RATE IT! Lost Finale

Did you watch it? I won't give away any plot details - as someone who detests spoilers and those who take such glee in spilling, I just can't go there.

I used to watch "Lost" religiously. Then a few seasons in, I got fed up and walked away. I've kinda dabbled a bit here and there this year and I did hunker down for the marathon finale which I LOVED. I really did. Have the puffy eyes to prove it. 


Now that's how a series finale should be done. 

RATE IT! Nike's Write the Future

The biggest sporting event on the planet is set to kick off in just a few weeks -- the World Cup! Here's a little taster from the brilliant folks at Nike...Write the Future.


Not only are all the football stars cool to see (Rooney! Ronaldo!) but check out the non-sporty types in it as well. Choice!


GO ENGLAND!!

HATE IT! London's 2012 Olympic Mascots

And to think that people were giving Vancouver aggro this year about their Olympic mascots!

Believe it or not, these weird beings are the official 2012 Olympic mascots for the London-based Games. Meet Mandeville and Wenlock. Yeah, they REALLY sum up Britain, London and the Olympics, don't they?


Kid-friendly? Don't think so. They're ugly and not in a good way. Ugly Dolls can rest safe in the knowledge that kids like creatures with some personality - Mandeville & Wenlock have all the warmth and cuteness of a TV tower.


(photo: Matt Dunham/AP)

RATE IT! Re-issue Mania

It seems that every band and their brother are re-releasing their back catalogues as re-mastered extravaganzas with bonus never ever released tracks, old videos and TV appearances...the mind boggles.


In my own little musical corner of the universe I've picked up such re-releases by Saint Etienne and Duran Duran...and am currently eyeing up the first album of The Charlatans which is also being re-jigged for mass consumption. 


Often such releases are a waste of hard earned cash. If you love a band like I do, chances are you pretty much own everything that they've ever put out. Sometimes in more than one format but it has to be said at least in the cases of my aforementioned faves - Saint Etienne and Duran, the re-releases *are* worth shelling out for. 


The re-dos for Duran Duran's first album (pictured above), and their third, 'Seven and the Ragged Tiger' just arrived in my mailbox yesterday --and the 'Tiger Bay' set for Saint Etienne followed this morning. I haven't had much time to play around with 'Tiger Bay' as of yet, but the St. Etienne previously issued deluxe editions for 'Continental', 'Foxbase Alpha,' and 'Sound of Water' were all stellar and valuable additions to my music library. Now with the Duran sets, both clad in boxes with all sorts of goodies inside -- pictures, mini posters and the like..ooh, I feel like a Smash Hits reader all over again -- are really something special.

For such a visual band that paved the way for music videos, it's a big relief that they're all here included on an extra disc. Yep, this album's hits  'Girls on Film', 'Planet Earth' & 'Careless Memories', songs that we all know & love are included, but they have company! A whole section of never released clips from UK TV appearances -  from the early days of Duran - are along for the ride too. They. Are. Priceless.  Worth the purchase price alone!! Best of the lot, the extended video version for 'Planet Earth' - shot very low budget in the Rum Runner nightclub in Birmingham, England with their new romantic fan base posing & dancing about in amazing get-ups. So so cool! And the eye makeup on Simon Le Bon is a thing of beauty! 


Ah, it's such a shame that you can't tele-port yourself back into a by-gone time period and participate. Looks like so much fun with all that makeup and foppery!

RATE IT! Melrose Place Bites It

FINALLY! Our television prayers have been answered. The CW *finally* has cancelled the smarmy re-deux of 'Melrose Place'. 

I've been waiting a long time for this news...and to make the day even better, the CW renewed 'Life Unexpected' -- so a crappy, trashy show goes bye bye and a smart, witty, gem of a show sees another day. Hurrah!

Now if they could only do something about dropping 90210...

RATE IT! Ice Cream Ring

Whoo hoo! 


Ring in the celebrations today at Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square ~ it's the arrival of Dairy Queen's Blizzardmobile! ~ with this timely piece from Fred Flare.


Cute, summery and sure to put a smile on even the most grinchiest of faces.

RATE IT! May Blizzards

Springtime in Canada, eh? It's not unheard of to have a few snow flurries here in May, I mean it happened just last week (not in Toronto but outside of it. Brrr). Geez, I feel like I'm tempting fate just mentioning that weather fact -- but to make up for this little faux pas, let me tell you about *another* icy blast travelling through our neck of the woods that is a GOOD thing!


The Dairy Queen Blizzardmobile -- it's HERE! Well, tomorrow it will be here in Toronto at Yonge-Dundas Square at 11am sharp. Bring your appetites and your sunscreen (yep, it's gonna be a scorcher out there) and spend your lunch hour celebrating the 25th anniversary of our best friend, Blizz!