... and you won’t have to deal with a strange city girl like me coming to your town and bothering you with a huge list of questions.
Part of my IPP research involves the late Ninette tuberculosis sanatorium. I know absolutely nothing about the town, including where it’s located, so I thought a bit of online research would help me figure it out.
Nope. Not so easy.
The town doesn’t have a website, which is unbelievably frustrating. In this age of technology, I naturally assumed that everyone has a website. Even I have a website! But not Ninette. There is no way for me to find out the information for town hall, the population, the names of local businesses, or coming events with the click of a mouse.
I realized very quickly that I am going to have to acquire what I want to know about Ninette the old-fashioned way. I’ll have to visit the library.
I've spent way too much time at the library this summer.
July 19, 2010
July 16, 2010
Just a thought
"If you took acting away from me, I'd stop breathing." - Ingrid Bergman
"If you took writing away from me, I'd stop breathing." - Amanda Hope
"If you took writing away from me, I'd stop breathing." - Amanda Hope
July 15, 2010
The rudest robbery I've ever encountered
Yesterday, my brother was taking a nap at the University of Manitoba’s science lounge around noon. This is a common practice for most post-secondary students, because we do occasionally burn the candle at both ends. Chris took off his glasses and placed them in his shoe. This is also normal. It’s not fun to sleep with glasses on, and he didn’t want to accidentally break them while he slept.
He woke up about an hour and a half later to find that his glasses were gone. No one messed with his backpack or books, no one tried to steal his wallet, and his shoes were still exactly where he’d left them. This thief wanted something specific, and he got it.
How incredibly rude.
Chris is like me. Without his glasses, he is virtually blind. When he realized they were missing, he called for someone nearby to help him look for them. Nine people materialized almost immediately, and all were eager to assist with this very unusual problem. No one could locate the glasses anywhere, and finally my brother had to accept the fact that they were stolen.
Are you kidding me? Who would do that?
Thankfully, my dad was home, and he brought my brother’s spare pair of glasses to the university for him. There is no way he could have driven home without them. Now, Chris has to shell out his own hard-earned money to replace the expensive pair that someone took. What initially began as a rude inconvenience is now costing my brother money, and that makes me really angry.
When I was younger, the kids at school would steal my glasses just to watch me fumble around without them. This wasn’t fun, and I absolutely hate the feeling of partial blin
dness. I can’t even imagine what it was like for Chris as he sat at school waiting for my dad to arrive. He said that the glasses were well-hidden in his shoe, so I’m betting that someone watched him put them in there and waited for him to fall asleep before stealing them.
Ugh.
Some readers may be confused about why Chris didn’t hide his glasses better before going to sleep, so I’ll explain unofficial university protocol a bit. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, people leave their personal effects all over the place, and no one touches them. I have watched people leave both laptop and cell phone unattended in the library for hours. When they return, their items are still there. People just don’t mess with each other’s stuff, because most of us understand that things like computers, text books, and glasses are expensive.
I’ll agree that it isn’t smart to leave personal items lying around, and I’ve never done it myself, but it happens all the time. Chris placed his glasses in a hidden location, and I never would have thought that a person would actually have been desperate enough to reach inside his shoe to take them.
Moving on...
When my friends stole my glasses on the playground, they would always give them back. No one is going to return my brother’s pair, and he’ll never find out who did it. He’s lucky there were people around who were willing to help him look, and I tip my hat to those anonymous individuals.
I guess it just goes to show that nowhere is safe, and people can’t even take a well-deserved nap without worrying about the safety of their possessions.
Rude. Just rude.
He woke up about an hour and a half later to find that his glasses were gone. No one messed with his backpack or books, no one tried to steal his wallet, and his shoes were still exactly where he’d left them. This thief wanted something specific, and he got it.
How incredibly rude.
Chris is like me. Without his glasses, he is virtually blind. When he realized they were missing, he called for someone nearby to help him look for them. Nine people materialized almost immediately, and all were eager to assist with this very unusual problem. No one could locate the glasses anywhere, and finally my brother had to accept the fact that they were stolen.
Are you kidding me? Who would do that?
Thankfully, my dad was home, and he brought my brother’s spare pair of glasses to the university for him. There is no way he could have driven home without them. Now, Chris has to shell out his own hard-earned money to replace the expensive pair that someone took. What initially began as a rude inconvenience is now costing my brother money, and that makes me really angry.
When I was younger, the kids at school would steal my glasses just to watch me fumble around without them. This wasn’t fun, and I absolutely hate the feeling of partial blin
dness. I can’t even imagine what it was like for Chris as he sat at school waiting for my dad to arrive. He said that the glasses were well-hidden in his shoe, so I’m betting that someone watched him put them in there and waited for him to fall asleep before stealing them.Ugh.
Some readers may be confused about why Chris didn’t hide his glasses better before going to sleep, so I’ll explain unofficial university protocol a bit. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, people leave their personal effects all over the place, and no one touches them. I have watched people leave both laptop and cell phone unattended in the library for hours. When they return, their items are still there. People just don’t mess with each other’s stuff, because most of us understand that things like computers, text books, and glasses are expensive.
I’ll agree that it isn’t smart to leave personal items lying around, and I’ve never done it myself, but it happens all the time. Chris placed his glasses in a hidden location, and I never would have thought that a person would actually have been desperate enough to reach inside his shoe to take them.
Moving on...
When my friends stole my glasses on the playground, they would always give them back. No one is going to return my brother’s pair, and he’ll never find out who did it. He’s lucky there were people around who were willing to help him look, and I tip my hat to those anonymous individuals.
I guess it just goes to show that nowhere is safe, and people can’t even take a well-deserved nap without worrying about the safety of their possessions.
Rude. Just rude.
The Coconut
WARNING: There are a few images of alcoholic beverages in this post. It's just coconut milk and a bit of vodka, and really is good, clean fun, but if that kind of thing bothers you, go to the next post...
A coconut.
He held it up to his head and shook it, listening to the milk slosh around inside. I laughed, quite hard, and asked him what he was doing. He said that he wondered how exactly one broke into a coconut effectively, and a light bulb went on above my head.
The guys that Kristen and I hang with are eccentric, to say the least, and I thought they would get a kick out of trying to open the thing. I bought it, and ceremoniously presented it to them when we arrived at the cabin. Later that night, after a few drinks, they decided it was necessary to break it open.
After they broke into the coconut, a discussion began about what to do with the milk. I don’t know whose idea it was, but before I knew it, Kristen’s fiancee Tyler was preparing vodka and coconut milk shots. It’s summer, and we were on vacation, so we all agreed to try the drink. (Minus Rob, who just wanted the coconut milk. Looking back, I think he was the smart one in this scenario).
I can now say with wholehearted certainty that coconut/vodka shots are disgusting. The inside of the coconut didn’t taste that great either.
Ah, the things we do for fun.
Last weekend, I was invited to my friend Kristen’s cabin in Lake of the Woods. My brother agreed to take me grocery shopping to prepare, and we wandered around Superstore for an hour gathering everything I needed. We were finishing our excursion in the produce section when I turned around to see my brother lovingly handling an interesting item.
A coconut.
He held it up to his head and shook it, listening to the milk slosh around inside. I laughed, quite hard, and asked him what he was doing. He said that he wondered how exactly one broke into a coconut effectively, and a light bulb went on above my head.
The guys that Kristen and I hang with are eccentric, to say the least, and I thought they would get a kick out of trying to open the thing. I bought it, and ceremoniously presented it to them when we arrived at the cabin. Later that night, after a few drinks, they decided it was necessary to break it open.
After they broke into the coconut, a discussion began about what to do with the milk. I don’t know whose idea it was, but before I knew it, Kristen’s fiancee Tyler was preparing vodka and coconut milk shots. It’s summer, and we were on vacation, so we all agreed to try the drink. (Minus Rob, who just wanted the coconut milk. Looking back, I think he was the smart one in this scenario).
I can now say with wholehearted certainty that coconut/vodka shots are disgusting. The inside of the coconut didn’t taste that great either.
Ah, the things we do for fun. Why I love Lake of the Woods
I think these photos speak for themselves. This is my friend Kristen's cabin, and the view is spectacular. Especially during a sunset...
(P.S. That's Jeff fishing off the dock in the last one...)
July 14, 2010
I reached my book goal
This summer, I wanted to read 50 books. During the school year, it is very difficult to find time to read. Therefore, I knew that summertime would be my only chance to catch up on the books I have been missing, and read the things that have always interested me.
Well, I tallied up what I have read so far, and I was thoroughly surprised by the number I came up with.
Since May 1, 2010, I have read 61 books.
61.
It is important to mention, however, that some of the books I read were ones that I have read before. I began by re-reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, which I have gone through about 20 times. Next, I moved on to my favourite classics, including Middlemarch, Wuthering Heights, Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and so on.
I took a break from material I have already read and went on a murder mystery kick. That took up about a month, and I perused my way through about 10 authors.
Now, I'm working on true crime and history-related books. I just finished Schindler's List, and am currently reading The Bodyguard's Story by Trevor Rees-Jones. It's about the death of Princess Diana, and is written by the bodyguard who survived the accident.
Maybe I'll read 100 books by the time summer is over. I can't believe I hit my goal, but I'm not going to quit now...
Well, I tallied up what I have read so far, and I was thoroughly surprised by the number I came up with.
Since May 1, 2010, I have read 61 books.
61.
It is important to mention, however, that some of the books I read were ones that I have read before. I began by re-reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, which I have gone through about 20 times. Next, I moved on to my favourite classics, including Middlemarch, Wuthering Heights, Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and so on.
I took a break from material I have already read and went on a murder mystery kick. That took up about a month, and I perused my way through about 10 authors.
Now, I'm working on true crime and history-related books. I just finished Schindler's List, and am currently reading The Bodyguard's Story by Trevor Rees-Jones. It's about the death of Princess Diana, and is written by the bodyguard who survived the accident.
Maybe I'll read 100 books by the time summer is over. I can't believe I hit my goal, but I'm not going to quit now...
July 13, 2010
The epic nature of Saving Private Ryan
Every year, important blockbuster films hit theatres. These blockbusters have a profound effect on audiences, and many – like the recent Avatar – go down in history as being unique. But gradually, many blockbusters are forgotten when newer and more advanced films are released. This is a natural process, as people always want more, but I think some very important, epic films become lost in the shift.
Saving Private Ryan is a film that I haven’t watched since its release in 1998, and I hate to admit that I had forgotten about it. I dug it up yesterday when I needed to watch something about D-Day. After I was about 30 minutes in, and had just passed the Omaha Beach scene, I
remembered why this film won the Academy Award for Best Director. It’s fantastic in every way. Even though it was filmed roughly 12 years ago, I still felt like I was there, on the beach, in France, witnessing everything along with Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, and Giovanni Ribisi.
The book I’m writing has taken me on a wild carpet ride, and I never imagined that I would be watching and blogging about films as part of the process. It’s incredible how something as simple as a film about war can change my whole attitude and get me in the mood to write. I was both sobered and moved after watching Saving Private Ryan. I sat down at my computer after shutting off the television and promptly wrote 5,000 words. There’s a big difference between reading about D-Day and watching a re-creation of it, and I don’t think the section I wrote would have been as effective if I hadn’t watched a film before writing it.
Steven Spielberg was meticulous with details, and I think he got pretty much everything right. There were a few details that bothered me (like the fact Tom Sizemore labelled his jars of earth with a Sharpie marker, which hadn’t been invented yet), and there were a few instances where equipment was visible and extras were noticeable. But hey, it was a hard film to make.
Spielberg also had the challenge of making a beach in Ireland look like Omaha Beach in Normandy, and I think the end result was very effective. There was absolutely no way that they could film at the actual location. Besides being sacrilegious, seeing hundreds of men dressed in U.S. Army gear jumping off ships and onto the site of what served as Omaha Beach would confuse the pants off of and probably scare the daylights out of any French citizen who happened to be walking by. Talk about post-traumatic stress disorder at its finest... Geez.
The acting in the film was solid from beginning to end. Tom Hanks did a fantastic job, although I initially had a hard time picturing him as a hardened army Captain. This is Tom Hanks. Forrest Gump. He’s a third cousin, four generations removed, of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. He seems
too nice and too regal to be a bad ass military guy.
However, I did believe in his character by the end of the film. The rest of the cast was also phenomenal, and I was even impressed with Vin Diesel’s performance (which is saying a lot).
In total, Saving Private Ryan was nominated for eleven Academy Awards. It won five. Steven Spielberg won his second for Best Director (the first being Schindler’s List in 1993, a film I am watching next week). Other wins included Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound. Tom Hanks was nominated for Best Actor, but he lost to Roberto Benigni of Life is Beautiful. Edward Norton was also nominated for his performance in American History X. That must have been close, because each of those men delivered dynamite performances. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, but it lost to Shakespeare in Love.
Before I end this blog post, I believe it’s important that people understand why D-Day was so important. I do have a history degree, and I do love to talk, so I’m going to provide a 60 second lesson about the background...
D-Day, formally referred to as Operation Overlord, commenced on June 6, 1944, in the wee hours of morning. Roughly 195,000 personnel and 7,000 ships landed on five beaches along the Normandy coastline, which were codenamed Juno, Gold, Sword, Omaha, and Utah. Additional troops parachuted behind German lines, in an attempt to weaken their defences from the rear.
Of all five beaches, Omaha acquired the highest number of casualties. This was because their beach was the most difficult. It wasn’t flat, like Juno Beach (where we
Canadians were sent to kick some ass). There was a high point opposite to the coastline, meaning that the Germans had high ground. They literally wiped out American troops with machine guns as they tried to get off the ships and dash for cover.
In total, on all of the beaches, there were roughly 9,000 casualties. 2,000 of those casualties were on Omaha Beach, and roughly 1,200 Canadians fell on Juno Beach (out of the 14,000 that landed).
Operation Overlord was overall a huge success, and gradually led to the fall of Hitler’s Nazi Regime. D-Day is referred to as “the beginning of the end of the Second World War,” which is exactly what it was. The Allies slowly made their way towards Berlin from the West, liberating citizens of occupied countries as they went. The Russians made headway and then defeated the Germans in the East. In the end, it was a race to Berlin from two directions, and Hitler knew all was lost.
Benito Mussolini, the dictator running Italy, was Hitler’s ally. On April 27, 1945, Mussolini was captured while trying to flee the country. He was executed the following day, and his body was hung along with six others at a gas station for the public to view. Hitler was terrified he would suffer the same fate. Therefore, on April 30, 1945, he married his mistress, Eva Braun, in his bunker in Berlin. Then, they both committed suicide. Germany began to surrender around the globe on May 1. Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) was on May 8, 1945, when the news of Germany’s surrender became known across the globe.
So, that’s the long answer of why D-Day is important. Even though Saving Private Ryan wasn’t based on a true story that took place during the Second World War, it was realistic, heartfelt, and clearly portrayed the grisly environment the soldiers faced. I recommend everyone watches it again, because this film is a masterpiece.
Saving Private Ryan is a film that I haven’t watched since its release in 1998, and I hate to admit that I had forgotten about it. I dug it up yesterday when I needed to watch something about D-Day. After I was about 30 minutes in, and had just passed the Omaha Beach scene, I
remembered why this film won the Academy Award for Best Director. It’s fantastic in every way. Even though it was filmed roughly 12 years ago, I still felt like I was there, on the beach, in France, witnessing everything along with Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, and Giovanni Ribisi.The book I’m writing has taken me on a wild carpet ride, and I never imagined that I would be watching and blogging about films as part of the process. It’s incredible how something as simple as a film about war can change my whole attitude and get me in the mood to write. I was both sobered and moved after watching Saving Private Ryan. I sat down at my computer after shutting off the television and promptly wrote 5,000 words. There’s a big difference between reading about D-Day and watching a re-creation of it, and I don’t think the section I wrote would have been as effective if I hadn’t watched a film before writing it.
Steven Spielberg was meticulous with details, and I think he got pretty much everything right. There were a few details that bothered me (like the fact Tom Sizemore labelled his jars of earth with a Sharpie marker, which hadn’t been invented yet), and there were a few instances where equipment was visible and extras were noticeable. But hey, it was a hard film to make.
Spielberg also had the challenge of making a beach in Ireland look like Omaha Beach in Normandy, and I think the end result was very effective. There was absolutely no way that they could film at the actual location. Besides being sacrilegious, seeing hundreds of men dressed in U.S. Army gear jumping off ships and onto the site of what served as Omaha Beach would confuse the pants off of and probably scare the daylights out of any French citizen who happened to be walking by. Talk about post-traumatic stress disorder at its finest... Geez.
The acting in the film was solid from beginning to end. Tom Hanks did a fantastic job, although I initially had a hard time picturing him as a hardened army Captain. This is Tom Hanks. Forrest Gump. He’s a third cousin, four generations removed, of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. He seems
too nice and too regal to be a bad ass military guy.However, I did believe in his character by the end of the film. The rest of the cast was also phenomenal, and I was even impressed with Vin Diesel’s performance (which is saying a lot).
In total, Saving Private Ryan was nominated for eleven Academy Awards. It won five. Steven Spielberg won his second for Best Director (the first being Schindler’s List in 1993, a film I am watching next week). Other wins included Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound. Tom Hanks was nominated for Best Actor, but he lost to Roberto Benigni of Life is Beautiful. Edward Norton was also nominated for his performance in American History X. That must have been close, because each of those men delivered dynamite performances. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, but it lost to Shakespeare in Love.
Before I end this blog post, I believe it’s important that people understand why D-Day was so important. I do have a history degree, and I do love to talk, so I’m going to provide a 60 second lesson about the background...
D-Day, formally referred to as Operation Overlord, commenced on June 6, 1944, in the wee hours of morning. Roughly 195,000 personnel and 7,000 ships landed on five beaches along the Normandy coastline, which were codenamed Juno, Gold, Sword, Omaha, and Utah. Additional troops parachuted behind German lines, in an attempt to weaken their defences from the rear.
Of all five beaches, Omaha acquired the highest number of casualties. This was because their beach was the most difficult. It wasn’t flat, like Juno Beach (where we
Canadians were sent to kick some ass). There was a high point opposite to the coastline, meaning that the Germans had high ground. They literally wiped out American troops with machine guns as they tried to get off the ships and dash for cover.In total, on all of the beaches, there were roughly 9,000 casualties. 2,000 of those casualties were on Omaha Beach, and roughly 1,200 Canadians fell on Juno Beach (out of the 14,000 that landed).
Operation Overlord was overall a huge success, and gradually led to the fall of Hitler’s Nazi Regime. D-Day is referred to as “the beginning of the end of the Second World War,” which is exactly what it was. The Allies slowly made their way towards Berlin from the West, liberating citizens of occupied countries as they went. The Russians made headway and then defeated the Germans in the East. In the end, it was a race to Berlin from two directions, and Hitler knew all was lost.
Benito Mussolini, the dictator running Italy, was Hitler’s ally. On April 27, 1945, Mussolini was captured while trying to flee the country. He was executed the following day, and his body was hung along with six others at a gas station for the public to view. Hitler was terrified he would suffer the same fate. Therefore, on April 30, 1945, he married his mistress, Eva Braun, in his bunker in Berlin. Then, they both committed suicide. Germany began to surrender around the globe on May 1. Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) was on May 8, 1945, when the news of Germany’s surrender became known across the globe.
So, that’s the long answer of why D-Day is important. Even though Saving Private Ryan wasn’t based on a true story that took place during the Second World War, it was realistic, heartfelt, and clearly portrayed the grisly environment the soldiers faced. I recommend everyone watches it again, because this film is a masterpiece.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)