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.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
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!
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
A Grand Adventure/The Last Good Year
Wow. Looks like I'm off on a grand adventure.
Just hanging around the house tonight, and then I get a call from one of my old instructors at NAIT. Does anyone out there know about the MuchMusic VJ Search? Well, this year, MuchMusic decided to take their annual contest and turn it into a lame-ass reality TV show. And, they're coming to Edmonton to shoot some stuff. According to my instructor, they needed a driver; someone to ferry the crew around Edmonton and help lug around camera equipment. And, lo and behold, I'm the only one of the list of recent graduates who's old enough.
Long story short, I'm spending the next 3 days as a crewman on the MuchMusic VJ Search. It pays $175/day and it gets me out of the house.
Don't worry, I'm sure I'll find some way to screw it up.
I was kicking back and watching some Deep Space Nine reruns this morning, and I managed to catch Trials and Tribble-ations. You know, the classic 1996 "Star Trek 30th Anniversary Tribute" episode that featured time travel hijinks and the DS9 crew mucking about in the background of The Trouble with Tribbles. Ya know, I'm surprised no one's tried to edit the two episodes together yet. Nothing fancy...just take The Trouble with Tribbles and splice in the scenes of Sisko and Dax tiptoeing around in the background.
But then, that got me to thinking about 1996. Pierre Burton, Canada's favourite historian, declared 1967 to be "Canada's last good year." I think many a Trekkie will agree that 1996 is "Star Trek's last good year." Star Trek: First Contact was about to hit theatres, Deep Space Nine was hitting its stride, and Voyager was still new enough to warrant the benefit of the doubt. And, with it being the 30th anniversary, there was a celebratory air to the whole thing.
And, of course, who could forget the live, 30th anniversary special? As one critic put it, "an awards show without the awards." It was really, really...lame. When you know the headlining musical act is Kenny G, it's lame to the ultimate.
However, I do remember Ben Stiller being part of the special. Back in 1996, he was still a B-list celebrity, but on the rise. I'll never forget what he said. "When I was a kid, people called me a nerd because I liked Star Trek. And now, I'm on stage with Captain Kirk and Kenny G. WHO'S THE NERD NOW?"
Just hanging around the house tonight, and then I get a call from one of my old instructors at NAIT. Does anyone out there know about the MuchMusic VJ Search? Well, this year, MuchMusic decided to take their annual contest and turn it into a lame-ass reality TV show. And, they're coming to Edmonton to shoot some stuff. According to my instructor, they needed a driver; someone to ferry the crew around Edmonton and help lug around camera equipment. And, lo and behold, I'm the only one of the list of recent graduates who's old enough.
Long story short, I'm spending the next 3 days as a crewman on the MuchMusic VJ Search. It pays $175/day and it gets me out of the house.
Don't worry, I'm sure I'll find some way to screw it up.
I was kicking back and watching some Deep Space Nine reruns this morning, and I managed to catch Trials and Tribble-ations. You know, the classic 1996 "Star Trek 30th Anniversary Tribute" episode that featured time travel hijinks and the DS9 crew mucking about in the background of The Trouble with Tribbles. Ya know, I'm surprised no one's tried to edit the two episodes together yet. Nothing fancy...just take The Trouble with Tribbles and splice in the scenes of Sisko and Dax tiptoeing around in the background.
But then, that got me to thinking about 1996. Pierre Burton, Canada's favourite historian, declared 1967 to be "Canada's last good year." I think many a Trekkie will agree that 1996 is "Star Trek's last good year." Star Trek: First Contact was about to hit theatres, Deep Space Nine was hitting its stride, and Voyager was still new enough to warrant the benefit of the doubt. And, with it being the 30th anniversary, there was a celebratory air to the whole thing.
And, of course, who could forget the live, 30th anniversary special? As one critic put it, "an awards show without the awards." It was really, really...lame. When you know the headlining musical act is Kenny G, it's lame to the ultimate.
However, I do remember Ben Stiller being part of the special. Back in 1996, he was still a B-list celebrity, but on the rise. I'll never forget what he said. "When I was a kid, people called me a nerd because I liked Star Trek. And now, I'm on stage with Captain Kirk and Kenny G. WHO'S THE NERD NOW?"
However, Flag Day ROCKS!!
Happy Flag Day!
I think that we've got to work harder to help get the word out about today being Flag Day. It was on this day in 1965 that Canada's original flag was symbolically lowered from Parliment Hill, and the Maple Leaf was first raised, thus officially making the Maple Leaf the new flag of Canada.
It had been argued for years that Canada needed a new flag, one without the Union Jack on it. That way, we would show to the world our independence from the UK, and help promote federalism. But, when Lester B. Pearson came to power, he finally resolved to do it. See, as we all know, Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize for inventing the Peacekeeping Force. The Peacekeeping Force was invented because British military involvement in the Suez Canal crisis just happened to make things worse. However, when Canadian troops showed up in Egypt to help in the first Peacekeeping Force, they were turned away by the Egyptians. The Egyptians (one of the main parties in the Suez Canal crisis) saw the Union Jack on the Canadian flag and said, "Get out of here, you lousy Brits!"
Needless to say, Pearson took it be a kick in the nuts, and he made it one of his top priorities to get a new flag for Canada. Upon his retirement, Pearson called Canada's new flag his proudest accomplishment as PM.
So, back in 1996, today was declared to be Flag Day, and thus began Heritage Minister Sheila Copps's controversial program to give away one million free flags by the second Flag Day. "Waste of taxpayer's money!" people said. I don't care, I got mine!
There are some who argue that Flag Day should be made a stat holiday, because Canadians need a day off in February. It's often been argued that the gap between New Years Day and Easter is just far too long to go without a holiday. Of course, we here in Alberta have Family Day, but that's a rant for Family Day.
I would like to call for patience in regards to our Olympic team.
I know, I know, that the Canadian Olympic Committee promised us 25 medals, and that the games have been going for 5 days now and we don't have 25 yet. I think we only have 4. And I know it upsets people when you've got people like Emily Bryden, who I heard on the news this morning. She was ranked best in the world in alpine skiing, expected to bring home a gold, but came in 20th. "What didn't happen today is I didn't perform to my ability and to my expectations and to what I know I can," she said, close to tears. "Why I didn't, I don't know. I went in 100 per cent prepared."
It's kind of funny. In the past, we'd always target our frustrations on the Olympic Hockey team, cuz hockey's our sport and all that. But now, that we won the gold last year, and are expected to win gold this year (just won our first game against Italy, 7-2), and our women's hockey team have just been throughly humiliating the competition (16-0 againt Italy, 12-0 against Russia, 8-1 against Sweeden), we just need someone new to vent our frustations on.
But my point is, remain patient. Our team is doing its best. And there's still lots of days left.
I think that we've got to work harder to help get the word out about today being Flag Day. It was on this day in 1965 that Canada's original flag was symbolically lowered from Parliment Hill, and the Maple Leaf was first raised, thus officially making the Maple Leaf the new flag of Canada.
It had been argued for years that Canada needed a new flag, one without the Union Jack on it. That way, we would show to the world our independence from the UK, and help promote federalism. But, when Lester B. Pearson came to power, he finally resolved to do it. See, as we all know, Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize for inventing the Peacekeeping Force. The Peacekeeping Force was invented because British military involvement in the Suez Canal crisis just happened to make things worse. However, when Canadian troops showed up in Egypt to help in the first Peacekeeping Force, they were turned away by the Egyptians. The Egyptians (one of the main parties in the Suez Canal crisis) saw the Union Jack on the Canadian flag and said, "Get out of here, you lousy Brits!"
Needless to say, Pearson took it be a kick in the nuts, and he made it one of his top priorities to get a new flag for Canada. Upon his retirement, Pearson called Canada's new flag his proudest accomplishment as PM.
So, back in 1996, today was declared to be Flag Day, and thus began Heritage Minister Sheila Copps's controversial program to give away one million free flags by the second Flag Day. "Waste of taxpayer's money!" people said. I don't care, I got mine!
There are some who argue that Flag Day should be made a stat holiday, because Canadians need a day off in February. It's often been argued that the gap between New Years Day and Easter is just far too long to go without a holiday. Of course, we here in Alberta have Family Day, but that's a rant for Family Day.
I would like to call for patience in regards to our Olympic team.
I know, I know, that the Canadian Olympic Committee promised us 25 medals, and that the games have been going for 5 days now and we don't have 25 yet. I think we only have 4. And I know it upsets people when you've got people like Emily Bryden, who I heard on the news this morning. She was ranked best in the world in alpine skiing, expected to bring home a gold, but came in 20th. "What didn't happen today is I didn't perform to my ability and to my expectations and to what I know I can," she said, close to tears. "Why I didn't, I don't know. I went in 100 per cent prepared."
It's kind of funny. In the past, we'd always target our frustrations on the Olympic Hockey team, cuz hockey's our sport and all that. But now, that we won the gold last year, and are expected to win gold this year (just won our first game against Italy, 7-2), and our women's hockey team have just been throughly humiliating the competition (16-0 againt Italy, 12-0 against Russia, 8-1 against Sweeden), we just need someone new to vent our frustations on.
But my point is, remain patient. Our team is doing its best. And there's still lots of days left.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Valentine's Day Sucks
I hate Valentine's Day, if only because I've never been able to take part in it. Never bought gifts for a girlfriend, never had a girlfriend lavish gifts on me...never even got a pity valentine in high school from the girl whose bitchiness hid a heart of gold.
Well, Seba never had any girls whose bitchiness hid a heart of gold. Just a lot of bitches.
Anyway, I just finished writing my article about seeing Kevin Smith! It came it at 15 pages. According to the document statistics, 15 pages, 102 paragraphs, 645 lines, 7194 words. And I spent 229 minutes writing it.
Because I still have some time before publishing it this weekend, I hope to do some revisions still. Like a lot of my articles, I'm not too happy with the ending, so I definitly hope to change that within the next few days.
Well, Seba never had any girls whose bitchiness hid a heart of gold. Just a lot of bitches.
Anyway, I just finished writing my article about seeing Kevin Smith! It came it at 15 pages. According to the document statistics, 15 pages, 102 paragraphs, 645 lines, 7194 words. And I spent 229 minutes writing it.
Because I still have some time before publishing it this weekend, I hope to do some revisions still. Like a lot of my articles, I'm not too happy with the ending, so I definitly hope to change that within the next few days.
Monday, February 13, 2006
It's Gonna Be a Doozy
Wow.
I often find that my high-speed Internet connection can be incredibly distracting. So, when I'm serious about writing something, I'll unplug my laptop and take it to some other place in the house.
I just spent the last 2 hours at the kitchen table, writing my article about seeing Kevin Smith. It's currently at 8 pages. And only about half-done.
My best friend is the one who's really wanted to see this when it's finished, but sadly, since it's already 8 pages and only half-done, I already know what his reaction is going to be. "Ugh. It's so long, I get a headache reading it." Apparently, he can only tolerate me in small doses.
So, once it's done, I guess i'll be chopping it into three articles and running them over three weeks.
Man, I was going good, too. I didn't want to stop. But Dad wants to go to Swan Hills tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep.
But to tide you over, here's a picture for you. I took a friend to Kevin Smith, and my friend brought his digital camera. It was a crapy camera, so here's a blurry, slightly out-of-focus picture of Kevin Smith on stage.
I often find that my high-speed Internet connection can be incredibly distracting. So, when I'm serious about writing something, I'll unplug my laptop and take it to some other place in the house.
I just spent the last 2 hours at the kitchen table, writing my article about seeing Kevin Smith. It's currently at 8 pages. And only about half-done.
My best friend is the one who's really wanted to see this when it's finished, but sadly, since it's already 8 pages and only half-done, I already know what his reaction is going to be. "Ugh. It's so long, I get a headache reading it." Apparently, he can only tolerate me in small doses.
So, once it's done, I guess i'll be chopping it into three articles and running them over three weeks.
Man, I was going good, too. I didn't want to stop. But Dad wants to go to Swan Hills tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep.
But to tide you over, here's a picture for you. I took a friend to Kevin Smith, and my friend brought his digital camera. It was a crapy camera, so here's a blurry, slightly out-of-focus picture of Kevin Smith on stage.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Latest Column's Up!
This week's offering I like to call A Chick Flick Diguised as an Action Film:
"It’s always kind of amazing to go back and re-visit an incredibly popular film. No matter how much loved they are in the time they are released…no matter how many awards they win…they soon fade from public consciousness, save for a few members of a fanatical cult following. And then, when you dig out your dusty old DVD that you bought in the last spurt of mania over the movie, it becomes a time capsule, reminding you of the time when the movie came out. I’ve been going through this quite a bit lately, as I’ve been buying a lot of brand- new special editions of these films. And the one I’m talking about specifically seems to sum up the 1990s and its times: Titanic."
Read it all!
Sorry that it's not about Kevin Smith. I plan to definitly sit down and write it this week.
"It’s always kind of amazing to go back and re-visit an incredibly popular film. No matter how much loved they are in the time they are released…no matter how many awards they win…they soon fade from public consciousness, save for a few members of a fanatical cult following. And then, when you dig out your dusty old DVD that you bought in the last spurt of mania over the movie, it becomes a time capsule, reminding you of the time when the movie came out. I’ve been going through this quite a bit lately, as I’ve been buying a lot of brand- new special editions of these films. And the one I’m talking about specifically seems to sum up the 1990s and its times: Titanic."
Read it all!
Sorry that it's not about Kevin Smith. I plan to definitly sit down and write it this week.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Friday Means Nothing When You're Unemployed
I was finally going to sit down and write my article about Kevin Smith this afternoon, but I got wrapped up in the Olympic Opening Ceremonies on the CBC. Great show as always.
February's always a crappy time for movies, but there's one coming out today that I"m mildly curious about, and that's the new movie version of Curious George.
There was an article in today's Edmonton Journal about it. Ron Howard's company Imagine Entertainment bought the movie rights back in 1990, and have been trying for the past 16 years to do a movie version. At one point it was going to be live-action, with Curious George being a real monkey. Then, it was going to be a live-action/animation blend, with George being all special-effects. Then, it was going to be all CGI. But it finally opens today, in traditional, hand-drawn animation.
Over the past 16 years, 42 different writers took a crack at it. Pat Proft, writer of the Naked Gun movies and the first Police Academy wrote a script. The producers admitted that, while it was very funny, it didn't quite capture the feel they wanted. My hero, Brad Bird, writer/director of The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, was once attached to direct. The producers called Bird's script "brilliant," but once Pixar greenlit The Incredibles, Bird quit the project.
Anyway, it finally comes out today. Curious George was directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, an ex-Disney animator who directed a lot of their stright-to-video sequels. Will Ferrel does the voice of the Man in the Yellow Hat, and voice-acting legend Frank Welker provides George's monkey sounds.
February's always a crappy time for movies, but there's one coming out today that I"m mildly curious about, and that's the new movie version of Curious George.
There was an article in today's Edmonton Journal about it. Ron Howard's company Imagine Entertainment bought the movie rights back in 1990, and have been trying for the past 16 years to do a movie version. At one point it was going to be live-action, with Curious George being a real monkey. Then, it was going to be a live-action/animation blend, with George being all special-effects. Then, it was going to be all CGI. But it finally opens today, in traditional, hand-drawn animation.
Over the past 16 years, 42 different writers took a crack at it. Pat Proft, writer of the Naked Gun movies and the first Police Academy wrote a script. The producers admitted that, while it was very funny, it didn't quite capture the feel they wanted. My hero, Brad Bird, writer/director of The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, was once attached to direct. The producers called Bird's script "brilliant," but once Pixar greenlit The Incredibles, Bird quit the project.
Anyway, it finally comes out today. Curious George was directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, an ex-Disney animator who directed a lot of their stright-to-video sequels. Will Ferrel does the voice of the Man in the Yellow Hat, and voice-acting legend Frank Welker provides George's monkey sounds.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Postcards That Kick Ass
I saw this postcard in Chapters today, and instantly thought that it was the coolest postcard in the world. I naturally had to buy it for my collection. And at $2.50, it's one of the priciest in my collection.
If there's one thing that I truly miss about Japan to this very day, that's the Japanese stationary shop. It wasn't quite the simple repository of paper, pens, and blank floppy discs like over here. The Japanese stationary shop was also home to some truly beautiful greeting cards.
And racks and racks of postcards just like this one.
My postcard albums are full of postcards similar to this, which I got in Japan. Pages and pages of them.
Man, I miss postcards like this.
Looks like I"ve got nothing scheduled for tomorrow, so I'll be able to sit down and write my article about Kevin Smith. I starting to discover that, even though it was two nights ago, I can't force my memories of it. I kind of need to sit back and let my mind wander, and bit by bit, it comes back to me.
Here's another tidbit. Earlier in the night, Smith was asked the question, "Now that you've achieved your dream, what are your dreams now?" That question kind of took him off guard, and he'd revisit it throughout the night. After the intermission, he said this,
"Actually, when I was younger, I dreamed of opening a deli. It had to do with the fact that I worked in a sandwich shop, and I became really good at making sandwiches. So, I think I'd like to open a deli. It would be a "Jay and Silent Bob" themed sandwich shop, just so I could make a grilled chicken sandwich and call it 'The Cock Smoker.'"
The Working Stiff
God, I want to sit down and write about Kevin Smith, but I haven't had the time yet. In the oil patch all day yesterday, and now I must run yesterday's samples into the lab today. When can a guy sit down and write?
Oh, well. Since I'm going into the city, I'll probably do something foolish like buy Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I really shouldn't, but I'm going to.
Oh, well. Since I'm going into the city, I'll probably do something foolish like buy Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I really shouldn't, but I'm going to.
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