Ever since I moved into my current home almost five years ago, I've mowed my lawns with a manual push mower. The trick, I've learned, is to do it frequently, because it can be difficult if the grass gets too high. My neighbour is going through a rough patch and

Tis the season for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the 1964 stop-motion animated Christmas special from Rankin/Bass Productions when it was known as Videocraft International. When Elliot Cowan visited me last April, he gave me an old Rankin/Bass brochure from his father, Bernard Cowan. You may recall all characters

On Saturday morning I was bundling up the little one for a walk to a local brunch establishment when I couldn't stop myself from taking a picture. She'll be one on Wednesday and I know all too well how quickly they grow. So I snapped a picture with my LG

Carpet is one of the most vital things in the home. A good carpet can make your home elegant and beautiful. However, a good carpet does not really mean a costly designer carpet from a big brand. It is often indicated as a neat and tidy carpet. Carpet has the

The marketing folks at Budweiser Canada have red goal lights and glasses in homes across this country. With the World Cup of Hockey beginning for Canada last night, there was a mighty push to get people talking about these red lights. I was even sent a glass. .@budcanada has sent

Along Lake Shore, in the west end of the city, there's a series of apartment complexes just east of RoyalYork that continue to sport their original signage. This retro signage dons names like "The Deauville", "The Eldorado" and "Cornell Manor". Yesterday, I decided to snap a few pictures before these

Playing  online real money games during the canadian winter is very popular today. In  fact, many people in Canada will talk about how the climate of Canada and the  fact that it is so cold there has managed to shape a good portion of Canadian  culture and Canadian history. The

As a kid, I loved the MLB All-Star Game. As an adult, I can take it or leave it. Tonight, I decided to take it. The Canadian national anthem was performed by The Tenors. I must admit, the whole tenor thing confuses me. I don't know if these are the

Former CFNY deejay Pete Fowler has a radio show entitled The Lost Indie City and he sells tee shirts with a big yellow 45 rpm adapter on it to promote the program. I've got one, and wear it often. It's a fantastic conversation piece. It never fails that when I

I hated the midges during my first spring living by the lake. At the time I didn't even know they had a name. I just knew there were swarms of annoying bugs everywhere and I even biked wearing a balaclava to avoid ingesting dozens of them at a time. Yes,

There are few locations in  this world that offer the diversity of Canada, which combines staggering natural  beauty and wonders with bustling, metropolitan cities. This is why Canada  remains popular not only among those with a desire to travel and see more of  the world, but also individuals who wish

There's a Tim Hortons ad on television where the old man saves cups to commemorate life events. A guy discovers his secret box of old cups and at the end, the old guy adds one more. That's when they want me to tear up. But I never do. There's something

If you've never traded Forex before, the  idea might be daunting. But you can start Forex trading today, with no prior  experience. Yes, the internet has made it easy. And with platforms readily  available online, nothing is standing in your way. Here is what you need to know to start

I'm not an Abercrombie & Fitch kind of guy. That's partially because I'm old, and partially because I lack style. My idea of dressing up is blue jeans and a clean tee shirt. I don't even like the idea of wearing a shirt with the company's name emblazoned on the

I'm getting rid of my trusty 27 inch Sony Trinitron TV. I bought this thing at Sears about 15 years ago, and it still works as good as new. But be warned, it's very, very heavy. If you want it, and can pick it up, it's all yours. I'm actively

I was listening to the latest episode of Terry O'Reilly's Under the Influence during my ride today, and he told a story about Certs. I remember Certs as the "two mints in one" candy. Then, in 1994, the artist formerly known as Maestro Fresh Wes released "Certs Wid Out Da

Remember when I wrote about the copmputer [sic] repair shop near my home? Well, there's a new place opening a few doors down, and this one is even worse. That's right, the brand new signage encourages you to book your birtday [sic] party or event with them. I don't know

Shopping in a German supermarket (or should I say, supermarkt), I came across this display for Kessel Chips. As far as I can tell, Kessel Chips are only available in Germany. Kessel Chips.... hmmmm.... if only there was a joke in there somewhere...

I have a copy of Nick Craine's Hard Core Logo: Portrait of a Thousand Punks. I received it in '97 but it's in great condition. I also have a big book on Nirvana by Jeremy Dean. I received that one in '96. Here are pics of the books. If you

I just got off the phone with an old friend who is planning on resurrecting his old blog. He's a great writer, so I'm just excited he'll be producing long-form written content again. At some point, several years ago, blogs were declared "dead". Social media hubs like Facebook and Twitter

I want to wish each and every one of you a very happy Festivus.  For those who don't know what Festivus is, there are three easy to follow steps: "Get the pole out of the crawl space". Or go out and buy one. Remember, it should be aluminium, due to

According to Google Analytics, here are the countries from which the most visits to Toronto Mike originated in 2015. Canada - 75.73%United States - 15.37%United Kingdom - 2.58%Netherlands - 0.96%Australia - 0.70%Germany - 0.52%India - 0.39%Russia

I've spent a lot of time at George Bell Arena this past decade. My oldest son plays there, and even I've played there for a stretch. I call it the old barn and enjoy walking around looking for relics of the past. Recently, all the signage was updated. The new

The Lake Shore Santa Claus Parade never fails to amuse me. It's literally the same floats every year, but it's so damn convenient I can't miss it. My favourite float every year is the Hillbilly float. I took a few photos to show you what you're missing.

Remember when you asked your child what they wanted to be  when they grow up when they were younger? Any answer was endearing—maybe they  said they wanted to be a doctor or a superhero.   That question is asked more often and seriously once kids become  teenagers in high school.