You Learn Something New Every Day

The Looney Tunes song is actually called "The Merry-Go-Round is Broken Down."

The U.S state with the longest coastline is Michigan.

King Kong is the only movie to have its sequel (Son of Kong) released the same year (1933).

The saying "it's so cold out there it could freeze the balls off a brass monkey" came from when they had old cannons like ones used in the Civil War. The cannon balls were stacked in a pyramid formation, called a brass monkey. When it got extremely cold outside they would crack and break off

Only two countries border three oceans -- the United States & Canada.

Addictions and bad dreams

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

Hand-made pita bread
Places called Frenchy's
My new hat
The final season of ER
Jim Lafleur
Green beans

Bill Mahar's New Rules For March 27

HBO television show Real Time with Bill Maher's New Rules segment for March 27. This week: Phil Spector and Donald Trump's hair, Victoria Secret, Praying Pilots, Get the U.S troops out of Germany and Japan.

Life on Mars from Serious Moonlight Tour

David Bowie's 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour film was in support of Let's Dance - a monster tour and record that pretty much put Bowie in the pop culture mainstream. Arguably the best recording from the video is Life on Mars from 1971's Hunky Dory

Sham Wow Guy Arrested

I usually don't report on "celebrity" police reports - so keeping that in mind, the ShamWow guy has be charged with felony battery on a prostitute. Vince Shlomien, the on-air peddler of the super-absorbant chamois, was arrested last month on a felony battery charge following a violent confrontation with a prostitute in his South Beach hotel room.

Read the Smoking Gun story

Playboy Posts Free Archive

Legendary men's magazine Playboy and parnter Bondi Digital Publishing have unveiled PlayboyArchive.com. It's a 53-year archive, with one issue from each year, completely digitized (including ads), viewable and searchable -- all free of charge.

The issues cover the years 1954 through 2007, Bondi Digital Publishing, scanned and re-typed each of the issue of Playboy.

Playboy was never really my cup of tea, but I am sure this is much easier than rifling through your uncle's ratty collection, yeah?

Read the Technologyexpert blog entry.

Shining: A Romantic Comedy

Check out this re-cut of the trailer of the Shining. Funny stuff.

R.I.P Natasha Richardson

Tony Award-winning Actress Natasha Richardson died on March 18 after suffering a head injury when she fell on a beginner's trail during a private ski lesson at the luxury Mont Tremblant ski resort in Quebec. She was hospitalized Tuesday in Montreal and later flown to a hospital in New York City.
A member of the Redgrave acting family, she was the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and producer Tony Richardson.

Survived by her husband Liam Neeson and their sons Micheál and Daniel, Natasha Richardson was 45 years old.

Forever 21 Rips Off Logo From Minor Threat

Skinny teenage clothing retailer Forever 21 has been caught selling a T-shirt bearing a strikingly similar logo to that of Minor Threat’s 1983 album, Out of Step.

Minor Threat's label Dischord says the use of the logo is unauthorized and falls under the “‘unacceptable’ category.” The label went on to say it was looking into the matter and would be asking Forever 21 to cease and desist.

This is not the first time the seminal DC-based punk band has been involved with copyright infringement. In 2005 Nike copied the cover of the band’s first EP in its campaign “Major Threat,” and was forced to issue an apology following a backlash from fans and the group’s Ian MacKaye. Also in 2005, Fox ran into trouble with Dischord after using a snippet of Minor Threat’s “Salad Days” during an NFL broadcast, again without the band’s permission.

Read the exclaim.ca story.

BIll Mahar's New Rules For March 13

HBO television show Real Time with Bill Maher's New Rules segment for March 13. This week: Court room sketch artists, flavoured vodka, Michelle Obama's arms and Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal.

Bonus: Lovely Sarah Silverman sits in.

Addictions and bad dreams

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

my three-month old niece
Lebanese food
blackout bingo
Season Five of Hell's Kitchen
DnBradio.com
3-2-1 dodge ball!
french vanilla ice cream with peanuts

BIll Mahar's New Rules For March 6

HBO television show Real Time with Bill Maher's New Rules segment for March 6. This week: Black is slimming, movie credits, Michael Jackson, GM dealerships, Donald Trump, Republicans.

Eraserheads final set

The legendary Filipino rock band the Eraserheads performed their last set on March 7, 2009 in Pasay City in Manila. This was a continuation and/or conclusion of the Eheads reunion show that occurred August 2008, but had to be cut short due to lead vocalist/guitarist Ely Buendia's reoccurring heart problems - exacerbated by the stressed caused by the death of Buendia's mother two days prior.

This time around, a healthy Buendia, drummer Raimund Marasigan, bassist Buddy Zabala and guitarist Marcus Adoro performed over 30 songs spanning their career, including their very first hit "Pare Ko", which made them national celebrities, and "Superproxy", which they performed in memory of the band's friend and collaborator on the track, rapper and TV host Francis Magalona, who passed away the day before, losing losing his battle with cancer.

R.I.P FrancisM

Dr. Joseph Lowery delivers Inauguration Benediction

Very short clip of the very cool Dr. Joseph Lowery delivering the benediction at President Obama's Inauguration. 

I'm expecting him to say "shiyyyeeeeet!" a la Clive Davis

The 44th President of the United States of America - Barack Hussein Obama

Barack Hussein Obama was sworn as the 44th President of the United States of America today.

No other words can describe it other than historic.

Watch Obama's Inauguration and speech.

Read Toronto Star article

Read Globe and Mail article

Read canoe.ca article

Read cbc.ca article

Read ctv.ca article

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 2009 Inductees

Jeff Beck, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Metallica, Wanda Jackson, Run DMC, Spooner Oldham, D.J. Fontana and Bill Black have been named the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame class of 2009 inductees.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for April 4 in Cleveland, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame and Museum are located. The show marks the first time since 1997 that it will be staged in Cleveland after several years in New York.

Read the ABC News story.

R.I.P Ricardo Montalban

Ricardo Montalban, the Mexican-born actor whose regal bearing and sonorous voice led to roles as a science-fiction villain, the host on the mysterious “Fantasy Island” and pitchman for the “soft Corinthian leather” of the Chrysler Cordoba, has died.

Although a charismatic actor who was a star of stage and screen, the Montalban was probably best known as the White suite-wearing Mr. Roarke on the popular television series Fantasy Island (1978-1984)50's,

Montalban died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88.

Read the bloomberg.com article.

R.I.P Betty Page

Famous 1950s pin up star Betty Page has died in Los Angeles, aged 85.

The iconic model known for her provocative poses was credited for helping to pave the way for the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

She was admitted to hospital last month suffering from pnuemonia, and last week suffered a heart attack and never regained consciousness.

Read the New York Times article.

Happy Anniversary, Spacing Magazine

In the spirit of Spacing Magazine’s 5th Anniversary party on December 10 at the Great Hall in Toronto, the top 5 things I like about Toronto:

1. Chinatown, Little Italy, Koreatown, Little India, Portuguese Village, Greektown
2. Ice skating at Nathan Phillips Square
3. More live music venues than the province of Manitoba
4. Escaping to the island on a lazy Sunday afternoon
5. The centre of the hockey universe

Congratulations to Matthew Blackett and the whole Spacing staff for a wonderful five years. Up 'em irons!

Visit Spacing Magazine on-line.

Man Killed for 'Hogging Karaoke'

Police say a Malaysian man has been stabbed to death by customers at a karaoke bar for singing too much and refusing to share the microphone.

Abdul Sani Doli, 23, was apparently attacked and killed by a group of angry customers at the bar in Sandakan town on eastern Borneo island.

Read the Washington Post story