Monday, 17 October 2011
Off the Cuff
Today, as per my weekly standard, I attended Networking Group, which is where a bunch of us who are on the employment prowl gather to discuss who's looking for what, and what someone might have heard of elsewhere. In short, your typical style of networking. We didn't have a session last week since it was Thanksgiving, but we did have group the week before, and as always, I shared whatever it was I had to say. At that group, there was one guy whose son was working at ArcelorMittal Dofasco, where I previously worked as a casual, whose contract was coming due. So I said what I had to say about the mill, where the son has the best odds of being hired full time, what he could expect at whatever point he was with his contract, and so forth. Not only did I work as a casual at Dofasco, and do time as a student, but I was the third generation in my family to be employed there, so I know a few more things than the average Joe. We all went on our ways, and I thought nothing of it, that is until this morning when another group member made mention how he was out doing his thing within the last couple of weeks, and someone he came across had a kid as a casual who was facing the same contract issue that I had talked about at the last networking meeting. This member remembered the off the cuff comment I had made at the previous session, and was able to confidently talk about what I had said. The person with the contract problem was left impressed, the networking member felt quite proud and pleased that he was able to discuss something that he previously had no knowledge of, and I'm thinking it's pretty cool that something I said was put to good use, and able to assist someone else. So to those who used what I said during the last networking meeting, I'm glad I could be of service, and please, feel free to call upon me again. Being useful like that, even in the smallest way, is kind of awesome.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Review: Killer Elite
One of my friends and I went to see Killer Elite this evening, which stars Jason Stathom, Clive Owen, and Robert DeNero. My verdict? Freaking. Awesome. Movie! From start to finish, it was jam packed. Something was always happening. Yes, the movie was long, and I could tell it was long, however, I never once felt bored, but that's because there was so much going on. There were a few plot twists, and things that I wasn't anticipating, and the stuff that I thought was going to happen never occurred at all. Don't worry, it's not a bad thing. For instance, I thought one character was baiting another, but such was not the case as he was actually unsuspecting of what was about to happen. Naturally, it was an action-packed movie loaded with car chases, seriously kick-ass fight scenes, and a shoot-out or two, but it also came loaded with some epic comedy. The best line was between Stathom and one of his crew:
"Want a lollipop?" -Other Guy
"Yeah." -Stathom
"What flavour? Strawberry or f*ck you?" -Other Guy
That kept me laughing for a good two minutes after the line was said. Fabulous.
As the movie was set in the '80s, there were plenty of old school cars to tickle the viewer fancy. There was an Aston Marton, a Rolls (help me out here if I was wrong with this one), and an old Ford muscle car that was actually kick-ass. The movie was also loaded with Mercedes-Benz', which my friend hates with a passion. That being said, he cheered and applauded every single time one was either blown up, or shot to pieces.
Overall, Killer Elite was awesome. I'd go see it again, and I'd even buy it when it comes out on DVD. If you're a fan of action movies, you must see this. I promise you will not be disappointed. Start to finish, this was one solid film. It was killer.
"Want a lollipop?" -Other Guy
"Yeah." -Stathom
"What flavour? Strawberry or f*ck you?" -Other Guy
That kept me laughing for a good two minutes after the line was said. Fabulous.
As the movie was set in the '80s, there were plenty of old school cars to tickle the viewer fancy. There was an Aston Marton, a Rolls (help me out here if I was wrong with this one), and an old Ford muscle car that was actually kick-ass. The movie was also loaded with Mercedes-Benz', which my friend hates with a passion. That being said, he cheered and applauded every single time one was either blown up, or shot to pieces.
Overall, Killer Elite was awesome. I'd go see it again, and I'd even buy it when it comes out on DVD. If you're a fan of action movies, you must see this. I promise you will not be disappointed. Start to finish, this was one solid film. It was killer.
Antifemme Fable
I was out at Tim Horton's yesterday doing some homework for my Literature for Children course. The unit I was working on was The Folktale. The most famous of these tales were brought forth by two German brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. To say that the tales are like their name would be an understatement. Sure, such tales have often left me thinking to myself, "my god, those brothers belong in an asylum," however, that's not exactly what this post is about. Well, not in its entirety anyway. I'll get there in a moment.
Of course, homework comes with questions, and the one that really got my mental muscle flexing was as follows:
Discuss the issues of violence and antifeminism in traditional or folk literature, giving specific examples of each and taking a stand on whether or not these issues "contaminate" folk literature and render it inappropriate for children.
If you've ever read a folk tale a la the Brothers Grimm, then you would know why violence in children's lit would be questioned. For example, I'll use Snow White. The fluffy Disney version that most people are familiar with has the evil stepmother falling off the edge of a cliff in the midst of a thunderstorm. Snow White and her prince live happily ever after. The story ends. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's version? Well, the evil stepmother doesn't fall off the edge of a cliff to her doom. Instead, she's invited to Snow White's wedding. Upon the evil stepmother's arrival, she's sentenced to dance to her death in red hot iron slippers. Yeah. I know. Messed up. And that's just a mild tale. If you want something that has a more violent ending, try reading The Goose-Girl:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm089.html
However, believe it or not, the issue of violence in children's lit didn't get me going quite as much as the antifeminism part. Perhaps it's because we see so much violence in everything else, like on television and the movies that I didn't feel as phased. Also, as many might likely agree, violence in a story kicks the interest level up a few notches. As for how much a child ought to be exposed to, well, that's best left to the discretion of the parents, or at least until the child understands the difference between right and wrong, and is mature enough to handle such tales.
With regards to the antifeminism, I hate how the majority of folk and fairy tales have the girls being all woe-is-me, helpless, and in dire need of Prince Charming to come along and make everything better. We're all familiar with Cinderella, or at least the really annoying Disney version (ok, so maybe Disney irks me by catering to the pathetic-female whims). Instead of standing up to her stepmother and stepsisters, she allows herself to be trampled upon, used as a slave, and have her self-esteem wiped-out. So, of course, she naturally thinks, "I hope Prince Charming will pick me. Then my life will be perfect." What a bunch of crap. These morals are teaching the readers the wrong lesson, especially to young girls. If you know me, you can probably sense a rant coming on.
I was raised with the mantra, "I don't need no stinkin' man," so when I read about females who require one to be happy? Oh hell no! From a very young age, I was brought up to think for myself, speak my mind, and that there's more to life than having a guy in it. Don't get me wrong. Having one would be fantastic, however, I've managed to do quite well as a single lady. I'm able to function day to day, and feel secure with myself. Also, I have a very broad set of shoulders, a strong spine, and if you're familiar with my best friend, you'll have heard him say that I have bigger metaphorical balls than most men. Why can't the ladies in these stories be the same. Granted, there are a few exceptions, but not many ("Molly Whuppie" would be one of the few. Yes, she still still marries her prince, but at least she's clever and crafty).
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/eft/eft23.htm
Yes, I know I need to remember not only the context, but the time in which they were written, but still. There had to be a Joan of Arc of sorts in there somewhere (and no, you don't need to remind me how tale ended).
Yes, I suppose I could be considered a feminist of sorts, however, I prefer to think of myself as a realistic one. At least I won't be the one in the stories who's unable to function while waiting for my prince to come.
Of course, homework comes with questions, and the one that really got my mental muscle flexing was as follows:
Discuss the issues of violence and antifeminism in traditional or folk literature, giving specific examples of each and taking a stand on whether or not these issues "contaminate" folk literature and render it inappropriate for children.
If you've ever read a folk tale a la the Brothers Grimm, then you would know why violence in children's lit would be questioned. For example, I'll use Snow White. The fluffy Disney version that most people are familiar with has the evil stepmother falling off the edge of a cliff in the midst of a thunderstorm. Snow White and her prince live happily ever after. The story ends. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's version? Well, the evil stepmother doesn't fall off the edge of a cliff to her doom. Instead, she's invited to Snow White's wedding. Upon the evil stepmother's arrival, she's sentenced to dance to her death in red hot iron slippers. Yeah. I know. Messed up. And that's just a mild tale. If you want something that has a more violent ending, try reading The Goose-Girl:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm089.html
However, believe it or not, the issue of violence in children's lit didn't get me going quite as much as the antifeminism part. Perhaps it's because we see so much violence in everything else, like on television and the movies that I didn't feel as phased. Also, as many might likely agree, violence in a story kicks the interest level up a few notches. As for how much a child ought to be exposed to, well, that's best left to the discretion of the parents, or at least until the child understands the difference between right and wrong, and is mature enough to handle such tales.
With regards to the antifeminism, I hate how the majority of folk and fairy tales have the girls being all woe-is-me, helpless, and in dire need of Prince Charming to come along and make everything better. We're all familiar with Cinderella, or at least the really annoying Disney version (ok, so maybe Disney irks me by catering to the pathetic-female whims). Instead of standing up to her stepmother and stepsisters, she allows herself to be trampled upon, used as a slave, and have her self-esteem wiped-out. So, of course, she naturally thinks, "I hope Prince Charming will pick me. Then my life will be perfect." What a bunch of crap. These morals are teaching the readers the wrong lesson, especially to young girls. If you know me, you can probably sense a rant coming on.
I was raised with the mantra, "I don't need no stinkin' man," so when I read about females who require one to be happy? Oh hell no! From a very young age, I was brought up to think for myself, speak my mind, and that there's more to life than having a guy in it. Don't get me wrong. Having one would be fantastic, however, I've managed to do quite well as a single lady. I'm able to function day to day, and feel secure with myself. Also, I have a very broad set of shoulders, a strong spine, and if you're familiar with my best friend, you'll have heard him say that I have bigger metaphorical balls than most men. Why can't the ladies in these stories be the same. Granted, there are a few exceptions, but not many ("Molly Whuppie" would be one of the few. Yes, she still still marries her prince, but at least she's clever and crafty).
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/eft/eft23.htm
Yes, I know I need to remember not only the context, but the time in which they were written, but still. There had to be a Joan of Arc of sorts in there somewhere (and no, you don't need to remind me how tale ended).
Yes, I suppose I could be considered a feminist of sorts, however, I prefer to think of myself as a realistic one. At least I won't be the one in the stories who's unable to function while waiting for my prince to come.
Friday, 14 October 2011
Redlight King
I keep meaning to write about this musician, the Redlight King. From what I've been told, he's originally from my hometown, and his musician name is pretty much a homage to his father.
Neil Young has a song called "Old Man". He also apparently has a thing about people wanting to use his music. The Redlight King managed to get permission from Mr. Young to do his own cover of "Old Man", which would become his breakout song. It's gritty, brilliant, and from what I've been told, the scene of the young man looking at his trophies with the car pictures in the background, the white one on the right hand side is the Redlight Bandit. Rumour has it that those who know this man's father, and know the car, often wondered what happened to that photograph. Never in a million years would they guess that it would cameo in a music video. See for yourself.
Certainly, that's rather cool, having local lore make an appearance in this video.
For the longest time, I didn't hear anything else of his. I was hoping he wouldn't become a one hit wonder because, quite frankly, I think his B-brook ties are rather awesome. Okay, so he states that he's originally from the Hamilton area, but that's beside the point. A couple of days ago, I saw another video of his. Now, can you guess what I find awesome about it?
If you guessed the World War Two aircraft, you'd be correct. Now here's the additional trivia that you might not realize. Anyone who lives around here, who isn't sheltered, knows that this video was filmed at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. How would I know that? Fact that I recognize all the aircraft aside, I've been to Warplane Heritage more times than I can count. And... I live only minutes away. I know. Pure awesome.
Now, there's one more video of his that I've seen, and I'm not sure if that's all he has or not, however, these are surely a start. Once again, it was filmed locally. How many parts of the Hammer do you recognize?
What can I say? When the artist is local, I just have to share. I'm certain you would be tempted to do the same.
Neil Young has a song called "Old Man". He also apparently has a thing about people wanting to use his music. The Redlight King managed to get permission from Mr. Young to do his own cover of "Old Man", which would become his breakout song. It's gritty, brilliant, and from what I've been told, the scene of the young man looking at his trophies with the car pictures in the background, the white one on the right hand side is the Redlight Bandit. Rumour has it that those who know this man's father, and know the car, often wondered what happened to that photograph. Never in a million years would they guess that it would cameo in a music video. See for yourself.
Certainly, that's rather cool, having local lore make an appearance in this video.
For the longest time, I didn't hear anything else of his. I was hoping he wouldn't become a one hit wonder because, quite frankly, I think his B-brook ties are rather awesome. Okay, so he states that he's originally from the Hamilton area, but that's beside the point. A couple of days ago, I saw another video of his. Now, can you guess what I find awesome about it?
If you guessed the World War Two aircraft, you'd be correct. Now here's the additional trivia that you might not realize. Anyone who lives around here, who isn't sheltered, knows that this video was filmed at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. How would I know that? Fact that I recognize all the aircraft aside, I've been to Warplane Heritage more times than I can count. And... I live only minutes away. I know. Pure awesome.
Now, there's one more video of his that I've seen, and I'm not sure if that's all he has or not, however, these are surely a start. Once again, it was filmed locally. How many parts of the Hammer do you recognize?
What can I say? When the artist is local, I just have to share. I'm certain you would be tempted to do the same.
Sweet Strombo & Awesome Atwood
I'm a long-time fan of George Stroumboulopoulos (I hope I spelled that correctly. Strombo, if you ever read this, I apologize if I misspelled your name). I've been watching his show for years, well, whenever I get the chance to catch it, and I always love how he starts off with, "I'm your boyfriend...". That's right. For the duration of his show, I'm not a single lady. Strombo as my boyfriend? Score!
Moving on...
Last night, I was flipping through the channel guide, and low and behold, his show was on. So I read the info on it, and his guest for the evening was none other than one of this country's literary giants, Margaret Atwood. You bet I was going to watch that episode! Strombo plus Atwood? Talk about a Canadian power duo! I must confess, I've never read any of Atwood's novels (I know, I know, shame on me), however, I have read some of her poetry and essays. Strombo has always been a fabulous interviewer, and Atwood proved that she's a fantastic interviewee.
Miss. Atwood is a most interesting person. The pictures of her that I've seen give off the impression of a somewhat scary-looking woman. Not Wicked Witch of the West kind of scary, a Do Not Get On My Bad Side Or I Will Become Your Worst Nightmare kind of scary. The woman who was being interviewed last night was softer-looking, and had a much quieter voice (in terms of volume) than I would have expected. But don't let that quiet voice fool you. She wouldn't be the powerhouse she is if she wasn't heard. For instance, she didn't mean to cause a ruckus when she tweeted her opinion about Doug Ford wanting to close libraries, she just happens to have a large Twitter following who share similar feelings, and decided to become rather vocal.
Of course, if anyone can tap into the brilliance of an interviewee, Strombo knows how to do it. According to Atwood, the sci-fi genre can be broken down into three sub-genres: The science fiction that we're most familiar with (think Isaac Asimov and H.G Wells), speculative fiction (think George Orwell's 1984), and sword & scorcery fiction/ science fantasy (I believe Tolkien falls into this category). Speaking of Tolkein, according to Atwood, if she could place Canada/ Canadians as any Lord of the Rings character(s), we would be the Hobbits in the Shire. We're fun-loving, kind, like to party, and we have the "One Ring to Rule Them All" in a manner of speaking. Translated, we have a good many resources that the world requires and would love to get their hands on. Leave it to a literary giant to compare this country to LOTR. She'd probably be Gandalf, particularly at the end of the first movie, when he takes his staff, slams it down, and starts bellowing, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
And that big mother of a monster would be Doug Ford backing down for fear of getting his ass kicked by Margaret Atwood, only she'd likely be hollering, "LIBRARIES SHALL NOT CLOSE" instead.
Last night, Strombo decided to do his one series of crazy, random questions thing. At Atwood's insistence, Strombo asked her which Wizard of Oz she best portrays. Not surprisingly, though she has her Glinda days, she has no problem being the Wicked Witch of the West. As well, Margaret Atwood seems to have a love of comic books, particularly Batman. Who knew?
Methinks I'm going to have to start reading some of Margaret Atwood's novels. I get the feeling that they would be most fascinating.
Below is the link to the video of George Stroumboulopoulos' interview with Margaret Atwood from his page on the CBC website:
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/videos.html?id=2153620696
Enjoy!
Moving on...
Last night, I was flipping through the channel guide, and low and behold, his show was on. So I read the info on it, and his guest for the evening was none other than one of this country's literary giants, Margaret Atwood. You bet I was going to watch that episode! Strombo plus Atwood? Talk about a Canadian power duo! I must confess, I've never read any of Atwood's novels (I know, I know, shame on me), however, I have read some of her poetry and essays. Strombo has always been a fabulous interviewer, and Atwood proved that she's a fantastic interviewee.
Miss. Atwood is a most interesting person. The pictures of her that I've seen give off the impression of a somewhat scary-looking woman. Not Wicked Witch of the West kind of scary, a Do Not Get On My Bad Side Or I Will Become Your Worst Nightmare kind of scary. The woman who was being interviewed last night was softer-looking, and had a much quieter voice (in terms of volume) than I would have expected. But don't let that quiet voice fool you. She wouldn't be the powerhouse she is if she wasn't heard. For instance, she didn't mean to cause a ruckus when she tweeted her opinion about Doug Ford wanting to close libraries, she just happens to have a large Twitter following who share similar feelings, and decided to become rather vocal.
Of course, if anyone can tap into the brilliance of an interviewee, Strombo knows how to do it. According to Atwood, the sci-fi genre can be broken down into three sub-genres: The science fiction that we're most familiar with (think Isaac Asimov and H.G Wells), speculative fiction (think George Orwell's 1984), and sword & scorcery fiction/ science fantasy (I believe Tolkien falls into this category). Speaking of Tolkein, according to Atwood, if she could place Canada/ Canadians as any Lord of the Rings character(s), we would be the Hobbits in the Shire. We're fun-loving, kind, like to party, and we have the "One Ring to Rule Them All" in a manner of speaking. Translated, we have a good many resources that the world requires and would love to get their hands on. Leave it to a literary giant to compare this country to LOTR. She'd probably be Gandalf, particularly at the end of the first movie, when he takes his staff, slams it down, and starts bellowing, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
And that big mother of a monster would be Doug Ford backing down for fear of getting his ass kicked by Margaret Atwood, only she'd likely be hollering, "LIBRARIES SHALL NOT CLOSE" instead.
Last night, Strombo decided to do his one series of crazy, random questions thing. At Atwood's insistence, Strombo asked her which Wizard of Oz she best portrays. Not surprisingly, though she has her Glinda days, she has no problem being the Wicked Witch of the West. As well, Margaret Atwood seems to have a love of comic books, particularly Batman. Who knew?
Methinks I'm going to have to start reading some of Margaret Atwood's novels. I get the feeling that they would be most fascinating.
Below is the link to the video of George Stroumboulopoulos' interview with Margaret Atwood from his page on the CBC website:
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/videos.html?id=2153620696
Enjoy!
Geekdom's Glory
I have a confession to make. I am not-so-slowly becoming addicted to The Big Bang Theory. Not the theory itself, but the television show. After all, they're a bunch of geneii who are devoted to the ways of Star Wars and Star Trek, to which I can realate. Well, at least with the sci-fi. I don't have a Ph.D by any means.
Anyways...
I've seen more episodes than I care to count now, and so far, a couple of things for me are for certain. I'm totally jealous of Howard's lightsabre display above his bed (remember, this is coming from the girl who went to Star Wars: In Concert dressed up as Princess Leia), Raj sort of reminds me of my best friend (why watch something loaded with testosterone when you can watch a chick flick instead? Yes, I'm referring to a certain someone's love of Pride and Prejudice the way Raj loves Bridget Jones), and I don't blame Sheldon and Leonard for thinking that Enterprise Captains (William Shatner and Patrick Stewart) are worthy conteders of the Sexiest Man Alive title, though I would have chosen Chris Pine for that one. The other certainty? You can bet I was in geek overload when last night's episode had not one, but TWO TNG actors in it. I must admit, even though I did enjoy the original Star Trek series (Shatner, Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, of course it'd be awesome), I was always a bigger fan of The Next Generation, though both rock my socks regardless. Sure, I've seen Wil Wheaton, better known as that pain in the arse crybaby Wesley Crusher on TNG, in a couple of episodes, but what really put me into geek overload was when Brent Spiner, who played Data, one of the coolest characters ever, cameoed in last night's episode as well. What really amused me was how Brent was portrayed as being a somewhat egotistical bugger as opposed to a loveable android. Who knew Data was a head-in-the-gutter dinktwit? Bloody brilliant! Anyone who's a super dorky geek like myself will surely understand how that was totally awesome.
So the Big Bang gang have already played with Star Trek... The only way they could overdose on geeky awesomeness would be if they incorporated any of the Star Wars cast. My votes are for James Earl Jones (Darth Vader, for the win), Anthony Daniels (C-3P0 versus Sheldon Cooper would be most entertaining), and Mark Hammill (Luke Skywalker. Duh.). Any questions?
Anyways...
I've seen more episodes than I care to count now, and so far, a couple of things for me are for certain. I'm totally jealous of Howard's lightsabre display above his bed (remember, this is coming from the girl who went to Star Wars: In Concert dressed up as Princess Leia), Raj sort of reminds me of my best friend (why watch something loaded with testosterone when you can watch a chick flick instead? Yes, I'm referring to a certain someone's love of Pride and Prejudice the way Raj loves Bridget Jones), and I don't blame Sheldon and Leonard for thinking that Enterprise Captains (William Shatner and Patrick Stewart) are worthy conteders of the Sexiest Man Alive title, though I would have chosen Chris Pine for that one. The other certainty? You can bet I was in geek overload when last night's episode had not one, but TWO TNG actors in it. I must admit, even though I did enjoy the original Star Trek series (Shatner, Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, of course it'd be awesome), I was always a bigger fan of The Next Generation, though both rock my socks regardless. Sure, I've seen Wil Wheaton, better known as that pain in the arse crybaby Wesley Crusher on TNG, in a couple of episodes, but what really put me into geek overload was when Brent Spiner, who played Data, one of the coolest characters ever, cameoed in last night's episode as well. What really amused me was how Brent was portrayed as being a somewhat egotistical bugger as opposed to a loveable android. Who knew Data was a head-in-the-gutter dinktwit? Bloody brilliant! Anyone who's a super dorky geek like myself will surely understand how that was totally awesome.
So the Big Bang gang have already played with Star Trek... The only way they could overdose on geeky awesomeness would be if they incorporated any of the Star Wars cast. My votes are for James Earl Jones (Darth Vader, for the win), Anthony Daniels (C-3P0 versus Sheldon Cooper would be most entertaining), and Mark Hammill (Luke Skywalker. Duh.). Any questions?
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Cookies or Pie?
I know, I know, a childish title, and an even more childlike question, but I can't help but as it. As you likely know, provided you read my Thanksgiving post, I managed to acquire a pain in the arse cold that is really starting to royally irk me. My mother, who seriously is the best mommy ever, loved me once, and loved me twice, for she made me chicken soup with rice, which she posted on her facebook, along with a remark about her still waiting for her Mommy of the Year statue. Of course, this prompted my sister to behave like the younger sister she is, and basically say, "oh yeah? Well, she made cookies for me!" And so, in true sisterly fashion, we are now comparing who got what, and which is better. Yes, I do love cookies, especially homemade ones. Who wouldn't? However, my sister recieved her cookies when she came home from uni for the weekend. As for me when I was in post-secondary, my mother mailed me pie... twice! I don't mean a cutesy little pie in a box from the store to a place an hour away, I'm talking baked from scratch, and mailed to Thunder Bay. That's right! Through the mail to Northwestern Ontario! So of course I think that my special school treat was way more awesome. Mailing pie twice to Thunder Bay totally trumps cookies to hold on your lap in terms of awesomeness. So there! What would you choose?
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