michaelkim.ca - MK blog

Air, another French duo doing their their thing with a more chilled out vibe taking inspiration from Japan. Think about the music in Lost in Translation. In Toronto on Saturday, May 5, 2007.

Air Official Site |
Air Myspace
Astralwerks Records |
Buy At Amazon.com

Last time around was back in 1999, at a Syrous rave, also at the International Centre, Toronto. Good memories.

As a triber put it: “Total french house to overload my senses all night? Robots? Pyramid? Dirty Beats? why not”

One question I have is how the fuck do they see anything in those things? Do they just put in a tape and do the robot dance?

If you love organic coffee with a kick, good music and a casual vibe, check this place out. The bar is decked out in dark stained plywood with a white marble countertop. The back of the shop is covered with a black and yellow map grid of downtown Toronto. The lighting above the tables are home made and are really a smart idea to get some shades on a budget… single kitchen sink flipped upside down with a bulb sticking outta the drain. The menu is eclectic to say the least, and very unique. We sip on spicy white pepper espresso using fair trade beans and a hot apple as we listen to Cansei de Ser Sexy, Controller.Controller, and the latest Bloc Party.

“Nothing says COFFEE like crazy goats and rock ‘n roll” -Mercury Espresso Bar

Mercury Organic Espresso Bar
915 Queen Street East
647.435.4779

blog: mercuryorganic.blogspot.com
myspace: myspace.com/mercuryespressobar

Think of an izakaya, dim sum, lounge, bar all rolled into one. Trendy, but casual interior design, nice enough to bring a date, but also comfortable enough to treat your mom. Not totally asian and not the typical fusion fair, this Leslieville favorite caters mostly to the loyal neighborhood fanbase, but should slowly be recognized as a fave in Toronto. The meal started with a yummy complimentary mango martini. We ordered a plate of roasted pork ribs with baked cherry sauce and a side of yam/root veggies and also a $20 prix fixe consisting of freshly made dumplings, a curry based noodle main and a to-die-for signature dessert called the Kubo Flakey. Great meals with good prices.

Kubo Radio
894 Queen St. East, Toronto ON
416.406.5826

This is my 3rd week at Tucows and I’ve been, apart from trying to absorb every last piece of new info into a somewhat dysfunctional brain, so far it is turning out to be a kickass company with really smart, friendly people. So far I’ve had 2 weeks of pure training, 2 presentations where everyone from the receptionist to the the VP’s get to go and the monthly speech by the CEO. There is a sense of community here and I feel at home already.

I was introduced to the Internet back in 1995, back when I was slimmer and when I still had a glimmer of innocence left. Ah the good old days!… snapping out of dream… Of course back then, I would use Tucows as the defacto shareware site. At the time, Tucows stood for The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software. Our roots are still showing on the tucows.com website where shareware is still found, but we’re now more of a domain name wholeseller and a web services company.

The packed crowd at Lee’s Palace went totally bananas for Shout Out Out Out Out’s totally danceable high adrenaline set at on March 3, 2007. The band seemed genuinely surprised by the packed venue and the endless supply of screaming concert kids. They rewarded the crowd by putting on a show like no other with energy and high kicks to boot. Completely addictive!

michaelkim.ca - MK blog is now available on blogTO, Local Blogs section. I invite you to check them out as they have smart posts with useful info about everything Toronto. Thanks Tom for the add.

Enough said.

Sweet! After scouring the net, I finally found the perfect bike for the perfect price. I was able to snatch the Breezer Freedom 19.5″ from eBay for $171 US from a shop right here in Toronto. It’s super lightweight at only 32.5 lbs with a 7005 aluminum frame. It’s definitely not a heavyduty mountain bike nor is it a superfast racer, but it’s an excellent commuter with everything a city cyclist would need: comfortable upright riding, fenders to keep the splatter away, chainguard to save your pants, rear rack to hold all the crap I’m gonna be carrying, and it just oozes sexy. When I first saw it, i was reminded of the bikes of Amsterdam. The Dutch use them daily and live by their bikes which explains why every one of their bicycles looks like beaters. Guys in suits, girls in pumps and mini skirts, families riding together to go to a restaurant, club kids hitting the local afterhours, you name it, it’s the cyclist’s haven, a way of life. It’s the Amsterdam lifestyle, where staying fit and thinking green is the norm. We’ve got a lot to learn from the Dutch.

Good luck trying to find one of those urban bikes on this side of the pond. That’s why I was so happy to see the Breezer. Breezers are known to build quality commuter/specialty bikes for the North American market. Just check’em out. Now the search is on… to find a bike lock worthy of my ride with big chains, strong enough to hold down an oil tanker.