January 14th 2011
Annual Spoken Word Showcase, Sat Jan 15th
I received this today and had to share. This show has been going on for the past 11 years…
When Sisters Speak, North America’s largest annual showcase of Black, female, spoken word artists, makes its return to Toronto 8 pm on Saturday January 15th, 2011 at the St. Lawrence Center for the Arts.
’When Sisters Speak’ brings together Black female artists from across North America. The annual show offers a rare opportunity for the ladies of Spoken Word to share the stage in an uncensored forum of expression.
’When Sisters Speak’ will be produced in Ottawa, Ontario for the first time on Sunday January 16th, 2011. If you have friends out there, spread the word!
Tickets are available online at www.stlc.com, by phone at 416-366-7723, via email money transfer to info@upfromtheroots.ca, or at the ‘St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts’ Box Office located at 27 Front St East.
Tickets prices: $35 – $45 http://www.stlc.com/index.php?id=996
play / st-lawrence centre for the arts / toronto / when sisters speak
January 11th 2011
Kobo Ereader; do you like it?
Santa was extremely good to me this year and got me a Kobo Reader. Actually what I should say is that my dearest friends got together and got me one because they were tired of hearing me go on about wanting one. I started my quest for the perfect reader with this website http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com/. I found it extremely informative as it contained all the specs for the most popular readers out there. I had a few things that I needed to keep in mind when looking for the perfect reader;
- My budget; I’m waiting for the release of the Blackberry Tablet and don’t want to spend too much on a reader right now
- Availibility of Ebooks
- Functionality | Specs
With all of the above in mind I narrowed my choices down to the Kindle (non 3-G) and the Kobo reader available right here in Canada. I will admit that I tried desperately to get my hands on a Kindle via www.toronto.kijiji.ca and www.toronto.en.craigslist.ca , but failed. Over the holiday season people were inflating the prices of the Kindle and the Kobo because they were out of stock at every retailer in Canada (Kobo) and the U.S (Kindle).
The Kobo’s home is at Chapters/Indigo/Coles in Canada and they were out of stock across Canada as Christmas day approached. I was very surprised on Christmas morning when I opened my gift to see a brand new black Kobo Reader. Now this was a thoughtful gift. My friends just happened to be at a Coles location on Christmas eve when they received a shipment of 15 readers that were all gone in less than 10 minutes. All except one that happened to be the right color. I ventured out on boxing day to get a case and wasn’t completely out of luck, but the pickings were slim. I opted to get a Red “Keep Calk and Carry ON” Kobo Gela Skin to protect my reader from myself. Chapters currently has these wonderful case alternatives on for 50% off so you can pick one up for $10 bucks.
So far the reader has been a pleasure to have. I still miss the feeling and smell of a crisp new book in my hands, but by having this reader I’m definitely doing a small part by reducing my footprint. I’m still learning to use mine and haven’t read the manual yet. I’ve got about 8 books loaded along with a few work related PDFs. If you’ve gotten a reader let me know how your experience has been. Feel free to share any links, tips and tricks.
You can find the specs and more information about the Kobo at www.chapters.ca or by visiting http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com
January 10th 2011
Top 5 funniest bbms I got last week
This 
Saturday the GTA (General Toronto Area) got quite a bit of snow. Perfect excuse to stay in. I had time to check all my voice mails, emails and bbms (blackberry messenger messages). I realised that a lot of the messages that we send and receive are pretty silly. Here are a few, have fun. (I have copy and pasted them exactly as received)
- *sad face * So, I wonna do that colon cleanse thing
- Shit, I need to use the bathroom I will call you later
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Can you see my bbm pic? If not copy and paste it
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My phone is broken I need you to send me your pin again. I don’t have it
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Turn off your phone in the meeting. I will pin you when it’s your turn to present
blackberry / funny / messaging / technology
December 20th 2010
Favourite Footwear for 2010 | Women’s Sperry Top – Sider
I don’t have that sixth sense for fashion like some of my friends, but I always manage somehow with the use of a few secret sources to put it together. I’m simple, I love T-shirts, jeans, polo shirts, running shoes, etc…I’m not a label whore, but I love vintage pieces that will survive the test of time. From time to time I like to comment or write about things that caught my eye. Fashion is different for everyone ladies and gentlemen. It’s not necessarily about what’s trending. It’s about what caught my eye!! Today I was shopping for shoes. Generally I’m pretty conservative so I was looking for something comfortable, fairly new on the market & trendy in this case. My first stop as usual was Getoutside shoes on Queen St | Toronto | ON. I was greeted by a cool dude named “Vince”. Vince knew a little about every shoe in the store. I have heard of Sperry’s, but never knew what the story on them was …that’s always important to me.
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Durable Comfort
- Genuine Hand-Sewn Tru-Moc Construction
- 360° Lacing System with Rust Proof Eyelets & Signature Rawhide Laces
- Added Comfort with Shock Absorbing EVA Heel Cup
- Non-Marking Rubber Outsole with Wave-Siping™ for Ultimate Wet/Dry Traction
Now if you don’t know what all this means that’s cool because neither did I before I went into Getouside Shoes on Queen St | Toronto | ON.The Story | Sperry Top-Sider is a brand of boat shoe designed in 1935 by Paul Sperry, older brother of author/illustrator Armstrong Sperry. The Top-Siders were the first boat shoes introduced into the boating market and have never left. Sperry was an avid boater who, like most boaters, risked injury while walking on the slippery deck of his boat. His successful design was inspired by the pattern of grooves or cracks on his dog’s feet and combined a leather upper-shoe with a herringbone pattern of grooves on the sole. The cutting of grooves in the sole of the Top-Sider was an implementation of a process of splitting or siping a shoe sole invented and patented in the 1920s by John Sipe.Sperry’s shoe quickly became popular with boaters not only for its non-slip sole, but also for its white color, which prevented the shoe from leaving marks on a boat’s deck. The shoe remained a niche product until 1939 when the U.S Navy negotiated the right to manufacture the shoe for its sailors. As a result of the Navy contract, Sperry’s business was purchased by the U.S. Rubber Co., which then marketed the shoe across the country.The brand is owned by Collective Brands Inc. Performance and Lifestyle Group, formerly Stride Rite Corp. The brand currently uses the advertising slogan “A Passion for the Sea”. Sperry product still features its signature non-slip soles.Today, the boat shoe remains popular with younger generations. East coast fashion is often seen incorporating the shoe as well.
I must say that these Sperrys are the most comfy shoes that I’ve bought in a long time. They’re light, well ventilated and extremely comfortable.
November 9th 2010
Skinny Bitch | New York Times Bestseller
Skinny Bitch: A no-nonsense tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stoop eating crap and start looking fabulous! Written by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
I just started reading this book. I must say that it’s not for the faint at heart or the overly religious. These two ladies really break it down in everyday language. In July of 2010 I undertook the most difficult journey of my life. I embarked on a quest for health. I was too fat, my blood sugar level was quickly getting out of control and I needed to do something about it!
With the help and support of co-workers, yes co-workers, not friends or family (no offense) I started on my journey. It’s not that my friends or family did not want to help out, it’s just that I needed time away in order to achieve my goals. Sometimes you just need to focus.
I came across this book on one of my regular trips to the BMV used bookstore at 10 Edward Street, Toronto. Hey it was 4$ used and I was drawn to the title. This book is more about healthy eating than weight loss per se, but it’s loaded with great stories, examples, facts and references. The two ladies that wrote the book are vegetarian so beware of the “don’t eat meat/slaughterhouse” chapter. I am a meat eater and I survived the chapter unchanged so it’s really not that bad. I did appreciate it and did learn an awful lot from reading it. I’m just not ready to make that transition. All in all I would recommend this book to anyone on the quest to great eating and a healthy lifestyle or simply for a good laugh as it’s packed with anecdotes and “real talk”.
health / reading / vegetarian / weight loss
January 14th 2010
A line of stuffed animals complete with diagnosed mental illness.
Nothing feels better when you are in the dumps than a little cuddle with someone who understands, so what could beat a stuffed animal that shares your diagnosis? For everyone out there who has uttered the phrase, “No one understands my depression/schizophrenia/hallucinations/obsessive-compulsive disorder,” add this toy to your list for Santa (if you can find the will to dig up a pen); Martin Kittsteiner of Hamburg, Germany has developed a line of stuffed animals complete with diagnosed mental illness.
