Blondes Have All the Fun
(The Killers - When We Were Young)

Ok...haven't posted awhile because I've been doing too much work on my FMB project but I ran across this website today and it was too good not to pass on.

Keiko

This is about the only time in my life I've ever wanted to be wh...European.

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FMB is looking for some content writers. We're looking for funny, sports enthusiasts who like to express their opinions! If this is you, please contact me. What do we have to offer? Well...to be honest, it would most likely be all pro-bono but if you're really good and you're of European descent, we may be able to send you to Tokyo to meet Keiko.

Farewell Andre
(Greenday - Time of Your Life)

If you're a sports fan, the one thing you hope to see in your lifetime is an athlete that pushes the sport to another level; an athlete that transcends his own sport and inspires all those that watch. I've been watching sports for 20+ years and I've been blessed to see the likes of Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Tiger Woods and Pete Sampras. Some of these athletes are still playing but most of them have retired and moved onto the next phase of their lives. Last week another one of these great athletes retired. Andre Agassi played his last tennis match on Sept 3rd at the US Open.

He came into the tennis tour in 1986 as a rebel. He pushed the boundaries of tennis’ strict sartorial boundaries with his colourful outfits, long rocker hair and an earring. Paving the way for the unique outfits you see on the tennis tour today. After winning several grand slams in the 90’s, he had a serious wrist injury in 1997 and had to rededicate his life to tennis. Working harder than he ever did before and becoming a role model for all the younger tennis players, he became the #1 ranked player in the world and won several more grand slam titles for a total of 8 in his career. This was his speech after his final match at the US Open this year.

The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I have found.

And over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life.

I've found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments.

And I've found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams, dreams I could have never reached without you.

Over the last 21 years, I have found you. And I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life.

One of the most humble and genuine speeches I’ve ever heard from an athlete and Andre’s presence in the sport will be dearly missed.

And as one tennis great retires, another one is making his mark in tennis history. Arguably the best player ever, Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick yesterday to win his 9th grand slam tournament. He needs 5 more to tie Pete Sampras’ record of 14. Roger beat Andy decisively in 4 sets, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. The match statistics showed that Roger hit 69 quadrillion winners to Andy’s 33. And although, Andy is known to have the bigger serve, Roger out aced him 17 bazillion to 7. And fittingly, Roger had another dominant athlete in his guest box.

Some guy by the name of Tiger Woods.

If you’re not a sports fan yet, this is a great time to start watching. Tiger and Roger are rewriting the record books as we speak and when they’re done, they will have left an unquestionable mark in their respective sports.

Unsuspecting Circumstances
(Lifehouse – Blind)

So Douglas Coupland has a screenplay showing at the Toronto Film Festival this year. The one year I have chosen not to get tickets. Total bummer. Hopefully I can catch it when it comes out on video. Here’s a little synopsis of his movie.

Pyramid schemes, monster grow-ops and lucrative white lies: you're either in the game or getting played. Set in a Vancouver overtaken by film crews, where costumed aliens wander aimlessly between craft services and the set, Everything's Gone Green comically illustrates how hard it is to know what's real in a world filled with fakery and hidden agendas. Oddly touching and permeated with a sense of fun, this debut original screenplay from iconic author Douglas Coupland affectionately asks not what, but who you want to be when you grow up.

Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) believes in small, manageable dreams. Dumped by his yuppie girlfriend, he gets a dispiriting job with a lottery magazine, photographing winners and writing their stories. In a Mandarin language class he's taking for work, he meets the lovely Ming (Steph Song) and is immediately smitten. However, Ming has a slick boyfriend, Bryce (JR Bourne), who designs golf courses for private clubs whose members never show up.

The weirdly abandoned courses are a small piece in a large and dubious puzzle and, spotting an angle, Bryce tries to involve Ryan. As he watches friends and family achieve greater materialistic fulfillment, Ryan wonders why he shouldn't play the game, trade in two wheels for four and maybe, finally, get the girl. When Ming and Bryce break up, all Ryan needs to do is convince her he's different from Bryce - but suddenly that's harder than he ever expected.

Director Paul Fox and his note-perfect cast achieve a lighthearted tone delicately poised between comic exaggeration and recognizable reality. Costanzo is effortlessly charming as Ryan, and the supporting players are clearly having a blast. Coupland's influence can be felt throughout, as the insouciant visual world is often reminiscent of his own art.

Everything's Gone Green good-naturedly reminds us that the line between getting by and becoming corrupt is sometimes very thin, and that the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

I’ve been a Coupland fan ever since Spooner introduced him to me back in university. I guess the thing that attracts me to Coupland’s writing is his understanding of the current times (or the zeitgeist for you romantics). He takes an individual or a group of individuals that represent a generation and he leads them from the dazed and confused to some grandeur revelation. And the characters all seem so hopeless and insignificant initially. Sort of how most of us feel as we transition from one phase of our lives to the next. It’s something I think all of us can relate to. And somehow through a series of unsuspecting events, they find their way and become aware of their purpose in life. I’d like to think that I’m one of these Coupland’s characters somewhere in the middle of the book, still searching for my reason for being -- walking around filled with self-doubt; engaging in clever dialogue and insightful conversations with the other characters in my life and waiting for that series of circumstances that will guide me to the end of this book.

FMB - Do Your Research
www.fantasymoneyball.com

For all you fantasy sports enthusiasts, we've finally released the beta version of our website. Sign-up, look around, DO YOUR RESEARCH, and let us know how we can improve this site for you.



Maybe now, I'll have some time to catch up on blogging!

The Vulnerable Get Eaten by Vultures
(Lifehouse - Everything)

My generation doesn't talk. We let the air out of your tires. We talk behind your backs and spread nasty rumours about you.

I don't open up easily. The only place I've opened up are in letters, over msn, on the phone and on this blog -- all the impersonal mediums of communication.

I am not a people person. I belong in a book.

I’m Popeye the Spiteful Man
(Ladytron – Destroy Everything You Touch)

Coming from a science background, I fully appreciate what our scientists are doing on a day to day basis -- trying to solve some of the biggest issues of our generation like the AIDS, cancer, the mutant X gene, etc. However, from a purely selfish perspective, I'd like to see scientists take on this idea.

Isolate the Spite Chemical.

Have you noticed what people are capable of when they're bitter? Outside of natural ambition, I don't think there's a single motivator better than spite. I knew a guy that learned how to speak a language fluently because people kept teasing him. This same guy also learned how to ski and got his skiing instructors license for the very same reason. Now if we can isolate the chemical in the brain that fuels this type of motivational spite, we could reproduce this in mass quantities and sell it in a can. It could be your own Popeye spinach! Imagine how focused you’d be as an athlete after taking a few shots of this chemical before a game. And the great thing about it is, no one can accuse you of cheating. What are they going to test for? Spite?

Just imagine how much money you could make from selling a product like this. I know I’d pre-order a few crates if it were available (not that I don't have high levels of spite already).

For Simplicity Sake
(Feist - Mushaboom (Postal Service Rmx))

So after a 5 hr nap in the evening, I'm now up at this ungodly hour taking care of things I should've taken care of when I decided to slumber. What's lovely about this time of night is that no one's up and there are very few distractions. So I've managed to do my laundry, download some pictures from my camera, take care of some bills and now I'm blogging. I don't really have much to say these days. It seems lately, I've been more into living life than writing about it. I guess that's a good thing, no? Anyhow, here are some random events that have made me smile, laugh, almost cry (because boys don't cry), pull my hair out, etc.

- I got the plague/cold and spent 3 days at home 2 weeks ago.
- My boss resigned due to overwhelming stress.
- The company server and WAN went down all on the same week that I had a cold.
- My other company launched the alpha version of our website, stay tuned for the link!
- I got a modded xbox from friends for my bday and I've been playing Karaoke Revolution and Topspin non-stop. A-ha's Take On Me has never been butchered so many times and I sing a great rendition of My Immortal by Evanescence.
- I am now convinced that the concept of "The One" is far too convenient to be true.
- The white orchids I got Sonia's parents last year are still alive and flowering like Barry Bonds juiced them.
- I spent last week in St.Paul, MN doing some company training. Hotels feel so empty even though they seem to be little flourishing cities all on their own.
- Rhianna's sample of Tainted Love makes me want to dance, and I normally hate when artists sample classic tunes.
- Saw the Strokes again and they still are one of the best live performing bands out there.
- I hear Emily Haines has a solo album coming out soon. She might be the coolest rocker chic alive. If you haven't heard any of her music, download a few Metric songs.
- Fishing season and vacation season is coming up. I'm headed to Vancouver for 10 days at the end of June with Sonia and headed north to the cottage for a week in mid-July.
- My little cousins from California are coming to visit in July for a month. They are adorable.
- If you haven't seen Shakespeare in the Park, I'd highly recommend it. Last year they performed Much Ado About Nothing. This year they're showing Comedy of Errors. This will be the 3rd year Sonia and I have gone.
- Happy 3 year anniversary Sonia!

(New Order - Regret)

Ninjas Killed My Family
(The Cranberries – Animal Instinct)

It’s raining outside. I wish I was in bed watching a movie or reading a book.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you need to try and get your hands on a copy.

Shinobi : Heart Under Blade

It’s based on the Japanese anime Basilisk. If you’ve seen Ninja Scrolls and liked it, you will love Basilisk, as well as the real-life rendition Shinobi. Seriously, who doesn’t like Ninjas? The only reason I can think of for not liking Ninjas, is if they’ve killed your family. If that were the case, then maybe you’d have a valid reason.
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Concerts coming up in May...don't miss them...

The Strokes
The Stills

The Days After 30
(The Stills – Love and Death)

My birthday was this past Tuesday and it was one of those "milestone" birthdays where everyone around you is suddenly apologizing or giving you reasons why this age isn't as bad as it seems and stating all the good things about it. First off, if it really were a good year, there would be no need for you to ever justify it as such. It's sort of like when people say, "well, they had good intentions" or "they meant well." These types of sayings come directly after something that has gone horribly wrong. What they really mean to say is something like, "Well, I knew you liked cut-off jeans so I decided to make use of my new circular saw to make you a pair, I meant well. Who knew that a circular saw would so easily cut human flesh. I'm sorry you lost a leg." I don’t think the start of any new year that’s evenly divisible by 10 is a good year. Y2K is a prime example. The only thing positive about that year was the widespread panic and the mass hysteria. Who doesn’t enjoy a little bit of running around while waving your arms and screaming?

Now, watch how I transition back from my deftly placed analogies, back into the main topic...

The point is, turning 30 isn't pleasant. It isn't horribly awful either. What is horribly awful is the fact that we still have to sugar coat bad medicine for old people like me. Give me the Buckley’s version of turning 30 please.

"You are now entering a decade where you will be ‘encouraged’ to settle down and get married. And when I say encouraged, I really mean ‘pressured’. Once you have established that you are a DINK (double income, no kids), you will push yourself into huge debt by buying a house where you will spend the rest of your living days paying mortgage, popping out kids, changing diapers and constantly wondering where the days of yore went."

Now there’s some bluntness I can appreciate.