Nick Drake

Mick Jagger and Jackson Browne had a lovechild

Nick Drake is easily one of the most underrated musicians in the 20th century. He would have preferred in that way. As mentioned by fan friends and Wikipedia, Nick was a very depressed and private man leading up to his overdose. Nick never reached platinum status or gold certified or whatever commercially credible term you can think of. He was a terrific songwriter, talented lyricist, impeccable guitar player and had a powerfully mellow voice. Pink Moon is to Bryter Layter as what Nevermind is to In Utero: the former is more popular but the latter is more personal and impactful.

The Squid and the Whale

"Yeah it's Kafkaesque, cause it was written by Kafka."

After Jeff Daniel's fall from popularity and before Jesse Eisenberg became famous for his really good performance in The Social Network the two delivered the best performances of their careers (so far) as father and son Bernard and Walt Berkman coping with the shittiness that is divorce and joint custody. The acting, writing and sountrack make it more than worthwhile, but there's something unexplainable, perhaps that all the elements work well together making for a classic indie that is definitely influenced by new-wave French cinema and Woody Allen. It's also written and directed by a guy named Noah.

Toronto Centre Island (Olympic Island)

The Island of Dr. Morefun

I've come around from the days when I was convinced Toronto was just a big urban jungle with skycrapers, Bay Street businesspeople and parking lots. These things account for more than enough in this great city, but on the bright side there are hundreds of spots with mucho greenery. Olympic Island is a mere $7 and 5 minute ride away from Bay and Lakeshore; it's a terrific place to toss a frisbee, walk on the beach, grab some treats, embrace serenity. And when you make your first million, buy a yacht and live it up on one of the private islands.

Smoked Gouda

You know when you listen to a great band for the first time and you wonder, why did it take so long for me to check them out? Growing up I was what you would call a non-adventurer when it came to food. I was surprisingly satisfied with all those plain foods that lacked flavours and spices, the two fundamentals I’ve come to salivate over in the last decade.  I loved pasta salad, cereal and other boring foods. When it came to cheese I ate cheddar and mozzarella. Why did it take so long for me check out smoked gouda?

Smoked goodness right here

Breaking Bad

From Hal to Hell

Why did it take so long for me to get into Breaking Bad? Even my parents beat me to the punch! This is a roller coaster of a show, a stellar piece of writing and a tour de force from the actor who Jerry once accused of converting to Judaism for the jokes. This show has everything, and then some. Beneath the domestic family struggles and ruthless drug world, this is a character study of two men undergoing major life transformations. Watch how shocking and entertaining their actions affect themselves and everyone around them. Chemistry has never been so hardcore. 

David Sedaris

The writer is in

When I complete this blog, I will have likely written about my three favourite authors, the only three authors I read. What Klosterman, Quarrington and Sedaris have in common is that they’re deeply insightful and outright hilarious, but they’re funny in very different ways. Klosterman is funny in an angry, satirical fashion, Quarrington highlights the subtle humour of humanity and David Sedaris is funny in a snobby-but-right kind of way, drawing from his bizarre and quirky encounters with family and society.  Pick up When You Are Engulfed in Flames among others to discover how funny and enriching memoirs can be.