do something.

The video bellow is a demonstration held on March 30, 2010 for the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) marked the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Day of Action with flash mobs at Chapters Indigo and Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC).I am proud to say two of my very close friends, Brittany Smith and Andrew Bigioni participated in this BDS Day of Action. I asked Andrew about the significance of using a viral video in regards to their project. He said the action was intended to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian struggle (as well as concretely act on the boycotts against complicit Canadian companies), so something that can go viral has the real potential to take that sentiment as far as possible. The wider audience the video reaches, the more people begin to really understand the idea of global solidarity and the more people will be inspired and empowered to do the same kind of thing. Those actions are great on their own but they take on so much more significance when they reach a larger audience. To learn more, please visit www.caiaweb.org or endapartheid@riseup.net. They are always looking for support!

Image credit: Andrew Bigioni, Palestine 2009

ab fab.

I have recently busted out my complete series of BBC's Absolutely Fabulous. If you have never seen it- watch it. If you love british humour, drinking, fashion and pop culture it's euphoric. Mary anne faithful reigns as god- nuff said. [drinking red wine with a girlfriend will heighten viewing pleasure].

awareness or misandry?

This video is a campaign for AIDS awareness, and while it does get to the point of the severity of the disease… is it taking it too far? I love commercials with a shock value, especially when it comes to awareness campaigns, for example the workplace safety ads. But, there is a line between shock and misandry (hatred of boys or men). This popular feminist infused topic has also been related to the controversy over the David and Goliath t-shirts ‘Boys are stupid: throw rocks at them’, in which People magazine published an article- expressing the issues with the slogan. In the video, women are victimized by men and the AIDS epidemic is reduced to a single one night stand. The misandry could have been avoided by simply having a woman ‘pass on the HIV’ or ‘shoot the gun’ at a man; it’s very interesting that the creators would not include such an easy fix. Or perhaps- the men are shooting the women because they gave them the disease? I am interested to hear other’s opinions…Image Credit: flickr supraMK86

chanel: practicality at it's best.

Chanel was the first to introduce to the women's power suit. So it is no surprise Karl Lagerfeld launched this purse. The Chanel Perspex briefcase. The most functional bag I have ever seen. I hope this is not just a runway prop, because it is too brilliant too ignore.

getting to know each other.

Social media networks have made connecting with new suitors and old loved ones much easier. Simply type in a name or a mutual friend and they are instantly at your fingertips, send a message and voila! But aside from social media networks and online dating sites I am amazed at how much technology and media is infused in the physicality’s of dating today.Now to get personal, I will explain what I mean. I have been courted a gentleman suitor for over a month or so – in University terms- we hang out watch movies on our laptops and regular the pubs. But amongst these physical activities two major aspects are highly technological. The first is communication. We realized that in talking everyday all day since we met, the entirety of our communication has been via text messages- not one single phone call. How bananas is that? Within each text message we agreed that they are each finely tuned to a couple sentences to reflect the best representation of our selves and the intended message. The second technological infusion of this casual ‘dating’ is the “getting to know each other”. Having met each other in University, the possibilities of discovering things about one another is endless… so why not show them? Within seconds we pull up Google street view and are showing each other our childhood houses, middle schools and neighborhoods. Want to see what I looked like at three? Old pictures in a family member’s albums on face book are pulled up and shared. No matter how much we try and do it the old fashioned way, technology is such a convenient part of every aspect of our lives it’s impossible to ignore, even just ‘getting to know one another’.
Image: Flickr druideye

xoxo

Last night was the return of one of my favorite television programs Gossip Girl. Now, before all you haters have your piece I want to explain what this post will entail. I wish to explain for those of you who do not know, what is Gossip Girl. Why I enjoy it, and finally, why it can be the worse thing since 90210 for teenage girls to watch. In addition to why it’s actually a positive thing for teenagers and their parents.The show is set in the Upper East Side of New York City and focuses of the lives of the wealthiest teenagers in New York and their parents. Drinking champagne, limo escorts, penthouses, and brunches at five star hotels are no big deal to the characters. All of them openly have sex and even participate in role-playing and other tantric sex games. Drugs, affairs, political scandal, are all very typical in the lives of these characters.So why would an educated young girl like myself subject myself to such superficial programming, because that is not my life. Shows like Laguna Beach and The Hills are not relatable to my current situation, so a fantasy world is created and escaping there for an hour a week is fine by me. Much like the feeling I get from watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s, its enjoyable to watch young socialites fret about what designer they will wear for the Masquerade Ball. If I wanted something to relate to I’d stare at people at the library doing what I am doing.Sadly, I cannot say the same for young girls watching Gossip Girl. Mimicking the bullying ways of Blair Waldorf and demanding elaborate birthday parties and clothes like the characters on gossip girl. When you are older, you can understand that it is an exaggeration of wealthy kids in New York’s socialite circle. However I feel younger girls can not, and think “I should get that...”.Is it really all that bad though? Issues such as drinking, and sex and drugs are brought to the table. It gives parents an opportunity to watch something with their teenagers and discuss. The Team Canada Women’s Olympic Gold medal winners recently received a lot of flack concerning their drinking, questioning their ability to role model. Yet once a week a program is aired normalizing consumption of luxury, sex, drama, bullying, hierarchies and of course drinking…
Image: Flickr carla mh lopez

testimonials.

Blogs such as Texts from Last Night and F*ck My Life have been getting a lot of attention lately in popular culture. Another blog that is extremely popular is Post Secret. Unlike the previous mentioned blogs, Post Secret offers a more emotional appeal to a wider audience. Readers of the blog submit their ‘secrets’ via post cards, combining old and new generation’s forms of communication. The interconnectivity of the mediums, allows for both generations to connect with each other’s comfort zones in media communication.
A viral video hit is the series “Fifty People: One Question”, in which one question is asked to fifty people in a random location and they answer. Questions such as “If anything could happen by the end of the day, what would you wish to happen?”, “If you could wake up anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?”. Questions that on the surface seem so simple, but when answers start to flow, the emotional appeal is overwhelming. Maybe I am just a sucker for this kind of stuff but I love the power of such simple questions being able to really divulge into the human heart.


Image Source: Post Secret

name that tune.

TV theme songs are impossible to ignore when discussing television programming. Some theme songs are even more identifiable than the cast or plot of a show. A good theme song does not promise a shows success, however it can definitely help it. Good theme songs create awareness of a TV show and draw viewers to a show, especially when channel surfing. TV show theme songs have played an important part of blending programs into culture. Real World Producer, Jonathan Murray explains our love of TV theme songs, “A lot of generation Xers grew up knowing words to songs better than words to a poem in school. We’re trying to speak to them in their language, which is often music”. A great resource of old TV themes you can’t put your finger on, might be found at this site: http://www.televisiontunes.com/index.php. Some of my favourite TV theme songs include: Weeds, Big Love (old and new), True Blood, The Sopranos. Enjoy this lovely video of 22 different TV themes in seven minutes; it’s really well done and a pleasure to listen to if you are a TV sitcom fan.
Image Source: flickr- sugaroni

becky pie hands.

This is my best mate. Her blog is un kempt, raw and utterly brilliant. Unlike my blog, that is inspired and attributed by my education. Her’s is honest and probably the funniest medium I regular. Her open letters are every girl's thoughts. her style wisdomosity is also from a true style icon. This girl thought american apparel was cool before any hipster and Rhianna copied her haircut. While we don't see eye to eye on men, outfits and she pretends not to talk shit. She is every bit worth following.