Line!

Assuming we all agree that the world's a stage, what do you think is more important:  learning your lines or being able to work off script?  I used see life as one long improv exercise, but now I'm not so sure.  I think there are lines, but they're not written down anywhere - you more or less have to intuit them.  Then again, maybe that's all improv really is.  Either way, some people are better at it than others.

(I found this awesome Marilyn photo at Lolita). 

Archie NO!

So, apparently Archie is going to choose Veronica.  It's really not that surprising, considering the state of the economy.  After all, family money is about as recession-proof as you can get.  On the other hand, it's quite a bold move for someone who's been happily splitting his time between two - or sometimes three - girls for sixty-odd years (remember Cheryl?). Personally, I think there has to be a catch.  Maybe the cover image is from Betty's bad dream or something.  I mean, they can't grow up!  That would just be too strange.  No, there's something fishy about this.  I can't wait to get my hands on the issue and find out!

Best Commercial Ever

Sigh...it's such a gloomy day here in Kingston, but this commercial makes me feel like I'm dancing through the streets of Paris!  Oh how I love Sofia Coppola!

Hmmm....

Alright, I promise to stop featuring Design Sponge sneak peaks every other post.  In this case, however, I simply couldn't help it - I'm so torn.  As eye-catching as this space is, there's something about the chairs, wood panelling, and icky floor pattern that reminds me of the smell of stale cigarette smoke forever embedded in bright, elaborately patterned sofas.  I mean, I love the down-home-on-the-farm style ceiling.  And it does make an admirably bold statement.  It's just...uggh...

Because The World Is Round It Turns Me On

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you're walking down Abbey Road but it's been magically uprooted and moved to Washington DC...and you're wearing a ballet costume?  I think I have, but I didn't remember it until I saw this photo.

(I found this image by Cade Martin at A Cup of Joe).

Review: Sophie's World

I read Sophie's World for the first time when I was about fifteen years old.  I remember being both intrigued and - well - maybe *a tad* bored with it.  The story itself can best be described as a delightfully quirky exercise in metafiction: it opens from the perspective of the title character and gradually shifts to that of Hilde, the girl who is, along with reader, reading the story about Sophie (who is solely a fictional character within the story).  Little hints disguised as eerie coincidences are dropped throughout the first half of the novel, tempting the reader to discover the truth.  In the second half of the novel, Sophie tries to find a way to escape the clutches of Hilde's father, writer of 'Sophie's World' and therefore an all-powerful-god of sort within the context of the story.

Sophie attempts to break free using the knowledge of the history philosophy she acquires throughout the novel by taking a correspondence-style course on the subject.  By default, Hilde and the reader of Sophie's World are also instructed in the history of philosophy.  Honestly, I wish I had more patience for the long passages describing in detail the ideas of every great thinker from Socrates to Freud.  Alas, I found myself skimming over them more often than not.  It's not that I'm not interested in the ideas, so much as they seem flat next to such a unique and engaging story.  I think I've mentioned before that I prefer fiction to reality, and something that so self-consciously examines the power of stories and their authors will always capture my interest over anything that resembles a chronological listing of facts.

Moreover, despite being educated in the ways of Western philosophy, these days I find myself more interested in its Eastern counterpart - look for a review of Deepak Chopra's Buddha, hopefully coming soon.  Overall, I think I got more out of the novel the second time, if for no other reason than that I have studied most of the philosophers it references (i.e. so the fact that I skimmed over those sections wasn't such a big deal).  The story itself is more cool and unique than deep and literary, and I certainly didn't experience any major revelations like I did the second time through certain other novels.  (I'm thinking about YOU, The Sun Also Rises).  This is a great book for teens, but also for adults who are looking to learning the basics of philosophy and/or be entertained by an extraordinary story.

"Herb, if you don't paint over the 't' I'm not setting foot in that thing..."

This boat actually exists.  I saw it with my own eyes on Howe Island and just about died laughing.  I figure we're looking at two options:

A) They hastily picked a boat name without thinking and modified it when they realized.

or

B) It was initially meant as a joke and later regretted by the owners.  

I'd have to go with option B.  Option A is just too pathetic, and that decorative swirl at the bottom looks suspiciously like a sperm...

Words and Lines

Today was one of those days where even the smallest of tasks seemed difficult.  While browsing Design Sponge I came across this living room, which is rather therapeutic on a number of levels.  All the whiteness and orderly lines are undoubtedly soothing.  Moreover, the pile of books and cup of tea inspired my own choice remedies this evening.  I'm happy to say they seem to have worked...

"Because He Likes Breakfast So Much"

I've mentioned on occasion that I am not a morning person in any way shape of form.  I love the idea of getting up early and putting an effort in to preparing and savoring a delicious breakfast.  In fact, I intend to do just that nearly every night before falling asleep.  Alas, the moment the alarm goes off is (usually) the lowest point of my day.  I groan, drag myself out of bed, and stumble downstairs where I always seem give in to my boring dry-cereal-and-Canada-AM habit.  This could be why I am so obsessed with the whole idealized breakfast aesthetic.  Take a look at these beautiful images.  Don't they just make you crave the delectable potential of a new day?

The first three pictures are from Simply Breakfast and the last from Heart of Light.

Oh Fed!

I'm super stoked today because my boy Roger Federer finally beat his rival Raphael Nadal on clay!  This hasn't happened in I don't know how long.  I hope it's a sign of things to come in the Paris (the French Open starts next week, wahoo)!

I'm also super stoked to hear that Roger and his long time girlfriend Mirka are expecting a baby!

This is bad news for Anna Wintour, who seems to have had a crush on Fed for quite some time now....

Then again maybe it's Mirka she has a crush on....hmmm...this could be interesting...

(Don't mind me.  I'm in kind of a strange mood today, and I've had way too much wine.)  

Review: The Great Man

I read the first half of The Great Man by Kate Christensen on the train heading to New York; as the novel is set in the city, it ended up being more than appropriate for the occasion.  This meticulously crafted story centres around the survivors of renowned figurative painter Oscar Feldman, specifically his wife, mistress, and sister.  Each woman is interviewed by two men, who are coincidentally writing separate biographies about Oscar.  Throughout the course of the novel it is revealed that Oscar is perhaps not as great as everyone thought he was, on both personal and professional levels.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.  It manages to be entertaining and addictive without seeming like brain candy.  One of the central themes of The Great Man is that of lack of originality and/or authenticity, almost to the point of plagiarism, in art.  I've noticed it popping up in a lot of things lately (check out The Squid and the Whale, for instance, - a highly understated movie) and have to wonder if it says something about the climate of our time.  I mean, of course there have always been allusions in every kind of art, but this theme seems to imply that borrowing from others or using their work and ideas to build on and improve your own is somehow an essential part of the creative process.

If I had one complaint about this book, it would have to be that the plot seems almost too calculated and planned out.  I'd wager Christensen knew exactly how the story would end when she began writing it;  while this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does take a lot of the inspirational emotion out of the writing, and a certain amount of humanity out of the characters.  Or it may just seem that way to me be because I've been reading a lot of Alice Munro stories lately.  Alice  Munro is the queen of humanity and inspirational emotion.

A Word On Books

You may have noticed that the "Currently Reading" section of Magic Lantern is not a reliable indicator of what I am, in fact, currently reading.  You also may have noticed that many titles appear and disappear from "Currently Reading" without any sign of reviews.  The thing is, I spent five glorious years of my life writing about books.  Now that those years are gone for good, coming up with even a semi-serious critique of a novel feels is almost too bitter-sweet to bear.  My first year "out in the real world" was by far the worst of my life, and it's taken me nearly another full year to recover from it.  This blog (along with regular yoga practice and a fabulous network of family members, friends, and co-workers) has been a key component of my recovery.  It allows me explore my interests and recognize all the beautiful things around me; for a long time it seemed counter-productive to draw attention to something that I love dearly but is no longer part of my life "professionally" speaking.

Lately, however, I've been feeling the urge to start writing more about the books I read.  Don't worry, I won't bore you to death with anything that resembles scholarly jargon; I will try to keep things entertaining by reviewing current books, and may even dabble into non-fiction every once in a while.  I therefore vow to review one book per week for the next month.  I'm telling you all this because I need an incentive to stick to said vow, and nothing works better than feeling monitored.  So here goes.

Cookie TIme

I suppose the urge to bake and explore my inner domestic goddess is yet another manifestation of the girly mood I've been in lately.  Tonight it was cookies:  oatmeal raisin and peanut butter.  Both recipes came from Martha, and with all due respect I have to wonder what that woman was on when she came up with the size of the pre-cooked dough balls and the duration of cooking time.  The first batch of peanut butter was 3x the desired size and burned to a crisp!  Try halving what she suggests and cooking them for 8-10 minutes.

Pink!

I've never been a real girlie girl, but for some reason these images make me squeal with delight (on the inside, of course).  All are from my new favourite website, fffound.

"Happiness Makes Up In Height What It Lacks In Length"

For a lot of reasons, this image brings tears to my eyes.  But in a good way.  Mostly.

.....from ffffound.

Fun With Blueberries

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, but it's unlikely I'll have a chance to spend much time with my mom.  Yes it's true my parents live next door, but they're just so busy!  Anyway, we had a great time celebrating today instead.  I decided to turn my new pie making hobby into a Mother's Day gift/gesture of appreciation, and made my mom's favourite kind of pie:  blueberry.  I used a somewhat simplified version of this recipe for the filling (Martha recommends all sorts of time consuming steps involving freezing the pie before cooking it, but I only had a few hours).  For the crust, I used Martha's pate brisee recipe, which once again proved relatively simple to make and delicious to eat.  Here are some pictures.

Mmmmm...fresh blueberries!  I ate sooooooo many of these during the baking process.  

Assembling the pie...

Here it is basking in the sun, pre-bake.

Whipping up some cream...

The finished product.  The picture looks like crap because I had to use a flash, but at least the plate is pretty.

Review: Star Trek

Well folks, the summer has officially begun.  That is if you determine the season's inception by the release of action-packed blockbusters.  (I do; climate and calendar indicators are just too depressing).  And I don't count X-Men because I really had no interest in seeing it.  So for me, summer officially began last night, when we ventured out to the drive-in to catch the Star Trek /I Love You Man double feature.

Although I'd never call myself a Trekkie, I have a soft spot in my heart for Star Trek and *most* if its spin offs.  Growing up I was a devoted follower of The Next Generation, and must admit that the hokey original series re-runs featuring Kirk, Spock & co always seemed a little cornball compared to Patrick Stewart's booming presence.  It wasn't until around the time William Shatner started doing All Bran commercials that I really started to understand the appeal of the original series, and attempted to pay attention whenever I found my dad watching it (always with earnest admiration).

The new Star Trek movie has largely dropped the ridiculous hokeyness of the original series, but tastefully maintains a sort of self-conscious camp that assures movie-goers it's not taking itself too seriously.  As everyone knows by now, the film is a prequel to the original series, showing how Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) originally meet at Starfleet, and subsequently come to be captain and first officer of the USS Enterprise.  The plot is rife with action-packed excitement, but the story line manages not to become lost in a mess of explosions and computer-generated effects (a necessary condition for me to enjoy a movie like this). 

The plot, however, seems almost secondary compared to the overall theme of futuristic myth meets pop culture post-post-modernism (if you will).  In essence, the whole idea of the movie is what makes it so great.  That coupled with the fact that they didn't screw it up.  The best parts, for instance, are the bits with Leonard Nimoy (original Spock).  Fans of Sean of the Dead and Hot Fuzz will also recognize Simon Pegg, who is fabulous as Scotty.

Does Star Trek warrant the 4 1/2 stars given to it by Richard Krauss (the Canada AM film critic I watch religiously every Friday morning despite the fact that I rarely agree with him)?  Probably not, but it's a damn good movie.  (Come on, only about 5% of movies ever made deserve 4 1/2 stars)!

Movies in Cars

I'm going to the drive in tonight, wahoo!  I love the drive in, it's so classic :)  

This Is How My Heart Behaves

Remember what it was like to get excited about things when you were a child?  That all-encompassing, no-strings-attached sort of joy that caused you to tremble with anticipation over the marvelous events to come?  These days, the mere absence of overwhelming anxiety about the future gives me reason to celebrate.  And celebrate I did all day, as despite all odds I woke up to find the anxiety had left me (hopefully for good).

While browsing  ffffound, I came across these images.  They crystalize how I've been feeling all day long, and certainly would have delighted a ten year old me.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Blog = Diary + Vanity - Embarrassing Secrets

I found this fabulous website called New Math, which features dozens of witty "equations". Below are my favourites. Some of them made me laugh, and some hit a little too close to home (but still made me laugh).

It Can't Be May 5th Already!

I guess time flies when you don't want it to.

A fabulous time was had by all in New York, despite the fact that it rained every single day.  

I'm currently way too tired to produce detailed, well thought out paragraphs on the trip.  Instead, here are some photos and random thoughts/observations.

- Walking around Manhattan all day in the pouring rain is actually kind of fun.  That said, absolutely nothing can be done with my hair under such circumstances.  (Observe the photo below; it was just flat-ironed that morning).

- Tiffany's really IS as fabulous as Holly Golightly claims.  The staff is extremely helpful and accommodating, from the man who opens the door for you to the woman who shows you where the "secret elevator" is so you can avoid the throngage at the main elevators.  

 - The Met is a lot more impressive than I thought it would be.  As is gourmet vegan food and FAO Schwartz.  

- "Upstairs at 21" has got to be the most ridiculous place on the planet. 

 - There are just as many people in Times Square at 1am on a Friday night as there are at 1pm Saturday afternoon.

 - For that matter, there are just as many people dining in hip restaurants at 12am as there are at 8pm.  (Seriously, we tried it and it was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life). 

- There appears to be an obsession with muffins and other sweet bread-like edibles in NY restaurants.  I think they might be the new complimentary regular bread.

- He's Just Not That Into You is just not that good of a movie.  Even Scarlett couldn't save it.

- The current Broadway production of Exit the King, however, is excellent.  It's a tad on the morbid side, but eerily of the moment.  Geoffrey Rush, Susan Surrandon, and the rest of the cast are all fantastic.

- Feeling small and insignificant can be extremely liberating.

- I will try my hardest to never again return home from a trip after midnight when I have to work the very next day.

- On that note, I'm off to bed.