It's Been Awhile ........

Hello again....I know it's been awhile and like I said when I began this whole blog I tend to procrastinate and begin things without finishing them. It's an Aries thing. Realistically though there's no point in recording monotonous ramblings about how bad my drive home was every day now.
Life has been fairly boring to be honest. I've finished my training in my new job and I'm now remembering how the whole "get-up, go to work, come home, go to bed" routine was. Nothing really fantastic and note worthy about that.
I do have some fun things coming in the near future. I will be returning to my hometown to see Trent Reznor and his amazing Nine Inch Nails. It should be a good show. I'm surprised the show isn't sold out yet, I thought the tickets would be gone overnight and made a point of staying up all night to purchase the tickets online. I hope to attend Lollapalooza in Chicago this August as well but that's months away. I also have to finish my original Lollapalooza story I had begun before radio job contest came along, but all good things come in time.
I've dumped the music videos from the site because the commercials they force are far too annoying for me and I apologize for making anyone have to listen or see them. If I wanted to advertise and make money off of this little blog I'd be pushing porn since it is the most lucrative of internet money makers, not cheesy death metal bands or Harrison Fords new movie.
I hope to stay ontop of things and add more comments and reviews in the near future but for now I will cut this short.....so....as always.....OK...I'll shuddup now. Cheers.

A Night With Tom Green.......The Pics

A Night With Tom Green.......

Well, I've eventually gotten over not being selected as a finalist for the Moderately Paid Employee Contest Edge 107.1. I have to admit the finalists they did select were pretty lame and I've since boycotted listening to the station all together. Perhaps it's a bit harsh, but then so is listening to the same 20 songs all day every day.
I wasn't surprised either that Dean Blundell and his band of Tools snubbed Tom Green when he came back to town. They were sweet as pie when Tom was promoting their uberlame CASBY Awards for them and even played a few tracks off of his new disc when they had him on-air back in November. However now, ever since, I've never heard another Tom Green track and not even a hint or mention of his tours grand finale in Toronto that took place on Friday January 27th at the Opera House.
Now, I was also supposed to go to the Call The Office gig in London, Ontario as well the night before on the 26th , but to many of my hometown friends disappointment I was unable to attend. I'll still be in London on March 6th & 7th for Nine Inch Nails at the John Labbatt Center....I promise.
Anyway, I've been to a lot of concerts in my time and I have to say this was by far one of the best shows I've witnessed. There was no opening act and the crowd got a tad restless in the hr and 15 mins we stood at the edge of the stage but once the show got started Tom rocked the mic like any rap superstar should. Not really being into rap and the numberous young kids standing around me and my girlfriend pretending to "pop caps" into each others heads I thought I might be in the wrong place. We started out the night meeting another TOMGREEN.COM blogger who recgonized my shirt from a pic of it being posted on Tom's website. It was pretty cool to meet someone who appreciated the man behind the mic for more than just him humping a dead moose or banging Drew Barrymore. The funny thing was here we were 2 guys in our 30's and I'm making t-shirts and he's making signs just to go to a "rap show". My girlfriend Stephanie and I both purchased some disposable cameras and both of us used every one of the pics available. They are still being developed but I will be sure to post the best ones once they are ready. So, anyway like I was saying this show was one of the best I've ever been to. Lots of energy, lots of laughs and lots of fun. We ended up coming away with a lot of cool items which are all in the pic above. The most notable of them all is the robot costume worn by one of Tom's stage mates "Playboy" Jeremy Klein. He come up and smashed it over my head after finishing the track the costume was meant for. I ended up spending a good amount of time in the costume because for one, I only had one arm hole and two, it was saving my back from being covered in beer from the guy behind me. We also got our hands on a toy sword that the Toronto Police found interesting while we were walking back to the car, they did a double take but didn't actually turn around. We also got a silly felt Canada hat, we would have had an actual "Keepin It Real Crew" shirt but the animals surrounding us in the front ripped'em right out of our hands before we could secure them. It was pretty crazy right up in the front. I also ended up getting Tom's shoeprint on my shoulder from all the crowd surfing he was doing but it is hard to make out in the pic. It was an all around great night.
One other cool note is the fact that they were filming for their documentary DVD, I can almost guarantee Boo and I will be in it. I'll look forward to getting my pics back and posted ASAP.
OK......I'll shuddup now.
Cheers.

Watch Closely As His Hopes Go Down In Flames.....

Well....with the cut off being tomorrow morning for the Moderately Paid Employee Program I think it's pretty safe to say that my little dream of being Toronto's newest addition to the airwaves has gone down faster than a lead zepplin. No callback, no acknowledgement, no sweat. Oh well...what can I do. No point in harping on it, it was a contest after all. This disappointment will only make any other success I have all the more sweeter.

On a lighter note I did happen to get tickets to Nine Inch Nails who are playing in my hometown of London Ontario in a few months, so at least I have something to look forward to. Not only that but I will be seeing Tom Green and his Keepin It Real Crew play twice next week in London and Toronto. Who knows what will happen.

OK...I'll shuddup now. I'm going to wallow in my disgust for a little while.

Cheers.

Your Possible "Edge" Over Traffic .....

No word as of yet.....I'm still waiting patiently. Perhaps I am being over confident. Perhaps I'm being to hasty in thinking I'm being over confident. Perhaps I'm going crazy.

I did learn one unfortunate fact though today. In the small print of the contest details I was informed that if the promotions or on-air staff attempt to contact the applicant and that applicant is not available, or not home, they are disqualified. That sucks !!!!! Considering I have to leave for work around 2 p.m. at the latest, and also knowing that the average workday ends at 5 p.m. the law of averages and my personal luck have a strong influence here. I don't know what to do !!!!

I'll be keeping my fingers and toes crossed extra long until the 16th, that is the final day for the consideration of the top 20 finalists.

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

The Cover Letter ......

Hello folks, alrighty, so I'm back in my nice warm little bachelor pad after a long day indeed. I've been all over the place, from pickin up a cool new pair of shades in Midland, Ontario all the way down to downtown Toronto to deliver my chance at broadcasting high above the city. Eight hours of work and a hr and 20 mins on the highway, what a tour.
As I stated at work in my previous post I wanted to give you access to the actual cover letter I included in my submission today. Have a gander and let me know what you think.



Ladies and Gentlemen:

When an opportunity to have a shot at a position at your station was brought to my attention I could not get to my computer fast enough to create my chance of becoming a member of the elite Edge 102.1 broadcasting family. Whether it has been listening online or in my car on my way to work I have always spent my free time happily tuned to your frequency. To actually become part of your team would be nothing less than a dream come true and this is a challenge I look forward to.

Working behind a microphone has been a second nature to me over the years and an ability I have always enjoyed. Whether the time was behind the studio microphone of my college radio station or at my OSAP supplementing job as an adult entertainment engineer, I’ve always aimed to bring a smile to my listeners face. Working in a club atmosphere has provided me with the ability to think quickly on my feet and make the best of any situation; it also gave way to the skill of creating titles that make a position such as a strip club DJ sound better for future job prospects. Erotic Visual Stimulation Coordinator has always been a favorite however I have also been partial to Chief Executive Officer in charge of Breasticular Presentation. High pressure and stress have also been a main part of many of my past positions, but I have always specialized in meeting deadlines and handling any out of the ordinary scenarios efficiently without supervision. No problem has ever been too big or difficult to resolve and I’ve always strived to help to the best of my abilities. My reliability is honorable and I am always on time, working above and beyond my required shift to help out my work site as a team. I am definitely not a stranger to a thirteen hour workday.

Upon this submission I honorably await word from you soon. For your consideration I would be more than happy to provide further details on how I would be the best selection for your open position.



Respectfully



Mike Baingo


Whatcha think ?????

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Your 1/2 Mile High Eye in the Sky......

Well folks, I've officially taken my first step towards a career in broadcasting. I briskly made my way down to the street level Edge 102.1 studio to hand in my resume before work today.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for the next 36 hrs or so. I may have some tough competition in this especially after Dean Blundell and the boys declared that they would like to hire someone without a leg or ability to walk over the last few days. Just my luck today as the guy in front of me was confined to a wheelchair and was going on about how he would love to fly.
Oh man....what have I gotten myself into. Hopefully Deans love of breasts and my experience with introducing them for your viewing pleasure will be my saving grace. I will post my official cover letter when I arrive home tonight for your review, since I made light of my past strip club experience. I also added some chocolates and nickel candies in my submission. Nothing like a cheap gimmick and sugar rush. I can just imagine the amount of resumes they have received since announcing this contest.
I am at work at the moment and I'm about to start my official certification week.

OK.....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Baingo on the Radio ......

Greetings once again fellow readers, I know it has been quite awhile and I do apologize. The Christmas/New Years break was a fairly busy time for me but I do hope all of your holiday wishes came true this year.
I know I left my last post as a tad of a cliffhanger, well...for those of you who haven't heard the story a million times from me already anyway. I will complete that glorious journey but at a different time, I have a new quest to embark upon.
It was brought to my attention at work today that one of the largest radio stations in Toronto is having a contest for a position on their staff, hence the header above.
It seems The Edge 102.1 is looking to fill a position for a traffic reporter and I feel that I would be perfect for this spot. Not only does it pay moderately well, it's a break for me to get into actual radio. Put my well oiled stripclub DJ voice to good use AND get to ride around in a helicopter all morning, what could be better.
At this time I would like to call upon all my readers here to please go to www.edge.ca and register yourself as an inside edge member. By doing so you will be enabling yourself to cast a vote for little old me if I am so lucky as to get by the first round that is. I will have to dedicate myself to writing the perfect resume this weekend since the deadline for this contest is January 10th. I will keep you all posted on my progress and I implore you to cross your fingers and toes for my voice to finally be hear on a near national level.
With that I am off and I hope to return soon with updates as they happen.

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Those Were the Daze......

And now ladies and gentleman I would like to introduce you to one of my oldest and best friends. This lovely pole dancing beauty is affectionately known to me and many others as Pooch. Pooch McGooch and I have been friends since grade school. I remember all those carefree days at Lord Nelson Public School with fuzzy warm glee. We parting ways in high school for roughly 3 years when we both met romantic interests and once the course of those relationships ran out we kind of drifted back right back into the swing of things.
Out of all the adventures Pooch and I shared our trip to Lollapalooza in 1992 is the one that will always stick with me.

After attending Lollapalooza at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario, Pooch and I were sitting in her basement reviewing the great time we had at that great one day festival. Out of the blue we decided to go again. we were 19 and free of major obligations so we drove to 7-11 picked up a Spin Magazine to inquire into the remaining tour dates. The next closest stop in our one week timeframe was to be in Pittsburgh PA. I called ahead and learned that the venue had been cancelled and the tour was to be stopping in Scranton, PA.
We geared up and cleared our unbusy schedules to prepare. We were to leave early Friday morning for our second helping of Lollapalooza goodness. At the time Thursday nights were reserved for a bar in downtown London known as G.T.'s ( Good Times ). We would ritualistically go to G.T.'s every Thursday night to drink and rock out to a cover/original bands known as Grandeur of Ghosts and/or Fishpants and just be typical 19 year olds. So typically I was at G.T.'s the night before we left, naturally I proceeded to drink my face off and ended up sleeping in my little grey Chevy S-10 out front of Pooch's house. Needless to say 6 a.m. came pretty damn fast and I hardly received the necessary sleep required for the journey we were about to embark on. We hit the road for Scranton, PA , two Canadian kids following a music festival......

To be continued................

Is It Christmas Yet ???????

I'm not really sure, but it really doesn't feel like Christmas to me this year at all. I'm not sure what it is. The new job, the constant traveling, the lack of decorations around my home, I dunno.
It just seems to me that like Matt Good was right when he said
"Christmas is for shopping, and the shopping God is everything".

I sometime wish I was still a kid and had to endure the stress of having to get to sleep for Santa Claus to come. I still remember freaking out when I would hear on the evening news that they have picked up Santa on the radar and that I better get to bed or else he might not stop. It worked like a charm on me, but the tossing and turning was unbearable. I'd finally get to sleep around 3 am only to wake at 7am for the first peak at the tree.
Those were the days.

So I will keep this short and sweet yet again. I have many chores to complete to get myself in a better position for the big day coming up so quickly this Saturday. To everyone who comes by I wish each and everyone one of you a politically correct Happy Holidays, and a Merry Christmas to everyone else who doesn't care what the proper thing to say is these days.

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Happy Merry Ho Ho Day......

I always leave everything till the last minute, I think it's just a typical male trait. Leave it as long as possible, then make a mad dash to round up all the "perfect" gifts...riiiiight. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get it all in with work and all cutting into a major part of my shopping time allotment. Between driving down here to Toronto ( I'm at work right now ) and doing little things like sleeping and eating. I think I'm going to be "that guy" running around looking at his watch every 5 mins counting down the time left till cut-off. I'll be every poor store clerks worst nightmare, I can just see them. Standing there staring at me, thier eyes rolling as I rip thru the racks, ranting to myself, not deciding on anything to buy and asking them for the 10th million time if they have anything in a gift basket. Every mans saviour...the gift basket....no thought involved whatsoever. Actually I have a certain gift to purchase this year but it's beginning to be a complete pain in the ass thanks the friendly folks at Bell Canada. I'll go into details after the holidays.

Either way....I just thought I should pop in and leave a quick note today. I do not want to fall into the Aries trap and completely neglect this site. I find it hard to believe over 300 people have even come by here. As timer goes by and I get used to my new work shift I'm sure I'll get back into the full swing of things...I need another Rant & Rave.

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

I'm an Addict ......

No matter what I do I can't stop playing this game. I picked it up by accident and started to play around with it and now I cannot stop formulating strategies and planning my eventual overthrowing of the Roman Empire. I'm hopeless.
You can control over 700 troops on an open field and command them all effortlessly for some amazing battles. It's helplessly addicting once you get the hang of it and you look forward to storming your enemy's capital city and exterminating all of them.
If you are into turn based strategy games I would highly recommend this game. You'll be hooked like me and the hours just fly by. There's so many sites I've been neglecting because of this game these days. I'm normally on the ball and up to par on commenting on all the recent happenings but everything is taking a backseat until I can take control of the Roman Senate for myself. I'll keep you updated.

Ro-Sham-Bo anyone .....

Greetings fellow blog readers. Quick and simple this will be today. I'm a tad under the weather and have to crawl back into my bed for some much needed bedrest. It's been a long week but a good week as well.

It has come to attention that CBC has decided to re-air a few (5) episodes of Kenny vs Spenny. They will be airing on Friday evenings at 5:30 pm. Again I advise you to check it out.
I've added the Kenny vs Spenny game to the site here, just scroll down to the bottom of the page and take a few turns. My high score is 10,392, try and beat that !!! I favor playing as Kenny but I managed the score by playing as Spenny.
Small things amuse small minds, but someone getting kicked in the nuts is always funny.

I've also added a chat window to the sidebar so feel free to leave any comments or messages there if you like. Alright then I've got to get back to bed....so come back often and see what else is new as time goes by.

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

And Now....On With Mr.Show....

An now for some comments on one of my all time favorite shows...Mr.Show.
This short lived skit comedy masterpiece aired originally on HBO and then on The Comedy Network up here in Canada, between 1996 and 2000. I immediately fell in love with this show the first time I came across an episode that included a satirical American Ad Awards show, the big winner of the top prize was an ad agency that helped an association better it's image with a great commercial. The association was called NAMBLA...the North American Man Boy Love Association, the new slogan .... "We're Not Killers". The commercial itself had various perverts running around a park with big black boxes over their faces confessing their love of young man boys and how society just doesn't "get" their obsession. It was an edgy, intelligent and nonsensical show to say the least. Within the same episode they also had a hilarious remake of Jesus Christ Superstar that starred Jack Black in the heavenly lead role.
Perhaps my sense of humor is warped and I have no idea what I am talking about but Mr. Show was way ahead of it's time and far too smart for it's own good. I try to introduce Mr. Show to anyone who will take the time to watch but honestly in all my time I have only met maybe 2 people that understood the satire and appreciated it. I own all 4 seasons and urge any and everyone to either rent a season or download an episode for a test run.
You might recognize David Cross from Arrested Development, another freakin hilarious show, or even as the guy in the wheelchair in Scary Movie 2. He is a fantastic comic.
Bob Odenkirk has had stints on SNL and was also on the ultra 80's Ben Stiller Show. He is another comical genius. I'll elaborate another time on both of these fine gentlemen, but for now....

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Make Way for the HD-DJ......

During my ritualistic wake up routine I came across a web article about how Djing is becoming obsolete, in particular, old school vinyl disc jockeying. With the all the various technological steps being accomplished today one person can create an entire symphony all with the twists and turns of a few virtual knobs. The old crates of vinyl we would carrying lovingly from party to party are being replaced by blue ray DVDs and Hard Drives, hence the new name....HD-DJ. The variance between DJ's is hard to distinguish to the untrained ear, but vinyl is distinctive and will never die because of it's raw sound. That snap crackle and pop is one of the sweetest sounds ever in my opinion. The bass achieved on a well produced vinyl track can be dupilcated to digital but it looses an element and gets watered down when converted. With the new technology also comes ease in application, the skill required to beat mix is being removed and lost. With these digital tracks most new software applications have a built in timers where all you need to do is line up the numbers. OK...this track is 110 beats per minute...this track is 120 bpm's....I'll just cue the track, adjust the track speed and cross fade. No brain required, especially if the software does that for you even. The art of beat matching and creating that seamless track change by auditory cues via headphones and a quick wrist are slowly going the way of the"Where's the Beef" lady....known but not remembered.

So the mainstream medium has now conjuered up another label for us to use around the watercooler. I don't see it ever sticking and no self-respecting DJ would ever pigeon hole themselves with such a tag, but the days of the HD-DJ are definately here. Next time you are at a club, try and take a peek inside the booth to see what your guru is using to make your booty shake. 9 times outta 10 I think you'll find they are running the same software you use on your own PC. They jump around, without any skips, wearing headphones and turning imaginary knobs all night because they are playing a role....BEWARE THE SUCKER DJ's...... LONG LIVE VINYL !!!!!

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Damn Them All .......

I HATE BANKS !!!!! What a joke they are, sittin up there on their high horses lookin down on the peons laughing, drinking and lighting over priced cigars with $20 bills. I'm not pleased at all. Let me elaborate.

I drive a piece of junk, it's basically being held together by the paint. It gets me to point B, but it's not 100% reliable. A prime example would be the damn exhaust snapping at the cat converter and sounding like a tank coming down Highway 400. I decided to apply for a loan for 2 things. A consolidation of my OSAP, or student loans, and the the funds required for a newer car. Now, I have a crystal clean credit record, I mean, how else would I be able to get a job with a major credit card company if I didn't. Within 24 hrs I was denied....flat out refused. The reason.....I don't have a credit record, well enough of a record to establish an actual score anyway. The fact that I've been paying my student loans month in and month out without fail or any NSF on a salary just barely above the poverty line apparently makes no difference at all. I basically got told to come back in 6 months and have $2000 in the bank, then they might consider me.

It just pisses me off to no end. Here I am paying these tools just under $144 a year for the privilege of having a lame penalty charging chequing account at their bank and the second I ask for help I'm spun around and told I'm not worthy. I even asked for overdraft protection and was denied. After 10 years with the same bank I might as well be a 5th grader opening my first bank account, at least I'd get a lollipop. I want my damn $1440 back.

Oh well, maybe I'll just switch banks, or maybe I'll just hoard everything under my mattress and make a cool suit like MoneyMan there.

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Snow Daze .....

Well, it's definately been an interesting week so far. Quick recap...I started my new job....I got horribly sick and had to go to the hospital on my first day of my new job.....the exhaust on my car broke enroute to my first day of my new job.....after having fairly mild temperatures for the last few weeks, the weather has snapped and we now have snow...lots of it. I know that's a horrible run on sentence but I find it alot like this week so far, neverending, but hey...adversity builds character. So what if it takes me 2.5 hrs to get home because of road conditions, at least I have a home to come to, right.
I have lots of information to relay but little time to elaborate so I will indeed keep this short and sweet.

On another quick note, I had another visit from the honourable Mr. Kenny Hotz. He was kind enough to relieve my worries over his "tad kooler" comment I had mentioned he left me previously. If you happen to have some free time on Sunday night, I would advise you to tune in and support this fine gentleman and his show Kenny vs Spenny. Check out the links I've provided and surf to www.showcase.ca for your local schedule.

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

On to the Next Chapter....

Well it's official...I'm no longer a cell phone monkey!! No more brain dead customers calling in wondering what "System Busy - Please Try Again" means....hmmmm, I dunno, maybe the damn system is busy cuz tools like you keeping calling me for redundant idiotic information.

Talk about liberating, it felt so good to get escorted out and stripped of my nifty little badge. The air was never so sweet outside, even the snowfall could dampen that misty water colored memory I'll carry with me. 19 months of my life I'll never get back. I sat in calculated some nice stats during my down time at the end of the night. In the last 11 months, (I could only track this current year), I had taken 14,568 calls....I worked a total of 215 extra hours over and above the regular 44 needed to receive O/T, that's nearly 27 days of regular 8 hr shifts !!!
So , I've basically put in nearly 12 months of work in the past 11 months of this year. I'm so glad to be outta that place, the sandbox politics were just too much for me. Drama, rumor milling, and enough cellulite engorged ass cleavage to sink the Titanic. At last.....it is all over.

So, the comment Kenny Hotz left me has been bothering me slightly. The whole "a tad kooler" remark has been eating away at me. Only a tad? Just a tad cooler than someone who basically said the show sucked. I mean I use the the same term sometimes and I do realize that sarcasm doesn't always come across in most written forms, but come on. Ahh whatever, I'm still happy he was nice enough to come by anyway. I still think the show is great and I definitely hope Showcase keeps it on on Sunday nights. I should have researched the the show abit more before I started commenting....perhaps that is why I'm only a tad cooler.....but apparently the show was on CBC for a short period of time, 2 seasons, and hopefully a third season will be ordered on the better serving Showcase network. I can see CBC not really "getting" the show and pulling the plug before it can grow and develop. The last episode, Who Can Dance The Longest, was pretty good, the cheerleader bit/humiliation was pretty damn funny. Poor poor Spenny, will he ever learn? I'll be sure to check out www.kennyhotz.com once he's got it up and running, so far it's still under construction.

Anyway, I'm gonna head out for a few wobbly pops and enjoy my free Friday night.
I'm sure I'll be back to ramble on some more later tonight.

OK.....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

And Now....On With The Show....

My GOD !!!!! That was a nightmare trying to get that damn virus out. I thought I'd never get back up and running. I contemplated just quitting all together and giving up my over priced internet connection completely.
Without going into boring geek speak details I basically had a nasty IRC Trojan file that more or less set itself up on the harddisk, I spent hours in safe mode working in the CMD mode to delete it all manually.
The biggest problem was the re-installation of the damn Windows SP2 and reconfiguring, I'm tempted to go Mac now, what a joke.

So....alot has happened over the last four days.
I had my phone interview...aced it. Had a face to face interview today and had an un-official offer of employment. I have a few background checks pending but the fact that the interviewer jumped ahead of himself and had me sign an offer is a fairly good indication that I will be in training next week. The total pay increase is over $13K, how could anyone turn that down. The damn call centre itself was like a palace, it's own little microcosm. Basketball courts, tennis courts, atrium, huge cafeteria with catered meals. I was completely blown away. They even had a fully equipped gym with on-site personal trainers not to mention a full spa and massage area....I can see myself being very happy in this position.
Things are coming together very well these days, I'm planning on quitting that craphole I'm in as soon as I get the good word. What a waste of 19 months, I can just imagine how long it will take now for me to get my remaining vacation pay and employee stock re-embursements back. Stay tuned, I still have lots of rants left for that place.

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Point Proven

And just like that after posting my previous remarks I inturn had a visit from Mr. Kenny Hotz. He was kind enough to leave me a comment as well. Just click the comment tab under my last post to view his kind remarks.

So now I have a damn virus in my computer because of my own neglegence and dumbassedness. Should be fun trying to work out this damn bug, it send a msg to everyone on my damn MSN list asking them "Is this your profile on imdownloading.net". Wish me luck fixing this one.

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.