Nuit Blanche 2010
I’m going to miss Mayor David Miller…Of the many great things he’s done for our city, Nuit Blanche has been one of the most innovative and successful undertakings of his tenure as the successor to Mel Lastman (although, relieving Mel was good enough for me!)
Once a year, our city and its’ scores of art galleries and museums, open their doors from sunset to sunrise, holding free art exhibits and installations for all to see. Friends come together in packs to troll the streets of downtown Toronto throughout the night. They come in droves seeking the thrill of the find or just the elusive, surprise party-cum-installations held in back alley garages, off the beaten path, and usually found only by word of mouth. Most of the time you end up happening upon abstract and obscure, arthouse ‘funk’, that perhaps may be a bit over even the finest OCAD student’s head.
Nevertheless, the fact that our city willingly provides this platform for the expression of art (in it’s MANY shapes and forms) and can trust it’s citizens enough to have some good, clean fun overnight in their precious tourist havens- is enough to applaud whomever it was that prepped counsel’s anus to let this event happen. It is a beautiful thing. So, thanks for the lube and your gentle touch Mr. Miller.
To plan your Nuit Blanche festivities you can find a map of exhibits here: Scotiabank Nuit Blanche or if you’re awesome and you have an iPhone, you can download the “Night Navigator” (fancy, huh?).
1LoveT.O. Pop Up Shop
The guys at 1LoveT.O. have managed to turn our city’s nickname into a brand. A stamp of pride for all of the fine young men and women hailing from our city. Where ever Toronto people are in the world, you can be sure they are carrying these t-shirts in their luggage.
I will be in Bermuda for the Cup Match Festival this weekend and you know I’ll be wearing mine!
Whether you’re giving a t-shirt to a visitor, taking it abroad like me, or wearing it at home in the city…
You should head down to their next “POP-UP SHOP” event. Just in time for Caribana weekend!
Thursday July 29th @ Revival 783 College St West. 5-10pm.
T-Shirt Options: White/Black shirts with: Red, Blue, or Purple hearts available in both Mens/Women’s. Black on Black will also be available along with our BRAND NEW White-on-White. (SIZES: Mens S – XL, Women’s S – L)
Please be advised that there are no pre-orders, so first-come, first-served!
1LoveT.O.
Bright Idea.
You know summer has officially begun in the city when your 30-minute commute to downtown has painfully doubled in time and you have probably almost hit, or been hit by a cyclist. Amongst the dangers and delays, there are seemingly endless amounts of conferences and festivals going on (G20, anyone?). But there is one event that doesn’t really have an idea of what it is, more so just an idea that it IS one…
IdeaCity is an annual conference that was created by Toronto magnate, Moses Znaimer (creator of CityTV), that brings together the biggest and brightest ideas of extremely intelligent and forward-thinking Canadians and shares them with whomever wants to listen. Apparently the best ideas are the ones that come to fruition in a cocktail haze at the conference’s daily after-parties. Considering Moses is responsible for the TIFF’s exclusive “Schmooze Fest”, one can only assume that these parties are filled with glitz and glam and escort gams. (JK)
Check it out if you have the chance and give your brain a workout. Here’s an excerpt from IdeaCity’s website:
What is ideaCity?
50 Presenters, 3 Legendary Parties, a Ton of Inspiration
IdeaCity, also known as ‘Canada’s Premiere Meeting of the Minds’, is an eclectic gathering of artists, adventurers, authors, cosmologists, doctors, designers, entertainers, filmmakers, inventors, magicians, musicians, scientists and technologists.
Fifty of the planet’s brightest minds converge on Toronto each June to speak to a highly engaged audience. Only 700 are privileged to attend.
Produced and presented by Moses Znaimer, ideaCity is not themed around any one topic, issue or business. There are no scripted speeches or, breakout or parallel sessions. Rather, everyone is in one place and in on the same narrative.
With extra-long schmooze breaks between sessions, and legendary parties each night, attendees have had an unprecedented opportunity to mingle with such notable speakers as Conrad Black, Barbara Gowdy, Michael Ignatieff, Douglas Coupland, Pamela Wallin, Pete Seeger, Robert Kennedy Jr., John Ralston Saul, Daniel Libeskind, Clayton Ruby, Romeo Dallaire and the late Peter Jennings.
For more information check out the site HERE.
Girl Talk.
Tomorrow evening in our fair city of Toronto, a Biomedical Engineer from Pittsburgh named Gregg Michael Gillis, (better known to the world as Master-Pirate DJ ‘Girl Talk’), will be performing at The Docks, which I refuse to ever call by it’s current name ‘Sound Academy’. Alongside Sir Talk will be the successful, home-grown group known as Keys & Krates. Their eclectic, mash-up style of music will surely lend a hand to one another and make for quite a rowdy party that’s been known to happen on their dance floors and overcrowded stages filled with frighteningly overzealous fans (yes, I am one of them!) Last time Girl Talk was in Toronto, KoolHaus was covered in toilet paper shot from guns…By young women dressed as stripper cops…In November. I’ll leave you with that thought…And a little sampling of the musical styles of Keys & Krates and Girl Talk. Enjoy!
Girl Talk – Play your Part (Part 1)
Keys & Krates Re-Mixing 101
KEYS N KRATES – Re-Mixing 101 by Keys N Krates
Makes me happy
I was just watching BET’s 106 and Park for the first time since I was a teenager (I went to Central AND Western Tech…lol)
And I saw T-Pain and Chris Brown’s new video, and then that subsequently led me to think about the time I met Chris Brown, and at the time not thinking much about it, but in now seeing the aforementioned video, I am really really happy I got to meet him.
I feel like a perv a little bit because Chris Brown makes my heart flutter….Like actually though, should I even be thinking these things?! Should I call somebody?!….haha….. I kid.
Anyways, It was the big Glow in the Dark show that came to the city, I was suppose to go but for some reason (probably the HORRIBLE weather) I decided to pass….A barrage of BBMs throughout the evening convinced me to go out afterall; to the after-party (EVEN THOUGH it was at Circa!). I go, I’m in the VIP, All the celebs are ushered in (while I’m being smushed by the other VIPs because Pharell is tinyly precious and cannot come within 2 feet of humans or his ice cream will melt.)…
They post up in the inner circle of the VIP away from the dirty and fatal touch of a human and we all just try to party around the people trying to get closer to the inner circle…
Some N.E.R.D dood basically becomes my forced security guard for the night because he was ‘important’ and wanted to show off. Two two’s, I’m in the inner circle. He’s introducing me to everyone and I’m not registering ANY of it because I’m PLASTERED! He introduces me to Chris Brown (who was being watched CLOSELY by his Alien leader). 5 Minutes later, I feel a pinch on my bum…Now being a girl that has been to a club, in this city, I am used to such things and have learned over the years how to skillfuly avoid such “accidents”- So I turn around, and There is Chris Brownnose Looking (obviously) in all directions but mine.
I let it slide, figured it was a mistake (I do afterall, look EXACTLY like Rihanna….When it’s dark….From a certain angle….for a second…maybe…) but then 3 mins after that he DOES IT AGAIN!
Dood, why you tryna get Rihanna to start a fight an’ shit? I was not ready to throw down in my 5 inch heels and a little black dress! So again, I suck it up and let it slide.
You would think this story was going somewhere juicy wouldn’t you?…Well it’s not really! After the bum pinching Cris Brown came up to talk to me in between his dance performances on the stage (impromptu I might add….Famewhore…) and needless to say…he thought I was pretty…and that made my night….and the next few days after it!
EDITOR’S NOTE (Editor meaning ME):
I wrote this on the Friday night before Alien Princess Ri Ri got a smack down so my opinion has changed slightly since then! Nevertheless, it was true when I wrote it….And it’s about the only cool story I have to brag about when it comes to celebrities, and yes, I do know that I am grabbing at straws here….just let me have my moment….goddamnit!
Any man that beats a woman like this should have his balls chopped off because he doesn’t deserve them (or the girl!).
Emo Tings
As much as I try to go about my own business and be happy, there’s always someone….or more than one person that just gets off on trying to bring me down…
I’m sure everyone has had one (or several) of these people come in and out of their lives and no matter how at peace YOU are with the situation, that person can make one simple, sly statement and get your blood boiling!…
Oftentimes, we tend to fall into the pattern of ALLOWING these mongrels to get the better of our character, but I have learned that with time, (and through quite a few recurring incidents!) one can come out fairly unscathed with just a few ruffles in your feathers, not much else. I wish I could explain this better, I’m going to try my best because my mind is just all over the place with this one! (When things get under my skin it’s damn near impossible not to shut up about them!)
It has recently come to my attention that more people seem to “know” me (and that term is used like an 80 year old whore’s vagine) than I ever thought. I DO know how they came to know me, but I DO NOT know them and I’m positive I wouldn’t be able to pick them out if one were to stare at me to my face as opposed to being far away in a dim nightclub, as that is where most of said buffoonery most likely takes place…
ANYWAYS! It seems that certain people like to talk about certain people and tell little bedtime stories. I Have to admit, when I was in a different, CLOUDED mind-frame last year, I was guilty of entertaining this practice.
It was only when I completely removed myself from that cloud that I could see all angles and sides of this nasty way of living.
We do it with celebrities all the time. Build them up and then point and laugh as they fall to the ground. I think the reason I am a Britney Spears fan now as opposed to say, 6 years ago, -when I actually wished something bad would happen to her (Sorry Britney!)- is that I can relate to what she has gone through…. (Sorry, a bit of a tangent….relevant nonetheless.) This is exactly the kind of thing that happens (figuratively speaking of course) in circles in cities where there is not much to gain, and not much to lose. I am in no way a celebrity nor do I try to be. That though, is precisely why this bothers me so!….I just don’t get what the fuss is about, I march to the beat of my own drum. I am the little drummer boy, why you watching me on my drum?
I’m not going to rant anymore because I’m sure this is enough for now, I’ll probably do another one some time when I gather more concise thoughts, I just had to get it out because I couldn’t sleep last night (boiling blood makes for restless nights) and now I’m home from work tired as a mofo and bitter because of it.
I just ask ANYONE, if you are reading this, and LISTENING (well…..not listening…but…you know what I mean!) Please, I implore you to think long and hard the next time someone tries to drag you into a gossip session about someone who’s business you know nothing about.
I am a strong person and this is one of the hardest things I’ve had to overcome…Other people may not be as strong…WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY WOULD DO…Just saying…Think about it people…
Have class, have dignity, have compassion in 2009.
Thank You.
DO NOT Pass GO.
Do not collect $200.
I have the pleasure of knowing one of TOR/MTL’s original Sneaker Lords (or so I like to think of him!). So as a perk of this ‘knowledge’, I get to look at exclusive, highly confidential (ok maybe I’m exaggerating a LITTLE bit), high-gloss, fancy-pants merchandise catalogues that showcase the coming seasons new gear.
Vans did aiight this time around I must say. Nothing to write home about, but there are some pretty strong pieces that stand out and make you go “arighhh, I see you homie!”.
I’m esp feeling the prison issue.
Attention to detail.
Thoughtful colourways.
VELCRO! (Y’all aren’t ready for that yet)
I’m going to HATE these shoes come September when they have been worn by everyone and their mom…Curse trends…Blast.
Until then…I ❤ these.
Old Tacky Bastard
Speaking of Honest Ed…All jokes aside, I think he was a great man that did this city a huge favour by basically creating a world-class theatre city single-handedly.
I’m sure every child born and raised in this city has fond memories of Honest Ed’s at the bright and shiny corner of Bathurst and Bloor, with it’s lightbulb signs and painted lure slogans, tack was always in full effect and on overdrive but you knew where to find a bargain from miles away.
This is that famous corner back in 1948 when Honest Ed Mirvish first opened his store with the help of his late wife’s insurance policy of $212 (Which would be the equivilent of about $1807 today)…Hmmm….Wife’s insurance policy eh!?….
Amongst the bins and racks and dusty shelves you can find bargains such as this:
Now come ON a shirt AND a tie?!…..IN A BOXXXXX!!!
For real though! Why you gotta make a nigga all embarrassed to shop there an’ shit!?
Needless to say, embarassing or not, Honest Ed has and continues to help a lot of people in this city who were/are not fortunate enough to afford The Bay or Eatons and for that, you can’t knock the tackiness that is, was, will always be, Mr. Ed Mirvish (July 24, 1914 – July 11, 2007).
Elvis Lives Here
For Elvis searchers, look no more for I have found him. He appears to have cloned himself (in bust form mostly) and is hanging out in Toronto, Canada. He appears to be on some drugs…LSD? PCP? XTC?…Maybe just shrooms…he’s lookin’ kinda chill…
You can find him at Honest Ed’s with the birds because he’s CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!
Shameless (fameless) Plug
It’s my homies Phil, Kae and Caff”s party so you know I’ma be thurr gettin’ my rap on! Who doesn’t like a little Wu?!
As Ace would say; “Rap aneurysms” will be multiple and SEVERE on Friday…Brush up on your rap trivia and get in where you fit in because it’s gonna be bananas…
THIS IS YOUR HAPPY PLACE 