The trailer for the movie Whip It - Ellen Page, roller derby, a kick ass soundtrack and it's directed by Drew Barrymore - what more could you want?
Vancouver is in the middle of a heat wave at the moment and we were treated to an amazing show from mother nature. Check out what my Saturday was like.
I know this has been everywhere, but this is what every wedding should be like. Wouldn't be my choice of song but what a fantastic way to celebrate with your mates on your wedding day.
This article about the best nude beaches and events in the world.....maybe because I went to one of the beaches at the weekend and participated in one of the events recently....or maybe just because being naked is awesome.
I discovered, completely by accident, that one of my new favourite bands, Arcade Fire, does the beautiful theme song in the Where The Wild Things Are trailer. Take a listen to 'Wake Up' here.
Have a great week!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Local legends
I saw this article the other day about debunking 'scientific' myths and it got me thinking about urban legends. You know, the stories that went round when you were a kid about well known people, or the tales that served as a warning not to do something. Here are some of the ones I remember:
Picture source: www.liveupdater.com
- The one about the guy who took drugs that caused him to think that he was a carrot and he grated himself to death - the mental picture of this was pretty disgusting....and I never questioned it at the time, but how exactly would this happen? Did he just rub himself up against the grater? Please tell me someone else remembers that one.
- That the guy from the IHC ads, Roly Heihei, drowned in the swimming pool that featured in the ad he appeared in.
- Chewing your hair gave you hair balls....thanks Mum.
- When you 'pash' someone, their saliva remains in your system for 3 months - I remember being told this one in a 4th form science class, and everyone turning to look at the girl who had 'got with' about ten guys at the school dance the week before and seeing her expression of horror.
- Another one from tv - Vesi, the guy from the stay in school ad - at leasst I think that's what it was for - ("Vesi's chicken eh", "Give him another ten", "Yeah, another ten") - committed suicide because he got so many hassles for doing that ad.
- The chain letters that went round - I always felt compelled to send them to the eight people I was required to so I would avoid the impending doom that would result if I didn't. And this was the days before computers were mainstream so I had to write each one out by hand. I remember once being really panicked that I'd never manage to write out all the copies and get them posted before the three day bad luck deadline.
- The rumour Jason Gunn was a crack head. I'm still not sure that one's entirely false. Especially after that Jason's Tinny House sketch he did.
Picture source: www.liveupdater.com
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Funny t-shirts
I was walking down the street in Vancouver the other day and I saw a guy wearing this t-shirt:
Source: http://www.mrvintage.co.nz/
I'm pretty sure I was the only person in the close proximity of that guy who got the joke.
If you don't know, back in '99, New Zealand television personaliy Mickey Havoc named Gore as the gay capital of New Zealand. Statistics proved in '97 that there are, in fact, only three gay couples living in Gore.
Anyway, here are some of the best t-shirts I've seen around the place:
Source: www.lookatmeshirts.com
Source: www.lookatmeshirts.com
And some sweet as Kiwi ones:
Source: www.mrvintage.co.nz
Source: www.billitees.co.nz
Source: www.mrvintage.co.nz
Source: www.mrvintage.co.nz
We've come a long way since 'Jesus is my homeboy'
Monday, July 13, 2009
Urban slang
One of my favourite websites at the moment is www.urbandictionary.com
I like to use it when I'm surfing the web and I see stuff like "Ahhemmgee, this pic is totes embar. But, beeteedubs, you look totes presh!" - WTF?
Here are some of the gems I've found recently that resonate with me:
Air jerk: Making a 'jerking off' motion with one's hand to express disgust, disinterest or disbelief, while simulatenously rolling one's eyes. Similar to concept of playing air guitar.
I love to do this when talking about someone I think is a douche....which leads to my next one:
Douchebaguette: A female douchebag. A woman who exhibits characteristics of a douchebag.
Just 'cos I'm in Canada
Running latte: Showing up late to work because you stopped for coffee along the way.
If only it was a flat white....
Brown chicken, brown cow: an onomatopaeic imitation of the guitar riff commonly heard in 1970's porn movies. For example, Jim: "Hey, where are Abby and Jake?" Matt: "Brown chicken, brown cow."
I just thought this one was classic. Mainly because I had to say it out loud at my desk at work in order to fully understand it.
Alt-tabbin': An act of quickly switching the current application to something work-appropriate when the boss walks in. For example, "My boss almost caught me on Facebook at work, good thing I was Alt-Tabbin"
Because this is what I do for 7 hours a day.
Facebook binge: The act of going on Facebook 'just to check it for a few minutes' and suddenly finding that it's 3 or 4 hours later and you have no idea where your afternoon went. Commonly occurs when 'quickly checking Facebook' is used as a break in studying/tidying/other necessary but dull tasks.
What can I say....
I like to use it when I'm surfing the web and I see stuff like "Ahhemmgee, this pic is totes embar. But, beeteedubs, you look totes presh!" - WTF?
Here are some of the gems I've found recently that resonate with me:
Air jerk: Making a 'jerking off' motion with one's hand to express disgust, disinterest or disbelief, while simulatenously rolling one's eyes. Similar to concept of playing air guitar.
I love to do this when talking about someone I think is a douche....which leads to my next one:
Douchebaguette: A female douchebag. A woman who exhibits characteristics of a douchebag.
Just 'cos I'm in Canada
Running latte: Showing up late to work because you stopped for coffee along the way.
If only it was a flat white....
Brown chicken, brown cow: an onomatopaeic imitation of the guitar riff commonly heard in 1970's porn movies. For example, Jim: "Hey, where are Abby and Jake?" Matt: "Brown chicken, brown cow."
I just thought this one was classic. Mainly because I had to say it out loud at my desk at work in order to fully understand it.
Alt-tabbin': An act of quickly switching the current application to something work-appropriate when the boss walks in. For example, "My boss almost caught me on Facebook at work, good thing I was Alt-Tabbin"
Because this is what I do for 7 hours a day.
Facebook binge: The act of going on Facebook 'just to check it for a few minutes' and suddenly finding that it's 3 or 4 hours later and you have no idea where your afternoon went. Commonly occurs when 'quickly checking Facebook' is used as a break in studying/tidying/other necessary but dull tasks.
What can I say....
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Canadians
As a relative newcomer to Canada, there are certain things that have struck me about Canadians - some of them sterotypical, some of them less so:
1. They actually do say 'eh', although not in exactly the same way as Kiwis say it. Canadians tend to tack it on to the end of a sentence as a statement such as "I know, eh", rather than using it to illicit a response, like Kiwis do: "That's your drink eh?"
2. I'm not sure if this is a Vancouver thing, but there seem to be a higher proportion of vegetarian and organic enthusiasts here. We have a vegetable garden at our place and I live with two vegetarians (one of which is a sometime vegan - depending on if there's cheese around) and my other housemate, although not a card carrying vegetarian, seems to eat an awful lot of tofu
3. If you say thank you for anything, Canadians always say "You're welcome". ALWAYS
4. Two of the most common words used by Canadians: "douche" and "awesome"
5. Although a Canadian friend once lamented to me that she "had never said ooot and aboot" in her life, after having her accent imitated by an Australian, I can see how people would make this, albeit exagerated, mockery - they sort of say "aoot and aboout"
6. Canadians are more offended than I am when they mistake me for an Australian. This happens every few days. They proudly ask me where in Australia I am from (props to them for picking up that I don't have a Canadian accent), I politely reply I am actually from New Zealand, and the look of mortification on their face is something akin to if they had just asked how my new puppy was doing and I had replied that he'd been run over by a car that morning - cue the "Oh my god, I am SO sorry!". Luckily, as I spent almost 3 years living in Australia, I assure them I am not offended. Well, not TOO offended.
1. They actually do say 'eh', although not in exactly the same way as Kiwis say it. Canadians tend to tack it on to the end of a sentence as a statement such as "I know, eh", rather than using it to illicit a response, like Kiwis do: "That's your drink eh?"
2. I'm not sure if this is a Vancouver thing, but there seem to be a higher proportion of vegetarian and organic enthusiasts here. We have a vegetable garden at our place and I live with two vegetarians (one of which is a sometime vegan - depending on if there's cheese around) and my other housemate, although not a card carrying vegetarian, seems to eat an awful lot of tofu
3. If you say thank you for anything, Canadians always say "You're welcome". ALWAYS
4. Two of the most common words used by Canadians: "douche" and "awesome"
5. Although a Canadian friend once lamented to me that she "had never said ooot and aboot" in her life, after having her accent imitated by an Australian, I can see how people would make this, albeit exagerated, mockery - they sort of say "aoot and aboout"
6. Canadians are more offended than I am when they mistake me for an Australian. This happens every few days. They proudly ask me where in Australia I am from (props to them for picking up that I don't have a Canadian accent), I politely reply I am actually from New Zealand, and the look of mortification on their face is something akin to if they had just asked how my new puppy was doing and I had replied that he'd been run over by a car that morning - cue the "Oh my god, I am SO sorry!". Luckily, as I spent almost 3 years living in Australia, I assure them I am not offended. Well, not TOO offended.
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