Imagine a world without tigers. No more “Grrrrrrreat!” Tony the Tiger. No more Tigger. No more Garfield. And no longer will Napoleon Dynamite be able to dream about a tiger-lion fusion (the Liger).

Well this is the result we might be arriving at more quickly than you think. According to Cbcnews.com, approximately 150 tigers are killed every year, which is 5% of the world’s tiger population. This is a rapid decline, people. The article also says “the number of countries that are home to tigers has dropped to 13 from 25, while three of the nine tiger subspecies have become extinct”. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/11/23/tigers-chinese-traditional-chinese-medicine.html?ref=rss

This is unacceptable!! I am not an advocate for hunting anyways, but the exaggerated killing for sport to the point of extinction is ridiculously inhumane. 

If this weren’t bad enough, tigers’ homes are being destroyed as well. The remaining animals are suffering because of their lack of habitat. As stated by WWF.ca: “Over the past few decades, tiger habitat has been extensively destroyed, degraded and fragmented by human activities – mainly clearing of forests for agriculture and the timber trade and development activities such as the building of road networks”.

There is still hope!!

Nature is on our side; tigers are plentiful breeders and can breed faster than their prey. With proper safeguards in place, including measures for habitat and prey species, and stopping tiger poaching and habitat destruction, we can double the number of wild tiger populations in by 2022, the next Chinese Year of the Tiger. (wwf.ca)

So, if these facts make you as sad as it makes me, and if you DON’T want your grandchildren growing up asking you what those cute orange cats with the black stripes were called back in the day, go to wwf.ca and learn how you can make a difference!

Join WWF to reach Tx2
There are as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild. Scientists say the situation is so bad, that the tiger faces extinction in the wild by the time of the next Chinese Year of the Tiger in 2022. WWF will not let this happen. 

https://wwfcentral.ca/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=753

No Longer 'Glee'ful

I had FINALLY come to peace with my involvement as a Glee fan. It satisfied my desire for sitcom humour and musical theatre on a weekly basis, which left me feeling, pardon, gleeful!

Isn’t it awful , then, that as soon as I secured a weekly spot for Glee on my PVR schedule that it started to really let me down.

First, I was sucked in by the opportunity to enjoy new characters at the beginning of the second season.  In the first episode, Sunshine, the foreign girl who gets under Rachael’s skin with her extraordinary vocal skills, stole my heart with their bathroom duet of Telephone by Lady Gaga, only to be cut from the show after one short episode.

Then, I pushed play on episode 4 only to be exposed to what a friend of mine perfectly described as “soft, cheer porn”. I mean seriously, what were the writers thinking when they pitched the scene where Brittany and Santana are making out on the bed, using terms that are most inappropriate for an 8:00 pm show, ones that I refuse to repeat! It begs the question… who is this show catering to?! I was thoroughly creeped out.

Not long after this episode did the latest issue of GQ come out featuring 3 main Glee actors in what can be delicately described as a feature that belonged in Maxim. You can decide what you think for yourselves, but I have to ask whyyyyy must we push for these characters to be sex symbols? They play teenagers in a high school glee club. That’s their role. I understand that Lea Michele is probably getting sick of knee-high socks and grandma cardigans, but again I ask, who are they catering to?! And was GQ really the best medium for a sexy photo shoot? I think they really took it too far here. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20435780,00.html

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201011/glee-gleeks-rachel-finn-quinn-cory-monteith-lea-michele-diana-agron 

So. With all this in mind, I reserved my opinions as I was sure the “Rocky Horror Glee Show” would cause me to take it all back and my love for the show would once again flourish. Wrong. To be clear, I have never seen the full original Rocky Horror Picture Show. But I was thrilled about a Halloween-themed Glee show. Especially one that was directed by famous choreographer and producer, Adam Shankman. And, as always, I looked forward to the musicality… which was surprisingly absent in the episode. I felt for the first time that there was a ton more dialogue then songs and found myself skipping through to the musical numbers. And don’t even get me started on Will Schuester and Emma’s scene. I was embarrassed, uncomfortable and enraged all at the same time. And to cap it all off, Time Warp wasn’t even that dynamic. That was supposed to be the big conclusion!!! For the first time this season I was neither moved nor excited by the end of the episode and am still seriously debating whether I am going to even bother watching tonight’s broadcast. Glee seems to have become that show that wastes space on my PVR until Sunday morning when I am hung over, avoiding chores and homework, and since all the good shows have since been watched and deleted, desperate for something to keep me company in my mindlessness.

Now Hear This!

A friend of mine posted a link on his Facebook page with a link to Willow Smith's first ever music video. Now, usually I ignore these links as my Facebook Friends tend to have very specific taste, and unless they are sending the links to me, I am usually uninterested. However, the combination of the words "Will Smith" (a life-long love of mine) and his opinion ("my 9 year old self is feelin this, my 22 year old self feels weird about that") hooked me. So I watched it. Then I replayed it. Then I played it, got up and danced around my room to it. And then I played it again, but with more critical senses. And it hit me... I loved it!
I love the beat. I love the concept of the video. I love that this 9 year old girl has a song out there that will appeal to audiences without feeling awkward about premature sexuality (which tends to be apparent earlier and earlier in female pre-teen pop stars - gross). I love that this girl is THE Will Smith's daughter. And I LOVE that she actually has talent.
I can confidently say that Willow Smith can actually sing! This isn't just another example of 'pushy celebrity parent forcing child into spotlight with no talent and strong hip hop beat to cover up said lack of talent'. A) Will Smith obviously does not need his children to be successful for financial reasons. B) It's Will Smith. Come on. I dare you to tell me that the Fresh Prince is anything but a supportive father, telling Willow she can do whatever she wants and it's entirely her decision. C) Willow is talented! I am already looking forward to what the rest of her debut album will sound like!

Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKLymvwD2U

Tell me what you think!

The Social Network Phenomenon

For the record, movie fans, I usually don't wait 2 weeks to see ANYTHING that features Justin Timberlake, but school's been keeping me busy. So cut me some slack on the late review here!

I gave myself a break from homework and went out to see The Social Network last night! I don't know if being a PR student or my minor obsession with all things media influenced my opinion at all, but I came out of that theatre both entertained and depressed, educated and exhilarated, exhausted and overwhelmed. Do movies make me too emotional? Maybe. But let me explain.

The acting in this movie is phenomenal. Apart from JT, the kid from Adventureland and Karen Filippeli from the Office, I didn't recognize any of the other actors, but I'm going to be keeping my eye out for them from now on. Justin Timberlake's portrayal of Napster founder Sean Parker admittedly might not be much of a stretch personality-wise. His top traits include extreme partying and charming the pants of everyone he comes across. Okay, I don't know if JT is a partyer but he can charm my pants off any day!

Speaking of charming my pants off, the twins, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss?!?! Helloooooo. I mean, I'm not THAT shallow, but if I was, this would be a reason in itself to go see The Social Network. Little did I know that this was one actor (Armie Hammer) doing both parts (I knew they were too good to be true). Their on-screen banter with each other and their partner Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) provided some much-needed comic relief.

The two that really stood out for me were Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin. Garfield evoked the most emotion out of the movie, delivering his comedic moments as well as his moving, emotional speeches and his furious outbursts. Not to mention his insane girlfriend, whose scenes are arguably the funniest part of the movie. Also, I feel it necessary to mention that Garfield (the future Spiderman, replacing Tobey Maguire in the upcoming movie) is far from sore on the eyes!

I went in to the movie expecting Eisenberg to be one-dimensional in the way the Michael Cera is: the same character in different roles. I was pleasantly surprised! In addition to his general appearance, which can only be described as grungy-cute in a weird way, his Sheldon-esque (read: Big Bang Theory's lead character) was both humorous and depressing in a very satisfying way. Although I can see why the real Mark Zuckerberg might be less than pleased with the way he was portrayed (lack of social skills and manners in general), the character is both hilarious and humanized throughout. The final scene of the movie will undoubtedly evoke sympathy from the audience. I thought those final long seconds were brilliant. Although I won't write anymore so as to not spoil it!

…Did I mention that the actors in this movie are fun to look at? Seriously, check out the pictures. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/

The most impressive thing about The Social Network is how much it will make you think, and I mean really think, about just how enormous Facebook is. It seems that any functioning member of today's society, regardless of age, with any technology-savvy-ness at all, is on Facebook. And if you're like me, by "on Facebook", I mean literally on the Facebook website multiple times a day. It is a permanent game-changer in technology and in communication across the world, and its epic power is only magnified by Zuckerberg's story behind its creation. However, the real Zuckerberg has commented on the movie plot's credibility:

"It's a movie, it's fun. A lot of it is fiction, but even the filmmakers will say that. They're trying to build a good story. This is my life, so I know it's not that dramatic. The last six years have been a lot of coding and focus and hard work. But maybe it would be fun to remember it as partying and all this crazy drama, so who knows, maybe it will be a good story." http://gawker.com/5647434/zuckerberg-on-oprah-my-100-million-donation-is-about-kids-not-the-social-network

Regardless, when you're on Facebook later (which I know you will be, and you know it too), just take a moment to appreciate the magnitude of it and the power of social networking in our lives. And then go see the movie. You won't be disappointed!!

Till next time,

-Kristin

PS. Just for fun!... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtG7tgMW1h8

Let's Get It Started In Here!

Whoo! First post on my brand new blog. I dedicate this to my first follower, Hope! Thanks buddy, now I have a reason to write.

Not that I have anything to write about :s
I'm sure this will get easier as I continue to add to the "blogosphere".

How about I start it off with things I am currently interested in, so as to catch your attention and maybe I can even persuade you to check back for updates!

I am a HUGE fan of this season of Dancing with the Stars. Favourites include: Kurt Warner (swoon), Kyle Massey, Audrina Patridge and (although I'm embarrassed to admit it) The Situation. I also enjoy sitcoms (How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and reruns of Friends) and the cheesy shows (Glee, Vamp Diaries, etc.) These tidbits of info are important as I am certain several blogs to come will revolve around these shows as they continue on week to week!
I enjoy music and entertainment, reading in my down time and am a huge believer in Animal Rights.

Also, I am an Ottawa Senators fan living in Toronto Maple Leaf county. I know, right, living dangerously. However, I welcome (friendly) competition so BRING IT ON!

Wow, blogging seems to be a combination of blathering and ranting. Maybe I'm not doing it right? Oh well, I'll figure it out eventually!

Til Next Time!
-Kristin