FRANKIE’S FAVOURITE EATERIES 

It’s summertime, and that usually means one thing for our family… France.

For years we’ve spent a couple of weeks on the Côte d’Azur. It’s hard to beat. Great food, beautiful beaches, rosé at lunch… what’s not to love?

But this year we’re changing it up and heading to Greece.

The reason? One of our good friends is celebrating her 50th birthday, and she’s Greek. If you know Greek families, you already know the deal. They don’t just visit Greece—they return home. Every. Single. Summer. Usually for three weeks or more. It’s practically written into the citizenship requirements. Honestly, I don’t blame them. It’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

I’ve been to Greece about half a dozen times now, and this trip we’ll be spending time in Paros before heading to Nafpaktos, our friend’s hometown.

It seems like everyone I know is going to Greece this summer.

I still remember going to Mykonos with Eileen years ago. We’d grab a lounge chair at Nammos for twenty bucks, spend the day people-watching, and getting around the island was easy. Fast forward to today, and I’ve heard those same beach beds can cost upwards of $500. Five hundred dollars… for a chair! Apparently the traffic is bumper-to-bumper most of the day too.

Listen, I don’t mind a little action. I actually enjoy busy destinations. But there’s busy… and then there’s standing in traffic wondering why you’re paying $500 to sit on a beach.

That said, Mykonos still knows how to throw a party.

From everything I’ve heard, Interni is still one of the sexiest dinner spots on the island. The food isn’t cheap, but that’s almost beside the point. You go for the atmosphere, the music, the energy, and the inevitable celebrity sighting or two.

And then there’s Scorpios. If you’ve never been, imagine everyone arriving looking effortlessly cool, throwing a straw hat onto a chair they’ve somehow reserved, ordering calamari and cocktails, and dancing as the sun disappears into the Aegean Sea. It’s one of those places that actually lives up to the hype.

Now, if you’re looking to escape some of the madness, let me give you another recommendation.

About a three-hour drive from Nafpaktos is Costa Navarino.

We stayed there… five years ago? Six? Wait… it was during COVID. Time has become a complete blur since then.

We actually have a hilarious story from that trip. I’ll save it for another newsletter, but let’s just say my golf game almost got derailed by a phone call from my wife telling me one of the kids had COVID. Thankfully it turned out to be a false alarm. I can’t even remember which kid it was anymore—but I do remember refusing to let it ruin one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever played.

Costa Navarino is one of those resorts that has everything. Beautiful pools, gorgeous beaches, fantastic restaurants, incredible service, and two championship golf courses that are worth the trip on their own.

If you’re travelling with family, it’s an easy recommendation.

My only piece of advice? Don’t eat every meal at the resort.

Drive into the surrounding villages. That’s where Greece really shines. The tavernas are full of locals, the seafood is fresher, the prices are lower, and somehow every meal feels like it lasts four hours—in the best possible way. That’s the Greece I love.

Whether you’re heading to Greece, France, cottage country, or simply staying home this summer, I hope you get a chance to slow down, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy a few memorable meals.

Have a great summer!

TECH SPOTLIGHT

Building powerful AI is one thing. Getting businesses to use it effectively is another.

That's why Microsoft has launched a new business called Microsoft Frontier Company, backed by a hefty $2.5 billion investment and a team of 6,000 engineers and industry experts. Its mission isn't to build new AI models—it's to help companies successfully deploy the AI tools Microsoft already offers.

The move reflects a growing trend in the tech world. As AI capabilities continue to advance, many businesses are realizing that integrating the technology into day-to-day operations is often more challenging than buying the software itself. Microsoft wants to bridge that gap by working directly with organizations to customize and implement AI solutions.

The company isn't alone. Just days before Microsoft's announcement, Amazon Web Services unveiled its own billion-dollar initiative focused on helping customers roll out AI, joining similar efforts from OpenAI and Anthropic.

Microsoft also has one major advantage: relationships. With decades of enterprise customers already using its products, the company is starting from a strong position. Early partners for the new initiative include organizations like London Stock Exchange Group, Unilever, Land O'Lakes, and Accenture.

The takeaway? The AI race is no longer just about creating the smartest chatbot—it's about helping businesses turn AI into something they can actually use. And judging by the billions being invested, that may be the next big battleground. 🤖💼

Check it out!

REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT

I know people think I’m crazy, but if you want a great little summer/winter spot, a walkable main strip, and a budget around $600K–$700K, I’d look no further than Collingwood.

 You can ski in the winter, jump in a pool, and enjoy a nice little house for fun in the sun on weekends all year round without breaking the bank. 

If you’re like me and like being close to coffee shops and activities, this is where I would buy. They look like real homes, not cottages or chalets—but what’s wrong with that?

Check it out!

This is the one you have been waiting for, this superb modern new build is absolute top quality, luxury throughout, nothing like your average spec build, it was custom crafted for the owners, designed by Richard Wengle, this modern gem is the pinnacle of design and quality. Boasting over 6,100 sq.ft of high functioning space, great Feng Shui, this home strikes the perfect balance and harmony, fostering positive energy, peace and prosperity.

This flawless home is perfectly situated in prime Willowdale West, close to all the wonderful shops and restaurants along Yonge St, Subway, & Hwy 401.The main floor is everything you have been looking for, a generous foyer, cozy living room with an adjacent formal dining room, a dream main floor office, Butler’s pantry & convenient mud room with an abundance of storage, topped off with the enormous gourmet kitchen with breakfast nook and oversized family room overlooking the rear gardens.

The 2nd floor delivers 3 large bedrooms each with ensuite baths, convenient laundry, and the sumptuous primary suite with a dream walk-in closet, spa inspired ensuite bathroom with oversized shower and large soaker tub, gas fireplace and second discreet office space, ideal for a private sanctuary away from the living area, or for the family when both spouses need a home office.

The lower level has it all, large bedroom with ensuite bath, dedicated home gym, custom wine cellar, oversized recreation area perfect for home theatre with wet bar, an abundance of storage, 2nd laundry area, (appliances not included), all drenched in natural light due to the large walk out and southern exposure.

Check it out!

WORD OF THE WEEK

Corrode

What It Means

Corrode means "to slowly break apart and destroy (metal, an object, etc.) through a chemical process" or "to undergo such a process." It is also used as a synonym of undermine to mean "to gradually destroy or weaken."

FRANKIE’S SONG OF THE WEEK

I've always loved this old school 90s rap track. 

I8MPS.COM?

i8mps.com? 

People have been asking me what is that? 

Well, here is the long and short of it. 

It's us, going back to our inception Busys.ca was/is the little copier company that chugged along, starting over 20 years ago with one printer sold, no truck to deliver it, and no technician to service it… But, we've grown up and that's where JP and the name INTEGR8 came along.

 JP (our President) insisted we have a .com, I agree he was not wrong. But how do we pick a name? He went with integr8mps.com with an 8 reflecting what the company now does, integrating office systems, selling laptops, IT services (like Microsoft licenses, Google products, Zoom conferencing), phone systems and even security cameras and trailers now, all Ai ready of course. Printers are still the bread and butter I would say, and that's what developed the large North American customer base, but our services go hand in hand with printers as our technicians are asked for IT questions and services all the time so the evolution was inevitable. 

Integr8mps.com seemed a bit long and everyone knows I love to advertise so we shortened it to i8mps.com and that's the short of it ;)  

So here come the sales pitch ;)... 

if you need any of the services above, please follow up with me or our team at i8mps.com we would be delighted to meet you and get you into the future. 

100 WEEKS OF POSITIVE MESSAGES

Frankie did 100 days of positive messages 3 years ago. He wanted to center them around mental health and positivity. We will post them each week for 100 weeks.

"That Saturday morning feeling.

That first cup of coffee.

It's the BEST.

Have a great weekend.”

TRIVIA

Category: Celebrities!

“UNTUCKED” GOLF TOURNAMENT 2026

We have few foursomes left at the "untucked" golf tournament this year. If you would like more details or a spot check out the website @ www.untuckedgolf.com 

CHRIS’ CORNER

Real World Cup Has Arrived

Let’s start with a belated Happy Canada Day for our compatriots and Happy Independence Day for our friends and family to the south!

Now that those pleasantries are shared, it’s time to celebrate the real World Cup beginning today (July 4) as Canada takes on Morocco to open the round of 16.

This is the real tournament now. Every team left’s standing has had some form of success to still be alive and fought through different levels of adversity.

There won’t be any “easy” matches as even those considered “underdogs” can put on a solid enough performance to eliminate the favourites.

At the time of this writing (July 3), there were some crazy good match-ups set for the coming days including France-Paraguay after Canada’s match, Brasil-Norway and Mexico-England on Sunday, Spain-Portugal and USA-Belgium on Monday. And there were still four matches to be confirmed.

With all due respect to some of the very good teams (and not-so-good teams) already eliminated, the tournament gets serious now.

We should all be happy that we have finally shed ourselves of the watered-down portion of this World Cup.

I’m finally excited about watching all the matches on the upcoming schedule. They promise to offer the drama, intrigue and excellent football we’ve been waiting for – and only saw in spurts (the second half of Portugal’s round of 32 win over Croatia was fantastic).

Obviously, I’m supporting Canada and really hope they can find a way into the quarterfinals, but after that, I’m also cheering for our fellow co-hosts Mexico and the US to win at least one more match.

On that note, happy watching and if you get a chance head out to one of the FanFest events, it’s a lot of fun!

That’s it for me, thanks for reading! Ciao for Now!

By Chris Occhiuzzi

For more sports, check out my Patreon: https://patreon.com/therealchrisoshow

Use SFD2026 for a Membership discount and support independent media!

UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The secret to life is to waste time in ways that you like.”

- Jerry Seinfeld 

NEED A TENT?

If you're looking for a wedding tent or corporate party tent this summer or fall. Make sure to follow up with my little brother and www.thetentrenters.com ask for David. 

CONTRIBUTIONS

If you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact us. Our NL goes out to over 10k business owners, friends, and other professionals in my network. We would love to have people from different walks of life, and we won't judge your writing. If you would like us to keep your articles anonymous, we can do so as well. Also, if you enjoy the newsletter and want to contribute $, please donate to www.camh.ca anytime on our behalf AND please have your friends subscribe, it will mean the world to us. 

Thank you

- Frankie

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Super Frankie is lazy. He loves technology because it makes life simpler. Technology is spawned from ideas that make life easier. He is the founder of Busys.ca which is a company that sells/leases and services printers, laptops, document management software, copiers, IT services, and phone systems throughout North America and Europe.

LET’S CONNECT

*These articles, jokes, and stories are written by individuals handpicked by SFD for their unique way of thinking and writing. While SFD appreciates their styles, he does not necessarily endorse their opinions. This newsletter is designed to bring a smile to your face. If you prefer not to receive this weekly newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. You will be missed.