Pillow fight, anyone?

Unfortunately to disappoint male readers but I'm actually talking about the PFL. Pillow Fight League, that is. Pillow fighting is making its way into the sporting world and gaining quite a lot of attention in pop culture, being called "a glimpse of the future of sport" by ESPN mag. Like any sport, the league has established official rules and guidelines which must be followed:

the Official PFL Rules
1.	Female pillow fighters only. No exceptions.
2.	Professional pillow fights are won via pinfall, surrender, or referee stoppage. If a pillow fight ends at the time limit with no winner, a winner is declared by a three-judge committee, using the traditional 10 point system. Pillow fighters are judged based on Style, Stamina, and the Eye of the Tiger.
3.	Pillow fighting is Fun. No biting, scratching, or hair pulling. Malicious intent and blatant disregard of your opponent's safety (or your own) may result in immediate suspension and/or dismissal from the League.
4.	Mouth guards, knee pads and elbow pads are mandatory.
5.	Bearing in mind Rule #3, most anything goes in a pillow fight, as long as there is a pillow at the point of contact. Preventing your opponent's offense by holding her pillow is not allowed.
6.	Pillow fighters must practice good sportswomanship. No rude, lewd, or suggestive behavior.
7.	A pillow is not a weapon. Deliberately compressing the pillow fibres to increase the density of the pillow is not allowed. Loading a pillow with any foreign object is strictly forbidden.

According to the PFL website, http://www.gopfl.com/ : "It's business is training women to become Professional Pillow Fighters in the PFL Arena, providing Entertainment for an audience, at PFL Live Events and at PFL Special Appearances." Don't take these fighters as a joke or they'll fight you... with a pillow?

She works hard for the money

To say this ad is sexual is, perhaps, an understatement.

Finally, she had her cake and ate it too...

This weekend was an example of how summer should be; fun.

On Friday evening I met up with Kendra to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I was early, she was late, we were both without our mobile phones, and things worked out. When we entered, Kendra saw her high school friend Briar who works at the theater. She is very intense to say the least - thought that could have been the emo pink eyeshadow that swayed me. I sorta kinda basically wanted to back away slowly whenever she prompted me for agreement. Regardless, she invited Kendra to a kegger [and said I could come too] as well as managed to snag us two child tickets for the low price of 6 dollars each. The movie was really good! I noticed there was a lot less emphasis on a storyline and a lot more action this time around. [As a side note: I think should play Harry Potter if the whole HP mania spawns off into a musical for coloured people by coloured people.] After the movie, we had to take the bus as I cannot drive with my foot injury. When we arrived at the bus stop behind the theater, Kendra asked the bus driver if the mall near my house was on his route. It wasn't. The driver was totally oblivious of anything I was saying because he was too busy gawking at Kendra. The price of beauty, I suppose. We decided not to wait 47 minutes for the right bus to arrive but to walk to a couple blocks to a busier intersection. We got to the mall safe a sound. We made a quick pit stop at the drug store to buy a chocolate cake mix and powdered custard. I learned several things on our long travel home. 1, Kendra has a right drift while walking, which explains why I am always on her left side. 2, Kendra's Jamaican side gives her the ability to speak rasta patois and, as such, the power to ward off ganstas parked in black SUVs in the empty parking lot by the mall. 3, We look hella good on public transit. More lessons would follow when we got back to my house. 1, My dog loves me more than Kendra. 2, I can fake being a bad cook when I want a girl to cook for me. 3, I don't think Kendra liked my new song. All in all, it was a fun evening. I have to remember to take my camera with me wherever I go!

This, sadly, is not the cake we made...

Saturday seemed to float by with a sleepy disposition and an ample amount of schoolwork. I went to Saturday evening mass with my Ma. It was the youth mass so it was very untraditional seeming. The soloist had such a pretty voice. After the mass, my Ma asked me why I don't sing for church anymore. It was a good question... The day ended with ice cream and watching the re-run of the BET Awards with my parents. My ghetto fab sister went out so we were lost for the most part who was who. Apparently, my parents both disregard Diana Ross' drug and violence issues and think "she's a class act".

I woke up really early on Sunday morning and decided that I wanted to sing in with the 10 am choir again. My dad is one of the guitarist for the choir so I joined him for the early morning practice. During the summer, the usual Thursday evening practices are moved to Sunday mornings before mass. I am happy I chose to sing; I felt more connected to the mass this way. Afterward, we rushed downtown with a couple of family friends to see the musical We Will Rock You. I think I've learned my way downtown well because I was able to give directions to the others. Yay, proud! We got there early so we stopped by this Bangladesh festival happening in Dundas Square shortly to listen to a band that was playing. We only stayed for two songs then walked across to the theater. The Cannon Theater was a lot simpler than I expected - perhaps because the last theater I was at was the Garnier Opera House. I liked the music a lot but I thought the plot was slightly stupid. One of the friends brought a date, who came to talk to me during intermission when the others went to stretch their legs or use the washrooms. Thankfully, my dad saved me from the hotness of this very friendly individual by answering all the questions asked of me. Pft! On the bright side, I love my parents and they went out for drinks later that night so I got the house to myself. I decided to get wild by watching Big Brother and Brothers & Sisters while eating lamb burgers and Greek salad.

I had an appointment with a geneticist on Friday morning. A blood sample has been sent off to Ottawa to confirm whether I have HNPP. I was told I display the classic example of this genetic disorder. It's not lethal thankfully but still not the best thing to find out. Who would have thought bad news could kick off such a lovely weekend?

It's Ma'am as in Sam Not Mum as in Bum

These past few days have been rather royal. No, really. I mean royal. I finally watched The Queen starring Helen Mirren. Both my ma and I agreed the film was well done. It detailed the day-to-day happenings of the Queen just prior to and succeeding Princess Diana’s death. I, like many, dislike Queen Elizabeth II but the film made me view her from a different perspective. She holds her title as head of the sovereignty to the utmost importance along with all its duties. She is simply trying to do well in the tradition that prepared her.

Yesterday, I tuned in for parts of Concert for Diana, a musical celebration throw by Prince William and Harry in dedication to their late mother. Reporters were going completely mad for the princes, tossing compliments left, right, and center. Ugh! One man being interviewed went as far as to say the two young men are role models for all young people. Okay... Now, that is just ridiculous. I’m not quite sure if I, as a young person, would like to look to Prince Harry as a role model. I know he’s a prince but does that disregard the fact that he’s a perverted ass-grabber who wears swastika armband and was checked into rehab at age 17? I suppose so. But hell, if I'm going to have a role model like that I'd much rather look to another fire crotch - Lindsay Lohan.

Although Prince William has done nothing wrong, I don’t want him to be king. I have nothing against him but, as people have said time and time again, the monarchy must go. When it comes down to it, however, only one in five vote to boot out the royals. It seems to me that British people do not want to let go of the romance and fairytale lifestyle a monarchy brings. But think about this: who is living the fairytale lifestyle? Not the people, rather a select few who have done nothing but be born. There is a difference between a child lucking out and being part of a wealthy family. You see, somewhere down the line someone in the family had to earn that money. She/he worked hard, played smart, or stole. Speaking of stealing, the British monarch "earns" £88 million from taxpayers a year without really earning a single cent of that figure. In the modern world, the monarch hinders instead of helps society flourish. Britain must make the move towards becoming a republic for the sake of its people.

Click the URL below to view other supporting arguments of Republicanism in the United Kingdom as well as some opposing arguments: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republicanism_in_the_United_Kingdom

Virtual Insanity

My summer has been fairly uneventful thus far with my injury and the sudden disappearance of my friends. My close confidant Kendra has recently moved back to Toronto from studying in Leeds. I've missed her greatly - naturally, she's felt the same - and so we planned to see our all-time favourite bisexual celebrity in A Mighty Heart. I searched the internet for showtimes and we planned dinner before seeing the film. There was a show at 7h30. Perfect! [Kendra's still jetlagged and wanted to be home by 9h30... I know, we've gone from dancing on railings to home before sundown. We've truly turned into a wild pair.] When we got to the cinema, there was, however, no 7h30 show on the huge electronic sign hanging above the box office. Why's that? That's because A Mighty Heart, as we could soon learn from the ticket seller, was not playing at that cinema. WHAT?! I check the location and times on the internet. How could this be? All was not lost as I still had a lovely time at dinner and equally lovely - but awkward - time watching Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer with a room full of little kids and their parents.

It got me thinking... Of course, we all know that what is online is not always truth in the real world. But do we really? I'm not just talking about incorrect movie openings. You turn on your computer, click the icon for your internet browser, and then POW! You are taken to a virtual world full of everything that is known to man, something called "pixels" [whatever those are], and all lies and falsities you could ever imagine. Yay! Let's talk about MySpace, for instance, shall we? Yay! Almost everyone on MySpace has an innumerable number of friends who have found their way onto the ol' friends list but have never been or may never be met in-person. Despite my old tendency to judge this particular situation, I've come around and learned to appreciate the "online friend". I have people on my list who I've never met so this to me is fine. However, is it fine that most people's profiles do not portray the person they are in the real world? It is without a doubt in my mind that people write things online they would never say in person, turn from shy to overtly sexual for the sake of a thoroughly observed photo section, and, of course, exaggerate certain qualities to attract certain friends. My first thought is that I hate MySpace... but then I come to my senses. I realize MySpace isn't evil and that I'm probably just as bad as half of these people. We are lying to ourselves about ourselves for others. Later, this idea came to me: maybe who we see online are not lies but the true person that is inhibited in the real world? If we do something shocking online, we don't have deal with the consequences. We just click "block" then "delete" everyone and get new friends. Or do more subtle things... but I'm tad dramatic [in person and in my virtual self] so think up the subtle ways yourself. Hem. Regardless, I think we should all keep in mind that before and after this virtual insanity, we are the people who live and breathe in flesh and blood. We should be aiming to improve ourselves as real people not our profile photos. Oh, and by the way, just as a reality check to those kids who's online profiles scream "too cool for school!", you're not fooling anyone. I know you are actually just students with emo haircuts and bad taste in music so fuck off, k?

Any thoughts? (:

There's something special about Irvine

At one time, Kelly Clarkson not only represented the sole major success story of the Idol franchise but also a powerhouse in the music industry overall, pumping out hit single after hit single. Although “Never Again” has grown on me, I had begun to question the future of the 25-year-old Texan singer-songwriter after seeing her performance of “Never Again” on the season finale of Idol. Kinda terrible. In fact, I started to prefer Carrie Underwood's composure and lack of shouting out a song.

After my friend Lorraine linked me up to preview the yet-to-be-released My December, I feel as though I need to apologize for ever doubting Kelly. It is perhaps one of the most anticipated releases of the year and has already stirred up quite a bit of controversy with Clive Davis in opposition of its release, the firing of her long-time manager, and the cancellation of a summer tour due to disappointing ticket sales. The CD does have a few shitty tracks but some of the slower-tempo numbers are beyond anything Kelly’s recorded before. As Lorraine said, "It's not so radio friendly but still good music".

When I first heard the song “Irvine” I wanted to cry. Shut up, I know... haha I just feel something when I listen to this track. Maybe because it’s such an amazing song or maybe because I am struggling to strength my faith again. The song is, in essence, a heart-filled conservation between Kelly and God, in which she poses questions about God's relationship with her. The words have a lot of meaning but the music isn’t dull or depressing. Kelly's voice, full of perfect flaws, simply sings the lyrics over an acoustic guitar strumming away. To me, it paints a desaturated image of a clothes line in a yard drying white sheets that sway in the summer breeze. This is my new favourite, it’s the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. Tear.

Here’s my YES/NO opinion on each of the tracks:
1. "Never Again" = YES!
2. "One Minute" = NO
3. "Hole" = NO
4. "Sober" = YES!
5. "Don't Waste Your Time" = YES
6. "Judas" = YES
7. "Haunted" = YES
8. "Be Still" = YES
9. "Maybe" = YES!
10. "How I Feel" = NO
11. "Yeah" = NO
12. "Can I Have a Kiss" = NO
13. "Irvine" = YES!!

The album drops Tuesday 26 June in Canada and the US. Go out and purchase a copy. Oh! Look out for the hidden track “Chivas” after “Irvine”. Bad sex + Whisky = Hilarious…Another song I can relate to. haha!

This is My Now...

...and I am breathing in the moment - Yes, I'm actually singing Jordin Spark's single "This is My Now". It's been stuck in my head all day and I like it! I just admitted this to my friend Lorraine. She didn't cast any stones though I felt the inner snicker with her trademark"eh". I know!! Gah, the song is so coming-of-age. God, what's wrong with me? Next, I'll be confessing that I like watching Joey, Pacey, and the rest of the Capeside crew. Oops!

To listen to this rather catchy song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vscyeW6Uq3E

Perez Hilton

American blogger Perez Hilton has become a household name in the world of celebrity gossip. Why? At the peak of Britney’s nosedive, Perezhilton.com served over 4.75 million unique visitors in a 24 hour period. Still, I’m not quite sure. See, I’ve never felt the need to check out his website. Not because I have no interest in celebrities but because I don't dig Perez's style. Today, I did check it out, however, for the purposes of limiting presumptions. My thoughts were confirmed. Perez Hilton is a wet blanket. He, like Paris Hilton, has attained fame by doing nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps this is why they are now friends and Perez’s supposedly unapologetic entries have favoured Paris by refusing to present any stories of the inmate in a negative light. Before you think I’m going to start dogging Paris, think again. I’d take the insanity of the fake-and-bake princess over the excessively dull celebrity wannabe any day, any night. That’s right! I think Perez simply wants to be a celeb. Oh, well…everyone deserves 5 minutes of fame I suppose – even if they are lame-gay-outing-overweight-perverted [I saw what he did to that male model on the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency during the Aussie Bum auditions]- Paris- Hilton- wannabes- with- blue- Kool- Aid- dyed- hair. Smile!

p.s. no apologies, bitch!

www.perezhilton.com

A change of heart

St. Valentine's Day. I've never really been into the whole pink- and- red- gushy- mushy- chocolate- kisses- add- a- dozen- red- roses- and- a- classy- restaurant- and- you've- got- love- you've- got- romance sort of festivities of the 14th of February. Not only, but partially, because I'm usually dwelling in the wonderful world of singlehood but mostly because I felt to celebrate was to give into corporate manipulation. I've felt this way for years. However, perhaps due to the overwhelming rush of bitterness I've seen toward V- Day or perhaps just simply to a development in wisdom, this year I came to the conclusion that it's actually really not so bad. I still believe that we shouldn't rely on one of the year to be coerced into what can be see as obligation to display romantic love. We should, though too many of us don't, take the time to make the unexpected little things keep the spark alive in our relationships throughout the year. Regardless, a day of love isn't so bad, is it? I really think there are far worse things that are promoted than love. All in all, what I'm rambling on and on about, I mean, "hehe", what I'm trying to say is....

what's a boy to do without his hummus?

i've developed an undeniable addiction to hummus. every day i go to the boulangerie by the stadium and buy a baguette. i eat half the baguette with hummus and half the baguette with nutella. [a blog on nutella shall appear sometime in the near future. love.]

last night i finish the last of my 200g container of Champion-brand hummus. i didn't have much time between classes so i made a quick run to the closest supermarché. to my surprise they didn't have hummus. [clearly, they hate vegetarians trying to stay fed in a meat-loving Paris, those from the Middle East, and, of course, me. i kid!] so i bought guacamole... which i will never do again. lol i like avacado, i like lime. but after dipping my piece of baguette into this avacado-based [supposed] delicacy and putting it into my mouth... i was not expecting this taste. total state of shock. i didn't know what to do. total state of panic. it wasn't just not good tasting, it was UGH. i could taste the garlic but it would not mask the taste of everything else that was giving me a headrush of ew-ew. i swallowed and thought "it simply needs to be mixed". WRONG.

meet a killer:

What is hummus you ask? Hummus is a [super delicious] chickpea (paste) and tahini (sesame seed paste) dip, with flavorings such as olive oil, garlic, paprika, and lemon juice.

Hummus is an Arabian (Middle Eastern) dish and not Greek. It is said that its origins trace back to the Sultan Saladin, a veteran of the Crusades, who enjoyed cooking as a pastime. His experiments with hummus purportedly resulted in the creation of the Sultan's Forty Spice variety, which spawned many imitations and has been a Middle Eastern favorite for centuries.

Hummus is a nutritious food, containing a large amount of protein, dietary fiber, iron, and (depending on the recipe) varying amounts of mono-unsaturated fat. It's is great for vegetarians and vegans.

adore the thing i put into my mouth every night:

*sigh* what's a boy to do without his hummus?

For more details on hummus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus

La Tour Eiffel

last night we all went downtown to see La Tour Eiffel. i've only ever seen it during the day and wasn't impressed. it was absolutely beautiful during the night. i couldn't believe how large it was. the coolest thing happens too. at a certain time it starts to sparkle. i was able to capture the sparkling in some photos. we decided not to go up this time though. there weren't too many people cos supposedly january is slow for tourism in Paris. which suits me just dandy. there weren't many ppl trying to sell us things either which was nice. no one shot mechanical birds at me this time either!

afterward we went to a chinese restaurant. was pretty good. this tourist area was the only place i've heard english being spoken since we've got here. when we got back david, me, katrina, and abby watched Lucky Number Slevin in the lounge. it was twisted and lovely. then we tried to order a pizza but apparently everything is closed on sundays. we met a girl doing her masters here from montreal. she spoke english and was giving us tips on living in Paris.

The Perfect Singer/Halloween

each note must flow with easy but with achievement. each phrase must ring with originality. and each song must move them all. i want to be so intense that it hurts. there is no point without passion. i don't want to be the perfect singer; i'm not that arrogant. i want to make music like raw electric blue. or like American lo-fi tranquility. soulful stuff conveying emotions that can only be expressed with a sigh. i just want to be great.

there is something about Halloween night that is different than most holidays. it is a night where children rule with a simple phrase. where we disguise ourselves behind funny masks and pounds of face paint. everything has seemed to have gone a bit bizarre. and the night air tastes crisp and cool. happy la lo ween! (: