kimmy

Well, as Winston Churchill put it, "A girl who does not vote NDP in the grade four mock election has no heart. A girl who still votes NDP when she is 25 has no brain." -k

And yet last week you posted ... -k

Really. It would be like me calling myself "NDP Kimmy" because I voted NDP in the mock election when I was in grade 4. -k

I heard about a study just the other day that suggested men who smoke pot in their teens experienced an increased rate for a particularly malignant form of testicular cancer. The study's author urged young men to put down the bong until she'd had a chance to study the topic further. You know what? WHO CARES. If you lived your life by trying to avoid things that were risk factors, you'd turn into Bubble Boy. -k

The "blondes are becoming extinct!" story was a hoax played on the media a few years ago by someone (I believe he created hoaxes as a hobby, although I can't recall for sure) who purported to be from the World Health Organization and forwarded this "research" to a variety of media outlets, which bought into it hook, line, and sinker. CTV looked particularly foolish. Their reporter on the streets found a couple of blonde teenagers, who he asked if they'd be willing to help propagate the blonde gene for future generations by having sex with blond guys. Tee hee. I don't believe the reporter was blond, but he came off looking like by far the bigger idiot, even before the fake WHO report was revealed as a hoax. -k

"Militant pro-lifers"? Have they taken up arms? Promise Keepers is not men banding together to encourage each other to beat up women. Promise Keepers is men banding together to encourage each other to quit being irresponsible slobs. I don't care for conservative evangelicals either, but the hyperbole of your rhetoric is not helping your argument. -k

Conversely, is a former member of the Nixon and Ford administrations who became an actor and comedian.Hopefully Stein will return to politics to challenge Al Franken in 2012. It seems like the only way to nullify the "annoying Jewish comedian" factor. The Franken-Stein debates would be classic. They could go on tour at Yuk-Yuks clubs all over America. Are his lips moving? Then he's lying. -k

You might not know the name Heather DeLoach ...but you know her. At 10 years of age, Heather achieved what can only be described as global rock superstardom by starring as "The Bee Girl" in what is probably .Now 25, Heather reflects on her 15 minutes of fame. -k

Will the lefties never get over Obama not giving them a regal audience on Parliament Hill... even given the fact that it was Obama's decision that the visit be brief, all-business, and devoid of all pageantry? "Wah! Harper is trying to keep Hope and Change from coming to Ottawa!" As for Fareed Zakaria, I always enjoyed his appearances on the Jon Stewart Show. He has struck me as one of the smartest of media talking heads for some time. I don't know if being a smart guy by media standards makes him a smart guy by Secretary of State standards, however. I think it may be just as well that Mrs Clinton got the job. As for Canadian banks, I believe credit for resisting calls for laxer regulations belongs with Paul Martin, not any of the current bunch. If President Obama wants some of that common sense in Washington, he could probably hire PMPM as a consultant or advisor. -k

I think the way we see ourselves is to some degree shaped by the way others see us and react to us. I'm sure a ton of research has been done on that topic in regard to how racial stereotypes affect peoples' self image, but I think the same principle applies quite broadly. If your friend has learned her whole life that her beauty is what people value her for, then at some point it sinks in that this is who she is and what she has going for her and how she gets what she wants in life. I think that to some degree the people around us set us on our direction, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. You're probably all aware that I imagine myself to be terribly clever, but it might surprise you to learn that this wasn't always the case. I never used to think of myself as being very bright at all. I cruised through school with minimal effort, and got "ok" grades despite frequently skipping classes, ditching assignments, and hardly studying at all. Nobody ever expected better from me, not my parents or any of my teachers and certainly not myself. I was meeting what little expctations anyone had for me at school, so nobody ever told me to try harder or challenged me to actually achieve anything in school. Academics were for my little brother; my parents pushed me at other things. First singing and dancing, which I hated and was not good at. Realizing the Shirley Temple thing was not going to work, they got me into gymnastics, and figure skating, and diving, all of which I physically outgrew. Having run out of "cute" activities for their little golden-haired princess, it was on to judo and swimming and track and basketball and soccer, all of which I enjoyed and excelled at. That was the family Christmas card every year: Kimmy did very well in sports, and Ed did very well at school. But the Sporty Kimmy identity my parents had helped me build was as stupid as their first idea, Singing Dancing Kimmy. Being good at sports is useless once you're out of high school. I had no idea what to do next. I'm still sort of piecing things together. And ... it's hard for me to know what role peoples' expectations played. I don't have a brunette sister to compare notes with. Maybe she'd have received the same sort of direction in life from mom and dad. Or maybe not. Would they have tried to push a brown-haired daughter into singing and dancing? If I'd been plain or bespectacled or fat, would I have been encouraged to think in terms of a career instead of frivilous nonsense? If I'd been brown-haired or fat or bespectacled, would a teacher at some point have tapped me on the shoulder and said "you could do a lot better," or is the school system so numb that only the most dismal cases get the attention they need? I don't know. A couple of years ago I did attend university, partly to find out if it was for me, and partly to spite mom (who had said it would be "a big waste of money". I paid every cent of it from my own pocket.) I signed up for the toughest possible schedule of math and science courses, and finished with an "A" average. I haven't had the opportunity to continue, and I'm not sure I ever will, but proving something to myself and to certain others was important for me. -k

The rise in Liberal popularity coincides with them choosing a leader who is sane and normal. The rise in Liberal popularity coincides with them turfing Dion and his fruitopian agenda. The rise in Liberal popularity coincides with them stepping away from Jack Layton and his fantasies. The Liberals' dramatic rebound under Ignatieff proves how far out on the fringe Dion and Layton really were, and how irrelevant Canada's lefties really are in the grand scheme of things. I am very pleased with what I have seen of Michael Ignatieff so far, and will definitely be giving him a lot of consideration when he asks for my vote. I anticipate Ignatieff being the first Liberal leader in a long time that will have a chance to make inroads in Western Canada. -k

Phelps' only skill is being able to swim really fast. He's completely inarticulate and has the charisma of wet cardboard. I don't think that's going to make him a counter-culture hero regardless of how much pot he smokes. While the idea of a Phelps Olympic Series Signature Bong is pretty hilarious, I can't picture it being a big seller. Certainly not enough to make up the millions of sponsorship dollars he has at stake. -k

Not exactly related to your experience, BC-Chick, but I was under the impression that you were Asian? It seems to me you mentioned that in talking about why you won't vote CPC. If that's the case, I have to point out that it adds a different factor to the experience: blonde Asians are pretty darned rare. I suspect most peoples' exposure to blonde Asian women is limited to nude pictures of Tila Tequila. But yes, I think you're right. I don't think guys catch a glimpse of blond hair and assume the chick is hot. I think they glimpse the hair, ask themselves "is she hot?" and go on about their business once they've satisfied their curiosity. I've seen this while waitressing... a table of guys sees a blonde from behind, point her out to each other, and watch until she turns around, at which point they go "oh" and completely forget about her. (Or, sometimes they go "eww" and completely forget about her, in fact.) It sounds as if being blonde would be a big asset if one wishes to become a trophy, attract a mate who will provide everything for you. The studies mentioned above indicate it's anything but an asset if you aspire to achieve things for yourself. The segment from the TV program August mentioned above illustrates it perfectly... more people stopped to rescue the blonde, but they all asked her if she remembered to put gas in the car. Being blonde can certainly get you attention, but the attention it gets you is not necessarily the sort of attention you'd want. A close friend of mine was "the" blonde when she was in high school. Her looks got her into the right clique, invited to all the right parties, got her access to the boys that the other girls wished they had access to... ultimately it led her into booze, drugs, and adult men, which is not something she was emotionally ready for as a 16 year old. She is now a survivor of serial rapes, substance abuse, multiple suicide attempts, and she works as a stripper. And she is currently worried that she's being stalked. She could attract any man she wished... but she is afraid of them. When people talk about how unfair it is that outer appearance makes such a difference to peoples' lives, there seems to be the built in assumption that it's the attractive people who benefit and the unattractive people who suffer. I think my friend's life would have turned out a lot different if she were tubby and plain. -k

Phelps made quite an ass of himself in the months following the Olympics; appearing in dozens of photos that appeared to show him living a rock-star lifestyle, complete with booze and groupies, so drugs are not terribly surprising. I'd say that "shmuck" is a fair description of the guy. -k

Molly, I'm not sure if you're aware, but lots of people who begin life completely able-bodied in every aspect finish their lives completely dependent. Do you not have any relatives who have aged? Have you not witnessed the erosion of mental faculties due to afflictions like Alzheimer's disease, or senility, or acute loss of short-term memory? It's quite possible that Trig could be caring for one of his siblings before the end of things. All of us have a pretty fair probability of becoming a burden to our families before the end of our lives. The idea that she should have aborted the baby once she knew it would be disabled... it sounds like eugenics to me. A relative of mine has 2 autistic children, now in their early teens, who're likely never going to be able to participate in society in a normal way. They're probably going to be a "burden" their entire lives. But they have also made the people around them better. Their parents have learned humility and have developed the strongest bond I have ever seen. The mother's brother has 2 children the same age who spend a lot of time with the autistic children, and have developed patience and compassion and understanding beyond their years. Having disabled children is probably not something anybody would hope for, but it can strengthen a family and build more noble character and broaden minds. Trig Palin brought attention to the issue of educational funding for special needs children, so he's brought some good into the world and he's not even one year old yet. -k

It was the early days after the nomination, so she hadn't provided the better ammunition that came later on. Some (including at least one member here) argued that it was grossly irresponsible for her to get pregnant at her age because women over 40 have a higher chance of giving birth to a Down's Syndrome baby. There are many people who believe that abortion is simply not an option. What you're essentially arguing is that the world would be a better place without her Down's Syndrome baby in it. I think that . -k

Ever see the movie "True Romance"? There's a scene where Christian Slater goes to free the hooker from her pimp. He hands the pimp an envelope, and tells him that's what he's willing to pay to settle things. The pimp opens the envelope, and it's empty. It's his way of standing right in front of him, saying "you don't deserve a damned thing, so up yours." That's what I offer Oleg. -k

Since his most memorable role was probably as Doc Holliday in Tombstone, I think Arizona would be more appropriate. -k

Thank you for the link. I'd been searching for information on the subject just a couple of days ago, oddly enough. I have believed for a long time that the stereotype does exist in the real world, and not just in the form of those stupid jokes. And a couple of studies reported on your blog definitely support my suspicion. Once upon a time on another message board there was a discussion about stereotypes (in reference to tattoos and piercings, specifically) and I had said that people make assumptions about all of us based on our appearance, and that purposefully acquiring visual cues that will influence these assumptions for the worse was a foolish choice. I mentioned that I had an interview for a technically-oriented job coming up soon and was strongly considering coloring my hair because I thought I'd have a better chance of being taken seriously if I was brunette (even though I look ghastly in brunette.) The politically correct inhabitants of that message board howled and jeered derision on me for the comment. "When has being blonde ever hurt anyone's chances of getting a job?" In their minds, discrimination was something that only happens to brown people and homosexuals, I guess. But I have experimented with different hair colors at different times in my life, and did feel as if people reacted differently to me when I had different hair colors. People have told me that it was probably just in my head, or that perhaps I acted differently when I had different hair color. There was never any hard evidence, just my gut instinct. But this article will come in handy next time this topic comes up. -k {I didn't dye my hair for the interview. And I didn't get the job. And while I'd love to use that as an excuse, the truth is that I was underqualified.}

The father of these children is 60 years old as well. There is a good chance that these children could be orphans before they're in high-school. At least Trudeau's last love-child had a young healthy mother to look after it. I don't know if there was a backlash, but to me it does make him seem like something of an old fool. -k

mob n. 1. A large disorderly crowd or throng. See Synonyms at crowd. 2. The mass of common people; the populace.

Indeed, but you'll notice that we gone from discussing the opportunity for independent film-makers to reach a wider audience (which is quite interesting from a cultural point of view) to discussing shaving a few million dollars off of a movie distributor's bottom line (which is probably only interesting if you own a movie studio...) While I'm no expert on the subject, I believe that the theatres themselves pay a fee for the reels they receive, so perhaps the arrival of digital cinema will be of some benefit to theatre owners. Maybe it'll be easier for theatres to make a go of it. I was quite sad when the theatre on Somerset St in downtown Ottawa closed down... it was a grand old theatre with hundreds of seats and just one screen. New theatres have a dozen screens each with a few dozen seats, and eventually it will become millions of screens each with just one seat. Whatever the bean-counter implications of digital cinema, I am highly skeptical that it'll have the effect of putting more independent film in your local MegaMultiPlex theatre complex. I just don't believe the price of prints is the significant barrier of entry independent film-makers face in getting their stuff in front of an audience. Probably the biggest obstacle is that the people who stake their money on such things-- the people who distribute movies, and the people who operate the theatres-- do not believe that the film will make money. Given the choice between devoting a scarce screen to Trois Fromages Avec August1991, or Paul Blart: Mall Cop, the theatre chooses Paul Blart because he thinks it has a better chance to put enough butts in the seats to make money for the theatre. Trois Fromages can not generate the herd required at the box-office to make a theatrical release a commercial success. The theatre owner can't show that movie because he loses money that the screen could be making if it had a more popular movie showing. If it's on iTunes or NetFlix, however, Trois Fromages can survive. It is not costing someone money just by existing on a hard disc somewhere. It needn't pull in a million viewers in its first week or risk being yanked to make way for the next film. The future for independent films isn't digital cinema, it's digital distribution. -k

The busloads of "Obama-maniacs" can assemble and speak if they wish. However, Parliament Hill need not make itself available for such a gathering. And President Obama need not make himself available to Canadian mobs if he chooses not to. If Parliament Hill can be closed off to provide a showcase for 40-foot tall snow-sculptures, or closed off to provide a venue for some god-awful MuchMusic dance-party, or closed off to provide a stage for god-awful 3rd-rate Canadian performers on Canada Day, it can surely be closed off for the performing of actual work. Perhaps some day President Obama will bring his 3-inch thick bulletproof glass aquarium with him when he comes to Canada, and can meet the adoring multitudes then. Or perhaps the "Obama-maniacs" will just have to wait 8 years, after which they'll undoubtedly have the chance to meet President Obama at some $1000-a-plate dinner. -k

Oleg, you keep writing about how men in our culture are having their nuts taken away. If you admire these men so much for being models of manliness, you really ought to go join up. What an awesome place. A place where a man can tell his wife to get back in the kitchen, and she won't come out... ever! A place where men can take cheating wives to the rock quarry instead of divorce court! A place where real men can still drive a bulldozer over fags! This sounds like the place for you, Oleg. You should go. You'd be looked up to as some sort of sage or guru, I imagine. Hopefully you'll be able to recruit like-minded Canadian men to go with you. You could even start a movement. "AfMANistan! Where men are still men! The last place on earth where you can keep your balls!" -k

And I argue that that barrier applies to only one model of distribution, theatrical release. And if you want to get a movie to theatrical release, paying for enough prints to get to theatres is the least of your obstacles. I suspect that if a major distributor is sufficiently interested in your film, they'll pay for the prints. I suspect getting them to consider putting your crappy independent movie into theatres at all is the real obstacle, not getting the prints made. The finite number of movie screens, and the number of movies competing for them, is the real obstacle. To some extent the fact that a distributor has decided to put a movie on their screens indicates they have some amount of confidence that the product will be commercial successful... but as a vetting process, that has a drawback: they know (as H.L. Mencken put it) that “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.” The fact that they put another Rob Schneider movie in their theatres doesn't mean they think it's good, it just means they think there's a couple of million idiots who'll pay $10 apiece to see it. BTW, a friend of mine is putting together a website for reviews of online fiction; I can give you the URL if you'd like. The movie industry-- the theatrical release distribution model, at least-- needs herds to survive. With a book or CD or home video, people can take their leisurely time and peruse the product whenever they get around to it, and tell their friend who might likewise be inclined to buy the product some months later and so on. Movie theatres can not afford to wait for customers to enjoy the product at their own leisurely pace. They need a certain number of asses parked in front of the screen within a certain amount of time. They need you to go see their movie soon, because they need the screen for the next movie. "unthinkable 30 years ago"? I'm not sure I know what you're trying to get at... is it that kids in rotting 3rd-world hell-holes have access to media in a way they didn't 30 years ago? Because that's the only justification I can see to claim that Celine Dion is famous in a way that was unthinkable for, say, Elvis or the Beatles or back in their heydays well over 30 years ago. That you'd reach for names like Britney "Speers" and "Jessica Lopez" (whoever she is... did you mean Jennifer Lopez?) sort of underlines the point. These names aren't signficant to you (or you'd have at least spelled them right) and they're of little significance to anybody I know. Haven't seen a J-Lo movie since ... probably "Out of Sight". I don't own any of her records... I don't listen to a radio station that plays any of her songs. I don't own any Britney Spears records either, although I do still have "Hit me baby" on my hard-disc somewhere. And nobody under the age of about 40 likes Celine Dion. Absolutely nobody. It's unheard of. That Britney and J-Lo retain their aura of celebrity is more a function of weird tabloid fetishism than an indicator of any ongoing relevance of their artistic careers. That Celine Dion strikes you as an example of monumental celebrity is evidence that you're either old, or from Quebec. Spears and Lopez might be bigger in the celebrity business than many of their musical contemporaries, but that's not an indicator that they're more successful musical artists, it just means their trainwreck lives sell more tabloids. There may still be an audience for Britney and J-Lo and Celine Dion, but the market is so fragmented that if you approached people at random and asked them if they were a fan of one of these artists (or, indeed, probably any musical performer) and you'd be much more likely to get a "no" than a "yes". With dozens of radio stations and a plethora of other means of accessing music, people have an endless variety of options of accessing music that suits their tastes. The movie business, by contrast, is still very homogenous. There's probably only a dozen major theatrical releases in wide release on any particular day, they run on a finite number of screens operated by just a few major distributors, running releases from a handful of major studios and occassionally an independent release that makes the big time. (TV is much the same: just 3 major broadcasters and a finite amount of hours on the schedule.) You mentioned High School Musical as an example of a phenomenon, and you'll notice that High School Musical is a TV and movie franchise, not a music franchise; likewise Hannah Montana. In TV and movies, it's easy to peg where the herd is at. In music, that has become impossible. -k