Those who know me just a little bit will probably guess that I was happy in many ways to be out of City Market. Did I want to be shown the door? No, I didn't. Nobody wants to be fired, ever, and no matter how one's feelings are about one's job it doesn't feel good to get sent packing after years of work, particularly if you don't think it was ( Read more... )

Well hello everyone. That is, hello to anybody who might be out there. Three years ago when last I posted many of you on my friends list were already disappearing - most no doubt exiting for Facebook, perhaps some starting your own blogs, some just too busy or uninterested in continuing to post much at all. Such is the speed of the Information ( Read more... )

This past week I travelled up to Montreal for the Mondial de la Biere, the big festival that lasts for 5 days in early June that I attended the previous 2 years. In 2005 and 2006 I went for 4 days (it starts Wednesday and ends Sunday but the last day is usually pretty worthless); this year I only felt the need (and the $$) for the first two. One ( Read more... )

I don't know if I'll post many film reviews here; I may just give out links to the reviews I'm starting (hesitantly) to write elsewhere, but I just had to mention this film as it just opened and likely won't be around long ( Read more... )

First of all, hi to those benighted few people out there who might end up reading this, who have been thinking for months, "where the hell is Barry?" Second of all, happy Thanksgiving ( Read more... )

The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) directed by Jacques Audiard, written by Audiard and Tonino Benacquista (based on the original screenplay for "Fingers" (1978) by James Toback ( Read more... )

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) directed by Tim Burton, written by John August from the book by Roald Dahl ( Read more... )

28 years ago I was 11 years old, immersed in the travails of 6th grade, and spending most of my time outside of school reading "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". Then along came a movie ( Read more... )

Pi (1998) written and directed by Darren Aronofsky ( Read more... )

I have lots of things that I could write about at the moment, but little time; so I'll just try to focus mostly on one, and that is writing itself. I've felt more motivated to write lately than I have in a long time, but keep being sabotaged by work (too much of it + irregular schedule) and by continuing to not feel well; it's been almost 2 months ( Read more... )