I watched the animated Disney/Pixar feature Cars yesterday. I initially stayed away because I remember the movie had been quite poorly reviewed, but I think it may have been unfairly judged.

The capabilities of computer-generated animation continue to amaze me: Cars is simply beautiful to look at. Stunning vistas, “how’d they do that” realism with leaves and dust, and unique details that make it a Pixar film (there were Volkswagen Beetle-shaped flies!).

Plot-wise, the movie involves a solid story for children about the importance of teamwork, sense of community belonging, and responsibility to others. There was even a message about remembering to slow down and to exit life in the fast lane once in a while. My friend and I had to roll our eyes, however, at the attempt to educate audiences about the decay of small American towns that were bypassed with the construction of the Interstate (yeah, we are heartless bastards).

The main voice talents didn’t stand out, except perhaps Paul Newman, who was perfectly cast as the wise mentor Doc. There were quite a few celebrity cameos as well, with the likes of Jay Leno, Mario Andretti, and even Michael Schumacher lending their voices to car-shaped caricatures of themselves (speaking of the cars-as-people equation, my friend and I wondered how new cars were produced in this world. Is this how hybrid cars came into being?).

All in all, Cars is fun, family-friendly entertainment that complements the rest of the Pixar canon.

I don’t personally download music, so my exposure to new material is through a rather old fashioned medium: the good old radio.

At the moment, I have become thoroughly attached to The Fray‘s two singles: “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How to Save a Life.” One non-threateningly upbeat, and the other saturated with low key tones, they cater to whatever mood I happen to be in.

I haven’t yet had the opportunity to listen to the rest of their album, but if these songs are any indication, I may have to sample more of The Fray.

Our family tree

Not the Grouch, but our chinchilla! We inherited Oscar a few years ago from a friend who felt that she couldn’t provide him with the attention he deserved.

Chinchillas, native to South America, are nocturnal by nature. Sleeping until 7 in the evening, he wakes up cranky, like any human might. This is in part the reason for his name, though his demeanor overall can be sporadically unpleasant (also par with people).

Guarding his territory.

Enjoying a scratch.

Acting cute!

My name is Sharon and I am a text messaging addict.

On my last cell phone bill, the incoming and outgoing message count was well over four hundred. Thankfully, I had already switched to an unlimited text messaging flat fee a few months prior, which yes, I acknowledge does nothing to reduce my dependence on the service.

An article by Lisa Fitterman printed in the Edmonton Journal today spurned some self-reflection:

“What I hate most about texting, or text-messaging, is that those who indulge in it do not – indeed, cannot – give what is going on around them their undivided attention. Most of us aren’t very good at multi-tasking – at speaking on the phone, for example, while reading and/or writing e-mails. So why should text-messaging in public be any different? The New York Times‘s Bob Morris once called the practice “just another public display of disaffection.” And Kenneth J. Gergen, a psychology professor at Swarthmore College, has described the phenomenon as “absent presence,” in which we’re there but not there.”

Yes, I’m guilty of the above offense. Though it would make sense to simply talk to those right in front of you, communicating inane, non-urgent matters to those not there eventually solidified into habit.

It may be the allure of a technological novelty, or an advantageous use to maintain contact with close friends, but for now, I don’t think my text messaging has gotten in the way of my participation in group situations – yet (I sound like an addict, don’t I?).

While I feel skeevy citing OK Magazine as a source, rumors have been circulating since early November about the re-opening of talks to bring a Sex and the City movie to life.

As a huge fan of the show, I would love to see Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha back on screen again. There was a story in last week’s US Weekly about the possible storyline for the film. Though I know information filtered through gossip magazines needs to be taken with a vat of salt, the thought of seeing Carrie and Big’s wedding got me excited anyway.

I couldn’t help but wonder: will we ever see a Sex and the City reunion?

My Mum recently bought a box of Jimmy Dean Croissant Sandwiches, and I tried one the other day in the hopes of recapturing some of the magic from my Tim Hortons’ experience.

Sadly, I was disappointed. Microwaved, the croissant became overdone and chewy, not “flaky” as described on the website. Moreover, the cheese vaporized at high heat, leaving a soggy mess of processed egg in its wake. I suppose I could have heated the serving in the oven, but that would have contradicted the “instant breakfast” concept of the sandwich.

At 27 grams of fat, the Jimmy Dean creation isn’t worth it. I’d much rather splurge and eat the biscuit-encased Tim Hortons’ version instead.

Ready-to-eat

On Friday, I returned to my alma mater, the University of Alberta, for a film screening by California-based Wong Fu Productions.

Started by three Chinese Americans from San Diego, Wong Fu is famous for their internet-broadcasted music videos and short films, particularly the hilarious Yellow Fever. Their newest project, A Moment With You, is more serious, dealing with a group of lonely, soul-searching twenty-somethings and their quest for love. The filmmakers have been traveling the continent since early November, conducting screenings on campuses all over North America. Having just arrived from Calgary, they were set to fly to Toronto for another appearance the following night.

Held in Tory Lecture 11, site of one yawn-inducing educational technology course in my third year, it wasn’t the most comfortable venue, but did serve its purpose. I neglected to bring my camera yesterday, or I would have snapped a few photos of proof, but it felt very odd to be in the company of so many other young Asians outside of Chinatown or a cultural celebration of some kind.

It was revealed that the budget for the movie was a mere $2000. While it was amazing that they managed to produce a full-length “feature” with such short purse strings, A Moment With You noticeably exposed its amateur roots in a number of areas.

The sound quality was awful, and in places, the dialogue was out of sync with the actors’ lip movements, and seemed to have been dubbed. The acting was variable – Casey Hoffman, who played Dustin, a man still pining for his ex-girlfriend, was a dead weight (“Get off the screen, Eeyore!”). His character development was partly to blame (who wants to watch someone constantly moping and depressed?), but his line delivery was terrible as well; his responses were poorly timed, and often came off as canned. The clear standout was spunky Mimi Chao, who played the Holly Golightly-esque Alice, who masked her inner sadness with a carefree candor and infectious spontaneity. As in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, she helped draw protagonist Arthur (Austen Chong) out of his shell and life of routine.

The script was by far the weakest aspect of the movie. The filmmakers stressed their desire to reflect reality, but the empty platitudes, clichés, and lines lifted from cheese platters sprinkled throughout induced eye rolls, grimaces, and even laughs. My friend commented an hour into the movie that, “This is worse than Laguna Beach.”

What’s interesting is that I didn’t think I’d be so affected by seeing Chinese North Americans who were relatable not only in appearance, but more importantly, in culture as well, on film. It really was great to be represented on screen by those who could accurately mirror our experiences. I appreciated some of the in-jokes in the movie, understandable only by fellow “bananas.”

Philip Wang and Wesley Chan, present representing Wong Fu, conducted a brief Q & A session following the screening. When asked what their next project would be, they talked about their commercial venture, Sketchbook Media, but did emphasize their passion for film. I wouldn’t mind keeping track of their developments, in the hopes that they would continue to improve their work.

At any rate, I am now craving cereal.

If you’re like me, then you probably started Christmas shopping on Boxing Day last year. I’m a notorious present stockpiler, and I think it has less to do with my shopping obsession than the fact that I don’t want to regret passing on what would have been the perfect gift come holiday time.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., meaning Black Friday, which many consider the official kickoff to the Christmas season, is coming up fast (who knew such a bleak term could be used to describe the start of the most festive time of year?). So in honor of the season, and to help those poor souls destined to procrastinate with their shopping, I have compiled a list of interesting gift possibilities:

• For those who have idle hands: an ice cream ball – homemade ice cream in 20 minutes!
• For those who love hockey: customizable NHL Monopoly
• For those who demand perfect English: “good grammar costs nothing!” t-shirt
• For those who want a piece of Laguna: Breanna Couture, created by LC Condrad’s little sister
• For those who trek when traveling: card-sized walking tours
• For those who refuse to be wallflowers: private ballroom dancing lessons
• For those who said what they didn’t mean to say: Freudian slippers!
• For those who have everything: two hens and a rooster for a third-world family’s self-sufficiency

If you have any other unique gift ideas, please feel free to share them!

A scene in The Break-Up sees a group of thirty-somethings gather to play board games. This seemed to me like a rather dry idea, but maybe there’s more to it than that, as I participated in my own “games day” of sorts today.

Piling over to a coworker’s house, we played Cranium Pop 5 and Scene It, both of which are new to me. I have played the original Cranium before, and didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have, likely because my desire to win was challenged by my inability to rock the “humdinger” and “sculpturades” categories. Because of this, the Pop 5 version is more up my alley; instead of being assigned a manner of dissipating the clues, you and your team are given a choice of methods (which yes, can be influenced by the answer category and points strategy, but still).

Scene It, a game that combines trivia with visuals, audio, and video, was great fun as well. Although movie knowledge is not my forte, the multimedia-inclusive design was novel, stimulating, and appealed to the pop-culture-infested side of my brain. I’d definitely give Scene It: TV Edition a try!

I wonder if a game rental service exists, as the price is an obvious deterrent to collecting too many games. Like Bag, Borrow or Steal, the company where purse-aholics can pay a monthly charge to “rent” designer bags, someone should start a business where a monthly membership fee grants customers the right to borrow from a catalogue of games.

Regardless, games night anyone?