2010 year in review and lists part 2

Check out the The Toronto Star photo galleries of the notable people who passed away in 2010.

Stars of the big screen

People in music

Hockey personalities

Figures in sports

For other galleries, see the Toronto Star article

2010 year in review and lists - part 1

Just a few of the Best of 2010 lists and compilations...to be continued

Spinner.ca's 30 Best Albums of 2010

Twitter's Top Twitter Trends in 2010

AVClub's The Best Music of 2010

Mobile Year in review 2010 video

The Black List, Franklin Leonard’s annual compilation of the “best liked” unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.

Paste Magazine's The 50 Albums of 2010

The American Film Institute's (AFI) video of their favourite films of 2010

NPR's The Best Music of 2010

Governor General's Literary Awards finalists announced

The Canada Council for the Arts announced the names of the 70 finalists for the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Awards on October 13. The finalists include authors, illustrators and translators from ages 25 to 74.

The English and French awards are in the categories of fiction, non‑fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation. A total of 1,702 eligible books were submitted for this year’s awards, an increase of 161 books over last year. At least nine of the finalists are under the age of 35 and six of the finalists are Aboriginal or from culturally diverse backgrounds.

I would like to extend a personal congratulations to friend Matt James, illustrator for I Know Here, written by Laurel Croza (Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)

Read the Canada Council's press release on the announcement and the list of finalists.

Addictions and Bad Dreams

My current obsessions, time wasters and indulgences, in no particular order, are:

Turkey! As a practicing pescetarian, I usually don't eat any poultry, but this weekend I am eating meleagris gallopavo for a 72-hour period. It is Canadian Thanksgiving, ain't it?

Mel Brooks films. If you have to ask, you'll never know!

Dusk by The The

Teaching my cousin guitar chords

Keeping track of Don Draper

Fire department lets home burn

A man's home in Tennessee burns and the fire department stays away because the owner did not pay a subscription for fire services.

In the words of my friend Ian Malone: "Sometimes I am embarrassed for my species..."

Watch the Toronto Star video below.

Kid Koala performs with Yo Gabba Gabba

Years ago when my friend Eric San a.k.a DJ Kid Koala was going to McGill University for an education degree in the late 1990s, I asked him how he could combine his mad turntable skills and his schooling; he answered by saying he wanted to do stuff for kids shows. At the time, I thought: "Yeah Eric would be perfect for that! Perhaps he could get on Sesame Street or some other cool show"

Fast forward to 2010. Eric finds himself on stage at a Yo Gabba Gabba tour date in Montreal, and as you can see from the following clip, Eric is a kid at heart himself.
For me personally, as an uncle to an-almost-two-year-old niece, I can tell you that Yo Gabba Gabba is a big deal nowadays. For those who haven`t watched the show, it is a kooky mix of dance party, puppet show, acid trip and a Flaming-Lips-meets-Devo-meets-Ween music video. The show features segments that include rapper Biz Markie teaching kids to beatbox, Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, along with other musicians athletes and celebrities.

It`s a freakout! Checkout the theme song for the show: this clip

Kid Koala will be joining up the Yo Gabba Gabba crew for 2 more performances at the end of November as part of the “Yo Gabba Gabba! There’s a Party in My City” tour.

Nov 26 – Los Angeles, CA, USA @ Nokia Theatre LA

Nov 28 – San Diego, CA, USA @ San Diego Sports Arena

Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon do the history of rap

On the September 29, 2010 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake, Fallon and the Late Night band The Roots performed a chronological medley of popular rap songs.

Songs cited (I think I got them all): "Rappers Delight" by the Sugar Hillgang, "Peter Piper" by Run DMC, "Paul Revere" by Beastie Boys, "Award Tour" by A Tribe Called Quest, "Humpty Hump" by the Digital Underground, "Ain't Nuttin' but a G Thang" by Snoop Dogg, "Juicy" by The Notorious BIG, "The Seed" by the Roots, "My Name is" by Eminem, "Work it" by Missy Elliott, "Crank it" by Soulja Boy, "Live Your Life" by T.I. and Rihanna, "Gold Digga" by Kanye West, and "Empire State of Mind" by Jay Z/Alicia Keys.

G'damn that was good!

Addictions and Bad Dreams

My current obsessions, time wasters and indulgences, in no particular order, are:

Dancing to Michael Jackson songs on a front stoop in Liberty Village at 2am on a Thursday.

All them fresh fruit and vegetables my sister-in-law gets from the Weston Farmer's Market.

Mad Men Season Three

OKcupid quizzes

Avoiding this Communications Theory paper that I need to write

Edith Piaf

In honour of my friends Trisha and Roy who are throwing a Edith Piaf themed party this evening...

The Danforth Music Hall Shuts Down

According to the Toronto Star, the legendary Music Hall on Danforth Avenue has been closed due to non-payment of rent - an amount of $44,857.86

The 91-year-old building a heritage site, began as a vaudeville theatre and served for many years as a second-run movie house called The Century before undergoing renovations in 2005 and reopening as a theatre venue.

I fondly remember seeing the Stray Cats in concert at the Music Hall in 1991.

Read The Toronto Star story

Soundgarden bassist broke

Even after a headlining spot at this summer's Lollapalooza show and a Soundgarden retrospective to be released next month, the legendary Seattle grunge band's bassist Ben Shepherd is homeless and broke.

According to a Spin Magazine interview, Shepherd first found himself homeless following a breakup with his girlfriend earlier this year. Since then, he's been putting all of his money towards a solo album — which he isn't even sure if he'll release.

This is the culmination of more than a decade's worth of struggles for Shepherd, including the demise of a number of his bands, including Soundgarden and Hater, a breakup with his fiance and a morphine overdose.

He tells Spin: "I've been sleeping on studio couches and at friends' houses."

I have seen Soundgarden live many times I can tell you how good a bass player Ben Shepherd is. Someone get him a gig soon.

Read the exclaim.ca story

Quite appropriately, the exclaim story is accompanied by the video for the Soundgarden song Fell on Black Days, from the 1994 album Superunknown

J.D. Salinger's Toilet on Sale for $1 million

A North Carolina collectibles dealer is selling a toilet from reclusive author J.D. Salinger's former home.

The bowl is on sale on ebay with an asking price of a million dollars, although Rick Kohl, the owner of said commode, isn't sure how much he will be able to get for the item.

Uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...I don't know what to say here.

Read the komonews story

Addictions and Bad Dreams

My current obsessions, time wasters and indulgences, in no particular order, are:

Them Crooked Vultures (yes, still)

pizzas with whole wheat dough

my new nephew, Noah

the latest adjustments to my golf swing

writing essays while trying to watch Hell's Kitchen

Yo Gabba Gabba with my niece

How we found hundreds of Earth-like planets

Astronomer Dimitar Sasselov and his colleagues search for Earth-like planets that may, someday, help us answer centuries-old questions about the origin and existence of biological life elsewhere (and on Earth). How many such planets have they found already? Several hundreds.

Watch the TED.com video.

The week it was...

After a five month hiatus, I have returned to spout out more useless posts.

The week it has been:

The Globe and Mail /CTV News reports that the Niagara Region's tourist board is trying to improve their standing as a tourist attraction by taking cheap shots at Toronto. Watch the CTV clip.

This foxphilly.com article still doesn't explain my terrible luck with on-line dating sites. Perhaps I should pose as a woman...looking for women who don't mind ending up with a man?

Read this 9News article on how a Vienna church was trying to sell a used confessional on ebay. The item was described on the on-line auction site as "deal for conversion into a one-person sauna, a small bar or a children's playhouse." The Vienna Archdiocese has a few things to say about this!

The NYC soup shop that inspired the Soup Nazi on the hit sitcom Seinfeld reopens. Read the USAToday article.

According to a exclaim.ca news piece, Justin Bieber has jammed with Dr. Dre.

Doug Fieger R.I.P

Doug Fieger, lead singer of the power pop band The Knack, passed way on Valentines Day.

The Knack are internationally renowned for their hits “My Sharona“ and “Good Girls Don't“ from their 1979 record Get the Knack.

After battling cancer for several years, Fieger died at his home in Woodland Hills, California. He was 57 years old

Read the L.A Times story

Doctor reprimanded for telling patient to go on a f...ing diet!

A New Zealand surgeon was reprimanded by officials for being unprofessional after he told a severely obese gastric bypass patient to “go on a f…ing diet.”

The 44-year-old woman claimed the doctor said the “F” word at least three times after she told him she did not like the word “diet” and preferred the term “lifestyle” instead, CBS News reports.

The doctor admitted to using bad language during the tense consultation with the woman who, afterward, lodged complaints with the Health and Disability commissioner - who suggested the doctor attend a communication skills course.

I don`t know about you, but I think gastric times call for gastric measures! It seems the doctor was just suggesting a change in the woman`s “lifestyle” or else she may die. Clearly the doctor cares more about the health of this woman than she does.


Read the APP story

Addictions and Bad Dreams

My current obsessions, time wasters and indulgences, in no particular order, are:

Tutoring Korean students
this G.I diet
my sister-in-law's food processor
toque shopping
Canada men's ice hockey team
Holmes on Homes

The Beaver changes name

Canada's second-oldest magazine, The Beaver, is changing its name after 90 years because the title is too often censored by online porn filters, preventing it from reaching new online readers.

The Winnipeg-based magazine was launched in 1920 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Hudson's Bay Company and the fur trade that led to the early exploration of Canada.

But in modern times, the term "beaver" has become slang for women's genitals.

The magazine that chronicles Canada's past will publish its last issue under the old banner in February/March. Thereafter, it will be known under the less evocative name of Canada's History

Read the Yahoo story

The team bus of the Togo national football team was attacked by terrorists on January 8 as the team traveled from the Republic of the Congo to Angola on the way to the 2010 African Cup of Nations tournament, due to begin on January 10

The bus driver, the team's assistant manager Abalo Amelete and media officer Stanislas Ocloo were killed, with several others injured. Togo government officials have withdrawn the team from the tournament.

Read the BBC story

R.I.P Art Clokey

Animator Art Clokey, whose bendable creation Gumby became a pop culture phenomenon through decades of toys, revivals and satires, died Friday. He was 88.

Clokey, who suffered from repeated bladder infections, died in his sleep at his home in Los Osos, CA.

Gumby grew out of a student project Clokey produced at the University of Southern California in the early 1950s called "Gumbasia."

That led to his making shorts featuring Gumby and his horse friend Pokey for the "Howdy Doody Show" and several series through the years.

Eddie Murphy brought a surge in Gumby's popularity in the 1980s with his send-up of the character on "Saturday Night Live" as a cigar-smoking show business primadonna.

Read the Globe and Mail story

Addictions and bad dreams

My current obsessions, time wasters and indulgences, in no particular order, are:

baking banana loaf
shoveling snow
my new long underwear
Aron Sorkin-written television programs
AE Sports' Tiger Wood 2010 for the Wii
danceradio chillout

War and Peas

Israel has taken the upper hand in a new kind of Middle East conflict.

Cooks in an Arab town near Jerusalem whipped up more than four tons of hummus, which doubled the previous record for the world's biggest serving - set in October in Lebanon - and broke an earlier Israeli record.

Hundreds of jubilant Israelis, a mix of Arabs and Jews, gathered around the satellite dish used to prepare the hummus in the town of Abu Ghosh.

Guinness World Records confirmed the Israelis now held the record putting the exact amount of hummus in the giant dish at 9,017 lbs (4,090 kilograms).

Lebanon and Israel have officially been at war for six decades. Three months ago, when the Lebanese chefs prepared their record-breaking dish, they called it a move to reaffirm ownership of a Lebanese food they claimed had been appropriated by Israelis.

The hummus war has been simmering for some time. In 2008, a group of Lebanese businessmen announced plans to sue Israel to stop it from marketing hummus and other regional dishes as Israeli.

Read the Los Angeles Times story.