Mood:  party time!

It's been 10 years since I last went to the "EX".

I started off badly at the Midway games which were too difficult for the coordinately challenged like myself. At the Casino, I broke even at "Blackjack" while Irene won $50. It's exciting to play as long as you don't lose too much money.

While the Human Cannonball was a brief interesting sideshow act, the IAMS Superdogs were genuinely entertaining with their tricks and racing speed.

The star superdog was the dancing miniature Collie. She "danced" equally well backward as well as forward. She was a pure delight.

The star of the CNE, however, was hypnotist, Mike Mandel. He mixed hypnosis with comedy that had his subjects doing a wide range of ludricous things like quaking in fear when he made a face, complaining about being pinced when he snapped his fingers and becoming weird superheroes when he said "superhero". 

The subjects were mostly teenage girls and he didn't get them to do anything lewd or in poor taste. Four stars.

Unfortunately, we never got to see the Chinese Lantern Festival at Ontario place because it costs $15 a person in the evening.(Ontario Place is free in the morning and afternoon if you come through the CNE fairgrounds at that time.)

I'll give the CNE three stars. It's well worth a visit if you're in Toronto in the latter part of August.

http://www.superdogs.com/ (The IAMS Superdogs)

http://www.helpms.ca/mikemandel.htm (Who Is Mike Mandel?)