A Quick Note

This summer I learned to eat corn on the cob with out butter/margarine.

Some Quick Updates

There have been some posts recently that I realise I should quickly return to...

Update on TA Feedback:
When I finally braved reading the TA Feedback from my two tutorials it was very nice. For the most part they had nothing negative to say, which in fact was a tad detrimental because I couldn't learn anything from these glowing reviews. The few notes of criticism were really helpful and I hope to adjust my teaching slightly accordingly. However, yesterday was my TA Assessment when the professor comes in so I will be dealing with more feedback from that shortly. Though I'm looking forward to it because I enjoy how she teaches and would like to learn how to improve. I think it will be a positive experience when we meet to discuss my review.

Update on the Ad Banner:
I don't like the look of the banner and totally agree with Taylor's comment that it deters from the look of the blog. However, in comparison to the $0.02 I made last month, thus far this month I am up to $0.60, so that is a huge increase. You may think that is just a tiny amount of change, and it is, but remember it is basically free money. (If I ever make it up to the $100 it takes to get a pay out.) The banner stays for now.

Update on My New Facebook App:
I have not had the time to update it and add all my trips. I'm looking forward to completing to though when my MRP draft is done.

Update on Much Overdue Congratulations:
I know that at the end of this post I said, "More details on all of the above to follow, at some point. I promise." Well, some may not get much more mention just because that means a lot of posts and for some a lot of time has past. However, for those big exciting ones stay tuned, I will be posting details and probably pictures and lots of good stuff. I am proud of all my friends for all of their accomplishments and am very excited to talk more about them.

Yelling At Two

I haven't seen my kitten for a while now. I'm going to visit The Cottage next week and take her to her second vet appointment. (Kittens get a lot of shots!) Then I'm bringing her back to Toronto with me. Hopefully my parents have been taking care to continue to train her as I was. I'm sure they are since they too enjoy well training animals.

Mom Scolding Two
"No, Not Allowed On Side Tables"
(Taken within the first couple of days I had her.)

No, I Was't A Hooker

Conversation with a Tim Horton's customer:
Upon hearing that I used to live in Ottawa,
Him: Oh, what did you do there?
Me: I was a public servant.
Him: Whaddya mean you were a public servant? Is that like a prostitute?
Me: Uhh, no - I worked for the government.
Him: Ahh, so you were on welfare.
Me: What? Speechless at this point...

Much Overdue Congratulations

-Aimee is in Afghanistan
-Aimee and Mike bought a house
-Anna finished her masters
-Anna got into an amazing intership program
-Erin AH went back to school
-ERin and Matt moved to Ottawa
-ERin started the pastry program at Cordon Bleu
-Heather moved into a new apartment
-Heather got a wicked museum job
-Kristen got hired full-time after her internship
-Kristen became Marking and Special Events Coordinator
-Noah started his Social Services Worker program
-Steph & Dave bought a house
-Steph & Dave are engaged
-Taylor and Mark got married
-Taylor and Mark went to Scotland
-Taylor got a Social Work job
-Teri got her B.Ed
-Teri rocked her first year of teaching High School
-Teri became a sixth of a teacher
-Yen bought a house

CONGRATULATIONS to all ! ! !

More details on all of the above to follow, at some point.
I promise.

My New Facebook App

Thus far I have only listed where I have lived, which is why Ontario is red. I like that I can do the provinces and states individually. That is why I went looking for a travel-based application for Facebook in the first place - I wanted to start keeping track of the various states I had visited in the US. You get to put a bit of information into the map as well, like who you visited places with and when. Unfortunately I have been to places multiple times, which different combinations of people. I don't know if it will allow me to put that in. We will see.

The Bad Side Of Photoshop

I love photoshop. I love using it and I love when I model for Steph and she uses it. But, I can see the downside. Despite being very familiar with the tool, I forget about. I look at pictures and think they are real. We must never forget that everything in magazines, and advertising in general, has been altered.

Check out this:
The Girls of Mad Men - Rolling Stone Cover
Dianna Agron of Glee - Cosmo Cover

Jezabel is an interesting newsite/blog tagged "Celebrity, sex, and fashion for women" and "Celebrity, sex, and fashion...without airbrushing." Whenever I run across it I find whatever I'm reading quite amazing. I should definitely visit the site more often. They have a photoshop tag, which links to all their photoshop related stories:
Jezabel - Photoshop of Horrors Stories

Bad Joke Of The Day

A man walks into a doctor's office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. "What's the matter with me?" he asks the doctor. The doctor replies, "You're not eating properly."

Final Statement

---In case anyone is interested in what my MRP is finally going to be about. The thesis statement below was officially approved earlier this month:

Published just three years after the British invasion and occupation of Egypt, Karl Baedeker’s 1885 guidebook, Egypt: Handbook for Travellers, is a text that reinforces colonial ideology and legitimates its practice. This guidebook was produced for British travellers; owing to Baedeker’s prominence and popularity, Egypt was sold across England and was even purchased and read by those not planning to travel. As Mary Louise Pratt discusses in Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation, travel books, including guidebooks, are significant ideological tools of colonialism. Following Michael Foucault’s definition of discourse and the work by Edward Said and David Spurr on, specifically, colonial discourse, I explore the language and images used in Baedeker’s text that reflect the colonial ideology of the late 1800s.

However, Baedeker’s text also suggests apprehension by the British, as they question their authority and ability to rule the new colony. The British anxiety shows through the text’s promotion of colonial ideology in Egypt in the same manner as described by Ali Behdad in Belated Travelers: Orientalism in the Age of Colonial Dissolution. The text shows a disruption in the dominate colonial discourse with a questioning of this very ideology. The anxiety that surrounds this questioning stems from the psychological effects of colonization as explained by Albert Memmi in The Colonizer and the Colonized. Despite the examples of subtly hinted at foreboding found in Egypt, the overarching message in the text promotes colonialism and celebrates the recent British accusation of the nation, which remained under British rule until 1922.

A Window For Two

Catching Raindrops
Photo by Carol Sweeeton
Adjustments by Me

Interesting Note: The font is called "Kristen ITC"

Ad Banner!!

Yes, there is a glaring advertisement front and centre!!. (I'm a sellout - I'm also poor.) This choice comes from a long period of ad revenue coming in at under a dollar a month. So I moved the long vertical ad on the right side up, it is now above the huge list of Tags that I have going on for Always Standing.

I also changed a couple of other things in terms of format/template. I have moved My Links further down the page until I get time to update them. I have adjusted the look of the Blog Archive and I have moved the Search Blog Archive further down, since I think I am the only one who uses it.

These changes may not be permanent, just something I'm trying out.

Happy Face Game

----- from Facebook

So, What Did You See?

I am a little disappointed in what I ended up with! The first word I saw was LOYAL, which I thought was pretty true and I like it. Then I got LETHARGIC, which isn't very positive but as I take a break from working on my MRP to post this on Always Standing I realise it is extremely true. Then I found LOVELY and thought, "Well, that's okay" and that I maybe was being drawn to words that started with 'L', I also thought I was done until I saw that it was the first four words, not three. Then I saw what I thought was independent, but instead of the first 'n' it was a 'k' making it DEPENDENT.

So, I'm LOYAL, LETHARGIC, LOVELY, and DEPENDENT.

Binx's Frame

I have been planning to put together a frame (actually a shadow box) for Binx for a long while. I finally gathered all the pieces for it tonight and it is now hanging in my bathroom.

Binx's Frame

As you can see it has her red collar, various black cat things I have gathered over the years, pictures, a broach/pin, and a little plaque. It hangs in the bathroom above the radiator where she spent a lot of her time at Bayit lying under, and startling Kristen most mornings.

Plaque Close-Up

I had two small plaques made. I did not ask/pay for her remains, so instead this is how I am choosing to honour her. One of the plaques is on the beam in my parent's room at The Cottage, facing out the window to the beach and walkway (with a view of all the dogs being walked.) The other is in the frame which will move around with me. They are identical and read:

BINX Rhrr "RapKat" Sweeton
RIP Baby Girl    1995-2011

Special Thanks: My parents for allowing me to put the second plaque up at The Cottage. Julia for the frame, which was a Christmas gift. My aunt for the pin, which she gave me years and years ago. Steph for the photographs, which she obviously took but also printed for me.

LGBT Ally

"Straight but not narrow."

TA Feedback

I asked for feedback from my two English tutorials this morning. (Something positive about tutorials, something negative about tutorials, and a general comment.) I have them all stuffed into my backpack at the moment and am saving them to read at home. Sometimes feedback is really hard to take, I'm worried that they are unhappy with my teaching style or my attitude or my lesson plans or anything really. I want to improve but at the same time I fear criticism. I asked for it, so I will man up and read them. I will learn from them and work to make the tutorials better but I really hope they aren't too mean.

Daily Kitten

Two - The Chair Series

My parents came yesterday to pick up Two, so she is going to stay with them for the next month. I'm going to miss her but she is a tad distracting. I thought I would post a picture, though despite the title I won't be doing this daily. If you want to see a picture of a kitten every day you can check out:
The Daily Kitten -- HERE.

Kristen is back at Bayit!!

Impressive Online Presence

I stumbled across this (Canadian) guy who builds Sim houses. I don't fully understand but I have subscribed to his YouTube channel so I can figure out a little more about how that works. (You can go to his website and request a house, which I don't quite understand.) Anyway, his website, and social media/online presence in general, is very impressive. Everything is easy to understand, interesting, and he covers all the bases, so much so that he even has Google+. (Ironically, I could not find an email address so as let him know I was posting this, which I like to do most times I post about others.)
-- Check out The Curtis Paradis Show HERE

Always Standing Update: I hope to someday soon get a Twitter account. Not to rush anything so don't hold your breath, but it might be time to enter the 140 character world. (The English Major in me just cringed.)

Introducing You To Two

I would like you to meet my new cat -- Two.
Over the next month or so she will be living both in Toronto with me and at Long Point with my parents. We are currently in the process of training her, and if anyone has seen me with dogs, I like my animals very well behaved.

She Looks Like A Little Tiger

For Perspective - She Is Pretty Tiny Right Now


She Is Adorable When She Plays
Basically Adorable ALL THE TIME!

Very Retired

My dad retired about a year ago. It has been strange for everyone adjusting to this, since he worked full-time (for the same company) since he graduated university. The past few days I have been staying at The Cottage and he seems to now be fully in retirement mode...
-He put his socks in the cat litter because it was where the laundry hamper usually is
-He put grated cheese on his coffee because it was beside his eggs

Kitten Test Drive

I Think I Want To Keep This Kitten

MIAW - An Amazing Bank

The Royal Bank of Canada has been promoting its Children's Mental Health Project a lot recently over the radio. I decided to look up what it is all about. Since 2009, the RBC Children's Mental Health Project has donated more than $6.5 million to 125 organizations across Canada.

RBC narrowed their focus to two areas so that their donations can make a significant, measurable impact. They give their grants to programs that focus on early intervention as well as those that help reduce stigma through public education.

Since most mental disorders begin in childhood or adolescence, early intervention is extremely important. If the signs of mental illness are recognized early and appropriate interventions are taken, children can go on to lead normal and productive lives.

Sadly, there is significant stigma attached to mental illness, which often discourages individuals and families from seeking help. RBC looks to also fund organizations that provide public education to reduce stigma. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and professionals who work with children can all benefit from increased education, so they can recognize the early signs of mental illness, and help or encourage the family to seek treatment from a health professional.

This isn't my bank, but I think much more highly of them now!

Handgun In Vegas

Rocking The Glock

This picture is from my trip to Las Vegas. Teri wasn't interested in going to a shooting range but M & M were, so we decide to check out The Gun Store. It was an interesting experience, don't get me started on "The Kids Package" for those under 12. We got "The Ladies Package" which gave us a chance to shoot a pistol (Glock 19) and a fire assault rifle (AR15), which is the semi-automatic version of the M16 made for civilians.

Overheard

Overheard on the subway today. One young female (possibly fine arts) student talking to another:
"Uhh, I have done nothing this week. Oh, but I punished myself for not doing school work by not doing anything fun. So I really did absolutely nothing all week."

MIAW - Go Globe!

It may have been a long time ago, but in 2008 The Globe And Mail ran what appears to have been an amazing special series on mental health - Breakdown. So interesting! The part of the website dedicated to the series is still running but sadly some the features are no longer active (like where you could share your experiences and describe what single change in society or policy would help the most then The Globe sent all of the messages to every member of Parliament in Canada, in hopes they could help to break down the stigma of mental illness.) The articles, discussions, and other items of interest are still worth checking out. The most recent of which is from the end of February 2009. I hope they return to this series or do another one soon. Amazing journalism. Great information. Interesting stories.

Sadly True

A friend of mine sent me the following link:

Reasonably Ludicrous!

The link above goes to the first post from a new blog. The post, entitled "Oops, I Got an English Degree," is brilliant. I don't know if it takes a fellow English Major to enjoy the humour of the piece and the clean prose of the writer or if it is funny across the board. Have a read and let me know!

Besides a small "About" section, this is the only post up, and it was just posted yesterday. The author promises a new post every Tuesday, so we will have to wait a week to see what is next. I feel very much on the cusp of wherever this writer is going. (It could be great and it could be one of the millions and millions of blogs that falls into obscurity everyday as writers stop posting and people drift away - a fate I am worry about for Always Standing.)

The post just calls out to me to write a detailed response, "Oops, I Decided to do an English Masters." However, sadly the aforementioned Masters program eats up all my writing time and all I'm left with is the occasional chance to throw out a quick post alerting you all to a great writer. One day, maybe I could be said great writer... one day...

MIAW - CAMIMH

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is organized by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) which is a group of mental health organizations comprised of health care providers, as well as the mentally ill and their families. I basically think that this is the main lobby group for mental health as the website says: CAMIMH’s mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support.

Don't confuse it with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), which is a nation-wide, voluntary organization that promotes the mental health of all and supports the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness. The CMHA accomplishes this mission through advocacy, education, research and service. They organize Mental Health Week in the first week of May each year.

Also don't confuse them with The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) which is Canada’s leading addiction and mental health organization, integrating specialized clinical care with innovative research, education, health promotion and policy development. CAMH is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health.

The acronyms are all similar. Their mandates all appear similar as well. They are all different and I don't know how they interact or work amongst each other, however the more mental health related organizations etc. the better!

MIAW

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is this week (October 2-8, 2011). This is so fitting as I have been in what Kristen describes as "a funk" lately. The goal of MIAW is to end the stigma associated with mental illness, and ensure better understanding and access to diagnosis and treatment.

Stay tuned for a series of posts this week related to mental health. While many will be related to Depression, I promise they won't all be depressing.

Found It

Item Lost: Kristen's Red Spring/Fall Coat that I often borrow.
Time Lost: A week or so ago
Last Place I Remember: At The Cottage
Place Found: Hanging up in the back at Tim Horton's

Sometimes Part 2

Sometimes you wake up feeling ill.
Sometimes you discover a badly written poem posted online.
Sometimes you don't remember writing said poem.
Sometimes you can't really figure out who or what the poem is about.

And sometimes, or maybe always, you should consider not uploading bad drunken poetry until the next morning.

Sometimes

Sometimes you drink too much.
Sometimes it is all already in the cards.
Sometimes you don't know what else to do.
Sometimes it is all that is left.

And sometimes then, it still doesn't work out.