Thursday, March 29
Wednesday, March 28
for the ladies in the house...
Click on the image above to be taken to the life-transforming product that I cannot believe I have lived without for the last thirteen years!If you already know - why didn't you tell me!? If you don't believe me - it doesn't hurt to try!!
"I can show you the world....shiiiiining shiiiimmering spleeeeendiiiiid........"
Pursuit of Happyness
A well-acted portrayal of the life of Chris Gardner. It was honest and lacking sensation - totally unHollywood.
The film would have been much more meaningful (ie. I would have cried) if they would STOP GIVING AWAY ALL THE MOST POIGNANT AND INTENSELY EMOTIONAL MOMENTS IN THE TRAILER! (sorry...pet peeve)
The film would have been much more meaningful (ie. I would have cried) if they would STOP GIVING AWAY ALL THE MOST POIGNANT AND INTENSELY EMOTIONAL MOMENTS IN THE TRAILER! (sorry...pet peeve)
fear-begone
To challenge my irrational fear of sharks (I grew up on the prairies with no salt water for hundreds of miles and I've never seen Jaws) I decided that I must watch Sharkwater. And it worked.
Yes the stats are affecting: 5 people each year die from shark attacks; 8 million die from starvation. In the end though, it was a single shot which silenced my compulsive hatred of these beautiful beasts: Rob Stewart stands on the ocean floor with his arms wrapped affectionately around a large blue shark. Incredible.
The film is about more than the behaviour and characteristics of this species. "People of the future will look back on us as barbarians." There is a mass annihilation of their populations taking place as we speak; shark finning is barbaric cruelty and my eyes were closed to it. If it hadn't been presented with such passionate empathy, I would have continued in my ignorance - "Sharks are vicious animals. Who cares if they're been killed off?"
It's so easy to fall in love with furry animals with faces like ours; be a rebel, hug a shark today!
*Should you watch it in the theatre? HECK yes! Why? 1. Rob Stewart is Canadian. 2. This documentary is more informative, eye-opening and affecting than The Inconvenient Truth!
Yes the stats are affecting: 5 people each year die from shark attacks; 8 million die from starvation. In the end though, it was a single shot which silenced my compulsive hatred of these beautiful beasts: Rob Stewart stands on the ocean floor with his arms wrapped affectionately around a large blue shark. Incredible.
The film is about more than the behaviour and characteristics of this species. "People of the future will look back on us as barbarians." There is a mass annihilation of their populations taking place as we speak; shark finning is barbaric cruelty and my eyes were closed to it. If it hadn't been presented with such passionate empathy, I would have continued in my ignorance - "Sharks are vicious animals. Who cares if they're been killed off?"
It's so easy to fall in love with furry animals with faces like ours; be a rebel, hug a shark today!
*Should you watch it in the theatre? HECK yes! Why? 1. Rob Stewart is Canadian. 2. This documentary is more informative, eye-opening and affecting than The Inconvenient Truth!
let's work on this
please.
We are not alone. There are billions of us sharing this home.
I'm not talking about that illusive construct we call "the environment".
This is about us.
I was hit by a yellow Xterra as I cycled home after work today.
The driver was a mom (there were two kids in the backseat).
I was terrified and hurt.
She got out of her vehicle and,
before any apologies escaped her lips,
she said, "Didn't you see that I was turning left?"
She was concerned about what I could do to her, when she might have been concerned about what she could do for me.
compassion, n. Suffering together with another, participation in suffering; fellow-feeling, sympathy.
We are not alone. There are billions of us sharing this home.
I'm not talking about that illusive construct we call "the environment".
This is about us.
I was hit by a yellow Xterra as I cycled home after work today.
The driver was a mom (there were two kids in the backseat).
I was terrified and hurt.
She got out of her vehicle and,
before any apologies escaped her lips,
she said, "Didn't you see that I was turning left?"
She was concerned about what I could do to her, when she might have been concerned about what she could do for me.
compassion, n. Suffering together with another, participation in suffering; fellow-feeling, sympathy.Friday, March 23
Eight rules for writing fiction:
by Kurt Vonnegut
1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
-- Vonnegut, Kurt Vonnegut, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons 1999), 9-10.
Wednesday, March 21
Tuesday, March 20
Sunday, March 18
Honesty is the Best Policy
Why Praise Can Be Bad For Kids is totally counterintuitive and totally necessary for all parents, teachers and coaches to read.If you're like most parents, you offer praise to your children believing it is the key to their success — those flattering words can boost a child's self-esteem and performance. But according to a new study, praise may do more harm than good.
For the study, researchers divided 128 fifth-graders into groups and gave them a simple IQ test. One group was told it did really well and must be very smart. The other group was told it did really well and must have worked hard. One group was praised for intelligence, the other for effort.
Asked if they wanted to take a slightly harder test, the kids praised for their intelligence were reluctant. Of those praised for their effort, however, 90 percent were eager for a more challenging task. And on a final test the effort group performed significantly better than the group praised for its intelligence.
Many of the kids who had been labeled "smart" performed worst of all. The "hard workers" got the message that they could improve their scores by trying harder, but the "smart" kids believed they should do well without any effort.
bedder den shootin 'em
Merry Christmas Mom!
Activated by the weight of the squirrel, orrrrr *snicker snicker* with a remote control!
Activated by the weight of the squirrel, orrrrr *snicker snicker* with a remote control!
like space trash
*laugh* I may regret that I went looking for this stuff...
Since the 1990s millions of us have been throwing our thoughts and ideas into the vastness of the world wide web, and very few of us are cleaning up after ourselves. There is tonnes and tonnes of junk information floating through the internetosphere from days gone by. I found some of my own on a blog that I started (and terminated) in January 2004:
get rich quick
"immediate cremation $800"
a bargain.
a bloody funerary deal.
something similar to spontaneous combustion
instant satisfaction
gratification
to explode
to burst out of this world
in party balloon fashion.
i'll skip the slow decay
the fading away
and take the instant rebate.
she
courtney skipping down the street
decked in pink happiness and
holiday joy
from fuzzy head to
adorable toe.
and i.
black and sludgey
and death becomes me
desperately grasping for a piece of her
like to the road
beaten and worn
sludgey and covering all
in my sadness.
but do you see?
some six feet from the edge
just six steps from the road
there it is
the pure white snow
fresh and new
untainted by the grey sludge
from my road.
purple green madness
lump melting into it all
crack, a break in my heart
throbbing in my on my cheek
pulsing pulsating gouging at me
stabbing at my
gut
gut my feelings
my purple green feelings of sickness
of sadness
of purple green madness
forgetting what it is
what it means
to be me.
no thing
nothing
inside me nothing.
i'm bleeding
INternal EXternal Eternal
and breath has been stolen
and zest has left me behind.
melted.
melted and gone
like the lump
in my tea
Since the 1990s millions of us have been throwing our thoughts and ideas into the vastness of the world wide web, and very few of us are cleaning up after ourselves. There is tonnes and tonnes of junk information floating through the internetosphere from days gone by. I found some of my own on a blog that I started (and terminated) in January 2004:
get rich quick
"immediate cremation $800"
a bargain.
a bloody funerary deal.
something similar to spontaneous combustion
instant satisfaction
gratification
to explode
to burst out of this world
in party balloon fashion.
i'll skip the slow decay
the fading away
and take the instant rebate.
she
courtney skipping down the street
decked in pink happiness and
holiday joy
from fuzzy head to
adorable toe.
and i.
black and sludgey
and death becomes me
desperately grasping for a piece of her
like to the road
beaten and worn
sludgey and covering all
in my sadness.
but do you see?
some six feet from the edge
just six steps from the road
there it is
the pure white snow
fresh and new
untainted by the grey sludge
from my road.
purple green madness
lump melting into it all
crack, a break in my heart
throbbing in my on my cheek
pulsing pulsating gouging at me
stabbing at my
gut
gut my feelings
my purple green feelings of sickness
of sadness
of purple green madness
forgetting what it is
what it means
to be me.
no thing
nothing
inside me nothing.
i'm bleeding
INternal EXternal Eternal
and breath has been stolen
and zest has left me behind.
melted.
melted and gone
like the lump
in my tea
dialectics
*warning: this review spoils a piece of the plot with the intention of improving the viewing experience - however, not everyone will agree that the information improves the film, so read on at your peril*Half Nelson has three incredible performances (Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie) and amazing writing, but damn did it leave me feeling unsettled.
There is a really uncomfortable tension underlying the entire film - you can see it in this photo. Relax - nothing inappropriate happens. I wish someone had told me that before I pressed play.
As a soon-to-be-teacher, I was also interested in his method in the classroom, and think I'll look into dialectics (OED: the existence or working of opposing forces, tendencies, etc).
*Broken Social Scene provide the soundtrack to the flick: Gosling and B.S.S. - hurray Canada!
Saturday, March 17
i got hugged
I was walking down Commercial Ave. the other day and I came across this young man who was holding a sign that said "Free Hugs". I couldn't help laughing and smiling at him. He offered a hug and I gladly accepted - totally brightened my gloomy winter afternoon!
Today I stumbled across the origin of this "movement" (who knew?!) and the story behind it brought me to tears. (It's also fun to watch the video).
What did I take away from this? Maybe we should all be a little kinder to each other.
"And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together." -Robert Fulghum in All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
Today I stumbled across the origin of this "movement" (who knew?!) and the story behind it brought me to tears. (It's also fun to watch the video).
What did I take away from this? Maybe we should all be a little kinder to each other.
"And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together." -Robert Fulghum in All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
vancouver sushi
Yes. Everyone that comes to visit from the prairies deMANDS to be taken for sushi, and I'm happy to oblige.
Have I mentioned that the most perfect house rolls, miso soup and salmon sashimi all come from a wee little restaurant three blocks from my house? Cause they do. Toshi Sushi. You'll have to wait up to an hour to get in because there are so few seats (we take a crossword puzzle thanks to the brilliance of Miss Lindsay Irwin), but believe that it's worth the wait! As an added bonus, it's so reasonably priced!
Have I mentioned that the most perfect house rolls, miso soup and salmon sashimi all come from a wee little restaurant three blocks from my house? Cause they do. Toshi Sushi. You'll have to wait up to an hour to get in because there are so few seats (we take a crossword puzzle thanks to the brilliance of Miss Lindsay Irwin), but believe that it's worth the wait! As an added bonus, it's so reasonably priced!
Friday, March 16
best dressed
Now I know why I'm getting married - I desperately want to walk the red carpet (well, and I want to be your wife Mr. Whitmore *smile*). This is my "Oscar gown"... 'cept mine will be in off-white.
drunk driving - not the same old same old
America’s Drunk Driving Dilemma
by Steve
An article criticizing MADD made it near the top of Reddit a few days ago. I found it thought provoking.
It reminded me how dysfunctional, unreasonable, and imbalanced Americans are about alcohol use. We have built ourselves a ‘catch 22’ conundrum of which there is no escape until we change our values.
Let me explain the problem.
America has had a problem with drunk driving since Ford perfected the assembly line. I know it is a serious danger because I’ve lost young friends to drunken driving accidents. So what’s the answer? Today we continually increase the severity of the laws, strip away individual rights, and arrest over a million people per year. Is it working? MADD says it is, but critics say it isn’t. It depends on which statistics you wish to believe. I personally believe our current strategy is a failure and we could do better by trying to change the American values that lead to the drunken driving dilemma.
Here is the conundrum of conflicting values:
People shouldn’t drink and drive because it’s public safety hazard – No argument here, except to say that the laws and methods America uses stop drunk driving are becoming increasingly draconian and it’s time we take a look at our entire value system regarding alcohol.
Americans rarely drink at home because they believe only alcoholics drink at home. This is a widespread belief. When I was 17, I naively asked a guy who was sitting next to me at the bar why he paid $4.25 for a shot of Tequila when he could buy an entire liter at the store for $10.00 and drink it at home[1]. “Only alcoholics sit around the house taking shots of Tequila,” He replied. I didn’t understand the logic then and I still don’t. Many casual drinkers believe it is better to take three shots at the bar after work and drive home than it is to take three shots at home. Some of you may argue that Joe Six Pack shouldn’t drink three shots anywhere, and you may be right, but the argument is Pollyannaish. People have always consumed alcohol and they always will.
Few people want a pub within walking distance of home. I’d love to have a pub down the block where I could sit around in the evening, drink a few beers and visit with the neighbors like people do in Europe. Do you know what would happen to me if I tried to open a bar in my neighborhood? People would think I’d gone mad. I’d be the neighborhood pariah. In suburban America, we zone bars in commercial districts far away from residential areas so we can protect children from the evils of alcohol. Applebee’s (one of the biggest restaurant chains in America) tagline is “Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar,” but I’ve never seen one in an actual neighborhood, they are always in some big mall or commercial district next to a Wal-Mart or something.
In most places in America, mass transit is worthless. Post World War Two American development was built around the automobile. In most American cities – most people – cannot get to a pub without a car. I’ve never been a proponent of mass transit in America, but I must concede that a comprehensive mass transit system would significantly reduce drunk driving and it may be cheaper and more effective than our current ‘get tough’ strategy.
The problem in summary – While most Americans believe you shouldn’t drink and drive, they also believe you shouldn’t drink at home, but most of us can’t walk to the pub or take mass transit – yet we still drink. Isn’t it obvious why we have a drinking and driving problem?
by Steve
An article criticizing MADD made it near the top of Reddit a few days ago. I found it thought provoking.
It reminded me how dysfunctional, unreasonable, and imbalanced Americans are about alcohol use. We have built ourselves a ‘catch 22’ conundrum of which there is no escape until we change our values.
Let me explain the problem.
America has had a problem with drunk driving since Ford perfected the assembly line. I know it is a serious danger because I’ve lost young friends to drunken driving accidents. So what’s the answer? Today we continually increase the severity of the laws, strip away individual rights, and arrest over a million people per year. Is it working? MADD says it is, but critics say it isn’t. It depends on which statistics you wish to believe. I personally believe our current strategy is a failure and we could do better by trying to change the American values that lead to the drunken driving dilemma.
Here is the conundrum of conflicting values:
People shouldn’t drink and drive because it’s public safety hazard – No argument here, except to say that the laws and methods America uses stop drunk driving are becoming increasingly draconian and it’s time we take a look at our entire value system regarding alcohol.
Americans rarely drink at home because they believe only alcoholics drink at home. This is a widespread belief. When I was 17, I naively asked a guy who was sitting next to me at the bar why he paid $4.25 for a shot of Tequila when he could buy an entire liter at the store for $10.00 and drink it at home[1]. “Only alcoholics sit around the house taking shots of Tequila,” He replied. I didn’t understand the logic then and I still don’t. Many casual drinkers believe it is better to take three shots at the bar after work and drive home than it is to take three shots at home. Some of you may argue that Joe Six Pack shouldn’t drink three shots anywhere, and you may be right, but the argument is Pollyannaish. People have always consumed alcohol and they always will.
Few people want a pub within walking distance of home. I’d love to have a pub down the block where I could sit around in the evening, drink a few beers and visit with the neighbors like people do in Europe. Do you know what would happen to me if I tried to open a bar in my neighborhood? People would think I’d gone mad. I’d be the neighborhood pariah. In suburban America, we zone bars in commercial districts far away from residential areas so we can protect children from the evils of alcohol. Applebee’s (one of the biggest restaurant chains in America) tagline is “Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar,” but I’ve never seen one in an actual neighborhood, they are always in some big mall or commercial district next to a Wal-Mart or something.
In most places in America, mass transit is worthless. Post World War Two American development was built around the automobile. In most American cities – most people – cannot get to a pub without a car. I’ve never been a proponent of mass transit in America, but I must concede that a comprehensive mass transit system would significantly reduce drunk driving and it may be cheaper and more effective than our current ‘get tough’ strategy.
The problem in summary – While most Americans believe you shouldn’t drink and drive, they also believe you shouldn’t drink at home, but most of us can’t walk to the pub or take mass transit – yet we still drink. Isn’t it obvious why we have a drinking and driving problem?
Sunday, March 11
american idol
Ya ya. So I watch it sometimes. I admire vocal talent. It's better than that dang Pussycat Dolls show!
Anyway, Phil Stacey. This guy is STIFLED in a pop contest! He should be the lead in an outstanding rock band. Just stick it out through the first bit cause it starts a little rough. And then BAM! What a voice!
Anyway, Phil Stacey. This guy is STIFLED in a pop contest! He should be the lead in an outstanding rock band. Just stick it out through the first bit cause it starts a little rough. And then BAM! What a voice!
bad with faces?
is it just me, or does Elena Anaya (Justin Timberlake's Sexyback video) more than resemble the Childlike Empress (The Neverending Story)?
THIS! IS! SPARTA!
Well, I saw 300 this afternoon, and I already want to see it again. Now that doesn't necessarily mean that I loved it, but it does mean there was a lot to look at.
What makes it great? Gerard Butler's energy builds a formidable figure as King Leonidas. Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo is a genuinely Spartan woman - firey and firm. The digital world is slick (though there is something flat about it, which only a vivacity like Butler's could bring to life).
What's not so great? The drag queen King Xerxes is a strange character, and there are other weak acting moments that distract from the story. There are unoriginal echoes of Gladiator and Lord of the Rings.
This is the simple story of an ancient battle dressed in Frank Miller clothes. It's a comic book onscreen, and it's pretty freakin cool.
What makes it great? Gerard Butler's energy builds a formidable figure as King Leonidas. Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo is a genuinely Spartan woman - firey and firm. The digital world is slick (though there is something flat about it, which only a vivacity like Butler's could bring to life).
What's not so great? The drag queen King Xerxes is a strange character, and there are other weak acting moments that distract from the story. There are unoriginal echoes of Gladiator and Lord of the Rings.
This is the simple story of an ancient battle dressed in Frank Miller clothes. It's a comic book onscreen, and it's pretty freakin cool.
Saturday, March 10
intense crush
Sunday, March 4
p to the o to the r to the t to the land
A few weekends ago, Christopher and I paid a visit to a fellow city of the Pacific Northwest. Portland is a 5-7 hour drive from Vancouver depending on the border line-up and the interstate traffic. Shout out to Sarah and Ange who prompted our visit by moving down there for a few weeks!A Night Out: Saucebox (214 SW Broadway). The vibe is just what I like in a lounge/restaurant: hip and low-key. 1. You must try the Tapioca Dumplings with ground chicken, peanuts and cilantro; drizzled with garlic oil ($8). 2. Order a divine piece of coconut cake, or the heavenly creme brulee. 3. Most importantly, you HAVE to get yourself tastetastic cocktail to sip on! I had a lemongrass infused gin with tonic and fresh mint leaves...I'm sure there was something more in it. I don't think you can go wrong with whatever drink you order. It's all about the drinks.
Breakfast: Tin Shed (1438 NE Alberta St). The wait is INCREDIBLY long. Get there by 9am and/or take coffees with you (we waited for an hour). The food is WORTH the wait!!! I actually can't remember what I ate, but it was delicious.
Coffee: Fan of the rich flava of a delicious cappuccino? I am! So, Stumptown (there are many, but we hit the one @ 128 SW 3rd Ave) is the place to be.
Books: If books are your thing, then Portland is your town. Powell's Books (1005 W. Burnside) is an ENTIRE city block of floors and floors of new and used books. It's genuinely impressive. We spent three hours in the store and I was only able to get through the piano music books, one row of nature books, a general perusing of the sci-fi/fantasy section and a quick peak at the literature section. There's even a coffee shop right in the store! Tis a book lover's paradise my friends.
Shop: Ray's Ragtime (1001 SW Morrison St) is a fun and chaotic vintage shop that is worth checking out - especially if you know exACTly what you're looking for and exACTly what size you are. It didn't bode so well for me because I wanted to buy a dress and all the MANY MANY available dresses are hanging from the ceiling. Their inaccessibility and the lack of people to help access them proved a barrier to my dress success - but it's definitely a fun store!
Accommodations: SO cool! McMenamin's Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave) was built in 1915 and has since been converted into a hotel. McMenamin's is a well-known Oregon company whose facilities all have an eclectic decor and a welcoming feel. Guest rooms are former classrooms with private baths and telephones - are reasonable at $99-114US/night. Hotel guests can have beer in detention rooms, relax in the soaking pool or catch a flick in the auditorium turned movie theatre. SO cool!
Saturday, March 3
visceral
Children of Men. I finally saw it. No. Let me rephrase. I lived it. This is without a doubt the most affecting film that I have seen in years. The world created by Alfonso Cuaron is so complete and so real. I walked out feeling absolutely overwhelmed - exhausted - and very, very sad. The reason? This future is all too believable. There is so much hate and destruction being propagated around the world. Ignorance, selfishness and greed run rampant. Our short-sightedness is frightening. Forget destroying the Earth, we are destroying ourselves. NOTHING underscores these facts quite so much as the cry of an infant amidst all that darkness. That image will bring tears to my eyes for weeks.
Watch it.
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