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Tuesday, October 31, 2006


I am not much of a game show fan but there has been a lot of buzz about Deal or No Deal these days.I hear it's going to film five shows in Canada this year.
I was reading in La Presse today that TVA in Quebec is even looking into making a French Canadian Version called à prendre ou à laisser.... translate that back and it's Take it or leave it. Now that is a better name than Deal or no deal.
Another game show news item tonight is, Bob Barker is going to retire in June.... the Man is turning 83 this December...retire already!

Ok this is here only so you can laugh at me.

Next halloween instead of dressing up like an older Lady like Lovey...
I am going to dress in the sexiest thing I can find.
This is not a good look for me. It does get people giggling though.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Sports again?


Alouettes clinch CFL East!
Ha!
Now this is the team I am cheering for!
I might live in Toronto now but
Some things don't change.
I wish I could have been at that game.
But I went shopping instead...
I know that is a bad choice for some.
I really am a fan of the Alouettes.
I knew they would win against the Argos.
I hear it was close. A real nail biter.
Sorry I missed it.
But not sorry I went shopping.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Sports?


Cardinals win World Series

Was anyone watching?

I forgot baseball was still going on.

I guess it's over now.

Good on you Cardinals!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Today I am just passing the message along

Call for a Budget to Make Poverty History

Dear Make Poverty History supporter:

The Oct. 15 STAND UP event and the Oct. 17 White Band Day of Action were a great success.
In Canada, more than 49,000 people participated in over 200 STAND UP actions. And globally 23,542,614 stood up in over 80 countries to set a Guinness World Record!Thank you for your support in sending a clear message that people around the world want government leaders to take action to eradicate poverty. Now we have to make sure our leaders hear the message and STAND UP and deliver policies that will make poverty history.The government has started public consultations on its next Federal Budget which will likely be announced sometime in February 2007.

You can send a message to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that he should STAND UP and deliver a Budget to Make Poverty History.
Specifically we are calling for:
Increasing Canadian aid by 18% annually and committing to a plan to meet the internationally agreed target for aid spending of 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2015.
Raising the annual Canada Child Tax Benefit (or equivalent benefit) to $4,900 per child and ensuring all low-income children receive full benefit of this program.
Involving groups where poverty is predominant, such as Aboriginal People, women, minorities and youth in the design and implementation of a domestic poverty reduction strategy.

To send a message now to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and your Member of Parliament calling for a Budget to Make Poverty History, go to http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/home.php#click and click into action.
Dennis HowlettCoordinatorCanadian Make Poverty History campaign

P.S. Be sure to forward this message to your friends and colleagues.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Silent Auction part two.



The results of tonight events were; My Sister won a basket of wines tonight.
No one at our table won The Who tickets with limo, and no one I know won the pearls.
Both my sisters were there bidding up a storm. I think they have their vacation spots covered and Christmas gifts too.

I did win two of my bids.
I got a 100$ certificate for art lessons for 50$ at a very good art school, and I got 4 tickets for Massey Hall's comedy extravaganza for New Years Eve for 90$, value 240$.
The fundraiser raised more money than they need and my nephew and his hockey team are going to Europe! Yeah!
We ate, we laughed, we danced,
we spent lots of money and we all had a great time!

My friend Sonja's painting sold for a bid of 600$.
I have to hand it to them those North Toronto hockey parents they sure know how to throw a swanky fundraiser.
Je suis tres content. Merci pour la soiree J!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Tagged from off task blog

The following is courtesy off Task: Pick up the book closest to you (no cheating), turn to page 123 and scan the 1st five sentences then post the next three sentences on your blog . Finally, elaborate on what you wrote. You may consider yourself tagged.

Learn to interpret written and verbal medical terminology. Gain an understanding of the language related to the shape, structure and function of the human body and it's parts.
Prerequisite:engl 9016 (skills for college English ) or grade 12 English.

I am all for learning new things. That is why I have a copy of George Brown College Continuing Education close by. Those sentences describe a course called Medical Terminology 1.

Not the course I was interested in but I am sure it's useful for some. Anyone who wants to talk medically about the function of human body parts...

I was only thinking of taking a life drawing course to keep my artistic skills sharp. The art course may involve the shape of the human body and it's parts but we don't have to name them.


Unrelated to this topic but I wanted to add it now is a link for anagrams . Try your name out....

Silent auction tonight.

I have been doing a ton of new a different things since I moved to Toronto.
This week I went to the Thompson Landry Gallery in the distillery district with my friend Sonja (her link is on the sidebar if you want to check out her art).
Tonight we are going to a fund raising event. Sonja has a painting going to be auctioned off as part of the silent auction. The other items range from sports packages, either tickets to games or equipment or lessons... Spa or beauty treatment packages, Cottage packages or 5 star inn weekends, tickets to Peter Paul and Mary, or tickets to the New Years Eve Comedy Extravaganza... Maybe I will have plans for New Years after all.
There are door prizes too. Tickets to The Who front row with limo service... 2nd prize assorted wines, 3rd prize is a string of pearls.

What are we raising funds for? I'm glad you asked. The North Toronto minor bantam hockey select team will be going to Finland/Sweden for a hockey tournament. My nephew is on that team. My sister J is helping with the organization of this key fundraiser. Tickets to go to this fancy shindig are a bargain at 75$ each. It's being held at the Granite Club Ballroom. That includes dinner, entertainment, dancing and there are over 200 very interesting items up for bid. I am bringing cash and even though I know it's a huge mistake I am bringing my credit card too.
I'll take pictures and report back to you on any bids I may have won.
This is going to be fun!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

What do you like?

So I said I liked puddles and the next day there are puddles on the floor in my room because it's raining a great deal.
Lesson> be careful what you tell the universe you like because you may just get it... delivered to your door, or floor as the case may be.

Monday, October 16, 2006

What is in the newspapers?

Part of my job right now is to go through 4 daily newspapers looking for cool ads.
You know what else I see in the daily papers? The obits.
It is there to remind me that everybody dies.... We all end up there.
Well if anyone bothers to remember to place an ad for us...
On the brighter side there are piles of leaves to kick around right now. I can't resist shuffling through a pile of leaves....
And puddles , I can't resist wading through a good puddle on a summer day.
So while I am still alive I will enjoy piles of leaves and puddles....
And all the other good things in life.
Is all I'm sayin'

Saturday, October 14, 2006

First person reporting in the media and in blogs


I attended a lecture or two today so now it's time to ramble about it.

First Person journalism is not about you.

Let's look at this for a bit shall we?
Do you believe to incite or giving insight, if personal, adds to the story? ;-)
Does it help to have the reader connect with the writer?
Does it make the reader feel like a participant with personal perspective and personality there in the paragraphs moving the story along?
If the story is like a conversation between the reader and the writer does that make it a more interesting story?
Lets say for example it's a newspaper story on city politics... Do you want your friend the journalist complaining to you about the mayor and his quirky excuses for not answering her questions or do you just want to read the facts about the mayors new budget?
The media have to be so careful about first person reporting. Some of my favourite reporters are people that do allow themselves to shine through. I think if you are in the public eye that takes a lot of courage. Critics tend to target the first person reporters more. Jian Ghomeshi of The Hour comes to mind. I do like his first person reports on subjects ranging from, world cup soccer to meeting Jane Goodall on a plane. He takes heat for this type of report though, because it's not in the critics taste. It's not how they learned journalism. I say let him be! He is a word smith and brings a charming friendly angle to those stories. There is room in reporting for that.
Reporting style is not a static thing. There are limits and rules to how reporters report and it's a good thing to have standards but, let the artist have room to work. The audience is not a static thing either our tastes change with the times.
Speaking of times changing...
One alternative to getting your information through the media is this. Blogs.
Thank God for blogs and bloggers freedom! Not that some of us don't try to live up to standards...
Blogs are different. Bloggers are not obliged to be informative, factual or even entertaining.
Anyone can put up a blog and say anything they want. You never know if the source is credible or not, but you will soon see if they are entertaining and engage your interests. There is no consequence to them, or you, if you read the posts or not. They won't get fired or cancelled... Most don't make money doing this and some chose not to even try to make a penny.
I was thinking about the blogs I love to frequent. I love first person blogs. I may click on that blog at first because of the subject they posted about but It's the personality of the blogger that keeps me coming back to that blog. I want to hear what they have to say in thier own voice. Freedom of choice, freedom of voice. Keep the net free!
Finding out about music, political stories, entertainment events or sports for that matter can be a combinations of blogs and media and personal research and whatever your friends have to say about it. Life is a buffet. Dig in
!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Got my snow tires on!

I got my snow tires put on while I was in Montreal this past weekend. It cost me a bundle. They found that my front bearings needed to be changed. I was not going to chance driving back to Toronto with my car in less than top condition, so I gave them the go ahead. The problem was I could not pick up my car 'til much later that day. When I got to the lot to pick it up, long after the Goodyear had closed down for the holiday I found that my steering wheel was not centered.
What? Yes it looks like I am making a left turn when I am going straight! It is not a problem driving it. It runs fine. It's just really really annoying. I am hoping the Goodyear here will fix it and bill the other Goodyear for the cost... Wish me luck with that.
Oh and since I have snow tires on now... Let it snow! I heard something about snow in the forecast just now.
Ha!
:-)

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Thanksgiving

God bless this food
and bless the company
We have to share it with.
The fear of not having
enough prevents many
from seeing they already
are enough.
Thank you God for providing us
all we need to be what
we choose to be, and
the challenges to remind us to be
grateful for every blessing.
Amen.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

You are not going to see me in a suit very often so I thought I would take a picture for my Mum and Dad to see.
See I can wear a suit when it suits me.
Happy thanksgiving.
This blogger is off to Montreal for the weekend.
I have a 50th wedding anniversary party with the Graham's family to go to Saturday and a thanksgiving feast with my family on Sunday.
Then home to Toronto... it sounds weird when I say that.

Dad, tell Peter that I met his boss today....

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

I got this series of Q's from Hawa. It's something to think about.

What's your ideal career?
.... I don't know, something creative that helps people...
41 and I still don' t know what I want to do when I grow up.

What difficult thing are you dealing with right now?
Dealing with a lot of new stuff in my life right now.

What are you excited about right now?
Driving to Montreal Thanksgiving weekend, parties, family, friends, The Hour on Monday, calling B on Tuesday seeing B. On Wed.... who's B? I'll tell you another time...

What charitable causes do you feel most passionate about?
World Vision, The Red Cross, Centraide/UnitedWay

What makes you most happy?
Umm, chocolate and music and communications of all kinds

What breaks your heart?
no chocolate ever again

Something you've always wanted to do?
Get my pilot's license

What would your ideal day include?
Tea with B, doing something nice for a stranger, buying those perfect boots, making someone I care about smile, making you laugh out loud.

What do you feel is the meaning of life?
Life is about learning and serving and teaching and growing as a soul.

Happiest memory?
I have been blessed with so many happy memories I can't say. All I can say is I am grateful for them all.

Saddest memory?
The day Graham 's cancer stole him mobility and he was not given any more options to fight it.

Quality about yourself you most love?
My heart. It's a pretty good heart.

Quality about yourself you most hate?
My ego. Well maybe not my entire ego, but the part of it that needs all that attention...

Biggest challenge in life?
Is to keep swimming forward.

Favourite quote?
"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."

Monday, October 02, 2006

The Stroumboulopouli has a new look

Great new blog template and cool look thanks to Todd, Allison and Alana.
Kudos!
In other news... Kudos to George on making it to the final five!
It's down to Five now.
You know what to do.
Vote for whomever you want to vote for,
but it better be George...
is all I'm sayin'.