Greetings From The Laughing Buddha!

The Buddha on Elgin Street is one of Sudbury’s best kept secrets.

Let’s describe the place in bullet form:

- Cozy, one of a kind atmosphere
- artist-friendly (it exhibits pieces for the Art Gallery of Sudbury)
- vegetarian and vegan-friendly menu. My favourite is the Sticky Mouth sandwich (peanut butter, banana, honey, cashews, cranberries, served with a curried chickpea salad), which is fucking amazing!
- great music blasting in the background all the time(surprising, considering my preconceived notion of Sudbury being a one pig town and all)
- great place for all the artsy-fartsy type crowd. I’m more on the fartsy side. ZING!
- Good chance of running into some of the laughing factory population. Real good. Same for prostitutes.
- Free wi-fi

I just love the feel of this place. It seems that everybody in there is cool, and I feel that I could stay there indefinitely. The art installations are always changing and always good. And I’ve never had a bad bite of food there.

So if you are ever at this end of the Nickel Belt, be sure to come by and check it out!



http://www.laughingbuddhasudbury.com/

Thrift Score!

Technics 5-Disc CD Changer, $6.50 at Value Village. It runs like a dream!

Also pictured, is Lali Puna's Faking the Books, which is a tough import to get a hold of, $2.99 at The Beat Goes On.

I LOOOOOVE getting a deal! Don't you?

What's YOUR thrift score?

Can YOU do better, fhole?!

Let's Not Ruin What We Have By Talking

Let's Not Ruin What We Have By Talking

01 Air - Les Voyage De Penelope
02 Godspeed You Black Emperor - Moya
03 The Bomboras - Hot Line
04 Brian Eno - Deep Blue Day
05 Perez Prado - Mambo No. 5
06 John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
07 Joe Satriani - The Crush Of Love
08 Esthero - Flipher Overture
09 Pink Floyd - The Great Gig In The Sky
10 Explosions In The Sky - The Moon Is Down
11 Underworld - Surfboy
12 Michael Hedges - Ursa Major
13 Tristeza - Aurora Borealis

I made this mix almost ten years ago, and it's still awesome. Great for road-tripping through a vast expanse, or even just doing the dishes to. Enjoy!

Click here to DL:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/736824181aceabcf/

Things To Miss About Hamilton #1: The Cheap Noodle

Pho solves everything.

In harsh times, where budgets are being stretched to the limit, I can always count on the inexpensive Asian noodle. The Udon, the Ramen, and of course, Pho.

When everything in the universe is out of whack, go to one of the many Vietnamese noodle establishments all over Hamilton, and have a some goodness to realign it back. My regular haunts are the Pho Dau Bo On Cannon or the one on Queenston, The Pho Bo on Barton, or the very best at Bien Thanh on Cannon, close to downtown.

None of these restaurants ever hurt my wallet, but my problems totally dissipate after a hot bowl of love. Make sure to ask for extra sliced meat!

Travel Tip #2: Look Sharp!

One thing I learned when travelling, is that people hardly make the effort anymore. It's a total shame, because I remember dressing up for my first ever plane ride. And this was the norm back then. People looked GOOD traveling.

Imagine that. Now, it seems, people can't be bothered. Nobody has that, 'Sunday best,' outfit anymore. No girls have those Kmart dresses specifically for Sundays. And hardly any little gentlemen strutting their stuff.

I'm aware that we all can't fit into that image of Don Draper. It's really tough. He's always dapper, I must admit. But we can all strive to get as close to it as possible. Believe me, we can all use a little of his swagger when dressing for travel. Here are some tips:

Don't dress like a Rear Admiral for the Old Navy
I'm sure the Chinese will love you for advertising, but it doesn't benefit you at all. All you're advertising is that, "I'm a cheap slob." And nothing says, 'unsophisticated traveller,' when that is all you wear.

Remember the golf outfit rule
One logo is fine, as long as it's somewhat on the hush-hush. Two or more BIG cocksucking brands on your body makes you an instant billboard, same a previous. Unless you have that big endorsement deal from Nike, tone that shit down. In the golf course, two or more logos, and you'd owe me a dollar. Practice that philosophy when you're dressing to go somewhere.

Wear a belt
Because YOU'RE LOOKIN' LIKE A FOOL WIT YO PANTS ON THE GROUND! Choose a nice leather one. You can use it to MacGyver up a timing belt, when one happens to snap off. It'll be enough to get you to a garage. Trust me.

Look somewhat approachable
Please, please, please, don't get on the road looking like you just came from Bonnaroo! As an experiment, try to look like you just stepped out of a garbage can, and then see if someone will help you fix a flat tire, find your luggage, give you directions. The majority of people are callous beings, appearances are everything, especially if you're stranded somewhere. As well, you might meet somebody that might end up being your boss, your BFF, your personal axe-murderer, or your future ex!

The point of this is, people, please make an effort. Your previous ones have been piss-poor!

Chuck U Farley! Yours To Download!

My favourite mix so far, and it's fab! There are moments where there are lulls, but slowly intensify. Excuse the technical difficulties, but the Michael Jackson track did not make it on. Just send me a mail-bomb at victorymanual@gmail.com, and put an end to my misery.

The title is from the movie, 'Pump Up the Volume.'

Chuck U Farley!

01 Lali Puna - Faking the Books
02 The Dream w/ Kanye West - Walking On the Moon
03 Passion Pit - The Reeling
04 Hercules w/ Love Affair - Blind
05 Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
06 Death From Above 1979 - Black History Month
07 Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights
08 Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
09 MSTRKRFT w/ N.O.R.E. and Isis - Bounce
10 The Rapture - Whoo! Alright-Yeah-Uh-Huh
11 Calvin Harris - The Girls
12 Justice - DVNO
13 Britney Spears - Kill the Lights
14 Outkast - B.O.B
15 Andre 3000 w/ John Legend - Green Light(MSTRKRFT remix)
16 Buck 65 - Currogated Tin Facade
17 Junior Boys - Sneak A Picture

Sorry, but the download window is now closed. Consider getting on my mailing list, and maybe you can email me and we can negotiate . . .

Suck My Dick, Winter! 2010 Blue Jay Predictions

Now that we're seeing a lot of snow melt, being the middle of March and all, and with the hopes of Opening Day tickets already purchased, we can all tell winter to suck our collective dicks.

And now, introducing your 2010 Toronto Blue Jays . . .



Who?!

2010 TANK NATION
The Starting Pitchers

Shaun Marcum
Ricky Romero
Brandon Morrow
Mark Rzepcynski
Brian Tallet

The Lineup

Jose Bautista, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Adam Lind, DH
Vernon Wells, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
Alex Gonzalez, SS
John Buck, C
Travis Snider, LF

The Relief-ers

Scott Downs
Jason Frasor
Kevin Gregg
Jeremy Accardo
Jesse Carlson
Shawn Camp or Dustin McGowan

The Bench

John McDonald
Joey Gathright
Randy Ruiz
Jose Molina

I know, I know. WHO?!

It's been slim pickings ever since we had to let our workhorse go off to greener pastures, but the heartbreaking move was necessary so that we would be able to reload our farm system with up-and-coming talent. Let's talk about some of the faces, familiar and new, of the 2010 TANK NATION squad.

Shaun Marcum RHP
Had Tommy John Surgery on his elbow 2 years ago. Has Sinker/Slider/Changeup. Looked really good before getting hurt.

Ricky Romero LHP
Went 13-9 in his first Major League Season. Got a little tired after the All-Star Break. With lessons learned from Doc Halladay regarding keeping his stamina, he should have better numbers this year.

Brandon Morrow RHP
Part of the Brandon League trade with Seattle. Was see-sawed from starter to reliever. Should be more consistent now that his role is solidified.

Mark Rzepcynski LHP
"Scrabble," to everybody else. Great groundball pitcher. Not overpowering, but more finesse. One of Cito Gaston's few favourites.

Brian Tallet LHP
Was a swingman last year and performed well. Hopefully the porn-stache does the same.

Jose Bautista RF
Utility player picked up from Pittsburgh 2 years back. Cito's new leadoff man. Big mistake, in my opinion. It seemed last year that he had a lot of strikeouts, looking. Drove me fucking insane. I even heckled him after one of those strikeouts, and I knew he heard me.

Aaron Hill 2B
Last year's comeback player returning from that concussion. Broke out and hit the shit out of the ball, and brought back our clout. Expect his numbers to dip a little bit, but still put on good numbers (AVG., HR, RBI.).

Adam Lind DH
Cito's student flourished in the DH spot all year long. Don't expect him to do much outfield work, unless Cito wants a good laugh. Will hit well for power, average, and runs batted in.

Vernon Wells CF
The longest tenured Blue Jay. And the most expensive. Pissed us off for 3 years running, because of his aversion to hitting the baseball. Coincidentally the best paid Blue Jay at $16+ million for this year, and averaging $25 million each year until 2014. Maybe he needs the money. Friends aren't free, you know?

Lyle Overbay 1B
Sure-handed, no-hitting First Baseman. Vernon Wells' illness of not being able to hit the ball spread to Overpay as well. Overpay is the second-most expensive Blue Jay, making $7.9 million in his walk year. Should be able to get his knocks in to pad his numbers, making him excellent trade bait. There's a young guy named Brett Wallace waiting in the wings, ready to knock the cover off the baseball.

Edwin Encarnacion 3B
E5. Had fireworks explode on his face in the offseason. No fireworks anywhere from this guy. Unless he wakes up from his mope.

Alex Gonzalez SS
Great glove. Because our starting pitching is sketchy and inexperienced, we decided to shore up our defense, to save those young arms. God knows we're going to need it. DEFENSE!

John Buck C
A good pick-up from Kansas City. Great game-caller. Calming force for our young pitching. Maybe he'll resurrect his career in TO.

Travis Snider LF
Cito's young project for this year. Can't hit lefthanded pitching, can't his slow stuff, can't get around his head. Once he figures it out, he's going to be good for a long time.

PREDICTIONS

Roy Halladay will singlehandedly pitch well to win his first World Series, thus ending World Hunger, and establishing World Peace. We all wish Doc well.


Brian Tallet will grow back his porn-'stache and mow down the opposition, and will lure unsuspectingly loose women in the back of his van.


Dustin McGowan will emerge fully healed from all of his ailments with the help of his mutton chops. "Mutton Chop Giveaway Day," will be a huge hit at the 'Dome.


John McDonald will still be the Prime Minister of Defence.


My favourite player will slowly shift from Roy Halladay to Mark 'Scrabble,' Rzepcynski.

Last prediction: We're going to play ball soon . . .

. . . and Winter can suck my dick!

Other Blue Jay links:

http://www.drunkjaysfans.com/

http://taoofstieb.blogspot.com/

http://mlbastian.mlblogs.com/

Disclaimer! Gnome Sane!

Due Diligence time.

J-ROC termed it as, 'cross-promotion.' I'll buy that.

"Gnome Sane?!"

The links to music files are for promotional use only. If you like what you hear, please go out and BUY the music. I support and buy all the talent that I post.

If you would like me to remove any song, I will do so immediately. Don't hesitate to make that request. Contact me at victorymanual@gmail.com

And please, don't take too much of my condescension to heart. This blog is intended to rid stupidity in the world, one post at a time.

"Gnome Sane?!"

together in electro dreams

The title is loosely from the Lali Puna song, who ripped it off from The Human League song. I heard that the 'Puna are coming out with a new album in April, and hopefully a tour is inevitable. To my rich friends . . . HINT-HINT!

The people who are on my mailing list should receive this momentarily. If not, just be patient. It will give you one more thing to look forward to in the mail besides people asking you for money.

One more thing: The bass in that MGMT song just vibrates right down to my balls. It's incredible. Tell me if it happens to you, as well.

together in electro dreams

1. Hellogoodbye - All Of Your Love
2. Miike Snow - Billie Holiday
3. Calvin Harris - Colours
4. Britney Spears - Gimme Gimme
5. Volta Cab - Clarissa
6. MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice remix)
7. Def Leppard - Foolin' (Short Circuit remix)
8. Felix Cartal - Drone
9. Chromeo - Tenderoni (MSTRKRFT remix)
10. Tape Deck Bros. - Science Fiction
11. The Crystal Method - Keep Hope Alive (MSTRKRFT remix)
12. New Young Pony Club - Chaos (Rory Phillips mix)
13. Chromeo - 100% (Treasure Fingers' B-LIVE Pemberton mix)
14. Van She - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
15. Ladyhawke - Back Of the Van (Van She remix)
16. Lali Puna - Together In Electric Dreams
17. Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (The Teenagers remix)

And please, check the following disclaimer. I have to perform my due diligence.

Look to the right and vote for your shitty Blue Jay. Click on some of my shitty Google Ads so I can make some scrill!

Travel Tip #1: Pack Lightly (Carry-On)

I learned over the years that going on a trip, whether long or short, can have it's hindrances. It doesn't feel nice when you are constantly attending to your 10-piece luggage set with the worry that the set might get separated.

You wouldn't want anything like that holding you back when you're trying to see the world. You might end up missing a lot. And I don't mean your luggage!

It feels kind of Zen to travel with your bare essentials. In my younger, hobo years, I managed to lug all I need in one carry-on backpack. These days, I made concessions and included a little bit more for preparedness sakes. I'm up to one carry-on backpack AND one suitcase.

The less-is-more approach works well when it comes to travel. It helps that in this day and age, our lives are more portable and easily compartmentalized that anyone can go on walkabout with some style.

Let's start with the carry-on, and the tips on loading it. In the past, I had a tendency to pack my whole life in the carry-on, for fear of it fated as the only possession I will have in this world. I still hold that philosophy true, just in case a situation arises that I have to hobo it again, I'm well-prepared. Even though I managed to loosen up on some things, these items can still be found in my carry-on:

1.) Dopp Kit


A long-forgotten term for your toiletries kit. These were given to young men when they were about to come of age. I stock this kit up with deodorant, a razor, a toothbrush, shampoo, and other things I need for my personal grooming. You can load it up with whatever you want. It's totally interchangeable. If you have a favourite body wash or shampoo that you can't live without, just fill them into those travel size bottles and leave them in your kit. Always keep your kit stocked in case of a last minute excursion. That way your toothbrush, your razor and your herpes medication, are the last on your mind since the kit is easily packed.

2.) Emegency Socks
A friend of mine had a locker full of these for, "just in case." It actually rang true. There ARE situations when your feet call for them. Planes tend to get chilly on the dogs, hotel room heat systems can fail, or that dark alley that you find yourself turning tricks in at night may be a little moist. Cold wet socks WILL be the death of you. Be prepared for, "just in case."

3.) Pajamas
So you sleep in the nude? Even better! Move on to #4! For the rest of us prudes, read on. In case your luggage becomes misplaced, or you become a perpetual couch-surfer, have some comfortable clothes to sleep in. It will give you some reminder of home, and back to your creature comforts, even if only for a night.

4.) Water
There is never enough water to go around. We should always drink more than our recommended intake of water. Everywhere I go, I ask for more to drink, and to me, it feels like water is being rationed. When on the road, I'm thirsty. When on a plane, I'm thirsty. And so on and so forth. Also good for splashing your face when there is a need to feel refreshed.

5.) Set Of Leisure/Workout Clothes (optional)
In case your time without luggage is extended, but you still need to get a sweat on, or you need a second set of outerwear. Remember that you still have your travel attire as a standby, and you should be able to wear that anywhere (with the exception of the gym.). I'll explain later how you should dress when going on walkabout.

THINGS NOT TO PACK ON YOUR CARRY-ON

Extra sets of things above - Honestly, less-is-more. It brings me piece of mind knowing that if I'm missing one item in my pack, it can be easily replaced. If you bring more of everything, it will end up being more to lug around and more to worry about to replace.

An alarm clock - Really, most modern hotels and inns provide an adequate wake-up call, when requested. If not, the crackhead bum in the alley you're staying in, will provide you with one. Either way, you're set!

Pictures, keepsakes - Like George Clooney said in that fucking movie, "Get some Gingko." Reminders of your loved ones and little trinkets can stay home. Pictures can be stored online in many email servers and can be retrieved from virtually everywhere. Be tech savvy, and keep everything portable.

Here's a link to some other travel tips among other things:

http://www.gonewalkabout.com/

I didn't include my, 'Travellin' Scotch,' in my carry-on. Of course, we need some booze should the occasion call for it. And of course, it's optional.