is that they don't cross-train... any regular athlete uses cardio, yoga, stretching, weightlifting and other exercises to build up their strength, muscle control, etc. Golfers are comparatively lazy when compared to real athletes.

Rogers Internet goes down again and again and again

Rogers internet service has gone down 3 times in the last week.

That is really pathetic.

I am tempted to switch service companies.

Iron Sky Trailer

"Iron Sky" is a 2012 comedy about Nazis from the Moon who have been waiting 70 years to come back to Earth for their revenge.

The plot is based on the concept of a group of Nazis building a colony on the moon in 1945 and then remaining there with their outdated technology, waiting for the right time to strike.

And like I said, its a comedy.

In the same vein that Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" was a comedy.

Having seen the film I give it 3 and half stars out of 5. The trailer is below. You can stream the full film on http://www.movie2k.to/index.php and doing a search for "Iron Sky".

Aloe Juice + Vodka

Earlier tonight I decided to make a nightcap drink to help me sleep.

But alas I was low on juice in my fridge. The only thing I had was Aloe Juice...

Upon which I thought hmm... Aloe juice and vodka? Does that work well together?

Turns out they work REALLY well together!

And now I am falling asleep. Mission accomplished!

John Carter of Mars

I just finished watching John Carter (the film) a 2nd time. It was actually BETTER the 2nd time.

The first time I saw it in the theatre so I guess that says a bit.

Anyway. Fairly good film. 4 stars out of 5.

It was not a financial success in the USA but it did do well overseas. I think part of the problem was that many people in the USA have never heard or read the series of books by American fantasy writer Edgar Rice Burroughs.

In my opinion Disney should have filmed the whole trilogy at once (Lord of the Rings style) and saved themselves some production costs.

Plus apparently they went ridiculously over budget on it. $250 million. They could have made 5 smaller budget films for that kind of money. That isn't the film's fault. That is the result of idiot producers overspending on things. Proof that Disney needs to fire their producers.