Special Self-Congratulatory Post!

I'm dedicating this blog post to some stuff I've done recently. I've managed to accomplish a few creative things in spite of the daily grind, the plumbers invading my apartment, and the subsequent waterfall spewing forth from behind my kitchen cupboards (pipes can explode, apparently). I'm going to take a moment to relax with a cup of tea and congratulate myself. I'm going to, as the kids say, celebrate like it's my birthday. But not my real birthdays. Because those depress me.

First of all, a new issue of filmCAN is out and three of my Hot Docs reviews are included. FilmCAN keeps getting better with each new issue. Great interviews with intriguing film makers, reviews, and essays from knowledgeable fans who really know and love the movies. Check out their pod casts and exclusive digital downloads. There's a lot of great stuff on the site and I'm proud to be part of their team.

Secondly, a few months ago I finished a large web project for a client. The site is for an illustrator, calligrapher, and visual artist named Michele Nidenoff. Michele's work has appeared in numerous magazines and children's books (as well as on my office wall). Together we came up with a layout that would showcase her artwork in a clean, intuitive and simple design. I'm particularly proud of the "thumbnail / large image with caption" function that I implemented. It had me stumped at first but through a whole lotta CSS wrangling I figured out how to make this deceptively "easy" function work perfectly. I am very happy with the final site as well as the chance to help this wonderful artist and her growing business.


So I guess I should stop patting myself on the back now (it makes it really hard to type). I'll be posting a new review soon and, as always, I value your comments. If you need a website designer / media critic / person with an unusually damp kitchen you know who to call.

The TTC Strike - My Calm and Rational Thoughts (honestly!)

I will try to keep this short. Last night I attended a Hot Docs screening at the Rom theatre. After the screening a festival volunteer came in and told us we better get out of the theatre if we wanted to take transit. It was 11:15 and the TTC was going on strike in 45 minutes.

The huge network of buses, trains and streetcars responsible for getting people home safely was going on strike, on a Friday night, with barely an hour’s notice. Few bars, clubs, restaurants, and movie theatres were able to give their patrons a warning. At midnight - exactly when most people start thinking about getting home and sleeping off their fun - the TTC left everyone stranded.

Thanks to our Hot Docs volunteer, we were able to catch one of the last trains going North and made it home with minutes to spare. Then we tuned into CP24 coverage of the strike. We watched drunk (and, as time passed, drunker) citizens trying to hail cabs and call family. There were young women teetering around in high heels, trying to rouse themselves for the long walk home to Scarborough.

Union president Bob Kinnear said, in part, that they didn’t give us a warning because their employees experienced “verbal and sometimes physical abuse” when they gave a warning last time. They were concerned for the employees safety. What about our safety? What about the poor drunk kids who had to hoof it home from the downtown core? A lot of us don’t have family nearby and our friends are also TTC reliant. It’s one thing to know “hey, I can’t go out because the TTC isn’t running”. It’s a whole other thing to realize you can't get home in the middle of the night.

Now, I must make a comment on behalf of the TTC. I know this is a union thing and I don’t want to see TTC employees abused. Verbal and physical assault should not be tolerated. When a TTC employee is injured on the job, I think it’s fair for them to get full pay while they are off work. And all the people who say that TTC employees should be “nicer” and provide unflinchingly cheerful service have obviously never worked with the public. As someone with more than a few years retail experience, I can tell you that employees are just people with the same problems you have, trying to put up with strangers who can be real jerks. Don’t think your metropass bought you indentured servants.

That being said, it has since come to light that the main issue behind the strike was job security for the maintenance staff. Well, here’s a news flash for the union members, everyone is losing their job security. At least TTC staff get good hourly wages, raises, benefits, and pensions. That’s a lot more than most people who rely on the TTC can say about their own employment. You may lose your job? Join the effing club. It’s a new global economy and everyone can be out sourced. We can’t expect any company to take care of us for the rest of our lives.

Finally (did I say this would be short? Sorry), the really sad thing about the strike is how it further damages the goodwill awarded to TTC employees for their service. Most people in Toronto want the TTC to be happy. We keep paying more for our fare. Even when the most drunk and disorderly of us are left stranded on a Friday night, we don’t riot or react violently. We’re mostly nice people but there’s only so much we’ll take. I’m not going to pretend I know all the issues currently plaguing the union negotiations but I do know that it’s time to make the TTC an essential service (and / or privatized). We’re a middle class city full of people who work hard. We just want to get home (and to Hot Docs screenings) safely and without paying more than we can afford. It shouldn't be an impossible, or conditional, request.

I got pw0ned

Last night I checked this site from my Wii browser. I found that instead of my rotating photo menu and witty witty words, my website was reduced to a blank green screen. Nothing was visible. I was hitting the site, but all was not right in Cassytown.

This morning I checked again in the hope that something I did not understand would correct itself, and my site would be restored. No such luck. Same green screen, same mysterious lack of anything not green. I checked the html source and found that along with my usual code, there was a large block of links hidden at the bottom of the page. They were clumped together, just sitting there looking at me with ugly, beady eyes.

Shock. Horror. Someone had hacked my site.

My site. My little site that gets 10,000 hits a month*. Why on God's green internet would you hack my site? These are dark times indeed. I know other people get spammed, and hacked, but this is my website. I still feel violated, like someone was touching my code.

I thought briefly that maybe Billy Mitchell had read my review of King of Kong, didn't take kindly to the cracks about his hair, and decided to use his awesome geek powers to shut me down. That would be kind of cool, actually. "Midnight Herring: We really pissed off Billy Mitchell! Bookmark us today!". But no. It is only a dream to think I could have that effect on such a giant of videogames and hot sauce. My hacker was probably just a regular old spam bot that found a new sucker with a blog.

So to conclude what is, sadly, the most excitement my little page has ever seen, I am now in the process of contacting my server and rebooting the site. Will I be shut down again? Maybe it's not a hacker - maybe it's THE MAN and I've stumbled upon some secret about... movies or Nintendo... that he doesn't want you to know. Trust no one. The truth is out there.

Peace out for now. I'm gonna be back and bigger than ever in 2008. No amount of hacking can keep me down! Unless of course they change my password. Then I'm screwed.

Merry Christmas! Happy holidays everyone!

*I know, I was as shocked as you to find my hits were that high. One day maybe I can say with certainty that at least 50 people read my blog intentionally instead of landing on my site after a search for late night fishing. Live the dream Cassandra! Live the dream!

Um, should we be scared by this?

I'm not trying to turn this into a political blog. I get enough politics watching and writing about documentaries. I'd prefer to discuss books, video games and spooky old movies starring Vincent Price AND Peter Cushing ("MADHOUSE" in case you're interested, and believe me, you are interested). Still, there are times when I read the newspaper and something strikes me as so politically cra-zay I need to write my thoughts down to you, an audience of at least eleven people. Here I go, and please try not to let my eloquence forever sway your opinion of certain Canadian politicians.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been working for months on a brand new, top-secret media building to be built on the site of a former shoe shop. At the cost of 2 million dollars, the facility would be completely government controlled, allowing Harper's staff to choose which reporters are allowed in, what topics they may discuss, and possibly whether they are to address him as "Mr. Prime Minister" or "Senior Overlord Fantastico". The endeavour is called The Shoe Store Project because Operation Press can Suck It was a bit too obvious.

Everyone knows that Harper has a beef with the press, and indeed he's avoided much contact with them so far. Well, maybe those pesky Ottawa reporters had it coming and maybe the current National Press Theatre was getting outdated and had awful shag carpeting or something. I still don't think that's an excuse to go all evil genius on the Canadian people and start building your own media compound. The documents on the proposed facility state a desire to "put in place robust physical and information security measures to protect the prime minister and cabinet". Here's an artistic rendition of what I think The Shoe Store Project may look like, if it indeed ever sees the light of day:

Originally I was going to have Harper exploding out of the building like Godzilla, pulling trees out of the ground and breathing fire. Then I realised he's my Prime Minister and deserves better treatment. Also, I can't draw worth corn.
Oh my God what a chilling vision of the future! Look at that grey brick work, moat, and guards shooting freaking laser beams at innocent citizens. That, my friends, is what I call subtle political satire. If you gave me ten minutes before dinner and a package of pencil crayons I could hardly produce something more evocative and moving.

Is The Shoe Store Project going to become a reality? Well, since the Toronto Star uncovered the story, the Harper government has been quick to say that it was all just a bunch of silly research and will not be completed. We'll see. I think it's a very interesting little story to follow, and I hope you enjoyed my completely biased and half baked opinion on this subject. If you disagree with me, good for you! Post your comments. Unlike in Harper's shoe shop, I value freedom of speech in all its forms.

TTC, ya you know me.

Today was supposed to be relatively quiet in the office, and between registering patients I was going to research the recent TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) funding crisis and write an informed, opinionated piece on this worthy subject. Once I sat down at work, however, fate took a hand and the phone began ringing off the hook with people who wanted to know where their contact lenses were, why I was booking so far ahead, and if I thought it was fair that OHIP no longer covered eye exams. The afternoon culminated in a surprise almost appointment with diva chanteuse Sarah Brightman. Unfortunately, her handlers "couldn't find her" (damn you phantom! Leave that woman alone!) and I was left to imagine what witty things I would have said to the woman who married the man who brought us Cats. I have "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper" on my iPod, so a cleaver Hot Gossip reference could have at least started the conversation.

In a perfect world, this would have been the theme song for the Paul Verhoeven film Starship Troopers. Am I right people? Eh? Eh?!...
Whoo hoo! Bugs!
At the end of my slightly surreal day I had no energy nor time left to research my piece. Then I remembered - hey! This is the internet! No one researches, or in my case reads, what I write anyway. This is a blog. I could say Britney Spears owns sixteen cats and named them all after snack cakes and no one would care. It's the wild west and anything goes baby! So here's what I think about the TTC funding crisis, based mostly on thirty second CP24 updates, and heavily influenced by last nights Family Guy episode where Peter gets hired by the news to do a nightly segment called "You Know What Really Grinds my Gears". Enjoy.

You know what really grinds my gears?! The TTC. Hey, don't get me wrong, I use the TTC. I use it every day and whether it's getting up to let old people have my seat, or MINDING THE GAP that could (presumably) swallow me whole, I am a pretty considerate transit rider. I take the subway, the bus and the streetcar. I read the free newspaper and then when I'm done I carry it out and recycle that bad boy like a good citizen. Don't tell me I don't know transit.

So the TTC is freaking out yet again about funding. Not enough money. Never mind that the TTC is more popular than ever, there's still not enough money to keep the rockets rolling. Mayor Miller's land transfer tax was shut down and now the only other option (apparently) is to cancel bus lines, route extensions, and shut down an entire arm of the subway. The new Sheppard line to be exact. The part of the subway they just paid billions of dollars to dig out and build less than ten years ago. Brilliant.

If they close the Sheppard line, how are the good people of Toronto supposed to get to IKEA? Won't somebody think of the children?!
But here's the part that really ... um... cranks my stereo. All this commotion and fear mongering is really a political ploy to get provincial leaders now running for the fall election to promise Toronto more funding. Libraries and community centres are closing on off days for the same reason. Now I'm not saying we don't need the money. I'm saying where the hell did the money go, and what are our options? Mayor Miller's strong arm tactics to get his tax plan accepted does little to explain why we're in this mess to begin with. I know the funding crisis is not entirely his fault, and I know Toronto has been in the red for years, but I feel a little too manipulated by political forces who are quick to point the finger at each other while leaving the public in the dark. And without library books.

But back to the TTC. The icing on this whole messy cake is the stance taken by TTC officials that the reason we are going to get even more over crowded bus rides home (otherwise known as "the groping hour"), and fewer convenient stops is because we, the paying public, bought too many monthly passes when we should be buying single fares. That's right. We're to blame for the funding problems because of our blasted basic math skills. Do you know that a single ride on the TTC costs $2.75? Round trip is over five bucks. A monthly pass is still just under $100. It's not a huge savings, but for regular commuters the deal is obvious. The TTC has increased fares multiple times since I moved to Toronto five years ago. We keep paying and rider ship keeps increasing. Instead of the customer is always right, the TTC seems to think the customer is the only reason why they can't make a decent profit.

So, to summarise, the faulty logic of the TTC is to cut routes, schedules and service. Thus, commuters get longer wait times, crowded trains, and less convenience for a price that is more expensive than other cities of similar size. This leads to fewer commuters on the TTC, and more cars congesting our roads and air. OR, and here's the wacky idea from a kid with no economics background at all, the TTC could keep all services, expand routes that are in desperate need, and charge more for a monthly pass. The TTC just finished a survey of users and found most people wanted a fare increase over decreased service. We're asking to pay more so that we can keep using the TTC. Take advantage of our good will!

In summary of the summary: TTC should charge more and get more money from provincial powers without cutting service, and Mayor Miller should back off with his land transfer tax and start giving the people of Toronto other options. Or just instigate the damn tax if you really want. I rent an apartment so I won't even have to pay the tax. I'm too poor to own a house in this city, what with the cost of daily transit.

Also in summation - Starship Troopers is an awesome movie and should be seen by everyone.
And that's what really grinds my gears.

Is this the greatest magazine cover ever?

My answer is yes.



There I was at the 7-11 with my Slurpee (or as it is now delightfully labeled, my Squishee), when Anson plopped this magazine down in front of me. I looked at it for a second before understanding the glorious image before my eyes.

Martha. Orange. Wii Cake. Martha icing a Wii Cake. Oh my God.

I didn't even know that this was the very thing I wanted, no, needed to see. It's like some part of my brain had this image already composed, and it had been plucked out and printed just to make me happy. I bought the magazine on the merits of this cover alone. I didn't really need to know how to bake a Wii cake, or how to email like a pro (do I email like a noob?), I just needed to own this image. And frame it. And love it.

Thank you Wired. What will you delight me with next issue? Nathan Fillion with a collection of Pez dispensers? Custom Miis based on Star Trek TNG characters? The possibilities are endless.

Nintendo and Kidman - Together at Last!

I'm interested in gaming culture, and Nintendo in particular. Ever since the first NES (which I had after the Atari 2600 - yes I'm that old), Nintendo has been the only game system I've really played. Recently, the marketing for the Wii has proven very effective in attracting non-gamers by focusing on intuitive gameplay the whole family can enjoy together. Now Nintendo is focusing their brand of non-offensive fun on the upscale, wealthy and plastic looking housewives market. Between pilates class and picking your kid up from Mandarin lessons, why not pencil in some time to exercise your brain? Enter Nicole Kidman with her glowing porcelain skin and immaculate white home, to demonstrate the DS and the "Brain Training" series of games:



Doesn't that look like fun? She may resemble a Stepford wife (and act like one complete with head-smacking cutesy gestures) but Nicole sure does classy up the DS. Now it's an intellectual tool and not just that thing you give to the kids on long car trips to make them shut up. This new, polished, and oh-so-dignified gamer is much more attractive than the grubby ten year olds and single dudes game companies used to court. Bravo, Nintendo, for honing in on the female market as well. Us girl gamers have been playing since the beginning, but few companies have recognised the huge profit potential in piquing our interest.

So does this mean I'll be buying a DS? Probably not. I don't feel wealthy or European enough to relate to the Nicole Kidman / Nintendo fantasy. Besides, Nintendo had me from Mario. I might try the equivalent game on the Wii, but for handheld fun I’ll stick to my Limited Edition Retro Designed Gameboy Advance SP. Yeah, you read that right. It looks like an original NES controller and plays classics like Excitebike and Pinball. I keep it in a Spongebob Squarepants protective case. Jealous yet? Don’t worry. It’s never too late to join the cool kids on the Nintendo side of the street.

Free Afternoon + Geese = My Second Youtube Video!

A few weeks ago I went to Richmond, BC to visit my in laws. While enjoying the beautiful sunny skies, readily available bubble tea, and walking through one of Richmond's loveliest parks, we happened upon a family of Canada Geese. Mama and Papa geese were there, along with a handful of cute, fuzzy goslings. I was quick to pull out my still digital camera and fill up my card with short, low resolution films of baby geese waddling around and swimming. I actually erased footage of humans so I could keep films of baby geese that will in all likelihood grow up to crap all over that same park and ruin the lawn. Oh well, such is the artistic temperament. Mixed with a healthy dose of lazy afternoon and cold beer, I present my second YouTube movie. Enjoy.



You may now return from the edge of your seats.

The ending was where I really let myself go and truly explored my inner desire to see geese swimming into themselves. I used to repress my film student geekiness but now I figure I'm almost thirty so I should just give up on being cool. I learned a few things while making this short. Number one: don't bother with titles because you won't be able to read them anyway. Number two: whatever happened to the circle wipe? That's at least half a style point right there and it's never used anymore. Number three: mirror effect is cool, but so is the lightening effect that I could have used to actually aim lightening at the geese and make it look like God was striking them down. Perhaps next time.

I hope this new offering evokes a response. My last YouTube video finally got a comment. The discerning viewer said (and I quote) "HUH?". All caps. Like he was really confused. Thank you ShadowSeeker117 for your valuable input. I'll try to make myself better understood in the future.

St. Patrick's Day From Hell

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Yeah, so this St. Patty’s Day was a real wing ding. A sure-fire write home to ma because it’s so darn fantastic whoop-di-do. I’m being sarcastic right now. It’s hard to read in text, so just picture me making furious air quotes around everything.

The day started out on the right track. I wore the humorously insulting socks Stephanie brought me from her visit to Ireland. They have a drunken shamrock on them and proudly proclaim “drink till you’re green!”. I also wore my green, sparkly, very leprechaun inspired coat. No pinches for me, no sir.

They're after me lucky charms!

Although we looked the part, our festive St. Patrick's day was going to get worse. First, right off the bat, some idiot splashes dirty slush all over us as we’re walking to the corner. I swear this dude sped up his car when he saw us. We’re wet and dirty but we hang on to the cheerful spirit because the sun is shining and I’m wearing an obnoxious amount of green.

We have sushi for lunch. Irish sushi? A new tradition! We continue on to the mall. Anson leaves me to look for my birthday gift. I head on in to H&M and see some tops worth trying on. In the change room and slowly and very carefully pull tops over my head. I had minor surgery yesterday and I have a bunch of stitches in my armpit (very ladylike) and this big bandage that wraps around my chest. While I’m in the change room one of the two metal clips holding my bandage falls off and then (bonus!) breaks. As I spend the next ten minutes trying to rebandage myself (while not lifting my left arm), I am hot and in a fair amount of armpit pain - the worst kind of pain. Using a combination of the remaining clip, gravity, and swearing, I am able to rig myself up and leave the store. I’m afraid the clip will break and my bandage will unwrap and I am no longer having much fun.

Still killing time before I meet Anson, I go shopping for more bandages. The joy of this thrilling purchase is momentarily delayed when my debit card is rejected. The message says to contact my bank. Odd, I think, something must be wrong with my PIN.

On the way home from the mall we stop at my bank (well, kiosk really - I’m with PC Financial). I use the PC ATM but the machine still stubbornly states there is an error. A very nice man working in the kiosk phones up the bank and I talk to a representative. I tell her I need to set up a new PIN because something is clearly wrong. She tells me my card has been deactivated. I ask why. She says it’s because I had two large withdrawals in the past two days. Did I take out $1,000 this weekend? Heck no! I say. Ah. The woman is very apologetic. Someone has stolen your pin number and taken your money.

Hell’s bells.

You know those warnings to cover your hands when you punch in your PIN? Watch for cameras and suspicious card readers? They ain’t kidding. I never lost my card, and I was careful when I used a machine. Now I’m out a thousand bucks until the case is resolved in 2 to 3 weeks. In the old days you would get mugged. Now they take your money without you knowing and then you're stuck in bureaucratic red tape for half a month. Thanks 21st century crime! You suck ass!

St. Patrick's Day 2007 - At least I didn't Die.

Alas, now, finally the day is coming to a close. We had an invitation to go out for St. Patty's drinks but due to my unique armpit pain/no money situation we decided to cut our losses and have a beer at home. We have DVDs to watch and I think I'll just refuse to leave the comfort of my apartment for at least 24 hours. As I reflect back on my day I can’t help but think I must have been cursed by the Irish. St. Patrick is a mean SOB. I don’t know why he hates me so much, but next year I think I’ll just stay in bed.

Short, Blurry and Already Covered - My First Video on YouTube

Well, today I am officially as cool as the average North American twelve year old. That is to say, I've successfully posted a video on YouTube! I tell you, the Internets has sure become easier to navigate since the days of ICQ, Castle Wolfenstein and Napster. Bravo, YouTube. I've enjoyed your illegal television content many times in the past and I'm happy to join your ranks.

My first foray into posted video was shot on our little digital camera last weekend. We went out to dinner with friends and on the way home I convinced Anson to stay on the subway a few extra stops so we could go by the "secret" Lower Bay station. This station is regularly never seen by commuters. They built Lower Bay below the regular Upper Bay station as a transfer point. I think it was only used for a few months in 1966 before the TTC decided it was too difficult to keep open. Now it's creepy and deserted and only used as a film set from time to time. For the next month the TTC is diverting subways through Lower Bay on the weekends while they make repairs to the upper track. If you're in Toronto I highly recommend checking the station out during this limited engagement. The trains don't stop in the station, nor slow down, but the lights are on. Here's the best shot I took of the station as we went by. Notice the poster on the wall. I think it's a pregnant woman holding her stomach. That makes the whole thing creepier, don’t you think?

Lower Bay Station - Notice the walls are slightly more decrepit than normal TTC stations. Spooooky!

Anyway, here's my short video. Believe me, I know it's not the best thing I've ever done. It's short, blurry, and a quick search on YourTube reveals several other videos shot in almost the exact same way. But it's mine! Like the mother of a slow five year old who can't name their colours I must defend my baby. So we have a bit of work to do before we can recognise green. It's a start.



Oh, and if you'd like, please go to where the video is posted and leave a comment. You can even say "FRIST!" if you want.

This is not documentary related, but I had to share some news with you. My aunt was kind enough to cut out an article in her local newspaper about the "new" and apparently "dynamic" look Archie Comics created for Betty and Veronica. You know Betty and Veronica. Even if you don't have a stack of their comics in your closet like I do, you are familiar with the duo of perky, curvy teenagers who are best friends and bitter enemies over the affections of one Archie Andrews. Fix a picture of them in your mind. The faces are exactly the same but one is brunette and one is blond. They have round cherubic cheeks, big black eyes and sideways "v" noses. They are both innocent and sexy and they always wear cool clothes.

Okay. Ready for the new look?



Um, WTF?

Yeah, that's a whole new world of ugly right there. Where's the "good wholesome Betty" and the "snobby but glamourous Veronica"? Where's Betty's kindness yin to counter Veronica's selfish yang? These generic jailbait teenagers are okay as background art in someone else's comic, but as icons with legions of stupid fans like me? NO WAY MAN. Veronica's face... Veronica's face will haunt my dreams. That is past ugly - it is all the way into fugly. Who knew that if you tried to make Betty and Veronica sexier and more lifelike you would get this?

Now I've been with Archie comics a long time. Even as an adult I pick up the odd double digest just to keep in the loop and feel like a kid again. I understand the need to keep things fresh, because God only knows the trials and tribulations of Riverdale High can get pretty old. A few years ago they wrote a story arc where Jughead got over his fear of girls (or as I always assumed - his latent homosexuality) and acquired not one but two girlfriends. They also tried introducing a third girlfriend for Archie - a saucy redhead named Cheryl Blossom. These attempts at updating the tested chemistry between the main characters was appreciated for a time, but ultimately any new characters were pushed back into the either and life returned to normal. Archie Comics has stated that they are only trying the "new" Betty and Veronica for a few issues starting in May and will go back to the old look soon after. I hope so. I'm tempted to buy the new comics because they might be good collector's items but seriously, how could I bring myself to look at those tarts and think of my beloved Betty and Veronica?

What do you think? Is this a good look for the girls or a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE mistake that should be immediately rectified and forgotten forever? Go ahead and share your thoughts - no pressure.

Happy New Year!

The holidays are winding down and so, as in past years, I'm feeling a mix of sadness, relief and satisfaction with putting the Christmas cheer aside and getting back to work. I love the holidays. I actually choose to listen to carols (Phil Spector anyone?). We fill the apartment with twinkling lights, various small decorated trees, and those gel things that stick to your windows. I discovered the gel things this year and went a bit nuts. Every year I make my family watch at least one of the holiday classics - A Charley Brown Christmas, White Christmas, and Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special ("That was really beautiful Charo!").

Anyway, that's all so 2006 and four days ago. Now I'm looking towards the future; towards Monday and the beginning of 2007. What will this year bring? More attempts at a career in documentary film making? Days spent answering the phone at Marty's optometrist office? Six more issues of that groovy BUST magazine? Yes, all these things and more. I'd like to make a difference this year. I'd like to make my site bigger and better and update my blog with at least twice weekly goodness. I'd like to go back to the indie film scene here in Toronto and reconnect with some folks. I'd like to finish the damn Rentz doc and see if I can actually make a second film.

What are you doing with the new year? Unless I totally bail on my resolutions (before it's actually the new year - a feat in itself) you will see me with more blog entries every couple of days. I'll even set up a comments section so you can leave me little messages and spam. I'll write reviews of documentary films and you can totally disagree with me and tell me why I suck. Honestly. I can take it. I just want to start 2007 off right with a positive and creative drive to expand my site and what I do with my space on the internet. Here's to a good new year for you and me and everyone else. Peace!