[  Mood: Shocked ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
Those of you that are my friends on Facebook know my views on Remembrance Day. It is sacred to me. I am the granddaughter of Dutch Resistance fighters. I grew up on stories of what it was like to live in Nazi occupied Netherlands. Steeped in my blood is the reality that war is hell, but it is sometimes necessary.

I also learned that I owe my life to the Canadians who liberated the Netherlands. Canada, a country with no ties to the Dutch, sent their sons and daughters to fight so the Dutch could be free. The Dutch have never forgotten this. And neither have I.

So this brings me to the white poppy. Apparently this is a campaign for peace. You wear the white poppy to symbolize your opposition to wars and your desire for peace.

Personally, I find the white poppy campaign offensive. The poppy has been a symbol of remembering the sacrifices of soldiers who died in war since WWI. It should stay that way.

I applaud the organizers’ desire for peace. But I do not approve of their methods. Pacifism would not have saved the Dutch from Hitler, nor did it do much for the Jews of Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia.

These pacifists should use the symbol that has stood for peace for years. The dove. And they should use it at another time of the year. They have clearly chosen this time of year for their campaign, because they are protesting the symbolism of Remembrance Day. And they think they can get some easy press.

And both show me that they are not quite as much about peace and pacifism as they think they tell us. They are far more about advancing their cause at all costs, no matter who you piss on to get there.

[  Mood: Amused ]
[ Currently: Editing the Podcast ]

Flavia de Luce is a polarizing figure. Some people (OK a lot given the sales figures) love the precocious eleven year-old chemistry savant. Others find her abilities to both create complex chemical formulae and fight crime to be a bit hard to swallow.

What is certain is that author Alan Bradley has created a richly woven tale that takes place in post WWII Britain. Flavia gets involved in the investigation of the murder of a puppeteer who is preforming in her town. The murder investigation also sheds light on the mysterious hanging death of a young boy many years ago.

What makes the book eminent readable is not the mystery, but rather Bradley`s writing style and strong characterization. Flavia`s ongoing war with her two older sisters is so true to life and funny, that the reader finds themselves alternately cheering and scolding the young heroine. And who wouldn’t want to give their sister noxious gas laced chocolates.

So pick it up for the writing, not for the mystery.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Eating Breakfast ]
So I wore purple yesterday as part of the campaign to speak out against bullying GLBTTQ children teens and to remember those who have taken their lives because of it.

The experience was interesting, to say the least.

In addition to the cadre of colleagues who were also in purple, I had a student ask me if I was wearing purple for that exact reason. As a gay friend of mine said yesterday evening, the rest of the student body knew five minutes later and knew I am a safe place to go if there are problems.

But I also looked around and thought "FINALLY!"

I have been screaming loud and clear about this issue for over ten years. I remember calling into a national call-in show to point out that the number one cause of suicide in teenagers is the realization that they are gay or lesbian and they are afraid to live in a world that hates them. I pointed out that they thought they were "broken" and they didn’t know how to "fix" themselves. Even though there was nothing wrong to fix.

I teach grade 7 & 8, the most homophobic age group of humans ever. They use "fag" as a putdown as easy as breathing. As soon as I hear it, I stop the class and have a chat about how that word is a slur like "nigger", "kyke", "spic", "bour" and "beotch". I inform them that word is not welcome in my classroom and I will land on them like a ton of bricks if I ever hear it again. I then go on and talk about Canadian human rights legislation, pointing out that if they do this in a workplace they could find themselves fired as their employers do not want to have to pay a fine for having a negative workplace. (I always relate things to the real world – ALWAYS.)

I have routinely asked friends, "How many cures for cancer have we lost? How many Governor General Awards for Literature? How many Nobel Peace Prizes? How many simply decent human beings who would mow your lawn and water your garden while you are on vacation?" And then I would cry.

So I find it all a little surreal that this has been a cause celebre. Like the rest of the world has woken up and realized that this is just wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled this is happening. But it is so rare that a vision I had for the future actually happens. I don’t know how to handle it.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Listening to Top Chef DC podcast ]
So Tony Curtis has died. And many in the media were lauding his ground breaking turn in Some Like It Hot because he dressed like a woman.

Meet you in the ladies in ten.

Sure this movie was funny, it’s a screwball comedy, it is supposed to be funny. And yes, Tony claims that he banged Marilyn, after anyone who could have disproved it has passed away. And yes, in a "ground breaking move, gender bending move", he dressed as a woman, but let’s be blunt, the British have been doing it for years. As have the Canadians.

Psst! – The one in the dress is a dude!

And really, Tony’s character of Joe ends up with Sugar (played by Marilyn Monroe). That’s not exactly challenging one’s masculinity. It’s Jack Lemmon’s character of Jerry who it is implied will remain in a relationship with a man. So he’s the one who should have gotten the laurels for Some Like It Hot

But not a lot of the media has turned to Curtis’ groundbreaking role of the slave Antonius in Sparticus. This one had him doing the famous snails and oysters scene with Sir Lawrence Olivier that ended up, for the most part, on the cutting room floor. The implied homosexuality and rape of slave was too lascivious for 1960. Yet it’s restoration 30 years later symbolizes how far we have come. (And how repressed our culture was in 1960 – I mean Tony is wearing shorts in the shot. In Ancient Rome, and on HBO today, he would be as naked as the day he was born.)

Yes, master, I like gun shows.

It is for this that I will remember Tony. Yes, Some Like it Hot showed off his comedic side, and he looked good in that dress (although not as good as Jack Lemmon), but it was Sparticus where he pushed at boundaries. He wasn’t afraid to do that scene in a time in which America was so firmly in the closet that the door was locked and boarded up. And there was a chair wedged under the doorknob.

[  Mood: Sick ]
[  Currently: Watching Colbert Report ]

Laid out like an actual government publication, The Government Manual for New Superheroes, gives wanna be superheroes advice on every aspect of the business: costumes, secret lairs, evil nemeses, sidekicks, transportation, even what to call yourself. There is even a registration form at the back to speed your entry into the superhero life.

Authors Matthew Brozik and Jacob Weinstein have produced a very funny, and highly sarcastic, guide to being a superhero. They routinely reference heroes like Batman and Spiderman, but not so explicitly as to attract the attention of the corporate suits. There is also plenty of original material (like the Fencesitter, who had to eventually choose a side, although too often it was tragically too late) to keep the reader laughing. You will find yourself snorting repeatedly as you read this book.

This is a light, entertaining read that is perfect for the bus or the bathroom. A must for the comic book fan in your life.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Waiting for my drugs to kick in. ]

"I Know I am, But What Are You" is a collection of essays that tell some parts of Samantha’s shady past. The daughter of a failed marriage, she was raised by her grandmother until her parents got their heads put on right and were actually able to parent, although in the case of Samantha’s mother, it would have probably been better if she had been raised by wolves. Even if you discount 50% of her claims due to hyperbole, she would have been better off.

The only real flaw w …more "I Know I am, But What Are You" is a collection of essays that tell some parts of Samantha’s shady past. The daughter of a failed marriage, she was raised by her grandmother until her parents got their heads put on right and were actually able to parent, although in the case of Samantha’s mother, it would have probably been better if she had been raised by wolves. Even if you discount 50% of her claims due to hyperbole, she would have been better off.

The only real flaw with this book is the disjointed nature of the narrative. This is less of a traditional memoir, and more a snapshot of funny vignettes from Bee’s life, leaving plenty of room for a sequel.

I was lucky enough to pick this up as an audiobook from my local library. Having Samantha Bee delivery her book with her usual snarky delivery was a value added experience.

[  Mood: Very Sad ]
She was in movies like Dead Zone and WIllard. She did voices for Heavy Metal and Ewoks. But she is best known as Aunt Hetty from Road to Avonlea.

She was Canadian, and yes Gary, now she’s dead, but I am crying.

God speed Aunt Hetty.

[  Mood: Distorted ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
So last night I had a dream that I was in Vancouver, and I stumbled across a sci-fi convention. I had the boy with me as I toured the exhibit hall. There were movie props from movies such as Alien, Saw, Nightmare on Elm Street. Apparently it was more of a horror convention, and I was dragging a two year-old through the exhibit. The boy was getting increasingly terrifies by all the scary things, while I kept saying "It’s ok. Isn’t that cool?" He was not buying it.

Even in my dreams I am a crappy mother.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Getting Ready for Bed ]
Realized today that the funniest line in Star Wars is:

"These blast marks are far too accurate for Sand People. Only imperial Stormtroopers are so precise."

Because given that Imperial Stormtroopers couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn when they were standing two feet from it, this makes the Sand People really crappy shooters.

[  Mood: Happy ]
There is much to be said for the Internet and book services like Goodreads and LivingSocial. You can find similar books to the ones you love, and get suggestions from friends. In spite of all this technobibliographic help, there is something to be said for wandering through the stacks of your local library or book store. Sometimes you stumble across a cover like this:

How could I resist?

Dwight is a looser, with a capital LOOSER, but when he invents and origami Yoda puppet that seems to be able to tell the future. Soon Dwight is sought out by kids who want Yoda to give them advice on topics such as their love life or how to deal with bullies. But Dwight’s friend Tommy isn’t sure how real is this prognostication. Especially since he has a very important question to ask.

This book is a clever tale of boys on the edges of the social plane aimed at the Grades 4 to 6 set. Written as a series of case files with commentary, it is also accessible to the Middle School group who are into the high interest-low vocab books or are Star Wars fans. The crazy, kid-style illustration only serve to bump up the humour even more. Author Tom Angleberger has set the right tone for this boy friendly tale.