Published by Toronto Mike on March 31, 2009 @ 15:23 in Humour
I enjoyed this.
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March 2009 Archives
Star Wars With a Dallas Opening
Published by Toronto Mike on March 31, 2009 @ 15:23 in Humour
Down Goes Fake Brian Burke on Twitter
Published by Toronto Mike on March 31, 2009 @ 11:33 in Toronto Maple Leafs, Twitter
I first wrote about the fake Brian Burke on Twitter back in January. At the time, it was a joke shared by a few that struck my funny bone. Since that entry, I've read about the fake Brian Burke on Twitter all over the place. Just the other day Damien Cox wrote about it and quoted Brian Burke as saying he might sue. It's no longer our little secret, and now the fun is over. Rest in peace, fake Brian Burke on Twitter. I, for one, will never forget you.
Juno Awards: City and Colour with Gord Downie
Published by Toronto Mike on March 31, 2009 @ 11:06 in The Tragically Hip
Because I didn't watch the Junos, I missed City and Colour with Gord Downie performing one of my favourite tracks of 2008. This is "Sleeping Sickness."
Earth Hour 2009 - The Big Picture
Published by Toronto Mike on March 30, 2009 @ 17:39 in Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus
Here's the skyline of downtown Toronto before and after Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, 2009. Before
After
Indie-Mainstream Blogs Never Scaled in Toronto
Published by Toronto Mike on March 30, 2009 @ 16:07 in My 2 Cents
I actually think 8,000 is a pretty good guess. I took Scroll's opening and threw him a question I've been pondering since September. How many active blogs are there in the GTA? Scroll responded:
Scroll thinks there are less than a 100 active bloggers in the GTA. Why so few?
I'm glad I hedged my bets by picking up TorontoMommy.com. It's time for a census. GTA bloggers, post your links below!
2009 NHL Playoff Pool
Published by Toronto Mike on March 30, 2009 @ 14:41 in Hockey Playoff Pool
Draft day is April 13. Here are the official rules. Here's a peek at previous drafts:
If you know me in the real world, and you're interested in participating in this year's draft, please contact me and I'll give you specifics. This year's pool promises to be the best yet.
Is This Heaven?
Published by Toronto Mike on March 29, 2009 @ 20:28 in Family
With nobody between him and a table full of ice cream bars, popcorn, pretzels, fresh pizza and cold drinks, James made his move...
Marlies Playoff Picture Dims
Published by Toronto Mike on March 29, 2009 @ 19:51 in Toronto Marlies
This afternoon, I watched our Marlies fall to the Syracuse Crunch in a shootout. That tied the Crunch with us for the final playoff berth in the AHL's North Division. If we're not careful, my plans to watch playoff hockey in this city from the first row could go down the drain. Otherwise, it was another great afternoon for the kids and I at the Ricoh Coliseum. We got Duke the Dog bobblehead dolls, great seats, feisty action, a close game and some Rogers TV face time. We PVR'd the game just in case we made the telecast, and late in the first period when Derek MacKenzie hit Ryan Hollweg from behind, we made the boob tube. The final regular season game is here in Toronto on Saturday, April 11, against the Montreal Canadien affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs. That game could be huge.
Maple Leafs 5, Bruins 7
Published by Toronto Mike on March 29, 2009 @ 08:51 in Toronto Maple Leafs
My buddy Pogge isn't ready for prime time. It's as simple as that.
Roll Up the Rim Win!
Published by Toronto Mike on March 28, 2009 @ 16:35 in Family
Well, at Tim Hortons we Roll Up the Rim. At Coffee Time, you Flip To Win and at Country Style you Turn Up a Winner. Any way you slice it, I've never known anyone who has won more than a free coffee or donut.... until today. My mom won a $100 gift card this morning when she Rolled up the Rim to Win. That more than makes up for my nine "Please play again" failures this season.
Maple Leafs 3, Sabres 5
Published by Toronto Mike on March 28, 2009 @ 08:01 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Pogge was great and the Leafs stormed back. It was 4-3 after Kulemin scored with over eleven minutes to play in the third, but that's where the comeback stalled. Still, a dog of a game was salvaged for us diehards. It's worth noting Cujo is now tied for second in career losses with Gilles Meloche.
Mysterious Message
Published by Toronto Mike on March 27, 2009 @ 19:39 in Miscellaneous
Remainameless, I need more detail. I'm betting the Fred you refer to is Fred Patterson, author of canadianthinker.com, a blog I technically support. Whose site is blocked by your work?
CP24 Breakfast Is Not Breakfast Television
Published by Toronto Mike on March 27, 2009 @ 19:11 in Television, Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus
BT debuted on September 6, 1989, with host Ann Rohmer and news anchor David Onley. When CablePulse 24 launched in 1998, Breakfast Television was simulcast on both Citytv and CablePulse 24. This was true until yesterday. Yesterday morning, CablePulse 24, now CP24, debuted a BT clone called CP24 Breakfast. You see, CTVglobemedia bought CHUM Limited back in 2006, and CHUM Limited owned Citytv and CablePulse 24, but the CRTC told CTVglobemedia that they had to sell Citytv. Rogers picked it up in 2007. If you're still with me, that made CablePulse 24 and Citytv rivals working in the same building. I envision body checks in the hallways. That brings us to yesterday. CP24 was launched, featuring faces familiar to viewers of Breakfast Television, including original host Ann Rohmer. They're even simulcasting on 1050, another pick-up from 2006. That enables CTV to go after Rogers' Breakfast Television and 680 News with the same 299 Queen Street West stone. But make no mistake about it. CP24 Breakfast is not Breakfast Television, even if CTV doesn't want you to notice.
8.5 Hours of Screen Time a Day
Published by Toronto Mike on March 27, 2009 @ 15:35 in Miscellaneous
I actually think that might be low. I'm in e-marketing, and that means the bulk of my work day is spent looking at a computer screen. At home, I enjoy surfing the web, reading my RSS feeds, tweeting and maintaining this site. That's another couple of hours, easy. Then, there's TV time. I'm guessing that's another two hours, sometimes more. Heck, a hockey game is a three hour block... and I'm addicted to The Wire on DVD. Yeah, I'd say 8.5 hours is low for me. On weekdays, anyway. On average, how many hours a day do you spend staring at a computer screen, TV, or cellphone?
Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker - Laces Out
Published by Toronto Mike on March 27, 2009 @ 13:01 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour
I've already confessed that I love the sound of USS. I really do. It's right up my alley. I've seen them live a couple of times and I've enjoyed everything I've heard from them. "Laces Out" is the latest single and a shoe-in for SLS21.
The Real Shaq on Twitter Gives Back
Published by Toronto Mike on March 26, 2009 @ 19:57 in Twitter
I often see Shaq giving away tickets to his games via Twitter. Here's the Tweet from Shaquille O'Neal moments ago.
Pretty cool, eh? We're one degree of separation from Shaq. Soon thereafter, Shaq updated us.
I forgive him for the typos. He's working the Blackberry with the fingers of a seven footer.
CPU Usage 100%
Published by Toronto Mike on March 26, 2009 @ 16:33 in Technology
While I work, the CPU usage climbs until it can't climb no more. It then sticks around 100%, making it very difficult to work. Try working without any spare CPU... it's very little fun. Naturally, I've been trouble-shooting this sunofabitch like crazy. At first I blamed my beloved Firefox, but a switch to Chrome didn't help matters. Then, I thought it might be Songbird, but a move to iTunes spelled no relief. Eventually, I detected a correlation between the use of my mouse and spikes in CPU. Not just the external mouse though, but also the touch pad. After troubleshooting this damn mouse - CPU thing for a few hours, I remembered it's not my laptop. I don't own it, I just use it. So, I did what I should have done long ago. I'm getting a new laptop. Here's what I've been seeing all day...
Dan Seals, Dead at 61
Published by Toronto Mike on March 26, 2009 @ 14:56 in Celebrity Deaths
Here's the Dan Seals song I'm most familiar with, "Bop."
A New Hope for Pogge
Published by Toronto Mike on March 26, 2009 @ 14:40 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Thanks to Martin Gerber's suspension, Pogge is back with the big club. Cujo will likely start tonight, but we can expect to see Pogge play on Saturday night. It's a new hope for Justin Pogge. I'm probably rooting harder for Pogge than any other Leaf fan. I couldn't stand the guilt in knowing I ruined his promising career.
Arcade Fire in Where the Wild Things Are Trailer
Published by Toronto Mike on March 25, 2009 @ 20:12 in Movies
Here's what I wrote about the tune back then:
I just watched the trailer for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, based on the Maurice Sendak children's book of the same name. I was pleased to hear a slowed down version of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" playing overtop the scenes. Here's the Where the Wild Things Are trailer, featuring Arcade Fire's "Wake Up."
CHUM Charts Plea to CTVglobemedia
Published by Toronto Mike on March 25, 2009 @ 19:41 in Radio
At some point this afternoon, that's exactly what happened. Visiting 1050chum.com now gets you redirected to cp24.com. The Google cache of the old 1050chum.com doesn't give you the old charts. They're no longer accessible, and that's a shame. I love music, I love this city, and I love archiving. CTVglobemedia, if you're reading this, I would love to host the old CHUM Charts so they can be accessible to anyone who wants to peruse these historical artifacts of Toronto's radio history. CTVglobemedia... free the CHUM Charts!
1050 CHUM Now CP24 Radio 1050
Published by Toronto Mike on March 25, 2009 @ 11:23 in Radio
From the CTVglobemedia press release:
It seems as if CTVglobemedia is going after more of Rogers' pie by pitting CP24 Radio 1050 against 680News. We'll see if this is another Team1050 in time, but for now I want to know what will happen with the awesome CHUM Charts archived at 1050chum.com. Here's the chart from the day I was born. Grab the chart from the day you were born while you can.
The Wire Season Two: A Review
Published by Toronto Mike on March 25, 2009 @ 10:16 in The Wire
Season One was all about the Barksdale Organization and we spent those first 12 episodes on the streets of Baltimore and in the pit with Avon's crew. Season Two started very different. I don't remember a series with a season as different from the previous one... all that bright colour at the port, targets with white skin, a completely different part of Baltimore... We still followed Avon Barksdale, Stringer Bell and their crew, but the heart of this season was the Baltimore port and an international smuggling organization known as "The Greeks". We spent hours with Frank Sobotka, his son Ziggy and his nephew Nick. It was very different, and very similar all at once. The way it all folds together is nothing short of brilliant. As my buddy Kic warned me, season two is different, but still good. I'd share some of my favourite scenes, but as I collect them I realize they're all spoilers and if you haven't watched this series I'm hoping you'll hunt it down and give it a spin. It's worth it for Frank Sobotka alone. It's fantastic and I can't wait to start season three tonight. Here's the great title opening for season two, where you can hear Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole" and see the Baltimore port.
Nena - 99 Luftballons
Published by Toronto Mike on March 25, 2009 @ 09:30 in Weekly MP3s
Nena - 99 Luftballons When making an 80s mix with Nena, one must use the German version and not the English version. Using the English version will expose you as the wanker you are.
Maple Leafs 3, Capitals 2
Published by Toronto Mike on March 25, 2009 @ 08:45 in Toronto Maple Leafs
C'mon Leafers, let's gun for ninth!
Epic Battle Tonight in Volleyball
Published by Toronto Mike on March 24, 2009 @ 16:26 in Volleyball
Tonight we play the only other 10-0 team. It's a battle for first overall in this 12 team league, and in true Gilmour-lke fashion, I'm ready to kick it up a notch and elevate my game to match the occasion. It's gut-check time. You can cut the intensity with a knife.
TwitterFox vs. TweetDeck vs. Twhirl
Published by Toronto Mike on March 24, 2009 @ 14:49 in Twitter
I've tried three such methods: Twhirl, TweetDeck and TwitterFox. The first two are stand alone applications that you install on your PC while the last one is an add-on for Firefox. For my purposes, it's TwitterFox that has won this battle royale. Just about everything I do for work and play happens in the browser. Until Chrome has all the add-ons I've become dependent on, I'm a hardcore Firefox user, and have been for five years now. TwitterFox lives in Firefox and enables me to follow and tweet without disrupting my normal processes. It's ubiquitous. Twhirl and TweetDeck are both great apps, but I'm happiest with TwitterFox. Here's a cap of my TwitterFox in action.
George Kell, Dead at 86
Published by Toronto Mike on March 24, 2009 @ 13:41 in Celebrity Deaths
Ease His Pain
Published by Toronto Mike on March 24, 2009 @ 10:31 in Toronto Maple Leafs
I remember Walt Poddubny. I remember his as a Maple Leaf forward, for scoring a big goal in the 1986 playoffs and for the many goals he scored after he was moved to the Rangers. When Walt Poddubny passed aways suddenly on the weekend, I did what I always do. I wrote about it. I started ranking highly for Walt Poddubny Google searches, and 34-minutes after I published the entry, Walt's brother Peter had left a comment.
What followed was pretty special. Comment after comment was left, and not from Leaf fans who remember him as I did, but from friends and family who remembered the man and knew him personally. It sounds like Walt was a lot of fun, and that he'll be greatly missed. Here's Justin Linebaugh's comment.
Karl Szugalew would soon follow with this touching comment about Walt.
Just yesterday, Peter Poddubny returned to read these remarks. They seem to have eased his pain.
Walt Poddubny may have played for our favourite hockey team, but he was also a brother, a son, a father and a friend to many. Sometimes, when the Google ranking and stars align, you find yourself hosting messages far deeper than "he was a great player" or "he scored a huge goal."
Sometimes, this silly hobby actually means something.
In These Tough Economic Times
Published by Toronto Mike on March 23, 2009 @ 20:34 in Miscellaneous
I'm as guilty as anyone. Targeting CFOs with HTML email copy, I recently opened with "new economic conditions are driving companies to become increasingly cautious about the near future." We know you're hurting, but we still need your money, because we're hurting as well. We feel your pain, now help alleviate ours. In these tough economic times, our opening line writes itself.
Dear Aunt Agnes, Dear Aunt Agnes
Published by Toronto Mike on March 23, 2009 @ 17:41 in TV Time Machine
I used to watch Dear Aunt Agnes on TVOntario in the mid-80s. It was about as low budget as you can get, but we didn't care. I don't think you could get kids to watch Dear Aunt Agnes in 2009. After this clip, I'll hit you up with the lyrics to the memorable theme songs. If you're my age, you already know them by heart. Dear Aunt Agnes, remember
Peter MacKay and Greg Gutfeld
Published by Toronto Mike on March 23, 2009 @ 16:02 in Miscellaneous
Canada’s defence minister, Peter MacKay, . said officials planned to contact Fox News to inquire about demanding an apology
Meanwhile, Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld's very own Greg Gutfeld issued this apology of sorts via Twitter.
Stay classy, Fox News.
A Man Needs A Maid
Published by Toronto Mike on March 23, 2009 @ 14:11 in Music
Your Nirvana Primer
Published by Toronto Mike on March 22, 2009 @ 18:53 in Nirvana
I wish I could tell you I was all over Bleach in 1989 and that I was through with it before you knew what to do with it. Instead, I got my first taste of Nirvana when I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on CFNY 102.1 here in Toronto. It was a Saturday in 1991 and I remember where I was when I first heard it. Half way through my first listen, I knew I had to hear more. MuchMusic played the crap out of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and the video was as cool as the tune. It was the perfect storm, me being 16 years old and those damn cheerleaders encouraging anarchy. Here's the video for the song that introduced me to my favourite band. Nevermind, which I picked up at Yonge Street's Sam the Record Man asap, was a play-through, with every song, including the hidden track, a winner. I must have spun this disc a thousand times. When pressed to name a favourite track, I usually went with "Lithium," but I just as easily could have gone with "In Bloom," "Come As You Are," "Drain You" or "On a Plain." Here's "Lithium" which included lyrics I recite in casual conversations to this day. "I'm so happy 'cause today I found my friends, they're in my head." Once I heard Nevermind, I had to go back and hear what I missed. I picked up Bleach, which was moody and grungy and as raw as all hell. I loved it. It sat perfectly alongside my other favourite albums of the time, Badmotorfinger, Ten and Dirt. Here's the first cut from Bleach, "Blew." In late 1992, Incesticide was released. Incesticide was a compilation of demos, outtakes, and radio broadcast recordings that was as good as any studio album I bought that year. It was the third Nirvana album I bought, but I probably spun it the second most, after Nevermind. MuchMusic played the shite out of this video for "Silver." In 1993, I started University. In Utero was released on September 21, 1993, about a week after I started classes. I remember walking from class to HMV at 333 Yonge Street to pick up my copy that In Utero that day, and I vividly remember reading the liner notes at Brennan Hall. In Utero was the third Nirvana album, but I couldn't have imagined at the time that it would be the last. In Utero was another play-through, and my only complaint is that it was too short. It clocked in at 41 minutes with most of the tunes under four minutes. The first words we hear sung by Kurt Cobain on In Utero are "teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old." Here's that great first track, "Serve the Servants." At the Phoenix on Monday nights, we preferred "Rape Me." We all know what happened next. I was 19-years old at the time. On the tenth annivary of Kurt Cobain's suicide, I wrote this. Here's a snippet:
MTV Unplugged in New York was indeed released later that year, and one single seemed to serve as a bittersweet farewell to the voice of my generation. I must have played this song a million times that year. This is "All Apologies." From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, excellent in its own right, would follow. As would many bootlegs that found their way into my collection. Six years ago, however, we heard the last Nirvana song. That was "You Know You're Right" from the self-titled greatest hits album, Nirvana. "You Know You're Right" at the top of CFNY's Thursday 30 on November 30, 2002, prompted the very first entry on this blog. This primer is number 8740. Since then, we got the box set, further evidence of Kurt's genius. Five years ago, I summed up that genius as follows:
Nirvana wasn't long for this world, but their impact on my ears can't be overstated. There was just something in the way... Others in this series:
End Pieces in Loaf of Bread Belong to Me
Published by Toronto Mike on March 22, 2009 @ 16:31 in Family
We keep the active loaf in the fridge, and when it's winding down, I spring into action. My job is to eat the two end pieces. If I don't, they get tossed, and I hate the idea of chucking two pieces from every loaf just because they're end pieces. I usually throw them in the toaster, add a little butter and take 'em down. I've come to prefer the end pieces. That's my job.
Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 2
Published by Toronto Mike on March 22, 2009 @ 10:07 in Toronto Maple Leafs
It was a fun game to watch. Here's to helping ruin a certain franchises 100th season. Hip, hip, hooray!
Walt Poddubny, Dead at 49
Published by Toronto Mike on March 21, 2009 @ 21:56 in Celebrity Deaths, Toronto Maple Leafs
Leaf fans, I need some help with a vague memory I have. I remember listening to a Leafs game in the early or mid-80s and a huge goal was scored by Walt Poddubny. As I recall the goal, it slowly rolled over the goal line. In fact, I can hear the call of the goal as "rolling... rolling... rolling... the puck is in the net" or something like that. I'm pretty sure that it was Poddubny's goal and if this wasn't a playoff game, it was a crucial late-season game, possibly in overtime. Does anyone remember this Walt Poddubny goal for the Maple Leafs?
Fox News FAIL
Published by Toronto Mike on March 21, 2009 @ 14:34 in News
Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, Trooper Jack Bouthillier and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes gave their lives yesterday while serving in our military. A total of 116 members of the Canadian Forces have died in Afghanistan or in support of the Afghan operation between February 2002 and March 20, 2009. With that in mind, watch this epic Fox News FAIL. That there's some grade A ignorance. With friends like that...
Worst Norm MacDonald Fear Realized
Published by Toronto Mike on March 21, 2009 @ 13:49 in Conan O'Brien, Miscellaneous
Reading the Globe & Mail this morning, here's their description of Norm.
I've got a lot of time for Norm, as few comedians strike my funny bone as hard and consistently as he does, but is he destined to forever be referred to as "the voice of Bell Mobility's Frank the Beaver"? Here's one of my favourite Norm moments, from the pre-beaver era. He turns a Conan O'Brien Courtney Thorne-Smith interview into solid gold.
Let's Win This One
Published by Toronto Mike on March 21, 2009 @ 13:24 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Let's take a look at the current NHL standings...
Montreal is sitting in 8th place. The Panthers are only a point back. It's important we do our part to return Bryan McCabe to the dance! Let's kick it old school. Let's cheer on our team tonight.
Goal Celebration Idea or What I'll Try Tonight
Published by Toronto Mike on March 20, 2009 @ 16:16 in Rec Hockey
I'll call it "Too Hot to Handle" and it'll look a little something like this...
Betsy Blair, Dead at 85
Published by Toronto Mike on March 20, 2009 @ 13:10 in Celebrity Deaths
City and Colour - The Girl
Published by Toronto Mike on March 20, 2009 @ 11:55 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour
My wife doesn't understand how I can enjoy Slipknot and a tune like this, back-to-back. I can head bang with the best of them, and turn on a dime to chill to the sweet sound of Dallas Green. Hell, that's what he does, switching from Alexisonfire to City and Colour and back. I'm digging this track. Half way through, it speeds up just a little, but it stays sweet. If this makes SLS, it will be City and Colour's third appearance. Alexisonfire has made it twice.
The History of This Site in Pictures
Published by Toronto Mike on March 20, 2009 @ 10:42 in Ch-ch-changes
I just visited the Wayback Machine in an attempt to salvage screen caps of the evolution of this site. Here's what I came up with, for better or worse. Vote for your favourite in the comments. 1999-2001The earliest instance of mikeboon.com I could find in the Wayback Machine was early 2001, when this was a personal homepage as opposed to a blog. It would become a blog in 2002. The Wayback Machine didn't properly copy the images, so this looks a little off. Note, the tributes to Bill Barilko and Pearl Jam in Toronto are already online. Those pages have survived to this day. Hazzard County, however, was taken out back and shot about a year later. Yee haw!
2002The Wayback Machine really mucked this one up. None of the images came through, and the CSS seems AWOL. Still, you can see the structure as it once was. The familiar Leafs table is already in play. The Canadiana page, however, has disappeared. A link to the blog is now in the navigation menu, but it's not yet the home page. In 2003 I wisened up and made the blog index.html.
2003I really liked this design. You'll see in the main navigation menu that I've introduced the Homer Simpson Quote of the Week. I updated that page every weekend for years. I've also introduced the Links page, which you'll find in the main nav menu today. Every time I try to remove it so it's only accessible from the site map, somebody complains, so I put it back. The dot missing above the "i" in that MikeBoon.com image was a red maple leaf that blinked. Animated gifs, people!!! You had to have an animated gif in 2003! The little image that appears in every entry was something I did from the start, after seeing something similar on Slashdot. By this point, every piece of markup is done with CSS. Note, this is the blog, but there is no server-side software managing it. This was an HTML file I manually edited and uploaded via FTP. Hence, you can't comment and there are no permalinks.... yet.
2004It looks like I took a rest from Verdana and tried Georgia for a while. I also moved the nav from vertical to horizontal across the top... although I see the Wayback Machine isn't showing the proper markup. I assure you, the menu looked better than this. Otherwise, this is pretty similar to how it looked in 2003. I have, however, introduced the MP3 page, where I listed every album in my collection. This wasn't a manual process as I found a script that would auto-generate the HTML based on the TXT file produced by Audiograbber after I ripped each CD.
2005What's with that creepy eye? What was I thinking? This design looks like 2003 and 2004 mated. Before I implemented Movable Type, there was one HTML page for every month, so the page would get awfully long. I think this particular page went on for a million pixels.
2006Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Movable Type. The blog is now a true blog, with RSS, comments, permalinks, searchability, category archives, monthly archives and more. Again, I went with a "less is more" design, and I like it. By the way, after I introduced Movable Type in early 2006, I had to manually put all the old entries into the database. That was one time consuming copy and paste job.
2007The Wayback Machine lost my header image here... maybe because it came from the CSS. I kind of like the sidebar here in the pre-Adsense era. I eventually blew away that weather widget because when that service went down, the loading of this page would go on forever. I'm also experimenting with social networking chicklets... I eventually shot them dead and went with the Feedflare from FeedBurner instead.
2008 Part 1This was the last major redesign before the one this week. I really liked it. The header image was inspired by Spacing. I actually asked them for permission before I used it.
2008 Part 2This is how this site looked on St. Patrick's Day 2009. Heck, that was only a few days ago. I was happy with this design, but I needed a third column for Tweets. Since I was mucking with the HTML, I decided to blow it up and start from scratch. Truth be known, I took the March break off to chill with the family, and while they were at playdates, my idle hands became the devil's playthings. This site didn't stand a chance.
2009Here's where I'm at as of the time of this entry. You guys gave some good feedback, which resulted in some tweaks I believe improved things. That Twitter sidebar needed a background colour so the eyes didn't blend it with the main content, and the header needed an image for a splash of colour and something less boring. I'm now happy with this. This should stick until my next week off, sometime in July.
Maple Leafs 1, Panthers 3
Published by Toronto Mike on March 20, 2009 @ 09:32 in Toronto Maple Leafs
The Sens beat the Canadiens last night, so Montreal is now only a point ahead of the 9th place Panthers. Sweet schudenfreude.
The Twitter Song
Published by Toronto Mike on March 19, 2009 @ 20:37 in Twitter
Sing this one to the tune of "Killing Me Softly with His Song" by Roberta Flack. Actually, upon further review, the "(one time, one time)" suggests you should sing this to The Fugees cover "Killing Me Softly”.
Tragically Hip - Love is a First
Published by Toronto Mike on March 19, 2009 @ 19:24 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour, The Tragically Hip
I wasn't sure I liked "Morning Moon", the first song I heard from the new Tragically Hip album. This tune, however, sounds great. I can't get enough of it. It's a great choice for the first single from We Are The Same. If fellow Hip fans recognize the lyrics, you heard them in Gord's rant in the middle of the song "Fully Completely" on the DVD That Night in Toronto. I was there at the ACC that night, and coincidentally named my review "That Night in Toronto".
Earth Hour 2009 is March 28 @ 8:30pm
Published by Toronto Mike on March 19, 2009 @ 14:44 in Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus
The people behind Earth Hour 2009 want to kick it up a notch this year.
I'm not naive enough to think one hour with the lights off will make a difference in the grand scheme of things, but I think this is a huge opportunity to educate and promote conservation. I make it a big deal for my kids and use it as a tool to discuss other things we can do to reduce the strain on mother earth's natural resources.
Mike Boone of the Montreal Gazette
Published by Toronto Mike on March 19, 2009 @ 11:17 in Radio, Toronto Maple Leafs
Naturally, my ears always prick up when I hear McCown announced that Michael Boone or Mike Boone will be on. Not only do we share a name, but I'm fascinated by the topic. In their 100th season, Habs fans expected their team to win another cup. Instead, they're clinging to a playoff spot. Their beloved coach was just canned, their beloved goaltender with ice in his veins has stumbled back to earth and even us Leaf fans are taking delight in the free-fall. Mike Boone has a blog, if you want to read his take on the Habs. Unfortunately, he likes to post garbage like this. Who knew an extra "e" could make such a difference?
Twitter's Premium Accounts and the Fail Whale Tuxedo
Published by Toronto Mike on March 19, 2009 @ 09:55 in Twitter
A Fail Whale tuxedo... I love it! :-)
Natasha Richardson, Dead at 45
Published by Toronto Mike on March 18, 2009 @ 20:02 in Celebrity Deaths
That Dream About School That Never Goes Away
Published by Toronto Mike on March 18, 2009 @ 18:13 in Memories
I haven't had that one in a while, but I still remember that overwhelming feeling of relief when I awaken and realize I've graduated and it's all just a bad dream. Here's the xkcd web comic that inspired this entry.
The Bat Boys - OK Blue Jays
Published by Toronto Mike on March 18, 2009 @ 17:31 in Toronto Blue Jays, Weekly MP3s
The Bat Boys - OK Blue Jays If you don't want to download the Blue Jays song but still want to hear it, click here and start singing along.
Lance Reddick: You Know the Man
Published by Toronto Mike on March 18, 2009 @ 15:48 in The Wire
The Wire, Oz and Lost have one other thing in common. That's the man you know, even if you don't know his name. I'm talking about Lance Reddick. I first saw Lance Reddick on television as Detective Johnny Basil, an undercover narcotics officer working under the false identity of Desmond Mobay and trying to bust the drug trade in Oz. I used to do a pretty good imitation of Mobay. I then saw Reddick in Lost as Matthew Abaddon, a man who works for Widmore by "helping people get to where they're supposed to be". It was nice to see him again. Then, I started watching season one of The Wire. Reddick has a juicy role in this HBO drama, playing Cedric Daniels, commander of the Barksdale Detail in the first season. Reddick is great. I hear he now has a prominent role in Fringe. With his track record, I'll bet Fringe is a winner.
Get a Clue, Pope Benny
Published by Toronto Mike on March 18, 2009 @ 13:45 in Losing My Religion
With Pope Benedict XVI, it's much of the same. Pope Benny is in Africa where the AIDS epidemic has orphaned 11.6 million children. Over 5% of adults there live with HIV/AIDS, and with many converting to Catholicism, Pope Benny could have made a difference. He could have promoted condoms as the best way for the sexually active to prevent spreading of this deadly disease. Instead, he did his best to dissuade Africans from using condoms.
This is tantamount to manslaughter. The idea that distributing condoms in Africa will make the epidemic worse is entirely outdated and out of touch with reality. Newsflash Benny, people are having sex. Abstinence doesn't fly. Teaching abstinence as the only way to prevent AIDs is as misdirected as teaching abstinence as the only way to prevent pregnancy. Toronto Mike sez use a condom.
God Still Hates Us
Published by Toronto Mike on March 18, 2009 @ 11:19 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Here's what I wrote on March 15, 2003.
What gets me is that I wrote that six years ago, and we've only won one playoff series since... and that was against our traditional whipping boys, the Ottawa Senators. Since I wrote that letter to God, we've only qualified for the playoffs twice, and the last time was in 2004. There was the lockout and now four successive years of failure, the longest streak in franchise history. This story has a moral. Don't dump your problems on God. He'll just get pissed and double the dosage of failure. He'll turn it all to shit faster than you can say Jonas Hoglund, but he'll still give us that seven game victory over the Sens.
Maple Leafs 4, Lightning 3
Published by Toronto Mike on March 18, 2009 @ 10:08 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Here's your useless piece of trivia for the day. The Leafs lead the NHL in overtime games, with 22.
'Splainin' to Do
Published by Toronto Mike on March 17, 2009 @ 15:18 in Ch-ch-changes, Movable Type
If you hate the changes, blame Twitter. My old design was from the pre-Twitter era when I needed one column for navigation and Adsense and another for content. Now, as I Tweet more and more, I needed a third column for my most recent Tweets. That's the spark that set this site ablaze. While I was mucking around, I finally fixed my pagination issue. The pagination within categories now displays 10 at a time and actually adds up. I also killed the ad at the top of the category pages, because I thought it looked awful. I also got rid of the popular header status message feature, because I don't have time to create a new image every day. Throw in a new favicon and a few other tweaks, and it's all new. Whether it's all good or not, that's yet to be seen. Please share constructive criticism below. I'd love to see some change requests. Whattyathink?
St. Patrick's Magic Phone Booth
Published by Toronto Mike on March 17, 2009 @ 14:17 in Miscellaneous
It's the magic phone booth they stick him in as he's driven around in the back of a pick up that made this possible. That magic phone booth preserves the patron saint of Ireland and allows this generation to upload him to our Flickr accounts. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
It's Perfect! Let's Blow 'er Up!
Published by Toronto Mike on March 17, 2009 @ 10:59 in Ch-ch-changes
Even though I'm a big fan of this design, today I will blow it up and start again. I can't help myself. For the rest of the day, things might look a little hairy over here while the work is in progress. Mind the mess, as they say. So I can remember the way it was, here's one last picture.
The Wire Season One: A Review
Published by Toronto Mike on March 17, 2009 @ 10:46 in The Wire
It's not surprising that The Wire didn't get the Nielson ratings that Six Feet Under or The Sopranos got. The Wire makes you work. The characters speak in the language of their streets, and if you miss one line you very well may have missed a great deal. Part of the fun is listening closely, learning the characters nicknames and following the money. Ii you follow the drugs, all you find are drug users and drug dealers, but if you follow the money, you don't know what you'll find. Spending a week in Baltimore following Avon Barksdale, Stringer Bell and their crew quickly makes you realize why Jimmy McNulty drinks. Here are a few of my favourite scenes from season three, but there were many. As I said, I'm addicted and can't wait to start Season Two tonight. McNuggetsI always enjoy the scenes with D'Angelo Barksdale in the pit with the young dealers. In this scene, D'Angelo sets them straight about the guy who invented Chicken McNuggets for McDonald's. The King Stay The KingAgain, here's D'Angelo chatting up the young dealers who are playing checkers with chess pieces because they don't know how to play chess. Chess, as we learn, is just like the street. I Got One More High Left In Me...It's supply and demand, and there's great demand for the drugs Avon Barksdale sells in the towers. One extremely likable junkie is Bubs, and here's Bubs at an court-orderd NA meeting listening to Waylon. Waylon, played by Steve Earle (Copperhead Road!), sums it up perfectly.
The Facebook Fiends vs. the Twitter Followers
Published by Toronto Mike on March 16, 2009 @ 17:57 in Technology, Twitter
Then, after a great deal of resistance, I succumbed and got myself a Facebook account in the summer of 2007. I was in a running group that started scheduling runs via a Facebook group, so I really had to play the game or step aside. Facebook was kind of neat for a week or so, but quickly became stale. I figured my lack of passion for Facebook had something to do with the fact I already had a web presence where I could share notes, pictures and links. Still, Facebook was a great deal more pleasurable than MySpace, and many of my friends were passionate users. Just last year, I started to tweet via Twitter. It's been about five months, and I'm enjoying this social networking tool more today than ever. It's micro-blogging with a mobile slant, an ideal complement to my blog. The real-time buzz detection via those select few I follow enriches the content over here, and keeps my ear to the ground. I enjoy Twitter about ten times as much as I enjoyed Facebook. I now find myself recruiting Facebook friends to the Twitter fold. I find there are three types of people in the Social Networking kingdom. The Facebook Fiends, the Twitter Followers and the Twitbook Teeter-Totters. Facebook Fiends - You know these guys... They embraced Facebook in 2006 or 2007 and haven't looked back. As die-hard Facebook fiends, this community hogs the bulk of their online life and they wouldn't consider leaving. They're too invested in Facebook to switch to Twitter. Twitter Followers - These are people like me, who tried Facebook but prefer Twitter. The promotional potential of Twitter brought us over, but the value-add of those we follow keep us there. We've essentially said goodbye to Facebook and are now loyal Tweeters in the Twitter kingdom. Twitbook Teeter-Totters - These are Facebook fans who get the attraction of Twitter. Twitbook Teeter-Totters haven't switched but maintain both. How many people do you know that dupe their Tweets as Facebook status messages? That's who I'm referring to here. They couldn't pick a community, so they manage both. Which one are you?
Seattle P-I Now Entirely Digital News
Published by Toronto Mike on March 16, 2009 @ 16:49 in News
It's an "entirely digital news product", but it's not the same product they were printing. It's now a slimmed down source of local news and opinion. It's a tough time for newspapers.
In this city, we've got the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun, the Globe & Mail and the National Post, as well as a couple of local papers, Eye Weekly and Now. And I'm not even getting into the free papers. Can they all survive?
Ron Silver, Dead at 62
Published by Toronto Mike on March 16, 2009 @ 16:38 in Celebrity Deaths
Ice Age Cometh to Etienne Brule Park
Published by Toronto Mike on March 15, 2009 @ 14:14 in Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus
The massive chunks of ice make for a very cool obstacle course. It's quite the challenge and just dangerous enough to make it super fun. I think glacier hopping should be considered as a non-medal sport in Vancouver next winter. Here's a photoset from our visit to Etienne Brule Park. If glacier hopping intrigues you, get down there before it all melts away.
Related:
Addicted to The Wire
Published by Toronto Mike on March 15, 2009 @ 09:50 in The Wire
This show is so compelling, so wonderfully written and so brilliantly paced that I simply can't get enough. Like the drugs portrayed on the screen, I just want my next hit. It's sort of the best of The Sopranos blended with the best of Homicide: Life on the Street. Every word has weight, so you're forced to pay very close attention. I'm addicted. I'll write a review after I wrap up each season. If it wasn't for work, sleep and these damn kids, I'd have the whole series done by next weekend.
Maple Leafs 8, Flames 6
Published by Toronto Mike on March 15, 2009 @ 09:36 in Toronto Maple Leafs
It's also Calgary's ninth straight loss in Toronto dating back to December of 2000. In related news, I understand Brian Burke is lobbying the NHL to include more Toronto home games against the Flames next season.
Andrew Martin, Dead at 33
Published by Toronto Mike on March 14, 2009 @ 20:54 in Celebrity Deaths
Alan W. Livingston, Dead at 91
Published by Toronto Mike on March 14, 2009 @ 20:50 in Celebrity Deaths
Fast Company Links to My Digital Newspaper Entry
Published by Toronto Mike on March 14, 2009 @ 11:04 in Press Recognition
Fast Company's article, UK's Guardian Newspaper Embraces Future With Free Digital Content , by Kit Eaton, links to my How Should Newspapers Make Money Online? entry from last month. Video killed the radio star and the web is just about done with the newspaper.
Jon Stewart vs Jim Cramer: For Americans Only?
Published by Toronto Mike on March 14, 2009 @ 10:12 in Television
Here's the link, but if you're in Canada, don't bother clicking. In Canada, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is available on the CTV Broadband Network. I clicked the link for the CTV Broadband Network, and sure enough, there's a link to watch episodes. That's when they throw you at the CTV Video Library. The CTV Video Library did indeed have the clips I was looking for, but CTV doesn't do what every other video clip service does in 2009. CTV doesn't give web authors HTML for embedding the video into his or her site. I could watch the episode, but I couldn't drop the video here. CTV needs to get an e-clue. Buffalo Boy lives in Buffalo (surprise!), and he didn't have this problem. He got to go to The Daily Show's site where the clips were easily embeddable. Heck, Buffalo Boy did it, proof that it's not rocket surgery. Here's Jon Stewart vs. Jim Cramer. Of course, only 21.27% of you will see it. Pity... The Daily Show with Jon Stewart's Unedited Jim Cramer Interview Pt. 1The Daily Show with Jon Stewart's Unedited Jim Cramer Interview Pt. 2The Daily Show with Jon Stewart's Unedited Jim Cramer Interview Pt. 3
Norris Division Action from the Greys
Published by Toronto Mike on March 13, 2009 @ 18:51 in Memories, Toronto Maple Leafs
They were seats 11 and 12 of Section 94, Row A. That's in the Greys, if you remember Maple Leaf Gardens. The Greys were the worst seats in the house, but we got to sit in the first row of the Greys, which was the best of the worst. The ticket owner, naturally, kept all the good games for himself. He wouldn't sell Saturday night games, or games against good teams. That meant we saw a lot of the Norris Division growing up. Just about every game I saw from 1985 through 1989 involved the Black Hawks, North Stars, Blues or Red Wings. The most cherished tickets at the time were games against Wayne Gretzky's Oilers and our arch rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. In a sweet coincidence, I've only seen two Leaf games at the ACC this season. They were against the Canadiens and Oilers.
A Week of Headers
Published by Toronto Mike on March 13, 2009 @ 14:36 in Header Images
The Last 300 Game Winner
Published by Toronto Mike on March 13, 2009 @ 12:28 in Sports
This was the early 80s when there was two members of the 700 club, one member of the 600 club and far fewer members of the 500 club than we have today. The 500 Club used to be a much bigger deal. This was the start of my fascination with baseball statistics. I had to know who held the Blue Jays single season and career records for every offensive, defensive and pitching category. This was before the Interweb, so gathering this data wasn't easy, but it was worth it. The great milestone for starting pitchers was 300 wins. That was the magic mark. Only 23 players have ever done it, but Randy Johnson is sitting on 295 career wins. Randy Johnson will join The 300 Club this season, and Randy Johnson will be the very last player to reach this mark. There will never again be a 300 game winner in Major League baseball. Our greatest pitcher this past decade has been Roy Halladay, who I consider to be the 2nd greatest starter in Blue Jays history. Halladay is a throwback, finishing games and winning at about a .700 clip. Roy Halladay only has 131 wins to date and won't get close to 300 in his career. There are relief specialists, five man rotations and pitch counts to blame, but the 300 game winner will go the way of the do-do bird. After former Expo Randy Johnson gets there, that is.
Maple Leafs 1, Lightning 4
Published by Toronto Mike on March 13, 2009 @ 09:30 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Changing the topic somewhat, I'm starting to think about our annual NHL playoff pool. Save the evening of Monday, April 13 in your calendars if you're coming by to draft.
I Left When Dr. Mark Greene Died
Published by Toronto Mike on March 12, 2009 @ 22:50 in Television
Seven years later, that damn show is still airing new episodes. It turns out I barely caught half the series. I understand a bunch of the old cast is showing up in these final few episodes, so I'm recording the show on my new PVR. I'd like to see how this old favourite ends.
The Raconteurs - Consoler Of The Lonely
Published by Toronto Mike on March 12, 2009 @ 20:13 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour
Jack White is the hardest working man in showbiz today. There's The White Stripes, all that Jack White stuff, The Raconteurs and now, the Dead Weather. The Dead Weather is Jack White on vocals/drums, Allison Mosshart from The Kills (vocals), Jack Lawrence from The Raconteurs (bass) and Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age (guitar). This song, however, is from The Rac. Thanks to Mississauga Mike for finding this audio on YouTube. Everything else I found was live.
City of Losers
Published by Toronto Mike on March 12, 2009 @ 14:42 in Toronto Argos, Toronto Bills, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus, Toronto Raptors
Our Maple Leafs of the NHL are 27-28-13, which puts us 11th in the conference and well outside the playoffs. Our Raptors of the NBA are 23-42, which puts us 14th in the conference and well outside the playoffs. Our Blue Jays of MLB were 86-76, which put us 4th in the division and well outside the playoffs. Our Argos of the CFL were 4-14, which put us 3rd in the division and well outside the playoffs. Our Bills of the NFL were 7-9, which put us 4th in the division and well outside the playoffs. There is little hope for any of the above. In fact, I'm willing to bet all miss the playoffs again next season. Welcome to Loserville.
Hold Your Laughter: I Now Have A PVR
Published by Toronto Mike on March 12, 2009 @ 09:54 in Television
I made the decision two weeks ago, but only hooked it up last night. I've got it recording a few of my favourite shows, a couple for my wife and a few for the kids. I can already see it's going to dramatically change the way we watch television. This fun new television toy comes at a time when I'm watching less "television" than ever before. I'm 4 episodes into the 60 episode arc of The Wire and I'm hooked. Every episode is like a really good movie. It might be some time before I actually reap the benefits of this PVR, but at least I'll feel current.
CBC Radio 2 Likes My Hockey Music
Published by Toronto Mike on March 11, 2009 @ 12:46 in Press Recognition
The entry is dated January 6, 2009, but I only caught traffic flowing through that page this morning. It doesn't seem my Crocs goldrush will repeat here.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Knock Me Down
Published by Toronto Mike on March 11, 2009 @ 10:26 in Weekly MP3s
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Knock Me Down One of the many cool tracks on Mother's Milk is "Knock Me Down", which is sort of a cool song to spin during my Wire days.
The Cadillac Fairview Gift Card Scam
Published by Toronto Mike on March 11, 2009 @ 09:26 in My 2 Cents
I say she tried to use her Cadillac Fairview Gift Card because she was actually unable to use it. When the cashier entered it in the system to learn the balance, it came up as $0. Assuming there was some kind of mistake, I took it to the information desk at Sherway Gardens to restore the funds. We were told that Cadillac Fairview deducts $2 a month for every month the card is not used, after the initial 16 months. If you buy your friend or loved one a $20 Cadillac Fairview Gift Card, and your friend or loved one fails to use it for a couple of years, Cadillac Fairview essentially keeps your money won't accept the gift card. I say gift cards are the same as cash. A $20 gift card should always be worth $20, even if it sits in your wallet for a couple of years. What's the incentive to buy a gift card with "use it or lose it" small print? Do your friend or loved one a favour. Give them cash instead.
Maple Leafs 3, Islanders 2
Published by Toronto Mike on March 11, 2009 @ 08:49 in Toronto Maple Leafs
We have another softy tomorrow against the Lightning.
Reusing Water Bottles
Published by Toronto Mike on March 10, 2009 @ 17:37 in Miscellaneous
Many people have told me I'm killing myself by reusing the plastic container that bottled water comes in. I've been told it causes cancer, and that freezing water over and over again releases some kind of cancer-causing chemical agent. I'm not looking for trouble, so I did what anyone would do in this day and age. I Googled it. According to snopes.com, a source I've come to trust for facts when it comes to such heresy, this isn't true. I can reuse my PET-based bottles in this fashion without fear such carcinogens are being leached into my ice water. I know it's a strange quirk, but it's my strange quirk, and I'm just glad it's not killing me.
Maple Leafs 1, Senators 2
Published by Toronto Mike on March 10, 2009 @ 09:42 in Toronto Maple Leafs
In other news, Jason Spezza was caught cheating. Dude was using an illegal stick. The Sens have to cheat to win, spread the news.
Losing to Italy in Baseball?
Published by Toronto Mike on March 9, 2009 @ 20:53 in Sports
It's the bottom of the sixth, so there's still time. We have to come back and take this. We're not losing to Italy in baseball...
Tonight: The Wire Pilot
Published by Toronto Mike on March 9, 2009 @ 20:34 in The Wire
Thanks to Andrew, who some of you may know from the comments, I have borrowed all five seasons on DVD. I can't wait to dive in, starting tonight. In fact, I haven't been this psyched about starting a new show since I joined The Sopranos ruckus a couple of seasons in. I've got 60 episodes to burn through, so periodically I'll post my progress and thoughts on this blog. Tonight: The Pilot.
Mark the Date: May 2nd for Humble & Fred
Published by Toronto Mike on March 9, 2009 @ 11:40 in Humble and Fred
Revealed for the first time, I'm going to tell you the date of this open recording you're all invited to attend. The date will be May 2nd, 2009. Mark it on your calendar... it will likely be an early afternoon thing, but that details not yet etched in stone. Humble and Fred fans, I'll see you May 2nd. We'll have more details in a few weeks.
Work Your Way Through the Recession
Published by Toronto Mike on March 9, 2009 @ 10:15 in News
I do, however, read the news on a daily basis, and it seems news about the economy goes from bad to worse with every read. It's all doom and gloom, with predictions it will get worse before it gets better and that this will be the longest recession since WWII. My one and only strategy for dealing with this recession is to work. I'm going to do my best to work my way through this recession. I'm working harder and smarter than ever before, developing new skills and improving old ones. I'm no economist, but this appears to be the best strategy and it's the only one I really know how to implement. Work, work, work, work... until it's over and we're all living high on the hog once more.
Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody
Published by Toronto Mike on March 8, 2009 @ 19:16 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour
I'm a little behind with my SLS duties. All of Only by the Night is pretty awesome, but this is one of my favourite tracks.
City Lights with Brian Linehan
Published by Toronto Mike on March 8, 2009 @ 18:11 in Memories
Brian Linehan passed away almost five years ago. He hosted City Lights, a show I would watch because I found Linehan's interviewing style to be so detailed and unique. You may recall Martin Short's send up of Linehan on SCTV, Brock Linehan. This is the City Lights opening from 1989. Hearing that theme song takes me back. It was the only theme song the show ever had.
Maple Leafs 1, Oilers 4
Published by Toronto Mike on March 8, 2009 @ 11:06 in Toronto Maple Leafs
The game itself wasn't particularly exciting from where I sat. I only caught the last two periods, and we seemed to lack a certain intensity. That, and skill. The Timbits game was far more exciting. At least I witnessed Martin Gerber's home ice debut as a Maple Leaf. That's something else I can tell my grandkids about.
Swansea Hockey Plays the ACC
Published by Toronto Mike on March 8, 2009 @ 10:07 in Family, The Best of Toronto Mike, Toronto Maple Leafs
I'm going to document everything here, because that's what I do. When I'm an old man I suspect I'll get a kick out of revisiting these archives, so this entry is for Old Toronto Mike. We boarded the Tim Hortons bus at Rennie Park at about 5:30pm. It was rainy, but warm. James' stick and hockey bag was placed under the bus and he found a seat next to his buddy Cam where they could watch the on-bus movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks. From Rennie Park to the ACC isn't a particularly long journey, so they didn't get through much of the flick. We drove into the ACC via a ramp on the south side of the building. We parked next to the bus that brought the Oilers to the game. We waited in this area while security checked every bag and then we waited a little more for our reps from Tim Hortons. The Tim Hortons people would take us the rest of the way. We were taken to our dressing room via the back of the ACC, where we saw all the extra seats used for the Raptors basketball configuration, as well as several basketball nets and hockey nets. I'm not sure, but I think I also saw Oliver Miller stored away back there. Our dressing room was next to the Raptors' room, and down a hall from the ACC ice. They put the game on television and asked that the kids be in full uniform with 8-minutes left in the first period. We were divided into a blue team and a white team and the kids got new Timbits uniforms. James got #10. With 8-minutes left in the period, and the game tied at zero, the players lined up, goalies first and then toggling between blue and white. While waiting to take the ice, Carlton the Bear showed up, as he would drop the puck. Then, I heard our team announced by Andy Frost and the game began. The game itself is a blur to me. It happens very quickly, and you're trying to pick out your #10 from the glass. Others took video, so I'll be able to see it soon. I can tell you that the game ended in a 1-1 tie, the crowd went nuts for the entire 4-minutes, James thinks he touched the puck, but isn't sure, and the intensity I witnessed far surpassed what I'd see the remainder of the Leafs game. It was a job well done, and the reward was another box of Timbits, another bottled water and a couple of tickets for us to watch the last two periods of the Leafs game. Oh yeah, and a Carlton the Bear puck and temporary tattoos. After the Leafs loss, we made our way back to our old dressing room and returned to the bus. There, well past their bedtimes, our Timbits (the players, not the donuts) watched more of Alvin and the Chipmunks before reaching our destination, Rennie Park. I hope the 18 kids who got to participate in this amazing experience never forget the night they played at the ACC. I know I never will. I've got a bunch of pictures in this Flickr photoset in case my memory starts to fade.
Here's video evidence of Team Blue's goal I captured with my good 'ol digicam. Update: Another Timbit dad put together a video recap of the evening. At the 3:18 mark, you can see me high five James. Check this out: And Gail captured some awesome raw footage from her centre ice seat. Check out her handywork: Update: Here's the official ACC video that was shown on the scoreboard.
Vicarious Living
Published by Toronto Mike on March 7, 2009 @ 16:04 in Family
We'll board the bus in about an hour and drive into the ACC via the players entrance. During period one, we'll be in a change room getting the Timbits ready to play. The Leafs game will be on the TV, and after the period ends, they'll announce the Swansea Hockey Association Timbits and my boy will take the ice. I'll take a whole bunch of pictures by the boards. After the game, which is about five minutes long, we get Timbits (the donuts, not the players) and water and seats from which we'll watch the rest of the Leafs ~ Oilers game. I'll write all about it tonight or tomorrow, depending on my mood. During the event, I'll Tweet. If you don't know what a Tweet is, it's essentially a micro-blog entry via Twitter. You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/torontomike and/or read my real-time Tweets from the ACC at http://www.torontomike.com/twitter.html.
WBC and Google Chrome Logos Separated @ Birth?
Published by Toronto Mike on March 7, 2009 @ 13:36 in Google Chrome, Miscellaneous
The World Baseball Classic started in 2006 while Chrome didn't get released until 2008. I put the logos side-by-side so you can see the similarities for yourself.
I Want to Watch The Wire
Published by Toronto Mike on March 7, 2009 @ 12:30 in The Wire
Here's a shot in the dark, but what the hell. Can anyone out there lend me The Wire on DVD? Maybe we can work out a fair trade... I know someone out there has all five seasons on DVD sitting on a shelf somewhere.
Do It Again Blue Jays
Published by Toronto Mike on March 7, 2009 @ 09:54 in Blue Jays Songs, Tom Cheek Remembered, Toronto Blue Jays
In this spirit on this fine Saturday in March, here's a great Blue Jays song featuring the voices of Blue Jays baseball, Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth. Hearing Tom on this track talking about Devo leading off and Robbie and Joe following him in the line-up makes me miss those glory days of Blue Jays baseball. Yes, I'm old enough to remember playoff baseball in this city. Turn it up, get your groove on and Go Jays Go! Other awesome Blue Jays audio from Toronto Mike:
20th Anniversary Humble and Fred Podcast Details Leaked
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 20:48 in Humble and Fred
I'll tell you some of what I know, and I'll keep the rest of what I know a little closer to my chest. We'll record the podcast at Dominion on Queen, a great little club at 500 Queen Street East at Sumach. Everyone is invited to join in the fun. On April 1st, more details, including the date, will be revealed. While you wait, you can read more about Humble and Fred or listen to previous Humble and Fred podcasts. Who's joining me at Dominion on Queen for a heavy dose of Humble and Fred nostalgia?
5 Years Later, I'm Still Stunned @ Hootie and the Blowfish
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 19:46 in Music
Five years ago today, I wrote about the Best of Hootie and the Blowfish.
Time doesn't heal all wounds.
A Week of Headers
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 19:23 in Header Images
Colleen Howe, Rest in Peace
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 19:12 in Celebrity Deaths
My First Composite Stick
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 14:10 in Rec Hockey
When a wood stick lasts you almost five months, it's a good indication you don't have much of a slap shot and it's a rec league. Both are true, but it was $9.99 well spent. I got fifteen goals out of that sucker, but some things aren't built to last. Today, I bought my first composite stick. I found a good two-for-$99.99 deal and found a buddy to go in with me. I'm told it's worth the fifty bucks... we'll see tonight when I break it in. It's a Nike Bauer Hockey Vapor XII Senior Composite Ice Hockey Stick- 87 Flex with an Eric Lindros curve, in case you want to tell me now that I just threw away $50.
416 000 Mobile Phone Spam
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 11:47 in Miscellaneous
I know I'm not the only one getting these, because my wife gets the same call on her cell. The last two numbers I received this spam call from are 416-000-9763 and 416-000-5579. I have two questions:
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 11:00 in Reviews
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song is one of three amazing music docs I've seen over the past six months. first there was Joy Division, then there was Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten and now there's Pete Seeger: The Power of Song. Pete Seeger is the genuine article, and I've got a lot of time for him. He reeks of sincerity and integrity and even at the age of 89, he's as sharp as a tack. If you're at all curious about the man or interested in music as means of protest and a vehicle for change, this is a must-see documentary.
Maple Leafs 2, Capitals 1
Published by Toronto Mike on March 6, 2009 @ 10:44 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Firstly, this is not the worst Leafs team in the history of the franchise. The Maple Leafs are 5-0-3 in their last eight, which won't get them into the playoffs, but will likely take them out of the John Tavares lottery. Secondly, Martin Gerber was great yesterday. I didn't see that coming.
Martin Gerber's New Crest
Published by Toronto Mike on March 5, 2009 @ 17:56 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Take a look at the custom crest they have Martin Gerber wearing here in Toronto.
175 Reasons to Love Toronto
Published by Toronto Mike on March 5, 2009 @ 15:35 in Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus
It was March 6, 1834 that York was incorporated as the City of Toronto. That's 175 years ago tomorrow. They call this the demisemiseptcentennial, but I don't know if Swansea will field a team this summer called the demisemisepts or not. I do know The Toronto Star has published 175 reasons to love Toronto. Here's their list:
I'd add a #176. It's the home of Toronto Mike.
Lemonheads - Mrs. Robinson
Published by Toronto Mike on March 5, 2009 @ 12:52 in Weekly MP3s
Lemonheads - Mrs. Robinson Here it is, in case you haven't heard it in a while, either.
Pre-PVR Creative Solutions to Complex TV Issues
Published by Toronto Mike on March 5, 2009 @ 09:32 in Television
Last night, American Idol aired at 8pm. We had to watch it, but I had a television quandary. Last Wednesday I screwed up the VCR recording of Lost. I've actually ordered a PVR from Rogers since that error, but it's being shipped and hasn't arrived yet. So last night I had to think fast on my feet... Last week's Lost was airing on Buffalo's ABC affiliate at 8pm. Victoria's A Channel was airing the new episode at 7pm their time, to accommodate some dancing reality show. 7pm Victoria time is 10pm Toronto time, so I could tape last week's episode at 8pm while watching American Idol with the family at 8pm, then Taryn and I could watch last week's episode at 9pm and this week's episode at 10pm. Sounds like a plan, right? Well... my Rogers digital terminal won't let me record a station I'm not watching. If you have a digital terminal, you know what I mean. The television has to be on channel 3, hence this inconvenient limitation. That's when I rolled back the technology a few years to solve our dilemma. I cut the digital terminal out of the loop and kicked it old school by connecting the cable directly into the VCR and then connecting the VCR to the back of the television. Now I could record Buffalo's ABC affiliate to VHS while watching American Idol on CTV. Then, at 9pm, we watched the enhanced airing of "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" before reconnecting the digital terminal so we could watch the Victoria A-Channel affiliate's feed of "LaFleur" at 10pm. We're caught up with Lost and the Kids got to see AI. Hopefully the PVR arrives today.
Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward and Andy Rogers are Maple Leafs
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 16:47 in Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired G Olaf Kolzig, D Jamie Heward, D Andy Rogers and a fourth-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for prospect D Richard Petiot. Where do I start... firstly, I've seen a bunch of Marlies games up close this year, and I know Richard Petiot. I like him, but I actually thought Staffan Kronwall was better, and we let Kronwall go for nothing. As for the players coming to Toronto, Olaf Kolzig is the biggest name, but he's pushing 40. And didn't we just pick up Martin Gerber? And did we need more back-up goaltenders? We've already got Cujo and Pogge. We now have four back-ups and zero starters. Jamie Heward is a former Leaf who recently played in Russia. Andy Rogers is a youngster who will likely suit up for the Marlies in place of Petiot. That gives us two Marlies named Rogers (Kyle Rogers is the other) making me wonder if Marlies sponsor Rogers is behind this wacky trade. Will someone in front of a television explain this one for me? Please...
Is That It? Are We Done?
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 16:24 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Oh yeah, he also picked up Gerber and Reitz off waivers. Yes, that Gerber and no, I hadn't heard of Reitz either. Gerber and Reitz. That's it. I can't believe I had all hands on deck for the entire day so we could pick up Gerber, Reitz and a few draft picks. That's it. We're done.
Dominic Moore Traded to Buffalo for Draft Pick
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 15:10 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Dominic Moore was a pleasant surprise for the blue and white, claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Wild just over a year ago. He's got 12 goals and 29 assists in 63 games so far this season. Maybe we'll sign him in the summer as an unrestricted free agent...
Nik Antropov Traded to Rangers for Draft Picks
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 15:03 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Admittedly, Antropov had a pretty decent season last year, but he's still my appointed whipping boy in the absence of Aki Berg. The native of Kazakhstan played his entire nine-year career with the Leafs after being selected 10th overall by the club in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Back in 2006, I wrote this love letter to Nik Antropov.
Farewell, Nik. Don't let the ACC door hit you in the ass on the way out!
The Day Martin Gerber Broke My Heart
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 14:27 in Hockey Canada, Toronto Maple Leafs
Martin F**king Gerber.
Eric Reitz a Maple Leaf
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 13:40 in Toronto Maple Leafs
I had to Google this guy to find out who the hell he is. Reitz has two points in 42 games with the Rangers and Minnesota Wild this season. Who needs a Pronger or Jay Bouwmeester when you can have an Eric Reitz?
Martin Gerber a Maple Leaf
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 12:17 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Rumours on the Internets have Vesa Toskala getting shut down so he can have surgery. Even without Tosky, I don't see the need to add Gerber for the remainder of the season. Can't Cujo and Pogge carry the load for the next month or so? I don't get it...
Maple Leafs 2, Devils 3
Published by Toronto Mike on March 4, 2009 @ 08:52 in Toronto Maple Leafs
If you thought this instalment of the Maple Leafs would never make the record book, you were wrong. We just tied the 2003-04 Edmonton Oilers’ NHL record with our seventh consecutive overtime game. Let the trades, begin...
Pearl Jam - Brother
Published by Toronto Mike on March 3, 2009 @ 15:59 in Pearl Jam, SLS ~ Smells Like Sour
I almost refused to submit "Brother" by Pearl Jam. A few weeks ago, while listening to 102.1 here in Toronto, the deejay teased us by saying they'd play new Pearl Jam after the break. I stuck around, pretty excited to hear new Pearl Jam, and then they played "Brother." I'm a pretty big Pearl Jam fan. I've seen them live six times and I've been collection Pearl Jam bootlegs since Ten. You can read my Pearl Jam primer here. "Brother" is not new Pearl Jam. Yes, it's getting an official release now that they're reissuing Ten, but "Brother" is almost twenty years old. I first got my grubby mitts on a version of "Brother" with lyrics in the late 90s and I've been spinning that in MP3 format for over five years now. It's not new, but it's new to many of you, and it's an awesome tune. That's why I'm putting it on SLS21.... because it rocks.
NHL Trade Deadline 2009: All Hands On Deck
Published by Toronto Mike on March 3, 2009 @ 15:50 in Toronto Maple Leafs
I'll be surprised if Nik Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Dominic Moore aren't moved by Brian Burke tomorrow. When Antropov is moved, I'll have something special to say about the player I've loathed all these years. Stay tuned tomorrow. We're ready!
Waving the White Flag: Unable to Part with Money
Published by Toronto Mike on March 3, 2009 @ 10:27 in The Tragically Hip
I made sure I was logged in to thehip.com at 9:30 and I started my F5ing at about 9:56 am. That's when I first got this:
That can't be good. A few reloads of Firefox later, and I was welcomed. Unfortunately, it wasn't the welcome I was hoping for.
Eventually, I got this exciting new error message.
After fifteen minutes of this crap, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. An image loaded!
I was determined to see my band for an eleventh time. Now, the header was loading, so I felt optimistic.
Oh great.. a new challenge to overcome...
A half hour in, I had to bail. I have work to do... and a 12 o'clock meeting to prepare for. The real world beckons and I can't afford to play the F5 challenge with thehip.com all morning. I gave it one last shot...
I give up. Unless a fellow Hip fan or a member of the Hip team grants this fan his wish, I won't be updating http://www.torontomike.com/tragicallyhip.html again this May. I know when I'm licked.
Bobby Jindal May Be Kenneth From 30 Rock, But That's Not My Pet Peeve
Published by Toronto Mike on March 2, 2009 @ 21:03 in My 2 Cents
Jindal delivered the GOP response to President Obama's address to Congress, and I was interested in reading what the pundits thought of his performance. They thought he was lousy, with a speaking pattern somewhere between Mr. Rogers and Kenneth from 30 Rock, but my beef isn't with Jindal. My beef is with news sites that break articles up into several pages. That's my biggest web pet peeve. I wanted to read Howard Kurtz's article in the Washington Post and it was spread out over five pages. They do it to increase page visits and ad impressions, but it just pisses off the reader. At least it pisses me off. Throw it all on one page and let me scroll down, dammit!
The NEW 97.3 EZ Rock?
Published by Toronto Mike on March 2, 2009 @ 19:20 in Radio
I've seen the billboards with the wallpaper and I've read the promo copy on the official EZ Rock web site, but I still can't figure out what exactly is new. Here's the site copy that's as clear as mud.
Firstly, I think that's a typo in the second line. I think it's supposed to read "nothing too light or harsh that you can't still enjoy at work." Assuming that's true, what were they playing before? How has the playlist changed? Isn't the new EZ Rock exactly like the old one I sampled when Humble hit their airwaves last summer? Here's the songs recently played on the new 97.3 EZ Rock. You'll see it's pretty much what you would have heard on EZ Rock when I was there four months ago.
In radio, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Especially with Spring Sweeps Season right around the corner.
February 2009 Organic Keywords
Published by Toronto Mike on March 2, 2009 @ 16:22 in SEO: Search Engine Optimization
Tragically Hip at Massey Hall in May
Published by Toronto Mike on March 2, 2009 @ 13:58 in The Tragically Hip
05/11/09: Toronto: Massey Hall Ticket Pre-sales for the tour start on Tuesday, March 3rd at 10:00am for Registered Users of thehip.com.
The Visitor
Published by Toronto Mike on March 1, 2009 @ 20:44 in Reviews
I hadn't heard of this film until its star, Richard Jenkins, got nominated for Best Actor at last weekend's Academy Awards. I've always thought Jenkins was one helluva character actor, but I had never seen him carry a film or show on his own. I had to see this... It's a charming film with something to saw about the way America treats immigrants. Jenkins is excellent as a professor who seems to have emotionally withdrawn from the world. The film is compelling with a shoe-string budget and the single recognizable face. Catch it if you can.
Paul Harvey, Rest in Peace
Published by Toronto Mike on March 1, 2009 @ 20:30 in Celebrity Deaths
Pogge Pulled in Marlies Defeat
Published by Toronto Mike on March 1, 2009 @ 20:07 in Toronto Marlies
It ended up being super close, in fact, from my front row seat I'm pretty sure we tied it up with Munro on the bench in the final minute of play. The ref disagreed and we fell 5-4. Anton Stralman and Andre Deveaux each scored a couple of goals and Jiri Tlusty contributed a pair of assists. Tlusty continues to be too good to be a member of the Marlies.
Maple Leafs 4, Senators 3
Published by Toronto Mike on March 1, 2009 @ 10:43 in Toronto Maple Leafs
These four wins in a row put us within seven points of Buffalo for the eighth and final playoff spot. Meanwhile, Burkey's a seller and Wilson's telling everyone who will listen that we're not making the playoffs. Only in Leafs nation does the coach reassure fans that the Leafs aren't in fact making a run at the post season. Phew!
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The fake Brian Burke on Twitter is dead. Down Goes Brown just made 
I didn't watch a minute of the Juno Awards. Does that make me a bad Canadian? The artists receiving the big hype weren't my cup of tea and I cringe at the thought that Canadian music is now synonymous with Nickelback.
Earth Hour 2009 made for some nice photos at 
I enjoy following 
My favourite time of year is quickly approaching. The NHL playoffs are mere weeks away. That also means it's time for our annual playoff pool.
My 7-year old may have found heaven this afternoon.
Toronto is a playoff-free zone. This is true for the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Argos, TFC and Blue Jays. I've referred to the Marlies as an anomaly is this town, because I expect them to actually make the playoffs.
The joke you'll be hearing today is that the Maple Leafs turned off their goaltending for Earth Hour last night. After allowing six goals in 33 minutes before getting pulled, Justin Pogge's goals against average was sitting at a frightening .832.
It's coffee rim rolling season. In Canada, this is a big deal. We're all rolling up our rims to win.
I often get messages via the form at 
I don't watch television in the morning. I never have. Even though I don't watch morning TV, I know Breakfast Television.
We spend a lot of time looking at screens. According to 
I'm submitting a song for 
Dan Seals was 61. He was England Dan in the pop duo England Dan and John Ford Coley and later had a successful country career.
At the end of 2005, 
My mom often talks about listening to 1050 CHUM back in the day. It sounds like it was quite the station, I'm sorry I missed the glory days of CHUM AM.
Last night, I wrapped up episode 12 from Season Two of HBO's The Wire. That was the season finale and the 25th episode overall.
I share an MP3 from 
Tonight is my sixth week of volleyball, a sport I hadn't played since primary school. It's damn fun, and we're pretty good. In fact, we're 10-0 heading into tonight's match-up.
I loved my Maple Leafs in the 1980s, in spite of their losing ways. In a sense, nothing has really changed on that front. We root for our team, through thick and thin, and cheer on all players (almost all players) who don the blue and white jersey.
Every other ad I hear on the radio these days opens with "in these tough economic times" or something in that vein.
YouTube user 
As expected, 
A maid. A man needs a maid.
I'm writing this Nirvana primer off the top of my head, because 
The kids go through a lot of bread. During this March Break, I'm pretty sure they went through three loaves.
It happened. 
I've got a hockey game tonight and I plan to score. Thanks to Alexander Ovechkin, I now know what I'm going to do after I pot my first of the night.
I enjoyed Earth Hour 2008. Here's 
When driving home from the office, I'll often listen to Prime Time Sports, hosted by Bob McCown on THEFAN590. Like any die hard Leaf fan, I love it when they explore the glorious fall of the Montreal Canadiens. The go-to guy lately, for such discussions, is Mike Boone of the Montreal Gazette.
I saw an xkcd web comic today that reminded me of a recurring nightmare that pops up now and then. 
If you read this blog, you know I've recently become 
I was just testing the monthly drop-down menu and randomly chose to visit March of 2003. That's when I found a letter I wrote to God on behalf of all Maple Leaf fans.
Today I get to share a picture of St. Patrick I took myself during Toronto's St. Patrick's Day Parade. St. Patrick died in 461, which makes this a very special pic.
The design of this site has been evolving since 1999. Over the past decade I've introduced a few different looks and feels, but none I liked as much as the one in place at the time of this entry.
I finally got around to visiting the scene of the apocalypse that was Etienne Brule Park with my camera. My son and I made the walk by the Humber River near the Old Mill where recent flooding has created an ice age of sorts.
In the mid-80s, my parents made sure we kids each got to at least one Leafs game a year at Maple Leaf Gardens. A teacher my mom worked with had season's tickets and he would sell a few pairs to us each year.
Those of you who kick it old school and visit TorontoMike.com or MikeBoon.com will have noticed a different header image every day. Every Friday, I post all the header images from the previous week. Here are the awesomely hilarious and insightful header images you may have missed this past week.
As an impressionable young baseball fan, someone game me a book entitled "The 500 Club". It had a page devoted to every player in Major League Baseball history who had hit 500 or more home runs in their career.
My city is a city of losers. At least when it comes to our primary professional sports teams. We suck.
I know when a web site links to mine when it shows up in the referral logs. Still, I somehow missed 
I like to take my 1.5 litre water bottle, fill it with spring water and freeze it. I freeze it for about 8 hours until it's freezing cold with chunks of ice that will fit through the mouth of the bottle. Then, I take it down.
I've already spilt a few beans about the 20th anniversary Humble and Fred podcast at Dominion on Queen, but now I'm able to spill another bean.
You can smell spring in the air. Today, Canada takes on the USA in WBC baseball action at the ballpark formerly known as SkyDome. The Blue Jays are playing spring training games in Florida and I'm getting excited about another season of slo-pitch.
I should just get over it and move on. It's been five years. Why do these things bother me so?.
Over the past six weeks or so, I've been receiving spam calls on my Blackberry. These calls come from a number of phone numbers, all starting with 415-000. When I answer, the recording tells me the warranty on my car is about to expire.
In a baffling move, 
The NHL trade deadline is tomorrow at 3pm. Rest assured, the entire staff at Toronto Mike is ready at the helm to report and comment on any trade involving the Toronto Maple Leafs.
I almost titled this entry "Too Old for this Shit." I've been trying to give The Tragically Hip my hard-earned money since 10am this morning. I mentioned 
According to Google Analytics, here are the top ten keywords that brought people to this site in February 2009.
