Coulda Woulda Shoulda

I was moved in many ways at the opening gala of the International Festival of Authors last night. Hearing Dubliner Roddy Doyle speak in his lovely lilt made me want to jump on the next plane and fly back to the green Isle. He reminded me too, how culturally rich a nation Ireland is. How humour plays a role in almost everything they do. How some of the world's best story tellers come from there. How I'm not sure I could ever replicate - even just a little - the experience I had in the Irish publishing industry. And maybe that's okay. I was also privileged to speak to the talented Canadian director, writer and actor Don McKellar and let him know IN PERSON just how deeply his movie Last Night affected me. But most importantly, I found a charity that I want to actually work with. Not to say that there are charities that I WOULDN'T work with, just that this organisation has got me mobilized in a way I've not thought of before. "PEN Canada assists writers around the...

There is a lot I want to say and should say and WILL say but today I just want to say ONE THING... Get out and vote!! There are millions of people all over this world that risk their lives in order to make a choice for leadership. No matter what you think of the Canadian candidates, it's important to remember today that this is bigger than the politicians who are running. It may actually matter more that you cast a vote then who you vote for at all. So GET OUT AND VOTE!

National Novel Writing Month I heard about this from a woman I work with and thought it would be fun to see publishing from the other side of the fence. I'm currently trying to think of interesting characters and scenarios and mostly, following the golden rule, write what you know. So, please don't be surprised if you end up hearing of a backpacking Irish girl who goes to teach English in Korea. Hmmm...original?

I'm doing some training for work and came across an interesting statement in regards to technical information: "..If the quality isn't acceptable to end users, no drop in cost will matter." In the course of the last few months, I've been soaking up information from this world of technical information and usability. I suppose the main reason companies do anything is to save money, purely because they make money, fuel the economy and allow me to live comfortably. So I find it interesting that even though there may be a consideration when building documentation to budget it appropriately, it's also very important to remember that to the end user, it's not the quality of the paper or the colour vs black&white in the materials, it is truly about the quality of the content. And even if you can say well, we used to charge you $20 and now we only charge you $10, it actually STILL won't make them a happier or more satisfied customer if the content does not ...

One of the most exciting aspects of living in a big city is the opportunity to have an abundance of things to do...right outside your doorstep. Stating the obvious, I suppose, but when we live in TO before, we didn't take advantage as much as I now feel we should have. Bonus is? Being back is like being able to do it all over again. In Belfast, we were fortunate to attend lots of arts events because of my line work. I was just luck to be in the know and felt quite at home amongst those that took part in these events. (NOT Harper's rich rendition, I assure you) So, tonight, we're going to take advantage of our geography and head to a book reading. Everyone probably remembers Irvine Welsh mostly for his crazy druggies in Trainspotting and I got to know a bit more of his work while at Blackstaff as we had an author with a similar style. His latest novel, Crime , is out and lucky for us he's promoting it. Seems a bit funny to go see a Scot in Toronto when I could have see...

This made me chuckle this morning. Thought with the cool weather upon, you all could use a little laughter to warm you up: Apple Announcement: Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup and speaker size. This has been hailed as a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

There has been some talk - and government action - regarding the arts funding in Canada that I must humbly admit I have not been paying enough attention to. I remember feeling quite lucky to live and work in the arts scene in Belfast as it was abundant not only with talented people but also the money to support those people in the creation of good work. It's a bit sad that my home country seems to not want to see the value of art as it relates to the well being of every day life. Margaret Atwood has written a very great piece on this here: To be creative is, in fact, Canadian After reading today I am reminding yet again how frustrating it is to prove worth. That human worth has been relegated to the economic factor. That we can see the benefit in bankers because they make money. That there seems to be this theory that only rich snobs wander around at art galas and events. That even the act of mentioning that maybe there is worth outside of bringing in money tends to draw large scof...

This past weekend, I became nostalgic and saw the future all at once. NKOTB were fantastically surreal (blog post coming soon) My first 10km was even more so (blog post also coming soon) All I can do right now is wait to listen to my MP3 player with songs of my teenage years while I'm running and training for the next 10km. Welcome to surreal Monday.

My littlest sister H has etched out yet another talent (she can sing, write, act, and look beautiful without trying) to add to her repertoire and has come up with a pretty inventive way of showing it. Her new blog, Baby Samurai Story , is a fictional story about a Japanese woman, daughter of a Samurai, who becomes a mother without necessarily choosing to do so. It's the prefect length for a quick read and is very engaging. Her descriptive passages are so clear and crisp, I could actually visualize what her characters. It's very comic book-'episotic' style writing (can you say 300 anyone?) and was just a really new, fresh take on blog writing. What got her interested? Well, her Gemini-distracto mind came up with the idea after she was researching her newest talent, samurai pants. Baby Samurai They are unique as well as flexible, funky as well as functional, easy to clean, easier to put on and just the perfect accessory for any little warrior.

This perhaps may seem like shameless promotion but I have to say, as a Harmony user myself, it really is THIS easy. Plus, he's so darn cute.

In this world of instant information, it can be easy to be bombarded with a lot of, well, crap. But today, my friends, I wanted to share this with all of you. My father sent it to me in an email - which further the debate that he is either hip or a geek or both - and, so, I wanted to share the imaginative mind of Eddie Izzard with you all. The One with Vader in the Canteen (I'm not sure someone WITHOUT an English accent could pull this off)

So writing for an entertaiment magazine, I have been given a bit of a background peek into this year's TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). No I'm not having drinks with Brad Pitt or exchanging comic book stories with Kevin Smith. But I do have to give a shout out to the IT Lounge in Windsor Arms Hotel, just off Bloor Street on Thomas Street. Fantastic facilites for media and quite a quiet place amongst all the hustle bustle. And yes, there has been a bit of celebrity spotting. Can you say Evangeline Lilly of Lost? Smaller, of course, then she looks on TV but still with that sparkling smile, pausing every so often to pose with fans. I wanted to shout out 'Your biceps rock!' but then, I also wanted to look cool and professional and not be whisked away by the body guards. A pleasant surprise today - a very surreal vibe to be out and about amongst all this TIFF-ness.

I sorta stopped listening to the radio since I've been home. People sort of ask, 'what kind of music do you like?' I kinda hum and ha and well and er and finally just say 'you know, top 40'. Yes, I'm very advanced in my musical enjoyment. Me and your 10th grader would have a lot in common. And then, I was informed of last.fm , the station that picks songs you will like based on one song choice. Guess what? I'm SO MUCH MORE than a Top 40 fan. I'm TOTALLY indy now. In a very Top 40 way. C'mon, don't you think it's impressive that there are other songs that sound like Pieces of Me? In love love love. Thank you inventors of amazing websites that eventually I will have to pay for but for now will relish in the ad and investment money they're squandering on my enjoyment. Let me share again - lastfm There. That should help there Google ranking.

I have to say it takes a lot to shock me these days when it comes to organizations not thinking globally. Since living abroad, I've learned that most countries are essentially quite insular and not very good at thinking outside their own borders. I would not even go as far to say specific countries because I think each country has its own close minded view of the world, and, in their own way, contributes to this intolerance and understanding across the globe. But I think the LPGA has really taken the cake on this with the latest rid-onk-ulous (thanks JF) decision. English only please - we're not racist, just an American organization I'm just wondering what exactly the LPGA was thinking? Oh yes that's it, they were thinking about THEIR SPONSORS. What about all of the people AROUND THE WORLD who watch the bloody thing that DON'T speak English? That pay to fly all over the planet just to watch the stupid events? Maybe the LPGA should make all their players learn Spanis...

Happiness is about managing expectations. Expectations you have for yourself. Expectations you have for others. Expectations others have for you. (credit goes to a friend at work) The beauty of travel is that at the mere mention of a city you've visited, your mind instantly creates a picture of that time there. (credit goes to a longtime friend) These two ideas and thoughts seem to have been the most poignant for me over the past little while and I wanted to share them with you. Share with you the types of things that are rolling around in my head. The summer is coming to a close and with it, I anticipate some breathing space in the world that is busyness. Some reflection time in the cool fall air. Some more energy put towards experiencing and less towards maintaining. More time for the rose smelling, and the bird-chirping-listening. Simplification. Although it may be hard for people to understand but there is still a period of understanding, decompressing, computing, reflecting ov...

The Olympics has of course sparked many controversial stories as it seems to every time it rolls around. I always chuckle a little bit at the intense conviction of which many of the reporters cover stories of 'atrocities' and 'wrong doings' as if the end of the world was nigh, the large asteroid was seconds away from hitting and the world itself will NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN because of *insert daily controversy here*. But this, people THIS takes the cake. I raise my hands up and say, yes, sometimes it REALLY IS THAT BAD. What were they thinking? Give it up for tolerance, peace, posterity and all that.

I've got and not sure when it will go away. Olympic fever! I remember in Belfast, I used to take advantage of BBC's interactive feature, where you could 'press the red button' and 'go interactive', picking from 1 of 5 different live streams. This allowed me to see every ice hockey game during the ENTIRE OLYMPICS - without commercials! No interactive CBC but their Canadian coverage make up for it. So, it's a sunny Sunday, I have grand plans of leaving the house but people, we're talking gymnastics here. If I can't flip around on a mat, I might as well watch those skilled enough to do so.

A controversial - yet thought-provoking - article on having children. I Kid You Not And yes, I realise I made a pledge to write about stuff that I have not yet even read to write about. It's coming... But for now, let's hope this link will give you enough to think about until I find the time to think about the stuff I've written to re-write about it. One thing that stuck in my mind after reading this article was something my mom said to me once. A vegetarian friend of hers said that the largest hurdle about being vegetarian was not hunting for lentils and beans or avoiding those juicy BBQ steaks but having to defend her life choice by simply stating it. I'm a vegetarian seemed to translate into I want to argue with you about my life choice. Ponder.

I have been thinking about this space and I do I have an idea which I think will keep me keep it updated. It has now been over a year since we finished our time in Korea and started on a 6 month adventure that would take us across multiple time zones and continents. Each day on that journey I kept a journal, which outlined the bare minimum of activities as well as meals and lodging. For my own personal reflection - which, lucky you, will be able to take part in - I am going to read each day what I wrote about in that journal and really, just write here about it. Perhaps how I feel now about the entry. Perhaps a funny story that happened. Perhaps about how I have no idea what I actually did that day and that it was a good thing I wrote it down because I still can't picture it. Starting tomorrow, I'll begin a new journey. One that doesn't include a lot of upset stomachs or late night anxiety or even white sandy beaches for that matter. It will be a much more reflective one, a...

This weekend I will have the honour of celebrating the 80th birthday of one of the kindest, most understanding, most lovely-laugh octogenarians I know. I'm quite proud to be able to say my Grandmother N, full of all her facilities, turned 80 today. That's such a big number. And yet, she still doesn't seem that OLD to me. I saw her just a couple of months ago and it was like when I used to visit her as a small child, being spoiled by celery and cheese whiz, staying up late and of course, a chance to watch Three's Company. Happy Birthday Grandma - I'm very proud to be your granddaughter and can't wait to give you a hug and big sloppy kiss when I see you tomorrow.