Last night, we celebrated the 5th Annual #HoHoTO, a party created on twitter to benefit the Daily Bread Food bank in Toronto. Our lead sponsor this year was Virgin Mobile, who supported us with $15,000 and an amazing photobooth.

So today is my birthday. To celebrate maybe you can do one of two things.

1) vote from my photo in the Posterjack.ca Charity Shootout. If I get the most voted I will raise $1000 for You Can Play. You can vote here. http://pjcharity.com/

2) You can sponsor me for the Toronto Tweed Ride where I will be raising funds for Bikes Without Borders. You can do that here. http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1516778

Thanks in advance for your well wishes and support!

Country sensation Tim McGraw closed out the first night of the Boots and Hearts Music Festival last night to an enthusiastic crowd.

It’s been over 5 months since I last posted a crush photo here. And today marks the 5 month anniversary with today’s crush, Seth L. Wilson. Originally from Arkansas, Seth now calls Toronto his home. His background is in computer sciences and he loves coding. #crush.

You can follow Seth on twitter @sethlwilson

Some photos from Pride this year, taken before I got sick the second half of the long weekend.

This month, I’m participating in the posterjack.ca Charity Photo Shootout. If my photo gets the most votes at the end of the month, $1000 will be donated to the You Can Play Project (we did a story on them earlier this year). You also get a chance to win a framed print of the image you voted on.

Disposable Film Festival 2012 Official Trailer – Make Some Magic from Disposable Film Festival on Vimeo.

Likely one of the best things I discovered at NXNE last year was the Disposable Film Festival. This is happening again this year. Come, you’ll love it!

Tuesday, June 12th, 8PM
National Film Board
150 John Street, Toronto

When I started blogging 12 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined how many doors it would open. I never would have guessed it would lead me to creating a network of not simply readers, but an ever growing circle of friends and loved ones. I couldn’t fathom that it would take me on the road to becoming a freelance photographer, where I could grow and share my creative talents. Most of all, I never would have believed this journey would finally land me a career where I would be doing social media for a living; blogging, tweeting and sharing. But here I am, typing on a Macbook Pro in the trenches of agency life doing something as simple as writing a blog post.

It was almost three months ago when I got the call that changed everything. It was a call from Mark McKay asking if I was open to working full time. I had hinted to Mark last summer that a career change was on my mind, but what kind of job that would be was still unclear for me. The only thing I did know was that I needed a change in my life, more stability. What the offer ended up becoming was a full time position working for Sonic Boom, in social media with their client, Ford Canada. I was floored by the offer and totally up for the challenge. I felt truly blessed that Mark and the Sonic Boom team had put their faith in me and my abilities, especially without any agency experience. I quickly learned.

The last couple of months have been a frenzy of work, settling into a 9 to 5, rattling my head around twitter, facebook and a whole slew of other social platforms, not for myself, but for a huge automotive brand. It has been a lot of extra hours. It’s been a trip to Ottawa for the Ottawa-Gatineau International Auto Show. It’s been a lot of training on various third party apps that do a variety of things, from publishing, analytics and monitoring. Most of all it’s been a ton of fun and highly educational. The best part of course is the fact that things are finally taking shape in a way where others can see them. For me, that means taking an active role in the successful launch of the Ford Blog, Ford Canada on Facebook, and Further Proof campaign. Yeah, saying we have been busy is a bit of a understatement, but it’s been a satisfying experience all-around.

The crazy thing is that this is merely the beginning. I’m stoked.

The year was 2005 and I was still into urban exploration. The Toronto Brickworks was still boarded up at the time, and wasn’t the marketplace that we are familiar with today.

Kick starting the blog again… lets do this.

“I just see the ball and run and try to catch it. I’ve been running and catching baseballs since I could walk…”

That’s what Toronto Blue Jay, Colby Rasmus told the Toronto Star and I know exactly what he means. I started playing when I was a little boy and loved the game right away.

“The more I think about it, the more it messes me up.”

That is how he finished the thought… and I know exactly what he means by that as well. I think we all do. Whether you are or were an athlete at any point in your life or not you have no doubt been in situations where the things that are supposed to be easy for you become terribly difficult.

Maybe it’s writer’s block or parallel parking or pouring the perfect beer, it doesn’t matter. Once you get all up in your own head, you’re screwed.

It can be hard to step back and realistically evaluate the expectations of professional athletes sometimes. To take a second and recognize that there is a lot of pressure that comes with doing your job in front of tens of thousands of people every night and hundreds of thousands or more on TV at the same time. And yes, pro athletes like Colby Rasmus make a lot of money to deal with that pressure and perform. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

If it was easy I would be doing it.

Rasmus is 25 years old now – 7 years after he was drafted in the 1st round by the St. Louis Cardinals. There was a time when he was the youngest player on the team in St. Louis, he didn’t fit in with the veterans who knew what they were doing and how to deal with the media and pressure and everything that comes with being a big leaguer. Now he’s just another 20 – something in a Blue Jays clubhouse that looks like a group of friends playing baseball. It’s a group of players that he should fit in with a lot better. Maybe he’s not as outgoing or enthusiastic as Brett Lawrie or JP Arencibia – but he can hang with them when it comes to playing baseball and it’s good to see him smile on the diamond.

Sure, there’s still a lot of pressure. Heck, I wrote that he is one of the most important 2012 players in my Blue Jays season preview at TheReviewsAreIn. Rasmus has also admitted that he doesn’t really feel comfortable in the “go, go, go” mentality of big cities. He’d rather hunt and fish and hang out at home (next door to his parents and down the street from his grandparents). But by all accounts he is getting comfortable in Toronto and is ready to let the past go and become the 5 tool player that scouts and fans have drooled over for years.

And as a fan, I hope he does because this kid has everything it takes to be a very special baseball player and we’re lucky to have him.

#GoJaysGo

Usually when I’m writing here it’s not that hard. But, this time is different.

It goes like this, I’m a straight dude that played a lot of sports when I was younger. I loved it and wouldn’t trade away those memories or experiences for anything in the world. In all of my experiences though one thing that I never went through was a teammate coming out.

Now that I’m a little bit older and I’m reading stories about young men who say that the hardest part about coming out was telling their teammates I start wondering what it would have been like to experience. I know that in the mid to late 90’s when I was most involved in team sports it was not a locker room environment that looked super enlightened. We were dumb teenage boys and nobody really worried about telling us to be any different. We made fun of each other. We encouraged toughness and manliness and discouraged and made fun of any signs of weakness, failure and anything that wasn’t macho and Alpha.

I would like to think that as a group we would have been welcoming and supporting and inviting to a teammate if they had come out and told us that they were gay. But I don’t know how it would have gone down.

Soccer player David Testo waited years to come out. And while I feel lucky to have spoken with him and written about it earlier this year, I wish I would have asked him about the environment when he was a kid. Did he ever think about coming out when he was younger? Was it kids like me that made him hold off? He told us that he believes we won’t see more athletes coming out until we see a more accepting society.

I would like to believe that the time is coming. That our youth are much more accepting and educated and ready to show the world that being a gay athlete is okay. Just like being a gay accountant or actor or waitress or CEO is okay.

It’s not right that it falls on our young people to lead us… but I think that’s how it is going to be.

I can only hope that stories being shared by young athletes like Scott Heggart will show us that things can change. And that campaigns like You Can Play (spearheaded by the Burke family) will show the mainstream that the time has come for everyone to feel invited and included.

I’m still scared that I haven’t said what I wanted to say. Or that my message isn’t clear.

When I was 15 I’m not sure I would have been strong enough to stand up for a gay teammate. And because of that I’m not sure it’s fair for me to ask every 15 year old out there to be strong and supportive and welcoming… but that’s what I’m doing. It’s what I’m asking of everyone, of every age.

If your goalie or second baseman or left D or point guard or quarterback is gay it doesn’t matter. They are still part of your team. We are all taught that your team is your family. And we all need to support our families.

Whether you are gay, straight, bi, unsure, or not ready to decide: If you can play, you can play.

Let me clear that up a little. Softball, I want to play softball in Toronto.

It’s been a few years since I was on the field but I believe that I still have a lot to offer to the right team.

Check the stats:

• Age: 30
• Bats: Right
• Throws: Left
• Height: 5 feet 11.5 inches
• Weight: 170ish
• Build: Athletic

What I Bring To The Table:

• Wheels: That’s right, I can still get on my horse and get around the bases. Balls in the gap are triples.
• A Canon: As a former pitcher I’ve got some juice in my left arm and I am happy to use it to get the ball in quick from the outfield or across the diamond from third to first.
• IQ: I’ve been in love with baseball for 25 years and consider myself a student of the game. Situations have been played through my head over and over and over again.
• Hard Line Drives: I’ve never been a big fly ball guy and I see that as a good thing. I use the whole field, keep the ball away from the defense and move people around the bases.
• Passion: There is no place I would rather be than on the baseball diamond.
• Enthusiasm: I am one of the most encouraging dudes you will ever see on the field. I high five and compliment and ass slap like it’s my mission.

Note: Since I’ve started working with a couple pretty awesome performance supplement companies (MuscleTech/Six Star Pro Nutrition) and quit the smoking I’ve started to work on getting back into great shape again with chin ups, pull up, push ups, running, etc. and great products. I’m gonna be something to see!

I’m not trying to brag or anything, but I think I would make a pretty bad-ass addition to any team in the city as an athletic outfielder or corner infielder.

If you would like to see my highlight reel I can ask my mom for the photo album from little league and I’ll scan the pics.

If you want to talk to my agent about having me try out or join your team leave a comment here or tweet at me.

More than anything I just want to be part of a team again. I want to feel the grass under my shoes and the bat in my hand and the ball in my glove. If you have a team that plays in Toronto or know someone that does please let me know.

In the famous words of every umpire ever, “Play Ball!”

Okay, so we won’t actually get the selections and final rankings and pairings and brackets until later today and then the play-in games don’t start until Tuesday in Dayton, OH… but it’s here!

In fact, it’s so here that I’ve already posted the 3rd annual March Madness Widow Survival Guide over on my blog. This year we’ve got a list of 5 suggestions to help those of you who may feel a sense of abandonment or suffer from a lack of attention during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Have a look.

I know that I am (by far) the most excited member of the photojunkie.ca family right now. I may be the only excited member of the family to be completely honest. But I DON’T CARE. It’s such an amazing time of year with upsets and Cinderellas and heartbreak and comebacks and young men sweating blood for a shot at glory. This is by far my favorite single elimination sports tournament of the year. The Super Bowl may be a big game, but as a tournament, it doesn’t touch March Madness.

Now, if you’re going to pay even a little bit of attention this year you’re going to need a team to cheer for. There are 68 teams at the start of this thing, so you will have a lot of options.

If you want to pick a front-runner who could last a while in the tournament I would suggest having a look at (1)Kentucky, (2)Syracuse, (3)Kansas, (5)Missouri or (7)Ohio State who all sit in the current top 10 rankings.

If you’re scared of top teams who may lose, stay away from (8)Michigan State, (11)Baylor and (19)Florida.

And if you want to be my friend at all from now until April 2 DO NOT CHEER FOR (6)DUKE!

I’ll be cheering for the University of (4)North Carolina as I do every year. And I think I’ll also show some love to (10)Murray State who have played their way into a top 10 spot in the rankings this year.

This is a great sporting event that last 3+ weeks. It makes young men famous. It breaks grown men’s hearts. And it puts a smile on my face.

So, find a website (yahoo, espn, cbs) that has a bracket game to play in. Set the PVR to record your regular prime time shows. Buy french fries, chicken wings, chips, beer and other junk foods and get ready friends… the Madness is here!

Note: For the first time since 1946 (wow!) Harvard will be playing in the March Madness Tournament. And do you know who went to Harvard? Jeremy Lin!

Check out this great video that some cool dudes put together as the world looks for, The Next Linsation.

The play-offs are coming, the play-offs are coming! Get your hashtag ready!

It’s here, it’s here.
It happened, it happened.
It’s coming, it’s coming.
I’m so excited!

It was announced last week that Major League Baseball will be adding a 2nd Wild Card team to the playoff system this season. That’s HUGE news. Especially in markets like Toronto.

Here’s how it breaks down (unless I’m totally misunderstanding everything) – the 3 division winners in each league continue to move to the play-offs as per usual. The best 2nd place team becomes the 1st Wild Card team AND the new wrinkle, the former Wild Card runner-up now becomes the 2nd Wild Card team.

This is the kind of thing that baseball fans in Toronto have been dreaming about for years. Hell, I’ve been writing about it for years and even proposed my own changes here on the blog on October 7, 2009 “Reviewing My Would Be Changes To The MLB Play-Offs”.

However, none of that matters now (other than the fact that my idea is still brilliant) as we are finally moving forward! Baseball isn’t the worst at change… but they certainly aren’t the best either. And this is change. And it could be the start of even more change!

Here’s what things would look like based on the 2011 end of season standings. The division winners are numbered 1, 2 and 3 based on record and the existing Wild Card team is marked as number 4. All 8 existing play-off teams are highlighted in yellow.

The new Wild Card team is marked with the number 5 and highlighted in red.

It goes like this. The new Wild Card teams (Boston and Atlanta) would play the existing Wild Card teams (Tampa and St. Louis) in a 1 GAME PLAY-OFF to see who moves on to the next round. That game will be hosted by the 1st Wild Card team and will be crazy exciting.

So, what does this mean for the Blue Jays?

It means that the time is now to capitalize on young talent, an increasing budget and the energy and buzz that is surrounding the team.

If the play-offs weren’t already the “real” goal for the head office in 2012, they better be now. If they were waiting to make a move because it didn’t really make sense… it makes more sense now.

I know that by my own graphic and evidence the 2011 Blue Jays weren’t really close to being that 2nd Wild Card team… but we weren’t as far off as the Orioles, Padres, Marlins or Astros.

Spring Training is always a great time of optimism and hope for baseball fans. And now there is one more thing to be excited about.

The Play-Offs!

A couple of weeks back, I took a stroll through Graffiti Alley where I found this pair of bunnies. That reminds me, Easter is around the corner, which also reminds me of how yummy Cadbury mini eggs are.

On Friday night, my boys, Juan Sanchez and The Bullet held an epic party at Locus 144 in Liberty Village. This duo also known as Speedboats and Big Explosions killed it with some dope beats and wild shenanigans. I was there to capture the night with a photobooth.

I was out in Port Hope last weekend for Josh’s birthday. This is where I met Indy, his family’s dog. As everyone was still sleeping indoors, I was out skating on the pond and doing a photo shoot with this beautiful dog.