Oj Simpson back in the news. The guy who cut off the guys head on the bus allowed to visit beaches. Angelina Jolie removes her breasts.  Prescription plastic surgery. Discussion on readily available beauty. Purchasing personality. Eugenics. The next 50 years will be our success or failure as a species.

Barbara Walters retires. Charles Ramsay update. Black Witness news. Trailer for Gravity and White House Down. Thought of the day.

Twitter: @SexWithDrJess
Facebook: SexWithDrJess
Website: SexWithDrJess.com

Episode Summary: Messed up audio. Amanda Berry Found. Charles Ramsey Interviews + Liar, but still incredible. Dr Jess joins us. How she got started. Playboy TV. Sexual History. Zach’s Personal Questions + Porn. Questions Answered. Squirting. Oral. Size Doesn’t Matter. Circumcised/Uncircumcised. Orgasms. Bianca’s News. Thought of the Day.

- Movie 42, Review/Discussion
- Amy Schumer’s New Show
- Bieber and Gomez
- The Great Gatsby, Predicting a Flop

Starbucks story, and why we have no future. Baby nation. Everybody can’t be good at everything! We don’t teach failure anymore. Learning to ride a bike.

Jason Collins comes out as a gay man. Is coming out still a big thing? Charles Barclay. Crucifying people with opinions. Don Cherry’s take on women in the changeroom after the Duncan Keith comment. Grandma’s opinion. Zach agrees with Don Cherry. We’re not all equal.

Thought of the Day: Fail, Fail Often, and Learn from it.

Boston bombings. Conspiracy theories with backpacks, pictures, videos and quotes. Audio of them saying “We didn’t do it”? Something to consider about “The Siege”. The media are awful. Shitty reporting to terrorize people. The police scanner controversy.

AJ Clemente is the best video clip ever. It’s so damn funny! Gay fucking shit! His Twitter feed. Twitter follow. Ryan Lochte is the male Kim Kardashian. Has nothing going on in that brain. Great clip. All in the Family “England is a Fag Country” clip. Bianca’s News – Seth MacFarlane asked to do Oscars again. Reese Witherspoon. Backstreet Boys Star. Thought of the Day.

Recently (and hitting the mainstream today) an ad for Hyundai’s new whatever technology stirred a ton of controversy and outrage because the ad features a man trying to kill himself with the exhaust from his car. The ad wasn’t seen by many eyes until Holly via Copybot wrote about her dad’s suicide in a similar fashion and how it stirred her emotions. Her post has gone viral, and has the social media world ablaze with rage towards Hyundai and their marketing agency, Innocean.

Now, normally I’m the last one to be offended by something that pushes the boundaries… Maybe I’m desensitized by all the things you see on the internet and on TV (the last time I actually was really grossed out by gore was during Shaun of the Dead – but granted I was pretty depressed at the time, so that might have contributed to my disgust then,) but I just find that a lot of people are looking for things to get offended over. It seems to be what our society likes to do now – get mad at something and pile on. So, while I am sorry to hear about Holly (CopyBot)’s story, it’s not because of her that I feel the Hyundai ad is terrible…

I feel the Hyundai ad is terrible because, well, it is! Again, as I said, I like edgy. I like controversial.. but I like feeling good. And this ad didn’t leave me feeling good. It left me feeling gross, sad, depressed… you CAN be edgy and push boundaries without making me feel that way. AND you can do it in a car commercial. Here’s an example of one that does deal with suicide by Volkswagen.. It’s very controversial but in a way that didn’t leave me feeling sad.

GM also added a bit of suicide into one of their ads back during the Superbowl a couple years ago. I’m conflicted on this one, in that I don’t feel happy about it – but I’m also not offended by it… maybe it’s the fact they used a robot instead of a human, but I can’t help but think about the dying (sorry) car business and make the connection between former plant workers…. But, still… not as personally offensive as the Hyundai ad.

Hyundai just announced that the ad was never intended to be seen by the public… but it still begs the question why they would even make it in the first place… If Ford is any example of a ‘leaked’ ad, well then we can surely expect to hear about some firings at Innocean/Hyundai over the coming weeks/months.

Lesson to learn? Suicide is rarely (yes, rarely… but go ahead and comment below how it’s never) funny and in the internet era… treat things you don’t want the public to see like a sex tape. Very private, or deleted. Unless, of course, that’s what you want to be known for.

Get the Stitcher App, and/or go to iTunes to rate/review and subscribe!

Michelle Shocked doesn’t like the gays. The Nicole Sandler podcast’s bizarre interview with Michelle Shocked. Bianca’s News! Halle Berry is pregnant. Chris Brown + Rihanna breakup. Third piece of news, Bianca makes jewelry.

Meg going to Boyz II Men. Meg speaking at Star Business Club Breakfast on April 24th. She is hosting a webinar on April 15th about making the most of your small marketing budget.

(Apologies for over modulated sounds). Zach’s rant about people not following their passions. Windows 8 is terrible. Party People TO event. Zach’s Project Panda via A Sponsored Life. Working with companies. April Fools Day. Zach’s Dad calls in. Baseball starts today – a terrible, terrible sport. Kevin Ware. Joe Theismann.

Bianca has the News.
- Hermes $90,000 Shirt.
- Amy Poehler Dating
- This is the End
- April Fools: Lindsey Lohan

The best song ever: Eatin’ Pussy + Kicking Ass from The Ben Show.

Rob Ford a drinker? Zach’s seen him drunk. He has demon teeth. He’ll probably get re-elected. The Game of Bagpipe Covers of Popular Songs! Bianca on the Gay radio station. Thought of the day.

Marriage proposal on live news, kind of awkward. Big girl the Buttmuncher goes on a rant. Responding to text messages. A not racist “Why Id Hate to be Asian” (PS. It’s racist.)

Ashleigh’s school project on Zach. Meg is Toronto’s Social Media It Girl. Then we play a clip of Zach sleep talking and start to psychoanalyze him. Thought of the day.

Please Go subscribe on iTunes! (AND RATE/REVIEW!)

Please Go subscribe on iTunes! (AND RATE/REVIEW!)

Meg was late! The Leafs. Zach is looking better. Social media spectacular show! Michael McDonalds Birthday!

Our Panel Today:
Jaclyn Klein – Community Manager at Uniiverse.com @Jacmklein @Uniiverse
Corey Herscu – Owner of TheCellularGuru.com @CellGuru
Peter McGregor – Social PR Manager at Toronto PR Firm Strategic Objectives @peterfromottawa @SO_pr

Topics:
- Siri
- Rage in Social Media
- Collective
- Jobs
- Self Promotion
- What is an Influencer
- Maverick_PR’s Tweet
- Social Media Recycling
- Lashing Out
- Social Media = World of Warcraft.
- Going Back in Time
- Google +
- “Sponsored” on Facebook
- Zach + Corey Frenemies and a Seriously Uncomfortable Moment
- Social Media Dating
- Breaking up in Social Media, Do you Split PR companies?
- The Harlem Shake
- Most Bloggers Don’t Think About Quality
- Bloggers Need to Evolve – Community + Connecting with Audience
- Social Media Crisis
- Personal Empathy Online and Online Community

Go subscribe on iTunes! (AND RATE/REVIEW!)

New new studio! Naturally problems. Miss Social. Ben Affleck. Mark Walhberg. Ashton Kutcher. Tom Cruise. @JStaffz will be on the show today. Zach’s first rap hit. Baby Tattoos. Superbowl Lineups. Beyonce is a fake. Anne Hathaway overacts acceptance speeches and/or might be in the throws of constant orgasm.

JStaffz joins us and we talk about Rick Ross shootings, producing for Tony Yayo and G-Unit, Wiz Khalifa, stolen tracks, money, Chris Brown and much more.

http://youtube.com/jstaffztv
http://twitter.com/jstaffz
http://instagram.com/jaystaffz

And his album will be out on February 14th at JStaffz.com!

PS. I am not high in this picture… just a terrible shot of me… as always.

It’s cold outside. Christmas talk. (Topical right?) Grandma gifts. My Dick songs. Al Roker Pooped Pants. Zach Story. George Brett Story. Oscar talk. D-Jango, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook. Life of Pi. Quentin Tarrantino Shutting Your Butt Down. Samuel L Jackson ‘N’ Word. Clean Flicks and why the most conservative are always up to the weirdest stuff. Blockbuster closing.

Inauguration Talk. A freudian slip?! On FOX of all places. Beyonce Lip Syncing. All Poems are Terrible! Contact. Alicia Keys gives a singing speech. Meg talking at Schulich. Thought of the Day!

We’re back after an extended absence. Congrats to Val! Show resolutions. Meg’s Mexican BPM festival stories. Tequila Sunrises. Resort Life: Everybody was under 21. Zach has no game. Bar story. Sorta hookup. Rent a Cop.

The Golden Globes. Jodi Foster. Jennifer Lawrence. Taylor Swift. One Direction. Claire Danes. Lisa Dunham. Michael J Fox was rather stable. Best Dressed, Worst Dressed and more. Short hair. Oscar Plans.

Alex Jones on Piers Morgan. Suicide Mass Murder Pills. Gun control. Miss Iowa.

ALSO PLEASE GO RATE, REVIEW + SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES. Please? :)

Next week is going to be exciting! How exciting? Well, I’m stepping up to the plate to be the Rookie of the New Year by partnering with the great people at Uniiverse! I need to explain don’t I?

Alright, first off Uniiverse. Uniiverse is a website that allows everyone to meet people, connect, access the skills of others, learn and even make some money! It is essentially a market place for each other. Someone in your neighbourhood might have a parking spot they don’t use that you can rent by the month. Someone in your building might own an incredible vacuum cleaner you can rent for a day. Someone in your city might know how to lay flooring and can teach you and others in a day. YOU might have a skill you can teach, or something you can rent to people. I’m not even doing it justice in this explanation, so go check out Uniiverse.com!

So, Rookie of the New Year. Uniiverse has five events next week and I am going to be attending them all! AND I WOULD LOVE if any of you are interested in joining me, to sign up as well (especially for the flying yoga, cause I’m going to feel like such a goof). 2013 is all about learning something new, new experiences and trying things!

Monday, January 14: Intro to Flying Yoga class - $28
I am truly terrified for how embarrassing this is going to be! I am so out of shape, and have never done yoga before! I believe this is the only flying yoga supplier in Toronto right now! So if you’re done with that bikram silliness, come give this a shot.

Tuesday, January 15: 3D Printing for Beginners Class - $49
3D printing has to be one of the most fascinating developments in some time. Basically, you can build anything with these printers! I can’t wait to see these in action!

Wednesday, January 16: An Intro to DSLRs, DSLR Basics - $40
Now, I know everyone has a DSLR these days… except me! I’m intending to borrow one for this workshop to learn some basics of how they work. Maybe then I can actually get one of my own! If you received one for Christmas, this is a perfect opportunity to get some info.

Thursday, January 17: An Intro to Silkscreening - $49
I know some of the basics on silkscreen printing, but not exactly how it’s done. So, looking forward to learning all about it here!

Friday, January 18: Molecular Cuisine - $70
Lastly, on Friday I’m soooooo excited for this! An evening of Molecular Dining. Now, if you don’t know what that is… you are in for an awesome, awesome surprise! Check out this video! Honestly, cannot wait to do this class and eat all the creations!

Anyway, I will be shooting some video from all of the events, so if you can’t attend there is something to look forward to! But if you can attend, definitely do as it should be a fun time (yes even the flying yoga!)

Head over to THIS POST to comment about what event you would be most interested in attending or use the hashtag #Rookie2013 and message me on Twitter!

Over the month of December, I spent a lot of my time working on my own projects and setting myself up for the year ahead. 2013 was going to be drastically different than 2012, both professionally and personally. The lines dividing my personal life, professional life and career were about to be blurred immensely and what I had come to call my ‘life’ was about to disappear. I’m of course talking about my year long social media adventure A Sponsored Life, which kicked off on January 1st and will run until December 31st.

Until now, I have been able to attend events, review products, write about promotions and more all from the comfort of my home office, a coffee shop, or elsewhere. Now, I have cleared everything I own and committed to only live on what social media provides for the year… it is drastically different, will be very transparent, open and give everyone unobstructed access to my life. I’ll be the first human tamagotchi! I’m both excited and terrified for what the year will be but know at the end, I’ll be a better person for it – through success or failure, I know I’m going to learn a lot.

I’m also optimistic for the Zach Bussey Show podcast, which returns to air on the 15th. Last year, we recorded 26 episodes, a half year worth of shows and the growth experienced was incredible. In 2013, there will be a whole new set of guests, some awesome show bits, games, promotions and other ideas which should make it an even more interesting show to listen to! Thanks to everyone who has been tuned in so far!

In 2013, here’s a few of the people I’m keeping my eye on and expect great things from in no particular order!

• Val Stachurski and I’m Charming You. Val had a really inspiring year in 2012, and know that she’s going to only do bigger and better things in 2013!
• Casey Palmer and Mansformation. Casey is probably one of the most upbeat people I know, and has plenty of awesome ideas up in his head. 2013, we will see the launch of Mansformation and I know it is going to be huge.
• Jen Kirsch and BBTS. I think 2012 was a big year for Jen with her TV show, many columns and other media appearances, which should see her step even more into the spotlight in 2013.
• Jamie Cuthbertson and JamieLeighTO. I personally think she was the top new blogger that I was exposed to last year, and fully expect her to continue to grow as a blogger this year.
• Stephanie Fusco and StephanieFusco. Stephanie has been a great person to talk to and bounce ideas off of, and from what I saw, experienced a lot of good stuff in 2012. I’m excited to see what she comes up with and what successes she has this year.
• Justin Baisden and Jmoney Rambles. Justin has always been an interesting blogger and is producing content more often from what I’ve seen. 2013 will probably see him grow in notoriety in my opinion!
• Joe Gaudet and his Youtube Channel. Joe is a voice actor and came to my attention through the podcast, his commitment to his passion is inspiring and I think 2013 is going to be a huge year for him professionally!

I’m surely missing several others that I mean to add, so the moment I think of them I will absolutely add them to this list.

2013 will have its challenges, upsets, defeats, down moments and problems… but I am positive that at this time next year I will be reflecting on all the incredible achievements and strides made by people in the social sphere over the year. Social media really has provided a place for anything to happen to those who really commit to it and 2013 should be an exciting year overall.

I’m, of course, talking about the elephant in the room of drinking too much and driving. I remember back in highschool, 4 of my peers died in a drinking and driving accident (hmm accident doesn’t even seem like the right word because if they had used a bit of common sense, they would still be around). But, it is certainly one of the most horrific things you can do. Even if you do manage to get home safely, you’ve just played a ridiculous and silly game of Russian roulette with your life and the lives of others…. So just don’t do it k?

Okay, lecture over, but here’s a tip… In Toronto, on Saturday the 22nd + 29th between the hours of 9PM to 2AM there’s going to be a bunch of cabs with lit up elephant signs on the roof. If you jump into one of those cabs, guess what… you just saved $10 on your ride! Seems that the LCBO and Co-op Cabs/@CoopCabs decided to partner up on the LCBO Deflate the Elephant campaign this year.  You could even win gift baskets just by tweeting a picture with the hashtag #TOElephantSighting.

I’ve even got a gift basket to give away to one of you fine folks! What do you have to do? You comment below with your favourite Christmas/Hanukkah/Qwanza/Festivus MOCKTAIL. You could also follow @CoopCabs on Twitter to maybe be tipped off on where their Elephant cabs are… who knows.

Mine? Candy Cane Hot Chocolate with a marshmellow on a candy cane!

I’ll draw by Saturday the 22nd, so the gift basket should be delivered by the 24th.

Anyway, I chose the F18 dogfighting simulation because it’s something that definitely interests me. The facility has four simulator cockpits that are all linked together, so I brought my brother, dad and my dad’s friend. As you walk in, you’re greeted with tons of jet fighter images, video and models. Everything is air combat related and starts to get you in the mood.

Our flight commander, Steve, call sign Hornet, then had us sit down at the basic trainers to learn the buttons on the HOTUS controls on both the throttle and joystick. We learned to control our speed, afterburners, flying basics, radar activation, weapon select, activate the missile guidance and firing. Then after a brief review, and learning some more of the basic controls like understanding the heads up display, flare counter measures, and the sounds in the aircraft (important, because if someone has a missile lock on you, you want to turn and burn while dropping counter measures… otherwise you’re about to be blown out of the sky.)

Then we get to the real simulators. You climb into the cockpit, surrounded by switches, and buttons and monitors… all of which WORK. The radar shows active targets on it, the weapons display shows how many AIM9 missiles you have left, how many shots on the Vulcan cannon you have remaining, and the number of counter measures available to you. Another monitor shows the amount of fuel you have, including the flight time remaining and speed you’re travelling at. Still another shows the status of your aircraft. And there’s still another half dozen displays! Needless to say, it was very cool!

Then your heads-up display, and the giant screen really immerse you in the experience. You really do feel like you’re moving, turning, rolling, and chasing. If you’re going to fast, and turning, your screen might start blacking out as you’re pushing too many Gs. When you fire a missile, you make sure to follow it to ensure it hits your target. The cannons have tracers so you can see where your shots are going. Ahhhh it was SO COOL! While video doesn’t accurately convey the experience, I did my best to show some of the experience and the joy of firing a missile and blowing up a bogey.

My brother, dad, dads friend and I all came out of it totally loving every moment. It was SUCH an incredible experience. We laughed and replayed our favourite kills on the drive home and we’re already planning a trip back there because it was so much fun. Long story short… grab some friends or family, and check it out! It’s an experience you will absolutely love.

Grab the experience through Samba Days and learn more about the Air Combat Zone.

Christmas gift time! One Direction pillows. Hamburger keychain. Keychain buddy. Magnets. Bacon floss. Word camera. Stone Cold ET. Party People TO prize for the best Christmas Party story – A Toronto Christmas at Steamwhistle. Hookups and Hangovers Book. Hangover patch. Bacon necklace.

Christmas gift time #2. Projection alarm clock. Weird texts from Megs Mom. Build and Paint robot kit. Sesame Street Sandwich maker. Elmo accuser three. Inflatable wreath. Candy G String. Naked woman card. A mug. Olivia Newton John and John Travolta. Tassels. Style Us challenge with LOFT Canada. Zach needs to be rebuilt – better shoes, less fat, but has great eyebrows. Meg’s beautiful hair and breasts. Platform heels and colours.

We’re going on vacation for the next 3 weeks… but we’ll have new podcasts on December 25th and January 1, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes. Thought of the Day.

The Wacky Zachy Christmas is next week! We have Christmas goodies to giveaway then too! iTunes, Stitcher. Christmas Spirit! DMX Christmas. The Hobbit, Bond, Argo + Perks of a Wallflower. Chicago News reports a Crash. Dolphin Bites. Redneck Rage. (Fact check: The last reported case of Smallpox was October 1977, making her a liar.) KMA.

Then we got into a great discussion with the director of the upcoming documentary It’s All About ME, Antoine Gaber. We discussed the motivation behind the film, how it came to be, where some of the problems are in society and really got into the details what we can do about it.

After that, it was all about Zach, as Hallae and Antoine interviewed him about his experiences. How did he get to a point where he has his own podcast? Sacrifices? How do your parents support you? Mentors? Word association game!

No thought of the day… but more Wacky Zachy Christmas party stuff! Big thank you to the supporters of the Christmas episode: A Toronto Christmas, LOFT, Forty Creek Whisky and Volkswagen! Plus more to come! ;)

Last chance to get in but make sure you read this blog post to know what to bring and how to get on the list! We only have a couple spaces remaining!

Now, because we’re an audio podcast I wanted to bring the experience of attending our little get together to the listeners… which meant that I had to come up with a way to get the people who come to participate on air… SOOOO… that lead to me coming up with the silly idea that everyone who comes brings a random wacky gift. It can be anything.. like Wind Chimes! Hahaha wind chimes… The premise being, if everyone brings one wrapped silly gift, everyone in attendance, turn by turn gets to open one live on air and we all goof on how silly the gift is!

It’s secret Santa but without knowing who you’re giving it to – so everyone has to just get something random. I think it will be a lot of fun! ANNDDDDD, because what good is a party without booze? So we’re going to have lots of alcohol in studio for the guests to consume! (I believe Meg even said she is going to be making her beloved MegNog… GET IT?! It’s like Egg Not but Meg’s version, cause her last letter is a G and she has an E in there too… and then add an M… So it becomes Meg. But the Nog part stays the same. MegNog. Now you get it.)

I even gave the show a hack radio bit name, the Wacky Zachy Christmas!

So, what I need to know from you folks – is who would like to join us in studio that night! You have to be able to make it to the show for around 6PM! Bring a silly gift (Around $20). And be willing to open your gift on air! I also may or may not have a surprise. We shall see. Spots are limited, so make sure you email me ASAP.

Anyway, if you are interested in joining please sent us an email at show@zachbussey.com so I know how much booze to have, as well as set the expectation for our host! I also have a secret instruction I want to give you all haha.

Big thank you to the supporters of the Christmas episode: A Toronto Christmas, LOFT, Forty Creek Whisky and Volkswagen! Plus more to come!

Chinese Food. Marketing Magazine. Chris Brown quits Twitter. Verbal Rape. The View pisses Zach off. Gregory Elliott and the law catching up to Twitter. Justin Bieber’s Overalls. Katt Williams: Play the drinking game with us… Drink everytime the N-word is used! Lindsey Lohan Liz + Dick. Cellphone Stereotypes. And welcome to Producer Bianca!

Marc from LEN joins us. BYOB. History on Steal My Sunshine. Dealing with the One Hit Wonder stigma. Family. Justin Bieber + the people around you. Angus T Jones has found religion and hates his own show. Must be on something. $100K video shoot story. Daytona stories. Getting Booed at Edgefest. Bitch record exec and cash advances. Having a solid base is crucial.

Follow @official_len + download their song on iTunes! (And while you’re there subscribe, rate and review the show!)

Now, while I have been blogging less… I’ve also likely started to annoy the PR folks. I generally decline about 50% if the pitches that come my way… but over the last 5ish months it’s been significantly higher. Something in the neighbourhood of 90% I’d say. A weird thing to do right? And there’s been some awesome pitches so don’t fret PR folks, it’s me not you…

So the big question becomes Why?

Well, the answer is an exciting one. It’s also one I can’t give you too many details on for another week or so. But the brief explanation is… I’ve been working hard on developing something new. A massive social experiment in blogging, social media and being an influencer. One that will test me mentally, physically and socially. It’s a concept that no one has ever done before and truly lends itself to being a social thing. At the same time, it also will impact me and my life immensely – creating many problems for me to solve, many uncomfortable situations to deal with and many risks to overcome. While it is highly unlikely, there is the very, very, very slight chance that I could even die. Dramatic much? (Also, not kidding.)

This new idea is something I’m incredibly excited to unveil to everyone. I’ve talked to a few people about it, (having made them sign non-disclosure agreements… jeez, so serious) and everyone I’ve run the concept by has been very excited to see it in practice. It really is something that should be a lot of fun for everyone – and a great opportunity to do some social good in the world.

Ahh, okay that’s enough being illusive and teasing. Anyway, I just wanted to address why I’ve been more quiet than usual.. and also let you know I’ve got something exciting in the works and when I do launch it, I hope you’ll all join me at the new property!

**Click here and please subscribe/rate/review the show on iTunes!**

The Wacky Zachy Christmas Spectacular! Who wants to come? December 11th! Egg nog. Rum. Presents! Speaking of Holidays… this song is stuck in Zach’s head. It’s Thanksgeeeeeving! Christmas songs. Elmo. Problems with media and the initial stories. Eaton Centre hates Christmas with their dumb pink tree. Fart Failure?

LEN will be on the show next week, with champagne! Can we start having guests bring us riders? The AMAs featuring Psy and MC Hammer. Zach tells a terribly embarassing story about his childhood about wanting to be black. Schizophrenia sounds. Don Lemon The Help. Butthurt.

Eatons Tree via http://kathyyeung.tumblr.com/

**Click here and please subscribe/rate/review the show on iTunes!**

We ruin the magic of podcast editing by rerecording the intro… (also we apologize for the sound issues, had a bunch of gremlins in the system. Thus Zach’s weirdly over modulated voice) Our first broadcast from the Buzz Buzz Home Studios! We’re excited for things to come! Medieval Times! Zach’s horrible vlogging… General Patraeus Cheating story. We do the thought of the day and then get into the interview with Mike Holmes.

(Again, apologies for the overmodulation in Zach’s voice but Mark’s is perfect and fortunately does most of the talking). Mark joins us for a full interview where we cover everything from growing up with plans of being a football player, to why he became a musician, Platinum Blonde and their success, to the Mod Club and them celebrating their 10th anniversary!

November 17th, make sure you get your ticket to the 10 year anniversary of the Mod Club! $10 and tickets can be purchased at ClubZone.com and TicketZone.com… lineup includes, DJ MRK, Tigerblood, Nightbox, Jelo, Me&John, DR Draw + the Chick a Boom Dancers PLUS Surprise Guests (Champagne reception at 9:30).

Follow Mark on Twitter, Platinum Blonde on Twitter and The Mod Club on Twitter… Oh and go buy Platinum Blonde’s new album, Now & Never on iTunes.

Well, it has been all those years since I’ve been despite making a plan with @ValTorontoGal to go around this time last year. So when I was asked if I would like to attend the media launch of their new show, how could I decline?! As you arrive, the show begins immediately. Wenches serve drinks to the Lords and Ladies at several bars, you can buy a sword from the blacksmith, jesters, knights and even the Princess walked around the room… Then we headed in to our seats… Sitting in the blue section, I was into the show immediately. We were told we hated the Yellow knight, and the theatrics began. A merchant from the North, a parade of horses doing tricks, falcon flying and more.

THEN the food came… the garlic bread was delicious, the tomato soup (I had assumed was going to be a Campbell’s Tomato Soup that I hate) was in fact very yummy… and the chicken… well, let’s put it this way. I love Swiss Chalet. Like, I love love it. My former roommate and I, one year had it once a week for 6 months haha. But this chicken, I don’t know what they do to it at Medieval Times, but it was the best chicken I’ve ever had. So incredible! And the ribs are meaty and flavourful. (The pastry was the only down note of the meal).

Meanwhile, as I’m gorging on food with my hands guys are fighting with axes, swords, javelins, maces and flails, both on and off horses. Sparks flying. And most of the time the combat was pretty good. There were a few times where it was bad, mostly when these guys would fall down without being touched. But with swords they got pretty into it and were swinging them pretty fast and aggressively. It was believable.

In the end, our guy died… and I was so disappointed. I wanted to declare war on the king and his silly tournament. Give him the Ned Stark treatment and take everything, including his hot daughter as my wife. I’d even negotiated an alliance with the Red team… and then I snapped back to reality. That’s the sign of a good show!

Also enjoy (or hate) my first ever Vlog with appearances by @KristiGoerz @AlyssaHurst @Janeccman @TheDanLevy + @jylui. I learned about camera shake and have learned to mitigate it for future vlogging attempts.

Now, with the growth of the show, we stumbled upon some ‘great’ problems to have. We are getting pitched to have bigger guests on – household name comedians, actors and artists. The major limiting factor was that broadcasting from Shoeless Joe’s was not a ‘private’ area. Listen to episode 21, with RJ to understand why that is important. So, after making a public plea and also checking out some of the options we had, I’m pleased to announce we have a new home! Starting this week, we’ll be broadcasting from the newly created Buzz Buzz Home Studios! The private space is incredible and it’s going to be a thrill to be there and bring major guests in!

This week we’re excited to have on Mark Holmes, of Platinum Blonde fame! (Doesn’t Really Matter, Crying Over You, and their new single Beautiful!)

This is our new broadcast studio! (From this angle, you can’t see the two leather chairs and some of the other awesome features of the room, but we’ll take more pictures!)

Lastly, with this development and new location… we’ve come to a point where we absolutely need someone else to help out with the show. Which is why we are seeking a producer to help manage the shows operations! What’s that entail and what are the perks? Well, let me run down a list of things…

Producer Role Description

• Be around an hour before we broadcast, the hour we’re on and an hour afterwards.
• Help with setup/take down of equipment.
• Meet guests in the parking lot, bring them up to the studio, get them a drink and walk them out after the interview.
• Take pictures.
• Help with booking guests/be a point of contact.
• Be good with Google/Youtube – we may need something looked up quickly while on air.

Benefits

• While cash is not guaranteed, if/when we get advertisers/sponsors we will certainly cut you in.
• Drinks – We’ll always have drinks on site. Just tell us what you like and we’ll stock it.
• Get to meet celebrities. While I’ll destroy you on air if you pester them for autographs haha, you’ll obviously be able to interact with them.
• Event invitations. We get invited to a lot of events, which we will certainly extend to you.
• You get an awesome title, and Meg and I will surely provide a good recommendation if you need it.
• Fun! It’s a fun show to be apart of – I promise!

So, if you’re interested in being part of the show to act as our producer… please drop me an email at show@zachbussey.com. Include a link to something awesome on Youtube for good measure haha.

Oh, and if you haven’t already subscribed, rated and reviewed the show on iTunes – please go do that! It’s that small act which will help us to bring even better content and guests to the show! :)

You need to take care of yourself, the government isn’t going to! Where are the celebrities? RJ does a Sean Penn impression. FEMA. Zach does his first Jesse Ventura impression. The RJ Show. A bunch of random topics…

Then Miss Movember, Caron Court (@CaronSue) joined us to talk all about her campaign 30DaysOfMo.com.

Obama incited anger and violence. Some of is Obama’s fault – class warfare. Supporters of both side follow blindly… so we have a task for our listeners! We start to wrap up the show with one last appearance by RJ. A special Subscribe message. We also predict Obama will win as of 7:10PM (before any other news source declared it). And thought of the day to end the show.

First off, Karl Rove and Donald Trump are total idiots. Both of these right wing kooks are horrible for the country. Karl Rove had a meltdown after Obama was re-elected according to FOX. Rove spent hundreds of millions of dollars supporting Romney and his Super PAC was responsible for some of the most offensive ads of the election. These elections are pretty predictable based on each district. That’s how these news people make their decision and FOX is going to be ultra conservative too, so Rove should stop trying to buy the eleciton and keep his fat mouth shut. You sound like a dummy. Trump, I don’t even want to give the time of day… but his tweets were lunacy and clearly he needs to be checked into a mental institution. Trump has officially lost his mind.

Next, on the left… SHAME on Chris Matthews. In case you missed it, Chris Matthews said he was “So glad we had that storm last week,” the same storm where over a hundred people have died, where people’s entire lives have been destroyed, their homes gone and personal property forever lost. But no, let’s celebrate that storm and thank it for coming and killing. It was great for Obama! What a horrible, horrible thing to say. His quick attempt at a recovery isn’t even reasonable either. People have been fired for saying much less, and there should be OUTRAGE around the country about what he said. It’s still early and maybe even the liberals will come out against him. Maybe. But he should be fired, or at the very least suspended.

Lastly, I have something to say about Obama…. While Barack’s speech was incredibly well written and delivered, there was one line that stood out to me and I hated it. And sure, you can say I’m making an issue out of nothing or that I’m nitpicking but too fucking bad, cause that’s what I’m going to do!

What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.

Read the last part of that… Obligations to one another… do you know what that means? Do you understand what Obama is suggesting there? You are OBLIGATED to help everyone. NO! No one should be obligated to help anyone they don’t want to. I’m interested in helping my family, my friends, and even sometimes a total stranger who is in need – I’ll donate to charity, help a neighbour move something or give some change to a guy on the street. Not because I’m obligated to help them, BUT BECAUSE I CHOOSE TO! Everyone pays taxes, and those taxes go to do things for the good of the nation – they give people a helping hand. Sure. But what I’m hearing is that we don’t do enough. That giving a helping hand isn’t enough, that we need to do more, give more, offer more, pay for more. To my it’s like this – if someone is hungry and cold, and I go and buy him a sandwich and a warm hat… and he says “Well, I really wanted the steak, and maybe a jacket too.” FUCK YOU! If you’re waiting for the generosity of strangers/government to give you something and they don’t give you everything you want then it’s time to get off your ass and get out and work for it yourself. No one should be obligated to buy them a steak and a jacket because that’s what they want, you give them a helping hand and they take the next step to get the steak and jacket for themselves. So, while I’m totally supportive of a hand up. I fully believe in healthcare, and giving people the basics of life – I don’t believe in giving otherwise able people a new flatscreen, a phone and data plan, and anything else they could ever want. I know way too many able people who just wait for their monthly hand out and never do anything to help themselves. And it drives me mental. The object of government care should be to get them back to a point where they can fend for themselves – not this indefinite stream of cash because we’re OBLIGATED to help for as long as they want. Argh!

I’ll end on a gentler note… Obama was the right choice and I’m glad he did win. Romney played it all wrong – Romney is far more moderate than his entire campaign made him out to be. The right wasn’t going to vote for Obama anyway, so Romney should have been playing more to the middle and draw some liberals to his side if he wanted to win. Instead he did the opposite, contradicted himself many times, and that 47% leak was terrible. I honestly don’t think Romney is as bad or evil a guy as he came off as but that was his handlers controlling that.

Obama has 4 more years, and it’s not going to be easy. There are many serious issues he’s going to have to handle and price tags he’s going to have to start looking at. I hope the left and right can come together and get stuff done in the States over the next 4 years, but that’s my own optimism and probably a pipe dream. All you need to do is read Twitter and some of the racial slurs and hate being spewed to know that the States is only going to become more divided… As a Canadian, I hope my optimism comes to fruition though and Obama can become a unifier like Reagan was because right now, more than ever, it’s desperately needed.

I also love Christmas Music. Christmas music is timeless and every year a couple new songs are added to the timeless category of the genre…. it’s an exclusive club populated by greats like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Burl Ives (who’s name just sounds Christmasy), Wham, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Dean Martin, Elvis and other legends in the music industry. The genre should ONLY consist of songs at least a decade old.

So the very same day the Starbucks “Red” cup has hit stores and the Peppermint Mocha is back, the news that Shoppers Drug Mart, in their infinite wisdom decide to ban Christmas music a day after starting to play it… Strikes me like a sharpened candy cane shank right in the middle of my loving, merry heart… It’s a sign that the war on Christmas has started and I’m here to make the case that we all need to rethink the use of ‘holiday’, the music and how we should all just enjoy the time!

Now, while I understand people get upset about the commercialization of the season, the culprit is NOT the music! This is my biggest issue with this move by Shoppers Drug Mart and the horrible people who complained. If those who complained and encouraged Shoppers to ban the music had instead directed their dumb rage at the items in store you can buy, I’d be inclined to agree with your cause – I don’t necessarily need to see all of the Christmas merchandise this early, but there it is… instead of fighting the commercialization, you instead decide that hopeful, happy, joyful, family, loving music is the evil thing that must go – well shame on you! Go listen to any song and you’ll hear it’s all about positive things! Bunch of Grinch assholes.

If you have a problem with the consumerism of Christmas, I’m in your camp. I agree it’s too much and no one needs all the things to make them happy – I certainly don’t. But there’s a difference between consumerism and the music. One is trying to get you to buy shit, the other is just upbeat, fun and happy music! But no one is complaining in mass about Shoppers Drug Mart stocking Christmas products. No one is yelling at corporations to not pull out the holiday merchandise. This is why it’s proof positive a war on Christmas – the music is the LEAST COMMERCIAL ASPECT OF CHRISTMAS! PLUS, after the death, hell, monster and ghouly themes of Halloween, we could all use a pick me up! So, shame on you Shoppers Drug Mart for conceding to a minority of anti-festive, pro-consumerist, generally unhappy Christmas terrorists who will only seek to take more of my Christmas joy away as we approach December 25th!

In the war against Christmas, I stand with Santa. Shoppers Drug Mart, you’re on the naughty list.

If I wish you Merry Christmas, and you do not celebrate Christmas – don’t interpret that as me saying “Hey, fuck you buddy!” Instead, stop and think for a moment…  That’s me wishing you the same general positive upbeat and happy times that I hope to have! In the same vein, if you want to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Ramadan, Festive Kwanzaa, Great Yule, Super Rohatsu or just a Wonderful Festivus… I’ll gladly accept and thank you… and that’s how it should be! In the same thought, there is ZERO reason why anyone should be offended by a Christmas tree or a Christmas card or any company/place/school that mentions Christmas! Believe it or not, but Christmas is just a good time and all the religious mumbo jumbo is second hand to the majority. So you religious zealots from the various religions who want to kill Christmas because it’s a “Christian” holiday, get with the times and enjoy a fat dude who flies in a sled with reindeer and a bunch of tame elves (I say tame elves, because everyone knows that wild elves will eat your children) being all cheerful and dancing around. (PS. The Christian religious zealots are just as bad btw, I’m inclusive of disliking all zealots… unless you’re a Protoss.)

The spin that Christmas is something we should hide, or cloak in euphemistic words like “Holiday” or “Season” is beyond silly. A Holiday Card, a Holiday Tree and other nonsense… In fact, to those offended by the use of Christmas, think just a second about what using “Holiday” in it’s place is trying to do… A Christmas Tree only has symbolism to one celebration – Christmas… so when you get corporations/schools etc to call it a Holiday Tree to be more inclusive, you’re actually serving to do the opposite by making believe a Christmas tree is part of all the holidays.

All this said, let’s all just having a damn good holiday yeah? Drink some eggnog, load it up with rum… have some cookies… Be happy. Enjoy the small things. Have a life that’s cheerful, and not focused on getting music banned. You’ll find it’s much more fun and joyful. Merry Christmas!

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The big story this week – Donald Trump! STORM CENTER UPDATE: Tips to Survive the Storm! 90% chance of rain… Then we go for a tour of the chaos! Quick update on Zach’s night, and how Meg’s night compared. Ryan Powell of Wiser’s Whisky joins us to talk, make and teach us all about Whisky, cocktail culture and their new Wiser’s Spiced! First up, the Headless Horseman. STORM CENTER UPDATE: Ruined… Why single men shouldn’t get into holidays. The differences between Scotch, Canadian Whisky and American Whisky.

Next cocktail, a Vanilla Old Fashioned. A One Up on Ryan Gosling’s drink for Emma Stone in Crazy, Stupid Love. This Spiced Whisky makes it far more ‘open’ to the general public. STORM CENTER UPDATE: Next up the Spiced and Stormy Cocktail! The Giants won the World Series. Top cocktail cities in the world: Toronto is now on the list thanks to a cocktail revolution. Wisers Spiced is available at the LCBO for only $27.95! Follow them on Twitter @WisersWhisky, on Facebook and follow Ryan @MixterPowell.

Meg gets a round of applause for her PartyPeopleTO event. Great vibes. Great people. And talk about why it’s so successful. Casey wins everything BUT! There’s a but! HE CAN DANCE! STORM CENTER UPDATE: Children will be blown away by Sandy tomorrow! List of Cancellations! Ended with the Thought of the Day.

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Why there was no podcast posted last week. Hailo bumped for a couple weeks. The More We Grow, The More You Get! Brief talk about the final debate and why looks matter. Honey Boo Boo very briefly. A classy moment on the show as Zach talks about wines and Chardonnay.

Woman complains about the deer crossing – Fake or Real? Donna is a dummy. Donna reminds me of Sherri Sheppard “I don’t know if the world is round”. Should the modern woman just ‘own’ her stupidity?

Adriann Ellis of Playboy Miss Social joins us. What you can win – a chance to be in Playboy and other Playboy programs. Her breasts are real! We played the lightning round. Her favourite game is Skyrim. Her favourite male celeb is Channing Tatum. She’s voting for Obama. Going to Red Riding Hood. Likes being called baby. Then we playedn FMK with her. In NOVEMBER, go visit playboymisssocial.com/adriannellis and vote for her as many times as you can! This lead to an indepth conversation about if Zach would be okay with a girl he was dating doing it. We then talked to a few people from the audience about their reactions – Kyle, Dan and Kristy.

Sauza Tequila Giveaway as we played the Girl Words Game! We brought Alyssa on to play! The words included Sheer, Clutch, Bib Necklace, Bandeau, Monokini, Kitten Heel. And she wins! Then Zach Sings the Sauza Winner Song!

The Brad Pitt Chanel Ad is horrible! Wiser’s Spiced will be on the show next week! Next week will be a Halloween show! And then we wrapped up with the thought of the day.

First stop, the Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery, where we sampled many wines including a Cabernet Rose (which is smooth enough to drink for breakfast) – I also purchased a bottle of it I enjoyed it so much. Oh, one thing we learned quickly on… Wineries SOUND like they are in the middle of a war with artillery shells being fired a few times a minute. These are called bird bangers, and are essentially blank shells fired when motion activated to scare away the birds from eating the grapes. Not going to lie, I thought it was the coolest thing haha. Boys and war right?

Next up was the Southbrook Vineyards – an organic and bio-dynamic winery where we tasted three wines, and then went right out to the barrels and were treated to taste two wines that were still aging. (I also learned that while it may smell like Welchs grape juice, wine that isn’t ready doesn’t taste great. To me anyway, others seemed to enjoy the bitter, burnt wood, scratchy taste).

Next we stopped at Reif Estate Winery where we tried two red wines and an ice wine (which was delicious!) And finally we wrapped up at the Vineland Estates Winery, where they store their wine in what I’m convinced is a cold war bunker that they repurposed after deciding nuclear war wasn’t going to happen. There I go again back with the war stuff… Heh.

Bunker. A Moment of Zach: The blonde in this picture was incredibly cute. Did I talk to her? OF COURSE I didn’t. Why? Cause I’m just not that confident, plus she was with her mom. But the thought was there! Ha.

It was a really great day to be honest. Lots of wine, a nice lunch and learned quite a bit about wine and how to smell/taste properly. Did you know that people hated Chardonnay so much they founded clubs called ABC – Anything But Chardonnay… the reason behind it is people didn’t like drinking 2×4 wood. You see traditional Chardonnay is aged in oak barrels and so it takes on the oak flavour strongly… so now, when you’re in the LCBO you see ‘Unoaked Chardonnay’, which as the name suggests is not aged in oak!

Anyway, you should definitely experience a wine tour with iYellow if you have the opportunity. And they hinted that they might be doing Ice Wine tours this winter, so there’s that to look forward to! And now to finish off the post with a bunch more pictures to enjoy!

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We’re live at the Toronto Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show! (October 11 – 14, 2012)! Get down here and check out the Jib Jam. The VP Debate and how it’s just the same thing year after year. Casa Sauza Tequila party being hosted by Meg on the 22nd, Invite only event down in the Distillery. Use the hashtag #SauzaSin.

Zach hates Halloween. Christopher Walken reading Honey Boo Boo. Sketti. Honey Boo Boo debate. Children shouldn’t be in beauty pageants. Stone Cold ET is the funniest thing ever. Breast Vodka. Bus Driver Uppercuts Woman is the wildest video ever. Meg’s bus fighting story. The best death in a movie ever, 1970′s Turkish Movie death. Toronto Woman yells at man who kicked her on the GO Train.

Then the Jib Jam started up as we were getting close to wrapping it up. The Ski show has been a lot of fun! LOts of trips to be won. How many media lanyards does Zach have? Our tutorial on making a viral video. Then Zach got into a story about his childhood and how he was a snowboard trick master, and had a TV show… and the aftermath. Purple Onesie Guy. And then we did the Thought of the Day… or attempted to.

Thanks again to the Toronto Ski, Snowbard and Travel Show for hosting us!

On June 28th, Molson Coors launched their new packaging line at a Toronto Plant. The $13.5M investment was to build the new line of wide mouth aluminum bottles for Coors Light, Molson Canadian and Coors Light Iced Tea. This new packaging is 100% recyclable, resealable and is marketed as a major improvement from the glass bottles and cans we are accustomed to with beer.

Well, it seems the current production of wide mouth aluminum bottles are being recalled across Canada for both Coors Light and Molson Canadian. Coors Light Iced Tea is not part of the recall. The reason cited for the recall is “some instances of an overly aged flavour”. The recall is not based on any food safety concerns, but only based on the “taste issue” they have found. They intend to correct the issue and have a new batch soon, but don’t provide any timeline for it.

While surely this is a financial loss to them to do this kind of recall, you can certainly appreciate that they want the product to be the best it can be. In the meantime, I’m going to try and track down some bottles so that I can compare the taste when the next production line comes out.

I’ve sent out a couple messages to Molson Coors’ @MolsonTonia and @MolsonFerg for comment.

Update: 1:46AM – Here’s a notice of the recall sent to retailers that was sent to me.

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Zach has throwbacks, memories, flashbacks! of his days in Nam. Meg is back after a horrible flu, just has a cold now – which Zach is terrified of. SPOILER ALERT WARNING. Some movie related talk about Anna Farris, What’s Your Number, Compliance and Dreama Walker. Thanksgiving catchup and casseroles. Alexander Keiths birthday experience and a Dating update.

The Toronto Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show is this week – October 11 to 14, 2012 and we are going to be doing a live podcast from the show on Friday at 6PM! We have Daniel from Evolve Snow Camps on the show to talk about his favourite memories, Chile Skiing/Boarding, “Stoked”, “Radical” and the Jib Jam show at the 40th Annual #TorontoSkiShow! @evolvesnowcamps @evolve_chile Skiing music Top of the Hill, and Meg shares her first skiing story – getting off the ski lift prematurely.

The US Debate and how Obama blew it, a 12point switch overnight. 10 year old textbooks. The problem with schools. The term ‘racist’ is thrown around too liberally. Big Bird silliness. Romney is a pretty good speaker. Blacks for Romney Ad. Stacey Dash supports Romney and all the hate she recieved. The Blonde Snooki Supports Romney.

A 33% of adults under 30 have no religious affiliation and a discussion on relgiion. The Internet Religion – Zach Bussey as Pastor! Hulk Hogan Sex Tape. PornHub trying to give money to Breast Cancer. Zach’s Conspiracy Theory behind Cancer. Meg points out that 90% of Stage 1 cancers are curable. (So get checked!) Cancer has become a business – Pink Ribbon.. but it’s a real issue!

It’s actually one of my favourite experiences with skiing. I had been skiing every year for a couple years at this point and had zero fears. I’d bomb sections, and then realize I was going a little fast and “Pizza” my way out of it. The entire time, my grandfather would either keep pace with me or be slightly ahead… but always kept within a close enough distance for the eventuality of me falling and rolling down the hill. It always happened. But never deterred me from getting up and getting back up for another run.

I’m excited for this winter because I plan to get back on the slopes. It’s been two years since I’ve hit them last, but this is the year! And what better way to get me into the mindset than partnering up with the Toronto Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show!

The #TorontoSkiShow is on between October 11th and October 14th at the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place. And as part of the partnership between me and the show, there’s some exciting Zach Bussey Show news! On Friday, October 12th at 6PM, @MegButton and I will be doing a live podcast from the show! This is a first for the show, in that we’re doing a second show next week, and we’re doing it live from an event. It could be something we do more of if this one works and seems fun!

So, back to the #TorontoSkiShow… want some tickets to the show? I’ve got a few pairs to giveaway! I’ll giveaway a pair here, one through Twitter, one through Facebook and one on next weeks Tuesday Podcast! (I’m not the only one giving away tickets, so definitely follow @GirlsOfCNSS @evolvesnowcamps @raymitheminx)

To be entered to win the pair of tickets here… in the comments below, share your best ski/snowboard memory!

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No Meg Button this week as she’s out sick. Hoping she has a quick recovery and we’ll have her back next week! In her place, Bianca Teixeira sat in. Bianca’s going to be in Flare magazine. Lil Wayne Desposition tape. Arnold’s interview with 60 Minutes and how he’s a lunatic. Then we get a text message asking us to call someone….

Who’s on the other line? Arnold Schwarzenneger and he wants to date Bianca (@iamjoegaudet)! Seth MacFarlane to host the Oscars (February 24). Favourite Black Person of the Week: Obama Phone. Samuel L Jackson political ad. Sarah Silverman political ad.

Next we brought on Michael McCrudden from Beer4Breakfast.ca. We talked all things about the new show – what they had to edit out, how they are run, what city is next, how they cast, and when the next episode will be posted and on getting laid. http://beer4breakfast.ca @1beer4breakfast

The Toronto Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show is the new show sponsor and in working with them, we are going to be doing a live special edition podcast directly from the show (likely on October 12th at 6PM). #TorontoSkiShow (Use the hashtag in tweets, may have a prize for you!)

The worst song ever made and then the second worst song ever made! Neil Napier on next week – actor in 300, Immortals, The Expatriate, Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking. And ended with the thought of the day!

Let’s cover the basics for those unfamiliar with the taxi battle… Uber is a taxi hailing service that allows you to get a cab for about 30-40% more than you would pay for a standard cab.  Last week, anticipating the Hailo launch, Uber Toronto dug deep into their financial war chest to offer ‘free’ rides ($20 limit). Free is an adored word in the social media world, so I shared the news via Twitter. I was looking forward to trying out Uber for myself (after a bad first experience – where the driver accused us all of being wrong and not using the app properly) and then comparing it to the experience with Hailo.

Here’s the simple run down on Hailo – They are a licensed company with the city. They charge the same prices you would pay in any cab but give you the convenience of the app – which tells you when the cab will be there, who the driver is, and other relevant information. At the end, you’re able to rate the driver – which is then passed on to other riders should they ever get that driver! It’s a similar service to Uber, but much less expensive.

Image from Betakit, who cover Hailo in great detail! Highly recommended reading.

BOTH apps are simple. But Hailo wins overall due to being priced right, licensed and has all the features you could want in hailing a cab. Oh and they operate all over Toronto, not just in the core… well… I guess I should get into that story now huh?

So, last Tuesday I had to run an errand downtown and then had to go do my weekly live podcast at Shoeless Joes. As mentioned, Uber had their free rides.. so I used Uber’s app (which I had previously set up, including a credit card) to hail a cab. Fails. I try again. Fails. I tweet Uber asking what’s up… short answer – Unless you live DOWNTOWN TORONTO, you’re fucked. Cabs don’t operate anywhere outside of the core normally (which quite frankly is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. Your more expensive cab rides are going to be the ones from outside of the core no?) I take the TTC downtown. King and Yonge. Do my errand and then decide to hail a cab, first I add a new prepaid credit card to my account just to be on the safe side. Then hail the free cab annnnndddddd fails – this time banning my account in the process. Oh joy.

So now I’m running late for my show and have to hail my own – non-free cab. BITTER. So then it gets even better…. Later that evening Uber email me to let me know that they’ve decided I’m likely to commit fraud. “Uber Fraud Squad” flagged my account because I added the prepaid credit card to my account. Oh really? Yes, if I want to use their service I need a ‘true credit card’. Oh right, because while I can use my prepaid credit card FOR ANYTHING ELSE I’VE EVER WANTED TO BUY including flights, other cabs and subscriptions to services… for a cab ride, sorry that’s fraud.

No. You know what. Uber is right! I WAS going to defraud them out of that FREE TAXI RIDE. Such a scam artist I am. You know who my next target is? The government! I’m going to set up a Tax Free Savings Account and not pay taxes on the money in there! MUAHAHAHA. Evil genius I am. Maybe I’ll start stealing mints from restaurants after I eat there.

So from there I start to explore Uber a little more. I’m a curious person and like to know things… and what do I find all over the web? Well, lots of stories of cities calling them a rogue business and threats to deem them illegal/block them from operating. Boston, Cambridge, New York and others…. Then there’s the issue that Uber isn’t a licensed taxi company in Toronto (and may be going to court with the city over it) – which, from my understanding means if your driver gets into an accident, you’re SOL in terms of holding anyone accountable – the drivers basic insurance is all you’ve got to stand on.  But I could be wrong on that – legal people, let me know so I can be sure.

And finally, there’s the scammers convincing people they are Uber and getting you to sign up with their referral codes. Don’t believe me? Google “UberTorontoDeal” or try “UberFreeRideTO“, or about 50 other “Uber” related signup codes. Or hell, go for broke and game the system to get $200(blog) by again pretending to be Uber. Granted that’s (hopefully) not Uber doing it, but they certainly are doing nothing to stop it.

If we’re all allowed to pretend to be Uber in our signup codes how about a “Uberest Promo Ever: Hot 18 Year Old Russian Daughters Will Blow You if you use this Code “UberBJpromo” on Signup and $10 credit on your first ride!” promotion to run? Because if you give me the ‘OK’ I will do this! I have the image all ready to go. Surely it will get you signups and me a bunch of $10 referral fees.

I understand the ridiculousness of this… but the point is real. And it extends beyond Uber. All these promo code businesses need to be proactive about what they allow for signup codes – and it should be monitored by the businesses that allow it! Otherwise, it’s going to be abused.

—–

Got off on a rant as usual….  but the points are all valid. When your business is based on the user experience Uber, not providing service coverage, banning my account and then calling me a fraud… all for a dumb FREE cab ride is not only ridiculous, but it has ruined your chances of ever getting my money in the future. If you ruin the experience when its free, why the hell would I ever pay for it? I’d be a total moron if I did.

Hailo, I’ve signed up for the service and anticipating my first ride on Tuesday!

But for readers in Toronto… who are you leaning towards?

Probably to their benefit, they are launching with some controversy. Last week, London Police said they would shut down any attempt at throwing a party in their city – clearly still on edge over the St Patricks Day party riots in the city. But that certainly won’t deter the show from welcoming a London party host.

I had an exclusive look at the show yesterday and I won’t lie – it’s an interesting show. Everyone loves to live vicariously, so I suspect the series may have some success at attracting an audience. The first episode takes place in Hamilton – a group of guys in a run down rental home, who clearly haven’t cleaned up in a while and have no experience in cooking pancakes, sit down to plan out their epic party. They smooth over tensions with their neighbour, bring a pool into the home and clear out all their furniture to make space for people. There’s tons of booze, girls pool wrestling and making out, flip cup, beer pong and more. It’s a house party, and as the episode pushes towards the end of the party it starts to get good – and then it’s shut down by the cops. As is life.

The episode has one infuriating problem – in production they replace swear words with vile sounding burbs. While a beep is overused, and clearly they have watched some Epic Meal Time for inspiration on using a different sound – they chose the wrong one. It serves to take you out of the moment rather than draw you in. Hopefully that will change for episode two.

Overall, I think it has potential to be an ever expanding series. While it’s focused on college parties in Canada now, their options are truly endless – they could go international if the show really takes off. I think the key to success is twofold – first they need to get viewers on the first episode, and second, they need to parlay the views into a show sponsor(s). Some upgraded video equipment would be nice. Quite frankly, they should hope for controversy. Major media coming down on the show would be a huge draw for the show as it suddenly becomes a little more taboo to watch/participate in it. The concept itself has merit..  Something like Project X meets Keys to the VIP.

On next weeks Zach Bussey Show, Michael will be joining us live to talk about Beer4Breakfast. We’ll talk all about the show, college girls, sex, the London police and more. Should be a great episode so make sure you set a reminder to tune in – Tuesday at 6PM live at http://zachbussey.com/show or subscribe on iTunes to be alerted the minute the podcast is posted!

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Brief talk about the girl who chose to get spanked instead of a two day suspension. Uber Toronto and Zach’s bad experience with them, he’s hoping Hailo (who will be coming on the show eventually) will be better. The Emmys were a bore and the shows newest award show – The Lameys. The new Starbucks Verismo and the new Samsung Ad! Then talk about iPhone buyers in line.

Then we talked to @Ashsemmy (Ashleigh Semkiw), starting by listening to one of her songs New One. The world of Opera. Her group tours, Canada this summer, US next year. Voting for Romney, the reasons why, and The Killers. ASEMQ, her debute EP (Go support her by buying on iTunes!) Her Christmas Special coming up with the CBC on December 12.

The LAMEYS winners announced and acceptance speeches from the winners! We also had a brief talk about the Jersey Shore. Shanna Malcolm, Zach’s new favourite black woman! Meg finding the blackhole of the internet with fat woman complaining about dating. Consequences will never be the same because he backtraced it and alerted the cyber police. More Shanna. Then Billie Joe’s Green Day breakdown? Gangnam Style Band. X Factor Contestant getting arrested. Honey Boo Boo. Then the thought of the day.

But potential only goes so far. Myspace has experienced such a trashing over the last five years, and with the social media overload that people have (why I’ve invested less time in Pinterest and Google+) it’s tough to balance all the time commitments that are required. But, Myspace had to do something. Let’s be honest though, if this fails then it is officially over. There’s no coming back if the best thing from Myspace that I’ve seen doesn’t attract people.

However, me personally… I’m willing to give it a shot! Just don’t mess this up Myspace and allow this stuff again! What do you think about the new Myspace?

The winners were:
Drama: Homeland
Lead Actress Drama: Clare Danes, Homeland
Lead Actor Drama: Damian Lewis, Homeland
Supporting Actor Drama: Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Supporting Actress Drama: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Miniseries: Game Change
Lead Actress Miniseries:  Julianne Moore, Game Change
Lead Actor Miniseries: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Supporting Actor Miniseries: Tom Berenger, Hatfields & McCoys
Supporting Actress Miniseries: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Reality Show Host: Tom Bergeron, Dancing with the Stars
Reality Competition: Amazing Race
Variety Series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Lead Actress Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lead Actor Comedy: Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Comedy: Modern Family
Supporting Actor Comedy: Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Supporting Actress Comedy: Julie Bowen, Modern Family

But what were the worst of the last season? Well, I’ve scoured the sewers for the worst shows on TV, most of which have been cancelled (thankfully). So the LAMEYS, the worst of television are up to you to decide! Voting is only going to be open a day though and the winners will be announced on the Zach Bussey Show tomorrow!

Apparently the market for single serve coffee machines was up 168% this year, to just over $8 billion. So it was really only a matter of time before Starbucks got into the mix. Well, maybe not a matter of time but rather a matter of waiting for the right time. And the right time is now (considering on September 16th, the patent on the Keurig K-Cup expired).

Which leads us the the product. We had the opportunity to test the espresso pods as well as the milk pods in various combinations to create espressos and lattes. The Verismo we got to use was thin in comparison to the Tassimo and Keurig machines I have used in the past, and wasn’t some weird shape – instead a space efficient rectangle. There are three buttons to control how the drink is made (more on that later). The Verismo’s ‘Pods’ as they call them are pretty similiar to the K-Cups in terms of the construction and how they are pierced by the machine (however are significantly smaller). The espresso/coffee pods contain the ground beans and there are also milk pods, which contain powdered milk. Not going to lie, powdered milk scares me. Granted I don’t like the milk pods on Tassimo either…

So we start the process of making the latte… there are three buttons… One for espresso, one for brewed coffee (or long espresso) and one for milk. You should always do the milk first, because you don’t want to leave milky residue on the exit spout. So, first you open the bar, put in the milk pod, close the bar and press the button. Then pull the bar up, put your coffee pod in, close the bar, press the button (wait for it to warm) then press the button again. Done. Latte. The used pods get popped out and dropped into a reservoir in the bottom of the machine – holds 10-12 used pods.

So what’s the verdict? Well, it tastes good. I didn’t taste the powdered milk taste I was afraid of tasting. So clearly they have worked on developing the powdered milk to make it better. It brewed fast. It’s very easy to do. Overall… it works. I don’t think it is going to change the world or doing anything revolutionary. But it works, and for Starbucks fans it will satisfy if you can’t make it to the store. It makes a good cup of espresso or coffee.

Some concerns… I’m not a fan of the internal storage of the used pods. I like to get rid of them immediately. I also hope they expand the roster of pods… currently they only do Espresso/Latte, Pike Place, Verona and a Blonde blend. No Pumpkin Spice, no Mocha, no Salted Caramel, Peppermint or any other options we come to love about the drinks at Starbucks. Other brewers like Tassimo and Keurig have options like French Vanilla, Egg Nog, Peppermint, Irish Cream etc. So to not have the flavours we know in store, I think hurt the desirability.

Overall, I think it’s a solid product and for someone who doesn’t have a single serve machine, it is a viable option. I think it is a relatively low risk move by Starbucks, it’s not going to change the market and it’s not doing anything different than other machines (besides focusing on their products). It’s kind of like their VIA line – providing their customers with options.

Now some important questions answered…

1. Will they be ending their contract with Keurig?
From what I’ve been told, no they will not be. The Starbucks K-Cups will continue – mostly because it seems the deal works more in Starbucks’ favour than it does in Green Mountains.

2. Will they offer Milk Pods for Lactose Free or Soy?
Not currently. But they will have a ‘frother’ tool coming out soon for those.

3. Can you earn Rewards Stars at StarbucksStore.ca?
Doesn’t look that way – however their PR people are going to look into it and let me know if there is any plan to do that.

4. How much are they and where can you buy them?
The basic unit (580) is $199 and there is a more feature rich version (585) for $399.  Both will be available at their online store, at Williams-Sonoma and Home Outfitters. The 580 will also be available in all retail stores but the 585 will not. Pods sell for $11.95 to $12.95.

5. The difference between the 580 and 585?
The differences between the 580 and the 585 are a larger water tank, built-in filtration system, temperature control and LED display.

I will be getting a short term loan with the machine in October, and will put have it go head to head with my Tassimo machine and my mom’s Keurig machine, and will work on a full out features/benefits/disadvantages post which may help you decide what to purchase for Christmas this year! So stay tuned for that.

Oh, and feel free to ask any questions – I’ll answer if I know or get the answers for you ASAP!

Wives of gangbangers withholding sex. “No guns, no game”? GunsGetNone.Wordpress.com. Bad website… and maybe a bad idea… withholding sex may cause more violence! Men Walks? Subway Masturbator avoids Jail. There seem to be few female sexual deviants? Meg was flashed. Zach thinks most guys would probably be okay with female sexual deviants. Zach tells a possible male rape story about his friend. Meg tells a story about her male friend, similar story. Double standard and interesting dichotomy of male rape compared to female rape. Innocence of Muslim’s trailer… Zach thought it was a parody at first. It’s the worst piece of garbage ever made! The Middle East perception on North America/US will never change… it’s time to leave all the countries because no amount of support will change how many feel about the western world.

Meg has to leave, as @Jeffler arrives to the studio. NHL Lockout talk. Will we have a season this year? November? December? The Marlies, will they improve? NHL players on rookie contracts can sign with AHL teams.  When did you last eat Jeff? Lost 135lbs! Counting calories. Some exercise. Who wins the cup if we get a season this year? The Leafs should be a playoff team soon. Mike Francesa falls asleep mid-interview. His explanation on what happened – blames his son? The best thing to come of this is the prank calls he is getting – please keep this up. So funny! Have a sense of humour and it will pass over faster. Check out Jeff at @Jeffler LeafsHQ.com MarliesHQ.com. Then the thought of the day to rap it up.

You see, last year when Cirque du Soleil Totem was in town, I checked it out and was blown away by what I experienced. The simple fact that people are actually capable of the things they did in that show made me feel terrible for not being able to do any of it (besides the prancing, I think I could prance if I really tried). But it also ended up getting me on a workout routine that lasted several months! The same happened when I checked out Cavalia back in May. (However, instead of working out, I got into running).

So this time around, Cirque is back in town and I’ve been looking at getting tickets again… I figure I can write it off as a health expense right? Well that was the plan.. and then Buytopia contacted me to let me know they had a deal on tickets… so I jumped on it and grabbed a pair of deals (grandparents probably want and not so web savvy when it comes to group deal sites)… and then they sweetened the deal even more – and provided a pair of tickets!

There was no catch. Which after reading Meg Button’s post on blogger outreach, made me feel happy. BUT, then I realized the deal is actually a really good one and I imagine people would want to be made aware that they can save 20%. Easy peasy! So it was a no brainer to share! Thank you Buytopia for the hookup (again!) and everyone else, save some cash! Who wants to join me to see the show?

This is like a cheat code for what to order there. The Caesar salad is one of the best I have ever had. Clearly the dressing was house made,  the lettuce was crisp and in perfect bite sizes (I can’t tell you the number of times you get salad pieces too large and I end up getting dressing on my face… not a pretty sight). I think I should have asked for a little parmesan cheese, but that would have just been another nice layer. Incredible. Top marks for this!

Val had ordered the Caprese salad which was fresh… however, no where near as good as the Caesar… I promise you this.

Next up, Val and I had the Rigatone Gorgonzola… oh man it was the second perfect dish. Again, the right amount of the delicious sauce, nice pieces of asparagus and big bites of prosciutto! It was incredible. Actually considering heading off to the grocery store and getting the ingredients to try and recreate it. So good. Quite frankly, had the meal ended there I would have been a happy man!

The main came next… Val had the Salmon and I opted for Steak (as you all should too!) It was nicely done with a nice chunk of herbed butter on top. The vegetables it came with (Brocolli, Carrot, Green Beans and Potatoes) were also nicely done. I suspect the manager gave us a slightly large piece of steak/salmon than usual (quite frankly, than was necessary… I finished half the steak and couldn’t pack anything else into my stomach haha). But it made for a nice breakfast this morning.

Lastly, a desert of Tartufo… both Val and I agreed on sharing one rather than one each. Definitely the right move! Tartufo is pretty traditional in how it’s made/served and this was no stray from what is to be expected when ordering tartufo.

Overall, great meal! Nice non-pretentious place. Very kind people and a relaxed vibe. Definitely one to check out… and highly recommend the 4 course for $55 from Buytopia! Thanks greatly to them for the hookup, to Val for the invite and to Mirto for the incredible meal!

PS. Also check out Val’s pictures/review.