5 Truly Absurd Movies (but in a good way)

Okay...I know I've not written for a few days. I've been busy. But, here we are, with another entry in another //engtech contest!

This list inspired by a post by azahar, that got me thinking about movies in translation, which got me searching IMDB...which lead me to:

The First
Os Canibais (1988) Ah! This Portuguese film is, as one IMDB reviewer puts it so succinctly, one of the best unseen films around. I saw it alone, at the Vancouver Film Festival, and spent an hour on the phone outside the theatre afterwards, talking to friends to bring me back down to earth. A sinister, romantic Gothic tale of love and cannibalism, all sung in aria.

The Second
Tapeheads (1988) Hmm. What is it about 1988? This John Cusack & Tim Robbins piece is a movie I can watch again and again. It's silly. Over-the-top. Hysterical. Watch for the magically-appearing beers and the ex-Monkee-son-of-Liquid-Paper producer showing up for a cameo. Plus, don't forget to catch them in the movie High Fidelity, which is, in some ways, a reprise of their working-together wackiness.

The Third
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) Why don't I own this film? I blogged about the star, Bruce Campbell in my 5th blog entry, oh-so-long ago. Premise? An aging Elvis in an old-folks' home, which is haunted by a mummy. Go and rent this one today!

The Fourth
Harold & Kuma Go to White Castle (2004) Sitting here now, I don't really remember much about this movie, but I do remember laughing a hell of a lot. Maybe it was the premise? Maybe the actors? I should watch it again. I mean, how can you go wrong with a quest film?

The Fifth
The Fifth Element (1997) I'm cheating here a bit, putting one of my favourite movies here, not reaching for something more esoteric. (But then, I know my faithful readers will understand...) It's just such a lovely, absurd mess of a SF film. It's got everything...a delightfully dirty but groovy vision of the future, an epic storyline, wonderful comedic moments, a lot of actors you want to watch (Okay, I admit, I'm a fan of Bruce Willis comedies. Like Hudson Hawk. Don't worry, I'm in a support group.), and a fabulous score. You can tell that Luc Besson wrote this film when he was a kid...

A Coincidence? I Think Not...

This started as a comment to be posted in the running discussion under my earlier post Question of the Day. We've got a pretty heated comment thread happening, so go read that, and come back here to discuss! :-)

So, to go back to our previously scheduled programming, here's what I was writing in my comment before I realized I wanted this story to be more prominent:

First of all, I am not saying that ethical behaviour is a knee-jerk instinctive reaction. Should have left an example.

[pause, to think of, find an example]

Here's one: the CFO of Menu Foods sold his stocks before the story of tainted dog food broke. (Coincidence? Ha.) Let's take this at face value -- he knew what was coming, he sold his stocks. In his mind then, the first item on his list of values, when push comes to shove (not necessarily what he would have said if asked to list his values), is to look after No. 1, Himself.

But he calls it a horrible coincidence, and says:

"I hold myself to the highest ethical and moral standards possible. I wouldn't do anything to imperil the high governance standards that I demand of myself or anybody in the company."

Okay. How many CFOs, CEOs, what-have-you, wake up one day and say, "Today, I'm going to sell 42% of my stock in the company, just for laughs." It's completely unwise from a business perspective, isn't it? It would put the stock exchange on alert, panic investors...

In my opinion, here's a guy who if you asked him, would say he was moral/ethical, but when push came to shove, he did the 'wrong' thing, and now he's compounding it, by lying (assuming he didn't sell his stocks on a whim in a "horrible coincidence").

Okay, now Azahar asked an interesting question in the discussion at the other post:

So by definition, if we act outside of what is considered correct, are we being unethical if we are still adhering to our own personal ethical code?

Maybe, this guy is being completely honest with himself, and his set of core values. Perhaps the first item in his personal ethical code is: "Any behavour is okay as long as I'm looking out for Number One."

Comments?

Lori

Another Quiz...

Ripped off from Raincoaster:

Your Famous Movie Kiss is from Cruel Intentions

"I'm the only girl you can't have, and it kills you."

What Famous Movie Kiss Are You?

Oh. My.

And you?

Lori

Question of the Day

Jason, over at one of the blogs I read, Black Belt Productivity, has revived his personal blog just recently...and in one post, he asks a very important question:

Can you train someone to be ethical?

Well? Can you?

Medical schools sure try. And I've heard of business schools trying. Do they succeed?

Call me cynical, but my knee-jerk reaction is a resounding "NO!"

You?

My Blog is the Wrong Colour

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

Ah, well. I don't really like purple enough.

And I love that it tells me that I am likely to "write" my "own meme or survey." Uh, you can write a survey, but you can't purposefully go out and write a meme. Memes happen, if a thought is expressed, or something is created that is passed around and around.

Silly rabbit. Memes are for keeps.

Lori

What's next for absurd memes?

In case you haven't been around in the last few years, and perhaps missed it. A meme

refers to a "unit of cultural information" which can propagate from one mind to another in a manner analogous to genes (i.e., the units of genetic information)

And on the Internet, this rather serious, intellectual definition from a social theory has come to mean something absurd that we blog about, or play around with.

Online memes arise from mistakes. Creative cuteness. Or just a desire to know more about oneself. If you travel in the right circles, everything seems to be part of a meme now -- obviously lists are, but also squid.

My question is, what's next? Where do you think the next absurdity is going to come from?

Lori

Today in No Shit Sherlock News...

Has the BBC staff been replaced by Yahoo news writers?

Under the headline: Fairy Fool Sparks Huge Response is this bit of heavy reporting:

Photographs of a mummified fairy supposedly found in Derbyshire have been revealed as an April Fool's prank.

Uh. Yeah, right. I was completely...amused when I saw the story on Raincoaster this morning.

This is not news.

Lori

Gmail goes lo-tech!

I've blogged before about the trend of going lo-tech: here and here.

Now, Gmail is tapping into that newest craze of all, in our high tech world -- they're moving email back to paper. Now, you can get them to print all your emails in bulk, and they'll send them to you.

Environmentally-friendly:

Gmail Paper is made out of 96% post-consumer organic soybean sputum, and thus, actually helps the environment. For every Gmail Paper we produce, the environment gets incrementally healthier.

Free:

The cost of postage is offset with the help of relevant, targeted, unobtrusive advertisements, which will appear on the back of your Gmail Paper prints in red, bold, 36 pt Helvetica.

And will help clarify so much for the Internet neophyte:

"Now that I have Gmail Paper, I understand the difference between labels and folders. I had one message with two labels, but when I tried to stick the paper version into two filing cabinets at the same time, it just wouldn’t go."

Mayumi M., Associate

Go and check it out. Personally, I don't see myself using it in the near future.

Lori

"My Sweet Lord!"

From this news report:

The Easter season unveiling of an anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ, dubbed “My Sweet Lord” by its creator, has infuriated Catholics preparing to observe some of their holiest days of the year.

The 6-foot sculpture by Cosimo Cavallaro was to debut Monday evening, four days before Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The final day of the exhibit at the Lab Gallery inside Manhattan’s Roger Smith Hotel was planned for Easter Sunday.

“This is one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever,” said Bill Donohue, head of the Catholic League, a watchdog group. “It’s not just the ugliness of the portrayal, but the timing — to choose Holy Week is astounding.”

Go and take a look at the picture -- it's quite remarkable, and completely un-tasty looking (I'm probably thankful for that).

I got this from my online community, BookTalk.org, where the woman who posted it pointed out:

"I can understand Christian groups being hostile towards this sculpture. There's lots of "art" to which I am hostile. However, the statement that there is an additional problem with the choice of Holy Week to display the sculpture reeks of the privileging of religion. Do Christians own the week between their Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday? A week that changes on the calendar from year to year."

Very good point.

Lori

UPDATE: The gallery caved -- before it even opened its doors, it has canceled the exhibit. Did they not think? Did they blithely assume there would be no uproar? (Here is the discussion at BookTalk.org)

Since we've been rather cat-themed lately...

here's the funniest thing I've read in awhile: the Sneeze on cats in heat.

It's like the old saying goes. "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach that man's cat to fiddle with its cooter, and it'll stop rubbing up on stuff."

Lori

Pilling the Cat -- Revisited

Now that I no longer have to pill my she-demon, I find a very good blog entry (with pictures!) with what seems to be a very good method. I'm sure it would work. Thank you All Tips & Tricks!

Cross my fingers that I won't need the info.

Lori

Save the World Before Bedtime

Have I told you folks that I married a man who has a Powerpuff Girls fixation? (And I married him a year and 2 days ago, to be precise...)

But then, it's an easy show to like. The puns are often over the kids' heads, with a fabulous 'gotta have something for the poor parents' attitude. I think my favourite episode so far is:

Episode 18
Beat Your Greens
When Broccoli Aliens from space invade Townsville, it's up to the Powerpuff girls and all the children to take a bite out of crime.

And yes, we have episodes at home. Metro is a true Powerpuff fan.

The other day, he sent me this fabulous (tongue firmly in cheek) academic treatise on the PPG. Here's a sampling:

This creation (re-creation), then, coupled with an obvious virgin birth (note the reference to a virgin birth, for it shall become important soon) to a single father (a man of science, it is worth noting) with no mother in sight, is an obvious criticism of the christian Jesus birth myth. In short, a rejection of many of the more organised religions of the day.

And it's followed by threads and threads of discussion! I love this stuff!

Go watch some PPG today...you won't regret it.

Lori

International Women's Day

To quote a great woman's post today, here's a bit of the Nag:

If you're female and...
...you can vote, thank a feminist.

.....

...you can get or give birth control information without going to jail, thank a feminist
...your doctor, lawyer, pastor judge or legislator is a woman, thank a feminist.

.....

...you own property that is solely yours, thank a feminist.

There's more to be thankful for, at her post.

Today is also a day to think about what's still wanting:

• women are still subjected to violence and injustice in many parts of the world
• women are not included in the decision-making processes of their countries (or in their homes)
• women around the world often don't have the right to work, or if they do work, they are paid very little
• girl children are more likely to not be in school than boy children

And what about at home? So many young women today recoil at the word feminist, but they still

• are often hired on their looks alone ("You can see they don't hire over the phone here!" is a line I hear from Metro a lot...).
• get paid less than their male counterparts.
• do the majority of the volunteer work (that governments at all levels have come to lean on for so many social services, but that's a different post). A man is more likely to expect to be paid for their skills than a woman.
• are subject to eating disorders arising from societal expectations of how they look -- but then to be fair, so are young men. We've regressed utterly in this.
• are raped at a disgusting rate

So, here's to International Women's Day....may it outlive its usefulness one day very soon!

Lori

Aaawwww!

From Casa Az, the Random Kitten Generator:


I mean, really. How can anyone resist such cuteness? Is this how cats have come to win the evolutionary lottery? A life of no purpose except play, sleep, eat, shit, and look cute, where they have us trained to look after all of their needs?

Lori

Still trying to find a system

As you all know, if you've been reading my blog, I have 3 fixations: the absurd, cats, and gadgets. The latest gadget-focus is on a system to be productive.

How difficult can that be? Well, if you type "GTD" [Getting Things Done] into a search engine, you'll be innundated with options, ideas, and lifehacks. For a start, try the Ultimate GTD Index.

Tips and tricks abound, and there are loads of web applications all vying for your attention, trying to be your solution.

Well, I'm narrowing down my solution. Wanna hear about it?

First
I use Gmail. If you haven't found it yet, go get thee an account. Huge memory, archiving, Google searching of emails, conversation management, great labeling system.

I've added the GTD Extension to my Firefox, which is really just a ramped-up system of labeling your emails. A couple of added shortcuts that I've come to like, but they're only available if you're on a Firefox that's got the extension.

Second
My start page is Netvibes. Sign in from any computer, and all your settings are there -- your email accounts, bookmarks, to do lists, feeds. I'm turning it into my office.

Third
The viable To Do lists. This is a hard one. I'm still toying with just using Netvibes' to do list capabilities, but now I can put a Remember the Milk module on my Netvibes page -- and there's just so much more you can do with its functions. And I've added IMified to my gmail contact list, which enables me to send my To-Dos directly to Remember the Milk. Very simple and elegant!

Fourth
Dealing with documents. This is a tricky one. Do you need a place to just store docs online to access them yourself, or do you need to share them? Or is it bigger than that? Perhaps you need to create an Excel spreadsheet or a PowerPoint presentation, but you don't have these programs on your computer. Two options: Get the OpenOffice suite on your computer -- free and easy to use. Or, get an account with ThinkFree, where you can make these docs online. (I've had some problems with ThinkFree, some recent changes have made it less intuitive, and I couldn't access a spreadsheet. In all fairness, the support people got right back to me, but I've been too busy to follow up on the problem. My bad.)

I would really hesitate to use Google Documents and Spreadsheets (accessed through your gmail/google account) -- it looks really sweet...open docs right from your Gmail account, but then once you change them, you have to download them to the computer you're on, then email them. You'd think, being so closely tied to your email account, that you'd be able to email the docs directly (What if you're on a computer where you don't want/can't download?) -- but no, they want you to invite your people to sign up to a Google account to be able to share the documents.

At the moment, I'm partially using Zoho Projects for one of my jobs. I say 'partially' because I'm working with people who don't function like I do, all online, so they're not using it with me (and I can't make 'em. Boo hoo!). But it has a nice feature where I can upload files with no fuss.

Fifth
The Internet is always there, but the providers fail. I'm not always in front of a computer, so yes, there is one dimension still needed: the paper standby. I still use my daybook, the Polestar Business Calendar, to keep track of appointments and on-the-go notes...with help from the ubiquitous post-its.

Does all this obsess you as well? What are your solutions? I wanna know.

Lori

Five Inventions I'd Really Like to See

I thought I'd enter endtech's contest from this blog (as well as from the Book Nook).

So, for my list, the wonderful things that we see on TV or in movies that I would really like to be real:

Number 1, The Barbie Suitcase -- you know the one. I was watching My Fair Lady (again!) the other day, and off goes Eliza in a huff, with one itty-bitty little suitcase. A couple of scenes later, the housekeeper, Mrs. Pierce, tells the Professor that Eliza's taken all of her clothes!



Number 2, The Portable Hole
The Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes portable hole, a must have for, well, everyone. Hide a multitude of sins, don't worry about losing your house keys...

Number 3, The Transporter
Need I say more? But it wouldn't be "beam me up", I would be getting beamed over to Paris for an afternoon at the Louvre!

Number 4, Rosie, the Jetson's maid
Again. Does anything need to be said here?

Number 5, Viable Space Travel
Wouldn't it be cool to have the options? Tired of backpacking around Europe?!? Why not head out to the outflung Earth colonies, or visit an alien world?

What would you add to the list?

Lori

A definition of love

Just re-reading a great book today, A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (one of the many books in the Miles Vorkosigan SF saga), and I thought I'd share probably the best definition of love I've ever run across:

"She had felt flashes of profound ease in his company, it was true, brief perhaps, but calm like deep water. There had also been moments where she'd wanted to whack him with a brick."

Just wanted to share that with you.

Lori

Off the wagon!

Damn you, Creatrix! I'd gone days, ages, without posting about cats...and look what you did!

[not that I mind, really!]

So, found in my email inbox, from my dear friend Creatrix, is Nora:



She ain't half bad. Although, as the first commenter could not resist stating: "Her Bach is worse than her bite."

Lori

A flash from the past, and a challenge

So, yesterday, I was blogging over at Gusto.com about great meals I've had. (Yes, I do have yet another blog, but this one is travel-related, and dwells in the very fun and supportive community that is Gusto. I know I've mentioned it before, but I still go over there almost daily to check out people's new reviews, blog posts, pictures...Seriously, if you like travel, check it out.)

Well, you know how it is...you start reminiscing, and suddenly you're remembering being 13, eating your first meal in a Greek restaurant, a couple of weeks before taking off for an educational tour of Europe. This being the modern age, I did a search for the company, New World Educational Cruises, and the ship, the S.S. Uganda.

Yes, you see rightly. That's a link to the Wikipedia page for a random ship. In 1982, the year after me, my sister went on the cruise:

In 1982 the ship served as a hospital ship in the Falklands War with the affectionate callsign of "Mother Hen". She was called up to military duty while cruising - discharging her bemused passengers of school children, who were on an educational cruise, in Naples. When the SS Uganda docked in Naples reporters turned up their microphones to hear a ship full of school children singing Rule Britannia. The SS Uganda then set off for the South Atlantic after a 3 day refit in Gibraltar. She returned to Southampton to a heroes welcome on 9th August 1982.

That's my sister, one of the bemused school children.

Two years later, she was laid up, rusting, in the River Fal and despite efforts to keep her steaming was eventually sold for scrap and, rebadged as the SS Triton, taken on her final voyage to Taiwan (no school children aboard this time - and a crew of just 21) where she anchored awaiting breaking.

She was driven ashore by a typhoon (Typhoon Wayne) on 22 August 1986 near Kaohsiung, Taiwan and there she lay until broken up in 1992.

And a sad ending to one of the most memorable times in my young life.

"So, what's the challenge?" I hear you ask.

The randomness of finding a Wikipedia entry for this ship, my own little bit of history, just struck me.

What isn't covered by Wikipedia?

Here's your challenge: Find me something real, something tangible, that has not been subjected to the (sometimes dubious) Wikipedia treatment. [No fair just searching things like "raincoaster", raincoaster!]

The prize? How 'bout sharing a case of beer with me in our hot tub, next time you're in Penticton?

Go to it!

Lori

THANK YOU!! I mean, why pay for it?!?

Do you live in a city/town/village with drinkable water?

I'm not talking about what your opinion is, I'm asking if your water is potable (suitable for drinking)?

One third (1/3) of the world does not have potable drinking water.

And we, the privileged, pay through the nose to carry filtered tap water from other towns in plastic bottles.

Via the ever-lovely Nag, comes this story of some ad agencies that are undertaking a monumental task -- to wean us from our bottled water.

Tie it in to Creatrix' post on Brita's incredibly misleading ad, and you've got your 8 glasses a day.

I don't know about you, but I'm thirsty.

Lori

However did he get off?

I had to yell 'Dibs!' on this one (Metro wanted it, but its just too absurd.)

Via the fabulousness that is BoingBoing, comes this story, about a police officer that could not control himself:

No one disputes that an on-duty Irvine police officer got an erection and ejaculated on a motorist during an early-morning traffic stop in Laguna Beach. The female driver reported it, DNA testing confirmed it and officer David Alex Park finally admitted it.

When the case went to trial, however, defense attorney Al Stokke argued that Park wasn’t responsible for making sticky all over the woman’s sweater. He insisted that she made the married patrolman make the mess—after all, she was on her way home from work as a dancer at Captain Cream Cabaret.

“She got what she wanted,” said Stokke. “She’s an overtly sexual person.”

A jury of one woman and 11 men—many white and in their 50s or 60s—agreed with Stokke. On Feb. 2, after a half-day of deliberations, they found Park not guilty of three felony charges that he’d used his badge to win sexual favors during the December 2004 traffic stop.

If you read the story, it turns out that he essentially stalked her, and was still found not guilty. Because of her job. Because of his job, he should be measured by, at the very least, the same standards as the average citizen. But he's not. He's a cop, in a position of authority.

The story ends (for the public, but not for Lucy) in a moment of small mercy:

“[Park’s] testimony was just incredible,” said Kamiabipour. Irvine city officials must have doubted his story, too. After an exhaustive police internal affairs investigation, they felt it was prudent to give Lucy $400,000 to make her civil lawsuit go away—for fear a jury might give her much more.

All I can say to the jury of Lucy's peers is: Shame on you. May your version of justice come back and bite you in the ass.

Lori

A week hiatus...

It's been a busy week.

What else would a bunch of women do on a full moon? Dance nekkid in the yard?

First of all, I aged. Gracefully. Thank you to those who left me messages of goodwill, those who thought them, and those who ignored it and just had a good Friday night. My gaggle of local female friends are now eager to start meeting every month to, well, drink wine and laugh. I'd say it was a successful party.


I then went off to the Lower Mainland for some errands and friends. This time, my normal feelings of great, undefined potential while driving across the Port Mann bridge did not well up. Instead, I was hit with a feeling of dread -- of traffic, of expectation...of hangover. Ah well.

Oh, I had a good time, but I felt pressed for time, unplanned, and totally unimpressed with the traffic.

Anyway, I'm back. And I won't be traveling the Hope-Princeton Hwy at night again anytime soon. Gads.

And today, in Groundhog news...

Paws up for spring, groundhogs predict

CBC, Feb 02, 2007 13:26:41 GMT

Three out of three groundhogs polled report that spring will come early this year.

The full CBC story.

Groundhog gender barrier

Does Woody, a female prognosticating groundhog, have an advantage over her male collegues[sic]?

The full Yahoo story.

And here, in the Okanagan, it's 6:49 a.m., and this groundhog is up, and even if the sun were out, we'd find it's currently mostly cloudy -- so no shadow here.

So all raise your coffee cups and toast an early spring! Oh, and later, when you've got a beer in hand, send some good cheer my way, as I celebrate the end to my 30s (39 today, tomorrow I start my 40th year...)

Lori

Tools and Tasks

I've been in a bit of a frenzy lately, not actually doing anything mind you, more preparing to do.

You see, now that it's February, my life is going into overdrive. I've been cruising along in the slow lane for the past two months, watching the world move around me. It's now my turn.

The cat problem is continuing. The black cat is still peeing in corners, despite the Dettol and mothballs -- two things she's supposed to hate. As of today, she's on an anti-anxiety drug which will not only soothe her inner beast, but cure another potential medical issue we suspect she has. Cross your fingers.

So, my house smells like a grandmother's blanket box, just in time for my full moon, Friday night, Groundhog Day birthday hen party tomorrow night. Yup, 'tis my birthday.

Metro is busy himself, every Thursday, Friday & Saturday for the month -- in a local production of Barefoot in the Park. (Which is why I'm having a hen party, 'cause he won't be around.)

And, I've got work starting. Two projects starting next week -- coordinating a study tour from Japan arriving at Okanagan College in March, and yes, helping out with the 5th Annual Penticton Children's Festival. I got the gig!

Plus, it's time for me to ramp up the Farmers' Market for the new season. Marketing plans, vendor applications, the AGM.

So, the point of this post, is that I've been doing my research. Online planning software, productivity aids, and the like. I seem to have joined the Web2.0 revolution. The plan being that I will have the tools at my disposal to ensure that I don't miss anything, that I've streamlined my daily work.

Yeah. Right. I'm just playing with a whole bunch of new toys. Here, check them out:

• 27signals stuff -- Basecamp for projects, Backpackit for notes & lists & what-have-you, Writeboards for collaborative writing
• Zoho tools -- the whole list of productivity tools, plus their online project software
• Gubb.net to do lists
• Joe's Goals -- a fun little game you play with yourself to help you create new habits
• plus, I've changed my browser home page to Netvibes.com, the better to start my life off right every morning

Wish me luck, and an end to procrastination.

Lori

Woman goes to hospital for baby, comes back...altered

Woman becomes quadruple amputee after giving birth.

There's just not much I can say about this.

Maybe you can say it for me, in the comments.

Lori

Another reason to not get a tattoo

Get a tattoo if that's what you want, but how much can you really trust the person who's doing the art?

Man sues over penis tattoo

A football fan is suing a tattooist who drew a penis on his back instead of his favourite team's badge.

The teenager asked to have the Boca Juniors logo etched on his back.

But the tattoo artist was a supporter of rival team River Plate and decided to have some fun at his young customer's expense.

The victim, who cannot be named, said: 'I could not see what he was tattooing because he didn't have a mirror. I only saw it when I got home and showed it to my parents.'

Poor guy.

Lori

A Positive Monday

Last week was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster (sorry, Metro), with money worries, cat to the vet (different one this time), other cat still peeing in corners (must be behavioural now), planning to go to Vancouver for a quick visit (fraught with a dentist appointment, but also a chance to see friends), hearing from the Children's Festival (one day I had the consolation prize job, the next, they apologized and offered the 2nd-in-command job to me)...and so on.

You know those weeks.

So, this Monday morning, I thought I'd start the week off right, with a bit of positive thinking. Without further ado, cribbed straight from Az's post, "a few favorite things", here are some of my favourite things:

• the first sip of beer going down a parched throat (esp. in summer)
• reading in bed in the morning, with cats, and my husband brings me a coffee
• leisure time, and a good book to enjoy it with
• crossing items off a To Do list
• washing dishes
• a really good sandwich
• saucy stuff on rice
• coffee with a friend (PJ, call me today if you've got time!!)
• Flow
• dark chocolate
• sunny, early spring days
• really deep backrubs
• roadtrips
  

Anything to add, folks? I know I could go on.

Lori

There's actually hope for Garfield

Found this forum thread out there in the ether today, that makes a superb point. The utter stupidity of the Garfield comic strip really gains something when it loses the cat's thought bubbles.


Now it's a rather poignant strip about a lonely, awkward man and his cat.

Lori

Some thoughts on habits...

The Nag posted a few days ago about Blue Monday -- the day 'experts' have decided is the most depressing day of the year, because you've realized you're utterly in the hole financially, and you're nowhere near to living up to any of your resolutions.

Metro posted yesterday about trying to be a bit more succinct, and blogging less.

And Healthbolt (a pretty nifty blog on health tips and body tidbits, compiled by a guy named Wade) posted today about simple, no-equipment, workouts. Wade makes a very important point:

Trying to start one habit is tough enough without adding other habits.

'Tis true. "I resolve to get up an hour earlier each day to work out." That's 2 resolutions. Waking up early is a whole other habit, and you want to add working out to it? Two chances for failure. He then links to this interesting little site called Habiq -- a site devoted a very worthy goal:

Habiq helps you improve your habits and make your days more productive and pleasant.

That said, I must admit I like my only resolution this year -- "I will stop caring about what the slut starlets are up to." Easy. Just stop reading the gossip blogs, and headlines on gossip rags in the checkout line. [I knew my limitations for real change.]

Lori

Speaking of Idealism...

One of my favourite actors, Mr. Kevin Bacon, has done something good with the whole 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' thing that has hounded him for years -- redirected that energy to a lovely new charity networking site, Six Degrees. It launched on the 18th of this month, and a few stars are already on board. Individuals can donate money to a star's cause, or you can sign up to "become the star of your own cause" (as Kevin so elegantly puts it), and raise money for something you believe in.

....

I was going to rant on fame, but have decided against it. I just sound like a prude.

Personally, I would not want to be famous. I'm not talking well-known in your community -- that's cool. But fame in the sense of worthy to be noticed by Perez Hilton? No way. [I've actually managed, all of the New Year so far, to stay away from his site, and GoFugYourself...I was starting to know too much about what Britney was up to!]

What do you think about fame? Rant away!

Lori

Sometimes the obvious is moving, not absurd

If you haven't watched this over at Raincoaster, then watch it here.

The Message:



And maybe someone can explain to me why, if these sentiments are universal, people in power lose sight of them?

Yours, in idealism,

Lori

I know I promised...

...but how could I resist a scuba-diving cat??

Here's the link to the video.

I'll try to go 2 weeks with no cat content. Promise.

Lori

The Blogroll Grows

I've felt the need to update my blogroll here, and at my Book Nook, with a few more of the blogs I read regularly, and who seem to be reading mine: cat-loving, Spain-living Azahar (Casa Az), spider-fixated, rather literary Archie (Archies Archive), and the amazingly economical David of the Very Short Novels.

Cheers,

Lori

*gasp* can't...stop...laughing

Okay, I've been stumbling about for a bit here, and have found loads of wonderful things to blog...but then this hit me -- Insane Japanese Costumes:


Seriously, go and read the whole site. When you regain your composure, come back, and I'll show you something else.

Don't worry. I'll wait.

[while waiting, we'll listen to some some mellow blues in the background, probably John Lee Hooker's album, The Healer (check out the samples on the Amazon.com page)]

Okay, now that you're back, I thought I'd throw some interesting anime your direction, found here.

Wonderfully weird.

Have a good night.

Lori

"Go" East, Young Man

A while ago (eons?), I lived in Korea for 3 years. Before that I worked at a big game store in Vancouver...and had been fascinated by Go. I had wanted to learn, but never did.

Then came Korea, where they take this game mighty seriously (as seriously as Japan? Don't know). They have a Go channel, with the camera on the board, hands moving in, placing tiles, running commentary in that voice shared with golf announcers. Seriouser and seriouser.

So one day, I went to a Buddhist temple with a su-nim (Buddhist monk) I had met. [One of my very few regrets in life is that I've lost touch with her -- my fault.] We popped into her friend's room before dinner (yum...Buddhist monks are well-fed...no garlic, hot pepper, or onions though, might heat the blood!), and he couldn't talk because he was so totally wrapped up in the game on the Go channel. 'Twas funny, but also taught me about my preconceptions of Buddhist monks...but that's another post.

Anyway, the point to all of this is that I found a great site today that teaches you how to play Go. So check it out, and if you come to visit one day, maybe we'll be able to play!

Lori

What everyone needs...

Found a company a little while ago that sells only 1 item -- the Weasel Ball.

Bragging Rights
All your life you have wanted to order something from a website called WeaselBalls.com. That day has arrived. If you order more than one, you can tell everybody you know that you "bought some weasel balls off of the internet." The story alone is worth the purchase price several times over. If you so desire, we will write, at no cost to you "CAUTION: WEASEL BALLS INSIDE" on the outside of the box. We are completely 100% serious. Your mail carrier will think you are so awesome. If you desire to be less awesome, we can mask the fact that you just ordered something from a website called WeaselBalls.com. We will work with you to fulfill your Weasel Ball needs.

They are serious. They will sell you a weasel ball, as many as you like, actually.

I'm not going to comment on weasel balls being a great cat toy...'cause I promised to hold back on writing about cats.

Lori

Always fun, always absurd

It's not new, it's not even topical, it's just something everyone needs to have around, on your shelf, or in your bookmarks: The Shakespeare Insult Kit.

Here's a sample...and if you've forgotten how to do it, start with "Thou..." and add one word from each column.

 Column 1            Column 2            Column 3 

  artless             base-court          apple-john
  bawdy               bat-fowling         baggage
  beslubbering        beef-witted         barnacle
  bootless            beetle-headed       bladder
  churlish            boil-brained        boar-pig
  cockered            clapper-clawed      bugbear 

Insult your literate friend today.

Lori

My addition to the iPhone babble

Just found this:
Yadda, yadda, yadda...

Lori

Honesty

Just had a lunch time run-in with Metro...when I placed a bowl of Habitant pea soup (that's an Amazon.com link, if you can believe it!) and a plate of hot baking powder biscuits in front of him, his response was: "Did you just make these?" I smiled, and said "yes." Something in my smile made him not believe me! "No, you just heated them up, right? Right?"

No, Metro, I made the damn biscuits while the soup was heating, while you were mucking about on the computer!

Anyway, I wasn't going to blog about that, until I StumbledUpon Dominic Wilcox' Honesty Stamps.

Love, you might want to get one, for future use.


Lori

On Procrastination

I just ran into a recent study on procrastination reported on on the Discovery Channel:

Jan. 12, 2007 — Procrastination in society is getting worse and scientists are finally getting around to figuring out how and why. Too many tempting diversions are to blame, but more on that later.
....
[and yes, the story does continue!]

Somebody was just having too much fun...

Lori

I know I promised, but...

...this is just too absurd to pass up.

In the midst of my cat's woes (and my cat woes), Metro thought he'd be helpful, and sign me up to a cat-related newsletter.

The first one wasn't too bad. "Does your cat have nine lives?":

I asked one of our writers to do a little research and tell us about this ancient proverb.

Okay. Cool.

Yesterday, I got another: "Can you read your cat's mind?"

"Okay. A cat psychology thing," I thought to myself. But then I went to the site and found:

Step 1. Believe in your psychic ability.

"Warning! Warning!" My bs-detector went off like a claxon.

Then there was the one this morning: "What's your cat's sign?"

Gadzooks.

Lori

My Murphy Trap Springs (Again!)

I'm sure I've explained my use of the Murphy Trap before...But since I don't feel like looking it up, I'll do so again.

We all know Murphy's Law, right? Well, instead of trying to avoid it, why not turn it on itself, and make it work for you?

We've all done it, in small ways. You're waiting for a phone call, so you take a shower...The bus is taking forever, so you start walking to the next stop...

I believe you can apply this powerful force to your career search. And I've done it, rather successfully in the past, and seemingly, in the present.

Right now, Metro and I are a little behind the 8-ball, financially. So, last night, I made a vow to contact this call centre here in town, get a 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. job there, so that I could still have part of my afternoons to network and be available for projects.

I had gotten my brain wrapped around that eventuality, and was ready to go. Then, I got the call. One of my networking seedlings has born fruit. I'm meeting the director of the local Children's Festival for coffee on Friday morning.

Cross your fingers, knock on wood...whatever works best for you!

Lori

A Cornucopia of Cats

Because of my recent focus on my kitties, and their health, I've received lots of new cat-related email lately.

So, thanks to Nag, this very disturbing video:



Yes, advantages exist, but...I get spine-tingling chills at this.

From Creatrix, and incidentally, from Japan as well (via Dark Roasted Blend), comes this adorable cuteness -- again with that disturbing element.






So, what are you supposed to do with these? Duh, isn't it obvious?

Look adorable.

Shake hands with someone as wacky as you.(for more, check out Akihabara News)

And I wasn't going to blog today.

Enough with the cats! (I promise)

Lori

But cats are supposed to be stress-free pets!!!

Well, Nabi's problem is medical. I can't believe that I'm (almost) glad my beautiful kitty has a health problem -- but then, it's cured with special food and, right now, some antibiotics. A behavioural problem is another matter altogether (check out azahar's cat fight head/heartache), so I'm somewhat thankful (touch wood!)

And this morning, getting the antibiotics down her gullet wasn't that difficult. The only question is, will she let me do it again?!?

Also via azahar:
Thought cat owners out there would appreciate that.

Lori

"...a befuddled bichon frisee..."

This post is from Subservient Worker's archives (over at Wide Lawns & Narrow Minds), but it is a delightful sample of the people she deals with every day in her work...and jaw-droppingly absurd.

Lori

Serial Diners achieve Boing Boing 'fame'

Years ago, (early 90s) I dated the founder of the Serial Diners...and went to a number of Friday at 6 p.m. restaurants -- right on schedule. (Hi folks! I've been lurking on your website on-and-off for years! How're you doing? Drop me a comment if you come by...)

Now, after they've been going strong for what? 20 years?... they get noticed in Boing Boing. You're a little late, guys. These intrepid diners suffered through the Bistro Year, and the Cafe Year -- where was their fame then?

Now, as they prepare to start their 2007 Season with the Ichi & Sushi Shoooow!, these people are going to be mighty healthy eating nothing but fish and rice for the next two months.

Ah, the memories...One night, after discovering that our spot was actually closed (foreclosed, I think!), we went around the corner and "Filled up at Harveys" (read the rules) at this wonderful Italian place. I had the most luscious meal of my young life there -- a cuttlefish pasta, with both the sauce and the pasta made from cuttlefish ink. Yum.

Lori

A Thought for 2007

Use what talent you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.

Henry Van Dyke

Hopefully, 2007 will be...

...less momentous.

What's happened this year? Just about everything. If you've been following along here, whether in person or just in the blogosphere, you'll know that Metro and I got married, honeymooned in Paris, sold our condo, moved to Penticton, changed jobs, bought a new house, met loads of new people, had a pile of friends come to visit...Oh yeah, and I steeled my courage and went to my 20-year high school reunion. Oh, and had my hair dyed for the first time in my life!

Enough! I want only one thing for the new year...to finally complete my two-year journey to a new career. It's time to land -- to that end, I'm going to actively pursue more projects, follow up on leads, and maybe become so comfortable in what I'm doing, that when the government does finally call, offering me a job, I'll have to hesitate...before I snap it up!

Leave a comment, and give me a summary of your year. I'd like to know...

See you next year!

Lori

Prime Minister Gets Artificial Hip

Who says Canada's medical system is going downhill?

Really, what's more hip and modern than making your own podcast? It says, "Hey, look at me! I'm trying to engage the young people of..." That could be it. But more likely, it means, "Hey, look at me. I'm young, I'm hip, just like you!"

Gack. The last thing I would ever listen to would be Stevie Harper's nifty podcasts.

Note: 'Tis not an error. I did not forget the link. Should you be looking for some narrow-minded, Neo-conservative self-congratulation, it shouldn't be too hard to find.

Wow, that's a bit of a negative post for the last day of the year...I'll be back before the stroke of midnight to reflect on 2006.

Lori

The Other Cat

Nabi, my black'n'white cat, dainty princess at home, hellion at the vet, has had her picture on my blog twice now. Cinnamon is my other cat, and is an amazing suck of a cat.

So here's a picture of him. If you come to visit, he'll deafen you with his purr...




Lori

Congrats to Creatrix!

I've updated my blogroll to reflect Creatrix' new home: www.creatrixblog.com -- very purty indeed!

Don't we all wish we had design backgrounds and web-fluent husbands?


Lori

Me, and Cat Pee

I've spent the day in "cat pee watch" -- and I must say, I've had better ones.

As any cat owner will tell you, cats are brilliantly easy to litter box train:

1. take kitten's little paws in your hands
2. scratch said paws in the litter
3. go make a cup of tea and get back to your book

My lovely cat, Nabi, has been spraying, or as we say around the house, "The bloody cat's pissed in the corner again!"
We thought it was the other cat, and she was just discovering it and scratching ("Females don't spray!"). Then, when we figured out it was her, we assumed it was stress. (You'd be surprised how many hits you get for "cat peeing in house" (and variations) on Google.) Cats will pee in places other than their cat box for behavioural reasons (can they see another cat outside? is it a new house? did you move the furniture in some drastic way? Etc. Etc.).

But they will also do it for medical reasons...as in urinary infections, or just kitty trying to say "Hey! I don't feel well!"

So I took her to the vet today. We had a 10:20 appointment. Neither the vet nor the technician could touch my princess-turned-Hyde cat.

The vet needs a urine sample...Option #1: hold cat down on back and put needle into bladder -- while disconcerting, it is supposedly not painful -- but no one would come out of that without blood being shed. Option #2: leave cat in kennel at vet's -- but many an obstinate cat has held back until bursting in lieu of peeing on demand. Option #3: take cat home, keep in one room with a separate cat box (with little glass beads to scratch, that won't soak up the 'sample').

That damn cat stayed in the bedroom with this other cat box, a bowl of water, and a dish of tuna all damn day. Did she pee on the floor? No. On the wall? No. In the cat box? Of course not. I gave her catnip. I pet her. She was in the bedroom, normally her favourite room. At 9 p.m., we thought she'd have to be bursting. So we move the special box downstairs, to her 'normal' spot, and let her out...she made her way down...and peed against a wall and on the carpet! A full 75% of the house is laminate or linoleum, where I could have collected the sample.

Instead, I was on my hands and knees, with a j-cloth, sopping cat piss up out of the damn carpet and wringing it out into a small jam jar.

[insert expletive]

Hope the sample is enough. I'll try again tomorrow morning.

Lori

Hi-tech, lo-tech

Ooh, Nag found something lovely today that mirrors the weird little hi-/lo-tech word processor I found a few days ago.



Is this a new meme? It must be, if it's already been snagged by an advertiser...

Lori

New Favourite Web-Toy

So, I've mentioned BzzAgent before. Essentially, as a member, I get the inside scoop on some new thing, and then I tell people about it..if it's something I feel is worth talking about. So, I wrote about AOL radio a few posts ago, and many of you gave me your opinion on that!

Now I've got the skinny on a new on-line community...Gusto. In a way, this is what I've been waiting for -- a community that I feel I can connect with people.

This is the problem I've had with the Internet over the years. I have a Bugs Bunny fixation. I am a bibliophile. I'm a SF geek, and can expound on Babylon 5 or Buckaroo Banzai for hours.

But, I'm a proponent of the Groucho Marx view of the world...you know the one, where he says:

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. "

I don't want to hang out with other Bugs or Bab5 fans.

But people who travel...that I can do. Gusto.com is a community for travelers (real or hopeful!). It is a rich idea, and has fabulous potential: members post reviews of places they've been, add pictures, write blog posts about travel, read each other's stuff, plan vacations, and in the end, enrich each others' experiences.

Theoretically. At the moment, it's very new. It needs lots of people to get involved, to write a lot of reviews, to rate a lot of places, to add more and more attractions...For example, there's absolutely nothing in the Korea section, except some hotels. Soon, I'll get in there like a dirty dog, and dig out my Korea pics & mementos, and I'll add attractions (scanning & adding pictures too), because this is the kind of community where I can settle in and relax, and I want to see it succeed.

Here's my profile. Check it out and let me know what you think...but preferably, join up and start adding your own content to make my new community better.

Damn. Too bad I ain't getting paid for this.

Lori

Gift-giving dilemma

I'm very careful to talk to each of my local friends, and ensure that we're not going to exchange presents. I consider it a gift in itself -- "Don't worry about exchanging boxes of chocolates just because we feel we must!"

But then, I think nothing about bringing a bottle of wine to their place if invited over for a drink, or finding them something in, say, March, and thinking "oh, this would be perfect!"

Tonight, we had a local acquaintance over for dinner, on Christmas Eve, because otherwise she might have been alone. We've also got our friend from Vancouver staying for the Christmas holiday, because, well, he just needed to get away. For them, we took great delight in filling stockings with fun/silly stuff, which we opened tonight (Metro and I each had one too, which we'd filled for each other)...and it was just a delight. Metro really liked his inflatable parrot (for a Hallowe'en pirate costume) and his silly putty. I liked my little toy Santa Claus and the chocolate coins. Our guests got a kick out of the things we'd chosen for them. We took turns opening an item, and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Metro points out: "The difference between the frenzy of gift giving and generosity is in the terms we use to define it. Generosity is about other people, while straight consumerism is how we want to be perceived."

Okay, I would agree. But I also think it's the onus of obligation and duty that seems to come with the social "holiday season" gift that annoys me. I can't just accept a gift from someone who wants to give me one -- I must reciprocate, and visa versa. I would love to give all my friends gifts, if I had the money...but I would hate for them to feel obliged to give me something in return. So, I give the gift of removing the obligation -- that extra step is deleted, and we can just get on with enjoying each other's company.

But tonight, an unexpected stocking full of silly goodness was, I believe, truly appreciated, and needs no reciprocation.

So, as my father would have said, "Merry Syphilis and a Clappy New Year." And remember that I did not haunt your dreams by elfing myself.

Lori

"Mentos, and Tetley's Yorkshire Bitter"

If you are the one person who hasn't seen what happens when you put a Mentos mint in a Diet Coke, then...oops. No longer available. [Why would they take it off youtube? Do they think there's anyone on the Internet that hasn't seen it (and saved it to their computers), and thus will buy the DVD now that they've had their 15 minutes of fame?]

Anyway, check this out...some good British lads, getting more than they bargained for:


Consider it a Christmas gift.

Lori

Eggnog, chocolate, chips...and no brains

What is it about this "holiday season"? I won't even get into the whole Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Soltice issue here. Nor will I touch the fact that no one starts anything in December, so much is on hold, business-wise, that I just gave up on the networking, didn't do much of anything. (No one, that is, except the 3 new clients of Creatrix's business who decided to bite the bullet and even ponied up money in the week before Christmas! Let's all give her a big cyber-hug!) [No link, 'cause she's moving her blog any moment now...but she is in the blogroll if you haven't been there already!]

What I am worried about is the food thing.

What is it about this time of year that makes people so stupid about food?

Or do I just mean me? Last night, I had wine, cookies, chips & humous for dinner. Nauseating. It wouldn't have been so bad, if the night before I hadn't had wine & cheese & crackers & chocolate for dinner -- but wow, that was a fun time!

Tonight, I promise. Real food.

Lori

Should I switch??

Calling all Blogger users -- should I switch to the new version?

Thanks,

Lori

"Huh?" Democracy alert!

So, in Vancouver, if you don't like what the city is doing, you're not able to take part in civic activities? According to the legal advice given to Mayor Sullivan, I guess so. Sue the city, get kicked off committees.

B.C. Civil Liberties Association and Lawyers' Rights Watch chastise Mayor Sullivan for political interference

Vancouver – Mayor Sam Sullivan and the City of Vancouver legal staff have been engaged in a campaign since October 13, 2006 to cut Pivot Legal Society out of any discussions on housing issues in Vancouver, and punish the organization for bringing lawsuits on behalf of marginalized individuals against the city by severely restricting Pivot staff and volunteers’ access to city services.

“Immediately after I called the City to notify them of potential bylaw violations at two hotels in the downtown eastside, our office received a fax from the legal department of the city telling us that staff and volunteers of Pivot Legal Society had been cut off from direct access to services provided by the City of Vancouver,” recounts David Eby of Pivot Legal Society. “Following that letter, the City attempted to force my removal from the VANOC housing sectoral table, using the cover of misapplied law society rules. They then attempted to restrict my communications at the Urban Core Community Service Provider’s Coalition using the same justification.”

Shortly after Pivot was cut off from access to City services except through the legal department, the VP of Sustainability for VANOC, Linda Coady, contacted the Impact of the Olympics on Community Coalition (IOCC) and attempted to have David Eby removed from the VANOC Housing Sectoral table. Ms. Coady told the IOCC and David Eby that representatives for the City would refuse to participate in the table if Eby continued as the representative of the IOCC. When the IOCC refused to remove Eby as their representative, the City of Vancouver backed off. The restrictions on city services for Pivot staff and volunteers continue.

“We would enjoy an explanation for these shenanigans.” says Jason Gratl, president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. “The City is purporting to enforce a rule stating that if you sue the City, you lose access to City Hall. Such a rule either acts as a disincentive to sue the City or punishes people who do – both of which are undemocratic”

"The role of the civic government is to uphold the law for all citizens, not to violate it,” adds Gail Davidson, Executive Director of Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada. “These restrictions violate the legal rights of Mr. Eby and his clients. LRWC is alarmed at what seems an attempt to prevent indigent people from enforcing their rights. Who is giving these instructions and why is the legal department acting on them?"

- 30 -

----------------------

About Pivot Legal Society
Pivot’s mandate is to take a strategic approach to social change, using the law to address the root causes that undermine the quality of life of those most on the margins. We believe that everyone, regardless of income, benefits from a healthy and inclusive community where values such opportunity, respect and equality are strongly rooted in the law.

So, not only is the City of Vancouver not living up to its promise to the IOC on housing commitments, now if you try to hold the City to its word, you're not allowed to point it out.

I hope 2007 sees more activists, not fewer. Check out the Pivot Legal Society to see how it's done!

Lori

Flash fun..

That's Word Perhect.

Lori

A gadget to end all gadgets...

The Giant, the Swiss Army knife to beat them all, or as this columnist for the Guardian points out:

Grotesque, if superbly engineered, the Giant weighs nearly a kilogram and features 85 devices in all. Unload this mother into the plastic tray as you walk through security at Heathrow and just see what happens.

But is it absurd? If they expect people to actually walk around with one in their pockets, yes. This is a collector's piece, at Cnd$1,119.64...

The Giant is a real product, available for the very real price of £495, but it is aimed at completists and collectors. One gadget website correspondent has balefully written, "I envision this monstrosity being presented as a rare 'salesman's sample' on 2310's version of The Antiques Roadshow." [the company] admit that its practicality is limited, and that its purpose is partly to promote the company .

And no, I don't want one. I like my Swiss Army knife. Mom got it for me in Switzerland, and the corkscrew works just fine.

Lori

Vanity -- 4800 years ago

Cool story alert!

archaeologists have found a 3rd millennium artificial eyeball in a woman's grave. It's pretty fancy too:

"...even the most delicate eye capillaries were drawn on this eyeball using golden wires with a thickness measuring less than half a millimeter. There are also some parallel lines around the pupil forming a diamond shape. Two holes are also seen on the sides of this eyeball to hold it in the eye socket."

Very cool. Found in Burnt City, in Iran:

"Located 57 kilometers from the city of Zabol in Sistan va Baluchistan province, southeast Iran, Burnt City is one of the most important prehistoric sites of the country which was well developed during the third millennium BC."

People are people, doesn't matter which millennium.

Lori

Okay, this is funny...

Movie tie-in merchandise...Like for the original Star Wars.

Who thought up these things?

I can just picture it, a bunch of product developers, sitting around a table, brainstorming:

"Let's make C3P0 into a tape dispenser!"

Good God.

"Come and pull on my tape, little boy!"

I don't know which is worse - the positioning of the tape roll or the look on his face.

AWFULNESS RATING: *****

Too funny.

Lori

"You've got radio."

I've never been a big fan of AOL. Terrible reputation for contributing millions of their mailout CD-ROM to landfills (incredibly wasteful marketing campaign). Their interface is known as the "training wheels of the Internet." (I mean, really. Why confuse matters with "AOL Users, use keyword X"? Can't they just search like the rest of us?) They (and Starbucks) paid big money to ensure that their logo was in your face throughout the rather sappy Hollywood remake of the great film The Shop Around the Corner (1940).

But, perhaps they're trying to change their image a little. They're now promoting their radio service, which ain't half bad. I found out about it because I'm a BzzAgent (that's a whole different post! Check out the link, then come back and ask me about it!), and now I'm sharing the info with you.

3 Things I like about aol.ca/radio

• Three dedicated blues stations (acoustic, electric, and 'all blues') in the (supposedly) 170+ stations
  
• No commercials
• Haven't had any repeats yet

3 Things I don't like (aol people, please pay attention)

• It opens every time with the "1-Hit Wonders" station. How irritating is that?!?
• If I want to save my settings (like, so it doesn't open with the irritating station), I have to have an account. I don't want yet another account...
• When I first 'turned it on', it started putting a program on my computer, without asking. How did they by-pass my settings? Oh, my Firefox wouldn't let it happen, but normally I'm asked...right?

3 Neutral things

• Good basic info about the song, without going anywhere else (although, clicking on the links will take you to Aols' Puretracks store...a little undependable, checked it out twice, and once it timed out...that's 50% timeout so far, about as good as Napster)
  
• Can't really compare it to the other listen'n'buy services. I haven't used itunes radio in ages...found it a bit undependable (and they mixed blues & jazz together). Napster is just irritating, had a 3-month 'subscription' -- essentially renting the music...but they don't really explain that until you're committed. (ARGH.)
• Here's a bit of the interface:
  

Anyway, it's pretty good radio for when you're sitting at the computer. I think I get the whole satellite radio thing...the ur-radio that we've all been waiting for -- music that is constantly different, without the interruption of advertising. It would be nice to have in the car for long trips, that's for sure.

Lori

It's official...

We live in a paradise.

The Okanagan Valley, and the South Okanagan in particular (Penticton, Naramata, Oliver), are the only Canadian destination on Frommer's Top Travel Destinations for 2007.

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

This lush region of British Columbia, dubbed by some as "Napa North" or "the Tuscany of Canada", boasts a mild climate, with rolling hills and a growth of plentiful fruits, nuts, and grapes. Vineyards are the big business now -- with more than 120 in the region, it is an ideal place for wine tasting. As in Napa, the topography and climate of Okanagan Valley make it a great place for hiking, kayaking, and biking (bike tours will even take you from winery to winery). The gateway to the region is Kelowna and the center of the wine region is a town called Naramata.

So book now. Competitive rates for private room, floor space, camping space at the Mr&Mrs Metro Manor.

Lori

Christmas Specials Gone Wrong

I can barely stop laughing (terribly black laughter, actually), thanks to this list of the 10 Least Successful Holiday Specials of all Time, via the (usually touching, not touched) online Advent Calendar. A sample for your...uh...amusement:

A Canadian Christmas with David Cronenberg (1986)

Faced with Canadian content requirements but no new programming, the Canadian Broadcasting Company turned to Canadian director David Cronenberg, hot off his success with Scanners and The Fly, to fill the seasonal gap. In this 90-minute event, Santa (Michael Ironside) makes an emergency landing in the Northwest Territories, where he is exposed to a previously unknown virus after being attacked by a violent moose. The virus causes Santa to develop both a large, tooth-bearing orifice in his belly and a lustful hunger for human flesh, which he sates by graphically devouring Canadian celebrities Bryan Adams, Dan Ackroyd and Gordie Howe on national television. Music by Neil Young.

[why is this so funny? Gads. I can barely type. What was Metro's acronym? That's right, HWSOLTLYPAUTDBAFAA.]

Lori

Tag, you're it!

As Raincoaster explains it:

The chain lett- I mean "“meme" is this: List six things about yourself that are weird (then tag six more people).

One
My weirdnesses are pretty mundane.

I mean, I truly enjoy doing the dishes. By hand. I detest dishwashers. I like the pile of dirty dishes, the transition through hot, sudsy water, and the clean on the other side.

Two
The summer after I graduated from university, I joined a traveling carnival. Drove one of the trucks, took care of the ponies, managed the mooches (kids hired at a town to help out, paid in popcorn and rides.) Met Willie the Welder and had a torrid affair. The show was owned by a retired freak show attraction (no lie, the Fat Man), and managed by a long-time carnie with a predilection for little boys.

Left the show when I got stranded for a week in Ucluelet with the ponies. This did not go over well with the show's owner...maybe it had something to do with the cops that met them when they rolled into town again? None of the trucks had valid plates...one was off a station wagon in Fernie.

It's a long story.

Three
I collect. I don't think this is particularly weird, just something about me. As a good friend of mine once told me, "Four of anything is a collection."

I don't collect obsessively (like, anything). I limit myself to Bugs Bunny paraphenalia, teapots (and tea), and some books...by certain authors, or genres. (Not first editions. I'm too cheap.) Movies.

Which brings me to...

Four
I have an absolute passion for over-the-top, creative action sequences. Action films that pair cool music with absolute violence. And bad-bad-brilliant-bad movies. (Not bad-bad-stinky-bad movies...Metro believes that I have a soft place in my heart for the Bulletproof Monk. No. Fabulous potential -- Chow Young Fat, hip music, modern action...but it did not satisfy. It was lame in many fundamental ways.)

Give me my cinematographic fromage and I will be a happy woman.

Five
I'm finding this difficult, 'cause what other people might find strange about me are just my day-to-day realities.

Speaking of day-to-day realities, my hubby pointed out to me that many might find it odd that I can reduce all life lessons to episodes of Babylon 5, or Miles Vorkosigan's adages.

I'm also prone to quoting Buckaroo Banzai...but that just makes me a geek.

Six
I'm drawn to really difficult people. I could list 'em, but then I don't know who reads my blog. (If you think you might be on my list, you're probably not...'difficult' people don't usually see themselves that way.) I just have found over the years that I get along with people that others wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole (or since it's the Christmas season, a 49-and-1/2-foot-pole!) I've befriended them. Been an intermediary for them. Dated them. Came to my senses and quietly dropped them...

Gads.

I'll tag...the Nag, Creatrix, Mr. Mad Haiku (looking forward to it in haiku form), & 30-something. Metro's already been tagged, and I'm not sure if Cold Desert is still blogging (he's wrapped up in the real world, I believe). And regular readers who are blog-less -- feel free to share with us in the comments ('cause I know you want to!).

Lori

Porn and Feminism

I was an 80s feminist -- discovered the Women's Centre, Women's Studies, and women who opened my mind while I was at university. I volunteered for a year at the Vancouver Women's Bookstore.

I will admit that I'm glad I found Linguistics first, otherwise I would have been insufferable...but I still label myself a feminist -- and I'd like to think that over the 12 years I was a teacher of Adult ESL, I influenced a lot of women from around the world to be strong and opinionated.

So I was pleased this morning to find this article by Naomi Wolf (in New York Magazine), on the theories of the 80s' Andrea Dworkin from the perspective of the 00s.

What I like about Wolf's writing is how she can summarize what we've all been noticing about the Britney-Spears-crotch-flashing world we seem to be living in -- in one sentence:

Young men and women are indeed being taught what sex is, how it looks, what its etiquette and expectations are, by pornographic training—and this is having a huge effect on how they interact.

But Wolf is actually saying that Dworkin was wrong -- the complete access to pornography is not making men more rapacious, instead they are increasingly just not turned on by the average woman, after their diet of tanned, toned, implanted, trimmed (a la Mrs. Henderson "And anyway, we'll have a barber."), sex-crazed online porn slut.

The reason to turn off the porn might become, to thoughtful people, not a moral one but, in a way, a physical- and emotional-health one; you might want to rethink your constant access to porn in the same way that, if you want to be an athlete, you rethink your smoking. The evidence is in: Greater supply of the stimulant equals diminished capacity.

The beautiful thing about this article, is that we (feminists) may have been wrong about cultural prohibitions:

I will never forget a visit I made to Ilana, an old friend who had become an Orthodox Jew in Jerusalem. When I saw her again, she had abandoned her jeans and T-shirts for long skirts and a head scarf. I could not get over it. Ilana has waist-length, wild and curly golden-blonde hair. “Can’t I even see your hair?” I asked, trying to find my old friend in there. “No,” she demurred quietly. “Only my husband,” she said with a calm sexual confidence, “ever gets to see my hair.”

When she showed me her little house in a settlement on a hill, and I saw the bedroom, draped in Middle Eastern embroideries, that she shares only with her husband—the kids are not allowed—the sexual intensity in the air was archaic, overwhelming. It was private. It was a feeling of erotic intensity deeper than any I have ever picked up between secular couples in the liberated West. And I thought: Our husbands see naked women all day—in Times Square if not on the Net. Her husband never even sees another woman’s hair.

She must feel, I thought, so hot.

Ah. Is that what it takes? When the whole world is surfing for "beaver shots", are we ruining our chances of a healthy sex life?

Lori

Another year, another advent calendar

Who remembers to bring out the advent calendar in time? Smart parents probably plan to bring it out on the 2nd day, so that there's two nasty little chocolates, one for each kid.

I depend on Nag to find this lovely online calendar every year -- this year she waited until the 3rd of December, probably to keep us from getting too antsy.

I appreciated the colouring page this morning.

So go and enjoy yourself, no calories.

Lori

I refuse to do another test!

Well...except for maybe this one, via Metro.