"Every great film should seem new every time you see it."

The films of 2009. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5bc8zFUiQE&feature=player_embedded

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnMewMRKnPw

"Imagine there's no heaven...."

This show has helped me fall in love with music again. Let it do the same for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxG1eGlOhMg

“Unless I accept my virtues, I most certainly will be overwhelmed by my faults.”

Sometimes I find that my thoughts can shrink to the size of the space I am inhabiting. I feel them pressing down on me like invisible walls, moving slowly and yet causing me to double over onto myself...questioning my actions, my opinions and myself as a person.

When this happens I believe that you must get outside your space before the shrunken thoughts get bigger than you and end up suffocating. Only when you remove yourself from that space can you gain perspective and see the world for how big, beautiful, scary and alive it is. The worlds reality puts everything in perspective for you very quickly.

I lived such a small life today.

Eventually I forced myself to leave my space to get a little human interaction and stop myself from drowing in drama and self pity.

And that saved me.

"If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love."

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing of my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can't see.

I say

It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

The palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

~Maya Angelou

“Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.”

A New Concept that I Came Across in my Studies...

Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing and evaluating ideas. Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a group.

Eight symptoms indicative of Groupthink

1. Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.
2. Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions.
3. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions.
4. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, disfigured, impotent, or stupid.
5. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty".
6. Self censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
7. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.
8. Mind guards — self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.

If I had known all of this a few years ago, the most painful summer of my life would've been much more endurable.

“The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war.”

Please thank a Veteran today.

I will be thanking my Grandfather, who worked as a navigator during WWII. He jumped from a plane to save his life and ended up in the prison of war camp Stalag Luft I until the war ended. The POW camp was especially difficult for him because he had a German last name but was fighting for the Canadians.

I will also be thanking my Nana, who was a Sargent in WWII. She worked on Canadian soil but was every bit as brave and committed as those who went overseas.

I wish I could still call and thank my Papa, who taught pilots how to fly the Harvard aircraft during WWII. Just before he died he was able to have one last flight in his beloved Harvard and when he got home he added that flight to his log book from WWII.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.”

http://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyParks#p/u/10/rKSQjNP2QIs

Oh Miss Piggy, you're my hero.

Welcome to the Family!

Check out the welcome party for Disney's newest princess, Princess Tiana!

http://www.youtube.com/user/disneyparks?blend=3&ob=4#p/u

The most beautiful proposal ever...

http://www.bakerella.com/wedding-cake-pops/

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

http://operationbeautiful.com/

"Many hands make light work."

What is your role within a team? A group? A committee?

How do you operate? What are your natural tendency?

According to Belbin, there are three orientations in each group and within those orientations there are three clusters of behaviour.

First there are Action Oriented Roles

1. The Shaper: This person is challenging, dynamic and thrives on pressure however they also sometimes steamroll others ideas.
2. The Implementer: This person is disciplined, reliable and efficient however they can also be conservative and inflexible.
3. The Complete Finisher: This person is always on time and searches out errors however they can also be anxious, critical and they will not delegate tasks.

Then there are People-Oriented Roles

1. The Coordinator: This person is mature, confident and keeps order however they can seem manipulative.
2. The Teamworker: This person is mild, diplomatic and a good listener however they can also be indecisive and they avoid confrontation.
3. The Resource Investigator: This person is extroverted, enthusiastic however they can be bored easily.

And finally, the Cerebral Roles

1. The Plant: This person is creative, unorthadox and solves problems however they also tend to ignore reality.
2. The Monitor Evaluator: This person is sobering and strategic however they also lack drive and do not motivate well.
3. The Specialist: This person is single-minded, dedicated and have vital knowledge and skills however they can also have a very narrow focus and offer limited contributions.

In different situations you will play different roles depending on the strenghts and weaknesses of the other members of your group.

Look at all of these roles? Where do you see yourself? Where have you been in the past? Where would you LIKE to be?

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies."

http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf

I am *so* getting a pug when I grow up!

"Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said."

"How did you say something...that wasn't?"

The other night I went to see "The Invention of Lying". I knew absolutley nothing about the premise of the film, just that it featured Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner. From the little I had heard I thought that it would be more artistic and theoretical, sort of snap shots of peoples lives that had been changed by lying. Instead I saw an extremely moving (and at some times, depressing) love story about two people who were trying to overcome their respective preconcieved notions about dating. Should you be with someone who is your genetic, intellectual and professional match? Someone that you can make intellengent and attractive children with? Or should you be with someone that makes you happy, regardless of all that other stuff?

However, the most interesting part of the movie is the setting...living in a world where lying just...isn't. It's not an option, it's not on the menu, it's not on the radar....it just isn't. The first scene completely blows your mind and it takes a while to get used to. It is a painful reminder of how many little lies we tell every day. It makes you realize that little white lies have become the lubricant of our society.

How would you make it through your day if you had to answer the question "how are you?" honestly...EVERY TIME SOMEONE ASKED? If you had to answer every single question honestly how would you date? Or conduct a job interview? Or talk with your family?

Think about it!

"You're best friend Barry has a brother Larry...in five days from now he's gonna marry!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3lt9zfBxbg

"Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin

Here's a scenario: You are at the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon and having trouble with your debit card. You have a cart full of groceries and no cash. What do you do? You look over at the next line and you see your regular BMO teller paying for his or her groceries. You say, "Hey Bob. I'm havin' some issues with my bank card over here". Bob comes over to the till, tries to fix the problem but can't...Bob then and offers you $60 from his own pocket?!?! "Oh Bob, that's not necessary" and yet he insists. The result: you can now purchase your groceries (while only being minimally embarrassed) and you feel great about banking with BMO.

According to BMO policy, employees of the bank are encouraged to reach into their wallets and offer money to customers who are encountering problems. The bank employees are then reimbursed and the money is withdrawn from the customers account.

Genius or insanity?

Are they asking to much from of their employees?

Thoughts?

Happy Birthday to my favorite Place on Earth!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2009/10/a-model-day-at-the-park/

"God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason...listen twice as much as you speak."

A few thoughts on communication and listening...

• Normally when men listen to women they don't want to listen, they just want to solve. They are not particularly interested in listening to your problem and offering support, they want to cut you off mid sentence and offer solutions to your problems. In my family, it is the opposite, my Mother always wants to solve my problems before I've finished explaining them and my Dad listens to me and sympathizes offering a "sometimes, life just sucks" every now and then. Sometimes you just need to allow a conversation to run its course before you interject.

“To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.”

• One of the reasons that we are not great listeners in this day and age is because we have become accustomed to communicating over the Internet and we now feel that we need to respond to everything with words. One of my biggest pet pevees when talking to someone over MSN or FB chat is when they get offended if you don't respond to every message they send...even if the message doesn't include a question or a statement that requires a response. OR if they respond with LOL....LOL is NOT a response! The art of conversation is slowly dying and people are just retreating to their huts to live without human interaction. I'm not saying that I am better than anyone else, I hate talking on the phone and going out for coffee because I hate awkward silences. I would much rather get to know someone via e-mail because you can be a little more careful and guarded about what you reveal. However, I am not a fan of internet lingo and I do prefer that you speak in complete sentences with proper grammar (another thing that internet dating has taught me).
  

"The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate."

• But I digress...another really interesting concept is non-verbal communications. It was the first way that people learned how to communicate at the beginning of time and it was also the first type of communication we learn as children. However, in school we are only taught how to interpret written or verbal communication and less than 1% of college graduates have been able to take a course that focuses on non-verbal communication...perhaps that is why we have to deal with so many misunderstandings every day. You also have to consider the fact that non-verbal communication is much more powerful than communication because it is harder to censor. We are always emoting non-verbally, in every situation!

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”

My first NSFW post!

Yes, that is Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid.

Check out the rest at http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/39849010.html

....a love letter to no one...

http://www.aloveletterforyou.com/?page_id=198

"I'm very definitely a woman and I enjoy it."

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when their right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust noone but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

"Mirror, mirror on the wall...."

Because who doesn't love a class that encourages looking up fun video's on Youtube.

Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MBBr-a2KnM&feature=related

“I can't go on anymore bad dates. I would rather be home alone than out with some guy who sells socks on the internet.”

So, as embarrassing as it is to admit this...I have signed up for an Internet dating site. No I will not tell you the name of the site so you can look up my profile and mock me. But, I will tell you that it has been an interesting experience.

I have only been on the site for one week and have had about 10 guys contact me. One of the guys seems pretty cool, one turned out to be a bit of a perv and most of them aren't really my type. However, I realized during this process that I am a bit pickier than I thought and I defiantly have a particular type. I love myself a dorky, awkward, skinny boy with dark rimmed glasses that loves movies, music, television and video games but he has to have a good sense of himself and a wicked sense of humour. I'm not into guys who loves sports, cars, working out, tight shirts, gold chains, beer or hunting. Oh, and I'm not really into the whole bald with a goatee look, I don't know why but most of the guys who have messaged me have that combo going on (I know that seems shallow but I've got to be honest). I don't want you to look like every other guy with a ball cap and an abercrombie t-shirt, I just want someone who is original and passionate about something.

I also had one thing reaffirmed for me....I don't like clingy/needy guys. I don't like a guy who puts it all out there right on the first date. I like a little mystery, a little chase, a bit of a hunt. As long as you're honest and straightforward once we get together, I don't mind a bit of a with-holding dance during the courtship. I don't need to be in constant communication with you at all times (as I said, I have a very full life) but a nice "I'm thinking about you" or "I saw this and it reminded me of you" text is nice. I like somethings to be left to the imagination...it keeps it interesting.

I also realized that, although I am lonely sometimes, I've been alone for a long time and I don't need a man in my life to be happy. I have a very full life with lots of friends, an amazing family, a new career on the horizon and interests that I don't want to give up so that I can appear more desirable to a man. We all have our 'desperate moments' but it's like shopping, I don't want to settle for something that doesn't fit properly just because I need something to wear.

"Do you believe in computer dating?"

"Only if the computers really love each other."

-Groucho Marx

"....this too shall pass...."

I am having a little bit of trouble adjusting to living alone again. Of course, for all intents and purposes I lived alone while I was in Florida but I always knew that friends were just a few steps away. And even though I have some really great friends in here I still find myself struggling. I'm doing a few things to distract myself...

1) is baking...a new and delicious hobby. I've made vanilla cupcakes (from scratch for the very first time), banana bread and sugar cookies so far. The only problem with this is that...then somebody has to eat all this stuff!

2) I've become a little obsessed with decorating my apartment/rearranging furniture. I am trying to surround myself with things that I love and things that make me happy. Therefore anytime I am sad I can just look up and focus on a chandelier (real or cut out) a candle, a picture or a pillow.

3) is finding new and exciting blogs to explore...I blame my new obsession on Gala Darling who inspired me to start this blog as well as continuing to search for beauty and light in this crazy world we call 'the internets'.

For example...http://bakerella.blogspot.com/, http://www.ilovelolliblog.com/, http://peacockfeatherevents.blogspot.com/, http://offbeatbride.com/.

Enjoy! And if you have any suggestions for me...I'm all ears!

"everything i ever needed to know in life i learned from killing smart people and eating their brains."

Generally I am not a fan of Zombie movies (perhaps that is why I don't have a boyfriend) but this looks like a good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-cIjPOJdFM

Enjoy!

"I have decided to create a supplementary persona named Francois Dillinger."

Because two Michael Cera's are better than one...enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=109DbfWQvf4

"And every song sounds like a love song, and every kiss feels like your first..."

It is difficult to write eloquently about someone who writes eloquently for a living.

So instead of writing an entry about how incredibly inspiring, talented, kind and gentle this man is...I will link you to his website so you may find out for yourself.

http://www.craigcardiff.com/fr_index.cfm

You're welcome.

"...don't worry about anyone else, the best people are themselves..."

i see them everywhere, wondering what's next
and i think it's kind of fun seein' them walk around downtown

and they got the new band records

and they want everyone to check 'em

want everyone to see that they did it first

want everyone to know

want everyone to care

but it's fun when we don't care, so i tell them like this

oh no, oh no, here we go again

it's the life of the perfect scenester

and now they listen to emotional music

when they used to like punk rock

or maybe now they like junk rock

and swore they never liked punk

and they always talk about shows

but i never see 'em

and when i do they're just bummin'

still haven't figured out that

and we just can't wait for what they got next

and they do it for the girls

yes they do it for the girls

but it's all the wrong girls in control of them

don't worry about anyone else

the best people are themselves
and we don't think you know yourself

“Everything popular is wrong.”

I find it intriguing that no matter how old you are or how secure you think you've become with yourself...you can still be made to feel horribly uncool. For the past few years I have been toying with the idea of fitting in with a certain crowd. I've observed these folks from a far, hanging around on the outskirts of their lives, making tiny changes in my personal style and attitude to bring me closer to their 'cool'. However, tonight, being surrounded by these mythical creatures I realized that they are no cooler than me. They are just people, in fact, up close they seem to be shockingly insecure and dysfunctional people. They might wear different clothes or listen to different music but what it boils down to is that we are all just black coffee. We all start out the same but its what you add that makes it different, not better, or worse...just different.

"He's gonna marry me."

THE GUIDE TO BEING SO CHOICE

(aka How Sloane Peterson from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Taught me how to be an Awesome Girlfriend.)

http://bonerparty.tumblr.com/post/162461458/condicondi-the-guide-to-being-so-choice-aka-how

P.S. Yes I know I hugely ripped this recommendation off of Gala Darling but it was TOO brilliant.

“Where words fail, music speaks.”

Thank you for giving me the gift of music and the knowledge that I possess a talent that is more important than I'll ever know.

Patricia Marlene Bohemier: April 9, 1946 – August 17th, 1999

"Ten years ago today, It seems like yesterday, God shone His light, He set your spirit free, Your unwavering courage, Your calming and gentle ways, The tomorrow’s you will never see, Your legacy was your faith, We cherish each and everyday, These memories we have of you."

"All women are flirts, but some are restrained by shyness, and others by sense."

Sitting by the pool today I observed a pair of teenagers flirting. Despite the fact that the girl seemed EXTREMELY annoying, it was entertaining to watch her attempt to woo this young man. In a pool, surrounded by various family members, she made awkward conversation and did not stray more than three feet from her 'beloved'. The young man also made his efforts by picking up the poor gal and throwing her into the pool...numerous times.

It was awkward and brave and inspirational.

Sometimes I wish I was still able to put myself out there like that but after being hurt, embaressed and humiliated so many times...*sigh* I applaud you, young lady.

"You see us as you want to see us..."

Dear Mr. Vernon,

We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7:00 this morning. We were brainwashed.

R.I.P John Hughes

Who's excited to go to Edmonton???

"If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear a flower in your hair."

Hawaii is beautiful. So beautiful that it is hard to believe that it is a part of the United States of America. The islands are rich with culture and tradition and ,although there are parts that are undeniably tourist-y, for the most part Hawaii is a vivacious and stunning state. It's impossible not to be intrigued and inspired by the traditions and practices of the islands...this is my favorite one so far...enjoy!

Wearing a flower in your hair...

"On the left ear it means you are married, engaged or with someone, on the right ear you are free. The Hawaiian name for flower is "pua" ( pronounced "poo-ah" ). Hibiscus is our state flower and its Hawaiian name is"aloalo" pronounced "ah-low-ah-low". For the plumeria it is "melia" pron."may-lee-ah", but melia also means quiet ocean. As for Gardenia it is "kiele" pron. "key-eh-lay". Women also wear puakinikini flowers and others. I would say the most common is the Plumeria."

"You're terribly late Alice....naughty."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiPR6kA4_iU

And now for something completely different...

I am absolutley doing this at my wedding.

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

"Very little is needed to make a happy life."

These are just a few things that made me smile today...

• The world is a carousel of colours...beautiful, wonderful colours!" For a video of a presentation about the new fireworks/water/light/amazing-ness show at Disney's California adventure, check out...
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfyoqR1lX_Y&feature=player_embedded
• Photo's of the new 'Alice in Wonderland' film by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/mediaindex
• Getting e-mails from Tarina Tarantino about her STUNNING jewlery. http://www.tarinatarantino.com/
• Finding my very favorite bra's on the internet and ordering it in multiples! (I am not going to post a link for this, that would be weird).
• Buying fluffly new hot pink towels, fabulous shower curtains and delightful new sheets at discount prices!
• Watching episodes of 'Ghost Hunters' on youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/user/Presidentl1#play/user/91EDC9BB721EC655/9/aAFjiYKfzRc
• Packing up furniture to move to my new apartment!
• The thought of going to ikea tomorrow to buy this!http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/10121228

"Well internets..."

As I currently have no life and I am basically spending every waking moment on the 'internets' I have stumbled across a delightful little nugget called 'sxephil'.

Basically my perfect man, 'sxephil' or Phillip DeFranco, is a young man with his own youtube channel on which he posts a show each day discussing politics, media, celebrities and the worlds most rediculous news stories.

However, when researching 'sxephil' for this post I discovered that this poor kid is not particularily popular with his internet collegues. Most of the websites that I found described him as a douche bag and 'Dane Cook wanna be'. I think that it is extremely unfortunate that, while attempting to educate the masses, this kid must deal with people who have nothing else to do but criticize.

But I digress...if you're interested, look up Phillip DeFranco on youtube.com

"Oh this is a 'Dear Diary' moment."

Today when I was cleaning my room I came across the journals I've kept since 2000. Part of me finds these journals absolutley hilarious. Being concerned about boys whose names I can't remember now, stressing about money and mulling over future plans. I was very surprised that so many of of the statements in the journals were so decisive, so clear, so definate and so...wrong. I seemed so sure of myself. So sure that I was going to do theatre for the rest of my life. So sure that is where I belonged. So sure that each fight with a friend was the end of the world. So sure that 'this time' I was 'in love', that 'this time' it was different. So sure that one particular person was the enemy, the root of all evil, the cause of all my problems.

Over the past year I have evolved from writing in my journal to sharing my thoughts on this blog. I still write in my journal every now and then because there are things that no one who reads this blog really want to know about. Of course there are also things that I don't want them to know about and things that I don't want to be seen by internet surfing randoms. Part of me misses the total freedom of writing in a journal, knowing that no one will read it and that 'comments' aren't encouraged.

Despite being absolutley mortified by some of the thoughts and comments that I have put on paper, I think that my old journals are very valuable. Not only do they allow me to re-evaluate my decisions, opinions and mistakes but they also inspire me to continue to learn about myself. Self improvement is something that I am very passionate about and in these journals I have gathered so many thoughts and theories (my own and others) that will continue to aid me in my journey of self discovery. The journals are filled with quotes from books I have written, movies and plays I have seen, songs I have listened to and people I've met. Every now and then there is a random artistic expression of my joy, frustration, confusion etc.

I know that, despite how painful it is to revisit this past, sometimes it is worth so that you may improve your future.

"You can still live on that shimmering line between your old thinking and your new understanding, always in a state of learning."

The World Funniest Website

A few gems from my new favorite website...www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com

Where do you even find suits like this?

There are just so many things wrong with this picture.


Fail.

Gone, but not forgotten.

It's in The Constitution, bitches.

An extremely frightening use of Photoshop...at least I hope it is.