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.

September Glymm Bag/Box

From what I’ve received here, I (like many others) may be unsubcribing from Glymm. Their products just don’t compare to Topbox.

Now, I’m not saying Glymm is altogether crappy. They have some interesting and fun samples. But they just aren’t as good as Topbox’s. I haven’t gotten a full sized sample from Glymm in months. So that being said, it’s time to commit to Topbox and move on.

I wish it were that simple… I’m waiting for an order from the Glymm store. One of the two items is out of stock so I’m waiting for that to become available. The waiting game.

So this will be one of the last reviews for Glymm… though I’ve already been charged for October so it may be one or two more reviews (depending on how much longer the item will take to get delivered to me).

Yay for:

La Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover                                                   2 wipes

I like these. We got samples of La Fresh Nail Polish Remover Pads before, and they work marvelously. Surprisingly effective, considering the wipes are NOT that big. These actually smell great too. They’re inexpensive, so if you can find these in stores I’d say pick them up.

Nay for:

I didn’t hate anything.

Meh for:

Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo + Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Conditioner  59ml

I’ll count these as one. The conditioner smells okay, but I couldn’t actually pick up much of a scent from the shampoo. I am crazy about smells… I love products that smell nice. So it’s kind of curious that the shampoo didn’t have much of a scent at all. Good size though, comes in a good bottle sized for travel. Sadly, Glymm always seems to give out hair products, so I’ve got quite a few of these stockpiled.

Villainess Dulce En Fuego Whipped Body Crème                                 No size information

This is very small. So small, in fact, that it is difficult to make out the label. And my eyesight isn’t terrible. The packaging is actually quite kitschy and quaint, if it were bigger. This is about the size of a lip balm tin. And this is meant to be a crème? Good luck getting this all over one entire limb. It smells okay. Not great, not terrible. Just a kind of natural crème scent.

Bentaberry Super Moisturizing Face Cream for Girls                            3ml

This is miniscule. Paltry. Meager. Almost a little bit insulting. I could maybe use this 3-4 times, not the claimed 7. It smells nice, and I’ve heard great things about Bentaberry… so I wish the sample could give us a better feel to the product. I’m glad I got to try this at all, but I definitely wouldn’t call this a luxury sample.

Overall impression of September’s bag:

Eh. Meh. Decent. Average. Mediocre. Not fabulous, but not entirely disappointing. It’s just hard not to compare Glymm to Topbox, especially when Topbox has been doing so well lately in impressing me!

Haiku of the Day

We keep our own safe.
What if we're all family?
6 degrees apart...

Thought of the Day

A while back I read an article about what to do after a car accident.

In this article, the author proposed that no one ever say they are sorry after an accident. Even if you know you're at fault, hold your tongue. Just get the license plate, phone number, insurance information, and move along.

Apparently by saying 'I'm sorry,' it indicates that the blame falls upon you. Well... what if it does? What if you know that you rear-ended someone? You knew there wasn't enough time to make that left turn? That you shouldn't have been turning left out of the right lane? That there were no u-turns allowed?

Nope, according to this article, you don't say you're sorry.

This idea sparked a debate between my dad and I. I am an advocate for apologies GALORE if I know I've done something wrong. But I am a very impassioned person, and I am apologetic by nature.
My father, however, believes that I am naive. He thinks that people take advantage of those 'sorry's.' And maybe they do. Maybe I'd be taken to court and subjected to all types of criticisms.

But you know what? I'd rather be persecuted for saying I'm sorry and taking the blame, than be thought an asshole, saying nothing, and MAYBE getting off scot-free. My conscience couldn't handle knowing I did something wrong and I got away with it.

I don't know how my moral compass compass compares with others, how could I? But I believe in the bottom of my soul that I'd say sorry even if it wasn't my fault.

No, saying I'm sorry doesn't mean I'm guilty. Well, I may feel guilty. Feel guilty for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe I'm sorry for what has happened. I'm sorry that someone could have gotten hurt. Sorry that it's going to be a big hassle and trouble for everyone involved.

Sorry doesn't have to mean guilt. And guilt doesn't automatically mean wrongness. Let's start looking up what these words mean and start realizing that sometimes saying 'sorry' does something very simple. And that simple is good.

It makes someone feel better, and makes you seem less heartless.

Haiku of the Day

I'm waiting all day.
Is patience a true virtue?
Come, Mr. Postman!

Thought of the Day

I wish we could stop being afraid of meeting our heroes. It's just that no one is ever who they appear to be. Bet that beard is fake too...

Thought of the Day

It can be a very sunny, warm, gorgeous day out. This doesn't mean you won't have frustrations, difficulties, and troubles.
It could be the beginning of summer with your prospects spread out before you, but that doesn't mean life will get any easier.
Trials and tribulations. Ah, how they seem to follow us around. And no, life isn't fair. I could smoke all my life and never get cancer. We can't pick and choose how that stuff works.
But sometimes, when I'm sitting here frustrated, intolerant, and impatient... all I want is for some fairness. Equality. Opportunity.
Someone telling me that 'life isn't easy' is never what I want to hear. Because I know this fact all too well, I tell others the same thing when they complain... Which may be why I like to do most of my complaining inside my head, inside the little ulcer forming inside of me like a tumor...

So it can be the nicest of moments, the most relaxing of scenes and calming of breezes that comes your way. This doesn't make things easier. But that moment, that tiny incalculable moment where you pause to enjoy what's around you?
I'd say just that one iota of happiness is worth all the shit.

I wish I could just remember that when I'm feeling shitty.

Lyrics of the Day

"I am a writer, a writer of fictions.
I am the heart that you call home. And I've written pages upon pages, trying to rid you from my bones..."

-the Decemberists

Haiku of the Day

Him: "We all move on."
I remember everything.
A curse, not a gift.

Haiku of the Day

The secrets they keep,
leaves mystery as to whom
was mistaken true.


Our expectations evolve and progress. The things we think will keep us happy when we're 18 don't satisfy us when we grow older. We convince ourselves that maybe if we went back in time things could have gone a different way. But the person you know at 18 isn't the same person today. They aren't as sentimental as me. They never will be. They grow up, and move on. They change. Is it enough to believe that people change? And if they do, do they change enough?

Thought of the Day

Why do we all seem to strive for independence and individuality, but still 90% of all our furniture comes from IKEA?

It seems to be mighty expensive to be truly unique and individual. I remember in high school one of the popular boys (a punk) would wear these seemingly distressed and well-worn clothes.
He looked different and special.

Those jeans that had rips and holes? $100. That ratty looking hoodie? Imported from Europe for $80.

Looking unique is fn expensive. I'll save my individuality for my personality, which costs nothing to update each season...

Nature Saturday

Beautiful day in nature!

Haiku of the Day

It's a sunny day!
Not a negative word heard.
Paul Simon blasting.

Nail of the Day

Sometimes you just can't resist the smell of toxic chemicals in the morning...

The Past and the Pending

"As someone sets light to the first fire of autumn,
We settle down to cut ourselves apart.
Cough and twitch from the news on your face,
And some foreign candle burning in your eyes.

Held to the past too aware of the pending...
Chill as the dawn breaks and finds us up for sale.
Enter the fog another low road descending,
Away from the cold lust, your house, and summertime.

Blind to the last cursed affair... pistols and countless eyes.
A trail of white blood betrays the reckless route your craft is running.
Feed till the sun turns into wood dousing an ancient torch.
Loiter the whole day through and lose yourself in lines dissecting love.

Your name on my cast and my notes on your stay.
Offer me little but doting on a crime.
We've turned every stone and for all our inventions...
In matters of love loss, we've no recourse at all.

Blind to the last cursed affair... pistols and countless eyes.
A trail of white blood betrays the reckles route your craft is running.
Feed till the sun turns into wood dousing an ancient torch...
Loiter the whole day through and lose yourself in lines dissecting love."

-the Shins

Haiku of the Day

We plug in earphones,
Plugging out reality.
Find a better place.

Haiku of the Day

We make small changes...
Muffins instead of cupcakes.
Life misses frosting.

A Monday Night

Dinner, gelato, and music!

Haiku of the Day

We used to bicker.
Those hard feelings get replaced.
With silence and time.

Spending the Day in... Richmond

Dim Sum and walking around the dykes... Gorgeous.

Cookies are for anytime...

Whole Foods!

Cookies for the child in me...

And soap, of course.

Haiku of the Day

"Where's my prince charming?"
"Where's my insatiable whore?"
Disney lied to us...

Haiku of the Day

Weddings and life change.
Updates on Facebook and Text.
Must we all grow up?

Haiku of the Day

Cars and boys with cars.
Simple things make our summer.
Fall comes all too soon.

Haiku of the Day

Kids go back to school.
So do I and I cry...
For I'm a teacher...

One-Sentence Review of... Paranorman

More adult-than-childish animation about ghosts, zombies, witches, and generally fun times in a discriminatory town of overly zealous and ugly looking people.

Haiku of the Day

When my bus driver
Has a better phone than me...
It's time to upgrade.

Haiku of the Day

Outdated... Angry.
Worth defined by dinosaurs.
Harder than I thought...