I have switched to a new blog:

http://ryanownsthesky.wordpress.com/

My little girl turns 2 years old today!



Party on Saturday for her 1-4 in Ajax.

If you're interested in coming by to say Happy Birthday to her, please contact me or Sarah for location and directions.

Astro is back...fatter but just as playful.

SOLD!!

I've only used it a handful of times and works great.

Asking $60, I paid $200 for it originally. I am also throwing in a case for it.



P.S. If you don't buy it, it automatically means you aren't my friend

P.P.S I might or might not be sending Liam Neeson a script soon.

P.P.P.S. Dieting is balls

Thought I'd share with you all Me, Jess, and Dan's apartment. This is only the top floor of it, more photos to come later...





I am loving my Nikon D-40!

Going to be 26 this year, it's not even funny anymore

The dream started with Jess and I walking down Toronto, which looked a lot different than it does now. Strip clubs and worn down streets everywhere. Yet the Zanzibar still lay intact. The dream then cut to Macho Man Randy Savage now sporting his own reality show where he will go around and pretend to rob places only to reveal that it was just a joke. Did I mention, his reality show took place in space?? So Macho Man went to a a little corner store just outside our atmosphere and began to faux-rob the shop keeper. However, the shopkeep seemed to be used to being robbed and as Macho Man pulled a gun on him, the shopkeep pulled one out himself and began to shoot at Macho Man (note: I guess the lack of gravity didn't apply here, I don't think you can shoot a gun in space and have it work effectively, one can easily step away from the path of the bullet). So Macho Man panicked nd jumped into his little space vehicle and hurdled back to Earth. However, he collided with a giant Asteroid which happened to be on a rapid pace towards Earth.

We now cut to Earth. Jess and I and a bunch of friends from High School and now are at some sort of outdoor cooking party. There was a little kiosk where you can bring basic ingredients for your favourite food and these cooks will make the best dish of it you have ever had. So I bring French Toast, which happens to be one of my favourite foods (but doesn't come close to cabbage rolls). As I wait, I notice a bring light which happens to be orbiting the planet at a fast rate. I instantly think it's an asteroid and I begin to warn people. No one takes me seriously. Jess becomes embarrassed and walks off. Eventually it is certain that the bright light is an asteroid and everyone begins to panic. I desperately begin to search for Jess but I am unable to find her. As more people panic and run away, the asteroid is ever so close, to the point where the earth is strobing a blue, red, and yellow colour. I find Jess and tell her that I love her and am happy to spend my last minutes with her. She acts hesitant, and instead of hugging me, she stabs me with a dagger in my lower back, pushes me over, and runs away.

The asteroid collides with the Earth, but strangely I find myself alive. Everything around me is obliterated. I begin to walk around to find survivors and safe ground. I begin receiving text messages from people saying that they are alive. Of course, I had to check my Facebook, and have a few messages. One from Remi saying that he is alive up North in a place that has been unaffected by the asteroid, I've also been tagged in pictures from the asteroid panic. My friend Lindsey Culkin sends me an angry message about me not telling her that Jess and I were going out for the sole purpose of going on a double date with her and her fiance. So I decide to try and find Jess and head that way. I come to a small town that seems to have some sort of structure to it, buildings are burnt but still stand. I find Jess in a restaurant and hurry her way. Before I get there, my friend Mike Harron comes by and tells me not to approach Jess because she is pissed. He then confidently tells me to wait one second, he goes in, talks to Jess, then comes out winking at me. So I go in, and Jess is even more pissed than before. When I ask her what's wrong, she says that she saw my very first "girlfriend" when I was 4 years old. When I try to explain to her that I was 4 at that time, she runs off!

I then go to a swimming pool to wipe off all the dust and blood off of me. Before I can jump in, the lifeguard tells me that I can't go in because I had blood on me. I remembered that Jess had stabbed me, but I then remember that I sewed the would up myself. I then spend the rest of my dream trying to find Jess. Please note that Jess isn't actually irrational like this, she's sweet and wouldn't bring stuff up like that. I guess that's why I found it quite funny that she was so angry in the dream.

I just found out that I kept her up until 3AM last night snoring and talking in my sleep. Perhaps her frustration channeled itself into my dream.

Dun Dun Duuuun.

Yesterday we celebrated June's second Christmas.

June got lots of toys which included Elmo Live, A slide, and various other gifts that she loved. We also received some wonderful gifts from June's Mom and Step Dad.

I also got a Nikon D-40 for Christmas, so I went a little camera happy!





Also, Sarah and Simon sent us along a picture of June and her baby brother Owen for Christmas. I am still blown away about how fast June has grown, she looks so grown up here!




P.S. I Love You Jess

To you and yours

Hey again,

So over the last year I've been contemplating whether or not I should end my 6 year reign writing an online journal. I originally made it so friends could stay updated with my life, troubles, happiness, etc. There certainly have been many ups and downs haven't there. I find lately that I've been the most consistent when it comes to my mood, drive, ambition, etc. It's hit a point where I really don't have much to complain about anymore or really share that you don't already know.

It's become a burden actually at times. I have entries that date back to early 2003 and a lot has happened since. I've been through a lot of relationships. Some bad, some good. But I feel that it's kind of unfair for someone that I am in a relationship with now to read old entries about me being happy (then unhappy) in a relationship. It makes them uncomfortable and I don't blame them. They may feel like I am acting the same way to them as I did with others. Of course this is untrue, but how are people supposed to know, right?

Thirdly, and I don't mean this out of selfishness, but I don't think many people even read my journal anymore. No longer do I get responses to what I write and the creative projects I work hard on. I begin to lack motivation to write and when I do write, it's pretty half-assed and repetitive. I personally feel that in the near future, I need to channel my creative energy towards more beneficial projects like scripts, photography, and music instead of a daily journal of mainly nonsensical banter.

I am a very easy person to get a hold of and I feel if I do decide to end my 'LJing', people can still pop me an email, phone call, and dare I say Facebook?

Good movie equals this one:

Top 5 Best Albums of 2008
1. "At Mount Zoomer" - Wolf Parade
2. "In Field & Town" - Hayden
3. "Oceans Will Rise" - The Stills
4. "Boxer" - The National
5. "Alone: Home Recordings By Rivers Cuomo" - Rivers Cuomo

Honourable Mention: "Missiles" - The Dears

Top 5 Disappointing Albums of 2008
1. "Weezer" - Weezer
2. "Elephant Shell" - Tokyo Police Club
3. "In Our Bedroom After The War" - Stars
4. "Way To Normal" - Ben Folds
5. "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends" - Coldplay

Dishonorable Mention: "Narrow Stairs" - Death Cab For Cutie

My Top 3 Best Movies of 2008
1. There Will Be Blood
2. The Dark Knight
3. Cloverfield

Honorable Mention: Tropic Thunder

My Top 3 Worst Movies of 2008
1. The Happening
2. Saw V
3. Passchendaele

Dishonorable Mention: Iron Man

Friends,

So after contemplating what film to write next, I realized that I wanted to revisit a film that Kevin Dowse and I wrote back in my college days. The script was written as a 20 minute film and pitched as my 3rd year project in college and got an instant green light (that means approved). We were then forced to make make the 3rd year films now 10 minutes, and we simply could not cut it down to that length without affecting the script dramatically. So, alas, we were red light and life goes on right? WRONG.

Well, not wrong, because I've decided that I want to shoot this now. It's not difficult. I have the actors, just not a big crew right now. However, I have until the end of Spring for pre-production on this bad boy. I met with my friend Phil Berg who will be my cinematographer and we went over some ideas, re-wrote the script and adding in new sub-plots and we absolutely love it! This new found energy and excitement has propelled us into pre-production and I suppose if any of you are interested in helping us out in the Spring, please let me know.

Here's a brief synopsis of the film:

In the year 1953, Josef Stalin fakes his death and cryogenically freezes himself in order to spread his communist beliefs in a later, more advanced time and place; Canada 2009. Stalin is awakened in present day by his humble followers and is informed of the world's current Capitalist state and the demise of his beloved Communism. Defeated, he wonders the city and is disgusted at what he sees. He then realizes that in order for him to fit back into society, he will have to seek employment.

He takes refuge in a school library flipping through job listings. However, all require a High School diploma. He then understands that he will have to enroll in School and start over. As he tries to register, he is rejected because of his forged registration. With a stroke of luck, Stalin steals the registration form of a kid who resembles him immensely named Joey Stillman.

Stalin enters his classes instantly becoming the brunt of everyone's jokes and teased as the new kid. He befriends a fellow nerd named Clive. Clive teaches Stalin how to behave so he won't get picked on. Stalin then notices that a High School election is coming up and this would be the perfect opportunity to spread his communist beliefs on a small scale. Stalin is confronted by Andrew Blume, a popular rich student who appears to be the front runner to win the election. Andrew threatens Stalin and Clive and tells him not to run or he will ruin their lives.

This drives Stalin to begin his campaign with the help of Clive. Will Stalin defeat Andrew in the school election? Most importantly, can he revive his Communist legacy? Or will be be defeated or even worse, will his true identity be revealed?

Here's the poster we had for it back when it was in production. Ignore the credits:


The title "Four Year Plan" comes from Stalin's self proclaimed Five Year Plan
to spread communism around the world. I called this 'Four Year Plan' because High School is 4 years...huh huh?

My little girl is going to be 2 in three weeks!

I glanced at the Golden Globe nominees and rolled my eyes once again when I saw Entourage in the best TV Comedy nomination category. Please note, I work in the film industry, the Canadian one, so I know shitty shows when they come along. I can't understand for the life of me how Entourage season after season is praised by critics and one dimensional college frat boys who dub it as "The guys bible".

There is absolutely nothing at stake - seriously, NOTHING ever goes wrong in this show! It's all about gain, gain, gain which causes the characters to never advance and develop. The show is filled with flat, typical, and misogynistic caricatures (Turtle and the other guy) and is also a horrid depiction of the film industry. Overall, it's a lame Sex And The City for guys; an unrealistic and eyerolling male fantasy. There is no satire, again no stakes/obstacles, and Mark Wahlberg is now a douchebag...even more now because of The Happening.

Overall, it's an unrealistic peace of garbage that might as well be written by horny 18 year old rich kids who really need to get laid and 200 cc's of reality.


Ladies & Gentlemen, the New Kids On The Block...

Dear Guy on Subway,

What made you in your right mind, think it would be funny to tell a helpless woman that the subway was going North, not south? If it wasn't for the kind people telling her that you were just being a jackass, then she would have succumb to your idiotic trickery. Seriously, what the fuck? I then listened in on your conversation about how some "dude" did that to you and it was so funny that you went two minutes the wrong way, that you just HAD to do it to someone else; we all know two wrongs make a right. I then listened in more and heard you bragging about how you've been charged 3 times with D.U.I. Wow, give yourself a round of applause. We all know how "ill" it looks to see a guy swerve his BMW up to the Brass Rail and get out drunk and assume girls are licking their lips at him. You seem proud of this feat. Yet, do you know if you are caught three times drinking and driving, your license is suspended for life? When the guy mentioned that you, your excuse was the following.

"Ya but, the Cops can't prove that I was drinking while driving if I'm sittin' in ma' truck drinkin' while it's idling".

FAIL. Even if you are caught in the front seat of your car intoxicated, you can be charged and lose your license. This isn't something to brag about, loser. Also, why are you wearing sunglasses inside the Subway car? Are you Cory Heart? Seriously, where is the attraction is these types of people? I guess it's their cash, but what living, rational being would want to converse with such an egotistical, misogynistic prick who brags about drinking and driving?

I'd like to see him brag about peeling off the remains of school children on the front of his car with a spatula.

Grow up douche bag.

We decided to take some cheesy pictures infront of the tree and also some pictures of Junebug.

See below, yo.






Tree posing and awkwardly placed semi-family portraits...



Alas, I will leave you with the reason why I will never want to bang Hermoine Granger:

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Thought I would add an entry about the things my 23-month old daughter does and says:

- When asking June what colour her coat is, she replies with "Pink". However, when I ask her what colour Daddy's coat is, she responds with "Pink"!
- She can now count to ten.
- She constantly repeats words when you ask her to. "Cool", "Whoa", "Astro", "Shane", "Papa", "Daddy", "Doggy", "Swimming"...I even had her try and say "Paparazzi" when I was taking a picture of her.
- When eating food, I taught her to make a "Nom, nom, nom" sound.
- We play a game where I chase her around and I will corner her and she will run between my legs and I will always yell "Hey!!" and she repeats it.
- Even though it's diminishing, her gibberish is hilarious. When she climbs something she says over and over "Kunie, kunie, kunie!"
- My favourite so far was waking her up at 8AM. I walked into her room and sat on her bed looking really tired. June walked over to me, put her hand on my shoulder and said "Awww, okay Daddy".
- If you pretend you're sleeping, she will run over to you and try and wake you up. When you wake up, she will say "awww" and hug you.
- She absolutely loves to eat berries (blueberries in particular), and if she wants more, she will say "Mo' bewwies!"

Anyway, she's been the joy of my life, and having Jess giving me such joy, I really really like I'm in my happy place right now. I have June tomorrow and we're going to watch Christmas movies. I am so very proud and thankful for Sarah and Simon for raising her so very well. June is so caring, smart (so advanced for her age), joyful, social, and so damn funny. Just having her for two days every other week is tiring (I love it though), they are so good with her on a full time basis. I look up and are blessed to have both of them in June's life.

For those of you who have met June, please feel free to add a June-ism that you have witnessed (even if you haven't met her, but enjoy her videos)



I plan on making a DVD from January 2008 - December 2008 with her. We had that done last year and I want to do this until she tells me to stop ;)