Snipers run silent on streets: point and aim. A target, the boy - his blood flies wild. Lightning bolts rain hell from rooftops; their game? To kill before being killed. Poor child. The mice move on. Victim number two. It. Her. Suspicious eyes. Bang! Bang! Red. A baby wails in pain. Its heart was hit. Both souls soar high towards heaven ahead. The locus spread. Bodies and bodies pile. Point and aim. The thunderclouds move for show. Little girl, the target from a mile. Her face says something that you didn't know. She pulls a gun from the heel of her boot. The hunter now hunted. Point. Aim. Shoot.
This is a sonnet I wrote for Grade 11 English a few years ago. It's not perfect, as in the some of the syllables and counting are off.
I realized I missed some big ones for this category.
- Kim Possible - I have seen every episode at least twice. Oh, and the Naked Mole Rap is awesome :)
- Lizzie McGuire - This show was one of my faves, following the lives of Miranda, Lizzie and Gordo as they go through middle school. The movie was great as well. - Class of 3000 - A short lived animated series by Andre 3000 from Outkast, about kids at a music school. The music is FANTASTIC. - The Weekenders- A Disney show about four friends in Bahia Bay and their lives. Hilarious for an animated show, with an awesome theme song.
Favourite Talk Show
I don't watch talk shows really because I think interviews are awkward, and I tend to avoid awkward things. - Rick Mercer Report - not too sure if this would really qualify as a talk show, but he does interviews, mostly while doing random and very cool things - The Ellen Degeneres Show- who doesn't watch this?
Favourite Drama/Action
- The Good Wife- Best drama of the year. Hands down. - NCIS - Drama? I don't know, but I've seen almost every single episode. Here's a blog about it. - Hawaii Five-O- Crime? In Hawaii? Bring it! - Bones - After about 6 seasons, Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, and Booth, and FBI agent, need to hurry up and get the hell together. - Body of Proof- This only started a few weeks ago but I love it! It's about a neurosurgeon who can no longer perform surgeries so she becomes a medical examiner.
Shows I need to finish
- Hellcats- a show about cheerleaders featuring Ashley Tisdale and Aly Michalka - The Mentalist - a "physic" helps the police solve crime - Lie To Me - A man who is extremely good at scientifically telling if people are lying or not, helps the FBI and various clients solve their problems, with the help of his team.
Yeah, Wipeout's awesome.
Favourite Reality Shows
I don't necessarily watch these on a regular basis because I know what happens if I miss them, but they're good shows. Although there are waaayyy too many ANTMs and I've stopped watching them.
- Big Brother - The Amazing Race - The Celebrity Apprentice - America's Next Top Model - Wipeout and Wipeout Canada
Favourite Canceled Shows
- Hidden Palms - this was on a few years ago, but I was pissed when they canceled it mid-season. - Kings- beautifully made show that was apparently to expense to continue, and was canceled before they finished the season!
Favourite Informational Shows
Things that show on the Discovery Channel, History Channel, TVO, things like that
- Mythbusters - Underworld Histories - Ultimate Engineering - Mega Structures - If you're going to watch any, watch the one on the Petronas Towers. Those Malaysians are crazy good.
Favourite Music Related Shows
How many shows can really fit into this category...
- Glee
Favourite Mini-Series
- Alice (Sy-Fy)- based on Alice in Wonderland - Tin Man (SyFy) - Based on the Wizard of Oz, with Zooey Deschanel as Dorothy - Sherlock(BBC) - I was soooo pissed when I discovered there were only 3 episodes. But they are continuing it, thank goodness!!
(Kind of long post ahead) I am finally typing up this post on the debates with an election update. I had my Spanish exam last night (7 till 10 pm. Stupid exam times). It was hard because all those drugs from the surgery on Friday were impeding my ability to concentrate and so for about a good 30 mins I was planning what to do in case the 100+ students in the gym taking the exam with me we suddenly stuck inside due to horrendous weather and how we would survive. Anywho, time for politics:
Elizabeth May
On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, Canada held their political debates between the federal party leaders. (my post about the election here). Before the debates even began, there was controversy. 4/5 main federal parties were allowed to participate. The Green party, the smallest of them all, was excluded. Why? Because that party doesn't have a seat in parliament. Despite receiving around 1 million votes in the last federal election, their lack of parliamentary representation did not allow them to participate.
Some questioned why the Bloc Quebecois, a separatist party from Quebec, should be permitted to debate, seeing as they only have seats in Quebec and that's where their interests lie. Others defended the Green party's position that they have a significant number of votes and a female voice (the head of the Green party is a woman) may be needed. The leader, Elizabeth May, participated in the previous debate a few years ago and handled herself quite nicely.
The debaters
The Tuesday debate was in English. Although I have yet to watch it, it seems to have been entertaining, or so the media, my brother and my friends have said. Apparently Twitter was a buzz, with #db8 (or something like that) being the trending topic. (I don't know if my terminology is correct since I don't use Twitter.) I've heard barely anything on the actually politics, so much as one liners, insults, the PM's behaviour and the set.
The NDP Leader Jack Layton seemed to have delivered the best performance, attacking the Conservatives and making his parties policies clear. The randomest line I heard of was one my brother told me about, by Liberal leader Iggy, on the controversial long gun registry. He said "Women get killed with long guns, short guns, they don't care. All they know is they're dead." Random I know. I don't even see how it's relevant.
Kind of creepy right?
The prime minister's behaviour was talked about everywhere. Instead of addressing his fellow debaters when answering a question, he looked into the cameras, as if he was talking to the Canadian people. I watched some of the French debate on Wednesday and he did it there too. It was weird and kind of creepy. I understand that you want it to seem like you are having a direct conversation with the audience, but you're not. It just looked wrong and out of place.
Lastly there was the issue of the set. It looked like something out of a bad 70's game show. The colours ranged from dark grey to light grey and from orange to burnt sienna. Exciting. It was so drab and dreary and completely unnecessary. It is not very hard to find a suitable place to put four podiums, two moderators and an audience of 120 people. Go to any university, news studio, auditorium or theatre. Hopefully someone took note for next time.
I just read an article today about how some Americans have been taking note of what has been happening here; not so much on how it will affect the States, but rather our "antics", if you will. The French debate was originally scheduled to be held on the Thursday, but was moved because of a Montreal Canadiens game. It was a smart choice because it was the first in the playoffs (I think) and since the French debate really is aimed at Quebec, and Montreal is in Quebec, they would have watched the game. Although apparently Americans should be taking note, because other parties besides the Conservatives, are taking aim at American energy imports and ways to decrease them.
Also, there is a movement started by Canada's favourite political comedian and ranter, Rick Mercer, to get students and youth to vote. And it seems to have been met with some success. I can say that I have seen many political debates and ideas, as well as groups and pages on Facebook to encourage people my age to sign up vote and become involved. We are not taken seriously as a political group and our needs are not met. I hope that will change and people will vote!
Election days is May 2nd and I still have not registered o_o. I completely forgot and now that it is Easter Weekend, I am not sure if I can, but I will be looking into that... Sorry this post is so long, but, have a good weekend :)
Happy Easter/Passover/Earth Day/General over all day!!!
I am currently working on a post about the federal debates that happened last week, but for now, TELEVISION!! Because that's all I have been doing: watching television, surfing the net, drinking my food and complaining about the pain in my mouth. I really should be studying for my Spanish exam in two days, but why would I when television is so much more interesting :) So here are some of my faves in various interchangeable categories.
Favourite Canadian Show
Canada has produced some awesome shows over the years. These ones are the ones I like that I can remember.
- Republic of Doyle - about a private investigator in Newfoundland. Very good. - InSecurity - A comedy about a fictional gov't agency - Radio Free Roscoe - fantastically fantastic pre-teen/teen drama set in Manitoba that went on for 2 seasons - Corner Gas - Probably the most known Canadian comedy show about a gas station in Saskatchewan - Little Mosque onthe Prairie - what it sounds like - 18 to Life - the lives of two 18 year olds who get married
Favourite British Show
Not like I watch a lot of them...
- Doctor Who(of course!) - new season starts Saturday!! (click here for trailer)
- Misfits - pure awesomeness!
Favourite Comedy/Sit-Com
- Psych- funniness involving a "physic" detective and his best friend in Southern California - Community - Probably the funniest/strangest thing on T.V. now - The Big Bang Theory
Favourite Off Air Show
- Star Trek (TNG, DS9 and Voyager)- I love me some Star Trek. The new movie was great too.
Favourite 80s Show
- Golden Girls - Iwatched every single episode in the fall on YouTube and am re-watching them now on television. Those girls are hilarious. Who knew old age could be so fun!
Favourite 90s Show
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air- Will Smith = ♥ - Saved by the Bell
Favourite Sci-Fi Show
- Being Human (U.S.)- I plan to watch the original British version about this ghost, vampire and werewolf, once I finish this season. - Torchwood- The move to America better not ruin this show!!After 3 seasons of awesome British-ness, I have expectations!!
AGENT P!!! (Phineas and Ferb)
Favourite Children's Show
- The Imagination Movers - Fantastic show involving music and Brainstorming! - Arthur- a classic of course - Phineas and Ferb- if you have not seen this, shame on you!! It's the best animated Disney show in a LONG time. It is great for literally alllll ages, with some catchy musical numbers - Life with Derek - a Canadian show about a blended family - Wingin' It - Another Canadian show involving a high school student and his guardian angel
As you can probably tell, I watch too many shows… Any recommendations for a new Sci-Fi show? I'm think Battlestar Galactica or one of the Star Gates, but I'm not sure….
*Warning: Lots of pictures* I really enjoy making things, sewing, creating collages, etc. My friend's dad says I have a knack for making random junk into cool junk. So I thought I would share some of the more recent, and not so recent, things I have made. Around Christmas time, I decided to do a "12 Days of Crafting" thing on Facebook, though I only made it up to 8. It was a good experience though. There are explanations with the photos. Hope you like them :) Links to some of the tutorials I used or my inspirations, are below.
Part of a calendar I had to make in my gr 11 World Religions class. We were supposed to draw, but since I can't I used magazines to create images depicting the religion. This one is Aboriginal Spirituality.
Hinduism
Shinto
Redecorated bangles
T-shirt Necklace
12 Days: A paper clip and bead necklace
12 Days: Collage clock. Made with magazines and googly eyes
12 Days: The Life Cycle of a Fish
From fish...
...to sushi! yumm (I'm working on a shark version)
12 Days: Glitter Shoes
I glued on a bunch of rhinestones to the heels
Then BAM! I glitterized!
12 Days: Funky Snowflake
12 Days: Some cushions
12 Days: Chocolate Mice
A failed attempt
They were a present for my friend's family. I used Almond slices for the ears, icing for the face, Hershey's kisses for the head and a Maraschino cherry for the bottom.
I hope to hop back on the crafting bandwagon, probably with some jewelry and clothes, once my last exam is over on wednesday. Also, there are about 5 April birthdays between me and my friends, and we plan on having a get together b-day bash, so I'll post the presents I made/possibly buy for them.
A few hours ago I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed. It was my first surgery (and hopefully my last). I wasn't really scared until I was sitting in a room, with two nurses, an anesthesiologist and an oral surgeon. The lovely Hispanic nurse was making jokes trying to calm me down while the anesthesiologist was sticking a needle into my arm and the other nurse was arranging my bib. What fun that was. -_-
The possible ways they can grow in.
Before hand I had to read and sign a sheet explaining everything that could happen. I was a bit freaked out, because it reminded me of the drug commercials where they tell you every possible side effect before you even know if you qualify for the drug, which makes me wonder why you would take it in the first place.
Next thing I know, I'm in a different room, slowly gaining consciousness while sitting on a bench. I was weak, couldn't talk and everything was fuzzy. My mouth felt weird and sore and I couldn't stand up. But as I slowly come too, I realized that it felt like barely anytime has passed. It had been almost an hour, but felt like less than five minutes to me.
About 15 mins later, I was well enough to walk out and head home. My dad had to drive me because they could not realize me on my own. So now I am sitting on my bed, listening to the new Jessie J album and biting on four pieces of gauze, trying to stop the bleeding. It's not really working, considering there's still blood everywhere. I haven't eaten in over 12 hours, and can't until I stop bleeding. The whole bottom half of my mouth is numb and taking pills is a hassle. But it's all good. I'm just chilling while my dad is getting a blender and more gauze.
I've heard horror stories from my friends, classmates and dad about problems, complications, dry cavities, swelling and broken stitches. I'm still worried something might happen, but I grateful everything has gone well so far. I had to get my teeth out because they were crowding my other ones, pushing them together. There wasn't enough room for them and I have to get braces as well :( But now I'm going to sit back, dream of smoothies, and catch up on my Good Wife. :)
After lots of recent conversations about Barbados with my parents, I thought it might be interesting to write a bit about it. Not stuff you can easily read in tour guide, but something a little more Bajan. My whole family is from Barbados, living in different places and countries, but with one proud Caribbean heritage. It's a small island that people might not know a lot about so, courtesy of CIA World Factbook, the BBC and my general knowledge, here's Barbados in a nutshell:
Population:286, 705 (July 2010 est.)
Capital: Bridgetown
Area: 430 sq km (166 sq miles)
Language: English (a Bajan dialect)
Major Religion: Christianity
Government: Parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Independence: 30 November 1966 (from the UK)
Economy: tourism is the biggest source of revenue, an overtake from sugarcane exports
1. Bajans from Bim
For some reason unbeknownst to me, Bajans (pronounced Asian with a "b"), the colloquial term for Barbadians, call Barbados Bim. Bim?!?! This makes no sense to me what so ever.
2. Nicknames
A good majority of people have nicknames. When I say nickname, I mean an alternate name that everybody calls you. Your name could be Andrew, but for some reason, every single person calls you Hill. Or Pepsi. And at times, people don't even know your real name. I heard a story about a funeral and in Barbados, everyone listens to the obituary on the radio. So the family put out an announcement of the death, using the deceased's real name. People had no idea who that was and some never made it to the funeral because they didn't recognize the name. It's that intense. Sometimes your nickname is another real name, like Jack. So when people discover your real name, it's quite a shock. This name phenomenon seems to be more predominant with males than females. It's weird, but kind of endearing at the same time.
3. Free public transportation for students and seniors
This just seems logical to me and I wish it was implemented in more countries, but I assume it is the cost that is preventative. All schools wear uniforms and once a student is wearing their uniform, they can board the bus for free. Seniors have an I.D. card they carry and show when boarding. The cost of riding the bus is relatively cheap as well. Last time I was there about two years ago, it cost $1.50 Bajan every time I took the bus. One Bajan dollar is equal to approximately $0.50 U.S. (and now Canadian because we are more or less on par with the U.S.)
4. The meaning behind the flag
You might be able to find this information in a guide book, (actually probably), but I'm including it anyways. I like the meaning. The two bands of blue represent the sky and the sea, both the Caribbean sea and the Atlantic ocean. The gold symbolizes the sand and the sun. The broken trident in the middle represents the breaking of the colonial reign of the U.K. and independence from Great Britain. What gets me is that the trident makes it seem like there was some sort of revolution. Yet there wasn't. Barbados has always been very peaceful and ties with the U.K are very good. The revolutionary symbolism amuses me, and I like the fact that it is a unique looking flag. I also like that the meaning is simple. I have no idea what the colours of Canada's flag mean...
View from the top on a cloudy day
5. You can drive the perimeter of the island in 90 mins
The island is that small. My cousin drove myself and my brother around the island in about that time. We when to a look out point, saw the northern most region, ate in a tourist town, headed south and then back home. Now 90 mins is no way to experience the whole island, but it is an interesting experience. My dad says at night, you can get around in about 50 mins. The roads are a bit crazy, as are the drivers, so I don't doubt that.
Although February has long past, I've decided to share my thoughts on the month. Not on February itself, but more so on black history month and my thoughts surrounding it. I understand the reasoning behind the month but I think it is a bit outdated and perhaps irrelevant. I thought about this after a conversation with my dad. He was reading the newspaper and saw that a prominent Jamaican Canadian had died. He asked me if I had ever heard of him and I said no. What a shame that many people will not remember him or recognize the work he had done for the city, said my father.
His statement made me think about black history month; about how the focus is on history, and mainly American history at that. I think that it is extremely important to remember the past and those who sacrificed and fought for the lives we have now. Understanding the past helps us live in the present and plan for the future. But I also think that people seem to over look the present, not to mention the local. Not enough emphasis is being placed on people who are currently making a difference: the current black community. Those are the people who will serve as role models in the future, but are not getting the recognition they deserve now.
As a child, I always wondered why there was a black history month and not a Chinese, Filipino, Chilean or Irish one. I never understood, but I think I do now. I think it was created out of need for recognition of the black community's place in modern society, especially after the events of the civil rights movements and such. There must have been great force behind it. But that place has been established. If the history is so important that it warrants a whole month, maybe this is an indication that it should be placed somewhere more permanent. In a curriculum perhaps, which talks about civil rights movements, on both sides of the border. A curriculum that not only includes the black community, but one that is more inclusive of other nations.
Canada has a strong European past, mainly French and English, and the history we learn is centered around that. Although in my opinion, there is not enough emphasis on other cultures, considering how multicultural and diverse we claim to be. Not only that, but it would also be nice to learn a bit about the history of the city you live in, how it came to be, the different groups that shaped it into what it is today. I know some cultures played a greater role than others, but that doesn't mean they should be forgotten.
What I am trying to say is that black history month is not needed, but should rather be turned into an opportunity to learn about past contributions of various communities, as well as those who are still trying to improve the world today. All of this is unlikely to happen, because there is only so much you can teach and people are stubborn, but one can only dream.
♥ Turtles
P.S. Here's a little life lesson for ya: "If a man is coming at you with a sword, run. Kung Fu doesn't always work." - Bruce Lee
Last night, the awesome singer-songwriter Kina Grannis came to Toronto. I went with a my friend Amanda for her birthday - Happy Birthday!!! (It's today). Anyway, Kina was FANTASTIC!! Honestly, she is soooo good live. For those who don't know, Kina started singing covers and putting original material on YouTube in 2007, (although she has been singing for longer), and has been growing ever since. She is a brilliant singer with such an honest voice. She recently released her newest album, a remastered version of her 2010 album "Stairwells". We bought the deluxe edition which has covers and extra material as well as music videos.
Imaginary Friend (sorry for bad pic quality)
The show started about 40 mins late, probably because people took so long to get in. It was sold out and held at the Great Hall, in Toronto, the third stop on her tour. The late start was really only frustrating because Amanda and I were terribly hungry due to the fact that we didn't have the sense to eat before we left. Her opening act, Imaginary Friend, was great. Just a man with a guitar and a soothing voice. You can see him on facebook, myspace or Twitter, with the name "imaginarytweets" (hehehe).
Then Kina came on, to a much adoring crowd. We Torontonians love her :) She opened with "The World in Front of Me", the name of her tour. Her set consisted of new songs, like "In Your Arms", old favourites, such as "Valentine" and "Message From Your Heart" and some requests shouted out by the crowd. She was very laid back and fun and awesome to see live. You can actually listen to the regular version of the CD on AOL New Releases. Amanda had only heard Valentine before going to the concert and she loved it :)
*unrelated stuff ahead*
Amanda and I didn't stay for the meet and greet with Kina because we were just so hungry and she had class all day the next day. So we headed back to my place but decided to stop for pizza up the street. We went to Pizza Pizza, and got a large pepperoni because there was a deal. It was almost midnight, there was a music video about zombie ninjas playing, so naturally our conversation shifted to a lovely discussion on whether or not ninjas could be zombies and zombies ninjas. While we were waiting for our gooey deliciousness to arrive, some guy, named Adam apparently, comes in and asks to sit down at our table. The restaurant was empty with lots of free space, but we said yes (cuz we're polite). Then he joined out conversation, explaining the origins of ninjas and samurais. He continued to talk about random stuff, got our pizza for us and talked while we ate and listened. He told some unrelated story about an 18 year old in a bar (19's the drinking age in Ontario) and was like 18!! Ohh those high schoolers. Then he asks us, so you're in university right? We answer yes (it's true) so he continues to talk for a bit. When he gets up to get us napkins, he asks, you guys are 21 right? Nope. 19 (one more month still for me). He says ohh, sort of finishes what he was talking about, gets his jacket and leaves, like he's about to be caught doing something wrong. Really? Honestly? I've had plenty of conversations with random strangers (of all ages - old people especially). I mean, he seemed like a perfectly normal guy who just liked talking to people at midnight on a Wednesday, but that 19 thing just threw us off. Did he expect something to happen? If he tried anything, we would have gone all zombie ninja on his ass.
Thoughts on Zombie Ninjas or got some Kina Love? Leave in the comments :)
♥ Turtles
p.s. Two music videos:
My fave Kina song that she did not sing unfortunately.
I don't know how many of you know, but in just over a month's time, Canada is having a federal election. AGAIN. This is the 4th one in 7 years. Ridiculous, I know. But what gets me is that I am relatively sure the whole country knows who is going to win. Just like in the last election. It will be Stephen Harper, our current prime minister. He and his Conservative party (like a more liberal version (a lot more) of the American's republicans and a bit more to the right than Obama's democrats), have been ruling this country with a minority government since 2006. And after the election on May 2nd, it will be the same. Some seats might have shifted here and there and it might be a larger minority, but still not a majority.
Why, you may ask, are we having another election? Because recently, a House of Commons committee has found the Harper Government (he actually changed the name on official documents from "Government of Canada" to "Harper Government") in contempt of parliament, because they had withheld documents on various subjects such budget spending and taxes. This is the first time that any one in the British Commonwealth (which we are apart of) has been found guilty of such a thing. And that triggered an election.
Liberal Leader Iggy
My frustration stems from the fact that I feel like we just went through the same old stuff. The Conservatives has been airing attack ads on television for months, before there was even any official talk of an election. Their target has been the Liberal party (see below) leader, Michael Ignatieff. Their amo? He spent the last 10 or so years in the States, being an academic and teaching at Harvard, apparently only coming back to be prime minister. It actually makes for execellent ads, with the tagline, "He didn't come back for you!" While Iggy was popular upon his return to Canada, he soon fell out of favour. Which really leaves Harper as the only one to run the country because he's done it before and he's the only one we can picture on a world scale.
This election is going to be the last for many. Iggy will probably get replaced, and Harper might not run next time. The leader of the NDP (more info below), is really sick and the Quebec leader has been head of his party since 1997 and will probably stay there for awhile. So while this election may bring issues such as healthcare and education to much needed debate and attention, we all know what the outcome will be because there really aren't that many options. Hopefully next time there will be some fresh new faces and ideas that will really get the country excited.
I know some of you may not be well versed in Canadian politics, so here's just a bit of basic info:
Ridings in Greater Toronto Area, for example
We are a constitutional monarchy, with the Queen (the British one), being our head of state.
The Prime Minister is our head of government and the Governor General is the Queen's representative
We are divided into 10 provinces and 3 territories
Our electoral system is nothing like in the States (I still don't understand it and I've read both constitutions). The country is divided into ridings, like little sectors, and within each riding there are parties with candidates running for office. The ridings are the same both provincially and federally.
The size of the riding is based upon population
The party with most seats is the "ruling" party, if you will, and their leader becomes the Prime Minister. The party with the second highest number becomes the opposition. A majority means they have the majority of seats. A minority means they have more seats than the other parties, but the combined seats of the opposition and other parties is greater than the ruling party.
On the federal level, we have five major parties (in order of current popularity nationally):
The Conservative Party,
The Liberal Party (like the Democrats, but more liberal),
The Bloc Quebecois (a Quebec nationalist/separatist party),
The New Democratic Party ( far left),
The Green Party (environmental party).
Now I know Canadian politics may not be your thing, but I hope you learned a little something something about it :)
♥ Turtles
P.S. Rick Mercer = the best political ranter in Canada. check it out! (his skits and show are awesome as well)
