AM

I am sitting in my car, driving to work, and after I almost die for the eighth time I begin to wonder why there is no IQ test for drivers.

Some Kinda Love . . . Some Kinda Hate

If you are a regular reader of my weblog, you may have noticed that my attitude towards life in Toronto leans a towards being negative. Yet I love living here. Therefore, I’d like to disclose a few reasons I'm happy to be living in Toronto. Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t also include some reasons this city pisses me off.


LOVE (In no particular order):

1. Diversity – so many places to go in this city with a unique feel to all of them (i.e. Kensington Market, Roncesvalles, The Village)

2. Location – travel East or West and you're just a few hours away from Niagara Falls, The U.S. or Montreal; head North you’re setup for some great spots to go wilderness camping or to make a stop at Canada's Wonderland

3. Driving alone the Gardiner – nothing reminds you that you are in Toronto more than driving above the city past the various tourist attractions such as the CN Tower, Sky Dome (that’s right, I said “Sky Dome” and not “Roger’s Centre” – deal with it), and various high rise buildings

4. Toronto parks – the Islands, High Park

5. A lot to do – there is something going on somewhere all the time

6. Indie Cinemas – some are closing but the few that remain show great documentaries and independent films

7. Making a big city seem small – the TTC will, in theory, get you anywhere you need to go (as long as you’re willing to wait long enough to get there – see HATE #4)

8. Buskers - music while you walk is alright by me



HATE (In no particular order):


1. The price of alcohol – we pay too much!! (both in bars and in the beer/liquor stores)

2. The cost of living – groceries and rent alone can make it difficult for a guy paying off his various debts to get by

3. Traffic – mostly during rush hour, but also on week-ends

4. TTC – drivers with attitude, long waits for busses and street cars, frequent disruptions in service, fellow riders who don't shower, rush hour commuters who think only of their own well-being

5. Radio – the agonizing programming on public radio in Toronto makes satellite’s thirteen bucks a month seem quite reasonable

6. Scarborough – need I say more?

7. Cyclists – perhaps learning the rules of the road would be wise if you are going to ride alongside two-ton machines that travel between 50 and 100 km/hr

8. Pushy Panhandlers - I understand they are poor and desperate for money, but that doesn't give them the right to interrupt my dinner on a patio or walk down the street with rude scam attempts to get money to get home to [insert city here]

More Namesake Stuff

I have no relation, affiliation or familiarization with this band. A friend of mine noticed them at his record store a few months back and while I was in HMV the other day I noticed they had a lot of copies of their CD in the punk section. I don't know if these guys are actually punk or just some record company's version of punk but judging from the front of their website I would say it is the latter of the two.

www.adairmusic.com

McSumptions

I went to McD’s for breakfast this morning in hopes of taming my raging hangover. Why is it that when you order a sausage McMuffin, they automatically put egg on it? Were a lot of stupid people complaining that their SAUSAGE McMuffin had no egg on it? When I order a hamburger I don’t expect there to be cheese on it. You gotta ask for that shit.

I also wish the cashiers would stop assuming I want my coffee with cream and sugar. I have gone over (repeatedly) everything I say or do when I order, and I can see nothing in my demeanor that would be indicative towards a longing for dairy and sucrose. Yet they never ask "black?" or "three sweeteners and two creams?” or anyother combination of things. It's always "cream and sugar?" or "double-double?". JUST ASK ME WHAT I WANT IN MY COFFEE. Please.

Side Note: If the majority of coffee drinkers take cream and sugar does this not also mean that the majority of coffee drinkers actually hate the taste of coffee?

Fonzie’s Leather Jacket

It seems that Rob Zombie is set to direct the latest installment of the Halloween films. I love the Halloween franchise (despite it having many obvious flaws), yet I despise Zombie’s films (blood and guts are fun, but only one aspect of great horror). I’m not completely dismissing the potential for goodness here, but for the project to be done well Rob Zombie’s going to have to drop the whole “look at me, I’m still cool!” approach to his work.

www.halloweenmovies.com

Sad News Day

I just found out that Ron Simonsen from “How’s Your News” was diagnosed with leukemia in February. Apparently he has found a bone marrow match but is still, obviously, fighting for his life. If you are a fan, you can check for updates on his condition at their website.

www.howsyournews.com/

To send him a letter or get well card, write to:

Ron Simonsen
BIDMC
330 Brookline Ave
Boston, MA 02215

152 And Counting . . .

I was bored and looking through the IMDB, trying to find a randomly chosen obscure actor to highlight, when I decided to see how many people had my last name. I was surprised to see so many . . .

http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=adair