American Idol Shocker!
>Dear Kristi Lee Cook,
Meet Sanjaya. 
You will have a lot in common. A lot.
I’m sorry Amanda. You went too soon.
Everything has a price in Calgary
>Also available on The Q.
The Hollywood writers’ strike ended several weeks ago and this week the comedies made a triumphant return to televisions and apparently Calgary’s city hall.
Yesterday it was announced that Alberta would be raising its minimum wage to a measly $8.40 (keeping in mind I mean measly for Alberta…not Canada). That means someone working a fulltime job that pays minimum wage will make a sad $1,260 a month. Yes you read that right. Considering taxes it’s not unreasonable to think that person would actually pull in less than $1000. And correct me wrong but I’m pretty sure is the most oil and gas employees monthly RSP contributions.
But an extra 40 cents is an extra 40 cents. Try telling that to an engineer.
Just hours later, those overworked and underpaid alderman (over $90,000 annually) down in Calgary’s city hall announced that if we were to feel safe in our C-Train Park and Ride parking lots that we were probably going to have to start paying for it. Safety is apparently a luxury now.
Um…what? Does the city really want us to start paying to feel safe in public spaces that they provide? Isn’t that what the city police officers are already supposed to be doing? How is it that city hall can cough up more than enough police officers for the overrated “red mile” but if women don’t want to be raped or murdered in parking lots they are going to have pay $2? I knew the Canadian Dollar was gaining strength but this is a little crazy. I guess the dangers of being flashed by a drunken Flames fan far out weigh those being mugged or beaten up.
But surely this is all a joke. Perhaps Calgary is somehow becoming the victim of the biggest Punk’d ever. The C-Train is already ridiculously packed, slow, unreliable and unsafe. And now we are going to have to pay for past mistakes in planning in Canada’s most prosperous city? And does the city really think that the ones paying to use the C-train really have the extra money to pay for this? No, the people taking the public transit are probably the ones who are celebrating their .40 cent raise.
The ones that have money to afford that extra $2 a day ($10/week, $40/month 480/year =half a minimum wage pay cheque) are the ones who get downtown parking paid for by their respective companies. Parking rates are already ridiculous. Why not tax those companies who are not supporting the usage of the C-Train system and use that money to keep our citizens safe. Or is the city just too afraid to ask so they’ll just go after the little guy?
When will the city stop punishing its citizens for not having that fancy engineering ring on their pinky finger? Minimum wage and low earning workers are the ones keeping this city alive. They are the ones commuting more than an hour each day just to serve coffee or clean up after our messes.
At the end of the day (and this post) the point is this: The City of Calgary should provide safe parking lots and transit for free because it’s the right thing to do. And not charge its commuters extra because aldermen are worried about their safety as they drive past them in their cars (paid for by their car allowance) to their (free) parking stalls.
The David Archuleta Conspiracy
>The Top 11 perform tonight and when I was watching tonight I couldn’t help but notice a certain theme going on. Maybe even a certain conspiracy.
-Tonight is important because whoever gets eliminated doesn’t get to go on the Idol Tour or the CD. Why hasn’t that tour come to Calgary?
-Could David Archuleta look more terrified? I wonder if it has anything to do with this.
-I wonder what the world would be like if John Lennon was still alive? Do you think he would have his own show on VH1?
-Amanda Overmyer definitely does the most with her songs and as she said knows how to throw her southern rock into it.
-Props also to Amanda for wearing matching clothes. Oh and Amanda? If you could look like you were having some fun that would be great. Thanks.
-I agree with Randy: 7/10.
-Kristi Lee Cook is up next. Somewhere David Hernandez is cutting.
-Why Kristi would you pick “You Got To Hide Your Love Away?” Like Kristi you just barely made it through last week and you need to come back and blow it away. You didn’t do any of that.
-This is make or break for Sanjaya…I mean David Archuleta. He chooses the ballad The Long and Winding Road which has always been David’s strength. And David if you dad bugs you tonight tell him that he looks like a bigger idiot always wearing a ballcap on National television.
-Remember when this show was Michael Johns contest to lose ? Remember when I had hair? Those were the days.
-Kellie Pickler performs tomorrow night.
-How sick is it that America would scream louder for a 16 year old boy than Michael. I mean just the name alone should get louder cheers.
-I liked Michael’s song tonight but after seeing that clip of Bohemian Rhapsody, I’d rather just see that again.
-Anyone else think that maybe the judges are doing a little influencing of the votes with poor little David Archuleta.
-Michael dedicated the song to his friend who died last year. Well played.
-Brooke has family in Halifax, Nova Scotia!!!!!???? What! That is crazy. Also Brooke could you not make it sound like it is in the middle of Siberia? “Do any of your guys know where that it is?” Suck it Brooke. Suck it.
-Oh wait. She started singing Here Comes the Sun. All is right in the world.
-Brooke that is some crazy hair. I feel bad for your shower drain. Just a thought.
-I’m retiring the name Bedhead because I like him now.
-Newly rejuvenated David Cook sings Day tripper and for some reason has two microphones. I’m assuming it will be used for something. Oh wait….what? I have no idea what the microphone just did. Does anyone know?
-A Geico commercial? I’m so confused.
-Kelly Clarkson Carly Smithson is up next and she is singing one of my favourite songs Black Bird.
-Carly looks like she got “glamorized” tonight.
-She definitely did an amazing job with it. And if the judges don’t agree the David Archuleta Conspiracy will be in full swing.
-Conspiracy on.
-Awww Jason Castro is singing my friend Chantelle and I’s “special” song. Michelle ma belle…. Yes Jason, it’s French. How is that American school system working out for you.
-Those are some tight pants Jason.
-I wonder how Syesha Mercado got to be the lucky one to sing Scramble Eggs Yesterday? I can only imagine how many of the Idols fought over this one.
-Crocodile Tears are a flowin’.
-American Idol is tooooo long.
-Chikezie has officially dropped the last name. And apparently picked up a harmonica. Notice I said picked up and not played. Cause that wasn’t no playing.
-I really liked the country twang he did on Falling.
-Hmmm me thinks that Ramiele has a little crushy crush on Mr. David Cook.
-Unfortunately not even Mr. Cook can save poor Ramiele from the worst performance of the night.
So who is going to be the first victim of The David Archuleta Conspiracy:
1.Kristi Lee Cook
2.Ramiele Maluby
3. Michael Johns
Going home?
Kristi Lee Cook
Attack of the flying limbs
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I wouldn’t say I love horror movies. I do like some of them though. When I was in high school I became freakishly obsessed with Halloween (the movies, not the day, I HATE the day) and made it my mission to own every Halloween movie on VHS. big.mistake.
Also back when I was in High School a movie called Final Destination came out in theatres. I remember seeing it with my friend in the Twoonie theatres back when my hometown had them. This movie pretty much traumatized me because it prayed on my biggest fears. Devon Sawa having an acting career.
But luckily they’ll killed that guy and the series went on to make two succesful additions to the series. Of course by succesful I mean financially, not film standards.
The first movie visions saved a handful of kids from a plane crash, the sequel saved a new bunch of brats from the craziest car crash scene ever filmed (I haven’t driven a log truck since), and most recently Final Destination 3 took place on a Rollar Coaster.
While none of these movies are particulary great, they are fun for a horror fan to watch. That is why I was pumped today to see that they currently have a Final Destination 4 in production and this time it’s going to be 3-D!!!! Which it seems pretty much every movie is doing now a days. Look out for the flying limbs!
This time the scene of all the death will be a race car track. I’m guessinga race car flying out of control into the KFC and Bud Lite drinking fans. And I’m going to be honest when I say that I would be OK living in a world with a few less Nascar fans. What is with their jackets?! I mean really! Lime green?
The movies “stars” Krista Allen (big boobs from Liar, Liar or Billie #2 on Days of Our Lives…or so my sister says….ahem) and some other randoms…… No release date has been announced but I’m guessing around Halloween.
Is it too soon to buy my tickets?
I know I can't dance. But can you?
>I love reality shows. I love them alot. That’s why I tried out for this, that, this too, yup this one and I’m still mad about this.
I think its pretty clear that I’m pretty willing to do anything to cross the threshold to D-List 15 minute celebrity. Take that high school bullies.
So that is why I keep my eye on reality show auditions. But there was a new one that was announced this week….well not exactly new: So You Think You Can Dance Canada!
It will be holding it’s auditions over the next couple of weeks all over Canada (info here). And there is even going to be one where I work. Which is pretty cool. No word yet on the judges, host (me please) or even the prize. But my dancer roomie is going so I’ll be sure that I get all the scoop from here.
Now seriously where is our amazing race canada?
Stupid St. Patricks day….
>Somethings I’ll never get.
Why I watch Big Brother, how come Arrested Development never became the hit it should and who actually saw National Treasure 2.
But today I’ve decided to add another thing to the list: St. Patricks Day.
I mean really what is it about this day that makes people feel the need to go out and get trashed. This year it fell on a Monday and the irish pubs near my house had lines that were close to 100 people. Do people really have nothing better to do with their time than to go out just because someone invented this day up?
I understand if you are Irish, go ahead celebrate. But the Irish pub by my house has 4cent wings and I wasn’t able to get them today because people wanted to wear green beads and pretended that today actually meant something to them.
So instead I had yogurt. I guess that’s what I’m really mad at.
Stupid yogurt.
Finally we get NEW SHOWS!
>It was a long cold winter. Well actually here in Calgary it was nice and warm. But for my Tivo…for my Tivo it was a long cold winter. It was filled with crap like One Tree Hill and…well basically a lot of One Tree Hill.
But now it’s the Spring and with the writers strike a distant memory it’s time to welcome back our old favorites….finally.
The first shows back come back today (Monday) and they include: The Big Bang Theory (meh), Two and a Half Men (vomit, gag, puke) and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (yeah, celebrations, dancing, parades)!!!!
I couldn’t be more excited that the cast and crew of HIMYM (what? you wanted me to type it all out again?) were able to put news shows together sooo quickly. And with a couple of weeks until the “Britney” episode now is the perfect time to watch one of the funniest and most creative shows on TV right now. And the best part? After it airs go for a walk during Two and a Half Men and then back for another new episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine which has gotten my highest “laugh-per-minutes” ratio for the entire season. Sorry 30 Rock and The Office.
Over the next couple of weeks you will be seeing a lot of the shows come back for a brand new batch of 4-6 episodes.
Here are the ones you can’t miss:
The Office (April 10th)
30 Rock (April 10th)
Scrubs (April 10th)
Samantha Who? (April 7th)
Grey’s Anatomy (April 24th)
Gossip Girl (April 21st)
Desperate Housewives-cause it’s kinda good again…kinda (April 13th)
Brothers & Sisters (April 20th)
My Name is Earl (April 3rd)
Lost (after this week’s last new episode it will be back on the 24th after Grey’s!)
A couple of favorites would be back until the fall though:
-Private Practice (but in the mean time they are shipping Addison back to Seattle Grace for an episode this season)
-Pushing Daisies
-Heroes
-fingers crossed….Friday Night Lights
And one won’t be back till 2009!
-24 (but will have a special 2 hour movie episode in the fall so we don’t forget about them)
So even though it snowed in Calgary today I know that Spring is just around the corner. Not that I’ll be outside enjoying it. Get ready TIVO it’s going to be a busy season.
In the mean time here is a nice video from the How I Met Your Mother cast about their favorite moments on the show:
The Return of 90210?
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A couple of days ago The CW (yes they still exist) announced that in keeping with their youth programming that they were developing a spin-off of one of the 90′s most popular shows: Beverly Hills 90210!!
When I first saw the story I had to go back and read it again. Can they even do a spin-off this long after the original show went off the air? It’s been 8 years since we said goodbye to the gang and the world’s most popular zipcode (Am I the only one that still uses 90210 when they are need info from an American website?). And then I saw that Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas was the one developing the show and I realized that it didn’t matter how old the show was it would still be good….but probably not great. I mean at it’s best 90210 was at the top on the “campy” pile. It’s not Lost, it’s not even a Gossip Girl. But 90210 pretty much introduced millions and millions of teenagers to so many issues that we would be facing over the next couple of years of our lives. Drugs, rape, murder, stalkers, crushes, love, marriage, bad clothes oh my! There is no ignoring the fact that shows like 90210 and Party of Five were among the most influential of their time.
But how are they going to do it all over again? Who is going to be in it? None of those details are released yet but they are going to be developing the pilot with the hopes of getting picked up for this fall. If Rob wanted to do this thing right he might want to take a page from the Degrassi page. The Next Generation was brought back a full 10 years after the original series ended. I think what made the new Degrassi work was that it gave us updates about all of our favorite characters (Joey, Spike, Caitlyn, Snake!) but introduced us to a whole new generation of messed up Canadian teens. Eventually the old Degrassi kids were moved to the background and guest spots, giving the screen over to those young and more than deserving of the spotlight. And the formula seems to be working. Combined Degrassi Jr and Sr High made a 40 episodes over it’s run. TNG has already produced a staggering 132 episodes and thanks to it’s huge American popularity shows no signs of slowing down.
So are Donna and David still together? And what about Brandon? Who even remembers Brenda and Andrea? Is Dylan even still alive? Will they be able to woo Hilary Swank back after firing her? Did Jim and Cindy ever come back from Hong Kong? These are all important questions that need answering and hopefully the show will be able to answer all these questions and more. Of course I hope the old regulars are going to show up, but lets also hope that the new kids of 90210 (maybe the spawn of our old favs) will face just as many trials and tribulations, just without the giant portable phones.
Calgary loses a great one.
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Also available on The Q.
Dear McNally Robinson Bookstore,
How have you been? I know I’ve been a bad friend lately. But I just read about your closure announcement and I just wanted to say how sorry I was. I feel awful because when I worked downtown we used to have so much fun together. But when I changed jobs, my visits became less and less.
I remember I would spend my lunch hours hanging out all throughout your store. I was especially fond of the bargain books section in the back. While every one else was too busy buying books about Yoga, Fung Shui or not sweating, you always had dozens of books for fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Far Side comics and unauthorized celebrity biographies.
I also loved your chairs. They were oh so comfortable. And while bigger companies, like Chapters, pulled their comfy chairs years ago, you stuck with them thus allowing poor Calgarians like myself to read through our US Weekly and People Magazines without actually buying them. But don’t worry, I always put the subscription card back when it would inevitably fell out.
I want to thank you for staying true to yourself. In a city where the culture and history is constantly replaced with “bigger and better”, you stood your ground. You supported local Calgarians in a way that no other bookstore did. You didn’t leave them sitting alone at the table at the entrance of your giant store with a small table and plastic tablecloth. You gave them a voice and the spotlight. Plus you let me use your washroom when I was just passing by.
And I don’t want to get too emotional, but the soup at your restaurant? Perfect. I think I might miss it the most.
So while we may have a couple of months left until you close. I still wanted to say thank you. Over the next couple of months many Calgarians, like myself, will realize how foolish we have been to forget Canada’s largest independent bookstore. It is truly our loss.
All the best,
Michael Morrison
Ps. How cheap are the Buffy books going to be now?
Guess who is accredited media….
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I’m sooooo excited today! Why? Well, I got two very cool emails in the past couple of days. One I have to keep secret for a little bit longer but the other one pretty much read like this:
Hey Mike,
Attached you will find information re: your 2008 JUNO Awards media
accreditation.
Be sure to contact me with any questions.
Cheers and see you in Calgary!,
That’s right playas I’m an accredited Media for upcoming Juno’s (ie: Canadian Grammy’s). This is so awesome for sooooo many reasons, mostly because the Junos are taking place 5 blocks from my house and I would have had horrible flashbacks to high school knowing that there is a crazy party so close and I wasn’t invited!
So what this means is that I have an all access pass to the Junos! I think my favourite part will be the Q & A sessions during the Gala and the actual Awards Ceremony. And did you know that fellow Fredericton alumni Measha Beuggergosman will be singing at this years awards!
The Junos are only a few weeks away and I can honestly say that I am freaking nervous/excited. Essentially my goal is to whore both myself and Mike’s Bloggity Blog Blob out as much as possible…and have a crazy good time.
Wish me luck!
