Sociologists Do It In Groups

The following are some excerpt from my notes from my Uni days...

Social Epidemiology:  The study of morbidity and mortality rates within a population. 

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In 2008 I went to see the following concerts:

The Dudes

Sonata Arctica

Avril Lavigne 

Les Trois Accords

The Trews

Gob

City and Color

Nine Inch Nails

Tom Petty

Warp Tour

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"I wish I were a black bear so I could eat all the salmon in the sea."

Holy Moly 2014

How the heck did it become 2014 already? I suppose if I simply blog once a year, that will suffice, yes? 

Another year of successful Comic Expo, more school (School again?), weddings (not me), Stampede, fun times, moving, concerts. 

2014. yup.

More on this later. 

OH! Too cute!

"OH! EM! GEE!!!"

Actual words uttered from my mouth when I discovered the ridiculously cuteness of this adorable kitty named "Pusheen".

Go here.... NOW!  >>>>>>>>>>>>  http://pusheen.com/ <<<<<<<<<<<<<

This is clearly the most adorable thing I've seen in a while! I'm completly taken over by this cat! Maybe because it reminds me of Mochanut... I'm not sure, but seriously, look at it!!! aaaaa!!!

Make It So

The Comic Expo has become a yearly tradition for my dad and I. We first attended back in 2010 when we heard that Leonard Nimoy was making an appearance. Knowing full well that this could easily be one of the last cons for Nimoy, my dad and I set out to meet one of the actors that we both thought was pretty awesome. This was the same year that Brent Spinner was attending as well so seeing as we are Trekkies, this worked in our favour. Never being to the expo before it was really intense with the amounts of crowds and the waiting... so ... much... waiting. There was waiting in lines to meet people, there was waiting in lines to use to the bathroom, to buy something to eat to buy merch. There was waiting. One of the booths I had wanted to visit sold out of the books I wanted to purchase in the first 3 hours of the event and had no more in stock. I found this out after I waited 30 mins to get to the front of the line. The event wasn't really well planned out as they would cut off the amount of people seeing a particular celebrity at a certain time so one would wait in line all day long to get a chance to meet them first. We met Spinner first and he was really nice and pleasant to talk to and we felt we were off to a good start. However after standing in line for a good what seemed like (and probably not far off of) 6 hours for Nimoy, when he finally arrived the line went fast. Not only were we not allowed to take photos, he didn't seem to want to talk either. There wasn't even an exchange of eye contact. We paid our money, said hello, got a signature and then moved along .. like cattle. Needless to say we weren't all that impressed and learned what to do for next time, if there was going to be a next time at all.

Fast forward to 2011 Comic Expo where none other than William Shatner was staring as the guest of honour. To keep the Star Trek theme going Johnathan Frakes was there too. This time, my dad and I came prepared. We brought lunches complete with sandwiches and juice boxes and protein snacks to keep us going. We brought mini fold up chairs that were easy to carry and allowed us to seat anywhere we wanted without worry about getting back up from the ground. We brought our umbrella as the weather in April is iffy and last time it rained (this was was no exception). The 2011 expo was held in a larger part of the building allowing for more room to walk and was much better organized as they had time slots to meet the stars and limited amount of space. You purchased your ticket and then went in line when your time was and that was it. We were ready! Armed with things to get signed, we started with Johnathan Frake. The line didn't go by too slowly and before we knew it here we were not only talking with Riker himself but also getting a photograph taken with him. He was so personable and kind and genuinely happy to be there that all of our skepticism melted away. It was a real treat and to see my dad smile the way he did was so worth it. After meeting Frakes, we went and sat (remember, we had the chairs? ohhhhh yeeeeeah!) in line for Shatner. We had purchased the earliest meeting time so we were ahead of a lot of other people. Once Shatner arrived, the line went REALLY fast. He was not taking photos with people so that's why it went at a good pace. However, unlike Nimoy from the previous year, Shatner was really funny and nice and kind. My dad got his signature and talked with him and Shatner not only made eye contact with us but thanked us for coming and the for the 30 seconds we got to chat to him, was really pleasant. This expo was so much better by far due to much better event planning as well as friendly guests and our own thinking on subject such as food and chairs. We left in good spirits and had our umbrellas ready for the rain.  

So when I learned that the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was reuniting in Calgary at the Comic Expo this year in April, I was really excited. Okay... SUPER excited! Not only have the cast not reunited in quite some time, but they decided to come to Calgary. Okay, then there's the fact that it's Star Trek and my dad and I are totally going! We learned from the first two years what to expect and what to do and this year is going to be awesome. Seeing as we've already met Frakes and Spinner, we don't technically have to meet them again, although, we might just. If we don't get the chance to though, it gives us time to meet Sir Patrick Stewart, Marin Sirtis, Michael Dorn , LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Wil Wheaton and Denise Crosby. Not only are there Trekkies but there is also going to be Adam West guest staring and Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) and Stan Lee of all people! ha! There are of course many others, but the real big thing is TNG cast. I'm especially excited to meet Sir Patrick Stewart. I hope he's nice. 

I went ahead and crocheted some cute little Star Trek crew members (Riker and Data) of the ones we met previously and I'm toying with the idea of making the rest of the crew. Ah... why not. :p hahaha. Here are some photos:

Well... as we patiently await the expo, I hope it turns out awesome. I'll be bringing the lunch and power bars as well as the chairs. Oh.. and don't forget the umbrella.

This Is The New Year

Looking back, 2011 was a pretty cool year. A lot of things happened that year and all in all it was good. I started the year with a trip to Vancouver with my Dad who hadn't been there in ages. We got to see all the Olympic stuff and ate in a revolving restaurant that was one of the higher skyscrapers around. I got to see my friend Stephanie whom I hadn't seen since grade 7 when she left to live in Vancouver. It was really cool. You know those types of people that you can go without seeing for years on end but when you meet up again it's like nothing's changed and even though everything is different you still talk as if no time has past at all? Yeah. It was like that. We got gelato. It was delish.

I like Vancouver. Since the Olympics, their subway system has improved, but don't ask me about the different zones, I still don't get that. It was fairly sunny and only rained one day. That was January.

In February I got to take up an invitation from my friend Carly to come to her wedding. I wasn't sure I'd be able to go at first, but close to last minute, I was able to go. This was an adventure in itself as she lives in Australia. I took advantage of my job benefits and got cheap flights to Los Angeles which involved a stop in Vancouver. The L.A. to Australia flight was 14 hours there and I got to ride in a double decker airbus. Talk about sweet! I was really thrilled in the fact that there was Bundaburg Gingerbeer on the flight! aa! That was heaps of fun! I drank about 5! 

Australia in itself was a crazy adventure which I'm sure to write more on later, but for now Christmas on a stick.

I got a sun burn and met an echidna.

Crispy M&Ms and I were reunited once again. 

As for March the only good thing about March was the impromptu trip to Canmore.

April was sweet as I got a promotion at work and went in for 6 weeks of off phone training. I missed that. It was nice to make new friends and take on more responsibility. 

May was a rocking cool month. I bought a car! My first ever car. She's black and named Chupathingy. Yeah! 10 points to the first person to get that reference.
I got to help taxi a plane, ride in the TUG and hang out in the underbelly luggage area of Boeing 737.
May also marked a historic event! Rammstein came to Edmonton and my friend Mitch and I took Chupa for her second long drive and went to rock out with one of the greatest metal bands alive! This was the second time I'd seen Rammstein as the first time was back in 2009 in Paris, France. Ahh!... but that's another story. This was friggin' fantastic. I love Rammstein and I was so happy to get to see them again. It was a real treat. 

This was the month that I finished training and started my new role in my job. It was interesting and a good kind of challenging. It was really cool to meet new people and have this sense of being able to fix anything. hahaha.

June was spent doing a LOT of knitting. .... a lot...But SOOOOOO worth it!

July was a pretty cool month. I got to host my sister's bachelorette party which was interesting to say the least as I'd never been to one before. It turned out pretty darn sweet though if I may say so myself. July also marks the month we got Mochanut. My new lilac point ragdoll kitty. She was 15 months old already when we rescued her and has warmed up slowly but is a loving cat. 

August was the turning month in the sense that it was the month that we had all worked so hard to get to and came like a freight train. My beautiful sister got married and it was the most beautiful wedding ever! Her and her husband are so perfect together and it was a magical day spent with friends and family. I hope when I get married it will be that magical. I don't think any of us wanted the day to end. My feet were happy though as the amazingly beautiful shoes I wore started to hurt a LOT after 5 hours. hahaha. 

September was a really cool month. I got to say goodbye to one job and say hi to a new one which not only is more rewarding but way more fun.

October meant Thanksgiving and some time off as well as a lack luster concert from Avril Lavigne. What the hell??

It also meant making Creme Brulee, which is delicious.

November was significant in the fact that Halo: Combat Evolved 10 year anniversary was released and consequently meant I got an xbox 360 and the game of course. Most of the month was spent playing that and reliving some good memories from High School. I'm in love all over again.

 Although I was sick for most of December, it was a good month. A well needed break from working for the past 10 months was really needed and well deserved. Christmas came really fast and most of the knitting got done. Zoolights this year was interesting but not as good as it has been. I wonder if maybe they need to revamp the displays? The year ended well with warm weather that reflected early spring rather than winter much to everyone's happiness. 

Yup. 2011 was a good year.

Tokidoki Barbie

Barbie has always caused controversy but this time parents, who wouldn't allow their children to play with Barbies anyway, are REALLY upset. Why? Because Barbie teamed up with tokidoki (one of my utmost favourite designers) to produce this fantastic edgy Barbie, aptly named tokidoki Barbie. Take a look:

As you can see, she has pale pink hair, sports tokidoki leopard print leggings, a tokidoki tshirt, tokidoki purse (my absolute fav!!!), several tokidoki jewelry pieces, an annoyed looking cactus pup and yes... lots and lots of ink. Something that is note worthy is that this particular Barbie is aimed towards adult collectors and NOT CHILDREN!!! The fact that only 7400 were made and that they've already sold out on the tokidoki website shows that kids won't be picking this Barbie up at their local "Toys R Us" anytime soon. 

So why such a fuss? Well these anal retentive parents are worried that their children might play with these Barbies and get ideas in their heads to get tattoos. I have to laugh because unless these parents bought the doll the day it came out, or are willing to pay upwards to $400 on eBay to get this doll, their kids wouldn't get the chance to play with her anyway. I'm not sure really why this is such a big deal considering this isn't the first time Barbie has sported ink. Mattel has released two other Barbies with ink before tokidoki Barbie.

In 2009, Totally Stylin' Tattoos Barbie with 40 small tattoo stickers was released. There are even tattoos for your child too, but let's be honest, this Barbie doesn't have pink hair, so she must be okay for my child to play with. 

Then in 2008, Mattel collaborated with Harley Davidson and created a Barbie with inked giant wings on her back, take a look:
This doll just like the tokidoki Barbie is also geared towards adults. 


I honestly don't see what the deal is, and am personally loving this doll! I rate her 5/5 for being so amazingly awesome! I'm a huge tokidoki fanatic and this is the best collaboration since "tokidoki x Hello Kitty", but more on that later.

So what do you think? Is this Barbie a cause for alarm or is it safe to say children won't be influenced by Barbie to get tattoos.

Russell

Russell Brand is a comedian but most people will know him as Katy Perry's husband. Also know as acting in "Get Him To The Greek" and "Arthur" which were really good movies. Well here's the thing, I got the pleasure of seeing Russell Brand Live at the Jubilee. I have to admit, I'm on a budget so I did get the cheapest ticket near the very back on the second balcony, but it didn't matter as everyone enjoyed the same show. Russell was scheduled to show up from 6:30pm and before we were able to get the show rolling, we had a whole bunch of speeches from random people from the sponsors. Then there was a 20 minute long, award winning-esque type speech by the major charity lady and I don't remember a thing she said as I got bored after 5 mins and took out my iPhone and started playing Tiny Tower. Anyway... I did start to laugh when she started to thank her family and her friends for everything... I could hear the music playing. It was really annoying and made me ask out loud if this was mistakenly some type of award show. Around 7 pm the long winded speeches were FINALLY over.

Now this was not Russell's fault so no blame to him, but it did make him late to start. Either way, he came out on stage with a big screen behind him depicting his every move and made us laugh. He is hilarious. There were things said that shouldn't have been but were anyway. A phone got broken, people got to hug him, there were serious moments and lots of water was consumed. It was awesome. I really enjoyed the show and I'm giving him a 4.5/5. Not a full 5/5 only due to the long delay from all the needless speeches. It was a great night out though and a real pleasure to enjoy his comedic ways in person.  :)

Thanks for making me laugh!!