Poetry of the Day

Did I dream you up?
Do these illusions keep you alive?
Do you feed off these dark thoughts and delusions?

I'm tired of the things that creep out during the dark,
when it's not light enough to see sneaky corners (I know how those skeletons like to hide away).

Know that those bones wake me, keep me, and rattle me.
And it gets so hard to see in the dark.

November Topbox

Another Topbox!

As I mentioned last month, I am not longer subscribed to Glymm. I used to be subscribed to Loosebutton's Luxebox too, but alas they didn't make the cut.

It seems that every single subscription company is raising their prices... Glymm is now $12 a month, Luxebox is something like $26 a quarter? Now there's Glossybox which is somewhere in the mid 20s too, so it seems there aren't any $10 boxes left.

However, Topbox is the only box still with a waitlist... so knowing I'm in, I'm going to stay in.

Let's hop into what I got!

Yay for:
Roberto Cavalli Perfume                                                 5ml

This is the cutest packaging. The top feels a little flimsy... if I'm impatient and trying to open this in a hurry I could just snap the opening right off. However, it is a pleasant scent. Actually both my mom and I both like this, which is unusual. It is musky, but not overly so. It isn't a grandma old-person floral-shop type scent. I think this is perfect for wintertime.

China Glaze Nail Polish in I Herd That                           Full Size (14ml)

Yes! I love nail polish. I have about 70+ bottles, but I can't seem to stop collecting them. Granted, I do actually use them, so they're not going to waste. This is a glittery gold with some green and red flecks in it, absolutely wonderful for Christmas.This comes from the Safari collection... as you can tell from the awful pun.

Make up for Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner                            Size not on pencil

This glides on very smoothly and has great staying power. I hate to fall in love with this since the full size is so expensive...

Meh for:
Cuccio Naturale Pomegranate and Fig Body Butter        9.24g

This seems delicious, but this is a cream. Nothing overly spectacular about it. Plus it has an annoying little cap that seems to snap off at the most inopportune times. More of a packaging issue than anything else.

Overall Impression of November's Box:
Another good box. Good variety of skincare and makeup. People have been demanding more makeup, and they've got it! At least one makeup item per box. And I'll never deny or reject nail polish!

Lyrics of the Day

If it makes you less sad, I will die by your hand.
Hope you find out what you are, I already know what I am.

And if it makes you less sad, we'll start talking again... you can tell me how vile I already know that I am.

I'll grow old, start acting my age. It'll be a Brand New day, in a life that you hate.

A crown of gold... a heart that's harder than stone... and it hurts to hold on, but it's missed when it's gone.

Call me a safe bet. I'm betting I'm not.
I'm glad you can forgive. Only hoping as time goes, you can forget...

If it makes you less sad, I'll move out of this state. You can keep to yourself, I'll keep out of your way.
And if it makes you less sad, I'll take your pictures all down. Every picture you paint, I will paint myself out.

It's cold as a tomb, and it's dark in your room,
when I sneak to your bed, to pour salt in your wounds.

So call it quits, or get a grip. You said you wanted a solution, you just wanted to be missed.

Call me a safe bet, I'm betting I'm not.
I'm glad you can forgive, only hoping as time goes, you can forget.
So you can forget. You can forget.

You are calm and reposed, let your beauty unfold,
pale white, like the skin stretched over your bones.
Spring keeps you ever close, you are second hand smoke.
You are so fragile and thin, standing trial for your sins,
holding onto yourself the best you can.
You are the smell before rain.
You are the blood in my veins.

Call me a safe bet, I'm betting I'm not.
I'm glad that you can forgive. I'm only hoping as time goes... you can forget.

Brand New - The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot

Movie Reviews: Horror Movies

For the past few weeks to lead up to Halloween, Shawn and I have been watching horror movies.

Halloween is now gone and finished, but he's recorded so many horror movies on his PVR that it's taken us a while to get through them all. I just wanted to mention a few of the ones we've seen. None of these are new horror movies, but that's the thing about them... they're easily rewatchable.

These aren't going to be in-depth reviews. I just want to go over whether I liked them, whether I was scared, and whether they're worth me ever watching again.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

This was okay. Not really scary at all, and the scary stuff was just girls being slashed apart and guys getting stuff pushed through their throats. It went into a little bit more detail about Freddy's past, so I guess it delved deeper into the psychology of his psychosis... but really it's just kids trying to stay awake.

Something should not be in there with you...

Cabin Fever (2002)

I liked this when it came out, and I still like it now. It's quirky and funny and pretty gross at times. Plus, Ryder Strong is in it! Yes, there is one particularly gross scene (well, a few) where skin and lack of skin is shown. However, most of the movie is about paranoia.

You're missing some face.

Friday the 13th (2009)

Run of the mill slasher film. Didn't do very well in the box-office, and I guess most horror movies don't really shine there anyway. It was okay. Lots of suspense and gory deaths. Most of the time for slasher films I'm just yelling at my screen "why are you so dumb, why'd you go in there alone? In the dark? Without a weapon? Without telling anyone where you've gone?"

Why are you so ridiculously strong. Must be the milk.

The Descent (2005)

I loved this. I loved this because it scared me. I rarely jump during movies, and I jumped. Then my heart started pounding. And it was because of ugly disfigured monsters. Unlike a monster movie, this wasn't some alien or weird scientific experiment. These creatures were plausible. Plausibility makes things scary. Plus, an all-female and smart cast made for more sensible decisions on their part, making the whole film less frustrating and more believable to watch.

This is one of those things that'd make me jump.

House of Wax (2005)

I didn't finish watching this. You know why? Because I can handle creepy. Scary. Psychologically twisted. But I cannot handle gross and shock horror. I don't need to see wax being injected into someone's face. Same thing with movies like Hostel and Saw... those movies gross me out, they don't scare me.

You have a messed up face, sir.

Pontypool (2008)

This was bizarre. A virus that spreads through sound and words? Okay. There was something about the dialogue and unseen and unscripted dynamic between the cast members that was unsettling. Plus the colour of the movie itself was so unsaturated and bland that I actually felt like I was watching this in the dead of winter in the middle of a God-forsaken town.

Haiku of the Day

November is here.
Red poppies and mustaches.
And poor memories.

Nature Monday

Another gorgeous fall afternoon in BC!

Poetry of the Day

Those little molehills grow slowly into mountains,
fed with years of small irritations and unanswered pet peeves.
Those mountains are gated and shut to the outside, kept isolated and cold.
It doesn't have to be wintertime everywhere.

Haiku of the Day

My online shopping:
A silent but deadly foe.
My credit card pays.

Haiku of the Day

It's All Hallows' Eve!
BOO cancelled on the East Coast.
Hurricane Sandy.

Kids can still have fun,
Inside or out, no matter.
Just give them enough candy.

Haiku of the Day

Blowing wind and rain.
Umbrellas don't stand a chance.
But hot chocolate does.

Lyrics of the Day

You slept in your overalls after the wrecking ball bereft you of house and home
And left you with sweet fuck-all
So we got in your car with our kickabout hearts and we hollared out 'sweet clementine'

Tell your mom to marry us
A candle to carry us with cans on our bicycle fenders
So sweet and hilarious
And we'll find us a home built of packaging foam that will be there 'til after we die

And, I'll play the clarinet, use clamshells for castinets
We play with our bags on our shoulders, my sweet lady lioness
And I watch as you sleep so indelibly deep
And I hum to you sweet clementine...

The Decemberists - Clementine

Thought of the Day

For those people who are wondering why Canadians should care about the outcome of the upcoming election:

We live above the USA. Most of our imports, exports, trade, commerce, and all sorts of symbiotic relationships are formed with Americans. What happens to them happens to us. What affects them affects us.

Get out of your little inner circle. Your world isn't just where you live.

Poetry of the Day

Our late nights and dry eyes prove our youth.
And our stubbornness.
We all pay somehow, with blatant yawns and smudged eye makeup.

October Glymm Box/Bag

 

This is my final Glymm box/bag. Over the last few months I’ve been accumulating more and more samples that I haven’t been super impressed with. In addition to that, I find that I can’t use up my samples fast enough. I also subscribe to Topbox, and decided that between the two, I’ll stick it out with Topbox. Mainly because Topbox has a waitlist and I can’t just stop and restart with Topbox, whereas I can with Glymm… (Granted if I restart with Glymm I’ll be paying $12 instead of my usual $10).

Little pink awareness bonus!

I will say this month’s bag was much better than last months’. There were more samples, bigger sizes, and a better variety of makeup/skincare.

Yay for:

Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil                          88ml

Though many people complained about the ‘uselessness’ of this product, I actually love baby oil. Well, oils in general. I can put them on my cuticles, the ends of my hair, use it as makeup remover, smother it on my feet and elbows when they get dry… there are endless uses for me, especially in the wintertime. Plus it comes in a good sized bottle that I can reuse for travel. And it’s cute.

Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercreme                                59ml

This smells just like buttercreme. Sweet, sugary, and maybe a little over-the-top for some people. Yes, this is super thick. Yes, it is more like a paste than a crème. But it kind of melts between your palms when you warm it up, and if you only use it on the ends of your hair, I can’t see it making your tresses too greasy. I’m looking forward to using this again and again. Again, it also comes in a cute little pot.

Femme Couture Lightning Lash Mascara      11.3g (Full Size!)

This mascara wand freaks me out a little bit. Not a huge bit because I’ve seen some weird looking mascara wands, but it doesn’t LOOK like it’d do anything. Does that make sense? But anyway I am willing to try any type of new product, and I am aching to find a mascara that doesn’t smudge on me, so I’m glad I get to try this. Plus, it’s full-sized! It’s been months since we got any full-sized products!

Meh for:

Cyberderm H2O Hydration                                        3ml X 2 tubes

On my card it claims that I should have gotten one of these and one of the Cyberderm Sunwhips (a sunscreen). However, I got two of these and am not complaining. This is the more expensive product of the two, and I’ve got plenty of sunscreen leftover from summertime! From previous samples, I don’t think I’m crazy about Cyberderm products… they seem very gimmicky, chemical-y and overprocessed to me. Something about the scent and the packaging, mostly.

Lash Card                                                                    2 Pieces

Uhm. These are a good idea… but I make my own version of these with laminated cards. I reuse them, can clean them, and shape them to my own eyeball. These seem super gimmicky to me, and a total money-grab. I’ll use them, but definitely wouldn’t ever spend money on these.

Overall Impression of October’s Box:

I am very happy with this box. It’s a shame that it’ll be my last one, but I really don’t need to subscribe to multiple beauty boxes. Especially since I have samples piling up and I could be spending my money better elsewhere. I’m sick of reading about the complainers and how unhappy everyone is with their services. If you don’t like it, unsubscribe. I am happy that Glymm seems to be listening to feedback, as they brought back the product card. Hopefully over time they’ll continue to improve.

Lyrics of the Day

I hear you knocking on the door but you ain't never coming in. No, no, to this house no more
cause it ain't like, it ain't like it was before
you went sailin' on for that distant shore

True, we had love so true, oh and we had skies so blue
we had skies so blue.
so I, I had my hopes up high till all I heard was goodbye when I called for you

I turn the key, you twist the knife
I can't win, no I can't win.
now you're knockin' on the door but you can't come in oh no.

So you can take it on the chin, yeah you take it on your weak chin
then you do it all again and again.
tell me when will it end, and now you come back, oh yeah, you crawled on back
with your head held high and your book of lies in a burlap sack
I just don't know, honey, what went wrong, love just can't grow when you're gone so long.

I turn the key, you twist the knife
I can't win, no I can't win.
now you're knockin' on the door but you can't come in oh no.

Oh you just don't know which way the wind is going to blow
no, you just don't know just when the sky is going to fall

you've been a soldier, you've been a privateer
now you're looking much older yes you are my dear
now your back again from the lion's den
you've got a plagiarist's eye, you've got a poison pen
I turn the key, you twist the knife
I can't win, no I can't win
now you're knockin' on the door but you can't come in oh no.

Oh you just don't know which way the wind is going to blow
no, you just don't know just when the sky is going to fall

Love can bend you, love can break
hearts can mend and hearts can ache
life will give you what you take

Life will give you what you take
love can bend you, love can break
hearts can mend and hearts can ache
life will give you what you take
Life will give you what you take

Sam Roberts - Twist the Knife

October Topbox

Another month, another box!

Yay for:

Stila Eye-Shadow Palette Sampler                                               10 swatches

 

A lot of people are complaining that this is a tiny worthless sample. I actually really like this idea… it gives people an opportunity to try AN ENTIRE PALETTE before deciding whether they like it. This to me is a better idea than say giving a bigger sized sample of one or two colours… especially with how picky some people can be about what colours they like. I will say all these colours are very shimmery, so I’ll be choosy about when to try them out. 

MaskerAide Detox Diva Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask  1 Sheet

This looks like fun, I’m going to enjoy trying this out. I prefer having the mask in liquid/cream/lotion form so that I can choose where on my face I am going to apply the product, but this suits me just fine!

Meh for:

Stila LipGlaze in Raspberry                                                           1.5ml

I like Stila. There’s nothing wrong with the brand. But I don’t like lipglosses. I often find they’re very sticky, and this one is no exception. In fact, Stila’s Lipglazes are notorious for being overly sticky. It looks okay, smells okay, but my hair is all up in this lipglosses’ business. I would have much preferred getting the Prime Pot, which I saw some subscribers got instead. 

Nay for:

Endocare Concentrated Serum                                          2 Ampoules (7ml each)

I’m not sold on this yet. It’s made out of snail secretions. I’m not saying there’s animal cruelty abounding here, but I am curious to know how they would get the secretions off a snail. And who tested this! On their face! Maybe I’ll try it…

Endocare Tensage Radiance Contour Eye Cream                       3ml (the little tube on the left)

This sounds a little bit more ‘normal’ to me. I’m just running out of eye cream so I’m glad to be able to move on to a different kind. 

Overall Impression of October's Box:

 I liked this month. I'm not a huge fan of skincare over makeup, but I do think it's good that they have a balance. It seems like a lot of people were disappointed this month, but I am quite pleased. It was the eye-shadow palette that redeemed the box for me this month. Not every month can be a complete hit, but I think I'll get good use out of most of these products!

Poetry of the Day

Headaches and blurry memories.
Cold pillows and water.
Hammering pain in my temple.
And I'm awake for far too long.

Poetry of the Day

crusty tissues litter my floor
dry and cracked cupid's bow
laziness means no punctuation 
and sleeping all day
with intermittent coughing spells

Quote of the Day

"Black holes are where God divided by zero."
-Steven Wright

Poetry of the Day

We've got water in our shoes,
ghosts licking up our feet,
every dark thing reaching up.
Hands collecting sharp things, being picky.
Another fist balled up with treasure.
And summer's never really over.

Poetry by... William Blake

Another one of my favourites:

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

-William Blake: A Poison Tree

Lyrics of the Day

My confusion corner commuters are cursing the cold away
As December tries to dissemble the length of their working day
And they bite their mitts off to show me transfers, deposit change
And I can't stop finding your face in their faces, all rearranged

And angry like you never were

And I ease us back into traffic
Dusk comes on and I wonder why I'm always remembering you
At civil twilight
For the most part I think about golfing and constantly calculate all the seconds left in the minutes, and so on, etcetera.
Or recite the names of provinces and Hollywood actors; Oh, Ontario, oh, Jennifer Jason Leigh

This part of the day bewilders me

Streets slow down and ice over, dusk comes on and I struggle to stop, to stop, to stop thinking of you
At civil twilight

Hey, every other hour I pass that house, where you told me that you had to go
I wonder if the landlord has fixed the crack, that I stared at, instead of staring back at you

My chance to say something seemed so brief but it wasn't.
Now I know I had plenty of time between the sunset and certified darkness
Dusk comes on and I follow the exhaust from memory up to the end

At civil twilight

-The Weakerthans

Dinner at... Shinobi Sushi

Delicious and nutritious food with great company!

Poetry of the Day

Forget this fight for chivalry.
Every blonde haired blue eyed knight upon a horse.
I won't sneer if you open that door for me, and won't think oh, how gentlemanly.
Progress for progress's sake isn't liberalism.
And every song a woman sings about a vacant heart isn't a cry for help,
but she'll still let you take you home.

Poetry by... William Blake

One of my favourite Blake poems:

To see a world in a grain of sand / And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / And eternity in an hour.
A robin redbreast in a cage / Puts all heaven in a rage.
A dove-house filled with doves and pigeons / Shudders hell through all its regions.
A dog starved at his master's gate / Predicts the ruin of the state.
A horse misused upon the road / Calls to heaven for human blood...

...The winner's shout, the loser's curse, / Dance before dead England's hearse.
Every night and every morn / Some to misery are born.
Every morn and every night / Some are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to sweet delight, / Some are born to endless night.
We are led to believe a lie / When we see not through the eye
Which was born in a night to perish in a night, / When the soul slept in beams of light.
God appears, and God is light / To those poor souls who dwell in night,
But does a human form display / To those who dwell in realms of day.

-William Blake: The Auguries of Innocence

None of your business! She screams with her hands in her pockets. And wouldn't you like to know? And sometimes it takes more courage to shrug it off your shoulders than to ask.

Poetry of the Day

We're seeing the forest through the trees, and counting the hours before the sunrise.
We're sailing from the safe harbor, no stone goes unturned.
And you're all born without a spine.

Beautiful day in... Kelowna

Haiku of the Day

 We're lost, all of us.
Confusing airplanes for stars.
...and maybe's for yes.

Haiku of the Day

Fingerprints on glass.
Smudging noses against panes.
Seeking dark treasures.

It starts with an itch,
we decide to scratch or not.
We indulge ourselves.

Glasses behind telescopes.
Peeping Toms roam the night streets.
Do we feel safer?

"Least we're watched over"
Sacrifices for rewards.
"Better pervs than crooks"

We tell our small lies,
Assuring security.
Faking contentment.

Haiku of the Day

You scratch till you bleed,
Scabs and nail marks everywhere.
You satisfied yet?

These small temptations
Leave you up at odd hours,
asking dark questions.

Has he looked at you?
Have you seen something you like?
Excuses abound.

Your mom checks her phone.
Looks outside at the night sky,
Did she miss something?

For those 5 minutes...
That small reward for hard work.
For those 5 minutes.

Haiku of the Day

We move through bright screens.
We use words as hurtful things.
The web never sleeps.

Haiku of the Day

Our first times all sucked.
Why do we always look back?
Too many dark limbs.

One Sentence Review of... Looper (2012)

Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis are convincing and researched in acting as each other in this relatively simply told but superbly executed and mind-boggling film.

Look at the TENSION

And he's a stunner.

Poetry of the Day

Our nighttimes prove us alone.
White wine and tv keeping us content.
The back of minds always elsewhere, anywhere.
Where commercials never interrupt.

Haiku of the Day

I do hope it's true,
"your failures make you stronger."
Otherwise: then what??

Thought of the Day

How come people don't leave their Christmas lights up all year?

It can't just be because of electricity... it doesn't use that much power and people leave their other 'regular lights' on all year round...

Let's leave the pretty up!

Thought of the Day

Internet shopping is dangerous!
Back when the internet wasn't around (or as popular nor widespread), people had to go into stores or malls to shop. You had a physical presence. Now, you can do it at home in your PJs. Half asleep. Half conscious of the hundreds you're spending...

This little mask of anonymity has encouraged a slew of online shopping sites that prey on our helplessness for spending and consuming. It is too tempting to go online and see whether you can find that neat little gadget you want.

Do we need any of this shit?

Just the other day I helped my mom buy more phone cases. Her rationale was that they're too expensive in store (about 500% more expensive), so she might as well buy a few online for the price of ONE item in store. But then she's getting hooked... the pretty colours, the great site layout... the low prices... she's asking me monthly to buy items from that store. Items she'd never buy in real life.

And the Internet does a great job of imitating real life. They have customer service, they sometimes have a live chat. They take your money and give you an electronic receipt.

But with sites like Paypal, where you click ONCE and your payment goes through (easy and convenient, right?), you forget you're using your very real, and very spendable, money.

It's kind of like how people go into debt using credit-cards. The Internet functions much the same way... except the Internet doesn't give a hoot. Know why? Because they have the ENTIRE WORLD to prey on.

Credit card companies usually only cover their national demographic. In my case, Canadian credit cards only worry about Canadians not footing the bill.

Paypal is international. Anyone with a credit card ANYWHERE can use it, and therefore can rack up debt.

Yep, the Internet is all about universal access. All about bringing the world closer together. But at the same time, it brings the world closer to us. The world includes scary things like overspending, debt, addiction, consumerism, and scariest of all... I haven't shopped in anything other than my PJs in weeks...
We lose the fun and human interaction that real-life shopping brings us. The thrill of holding something tangible in your hand. We aren't robots attached to our computers (tablets, smart phones, etc. etc.), so let's get back to our roots and get out there!

I'm not saying we should be paying 500% markups on products. But it is just fun to shop around, and we can do that with our feet, not our fingers.

Haiku of the Day

Sun trying to break.
Me trying to squint through haze.
Blinded by the light.

Poetry of the Day

Eyes sideways, as they go.
Long exhale, trying for subtlety.
Every gust of wind colder than it has to be.
Dancers showing their moves without smiles at their lips.
Impatience, and how obvious silence can be.
How impatience trying for words can wreck silence.

Spending the day in... Richmond

Dim Sum and browsing through the Japanese $2 store!

September Topbox

Yay! Another happy Topbox member!

Let’s jump right into what I got.

Yay for:

Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara                                                     3g

Everyone has been raving about this online and this has gotten great reviews. It’s great that we get a chance to try it, since the full sized price is quite expensive. It has a plastic fiber brush with a little spokey ball at the end.

Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator                    20g

A lot of people complained that they got a smaller size of this from Glymm. I LOVED this. I was actually getting sad because my old one was running out. So I’m very happy I got a bigger sized sample from Topbox. This stuff is great; the exfoliators are truly microscopic so your skin feels fantastic after using this product.

Nay for:

Redken Colour Extend Shampoo and Conditioner                    10ml each x 4

I don’t have colour treated hair. I’ll be giving this to my mom for travel.

Meh for:

 

M. Asam Perfect Teint Vino Gold                                                  5ml

I wasn’t thrilled about this… I got another product from M. Asam (it was their BB cream) but wasn’t impressed with how it worked for me. It feels oily and not light. I’ll try it a few times and hope it works out better for me.

Overall impression of September’s box:

I saw some people got Philosophy Purity cleanser, which I wish I had gotten instead of the shampoo and conditioner packets. I would have gotten a lot more use out of that. Some people also got a bonus from Holt Renfrew, but I didn’t get the promo card for that. Overall though, I am pleased with the selection of products. A little bit of everything.