The Awkward Scientist

Thank You

2011-03-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last night, not only I was re-elected to the University of Alberta Students' Union Students' Council as a Science Councillor, I was also elected to General Faculties Council as a Science Councillor. Additionally, I was first-place in both races!

Bragging aside, I want to thank everyone for their support, guidance, and feedback over the past two weeks. I made a lot of campaign promises, and I look forward to working towards each and every one of them. I also want to commend all of my fellow candidates, especially those who campaigned hard, be it posters, attending the Councillor Forum at Dewey's, or other methods. We had an excellent turnout this year for individuals running, and I'm proud of every Science student who put their name forward. Congratulations to those that won a position, in all faculties, and I look forward to working with you next year.

Being a Councillor isn't all free food and great people; it's a responsibility that I have enjoyed taking on for the last year. It's long meetings and long nights, but if you know me, you know that I secretly love all of that. I don't enjoy giving up working with other groups that I love - I constantly wish that there were more hours in the day so that I could go deer tracking or just hang out with friends, but something has to give, and unfortunately it's my other extracurriculars. But it is worth it.

To finish this up, just thank you. THANK YOU. This is awesome, and I'm pumped. Special kudos to Ngina wa Kaai, who kept me motivated; Jess Tansey, who kept me real (and was my photographer!); and Natalie Cox, who kept me critical. This doesn't include those that gave me feedback, helped with my poster and website, and were just fantastic. And you know, thanks to those that voted for me :)
Also, thanks to the election staff, who ran a successful Council election with record voter turnout of 10.5223% (3034 votes), with Science at around 16.44%. Finally, apologies to my classmates, instructors, TAs, family, and friends - I have been an awful student for the past few weeks and I swear Mom, I'll visit next weekend.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, but for now, let's focus on finishing up this year of Council, and you know, passing my courses?

Happy Meat Day! Or, Kim's Month As A Vegetarian

2011-02-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

The gross illness that I feel right now can only be described as the result of over-indulgence. But before we get to my evening, some context!

For the past few years, I've felt that the meat industry could do with improvement to their treatment of animals, especially more humane approaches. After receiving an invite to Earthlings, dubbed 'The Vegan Maker', I realized that it may be hypocritical to hold these ideals and continue to eat factory-made meat products. So I (thought) I had two choices - change my ideals, or change my ways. Since the former is a lot harder to do, I was willing to try the latter. The way I saw it, I could eat free-range or organic meat products, reduce my meat consumption entirely (aka vegetarian), or a mix of both. I'm a student, and with the downtown farmers' market closed during the winter, I can't afford time and money required to get my hands on free-range meat on a regular basis. So I decided to try an experiment - to see if I could be a vegetarian.

Out of this came the Month of Vegetarianism shared with my friend Jess. She was a vegetarian at one time for a bit, and would mind trying it again, to see if she could 'do it right'. With a promise not eat meat or meat products for an entire month, it was on. We decided on January because of the post-Christmas overkill of food, as well as the relative lack of stress from school.

My experience overall? Here's a few:

1. Veggie Burgers.
It seems that no two veggie burgers are alike. My first one (I don't include the accidental veggie burger I had at Pets In The Park '09) was at Room At The Top, one of the bars on campus, and honestly it wasn't that great. The filler and cooking method led to it being really crunchy, which wasn't what I was really looking for. However, the veggie burger at the Jekyll + Hyde Pub in downtown Edmonton was divine. The rice was a perfect consistency and was similar to a burger patty. I hardly noticed the difference.

2. Tofu.
The one thing I was really hesitant to try ended up being nothing. No, it actually tasted like nothing.

3. Prep and Feel.
Now, for the entire month, I did take a multi-vitamin due to some worry about getting enough iron. This to me is kind of funny, because chances are that I got more iron from those multivitamins than I do from ingesting meat since I don't normally eat a lot of meat. As for eating, I never had a meal where I felt a sort of 'heavy' fullness, though I never went to bed hungry. That's what complex carbohydrates are for, people. Though, I did notice that I got hungrier more often.

4. Availability of veggie-friendly choices.
Really, the question should be why is gelatin in everything. Or, why is chicken in everything so good-looking. Eventually, it became too hard to police the gelatin aspect. It also became an art of navigating my local Sobey's to find something veggie-friendly AND healthy to eat. And since 3/5ths of my DnD group was vegetarian now, we got majority rule on snack choices. Campus was rough, I got tired of eating pasta and white sauce or veggie lasagna from L'Express by about the second week, so I had to get creative/eat a lot of snack food for lunch.
Also, I hate hummus and raw tomato, so there were some limitations.

5. Sausage.
Everyone asks if I miss bacon. Honestly, I don't understand the whole hullabaloo over bacon- sure, it's good, but not that good. What I missed the most was sausage. And everyone proceeded to make a joke when I mentioned this. I do have the best friends.

So what now? It's February 1st - my month of being a vegetarian is over. To celebrate "Meat Day", as it came to be known, Jess and I had a Tim Horton's breakfast sandwich this morning (they had been haunting my dreams!), and then went out to dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. Hence the gross feeling, because I overate (something I had gotten out of the habit of doing for years now, but NO I just HAD to). Silly me.

As for the decision, the more I've talked to my vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, etc. friends, the more views and personal perspectives I've heard. First, I know I'm not alone in feeling hypocritical. But at the same time, why do I exempt eggs and cheese from the bill, despite being a factory industry? Probably because of my love of cheese. Why do I stand by dissections as a learning tool or the use of animals in scientific testing? Because for me, the knowledge gained by using animals, either for teaching purposes or testing, is a benefit not only to humans but to animals as well. Would you want your vet performing surgery on your pet without dissection or trial experience? I wouldn't, especially after all the dissections I've performed. I trust the animal committees of institutions like the University of Alberta to make the appropriate decisions when it comes to matters like this.

All in all, there are bigger issues here that cannot be addressed through my own self-imposed month of not eating animal flesh. But hey, happy Meat Day! From now on, I'm aiming for less meat consumption throughout the week, with a re-address when the Farmers' Market reopens. It's not the best solution, but right now it's the one that works.

Quick 'n' Awkward: Condoms

2011-01-24T20:36:00.000-08:00

Want to make the entire dining room quiet at your next family dinner?

Ask your mom (or dad) a favour - could they pick up a huge box of condoms from Costco for you?

.

.. [crickets]

...

Yeah.

Not for me! For the Voices For Choices table when we table in the Students' Union Building, since the Health and Wellness Team (formerly Peer Health Educators) still haven't gotten back to us about restocking our supply. It took everyone about a minute or two to recover from THAT one. But hey, at VFC we're sex-positive, so why not start at home.

Science of Sustainability: Germany's Waste Management Program

2011-01-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Germany's waste management program is mainly made up of comprehensive recycling, composting, and as little waste as possible with the help of laws and industrial procedures.

This could easily have been an Edmonton vs Kassel post, as Edmonton is known for it's municipal recycling program, except that Germany has a national program, so for that I'll only touch upon Edmonton's program briefly. In the late 1980's, Edmonton filled it's landfill and had a unique opportunity to change the way we think about waste as a city. Recycling was incorporated into Edmonton's plan, as well as composting using household waste and biosolids from treated water. Originally the Blue Box program existed where recyclables went into a blue box alongside your garbage bags, it's been the Blue Bag program for a while with the same general idea. Bottle, carton, and can deposits exist across Canada on bottles, cans, and milk containers, and can be turned in for refund at Bottle Depots. In Edmonton, about 60% of household waste is diverted from the landfill, with goals of 90% by 2013.

Recycling. Oh, recycling. Often seen as the easiest step into getting people into the sustainability thought process, because it's easy to sort out your waste, and the personal responsibility can be quite rewarding. Money made of deposit fees are also a bonus. Composting is the best alternative for biodegradable refuse as well. So how does Germany do it?

Before I went to Germany, I thought I knew how to recycle. Edmonton's blue bag program wasn't as strictly followed in my parent's home as my own home, but I thought I was pretty much an expert. Wrong. Germany takes recycling to a whole new level.

Let's start with bottles used for drinking. Most of the time, soda is sold in green or clear glass bottles that carry a pfand, or a deposit. This also happens with plastic bottles, such as those used for carbonated water (that is a post in and of itself). Bottles can be returned at most grocery stores, though some seem to be finicky about whether they carry that beverage or not. Back to recycling, if glass doesn't carry a pfand, it is separated by colour (brown, green, or clear), and put into the appropriate section of the green bin, although outside bins might just be one container. Paper is put into the blue paper bins, and plastic or aluminum packaging material into the yellow bins. Compostable material, such as fruits, veggies, eggs, hair, etc. is put into the brown bins (not shown above, they are harder to find outside of private homes). Finally, anything that doesn't fit these categories goes in the grey bin, Restmüll, the rest of it, which is incinerated. Almost. Anything large or potentially hazardous needs to be dropped off in case it would be harmful to be burned.

PHEW! It was exhausting at first to learn the system. I was used to having a garbage bin in my room to throw everything away. Instead, I ended up hoarding my trash until it was time to separate it.

Aside from recycling, there are other waste policies in Germany, such as waste-to-energy power facilities, or responsible production laws. The latter includes a comprehensive product stewardship program called the Green Dot Program, where companies aim to use the least amount of packaging possible to pay less for the Green Dot, which includes the company paying for the cost of recycling. What's the point? Ethical consumerism is promoted, so consumers look for the green dot on products. It's not only worth it to the companies, it's also environmentally responsible. It encourages positive behaviour from both producers and consumers, and has been linked to a 14% decrease in packaging waste since it's inception. Packaging material that is recycled then feeds into the former, waste-to-energy solutions, where 62% of recycled plastic is converted into fuel.

Oh, and if you don't feel like recycling? Trash is collected and then the homeowner is charged according to weight, so why not use the nationally provided program? Win-win.

I didn't manage to get any pictures of the bins - so out of character! BUT, here is my buddy Michael's trash bin in his room. Supposedly it was unused for years until I used it...
*shrug* See can, will use.

Edmonton vs. Kassel: Public Transit

2011-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

A view of the city above the fountains of Wilhemshöhe

Now this is a doozy. Not only because it's a huge topic, but also because public transit in Edmonton is a very hot-button issue. LRT (light rail transit, similar to a subway or tram line) vs bus vs car tyranny - it's all been hotly debated for years, and will likely continue to be as people are still deeply polarized on this issue.

So how does Edmonton's current LRT system compare to other cities around the world, specifically Kassel? I've been to Paris, Rome, Frankfurt, Kassel, Berlin, and Hannover, and used their LRT-esque systems, some more extensively than others, and they have one thing in common - they're better than the LRT. More lines, more frequent schedules, cheaper fare, nicer trains, etc. etc. Edmonton has a metro population of 1,034,945. So how is it that Kassel, a city with a metro population of ~450,000, has a transit system that puts Edmonton's to shame, at least in terms of rapid transit? The picture to the right is one of the views from my tram ride home, so similar to Alberta, it's eerie.

Kassel is one of the more principal cities in the region. However, unlike Edmonton, Kassel isn't the capital of the state of Hesse. Frankfurt is. Frankfurt, with a metro population of over 5 million. Therefore, it doesn't necessarily have increased funding to account for the transit system. Instead, the difference may lie in the planning of the two cities.

Edmonton as established as a town in the early 1890's, a city in the early 1900's, and has since grown outward from what is now the downtown. Kassel is about 1000 years old, but took serious damage from WWII bombing - about 90% of the city was lost. In the 1950's, town planners decided to build on a new plan instead of keeping the old system. Ring roads were introduced, and led to the sort of sprawl that can be seen today, where neighbouring towns are so close by that you can hardly tell the difference. This was the case in the town where I stayed, Kaufungen. Driving south on the main road from Kassel, a little yellow sign under an overpass let's you know that you're in Kaufungen, which is comparable to Edmonton's Sherwood Park in appearance and general feel of the place.

Incorporated into the new planning of Kassel was the establishment of roads that were wide enough to serve the already-established trams (light rail trolleys). This system has remained over time to expand to townships just outside of the city, as well as regional expresses that have an even further reach. I found this out when I missed my tram stop and ended up on a 10 minute tram ride through the country side, eventually ending up in the town of Hesse and the end of the line.

There has to be a demand for this kind of supply. Every five years, Kassel hosts the documenta, a world renowned exhibition of contemporary, modern, and installation art. This, coupled with industries inside the city and it's university campuses, is enough to maintain its transit system, which is home to 9 tram lines and 28 bus lines, all of which have regular schedules, including night buses on weekend nights that run until just past 2 am. The picture to the left is a crap picture of just one of the many stations throughout Kassel that support many different tram and bus lines. The tram lines are also highly innovative by incorporating the tracks that serve regional trains to better serve the surrounding area without using more land for these lines.

Edmonton on the other hand, boasts similar festivals, industries, and institutions, if not more. We're the Festival City, with more than 30 annual festivals. We're home to three major educational institutions as well as others, often with satellite campuses throughout the city. Yet our transit system often draws the ire of citizens, who curse the lack of rapid transit to key areas, yet at the same time dismiss some proposals for expansion. In my own opinion, a lot of it is due to the typical Not In My Backyard, or NIMBY, approach. This shouldn't be news to a lot of long-term Edmontonians. A lot of it is cautious - cautious of changing economic outlooks, safety concerns, and aesthetic reasons. And some of it is warranted. But only some, and to quote Admiral Adama of Battlestar Galactica, sometimes you have to roll a hard six.

This is just food for thought, but from someone who has had both, I'd rather go back for seconds in Kassel, where I took the number 4 tram from Oberkaufungen Mitte, rode it for twenty minutes until Am Stern, and got off to go to school. It didn't stop there though, I was able to go throughout the city just by connecting the lines, and almost always started from Königsplatz, which became the meeting place for everyone and the butt of a few jokes. This is more than I can say for the often dull transit stations of Edmonton.

An impromptu photo op of me (center) and my geocaching group at Wilhemshöhe Bergpark's (mountain park) train station, one of the city's most popular attractions.

All photos are mine, MINE! Just ask permission, peeps, otherwise I go Gollum on yer butt.

Insomnia

2010-12-20T03:08:00.001-08:00

Two more days of tortuous concentration and then my exams are over! After that? Planning for a marketing campaign for a group I'm in, working on Voices for Choices stuff, reading my novels for my English course next semester (Frankenstein and Persuasion), research and planning for Council stuff, a Die Hard marathon, a Battlestar Galactica marathon, and hopefully some D&D.

And I guess a blog post, eh? Or SEVERAL? This semester was awful for posting, my apologies. Especially to those awaiting my LRT post re: Germany vs. Edmonton. It's either been too busy or I'm too lazy or the Muses refuse my pleas.

Anywho, I've got a final in five hours, so I'll have to catch you later!

-- Post From My iPod

Awkward Homophones

2010-11-17T01:30:00.000-08:00

Sitting in a bar, talking to a few fellow SU folks about speech and words that are used pejoratively, etc. One person was a self-described 'grammarian', which I had never heard before. It reminded me of words like 'contrarian', 'bavarian/bavarian' or my personal favourite, 'pastafarian'. Before I had time to think it through, my Dionysian plied tongue already started saying something along the lines of, "Why is everything becoming an '-arian'?"

Not one of my best moments, but hey, it's what I do - fail to think things through and fulfill the role of comedic patsy. And my timing couldn't have been better, since this entire discussion stemmed from talking about white privilege, the Racism Free Edmonton campaign, and it's recent controversy.

So to recap - I ran into trouble with homophones (not the first time) and opened my big mouth, hilarity ensued, and we moved on.

Normally, I have a no-beer-if-I'm-with-important-people rule, which I broke tonight >.<
Never again.

Vitaminwater: Should it stay or should it go

2010-08-06T11:34:00.001-07:00

After reading this article on the darker side of Vitaminwater, I have a question that I'm going to put out there.

Should the Students' Union, or even the entire University, still sell or allow promotion of Vitaminwater?

Considering how much Vitaminwater is on campus, in machines, cafeterias, and given away as promotional material during events such as Orientation and the Week of Welcome, maybe we shouldn't.

Not because it is a sugary drink - we do sell soda on campus - but instead because of the false advertising. It's one thing to have an obviously satirical advertising campaign, such as the Shreddies Diamond vs Square campaign, but to market as a health product and then finally admit, until oath, that you'd have to be unreasonable to believe their advertising is just shady.

It's healthwashing, and we shouldn't recognize it as an acceptable and responsible marketing practice. And while this is one article from a known "left leaning" news organization, that doesn't change Coca-Cola's response.

Then the question turns to this: If we're not impressed with the advertising, shouldn't we get rid of all Coca-Cola products altogether, since they are the main company and it was their advertising?

Personally, that's a bit extreme, since I don't mean to punish the company for their bad advertising practices, but to instead remove the product that is being sold under false pretenses. If you're old enough to remember Street Cents, a consumer awareness show that was on CBC and aimed at teens, and unfortunately cancelled, then you would know what I mean when I say that Vitaminwater is Fit For The Pit.

Finally, can you even get rid of it? If we're in a contract with Coke, does that mean that we have to accept whatever they want to provide? I would gladly trade Vitaminwater for Barq's (NOT A&W), which is almost always MIA. But maybe it's not even up for discussion. Maybe we just have to put up with it.

All that being said, if Vitaminwater changed the way they advertise, and don't claim health benefits that their drinks don't have, then I wouldn't mind - it's just another overpriced drink.

So what do you think?

Awkward Abroad: Losing my laptop

2010-08-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yeah the title is pretty straightforward. Between the Calgary International Airport, and the Frankfurt International Airport, I lost my laptop. Any guesses?

This travel blog photo's source is TravelPod page: Arriving Frankfurt Airport, Frankfurt, Germany

Yeah, I kind of forgot it at the security check point before getting to my departure gate. And not only did I access my backpack many times before boarding my plane and didn't notice that it was missing, but I also didn't notice until hour 8 of a 9 hour flight. Freaking out, I check all my carry-on at least 6 times, but I already knew that it wasn't there. At this point I was already going over the possible scenarios:

1. It's at Calgary at the security office and they can ship it to me
2. It's at Calgary and they will hold it hostage until I get back to Canada
all the way to
24. It's been stolen and hacked into and all my shit was compromised and I now owe someone thousands of dollars.
25. The airport authority stole my stickers.

And thus I spent the rest of my flight hyperventilating while the very nice Croatian gentlemen next me tried to make me feel better. Unconvinced, I get up and find the nearest flight attendant. Turns out that planes don't have phones anymore, so that's out.

Two hours later (delays), I land in Frankfurt and eventually make my way to an area where there are phone booths and internet terminals, after some very unhelpful Air Canada employees told me that they can't do anything. At the terminal, I get the phone number for the Calgary airport, and use my credit card to make the phone call, since my main method of phone calls was via Skype, ON MY LAPTOP. So I didn't have any phone cards on me.

Well, the 8 hour time difference meant that it was 4 am in Calgary, and the airport authority was closed, and I was given the number of the night manager. Separate phone call to him, where I find out that I need to call lost and found. Call that number to find out that it's closed, leave a message. Call my parents and let them know what happened, and get them to contact the airport in my absence. After all that, it's about 1 pm in Frankfurt, I'm exhausted, cranky, and it's really hot in Frankfurt (compared to Edmonton, at least). So I just go to my hotel.

Luckily, my laptop was found. What I can't figure out is why an announcement wasn't made in the terminal. It was the international area, so there were about 10 or 15 different gates after that security check, but it would have saved me heartache and a shit load of money. Why money? Because after my parents drive to Calgary to ship me the laptop ($), and I receive it, I also have to pay customs (about $125 CDN), which is still unresolved, as well as those phone calls ($). It's becoming expensive to be a flake.

This doesn't really sound like an Awkward Moment, but all alone in a foreign country where I don't speak the language, it was one of the most awkward moments of my life.

For info on the Awkward Abroad series and other Germany related posts, click here

I Have Returned!

2010-08-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

Guten Tag, all! I'm back from Germany, in one piece. So if there were any bets on that, please head to the nearest cashier to collect your winnings. Moving on!

I have a lot of stuff from Germany that I'd like to share, both my personal experiences there (awkward and otherwise) as well as what I learned from my summer school program and how it relates or differs from Canada. So I have a few ideas of different types of posts, that I hope to do as often as possible:

Awkward Abroad: Where I relate one embarrassing or awkward situation after another, and there are quite a few.
Mementos: Personal memories that I wanna share that aren't awkward, for once.
Edmonton vs. Kassel (or Münster in a few cases): I stayed in Kassel for a month, and Münster for about a week, and there are a lot of differences between my hometown and the places I called home while in Germany. They make in interesting comparison, especially in terms of moving Edmonton forward as a sustainable city, and where we might already be ahead.
Science of Sustainability: Getting to the nitty gritty of my program, but it won't be too science-y, don't worry.

I guess before I get started, I should explain why I didn't post while I was abroad. One reason will be detailed in the first Awkward Abroad, and involves my laptop being 'misplaced'. Another is that my program was so intensive, both school-wise and extracurricular-wise, that when I got back to my host family's house at midnight, all I wanted to do was collapse onto my bed, because I had to get up at 6 in order to get to my classes on time. So, sorry, but I made no promises of posting!

All My Bags Are Packed

2010-06-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

I'm in the Calgary International Airport, killing time between flights. The SIX HOURS between flights, not even connecting. Why?
I'm on my way to Germany!

I had meant to do a better post of this, but I kind of left packing to the last minute and ran out of time early this morning

As mentioned previously, I'm going to Kassel, Germany for summer school. Well, it's time. And I'm officially freaking out. I don't speak German! I don't have any German ancestry! I'm going into debt! I'm not even studying my major, and might not even transfer the credit!

So I just need to chill the frack out. Because I'm 21, and I've been waiting for an adventure like this for years. I've promised myself that I won't lock myself away in my hotel in Frankfurt as soon as I get there Friday morning. I'm going to the natural history museum, and then to the Main Tower, and then maybe a bus tour. And when I get back to my hotel, I'm going to blast music and eat junk and jump on the bed, singing along to Kelly Clarkson and Muse. Because this is the first time I have a hotel room to myself.

But right now? I'm just inbetween cities, waiting to leave, because it's this inbetween time that allows the doubt to settle in.

To finish off this intro post on my trip, that I have yet to name and will have to retro-tag, I'm playing out the post with a song. And since I can't seem to embed or hyperlink on my iPod, you're going to have to go to the following link. Do it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtdePhRaIYM&feature=youtube_gdata

-- Posted from my iPod

Location:14 St NW,Calgary,Canada

Top 10 Reasons Why Working at 3rd on Whyte is Awesome

2010-06-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

In a week I'll be on a plane to Germany. WHEEE. Scary-fun times. But until then, I'm wrapping up my two-year position at 3rd on Whyte Internet Cafe, where I've been a 'manager' for about a year and a bit. It's been a blast, my boss and coworkers are/have been awesome. I've decided to make a Top 10 list about my favourite things about my job that I will miss, since I won't be coming back to it (unless there's still a position for August *hint hint*).

Top 10 Reasons Why Working at 3rd on Whyte is Awesome

10. No Uniform - I've worked in customer service positions since I was 15, and this is only the second job where I haven't required a uniform. The previous one was a receptionist position, so there was still a business-dress requirement. Not so here. Respectable and clean - yes. But where else could I get away with my awesome collection of funny t-shirts??

9. You Are The DJ - The sound system isn't as sweet as it used to be, but during my shifts I get to blast whatever I want. No muzzak here! This inevitably leads to my impossibly high plays on my last.fm account, but hey, it's not cheating :P.

8. NSFW Does Not Necessarily Apply - We have a pretty lenient internet usage policy here, and is reflected in staff content. I'm not saying I surf porn at work, far from it. But when you see a tweet that's NSFW and reallllly wanna click it? Chances are I already have, because it's SFMW - Safe For My Work. I mean, I watched half of season 4 of Robot Chicken today, WITHOUT headphones. Could you get away with the same?

7. Staff Discounts - I print most of my class notes here, since the student price is $0.10/pg, and I get a 50% discount on that as well. Same with a 50% discount on food and drink, blank media, and phone and fax. This saves me a lot of money.

6. Parking - If you work on Whyte or downtown, you are probably aware of the headache that finding a parking spot is. I have one, and while sometimes it's taken up by my boss, and we can only use one out of two because of the bar below us, it is still easier than parking at a lot. I also get to use it after hours, so a night at improv doesn't result in a hit and run, aka what happened the one time I didn't use the cafe parking.

5. Community Awareness - Back when I was full of initiative (i.e.: last year), my favourite aspect of the job was our bulletin boards. Just two cork board located in the front of the cafe, it was, and still remains, a huge opportunity to support a cause, event, band, or festival that you believe in. I scoured the City of Edmonton events calendar for festivals, contacted the PR department and got a hold of posters and handbills to give out - EIFF, Exposure, Fringe, etc.. I would print of band posters for an upcoming gig, or even make my own. I became more informed about Edmonton's events, and wanted to make sure our customers were. Before I leave, I'm going to try and restore it to it's former glory. Another bright spot is my boss's initiative to provide WiFi for businesses and events through his company Mesh Canada, which had one of it's first hubs here and is still free to access.

4. Flexible Scheduling - Yes, as with any job, there are some times where I have to sacrifice a night out with my friends to work. But without standard shift lengths, I can trade and change shifts with coworker. I had this job while I was in school for my second and third year - it was frustrating at times, but ultimately provided a job where I could do my homework at work and schedule around my events.

3. A Degree of Autonomy - There isn't a standardized work practice here, in that there's no 'company policy', no ten-page employment contract. I perform the tasks of helping people and keeping the place cleaning and working, but I can do that with my own style. It's refreshing, and indicative of a small business. The training manual? I made a closing guide out of pictures that I took while closing up shop. There wasn't a video I had to watch, there wasn't an orientation that I had to attend - I got training and support in many forms until I was good to go on my own. And even after, the support is still there. There's also a lot of room for employee-led initiatives, such as my poster-purchasing plan, where I bought posters that are technically mine, but put them up in the cafe since I don't have the space. Our customer fave is a production shot from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

2. Interesting People - It's true, I often tweet complaints about customers, but I don't give enough credit to our fantastic regulars. After a while, you get to know their story. One of my favourite customers is Jan Streader. You may know her as ZuZu the clown, a regular performer at the Street Performer's Festival and a local actress. Other local celebrities I've met include Kevin Gillese (now in Atlanta, those lucky people), Amy Shostak, Clarice Eckford... And that's just the people that I'm aware of being celebrities. We also serve a lot of foreign talent during the festivals. And if I have a creepy or bad customer? They're just fodder for stories to tell people later.

1. My Coworkers - Yes it's corny, but most about what I love about working here is my coworkers, including my boss. We joke about shit that would not fly at an office, and work on making this place as cool as possible. I'm really going to miss them - even when I get back from Germany, Eric (my boss) will be leaving for Ontario in the Fall. So this is for them :)

Victory!

2010-05-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

This post also could have been titled, "It took me two months to finally post about the uber-secret thing"

Last March, I ran for the position of Science Councillor for the University of Alberta's Student's Union, and won! Yay, streamers and champagne for everyone. There were seven positions, and seven people ran, as well as the dreaded "None of the Above", in a preferential polling system. I was one of two candidates that actually made posters, and it was very odd for the three days or so to see my face plastered places. But it was worth it :)

What is the Student's Union?
From the website,

...a student-centric organization that serves as a strong advocate for students at all levels of government and at the university. We provide access to a range of businesses designed to appeal to student needs, and to services that can help with everything from finding a place to live, to getting back there safely at night.

The Students’ Union is run by students for students, and prides itself on being a proactive organization that is sensitive to the needs of individual students on campus, and responsive to global challenges that affect us all.

So you're a councillor. What does that mean?
It means that I represent students from the Faculty of Science, like myself, when it comes to the governance and facilitation of the Student's Union. It boils down to ensuring the elected Executives (the President and their Vice Presidents of Student Life, Operations and Finance, Academic, and External, so 5 execs total as well as the Board of Governor's Representative) fulfill their duties, and voice any concerns from students. We also may be on committees that meet regularly to discuss our policy, bylaws, administration, etc.

For instance, RATT (the Room At The Top, an SU-run bar) had renovations last summer that were part of the VP Operations and Finance's portfolio, and councillors checked in on the progress and offered assistance. The Twitter hashtag #uasu refers to council, just in case you see it sometime in my feed.

Personal Goals?
I'm still green at this, but I ran under a three-part platform.
1. Ensuring that education is accessible and affordable (the province cut grant and scholarship funding and is instead promoting student loans aka bad!). Also, regulating non-instructional fees, such as the recent $290-per-year that undergrads have to pay this coming year and next year.
2. Trying to foster a Science identity, since we've been without a steady Faculty association for two years, and make up a large proportion of the student body. We have a new association, ISSS (Interdepartmental Science Students' Society), so fingers crossed!
3. Environmentally responsible decisions as a council, a Student's Union, and a university. I hope to use what I learn from my summer term abroad for new and interesting ideas.

Will I achieve these? Is it possible?
I'm still working on that, but right now my focus is on point #2, as I'll soon be contacting student leaders with department associations about attending their first meeting next year. I want to get a sense of what they're hoping to accomplish for students, see if they have any concerns or need a hand with anything, and get involved.

Any other victories?
I'm Urban Deer Project Volunteer Coordinator III, as well the Summer Coordinator for UDP with the U of A Chapter of the Wildlife Society, so yay! Which reminds me, I should start training people...

I HAVE BROKEN THE KEY TO MAKING POP SONGS!

2010-05-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

That's right, prepare to be amazed. I have figured out the lyrical combination that can be used to make decent pop songs, or mindless hits.

Flash back to 2006, and you hear this on some radio station. Probably the Bounce if you're in Edmonton and actually listen to that station. If you don't, you may have heard this snippet from a passing Pontiac Sunfire.

Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you
Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do
(what you do).
You're the kinda guy, a girl finds in a blue moon.
You got soul, you got class.
You got style with your bad ass - oh yeah!
Ain't no other man its true - all right -
Ain't no other man but you.
Songwriters: Beatty, Harold; Martin, Chris E.; Roane, Charles; Mckinley, Mike; Boykin, Roger; Dioguardia, Kara; Aguilera, Christina; Otis, Clyde; Blake, Norman

That's the chorus to Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" - I've highlighted the important parts. Personally, I file this under Mediocore Pop Song.

Now, back to the present, and here is a snippet from Beyonce's latest song "Why Don't You Love Me" (which for me is too close to the much better Garbage song, "Why Do You Love Me").

I got beauty, I got class
I got style, and I got ass
And you don't even care to care
Looka here
I even put money in the bank account
Don't have to ask no one to help me out
You don't even notice that
Songwriters: Beyonce and Solange Knowles

The video for this song just came out, and while others choose to break it down past the 1950's and redefining stereotypes, I just prefer to say 'meh'. Katy Perry did pin-up better in her video for "Thinking of You" by incorporating over-the-top modern style instead of crying with too much make-up on. Either way I'm bored with using the '50's and the '60's for videos, expecially post- Mad Men.

So what's the secret? Using the words "class", "style", and "ass". It's all so clear now!

Or not.
Class - what is class? Why is it so important? AKA whole other discussion.
Style - who doesn't have their own style, so is it that their style is trendy? Whole lotta originality there, but hey, to each their own.
Ass - everyone knows that one. In "Ain't No Other Man" it rhymes with 'class' and fulfills the "every girl wants a bad boy" theory. For "Why Don't You Love Me", it just means that Beyonce's hawt, so why the hell don't you love her?

Pop music is just a reinvention on old or borrowed material. That's why it's popular - a sense of nostalgia and comfort in old themes while still breaking the boundaries or [insert buzz phrase lifted from MTV here]. I'm using 'pop' broadly here - some would argue that Beyonce is R&B or whatnot, but really, it's pop. Don't even get me started on how much I dislike the message in "Single Ladies", the wannabe feminist anthem that everyone seems to think is the best thing.

If this were a different genre, lawyers might already be on this shit. 50 Cent was sued over "In Da Club" just because it mentioned the phrase "It's your birthday". I have no idea how the case turned out, but seriously. Coldplay has much more weighty accusations thrown at them and take it in stride.

There you have it, the secret to writing a pop song, be it about how awesome your man is ~~because you own him~~, or ~~how you desperately need a man to love you~~ / ~~how to guilt a man into staying in a relationship that isn't working~~ you want to know why your man doesn't love you.

Epic Germany Post - Epic Deutschland Post

2010-03-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

The translation above kind of failed... What do you expect, it's Google translator.

OK, I've been scratching my head for about ten minutes now just trying to figure out how to make this post the appropriate length. Long enough to do it justice, but not so long as to deter y'all from reading...

THEREFORE: Parts! That are reduced to their most pertinent information. [Yeah that took me ten flipping minutes to figure out]

Part 1: Why summer school and why Germany?
Part 2: ISU Kassel, the application process, and waiting
Part 3: What next?

Part 1: Why summer school and why Germany?

I've wanted to go to summer school in another country for about two years ago, but it wasn't until last May that the idea really solidified: Scotland. I wanted to go to U of Edinburgh to take a field course in field ecology in my last winter semester. Why? I hadn't really decided on my boreal/arctic and/or conservation focus at that point, so it was mainly because it was a) Scotland, and b) an English speaking country of sorts. Hasn't happened yet, but that's at least 2 years away from now.

This all acted on my feelings of wanderlust that I've had since I traveled to Europe for a class trip back in '07. My sister and I have since always talked about going far far away during Christmas time to escape our religious family, but we've never had the money. So I waited, and waited, until I went to Ottawa with friends. The first time without parents, a tour, a guide, just a local with some local knowledge, it was invigorating! I swore I had to do it again, to be able to see what I could accomplish on my own.

Now Germany is quite a large leap from Scotland. I've never spoken German, none of my family is from German, even distantly. It was a combination of things that made me consider Germany.
1. At the cafe this past summer, I had the pleasure of working with Michael, who is German, and was (and still is) traveling Canada for a year. We get along well enough, and Mica (my sister's nickname for him, from Euro Trip) offered me a place to stay if I was ever in Germany.
2. my friends Gary and Jess had just been to Germany to visit family, and had great stories and pictures. Jess doesn't speak German, so her positive experience really motivated me
3. My zoology buddy Jess told me about her trip to Germany a few years back, staying in hostels and sightseeing and cockroaches in Prague, and more importantly all the awesome times she had.
4. My boss had done a term abroad in Germany and had a great time.

What could I lose?!

I could have waited until I was older, had a steady job and a bit of money saved up, but next summer I need a research position, and after that, who knows where you'll be?

Part 2: ISU Kassel, the application process, and waiting

I started looking into school, not really knowing what I was looking for. It had to be a sciences, and at that time I was just getting interested in conservation and environmental impacts on animals. I was also getting ready to do a Children's Literature class that semester. I found a few potentials, until I found ISU Kassel (Hessen International Summer University, at the Kassel campus).

You have a choice of two programs - Engineering or Cultural, as well as workshops that happen in the evenings and weekends, and a German language course piled on top of that. The engineering program is more climate change based than engineering, and since the cultural component for German fairy tales requires some knowledge of the German language, I can't take it. But never fear, one of the workshops is called Grimm caching, where you use geo-caching methods to learn interesting fact about the Brothers Grimm and their stories :D (It was that, German cooking, or German dancing). There's also a side trip to Berlin, Erfurt, and tons of hiking. The area of Hessen is kown fr it's contribution to fairy tales, both German and otherwise, and has tons of CASTLES OMG CASTLES.

I'm in my own personal nerdvana! It just needs some Sailor Moon. Unfortunately it doesn't have any. YET. I'll keep you posted. I'll also be able to translate most of this into other skills and situations, such as a conservation job in the future, or gaining international perspectives on sustainability measures.

I wait two nervous months for the application to go online, put together my CV and Academic Profile, sent some $, and then waited about two weeks until I heard back that I was in! Filled out a homestay questionnaire (as I stay with a family there - no on allergies, don't really like kids in the nicest way possible, liberal), booked my flights, pre-ordered the newer, upcoming Lonely Planet: Germany and booyah I'm in the clear!

... But now what?

Part 3: What next?

As I mentioned, I booked my flights, or rather my mom did with her Airmiles. Airmiles obviously didn't want me to have a good time, because it i) wouldn't let me stay longer unless it was a week longer, and that seemed excessive/too hard on the person putting me up, and ii) I can only take a non-stop from Calgary instead of Edmonton.

I've been looking into other places to visit in Germany, and have been recommended to see Nuremberg, and I really want to see Cologne. Jess recommends the Berlin Zoo, I want to see Hannover's Deer Garden.... I'm not going to be able to see it all, probably, but hey, that's what return trips later on in life are for!

I don't want to jinx anything else yet, so Part 3 will have to be elaborated on further in the future. Now I'm just full of excitement and anxiety and everything else and if I think about it too much I get a headache - a good headache.

Webcomics Thursday: The Recap from Hell

2010-03-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

"Hey [sister]," I ask. "What time is it?"
"It's 11:40"
"SHIT! I HAVE TO WRITE A POST"

And that's how we got here.

This is a quick recap of the 7 webcomics I've reviewed so far. Catching up on plotlines, endings, etc.

Questionable Content
Well, the last time I wrote about Jeph Jacques' baby, plot lines were advancing, etc. All is business as usual for QC, while Jeph has started re-inking the older comics for a book that he's putting out. Looking forward to that one!

xkcd
Still going strong, still crackin' me up, all is good here.

Anders Loves Maria
*sob* Rene ended the series on February 5th and it was beautiful and gut-wrenching and fantastic.

A Softer World
Same as always - funny and quirky!

Scott Meets Family Circus
After a bit of a lag during the winter, Scott is back, with a guest character, Dante. I'm stitches XD

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Everything you want in a comic and more - with the extra panel and SMBC Theater, this is the one you shouldn't blow off!

Cheer Up, Emo Kid!
With lags between posts, it's hard to stay connected to CUEK, but a recent story line/tribute comic from the artist is enough to keep me checking.

AND WITH ONE MINUTE OVER... I did it. And it's shitty and not even a real post and I'm sorry :P I'll do another one to try and make up for it...

[which never happened, so I'll try really hard on Saturday]

Oh hai!

2010-03-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

*Tumbleweed rolls through town*

Hey guys/gals/everything inbetween/bots that I wish would stop commenting in Chinese!

Sorry I've been away from here, I am the worst. I had such lofty dreams of blogging about webcomics and important things and music and photos and zombies and... Then school came around and kicked my butt. I should have known this would happen and done a proper period of hiatus. Instead, I refused to let go.

Which is in a way is fine, as I don't get a lot of traffic. But it seems like a lil mini failure to myself. How to make up for it?

MEGA UPDATING!** Everything from comic reviews and updates on one I have reviewed, to some photos, to topical stuff, such as my up coming trip to Germany ^_^.

Hells yes.

**It'll have to wait until after Wednesday though, because I have a midterm.

And just to make sure I do it, I'll make a schedule of the impending month of bi-weekly (twice a week) updates:

Thursday, March 4: Catch up all my reviews, including Anders Loves Maria's tearful ending!

Saturday, March 6: Germany

Thursday, March 11: All New Comic Review

Saturday, March 13: Post Zoo & Museum Field Trip!

Week 3 part i (I don't know my schedule yet, but it WILL happen!): Comics from the dead - the long awaited post (at least in my mind)

Saturday, March 20: Victory? Or Defeat? (Uber secret, can't talk about it until then)

Week 4 part i: Being 21 aka the Birthday Post!

Saturday, March 27: Voices For Choices - LRT ad campaign and other 2009-2010 events

And then I have to start preparing for exams.

If I'm lucky, I'll be able to shove in a few more quick and dirty Awkward Moments ones, because I've had many since the fall!

UPDATE: Ok, I only did two posts... Let's just forget I ever promised anything, hmkay??

Facebook and Bras and Hair

2010-01-10T11:33:00.000-08:00

Late to the game as always, I wasn't going to post about the latest Facebook bra 'game', because brighter minds than my own have already gone through it, and Feministe is only one of them. I received the message from a friends mother, containing the part about breast cancer (though mostly focusing on confusing 'the boys'), and didn't post my bra colour. Mostly because that is just creepy, but on another level, I wondered what it meant to accomplish - there was no mention of breast cancer and there were no further plans of a reveal campaign that would draw all of these colours together to raise 'awareness' of breast cancer.

This morning, I found a second message in my inbox, this time from my aunt, about a second 'game':

The Bras got them thinking!! Heres game 2! This one will really get the guys thinking (again), to see if they got dirty minds or not! This one is about "how u have your hair now". if its up, write "ON TOP", if its down put "all the way down", if its down but to the side or flipped, write SIDE BY SIDE, if its just a complete mess, write EVERYWHERE N MESSY! You get The point......use your imagination with your sayings..make em good and get them thinking.......we are talking about your HAIR STYLE!!! Lets see if they get this one! but ONLY SEND to GIRLSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!"" NO MEN!!! Here we go [I'm hoping my aunt added the 'Here we go' part]

Now completely abandoning the breast cancer portion of the 'game', it is instead all about double entendres and confusing men.

The first few things that come to my mind:

1) With the fact the both men AND women can get breast cancer, this is not helping unifying people for a cause! It instead alienates people, especially when it comes to gender identity.

2) As mentioned many time in mulitple sources, there isn't a link or anything to actually help breast cancer awareness. Yes, it gets people thinking - for a short time. Spend ten minutes thinking about breast cancer, or just boobs, and then move on. With all the causes, charities, etc., existing in the world, there is always something vying for you attention - take a walk through the Student's Union Building on the University of Alberta campus any time and you're bombarded with multiple causes - almost all worthy and deserving my attention. With the controversy surrounding this 'bra colour thingy' (my official name for it), that may have increased the awareness that was actually out there, but there's no quantifiable way of finding out.

3) Is it really about breast cancer? I just talked to my sister about it - she put her bra status up, but didn't receive the e-mail about it. She was adamant at my criticism, that it was for a good cause. Until I told her that quite a bit of the emails sent out had no mention of breast cancer. And read out the email about the 'hair game'. Then she said that she felt kind of duped, cheated. That she revealed something personal for what she thought was a good cause, when really, it was a 'game'.

4) The latest reincarnation? According to the comments in the Feministe article, there is another email going around, to release the date that you lost your virginity. If I was a really optimistic person, I could see the three being linked together: Bra = breast cancer. Virginity thingy = cervical cancer. Hair = results of chemotherapy treatment. However, I'm much more cynical than that, and the virginity one is just way way way too much information.

Now, since this whole kerfuffle, there has a response that is akin to that of evolution vs. creationism debates - emotional attachment that results in people being insulted, such as breast cancer survivors commenting on those critical of the 'game', that they think it's a great idea and that those critical are taking things far too seriously. Maybe we are.

I've never had breast cancer, I've never had anyone close to me have breast cancer, and honestly, I don't donate to breast cancer nearly as much as I do for environmental or human rights based causes. That shouldn't make my arguments any less legitimate, and I'm further removed from the situation, removing any emotional bias. In terms of 'months' of awareness, January is Cervical Cancer Awareness month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in October. It's a system used to allow equal opportunity for causes to try and gain funding.

And just to avoid the "just buy pink products" argument, I would urge you to go to Think Before You Pink, a site detailing some problems with 'Pink' campaigns, such as money caps, percentage donations, and other falsehoods that exist in using breast cancer as a marketing tool. The website also highlights companies that are doing good by pink campaigns.

Numbers

2009-12-08T01:12:00.001-08:00

It's almost 2 am.
I have an exam tomorrow at 9 am.
I will wakeup in 4.5 hours.
There's a 1000 thoughts running through my head.

One of them is what I'm going to do with my life, partly because my exam tomorrow is in conservation biology, and I'm not really sure if it's the right direction.

One of them is the fact that I took way too many courses this term and I'm feeling kind if burnt out.

One of them is that my social life is the worst it's been, ever.

One of them is how I'm excited to go to Germany, but scared at the same time.

One of them is that I probably listen to Matthew Good too much.

One of them is about how I'm out of Lucky Charms and how lame is it that I think of that.

One is about how awesome Matthew Good is.

One is about money and my lack of it.

One is about how I never update anymore, due to lack of time, not material.

One is about how I really need to clean my room.

One is about how Picard is so much better than Kirk.

One is about how I still have four exams by all I want to do is catch up on TV that I haven't watched in months, and documentaries, and musicals, and Planet Earth.

One is about people I haven't seen in awhile, what they're doing, if I touched their life in any way, if they ever think of me like I do of them.

One is how I should really go to bed.

And that one wins.

Do you (yes, you, this isn't rhetorical) have one?

-- Post From My iPod, cozy in my bed ready to fall asleep

Day Five: Parliament and Naughty Pub Walk

2009-09-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

[This is going to be back-posted, but that's ok, I've been alluding to the trip to Parliament for a bit.]

When I was in tenth grade, some other students and I (about thirty or so) went on a class trip to Ottawa for the week of Remembrance Day. Our school, Vimy Ridge Academy, is named after an important Canadian victory in the First World War, and we were a bit better versed in Canadian military history than most students.

Needless to say, it was a very interesting and moving week for all of us, and I always wanted to go back to Ottawa for a few reasons:
- we went in November, which isn't the nicest weather in Ottawa (or anywhere in Canada), so the city would be a great summer visit.
- I was a teenager, surrounded by other teenagers, and was more caught up with the politics of our classmates than the information part of tours, trips, and excursions. I wasn't paying attention to a lot of things.
- we were supposed to go on a haunted walk for one of our activities, but a scheduling error meant we had to see an IMAX movie instead. It was about natural disasters. I was really psyched for the haunted walk.

I let this stew in the back of my head, since it was unlikely that I would be back in Ottawa any time soon. Not anymore! I've accomplished all three of the things I couldn't then. Sort of.

We went in the summer time - check! Paid attention during tours - check! Went on the haunted walk - mmm sorta. We went on a naughty pub walk that unfortunately had no ghost stories, but I have a feeling that Courtney was relieved.

Our tour of Parliament was great - our tour guide for that was also most excellent. She knew her stuff and was funny. Also had an interesting chat with the security guide at the checkpoint before going into Parliament. Apparently, the security door leading to the outside creates a huge draft, and he smells the weirdest things. So he orders it shut whenever there's the maximum people in the vestibule, leaving about half of our group (including Meridith and Courtney) to wait outside. No security reasons, just olfactory reasons. Unfortunately, my camera died before we got in, so I don't have a lot of pics. My bad. Courtney has some, a good one of me in the House of Commons, but she hasn't sent them to me yet.

The Naughty walk was great - a tour of Parliament grounds with stories that are scandalous in nature, a stop at a pub, and more stories. Our tour guide was, again, most excellent and illuminated the more sordid history of Ottawa, or Bytown as it was called, that is often forgotten/swept aside.

After the Naughty Walk, we stopped by Parliament again for the Light and Sound Show they have. The frst half was seriously a plug from Tourism Canada. All about Canada's majestic landscapes and cultural mosiac. The other half was a basic history and celebrity name dropping. It was pretty neat though.

That wrapped up the night, our last night. I've got pictures below (hopefully), using a dfferent host than before, and hopefully it works *fingers crossed*. Yea! It works! Just hover your mouse over the pictures for captions/explanations/my best material.

All that's left to wrap up my Adventure is day 6, which should be around tomorrow some time. In it: Goodbyes, cat love, alternative suitcase packing method by yours truly.

I'm still alive, no worries.

2009-09-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

I've been very neglectful of my blog of late, I'm sorry all 5, possibly 6, viewers. Life/work/school/laziness got the best of me. I even tried to get in an entry tonight, but no dice, I had a ton of prereading for lecture.

All I can offer you is a PREVIEW OF GREATNESS TO COME!

-- What do I have planned for YOU!? --

1. Ending to my Ottawa Trip (Parliament, Long Goodbyes, Cat Love)
2. My first photowalk (trying to find a good, embeddable system, since photobucket sucks and Flickr wants my soul)
3. Orientation at the U (not as exciting as it should be, it'll just be a short post)
4. Awkward Moment!!! One of my original reasons/gimmicks behind my blog, I have: Awkward Phone Conversations
5. Sciencey news/comment - York students boil down the oncoming zombie outbreak using disease vectors. (A report in the student newspaper, I weigh in on it from an ecological/zombie fan perspective).
6. Finally doing that Web Comics That Died segment.
7. A few more webcomics up my sleeve.
8. I might get in a few 'personal' posts in there, but that's dependent on my mood, and I've been rather moody of late.
9. In October, I might start talking about studying abroad, since the Go Abroad fair happens, and I can ask them about the ISU Kassel program that takes place in Germany.
10. More news/political/whatever that I have on my mind
11. Movie and concert reviews, as I see fit. For example, I went to Sonic Boom, but probably won't post on it since it was last weekend. Or I will because it was awesome. Who knows.

Good Night!

Day Four: Kind of like Day Three

2009-08-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

So today kind of ended up like yesterday: slept late, went shopping, went to pub. This is because Meridith's air conditioner broke in her apartment, and we had to wait around for the landlord and the repair man to come and fix it.

So, while Meridith took care of that, Courtney and I walked to the mall and finshed our back to school clothes shopping. It was a pleasant walk, the naighbourhood reminds me of Mill Wood or Bonnie Doon, there's trees and buses routes dotting the lanes. I guess most city planners think alike. Meridith actually lives in Nepean, which was its own town until it was sucked into the Ottawa void.

After we came back from shopping, we all had dinner, then debated where to go out, since it was sort of a girls night out like we used to have. Tom ended up joining us at Moxie's where we had a few margaritas then headed home. We decided to call it an early night, but the Ottawa Police Department put a bit of a kink in that.

Tom's headlight had burnt out last night, as he noticed on his way home, and the cops noticed that too. We were pulled over, and since Tom admitted to drinking, he had to do a breathalyzer test. The other cop also took our licences, probably to make sure we weren't fugtives or known drug dealers. Understandable. Once everything was smoothed over and Tom got a warning for his headlight AND a notice to update his licence, we got home.

Not the wildest of days, but this trip is more about spending time with Meri and Tom than sightseeing.
Tomorrow, though, we're visiting Parliament and taking a haunted pub walk. Fun times!

While it's great to be out here, I'm missing some of my life at home in Edmonton. Mostly the people. It's weird how that works. I might not see Meridith for another year, so I'm going to make the most of it. Only two more days.

I'm going to switch to Meridith's computer to get the few pictures from yesterday and today up, that way there won't be a backlog tomorrow night. Hopefully, Twitter will be up by the time I'm done.

-----------------------------------------
And, a wave of exhaustion washes over me. Pictures will have to wait until tomorrow, I'm sleepy.

Shopping, shopping, shopping

2009-08-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

It's day 3 in Ottawa, and my first (re)taste of this city has been of the shopping mall not five minutes away from Meridith's apartment. I wasn't expecting to tour the town a lot, so no surprise there. We hit up a few stores, like Payless, Old Navy, Jacob, the usual suspects, and then went back to her place to cook dinner. A lazy day since we were all rather tired from the multiple road trips. At the mall, I put shoes on hold back home in Edmonton since there weren't any in my size in Ottawa. Technology these days.

After supper, we headed to the best pub ever, the Honest Lawyer, for drinks with Tom and Meri's friend Lesley and a group of her friends who were in town on vacation. It was pretty chill, but I had a head ache the entirely time, and was getting a little tired of the couple talk, so it was good that we headed home early. Tom is still working this week as well, so he needed to get to bed. Right now, I'm nursing a headache and dehydration. Blah.

This is a bit of a dull entry, with little to no pictures to post. I'm sorry! Tomorrow should be better, we're hitting the mall again, then maybe going to Parliament or the fair whatever that's in town (kind of like Capital Ex so who really cares... I've NO opinion on that whatsoever, no).

Ugh, I should just go to bed.

In case you missed it, the pictures are now added to the Canada's Wonderland post, at the bottom with a link to Photobucket, since the embedding doesn't seem to be working.

Canada's Wonderland; Drive Back to Ottawa

2009-08-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a visit to Canada's Wonderland in Toronto. Not quite Ottawa. Oh well, we're on the road back to Ottawa now (though this is probably not going to be posted until we're in Ottawa later on tonight, maybe tomorrow).

The park was great though, I haven't been on a rollercoaster in awhile, and the lines were tolerable. We met some of Kate's friends there. Aside from the regular rides, Meridith, Tom, Kate, and Courtney went on this bungee jumping thingy - not quite a true bungee jump, but close. I chose not to, because I'm not insane.

On the Behemoth (huge rollercoaster), all you could hear me saying is "it's high enough, seriously, it's high enough!! Stop! Oh crap, oh crap, AHHHHH!!!" then "Ok, ok, that wasn't so bad."

Actually, that might have been every ride.

Well, after a stop at Kate's mom's to drop her off, the rest of us are on to Ottawa for the remainder of the trip. Pictures may or may not occur later. Right now, I'm pooped and need some grub and a nap.

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Later on: it's 12:25 am Ottawa time, so I'm going to post this bad boy and then go to sleep. No pics tonight, I'll just add them tomorrow. Today. Whatever.

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Go Here for pictures

-- Post From My iPod

From Out My Airplane Window; Journey to the Center of the World, aka Toronto

2009-08-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

From out my airplane window, Edmonton and Ottawa look identical. Fields are colour coordinated and separated into patches, divided by lines of roads. The only discernable difference is the water that appears on the horizon.

When we land, I immediately noticed the change in humidity, and it seems that my hair did as well. Compared to Edmonton, Ottawa is the Everglades.

Meridith, Katelyn, and Tom pick us up at the arrivals gate, and we start our mini-adventure to Toronto to go to Canada's Wonderland. We will be staying the night in Richmond Hill, then heading to the park bright and early.

The road trip was interesting, a few stops here and there to get drinks. We stopped in Kingston for dinner at The Texas Lone Star Grill, which was pretty much like Chili's.

On the road again, the fact that I hadn't slept at all last night meant that I was sleeping through the second half of the drive. By the time we reached Richmond, it was eleven pm, most of us were grumpy, and the pool was closed.

Instead of hitting up the hotel bar, we're currently debating wake up times, and watching Mad TV and getting ready for bed.

Future posts will be more exciting, trust me. Now, I'm either going to try uploading some pictures to this post using Kate's computer, or take care of it later.

Pictures are a go!

Go Here

-- Post From My iPod

This is just a test...

2009-08-22T01:39:00.001-07:00

I'm testing out a blog app called BlogPress in order to blog while in Ottawa without bringing my laptop. Hopefully, this won't fail too terribly.

Expect some updates that probably won't be as long as usual. But hey, it's something, and this way it'll be fresh in my mind instead of a week or so old with some gaps in the story.

Anywho, I put off packing until the last minute, so I should probably get back to that.

-- Post From My iPod

Fringe Review: Reunion Tour

2009-08-21T16:34:00.001-07:00

What do Drop Dead Gorgeous, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Reno 911! have in common? Besides being fun and entertaining, they're all mockumentaries, or at least in the mock-documentary style. I touched on these early when I reviewed 'Triple Platinum' at this year's Fringe. Now, I draw on them again for 'Reunion Tour'.

From the guide
Company: The Be Arthurs
Mayor Stephen Mandell's favourite ukulele cover band is back at it again, but this time they've written a show! Yes that's right a real-ish play! This is your only chance to catch this charming trip, as the outdoorstage will be in a ukulele drought this Fringe! Come watch the imaginary rise and fall of the band you've all come to love. A bro-mance full of music! That's right a Bro-mance-ical! (Photo by Meryl Smith-Lawton)
60 mins.
www.thebearthurs.com

I wish that I had went to this play earlier so I could tell you how much I loved it. I loved it so much, I went to it TWICE. Once alone, once with my sister so that she could witness the magic. I loved the band so much, I bought the EP right after the first show! Though, I've been a casual fan of Ryan's acting since the 2007 Fringe, but that doesn't affect this review AT ALL.

Based around The Be Arthurs, a fictional ukelele cover band from Edmonton, this play is half film, live action music, all awesome. With little shorts, ties, and beanies, the guys from The Be Arthurs (Ryan Parker, Sheldon Elter, Bob Raskin) were great, and it was fun the ENTIRE time! Covers such as "Put a Ring on It, "Thunderstruck", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Bitches Ain't Shit", and "My Heart Will Go On" were well executed and the onstage banter flowed really well. Kudos to these guys and their crew!

5 cameos of Christian Hansen out of 5

Kim's Ottawa Adventure: Quick Intro

2009-08-20T20:32:00.001-07:00

I'm leaving on a jet plane! But I know when I'll be back again. Introducing awkward travel!!

I'm leaving for Ottawa on Saturday morning with my buddy Courtney to visit two near and dear friends of ours - Meridith and Katelyn. Meridith has been living in Ottawa for about a year now, and Kate is visiting from Nova Scotia where she's been living for about two years. It'll be one big messy reunion!

I probably won't be blogging from the road, unless Meridith has wireless and I'm not too grumpy. If not, I might borrow her company a few times to upload pictures sporadically. I'll still be twittering, however. Which reminds me, what's the hashtag for Ottawa..? According to my googling, it's either #yow or #Ottawa. I'm picking #yow since it's smaller.

I'll also be in Toronto for one day, to go to Canada's Wonderland, but we'll surely see the city for a bit... Not really sure what to expect. I've been to Ottawa once, in high school for a week, but Toronto... Should be interesting.

Anywho, this'll be tagged under Ottawa Adventure, even though It might end up beling a lot of pub crawling.

For now, I've got a ton of shit to do and no time to do it! Peace.

Fringe Review: For the Love of a Zombie

2009-08-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I love Zombies. They’re oh so entertaining, and have a variety of applications – comedy, drama, terror, slapstick, etc… One of the first fringe plays I ever saw was a zombie play. It was Eat My Brain, by Joel Crichton, and was billed as zombie comedy. I loved it, and it is still one of my fondest Fringe memories. Last year was Dead Lover’s Day a musical that wasn’t really about zombies, and I didn’t like it.
Anyway, this year was For the Love of a Zombie.

From the guide
Company: Accidental Humour Co.

Ow! Man, that hurts! Some dude just up and bit me while I was on my way to see a multimedia comedy horror about love, death and the abuse of farm implements. Maybe I should see a doctor abou... urrgh.. blarrghas... brrraaainsss....

60 mins.

http://zombies.brentfelzien.ca/

Set on a farm somewhere (I’d like to think Lamont, since that’s the only farmland I’ve been around for a while), is a man, a woman and an old man. An old man, Grandpa, has a very strong aversion to weeds. The man, Bram, is the farm hand (former city slicker) who is in love with the woman, Gretchen, who has many secrets of her own. Also, a few zombies pop up. Excitement! Live acting interspersed with film, I quite liked this play and it’s concept. To me, the film was stronger than the acting, but the inclusion of film really helped the action scenes.
Filmed on a farm, chase scenes and general gore were a lot more realistic to communicate and aid the story. The zombie characters were my favourite part, especially the roles of Junior and Homunculus. The zombies in this production weren’t the usual “brains…. brainssss….” crowd, they had the same personalities they had the day they died. So why are they dead? Hmmm.
3 grotesque limb removals out of 5

Fringe Review: Die-Nasty!

2009-08-18T19:10:00.001-07:00

Die-Nasty! is an improvised soap opera that is a Fringe classic that also operates in Edmonton year-round, yet last Friday was the first time I had ever seen it. For shame, I know. Needless to say, the reasons why I went weren’t much better – Nathan Fillion. Last year, he performed at one of Die-Nasty’s nights. I wish I was there. So this year, my friend Tara and I have conspired to watch Mr. Fillion’s twitter feed to try and suss out if and when he will come back to his hometown. So far, nothing. I went on the opening night just as a lark. It was a great lark though!

From the guide
Company: Die-Nasty

Edmonton's very own Canadian Comedy Award winners are back for a festival-long mini series set right here at this year's Fringe. Once again there will be hilarious late-night dramatic soap-opera antics and startling guest performers. Regular season of Die-Nasty runs Oct-May and the famous 53 Hour Soap-a-thon runs Sept 11-13 all at the Varscona Theatre.

75 mins.

www.die-nasty.com

Set at this year’s Fringe (as it is every year, I suppose), the performers are given characters to work with, and after the introduction of each character, the director, Dana Andersen, give the actors a basic scene to accomplish. When he feels that it’s done, there’s a cut to black, and a new, connected scene plays out. It’s almost like a mad-lib script, but a lot more fun. Paul Morgan MacDonald accompanies the improvisers musically, and is always golden. That night’s actors were quick on their feet and funny, with Die-Nasty regulars Mark Meer, Belinda Cornish, Matt Alden, (more regulars that I can’t remember) and a few guests (that I also can’t remember and please forgive me), including a ‘cameo’ by Chris Pine that wasn’t. There’s definitely a cult appeal to Die-Nasty: regular fans that come every year, know the performers by name, dance excitedly in line, sacrifice goats. The Die-Nasty Die Hards. I’m not sure if I could commit to that many nights though, and goat's blood is really hard to get out of your clothing.

Be that as it may, it was highly enjoyable. Matt Alden is always hilarious, and since the only plays he’s acting in this Fringe are The Big Stupid Improv Show and Die-Nasty!, it was swell to see him in his element. Mark Meer seems to have his fingers in a lot of pies when it comes to Edmonton theatre, and it’s understandable, he’s a great performer who’s quick on his feet. I’ve heard a lot of love for Belinda Cornish, and she’s oh so loveable, smart, and funny. Alas, no Fillion. The watch is still on, however.
4 ‘artsy theatre' jokes out of 5

Fringe Review: 'WetWare'

2009-08-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Mostly Water Theatre. My first year of Fringe, I didn't go to improv for some messed up reason, but I did go to "Whoa Whoa Whoa, Hold On a Second, Wait Just a Minute...There's WAY Too Much Butter on That". It was hilarious, and last year, I went back for seconds with MWT and "1up". I even attended their Christmas production in early December, titled "XXXMas: The Regifting". All were great with a lot of hits and only a few misses. The same goes for "WetWare":

From the guide
Company: Mostly Water
As seen in the 2008 Fringe hit 1UP, I'm Sticking With Keifer and CBC Radio's The Irrelevant Show, Mostly water brings you WetWare. Technological trends: how they have their way with us; how we have our way with them. Fusing stage comedy with video shorts, WetWare will jack you into the future.
60 mins.

These guys are hilarious, and the guide pretty much explains it. Some of the skits/concepts to look forward to are 'Mind Tagging,' 'CSI: Drayton Valley,' and 'The Booby Tree,' as well as the Shit, it Sucked skit at the end of most of their productions (anyone who took drama in high school knows what I'm talking about). There's even an interactive portion of the show (bring cell phones!). The guys (and occasional gal) from MWT seem like an awesome group of people, so go to their show. It's like hanging out with them by proxy.

Three and 1/2 over-used redhead jokes out of 5 (lost 1/2 a point with me because of them. When will the Ginger Hate end?!)

Fringe Review: 'Triple Platinum'

2009-08-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Before I review/commend Triple Platinum, I have an Edmonton Celebrity Experience to share! Darrin Hagen, one of the writers and performers behind 'Triple Platinum', is a former drag artist and fantastic writer. In my last English Course (Engl 376: Canadian Fiction of the Later 20th Century), my prof was well connected, and had Darrin come in for a reading and Q & A since we had read his book. After, he signed our books, and I spewed over how much I liked his book, the play adaptation of it, and one of his Fringe productions from last year, 2 Queens & a Joker. I can't control myself.

Onward! Triple Platinum:

From the guide
Company: Guys in Disguise
Meet The Boyce Sisters - Nancy, Nellie and Gaye. Their illustrious careers have landed them on every major stage across Canada, leaving literally dozens of fans screaming for more! This is your last chance to witness the legendary Daughters of Dildo as they reunite again for their final farewell tour!
65 mins.
www.guysindisguise.com

I've seen a few drag shows now, and while not an expert, I'm quicker to get over the 'novelty' of guys in dresses and makeup, and am able to more appreciate the art of drag. Detailed very precisely in Darrin's book, it takes a lot to look show worthy. Past the make-up, wigs, heels, costumes, nylons and hairspray, you can't have successful drag without a good story, especially when it comes to the Fringe. Triple Platinum is a mock farewell concert for aging folk-contemporary Canadian trio the Boyce Sisters- Nellie, Nancy and Gaye (drag uses A LOT of double entendres) - from Dildo, Newfoundland. Featuring original songs, the entire show subtly covers the ups and (mostly) downs of the Boyce's careers. I wish that there was an accompanying CD to go with it. While some might not enjoy the concept of mock-anything, I love 'em (Drop Dead Gorgeous, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Reno 911!, etc) and the effort put into these characters shines through.
Four accordions out of five (I'm trying out show-related rating systems since stars are kind of presumptuous)

[EDIT: And no one called me on 'Home For Purim' when what I meant was 'For Your Consideration. Carson, I'm disappointed.]

This is how you know you're awkward

2009-08-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

You forgot to publish the draft of your first post of your damn blog. So anyone looking won't be able to find your first "official" post. AND, the post was a brilliant one, all about awkward first posts, that you put a lot of effort into.

Then, how you really know you're awkward? You make a post around that fact that you forgot to publish said draft. Do you see a way out of this awkwardness? Because I sure don't.

Now if you excuse me, I'm off to go hold my head in shame.

Fringe Review: 'Circumference'

2009-08-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

My first show of the Fringe, and I break one of my flimsy rules - no one person shows. It's not that they're not cleverly done and well executed, it's that I find them hard to follow and sometimes weird. That's me. However, after seeing the write-up, I'm ok with breaking this rule. The story looked solid, and very interesting.

Now, I don't talk about fat acceptance much, since I've only recently come to terms with the concept myself. I meant to talk about it, but it'll have to wait until after my visit to Ottawa, and after Orientation (so I'm thinking mid September). The gist of it is, I'm fat, and I'm not going to be embarrassed by it or shunned from society. I'm going to live my life as healthy as I can, and I will still be fat. For me, it's all about the family history and emotional eating. But past that, fat acceptance is the concept that hating someone, shaming someone, exempting someone, or treating them less than human is inexcusable, and needs to be stopped. Fat people are people too, and we are not stereotypical. Comments directed at fat people to the point of harassment isn't tolerated in other instances, such as racism or homophobia, so it shouldn't be tolerated because I'm fat. Seriously, post for LATER. Right now, we're talking about Circumference!:

(From the guide)

Circumference
Company: Awkward Moment Productions
Smart, funny, fearlessly candid Fringe fave Amy Salloway pits the Ghosts of Gym Teachers Past against the Obsession with Weight Loss Future in this mostly-true comedy about size, sweat...and exercising your demons.
**** Hilarious, honest and unsparing Calgary Herald. ***** Poignant, sensitive and hysterically funny: a MUST-SEE St. Paul Pioneer-Press.
75 mins.
www.amysalloway.com

www.myspace.com/awkwardmomentproductions

A one-women show comedy that captured my heart within the first three minutes and sadly had to let it go. I'm rarely moved by artistic works (aside music), but this was incredible. For me, it was like it was my jr. - sr. high and adulthood being performed by a woman stronger than me. Full of gym class recollections and personal realizations, this show reinforced my own fat acceptance. In the story, Amy is a young woman who is fat. She knows this, and she plans on fixing it via weight loss reduction surgery, specifically in her case a form of gastric bypass surgery. After visiting her doctor, she finds out that while her BMI qualifies her for the surgery, her insurance company requires a detailed account of a previous diet attempt. Although Amy has probably dieted her whole life, she never kept track, so she forces herself on one more calorie restricted diet and exercise regime.

Chronicling that process is one part, while another is her own personal struggles throughout the process. Along the way, we're treated to snapshots of her past and the haunting memories of people making fun of her, real and imagined. She also makes an attempt at romance, something she had assumed she could never pursue until she was 'thin'. Finally, Amy reconciles her mind with her body, and starts listening to it instead of ignoring it. I'm leaving out the ending, but it was heartbreaking, then heartwarming (is that possible? This is why I don't write for papers or some such), and I loved it. I'm sure a lot of this was very personal for Amy Salloway, since it is her first and last name used in the performance, and I wish I could thank her for sharing it. If I had to give it stars, there would be five, for sure. *****

[edit: ahahaha I just realized I said "Along the Way" twice. THIS is why I don't review stuff. No matter how much I love it, I make a mess of it ALONG THE WAY. It's been corrected though.]

FRINGE! or Another Reason to Love Edmonton (as if you needed more)

2009-08-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

Whoa crap it's been a while since I posted. General procrastination and 'busyness' are to blame. Mea culpa.

However, I'm pleased to say that... The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is here!! My favourite time of summer. I always spend too much money, see too many shows, miss a few shows, and generally have an awesome time. This year is (hopefully) going to be just as great, if not greater.
First of all, I've got my sister to join me since she's old enough to attend the BYOV's in bars (Bring Your Own Venues, where productions choose to perform with agreement of the place, instead of relying on the lottery system of the usual, sponsored venues).
Second, I work in the evenings, so that opens a lot more time during the day to go to shows, even though I work weekends this time around.

Now, it's only day three of the eleven day event, but I think I've found my favourite show, aside from the improv acts that I love every year. BUT, in keeping with my tradition of dragging things out to provide content, I'm going to try and review/commend each one in a new post. And I've seen four so far. So WHOA! tons of material on my doorstep. Anywho, it'll be tagged under Fringe, and in case you're interested, the twitter hashtag is either #yegfringe or #edmfringe (only a few use edmfringe). I prefer yegfringe, but whatever.

And if you don't know what the Fringe is, then here is a great explanation from their FAQ:

Theatre, as an art form, is one of the most expressive means of education and communication. However, the ability to participate in a wide variety of theatre is often limited by the availability of venues, money and audiences.

The Canadian Fringe Festival structure overcomes these barriers by providing a theatrical experience to audiences and artists alike like no other in the world. For a small entrance fee, artists are selected in an unjuried lottery system and provided a theatre venue, entirely equipped and operated by festival producers.

It is a 10 ^1/2 day celebration of non-juried, uncensored, experimental and classic live theatre occurring in selected venues all over the Old Strathcona and Whyte Avenue area.

To fuel the crowds, dozens of restaurant vendors are on hand to sell food from all over the world ... the green onion cakes are a particular Fringe favourite.
Local arts and crafts vendors set up booths to sell the wares they create, actors stroll the grounds in costume and buskers sing, dance and juggle as you walk by. There is theatre and performance magic everywhere you turn.

It's Filler!

2009-07-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, ok. I lack creative energy today, and I wanted to do my idea justice, and since no one really reads this, I'm just going to put in some filler until I can do the webcomics post. So, I present, some QI.

QI is a television show from the UK that is brilliant. A comedy panel show with host Stephen Fry with four celebrity guests that tend to change every week with a supply of recurring guests and one regular panelist, Alan Davies. I've watched all the shows, they're all funny. Basically, the questions asked of the panel and are either extremely hard or are steeped in urban myth. Obviously wrong answers are penalized, and correct or interesting answers, facts, or stories are rewarded. There is a lot of British humour here, some that I can't get because I don't live there, but it's all funny and really smart. This is why I'd watch British shows (Doctor Who, Torchwood, Blackadder, Blackpool, QI, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, etc.) over the stuff that tries to be funny over here. This is a clip concerning how many moons the Earth has. While I couldn't find it, a season or two later, this question is asked again, and Alan (as always) goes for the bait.

Webcomics Sunday, i.e. tomorrow

2009-07-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

I just realized today was Saturday. Things come slowly to my mind. Anyway, I only have an hour of work left, and I'm kinda of in the middle of finishing season 6 of Sex and the City, so right now, I'm more thinking about who the fuck breaks up with someone via Post-It than webcomics. I took a time-out to try and plan out what I want to cover, and since nothing popped out right away, I consulted my Firefox bookmarks for a good one (they're all good).

I noticed that a lot of my favourites are no longer updated, either because of an hiatus (official or otherwise), a thoughtful ending comic from the creator for numerous reasons, or because of a new offshoot comic. So tomorrow, I'll be chronicling some 'dead' webcomics, some I wish had stayed going and would have paid for the privilege to keep reading, others that ended at just the right moment, and some that despite good intentions, should have (IMHO, always) thrown in the towel earlier.

While this post would be perfect near Halloween, I don't read THAT many webcomics, so my insight into their world will likely end this summer, after which I'll get into more science-y things, like ecology and conservation and fucking botany that I don't even care about. This week however, feels like a week to revisit old favourites. Some are huge in certain circles, like Cectic, Not From Concentrate, We The Robots, and Chugworth Academy, while others had so much potential, like Tipping the Spherical Cow. Until tomorrow, however.

Only Half a Concert, Followed by a Light(ning) Show

2009-07-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Last night was EdFest, the music festival that takes place at Capital Ex, a fair/crazy event that takes place in Edmonton. The performances slated were The Arkells and Pilot Speed. I like both groups, have a few singles from each, and wouldn't mind hearing more. The cost of admission to EdFest is the gate admission for the entire Capital Ex, so $10 for an adult. I am not only cheap, but also an imbiber of alcohol, so I was pleased for the beer garden as well (it turned out to be Budweiser and I was immediately less enthused, -5 pts). The weather that day had been kind of shitty, with clouds gathering near my apartment downtown, about 20 minutes away from the venue, but I had already put on my shoes, so I might as well go. I went with my younger sister, who had previously thwarted my attempts to get to Said The Whale, so she owed me one.

Raining on the way there, when we arrived at Northlands fair grounds, everyone was soaked, but the rain was letting up. After a 15 minute hike through the midway, rides, and mini doughnut vendors, we found the stage. It was spitting at this point, and I was confident that the show would go on. After a brewski, The Arkells came on at about 9 pm and started to Rock. The Hell. Out.

Great sound, gritty look, and a steady appreciation for the audience. One of the first of the set was "The Ballad of Hugo Chavez" (a personal fav), and then they rolled through other songs from their album Jackson Square. I really liked "John Lennon" and "The Choir", and the onstage chemistry was great! These are guys who I would love to sit back and hang out with, have a beer, and just talk about anything. They finished the set with crowd favourite "Oh, The Boss is Coming!".

The weather held up for most of the set, a music miracle! However, when The Arkells finished the set and went to the autograph tent, things kind of went sideways. Almost literally. Pilot Speed ended up not performing.

Now, I might have been in the bathroom when most of the hubbub started, but I was definitely there when it went CRAZY. Outside the merch tent, debating getting an autograph, the wind started to really pick up, lightning, and dark clouds were rollin' down the horizon. Rain came down even harder, and then most people were trying to get the hell out of there. I'm not that sensible. I hung around the merch tent, which had an ever dwindling line, until my older sister (who was doing security for the Druids) barked at me to get to shelter. Seriously, she freaks out a lot. I was mostly looking around. The midway was being shut down, people running for the exits, kids freaking out, it was swell. I made a call to the cafe I manage to see if everything was cool. No answer, but I wasn't worried. About an hour later, the call was returned - the power had gone out at about 10 pm.

We went to the women's washroom and hung out for about 45 minutes with periods of rain, lightning, light hail, "scary clouds", and crying babies. All the while I was hearing reports from the security crew - a tornado was reported in Drayton Valley (SW of Edmonton) and that the same storm was headed to us and then to Lloydminister (E of Edmonton) - downed power lines in the south parking lot of Northlands - garbage cans, barricade, strollers, anything being flipped over - the LRT (subway) was being shut down - damage reported throughout the city. Being in the storm in your home is one thing. Being at the fairgrounds made everything much more exciting, and I'm sure frightening for some. I'm young, and wasn't alive for Black Friday, so most people there were remembering the same situation back in '87. About once a summer this happens and everybody gets to be a bit alarmist, but that's better than doing nothing.

Security did a great job of calming people down, and when the worst was over, we went to go find my mother and my aunt, who were also volunteering for Druids Security. On our way, I survey the complete wreckage of the site - fences and tables toppled over, a stage in disarray, and an abandoned merch tent.

We found my mom and aunt in the casino (that's my mom!), and after a few minutes of deliberation, we decided to head to the car about 5 blocks away. Halfway there we had to find emergency shelter from marble sized hail. Fun times. My older sister was playing Rambo, running like a fiend for the car though the grass, zig zaggin the whole way. I walked. We eventually got to the car, soaked. I got home and found my candle holder from IKEA broken (NEJ!!!!), but otherwise, we were cool.

Following a fellow Edmontonian's (mastermaq) aggregated Twitter feed (hashtags #yeg, #yegweather, or #yegstorm), more news came in - a concrete overhang on the CN Tower downtown fell down, downed trees and power lines, blackouts on Whyte Ave and the east side, a roof blown off a commercial building. Crazy! I then went to bed.

Next morning, the aftermath was tabulated, shared through various media (except the Journal, since the power outage shut down their printers, though their online edition was up). Drove to the cafe, took a boo at everything, and went back home to clean. Back to normal.

I also took tons of photos of the events, so share time!

Go Here

The stupid embedding isn't working, so just follow the link.

Here is a video of Capital Ex as well, just those that tried the LRT. Shows a lot more running and chaos than my pictures.

Update:

I got a call on Sunday from Richard Liebrecht, a reporter from the Edmonton Sun. He wanted to ask some questions about the storm since I was at Capital Ex. I gather he got my name from all the tweeting. I agreed, and told him my side. I was published this morning. Sweet!

Webcomic... Wednesday? Cheer Up, Emo Kid

2009-07-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a huge ass liar. I'm also a poor planner, and a forgetful ne'er do well. Today is my update, and I won't have one this Saturday since I'll be leading parents around the U of A for a tour. Can you see it now?

"And this is one of 6 places you can formally nap on campus, although most level ground is fair game. It's relatively secure, has couches, and a quiet rule. I'd give it a 7/10, mostly because it doesn't have air conditioning. What was that in the back? Um, I have no idea where that is. Yes? No, TBA is not a building, nor a professor. It's a lifestyle choice. Moving on, the next best napping spot is down this way..."

It's going to be swell.

Cheer Up, Emo Kid

This webcomic has one of the best site designs I've ever seen. Even the About page is awesome. Taken from there, is a sypnosis:

Cheer Up, Emo Kid is a nonlinear webcomic centered around life, love, and loss there of, and despite how terrible things can get, there’s always room for a laugh or two. The world may be crashing down on you, but I promise you, you aren’t alone.

While it says it's non-linear, and it is, there is a story line and connectedness of characters, just not necessarily in consecutive panels.

Written and illustrated by Enzo Santos, currently in Vancouver, has amazing talent - his writing is funny and current, his style is a neat minimalist, my favourite kind of drawing, and you can tell he puts a lot of work into his art. There's different kinds of media being used here, mostly drawings, but also an animated music vid (it's hilarious), and a take on Street Fighter where you control the character, with a different story for different outcomes. Great comic. The only issue is keeping track of who is who, since it is so minimalist. Little things like bows, ties, and demeanor really matter, so I suggest reading from the beginning to get acquainted with the characters.

The issues at hand are, like the About blurb said, mostly slice of life and very relationship oriented, but it's not fuzzy rabbits and puppy dogs kind of stuff - it's how people try to fix things up when shit goes wrong, or just weird occurrences, all drenched in skilled writing and humour. I recommend it, because I like it.

Surreality
Do You Think I'm Fat?
The Joke is Butterflies
Support Groups
Too Much Info
I Was Lonely, Ok?
Loveless
Vicious Cycle 2
Opinion
Spock
Water Sports
Truman Show [Something I've always wondered]

2009-07-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it won't be up until tomorrow now. I'm still sickly and I have some work stuff. So suck it. I don't mean that, I'm just grumpy. There is no AC in the cafe, and it's really hot, and I have a tummy ache. And tomorrow, it won't be Buttersafe, it'll be Cheer Up, Emo Kid, as I try to stick to a pattern of story arc comic, then a one-off comic, then a story arc... Etc. I've been sticking pretty close so far.

Webcomic Saturday: Postponed

2009-07-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

Postponed to tomorrow, as my sugar-fueled migraine will only be fixed with sleep, and I am in no disposition right now to be sassy and word conscious. Tomorrow will feature, um... *picks one randomly* Buttersafe. I'm too tired to even find a way to make it a riddle OR hyperlink. BOOM.

Webcomics Saturday: Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

2009-07-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I didn't know that working Saturday mornings would be so rough. Sundays are worse, but nothing screams "slave for cash" quite like forcing yourself out of bed when you'd rather be sleeping. What helps?

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

No, not the sugary shit, although I do have some Reese's Puffs and Captain Crunch back at my place. No, I mean the insanely funny and cynical webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, SMBC (for further reference, most webcomics I read are cynical. It gets me through the day).

Created by Zach Weiner, the comic is a one panel one-off (meaning it is one panel for each comic, and is in no particular story arc or order). SMBC as it is now started in Weiner is prolific, I don't think I read any other webcomics where there are daily updates, and this isn't his only gig! He has many other projects, and is back in university. Amazing. Most of the jokes are dirty, some are NSFW, few disappoint - I started writing this post at about 1 pm, and was clicking "Random" to find some samples to link to. It's now 3 pm. I have a short list of 20. Also, thanks to the wikipedia entry for SMBC, I found out about the extra panel available on some later comics - hover over the red button near the lower left corner of the panel and BOOM, an extra panel. Awesome!

Topics? Anything from science fiction loopholes to alien invasions to horrible parenting to dating stupid men to hide and go ~~seek~~ kill. A real grab bag of topics, all hilarious. Would I ever point (metaphorical) you wrong?

I don't know if I can link them all, I'm pretty lazy. We'll see what happens:
8 --> Reminds me of the movie Hamlet 2...
252
316
434
437
463
504
590
745
819
843
939
942
946
988
1022
1265
1276
1322
1346
1463
1497
1516
1557
1565

Yeah, that's a lot of awesome. There was a linking shortcut that I took, so I could link 'em all. I got skillz. And a working knowledge of ctrl-v and url formats.

Webcomics Saturday: Scott Meets Family Circus

2009-06-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

I can barely move right now. That's what happens when you decide to lean and feed robins for twenty minutes instead of sit on the ground. My back is killing me, and multiple LRT trips and the stairs that come with it are not helping my legs. I'm whiny. Period.

Moving on, the webcomic for this week is:

Scott Meets Family Circus

I've never been a fan of Family Circus. The whole "kids say the darnedest thing" crap gets old rather quickly, like One Big Happy - used to read that, now I can't be bothered to because it's quite annoying. Family Circus is kind of worse, because it's a US love-in, where a lot of the jokes (if they can be called jokes) have to do with American history or lifestyles. That, and the whole religion theme. Best to avoid.

So me reading Scott Meets Family Circus isn't really expected, except that Scott pokes fun at most of the things I have problems with - especially the notion that kids are cute even when they're being dipshit pricks. That idea has to be squashed. The format of SMFC is pretty simple: Take a panel from an original FC and either superimpose on it, or draw an accompanying frame from scratch. They're quite good, really useful for a laugh once in a while when you don't want to get involved in a long and complicated story arc. These are semi-short and semi-sweet. One of the main jokes in the strip is that the FC Mom is having an affair with Scott, who appears in the strip in his own cartoon form.

This comic is more of a side project for the author, Scott Gairdner. He is a writer, director, and editor of sketch comedy videos and resides in L.A. So, the updates for Scott Meets Family Circus are erratic. It's nice not to have to check SMFC daily though, it's kind of a nice surprise when you have time one day. I recommend it for jaded and cynical individuals everywhere.

Stample
STFU
You Shouldn't Let Them Treat You Like That
One Key Is Fine

Awkward Joke #2

2009-06-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

I've been putting off telling this one because it is just horrible how adept I am at being awkward. This instance always takes the cake, in my mind at least, of my awkwardness. It's an embarrassing, stupid, and poorly thought out joke that ended up with me hitting on a girl in lab, and I'm not gay.

-----------------------------------
(I was wearing this shirt, in my Invertebrate Zoology lab the week we were studying arthropods. Perfect timing.)
Lab Girl: Oh, I love your shirt!
Kim: Thanks, it loves you too. Maybe you should give it your number... and you guys... can go out some... time... Err, excuse me. ( I get the hell out of there ASAP!)

The worst part was her face the whole time, from smiling to quizzical to WTF.

Delivery: 3/5 Started out solid, but I lost it somewhere.
Content: 1/5 Sadly enough, this isn't the first time I've accidentally hit on someone from the same sex.
Recovery: 0/5 My face was red for about 15 minutes after, and I haven't been able to look her in the eye again!

I meant it to be funny, like seriously, love between a person and a shirt. Hilarious. Until I realized I was wearing the shirt and it was no better than "your shirt would look great on my floor." Thankfully, she wasn't in my lab, we were just mingling with the other lab group that day. Hopefully, we won't have anymore labs together...

Webcomic Saturday - 2 weeks late!

2009-06-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've been busy. I've been packing, unpacking, repacking, zap-strapping, all the good and bad kinds of packing. We're not fully moved into the apartment yet - there's still the little things, like groceries and board games and my stuffed toys, and a goddamn shelving unit for the pantry. Little things. We just got Internet and TV yesterday, so that's another thing crossed off my list. Yea! Now, on to the webcomic.

I gave y'all a hint last week about this one. And no one guessed, but hey, big whoopee. The comic is... *drumroll!*

A Softer World

The last three webcomics I've gone over have been 'classic' - illustrated either on a computer or sketched and then scanned into one. A Softer World is a bit different - Emily Horne takes photographs on a film-reliant camera, they get printed, then scanned into a computer, where they are arranged onto the general format, and then words are added by Joey Comeau. Both Emily and Joey are Canadian, and live and work in Toronto. The tone for A Softer World is kind of up in the air, same with the voice and story format. From funny to sad, weird to morbid, the comics can be one-offs, or follow a theme/story for a few strips at a time, and anyone can be the narrator - male, female, zombie, etc. Joey has written a book, Overqualified, which has the same kind of eccentric nature of the strips, and was great to read. Kind of reminded me of a Fringe performance.

3
26
99
136
226
232
235
378
447

There's also a video showing the making of:

I Don't Keep Promises Well. Or Secrets.

2009-06-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, I missed Webcomics Friday, and couldn't even push it to Saturday or today. I'm postponing it until next week. A preview? I'll be covering a webcomic written by a Canadian who recently published a book, and someone else does the illustrations. The comic itself is not 'traditional', in that, it is based on photographs, not inked panels. Any guesses? (I expect none, but whatev's)

Moving?! Part Ib. The Signing of the Lease

2009-06-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today, I signed the lease on my first apartment. Hell yes! I also got to do all the boring stuff, like the walk through for damage and repairs, signing for keys, and getting through all the legal mumbo-jumbo. Also, taking pictures!

The view from our balcony. A little scary, if I'm out there for too long, I get a little vertigo.

The renters before us left some stuff, including a Little Mermaid print still in its package! And a framed poster of a whale, Latin name and all. And some incense holders and other kitschy stuff.

That's just a taste, I'll take more from moving and after the dust settles in Part II and III.

Awkward Joke #1

2009-06-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I stuck to the awkward theme. No, that doesn't mean I got smoother in my manner. It just means that I prefer to forget the awkward moments. However, I introduce yet another irregular segment: Awkward Jokes.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that humour has been around for a long time - I think that's how the less-than-ideal cavemen got laid. Because they were funny. It has been a crutch ever since, and is always worth more than symmetrical facial features.

I myself have the ability to be funny, or so I've been told many times, it's one of my 'charms', a validation of my existence. I don't take that lightly however, for me, being funny is the best compliment ever. But sometimes, I hit and miss. And it's awful. It's like the failed jump by a wannabe stunt motorcyclist - there are flames and it smells like burning hair.

So, I present the Awkward Joke series, to be updated whenever I make a fumble that is share worthy.
----------------------------------------------

After viewing the apartment I'm looking into, we were talking about move-in dates, my mom, Sam (the owner), his partner, and myself.

Sam: "So, there are a few more people interested in moving in on July 1st, but an earlier date would put you at the top of the list."
Me: "Ok... June 30th!" I totally cracked a smile to let him know I was joking.
Sam: "..."
His partner smiled, she knew that I was joking.
Sam: "Well, see, if you do June 15th, I can get a half months rent and you can move-in, June 30th doesn't really make a difference."
Mom: *shaking head and kind of laughing at me*
Me: "Right, right. Yeah, June 15th could work..."

Delivery: 4/5 I had a hand gesture, a change of voice, AND a smile. Almost nailed it.
Content: 2/5 It sounded funny in my head!
Recovery: 3/5 I saved that one, but it rubbed for a bit afterwords.

Moving?! Part Ia, The Back Story

2009-06-03T19:27:00.001-07:00

So, back on May 18th, I wrote a post about how excited I was about renovating my bedroom at home. How about a whole apartment?

Due to weird circumstances that are hard and personal to explain, my mom and dad want my younger sister and myself to move out of home. They will pay the rent and other things up to $1600 a month, so that my older sister and her 4 year old can move back home. Hell of a deal, right?? Besides the throbbing guilt and amassing homesickness, yes! Eventually, when my finances come together, when my sister and I can afford to pay rent, we will.

The place that we're hoping of getting is in downtown Edmonton, just off Jasper. It's about $1250 a month and includes power, heat, water, and a shit tonne of other stuff, like a pool, a workout room, games room, sauna, underground secure parking for +$60 monthly, and a balcony. And a dishwasher! Dishwasher is #1 on my requirements, since my sister is notorious for not doing dishes. Her main thing was the balcony, since she gets claustrophobic. The only drawback is that it doesn't have en-suite laundry, but the laundry room is secure and has a nice chill-out room beside it so you can sit on a couch. It's only 720 sq feet, so it'll be 'cozy' in real-estate jargon, and my bedroom with be tiny, but I'm excited. I'm just trying to reign in my excitement, just in case something doesn't work out. And my short attention span that develops over the summer break isn't helping., i.e. There's a Starbucks down the block! Like that. Also! - I get the car! I'm blown away that my parents would let me have it - it's their winter driving car! - however, with my older sister moving in, that doesn't leave a lot of parking, as she has a minivan that is capable of winter driving. I'm going to start paying the insurance so I don't feel like a complete parasite.

One of the things holding me back is the moving date - June 15th! In order to be competitive, my mom offered to up the date, June 15th instead of July 1st, and the dude, Sam, took us up on it (Sam's not the landlord, he bought the condo and is renting it out. He's super chill, and him and his partner seem really nice.). I called him yesterday about it, and he arranged to meet tomorrow to go over the lease. I think that means we got it. I'm not too sure... So June 15th, I could be moving. My mom said we could 'slowly' move in, not a huge 2 day affair, but over a week and a half. I can tell she's sad to see us go, but we promised to visit at least once a week.

I'm more nervous about the Firsts - first overnight, first week, first laundry, first emergency, first month. Not to mention, I'm going to Ottawa in late August and would be leaving my younger sister to her own devices for a week. We both need this though - she's been stuck in the same rut since her graduation, and I've been feeling stifled for months now - I'm 20, and still live at home! My younger sister is mostly scared of emergencies - my mom takes care of a lot of stuff for her, like appointments and laundry and waking her up in the morning. We both are going to university though, her in her first year, me in my third, and we scheduled our morning classes at the same time. That will help with the waking up part, I think.

There will definitely be a learning curve, but I've got friends that live on their own or with a roommate, so I'll draw on their help too. I've got a million things going through my head, but can only talk about one at a time, so I'm kind of scattered right now.

All that's left is to sign the lease, and move in. We need some furniture, like a bookcase for the living room since we both have a ton of books and CDs and DVDs that won't fit into our rooms. My dad wants $200 for the XBOX 360 and all the games, etc. Since Rock Band and most of the games were Christmas presents, I'll pay it, that way we don't need a DVD player. I'm not sure if we'll get cable or not - it would be useful, but we've had satellite with a PVR for about two years and got used to recording shit and watching it when we want to. A phone line too, since our cell phone plan doesn't cover day time calls (My younger sister is in disagreement with this).

I've decided to document the whole thing - I realized that I don't take enough pictures. I'll probably split it into four installments - This is Part Ia*, The Back Story. Part II will be a photo collection and some comments on my house right now - I've lived there most of my life. Part III will have photos and a commentary of the move, and Part IV will have pictures and comments a week or so after - once the dust settles and everything is out of boxes. I work during the move, and have some 'social' obligations, so it'll be packed! I'm also still sick, so blegh.

Again, I'm not 100% sure I'm moving. Right now I'm at 80%. By tomorrow night, I'll know for sure. [Edit: I know for sure - I'm moving!]

*Part 1b is here coming up - pictures from the empty apartment and the signing

Webcomics Friday Saturday: Anders Loves Maria

2009-05-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is late. I have no excuse. I didn't even work yesterday, so that's no excuse. Instead of doing this post, I decided to fall asleep in the sun (my version of tanning), and watch old episodes of QI. Stephen Fry is my hero.

Anywho, without further ado:

Anders Loves Maria

Sweden is known for many things: IKEA, ABBA, meatballs, the Swedish chef from The Muppets, etc. The next awesome thing from Sweden? Anders Loves Maria, drawn and written by Rene Engström. I only came upon this comic about two weeks ago, but have quickly caught up, it was so accessible despite having some of cultural differences from North America - but I'll get into that after a quick low-down on the story.

Anders Loves Maria follows the lives of Anders von Silfersked and Maria Holm, as well as various supporting cast members. The story jumps around a bit in terms of time period, but the main focus is on Anders and Maria "now", 30 and 26 respectively, and the story is linear and connected. Anders is from a rich family and is an photographic artist, while Maria is from a rougher background and is also an artist. The plot line revolves around that fact that Maria is pregnant with Anders child. What seems straightforward - they decide to keep the child, and want to stay together - quickly turns topsy-turvy with lots of cheating and swearing and punching and... yeah. DRAMA!

As I mentioned before, I believe there is a difference between North American comics and European comics, at least style wise. The themes of love, heartbreak, joy, and anger are universal. It's what's drawn and the situations encountered that are different. From frame to frame, I couldn't decide if I wanted to smack Anders, or give him a comforting hug. Mostly the former. It's not often that you're given a protagonist main character that you want to shit-kick. Maria isn't completely innocent either. As well, there is A LOT of nudity in this comic - not a problem, but just another huge difference. In QC, for example, if there are any scenes involving sex or nudity, the nudity is alluded to, most of the time with careful covering or shading of the character in question so they are never truly nude. Meanwhile, in A L M, there's no question - they are naked, and some scenes are kind of explicit. It struck me by surprise at first, but I got used to it, and appreciated the intimacy between the characters.

#007 - One of the earlies
#134 - Willing To Please
#186 - So Unfair

Because it is story centred, I only linked to ones to showcase the art and style, and are kind of accessible.

Thankfully, I've graduated. But what about those that haven't?

2009-05-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

[Edit: An update on Bill 44 is at the bottom]
TL DR
Warning: This post is somewhat political. Political in that it deals with bills in Alberta's legislation, my own thoughts and views, and links to other blogs and articles. This is my opinion, and I'm not espousing it as 100% correct for everyone - it is 100% correct for me.

Bill 44 - Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act, 2009 (Blackett)

This Bill has been swirling around in the Leg for about a month now, and this isn't the first day I've heard of it. Over the month, I've followed the story. Not relatively closely, but enough to know that I don't like the sounds of it. Before completely jumping on bandwagons of for or against, I made sure to read the damn thing - nothing worse than fighting for a cause I know nothing about. After getting through the legal headiness (aka boredom) that are Bills, I was able to come to the conclusion that it sucks. It's a step backwards for Alberta, and as much as I love Alberta, I'm disappointed that this thing has reached second reading.

Linked above, the Bill deals with amendments to the Albertan Act dealing with humans rights, etc. While the Bill seeks to add sexual orientation as something that cannot be discriminated against (about time), it harbours an amendment in Section 9. Section 9 deals with changes to school systems, specifically that parents have the right to remove their children from classrooms if the content is about sexuality, religion, or sexual orientation, as well as the ability of parents to pull their kids from classes about these subjects if they decide they don't want their kids learning them based on their beliefs.

To me, this is one step forward, and two steps back. A step forward for civil rights in terms of homosexuality, but two steps back in terms of religion in schools and understanding and tolerance.

They will recognize same-sex partnerships in civil rights matters, such as being fired for being gay, but allow parents to choose to have their kids removed from any classroom situation where their kids may learn about homosexuality. This is a huge problem - how can you expect anyone to be tolerant without an understanding of it? Understanding comes from education, not from avoiding it during developmental years.

I can understand where parents would be coming from - I was raised Christian, and only in the past few years have wholly been atheist. My parents were not fundamentalist enough to warrant my removal from necessary classes such as sex ed, social, and biology, and they knew enough that even if they didn't agree with gay marriage, homosexuals deserved respect, just like people of other religions, cultures, and sects, and all humans. They only spoke of their feelings on the matter to themselves and to us kids, but we were raised to believe that we had a choice in our ideals. If asked about what I learned in class, and my parents didn't agree with the ideals behind it, not the facts, they would let me know where they stood on it, while never saying it was because of religion. My parents never argued the facts behind what I was learning, just how I should see it or not. Either way, I was able to stick to my own beliefs. Mine differ from my parents in some respects, but my parents respect that it is my decision as a person.

If you don't agree with what your children are being taught, ask yourself if it is because you don't like the facts, or the ideals. Schools stick to facts - they're hard, cold, and reliable for the time. Even if you do have a problem with the facts as we know them, you can tell your child what you think/believe - a child can learn about evolution and it's history, but still think it's faulty. It's the fact that he learned it instead of being rushed off whenever the topic arose. Later on in life, he may get the facts, or he may get faulty information. Schools are there to prevent that.

Can anyone see this actually being implemented rigorously?? If the class is having a discussion, the teacher is no longer the instructor, but now the referee escorting kids out if the topic strays to what their parents object to them learning. There's another problem with this - why should parents be in charge of what their kids learn? Can kids object, or is it 'parental rights', and they have to be ignorant even if they want to learn. Without learning the topics, kids won't even know what their missing unless they do their own research.

What about tests? Is every test tailored to the kid's specific level of knowledge influenced by this act? Can you imagine the diploma finals for Biology, Social, or Physics? Even English, considering that sexuality in general is a oft-mentioned topic in major literary works. In Grade 10, it was the Chrysalids and Romeo And Juliet - both pertaining or mentioning adolescent sex, even incest. In Grade 11, it was Obasan and Macbeth, where Obasan mentioned sexual abuse. In Grade 12, it was Hamlet and The Wars, where The Wars dealt with both hetero- and homosexual experiences of a young soldier in WWI.

Suddenly, there's the possibility of hundreds of kids either being exempted from the determining final, or being able to omit questions, despite it being approved as required material for everyone else. Suddenly the requirements for university or college are useless - kids can miss out on important material but still pass and go to higher education. At this point, I'm not sure if that's great for them, there's less material to test them on so they get a higher mark, or worse, because now they've got to catch up on what everyone else already knows.

My local political writer, Paula Simons, wrote an excellent article on it, on how once again, we are subjected to the Progressive Conservative Party's dogma:

"The Stelmach government had little choice but to add sexual orientation to the act, given that the Supreme Court effectively ordered the government to do so more than 10 years ago. Still, a small yet influential group of social conservatives in the caucus were horrified at the prospect of people with a "homosexual agenda" teaching kids that homosexuality was OK."

In a later article, Simons related this,

"On Monday, the Stelmach government blinked, a little. Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett promised to introduce an amendment to the parental notification portion of Bill 44 in debate to make clear that the act does not cover "incidental" or "indirect" references to religion, sexual orientation or sexuality. As amended, the law would only require parents to be notified of contentious material that's part of official curriculum. He also promised to rewrite the bylaws of the human-rights commission to make sure most complaints are handled by schools and boards, not human-rights tribunals."

Promises, shomises. The amendment in question:

A Section 9 is amended in the new section 11.1
(a) in subsection (1) by striking out “explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation” and substituting “primarily and explicitly with religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation”;

And while officials say that the Bill will be interpreted narrowly, i.e

"Education Minister Dave Hancock said the bill is intended to be interpreted narrowly: 'It is not about whether we can find sex or religion in Shakespeare,' he said. 'I would be astonished if a court said you can't teach Shakespeare . . . you can't teach the Holocaust.'"

I can't help but be cynical about that. Who creates a Bill that is up to broad interpretation, but is "intended" to be interpreted narrowly? Does anyone else see the huge problem that can cause years down the road? The road to hell is paved with good intentions, that one I know. In this case, hell is where Alberta Education might end up.

So, because I have an overactive imagination and a love for dystopic novels a la Margaret Atwood, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell, I'm going to give some little stories of what could happen.

-------------------------------

There once was a boy named John. He came from a religious background, and had his own beliefs that were part of it. Growing up, John was eager to become a doctor and worked really hard in all of his sciences. However, John's parents were notified that he was going to be learning about sexual education next month in health class. They decided that John wasn't allowed to learn about that. John heard about the class from his friends, but it wasn't the same as going to class. John knew what sex was, he wasn't completely naive, but he didn't really know about safer sex, or the intricacies of both reproductive systems. He was also exempt from the reproductive systems in Biology class. John went on the university with no knowledge of sex education, and found it hard to keep up in classes such as anatomy and psychology because he didn't have the basic knowledge he should have had in high school.

There once was a girl named Martha. She came from a religious background, and had her own beliefs that were a part of it. Growing up, Martha was eager to become a social worker, working within her multicultural community for the better. She worked hard in all of her classes, especially social studies. However, her parents were notified that she would be learning about world religions and the history of missionaries in Canada in her social class. Because of this, they wanted Martha exempted from this material. Whenever the discussion came up in class, Martha's teacher had to ask her to leave, and had to specially tailor her tests and essay topics. Her parents also removed her from the class discussion involving sexual orientation. Martha passed her classes, and went on the college, where she wanted to study sociology and history. However, it was hard for her to keep up, as she wasn't aware of other religions or some of Canada's Native American past or queer rights, and so didn't know what is considered basic knowledge in high school. She went on the become a social worker, but it took her two years longer because of all the information that she had to catch up on.

There once was a boy named Jamal. He came from a religious background, and had his own beliefs that were a part of it. Growing up, Jamal wanted to be a politician, trying to make his country a better place. He also wanted to be a lawyer, so the two kind of went hand in hand. Jamal studied hard, especially social studies. However, Jamal's parents were notified that he would be learning about evolution in science class, which is against their beliefs and can be argued that they should be able to exempt Jamal from learning it, due to the shitty wording of Bill 44. When Jamal found out, he was quite upset, as he wanted to know all that he could. Jamal ended up fighting with his parents over it, back and forth, over whether he should have a say in his own education. He argued that he was old enough to hear the facts and theories and make his own decision, and that his parents had no right to decide what he should and shouldn't learn. Jamal's parents eventually gave in, but Jamal couldn't believe what would happen if they didn't.

-------------------------------------

Doesn't the first two kinda freak you out? I'm just waiting for the last one to happen though - when does it become a matter of personal choice? If my parents didn't want me to learn something, whether or not I held their faith, I would be very upset. Not everyone can consider emancipation as the best choice though. Soon, courts and tribunals will be flooded with cases of parents versus teachers, and students versus parents. Why not just let the kids hear the subject matter, and then have their parent talk to them about it, or better yet, make their own decision? If these materials were exempted from the curriculum wholly, it would be a crisis - removing knowledge based on religious beliefs. Doing it student by student is just as bad.

-------------------------------------

Now, I'm not a political blogger - never have been, never will be. For me, this is more about education, as well as secular thought in public affairs (in this case, the lack of). For more political blogs about Bill 44 (All against, I'm not THAT big):

Terahertz: AB Tories selectively read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (excellent blog, former president of the U of A Atheists and Agnostics)

Daveberta: Another Bill 44 compromise leads pcs to another no-win political situation (Dave Cournoyer, the guy who bought Edstelmach.ca, infamously)

Update: It fucking passed.
In the article above, it states that Bill 44 passed, with all Conservatives for it, and all NDPs and Liberals against it. The article, incidentally, talks about one of my concerns, about teachers incidentally talking about the subjects in discussion (if it came up in another topic, or if someone in class asked about it) - teachers would not be in trouble for that happening (so we're told - it all has to do with the wording of the Bill, now an Act, I think. Interpretation may be different years down the road.). The article also reached out to those affected by both parts of the Bill - gay parents.

I love Alberta - I hate the politics. But one day, my love for Alberta might not be enough to keep me here.

Webcomic Friday: xkcd

2009-05-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yea, Webcomics Friday! Imagine that there is a theme song and everything - makes it ten times as exciting.

Before I get started, I haven't posted all week because I got EVEN SICKER than the last time. The day I posted, I thought I was sick, but oh boy, was I wrong. The next day I was truly sick, the day after that I was really truly sick and yesterday, I was practically diseased. Today, I got treated for pink eye and am trying to get over the sicknesses. Before you giggle, no, I didn't get pink eye because I forgot to wash my hands when I went to the bathroom, you ass. That's how kids get it. I got it by dealing with customers all day and touching my eyes, which I do a lot of, since I often get eye gunk. That and allergies made everything one big mess which culminated in my inability to open my left eye this morning. Moving on.

xkcd
Yes, it is spelled all in lowercases - I checked on the "About" page.
Written and illustrated by Randall* Munroe, this comic is well known and respected by many, but especially those in the sciences. Walk down the grad student floor of the Biological Sciences building at the U of A (aka the 4th floor, near Kettles, where they serve food), and almost every doorway has an xkcd comic on it. For good reason, as Munroe can turn things that bored us, through jr high sciences all the way to advanced quantum mechanics courses, into insanely funny shit. He also has a way with pop culture, internet humour, as well as romance. Munroe knows what he's talking about too, as he has a degree in physics. Updated three times a week with it's own store as well, I have read through all of the archives, and await new comics with bated breath - they're really smart and really funny.

Here are some of my favourites:
159: Boombox
397: Unscientific
439: Thinking Ahead
440: Road Rage
499: Scantron
513: Friends

Unfortunately, I can't find my penultimate favourite, about the differences between scientists and normal people, and I'm out of time, so I'll have to get back to that later.

[Edit: Thanks to Carson, aka cancerbaby, for correcting me on Mr. Munroe's name]

Blegh.

2009-05-18T17:16:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm officially sick. I thought it was allergies or something, but no, it's officially rhino virus related. What does this mean besides staying in bed all day going stir crazy? Room redecorating planning! Yeah, it's hard to make that sound awesome.

I still live with my parents, which blows, but I don't have any money right now and they help pay for university, so I don't really have a choice. Past all the restrictions of living at home (when will your room be cleaned, when you're coming home, what you're out doing, why don't you eat your vegetables, etc. etc ad nauseum), I still get my own room, and I can do whatever I want with it... Except stain my furniture, even though it IS mine.

This wouldn't really be something someone looks forward to, except that I redecorated my room back in the tenth grade, where I was still trying to get all the weirdness out. What resulted?
A dark, orange room. Yeah, I thought orange was awesome. Didn't really consider how dark it was and the fact that my window never lets in much sunlight anyway... There's also a lot of crap accumulating, and one of my clothes dressers has been turned into a book drawer. That will not do.

So, while I'm sick, I scan IKEA for awesome bedspreads and bookcases and lights, waiting for the time where I have enough money and time to redo my room. And that time has come!! This summer, I hope to paint the walls a light green or yellow or blue, get a bookcase for my books and cd's, and throw away a lot of odds and ends, including all the furniture I've had handed down to me. Needless to say, I'm pretty psyched. And since I only work evenings and no one wants me as a volunteer until late June, now should be a good time.

Side note: It's May 18th, but it snowed!! What the hell?!

NxEW

2009-05-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

On a different note, I'm also a contributer to the NxEW blog, devoted to news and reviews involving Canadian music. Yea!

I'm really really happy that they're letting me publish, considering I'm not in the industry at all, or a writer. Just a huge fan! The main goal of NxEW is to centralize news about Canadian music, as well as review concerts and albums, etc. My first post, Concert Review: The Stills (original title, I know), is an edited version of my previous post on the concert, with a little less backstory. I wish I joined in time to review Said the Whale, but it's about a month old, so I'll just have to review their new album when it comes out.

Webcomic Friday: Questionable Content

2009-05-15T18:53:00.001-07:00

So I'm at work, devouring some Hersey's Kisses, and ~~the sugar rush~~ an idea hits me: I should have a day here where I stick to the same topic, like the old McDonald's menu, or an "of the month" thing, like the DQ Blizzards (I often make anecdotes involving food). The first thing that pops into my chocolate filled head is webcomics.

I love webcomics. They are quick pick-me-ups, funny and artistic, and most of the time full of hilarity that can't be done in newspapers or comic books. The quickness of topics and the freedom to say practically anything is awesome. Reigning in this power is part of the art, and separates the mediocre from the spectacular. I'm not going to bash comics, because frankly, my stickmen are horrible and my puns are stupid, so I can't diss anyone. I will however, on a weekly-ish thing every Friday or so, review/suggest/shamelessly plug my favourites. I came across most of them by chance, or referrals from other sites. Others I "Stumbled Upon," a tool that is a bloody waste of time, but also bloody addictive.

First up, my favourite, my homepage, my first webcomic that I have stuck to joyously for several years.
Questionable Content.

Written and drawn by Jeph Jacques, I started reading this strip in late jr. high school, and it has grown with me over the years. From a business standpoint, Jeph lives off this comic - he quit his job in order work on it full time, and with help from his wife Christi as business manager, the make a pretty penny from merchandise (some own by your truly) and ad space. All merchandise is related to the comic, mostly t-shirts that either the characters wear, or is inspired by sayings or situations within the strip.

If you look from the first strip to the current one, the art has changed progressively, and I would say for the better (again, my stick people suck, so no dissing). The storyline is self contained, and follows a plot (except for guest strips, which for the most part are not part of the canon), time moves rather slowly, as a complete day in QC can takes months to develop in real time - but it's so worth it.

The plot! Yes, the plot. Following the lives of twentysomethings in a Mass. town doesn't sound that exciting - I'm pretty sure that Fox has spat out that sitcom a few times to no interest. It's the mix of misfit robots, indie music, and ridiculous amounts of humour that sets it apart. Follow Martin Reed, Faye Whitaker, Dora Bianchi, and others through situations both crazy and realistic. How? Because all that shit that that you think doesn't happen to other people? It does, and it's funny as hell. Even if you don't get the music references (I rarely do), it's still enjoyable. In addition to the comic, merch and guest spots, Jeph also maintains Twitter feeds for many of the main and supporting cast, and can be seen at many comic conventions in the US.

Here are some samples of my favourites:
Number 143: It Burns
Number 723: I Hate Snakes
Number 1010: 101010101
Number 1296: Board Certified and Everything

The Stills at The Starlite Room, with guests, Gentlemen Reg

2009-05-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Living in Alberta, I don't get a lot of exposure to french. I learned a little in the fourth grade - pen is 'stylo' - but then my school discontinued it's french program after that. Since then, like many other anglophone Canadians, the only french exposure I get is on food labels and dvd cases. Along with this, I also grew up thinking that everyone in Quebec spoke French (their own version, that is).

So, when I found out that The Stills were from Montreal, I was quite surprised at how accessible their music was to me, and that it was in English. Not just English, but a language so well mastered, so beautifully and skillfully arranged. Logic Will Break Your Heart came out in in 2003, when I was about 14, and just starting to get my own sense of music. My mom bought the album, since she liked one song that she heard on MusicMatch. It took one listen, that was enough to turn me on to Canadian alternative forever. From there stemmed a love for Stars, Tegan and Sara, Arcade Fire, The Weakerthans, Said The Whale, everything else, all dominoed from that one album. Which is weird, considering I didn't pick up the second album, Without Feathers, until Oceans Will Rise, the third album, came out last summer. I had "Helicopters" as a single on my iPod, but CD's are expensive, so I kept putting it off, until eventually, I couldn't find it in my local HMV. I broke down and got it from iTunes, though I'm still hunting for the CD, just to have a complete physical collection.

Despite the years-long break from their music, I fell in love all over again with the catchy lyrics and awesome musical arrangements - "Dinosaurs" has this riff that kinda catches my breath every time - and vowed to see them in concert. I missed their show with Sam Roberts at the Jubilee back in January, but good things come to those who wait. Their own show at the Starlite Room (the cosiest venue in Edmonton). So, after all this backstory, here's my own review of the show.

It was on May 12, and was freaking freezing, because hey, it's Edmonton. I was the first in line with my younger sister and my mom (Trust me, I love my mom, but I was at the breaking point when she asked to come along. Some things you just want to do solo!). We got in and grabbed seats. Normally, I go all out and push my way to the front, close enough to probably be spit on, but my mom isn't exactly spry enough for that. Anyway, the opener was Gentlemen Reg, who I haven't really heard of, but put on a great performance. Definitely worth looking into.

Finally, The Stills arrive. Yellow/Orange glow sticks on mic stands and amps, smoky atmosphere, no overhead lighting, all set the mood for the opener, "Snakecharming The Masses", with Dave Hamelin doing double duty on a drums (after, he goes back to guitar and vocals), Tim Fletcher's vocals just soaring though the music. Moving on to favourites from previous albums ("Still In Love Song", "In The Beginning") , to selections from the newest album ("I'm With You", "Everything I Build", "Panic", "Don't Talk Down") , it was great and I didn't want it to end. A great repertoire onstage and an energetic performance, I'm definitely going to be in the front the next time they're in town.

Awkward Driving

2009-05-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

And on the way home from work, I was inspired for a post. My driving is hella awkward.

Now, there is a fine line between awkward driving, and careless driving. The difference is measured by thinking. Since awkwardness is often from over thinking a situation and not responding in time (my idea of awkwardness), and careless driving is reckless endangerment of other because you're not thinking enough, I can safely say that I'm an awkward driver, not a careless driver.

Moving on.

It begins and ends with parking. When I get to my car, I either suffer from my own shitty parking job, or the idiotic and careless parking of the person beside me. Today was a rare moment when I was alone in the parking area, but let's pretend I wasn't. Some JA decided that an angle was the best way to park, and now I've got to spend ten minutes simultaneously avoiding their car to my left, the dumpster to my right, and the yellow pole to the rear of my car. Reversing, pulling forward, reversing, pulling forward, over and over until I'm out. It's ten times harder when I'm not thinking and have a cigarette at the same time. Now I'm down to one hand. This whole display looks pretty fucking hilarious to any passersby, so I try and get out of there ASAP, often resulting in my bumper kissing the yellow pole.

Once I'm out, I've got to leave the alley, anxiously trying to somehow know when a pedestrian crosses the entrance of the alley from two blind corners. A left turn into a lot of traffic, and I should be good to go, right?? No.

At this point, I'm trying to avoid crazy pedestrians (common in my area), ash my cigarette out the window (often having the wind blow it back into my face), and keep to an even 50 or a bit, even when everyone else is speeding around me. Yes, a red light! I should be able to sip some water, get some gum, or something in that time. Wrong. Just when my hands are nowhere capable of driving, the light turns green, and I have to go. I don't like people honking at me because I didn't go right off the bat. This results in one handed driving, desperately trying to correct my steering, and a lot of swearing. And maybe changing the song, if it sucks. After this panic, I set into a groove, and make a few corrections for traffic, construction, or potholes. Sometimes singing along with music, until I forget that the window is down and I'm offkey. The we get to Mill Woods.

Mill Woods, a neighbourhood in Edmonton that is one huge ass ring road connected to other ring roads that surround communities. 50 is the limit, and there's a lot of twists and turns that can hide cats, small children, and leprechauns. And of course, everyone wants to speed. I still have a restricted licence since I'm a new-ish driver, so I don't speed that often. This results in a lot of tailgating and lights flashing and me trying not succumb to peer pressure. When I finally get to the turn to my street, I still go the long way, since I have to pull a u-turn otherwise, and I'm never good at calculating that.

It ends with parking. Should be simple, I'm coming at it in the right direction, just pull on in. My dad is a parking dork, however, and demands I park beside the curb, nowhere on it, not too far away, and right in the middle of our lot, to discourage our neighbours across the street from doing doughnuts on our lawn. And I'm home. I lock and arm the car, take two steps and forget if I did that already, and do it again.

First Post Awkwardness

2009-05-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hey. So, how's it going? Me? I'm... I'm gokay. Shit. I said 'good' and 'okay' at the same time.

Well, that's the First Post Awkwardness. I've done it a couple of times, with a blog that lasted all of three days, and a website I had back when I was 14. I can recognize the signs.

1) Hesitation on the title, as well as the content. What are you supposed to do in the first post? Say what your web log, or blog if you will, is all about? How much do you share about yourself? I've seen first posts more detailed than a background check, where every move, thought, and sneeze are recorded, just in case. Then there's the little blurbers, who write about 100 characters and move on to the next post, hoping the anxiety will fade. Finally, there's those who refuse to acknowledge the chronology of their posts. They just went right in to their first topic, forget background. I'm not really sure if this is to avoid the awkwardness of the first post, or to say a big 'fuck you' to the timeline.

2) No tags or categories, aside from 'introduction'. Even the suggestions below cannot help you (I don't know if 'scooters' can help anyone as a tag for that matter, but whatever). You have no idea what to tag it, what category it is, hell, it will probably be deleted three times before you're satisfied, so why give it a technological soul?

3) Lists. They fill space and show that you can count. Enough said.

and finally,

4) Meticulous grammar. This post took time, effort, and a lot of hair pulling, so damn skippy you're going to check for typos, miscommunications and stupidity! For instance, I changed pronouns back there, from a 'you' to a 'they', back to a 'you'. I won't fix it, just to let you know. I totally could if I wanted to...

So what is this blog? What's it's deal? What is it about?
Well, I always tinker with thoughts of blogging, mostly because I'm a pretentious boor who likes people to know what I think, so put that one on the board.
Second, I know my social awkwardness is funny. I said gokay, for goodness sake! I do that everyday. And more, such as turning red whenever people talk to me. Or speaking too quietly, and doing this totally attractive clearing of the throat just to croak a word out. It's a sound that would call rhinos in heat, I swear.
Third, I just want to put it out there. Ever since going into science in university (getting there), I've had to sacrifice a lot of creative outlets. So I'll be fiddling with formats, and voice, and topic, and shit like that. *Fun*
So, this blog is about many things - awkward shit I can think up, concert reviews, thoughts on politics and stuff, and general rants.

But who am I (This is the true awkward part of first posts)?
I'm a university student in Edmonton, AB. It's summer right now, but I'm going into my third year, with a Biology major (mostly zoology), and an English minor, with plans to become a wildife biologist. I work at an internet cafe (hence the shitloads of time to update). I'm kinda normal, I guess. I have a broad range of interests, music especially, television, movies, theatre, improv, volunteering, animals, environmental causes, video games, blogs, etc. I'll let my personal shit infiltrate as time goes on, otherwise it sounds like a dating profile (Trust me, I have an awkward moment for that one. It's a gem.)

So why awkward?
I don't know if it's extreme shyness, or social anxiety disorder, or flouride in the water, but I'm extremely shy, and create many an awkward situation because of it. I also lack tact in order to deal with them right away, so these situations just grow worse. It's entertainment! I found that most of my funny stories has to do with my own social awkwardness, so hey, why not? And scientist, because, well, I am one. Unofficially.