One WonderYear Ago...

I thought about putting this on the new baking blog, but thought it best (and more personal) to share it here :)

So, I bake the cakes. I make it the hobby. And I take it the pictures. Oh, how I've grown since my first [photographed] cake:

WonderXmas 2006:
WonderXmas 2007:

Sweet Me Up!

I'm still in the process of tweeking, populating, blah blah blah, but here's my blog dedicated to baking and the like. Not much going and she's definitely not ready for her Facebook premiere but it's a start :)

Let me sweet you up with Sweet Me Up!

FINISH HIM!

My life as a teenaged model

True story.

What started as a poster art contest turned into my fleeting 15 minutes as a teenaged model. More accurately, my 5 minutes as a Thunder Bay PSA commercial voice-over followed by 10 minutes as an Intercity Mall Holiday flyer model.



The PSA was for substance abuse… or rather, AGAINST substance abuse. It is also worth noting that because the girl who was supposed to be in said PSA commercial did not show, I was asked to step in her place.

Funny little piece of trivia: I cannot smoke to, for lack of a better term, save my life. So I had a bunch of grown-ups lighting up a cigarette and teaching me how to smoke in a parking lot (I was 16-years old).

Now how’s this for a contest: If anyone can find this PSA either online or a hard copy of it, I will supply the winner with a monthly supply of cupcakes for a year. Good luck!

In the Not-Too-Distant Future...

You have got to be bloody kidding me! $268.46?!

ETA: New price 434.88

Alaska, eh?

Email sent to building:

Sorry for the interruption, but does anyone have any scenic b-roll shots of Northern Canada i.e. Yellowknife, Alaska?

Any help would be appreciated.

Uhhh....

Fanboy Love vs. Physics

Physics wins.

RTotD: This joke called, it's still funny

I'm pleased to say I still find these type of jokes funny no matter what their context is:

___ called, they want their ___ back.

Also, my new favourite blog (soon to be added to the rotation)
http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com

(Thanks Kat!)

Shawn

Cell phone rings <Pour Some Sugar on Me>

Hello? <silence> Hello? <silence> Hello?
Hello?
Hi.
Hey there, how are you doing?
Who is this?
Hello?
I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number.
What's your number?
You dialed me.
You gave me your number. This is Shawn.
I'm sorry I don't think so. Who are you looking for?
Lisa.
Nope, sorry. Definitely the wrong number.
Oh? So who is this?
Michelle.
And what are you doing?
I'm just about to hang up on you. <click>

Would Rembrandt really prefer his popcorn extra buttery?

PC's microwavable popcorn boxes have rendered some artworks to sport their kernels. Here's one of famed Dutch artist Rembrandt enjoying some popcorn and hockey.

Frank Miller's Adam West

If Adam West and co. spoke the dialogue from Frank Miller's Dark Knight Return and Batman: Year One, might it look a little bit like this?...

My Thunder Bay

This is not so much a movie review, more like a reflection. I saw Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg at the tail end of TIFF this year. I went to this “docu-fantasia” (as the director deemed it) without knowing what to expect and not having read up much on it. So my first impression was that of seeing a college film project: a pretentious free verse poem on screen. The first part sets the tone, then the film dives into the personal history of the narrator (Maddin, himself) and blends with tidbits of the city’s past. Part of me was worried that this stylized documentary would grow tiresome 20 minutes in; it didn’t.

What it did do was remind me of my hometown: My Thunder Bay. It describes a strong and desperate need to break free from a town trying too hard and remaining so cold. The kind of town where there are urban legends that, though embarrassing and possibly bizarre, you can’t wait to tell big city folk about. One that, if anything, is a safe haven for childhood memories that can never be so easily torn down like the local hockey arena or swimming complex. Despite wanting to leave that town at a young and fiery age, you yearn to have those memories rebuilt and relived.

This is Any Town, Canada.

I <3 Kat

True or False: You Are Tricia Helfer

Answer: FALSE - You are not, in fact, Tricia Helfer.

The Diva and the Geek

I'm a Frosted Mini-Wheat - the kind from the 80s and not that disgustingly catchy jingle that takes place at a tropical villa.

And what do I mean by that? Well there are two sides of me. I'd like to say one is healthier over the other but both boast their share of guilty pleasure.

I decided to engage both the diva and the geek within this weekend starting with a Madonna-centric dance party called Madonnarama. What can possibly suck about that? Though the party, which took place in a dangerously-at-full-capacity building, was slotted to go til 4am, I left early (early being 2:30) without so much as hearing a peep of the following songs:
Like a Prayer

Borderline

La Isla Bonita

Open Your Heart and
Material Girl (no doubt being left as the finale)

Yet Gambler was played -- top drawer!

My apologies for the horrible quality picture, there's just so much I can ask of a camera phone:Yes, that is Darko.

The next day, I put my geek face on to attend the SFX. By the way, if you thought I'm a geek (or even if YOU'RE a geek) FALSE! There are people who reign their geekdom with a mighty staff and 12-sided dice. I'm not big on seeing celebs though Adam West was there this year which prompted me to take my room mate with me (though we were unsuccessful). I usually go just to walk and browse about the comic book artists. This year I picked up some prints from an artist named Alana Machnicki who also does a comic called Corduroy High. Might have been the colours that attracted me - or perhaps it tapped into my love for robots and ninja cats:

The only thing that can top these is one giant picture of robots fighting ninja cats... or a robot ninja cat.

Umm, hi. My name is Clark Kent.

CURSED BLACK MAGICS!

Here is a collection of Superman/Superboy covers where Superman's mild mannered secret identity is jeopardized... repeatedly!

If You're Into It

Hiphopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros REMIX

See the original live performance!

God, I love work!

The Non-Existent Blog

I was in the middle of writing this blog for the FT website (aptly called Producer's Journal) when I suddenly realized I wasn't going to publish it. So instead it finds its way here:

About over a year ago, I was asked to work on a new series’ web site and I felt oddly proud to be part of that particular project. And the new series in question? Cycle One of Canada’s Next Top Model. A year has passed, and many things have changed or rather evolved: 1) the site for Cycle Two is probably one of the sexiest I’ve seen 2) the show stepped up its game proving to be more compelling and exciting than the previous year and dare I say, previous America’s Next Top Model cycles (oh no she dinnit!) and 3) I, in no way, helped or was a part of Cycle Two’s run.

And in doing so (or rather NOT doing so) I was not included in this year’s finale party. You know how our lovely FT producers are always blogging about the hottest parties they go to and come back with lots of sexy pictures and sexier stories? Well here’s my riveting blog about the finale party I didn’t go to :)

...

And then Rebecca won.

Monsieur Jacques "I'm So French"

Back from Paris and THIS is the first picture I post :)

An Open Letter to the Cake Thief

I did not send this. This came from the CHUM International Marketing Manager in an email to the building titled: An open letter to the cake thief...

Hi all,

Most of you probably already know this - but when you see a really big cake, with a MuchMusic logo on it, and a lid on it, and no slices taken out of it - a virgin cake, if you will - it's probably not a great idea to take a HUGE FREAKING SLICE. Needless to say, it's put a little kink in our celebratory plans with our channel format partners.

If you see food in the 4th floor CI kitchen, leave it alone unless someone says it OK. Thanks.

I’m Telling You for the Last Time...

I AM NOT A DESIGNER!

This goes out to my parents who, despite the past 3 years where I’ve told them I’m a content coordinator and had to explain to them what exactly it is I do countless times, think I’m a designer. I am not nor have I ever been a designer for CHUM Interactive. Please stop thinking and telling people I am a designer.

Also, please stop sounding disappointed every single time I correct you and clarify that I am not, in fact, a designer but merely a content coordinator. Seriously, it’s actually starting to hurt my feelings. I gave up my hopes and dreams of being a designer 3 years ago and haven't looked back.

Not what you think...

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

Emma says:
Capers, Cauliflower, Casino Royale!
I think I want to find a "bears, beets, Battlestar galactica" reference for every letter in the alphabet
miVi says:
well that concludes my Tuesday -- i shall help
Emma says:
challenge accepted
Player 2 enters the game

You see the pattern. You can play along too!

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

Aardvarks. Avocados. Arrested Development
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Cats. Cauliflower. Casino Royale.
Dogs, dandelions, death of a salesman
Eagles, enemas, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind (according to Emma, "enema" may not be an edible fruit or vegetable or plant, it's just an awesome word)
Ferrets. Figs. Full House.
Giraffes. Grapes. Grey's Anatomy.
H
Iguanas. Ivy. Indiana Jones.
J
K
Llamas. Lemons. Love Boat.
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Squirrels. Strawberries. Saved by the Bell.
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

It was 40 Years Ago Today!

It was twenty years ago today
Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile
So may I introduce to you
The act you've known for all these years
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We hope you will enjoy the show
We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sit back and let the evening go
Sgt. Pepper's lonely, Sgt. Pepper's lonely
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
It's wonderful to be here
It's certainly a thrill
You're such a lovely audience
We'd like to take you home with us
We'd love to take you home

I don't really want to stop the show
But I thought that you might like to know
That the singer's going to sing a song
And he wants you all to sing along
So let me introduce to you
The one and only Billy Shears
And Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!

Happy Birthday Sgt. Pepper!

Give this a listen!

A Softer World: Cupcakes

Flight of the Conchords

Flight of the Conchords follows the trials and tribulations of a two man, digi-folk band from New Zealand as they try to make a name for themselves in their adopted home of New York City. The band is made up of Bret McKenzie on guitar and vocals, and Jemaine Clement on guitar and vocals.

Here's the cross-promo with Entourage for their new show on HBO:)

I [heart] these guys!

Thumbs Down - the latest edition

Thumbs Down to the thief who stole a plastic slide structure from inside a fenced play area at the Kakabeka Falls Public School. How does it feel to steal from a bunch of kindergarten students? I‘m curious to know what you told your children, about where you got this new toy for them. And since we‘re talking about thieves, Thumbs Down to whoever found the full bottle of children‘s shampoo in the women‘s showers at Churchill Pool a couple of weeks ago and didn‘t turn it into the lost and found. I know it is just shampoo, but it was brought by the Easter Bunny to my four year old, and was adorned with her favourite Disney princess.
May 25, 2007

Thumbs down to the “two young men in a white Sierra GMC pickup truck who drove 120 km/h down the Thunder Bay Expressway with their heads sticking out of the windows Thursday. What were you thinking? What if an insect or stone hit you in the eye causing you to lose control of your vehicle? How many people could have been hurt because of your stupidity? I followed you for a while then backed off – but not before taking your picture.”
May 18, 2007

Thumbs down to “all you careless people who are somehow oblivious to the hot, dry, windy weather conditions. It is hard enough dealing with Mother Nature but yet as mighty as she is our own stupidity is still our biggest enemy. Use your head, and your ash trays!”
May 12, 2007

THUMBS Down to newlyweds who send mass produced photos with “thanks for sharing our special day” printed underneath. What about the handwritten thank-you note for the gift?”
May 12, 2007

Thumbs down to “the man who was wearing the strong cologne at Silver City at Saturday‘s 3:30 showing of Spider-Man 3! I had a headache through the entire movie and this man wasn‘t even sitting near me. I‘m sure everyone in the theatre could smell his presence! Have some respect for those with chemical allergies.” The same thing happened to a woman attending the B.B. King concert at the Community Auditorium Monday night. It was so bad she had to leave.
May 12, 2007

Thumbs Down to the south-side drive-thru employee “who got my order wrong and thought that they could adjust the cream/sugar levels by sticking their finger in the coffee and tasting it. Did they not realize that I can see them through the drive-thru window?”
May 5, 2007

I say, stand up straight boy, you're slouching

So I recently got back into writing and the character I'm writing for (he's an arrogant superhero chocolate chip cookie - what?) seems to be inadvertedly getting his mannerisms and speech from Lord Flashheart and Foghorn Leghorn. Their influence had slipped into my subconscious without me knowing it.

But he is missing the odd "I say" and "WOOF!"

Looks like an apple?

Tastes like a grape???

This one earned a double-take worthy of Val Kilmer's Ten Commandments the Musical!

What Makes a Good Catholic?

A good Catholic traditionally is someone who kept their mouth shut, their pocketbook open. Paid, prayed and obeyed, was docile, went to Mass, obeyed all the Commandments, went to confession on a regular basis. For the most part was ritualized, obedient and quiet.

But a good Catholic is not that at all. A good Catholic is a Catholic in the model of Jesus Christ: a revolutionary. Someone who's not afraid to get up and speak the truth. Remember, the only time Christ got angry was when he went to church.

-- Father Thomas Doyle ("Deliver Us From Evil")

Exchange with the Room Mate: Jonathan(s)

"Where are you going tonight?"
"Swedish dance party. But I'm meeting up with Jonathan first."
"Jonathan Jonathan? Or Jonathan gay Jonathan?"
"Swedish. Dance. Party."
"Hehe... right."

Bryan Orville - A Sonnet

An evening of laughs and lists and lounging
Topped with a lovely piece of pecan pie.
Then Bryan Orville came a-scrounging.
I believe I was about to die.
‘Tween struggled breaths and painful sides,
My olfactory epithelium
Tears had welled up in my eyes.
I could barely stand to see’m.
The air about Bryan did not diffuse,
In fact it grew stronger and meaner.
I would brand this as physical abuse,
But murder would be much cleaner.
Bryan Orville, you smell. Please go take a bath;
Lest you wish to feel my wrath.

RofD: Shocked and Bewildered

This time, the “R” stands for “Rant”

From time to time, I like to frequent the Chronicle Journal web site to see what shenanigans and going-ons my hometown is experiencing. I pass along to my Toronto friends the wacky stories about the residence's encounters with bears and bulls or I post various samplings of the Thumbs Up Thumbs Down section that often cause head-shakes and chuckles.

Then there was this story:

Dog saved after being stabbed
Andrew Rogala was busy barbecuing in his backyard Thursday evening when he heard the disturbing sounds. He and Bev Rogala, his wife, were celebrating her birthday by cooking shish kebabs and enjoying some cold drinks on their deck at 217 Stephens St., when he heard the next-door neighbour's dog cry out.
“I knew something was wrong when I heard this yelping,” Rogala said Friday.
He ran to his neighbour's backyard, where a corrugated
fibreglass shed was located. He poked his head in a small opening and saw blood on the floor and his neighbour holding the dog over a bucket.The man had one arm under the dog's chest and another around its neck, Rogala said.
“I said, 'What the (expletive) are you doing,'” Rogala recalled. “He said, 'It's OK, it's OK. I don't want the dog anymore.'”
More…

I was horrified to read this but more so that I, in fact, knew the guy in question. His last name escapes me but his first name is Mel. He was born in the Philippines, moved here to live with his mother circa 1996, give or take. He was always polite, quiet and overall a genuinely nice guy. Though his and my family were not best friends, our parents were in the same social circle.

An argument or rather discussion I had with my friend Mel (different Mel) was that he is not crazy. Before she began, she stated clearly for the record that she does not condone what happened or that it justifies it in any way. Her argument was maybe he simply didn't know any better (again, not justifying what happened). For those who are not aware, dogs in the Philippines are not the same here. They are not members of the family. They are simply meat.

Before I can even fathom what happened to this guy, the problem I have is that I simply cannot wrap my head around such an inhumane act. Well, perhaps that's not a problem but merely a good thing. Is it because I was born here that I simply think that is insane? The guy is fucking crazy. There has to be a chemical imbalance for him to logically work it out in his head that because he does not want the dog anymore, stabbing it repeatedly makes perfect sense, like it's the only way to handle said situation. And quite frankly, if that was indeed the case, he's lived here Canada for over 11 years! Am I insensitive in thinking you wouldn't pick up on the fact that spilling a dog's blood into a bucket in your shed is frowned upon here?

"LOL"

I hate... repeat, HATE animated "LOL"s in MSN conversations.

Though the above causes epileptic seizures, the one that truly makes me want to punch enfants is the red lol that turns into a laughing face (couldn't find it and yes, it killed me that I was putting effort into googling it).

And while on the subject of "lol", I'm none too pleased when people type the following when laughing via MSN:
"lolololololol"

You might want to look into what you just typed.

Lame!

Things I've Noticed

Things I've Noticed the first:
I've stopped uploading photos of people to my flickr account and have just been added pictures of things I've baked and decorated. What does this say about me as a person?

Things I've Noticed the second:
A common phrase (or variation of said phrase) I hear from our CHUM broadcast counterparts is this:
"You must hate me but..."

Things I've Noticed the third:
I've been using my gmail account more and my hotmail less. Reason being because of Facebook.

Things I've Noticed the fourth:
I am incredibly stubborn about the following:

• Once I've switched from winter coat to non-winter coat, I will not go back no matter what.
• When people come over for dinner, everyone must be served with same plates, cutlery and glasses. It's unfortunate when I have more than 4 people over at a time in which I am very tempted to serve food on matching paper plates.

Things I've Noticed the fifth:
I naturally wake up in and around 7am everyday to go to the washroom.

A Choice Piece of 'Thumbs Down'

Courtesy of The Chronicle Journal:

THUMBS Down from a neighbour “to the owner of the black dog with shaky back legs who has recently been wearing a ‘cone.’ He runs loose in the vicinity of Fassina and Masters Streets. He visits my yard frequently and eat my cat’s food!”
-- March 17, 2007

Random Thoughts While Biking Home From Work

• What the fuck is that noise?
• Back tire?
• No, front.
• Almost there. Betty can make it.
• Back. Definitely the back.
• My ass hurts.
• Why You Should get your bike tuned up before riding her after winter...
• I fucking love the word "twat".

RotD: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I know; not as sexy as Kate Winslet or as interesting as paint drying. On today's menu the theme is peanut butter and chocolate, and naturally this recipe sprung to mind.

Ingredients:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 sq unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 vegetable shortening
2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup peanuts finely chopped

1 cup peanut butter chips

36 miniature peanut butter cups

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Combine chocolate chips and chocolate squares in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat. Stir after 2 min. Repeat until smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Combine sugar and shirtening. Beat at medium speed until blended and crumbly. Beat in eggs one at a time then add salt and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add chocolate slowly. Mix until well blended. Stir in flour and baking soda with spoon until well blended. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll in nuts. Place 2-inches a aprt on ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 8 min or until set. Do not overbake. Press peanut butter cup into center of each cookie immediately. Cool for 2 min on baking sheet then remove to flat surface to cool completely.
5. Place peanut butter chips in a bowl and microwave until smooth. Spoon into a sandwich bag. Seal and cut corner to pipe zigzags over cooled cookies.

Ode to Kate Winslet

Emma might appreciate this.

My room mate and I decided to have an old fashion Tuesday girls night complete with chick flick (backstory to this: Tuesday used to be our pole dancing class night wherein afterwards us girls would go out for dinner and just BS). So on tonight's menu was dinner at Murphy's then pick up a chick flick. Knowing me, of course, I very rarely peruse the chick flick department. In any case, we rented The Holiday. I won't get into a long review on it because quite frankly... it's not very good (shocking, I know) and I don't feel like getting into what would make it better because, more shockingly, it wasn't THAT bad.

On with my initial intent. Something didn't sit right (besides Cameron Diaz's painful acting) and it was Kate Winslet. This actually hit me early in the film and it wasn't so much a "What the hell is she doing in this picture?" it was more like "IS she really in this movie? Has she EVER ever been in a rom/com?"

So, no secret: I have a non-sexual crush on Kate Winslet (she falls in the same category with Salma Hayek and Gillian Anderson) so seeing her in The Holiday was unsettling - not that I love everything's she's been in nor did she suck in this particular film. It was just unsettling. And if I may take a moment to praise my non-sexual crush: Kate Winslet is eloquent, graceful and gorgeous. Yes, even in Titanic.

Perhaps I'm just used to seeing her in films where she recites Shakespeare sonnets or plays an eccentric woman who erases the memory of her boyfriend or a girl who along with her lesbian girlfriend take said lesbian girlfriend's mom into the woods and beat her skull in with a giant rock.

It's all frightfully romantic.

#1: Little Miss Sunshine

Directed Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Starring Greg Kinear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin
A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.

Yes, I intended to post this right after #2. When that didn't happen, yes, I intended to post this right after the Oscars whether it won or not (of course, I knew the underdog wouldn't win but one can hope, right?) In any case, here I am finally posting what I consider my favourite film of 2006. And I told myself, when I do post it, I would dissect it and analyze as to why this film worked for me on so many levels.

Now that I'm here, I'm drawing a blank. Or rather, I just don't feel like it. That isn't to say I feel more indifferent to the film from when I first came up with my list or even from when I first saw it in theatres (and aside from Superman Return, it's the only film I saw more than once.) I just don't feel like stringing together words to articulate how I felt about this film. So instead, I'll let you do it. Here is a series of adjectives I'd use to describe Little Miss Sunshine:

Charming
Delightful
Fun
Quirky
Adorable
Bittersweet
Engaging
Endearing
Heartwarming
Modest

The miVi Top Ten Films of 2006: Redux

So start of this year, I began my Top Ten Films of 2006 but, through no fault of my own, it seems the list stopped at #2 (seemed like a good place as any to stop a Top Ten list).

Anyway, allow me to recap:

#10: An Inconvenient Truth
#9: Brick
#8: Curious George
#7: Children of Men
#6: Pan's Labyrinth
#5: The Queen
#4: Clerks 2
#3: Superman Returns
#2: Stranger Than Fiction

Now, before I reveal #1 (though, if you know me, it's pretty much a given what it is), I did see The Departed recently and thought it was amazing! Should Scorsese have won for this particular piece? Probably not [cough cough Goodfellas]. It also made me consider moving some of the films around but I decided otherwise. Where would it have fallen? No idea; that's why I didn't bother. So here's the Wild Card Honourable Mention:














Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Marky Mark Mark Wahlberg.
Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities.

Cool film. Great cast.
Spoiler Alert (though vague, the smart reader out there might figure it out):
And just when it's about to hit a cliche ending that I was admittedly rooting for, it doesn't but just made me love it more!
My Not-So-Surprising-and-Rather-Anti-Climatic #1 film of 2006 to come shortly (I promise!)

Officially the greatest site of all time!

Better than that Vin Diesel one? Mayhaps.

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World!

This the official blog for a cookbook that my friend Kat was a "cupcake tester" for.

Doing the math...

I've gone through 3 solid weeks of BSG, following up with one night of OC.

How does THAT make any sense?

BTW: BSG = greatest show of all time! OC? not so much.... yet I can't look away.

Pancakes

For those unfamiliar: Shrove Tuesday

And for the shameful record, I was referring to Pancakes from The O.C.,
but found Oolong instead! (1994 - 2003)

Who ARE You?

• Party hardy.
• Truth be told…
• The reality is…
• Have you or have you NOT…?
• No you did NOT!
• What does that even mean?
• That JUST happened!
• Oh Lord. Oh Jesus. Oh Christ.
• Suzuki.
• Probably.
• The hell the fuck?
• Raging case of clamato
• Do you know what your problem is?
• Circle gets the square.
• Umm. Hi.

Note: these aren't quotes, these are catch phrases.

King Chucker = MVP

I don't know what it is but I tend to get all sports-orientated when my brother is around. Actually, I do know what is it - my brother is around. In any case, he was in town on business (covering university hockey and yes, Lakehead Thunderwolves advanced beating York University) and he came over Sunday night to watch the NBA All-Star game which took place in Las Vegas this year.

Where am I going with this? Well to honour my sports-writer brother, here's my editorial on the game... from a not-so-sports-writer perspective:

I like games where the score is close and this one had potential, until it became evident that neither team practiced, however, one did want it more (I am, of course speaking about the Western Conference that won by almost 20 I believe). As much fun as the All-Star weekend is (I'm kicking myself for missing the dunk competition), it lacks that competitive nature that makes gameplay so exciting. That is, of course, until it gets to 4th quarter and player(s) were vying for the MVP spot [cough cough Kobe Bryant]. That boy quickly became an aggressive King Chucker.

Courtside comments by miVi:

• Hey Kobe, it's called a team... look in it.


• If you mention Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's wedding one more time, I'm throwing my slippers at the television.


• Way to go CB4 on scoring a respectable 10 pts.


• I [heart] Tim Duncan.


• Iverson's not playing. I hardly call this an All-Star game.


• I miss playing basketball.


• Toni Braxton looks like a drag queen.


• Wayne Newton looks like a Ken doll... after you've put its face over a gas stove.

Christopher Thinn's faux pas

Allow me to set the stage:

Darko was giving me travel tips in the office (in June, I will be visiting Amsterdam and Paris). Having overheard this conversation, Chris jumped on MSN to send me this:

The punchline? This screen grab was forwarded to me from Darko :)

Happy Friday!

"Michelle"

While on UrbanDictionary.com finding a link to the word "splooge" for my previous post, I decided to type in my name:

1. michelle

Hebrew meaning "like God"... Michelle's are often Leos, astonishingly gorgeous, very athletic, dark hair and usually curly/waivy/thick
another thing is that almost all Michelle's have similar noses.
guy#1. "man that girl was hot and good in bed"
guy#2. "must've been named Michelle"
guy#1. "how'd you know?"
guy#2. "..."


2. michelle

1. A disgustingly conceited man who pretends to be a woman. If indeed a woman usually attracted to the same sex.
2. usually associated with the words: gross, disgusting, and fat.
3. a person with uncontrollable eating habits.
4. also other name for throwing up while having sex.

1. "Michelle" is in love with her best friends.
2. Ewwwwwww that is so "michelle".
3. "Michelle" couldn't stop eating and she broke the chair.
4. It was sooo good until a "michelle" happened.

Either I'm a hot girl with a distinguished nose who is good in bed or I'm a fat, putrid lesbian (possibly a man) who generally doesn't deserve to live.

PS: I'm not a Leo

Googe

It was just pointed out to me by my lovely co-worker Ryan O'Brien that in an attempt to Valentinize the Google main page, they've given us a word that rhymes very much to "Splooge"

Could be the stem is meant to be the "l". To that I say, nice try Googe!

Conversation With the Room Mate

Her: "Battlestar Galactica"?
me: Nope, "Firefly".
Her: Meh, same thing.
me: [gasp]

An Open Letter

Dear Filthy Hippie with Bongo Drum on Streetcar,

Go jump off a boat.

Sincerely,
miVi

That's what I 'said'

I realized that I enjoy using "said" to refer to a previously mentioned item in conversations or emails. Here is a collection of said emails:

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Hope Fashion Week is rocking for the both of you. Just a note that I need some blog material for our site this morning - doesn't have to be epic. According to IT we also experienced some Internet problems last night so the outside world (ie: Blackberrys) was cut off so if you were trying to send something, everything was unavailable

Christopher, Claudia mentioned to me that you were trying to send photos via FTP but were going to try email - I have not received them probably due to said Internet problems

Thanks guys! I know it's probably a hectic week over there but if you can send me something soon… that'd be great!

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It requires a unique login and network password (if you work at CHUM, it would be your email address and network password). If it's someone who does not work at CHUM, they'd need to set up their own account to pick something up. So long story longer - if I send a file (any blank file) to whoever will be uploading, in order for them to pick up said file, they will be prompted to set up their account. I just have to initiate the exchange so to speak.

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I get this error:
Warning: publishing Stories and Ads only as per site settings
Link Error: The RAW_IMG is too small. The RAW_IMG must be at least 150W x 100H. Parent: Monique Lhuillier Fall Collections 2007 Runway Highlights with uoid 68e95add1832261ae0ca70e6050636613da0a3b0, Child: 5_Highlight_2_Monique_Lhuillier_chumtv.jpg with uoid abc8e6decd602c1829d5d9834c020780c72692af, Link: RAW_IMG
Link Error: Check your recent link actions
Could not publish site FashionTelevision Video Library
Could not publish FashionTelevision Video Library to Staging

I've resized and re-uploaded said image and it still comes up with this error. Am I missing something?

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From others:
If you are in need of any office supplies (be it pens, binders, paperclips, or even the occasional sedative) please send me an email letting me know what you need, how much and, if need be, colour and/or size. If you do not send me an email but rather drop by my desk to relay said info…said item will not be ordered. Why? Because chaos and I do not get along but the paper trail is my best friend. -- Emma

kat - fry me a liver says:
i must hear said chair
go clear your throat and bedazzle something, why dontcha?
i've got WORK to do -- Kat

#2: Stranger Than Fiction

Directed by Marc Forster
Starring Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman
An IRS auditor suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death.

This film is charming, funny, heartwarming, touching and sweet. Will Ferrell proves he can play serious characters but maintain his comedic charm. And Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman? Oh come on, they're fabulous no matter what they do.

I won't bore you with what worked in this film because it all did. The cast was excellent. The visuals were great. The premise and story were interesting blah blah blah. But I will point out the sub-character/love interest that was Maggie Gyllenhaal who played the baker Ana Pascal. Her nugget of story (excluding the tax audit bit) was she used to attend law school and during her study nights with fellow law students, she would bake cookies, cupcakes and any delightful treat. It started innocently as a late night study snack but seeing how happy it made her classmates, she would bake every time. Then it hit her: she'd rather be doing something that made people happy and something she enjoyed doing and therefore left law school and eventually openned her own bakery. Sounds pretty sweet to me... all except the tax audit bit.

#3: Superman Returns

Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey
After a long visit to the lost remains of the planet Krypton, the Man of Steel returns to earth to become the peoples savior once again and reclaim the love of Lois Lane.

What's this? A blockbuster made it to my list? Hey, I'm not one of those people who turn their nose down on a film because it grossed $391 million worldwide. If a movie rocked my world and the world of many others, how can it sucked?

Permission to geek out.

This film was awesome! What could have easily been a disaster (X-Men 3, I'm looking at you) was a such a great add-on to an already established franchise (and no, I am not counting Superman III or IV which just adds more credit to this movie). It had subtle and not-so subtle references to Superman I and II as well as "The Death of Superman", Brandon Routh shared the mannerisms of Christopher Reeve that made Clark Kent Clark Kent, Superman looked so idealistically unreal, there is an total "mark-out" scene involving an airplane and a baseball stadium - what more could you ask for?

Bryan Singer knows how to make a comic book movie.

#4: Clerks 2

Directed by Kevin Smith
Starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson and Rosario Dawson
Free from his dead-end job (and lodged in a new one), Dante begins to break free of his rut, planning to move away and get married, but Randal - always the more hostile of the two - starts to become overwhelmed by his own rancor.

I read this interview with Kevin Smith recently where he's asked who would he be more of, Dante or Randal. He states in the first one he identifies with Dante - the guy stuck in a dead-end job always wanting more but failing to "shit or get off the pot". And it was the Randal character who he wanted to be. But when he wrote Clerks 2, the view kinda shifts. Though Dante is the one who is closer to Smith as in he is thinking about family, marriage etc (though still failing the "shit or get off the pot" mentality), it is Randal whom he relates to more. The frustration of when did everything change, when did the status quo change? Why do I feel so left out, why do I feel so behind the times and shit?

When Clerks 2 came out, I was pretty much expecting the same repetoire of dirty jokes (with a splash of inter-species erotica) plus his usual point of view on pop culture but with current references - and it had all that. But, and dare I say, it also had heart. It had a bigger task to perform - showing growth in both the characters (particularly the former "trusty comic-relief sidekick" Randal) and the writer/director, Smith himself. It needed to follow up on a cult hit film without necessarily being a cult hit film. Clerks 2 won't be remembered the way Clerks was and is, but it was the appropriate sequel - beginning in Smith's budget black and white and ending with it.

#5: The Queen

Directed by Stephen Frears

Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen and James Cromwell

An intimate and fictitious behind the scenes glimpse at the interaction between HM Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle, following the death of Diana.

Slow-paced but far from boring. The characters were actually human and not headline names. And Helen Mirren eerily embodied Queen Elizabeth. The movie tastefully incorporated Princess Diana's death without exploiting it more than it already has by not focusing on the night she died, just the days following it and the people around and also not showing the children's faces.

Don't think I have much more to say about this one. To be honest, I think I'm just boning up to write about movie pick #4. In any case, The Queen is very good and you should watch it. My room mate's boyfriend refuses to watch it because it looks boring. It really isn't as dry as you'd expect it to be. Quite the contrary, it's the human aspect of all the characters from the Queen to Tony Blair to Prince Charles and Prince Philip and even the Queen Mum that make this film so compelling and interesting.

#6: Pan's Labyrinth

Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Starring Ivana Baquero, Sergi López and Maribel Verdú
The story of a young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to live with her mother's new husband and Captain, in a rural area up North in Spain, 1944. Post-war Fascist repression is at its height in rural Spain and the girl must come to terms with that through an imaginative fable of her own.

Hearing this movie was graphic and difficult to watch, I was still intrigued because I love fairy tales. I have an appreciation for them because a) they are written by adults for children and b) sometimes they are not for children. This one is not for children. Despite its violent and graphic nature, I was ready to watch this movie thinking the most violent and graphic content would be during the fantasy sequence though I will still anticipate those scenes because the "reality" part of the story would be boring and dull - an escape from reality if you will. This was half true. I looked forward to the fantasy scenes because it was the reality side that was more frightening, more graphic and more uncomfortable to watch - a definite escape from reality.

Sergei López as the Captain was so terrifying that I would choose to face off against a baby-eating, wormlike monster with his eyes in the palms of his hands any day over the chance of bumping into Captain Vidal in the hallway of my so-called home. And our protagonist is simple: an innocent little girl in a not-so-innocent world. Watch this film... but be prepared to uncomfortably place that hand loosely over your eyes from time to time.

#7: Children of Men

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Starring Clive Owen
In the chaotic not-so-distant future, where humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

This film was very gritty, very rough and somewhat raw - and it was effective. I remembered when indie film directors (Tarantino and Smith, I'm looking at you) used hand-held cameras a lot in 1994, but eventually it got tiresome (circa 1998). But when you get a taste of it now from time to time in doses, you remember why it worked in the first place. Example (though not about this movie but about a movie by Alfonso Cuaron) in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, that one scene in the beginning that was shot with a hand-held was refreshing, particularly because the other films were by Chris Colombus and conventionally shot. With Children of Men, it felt like the whole movie was shot hand-held. This added to the atmosphere, creating discomfort and some nausea - though it may not sound like it, but that is a good thing in establishing its mood.

And if I may brush on Clive Owen's character, Theo - he was much more human than I was expecting, providing mild laughs in an otherwise depressing yet uplifting film.

#8: Curious George

Directed by Matthew O'Callahan
Starring the voice talents of Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, Dick Van Dyke, David Cross and Frank Welker (he's done A LOT, including the voice of Abu from "Aladdin")
When the Man in the Yellow Hat (named Ted) tries to save the museum he works at from being turned into a parking garage, he forms a special kinship with the curious little monkey that followed him from Africa.

Okay, I know what you're thinking: What is this movie doing on this list? Well, let me axe you a question: Do you like to smile? 'Cause I do! So therefore, this movie made the list! This monkey will make you smile. This film will make you smile and if you don't, clearly you have no soul.

Also, I gotta say, I appreciate the 2-D animation. Instead of eff'n up a childhood memory (*cough cough* Garfield), this film was very reminiscent of the books I grew up with. Sure they gave The Man in the Yellow Hat a name but I guess without a narrator, it wouldn't make much sense for the other characters to be constantly calling him "The Man in the Yellow Hat" - he could develop quite the complex growing up like that.

Anyway, the movie was funny and cute. 'Nuff said.

#9: Brick

Directed by Rian Johnson
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt
A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.

I’d say this is “Dawson’s Creek” meets Hitchcock but attaching the name “Dawson’s Creek” would be insulting. My point is it was teenagers not talking or acting like they should. The tagline for this film is “A detective story” – but had this not been pointed out to me, the 1940s-esque film noir, “who dunnit?” talk might have been lost on me and I might have been turned off on the whole idea all together. Instead, it works on many levels; afterall the dialogue adds to mood, setting, theme etc.

Oh and yes, that is Tommy from “3rd Rock From the Sun” – baby’s all growns up! And also has an edge I wasn’t expecting from that character. He has the appearance of a timid, lonely teenage boy but really is not afraid to back up his words with actions and will do so. Dare I say, Tommy got cool.

#10: An Inconvenient Truth

Directed by Davis Guggenheim
Starring Al Gore
A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.

What I liked most of this film was the class lecture hall way of getting information across. I know, that doesn't sound like much of a documentary but it did get its point across. No slick charisma. No guerrilla camera crew. Just facts. It took me back to school - with slides, graphs and charts and it accomplished what it set out to do: educate.

Though the film sticks to solid facts, it also looks at Al Gore's personal feelings on the matter; his campaign to reverse the effects of global warming, in hopes to invote the audience to do that same. Though I didn't share the same reflections as Gore in those little interludes between lectures, I did feel a personal awe in the effects the subject matter had on this earth and to me, combined with the charts and such, and the personal reflections, made the point all the more clearer. And if by the end of the movie you're feeling despair or fear, the move tells you exactly what you need to do... how many more clear can you be?

Unless you're a sly email writer like Mr. Ian Morrison... who?

The miVi Top Ten Films of 2006 - an introduction

There was a time when I used to watch a movie at least once a week. There really wasn't a lot to do in Thunder Bay if you're not into bowling, hunting or muddin'. But never have I thought of compiling my favourites of the year until now despite that I really haven't seen a whole lot of films in 2006 (I think I'm at 31). Why now you ask? I'm not sure. Could be that the few I did see had a profound effect on me. The kind of effect that, though the movie may not have been the greatest film of all time, refused to leave my head days later.

Some films that didn't make the cut though were very enjoyable:
Casino Royale
Happy Feet (yes Happy Feet)
The Prestige









Some films that made me want to hurt enfants:
Eragon
X-Men 3
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest

So, with that cleared up, the following posts will discuss what I consider the Best of 2006. These aren't necessarily going to be the movies I think everyone should watch. It's very hard to do that considering I haven't seen every movie this year nor do I have the same taste as everyone. I am not going to explain or review these from an objective point of view (I mean for crying out loud... Clerks 2 is somewhere on this list!)