Yesterday I went for coffee with Ryan in Yaletown. As we strolled along Hamilton St. in the rain, I chanced upon a familiar visage and my brain registered the following in sequence:
Red hair!
Beard!
Talking loudly in Swedish!
SEDIN!
For the uninformed, the Vancouver Canucks have twin brothers, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who play on a line together.
I had no idea if it was D. or H Sedin as they are identical down to their beard grooming, but this one was next to a cute smiling blonde woman (who, at the very least, understood Swedish, and appeared Swedish also), who was pushing a baby in a stroller. Awwww.
Wikipedia tells me it was probably Daniel, as the kid in the stroller looked about a year old:
Daniel Sedin
If you haven't yet, meet the Sedins: (safe for work, though you might not believe it at first:)
Friday, March 23, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Knut!
In the midst of a hectic time, let us be comforted by the cuteness of baby polar bear Knut, as presented by Steven Colbert:
"His eyes are like little buttons!" Brilliant.
"His eyes are like little buttons!" Brilliant.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
where do we come from? what are we? where are we going?
Citizens of the interweb:
You have created a gleam of light in my otherwise dull-grey day. Indeed, on a day when I have spent many hours hiding behind a mask of concealer, twitching from too much coffee intake, feeling like I and all the happiness in my heart of hearts have been steamrolled by the proverbial truck that seems to flatten many people, I was quite cheered to witness this:
People from faraway lands! How are you coming here? Is Google directing you here when you search "David Bowie?" And instead you are coming to find emo poetry and amateur movie reviews? I'll bet that's it.
You have created a gleam of light in my otherwise dull-grey day. Indeed, on a day when I have spent many hours hiding behind a mask of concealer, twitching from too much coffee intake, feeling like I and all the happiness in my heart of hearts have been steamrolled by the proverbial truck that seems to flatten many people, I was quite cheered to witness this:
People from faraway lands! How are you coming here? Is Google directing you here when you search "David Bowie?" And instead you are coming to find emo poetry and amateur movie reviews? I'll bet that's it.
_
(from Jan 06)
she left
her coat behind
on a blue snowbank
she pounded down the winter plains
they broke away to dusty canyons
filled with dry sunlight
under her feet
as she ran
i'd watched her stand in church,
her face was
painful in its purity
she was all
fire and proud young bones
and shorn hair and sweet voice
my heart quiet within me measured
my shrinking soul in the presence
of hers, giant
next evening i flew away
under cover of darkness, no one heard
my ascending, my landing,
where I fell and
gathered my brokenness in the shade of mountains,
i find myself on the side where
it always rains, where fog is softer than
sunlight, greenest in the sea
where i'd spend my long silence
and she'd steal, fierce in her loudness,
through my heart's eye, and whisper terribly,
you and i, we are two, who dared
i to run into the sun
you into the rain
she left
her coat behind
on a blue snowbank
she pounded down the winter plains
they broke away to dusty canyons
filled with dry sunlight
under her feet
as she ran
i'd watched her stand in church,
her face was
painful in its purity
she was all
fire and proud young bones
and shorn hair and sweet voice
my heart quiet within me measured
my shrinking soul in the presence
of hers, giant
next evening i flew away
under cover of darkness, no one heard
my ascending, my landing,
where I fell and
gathered my brokenness in the shade of mountains,
i find myself on the side where
it always rains, where fog is softer than
sunlight, greenest in the sea
where i'd spend my long silence
and she'd steal, fierce in her loudness,
through my heart's eye, and whisper terribly,
you and i, we are two, who dared
i to run into the sun
you into the rain
Monday, March 19, 2007
weekend epic
Friday:
Abbotsford, BC.
arrived via trusty 1982 Volvo a.k.a. "Olga"
watched: The Prestige
It was decent. The first act was a little clunky and took a while to find its tone. The second was fairly successful, and finally builds enough momentum to justify its frantic pacing. David Bowie as Tesla was a highlight. The third act gets a little crazy, pushes the audience's ability to suspend disbelief and ventures out into the realm of science fiction. The actors do a fairly good job of selling it to the audience, and I have to give due credit for involvement- just before the final denouement I was yelling out a plot solution at the screen and I was half-right (sorry, Ryan's family!) Throughout, some interesting points are raised about the nature of magic and human optimism, and there is an interesting flip in the portrayal of which of the two magicians is the "good" or "bad" guy.
Overall comments: I am getting really sick of Scarlett Johansson reprising her role as the female seductress. The only time this was interesting was in Lost in Translation and, arguably, Girl with the Pearl Earring, where she wasn't a very overt sexpot. Please change it up, or change the way you act these characters. Hugh Jackman's American accent really bothered me (apparently this was explained in five seconds in an early scene which I missed), but then he played a totally great out of work actor-lush with a passable accent and I forgave him that. I didn't find the final twist overly compelling, but again, I have to give credit for simplicity, as venturing out into another weird science-fiction twist would have been too much for the audience to bear. However, if it could have been guessed in the first act: "haha, wouldn't it be simple if X were the case all along," I don't think it counts as a compelling plot twist.
Also, there are a few instances that I think may be plot holes (like whatever happened to that kid in the first act who disappears the rest of the movie? Why does the "manservant" only appear in the middle of the second act when he must be there for the whole thing for the bait-and switch to make sense? (SPOILER: Why does the "mentor" character appear to know about the final plot twist beforehand but allows this person to be framed for murder and sentenced to death, and person's brother isn't mad in the least? is the point that he preserves all magician's secrets at the cost of their lives and everybody thinks it's worth it?/END) or it could be that I didn't pick up on some things at first go-round.
There are many more funny, twisty moments that are pretty redeeming, or at least amusing, that I can't reveal without also revealing too much of the plot. Overall, recommended as a decent Hollywood-style movie.
Saturday:
Wal*Mart (bought a sport watch for $30; every time I go in there a little bit of my soul stays behind and, hopefully, is claimed by a child labourer in China.)
Sport-Check
Ethical Addictions for an americano and chat with Ryan. I saw a Jeremy Penner doppelganger but I don't think it was him.
The Da Vinci Code (p. 150-375?) I am reading this and while I'm actually not a fan of this book and Dan Brown hitting the reader over the head with his overstatement of every single "fact" and clue as if we are idiots (come on. two experts on Da Vinci fail to recognize mirrored writing?), for some reason I'm devouring it quickly. I am just to the part where we are discovering the Big Plot Twist, and since I've seen the movie and know what it is I feel like he's being cheap about it as he is totally misleading the reader and we are supposed to be all "oh wow, he's like SO clever I totally never would have guessed." Ha.
At least the book lacks Tom Hanks saying hambone lines such as "surely this cannot be the keystone!" with a pained expression on his face at having to play Robert Langdon, but it has more than its share of writing that is as elegantly phrased as, say an installment of CSI, and is similarly replete with awful one-liners. Also it lacks Ian McKellen's awesome scenery chewing which was maybe the only redeeming part of the movie. Nobody can have more fun in a bad movie than a really good British actor.
More later.
F1 racing
Canucks game
Sunday:
epic run in Abbotsford - 55 minutes
home-made waffles
D.V.C. (p. 375-420)
Coquitlam - Ryan's Grandparents
UBC: guided tour by my former co-worker Aiden
Ryan's apartment
Sushi from Samurai on Davie
Sonya's apartment
Laundry
Phone call from Mom
Abbotsford, BC.
arrived via trusty 1982 Volvo a.k.a. "Olga"
watched: The Prestige
It was decent. The first act was a little clunky and took a while to find its tone. The second was fairly successful, and finally builds enough momentum to justify its frantic pacing. David Bowie as Tesla was a highlight. The third act gets a little crazy, pushes the audience's ability to suspend disbelief and ventures out into the realm of science fiction. The actors do a fairly good job of selling it to the audience, and I have to give due credit for involvement- just before the final denouement I was yelling out a plot solution at the screen and I was half-right (sorry, Ryan's family!) Throughout, some interesting points are raised about the nature of magic and human optimism, and there is an interesting flip in the portrayal of which of the two magicians is the "good" or "bad" guy.
Overall comments: I am getting really sick of Scarlett Johansson reprising her role as the female seductress. The only time this was interesting was in Lost in Translation and, arguably, Girl with the Pearl Earring, where she wasn't a very overt sexpot. Please change it up, or change the way you act these characters. Hugh Jackman's American accent really bothered me (apparently this was explained in five seconds in an early scene which I missed), but then he played a totally great out of work actor-lush with a passable accent and I forgave him that. I didn't find the final twist overly compelling, but again, I have to give credit for simplicity, as venturing out into another weird science-fiction twist would have been too much for the audience to bear. However, if it could have been guessed in the first act: "haha, wouldn't it be simple if X were the case all along," I don't think it counts as a compelling plot twist.
Also, there are a few instances that I think may be plot holes (like whatever happened to that kid in the first act who disappears the rest of the movie? Why does the "manservant" only appear in the middle of the second act when he must be there for the whole thing for the bait-and switch to make sense? (SPOILER: Why does the "mentor" character appear to know about the final plot twist beforehand but allows this person to be framed for murder and sentenced to death, and person's brother isn't mad in the least? is the point that he preserves all magician's secrets at the cost of their lives and everybody thinks it's worth it?/END) or it could be that I didn't pick up on some things at first go-round.
There are many more funny, twisty moments that are pretty redeeming, or at least amusing, that I can't reveal without also revealing too much of the plot. Overall, recommended as a decent Hollywood-style movie.
Saturday:
Wal*Mart (bought a sport watch for $30; every time I go in there a little bit of my soul stays behind and, hopefully, is claimed by a child labourer in China.)
Sport-Check
Ethical Addictions for an americano and chat with Ryan. I saw a Jeremy Penner doppelganger but I don't think it was him.
The Da Vinci Code (p. 150-375?) I am reading this and while I'm actually not a fan of this book and Dan Brown hitting the reader over the head with his overstatement of every single "fact" and clue as if we are idiots (come on. two experts on Da Vinci fail to recognize mirrored writing?), for some reason I'm devouring it quickly. I am just to the part where we are discovering the Big Plot Twist, and since I've seen the movie and know what it is I feel like he's being cheap about it as he is totally misleading the reader and we are supposed to be all "oh wow, he's like SO clever I totally never would have guessed." Ha.
At least the book lacks Tom Hanks saying hambone lines such as "surely this cannot be the keystone!" with a pained expression on his face at having to play Robert Langdon, but it has more than its share of writing that is as elegantly phrased as, say an installment of CSI, and is similarly replete with awful one-liners. Also it lacks Ian McKellen's awesome scenery chewing which was maybe the only redeeming part of the movie. Nobody can have more fun in a bad movie than a really good British actor.
More later.
F1 racing
Canucks game
Sunday:
epic run in Abbotsford - 55 minutes
home-made waffles
D.V.C. (p. 375-420)
Coquitlam - Ryan's Grandparents
UBC: guided tour by my former co-worker Aiden
Ryan's apartment
Sushi from Samurai on Davie
Sonya's apartment
Laundry
Phone call from Mom
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Hinterlands: Sigur Ros
I'm going to talk about people, groups, or other arts ventures I think are interesting and recommend them for perusal every so often. I'll concentrate on lesser-known artists, but I don't have the expertise or desire to talk about, say, bands that will be huge in 5 years that are still playing five chords as they gestate in someone's garage. (Unless I have some sort of insider connection to their work, such as that demo of Sheree Plett's I heard via Rebekah, in which case, I'll absolutely do that sort of thing. I think Sheree/husband Jeremy know more than 5 chords, though.) These are groups or people you might have heard about in passing but are not part of the canon of north american pop-culture. If they've attracted your interest, you may know a lot more about them than I do (if so, please enlighten me)!
This particular group barely qualifies as "less well known," since this is a band with a large international/celebrity following and 4 critically acclaimed albums.
Sigur Ros!
Mention must be made of my source: Ryan's sister Erin and her good taste in music. Thanks Erin! It was as Ryan was shopping for Erin's Christmas gift that I got a taste of their work.
Firstly, their sound is remarkable. It is by turns ethereal, heavy, subtle, dramatic, heartfelt. Those adjectives don't actually seem sufficient now that I write them. The band utilizes a classical songwriting arc that expands an introductory theme rather than a verse/chorus structure. Music students, correct my terminology: many of their songs seem built around a simple unfinished cadence sequence that repeats to a point of tension before resolution. It's beautiful.
Secondly, there are some amazing music videos they've done that fully exploit the dramatic potential of the music. Again, put to paper, the sales pitch seems quite bald. Beautiful Icelandic children are led on a journey by a pied piper; they jump off a cliff and float away borne by the air. It sounds very cliche. But! Behold:
This could win an award for 'most beautiful floating children video ever'. It's a simple idea, but it's done with utmost tenderness. The pacing and narrative and composition of each frame are strikingly beautiful.
Old people fight in a graveyard! The symbolism may be a bit more heavy-handed, but it refrains from silliness by virtue of the production quality. Again, it's a simple idea well executed.
I was intrigued to discover that Sigur Ros collaborated with Radiohead for a modern dance piece called "split sides," where the bands performed live.
Very bootleg video is here (I hope it doesn't disappear overnight):
A track from their official website is here
Official website:
http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
This particular group barely qualifies as "less well known," since this is a band with a large international/celebrity following and 4 critically acclaimed albums.
Sigur Ros!
Mention must be made of my source: Ryan's sister Erin and her good taste in music. Thanks Erin! It was as Ryan was shopping for Erin's Christmas gift that I got a taste of their work.
Firstly, their sound is remarkable. It is by turns ethereal, heavy, subtle, dramatic, heartfelt. Those adjectives don't actually seem sufficient now that I write them. The band utilizes a classical songwriting arc that expands an introductory theme rather than a verse/chorus structure. Music students, correct my terminology: many of their songs seem built around a simple unfinished cadence sequence that repeats to a point of tension before resolution. It's beautiful.
Secondly, there are some amazing music videos they've done that fully exploit the dramatic potential of the music. Again, put to paper, the sales pitch seems quite bald. Beautiful Icelandic children are led on a journey by a pied piper; they jump off a cliff and float away borne by the air. It sounds very cliche. But! Behold:
This could win an award for 'most beautiful floating children video ever'. It's a simple idea, but it's done with utmost tenderness. The pacing and narrative and composition of each frame are strikingly beautiful.
Old people fight in a graveyard! The symbolism may be a bit more heavy-handed, but it refrains from silliness by virtue of the production quality. Again, it's a simple idea well executed.
I was intrigued to discover that Sigur Ros collaborated with Radiohead for a modern dance piece called "split sides," where the bands performed live.
Very bootleg video is here (I hope it doesn't disappear overnight):
A track from their official website is here
Official website:
http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
with love, from cyberia
In search of my old photobucket account, I just found my favourite creation, like, ever. EVER.
Keep in mind that I made this to learn how to make animated gifs before Ryan and I were dating. Before. Truly, I am now astonished at his bravery.
Keep in mind that I made this to learn how to make animated gifs before Ryan and I were dating. Before. Truly, I am now astonished at his bravery.
fun with dick and jane
Sonya and Ryan are in Ryan's apartment, watching tv.
a "credit union" commercial begins. Do you Manitobans have those? or are they the progeny of the credit unions of BC? Anyway, it begins and the dialogue sounds something like:
Lady Bank customer 1: "Just a minute; I've got to use the bank."
Lady bank customer 2: "But your card won't work here."
LBC 1: "Yes it will! It works ubiquitously!"
LBC 2: "...do you mean to say it works everywhere?"
LBC 1: "Yes! it's omnipresent!"
LBC2: (eyeroll)"That's a malapropism."
LBC1: "a what?"
LBC2: "never mind!"
Meanwhile, Sonya the TV-starved non-TV owner has been cooing that this commercial is cute and she likes it and is chuckling, but not as hard as she chuckles every time she sees that travel insurance commercial where the couple returns home to find their couch floating and the guy in a full-body cast is stuck in the car going downhill yelling "parking brake!"; seriously, that commercial NEVER gets old.
Ryan, snarkily: "I don't think they used that last word correctly."
Me: "HAHAHA! nice one."
Ryan: "what?"
....then I called him an "idiot savant" and then I got in trouble. I only wish I could be as clever an idiot savant, self-aware or otherwise.
a "credit union" commercial begins. Do you Manitobans have those? or are they the progeny of the credit unions of BC? Anyway, it begins and the dialogue sounds something like:
Lady Bank customer 1: "Just a minute; I've got to use the bank."
Lady bank customer 2: "But your card won't work here."
LBC 1: "Yes it will! It works ubiquitously!"
LBC 2: "...do you mean to say it works everywhere?"
LBC 1: "Yes! it's omnipresent!"
LBC2: (eyeroll)"That's a malapropism."
LBC1: "a what?"
LBC2: "never mind!"
Meanwhile, Sonya the TV-starved non-TV owner has been cooing that this commercial is cute and she likes it and is chuckling, but not as hard as she chuckles every time she sees that travel insurance commercial where the couple returns home to find their couch floating and the guy in a full-body cast is stuck in the car going downhill yelling "parking brake!"; seriously, that commercial NEVER gets old.
Ryan, snarkily: "I don't think they used that last word correctly."
Me: "HAHAHA! nice one."
Ryan: "what?"
....then I called him an "idiot savant" and then I got in trouble. I only wish I could be as clever an idiot savant, self-aware or otherwise.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
I've been Art Garfunkled
One rule of blogging I've encountered (because some bloggers feel the need to establish rules of blogging) is that you never write about your dreams, as they are boring and no one really cares about them.
This one is too good to pass by without recording. Last night I dreamt I was at a party hosted by a former classmate named Greg, along withmy boyfriend Ryan. We found ourselves sitting on a couch chatting with a rather crazy-haired man. Eventually we made the discovery that he was none other than Art Garfunkel.
What luck! We descended upon him with questions. What was it like being in Simon + Garfunkel? What about his time in Architecture school? What about that pesky drug conviction last year? Even better, suddenly Ryan was a newspaper reporter. He had whipped out his notepad and pen and was recording all the answers. Unfortunately, I can't remember a single one.
I also didn't remember this dream as I actually listened to S+G this morning ("What a Wonderful World") but did remember it as I crossed the street on the way to work. So, I am left with two pressing questions: How come I never get to be the newspaper reporter in my own dreams? Also, how can I purvey a "press hat" like the one Ryan was wearing in the dream and make him wear it?
Please advise.
This one is too good to pass by without recording. Last night I dreamt I was at a party hosted by a former classmate named Greg, along withmy boyfriend Ryan. We found ourselves sitting on a couch chatting with a rather crazy-haired man. Eventually we made the discovery that he was none other than Art Garfunkel.
What luck! We descended upon him with questions. What was it like being in Simon + Garfunkel? What about his time in Architecture school? What about that pesky drug conviction last year? Even better, suddenly Ryan was a newspaper reporter. He had whipped out his notepad and pen and was recording all the answers. Unfortunately, I can't remember a single one.
I also didn't remember this dream as I actually listened to S+G this morning ("What a Wonderful World") but did remember it as I crossed the street on the way to work. So, I am left with two pressing questions: How come I never get to be the newspaper reporter in my own dreams? Also, how can I purvey a "press hat" like the one Ryan was wearing in the dream and make him wear it?
Please advise.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
in search of a palatable nihilism
My friends and countrymen,
I have been accepted into two graduate architecture programs: UBC and Manitoba. Manitoba's only sent me an email to let me know instead of the official package, but it's pretty much a sure thing. The past week or so has been a heady blur of rumors, gossip and subterfuge as my far-flung architecture friends and I weaseled out who was in, who was maybe in, whose friend of a friend was in and how we were getting in nowhere, and how we'd rather not even think about who was getting in or not, yet how we couldn't stop emailing each other and discussing these things.
So. I still have to hear back from Toronto, but I'm happy to have two choices. For the past month I've been a blissful slacker (well, except for some overtime at work, beginning training for a 10 k run, and a bit more yoga than normal), and thoroughly enjoyed it, though now I'm beginning to think, couldn't I have at least thought about school a bit more? Like at all? Like somehow numbered the choices from one through three as I had a full month to do such a thing?
As it stands, I have until March 30th to respond to UBC. I can do the research on the actual programs myself, poll my friends, troll archinet and other school type websites, and look into scholarships, as well as actually see what package the U. of M is offering me. Your task is to offer up superficial reasons to choose one place - Vancouver or Winnipeg - over another. Anything is fair game. Try me.
Go.
(Also, I totally stole the post title off of Death By Architecture.)
anonymous comments now enabled.
I have been accepted into two graduate architecture programs: UBC and Manitoba. Manitoba's only sent me an email to let me know instead of the official package, but it's pretty much a sure thing. The past week or so has been a heady blur of rumors, gossip and subterfuge as my far-flung architecture friends and I weaseled out who was in, who was maybe in, whose friend of a friend was in and how we were getting in nowhere, and how we'd rather not even think about who was getting in or not, yet how we couldn't stop emailing each other and discussing these things.
So. I still have to hear back from Toronto, but I'm happy to have two choices. For the past month I've been a blissful slacker (well, except for some overtime at work, beginning training for a 10 k run, and a bit more yoga than normal), and thoroughly enjoyed it, though now I'm beginning to think, couldn't I have at least thought about school a bit more? Like at all? Like somehow numbered the choices from one through three as I had a full month to do such a thing?
As it stands, I have until March 30th to respond to UBC. I can do the research on the actual programs myself, poll my friends, troll archinet and other school type websites, and look into scholarships, as well as actually see what package the U. of M is offering me. Your task is to offer up superficial reasons to choose one place - Vancouver or Winnipeg - over another. Anything is fair game. Try me.
Go.
(Also, I totally stole the post title off of Death By Architecture.)
anonymous comments now enabled.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
