Ringing In The Season

This past week was the office Christmas party, which was so amazingly fun! One of the things that surprised me the most is how the CEO actually went out and bought every single employee a personalized present, so very thoughtful. :)

I got a bunch of fantastic DVDs:


Glenn Close! I love her, and I've heard good things about this documentary.


This is actually three films in one package: Manufactured Landscapes (ZOMG I've wanted to see that since forever), A Crude Awakening, and The Refugees of the Blue Planet.
All in all, so amazing, even if environmentalist documentaries isn't the first thing I would have picked for myself, hahahaha. The CEO actually apologized for not asking us beforehand like he usually does every year, which is probably why he didn't get me something more appropriate like a book on, say, string theory. ;)

The Stuff Movies Are Made Of

You guys have to hear about the dream I had last night!

In this dream I was back in university, going to school at Ryerson, but one of my current coworkers was my best friend and we hung out together. We were walking around downtown and we came upon a period movie being filmed, and we spontaneously decided to sneak in by posing as craft services or something like that. We walk in carrying these big pitchers of water we snagged and then we end up sitting at a table chatting to all these high and mighty British actors when security realized we were gate crashers and grabbed us to escort us off the set. So we got thrown out and we had a laugh about it but as we were walking away down the sidewalk, I felt like someone, maybe security, was following us.

Eventually we made our way into the subway and when we got down there, we realized there was some sort of political protest going on. I believe there were people actively protesting Rob Ford's motion to destroy Transit City. :P Anyway, I got really into it and started leading the rally with all kinds of loud chants when a bunch of conservative jerks took offense and shoved me while I was on the subway platform. I stumbled and fell onto the very edge of the platform and if I had leaned back I would have fallen onto the tracks and gotten electrocuted or whatever. But just as I teetered on the edge, the guy who had been following me from the movie set appeared from out of the crowd. I told him to help me and he pulled me away from the edge.

The guy was none other than this fine gentleman:


Oh my gosh Mos Def I love you!
So after he saved my freaking life, Mos Def offered me his arm and said he'd escort me home. He told me how he'd been watching me sneak into the movie set and thought I was awesome for being so ballsy. I pretty much spent the entire walk home looking at him like this:


And then I was suddenly sitting in class with a surprise test I hadn't studied for. Eventually I just threw the test in the garbage and left the classroom, hahahaha.

Shake Your Body Down To The Ground

What up y'all? Music video post time!

First off, Kylie Minogue being utter fabulous in 'Get Outta My Way'. LOVE THIS WOMAN SFM.



Next, Stromae's 'Alors On Danse'. French has never sounded so freaking awesome and the video is just so European, love it.



And finally, one the greatest videos I have ever laid eyes on: 'Lonely's Lunch' by You Say Party. India + sci-fi dystopia + interesting female lead = WIN WIN WIN!

Where's That Flying Car I Was Promised Twenty-Five Years Ago?

I'm pretty sure the reason I do not post more often is because the only thing I have to say these days is stuff like: "I AM GOING TO NUKE THE DAMN 401 FROM OUTER SPACE." Seriously. I've been a Toronto driver for five and a half years and it just gets more and more frustrating with every passing year somehow.

Crooks And Liars

Okay, well, needless to say I’m disappointed but unsurprised that Ford is now mayor of Toronto. Politics are so disheartening. I find that what’s happening up here is very similar to how I feel about politics in America as well. I don’t want to vote for the Conservative party, so I vote for the Liberals, but the problem is that ideologies aside, both parties are corrupt as hell and drunk on power and waste no time in screwing over the people.

I was going to say that I should run for city councilor because I know that I could do a way better job than the rest of these heartless monkeys, but then I realized that I live in a city full of greedy idiots. Clearly, I need to drive around in a van all day long, passing out feminist pamphlets in the hopes that my brothers and sisters finally WAKE UP. :P

Would You Stay Mine From Dawn Till Night

I hope my neighbours aren’t sick of Alex Gaudino yet; this past weekend was only the beginning. LOL.



I also seem to be feeling a lot of Rihanna lately. I’ve discovered this new song of hers that features my man Drake, called “What’s My Name”. (Note: all the versions on YouTube are sped up or slowed down, this one is sped up.)



Finally there’s the Rihanna song that’s all over the radio right now, “Only Girl (In The World)”. I actually didn’t like the song much when I heard it on the radio, but I saw the video on the weekend and it struck me as so joyful yet frantic too, somehow sensual and innocent at the same time, like she’s created a visual interpretation of what falling in love feels like. Kudos to her, I love it.



I can’t wait to play this song on Audiosurf. Perhaps tonight. Perhaps this instant, since I have the mayoral elections results already and now know that Toronto is (as I suspected) full of GREEDY IDIOTS. *headdesk*

My Thoughts...

... on the Toronto election, summarized in three words.


Yep, that about says it.

Too bad I think he's going to win. :(

Random Encounters With The Beauty-Industrial Complex

Yesterday I went to the mall after work to pick up some gray tights. As I was going from store to store, searching for something that fit the bill, I ran into a man who was giving out free samples of something. I automatically associate free samples with food, so I picked up the cup only to find it was hand cream, not a snack. Still, free hand cream isn’t all that bad. But that’s when he started his pitch.

Him: “Oh, are those your natural nails?”

Me: “... Yes.”

Him: “Then I simply have to show you something! Come over to our booth and I’ll show you.”

So I walk over there, no idea what he’s going to do, when he tells me to hold out my right hand. He then busts out this buffing block and starts filing the surface of my thumbnail, going on and on about their patented smoothing system that gets rid of lines and ridges until your nails are shiny and smooth.

Him: *finishes* “Well, isn’t it shiny?”

Me: “Well, yeah, it is shiny.”

Him: “So what do you think of our product?”

At this point I was sorely tempted to reply with: “Ugh, it isn’t enough that women have to worry that our hair isn’t glossy enough, that our skin isn’t flawless enough, that our waist lines are not small enough, that our boobs are not big enough, that our eyelashes are not thick and lustrous enough, that our lips are not luscious and plump enough... we have to worry that our fricking nails are not smooth enough?! Stop enabling the patriarchy!”

But I doubt that would have gone down very well, so I told him the other truth, that I actually really don’t like the sensation of something rough or textured rubbing against the surface of my nail, it weirds me out and is vaguely uncomfortable. I walked away then, relieved that he wasn’t going to buff my nails any further.

Unfortunately, it’s the next day and now I can’t get over the fact that I have One Really Smooth & Shiny Nail. The asymmetry is driving me nuts! :P

Sitting On Top Of The World, Watching The Stars Go By

Is it wrong that viewing this page made me actually salivate? Can you blame a girl? A new Benny Benassi song (itself worth drooling over) remixed by the likes of Alex Gaudino, Fedde le Grand, and EDX? Blisssssss!

The Classics Are Classic For A Reason

Oh my god, why have I not posted the video for this dance song yet?! It's the very epitome of what a good dance song video should be. I present to you: 'Another Chance' by Roger Sanchez.


Moral of the story: people with big hearts suffer for it because everyone else is afraid of love.

Opa!

I don't have the patience to describe my Taste of the Danforth experience, so I'll let some photos do the talking instead.

I Hope I'm Not Wrong, That'd Be Embarrassing

Interesting... I went to look up the lyrics for the song 'The Five Ghosts' by Stars and lo and behold, Google could not provide. Therefore, I'm going to attempt to write up the lyrics myself, despite the fact that I am notorious bad at mishearing lyrics.

The Five Ghosts by Stars

When I was a little girl
The world was small to me
All the light in my life
Filtered softly through the trees

The shadows in the photographs
Five ghost who followed me
I was only truly frightened once
They called my name and said they wanted me

Oh, what a beautiful day to try to die
Oh, how whole for one sweet second
Without the eye, the eye, the eye, the eye
x2

When I grew in age and fame
And traveled through the world
All the rivers of the city
Like flags of blue unfurled

Me, pressed against a railing
Me, taken to a room
Me, waking in the morning
Dark with a sense of coming doom

Oh, what a beautiful day to try to die
Oh, how whole for one sweet second
Without the eye, the eye, the eye, the eye
x2

Now I have grown old
And all my grace and beauty gone
Five ghosts surround my garden
I don't tell them to move on

I walk deeper into shade now
That dappled light again
I see you standing at the gate
My one and only friend

Oh, what a beautiful day to try to die
Oh, how whole for one sweet second
Without the eye, the eye, the eye, the eye
x2

Whoa, Unexpected!

Oh hey, I hear Prop 8 was overturned! Good times for my Cali peeps.

In commemoration, a happy song about love: Lollipop by Mika.



Cheers, y'all.

Dark Clouds Can't Stop Me!

This past Saturday I went to Lilith Fair, thereby fulfilling one of my life goals: seeing Sarah McLachlan live in concert! Me and a friend showed up at Molson Amphitheatre at 3 PM and faced the worst kind of pouring rain ever. We had ponchos and umbrellas, but we also had lawn seats so there was nothing to really protect us from the elements. Thankfully, it wasn't cold at all and the experience was generally fun and Woodstockian (for lack of a better term). We set up camp in front of the main stage (in the lawn seats) and had a clear view of BMO field, so we pretty much watched the TFC game live. But since we were at the main stage, we didn't get to see any of the side acts.

Amazingly, just as the main stage acts started the weather let up a bit!




The performers on the main stage were Court Yard Hounds, Chantal Kreviazuk, Lights, Mary J. Blige, and Sarah McLachlan. Of course they were all awesome, but I was surprisingly most impressed by Mary J. Blige. I say surprisingly because I've already seen her in concert, so I wasn't expecting anything I hadn't already seen before. But she not only busted out her best songs, but she also did One Love and STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN by Led Zepplin ZOMG. It was unreal. She had so much emotion and love for the crowd, I loved it.

Sarah was amazing of course. The moment she got on stage, I started screaming "DO ICE CREAM!!" hahahaha. She ended up doing it for the encore, which was amazing. I think I actually strained my vocal cords while singing the harmony for all her songs, LOL.






It was nearly 11:30 PM by the time we got out of Ontario Place; felt like I'd been hit by a mack truck the next morning, hahaha. Such a fun time. :)

Get Into It!

Today's musical subject is local band Elliott Brood. They apparently play "death country". Sounds more east coast than country to me, which is probably why I find it palatable. Here are three songs of theirs that I like best.

You're Waiting For A Train

Last weekend, I saw Inception. And I loved it more than I have loved a movie in a very long time. One of the things I liked best about the movie was the soundtrack, which I had to have. As it were, I have Thinky Thoughts regarding it. First, a few general comments:

- Apparently, Hans Zimmer scored the movie without having seen it; he just a brief summary of the story as Nolan told him. This is mind-blowing. Zimmer is a freaking genius.

- Specific attributes I enjoyed in the soundtrack include: use of rock guitar within orchestral structure, and creating music based on a few repeated notes and motifs, as opposed to the bold, epic stuff like Zimmer did with Gladiator. Which is another soundtrack I love, but it's very different.

- Every song is subtly creepy; Nolan originally wanted movie to be a horror film and it shows.

Of course, I have Thinky Thoughts about each song on the track. Be warned, HUGE SPOILERS approacheth! I kind of just went free-form, stream-of-consciousness with how each song made me feel/remember.

Half-Remembered Dream - strains of Time at the end, only made haunting. Short track, not much to say about it, but it sets the tone.

We Built Our Own World - unforgivably tragic, it reminds me of limbo; I see Cobb and Mal making sandcastles, I see him and Ariadne walking through dead streets. It reminds me of Mal holding a knife and Cobb taking it away.

Dream Is Collapsing - FRIGGING AMAZING, guitars alongside violins making magic. Sounds like time is running out, like things are unraveling, like fighting in zero-gravity, like a cascade of kicks that must be perfectly timed, like IMPENDING DOOOOOOM. So powerful.

Radical Notion - like a mixture of Dream Is Collapsing and We Built Our Own World; tragic but tense at the same time. Sounds like carefully planning out the inception in the latter half of the song, or when they're deciding on their next move in level 1, maybe even the initial heist with Saito.

Old Souls - Dreamy and nostalgic but shaky and edgy somehow too, happier times between Mal and Dom in limbo, or "you know where to find me", the children locked up in memories. Also, Ariadne manipulating and creating for the first time. For some reason, it reminds me of music from Shenmue taken to a whole new level.

528491 - CREEPIEST SONG ON THE SOUNDTRACK. Starts off vaguely disconcerting with rushed tenseness but the end is freaking terrifying. WHEN DOES THAT PART HAPPEN IN THE MOVIE I NEED TO KNOW. When the water bursts in at the beginning? When the train rams through level 1? NO IDEA.

Mombasa - Killer track, screams precision and 'action sequence', Cobb running through crowded streets and Arthur kicking ass on the way to the elevator. Use of electric guitar = A++ awesome; possibly the most fun track on the OST.

One Simple Idea - This is all Cobb doing the Mr. Charles gambit, everyone watching and waiting and hoping Fischer's militarized mind doesn't turn on them. Not the most memorable track, IMHO.

Dream Within A Dream - initially a callback to Dream Is Collapsing, but the orchestra sounds a lot more electronic somehow. Then it turns into a creepy version of Time. Really captures the essence of all the inception scenes, from jumping off buildings to kidnappings to the van flying off the bridge.

Waiting For A Train - reminiscent of Old Souls. This track is fairly long and quiet, Cobb remembering Mal or telling Ariadne exactly what happened. The hotel room scene, Mal jumping, especially at the end when things are still dreamy, but sad and nightmarish sounding. And then, non, je ne regrette rien, back to fighting in a hallway or shooting armed men on a snowy mountain, the dream is collapsing.

Paradox - Quiet, so quiet, walking down decrepit streets while tombs tower around you, slits of sunlight peeking between each structure, happy memories and creations that have decayed with time, and somewhere inside this world she's waiting for him. I know it has nothing to do with the paradox scene with Ariadne and Arthur, but that's what the music reminds me of.

Time - Oh this track, it moves me so. It's definitely the Cobb/Mal love theme. They are the heart of this movie. This song is epic and moving and tragic and hopeful all at the same time, so much done with eight little notes. Beautiful pace, beautiful simplicity and complexity, effective use of guitar, and randomly creepy ending that gives you a jolt like the final scene of the movie.

In conclusion: GO SEE INCEPTION. ;D

Lyrically Local

Okay, in the song Unthinkable by Alicia Keys featuring Drake, when Drake says "we can roll around the city while you finally decide"... I know he's talking about cruising in a car, but I cannot get the mental image of two Samus balls literally rolling through a city, hahahaha.

Speaking of Canadian musicians, a coworker linked me to the new video for the song Meet Me In The Basement by Broken Social Scene: chock full of front-line G20 action and political statements. Check it out!



And since we're on the topic, have I shared my love for Hail The Villain yet? If you're into hard rock, DO check them out.





Coming soon: insanely spoiler-filled thoughts on the Inception soundtrack. Eeeeee!

Welcome To My Hood

CP24 has confirmed that an arrest has been made in a sausage tampering case, which is believed to be in connection to incidents in late May and June.

An arrest was made at a Loblaws store on Dundas and Bloor Streets. Toronto police say the arrest is believed to be in connection with food tampering cases involving Piller's Polish Sausage.

AAUUGHH I SHOP AT THAT LOBLAWS ALL THE TIME. D: But thankfully I don't eat Piller's. Or polish sausage. Yay?

Today: A Story

Just as I was winding down at the office today, I decided to check the CBC website for my daily dose of Canadian news and saw that there were reports of the power going out in Toronto's downtown core. I thought: "Self, it's a good thing you don't travel down the Lakeshore to get home anymore. Cause that would suck."

Famous last words!

I get on the highway at the 404 and Sheppard to head home only to find that my exit to the 401 has come to a complete stop. Hazarding that some kind of accident has happened, I switch over to the DVP south instead. And lo, there was indeed some kind of massive accident that had caused the entire westbound 401 express to be closed off. So I missed a bullet that way, but I knew I was still in for some pain because I was heading directly through the heart of Toronto, where none of the stop lights were working. :(

Most of the intersections on the Lakeshore were being directed by police but still... INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATINGLY SLOW. But when I went to take my usual "EFF YOU LAKESHORE" detour, I suddenly found myself surrounded by really high fences, concrete barriers and a massive grandstand hahaha! I was basically racing through the Indy track all on my own and although I wasn't going very fast, it was still hilariously awesome. It was like a real life Gran Turismo, LOL.

By the time I got to my subdivision, I assumed all was well because the stop lights were working at all nearby intersections. But when I drove into the parking garage, I was treated to some extremely weaksauce emergency lighting and basically pitch black darkness, because the power was out in my complex. Turning my high beams on in the underground did NOTHING. And then when it was time to get out of the car, I couldn't see A THING! Like I said, PITCH BLACK. It was like a real life Resident Evil, as I strafed and stumbled towards the tiny, tiny sliver of light in the distance that indicated where the exit was.

Thankfully, the power came back on half an hour later, so I have air conditioning and a functional fridge. And that was my day.

OH TORONTO NO

Thank god I fled the city this weekend. Good lord.

From CBC's Amber Hildebrandt, who has been in the crowds speaking to the protestors and the curious:

Beyond the masses of protesters and police and media, there is the contingent of curious onlookers, both citizens and tourists alike, who either get caught up in the madness or seek it out.

Finding it is not hard. Not only because following Twitter makes it exceedingly easy to track down the hot zones, but also because the entire downtown core has become a demonstration or standoff waiting to happen. Listen closely and you will hear the cop walkie talkies screech the latest news or you'll see a protester waving people in the "right" direction.

Among the people I have met are a 16 year old who secretly came down to the protest by the security fence and an 80 year old woman on Bay who asked the riot police to let her through to go to the pharmacy (the answer was no). She simply sat down on her walker to wait it out, unperturbed by the protesters shouting expletives at the riot police in front of her. She mumbled something about them not having money, but having too much time.

I also met a trio of tourists from Cincinnati in Toronto for three days, who had no idea the G20 was here... Until they arrived this afternoon and noticed Pearson airport was abuzz with unusual activity.

Joan Blumberg, 71, said she came down with her friend Nancy and Nancy's daughter, Martha, for a fun-filled weekend and decided to check out some of the action at Wellington Street and Simcoe, where police were evacuating folks away from the fence.

"I keep thinking about the criticism the police are gettig for not taking charge. But it doesn't look that way to me. I appreciate the restraint," said Blumberg.

Viola Baker will have a lot to tell her friends on Monday morning. The nine-year-old got to watch the action on Queen Street as riot police rushed to cordon off the streets leading north.

Standing on Beverley Street with her dad, Jeff, she said, "it's kinda scary but exciting at the same time."

Her dad, who works in film post-production, says he wanted to bring her out to show what a protest was really like. They live nearby on Grange Ave. and were just leaving a birthday party when they decided to drop by.

"(My dad) wants me to know what a real protest looks like so he's just trying to teach me," she said.

Baker, 47, said he wouldn't have brought his daughter if he felt they were in danger. "As soon as they start coming I'm outta here."

New Layout! Also, Check Out "My" Olympic Gold Medal!

Not as fancy as the last one, but at least the posting section of the blog is wider than before, which was severely hampering my style. NEVER AGAIN.

To commemorate, I shall share a picture:


Me and my sister holding a couple of Vancouver gold medals! They belong to ice dancers Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, who we saw on Saturday at their celebratory parade in Ilderton. As a matter of fact, Scott's the one taking the picture. :)

It's Such A Great Word... FISTICUFFS!

I have discovered my new favourite song. You should listen to it too; the lyrics include use of the word "fisticuffs"!



And I know exactly why I like this song too; it sounds exactly like something that Metric would come up with, hahaha.

Sanity: By iPod

DEAR TORONTO ROADS:

I HATE YOU. I HATE YOUR LANES AND DRIVERS AND HORRIBLE STOPLIGHTS THAT TURN RED THE MOMENT I GET APPROACH THEM. WHY ARE YOU MAKING MY COMMUTE GO FROM AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF THIS WEEK?

LOL, yes, commuting has been weirdly BAD this week. Every time I see a license plate that isn't from Ontario, I yell "GET OUT OF MY PROVINCE!" hahaha. Today, I was stuck behind a car with Minnesota plates and yelled "GO BACK TO AMERICA!". SO glad to be working from home tomorrow. :)

Building Bonanza

I can't believe it's been a year since I went last, but this weekend was Doors Open once more. And this time, I brought my camera. Wooooo! I started off a little late in the day, so I only had the chance to see 4 buildings, but I'm happy with what I saw.

1. Canada's National Ballet School


The line up for this particular building was long and slow moving; I realized once I got in line that there was very little chance that I would get to see Elgin Theatre like I had planned.


There were so many insanely adorable little ballerina's coming in and out of the school; we were told later that there were two recitals going on that day. Out of respect, we were asked not to take pictures of any dancers or occupied studios, which I understand but omg. There were dancers in full costumes looking lovely and picturesque, it's a shame we couldn't take pictures of them. In particular, I remember five young teen girls dressed in sequined cream tutus with white flowers in their hair, they were beautiful. There were some boys there too, but nowhere near the amount of girls.




I was lucky enough to be part of the first guided tour that included Bruce Kuwabara, the architect who designed the school. He was so well-spoken and knowledgeable and talented, it was most impressive. He told us about how when they were making plans for the building, the government decided not to fund the project, so Karen Kain wrote an open letter of disapproval that was printed in the newspapers... and then Sheila Copps came through and pushed for the funding hahaha.






2. Old City Hall


For some reason, they banned photography inside this building this year. I still managed to sneak one photo before a volunteer saw me and told me to put my camera away. ;)




3. City Hall Podium Green Roof + City Hall








To be honest, their green roof was not as green as I was hoping it to be. :P On the plus side, there was a fantastic view of Old City Hall from up there.




Inside actual City Hall it wasn't all that exciting. There was actually less stuff in there than last year, when they'd had this huge flower display thing. But there was still that crazy mural made of nails!


They also had a scale model of Toronto's downtown. The reddish buildings represented heritage sites. I love how the Steamwhistle beer factory is one of them, LOL.


4. Commerce Court North

This building was a sort of last minute visit and wow was I impressed. The photos don't actually do the place justice; you need to be there in person to feel just how large and cavernous the space is. And the ceiling... AMAZING!






Good times! Hopefully next year I'll finally make it to Elgin Theatre in time for a tour.

Need Kaskade's 'Don't Stop Dancing' Lyrics?

Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.

The world outside you will let you in,
To share the beauty you hold within.
Just keep going, everyday,
The silver lining is on its way.

'Cuz what you long for is free,
What you stand for, is to be.
Lift your feet up off the ground...

Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.

Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.

Till you reach it, you won't know,
Just what's the distance you need to go,
But it's out there, beyond today,
The silver lining is on its way.

'Cuz what you long for is free,
What you stand for, is to be.
Lift your feet up off the ground...

Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.

Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.
Don't stop dancing, girl.

Keep on dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing...
Keep on dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing...
Keep on dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing...
Keep on dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing...

Unexpected Awesomeness

Oh my gosh, I'm sort of in love with this video. Done for a dance song? And it doesn't suck? BE STILL MY HEART!

The song is 'Bruised Water' by Chicane feat. Natasha Beddingfield.



Aww, it's so lovely. :)

I Heart My Canadian Olympians

Yesterday I went to the Green Living Show with a friend and LET ME TELL YOU INTERNETS, good times were had. Why? OH I'LL SHOW YOU WHY. :D

The show itself was lots of fun; tons of free food to sample, free swag to score, and coupons to snag. But there were a surprising amount of events going on too.




The had a test kitchen set up out of nowhere, which was cool. And they cooked up all sorts of stuff there, mostly of the organic and vegan variety since this was the Green Living Show and all.


There was also a bit of a mayoral debate there. Bored me to tears, these uninspiring men. I have no clue who I'm going to vote for.

Anyway, the best part of the show? I got to see and meet Clara Hughes! (For you unpatriotic plebeians, she's pretty much Canada's best female athlete. She's won multiple Olympics medals in both cycling AND speed skating.)






In that last picture, she's totally holding all of her Olympic medals ever, hahaha! She gave a lovely speech about finding balance in her life and career through humanitarian efforts, it was quite nice. After the speech it was time to line up for her autograph and get a picture with her. There were a couple of families right in front of us with young and aspiring speed skater children and it was cool to see Clara praise them and give them encouragement.


Then it was our chance!




DUDE I TOTALLY HELD HER BRONZE MEDAL FROM VANCOUVER. :DDDDDDDDD


This is going right inside my MacClean's with Virtue & Moir in the cover, yes indeed. :)

It's Music Time!

More new music, coming at ya!

First off is a cute little ditty I've seen on Much More Music a couple times by Canadian Carly Rae Jepsen called Tug of War. She's adorable, her video boyfriend is too, her voice is sweet, and the song is catchy.



Next up, a remix of The Temper Trap's song Sweet Disposition. I've known about the original for over a year now (acquired it as a free Starbucks download, of all things) and then I heard this version on the commute home. Fabulous!



Last but not least, another remix. This time of that song Use Somebody by Kings of Leon. The original is pretty good too but remixes are where it's at for me. :)

Say Non To Bill 94

Today's headline: Niqab gets 2nd Quebec student expelled. Okay, this is getting fricking ridiculous. To paraphrase someone else, forcing a woman to reveal part of her body is no different from forcing her to be covered.

*headdesk* QUEBEC, YOU'RE ON NOTICE. >:(

Oldie But A Goodie

(This is an old post I wanted to make back in mid-March that I never got around to. I was going to scrap it, but it's about music, and I love talking about new songs I discover, so away we go!)

An unfortunate fate has befallen me: my computer has died. I am in the midst of backing up all my vital files, then I'll have to... format it. :( There are no words for how disappointed I am over this development.

But before this calamity arose, I downloaded a lot of new music that I simply must share with the intertubes.

Of particular note is a band called Hail The Villian from Oshawa. How did I discover them? It's so convoluted. Because I'm interested in figure skating, I watch interviews with figure skaters on YouTube. In one such interview, ice dancer Scott Moir was asked what music was on his iPod at the moment, and he replied with the above band. Considering Durham is my hometown, my interest was piqued. They're more on the heavy rock side, think Alexisonfire or Billy Talent, which isn't my usual thing. But wow, their music really grows on your after a few listens.

Unfortunately, their first and only album hasn't been released yet. But you can listen to it on their MySpace page or buy it on iTunes. :)

I Really Need To Hit Up A Dancefloor

You know that episode of Family Guy where Stewie is trying to watch Mr. Belvedere in the living room but his family keeps having conversations right there so he gets frustrated and starts screaming-singing the theme song? Sometimes I love a song so much that I feel like doing just that, without caring about the tune or how utterly insane I would look, hahaha!

Speaking of songs I love, the radio has been providing as of late. My latest find is the song 'You And I' by Medina. The song is originally in Danish, but then an English version was released, and then Deadmau5 did a remix. SOLD! :D



Oh my god, Deadmau5 can do no wrong, I swear.

But while Deadmau5 is right up my alley, the other song I'm in love with right now is patently not. Because it's country. :O Pop-country, but still. You may have heard it on the radio or on a music channel: it's 'Need You Now' by Lady Antebellum.



My love for this song pretty much revolves around how lovely it is to sing, and the way it's just infused with so much emotion. I love it. I may have to look up more Lady Antebellum if all their songs are like this.

Olympic Roundup!

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics were unlike anything I've ever experienced. I was too young when the Olympics came to Calgary to appreciate it at the time, so I think having it on home soil, with my west coast friends going to events and taking pictures, with practically everyone I know excited about how dedicated our athletes were, with the Canadian team breaking curses and records left right and center, I couldn't help but fall in love with the experience. But it wasn't just the Canadian athletes that left me impressed; the world has some amazing, talented, and brilliant people in it and I'm so happy I had a chance to enjoy their awesome performances in HD quality. ;)

So here it is, a spotlight on athletes that captured my attention. This isn't a full list; naming every single awesome athlete would take forever.

Athletes That Made An Impression On Me At The Vancouver Olympics

Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao - Figure Skating (China)


I have to be honest and admit that when I heard they were competing in the 2010 Olympics, I was annoyed. They are way older and much more experienced than the rest of the competition, so I thought they should just retire from professional figure skating with grace. But their mastery was just too much to resist; there's a reason they won gold. Their long program skate was perfect.

Joannie Rochette - Figure Skating (Canada)


I can only dream of having the kind of courage and will-power that Rochette has; watching her skate the short program and in the gala was an emotional roller coaster, knowing what she was going through. Winning bronze was more than what anyone required of her. She's a true hero.

Marianne St-Gelais - Short Track Speed Skating (Canada)


This girl is crazy! I loved the cheerful exuberance she showed when she got up on the podium for her silver medal, but it was watching her in the stands going completely bananas over her boyfriend Charles Hamelin races that made me love her the most. Her spirit is amazing!

Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir - Figure Skating (Canada)


Oh man, where to start with these two? Quite frankly, nothing in the entire Olympics gripped me as much as their quest for gold. I never used to never care about ice dancing, just men's/women's/pairs skating, but everything has changed now due to the sweet perfection and chemistry of these two... and the next two athletes I'm going to mention.

Meryl Davis & Charlie White - Figure Skating (USA)


Adorable as well; training mates and best friends with Virtue & Moir, these skaters are just as good as their Canadian counterparts, with loads of flair and artistry. And there's something very striking about Davis that I really like.

Kim Yu-Na - Figure Skating (South Korea)


Yu-Na is unlike any skater I've ever seen before. Watching her skate is like watching a poem come to life. She gets lost in the music when she's out on the ice, the picture of quiet maturity. And then when she breaks character you get a sense of just how young she still is. After she won the gold, I've started calling her Queen Yu-Na. :)

Hayley Wickenheiser - Hockey (Canada)


For me, she has become the face of women's hockey in Canada. She's such an amazing, talented, and dedicated captain. I love how she pulls her team together. I love that she carried her son on the ice soon after they won the gold medal game. You're awesome, Hayley!

Apolo Anton Ohno - Short Track Speed Skating (USA)


The guy is so tiny compared to the other skaters but man he can move! It's amazing how he pulls off some of his passes. Plus, it's fun to say his name. :)

Wang Meng - Short Track Speed Skating (China)


Every time our Canadian women competed in an event with her, I'd scream "OH NO, WANG MENG!" Because with Wang Meng around, you cannot win. She is a machine... a perpetual skating machine. Kudos to the fastest, most tireless skater in the world!

It seems to be that I have a thing for skaters, eh? Especially figure skaters! I think I may have to follow Worlds when it starts on March 22nd. :)