Don't Watch TV Online

If you live in Canada it is impossible to legally watch many TV shows online. The only major station that offers a decent broadband network is CTV.

If you watch TV shows online, but don't watch them on a network website or a site like Hulu, you are contributing to the demise of television. OK, so I may be exaggerating, but I do have a point to make.

TV shows air to sell ads. Ads pay for the networks. Networks pay the studios for the shows. Studios pay actors, writers, and producers to make TV shows. Advertisers pay the networks to air ads so that people will see those advertisements between shows and buy products. We watch shows for entertainment and subsequently watch ads. Nielsen measures which shows we watch the most and when we watch the most to determine how much a network can charge for ads.

Now, networks put ads online to draw more viewers. Advertisers pay for online ads just like on TV. Writers went on strike to demand a higher pay one time.

If we stop watching TV shows on TV or online then we also stop watching the ads that the advertisers want us to watch. The networks don't boast high ratings for the shows we like. The advertisers stop paying as much for the ads. The studios stop making our show.

So, if you like a show you should do the decency to watch it on TV or watch it on a network or studio website (legally) and avoid a possible cancelation. Decent TV shows need our support. Just look at what happened to Arrested Development.

LOST

It seems most people are in a frenzy about ABC's LOST, at least most people around me. As the frenzy continues and Season 5 unravels, more and more people are commenting and adding their post-episode thoughts. Tonight we saw the most recent episode and I've decided to make my thoughts public (without spoilers).

First, I will say that the entire Season 5 is moving at a slower pace than expected. I think the move to condensed seasons by the Bad Robot team was a good move. However, Season 4 saw a refreshed and re-paced approach to LOST. Now, I think the writers got ahead of themselves like a marathon runner who sprints to the front in the first third of the race. LOST has slowed down, lost pace, and moving back in the pack. The question now is, "Has LOST lost its steam?"

I don't think this is true, and I think this last episode is proof. Sure with the use of flashbacks focused on one particular character we all saw a lament to the format of seasons past. However, with consequential events and reactions to said events being intertwined in all persons concerned brings back the glory that has made the LOST series so popular. Like many of the great episodes in the past I am only left asking, "What happened!?" and, "Doesn't this change everything?"

Rock Plaza Central still Rocks

Rock Plaza Central is one of the greatest bands today. Why? They are spirited, unique, engaging, entertaining, and pack a punch of nostalgia. Okay, so the last point is a unique and personal point for myself and the key people who have loved this band for awhile. But this love from their fans is just more proof of how amazing these Toronto rockers are.

I first met RPC in January 2008 at Zaphods in Ottawa, ON. Since then I have seen them thrice more. Once opening for Dan Bejar from Destroyer, and the other opening for Jason Collett. Every single time I have seen RPC it has been a memorable, amazing, beautiful night (hence the current nostalgia). They are always changing and always playing meaningful music.

From the folk-rock ballads to the sci-fi inspired theme of "Are We Not Horses?", RPC continues to amaze. Maybe it is because lead singer Chris Eaton has an intriguing mind, which translates well to his two Science Fiction novels. Maybe it is the plethora of instruments, from violin to mandolin, that weave their way up and down in frenzied or eerily calm crescendos. Whatever it may be that makes this band magic, they warm my heart every day. Look for their upcoming album.

"Chick Flick" is not a film genre!

So I've surveyed multiple people using the term "chick flick" for certain types of movies. The utilization of varying terms to refer to and classify films is nothing new to me. More-so, I understand both the need and legitimacy of such a classification.

For example, the term "film noir" is a term developed in the 1940s for a new and emerging genre. Film noir is now an excellent topic of film study, much like the Civil War to Historians.

However, unlike film noir, "chick flick" is not a legitimate genre. This, of course, begs the question: "What makes a film genre?" A film genre is used to refer to a group of films with similar characteristics. The term used is used to refer solely to those characteristics. There is a fundamental flaw with the term"chick flick" because while it may be understood that it refers to the films contained within the romantic comedy genre, "chick flick" literally is referring to the audience of the film.

I have two issues with this logic. One, by the definition of "film genre" chick flick could only refer to a film with an all female cast. However, since the only film of this type is The Women and therefore there is no reason for a new genre. Two, if romantic comedies are referred to as "chick flicks" then it insinuates the films are to be enjoyed by women and not men. By the logic of people using "chick flick" action movies should be called, "bro shows", or movies featuring a predominately Black cast should be called "black flicks". I believe all of these references, including "chick flick" are insulting.

The choice is yours, but I have not nor will not use "chick flick" to incorrectly or insultingly refer to any movie.

Synecdoche, New York

Charlie Kauffman's directorial debut is a mesmerizing, beautiful insight into the human psyche. "I get it now, there are no extras. Everyone has their own story," utters Phillip Seymore Hoffman's character, Caden Cottard.

The film starts by focusing on Caden's sad and dramatic life, eventually finding its way in to a much larger story. The viewer is hurtled along through a platitude of characters that all contribute to the sometimes overwhelming life of Caden. From Catherine Keener's consistently critical and narcissistic Adele Lack, we see the source of Caden's self-loathing and sadness. To the dependent and approval-seeking Claire Keen, played by Michelle Williams, we see more confident side of Caden. Both the atmosphere of a world that seems to be filled with sadness and paranoia, and the people that are constantly searching for something more allow for a more introspective movie than many viewers have seen in years.

Despite some of the more cynical undertones, Synecdoche plays like a more inviting David Lynch movie. It is the thematic focus on life, death, and love that helps the viewer gravitate to the often emotionally frightening life of almost everyone in this movie. Caden, a stage director, is always exploring humanity and meddling in the lives of his fictional characters on stage, much the same as director and writer Charlie Kauffman meddles with the characters in this story. Kauffman meddles beautifully and creates a rich tapestry of feeling, emotion, and entertainment that I found impossible to ignore.

However, this film is not for everyone. The lengthy development of a massive artistic project by Caden may loose the interest of the less insightful viewer. While this project provides the catalyst for discovery on both Caden and the viewer's front, the less introspective person may just be bored by this process. This film is a great challenge for any viewer, and I found that refreshing and engaging. However, if you prefer to let your mind absently wander, this is not the film for you.

Financial Analysts Cover Their Assets

If you listened to The Current on CBC Radio today you heard Anna Maria Tremonti interview Joel Lovell, financial analyst for GQ Magazine. Now, I could go on about the merits of any financial analysis that appears in a magazine featuring scantly clad women on the cover, but I won't (besides that obvious jab).

The issue I have is more with economists all over the globe, and less with Mr. Lovell specifically. I first had an issue with economists when I met the cold-heart and shred pessimism of Milton Friedman.

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself."

This type of indifferent pragmatism has left the world in a situation where they are now turning on the words of economists. Instead, people and companies are turning to politicians for bailouts, stimulus packages, and bailouts. What economists previously called the problem, we call the solution.

What annoys me now is that these analysts are going on the radio and telling listeners there was no way they could predict the downward spiral we now face. Mr. Lovell compared this inability to that of a Doctor being unable to predict a future diagnosis of cancer. True. However, that same Doctor does not tell you to smoke cigarettes, lay out in the sun without sunscreen, and then tell you they had no way to predict your cellular disease.

A Night in London

Almost any time that I have free I go to London to visit Michelle. London has become, in certain ways, my sanctuary. Here, it is a different life. I have the university, Western, and I have a different set of friends. It takes me to a different world. It causes me to reflect. I find that when I go back to Whitby I am renewed with a new focus and new direction. These kind of breaks are good.

Sometimes I reflect on what it is like to have two different homes. I spend about the same time between both. There are benefits, but there are also disadvantages. Sometimes there is a Jekyll and Hyde effect. Almost everyday I long for more consistency and solidarity, especially in my living

arrangements. I didn't want to go on a long reflection about my constantly wavering emotions and their cause, but I also didn't want to deny the truth its moment.

The past few days in London have been slower and more subdued than previous trips. It has been enjoyable and relaxing. Tonight I visited a bar and took a cool picture.

Now I am watching Rachel Getting Married and thinking about how I can have all this beauty in life, if only I try. Sometimes I am terrified to try.

The War of the Cupcakes

So if you read my Valentine's Day post I went on about Michelle getting me a dozen cupcakes. I didn't go on too much about how good these cupcakes were, but they were. Those cupcakes, it seems, have spurred a new desert phenomenon. Or, at least in my mind.

Over the past week Michelle and I became a little cupcake obsessed. Now, any dessert obsession for me isn't going to turn into a frenzy where they next day I wake up covered in devil's cake and icing congealed in strange places. A dessert obsession for me is more like a constant

nagging satisfied by a small slice, piece, or taste.

Oddly enough it seems like other people in London, ON were succumbing to this cranial occupation of cupcake thoughts. As more people talked about

cupcakes Michelle and I deci

ded to visit the two other giants in London's tri-fecta of cupcake bliss.

Place 1: Hey Cupcake

This is the first place I visited. It sparked my love of cupcakes and has a special place in my heart.

Pros:

• Thick, full-flavored icing (especially the peanut butter icing).
• A diverse range of flavors that each have their own unique taste.
• Filling in the cake, something I've never seen that adds an delicious surprise.

Cons:

• The "cake" base is more thick than fluffy.
• A lack of flavor that is overshadowed by the impact of the icing.

Place 2: Sweet Cakes

I stumbled upon this place in London's Covenant Market and was instantly dazzled by

the height of these well-frosted cupcakes.

Pros:

• Tall icing that has more decoration that a kids birthday party.
• Creative flavours that model a fine chocolatier.
• A light, fluffy cake base.

Cons:

• These cupcakes are pricier than they call for.
• The cake has a starchy after-taste from excess flour.
• The excessive icing and small cake base are ill-proportioned.

Place 3: Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes

I was recommended to this place with good reason.

Pros:

• With pistachio and lemon raspberry there are some of the most exotic flavors.
• Great proportion between icing and cake.
• A light fluffy cake with a good flavour.

Cons:

• The flavour isn't a striking as it should be and is on the bland side.
• The icing is over-sugared, causing a granular texture that falls flat.

For more on cupcakes, check out this blog.