Dr. Love is ready to operate

Ladies and gentlemen, Avi and Mr. T are pleased to present the first installment of the Dr. Love Advice Column. Dr. Love is the alter ego of Mr. T (Barry Tabacznik). You can find him in dance clubs, alleyways, gas station bathrooms, and his private practice, conveniently located in the penthouse suite of the Love tower in downtown Kissimmee, Florida. He is instantly recognizable by his trademark silk heart suit, sunglasses, gelled hair, and snappy wit. If you have a question, the Doctor has the answer.

The following three questions were culled from random locations spread out across the internet. In the future, if you have an anonymous question for Doc Love, just send it via Mr. T at the address listed near the bottom of this page. Please be advised that Dr. Love is not a licensed professional and his advice is mainly intended for entertainment purposes only. If you manage to get anything else out of it – well, good for you. Now let the Love begin!

Do guys ever play hard to get?

This guy said that he liked me, but I’m still not sure. I mean sometimes he calls me 'just to talk' and then I won’t hear from him for like 2 weeks. He asked me to tell him when I was working so he could come visit me, so I told him, but he never came. He mentioned all these things we could do together, but hasn’t asked me out to do any of them yet. It just seems like as soon as I start to forget about him, he calls or says something that makes me get interested again. Like he's just trying to string me along until he's ready. Does this seem like he's just playing games? Maybe he like the whole game of it and wants to play it for a little while? But if a guy likes a girl, don’t they usually want to talk to them and ask them out? I didn’t think guys played hard to get...enlighten me please...

- Anonymous

Doctor Love Answers:

Dear anonymous,
The game has begun. This guy does not care about you he simply the puppeteer making you dance for his pleasure. My instincts right away tell me that this guy is in on it with his friends or you are simply part of a bet. The guy obviously has major self-esteem issues and is doing this to make himself feel good. It is time you tell this creep that the game is over and you do not want him calling anymore. Once he realizes the puppet is turning on him he will then look deep inside and see if he truly has feelings or if he does care and is willing to put the board game away and come back to reality. At this time you now have the strings and can decide if you want to give this guy a chance. Otherwise you should move on and find a real man who doesn’t need to play games.

Silent Night

Hello, I was just wondering what all of you guys do to avoid first date silent periods. Like after you've asked all the normal get to know you questions, what else do you do? And how bad of a sign do you think it is if there are some 'silent' moments? Is this a normal thing?

- ShannonC_77

Doctor Love Answers:

Dear Ms. 77,
You won’t believe how often I get asked that question! I tell all my patients that if they are concerned about silent periods on a first date, or S.P. as I like to say, just make the destination of your first date somewhere that will not happen. For instance going to the movie is the perfect place for a first date. You watch the movie and after your conversation is taken care of for the night as you can talk about the movie; What you liked and what you didn’t like. And hey! If the date does not work out at least it was not a complete waste of time as you got a movie out of it. Now if you go somewhere to “talk” and there is a S.P. just be yourself and do something you would normally do. Some people say “When in Rome” others say “Aaand Dessert”. The important thing is that you are yourself and the guy sees you for who you really are. And if a S.P. comes up don’t be alarmed believe it or not he still can be the one. You should still keep that wedding dress on hold at Barney’s. All it means is that your conversation topic has come to an end and you just start a new one. Just remember that when the conversation is on its last legs it’s dessert time or it is time to think about being in Rome.

Permanent Vacation

I don’t know what to do. I found messages to and from my bf on this message board thing from these 2 girls and they equally were calling each other baby and sweetie and hearts and "mwa's" all over. i also found out he hung out with the one girl when he was on vacation, but he swears nothing happened and they weren’t even alone they were all in a group and he didn’t tell me at first cuz he knew I’d freak. But we fought about it and I thought about it and he promised he would stop with the messages (he used to be that way w. these "girl" friends before me and he admitted it was wrong of him to continue talking to them like that.) I am in the process of forgiving him and letting him show me I can trust him again. What else can I do?

- confused

Doctor Love Answers:

Dear confused,
It is obvious to me that your boyfriend was doing more then sightseeing on his vacation. He obviously does not appreciate you if he cheated on you before chances are he will do it again. Seeing how your man is showing other ladies his main attraction it is clear that he is just stringing you along. My Prescription: dump this guy before he hurts you again because by being with him you are just hurting yourself. And never will you have an honest relationship nor will you be able to trust him. If he wants to show other ladies his tourist attraction then you should tell him your vacation is spot is closed and have him deported.

For www.shulofrock.blogspot.com I’m Dr. Love

Coming soon: Toronto's most notorious hobo.

The Canadian National Exhibition

(Fire Services Parade @ the CNE)

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is Canada's biggest annual outdoor fair/festival event. It is also the fourth largest outdoor fair in North America. This year it is celebrating its 126th anniversary, and Sophia and I were there to see it all unfold. I've been going to 'The Ex' since I was a little kid, and I hope to maintain that tradition even as I grow older and the allure of petting zoos and acrobats begins to lose its appeal. Here is a collection of select pics from yesterday's festivities.


Dancers strut their stuff in the international pavillion.


A bike jumper takes a leap of faith.


Sophia is UV protected outside the Food Building.


A child feeds ducklings at the petting zoo.


This biker climbs a ramp using just the back wheel. It took him three tries, but he did it.


"Feed me!"


This guy is a rock stacking genius!


Look Ma, no hands.


I want to see this guy jump a ramp on his bike.


Insert your own funny description here.


Soph and I had a lot of fun at the CNE. It's still on until Sept 2nd.


Just like the sign says; Giant Wheel.

Hey Shul of Rock readers, guess what? Dr. Love finally finished his homework and his first advice column will be up VERY soon. I hope it is worth the wait! Also, I'm going to be dropping you the 411 on one of Toronto's most famous hobos! And I'm not talking about Joey Lightstone.

Kudos to Smith and Soph

(Jay and Silent Bob, Canadian style)

Kevin Smith is one helluva guy. He is one of the busiest people in showbiz, constantly writing, directing, and starring in movies, all while penning comic books and blogging about his zany life. On top of all that, he always makes time for his fans. He knows they are the ones buying the tickets, comics, and merch, but it goes beyond all that. He genuinely cares. Last night, after shooting some scenes with Jason Mewes and the Degrassi kids, he took the time to briefly chat with Sophia. He gave her an autograph (pictured below), and discussed his upcoming masterpiece, Clerks 2: The Passion of the Clerks.

Sophia, being a class act unto herself, insisted on giving the autograph to me. Thank you to Kevin Smith and Sophia for both being really generous individuals with a soft spot for comic book geeks*.

* (I'm referring to myself, NOT Sophia. She could not be a comic geek if her life depended on it)

COMIC SALE ALERT:

If you are in the Toronto area, head over to 'The Wizard' at Centrepoint Mall (Yonge and Steeles). All the bin comics are $2.00 - There are a lot of hidden treasures there. Otherwise, don't go there. Cyber City Comix near Steeles and Bathurst is the place you should regularly be bringing your dough. Great deals, great staff, great store. That said, if you are in either Westwood CA or Red Bank NJ, head over to Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash.

Hey NewsAskew readers! Bookmark this blog and keep comin' back for more. Shul of Rock kicks ass, and you know it.

Snoogans.

When it rains, it pours

Krikey! Over in Toronto, it has been raining all day! I was strolling through a heavy storm after getting a much needed haircut when I came across a flooded street. It was not just any flooded street, but the street of Shul of Rocker Snoopy! I hope the flood damage was minimal.

Ambulances rushed along the sidewalks and tore through people's lawns in order to reach the site. I almost got run down by one. The pictures you see here were snapped about 25 minutes ago. I'm still soaking wet, and I think I'm going to go change my socks and pants.

R.I.P Brother Roger

Brother Roger was killed yesterday. During an evening prayer service, a mentally ill Romanian woman killed the 90-year-old leader as he led his congregation in prayer. No-one had noticed anything suspicious until he began to bleed. She had slit his throat as the choir sang.

Tributes have poured in from around the world. Pope Ratzinger delivered a heart-felt speech to commemorate the life of the $1 million Tempelton Prize winner. The previous recipient of the prize had been Mother Teresa.

Included in his Templeton citation was the following: "When the Nazis occupied France during World War II, Brother Roger, founder and prior (director) of the Taize Community in France, harbored Jewish refugees... It was typical of Brother Roger's long history of helping the less fortunate." He will be missed.

The Orange Guy Association (TOGA)

Where does the violet tint end and the orange tint begins? Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, but where exactly does the one first blending enter into the other. So with sanity and insanity.
- Herman Melville
US novelist & sailor (1819 - 1891)

It all started a few years ago. My buddies Mr. T and Joey had joined me for a leisurely stroll through downtown Toronto. We were passing through the uber-hip Queen Street area, where all the fashionistas, hipsters, druggies, and artists hang out. It was there that we entered a vintage clothing store called ‘The Black Market’. It was always a favourite for picking up some fun t-shirts, but that day, things were different. The three of us were feeling adventurous. We left the establishment with three identical orange jumpsuits. We crossed the street and ventured down an abandoned alleyway. We suited ourselves up in our new orange garb. When we stepped back out into the street, we knew that there had been an undeniable transformation. We had become members of an elite unit of dudes in orange jumpsuits. We were TOGA (The Orange Guy Association)! And we were unstoppable.

As we strutted (strut?) down the street, flaunting our citrus couture, people began to take notice. "Hey! You guys just get out of jail?" a young man shouted. We were mysterious!

"Is there a parade or something?" We were daring!

"Yo! You guys just get out of the Don? My bro is still doing time in there for B & E. You know Lonnie?" We were freaked out.

The TOGA tour continued as we kept moving down the street. The three of us entered Ontario’s biggest mall, The Toronto Eaton Centre, and we proceeded to disturb the public with our crazy antics.

After a little fun with the employees at the travel agency, the TOGA triad opted to punk the workers at the Old Navy store. It was there that we explained to a frightened salesperson that we had just been released from jail earlier that day, and we were looking for affordable but fashionable summer wear. We told him that our probation officer had given us some cash, and we were eager to use it to turn our lives around. The Old Navy employee was both helpful and fearful, and a month later when I returned to the store without my TOGA suit, he offered me a look of recognition. Funny.

The orange jumpsuit is more than just a means to weird out random passerby. It is a lifestyle, a sub-culture, and a bond. Joey, Mr. T, and myself are eternally connected by the orange fibers resting in our closets. Joey recently moved to Israel, and with him, he took his orange jumpsuit. I recently received this message from him over the OrangeNet:

DUDE!!!
sorry i have been so crappy in keeping up with my writing etc, but it is great reading up on your ca-rraaazzy adventures and musings on your blog.
Big newsflash: yesterday my group had a big debate on the pullout and I was deeply involved, representing sanity. In honour of the occasion I pulled out a relic from the good days gone by, the orange jumpsuit! The second I donned the orange robes of honour I was flooded with nostalgia and a feeling of awesome power running through my body. But that could have been diahrrea, the food here isn't great.

Whether you have an orange jumpsuit in your closet, or just in your heart, you need to remember to hold on to the important things in life; that includes brotherly love and freaking out store employees.

Zion Forever

(photo courtesy of http://zioneocon.blogspot.com/)

In one day, Israel will be changed forever. By returning land that was legally won in a war (initiated by Arabs seeking to destroy the country,) the state of Israel will be abandoning land - and rewarding terror. Generations of families will be uprooted. Jobs will be lost. Graves will be moved (including at least six that belong to terror victims,) and for what?

The terror won't just continue...It will escalate. Rocket attacks will strike further. The new sea port will welcome ships carrying illegal arms from Iran. Arms will be easily smuggled between Gaza and the West Bank.

All the academic think tanks are screaming this inevitable reality. The people in the above picture are doing the same. So were the 50, 000 Jews gathered to pray and protest at the Western Wall recently. That was the largest gathering of praying Jews since the second Temple period thousands of years ago.

Israel may be an old nation, but it is also a young country. It has much to learn.

Rather than answering to international pressure - the voice of a world that would rather see the Jews long dead than in the news, Israel should seek to serve its best interests. That means confronting terror effectively; Not bowing to it. Hamas is already waving flags that declare Jerusalem as the next target.

Aeycha! (Alas!)

What follows is an excerpt from a Jerusalem Post article written by Daniel Pipes. Click here to read it in its entirety.

Israel Shows Weakness in Gaza

by Daniel Pipes

Are Israel's critics correct? Does the "occupation" of the West Bank and Gaza cause the Palestinians' anti-Semitism, their suicide factories and their terrorism? And is it true these horrors will end only when Israeli civilians and troops leave the territories?

The answer is coming soon. Starting on August 15 the Israeli government will evict some 8,000 Israelis from Gaza and turn their land over to the Palestinian Authority. In addition to being a unique event in modern history (no other democracy has forcibly uprooted thousands of its own citizens of one religion from their lawful homes), it also offers a rare, live, social-science experiment.

We stand at an interpretive divide. If Israel's critics are right, the Gaza withdrawal will improve Palestinian attitudes toward Israel, leading to an end of incitement and a steep drop in attempted violence, followed by a renewal of negotiations and a full settlement. Logic requires, after all, that if "occupation" is the problem, ending it, even partially, will lead to a solution.

But I forecast a very different outcome. Given that some 80 percent of Palestinians continue to reject Israel's very existence, signs of Israeli weakness, such as the forthcoming Gaza withdrawal, will instead inspire heightened Palestinian irredentism. Absorbing their new gift without gratitude, Palestinians will focus on those territories Israelis have not evacuated. (This is what happened after Israeli forces fled Lebanon.)

The retreat will inspire not comity but a new rejectionist exhilaration, a greater frenzy of anti-Zionist anger, and a surge in anti-Israel violence.

Palestinians themselves are openly saying as much... (continue here)

Hot enough for ya?

Ever since we started keeping track of the traffic pouring through the gates of the Shul of Rock, we've noticed that many readers are from the Toronto area. Now, before heading outside your home/work place/secret lair, make the S of R your first stop for the latest Toronto weather reports. Just scroll to the bottom of the page, and you'll spot up-to-the-minute forecasts from the Weather Network! For all you non-Toronto dwellers out there, just ignore this post, and continue to enjoy all the S of R has to offer. Shul of Rock is here for you. Let it be your community. Your source of fun pictures, commentary, and discussion.

Stay out of the rain...

- Avi and Mr. T

Dr. Love is coming...

I love my mustard!

I love mustard. The smell. The taste. The texture. There is no experience on this earth comparable to slathering mustard all over an edible object and devouring it. Ketchup just doesn’t come close. Relish does not hold up either. I love the yellow stuff.

It all started when I was a kid. Before discovering the joys of the yellow condiment, I was a ketchup junkie. Those were the dark times known as my pre-mustard days (PMD). It took some time, but I eventually weaned myself off of tomato paste and embraced the cream of the mustard seed. That yellow concoction of near ambrosia-like sustenance. The condiment of the gods.

The great thing about mustard is that it truly goes with anything. While ketchup is sweet, mustard has that tangy kick you just don’t find anywhere else. It can go on meat, fries, bread, pretzels, veggie patties, tofu burgers, and ex-wives. You just don’t find that kind of compatibility anywhere else.

While some stick to only one condiment their whole lives, others combine the holy trinity (ketchup, mustard, and relish). The choice is up to you.

Whatever you do decide to do though, keep an open mind when it comes to mustard. Whether it is grey poupon, hot, Coney Island style, Chinese, or plain, enjoy that yummy mustard love. Mmmm, mustard.

This post has been paid for by the Mustard Association of America.

It's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it's...

Joker and Harley Quinn


From left to right: Green Lantern, Superman, Elektra, Wonder Woman, and a squatting Spider-Man. (That is a rebel pilot in the orange.)

I'm passionate about comic books and...Wait! Come back! I'm not going to overwhelm this site with crazy comic imagery. Relax. Some don't like the stuff as much as I do. I understand that. The fact is, one of the world's biggest comic conventions just wrapped up in Chicago. I'm talking about the WWC. There were more than 56,000 people there. There were many guests, including Kevin Smith, Frank Miller, and reps from Lucasfilm as well as almost every publisher in North America. To celebrate, here are some random pics of adults running around in spandex tights courtesy of Theiggsta, bsw96, zchendevlemh and Archibald Jude. Whoo hoo!


Green Lantern and Supergirl stand on either side of a Jawa. Incidentally, both Green Lantern #3 and Supergirl #1 are being released today. For you Y fans (see earlier post), the new Y comes out today, revealing the current status of Yorick's girlfriend, Beth.


Boba and baby.


Batgirl and Nightwing. Who has the tighter top?

Swastikas at J.C. Penney

On a recent day trip to Buffalo, NY, my mother bought some clothing for my sister, Debra. While shopping at J. C. Penney, she picked up a few skirts and tops. You know, just your average summer prints, and flowery designs – perfect couture for the season. Upon returning home, the purchases were being re-examined by my sister for the umpteenth time whereupon a great howl was raised. You see, there were swastikas all over the skirt. In fact, the image you see above is a photo of the item in question.

"I was appalled", Debra recalls.

The question running through everyone’s mind was ‘Why would J.C. Penney sell Nazi paraphernalia?’. Well, they weren’t. Upon a closer inspection, I noted that the skirt had been made in India. While the Nazis had conscripted the swastika symbol into infamy through their usage of it, the symbol itself had been representative of peace in countless countries prior to that – in fact, it dates back to as early as 1000 BCE! According to the link provided, the symbol even predates the Ankh. In fact, it contained positive connotations right up until the Nazis hijacked it. An American air force division even used it on their shoulder patches during WWI.

Some argue that depending on the position the swastika is in, that determines its meaning. A clockwise angle means hate, while counter-clockwise denotes peace. This is false. For over 3000 years, any position meant peace. Now either variance is commonly associated with hatred and death; the only victory the Nazis can claim. Buddhists and Hindus continue to wear it as a sign of peace, but this unfortunately leads to many misunderstandings in the West.

So, what became of the swastika skirt that came into my sister’s possession? Well, on a recent trip to Virginia (,which has been well documented on this site), my mother returned to a J.C. Penney location in order to return the skirt. The cashier was an incredibly apologetic young man who was arguably more shocked than we were upon seeing the swastika plastered across the fabric. He insisted upon sending the skirt to ‘defective merchandising’ rather than back to the shelf, and informed my mother that he would pen a short letter to J.C. Penney administration, outlining the problem.

And there you have it; the tale of the American swastika.

Coming soon: The first edition of Dr. Love's advice column, some fun photos, and the usual Shul of Rock mayhem you have come to love. Stick this site in your favourites list, because it just gets more rockin' from here.

New to the site? Been lurking for a while? Introduce yourself in a comment!

Y: The Last Man

The Eisner Awards were distributed recently. It is the comic book industry's Oscar equivalent. As usual, the comic series Y: The Last Man was recognized for its outstanding writing.
The monthly series tells the story of Yorick Brown, an American English Major and amateur magician who discovers that one day, all males on Earth have died – except for him and his poet monkey. Now he has to figure out why he is still alive, and how to keep it that way. The US government is after him, hoping to use Yorick to aid cloning efforts. The Israeli government is on the hunt as well, not to mention the Russians, some hired killers, and a group of man hating terrorists known as 'Amazons'. Salon has called it "compelling", while Entertainment Weekly labels it "A seriously funny, nuanced fable". I call it "one hell of a great read". I recommend it to anyone, whether you are a comic fan or not. It is both easily accessible and highly intelligent. It makes great reading and is combined with amazing art to match. How can you go wrong? A movie adaptation is already in the works, but don’t wait for a boiled over re-hash of A+ literature – get your hands on Y today.


Linkage:
Read the first issue for free!
The Official site
Brian K. Vaughan's site

The content promised at the bottom of the previous post is coming up soon. Patience, my babies. Patience.

The Wide Shots

As promised:

This is a stained glass window paying tribute to the 10 VMI cadets that gave their lives at 'The Battle of Lost Shoes'. It is located in Newmarket, Virginia, and its artist is Israeli.


The view overlooking a cliff, just beyond the battlefield mentioned in the above caption. If you would like larger versions of the images e-mailed to you, just ask.

Coming soon: A tale of a swastika skirt, Dr. Love's advice column, and the usual Shul of Rock mayhem you have come to love. Stick this site in your favourites list, because it just gets more rockin' from here.

Questions? Concerns? Cranky? Leave it all in a comment.