April 8, 2009 – Toronto, Canada

Wolverine, errr…Hugh Jackman speaks out regarding the post-production leak of this summer’s most anticipated movie.

Hugh Jackman who plays X-Man Wolverine in the newest installment of the X-Men movie’s, said yesterday that he was “heartbroken” that the film was leaked on the Internet a month before its official release.

The Australian star of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” said the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was on the case and he believed the guilty party would be found.
“It’s a serious crime and there’s no doubt it’s very disappointing — I was heartbroken by it,” Jackman told reporters at a promotion for the movie in Sydney. It seems this sort of thing spreads faster than celebrity gossip.

The leaked version of the 20th Century Fox action movie was reportedly downloaded tens of thousands of times within a day of being posted on file-sharing websites at the end of March.
“Obviously, people are seeing an unfinished film,” Jackman said. “It’s like a Ferrari without a paint job.” I really like this famous quote and take it from someone who saw this movie, his analogy is pretty much “bang-on”, the move is amazing and the unfinished parts do detract slightly from the overall enjoyment of the film.

The forty-year-old Hollywood heartthrob, named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine last year, said he was convinced that whoever had posted the copy would be tracked down.

Jackman arrived by helicopter on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, where some of the movie was filmed, for the first stop of a world promotion tour ahead of its official release at the end of the month.
He then delighted hundreds of invited guests and media by swooping down from a clifftop on a cable before unveiling 20 minutes of completed footage.

Jackman said he was proud of the fact that most people he has spoken to had condemned the leak and thought fans would still go to see it at the cinema.
The leak has already claimed at least one casualty — a US entertainment columnist who was fired for reviewing a stolen copy downloaded from the Internet.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, which owns both 20th Century Fox Films and Fox News, said writer Roger Friedman had been “promptly terminated” after posting his column on the Fox News website last week.
“We, along with 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, have been a consistent leader in the fight against piracy and have zero tolerance for any action that encourages and promotes piracy,” News Corporation said in an emailed statement.
“When we advised Fox News of the facts they took immediate action, removed the post, and promptly terminated Mr Friedman.”

Although I must admit I did see the pirated film at my weekly poker game (after all it was on the tv in the background I and I couldn’t just get up and leave). I will probably see it in the theaters and/or will buy the dvd.

Since we don’t have T.J Maxx in Canada (at least not here in the GTA) I decided to do a little patchwork on this funny story from over at the Onion.

While a majority of the nation’s top retailers have reported a decided slump in 2008, economists studying the declining consumer markets are still unable to determine if discount store Walmart has been affected by widespread recession.

Financial analysts, observing more than 100 locations nationwide, cited large quantities of off-brand and wildly scattered merchandise as evidence that Walmart has either been devastated by the economic downturn, or is carrying on as usual in spite of it.

“The state of this store does not in any way correspond to our standard criteria for judging long-term viability,” said economist Graham Stinson, referring to the Richmond Hill location, where more than half of the fluorescent lights are burnt out. “For instance, the canvas bins heaped with broken stemware in aisle six may be a sign that Walmart is on the verge of complete bankruptcy. Either that, or it’s doing perfectly fine. It’s impossible to say which.”

Further evidence of Walmart’s imminent foreclosure or, possibly, its wholly unaffected condition, included reports of shoppers rummaging through barrels of lamps up to their shoulders, multiple sightings of bras stuffed into children’s shoes, the impromptu sale of in-store display cases for cash, and an excess of golf-based giftware.

Although economists were able to make firsthand observations of customers rifling through overturned clothing racks, their requests to analyze the company’s financial records were met with confusion. Stinson and his team were eventually provided with a water-stained folder of handwritten receipts, but failed to make use of most of the data due to its ripped, soiled, and often indecipherable state.

Compiled interviews with customers also provided little insight. Many reported seeing “Cash Only, No Refunds” signs posted in every store and recalled having to climb over sacks of winter coats to reach clearance bins of mix-and-match earrings, leading economists to believe that the discount chain may be suffering after all.

“They must be doing really badly if they’re selling this crap really cheap,” said Toronto resident Brian Crowe, carrying an armful of L.A. Gear sneakers to his car. “You’ve got to take advantage before this place shuts its doors for good.”

Others, however, see Walmart poised to have a very lucrative year in 2009.

“That place must be doing pretty well,” frequent customer Mark Rankin said. “I just saw some guy walking around with an armful of L.A. Gear sneakers.”

With only one checkout lane remaining in most stores, some financial experts speculate that the retailer can no longer afford to employ workers. A two-week study of the Thornhill-area location did, however, turn up some minor evidence of a workforce, including the sighting of three folded shirts and a number of individuals smoking and playing Uno in the break room.

Let’s cross our fingers and hope Walmart continues to rollback their prices for a long time to come.

A 430-pound convict was released early from a Quebec prison because his jailers could not accommodate his huge frame.
Michel Lapointe, who served more than two years in jail on drug charges, was released Tuesday — three months early, Canadian news broadcaster CTV said.

The decision was made in May by a Quebec judge after prison officials said they were unable to find Lapointe a chair or table large enough to fit him.  Lapointe described his time in prison as “a living hell,” CTV said.

A mother and her son were flying Air Canada from Toronto to Vancouver. The son (who had been looking out the window) turned to his mother and asked, “If dogs have baby dogs and cats have baby cats, why don’t planes have baby planes?”

The mother (who couldn’t think of an answer) told her son to ask the flight attendant. So the boy asked the flight attendant, “If dogs have baby dogs and cats have baby cats, why don’t planes have baby planes?

The flight attendant responded, “Did your mother tell you to ask me?”

The boy admitted that this was the case.

“Well, then, tell your mother that there are no baby planes because Air Canada always pulls out on time. Your mother can explain it to you.

The crack-cocaine of gambling has Quebec’s gaming commission facing a potentially crippling payout as gambling addicts try to hold it responsible for downplaying the dangers of video lottery terminals.  A class-action lawsuit brought by a group of pathological gamblers is seeking compensation from Loto-Quebec for their addiction treatments.

With the plaintiffs claiming around 119,000 gamblers can trace their addictions to VLTs, a judgment could cost Loto-Quebec upwards of $500 million, excluding exemplary damages.  “Despite the fact that studies on the dangers of pathological gaming and its treatments were known, the defendant didn’t consider its obligation to warn users of the dangers of dependence,” the statement of claim reads.

None of the lawsuit’s claims has yet been proven but after several years of jumping through legal, the trial phase of the case will finally begin in Quebec Superior Court next month in Quebec City.  Launched in 2001 by Jean Brochu, a lawyer and recovering gambling addict , the lawsuit cites government reports that claim VLTs have been tied to pathological gambling.  Loto-Quebec denies such a link exists and says problem gambling should be considered a personal health issue rather than one of legal liability.

“At the current time, there exists no expert, recognized by his peers… who proposes that VLTs are the cause of pathological gambling,” the defence statement reads.  The Quebec government began to regulate VLTs in 1993. Before then, Loto-Quebec estimated there were between 25,000 and 50,000 black-market gambling machines operating in the province.

Now there are around 12,000 VLTs in the province’s casinos, bars and restaurants.  A court decision last year forced the gaming commission to release documents about gambling-related suicides at Quebec casinos.

Last week, Quebec’s newly appointed health minister reiterated some of the unease public officials have about state-sanctioned gambling.

Yves Bolduc said both the government and Loto-Quebec should take additional measures to fight problem gambling.

He floated the idea of cutting the number of VLTs in poorer areas of the province.  Loto-Quebec promised in 2004 to remove some 1,142 VLTs by 2007, but has acknowledged it is still short of that goal.  The gaming commission contributed $1.6 billion to government coffers in 2006-07.  This final tally just about says it all, the government needs the cash and does not care how it gets it.

So us Canadians are finally gonna get our shot at an iPhone, big deal right…but analysts say it’s aimed at a niche market and spending on the phone may not live up to its buzz.  Canadians will finally get their chance to buy the mobile phone that lets users play music, watch video, surf the Internet and check email when it rolls out Friday after hype and a price controversy.

Exclusive Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless (TSX:RCI.B) lowered the iPhone’s data price to $30 a month for a limited time just days before the launch.  Analysts said Thursday that while there’s a lot of pent-up demand for the high-end, touch-screen phone, only a small segment of consumers will buy it because of the costs associated with running it.

“The average person is going to look at this thing and say ‘Very cool, very nice phone,’ but am I willing to spend the money for a three-year contract at probably $70 to $80 a month minimum when you talk about voice and data,” said U.S. telecom analyst Jack Gold.

The new, faster 3G iPhone now sells for $200, less than half its price a year ago when the first generation of the phone was launched in the United States.  Rogers has the only Canadian network capable of running the new, faster iPhone and it has announced it’s cutting the data fee to $30 monthly for Web browsing, email and video on a three-year contract for customers who activate their iPhones by Aug. 31.

The iPhone will use 3G wireless technology on a GSM network, which is widely used in Europe and Asia and is about 70 per cent to 75 per cent of the global market.  Analyst Carmi Levy said Apple Inc.’s products generate a lot of buzz but that doesn’t always translate into sales.

“They generate a lot more awareness in the broad media than they do actual numbers of people purchasing them,” Levy said of Apple products.  Apple is a master at creating “aspirational buzz,” said Levy of Toronto’s AR Communications Inc.  “Apple wants that even if you can’t afford one of their products, that you will still want to buy it, you will still keep it on your wish list so that some point in the future you will be in a position to buy it,” Levy said. 

“It’s a relatively small, but devoted segment. The first (generation of ) iPhone sold about six million phones, give or take. The overall smartphone market is 10 times that much, 20 times that much,” he said of worldwide smartphone sales.  Apple has said it hopes to sell 10 million iPhones worldwide by the end of this year.

Rogers hasn’t said how many iPhones it has received to sell in Canada or would like to sell, but has said it has sufficient inventory.  Select Rogers stores will open up at 8 a.m. to sell iPhones in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary and Halifax.

Research In Motion’s BlackBerry and Apple’s iPhone are competing against each other, and other smartphone makers, in both the consumer and business markets.

Gold said the iPhone is still more of a consumer device even though some business people may want to use it. “The bottom line is that for most enterprises, the iPhone is not a legitimate competitor to BlackBerry at this point he said. Stewart also said he sees the iPhone as more of a consumer device than the BlackBerry.

“BlackBerry, it’s a work phone. It looks like a work phone and acts like a work phone,” he said, adding it’s the preferred choice for enterprise.  However, the iPhone is trying to attract business users.

Research In Motion’s new 3G BlackBerry Bold, out later this summer, could present a further challenge to the iPhone in the business market.  The BlackBerry Bold is designed for high-speed networks and is aimed at business professionals globally, allowing them to send and receive e-mails while also talking on the smartphone or surfing the Internet. I refuse to go on a data plan until our prices here in Canada get down a lot lower, closer to our US neighbours.

We will be starting  a fantastic series on what is cool and hot to do in Toronto.  We will be covering all the cool hang-outs, hot night spots and delicious eateries the city of Toronto has to offer.  Stay tuned and please submit your comments to participate.

Would you give up your underwear for peace?  Canadian women are being asked to volunteer their undergarments in an international effort to shame Myanmar’s ruling junta into giving citizens greater access to humanitarian aid and human rights. Organizers launched the Canadian edition of the Panties for Peace! campaign Tuesday with a call for women to send their underwear to the Myanmar embassy in Ottawa.

The campaign plays off regional superstitions that contact with women’s panties can sap a man’s power. Activists claim the fear is shared by the leaders of the country’s military regime. Spearheaded by a pro-democracy group based in Thailand, the campaign was launched in the fall to draw attention to human rights abuses against women in the country.  At the time, the junta was violently suppressing a pro-democracy uprising by the country’s Buddhist monks.  

The Canadian version of the international campaign, co-ordinated by the Quebec Women’s Federation and Rights and Democracy, hopes to also raise funds for victims of Cyclone Nargis.  More than 130,000 people are thought to be dead or missing in the wake of the cyclone that struck in early May. The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million survivors have not yet received any aid.

News organizations reported Tuesday that humanitarian workers have only just begun reaching the remote, hardest hit areas of the country.  Levesque said Rights and Democracy will funnel any money raised to known aid groups working along the Myanmar-Thai border. She refused to name the groups for security reasons.

Observer say the junta is worried successful aid operations will undermine its authority following the protests in the fall. According to the campaign’s organizers, Myanmar’s embassies in Europe, Australia and Brazil, among other places, have been receiving female underpants in the mail.  Personally I think they should only collect nasty soiled underwear and drop them on the military headquarters.

Canadians will find this one weird, a Missouri car dealer was bragging to local news that sales have soared at their auto and truck business since launching a promotion last week that promises buyers a free handgun or a $250 gas card with every purchase.

Max Motors, a small Butler, Missouri dealership that has as its logo a grimacing cowboy wielding a pistol, has sold more than 30 cars and trucks in the last three days, far more than its normal volume. And owner Mark Muller credits his decision to start offering buyers their choice of a $250 gas card or a $250 credit at a gun shop.

Every buyer so far “except one guy from Canada and one old guy” has elected to take the gun, Muller said. Muller recommends his customers select a Kel-Tec .380 pistol. “It’s a nice little handgun that fits in your pocket,” he said.

Muller said the promotion was inspired by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is vying with Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic nominee for the presidential election in November. “We did it because of Barack Obama. He said all those people in the Midwest, you’ve got to have compassion for them because they’re clinging to their guns and their Bibles. I found that quite offensive.”

“We all go to church on Sunday and we all carry guns,” said Muller. “I’ve got a gun in my pocket right now. I have a rifle in my truck. We’ve got to shoot the coyotes out here, they’re attacking our cows, our chickens. We’re not clinging to nothing. We’re just damn glad to live in a free country where you can have a gun if you want. This is the way it ought to be.”  Stories like this make me glad I live in Canada.

Tired of squeezing into cattle class and looking for somewhere to stretch out? Pay just 12 dollars more to sleep in the overhead luggage compartments of Canada’s Westjet … on April Fool’s Day.
 
“The overhead compartment has traditionally been a place where guests have placed their carry-on baggage,” Westjet vice president Bob Cummings said in a joke statement.

“Given that the overhead bins on our fleet are among the most spacious of any airline, we made the decision to offer sleeper cabins in that space,” he said of their fleet of 73 Boeing 737s.

“By offering our existing overhead bins as sleeper cabins, guests will now have the opportunity to lie down for a period of time and arrive at their destination refreshed, rested and ready to go.”

The statement was accompanied with a picture of a traveler comfortably nestled in an overhead bin bed with a pillow and a blanket.  I have seen hotel rooms in Asia that looks similar to those overheads, so I guess a lots of folks fell for this one.