Therapy made easy

Gun violence is a very phallic thing.

Wow, ok so maybe I won't start my posts with similar themed sentences.

But it seriously is. I mean your holding a long, sleek object in your hand. When the ingredients inside that long sleek object get excited or "triggered". These ingredients then react with eachother, causing an explosion which then causes an object to come flying out of the hole. This object is then sent flying through the air at a rather intense speed, and penetrates mostly anything it comes in contact with (usually another human being).

See? phallic!

Now why the hell did I bring this up? Well I realized today, after being rather stressed financially, that I wanted to blow the heads off of millions of zombies, nazis, "terrorists", innocents, or other military personnel. While I am a peaceful man, and would never actually commit to such an act (except for zombies, I secretly pray for zombie apocalypses) I do love the release of energy I get from seeing a little pixelated blonde-hair blue eyed kraut marching towards me with a luger and then shooting him, let's say, in the knee. My imagination does the rest.

For those of you who are not experienced gamers or very casual let me recommend a few stress relieving titles that you can easily find on the internet or (if you have the money) invest in a PS3 and buy the latest and the greatest. These games are all very basic in gameplay, walk in, shoot, hope you live. Tactical games don't relieve stress, especially when your online.

Wolfenstein 3D
- Any real gamer knows this title. It is the original First Person Shooter. You are a lone american soldier trapped in Hitler's Castle Wolfenstein. Your mission: Kill every hitler-loving nazi there is. Oh and don't die. Simple, sweet, a classic.

DOOM
- Wolfenstein's more famous baby brother. Made by ID, the same company who made Wolfenstein 3D. DOOM takes place in the distant future, and instead of killing Nazis, you have the pleasure of mutilating demons, monsters, mutants, monstrosities of all shapes and sizes. Even, flying eyeballs! They made a movie out of this game (starring Dwayne Johnson - don't waste your time) , and also released a new version of the game for the next generation of gamers (do waste your time on this!).

Left4Dead
- Now a more modern one. This absolutely spectacular game is basically a Zombie flick in a video game. Actually its a collection of zombie flicks. Starring four everyday people as the survivors, the player takes over one of the survivors and the fight for your life begins. Hook up with friends online, or play solo. Either way, carnage is promised.


Well there you have it, now instead of taking pills, smoking cigarettes, or worse talking to a shrink, go and blow some scums head off.


I swear this is the most random post I've ever done.

- All these people drinking lovers' spit -

I shouldn't have to tell you guys who Broken Social Scene. But even today I was surprised by some people not having a clue.

Broken Social Scene is one of Toronto's premier indie music makers. Forming in 1999 the band's original core members were Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. The first album, Feel Good Lost, was rich with ambient vibes and dreamscape melodies.

After gaining some notoreity the band took on other members of the Toronto indie scene, including Metric's Emily Haines, Jason Collett, Andrew Whiteman, and the ever amazing Leslie Feist (Feist). Through the years a number of Canadian musicians has been listed as band members, such as K-OS, Jason Tait, Lisa Lobsinger, Stars' Amy Millan, and countless others.

In reality Broken Social Scene can be viewed as a collective of Canadian, specifically Toronto musicians, collaborating to give a melodic overview of Canadian new music. Rich in it's variety, and full of moving and beautiful tunes, BSS is definately something you should listen.

AND WHAT BETTER CHANCE TO DO SO THEN AT A FREE CONCERT AT THE HARBOURFRONT CENTRE TONIGHT AT 8PM!

That is right, Broken Social Scene is playing a free concert tonight at the Harbourfront Centre mainstage. I predict that it is going to be a very busy show so I suggest getting there early! Bring your friends, your family and your loved ones. It's guaranteed to be a good show!

Broken Social Scene's Myspace

- My baby girl has a synth in her chest -

This is stolen directly from Kitsune Noir, but I loved it so much that I had to share it. Meet IDM_kid. No one seems to quite know who the original author is, speculation says his name is Pascal Bideau, but it is still hazy. The mixture of good rhythm and a cute kid makes for an entertaining view. Enjoy.

Let's all play the "Hey I know that place game"

As you all well know, One Stop Wonder Shop is meant to highlight and focus Canadian, specifically Toronto culture. Some people ask me "why?". And the simple answer is, that I love this city and all it has to offer and I want everyone to fall in love with it just as much as I have in the past four years I have lived here. The eclectic blend of rich cultures, neighbourhoods, scenes, and lifestyles. In one bike ride to work I get to drive through Little Portugal, Queen West, Dovercourt Park, Liberty Village, and the Fashion District. The ability to see all these neighbourhoods really allows one to appreciate the beauty that is Toronto.

So now, I introduce you to Toronto Stories. A film that captures the exact qualities of Toronto that I love. The diverse communities, the every day people that make this city so wonderful, and the beautiful landscapes, architecture, and parks of our city. All of these are showcased in Toronto Stories.

It is hard to understand whether or not the film makers were trying to actually make a film or to say "Hey film industry, look at what we got! You should come here!" But either way I enjoyed seeing the familiar places I see in my everyday life. That one convenience store, the building where I work, the CN tower, or that park I woke up on a bench in.

Toronto Stories is a collection of four stories that are all connected with the interaction of an immagrant boy who has illegally entered into Canada. We are never told why, nor does the boy ever speak, so it often feels like he is used solely as a device to connect the stories. That perhaps is probably the only negative thing I have to say about the film. We then are taken on a imaginative journey with two young Leslieville children, we experience the ever-frustrating dating scene of the West-End 20-somethings, the struggles of an ex-con and an escaped convict in St.Clair West and Vaughn, and lastly we follow the difficult story of the beloved Henry the Hobo who plays chess in Union Station.

The film features the talents of Gil Bellows, Sook-Yin Lee, and Shauna MacDonald. The four stories are directed bySook-Yin Lee, David Sutherland, David Weaver, and Aaron Woodley. The soundtrack is also home-grown featuring the musical stylings Final Fantasy, Broken Social Scene, Jason Collett, Glissandro 70, and Ohbijou.

Ok so this post is long enough, just watch the trailer and get inspired.

A Ladybug with a Ukelele

I swear there was something I used to do about a month ago...what was it called? oh yeah, BLOG!

So I am back from my unexpected hiatus of business, insomnia, and being a hermit. While I was away (in my bedroom), I discovered some interesting stuff. All of which I have planned to publish on here. So for our first post back let's do something simple shall we?

Ladies and Gentleman, meet Kate Sloan.

This young lady hails from Toronto and if memory serves me correct is still in high school. Kate and I have related friends (or so facebook tells me) so apparently thats how I know her. Actually, I also recall seeing her around Trinity Bellwoods a few days making music. It just so happens that today she posted one of her videos today on Facebook and so I took a gander.

Ok, so it's no million dollar production, nor does it hold the pleasent indie charm that such a songstress would deserve. (Is songstress even a viable word?) But we all have to start somewhere and I like where the girl is going! So give her a whirl, tune in, and let's help a young musician blossom!

Theatre Lab Presents....

Theatre Lab Presents
BARAKAT & JACOPO
A Tale of Faith and Sacrifice

Director - Omar Hady
Music Director - David Atkinson
Lighting Designer - Bryan Batty

Featuring
Daniel De Pass as Barakat
Rob Feetham as Jacopo

At
The Lower-Ossington Theatre
100A Ossington Avenue
Box Office: 416-915-6747

Evening Performances
June 20-21
June 23 - 26
7PM

Sunday Matinee
June 21
2 PM


Tickets
$20 General
$15 Student
(with Student ID)
$10 Matinee

$5 off with postcard at the door.

So a little shameless self promotion never hurt anyone. This is the show I have been so busy with the past week. It is a fascinating play with some amazing performances by Rob and Dan. Come out and support young artists and independant theatre.

sorry?

My apologies for being incredibly lacking in posts the past week or so. I have been swamped with projects, my bike broke, worked a lot, and have just been over all distracted.

But I assure you, there is more to come! I just need to clear things.

In the meantime, enjoy yourselves and get out and discover!