I’m talking about a very close friend of mine, someone I’ve known since I was a kid. This girl’s pretty amazing - she’s loved by women all over the world, is well travelled and well educated, drop dead gorgeous, owns more than a few mansions, and her shoe collection and wardrobe is to die for. She’s had an ever changing, and very exciting, career history. She’s been a fashion editor, a surgeon. An airline attendant, and an astronaut. She spent a few years in the Marine Corps, and a few with the US Air Force. She’s even been a formula one driver, a presidential candidate, American Idol winner, and an Olympic Athelete.

And now, she finally will get a chance to be a star (again) AND show off her geeky side.

Mattel announced this week Barbie’s 125th and 126th Careers: News Anchor and Computer Engineer.

Computer Engineer Barbie & News Anchor Barbie

I find this highly entertaining, since, well, I’m a Video Journalist, and my sister is studying to do computer programming! It’s like Mattel just knew.

But, can we please just focus on News Anchor Barbie for a second - and the following:

1. Her perfect hair (as The Boy said- “You sound jealous!” and yes, I am… I want her bangs! Hairstylist, take note!)
2. Her VIDEO CAMERA!!
3. Microphone
4. Clipboard (B News!)
5. Her black shoes with PINK BOWS (must have - do they make them in a human-size 8?)
6. Her… pink suit? (okay, maybe that was a little much).

From the accessories and description, I think she’s more a Video Journalist than a News Anchor (lets be honest, and no offense to her, but when was the last time Christine Bentley touched a camera?) Either way, MUST. HAVE! I mean, she’s retailing for $12.99 American (and I’m assuming that will make it about $16.99 Canadian, despite the fact our dollar is almost even right now - damn you lame retail conversions!) …how can you go wrong??

Sadly, News Anchor Barbie won’t be released until October (although you can pre-order her… which I’ll be doing: can we say “belated birthday present to myself” anyone? ;) but you can get Computer Engineer Barbie this Spring!

Photo Courtesy Reuters

The game was a good one; and I’mnot even sure I have the words for the last quarter - I was actually fully captivated by the game at that point. I wish I had been on Bourbon Street last night! What a party that must have been: Mardi Gras season + Superbowl Win? Sign me up!

But the highlight for me was not the Simpsons Coke Commercial (where was the Polar Bear?), or seeing The Who perform at halftime.

It wasn’t seeing Drew Brees, the Saints quarterback, holding his adorable son on the field after winning.

And no, it wasn’t the Free-Willy-Meets-The-Hangover Commercial; nor was it the Bud Light “Lost” Spoof (despite the fact Lost is, hands down, the best thing on TV right now).

It wasn’t seeing the Superbowl Snack Stadium and wondering if I was enough parts Martha Stewart to make it (that experiment will have to wait until next year).

And it wasn’t even reading celebrity tweets during the game - seriously, Paris Hilton had a Superbowl Party? And why do I find this surprising?

No, for me, the  best part - and I do mean my favourite part - was a little commercial by a company that’s name has become a verb, and who I’m not even sure needed the advertising… but sure could afford it.

My heart melted. My eyes misted. And I’ll be damned if I didn’t admit I’ve probably watched it a hundred times since yesterday. It’s so incredibly simple, yet so poignant. As if I needed another reason to love Google - but damn, I love this commercial. ♥

**As a sidenote: If you missed any of the commercials (and I’d have to ask why - take your bathroom break DURING the game, people, not during the commercials! ;) you can catch them all here.

“Time for the weather report. It’s cold out folks– Bone crushing cold. The kind of cold which will wrench the spirit out of a young man, or forge it into steel.” –Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, “Northern Exposure”

It’s cold up here. Really, really cold. One of the first things I remember being told when I moved here (and being told many times over the last 6 months, by many different people) is: “It’s cold, but a DIFFERENT cold than Toronto. It’s a dry cold, not a wet cold like down south, so it doesn’t FEEL quite as cold”. I think this is somewhat true - or at least I did, until January 1st when the Olympic Torch Relay took place, outside, in -35 degree weather.

After 2 hours outside, my face was so frozen I couldn't physically smile. I was trying to SO HARD here!

I arrived, like a good media girl, at about 5:45 (though the relay didn’t start unitl 6:15, and didn’t reach my location - by the stage - until just after 7), and by 6pm worked up the courage to go outside and walk to the media zone… a good 5 minutes from where we parked. Granted, not THAT far… unless it’s -35 and you’re carrying a bunch of camera equipment.

I think my coworker Lydia said it best when I called her asking for advice on my Sorels - “Should I get the rated to -32 ones,” I asked her, “Or the rated to -40 ones?” She laughed, and gave me some true Northern Advice: “Lauren, it doesn’t matter whether it’s -32 or -40 outside… it’s still @#*$ing cold! So get the ones you like.”

So I did (and obviously, the ones I liked were the -32 degree ones or I wouldn’t have been asking… ;)

And she was right. The difference between -30 and -40 is really, when it boils down to it, not that big of a difference… either way, you don’t want to be outside for any longer than the run between your car and your house!

“I know it sounds crazy… but it wouldn’t be Timmins if it wasn’t -40 and freezing!”
–Shania Twain, speaking to the crowd at the Olympic Torch Celebrations in Timmins.

I’ve only enjoyed about… one and a half months of the lovely 5-6 months of Winter I’ve been told to expect - we had an unusually mild November, I’m told - but I’ve still managed to learn a whole whack of things I never even thought about before.

Winter Lessons!

1. Whether it’s -30, -35, or -40, it’s still freaking cold outside.
2. Yes, it IS possible for your car to get frost on the inside of the windows… apparently it’s a result of the snow that gets into your mats from your boots, and, of course, never melts (like it does occasionally down south) as it’s never warm enough for it to melt.
3. It’s really, really, REALLY hard to scrape said frost off the inside of your window.
4. Don’t forget to plug your car in. Just don’t.
5. No, you CAN’T drive over the snow bank the plow makes at the bottom of your driveway after a snowfall, despite the fact you did it in Toronto all the time - chances are the overnight snowfall was equivalent to a month’s worth in the city. Your car WILL get stuck, two men WILL have to spend 15 minutes having to help push your car over the damn thing, and your neighbour WILL faceplant into the snow bank that was under your car once it moves… sorry about that, by the way!
6. It’s a bad idea to let your car get below 1/4 of a tank - there’s a really good chance it will freeze up, yes even if plugged in.
7. Remote Car Starters are to Northerners like Fire was to Cavemen… essential.
8. Remote Car Starters ALSO cost an arm and a leg for installation in a ‘97 Chevy Lumina… which is what I drive. D’oh!
9. Add an extra half hour (or more) to your morning, to allow for possible snowfall, snowbanks, frost, etc you’ll have to deal with.
10. Don’t get excited when you see the sun in the morning - although it looks pretty, and the Vitamin D is nice - it feels way, way, WAY colder when the sun is out. I’m told this has something to do with the cloud cover “padding” the atmosphere and trapping heat in. I’ll take it!
11. Vitamin D supplements, Vitamin D supplements, Vitamin D supplements!
12. Kitty Litter: it’s not just for litter boxes anymore.
13. Invest in a loooooong  (and well insulated!) winter jacket. Your butt will thank you.
14. Bad hair days don’t exist in the cold - you won’t care if you’re ruining your perfect ponytail, curls, or straightened mane if the hat is keeping your head warm.
15. Heated blankets = ? (Thanks Gramsey!!)
16. No, after spending Christmas Week in balmy -3 to -10 degree weather and little to no snow, the pilot will NOT let you get back on the plane (no matter HOW cold and HOW windy it is) and let you go back. ;)
17. Yes, there is such a thing as “too cold to ski”… at least for me!
18. Put on those goofy snow pants, the ski mitts, the scarf wrapped around your head and face 10 times, and the 300 layers that make you look like a marshmellow… people will be staring at you if you DON’T, because they’ll be thinking “look at that stupid person whose not dressed for the weather!”

I just saw (for the millionth time, but I never get sick of it) the commercial for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation’s Conquer Cancer Campaign, and I can’t get over how powerful it is.

It features real patients, doctors, nurses, and people who have been affected by cancer in some way… and tells the story of how the hospital is trying to conquer cancer in our lifetime.

I hope it can happen.

I spent a few hours this afternoon volunteering my time at the annual Lions Club & CTV Telethon. I was there from 3:30ish until about 8, and it was great fun - talking to community members, reading out pledges, and encouraging people to call in and donate. It was (as one of my fellow hosts made me realize) my first live TV experience, since the work we do at EastLink is pre taped… I didn’t even clue in to that until about halfway though!

I just tuned into the end to see how much was raised - and we raised over $67,000 today! This is thanks to everyone who graciously donated their time to help out, and to the community members who came out and donated… I even recall reading a few donations from youngsters - I’m talking 3 years and 5 years old! - who emptied out their piggy banks to contribute. Very touching.

It’s amazing what can happen when a community pulls together like this!

1) What are you listening to right now? (Music, boring meeting, The Voices, etc)
Absolutely nothing. Dead air, the sound of me typing, and the sound of my coworker at the editing suite (which consists of the occasional typed word, and mostly mouse clicks)

2) What’s the email sign-off that makes you cringe? (Cheers!, Best, xoxo…?)
“Regards” (and any variation thereof) Eeeeeuuuucccch! So formal, so blah, so… ick. No sign off also bothers me, if it’s someone I don’t know sending me a business email.

3) What is the saddest lunch you ever ate at work? (Ramen, ketchup sandwich, nothing?)
Nothing. Quite frequently. Very often I’m too busy for lunch at work… on those days if it’s not “nothing” for lunch, it’s a chocolate bar out of the vending machine, tap water, and a tic tac.

4) If you were a kind of tape, which one would you be and why? (Scotch, packing, duct?)
Double sided scotch tape… because it sticks to everything, and itself, and is really irritating to use. If I have to be boring tape, I’d want to be the most irritating variety possible.

5) Write the most interesting / ridiculous / cryptic message on one of your Post-Its.
I actually have a wall of post its tracking story ideas… most are cryptic to anyone other than me, and/or unreadable thanks to the scrawl I do when writing fast. Examples? “HST Update”, “Oxy. TF call CA”, “Dog Park *insert email address here*”… or, they’re covered with doodles from being on the phone… then proudly displayed as “art work” on my wall.

—–

And on that note, my lunch is now finished (today I had a lunch! Granted, it was a sandwich from Tim Hortons I impulse-bought while getting coffee because I knew I wouldn’t have time to go home and make lunch today)… back to working.

Catch anything unusual?

His reps are claiming it’s a “strange coincidence”… yeah, I’d claim that too if I were them! Coincidence or not, I still think it’s rather funny… and clever. I’m fairly certain it was intentional, because honestly, who says “kicks the can down the alley” in a formal veto? The rest of the letter I can believe was just written normally… but that integral “K” is just so strategically placed!

You can view the “official” letter (on the government’s website) here.

This sand animation was performed by 24 year old Kseniya Simonova on “Ukraine’s Got Talent” (and it was the winning act, rightly so). Her art depicts life in Ukraine during WWII. Apparently the words she writes over the final scene say “You are always near”.

2. Wii Fit (Thanks Mom & Dad!) which is the most amazing Wii game, possibly ever (Next to Mario Galaxy, of course)

3. Hannah Montana and Lily Barbie Dolls… thanks to my wonderful boyfriend, who made the fatal mistake of buying me the SINGING Hannah Montana doll and had to endure me pressing the button and giggling like I was 10 all weekend (bless him for smiling and trucking on through it).

"You get the BEESSSTTTT of both worlds..."

And yes, I DID just say I turned 24.

4. Victoria’s Secret finally, FINALLY, for the love of God and all that is Holy, FINALLY freaking coming to Canada.

5. Keeping with the “Now in Canada” Trend: Skype. For the iPhone. THANK YOU LORD! Perfect timing, since my bestie just moved to ENGLAND to teach for a year… and we were (are?) prone to 3 hour talk-fests. Or we would be, if I wasn’t so insanely jealous of her life and the fact she gets to spend a year (likely 2) there. I’m already plotting ways to a) save enough money to go visit her and b) meet royalty (I heard Henry’s single), get hitched, and never have to leave. Unless she beats me to him first. Which is a very real possibility.

6. Winter coming soon!! Like, at the end of September/Early October up here!

…

…

HA! Just kidding. I’d never be excited about that. Did I fool you? No? Didn’t think so.

Let me preface by saying that I very rarely expect to be satisfied by a book-to-movie adaptation: The DaVinci Code? Pissed me right off. The Narnia Chronicles? Make me irritated they’re not doing the movies in order. The Golden Compass? Cheaped out and decided to end the movie a few chapters before the ACTUAL ending (resulting in a much happier ending than the book had, I might add). The X-Men Movies? Way to totally change  e v e r y t h i n g. However, there are moments I am pleasantly surprised. I adored Coraline (and the 3D version was wicked awesome - yes, I said wicked awesome, it was THAT good), and  I also thought… um, well I can’t really think of a second example so I’ll just move on.

I saw the Time Traveler’s Wife on August 23 - that’s a Sunday - and it even involved going to TWO theaters to see it (the first one we tried was sold out, believe it or not). I loved the book. I adore Rachel McAdams. The fact the TV trailer had a Carolina Liar song in it made me jump around (love them!). I was therefore totally stoked for this movie (you can ask my boyfriend how much I talked about it, and how I whined about seeing it - and the fact it wasn’t in the Timmins theatre - until he caved and went with me in Toronto when I was at home this past weekend). I was then was sorely disappointed by the time the credits rolled, and left angry and irritated. My boyfriend (who hasn’t read the book) said he enjoyed it (well, as much as a guy can enjoy a romantic drama I assume!).

In my (obviously-completely-right-because-who-in-their-right-mind-would-disagree ;) opinion, the film left out a few VERY key things, and of course a million still-important-but-not-quite-key-things.

Commence ranting.

My biggest issues?

1. The flick was missing most of the scenes from Clare’s childhood in the meadow; at the very start of the movie, we’re basically just TOLD “Okay hey, here’s this girl in love with this guy she’s never met because he time travels, and it’s true because we say so”. I think they showed us honestly, 3 scenes from the Meadow, and that is one of the most INTEGRAL parts of the book. Their story begins in the meadow, NOT the library; but the movie made it begin in present time rather than in Clare’s present/Henry’s future. Without the development of the characters throughout Clare’s childhood - all the times the met, how she hid it from her friends, how Henry beat up (and left tied to a tree) a guy that took advantage of Clare (I could make this list for days) their relationship is seriously lacking solidity.
2. At the end, when Henry time travels and gets his (eventually)fatal injury - he loses BOTH his feet, and permanently in the book. In the movie, he is only supposed to be stuck in a wheelchair for a few months. That took away the impending feeling of doom… sure we still KNEW he was going to die (thanks to foreshadowing), but there was that little glimmering hope he might heal somehow before the fatal time travel was due to happen (yes, even though they drilled it into our brains that “you can’t change the past”). Nope, that hope isn’t there in the book because if he travels, he can’t do shit since he has no feet… plus it explains how he could be more easily mistaken for a deer by Clare’s father and brother.
3. THE ENDING!! God, why did they change the flippin’ ending!? Okay, I know why: apparently it’s because test audiences couldn’t figure out the old lady at the end was Clare in her 80’s, but how dumb were their test audiences? One of the sweetest/most heart wrenching things about the book was the ending, and how Clare spent her WHOLE life waiting for Henry one last time, after countless “missed encounters” when he time travelled to see Alba (their daughter). They got their goodbye on the porch on New Years, she didn’t need closure or anything… so really, they might as well have left that entire scene out if they were going to screw with the ending like that.

And that brings me to a few less important changes, though still irritating by their own right:

1. Clare’s family, for the most part was MIA: in the book there’s this great Christmas dinner part; which they skipped. The lack of interaction detracts from the part of the ending when Clare’s father shoots Henry (while he’s time traveling). We barely even figure out it was her father first, and it’s lacking the same dynamic the scene held in the book.
2. Mrs Kim didn’t even exist.
3. Henry’s ex girlfriend, Ingrid, totally didn’t exist and she played a fairly significant role in the book.
4. There was very little (if any) reference to the fact that, in the future, Henry (and Alba’s) condition is studied and actually somewhat “normal” - that is, more than JUST Henry are afflicted. They even have a name for persons who travel: Chrono Displacement Disorder. In the book, the scene when Henry travels to the future and meets Alba is completely different (they’re virtually two entirely different scenes). In the book, Alba tells her teacher Henry is her dad, to which the teacher responds with “But your father is dead” (or something to that effect). Alba just says “He’s a CDP, like me” and the teacher accepts this as the truth. Totally left out of the movie, and while rather irrelevant to the plot it was still and interesting point/concept and it would not have been hard to toss it into the film.

And for those that are inevitably going to tell me to enjoy the movie as a standalone film (as I just did to a friend while discussing whether or not S. Darko was a good movie), for the record I also found the characters to be about as interesting as watching paint dry. They were bland and two dimensional for most the movie, and just when they FINALLY started to develop real characters it was almost like the movie went into fast-forward and we zipped along to the end.

How is it movies like Benjamin Button and Titanic can get nearly 3 hours to tell a story, but this one got under 2? Even Bandslam (The Disney movie with Vanessa Hudgens) got 5 more minutes than this one (and yes, 5 minutes could have been enough to time to at LEAST fix the damn ending).

I would have much preferred they lengthened the movie by 30-45 minutes (bringing it to roughly 2.5 hours) and expanded the characters (and plot) as opposed to taking a perfectly good book, chewing it up, and spitting it out.

There’s rumors floating around that there now might even be a TV adaptation of the book - can we bastardize it anymore? I don’t even know how a TV series could work - I mean, Henry dies, everything that happens is set is stone, you can’t change the past, yadda yadda. How could this last longer than one season? I think they should hire me to develop a TV show - I’d like to see a spinoff series (with input from Audrey Niffenegger) formed around Alba and her time traveling experiences; perhaps even the story OF Clare and Henry told through her eyes as she time travels back to see them… or something. I really don’t see a TV show working, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.