old skool artist

AMAZING.

For years I was an avid BlackBerry user. It was all about the BB. The BB was the shizzo. The iPhone, leader of the opposition, was fully aware of this situation – *pumps fist in the air. Nothing else came close, or dared to come close, because all those players knew they’d be denied. And denied hard. Like, being denied by Price. Oh, what? All the haters up on my grill just like that? 4 goals on 8 shots THIS. Watch him school all those foolish boo-birds this season. Watch. (sorry… got a little off topic there for a sec.)

While having (the best) wings (ever), alongside a few pints on the patio at Shagwell’s with @Nock4Six last summer, she kindly (and tactfully) showcased her 3GS for me. I must admit, it did wow me a little, especially because she decided to (tactfully) use Twitter as her key bait during the presentation. She told me that once I go iPhone, I will never go back ;)

Fast forward almost a year later and we now both (currently) mack an iPhone4.

On iPhone4 launch day, after capitalizing on 3hrs of shuteye due to excessive drin… err, dancing, I skipped breakfast and glided my Porsche (secret ride that no one knows about) down the naked DVP. I was in line by 445am ET. There were already 21 crazy people in front of me, all waiting for their very own Ivana (my iP4). By 7:18am ET, Ivana was all mine. And so came the day I officially left Team BB and the lovely Bridgette (my BB 9000), and made my first steps toward joining Team iPhone.

7 weeks later and I’m now on the verge of going Onyx. A BB 9700, aka Natali. No “e”. Please spell her name correctly. You can call her Nat for short. We’ve been eyeing each other for a week. She’s kind of hot, I gotta say. The good news is, she does not know Bridgette.

Let’s get this clear once and for all. The iPhone4 is an AMAZING device. In the words of @smalrus – dope. (ok, that’s really my word but Spencer is my Run DMC homie in CT, and so it works.)

It’s sleek, fast, has wicked folders, good multitasking, amazing (often useless) apps, great camera, awesome HD video recording, decent battery life, etc. All the bells and whistles in one, compact unit. During these past 7 weeks I have barely touched my laptop, and digital camera for that matter. And this FaceTime business (that I have yet to use), blows my mind. Not to mention maps, which has saved me tons of time during my commutes.

October 7th was the day Ivana and I were to wed. @FlirtyJo was to be the maid of honour. The wedding has been called off. I am now entertaining a switch back to Team BlackBerry, and more specifically, the sexy and hot Natali.

@goaliegirl tweeted it best: BB is in my heart. Yowza. I’m thinking I’m meant to be a BB user for life. I don’t know… BB completes me. It just does.

It seems like Ivana was just a summer fling. And dayaaam, it was a lot of fun. Action-packed. I can’t believe the number of people who’ve contacted me in the past few days inquiring whether they can take over and date her. But at the same time, I’m not surprised. She’s in high demand, and rightfully so. She is, afterall, amazing. But still, I believe Nat is the one for me.

For those who know me well, I have a minor case of OCD. I like things in place, and organized. Ivana did that, but not the way Bridgette or Natali would. Ivana overloaded me, and at many times confused the shit out of me. I can’t explain it. I don’t know how. What a waste of a blog. I allowed you all to ride this much anticipated roller coaster, slowly making its way to the top in prep for a huge joyride drop, and all you got was a lousy plateau. I suck, but you all love me. Don’t pretend otherwise. Ok, fine…

For many, the iPhone4 will prove awesomeness. It did for me. But because we all have different personalities, some (me), will probably be more in sync with a BB. IMO, BB’s practical functionality beats the iPhone4, hands down. BB’s privacy features kick the iPhone4′s ass. (And Ivana is slim, with little booty, but the BB never misses.) Although I got used to the touchscreen in just 2 days, I still miss the BB’s physical keyboard. More BB pros include: better battery life, better fit for the hand (ah, yes!), more buttons to customize, longer charge cord, trackpad navigation with thumb way better than having to use entire touchscreen on the iP4, customizable sound profiles, no annoying pop-up text messages while you’re in the middle of something, and of course, BBM.

Bridgette and I will never get back together again, and it looks like Ivana is about to pack her Prada bags and leave, while Nat continues to force me to look at pictures of her on the interwebz. Water, The, Flowers. That one’s for @chile_pepper.

It was a passionate 7 weeks Ivana, and I wish you all the best. Bridgette, I hope you’ll speak to me soon. Natali, come to papi.

-kuyaz

Just a little over a month ago the minds of fans alike of Le Tricolore slowly began to envision, foresee, suspect; ever so cautiously, with a heavy feeling inside that there was a good chance this team will eventually lose one of its greatest players to have ever donned the rouge-blanc-et-bleu. As free agent day approached, saw, and sailed, I’m sure it’s safe to say that any die-hard Habs fan was perched at the edge of their seat every time Saku Koivu’s name appeared on a tweet, was heard on the radio, or seen on a website. The talks, possibilities, assumptions, and rumours, circled and figure-eighted over and over again, but parallel to all this was also a clear-cut map Gainey had placed on the table a while ago: there was only a glimmer of hope that Saku would be back in October. And as any true fan had probably experienced like myself, thinking back to just days ago, there was a small window in which this glimmer became an almost full-out ray of sun when Koivu stated he truly did not want to leave the city and team he adored and loved playing for his entire NHL career. Was Gainey willing to turn the pages back a few to get this done?

The end of an era arrived early yesterday afternoon, as all hopes came to a quick halt when the announcement was made that Koivu had signed with the Anaheim Ducks.

It takes no genius to know what an amazing individual Saku was and is. He is the epitome of class. A born leader, a great hockey player, a clutch forward any team would want out there in a shootout – stamina, endurance… driven both on and off the ice. To simply put it, a fantastic human being, whose charity work, especially for the city of Montreal, will never be forgotten. And to think that in 2001 he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma only to see him return to the Habs lineup not even a year later – what an unbelievable and incredible story. Who can do that? How was that even possible? Saku was all about determination and strength every single time, whether he was battling for a puck in the corner, or battling cancer. And if you need the word courage defined… well, there you have it.

Saku, we thank you. We thank you for everything you are and everything you have done for the Montreal Canadiens, for the city of Montreal, and for the fans. You are, and will always be a Hero to many, and deservingly so. A true class act. All the best in Anaheim.

-kuyaz

In your mind at this very moment, define this word “life”. Once you have, continue reading.

I often hear the phrase “life is short” and think to myself, is life not the longest entity one will experience ever? Here’s another: “Hey… that’s life.” What? What’s life? What do you mean? Please elaborate.

Life is not short nor is “that” life. No, that’s not life. Well, maybe partially, but you get my drift. I know, they’re commonly used expressions when times get tough and you feel trapped and helpless and the only thing easily done is uttering a few words to maybe, make you feel a little less trapped. No? You know what? Life is only difficult if you make it difficult. And that’s the bottom line. Why? Because I said so.

Sure this monstrous 4-letter word will throw you some sky-high challenges. And sure it’ll at the same time give you moments of great joy and pleasure. I’m no Dr. Phil, nor am I a rocket-scientist. And no, I’m not saying Dr. Phil is a rocket-scientist, nor do I wish to be associated with Dr. Phil in any capacity whatsoever. What I’m trying to say is simple, and Frighty and Colonel Mite said it best: “Life is what you make it.”

People who know me well will hear me say this all the time: “Everything happens for a reason.” And I strongly believe in this. I tell them, you may find out in 5 minutes, or tomorrow, or by week’s end, next year, or… never. But know still, that everything does happen for a reason.

My childhood and teen years, and well into my university era were quite amazing. I won’t lie. I was high on life and epitomized what Sagittarians are frequently generalized as – carefree. I lived life day by day, only sparingly thinking about my future. I was in true James Dean form: “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”

And so post my glory days I guess I was destined to be faced with that speed bump faintly in my path ahead. (Let’s pretend the weather was freezing rain mixed with ice pellets and my ride wasn’t macking Hankook snow tires.) Never would I have ever imagined, period. My forte in not allowing my inner-self and outer shell to fully unite was both leverage, and hindrance. Yet many years later, I find myself still standing tall. Six years later and I’m back on both feet – grounded, balanced, comfortable, feeling good, and now more than ever planning for my future, while still being in sync with living for the day.

This post is brought to you by the letter “L”.

Aim to complete, not compete. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, this is a motto to live by. You and your partner should complete each other. You and yourself should strive towards a sense of completion.

Complete, compete. Take note of which letter is making the difference here. Maybe we should introduce that letter to a good friend of ours… Life.

-kuyaz