Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Good morning

I surreptitiously brought my Starbucks beverage into the campus library this morning! I think I am a little too impressed with myself....

Thursday, February 14, 2008

book of the week

A month or so ago I was browsing through the used book store on campus (that sells consigned textbooks) looking to see if there were any books from an English class that I might like to read. I picked up two.

1) The Wild Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys.

This book (for those of you who do not know) is the story of Mr. Rodchester's first wife (the mad woman upstairs in Jane Eyre). I have heard of it many times, as it is often read in English classes as it written back to Jane Eyre by an author from the Caribbean, and it is interesting to read from back and forth from the colonial power to colonies... anyways... it was good and I enjoyed it and I am glad I read it.... however it was no where near as fabulous as...

2) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

This book, winner of the 1989 Booker Prize and turned into a move starring Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins is about a British butler and his relationship to the house and to the housekeeper. The book is from the point of view of the butler and it is amazing. Nothing happens in the sense of action-adventure - but it is such a moving, stirring, extraordinary exploration of the human condition. Not to mention the writing is outstanding (hence the booker prize). Now part of the reason I liked it so much might have been that going in I had no expectations. So if anyone out there decides to read, please don't have very high expectations because this book is definetely not for everyone. It was, however, totally for me.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Quote of the Day

"For many [parents], real estate is the preferred way to say "I love you."

-Pearce, Tralee "Financed by the Bank of Ma and Pa", Globe and Mail, February 12, 2008

I of course immediately called both my parents to inform this of this latest development in parent-child relations and to confirm whether or not their love for me extends to these new modern methods of showing love. Apparently it does not.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

my new favourite dress



America Ferrera at the 2008 SAG Awards
(click to make it big to fully appreciate its spectacularness)

Monday, February 04, 2008

how did I miss this...?

Quote of the Day...

"I met the Dalai Lama in my office but I meet everyone in my office. I don't know why I would sneak off to a hotel room just to meet the Dalai Lama. You know, he's not a call girl. As I say, he's a respected international spiritual leader."

-Stephen "Steve" Harper

Friday, February 01, 2008

law & order

Today I don't have to go to work because I worked so much this week (right...) that today I have "compensatory time off".

So it's 10am and I am watching Law and Order.

Season One.

And guest starring....

Phillip Seymour Hoffman!

In, according to imdb.com, his first credited role.

How cool is that??

I realize that this is not at all cool in some abstract definition of the word cool.

But it is super cool to me.

Law and Order Season One PLUS Phillip Seymour Hoffman = Cool!!

Me = Cool, not so much