CampusIntel

I’ve never really been one to watch the Olympic games in all honestly, I found them boring as a child, I’d much rather have seen what Bugs Bunny was up to or tuned into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…you know, things with real passion eh? However, this year I actually sat down and watched the opening ceremonies, and from that moment on I was stuck on the Olympics.

            I don’t know how many other people across Canada alone got the ‘Olympic fever’ but this year for some reason I got it bad. Every morning as I got ready for work I would turn on the TV to the same channel and the journalists would wake up with me. Every evening I’d come home from work or class and I’d tune in to see what events had taken place and what was going on that night. I’d receive texts from my Mom periodically each day updating me on our metal count and what races we’d won in. It was just something outside of my own little world of crazy school and work life that I could sit down, relax and be excited for…and it didn’t hurt that I could actually do school work while watching it (I mean really, I was mostly interested in the Canadian athletes, or on occasion those athletes they did those little pre-game life stories on), so during other athletes’ runs I’d read my textbook…you know how student life is.

            I started looking forward every day to events I would watch in the evening and have people come over to watch anything really, curling, skating, and of course hockey! It didn’t really matter what we watched, we just loved seeing our athletes compete and really took pride in the metals won as though they were our own (I love living vicariously though athletes…makes me feel like I never have to go to the gym).

            The day I found out that the Olympics were ending however a wave of sadness washed over me briefly, I thought to myself, who will wake up with me in the morning? How will I deal with the lack of texts from my Mom? How will I decide what to watch on those nights when there’s no good shows on TV? But I made it though, and although the closing ceremonies were emotional for me, I held to one thing…we kicked butt in both women’s and men’s hockey!

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has gone though this, and maybe if you’re reading this you haven’t experienced such a wave of irony and dissatisfaction, but chances are you will feel it after reading this post so…umm…sorry?

            I have recently found myself having feelings of dissatisfaction and resentment towards the way the world works…now let me narrow that down a bit since I’m sure there’s many ways the world “doesn’t work”. What I mean is the whole goal of life society has for us. When we’re young we’re put in school until we’re 18 or so, this preps us for the ‘real world’ but what we’re really getting ready for is deciding on our career, in order to accomplish most of these career aspirations we need to go to more school (university, college, etc.) once we’re done that we make our way into the working world, trying our hardest to make all of that education we received work for us and using it to gain experience and entrance into the jobs we think we want. Once we get there we work our whole life to save money so we can retire and enjoy the last few decades before we die. Do you see my problem?

            We work our whole life towards a career that we’re often times doing just so we can make money to retire to enjoy life…so why does our society have things set up so that the only life we’re given is used to work 8 hours/day 5 days/week for the majority of our life so that we can only enjoy the last bit of it when we’re old and tired and possibly not capable of doing anything we want to do anymore?? Why are we spending the best years of our life working so hard towards something that’s just the means to an end??

            Hopefully you will excuse my ramblings here, but these realizations are really quite frustrating. This is the reason why I want to be happy in my career, because I’m going to be doing it for the majority of my life and if you get to the point where it’s not fun you’re going to be miserable for so much of it until you retire! Unfortunately, so many people are not happy with their career. In my opinion, people aren’t happy because so often they’re rushed into a career they may not like because at age 18 they have to make decisions as to what they want to do the rest of their life so they can study and prepare for it (as now it takes at least a masters to get most jobs) or they’re rushed into it because they need the money to pay for the basic necessities of living!

            So, where is this all coming from? Well, as I said before, this is the reason I want to enjoy my career, the problem here is the job I think I want requires me to be in school at least until I’m 30 (why so late you may ask? First, because I need to get a PhD for the job I want and second because I changed degrees 3 times as out of high school I had no idea what the real world was like and so no idea what I wanted to do in it). Once getting out of school it’s another thing, trying to gain experience so that I can actually work in the setting I want to and making my way up the career latter to get to the top so I can make the big bucks and retire ‘happy’…right? Well, it doesn’t end there, my other frustrations lie in the fact that the 7 + years of schooling I still need to do is taken up by things like research and studying of a vast array of topics so that I can find my niche. While I understand why this may be important to some, the fact that it’s standardized this way leaves the people who already know what area they wish to specialize in frustrated as they have to complete a large assortment of classes they don’t need in the end for the career they want which also may bring down their overall marks making it harder for them to get into the school they wish to go to. And of course most of the jobs won’t end up taking into account how much you know about any one particular subject, but instead just look at the initials at the end of your name and the letters on your transcript; because to the world, it’s not important what you think you can do or how passionate and good you are at it just as long as you have the degree.

In a way university has a tendency to kill people’s passion for the work they want to do because it’s too generalized. This is why I often regret not going to a community college as they at least specialize in certain careers and help you get on your way in only a few years. The problem with this is the career I want isn’t really part of the community college curriculum, and even if it was unfortunately people don’t seem to value a two year degree (which indecently focuses more on your degree and gives you hands on experience) over a Masters or PhD (which generalizes and worries far too much about research and book learning).

In the case of clinical psychology (my end goal) I understand the need for a large amount of knowledge on various things however there’s more to it than getting the right letter grades and universities don’t seem to take much other than that into account. All this pressure and frustration is enough sometimes to make me want to give up and forget about the PhD and just do some job that doesn’t require me to be in school for the majority of my life so that I can just start paying off my student debt, but I keep thinking if I end up doing a career that’s less satisfactory to me in the end I’ll just end up depressed and needing to seek counselling.

            Isn’t that ironic?

Here is a small list of some cool shows coming up in March or April. Check one out for something to do!

SNFU – March 19 @ Sneaky Dee’s, Toronto. SNFU started playing in the late eighties in California. Early skate-punk with fast licks and catchy lyrics.

Forgotten Rebels – March 13 @ Casbah, Hamilton AND March 20 @ Alexander’s, Brantford. The Forgotten Rebels were around during the first wave of punk in the late seventies. Heavy garage sound, basically just distorted Chuch Berry tunes if you ask me – which is a good thing. And, they have a new album coming out this spring.

The Specials – April 19 @ Sound Academy, Toronto. This show will be amazing. The Specials also started in the late seventies, playing ska in the UK. Rocksteady-reggae that heatseekingly catches the ear. If you don’t know ‘em, try ‘A Message To You, Rudy’ on Youtube.

Gogol Bordello – April 20 @ Sound Academy, Toronto. Gypsy-punks. ‘Nough Said.

Also, Germ Attack from Ottawa just released a 7-inch, and they are releasing a new LP, Cruxshadow, in March. Speed-Street Punk that has been evolving in Ottawa for almost ten years now. The thing about Germ Attak is they have really well-done recordings, and they are seasoned musicians, so they know what they are doing. I recomend, and will have to pick these up sometime soon.

Word. Thanks for reading, reply with a comment about a show I’ve missed. See you in the pit.

Around this time of year you should be thinking about or have already started the steps towards your undergraduate thesis if you’re planning on doing one next year. If you haven’t however, don’t panic, truth is, you’re probably not alone or in the minority.

            When I started my undergraduate degree, I had no idea what was involved in the preparation for it, and it may vary depending on the university that you are going to, however, some things other than dates and deadlines should be relatively similar.

            I am writing this blog as profs don’t realize that it’s not common sense to know when and how to start preparing to write an undergrad thesis if you’ve never done it before. So, hopefully I can give you a bit of a nudge in the right direction…and if nothing else, at least provoke you to inquire at your department as to what you should be doing and when you should be doing it.

 Either way, these are a few important steps I learned during my experience:

 1. Choosing a thesis supervisor: To do this go to your department’s website and look for the faculty list. Then comes the fun part…look at every professor’s profile and see if their interests match yours. Make a list of all the professors and their profiles that you like and once you’re done here’s a great tip…have you ever heard of the website rate my professors? No? Well it’s fantastic! Basically, it’s a website that lists schools across the country and the professors at these schools and students can go in and rate each professor and describe why they’ve given them those ratings (based typically on average easiness, helpfulness, clarity, overall quality and there’s even a hotness rating…oh how bold). So, go to this website: www.ratemyprofessors.com and search each of the professors you found an interest in. This can give you a good idea as to how each will work with you and if they’re worth pursuing.

 2. Choosing a topic: Make sure it’s a topic you’re going to enjoy…or at least have a high tolerance for (i.e. make sure it’s something you wont get sick of quickly), as chances are you’re going to be spending the majority of your year researching and writing about it. This topic should also be similar to the interests of each professor you want to work with. For instance, if the prof you are writing has an interest in female offenders, try and find a specific topic you’re interested in related to female offenders and include this in your email to the prof. Keep in mind that some professors will have research projects on the go already and will want you to help with these for your thesis, make sure you’re ok with this first or thank them for the offer, but explain you’d prefer to work on a topic more inline with your interest/one of your own. Also, the topic you chose should be narrowed down immensely! I revised my topic about 5 times before I actually came up with the one I ran with. The professor will help you to do this likely, but be prepared to cut a lot of the fat off that idea (what a metaphor for a vegetarian!).

 3. Start preparing early: I say this as, like I said you will likely be revising your topic at least quite frequently, also, you should start looking for your supervisor/professor in Jan or Feb of the year before you start your thesis…i.e. for writing your thesis this coming Sept, you should be emailing professor at this time (the earlier the better). Some professors will not want to be contacted so early and will ask you to email them again at a later date, but chances are you’ll be well prepared for when they do want to discuss it. Furthermore, you want to have the first choice of professors and contacting them early can give you that edge. For many professors, they will want to hear from you early on to start prepping you for the next year.

 4. Set deadlines for yourself/be organized: This is super important and will likely be done with the help of your supervisor/professor. A lot of people start researching their thesis in the summer before they actually start it. This can save a lot of headache during the year and help you start out on a smoother pace. Also, if you have to go back and restart or revise anything, you’ll be able to know this earlier on (and believe me this happens more often than not so don’t worry or be too frustrated if you have to start over a few times). Leave enough time to re-write your thesis a few times and have more than one person read it over first to ensure that others outside of you and your supervisor will understand what you’re trying to say/what you’ve found.

I’m going to assume most people have at least pondered the idea of working at the government at least once in their life. I mean, lets face it, it pays really awesome, they get a ton of vacation time and they have some great benefits and a wide range of places to work at within the departments and across Canada. I also am going to assume that a lot of students have had very few chances or none at all to work at a desk job or at the government. I say this because up until about 2 years ago, all my friends I would do every year was complain about our summer jobs and how we’d always get stuck in retail doing hard work for minimum pay at all hours of the day/week. We used to dream of the day we’d get to work in an office in front of a computer all day and get weekends off…yes, we actually wanted the 9-5 jobs…

            Of course, you may have read a blog I wrote a while back talking about how the student life and the ‘real world’ lifestyle are very different and how the student is so efficient that they have to slow down a lot when they start working outside of school. Well, my perspectives on that topic really came from working in the public service. Now, I’m not going to say that all jobs in the government are boring or demand very little attention/hard-work because honestly, some of them are very hard and stressful, and it really depends on where you work and what’s going on in the department at the time you’re there…Also, it helps if you have a higher status and are not just working at entry level positions with a lot of other people trying to work their way up. However, I have spoken to a lot of students and people around my age who have reiterated my concerns about working in the government. It can get boring and not really tap into your strengths or skills.

            This being said, I do not want to discourage anyone from perusing a carrier or job in the government as, like I said, not all jobs will be the same. I DO however, want to warn people as to what they may be getting into and also maybe give some insight as to how to avoid getting stuck in this position and also how to get your foot in the door in the government.

Advice for getting in:

-If your school provides you the opportunity to do a field placement and there is a placement available in the government, I would say take it. Do everything in your power to get into a placement position that has opportunity for advancement. This is how I got into the public service, and honestly the majority of entry level positions I see are filled with placement students.

-With this advice in mind however, there are other way I know of getting into the government, these are: applying though FSWEP (Federal Student Work Experience Program), by either going to jobs-emplois.gc.ca/fswep-pfete/index-eng.htm or Googling FSWEP and filling out the VERY long form (don’t worry there is an end to it and after filling it out once, it’s just a matter of updating it from year to year). You could also go on the government of Canada website at www.jobs.gc.ca and search for jobs in your area. Keep in mind however, that most job postings will be posted internally, so another way would be to try and find someone working in government already who can update you on any jobs and can take your resume around to those looking to hire.

-Finally, it’s a great idea to start looking for jobs well in advance. Actually, if you’re looking for summer employment, you really should have been looking back in Dec or Jan, however, it’s never too late…so get moving!

Advice once you’re in:

-You will have to do some dirty work once you start working in the government, and by this I mean, boring and tedious tasks…sometimes reading about your department or catching up on the latest developments in the area you work in. Other times, filing documents or photocopying things for your employers.

-Do all of these tasks in an efficient manner, and ask for work when you’re done, do not wait around for your supervisor to give you something to do. Doing this shows initiative and if they have nothing more for you to work on they can possibly hand you over to someone else in your department to help them, this provides you with more exposure to others and to different work.

-Keep close contact with all those you work with and get to know them and spend as much time with them as you can. Research people who work in your department so you know who the “big wigs” are and try to rub shoulders with them any opportunity you can get. There are often small events that are held from time to time and if you receive emails for these events, ask your supervisor about them and see if you can get the chance to go and mingle, or go with your supervisor and ask them to introduce you to some people.

-Those you get close with will often be more than happy to forward you any job opportunities they hear about or provide you with references and contacts for future employment. Also, if you’re on the inside, like I said you’ll likely be given more chances to apply internally to jobs.

-All of these strategies will hopefully lead you to a higher position or one that taps into your strengths more than the entry-level ones, and at the very least, all of this exposure should provide you with a wealth of knowledge on various tasks which can promote your capabilities to those you work with, which may lead them to providing you with more difficult, demanding, rewarding and meaningful tasks.  

 Good Luck!

Alright, so it’s time for another addition of how to be vegetarian! So this week was Valentines and this year I celebrated it with my boyfriend by cooking together, more specifically, by making a HUGE friggin delicious meal of salad, bruschetta, garlic bread, tofu manicotti and wine! It was so good in fact that I wanted to share it with you all (how lucky do you feel?). So, here it is:

Ingredients for manicotti:

-1/3 package of tofu
-Manicotti noodles
-2 cloves of garlic
-2 table spoons of lemon juice
-1 table spoon of sugar
-frozen chopped spinach
-1 container of ricotta cheese
-a pinch of garlic salt, black pepper, and parsley
-pasta sauce

Directions:

-Heat your oven to about 350 degrees.

-Butter a deep dish to place the manicotti in and then spread a layer of pasta sauce on the bottom to lay them on.

-Bring a pot of water with some salt to a light boil and place about 6-8 manicotti (you do not have to cook them all at once as they may crack or stick together in smaller pots. Cook them until tender (do not overcook as this may make them too soft and difficult to stuff) or as the box directs.

-Mash up 1/3 of tofu, place in a large bowl, add minced garlic cloves, lemon juice, sugar and ricotta cheese. Thaw out your spinach and then add this along with the above mentioned spices. Mix this together well.

-Once cooked and cooled for a few minutes, begin to stuff your manicotti noodles with the tofu mixture.

-As you finish stuffing each noodle, place it on top of the layer of pasta sauce in your pan.

-Once all of your noodles are stuffed, cover noodles with more pasta sauce (and sprinkle with grated cheese and parsley if you’d like).

-Place manicotti in oven for about 30 minutes.

 **A great complement with this meal was the garlic bread and bruschetta.

For bruschetta you will need:

-1 baguette
-1 small tomato
-balsamic vinaigrette
-olive oil
-basil
-paprika
-grated cheese

Directions:

-Cut the baguette into slices and place on a cooking sheet.

-Dice tomato and place in a small bowl

-Add equal parts balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil. Sprinkle in some basil and paprika and mix this together.

-Spoon out a small amount on each slice of baguette.

-Sprinkle some grated cheese on top of each piece.

-Place in oven with manicotti for the last 5 or so minutes (keep an eye on it, if it browns or the cheese starts to bubble, remove from oven).

 For garlic bread you will need:

-1 baguette
-butter
-garlic salt
-parmesan cheese
-paprika
-basil
-grated cheese

Directions:

-Cut baguette in half (cutting the top part off of the bottom half).

-Butter each half and then sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese.

-Sprinkle a pinch of paprika and basil on top

-load with grated cheese (as much as you desire!)

-Place this in with the manicotti and bruschetta for the last 5 or so minutes as well, keeping an eye on it.

I don’t want to give off the impression that I have a foolproof reason as to why guys cheat but, I do have a few good insights on the issue. I do not intend to rant or to offer excuses or explanations here…but I want to provide a bit of insight on the issue and perhaps a bit of support for those who may have experienced cheating or who might be questioning a relationship they’re in. Although this refers to men, I want to be clear that women do cheat too and both cases are equally appalling and sickening.

            First, I want to set down my definition of cheating: to me cheating is doing anything that you would not do in the presence of your girlfriend or boyfriend. This includes dancing, buying a girl/guy a drink (unless they’re a friend and it’s their birthday or a special occasion), touching arms or hands in a flirty manner, cuddling on a coach, bed or chair together even if you’re not making-out, etc. I’ll make it simple, if you wouldn’t do it in front of your boyfriend or girlfriend because you know they’d be mad, jealous or uncomfortable…there’s probably a good reason for that.

            It seems that cheating in relationships have unfortunately become the rule and not the exception. Most women will go through an unfaithful relationship…but why? Why should this be alright? The answer is, it shouldn’t. Some men (mostly those who cheat) seem to believe they’re entitled to make these mistakes and take these liberties. They see cheating differently than women it seems, and it’s unfair that we should have to be the ones to put these limitations on their actions when it seems like common sense to us where to draw the line. We come out being the “bad guys” and feeing guilty about not trusting our men or about not giving them the liberties their friends might have. So, I want to just take a quick second and make something very clear for anyone who thinks they’re on the verge of cheating. If you are in a relationship you’re unhappy with or seeing yourself starting to stray…either smack yourself good and hard and refocus your attention to your girlfriend, or get out of the relationship. Do NOT stay around and wait to see if your relationship regains its spark while you avert your attention to other women.

So, here it is, my insight on the cheating guy: a few reasons why he cheats, what to look for in that type of cheater and what to do when you suspect infidelity. Keep in mind, these are only suggestions and insights from my personal life and therefore should all be taken with a grain of salt.

1. Men get bored in their relationships: When this happens they start to seek excitement elsewhere. This is dangerous and unhealthy. Guys, if this starts to happen to you, you should talk to your girlfriend and either reassess your happiness with the relationship, or break up. If you end up breaking up, so be it, it’s nothing compared to the havoc you’ll wreak if you continue redirecting your attention elsewhere while still in the relationship.

-What to look for: In this case the man will likely start going out more frequently without you, he will spend more time with his single friends and will become less attentive to your needs.

-What to do: Confront your boyfriend directly. Tell him that you’re not happy with the way the relationship is going and that you’ve noticed he’s starting to lose interest. If he doesn’t deny this give him an ultimatum, let him know that you’re willing to work on the relationship if he is, but if he wants to peruse other women you’re not going to wait and see how it turns out.

           2. “Unintentional” cheating: this may begin at first in a relatively innocent manner… by this I mean, the reality of his actions may not be in the forefront of his mind at first. However, underneath every cheater’s actions are intentions for one thing: something outside of the relationship. This may be another woman, it may be an urge to be single, it may be unhappiness within the relationship or fear of its progression…whatever it is, the result is the same, a man strays.

-What to look for: The start of this kind of cheating may not be noticeable at first, but the individual will begin to take more and more liberties until they are in too deep. It’s easy to become paranoid when watching for this type of cheating as the problem may be very subtle in the beginning. The guy may start doing small things you’re uncomfortable with, like dancing with a friend who is a girl or commenting on how good another woman looks. He may start doing things unrelated to cheating, but that ignore your requests and concerns.

-What to do: Again, you must confront the guy, don’t let small things slide and become large problems you hang on to and ruminate about. It’s best to talk about them and let him know your concerns. Be careful not to do this in a demeaning manner, but rather as a serious conversation about the relationship.

 3. Some men are simply not relationship fit…This of course is by no means an excuse for them, however, it seems as though these individuals even when they’re in relationships desire attention from more women. In a sense they’re never satisfied.

-What to look for: These types of men are generally easier to spot, they will often think of themselves as above you and capable of getting anything they want. They also will likely have problems abstaining from anything they enjoy, especially flirting.

-What to do: If you’re in a relationship with someone like this chances are you rationalize their unacceptable behaviour as just part of their personality; but like I said, if you’re in a relationship…flirting is never ok, being a man-whore isn’t a personality, it’s a lifestyle, and it’s a lifestyle unfit for a relationship, so if they want to be in a relationship it should be changed.

             During cheating the unfaithful individual may become withdrawn, angry from accusations, accuse the other individual of not trusting them and they may begin making obvious slip-ups in their excuses or reactions. Suspecting you’re being cheated on will cause you strain; you may feel you’re to blame, guilty for doubting and stressed over the unknown.

            I just want to point out here, that ladies, if a man cheats it is NEVER your fault. Men cheat though their own decisions, it is THEIR actions and THEIR decision that has resulted in cheating, you do not force them to do it. For this reason, do not feel guilty or that you could have changed it in any way. Instead, be thankful (bear with me) because the relationship has ended. Although it may not feel like it at the time, it is a blessing in disguise. Any time that you have left to live your own life without this individual is precious and you WILL live an amazing life without them although it will take time to get over what happened especially if the relationship was a large portion of you life and/or it had been around for a long time. As long as you focus on the future and the positive and not the past and the negative, you will prosper more than you knew possible. With this being said, never regret the time you spent with this individual, because if nothing else it was a learning experience (it may not seem like much at the time, but to go through it once will make any relationship after it much better). As long as you are positive about future relationship and internalize what you’ve learned from past ones you’ll be fine and much the wiser and stronger.

Uptown – Drake feat. Bun B & Lil’ Wayne

Hey everyone!  It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and that’s due to a few things.  First of all, my ass has been severely bruised by mid-terms, so I’ve been recovering from that.  Secondly, I’ve been working on some awesome things that’ll (hopefully) make it into the next post.  The first thing is a “fail reel,” which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like.  I’m taping all of my glorious phails from my gaming in between posts.  The second thing, which is considerably more exciting, is the beginning of my very own webcomic created entirely from videogame stills.  Yes, it will have it’s own story, and all that, so I strongly suggest you check it out!

Anyways, segwaying away from that, recently, the Wii has made me smile instead of making me sigh and shake my head.  No More Heroes 2 is out, and naturally, due to my status as a broke-ass university student, I cannot afford to play it.  Regardless, the game has been released to generally positive reviews, averaging out at about a pretty solid 8.7.  Also,  Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All Stars recently to great reviews as well.  On top of that, we still have big third-party games like Red Steel 2 and Trauma Team to look forward to, as well as Japanese imports like Monster Hunter Tri, Sakura Wars and Shiren the Wanderer that all look pretty cool coming over here soon as well.  I feel like the release of the MotionPlus brought about renewed sense of third-party support for the Wii.  Maybe it has something to do with the attachment’s capabilities, but I doubt that because a lot of games that are coming out don’t even use the MotionPlus.  Truth is, I have no idea what caused it, but I do know that I’m going to enjoy it.

Two more games that I can’t play at the moment, Mass Effect 2 and Bioshock 2 have both shipped recently.  They’ve both been released to great reviews, so I suppose that’s an indication that they aren’t too bad of games.  I’ve been stupendously excited for Mass Effect 2 since I heard it reads your saves from the first game and reacts accordingly.  Talk about frakking awesome.

Anyways, hopefully when I get some money, I can tell you what I actually think about these games, rather than just telling you what other people think.  Well, I suppose an advantage of that is that I’m more persistent in finding games like Steven Poulton and Ben Chandler’s Hope.

Hope

In other news, Traveler’s Tales is whipping up a LEGO: Harry Potter Years 1-4, which I think is pretty sick.  I feel like the Harry Potter games are hit-and-miss.  The first two were okay, I really enjoyed the vastness of Hogwarts in Azkaban, four sucks, and I hear the last two are pretty sweet.  I suppose this excites me because I never thought movies were a good form for the Harry Potter series.  I think a TV series would capture the everyday-familiarity of the Harry Potter universe, so I’m hoping by covering 4 years in 1 game, the game will feel more like a day in the life of Harry Potter rather than a sparse collection of his most intense moments.

Anyways, I believe that’s it for now, take care all…

Until next time…

I felt it necessary to remove the Up In The Air review as well as the Daybreakers one I had planned. My reasoning behind this is that everyone seems to already have an opinion on Daybreakers due to the love/hate relationship audiences have with vampires right now. And I read the novel Up In The Air, and the movie is nothing special.

The Lovely Bones:

Considering the last movie I saw directed (and written) by Peter Jackson was Braindead. And if you ever came across that little film then you will know my expectations were very low for The Lovely Bones. On the official Stoner Movie List this movie ranked 8.9/10, which makes it just above Pineapple Express, and putting it below Dogma. And personally I loved this film. The effects were spectacular and the acting was spot-on for the characters of the book the film was based on. The one thing that kept me entertained while watching it was the concept of the afterlife (or the ‘in between’) and how mindboggling and chaotic it seemed with its ability to act like an anti-reality where anything happens all the time (as confusing as that is).

It captured the one thing I always try to look for in films and that’s my sixth sense. When a character walks on screen and you feel a wave of creepiness and indecision about them, that is what I look for and that is what Stanley Tucci did. Tucci basically plays the character of a man who comes into the life of Suzie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) by becoming obsessed with her. He eventually captures and kills Suzie Salmon and we (the audience) go on a journey into the lives of Suzie in the afterlife, her family dealing with her death and the sad life of George Harvey (Tucci).

The story was excellent and the screenplay definitely well written. The sometimes lack of dialogue was actually annoying as I tried to get as much information as possible from what they were saying because of how interesting the story was. I’ve been back to the theatre three times now to see this film and I plan on seeing it a few more times. It’s well put together, well developed (both in characters and story) and the cinematography is top of the line. The only unfortunate part of the film was when I left the theatre and stepped into Legion.

Edit: Some people found this movie sad and a few even cried during it. I really didn’t see it as a sad movie, but a journey into the theme of grief in individuals and the exploration of the idea of the soul. Philosophical, not sad.

Legion:

My reaction after the movie: “So wait…what happened?” And pretty much I can sum up the film in those few words. What happened? To be honest I don’t really know. How I can properly explain this movie is to give a brief analogy. Imagine taking a book and ripping out the first chapter, doing the same with the middle of the book, but only taking every odd (instead of even) chapter. Now put the book back together and throw the ending in the fire.

No wait, better way of explaining it. They took a picture of Paul Bettany looking at the sky, added wings and a knife, a clearly photoshoped MP5K (that’s a gun) and some fancy lighting. Scott Stewart (the director) saw the picture on someone’s desktop and said, “Hey, I can make a movie out of that”. And KABLAMO I give you Legion.

My apologies, I’m ranting a little bit. I was the one defending the film as I walked out of the theatre. I defended its 100% action, zero story as I did when I walked out of Transformers 2. We didn’t need story, we needed action, right? Wrong. This wasn’t directed by Michael bay and it wasn’t written by any modern day Shakespeare either.

This film was poorly written, badly directed, included a slew of nameless actors and a smattering of wrongly casted famous ones. Paul Bettany remains the same character from The DaVinci Code, Dennis Quaid should not be a hillbilly and Lucas Black should have given up his career after Tokyo Drift.

My major problem with the film however was the story. In all honesty, it was like reading a letter addressed to someone else sent from someone I don’t know. I don’t understand the context of the letter, the purpose of it or even where the story is going to end up later on.

On the plus side – great special effects. That grandma was the most kick-ass demon I have ever seen since Daria in Night Watch (A Russian Film).

Is this film worth seeing?

No.

Is it worth ranting about?

Clearly.

- Written by Ethan Taylor

            Hello again, and welcome to another addition of vegetarian recipe’s from Allison’s cue cards! Alright, so I figure that the last recipe I posted might be a bit tricky for some, so if you read it and though…woah, not for me! Than you’re in luck! I found another and VERY simple (vegetarian) recipe for Sheppard’s Pie (Mmm)! So get on your cooking pants!

             Ingredients: 
            -One package of (Yves) veggie ground round (again, found in most grocery stores in the vegetable section).
           -Some onion
            -Potatoes
            -One small can of vegetable soup (with a tomato soup base)
            -One small can of tomato soup

-Chop up some onion and throw into a large pan (add some oil so it doesn’t stick) and fry up the package of veggie ground round with this on medium heat (keep stirring intermittently).

-While that is cooking, boil potatoes.

-Once veggie ground round is cooked (basically 5 or 10 minutes) add the can of vegetable and tomato soup.

-Cook this mixture together until a good amount of the moisture is gone (but don’t let it get too dry).

-In a greased casserole dish, add the mixture and smooth out. Place the mashed potatoes on top and smooth out, then brush the top with a bit of butter (and sprinkle with cheese if you’d like).

-Bake at about 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

             And there you have it! The easiest vegetarian recipe I have! I’ve had a lot of complements on it (from non-vegetarians mostly) and it’s really simple and a great meal for students/the student lifestyle, so I hope you enjoy!