You've got to be kidding me!

I was going to post about ANZAC day today but 1) I didn't have the time, and 2) I noticed this article online. Now, it's just a normal article reporting on a normal occurance in the NBA.  But what struck me as odd - and no doubt if you read it the same thing happened to you - is the name of the player:

Metta World Peace.  No, you're not reading that wrong.  That's a name.  First name: Metta.  Surname: World Peace.  It took me a quick wikipedia search to figure out who it used to be (Ron Artest, though that name may not mean much to most people) and find out the reason.

Now, I thought Chad Ochocinco changing his name was a bit funny (though also incorrect, as far as I know; he's number eighty five not number eight five), but this is bordering on the ridiculous, especially for a player who was "at the center of an altercation among players and fans during a game," (quote from Wikipedia).

Watch what happened here:

To be fair, it was obvious he was provoked into the whole thing, but as a professional you have to show restraint (I think the commentators even say as much), and his going into the stands pretty much turned that into a riot.  World Peace indeed, but maybe he's changed.

Earth Day 2012

So it's Earth Day again.  Today is a day when it's probably a good idea to reflect on the fact that we only have one earth (unless this is true) and no place to go if we mess up the place. I hate to admit it, but my ethusiasm for encouraging people to change their ways has died down a bit in recent years.  It's been difficult to get into good habits when you're constantly moving around.  Many times I've had to sacrifice good choices with cheaper and easier ones.  However, maybe today is a good day to get back on track.

Way back (5 years ago, I think) I did do a post about Earth Day.  I'm not going to link to it because there wasn't much.  However, I did find another post I made describing 50 things you could do (I probably lifted that from somewhere) and there were some comments adding to it.  I thought I'd go through and describe which ones I've done in the past few years (and which ones I could have done but failed - i.e. the ones I should be focusing on).

A small caveat before I begin: I read the book No Impact Man a while back and, while it was encouraging to see what changes could be made, it was no way a realistic way of living in today's society.  The author, Colin Beavan, did some incredible things, but made it clear that the way our society is set up makes it impossible to actually have no impact.  So I guess the biggest thing you could do is vote for people who will put us in the right direction (good job Canada, on giving Steve-o that majority... note: that was sarcasm) so that it is possible for more people to make better choices.

Another caveat: I really don't like it when people (usually children) say "We need to save the environment."  Huh? That just shows that the person doesn't quite understand the issue. If you said: "we need to preserve the environment" you'd be a bit closer, but still off.  We are part of the environment and that environment is changing all the time.  The problem is that we are causing massive amounts of change to a very complex system.  Every small change affects the whole and if we make too many changes, our ability to survive in our surroundings will suffer greatly.  Anyway.... I digress.

Things I've done in recent months (from my previous list and comments):

1. Compost Food Scraps (Though sadly, not in NZ, all in the UK, Canada and Korea.  I was most saddened in Tanzania where they burned them instead).
2. Turning off lights when I'm not using them (they're off now).
3. Taking the bus, walking and running (every day).
4. Turning off the tap when I brush my teeth (this one should be automatic for most people).
5.  Don't have a shower unless you need to (yeah, might be gross, but some days I don't need one).
6. Use biodegradable soaps, especially laundry soap (this one is much easier these days, most stores sell them, and they're not too expensive).
7. Recycle (another one that should be automatic by now, though it isn't always).
8. Unplug appliances when not in use (this is a big one and most people waste a lot of electricity by keeping tvs plugged in).
9. Put on warm clothes instead of using the heat (um... in England they don't really use the heat that much, so I guess this counts).
10. Open the window instead of using A/C (no A/C in England, haven't seen it here yet).
11. Grow your own food (I ate fejoas off of a tree the other day, does that count? The house I lived in in the UK did grow some food, but I was never there in the summer to eat it).
12. Don't drink bottled water (who does this anymore? You should be shaken until some sense comes into you - unless of course you live in Seoul or Africa, but then you should buy bigger and refillable containers of water, which are cheaper anyway.  And, when I was in Tanzania, the family I was staying with reused the big bottles I had afterwards so they weren't a complete waste).
13.  Don't use paper unless you need to (my grocery lists are on the back of old reciepts, and other similar things).
14. Reuse plastic containers instead of buying new ones (in England I had so many old yogurt and hummous containers full of seeds and nuts and other things).
15. Don't put fruit/veggies into plastic bags.
16. Use cloth bags when grocery shopping (failing marks for both the UK and NZ on this.  Plastic bags galore with no incentive to not use them.  I can understand the UK, but a bit shocked here).
17. Use energy efficient light bulbs (I haven't bought many recently, but when I do, I buy those... can you buy others these days?)
18. Submit assignments (job applications) electronically (yes, but some schools are demanding paper copies only, and I suspect the ones I send in electronically get printed out anyway).
19. Use the library (when living in Seoul this was difficult, though I did buy a lot of second hand books, but in the UK and NZ a library card was one of the first things I got).
20. Wash clothes with cold water (and it's probably better for the colours anyway).
21. Air dry clothes instead of using a dryer (haven't had a dryer in a while so that hasn't been a problem, though with the humidity here, it may become necessary).
22. Use cloth napkins instead of paper (and I save the extra one sthey give me from restaurants).
23. Read newspapers online (cheaper too!).
24. Buy local produce and from local shops/farmers markets (getting into that here, and it is cheaper).
25. Donate old clothing instead of throwing it out (when I left the UK I dropped off a lot of stuff in a Traid bin, after a very well timed school assembly in my final weeks in London).

Wow, I'm actually impressed I can list all of those things.  I guess they've all just become second nature to me by now.  But instead of me boasting about what I have been doing, perhaps I should focus more on what else I could be doing.  So here is a (shorter) list of what I'm going to work on:

1. Find a way to compost food.  The last few cities I've lived in have all had food waste collection. I guess it's not a priority here, but maybe I can find a way to do something.
2. Have shorter showers.  I think the lack of heating in England made it hard in the winter time when I was cold (also, less hot showers).  I should revert back to the bucket showers I had in Tanzania.  Very little water use and you could even heat it up.  We'll see though.
3. Plant a tree.  Hmmm.  Sounds like a good idea.  I'll have to look into it though.
4.  Fly less.  Ok, going from London to Auckland isn't exactly the best way to not add CO2 to the atmosphere.  To be fair, when I travelled around Europe, I took the train (fun times) instead of flying to Brussels, Prague and Copenhagen.  In fact, I really love the train.  But still, my miles in the air have probably been astronomical since my post 5 years ago.
5. Vote for Leaders who will do something.  Now here I have to hang my head in shame.  During the last election (Canadian) I registered to vote from overseas and got my voting card in the mail.  Even though I filled it out immediately and when to the post office as soon as I could (I just missed the closing time one day and had to go back the next) I was told that for a large sum of money (it was over 50 pounds) I could send it and it MIGHT get there the day after the election.  My vote was for the Green Party member in my riding.  So I bet you think it wouldn't have made a difference without that vote.  Well, it didn't.  She still won.  Sad that I couldn't be a part of history, but I won't let that happen next time. Sigh.

I could add a few more but I'll leave it at that.  What will you do for Earth Day?  I guess this will show who actually reads my blog and who actually read to the end of this post!  Haha!  Please tell me one thing (or more if you'd like) that you're going to try to change today.  Something small (or big, but it doesn't have to be).  Every little action (or inaction, I guess) helps.

I look forward to seing what you say.

This is Controversial

After a week of not blogging anything (I've been really busy, looking for a place to live, if you must know), I came across this article. For those of you too lazy to click on the link and read it, I'll summarize it very quickly: people all over the world are protesting, mostly because they have a very strong sense of entitlement.  Greece and Montreal (over tuition increases) were specifically mentioned.

Though I have always felt that I have fairly left-leaning political views, and I believe that a government's job is to take care of its people first and foremost.  Which means providing all sorts of things that the free market can't provide, such as police, health care, infrastructure (roads, rail, ports), and education. I know government isn't very efficient at a lot of the things it does, but the anger againts governments these days borders on the ridiculous. Though I expect to have all the conveniences of living in modern times (see my above list of what a government should provide, though it's not comprehensive), I'm not so deluded into thinking that I should get it for nothing or that it doesn't cost anything.  Yes, big business has its hands in government and yes that does influence some decisions it makes.  But unions influence them just as much, and it feels like once someone has something good, they'll do anything to protect that even at the detriment of others.

I'm not saying we should all just sit down and accept every government decision that comes about, especially when it means cutting services and rising taxes.  But governments must be run in a way that doesn't lose money. Someone loses out when that happens.  Who are we to say we should get all the good things and someone else should pay the price.

In my field, I've had to witness hundreds and thousands of people who have it way better than me (and many others) complain about small concession they are being asked to make.  They just don't seem to get that there are hundreds and thousands of willing people who would kill (well, maybe not kill) to have the opportunity to work at their jobs. It makes me want to shake each and every one of them and shout: "DO YOU NOT REALIZE HOW GOOD YOU HAVE IT!?!?!" Which would (in my fantasy) be followed by a lot of swearing and more shaking - though, this being reality, I'd never do that.

In the past, unions and protest movements (ok, even some today) have been helpful in advancing many worthy causes, but in many places those times have passed. At some point it switches from ensuring fairness in society to taking more than what you've earned.

So yes, I've also noticed this sense of entitlement, or "entitlement addiction" as the article calls it.  It is very frustrating for me to see since I'd love to have it as good as some of these people.

Friday the 13th! (Revisited, Apparently)

While browsing through old posts of mine, I came across this one.  What is really kind of strange is that it was 5 years ago to the day (well, it would be a multiple of one month).  I guess with the two leap years (+2 days) that makes sense.  Not much to say really, that I haven't said in the first post.  I can't say I've had bad luck on the Friday the 13ths I've had in between, though certainly I've had some bad luck (well, it was others' bad luck) on April 1st and 29th.

Really, it's all just a coincidence.  Bad stuff happens on every day, but we probably focus on it more on days like today when we expect things to happen.  Though this year it's the second of three we'll have (January and July are the other two).  Did I ever mention I was almost born on a Friday the 13th?  Missed it by 10 hours and about 20 minutes.

According to Wikipedia, there are a few possible reasons for the superstition.  I'll let you browse those if you'd like, but I will point out that the reason popularized by Dan Brown in the DaVinci Code is most likely false.

I should also note that this is really only a Western phenomenon.  While in Korea, the number 4 is the unlucky one.  In many buildings, they won't have a fourth floor.  At our school, guess which floor the teacher's office was on?

Well, enjoy your day (actually, I realize that if you're reading this from any of my former countries of residence), it's not quite April 13th yet.  Isn't it neat living in the future?

Book Review: Plan for Chaos

I had been going about my life thinking that I had read all of John Wyndham's books (The Chrysalids, The Day of the Triffids, The Midwich Cuckoos, etc.) but after recently getting a library card in Auckland I came across a book of his I'd never even heard about before: Plan for Chaos.  Seeing as his books have been some of my favourites, I immediately took it out and put it at the top of my reading list.

To be honest I was a tad bit disappointed.  Unlike all of his other novels, which deal with something a little supernatural (or at least different), this one was pretty ordinary - though not realistic really.  The basic plot is that a bunch of identically looking women are turning up dead of apparent suicides.  The catch, the main character's fiancee looks exactly like these women.  So he goes on a search to find out what is going on and realizes that not only does his fiancee (who is also his cousin - yes, a little strange on that count) have several doubles, but that so does he.

Soon he is kidnapped by the doubles and their reason for being and their purpose and conection is revealed.  But to put it bluntly, I was not convinced.  I don't like revealing details, but it does involve a plot for worldwide domination and cloning (though, this probably was a very advanced thing to write about in the 50s).

This was not a page turner for me, by any means. The style seemed very different than his other novels, though for a brief bit at the beginning it had a film noir kind of feel to it - a nice detective story.

Seeing as this book was first published in 2009 (he died in 1969) and he had been working on it at the same time as one of his first novels (The Day of the Triffids) I would think it a safe assumption that he never intended this to be published at all.  Though I definitely prefer his other books, it was interesting to see this one, though I'm not going to go so far as to recommend it.

Movie Review: American Reunion

Yes, they're back.  Again.  For those of you in my age bracket, you probably remember the summer of '99 very fondly and how the original American Pie shocked you and made you pretty much roll on the floor in laughter.  For it's time it was quite the raunchy movie.  And it has now spawned (cause that's what happens when you... um... you know... hey, it's perfectly natural) three sequels (at least three that made it to theatres).  This one continues the story, 13 years on.

Apparently everyone forgot to have a 10 year reunion, so someone decided to hold one for their 13th.  Pretty much all the characters from the first three have returned, even if just for a short while, including some holdouts from the 3rd movie (American Wedding).  All of their lives have changed: Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) have a boy (who doesn't really figure into things), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is married and pretty much house-whipped, Oz (Chris Klein) is a TV star, Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is.. well, that's part of the fun of the movie, and Jim's dad is sadly single after Jim's mom passed away.  Stifler is (Seann William Scott)... still Stifler.

As a 4th addition in a series, American Reunion isn't actually all that bad.  It has both raunchy and endearing moments, which is what, in my mind really stood out in the original.  Though it's not really a ground shattering film, it did have me in quite a bit of laughter at times.  For those of you who haven't seen the first three, many of the jokes will likely go over your head.  By 1999 standards this movie goes places that would be shocking, but after movies such as The Hangover and it's sequel this isn't all that shocking - though one part of it made me more disgusted than one part of Wedding.

Eugene Levy really does steal the show as Jim's Dad in his scenes and definitely adds to the awkwardness that really makes this movie.  Way to support the home team, eh? (FYI, check his IMDB page to see his hometown and you'll understand my comment).

So if you want a good laugh and a nice walk down memory lane (a lot of the music is from the 90s as well) this is definitely worth a few dollars or pounds.  If you get offended easily (hahaha, that's two movies in a row I've said this) I wouldn't go see this.  If you don't like full frontal nudity (of the male variety) then I would also recommend you don't see this.

I give this two thumbs up (sorry, that's also an in-joke).

Why I Really Like My Smartphone

When smartphones first came out a while back, I assured myself that I didn't need one. It was just a bunch of bells and whistles and most of the stuff people do on them (from my experience: games) was pretty much useless. Arriving in London two years ago, I bought the cheapest new phone I could get (approximately £25). It allowed me to call people and to text. Since I didn't do much of either, I was happy. Then as time went on, everyone started getting iPhones and similar phones and I started seeing a few things here and there that might be useful. So when I knew I was leaving England and that I'd need a new phone for New Zealand, I bit the bullet and bought the cheapest smart phone I could find, a Samsung Galaxy Y, for a shade less than £100. I must say, in my just over one month of using it, I am more than pleased.

Not even going into the different apps that I've started using (those will all be future posts), for roughly four times what I paid for my first UK phone, I've gotten way more than four times the return. Here is just a small snippet of what a smartphone offers:

1) Google Maps. By far the biggest reason I decided to get a smart phone. When living in a big (and new) city, it can be very easy to get lost. Not sure where you are or how to get to the nearest underground station? Turn on your map and not only will it give you a street layout, but it will also pinpoint your location as well as give you walking directions to wherever you choose. Already it has helped me immensely in both London and Auckland.

2) Web Browser. Need to look something up while on the go? Having a web browser on your phone makes that a lot easier. In the last few years, I've often wondered how we got things done before the Internet. In a few years I imagine the same thing will be said about the Internet on phones.

3) Email. Though I could access my email by web browser, my phone does one better and syncs my gmail account to my phone. So I get a little ding every time I get an email. Quite useful, really.

4) Camera. Yes, most people have digital cameras anyway, but this can save on pocket or bag space if you're in a pinch. Also, it is helpful if you see something that you want to remember but just don't have the time to make a memo (note: my phone also lets me make memos). Very useful, and I find the quality of the pictures to be alright.

5) mp3 Player. Also a space saver. Really, all you need in the way of devices is a smart phone. Works pretty much like any other mp3 player you have. My phone has a slot for a memory card of up to 32gb. My iPod only holds 4gb. Hmmmm. Also, my phone has an FM radio, though I know not all phones have this feature.

6) SatNav/GPS. Ever needed driving directions on the go? Smartphones can do that too. Similar to google maps, this has a slightly different interface and can show/tell you in real time which way to turn and when.



7) Apps. Yes, there are literally millions of these available. I'll go into a few that I use frequently in more detail at some point, but the point to be made here is that there are pretty much apps for everything.

8) Etc. There are a ton of little things that a smart phone can do as well, including: a voice recorder, a picture gallery, facebook and twitter updates, calculator, weather updates, news feeds, etc. Oh yeah, and you can call and text with it too.

If anyone out there is debating whether or not to get a smart phone, my ethusiastic response would be yes! But if you have a perfectly good phone, don't go out and upgrade for the sake of doing so. My old phone was not very good and it was really only useable in the UK (I bought a SIM-free phone), so it made sense for me. I'm glad I chose what I did though.

Movie Review: Project X

It's been a while since I saw this, so things aren't so fresh in my mind at the moment.

Project X is about three boys (Thomas, Costa, and JB) who throw a birthday party when one of their parents go away for the weekend. The boys aren't exactly popular and are trying to use the party to change that. It begins with the boys planning the party and going all over to get. My first warning to you is that if you can't handle excessive bad language and crudeness, don't even bother. You'll get offended in the first 30 seconds or so. Anyone who's seen the trailers for this movie will be forgiven for not being nervous for the boys, since you'll know that the party does happen and that people do show up.

Basically what follows would be the proverbial "Gong Show." People arrived, get drunk and do crazy stuff. It sounds boring (and to some it would be), but it has it's funny moments (for example, the over-the-top security guards).

Throughout the story there is a love triangle (when is there not?) as the party escalates into utter chaos. The ending is a bit over the top, but I think that's the point. This is definitely a movie that caters to the imaginations of teens and others slightly older, so don't expect much in the way of insights into life, but be ready to see some things you just thought you'd never see.

The acting is fairly well done. I found the boys to be completely believable, though why any of them would be friends with Costa is beyond me, but that's the way highschool goes I guess. I heard a rumour that the boys were cast through some sort of contest, though I'm too lazy at the moment to look it up so I could be completely wrong.

Anyway, if you like crude humour (American Pie, Hangover, etc.) then you'll probably enjoy this. It's one of a recent group of found footage films (Cloverfield, Chronicle) that I personally enjoy. So there you have it. Not for everyone, but definitely worth it if you can stomach the juvenileness of the whole thing.

Book Review: Warm Bodies

What is it with me and reading books with questionable titles?

Anyway, the Zombie craze soldiers on. I'm sure many have noticed a recent number of both movies and books dealing with the subject (I'll put a list at the bottom of this for good measure, in case you didn't notice). Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion, takes the zombie story in a new direction: a zombie in love. Not only that, but the book is written from the perspective of the zombie, R, which puts the whole thing into perspective. They may be dead, but they do have feelings and needs.

The basic plot of the story is that while on a routine feeding trip, R decides that instead of eating Julie, to save her and keep her safe. R's friend M (the Zombies can't really remember a lot, but some of them can remember tidbits, and some can even speak) at first doesn't think this is a good idea. Through twists and turns we follow these two young lovers in their quest to unite two families... er... groups of individuals (people isn't really an appropriate word when dealing with the undead) who are otherwise at war with each other. Throw in Julie's best friend Nora, and a an attack on a human named Trevor and you might start to see some similarities between this story and another, more famous one (1000 Internet points for whomever can post which story I'm talking about first).

I don't like revealing much more, but if you like zombies and seeing new things done with old ideas (and I mean two old ideas here) then this is definitely well worth your time. I could barely put it down.

In my search for a bit more info on the book, I also learned that it will be made into a movie, opening in 2013. What can you do? This usually happens to good (and often not-so-good) books.

As promised, here is a list of some of the better quality zombie (or similar) movies of the past few years. It's short, but I liked these ones in particular. Post any other ones that you thought were good.

Books:

• World War Z, Max Brooks (Also going to be a movie in 2013 starring Brad Pitt)
• Zone One, Colson Whitehead

Movies and TV Shows

• Zombieland
• The Walking Dead (TV)
• 28 Days Later
• Dawn of the Dead
• Shaun of the Dead

Speaking a Foreign Language in England

In my roughly two years in England, I had my fair share of embarrassments, misunderstandings and frustrations due to the fact that the word I said did not have the same meaning to me as it did to the people who I was speaking to. I'm sure you're all familiar with words like lift, lorry and loo, but alliteration aside there are quite a few differences between Canadian (or American) English and British English. I've searched my memory for a few days now and with the help of Wikipedia to fill in some of the gaps and remind me, I've made a useful list of words to help you on your way if you ever do decide to visit the old country. Words with one asterix (*) indicate mixups that are potentially embarrassing and words with two (**) indicate words that SHOULD be obvious, but are just added in to make it look like I did more work.

Canadian	British
Aubergines	Eggplants
Bin	Trash Can (don't confuse with recycling bin!)
Biscuit	Cookie**
(To) blag	(To) make something up (bluff)
(To) blank – (To) ignore (someone)	(To) ignore (someone)
Boot	Trunk
Chips	French Fries
Crisps	Potato Chips
Corridor	Hall(way)
Courgettes	Zucchini (why use English when you can use French?)
Dinner	Lunch (???)
Fete (pronounced fate)	Party
Full Stop	Period*
Hall	Gymnasium
Ice Lolly	Popsicle
Kit	Athletic Clothing (uniform)
Ladybird	Ladybug (it's not a bird, is it?)
Lead	Cord
Lift	Elevator**
Lolly	Any candy on a stick (lollypop)
Lorry	Truck
Motoroway	Highway
Nappy	Diaper
Off-License	Liquor Store
Pudding	Dessert
Pants	Underwear*
Pavement	Sidewalk
Plaster	Band Aid
Pushchair	Stroller
Queue	Line (though they never make them properly)
Row (rhymes with cow)	Argument
Rubber	Eraser*
Rubbish	Garbage**
SatNav	GPS
Sellotape	Scotch Tape
Subway	Underground Walkway (not the trains)
Suspenders	Garter Belt*
Sweets	Candy
Swimming Costume	Bathing Suit
Tea	Snack
Tipp-Ex	White Out
Toilet	Washroom (the actual room)**
Torch	Flashlight
Trousers	Pants**
Vest	Tank Top (also, running single)
Do the washing up	Do the dishes
Washing Up Liquid	Dish Soap
Wellies	Rubber Boots