WHAT A WEEK

Sorry, dear faithful readers. I did not realize that it has been a week since I last posted anything here.

Okay, what can I throw in for filler?

Hey, I got my scanner back into action... scanned some archival photos. Kicked them into the 'digital world'.

What else?

I knew that that "Balloon Boy" stuff was a load of crap ("rubbish" to you UK readers). As the balloon flew about on my televiewer, and the voice-over described the object's rough dimensions, I was very doubtful that even a little five year-old could be pulled aloft. What struck me even more, after the whole affair was more or less settled, not counting the controversies of course, is how intense the boy's father comes across. Some nasty columnists have labeled the man a "pathetic" being with no life who had to make a mockery of his family to elevate his feeble existence.

Speaking of pathetic, that is the best way to describe the state of affairs in (what exists of) Toronto's film and television business. How do we know this? Check out the job boards and see an awful lot of intern positions offered for what have traditionally been regular paying gigs. The ugly truth is many companies that exist to make third-tier television programs -- the digital channels -- are one step away from bankruptcy.

Why is it that Thursday evenings in downtown Toronto are like Friday evenings? Do people not have to go to work the next day? Do students not have to rise early to make that class?

Speaking of students, I walked through the University of Toronto grounds yesterday and felt a palpable electricity in the air. Academia. It felt like I was part of an opening title sequence to a post-secondary version of the old television series Room 222. I could almost hear that great theme tune playing as I walked down the sidewalk.

How is York University these days? Because it is located at the north end of the city, that school tends to get forgotten, except by those who attend classes or work there. Fine, fine school from what I understand. Winters College, anyone?

Film and television composer Vic Mizzy died a few days ago. That guy knew how to write very sticky theme tunes: Green Acres, The Addams Family, and The Reluctant Astronaut are a few examples.

The Toronto Star newspaper has been running a contest of sorts to find the ultimate Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey team) joke. As they have been playing badly, even worse than usual, the average person has become uber jokester. Some are very funny. My own joke? I came up with this sour little ditty: "How many Leafs does it take to change a light bulb? Don't ask; they can't even change themselves." (A meaner version goes like this: "How many Leafs does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, because they can only screw themselves.")