You may remember that I blogged a few times about these concerned e-mails I was getting from a fellow in Bangladesh. I signed up for Postcrossing to get postcards from random strangers around the world, and a random stranger from Bangladesh sent me a postcard. And, he was getting quite concerned that I hadn't received it yet.
Well, he can stop worrying, because it came today. He had a right to be concerned. It takes 62 days for a postcard to get from Bangladesh to Canada.
For those keeping track of my Postcrossing adventure, so far I've gotten 3 from the States, 2 from Brazil, and 1 each from Spain, Portugal, and...Bangladesh.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Studio Ghibli Day!
Yay! Today, Disney releases their latest batch of dubbed Studio Ghibli films! I just had to take a moment to tell you before taking off to go sump sampling. Anyway, today, run out and buy or rent:
Howl's Moving Castle - Hayao Miyazaki's latest, in which a little girl is turned into an old woman, and that leads to a series of adventures with the enigmatic Howl. I ran out to the theatres to see this when it first came out, and I agree with the critics: while no Spirited Away, it's still really good. For bonus features, you get interviews with the American voice cast, interviews with the American directors, a few snippets from the "making of" special from Japanese TV, and the storyboards for the whole film! Oh, and I forgot to mention that there's also a featurette about Miyazaki visiting Pixar. See, it's actually the folks at Pixar who've been dubbing these films, so Miyazaki came to the USA to poke his head in at the American dubbing sessions.
(And, you know, if you're blessed with a Region 2 DVD player, you'd be much better off special-ordering the massive, 4-disc special edition that was released in Japan.)
My Neighbor Totoro - How most in North America got their first taste of Miyazaki. (20th Century Fox originally dubbed it and released it back in 1993.) Disney now gives us a brand new dub of this tale of two little girls growing up in the country and hanging out with forrest spirts. Again, there's interviews with the American voice cast, the original Japanese trailers, and the storyboards for the whole film.
Whispers of the Heart - A coming-of-age tale about a young girl and her first romance. She also dreams of being an artist and her main creation - a cartoon cat - figures prominently. This one was not directed by Miyazaki - he only wrote it, storyboarded it, and produced it. It's a sad tale, actually. This was directed by Yoshifumi Kondou, whom Miyazaki was grooming as his "heir apparent." Kondou was killed in a car accident shortly after the film came out. Anyway, again, you get interviews with the American voice cast, the original Japanese trailers, and the storyboards for the whole film.
Howl's Moving Castle - Hayao Miyazaki's latest, in which a little girl is turned into an old woman, and that leads to a series of adventures with the enigmatic Howl. I ran out to the theatres to see this when it first came out, and I agree with the critics: while no Spirited Away, it's still really good. For bonus features, you get interviews with the American voice cast, interviews with the American directors, a few snippets from the "making of" special from Japanese TV, and the storyboards for the whole film! Oh, and I forgot to mention that there's also a featurette about Miyazaki visiting Pixar. See, it's actually the folks at Pixar who've been dubbing these films, so Miyazaki came to the USA to poke his head in at the American dubbing sessions.
(And, you know, if you're blessed with a Region 2 DVD player, you'd be much better off special-ordering the massive, 4-disc special edition that was released in Japan.)
My Neighbor Totoro - How most in North America got their first taste of Miyazaki. (20th Century Fox originally dubbed it and released it back in 1993.) Disney now gives us a brand new dub of this tale of two little girls growing up in the country and hanging out with forrest spirts. Again, there's interviews with the American voice cast, the original Japanese trailers, and the storyboards for the whole film.
Whispers of the Heart - A coming-of-age tale about a young girl and her first romance. She also dreams of being an artist and her main creation - a cartoon cat - figures prominently. This one was not directed by Miyazaki - he only wrote it, storyboarded it, and produced it. It's a sad tale, actually. This was directed by Yoshifumi Kondou, whom Miyazaki was grooming as his "heir apparent." Kondou was killed in a car accident shortly after the film came out. Anyway, again, you get interviews with the American voice cast, the original Japanese trailers, and the storyboards for the whole film.
Monday, March 06, 2006
A Day Full of Mixed Feelings
Never in my life had I felt a need to walk into a store that sold musical instruments.
Today, I walked into one.
And I walked out with a $130 microphone.
The goal was simple enough. I downloaded some free software so I can start doing some audio recording, sharpening of my skills, and general goofing around here at home. But, I needed a microphone so I could start recording myself.
What I got is far more high-powered than I ever needed...but, it's about on par as to what you'd find in a radio station.
In a half-hour, after Corner Gas, I'm going to crank it up and see if it'll work for me.
You know what I always found fun about volunteering?
You're pretty much hired if you show up.
That's also what happened to me tonight. I learned that NewCap was accepting volunteers to be part of their street team. In Edmonton, NewCap is this station and this station and even this one. The street team are those folks who go to concerts and other station events, pass out stickers and other trinkets, and do whatever general labour needs to be done.
What can I say? It's volunteer work, so I got hired just by showing up. This'll give me some new radio-related experience to put on my resume. Plus, I've been turned down a lot by NewCap stations, and they always tell me the same thing: "We prefer to promote from within the company." And, from what I gather about NewCap, this is what you have to do to get within the company.
And besides...now I got something to do on weekends.
Today, I walked into one.
And I walked out with a $130 microphone.
The goal was simple enough. I downloaded some free software so I can start doing some audio recording, sharpening of my skills, and general goofing around here at home. But, I needed a microphone so I could start recording myself.
What I got is far more high-powered than I ever needed...but, it's about on par as to what you'd find in a radio station.
In a half-hour, after Corner Gas, I'm going to crank it up and see if it'll work for me.
You know what I always found fun about volunteering?
You're pretty much hired if you show up.
That's also what happened to me tonight. I learned that NewCap was accepting volunteers to be part of their street team. In Edmonton, NewCap is this station and this station and even this one. The street team are those folks who go to concerts and other station events, pass out stickers and other trinkets, and do whatever general labour needs to be done.
What can I say? It's volunteer work, so I got hired just by showing up. This'll give me some new radio-related experience to put on my resume. Plus, I've been turned down a lot by NewCap stations, and they always tell me the same thing: "We prefer to promote from within the company." And, from what I gather about NewCap, this is what you have to do to get within the company.
And besides...now I got something to do on weekends.
Oscar Musings
Woo! So, how about those Oscars, eh? Wallace and Gromit won Best Animated Film! WOO!! I have now successfully predicted that category since it began!
I also successfully predicted King Kong for Best Visual Effects. That was such a no-brainer.
And, as you know, I generally don't like reality TV, but, just this week only, I'm going to point out that maybe you should watch The MuchMusic VJ Search. Why?
Cuz this week, they show the episode where I was driving the crew around Edmonton.
I'm going to tune in. Finally! I can see what the heck they were doing while I was sitting in the van waiting to take them some where. At the very least, I want to see if I made the end credits. "Driver: Mark Kappis."
Yeah, they kept spelling my name wrong. But, as long as the cheque comes this week, I don't care.
I also successfully predicted King Kong for Best Visual Effects. That was such a no-brainer.
And, as you know, I generally don't like reality TV, but, just this week only, I'm going to point out that maybe you should watch The MuchMusic VJ Search. Why?
Cuz this week, they show the episode where I was driving the crew around Edmonton.
I'm going to tune in. Finally! I can see what the heck they were doing while I was sitting in the van waiting to take them some where. At the very least, I want to see if I made the end credits. "Driver: Mark Kappis."
Yeah, they kept spelling my name wrong. But, as long as the cheque comes this week, I don't care.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Latest Column's Up!
This week, I wax poetic about a Rest Stop:
"It’s kind of weird what we associate happy childhood memories with. We could be cleaning out our closets and come across some raggedy old piece of clothing and suddenly we’re having a scene right out of a chick flick where we remember that incident from that summer. Having once been a child myself, I do have my fair share of childhood memories. And there’s this one I’ve been having quite often of late. Working in the oilpatch with my Dad, I end up driving by it many, many times. Of course, we don’t stop in anymore, mainly because our business takes us elsewhere, or the lure of the greater services in Edson just causes to keep on driving. I’m talking about the Edson Rest Stop."
Read the whole thing!
I know, this is very early, but it was done, and now I'm free to do lazy Sunday afternoon things.
"It’s kind of weird what we associate happy childhood memories with. We could be cleaning out our closets and come across some raggedy old piece of clothing and suddenly we’re having a scene right out of a chick flick where we remember that incident from that summer. Having once been a child myself, I do have my fair share of childhood memories. And there’s this one I’ve been having quite often of late. Working in the oilpatch with my Dad, I end up driving by it many, many times. Of course, we don’t stop in anymore, mainly because our business takes us elsewhere, or the lure of the greater services in Edson just causes to keep on driving. I’m talking about the Edson Rest Stop."
Read the whole thing!
I know, this is very early, but it was done, and now I'm free to do lazy Sunday afternoon things.
Last Night's SNL
I did this once before, and I'm doing it again! To bolster my failing memory, I'm going to do a blow-by-blot summary of Saturday Night Live!
Guest host: Natalie Portman!
Sketch 1: George W. Bush summing up his latest trip of the middle east, and complaining about the critisism of his administration.
Opening monologue: Here come the Star Wars jokes! Ms. Portman gets flooded with continuity questions, and, lo and behold, she out-nerds the nerds! And when Star Wars runs out..."You shaved your head recently? Oh, it was for a movie role. Well, no, I thought it was because you had lice. Guess I owe my daughter an apology."
Fake commercial: Toupees for babies. Unusual, but pretty funny.
Sketch 2: Natalie Portman's an overly-hyper clerk at a Booster Juice-style place. No wonder I don't frequent those places.
Sketch 3: Larry King discusses people who have had sex-change operations. Natalie Portman is a woman getting ready for the surgery to become a man. Ye gods, she does look like a boy! Larry asks incredibly stupid questions. Not bad.
Sketch 4: "The Needlers: The Couple that Should be Divorced." Natalie Portman is their fertility doctor. This usually delivers.
Robert Smigel Cartoon!: Token Power: the first cartoon made up completely of token black characters from cartoons. Franklin (Charlie Brown), Valerie (Josie and the Pussycats), and Winston (Ghostbusters). And this leads to a montage of fake cartoons starring black characters.
Sketch 5: Ah, this again. A weird, Euro-trash married couple. Natalie Portman is their daughter, brining her new boyfriend home. It's almost like it's a descendent of Mike Myers' "Sprockets."
Weekend Update: I love it!
Wakefield AV Club: Ehh, it's OK. It's past Weekend Update, so it's all downhill.
SNL Digital Short: A Day in the Life of Natalie Portman. Holy moly, she's Eminem! Hilarious!
Another fake commercial: Oh, it's the smoke detector/greatest hits of the 80s one again.
Guest host: Natalie Portman!
Sketch 1: George W. Bush summing up his latest trip of the middle east, and complaining about the critisism of his administration.
Opening monologue: Here come the Star Wars jokes! Ms. Portman gets flooded with continuity questions, and, lo and behold, she out-nerds the nerds! And when Star Wars runs out..."You shaved your head recently? Oh, it was for a movie role. Well, no, I thought it was because you had lice. Guess I owe my daughter an apology."
Fake commercial: Toupees for babies. Unusual, but pretty funny.
Sketch 2: Natalie Portman's an overly-hyper clerk at a Booster Juice-style place. No wonder I don't frequent those places.
Sketch 3: Larry King discusses people who have had sex-change operations. Natalie Portman is a woman getting ready for the surgery to become a man. Ye gods, she does look like a boy! Larry asks incredibly stupid questions. Not bad.
Sketch 4: "The Needlers: The Couple that Should be Divorced." Natalie Portman is their fertility doctor. This usually delivers.
Robert Smigel Cartoon!: Token Power: the first cartoon made up completely of token black characters from cartoons. Franklin (Charlie Brown), Valerie (Josie and the Pussycats), and Winston (Ghostbusters). And this leads to a montage of fake cartoons starring black characters.
Sketch 5: Ah, this again. A weird, Euro-trash married couple. Natalie Portman is their daughter, brining her new boyfriend home. It's almost like it's a descendent of Mike Myers' "Sprockets."
Weekend Update: I love it!
Wakefield AV Club: Ehh, it's OK. It's past Weekend Update, so it's all downhill.
SNL Digital Short: A Day in the Life of Natalie Portman. Holy moly, she's Eminem! Hilarious!
Another fake commercial: Oh, it's the smoke detector/greatest hits of the 80s one again.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Yay! Shockwave!
This morning, the completion of a three and a half year quest!
I saw Shockwave, Part II, the second-season premiere of Enterprise.
I'm sure I've ranted about this several times before. Thanks to me teaching English in Japan, I missed the entire second season of Enterprise. That's OK, as it was kind of lame from what I heard, but the first season finale, Shockwave, ended on a huge, "WTF?" of a cliffhanger, and I never, ever got to see the resolution.
and now that I've seen the resolution, all I can say is, "I waited three and a half years for that?"
Yeah, it was a typical, bland, Enterprise episode.
But at least I finally got to see how Ensign Hoshi Sato wound up topless. (No, that wasn't the cliffhanger, but when I was in Japan and looking for a synopsis, that photo accompanied every one.)
I saw Shockwave, Part II, the second-season premiere of Enterprise.
I'm sure I've ranted about this several times before. Thanks to me teaching English in Japan, I missed the entire second season of Enterprise. That's OK, as it was kind of lame from what I heard, but the first season finale, Shockwave, ended on a huge, "WTF?" of a cliffhanger, and I never, ever got to see the resolution.
and now that I've seen the resolution, all I can say is, "I waited three and a half years for that?"
Yeah, it was a typical, bland, Enterprise episode.
But at least I finally got to see how Ensign Hoshi Sato wound up topless. (No, that wasn't the cliffhanger, but when I was in Japan and looking for a synopsis, that photo accompanied every one.)
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Ralph Klein! The Flash! Green Arrow!
Here's the newest evidence that Ralph Klein has lost touch. Today, in the session of the house, he was smacking around a page.
For those not in the know, a page is one of those teenagers who carries notes and stuff between the MLAs during the sitting of the house.
The big issue of the current sitting of the house is Klein's "Third Way" of healthcare, which is a two-tiered, privatized system. As it was being debated in the house, Klein said that if the Liberals had a better idea they shoud send it over. So, Liberal leader Kevin Taft sent a copy of the Liberal Healthcare Policy Manual over to Klein. When the page presented the book to Klein, Klein threw it back at the page and said something along the lines of "Don't give me this crap!"
Klein did apologize to the page, and explained his outburst as "frustration over healthcare."
To me, this is just classic Klein. Klein is the kind of politician who does not like to be questioned. He often dismissed the opposition parties with "No one elected you...to run the government." Alberta has the shortest sittings of Parliment in Canada. (On average, a session lasts for about two weeks.) And, when Klein came to power, he passed all kinds of "emergency powers" that allows him to spend public money without debate in the house.
This guy has got to go.
Here's the original article.
So, we're in the fifth and most likely final season of Justice League Unlimited. You can tell the writers believe this to be the final season. Gone are the well-thought-out plotlines and well-developed characters. Replacing it is, "Let's do all the cool stuff we always wanted to do with these characters!" Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Tonight's episode was a prime example. It was called Flash and Substance. Central City is honouring its favourite son, the Flash, with a "Flash Appreciation Day." The grand finale of which is the opening of the Flash Museum. Naturally, four of the Flash's nastiest villains - Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, the Mirror Master, and the Trickster - decide to destroy the festivities. So, Batman and Orion decide to show up and give the Flash a hand.
Of course, the biggest and most obscure geek in-joke in this episode was casting Mark Hamill as the Trickster. Ol' Luke Skywalker actually played the Trickster on the short-lived live-action Flash TV show. And I tell ya, the Trickster was the funniest character on the show. Mark Hamill is definitly a comedic talent waiting to be fully tapped.
But, it was truly a great episode. Catch it if you can!
Oh! And my latest library book came today. It's a graphic novel I've been dying to read. Green Arrow: Quiver by Kevin Smith.
You know I love the works of Kevin Smith. And, comic book geek that he is, he's now written a few comics. Way back in 1999, after he got some serious comic book street cred for writing Daredevil: Guardian Devil, he marched into the offices of DC Comics and said, "PLEASE let me write my favourite superhero...Green Arrow!" Smith, of course, wanted to resurrect the original Green Arrow - Oliver Queen - who, at that point, had been dead in the DC universe for about 5 years or so.
The end result was a storyline called Quiver, in which Oliver is found roaming the streets of his hometown Star City, and he doesn't remember the past 10 years of his life before his death. So, he eventually teams up with Batman, and they set out to learn how and why he's back from the dead.
Now, this book got a lot of grief because it is very immeresed in DC continuity. You've got to be a real fan to understand a lot of it. Lots of minor heroes and DC characters help fill in the gaps. Hell, even Neil Gaiman's Sandman pops up.
In essence, it was written by a geek for a geek. And that makes it really groovy.
Oh, and Smith actually wrote two Green Arrow storylines. The second one was called Sounds of Violence, and focused on Oliver Queen reconciling with Connor Hawke. Hawke is Queen's long-lost son who, up until this point in the comics, had been acting as the new Green Arrow.
For those not in the know, a page is one of those teenagers who carries notes and stuff between the MLAs during the sitting of the house.
The big issue of the current sitting of the house is Klein's "Third Way" of healthcare, which is a two-tiered, privatized system. As it was being debated in the house, Klein said that if the Liberals had a better idea they shoud send it over. So, Liberal leader Kevin Taft sent a copy of the Liberal Healthcare Policy Manual over to Klein. When the page presented the book to Klein, Klein threw it back at the page and said something along the lines of "Don't give me this crap!"
Klein did apologize to the page, and explained his outburst as "frustration over healthcare."
To me, this is just classic Klein. Klein is the kind of politician who does not like to be questioned. He often dismissed the opposition parties with "No one elected you...to run the government." Alberta has the shortest sittings of Parliment in Canada. (On average, a session lasts for about two weeks.) And, when Klein came to power, he passed all kinds of "emergency powers" that allows him to spend public money without debate in the house.
This guy has got to go.
Here's the original article.
So, we're in the fifth and most likely final season of Justice League Unlimited. You can tell the writers believe this to be the final season. Gone are the well-thought-out plotlines and well-developed characters. Replacing it is, "Let's do all the cool stuff we always wanted to do with these characters!" Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Tonight's episode was a prime example. It was called Flash and Substance. Central City is honouring its favourite son, the Flash, with a "Flash Appreciation Day." The grand finale of which is the opening of the Flash Museum. Naturally, four of the Flash's nastiest villains - Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, the Mirror Master, and the Trickster - decide to destroy the festivities. So, Batman and Orion decide to show up and give the Flash a hand.
Of course, the biggest and most obscure geek in-joke in this episode was casting Mark Hamill as the Trickster. Ol' Luke Skywalker actually played the Trickster on the short-lived live-action Flash TV show. And I tell ya, the Trickster was the funniest character on the show. Mark Hamill is definitly a comedic talent waiting to be fully tapped.
But, it was truly a great episode. Catch it if you can!
Oh! And my latest library book came today. It's a graphic novel I've been dying to read. Green Arrow: Quiver by Kevin Smith.
You know I love the works of Kevin Smith. And, comic book geek that he is, he's now written a few comics. Way back in 1999, after he got some serious comic book street cred for writing Daredevil: Guardian Devil, he marched into the offices of DC Comics and said, "PLEASE let me write my favourite superhero...Green Arrow!" Smith, of course, wanted to resurrect the original Green Arrow - Oliver Queen - who, at that point, had been dead in the DC universe for about 5 years or so.
The end result was a storyline called Quiver, in which Oliver is found roaming the streets of his hometown Star City, and he doesn't remember the past 10 years of his life before his death. So, he eventually teams up with Batman, and they set out to learn how and why he's back from the dead.
Now, this book got a lot of grief because it is very immeresed in DC continuity. You've got to be a real fan to understand a lot of it. Lots of minor heroes and DC characters help fill in the gaps. Hell, even Neil Gaiman's Sandman pops up.
In essence, it was written by a geek for a geek. And that makes it really groovy.
Oh, and Smith actually wrote two Green Arrow storylines. The second one was called Sounds of Violence, and focused on Oliver Queen reconciling with Connor Hawke. Hawke is Queen's long-lost son who, up until this point in the comics, had been acting as the new Green Arrow.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Various Ramblings that Have Been Building Up
When I send out my "News from Markworld" tomorrow, there sadly won't be any Favourite Quotes of the Month, mainly because I don't have any. Well, I do have this one from American Dad:
Klaus>> And they say, if you play it backwards, you can hear the voice of a dead kid!
Hayley>> Whoa! Wait, how do you play Monopoly backwards?
I'm often intrigued when I read something that's billed as "semi-autobiographical," or when an author says, "Well, I based the character largely on myself." I find it intriging because I think I'm going to some grand insight into what the author truly thinks of himself/herself. Case in point, Lauren Faust.
I've finally embraced the cartoon Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, the newest offering from Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken. One of the chracters is Francis "Frankie" Foster. She's a 20-something punk rocker chick who is, for all intents and purposes, the manager of the foster home. Doing some reading online, I find that the chracter is largely based on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends writer/producer (and McCracken's wife) Lauren Faust.
So, the other day, I was watching an episode called Frankie, My Dear, and I see "written by Lauren Faust; storyboarded by Lauren Faust," and my eyebrow raisd. It was a Frankie-centred episode, so I started thinking, "Hmmm, I wonder if this'll give me some insights into this Lauren Faust person."
The episode deals with everyone around Frankie falling in love with her, and thus her trying to let everyone down easy. I walked away going, "Well, this Lauren Faust certainly has a healthy ego!"
It happened again with an episode called Store Wars. Again, written and storyboarded by Lauren Faust. In this one, Frankie slowly freaks out as everyone around her just kind of does their own (damaging) thing. I walked away going, "Hmm, must have been a bad day at the office!"
Of course, I'm certain that most of this is just my own interpretation, as I've always been dubious of people who try to interpret creative works. Ever since those first poetry analysis classes in Junior High, I always looked at my teacher and thought, "Yeah, but how do you know that that's what the author meant?"
So how do I know that that's what the author meant?
Switching now to movie directors, I had this funny thought recently.
Mel Gibson is George Lucas!
With the release of Episode III, George Lucas said that now he can get back to pursuing his personal artistic endeavours, and making all kinds of weird, crazy art films. "I've made enough and I've earned enough that I can fail for the rest of my life," he said. Well, I don't think that he'll fail.... It's more like he's made enough and earned enough that he can do whatever he wants and not worry about what other people'll will think.
And I realized that Mel Gibson is at that point that Lucas has been aspiring to. Think about it. The Passion of the Christ was, essentially, a crazy little independent film that Gibson paid for out of his own pocket and just really, really wanted to make. We're going to get that again this summer with another Gibson writen and directed epic. It's called Apocolypto, and is Gibson's speculative take on the last days of the Mayan empire.
And these are films that Gibson can make because he's made enough and he's earned enough that he can do whatever he wants and not worry about what other people will think.
Klaus>> And they say, if you play it backwards, you can hear the voice of a dead kid!
Hayley>> Whoa! Wait, how do you play Monopoly backwards?
I'm often intrigued when I read something that's billed as "semi-autobiographical," or when an author says, "Well, I based the character largely on myself." I find it intriging because I think I'm going to some grand insight into what the author truly thinks of himself/herself. Case in point, Lauren Faust.
I've finally embraced the cartoon Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, the newest offering from Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken. One of the chracters is Francis "Frankie" Foster. She's a 20-something punk rocker chick who is, for all intents and purposes, the manager of the foster home. Doing some reading online, I find that the chracter is largely based on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends writer/producer (and McCracken's wife) Lauren Faust.
So, the other day, I was watching an episode called Frankie, My Dear, and I see "written by Lauren Faust; storyboarded by Lauren Faust," and my eyebrow raisd. It was a Frankie-centred episode, so I started thinking, "Hmmm, I wonder if this'll give me some insights into this Lauren Faust person."
The episode deals with everyone around Frankie falling in love with her, and thus her trying to let everyone down easy. I walked away going, "Well, this Lauren Faust certainly has a healthy ego!"
It happened again with an episode called Store Wars. Again, written and storyboarded by Lauren Faust. In this one, Frankie slowly freaks out as everyone around her just kind of does their own (damaging) thing. I walked away going, "Hmm, must have been a bad day at the office!"
Of course, I'm certain that most of this is just my own interpretation, as I've always been dubious of people who try to interpret creative works. Ever since those first poetry analysis classes in Junior High, I always looked at my teacher and thought, "Yeah, but how do you know that that's what the author meant?"
So how do I know that that's what the author meant?
Switching now to movie directors, I had this funny thought recently.
Mel Gibson is George Lucas!
With the release of Episode III, George Lucas said that now he can get back to pursuing his personal artistic endeavours, and making all kinds of weird, crazy art films. "I've made enough and I've earned enough that I can fail for the rest of my life," he said. Well, I don't think that he'll fail.... It's more like he's made enough and earned enough that he can do whatever he wants and not worry about what other people'll will think.
And I realized that Mel Gibson is at that point that Lucas has been aspiring to. Think about it. The Passion of the Christ was, essentially, a crazy little independent film that Gibson paid for out of his own pocket and just really, really wanted to make. We're going to get that again this summer with another Gibson writen and directed epic. It's called Apocolypto, and is Gibson's speculative take on the last days of the Mayan empire.
And these are films that Gibson can make because he's made enough and he's earned enough that he can do whatever he wants and not worry about what other people will think.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Latest Column's Up! Olympics are Done!
This week's offering is all about Blood and Guts:
"So I’ve been thinking recently about the use of gore and how it’s used in films. How can I enjoy movies like Sin City and Kill Bill, where people are killed in incredibly violent and bloody ways, but I sill get squeamish when I watch the latest episode of CSI and I’m presented with yet another incredibly graphic autopsy scene? More than that, how have I changed over these years? How have I grown away from being that 10-year old who was traumatized by RoboCop?"
As always, here's where you read it all!
Well, the 2006 Winter Olympics are done. Canada had its most impressive Olympics ever, winning 24 medals and coming in third overall.
Of course, the true star of the Canadian team was speed skater Cindy Klassen, who won 5 medals! (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) This officially makes her the Canadian who was won the most medals at one Olympics. And, when you throw in her lone bronze from the 2002 Winter Olympics, she is now officially the most decorated Canadian Olympic athelete ever!
We were still one shy of our promised 25 medals. See, the Canadian Olympic Committee set a goal of a minimum of 25 medals and placing in the top 3 for these Olympics. I think we did pretty well, though.
The whole promise of 25 medals comes from a Canadian Olympic Committee program called "Own the Podium." The goal of "Own the Podium" is to win 35 medals at, and therefore dominate, the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Torino was our dry run.
And you know? In 4 years, we just may pull it off. See you in Vancouver!
"So I’ve been thinking recently about the use of gore and how it’s used in films. How can I enjoy movies like Sin City and Kill Bill, where people are killed in incredibly violent and bloody ways, but I sill get squeamish when I watch the latest episode of CSI and I’m presented with yet another incredibly graphic autopsy scene? More than that, how have I changed over these years? How have I grown away from being that 10-year old who was traumatized by RoboCop?"
As always, here's where you read it all!
Well, the 2006 Winter Olympics are done. Canada had its most impressive Olympics ever, winning 24 medals and coming in third overall.
Of course, the true star of the Canadian team was speed skater Cindy Klassen, who won 5 medals! (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) This officially makes her the Canadian who was won the most medals at one Olympics. And, when you throw in her lone bronze from the 2002 Winter Olympics, she is now officially the most decorated Canadian Olympic athelete ever!
We were still one shy of our promised 25 medals. See, the Canadian Olympic Committee set a goal of a minimum of 25 medals and placing in the top 3 for these Olympics. I think we did pretty well, though.
The whole promise of 25 medals comes from a Canadian Olympic Committee program called "Own the Podium." The goal of "Own the Podium" is to win 35 medals at, and therefore dominate, the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Torino was our dry run.
And you know? In 4 years, we just may pull it off. See you in Vancouver!
Friday, February 24, 2006
Tons of Kevin Smith News
Wow! I really should swing by the Kevin Smith Message Boards way more often. That's where all the big Kevin Smith news seems to break. Anyway, in case you're like me and want to know:
- An Evening With Kevin Smith 2 will be coming out in August, to coincide with the release of Clerks 2.
- the unrated director's cut of Jersey Girl is actually a long ways off. (On the running commentary for Jersey Girl, he said it was coming in 2005)
- We've had Clerks X, Mallrats X and rumours of a Chasing Amy X, so I guess it was just a matter of time before he started talking...Dogma X. Smith says that Columbia/Tri-Star (who owns the home video rights to Dogma) has expressed interest in doing a new special edition. Columbia/Tri-Star is even willing to finish the special effects for some scenes. Smith says that a Dogma: Unrated Director's Cut would probably run 3 hours.
- Wow. Turns out Smith is thinking about writing a children's book. He says he's had the idea for about 5 years, all he needs to do is sit down and write. That, and hire an illustrator.
Oh, and don't forget, Smith does a voice in the computer animated film Doogal, which comes out today.
- An Evening With Kevin Smith 2 will be coming out in August, to coincide with the release of Clerks 2.
- the unrated director's cut of Jersey Girl is actually a long ways off. (On the running commentary for Jersey Girl, he said it was coming in 2005)
- We've had Clerks X, Mallrats X and rumours of a Chasing Amy X, so I guess it was just a matter of time before he started talking...Dogma X. Smith says that Columbia/Tri-Star (who owns the home video rights to Dogma) has expressed interest in doing a new special edition. Columbia/Tri-Star is even willing to finish the special effects for some scenes. Smith says that a Dogma: Unrated Director's Cut would probably run 3 hours.
- Wow. Turns out Smith is thinking about writing a children's book. He says he's had the idea for about 5 years, all he needs to do is sit down and write. That, and hire an illustrator.
Oh, and don't forget, Smith does a voice in the computer animated film Doogal, which comes out today.
Dude, I need a girlfriend....
So, I was watching some reruns of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine yesterday. Specifically, I was watching the 2-part episode In Purgatory's Shadow and By Inferno's Light.
Now, I know a lot of people say that DS9 hit its stride with the opening of season 4 and when Worf joined the crew. I don't think so. I think DS9 hit its stride with this 2-part episode, which happened about 2/3rds of the way through season 5.
For those who don't remember, this is the 2-part episode where Cardassia joined the Dominion, and the Dominion War began.
I think that this episode is when DS9 hit its stride because, with this episode, DS9 finally found a focus. There had been many attempts at finding a focus in the past: the Dominion, the reconstruction of Bajor, the Maquis and the battles in the DMZ, and even a war with the Klingons. But with In Purgatory's Shadow and By Inferno's Light, it's like the writers finally said, "OK, the focus will be the Dominion War."
I came to this realization about halfway through part 2, when Gul Dukat, as the new head of the Cardassian government, outlines the plans for the Dominion/Cardassian alliance. And what are his plans? Reclaim Bajor. Eliminate the Maquis. Re-conquer everything that the Klingons took. In response, the Klingons re-allied themselves with the Federation, ending the Klingon War. When Dukat said all those things would be eliminated, it was like the writers saying, "OK, here's everything that's been distracting us the whole time this show's been on. We're getting rid of it!"
Voyager never had an episode like that. Enterprise desperatly needed an episode like that. One where it's like the writers standing up and saying, "This will be the show's focus."
Many books have been written analyzing Star Trek. I'm fairly certain I could write my own.
Now, I know a lot of people say that DS9 hit its stride with the opening of season 4 and when Worf joined the crew. I don't think so. I think DS9 hit its stride with this 2-part episode, which happened about 2/3rds of the way through season 5.
For those who don't remember, this is the 2-part episode where Cardassia joined the Dominion, and the Dominion War began.
I think that this episode is when DS9 hit its stride because, with this episode, DS9 finally found a focus. There had been many attempts at finding a focus in the past: the Dominion, the reconstruction of Bajor, the Maquis and the battles in the DMZ, and even a war with the Klingons. But with In Purgatory's Shadow and By Inferno's Light, it's like the writers finally said, "OK, the focus will be the Dominion War."
I came to this realization about halfway through part 2, when Gul Dukat, as the new head of the Cardassian government, outlines the plans for the Dominion/Cardassian alliance. And what are his plans? Reclaim Bajor. Eliminate the Maquis. Re-conquer everything that the Klingons took. In response, the Klingons re-allied themselves with the Federation, ending the Klingon War. When Dukat said all those things would be eliminated, it was like the writers saying, "OK, here's everything that's been distracting us the whole time this show's been on. We're getting rid of it!"
Voyager never had an episode like that. Enterprise desperatly needed an episode like that. One where it's like the writers standing up and saying, "This will be the show's focus."
Many books have been written analyzing Star Trek. I'm fairly certain I could write my own.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
And the big day is....
August 18, 2006
According to the official Clerks II website, the further adventures of Randal and Dante will be hitting the big screen on August 18, 2006.
In the rest of the update, Smith reveals that a temp sound mix is in place, and it'll be having a test screening in New York on Monday. He also reveals that James L. Venables (he who did the music for the Clerks cartoon, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Jersey Girl) has already written 10 minutes worth of score for the film, and will probably do a little bit more. (I wonder if that Clerks cartoon theme will get worked in?)
Smith also mentions that he went down to "the trailer house" to give a final look at the first theatrical teaser and, with any luck, that first teaser will be in front of Scary Movie 4. Yes, there's already been an Internet-only teaser circulating the 'net for about a month now, but that was Internet-only and made by Smith himself in his basement.
According to the official Clerks II website, the further adventures of Randal and Dante will be hitting the big screen on August 18, 2006.
In the rest of the update, Smith reveals that a temp sound mix is in place, and it'll be having a test screening in New York on Monday. He also reveals that James L. Venables (he who did the music for the Clerks cartoon, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Jersey Girl) has already written 10 minutes worth of score for the film, and will probably do a little bit more. (I wonder if that Clerks cartoon theme will get worked in?)
Smith also mentions that he went down to "the trailer house" to give a final look at the first theatrical teaser and, with any luck, that first teaser will be in front of Scary Movie 4. Yes, there's already been an Internet-only teaser circulating the 'net for about a month now, but that was Internet-only and made by Smith himself in his basement.
Olympics and more about Klein
I wish I had an opinion to share on the failure of the men's hockey team. If I have an opinion, it has to be that we take our hockey - at least on the men's level - way too seriously.
Oh, well. We lick our wounds, we learn from our mistakes, and we come back in Vancouver in 2010.
I have to run into Edmonton today, so I'm wondering if I should swing by a Bell Mobility store.
We've all heard the story by now. A little over a week ago, in one of the cross-country skiing events, Canada looked poised to win the gold. But then, disaster struck! The Canadian skier broke a pole, and, with only pole, slipped back to fourth place. But then, miracle of miracles, a Norewegian coach ran out onto the field and gave the Canadian a spare pole. The Canadian was able to fight her way back up and won the silver.
Ever since, there's been a massive outpouring of good will from Canada to Norway. And, Bell Mobility, the cellphone people, are getting ready to ship cases and cases of maple syrup to Norway to say "Thank you!"
So, if you go to any Bell Mobility store right now, and make a donation of $2.50 to the Canadian Olympic team, you'll be able to write your name, e-mail, and a message of thanks on one of the labels of these bottles of maple syrup.
It's been two days since Klein's annual provincial address, and the controversy over it is heating up.
One of Klein's big announcements in the address was Alberta's investment in "clean coal technology." This is the technology that makes coal environmentally-friendly to use. Klein even went on to say that over half of Alberta's energy is made using clean coal technology, to which the entire province responded with, "Uh...no." It is true that more than half of Alberta's energy comes from coal, but that's using old-fashioned, "burn the coal and release lots of nasties into the air" technology. There is no clean coal technology being used in Alberta to generate energy.
Afterwards, we were told that Klein meant to say, "the cleanest burning coal."
Actually, I'm surprised that no one picked up on something about Klein's address that I noticed. For those who may have missed it, Klein was more of an announcer, and lots of proud Albertans gave their testimonials as to why this province is so great. There was this one teenage girl who was talking about why Alberta is so great. Her segment was full of inspiring images of her on the front steps of the legislature, and I couldn't help but think, "Hey! Wasn't that the girl on the news right before the address? You know...the unwed teenage mother who's suffering from an STD?"
And it was!
Klein's address came after the 6 o'clock news. On the news was the story that unprotected sex among teens is on the rise again. And, in that news story, they talked to a teenage mother suffering from an STD lamenting that she didn't use protection. And there, a half-hour later, she was on Klein's provincial address, extolling the joys of living in Alberta.
Do we live in a party province or what?
Oh, well. We lick our wounds, we learn from our mistakes, and we come back in Vancouver in 2010.
I have to run into Edmonton today, so I'm wondering if I should swing by a Bell Mobility store.
We've all heard the story by now. A little over a week ago, in one of the cross-country skiing events, Canada looked poised to win the gold. But then, disaster struck! The Canadian skier broke a pole, and, with only pole, slipped back to fourth place. But then, miracle of miracles, a Norewegian coach ran out onto the field and gave the Canadian a spare pole. The Canadian was able to fight her way back up and won the silver.
Ever since, there's been a massive outpouring of good will from Canada to Norway. And, Bell Mobility, the cellphone people, are getting ready to ship cases and cases of maple syrup to Norway to say "Thank you!"
So, if you go to any Bell Mobility store right now, and make a donation of $2.50 to the Canadian Olympic team, you'll be able to write your name, e-mail, and a message of thanks on one of the labels of these bottles of maple syrup.
It's been two days since Klein's annual provincial address, and the controversy over it is heating up.
One of Klein's big announcements in the address was Alberta's investment in "clean coal technology." This is the technology that makes coal environmentally-friendly to use. Klein even went on to say that over half of Alberta's energy is made using clean coal technology, to which the entire province responded with, "Uh...no." It is true that more than half of Alberta's energy comes from coal, but that's using old-fashioned, "burn the coal and release lots of nasties into the air" technology. There is no clean coal technology being used in Alberta to generate energy.
Afterwards, we were told that Klein meant to say, "the cleanest burning coal."
Actually, I'm surprised that no one picked up on something about Klein's address that I noticed. For those who may have missed it, Klein was more of an announcer, and lots of proud Albertans gave their testimonials as to why this province is so great. There was this one teenage girl who was talking about why Alberta is so great. Her segment was full of inspiring images of her on the front steps of the legislature, and I couldn't help but think, "Hey! Wasn't that the girl on the news right before the address? You know...the unwed teenage mother who's suffering from an STD?"
And it was!
Klein's address came after the 6 o'clock news. On the news was the story that unprotected sex among teens is on the rise again. And, in that news story, they talked to a teenage mother suffering from an STD lamenting that she didn't use protection. And there, a half-hour later, she was on Klein's provincial address, extolling the joys of living in Alberta.
Do we live in a party province or what?
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
From All Around the World
yay! I love this Postcrossing thing. Today, I got a postcard from a random stranger in Portugal.
Not only am I getting all kinds of groovy postcards from around the world, it's also a good geography lesson. The postcard is from Lisbon, which I always thought was in Spain. But no, it's in Portugal. Colour me corrected!
I also got a very concerned e-mail from a fellow in Bangladesh the other day. He wanted to know if I'd gotten his postcard yet. I told him no, but then I got to thinking, "Where the heck is Bangladesh, anyway?" It's by India.
So, yeah. This is a really cool thing.
Not only am I getting all kinds of groovy postcards from around the world, it's also a good geography lesson. The postcard is from Lisbon, which I always thought was in Spain. But no, it's in Portugal. Colour me corrected!
I also got a very concerned e-mail from a fellow in Bangladesh the other day. He wanted to know if I'd gotten his postcard yet. I told him no, but then I got to thinking, "Where the heck is Bangladesh, anyway?" It's by India.
So, yeah. This is a really cool thing.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Slick Ralphie/the T-Shirts are Right
Ah, I love Alberta. The province, not its government.
I just watched Ralph Klein's annual provincial address. Forget the fireside chats of old, his provincial addresses now are very slickly-produced infomercials for the PC Party.
There, as he was at the the Telus World of Science (formerly the Odysseum, formerly the Space & Science Centre), he surrounded himself with kids and talked about the future.
As always, he really did little more than regurgitate stuff he's already announced.
I dunno. Even since Klein "paid off" the debt, his message has been "more of the same." The same what? We need now a leader with a vision, with a plan for the future, and Klein doesn't have any of that.
Just like his infomercials, Klein is all style, no substance.
Wow. Those T-shirts are right. Canadian girls DO kick ass.
I am, of course, talking about yesterday's 4-1 victory over Sweden to get the gold medal in hockey.
And now, we all sigh, sit down, and go, "Why can't the boys do that well?"
I just watched Ralph Klein's annual provincial address. Forget the fireside chats of old, his provincial addresses now are very slickly-produced infomercials for the PC Party.
There, as he was at the the Telus World of Science (formerly the Odysseum, formerly the Space & Science Centre), he surrounded himself with kids and talked about the future.
As always, he really did little more than regurgitate stuff he's already announced.
I dunno. Even since Klein "paid off" the debt, his message has been "more of the same." The same what? We need now a leader with a vision, with a plan for the future, and Klein doesn't have any of that.
Just like his infomercials, Klein is all style, no substance.
Wow. Those T-shirts are right. Canadian girls DO kick ass.
I am, of course, talking about yesterday's 4-1 victory over Sweden to get the gold medal in hockey.
And now, we all sigh, sit down, and go, "Why can't the boys do that well?"
Monday, February 20, 2006
Housekeeping
There! In case you're interested, I just did some housekeeping over at my main site, Chaos in a Box. Essentially, I figured it was time to add a new archive to Chaos in Print, my weekly opinion column. This new archive is called "Welcome to my Midlife Crisis," and it contains the articles from August 2003 to December 2005.
In case you're curious, I got the name for this section from an annonymous NAIT student, who didn't take too kindly to some of my articles in the paper and told me to "have my midlife crisis on my own time."
In case you're curious, I got the name for this section from an annonymous NAIT student, who didn't take too kindly to some of my articles in the paper and told me to "have my midlife crisis on my own time."
%$#@ Alberta Government
So, today, I finally got an answer to that question I've been asking for a week.
"Where's my prosperity bonus?"
The Government told us that, if we didn't have it by February 10, that we should panic, as the 10th was the day they were to be mailed out. So, on the 17th, I finally decided to push the panic button. Cuz hey, I got plans for my $400.
I called the 1-800 help number. 1-866-209-8903, in case you haven't got yours. I got a friendly man who asked the usual questions.
"Did you file your 2004 taxes?" Yes.
"Were you an Alberta resident as of Sept. 1, 2005?" Yes.
And then, the unusual question. "Were you living outside the country recently?" Yes, I was in Japan from June 2002 to June 2003.
"What's the exact day you returned from Japan?" June 23, 2003.
"Ah, here's the problem. Our data says you're still in Japan."
So, according to the guy, everything's been fixed now, my Alberta residency is assured, and I should be getting my prosperity bonus in April.
Let me say what everyone else has been saying: the Alberta Government is so messed up, they can't even give away money.
"Where's my prosperity bonus?"
The Government told us that, if we didn't have it by February 10, that we should panic, as the 10th was the day they were to be mailed out. So, on the 17th, I finally decided to push the panic button. Cuz hey, I got plans for my $400.
I called the 1-800 help number. 1-866-209-8903, in case you haven't got yours. I got a friendly man who asked the usual questions.
"Did you file your 2004 taxes?" Yes.
"Were you an Alberta resident as of Sept. 1, 2005?" Yes.
And then, the unusual question. "Were you living outside the country recently?" Yes, I was in Japan from June 2002 to June 2003.
"What's the exact day you returned from Japan?" June 23, 2003.
"Ah, here's the problem. Our data says you're still in Japan."
So, according to the guy, everything's been fixed now, my Alberta residency is assured, and I should be getting my prosperity bonus in April.
Let me say what everyone else has been saying: the Alberta Government is so messed up, they can't even give away money.
Happy Family Day!
I always like to take a moment on Family Day to point out the history of the holiday, mainly because it's a blatantly manufactured holiday, and I was around for the manufacturing. Plus, it serves as an introduction to Alberta to non-Albertans. When I was doing my practicum at K-Rock last year, we started getting a lot of notices for the events for the "February Long Weekend." The newly-hired announcer-from-Ontario once remarked to me, "Gee, that's weird. We don't get Valentine's Day off back home...." So I had to explain that Valentine's Day is not a holiday in Alberta. But, instead, we have our own special holiday called Family Day.
It has long been argued that Canada needs a statutory holiday in February. It's been said that a day off would be a helpful deterrent against seasonal affected disorder. (Or, as one beloved Edmonton radio announcer used to call it, "the February blahs.") Besides, the gap between New Year's Day and Easter is just far too long for, well, everyone. While the occassional backbencher stands up and talks about making a "Prime Ministers Day," there have never been any serious plans from Ottawa to form a February holiday. So, in the grand Alberta tradition of "if Ottawa won't do it, we'll do it ourselves," the Tory Government of Don Getty brought about the Family Day Act.
People started growing suspicious of Family Day when they first saw the day chosen - the third Monday in February. See, Family Day coincides with the American holiday of Presidents Day. Well, that is no coincidence. As we know, a lot of American oil companies do business in Alberta, and a lot of those American oil companies have their Canadian offices in Calgary. The Americans working in those Calgary offices used to grumble that they didn't get Presidents Day off because they were in Canada. So, bowing to pressure from the oil companies, the third Monday in February was chosen as "the new, Alberta-only holiday."
I also think a lot of opposition came about because of the name. "Family Day." Seriously, doesn't that sound made-up? What, was "Love Day" taken? But no, the intent of Family Day was to be a day off for people to celebrate - and spend time with - the family. When the first Family Day was celebrated in 1990, a mini-scandal errupted when Don Getty's son was arrested on charges of dealing cocaine. A popular joke at the time was that Getty just wanted a day off to go visit his son in prison.
And besides, look at the time at when Family Day came about. Taking a day off to spend time with the family seemed to fly in the face of the workaholic, "greed is good" mentality of the 1980s. Indeed, the opposition at the time was simply from yuppies going, "Why do I want another day off when I could be working?"
The most compelling argument though came from the Alberta Teachers Association. Yes, the ATA opposed Family Day. They went to the government and said, "Look, we always have our 2-day teachers convention in February, giving a 4-day weekend. Lots of families plan vacations for that 4-day weekend. So, really, there's already a 4-day Family Weekend in February."
But, the Family Day Act was passed, and the first Family Day was celebrated on February 19, 1990. Opposition was still strong in those early years. In fact, when Ralph Klein was elected as Getty's successor in 1992, one of Klein's first promises was to abolish Family Day. But, you know, by that time, people had warmed up to the idea of a February long weekend. And besides, who really wants to be known as the premier who abolishes holidays?
This is the 16th Family Day now, and it's become firmly entrenched in the Alberta culture. If you look around, you'll find the requisite pancake breakfasts and all kinds of Family Day activities in your community. So, dude, get out there, and enjoy your day off!
It has long been argued that Canada needs a statutory holiday in February. It's been said that a day off would be a helpful deterrent against seasonal affected disorder. (Or, as one beloved Edmonton radio announcer used to call it, "the February blahs.") Besides, the gap between New Year's Day and Easter is just far too long for, well, everyone. While the occassional backbencher stands up and talks about making a "Prime Ministers Day," there have never been any serious plans from Ottawa to form a February holiday. So, in the grand Alberta tradition of "if Ottawa won't do it, we'll do it ourselves," the Tory Government of Don Getty brought about the Family Day Act.
People started growing suspicious of Family Day when they first saw the day chosen - the third Monday in February. See, Family Day coincides with the American holiday of Presidents Day. Well, that is no coincidence. As we know, a lot of American oil companies do business in Alberta, and a lot of those American oil companies have their Canadian offices in Calgary. The Americans working in those Calgary offices used to grumble that they didn't get Presidents Day off because they were in Canada. So, bowing to pressure from the oil companies, the third Monday in February was chosen as "the new, Alberta-only holiday."
I also think a lot of opposition came about because of the name. "Family Day." Seriously, doesn't that sound made-up? What, was "Love Day" taken? But no, the intent of Family Day was to be a day off for people to celebrate - and spend time with - the family. When the first Family Day was celebrated in 1990, a mini-scandal errupted when Don Getty's son was arrested on charges of dealing cocaine. A popular joke at the time was that Getty just wanted a day off to go visit his son in prison.
And besides, look at the time at when Family Day came about. Taking a day off to spend time with the family seemed to fly in the face of the workaholic, "greed is good" mentality of the 1980s. Indeed, the opposition at the time was simply from yuppies going, "Why do I want another day off when I could be working?"
The most compelling argument though came from the Alberta Teachers Association. Yes, the ATA opposed Family Day. They went to the government and said, "Look, we always have our 2-day teachers convention in February, giving a 4-day weekend. Lots of families plan vacations for that 4-day weekend. So, really, there's already a 4-day Family Weekend in February."
But, the Family Day Act was passed, and the first Family Day was celebrated on February 19, 1990. Opposition was still strong in those early years. In fact, when Ralph Klein was elected as Getty's successor in 1992, one of Klein's first promises was to abolish Family Day. But, you know, by that time, people had warmed up to the idea of a February long weekend. And besides, who really wants to be known as the premier who abolishes holidays?
This is the 16th Family Day now, and it's become firmly entrenched in the Alberta culture. If you look around, you'll find the requisite pancake breakfasts and all kinds of Family Day activities in your community. So, dude, get out there, and enjoy your day off!
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Latest Column's Up! (It's the Kevin Smith one!)
Finally, at long last, you can read all about MY Evening with Kevin Smith:
"I’ve been a fan of Kevin Smith ever since I first saw Mallrats back in university. By following Smith on the Internet, I’ve became quite well-acquainted with his near-legendary Q&A sessions. No holds barred, ask him any question, and he will answer! His sessions became so legendary that it led to a concert DVD, An Evening with Kevin Smith, which came out in 2003. I thought I’d never be able to see one of his shows for myself. And yet, on the evening of February 6, 2006, there I was, at Edmonton’s Winspear Centre, waiting for Smith to take the stage."
Read it all!
"I’ve been a fan of Kevin Smith ever since I first saw Mallrats back in university. By following Smith on the Internet, I’ve became quite well-acquainted with his near-legendary Q&A sessions. No holds barred, ask him any question, and he will answer! His sessions became so legendary that it led to a concert DVD, An Evening with Kevin Smith, which came out in 2003. I thought I’d never be able to see one of his shows for myself. And yet, on the evening of February 6, 2006, there I was, at Edmonton’s Winspear Centre, waiting for Smith to take the stage."
Read it all!
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