This year I am thankful for:
- This crazy town that just might end up really working for me... at least for a few years. And also the fine folks I've already had the pleasure of meeting here, and their various social shenanigans
- The two people who gave me life and then made it possible for it to continue via the provision of shelter, education, security, and nourishment at regular intervals. Oh, and a whole bunch of love and support
- A fabulous new condo which will be mine in about 20 days (!!!!)
- The amazing curry I made for thanksgiving: salmon with sweet potato, chickpeas and green beans
- PG Wodehouse stories, most recently Uncle Fred in the Springtime, a tale involving love, loss, confidence tricks, and a rather ponderous specimen of the porcine variety
- Bulk Barn... I love the experience of wandering around and selecting products from giant bins! And it really takes the sting off the fact that I can no longer just wander into Kensington Market for all my grains and spices
- That a place like Mondragon exists here, even though I haven't been. I have them in my facebook and they keep spamming (is it really spamming if you're pleased to receive it?) my feed with their delicious-sounding daily specials. I promise myself that I will go there this weekend and report back on what will no doubt be an awesome experience
- Peep Show, series 7 of which premieres in November. I wait all year for this show, and when it comes it's over far too quickly... but will always be amazingly and hilariously worth the longing
- Roger Ebert's film reviews. I really love reading good reviews about bad movies. I don't know why
- Martin Dronesclub giving me the link to a subtitle file for this. I love foreign films, and I hate dubbing... plus having taken 2 weeks to download this movie and then realizing it didn't come with subtitles was, to put it mildly, a tad disappointing
Things I'm not thankful for:
- Oh fuck it, who wants to read a list of gripes? I'll leave this out and just focus on all the positives mentioned above :)
Happy Turkey (or in my case, Curry) Day to everyone in internet land!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Cooking with Gussie: Episode 1
This was quick and delicious... and I'm sharing it here since it was made off the cuff, and I'd like to remember how I did it. More wonderful recipes get lost to the ages because people make them up as they go, and never bother to record them!
Curry Quinoa Stir-fry
1 c. Quinoa
1/2 green pepper
1/2 spanish onion
1 can sockeye salmon (minus all the yucky bits they leave in there... who cans fish with the bones still in? I ask you!!!)
1 tb. fresh ginger
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tb. olive oil
First off, rinse the quinoa well in warm water, for 3 minutes... this is what the package told me, and I'm inclined to believe it's good advice. Then dump it in a pot with 2 cups of water, and start it boiling. Put the curry powder, chili powder and lemon pepper in there too. Once it's boiling reduce the heat, put on a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a pan, throw in the ginger (finely chopped) and onion and green pepper (roughly chopped). Then the salmon... and for the love of all that is delicious, watch out for those bones! I honestly don't understand that. Canned food is supposed to be more or less ready to eat, no?? I mean, what if I had just thrown the entire contents of the can in without looking first! Ugh! It had like, a spine and stuff....! But I digress.
So by this time the quinoa should be about cooked, and the ginger, onion, pepper and fish have had a chance to make friends in the pan. Now the quinoa is invited to the party! Make sure to politely introduce it to everyone else so it's not just standing in the corner near the chips & dips, staring at its feet (quinoa is known to be shy). Alright?
Mix everything around in the pan for a bit, then it's done! So you should eat it. It's amazing.
God, I should write a recipe book.
Curry Quinoa Stir-fry
1 c. Quinoa
1/2 green pepper
1/2 spanish onion
1 can sockeye salmon (minus all the yucky bits they leave in there... who cans fish with the bones still in? I ask you!!!)
1 tb. fresh ginger
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tb. olive oil
First off, rinse the quinoa well in warm water, for 3 minutes... this is what the package told me, and I'm inclined to believe it's good advice. Then dump it in a pot with 2 cups of water, and start it boiling. Put the curry powder, chili powder and lemon pepper in there too. Once it's boiling reduce the heat, put on a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a pan, throw in the ginger (finely chopped) and onion and green pepper (roughly chopped). Then the salmon... and for the love of all that is delicious, watch out for those bones! I honestly don't understand that. Canned food is supposed to be more or less ready to eat, no?? I mean, what if I had just thrown the entire contents of the can in without looking first! Ugh! It had like, a spine and stuff....! But I digress.
So by this time the quinoa should be about cooked, and the ginger, onion, pepper and fish have had a chance to make friends in the pan. Now the quinoa is invited to the party! Make sure to politely introduce it to everyone else so it's not just standing in the corner near the chips & dips, staring at its feet (quinoa is known to be shy). Alright?
Mix everything around in the pan for a bit, then it's done! So you should eat it. It's amazing.
God, I should write a recipe book.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Good Idea/Not So Good Idea
Good Idea:
Beta testing your new software.
Not So Good Idea:
Betta testing your new software.
(With apologies to Animaniacs)
Beta testing your new software.
Not So Good Idea:
Betta testing your new software.
(With apologies to Animaniacs)
Let's never say the "P" word.
So here I am, in Winnipeg. It's me, here, in the capital of Manitoba. I'm me, this city is Winnipeg. Full stop. This does not make me a "Pegger". In fact I'm not even sure if it's a real thing people call themselves... I've just gotten a lot of ribbing regarding this moniker from certain Ontario residents who shall remain nameless. Annnnnd that's the last time you'll see that word mentioned on this blog. It's now taboo - an evil that probably exists but should never be spoken of, like Voldemort.... or Justin Bieber.
And now, with no further ado, and in no particular order, here are some Winnipeg things thus far.
1) The view from my room. Not just another landscape... this view features a combination KFC/Taco Bell! It's not quite as awesome as if it was this... I'm going to have to make an amended cover.
2) Where I want to work. I found this company that seems incredibly cool... as does the owner. Talk to me, Tripwire Media Group!
3) Oh this really has nothing to do with Winnipeg, but I'm loving it right now. Some genius had the idea to take Kanye West's tweets and combine them with famously-unfunny New Yorker cartoons. I like this explanation of why the juxtaposition works:
Tadaaaaa! Much more Winnipeg-related, and non-Winnipeg-related, non-linear items of interest coming soon.
And now, with no further ado, and in no particular order, here are some Winnipeg things thus far.
1) The view from my room. Not just another landscape... this view features a combination KFC/Taco Bell! It's not quite as awesome as if it was this... I'm going to have to make an amended cover.
2) Where I want to work. I found this company that seems incredibly cool... as does the owner. Talk to me, Tripwire Media Group!
3) Oh this really has nothing to do with Winnipeg, but I'm loving it right now. Some genius had the idea to take Kanye West's tweets and combine them with famously-unfunny New Yorker cartoons. I like this explanation of why the juxtaposition works:
Kanye’s tweets are more or less raw id (unfiltered, portraying base emotions and simple thoughts) and New Yorker cartoons are almost entirely superego (carefully considered, ‘quiet’ presentation).Here are my favourite ones... but you can find all of them here.
Tadaaaaa! Much more Winnipeg-related, and non-Winnipeg-related, non-linear items of interest coming soon.
Monday, June 21, 2010
I could hear my frontal lobe sizzling like bacon as I watched this
... now everything smells like apples.
I enjoy that I live in a world where there exists a logical connection between the video above, and this.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Q: What were you before? A: Blue.
Right now I am loving this:
Things that I like to see in music videos:
- Silent captions
- White outfits
- Clockwork Orange references
- Alex Jameses
- Eyeliner on a guy that can't be classified as the fucking stupid emo-bullshit or poppy-glam lameness that is "guyliner"
- Weird industrial symbols for things like magnetic men and embryo martinis
SUPERB!
And on a pretty much totally unrelated note (except for maybe the white shirts? if we're being nitpicky), another awesome thing I've discovered lately is the Starz sitcom Party Down.
It's like Curb Your Enthusiasm humour mixed with workplace comedy, it's got hilarious people like Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr, and Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Rudd is a writer/producer, STEVE GUTTENBERG plays an awesome (yet weirdly muscled) version of himself for an entire episode, and then just random awesome shit like this:
Although I think Starz sounds like a TV network owned by Lisa Frank. Eh, whatever.
Things that I like to see in music videos:
- Silent captions
- White outfits
- Clockwork Orange references
- Alex Jameses
- Eyeliner on a guy that can't be classified as the fucking stupid emo-bullshit or poppy-glam lameness that is "guyliner"
- Weird industrial symbols for things like magnetic men and embryo martinis
SUPERB!
And on a pretty much totally unrelated note (except for maybe the white shirts? if we're being nitpicky), another awesome thing I've discovered lately is the Starz sitcom Party Down.
It's like Curb Your Enthusiasm humour mixed with workplace comedy, it's got hilarious people like Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr, and Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Rudd is a writer/producer, STEVE GUTTENBERG plays an awesome (yet weirdly muscled) version of himself for an entire episode, and then just random awesome shit like this:
Although I think Starz sounds like a TV network owned by Lisa Frank. Eh, whatever.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Some summery
Humber Bay Park and the viking funeral of Chunky the phone.
We saw this chip truck on the way to the park... it doesn't get more appropriate.
Offerings for the deceased to take with him to the afterlife. Chunky was never a fan of taking food from his charge cord... in fact, we thought he might have been anorexic. Hopefully he'll appreciate fruits, ice cream, pizza and fish and chips better.
His ringtone for years was Let's Dance by Bowie, so this is what we played on the turntable as we sent him on his way to Valhalla.
Goodbye, old friend... and hello summer.
We saw this chip truck on the way to the park... it doesn't get more appropriate.
Offerings for the deceased to take with him to the afterlife. Chunky was never a fan of taking food from his charge cord... in fact, we thought he might have been anorexic. Hopefully he'll appreciate fruits, ice cream, pizza and fish and chips better.
His ringtone for years was Let's Dance by Bowie, so this is what we played on the turntable as we sent him on his way to Valhalla.
Goodbye, old friend... and hello summer.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
What an action movie should be
This is the trailer for "Lebanon", written and directed by Samuel Maoz.
I was lucky enough to see this last year at TIFF, and was blown away (seriously, honestly, no pun intended there). I was actually volunteering at the time and probably should have been paying more attention to my ticket-ripping duties, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen...it was so powerful, moving, and incredibly unique.
The story is told from the perspective of four young soldiers in a tank in the Lebanon war; and you, the viewer, are stuck in the tank with them for the duration of the film. The majority of these guys are totally new and incredibly nervous, and their fears, hesitation, guilt, and of course, claustrophobia are brilliantly conveyed. However, there's also levity to be found in the sort of banter that is unavoidable when relative strangers are forced to get to know one another right quick. The whole thing was so affecting and just... so *real*, I wasn't at all surprised when I met the director after the show and learned that it was based on his own war experiences.
So in case it wasn't already obvious... this is a really big and genuine recommendation. Don't spend your money on whatever fucking bullshit $120-bajillion-CGI-budget blockbuster piece of crap is being shoved down your throat everytime you turn on the TV! See Lebanon instead, get the same adrenaline rush, and actually walk away thinking you've done something worthwhile with 2 hours of your life.
I was lucky enough to see this last year at TIFF, and was blown away (seriously, honestly, no pun intended there). I was actually volunteering at the time and probably should have been paying more attention to my ticket-ripping duties, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen...it was so powerful, moving, and incredibly unique.
The story is told from the perspective of four young soldiers in a tank in the Lebanon war; and you, the viewer, are stuck in the tank with them for the duration of the film. The majority of these guys are totally new and incredibly nervous, and their fears, hesitation, guilt, and of course, claustrophobia are brilliantly conveyed. However, there's also levity to be found in the sort of banter that is unavoidable when relative strangers are forced to get to know one another right quick. The whole thing was so affecting and just... so *real*, I wasn't at all surprised when I met the director after the show and learned that it was based on his own war experiences.
So in case it wasn't already obvious... this is a really big and genuine recommendation. Don't spend your money on whatever fucking bullshit $120-bajillion-CGI-budget blockbuster piece of crap is being shoved down your throat everytime you turn on the TV! See Lebanon instead, get the same adrenaline rush, and actually walk away thinking you've done something worthwhile with 2 hours of your life.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
What's a Winnipeg?
I know nothing whatsoever about Winnipeg! Except that it's in Manitoba!
When I think about Winnipeg, my brain goes like this:
...which is appropriate since pug faces kind of look like brains. But that doesn't make it right! I should stop being such an ignoramus, and make an effort to know more about the diverse and probably uniquely awesome cities in this pretty freaking vast country.
Maybe I should move there to find out more. Yes, I think this is the best plan... some real nitty-gritty firsthand investigative journalism.
More to come on Winnipeg in the future! But for the next few months, lots more about Toronto and all it has to offer before I go. It's like in a movie when someone finds out they only have ____ long to live... suddenly their lust for life increases 1000 fold and they do all the adventurous things they've always meant to do, but sadly they don't get to do that one last thing that was the central driving motivation of the screenplay and then the music gets really tragic yet beautifully inspirational as they slowly fade away on their deathbed and then their left-behind loved one walks into the horizon with a determined chin and a newfound appreciation for the impermanence of life and what it means to really be alive...
Except this won't be as profound as all that, I'll probably just be going to the beach and trying some new falafel places.
When I think about Winnipeg, my brain goes like this:
...which is appropriate since pug faces kind of look like brains. But that doesn't make it right! I should stop being such an ignoramus, and make an effort to know more about the diverse and probably uniquely awesome cities in this pretty freaking vast country.
Maybe I should move there to find out more. Yes, I think this is the best plan... some real nitty-gritty firsthand investigative journalism.
More to come on Winnipeg in the future! But for the next few months, lots more about Toronto and all it has to offer before I go. It's like in a movie when someone finds out they only have ____ long to live... suddenly their lust for life increases 1000 fold and they do all the adventurous things they've always meant to do, but sadly they don't get to do that one last thing that was the central driving motivation of the screenplay and then the music gets really tragic yet beautifully inspirational as they slowly fade away on their deathbed and then their left-behind loved one walks into the horizon with a determined chin and a newfound appreciation for the impermanence of life and what it means to really be alive...
Except this won't be as profound as all that, I'll probably just be going to the beach and trying some new falafel places.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
New Freddy Krueger looks like Vincent the Beast
I'm not a fan of remakes as a rule anyway... but I'm especially against this! Dear Hollywood, please stop raping my youth (and setting it on fire).
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The coolest kids EVER
Reason number 12, 455 to talk to your children about drugs. Specifically, make them understand that they shouldn't do drugs, but if they simply MUST, they're going to do real drugs, and properly, dammit! Decadent parties, dangerous strangers, the full Lou Reed nine yards. Not cheersing whip-it balloons with your band camp friends in someone's WoW basement and then posting a video of it to YouTube. This is hardly a worthwhile way to kill 8 million brain cells.
I just want to punch the dude on the left. Right in his doughy, addled face.
I just want to punch the dude on the left. Right in his doughy, addled face.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Where zee heck have I been?
I'll admit I dropped the ball on kicking the ol' sky for a while there...
But here I am... back on it and full of pep, zest, sass, vim, and all sorts of other effervescent-type words which can double as cleaning product brand names.
New look and lots and lots and lots more blogs coming soon! Which I'm sure all 3 people who read this will be THRILLED to hear. YEZZZ!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Fabulous Fashions #2
French bread manicure: Good idea/bad idea?
This girl knows what I'm talking about:
This girl knows what I'm talking about:
Monday, January 11, 2010
Chère-chez la femme
Brian G. Smith, my awesome and hilarious uncle (who I would call "Funcle" were it not for the fact that that word sounds like a growth on someone's butt cheek) made a short film that won this year's 69-hour Film Challenge, and it's finally available to view online!
Check out the excellently-named Chère at the National Screen Institute website.
And also make sure to visit Brian's company's site: www.youandmedia.com(edy)!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Insipid lyrics to amuse and inspire
We've been together for a long time, baby
Do you have to leave?
Please don't go girl
I just can't live without you
Please don't go girl
So listen to me... (Don't go, girl)
Please don't go girl
You would ruin my whole world
Tell me you'll stay
Never ever go away
I love you (I love you)
I guess I always will
Girl, you're my best friend
Girl, you're my love within
I just want you to know
That I will always love you
Ooh, baby
Tell me you'll stay
Never ever go away
I need you (I need you)
I guess I always will
Girl, you're my best friend
Girl, you're my love within
I just want you to know
That I will always love you
Ooh, baby
(Please don't go girl)
I'm gonna always love you girl
I'm gonna love you girl until the end of time
Tell me girl
You're gonna always be mine
Please don't go girl
You would ruin my whole world
Tell me you'll stay
Never ever go away
I love you (I love you)
I guess I always will
Girl, you're my best friend
Girl, you're my love within
I just want you to know
That I will always love you
Ooh, baby
(Please don't go girl)
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go girl
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go, baby
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go girl
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go darlin'
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go, baby, no
Do you have to leave?
Please don't go girl
I just can't live without you
Please don't go girl
So listen to me... (Don't go, girl)
Please don't go girl
You would ruin my whole world
Tell me you'll stay
Never ever go away
I love you (I love you)
I guess I always will
Girl, you're my best friend
Girl, you're my love within
I just want you to know
That I will always love you
Ooh, baby
Tell me you'll stay
Never ever go away
I need you (I need you)
I guess I always will
Girl, you're my best friend
Girl, you're my love within
I just want you to know
That I will always love you
Ooh, baby
(Please don't go girl)
I'm gonna always love you girl
I'm gonna love you girl until the end of time
Tell me girl
You're gonna always be mine
Please don't go girl
You would ruin my whole world
Tell me you'll stay
Never ever go away
I love you (I love you)
I guess I always will
Girl, you're my best friend
Girl, you're my love within
I just want you to know
That I will always love you
Ooh, baby
(Please don't go girl)
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go girl
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go, baby
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go girl
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go darlin'
(Please don't go girl)
Please don't go, baby, no
Let me start out by saying this: it's not schadenfreude! (but you should visit that link, it's quite interesting)
Let the pure, unadulterated mediocrity of these words wash over you! Think about how insanely, mind-blowingly famous the New Kids on The Block were in their heyday! Come to terms with the fact that this song made it to #10 on the Billboard charts!
Then sit back, collect your thoughts, and create something great. Anything you want... as long as you're proud of it and you know it took more effort and attention than plugging the words "girl", "always" and "love" into the Lyric-o-Matic 2000.
So what if no one ever makes an action figure that vaguely resembles your countenance. So what if Japanese girls don't cry and faint when you walk into a hotel lobby. You're creative and unique and amazing; and you know it.
Yes that was a bit of a saccharine sentiment... but I don't care!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
To sleep, perchance to sleep in
I'm a terrible getter-upper. Each morning is an epic battle of wills between my desire to hide beneath the blankets forever in a lovely dark cuddle bundle of warm, and my understanding that employment is necessary to earn the means to keep myself fed and sheltered. It usually takes me an average of 3 snoozes to even consider leaving my rumpled haven.
My sleepy self is also quite adept at coming up with ways to befuddle my responsible self into submission. For example, sometimes I'll lie there pondering whether it's actually a weekend or a holiday, or maybe, just maybe, one of those special work days when they don't mind if you come in 3 hours late (disclaimer: these do not exist). But in the back of my mind I always know that if it was a weekend or holiday or any other circumstance in which I wouldn't have to get up, I wouldn't be lying there having this conversation with myself, with a beeping alarm in my ear.
So this morning my bizarre semi-unconscious brain tried a different tactic: it tried to justify my sleeping in based on what Steve Guttenberg was doing. The alarm went off, I attempted to consider thinking about perhaps beginning to roll out of bed, when my brain said "Wait! How is this fair? I bet you Steve Guttenberg doesn't have to get up early on cold days." And indeed, this ended up having the opposite of the intended effect: so amused was I by this surreal thought that I was actually motivated to get up, face the day and see what else my weird mind can come up with.
I really have no idea what Steve Guttenberg is up to these days, but I hope he's somewhere warmer than Toronto in January, and that he gets to sleep in until at least 10.
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