Wise Words

"Three hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets."

- Napoleon Bonaparte

Timeless wisdom from a dictator, who in this quotation was offering up a glimse of weakness. Being scared of a free press (more accurately, one with an agenda that speaks to the power of the people) is bold to admit for a man hell bent on using physical force to conquer. This quotation is poignant, in that it holds true even in today's political, social, and global climates.

The above contributed photo was taken at the G20 Summit protest in London, 2009. Riot police found themselves cornered after protesters broke through their double line.

Observations and Commentary

Love is a religion.

My bamboo plant is turning yellow from the heavily fluorinated water that I feed it from the tap. In regards to the fact that I too drink this water, what are the effects on my body?

University is universally better than high school in several ways, including freedom, activism, and friendships.

Why are there always loud trucks scraping the ground in the early morning outside my window?

Sales are the only way to shop.

Vegan clothing?

After much contemplative thought, I still am unsure of my religion. And thats ok.

Thank the lord that no one listens to Soulja Boy anymore.

Lululemon has oddly wise quotations littering its persona and advertising campaigns.

It is not nice to be malicious.

The Pope changed St. Patricks day because it conflicted with All Saints Day. What does that say about religion.

After learning about the reality of the state of news currently, I can no longer watch it with the same trust I had previously. It is like I've been betrayed.

I'm pretty sure it was yesterday I was 5.

Music is a religion. I believe in music, don't you?

Realization

It's time for a revolution.

The Hidden Pleasures of a Winter Wonderland

All day long, the snow has been whipping about outside my window and across the province, much to motorists' dismay. Much to my mothers' too, as dinner guests were expected and a lack of salad plagued my house. Sadly, I was cooped up in my dorm room two hours away and did not get to see the fiasco that ensued, with my brother and father cleaning off the ol'Buick and skittering down the snow covered driveway in search of dinner supplies.

Here I was, looking out at the wintery sky as I had been all day long from my warm hibernation inside, when it dawned on me to make a trek out to the local Starbucks for a latte and a relaxing session with my latest Vanity Fair. I bundled up and headed out into the great white north, down the unplowed sidewalk with my arms out to the side, keeping my balance the whole way there.

I found a table adjacent to the window, and sipped the creamy vanilla bean latte creation the barrista had whipped up for me. Flipping through the glossy pages of Vanity Fair, I paused at the paragraphs about up and coming artists, a pages-long article about the rat infestation in Mizoram/48 year interval between blossoming of bamboo plants, and the aristocratic appearances at a celebrity funeral.

Starbucks: a coffee house where one can: stare at the menu for hours and still not understand how to order; read magazines, newspapers, and emails; gaze out the window at traffic; listen to soft yet interesting melodies for free; people watch; and drink over-priced coffee without care, because they know that they are paying mostly for the atmosphere and table they occupy, and they are okay with that.

The windy walk home was not sans joy, for the most specular thing happened. You may not understand, I warn you, because it was one of those events that had to be witnessed to be understood. In the parking lot near my home, a man asked two reluctant passerbys for help with his car, which was comfortably lodged in a snowbank. Before they could refuse, four strapping male students came running out of their building, snow gear already on, and offered the man enthusiastic aid. They must have seen him from their room up above, and it made me happy to see their generous spirit.

The random generosity and caring that people exhibit nowadays, I believe are not like shiny relics of an era past. Anyone can make an argument that the age of chivalry and being a gentleman - a helpful or kind person even - have past, but I truly believe the opposite. It's not hard to find a helping hand in this world, and it's not hard to see the many hands held out towards us either. Maybe everyone should think about the small random acts of kindness they can do, before they criticize the lack of them in this world.

Disney Takes One Step Forward, One Step Back

Last night when I came home, I logged on to MSN, checked my emails, and logged out. As everyone knows, logging out shoots you over to msn.ca or msn.com. I often skim through these pages looking for new articles to read. The articles here are very diverse and recent compared to any magazine or newspaper on stands, and so I enjoy reading them as they expand my knowledge pool of random facts. I always have a new fact, it's true.

A particular title caught my eye last night. I pried myself away from Facebook and MSN, and read something that would put a smile on my face.

Disney, the company with fairytale Princesses (that have created a revenue of 3 billion thus far), is introducing to their roster, the very first (drum roll, please)...black princess. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Disney feels that it's time to enlist Maddy - who hails from the French Quarter of New Orleans - into their latest full-feature length film.

Disney, company that aims it's Princess line at young girls aged 4-8, has realized that multiculturalism in their films will fare well with modern consumers. Introduced in 1992, "Aladdin" was released and starred Jasmine, the first Princess who was of middle-eastern decent, as opposed to the past princesses who were all white - Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel. To follow were more examples of the move towards diversity - the sucessful releases of Pocahontas and Mulan.

Yesterday I watched Queen Latifah doing an interview on PBS. She spoke about a large, untapped market of African-Americans in the United States who need films aimed towards them. For instance, she said that there isn't a Christmas movie starring African-Americans. I think that Disney is taking the hint by including Maddy in their movie.

Now, Disney made two announcements. They both pertained to the movie "The Frog Princess", the first of which I just explained. The second made me so, so happy. Disney has committed to this film, set to release in 2009, and is taking a step back with their animation. The company plans to hand draw this movie. No more computer animated, cheaply slapped together, Cinderella XIV, straight-to-video movies. They will return to the method of cartooning that we all grew up with, and that everybody should grow up with. The way The Little Mermaid was, Fox and the Hound, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. They had personality; they were crafted by artists who studied lions for months to get the movements of their limbs down right on paper.

Well, I'd like to say to Disney, congratulations on your first African-American Princess, on your return to hand drawing your cartoons, and to taking one step forward, while taking one step back.

(to read the article I read, please go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17524865/?GT1=9145)

First Up

Nearly a year since I became a blogger, I've taken up the creative hobby once again. This time, however, I'm not speaking from an adventurous, European standpoint. The tales of burgeoning mountains, bustling cities, and babbling brooks (nice alliteration, Michelle!) are fini. I now call out to you from the comfort of my own home, back in Uxbridge. Oh, Uxbridge.

The posts to follow will - as the title so suggests - chronicle my life (my normal Canadian life). And so will be discovered, the adventure within the workings of my days. Enjoy.