Pet Peeves of the Day

1. Rainy days that are too windy to use an umbrella. Such as today for example. I couldn't walk anywhere without getting wet. And due to my excursion outdoors this afternoon, the rain and wind have caused my hair to become a cloud of frizzy curls. Now, if I don't have to go out in it, then windy, rainy days are great. It's wonderful to sit in your warm bed or cozy chair, drinking warm drinks and eating warm cookies, and hear the wind howling around the eaves and rattling the windows and hear the fat splats of rain hitting the glass. But if you have to go out in it, then rain + wind = NO FUN.


2. Sarcan. It's noisy, smelly, and the floor's sticky. I always feel like I need a shower when I come out.


3. DJs that continue to yap during the intro to a song. Just because there is no one singing does not mean that we don't need to hear that part of the song. Sometimes the intro to a song is the best part. And you're RUINING it! So please, when you play a song, then let us listen to the whole thing, beginning to end.


4. Snobby high-end antique stores. Oh sure, they look really pretty. But you know you can't afford anything in them (and so does the snobby shop-owner and his pedigreed poodles), and there will be no hidden treasures to find. Which brings me to one of my loves: junk antique shops. You know the kind. The ones where every single square centimetre is covered with stuff and even the floor has stacks of stuff, and everything is piled so high and so haphazardly that it's constantly in danger of falling over... Maybe it's not so pretty to look at, and can be somewhat hazardous to navigate. But if you've got some time to kill, you can uncover some real treasures in these places. And half the time the shop owner is as surprised as you when you find something. I've been looking for some green glass salt and pepper shakers like the ones my grandma used to have. See, I'm very anti-stuff. And so I'd like to find some salt and pepper shakers that are both nice enough to look at that you can put them on the dinner table, but practical enough that you can take the tops off and fit a teaspoon in them for cooking. That's harder to find than you might think. And although I did not find the elusive green glass ones today, I found some aluminum ones that will do just fine until I do find them.

Gunless

Paul Gross has a new movie coming out: Gunless

God he's hot.

Dude, where's my car?

So I went downstairs to go to work this morning and discovered my car was gone.



But, I knew immediately what had happened. You see, it was street cleaning day. And I knew it was, but you see, when they have signs posted saying "Street Cleaning Wednesday" I just assumed they meant sometime during the day Wednesday. But actually they meant 5:30 in the morning Wednesday.

Ah. My mistake. So I walked to work, and once I got there I looked up on the city's website and discovered that they don't tow your car to the impound, they just tow it around the corner and give you a ticket. So I walked home for lunch to check, and sure enough, there was my car, parked neatly around the corner with a ticket on it. And the ticket was for $25.00.

Seriously, what other city does that? Tows your car around the corner for you and only charges you $25.00 for their trouble. I figure I got off pretty lightly.

I was, however, still in a bad mood due to the incident, and I consequently sent out several nasty e-mails and had my frowny face on all day.

I'm hoping to go to bed tonight and wake up in a much better mood. To help me along the way, I got an extra long guitar lesson tonight, and for the last half we played the ukulele. And it's like my guitar teacher says, you can't help but smile when you hear someone play the ukulele. So here's some awesome ukulele videos. I'm trying to decide if I want to buy one or not.

Poll results

I got polled about a week ago on the phone. The results are in.

Guess how I answered?

Book Review Time Again!

1. The Good Neighbors - Holly Black
   This is a graphic novel series, written by Holly Black and illustrated by Ted Naifeh. I've read the first two volumes "Kin" and "Kith". It's typical Black fare - gritty urban teen culture meets gothic faerie tale. And while I loved her "modern faerie tale" series, I'm not sure that I'm too crazy about this one. Especially with the second one, I found that the story seemed to move too fast. Events happened too quickly, and we aren't given enough time to get to know the characters, to really understand their motivations. And that makes the story feel kind of flat. Like all these things are happening to people that you don't really know or care about. So I'm kind of disappointed. But Black is a novelist, so maybe she's having trouble with the graphic novel format. I think they're well illustrated. The mood is sombre in black and white, and Naifeh's elves and humans are lithe and sharp-featured. But the story and characters need some work. Still, I'll probably read the next one in the hopes that they'll improve.


2. Elske - Cynthia Voigt
   Voigt wrote four companion novels, all about a mythical place known as "the kingdom". They're a bit of a departure for Voigt who mostly writes realistic fiction. However, despite their made-up medieval setting, the books are still realistic in that there is no magic. I've read two of them, Jackaroo, which was pretty good, and now this one. And I really liked Elske. It follows a young girl who runs away from home and certain death. She journeys to another city where she struggles with learning a new culture and new language, and then ends up helping a Queen regain her throne from her despotic brother. It deals realistically and sympathetically with topics such as rape and infanticide, and Elske is a strong, likable character. Highly recommended.


3. A Well-Timed Enchantment - Vivian Vande Velde
   This is Vande Velde's second novel, written quite a while ago, and I have to say I found it quite mediocre. Which is funny, because I really like her first book, A Hidden Magic (which is written for a younger, Gr. 3 - 5, audience). But this book, from its terribly punny title right down to the unlikely romance between the main character and her cat, felt a little cobbled together. A girl drops her mickey mouse watch down a wishing well where it goes through a portal to medieval France. Two elves send her and her cat (first transforming him into a human) to retrieve the watch before it alters history forever. Medieval France is not described in a way that seems very realistic or historically accurate. She meets up right away with a noble family who invite her and her friend/squire/page/brother (as she introduces her cat turned boy to them at various times) into their castle without blinking an eye. And her relationship with the cat is not developed very well either. They are supposed to be in love at the end, but I'm not sure when that was supposed to have happened. Anyway, I'm weeding it from our shelves, and I doubt it will be missed.

Good Stuff

1) I am wearing fuzzy pink socks. Cuz there is nothing like fuzzy pink socks to make you feel better on a cold, rainy day. Except maybe hot chocolate and a good book. But I have those too!

2) You should go and visit Hyperbole and a Half. For its weird randomness and crazy cartoons that make me lol, it has earned a spot in my sidebar.

3) I like reading romance novels. But, I often start romance novels and then stop reading them because I lose interest once the relationship is consummated, because the sexual tension was the only thing advancing the plot. The best romance novels are ones that have interesting characters and a good plot in addition to the romance. And I came across a good one that I actually enjoyed right to the end. So if you like historical romance, try The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt. It's part of a trilogy along with The Raven Prince and The Serpent Prince, but that one's the best.

Apocalypse... now?

Hmmmmm...

I don't know whether to take this seriously or not. I do think that unless we change how we run the world economy we are headed for a collapse of some sort, I just didn't think it would be this soon. Time to learn how to grow your own food people. I'm lucky since I already have a source of good home-grown meat, vegetables and grain. You can eat locally in Saskatchewan. Maybe you should try it. Maybe you'll have to try it.

h/t to Saskboy.

This one's for you sis...

Fuuuck! Is anybody else having problems embedding You Tube videos? It's too big for my blog, even the smallest size. Videos that embedded just fine before are now too big to fit on the screen, despite the fact that the html is EXACTLY the same. Fucking youtube. I'm assuming it's youtube, because it looks shitty no matter what browser I open it with. Some sort of bug rolled up with all the (stupid!) changes they have made to the site recently?

Anyway, due to youtube's retardedness, you'll have to click on the link to watch:
Chiropractic vs. Science Based Medicine.

Update:
Okay, I've manually changed the video to have an object width of 500. But I still just don't understand why previous videos with a width of 650 fit, and now they don't. Anyone who can shed any light on this, please do. Anyway, the video:

Down with Disney Princesses

I recently heard a story about a librarian who did a fairy tale program for young kids and their parents. She was shocked and horrified to discover that none of the kids or their parents had had any exposure to fairy tales outside of the Disney version, and indeed, most of them thought that Disney was the original source of these tales.

I consider this to be an alarming trend. Parents, please expose your children to more than the Disney version of a fairy tale. Disney "cutesifies" these tales with wide-eyed talking animals, and a lot of times they also change the ending completely to make the tales more kid-friendly (eg. in the original Little Mermaid, she doesn't get the prince). If children only ever see the Disney version, they are missing out on a huge chunk of our rich, cultural heritage.

There are also problems with the way femininity and race are represented in the Disney movies. For a good critique of Disney, check out this documentary. Suffice to say, the women in Disney are either invariably evil (the witches) or beautiful princesses in need of rescuing. And little girls today are obsessed with the Disney Princesses. They are everywhere you look, on tv, in movies, in books, in toys. Disney has gone into merchandising overload. And these princesses are frankly not good role models for girls. There is a series of books that we have in our library called Disney Princesses Secrets (or something like that) and they go out all the time. In each of these little books, one of the Disney Princesses imparts a "secret" to the reader. Guess what Snow White's secret is? When she gets tired of doing "princess" things she sneaks off to the seven dwarfs' house and cleans it for them. Barf.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not completely anti-Disney. I owned and loved many of these movies myself as a kid. I still love Beauty and the Beast. But please, any parents, or anyone who is thinking of becoming a parent, please make sure your kids get more than the Disney version of any fairy tale. And to combat the weak female characters (cuz let's face it, even in the originals, many of the women are passive) try a couple of fractured fairy tales where the women take control of their own destiny.

A couple of my favourite feminist picture book fairy tales are The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (which also has the word "bum" in it as a bonus) and Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole (which has the most hilarious illustrations). And when they get a little older, try some Tamora Pierce, Shannon Hale, and Gail Carson Levine for some kick ass fantasy novels with strong female protagonists.

She's back! And pissed off about stuff!

Wow, I've been away for awhile. But I have excuses. I was in Portland for five days, and then it was Easter, and work has been busy... Anyway, I'm back now and there are a few things that have been going on that I want to comment on.

Hopefully I'll be able to finish this post before the power goes out again. It's been blinking on and off all day, presumably because of the nasty wind storm. It's not snowing in this neck of the woods, but the wind was insane. I took my bird feeder down because it was just going to end up stripping all the twigs off the branch it was on and go flying down the street. And the power outages were super annoying because I was at work, and if, like me, you have on average 5 programs running and 10 windows open, every time the power blinks you have to restart the computer and reopen everything. Thank goodness firefox at least remembers what windows you had open. Anyway, on with the show.

1) OMG Facebook. Get over yourself. There is NOTHING obscene about a breastfeeding mother. I have never understood people that have a problem with mothers breastfeeding children in public. It's what they're for fer chrissakes. If you agree and if you do the facebook thing, then there's a facebook group you can sign up for to let them know just what you think of their silly censorship.

2) Ha ha ha. Well Helena, I'd say it's been a pleasure, but, well... don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. She and her loser drug addict husband Rahim (former MP of Edmonton-Strathcona) are like the gift that just keeps on giving. Every time you think they've hit rock bottom, you're sure they can't sink any lower, but nope, they just keep on digging. Once upon a time, I actually believed that most people in government were really in it because they wanted to help their country and their fellow citizens. But the longer I follow politics, the more cynical I get. I'd like to think that the hi-jinks of Helena and hubby are the exception rather than the rule for MPs, but I'm beginning to really wonder if there's anyone left with an ounce of integrity in that slime pit.

3) The City of San Francisco has come up with "Meatless Mondays" where they are encouraging (though not requiring) their citizens to go without meat. This is a very touchy issue, and there is a definite split in the left-wing on this. Case in point, go over to JJ's Blog and read the comments. I have explained where I stand once before, but I feel like I need to say it again. So let's say it in bold, all-caps: BEING A VEGETARIAN IS NOT HEALTHIER THAN EATING MEAT. And anyone who thinks otherwise is still under the influence of the low-fat diet industry. It's not meat or fat that is causing the epidemic of obesity and disease, it's the high amount of sugar and refined carbs that we consume. That is the absolute truth. Now if their reasons for Meatless Mondays are more about the environment, then that is more complicated. Feedlots are definitely bad for the environment. But it would be more helpful to encourage people to eat local free range and to create laws which would change the way that animals are currently housed. Anyway, I'm sure I'm not going to change anybody's mind, and I have noticed that some vegans and vegetarians are quite militant about their eating preferences and tend to look down their noses at anyone who doesn't happen to agree with them, assuming that you must be an ignorant redneck who doesn't care about animal rights or the environment. Well, get over it people. There are very well-educated people who care about animals and the environment but still don't agree with vegetarianism. I'm one of them.

Well, I think that's all that's pissing me off right now, though I'm sure I'll think of something else soon.

Orlando Blue is spiffy once again

I am in a very good mood. I took my car in to get the oil changed, and I also got a complete wash and interior detail.

*Humming*

I love having a clean car!

Yeah, it was expensive, but soooo worth it. It would take me all day to get that car clean myself. My spare time's too valuable to waste it vacuuming cat hair off seats and cleaning ice cream out of the cupholders.

And it was absolutely filthy. They defs earned their money today.

Daylight savings time again?

Good grief. I was hoping that when I moved back home from Alberta, I would never have to hear about this again, and yet, here it is.

Apparently, in the 2011 election, Saskatchewanians will not only be voting for a new government, but we will also be voting on whether or not Saskatchewan should adopt daylight savings time.

I just don't understand. Who is asking for this?? IMHO, this is one of the things that Saskatchewan has gotten right. I lived in a province with daylight savings for two years, and it sucked. It was annoying to have to remember to change your clocks twice a year. I hated how it got dark at 4:30 in the winter. I hated how you had to wait FOREVER for it to get dark in the summer. How can you go star watching or play hide and go seek in the dark, when it doesn't get dark??

On a less personal note, daylight savings still does not have any real benefits. If you don't believe me, go read the wikipedia article, but I'll summarize it for you. Basically, there is no great benefit to health, safety, or energy savings. While it might benefit some businesses economically to have more daylight in the summer (golf courses for example) it harms others (theatres for example). It disrupts the circadian rhythm of people, and this can be especially difficult for young children. Go talk to parents who just got their 6 month old on a stable sleep schedule, and then ask them if they like daylight savings time.

And yes, Saskatchewan stands apart from most of North America and Europe by not having DST, but in reality, the majority of the world does not observe daylight saving time. China and India don't, most of Africa doesn't, and Arizona doesn't either. So don't give me any crap about how we're hurting our economic relationships with other countries and provinces by not joining in their semi-annual insanity with them. Awwww. Are we confusing their poor widdle brains by NOT changing the time willy nilly throughout the year?? They are the confusing ones!

I hope Saskatchewan votes No in 2011, and I hope that we can be an example to other western provinces and nations. Stop being twits! If you want to enjoy more daylight in the summer, than set an alarm and get up earlier, and leave me and my clocks in peace.

Beware the Jabberwock

One of my neighbours (it's hard to tell if it's coming from above or below) has taken to listening to loud disco on Friday afternoons. And don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who absolutely detest the entire music genre, but I would sometimes like to listen to something other than the Bee Gees on my day off. Thank goodness for ear plugs.

I went and saw Alice in Wonderland tonight. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I actually quite enjoyed it. Yes, yes, predictable plot, etc. but my goodness, that is the plot of every fantasy story ever made isn't it? Bad guy loses, good guy wins, saves the world, etc. It's the journey, not the destination, that's important in these types of stories. And I liked Alice's journey.

My friend L who went with me kept saying how it wasn't a good kids show (a fair number of scary or gruesome parts) but I think it depends on the kid. I personally think I would have enjoyed it even as a young child. Which got me thinking about the first Alice in Wonderland I saw. It was a TV special, and judging by the release date, I would have been about 5 when I saw it. The jabberwocky in that show made a huge impression on me and I still remember it to this day. But even though the jabberwocky scared the crap out of me, I kept watching, because that's the kind of kid I was. Anyone else remember this?

Sigh...

I am sick of annoying patrons, sick of inflexible, passive-aggressive co-workers, and just, in general, really sick of my job right now. I can't get enthusiastic about anything. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd be gone in a heartbeat. So, here's hoping, huh?

I watched Brokeback Mountain the other day, finally, and I have to say, I really liked it. It was sexy, romantic, and heartbreaking. I thought Heath Ledger was amazing. Too bad he's dead because I think he would have made many more excellent movies.

Anyway, now I'm off to try and cleanse my mind of negativity cuz, let's face it, odds are I'm not going to win the lottery, so I'll just have to make the best of it. But seriously, seriously, the temptation to hit someone in the back of the head with a shovel is dangerously high right now.

CFL bulbs - saving the environment or not?

CFL bulbs are more energy efficient than the traditional incandescent, but they also contain mercury, and are not always recycled. These unrecycled bulbs then release their mercury into the environment where it can get into drinking water and poison lakes and streams. So, are CFL bulbs saving the environment, or is this cure actually worse than the disease?



So, the moral of the story is CFL bulbs are still worth it if you live in an area that uses coal to produce electricity. And I would say they're still worth it even if you live in an area that produces clean electricity, as long as you are responsible and recycle your bulbs (damn you Regina Boardwalk properties!). And for the locals: over 55% of Saskatchewan's electricity still comes from coal-fired power plants. Only 3% of electricity is produced through wind, and solar power production is negligible. A very sad thing for a province with an abundance of both sunshine and wind.

In all thy sons command

Well the Olympics are over, and now that the shiny distractions have been put away out of sight, the government can finally get back to work. And what fresh, innovative ideas have our fearless leaders, the Theocons, come up with? Why, they're going to change the lyrics to our National Anthem.

First of all, I agree with JJ. This is just the Conservatives' pathetic attempt to appear to be a champion of women's rights. This is Harper saying, "See? I'm hip to the ladies. I'm a modern man. I think women are equal." But it's an empty gesture. Cuz, guess what? Changing the lyrics to a song is NOT going to magically make gender inequality disappear. They're attempting to paint a veneer over top of Harper's actual record on this topic. Hmm, let's see now... Killed the national daycare program and instead decided to send every mother in Canada a few hundred bucks a year... Gee thanks Harper you sexist pig, it's good to know how much you think women are really worth. And then the Status of Women Canada dropped the word "equality" from its mandate under the Harper government. Can it get more obvious?

And if you're really being paranoid, you could see how this might also be an attempt for Harper to get Canadians riled up and angry at "them damn feminists who're always whining about something, leave our beautiful anthem alone!" And then we won't concentrate on things like... oh, the fact that the government is running a huge deficit, has no plan to get out of it, and still won't hand over the documents about torture in Afghanistan.

Some brainless twits have already fallen for Harper's ploy and are already breathing fire about the horrible feminists. Naomi you fuckwit, it doesn't matter whether the word is "sons", "son's" or "sons'", it still says SONS as opposed to just people. And yes, it is sexist to refer to an entire nation as "sons". Just as saying "mankind" to refer to all of humanity is sexist. Yes, it's just a word, but words don't exist in a vacuum. They have connotations and historical context. And no Naomi, I wouldn't think that men do get jealous because things like countries and boats are referred to as "she". Because these are objects, property that belongs to other people, and is a leftover remnant of the time when women were also considered property.

Let me be clear. I am a feminist. And yes, I do believe that "sons" should be changed to something more inclusive. (I also think they should remove the reference to God, but that's another discussion altogether). HOWEVER. On my list of priorities of all the things that need to change in this country, that is pretty close to the bottom. I am content to leave the anthem alone for now, and work on more important issues.

Do you hear that Harper? I am not fooled. Your record on women's rights is appalling, and this will do nothing to change it.

Give Menstrual Cups a Try

So I was looking over one of my new juvenile non-fiction purchases today. I always do that when the books come in, just to familiarize myself with the collection, remind myself what I ordered, and to check for cataloguing errors. The book in question was a puberty book for girls. I was leafing through the section on menstruation, and I realized that there was a glaring omission. The book talked about pads and tampons, but no mention was made of another option: menstrual cups.

This really upset me, although I guess maybe I shouldn't be too hard on the author/publishers of the book as there are probably lots of people out there who haven't heard of a menstrual cup. But the job of those puberty books is to let girls know what options are available, to inform them so they can make a decision. And the book left out the best option out there. So now, thanks to that book, you're going to hear all about menstrual cups.

What is a menstrual cup? Well, this blog gives a good description and has lots of pics so you'll see what I am talking about. But basically, it's a latex or silicone cup that's worn inside the vagina like a tampon during your period to catch the flow. But, it's sooo much better than a tampon. Here's why:

1. It's healthier. It's made of a material that is resistant to bacteria, and has much less actual surface area, so unlike tampons, there is no risk of toxic shock syndrome.


2. It's reusable. Oh, that's right, you heard me. After your period's done, you give it a thorough washing, let it dry, and put it away until next time. That's HUGE in terms of:


1. Cost. Think about how much you spend on pads or tampons in a year. How often do you go through a box of those? The menstrual cup can cost quite a bit when you first get it (I don't quite remember how much it was exactly, but $50.00 or more is not out of the question), but then you can reuse it over and over again for years. And yes, it's perfectly safe to do so. Another nice thing about the menstrual cup is that you'll never run out of supplies. No more emergency midnight trips to Shoppers. Going on a long vacation when you expect to get your period? Don't worry about packing boxes of pads or tampons. Just pop your little cup in your bag.


2. Saving the Environment. Think about all the pads in the garbage, the tampons flushed down the toilet. Thousands of plastic tampon applicators wash up on beaches around the world every day. Your cup you just reuse, month after month, year after year. This is actually the primary reason I switched. I was trying to be better about recycling and cutting down on waste, and I couldn't stand how much waste one woman could produce every month just from dealing with her period.

So, how does it work exactly? You fold it into quarters, making the top part small enough to slide in, then basically insert it like you would a tampon without an applicator. Once you've gotten the top part inside, you can let it pop back into shape. The top part will unfold, pressing against the walls of the vagina so it will catch everything. You empty a couple or few times a day, depending on your flow. To get it out, you can use the little loop or stick at the bottom, or for the ones that don't have them, just use your muscles to push out the bottom, then pinch the bottom to release suction, pull out, empty, reinsert. No messier than dealing with a tampon and you can do any activity with it in, swim, exercise, whatever.

I started using a cup about a year ago, mostly for the environmental reasons cited above. My personal brand is The Keeper. I have the rubber latex one, size B. Now I will confess that it took a little bit of getting used to. I tried it one month, and didn't like it. I couldn't get it to feel right, and the stupid stick kept poking me in the wrong spot. But I decided to try it again. So I cut the stick off completely (you're actually supposed to trim it to the size you want), and now I'm used to it, and like it very much. Once it's inside, you pretty much forget it's there.

So if it's so great, why don't we hear about it more? Where are all the tv ads, etc.? Well, the thing is, the companies that make the cups are usually very small operations, and they don't make a lot of money. Why? Because, once you buy a cup, you don't buy another one for years. Sometimes never. So it's not a great way to make money in our consumption driven economy. And those big brands, like playtex, tampax, and always, they really, really don't want you to find out about menstrual cups. They'd much rather you continue to purchase their disposable products which are an environmental disaster.

So, spread the word, tell your friends, and if you know anyone who's writing a puberty book for girls, don't let them leave this out! At least give it a try. You may not like it, and that's fine. Periods are annoying enough without having to use a product you're not happy with. But seriously, the environment, your wallet, and even your vagina will thank you.

Edit: Looking at the Keeper website, I realize that they don't ship to Canada. I got my Keeper through my sister, so I'm not sure how she got a hold of it. Possibly some sort of shady, backroom deal... ;) Anyway, never fear, because for all of us Canucks, there is an alternative. I give you, the Diva Cup.

Creepiest dolls ever

Please be aware that watching the following videos may give you nightmares. Especially if you already have a fear of dolls.

Mutant Bacteria on Factory Farms

Via Saskboy, we learn one more reason not to eat factory farmed meat.

Airlines suck!

Actor/Director Kevin Smith (of Silent Bob fame) recently got kicked off a flight for being too overweight. (Thankfully this was in the states while we have a somewhat more enlightened policy here in Canada.)

This really, really sucks. It is discriminatory. But the most awful thing is that there are a lot of unsympathetic people out there, saying good, fat people should get kicked off of flights. It's their own damn fault, isn't it? Stupid pigs.

Let me tell you, these people are not overweight because they want to be or because they are just too damn lazy to do anything about it. They've probably tried and tried to lose weight and are just not succeeding. I know I am in the same boat.

It's no more their fault than it is the fault of someone who smokes cigarettes. You know it's unhealthy for you, and you've tried and tried to quit, but you just can't kick the habit. I do not smoke, never have, and it's sometimes difficult for me to understand people who continue to do so, even though it hurts their health. I have a co-worker who smokes, even though she has a horrible, horrible cough. The kind of lung-rattling hack that makes you wince every time you hear it. But she's tried to quit several times and just can't do it. And it's not really that different from being overweight.

Food is addictive. Both emotionally, and as they're finding out, some food (i.e. sugar) is also chemically addictive to the body. These days there's a warning label on every pack of cigs and you can't even display them in a store. There are no more cigarette commercials on the TV. And yet everytime you turn the television on, there's a fast food joint hawking their latest horrors. No warning labels on the pack of fries you just purchased. Minors are not only allowed in these places, but are specifically marketed to. (Just as an aside here, it's not saturated fat that makes you fat. It's the simple carbohydrates like starch and sugar that are the problem. So it's not the burger patty (except in cases where the fast food joints add sugar to the meat, oh you wish I was kidding) but the bun and all the sugary sauces (ketchup is awful), and then the fries (potatoes are nothing but starch) and the extra large, sugar-filled soft drink you ordered to go with it.) Processed foods made with starches and sugars with all the actual nutrients processed out of them clog the aisles of the grocery stores. It's no fucking wonder there's an epidemic of obesity in the Western World. And people need to have a little more sympathy for those who are battling their weight problems - and losing. It is not easy. No easier than trying to quit smoking. And there's no sugar patch. Yet.

But those airlines are seriously out of line. Those seats are only 17" across. When I am at my ideal weight, my generous hips are still 38" around. And that's when I'm thin. Those seats are horribly uncomfortable for me now, but they won't get much more comfortable even if I did lose all my extra weight. And the leg room is awful in those airplanes. I am tall, for a woman, 5'9", and I have long, long legs, even for my height (a 33" inseam in my jeans is good for wearing flats), and my knees are touching the seat in front of me. I have been lucky on the last few flights that I was on because the person in front of me never tried to put their seat back. I can only imagine what this must be like for people who, unlike me, are not just slightly above average in height, but actually really, really tall. Are they going to have to start purchasing extra tickets for their extra-long legs?

My point is, these plane seats are not just small for overweight people, they're getting to be small for anyone. And the airlines need to suck it up and provide proper seating for people, no matter what their size. And if they have to bump up flight costs to do it, then I guess they have to.

And by the way, I have always found Kevin Smith to be kind of cute. And he still is. So there.

H/t to pale.

Is it wrong to take advantage?

Hee hee.

I want in on this racket. I wonder if they'd consider opening a branch in Canada?

H/T to EdStock.

Brands and Logos

Regina has unveiled a new slogan and logo for the city:



I actually don't think the slogan is that bad. But the logo is crap, and it's certainly not worth the $400,000 the city spent to come up with it. 18 months and $400,000 and that's what they have to show for it??? I do not understand why these cities keep doing this.

Take Moose Jaw for example, who also just recently had a re-branding. Their new slogan? "Surprisingly Unexpected". How redundantly redundant. Something like "Discover the Unexpected" would have been much less cringe-inducing. And I actually agree with the sentiment behind it. Moose Jaw is a really cool little city, with beautiful turn of the century architecture, historic downtown, lots of support for culture and the arts, and a beautiful river valley. Things which you wouldn't guess looking at it on a map, or even driving by it on the highway. And you'd certainly never guess it by looking at the new logo which to me looks like it should belong to some cheesy fast food outlet:



That does not say "history" and "culture" which is what Moose Jaw has become known for and what they should have been building on. I don't know how much the city paid someone to come up with that, but I guarantee it was too much.

Even Swift Current got hosed in this department. What's their slogan you ask? "Swift Current: Where Life Makes Sense". WTF? What does that even mean? At least "infinite horizons" and "surprisingly unexpected" (stupidly worded as that last one is) give you an idea of the character of the city. Where life makes sense?! And they gave a Calgary firm $50,000 to come up with that winner. It is universally mocked, and only got funnier last summer when, with a surge in the rodent population, it got changed in some circles to "Where rats make nests".

If I was in charge of finding a new slogan for a city, here's what I would do. I would make it into a city-wide contest. Any resident could try and come up with a slogan. Then I'd pick the 5 best, and have the whole city vote. I guarantee that you would come up with a really great slogan, the cost would be minimal, and people in the city would be happy with it because they're the ones that chose it after all.

And finally, a really great video to remind all us consumers what's it's really all about (h/t to Saskboy):

Velma kicks Ass

I love this! Velma was always my favourite. I mean, she was always the one to solve the mystery anyway. Who needs ditzy Daphne and her ascot-wearing boyfriend Fred?

Movie Fun!

This is a fun movie countdown that I found via Cathie. How many movies can you name?













Here's what I got so far. Can you help me fill in the blanks?

98 - Dead Poet's Society
95 - Ocean's 11
94 - Star Wars
90 - The Fugitive
88 - Back to the Future
84 - Titanic
82 - Rain Man
81 - Galaxy Quest
71 - When Harry Met Sally
70 - The Wrath of Khan
68 - The Breakfast club
67 - The King and I
65 - The Princess Bride
60 - Gone with the Wind
56 - It's a Wonderful Life
43 - Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail
42 - Finding Nemo
40 - Superman
37 - Men in Black
36 - Clerks
31 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
23 - The Wizard of Oz
22 - Casablanca
19 - The Shawshank Redemption
15 - Being John Malkovich
12 - Ghostbusters
8 - Office Space
1 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Holy Crap, it's a PADD!

Apple unviels the new iPad tablet:



Picture of the ubiquitous PADD (Personal Access Display Device) that all Star Trek fans will be familiar with:



Bit ahead of the times, aren't we? We shouldn't have PADDs until the 24th century!

Raw Milk Rocks - Factory Farms Suck

Congratulations to Michael Schmidt on winning his case. For those not in the know, Michael Schmidt is an Ontario dairy farmer who was charged with selling raw milk. Selling raw milk is illegal in Canada, though it is not illegal to consume it. Mr. Schmidt had tried to get around the law by selling shares in his dairy farm and distributing the raw milk that way. Luckily, an Ontario judge agreed with him, and unless the Crown appeals, raw milk can now be distributed using his method. Hallelujah.

I am also a drinker of raw milk, when I can get my hands on it, which isn't often out here. There just aren't that many people willing to break the law, even a law as senseless as this one. You can buy alcohol and cigarettes and processed foods loaded with chemicals and sugar, all known to be detrimental to health, but you can't buy something as healthy and good for you as raw milk?

The thing is, raw milk, coming straight out of the cow's udder, is absolutely fine to drink. The reason pasteurization was started, was because as farms got larger and became more like the factory dairy farms we have today, it became more and more likely that the milk could become contaminated with something on its way from the cow to the store. When you have a large factory dairy or feedlot, you can't pay as much attention to each individual cow or piece of machinery, and therefore contamination becomes more likely. When you have smaller farms, the farmers can spend the time needed to ensure that the products are clean and safe. Tragedies like the listeriosis outbreak at the Maple Leaf plant is much more likely to happen in a big farm or factory. As long as people are aware of what raw milk is and the possible risks in consuming it, it should not be any more illegal than any other food. And if you check out your supplier and make sure they are a small farm with clean facilities, it isn't any more dangerous.

And why do I personally drink raw milk? It isn't just because it tastes better, which is absolutely true. It's because I'm healthier for it. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was about 20 years old. And the thing about colitis, is they don't really know what causes it. They can only treat the symptoms. So I was put on cortical steroids and another aspirin-like anti-inflammatory. The steroids I went on and off of for short periods of time since they are very, very unhealthy for you. But the other anti-inflammatory I was on continuously - 6 huge tablets a day - until last Fall. When I stopped cold turkey. And I haven't had any medication since, but I'm still symptom-free. How did I do it? Raw milk, and lacto-fermented products like home-made sauerkraut. If I feel symptoms coming on, I just drink some raw milk or eat some sauerkraut, and I'm okay.

Here's my theory. Because of large factory agriculture, in order to keep our food supply safe and to kill all of the bad bacteria, we have had to use methods like pasteurization. Unfortunately, it kills the good bacteria as well as the bad. When I drink raw milk, I am repopulating my digestive system with the good bacteria that we are dependent on to digest our food properly. In fact, by killing all the bacteria in our food, we are making ourselves more unhealthy. Factory farms are killing us.

So that's my theory, and while I can't prove 100% that it was the raw milk that fixed me up, it did seem to work for me, and continues to work today. Hopefully there are some smart, enterprising scientists somewhere that are studying the effects of whole foods like raw milk on people's bodies. I suspect they'll find I'm right. In the meantime, if you have ulcerative colitis, or other similar disorders, find a supplier and try some raw milk. And hey, if you live in Ontario, you won't even have to break the law to do it.

Snow Time!

Whew, is that ever a lot of snow! The library was actually closed this morning, because not enough staff could get out of their driveways. I went anyway, cuz I had stuff to do, but I walked. Luckily, most people and businesses had been out early shoveling away, so there was only about a quarter block where I had to trudge through thigh-high drifts. And I'm sure the people in Eastern Canada would just laugh at us, cuz I've been there, and I know the kind of snow they get, but here on the prairies, we're not used to having streets and sidewalks that are just little tunnels with waist high snow on either side. It gets damn cold here, but we usually don't get huge amounts of the white stuff. Sorry, no pics, I was just too damn lazy to get my camera out. Right now, Mexico seems very far away.

So what have I been up to? I've started the third season of Dexter, a big mistake since it seems when I start with that show, I become completely addicted and cannot stop until I've watched the entire season, and I do NOT have time for that right now. I went to Sherlock Holmes on Friday with N and her buddy J. I thought it was pretty good, and they defs left the door open for future sequels. Holmes and Watson were well done, lots of quirk and funny banter. Holmes is actually portrayed as possibly bi-polar which is interesting. Also, N had told me that she had heard that there were homosexual undertones to the relationship between Holmes and Watson as portrayed in the movie, but honestly, I don't see it. That would imply that two men can't have a close friendship without being sexually attracted to each other, and I don't think that's true. It kind of reminded me of the relationship between Miles and Julian on DS9. I've also started reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I'm doing a program at the library for it in anticipation of the upcoming movie. And I have to say, I'm liking it. It's fairly well-written, and if you're a fan of Greek mythology you'll probably enjoy it. So I'm actually kind of looking forward to the movie for that one.

And now for some Simon's Cat Cartoons:



This one reminds me of Avery, although as far as I know, she has never dropped a dead bug in my mouth. She usually eats them herself.

The Return of M. Squirrel

M. Squirrel has been making an appearance at my bird feeder every morning between 8:30 and 9:00 am. I usually get to sit and watch him fill his face as I'm brushing my teeth. Here's a photo of the greedy little bugger as he pilfers some more sunflower seeds.



Now my cats have pretty much gotten used to M. Squirrel. There will be minor interest when he first shows up, but after about 30 seconds, the kittehs are like, "Oh, it's just that stupid squirrel again," and then they just roll over and go back to sleep.

But, a few weeks after M. Squirrel started his raids, finally some actual birds clued in, and I now have a chickadee and two nuthatches that are regulars at the feeder. Like I said, my cats are pretty apathetic about the squirrel these days, but, as you can see, the birds are another story:




The birds are, for some reason, infinitely more entertaining than the squirrel. I guess cause they're small and make quick darting flights. They say "prey" to my kittehs more than a fat squirrel.

Littermate best cat litter ever

So I started a little journey a while back, a journey into the world of cat litters. I had been using regular clay non-clumping cat litter for my two kitties. But when I moved to my new apartment, I decided I needed to switch. The cat litter is in my sunroom, which is just off my bedroom, and the clay stuff, even when you dump half a box of baking soda in it, kind of smelled. Also, my male cat, George, is very fussy about his litter box, and with the clay stuff, unless you changed it once a week - and I mean throw all the old litter out, wash the box out, replace with new litter - then he would decide not to use it. And I did not want him doing that in my new apartment. So I did some research and decided to try this new litter.

It's called Littermate, and it is awesome. Basically, it's made from barley, it is also clumping, and - here's where it gets awesome - the clumps are flushable. What other litter can you flush down the toilet? So you fill up the litter box with it, scoop it daily, flushing the clumps and the poops down the toilet and I have never had my toilet clog on me, (and I live in a 100-year-old house don't forget, with plumbing that's probably almost as old) although I should mention that while I was in Mexico, my friend who was taking care of my kitties did temporarily clog my toilet once with a particularly large clump, so just make sure the clumps are small enough to go down. So you just keep scooping, and replace the litter as it goes down, and then after a month they recommend you replace the entire box with new litter. The old litter can be composted or mulched. And, the stuff has baking soda in it already, and it doesn't smell. It just has that faint dusty grain scent that anyone who's ever ridden in a grain truck will recognize. But if you keep it scooped, no other odour at all.

And did I mention that it's made in Saskatoon? So let's summarize: awesome litter that is scoopable, flushable, doesn't smell, and is safe and totally non-toxic for kitties. Plus it is good for environment because it is biodegradable AND it's made from barley, a locally grown product, and it's also manufactured locally for all us SK people. So please check it out. Really, they didn't pay me to promote their product, I just love it that much. It can, unfortunately be a bit hard to find though. I know for a fact that you can get it in Critters pet shops in S'toon. I personally order it through my vet to get it here in MJ. You can go to their website and give them a call, and they will be able to tell you where to find it in your area. Although if they tell you that you can get it at Sobey's, they lie. Because that's what they told me at first, and I have checked the Sobey's in MJ, Regina, and S'toon, and never found it. I'm not sure where else in Canada it may be available, but give them a call and see. I think they said that their wholesaler was based out of Calgary, so you can probably get it in AB as well.

It is on the pricey side, about $45 for a 20 kg bag, but it is worth it. Did I mention that fussy George made the switch immediately, and has been happily using the litter box ever since? Seriously, if you love your kitties, give this stuff a try.

No Prorogue!

Just a little reminder about the rallies being organized this Saturday, January 23 across Canada. If you think it sucks that Stephen Harper prorogued parliament for a second time for no other reason than to avoid an inquiry into the torture in Afghanistan, then go and make your voice heard. In SK, there are rallies planned for Regina, S'toon, and PA. Go here for the details.

Also a reminder if you haven't already done so, join the over 200,000 people already on the facebook group Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament. If you facebook that is. I don't, but if I did, I would totally join.

And, in case you need a reminder about how much Stephen Harper is an asshole, check out the following video (found in its original context and with insightful commentary at A Creative Revolution):



Or, visit here for a more exhaustive list of Stephen Harper's crimes against democracy.

Abortion IS About Women's Rights

I came across this article over at JJ's Blog about a pregnant woman in Florida who was ORDERED by a court to stay in bed lest she miscarry. The woman is now in court, rightly arguing that the decision created a dangerous precedent.

There sadly have been other cases in the U.S. where women were confined against their will simply because they were pregnant. I have thankfully never heard of this happening in Canada, but I could be wrong. In most of those U.S. cases, unlike the case above where the woman was simply refusing to stay in bed, illegal substance abuse like cocaine was involved. But it is absolutely, without a doubt, 100% wrong to confine a woman or subject her to any procedure or treatment without her consent simply because she is pregnant. I don't care if she is smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or snorting cocaine. It's wrong.

And yes, it is a tragedy when children are born with fetal alcohol syndrome and other disorders and disabilities caused by the mother. But when you give a fetus the same rights as any other person, then you must automatically take away the rights of the mother, and that is unacceptable. A mother and her unborn child may want/need different things, but because they're both dependent on the same body for survival, you cannot separate them. It is therefore impossible for both the Mother and the baby to hold full rights at the same time, and I am inclined to think that the person who was there first gets priority. While the baby is still dependent on the mother's body for survival, it cannot be considered a person. The rights of the mother therefore come first, full stop, no exceptions. Otherwise, you ARE discriminating against women. You are saying that one half of the population, simply because they have the responsibility of carrying the baby, do not always have the same rights over their own body as the other half of the population.

This is why abortion MUST remain legal and why women need full access to it. It is also why a woman's pregnancy and what she does while she's pregnant is her own damn business.

And if the philosophical argument doesn't convince you, then the practical one should. If there is a chance that a woman seeking prenatal care could be confined against her will because she is doing something that may risk her unborn baby's health, what do you think is going to happen? Women will stop seeking pre-natal care, especially if they engage in risky behaviours like alcohol and drugs, putting both the health of mother and baby at further risk.

Ditto goes for abortion. Abortion rates in countries where abortion is illegal, are not any less than in countries where it is legal, and in some cases, the rate is higher. All it does is drive the practice underground, again further risking the health of women.

If you want fewer abortions to occur, if you want women to not endanger the health of their unborn children, then there are things we can do, things that DO NOT impinge on the rights of women.

Sex-ed and readily available birth control are a good start. And there should be more support for women who are pregnant but have a substance abuse problems. Education about the effects on the child, and free, VOLUNTARY de-tox programs.

And if a woman wants to get up and walk around, even if it means that she loses her baby, then so be it. I can't believe that woman is even in court over that. Oy.

Breaking up is hard to do...

Even if you never really were together in the first place.

Why is it always ME that can see when a relationship is never in a million years going to work out, and never the guy? And it's therefore always up to me to break the news as gently as I can that um, yeah, actually, I never want to see you again. And the poor guy is always clueless as to what's coming.

And this time I'm just honestly sorry I even let it get as far as it did, but my problem is that I do not think well on my feet. I will always be better at post-mortems than at dodging the bullets in the first place.

And now I feel just wretched.

Kelly's fuckin' rad

Hey, it's been awhile because I've been away... in Mexico! So, I will eventually do a post about the trip when I get the time, but for now, here's my favourite Kelly videos to brighten your day, plus another Liam Show clip that I find particularly hilarious for some reason. Seriously, if you're not a Liam fan yet, click on the liamshow.com link to the right and prepare to piss yourself laughing. Betch!

Stephen Harper is a Coward

Well, here we are on the prorogue wagon once again. Twice in one year. Is Harper going to hide behind the GG every time things get a little uncomfortables for his government? Oh Noez! People are asking questions! They want us to be accountable! Quick, to the prorogue-mobile!


(Illustration courtesy of pale.)

As Andrew Coyne (for once making actual sense) says, "In what other democracy is it permissible for the government of the day to hide from the legislature for months at a time?"

Now, just to be clear, there's nothing wrong with proroguing parliament per se. It is, as Conservative cheerleader Stephen Taylor points out perfectly constitutional. And, as a couple of mouth-breathers have pointed out "The Liberals did it too!".

But there is a big difference between what the Harpocrites are doing now and when other governments in the past have prorogued parliament. The only reasons Stephen Harper is proroguing parliament now is 1)to avoid the Afghan Detainee issue (he's really hoping that if he waits a couple of months it will go away) and 2)to stack the senate with Conservative cronies so that when parliament reconvenes, he'll be able to fast-track all his garbage legislation.

To be honest, I don't think this is as obvious a dodge as last year's prorogation was. And I'm not surprised that the GG is going to go along with this one. If she was going to protest, it would have been last year when that weaselly little coward prorogued parliament to avoid a non-confidence vote and the possible take-over by the coalition. Compared with that absolute travesty and perversion of democracy, this latest escapade is only mildly insulting.

It still pisses me off though. Fuck you Stephen Harper, you traitorous wank. And fuck you Michaëlle Jean for not having the guts to stand up for Canada's democracy while you still could. And fuck you to all the opposition parties who are letting Harper get away with this. For God's sake, bring back the coalition - before Harper is dismantles everything that makes this country good.

More Twilight Reviews and Other Fun Stuff

Ha ha. Check out these reviews of Twilight and New Moon. I'm definitely not the only one that found the movies/books lacking. I especially like the part where she describes Bella as "wallpaper".





And finally, this absolutely killed me when I first watched it.

Fossil of the Year

Oh Stephen, you've made Canada so proud. I could just cry.

The Tar Sands Blow

Okay peeps, it's time to get tough with our government who are in Copenhagen as we speak acting like assholes and giving a bad name to all Canadians. Show them that they do not represent Canada. Watch the videos, then go to The Tar Sands Blow and sign the petition.





Also, there will be climate rallies in Regina and Saskatoon on Saturday. I won't be able to attend, but I will be there in spirit. If you can make it, defs go out and get your voice heard:

Demanding Climate JUSTICE in Copenhagen

Saturday December 12

REGINA Rally for Climate JUSTICE!

12:18 pm - 1 pm
Victoria Park, downtown REGINA
Featuring Music – Speakers – Ideas

For more information contact Vicki at 539-7772 or reginaclimatechaos@gmail.com

Saturday December 12

SASKATOON Rally for Climate JUSTICE!

5:30 - 6:30PM

Kiwanis Park – Vimy Memorial Bandshell, Saskatoon

On December 12th, around the world people will gather at strategic locations in their communities, and will light candles of hope to stand in solemn solidarity with the citizens of the nations whose very survival is threatened by the climate crisis. Please join us as we stand in solidarity with those least responsible for climate change and most affected by it.

Please bring a candle if you can as we will light candles and there will be some very fun climate caroling for you all to join in! Come on out and be part of the demand for climate justice! For more information contact Lisa at (306) 242-4097 lisaf@oxfam.ca

For Immediate Release - December 7th 2009

A first day fossil for Canada - Canada wins for an unwillingness to negotiate at negotiations

(Copenhagen, Denmark) Canada has been awarded a Fossil of the Day on the first day of negotiations at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen. This “prize”, given to countries who are blocking progress at the United Nations climate summit, is awarded daily by a coalition of 400 leading international NGOs.

Canada garnered today’s award for its unwavering commitment to stand firm in its inaction throughout these negotiations. At a speech in Montreal on Friday, Environment Minister Jim Prentice said that he “won’t be swayed by the Copenhagen hype.”

But if there’s one country on the face of this planet that desperately needs to be swayed, it’s Canada. Since announcing its emissions target in 2007 of reducing GHG emissions by 20% below the 2006 emission level (equivalent to 3 % below the 1990 level), the Harper government has consistently refused to adopt any regulatory framework to start reducing emissions, namely from the rapidly growing sector of tar sands. “So not only do they have the worst records of all industrialised countries, they’re now saying they are going to stick to it,” said Steven Guilbeault from Equiterre. “Someone needs to remind the Canadian government that at negotiations, it is indeed necessary to negotiate.”

“This is a day that I would not have seen coming, the day that South Africa has a more ambitious target than the province of Alberta, whose emissions continue to rise thanks to dirty oil,” says Richard Worthington from WWF South Africa. South Africa just adopted a target of reducing its emissions intensity by 34% below business-as-usual levels in 2020; Alberta’s target for 2020 is equivalent to a cut of about 15-20% below business-as-usual.

Canada has swept these awards, winning Fossil of the Year both in 2007 and 2008.

...

Fossil of the Day will be presented daily in Copenhagen from a network of over 400 leading international non-governmental organizations following a vote to determine which country had done the most over the course of the day to delay, stall, and otherwise disrupt this crucial negotiating sessions in Copenhagen in December.

Fossil of the Day

Do you hear that Harper? Get your head out of your fucking ass and actually try to lead the country for once in your miserable life you asshole.

Snow and M. Squirrel

Holy Winter Batman! November was so warm and dry (relatively speaking), and now it looks like Winter has finally hit. The first of December on the dot. We've gone from no snow, to a good few inches. I got to try out my new winter boots this morning, and although they certainly kept my feet warm and dry, the traction is not as good as I had hoped as I wiped out and fell flat on my ass, much to the amusement of the breakfast crowd in Mr. Sub I'm sure.

I put my birdfeeder out this weekend, and I woke up Monday morning to see that we had a visitor, but not quite who I was expecting. Instead of a group of chubby chickadees, a large furry red rodent was clinging to the branch next to the feeder. That's right, it was M. Squirrel. M. Squirrel has always been around, although that's the first I've seen him at that window. He was formerly spotted sitting on the tree outside the sun room scolding my cats through the window. But yesterday morning he was sitting in front of the bird feeder in a very possessive manner, and judging from the pile of sunflower seed shells under the feeder, he'd already helped himself. He did eventually leave and I haven't seen him since, so I hope the birds will eventually discover the feeder and not be intimidated by the squirrel. Although I suppose M. Squirrel will be as much entertainment for my kitties as the birds would be, so I won't resent him too much.

New Moon Movie Review

Well, New Moon was about what I was expecting. I went with my sis and a friend, and we ended up laughing through quite a bit of the movie, even though most of it wasn't meant to be funny. The whole thing is just one big cliche. And I seriously weep for any teen girls who think Bella is a wonderful role model. She's just... nothing. She keeps saying that she can't believe Edward would fall for her, because he's so hot and has all his mad vampire skillz and she doesn't have anything. And frankly I can't believe it either. What on earth does he see in her? She has no defining characteristics other than that she's supposed to be a bit of a klutz and kind of beautiful, but other than that she's not really funny, smart, or athletic. She doesn't even seem like she's that fun to be around. There's this one part in the movie where one of the Volturi tries to read her mind and he says, "I sense nothing", and I leaned over to my sister and said "That's cuz there's nothing there!". Bella just sits there and lets her life and the men in it take her wherever. At one point sis leaned over to me and whispered, "Can't she even fucking drive her own truck?" Because either Edward or Jake was usually chauffeuring her around in her own vehicle. And the guys seemed to spend the majority of their time with their shirts off. At the end we decided that the best worst part (cuz there is no "good" part in this movie) was when it showed the vision Alice has of when Bella will become a vampire, and it showed her and Edward running gaily through the woods, and Edward was wearing this weird pants and vest with a white shirt that looked somewhat effeminate, and it was soooo bad. Just about everyone in the theatre laughed at that point. So, did anyone else watch this movie? What was the best worst part for you?

Buy Nothing... Ooops

I was reminded this morning by Saskboy that today is Buy Nothing Day.

So I promptly went out and spent over $500.00.

Eeeee. Ha ha. Whoops. I have to say that I definitely did not honour Buy Nothing Day this year. Friday is my only day off work, and I had things to get. But there are many other days of the year that are Buy Nothing for me. I try very hard not to buy stuff that I don't need or don't really like. And, in addition to my wild spending spree, I also took a bunch of stuff to the Sally Ann, which included a vacuum cleaner (which came with my new apartment, but I already own an awesome one), some clothes I don't wear, and some VHS. (I got rid of my TV and VCR when I moved into my new apartment.)

So what did I spend the $500.00 on? Well, I got me some warm snow boots for about $110.00. I don't own a pair currently, and now that I'm close enough to walk to work, I'm going to need some warmer footwear this winter. I also dropped about $320.00 at amazon, purchasing various books, CDs and DVDs, mostly for Christmas presents. And I bought a birdfeeder and some sunflower seed to put in it. The feeder also has suet cages on either side where I can put the home-made suet cakes that I made last weekend. According to my friend KE, once the birds taste the home-made stuff, they'll turn up their beaks at the store-bought stuff. I plan to hang the feeder somewhere outside my living room window where the birds will provide hours of entertainment for my housebound kitties. So, even though I was naughty and consumed a bunch today, I think it's all stuff that I needed and I will use for a long time.

In other news, I got my H1N1 shot tonight. I was thinking about going to the gym afterwards, but my left arm started to ache where I got the shot. So I decided to skip the gym. It is still hurting a little bit now. I hope it won't get any worse.

I have found a new fantasy series, recommended to me by one of the teens at the library (she has excellent taste in books) which I am devouring hungrily. The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. It's really, really good, if you're a fan of epic fantasy. Lots of battles, cool magic, and great characters. I've just finished the second one. There's been six written, the newest one out in hardcover on Dec. 1. So defs check it out if you're into fantasy.

Later tonight I am heading out to see New Moon. I think the books are awful, and the previous movie was so bad it was funny, but I just have to go and see if it's any better than the book was.

And my kitties are both asleep. My apartment is in a very old house, and the heat comes in through those old fashioned radiators that sit against the walls, and the one in the living room is right in front of the window, and is the same height as the window sill. So Avery lies on the window sill and drapes her arms and legs over the radiator to soak up some heat. And George is curled up on my lap. Which doesn't sound very funny at all, but if you'd known him a few years ago, you would laugh and laugh and laugh.

Accidental Blonde

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror the other day as I pulled back my hair to put it into a ponytail, I noticed that some of the hair around my face was lighter than the rest of my normally dark brown hair. A lot lighter. Almost, in fact, blonde. And I was quite upset because I like my natural hair colour, and I think that blonde streaks look tacky anyway. And since I had not been to the hair salon in quite awhile, I was racking my brain trying to think of how I had acquired these streaks in my hair. The sun, of course, has been known to lighten hair, and I had been walking to work lately (thanks to my beautiful new apartment!) but I really thought I wasn't out long enough for the sun to make a difference, and why would it be just the hair around my face? Then I finally figured it out. I picked up the container of Clearasil Ultra Deep Pore Cleansing Pads that I'd been using on my face for the past two months, and sure enough, right on the label: 1.5% Hydrogen Peroxide.

Oops. I have now gone back to my regular face wash. So let that be a lesson to anyone with dark hair who is using that product: use it very carefully and DO NOT let it touch your hair!! Or like me you will be stuck with tacky looking streaks around your face. I'm not fond of hair dye, so I'm just going to have to live with them until they grow out. :(

Rainbow Brite Makeover

Does anyone remember Rainbow Brite? She's an icon of the 80's, and she was a huge part of my childhood. I used to play Rainbow Brite for hours and hours with my friends or my sister and my cousins. I had a short blue skirt (actually, the skirt was made for a doll, but I managed to squeeze into it) and a rainbow belt that I would put on and run around and have adventures in as Rainbow Brite. I still have a Rainbow Brite doll.

Anyway, she's apparently making a comeback and has had a whole new makeover to appeal to the kids of today. She definitely looks like she's grown a few years older, and also lost some of her clothes. It's kind of disturbing that they had to sex her up to appeal to the kids of today.

Original Rainbow Brite vs. New Rainbow Brite

Brisingr Review

I just finished Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. It's the third book in what was originally supposed to be the Inheritance Trilogy but what is now the "Inheritance Cycle" since the story has spilled over into a fourth, yet-to-be-published volume. Not the first time that's happened to a series, but I really do think that it's symptomatic of some of the problems with this book.

The funny thing is, that in the acknowledgments, he talks about how long the first draft was and thanks his editor for helping him pare it down. Sheesh! The finished book is 750 pages long. I can only imagine how monstrous the original manuscript must have been. I know that it's supposed to be epic fantasy, and I'm sure Paolini was inspired by Tolkien... perhaps too inspired? One of the beefs I have about the Lord of the Rings is that while it is certainly beautifully written, Tolkien describes everything in excruciating detail. And he "tells" rather than shows. Same with Paolini. I found that there were many, many parts of the book where nothing much happened and it just seemed to drag and drag on forever. There were also several scenes where two characters had long and awkward conversations about certain plot points, just so Paolini could get the information across to the readers. A lot of it was unecessary.

And the details! I know that details help to flesh out a fantasy world and make it real, and you can tell that Paolini must've done a LOT of research for the book. But is it really necessary to go through all the steps of how a sword is made? Or all the proper names for Eragon's armour? There were certain points of the book where it was so detailed that I didn't even understand what he was talking about, and I'm sure 99% of Paolini's readers were in the same boat. Though perhaps somewhere there was a blacksmith or an ancient weapons enthusiast that was very pleased.

I'm all for having descriptions and authenticity in books, but a lot of it was over the top. And I thought there were many scenes that did not advance the plot in any way, help us get to know the characters better, or even really help in fleshing out the setting. They were just there, taking up space. I think the book could have been about 150 pages shorter than it was.

Having said that, I think the first part of the book was the worst for this. It picked up about half way through, and I ended up really enjoying the second half of the book. I think Paolini's writing is really coming along, and some day he's going to be great. Just not today. Still, if you like the series, Brisingr won't disappoint (there were a couple of plot twists that I didn't see coming) and I'm sure the fourth book will be the best yet.


P.S. If you're ever bored, go here. Hours and hours of time-wasting fun, I promise.

FAIL blog hits close to home

Hee hee. Someone finally sent in a picture of the Welcome to Tisdale sign to FAIL Blog. The sign has been around for a while. For those not in the know, "Rape" actually refers to "Rape Seed" aka Canola. But I agree that the sign is in poor taste. Rape? Really? Couldn't think of a better way to phrase that? Perhaps change the motto? I think "The Land of Wheat and Honey" sounds pretty good. Reminds me of the "giant hoe" episode of Corner Gas.

In other news, HP6 was good. I wasn't blown away by it, but I enjoyed it. There were a fair number of differences from the book, and I'm talking major scenes that were not in the book at all, but I think it was still okay. As long as the plot and characters are true to the spirit of the book, then changing stuff up so it works better as a film is okay. One thing that someone pointed out to me today was that they really didn't explain the whole Half-Blood Prince thing. Which is kind of dumb, since that's the title of the movie. Anyway, defs worth another watch, and I'm going again with my sister on Saturday.

Also, just had an interview today. It went okay. Not great, not terrible. Just okay. So, we'll see. If I get the job, things will certainly get interesting.

Harry Potter is an Atheist!

Or at least Daniel Radcliffe is. Way to go Dan.

One more reason to love Harry Potter. I'm definitely getting excited about the sixth movie. Goodness knows they've had us wait long enough for it. The trailers are looking pretty good. The director that did the fifth movie, David Yates, also directed this one, and is also currently working on Part 1 and 2 of Deathly Hallows. I really hope he does better with this movie. I enjoyed The Order of the Phoenix, but disagreed with some of the characterization, particularly of Dumbledore.

Eeeee! I can't wait!

Woe Canada

Is it just me, or does Canada kind of suck right now?

I just rented Passchendaele (God I love Paul Gross), and I was watching the documentary on the making of the film that's included in the extra features and they were talking about how World War I really brought Canada together. The Canadian Corps was admired by the allies, and feared by the Germans. They talked about how the Germans had a special name for the Canadians, Stormtroopers, and they knew to expect the worst when the Canadians were on the field of battle.

Not that I'm getting all romantic about war. It's awful and horrible, and I'm not sure that I should feel proud about how good this country was at killing other people. But at least it was something.

Lately, I'm not feeling like Canada has much to be proud of anymore. I used to feel that Canada was a great country and I was so lucky to be living here. We were peacekeepers, we were leaders in human rights, we were something that the international community admired and emulated.

I just look at the news now, and I think "What has Canada got to be proud of now?"

Our military is still floundering around in the quagmire of the Middle East, searching for an impossible victory. We seem to be backsliding in the human rights department left, right and centre (think of the shit the RCMP have been up to lately, and their blatant cover-up attempts, think Abousfian Abdelrazik and the government's attempts to weasel out of bringing him, a CANADIAN CITIZEN (brown skin notwithstanding) home, and this lovely bullshit from my home province).

We are one of the most advanced countries in the world, and instead of using our wealth and knowledge to better ourselves and the planet, our government is actively engaged in obstructing the world's efforts to actually do something about climate change.

In short, I feel like lately this country has not shown leadership in a single area. I am so sick of our little government of Bush-wannabes sneaking around trying to see what little acts of sabotage they can get away with before the public finally clues in and kicks their fat asses out of office. How I wish that Michaëlle Jean had had the ovaries to make Stevie boy face the music back in December last year. Though frankly, I'm not entirely confident that Ignatieff and the Libs would do much better. Same shit, different pile.

We've become a nation of apathetic, arrogant ignoramuses, with nothing better to do than sit on our fat asses and watch the latest lobotomizing reality tv shows. I just don't know what it's going to take to shock us out of this.

Dear Mother Nature, WTF?

I'm sitting in front of my computer dressed in my flannel jammy pants and my cosy slippers, sipping a nice cup of hot tea. In June. This weather has been crazy. And although I'm thankful that we didn't get snow here like they did at my parents', the just above freezing temperatures and relentless rain are not much better. Last night, as the temperature in my apartment dipped below 15 degrees, I finally gave in and turned the heat back on. In June.

To cheer everybody up on this most unsunny of Sundays, here's a little Garfunkel and Oates. Enjoy.

Star Trek!

I just got back from watching Star Trek, and it was awesome! Even if you're not a Trekkie, go see it. I took my sister to it, and although I have force-fed a lot of Star Trek over the years to her, she's not even close to being a Trekkie, and she really liked it as well. Aside from a few quibbles (like the George Lucas-esque small, cutesy alien that accompanies Scotty - think Phantom Menace *shudders in revulsion*), it was a fantastic movie. And they totally nailed the characters.

And I'm so, so glad. Because after the last TNG movie, Nemesis, and that absolute travesty of a TV series, Enterprise, the Trek franchise really needed to pull one out. So congrats to J.J. Abrams, you did a fabulous job.

And since we're on the subject of previous Trek incarnations, because of the movie coming out, there's been a lot of Trek talk on Space channel which I have been watching on and off. They showed all the previous movies, and had various discussion panels and documentaries, etc. And they were being quite critical of the previous TV shows, and not just Enterprise, but there were a few shots directed at DS9 and Voyager, mostly based on the fact that they began losing ratings with those series. But I have to defend those two shows.

Personally, I think Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek series ever made. It was so well-written. I can't even think of another TV show that had such good writing. It was a huge cast, there were about 10 main characters to keep track of, not to mention many recurring guest stars, but the writers managed to keep all the characters engaged in the series, growing and changing. The characters, all of them, evolved over the series in many respects, and there was also a wonderful balance of character-driven and plot-driven episodes, (most episodes were a good mixture of both). And the series managed to have small story arcs, but also one, main, overarching story arc that continued throughout the series. There were elements in the last episode that had their roots way back in the first season. It was so amazing. I've often wondered if they planned it all from the beginning the way the series so neatly came full circle.

On to Voyager, which I will admit, is not even half as good as DS9. But it was still a good show. Good characters, good plotlines (mostly), and although the final episode felt a little tacked on (like they finally realized in the last episode they had to get them home in a hurry, cuz you couldn't end the series with them still lost in space... Geez, they had a whole season to do something about it) it was still good TV. I'd put Voyager only slightly lower quality than TNG.

But, I have to say, any criticism directed at Enterprise is wholly deserved. What a terrible series. And it has absolutely everything to do with the writing. From the beginning they struggled. It was like they didn't know where they wanted it to go, or what kind of series they wanted it to be. Unlike DS9, which as I mentioned found the perfect balance of plot and character, Enterprise teetered between two extremes. There were episodes that were all plot, nothing but explosions and phaser fights, alternated with episodes that focused on one or two characters, where nothing really interesting happened at all, except some awkward scenes where you were supposed to get to know the characters. It was like they just couldn't combine the two. And the plotlines were hit and miss. It was only in Enterprise's last season that they Finally got some good plotlines going, where they finally used the time period in Trek history to their advantage. But then the show got cancelled, and they ended it with THE WORST SERIES FINALE EVER. I won't go into detail here, but that season finale so traumatized me that I can't even watch reruns of Enterprise anymore. All I can say is, shame on those writers, whoever they were. You suck.

So, once again, I am so happy that the new Trek movie rocks. I'm going to see it again, hopefully with my Dad who is part of the reason that I am a Trekkie today. I remember going to see Star Trek 6 with him in the theatre when I was 11.

Ooh yeah, and my sister thinks the actor who played Kirk was really hot, but I personally liked Spock the best. They're all really fantastic.

Easter Break and Bad Book Review

Easter weekend was awesome. It was wonderful to be with *almost* all the reindeer cousins in E-Town again. My thumbs are only just now recovering from multiple rounds of Mario Kart and Rock Band. Good times were had sipping margaritas and wine in the hot tub, there was an extreme amount of shopping done, and I got to have lunch with E-Town native RAL who I hadn't seen for a long time. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed to have to come back home and go to work on Tuesday :(

During the long car ride to and from, I got to do a little recreational reading. I had recently purchased Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez. See it was recommended in January's Cosmo as a good Teen book for adults to check out, sort of in the Twilight/Harry Potter tradition. Well, let me be the first to tell you: Stay far, far away from this book. It really sucked. It was badly written, the plot seemed to jump ahead suddenly in spots, the prose was choppy, etc. Believe me, it's no Harry Potter, and sadly, it's not even as well-written as Twilight. The heroine, who we are told again and again is supposed to be some sort of social outcast, manages to become the girlfriend of the star of the football team, make the cheerleading squad, become best friends with the richest most popular girl in school, and then, with her psychic powers, she squashes the evil vampire lady with a set of bleachers just in time for her to attend the homecoming dance with her football star and become the homecoming queen. Cuz, you know, what else could a girl aspire to? Everything was way too easy. Zero character development. Bleah.

Seriously, what is with all these books with these dumb female protagonists? If you want to read a well-written book with strong women characters, check out anything by Shannon Hale or Tamora Pierce. I also just read Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, and there is no comparison. Unfortunately there is apparently two sequels to Dead is the New Black. I won't be reading them.