What Your Guidance Counselor Didn't Tell You

I’ve been conducting interviews over the last few weeks and I have to say, I hate it.
Why?
Because I remember what it was like being unemployed for so long, back in 2006. It was hell and I hated people like me.
So, now that I’m on the other side of the table, I find myself wanting to help candidates answer questions better. I finish their sentences for them, urging them to use the correct words. I smile a lot in the hopes that I’m encouraging ‘loosening up’.

As it turns out, I have a soft spot for the unemployed.

I remember being back in high school and Guidance Counselor’s would spend so much time talking about the different career paths available, the importance of good grades and how necessary it was to find a major in College, early on.
At the time, I thought all adults got to choose their careers and were pretty happy working, for the most part.
What an idiot I was.
If I were a Guidance Counselor, I would be more honest with Teens about their education after High School and the workforce, in general.

This is what I wished my Guidance Counselor told me:

• Being expected to choose a career path at the age of eighteen is a ridiculous concept but I’ll help you the best I can
• Don’t take career advice from your Parents—they’re just as delusional as you are
• Do take career advice from a person who changed careers at least twice in their life (if this is one of your Parents, still don’t take their advice)
• When you get to College, you’ll be asked once for your assignment. Your coddling days are over
• Life can be monotonous, even if you choose the right career path
• Most of the managers you will have will be useless assholes but that’s ok because it will help YOU be a good manager
• Even if you work your ass off for a company, they still may not appreciate you. Don’t take this personally.
• Hard work pays off but a good, positive attitude pays more
• Be accountable for everything that you do and never point fingers—you’ll get more respect this way
• Want a raise? Ask for one before you start complaining about not getting paid enough
• ALWAYS show enthusiasm when interviewing—no matter what the job is. Recruiters will never forget enthusiastic candidates
• Don’t schedule meetings at 9am on Mondays—people will start to hate you, very quickly
• When dealing with upper management, swallow your pride—often
• If you’re able, please take a year off and travel before College
• Follow your heart (cheesy & cliché but it works)
• No amount of money will make you happy if you hate your job

I found one good candidate so far—one more to go! Ugh.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards: List of Grievances

The Academy pissed me off so much this year, I may never watch again.
Ok, that’s me being a Drama Queen but seriously, last night was one big yawn.


Below is my list of grievances:

1. Where was my Cate? She’s been MIA for far too long now. The Oscars need her! The Red Carpet needs her even more.  

Even knocked up, she kills the Red Carpet

2.  Why was Doogie Howser singing and dancing on my TV? At first, I thought I had it on the wrong channel and then I thought my migraine was playing tricks with my eyes. Sadly, I was wrong. This is what the Academy offered us this year.



If he hosts next year, I’ll go to Hollywood myself to beg Billy Crystal to save this suffering program


3. SJP: here she is, poised for living up to her label ‘Fashion Icon’ and she shows up looking like this:

I take offense to this. The media shoves her down my throat every chance they get but really, she’s not a Fashion Icon. She just has (had?) a good stylist. I’m not buying it. This is what happens when Patricia Field goes on vacation.

4. Up in the Air didn’t win anything

5. This isn’t the Academy’s fault but I’ll blame them anyway: they only allow one major Canadian station (CTV) to broadcast from the Red Carpet. What does this mean for us Canadians? We have to sit through Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim, the two most wooden people ever to hit television. Oh, and get this, Ben Mulroney actually said, and I quote; ‘You’re bigger than I thought you would be’ to the guy who co-stars on The Blind Side. (I don’t’ care enough to google his name). I don’t care who you are, you don’t want to hear that on a Red Carpet.
Nepotism isn’t doing Ben any favours.

6. Sandra Bollock wins for Best Actress (the biggest WTF moment in Oscar history)

7. The Red Carpet isn’t the same without Joan Rivers. The Academy takes itself too seriously. Maybe this will change now that they awarded Bollock Best Actress.

8. Brangelina didn’t show up.

9. Everyone hated Zoe Saldana’s dress but I loved it. It’s Givenchy Couture—you don’t mess with Givenchy Couture. People don’t have taste.

I hate people.


10. Instead of Sacha Baron Cohen , I had to sit through a Ben Stiller bit. Fuck.
But, I did learn something last night; he’s even less funny when he’s a different colour.

11. The dance sequence was really sad. The costumes (if you can call it that) were very boring. I felt like I was watching So You Think You Can Dance but the Canadian version.

12. Everyone was gushing over Gabourey’s dress. She looked TERRIBLE. Admit it people, that dress was a bad decision. I hate that fashion isn’t kind to plus-size women.

Marchesa is responisble for this.  Gabourey should sue.

13. Why so much hate for James Cameron? Sure, he’s anal-retentive and thinks he’s The King of the World but he’s also a brilliant filmmaker.

14. No Bea Arthur or Farah Fawcett tributes during the death montage. Some asshole decided they weren’t considered ‘film’ actresses.
Really, Academy? All you had to do was google BEATRICE ARTHUR and you would see her film credits. Also, if you did the same with FARAH FAWCETT, you would see that she has done plenty of films.

Perhaps you were too busy planning Doogie Howser’s dance number? Fuckers.


Five things that made me happy last night:

1. Kathryn Bigelow’s win (I think it’s pathetic that it’s 2010 and this is the first time a Woman won for best direction/picture) and the realization that she’s super sexy! I hope to read some rag mag stories about her sexual escapades with cabana boys soon.

2. Jeff Bridges finally won an Oscar and his wife was one of the best dressed. Loved her look.

3. Mo’Nique’s speech kicked ass. I love that she didn’t play the ‘game’. I have a whole new respect for her. AND she looked amazing.

4. Julianne Moore showed up, proving that most celebs will never be as gorgeous (and talented) as she is. She didn’t walk the Red Carpet because of this. Why hurt people’s feelings?

5. Christoph Waltz won for Best Supporting Actor.

The Academy better smarten up. I want less Doogie Howser and more Cate Blanchett next year.

Digging Out

It’s dark where I am right now but I can hear the muffled voices of people, living. I can hear them gushing endlessly over their kids' accomplishments and their fabulous jobs and what they like to watch on TV.
Right now, my only hope is that they leave soon. 

I prefer being alone at this point of the journey. This is the darkest part and I’m better off having only myself to explain myself to.

Though it’s dark, I catch glimpses of light as the ground shifts and sometimes opens up but this only happens very early in the morning. By midday, things are dark again as I begin to struggle with digging out, The Fear looking on in astonishment.

The problem is, I only have two hands and I haven’t found my shovel yet.
I’m sure it’s tucked away someplace deep underground, hiding from the massive amount of work facing it.

The Best of You Tube: Pigeon Riding the Subway

I thought this was so funny, I had to share:



This video was recently taken on a Toronto subway.
Notice how nonchalant the passengers are.

I love my city.

If I Had More Time

Not exactly sure what's going on with me lately but I feel anxious.  I'm wondering if that has anything to do with the fact that I have too much on my plate?
One of my favourite expressions is, 'if there were only more hours in the day'. 
The problem is, if I did have these extra hours, would I use them wisely? 

With my extra hours I would do (or at least attempt) the following:

1. Spend more time with my Grandmother
2. Resume my French lessons so I know what I’m eating whenever I go to Paris
3. Watch every movie that has ever won the Academy Award for Best Picture
4. Volunteer
5. Clean the dust bunnies from under my bed.  Btw, who thought to call them ‘bunnies’? They’re hardly cute.  'Dust Rats' is more appropriate.
6. Take my dog for more walks
7. Paint my kitchen red
8. Write more
9. Take a speed reading class so I can finish the books piled on my nightstand
10. Spend more time at the museum
11. Have coffee with friends more often
12. Sit still more often
13. Think of get-rich-quick schemes
14. Play tennis more
15. Dream about having more time

Making this list was harder than I thought and I'm sure I've left something out.

What would you do with more time?

Just More Questions.....

What do you do when the one person who has inspired you dies?

Do you carry on your journey or do you take time off to mourn or do you stop what you love to do altogether?
That’s what I’m struggling with today. I’m asking myself, ‘what’s the point?’

A few months ago, I made the decision to start blogging about my other love, fashion. I was thinking about starting a fashion website & blog for years but never really had the balls (or the time) to do it properly.

Then, one October day in 2009, I suddenly got the creative urge to do it and blogged about it:

Blog Post: October 6, 2009

I started my fashion blog the very next day....I’m still in the process of creating more and more content and will hopefully grow a good following soon…it takes time to develop but I don’t have to tell you guys that.
However, after hearing the news today that Lee (Alexander) McQueen has killed himself, I’m questioning everything.
My number one question is how can someone so brilliant and talented want to end it all at 40 yrs old?

Perhaps the fashion world really is.....irrelevant.  Or maybe I'm just being dramatic.

I’m so fucking distraught over a person I didn’t know. It’s strange. But it means something….I just don’t know what.

Below:
one of his most brilliant shows...in my opinion. SS 2005
RIP Alexander McQueen

Oscar Nominations 2010

Here we go again, kids! It’s Oscar time.
I love this time of year—I’ve been Oscar-obsessed my entire life.
Sometimes, the little gold man surprises us with the nominations and other times, not so much. This year is a ‘not so much’ year.

Most of us saw these nominations coming but there were a few surprises in each category but nothing out of the ordinary like nominating The Hangover for Best Picture. (This film won a Golden Globe Award. Writing it in my blog feels even more strange than saying it out loud)
But, I digress.

Here are some ‘WTF’ moments and ‘OMG, I’m so happy!’ moments and ‘Not a Surprise’ moments within the main categories:

Supporting Actress:

Vera Farmiga : ‘OMG’ I love Vera.

Anna Kendrick : ‘OMG’ & ‘Not a Surprise’ She’s my Oscar pick but Maggie G will be tough to beat

Mo’Nique: ‘Not a Surprise’ & ‘WTF’. I’m sorry, I just can’t get over the fact that someone from a movie called Phat Girlz is now nominated for an Oscar.



Penelope Cruz: ‘Not a Surprise’ & ‘WTF’ The Academy loves Penelope. Perhaps they can understand her when she talks. I certainly can’t.

Maggie Gyllenhaal: ‘Not a Surprise’ Could this be Maggie’s year?


Supporting Actor:

Christoph Waltz : ‘OMG’ ‘OMG’ & ‘OMG’. He plays a calm but raging lunatic that can speak four languages, beautifully. He was one scary ‘basterd’ in this film. He’s my Oscar pick.

Woody Harrelson: ‘Not a Surprise’ He’s got some serious Oscar buzz swirling over him

Stanley Tucci: ‘WTF’ I guess I should see The Lovely Bones. I liked the book but the movie has mediocre reviews so I decided to wait for the DVD rental.

Matt Damon: ‘WTF’ I still haven’t forgiven him for The Informant. I fucking Hollywood massacre for the eyes & ears, not to mention the most boring film of all time. I WANT MY $ BACK, MATT!!!!

Christopher Plummer: ‘Not a Surprise’ The Last Station is on my ‘must-see’ list

Upset:
Sharlto Copley for District 9 deserved some attention here.



Best Actress:

Gabourey Sidibe: ‘Not a Surprise’

Helen Mirren: ‘Not a Surprise’ Oscar buzz, buzz, buzz

Sandra Bullock: ‘WTF’ & who did she blow in Hollywood to get all this awards attention this year? Whatev. Never liked her, never will.

Carey Mulligan: ‘OMG’ & ‘Not a Surprise’ She’s my Oscar pick but Meryl played Julia Child perfectly-this one is a very close race

Meryl Streep: ‘OMG’ & ‘Not a Surprise’ It’s funny how young Hollywood complains about lack of good roles while Meryl, in her fifties, keeps doing her thing. When you got it, you got it.


Best Actor:

George Clooney: ‘Not a Surpise’ but he won’t win.

Jeff Bridges: ‘Not a Surprise’ Jeff Bridges will take it home.

Colin Firth: ‘OMG’ & ‘Not a Surprise’ Colin will get his Oscar some day but not this year

Morgan Freeman: ‘WTF’ I have ZERO interest in this film

Jeremy Renner: ‘OMG’ He’s my Pick. He deserves this award but I think the Academy will give it to Bridges

Upset:
Where’s Viggo? The Road was totally ignored. Interesting.




Best Picture:

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds  My Pick! But this is a race between Hurt & Avatar
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Adapted Screenplay:
(It's difficult for me to pick the best screenplays as I haven't seen a couple of the noms yet but I LOVED An Education & Up in the Air)

Ditrict 9
An Education  My Pick!
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air   My Pick!


Original Screenplay:

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds  My Pick but I think Hurt will take it home
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up


Director:

Avatar
The Hurt Locker  My Pick
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Usually, the Best Picture winner & Best Director winner go hand in hand.  I think this will be a battle between Bigelow & Cameron.  I would love it though if Tarantino won.  I think Inglourious Basterds is his masterpiece.
What do you think?




So, it looks like I have some movies to watch before the big night:
A Serious Man
In The Loop
The Messenger
The Last Station
The White Ribbon (nominated for Best Foreign Film)


I probably won’t bother:
Invictus
The Blind Side
Precious
Crazy Heart
The Lovely Bones