We're on Cash Cab Tomorrow Night on Discovery Channel

Just a note to alert you to tune in to Cash Cab tomorrow night at 7pm on the Discovery Channel when I and a couple of friends take on the trivia experts to win fame and fortune. The segment includes also Jeff Barrett, the MacMedic, and Danny Lyon. It was filmed on location in the Beaches in downtown Toronto.

Meet Gary Bishop of pyrotekfx.com

Meet Gary Bishop of pyrtoketfx.com. Gary does some things some of us only dream of: he gets to play with fire. Some call it special effects, so pyrotechnics. But for Gary it's all fun.

Let him know if your planning a special event, bar mitzvah, or maybe you're divorce finally came through. He'll make it a blast.

Frank Pitsikalis Founder of ResortSuite

Frank Pitsikalis – Founder & CEO of ResortSuite

Frank Pitsikalis brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to his role as Founder & CEO of ResortSuite. He has advised Fortune 1000 companies who utilize technology at a strategic level and has worked at top international management consulting firms including, Ernst & Young, USoft (Unisys), and MERANT. Combining his knowledge of the hospitality field with his background in enterprise level technology, Frank founded ResortSuite, establishing a position as the leading provider of true integrated, guest-centric, hospitality and leisure management technology.

Frank devotedly volunteers his time to various industry associations including, The Leading Spas of Canada and The International Spa Association (ISPA) where he serves as a board of director on both boards. He was a contributing author for ISPA's Retail Management for Spas, The Art & Science of Retail, writing two chapters in the textbook. Currently he is working with The ISPA team on contribution to ISPA's Financial Management for Spas Book. Frank is an enthusiastic speaker and presents regularly at prominent industry events and forums. He can be reached at frankp@resortsuite.com.

The ResortSuite fully integrated hospitality management software provides a unique, easy to use, guest-centric offering that combines common core capabilities with rich domain expertise in every operational area. A fully integrated management software solution, ResortSuite helps you operate your property from a strong, unified base while still enjoying a complete 360o View of your entire operation and each guest's experience.

Jordan Craig and Performance Solutions

Jordan Craig and I go way, way back. In the late 1970's (yes, I'm that old) I was a young apprentice stage carpenter and lighting man for a summer theatre in Quebec's Eastern Townships working for Anne Barr, Jordan's mom. Jordan's dad, the fine classical actor David Craig was performing in the ensemble.

Jordan was handsome like his Dad, a blond-haired tall youth.

Today Jordan is owner of Performance Solutions, a special effects company specializing in unique environments for them parks, special events for feature films, and multimedia affects for art installations.

"We focus on providing unique fabrication and special effects integration solutions for the themed marketplace. Why settle for the same when your customers expect more!

"Commercial Production – Full service shop for all commercial production needs. With set construction, metal structures, special effect services, props, rigging and flying all under one roof you will save both time and money!

"Movie and Film/Video Production/Photography – our reputation is built on being a key supplier of special effects, flying, props to producers, directors and photographers worldwide. Take your shoot to the next level by using the best!

"Fire, Wind, Snow, Rain, Aerial Rigging, Props - We make your event unique by designing special effects and props and interactive that are memorable. We work with amusement parks, entertainment companies, marketing agencies, exhibit companies, theatres and TV networks. Call us when getting it right counts!"

Jordan and his Mom are still Beaches residents.

10 Good Reasons to Shop in Your Neighbourhood This Christmas

Ann Arbor journalist Paula Gardner talked to Tricia Masing, co-owner of Tree Town Toys, who offered a list of 10 reasons that Ann Arbor residents should spend their money in independent stores.

She followed up with an email, saying "One of our fellow toy retailers hands out flyers to their customers to educate them on shopping local."

The points in those flyers, as written by Masing and framed as why a shopper made the right choice:

1. You kept dollars in our economy
For every $100 you spend at one of our local businesses, $68 will stay in the community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a national chain? Only $43 stays in the community.

2.You embraced what makes us unique
You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S. (substitute "Canada") So why would you want your community to look that way?

3. You created local jobs
Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.

4. You helped the environment
Buying from a local business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.

5. You nurtured community
We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains.

6. You conserved your tax dollars
Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong—right here in your community!

7. You created more choice
We pick the items we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.

8.You took advantage of our expertise
You are our friends and neighbors, and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We’re passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of it?

9. You invested in entrepreneurship
Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business en- sures a strong community.

10.You made us a destination
The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors and guests. This benefits everyone!

Your local merchant has less of an incentive to sell you something you don't need. It's true that Christmas is the big retail season of the year. And there is tremendous pressure on big box to push merchandise out the door. Their stock price is measured largely on how Christmas sales went, and thus the compensation to management. To your local merchant, a long term relationship means much more.

Moreover, returns for the independent retailer are much more expensive to process. Many merchants can't return opened goods. Minimizing returns is a really big deal. The best way to minimize returns is to "pre-qualify" the buyer and find out if the end user can really use the products. When was the last time a salesman at big box asked you what you were going to use the product for?

Your local merchant may know a lot about the person you're about to buy a present for, thus protecting you from buying another boat anchor for the old man.

In technology, timing is everything. Yes it's true that small merchants are undercapitalized and probably don't have the enormous selection of big box on the shelves, but that enormous selection comes with some strings. For example, the buying decision for these products is made six to eight months earlier, and the manufacturers have built in very lucrative incentives for big box to sell everything, and sell them fast. Thus, there is some built-in "brand bias" at big box. Independent retailers have less wiggle room to buy large quantities and thus make "large mistakes". They tend to buy from distributors more frequently, in smaller lots, but much more timely. There is a cost involved, but the price penalty for buying at a smaller shop is often offset by the time you won't waste bringing back dated products.

Also, the truth of the matter is we usually have access to just as many if not more products than big box and we usually have the flexibility to get special items on short notice. The more important point is that we usually know what NOT to sell you.

Finally, I am canvassed by between 400 and 500 parents and students throughout the year to donate to their local charities and I make available up to at least 200 gift certificates for fundraising events. Big box doesn't support your community. I do. That ought to count for something.

Update: December 23, 2009.

In the last few days I have been asked by a couple of people why they should buy iPods at my store if the box stores are offering the same products at below cost. I directed people to this blog post for some of the reasons, but there are more. I actively try to recycle everything that comes into my hands in this community. I responsibly recycle waste. I encourage people to donate their functioning if dated equipment to local schools, churches, charities, and daycares. I encourage responsible consumption of ink and paper by my printer buyers. I educate people on consumption of electricity, and how to protect their privacy on the Internet. But I spend more time educating them on how to get the most of of the equipment they have than almost anything else I do. And I am building this blog to help educate people on what their neighbours are up to. All of these things I do to help re-invigorate the commons, and for which I do not receive compensation. Are these things of value to people? Time will tell.

Tech Journalist - Mara Gulens

Mara Gulens is a writer and editor specializing in technology. 
You may know her as editor of Canada Computes or Microsoft Home Magazine, or have seen her articles in The Globe and Mail, Marketnews, The Toronto Star and other print and online publications. 
For more information on Mara’s writing and editing services, please see: maragulens.com

2012 - An Interview With Marc Weigert

eyeon software's Fusion and Generation -- made here in the Beaches -- was integral to this fall's blockbuster film 2012. Here's an interview with the film visual effects supervisor Marc Weigert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siBHQXxSSV0