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It Happened to Me

Yom Kippur Tidings

We’re smack dab in the middle of Yom Kippur,

which started last night at sundown and runs until sundown tonight.

It’s the most important holiday of the Jewish calendar, analogous to Easter in the Christian tradition (you might think it’s Christmas, but technically it’s not) or XBox 360 Day

if your religion is videogames. It’s the day of atonement for sins

between yourself and God — you’re supposed to have made up for sins

committed against other people prior to this day.

[Memo to former roomate who still owes me thousands of dollars: hint, hint.]

Another traditional act carried out on Yom Kippur is fasting. In

solidarity with Wendy. who’s not fasting completely, but eating as

little as possible, I’m going to see how little food I can get by with

today. Come sundown, we’re going to “break fast” with High Park’s other

Asian guy/Jewish girl couple, Herb and Jessie and dive into a nice

dinner followed by a tray full of Wendy’s butterscotch brownies.

Since Yom Kippur is technically a sabbath and since I’m showing

solidarity with Wendy, I really should not be working today. Perhaps

I’ll just be completely non-productive today and just BitTorrent some Battlestar Galactica episodes…

[realizes that the boss, CEO and shareholders read the blog]

…er, ah, I mean work like a superstar and maximize shareholder ROI.

Categories
It Happened to Me Toronto (a.k.a. Accordion City)

Happy Blogaversary, Kathy!

We often don’t see eye-to-eye politically and we’ve traded pot-shots

(she called me an egomaniacal dimwit, which is half-right) on our

blogs, but in real life, we get along. Having been a blogger for five

years this past Tuesday, she’s been at it for longer than I have,

during which time she’s become a star in the right-wing blogosphere and

a much-needed irritant to the left. As my most frequent blog sparring

partner, she keeps me entertained, honest and on my toes. She’s Kathy

Shaidle, and her blog is Relapsed Catholic. Congratulations on five years of blogging, Kathy!


Marc “Paved” Weisblott has noted in his 50 Most Toronto blog that:

The

two longtime local bloggers whose names most frequently come up in

conversation about the medium (if hand-waving dialogue with Brett Lamb

is anything to measure things by) are both female: Kathy Shaidle and

Raymi [may not be safe for work — she sometimes posts pin-up shots of herself].

Kathy. Raymi. Several reality show concepts have just formed in my mind!

Categories
It Happened to Me

The Official Photos are Available!

The official photos (taken by Joe Demb) for the best damned wedding ever are now available online. Friends, family, guests and extremely curious strangers can pruchase prints online too!

Photo: Joey and Wendy enter the reception.

Categories
It Happened to Me

We’re in Today’s Toronto Star

More later, but in the meantime, here’s the link to the story (free registration required)!

Categories
It Happened to Me Music

Clark Hall Pub Hitlist

Ashley Bristowe writes up Chris Turner’s Clark Standards Songlist, a compilation of the big hits at Clark Hall Pub, the engineering student-run bar at Crazy Go Nuts University where Turner and I used to DJ. The list covers Ashley’s stay there, 1991 through 1996, which overlaps significantly with mine (1987 – 1994; I DJ’d at Clark from 1989 through 1994). On the list:

  • Jesus Built My Hotrod – Ministry
  • Head Like a Hole – Nine Inch Nails
  • Debaser – Pixies
  • Cannonball – The Breeders
  • Elephant Stone – The Stone Roses
  • There’s No Other Way – Blur
  • Loser – Beck
  • Sabotage – Beastie Boys
  • Jump Around – House of Pain
  • Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe – Whale
  • Been Caught Stealing – Jane’s Addiction
  • Big Time Sensuality – Bjork
  • Underwhelmed – Sloan
  • Supersonic – Oasis
  • Basket Case – Green Day
  • Miss World – Hole
  • Homeboy – Adorable
  • Supernaut – 1000 Homo DJs
  • It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) – R.E.M.

The list is pretty good, but needs Ween’s Push Th’ Little Daisies, Front 242’s Headhunter 3.0, Rick James’ Super Freak, KMFDM’s Godlike and They Might Be Giants’ Birdhouse in Your Soul for good measure.

Categories
It Happened to Me

More Photos Soon

Here, courtesy of Rannie “Photojunkie” Turingan, is a sample of the shots he took at my wedding. The rest will be available soon.

Pictured below: Dad, in his barong, about an hour before the ceremony.

Photo: Dad at my wedding.

Photo by Rannie Turingan.

Categories
It Happened to Me

Shanah Tovah

Sunset today marks the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. As you might know, my wife (Wife!

Gotta get used to saying that) is Jewish, and we’ll celebrate with the

traditional apples and honey as well as adding an Asian twist by having

noodles for dinner — the traditional Chinese New Year food symbolizing

long life.

Whether you say “happy new year” as “shana tovah!” or “manigong bagong taon!“, have a happy one, everybody!


This year’s Shabot 6000 comic on Rosh Hashanah is a Flash animation that plays off the tequila/tekiyah

pun. Alas, it’s nowhere nearly as good as last year’s comic, which

remains, in this humble gentile’s opinion, the best Rosh Hashanah comic

ever:

Click the comic to see it on its original page.