Hey baby, what's your region?

I have an issue.

Now I know what you're saying - Koshka, you have more than a few issues. But we're just talking about this one at the moment, so pipe down and bear with me here.

You all know about Region Encoding on DVDs by now. My DVD player is regionally locked and there's no way to change that for my particular model (I've researched and found only one but it isn't proven yet and I'm not risking it with this baby), so it used to be that I would just watch alternate-region discs on my confuser. Not as comfortable, but better than nothing.

I really love my new confuser, as you all know. The Metatron™ is a wonderful machine, sleek and beautiful and blindingly fast, nice wide screen and all that goes with that. But Apple's new models come with region-specific DVD drives (which I don't think they had before). Apparently there are two types of drive they've been installing in my particular model, and while there are ways around one of them, the drive in my particular model (Matashita, apparently) checks for the disc region in two separate ways so it can't be 'got around'. Such is my luck folks.

Generally, you know, living in region 1 all my life and not planning on moving, this shouldn't be an issue. Except there are a VERY LARGE AMOUNT of region 2 movies and tv shows I would love to be able to watch, which have never been released in region 1 and may never be. So what's a girl to do? Is it fair that a movie from ten years ago is only available to watch on another continent? It's not like it's a theatre-release-timing issue, which was the film studios' flimsy excuse for the whole encoding thing in the first place.

On top of that problem of broadcast line standard, which differs all over the world - and in particular, it's a different standard for most region 2 countries than for my own region. So even if my DVD player was region-free, I still couldn't properly watch a region 2 disc as my TV doesn't have automatic broadcast line conversion - again, my luck, how was I to know six years ago that I would need this ability?

Anyway.

The point I'm getting to here is that I'm going to have to BUY something to get around this issue.

So that's what I'm going to do today. I'll keep you all posted.

An odd week

Yep, it's been odd.

That sore throat really came into its own on Monday and Tuesday. With the humidity what it's been this week, my sleep is all screwed up and I'm exhausted. Two nights of overtime, and a couple of huge projects that took over my week and have left my task list HUGE with things that I've had to bump around and reschedule.

BUT

I did have a good evening Wednesday at the stitch & bitch, and Heather B and I saw a fantastic lightning chain as we came up out of the subway, which always makes me happy. I'm still working on that blue & purple shrug, I still can't wrap my brain around my cable scarf, it's still too busy at work and my brain doesn't want any confusion. Add to those two projects the stupidly long tube I'm making with my old knitting toy to make a huge rug, and it adds up to TOO MANY PROJECTS!

My monthly trip to Sonic Boom was more than fruitful - I ended up with five CDs but that was whittled down from something like 20, which is just frustrating (I'm having to hold myself down from going back tomorrow!) This month's haul: Sigur Rós (Ágætis Byrjun), Kate Bush (The Kick Inside), Throwing Muses (The Real Ramona), Eddie Izzard (Definite Article) and a Rough Trade Shops collection (indiepop 1) that cost twice as much as I usually spend there, but it's so worth it...

Who Pub afterwards was good too, folks I've never met showed up, as well as some who have been absent for too long - although I stayed way later than I should have (Andrew, you know whose fault that is). As a result, today I have been SO TIRED, I've been able to do my work but I've felt really draggy all day.

But my friend Danny was home from Seattle and in town today, so after work I went to meet him, his brother and their respective ladies for dinner at Salad King (take note, those in the know: Danny had the 20-chili spice and survived!), after which we went for a nice long walk and saw X-Men III at the Paramount.

My verdict: well, it's a bit hard for me to explain. I mean, I liked it, I enjoyed the story, but it didn't really grab me in any way. I don't think I'm going to need to see it again. I can't put my finger on the reason why though, I mean, they didn't have Bryan Singer directing this one, but there must have been more to it than that, surely?

Oh, and did I mention how much it freaks me out that it's already June?

Ugh... so tired...

Entering the Arena of the Unwell...

Wow, I've been so busy - so much overtime lately I just haven't been able to get away. I've missed I think two stitch & bitches over the past month, I really have to try to make this week's. I was so busy at work too, overtime again, and when I'm done at work I'm just too tired to do anything else. But this week I bought a copy of Little Britain Series Two and Titus Seasons 1&2 - I haven't opened up Little Britain yet, I'm gonna treat myself, but I did open Titus - and I've watched the whole thing already, four nights. Wow, I forgot how good that show was. I definitely need to buy the third season! Dysfunction, anyone?

Oh, and we booked our flights! I'm staying a few extra days for sure now, so I'm going up to Yorkshire to stay after London. I'm so excited!

Anyway, with the weekend ahead of me and no real plans, I decided that I would ignore the FANTASTIC weather and stay in on Saturday and do some cleaning and FIVE loads of laundry, wow! Didn't leave the house. Today though I got out, S came in and we went to Jersey Giant for lunch (mmm, baby spinach salad...) and for a nice walk around the neighbourhood, and I watered all my plants and moved most of them outside.

I'm a bit worried though, my throat's been a bit sore since Thursday...

Will that be Kitchener or London?

I love visiting Kitchener. I love my friends in Kitchener. I have a rather large number of friends there, and only two of them are people I knew when I went to school there. I got to have a nice dinner, a fondue get-together, an hour or so chatting with an ex, walked around Guelph shops, a drunken game of Carcassone (mmm, chocolate martinis), pierogies and chinese food and pancakes, oh my - oh, and, of course, LOTS of cuddles with my favourite little man! He's just so cute, but still tiny, less than 15 lbs still, but he's in good health, he just won't stop BOUNCING! The weather's been nasty though, really cold, eeew.

Oh, but wait, there's more.

Earlier this week, I decided that I've had enough of being so wembley about it and decided that I was DEFINITELY going to the UK, DEFINITELY this summer. It quickly turned into solid plans for Jenn and myself - we know when we're going, and Jenn knows when she's coming back, I'm just trying to decide if I'm coming back with her or staying for a few days more. Yep, we're gonna do it! Brighton, then Swansea, then London, then I may go up to Yorkshire or I may just come home with Jenn. Woo hoo!

I also missed out on seeing Kinky Boots this week, I ran a bit late and missed meeting some folks - but that's okay, I went to Winners instead and treated myself to brand new polka-dotted knickers, yay! And speaking of Winners, did you know they now sell 'personal massage units'? That's right. At Winners. Um.

Mother's Day

I went to my folks' place for Mother's Day! Got my Mum a nice new spring jacket, bright green with navy accents - and it's like a puzzle, all kinds of pockets and things that zip off and velcro on and button in, she's happy *grin*

I got a DVD of music videos from Sub-Pop records this week, Acquired Taste - it's got stuff like Postal Service and Iron & Wine and Sleater-Kinney on it, nice for background I think. Maybe I'll run it when I finally have my deck party, whenever that's gonna happen.

Dad also gave me the Stewie Griffin DVD, which was fun - it's got an uncensored version! And that's just not enough, no, I got the Bourne Supremacy too. But it didn't cost much so that's okay.

My home visit was nice actually, we didn't do too much - I didn't call anyone while I was home though, I probably should have but I was enjoying doing absolutely nothing.

Six, sleven, eight, rutabega, ten.

Yeah, I know, I haven't put up my camera safari pix yet. In the meantime, here's something S took of me that day...

So anyway, Sunday night I had to work a client event, which was good actually, really well received cocktail party (and btw, if you're wondering what area of practice all the hot male lawyers gravitate towards, apparently it's Trade-Mark Law). Anyway, I didn't actually get home until around quarter to 12, so Monday I was a bit of a wreck. Still recovering really.

Lastnight T and I went to see Lucky Number Slevin. Okay, that is just the stupidest name for a movie ever. But that said, the movie was quite cool. Morgan Freeman is always a reason to watch a movie. Bruce Willis is interesting, Josh Hartnett is great and so much fun (btw, Ataraxia is now my favourite fake medical condition). Lucy Liu was effervescent. Ben Kingsley's accent is a bit muddled, but that's okay 'cos he's cool. Basic plot - Slevin is visiting a missing friend and is mistaken for him by two warring kingpins, and also romances the cute neighbour. Full of twists, some are predictable while some come from left field. Great dialogue. Morgan Freeman is the coolest man on the planet. *ahem*

And in other news, I managed to go to the gym again today - before work, can you believe it? I've never done that before. I suck at getting up early. So today was really a day of firsts, because I also saw a pigeon preening another pigeon, which was just so cute. Usually they're either jumping on each other or running away from each other, this was just bizarre to see and somewhat uplifting.

Tonight is the weekly stitch & bitch, and I feel confident that I'll make it again this week, I don't think anything's gonna keep me here too late. Working on that purple & blue shrug again - the fisherman's scarf is on hold until things calm down enough for my brain to be able to handle it again.

Weekend festivities

This has been a pretty good weekend so far - Saturday morning I went to the Clothing Show with a couple of friends. This used to be known as the Old Clothing Show & Sale and New Clothing Annex - but there's so much new now that they had to change it. I liked it better when everything was antique, it was a real event and I would dress for the occasion, as did many others. But now it's so much new stuff, which is all designed for eeny weeny squeeny little people, that I end up not getting as much, which is probably a good thing. Anyway, I got a new pair of old shoes, a funky new hat and some little phone dangly things. Afterwards one of my friends came over and we wandered the Distillery and went to Balzac's for coffee, which was nice and I think I have to keep doing that.

Later another friend came in and we went to Jersey Giant for dinner, mmm, and then the rest of the evening consisted of drunken viewing of Withnail & I and Curse Of The Wererabbit.

I have seen Withnail & I an inordinate number of times, but had never watched it with alcohol in my system, which just seemed blasphemous, so my friend and I got tipsy and watched it. I had told him it was funny so he agreed to watch it first. Funny thing though, it seemed more funny to me sober. That's wrong, surely?

Curse Of The Wererabbit was just hilarious. Of course I was quite smashed by that time, teeth spongey and all, but I think it was probably just as funny sober. So many double entendres, and the bunnies were so cute! Aw, bless 'em...

Today we went back to the Distillery and Balzac's again, and did a bit of a photo safari - pix may be coming...

Celeb spotting, Toronto-style

Living in Toronto you tend to see famous or quasi-famous people all the time. Even at my office I see famous-ish people, since we have an entertainment practice. And living downtown, in prime filming central, it's a wonder I don't trip over them all.

Today's sighting: Rick Green, not five minutes from my house! Seemed to be a very friendly person, he was talking with a couple of people on a corner.

What do you mean, you don't know who that is? Remember The Frantics? Their show, 4 On The Floor? Rick, Peter Wildman, Dan Redican and Paul Chato cracked everyone up when they were on the air, wow, was it 20 years ago? Tai Quan Leap, Mr Canoehead and a Piece of Pie? Nevermind.

Okay, how about Prisoners of Gravity, great comics/sci fi show Space used to play? No?

What about History Bites? Great show, still on the air, would have been great to have it back in grade school, I would have remembered my history lessons a lot better. Hmm, no?

Alright, The Red Green Show! You've all seen that - remember Adventures With Bill? That's him!

I actually worked with Paul Chato's wife for a month when I first started desktop publishing straight out of school, that's the closest I've ever come to any of the Frantics *grin*

Accomplish-mints

Good lord, it's May. This year is really moving fast - by this time I had wanted to have so many things in my life in order, and it seems like nothing has been done.

Well, if I think about it hard enough, I have done a number of things in the past few months: replaced the confuser; took part in the knitting olympics; went to the south Caribbean; drove a scooter; did my taxes; started eating a bit better; started doing the newsletter again; made sure my godson didn't forget who I am; met a Bowlie I hadn't yet clapped eyes on; went on a few more camera safaris around the neighbourhood. I even started back to the gym, which is going well thank you.

Hm. I guess it's not that bad.

Later

I finished The DaVinci Code. I finished it really fast actually. It was a great read - somewhat lacking in character development though, but the story was engaging and moved at a really quick pace. I think I might be the last person on the planet to have read it though *grin*

Brick

So my mood improved lastnight to the point that I could enjoy the company of friends (yes, I have friends) - we went to the movies, and saw Brick.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has really turned into something, mumbling his way through stylized detective-novelesque lingo and getting the crap kicked out of himself on his way to finding the truth about his ex-girlfriend's disappearance. Quite an actor, him. Anyway, the flick was quite good - film noir in high school, with a mafia overtones and shades of Clockwork Orange. Oh, and look, Lukas Haas as The Pin! I may see it again, just to catch the stuff I missed.

Feh.

I'm feeling melancholy, and it's as if my emotional state is having a direct effect on the weather patterns. Last week was all warmth and sunshine, but this week is far more tumultuous. The clouds seem furious and all the colours seem to have drained from the world.

Or perhaps the weather is having that effect on me instead - grey world = grey Koshka? More logical perhaps, but it doesn't seem as right.

I've always known I'm essentially B-Ark Material, and today has been highlighting that knowledge - I am run ragged, and yet I feel utterly useless.

I'm retreating into a little world of my own it seems, consisting of me, my knitting and The Metatron™. Through it I uncurl fronds to distant lands and dream of other places, other times, but instead of cheering me it's making me acknowledge all the things passing me by.

Gah, this is getting too morose. Must go shake myself loose.

It's wet out.

Yup, it's wet out there. Definitely spring. We had some really beautiful days this week, bright and sunny and really warm. Of course it cooled off yesterday and it's been raining off and on since lastnight. I should go out, I've been in the house all day, but it's so grim looking out that I'd rather stay in and vegetate.

Actually I've been pretty productive in the past few days - got a lot done on the scarf, did a bit of cleaning (not much of course), fixed a hole in a sweater, you know, around the house stuff.

Also dove into the Dr Who audios again - listened to Neverland, Zagreus and Scherzo in the past few days, phew! It has left me somewhat drained, they're especially emotional stories with lots of anguish.

Eastery goodness

I have lots of chocolate running through my system. Still. Not a bad thing you know.

Anyway.

My Easter visit with my parents was really good, lots of not doing anything, which is what vacations are really about. Dad got the knitting machine working again and I found instructions online for it, we went bowling (I beat my Dad at one game too - granted, it was a bad game for him...), bought a few cheap DVDs - Undercover Brother, The Astronaut's Wife and Johnny English - oh, and Dad gave me Narnia!


Mum also gave me a ring that she bought a few years ago, it's really beautiful and very shiny.

Yeah, it's all shiny actually.

Kids These Days

So when did I get so old?

I'm visiting my parents this weekend, so I took the Niagara Falls train after work yesterday. Going through Hamilton our car was hit not once, not twice, but THREE times by kids throwing stuff at the train. The second hit shattered one of the windows. Luckily they're double-paned windows with about four inches between the panes, and the glass is safety glass, but come on.

All I could think was I hope they catch those little buggers. Because kids think they can get away with anything. Why? Because that's what we teach them.

In February some kids threw a brick off an overpass for fun - the driver of the car it hit has to undergo reconstructive surgery now, and would have died if her brother hadn't been in the car to take over the wheel when the chunk of concrete came through the window and opened up her face. As far as I know they've never caught the person who did this - and if they do, if the person's a 'young offender', they'll get off with a warning or a slap on the wrist.

We're taught, on a daily basis, that someone else is always to blame for the things we do. Are you overweight? Don't exercise or start eating right, just sue McDonald's. Does your kid start fights? Must be the other kid's fault.

And why are they suddenly smoking? I mean, my parents have an excuse, they didn't know it was bad for them. They can blame the tobacco companies for misleading them. But now? Come on, in Kindergarten they showed us the pix of the healthy lung and the smoker's lung, and that's all it took. (The picture I attached here is, of course, of a smoker's lung - wouldn't that image be enough?) Kids now are growing up knowing you will DIE, your will get emphysema and cancer and all kinds of stuff, and they do it anyway. Then they get sick and want to SUE.

Me, I know there are things that are my own fault. I can complain about McDonald's being full of junk, but I'm the one who goes there, they don't chase me down.

Gah, I feel so old.

Later

My Dad found my old Knit Magic machine in the basement (like the picture, but with no yarn, or tension adjuster). Of course it never worked when I got it (hand-me-down from cousins I think) but I couldn't part with it. And it won't work now of course, it's really stiff. But I want to take it apart and see how it works. Maybe I can fix it, then if I need to do anything in a tube I can just crank the wheel and presto! Maybe I'll feel less old playing with this plastic toy!

I know I can get the equivalent now, relatively cheaply, but it's just that I want to make this one work...

Online radio

There's a lot out there right now, so much to choose from! And so much is free!

I love my Launch station. I've been listening and rating music for long enough for it to get pretty familiar with me (I'm a Ratings Master, with a current total of 23,181 ratings - yes, I'm a bit obsessive). They also have tons of other stations to listen to. Pretty good bang for something I've never given any money to. Not that I don't want to, but my home computer's a mac and they don't support OSX. Also, lately it keeps telling me that every 7th or 8th song I'm listening to is The Battle Of Epping Forest (which is a good song, but that's not what's playing, and it's throwing my last.fm stats off!). Sorry guys, once you support OSX and fix your tagging issue I'll send you money, but until you do you won't get a dime from me.

Radio Io is another great place to go for themed stations. Limited free access and better access with subscriptions. Personally, I flip back & forth between the 80s, 70s, Eclectic and Rock stations, and they're adding new ones all the time - I notice there's a new History station and they've even added an all Grateful Dead station, if you're so inclined...

Podcasts are also pretty damn cool - I've been listening to CBC feeds, Strongbad e-mails, the Crazy Daisy hour, Harry Shearer's radio show, They Might Be Giants... and I'm even considering trying one for myself. Ah, the internet's a wonderful thing.

But what's new on the horizon? Pandora is a great recent addition to the online music world - six years ago a bunch of musicians got together to create what ended up being the 'Music Genome Project' - they've listened to music by over 10,000 artists and categorized each track according to its tendencies (vocal harmonies, for example), and created a great interface for listening and customizing stations. Also offered in free and subscribed versions.

Upshot? I haven't listened to an actual radio myself for months. I can't deal with the commercials, the sycophantic DJs and the lack of specialization. I'm just too spoiled now.

Ice Cream profile

The Cardamom Addict pointed me towards this test. What kind of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream am I?

Apparently, I'm...

CHOCOLATE THERAPY!
I scored 81% SWEET, 74% CHUNKY, and 81% UNIQUE!
chocolate ice cream with chocolate cookies & swirls of chocolate pudding ice cream

Apparently, I ooze sweetness, just like this ice cream flavor. But there's much more to me than that... I tend to view things differently than other people and I like to engage myself in creative, challenging activities. I'm spunky, but not too wild, which is nice. Those who understand me tend to get along with me very well, appreciating all that I have to offer... and I offer a lot :)

The Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor Test written by weered1 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Later

Oh, and you may be wondering where my knitting has gone to - don't worry, I'm still a maniac, it's just been so busy lately I haven't finished any projects to take pix of. I present evidence of my first real cable project, which is both easier and harder than I imagined. Easier, because once I got the error in the pattern sorted out it's easy enough to follow, and harder because I keep losing track of where I am in it and having to frog back!

Although I have to say I love the technique of slipping the first stitch in the row, the edges look great - I'm going to have to remember that for future projects!

On another note, my favourite discovery of this past weekend: Homestar Runner Podcasts of Strong Bad e-mails and Teen Girl Squad!

To Lunch or Not To Lunch?

I had a meeting over lunch hour on Friday. Lunch meetings suck, did you know that? Really. Not that I don't like having food with a meeting if it's over lunch hour - it's just that, for me, the important part of Lunch Break is the Break part, I like to get away for an hour and not think about work. I can stay super late if I get a break in the middle.

So anyway, I spent lastnight setting up my flickr account (there's a link on the right side of the blog) and semi-populating it. Apparently there's a limit to how many you can upload in any given month so I've only put up a few things really. Also spent some time populating my iPhoto and organizing it - I had NO IDEA I had so many photos on The Metatron™! Took forever - but it was good, I forgot I had lots of those shots.

So today my recent ex-roomie came over for a visit with his boyfriend, I was so happy to see them! I told the girls at work that I'll probably see more of J now that he doesn't live here, and it's already true *grin*.

Went for Dim Sum with a bunch of folks, only two of which I knew, but that was really nice actually, I liked everyone a lot and, even though I didn't eat too much, I liked what we had for the most part, so all good there.

And since I have no self-control, I went up to Futureshop and bought Space: Above And Beyond! Well, that's a lie really - it finally came out in the fall and I've put it off buying it until now, so maybe I am learning some restraint...

Later
I've spent the evening listening to The Ceremony Of Innocence, the interactive CD-ROM of the first three of Nick Bantock's correspondence books. Not actually playing it, mind, as I need Classic to play it, but listening to the individual entries from Griffin and Sabine. I've been going through withdrawl for a while for it actually, I think it might be four or five years since I've gone back to it.

Aaaah, it was wonderful. Really, Paul McGann and Isabella Rossellini are two of my favourite ever people, and I could listen to Paul's voice for eternity (you all know my opinion of the man, right?). But it really makes me realize that I just don't write like I once aspired to.

I once wrote letters that were long and effusive, I had a journal to keep track of who I sent letters to and when, so I wouldn't keep telling them the same things over and over again, and I was known for it. And now? E-mail. And it's never anything exciting either. In my defence I have to say that the last missives I sent off either never arrived at their destinations or were diverted for months before finally finding their homes (which makes me quite upset and frustrated with Canada Post, to be honest).

I'm not sure what I should do about this. *sigh*

Publy goodness

Monthly Who pub night. Which is also monthly Sonic Boom Trip night. New money hemmorage items: The Beatles (1), Van Morrison (Moondance), Sting (...Nothing Like The Sun) and Sparks (Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins) - pretty good for $40, yes?

On to the pub, which was good - did more socializing than usual, all Graeme's fault who actually made me leave my cozy table and come to the back where everyone else was *grin* - and now I've got a fez and a dalek scarf to make - more to add to the ever-increasing pile of stuff to do, gah!

Oh, oh, oh! And I discovered there are two other people on this planet who liked Doctor Doctor (the TV show, see the post weekend accomplishments a few previous), let alone even knew what it was! Wow!

Oh, and I'm a total heel as I've forgotten absolutely EVERYONE's name - and also a wimp for not just admitting it and saying "dude, I've forgotten your name again" - I mean really, people know the way my brain is, they'd understand if I copped to it.

Of the last gang of people I was talking to tonight I can remember exactly TWO names - the rest? Uh, Brenda? Tim? uh, Ryan? Uh... feh.

Teething problems

Okay, so now I'm new again to having my own place alone.

This morning I woke up, opened the bedroom door and was blasted with cold air. What's up with this? I look into the second bedroom to find the window almost completely gone - if it wasn't for the wire my ex-roommate was using to hold it closed (the crank was busted, another story) it would have been down on the deck in a million teeny sharp pieces! That wind lastnight was something...

I let the office know, and they sent someone around today while I was at work - they couldn't completely fix it so quickly, but they've shut it and I've got to leave it that way until such time as they can replace the assembly *sigh* but I'm glad to have such a quick response time!

So anyway, after work tonight I went to see V For Vendetta on the IMAX screen, yay! It was quite a heavy-handed movie and had a lot of self-importance, but I fully enjoyed it. And anything on the IMAX screen is fun, full stop.

A weekend of accomplishment

First of all, I named the new iMac this week - it shall be known as The Metatron™ for now, unless that name grates on me...

Okay, Friday we saw Thank You For Smoking - this movie must be seen, it was great! The lesson is that it's not the person who is right who wins, it's the person who argues the best. I've always known that, but it was nice to see the vindication *grin*

And I finally did the co-op newsletter - for the first time since September! Wow, slack no more, me, I'm gettin' pink again!

Saturday was moving day for Jody, he's in a new place now but it's not too far away so I'll still be able to visit with him and stuff - might see him more now than when we lived together really! And I managed to get everything finally transferred over to the Metatron, yay!

So, feeling all accomplishy, I started my HUGE project of rescuing things off the slowly deteriorating VHS tapes in the racks upstairs - first disc done! Doctor Doctor, The John Larroquette Show and Flying Blind are all (relatively) safe...

Oh, and I went to my first members' meeting in almost a year, lookit me!