Do you need more time?

Not sure how this movie will do but the concept is interesting.  Have a look...

21

Are you from Mississauga?  Have you heard of  21?  

Over kill

Warning movie spoiler..... Warning possible plot details given below....  Don't read any further if you ......Holy Overkill batman.  I am a huge Comic Book Movies (CBM) fan not only of the website but the movies too.  I follow a number of Blogs and websites I never read the plot spoilers to be honest. I also don't pay much attention to the fifty mini trailers that are released the months before each CBM blocker buster.  It is a little overkill if you ask my humble opinion.

What I do find peculiar is the paparazzi's (professional or hardcore fans) new found interest in being present at film shoots in order to gather a picture or camera phone clip of the soon to be speculated on sequence of plot details.  I guess up-skirt pictures of stars getting out of cars, following stars on vacation hoping to get a partial nude shot while at the beach only has so much appeal.  I don't have much respect for so these called photographers. So now we are bombarded with plot spoilers about the the latest actor on set and what ever else they can stir up.

There seems to be another growing trend of casting extras or background production staff members providing similar leaks of speculated information.  Not really a fan of all of these spoilers.  I love going to watch CB movies and I go into them with one simple expectation to be entertained.  I don't care for knowing half of the characters, a few surprise appearances always makes for a better film.  Good plot twists that haven't been reported on or speculated on by every other internet blog or news service makes for good fun too.   Part of the reason why I think half the movies we've seen released this summer weren't received well was for this reason and that too many people try and compare creative rewrites of their favorite characters to their twenty year old counterparts. 

The point of reboots of classic CBM's is to bring the story alive to a new generation.  Expressing a little creativity is exactly why The Dark Knight Rises Series has been doing so well.  Rewriting the story and adapting the characters to take on different tones has been part of the Comic Book genre since comics first began.  We need new plot twists, we need new takes on characters but what we don't really need is to know every detail of the film before it is even finished filming. 

Elementary schools now have uniform

Some parents may be relieved that the Toronto Catholic School Board has now implemented a uniform Policy under the "dress code for pupils policy."  Beginning this school year students will no longer be wearing street clothes.  A welcome move by some as buying new clothes at back to school sales and doing laundry may now be reduced also as a result.  I for one am totally for this.  This will in some ways create a more focused atmosphere for students to learn and will alleviate some of the popularity pressures that have arisen due to the over emphasis on fashion that retailers and the fashion industry have placed on our children. Not to the mention the branding association that leads to bullying.  I have a good friend who is a Chaplain in the Dufferin Peel board and he has even stated on occasion that branding due to the clothing can even go as far as determining where kids sit in the cafeteria.  By branding I am referring to kids only associating with kids who dress in the same clothing style whether its grunge, preppie, rocker vs rap etc.  I remeber in grade 8 even at a uniformed school I attended you were really cool if you had a Raiders jacket and maybe a Guns n Roses, Metallica or Public Enemy T-shirt.  You were semi-cool if you had a Georgetown Hoyas jacket.  I had a lumber jacket which made me semi-nerdy and a Hoyas jacket which made me semi-cool too.  Our kids don't need this pressure they need to learn in a positive environment which is getting harder to provide. This is a great move on the board's part.  Maybe the trustees at Dufferin will relook at this issue again soon.  Read more here

If you're sweating you are a terrorist.

Anyone think this is a little bit of profiling?   So the government has a plan to watch you at the airport and based on your body behavior they may be able to apprehend terrorists.  Signs of detection include sweating.  So if you're late don't run because that morsal of bodily cooling agent may do you in.  I think the government should stop using terrorism as a scapegoat for their "global plan of tyranny" as Alex Jones puts it.  Conspiracy theorists will be having a field day with this article

Back to school chills

Another weekend has come and gone.  The last weekend before the back to school craziness begins.  The construction workers are busy fixing up the streets at some of our major intersections.  The malls are going crazy with Moonlight Madness sales and Walmart along with staples will be areas that you will want to steer clear of over the next weekend.  So the last long weekend of the summer is upon us and the police will be busy setting up their spot checks and strategic plans for ensuring road safety.  The cottagers are finalizing their plans for the weekend and the liquor stores will be stocking up as the crazies line up to ensure they are well stocked for the last blitz of the summer.  The skies are growing cloudier and the chill of the morning breath is echoing the sentiments that the change of seasons is in the air.  As hurricanes and tropical storms brew in the southern eastern seas we feel the warmth of the sun's embrace grow distant earlier each day.  The morning traffic increases as the teachers creep back to work.  Soon our morning sidewalks will be littered with the joyful screams of friends lost and rekindled as the little ones go off to learn.  The traffic volume increases as parents fill their busy summer schedules with back to school fun.  The thrill of the summer freedom is over now and done.  There's something about the last week of August that always give me the back to school chills.

Butter Sage Gnocchi

I was looking for something quick to prepare last night after taking a few pictures in the City Center.  There were a couple of packs of Potato Gnocchi (pasta) kicking around in the fridge so I decided I would try mixing up this recipe. With only 20 minutes of prep and cooking time this dish makes for an easy dinner.  It had an interesting flavor not one that everyone may enjoy.  I did  add a little more garlic and Parmesan than the recipe recommended but personally I found that it could use a little more flavor.  This may simply be because of the variety of spices that I tend to throw in the mix when I am cooking.  Still a good dish and I will be playing with the ingredients more next time. 

New City Center Roundabout

 

I finally made it over to check out the new roundabout at City Center last night.  I was kind of surprised it's actually much smaller than I thought it would be. I was expecting something like in Europe where there are three lanes on each side a pile of cars and some poor sucker stuck going around in loops endlessly.  No such luck. Open just in time for the new school year the roundabout is adjacent to the new Hazel McCallion Campus (Sheridan College) located at Square One Drive and Duke of York Boulevard across from the Zellars' (soon to be Target) parking lot.  Roundabouts will be new to many people with in Mississauga as there really aren't any.   I think they should put one at 10 and Burnhamthorpe that would make for some great entertainment on a Saturday afternoon. So if you're in the area in the coming days take a spin, literally.  And while you're at it have a look at a few pics I snapped on the walk home.

BlodgettFreezeFrame

History Matters and researching for new blog section Mississauga History

There's an old saying "if you don't know where you came from how can you get to where you're going?"

I have always been a lover of arts, culture, religion and history.  Once some one said "you seem like you are very modern but you are very cultured.  A rather interesting contradiction"  I agree but I also believe that we should have a healthy respect for our history, traditions, religion and cultures.  I have never been fond of the ideology that plagues my fellow younglings and the lack of respect for History and yet the obsession with pop culture and modern technology while at the same time having little interest in their own culture. 

This is sad!  I am a full fledged Canadian!   I am a 3rd generation Canadian there's even a little of the Native blood running in these veins if you go back a few generations.  Not sure if that last part is true or one of late Auntie Roe's Fables she told of our relationship to Princess Lily Feather and Chief Shot-in-both-sides.  But on the lighter side I have been thinking of a way to include in this Blog some of the Cultural and Historical aspects of Mississauga.  Not many of the people who now live in Downtown City Center would even remember the Ol man's Farm on Eglinton.    Being a 3rd generation Canadian I envy people who come here and have a cultural tradition.  While some argue that Canada has its own culture and tradition I mean Culture more in the sense of Filipino, Spanish, Indian etc..   It is actually kind of sad that so many young people feel embarrassed that their parents want to incorporate some cultural traditions in their lives.  But thanks to James Dean being cool still seems to plague our young minds, malls, Tim Horton's and School Parking Lots heck even Churches.

So as I brainstorm keep tuned to the Bat channel for Bloggin Blodgett will be adding a new category to the Blog: Sauga back in the day.  For now if it pleases you have a look at this site Heritage Mississauga   a site I stumbled upon while doing some research on the Villages and Lost Villages of Mississauga.  Stay tuned for the new category in the coming months.

Old Skool Blodgett

Dj Vader Turn the beat up!

After a wild storm came ripping through Mississauga on Wednesday another wild storm was brewing the following Thursday... Thirsty Thursday.  Bloggin Blodgett and DJ Vader met up for another session of The Garage Talk Chronicles.  On the agenda this week was a number of topics but one in particular was music production.  DJ Vader is a producer of Drum and Bass and some hip hop.  Vader has released a few EPs on I tunes you can follow him on Twitter as well as SoundCloud a newer Social Music Community.

Raised in Mississauga he has spent much of the last ten years outside of school and work developing his production skills.  This was one of the topics on the table as we enjoyed a bit of Crest and Remy Ma.  While in his own right DJ Vader is a humble man yet he still recognizes his own growth as a producer.  I have had the privilege of knowing him for about 16 years and we spent much of our high school lunches together  listening to hip hop mix-tape cassettes sharing headphones one ear bud in an ear sharing a little box of french fries.  This is where much of the love for the underground began for F.O.2.d.X .as we have always called him.  It was during the commercialization of the Rave Scene where underground for a short lived time came into the spot light and this is where Vader stumbled upon DNB and in so many words fell in love.  Since the early 2000's he has spent time making mix-tapes and slowly began to throw his own track's in the mix.  Since then he has in many ways begun the road to perfecting his sound.  A few years back Vader launched Sinister Recordings the label which he now releases his EPs under.  A dream of Vader's that dates back to the origin of the term of Sinister Six itself but that's a long story that we'll save for another day.

About four years ago Vader also began experimenting with Hip Hop production and this in some ways ties in with how The Garage Talk Chronicles began as well as Thirsty Thursday's. So this past Thursday we were discussing a little about Classical Hip Hop and the new music which later sparked a discussion about the evolution of music production which in essence sparked the topic of this blog post.

Music production has come a long way.  From records to crackling tapes, to when DJ's were actual DJ's and mixed songs (hence mix-tapes) ... now they just yell words over songs they were given to promote.  A conversation that DJ Vader and I have had and a style that we have criticized relentlessly for some time.  Music now is much different than when we were growing.  Most of it is electronically produced and that's why much of the DNB, Trance, Dub Step and many of the new Rap sounds is mixed in the category of Electronica.  That being said there is a lot of tools that help with the trade.  While the latest pirated apps may assist a producer, Vader has been around long enough to have experimented with a variety of equipment.  His growth as a producer has begun to emerge as his own sound style takes to the streets, the radio and now his own commercial releases.  Keep an ear to SoundCloud for upcoming projects and mix cds.

Look for Part II of Garage Talk Chronicles : Turn the Beat Up  this weekend.

Some more pics from Mississauga Tornado Watch

 

You can view the rest of the album at BlodgettFreezeFrame

Lego my Eggo

These look really sweet.  Damn I wish I was a kid today!!!  Unimog by Lego thanks to Gizmag

New DOTM Toys: Sergeant Noble Tailpipe & Pinpointer and Sideswipe

I came across these bad boys over at Zellars last week and I couldn't resist. 
I believe the Sideswipe (to the left) has two different versions this being the more colorful of the two.  Tailpipe and Pinpointer are pretty awesome figures too.  Have a look at a few images I snapped real quick.  "BlogginBlodge Roll Out!!!!!!"

Shoe that generates energy

Want to charge your phone while getting some exercise? Well not quite but this interesting concept of energy generating shoes is being developed and may just be around the corner.... Have a look over at gizmag.

Mississauga Tornado Watch Photos

As promised here are few photos from last nights storm.  You can find more pictures at BlodgettFreezeFrame.

Tornado watch

The round about shoot had to wait tonight.  Still on the agenda but the big lightning show was in focus for BlodgettFreezeFrame.  That was an awesome storm I must say big ups to mother nature.  My Henry's gift cards which I received for my birthday last weekend are going towards a nice tripod.  My arms are tired to say the least after 3 hours of shooting.  I'm off for some r&r so the uploads will have to wait for the morning.  Snoozing Blodgett signing off.   Zzzzzz

Taste of streetsville

Streetsville cuisine is doing it up big next month. From September 15th to October 7th the little village in western Mississauga will hold their third annual Taste of Streetsville event.   Read more here

Round n R ound we go.....

Tonight weather pending Freezeframeblodgett will be heading over to the city center to shoot the new round about.  Look for pictures later today....

An opinion

The Gospel reading from last Sunday (Mt 16:13-20) has always been a point of contention for many people.  It is a hard hitting statement of faith.  The story centers on the time when  Jesus asks the disciples "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 

The answers given are various and full of different opinions.  Much like the approach that people have today, Jesus is viewed as an opinion.  Some people believe he was a nice guy.  Others think He is a Prophet.  Some believe He was a fable. Some people believe He was a heretic.  To some He is The Truth the living Son of God.  In many ways Jesus is still looked upon as someone to have an opinion about.  But there are those who hold a very different belief, a belief which often the world has a hard time grasping.  Catholics believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  They also believe that the Catholic Church which this reading further touches upon was founded by Jesus Christ and was entrusted to Saint Peter in the Papal Office.  There are many people who have difficulty with this and it mainly boils down to misunderstanding what these scripture passages mean.  It is also one of the many reasons why there is so much division between Christians and even Catholics.  Today you still will hear all kinds of arguing on why the Catholic Church should ordain woman, change its teachings on sexuality, and allow divorce amongst other things.  What people often do not understand is that the Church proclaims that Jesus is Truth.  What this means to Catholics is that all the teachings that come from Jesus are true for all time periods.  As Catholics we believe that Jesus is the Eternal Truth unchanging and unchangeable.  This essentially means that because a particular opinion or world view is popular today that doesn't change what is fundamentally true.  In the eyes of the Catholic Faith Jesus' teachings are not opinions and I think that is where the most confusion about what the Catholic Faith is comes in.  This is why the Church cannot change its teachings because according to the premise of whose message they are proclaiming it is unchangeable.  So are the laws and traditions that Jesus established in His Church unchangeable.  It is no different than trying to change the name of a monkey.  The name or way of understanding what to call the monkey may evolve but the fundamental element of what the monkey is does not change.  And it can't be changed.  It is the same with the Church. 

Birthday dinner

Bloggin Blodgett celebrated his 30th birthday for the third time yesterday.  It was a fun filled evening with the family.  Instead of going out for a buffet which we've done for the last few years I decided to have a mini buffet of some of my favorite foods.  With just under 3 hours of prep time and cooking it turned out to be a great meal that the whole family enjoyed.  On the menu was Jerk Chicken, Couscous Stuffed Peppers, Greek Rice, Grilled Lamb, Chez Blodge's Spinach Salad and a few home made appetizers.  Of Course birthday dinner is never complete without a little Cheesecake and Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake.  I may just post a few of these recipes in the coming week. 

Also some new pics of Ultimate Optimus who my brother and brother in law spent some time transforming while hanging out over some Pina Coladas.

 













Thanks to everyone for the birthday greets as well.
Older Blodgett

Lack of posts

I've been slacking on posts for the last few days.  Actually I haven't been home much for the last few days due to work and social events.  I'm still hoping to get down to the Buskerfest in Portcredit.  That's all pending how much time I spend parousing through Henrys' Tent Sale.  FreezeFrameBlodgett needs some more gear for his upcoming photoshoots.  Then its off to the market for some goods for the big dinner I'm making for yours truly's birthday.  Look out for some food photo posts.  
BlogginB

Street theater

Always makes for a good picture anyhow.  So this weekend I will be traveling down to Port Credit for the Buskerfest.  The what fest?  Buskerfest.  This is first I've heard of this event too.  But since I'm new to the community events scene that's my excuse.  The Buskerfest is simply put Street Theater.  According to the Port Credit website 'Buskers are gutsy street performers'  Please do not hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong but I am assuming since this BuskerFest has a 6 next to it that this will be the sixth time that they have held this event.  Sounds very interesting to me and therefore Bloggin Blodgett along with Freeze FrameBlodgett (they may be the same people) will be there to photograph, video and blog. I came across this event thanks to the wonderful people over  at Mississauga Life Magazine.

Here's a quick map from the Port Credit website which shows some locations of events

Check out the video below as well

Robots in disguise

Maybe someone could explain to me the purpose of Robots?  Quite frankly I don't get it.   I mean other than the rich who need to be waited on tooth and nail why do we need Robots?   For me this question stems from the countless articles I read in mostly technology blogs and ezines.  I still believe in going to the Cashier at grocery stores and using tellars at banks.  Old school maybe but I find the world robotic enough as it is without actual robots running around.  I'm sorry but what can a Robot really do that a person who has a starving determination and will to live can't do?  The only answer is live without a conscience.  Robots would make for great killing machines (forgive the pun).  But other than that I spend enough time conversating with computers having one way discussions about  'what is wrong with you?'.... 'will you hurry up'.... 'come on come let's go. I don't have all day.'  I have no desire to come home to a pile of metal wandering around my home.  But some people do some people even want to have sex with robots.  I have read that a few companies have even taken blowup dolls to a mechanical level. Literally!  So the shy recluse can now order his custom brunette dream girl who will please at will, converse with and comfort those who are incapable of human interaction.   Maybe if us civilized people were a little friendlier or kinder they wouldn't have these issues.   Another debate though.

But nevertheless now we are on the dawn of a new age.  An age where countless people die of diseases, famine and poverty.... yada yada yada same ol story people have been dying for thousands of years.... the rich get richer... Machines replace human jobs... The weak are allowed to die off because 'only the strong survive. Survival of the fittest.'  as Spencer and Darwin said... Last time I checked Spencer and Darwin were dead but hey.  So what is my point.  My point is this... It's the same point I made to a bunch of people when some scientists thought it was good fun to waste a gazillion dollars trying to recreate 'the big bang theory'....  Why do we continue to waste all this money and research  for something that really doesn't matter at the end of the day when we could use that time, energy, and resources to help develop actual people.  I know even the time spent writing this blog could be used for better purposes than the self glorification and nimble satisfaction I could receive from knowing someone read my measly opinion.  But I will let others speak of the little good I have done.  So off with the Robots head I say.  Power to the people.

Baaaah!!!!!!

Lamb that is!

Greek was on the menu tonight.  Metro had a sale last weekend on Lamb Shoulder.  If you are not with familiar with lamb it can be very pricey and rarely is marked down.  There are a few packs in the freezer for the coming drought of lamb that is... won't be buying again for a while.  Now this wasn't a truly authentic greek dish as it would have had a few more ingredients on my part but for a quick whip up it suffices.

So Chef Blodgett Marinated the beast for about an hour at room temperature.  If you have time then I recommend that you marinade the beast for 6 hours in the fridge.  You don't want it too long though because the Lemon in the mixture will start to brown the meat. 

The marinade was a combo of  Dijon mustard, Rosemary, Lemon Juice (fresh is always better), Garlic, Salt (you can use regular or Kosher), Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Greek Oil would give a nice touch), Fresh Ground Pepper (I never use packaged ground pepper).

1/2 Cup of Lemon Juice

3 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons of Rosemary

2 Teaspoons of Salt

4 Cloves of Minced Garlic

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil

1-2 Tablespoons of Salt

4-6 Lamb Shoulders

Mix the ingredients together adding the Oil Olive gradually at the end.  Marinate as noted  Once you are ready to cook them in order to avoid burning the outside, since we are grilling them, please wipe them down almost dry.  While drying them set your grill to a medium-high temperature.  After the grill has heated throw those bad boys on there.  Let them cook for about 6 minutes per side or until desired rareness.  Remember lamb is not suppose to be well done and will continue to cook for a minute or two after being removed from heat.  

So while you are marinating the lamb I recommend preparing a little rice dish.  The original recipe I had found online but decided to tweak it a little.  You are going to need Onions, Carrots, Garlic Cloves, Pepper, Salt, Lemon Juice, Rice (Jasmine is my preference), Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Parsley, Chicken Broth (If you know how to make a home made broth do it up).  If you want to get creative you can also add Broad Beans (I recommend reading up on how to properly prepare it is easy to overcook).  

Chop up 1 onion and fry in Olive Oil.  Cook for about 2-4 minutes.  Do not let the Onions brown.  Prepare your Chicken Broth at this time.  You will need about 4 cups. Chop up finely (I use a processor to save time) 1-2 Carrots.  Throw it in the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Add your minced garlic, 3 Tablespoons of Parsly, and 1 Tablespoon of Pepper, Salt and Rosemary.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Add a little more oil to keep from drying.  Add a teaspoon of Lemon Juice and then mix in your chicken broth.  Bring to a light boil.  Throw in 1 1/2 cups of white rice.  Let boil for about 2 minutes and then reduce to low heat.  Stir occasionally.  It will take about 15-20 minutes to fully cook.  Let Cool and Serve.

Kali Orexi

Chez Blodge

 

The Morning Mist

The cool breeze blows like the morning mist that travels across the still water at the dusk of dawn, reminding us that the change of seasons are near. The cold morning brisk reminds me of an Autumn day. So the battle of the seasons begins as cold and warm fronts meet hurricanes and tropical storms battle over land and seas.  The pagans of ol days would have said the gods were at war.  But us photographers and fishers will rejoice as the summer clings on and the Autumn leafs show all their glory.  As the leafs fall the lenses will change and as the salmon swim the credit the lures will wait.  The crisp coolness of Autumn's chill just spoke this morning letting us know I am coming!

A short story

I have always enjoyed various forms of writing. I have been writing here and there since about grade 5 which was a few years ago... OK many years ago. Nevertheless I have always enjoyed writing. My fidelity to writing hasn't always been the most faithful either. While doing some research for an upcoming project I came across this site which seems to be dedicated to freelance writings, poets etc... and you guessed it... Bloggin Blodgett signed himself up. Now I just setup a profile to get the wheels a churning so there is nada available for your reading pleasure. However not to disappoint I have decided that I shall upload a monthly story... most likely a short story but there may be the odd poem as well. It shall be swell! Writing.com is where the story's shall dwell Bloggin Blodgett has a new mission to make you smile with stories that I tell.... lol. See poetry Bloggin Blodgett can dig it.

Here's the link

Be persistent

So this week at Mass the reading was rather interesting. It's not your typical story of Jesus that we're accustom to. In the Gospel reading (Mt 15:21-28) there is a woman pestering the disciples and Jesus is blatantly ignoring her. Not your typical image of the loving, caring, savior Jesus that we are familiar with. It isn't till the woman makes a bold declaration of faith that Jesus actually turns to her and as per her request heals her daughter who was being tormented by demons.

I myself had never really thought about this all that much but after listening to the Priest's Homily and looking at this reading it dawned upon me that there are some things that we really have to pester the Man for. Many people have the notion that God doesn't answer prayers and this can be quite true. There are many prayers or things we request from God throughout our life that we don't seem to be blessed with. They may not be what's best for us either though. And that's why many people firmly believe that God doesn't answer prayers. But this passage from the Gospel got me thinking that there are somethings we have to consistently ask the Lord for. This may also just be one reason that we don't get what we want.

I remember one time a friend said to me 'that there are some blessings that we are just given,some blessings that we don't receive and then there are some blessings that we must ask for'. And I think that's what the main context of this reading.. that just like in life we have to be persistent with the Lord and have a firm faith that He will give us those things that we need.

On the Menu this week

Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce and Spinach Walnut Salad

















Cheese, nut & Cranberry Penne



















Bruschetta
















And Lamb Shoulder

Watch out for recipes and pics

More power to the police

CP24 sent out a tweet last night opening up the discussion whether RIM should hand over information to police.  By information I am assuming they are refering to messages sent through Blackberry Messenger.   This topic has made it to the tables due to the whirlwind of looters swirling through England. This situation is not unique.  I believe the police there want RIM to open access to the BBM network in the hopes that they may be able to retrieve information pertaining to the direction that looters are heading and who is involved.

During the G20 in Toronto BBM and twitter were methods used to communicate what was going on.  I am in as much support of the violation of privacy rights being demanded by the "riot police" carried out by the corporate entities who we sign contracts with entitling "us civilians" to certain protection in terms of privacy as much as I am in support of police pulling over a car with teenagers because they were there.  While I don't neccessarily support the growing trend of civil unrest I do not support the growing trend of giving excess power to police forces as a method of combatting civil or uncivil protesting.When the G20 took place in Toronto the police had the same access to social and news media the people on the streets did.  And this did not aid them in containing the situation.  They had the same access to the countless people tweeting what was going on and where simply by following corporate media.  The end result was their kettling technique which resulted in no less than treating innocent civilians as criminals in the hope of squeezing out the 'trouble makers'.  The same thing is being proposed here in England.  Violating the peoples right putting them into one pot in the hopes of getting rid of the toxins.  I think as people we need to start looking at the implications of what we are really giving birth to here.  Yes there is a worldwide trend of growing unrest.  Yes there is a worldwide trend of mass protest occuring and its only going to continue as the lines between the people and the elite continue to divide.  Governments and people would be wise to see clearly that there is a divide and that those people whom some consider to be the bottom of the barrel are tired of the growing influence (financial) and power being giving to Corporations.  One of the biggest being the 'new democratic' type of government policing systems, look at the facts in terms of money being spent on security at these continuous protests and riots.  

As a citizen I am concerned with the willingness of some people and Corporate entities to continue to support this trend of handing over more power to police.  I am very skeptical about police power especially in the wrong hands.  Don't say it can't happen.  There is an old saying 'remember everything hitler did was legal'.  Look I am a law obiding citizen I can talk about countless stories of even here in Mississauga of profiling, unprofessional conduct etc etc  that is not the point the point is that it is dangerous to fuel a system which is on the verge of meltdown with a socialist type mentality.  And thats what this is pushing towards more government control.  The government can't keep their own houses in order and they want access to our tweets, text messages and bbm messages.  Sorry not floating my boat.  I believe in the rights of all people to their privacy and human rights not to be treated as criminals because the next group of rioters have shown up to the door steps.  Maybe the government cops should look into the problems that generate these situations instead.  They may even find a few in their own house. 

Protesting Blodgett

Poser - Graffiti artist

I've always loved Graffiti. Never got into the art form myself but in my travels, notably in Europe, I always loved taking the train. You were always guaranteed to see some great graffiti along the tracks. Germany in particular always had some really cool paintings. While the art form itself has always been surrounded with controversy I for one have never had a problem with it in my home city of Mississauga or in Toronto. I'm not talking about little word scribbles often associated with gang tags rather actual murals or paintings. Pictures and an interview of a known Ottawa - Toronto graffiti artist Poser has been posted on BlogTo.

Poser on FlickR

Photos were taken by sniderscion

The Hobbit

Surprisingly I actually haven't been keeping up with this considering I am
a huge Tolkien Fan. But for those who haven't seen yet here are the first
few videos from the production of the Hobbit that is scheduled for theaters
December 2012. Been looking forward to this for a while actually.

Earthscraper? A what?

We've all seen many Skyscrapers but this is the first I've heard of what appears to be a new concept.... The Earthscraper That's right ladies and gents an Earthscraper


This is a design concept which is being considered by the City of Mexico for it's Historic Center. While the concept is extremely interesting it raises a few questions about how this would logically work. I mean take for example if there was a fire or earth -quake or some emergency how would you get out. It will definitely be interesting to see some of the technological concepts that are brought to the table for emergency exit solutions. As with all buildings there are also structural concerns not to mention possible leakage issues which can cost huge sums of money even in private homes yet alone x amount of stories underground. Not too sure what environ-mentalists, which I'm sure the City of Mexico has consulted on such a project, will have for the City too. The concept does have a lot of potential if they are able to work around the safety issues. It would definitely make for an interesting tourist attraction. What a pity though for us photographers we couldn't take a picture of the building but wait the building is going to be glass? That's right. Well part of it anyhow. The Architectural Design of this Historic building will mirror that of Mexico's rich history of Aztec Pyramids a site to see in themselves along with the Mayan Pyramids. See the full article from Gizmag here

And the latest status update

A little late on this post... better late than never..
Saturday was another session of Garage talk. On the Menu was the Sinister
Crest, some Bud (beer) and Remy Martin The discussion (as per protocol)
pertained to the topic of modern technology. Attendees were the Cyclist, Dj Vader, and Bloggin Blodgett

So over the course of some beers and Filipino food we discussed the pro's
and con's of modern technology. Dj Vader made several interesting points regarding the Benefits of being able to essentially "do it all" from your phone. While we really can't do it all, there are many things the new mobile technology contain which have made life a lot easier. And this was Vader's key point in the discussion. Technology through cell phone's in particular have made it easy to manage websites, social circles, self-promotion in the arts to name a few. (I can even blog via email, The Blogger App...Bloggin Blodgett is mobile watch out)

It has also made it easier to find out information at the dr op of a heartbeat.
We are now able to reach out to people that we would have had to go to great
difficulty to reach before. Bloggin Blodgett also chirped in on how this has

made it easier to gain awareness to things that really matter. Like when people's lives are at peril ie Famine's in Somalia or even Natural disasters. (On a side note I had previously mentioned in a post that you can even send donation money through text messages now) or directly here: redcross And these things are really quite amazing when we step back and look at
it.

The Cyclist who is cautionary when it comes to new technology (and rightly so) also expressed some excitement about these things but also approaches them with a bit more thought than most people would. And by thought I mean thinking about what he actually uses these new trends for. The availability of selling your self in the online virtual world as a mini celebrity has always been a stern point of contention for the Cyclist. As he has pointed out many times in past Garage Talk
Episodes that not everything that we do should be recorded in digital media format and posted on line.

This we find particularly cumbersome especially in the younger kats who seem to feel the need to constantly post pictures of their weekly Church Service worshiping the gods of alcohol, music, immodest dress, and sex or the latest substance use they are up to it tweets (heat score as we use to call it) Both are a waste of time and bandwidth but hopefully with age comes a little wisdom.

Garage Talk Blodgett

Healthy Lunch

Spinach Salad with Roasted Pine Nuts and Garlic

So being the Mr Healthy that I am striving to be I
decided last week to supplement my new workout
routine with a balanced diet.

In other words that I will eat salads for lunch....
Oatmeal for breakfast (gots to keep those arteries open)
and a regular meal at supper. Oh yeah and can't forget
leave the beer for one night on the weekend

In accordance with the plan last night had picked up some
spinach and made lunch for today. Roasted upon some
garlic (watch out you Vampires). Threw a few pine nuts
in the z toaster oven. For dressing a bunch of Oil Olive and
Lemon Juice freshly squeezed and a little fresh ground
pepper. Some healthy eats I'd say.

Slim trim Blodgett

Ultimate Optimus Prime

So yesterday morning I decided to take a hike up to Toys R Us.
Being the Transformers Collector that I am I had one item
in mind the Autobot Ark






















But to my surprise I ended up with this :

















Actually I was just about to walk out of the store with two other items in hand.
As I walked out of the Transformers Aisle Ultimate Optimus Prime was there
staring me down. I wasn't honestly expecting to see this figure till mid September
seeing as we still haven't seen some of the figures here in Mississauga that
were slated for release back in May and June. So I decided I'm grabbing this
while available and in all honesty this has to be one of the best Transformers
figures I have ever owned the only slightly disappointing feature was the lack
of Vocal Expressions included in what is a relatively pricey toy.

Here's a few more quick shots I took. This sucker is staying in Robot Mode
For a while anyhow.