Taking Photos, Irritating Friends

I have become quite the photograpeher lately, thanks to my dog. She is just so cute and quirky I can't help but take about three billion pictures of her. Of course that means that I have officially become one of those annoying people who send way too many photos of her loved ones (ie. dog) to anyone who has the misfortune of being on her email list.

Honestly, I hate it when my friends and family send me a gazillion photos of their new baby - who, by the way, resembles a red tomato in every single pic and from every single angle - so what on earth possesses me to continue sending pics of my Boston terrier baby to people on my email list whom I haven't seen in three years? Until I figuree out the answer, I will make this deal. I will stop sending photos of my Stella Bella when they stop sending email chain letters..GAWH! That is SOOO much more annoying than photos of my cutie pie...and slightly more annoying than 20 differnt pictures of your red tomato eating pureed string beans, but I digress.

Actually, I am taking a design course at George Brown right now and as a result my photography skills, and pics of my adorable puppy, are coming in handy. Of course this means that my file sharing is starting to get even more out of hand. Luckily I am being introduced to Driveway. Driveway allows me to file share up tp 500MB with just the right click of my mouse. And they jsut added a bunch of cool newstuff like widgets and whatnot. What a great (and fast) tool! Hopefully it will make my life a bit easier.

Pre Class Musings

I am sitting in class waiting for Quark to begin. My assignment that is due today is done so I am feeling good...at least I would be feeling good if I did not just scarf down a toasted veggie sandwich in what is probably a world record fast time...and then followed it up with a giant chocolate macadamia nut cookie...sigh.

Come to think of it, I really have gained a bit (a lot) of weight over this past year. And the holidays are coming. I always gain a few pounds over the holidays and I just don't think I can afford that extra weight gain this year.

So I am going to have to do something about my few extra pounds now. I am going to start researching my options and, if there is any interest, let you all know what diet I have decided to go with.

Oop, class has started.

My Impending Shopping Excursion

So after about eleventy billion posts, I am finally getting a weekend away. That is right, I am packing up the puppy dog, the boyfriend, the mother, and the ten year old brother and I am heading off to the fabulous and exotic location of Buffalo, New York....sigh.

So Buffalo in September is not quite what I had in mind but it can work. With the Canadian dollar dangerously hanging around the area of par, I am bound to get some good deals...or should I say deals I should be getting anyway because it is so pathetic that everything is still being marked up by 15% to account for our weaker dollar. BAH! But I digress....

The point is that the family and I are going to enjoy some nice, relaxing shopping therapy and then we are going to take Stella for a fun walk along the American side of the Falls. The view will be awesome and I can’t wait to see my furry baby’s reaction (yes I am referring to Stella, not the boyfriend.

I am going to go make the Hotel Reservations now and the first site I am visiting is HotelReservations.com. They are supposed to have some awesome deals on Hotel Reservations for destinations all over the world, hopefully including Buffalo. I have very simple hotel requirements, really. Cheap, clean, and completely dog friendly....and close to a giant mall. And not too far from the Falls. And non smoking. And Bright. Okay, maybe my requirements are a little more complicated than I thought but I am confident that HotelReservations.com can help.

So now that I know where I am going, how I am getting there, and where to book, I just need to figure out how I make the next two days not pass in an agonizingly slow manner. Should I twiddle my thumbs? Sudoku? Internet Solitaire? Oh, I know. I will get back to work! Gawh!

The Sultan's Tent on Front Street

Some friends and I went to the Sultan's Tent on Front street this weekend. Our dinner reservation was for 11pm, so it was a late dinner.

The food was very good but not fantastic, with the exception of the pistachio creme brulee, which was amazing. So many people told us that the food was incredible, maybe I just has my hopes up too high. The atmosphere and the show was sultry, exotic and memorable, and that is probably more important than the food. Especially considering that one person in our group was an out of towner.

Here are a couple pics of the belly dancer who danced for about four or five songs. She really was great, we were all thoroughly entertained.

This would be a great place for a date, but the setting also works well for a group.

Toronto Vegetarian Fair

Okay so this pretty late in being posted but here are a few more pics from the 2007 Toronto Vegetarian Fair.

Zen Garden has the most amazing vegetartian food. Even my meat & potatoes boyfriend is a huge fan. Definitely worth the drive to London if you weren't lucky enought to catch them at the fair.

Heart on Your Sleeve hand makes vegan shoes. I personally think that they are better quality and more stylish than a most leather shoes and shoes that are bound together with the aid of animal glue.

A small collection of their many shoes.

I can't wait for next year. Hopefully I will have my schedule clear enough to participate in 2008.

Lampshades and chocolate parties

After waking up early for the Withrow Market, which was crazy busy today, leaving that market to do a quick tour of the Brickworks Market, which was even crazier busy, and then heading to the Toronto FC match for a 4 hour shift, which was INSANE busy, I am officially wiped out. I was supposed to attend a chocolate party at the Carrot Common but it is simply not possible.

As tired as I am, though, I am never too tired to blog about lampshades! Could anyone be too tired to blog about lampshades, really? Even if you don't consider them to be a fun subject, you can't deny that lampshade! is a fun word.

Actually, we bought a really fun sort of starburst pattern chandelier for our bedroom. As soon we are done painting (or, you know, started for that matter) we will start picking out lamp bases and a lampshade or two to go on our newly built end tables. Yay!

Double Standard, Double Take

I found this funny cartoon on The Jokester. Poor Ethel, I am on her side.

I rememebr when I used to pose the argument that it is so unfair that hairy, out of shape men can walk all around all day around downtown half naked but ladies of equal or better propotions can't. Now I will be honest, it did not occur to me even once that the provincial government would rectify this unfair law by dismissing it and making it legal for women to go around topless. My sincere hope was that the government would instead, upon acknowledging the said unfairness, create a like law to stop overweight, hairy men from walking around the streets of Toronto unless fully and modestly clothed.

Nope, now we are stuck with both the Ethels and the husbands of the country walking around in (almost) all of their glory....although I will be honest and say I have yet to actually see a topless Ethel. Just some attention hungry 20-30 year olds.

Wow, Incredible video!

Take a look at this amazing video! It does not really fit the mood that I have going on this fluffy blog but this is just too cool to pass up!



Best Video Of The Year - Funny home videos are a click away

All I can say is that this is one incredibly brave kid...and mother. I don't even like kids (or mother's, for that matter) but I am rooting for this one. I imagine that he s going to go pretty far in life, with a lot of thanks to his mum.

Still pining for a getaway

As I have one friend preparing to visit the UK, I have another visiting from Europe this week, I went out for a few pints with him last night. It was great seeing him again and catching up after a long separation.

Visiting with him, though, made me pine for a holiday again. to be honest, I am not even particular about where this holiday should take place! Singapore, New York, Hong Kong, anywhere that I can get cheap flights to, really. It doesn't have to be an incredibly long vacation, short breaks are totally acceptable!

There is a UK based company that specializes in world wide city breaks. I wonder if that is the company my friend used to come visit me. Hopefully they will offer some great holiday offers so that he can come back here again this winte, or better yet, I can go there! I have not been to the UK in forever. I won't say how long becuase I would totally date myself!

Karma

Why is it that whenever you see someone that you haven't seen in a long time, like an ex boyfriend who now happens to be a personal trainer, you look about 11 x yuckier than you usually look? or is this a phenomenom that happens to no one else but me?

No make up, a giant zit on my chin, wind beaten hair, and an ulcer on my lip from going crazy with the citrus fruit last week. Why must fresh orange juice taste so good but be so bad for me? It is good for like 99% of everyone else on the planet...probably the same 99% that look unusually hot when the run into exes and old friends.

Ahh well, such is life I suppose. At least I did not have anything stuck in my teeth....I think.

Blogging for Smorty. And other words that sound made up.

On the seemingly neverending quest to find money for my Christmas budget, I have signed on for a new blog advertising site. This site, called Smorty, seems to be well laid out, fun and, hopefully, will have a million or so opportunities to get paid for blogging.

Okay maybe my expectations of a million paid blogging opportunites are unrealistic but so far I have recieved more than a couple offers to blog for money. Which is good - my little brother has already started making his Christmas list and there is Nintedo Wii is on it...hah! And I thought I had unrealistic expectations.

This is only my second post with Smorty but I am liking it so far. I plan to put the affiliate link up soon so if any of you are planning to sign up for some new opportunites to get paid for blogging or even opportunites to advertise on blogs, show me some referral love!

The Secret

Last night my friend came over with the dvd "The Secret" I watched almost the entire dvd but then I remembered that I has some work that needed to be done by. I was up until 1am completing it!

I am a big proponent on the power of positive thinking but I cannot buy into the idea that all you have to do is think positive all of the time and only good things will happen. I just think that people can focus on the negative or the positive. Whatever a person chooses to focus on will become the most prominent thing in life at that time.

Anyway, the film had some important things to consider, unfortunately all credibltity went out the window when one of the speakers went on and on about how no one knows how electricity works. Honestly.

Shopping for Shopping Carts

I have been using Paypal on my Temple Treats site for ever but it is more out of lack of options than anything else. I am thinking it is time for me to look into other shopping cart software systems.

I took a look at Ashop Commerce, a leading provider of ecommerce software. I was happy to see that they offer a 10 day free trial because I am not quite ready to commit to a decision yet. I was also happy to see that they are search engine friendly. After all, what is the point of putting a shopping cart on your site that is going to hinder exposure?

Ashop Commerce is said to be cheap and easy. In the world of shopping cart software systems, that is a good thing!

If you are interested in checking them out, I suggest you do so quickly. They have a free store design offer right now, on top of their free trial!

This has been a sponsored post.

Off to London (England, not Ontario)

I have a friend who is a modern day gypsy. He has traveled all over the world yet he always comes back to Toronto.

He often goes to the UK for months at a time, usually staying in London. Well, last night he announced that he would, once again be going back to London for a few months. After jealously glaring at him for about three and a half minutes, I decided to move on and be grown up. Heck, I will even offer him some advice.

When he is in London and desiring to hit the London bar scene, which I know he will, he should look for London bars on TrustedPlaces.com. They have totally revamped their site and it has a lot of cool stuff to offer. You know, to people who aren’t me and stuck in T.O. for the entirety of its glorious slush season otherwise known as winter.

So go, Mike, go. You have my blessing as long as you promise to have a pint on me.

Visit a new blog and win a free 8GB ipod touch

I have added a new blog to my blog roll: Impressionable Youth. My friends little sister is writing most of the entries and I think she is doing great. She is writing mostly about cool Canadian bands.

She is tryiing to win a really cool new 8GB ipod touch and I clicked on the link a couple of times, entered my info and then was given the code to post the contest on my blog. So if you feel like trying to win a new, awesome ipod touch, click on the ad below or visit her site and click on her ad.




What a fun and busy weekend I had.

The Birchcliff Village market was pretty much rained out, the car wouldn't start and that was a fun and wet challenge. We got it started eventually but there is something wrong with a sensor switch....I love having a mechanic as a boyfriend.

The Withrow market went well the next morning, though and there were a bunch of adorable dogs there, as usual.

I worked the Toronto FC match this weekend and it was cold and a drunk fan yelled at me for not giving him my beer coozie (long story) but it was still pretty enjoyable. Oh, with the exception that the streetcar tracks are torn up and I had to catch a bus from the fairgrounds to the streetcar to the subway so by the time I got to the Eaton Centre it was closed. Ah well, it ended up that one of the girls I was working with was going the same way and we had a fun chat about pretty much nothing!

Boxing was cancelled last weekend because the trainer got called in for a shift at his day job so I went for my first lesson yesterday. Guess what? The trainer didn't show for that lesson! Not a good sign, I think. But it turned out okay. I knew pretty much everyone in the class and we hung out and bounced on Yoga balls, practised our stance, timing, and punching. It was a good time. I am looking forward to a real lesson.

Funny photos courtesy of InnocentEnglish.com. Yes they have more, go check them out!

Commercials a la Eric O'Shea

If only ad agencies did not need artist's permission to use songs in commercials. But isn't that song already being used in a phone commercial?

Black Friday

Any one who has read any of my posts knows that I am carefully plotting my plan of attack this holiday season. Well today, I am adding a new element to my debt-free holiday strategy: black friday.


Black Friday, for my Canadian friends is the term given to the day after American Thanksgiving. It is equivalent to our Boxing Day in terms of shopping. In other words, Black Friday has just as many amazing deals as our Boxing Day, but with the convenience of it not taking place on the day after we have already exchanged gifts. Not to mention, instead of hitting the Boxing Day sales, I always end up at my Aunt Shirley’s explaining to my family for the umpteenth time how Turkey is a also a form of meat so, no, it is not okay for vegetarians such as myself to eat.

Having lived in the Stated for several years, I was able to take advantage of many (okay 5) black friday sales. Now that I am back home, though, I thought those blissful, albeit really crowded shopping days were over. Well guess what? Not so! Black-Friday.net is an online shopping site that lets everyone, including us Canadians, ditch the crazy packed malls and just enjoy the deals.

Now that I have this tidbit of knowledge, it is like I have a whole new element to add to my debt-free holiday shopping scheme! Hmm...maybe that flat screen isn't so far out of reach after all. I will have check out the Best Buy specials!

Back to School...Wahahaha!

So my brother survived his first week of school. Actually, as much as he moaned and complained, we could all tell he was secretly happy to be back. Ever since we switched schools and signed him up for lessons with English and Math Tutors, school has become a much more pleasurable experience for him. Just don't try to get him to admit it. Old habits die hard, even for 10 year olds.

My brother had a bit of tutoring over the summer and the sessions are not going to end with his summer break. In fact, now that it is "back to the books" time, we are aggreseively searching for both English and Math Tutors again.

Stella at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair

Between baking and cleaning this weekend, the Boyfriend, dog, and I went to the Vegetarian Fair at Habourfront Centre.

I had a booth there last year but with the big move, the farmers markets, and the prearation for the launch of my new company, I simply did not have the time this summer. Maybe next summer.

There were some great booths there, of course, and I got lots of pictures. My favourites were those of Stella:

Stella stopping to smell the flowers. Then she tried to eat a bee and it was time to go.

Stella's new friend.

Stella playing with her new friend.

Stella had a great time at the Toronto Vegetarian fair but she was being bad the whole time. There was so many good smells and food crumbs that she found it too difficult to concentrate on being good. That's okay, we can give her a break once in a while.

I'm With Stupid

Photo courtesy of: http://www.nsharp.org/gallery/user-uploaded/iws.htm

Celebrity Mob Biography Press Release

Everyone check out this press release about a new Celebrity Mob Biography called Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster, The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen. It is written by Brad Lewis. Before you scroll down, though, let me tell you that I have always had a fascination with celebrtity and the mob. Hopefully I will have a chance to read this biography soon and if anyone of you read it before me, let me know how it is, please!

Press Release:

Hollywood Blackmail and Eavesdropping: Is There Anything New About The Hollywood Anthony Pellicano Case? Is It Business As Usual?

Brad Lewis' new biography, "Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster, The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen," contains many elements that mirror today's Hollywood.

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 23, 2007 -- "Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster, The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen," ISBN: 1-929631-65-0, a new book by Brad Lewis, examines the extraordinary life of the Los Angeles-based mobster Mickey Cohen who reigned from the 1930s until his death in 1976.

Cohen knew everyone-from mafia chiefs to Hollywood stars, Marilyn Monroe to Frank Sinatra, and Richard Nixon to Reverend Billy Graham. He began eavesdropping on celebrities in the 1940s, with Big Jim Vaus, a paradigm allegedly repeated by Anthony Pellicano.

The United States District Court grand jury filed a 110-count sixty-page federal racketeering indictment against sleuth-to-the-stars Anthony Pellicano. The February 2006 indictment sounds like a carbon copy of Mickey Cohen's extortion and wiretapping operation of the 40s, 50s and 60s.

The suit alleges that Pellicano used confidential police and law enforcement records, including the National Crime Information Center, to access information on actors Sylvester Stallone, Garry Shandling, Kevin Nealon, and Keith Carradine; journalists Anita Busch and Bernard Weintraub; powerhouse agents Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane; and former professional tennis player Lisa Bonder Kerkorian, who was married to three-times-her-age billionaire entertainment mogul Kirk Kerkorian.

"I found Celebrity Gangster intense, dramatic, a real page turner" - Irwin Winkler, Producer of Goodfellas.

"A colorful biography of the Mick" - Steve Harvey, Los Angeles Times.

"Never in my years of reading for pleasure, has such an infamous mobster as the late Mickey Cohen been written about with such insight, truthfulness and good humor as Brad Lewis has accomplished in this page-turning bio. For anyone into Jewish or even gentile folklore, this is a must read" -Arthur Marx, author of Life With Groucho.

Some of the facts featured in Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster include:
• Marilyn Monroe's introduction to JFK via Mickey Cohen.
• Peter Lawford's distaste for Mickey and Sinatra's mob connections.
• How Harry Cohn asked Mickey to stop Sammy Davis from dating Kim Novak.
• Mickey Cohen's early visits to help secure the race wire in Las Vegas to set up the Flamingo Hotel.
• Mickey's fundraising for Israel with screenwriter Ben Hecht.
• Washington Post columnist Drew Pearson using Mickey's Richard Nixon information to help topple him.

Brad Lewis is a novelist, biographer, playwright and former actor. As an oral surgeon, he practiced in both New York and Beverly Hills. Lewis is co-author of My Father, Uncle Miltie, the bestselling biography of fabled comedian Milton Berle.

Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster is currently available for purchase at all online booksellers including Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Booksamillion.com and at local bookstores. For more information visit http://www.bradleylewis.com/.

Brad Lewis will be signing books and making scheduled appearances in New York June 1- June 7.

May 31st 11:30 AM Los Angeles KPCC 89.3 with Larry Mantle on "Air Talk."

June 2-3 Book Expo, Javits Center, Manhattan; June 3, Brad will be signing books from 11-12.

June 5th 1 PM Bryant Library, Roslyn, Long Island http://12.20.26.34/bryant/lib/eventcalendar.asp

June 5th 6:30 PM New York Public Library Main Branch http://www.nypl.org/events/branchevents.cfm?start=1

September 8th 5 PM Booksoup, West Hollywood

Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen Contact: Franklin Dennis
By Brad Lewis
Jay Wynshaw 212-575-9100
425 pages, 30 half tones
Trade paper $22.00
UK Distribution by Greenhill Books
London
Publication date: May 28 2007
US and Canadian distribution
ISBN: 1-929631-65-0
by Consortium

Available For Interviews Contact: (310) 275-9968

This Weekend for Me

I know I know, I've been very bad this week! Other than paid posts, and the one about how I discovered Auction Ads, I haven't written very much at all. In my defense I just started a new semester of night classes (three of them). I have had to fit in baking, too. I sold out last week, not that I am complaining. Also, because of the long weekend, I have been playing catchup since Tuesday at my day job.

Anyway, I am really looking forward to the weekend. I have the farmers markets of course, a bbq at a friend's, and I am going to take a boxing lesson this weekend! That is right, my very forst bosing lesson. I hope I don't get beat up! I am so out of shape, I have the feeling I will feel beat up by the end of the session, regardless of whether or not any contact occurs.

Gimmie The Scoop!

I just checked out a News Blog called Gimmie The Scoop. Gimme The Scoop covers politics, business, Internet & technology, health, finance and real estate. I read a real estate article on pay per click vs. organic search. Really the article could be relevant to most any business, not just real estate. I also read a couple of posts about China and their recent problems with exports in the U.S. The article China Submits on Food Safety was an interesting read.

If you are interested in checking out a News Blog, Gimmie The Scoop has some random blatherings that are an informative read.

I just got $25 for trying out Auction Ads

For those of you who haven't noticed, I added some ebay auction ads to my side bar. Anyone who has read even a couple of my entries here on Nanette's Dog Blog know that I am trying to save all of my Internet earnings for Christmas. What better way to make a few extra dollars then ebay, right? Except I don't have stuff to sell so I will just feature other people' stuff!

If any of you out there are interested in trying out some ebay advertising on your site, click the Try Auction Ads Link underneath the ads on my sidebar. It is free to sign up AND they will give you $25! That is right, I just made $25 by putting those ads on my site and no one has even clicked on them yet!

Lap Band Surgery

With my (gasp) 30th birthday approaching, I am renewing my efforts to lose some weight and get healthier, fitter, and stronger. Yep, I have had health issues on the brain lately.

Lots of people are interested in losing weight and some people are turning to lap-band procedures to help them along. Lap-Band procedures are becoming a common and effective option, especially among obesity surgery options.

And the Christmas planning begins...

Christmas is right around the corner and I am already gearing up for the holiday season. I am working on my game plan and I am fully confident that all strategies and tactical maneuvers will be hashed out by November.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I like to look at shopping as a contact sport. And if my team had a motto, it would likely be “you gotta spend to save”. My boyfriend thinks I am a little nuts but everyone who has a passion for shopping like I do understands my thinking.

While I haven’t worked out all of the details, I do know that couponchief.com is likely going to be a part of my strategy this holiday season. I checked out their site again and I am sure I will be taking advantage of their coupons Only Natural Pet Store coupons for Nappy Nellie (my kitty cat) and Stella Bella (my puppy).

For Mark, and I know I have mentioned this before, my dream gift for him is flat screen television but, seeing as how we have a vacation planned in February, it is much more likely I will be getting him some sort of useful (in his mind anyway) gift, likely from Tool King. He loves tools! We have too many and I am totally being an enabler here but hey, it's Christmas!