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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
wingding's LiveJournal:
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| Monday, July 6th, 2009 | | 12:28 pm |
Monday
I forewent (is that a word?) sleep for a meeting that didn't happen. grrr! I want to think that if I quit the whole place would collapse, but that shit ain't the truth...It's likely no one would even notice. At this point it's sheer stubbornness that's keeping me here, and a sense of fulfilling my duty. I made a commitment, I'm going to honour it, although I do occasionally feel that the under-25s wouldn't mind seeing the back of me...But little do they know that it's hurting themselves more than it hurts me. Licensing agreements, and whatnot...ha. And yes, I'm just venting. Review time: The Writing Class by Jincy Willett. (I'm not sure I spelled that right, it's an unusual name)... This book was perfect for whiling away a summer afternoon in my sister's backyard. Willett is a clever storyteller and bends genres until they're ready to snap. This is a comedy, a whodunit, and a character sketch all at once. I picked it up at my mom's house, expecting fluffy but amusing chick-lit, and got a very pleasant surprise. Plotwise, it's pretty simple. Amy Gallup, an aging, bitter writer whose success is long behind her, teaches a writing class full of the usual wannabes. Anyone who's taken a writing class will recognize each character, but Willett is never mean in her descriptions, just accurate. As the class progresses, someone starts sending mean comments designed to terrorize the students, and the class gets cancelled but they carry on privately. And someone dies. Actually more than one. The fun part is trying to figure out who's behind it and why, and it's the first time I've read that not being good enough to get your work published is cause to come unhinged...Imagine if every frustrated writer did the same!! Willett uses plot devices such as a change of POV and the construction of each class in a manner so deft you almost don't notice them, and there are some fun writing tips. So next time you're contemplating taking a writing class, save yourself some cash and read the Writing Class instead. You'll be glad you did. | | Friday, June 26th, 2009 | | 9:32 am |
well....
So, uh...Why am I the only one who's not REALLY all that surprised by Michael Jackson's death? Except for this here... http://blog.inmusic.ca/inmusic/2009/06/a-look-back-at-michael-jacksons-music-career.htmlTruthfully, at $400 million in debt (and counting), I'm surprised he didn't die years ago. Plus, let's look at the evidence. He's been a pillhead for years. He's been borderline anorexic for decades. And there's been mysterious "health problems" for the last half decade or so. Not to speak ill of the dead, but I'm only surprised he's lasted this long. Too bad the last fifteen years were so bad for him. I hope his death is less of an embarrassment. Whatever else you can say, he was tremendously popular, and one of the great innovators in dance/pop music and he pretty much invented the video genre. Plus, as much as he seemed to forget he was Black once (or destroy that part of himself), he was also the most consistently popular African-American artists of all time, and he opened doors for others. Most of us can only dream of such a life. Current Mood:  listless | | Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | | 9:00 pm |
something new--Caitlin R Kiernan
So I think I'll go back to doing reviews here, not because anyone cares all that much about my ramblings, but just because I intend to be doing more writing in the coming months and want the practice. Currently reading Man on Fire. I saw the movie, but the book is set in Italy, and came out many years before the movie (the old "development hell" story, I suppose). More when I'm done. Just finished Caitlin R. Kiernan's Murder of Angels. I read its predecessor, Silk, almost a decade ago--picked it up at random during a library purge sale. I enjoyed Silk's hints of Gnosticism and of course, a good rock'n'roll novel is always welcome. But it was the hints of something bigger that intrigued me, and I was frustrated with the ending because I'm not quite sure I got it. That didn't stop me from recommending it to pretty much everyone I knew after that...And Murder of Angels was another random find, since my niece picked it up at the library and didn't even realize it was a sequel until I told her. I'll admit, I like to read "horror" novels purely as entertainment. I like my action fast, my monsters gruesome, my fear of death pervasive, and my heroes...well, pretty damned heroic. Murder of Angels is not the novel for someone with this sort of taste. I think Kiernan's work is classified as horror simply for lack of a better title. Kiernan is an author who doesn't let her audience rest. There's little real action in Murder of Angels, and it's sometimes hard to tell what's going on inside the characters' heads and what's not, but that's the point. The review on the cover called it "a convincing portrayal of schizophrenia and addiction," (or something like that) but I've often felt that many people who suffer from this sort of illness might just be aware of something we pragmatists aren't, and the split from reality is the only "sane" way of dealing with it so you can find your way back. More or less, Murder of Angels is a big riff on the idea of the psychotic drowning and the mystic swimming. (I think the actual quote is something like "The psychotic drowns in what the mystic swims in," but that ends with a preposition and might be a misquote!)...Literally, in a couple of circumstances. But it's a lovely ride. Caitlin R. Kiernan's writing is brainy, sensual and poetic, and rather than just offering vague hints at the things she's describing (which this kind of writing usually does), the descriptions actually move the plot along. She gives you a taste of the WHOLE BIG UNIVERSE, and you get the feeling that each character is a fantasy novel in itself. This, unfortunately, places a limitation on the plot because it's hard to get all of the underlying mythology in the short amount of time the reader is allowed to spend with each of the minor characters. The other side of that, of course, is the dizzying feeling of being swept along by bigger forces you're not allowed to understand--also the point. Kiernan's universe is complex, scary, and layered, and nothing is what it seems. Many authors attempt this, but very few accomplish it quite so successfuly. Oh, and if you were wondering...A couple of people have weird things happen, not sure if they're crazy or what. There's a bigger picture and HUGE THINGS AT STAKE. Some people get together and fight a battle. There are casualties. Peace is restored. Yup, plot-wise I think that's every fantasy/horror novel ever written. Kiernan's take on it is a whole lot more complex and satisfying. :) | | 8:58 pm |
Writer's Block: Department of Burning Questions
So, yeah, it seems that livejournal thinks asking stupid questions like "what is the cutest animal baby" might SOMEHOW "unblock" the obstruction that all writers undergo at some time. hoo boy. I'll say baby raccoons and be done with it. meh. Current Mood:  cranky | | Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 | | 9:46 pm |
ok, so february was jumping the gun
Erm, yeah...I finally have an Internet connection at home. I thought it was because I couldn't live without my Internet. However, after I check my email, there just doesn't seem to be much that's all that interesting. Meh. Pongo is well. He has an allergy to something or other and chews his feet and rubs his face a lot. le sigh...And it's too damned cold to take him to the park. I take him out, and he plays for five minutes, then lays down in a snowbank and chews on his hockey ball...If all he wanted was to do that, I wouldn't have to freeze my arse off. Fuckin' dog... Things are pretty intense at the radio station. I always feel like there's an unspoken accusation that I'm not putting in enough work, despite the sleep I lose over it. The Children's Lit course is stalling in the water. I wrote a perfectly fine article for my fourth assignment, and the teacher sent it back and told me to write something else. That was two months ago and I have no idea what to write about. But since I paid for it, I have to finish it, I suppose. Having trouble breathing lately. It's usually within an hour or so after I wake up, and I'm tired. So I go back to bed for a little while, but because I feel like I'm being smothered, I can't sleep. I'd go to a doctor but they'd say the same fucking thing they always say. Current Mood: bored | | Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 | | 3:05 pm |
i should be sleeping
Alright, so I suppose no one missed me much...Things have been complicated, and busy, and anti-social. Still working on scraping together the cash for a Net connection at home. August maybe... The dog took a header down the stairs yesterday. He seems fine, but I wonder how a creature with four legs AND a tail can be so damned klutzy. CKMS...check out the website. Part of the reason for my preoccupation and non-blogging is simply we are all working at burnout levels preparing for the new direction. I am both hopeful and worried. le sigh. What IS the most positive about the new direction is simply how amazing the dedication of various volunteers has been. It is a fact that 20 per cent of the members of any organization will be doing 80 per cent of the work...but that core 20 per cent has been astounding thus far. Writing has been up and down. The instructor seems to like my writing a lot more than I do. I think that is all the news for today. :) | | Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 | | 1:19 am |
oh, pish posh!
http://movies.msn.com/movies/PMG/teenidols?GT1=7701I've never understood all the pop-culture handwringing...Doesn't ANYONE remember that Shakespeare was also considered "low class" in his day? Instead of saying "Parents should..." while I'll bet this woman doesn't even HAVE kids, I'd like to see a compromise. Say, yeah you can watch Hannah Montana but you have to go to soccer practice afterwards. Or whatever. Balance, balance...there's nothing wrong with an hour of TV (or a chicken nugget) if it's countered with something "good for you." Certainly, I'm all for teaching kids to play instruments or do stuff themselves, but I don't think there's anything wrong with watching and living vicariously through fantasies. I tried to learn how to play the guitar when I was 14 (and again at 22), and I found it incredibly discouraging--not to mention the four years of saxophone in high school. When I got to the Senior Band, which at my school was some kind of crowning achievement, the bandleader was a fucking slave driver who actually said to me that he expected his band members to be "professionals." I didn't touch an instrument again with any real heart or commitment. It's only now that I realize what a complicated way that was to set me up for failure, and what an awful thing it was to say to a kid. Yeesh. Kids have enough pressure on the things they enjoy. Hey parents, ever tried backing off and letting your kids make choices? Or even tried talking to them about what's good and bad about the whole "teen" thing? You might be surprised at what young people have to say about the Britneys of the world. My guess is they find her and the other trainwrecks just as embarrassing (i.e. NOT role models) as the rest of us do. In fact, most people who work with kids will say that their role models tend to be the people around them, who they observe every day--their parents, their teachers, their parents' professional friends, and they have enough perspective to know that what's in magazines and on TV isn't real or any kind of choice to live by... How about setting a good example in your own life and letting fantasy sort itself out? Current Mood: annoyed | | Thursday, February 28th, 2008 | | 4:54 am |
right round the bend
It's 4:55a and I am in an extremely WEIRD head space. First off, you know I'm thinking weird thoughts when I'm surfing the Internet for...get ready... bow ties for my dog. Well, see, I'm going to this wedding in May and my dog's coming to the party, so I want him to look his dapper best. Yeah, I can't justify it as anything but strange. In fact, (alright, I'll admit it, I found instructions on how to make one) I was going to give up the search...until I saw this: http://shopping.canoe.ca/shop/product--catId_1002475__locale_en__productId_2190860.htmlPeople actually pay money for stuff like this. The bow tie's cute, but only in my strangest moments would I subject my dog to the little Chippendale cuffs. Then it occurred to me that I can't share the link with anyone, and that's just depressing. le sigh. | | Monday, February 25th, 2008 | | 1:30 am |
Oscar night
and the disappointment comes from... I'm glad Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor, but STILL think that There Will Be Blood was by far the superior choice for Best Picture. Maybe I just didn't get it--and I'm normally quite a defender of violence. Watch Straw Dogs and maybe you'll understand my dislike of No Country for Old Men...Although Javier quite deserved the Best Supporting trophy--soooooo badass. :) But I keep thinking I should refrain from getting involved in all the pre-Oscar hoopla. It invariably leads to disappointment, because my favourites never seem to win. One could argue that I have poor taste. Or that the Oscar jury really doesn't know anything. I mean, the Coen Bros ARE supposed to be all cutting-edge and shit, right??? *smirk* It always makes me wonder if the Oscars are the super-glitz version of being picked for sports teams. The ones who aren't chosen get to have ice cream and ask "What do they know anyway?" Down to the last 100 pages of A Widow for One Year. I love John Irving (maybe that says something about my taste in narrative?)...I like that he has strange yet mostly ordinary people in strange situations, and no one seems apologetic for it, or at all embarrassed except the audience. I also love that in this novel, each of the main characters is a writer or somehow involved in writing or publishing, and the novel is an ongoing examination of the writing process. In particular, my favourite line is one where Ruth says that fiction isn't what HAS happened--it's what *should have* happened. That's the division between the "real world" and "fiction." If I ever become a famous author (*cough cough*) that will have to be somewhere in my prepared responses about my subject matter. Myself, I can't really make shit up, but the fiction happens in the way that I present it. And I love that Irving justifies this lack of authorial intent. The reporter in me wonders if the various discussions about writing are in response to questions people have asked of him--the reader in me wonders why it matters. Current Mood:  content | | Friday, February 8th, 2008 | | 5:49 am |
new story
OK, so I'm taking this course in writing Children's literature. This is my first assignment, wherein I had to write a story from a picture. The limit was 400-750 words, and the pictures were profoundly uninspiring! But I think I did alright with this one. Just a quick note, I didn't notice that this main character bears the same name as a character in a previous story. Although arguments might be made that it's the same character (strong arguments, now that I think about it), that was entirely unintentional. I simply chose the name Emily because it's currently the most popular female baby name. http://www.myspace.com/synaesthetik2 Current Mood:  contemplative | | Thursday, January 24th, 2008 | | 5:21 am |
hee hee
OK, I found this amusing http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=sex.relationships&category=better.sex&conitem=602a99edbbbd201099edbbbd2010cfe793cd____&page=1It's an article about 7 Signs She's Good In Bed I just like that I have several of the traits. :P Although the ice-cream stuff was kind of funny. "Mint chocolate chip lovers are made for each other." I think that's because mint cc is an acquired taste--you either love it or hate it. Ages ago, on my friend Matt's birthday, he came over for dinner and cake&ice cream with me and my mom. I bought mint choc chip because it's my favourite, and he revealed that it was his favourite too. (oh, can it, he and I were never compatible romantically) But he'd always fight with his mom when she went to buy it because she called it "Toothpaste ice cream." Current Mood:  silly | | Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 | | 12:33 am |
time wasting
1. What bill do you hate paying the most? All of them, but anything to do with debts. 2. Where's the best place to eat a romantic dinner? Probably my own kitchen. 3. Last time you puked from drinking? Gawd...My birthday, 2001. I vaguely remember my friends putting in "Enter Sandman" for me (we were at karaoke) and D calling "Come and have cake" while I was hanging off the bed. 4. when is the last time you danced on a bar? Never. 5. Name of your first grade teacher? Mrs. Patterson. 6. What do you really want to be doing right now? Smoking pot and watching porn. 7. What did you want to be when you were growing up? A writer. 8. How many colleges did you attend? WLU and Lambton 9. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now? I slept in it. *sheepish grin* 10. GAS PRICES First thought? Was it good for you? *snort* 11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you? East Coast (New Brunswick) with my dog. 12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? I don't remember but it related to my dog's paw, i'm sure. 13. Last thought before going to sleep last night? Also related to the paw. 15. Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex? Long briefs. It's a thing...pffft. 16. What errand/chore do you despise? All of them. --ditto 17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer at an art gallery? No. Now, community theatre or live music, I'm all over it... 18. Get up early or sleep in? Sleep in, of course. 19. What was your favorite cartoon character Hm...tough to pick just one. The crazy biker bunny in Fritz the Cat. Or Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons. 20. Favorite NON sexual thing to do at night with someone of the opposite sex? Talk. 21. A secret that you wouldn't mind everyone knowing? Secrets are secrets. 22. Are you planning on remaining in your current Job? I hope not. 23. Do you see yourself married in the next five years? No. 24. Your favorite lunch meat? Low-fat turkey. 25. What do you get every time you go into Asda? What is Asda? 26. Beach or lake? lake 27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual that was invented by people who died at 20? No, but it's not for everyone, and too much emphasis is placed on the gift grab and not enough on the spirituality. Also, the whole commodity-fetishism of it, like there's something wrong with you if you're not doing it. 28. TV show you miss? Oz and Carnivale. 29. Favorite guilty pleasure? Cheesy 80s teen movies. Oh, and John Denver songs. 30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about? Dirty Dancing. 31. What's your drink? Rye and ginger ale. 32. Cowboys or Indians? Don't think my great grandma'd like if I picked cowboys!--since I grabbed this from my cousin's page, ditto. Unless they're gay cowboys...Jake Gyllenhaal in Fudgepack Mountain, whoot! :) 33. Cops or Robbers? Meh 34. Do you cheer for the bad guy in a movie? Only if it's Steve Buscemi or Samuel L. Jackson 35. What Hollywood star do you think resembles you best? None of them. 36. If you had to pick one, which cast member of Lost would you be? The ocean. 37. What do you want when you are sick? Sleep 38. Who from school would you like to run into? Mattie maybe. 39. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now? Dave-FM WHY HASN'T ANYONE NOTICED THAT THERE'S 3 QUESTIONS MISSING?!?! 43. Raskolnikov (Crime & Punishment) or Leo Myshkin (the Idiot)? Since I've read neither, can I vote for Humbert Humbert? 44. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back? Gawd, do you have all night? 45. Do you like the person who's directly across/beside from you at work? I work alone, so ...yeah. 46. If you could get away with it, whom would you kill? No one, since it doesn't solve anything. 47. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? Oprah. 48. What famous person would you like to sleep with? Scarlett Johanssen, as long as she's not talking. 49. Have you ever had to use a firearm? Nope. 50. Last book you read? Working on Love in the Time of Cholera and A Widow For One Year. 51. Do you have a teddy bear? Yeah, but he sits on the dresser. My dog takes care of any "cuddling" I want to get out of my system. 52. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth? Since they're not detachable, I'll say the New York City bus terminal. 53. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go? Someplace with mountains and crashing surf. 54. Number of texts in a day? None. 55. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or relationship? Either would probably be welcome, to alleviate the boredom. 56. Favorite Winter Olympic Sport? Right now, keeping the baggie on the paw. 57. Pencil or pen? Don't care. 58. Ancient Egyptians or Mayans? Mayans. I'm obsessed with Mesoamerica in the 1000-1500 period. 59. How many jobs have you had? too many. 60. Are you where you thought you would be at this age? Ye gawds, no. I thought I'd be writing for Rolling Stone by now. le sigh. Current Mood: bored | | Friday, December 28th, 2007 | | 12:02 am |
and so it ends, again--2007 in review
I'm doing this a little early, as I don't know what the weather/busy-ness/access will be like next week! :) What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Met my literary hero, Margaret Atwood, and got to thank her for being my inspiration to write. Got a dog. Declared bankruptcy. Signed up for Facebook and found a lot of people I haven't spoken to in over a decade. Joined the CKMS Board of Directors (to much fanfare and little else). >Did you keep your new years' resolutions and will you make more for next year? No, I didn't. Started off ok, but it petered out after a while. le sigh... I read an article on msn about resolutions a person actually CAN keep, and one of them was "cook at home more." Maybe I could try that...One thing I want to do is work on keeping up with my thyroid bs, being sure to not forget my medication, getting regular bloodwork, etc. Not having a doctor makes that a bit difficult. >Did anyone close to you give birth? Not this year--maybe the "baby boom" is over. No more blankies for a while. >Did anyone close to you die? No, thankfully. >What countries did you visit? Still right here. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever be able to travel. >What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? Some more time off. A clean apartment. And I'm really hoping things will turn out well with my car. >What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? See the above-mentioned trip to Stratford. That was a really memorable day. >What was your biggest achievement of the year? Moving into a new place. Getting started on a correspondence (writing) course, which is something I always say I'll do and never get around to doing. >What was your biggest failure? Getting fired in January. Then declaring bankruptcy in March. It's not as bad as everyone seems to think it must be--it's a lot more peaceful, since no one's calling me six times a day. *shrug* >Did you suffer illness or injury? After I got canned, I was down for two weeks with a bad cold. Threw my back out in August--that was hard going for a couple of weeks, then it got better. >What was the best thing you bought? The Bon Appetit cookbook--WB's Xmas present! I told him it was on the condition that I get a good meal at least once a month. >Where did most of your money go? Moving expenses. Day to day stuff, and some of it got put away to pay my bankruptcy. >What did you get really, really, really excited about? Finding everyone on Facebook. Hosting Calliope's Radio twice on the air. >What song will always remind you of 2007? "Hard Sun" by Eddie Vedder. (I think that's what it's called) It's been in heavy rotation for the last few months. >Compared to this time last year, are you: a. happier or sadder? Much happier. b. thinner or fatter? About the same. c. richer or poorer? Poorer, since my rent's higher and I'm officially worth nothing, with heavier car payments to come. >What do you wish you'd done more of? Writing. Cleaning (always). Saving (always). >What do you wish you'd done less of? Thinking of cash, how much I don't have, what I want to do that I can't, having to keep track of everything. And the job scramble. I'd really like to go back to school, but can't do that until my bankruptcy is sorted out... >How did you spend Christmas? Working. Of course. Overnight Xmas Eve, 3-9 Xmas Day, plus the show. The "celebration" part was awesome, though. On Dec. 22, WB cooked me a great turkey dinner then he and I went out to the Starlight to see Steve Strongman and Rob Szabo, and we met up with my friend Paula, whom I haven't seen in 11+years! Where does the time go? Then on Dec. 23, I watched the Grinch and had dinner with space_amoeba, sumaarsita, and Erik then M, S and I exchanged gifts. They got me an awesome dog-sweater knitting pattern book and a deck of Marseilles tarot cards (from France). Yay! I have the best friends in the world. >Did you fall in love in 2007? Heh...only if you count my furry love, my doggie! He knows because I tell him every day by flapping his ears and saying "Who does Mummy love?" (Yeah, tell me any cat would put up with that?!) >How many one-night stands? None. Although I had a couple of offers, which is, I think, more enticing than the actuality of it. :) >What was your favorite TV program? OZ on DVD! I actually have TV again now. 300+ channels, and the only shows worth watching are reruns of 90s sitcoms. Doesn't seem worth it, does it? >Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No. And I've made amends with someone, after several years, which proves that time really does heal. Maybe not everything, but certainly the worst of it. >What was the best book you read? Re-read The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence. And I have a number of books I'm working on, including A Widow for One Year (John Irving), Into the Wild (John Krakauer), and Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex (finally!). So I have my reading cut out for me, for a while. >What was your greatest musical discovery of 2007? That I'm officially old and out of touch. And digging out photos of hometown bands from the early 1990s, so I could share every embarrassing moment from that time! :) I am SUCH a packrat! >What did you want and get? Approval for my car loan! >What did you want and not get? Hm...Nought that I can think of, offhand. Maybe some sort of upward career move, instead of shit-canned. A little closure on something that I've been waiting for for years, but no one cares anymore. But things are good. Life is good, better than it's been in a long time. >What was your favorite film of this year? Ratatouille, although Into the Wild was a close second. More on that one in the next entry. >What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 33. Space_amoeba and I went to (*embarrassed cough*) a John Denver Tribute show that featured some local folk musicians. OK, John Denver's music is a guilty pleasure of mine--one of the things I can admit in my 30s is that many of the things I enjoy are patently uncool...Even M pointed out that I seemed to know an awful lot of the songs, to sing along. Then we had dinner. It was a very satisfying day. :) >What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Finishing the fucking sweater I've been knitting since June of 2006! The back, front, and sleeves are done, now I have to do the piecing together and sizing parts of it. le sigh. >How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Slovenly.--yup. >What kept you sane? My dog. Having something to care for takes away some of the black cloud, the weight, the desire to stay in bed all the time. >Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Ellen Page. >What political issue stirred you the most? Maclean's Magazine's admonition that Iraq doesn't actually HAVE any nuclear weapons...and the pic of Bush looking sheepish. >Who did you miss? No one, really. There were leavings but it wasn't so bad. >Who was the best new person you met? Everyone is new again. :) >Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007: People don't just vanish. So...here's to 2008. Year of the Rat. New apartment, new car, strong friendships, and lots of writing and knitting to do...It looks sunny from here. :) Current Mood: content | | Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 | | 4:49 am |
http://www.poortomproductions.ca/It's been over a week since I saw this play, The Anorak by Adam Kelly, and I've been wanting to post about it, but I've been thinking about it, letting it settle, and trying to decide what to say and what not to say. It's certainly a brilliant piece, and an important one. Moreover, I found it tragic, not because I feel sorry for the character, but because it's easy to write him off as a monster, and a lot harder to remember he was an ordinary person. The play is a monologue, from the perspective of Marc Lepine, the gunman who murdered 14 women at Montreal's L'Ecole Polytechnique. He introduces the play by asking who will remember their names, then explains that his father was Muslim, and the Islamic faith teaches that if you commit suicide, you're not allowed a life or a death. He then asks the women (seated on one side of the theatre, with the men on the other) what they want to know, and allows anyone who doesn't like it to exit. Adam Kelly grew up in Montreal, on the street where Lepine lived, and the play balances a deeply personal story with a broader social commentary. Through the story, we are allowed glimpses of Lepine's life, meticulously researched, and embellished by some of Kelly's experiences. What struck me was how evident the divide is in Quebec, between French and English, the economic classes, religious divides, and especially the gender divide. Although the presentation is simple--a single spotlight on a guy talking, no props, no scenery, just a guy and what he has to say--the text is rich and complex. And it doesn't answer any questions, simply presents the story of this guy, this one guy who no one ever would have noticed except for the fact of his actions, one terrible day. That one guy. The sickening part of it is how much like anyone he was, he liked Rambo movies and got bored in school and fell for girls who weren't interested. It would be easy to begin and end with "I liked it," or to write a thesis on the play, which, I think, is why it's stirred up so much public interest. In other news...Oh ye gawds. http://www.slate.com/id/2177969/nav/navoa/ Current Mood: contemplative | | Thursday, December 6th, 2007 | | 2:39 am |
| | Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 | | 4:15 am |
ummmm....what?
http://bmimedical.blogspot.com/2007/02/885-619-x-age-y-pa-x-267-x-weight-kg.htmlRiddle me this...and the blogger above seems to be in agreement...How the hell is one supposed to calculate that? Any Mathies out there? I've long since forgotten my algebra/formula/BEDMAS/BODMAS whatever it's called. It would take me hours just to figure out an answer for that...Maybe it's an IQ test on top of everything else? You're only allowed to be healthy if you're smart, I suppose. I'm dying for a chocolate bar. Current Mood:  amused | | Monday, November 26th, 2007 | | 2:41 am |
hmmm
I started this ages ago...dunno what happened. System crash, maybe??? This would be from the start of the month... Well well welly well well!! Facebook is so immediate, and so addictive, I feel like I've been neglecting my regular blog. So I'm going to share the news...RGD WON! WE WON! Hooray! Best Show Featuring Canadian Music! All the shameless plugging paid off.... The move went very smoothly. Poor WB and his friends, they were great. I felt bad that I'm so useless when it comes to moving stuff, but I mostly felt in the way. Space_amoeba and Sumaarsita helped, too, and I'm grateful to them all. I'm settling in, slowly getting acclimatized and unpacked. There's still a lot to do, though, so it will take quite a bit of time yet. And my DVD player doesn't appear to have survived. le sigh. Now on to newer stuff. I'm still neglecting this blog, and feel kind of badly for doing so. Things are ok, settling in at home, although the place is a shambles. I really should just stop trying altogether. Mostly I have! Two-word-answer quiz: OK, everyone, two word answers all around! 1. Where is your cell phone? not working 2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? my dreams 3. Your hair? greying fine 4. Work? too boring 5. Your mother? in hospital 6. Your favorite thing? good books 7. Your dream last night? don't remember 8. Your favorite drink? double double 9. Your dream car? electric Rabbit 10. The room you’re in? board room 11. Your pet? Silly Pongo 12. Your fears? surprisingly many 13. What do you want to be in 10 years? working writer 14. Where did you hang out last night? work, too 15. What you’re not good at? relationships, exercise 16. Eyebrow rings on the opposite sex? quite cute 17. One of your wish list items? phone line 18. Where you grew up? Sarnia Lambton 19. The last thing you did? checked Facebook 20. What are you wearing? clean clothes 21. Your life? quite content 22. Your mood? average, bored 23. Your car? "Lumpy," Cavalier 24. Why are you filling this out? voyeuristic audience 30. Your summer? so so 31. Your relationship status? jizz dumpster 32. Your favorite color? deep red 33. When is the last time you laughed? today, tonight 34. School? done boo-hoo I feel like I'm neglecting my doggie a little, because I don't take him out for very long. He gets bored with me, but I must admit he keeps my feet warm when he lies down on them. :) He did the silliest thing the other day--I have two blankets and a bedspread on my bed (fuck global warming, it's cold out!), and he shoved his head up under the bedspread, then couldn't find his way out. So he was standing on the floor wagging his head under the covers at one end, and his tail outside the covers at the other, and I was laughing so hard I couldn't help him get untangled. Dumb dog! :) | | Sunday, October 14th, 2007 | | 2:56 am |
random quiz
Whats your middle name? That's classified--I'd have to kill you. Would you rather get 1,12 or 24 roses? 1. Or a planted bush--I don't like flowers that die. What are you listening to right now? Sweet sound of silence. What are the last 2 digits in your cellphone number? I don't have a cell phone. What was the last thing you ate? cinnamon donut. mmm, cinnamon donut... Last person you hugged? Wonder Boy. How is the weather right now? Grey, damp, and chilly. Perfect October weather--I actually had the heat on today! Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? A customer, I'm sure. Favorite type of Food? Does "junk" classify? Do you want children No. Ever get so drunk you don't remember the night? Not really--hazy, but not the whole night gone. Hair color? Brown, but greying fast. Eep! Do you wear contacts/glasses? yes. Glasses--I can't wear contacts. Favorite holiday? Hallowe'en! Favorite season? Autumn. Have you ever cried over a girl/boy? Oh, yes. What books are you reading? The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (I think that's her name). And a number of others, I'm sure. Piercings? Tongue stud. Favorite Movie? Heathers. Favorite college football Team? I don't know any football teams. WLU Golden Hawks, then, for nostalgia. What were you doing before filling this out? Looking at used car ads. Any pets? Doggie. Dogs or cats? Dogs, for the sole reason that they pee outside. Favorite Flower? Lilies. Who would you like to see right now? Doggie. Have you ever fired a gun? No. Do you like to travel by train? I prefer it to everything but car. Right-handed or Left-handed? righty. If you could go to any place right now where would you go? Someplace cold and French-speaking. Are you missing someone? Probably. Do you have a tattoo? Five. I'd get more if I could afford it and find the right design. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings? I don't watch TV. Are you hiding something from someone? From the whole world, maybe. Are you 18? le sigh...Not for a long time. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone? I don't have a cell phone. Did you get enough sleep last night? Sure. First thing you thought about this morning? "Fuckin' dog." What do you have handy by your bedside? Books and napkins. What makes you unique? Not much, I'm sure. Are you afraid of the dark? "There's nothing present in the dark that wasn't in the light." Favorite song? "Sorry I Am" by Ani Difranco. What are you most scared of? Not much, really. Are you a giver or taker? Taker. What are your nicknames? I don't tend to have nicknames that stick. -------- quiz 2-------- Where did you get the shirt/sweatshirt your wearing? T-shirt from mom, jacket from Mark's Work Wearhouse. How many bathrooms are in your house? 1 Can you throw a football? No. Does anyone in your family have tourettes? Nope. What time is it? a little after 4am Have you ever killed an animal? Not that I can think of. Who are you currently dating/liking? Surprisingly, no one, unless you count my girly-crush on WB's roommate. Do you like the smell of vanilla? Sometimes. what's the closest thing to you thats orange? A graphic on a mousepad. Whats your favorite sport? Roller derby. Who is jealous of you? Hahahaha! Not a soul. Do you like nailpolish? No. Can you lick your elbow with your tongue? Eeyuw. No. who do you look up to the most in your family? Never thought about it. Do you like the smell of new shoes? No, but I like the smell of a shoestore in winter, all that leather and suede. Do you believe in ghosts? or angels? Yes. Do you know anyone named Earl? No. What about Alyssa? No. Or Tony? Yes. How many best friends do you have? 3 Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme? KK if I had to choose, but give me Tim Horton's any day. Save the forest or save the whales? Forest. how many lamps are in the same room you're in? None that I can see. What kinda of shoes do you have? 1 pair runners, 1 pair Doc Martens Do you consider yourself lucky? I'm still breathing. Do you live in a house or apartment? Apartment. Do you know both your parents? Limited question. I'd say no. Who always says your name wrong? Callers. I correct people very quickly. Can you tell when people are lying? Not really. Can you play golf? No. Whats your thoughts on gay couples? Much prefer the gays to the straights. Are politics exciting to you? No. Which Superhero do you wanna be? Oooo, that's a tough one. I'm going to go with Mystique from the X-Men. Whats your 3 Favorite movies? Heathers, Fight Club, Hedwig and the Angry Inch Do you own a dog? Yes. Which is better.. Duracell or Energizer? Duracell. Whats your favorite kind of weather? Cool but sunny. And who would you wanna be with in this kinda of weather? Doggie. Funniest thing you heard today? "The Man Song." Current Mood: bored | | Sunday, October 7th, 2007 | | 3:07 am |
awww, crap
So, now that I absolutely have to move out at the end of the month, the "to" part of the equation has started to shift again. See, I have a place lined up, and I was kind of looking forward to it, especially its satellite TV and big back yard. Then my mom went and broke her fucking shoulder. She can't take care of herself, obviously...No one's talked to me about it, but I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't grit my teeth and head home. See, I'm a bad person. I KNOW I'm a bad daughter. I'm not good at taking care of people, and I ran into this two years ago. At the time, I decided to stay, but now I'm wondering if the universe isn't maybe pushing me back there. When I think of it, it's like my entire being (physical, mental, spiritual) ties itself up into a great big knot, and screams the word "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO" le sigh. There's work there, and I wonder if she couldn't talk Housing into giving her a two-bedroom townhouse (at full or most-rent, of course)...Eep. I don't know. Current Mood:  depressed | | Monday, September 17th, 2007 | | 12:29 am |
awww
I wanted to be Lord Voldemort.  | You scored as Ron Weasley, You often feel like second best and as a result don't have an awful lot of self confidence, but a truer more capable friend would be hard to find.
Ron Weasley | | 85% | Draco Malfoy | | 80% | Harry Potter | | 70% | Lord Voldemort | | 65% | Remus Lupin | | 65% | Hermione Granger | | 65% | Albus Dumbledore | | 65% | Ginny Weasley | | 65% | Severus Snape | | 60% | Sirius Black | | 55% | </td>
Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...?
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