First World Struggles

I live in Canada. I have a university education. I am very fortunate and really can't complain about anything. But, it's human nature to complain about stuff.

My friends and I refer to these complaints as first world struggles.

I think they need to be recorded.

I'm going to post them on my truth and facts blog...

but, here are some examples from yesterday:

"omg, my brand new sunglasses just fell on the ground" - R

"It's just so hard to put my liquor store purchase in this reusable bag" - R

"The security guard in my secure parking lot is sooo grumpy" - C

Reasons I Love Being Canadian; pt.1

Canadian Vampire in London

Oh... Canada - Classified

Canadian Please

Waving Flag - Young Artists For Haiti

Home For a Rest - Spirit of the West

Whose Game They're Playing - Coke Commercial

I am Canadian

Beer! Did you know: In most nations, the labelled alcohol percentage is either the average or maximum percentage allowed. However, most Canadian provinces require the minimum alcohol percentage to be labelled rather than the average... this means while other countries put a max or average (meaning that there could be, or probably is less alcohol than that in the beer), here in canada when we say 5% we mean AT LEAST 5%. I think I'm going to enjoy my beer extra tonight because of that!

For all of the nerdy like to read stuff people: Culture in Canada
It's part of a series which also talks about history, national identity and more.

What other people have to say about Canada:

Pierre Berton, a Canadian journalist and novelist, said: "A Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe without tipping it."

British novelist Douglas Adams said each country was like a particular type of person, and "Canada is like an intelligent 35 year old woman".

Andrew Cohen believes that there is a value to considering what foreigners have to say: "Looking at Canadians through the eyes of foreigners, we get a sense of how they see us. They say so much about us: that we are nice, hospitable, modest, blind to our achievements. That we are obedient, conservative, deferential, colonial and complex, particularly so. That we are fractious, envious, geographically impossible and politically improbable."

In defining a Canadian identity, five key distinctive characteristics have been emphasized.

• First, special emphasis is placed upon the bicultural nature of Canada and the important ways in which English-French relations since the 1760s have shaped the Canadian experience.
• Second, Canada had quite a different historical experience in resisting revolution and republicanism compared to the U.S., leading to less individualism and more support for government activism, such as wheat pools and the health care system.[7]
• Third, British parliamentary system and the British legal system, augmented by the conservatism associated with the Loyalists and the pre-1960 French Canadians, have given Canada its ongoing collective obsession with "peace, order and good government".[8]
• Fourth is the social structure of multiple ethnic groups that kept their identities and produced a mosaic rather than a melting pot.[9]
• Fifth, the influence of geophysical factors (vast area, coldness, northness; St. Lawrence spine) together with the proximity of the United States have produced in the collective Canadian psyche what Northrop Frye has called the garrison mind or siege mentality, and what novelist Margaret Atwood has argued is the Canadian preoccupation with survival.[10] For Herschel Hardin, because of the remarkable hold of the siege mentality and the concern with survival, Canada in its essentials is "a public enterprise country." According to Hardin, the "fundamental mode of Canadian life" has always been, "the un-American mechanism of redistribution as opposed to the mystic American mechanism of market rule." Most Canadians, in other words, whether on the right or left in politics, expect their governments to be actively involved in the economic and social life of the nation.[11]

Will the Hot Fire Fighters Come?

Beyonce - Ring the Alarm

This is not a new release video, but it's the current "song of the moment", so deal with it.

I like this song/video cuz it features B getting all ghetto and angry. It's that Number One Diva side mixed with a solid dose of homegirl. Nice. The video itself isn't anything specially. Pretty solid music video material, but nothing spectacular. I kinda enjoy the whole interrogation angle and her getting all up in the grill of some sort of police. I also love the knit long sleeve crop top... reminds me of her circa Destiny's Child. I also like the contrast between her glamoured and sexied up and her with minimal makeup crying. She looks so beautiful, no denying that.
She also gets to try out a nice range of looks throughout the video. This is pretty standard beyonce though. Some are hits and some are misses.

The video is average, but the song makes me feel empowered and gives me a hot swagger when I'm listening to my headphones.

Oh, the name of this post is in reference to the title of the song "ring the alarm" and also there are references to fires and smoke and flames... no hot fire fighters in the video, sad, I know. But I live close to a fire station... so maybe I'll walk past it listening to this song and wearing an awesome outfit later. (by later I mean not today, I'm tired and have to work late)

Insomnia: Gift or Curse?

I've posted a couple things lately that involve some well thought out scenarios involving fame, fortune, famous friends, etc.
I think the reason these things are on my mind is because I don't sleep... okay, so I'm not really that good at sleeping ever, so why right now? I think because I'm working a lot and in an attempt to not sit up and think about work and be stressed all night, I choose to think about fun things. My imagination has a way of filling in details and being very percise. Having a blog has become my way of expressing some of my crazy. I think a lot, about everything. I imagine possibilities, relationships, successes, failures, excitement, apathy... How my brain does this much BLOWS MY MIND. Litterly. Mind is so busy that sometimes I feel like my head might explode.
I just thought I'd explain my crazy a little.

The thing with insomnia is... it's not really that awesome. As a general rule it's not really the most healthy option, but, it does allow me the time I need to live my crazy lives... write crazy blogs that only I really care about... think through impossible situations... the usual.

Fame + Me = Meryl Streep + Lady Gaga

Okay, we're going to start with Math. As much as I dislike the Maths, this equation doesn't have numbers. Just awesomeness.
Fame + Me = Meryl Streep + Lady Gaga
It's science. Fact.

It's no secret that, while I love my day job, I have ambitions of pursuing a career in the field where my degree lies... I want to be an actress! (the last part is best said melodramatically)

But I don't just want fame, I want a Career! I want to work because I love acting and I want to make movies that don't just get tweens in a frenzy. No, I want to make people think. I want my work to have an impact on those who watch it. I want to win an Oscar.

I was talking to my friend Laura about all this. I told her that I wanted to be famous and she said that I would be awesome and super cool like Lady Gaga. I was stoked. That was a total compliment. She told me I would be super focused on my art like her, and able to rock a wicked style. Nice! As we continued talking we both realized that I couldn't be just like Gaga... not that I would want to copy her or anything, but in terms of awesomeness. So we came up with Lady Gaga mixed with Meryl Streep... omg, that is my dream combo of life! Have a hint of that Natalie Portman, went to university and got a degree, mixed in there. Not in tabloids all the time. Somehow mixing the badassness of Gaga and that ability to stand out always and be a true artist, with the respect and talent and hard work that Meryl has for her amazing acting career.
Laura was like "I can totally picture you as that. If you were famous you'd be awesome... and then I'd tell people that I know you." It'd be basically me now, but uber famous with sweet movies and the best closet ever. I'd also totally dip my toes in the music world... not in a 'I want to make a CD' way, but in a 'I want to collaborate and do a song or two with several different awesome artists' (DWW, Drake, Justin Beiber and Drake (cuz that would just be ridiculous) timbaland (everyone does it), Gaga?, basically any Canadian band that I think is awesome and wants to work with me, and then others who also live up to the awesome standards)... I've totally thought this through...

insomnia, gift or curse?

Winning at Life; Reasons why DWW and I should be friends

I have decided that I want to be friends with Down With Webster. Not in a creepy obsessed fan way, but in a they seem like cool guys and I think we'd have awesome times hanging out and winning at life.

Now, I'm used to people being like "sure Stevie, you're insane", but I've totally thought this through. Also, I've often come back to those people after achieving more than they thought I could and being like "no big, this is how I roll." While it may be true that I have an exceedingly overactive imagination, I'm also ambitions and driven and hardworking and believe that these things can get me anything I want... within some sort of reason. I mean, I don't think that if I work hard enough I will be the next president of 'merica. 1, I wasn't born there and 2, well, I don't really want to be president, so that's not the best example. Whatever. The point is I can't think of anything I want out of life that is impossible to achieve with a little hard work and persistence.

So, back to this whole notion, reasons I should make friends with DWW:
They hang out, make sweet music that I enjoy about things like drinking beers and being awesome. Two things that I am exceptionally good at.
Also, hanging out with Seven guys who are total guys is my idea of a good time. Hell, May Long weekend (or May 24) is boys weekend and I'm going camping with 7 boys where we will cook meat over a fire, drink a lot of beers and other alcoholic substances, and be generally awesome.
I rock a keg-stand.
They go do awesome street theatre esq antics which I approve of. Having a theatre degree and often indulging in such behavior for a number of reasons, I think I would definitely enjoy being ridiculous (ridiculously awesome that is) on the streets with these boys.
I find them attractive. While I'm in no way "omg I want to have your babies"... gross, no thanks! I do enjoy the company of attractive people... especially male attractive people. At this point I'm more interested in friends than anything more... I don't know them well enough to make that call.
I love music. I really like their sounds and appreciate a live show with lots of energy. I could totally rock out with them at a show.
They're Canadian.
I'm Canadian.
The two above statements don't really need to be explained, but I'm going to because this is MY blog, and I do what I want. As you may or may not know, I have a soft spot for Canadian celebrities, bands, boys, people... It's just this intrinsic connection based on the unique cultural things that make us from the true north a little different. We can bond over our increased heart rates during playoff games (Hockey... obviously... like I said, Canadian). Drink awesome Canadian beer and indulge in other things that are associated with Canada, especially my home province. Be polite to strangers. Have the type of sense of humour where we all think we're funny (we are, btw) and we're okay with our nationality being the butt of a joke. Bond over the cold temperatures and small towns we have all endured. Not worry about going to the doctor when we're sick and high five about our health care. Accept people of all backgrounds. Drink more beer... I love my country!

A friend told me I can make this happen with my awesome networking skills. I liked her vote of confidence, so I've brainstormed a couple possibilities to make this happen.
So, either:

• My ambition of a kick ass acting career pans out and I get my people to call their people and we hang out.
• I get a job coordinating some sort of music festival (let's be honest, I'd be awesome at it and this is probably one of the more plausible scenarios).
• Through the magic of twitter or facebook, it just happens.
  They read this blog... I might have a better chance at fame, but who knows!
• I put my magic skills to work and somehow know someone who knows someone who knows my awesomeness and BAM! Friends.
• Randomness. Picking up some Starbucks or something on a non significant and it's like "hey. you seem exceedingly awesome." "Thanks, you seem like DWW... wanna be friends?" "For Sure!"
• I write them a letter that goes something like this "Dear Down With Webster, My name is Stevie. You seem like pretty cool guys. We should be friends. Let me know when you want to go get a beer and hang out. xo Stevie" (I think this is an excellent method)
• Something else happens...

So, I'm not sure if any of this makes sense, or if you're on the "you're crazy" train. Either way, I'm just saying, we'd make awesome friends, and it's not impossible.

How To: Be good at construction workers

I'm good at construction workers. Fact.

Let me explain.

So, with work we were planting a bunch of new plants to make the residence at UofS look nicer. We start digging holes in the flower beds, only to find the top soil is only about 3 inches deep. Not a good thing.
But! Nearby they are completely re landscaping one of the fields. There is piles of dirt everywhere. One of the staff gets asked to go ask them for some dirt, and I get nominated to go with her. Because of my position title and my blondness. At this point I don't really know what the mission is, all I know is:
"Stevie, come ask the construction workers with me."
"Okay, I'm good at construction workers... for what?"

For a backhoe scoop of dirt of course! So, I take a minute, think through how I'm going to approach this. Professional but attractive and in need of assistance.

We get to the construction workers. They're closer to my father's age than my own, but I don't mind... it just means I won't be leaving with a phone number, but that's not the goal of this mission.
A formal introduction, a sweet smile, big blue eyes and please and thank you and they'll bring down dirt in just a minute. I get winked at and give a coy smile in return.
A couple minutes later a large scoop of dirt is brought right to us and they want to know if that's enough. Do we need more? We're good, and we thank them and tell them we'll bring them coffee. They seem pretty pleased with themselves for helping us out. Really, I'm not getting a favour, I'm doing one.

So, the following day the staff member and I return to the construction site with a tray of coffee from Tim Hortons. They seem surprised; I don't think that promise was ever expected to be followed through on. But I'm good at this game. And I'm thoughtful and like being nice to people.
Smiles, thank yous, and coffee handed over, we leave, very aware that if we want anything from these construction workers over the next month, all we have to do is smile and say please and it's ours. You see, while we didn't need to bring them coffee, it solidified their love of us. And that is more than work the time and effort to bring them warm beverages. Win.