In the Presence of Greatness

You may not be a fan, you may even scoff, but to some of us, standing in the company of idols is still worth mentioning. And yesterday I finally got to stand mere feet away from one of my fave owners of skin, Milla Jovovich.




Yes, like most, I first became aware of her by looks alone. And then came the fantastic display known as the Fifth Element. But my final step of respect was taken when I heard her music.

So to all you naysayers out there, before you go all "gimme a break!" on me, check the stats and the full history before making judgement. And to Milla, hats off to you.

And just like that, the draught was over.

Finally there is no doubt in the world's mind that Canadian Women KICK ASS. So we've finally found ourselves on the medal podium twice in the last 24 hours. Actually, three times to be more accurate, but twice for Women's Wrestling (one gold, one bronze). Kate and I were watching the ladies go at it last night and it was an exciting moment. I had no idea it would be so much fun to watch women greco-roman wrestling. Okay, I had an idea, but I'm talking more from am athletic standpoint. Turns out, Canadian woman are good at wrestling. Not that this surprises me...I've wrestled enough times (all in the past my broken arm assures you) and I've seen enough of my fellow female Canadians wrestle to know we apparently have a Thing for it. Turns that thing can translate into some Olympic gold. Way to go girls.

Shout out also to the men's rowing double that got us a silver.

HUYNH Carol - Gold - Wrestling Women's Freestyle 48kg
CALDER David, FRANDSEN Scott - Silver - Rowing Men's Pair
VERBEEK Tonya - Bronze - Wrestling Women's Freestyle 55 kg



Lookit her, doesn't she just bring a tear to your eye?

Day 5 Still No Love

Day Five of the Olympics. Not One Medal. Togo has one. For Canoeing/Kayaking. I'm pretty sure we Should be beating TOGO at canoeing/kayaking, seeing as this is Supposed to be one of Our sports to win this year. Nope. I am a ball of Olympic annoyance. Micheal Phelps the American swimmer has more medals than we do all on his own. Thank God the Ukraine only has one bronze so far. Makes me feel a little better. Especially since I watched women's synchronized platform diving last night, and watched as the two Canadians went from Third place with two dives to go, to Fourth with one to go and then ended in Seventh. You can imagine how patriotic I felt at that moment. Just like you can imagine how sarcastic I'm being right now. My entire Olypics experience this year has been a lot of "it figures". I'm rooting for Mexico (who, by the by, got the bronze at said platform diving event...yay Mexico!).



Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz from Mexico take a bite at the Olympics for me.

I Miss 1984.

Do you remember when Canada used to be a contender? So I'm an Olympics fan, always have been, probably always will be. During my 33 yrs. of life, I have gathered vast memories surrounding the Olympics. This year being the first year that I'm not working (and an adult) during the Olympics, I've had more time to watch than usual. I've also had the luxury of taking time to assess my memories surrounding the event.

Imagine my surprise when I realized that the time between my childhood and now has somewhat shifted my expectations of the Olympics, more specifically of Canada in the Olympics.

When I was a child I remember watching with baited breath as our swimmers cut lines through the water as the "Ones to watch" and our rowers dominated the field. Even our track and field competitors were feared. We actually had a team worth cheering for.

Slowly though, over the years, it seems that something left our summer Olympics program. Perhaps it was funding. Or a sudden drop in the talent pool. I don't know. What I do know is that I now watch the Olympics simply for a good time and not so much to cheer on my own team.

Did you know that this year we don't even have a women's gymnastics team? Unlike Brazil, Italy, or the Ukraine. When did the Ukraine start pumping out more athletic power than our much loved True North? 'Cause the Ukraine have only been in 3 summer Olympics as an Independent country. And all three times they scored 23 metals.

So what about the Ukraine? Perhaps they area good vehicle for comparison. Population wise they technically have about 15 million more people at their disposal, but still. I'd like to think what we lack in population , we should be able to make up for in our country's wealth. We are considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with a high per-capita income. The Ukraine is just getting over a market shift that plunged most of it's country into Poverty. And yet, it will be expected that they will outperform us this year. Again. Easily.

As I write this, I am currently watching the Olympics. Canada is getting trounced in water polo by the Spanish. It is day 3 and the magic of the internet has allowed me to lookup standings and info from not only the current Olympics, but Olympics past as well. (ps I love the internet). Knowing full well that the Olympics have ballooned to events I haven't even heard of, I thought perhaps I might have missed some moment of patriotic pride as we bagged our first metal in synchronized water baby juggling or something.

Turns out, we don't have a metal yet. Not one. 67 metals have been awarded already. Uzbekistan has one. Croatia has one. Italy has four. Canada, zilch. Thankfully, neither does the Ukraine.

So what do I want? I want 1984 back. In 1984 Alex Baumann made me cheer. Alot. Victor Davis helped him dominate the waters. We had cyclers, divers, even boxers who won medals. We left with 44. 44 medals. (In the last three summer Olympics put together we had 48, just to add perspective). Sure, it may have had something to do with the 15 or so eastern bloc countries (including the ever monstrous USSR - which at the time included our nemesis the Ukraine) that boycotted the games that year, but it felt good! I want 44 metals dammit! 1984 was a good year for us!

This year isn't looking so good. I've heard that we can expect some gold from our boated water sports teams and singles. I hope so. 'Cause I think it'll be a new low for us if we even come close to being skunked. In 2004 we got 12. Let's just hope we don't go down from there.

I guess in the end, it's not really about who wins or loses...until the upcoming Winter Olympic which are on home soil in Vancouver. 'Cause if we don't win and win big then, then I'm unofficially becoming a Ukrainian citizen...at least during the summers. Me and Alex Baumann.

Sure am Glad I Don't live in Iran...

'Marry or be fired', Iranian state firm warns
Tue Jun 10, 3:59 AM

TEHRAN (AFP) - A major Iranian state-owned company has told its single employees to get married by September or face losing their jobs, the press reported on Tuesday.
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"One of the economic entities in the south of the country has asked its single employees to start creating a family," the hardline Kayhan daily reported.

The paper did not mention the name of the company but the reformist Etemad newspaper said that the firm is the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone Company -- which covers Iran's giant gas and petrochemical facilities on the shores of the Gulf.

"Unfortunately some of our colleagues did not fulfil their commitments and are still single," Etemad quoted the company's directive as saying.

"As being married is one of the criteria of employment, we are announcing for the last time that all the female and male colleagues have until September 21 to go ahead with this important and moral religious duty."

Sexual relations outside of marriage are illegal in Iran -- for the most part a traditional society where young people normally are encouraged by their families to marry in their 20s and swiftly bear children.

The country is also in the midst of an unprecedented moral crackdown which has seen tens of thousands of women warned by the police for dress deemed to be unIslamic.

The directive -- signed by the head of security of the "Pars Special Economic Energy Zone" -- also used some of sayings (hadith) of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed to encourage employees to marry.

It said employees' contracts will be annulled by October 22 if they are still found to be single.

The giant energy zone of refineries is located on Iran's southern coastal energy hub Assalouyeh where temperatures reach 50 Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer, hardly a place for families.

The workers are usually young males seeking to earn a good income and the decree appears aimed at making them marry to ensure they eschew sexual temptations during their stay away from home.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS FIRST?

"In April the Swiss watchmaker Romain Jerome (which last year created a watch made from remnants of the Titanic) introduced the "Day&Night" watch, which unfortunately does not provide a reading of the hour or the minute. Though it retails for about $300,000, it tells only whether it is "day" or "night" (using a complex measurement of the Earth's gravity). CEO Yvan Arpa said studies show that two-thirds of rich people "don't (use) their watch to tell what time it is" anyway. Anyone can buy a watch that tells time, he told a Reuters reporter, but only a "truly discerning customer" can buy one that doesn't. [Wall Street Journal, 4-25-08]"

You don't believe it? Here it is:

http://www.romainjerome.ch/en/les-inatendus/day-and-night-en.aspx

Is it weird that I want one?

I love R. Kelly - okay I can't even joke about that one...

...but I can direct you to a great blog read on the guy. Check it out.

http://www.giantmag.com/content.php?cid=547

Sure it doesn't mention Kelly colouring his braids Gold, performing a 3 HOUR SET (40 songs, my friends...forty) during a SHARED concertin Chicago, or Kelly being quoted as saying"My greatest competition is, well, me . . . I’m the Ali of today. I’m the Marvin Gaye of today. I’m the Bob Marley of today. I’m the Martin Luther King, or all the other greats that have come before us. And a lot of people are starting to realize that now." Still, brilliant.

And for all those who missed out on Kelly performing chapters from his "trapped in the closet" saga, performing them Alone (he played ALL parts himself) on the VMAs a while back, you didn't miss much, but yes, it was as funny as it sounds...for about two minutes. Then I got bored and left to get something to eat.

I love Americans

Dunkin' Donuts pulls ad featuring celeb chef Rachael Ray after complaints

BOSTON - Dunkin' Donuts has pulled an online advertisement featuring Rachael Ray after complaints that a fringed black-and-white scarf that the celebrity chef wore in the ad offers symbolic support for Muslim extremism and terrorism.

The coffee and baked goods chain said the ad that began appearing online May 7 was pulled over the past weekend because "the possibility of misperception detracted from its original intention to promote our iced coffee."

In the spot, Ray holds an iced coffee while standing in front of trees with pink blossoms.

Critics, including conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, complained that the scarf wrapped around her looked like a kaffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress. Critics who fuelled online complaints about the ad in blogs say such scarves have come to symbolize Muslim extremism and terrorism.

The kaffiyeh, Malkin wrote in a column posted online last Friday, "has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad. Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant (and not-so-ignorant) fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons."

A statement issued Wednesday by Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Brands Inc., however, said the scarf had a paisley design, and was selected by a stylist for the advertising shoot.

"Absolutely no symbolism was intended," the company said.

Dunkin' spokeswoman Michelle King said the ad appeared on the chain's website, as well as other commercial sites.

Amahl Bishara, an anthropology lecturer at the University of Chicago who specializes in media matters relating to the Middle East, said complaints about the scarf's use in the ad demonstrate misunderstandings of Arab culture and the multiple meanings that symbols can take on depending on someone's perspective.

"I think that a right-wing blogger making an association between a kaffiyeh and terrorism is just an example of how so much of the complexity of Arab culture has been reduced to a very narrow vision of the Arab world on the part of some people in the U.S.," Bishara said in a phone interview. "Kaffiyehs are worn every day on the street by Palestinians and other people in the Middle East - by people going to work, going to school, taking care of their families, and just trying to keep warm."

While some extremists and terrorists may wear kaffiyehs, "To reduce their meaning to support for terrorism has a tacit racist tone to it," Bishara said.

Malkin, in a posting following up on last week's column, said of Dunkin's decision to pull the ad, "It's refreshing to see an American company show sensitivity to the concerns of Americans opposed to Islamic jihad and its apologists."

Ray, host of the Food Network television program "30 Minute Meals" as well as a syndicated daytime talk show, began appearing in ads for Dunkin' Donuts in March 2007. When Dunkin' announced the partnership, it said Ray would be featured in TV, print, radio and online spots in a campaign running through 2010.