Wednesday, February 17, 2010

EMOlymipics. No big deal.

Is it the national beauty, coast to coast?
The feeling of a hope-filled nation united?

The unanimous glory of gold reverberating across Canada?
The melodious voices singing the national anthem?
The fact that I will never be an Olympian, cheered on by 43 million patriots?


Whatever the reason(s) may be, am I the only one feeling uncharacteristically emotional during the Olympics?? Whether I'm watching a Canadian's gold medal finish, hearing thousands belt out the national anthem, or watching an immigrant family come to Canada, I get weepy. That's right. A Tim Hortons commercial got the best of me. Possibly because it's more subtle with product placement and strategically pulls you in with the story of a reunited family... Okay so it's not as emotionally compelling as "She's Come Undone" (great novel, check it!). I guess I have been infected by the emolympics. I think this first viral attack came during the medal ceremonies, where Alexandre Bilodeau received his gold - Canada's first at home. I swear, no matter how out of tune or technically unmelodious, the Canadian national anthem never sounded more beautiful than when it's being belted out by thousands of Canadians.

I do have to specify, though, that it's not winning gold that moves me, but the energy and pride it brings to Canada. I hated hearing all the hype around Canada's "shameful" performance at previous Olympic games, never having won gold on home soil. I didn't, and still don't, believe it helped the athletes perform. What I do BELIEVE is that it hindered performances, raised expectations to an unnecessary level, and promoted the wrong sense of patriotism among our nation.

It also pushed other Canadian athletes and medalists to the wayside. Jenn Heil's silver-winning moguls run was nowhere near as celebrated as Alexandre Bilodeau's golden win. She was the first Canadian medalist and, yet, when I Google which Canadian won the first medal at the 2010 Olympics, there are 6 entries about Bilodeau until it finally mentions Heil's accomplishment. Even SHE didn't look proud to have placed! How infuriating! Being a baby winning silver is WAY worse than not winning gold. You just won Canada's first medal. Be an example for your country and be proud of your amazing talent and hard work, otherwise no one else will.

To all Canadian athletes
- as a Canadian, a sports enthusiast, and admirer of your dedication, I thank you for all your efforts and amazing achievements! Gold, silver, bronze, or just improving your standing, you train hard and compete fearlessly against the best of the world. You are inspiring. I wouldn't be all emo if you weren't... Sniff.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

I love stuff. No big deal.


It's a day of love, a time of celebration, and an extended moment for family.

Whether you choose to enjoy
Valentine's Day,
the Olympics.
or Family Day,
this is an incredible long weekend
to be reminded
of everything and anything.
To love,
remember,
laugh,
cry,
smile,
shout,
fist pump...
To be
proud,
happy,
honest,
memorable,
yourself.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

I'm vertically challenged. No big deal.


GOD BLESS YOU


For the pint-sized, stumpy-legged, short-n-stopped fallen of the denim world, RISE.. and put on pants. Why? Because they fit now! This may be a slightly late discovery for me, but in reading up on some fashion blogs I have learned Diesel, Rock & Republic and Paige Premium denim are all offering petite lines. No more embarrassing folding or shape-shifting hemming because, let's be honest, hemming a couple inches completely changes the look and fit of pants! These denim powerhouses are now (finally) tailoring 29" and 30" length jeans. It's a great day for the lollipop guild!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Pobody's Nerfect. No big deal.

The criticism plaguing Taylor Swift and her off-key performance at the Grammy's has opened up an interesting debate thanks to Swift's label CEO, Scott Borchetta. In Swift's defense Borchetta stated:
"Maybe she’s not the best technical singer, but she’s probably the best emotional singer because everybody else who gets up there and is technically perfect, people don’t seem to want more of it."
As much as this is her profession (and passion, obviously) I understand the inevitable scrutiny when a singer is not pitch perfect. However, I dare anyone to admit they have never made a mistake at work. It's human to have imperfect moments. It's also the media's job to pounce on the juicy carcass of failure. I've learned to accept both.

Having said that, I do have to address Borchetta's statement. It seems nonsensical and sounds like a desperate attempt to distract everyone's attention from the actual issue. Sure, the performance wasn't perfect, but I think she has enough live material to prove she can, in fact, sing on key. Can't we just be adults and own up to this? We don't need to get into an emotional philosophical romp about what feelings people want to feel from their artists. Admittedly, I want my favourite artists to sing in key, but if they make a mistake along the way I'm not going to delete them from my iPod. After all, if they couldn't sing I wouldn't be a fan in the first place. Fans and critics are all people indulged in the music industry for one reason or another. Fans will forgive. Media will spotlight the mistakes. Anyone else who's interested will make a decision based on any number of qualities: technicality, emotion, genre, lyrics. I don't doubt Borchetta is more than knowledgeable when it comes to the music industry, but the argument seems a bit off. Regardless, I would hope the fans Swift, or any artist, wants are those who would support them through every success and any failure.

To read the full article just click!
Scott Borchetta comes to Swift's Defense

iLag. No big deal.

All the chatter and hype around the intro of the iPad has, as expected, roused much debate all over social media platforms. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook - they all offer insights and criticism, which are probably 99% fueled by personal experiences/biases with Apple products and service. After reading some of these articles and posts I decided to go directly to the source and see what the manufacturer's saying at Apple.com.

Unfortunately my quest has been stalled because the Apple site is making my computer lag so much it took 4min to even open the keynote video of Steve Jobs, then it didn't even load the video properly. After another 3min of nothing I had to close the player as I feared my laptop's life and soul were being sucked away. Almost as if Jobs is trying to turn my non-Mac into a lowly... Netbook *gasp*.

I'm still a fan of Apple products, but I guess my search will have to be taken to YouTube to see the video. I wonder if I had the iPad, with all it's revolutionary internet browsing features, if I would be able to watch the video off the Apple page...

Note: video on YouTube works great. Just saying.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Public Moments at The Cafe 4.0

Incident 4.1
I’m not feeling the positivity today. As a result, the café has transformed into a psychological battlefield, where everyone needs to decide if you are allies or enemies; if you can take refuge in the seat by their side; or if unspoken wars will ensue from one distasteful glance.

The dishevelled man angled just within my peripheral is positioned to sit and stare straight in my direction. This is a pet peeve of mine as it would seem normal to at least look away momentarily when caught staring, but he ceases to desist. Battle on old man. Let’s dance.

“Eye for an eye” is such a great phrase. Although timeless and overused, I find the literal meaning behind it amusing. I always think of it when put in a situation where I feel uncomfortable from relentless onlooking eyes. Cliched phrases have directed me to stare back at this man until one of us cracks.

After some observation (a.k.a. an immature adult stare-off) he has finally turned properly in his seat, his side now facing me, and opened his satchel to retrieve some reading material. He has become a faceless member of the java society here who contentedly sips on their overpriced brews and enjoys either solitary contemplation or polite conversation.

Odd how, now, with simple purpose he appears less unkempt. By focusing on an object, rather than an estranged person, he manages to change his identity from a rude, unwelcoming miscreant to casual member of society. Maybe a simpler focus on writing and what I want out of it will transform me from frustratingly unpaid to passionately employed.

Incident 4.2
What began as a need to plug in my laptop adapter has become a test of agility and character. With the café a bustling locale today I had to find a seat four feet from the outlet on the wall. There are no obstructions anywhere around my cord, which sits starkly black along the off-white tiles, yet people still manage to kick the cord as they walk by. I give credit to those who had their hands full and can’t necessarily look down. However, there are people who fully look and see the cord, even pace their steps approaching it, and still manage to trip on it. Then there are those who are offended to find any obstructions in their path. I’m sure they’re used to being carried on thrones around their own property and having the commoners bow as they pass. Unfortunately The Café offers no such treatment. Get over yourself.

No matter what the situation, I will always be surprised at the complete uselessness of some people.

Public Moments at The Cafe 3.0

Incident 3.1
Decided to try out a different coffee shop. New week, new cafe!

Sounded good at the time...

Incident 3.2
No such luck finding the proper cafe network to connect to the generously free-of-charge WiFi. The supposed network is nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately neither is the customer service. Dude behind the counter, sporting a middle-part bowl cut flattened by unwashed grease, is so annoyed at my smile and pleasantly voiced question that he snubs me and refuses to help me. He has also fashioned himself a poorly maintained Hitler 'stache. I feel politically incorrect making the reference, but I didn't snap a photo of him so I simply must develop the photo in your minds for you.

Incident 3.3
Attempt to connect to WiFi only gets worse. I now fear for the safety of my computer. My initial strange gut feeling to not go to the cafe today finally wins and I pack up. I leave frustrated and wondering why I didn't listen to my gut or just choose a different cafe.

. . . . . . . . . .

Incident 3.4
Divine revelation! Stars have aligned and I have found the purpose of my unsuccessful cafe adventure - 65 Front Street. It is located right beside the cafe, with the address emblazoned on chunky wood handles, each number branded into each handle. Its imperfections and rustic efforts make it so unique and distinct. I'll have to go back with my camera!

It's a perfect find for one of my favoured blogs, which celebrates street number typography around the city. I now find myself constantly looking at buildings, doors and signs to uncover another type gem. It really makes you appreciate the design and creativity that goes into the smallest details of some of the biggest structures.

Check out the blog for yourself and see what unique street type you can discover! {http://59amblepath.blogspot.com}