Poor Young Things Return

LU Outpost saw the return of Thunder Bay’s prodigal sons – The Poor Young Things.  Perhaps a rougher and  grittier Poor Young Things.  PYT you see moved to Toronto a while back. They immersed themselves in the Toronto music scene and their latest collection of songs due out in the very near future capture the essence of their surroundings.

Take your pick - the lyrical commentary of big city life, the comforting guitar melodies a mongst a soundscape of raw distorted chordings, or the harmony laden anthem like choruses – PYT showed they've evolved and matured in their musicianship and song writing. Their songs have a bit more drive, edge and power to them - no doubt attributed to their big city influences.

Poor Young Things dedication to their music showed as they put in an inspired performance to the allegiance of fans that filed into the Outpost.  Their new found energy was quite evident in their enthusiasm as the guys left no part of the stage untouched.  Putting it all out there – every song rode a wave of honesty and authenticity.  What was a vacant dance floor moments before PYT hit the stage – was turned into a frenzied surf of fans, friends and family. 

Poor Young Things have been working with acclaimed producer Jon Drew (The Arkells, Alexisonfire, Tokyo Police Club, Stars,).   Their new album release date is to be announced in the very near future. They have also just released their latest video - Let It Sleep.



PYT will be cris-crossing the country again on another  tour.  They'll be back in Thunder Bay in December.  

Avocado by the Spoonful

I like to eat avocado.  The taste on its own is only mildly aquired. But the health benefits are excellent!

• helps with the eyes
• lots of fibre
• helps lower cholesteral
• lots of potassium (more than banana)
• Rich in Vitamin B, E and K
• lowers LDL

A quick search online will yield lots of great information about this great lunch dessert replacement.

Preparation:

• Purchase from grocery store/fruits stand
• place in bowl and allow to ripen to the point where fruit is soft to the touch
• pit the fruit by cutting one continuous line without trying to cut through the pit
• pull the to halves apart and the pit should easily come out
• use spoon to scoop out and eat!

Enjoy!

Use a Pre-Paid Visa to shop Google Play Store Instead of your Actual Credit Card

If you're looking for a secure way to buys apps, music, books movies online with your Android Nexus, Galaxy or anything else that uses Google Play Store, the best method to ensure your credit card doesn't get compromised is to buy a pre paid Visa Gifcard at your local grocery store.

Just a few quick things you'll need to do first before purchasing anything in Google Play Store or any online store for that matter:

•Make sure you login to the gift card's website and register your card with your full

•You will need to add your mailing address so that vendors can complete a transaction. If you don't - it will most likely be decilined as it appears it does not beolong to anyone.   This also helps with online stores that will deliver an actual product

•While not necessary - you can also attach your gift credit card to your google wallet.  Login to www.google.com/wallet  and sign in with your google account - assuming its the same one you used to register any tablet/phone devices.  Doing this allows almost seemless shopping in the Google Play Store.

Now your ready to grab that mp3 song you had Shazaam figure out,  and get reading in the digital age pouring over the electronic pages of  classics like Treasure Island!

Most importantly - if your gift credit card gets compromised - you are only out the cost of the card itself.

***SideBar -  use up your credit as quickly as possible as the card deducts a service fee each month until it gets to a $0.00 balance. A small price to pay for some added extra online financial security!

Keurig "My K-Cup" Reusable Filter Adapter

If you are lucky enough to own a Keurig coffee maker, you may have been hit with some sticker shock after you burnt threw the sample packs and had to re-stock your cupboards with k-ckups.

So you'll be as excited for the My K-Cup reusable filter adapter.

Simply put - you can use your own store bought coffee in addition to the pre-packaged boxes of k-cups.

This truly great news for those of us who on the go. Simply fill the filter with your favourite coffee, assemble the adapter and pop it into your Keurig. Seconds later - hot fresh coffee!  Whether your on a budget and buying coffee by the can, or you like your fair trade local coffee shop freshly ground beans, you can now quickly and easily perk a quick cup of joe.




Washing is a cinch.  Disassemble, empty the used grinds, rinse and re-fill.  It has made mornings in my household much more efficient.  I just fire my to-go-cup into the keurig, fill and insert the filter into the keuring and i'm out the door minutes later.


This is a very cost efficient way to make coffee as well save in cupboard space as 40 unit case of k-cups can  occupy precious storage space for other pantry items.  The adapter is $20.00  the equivalent of 10 coffee shop lattes!

What about the little guy?

WHAT ABOUT THE LITTLE GUY?

I'm torn.

Do I really care if the NHLis locked out?

Again? 

It's like the devil and the angel on my shoulders, whispering into my ears with suggestive thoughts.

The Angel says: 

• yes despite the fact that this round of labour agreement talks is purely about money and nothing else
• Sure - Gary Bettman won't admit that Phoenix isn't working and wants the players to pay for his mistake
• The league is using 'lockout' as its first move instead of last
• The league will make more money in its return from lockout than it lost in the abssense of a stoppage - as proved last time this happened

An easy desicion to say sure - who cares if there's no hockey. This is just greed at work. But the Angel on my shoulder says - what about all the minimum paying jobs of employees that won't be working in the arenas, that won't be feeding their families?  They'll be out of work.

The Angel says - swallow your pride and your angst and think about the little guy - no one else is right now.  Hope for no lockout.

The Devil on the other shoulder has these points:

• Your a Leafs supporter.  That's too bad - but its a fact - you bleed Blue and White.  But lest be clear here, your team has made one change and will be basically fielding the same team as last season. 
• Last season's Leafs cut out your heart and stomped on it in February.  Do you really want to go through that again? 
• Maybe the lockout isn't such a bad idea.  Your Leafs will have more time to make changes
• MLSE will be officially owned by Rogers and who knows?  Maybe they'll fire Burke and clean house and rebuild - again.  
• A rebuild will be far more exciting than a reboot of last season's Leafs installment

 The Devil says - screw em!

Best Tomaotes - Upside Down Pot

Upside Down Tomato Plant

Have you ever tried to growing your own tomatoes? If so, you'll know that it's difficult because of the short growing season here in Thunder Bay. So what do you do? Many people have found success by using the upside down tomatoe pot. But there are a few things you should know before you buy and implement an upside down toamto pot to ensure a ripe harvest. This post will tell you what you need to know to make sure you yeild some great tasting tomatoes that you will be eating sooner than if you were to plant tomotoes traditionally.

If you're looking for the upside down pot, you can buy it from an infomercial on tv, online, or most big box stores with a garden center. 

Planting is simple:

• make sure you have lots of potting soil and water. If don't, you'll have trouble getting the roots to take
• take the round piece of foam out
• insert your tomatoe sapling into the container - roots first into the opening
• stick the foam back in from the top and slide the tomatoe stem into the foam's centre (this prevents the plant from falling out)
• fill the bag portion almost to the top with potting soil
• hang the contraption at least 4 feet off the ground (your plant will get very big)
• add at least a gallon of water on the first day (don't worry about over watering - excess water will simply drain out the bottom)

Ensure your hanging upside down pot  has as much sun exposure as possible.  The bag portion containg the soil will heat up and stimulate the roots - which i believe makes the plant grow faster.

Now that you know how simple this is and that its not a hoax or gimmic, you'll have tomotoes in  not time without worrying about the upcomming frost which is when traditional tomatoes only start to redden.

Traditionally Planted Tomato Plant

For fun - i set up a traditionally planted tomatoe plant next to the upside down tomaote plant.  See for yourself the difference.  Both have tomaotes but the upside down plant's tomaotes are signficantly bigger - and its only been 2 weeks!

Home Made Muffin vs Fast Food Muffin

Real vs Fast Food Muffin - so the results are in.   I watched for weeks as a fast food muffin didn't break down over the course of 5 weeks.  I even cut it in half to see i if anything was happening inside - not much.

Baked some home made muffins and just after about 5 days it started to decay and break down.




Fast Food Muffin - no apparent signs of mold after 4 weeks.

Home Made Muffin - noticeable signs of mold after only 5 days

Yes i know this isn't even close to being scientific. But seeing is believing for me that there isn't something quite right about fast food.  Enough so for me to ponder -what's this actually doing for me or to me?

Well it looks like some patio style planning is going to happen on St. Paul St.  This is great news.  We need more of these little improvement projects in the down town core.

The plan is to eat up to parking spaces and build out a bit of patio for the local restaurants.

There is also plans to have electrical and water hookup ups in order to be able to close the street off completely and have farmer's markets and festivals.

“We’re going to have a water station as well as hopefully an electrical station so we can close down the street and have fairs or farmers markets,” he said.


“They are telling us that having patios on sidewalks is allowed and we will be allowed to serve onto the street alcohol if we wish to. However, no one has given us a license to do that. We’re trying to work with the city to come up with a plan that will be beneficial for property owners.”

The entire press release is http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/215593/Street-makeover

Fast Food Doesn't Break Down Fast at All

Okay its been a month since purchasing a 'muffin' from a certain fast food chain.

This morning it was time to cut this thing in half and see what's inside.

It was hard as a rock.  I resorted to a hand saw to get through it.There was literally 'muffin' dust as a by product of my sawing.



Findings:

• the muffin/cake part was hard - i could probably chisel something out of it
• the 'cranberries' were flaky on the outside, but still a bit spongy on the inside
• no visible signs of decomposition, no discolouration

Will it breakdown or start decomposing now that its been split in half?  Will find out next week.

Familiarity

Ever since the art boxes at Marina Park went up last year - there's been one in particular that's been nagging my memory.  The one with the two silvery humanoid persons surfacing out of the water.

Looking for something else today i stumbled across this album cover from Primus and bam!  That's where i thought i knew that art work similarity!

Tales from the Punchbowl is the fourth studio album by Primus, released on May 23, 1995.

I'm all for public art.  I just don't like the digital art scenes on these 'boxes' as they aren't old enough looking to be timeless.  The same feeling when you watch a movie from the early 90s when CG was in its infancy and the believability just isn't there.

Fast Food Still Not Really Fast at Breaking Down

Still no real change in this muffin that was acquired almost a month ago!

Next week I will cut this thing open and see what - if anything is happening on the inside.

Flood of 2012

Buckets of rain caused some of the worst flooding in Thunder Bay i've ever seen.

Fast food doesn't break down fast at all 3

Another week and not much changing.  Next week i will cut this muffin in half and see whats going on inside

Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams - Thunder Bay, ON, May 9 2012

From a purist perspective of what a rock concert is, last night's performance from Bryan Adams should be the standard by which all rock concerts should adhere to.  

I was blown away from beginning to end. There was no big light show, dancing troops, and lip syncing that seems to be the norm for today's concert expectations.  Just a straight up smash it out of the ball park concert that blew everyone away.

2+ plus hours of chart topping hits. Every note sung with as much enthusiasm and passion as he did 20+ years ago.   There was no sense of nostalgia.  Last night's concert performance was Bryan Adams - still in his prime. 

This concert will go down as one of Thunder Bay's best ever.  Those fortunate enough to attend caught a legend in the making and we will all be talking about last night for years to come.  I wouldn't be surprised if Bryan Adams returns in the near future - his most adoring and appreciated fans are right here in Thunder Bay. 

Fast Food Doesn't Break Down Fast At All con't 2

Well its been just over a week with the muffin.  Apart from the outside getting pretty hard, it hasn't changed in appearance one bit.

Original  story of Fast Food Breakdown: Click Here

Fast Food Doesn't Break Down Fast At All

There's been a rash of posts of certain fast foods that don't decay, floating around my social media outlets.   One in particular post has a display of fast food that claims to be over 2 years old.  In the display is a burger, fries etc.  From the picture it appears that the decay process has yet to start.  The claim is that there is so much unnatural stuff in the food that it can hardly be called 'food'.

I'm not the most sceptical person, but i am no fast food proponent either.  So to appease my curiosity, i've decide to do my own little 'look this muffin is x days old experiment.

Here is  a muffin purchased from a certain fast food restaurant 3 days ago.    I will update my blog with new photos of this muffin and see for myself how long it lasts before succumbing to mould.

4 day old 'muffin'. outer layer has lost its softness. 

Zen Garden

If you are of the mind that you can intend every day to be a surprise, than its no surprise that you get to experience new and exciting things - all the time.


 Today I got adventurous and took a walk with a co-worker to the Bay and Algoma area for lunch.

We hit Bean Fiend - a place i haven't been to in a while.  I ordered an iced latte.  As I waited i noticed a sign at the back door "New Zen Garden Outside".  Intrigued i opened the door and was very surprised to see a full on landscaped and secluded eating area.

It was a very zen like experience just sitting in the sun looking at all the details and obvious effort that went into building this little paradise just meters from the busy traffic.

Of real interest to me was the explanation for what i thought was a shelf against the fence.  The waiter informed me that its actually a stage on its side and their intention is to have live music.  Fantastic!

Pavlo

This blogs was featured on Tbnewswatch.com/live

The Community Auditorium was alive Wednesday night when Pavlo performed cuts from his new album Six String Blvd.  Pavlo the consumate performer played as much on stage as he did amongst the crowd making sure his fans got their money's worth.

Whether he was sitting in a seat next to a fan playing - or dancing with others, Pavlo played his heart out and really showed how much he appreciates his followers. Between songs he'd tell tales and really connect with the audience.

Pavlo has certain flair about him.  His command of his guitar is paramount.  With an almost machine gun like attack, his fingers fly up and down the neck of his guitar at break neck speed.  Accompanied on almost every single note, is his Bazukee  player.  The combination of the nylon stringed classical guitar and the chimey steel strung Greek guitar give 'Pavlo' his distinct Mediterranean sound.

With most songs  arranged in a traditional theme, the crowd could not help itself and clapped along in unison the entire night.

Guest performer Luke McMaster shared the stage with Pavlo to showcase his newest single in which Pavlo collaborated.  Quick history note: McMaster wrote a song which was picked up by producer Jay-z who developed the song into Rihanna's chart topper "Girl Like Me".   Luke is now establishing himself as a solo artist. McMaster would again  come out later to sing on Pavlo's rendition of a classic Gordon Lightfoot tune If You Could Read My Mind.

I brought a friend and fellow musician to the show.  He had never heard of Pavlo, nor had he been exposed to much classical/flamenco style music.  He was completely  overtaken by the music.  When the last song was starting out, he could not contain himself any longer.  "I have to Dance!" he remarked, as he threw his jacket down and headed out of the aisle and down to the front of the stage.  The following ensued, which put the final exclamation point on the night's festivities.

This video makes me want some tea really bad

This video makes me want some tea really bad!  

A friend of mine threw this series my way.  Its just awesome.  Hilarity aside, its got me craving tea again.  I'll be honest, i've been drinking WAY to much coffee.  However I can get it.  I've mentioned in past posts about my affinity for Calico and Great Northwest Coffee.  I even have my own mini tea press that I use for fresh ground beans from Calico and Great Northwest Coffee.  My department even has an espresso maker at the ready to go equipped with a milk steamer.

This video, has inspired me to get back on the tea bandwagon.  My go to tea is green and chai.  Green when i'm feeling a bit unhealthy, and the Chai tea when I feel a bit fancy and tired of coffee.

Starting tomorrow, i'll be starting a tea regiment.  

Interesting Tea Fact:  It is the second most consumed liquid in the world - water being the first.

I've heard House of Tea is a great place to go.  I will make sure to take a visit there and post a quick blurb on my findings.

Any suggestions for tea types?  Preparing?

Love Living In Thunder Bay, Love Eating In Thunder Bay

Its by no means breaking news, but Thunder Bay has some damn fine dining establishments.  The Bay and Algoma district especially.  (Say it again - Bay and Algoma District).  There are more great places to eat in this block than any where else in the city.  (this bodes well for my previous suggestion of closing off bay street to create a piazza -  Bay St Piazza)

When i find something I like, the norm for me is to be addicted.  Chipolte unrwrap with Tofu with a side of WheatGrass.  The mix of roasted red peppers, bean sprouts, tofu and the vinaigrette is amazing.   And satiating. I am full when i eat this dish.  And with mostly greens, that's hard to accomplish.

Growing Season is very popular.  So if you're in a rush - avoid the lunch crowd.  If you've been before, you know it can get a bit crowded very quickly.  Regardless - its worth the wait.

I haven't had a 'juice' yet but noticed a lot or patrons with colourful beverage  in hand.  Can anyone make me a recommendation for my next visit?

Motivation to write music

Really inspired today.  Read Deadmau5 " united we fail" blog and he really pushed my 'creativity' button. 

He read a short story and was motivated to write a soundtrack to express what he was feeling.

To take it a step further, he posted his creation on soundcloud and allowed others to contribute lyrics and melodies. These were not A list celebrity singers, but pure musically inclined artists that created something for the sake of creating.

DeadMau5 was blown away when he heard a submission which comprised of 2 verses.

The guy read the description of what the track was about. He read the story to get inspiration and then wrote some melody and lyrics.  Pure music creativity.  No influence of perception, money, ego, motive.  Just pure creativity.

Here's the entire article: http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/19570452553/collaborations-songwritting-and-the-like

Fix Windows7 Boot Issue by changing BIOS

Re-imaging a Windows 7 installation and couldn't get it to boot.

Kept getting the option to attempt to boot to Windows 7 or run a repair.

Neither fixes issue.

Fix:  Change your BIOS setting for the SATA from AHCI to IDE mode.

Done!

Here's the specific driver it didn't like in AHCI mode:

Error: PCI\VEIN_8086&DEV_38B22&SUBSYS.306017AA&REV.06 not found

My Arsenal to Combat the Flu

Well it finally got me.  I started coming down with 'something' yesterday around lunch time.  I went into lock down and assessed my situation.  Devised a plan of attack. Prepared for the worst.

• Water. Lots of it. Thankfully my office has filtered water fountains. That would get me through the afternoon until i headed home
• Diner.  Healthy. Turkey meatloaf and lots of veggies.
• Post diner - green tea.  I drank a whole pot.
• Staying awake - no napping before bed.  From experience, the more tired i am before bed, the more likely i will actually sleep.   
• NeoCitran - Drink this right before i crawl into bed. Nothing worse for the psyche than waking up at 3AM congested an unable to sleep, lying awake for hours. NeoCitran + exhaustion = solid 5 hours of sleep. Undisturbed sleep really helps heal the body.  No medical evidence to back this up. It just works for me
• Morning shower - hot. Get the steam to loosen everything up in the nasal cavities.  Get the aches out of the muscles and bones
• Breakfast - water, vitamins, food. Whatever you can eat to get you through the next few hours
• Get out of the house - whether or not your calling in sick - just get out and about.  Get your mind off being sick.  Fresh air helps.  Especially if its winter.  Cold crisp air.
• Fisherman's friend to keep the de-congestion going
• Gage you status around lunch.  

I made it to 12Noon today and so far so good.  Still feeling it, but it's 'not that bad'.

Wheat Grass and Hear Say

Today i was feeling a bit punchy, a bit tired and a bit down.  Something was a bit 'off'.  I usually feel this way before getting sick, or achieving some form of intense cold.  By chance I was at Organic Cafe for lunch today and over heard that there was  fresh batch of juice available.  I couldn't wait to finish my meal just so i could slam an ounce of wheat grass juice.

Within moments of slurping down the viscous green  liquid i instantly felt better.  Yes i know it could be attributed to placebo.  The mind is in fact the best healer.  But it was a story my friend told me after wards that added to my overall improvement in disposition.

A co-worker of his was feeling sick for over a week. Nothing was working.  When given the advice of wheat grass juice, he was almost 100%  by the next morning after ingesting the green stuff.

Now i know there's many that dispel the claims that are made of wheat grass juice.  Just because they aren't all true or valid, doesn't make the remaining claims invalid.  When i hear stories of people getting over the flu, or better yet, people who don't get the flu because they drink wheat grass juice, it just makes me believe in the 'healing' properties that much more.

Don't listen to the naysayers.  If just by drinking a bit of the green helps meet your daily requirement of vitamins, nutrients and minerals, than that alone is getting you closer to you not coming down with the flu because your body has what it needs to fight it properly.

And besides, there isn't much to choose from with regards to beverages.

I hate that my OJ has all the juice extracted from the orange only to manipulated so it can be stored long term in giant tanks and then be chemically re-flavoured by the time it hits the shelf.  I'm sure the same can be said with any 'juice' now a days.

Pop i rarely drink and you don't drink pop for health reasons, or attempting to provide your body with the essentials.

Milk, i drink in my coffee.

Water.

So what's a guy to do?   Wheat grass juice.

Say it with me!  WHEAT GRASS JUICE!



Here is a list of some of the health claims.  Believe what you will.

• One Shot of Wheatgrass Juice
• One ounce contains 103 vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
• One ounce of wheatgrass juice represents as much nutritional value as approximately 2.5 pounds of fresh green vegetables.
• Wheatgrass juice is high in chlorophyll.
• It is very high in vitamins A, B-Complex, C, E and K.
• Wheatgrass juice is a natural source of laetrile (B-17).
• It contains beta-carotene, which is found in red, green and yellow pigmented fruits and vegetables.  Beta-carotene acts as a scavenger against harmful molecules flowing naturally through the body or through toxins inhaled from cigarette smoke, air pollution and other damaging sources.
• Wheatgrass cleanses, purifies and feeds the body by activating the white blood cells, which boost the body's immune system.
• Wheatgrass juice is also beneficial for people who need to lose weight or cleanse their bodies.

(taken from http://www.greenhealthcanada.com/Benefits_of_Wheatgrass.html)

Dear NHL, 2 On Ice Referees Isn't Working

Too many referees on the ice still making bad calls.

Dear NHL,
I'm writing this letter in response to some of the questionable calls and non calls your referees made and did not make.

Please take the 2nd official off the ice and put him behind a tv so he can watch the same game the rest of us are watching.  Equip him with a headset and microphone.  Give the other ref the other headset.  No one else needs to hear what they're saying.  The 'tv ref' can than assist the on ice ref by telling him what's 'really' happening.

Examples are and not limited to:

"The puck is still clear.  The puck is in the net. A player behind you that you don't see just speared another player and the other player is now chasing him down.  There was no goalie contact.  There was goalie contact.  There was goalie contact but its not his fault - the dman cross checked him into the goalie.  That wasn't tripping.  That's a dive."  Etc Etc Etc.

This would easily clear up the animosity of fans vs refs.  If coaching staff are connected to assistants up in the box seats with headsets why can't the refs be?  I'm optimistic that the refs could get up to speed within a week.  Sure you'll need to make some rules and adjustments.

We take "TV Timeouts" for commercials on Tv, i don't think taking 30 seconds to review a play isn't too much to ask if its going to make and break the game.

Please get with the times.

Thank you.

Aquiring Tickets Oldschool

This blogs was featured on Tbnewswatch.com/live

Sometimes you just have to tough it out.

To some,  Bryan Adams would be a top 10 must see concert of a life time. When it was announced last week that Bryan Adams was booking a stop here in Thunder Bay, the want, nay, the necessity to get tickets in hand for this show became of utmost importance. 

There would be no sitting on the couch with a phone dialling the box office repeatedly, or mashing the F5 key to oblivion on my computer. No, to risky. This would actually require some effort, some warm clothes and some lawn chairs.

Having discussed my predicament with a good friend, it turned out he too was in the same scenario in which he had to acquire tickets for this concert.  We drew up a plan of attack and first thing Satruday morning, there we were - amongst hundreds of other wannabe concert goers, standing in line. In the dark. In the cold.

I have to admit at this point in the story that this is the first time I have EVER stood in line for concert tickets.  I have seem some big shows, but have never experienced actually waiting in line for hours at a box office. 

The experience was fun. Amongst a long line of strangers coming together for a common goal, the energy and spirits were high. Those around me were pleasant and courteous.  Add to that a contest winner/streaker that as close to legally possible quickly jogged in the sub 0 temperatures wearing nothing but work boots, 'tighty whities' and a grin.

Bryan Adams sure has some dedicated fans here in Thunder Bay, and I'm sure that his May 9 performance will be  crowned the biggest show of the year.

Foundation Odyssey Day 5

Day 5 - sql transaction logs

In my previous WSS installation  i ran into a critical issue when the configuration database ldf file grew out of control and ate up all my harddrive space.  Frantic searching to get this beast of a file (6GB) under control yielded the following solution.  I went ahead and did it now instead of waiting for the this problem to catch me off guard.

Use SQL Studio Manager on the sql server to change the following log file setting:

• Right Click Sharepoint_Config and select properties
• Click on 'options'
• Change Recovery Model from 'Full' to 'simple'
• Select OK

This works well because it will keep that log file in check and not allow it to grow out of control.  This  config database doesn't change a lot after you get the sharepoint farm up and running so simple should suffice if it all goes south one day and you need to recover.

If you did get caught and the log file chewed up all your drive space, do the following:

• Right Click Sharepoint_Config and select tasks-> Shrink-> Files
• Change File Type from Data to Log
• Select OK
• Depending on the size, it may take a moment to finish

What to do in the depths of winter in Thunder Bay?

Why take in the sunny +4 temperatures and eat veggie burgers outside!

I hit up Organic Cafe for their Friday Veggie Burger.  I've heard of it over the years but never timed a lunch outing to coincide with the last day of the week .

Today was the day.  And what better way to eat a hamburger than to eat it outside, in the sun, at a picnic table!  DELICIOUS!


Tangy vinaigrette, home made mayo, spicy mustard and a hint of  relish.  I didn't even suspect it wasn't a meat patty.  I think i can say this is the best 'burger' i've ever eaten - and no 'heavy' feeling afterwards.  Highly recommend trying one if you haven't already.

Blogger + Google+= ?

Just Testing out the new 'blogger' platform with integration into Google+.

Local Shopping at Lunch

In the spirit of supporting our local economy I hit up 3 shops at lunch today.

They say word of mouth is the best business advertising and on the advice of a co-worker, I headed over to Watch Service on Court Street (across from the courthouse).  Risto has been around since 1972 repairing and selling watches.  New watch band, face buff and memorable conversation.  A real treat.

"...When you're the monopoly  you are simply the best. Or the Worst."    --Risto Koivukoski

On the advice of another co-worker and tantalizing  food review I headed over to Sweat Pea's. Very clean, vibrant and cozy.  The gentleman at the counter was knowledgeable, friendly and gave a nice break down of spirit of Sweat Pea's.   Went for the vegetarian chilli and was not disappointed.  With the nice big sign in the foyer "Liquor License Application", this could very well be my new favourite hang out.


Next door was the Great North West Coffee House.  First time there as well.  Again, friendly and warm staff. Great coffee.  I mean - great!  I heard they have their own roaster which makes the coffee that much fresher and cleaner tasting.  It was smooth.

My little jaunt about PA today proved again to me that Local is where its at.  People making an honest and earnest living - always putting their best foot forward.  A small investment in pleasantry to ensure repeat business.  It sure beats 'the big guys' with their uninspired staff and lack lustre product.

Many of the local shops also support local industry.  Its a small ecosystem.  The bi-product? Culture. The more we support the little guys and help them thrive, the better we support our local culture.

There is no culture in a big box store.

Flexible Displays - The Future is almost now

CES 2011 a year ago showed us a glimpse of the future.  Its now 12 months later and at CES 2012, there were many mobile devices that had the Samsung Flexible Amoled displays built in.  Pretty cool stuff.  But not as mind blowing as this commercial spot that's been circulating on Youtube.  This is truly amazing if it comes into being. Good by Minority Report fascination and anticipation of must have display of the future.  Hello plastic see through paper thing that interacts with EVERYTHING!

Apple HDTV Rumours - its not TV but really a giant Ipad?

Some interesting possibilities for your household with regards to the rumblings of Apple TVs.  Rumours of Apple making their own TV - essentially a giant ipad for your living room.  It won't be just a TV, but a full IOS installed  display unit.  Remote control can be ipod ipad iphone etc. etc.    to control it  if its got the same software as the AppleTV box you'll probably be able to stream from your device to the TV like you can now.   Complete Syncronicity.

Favorite Shows of 2011

Modern Family - characters developed so well over the last few seasons.  Every scene is comic gold. But pay attention - some of the laughs are fast and furious.

Once Upon A Time - From the makers of Lost.  Don't worry - you won't get Lost on this one.  All your favourite Fairy Tale stories and characters come to life in the modern day. The back stories to the characters take place in fairy tale past - and they are far beyond fractured.  This gem of a show really takes liberties with the stories you know making you want to watch each episode to see 'their' take on it.  Hooked.

Pan-Am - a guilty pleasure.  I love the era in which this takes place.  Still in the first season, the back stories of the characters are still being told and the storyline is now slowly starting to unfold.  Its my fix until Mad Men comes back.

Castle - Cheezy? Sometimes. But Nathan Fillion is awesome.  Formulaic? Think of it as CSI with more comic relief and less death and gore.  The next incarnation of Moonlighting.




That's it.  When i'm not watching my Leafs, those are my 'must see tv'.  New Girl i enjoy as well, but i don't knock myself out to see it.  But its got better and may make it to my must see list.