Stephen R. Burns's Blog, page 6

Not Exactly Re-Branding

Hey folks,

Sorry that I've been quiet here lately. I've been perusing Seth Godin's book on Tribes, which is important for new authours. In this fragmented market space, an artist has to determine who their "tribe" is, that is, the people who will be drawn to their work. If I wrote erotic romance,for example, this would be easy. Unfortunately, I write a blend of genres. Yes, it's urban fantasy, but it's also near-dystopian. Post-apocalyptic, yes, but with strong noir detective roots. (Thanks, R...

The 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

It's a difficult thing to describe. A feeling in your stomach. A sense that this year may not be like last year, may not be like the last twenty years. A sense that, against all odds, your team, the one you've invested in since you were a kid, is actually good.

The 2015 Toronto Blue Jays didn't feel like that during the first half of the season. They gave their fans glimpses of it,some of which were heartbreaking. They blew out teams and then lost games by a run. The big hit eluded them. So di...

The Weekly Sports Burns Ed.2

LOCAL NEWS

THE BEST

Notre Dame came into the season as a favorite for the college football playoff. Or at least, a contender. Experts said it was Brian Kelly's most talented team. In the first game, they lost their number one tailback, Taream Folston, for the season. In the second game, they lost Malik Zaire, their number one quarterback.

But after their win against USC on Saturday night, the Irish sit at six and one, and still in contention for a playoff spot. How? Well, Deshone Kizer has been...

Canada Votes!

I've mentioned here many times that this site is not political. I refuse to make it so. However, I am politically active, and I'm a proud member of a democracy. Tonight was our federal election, and so I was not able to write my normal sports blog. My only comment on the election is a brief story.

I have a slow leak in one of the front tires in my car, but I'd forgotten to check it the past few days. When I drove up to the local elementary school to vote tonight, a ruffled looking man with sta...

Tomorrowland (2015) A Review

What if all of our scientists and dreamers and writers had a chance to remake the world? And to do it without red tape or bureaucracy or any interference?

What if we had a chance to create the world of our dreams, one that not only helped the single mother but also gave license to our most inventive engineers?

This is the question that pulsates through through Tomorrowland, A Disney movie that only occasionally becomes, well, a Disney movie. (Coke, anyone?)

George Clooney plays a retired genius,...

Greatest Game Ever

Remember when M. Night Shayamalan was making movies where you couldn't guess the ending. Films that made you hit rewind and do the "ahh" thing and shake your head. That was what it was like to watch tonight Game Five between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.

The Net is littered with reports on what happened, so surely you know by now. You know about the crazy Russell Martin throwing error that led to a Texas 3-2 lead in the top of the 7th. You know about the three consecutive errors in...

The Weekly Sports Burns (1st. Ed.)

Welcome to the Weekly Sports Burns! If you want to know how the column works, check this out.

LOCAL NEWS


THE BEST

I was twenty-two when the Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Series. With the highest payroll in all of baseball at $56M, WAMCO (White, Alomar, Molitor, Carter, and Olerud) was a team for the ages. They'd been good for so long, it seemed inevitable that they would always be good. Then 1994 happened, the year of the strike, and everything changed. For the next twenty years t...

The Weekly Sports Burns (How It Works)

INTRODUCTION

When I was a kid, I used to carry a tape recorder and microphone around and "interview" my friends about their latest sports heroics. I would mimic favourite announcers like Dick Vitale and Howard Cosell. When I was twenty four, I took the broadcast course at the National Institute of Broadcasting in the hopes of one day working in radio or television as a sports commentator.

It never panned out, and my love for the arts led to a writer's life. But my fandom never left. I was one o...

Thanksgiving Postonement (Jays Win Two; Column tomorrow)

Sorry for the irregular posting, folks. My new Monday sports column, The Weekly Burns, was supposed to start today, but it's Thanksgiving here in Canada, so between time with my family and other duties, I generally don't blog on holidays.

I can tell you that my first column will be done in great spirits, as my Blue Jays won two in Texas and head home for a decisive Game 5. Woohoo!

Go Jays!

Thanksgiving

Add captionTonight my wife and I stopped by Whole Paycheck, err, Whole Foods. It was my first time there,and it was quickly evident why we didn't shop there often. The store itself was clean and quirky, in the way a store where mostly rich people shop can be.

It was amazing.

The reason we'd paid a visit was simple. As vegetarians, Thanksgiving is a time when we look for vegan turkey substitutes, particularly when we visit our families. (Every vegetarian knows this. You learn to bring your own f...