Representin' Sarnia

Mayor Mike Bradley made a dapper appearance on the red carpet.

You may remember Bradley's cameo in Moore's film "Bowling for Columbine".

He is eternally cool.

Who Invited Her?

What the hell was she doing on the red carpet?

SHIRLEY DOUGLAS TALKED TO ME!

Shirley Douglas was right in front of me...she couldn't have gotten any closer.

And she talked to me.

She asked me, "How are you doing, dear?"

Holy crap.

I love ALL the men she's related to.

MICHAEL MOORE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SPIT ON (but I didn't spit...)

Ok, so Michael Moore's new film, 'Sicko', is going to be release in two weeks.

But first comes the premiere...and Michael Moore chose no other place than London, Ontario for the North American film premiere!

Moore taped a significant chunk in London at the St. Joesph's Health Care Centre.

Tickets were given only by invitation...and I didn't get an invite, but in all fairness I've really had my fill of media attention...

My buddy Holly and I showed up at Silver City at 5:30pm and staked out our position.

Again, luckily I had my trusty Cyber Shot and got some great photos from the red carpet.

If you take a look at this photo, Moore is talking to CHRW.

CHRW Radio is having quite the week. Moore today and me last Monday.

Freaking Amazing.

Ok, so I'm ready to debrief on my amazing evening of seeing the one and only Jon Stewart.

It started by almost being ended. That is there was some crazy shit going on the 401 and 403.

People don't know how to drive anymore, I mean it. We were severely cut off by an American right by the Husky station when we left town.

Not cool...and we couldn't give them the one finger salute as Andrew saw the New York licence plate and immediately his mind went to "they have a concealed weapon".

Besides that Andrew and I enjoyed watching the almost carnage unfolding a few cars ahead of us...until we realized that we were hurtling towards the almost crash at 120 km/hr.

But we did arrive at the Fallsview Casino and Hotel...and let me say...very nice.

We parked the car and headed out to find the elevators...instead Andrew took us down a hallway that was very smelly and literally led out to the edge of the cliff. Wrong way, definitely.

Then we found the elevators and headed up to the hotel/casino...very nice.

Now I thought since Andrew had bragged about being a poker savant we would head into the casino...I had $20 worth of quarters weighing me down...but no. He doesn't find that "enjoyable". There should be a law that people who can count cards (because I know you can) should ALWAYS have to drop some coin in a casino. Whatever.

Andrew and I did get to have a great dinner at the Golden Lotus...very nice Chinese restaurant in the casino...where Andrew scared all the wait staff by trying to speak English using his scary hand gestures.

But we eventually convinced Jacob (although I'm almost positive that wasn't his given name...mainly because I don't think China has a huge Jewish population) to get us some Peking Duck...mmmmm....duck....

And it was full out. Very fancy...2 courses...crispy skin...duck hash...iceberg lettuce...picture to come.

Lots of delicious-ness.

Afterwards we walked around the building...and ended up at a toy store. Luckily Andrew restrained himself from buying anything for his child who already has one of everything.

Then we got in line. I'll give you a visual. Imagine a roped off line that could fit about 50 concert goers. Now imagine that line empty...except for Andrew and I eagerly awaiting 8pm when the doors opened. Seriously, we were the only ones waiting.

Then it was time for doors to open. One hour before we were in our seats...which didn't have arm rests...which made Andrew very uncomfortable. He likes barriers. Yeah, no shit.

Then the rest of the concert goers started to come in...the audience was varied.

We learned a few things from the audience. Firstly, it seems they were giving out tickets at the early bird dinner. Lots of grey hairs. Secondly, Andrew and I were severely over dressed. But I like to think we were taking it the most serious of anyone. And we really couldn't chance anything. I was glad I dressed up when Andrew told me that there was a rumour that Stephen Colbert was opening. He didn't, but still. Close call.

As people filed in to the sold out performance we did see Jon's estranged father, Donald Leibowitz in the crowd...you know when you're a superfan when you know who the distant parents are...kudos to Andrew.

And then we heard it...Teenage Wasteland by The Who.

And if you know anything about Jon, you know that this is the song he always walks onto stage to.

Flippin' amazing.

And then mildly disturbing. I knew Jon was a short man...I had no idea he was a tiny man, too.

Wow.

Anyway he did an amazing set...albeit stuff I have on my iPod already. But it didn't matter.

He was FANTASTIC.

It was AMAZING. SOOOO AMAZING.

I HEART JON.

Our Article!

Online survey 'shocking'

Mon, June 4, 2007

More than half of London pupils surveyed have posted information that puts them at risk.
By JENNIFER O'BRIEN, SUN MEDIA

A shocking number of London kids are making themselves easy targets for sexual predators who cruise the Internet, an informal survey has found.

The alarming figures suggest one in four children 11 to 14 have met face-to-face with strangers introduced only online.

Despite years of warnings about stranger-danger, more than half of them have put identifying information such as phone numbers and addresses on public-access websites, youth workers say.

"We were shocked," said Shannon Liddington, outreach worker with RISE for Youth, a project that aims to reduce sexual exploitation.

"The children we talk to are absolutely putting themselves at risk. The level of naivete they have is incredible.

"Every one of these kids knows that if someone drives up to you at a bus stop and asks for your name and school you don't give it to them."

During education seminars, the group has surveyed 600 Grade 6, 7 and 8 London pupils and found 60 per cent have put personal, identifying information on websites such as MySpace and Facebook.

Twenty per cent of the children also admitted posting pictures of themselves online .
But most disturbing is the fact 25 per cent have met people they only knew online.

"That really did blow us away," said project co-ordinator Jessie Rodger. "It is absolutely the most dangerous thing a kid can do."

Compounding that statement is the fact London police have charged seven people with Internet luring in less than two months since the department launched its Cyber Crime Unit in April.

"It's like shooting fish in a barrel to zero in on (predators) out there," said Det. Sgt. Kelly Johnson, head of the Cyber Crime Unit.

In the seven recent local cases, Johnson said officers posing as someone else nabbed predators who thought they would be meeting youths they had befriended online.

There are likely many cases that haven't been intercepted, Johnson said, adding the unit has heard about London girls being sexually assaulted by people they met online.

Like others, Johnson warned against giving out identifying information.

"It is alarming, the number of students that give out personal information," agreed Ray Hughes at UWO's Centre for Prevention Science. "It's like posting up a sign on the (Highway) 401 with all your personal information."

The local numbers are consistent with Canadian findings, according to RISE, but slightly higher than those recorded in the U.S., said Jeff Godlis of iSafe America.

That federal web education group has surveyed more than 100,000 American children and found 20 per cent -- one in five -- met strangers off line.

The findings show that even as kids become savvy about Internet use -- through social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook -- they aren't always being safe.

"Youths don't equate strangers on the Internet with those on the street," Rodger said.
As a result, kids who would balk at giving their names or schools to a stranger on the street are willingly offering details up to online contacts.

"When they start talking to people for months online, they don't feel that is a stranger," Liddington said.

"They are like, 'It's my friend. I know what their favourite food is, I know what movie they like . . .' "

"Now predators don't even have to leave their bedrooms to find out everything they want to know," Liddington said.

Rise for Youth is a 15-month project run by Western Area Youth Services, a London group home agency that offers counselling.

The aim is to educate kids and parents about sexual exploitation. The project focuses on the Internet because that's what has opened the playing field for predators, Rodger said.

"It used to be poverty and homelessness were the biggest risk factors for kids being sexually exploited," she said. "All that has changed because of only one thing -- the Internet."
Dangers are illustrated with horrifying cases such as that of Kacie Woodie, a 13-year-old Arkansas girl murdered in 2002 by a 47-year-old predator who had befriended her while posing as a teenager online.

Liddington and Rodger suggest parents need to know their kids' online activity.
But they've met parents who don't even know how to get on the Internet, she said.

MORE INFORMATION

- www.myspace.com/riseforyouth or call 519-432-2209, ext. 3203.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

- Talk to young kids about Internet activities and Internet safety.
- Learn how to use the Internet by signing up to networking sites.
- Keep computers in a common area, not in a bedroom or secluded basement.
- Remember kids also can get online outside your home.

TIPS FOR YOUNGSTERS

- Don't post identifying information such as telephone numbers, addresses, school information or last names online.
- Don't post pictures of yourself.
- If you're going to meet someone for the first time who you've only talked to online, tell an adult, take friends and meet in a public place.

TOMORROW!

Ok, yours truly is doing something very exciting tomorrow morning.

At 7:15am I will be interviewed on CBC Radio One...On "Ontario Morning".

So set your alarms folks...

HEADLINE NEWS! ABOVE THE FOLD!

Run, don't walk to the corner store and get a copy of the London Free Press.

Do it.

Now.

Why are you still reading?

GO!!!

www.lfpress.com

p.s. I'll blog about my evening with Jon, the night was so magical I need a few days to process.