Country boy/ City life

Monday nights are back for Prime Time

It turns out that Monday nights are going to be the very best prime time TV nights as far as I'm concerned. So good in fact that I had to call the cable company to add the US Network Time shifting theme pack. I highly recommend the pack by the way at only $2/ month.

I started my evening at 8pm with left over Chicken Wings from Super Sunday and some grocery store potato and egg salad. The wings came out of the microwave at almost exactly 8pm and I turned on House.

The promos had played up the fact that Thirteen was going to get sick from the meds Foreman gave her after he put her on the test drug during the trial. And I don’t think that anyone was surprised to see that he had in fact put her on the drug. But it was a pretty good episode.

There was some back and forth between Cuddy and House that comes to because Cuddy genuinely hates the fact that House is making her be at the hospital instead of at home with her newly adopted baby. Wilson points out the truth later and saves the day and everyone’s sanity.

There was some insight given into Wilson's life since Amber died which I didn't expect. Turns out he’s a broken man that hasn’t moved on even enough to close the last book that she was reading at the kitchen/ dining room table.

In the end House and the team saved the patient (as always) and Thirteen can see again. Foreman doesn't lose his license as long as he never tries to work in a trial again. And House has his cane back (you'll know what I mean if you watched the episode)

I checked my twitter a couple times and sent some texts to my special friend and otherwise my 8 to 9 was covered. Dinner was good, had a couple of glasses of Coke and enjoyed the left-overs.

9pm, Heroes starts! The hiatus has been killing me. I'm a routine based kinda guy. So having Mondays night back is key.

Nathan has started a campaign veiled under the homeland security tag that even gets an Irani-American nervous thinking that he's talking about Arabs and such. We all know (including Peter) that it's about those with abilities.

Cut to Parkman and Daphne. Matt wants to live on the level, while she'd rather speed through things and use what she's got (fair when you consider what happens when she loses her power I figure). The wanderer ends up stopping by in a vision to tell Matt that he should paint the future and after a brief argument Matt’s eyes go all Isaac Mendes and the pen starts going crazy on the paper.

Cut to Claire finding out that Angela is in on whatever scheme Nathan

is planning. Claire is not the nose clean little girl that Noah hoped she'd be.

Stuff starts to hit the fan and our heroes start to get abducted by dudes in all black, super agent looking costumes. Suresh, Peter, Parkman, Hiro, Tracy, Claire, they all get taken (Sylar doesn't, that's right the jerkface is alive and well, kicked a bunch of behind and showed that his abilities are well intact)

-note: during the show I turned the closed captioning on and called the cable company and added the afore mentioned theme pack. The cable girl was great. New channels started working while we were still on the phone. Mission accomplished.

Back to the show. Big warehouse, people with abilities lined up, chained, hooded and walking together. Turns out that Claire is one of them of course as she was taken with Matt from his apartment when she was trying to warn him of what was going to happen. Nathan lets her go and tells her to forget what she just saw. But Claire being the strong willed young woman that she is can't just walk away. Kicks the driver in the head and sneaks on to the plan that the others were herded on to.

Calamity (not the funny kind) ensues and it turns out that Noah is the co-pilot. It also turns out that Peter has his full abilities back as he took some of Suresh’s super strength and Tracy’s super freeze while escaping the cuffs and such that they were locked down in. Thanks to the super freeze ability that Peter stole there's a hole in the side of the plane and there's going to be a crash landing. To be continued... Of course.

The Teaser after the show looks like the show is going to turn into a Lord of the Flies meets Lost situation with the ability gifted running and hiding from The Company and its’ men who will no doubt be able to find out where the plane goes down and send resources.

I had an hour to kill between 10 and 11 because I really don’t care about Medium being on at 10.

I did some dishes, cleaned up in the kitchen a little bit. I updated my Twitter, checked Facebook on my BlackBerry and channel surfed.

To be honest it wasn’t a terribly exciting hour of my night, but I was relaxed and happy that I had already watched House and Heroes and that Chuck was going to be on one of my newly selected US Time shifting channels.

Chuck started right on time and I was smiling big again. The episode was filmed in 3D for whatever reason and as awesome as I’m sure it was for those people that had glasses, I wasn’t ready or equipped with 3D glasses.

Open the show with Chuck in what is clearly a dream sequence because Sarah was in this hot little black lingerie thing that will make a guy like Chuck know that he is dreaming.

I love this show. It’s funny, it’s quick, the people are pretty good looking, overall it’s good stuff. I always forget that the show is an hour long. I’m not sure why, but it always makes me happy when I realize that it’s going to be on for another 30 minutes.

Chuck’s first flash of the post holiday season clocked in at 5 minutes into the episode. And it resulted in a hi-tech grenade being tossed around like a football until it blew up safely.

Perfectly timed cameo: Jerome Bettis, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back guest stars as Big Mike’s college football teammate.

The Episode also featured that little guy that was on Lost as a rock star junkie and a hobbit in Lord of the Rings. The rock star drug lifestyle was joked on when dude was hit with a tranquilizer and woke back up when he was to have been out for 24 hours.

Second Chuck flash: 26 minutes.

Action sequences start as the mystery starts to unfold and I kind of start wishing I had those 3D glasses to see what cool features they had set up. Oh well.

Chucks final flash: 36 minutes.

Action gets heavier and the bad guy is in sight. Chuck and rock star guy, character name: Tyler Martin end up on stage and dive into the crowd to avoid a knife throw by the hitman working for African terrorists. Sarah and Casey get the bad guy in the crowd, the fans help Tyler Martin surf back to the stage and drop Chuck because they don’t know or care who he is.

Show ends with rock star chatting with Chuck, inviting him to party any time, Chuck says no thank you.

Chuck tells Sarah that he saw her shoot the bad guy on Christmas Eve and it messed with his head. She tells him that he deserves some time off and that he can take as much as he needs.

Casey tells Sarah it’s time to go and they go to the car to leave for a mission. Chuck gets the sad little boy, lost puppy look on his face and then climbs into the back of the car to leave.

End show. 11pm.

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Morning Musings On All Things Entertainment

So, because I’m set up here on the entertainment page I guess I should write about some things in the entertainment world for once. I’m not even sure if anyone is reading this thing. But if you are, let me know. My email is joshuac.murray@mail.com... Send a msg, or find me on Twitter… phjoshua

I see in the news tickers and all over the place and Michael Jackson’s Thriller is going to be made into a Broadway Musical. I also see that the director of Thriller (John Ladis) is going to sue Michael Jackson for past profits or something along those lines. Michael Jackson hasn’t been in the news this much for something that has to do with his music in years. I love it. I bet he loves it and I’m almost positive that his family loves it.

In television news, Heroes and Chuck are back with “all new” episodes next week according to the NBC website. I was getting impatient and checked yesterday. A boy can only last so many Monday nights without seeing a bunch of people with super powers.

In the world of books, I haven’t heard much. I know that books are turning into movies like crazy and that women the world over are excited for the release of “He’s just not that into you”. I also know that I haven’t finished my book so I have nothing really to talk about in the world of novels and such.

Umm, in movies I’m sad. “Paul Blart, Mall Cop” has been the highest grossing film in the box office for the last two weeks in a row. And I’ll admit, I like to watch a re-run of King of Queens from time to time, but I’m not sure I ever thought that Kevin James was funny enough to carry his own movie. But what do I know I guess.

I’m sure that there are other things to write about, but I can’t think of them right now. Go to it entertainment seekers. Here are today’s links for the news that is news.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001508/ - he’s just not that into you

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1114740/ - paul blart, mall cop

http://www.nbc.com/Schedule/ - nbc schedule – heroes and chuck all new Feb 2

http://www.thewrap.com/article/1015 - john landis vs. michael jackson

That’s all for today folks. Enjoy your coffee.

Cheers,

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Changing Hockey Safety

There has been a lot of talk lately with regards to safety in hockey, and justifiably so. By now everyone is aware of the tragedy of Don Sanderson, and while I am writing this over a month after Mr. Sanderson’s injuries and death took place, my heart still goes out to his family and friends.

Because of this incident there has been much discussion about removing fighting from the game of hockey in the name of protecting the players. But, with all due respect to everyone involved in hockey either as a player, coach, parent or fan, there are much more important things to look at when addressing player safety.

At this time I’d like to point out that I am not a disciple of Don Cherry. I love watching him, I love his passion for the game of hockey and the country of Canada, but these opinions are mine and have nothing to do with his speeches on Coach’s Corner or anywhere else.

I do believe that in my lifetime (and God willing I have a long time to live) I will see a steep drop-off in the number of hits from behind and head shots, and even a lower number of fights in the NHL. I believe this because Canada still produces the highest number of NHL players and Hockey Canada has taken steps to teach its’ young players how to play the game safely. Minor hockey players in Canada wear “Stop” patches on the back of their jerseys above their name plates to remind each other that hitting from behind is a bad idea. They also wear face cages and shields to protect from errant sticks and pucks. These aren’t choices that players make when they get dressed; these are mandated by Hockey Canada and the leagues that the players participate in.

The “Stop” patches don’t take up much space, and by now are so standard and accepted that there’s no reason to take them off at all when players progress through the ranks of competitive hockey as far as I’m concerned. I know that fans everywhere would have to get used to seeing the patches on the backs of jerseys for Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, and I know that purists and traditionalists will fight this suggestion to the bitter end because it would “ugly up” the jerseys of their favourite teams. But folks, come on, these are players health and lives that we’re talking about.

As well, the face cages and shields are mandated right through Major Junior Hockey in this country, why give players the decision to take it off when they graduate to the professional ranks? At one time (before I remember) this discussion was about players wearing helmets. Likewise, Major League Baseball had this discussion with batting helmets, and then batting helmets with ear flaps. In the end, players and leagues adopted the safe choice and every hockey player wears a helmet while on the ice. It’s time to grandfather in the face shield or cages and watch over the next 10 years as the game gets safer because of it. The argument that players will be careless with their sticks if everyone wears better protection is ridiculous. These are grown men that have been playing hockey for most of their lives. They have the ability to be safe with their sticks, and when accidental high-sticks occur players won’t come close to losing eyes a la Bryan Berard.

Other changes would come from the rules committee. No touch icing would be a safe change. There have been arguments on both sides of this idea for years. But, I’ll trade one race for a puck that actually is a race for all the broken legs (Kurtis Foster, you haven’t heard of him in a while I bet) in the world. Also, let’s remember that no touch icing set up Team Canada’s dramatic goal with 5.4 seconds left against the Russians in this year’s World Junior Hockey Championships. It’d be kind of cool to see a finish like that in the NHL regular season, let alone a playoff game.

The starting of a referee handing out, with their own discretion, a 5 minute penalty for a high stick with malicious intent instead of just a 2 minute minor plus another 2 minutes if blood is drawn would help to discourage what we refer to as “head shots”.

Supplementary discipline from the NHL head office should start to come more swiftly and harshly when dealing with hits from behind, late hits and hits to the head. Players with multiple offenses need to be treated as repeat offenders and punished as such. I know that Jarkko Ruutu is an idiot for biting Andrew Peters but it’s his repeat offender status that needs to be taken into account in the future.

I know that I alone don’t know how to fix the game of hockey, I’m not sure that any one person really does because we’re all biased at some point. But these are my suggestions. Add yours. Tell me that you hate mine, but when you do; keep the safety of the players, young and grown in mind.

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Dear Mr. President

I know that I’m not American. I know that I didn’t vote for you. And I know that in the end the decisions you make while you hold office will be made with your country in mind first, and the rest of the world second. And sir, I can not and do not blame you one bit for that.

What I do ask and hope is that you keep me, my fellow Canadians and the rest of the world in mind when you make your decisions.

I have to admit that I am a big fan of yours. I have read your book, and followed your progress over the course of the nomination and election process. A friend of mine even got me an Obama ’08 button leading up to Election Day.

This morning I started reading letters to you written by school children in the United States. They are both innocent and insightful. The children ask for safety of loved ones in Iraq. They ask for the end of a recession that they don’t understand because they do know that it means that they can’t go to McDonalds for dinner with their parents. But mostly, what they and I and many, many other people are asking for is guidance, leadership and the continuance of hope.

Later today when you take the Presidential oath I will be watching on TV while millions of people will be watching live in D.C.

And while it may sound silly because I’m not American, I am excited.

Good luck and God speed Mr. President. Best wishes for you and your family.

-Joshua Murray

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

My only resolution.

Sorry, I know it's been a while. It's been a, umm, busy time.

The holidays are over, everyone is back to their lives and I wish you all the best.

As for myself, been better. Startling revelations have taken place, and my new year
may prove to be a long and arduous, but that's the way it's going to be.

If anyone reading this is has been impacted, I'm sorry. I really am. And as my new year's
resolution, I vow to do my best to become the kind of person you'll ask to be around again.

Thank you,

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

OMG, I'm falling in love

As a recent comic book convert I'm starting to learn more about my tastes and in turn, more about myself.

My favourite masked heroes are Batman and The Green Arrow. Now, maybe this goes back to my childhood and Adam West's Batman being on TV after school. Or maybe it has something to do with the Batman movies that I've been watching for years (Batman '89 and Batman Returns '92, I give no credit to Batman Forever '95 or Batman & Robin '97)

It could also be that as a child I never immersed myself in the comic book world or any of its alternate universes. And as such, I never really got the whole alien beings or super power thing.

I like the fact that both Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen are just regular guys doing extraordinary things.

Yes, I know that they are both uber rich, and have more resources available to finance their heroic activities. And I know that in the real world their actions aren't believable. But it’s their dedication to good vs. evil. Their sense of community and civic duty are respectable and inspirational. Also, they get to wear cool costumes and masks and use awesome tools and toys and who wouldn’t want to do that? It would be like Hallowe’en and saving the world every night.

But they are much more believable than a guy that can see through everything, or a dude that spins webs and swings from buildings in a major urban area.

I have also started noticing things that I never noticed as a child or even earlier in my adult life.

Like, a girl behind the counter of a comic book shop automatically becomes more attractive than she would be otherwise. I’ve also discovered that I really do “geek out” once in while, as illustrated by one of the gifts my girlfriend will be getting for Christmas. (I’m not going to say what it is yet just in case she reads this)

I’ve also fallen in love with the graphic novel versions of tv shows. Both Heroes and Chuck have online graphic novel stories going. In fact, Heroes Volume One is now out in both hardcover and paperback and Heroes Volume Two has been released in Hardcover in time for the holidays (wink wink, nudge nudge) Anyway, take a look. It’s pretty cool stuff.

So, now that I’ve “geeked out” completely all over this blog and the internet, it’s probably time that I go talk to my friends about sports or women or something… as long as it’s not Wonder Woman.

Cheers

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Happy Holidays and Thanks

Good morning all,

I know it's the holiday season, and not thanksgiving, but this is a time for family and friends and so I would like to take the time to give thanks for the serious and the irreverent in my life.

I would like to give thanks for my mom, she's still a rock. And after a lovely afternoon yesterday I'm reminded again of the kind of parent and person that I want to be.

I would like to give thanks for my significant other, she's a saint, and she continues to stand beside me through some ups, some downs and some in betweens.

Thanks also needs to be given for my friends that have stayed in touch from Ottawa since my move, my friends in Peterborough that still send messages to say hi, and my friends all over the rest of the country that are there when I need them and when it's just to chat.

I'd like to give thanks for my job, sure it's not fantastic all the time, but I'm not unemployed and the rent is paid.

I'd like to give thanks for mouse traps, they give me a chance to sleep at night.

I'd like to give thanks for Advent calanders and the chocolate that comes in them.

I'd like to give thanks for digital cable and 24 hour sports coverage.

I'd like to give thanks for my BlackBerry and how it keeps me connected at all times.

I'd like to give thanks for my metabolism. I don't eat well but the calories I get keep me going with the same waist line.

I'd like to give thanks for the TTC and my pass that lets me get on the bus, street car and subway without hassle everyday.

I'd like to give thanks for professional sports because it gives me something bigger than myself to be interested in and care about.

I'd like to give thanks for world of constant political change, again it gives me something to read, care about, talk about and wonder what the world will be like because of it.

I'd like to give thanks for comic books, comic book tv shows, comic book movies and graphic novels.

I'd like to give thanks to the Big Guy, who keeps looking out for me and the ones I love.

And finally I'd like to give thanks for the internet, that gives me a voice and a place to rant even if I don't deserve it.

Cheers and Happy Holidays,

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Free Online Comics!!!!!!!

http://www.lorencollins.net/freecomic/

This link is currently the most fulfilling find in my expanding geekdom... or is that geekhood?

My personal favourite is the link to the original TMNT comics. Not scans, no fold or staple marks.

Some won't be top quality, but I'm giving you a way to read comics at work, so suck it up.

Cheers,

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

The Time Is Now To Think Blue Jays Baseball

The Time Is Now To Think Blue Jays Baseball

Ladies and gentlemen, the time is now.

The time is now to prepare yourselves for a recession and the static position of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not your average J.P. Ricciardi hater. I've actually sat down with the man and talked baseball with him, and he's got a brilliant mind for the game. There's just some reason out there that it doesn't translate to wins for the Blue Jays.

The Canadian dollar has dropped 25 cents since the last day of the 2008 regular season, and that means, unless the fans of Toronto want to pay 25% more than the rest of Major League Baseball fans the Blue Jays really can't afford to pay top dollar for free agents like A.J. Burnett.

With that said I do have a few ideas based on the current 40 man roster that can't really hurt us at all, but could cut payroll and help get our prospects on the field and helping this team now and in the future.

First of all, Russ Adams is still on the 40 man roster really just taking up space. I don't know anyone that expects him ever to be a contributer to this franchise, and with the 2009 starting shortstop job apparently being given to Marco Scutaro I'd be willing to trade Russ for a bag of balls or a minor league player that needs to prove himself the same way.

Secondly, B.J. Ryan could be moved. He's a big cost and our bullpen is the strongest part of our team with or without him. Accardo, Carlson, League, Downs, Frasor, Janssen, Camp, Tallet, Richmond, Wolfe, Halladay, Litsch, Marcum, McGowan... that's 14 pitchers that could do a job. Teams don't carry 14 pitchers, let alone 15. Move B.J. and one or two of - Wolfe, Camp, Carlson (sell high) or Richmond for a first baseman or DH. Which leads me to point 3.

Lyle Overbay. I like him, he's a good baseball player with a smooth swing. But we need power there, even at the cost of defense. Trade Mr. Overbay for a 3 or 4 starter and a minor leaguer. If we can get a David Bush type guy back that would be great. (I'd like to go on record as saying I did like that trade at the time and still believe it was a good baseball move)

Looking to the free agent market we should take a chance on a guy like Carl Pavano, he won't have to be a number 1 guy here. We have that in Roy. And if Dustin McGowan comes back healthy in May as he's supposed to he's my number 2 with A.J. gone. A healthy Carl Pavano with something to prove and an incentive laden contract looks good to me.

But what do I know...

Cheers

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

McTheory

I'm not going to waste a lot of time with set-up on this one. But I will share credit, again this theory is a colaborative work and I'd like to thank Will, Tony and Chris for their help in Peterborough, ON

The McCraving: It starts with hunger, and the mere mention of the word McDonalds.
You will no doubt start to feel more hungry and may even begin to taste the menu item of your choice. If left unattended with a lower than saintly level of tolerance the cravings will become unbearable and you will move onto the next stage.

The McSatisfaction: After placing you order and sitting either in your car or at the table you will start to eat your chosen menu item and realize that nothing could be better in this moment. Whether you choose a burger, chicken, a salad or any number of things, the taste of your meal will be for a moment, unbelievable.

(It's true, I've seen women and children eat the smallest meals ever and end up falling into the rest of the McTheory.)

There is a time lapse between the McSatisfaction and the next stage in the McTheory. There is no set time for this to take place but in a group it may seem to happen for everyone at the same time.

The McGurlgles: The McGurgles may also be known as a grumbly stomach or even in more serious cases a comparable feeling to the stomach flu in its' worst fury.

The McGurgles may bleed into the next stage(s). Please do not take it lightly as it will at times be very uncomfortable.

The McSleepies: As foolish and childish as the name may seem this is not a joke. After a varying amount of time has passed (it's like cough medicine, it's never the same for 2 people) after your meal, you will begin to feel tired and lacking significant energy. Although there is no need for a warning against operating heavy machinery, in certain instances you may lose all desire to return to work or any kind of physical activity at all. This may also include but is not restricted to: Not wanting to walk anywhere, not wanting to care for small children, and not caring at all about the movement of traffic as you cross the street.

(This is why athletes should not eat at McDonalds before a big game. I don't care if you're talking about the High School Track & Field team, or the NBA All-Star team, It just shouldn't be done.)

The McMood Swings: In order to avoid offending your friends, co-workers, and others close to you, please inform them that you have gone through the first four stages so that they may be prepared for what is to follow. You may become short and defensive when asked simple questions that at other times wouldn't matter at all. You may also become visibly upset with co-workers when things aren't exactly perfect when you otherwise wouldn't care. In more offensive cases you may actually go looking for trouble to release the unexplained aggression that you have acquired. There is no remedy except perhaps some light hearted pop music and a bright coloured sucker.

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Apathy is poison

Apathy is poison. There's no way around it. And while I have done any
studies because I'm too impatient to wait for results, I firmly
believe this statement to be true.

Think about it for a second, how awful is not caring. Whether it's
not caring for a loved one, not caring about politics or the fate of
a nation, not caring about war and famine, or even not caring about
the growing environmental plight of the world, it criplles us. Not caring leaves us
feeling nothing, saying nothing and most importantly, doing nothing.

Apathy among non-students leaves post-secondary tuitions high and
rising. Apathy among the rich leaves the poor toiling. Apathy among
industrial CEO's leaves the environment dying. And apathy among the
public leaves our world in trouble.

It is true that every cause has it's supporters. And whether you
believe in them and support them or think they're off base and oppose
them, until you care enough to speak or act, you've helped neither
side of the cause.

It's fact that under 60% of Canadians voted in the 2008 federal
election, and that the same government that felt it didn't have the
nations support remained in power. Now maybe this shows that the
Conservatives do have Canada's support. Or maybe they don't and the
over 40% of the nation that didn't vote could have changed things.
But until that 40% stands, speaks and acts they aren't 40% of the
decision making public, they are 0%.

I know I'm not breaking ground here like I did with the idea of
Living in the Ish, but I still believe in every word I've written.
If I've offended you, tell me. If you agree with me, tell me. And
if you don't care... I think we all know you won't say anything
anyway.

Phmurph@hotmail.com

Cheers,

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Live in the "ish"

Live in the "ish". It's a new motto that some friends and I are working on.

Everyone has always been living in the now. The only problem with living in the now is that it's over before you know it.

When you live in the "ish" you can take your time and enjoy it. The other great thing about living in the "ish" is that it's not limited to time frames. It can also be a measure of description for feeling. Let's take a few minutes to explore the possibilities.

- living in the "ish" means you can be 5-10 minutes late. If you're more than 10 minutes late you're not in the "ish", you're just late. Sorry.

- living in the "ish" means you don't have to divulge your exact status with regards to health, be it physical or mental. When someone asks if you're feeling ok you can say, good-ish. When my girlfriend asks me how my knees are doing on any given day I can reply with, not bad-ish. And when somebody asks how you slept you can truthfully say, alright-ish. You're starting to get the picture so we'll leave the examples there for now.

"Ish" is a new unit of measure as well, whether it be for hot or cold, an amount of rain or snow, height, weight, distance.

I know that people have been "ish"ing for a long time, but nobody ever really counted it as serious. Let's make a push and get this thing off the ground. Think of the self-esteem boosts. You just lost five pounds by telling everyone (except your doctor) that you weigh 180ish. I sound taller when I say I'm 6 foot-ish instead of, just over 5-11.

The possibilities are practically endless. I love this.

So, it is now that I'm inviting everyone onboard the "ish" train. Grab a seat, enjoy the ride, and let the little stresses slide away.

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

First blog from BB

I guess that I'm a techy now. I'm blogging from my phone.




I'm not sure how I feel about it. 

But I guess that's the way it goes.

And as much as I don't to be that guy, I really 
have a craving to sit  at a game and type away...

Whether it be a raptors game, leaf game or even the marlies and blog 
the action every time there's something relevant.  If and when I have 
a chance to make this craving a reality, you'll  see it as well.

I'm kind of excited about the opportunities that this new handheld  
masterpiece can bring.

So, here's hoping that you don't steal my idea... And if you do, 
here's hoping that you don't do it as well as I do.

- joshua

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Plan the parade route!!!!!!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, the time is now for Toronto Raptor fans to plan the parade route through downtown!

The new season has started and the boys in black (black is the new red, I saw it on a t-shirt) are on a roll. We answered the bell on opening night against disgruntled new Canadian Samuel Dalembert and the 76ers. We gave the fans a dramatic overtime win against a Western Conference team that won 6 more games than we did last year on a stronger schedule. And then last night we found a way to grind out our third win in a row on the second half of a back to back on the road at Milwaukee’s home opener.

All the while your NBA All-Star and part-time used car dealer Chris Bosh has been focused and determined. Jose “The Facilitator” Calderon has done everything that fans knew he could without TJ Ford crying in the background. And Jermaine O’Neal has been a welcome addition. The 30 year old looks healthy, happy and prepared to do whatever it takes to win. (Have you seen the big man take a charge?!)

I know it’s only the first week of November, and I know that we just changed the clocks back. But the outlook is good. Boston lost last night, and we didn’t! And in my world, that’s good news.

So cheer loud, proud and all year long Raptor fans. I’ll see you on the route.

Cheers,

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Why not Justin Trudeau... make me believe again.

Why not Justin Trudeau?

Less than 60% of Canadians showed up to vote on October 14th... a disgrace really. And while I hate to admit it as a young Canadian myself, young Canadians aren't interested in the countries political leaders, their parties or even politics in general. When was the last time that a politician was able to connect with someone between 18 and 25 that wasn't in University or College?

If Justin Trudeau surrounds himself with experienced, qualified and intelligent people there's no reason to think that he can't move forward with the Liberal platform and at the same time inspire Canadians young and old.

Maybe the legacy of his father would stand out at first. In fact I have no doubt that it would be a huge story for the media.

But just because his father was Prime Minister doesn't mean that young Justin Trudeau can't become his own man and politician with the opportunity to do what Stephane Dion and Paul Martin before him weren't able to do... make Canadians care.

Mr. Trudeau, if you read this please except my support in whatever decisions that you make and I hope the best for you in your current seat and your future positions.

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Bachelor

So... I will now be starting my official residence and grown-up life in Toronto. I'll be renting a tiny little bachelor apartment west of the trendy part of King St. It's close to what I need... drugs, sex, booze, children causing trouble. Also laundry, groceries and fast food. All in all, it should do just fine. Plus I'll be closer to the ACC for Raptors games all season.

If anyone has anything that they want to donate email me at joshuac.murray@mail.com and I'll make sure that we get it all figured out :)

ps. I hope that everyone is having a good start to their semesters in school. peace out

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

moved and looking

So, here I am. In Toronto, the big city. Lights, cameras and action. In fact I think I walked through the shot of a MuchMusic promo cut yesterday. Oh well. That's what they get for filming on the sidewalk.

So far it's been pretty good. I hit a couple Blue Jays games, they keep winning so I may keep going. I've been downtown while James Cameron of Titanic fame was receiving his star on the Canadian Walk of Fame. I've even had a friend tell me that they saw Lebron James promoting his new flick at the Toronto International Film Fest. Not a bad frist week.

Now to find employment and an apartment and things will be peachy.

Cheers for now.

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Moving

So...the time has come.

I've packed boxes full of books, DVDs, clothes and assorted other crap. Sunday the trucks will back up and we'll load everything and get on the 401.

This will be the move out of Ottawa that I always figured was going to come but didn't know when.

It's also the move back to Toronto that was always part of the larger plan.

It's been a pain in the ass, a stress filled time, and there's been a lot of reflection... I love a lot of people in this city, and I'm going to miss them all... but there are a lot of people in Toronto that I love, and a city that I love as well.

So, if you see me in Toronto in early September please say hi. Also, I still need a job... so feel free to offer one of those too.

Love,

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

Smells of summer

Ladies and gentlemen, we are entering what baseball announcers call “the dog days of summer.” And with these hot, humid and generally gross days come memories and stories of summers past.

Now, usually when people are talking about their childhood memories they rely on describing sights and sounds to help their stories along. Things like the clouds and sun in the sky, the colour of the water, the sound of the rain on a tin roof or of laughter on a playground. And while all of those things are fantastic, and I have memories that can be described with those lines as major points. My favourite way to describe the summer is by smell.

I will admit that a lot of what I’m going to describe can be found at a baseball park, but that’s another story for another day.

It starts with the smell of freshly cut grass. It probably helps that I grew up in the country, but the smell of fresh cut grass now makes me almost want to go out and cut a lawn just to experience it first hand.

Next is the smell of a Bar B Que. And it doesn’t have to be fancy. I’m happy just smelling some cheap hot dogs and ground beef hamburgers on the grill. Throw in some good sauce and honey mustard and we are well on our way. But I digress, I’m getting off track. After the grill is on and hot, the grass is cut and the sweet smell is wafting through the air, we move on to even smaller things.

These may be things that regular people aren’t really interested in, or will even know what I’m talking about. But trust me, it’s all part of the perfect fragrance ****tail. The smell of well used leather. And I’m not talking about shoe leather, belt leather, or even Rock Star leather pants. My perfect smell of leather comes from a tanned hide with 4 enlarged fingers and a huge thumb. Throw in some leather lacing, some strategically placed webbing and you have found a well oiled, used, and loved baseball glove. The smell of that mitt when in action is perfection.

There are few minor things to add. Flowers are always a favourite smell. But, the best flower to smell, not cut, and that will carry as a scent through the air is Lilac. They can be pink or purple or white, but really it doesn’t matter. This is about smell not sight, remember. Other small things would include coffee first thing in the morning enjoyed outside. Pair that with the cut grass and you’re on a roll again.

Anywho, those are a few of my favourite smells. The ones that remind me of home no matter where I am. And now I’m curious. What are yours? What smells take you back. They can be summer specific, or just the things that take you to a happy place.

Let me know and we’ll see if we can’t bring it up again sometime.

Cheers,

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

The perfect equation

Pen? Check
Notebook? Check
Coffee? Check

If ever I needed any three things to come together and facilitate action or thought in my life, these would be the three things.

The easiest part for me is that I’m not picky about my coffee. I’ll drink it from Starbucks, Second Cup, Tim Hortons, vending machines, cafeterias… anywhere really. Just not in hospitals. And that has nothing to with the quality of the coffee. That’s just me not enjoying anything about hospitals.

Anyway, I digress. I sit here with my pen in my left hand. My notebook in my right and on my lap. And to my left, on the desk, in all it’s glory is my coffee. As I try to find the next words to write and take pause to think I also sip. The warm liquid fills my mouth and slides down with fantastic satisfaction. It invigorates me, gives me strength (mentally of course) and if nothing else my morning routine stays intact. And I’m a huge on routines. They keep me on pace, they keep me in line, and they keep me from going crazy. You can ask my girlfriend.

Writing also calms me and keeps me on the straight and narrow. If I’m sitting here with a pen and book what trouble can I really get into? I also find it more calming and less distracting to write I notebooks. I’d be willing to bet that it will actually take me longer to type this than it did to write it out in the first place.

It’s the mighty internet that gets in the way. Facebook is constantly tempting me, ESPN.com always has the sporting news I need to get my fix (I’m kind if a junkie), then there’s MSN, my e-mail and countless other blogs and such. My notebooks and coffee have no such built in distractions.

It’s a perfect equation for serious creative and artistic expression or meaningless dribble like this.

Anyway, time for a refill.

xoxo

-Joshua

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email

An open letter to selfish ignorance

Dear transit rider,

Who the hell do you think you are riding the bus/ street car/ subway during rush hour and sitting in the outside seat while people are piling on? Are you really that selfish? Are you really that ignorant? Are you really that much of a jerk?

Take a freaking look around you. There are about a thousand or so people on this bus and half of them are standing right now. Out of those unlucky bastards, any of them would love to sit. However, I see that you and your backpack need both seats right now.

Also, I know that everyone is a big fan of this whole mobile media thing that we’ve got going on these days, but is there really a need to pull out your full sized laptop and watch Baseketball while you take up both seats? Honestly, it’s Baseketball. Get an iPod and listen to the newest faux indie album, or play Tetris on your cell phone, or heck you can even check your e-mail on your Blackberry. Or hey, here’s an idea, READ A BOOK!!!

With all this said I would like to remind you that we are all (that’s right all of us) trying to get home, or to work, or to a bar to get a drink to try to forget what jerks some people really can be. It’s not just me, and it’s not just the guy that I sat beside this morning on the way to work, it includes you, you’re going somewhere, and you are on the bus because you’re not driving and where ever you were is too far to walk back from.

So how about the next time you get on the bus and you have your backpack you take a quick look around and see whether or not there’s someone like me waiting to get into a seat. I’d really appreciate it.

Thank you.

-Joshua Murray

Sponsored by EnterTo.com the first REAL spam free email