Behold The Glory Of All Creation!

As someone on Twitter said, if you’re not watching #Cosmos you owe me a 72 page essay outlining why not. ;)

For those not in the know, “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” is a science documentary series being shown on Fox TV, produced by Seth McFarlane, hosted by the phenomenal Neil deGrasse Tyson, inspired by the original series from Carl Sagan. The interesting thing about the show is that it’s not trying to be ground breaking or revolutionary. Instead, NdT just points out the facts with the tenacity of an astrophysicist who’s had quite enough of America’s anti-science fundie creationist bullshit.

I saw the first episode during a rerun on Saturday; even though I had previously heard the episode incited controversy through its narrative of the church vs. free-thinker, I wasn’t prepared for how all-out the show actually went! They really painted religious figureheads as the enemies of progress, all the while emphasizing that science is not in competition with faith or god, but really an extension of it.

Last night’s second episode also wasn’t afraid to throw some punches, especially regarding evolution. NdT was basically like: “listen, evolution is a fact, deal with it”. More than anything, this show is a political statement, a measured response to disinformation and distrust. But even as NdT recalls the religious opposition to Darwin or alludes to a man-made ongoing mass extinction, he also shows how marvelous science can be. My favourite moments:

- Did you know that on Saturn’s moon Titan, there is a large water mass named the Kraken Sea? KRAKEN, seriously.

- NdT looking straight into the screen, subtly inviting children watching the show to be the individual who finally unravels the origin of life on earth.

Can’t wait for next week! Wish I could mainline it like House of Cards. ;)

Blog Topic #29 - If I Were a Television Producer

My show would be the shit, I can tell you that much. ;P

Back when I was far more fannish and obsessed with my TV shows (a mere 3-4 years ago), I used to have the most vivid and fantastical dreams that were basically episodes of House, CSI, Bones, or Lost. I shared a few of them with friends and the reaction was generally "omg, I’d watch that!"

My TV show would centre around some sort of supernatural or mystical element in our current world, because as much as I love my scientific procedurals, nothing beats the kind of mindfuck you get from messing with the natural order. And while I love futuristic space-timey shows, world-building is not my forté. The cast would be a variety of ages, genders, races, and orientations. Cinematography would be a big deal, as would the attention to detail on any props. I would be very picky about choosing a composer to do the show’s score and theme song.

It would be an intelligent show. I wouldn’t underestimate the potential of my audience. The dialogue would be succinct but clever, the characters complex and misunderstood, the backdrops epic and intimate at the same time. Aaaand it would be cancelled before the season is over. Isn’t that the way of the world? :P

Blog Topic #84 - Downtime (What I Do Offline to Recharge)

I spend a lot of time online. More than I probably should. And I think it’s gotten worse since I got a smartphone. :P Thankfully, I have a number of offline pursuits to distract me from the shiny lure of the internets. So what do I do in my downtime?

1. I crochet – nothing completely clears my mind like crochet does! Your eyes and brain are completed focused on the yarn and stitches, and you have to watch what you’re doing (unlike knitting). And there’s nothing like watching a pattern come to life and take shape. The only downfall is that if you continue crocheting for too long, your shoulders and neck will not be pleased with you. :P My mom taught me the basics and the rest is I picked up from YouTube.


2. I scrapbook – I really had no intention of getting into scrapbooking because I know how involved and expensive it can be, but I got one of those Mambi kits as a gift and it all took off from there. It’s basically the real life equivalent of making your own desktop wallpaper in Photoshop, which is another pastime of mine coincidently. So I took to it quite well. I love all the fun stickers, picking out photos and laying them out with borders and matting . It’s nice to spend time documenting memories and the people in your life!


3. I watch TV – the offline pastime of kings and queens! I used to be the kind of person who was religiously dedicated to prime time dramas such as Lost, House, Bones, CSI, etc. but I find that I don’t have the patience for such things anymore. I prefer unplugging my brain with a lot of HGTV or something with Gail Vaz-Oxlade on Slice. It's not like there's a plot line to keep track of, plus it's usually educational!


4. I journal – like, in an actual journal, omg. It might not be as quick as typing (and sometimes my hand cramps up, hah) but every now and then it’s nice to meander with your thoughts and document things low-tech style. Old habits die hard; I've been journalling since I was probably 12 years old. Besides, I like the way my handwriting looks! Plus, journalling is extra fun if you're doing it in one of those fancy gilded leather dealies from Indigo. ;)


5. I paint my nails - I've become somewhat obsessed with nail polish over the last couple years and have amassed quite the embarrassing collection (embarrassing only because HOLY CRAP that's a lot of money spent on what is essentially crap haha). It's a great way to kill a couple hours and be creative at the same time. They may be tiny, but even a tiny canvas has limitless potential!


6. I dance - nothing like cranking up the tunes and grooving around the apartment when no one's watching, it's the ultimate stress release. It's fun, it burns calories, it lets me practice my pipes... what's not to like?? :D

What about you guys? When you're not staring at a screen, how do you spend your time?

Sharing Is Caring

I feel like doing a "Thingie Of The Month" type thing right now. You know, just a random little bit of promotion for things that have caught my interest.

TV Show - Maybe you should check out The Borgias? I caught the second episode on TV last weekend and was pleasantly surprised by how interested I was in the plot, considering that the show is definitely NOT my typical cup of tea. Usually I'm watching shows about science or modern supernatural phenomenon, not Euro-centric historical drama.

Food - Y'all there are some weird potato chip flavours out there. Last time I as at Loblaws I was in the chips aisle and was bombarded by a range of tastes that I totally don't associate with chips. But I was curious and tried the chips here: Sicilian Lemon Chicken. It's a decent flavour; frankly it's too much lemon and salt for me and not enough chicken, hahaha. Next time, I'm going to buy the pizza chips. Or maybe the hot dog ones. :P

Song - I bring to you the song "Teenage Crime" by Adrian Lux. It's a club song, but it's a mellow club song, the kind of song I love cranking up as I'm driving alone in my car. Check it out!

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.