It's Been So Long Since I've Posted Here

So I've been really busy. I'm starting grad school in the fall in a Book and Magazine Publishing program at Centennial College. I'm looking for some new digs. I thought I found an interesting spot today that was cheap and close to campus, but the landlord had a zero alcohol on premises clause, which I thought was too strict and also told me what kind of landlord he would be.

I've still been working in retail at the position I've had since I was let go of my job in the travel industry over a year ago, which led me to the desire of going back to school. Speaking of blogs, there was a woman in the store today trying to take advantage of our 50 per cent off Nike sale. the stipulations were that it was 50 per cent off the original price of non-new arrivals, accessories and basics. She became irate as the original price was $200 and we were offering the shoes for $100. Yet the shoes had been previously discounted to $175 and she was irate we wouldn't give her 50 per cent off $175. She stormed out yelling she'd have something to blog about tonight. I honestly can't wait to go back to do something truly productive for a living. It's well overdue.

I'm planning on holding a Rochdale Rhymes and Readings show on Sept. 3. So far I've booked RC Weslowski from Vancouver. Other features remain to be booked. I'm truly not sure how long the series will continue with how much I have on my plate. I'm planning at least an October show.

Down to the Underwire

So tonight I went and saw Ariel Platt's Down to the Underwire show at Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse. Every year, the Toronto Fringe Festival, which I'm a great supporter of, tends to have a few spoken word shows. A spoken word show at the Fringe is an incredible feat to put on as most sets at poetry/spoken word shows are about 20 minutes. At about 30 minutes, one is likely to say, "fuck this shit, I'm getting a beer." In Fringe festivals, etc., the average show is 45 minutes and up. This creates a serious challenge to a spoken word performer in engaging their audience for the whole set and Ariel manages to use seriousness as well as her great comedic ability and stage presence to leave the audience entertained and not looking at their watch in the shade under 45 minutes.

A recently weekly entertainment magazine reviewer gave this show a poor rating suggesting her poetry lacks emotion and substance, apart from her heart wrenching poem dealing with domestic violence. I have to disagree. I would not want to sit through 40-50 minutes of depressing stories. I want to be entertained, and Ariel does this quite successfully. I encourage spoken word fans to see see the show Thursday at 1:45, Friday at noon or Saturday at 7:30 (after the show you can come to the slam).

RIP Jacko

Yeah, let's be honest. You forgot about him until this evening. You forgot about his existence, or just mocked him. Now he's the biggest and greatest thing ever since he's gone. You can sort of compared this case to that of Judy Garland, in the fact she was playing in small clubs and gay bars up until her death and people came to her funeral in droves.

I never believed he was a child molester. It seemed everyone was just out for the lawsuit money and not to see justice brought. Finally after years, over ten years, he was charged, acquitted, everyone thought he got the OJ treatment, but I thought there were holes in the story of the family accusing him. I believed he was eccentric to the point of lunacy, but not a criminal.

But it was fun listening to cars on Yonge blast MJ tunes out their window today. Thriller was as big of a holiday hit as any Bing Crosby song, even if it was for a totally different holiday.

RIP

The Jays should just move

I've written about my love of the Toronto Blue Jays on here before. I was at the game tonight. Yes there are factors to take into account, such as they were playing the Cincinnati Reds, a sold out Major League Soccer game was happening across town, and the fact last night was a discount ticket night, but they only drew 15,409. They say the Phoenix Coyotes should move (different sport, I know) when they are perennial losers and play in the middle of nowhere. The Blue Jays play downtown and are currently in a playoff spot. Some might argue the 20 year-old Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), once an architectural and engineering marvel, is outdated. But it is far from a dump. Fifteen thousand on a hot, but bearable night with an open roof for a good team is horrible. And that was only the announced crowd. Early on, it looked like a crowd from an old Expos game.

I love the Jays, but they really don't get deserving support in this city.

This is Bloody Insulting

I wanted to write a letter to the poster of this ad to let them know how despicable their organization is in trying to take advantage of people in bad times. You must read the last line of the ad to understand just how disgusting these people are. Keep in mind, they are looking for someone with a degree in organic chemistry. One who's worked hard and likely paid a lot of money to get through school.

http://www.torontojobs.ca/en/jobs/view.php?job_id=18234&auth_sess=c58a19500eab2957a07c875cc1622aee

I could understand if this were a position for a summer student studying chemistry to give them some experience in an internship type of setup, but it is not. Toronto Research Chemicals should be ashamed of themselves. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones trying to underpay people or get people to even work for free in these tough times. I'm seeing ads all over the place trying to grossly underpay people.

Update on Tuesday's Ramble

First of all, the Art Bar feature was a blast. It was one of my best features ever and I had so much fun doing it.

The Rust Belt Slam, an event I sadly will not be able to make it to, at least the finals, is a four day event taking place in Toronto (It started tonight with a slam for two spots on the "Wildcard Team" with Tomy Bewick and Dwayne Morgan). It continues tomorrow night with the preliminaries at the Poor Alex Theatre (Dundas/Bathurst) and Saturday at noon at the Trane Studio (Dupont and Bathurst) and the Finals at Bloor Cinema, which I predict will be a great venue, on Saturday night. There will be a free showcase in Kensington Market on Sunday.

The Rust Belt Slam is an annual poetry slam in its tenth year. Previously, it has taken place only in the mid-western United States and is venturing into Canada for the first time ever. Other than the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, which took place in 2006, this will be the biggest spoken word event the city has likely ever seen.

One other thing I want to make note of, Rochdale Rhymes and Readings is back next Thursday at the Regal Beagle. There will be a spoken word extravaganza featuring Gypsy Eyes and Truth Is.. from Toronto and Nolan Guiffre from New York State.

Wild times

I don't have much time to write as I am off to do perhaps the biggest feature I've ever done at the Art Bar at Clinton's tonight. The Art Bar, still the flagship poetry series in T.O. (and possibly Canada) was my introduction into the scene when I came here in March of '06. I am so bloody busy in the next two weeks. Two slams this past weekend (Toronto Poetry Slam and $100 Slam) which were fantastic to see, Art Bar tonight, trying to make it to see at least the prelims for the massive Rust Belt Slam in Toronto this weekend (I'll explain all the jargon at another time), my cousin's Jack and Jill on Saturday, Rochdale Rhymes and Readings' huge spoken word extravaganza next Thursday and then my birthday next Saturday. I apologize I haven't edited this for spelling or grammar, but I have to run. I'll give a bigger plug and share details to the appropriate events later, I promise.