28 February 2006

Three's Company

They say bad things always happen in threes and this week is no different. Three of Hollywood's beloved actors of a simpler age have all found their demise within a few days of each other.

First to go was Three's Company's Mr. Furley, Don Knotts. Many would argue they thought he'd been dead for a long time already, but surprise appearances in films like Pleasantville put paid to those rumours. Of course, they're rumours no more.

Second to go is Darren McGavin. Probably most famous for Kolchak: The Nightstalker, which many view as the precursor to "The X-Files", there's a whole generation that will know him as "Nottafinger", the dad from "A Christmas Story," one of Canada's best loved homegrown films, as well as Billy's dad in "Billy Madison".

Today, there's news that Dennis Weaver has hit the bucket. He starred in one of Steven Spielberg's first big screen outings, "Duet" as well as the detective series "McCloud".

All of these guys had been receiving a pension for years and years, so it's not that much of a surprise that they've finally met their end, but as actors I grew up watching, it's a bit of a sad news day.

24 February 2006

Sarnie YEAH!

Having spent my formative years in the backwater that is Sarnia, ON, it's always with an incredulous grin that I greet the mention of the town in popular culture.

A couple of years ago I was in a small cinema in London's West End watching Michael Moore's "Bowling For Columbine" when the scenes in Point Edward and Sarnia came on. I was punching my fists in the air and grinning like a Cheshire cat and no one around me knew why.

A similar feeling came over me last night when I was watching the Paul Gross / Leslie Nielsen comedy "Men With Brooms". It concerns an underdog curling team trying to win the big game for their deceased coach. One of the teams they have to crawl over to get there? Sarnia! Hey hey!

For such a nothing town, there's always a load of odd references to it and that keeps me just a little more connected with my childhood.

14 February 2006

Why do I get out of bed?

Some days are just hideously crap you wonder why you woke up.

Today, I got to my local train station to find the London bound platform was closed due to vandalism. Great. Petty little thugs with nothing better to do than hang around train stations pulling up tiles means a whole stream of disgruntled commuters.

As I was on the train to Sutton thinking that London life and me were about to part ways, I read in the Metro (always a bad thing in the mornings!) about more and more misery (drug dealing in a pub frequented by Prince William, savage army beatings in Iraq, etc.)

Argh.

Just when all hope seemed to fade and the thoughts of staying in the UK seemed unbearable, I read about some horrible new gang in the States that has over 100,000 members, mainly from Ecuador and such. They're brutal, worse than the Mafia and moving more into profiteering.

Maybe the UK isn't that bad after all?

13 February 2006

Mint is evil!

Everytime I eat mint, I sneeze. Whether it be gum, lozenge style hard candy or what have you, I sneeze. Yet, even though this happens I am drawn to the luxuries of mint like a moth to a flame.

Add to that the fact that mass consumption of most mints sweets - gum, lozenge, etc. - results in a laxative effect, and I'm a sneezing shitting machine.

Is there any help? No! I'm addicted!