THUNDER

To Descartes, one cloud falling

onto another. To the Greeks,

Zeus’s shield shaking, a forerunner

of Hopkins’ shook foil, that grandeur,

gathered and charged. For the native

tribes of the plains, Thunderbird’s

wings beating. Such magnified

oscillations are beyond us, yet

the very air we breathe is grumbling,

a succession of compressions,

negative and positive ions colliding,

as someone in the next room

is about to explode.

- Wendy Barker

Thought Du Jour

"Academies have been instituted to guard the avenues of...language, to retain fugitives, and to repulse intruders; but their vigilance and activity have hitherto been vain: sounds are too volatile and subtle for legal restraints; to enchain syllables and to lash the wind are equally the undertakings of pride, unwilling to measure its desires but its strengths."

- Samuel Johnson

Real Vampires Have Fangs

Since I first snuck a viewing of Interview Of A Vampire on late night showtime when I was 9 I have a been an addict of all things Vampire and I have a confession. I HATE Twilight.

There, I've said it. I've been biting my tongue for far too long and now its like a giant cavity of pain has been removed from my psyche. I'm sure you have a million questions; after all hate is an incredibly charged - and somewhat overused- word that shouldn't be bandied around without deep introspective thought; especially when directed at a mere work of fiction. So in attempt at forethought I will try to answer the most pressing questions as they relate to this high level of disgust I have for anything Meyer.

How long? When?

I was kind of ambivalent to the whole Twilight craze at first, mainly just happy that it was getting teenage girls to read. I finally picked up the first two at the bequest of a co-worker and I even will admit to mildly enjoying the first one. I only finished the second one because I was hoping it would redeem itself. It didn't. So I guess you could say I've been hating them ever since September 17th 2008.

Who?
I don't really have a 'who' in this emotion. I certainly hold no more then a minuscule amount of animosity toward Stephanie Myer or any at all towards her fans. And to hate a fictional character is just a little more 'crazy' then I'm willing to go.

So now to the most pressing question:

Why?

Why do I hate Twilight? Its not for the obvious reasons; the overly obvious religious implications, the anti-abortion message, the shoddy writing, the ageism, sexism or any other ism. Its just that Stephanie Myer some how managed to take everything sexy, dark and dangerous away from the Vampire. Sure theirs violence and sex (obviously since the main character gets pregnant) but its PG sex and violence. Twilight is the near-beer of Vampire stories.

Oh and for the record just because the actor who the production company got to play Edward Cullen is sexy doesn't make the character itself sexy.

Vampires are dark, they are dangerous...they are not meant to be cuddly and cute. Sure there were moments of violence in Twilight, small glimmers of bloody scenes but really all in all its just plain safe good fun...which is SO not any adjective I would use to describe Vampires (accept maybe 'fun' but in more of a dirty naughty fun way then the chaste boring fun Meyer uses).

My biggest peeve, however, is Edwards 'teeth'. Um, ahem; vampires don't have teeth, they have fangs. Its pretty standard. You can pretty much break every other Vampire rule out there except that one. I mean Angel didn't sleep in a coffin, Blade was a day walker, Louis (Rice) and Bill (Harris) like crosses and churches etc. But every vampire I have ever heard of has fangs. Its pretty much the sole defining accoutrement of a vampire. And somehow, in Meyer's chaste telling she neglects to once call them fangs (at least in the first novel). Teeth vs. fangs. Which is more vampiric? Maybe fangs are just too 'evil' for Stephanie Myers? Too devilish perhaps? What is a vampire with out fangs? I superhuman being perhaps but not a vampire...

I do applaud Meyers on creating a 'vampire' *cough* novel that appeals to those who thought the more traditional approach to the supernatural genre was a bit to close to devil worship and for selling literally millions of copies of her novels (although I did return mine after reading it for a full refund). But I do not forgive her for draining her vampires of everything that makes them vampires...

Vampires drink Blood
Vampires fuck
Vampires drink blood and fuck at the same time
but most of all

VAMPIRES HAVE FANGS!!!


This work by Ophelia3 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.

Watchmen Trailers

I am so stoked that i might just explode

O' CANADA

Let me start off by saying that I am a proud Canadian, I love being from Canada and I love Canada. I don't always agree with the direction our nation takes, or some of the viewpoints of our diverse population but all in all I love being Canadian.

I read in an article on CBC.com that a New Brunswick elementary school has decided that its students should no longer have to sing O'Canada each morning before commencing with class instead only having them belt it out at monthly assemblies. The schools Principal made the decision based upon some complaints from parents who felt that it wasn't appropriate to make their children sing the anthem (probably because of its God reference, or its non gender biased language). People are up in arms over this, calling the Principal unpatriotic and saying things along the lines of "this is canada, if you don't want to sing the anthem of this nation then go live somewhere else:

Can we say overreacting much?

I haven't sung the anthem in class since grade 1 and I extremely patriotic.

Not to mention isn't singing it everyday a little bit of an overkill? Cheapening the patriotism of it all? Shouldn't we save it for moments of somewhat importance?

And, my real issue with this whole debacle are peoples' reactions to its cancelation.

clearedfordeparture wrote:"Our forefathers layed down their lives for that flag. It is time for us proud canadians to raise a lot of hell over this unpatriotic BS...Maybe the kids whose parents don't want the anthem played should have to pull their kids out of school."

BrendaLynn wrote "After reading a few of the comments posted that agree with this principal's decision to stop the singing of the national anthem in his school, I have only disgust and disrespect for the principal and writers of those comments. Why is it, that only in Canada, are we bullied into accommodating and fulfilling the frequently absurd requests of our `new citizens'?? It's no wonder these `new citizens' don't emigrate to the United States or Australia or many other countries that actually have the backbone to stand up for their culture and traditions. Sadly, we, as Canadians, have become the laughing stock of the world. We gladly welcome and support new immigrants to our beautiful country but unfortunately, allow many of these new immigrants to slowly and painfully coerce us into removing what makes us proud to be Canadians."

I mean honestly people, talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Give me a freakin' break! Because obviously if our children don't belt out an oftune rendtion of O'Canada everymorning to a scratchy recording crackling out from bargain bin intercom systems then our nation is truly going to fall a part *insert sarcasm here*

I mean isn't it more important to get to the rood of this problem - why parents wouldn't want their children to sing O'Canada in the first place. Or why students feel that the only way for them to show patriotism is to stand at attention and salute? Can't we teach our youth that blind loyalty to a flag is not a good thing? That questioning our nation and ourselves is our patriotic duty not mumbling out a few lyrics now and again.

We should address why our nations anthem doesn't represent Canadian's anymore because if we have to force our kids to sing the anthem then are they truly patriotic? Can patriotism be forced?

No.

It needs to be inspired.

Now I'm reading comments that because the principal is activly involved in the peace movement he wants to remove the anthem from school. Why, because its so war like ???? Give me a break people. This is a non-issue.

Some educational issues to get up in arms over :

1. Overcrowding
2. Lack of funding
3. Quality of adminstration and teachers
4. The fact that our education system is still based upon a set u designed during the industrial revolution to prepare children for life working in a factory
5. The fact that education text books still reference material writtien in the warly 1900

Really want to be patriotic - VOTE in the next election, wear a flag on your backpack and please GROW UP!


Links to the articles:
N.B. School silence O Canada

Schools Should Have To Play O Canada


This work by Ophelia3 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.

M4(Part II)

One of my new favourite bands from Edmonton Alberta

Where there is much desire to learn, there, of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinion is but knowledge in the making...To be still searching what we know not, by what we know; still closing truth up to truth as we find it. It is this that makes up the best harmony, not the force and outward union of cold, and neutral and inwardly divided minds.
- John Milton, [i]Areopagitica[/i] 1664