Can't Get Enough Of These Things!

Enough time has passed that I believe it’s time for another episode of me suggesting what free iPhone apps y’all should download. I’ve got a few lovely ones to share today. My apologies if they are not free anymore. :P

1. Asteroid Blaster - I’ve always loved that game Asteroids; this updated version of the game released by Atari is a total gem, especially since it’s free. In addition to the game we all know and love, there’s the ability to unlock power ups, new sectors, and different ships. The learning curve gets very steep (I’m kind of stuck right now) but it’s so pretty and engaging that I’m willing to plug through with it.


2. Pocket Camera - I actually deleted Camera Sharp because I loved this new app so much! It has waaaaay more options than Camera Sharp ever had, like changing the metering and the focus, all kinds of resolution options, and of course the ability select timers and focus. Unfortunately I think this app is no longer free; I can only find it as Pocket Camera Pro in the iTunes store.



3. Snapseed - Aside from Instagram, this is my go-to photo editing app because of one special capability: CROPPING. It allows me to crop the image as I see fit, or even leave it in its native landscape/portrait orientation, as opposed to the perfect squares of Instagram. And for that, I thank it. It's also great for doing just minor fixes and tweaks on photos, when you don't want to get all artistic but just want a nice clear photo.


4. How Stuff Works - This free app is surprisingly awesome because it gives you access to host of amazing podcasts. As someone who is often stuck in a long commute, sometimes I switch the radio off and turn my iPhone up and listen to something from the Stuff Your Mother Never Told You series, a series that generall warms my little feminist heart. ;) Other rocking podcasts can be found under Stuff To Blow Your Mind and Stuff From The Future, but they're all brilliant really. Highly recommended for those of us who want to learn something interesting for 20 minutes. :)


5. Craftgawker - As a crafty crocheter, sometimes it pays to get creative inspiration from areas other than just crocheting, in which case I dip into the lovely visual distraction that is this app. It's basically just a pile of photos (with link) to all kinds of crafting projects online, from making your own buttons to a how-to on turning old tires into a retro kitsch lamp. :)

Damned Lies

Every day I run into so many ridiculous gender misconceptions that it’s hard to keep them all straight. But there is something I really just want to put to rest right about now. Are y’all ready for it?

Fact: if a man holds his girlfriend or wife’s purse for two seconds, his penis will not, I repeat NOT, fall off or shrivel up.

I know, it’s a revolutionary thought!

I’m talking to you, DJs on my morning radio. Saying that a man holding his girlfriend’s purse is the height of boyfriend emasculation strikes me as preposterous hyperbole. And I’m talking to you, commercial for Wiserhood whisky. Comparing a woman’s purse to dog shit, wow, how nice of you, thanks for the heads up that you hold my personal belongings in so much contempt.

Seriously though, if you think a dude’s manhood is in question if he simply holds a sack of shiny jeweled plastic, you might want to rethink your beliefs about what really makes a man a man. You know, like compassion and kindness? Think about it.

Major Lazer

So this past Friday, I got laser eye surgery! I've been dreaming about getting it since I was maybe 19 years old and it's always been something I've wanted to put my savings towards. The surgery itself went by ridiculously fast, even though I was kept waiting for about 3 hours the day of the surgery. The surgery itself wasn't even painful, just uncomfortable at times due to being blinded by bright and/or flashing lights. Oh, and then there was the part where I could smell the laser burning off my corneal flesh, ew. If anything, that was the grossest part. But otherwise? Easy peasy. The staff at the office kept asking: are you nervous? Do you want some Xanax? Hee. Naw, I was cool as a cucumber.

Initially things were pretty blurry and I wanted to keep my eyes closed a lot while sitting around and wearing protective sunglasses. There was also the complex system of eye drops I was required to take post-op; eye drops are never an issue for me but the steroid eye drops (to prevent inflammation) had a nasty freaking aftertaste that would drip down the back of my throat, causing me to go "BLECHHHHH I NEED FOOD TO WIPE AWAY THE GROSSNESS." ;) By the evening my eyesight had mostly returned and I was reading shit from meters away.

I woke up the next day with really dry eyes, but thankfully my intense regiment of eye drops fixed that. At my follow-up assessment, they told me my eyes were a vision (hah!) of perfect health and that my eyesight was at 20/15. I don't think I've ever been able to see that well. Ever! I've been wearing glasses since I was 8 years old, after all. This is probably the best I've ever been able to see in my entire life.

Right now, things are looking good. I've got a bit of eye dryness at night and in the morning, plus ghosting/starbursts when I look at bright lights at night, but typically those side effects fade away around 4 weeks after the surgery. I'm just watching that I don't rub my eyes (which is something I never realized I did all that much, but now that I can't do it I notice I want to do it A LOT), and I can't wear any eye makeup until my next post-op check up in a week. But it's stunning how quickly I've become a Person Who Can See Unaided. It's weird to wake up in the morning or be in the shower while being totally able to see everything, I keep wondering why the hell I'm wearing my contacts!

I'm sure I'll get used to it soon enough. :)

Imagine Life 10 Years From Now

Last night I was talking with a friend about jobs and the market and education and he brought up a point that someone had raised at one of his management meeting. The point was this: when we were in high school and university, educators were trying to train us for jobs that didn’t exist yet. So by the time we’d entered the labour force, there was a slew of jobs for things we hadn’t even envisioned. I could see exactly where he was coming from… no one told me in high school that I could have specialized in CCS and HTML and become a web/graphic designer in my late 20s because the field basically didn’t even exist at that point. High school “computer class” involved antiquated programming languages and using Lotus 1-2-3. :P

And today, another friend of mine mentioned that her university was looking for a professor of Social Media. Seriously, SOCIAL MEDIA. A PROFESSOR. What kind of wonderful world are we living in!? ;) It’s a crying shame that there are some awesome careers out there that didn’t even exist three or four years ago, so there’s no real way for people above a certain age to get into them without taking time off for re-educating themselves.

Guess I'll Go Home And Make Chicken Fingers Instead

Today, I felt like doing something interesting and different after work. I thought it might be a nice idea to take some random photos of trees and flowers in nearby parks, just as the leaves are starting to fall. I even began to google potential parks that are on my route home.

But then I thought: “What if something BAD were to happen to me? I don’t want that. And people would just say well you’re a petite, well-dressed woman, out on your own at dusk... you shouldn’t have been so reckless.”

So I’m not going. And THAT, my friends, is how the patriarchy works.

Gaming Changes Everything

"When I had my daughter, my perspective and my lifestyle changed, but I did NOT feel that I fulfilled my role as a woman or whatever that old crap is. For me it was like *pop-up* [Achievement unlocked: Baby!]"

I don't know why but I CANNOT STOP LAUGHING AT THIS. Amazing metaphor hahaha!

Crash And Burn

In the past couple months my computer has taken a turn for the worse. It all started when I upgraded to the latest version of Firefox and promptly hated everything about it. I ended up uninstalling it and going back to version 3.6 or so, and that’s when the problems started. Every five minutes, my browser would suddenly stop responding and start thinking really, really hard for a couple minutes before returning to normal. Needless to say, this sort of stop-and-go nonsense really ruined the flow of my internet experience, but I’m fortunate enough that I have an iPhone to supplement my online needs.

Alas, things have become worse. It came to my attention that it wasn’t just Firefox that was affected, but any internet browser on my computer (e.g. even IE had the same problem, and downloading Chrome or Safari wouldn’t be of any use). And since this past weekend, the ratio of “non-responsiveness” to “functional browser” has gone from 25 : 75 to 55 : 45. D: Honestly, I think I may have to reformat it once again, because Googling for a solution has just resulted in a lot of advanced gobbledygook that suggests Javascript is to blame.

It sucks. I don’t want to lose all my 6000+ songs and countless graphics all over again!

In other news, I was thinking of switching my blog from Blogger to Wordpress. I like the convenience of having Blogger tied in with my Google account, but on the other hand it makes me uneasy at the same time because, well. *points at tag*I also like how nicely you can customize your blog here, layout and image-wise. Just look at that lovely background pattern! But Wordpress is simply a lot more dynamic, easier to navigate and with more bells and whistles and customization options when it comes to privacy, security, and content promotion. That being said, as soon as I had thought about moving, Blogger decided to release its sleek new interface. So now I’m unsure what to do. I think I need to play around a bit more with the Blogger options before coming to a final decision.

Jack Layton = #WIN

Goodbye To Canada's Champion For Social Justice

I’ve been meaning to write a post about Jack Layton for a few days now, but I’m finding it hard to come up with anything meaningful without revealing my political practices and affiliations for all the internet to see. Let me just say that when I came in to work Monday morning and my coworker casually mentioned that he had passed away, my first reaction was "haha very funny". Then I realized she wasn’t joking. I was shocked, in disbelief, and immediately scurried online to see if it was true. Honestly, I felt somewhat betrayed by fate, that right when the NDP was poised to make some great changes to the arena, its champion was taken away so suddenly. It wasn’t fair that Layton would never be able to take his party to the heights he had dreamed and worked so hard for. But the nation-wide outpouring of grief and condolences showed me I wasn’t alone in feeling so bad, and then when his letter was released, so full of optimism and hope, it felt good knowing that even in the end, Layton reached out to the country and encouraged everyone to make his legacy come true.


I don’t know if the NDP will falter now without it’s charismatic leader. But I’ll be going to the state funeral on Saturday with a bottle of Orange Crush. I’ll be remembering the one time I met Jack Layton, a few years ago at Earth Hour. He was just part of the crowd at Yonge-Dundas Square, enjoying the atmosphere like any other citizen, while graciously taking the time to speak with anyone who approached him. We briefly chatted about Earth Hour and how we hoped it would be a success that year, and then he was off to a couple who wanted a photo with him.

Seems like only yesterday I was ROTFLing over Layton using the words "hashtag" and "bling-bling" during the national debate. He will be sorely missed.

Liberal Thoughts

When parents neglect their children, we (rightly) call it criminal. When governments neglect their people, well, we might call it criminal if that government is a dark-skinned warlord who's stealing food intended for his country's starving citizens. But when a "civilized" government neglects to provide choices, resources, options for meaningful work, opportunities for participation in conversations about national needs and identity, cultural inclusion, some basic sense of being valued, to its citizens, we call that "democracy," and call criminal any display of frustration, despondency, rage at that grotesque injustice.

Read the whole post here at Shakesville, regarding the riots in London.

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.