Flag this message Don't let Congress gut women's rights

 I got this from Amnesty International:

Dear Tracy,

In the past few months, over 17,000 Amnesty activists called on their Member of Congress to vote on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

About a month ago, both the House and Senate finally passed their own versions of VAWA. But the fight isn't over yet! While the Senate version is a strong bill, the House version would undermine women's rights in the United States. In the next couple of weeks, your action is essential and will determine the passage of the strongest VAWA yet.

Urge the passage of a strong and inclusive VAWA now!

We need a VAWA that protects all women. All of your calls, emails, letters and tweets helped get the right provisions into the Senate version of VAWA. In fact, a senior Senate staffer said that Amnesty's support of the provisions for Native women were crucial to making sure that they were included.

We want to show Congress how important this bill is to all of us - Native American and Alaska Native women, immigrant women and LGBT individuals included -- throughout the country. Now that there are two versions of the bill, it is time to take action to ensure that an effective VAWA is sent to President Obama for his signature.

The House passed a version of VAWA that fails women. If this version prevails:

• Tribal courts will have no power to prosecute non-Native perpetrators of sexual violence against Native American women.
• Immigrant women will have little legal protection to prevent abusers from using immigration status as a tool of exploitation and control.
• LGBT persons will continue to face discrimination and denial of social services.

Congress should not pass VAWA without addressing these problems. If the expanded provisions in the Senate bill don't pass, Native American and Alaska Native women, immigrant women and LGBT individuals will be at greater risk of violence with no recourse to justice.

Every day that goes by without Congressional action is another day that women do not get the support and protection they need.

Now is the time to act. Since Congress is stalled on the reconciliation process, this is our window to influence the next steps. Tell Congress the answer is obvious --- the Senate bill is the only acceptable version of VAWA.

We won't settle for anything less. Will you? Take action to ensure that Congress passes the Senate bill that protects all women - regardless of their race, ethnicity, tribal or immigration status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

In solidarity,

Cristina M. Finch Policy and Advocacy Director, Women's Human Rights Amnesty International USA

Click. Boom. Why Amnesty's gone bananas

Sign this petition: 

 http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517422&msource=W1206EAATT3

Dear Tracy,

I have good news and bad news.

Good news first -- there are dozens of tough regulations in place protecting you from buying an oddly shaped banana.

But regulations on the global trade of weapons? Not so much.

While the international community regulates the heck out of things like bananas and dinosaur bones, there are virtually no global rules for the trade of products designed to kill and injure.

That's the bad news. And it's absolutely nuts.

But a solution is in sight. Starting July 2, representatives of nearly every country will convene at the UN in New York to negotiate an historic Arms Trade Treaty.

Urge President Obama to fight for a bulletproof Arms Trade Treaty that includes meaningful protections against human rights abuses.

Amnesty has spent the last 10 years campaigning for a global solution to the irresponsible and illicit arms trade that puts human rights first.

The dirty truth is that the indiscriminate transfer of guns and ammunition results in hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. Many of these weapons are used to commit sickening human rights abuses.

Consider these sobering facts:

Child soldiers. Governments and armed groups in 19 countries are training children -- some as young as eight years old -- as to be killers. They load these youngsters up with weapons obtained via the irresponsible arms trade.

Armed violence against women and girls. Without a doubt, guns have fueled the epidemic of rape and other sexual violence in countries torn apart by armed conflict such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In the DRC 48 women are raped every hour by armed groups.

How do we help civilians dodge the bullets? Rein in the flow of arms to thugs and tyrants intent on terror and repression.

The global Arms Trade Treaty won't erase violence. But over time, it will constrain the indiscriminate export of guns and ammunition, slow down the ability of human rights abusers to arm and re-arm themselves and help prevent human rights abuses.

Help make the world a better place today -- sign our Arms Trade Treaty petition to President Obama today.

Sincerely,

Frank Januzzi
Deputy Executive Director, Head of Washington DC Office
Amnesty International USA

P.S. We went bananas yesterday in Times Square -- watch and share the amazing video we played on billboards in New York City yesterday for thousands to see!

law of attraction/ Snow White and the Huntsman/ Art Works Festival

Jun. 18 Law of attraction: The other day, I was reading the business section of the newspaper talking about confidence.  It mentioned "fake it till you make it."  Fake confidence until you feel confident.  Today I was thinking about it like you should apply it during a job interview.  I was also thinking about that Dateline: To Catch a Predator about that 35 yr old guy dating a 12 yr old girl.  He seemed to be totally faking that he's interested in her when he's obviously not.  He seems to think that if he fakes he's in love with her, he will be in love with her. Then today my sister said "fake it till you make it" about working.  Interesting, this phrase seems to pop up. Jun. 20 Song: Yesterday I was listening to the radio station Hot 107.  They were playing the song "Ride with Me" by Nelly.  The DJ Bree was talking. Bree: A girl just called and asked what the song was called.  I was like: "Seriously, you don't know what's the song's called?"  She (girl) said: "No, I've never heard of it before."  I was like: "It's 'Ride with Me'" by Nelly.  What year were you born in?  She's like: "1999."  So old songs can be new to some people. Me: lol.  I think that song came out around 2000, 2001.  When I heard that the girl never heard of that song before, I immediately thought she must be young. Jun. 22 Flashback: I went to a Christmas party at work with my friend/co-worker 6 months ago.  She left early and gave me her raffle ticket to win prizes.  We didn't win anything.  This month I went to another party at work and entered to win a prize.  I won two movie tickets and I told my friend about it.  She said she wanted to see Snow White and the Huntsman, so we went to it today.  It's a good way to spend a Fri. afternoon. I remember that she did buy a cheesecake and shared the slices to all the co-workers one time.  I even remember back in high school she bought like this twinkies treat and shared one with me even when I didn't ask.     Snow White and the Huntsman:  I don't usually like watching movies in the theatre because I don't like to pay to see something.  You don't have anything to show for it.  I also don't like sitting for long periods of time without taking a break here and there. The movie has really good cinematography and special effects.  It was a compelling story with interesting characters.  There was lots of action which I liked.  I'm not a fan of things set in the olden times, but the fantasy kept it interesting. There was lots of suspense, tension, and surprise.  There wasn't much of a romance in it.  I didn't find it predictable at all.  The only thing I could see coming was that Snow White has to face off the Queen on her own. My only nitpick was in the beginning of the movie.  How convenient that when a character needs a horse, it's there.  I recommend you watch this movie.  It's epic. Jun. 23 Job: This must be the law of attraction working.  After I saw the movie, I went and decided to check out this clothing store.  As soon as I walked in, I found the guy I had a rift with at work, before he got dismissed.  I immediately stepped out of the store and kind of looked to see if it really is him from the window. Yeah, it's him.  I could go up to him and say: "Who are you tell me I'm not a good worker compared to what you did?"  But I'm not mean and stuck up.  I just want to tell him to get off his high horse.  Then again, you could say the same thing to me: "You get off your high horse.  You got dismissed from those 2 telemarketer jobs because you didn't sell anything."  Forget him.  I did tell 2 of my co-workers where he works at now. That is so weird.  It's like how I also found him on that online dating site. Feelings: I feel like I want to have fun.  Probably because it's the summer.  I know there's lots of productive things for me to do.  I kind of mixed fun and business together like reading the business sections of my newspapers for an hr, outside while enjoying the weather. Jun. 25 Jonathan Goldstein: I read his column in the National Post on the section Weekend Post.  He talks about his week.  Last week he talked about working as a telemarketer selling subscriptions to a newspaper.  It may be the law of attraction where I work and think about being a telemarketer, and then this article appears. He's a quirky writer.  He talks about the constant rejection and how a new girl who starts working there.  It was her first job and she cried.  JG says:"If you really hate it, you should just quit."  She did on the same day.  The article closes with:  "I would eventually develop the requisite moxie to tell myself just that. But unfortunately, it would take 10 years."  Here's the whole article: http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/called+during+dinner/6829907/story.html Art Works Festival: Today after work, I went to the Art Works Festival in Churchill Square.  It has the arts and crafts like selling jewelery, clothes, bags, and art.  Some art was clay, photos, and painting.  I got into this fun conversation with this artist Jordan.  I think she was 17 or 18 yrs old. Me: Did you go to school to learn art? Jordan: No, I'm self-taught. Me: Did you go to Victoria Performing Arts High School? Jordan: No, I went to St. Joseph in gr. 10,11, and in gr. 12 I home- schooled.  My art is supposed to pay so I could take art in college. Me: You mean the arts program at Grant MacEwan? Jordan: No, I'm going to Red Deer College.   Phabrik magazine: I also picked up a free issue of Phabrik magazine.  There are really nice pictures of fashion.  I took one so I can give it to my sister.  Here's a blog about a model being on the cover of it.  The pictures of the model came out well.  Check it out:  http://mode-edmonton.blogspot.ca/2011/09/megan-covers-phabrik-magazine.html Jun. 26 James Dean: Kate Croston emailed this article "10 Things James Dean Would have Tweeted."  I'm a fan of his since 2005.  I have all these pictures of him up in my room.  It's kind of fun to read this article if you're a fan of his or want to know more about him.  The facts about him are accurate.http://www.internetservice.net/2012/10-things-james-dean-would-have-tweeted/ Teen Mom: My friend Sherry sent me this article about Teen Mom star Amber Portwood.  Did you know that she gets paid $280,000 a year?  I then told this to my brother and he said: "Yeah, I told you that before."  I guess I forgot, but I had to see it to believe it. Some comments below the article said what I was thinking: "If the teen moms get paid so well, then how come they look so broke?"  Or the very least not looking they live a lavish lifestyle.  It's like I don't believe they could make that kind of money.  Or at least they don't show them spending it. http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/114528/teen_mom_amber_portwood_is Jun. 27 J Mack Slaughter: This was a long time ago, but I found the actor J Mack Slaughter on Facebook.  He was on the TV sitcom Like Family back in 2003-2004.  Here's his info on imdb.com: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1416245/ He stopped acting after that show got cancelled after one season, and is now in medical school.  He's still being creative by playing his guitar.

Flag this message 2 days until we go bananas

 I got this from Amnesty International:

Tracy,

It's easier to trade weapons around the world than it is to trade bananas .

I can’t get this fact out of my head. It is ridiculous how easy it is for dictators and armed groups to buy weapons and use them against civilians.

That’s why Amnesty International is going bananas in New York City on Wednesday.

Our activists will educate the public about irresponsible arms trades, and you can help: Buy a $15 crate of bananas, $50 activist kit, or $100 of billboard space that Amnesty International activists will use in Times Square on Wednesday.

World leaders are meeting to negotiate an arms trade treaty in July, so now is the perfect time to demand that the final document protects human rights.

A bulletproof arms trade treaty will:

• Stop the transfer of arms when there is a substantial risk they will be used in violations of human rights and humanitarian law, such as genocide, the use of child soldiers and sexual violence.
• Include all conventional arms and ammunition.
• Be effective, transparent, and enforceable.

Amnesty International will be in Times Square on Wednesday with bananas (organic and fair trade, of course), billboards, and most importantly, petitions that demand an arms trade treaty with strong human rights protections.

Tracy, we have had hundreds of responses since we started this campaign last week – but we still need your help. Buy a crate of bananas, an activist pack, or 100 seconds of billboard space for our public action in Times Square.

Sincerely,

Frank Jannuzi
Deputy Executive Director, Head of Washington DC office
Amnesty International USA

PS -- We'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

21 years later, Suu Kyi accepts Nobel Peace Prize

 I got this from Amnesty International:

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517519&msource=W1206EAIAR1

Dear Tracy,

21 years later, the Nobel Peace Prize is finally where it belongs -- in the hands of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Burmese human rights defender made history this weekend when she officially accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. When Suu Kyi was originally awarded the Prize in 1991, she was under house arrest and couldn't accept it in person. She wasn't freed until November 2010 -- after years of international pressure and thousands upon thousands of letters from Amnesty activists like you demanding her release.

We shone a light for Aung San Suu Kyi. Now we need to shine a light of freedom for every last prisoner of conscience in Myanmar. Hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars there, simply for calling for freedom and democracy.

Myanmar must unlock the doors and free all prisoners of conscience now!

Watching Aung San Suu Kyi travel freely around the world with passport and now Nobel Peace Prize in hand fills us with joy and hope. But we cannot rest until all prisoners of conscience have been freed. And this is what Aung San Suu Kyi herself urged us to do in her Nobel acceptance speech on Saturday:

"... I was once a prisoner of conscience. As you look at me and listen to me, please remember the often-repeated truth that 'one prisoner of conscience is one too many.'" -- Aung San Suu Kyi

Today in Dublin, Ireland, Amnesty International will celebrate the remarkable life's work of Aung San Suu Kyi by awarding her the prestigious "Ambassador of Conscience Award." There is no better day to honor Suu Kyi and echo the powerful message that she and Amnesty International have long supported -- that human rights matter.

When you take action now, Myanmar's government will hear our message loud and clear -- where there is freedom for one, there must be freedom for all!

In solidarity,

Michael O'Reilly
Senior Director, Individuals at Risk Campaign
Amnesty International USA

new direction/ investments/ job interview

Jun. 19 New direction: I went to my career counselor and had told her about my new direction of applying to TV production companies.  Then I also told her I had thought up another position to apply for there.  Today is my day off so I'm applying to them. Twitter: I also got another email from Twitter saying I need to change my password.  This is like the third time that's happened. Call backs: I was going through my email account and see that I have missed a job opportunity.  Well I called this person twice and left a message each time, but they never got back to me.  I was supposed to get a call back from this job interview I did by last week.  They didn't call back so I can assume they didn't hire me. Counter intuitive company policies: Alissa Alvarez sent me this article called "20 Counter intuitive company policies that actually work."  #8 was about the good company Zappos.  20/20 covered them and I wrote about in my blog.  It says "Paying new employees to quit."  Zappos offers the new employee $2000 to quit right now or stick around.  10% of the call centre employees quit.  No surprise because it's a call centre.  There are lots of people who don't like it.  The point is to get rid of the employees who don't fit into the company sooner than later.  Others are "benefits for part-timers" so good employees are more committed to staying.  There are "no vacation policies", "closed on Sundays (at a restaurant)", "telecommuting", and "half-day Fridays."  These things make employees more productive as in they get their work done so they could leave early on Fri.  It's a really good article, check it out. Misdemeanors: Jena Ellis sent me this article called "7 Misdemeanors that can Ruin your Career."  It's harder to get hired and retain employment if you have these misdemeanors. There are things like "petty theft" that is stealing things less than $100.  It varies from state to state.  DUI's can affect your career.  Sex offenses for sure.  I mean, would you want to hire or keep an employee who steals money from the company?  You don't trust this person.  But somebody who is a sexual offender?  I would be scared to work there.  At the very least, uncomfortable.  It could be indecent exposure.  I would like to know the whole story like the person could have been drunk and woke up naked on his front lawn and was charged with it.  Then that's no harm really. Bad advice: Jasmine Hall sent me this article "10 Worst Bits of Advice that Boomers Gave Us."  A few of them were about jobs, but some about real life.  "#5 Go to college.  You shouldn't a hard time finding a job if you do."  Then it adds "...unless the economy collapses."  True. "#4 You really don't want to flip burgers for the rest of your life."  Here's a good tip: "Ambition can be a great thing, but just because someone has a certain job doesn’t mean they inherently lack it; it merely means that their goals and priorities sit elsewhere." Rape: But it also talks about "#3 Don't go out dressed like that.  You'll get raped."  This line stood out for me: "where nothing bad ever happens to women in religious coverings."  It did lead me to read this article called "Rape Myths 2007."  It's a very good article, which I'll probably read even more later. http://www.wcsap.org/sites/www.wcsap.org/files/uploads/documents/RapeMyths2007.pdf Jun. 20 Investments: This is related to my job search email because investments are in the business section of the newspaper.  Yesterday I set up an appointment with the bank.  The last time I did anything was back in Jan.  In my defense, in a period of 6 months I was working at my restaurant job (and a few temporary part-time jobs), and looking for an office job and going to interviews.  Investments were at the bottom of my priority. Retirement: I have been reading the business section of the newspaper everyday with savings tips.  If you want to save for retirement, you should save more like 33% of your income to put into retirement.  If you can.  Most people put 10% of their income. I spent an hr and learned some things about mutual funds.  Did you know a Retired Savings Plan (RSP) is the same as a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)?  My financial adviser says don't let the acronym fool you. Quizzes: There was actually sort of a quiz you can take to see if you are more risk-adverse so what investments and funds should you take?  If you are young, and can take the risk of an investment losing money in one year and get back on it's feet the next year, you should buy it.  If you are old like in your 50s, then you should get a conservative investment. There was another kind of quiz, where you can calculate how much money you need for retirement.  You add how much money you're making now and times that by how many years you're working and when you plan to retire like age 65.  You should go to the bank once a year for this check up.  Your income could change and that could affect your retirement.  When you get older, your priorities change so you want to lower your risk in investments. Overall, it was a very informative hour and it went by fast.  It was like that career counseling session.  It goes by fast and it's helpful. Emotions: We also discussed what I read in The Globe and Mail business section.  Investments have 2 emotions: fear and greed.  Fear of losing money and greed for getting more money. Job interview: Today I went to a job interview on my day off.  The pros were that it was close by, the pay was good, and I think I can do the job.  I can ask for help from two people.  If they aren't there, there are more people to ask for help.  I can work at the restaurant on the weekends.  The con was that I was told that there were a lot of applicants.  However, he did say a lot of them were students so they may not be working when the school year starts.  Though some may say they want to work during the school year, and that the office is in the field they're studying.  This is one of the good interviews I had. I can't control the job market, but I can control my job search. Jun. 21: Today I went to another job interview.  It was kind of eh.  The pros: It's part-time, and it may lead to full-time.  I think I can do the job, and I can get there easily.  They haven't decided on the days or hours.  I can still work at the restaurant. How do I feel?  If I get hired, I don't feel really excited about it.  It's okay if you don't feel excited about it. Jun. 25: I'm going to admit something.  I cancelled on going to a job interview to Office #1.  Yesterday I got an email from Office #2 and it's around that area.  I then looked at the bus routes and see that if I was to work on Sun., I would have to take 3 buses to get there.  I took a look to see the buses to get to Office #1 for the night shifts.  I realized it would be really hard to get there.  So I didn't go to it.

2 bullets per person

 I got this from Amnesty International:

http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=856&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz

At least 1,500 people die every day because of armed violence — but there is more regulation over the trade of bananas and bottled water than weapons and ammunition.
It’s time the international community prioritized the protection of people. Join other human rights supporters and sign a global petition that urges United Nations members to approve an effective Arms Trade Treaty.



A strong global Arms Trade Treaty would stop the supply of weapons to countries where they are likely to be used to commit atrocities like genocide, rape, or the forcible recruitment of child soldiers in conflicts throughout the world.

Our message is simple – if there is a substantial risk that arms exported to another country will contribute to serious human rights abuses, those arms supplies must be stopped.

No more arms for atrocities or abuses!

<< Please help us collect a massive number of signatures for this global petition. Add your voice now.


Sincerely,




Alex Neve,
Secretary-General
Amnesty International Canadian Section

Bananas, bazookas and you

 I got this from Amnesty International:

https://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/site/c.6oJCLQPAJiJUG/b.8110835/k.76C2/Stop_the_unregulated_arms_trade_8211_Help_us_go_bananas_in_Times_Square/apps/ka/sd/donorcustom.asp?msource=W1206EDATT1

Tracy,

It's easier to trade weapons around the world than it is to trade bananas.

I wish it were a joke. This fact about bananas, as absurd as it is, shows how easy it is for brutal dictators and armed groups to buy weapons and use them against civilians.

We want to stage a huge event in New York City to educate the public about irresponsible arms trades, and you can help: Buy a $15 crate of bananas, $50 activist kit, or $100 of billboard space that Amnesty International activists will use in Times Square next week.

World leaders are meeting to negotiate an arms trade treaty in July, so now is the perfect time to demand an arms trade that protects human rights.

A bulletproof arms trade treaty will:

• Stop the transfer of arms when there is a substantial risk they will be used in violations of human rights and humanitarian law, such as genocide, the use of child soldiers and sexual violence
• Include all conventional arms and ammunition
• Be effective, transparent, and enforceable.

Amnesty International will be in Times Square on June 27th with bananas, billboards, and most importantly, petitions that demand an arms trade treaty with strong human rights protections.

Tracy, help us call for a bulletproof arms trade treaty. Buy a crate of bananas, an activist pack, or 100 seconds of billboard space for our public action in Times Square.

Sincerely,

Frank Jannuzi
Deputy Executive Director, Head of Washington DC office
Amnesty International USA

PS -- We'll be sure to let you know how it goes next week!


Share this email:

blogs/ The Collector/ Edmonton Film School

Jun. 14 Blogs: I found this through my Freelance Writer's email: The Daily Reese: This is a really good blog post.  It seems to be about a daughter writing to her father who passed away. http://www.shereesemaynard.com/2012/04/apple-that-falls.html?goback=.gde_101577_member_108888806 Joe Hinojosa: This blog post is about asking: "Do you feel exposed every time you commit something to writing?"  He talks about mixed feelings like how he doesn't like his writing/ blog to be judged, but he does like it when someone reads his post and makes a comment.  There was a poll at the bottom to the question.  I answered it and I was with the majority (35%): "Not really, but I appreciate people's feedback." http://joehinojosa.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/like-equals-love/?goback=.gde_101577_member_108307438 Jun. 15 The Collector: A few weeks ago, they showed this movie called The Collector on Space Channel on Sun. night.  I caught the last 40min of it because my brother wanted to watch something else.  Here's the description on imdb.com: "Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps."  I watched it because it stars Josh Stewart, he played JJ's boyfriend Will on Criminal Minds.  I recently saw him in the season 7 finale of the show where he played a big part in it.  He's a good actor.  I caught the last 40min, so then I went on Youtube and watched the first 1hr and 20min I missed.  Here's my review.  I won't spoil it for you. Josh Stewart plays the lead Arkin who's an ex-con.  He works as a construction guy at this huge mansion.  They introduce the husband and wife Michael and Victoria Chase, the rebellious teen daughter Jill and 10 yr old daughter Hannah who live there. Arkin cases the place.  They show his ex-wife and 10yr old daughter in the first quarter of the movie.  He gets there and starts to crack the safe, but the serial killer is there.  He is torturing the husband and wife.  It's very fast- paced because it all happens in one day. There is a segment where there is a lot of silence as Arkin is creeping around the house.  There is good pacing as the camera pans around to all the booby traps.  There is lots of suspense during that sequence and through out the entire movie.  It was creative with the torture and booby traps. It was scary because I jumped twice in the beginning.  There were a few really good surprises that I didn't expect at all.  When I saw the last 40min of the movie, I wanted to see the whole thing so I can know why the serial killer kills people.  There was actually a reason why he kills people.  Arkin asks someone that and that person tells him.  I didn't expect that reason. I watch a lot of Criminal Minds about the FBI figuring out why a serial killer kills people.  I also want to know for story reasons.  If the serial killer doesn't have a reason to kill people, then I find the movie pointless.  When I saw the last 40min., I see that it was a dark and stormy night.  It reminded me of 28 Days Later (my favorite scary movie.)  In both these movies, the last part of the movie is basically running around a huge mansion from scary and bad guys.  Also the good guys rescuing and saving each other. Review: It was from the writers of Saw, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan.  For all you fans of scary movies, Saw movies, and torture- porn, you will like this movie.  I give this movie an average rating.  It was entertaining and kept my attention.  I like Josh Stewart, the suspense, the creativity in the booby traps, and the creative ways the characters fought for their lives. It was also creative in the fact that they had the ex-con Arkin in it.  It would be boring if it was a regular family running around a booby-trapped house.  Arkin is an ex-con so he's tough and smart.  He's different from a character in regular family. I guess it loses points because it's a torture-porn.  I'm not really a fan of Saw movies.  I only saw the first one.  I did like watching The Collector on this Fri. night. Jun. 16 Zach Lipovsky: I wanted to email this filmmaker, but I couldn't contact him on his official website: http://www.zachlipovsky.com/ZachLipovksy/Home.htm I then went and found his Facebook fan page and posted on the wall.  Then I found his real page, and emailed him the same message: Hi Zach I'm a fan of yours since I saw you On the Lot. I also read about you in The Globe and Mail on May, 30, 2012. I hope to see more of your work. Writing: Here is something I haven't done in a long time.  I really thought about it, and I have been writing the Rain script since 2009.  It's been 3 and a half years and it's about 70 pages long.  I want to get it to 90 pages.  I was really busy with my life and there was a lot of script- writing and blogging. 2009: I was working full-time, and looking for an office job.  I was mainly re-writing The Vertex Fighter and pitching that script in my free time.  There was a lot of writing a new script.  I reread my Garret script that I wrote back then.  It was basically The Vertex Fighter with different character names. I also wrote Daniel.  It's like Garret, but without MMA.  I reread Daniel, and I thought it was kind of boring.  Things do happen in the script, but what was the point of it?  I deleted Garret and Daniel off my 3.5 floppy disk, but I kept the drafts saved in my email. It's interesting to read something you wrote a few years ago.  It's like taking a snapshot of your life.  Kind of like rereading my blog. Jun. 18 Rain script: Today I was going through all those saved drafts I had in my email account of the Rain script.  I would say it has certainly improved from the 2009 version to the present version.  I reread a scene and noticed the inconsistency in dialogue. I also noticed that the bad guys need to be more bad.  From what I've read, the bad guys seem to be more like annoying and intruding into the lead character's life.  There needs to be more danger.  Jun. 19 FAVA: I "liked" FAVA on Facebook and I got an invite to a Producing class from Sept. 4-Dec. 11.  It's a weekly class for 3 hrs.  It costs $1000.  If I remember correctly, one writing class at Professional Writing was like $500 something.  They also invited me to "Get a Grip! with Dean Davey" on July 18.  It's about grip and lighting.  It's for FAVA members only.  I'm not really interested in lighting. Jun. 20 Edmonton Film School: I was going through my old agenda, and I found something I wrote in 2009.  It's about the Edmonton Film School.  From the website, it seems this school came out in 2005.  It looks like it hasn't been updated since 2008.  It's like FAVA with some film making classes for adults and teens (not as much as FAVA does.)  They both show their short films at the Metro Cinema. There's a section called "1 Day Film school" and it provides a tour of FAVA. http://edmontonfilmschool.com/news.html Glenn Atyeo: Interesting, it could be the law of attraction.  I had contacted him last year, but he never got back to me.  I then found out he made a short film called Red Flag and it's on the Edmonton Film School website. http://edmontonfilmschool.com/gallery.html

Russia: Stop the Bloodshed in Syria

 I got this from Amnesty International.  If you can't donate money, then sign this petition:

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517378

Urgent: From Syria's frontlines

 I got this from Amnesty International:

 https://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/site/c.6oJCLQPAJiJUG/b.6662481/k.2BA2/Donate_Now/apps/ka/sd/donorcustom.asp?msource=W1206EDMNAP

Dear Tracy,

This week Amnesty is releasing shocking field investigations from the frontlines of the crisis in Syria.

Amnesty found widespread new evidence of heinous war crimes committed by the Syrian government armed forces and militias.

Recent news coverage of massacres in the towns of Houla and Daraa has increased global awareness of the crisis. Our investigations provide unequivocal evidence that the Syrian army is responsible for gross violations of human rights on a massive scale.

We need to continue our work in Syria until the atrocities stop. We are counting on people like you to help support our efforts – calling the world’s attention to human rights abuses committed in Syria and in other countries with oppressive regimes. Please donate today.

Time and time again Amnesty spoke with grieving families who told us how their relatives had been taken away by soldiers and shot dead, often just a few steps from their front doors.

Through our comprehensive report, the international community now has ample, credible documentation of the scale and gravity of the abuses. We now need your help to:

• Pressure Russia and China to immediately halt weapons and munitions transfers to the Syrian government.
• Demand that the United Nations Security Council act decisively in the wake of mounting global awareness of the crisis.
• Ensure that human rights monitors can travel throughout Syria to get the facts that break through the Syrian government’s lies.

Please help Amnesty keep global attention and pressure on Syria’s government.

Sincerely,

Sanjeev Bery
Advocacy Director, Middle East North Africa
Amnesty International USA

P.S. Read the investigation and help spread the word.

 

Post Secret/ MADtv/ fun night

Jun. 10 Post Secret: "None of my skills are worth anything.  I'll work until I die." Me: Don't give up.  You need to talk to a career counselor about this. "On tumblr, I search the 'suicide' and leave helpful messages to those in need.  No one is alone!" Me: That's good and helpful.  It reminds me of "love bombing."  On Wikipedia, it says: "... the deliberate show of affection or friendship by an individual or a group of people toward another individual. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_bombing "Googling an ex...finding a mugshot...PRICELESS."  In the pic it says "SUCKS, KARMA." Jun. 12 Writing: I'm going to do some brainstorming here by writing about writing. Titles: I was thinking about titles for my script like Dark Rain.  However, the word "dark" is often used in scary movies like Left in Darkness (2006), Darkness Falls (2003), Darkness (2002).  There were also titles that aren't for scary movies like the TV action series Dark Angel and the Batman movie The Dark Knight. Cabin in the woods location: There's a movie called The Cabin in the Woods written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon and Buffy writer Drew Goddard.  I have read really good reviews about it and how there are really good plot twists.  It's like a parody making fun of the cliche of stereotypical teens going to a cabin to party. There's more to what meets the eye because the teens are under observation by some unknown group of scientists.  I haven't seen it though, so I don't totally know.  Here's the imdb.com site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/ The cabin in the woods is a common location for a scary movie because of the isolation.  There is no place to run, but into the dark woods.  The police can't come to rescue you, or at least not get there very fast. Jun. 13 Water: I found this on Twitter about a truck driver who delivers water in India.  He sees the crisis first hand about the water shortage.  He drives the trucks to the cities and the women fight over the water by picking up their pails to collect the water.  The Truck Driver discusses sometimes he gets attacked when he runs out of water.  http://power.water.org/?s=ut_1736 Jun. 14 Murder: I read this in 24 today about a Montreal teacher who showed the Luka Magnotta snuff video to this gr. 10 history class.  The teacher was suspended with pay on Jun. 4 at Cavelier-de-LaSalle high school.  He asked if they wanted to watch the video, and the class said yes.  One girl said she regretted watching it, and felt sick.  The class was silent after the video was over.  Students complained to the principal and the teacher was suspended. I feel compelled to write about it.  This teacher is awful and stupid.  I mean, it's one thing if teenagers want to watch the snuff video on their home computers or at their friend's house.  You may say: "Teens watch so much violence in video games and torture-porn in those Saw movies.  They can take it."  Yeah, but those video games and movies are fake.  There's a difference. I think there was something in the news about a teacher being suspended because he showed some sketch comedy video that was inappropriate to the class.  I can't quite remember the details. MADtv: However, I did think about something like this MADtv sketch being showed to a health class.  I remember watching this back in like 2003-2004 about a really bad sex-ed video.  It's where Avril Lavigne guest-stars and the video gives all these bad misinformation about sex. Teen boy: What about condoms? Dad: Don't you know that birth control is the woman's responsibility? The audience laughs at it. I'm sure teens watch this show in the privacy of their own home.  It's not really appropriate for them due to mature humor.  However, it would be really inappropriate if a teacher showed this to the class even if the teacher were to use it a a lesson.  For example: "What are the following things that are so wrong with this video?" The answers would be: "Birth control is not just the woman's responsibility.  It's both partner's responsibility."  Here's the sketch comedy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LZ2BgWk4Ek Jun. 15: I read in 24 today, that the teacher Philippe Trahan has now been fired.  There are now 50 students who backed up the teacher saying he showed the video to the class, because the students wanted to see it. Comparison: Now I'm thinking of the TV show The Sausage Factory in the episode where Gilby was letting teen boys rent out porn tapes at the video store.  A dad comes into the store looking for the assistant manager so he could beat him up for letting his teen son rent out porn tapes. I can imagine a parent finding the teacher so he could say: "So you're the one who showed the snuff film to my kid!  I'm going to beat you up for it!" Friends: Today I talked to my friend Angela on the phone for like 40min.  I asked her about the Luka Magnotta murder and she said she was glad they caught him.  She also said snuff films should be illegal and that the teacher was dumb to show the video to his class.  I spontaneously called to see if I could check out her place, but it would be hard for me to get back home because my dad can't pick me up.  That's fine, so we chatted on the phone. Fun night: Last Sat. I went out and had some fun.  A couple of weeks ago I asked my friend Jessica if she's going somewhere and she wanted to check out some food trucks.  Then she got sick and said she can't come.  I didn't go either because it was far away. Dance: I got to the downtown food truck event around 5pm.  I saw 4 dancers on the windows of the Eye Care Group store.  It reminded me of dancers on the old MuchMusic TV show Electric Circus.  They had a DJ playing techno music.  I drank a little red wine there and had a bit of a brownie. There was "Salsa at the Park".  Salsa music was blaring from the speakers and people were dancing to it.  The Edmonton Food Truck Extravaganza had the Zebra Child Centre fundraiser that helps abused kids. Restaurants: I see that there's a restaurant called Bubble Buzz that sells bubble tea.  It looked trendy and hip.  There was also Credo Coffee that also looked hip.  Fashion: There was a booth called Bang Bang Bijou that sells jewelry.  Bijou means jewelery, the artist told me that.  There was Fridget Apparel.  I Googled and it and found her blog.  The site's pink and fun: http://iamfridget.blogspot.ca/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=5 There was a booth that was called Beans and Rice Fashion.  The Asian girl designer said she's the Rice and her Mexican friend is the Beans.  Here's the website when I Googled it with the word Edmonton: http://www.bambooballroom.ca/ I did think that the fashion name has kind of been done before.  I didn't tell her that it was done on the TV show MADtv where the actors Bobby Lee (Asian) and Johnny Sanchez (Mexican) did a bit on the show called "The Rice and Beans Tour."  They travel across the country and talk to people and do funny things.  Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7kXsE3rf-I Food: Now onto the actual food at the food truck event.  I tried a bite of a waffle at Eva Sweet Waffles.  It was okay.  The best part was the Man who worked there.  Jessica was cutting up the waffles on the table where there was a cooler. Man: Hi, can you- Me: Move? Man: No, pass me a couple of pops. I passed him two of them. Man: You can get one for yourself. Me: Thanks. A few of J's friends came.  I tried part of a burger from the restaurant The Act (it's on Whyte Ave.)  I thought it was good.  The thing is, a lot of the food was expensive like $7 for a burger, but they have to make a profit somehow.  There was a concert there.  I don't know who performed, but it sounded good.  It was around 7pm, and we were there for a few hrs.  I then went home.  Then it started raining as we were driving so it's good we weren't out in the rain.

What Amnesty's researcher found in Syria

 I got this from Amnesty International:

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517973&msource=W1206EAMNA1

Dear Tracy,

Devastating brutality. Shattered families, shattered futures. Syria is descending further into chaos -- a human rights catastrophe in the making.

"They killed my sons, the dearest things I had... How can a mother endure such pain?" The words of one mother interviewed by Amnesty researcher Donatella Rovera after her three sons were dragged from their home, brutally killed and burned.

She is one of many mothers in Syria who right now are facing the unendurable. And her story is just one of many heartbreaking, firsthand accounts of cold-blooded killings and destruction gathered by Amnesty International on the ground in Syria , documented in the new report Deadly Reprisals.

The bloodshed must end. There are no easy solutions. But one thing is certain -- there must be accountability for these attacks on Syria's civilians.

Urge U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to call for UN Security Council action on Syria, while there is still hope. There is much more that world leaders can do to stop the wanton assault on Syrian civilians before the crisis deteriorates even further, including:

• Freezing the assets of President Bashar al-Assad and other senior Syrian government officials
• Ensuring an effective arms embargo to stop the flow of weapons to the Syrian government
• Referring the situation in Syria to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

Secretary Clinton, the UN Security Council, and all the world's leaders need to know you have your eyes on Syria, and that you expect action. Real consequences for President Bashar al-Assad and his associates. No more weapons to commit abuses. And a full investigation into the rampage of atrocities being committed in Syria by the International Criminal Court.

Syria's people are crying out for our help. There is more we can do -- and it's time to act.

For peace and justice,

Sanjeev Bery
Advocacy Director, Middle East & North Africa
Amnesty International USA

P.S. Join us tomorrow for an exclusive inside account of the Syrian crisis from Amnesty researcher Donatella Rovera, who recently returned from the country. Get your questions ready -- the live online chat will run at amnestyusa.org/amnestylive from Noon-1PM Eastern/9-10AM Pacific on Friday, June 15.

follow your dreams/ career counseling/ behavior

Jun. 13 Follow your dreams: I was listening to the song by Jo Jo called "Fly Away."  Here's the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAZoHE4wRws&feature=endscreen&NR=1 Here are some Youtube comments about it: Person: you were nothing but a waste of the two years i spent with uuh !! i regret it so much right now .. Me: Chalk it up to experience and that you learned your lesson.  Also, I'm sure you did lots of other productive things in those 2 yrs. Person 2: I choose "my dreams" and i regret it.. dreams are not always reality. Thought i had a plan but things turned out differently.. their is no going back in time. I think this is the hardest decision to make because you never know if things could have played out differently no matter which one you decided to choose. I think its better to follow your heart. Me: That's inspirational.  "Dreams are not always reality" is true. Person 3: ALWAYS follow your dreams. If you were meant to be with that person you will eventually.... Me: Oh that's nice and thoughtful. Person 4: I'll always choose my dreams, even tho trying to follow your dreams is the hardest thing ever Job markets: Jasmine Hall sent me this article "The 10 Worst Job Markets US Grads have Faced."  It's depressing and it's like looking at a train wreck.  It's so bad, but you can't take your eyes away from it.  The last 4 yrs were on the list.  There is a link to another article "10 Best Job Markets the US Grads have faced." http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/06/11/the-10-worst-job-markets-u-s-grads-have-faced/ The latest best job markets were 2000 and 2007.  If you read #7, there was a line: "As Bloomberg News recently pointed out, Democratic presidents have been responsible for much more job growth (nearly two-thirds in 50 years) than their Republican counterparts." http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/06/06/the-10-best-job-markets-u-s-grads-have-faced/ Business schools: Alissa Alvarez sent me this article "8 Ways B- schools have Reformed their Curriculum Post- Crisis.  Some things are good like "Making ethics education a top priority."  It also mentioned "encouraging entrepreneurship" and "emphasizing critical thinking."  That's an improvement. The article was good because it had links to other sources if you want to get more in depth. http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/8-ways-b-schools-have-reformed-their-curriculum-post-crisis/ Long-term planning: I started to think more in the long-term run.  When I did that new direction in Apr. where I started applying to TV production companies, I thought: "Will I still be doing this 6 months from now?"  I don't know.  After a month, I had applied to all the Edmonton TV production companies I could get to. When I started the Telemarketer #1 job, it was a 6 month job.  I thought of: "If I work here for 6 months, I would have to put off my office job search for that time because I would be too busy.  I wouldn't have to look for a job and go to interviews.  Will I be sick of this job after 3 months?"  Alas, I was dismissed for not selling anything. Then I started Telemarketer #2 job with low expectations.  It was mainly to confront my fear of rejection and failure.  If I get dismissed, I'm still standing.  I wasn't really upset about either of the job loss. In 2010, I worked at Call Centre #4 for a day.  After my shift, I did think: "I can see myself working here in Dec."  I was dismissed after one day because 9 completes wasn't enough.  I was really angry about it, but I did get over it. Imagination: It's about using your imagination when you think of taking a job offer.  Do you see yourself working there?  How do you feel if you say yes to the job?  Do you feel excited about it?  Or do you feel eh about it? Jun. 14 Job interview: I went to a job interview today.  It was really annoying to find the place.  Fortunately I had a fully- charged cell phone with lots of min. on it.  It was raining a little, but I did manage to find the place.  They said everybody has a hard time looking for the place and they always call them. The people who interviewed me were nice.  They asked good questions and what I would do in this real workplace problem that has occurred before.  I had this impression that there were a lot of applicants.  The hours are good, pay is good.  I can still work at the restaurant on the weekends. Jun. 17 Mislead: It happened again.  I applied to a Kijiji ad to be an operations assistant, and I thought it would be an office assistant position.  Instead I get an email to be a mystery shopper.  One time I applied to an ad I saw in See magazine to be a personal assistant.  I got an email to be a mystery shopper. Linked In: Another one of my NAIT friends confirmed me on Linked In.  She and the other classmate are both on this site and Facebook. Jun. 19: Another NAIT friend confirmed me on Linked In. Call back: I got a call from an office on Fri.  I called them back that day.  Then on Mon. I was to call them back, but when I got home, my mom took me to go clothes shopping for work.  Today I called them, though I assumed they probably already hired somebody else.  But they're still hiring.  I left another message. The thing is, don't assume.  Ask to make sure.  If they don't call me back after this, then it's on them. Career counseling: Today I went to my career counselor whom I haven't seen in 3 months.  I spent a few min. updating her about my new direction of applying to production companies.  She said it was a good move. I also told her about my telemarketing jobs.  She said that's like customer service, but to another level because it's harder to sell over the phone.  At Telemarketer #2 job, my boss asked if I have heard of SFZ telemarketing.  Actually, I did.  I got a call from them back in 2011.  I didn't go for it when I learned that the shift ends at 10:15pm and then I would have to take 2 buses to get home.  I would have to wake up early the next day for my restaurant job. SFZ telemarketing was also temporary like 6 months.  In 2011, I wasn't looking for temporary positions.  Now it's 2012, and it's okay if I work at temps.  Behavior: It's interesting that the Career Counselor asked "How do you feel about it?"  I then mentioned Telemarketer Boss #1 who asks that.  CC also mentioned about attitude and habit. Me: What's the difference between attitude and habit? CC: Attitude is a belief.  Habit is an action. The question is: "Am I like this because I think like this?  Or is it a force of a habit?" She also says I could see a psychologist because her career counseling may not help me.  She gives me job advice and tips and how to find work.  A psychologist helps your behavior.