Hidden Rose Apple

I have been waiting since September to try these apples.  I first heard about them through my local supermarket magazine.  They said it was a special order from Oregon and that it would be limited.  What made me want them even more was that they also said the apples were green on the outside and pink on the inside, and that they tasted like lemonade.  I was freaking out because I love apples, and this was something I just had to try.  Well, I kept waiting and waiting every week for them to make it to the supermarket.  Finally 2 months later they arrived, and it was worth the wait because they tasted good.  The apples are sour like a Granny Smith, and yet sweet like strawberry lemonade.  I still can’t believe how good they were, and I can’t wait until next year when they’re brought back again.

Tim Hortons Christmas Ornaments 2010

If there’s one place I can’t live without it is Tim Hortons. For anyone that doesn’t know, Tim Hortons is a coffee shop franchise that is very popular in Canada. In fact everyone always laughs that you can find one on every block, seriously. I wouldn’t say they make the best coffee or the best donuts in the world, but it’s how they provide it that makes them the best. For instance their coffee is always fresh, and their donuts are also baked daily (from frozen, lol). They also provide a sort of home comfort feeling whenever you go there, all nice and warm.

This year, same as the previous year, they are releasing some collectable Christmas ornaments so people can take some of that Tim Hortons comfort home for the holidays. Last year they released a take-out cup ornament, which again is being released this year. It is made out of ceramic, painted in the same colours as a real cup, and comes with red string so you can hang it up on the tree. What’s new for this year is a coffee pot, which is made out of plastic and glass. Prices vary from region to region, but I was able to buy my set for $4.49 each. The quality for them is amazing, and I hope Timmies will be able to give us a new batch every year. I'm thinking a tim-bits box, donuts, bagels, etc…

Tim Hortons:

www.timhortons.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNvX55Y66rw

Air Jordan III True Blue Retro 2009

A few years ago I thought I would never be able to own a pair of Air Jordan III’s.  Although you could find some on eBay, the prices we’re just out of this world and more than what I was willing to pay.  Suddenly a ray of light emerged with the news that Jordan Brand would once again release the True Blue III’s in the summer of 2009.  What was even better was that it would be an international only release, meaning that I would be able to buy a pair in Canada.  This was good news because, for the past few years before 2008 Jordan Brand was releasing certain sneakers only in the United States (such as the grape V’s).  If I wanted to own US only releases I had to buy them off a reseller for a lot of money.  So when the day finally came to buy my True Blue III’s, I was super excited.  Release day was August 8^th, 2009 and they retailed for $189.99 Canadian.

The quality on these sneakers is better than it has been in the last few years.  The first thing that got to me was the smell, they have this wonderful new sneaker smell that has been missing from a lot of new releases lately.  The leather is a decent thickness, yet the tumbled leather feels so soft to the touch.  The overall silhouette of the sneaker is very accurate to the original version, and looks really good when worn.  I also like how the bottom sole is painted cleanly, without paint smearing from one area to the next.  I bought a size 10.5, and the item number is 136064 141.

There aren’t many bad things I can say about this sneaker, other than time will tell how they hold up (regarding paint chipping, comfort, and midsole cracking).  The only thing I would have liked from this release to have been included, would have been a retro card.  Overall this is a sneaker that I’m glad Jordan Brand made with better quality; materials and production.  With retro releases like this, I am looking forward to what the future holds for Jordan Brand and their retro releases.

Jordan Brand:

www.jumpman23.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k3ndin0kfw

South Park: Butters

There are great TV shows, and then there are great TV characters.  These characters become so popular they become part of pop culture.  Pretty soon everyone is saying their catch phrases, wearing their t-shirts, and buying their toys.  What makes these characters so popular is how lovable they are.  For me, one of the most lovable TV characters has to be Butters from South Park.  Although he didn’t start off as a main character on the show, his personality was so bright that he soon started to get more attention.  Butters is just fun to watch because of his innocence and all the trouble he gets into with Eric Cartman.  Butters is more than just a one dimensional character, I also love his dark side with his alter ego Professor Chaos.

So when I first heard that Mezco was going to create a toy line based on South Park, I knew I just had to get Butters.  It took a while for me to finally get him, but he was worth the wait.  Mezco did an amazing job on this toy series.  To start with, I just love the packaging.  It comes in a clamshell plastic with the character and a South Park background, (the snow and mountains).  In keeping with what is in style with toys today, Mezco also decided to make the toys vinyl.  I really like this because it makes them look so much like themselves, which is amazing considering the TV show characters are all flat.

The paint job is also nice, although Butters does have a few minor issues with his green jacket (having a yellow stripe).  Accessories that are included are an extra pair of alternate arms, a hockey mask (which attaches to his head with elastics), and a “best friends” drawing (Butters with AWESOM-O).  Butters can also move his eyebrows and arms.  All in all these are great figures from Mezco, and I am very happy with the two versions I have.  Please be aware that two versions of Butters were released, one original and one variant (one is showing his teeth and the other is not).

Mezco Toyz:
http://www.mezcotoyz.com/
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCHfLZUgWY8

The List: Top favourite things

Another new category I have wanted to add to my blog has been a list of my favourite things.  This list can be made up of music, foods, TV shows, movies, sports stuff, or just anything in general.  It was inspired by the movie High Fidelity, where a bunch of dudes spend the whole day at work making up a list of their favourite things.  I can relate to this movie because I’ve spent (wasted) numerous hours with my friends at work just making up lists as well.  But I now want to include this category in my blog to be able to talk about the things that I love.

Although I do appreciate people that can post a video or blog about a particular movie or song, I much rather just say a couple of words and be happy.  The best part is that I don’t have to take it seriously, it’s just something I want to do just to have fun.  Hopefully the people that will read it will either agree/disagree with it and post a comment, or I will inspire them to something new they have never heard about.  I’m also hoping that by adding a ‘top favourite list’ it will allow me the chance to be able to write more in my blog, and improve my writing skills (since I have difficulty expressing my opinions).

“I agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like... Books, records, films - these things matter. Call me shallow but it's the fucking truth, and by this measure I was having one of the best dates of my life”

Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul

Title: Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul

Writers and Pencillers: too many to mention, lol (Peter Milligan, Grant Morrison, Don Kramer, Jason Pearson, etc.)

Published by: DC comics

I basically picked this graphic novel up in the library because it featured Batman.  As mentioned in an earlier post, I haven’t kept up with the comic book scene so I was totally lost with how this book started.  The introduction however did provide a nice review of the main characters and the story leading up to this graphic novel.  Wow, was I surprised to learn that Batman not only was going out with a woman named Talia (the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul) but that he also had a child with her named, Damian.  Regardless of that little bit of new information on the Dark Knight’s personal life, I started reading with optimistic intentions.

At first the story was easy to follow and the art work was cartoonish and colourful.  But then suddenly a new writer and artist took over and the story and drawings became more about action and resembled something close to Japanese Anime.  But as soon as I began to follow that story, the comic again changed the writer and artist and introduced new characters and sub-stories.  I just decided to read on and try to get by.  The story is basically about an immortal being, Ra’s al Ghul whose body is slowly decaying and so he must find a new body to use.  He believes that the only suitable body for him to enter is of his grandson, Damian.  Eventually Batman (Damian’s father) discovers his plans and sends Nightwing to protect his son while he goes after Ra’s al Ghul.  When Batman catches up to Ra’s al Ghul, Robin, Damian, Nightwing and Talia are there to help him.  Batman, then fights against Ra’s al Ghul in what I think are really nicely drawn action scenes that are well executed.

However the back and forth between writers to me is what made this graphic novel such a letdown, it simply did not connect each writer to one another resulting in many holes in the story line, and confusion.  The ending of the story I did not like as well because it was rushed choosing to stick with the generic ending of; good guy wins, bad guy promises revenge, all sub-stories (such as Robin wanting to join Ra’s al Ghul) vanish as if they never happened.  I would not recommend this graphic novel to anyone wanting to read a good story, however I’m sure Batman fans will appreciate the amazing drawings featured in the book.

Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Resurrection_of_Ra's_al_Ghul

DC Comics:

http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=9006

Air Jordan 2009

The first time I saw pictures of the Air Jordan 2009 I thought it was a joke.  From years past I knew that Jordan brand liked to release sample pictures to wet everyone’s appetite.  But if the 2009’s were a meal I would surely be on a hunger strike.  This has been the same story every year now.  Besides a few exceptions here and there, Jordan brand just isn’t releasing hot shoes anymore.  While I do love retro’s, I have always loved the newest Air Jordan’s because they were so creative, innovative, and used the best quality and materials.

These sneakers looked like nothing I had come to expect as a child from the brand, so when they released I passed on them (retail in Canada was over $229).  It didn’t take very long before the 2009’s made it to the outlets, when I finally decided to try them on.  My concerns were that the leather on the front toe of the sneaker would crease a lot, and that the raised heel support would feel awkward.  However when I did try them on, I was amazed that these concerns didn’t cause a problem.  In fact I was impressed by the quality of the sneaker, it was built with a lot of different kinds of materials such as leather, satin, and metallic mesh.  Living in Canada this has always been a priority for me; buying sneakers that had a lot of materials so my foot would stay warm.  For this reason and because they were on clearance I decided to buy the sneakers.

When it comes to the design of sneakers, now that I am older I prefer something more subtle and sleek.  I don’t want it to have straps, use bright colors, or have useless gimmicks.  Besides the jewel hologram, and placement of the white pieces, the 2009’s are what I like in a shoe.  I like to refer to it as being ‘here to work, not to play’.  And boy do these sneakers provide you with enough attributes to make them a shoe that will work hard.

The comfort is amazing thanks to the air sole and midsole, the laces are wide so they don’t come loose, the satin material conforms to the shape of the foot to provide a lockdown effect and yet is breathable, and the outsole provides amazing traction.  If you can find them for sale on clearance, these are the best sneakers you can wear as beaters.  I recommend the Air Jordan 2009’s to anyone that is looking for a great fall/winter sneaker, and that can overlook its design and instead love it for its quality and comfort.

The Air Jordan 2009:

http://www.nike.com/jumpman23/aj2009/

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1_ePZZpllA