Low-carb recipe video: Bird seed porridge
This is a video for a delicious version of low-carb / gluten-free / sugar-free hot cereal called bird seed porridge.
Click here for a revised version of the recipe that I originally posted last year.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
My top five most popular blog posts in 2009
I went through my stats recently to see what was popular in 2009. Here are my top five blog posts with the most hits in 2009:
#5: Making poutine râpée in Leominster, Mass. (posted November 7, 2008): I run the very popular "The Official Acadian Poutine Râpée Facebook Group" and am always on the lookout for poutine râpée-related news stories. My Google alert brought up this story from the Leominster Champion one day and I reprinted it for local readers. (Just a quick note: The actual #5 was on another topic, but the video I blogged about is no longer available.)
#4: Make cool stuff with duct tape (posted February 19, 2007): I just happened to find a site that showed people how to make neat stuff with duct tape and decided to blog about it. It's been creating traffic for me ever since.
#3: Moncton's AC/DC concert cancelled because of Pope Benedict VI's visit to the city! (posted April 1, 2009): My annual April Fool's posting nearly caused a few heart attacks among AC/DC fans when I "announced" that the concert was cancelled because the pope had decided to visit Moncton on that very same day.
#2: Cindy Day to replace Peter Coade as ATV's meteorologist (posted September 4, 2007): There continued to be a huge amount of interest in this blog post in 2009 after popular CTV Atlantic meteorologist Peter Coade retired (actually, he ended up at CBC) and Global's Cindy Day jumped ship to move over to CTV -- even though all this happened in 2007!
#1: Joey Heatherton is 63 today (posted September 14, 2007): I have no idea why, but this post consistently gets a significant number of hits every single day. It was nearly five times more popular in 2009 as the #2 post on the list. I'm baffled. I recently updated the video because the previous one had been taken down by YouTube. If a post is getting that much traffic, I'll make sure the video is working! The post is even getting commented on by people who know her. This was the #5 most popular post of 2008, but the hits it got in 2009 were more than triple the 2008 traffic. Go figure! (It should also be noted that -- when taking into account all stats since the first day of this blog in 2006 -- this post is by far the most popular of all nearly 2,600 posts since day one.)
Monday, February 08, 2010
Tomorrow: Top five blog posts in 2009
Tomorrow, I'll be publishing a list of the five blog posts (of the nearly 2,600 so far!) on Brian Cormier's Blogtastic World! that received the most traffic in 2009.
The #1 post still surprises me. I have no idea why it is the one it is. If someone knows the answer after they see it, please let me know!
Stay tuned tomorrow when the top five list will be posted!
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Roads very bad between Moncton and Fredericton
The roads are very bad between Moncton and Fredericton, folks, so be careful. People on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are reporting many accidents and treacherous driving. Check out this video taken earlier today by YouTuber Newschaser... and the roads only got worse afterwards!
Saturday, February 06, 2010
New Facebook fan page video
If you're a member of my Facebook fan page, check out a video I posted this evening to thank everyone for joining! 160+ members already! That's awesome! Thanks for the support!
Ode to the Canadian milk bag
What Canadians see as "normal", others see as completely... well... weird. Yes, Canadians can buy their milk in bags.
Some Canadian milk bag videos from YouTube:
(Photo courtesy of Dylan's Blog.)
Friday, February 05, 2010
Check it out, kids!! Moncton's "Mission Possible: Haiti" YouTube contest
Hey kids! Looking for a way to help our friends in Haiti? Are you fans of YouTube? Then this contest may be for you!
Here's a "cut and paste" of the sidebar mentioned in the above YouTube video:
"Buy a Mission Possible: Haiti t-shirt....make a video...1-3 minutes in length...upload it to the Mission Possible: Haiti Facebook event or YouTube channel...and YOU could be the winner of a pizza party for 10!!
Here's the sidebar link for Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=315086128205&ref=ts
Deadline to enter is Feb. 22 and the winner will be announced at the concert on Feb. 26 so you'll want to be there!
Make sure you post the link to your video on this page or on the Facebook page at the link above so we can find it!
GENERAL RULES APPLICABLE TO
Mission Possible: Haiti VIDEO CONTEST
1. Unless otherwise excluded by law or by the rules applicable to a particular contest, Mission Possible: Haiti contests are open to all students. Employees, agents and immediate family members of Mission Possible: Haiti, its advertising agencies, sponsors, affiliates and representatives are not eligible to participate. Immediate family members include spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren whether by current marriage, past marriage, adoption or as in-laws. All contests are void where prohibited by law. No purchase is necessary.
2. All contest entries become the property of Mission Possible: Haiti. Each entrant may enter a contest only once. In the case of multiple entries by the same person, all entries may be withdrawn and the entrant disqualified.
3. Each entrant agrees that in the event he or she wins a contest Mission Possible: Haiti shall have the right, without further compensation, to publicize and/or broadcast his or her name, voice, likeness, city of residence and the fact that he or she won the contest.Entrants further agree that Mission Possible: Haiti may use such identifying information to publicize its radio station, website and/or other contests. Contest winners agree that they may be contacted by telephone and the call recorded for potential use on air.
4. Entrants agree to release and hold harmless Mission Possible: Haiti and its affiliates, including Mission Possible: Haiti and its officers, agents and volunteers, from any and all damages, liabilities or claims for injury or damage of any kind that might arise in connection with a contest, a prize, or the award of a prize. Mission Possible: Haiti reserves the right to condition the final award of any prize on the execution of a legally enforceable release of claims and indemnity agreement.
5. Mission Possible: Haiti is not responsible for service outages, connection speeds or other sources of internet systems which may influence or affect the chances of winning a contest.
6. Mission Possible: Haiti reserves the right to substitute another prize of equal or greater value for the prize originally announced if the original contest prize is or becomes unavailable. Mission Possible: Haiti is not liable if a concert or event with which a prize is associated is canceled due to circumstances beyond Mission Possible: Haiti's control. Unless impossible or impractical, prizes will be mailed to the winner within 60 days after the winner is selected and announced.
7. Mission Possible: Haiti reserves the right to disqualify any entrant or winner (whether or not the winners identity has been announced) who does not adhere to the rules applicable to the contest in which he or she entered or who gains an unfair advantage through fraud or unsportsmanlike conduct in participating in the contest.
8. For a list of contest winners send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Mission Possible: Haiti, Attn: Contest Winners, 663 Pinewood Road, Riverview NB E1B 5R6 and include the name of the contest you are inquiring about."
Good luck to everyone who wants to participate!
Adam Lambert's appearance on CBC's qTV
Check out Adam Lambert's interview with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC Radio's Q show this week. Adam's a great interview and Jian is a great interviewer. A real pro!
Thursday, February 04, 2010
My first CNN iReport
I posted my commentary on the abandoned puppies in Fredericton to CNN iReport. Will be doing these on a regular basis.
Click here to check it out.
Click on the photo for a larger version.
News item: '80s hit Down Under copies kids' song: court
"Australian band Men at Work copied a well-known children's campfire song for the flute melody in its 1980s hit Down Under and owes the owner years of royalties, a court ruled Thursday. Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree was written more than 70 years ago by Australian teacher Marion Sinclair for a Girl Guides competition, and the song has been a favourite around campfires from New Zealand to Canada."
Click here to read the full report from CBC News.
Here's Down Under by Men at Work:
Here's a version of Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree:
What do YOU think? Personally, I don't hear it.
Mission Possible: Haiti
News release:
"Advance Savings Credit Union, JumpStart720, Sun Life Financial and the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce have just announced Mission Possible: Haiti, which includes a city-wide sale of Mission Possible: Haiti t-shirts and a benefit concert.
The Mission Possible Haiti benefit concert, which is being held at the Wesleyan Celebration Centre on Friday, February 26, at 7 p.m. includes the musical talents of ECMA winners and 2010 nominees for Entertainer of the Year, The Divorcees, ECMA winner and 2010 nominee for Pop Recording of the Year, Stephanie Mainville and ECMA winner, Chris Colepaugh.
Tickets for the Mission Possible Haiti benefit concert are $20 each and are available online at TicketWindow.ca, Steve’s Diner and Frank’s Music.
Along with the benefit concert, the group had a stylish "Mission Possible: Haiti" t-shirt designed which they are selling for $10 each.
T-shirts are available for purchase by the general public at any branch of Advance Savings Credit Union and all Sobeys locations and will also be available at the Wesleyan Celebration Centre during the concert.
If you are with a corporation and would like to purchase a supply of t-shirts for your staff, please email jmarr@advancesavings.ca and ask for the Mission Possible: Haiti t-shirt order form.
We want to see everyone wearing a Mission Possible: Haiti t-shirt on Friday, February 26!
Proceeds from the event and Mission Possible: Haiti t-shirt sales will go to the Canadian Red Cross and Samaritan's Purse to support their earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Advance Savings Credit Union, JumpStart720, Sun Life Financial, Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce, C103/XL96, Times & Transcript, Sobeys, The Hardman Group, Fundy Textile & Design, Damascus Coffee, Future Inns, Broken Coast, Sign-A-Rama and Orange Creative & Design."
Click here for a MAX FM radio interview with Jenn Marr re: the event.
Every month has its upsides and downsides
Hump Day
By Brian Cormier
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Editorial section
Moncton Times & Transcript
I'm not one for wishing an entire month away, but if someone asked me what my least-favourite month of the year was, I'd have to say January. It's a long month usually devoid of much celebration -- in fact, any semblance of celebration from the Christmas season is taken down and put away for another year.
Usually, it's cold, snowy and bleak. The days are short and there's no holiday until Good Friday, which falls on April 2 this year. Not bad. Kind of in the middle of "early and late" as far as Easter goes. Next year will be exceptionally painful as Good Friday 2011 falls incredibly late on April 22 -- practically in May!
There was some online chatter last week about favourite months. April was mentioned as a very depressing month by a couple of people, mostly because of the mud from the spring thaw and the fact that the trees are still pretty bare. One person I used to work with absolutely despised November for pretty much the same reason. For me, every month has its pros and cons.
January: The pros to January are a return to routine after the Christmas break. The kids go back to school. There's not a lot going on, so resting is not too difficult to do. The cons are pretty obvious. It's a long, cold, snowy month. The days are still short and the absence of Christmas lights makes them all that more dreary. And then there are the Christmas bills.
February: This is a month with a non-statutory holiday in there called Valentine's Day. The stores are all decorated in red and white. Lovers prepare for a cozy night together in a nice restaurant or in front of a fireplace. For single people, however, Valentine's Day is a time for stuffing your face with chocolate and trying to watch reruns of Golden Girls through your tears.
March: This is the teaser month. It usually starts off a lot like winter and somewhere in between we get visited by spring! Oh the joy! Things melt a bit. We even get to see the grass in our yards again. On a particularly balmy day, we may even see children drive by on their bicycles. Spring is here! Then, reality hits when the inevitable snowstorms come and we're buried again until mid-April. Well, at least the days are longer so we can see what we're shovelling.
April: This is the muddy month when things usually thaw out, but winter has not gone just yet. There's always that one big storm left in April that causes even the most positive people to contemplate mass murder. Kids, when it snows in April, let's just say that it's not a good day to ask mom and dad for a raise in your allowance. On the good side, however, Easter often occurs in April, giving us a couple of days off work and a reason to eat lots of chocolate!
May: The good thing about May is that the days are really long and the warm weather starts to return in a more regular manner. There's also Victoria Day, which means opening up the cottage for the year (if you have one) or taking a few days to clean up the yard. The leaves come out on the trees, which is nice. And the bad? Well, in some years, Mother Nature rears her ugly head like Jason at the end of those Friday the 13th movies. Just when you think she's dead and buried for another year, it starts to snow. (For instance, Moncton received 47 centimetres of snow throughout May 1985.) Many of us mow our lawns for the first time.
June: The kids get out of school and people turn their thoughts to vacations. Lawns definitely need mowing by now.
The longest day of the year occurs, usually on the 21st. On the negative side, there are some very warm days for those who don't like the heat. It's also the time you notice your home or car air conditioner is broken.
July and August: I'll lump these two in together. Lots of tourists around. Vacations are in full tilt. Kids start off super excited and then end up being bored. Parents start off super happy to have the kids home and then are super happy that they're going back. There's nothing on TV but reruns and some reality talent shows. Christmas decorations start to creep into stores, driving many people crazy. Various summer afflictions abound, including bee stings, sunburns, jellyfish stings, and bug bites.
September: The smell of a freshly mowed lawn -- so pleasant in May and June -- has now grown old and the chore of mowing has eclipsed the earlier pleasure. The kids are back in school. Vacations are over. Routine returns. Television shows return. The days get shorter. The weather is still very nice.
October: Usually very nice weather and nice scenery with the leaves changing. This is my favourite month. It's the month of Thanksgiving and the harvest. The kids get Halloween to enjoy -- and so do the adults. The first snowflakes of the year fly. People talk about seeing their first snowflake of the season like they've just seen a unicorn.
November and December, for all intents and purposes, are all about Christmas and getting ready for winter, especially after Remembrance Day, when the holiday season swings into full gear. The Christmas haters rue every waking moment.
The Christmas lovers revel in their favourite time of the year. Parents can finally use the "Santa card" again when disciplining their children. We wonder what we'll do on New Year's Eve.
Every month has its good points and bad points. The secret is finding the joy of whatever month it is and focusing on that. Thank goodness I like the Golden Girls.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Aaron Kelly and Lacey Brown were sentimental favourites on tonight's American Idol
Aaron Kelly, 16, has a great personal story, great look and great voice. Lacey Brown nearly made it into the Top 10 last year but was narrowly beat out by Megan Joy. Can she make it through this year? Her performance on tonight's show was amazing, I thought. Thoughts? First up is Aaron:
And here's Lacey:
Videos courtesy of www.rickey.org.
Forbes names top 25 web celebs
Many people have a little corner of the web these days. Lord knows, I'm doing my part to carve out my own... however some have become veritable web celebrities ("web celebs"). Through blogs, YouTube and other means, these individuals have made a mark for themselves on the web and have amassed huge followings.
A few surprises: The only major YouTuber on the list is Shane Dawson. I subscribe to -- and like -- his videos, however there are others I would have put above him, including Fred, Nigahiga, Kevjumba, Sxephil, Charlieissocoollike, Cory "Mr. Safety" Williams and a few others. But hey -- it's a thrilling honour for Shane and congrats to him!
I haven't heard of many on the list, simply because they're tech or business bloggers and those aren't things I follow very closely. I love that Seth Godin made the list. Also very interesting to see Star Trek The Next Generation's Wil Wheaton, as well. Trek fans have made Wheaton a veritable Twitter star with more than 1.6 million followers! (He also starred in one of my favourite movies of all time - Stand By Me.)
Click here for the list of Forbes' top 25 web celebs.
Do you agree with their choices? Post a comment a let me know!
The photo above is of the #1 person on Forbes' list. If you don't recognize him, click here for his blog.
Congratulations to everyone who made the list! Quite an honour!
This week's Hump Day column...
... is about the fact that every month has its ups and downs. Many people don't like January since it's a long, cold, snowy month. But other months have their downsides, too. The secret is to find the silver lining in any time of the year -- whether it's your least-favourite month or not.
Check out today's Hump Day column in the editorial section of the Moncton Times & Transcript, New Brunswick's largest-circulation newspaper.
It will be posted here online tomorrow.
Remember... if it's Wednesday, it's Hump Day!
Moncton's Vien Dong Restaurant closed due to health violations
After last weekend's tragic fire at Moncton's popular Château à Pape Restaurant, another well-known local eating establishment is experiencing a different kind of trouble: health inspectors.
A friend on Facebook who works on Main Street mentioned that she noticed that the Vien Dong Restaurant (Vietnamese and Thai food) at 880 Main Street has been closed since yesterday.
After visiting the online version of the restaurant's latest inspection report, it became quite evident that the place is in dire need of pulling up its bootstraps and has been closed until it complies with a numerous amount of infractions. Click here for a copy of yesterday's inspection report.
I've eaten there many times and have greatly enjoyed it. I hope they get their act together and re-open soon.
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