CITY BOY GEEKINESS

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
This is my most favourite holiday because I am a fan of seeing people in their costumes, the spooky aspect towards music, movies, and television, and just the campy fun with everything people do.I hope everyone has an amazing time this weekend whether you go out celebrating or simply going trick-or-treating for candy. Just be careful and be safe when you're out at night since people have gotten hurt by accident or have tasted bad candy; Urban Legends are not just stories, they've had to have derived from some nugget of truth. Have fun everyone and enjoy the spooky day before its over.
I'm not entirely familiar with the world of beat-boxing; I know what it is and what people do but it's not something I really took an initiative to learn more about. I have a friend in my class, Mel, who is helping to promote the Canadian BeatBox Championships to find a winner for the World Championships in Germany for 2011, and I feel like helping her out with a shout-out and promo with my blog.

The event is the Canadian BeatBox Championships. It will be held on Saturday, November 6, 2010, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Mod Club in Toronto, Ontario. There will be 16 competitors dueling it out to be crowned the ranking Canadian winner. There will be festivities, maybe a celebrity or two, innovative and creative performers, and much more. I've been told that it will be a great event to check out so if you are in the Toronto area then take a trip to The Mod Club and cheer on our Canadian winner.

For more information about the event, then visit their website or follow them on Twitter to learn more.
Halloween is my favourite holiday!

It trumps Christmas and even my birthday. I love everything associated with the day, from the scary to the creepy ever since I was a kid. Well, I'm not a fan of dressing up every year unless there is an occasion that warranted me to be in a costume, but I do have friends who love to dress up. If you might be having some trouble deciding on a costume, remember that the costume is not just an outfit but a fashion statement where the extreme is the new norm. Below is a list of costume ideas to help provide some inspiration as a starting point:


1. Superheroes and Villains
People think that men and young boys are the only ones who willingly dress up as superheroes; that is completely untrue. My friend, Emily, has decided to do a costume and she is dressing up as a female version of Flash. There are hundreds of comic book characters that one can choose from or even an original idea from a movie or television show. Never forget that you don't have to be a hero, villains are popular too and a character like the Joker will be a hot commodity this Halloween. NOTE: To you crazy kids in love, there are tons of couple combinations you can create with this category: sidekicks, villains in romantic war (Batman and Cat Woman), or even villain couples (The Joker and Harley Quinn).


2. Celebrities
It is not uncommon for a person to dress as a celebrity. However, it's usually done without a costume and claiming to be a celebrity. When time and effort are put to the test then something innovated can be created. This Halloween the two main costumes are most likely to be Lady Gaga and the cast of Jersey Shore


3. Video Game and Movie Characters
Mario, Link, Princess Peach, Goku, Sailor Moon, Chun-Li, Harry Potter, Dorothy and Toto, Alice in Wonderland and all the many Disney characters. They have all played a significant part of our childhood - they're the first thing that comes to mind when deciding what to be for Halloween. Make an homage to your favourite character or series! Just remember that these costumes will require precise outfits and are not cheap to create. Anime and Manga costumes are a prime example; you will be dipping into your budget.



4. Everyday Career Characters
Simple is always best. These costumes are more popular with girls because they love to add a sexy or evil side to these characters. Be careful which outfit you choose to become because you might be getting some cheesy innuendoes all night from drunken Halloween party-goers. A note to teenagers: always remember to review and have a final check to see if your outfit might be too risque to wear to school or in front of your parents.


5. Traditional
These are the costumes that we have grown up wearing more often than not. Vampires (going as someone from Twilight is a different category), werewolves, witches, mummies, Frankenstein, ghosts and a longer list of many more imaginative characters. More of a throwback to our childhood, these costumes are a cliche (at best) to being original or creative on Halloween. Try to add a little flair and uniqueness if choosing one of these costumes. They're cheap to buy and easy to make if you're on a budget.


6. Unique

Maybe be unique with your costume? Being individual really gets people talking the next day about what costumes they noticed on the streets or at a party. Most try to be objects like a Swiffer broom, gum under a chair, a speed bump or other everyday items. Try not to be too different because if people are completely unaware of what you're trying to pull off then the purpose may be completely lost.

7. Be Yourself

This is the laziest costume, even more than a zombie with dabs of fake blood. There is no bigger kill joy than saying that your costume is being yourself. However, if dressing up is not a thing that you like doing on Halloween then I can't force you to get dressed. Your only simplest form is to dress as yourself. I will admit that I have used this costume plenty of times but it has been done and it will still be used for years to come.

I hope you have enjoyed all the different types of Halloween costume suggestions. Choose something that you will have fun being because a fun night is being what you want to be. Though, choose at your discretion and remember that it will be cold on Halloween so dress warmly and have fun.

It's been two days since the election took place right here in Toronto and things have already subsided. From the news reports and tweet blasts across twitter, you probably already know that Ford has been elected as the new Mayor of Toronto. I have constantly heard from those around me who were focused on the election that they had strong opinions about Ford, Smitherman, and Pantalone. Even right now, my class is discussing about their thoughts about what they thought about the election, some for and some against.

I really have no firm opinion about the subject because for this past election, I was incredibly busy with work, school, and volunteer to focus on the election...terrible I know but life intervened. I do know that the councillor for my district had been reelected and my friend's councillor, whom she helped with his election, had been reelected as well so congrats Emily on helping with a winning campaign.

Right now I hope that things will get back to normal and people will start taking the signs off of their lawns. The election was a big thing for the city; however, things constantly change for Torontonians so give it a week and we will all be focusing on a new issue or an event. Thats life, I guess.

I'm a volunteer guy. Sometimes people give me a weird look at some of the events that I choose to volunteer. This time the weird looks came when I told people I would be volunteering for the 2010 Toronto Zombie Walk.


I love Halloween. It's my favourite holiday and I love everything about it, though I did not expect what I would find on Saturday. Thousands upon thousands of zombies (like there were zombies EVERYWHERE!) were coming through the word-works to get a complimentary toe-tag and participate in the parade.

I worked at the registration table since like 10:30 a.m. and things surely started off slow because the opening ceremony wouldn't start till 3 p.m. Once things began to get closer to the ceremony, zombies by the bus loads were making their way through the park to get registered for the event. The other volunteers and I at the Dundas location were frantically trying to register as many people as we could and get them notified in the statistics.


Suffice it to say that at 4:35 p.m. we had to shut down the registration booth. The walk had to begin from Trinity Bellwoods Park and make their way to Christie Pitts. We didn't even finish registering all the zombies for the walk, we had to usher them into the pitt and tell them to commence the walk.

I was so tired after those 7 hours that I choose not to join in for the big festivities at Christie Pitts. I will say that it was hilarious seeing all the original costumes that people choose to dress up as like Alice in Wonderland, Marie Antoinette, and someone came as Jesus with an actual life-size cross. The weather was really gloomy which was a plus for the ambiance but it started to rain and I felt so bad for the makeup artist who spent 7 hours straight helping people put on their make up.

I know I have been harping about this lately about going to see this musical but I finally did! Yesterday was the opening night for Wicked at the Canon Theatre in Toronto. I missed out on the last time it came to the city but this time, my friends helped me fulfill this request and came to see it with me. All I can say about this musical is that...it was perfect. I really loved every minute of it, especially the songs in Act 1. Everyone in Toronto should really go see it before  it leaves the city because you won't know when the traveling production will return....I had to wait almost 3-4 years.
I don't really have to say this because it is a pretty obvious fact: time management is important. Nobody likes to be stressed or have too much on their plate that they fall like a house of cards...or a very unstable tower of Jenga. When a teenager starts to shift into adult mood and prioritize what they WANT to do and what they NEED to do, then that shows the sign of growth.


It's a fun game but you don't ever want it crashing down!

On some days I want to take a breather, sit at home with my dog and play a game or watch a movie, but there are always responsibilites that need to be completed which I kinda love to do like volunteering and work. Never forget that besides the professional side of you that you have a personal side as well. When you have a break, go out and see a movie with friends, take some time to volunteer with a project you love, walk on a park, do a hobby...or do nothing if thats what you feel like doing.

Its like yin and yang

Having too much stress can cause health problems and can be problemenative in the future. If you ever feel overworked or overstress then take at least 10-15 minutes at a time, sit down, close your eyes, breathe and visualize a calm place. Only you can manage you stress and once you do, then you will be a happier person about it and can actually improve your management skills since you learned to manage stress naturally.
One thing that all of my friends can say about me is that I love to read books. Genres like YA fiction, Mystery, Horror, Supernatural, and Adventure are my favourites because I love to see the character development through intense, yet dramatic, situations. Also being a guy who went through my life loving the board game, Clue, I get an enjoyable twinge trying to solve a mystery and deducing the killer or the big twist.

Below are seven books that I have chosen to highlight as novels that are on my reading list for October. Even though I have only listed seven books here, there are many other options.


1. "7 Souls" by Barnabas Miller and Jordan Orlando

Status - Purchased and Read

Mary expected things to be seamless on her birthday since she is one of the most popular girls in school. However, when things start to turn to hell she is ultimately murdered by an unknown individual after a party. Placed under an old Rune curse, she must pass through the souls and eyes of the seven people who hated her the most and all wanted her dead. Always hesitant with stand-alone books but the premise intrigued me because figuring out which person actually went a bit too far and murdered Mary caught my attention. Things were a bit scattered at points but in the end, it was shocking to realize how all the random moments presented by the characters were all connected together effortlessly.


2. "Another Pan" by Daniel and Dani Nayeri

Status - Purchased and Want to Read

Paying homage to Peter Pan in a dark comedic light, Another Pan tells the story of Wendy Darling and her brother John attending the Marlowe school. They recite an old Egyptian text that descends them into the realm beneath the school where they meet the new R.A., Peter. I read the first book in the series, Another Faust, which fascinated me with the teen-interpretation of the Faustian deal and how social climbing and success is the true corrupter. I can't wait to see how the authors develop this plot and hopefully it will become a favourite just like the first.

3. "Blue Bloods" by Melissa De La Cruz

Status - Purchased and Want to Read

Nestled in the bustling city of New York city, there is a new group of socialites that have perfected the term of elegance and secrecy. I feel terrible for saying this but I've had this book with me since Christmas of 2009 when my friend gave it to me as a gift. Time got away from me and I really wanted to read this book and get into the series. I swear that this month, Blue Bloods will be on the must read list and I will not get side-tracked with other books .




4. "Crescendo" by Becca Fitzpatrick

Status - Need to pre-order and Want to Read

Following on the heels of the very successful first book Hush Hush, Crescendo follows the story of Nora and her former-fallen-now-guardian-angel-boyfriend, Patch. Life becomes complicated for Nora when she starts to delve into the mystery of her father's disapperance and the history of her bloodline. The first book was a sleeper hit for me and I didn't realize how much I would be encaptivated by the series.





5. "The Evil Within" by Nancy Holder

Status - Purchased and Read

The winter is over and Lindsay is going back to the infamous Marlwood Academy; back to where she was almost killed by the group of restless spirits who were possessing girls. Lindsay is not free of the drama yet as she is still possessed by the spirit of the enemy. The book follows Lindsay going deeper into the history behind the fire and the deaths of the seven Marlwood girls over a hundred years ago. For those of you who are unsure about reading this series, the twist at the end is worth the read all by itself.





6. "My Soul to Keep" by Rachel Vincent

Status - Purchased and Want to Read

Kaylee has been tormented since she found out the truth of her heritage, but now things have started to calm down with her new boyfriend. However, the Netherworld is never one to stay at bay when traces of Demon Breath are found entering the real world. The typical paranormal storyline follows ghosts or vampires but My Soul To Keep focuses on banshees and Kaylee's plight to survive with her new abilities.


7. "Red is for Remebrance" by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Status - Purchased and Read

Stacey is dealing with her first year at university after the tragic disappearance of her boyfriend Jacob. She plans to move on and spend time with all her new college friends but when the Dean asks for Stacey's help with his daughter Porsha and her dreams, Stacey knows that she is never truly free from her heritage. Another mystery to the book is who is Shell and what is the commune? Stacey has always been tormented by her dreams and this time I felt she was growing  and trying to take control of the situation. It was sad that the series is completed (not including the graphic novel), but it was a beautiful finish to this series.
A couple of weeks ago, my Public Relations internship class had a guest speaker who was lecturing about the basics of having a personal online brand. For those of you who are unsure what this means, you have probably already tried its simplest from: type your name into Google.

It only takes a couple of quick seconds and you can try it out to see what pops up.

Surprised?
Shocked?
Baffled?


The results that pop up are what is associated with your name when someone searches Google looking for you. Our guest speaker told us that many companies and organizations have HR representatives who do background checks on applicants to see their online contributions and see what they have been posting. This includes all social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube and every kind of site you can think of. Employers would love to know what kind of person they are going to hire for their organization.

Facebook is easily the site where people take for granted in posting pictures and comments

Have you ever contemplated posting a picture but worried it isn't the best picture you want people to see? Or maybe it was when you wrote an inappropriate response on your Twitter thinking it would be funny or something off the top of your head? People will see and read it on your wall so becareful what you post because it will become public domain and associated with you. 


Here are some important quick kips about protecting your online brand:

  • First tip: PRIVACY SETTINGS.
    It's your best friend. If you feel something is questionable then set your settings so that only those you wish can see it. Facebook cannot be searched if you use privacy settings and people can't see your tweets if you choose to lock them. Read the settings carefully because you don't want the wrong people to see the wrong things.

  • Second tip: DON'T UPLOAD OR POST IT.
    One of my teachers in class would say, "When in doubt, leave it out", and I feel that this rings true. Never post something that you don't want people to remember in a week or two, people will see it and it may come back to haunt you. Twitter has a public timeline so even if you delete something it may appear on the overall feed. Facebook is full of pictures of half-drunk party-goers with alcohol in their hands. Try not to get tagged in pictures that you don't want to be referred to and tell your friends to remove them off the site if need be.

  • Third tip: SECURE YOUR NAME.
    Names are a dime a dozen. There are only so many people in the world who were given an original name so there are bound to be a couple of people with your first and last name. Whether it is a website, your twitter handle, blog or something professional, stand out by securing the name. When people search you online, it won't lead to another individual with a questionable professional or online presence.

There are many more tips in protecting your brand and a completely different story when you're trying to build up your online presence. Just remember to be careful and be cautious when you use a camera on a night out with your friends. You've heard the expression, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", well in this case...it might end up on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or anywhere else unless you do something about it.




To all my friends in Canada, I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the long weekend, spend time with loved ones, and try not to get over stuffed on turkey.

Also a shout-out to my American friends across the border, Happy Columbus Day!

P.S. I can't look at Charlie Brown specials without thinking of the story my friend Claudia told me from the off-Broadway play, Dog Sees God. Thanks so much Wallflower, now I want to see the play.
Times have been busy lately and I will admit that I have been ignoring my Xbox 360 for a long while. I have priorities in my life at the moment but in times like this when there is a holiday coming up and I have free time; I have some available time to check out a game that I was really interested in playing. This section of reviews will be discussing the game that I am currently playing: Dead Rising 2.



The Story: Chuck Greene, a former motocross racer, is a contestant on the hit pay-per-view reality competition, Terror is Reality, in Fortune City. He competes to earn enough money to keep his daughter Katey with enough supply of Zombrex, a healing agent which prevents zombification for 24-hours; a bite she sustained during the Las Vegas outbreak. After the latest TIR event, an explosion erupts and zombies start pouring into the streets attacking the thousands of visitors to Fortune City and turning them into zombies. While Chuck is protecting his daughter in the safehouse with other survivors, he learns that he is being framed for the cause of the outbreak. With the help of CURE activist Stacey Foresythe, Channel 6 action news reporter Rebecca Chang, and Fortune City security chief Sullivan, Chuck must now uncover the truth while saving survivors in Fortune City in three days before help arrives.


Where To Play: The game is currently on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. For the basis of my review, I am playing it on the Xbox 360.


The Good: Having played the original Dead Rising game years earlier, I knew the background of the game. I really enjoyed the storyline and uncovering the truth about the cover-up, The characters are all very different and I love how each one continues to grow throughout the three days. The missions to save survivors are unique and we get to meet some very interesting characters in this city. The combo option of combining weapons is a neat addition to this game and seeing what you can put together to deal out more damage.

There are two new features in this game that was not included in the first one. There is a Co-op function which allows another player online or at home to join along and play with you simultaneously. Also there is an online multiplayer game which allows up to four players to compete in mini-games to earn money that the user can use in the main game. The games are surprisingly addictive and enjoyable when you have the time to play them. 

Three other main characters: TK (Centre), the main host of TIR, Crystal and Amber (behind) twin co-hosts of TIR.
The Bad: There are only a few problems that I had with this game. With there being a time crunch with missions and progressing the storyline, I felt that there was too much going on at once to really know where to focus and keep things going. Photography and taking pictures was a big aspect of the first game and this one is retrieving Zombrex for Katey every 24 hours; sometimes it got really annoying when after you complete a big mission during the storyline to get a message from Stacey telling you you only have two hours to give Katey her Zombrex shot and Zombrex isn't cheap. Another problem is with that there was so many Psychopaths in the city, at one point on my screen I had three psychopaths that needed to be taken care of and one of them was able to regain his health when you were not looking. 

She'll blow you away but after fighting four before her, I just don't care anymore
The Result: 9/10! 
Dead Rising 2 was definitely an improvement to the first game and there were a lot of interesting quirks like the online play, money, survivors and storyline that I really loved. The only reason that I had to take away a point is because I could not stand the Chef when I had to face him and kept getting incredibly frustrated to see him regain his health. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this game and would recommend it to anyone.
Hey Bloggers!

I know that I have been slacking off for writing this blog and I feel really terrible about it. Time got away from me this past week and I was completely busy  to write something that I actually enjoy to do on my time off. I swear that hopefully it will not happen again and I will bring you new reviews and articles to enjoy yourself with. Deal?
Irony is never lost on these pictures

Well if you must know what I have been doing this past week, I was entirely busy with school and preparing group projects and assignments. In school we were learning about our personal branding and more about the Public Relations field; I may feel like writing an article about personal online branding later on so I'll keep you posted. My class had some great guest speakers on Thursday who were from such amazing places like the PR agency, Edelman, Universal Music Canada, the Maple Leafs organization, and one formerly from Me to We. School is always busy and things are already starting to get intense but I enjoy every minute of it with my friends.


On the work front, Gap is still....Gap. Still getting the hours and having the fun experiences with my work mates. We got some new employees and saw some old familiar faces like our Craig Kielburger-loving friend, Kemeny. I had Linh try and teach me more about Visuals so lets see where that will go.


Volunteering is perking up! Did an orientation for IFOA, International Festival of Authors, at the Harbourfront Centre and prepping for the Toronto Zombie Walk amongst other opportunities. I know I should be slowing down and giving me more time to relax but when I feel like volunteering for something and feel somewhat passionate about it then I like to do it and help the organizations.


Personal is going to be very personal so I'm just gonna keep that to myself for now, haha. I will say that tonight hopefully will be a good night and we will see if I hang out with friends tonight.

Well thats it for catching up and I'll be posting up a new blog entry soon so hang in there everyone.
I'm not a movie buff nor was I able to attend TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, this year. However, whenever there is an interesting movie that is playing at the theatres then I would love to see what it is about. My guilty pleasure has to be a good, and hopefully not corny, horror movie. I grew up watching all these typical teen slasher flicks and what can I say, things haven't really changed. October is a great month to watch new movies that I like since Halloween is right at the end of month and studios love to pump out them out specifically for that holidays. Maybe some will actually be incredibly interesting, be the flavour of the month, or the next flop?


1. The Social Network - October 1
It's a recent movie that was just released detailing the behind-the-scenes events that transpired by Mark Zuckerberg while he was creating Facebook. I was really excited to see this movie but two people in my class, Zaira and Victor, say that it was alright and no plot. I think I might end up seeing this movie, however, I know how much of a movie buffs they both are so I might take their advice a tad.




2. Let Me In - October 1
This is a movie that features the most overused supernatural character: vampires. Though it is not your typical vampire movie that follows the same romantic genre that Twilight has, this movie seems to be about the complicated relationship between a human boy and his unknowingly, vampire, (girl)friend. I want to see this movie because it won't follow the average horror movie and have a darker style to it. Also the actress who plays the vampire girl is very talented and I remember her from the movie, Kick-Ass.




3. My Soul To Take - October 8
I can already hear the groans already. Even though you may think that it will follow the same generic plot that this category of horror may follow; this one seems to bring a new quality to the already established genre. Its about the legend of a serial killer who would seek revenge against the seven teenagers who were born on the night he was finally killed and the twist is: his soul might be in the bodies of one of the teenagers. This movie is brought to you by horror genius, Wes Craven, and I hope that it will be a good movie this month.




4. Paranormal Activity 2 - October 22
Paranormal Activity was the sleeper hit last year after it terrified consumers and left everyone wondering if they would be able to surpass their momentum from the previous film. I will admit that I briefly saw the original film and was not enamored by it at all. However, time has past and I will most likely rewatch it again before I flock to theatres to watch this film. We will see if I am able to be drawn in to this sequel because some sequels have shown to not live up to the hype or potential that was created from the first movie.



5. Saw 3D - October 30
This movie will be the one that I will receive the most apprehension from people when I say I want to watch this movie at the end of the month. Everyone has seen at least one Saw movie in their life and since Saw 3D is going to be the apparent last movie, we'll see, in the franchise then I have to go and watch it. I also am a big of the VH1 reality show, Scream Queens, where an asprining actress vies for a role in a Saw film. Tanedra was the winner of season 1 who appeared in Saw 6 and now season 2 winner Abby will appear in Saw 3D in an unspecified role. I can't wait to see how everything will end but hopefully it will arrive at a satisfying climax since it has been seven movies and some series have never ended on a high note.


Agree or Disagree with my list? Then comment below or shoot me a message on twitter and discuss.

Sorry that it's been a while since my last post but things have been really busy with me in the personal, work and volunteer life. Yesterday was the craziest day by far because I volunteered for Free The Children's annual event, We Day! Disappointingly, I forgot my camera at home so I wasn't able to take any photos at the event but I'll still tell you one of the most memorable and funnest days I've ever had.

The day started off having to wake up around 4 a.m. to get ready to be at the stadium by 6:30 a.m.; suffice it to say I barely got any sleep. Running across the long walkway at Spadina Station to try and get there on time to be told I would be holding a sign outside of Gate 3 for two hours might have been the worst thing to hear with no sleep. The sign hurt my hand but I had an amazing time with the Youth Volunteer Coordinators outside the gate who helped schools enter. For the rest of the day, my jobs included crowd control during the lunch rush, and helping direct and cheer on schools when they headed back to their buses. 


Surprisingly, the other Parking and Transportation volunteers and I got to see a LARGE portion of the concert from the gondola suite areas above the Air Canada Centre. We heard Down with Webster playing, saw Grayson Chance perform, and saw a lot of inspiring guest speakers like Jacob Hoggard, Heather Reisman, Betty Williams, Michel Chikwanine, the guys from MTV's The Buried Life, and Alexandre Bilodeau to name a few. We didn't get to see Craig and Marc Kielburger's speech, but I heard it the day before before orientation with a few others so I already knew how inspiring it would be. We also got to see the cast of Degrassi and I laughed so hard seeing friends bicker over who saw and gets Zane (Shannon Kook-Chun) first.

After the concert was over and all the students were safely on buses, a bunch of new friends and I went to the MuchMusic We Day After Party to see some of the guests up close. The highlight was definitely having Marc Kielburger sign my book (I'm going to be keeping that forever) and seeing Kemeny cry after she thanked Marc Kielburger for everything and he hugged her! It was a great party and all the We Day volunteers really loved to do the We Dance that day.

Yesterday had to be one of the best experiences I've ever had and would definitely volunteer for We Day and Free The Children again after this whole experience. It was great to meet a lot of new friends and hopefully keep in touch with them after this. All thats left now is to start feeling and spreading the message of Be The Change.