My latest “Spotted!” column for Media in Canada/Strategy. Read it here.

"mphmmmumph... sorry, my mouth's full of delicous cookie. Cheese!"

How stoked is this squirrel? That cookie looks so good I considered stealing it from him on the way by. But that would be gross. And mean.

I took this shot on a patio at the Sound Academy in Toronto the week before last. We lucked out on some VIP access – highly recommended – for a Gaslight Anthem show and discovered the most pleasant outdoor bar area to have a drink on while the opening act played. It was lovely.

Strategy magazine

Fall TV issue, July 2010

www.strategyonline.ca

Twelve hours prior to the writing of this article, two million viewers across Canada gathered in front of their TV sets, popcorn in hand, to say goodbye to one of the last cliffhanger-driven, “event” dramas in prime time. The day was May 23, and CTV was airing the series finale of Lost, a cinematic ender to six years of brow-furrowing plot turns and existential online debates.

As the show proceeded to its heavenly ending, the question arose: how many offbeat shows like Lost will continue to earn such loyal viewership in today’s fractured media landscape? Read More.

Cava owner Chris MacDonald

Could it have been any hotter this week?

The plus-40 humidex was a bit ill-timed, invited as I was to to two very fine parties this week, the first, a sherry-tasting event at Cava in downtown Toronto at Yonge and St. Clair, and a Toronto Life magazine party, held in celebration of its redesign. At the first, on Tuesday at Cava, I was pretty sure I had never been hotter indoors in my life – the sweat was literally rolling off me as I was politely introduced to Toronto gossip king Shinan Govani. Sadly, that proved to be just a warm up to the Toronto Life party, where not only was I trying to discreetly keep my sopping-wet hair off my neck while fanning out over the CBC’s Matt Galloway, I later got sprayed in oily cream sauce by a clumsy waitress.

However, despite the heat, it was a good week of wine learning. At the Cava event, arranged by owner Chris McDonald and Siren Group owner and founder Susan Willemsen, I found out that sherry is not a type of wine, as I had previously thought, but a region from whence it’s grown. And I also found out that sweeter sherry is not so bad – maybe it’ll be the next big thing to drink. The sherry was much aided by a truly delectable appetizer: cured-meat stuffed, deep fried olives.

Jason Collett performs at the Toronto Life party

And at the Toronto Life party, I had the pleasure of conversing with Toronto Life wine writer David Lawrason. A wine writer for over 25 years, Lawrason has seen wine go from obscurity in the 70s to its haute hipness today. If you’re a writer and ever wondering what “beat” to pick, consider this: Lawrason informed me that due to his in-demand status as a wine expert, he has to taste 900 wines in the next three months. Yep, 900. Right now, he’s tasting up to 60 wines a day. Crazy!

My turtle, Harold

We let Harold out to roam around the condo for the second time ever. For some reason, he celebrated by biting the “blankie” we used to wipe off all the dirt on his belly. Turtles. So weird.

Well, after 10 years of interviewing other people, I finally got to be interviewed myself. Here, one of my favourite lil’ ladies, the hard-working and talented Ilissa Maiatico, gets me to spill on my love for Matthew McConaughey and Clive Cussler novels.

All Eyes On Us
The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver means people will be paying attention to Canadian snowboarding like never before. In their own words, Canada’s top halfpipe contenders talk about their feelings on the Olympics and what it’s like to be in pursuit of one the world’s most sought-after prizes.

READ IT HERE

Adventura Magazine, Fall 2009

Article: “Train like a pro”

Interviews with:

• Andrew Byrnes, Rowing, Men’s 8, gold medal team,  2008 Olympic Summer Games

• Devon Kershaw: Cross-country skier, 2006 Olympic Winter Games