JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

After missing it for a couple of years, took advantage of the first non-miserable weekend of the spring to take in the annual Doors Open event. Day 1 -Commerce Court/King Edward Hotel/St. James Church/Canadian Opera Company (Tanenbaum Centre) Started off above King station, at Commerce Court North , once the tallest building in the British Commonwealth and currently home to CIBC private banking services (and a handy ATM). Stayed around for a brief description of the ornate ceiling and expensive floor, then headed to the Crystal Ballroom at the King Edward Hotel, the closest equivalent Toronto has to Detroit-style ruins (not the hotel, just the ballroom). Enough was left that it wasn't difficult to imagine what the room looked like in its heyday. Faded glory Great views of the city from the ballroom, including this one of the next stop - St. James Anglican Church . Slowly circled around the church, staring at the stained glass and pipe organ (pictures taken of both for...

It wasn't an auspicious start. Hello There - John Cale Playing the first track on the first of my summer run of radio shows went OK. No vocal fumbling when I switched on the mike. Announced the next track as The Who's I Can't Reach You . Went to start the CD player... No sound. The player decided it didn't like my copy of The Who Sell Out . Panic, as nothing else is going right. See, the station has new CD players, but they're sensitive beasts and not user-friendly in their operation. Next time, I taking a tape of the old TV signoff classic, Syncopated Clock, to play in such a situation. Never Had A Dream Come True - Stevie Wonder Sun Watcher - Albert Ayler My Cherie Amour - Roland Kirk Compared To What - Roberta Flack Grabbed the nearest disc I had, which was Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered and lauched into a soul/jazz set. One mishap along the way - my Manu Dibango disc refused to play, otherwise Hot Chicken would have followed t...

We at the Warehouse regularly check with our competitors to see which innovative, exciting products are being showcased in their stores to gain margin, create excitement and bring customers into their shopping environment (Eds Note: This is the type of retail jargon I have to clean up on a daily basis. Now you know why we're crazy) . We've purchased some of these items, and will present some of interesting finds. There will be parameters. If it's a food product, it must be something we're convinced could be edible. You won't be seeing items like Diet Moxie, any Atkins baked goods, fermented mustard pickles or any pasta made with Papa Smurf's Special Sauce. This week, we visited an Asian grocery store in Scarborough and checked out the wide variety of ramen noodles. The Kashin company has tied their products in with everyone's love for pop music. May we present to you MUSIC UP ! Music Up Pork Ribs Flavour Note emphasis on word "flavour...

As mentioned in previous entries, a group of us entered the Moc Docs contest earlier this year. It was first time I'd ever fully-written a script - any previous attempts to write one never went far (other than a bizarro-world piece written in grade 2, which I'll post when I find it again). Here it is, a mocumentary look at the person who created Hinterland Who's Who...or is about the person filming it? It's not much more than a comedy skit, but it's something. Lots of thanks to the rest of the Robot Dog crew, who pitched in their five cents (especially Stevie D...his script should have received some consideration). Read and laugh or groan... Film begins with familiar strains of Hinterland Who’s Who, opening on a shot of empty parkland or forest, maybe a squirrel or dog running by. Title card - "HINTERLAND WHO’S WHO" A middle-aged man shuffles onto the screen, looking around at nothing in particular, like an animal popping its head out of a ...

Tugboat Bill wants to move you. He really does. The latest chapter in the shifty movers phone message saga (last chapter ws on January 6th - see the archive) found our intrepid moving with a new name and "new" spokesperson. Best Price Movers is now Athletic Movers, and Janos/Jimmy/Boris/Reggie is now Tugboat Bill. He has also lost any trace of an accent and even appears to be taking lessons in concise diction (not as many "ummmm...s" tonight). I saved it, and will dig for the tape recorder that's buried somewhere in the bunker to tape it. One of these has to be immortalized. It's Day 134 of 2004, according to the TTC transfer. A busy one, as far as 134th days go. Pushed loads of paper of work, with one-page documents flying fast and furious. I keep praying none are lost in the shuffle (there have been close calls, but none would have been earth-shattering). Saw off Andrew (our team's coordinator), who's off to relax in Greece for three...

Spring's here, time to get the legs into shape. City-length walk! Started at Yonge and Dundas, to look for a quick bite to eat. Passed on a pamphlet being passed out at the corner, though its name should have led me to give it a glance - Personal Hygiene in Islam . Next time I'm down there, I should take one and see what other works in that series I can come up ( Changing Kitty Litter in Buddhism? Tracing Salmonella in Mormon? Taking Out The Garbage in Shinto? ). Fueled up on shrimp and BBQ pork udon noodles at Lantern (Elm & Yonge), then a quick skim through the newly expanded BMV on Edward. It has taken over the space next door for an increased video section, including lots of public domain cheapies. Passed on those, but did put up some old issues of Mojo and Q, along with a cheap 1959 photography annual for future clipart use. Wandered through the Eaton Centre down to Queen, then headed west. East of Bathurst, my backpack filled up, thanks to cheap 60s Mad m...

For the first time in ages, went out to Guelph Friday night to spin some tunes on CFRU. New equipment caused slight technical snafus, but the night went well. Had proof someone was listening - got a phone call from one of my old co-workers who still has a show on the station (good to hear from ya, Big John!). The playlist 11PM Apr 30-1:05AM May 1 The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash Thought this would make a good opener, after seeing Dawn of the Dead. Tear Stained Letter - Richard Thompson In The Cold, Cold Ground - The White Stripes Belleville Rendez-Vous (English) - Ben Charest Desculpe, Baby - Os Mutantes No connection between any of these tunes. Make It Easy On Yourself - Jerry Butler I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Tommy Hunt (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - Lou Johnson Nikki - Burt Bacharach Do You Know The Way To San Jose? - Dionne Warwick A set of Burt Bacharach tunes, including two obscure original versions of well-known son...