By now, most music manic’s in Toronto are aware that on Monday July 6th Martin Streek was found dead. CNFY mourned the loss of their recently “released” colleague with the same polite euphemisms present in funeral homes and hospitals. Martin Streek died, Martin Streek passed on, Martin Streek is no longer with us. What wasn’t stated would lead to controversy; Martin Streek committed suicide. That sounds cold, doesn’t it? Is this because the general consensus around suicide usually revolves around a reason? With Streek, the allegations are already flying. You may feel that Corus radio was at fault, that they pushed his hand when they fired him. If this is how you feel, you can join a facebook group and pledge your support for boycotting the would be “culprits”.
It would be nice to pin our responsibilities onto others in this fashion. Than it would never be the child’s fault for shooting up his school, but rather the music that the child listens to. Forget about blaming the parent who doesn’t spend enough time with their child, or the child for choosing their own actions. The fault lays in the responsible hands of he who possess the most power. In Streek’s case, this is Corus, and I might be willing to agree that they were the cause; however, since we are not living in the feudal times of Japan, and the great warlord Corus did not sentence Streek to committee Seppuku, I have a hard time swallowing this pill.
Streek was a Sisyphus. He dug his heels in and climbed the long haul with CFNY, carrying his share of their burden for over 20 years before being fired earlier this spring.
I could just image waking up every Saturday morning, groggy and tired from a long night at the Kingdom/Sound Academy. Pulling sleep from my eyes to revel in the prospect of having a day to myself. A day where I didn’t have to perform the same mundane task over and over again, smiling oh too brightly for the country gals, wrapped too tight for comfort in their hot pink tube top and rough cut jeans. The infinite and incessant High fives to the spiny haired guys from Woodbridge, who were all “total pro’s”.
I could just image waking up every Saturday morning and realizing that I had to do it the same again every day. But would this still call on suicide? Obviously not for Sisyphus, or Streek.
Like the hero of our story, Sisyphus was charged a mundane task–he had to roll a boulder to the top of a high mountain, at which point it would begin to roll back down so that he could go back and repeat the same task again. But like Streek, it wasn’t a task of the mundane.
“The Gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreaful punishment than futile and hopeless labour.” (Camus .589)
Was it the work, or the lack of work that forced his hand?
That is a ridiculous question to ask, the solution will not change the events outcome.

Pitcher in for #MargaritaMonday!

Newly created monthly event where the only ‘hash’ you’ll find is in the tag!

Toronto, Ontario, Canada – With gusto and a little pride, #MargaritaMonday kicks off on Monday, June 22nd on Zelda’s Bar and Restaurant patio (542 Church Street) at 6pm. This open event is directed to patio loving, margarita drinking individuals seeking an informal ‘tweetup’ for post work libations on a Monday evening.

“Mondays are hard enough to deal with without liquor,” says event creator Marie “Mings” Nicola (aka @karmacakedotca), “This event brings a chill way for me – uh, I mean, folks – to unwind, chat and drink in a socially acceptable forum.”

Zelda’s Bar and Restaurant is known as one of the most homorific locations in Toronto’s village. With Pride underway, the patio and the neighborhood will be bumpin’. The inaugral #MargaritaMonday is expected to have a minimum attendance of two, with a maximum attendence of however many we possibly can get. Whatever the numbers, the event will be hosted with a lot of ‘Pride’.

No prizes will be given, but fame and glory are certain for attendees who wish to “pitcher in” and buy at least one pitcher to share with the table. Bloggers are welcome to review the experience and Tweeters are encouraged to Twitterberry their hearts out.

“I would post photos to my Twitpic account. But, I think Twitpic hates me or hates my blackberry,” laments Mings, ” Either way, one of us did something to piss it off because the friggin’ thing won’t accept the photos. As if posting in 140 characters wasn’t hard enough!”

Those posting to Twitpic may be harrassed to show Mings how to do it.

When referring to #MargaritaMonday it’s encouraged to utulize the Twitter convention of the ‘#’ in order to facilitate searching.

Ciao!

Let’s make Monday fun!

For more information @karmacakedotca or info@karmacake.ca

One of the most talked about programs is the President’s Choice “1000 Tastes of Toronto” a culinary adventure that will see the city’s top chefs prepare their version of street food for hungry patrons on June 13th and 14th, beginning at noon.

The South lane of Queen’s Quay (in between Lower Simcoe and Lower Spadina) will be shut for the event and Cirque du Soleil is getting back to their street performing roots with an unforgettable experience that will make 1000 Tastes a must attend event.

Hey I like food AND I like Cirque du Soleil AND I LIKE FREE! Which the event is – free to attend if you want to eat it’s $5 a serving and food vouchers can be purchased at the event. But, when else do you get gourmet street food? Forget Toronto a la Carte for a moment because TALC does NOT have Susur Lee.

Yes. Susur Lee will be there. And who else? Well, here’s the complete list of restaurants and the chefs who will be cooking at 1000 Tastes of Toronto. You WILL NOT find this information anywhere else.

THIS IS A KARMACAKE EXCLUSIVE!

Why? Because I love all my readers and I have eyes and ears all over the city! That’s why my friends rule.

The list is complete in terms of the restaurants and caterers on site, but the chef list is incomplete. Seeing as some of the celeb chefs may decide not to go last minute, be satisfied you’ll get to eat their vittles instead.

nom. nom. nom.

Restaurant	Chef
360 Restaurant CN TowerAmuse Bistro	Chef Peter George- Foodie
Amuse Bouche	Chefs Jason Inniss & Bertrand Alepee
Arrabiata Trattoria
Auberge Du Pommier	Chef Jason Bangerter
Big Papa
Café Nervosa	Chef Andrea Nicholson
Crepe Delicious
Daniel et Daniel
Dhaba	Chef P.K. Ahluwalie
Dos Amigos
Edo
Fare Bistro	Chef Brad Clark
Forte Bistro and Lounge	Chef Greg Argent
Four Restaurant
Globe Bistro
Grace Restaurant	Chef Dustin Gallagher
Hot House Café
Indian and Malabari Cuisine
Indus Junction
Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville Hotel
Jaipur Grille
Jayne’s Gourmet Catering	Jayne Dunsmore
Kaiseki	Chef Daisuke Izutsu
Kakayo Chocolate Company	Chocolatier Colleen Wong-Sala
La Bruschetta	Chef Silvia Piantoni
La Fiesta Catering
Lai Wah Heen, Senses Restaurant, Lai Toh Heen, Hemisphere’s Restaurant + Bistro (Metropolitian Hotel)
Local Kitchen and Wine Bar
Local 4	Chef Nancy Gilmor
Loic Gourmet
Madeline’s/Lee	Chef Susur Lee- Foodie
Magic Oven
Mariposa Cruises
Mis Amigos	Chef Josie Yumbla
Morton’s The Steakhouse
On The Move	Chef Lino Di Cecca
Presidents Choice	Chef Tom Filippou
Prena
Prohibition GastroPub & Oyster Bar
Rodney’s Oyster House
Sabrosito	Chef Carlos Fuenmayor
Santaguida Fine Foods	Marco Santaguida
Seven Numbers	Chef Tony Marinuzzi
Simple Bistro
Sodexo
Southern Accent
Sunshine Shakes	Joanne Anderson
The Sultans Tent & Café Moroc
The Surly Chef	Chef James John Bennett
Ultra Supper Club	Chef Chris Zielinski
Vertical Restaurant
Vesta Lunch
Westin Harbour Castle Hotel	Exec Chef Duff Lampard
Wolf and Firkin

]]> http://www.marienicola.com/?feed=rss2&p=654 0 http://www.marienicola.com/?p=653 http://www.marienicola.com/?p=653#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:26:00 +0000 admin http://www.marienicola.com/?p=653 Continue reading →]]>
I love innovative thinkers and Lauren Wise, the creator of Shop the Block, definitely gets a thumbs up from me. Anyone who is quick to react to the effects of the economic downturn by taking in a concern for both business owners and consumers, is tops in my books.

So here’s the deal, a group of Toronto area shops have thrown down a serious move to make recessionistas happy. Think Student Price Card for grown ups who don’t care about a free pop with their sub at subway.

Anyone who isn’t from Toronto probably doesn’t know that the city is notorious for loving high-end niche boutiques but the vast majority are rotten for supporting local. We’re not talking foodies, fooders or food trends here, we’re talking mom and pop boutiques. Even then, Torontonians are in denial – no doubt, I’ll get some evil words thrown at me but whatever.

Like many similar services, Shop the Block requires a $65 annual membership which seems a little steep to access a smattering of 50 shops and services across Toronto – the majority of which I have no need for. I’ve owned lots of these cards and to this day, I’ve never broke even on one of them. But, that’s not to say it’s not for you.

If you’re not cheap like me and you have $65 to invest in a savings program that could cut up to 20% or more on your expenses at your favorite shops – then you should do it. The exclusive membership program will offer you discounts at independent boutiques and restaurants as well as towards services and classes in areas across the city.

Shop the Block has plans to expand even further across the city and I’m pumped to watch it grow. When there are few more in my neighborhood, I’ll probably take the plunge.

Here’s a random selection of shops featured in the program; more on the website:

Boom Breakfast Co.
Bella
Groove School of Dance
Le Pain Quotidien
Living2
Look Hair Studios
Organic Abundance
The Paper Boutique
The Southside Restaurant and Bar
Toytown
Tutto Pronto
Vision by Strolf
What a Bagel
Li’l Niblets & Baby Sprouts

Shop the Block – http://www.shoptheblock.ca

Anyway, let’s keep this short and go with some FAQ’s on the chocolate.

What is it?
According to the website these chocolates are orgasmically described as:

Deliciously light dark chocolate mousse enrobed in a shell of decadent chocolate.

What is it REALLY?
A Jell-O Pudding type chocolate mousse filling covered in an elevated version of Easter chocolate.

What does it taste like?
See above.

What surprised you about the chocolate?
How it melts immediately in your hands, making a mess that’s not so bad to lick off. But, I’m into that sort of thing. Licking the build up of cheese residue from a bag of Humpty Dumpty Cheesies is still one of my favorite parts of eating cheesies.

I also like the ones that look like Slimey the Worm from Sesame Street.

I also couldn’t eat more than 2 of the dark or the milk chocolate ones without getting a headache. Which is kind of odd, considering I believe I was put on this Earth to communicate the merits of junk food.

How can I justify eating it?
Just defer to the Nutritional information! One square is about 50 calories and has Calcium, Magnesium and Iron in it.

“Fuck off! I’m anemic! Now give me my Nestlé Noir!”

What do people say when they ate it?
Usually I got, “Oh! I don’t mind if I do!” followed by a “Mmmm! These are sooooo good! Can I have another?”

Which one do you like? Dark or Milk Chocolate?
I like the dark one, but I was surprised it had more calories. I would assume that those who prefer dark chocolate are kind of like the people who like dark coffees. Even though, I was looking for something more like bittersweet chocolate, I still felt like I was eating something real with the Nestlé Dark version.

What’s your final impression of the chocolate?
I think that Nestlé Noir Mousse Delicate is a more refined version of an Aero. The bubbly interior is a mousse-esque filling that makes it kind of fun to eat. If you know what real high end chocolates taste like, this will be more akin to Pizza Hut to real Neapolitan Pizza, you know? Not unpleasant, just dirty good.

Will you buy it again?
Probably not. If I’m going to spent money on some “high end chocolates” I’ll splurge on few of the Godiva versions before this. Kind of bitchy, but it’s true.

But, if you’re looking for some “fancy chocolates” you can enjoy with your picky 5 year old – grab a box. They aren’t bad, but there’s nothing about them that’s special.

Think Heidi Montag as a pop singer turned into a chocolate.

Here are some picture!

I guess I have value to my followers and I love that they believed enough in me to make the mention.

I’m a little speechless right now, I don’t know what to think. I called my parents to let them know and they asked how that will effect my bankroll.

Oh ha ha ha. So kooky those parents of mine!

Only thing that makes me a little sad is that the woman who nominated me has gotten several thumbs down for her suggestions, which included @Gremolata (a fantastic food blog) and FreshBook’s very own @rlangdon (one of the most loveliest of tweeters) but me being me, I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of me.

This is on the heels of a meeting with Nat aka @atubanos aka http://anastasiatubanos.com/ to talk about a really exciting new webseries for urban gyals. We all need a little glam in our lives – for sure.

Tonight, I meet with Reado and Matt to talk about another potential streaming series and eat deep fried tofu and pad thai at Red Room.

I’m going to dash off my reviews so I can edit them up pretty tomorrow and get them posted for June Here’s The Dish.

Busy Day.
Now I need a Photo.

My last cat was suicidal. I blame Spencer.

The frankenstein is virtually completed. I just need to put it in a word document, with referencing links and send it off to my develish devo team. They are so awesome.

Yo. He-Man I don’t need no power of greyscull. I have E-Men and the power of Interweb on my side.

ugh.

Interweb. Another annoying 2.0 word. I think Web 2.0 will soon be the Hipsters of the internet. Fun to play around with, but more fun to make fun of in hindsight.

Wish you were relevent now dontcha u lamesters?

BTW, I’m jazzed my term Hill Jillies caught on to describe the female following for The Hills.

Sometimes, I think I’m so cool… Then I make up a song for my cat.

This is that song:

“I have kitten power. meow meow meowmeowmeow!
I have kitten power. meow meow meowmeowmeow!
I like to cuddle!
I like to purr!
I like to play fetch.
Now pet my fur!”

Deal with it.
That’s how Ming’s the Shixa rolls.
Yeah.
You know what that means.

Meow, bitches!

NOO! Karmacake Frankenstein I am your mother! Do not foresake me! Bad Karma! BAD KARMA!!!!!

I want to get my “Frankenstein” done before I blog… it’s a self imposed punishment to ensure I get my main karmacake work done.

What is a Frankenstein you ask?

It is a thoroughly thought out examination of current Word Press templates, trends and applications. Followed by an equally intense cut and paste project that sees me assemble my favorite bits into an image of the layout I want.

Then I send it to my developers.

They make it happen.

And come July 1st long weekend, Karmacake is launched with much fan fair and excitement!!

So if I’m good, and I get my Frankenstein done then tomorrow we will have many more new posts!

YAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Now I have to get back to work.

xo
m

If you’ve hooked up with one or two, got a photo? Post it with your story on Sorry Mom.

THE INACCESSIBLE- Usually some sort of business or professional type, and is too involved with work and friends to make you a priority… You’ve probably met at a “function” hit it off and had a great 2 week courtship, then somehow you fell off the map…

Why we like him? He’s got priorities, he’s got his shit in order, and he looks great on paper, someone Mom/Dad would approve of.

Why it didn’t work out: breaking his routine for something he’s unsure of messes up his mind and ruins everything else – like a trickle effect… plus, he obviously only had 2 weeks “vacation” planned…

How to get him, you’d probably have to become his personal assistant.

THE EMOTIONALLY Unavailable/ Wounded – The artist, The Musician, probably The Middle Child… this guy is the guy we want to scoop up and cuddle with and make everything bad go away…

Why we like him? He embodies our own insecurities and as women, we can relate, and we love his sensitive nature…

Why it didn’t work out: we couldn’t change him, and even if we did we’d still want that insecure side to shine through b/c maybe we have our own unresolved issues…

How you get him? You’d probably have to sacrifice you own life’s ambitions and be ok with a toxic relationship, you’ll become rapped up in a tumultuous affair that would end up with one of you cheating, b/c you’re trying to fullfill emotional needs that should have been addressed with a shrink b/c no matter who you hop to, other people won’t make it better for you, you have to do that for yourself!

THE MADE-OVER – The skinny guy, the nerd, the guy with the really bad acne, or the fat guy has suddenly become a stud muffin and gets shitloads of attention, and is lapping it up like a kitten with a dish of milk.

Why we like them: they have killer personalities, probably b/c they had to make up for their outter appearance, and they are an all around great guy! Sweet, sensitive, fun, and smart!

Why it didn’t work out: 2 reasons, a- they probably think that in their ugly state you probably wouldn’t have given them the time of day and they find you superficial, and b – they are makin’ up for lost time and it has nothing to do with you at all….

How to get them: Loyalty, you have to stick around and be the friend, so they know that you’re true, and they can trust you, this will take some time…

THE ODEPUS REX -US – the hot guy, the leader, the ultimate momma’s boy, probably the oldest in the family – The George Clooney of Playa’s – These guys scream danger, but you still wanna play, because you can’t help it, they get in your head and suddenly your legs are spread and you have no idea what happened in between.?

Why we get wrecked – these guys are extremely in tune with their feminine side, and they are extremely masculine as well, they proabably are close to their dads, moms and sisters and KNOW what to say to get to you! They have a plethora of friends b/c everyone loves them and they always give the illusion that they are going the extra mile but really that’s just their game, they are bold, ballsy, relentless in their pursuits and great in bed… Amen!

Why it didn’t work out: You probably fell for the same shit that everyone else does. The Odepus looks for a woman to mirror their Mom and their own ambitions, she’s gotta be up to par! If you’re not smokin’ hot, smart, motivated AND easy going… then you’re S.O.L. sister!

How to get him: (really I don’t know I’m trying still) But my guess is you’d have to penetrate this dudes Friends and Family before you get to his heart… he’s well protected and for good reason…. he’d be the ultimate catch, if ever caught, but you can’t be overly aggressive either, or else you’ll be duped the “Psycho” and we all know how much we love that term.

True there are nice guys out there, but Alpha girls don’t go for nice guys b/c there’s no big payoff in scoring something that was a given to begin with… it’s not fun. We love the nice guys for advice, dinner dates, and to make us feel better about ourselves when we are smoothered by the BULL, but that’s about it…

o next time you’re sitting across from a new dude, ask yourself if you’re going for Bull or a Big Teddy Bear? Because if you want to cuddle up to someone long term… the Bull will Buck you outta bed faster then you can Moooo-ve.

These thoughts are just my common sense collections and results of years of G.D.D. (Guy Defficiancy Disease) Hope it makes you think next time you question yourself…

True as it is, you can’t hate the playa you gotta hate the game.