Champloo

To The Point...

2007-05-06T14:45:00.000-04:00

A little over the top but I like how they actually have the guts too show this sort of stuff on TV in in the UK; this one came from Ireland.....awesome.... very strong message here... would probably make some idiot young punks over here think twice.

Music Player Added

2007-05-06T13:48:00.000-04:00

Added a music player to the top of the Blog. Ill update it often, I'll usually put up stuff that reflects my moods, to what Im into, or just good tunes, etc. etc.

Cheers.

M ore Thoughts...

2007-04-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

Woke up this morning and the drive into work today was me spending time thinking and reflecting about life, me and other things..

Don't know why but something doesn't feel right... for some reason I have this ever increasing thought that something is missing in my life. Crazy thing is I'm not even sure what it is... what I can make out from it is I feel like there is something I should be doing or trying to do. Don't get me wrong for the most part things are OK. I mean sure .....I'm not going to come out here and say raising kids is easy and its the reason why I'm here, it's not easy at all but I tolerate it. I love my kids and my wife no question but it just takes up soooo much of my free time which is next to Nil. However being there for my kids is something that I want to do.. I never really had my dad spend time with me simply because back then times were different. My dad needed to work like a dog for 7 days a week, 2 jobs back to back to make a life for us and I don't want that for mine.

So I dunno...... either its my job, or just going through the daily grind which can be so repetitive. Basically I don't want to be 50 and realize that all I've done in my life is what was required. I gotta start thinking about making time for me and I don't mean going out for a pint or a coffee, whatever it is it has to have some significance to who and what I am as a person. I've made a promise to myself to start taking the time to figuring it out.

I remember back in the day when I was a Chief Video Editor that I was a pretty happy guy. In my heart I consider myself an artist with expressing my feelings with visual imagery. Just because I can't draw or paint doesn't mean I wasn't able to artistically express myself. I used to grab a SLR or a Video Camera and go out and shoot things come home and then paint my picture via editing. Why and I blabbing all this? Cause its one of the first things that came to mind in regards to start doing something with meaning for me.

On the flip side, I took a moment to think about the things all good in my life. I can honestly say that in regards to the people in my life I'm a really lucky guy. EVERYONE that I've met or is a part of my life whether it be family or friends all mean a huge deal to me. They are largely parts of my thoughts when I think about things in my past and for that I'm truly grateful. Without all of these people in my life I wouldn't be who I am today. Of course life is about many different things in regards to how a person is who they is but friends and family is def at the top of the list for me.

Sorry for the lack of structured thought but either way I just wanted to share.

Just remember to never regret what you've done and don't be afraid of doing things. Never let someone tell you that it can't be done and fuck all the haters. Disclaimer: None of this is new to any of you I'm sure but wanted to remind you of it regardless.

Cheers.

Boston...

2007-04-03T11:17:00.000-04:00

Woke up today really missing everyone out in Boston... no not the entire place just my family thats out there.

Dont know if they visit my blog... but either way just wanted you guys to know I miss and love you guys very much.

Cheers.

Cool Documentary...

2007-03-28T15:15:00.000-04:00

This is the sort of stuff I struggle with alot when it comes to life... I like the visuals.

Finally... someone has the guts to shut his ass up.

2007-03-27T12:16:00.000-04:00

The Video Speaks For Itself

2007-03-23T11:44:00.001-04:00

Cool Vid...

2007-02-26T14:25:00.000-05:00

RAWK

Taggin just got whack....

2007-02-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is without a doubt the coolest shit I have ever seen...

Now all i need to do is figure out how to get one.. CN Tower here I come.

Doll Face...

2007-01-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Don't know why but this peice calms my soul.... the sound track really sets me at ease... the mix of the disturbing imagery and music makes this an excellent piece. Well done Andy Huang.

Here's the clip and below is a description of it.

Doll Face follows a machine’s struggle to construct its own identity. The machine with a doll face mimics images presented on a television screen and ultimately self-destructs from its inability to adopt a satisfactory visage. Created in its entirety by Andy Huang, Doll Face presents a visual account of desires misplaced and identities fractured by our technological extension into the future.

From The Frames...

2007-01-03T11:23:00.000-05:00

Cool little site which post shots of peoples veiws from outside their home windows.

2007....

2007-01-03T09:55:00.000-05:00

Been a while since I posted up here. Been really busy on every front of my life lately. Since the last time I've been on here Ive started up a new company, entered into "The Great Canadian Video Game Competition" (which we get word from Jan 15th if we made it in or not) and have a potential deal with another company to crank out some games.

Other than that things have been up and down on the personal side of things. I look back on 2006 and overall its been a pretty good year. New house, new job, new kid and overall good health. Im looking forward to this year and to what it may bring and Im going into this year with a different outlook on life. I'm going to make an effort to just try and enjoy things a little more.. big or small and not worry about things as much. At the end of the day things usually work out and its not worth getting stressed over things.

I sincerely wish all of my freinds and family a good yeard for 2007 and there isnt a day where I dont think about you guys at least once.

Cheers and be good.

Stay tuned for more on the life of me.

American Rhetoric

2006-11-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

Found a cool site that has a huge repository of speeches that you can listen to in audio format. There are vids too. Everything from speeches from political leaders to audio clips from some classic films as well. Everything from Ghandi to Ab Lincoln and unfortunatley George Bush.

Good time killer during lunch at the office.

New Spidey 3 Trailer!!

2006-11-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Here's another Spidey trailer.... this is a must see on my list.

Woot.

All you need to know about Tetris...

2006-11-09T11:21:00.000-05:00

I found this documentary puzzling at first considering the content is about Tetris... but I found it really interesting...

Check it.

Crazy Website...

2006-10-27T14:39:00.001-04:00

This has to be one of the most interesting designs for a website I have seen in a long time.

Check it.

Updated 300 Trailer .... WOOT

2006-10-05T10:22:00.000-04:00

Check it.

Sick Puppies...

2006-10-02T14:15:00.000-04:00

SICK PUPPIES NEW VIDEO - "MY WORLD"

For some reason I really like this band. Out from down under... and as a little side note the bassist is HOT. ;)

Here's there site Sick Puppies they got a few videos on there.

Frank Miller's 300

2006-09-22T09:29:00.000-04:00

300

This one is a must see. I've read alot of Frank Miller Trades and hes one of the best in the business.

Cheers

In Memory Of Tanya

2006-09-22T00:20:00.000-04:00

Today marks 1 year from the day that we lost a very special person. She left us too soon. I miss her alot, there is not a single day that goes by where I dont think about her at least once. Ive had the honor of seeing her a alot before she passed and the times that I've spent with her and Gaz are moments that I will NEVER forget. Both have always treated me like family and that is what they both have become for me.

She was truly a compasionate person who cared deeply about those she loved.

It is Russian tradition to drink to those we lost on their Birthdays and Yearly anneversary of their deaths. Cheers to you Tanya... I miss you.

RIP Zio Angelo..

2006-09-06T10:43:00.001-04:00

My Uncle passed away last night On Spetember 5th 2006 at 11:45pm. The cancer finally took its hold and it was too much for him to take. He's the last of my Uncle's that immigrated to the U.S. I last saw him when I went out there a few months ago and spent some really good time with him for a week. He told me on the day that I left "thanks for coming here.. I always thought of you like a son and you gave me life while you were here to visit me.". My Uncle was a straight shooter and cared immensley about our family. He always tried to do things right and to the best of his ability. When he was a child he really had it rough, being a kid growing up in Italy 50 years ago wasnt really alot of fun. His Dad (My Grandfather) was a really tough man, not because he was a prick but it was just different times back then. Either way he grew up to be one of the best people I know and I always considered him to be like a father to me. Funny thing is though when I got the news last night I didnt even shed a tear.... I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I've become so numb to losing people in my life that I don't even outwardly react to it anymore. Im really going to miss him and I dont ever think going back to Boston will ever be the same. R.I.P. Zio

SAW III

2006-08-25T10:25:00.000-04:00

Second release wasnt that great. This looks like it has some good gore potential but I aint holdin my breath.

Check out the trailer on the Official Saw III site.

Spin Dj....

2006-08-14T10:29:00.000-04:00

Love this vid..

New Ferrari...

2006-08-14T10:13:00.000-04:00

All I can say is SICK.

OkGo

2006-08-04T13:34:00.000-04:00

I like the song and the vid is actually kinda funny/cool. The band is called OkGo here is their site if you like the tune.

New Gig...

2006-08-04T11:16:00.000-04:00

Long while since I've posted here, sorry about that.

Things have been crazy busy but good. Its been a long time comin and I have been working on some stuff for a while now but as of 2 weeks ago I have decided to start my own company. For obvious reasons Im not going into any detail about it but its a gaming company. Yes I know Im getting into one of the most competitive markets out there but the concept of the game is incredibly unique and there is nothing out there like it.

Ive gathered a team of people that are already working on it and hopefully within six months we should have a demo ready to present to investors and publishers. If things work out this could change my life completely along with many people that I know cause there are alot on my list that I will approach when the time is right.

Wife and kids or ok... my social life is at 0, I've pissed off a few of my closest freinds cause I havent been around much. Going to start to make a better effort at sticking my head out of my ass soon.

Cheers.

Infiltration.org

2006-07-19T23:45:00.000-04:00

Friend of mine told me about this site today and I'm hooked on it like crack. Makes for a good read.

Here's a description from the home page.

"Infiltration offers a mix of the practice and theory of urban exploration in areas not designed for public usage. This site is the online companion of the paper zine about going places you're not supposed to go. "

Check IT.

Kid Beyond....

2006-07-12T17:17:00.000-04:00

This mofo is crazy... lately I've been watching alot of beatbox shite on You Tube... this guy throws and interesting spin though. He uses Abelton Live which is a sick sampling app. He basically break beats his own samples... and using Abelton live he can loop his samples live throwing layer after layer until hes got his mix. This vid below shows an example of that... he throws his own mix of a wicked Portishead beat.

Here's a better example of how he does it.

Since I'm on the topic of Beatbox this guy is wicked too..

Crazy..

WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS

2006-07-10T09:36:00.000-04:00

Woooot!

We won the World Cup, its been a long time coming and they did it. Im a little sad now that its all over but to all my freinds who watched us win .... I hope you took notes :P

It went to a shoot out and its not the best way to win but those are the rules that FIFA decided to go with. Either way we nailed all 5 of our shots which is good enough for me. Zidane is an idiot. Your last game as a footy player and you get your ass thrown out of the game. His actions resulted in taking any little chance of France winning and flushed it down the tubes. IDIOT.

In the end it was nice taking the CUP and doing what all the other teams couldnt do... WIN.

Cheers.

Hardware Accelerated Physics....

2006-06-30T10:26:00.000-04:00

By this time next year there will be cards and games that will be incorporated into Direct X that will be using video cards that will handle all the physics... Check out some of the demos.... . Apparently there are some MMO's that will be the first to take advantage of this shit. Right now Ageia is one of the first manufacturers.

Now obviously there is nothing that big in the demos.. BUT if you read articles about this shit... this is going to totally change games in crazy ways...

Check them out....

1
2
3

Cheers

Ask A Ninja..

2006-06-29T01:15:00.000-04:00

This guy is funny as hell...hes got about 22 different videos on his site now. Good "something to watch while eating your lunch at the office" shite.

This clip is titled "Ninja Excuses".

LMFAO

New Spidey 3 Trailer!!

2006-06-28T10:10:00.000-04:00

Ok I know that this is 2 postings in a row about movies but they just released the new Spidey 3 Trailer and it looks sick!!!

They say that Topher Grace will be playing Venom which should be pretty cool.

**Update on Superman Returns:

The film was fantastic.. mind you I still dont see where the 263 Million was spent but none the less it looks fantastic. Much better than the last installment with Christopher Reeves which was terrible. They are definitley on to something with this new version and you can bet that there will be sequels to follow.

Cheers.

The 263 Million Dollar Movie.....

2006-06-27T10:47:00.000-04:00

Hit play to see the latest trailer.

Superman Returns apparently costs about 263 Million dollars which makes this the most expensive movie ever. WTF, did they actually design a suit that can actually make him fly? Crazy....At this rate Im willing to bet that 10 years from now we will hear about the first film with a 1 Billion dollar budget, and when you consider what top grossing films cost to make 10 years ago I don't think I'm far off.

Ill admit I am excited to see this film, but my level of expectation is going to be very high especially with this sort of budget. The problem I find today is that with the current CG technologies out there anything can be done in films... The problem is though that they focus so much on visual effects and layer it on top of shitty story lines.

Lets see what 263 million does this time around.

**Update: Just got tickets to go tonight to an advanced IMAX screening. WOOT.

Its A Boy :)

2006-06-21T10:04:00.000-04:00

Well on June 14th at 9:09 pm my son Nicholas was born.

Things went perfectly well, my wife and son are great and life right now couldn't be better. Sleep is far and few between and its gonna be rough for a bit but its all worth it.

Dont have alot of time to say anything more but Ill pick up on my Blog once things setlle down.

Cheers.

Its Almost Time...

2006-06-13T10:21:00.000-04:00

Well it looks like in a matter of a day or two Im gonna be a Father again. My wife just got back from her weekly checkup yesterday and they informed her that tomorrow she could be brought in and have a C section. The story is that over the last few months her emniotic fluid levels have been dropping consistently and now its arriving to the point that there is not enough. Its nothing serious and thankfully we were due in another 2 weeks anyway which is why its alright either way.

Ill post up here if and when it happens.

Cheers.

Crazy...

2006-06-09T11:22:00.000-04:00

Wish I was half as good as that....

I saw this a while ago but none the less still crazy. This guy is from Paris. They got a crazy breakdance scene happening out there.

Check it.

Here is another Paris breakdance scene .... addictive beat and good moves. Love seein chicks break.

World Cup Is Here!!!!!

2006-06-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

World Cup...

The time is upon us where the entire world comes together to compete and play in one of the worlds greatest sports..... footy/soccer/foootball. Of course being Italian and all.. (not sure if thats a good thing) :p Im rooting for Italy but the likelyhood of them wining it this time is a little shady.

Brasil and Portugal are playing very well and I think it may come down to one of those 2 teams. But hey anything can happen, Brasil happens to have my favorite player who I think is the best the sport has and will ever see for a long time, Ronaldinho.

At any rate its about wathcing the games, drinking lots of pints, lots of barbeque eats and lots of trash talking.

I wonder what England or Greece is doin.... heh. Suckas.

Booya.

Update...

2006-05-31T10:14:00.000-04:00

Havent posted in a while.. lots of things goin on.

So far everything is lookin on the up and up. Stuff with the pregnancy has settled down a bit meaning no more negative news. Overall things are looking really good and its hard to believe that we are within a month of having another kid. Gotta get in as much free time in as I can before number 2 arrives :p

Saw X-men 3 last night. All I can say about it was bleh. Dont want to spoil it for anyone who hasnt seen it so I wont say anything other than I expected a bit more out of it. The characters were cool and there was some cool stuff but the story was a hard pill to swallow since it doesnt reflect how the Dark Phoenix Saga really was written out.

Anyshit other than that things are good.

Peace.

Pipe Dream

2006-05-24T09:32:00.000-04:00

Very cool check it out.

Must have taken a really long time to do.

Rough Night

2006-05-16T10:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday while I was at work I got a call from the wife who was coming back from a routine ultrasound for the new baby. Well apparentley there are a few things that they are not sure of. They noticed that she was low in regards to emniotic fluid which basically means it can cause all sorts of trauma to the baby. The other is they noticed (and are not sure yet) that the baby may have club feet. The club feet thing is completeley fixable in MOST cases, and you would never know that a person has had it.

We gotta head out to see a specialist tomorrow to get some answers. Im a little worried but not that much, whatever way it turns out it turns out. I gotta keep a positive attitude and deal with whatever happens. Felt bad for my wife cause she really was worried about the baby and all. Tough to be strong for your partner when your a little nervous about the situation too.

We had a similar situation with our first kid, they werent sure of some things they saw in the Ultrasound but it turned out to be nothing. Which is not surprising since the images are not entirely easy to read.

Anyshit.. you'll hear more about it when I do. Gotta keep my mind off this. Wish I had a smoke in my pocket.

Cheers.

E3

2006-05-11T09:18:00.000-04:00

Just realized yesterday that E3 is now on once again and I'm not there this year :( I had a very rare and lucky opprounity to go there when I was with I-mmersion. For anyone who is into games this is the pincale event to be at to get sneak peaks at just about anything PC/Console and anything in between game related. To top it all off it was in California which was a huge bonus.

When I was there last year I got tons of free shit like t-shirts, saw the 360 and PS3 and tons of hot models :p My wife really enjoyed that pic. ;)

Cheers.

STFU...

2006-05-08T23:12:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest problems I have is that I am too genuine with my emotions. I speak how I feel with the expectation that the person on the other end will just simply understand. I also sometimes have the idiotic ecpectation that my freinds are on the same wavelength as I am or what I say will never be met with any sort of retaliation or question.

I gotta learn that sometimes its best to just keep certain things to myself no matter how good of an intention I had by sharing my deepest thoughts.

All this has just today sparked a series of things that I just recentley started to realize.

More to come tomorrow Im sure.

Cheers.

Idiot Driver...

2006-05-04T09:46:00.000-04:00

Driving down the 404 south this morning minding my own business. Im in the fast lane doin about I dunno 120 or so. Theres this guy in a Silver Grand Am doing about 100, I figured no big deal I'll slow down and just keep going, I didnt ride right up his ass like most people would do since it is the FAST lane.

What does the moron do... looks in his rear view mirror and gives me the finger. I don't know why but for no reason at all I snapped. I mean I did squat to this guy and he flips me the brid. You know when you have alot of stress sorta tucked away and the once in a while the stupidest thing can set you off? Well this did.

Idiot ran out of luck cause low and behold in front of us was bumper to bumper traffic approaching. As soon as the cars stop this fuck gets out of his car and walks up to mine and says...."you dont own the road and if you expected me to move out of the fast lane your fucking kidding yourself".

*SNAP*

I get out and tell the fuck he has about a second to get in his car or its going to become a really bad day for both of us. Yes I know... not the "toughest thing" you were expecting me to say or do... considering those who have known me for a long time have seen/heard what I used to do in shit like this. So he was smart enough to listen and crawled back to his ride.

I don't get it... really. I realize this guy could have been a real nut case but what makes him think that I couldn't have been? Some fucking people serioulsly need to chill. Makes me wish it was like the old western days where if someone even tried looking at you the wrong way they get a fucking bullet between the eyes.

Motherfuckers. After today I now officaly despise people who drive Grand Ams. :p

Peace.

Humbled...

2006-05-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

Been a while since I posted... just had a lot of stuff happening all at once.

I just got back from visiting my Uncle out in Boston which was a humbling experience for me. To sit and talk to someone who has been given an approxiamte due date for how many days you have left is sad beyond words.

About 3 months ago he was diagnosed with level 3B lung cancer which in plain english means he has the second highest stage of cancer which is in both of his lungs. Hes been a smoker for about 50 years.... not going to get into anti smoking campagins but I'm glad I quit.... not fucking worth it.

Ive known him all my life and in these short 5 days that I was there I'll neer forget the good talks we had. Hes always been a caring person for his family and never let anyone down when they needed him. He should be done his chemo/radiation treatments this week and if the docotors tell him he can leave the country for a bit hes going to go to Italy with my dad which is cool considering he hasnt been back there in about 40 years and hes got a brother out there.

Anyshit Im glad but Im really glad that I got to see him but I'm really bummed out. Just sorta reminds me that I got to keep livin my life like everyday was the last..... funny thing is I dont know if I am.

Silent Hill.....Woot.

2006-04-20T10:37:00.000-04:00

Finally.

Been waiting to see this one forever and it looks pretty good. The best part is its Rated R which means it wont be a high school horror flick. Ive played all the games on PC for it and those used to scare the crap outta me.

Ill let you know how it was.

More about it here in case you havent seen or heard of it.

Scotland...

2006-04-13T09:10:00.000-04:00

Was watching a show on the Travel channel last night called "Don't Forget Your Passport" and it was all about Scotland. Ive been to quite a few places and Scotland is top on my list of of places that I want to get to.

What really sucked is I was staring right at it when I was in Ireland standing of a cliff at The Giants Causeway which was absolutley breathtaking btw). Don't get me wrong Norhern Ireland was wicked but Scotland looks to be way more rich in historic museums and castles which is one of my passions.

Plus I think 1 of the museums acutally displays what may be the actual sword that William Wallace carried? Unless I get another job that invovles travel and they need something done out there I dont think Ill be heading out there anytime soon. But I will get there one day..............I hope. ;)

Cheers.

Ordinary

2006-04-11T10:26:00.000-04:00

Funny how alot of the times I spend thinking about the past. For some reason I find myself wishing I could turn the clock back to relive some really memorable moments. What hurts is the reality of all this is they are going to stay exactly that... Memories.

I miss alot of friends and places that I have been to in the last couple of years. The last 3-4 years of my life have undoubtedly been the pinnacle of life time events for me. All the way from family, to friends and work.

Scary thing is I sorta get freaked out about not really knowing what the future holds for me. Just hope that its not "ordinary".

Hrmph.

............

2006-04-10T07:56:00.000-04:00

Been what now...... almost 2 1/2 months? For some reason this past weekend I have been cravin to have a smoke more than ever. Weird .... you figure after all this time of stopping cold turkey you wouldn't really think about it that much anymore. Bleh...

This weekend was OK I guess. Most of it was work around the house... fun stuff ya know... *sigh*.
But there comes a point where shit needs to get done and you just have to sorta do it...

Other than that I got my ass handed to me in poker... got robbed on the river 3 times. Guess luck wasnt on my side too much.... which really isnt that different from any other day when I think about it.... ;)

Headin out to Boston for about 4 days to go and visit my Uncle whos prolly not going to make it past the end of this year in a few weeks. It will be good to spend some quality time with the guy.

Cheers.

Me Wants It.....

2006-04-05T09:11:00.000-04:00

Cool..... looks like there is going to be a Bluetooth Video Ipod. Bout time too... one quirk with my Ipod is the wires on my headset. Hate em, with all the wireless technology goin on today I guess Im spoiled.

They talk about the ability to also broadcast what your playing... so basically if another bluetooth I-Pod user is around they can tune in. Other thing was the ability to transfer songs from one BT Ipod User to another.

Check it.

Cheers.

Crazy Friday....

2006-04-03T14:17:00.000-04:00

Friday was a bit of a blur...

Started out busy from the time that I woke up. But turned pretty scary towards the end of the night. All was good, I was on my way to G's for the party and then I get a call from my wife who was concerned. Turns out that she started leaking some fluid, well this is a really bad thing considering shes only 5 months pregnant. Having her go into labour this soon is really bad news.

I was already 2/3 of the way to G's house but I turned right around and went to meet my wife at the hospital. They took her in right away and started monitoring her for contractions and a bunch of other tests. Turns out that everything was ok, and Im very relieved.

First time in a while that I ever got that scared about anything.

Got back @ around 1130 pm and the crazy fool that I am I decided to head to G's again (crazy cause Im all the way in Newmarket and she is downton Toronto.) Didnt really get to talk to very many people but it was nice to see them regardless.

Anyshit thats pretty much it... other than that I got to spend all day Sunday with my son and I really enjoyed it. The wife was out and me and my boy got to spend some quality time with each other.

And of course Im still playin Oblivion every night and the game just keeps getting more and more SICK.

Cheers.

Broke The 10 Pound Marker.....

2006-03-30T09:06:00.000-05:00

Threw myself on the scale this morning and I broke ten pounds... so far in 1 month of being healthy I lost 12.5 pounds and its friggin great. I can start fitting into clothes that I thought were going to end up in the Salvation Army box ;)

Feels good though and really motivates me to keep going. Its not easy and does take a huge amount of dedication but seeing the weight go is enough to keep going. I dont slave myself either though.. I mean I dont feel guilty about eating a burger and shit, the key for me is as long as I remain consistent overall with eating and working out Im good.

Past couple of days have been quiet, other than lovin the weather things are good.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at G's place tomorrow night. Been way too long since I've seen or spoken to any of the old crew.

Cheers.

Warm Is Good...

2006-03-27T13:06:00.000-05:00

Every day during my lunch hour I walk. Nice one too cause I go down on Yonge from Summerhill to about Bloor and back again. I think its pretty safe to say that winter is over, I dont know why but for me.... this years winter (even though it was the mildest in Canadian recorded history) seemed to be a real long one.

Nice weather like today really lifts my spirits up... and it really motivates me to do more with my life in all aspects. Alot is going to change for me soon, second kid is due in July so its going to be a busy/crazy year. But Im looking forward to the arrival of our new family member.

Anyway... the weekend was cool, nothing too speacial. Just chilled out, ate lots of slouvaki fresh off the bbq at my borther in laws place and put a new toy in my car on Sunday :p Threw on a new wastgate actuator.. gives a little more boost. Me likey.

Peace.

New Cell Phone.. .. Woot!

2006-03-24T11:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know me I go through cell phones like a hooker. Im getting the Sony Ericson w600i sent out to me sometime next week. For the most part I've always had Motorola's but this time I figured I try soemthing different. I like the swivel design of it and the cool thing is that it comes with 256mb of memory for music which is pretty good. (Mind you I do have an I-Pod but I use that mainly for my car which is killer.) Quad band phone, Bluetooth and all the other usual gadgets. The software has some really cool features too so it should be a nice peice.

Anyway thats it..... have a good weekend mofo's.

Cheers.

Props To My Boy Hexonxonx

2006-03-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

He shall remain nameless for security reasons... :p But one of my best friends just got engaged. Couldn't be happier for the guy... I've known him for almost 14 years now... and he's someone that I consider one of the most straight up mother fuckers out there.

Always has been there when I needed him and when I need some straight up advice or just to hear someone calm me down and make me feel better he's the guy. Only other person that does that for me is my wife so this is saying alot.

I've met alot of his past gf's but when I met E (his chick) it was kinda fucked actually. For the first time I knew right away that this is the one for him. I guess when you know someone well and for a long time shit like that just happens.

These 2 are good for each other and its really cool that they want to jump off the ship together. When I first found out I was really happy, he deserves someone like E in his life and its about fucking time too.

FYI: Excuse the excessive profanity... :p

Worda

My Eyes Hurt...

2006-03-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

Because I played Oblivion for hours... Not going to rehash this post about Oblivion but its the first time in a long time that I really cant wait to get back home and disregard my wife and child and play games till I drop.. ;) Just kidding about the wife/kid thing.....maybe?

Im tired... but shit was it worth it. Longs nights and lots of coffee is ahead of me.

Cheers.

Poker Update/Weekend

2006-03-20T08:57:00.000-05:00

This weekend turned out pretty good. Friday night was the big poker game... from what I can remember Dmitri the shark who has only played twice won a game and finished top three in the next two rounds...(RUSSIAN SHARK). Yours truly (of course) won a game and decided to go easy and let others win so they come back next time ;) James was the other winner. Elliott/Ron may as well have been dealers cause they got 0WnZ3d like little school girls with bad hair dudes wearing pink scrunchy socks. Ron's only useful purpose was that he brought over a bottle of wine ;) The next one is at my Brother-In-Laws house 1st week of April so it gives people some time to practice... Ron dont bother....practice won't help you :p Just bring more wine.

Other than that, had a barbeque on the weekend and spent time with the wife and kids. Weekends are too short....

Wicked.... Intelligent Table...

2006-03-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

Have a look... at Panasonic's concept of what they call the Intelligent Table... CRAZY CRAZY. Watch the video... her english is hard to understand at times... but I love the way they have redifined what an interface can look like.

Don't want to to spoil it but have a look.... this sorta stuff is incredible. Screw VISTA .... this is the shit.

Cheers.

OBLIVION

2006-03-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

Can't wait.... they say March 20th but I'm not going to hold my breath. If your l33t like me... ;) you'll know what I'm talking about. If not then its all about OBLIVION and its going to totally kick ass. I've played the first 3 from the Elder Scrolls series and this one is supposed to be a huge leap ahead from the last one.

Its not a MMORPG but it plays like one. Problem is if I want to see this game in all its glory I'm going to need at least a 256 MB card. I'm still sporting a 9800 PRO which will still do the job hopefully.

So pretty soon Ill will admit to be wasting a good portion of my life in front of my PC pretending to be some stout Knight wielding a huge Broad Sword 0wnzing everything in my path... until the wife calls for me to go and change my son's diaper......... ahem.

Random Thoughts From My Soul....

2006-03-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's post reminded me of something that I wrote about 3 years ago..

Enjoy.

My life is what exactly? A test? A puzzle? A game? 28 years old and at least half of that I have been asking myself those questions... and to no avail I am no closer to the answer than I was years ago. There are times when I feel as if though I’m just another insignificant being lost in a bowl of soup trying to stay afloat.
But when I take a moment and just stop.....

Like a sponge I soak a rush of emotion, and for that one moment I realize just how careless I am at understanding the simple things.... The smell of the air....The warmth of the sun on my face...The sound of the wind and the sway of the trees....The moon and the jewels that fill the night sky only to be replaced by the next morning’s mystical awakening as the sun returns to its rightful place...

Its then that I come to understand one thing.....the example of how nature and its many elements are all part of each other to make the canvas we inhabit such a place to be....with out one there is no equilibrium. This is what keeps me going; this is what gives me a firm grip on that rocky ledge... MY equilibrium.

My life is composed of many elements. All that I am is composed of the people that I surround myself with, the people who have left such a mark on my life that they are somehow a part of me wherever I go. A feeling, a scent, even a sound can trigger a memory from long ago. Its these people in my life that are my elements...my jewels in the sky....

Will I be remembered centuries after I am gone?....probably not. Does it matter? No. My mark that I leave in this life is not deep enough to remain. Like sand in the shores of the ocean my small legacy will be washed away only to be replaced by many others which will come and go. There are times that I wish that there are things that I can do for this world, something that all will remember me by forever.

One thing I am certain of is this...to say that I have been given the chance to live is the greatest thing of all.
And when that dark cloud of insecurity comes round from time to time; is when I take a moment and just stop.......

Random thoughts from my Soul on the 9th day of December in the year 2003.

Brain Dump...

2006-03-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

Highschool seems like yesterday, I'm in my 30's, I have a wife and son with a second kid on the way. Where the F did the last 10 years of my life go. I'm lovin life to the fullest these days... but when I take a seat and sit back and realize just how fast time flys its almost kind of scary.

My Dad used to tell me "it feels like yesterday when I was your age". I used to laugh that off and think my Dad is going through his mid-life crisis, but I actually believe him now. I look back on my life these days and realize that I have had some really good times... with my wife... my kid... my family... and my friends. It makes me sad too that some moments in a persons life especially the really good ones are just a memory and nothing more. I used to not really absorb things while "in the moment" but I started changing that. In the last couple of years I savor and commit the most minute details. I wish there was a way to turn back the clock and relive those moments, but life just doesn't work that way.

Daryl... a man I used to know who at the time was dying once told me "its funny how we take thing for granted... you got to really appreciate the simple things in life, think about it; When was the last time you sat and watched the moon for an hour?... Or wake up early to watch the sun rise?" I do that from time to time, Daryl was right even 2 simple things like that can be pretty amazing. I wonder what the next 10 years of my life will hold, hopefully good things and I'm sure there will be some bad things too. Either way I'm lookin forward to it.

Cheers.

Poker Night....and blah blah blah....

2006-03-12T00:49:00.000-05:00

Next week is poker night at my place..... this time Im gonna 0WNZ... last time (about a month ago with these guys) was a complete disaster.. heh. Ron actually took me out for the first time ever. Crazy thing is last week I played I won all 3 games and threw every single player out on the table in all 3 games. Hopefully my opponents will read this and become afraid. Please work...:p

Anyshit its cool to have a bunch of idiots like us get together drink beer and act like we are all professional poker players... I think the only good thing we do on these events is drink beer....

Just got back from having a coffee with Elliott. Its late but I'm wired, Goddam Tim Horton's coffee...

Gonna watch some anime to kill some time.. BTW speakin of Anime... check out Appleseed if you got sime time. (Props to Vicki for tellin me about it.) Good shite... really cool artwork.

Cheers.

Feelin It....

2006-03-10T10:18:00.000-05:00

Today is a good day.... woke up and I actually feel better than I ever have in my entire life. Both physically and mentally and it really has to do with all the changes I've been makin for about a month and a half now. So far I've lost about 8 pounds now in 3 weeks and I'm starting to notice it.

All this because I have the time to focus on myself for the first time in 3 years. If you turn the clock back, I never had that chance with a job that required ALOT of travel. Plus a new kid really takes up your time in ways you can't imagine...unless you have one too;) Now I can actually make long term personal goals both for me and my family. Things really couldn't be better.... Going out with the wife tonight, taking her out to dinner and a movie. Shes been going through a tough time and some really scary moments and alot of unknowns for us in this pregnancy. Its been a while since we have had a chance to do this with the new house and kid so Im lookin forward to that. She deserves alot more after everything shes gone through.

On a small note... I learned a really valuable lesson about friendship today.... funny thing is I thought I knew it all when it comes to that shit. Won't get into it but its really bizarre what insecurity can do to a person... almost sad. Don't ask me who or what either not gonna give out that much detail.. I'll just move on. But fuck it... everyone who KNOWS ME will tell you how loyal and caring I am when it comes to people. And the lesson learned for me is... "care and invest time in people who DO the same for you" that's when its worth giving a shit about someone. I've been blessed and I am very grateful to say I am surrounded by a lot of good people in my life.

Anyhow... Now that spring is around the corner it means I can start workin on my ride... its one of my most passionate hobbies. Yeah yeah... there are 2 people I can think of off the top of my head.... ahem Ron & Elliott ;) that are prolly sayin "Christ here we go again.." but hell what can I say. Now that I don't smoke I got to put the cash somewhere no? Besides... can't let my boy Alex... do what he did to me 2 nights ago. We have the same ride (SRT-4) and he just finished his Stage 3 kit.. fastest thing I have ever seen on the road... best part is its reliable horsepower and emission friendly.

Last thing .. Since I've been on transit again for getting into work I've been blazing through books. Already read about 5 novels in the past month... so Ill put out a word on what I think of some of the stuff. Most recent one I finished was the entire "Chronicles of Narnia" from C.S. Lewis.. not bad. Some parts of the book were really long winded but overall its worth a read if you got time and your into that genre. Ill rent it when it comes out on DVD.

Cheers.

What Will They Think Of Next....

2006-03-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

First it was a man made island which sports an airport and now An Indoor Climate Controlled Beach ..... These guys are KING when it comes to this sorta crap. Good God. What in the hell are they going to think of next...

Cheers.

Tat

2006-03-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

I wan't another one...

No I'm not going to end up with full sleeves... just a few more :p I got some cool designs that I want to show the artist. Think its going to be on my left forearm this time or upper left.. not entirely sure.

By the time I get around to it will be done by April/May. Cause that's when I may have some coin to do it.. heh.

Now all I need to do is convince the wife... Naaa I'll just do it like I did the other 2, show and up and say "Hey babe check this out!" ;)

All of my tattoos were not done in T.O. So if anyone knows of really reputable Tattoo shops here in Toronto please let me know!

When it happens Ill post pics.

Cheers.

Goodbye Long Distance Charges..

2006-03-08T09:59:00.000-05:00

Since Ive moved to the Upper North end .. Newmarket... which is only 40 mins from downtown... so kiss my ass ;) I've had to deal with long distance charges left right and center. The only place I could call without having to place a long distance call was Newmarket... heh or Richmond Hill.

Well as of yesterday I finally got my new gear from Vonage. ITS SWEET. When I used to travel alot @ my last job I used Skpe, which was great because it used VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) which allowed me to call any land line using my laptop. Well Vonage is the same thing.. except they hook you up with a Router which connects to your high speed router and from that I run a phone line out to my phone. I ran out grabbed one of those 3 base cordless phones... and Im all set up now.

You get every feature you can think of... and ANYWHERE in North America is treated as a local call. If my interent connection goes down at home.. it will automatically forward any incoming calls to my cell phone.

Another cool thing is I was able to choose any area code number in Ontario... So I grabbed a 416 number which is sweet! Now I dont have to deal with people calling my cell 24/7 cause they dont want to call my land line. The really cool shit is that from my login page on Vonage I set anything up from there and even check my voicemail to if I wish. It goes as far as emailing me to notify me that I have a voicemail if I want as well.

Called my cuz in Boston last night and chatted him up for almost an hour and didnt pay a red cent in long distance fees... Its costing me 39.99 a month which is cheaper than what I was payin through Rogers monthly and that does not include my long distance fees I was rackin up.

Cheers.

I Think I'm Turning Japanese I Really Think So...

2006-03-08T09:16:00.000-05:00

Ok... not really. However what I have been doing for the past month or so is trying to learn Japanese. All of it, from learning to read, speak and write it. I took a trip down to Japan for my last job and since then I have found a new respect for the Japanese culture.

Its dam hard though... there are times where I think WTF am I doing this for but.. hey why not. I do plan on going back there one day for sure. Plus if I get good at it Ill be able to watch Samurai Champloo with no subtitles one day.. :p

単語

The works of Joshua Davis and Stardust TV....

2006-03-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite all time artists got a spot in Wired Magazine. I have been following Joshua Davis and his work for quite some time now. To me he is the modern day artist with a vision that is rarely seen.

Take a look at some of his website designs and more importantly his prints... specifically the one for his latests works for BMW. And one of my favorites..Once Upon A Forest .

He's also done work for Stardust TV's webiste which is a Media Company that I am a HUGE FAN of. If you go to the site check out the Reel Tab on the left and watch their reel called Moving In Stereo. These guys have done some work with some of the most brilliant artists in the media industy today.

Many of you have prolly seen some of the spots they have done, my favorite one is their 60 sec L'Amour spot. Which can be seen under the Work tab on the left of their site.

Cheers.

When...is the question

2006-03-07T09:44:00.000-05:00

So I haven't had a cigarette for about 6 weeks now. Do I feel better physically? Yes. Do I feel better mentally? Nothings changed. Do I miss smoking? Your dam right I do. Yeah yeah I know, for those non-smokers out there I know your probably saying "how can people enjoy such a disgusting habit?". Well I don't expect you to understand and I don't care.. I really enjoyed having a coffee and a smoke, having a drink and socializing with people over a fresh cig, I just enjoyed it. But on the flip side of the coin there are a lot of positives with having quit; 1) I don't feel like a bag of shit when I wake up in the morning, definitley higher energy levels. 2) I can smell and taste things better... forgot what real flavor actually is. 3) Since I've quit I have been working out for almost 2 and a half weeks and I lost about 6 pounds and I'm still going strong. 4) Which is prolly the most significant I'm saving shit loads of cash. Not spending mula on smokes actually does make a big difference.

So why did I quit when I enjoyed it so much? I don't really know the real reason. What I do know is that over the past year I've been to alot of funerals. 3 people on my wife's side past away all at very young ages about late to early 60's, all from non-smoking related diseases. So does it mean that your really any better not smoking, bullshit. There are tons of people I know that have never smoked and die young. Hell today on the way into work I just heard on the radio that Christopher Reeves wife who was 44 never lived in a pollution infested city, never smoked and never surrounded herself with second hand smoke has died of lung cancer. Talk about getting screwed out of life. We all kick the bucket one day.. I do agree though that smoking will definitely catch up with you and if you intend to smoke till you drop there's a sure bet that you'll know what it is that will kill you, its the "when" that you don't know.

Yesterday I just found out that an Uncle of mine that I am very close to has Lung Cancer. Smoking... and he's 64. He's smoked for almost 50 years. I'm heart broken cause I really love that guy, and it hurts me to know that he's going out in a really painful way. They say it has already spread to his other lung and its gonna make is way to his brain.

So... not going to say smoking is good for you but you aint going to see me put anyone who does down. I'm actually a happy guy don't get me wrong.. I'm just a realist and in the end we all croak. Its a crap shoot really when you think about it. When is the question.

So why did I quit? I'm pretty sure its point number 4.

Ultra Violet

2006-03-06T09:46:00.000-05:00

I went out on Friday to see what I thought would have been the next Fifth Element. This was THE worst film I have ever seen. The previews were very misleading, hell the preview is better than the movie. The story line was stupid. The acting was terrible. The CG was some of the worst Ive seen. The costumes looked like they were put together by really bad WW2/Star Wars fanatics.

Milla Jovovich... your HOT but even that didnt help you this time..

Werd.

First Post

2006-03-03T13:55:00.000-05:00

Well here it is my first Blog... never thought I'd do this but here it is none the less. Anywho... I dont have time today to invest into anything here but Ill get started sometime soon now that I have it.

Cheers