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- SFD SATURDAY MORNING WEEKLY 71
SFD SATURDAY MORNING WEEKLY 71
Last week I had to meet with a friend in Thornhill. Thornhill is a suburb of Toronto and now that the traffic is worse than LA’s, it’s a good hour from downtown during the week. Who knew Thornhill was so far🤦♀️... Sheesh!
Frank Waszkun
May 31, 2025
FRANKIE’S FAVOURITE EATERIES
Last week I had to meet with a friend in Thornhill.
Thornhill is a suburb of Toronto and now that the traffic is worse than LA’s, it’s a good hour from downtown during the week. Who knew Thornhill was so far🤦♀️… Sheesh!
If you find yourself up there, may I recommend Terra on Yonge, if you're looking for great Italian/steak/continental vibe.
I said let's have a drink and a light bite. We decided on a piece of fish and some appetizers, so, you would think White wine, right? Well, I don't believe you have to pair white with fish, so I let the sommelier pick the wine, but I said I wanted red and not too expensive, the really good stuff is wasted on me. I mean it's true that you can taste the difference, but I don't feel that's the best way to spend your $, to each their own but that's my opinion.
We started with a great crispy slaw and burrata salad shared, a risotto second, and split the black cod.
Terra, you are delicious, you have great staff, and you know how to treat your customers.
Terra on Yonge is a big-time win!
TECH SPOTLIGHT
⚡ Cybertruck Trade-Ins: Brutal or Just Electrifyingly Honest?
It’s official: Tesla has opened the trade-in gates for Cybertruck owners, and… ouch. According to Inside EVs and Business Insider, some early adopters are getting shocking returns—like $100K trucks appraised at just $63K. That’s a 37% nosedive in value, and it’s not even their birthday yet.
One particularly unlucky “Cyberbeast” buyer dropped $127K on their futuristic tank last fall, only to be quoted $78K just eight months later. That’s the kind of math that makes your frunk slam shut on its own.
To be fair, EVs are known for losing value faster than a phone battery at 3%—some models drop 50% in the first year alone. And Tesla’s early resale ban may have paused the depreciation wave… until now.
Whether it's the Elon effect, quality control quirks (looking at you, disappearing trim), or just the EV market doing EV things, one thing’s for sure: if you’re trading in your Cybertruck, you might want to sit down first.
📉 Still, if you're a fan of depreciation and dystopian design, Cybertruck ownership might still be for you.
REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT
258 Patterson Boulevard ~ $1,079,900
Here's a cutie in Tay County for a mil... Get your summer going with this one on the water...
WORD OF THE WEEK
Commemorate
What It Means
Something, such as a plaque, statue, or parade, is said to commemorate an event, person, etc. when it serves as a memorial; it exists or is done in order to recall the event or person. A person or group commemorates an event, person, etc. by doing something special in order to remember and honor that event or person.
FRANKIE’S SONG OF THE WEEK
Here is one of those songs that is perfect for driving around cottage country... Happy June :)
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.
#22
“We all think that people know what we want, right? By the way, they don’t.
Most people have no idea what you want unless you tell them.
Everyone thinks the spotlight is on them and anything they do or say is scrutinized.
That is not true, nobody cares.
People are worried about their lives, their kids, their parents, their jobs, their health, their downtime, their uptime, their looks and their wants and they are too busy to care about yours.
I’m not suggesting that people can’t be nice and notice things and be kind etc. but we can’t expect people to know what we need unless we tell them.
Do you want it 👀?
Then be clear and ASK FOR IT.
Oh yeah, don’t forget to say please ;) and thank you 🙏🏻.”
OTHER POSH THINGS
A Beachy Little Secret you'll just love! (SandBrushhhhh)
Meet Holli Giusti, a London-based Californian with her sun-kissed infectious energy, mega-entrepreneur and founder of SandBabes.
Finding a moment with Holli is tough as she jet-sets non-stop - so I felt like I had to sip on my coffee very, very slowly to make it last :)
We caught up just after the school run. We ducked into Boxcar café in Marylebone, still slightly breathless from the usual morning kid-chaos, warming our hands on coffee cups as we stared up at the grey London sky.
Like clockwork, the conversation turned to summer—where are we planning to go to chase the sun? Talking about summer just lights her up, after all summer is practically her job!
Holli founded SandBabes here in London in 2023. Inspired by her California roots and deep love for the beach, SandBabes is all about bringing a sense of sun-soaked ease and elevated elegance to every seaside escape.
If you’ve met Holli, you’ll know she is her brand. Think long blonde hair, laid-back cool, and that kind of grounded, golden energy that makes you want to spend hours barefoot on the sand. SandBabes was born from that very spirit: a desire to make every beach outing feel like a mini luxury, no matter where you are. It’s not just about what you pack, but how it makes you feel—pulled-together, a little pampered, and totally ready for the coast.
Which brings me to the SandBrush™, a genius little accessory that sums up the whole SandBabes philosophy. Compact, natural, and beautifully designed, it swipes sand off your feet, your beach bag—basically anywhere you don’t want it—with ease.
It’s the kind of thing you don’t realise you need until you have it—and then you wonder how you ever managed without it. Available on sandbabes.com , the SandBrush™ also comes in beautifully curated gift boxes, perfect for birthdays, beach lovers, or your own sun-ready stash.
If you fall in love with this brand as much as I have, you will discover an array of products they have created perfect for summer (and more).
So whether you’re heading to the south of France or Cornwall (or just daydreaming of a sandy escape) the SandBrush™ is your understated summer sidekick. It’s thoughtful, useful, and kind of addictive once you start using it. And it’s so very Holli—cool, intentional, and made for people who want to feel both stylish and sorted, which ever beach you choose. Add it to your packing list now and follow SandBabes on Instagram @sandbabes.official
To read more about Paris Popcorn click below!
TRIVIA
Category: Tesla!
Which country is home to Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin? |
What controversial feature did Elon Musk announce would allow Tesla vehicles to "talk" to pedestrians? |
In what year did Tesla officially go public (IPO)? |
What was the first mass-produced vehicle released by Tesla Motors? |
UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS
CHRIS’ CORNER
SGA should be the face of the NBA
It’s been a long time coming, but Canada finally has another NBA MVP to cheer on.
Toronto’s own Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), who is one of the top two players in the world right now, received the award over a week ago, but it’s a huge accomplishment that deserves plenty of applause.
SGA is the second ever Canadian NBA MVP and the first since B.C.’s Steve Nash won back-to-back awards in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 (though realistically Shaquille O’Neal should have been MVP one of those years).
With the Oklahoma City Thunder closing in on the NBA Finals (at the time of this writing they were up 3-1 on the Minnesota Timberwolves), SGA is only a handful of wins away from leading his team to their first ever NBA title.
Not only would that cement his status as one of the biggest superstars in the world, but he would automatically become the best Thunder player of all time. That’s an accomplishment in itself as the team has featured future Hall of Famers like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russel Westbrook.
The Thunder should be Canada’s team (after the Raptors) since another national team player, Lugentz Dort, also features for them.
With his newly received MVP award in tow, winning the whole thing, would also ensure SGA’s name is at the top of the list to be the new “face of the NBA.”
This discussion has been happening all over the basketball world – from players to fans to media members to front office staff – as with Lebron James and Steph Curry nearing retirement, at least one player has to take the mantle.
There is a lot of disrespect being thrown about regarding the “face of the NBA” and a lot of Americans believe that only a U.S.-born player can be the face of the league.
I disagree with that wholeheartedly. I also don’t believe you need just one “face” to lead a league.
Sure, Michael Jordan was the number-1 alpha dog when we were growing up, but that didn’t mean people didn’t also associate the league with Hakeem Olajuwan and Charles Barkley (in the mid to late 90s), Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (in the mid 80s to early 90) and many other superstars.
Kobe Bryant and Shaq wore the crown somewhat simultaneously in the early 2000s, while the aforementioned James and Curry shared that “face of the league” title over the years as well.
That brings me to a point I made to my friend Ted and his son Andrew while we were chatting ahead of the home opener for AFC Toronto (see, I can bring soccer into any discussion hahaha).
I said, Luka Doncic as an LA Laker will end up being the face of the league for the international audience, and SGA will end up winning over the American audience to be the face of the league here in North America.
And why can’t SGA be the face of the league here in North America?
He’s well spoken, intelligent, humble but confident, and can easily relate to both a U.S. and Canadian audience. He has a million-dollar smile and a blue-collar work ethic.
He’s both fundamentally sound and creative with the ball, while being deadly on offence and tenacious on defense.
SGA is everything everyone always says they want in a superstar basketball player – particularly on the American side where they are lamenting the U.S. desire for flash over substance.
He speaks the same language as the average American basketball fan – okay, SGA speaks actual English much clearer and better than the average American, but that should be a positive.
If the Thunder win the NBA title in a few weeks time, there should be only one choice for the next “face of the NBA” and his name is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
By Chris Occhiuzzi
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Closer Together? First Ladies & Full Circles
by Mala Rambharose
This was it. This was my moment. Former First Lady of Canada - Margaret Trudeau had just gotten offstage. Guests swarmed the lunch buffet and I found her sitting in the courtyard - alone. I thought, maybe she wanted to be alone, to gather her thoughts or come down off the rush of speaking to a room full of people. As gently as possible I asked if she was open to an interview for The Huffington Post sometime. She said, “What about now? My driver won’t get here for another ten minutes.”
And so began the most impromptu interview of my career (also...the first real interview). At the time her son Justin was running to be Prime Minister of Canada. As a University of Toronto dropout and a twenty-something writer, I was mostly attending this mental health conference for free food and to listen to professors from Harvard and Yale share their research on addiction. I had no idea I would be sitting with a Former First Lady - born the same year as my father- who was famous for partying at infamous Studio 54 and running off with the Rolling Stones.
Exactly ten years later…
Flipping through Instagram stories, I noticed an ad for Former First Lady of Canada - Sophie Trudeau’s new book, Closer Together. She would be speaking at an event in Toronto. For a moment, I fantasized about going…but the ticket price versus travel distance from my tiny apartment in Yorkville didn’t make it easy enough for a general sense of laziness to subside.
A few days later, a magazine invited me to a meeting on Queen West where they wanted to hold a fashion show. On this little adventure they mentioned having an extra ticket to Born For More the following morning! - where Founder Kathryne Mejias would be interviewing Sophie Gregoire Trudeau!
And all of a sudden…I was media. But this time around, Justin and Sophie were officially separated and he was resigning after a decade as Prime Minister.
The following morning was chilly and wet but – as usual - I was running behind and dashed out the door without a jacket (or umbrella!). There seemed to be a bunch of events happening on the Exhibition grounds that day so we parked -what felt like- a mile away from Liberty Grand. At least I remembered to bring a giant purse – though it didn’t do the best job at saving my phone from the mist.
Upon arrival there was a box of swag from one of the sponsors and a handful of Instagram-able photo-ops. Beyond the stage, the room was full of vendors of all kinds – women led businesses. There was food, clothes, personal training, essential oils, fortune telling, financial support. But the table most memorable to me was a custom jewelry line where you could make your engagement ring and wedding band into a number of other designs. I hadn’t met “the one” yet and these ladies were already re-branding their marriage/family history. AND I had never been engaged but now had a notebook and pen in my giant purse boasting “Divorce Is Simple”.
After visiting booths and interviewing a couple guests, it was time. Sophie Gregoire Trudeau took the stage. There was a stanchion by a row of ‘reserved’ seats in prime location. As the interview began I ducked into one of these special chairs – avoiding eye contact with security and organizers. The interview lasted about an hour. I waited on the edge of my seat for all the juicy details about the separation…and…First Lady secrets (to my disappointment). Sophie exclusively spoke about mental health – her studying attachment theory and coming back to her self-care practice (sad face emoji).
Awaiting my turn for the book signing I realized the security - whose gaze I was avoiding earlier- were now going to be my best friends. They were surprisingly organized and had fashioned a system that would protect Sophie while creating the maximum amount of content possible for such a short interaction. As my turn neared one security guard took my book, another took my phone, while the magazine filmed in the background. I told Sophie about my interview with Margaret ten years ago! “oh is that right? We still talk regularly,” she said. Then I asked for advice about my own memoir. “self-publish or go with a smaller publisher…in the US I went with a smaller publisher so they would have time for me…but DON’T give up!” she insisted…and I understood that if the First Lady of Canada signed with a “smaller publisher” then (maybe) I needed a tiny one.
Heading back to the car – so very far away - I realized we left the window open and the front seat was soaked. Climbing into the back, my giant purse now overflowing with swag and a signed copy of Closer Together flopped around lopsided. On the drive back I thought about how strange it is meeting two First Lady’s a decade apart from the same family…and wondered how many countries around the world have had such an occurrence. The sky was darkening and I was heading uptown for dinner at a friend’s place. Coming down off the adrenaline I started deeply regretting my lack of a warm jacket and umbrella. But at least I had my phone…with all the (surprisingly good) pictures…to an Instagrammer…the most prized possession.
WEATHER THIS WEEK
TORONTO
MIAMI
PARIS
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
My favourite quote I read this week was this one.
“For every winner, there doesn’t have to be a loser … In fact, most success stories are less about competition and more about collaboration.”
– MICHELLE YEOH
Does it resonate with you?
CONTRIBUTIONS
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Thank you
- Frankie
THE FIRST INAGURAL “UNTUCKED” CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
It is SFD's pleasure to open the invite to the First Inaugural Golf Tourney for CamH.
Please let [email protected] know if you would like to attend.
The sponsorship levels are below.
Super Frankie is lazy. He loves technology because it makes life more simple. 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