I Love My New Plaything

Time for another episode of Apps I'm Using On My iPhone! As always, all the apps I share are free ones, so GO BANANAS, GO GO BANANAS. :)

1. iHome+Sleep - I use this as my main alarm now, screw that old school radio-clock! Not only does it allow you to create multiple alarms that can repeat in specific intervals, you can pick your wake-up (and go-to-sleep music). Plus, the app tracks your sleeping patterns and monitors hours and gives you nifty stats as a result!


2. Tiny Tower - Such an addictive game! Basically, it's like Sim Tower. You build residential apartments to move your "bitizens" in, then build different kinds of stores and services that they can work in and earn you money, so that you can build more apartments and stores... very Tower of Babel, LOL. ;)


3. Camera Sharp - I don't use the default camera app for the iPhone, I use this wonderful thing. It gives you so many added options like the ability to select where the image focuses on, what the exposure of the image is, timed photography, anti-shake options, and more. Seriously, I swear by this app, it makes all my photos look so much better for when I use them for the next app...


4. Instagram - A fun little app that allows you to run your photos through a bunch of lovely filters, then share them on Twitter and Facebook. I pretty much swear by this app, it's a great way to share snapshots of your life and see what creative things your friends can do too! :)


5. Hi-Def Radio - I like listening to the radio in the morning but I hate how morning radio has all those annoying DJs with insipid and generally rage-inducing things to say. So I've downloaded this app and every morning it's either the dance/trance station from Germany, my anime music station from Japan, or a Bollywood station from France of all places, hahaha. Non-stop good music makes my morning. :)

Two Fresh Beats For Ya

Have discovered a few fun songs since my vacation from the UK but I'm going to just share my favourite two. First off, this sexy-fun tune by Nicole Scherzinger.



Oh man, girl can dance. Can I please have her dancing skills? And her swag? And her body? Oh my god. Also, upon watching this video in fullscreen 720p I noticed that one of her background dancers is Kim from SYTYCD Canada! HI KIM! You're doing well for yourself, I see! ;D Love that it's just a bunch of girls dancing in this video, they look so joyful and happy.

Then I saw this video courtesy of Kelly Rowland.



There are so many things to like about this video: the purple lipstick, the slick choreography, Kelly dancing in black combat boots and not heels, the men who must have come straight from the Usher School Of Sculpted Dancers. PURE LOVE. Make mama proud indeed. ;)

This Friday Night... Do It All Again

I have so many great songs I could share with you right now (by bands such as Two Door Cinema Club or The Roots or Starslinger or Lykke Li) but instead I'm going to share this:



Yes, I'm listening to this on repeat, despite the fact that I really love the other songs I have now. It's just... THIS SONG. OMG. I LOVE POP MUSIC. <333

Old Post Is Old

From: http://www.safercampus.org/blog/2011/06/rihannas-man-down-stirs-controversy/ "...media watchdog groups such as Mothers Against Violence and the Parents Television Council are organizing to ban "Man Down" because, according to a spokesperson from the Parents Television Council, Rihanna should be "telling victims they should seek help" instead of "[releasing] a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder.""

Listen, I don't condone violence. But can I point out that the film "Horrible Bosses", a movie about three white dudes who deal with their workplace difficulties by deciding to kill their bosses instead of complaining to human resources, is getting a wide release all over North America and no one's saying boo about it at all? Also, has anyone watched Law & Order: SVU lately?? No one's getting uppity about a whole SHOW about women being subjected to domestic violence there. (Well, except the feminists pointing out we live in a culture that celebrates that kind of thing.)

The hypocrisy, it burns us precious. Rihanna has the right to do whatever the hell she wants. Quite frankly, I find her video for "Man Down" refreshing.

Viva La Revolución!

As of this month, I am now the proud owner of the iPhone 4. It's a nifty piece of technology to say the least, very dynamic and powerful. But as I troll through articles upon articles recommending the best apps to download, I'm struck by the fact that a lot of them work best if you're in the US. Aww, us Canucks, we just can't get a break. ;) So I thought I'd give a rundown of some of my current favourite apps, apps that do their thing and do their thing well even for a Canadian like me. Bounus feature: all of the following apps are FREE!

Wunderlist - Yes yes, go ahead and say it in an enthusiastic German accent. ;) One of the things I've been planning to do with my iPhone is turn it into the replacement for my pen and paper day-planner, and with this app dovetailing with the default calendar app, I'm able to list all the things I need to eventually do or look into or buy. It's a very pretty looking app too, which is a big thing for me. ;)


Miner Speed - Game app! Another free one and granted there's not much to it, but I still find it addictive. It's basically Bewjeweled with a few tweaks, swap the jewels to make them disappear, get yourself a high score. You get coins depending on how well you score and you can use these coins to buy (very expensive) power-ups. I find myself playing incessantly so that I can save up the cash to get as many power-ups as possible.


SoundHound - I actually have both this app and Shazaam, which had never let me down when I used it on another person's iPhone. But I've had a couple instances recently where Shazaam was at a loss and SoundHound pulled through, therefore it's the one getting my seal of approval. Hear a song you like and want to know about it? Turn on SoundHound and it'll identify it for you! Better yet, heard a song you liked? Just hum and SoundHound will figure that one out too!


Gas Price Canada - Fairly timely, don't you think? Want to know whether you should fill up your tank now or tomorrow? Pick your city and this app will tell you how the price of gas will change from today to tomorrow. Absolutely brilliant. I just wish I had checked this app before I left work yesterday. *facepalm*

Apps that disappointed me - Redlaser (doesn't always work and when it does, prices are only in $US), Angry Birds (okay, so I couldn't pass the second level, I might be a bit biased), Springpad (decent but not as pretty as Wunderlist).

Apps I might try - Epicurious, Weather Channel, and BlogTO.

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!

Peaking Out

"Ultimately, there really are only two options. One is to militarize the taking of oil, which means to get your population to understand that if they want to continue to drive SUVs and have the cars and consume energy in the way that they are, that they will be in war after war. The other position is to begin to prepare for what we all see coming, which is and end to the era of cheap oil, and to to invest in alternative technologies for energy that are cleaner, safer, and have less detrimental effects on the political and social make up of oil exporting countries themselves."

Watching this movie (A Crude Awakening) makes me envision a totally dystopian future where horrible ethical and moral atrocities are committed in the name of oil consumption. Kind of like when the vampires run out of a a blood supply in that movie Daybreakers. :P I'm actually feeling kind of glad to be alive at this time in human history, because it looks like the use of fossil fuels is pretty much the reason the human race has made such leaps and bounds in the past couple centuries. As Bender would say: "We're boned."

Full Of Warm Food And Happy-Making Music

Say it with me, Torontonians... "Lousy Smarch weather!"

On a day like this it's no wonder my motivation to spent time out in the world was especially low. Therefore, the evening was spent making homemade tuna bisque, plus I started watching A Crude Awakening. Things I have learned tonight: butter makes everything delicious, and never underestimate the power of human rapacity.

In any case, it's time to enjoy a new song. I bring thee some Canadian content, a new Danny Fernandes song called 'Take Me Away'. LOL @ his vision of Toronto in the future.



Did I mention there is a BENNY BENASSI REMIX of this already lovely song?! Oh yes, there is. Enjoy, my pretties. :D

Don't Forget The Lyrics

In the heat of love, I can feel you touch me places.
Can you warm it up? Till I'm never cold.
You're the only one that my burning heart desires.
And it's just begun; let the fire grow.

I wanna feel your moonlight turn to sun, wanna feel the morning come.
Wanna feel your fire.
I wanna feel your winter turn to spring, wanna feel that summer rain.
Wanna feel your fire.

My body’s hot, I need you to break my fever.
And don’t you stop, I’m getting close.
Take me in your arms, can you feel my heartbeat racing?
It’s a five-alarm; burn out of control.

I wanna feel your moonlight turn to sun, wanna feel the morning come.
Wanna feel your fire.
I wanna feel your winter turn to spring, wanna feel that summer rain.
Wanna feel your fire.



I’m not yours and you’re not mine,
But we can sit and pass the time
No fighting wars, no ringing chimes,
We’re just feeling fine
This is where we’re supposed to be,
Sitting by a broken tree
No tragedy, no poetry,
Just staring at the sky

I could wait a thousand hours,
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I’m the one, there’s not too many
Hold my hand to keep me steady
Just to be quiet with you

I like it here beside you, dear
You’re even more than you appear
And in the clouds my head is clear
Every time you say hello
Here’s my heart and here’s my mouth
And I can’t help if things come out
Cause there are words I want to shout
But maybe I’ll stay low

I could wait a thousand hours,
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I’m the one, there’s not too many
Hold my hand to keep me steady
Just to be quiet with you

Best Finished Object Yet!

Wasn't feeling so well this weekend so I ended up spending lot of time in bed or on the couch. And since I didn't feel like reading, I took the opportunity to start a new crochet project. I decided on a pair of fingerless mittens in maroon and I can't believe how beautifully they turned out!




When I finished the actual mitts I realized the body looked kind of wonky at the end of the rounds, so I decided to cover it up with a flower. But the flower pattern I chose had a hole in the middle too big to be covered up with a nice little button (my original plan) so I ended up sewing in some small jewels that fell off one of my shirts, LOL.

Massive Music Post Of Massiveness!

I am BRINGING THE THUNDER tonight, ladies and gents! Prepare your auditory canal for some serious funtiems. :D

1. Flo Rida ft. Akon - Who Dat Girl

SHUT YOUR FACE, this is my theme song right now. :P

2. Keshia Chante - Table Dancer

Again, shut your piehole! I actually didn't like this song when I saw the video on TV, but when you're not distracted by how sexed-up Keshia Chante has become (or KIM AND MELANIE FROM SYTYCD CANADA OMG!) the song is actually really good.

3. David Guetta ft. Rihanna - Who's That Chick

LOL, first "Who Dat Girl" and now "Who's That Chick"? Originality fail! ;) As always, David Guetta delivers!

4. Metric - Help I'm Alive (Twelves Remix)

A coworker introduced me to Twelves remixes, predicting I would dig them. She was right. I love Metric and especially this particular song, but this is really well done!

5. Crookers - We Are Prostitutes

A song I acquired from a friend; dance remix of a anti-capitalist punk song? YES PLEASE!

6. Arnej - We Need Them (Club Mix)

Best for last: a song that a friend actually sent me as a "birthday present", hahaha. This song... speaks to me. Listening to it actually makes my soul expand, like I'm connected to the rest of the universe. I must have been a raver in a past life or something. Interestingly enough, Arnej also has a song called They Need Us, which is kind of the doppelganger of this song.

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!