Wednesday, March 28, 2007

The Replacement = Me, Update on My DATE!!!

Special Guy - I put this pic just for you! (I can cook though but I can bake better but I can definitely use this as the protocol for my uniform if you want!)ENJOY

Dear Reader, so I have a little post that I want to make. Erin, from Flawless, has gone away to the Dominican Republic for a cousin’s wedding (YEAH I KNOW… must be nice!) and she left me in her position to fulfill all her duties. Monday wasn’t so bad but as it has gone by the store seems to be getting busier and busier everyday. Yesterday I had a deadline to get out of the store so that I could make it to an appointment. I was a bit late (bad I know, I hate being late) but I did make it and the people were not upset at all, they hadn’t even started. Today is Wednesday and Erin would have been so proud of me today, a woman came in needing to pairs of pants done by 6 pm and (silly me) I took them in, but in the end they turned out awesome and I was so proud with the job I did. Erin, when you read this you will smile because I did a really good job and they almost looked like pants that you could have done…..Who would have known I would become an ironing junior, soon to be master like yourself! The store is making a good bit of business and the conveyor is pretty full, we are even filling the bottom rack, which is really good for a starting business. YEAH FLAWLESS!!!!

Next Topic – I went on a date yesterday. The guy is a really nice person and I had an awesome time, I hope that he calls me. If things could work out I think we would make our own little power couple! I am trying not to rush things at all, but since I have been out of the dating game so long, I am just so excited at anything. He gave me a hug last night as we were saying good bye and it was so sweet. He’s going away for a week now on holidays in Cuba (YEAH I KNOW… all these people taking holidays just love to rub it in the face of those that aren’t going on holidays!) . The date was really fun though, there was a lot of laughing and talking which was really nice too. All this dating stuff has been a while for me so I am a bit rusty hence the forward mindset, but I know that I have to tone it down. If the guy per chance ends up reading this blog here’s what I have to say to him> Thanks for a wonderful night filled with conversation and lots of laughs. Hopefully we can do it again sometime!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Movie Review and GOOD NEWS!!!!

Dear reader, last night I watched BLOOD DIAMOND, and I must say that it was a fabulous movie. First of all I will admit that I am not a big Leo DiCaprio or Jennifer Connelly fan, but they both were surprisingly very good. The character that was played by Djimon Hounsou was amazing though. Hounsou’s first movie was Amistad, he has also had other roles eg. supporting role in Queen Latifah’s Beauty Shop, if you remember those movies, it was about Black people being over on ships to be part of the slavery trade. Hounsou’s character of Solomon is by far one of his best roles he has ever. He is a true actor, not a Tom Cruise who only plays roles that are suited for Tom Cruise. Hounsou is able to play a variety of character and convey a sense of real emotion. Some of the experiences that were conveyed in the movie, he did so well, eg. when he was seeing his wife through the fence at the refugee camp, when he re-united with his turned rebel son. He was so believable you could almost feel the pain that he was in and having to deal in his losses and gains. Leo’s role was pretty well done, it was nothing like his last role in the Departed, except for the fact that he was a shyster. He had an accent that sounded very South African but he was able to make it very believable and not sound really silly. Jennifer Connelly, she was a reporter so she was definitely into everything. The thing about the movie was that it was based on what the diamond trade was like 5-6 years ago, and honestly I had no clue it was that bad. It was a real eye opener and it makes me want to learn more about the subject because I don’t really know anything about it. It’s unreal how the rebels would run around to the villages and just killing anyone in their path, they would round up the men and then decide whether they were getting “a long sleeve, or short sleeve” and they would cut the arm to the length they saw fit. If the man or boy looked like they would be a good worker at all they would send them to a river to sift for diamonds, same idea as panning for gold only the prize was diamonds. IF anyone was caught trying to hide a diamond on their person or anything one of the majors would come over tell them to hand over the diamond and then the “thief” would be shot on the spot. The violence was brutal in the movie, I couldn’t believe it was something that could have happened in real life. Fabulous movie, I think everyone should rent it just to see where their wedding ring MIGHT have come from.

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE,

I am in talks with Matt Roloff, the dad of the family on Little People Big World, he seems to be interested in doing the online interview but the condition is that he wants to talk to my dad. He wants to talk to my dad because he is very interested in talking to the parents of ambitious children. This is awesome because my dad and I think really highly of the entire family and it would be an honour for my dad to talk to Matt. I sent him a reply email but haven’t heard back yet.

I am also in talks with Linwood Barclay, who is a writer for the Toronto Star. His column is very humourous and he is very busy right now (at a literary conference in Virginia) but he said that he would get back to me ASAP. Linwood Barclay is also an author, some of his titles include Bad Guys, Bad Move. He said that he would be interested in doing a phone interview, which would be my very first so I warned him that I am a NEWBIE so he would have to take it easy on me.

I am also pretty much confirmed for an interview via phone or email with Rebecca DiFilippo, who is the editor of Moods Magazine, which is a magazine that reaches out to the Mental Health community. I think this will be an especially interesting interview because it will reach another aspect, just like the 2 other possible interviews are getting at. Mental Health is very unknown to the population, it’s there but it’s like a giant pink elephant. I am hoping that this article will be beneficial to readers who have dealt with mental illness, or have a friend or family member who is coping with mental illness, or for just plain educational value.

The word of the day today is BALLOTMENT, BALLOTMENT means when you poke a cow (on the outside) in the uterus and you do this repeatedly for a bit to get the baby inside moving. Then you stop poking and you rest your hand on the area you were poking and you should be able to feel the baby bounce back and hit your hand.
*This word is courtesy of my dad*

Thursday, March 15, 2007

I have been lazy....it's true!!! But you're back up to date!!

Dear Reader, I know that it has been quite some time since my last post, which I reckon, (that’s real hick talk… I apologize) that the Neil Crone interview was the last post. I hope you all really enjoyed that post, it was a pleasure working with Neil to create it. I have been waiting to follow it up with something really fabulous like an interview with another famous person but I put the quest on hold for a bit. After I finish writing this post I will make sure that I email someone regarding the quest and see if they would like to be the next candidate.

As usual I have been filling my time with watching movies, reading, working at Flawless and doing other things. Some movies I have watched in the last little while Borat, Silent Hill, Staying Alive, Almost Famous (I own it), Wedding Crashers (I have seen it before) and some other flicks that I can’t remember. Borat was funny but it’s funny in a silly kind of way. My mum found it stupid and would not watch the entire flick, she only saw about 20 minutes. I’ve watched it 1 ½ times, I still find it quite funny but where Borat gets his ideas I have no idea…they are really out there. Silent Hill was not that great but when Sean Bean appears it’s a totally different story (he’s a babe I must say). It’s a movie based from the game though and those can be iffy sometimes. Staying Alive, a movie also based on a game, not that great but it’s interesting how the characters die the way they die in the game they are playing. This is also the first movie appearance for Sophia Bush (used to be married to Chad Michael McMurray). I must say she plays a really dark character which is interesting to see when in comparison to her character on the tv sitcom One Tree Hill. Almost Famous is a fabulous movie, has a stellar cast which is ridden with stars, (it’s one of Kate Hudson’s first major films), the music is fabulous and it actually is one of the films that created one of my favourite songs for me. I love the part when they are on the bus and they have just picked up “Russell” from his night of “real-ness”, they start singing Tiny Dancer (by Elton John), definitely created the background for it being my favourite song. Wedding Crashers, a movie that is absolutely hilarious and is a starring role appearance for Isla Fisher, Borat’s wife when he is not in the character of Borat. I wonder usually after watching Wedding Crashers, whether is really people that go to various weddings just to have a good time. There must people that do that because where would they get the idea for the movie… although it could be one of these movies that have an idea and then people try to copy the movie. I’m not sure.

I finally finished Ron Jeremy’s biography THE HARDEST (WORKING) MAN IN SHOWBIZ. The book is one of the best biographies I have ever read. I love Ron Jeremy because I have watched his E Hollywood Stories bio and I loved him on the Surreal Life. He is a person that even though he is in the porn business he truly cares about the women he deals with and works with, he’s not a pig like some of the porn stars out there. I loved reading about him too because it’s not all about the porn business, Ron has made many guest appearances in movies and tv shows, and he is a very smart man, being he has a teaching degree. He even taught special ed. children for a while after he graduated school. His life is not ordinary at all, it’s very far from it, hence it was a wonderful read. I definitely suggest people read it, it was fabulous.

TV> The Hills. This week was definitely a shocker. Lauren told Heidi that she really doesn’t trust Spencer and that there are a lot of similar qualities between him and Jason (Lauren’s EX). Heidi gets really uncomfortable with Lauren’s honesty which put a wrench into their living arrangement. Lauren is just tired of seeing Spencer “up in the club” hitting on other girls when he is supposedly madly in love with Heidi. Brody tries to get Lauren to understand that she should just be happy for Spencer and Heidi, but it doesn’t work as planned. When Spencer tries to confront Lauren at the club it does not go over well and it makes things worse. Heidi sides with Spencer and is giving him love after the dispute with the person who is supposed to be her best friend. The episode ends with Lauren saying she tried to be honest with Heidi and say that Spencer is not good for her because she sees that he is going to hurt Heidi, she regrets that she told Heidi her true feelings about Spencer in the first place because it has made things into such an uncomfortable situation. Heidi ends up leaving… she packs her bag and she ends up going somewhere but no one knows where…my guess is she went to Spencer’s house.
TV> America’s Next Top Model. I love this show because it a slight insider view on how a model has to go through the makings to actually be a model. This bunch of girls is pretty good I would say, but the girl that was the strong support in the house just got sent home last night so I think that the house will turn into a giant rats nest because a few of the girls are not getting along. Diana, one of the plus size girls, she was on the chopping block but she was lucky the judges saw model potential in her and that it came through in her photos or she would be the one sent home. I have a feeling that Whitney, the other plus size girl is going to win though, she just has to relax and show emotion with her face better. It would be a good thing for plus size women all over if a plus size girl won ANTM. Last night was fun though because it was the makeover show and this group of girls did not fuss hardly at all which was really good. I hate seeing the makeovers and in the past the girls get all bratty and whiny and think they are being tortured when really all the makeovers do is make them look 300% better. The only girl that cried was Jael and she was upset because she was getting a weave put in and she had sat for 8 hours and then it was decided that she would look better without the weave because it just wasn’t suitable for her hair texture, so then she had to sit through getting it taken out. This season though, I don’t know whether Tyra is trying to reach out to her heritage by her style or what but she keeps wearing these head band type scarves and EWWW, they don’t look good at all. I think she needs to ditch that look for sure.

I have talked about a lot in this writing so I think I have pretty well filled you in on what is going on. I will do better at keeping up the blog-age. Love you dear reader!!!

Monday, March 5, 2007

Neil Crone...Up Close and Personal


Dear reader, I know that I normally do not post twice in one day but I would like to introduce the first celebrity of my Quest, Neil Crone. Neil has been kind enough to answer some very indepth and personal questions and I would just like to say a personal ‘shout out’ to him: Thanks Neil for being so honest and adding your personal touch to the interview. I like that you say you are an all around good guy, because from what you wrote and how you were with me, it is VERY true. You doing this interview gives people a chance to see that people in the entertainment industry are real people with hearts, and not just robots. I think we all need more reassurance that there are people out there that actually do care. Thank you so much.

If you like Neil’s interview and are interested in reading more about him, you can go to his personal website:

http://www.neilcrone.com/


Neil Crone’s Bio Information
P.O. Box 287 * Sunderland Ont. * L0C 1H0 neilcrone@mac.com

Neil Crone


Actor/Improviser/Writer/All-round good guy


Neil is an actor and writer who lives with his wonderful wife, two little boys and one neurotic dog in a town so small everybody knows where everyone else’s birthmarks are. He has performed in dozens of television and radio commercials, TV shows and is the voice of numerous cartoon characters every Saturday morning, including YTV’s new hit series ‘Erky-Perky’. His most recent feature film roles include ‘Stir of Echoes 2 – The Dead Speak’ with Rob Lowe, ’Homie Spumoni’ with Whoopi Goldberg and the recently released ‘Hollywoodland’ with Adrian Brody and Ben Affleck, ‘. Look for Neil on television in the hilarious new CBC sit-com ‘Little Mosque on the Prairie’.


A Second City Mainstage alumnus, Neil has been performing improvised and sketch comedy for over twenty years. When not on the stage or in front of a camera Neil is busy writing; as an award-winning weekly humour columnist and blogger for Metroland papers or as the author of stories in verse for ‘Big and little kids’. His first children’s book, I am dead at Recess, is currently published on the Internet.


Neil is a cancer survivor and has recently been named National Spokesperson for the Colo-rectal Cancer Association of Canada. He is available as a motivational speaker, focussing on the power of laughter in healing. He is also available to teach spontaneity and creativity enhancement workshops.


Inquiries pertaining to Neil’s availability and fee structure should be directed to


Gerry Jordan
c/o Jordan & Associates Talent Management
615 Yonge St.
Suite 401
Toronto, Ontario
M4Y 1Z5
416-515-2028




Interview with Neil Crone…Up Close and Personal

-What are you up to lately? Do you have any projects on the go?

I've been busy with a lot of animation and radio voice work. I do the voice of the bug 'Perky' in YTV's kids cartoon 'Erky-Perky'. I also just got back from a live improv show in Las Vegas with my improv partner Kevin Frank. We have been doing live improvised comedy for over twenty years. We call ourselves 'The Water Cooler Guys'. I also record a lot of radio spots for Toyota right now, I'm 'Doug' in the Doug and Gino spots.

-When you are writing, either in the local newspaper or your blog, what inspires you and how do you choose what to write about?

I generally just stop and take a closer look at what is happening in my immediate life. My family are wonderful inspirations for all kinds of goofy things. I've just returned from being stranded in Las Vegas (due to snowstorms out here) for a week and that alone gave me reams of stuff to write about.

-What would be your most memorable experience within your entire career?

Getting hired to do Second City Mainstage was a pretty big deal. It sort of validated me. I could say 'Hey, I guess I can do this for a living.' It was also a great springboard into everything else that followed.

-If you had $1,000,000 what would you do with it?

Get myself and my family a nice little farm tucked into some beautiful hills, some horses, a pond full of bass...then I'd take the rest and sponsor about a hundred Foster Children.

-Out of all the various ways you are apart of the entertainment industry, (ie.hosting, stand up comedy, motivational speaking, etc), which is your most favourite and why?

I love the live stuff. I love speaking to or performing for an audience that is right there, reacting (or not!) in front of me. That immediate energy you get from an audience is irreplaceable.

-What made you want to go into the entertainment industry?

I think, like a lot of comics, I enjoy being the centre of attention. That has since mellowed, but I still get a huge kick out of being up there with everyone's eyes on just me. I sound like an exhibitionist...but that's not a bad definition of a performer.

-Do you have education/degrees/diplomas in another type of field?

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson and I have a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. I actually taught Highschool English and Drama for a few years before performing full time.

-Why do you enjoy living in the country?

I think the peace and the pace. It's very quiet out here. It smells good all the time and people haven't forgotten what community is all about. In my little town, you cannot mail a letter without having a half-hour conversation with someone. My children have been able to grow up in a place where doors are unlocked and kids can safely play out of sight of their parents. Those are all good things.

-When I was in highschool, you performed at the local theatre and portrayed a soldier in one of the world wars, (I can't remember it was a while ago...sorry!), where did you get the inspiration to become that character? Did it effect you at all after portraying the character and having to re-enact such horrific situations?

I think you're referring to the play 'The Wooden Hill'. The inspiration for a character in a situation like that comes from the script. When a play is well crafted the actors job is much easier as the drama is already there, in the words. I wasn't really effected by the role, it was a small community theatre thing with a short run and was not too difficult to shake off.

-Who is your mentor and why?

That's a good question. I've been searching for a mentor for some time. I can't say that I have one mentor, although there are a number of individuals whom I've taken a great deal of direction and wisdom from. Deepak Chopra, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Esther Hicks and the Teachings of Abraham have all been huge influences in my spiritual life. From a performers perspective I have always worshipped at the feet of men like Don Knotts, Dick Van Dyke and Jerry Lewis.

-Have you read any good books lately that you suggest we read, or any movie(s) we should watch?

Oh sure...Start with 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee, I could read this book every year (and I do). Cormac McCarthy's 'The Walk' is also stunning. Another book that I re-read every couple of years is Paul Knowles 'A Separate Peace'
I've got my favourite movies too. I still think the film version of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is sensational, in fact, just about anything with Gregory Peck is worth looking at. Jimmy Stewart too. I just watched the new bond film 'Casino Royale' and I was completely blown away by Daniel Craig.

-What is your favourite movie(s)?

To Kill a Mockingbird. Hands down.

-Name one of your favourite people to work with?

My improv partner Kevin Frank. Improvising is all about trust. I know that whenever I am on stage, Kev has my back. Celebrity-wise, I would say one of the highlights of my career was working with Julie Andrews. She was just as beautiful, just as classy as I had hoped she would be.

-If you were able to spend an evening with any 3 people, who would you choose and why? (You could choose any person from past or present)

Ralph Waldo Emerson for his sheer wisdom and spiritual guidance
Walt Whitman for his love of life and sheer joy
Jesus. I think Jesus must've been a very cool guy. I think he would've had a wicked sense of humor and a great laugh too.

-Having read your column in the local paper, I know you are a cancer survivor, Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those battling cancer or a serious illness?

I do. I speak to groups of cancer survivors, patients and care givers all the time and the most important thing I have to say to anybody is that surviving and dealing with cancer is a mental and a spiritual thing. If you can get enough love and laughter into your life, you cannot help but heal.

-You are a very family oriented person. Have you always been that way or did you have a "wake up call" when you had cancer?

Oh yes. I was born to be a Dad. I think it's the one thing I do really well. I love it. My children and my wife have always been the basis for my happiness, rightly or wrongly, and a little cancer scare only made that relationship more sacred.

-Do you know of any other celebrity friends that may be interested in doing an interview for my blog, if so, who?

Can't say off hand Sarah. You'll have to hunt them down.

Loverly Lunch with My Ladies

Dear reader, I just got back from lunch with two very good friends and I had a really good time. Tracey and Sharon, you guys are the best and I am soooo lucky to have you guys as friends. One of the conversation pieces was about weddings and such and Tracey was describing her wedding and it just sounded so perfect. The ambience was like chocolate and love and all goodness. It just makes me think sometimes that I want someone to share that with, but then I get back to reality and think that marriage sometimes just isn’t worth it. When Tracey was describing how much she loved her husband and stuff though, it just seemed so perfect. Made me think about that knight in shining armour(as usual). There was a guy at the restaurant and I remembered him from a while ago but he was so cute, well sexy looking. I told the waitress to tell him that he was really cute and then she told him to come to the table. I told him that I thought he was cute, but now that I think about it most guys would think that as a not so good thing. He really was quite sexy actually and he had really stunning eyes. Damn I love a guys eyes, they are the number one on my list. He said that he remembered my face but not my name but even still I thought that was really HOT!!!! I really wish that I got his number because that would have been really peachy!!!!That’s my little flirtation for the moment, I’m still a little shocked by it, I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!!!!!

MR RIGHT, yeah you, IF YOU’RE OUT THERE I’M WAITING FOR YOU AND I HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF LOVIN’ TO GIVE. CAN’T WAIT TILL YOU FINALLY APPEAR.

Movie Review – Little Miss Sunshine

So I finally watched a major movie that was talked about during Oscar-time. I have to say that I totally loved the movie. Every character was amazing and even though the major cast was all celebrities, they were fabulous. My favourite characters were Grandpa (Alan Arkin) and Frank (Steve Carrell…that’s right the 40 year old virgin…that’s what I will become if mr. right doesn’t show up soon…sorry off track). The Grandpa was awesome, yeah he had a drug problem but so what, he was what really inspired Olive and he was the only one that cared enough to help her with her pageant routine. By the way, the pageant routine was fabu, almost comparable to the dance scene in Napoleon Dynamite. I liked Frank because even though he tried to kill himself, he was very appreciative that his sister and her family took him in and he really connected with the son, Dwayne. Even though Frank is one of the smartest people in the world he sees how discouraging life with the Dad (Greg Kinnear) is and he wants the family to see that just because you don’t do that the Dad’s way, you’re a loser. The dad’s mentality is all about being a winner and not being a loser, what a way to live. Even the wife(Toni Collette) doesn’t really believe it. The movie is funny in a way that is different then most comedy movies. I found the movie really inspiring to look at life, see all the different colours not just the real prominent ones. It’s not about being a winner or a loser, it’s about being yourself and knowing who you are. Good movie, all should watch it.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Working on the First Celeb Interview....Can't Wait!!!

Dear reader. I am currently working on an interview with the first celebrity to be posted on my blog. The person is the one and only Neil Crone, a Canadian actor who works in various areas of the entertainment industry. I just finished compiling my questions for him and sent them off to him this AM.

Also, I got a response from Ron Jeremy again because I asked him if he would be interested in doing an interview in a months time. His response was “Don't need my permission, they are used all over the world - go for it” by that he is referring to getting an interview that has been posted on another source. As readers, if you could tell me what you would like it would be great. If you want to get a posted interview from somewhere else I will do that. If not I may have to think of another way to get Ron Jeremy to do it. D E T E R M I N A T I O N...

I want to say a special thank you to Neil Crone for be quick and timely with his response to my initial email/comment and that I am really looking forward to seeing what your responses are to the questions I have sent you. Thanks so much!!!

The QUEST continues but there has been success so far, which can only lead to more success!!!

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Reply from RON JEREMY


Dear reader, I have made contact with one of the stars that I wanted to interview. RON JEREMY, the one and only RON JEREMY. I found his info on MYSPACE (www.myspace.com/ronjeremy) and I sent him a message asking him if he would be interested in doing the interview thing. His response was “Too burnt out on interviews from the full month of radio tours all over the world - grab an interview posted from one of those sources”. I sent him another message asking him if he would be interested in answering a few questions in a months time. He did give me permission to use one of the interviews that are posted around from the tour he just completed but I hope he says yes. I am so happy that I actually made contact with Ron “THE HEDGEHOG” Jeremy. This has truly made my day. The Quest still continues though!!!!