Today!

At 8 o'clock, where ever you are in the world, turn off your lights for one hour, and do your part to help bring awarness to the growing concerns of climate change. Bust out the flashlights, enojy a candle lit dinner, go for a walk outside, do anything. As long as you make sure you've turned off every light in the house, why not enjoy the darkness for what its worth!

Dear couple sitting next to me in the library....

Hi there. You definitely don't know who I am, actually, despite the fact that I have been sitting next to you both for almost two hours, I'm almost positive you wouldn't even know the colour of my hair. That’s ok. You’re too busy making out.

I'm just the girl who chose to work on the 9th floor because I thought it was a designated “quiet zone.” While you’re not shouting, I think it would almost be easier to work through that then have to listen to your lips smack incessantly. And you're right, it would also be very annoying to hear you yell into your cell phones, however, not more annoying then having to sit here and listen to you whisper and giggle with one another.

No no, I get it, you’re in love. You're in the cant keep your hands and obviously lips off of one another stage. I actually know this because you have chosen to ignore the divider between the cubicles and are now sitting on top of each other. I guess that makes studying for impending exams that much easier. It’s ok, continue to stare longingly into one anothers eyes right beside me, I actually find it helps me to concentrate.

Nothing you're doing right now could possibly be any more inconsiderate so by all means, go for it. You keep up your public displays of affection because HEY you sure don’t seem to care whose watching. I would move to another spot but this place is filled and I don’t know if I would be able to find one.

So happy couple –enjoy your blissful study session. Pay no mind to the others struggling to finish essays or cramming for exams around you. Keep on doing what you're doing, I’m glad you find yourselves cute.

Green Thoughts

Daily I peruse various online newspapers from across the continent, as a student of Journalism I feel a certain responsibility to do so. I start with the Globe, move onto the more local Toronto Star or Vancouver Sun depending on the news, and finish up with the NY Times and the Christian Science Monitor. I do not read each paper in length, and regularly skip whole sections, but without fail I make a note to look at my favourite areas, one unsurprisingly being the environment.

While each paper tackles the topic of the environment differently –albeit some much better then others— I have come across a lot of really cool information, websites and case studies from my daily searching’s, and I want to pass along some of them. They all deserve the attention of an independent post, but crunch time has fallen upon me and school has become a literal vortex for the hours in my day.

1) Earth Friendly Schools -- schools across Canada and specifically the United States, are taking action against the growing concern of climate change by instituting sustainable building's and greener policies. A really good example is Sidwell Friends Middle School in Washington, D.C. While Hillcrest, my old middle school, did have a fish pond I'm pretty sure it could take some notes from Sidwell to reduce its own environmental impact.

2) Conscious Companies -- a website has been developed under the umbrella of Stonyfield Farm INC, that helps consumers like you and me make climate conscious choices when shopping. The idea behind this non-profit is that the power to affect climate change globally lies within major corporations, and subsequently consumers. Climatecounts.org has come up with a point system that ranks various companies on their current level of environmental action. Those which are working towards reducing their climate footprints receive better scores then others who are still failing to jump on the eco-wagon. Scope out companies like CBS, Apple, Motorola and Nike, you may be surprised to find out exactly just who is making a positive difference.

3) Worlds Greenest Museum -- San Francisco, long an environmental haven, and currently ranked 2nd to Portland as America's greenest city, now has another green title to add to its belt –world’s greenest museum. The California Academy of Sciences could possibly the coolest building on earth. [Insert eco-crazy bias here]. Seriously speaking though, the building will house everything from a natural-history museum, to a rainforest with free-flying birds, to an aquarium filled with saltwater pumped in from the Pacific Ocean, all under a green roof that spans 2.5 acres and blends into the local park surrounding it. Dubbed the “Living Museum” this Californian wonder is filled with multiple sustainable features and popsci.com has a photo album for an inside look at a few of them. If your ever in San-Fran, nature lover or not, stop on by I can guarentee you will be impressed.

*note: all bold faced words are links --this is not a note to suggest incomptence, meerly a helpful hint as it took me far to long when reading blogs to notice this.

Learn To Hunt
...in elementary school

Law makers in West Virginia recently gave approval to a bill allowing state funded hunting education classes in all schools –Great. Hunting in the United States has lost its popularity as of late, with participation numbers falling from 19.1 million in 1975 to 12.5 million in 2006. And some states are not pleased. Many like, Utah, South Carolina and Nebraska have lowered the minimum age required for hunting. And some have completely eliminated it altogether. Wonderful. Because all we need are eight-year-olds wielding rifles.

The state sponsored hunting education classes will be available for every school that has at least 20 students showing interest. Classes will promote hunting to its participants by suggesting it as an alternate form of exercise and an excellent source for gun safety education. The main driving force behind it though is "preserving culture," a gun lobbyist’s favourite saying.

The argument in support of these new classes is lame. Hunting as being safer then biking and swimming...A needed activity to control the deer population...A way to exercise and enjoy nature simultaneously. I’m not buying it.

Perhaps my common sense is skewed, but please tell me exactly how entering a wooded area in camouflage, with known big game and animals wondering about, and an un-known number of six to ten-year-olds carrying guns is safe? Safer then jumping into your local pool, playing Marco Polo and swimming lengths, under the supervision of at least two trained lifeguards. They must do it differently in West Virginia.

Also, a hunter who claims that what they are doing is an incredibly useful controlling aide for the environment is ignorant. Perhaps if they had not over-hunted the various predators within the region the impending deer population would not have reached such soaring heights. The predator prey relationship in an ecological system relies on natural predators, not just conservatives with rifles.
As for hunting as a form of simultaneous exercise and nature appreciation...HA! If you want to appreciate the beauty of nature while exercising go for a run, or a hike, or a leisurely stroll amidst the forest. Don't stake out atop a platform and kill the very wildlife you’re attempting to admire.
I appreciate the notion of hunting as a pastime for many people living in the United States and Canada. While I do not support or condone it, I'm not naive enough to believe it will cease to exist altogether. However, I do not support the idea of promoting guns within the classroom. Accessibility to firearms is not something to play around with and having them in schools, even for educational purposes, is a grave risk. It only takes one careless mistake around guns before the inevitable will happen and is the classroom really an appropriate arena to house this threat?

Yowzaa...

A woman pulls on her husbands underwear in attempts to keep him from participating in a rally denouncing Samsung in Korea.

Come on man just listen to your wife...does that not really hurt?!

Cate & Leo
...similar to Kate & Leopold that really bad movie with Meg Ryan, only BETTER.

After watching Todd Haynes confusing yet wildly creative I’m Not There last night, a movie about the multiple personas of the great Bob Dylan, I realized the genius that is Cate Blanchett. It wasn't a grande epiphany as I have always been a fan of her work, but the realization of her unique devotion to acting the roles of many different major characters. Over her career she has played a multitude of prominent figures, namely, Queen Elizabeth I...Katherine Hepburn...Queen Galadriel in Lord of the Rings and Jude Quinn (aka Bob Dylan). And she's done this well. I mean, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is not a movie you really stay awake watching while flying home from Toronto, but her desperate and humane qualities kept me engaged. And for anyone who has not seen I’m Not There, you may as well rent it on her performance alone. The total embodiment of her character and acute attention to detail makes me wish I went to theatre school and could attempt to replicate it with a third of her talent. Apparently I'm not the only one in awe of her work as she is well decorated in the award department, and was nominated for Oscars in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories at this year’s Academy Awards. While a select many of today's actresses have given notable performances within their careers, few are able to consistently maintain such a high level of credibility, like Cate.

While not an actress, it is fair to say Leonardo DiCaprio also consistently provides a distinct level of performance. And while I admittedly am charmed by the fact that he is “really really ridiculously good looking,” as well as an outspoken advocate for the environment, his acting says it all. It was two years ago, but i still say "yea yea" in a mock South African accent similar to his as Danny Archer in the acclaimed Blood Diamond, One of, if not the best, of his most recent acting roles. Scorsese’ protégée, he definitely solidified himself in the upper echelons of the acting world with repeatedly brilliant work in Gangs of New York, Catch Me If You Can, The Aviator and The Departed. Similar to Cate Blanchett, he deals with each of his roles with a definite level of intensity. It's hard to watch one of his films without being drawn to his level of detail infused character acting. And yes I realize he was in Titanic, which I have only seen once. And therefore the great love affair of Jack and Rose has not lost any of its magic for me...no matter how corny. Leo has had a long and colourful career in the acting world, and luckily for me it is not coming to a halt any time soon.

As a major fan of motion pictures, and an increasing critic of the direction they may be taking, it's a refreshing reminder to know two celebrities are using their talent to provide elevated levels of good entertainment.