Driving CDs, not iPods.

I love driving.  This is probably a good thing, since I have to drive all the time.  I drive 30 minutes to work, 30 minutes back, I drive to go pick up my kid brother, I drive to friends' places.

Arguably the best thing about driving is the music.

I don't really know what it is about blaring music inside my small little Volkswagen that makes me feel so good.  Nobody can see me, or hear me, I am sure.  Not when my music is loud enough.  I am that crazy girl who dances at intersections, and long stretches of road.  I am the one who is listening to 99 Red Balloons on repeat on a nice day.  

Now, I have not given in and gotten one of those new-fangled devices where I can listen to my iPod on my car stereo.  (Although, I did have one once, I got it for my birthday, but was unfortunately stolen from my car along with a beloved pair of sunglasses while I was at the beach with my Nana.)  I still kick it old-school with CDs.  I have some CDs I have purchased, others that are complete albums, and many, many mixes of my own making.  These are by far my favourite.  I love how in 21 songs I can perfectly capture a mood, or a day, or a trip.  I have several CDs that when I hear 2 songs played from it, I am transformed back to grade 12.  I can play a CD and be reminded of exactly how I was years ago.  

Even though these CDs are taking over my car. (They are EVERYWHERE, on the floor, under the seats, in the glove compartment, in the little pockets behind and beside the seats.  EVERYWHERE.)  I don't think I am ever going to get one of those fancy-schmancy iPod player things.  They take all the fun out of driving.  I like having to try 4 different CDs before finding the one I was looking for.  You have so much more fun that way.

Anyway, as I was saying. I love driving.  And the best thing about driving is the CDs.

All the way from 9th century China...

Yesterday, having drunk too much, I was intoxicated as to pass all bounds;

but none of the rude and coarse language I used was uttered in a conscious state.

The next morning, after hearing others speak on the subject, I realised what had happened,

whereupon I was overwhelmed with confusion and ready to sink into the earth with shame.

"As far back as the 9th Century China, the 'Dunhuang Bureau of Etiquette' insisted that local officials use a letter template when sending apologies to offended dinner hosts. The guilty party would copy the template text, enter the dinner host's name, sign the letter and then deliver with head bowed. The letter was discovered, alongside thousands of other documents, in a sealed cave library in western China."

I found this on this crazy awesome website called "Letters of Note" It has on display a ton of private letters, now made available to the public from the likes of Hunter S. Thompson, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, and Nikola Tesla to name a few. They range from wills to irate faxes and provide endless entertainment for someone stuck at work for 10 hours (namely me). Check it out. See the internet proves again to be endlessly entertaining. 

And now we know that even way back in dynastic China they got so drunk they forgot who they were.

Back to looking up pictures of polar bears and the arctic... yes that's my job. -N

Recently Discovered

It is the start of real spring and summer is almost here.  I can feel it.
And with new seasons come new things.  I have recently discovered certain things (not actually discovered, like a scientist, but have rather become mildly obsessed with).  Bands, blogs, tv shows etc.
It's a little bit like Oprah's favourite things lists, but without all the ridiculous yelling and slight religious fervour. And sorry, but nobody will be receiving a Prius...

ANYWAY. Here is a list of things I have very recently become addicted to...

La Roux - A super fabulous 80's-esque band that is causing me to tap my feet as I type and listen to the song.


Cooking Blogs - I have become obsessed.  I travel from blog to blog finding recipes and make mental notes to bake/cook something different every night.  Seriously addicting, it is taking all I have right now
not to start creeping one.  I have already baked muffins and have my dinners planned out for the next week and a half. I have already decided I am going to make this, Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and cheese one night...

Blazers - I am in love.  With this beautiful weather, blazers are perfect. They go with everything and they   instantly make you look professional and fabulous.  I just got a new striped one, I have basically perpetually borrowed Natalie's navy one and am keeping my eye out for another cute one.

Dexter - A fabulous show that has taken me far too long to realize it's awesome-ness.  It's really funny, and dark and just an all-round solid show.  Seriously. Watch it.

Mint Tea - I never really gave it a shot before.  I am a tea girl, through and through, but Mint Tea never really appealed to me.  I finally recently gave it a shot, and holy tits it was good.  Refreshing, tangy, not too sweet.  Perfect for spring/almost summer.

Jamie Lidell - He sounds like John Legend, looks like your run-of-the-mill hipster.  What else can I say, he is a modern day Rick Astley (but without the ridiculously annoying YouTube pranks).

I hope you enjoy everything as much as I do right now.

-ariel.

The world is good again...

Thank you Jon Stewart, I've nearly now forgotten about Ann Coulter's existence.

Domestic Duff

With the help of all my roommates (especially mother hen Brittany) I am slowly learning how to cook. I feel like I have improved quite a bit, considering that my favourite meal at the beginning of the year was chicken, fried on my main man, Mr. George Foreman. Now, however, I am making things like salmon, pizza dough with actual yeast (versus the not-so-nice recipe that is listed on our whiteboard) and last night's dinner - a delicious orange and soya sauce glazed pork tenderloin.

Probably another reason I am spending more time cooking: it is the best procrastination method ever! In my lame attempt to avoid work yesterday, I made bran muffins, an apple crisp, and my lovely pork tenderloin dinner, complete with mashed potatoes and ACTUAL vegetables (I can't believe it either).

But enough with that...now I'm just bragging! Here are some pictures of my most gourmet meal to date:

Yeah, I have photo shoots with my food...no big deal.

Dinner for me and my new main man (sorry George)!

PS: may start food blog in the summer called "Domestic Duff," discussing my learning to cook attempts. Blog will surely be chalked full of stove fire adventures, rotten vegetables, and grated fingers.

-Hilary

Pearson: My Main Man

You guys, it has been nearly a month since this blog has been touched. The poor soul. It's almost crying out for attention. Fear not. Essay season has returned and so have I.

When it comes to writing essays, I tend to get overwhelmed by the ton of information that you have to sort through. I just end up getting lost in the bowels of Wikipedia for ages. In this case, I'm writing an essay on Pearson and NATO. I've always had a soft spot for Pearson, being all diplomatic and winning the Nobel Peace Prize and stuff. Basically, this essay gives me an excuse to nerd out (as per usual). Pearson = awesome diplomat and secretary of state, not so awesome Prime Minister but I'll deal. I've been reading his Nobel Prize acceptance speech and getting so jacked. Here's one of my favourite quotes from him, enjoy!

Of all our dreams today there is none more important - or so hard to realize - than that of peace in the world. May we never lose our faith in it or our resolve to do everything that can be done to convert it one day into reality.

Also: you can totally go see Pearson's Peace Prize. It's in the Department of Foreign Affairs building entrance way. It's all gold and shiny and impressive. AND apparently him and his wife were swingers in the 1960's. Had a bunch of affairs and were totally cool about it. Who would've guessed?

We can't forget how Trudeau felt about Pearson though:

I'm always so torn because Pearson was such a swell guy, but Trudeau was so bad ass, didn't give Quebec the time of day and well... he was TRUDEAU.

- N

I am a horrible sports fan

The Olympics are almost over and this time, I have been following them with what can only be described as religious voracity. I know every medal we have won, and in which sport it was won. I know the story behind all of the Canadian athletes that are competing and winning medals for our humble little country. All of this makes me love Canada like a fat kid loves Rocky Road Ice cream on a hot day of eating nothing but celery. It makes me however, a horrible sports fan.

The Olympics are an odd thing, though. I am by no means a sports fanatic, I enjoy watching the occasional NHL game, and stumble through a conversation with a fan about Luongo and such. When the Olympics are on, however, I love hockey, I feel a connection with the sport that defines the country I love so much, yet I am not an avid fan. I am barely even a fairweather fan of the sport. I am an Olympic fan, a fan of Canada. It makes it easy, I don't have to know all about the Maple Leafs or Habs, I just have to know that I love Canada, and I want our boys to kick the snot out of the Americans.

I think Olympic fans are different from regular fans, and I am sure that if I was a regular, hardcore fan, I would turn up my nose at these horrible Olympic fans. Olympic fans don't really know much about the sport, when the games are over, we don't go over all the plays in the game, we switch over to another event and cheer on Canada some more. We don't know all the stats on the best players, and we don't really care who was the number one draft pick. All we know is that Canada is the best and we are going to cheer our little brains out until we win. I am fairly certain that Holden Caufield would have something to say about the phoney-ness that is the Olympic fan. We are worse than fairweather fans, we only care once every four, maybe two years.

Olympic fans are not all bad. Being one, I can see the benefits. While, we may not be constant, never-wavering, die-hard fans, we REALLY care about sports for two whole weeks, and by George are we going to show it. We buy all the Olympic garb, talk about the Olympics, update every person we meet on the current medal standings, and potential medal wins for the rest of the day, we watch and cheer for ALL Canadian athletes, and we paint our faces and cheer until our throats fall off.

Maybe I am not a genuine sports fan, and after the Olympics, I will most likely continue to watch re-runs of Family Guy in lieu of watching the game, but I am most definitely a Canada fan. I love Canada, and anything that shows the world how awesome we are, I will continue to support.

All that I have to say is

GO CANADA GO!

-ariel.