Sunday, October 28, 2007

Bookbook

I have joined an online community called the Chapters.ca book club. Basically I go online and create a profile with my favourite books, list books that I'm reading, recommend books to others... it's basically Facebook with literature.

Which I guess would make it Bookbook.

In other news, I am off to see the Leafs tomorrow night with my brother. I can only hope that we maintain a greater level of maturity than with our recent outing to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

ANNOUNCER: Fans are reminded to watch for pucks flying into the crowd during play.
ME (looking around at the nearly empty arena): Really, the odds of a puck flying into the stands and actually hitting anyone has to be astronomical.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Best video ever. (like anyone could even know that)

Because I and I alone can harvest the power of the youtube, it is of course my duty to share EVERY cool video I come across.





Well OK, "cool" might be pushing it. Actually Scott recently got me really huge on using the word "cool":


ME: I want the Special Limitted Edition with deleted scenes and commentary and special features. It's going to be SO COOL-

SCOTT (in his best Intiago Montoya (sp?) of Princess Bride voice): You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Well played sir. Well played.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Speaking of Morgan Freeman Narrating Movies...

This might not be the best 30 Second Bunny Theatre but it has amused me the most of all.



They're dressed as Penguins! YES!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

"You Either Get Busy Talking, or You Get Busy Dying" (Morgan Freeman in "The Narrator")

OK, fine. I accept that I am the only person on earth who didn't like this movie.

But hopefully I'm not the only person amused by this.

Monday, October 15, 2007

The Fesserton Precast

So here's the reason no one got calls or emails:

I didn't get into Second City.

I suppose I've just been on such a high note lately that I didn't really do much of a job bracing myself for this, and I was reasonably confident that I could get in.

Now I like to think of myself as being a reasonably good sport about this stuff. I mean I let it devastate me and I've been known to accuse (within a small circle of friends) the odd director of precasting, but I try not to delude myself into believing that I was somehow cheated out of my glory. And believe me, I am certain that the others who were selected were completely deserving of their place and I do not think that the Second City will forever be robbed of my remarkable presence :p

But... hmmmm here's the thing...

"Your audition was excellent, and you have a very good variety of theatre experience, but here are our recommendations before you audition for us again: take one of OUR courses. We have several levels and recommend that you begin with level A. We still have spaces open to register for the upcoming term if you like..."

The thing is, my Dad knows this woman who went through the A-E levels at Second City. Now my Dad tends to be absent-minded about what I've done sometimes, even when he's trying to promote it (ie: "Well you've got three summers experience with Easter Seals..." "Five Dad"). Based on what my Dad was telling her, and I'm assuming he didn't exaggerate anything, she said that I would most likely be able to skip the first few levels of the program. So I can't help but feel that I was not being given an accurate assessment of my skills, but rather being set up for a cash-grab.
Maybe I am just bitter about it, but fuck it. At least I'm not sitting around in a bar or treating myself to DQ with tears streaming down my face (thank you very much York U). Hm... I think I just figured out why I've been putting on so much weight...

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Professional Camp Counselor!

Howdy all, just a little note to keep everyone up to date:

I got a job I had been pretty keen about as a Program Assistant for the ErinOak Kids Respite programs in (as the name thus implies) Mississauga and Oakville. I start training this weekend, and am extremely psyched.

I also had an audition today for Second City, I will update if I get any good news from them.

Otherwise, just get ready to get really sick of my respite "camp" stories.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Happy Banned Books Week!

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. ~Voltaire

To choose a good book, look in an inquisitor’s prohibited list. ~John Aikin

Everyone's job for the week: read one book that has been banned or is being/has been recently challenged.

"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." - Ray Bradbury

Top Ten Banned Books for the 20th Century.
I'm actually not SURE how accurate this list is. I couldn't get any data from the ALA, but I have cross checked with a couple of sites and this SEEMS to be the most accurate list:

1984
The Catcher in the Rye
Fahrenheit 451 (seriously?)
The Grapes of Wrath
Lady Chatterly's Lover
The Naked Lunch
Slaughterhouse 5
To Kill A Mockingbird
Tropic of Cancer
Ulysses

The reasons are always varied and hillarious.

I really enjoyed one story in particular of a group of school children receiving copies of Fahrenheit 451 with the words "hell" and "damn" blacked out.
My favourite reason for banning/challenging 1984 continues to be "pro-communist views". Have you even read...

Rose Darko: Do you even know who Graham Greene is?
Kitty Farmer: I think we've all seen Bonanza.


The best story of a book not on the list:

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne Frank. Modern Library. Challenged in Wise County, Va. (1982) due to "sexually offensive" passages. Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of this book because it is a "real downer".

I've yet to find a rencent challenge in Canada that has lead to a ban. Does anyone know of any?



A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.
- The American Library Association

Most challenged books of 21st Century (2000-2005 seems to be most recent data):
(from the American Library Association)

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

2. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

5. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

6. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris

8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz

9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

10. "Forever" by Judy Blume


Something tells me that a good many of these books/authors are still high on this list.


"Oh Harry, don't you see?" Hermione breathed, "If she could have done one thing to make sure that absolutely every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it."

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

The Nightmare Before Halloween

Let me know if you think that this is just a touch strange:


VAUGHAN, Ont. - Nine mazes, 300 monsters, chilling rides and other attractions will transform Canada's Wonderland into a dark playground of terror on weekend evenings leading up to Halloween.


THE CANADIAN PRESS


The Halloween Haunt gates creak open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night in October and on Halloween from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Guests are cautioned not to attend the event in costume. Because of the fear factor, it is not recommended for children.

Halloween Haunt ticket prices are $26.95 online and $21.95 for season pass holders online.

For more information, visit haunt.Canadaswonderland.com.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

List Maker

My Top 10 Favourite Movie Scenes

10. Being John Malkovich- The three sit on a couch and Lotte and Craig both make a movie for Maxine

I just thoroughly enjoy the build-up and her reaction. My first in a line of many enjoyable Catharine Keener movie moments.

9. American Beauty- "It's just a couch"

I keep throwing cushions and yelling "these are just things" when my Mom tells me to be more careful with my coffee around her new carpets and furniture. She is not amused.

8. The Empire Strikes Back- Yoda lifts Luke's ship out of the swamp

Look at me, judge me by my size do you? *I've decided that this is also inclusive of the next two seconds of the following scene "Apology accepted".

7. Dr. Strangelove (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb)- The final scene

This was probably one of the best laughs I've ever had. Even if I knew what was coming as a result of watching Homer Simpson break the rules by riding the bomb.

6. Spiderman- The Green Goblin realizes that Peter Parker is Spiderman

I heart Willem Dafoe, so it could be just that he can do anything, including cartoonish villainy and still have me totally impressed. He is just so damn evil in this scene and I LOVE it.

5. The Usual Suspects

Anyone who has seen the movie knows which scene. Anyone who hasn't, I will be giving too much away by giving anymore information. Also go see it. Now.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- The Graveyard

This is probably the reason I got so into the books this summer, just in time for 7. By the time I had seen this scene I had read up to book 6, and I am of course an adult, who ought not to be scared by children's movies. I spent the whole scene chewing my nails convinced I'd have nightmares.

3. The Meaning of Life- John Clease's Sex Ed Lesson

I do wish you'd listen, Wymer. It's perfectly simple. If you're not getting your hair cut, you don't have to move your brother's clothes down to the lower peg. You simply collect his notes before lunch, after you've done your scripture prep, when you've written your letter home, before rest, move your own clothes onto the lower peg, greet the visitors, and report to Mr. Viney that you've had your chit signed.

2. City Lights- The blind girl's vision is restored

I don't think an explanation is needed.

1. Big Fish- Edward Bloom falls in love

OK, so technically this "scene" lasts 30 minutes and takes up a huge amount of the movie. Still, I maintain that I Liz Buchanan also like Daffodils and music and am going college. Someday Ewan...


Honourable mentions go to: the scene in Bubba Ho-Tep where JFK explains to Elvis how he survived, the fight in Kill Bill between Elle and Beatrix and the scene with the missle in The Iron Giant (which never fails to make me cry).



10 Worst Movies I've ever been made to see and who I blame for inflicting that on me.


10. Under Seige (a bus full of Leafs fans, whose good taste ended there)
9. Sorority House Massacre (Becky)
8. Mrs Brown (Queen Victoria)
7. Red Zone Cuba (Mike Nelson and the creators of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, who to their credit, made the experience a lot less painful)
6. Mars Attacks (Auntie Brenda?)
5. Topsy Turvy (The Academy)
4. Paulie (Greyhound Canada)
3. Dude, Where's My Car? (Tammy)
2. Death of a President (I have only myself to blame. Shame on me. Sorry Andrew)
1. The Fast and the Furious (Caroline)