Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Trotsky
Jay Baruchel was exceptional in the film The Trotsky. Baruchel mastered the awkward but lovable teenager and acted it with conviction. He plays a young jewish boy in Montreal who firmly believes that because of the parallels in his life that he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky, a big player in the Russian Revolution. He played this so well, even the way he walked was changed but worked perfectly. This movie is filled with funny moments, cute characters and hilarious situations it definitely left me satisfied. He begins as staging a hunger strike at his Dad's factory and ends with trying to create a student union so the students can be listened to. A lovely, funny and endearing Canadian movie this is definitely worth seeing.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Jani Schofield
Featured on the Oprah show, Jani Schofield's story was something that instantly hit me. She is a 7 year old little girl that suffers with schizophrenia. It is extremely rare in children and she is one of the most severe cases. This little girl is haunted by animals with names like, Wednesday, 400 and 24 hours that live in a world called Calalini. It is heart breaking because they tell her that she needs to be violent and hurt the people she loves until they scratched and bit her until she did. These hallucinations have even lead her to suicide attempts. Her family is dedicated to her life and to making it the best that it can be. "The moment is really all that we have," says her father. This story reminded me of how serious and life threatening mental diseases can really be.
Watch the video where she explains her world, Calalini.
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprah-Meets-a-Child-with-Schizophrenia-Video
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Arkells
I took a chance and went to The Arkells' show. Going into it I had just listened to their songs maybe once each, they were cool, I liked them. BUT, after the concert finished, I was a converted hardcore fan. Great energy was never lacking. A really cool local band from Hamilton, it's great to discover some people that actually love their music and love to perform. An awesome light rock band, their songs are filled with killer guitars. The only down fall is that each song is a little similar, there's not tons that seperate them but that may just be because of my new ears!
Download, Ballad of Hugo Chavez, John Lennon, Tragic Flaw
Download, Ballad of Hugo Chavez, John Lennon, Tragic Flaw
Friday, June 18, 2010
My New Favourite Animal
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Brandon Flowers - Crossfire
Something I'm very excited about is Brandon Flowers' new solo project. Titled Flamingo this is the first single from the album. A great Killers sound but with a lighter and fresher sound. Check it out!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
FIFA World Cup
It's amazing. You can't drive down the street without seeing a car with a flag representing a different country competing in the FIFA World Cup. It's bringing people together in a whole different way, by having them root for different teams. Since Canada isn't competing, our beautiful country is split up between the 32 that are. Even if we hope our friends and family are disapointed if they pick a team different from ours, we share the hope, excitement and fun that can help us bond and bring us closer.
Choose a team, watch and enjoy!
I think I'm FINALLY settling on Brazil.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Beautiful Birds
"It's like Vogue for birds," says Erin Estell, a bird trainer of photographer Andrew Zuckerman's new book fittingly titled, Bird. Having seen this book I was blown away by the colour and intensity of the photos. I think birds are beautiful and majestic creatures that deserve to be shown in all their beauty.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Odd Brain Workout
It turns out, that if you want to keep your brain and ward off things like dementia and alzheimers sudokus and crosswords aren't the best way to do it. Physical activity actually gets more oxygen rich blood to your neural tissue which promotes chemical production that helps with attention, memory and problem solving. Here's a 7day "workout plan" (from prevention magazine) to keep your mind and body in peak form. I'm going to try it out! You should too!
Day 1 Take a Nature Walk.
The calming atmosphere does wonders for your brain, not like urban areas which put your mind into shambles. Leave the ipod at home and let your mind relax and recharge. Improves Focus.
Day 2 Tai Chi.
Tai Chi helps you pay attention to the small stuff and keep feeling in parts of your body. This improves attention and enables you to cherish moments. Practising Tai Chi like activities also prevents falls which can be deadly.
Day 3 Go Fast.
Quick running stimulates blood flow which triggers growth in the hippocampus responsible for memory and verbal learning.
Day 4 Challenge Your Balance
Balance work during toning workouts engages the brain and makes it work harder.
Day 5 Toss A Ball
Tossing a ball back and forth is proved to improve focus, concentration and attention.
Day 6 Socialize and Exercise
People who socialize regularly are 26% less likely to develope dementia because of the constant brain stimulation. Pair it with Day 3 and you've got a great workout for your body and your brain.
Day 7 Balance With Your Eyes Closed
Closing eyes your brain needs to make new pathways which makes it easier to learn new things and makes it simple to adapt to new situations.
I'm going to try it! You should too!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thank You Lady Gaga
Thank you Lady Gaga for introducing me to a gun bra.
Nope, not just a hand gun bra.
A full on, long ass gun bra. (See below)
I get it, she needs to make a statement, but her new video for Alejandro couldn't help but make me feel a little uncomfortable. Pretty much sex with clothes on for half of it, and those clothes were just skin coloured bra and panties.
I still appreciate it for making us think about the war and its' effect on society.
So thanks Lady Gaga, can't wait to see what you come up with next!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Vampire Weekend - Holiday
A perfect video for Vampire Weekend's single Holiday. Cute, colourful and original. The members are hilarious in their Victorian outfits. Fun Fun Fun!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Saturday Night Soundtrack
There's some new albums I've downloaded but havn't had the chance to listen to yet, like Drake's and Travis McCoy's but here's the songs I like so far from them plus some new ones I've discovered!
Odessa - Caribou
After Midnight - Travis McCoy
Dr. Feel Good - Travis McCoy
Touchin On My - 3oh!3
Miss Me - Drake
Enjoy!
Odessa - Caribou
After Midnight - Travis McCoy
Dr. Feel Good - Travis McCoy
Touchin On My - 3oh!3
Miss Me - Drake
Enjoy!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Julian Perretta
It's Finally Happening!
A cool video from Julian Perretta. Someone that deserves more credit in the music industry. Happy, feel good, let's dance music! :)
A cool video from Julian Perretta. Someone that deserves more credit in the music industry. Happy, feel good, let's dance music! :)
Oil Spill
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Sergey Ermakov
Amazing story of doing what you love.
If you're blind, what kind of jobs could you have? Driver? Designer? Architect?
I'd say no to all of those, but Sergey Ermakov has proved me wrong.
After loosing his vision (he only sees about 5% of what we see) he continued to do what he loved which is designing gowns. He creates gorgeous clothes that are accepted and loved. With two upcoming fashion shows he uses his touch, memory and expertise to create gorgeous dresses that make women look beautiful.
Listening Lamb
Check out http://www.listeninglamb.blogspot.com/ my new blog solely dedicated to music!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Shrek Forever After
Shrek Forever After, the fourth and final installment of the Shrek series was a long time coming. With the Shrek series being so popular, hilarious and cute the fourth should have been all of those things. Sadly, I was left a little disapointed. It may have been that because the others were so funny I was expecting great things, or it may have been because it really wasn't that great. The story line wasn't ground breaking, it was very predictable. We all knew what was going to happen in the end, everything would be back to normal and they would live happily ever after. There were some tired jokes that got no laughs, but saying that there were many cute moments and things in the film. The characters are what really shone, with the new ones being the hilarious Rumplestiltskin and Piep the Piper who could only communicate through his flute. The best of the film was only on screen for about 3 minutes, so look out for the little kid that wants Shrek to roar. Kids would love this movie, adults will like it.
If you're a fan of the Shrek series, check it out, if not, save your money!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Medical Term of the Week
I hear this term alot, but didn't realize that I had no idea what it was!
Aneurysm : A weakened point in a blood vessel where blood pressure can push outward creating a balloon like projection. This isn't dangerous in itself, but it is if it ruptures which would result in uncontrolled bleeding that can lead to death. Very common in the aorta (largest artery and carries blood from the heart to other organs) and in the brain. Genes may contribute because they find that aneurysms tend to run in families with the men most likely to have them. An aneurysm doesn't often cause pain but may cause other symptoms such as vision loss if it is in the brain.
Hommage to Vampires
What is it about vampires?
They've really taken over media lately, we can't go anywhere without seeing them, hearing about them or reading about them. They're everywhere.
Books; Twilight, Sookie Stackhouse Series etc.
Movies; Underworld, 30 Days of Night, Interview With A Vampire, Twilight
Shows; True Blood, Vampire Diaries
Music; (Vampire Weekend, teeheehee)
The story of vampires has been around long before Twilight, starting maybe even before Dracula but has mostly come and gone. Right now, is definitely a hot time for the vamps. What is so attractive about the idea of a Vampire, a person, who is dead who drinks people's blood and who is allergic to garlic? It doesn't sound too great when you say it like that.
For me, I love me my vampires because hey, they're sexy! But when you think about it, pretty much everyone in the media is sexy. An ugly vampire definitely wouldn't be as attractive to me, I might not even read about it or watch it. The way they're portrayed in movies and books can be partly blamed for this obsession. In movies and books, they are closely related to sex, something everyone loves. There's the superficial reasons for them being so popular. The danger is another thing, they have super strength and are pretty bad ass. People that come out only after dark are mysterious which makes us want to know as much about them as we can.
After so many books and movies there's been every sort of love affair, woman and woman, people from apposing families, people with a big age gap, so what's next? A person and a supernatural being! To keep the novelty in the things that we read and watch people have to come up with something new, some new love story to be immersed in. I think the world found that in the recent books, namely Twilight, but also in the Sookie Stackhouse series.
I know what I like about them, but next time, think about what you do. Don't just accept that they're hot stuff.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Summer Lovin'
With all this great weather I got to thinking of some fun things to do outside. I didn't want just the usual, go for a walk, suntan or ride a bike. I wanted some exciting ideas, some fun things that would make me smile, refresh me or create a great bonding experience with someone. Here's my top 10!
1. Go outside and write on your side walk with chalk! Now, how long as it been since anyone has done that? We might actually be old enough to make them look good too!
2. Lay down on a field on a day with clouds and just watch them go by, picturing silly animals or things as you do.
3. Roller blade or bike through Lakeshore's mansions and ooooh and ahhhhh.
4. WATER BALLOON FIGHT!
5. WATER GUN FIGHT!
6. Go and pick fruit, like strawberries, then eat them!
7. Set up a sprinkler ( if you don't have a pool ) and go nuts!
8. Go to a kiddy splash pad on a hot day and pretend to be a kid again.
9. Picnic!
10. Tie-Dye
Just get out, and enjoy. I just gotta remind myself not to forget my SPF 80...
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Saturday Night Soundtrack
I don't have tons of new songs this week, but emerging rapper Sam Adams from Boston who does a great remix of I Love College by Asher Roth and Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Travis McCoy, the lead of Gym Class Heroes also has a great, light and fun song.
I Hate College - Sam Adams
Heads Will Roll (Remix) - Sam Adams
We'll Be Alright - Travis McCoy
Dynamite - Taio Cruz
Friday, May 21, 2010
Cell Research Breakthrough
With the amount of people on our earth growing every day we need a way to get what we need, from antibiotics and vaccines to ways to clean our water. Scientists announced that they took the DNA from one simple germ from the family of Mycoplasms, built it from scratch and twice as large. They then implanted it into another member of the Mycoplasms and watched what happened. That germ then proceeded to multiply and act like the first Mycoplasm that they copied the DNA from!
"This is transforming life totally from one species to another by changing the software" - J. Craig Venter (scientist)
With this breakthrough there are many of aspirations for the future. Knowing that they can do this, their hope is that they can program microbes to digest pollutants, or even produce fuels.
This step in science isn't all good news. Bound to get it's protesters for tinkering with nature there are many people that are expected not to be a fan of this news. Besides that, the technology to create DNA to do what we ask, there is potential for it to be used for war, hurt and pain.
This is just the first step though, we have a long way to go until we can create what we want.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Finale do's and don'ts
With all the season finales coming up, I decided to reflect on what really did make a great season finale, and what left me yelling at the tv (in a bad way).
Good : When something that you've wanted to happen all season long finally does.
The Office. Season 2 finale, when Jim and Pam FINALLY smooch.
Bad : A dream sequence. When the main character wakes up, and everything that just happened was a dream. HOW LAME! We might as well just erase all that from our memory, it's useless!
Good : When there's a big shocker as the last line of the show, and you need to wait until the next season to know more! This kind of ending is probably the most popular and the most sucessful. People have to tune in next season to see how things progress.
Alias. Season 2 finale, when Sydney Bristow get's told by Vaughan, also sporting a wedding band that, "It's been two years" (since he last saw her)
Bad : An ending like any other episode. These are season finales! They have to be special and exceptional, nothing regular will do.
Good : Answering an itching question, but opening a new one.
Bad : Not answering an itching question, but opening about 10 new ones which leads to frustration.
Lost. Every season, but the series finale is promised to close story lines.
Good : A death, as long as it's done well. Either in a shocking twist, or a long coming emotional story line. A death that's meaningful, not pointless and with a character that you care about, but that wouldn't ruin the show by not being there.
Finales can leave you content and excited for the next season, or eternally frustrated. But with all these outlines, there are always exceptions. Except for the dream rule, that should never be done, ever.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Super Situation #3
Gregory House & Stephen Colbert Love Affair
On the set of the Colbert Report, if you look close enough you can spot a framed picture of Gregory House. After receiving a honorary degree he thought of himself as a doctor, so why not put a picture of a great doctor on his shelf? Wanting to reciprocate the feelings, on the desk Dr. House from the tv show there is, you guessed it, a framed picture of Colbert! How hilarious, a cross show love affair.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday Night Soundtrack
Two Door Cinema Club, a new find of mine is a great band to listen to all summer long. Mellow but with great beats and sound. Maybe, a harder rocking Kings of Leon? Check them out along with these new finds!
Riding Solo - Jason Derulo
Airplanes - B.O.B.
King of Anything - Sara Bareilles
California Gurls - Katy Perry (I'm predicting this is going to be the big hit of the summer!)
and a nice oldie, Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Yo Yo Man
Kenny "K-Strass" Strasser has been punking new stations all over the States. Posing as a yo yo expert, with no real experience he gets an interview, then when it comes time to show his skills, this happens!
High-larious!
Monday, May 10, 2010
More Maroon 5
A great video of them announcing their tour, showing their comedic sides.
A good line up for their tour too! Owl City, Kris Allen & V.V. Brown
Maroon 5 Announces North American US TourMAROON 5 NEWS!
Medical Term of the Week
As a widely used term, Autism was very interesting to research and to learn more about.
Autism : A neurological disorder which affects normal brain function and is usually presented during the first three years of life. People with autism usually have trouble with non verbal cues, social interaction, communication and playing. The correct term, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) means that there is a wide variety of levels, types and intensities of ASD. There are hardly any two cases that are exactly the same. Many of the same problems are duplicated but in different intensities. Sufferers are strongly affected in social situations, from just being clumsy and not saying the right thing to not wanting or noticing people at all. With communication problems, it is difficult for sufferers to relate and empathize with others, making sympathy a hard thing for most autistic people to grasp. Surprises are also something that bother autistic people deeply, ranging from a sudden light to a quick touch. Routine, repetitive and predictable behavior is craved. We don't yet know what causes autism, but studies are being done and more and more is being learned.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Saturday Night Soundtrack
My Ellie Goulding obsession has carried on to this weekend, so there's some new songs from her! And a few new fun ones! Mike Posner is a new find, he makes some good beats.
Enjoy!
Your Biggest Mistake - Ellie Goulding
Every Time You Go - Ellie Goulding
Guns and Horses - Ellie Goulding
Lights - Ellie Goulding
Can't Be Tamed - Miley Cyrus
Maniac - Girlicious
Smoke and Drive - Mike Posner
Cooler Than Me - Mike Posner
Still Not Over You - Mike Posner
Cudderisback - Kid Cudi (Notice the Vampire Weekend sample!)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Act of Kindness
In sports you are taught to win, and that's it. You're taught to do your best to move yourself ahead and do well, not to think about who deserves to win. Grant Whybark (left) , a college golfer, was already headed to nationals with his team but was facing off against Seth Doran (right) to go individually. Knowing that if he won he would take up that spot even if he was already going, he made a move unheard of in the world of sports. He approached the first hole and hit the golf ball 40 yards right of the fairway making a double bogey. Doran made par and won, moving on to nationals. Whybark said, "It was one of those things where I couldn't feel good taking something from him like this. My goal from the start was to get to nationals with my team. I had already done that."
A great act coming from a good place, but maybe Doran would have actually won and his fluke wouldn't have been needed. Whybark made an assumption that he would win and that this would be the only way that the deserving player could go to nationals, but it's sports, why not make it fair?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Super Situation #2
Monday, May 3, 2010
Medical Term of the Week
Dyslexia : A learning difficulty which affects the reading and spelling of words. It disrupts the brain's ability to translate written images from the eyes (words) into an understandable language. It is caused by a malfunction in areas of the brain that control language(Broca's area, parietotemporal region and occipitotemporal region) and is most likely to be hereditary. This learning disability is the most common one in children, affecting 5-17% of the population. In languages where there are consistent rules like Italian and Spanish there are less cases, but languages like English with exceptions (cough doesn't pronounce like it's spelt) dyslexia is more common. With treatment and attention around 95% make progress with reading and writing.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Saturday Night Soundtrack
This weekend I introduce you to Ellie Goulding, UK's electro pop wonder. An amazing artist and performer her songs instantly caught me. Think of a mix of Lights and Little Boots.
Under The Sheets - Ellie Goulding
Black & Gold - Ellie Goulding
Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding
Apart from her I have some other great indie finds.
Good Morning (The Future) - Rogue Wave
Set Me Free - Sally Seltmann
And then my bad ass music side, well, about as bad ass as it gets.
Ride To California - Paper Tongues
One More Mile - Paper Tongues
Hot N' Fun - N.E.R.D.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
That's What He Said
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Joan Rivers Quotes
Monday, April 26, 2010
Boobquake
Phewf, I am SO glad that we have discovered the cause of the natural disasters lately! "Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes". This thought that the natural disasters that have been happening lately, that us women are to blame comes from Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, a prayer leader from Tehran. I'm not sure what was going through this man's mind when he was quoted as saying this, but I hope that it was badly translated or taken out of context, maybe he was making a joke! If this is really how he feels, then Boobquake is a great thing. To prove him wrong, today, April 26th, women were asked to show off their assets for science! Women were encouraged to show off either their cleavage or their legs to prove that with "indecent" there will be no earthquake. So far we're 22 hours into it and we're safe!
Really?
From the man who wrote the ground breaking A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking has achieved an acclaimed status all around the world. But his new ideas are really puzzling me. He firmly believes in the existance of extra terrestrial life, which is understandable. There's life here, so why not in other places? But he goes as far as to say to stay away from these E.T.'s because they, "exist in massive ships ... having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.” If this genius is worried about it, then maybe I should start to wear a tin foil hat. With all this aside, this man is an amazing example of suriviving the odds and never giving up. With the control of most of his body lost, he communicates using his cheek and an autocomplete system which puts together sentences and words for him. Suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) whose average life expectancy after diagnosis is 10 years, this man has made it to more than 40.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday Night Soundtrack
Continuing my obsession, I've been pretty much listening to just Marina & the Diamonds, but here's the few others that have been on repeat this week! It's more of a mellow vibe for this saturday night, not alot of pump up tracks. I've started listening to Kate Bush again, she has a really interesting and original sound.
Alligator - Tegan & Sara
Publish My Love - Rogue Wave
Good Morning - Rogue Wave
Winner - Jamie Foxx
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
Ain't No Rest For The Wicked - Cage The Elephant
The Walls Are Coming Down - Fanfarlo
Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
UH OH!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull Volcano
And no, I'm not joking about that name. Pronounced EYE-a-fyat-la-jo-kutl, this volcano in Iceland has caused planes everywhere, even in Newfoundland to be cancelled. It is even dangerous for Europeans with respiratory conditions because of the ash that is being spewed 3.7 miles into the sky. Some photographers have managed to capture some amazing pictures.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Marina & The Diamonds
I've really found a gem in Welsh and Greek singer Marina & The Diamonds. Painfully great and original, this girl knows what kind of music she wants to make and she goes for it, not afraid of taking chances. An obvious talent her voice is instantly recognizable and her songs are the kind that you won't forget easily. A go to for my playlists, Marina is worth a life time of listens. Every single song is stripped down to her, and she is instantly vulnerable and relatable.
Check out my favourites!
Hollywood , Mowgli's Road, Obsessions, I Am Not a Robot.
"Better to be hated then to be loved for what you're not" - I am not a robot.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The Sweet Far Thing
The sweet,
far thing.
What we all aim for.
What is it to you?
family, money
love?
When despair
takes over remember
your sweet far thing.
Close your eyes,
know that things
take time.
Take a breath,
feel the magnificence
of life embrace you,
surround you.
Exhale,
with that breath let go of the doubt,
accept hope for
your sweet far thing.
Open your eyes in the morning,
to whatever awaits.
Be it pain or happiness.
One ore day gets
you closer to that
sweet far thing.
Don't stop,
never stand still.
Be forever
proactive.
And you will get
Your sweet far thing.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Nerd In Trouble
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday Night Soundtrack
This Saturday Night there's not tons of new stuff. With the weather getting better I'm in the mood for happy feel good tracks.
Enjoy!
Your Man - Down with Webster
Hey, Soul Sister - Train
Eau de Toilette - Emily Haines
Australia - The Shins
Body Bounce - Kardinal Offishall
Everybody - VV Brown
One Way Road - John Butler Trio
Close to You - John Butler Trio
Gonna Be A Long Time - John Butler Trio
Stop for a Minute - Keane
Date Night
Going into see Date Night I was unsure. It looked like another Get Smart, a movie with bad jokes and an even worse story line. I decided to see it just because Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are in it. I am SO glad I saw it. I don't think I stopped laughing for more than 5 minutes. Hilarious action, raunchy jokes and just all around a laugh out loud movie. I want people to see it, but I'll keep my praise about it controlled so expectations are kept low. So go see it, it was an alright movie, i guess.
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