Lily-Livered No More

This is my new plant. I bought it today - it's called a Peace Lily which is the perfect name for my current frame of mind. I bought it because I need to work on keeping something alive. I have always been down on my green-thumb potential but I figured I have to start somewhere. I bought it because I need to work on peace of mind and part of that is about speaking up and clearing up my life. I have come to realize that the only way to "let someone go" is to be honest that you want to hold on to them in the first place. For me, this has always been the hard part. Admitting what I really want and then putting that into words with respect to other people has not been one of my strengths. But I worked on it today when I finally took control of one of my emotional drains. And then I bought my lily. The plant is the first step in re-affirming my right to have positive things in my life - and who knows - maybe this one will flourish.

Thank you for Smoking - movie review

I have been waiting to see this film ever since I caught the trailer on one of my weekly visits to my fave trailer site a couple of months ago. And then I missed it during the festival circuit. And then all the press about it after Sundance had to do with "the missing Katie Holmes sex scene". And then I forgot about it. And then it opened in Halifax and I had to go. Well, it was worth the wait. Best comedic satire of the year (sorry American Dreamz).

Smoking is short and sharp. Like most solid movies it comes from written source material (the novel by Christopher Buckley) and you can see it in the structure. At 92 minutes, the film might sound like a waste of your $10-13 but if people will dish out for The Benchwarmers @ 85mins. or Scary Movie 4 @ 83!mins. then the commentary-packed time of Smoking is money well spent.

Smoking centers around lobbyist Nick Naylor and follows his path from "Sultan of Spin" for Big Tobacco to, well, "Sultan of Spin" for other ethically flexible enterprises. If this journey sounds short it's not. The movie navigates through ethical debate, logical argument, and corporate responsibility. It introduces us to the MOD = Merchants of Death (tobacco, alcohol and guns), the consumers, and the consequences with a razor-sharp and intelligent approach. The film succeeds at illuminating the tobacco industry as criminal even as the central character is extolling its virtues. It's completely clever.

Acting is crucial in a film like this one. Thankfully, Aaron Eckhart is leading the way on this crusade. If you don't know him (or only know him from Erin Brokovich or The Core) then I suggest you take a look at Neil LeBute's early films In The Company of Men and Friend & Neighbors which were the launchpads for Eckhart's career. They also show that he is potentially the best actor in Hollywood to portray moral ambiguity in a character and not appear utterly villainous (i.e. John Malkovich or Willem Dafoe). In Smoking, he is in his element. He is all charm and grin and wit and eloquence. And his eyes tell you everything that he's not saying. It's wonderful to watch and makes you root for Naylor even at his worst. The supporting cast is strong with Maria Bello, Robert Duvall, William H. Macy and Rob Lowe (!) turning in convincing performances with the requisite amount of wink for a film of this kind. Sam Elliot IS the Marlboro Man - seriously. Adam Brody and Katie Holmes try their best but both are easily replaceable. Oh - and that sex scene? It's there - and its entertaining but I've never belived Holmes as a sexpot and she doesn't sell it here either.

Many things work well in Smoking. The direction and pacing are on target and keep the film hopping along. Creative set-ups and smart editing take advantage of what the film medium allows and weave the various smoking viewpoints together with style. But the best element is the character of Nick Naylor's son. As a mild Jiminey Cricket figure, the son follows Naylor on his journey and pushes the father to explain, defend, and support his actions. The interaction between the two characters is the core of the Smoking debate - one about choice. It also emphasizes the need to question assumptions and to educate ourselves (and our children) because the choice is empty if it is not an informed one. In the end, I think that Thank you for Smoking might be the best film to watch for anyone struggling with the convergence of ethics, business and health. All that in an hour and half - they must have had a smoker's needs at heart!

Girl Crush

Can I admit to having a girl crush on Mandy Moore? It's been a slow, creeping, steady buildup to this crush and I succumbed to its reality when one of the reasons I wanted to see American Dreamz is because she is in it. And she doesn't disappoint. She may have began her career singing sugar-coated ballads and tossing her blonde curls but that has all changed. At 22-years-old, Moore has evolved into the refreshing opposite of new millenium pop-starlet-ness. She actually became a brunette. She has created a line of flirty Tshirts (company name: Mblem) that I would actually wear! She dates intelligent dork Zach Braff. She seamlessly moves between films and albums without either feeling like a vanity attempt. She shows up on red carpets in demure, classy, elegant, and stylish ensembles that make her lovely rather than lewd. She has never appeared to have an eating disorder. She has never made the front page of "Scoop" in a blurry, post-bar drunken photo. And yet, this potential goody-goody-ness is not annyoing. If anything, it makes her more likable. And as the door swings open for a new girl-next-door (now that Katie Holmes has, you know, gone crazy) I feel more than justified in supporting Moore for that title. Squeeee - crushes are so girly!

Me & T and Nancy Makes Three

I was fortunate enough this year to make the acquaintance of two spectacular ladies in the accelerated stream of the MBA program. My twosome with Tanya became a threesome in the second semester with Nancy. We are fun, fearless and fantastic. And tonight we celebrated the end of the academic year. Here's a look back ... it only paves the way for a fricken awesome future.

SEPTEMBER - Whitepoint Beach Retreat & Crystal Crescent Cleanup

OCTOBER - Halloween & DECEMBER - Ten Mile House at the Pogue

JANUARY - MBA Games & Second Semester Pub Crawl

FEBRUARY - Spring Break Party

MARCH - Greg's Bday & MY Bday

APRIL - MBA Formal & Post-Case Competition Pub

A Good Catch

Finally saw the 1970 movie version of the classic book by Joseph Heller. What can I say? It was excellent. Mike Nichols manages to take the schizophrenic joyride of Heller's novel and turn it into a solidly entertaining political romp through WWII. The cast is a full-on who's who of soon-to-be movie regulars with Alan Arkin sealing the deal as Cpt. Yossarian. Although much is still left on the pages, the movie achieves an enormous feat by matching the book's clarity and confusion all at once. Well worth the watch.

The Errors of My Ways

Two full weeks into my new job on my own and ... ouch! A couple of time-consuming errors have made my days much longer than I hope they will be in the future. I am not a fan of my mistakes. At the moment they are revealed I feel instantly stupid. I hate that feeling. But in the end, mistakes always teach me more than any instant success. And at a job with so many details they are unavoidable in the beginning. I just wish it wasn't such a hectic and crucial time for my organization so that my learning curve wouldn't feel like such a rollercoster loop! Somedays I wake up and am afraid of what damage I may cause next. The perfectionist in me can get a little nasty. But it only takes 10 minutes in my office to relax and start the day and I know that I will be fine.

How Cool is Easter?

If you're me in 2006, then Easter is pretty cool. Or at least totally satisfying which is cool. I bought a last minute (overly expensive) flight to Ontario to join my family - SURPRISE! - for the long weekend. I only missed one day so I got a full Sat/Sun combo with the parental units, the sibling, the sis-in-law, the extended gang and the nephew. In fact, we got a dad, a grandad AND a great-grandad on the deck all at the same time! Saturday was turkey dinner and Sunday was buffet brunch. I LOVE the brunch meals that have been de rigueur at family gatherings for as long as I remember. Thankfully the weather was nice enough that we could sit outside on the deck and use my new Old Navy sunglasses. We had to restrain the dog - its SO funny how much puppy is still in her even though she's 14 years old! But the entire scene was full-on family and I couldn't have asked for more. And then I went back inside and filled my plate with deviled eggs (whew! they had some heat), sliced ham, kosher pickles, fruit salad, bagels & cream cheese, tomato salad, pickled salmon, asparagus spears and mimosas just for fun. I also enjoyed some much-needed sleep. That sleep you get when you DON'T have to get up the next day. But I still managed to be up before 10 both days ... this job may have ruined me! Mom still plays Easter Bunny but in lieu of chocolate at got DVDs. Gotta love it! I got my fair share of eggie goodness at Beth's on Sunday (and another turkey dinner! YUM!) when she presented a giant steel bowl of classic Easter treats. I was in awe. The timing and length of the trip was perfect. It was exactly what a long weekend should be!

"Why is he Stealing My Berries?" ... "He just got off Lent."

Those two phrases were the bookends of a truly funtastic Thursday night as I hung out with my friend Jodi in Toronto. After a quick skip west on the plane, I made my way to the Library Bar at the Royal York Hotel - the designated meeting spot for the night. Jodi appeared 5 minutes after me and promptly announced that we must go elsewhere. Good call as the stodgey snobbery of the Library Bar WAS a bit much.

Around the corner she had found a bar that was "happening" and we made our way to KI. It is a very cool looking establishment with a great patio and asian-style decor. But upon seeing the long vanity line, we decided that it wasn't the place for us. It was already 9:30 - no time to wait. So we run kitty corner and head to Canoe. Canoe is located on the 53rd floor of a downtown office building and possesses a stunning view of the city. My favourite part was the kind reception we got from the host AND hostess at the door as they offered to check my blue Eddie Bauer duffle bag. After a minor scramble to quickly pack a suitable evening purse we were at the bar and ordering our first round of $12 martinis. MMMMMMMM .... tasty. Although Jodi's cosmopolitan was never really satisfactory. Three drinks, 1.5 hours, one business plan discussion (Jodi amazes me!) and $45 later we were off again.

Jodi has moved into shared digs not far from Queen west and has created a teak paradise of a room. I almost didn't want to leave. But after a quick change into jeans and a couple of hiphop tunes we were back out the door to her local bar. This place would be our home for the night. That wasn't the original plan but, like most things in this neighbourhood dive, it just sorta happened. Ramchackle furniture and random wall hangings match a cobbled together back "patio" that is reminiscent of many hostel bars I visited downunder. It's a place where Labatt 50 is served, you get a can of Coke with your mixed drink, "the Tab" is a colletion of chicken scratches in a notebook (no credit card hold required) and everyone knows everyone ... eventually. In the three hours we were there, the bar went through a bottle and a half of jagremeister shots. Jodi and I had to partake. And although she got tequila, we received our liquid deaths as free pours into the bottom of a small table glass rather than a shot. The entire scene had a family kitchen-party vibe that you couldn't help but enjoy. And through it all was meandering Steve. He could barely stand. And although he is a "brilliant scientist", his alcohol tolerance left much to be desired. The reason? He had forsaken drinking for Lent and Thursday was his return to the fold. In the end, good times had by all.