Roberto Alomar Bobblehead

Earlier this year sports news broke word that Roberto Alomar would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  I was really happy for him because I had watched him play for the Blue Jays growing up.  During his stay in Toronto he was responsible for Toronto winning 2 back to back World Series.  From 1989-1994 my whole world revolved around baseball and the Jays.  The team was simply amazing, and played with so much heart.  I remember I would watch every single game religiously, collect baseball cards, and go to the SkyDome once in a while to watch a live game.

What made that team so special to me was that they never let me down.  Even when you thought they were going to lose they would end up winning (specifically the 92-93 team).  Those wins felt so genuinely satisfying especially after having lost the American League series to the Twins in 1991.  As the 1992 season began everything started to fall into place and the Jays had reached a new level of excellence led by Alomar and Carter.  Alomar would play second base like a machine, diving and reaching for balls in what seemed like backbreaking jumps and then throwing them to first base to make the out.  Then he would also go up to bat and make a hit, RBI, sacrifice or homerun when it was most needed by the team.

One such homerun came in the 1992 playoffs against the Oakland Athletics when Alomar homered against Eckersley.  This homerun was significant because the Jays had been losing and he had tied the game.  As the ball left the outfield, Alomar threw his hands up with his fingers pointing to the sky as a moment of tense anxiety was lifted and replaced by joy and euphoria.  This moment was then chosen as the stance Alomar’s bobblehead would get for his free giveaway.  Alomar’s bobblehead was given away at Rogers Centre on Sunday, July 31, 2011.  Only 20,000 were given away to fans, and I was lucky enough to get one.

It celebrates and honours Roberto Alomar for being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Toronto Blue Jay.  The organization also decided to retire his #12 number as well.  The bobblehead comes in a nice box that commemorates and highlights his many accomplishments.  The paint job is also nice, as far as bobbleheads are concerned (don’t expect neat and clean lines).  While the face doesn’t really look like him, the stance is really indicative of Alomar.  The bobblehead is also a little heavy and is made out of ceramic.  Overall this is a very nice collectable and I am happy that we are able to recognize and thank Alomar for what he did for Toronto, and Canada.

Roberto Alomar wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Alomar

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5LpndNOmBU

Brazil Jersey

I was born in Central America and grew up in Canada.  Unfortunately both my birth country (El Salvador) and home country (Canada) suck in soccer.  As a result in my home we were forced to choose an alternative team to cheer for; either Brazil or Argentina.  I love both teams but I have always been impressed by the Brazilian team.  Their history is amazing with such greats as Pelé and Ronaldo; their style of play is breathtaking with samba-like moves, their wins are impressive with having won 5 world cups, and their future seems bright with up and coming players such as Neymar and Pato. 

While the team is currently not performing at its greatest, it is still a fairly young team that can be built into something amazing by the upcoming World Cup in Brazil.  Till then I picked up this amazing Brazil jersey to wear.  It is not the actual on-the-pitch version, but a cotton Dri-fit version from Nike.  I love this material because it doesn’t stick to my skin when I start to sweat.  It is solid yellow with a green stripe along the shoulders.  It is also an upgrade from my previous t-shirt jersey that I got in 1998.  I don’t have many jerseys in my collection, but I hope to start featuring the ones I do have on this blog.

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8YzaGs9Ug0

Cookie Monster

Flea market steal!  I found this awesome beanie plush toy of Cookie Monster at a flea market for $2.  While most people wouldn’t care, I do because I love Cookie Monster.  Here’s the thing, I actually wanted to buy this beanie 4 years ago from a department store.  I didn’t buy him at the time because he cost $10.  I later regretted it because when I came back to buy him, the store had sold out.  But now I call it fate because I was meant to have him in my life.  So what’s so special about my Cookie Monster?  Well every time I see him I have to eat cookies, and cookies seem to taste so much better beside him.  "Om nom nom nom"

The best of Cookie Monster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye8mB6VsUHw&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-PkQRh3QXA

Roadbuster

When it comes to Transformers toys I love collecting figures that look amazing in vehicle mode.  I usually get regular cars that you see every day on the street.  I like to either display them on my desk or on a shelf.  One Transformers toy that took me by surprise recently has been Roadbuster.  First of all he’s a NASCAR race car, and for that reason alone really stands out.  His paint job is dashing in green and white with hits of grey.  Definitely not your typical every day car from the street.

I had been waiting for him for a while and knew that he would release around the time when DOTM also released.  The benefit of buying a toy when it first releases (as opposed to buying from e-bay later) is that you get to choose the best looking figure.  This is important to me because I’m an extreme nitpicker for flawlessness in a purchase.  I like to buy on sale and make sure I have a variety to choose from so that the item I purchase is perfect.  Unfortunately finding a flawless Roadbuster became a difficult task because the amount of paint details on him increased the number of chances of finding flaws.  The most common flaw being the white paint on the side panels, which can have run-overs on the green.  This problem doesn’t bother me too much because you can fix it by scratching some of the excess off.

And speaking of fixing all the imperfections, I would also say this figure is great for customizing.  I thought of this while I had him in robot mode.  Most of his limbs are grey, which allows for paint to accentuate these areas.  I can image I will use silver, black, and white paint.  The white paint will also come in handy because the original paint does scratch easy after a couple of transformations.  While transforming him is fun and easy, I found that it took me a little while before I got the hang of things.  Overall this is a great figure to have in my collection and I hope this NASCAR/Transformers relationship continues so one day we may see other race cars Transformers (Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Carlos Montoya).

Transformers:

http://www.transformers.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k3rZYT8pqA

Crocs

What’s that?  Did I really just make a blog post about Crocs? Why yes I did, but let me explain why.  I did it because I love shoes, and since my blog is about things I love (living and learning as well) I thought it appropriate to include them as well.  Besides I have been wearing them for years and have them in multiple colors.  The first time I saw them was on Mario Batali, who would wear a bright orange pair on his cooking show.  As the hype around these eye-catching shoes started to grow it took a while before stores in Toronto got them.

When they finally arrived they were pretty expensive at around $40 a pair.  Nevertheless I did buy a pair, and six years later I am still wearing them.  Let’s face it the shoes are ugly, but because they’re so comfortable I can’t help but love them.  That comfort is due to their patented Croslite foam material that forms to a person foot.  They’re also easy to wear, which is why I love to BBQ in them; makes coming in and out of my house easy.  So I guess for me comfort beats fashion.

Crocs:

http://www.crocs.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylGOK6c8k5I

Spent

Title: Spent

Writer: Joe Matt

Art Work: Joe Matt

Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly

The story in Spent is very intimate and personal. I felt a strong connection when I read it because I was going through a loneliness phase in my life. In my opinion loneliness is a symptom of depression and one must lift their own spirits up in order to overcome it. If you don’t change you’re bound to end up like the main character Joe, wasting your years away in melancholy. I’m usually drawn towards books that deal with desolation and misery because I’m always looking for a clear solution out of depression. I guess you can call me an optimist for that because even in the worst situations I believe there’s always a way out.

Unfortunately I didn’t get the happy ending I wanted from Spent. This isn’t to say it was a bad book, rather it’s a book to observe from a distance and hopefully realize that you are the only person who can make yourself happy. It’s as if you’re looking at Joe’s mistakes in life, and telling yourself you’re better than that; and that the bad stuff shouldn’t weigh you down. The main problem with Joe is that he’s always been lonely and believes that his one chance at love has passed him, and as such is destined to a life of solitude with his only companion being VHS porn.

Joe deals with his depression using a technique I describe as quarantine. This is where an individual that is hurt would rather stay in isolation, than face a world that will make them view themselves as losers. While I don’t believe one must live their life according to how the world judges them, I also believe one shouldn’t disregard it and punish themselves into isolation. The point being not to allow one traumatic event in life to cripple ourselves into stagnation. It’s been said numerous times over and over again, life is beautiful and things do change. While it’s not always going to be perfect, it also isn’t always going to be sad, so enjoy life because beauty is what you make it.

Drawn and Quarterly:

http://www.drawnandquarterly.com

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Spent-Joe-Matt/dp/1897299117/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1311093541&sr=8-6

Lego Minifigures: Spartan Warrior

This toy is from series 2 of Lego Minifigures and was released in 2010.  The Spartan Warrior’s accessories include a spear, shield and crested helmet.

Lego:

www.lego.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vKpn60nJII

Toronto Toy Stores

I decided to make a list of toy stores in Toronto. This list should be helpful for anyone visiting the city, or who lives here and would like to know where other stores are located. This is a working project so the list should be updated from time to time. If you would like a store to be included please do not hesitate to pm me.

The Silver SnailSpecialty: Comics, Action Figures, Japanese Imports
Location: 367 Queen Street West
Phone: (416)593-0889
Website: www.silversnail.com

One Million ComixSpecialty: Comics, Anime, Action Figures
Location: 531 Yonge St.
Phone: 416-934-1615
Website: http://onemillioncomix.net

401 GamesSpecialty: Board games, Sports cards, Card games, Miniatures, Toys
Location: 401 Yonge Street
Phone: (416) 599-6446
Website: www.401games.ca

Planet XSpecialty: Action Figures, Comics
Locations & Phone: 2227 Queen Street E (416)-698-8950; 2879 St. Clair Ave. E. (416)-285-4421; 815 Major Mackenzie Dr. E. (Richmond Hill) (905)-883-9324
Website: http://eplanetx.com

KC Toys ShopSpecialty: Japanese Imports. Anime
Location: A web store, but you can do meet-ups
E-mail: sales@kctoysshop.com
Website: www.kctoysshop.com

Hairy TarantulaSpecialty: Toys, Comics, Anime, Card games, (depends on location)
Locations & Phone: 354 Yonge Street (416)596-8002; 6979 Yonge Street (647)430-1263;
2949 Dundas Street West (416)762-1303
Website: www.hairyt.com

Toys2 (Toy Square)Specialty: American and Japanese toys and collections; Hot Toys
Location: 3255 Highway 7 East, Unit 221 (Markham)
Phone: (905)470-0007
Website: www.toys2.net

Magic PonySpecialty: Designer Toys (Dunny)
Location: 680 Queen St West
Phone: (416)861-1684
Website: www.magic-pony.com

AnimeXtremeSpecialty: Anime and Japanese Imports
Location: 315 Spadina Ave. Unit H
Phone: (416)979-0399
Website: www.animextreme.ca