Little Lohan Lost

I have to express my concern over this photo of La Lohan. The entire thing reminds me of those Calvin Klein ads from the late-90s that were kiddie-porn-esque. This wanton bikini pic has the same vibe. The straggly hair only ads to the image's disturbing nature. Could she look more rough? Add the sparkly sandals and Lindsay is screaming little girl playing dress-up in a most disconcerting way. I mean, seriously, WHAT? was she thinking. And finally, the very fact that this picture exists is kind of freaky. Supposedly taken at Jeremy Piven's Malibu beach party (we will skip the problem that is a barely 20-something at a 40-year-old's b-day bash) how does a random pose like this get snapped and sent online? Who was waiting for Lohan to come out of that room? Why did she decide to pose for it? And who EVER decided that a flesh-toned swimsuit was a good idea?

My Mouse is DEAD!

A few months ago a little mouse made an appearance in my apartment. He liked to scurry behind my television unit and disappear into the base board heater. Some nights I could hear him running along the wall. I found the appearance of this rodent to be interesting because I live on the 20th floor of an institutional-style building. There are very few creature comforts for a mouse. This week I came home to find a notice from the residence department on my counter. They had entered my apartment for "pest control". I knew they were talking about my sometime visitor even though I had never reported his presence. And then tonight I came home to find a present on my kitchen floor - actually my toe nudged a fuzzy package in the dark. There was my mouse, dead, rigid, cutely killed on my red tile floor. I was instantly sad for it. Yes, it is a rodent with potentially nasty health implications but it is also a tiny creature with little black eyes, soft fur, big ears and sweet whiskers. And here it is - dead - on my floor. I think there is something so sad, so humanly superior, in having to pick up a dead mouse by the tail and drop it in the trash. So I decided to immortalize it here. I am inspired by the symmetry of my mousey visitor meeting its end during my last week here. Good bye little guy.

These Days

I am deep in the process of packing up my apartment in residence and getting ready to move out into the city. My first year in Halifax is coming to a close and a new one is about to dawn. I am drastically behind on my non-starter of a research project and I am staring down two months of work-related chaos. The idea of time is moving so fast. My life hurtling forward in some direction that I can't even clearly determine. Today it made me think of one of my favourite Powderfinger songs ...

It's coming round again
The slowly creeping hand
Of time and its command
Soon enough it comes
And settles in its place
Its shadow in my face
Puts pressure in my day

This life well it's slipping right through my hands
These days turned out nothing like i had planned

It's coming round again
The slowly creeping hand
Of time and its demands
It settles in its place
Its shadow in my face
Undignified and lame

This life well it's slipping right through my hands
These days turned out nothing like i had planned
Control well it's slipping right through my hands
These days turned out nothing like i had planned

Soon enough it comes
Soon enough it comes
To tie us down

Pride

Today I went to the Pride parade in Halifax. The rain took a well-timed break in the afternoon to give the rainbows time to shine. It was a lovely parade. I always find things of pride, unity, and respect for humanity to be effecting. It makes me kinda teary-eyed. But in a good way. Thanks to Janet for the invitation and giving me a good reason to get outside today!

Pirates of the Carribean:Dead Man's Chest - movie review

To say that I was excited for the release of this second Pirates film is an understatment. But I still managed to wait until the middle of the week to go see it. These two conflicting realities are a suitable match for my overall reaction to the film: lotsa excitement but also a bit of waiting.

To clarify, Pirates is awesome. It is a visually stunning film that is even more impressive than the first in its use of clever references and CGI. But is also a half hour too long and the audience feels it. Not even the antics of Jack Sparrow (sorry, Captain) can save the drag on this particular ship. And that is a shame because the movie is wonderful otherwise.

The success begins with Johnny Depp. Can the man's genius be expressed enough? In this installment he takes Jack to a darker place. He is selfish and cowardly and not above turning on his friends to save his skin. Sparrow the pirate is in full force and there is movie magic in having the lead character walk the fine line between hero and villain. Whereas he emerged as the former in the previous film, Depp leans very much to the latter side this time around. If it is at all possible to call someone a sinister wingnut then Jack would fit the bill.

Secondly, the film is helmed (again) by Gore Verbinski. I gotta say I am a fan of this guy. And his long-winded pacing aside, he knows how to put together a solid action film that is not braindead. Although Depp gets most of the kudos for the success of the Black Pearl, that film owes much to Verbinski for taking a flimsy concept and shaping an exciting experience. He does the same again and reteams with writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio (also from the first film) to craft a smart summer swashbuckler. This film is filled with sailor lore. Mythology runs deep with references to famous pirates, ancient titans, black curses and deadly sea monsters. The merging of the Kracken legend with images of tentacles dragging ships to the depths is beautiful. Add in the internal references to the first film and the entire affair becomes a meta seafood buffet. The actual story is complex, winding and unresolved. But it is also a fabulous tale about the heart of men of the sea - figuratively and literally.

And then there are the effects. Undoubtedly one of the standout qualities of the first film, the audience is not to be disappointed here. This time around the pirates are plagued with the ravages of the sea. They have sold their souls to the sea and held captive by Davey Jones - who himself has been squid-ified with age. As the years roll on the pirates become the sea itself, their bodies turning into fish, plants and reefs. And so the effects include a fabulous array of semi-transformed sailors that breath the life aquatic. It is spectacular.

Finally, the film pays off the relationships most notably in the return of crushworthy Brit Jack Davenport. Then there is THAT moment between Miss Swan and Captain Jack that is not what poor Will Turner thinks it is. Plus the introduction of one new villain, one freaky lady, one doomed father and the return of an enemy. Really, there is alot of life in this dead man's chest!

Ice Queen

Oh what a lovely day with the sun shining in bright waves over the city. The warmth of the hair is everywhere but not suffocating. Thank goodness for the DQ on the corner. Sometimes - like this time - there is nothing better than ice milk from the queen. I like mine dipped in chocolate. When I am not walking and enjoying, then I usually order a strawberry sundae. DQ strawbs are the sweetest kind. DQ was a common treat when I was kid. And then it became the cool place to stop by with friends. And now it is the lunchtime treat that makes a business day feel like true summer.

The Devil Wears Prada -movie review

To begin with a cliche - the devil is in the details. To continue with another common complaint - the movie is never as good as the book. Sadly, this devil gets the details wrong and appears to be adapted from another book entirely!

I grabbed the book on a whim one day to read in anticipation of the film - this was probably the biggest mistake. Whereas the book works as both an exploration of challenges of being true to oneself and a satire of the fashion industry, the movie appears to skip both these elements and tries to justify the very things chided in the book. This shift would be acceptable if it was done effectively but Devil fails to make an impact.

The movie flounders in two key areas:
1 - it mistakenly attempts to make Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep) sympathetic
2 - it never clearly articulates Andy Sachs' (Anne Hatheway) motivations
The result is that the potential screen gem-ness of the above pairing falls into a mess of montages and weak "moments". Neither actress is given a true role and the experience becomes a frustrating experience of "huhs" and "whys".

Further, the film uses none of the content elements of the book. Instead it builds a silly backstabbing plot that NEVER occured and stands with no support. The effect is that the film continues to perpetuate the stereotypes of powerful women (namely that they must be punished and cannot be ALL bad) rather than break them with a character that is unapologetically horrible from beginning to end. The changes in Andy's story also serve to make her character weak and unlikeable. It is impossible to understand why she continues with her job other than a desire for the material things the film thinks the audience should want. But this is not supposed to be the point.

In the end, a wonderful opportunity for lovely actresses from two generations to make a smart film is lost. Even dressed up in Prada, this Devil is a sinful waste.

Serious Kissage

OK - just when I thought it couldn't get any better than mad-Buffy-watching, HMV puts the first two seasons of Angel on sale. Admittedly, I am seriously late to the Angel picnic (years of NO cable will do this!) and I cannot believe why I stayed away so long. Honestly I never really fancied Angel in the early years and it is only now, in my renewed enjoyment of the Buffyverse, that I have seen the light. So with that in mind I am working my way through season one. And then it happens - the episode wherein Buffy comes to visit. Then Angel becomes mortal. And there is epic sea-side kissage in the sun! And the hotness increases as they get with the gropey on the kitchen table! Damn - do these characters have chemistry! But of course it cannot last. And by the final frame I am bawling my eyes out as Buffy does wide-eyed sorrow and Angel is stoically tearful in their LAST MINUTE of total happiness together. OMG! This show rocks!

Tagged

I got tagged by Cindy on her site. So here are my responses:

4 Jobs I've had in my life:
1) Food Prep Master at Wendy's
2) Project Leader (for longer than most) with Katimavik
3) Manager of the bestest sandwich shop in Melbourne, Aus = Pott's Pantry
4) Finace & Administration Manager back with Katimavik

4 movies I would watch over and over:
1) The Empire Strikes Back
2) The Usual Suspects
3) Pretty in Pink
4) Rounders

4 Places I have lived
1) Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada
2) Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
3) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
4) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

4 TV Shows I love to watch (currently ON the air!)
1) Project Runway
2) Grey's Anatomy
3) House
4) CSI

4 Places I have been on Vacation
1) Japan
2) Mexico
3) Cuba
4) Alberta (it's kinda like another country sometimes)

4 Websites I look at daily
1) E! Online
2) Go Fug Yourself
3) Fametracker
4) The Weather Network

Twenty-Four Hours ... Kinda

I did my first 24-hr charity relay this weekend. Thanks to the stellar organization of Nancy, a team of MBA-ers (and come friends!) got together at Husky Stadium to run laps, play games and enjoy beers all in the name of the Easter Seals Abilities Foundation. I didn't even kid myself that I could make it 24 hours. But I did a good chunk of the afternoon. I sat in the dunk tank and got soaked (thanks Morten!). I ran laps at 3:30 IN THE MORNING! At 4am I had to head to bed. But good times.

Superman Returns - movie review

I was a little girl in the early 80s and I loved the Superman movies. If you are also someone who enjoyed the first flight with Lois, the moment in the pool with the kryptonite at the hands of Lex Luther, the frozen lake being pushed through the sky, the jumpsuit-clad trio led by Terence Stamp, the fight between Superman and his evil self and the awshucks grin of Reeve's Clark Kent then you are like me. And, from the evidence in this most recent Superman installment, Bryan Singer is one of us.

Upfront I must admit to being Singer's bitch on occassion. Afterall, he is the guy that made The Usual Suspects and the director that brought texture and life to the first two X-Men films. In truth I was saddened to hear that X3 would not be under his guidance. The reason? He was bringing Superman back to us instead. And Singer's Superman is made for those of us who grew up watching the previous films.

The first complaint that anyone will make about Superman Returns is that it is a film that doesn't really go anywhere new. The story is simplistic and the famous romance is decidedly underwhelming. As well, the film feels almost relaxed compared to action films these days. But these elements (structure, style and pacing) are part of the experience. The movie flows in the same beats as the originals. From the moment the credits flash across the screen to the re-mixed theme to the last time Superman lifts into the air the entire feature is an exercise in BEING the Superman we remember. It is an homage, not a reinvention, and it succeeds wonderfully.

Beyond the structural symmetry, the film offers basic action sequences with flair. An in-flight disaster, a sinking ship, and a downtown earthquake are stock disaster moments. In the end, the strength comes in the seamless effects and excellent integration of Superman to the action. It is hard to not get giddy watching Superman slowly bring an out of control jumbo jet to a safe thud in the midst of a baseball diamond. When the audience feels they are IN the action, then it is done well - I didn't even see the 3-D version!

Perhaps the greatest challenge for the film is Superman himself. I confess to being skeptical that anyone could replace Christopher Reeve. But we are offered Brandon Routh who appears to have sprung fully-formed as Superman. He is flawless - just as Superman should be. He has the height. The kind eyes. The grin. The perfect curl on the brow despite the circumstances. Singer takes time to linger on the form of Routh and no complaints will come from me in that area. The performance never feels like charicature nor does it ring false. He is satisfying in all respects.

Outside of Superman, we get a crew of adequate supporting players. Although no one stands out as exceptional, no one grates as a distraction either (ok - I could have done without Parker Posey - but even her 80s-inspired moll fits the mood of the film). The use of a post-humour Marlon Brando is a tad overdone but effective as well. As Lois Lane, a brunette Kate Bosworth is passable. Her one "romantic" scene with Routh contains comfortable chemistry but a complete lack of kissage is disappointing. Kevin Spacey is an acceptable next-generation Lex and his moment of strolling a black crystal landmass in a white cashmere coat allows his personality to shine.

By the end, Superman has returned in a style that any fan will recognize. And like all great homecomings the feelings are in what you remember and not in the what has changed.

Bio-Blog#13 ... Scott

Wow - it has actually been so long between bio-blogs that I forgot what number I was on. And then it turns out that my dear buddy Scott ends up being lucky number 13. Too sweet on that. Scott is one of my longest-standing male friends and part of the my first university crew that included Dave and Cathy. He is, without doubt, one of my biggest fans and I can always count on him to remind me of my super-duper qualities. He also credits me with being instrumental in teaching him how to dress - a task that desperately needed to be accomplished. He is quite swank now. And married. And a father. And I am so happy for him. And his friendship.

I am … struggling to become a grown-up
I can … write a little
I love … that I've been allowed to survive long enough to live this part of my life
I will … take great pride in achieving my goals on my own terms

What is your sign? Taurus also "Slippery When Wet"
Where were you born? Brantford, ON
Where do you live now? Oakville, ON

What has been the best place you've visited in between and why?
I don't know. I don't think I've been there yet.

What is your favourite:
Movie: The Big Lebowski
Book: The Great Shark Hunt by Hunter S. Thompson
TV Show: Arrested Development (yeah, I know it's cancelled, don't remind me)
Drink: Crown and Coke

Who is your celebrity hottie of choice?
I don't really have one, I find them pretty interchangeable.

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world ... who would it be and why?
My brother, because it would mean he was home safe from Afghanistan

How do you know Raye?
From Ryerson Journalism School – she was the smartest one there

What 3 words would you use to describe Raye?
Brilliant, creative, worthy

Do you have your own website?
RaptorBlog.com

Resolve

In case you didn't remember or know, I gave up NYE resolutions last year in favour of Canada Day ones. I just felt that making new plans in the summer season was a better idea. Last year my resolutions were as follows:

a) lose (and keep off) 10 lbs
b) engage in one physical activity (of 20 minutes plus) each day
c) seriously apply for admission to a PhD program for September
d) re-alocate the majority of my shopping dollars to social and development activities/opportunities

What can I say? It is one year later and my progress is thus:

a) I haven't lost that 10lbs but I have re-distributed my weight enough to drop a size. Bring on the size 10! Point me in the direction of things labelled MED.

b) Yeah - not so much. I have realized that my physical activity moves in phases and I have not yet established a solid routine. However, I have gotten to the point of running 3 times a week for 20mins. And I walk to & from work everyday. I have been a bit slack on my muscles routine.

c) well, the PhD plan went out the window in October. By February the 1-year MBA had also been re-tooled. But I am now working full-time in a relevant and enjoyable job and continuing my studies. Graduation will likely be fall 2007 and fingers are still crossed about the longetivity of work.

d) I still shop like a fiend. It is my way of filling the sad spots in my life. But I also got season tickets to the theatre and joined a volunteer Board of Directors - so, not all bad.

For the coming year I have reformulated my resolutions into the guiding principles of my RIP (Raye Improvement Plan - thanks Nancy!). They are not SMART goals but rather the foundation for decision-making. For the 2006/2007 year they are:

a) Honesty
b) Emotional Health
c) Internal Locus of Control
d) Work Mastery
e) Academic Accomplishment
f) Self-love/Pride/Respect
g) Health/Fitness/Beauty

I am also working on keeping my plant alive. If it survives to 6-months then I am going to add another to the household. And I have realized that I would like a dog - so I hope to be somewhere that allows me to have my own pet within 2 years. And for my 35th birthday year I want to do the trek to Everest base camp and that is my motivation to keep the running up (cause I need the cardio fitness) and save some money.

Happy Canada Day! Welcome to a new year!