r is for read

i contributed to my best friend, natalie's blog today.

i recently suggested that she read lullabies for little criminals by heather o'neill and she suggested i read mariam toews' a complicated kindness and now we've made monsters out of each other, both completely enamored and obsessed with these new reads. so she suggested we share our opinions with the world. take a look-see:

abc de natalie

inception vs. white ribbon

i saw inception last night. my review of the movie is less than forgiving, so i'll spare you the bitter and cynical assessment of hollywood films. yes, i realize that a lot of people have really enjoyed this movie so far but i wouldn't recommend it to anyone. save yourself the $15.

on the other hand, i recently watched white ribbon by michael haneke, which was wonderful, shocking and unlike inception, original and affecting. as some of you may know, this is a slightly biased opinion. i'm a huge haneke fan and love his entire repertoire. this film did not disappoint and is now high on my list of haneke favorites. actually, i just returned the dvd today, almost two weeks late. it probably would have been cheaper to just buy it.

if you like german cinema, subtitles and a lot of unhappy looking children, I definitely suggest you watch it.

born from nuclear waste

i don't know how i've never seen this film before, but my room mates and i watched the toxic avenger this weekend and it was all sorts of amazing; if you're into campy, spandex-laden monster movies, that is.

for those with weak constitutions, i would not recommend watching this blood splattered, profanity filled trailer.  for everyone else, enjoy!

stage moms

i thought this dyad of videos was too great not to share. behold:



and now, the greatest outtake ever:

finally, someone who shares my distaste for lady gaga

i love joanna newsom. her music has always struck me in a peculiar way. but now that i've read this interview, i love her more.

and then i bought her new album, which could be my favorite yet. however, i may be blinded with adoration. it's hard to say.

art is present

i've come across a few posts about marina abramović on jezebel.com and have become rather taken by her most recent exhibit at the museum of modern art in new york. abramović is a performance artist who is performing a retrospective piece entitled, the artist is present. according to one of the posts, abramović invites museum goers to sit across from her at a bare wood table, in silence. the participants determine the length of time; the chair is open to any one who is willing, from the moment the museum opens until it closes its doors at night.

moma has a flickr page that documents each participant and the length of time they stayed. i highly recommend you take a look. each portrait is so compelling, you'll find yourself having a hard time pulling away.

one of the things i find most interesting is the powerful experience some of these participants appear to be having. many of them have been brought to tears over the past 41 days. the variety of expressions on each participants' face make me wonder what the opportunity to sit with abramović would be like.

Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

let's run to the f--king bar and other great things catherine keener says

this is just one of the reasons i love catherine keerner. other reasons include your friends and neighbours, being john malkovich and death to smoochy.

yea. total girly crush.

care for some tea?

i don't really know to much about the history of the neighbourhood i live in. i know our house was built in 1954 and there used to be a creek that ran through where the back alley now resides. i also know this area used to be a cherry orchard, but that's about it.

what i find most curious is that we cannot break ground anywhere on our property without unearthing some little artifact. normally they are small to medium pieces of china, porcelain and other dishware. some are plain white and others come with partial samples of their former beauty and elegance. once in a while we come across other household items, like old chisels or light bulbs.

recently matt had to dig a large hole to replace the old concrete stairs on the side of the house. during this particular excavation he came across some particularly interesting things like an old bucket, a perfume bottle and some old liquor bottles. however, the best parts where this tea cup, which is in near perfect condition and this nail polish bottle. the tea cup has 'made in occupied japan' which is interesting. i have not looked into the relevance of this, so if anyone knows anything, please share.

unearthed tea cup

made in occupied japan

nail polish bottle

oh, you look good

i wanted to reward myself for a recent accomplishment of mine. a dirty habit needed to be broken and i did it. naturally one must purchase something expensive and unnecessary to celebrate.

i came across mod cloth a couple of days prior and fell in love with the relatively cheap vintage inspired threads. i had been looking for a fifty's inspired bathing suit, something with polka dots, low cut legs and a halter neck for some time now. and BAM! mod cloth had it. so i bought it.

in short, i want to buy all my clothes from mod cloth now - for a few reasons. first, i ordered the suit on sunday and it arrived from pittsburg on wednesday, which is a pure miracle considering it's taking other things i've ordered from the states up to four weeks to clear canadian customs. the sizing was right on, i was worried about buying something that i couldn't return, so i measured and remeasured myself and my other one piece bathing suits and low and behold the bugger fits like a glove. lastly, they sent me a very cool pair of earrings for free - when you send me free stuff, i love you forever.

one day, when the weather gets nice, i'll take a picture of my awesome new bathing suit to share with you. until then - don't spend too much money on mod cloth.

lucy

this is lucy, she's my bike. she recently had a makeover - new handlebars and new tape. she used to be famous around halifax for her neon pink handlebars but now she will be famous in vancouver for her neon green handlebars.

i think i should do something about that rust, though.