Breaking: What I saw in Syria

 I got this from Amnesty International:

Dear Tracy,

I recently returned from a months-long fact-finding mission to Syria where I witnessed first-hand the extent of the atrocities being committed by government forces and militias working alongside the military.

In Aleppo, Syria's largest city, I saw people -- including a 16-year-old schoolboy -- being shot dead and injured by security forces and militias during peaceful demonstrations. Elsewhere in every town and village I saw homes burned down to the ground and spoke to families of young men who had been dragged from their homes and murdered by soldiers. The abuses were systematic and massive in scale. More recently opposition fighters have also been committing abuses and the situation is likely to deteriorate further the longer this conflict goes on.

People who care -- like you -- must speak out against this senseless violence. Your donation today will help support Amnesty International's actions to uncover the truth, demand accountability, and prevent human rights abuses in the future.

As you read this, intense fighting between government forces and opposition fighters is taking place in Syria, where residential neighborhoods have been turned into battlefields and civilians are more at risk than ever. Tens of thousands have fled their homes just in recent days, joining the hundreds of thousands who have been displaced in the past year.

Despite the escalating violence, the international community has tragically failed to take effective action -- essentially standing by as children, women and men are slaughtered.

That is why it is imperative that Amnesty International continues its efforts speaking out on behalf of Syrian civilians and taking critical steps to hold accountable those responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Your donation will help us:

• Send other researchers like myself into the field to document atrocities and share them with influencers and leaders around the world.
• Put pressure on the United Nations Security Council to take concrete action to protect the civilian population and to hold the perpetrators of these terrible crimes accountable.

When atrocities like what I've seen in Syria are committed, we must not turn our heads or despair that there is nothing we can do. We must keep global attention on Syria. Your donation can make a difference.

Sincerely,

Donatella Rovera
Senior Crisis Response Adviser
Amnesty International

P.S. Want to learn more? Watch a first-hand account of my fact-finding mission.

publishing/ NAIT classes/ agent

Jul. 9 Publishing: I was looking for a regular job today and it lead me to Lone Pine Publishing.  They print Ghost Stories of Alberta and other subjects like gardening. http://www.lonepinepublishing.com/ This one is for cooking.  http://www.companyscoming.com/ Jul. 12 Commercials: Yelin George sent me this article "10 Reasons TV Commercials are Less Effective Nowadays."  It talked about how we have DVR (Digital Video Recording) and we fast forward through the commercials.  On TV shows and movies, the people use and say the brand name products.  Also people use the commercial time to get up and get some food, or go on the internet. etc. and not pay attention to the commercials. http://www.cabletvproviders.net/blog/2012/10-reasons-tv-commercials-are-less-effective-nowadays/ Internet in the movies: Christine Kane sent me this article "10 Most Accurate Movies about the Internet."  It listed Catfish (2010) and "example of the gulf between expectations and reality."  The article was fun to read because it's about movies.  It mentioned The Matrix.    http://www.internetserviceproviders.org/blog/2012/10-most-accurate-movies-about-the-internet/ Jul. 16 Insight Editions: I got this email, and it's about a publishing company called Insight Editions.  They sell books for films like a Harry Potter pop-up book.  I did find a funny book called Goodnight Husband, Goodnight Wife.  It's written by head writers/ executive producers Eric Stangel and Justin Stangel who work for the David Letterman Show.  http://www.insighteditions.com/Goodnight-Husband-Wife-Eric-Stangel/dp/1608870936 Jul. 17 Time management: I was going through my Freelance Writer's group emails and it lead me to this article "Manage time as a Freelancer."  Even if you aren't a freelancer, it's still useful with tips like getting rid of distractions and prioritizing to get things done. http://www.opportunitiesplanet.com/freelancing/manage-time-as-a-freelancer/?goback=.gde_101577_member_97392376 Summer fun: Larry Dignan sent me this article called "50 Fun Self-Improvement to Assign Yourself this Summer."  It's mainly learning things like cooking, gardening, and learning to do stand-up comedy.  Check it out here.  I watched the first 3 videos, and it's kind of funny.  Be forewarned, there is profanity and mature humor. http://www.standupcomedyclass.com/ Or you can be creative and make your own book with your words and pictures here: http://www.blurb.com/ Jul. 18 Production companies: Last month I emailed my The Vertex Fighter script, synopsis and the 250 word summary to this production company.  They got back to me today, and they rejected it.  However, another producer emailed me back after I sent my script pitch to them last month.  He said he can't produce it, but he will take a look at my one page synopsis.  He also gave me tips of cold calling producers, and using the script to look for an agent.  I said that's what I did: I go on the internet and email producers.  I did one time tried to get an agent, but got rejected.  Now I can start looking for an agent again.  I was going through my old emails, and it turns out that the last time I tried to get an agent was back in 2008. Saying: I was thinking about the saying by Winston Churchill: "No matter how beautiful the strategy is, you should occasionally look at the results."  I apply this to my job search, but I'm also applying to reading my Freelance Writer's group emails.  Does this help me get published or get writing jobs?  It has lots of writers talking about getting freelance jobs, having blogs, getting published on Kindles, etc.  I do like to read from like-minded people like me.  I would say my friend Sherry is the one who emails about writing to me.  NAIT classes: There is a class at NAIT called Television Production.  It's 30hrs and teaches you how to use TV cameras, lighting, and shooting.  It costs $495 and the classes are one night a week, 7pm-10pm.  It's kind of late, and I would have to take 2 buses to get home.  I would be home by 11pm.  This is technical stuff. There is Introduction to Final Cut Pro 7, it's 12hrs and it's about learning how to edit film on that program.  I'm not totally interested in this. There is a class on how to be a Script Supervisor.  It lists some of the duties here.  That seems interesting, but there aren't any classes listed. • time and break down a script • carry out effective slating • make notes on each shot. Here's the Producer's Emergence Program.  I still have the NAIT ad I got.  I see the date of the ad, and the program came out in 2006.  I was already at MacEwan studying writing.  It looks like I probably won't get into this class because you need a project proposal and a personal interview.  It's $2000 for 112hrs.  I'm more into TV Production and Script Supervisor class. http://www.nait.ca/course_RTA30.htm?AsOfDate=2012-08-01 Jul. 19 Student loans: I was talking to a server today and she had taken the Culinary Arts at NAIT and graduated.  Now she's taking something else.  She told me about student loans and how the government pays for your education.  After you graduate, you pay the government back, 60% of the loan.  So if your tuition is $1000, you have to pay back the govt. $600. Jul. 21 Script pitch: Yesterday I submitted my The Vertex Fighter synopsis and script pitch to a TV production company.  I tried to print out the submission release form, but it didn't work.  Then I remembered a few weeks ago at the library, and the librarian converted it to a PDF file and then was able to print it. It's for another production company, and when I converted it to a PDF file on my computer, it printed. Jul. 23 Agent: Good news, yesterday I started emailing some agents again.  Today one of them wanted to read my script.  I did email this agent back in 2008, and they asked to read my script and I sent it to them.  They never got back to me.  Or they did, and I forgot.  This time I made a note to email them later to see if they read it.

Give Saudi women both the Olympic torch and the keys to the car

 I got this from Amnesty International.  Sign this petition:

 http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=518736&msource=W1207EAWMN1

Dear Tracy,

At long last, Saudi Arabia has agreed to send women athletes to compete in the Olympics.

It's taken 116 years to do it, but for the first time in Summer Olympic history, every country competing will include women athletes. Today, during the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the torch for women's rights is also on display for the world to see.

But as you know, things aren't always as they appear on TV.

While Saudi women have been given a small opening to compete for Olympic glory on the world's stage, they still won't be able to enjoy basic rights such as getting behind the wheel of a car at home. The reality is shameful.

Let Saudi officials know that the world will still be watching even when the Olympics are over - tell Saudi authorities to let women drive!

Restricting a woman's right to drive stems from a desire to limit a woman's independence. Saudi Arabia's leaders have relegated women to second class status by requiring them to ask their male guardian - typically a father, brother or husband - before they can even go out in public.

Want to marry? Ask your guardian. Want to work? Ask your guardian. Want to go to school, get on public transportation, or go to the doctor? That's right - your guardian must give his approval first.

And don't even think about playing a sport - even going to the gym is restricted. In fact, the athletes competing for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics have only been able to achieve their successes within the sport because they do not practice in the country.

Stand up for women's equality - behind the wheel of a car, in a sports arena, inside the home and throughout Saudi Arabia!

Get the message to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah - I support Saudi women's right to drive.

Just over a year ago, women in Saudi Arabia launched a powerful campaign asking women with international driver's licenses to do a crazy thing - drive. This came after one woman was sentenced to receive 10 lashes for being caught behind the wheel of a car.

The result was inspiring¹. Despite the risks of arrest and harsh punishment, women took to the kingdom's roads, spurring the movement to overturn the ban on driving forward.

More signs, like King Abdullah's promise to allow women to vote in the 2015 election, are growing proof that the tides are changing and barriers blocking women's rights are beginning to erode.

However, if Saudi Arabia truly wants to "go for gold" this summer, it should lift all restrictions on women's basic freedoms. Permitting two women to aim for their Olympic dreams is a start, but let's not stop until women can freely pursue their own dreams…whatever they may be.

Thank you,

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


P.S. SHOCKING: A hashtag that roughly translates to 'Prostitutes of the Olympics' has been started on Twitter. Fortunately, people as horrified as we are have taken this hashtag over to support the female athletes instead. Help us send overwhelming messages of support to all Saudi women on Twitter to help extinguish the hate.

Learn more about Women2Drive campaign: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/saudi-women2drive-anniversary

social skills books/ staffing agencies/ question

Jul. 17 Social skills books: Tim Handorf sent me this article through my blog called "25 Books to Sharpen your Social Skills and Transform your Career."  This should be useful for me because my Career Counselor says I need to work on my social skills.  On #20 Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.  It looks familiar.  My sister may have checked out that book. #17 The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything by Stephen M.R. Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People).  The summary said this: "If self-help books turn you off with advice that makes you feel like a phony, this is the book for you. Covey lays out the ways to build real trust in your relationships, whether they’re business, friendship, or love." #23 Small Talk Big Results: Chit Chat Your Way to Success by Diane Wingdingland.  The description: "Small talk is often boring, unauthentic, cheesy, and repetitive. It’s also an unavoidable part of living in a society, so you might as well get good at it."  Yeah, people always say: "Hi, how are you?"  And everybody always says: "Good."  That's why I don't ask that question.  When people ask me that, I usually try to think of more than "good."  I add something like: "Good, because it's sunny outside." #11 was How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.  The article said they wanted to put this book as low as they could, but it's on it's 75th anniversary. Emotional Intelligence: I went to this Arts Career Fair at the U of A months ago.  I stopped at a booth and got a business card promoting the book The Other Kind of Smart by Harvey Deutschendorf.  He is an author, speaker, and coach.  Check out the website: http://www.theotherkindofsmart.com/ Linked In: I got an email and it turns out 5 of my connections have changed jobs.  It mentioned about how it's halfway through the year.  I know, my family and I were talking about how the year went by fast earlier this month. Jul. 18 Staffing agencies: I was talking to one of my friends and how she worked at this place through the staffing agency Kelly Services.  She didn't get paid for her 2 days of work, because her recruiter left for maternity leave.  My friend kept calling, and then gave up.  It's been about 8 months ago. However, my brother's friend goes to that staffing agency, and he got a lot of warehouse jobs through there. Cooking classes: Here is another direction.  I could take some cooking classes at NAIT.  When I was working at that office job for that one day, I realized I really like working at the restaurant.  My company can pay for my college education if it's related to work.  I know some other companies do that already. There are a few part-time classes.  Interesting because one of the servers is in university to be a geologist.  He wants to be a cook, but a geologist makes way more money.  He will cook in his free time.  Another server wants to get into Baking at NAIT, but there is a lot of competition.  There are a lot of 1 and 2 day classes here, and all you need to do is bring your own apron, and containers to put the food in that you made. http://www.nait.ca/search/search.aspx?searchType=program&PCSubject=Hospitality%20amp%20Culinary%20Arts&PCDelivery=&PCCredential=&PCLocation=&txtSearch= Beverage: I have now went and checked out all those hospitality classes at NAIT, and it's mostly cooking.  I think the only class that my company would pay for me to go to is the Beverage courses here: http://www.nait.ca/program_home_81493.htm Jul. 20 Question: I had asked: "Am I being too picky with my job search?"  No, because I started applying to staffing agencies now.  My parents told me to not go there in 2008 and I have avoided the agencies since then. Jul. 21: To add to the answer, I'm not picky because I have done interviews to all these places I didn't want to do interviews at.  Well some were really far away like I have to take a bus to an industrial part of the neighborhood.  Maybe I subconsciously didn't do as well in the interview because I didn't want to go to it, but I forced myself to.  I thought it could be because I was nervous of the challenge of the interview and the job.  The important thing is, I went to the interview.  I just didn't get hired I have taken jobs I didn't like, ex. the Fruit Place.  Also the temporary job in April, except that was an okay job. Seneca: I found this old job article I clipped out from the newspaper and it talked about senecacareerlink.com.  It turns out Seneca is a Toronto college and it helps their students connect with employers.  Looks like this won't help me. Media Strategy Inc: I was reading the Globe and Mail and it talked about Media Strategy Inc.  It's run by a communication skills coach named Jim Gray.  You have to pay to see him at his presentations.  Or you can borrow his book from the library called How Leaders Speak. http://www.jimgray.ca/contact.html Occupational Outlook Handbook: Today I was reading the Edmonton Journal, and there was an article about a book called the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases this book every 2 yrs.  It has a 10yr projection on "the expected demand, compensation and educational requirements for 350 jobs." I knew that the postal service is decreasing in jobs.  What I didn't know from the article was switchboard operating.  It's a good thing that I didn't take the switchboard job that was offered to me a few months ago. Jul. 23 Meetup: I have been getting these emails from the social media group Meetup.  One was for the Business Link Alberta and Edmonton Entrepreneur Meetup.  I haven't been to them, but I figure it's a good way to network if you have or want to start up your own business. Jul. 24: I applied to this ad in the Edmonton Journal to be a sales associate.  I emailed them and they emailed back asking if I had sewing experience.  I said no, and they said they needed someone with basic sewing experience.  Whatever, I wasn't very interested in working there.  I'm not really disappointed. Flashback: Come to think of it, the last time I sewed was back when I took sewing in gr. 8.  That was 13 yrs ago.  I wasn't good at it, I didn't really like it after I tried it.  I made a bear and a pillow.  4 yrs later, I ended up donating those things. I was Industrial Arts in gr. 8 and 9.  I also donated the tray I made in gr.8.  I did keep the mirror I made in gr. 9.  It's still being used in my room. The important thing is that I tried some new things in school, and learned what I was good or not good at, and what I liked to do and what I don't. Jul. 28 Rant: I decided to type into Google "staffing agencies suck."  I found this blog called "Lola's World."  A guy was ranting about how he's been lied to by staffing agencies and how they were rude to him.  This was a post back in 2005.  There are 64 comments about it since then over the years.  I've been scanning through the comments and they're all dissing staffing agencies.  If you want to get your hate on, then read this:  http://thinkinglola.blogspot.ca/2005/08/why-recruitment-agencies-suck.html I had gotten one call from a staffing agency.  I was in the middle of something, so I didn't pick up.  Then I learned where it's from and didn't return the call.  Then I got a call from another staffing agency and I didn't call back because it was Fri. afternoon.  I guess I don't feel comfortable going to them.

Hamid is still facing death

I got this from Amnesty International: 


No news is good news.
We continue to maintain hope that the death sentence imposed on Hamid Ghassemi-Shall will be dropped and he will be allowed to return to his family in Canada.

More than 12,000 Amnesty International supporters have spoken up for Hamid, since he was detained and sentenced in Iran for “espionage”.  Thank you for adding your voice!
You can continue to help Hamid and others like him by making a monthly contribution towards the work of Amnesty International. Click here to become a monthly supporter today.
The Canadian government at the highest levels is demanding Hamid's release. Amnesty International has thoroughly investigated his case and is working behind the scenes with Hamid's family, with decision-makers, and with the press to make sure the injustice of this case is known and Hamid is brought safely back to Canada. These developments give us some reason to hope for a successful outcome, but we need the help of Amnesty members to continue this life-saving work.
We understand that not everybody can donate to us each month, however, you can also help Hamid by making a special one-time gift.
Amnesty International receives no money from the government, and we depend solely on donations from people like you to stand up for human rights around the world. In other words, without you, there would be no Amnesty International.

Thank you for considering taking this extra step for Hamid and others around the world who depend on help from Amnesty members.
In the meantime, you can be confident that Amnesty International is doing everything we can to bring him home. Thanks to financial support from individual Amnesty International donors and to people like you who are willing to take action, we’re able to campaign passionately and vigorously to secure his freedom.

Sincerely,


Gloria Nafziger
Campaigner, Amnesty International Canada

P.S. Please consider becoming a monthly contributor to Amnesty International today. You have the power to help us continue our life-saving work for people just like Hamid! Click here now.

P.P.S. Visit our webpage to view a message from Hamid's wife, Antonella. As you can imagine, more than anyone, she appreciates the support you have shown for her husband.

Urgent: From Syria's frontlines

I got this from Amnesty International: 

http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=903&type=Internal&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz

Dear Human Rights Supporter,

Amnesty International's human rights investigations on the frontlines have revealed widespread, shocking evidence of heinous war crimes committed by the Syrian government armed forces and militias.
Recent news coverage of massacres in the towns of Tremseh, Houla and Daraa has increased global awareness of the crisis. Our investigations from the field 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. Will you please consider these two actions?

TAKE ACTION 1. Sign our petition - Urge Russia to suspend arms transfers to the Syrian government and support international action to protect civilians 2. Donate - Make a secure online contribution now to protect civilians whose lives are at greatest risk since the crisis began

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.

Amnesty report reveals war crimes committed in Syria Read Report

Through our comprehensive report, the international community now has ample, credible documentation of the scale and gravity of the abuses. 15,000 people have been killed. At least 115,000 have fled the country. The risk to the for civilians is greater than ever. We now need your help to:

• Pressure Russia 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,


Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada

P.S.  If you would like to follow our human rights monitoring or to get actively involved, please read our thorough report "Deadly Reprisals", follow updates and actions on our website, and join other Amnesty members by signing our online appeal. Financial support from Amnesty members helped us investigate and publish evidence o

balance/ rant/ Taste of Edmonton

Jul. 18 Balance: I tend to over analyze and over think things that don't matter or does matter.  I then tend to not take action.  It's about a balance of thinking about it, then doing things, and analyzing the results.  The rule is to spend an hr on my job search or doing something productive.  Afterwards, then I can spend some time writing/ analyzing in my weekly emails. Rant: Here's more of my rant about fake people.  This is more mild.  I got a flashback of jr. high school.  I go to this math tutor on the weekends.  These girls there were talking about this girl at their school. Wisery: This girl pretends to smoke to be cool.  She carries an empty box of cigarettes around and pulls it out when someone asks for one.  She then says: "Sorry, I'm all out."  Me: That sounds kind of dumb.  Yeah, well at least she's not smoking.  If she actually does smoke to seem cool, then that's dumb. Party: This leads to another flashback in jr. high school.  So one of my friends threw a party and she was smoking a cigarette.  Friend #2 was really upset and had tears in her eyes as she says to me: "She promised me she wouldn't smoke.  And now here she is smoking."  Then this other girl tells Friend #2: "Whatever, she's just trying to be cool."  I guess that was a way to console her as in "She's not disrespecting you by breaking her promise to you."  Friend #1 didn't seem to be addicted to smoking.  If she was, she would have acted like she really needed a cigarette. Jamie Kennedy Experiment: I got a flashback of the TV show The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.  It's a hidden camera show where JK plays tricks on people.  JK pretends to be a cashier and won't let a woman buy cigarettes.  She was really angry and argued with JK about it.  She was talking how she really needed it, and you can tell she was addicted. Drinking: Another time in high school, there was this girl talking about how she got really drunk over the weekend.  She was talking about how funny and fun it was at lunch.  Afterwards, my friend Tamara asked: "Did you think she was lying about that?"  I didn't think she was lying about it.  I believed it.  Then again, if you were so drunk that night, then how were you able to remember so much? Yeah, well if she was lying about it, what does it matter?  How does her lying about drinking affect my life?  On a side note, she was talking about how funny it was, but nobody at lunch laughed.  If I say something funny, and nobody laughed, I would have said: "Yeah, well when he said it was funny.  People laughed then."  Jul. 19 Stupid people: My sister is always irritated by my stupidity.  I do get where she's coming from.  Like that time when my ex-boyfriend had mentioned about someone saying to him: "Surely, there's no harm."  My ex-boyfriend says: "Don't call me Shirley."  I mentioned it in my weekly email where I said: "I think I heard that in a Leslie Nielson movie, but I don't know what it's called and I'm not going to look it up."  My friend Sherry says: "It's from the movie Airplane." Real life: Now I'm getting that flashback again about the girl who's in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys.  This girl Erin asks the teacher in front of the entire class: "Can you tell me what her exact grade is?  I promise I won't tell anyone."  She sounded like a teenage girl.  Well then again, she is a teenage girl.  In this situation, she's asking a teacher; she's not talking to her friend and asking what's wrong. TV shows: It was done on Parks and Recreation where this man played by Paul Rudd was running for mayor against Leslie (Amy Poehler.)  Imagine Rudd, a 40 yr old man talking like a little kid and asking Amy: "C'mon, drop out of the race.  If I win, I'll throw a party and you guys are totally invited to it." This was done on The Simpsons where Sideshow Bob tries to kill Bart.  Homer and Marge hire a tough private investigator. PI: Oh don't worry, I can be very persuasive. Cut to PI and Sideshow Bob at a bar. PI (whining): C'mon, move out of town. Sideshow Bob: No. PI: I'll be your friend. Sideshow Bob: No. PI (crosses his arms): Oh, you're mean. Jul. 20 West Ed mall: Pink Berry opened last week at West Ed mall.  It sells frozen yogurt.  Today I went to the WEM warehouse.  It was selling old WEM souvenirs.  It was mainly hats, t-shirts, pens, cups, stuffed animals.  It also had the dvds of the movie that was shot in the mall, called Christmas in Wonderland.   The Year of: Last year I called 2011 "The Year of the Office Job Search."  This year may be called "The Year of New Directions."  I did a bunch of different things.  I took a temporary job in April, then I took 2 temporary telemarketer jobs in May and June.  I went and applied to TV production companies.  I started applying to staffing agencies.  I started going to career counseling. Summer of: This may be called "The Summer of Self- analysis" or "of Self-discovery."  My Career Counselor talked about attitude and habit.  Attitude is a belief and thought, habit is action. Mixed ideas: I have mixed ideas about jobs.  It's good to have a job that you are good at, and that you like.  I really liked working at call centres because you get to sit all day and talk to people.  I'm okay with the idea of tolerating your job.  Your life is not totally about your job.  You do have a life outside of work and you can focus on things that make you happy.  You may not be able to make your passion/ hobby a job like say be a cook because it doesn't pay enough for you.  But you can cook in your spare time. Taste of Edmonton: I went to the Taste of Edmonton food festival on Churchill Square today.  There were a few concerts scheduled, but I didn't know the bands.  I remember going to it in 2009.  The festival has the same restaurants from last year with all kinds of food like Chinese, Korean, Greek, etc.  You have to pay tickets to buy the food, like at the Heritage Day Festival.  Tix on Square: It also has the artists selling their paintings like at past year's festivals.  I did enter Tix on Square.  I was in there once in 2009.  The sales guy said all the stuff is from the Edmonton Arts Council.  All the products are from Edmonton artists like authors who wrote the books, artists who made the shirts, magnets, moccasins, etc.  I didn't know that.  Check it out. Date: When I went there, it was with this guy.  I think the date was okay.  If he had cancelled on me, I would still go to the festival by myself.  He was smart, interesting.  We had fun talking about movies, TV shows, books.  We talked a bit about Criminal Minds and how I like the show, but he couldn't get into it.  He had a lot of unpopular opinions about movies like not being into those new Batman/ Christopher Nolan movies. Jul. 25 Psychic: I like psychics because it's like counseling.  However, with a psychic, I feel like I can't talk too much because they're telling me the future.  Also I feel like I can't tell them about myself because I want to see if they're truly a psychic. As for a counselor, you talk, they listen. Similar: Have you ever been angry about one thing and then you take your anger out on other things that aren't related to it?  I do.  Looks like my sister does too.  I got to rant about this.  She was trying to print something off the printer and it doesn't work.  She asks how to print, and I said: "Convert it to a PDF."  Then she yells at me that it's a band-aid solution.  She then yells at me saying that I'm sending my script out and that I'm not going to be famous.  So the printer not working leads to her yelling about not being famous.

Post Secret/ song/ comparisons

Jul. 8 Post Secret: Here are some hard secrets: "I never told anyone that my cousin was molested...now she sells coke and cut yourself." Me: The lesson to anyone reading is: "If you're molested, tell someone.  If you know someone is molested, then tell someone."  Your cousin can still get counseling.  "I'm scared I'll go too crazy in college." Me: At least you can acknowledge that you may have a problem, so it's good you're self aware.  "I don't have the courage to tell my feminist friends I have an eating disorder.  I am a total hypocrite.  I feel like a failure."  Me: Get counseling.  Some positive secrets: "You made an offhand comment to a guy at your bar.  It saved my marriage.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!"  "My stay in the psych ward as a teenager helped prepare me for college." "I wish I had gone on another trip with my mom instead of spending money on s--- I didn't need or even want.  She is so much fun to travel with." Me: I read that you can buy happiness on the right stuff.  Spend it on experiences like a trip instead of things. There's a picture of China: "I quit my job to come here.  It's the most stupid ("most stupid" is crossed out) BRAVEST thing I have ever done.  I have never been more happier or confident than I am right now.  Whatever crazy thing you're thinking of; DO IT!" Jul. 9 Comedy comparisons: I want to add to the "getting scared about things that aren't supposed to be scary."  On The Simpsons, they made fun of The X-Files.  Cut to Homer and Bart camping in the woods so they can film the alien that Homer saw. They are sitting around a campfire as Bart tells a scary story. Bart: And that is how much Maggie's college tuition is going to cost. Homer looks scared. Song: I found this on Youtube.  It says "Usher ripped off OMG from the Simpsons?"  I heard it, and I was like: "Oh my god, it sounds similar in the beat and the lyrics."  They played the songs separately, and then together. Usher's "OMG" song (verse 1): Honey got a booty like pow, pow, pow Honey got some boobies like wow, oh wow Homer Simpson: Christmas in December, wow, wow, wow Give me tons of presents, now, now, now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgCo5DVX3XQ Jul. 11 Twitter: I got an email that someone is following me on Twitter.  It's Gay Russia @GayRussians.  I was like: "What?  Why are they following me?"  Three people follow me in total.  My friend McKenzie, and the TV show Signs. Here's Gay Russia on Facebook if you want to check them out: http://www.facebook.com/GayRussia Jul. 12 Comparisons: When I write, I'm always able to notice some things have been done on other TV shows. Academic rivals: I was writing about why these characters are rivals.  It was done on Veronica Mars where Veronica is competing for the Lily Kane scholarship with another girl.  It was also done on that old teen sitcom Breaker High.  You know, Canadian movie star Ryan Gosling was on that show before he got big in the movies. I was just looking up the black girl Denise who was the smart one of the group and how she was competing against this guy on an academic game show.  The actress's name is Persia White.  I thought that sounded familiar.  Then I checked her on imdb.com and it turns out she plays Bonnie's mom on The Vampire Diaries now.  Wow, I didn't know that. It's not very exciting because it's people studying.  That's not very active in action. Teens in academic game show: It can be exciting if done like this.  It was done on the teen sitcom Sweet Valley High where Jessica Wakefield did really well on the test, got a 162.  She meets this Asian guy who will be her partner on the game show, and she is instantly attracted to him.  However, it later turns out she got a 62 on the test, so she's not really prepared to go on the show. It was done on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.  Sabrina was on an academic team, but then the team got food poisoning.  So she got friends Harvey, Valerie, and her enemy Libby on the team.  Something about Sabrina's house is filled with these flowers that made her aunts sleepy.  Sabrina is half-mortal, so she had to literally clean out all the poppies, because she couldn't get rid of it with her magic. It was done on Degrassi: The Next Generation.  It lead to the school shooting. Making and selling drugs for a greater goal: On Breaking Bad, the lead character is a science teacher and has cancer.  To make sure his family is provided for when he dies, he makes and sells drugs. It was kind of done on Republic of Doyle.  The teen girl Teeny needs money to go far away in college, so she grows pot. Jul. 14 Setting a fire as a distraction: I was watching The Listener's episode called "Rogue's Gallery."  Toby sets a fire as a distraction to smoke out some people.  Now I just remembered it was done on Angel season 1 ep "War Zone."  It's about street kids and run by Gunn.  There's a smoke bomb thrown in their home, and then everybody runs out.  Vampires were to kidnap Gunn's sister. Pulling a fire alarm as a distraction: I remember the 2007 TV movie called Wide Awake.  It stars Missy Peregrym before she got big on her TV show Rookie Blue.  In the TV movie, she pulls a fire alarm as a distraction.  Then I remember in a later episode it was done on The Mentalist. Jul. 16 Life comparisons: I have started on another direction.  I was thinking about how I'm maybe being too picky in my job search.  Since 2008, when my parents and sister told me that staffing agencies are bad, I have been avoiding applying to them.  In 2011, I did my office job search for the entire year and gave 100% effort and time into it. Now it's 2012, and I asked my dad if I should try staffing agencies.  He says: "Sure, but I doubt that you will get a job through them."  Today I started applying to them. It's weird.  The whole time I was applying to them, I was thinking: "This is like after years of being told to not smoke cigarettes, because it will cause cancer.  Now today you're lighting up and started smoking."  lol. Charity: Charlie Sheen is going to donate 1% of his profits from his new TV show Anger Management to USO.   USO is a non-profit organization is support troops by providing recreation-type and morale boasting entertainment events to them. http://www.uso.org/ Art: I was going through my Freelance Writer's group emails and I found this website.  It shows art and cartoons.  It's really good.  One picture that stood out was a cat that hung himself with: "Mediocrity killed the Cat." http://bramvanleeuwen.tumblr.com/ Jul. 19 Science podcasts: Anna Miller sent me this "40 Fun Podcasts for Science Geeks" through my blog.  I'm not interested in it, but I read it to see if it might interest one of my friends who was a science major.  If you're into science, you can check it out. http://www.onlinedegrees.org/40-fun-podcasts-for-science-geeks/ Jul. 22 Happiness: I was reading Post Secret today and a post card said this: "Once I stopped judging my happiness by other's lives, I became happier."

Summer Sale on Music, Candles and Fair Trade Jewelry

	I got this from Amnesty International:  http://shop.amnestyusa.org/s?amp;Action=submit&ie=UTF8&searchKeywords=banana&utm_source=aiusa&utm_medium=email&utm_content=SummerSale&utm_campaign=Merch_Jul12_Email Dear Tracy, We're in the final two weeks of negotiation for a strong Arms Trade Treaty. Wear our Banana Gun shirt and make a statement that weapons must be kept out of the hands of human rights abusers. You can also support our work by shopping at our store where every purchase you make helps Amnesty International fight for human rights. Shop for humanity. Shop with a purpose.
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