A bad reminder of a personally incomprehensible issue - the Kingston Honour Killing trial

I've been reading about the current honour killing trial in Kingston, centered around Afghan immigrant Mohammed Shafia and his dysfunctional, and now greatly eliminated, family. Shafia is currently being tried for the alleged premeditated mass murder of his first wife, Rona, and three daughters, aged 19, 17, and 13. The four family members were found drowned in a lake, but there is doubt as to whether they were dead before going into the water. Bruises have been found on some of their foreheads that could have been from the impact of a car crash, but they could also have been from force of a different kind. Based on everything that's been said about the family and its dynamics, and especially Shafia's disgust and cold hatred for his daughters, he has really made it easy for people to find him guilty. I can't imagine the trial ending with him being found innocent, but I'm not so naive as to think it certain. I hate reading about things like this. I feel like they should be fiction but I know they're the terrible truth. And I know its not a singular issue. Violence against women and an overall disregard for the humanity and rights of women is a very real issue in some parts of the world and it is all too easy to blame culture as the cause of it. In middle eastern countries, women must wear burkas. Men can marry many wives. If a women is raped, it is her fault and she shames her family. Why are these things comfortable aspects of some countries' cultures? Men should not fear, blame, or punish women and they should not push their shame onto any one else other than themselves. The fact that honour killings exist as recognized acts and are not given equal criminal weight in all parts of the world definitely gives me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Here's a link to one of Maclean's stories on the trial:
i-love-you-with-all-my-heart

Ride Rant!

Since summer 2011, I have been taking city transit more than I ever have in my 22 year old life. Getting to and from a summer job, various city events, and Mohawk College, I now feel pretty comfortable taking the bus and getting around the city by myself. My new wisdom of HSR however has also enlightened me to the rather annoy-some behaviour of some travelers. My biggest pet peeve? People who don't move to the back of the bus when they get on. If there are seats available, sit! If there aren't, for the love of jeebus, move to the back so other people can get on. There is nothing more aggravating then getting on a bus and having to stand with a loaded backpack and laptop case at the very front of the bus becuase the otherwise unoccupied bus is blocked by some blockhead. Even when it's not me who's blocked, it's still annoying and I feel terrible for the people who get trapped or who can't get on the bus becuase its "full".
This issue seems to be common amongst "the youth". Man am I getting old! Anyway, I don't know why they don't seem to realize the common courtesy inherent in the simple act, but I feel the need to yell at them when they don't do it. I don't actually yell of course, but it does definitely grind my gears! So next time you take HSR, please remember this small rant of mine and be courteous!

Gone to the dogs!

Thanks to my PR program and its work placement requirement, I have investigated and received an internship with the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA. And boy, have I been introduced to the organization at a fitting time! There is currently a bit of a crisis occurring with the organization on a membership/governance level. Members of the board are petitioning for the ousting of the current board chair. But their arguments for why they don't want him anymore don't seem to be fair or relevant and are causing more harm than anything else for the organization. The negative publicity that's resulted from their disgruntlement can really damage potential funding for the organization. The issues have been explained to me by my supervisors and I'm hoping to continue discussion about them and possibly offer to help with crises management in the future (if they want my intern help that is).
Perhaps you'll read more from me on this issue later. 

Moving on...I've been at the SPCA four times now and for 5 hour intervals each time. Here are some of the things I've been doing:

Me and my puffball of a dog, Gracie! Wish I could bring her to work with me!










• I created a brochure for pet bereavement classes (on my first day in no less!)- this was the first time I'd had free run with a brochure and gotten to create one for publication

• I've been introduced and have been learning about their animal database "PetPoints" and have been writing pet profiles for adoptable dogs.

• I've learned about istockphoto.com and how it's a good website for design, marketing, and advertising employees to search for and purchase quality stock photos, images, and illustrations for their businesses.

• I've completed a rough draft of a media release for the upcoming "Picture your Pet with Santa" event that's going to take place starting late November - I'll get feedback on it the next time I come in.

• I'm around dogs the whole day and this makes me indefinably happy! It also makes me wish I could bring my own dog in.

So that has been my internship experience so far. I'm excited and optimistic for the experiences and opportunities that could await me in this placement.

Blockbuster Review #5: Mongol

Mongol was a movie I didn't select from Blockbuster myself. I actually had no interest to buy it, let alone watch it. But thanks to my mother's small interest in Genghis Khan and foreign films, I watched and I enjoyed! I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Mongol is a foreign film, filmed in Mongolian with English and Spanish subtitles.
It was directed by Sergey Bodrov and the crew was predominately Russian.
It was a 2007 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.

So what's it all about?
The movie is about the early life of Genghis Khan before he really became Genghis Khan. He is referred to, throughout the whole movie, as Temudjin (his original birth name). His early life is portrayed from childhood just up until the time he fully takes on the name of Genghis Khan. It is an epic adventure of a movie and I saw myself comparing it to the Lord of the Rings, but with the knowledge that Mongol was actually based on history. The movie tried to accurately portray events how they happened to the best of its ability and knowledge and I really enjoyed seeing that history come alive on screen! Knowing it was historically based made the movie even more interesting to me. I definitely had the urge to google Genghis Khan after it was done to learn more and to see what was really true! 


Here's the trailer:

What did I think?

The movie features beautiful, far reaching landscapes of China, inner Mongolia, and Kazakhstan as well as violent wars and battles. It portrays Genghis Khan as a very religious man, fearful of his god and the lightning storms that He creates, but also hints at the theory that he was "god gifted" so to speak and that's part of why he became such a famous, great leader (because his god was looking after him).
The movie has themes of friendship, love, power, morality, and vengeance.
The movie moves so swiftly in its telling of its story that its easy to get caught up in the majesty of it. Scenes and acting were realistic and well done and the characters were really individualistic and interesting. You ended up caring a lot about everyone involved in Genghis Khan's life, even his eventual "enemy", Jamukha. Finally, the director knew when to use his grand, scoping shots for drama and suspense and when to show character's emotions close up on screen.
Gripping and well done!

8.5 out of 10

What do you think?
Leave a comment below!

Underrated Halloween Movies

Its almost here - my favourite holiday of the year! It's tradition in my family to watch at least one themed movie during Halloween so for those looking to organize a scary (or maybe simply Halloween-themed) movie night among friends/family, here are some that I've enjoyed throughout the years. Some may not be movies you've heard of before or they may be classics within your own home.

In no particular order:

• Hocus Pocus (Bette Midler, Sara Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are hilarious and my childhood ideal of what witches should look and act like. The whole movie reminds me of the good ol' days of the 90's.)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107120/

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (It's extremely cheesy, but a cult classic and worth watching just to see Paul Reuben's hilarious death scene.)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103893/

• Shaun of the Dead (I know its new and known, but is it still popular? I feel zombies have become so dramatic or scary now on TV and in movies. What happened to them being a source for comedy? What happened to just bashing them over the heads with cricket bats? Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are an amazing duo in this comedy horror flick! Possibly the best zombie movie ever!)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/

• The Thing (I know people must know about The Thing now becuase of the new prequel that just came out, but the original movie by John Carpenter is scary good! Even with sometimes laughable graphics! A must see for sci-fi nerds!)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/

• The Exorcist (It's still my favourite horror movie of all time. After watching it, I am embarrassed to admit that it can still make me look over my shoulder when going to bed) 

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/

• Once Bitten (This movie goes back to the hilarious 80's and stars a very young Jim Carrey. It includes dance scenes and raging teenage hormones amongst a backdrop of ridiculously dressed vampires!) 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089730/

• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (It's a 1978 suspense/sci-fi/thriller with Donald Sutherland! Need I say more?)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077745/

• An American Werewolf in London (I'm guessing that many people under the age of 20 will not know about this one! But it is again hilarious and classic, with a car wreck scene that was [so I've been told] very scary to its original viewers of 1981.)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/

• Rosemary's Baby (This movie isn't scary for its makeup or gore but for the mystery and suspense it builds up.)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063522/

• House on Haunted Hill (The 1959 original with Vincent Price is a masterpiece and, as the oldest movie on my list, still stalwartly worth watching today.) 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051744/

•  Young Frankenstein (It's a Mel Brooks comedy starring Gene Wilder that is an excellent parody of the original Frankenstein story) 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072431/


Better known movies that are good to watch around Halloween also include:
Poltergiest, Dracula, Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Silence of the Lambs, Alien, Psycho, Scream, The Birds, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gremlins, & Ginger Snaps


Enjoy!
Happy Halloween!!

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PR adventures thus far...

So I've joined the program - that is, Mohawk College's Public Relations Post-Grad Certificate Program!

What's been happening?

• First off, I've met a lot of interesting people in my classmates and my professors.
• I've been thrown into an environment that I can only compare to high school! I mean, there are lockers in the hallways! Not to mention, full days of classes with the same small group, and small assignments that basically serve for nightly homework. But I'm not complaining. It has me learning a lot and in a short amount of time.
• I've been listening to lectures whose topics are real to me and actually interest and excite me (somewhat different from my experience with some university classes which were more theoretical and nap inducing)
• I've been listening to and getting to know guest speakers who've been in the PR industry and have valuable experiences to share.
•   Lastly, I'm working and will work on amazingly interesting and fun assignments (including work on this blog and the programs blog at http://pratmohawk.blogspot.com, work with twitter, and fund raising).
• I've been accepted into the Canadian Public Relations Society and their Mentorship program. I just recently met my mentor at their orientation event along with all the other individuals involved in the program. It was a great experience minus the part where my name tag wouldn't stick to my blazer and chose my hair instead. I'm sure I made a great impression for the 30 seconds it took to pull it embarrassingly out of my hair. Anyway, I plan on talking with my mentor a great deal over the next couple of months and I'm really excited about the program.
• I've gotten an internship with the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA. I start this Friday and hopefully I'll get to help out with many an interesting job there! 

All in all, I'm having a great time so far and that makes me feel assured in myself and my decision to pursue PR as a career.

As more interesting things happen in the program, you can expect my commentary on them to appear in this blog!

Blockbuster Review #4: Brotherhood of the Wolf

Before getting into the nitty gritty, I should give a little background to this series for those just clicking in. The story begins with the sad declaration of Blockbuster Canada going out of business. It ends with me, the avid movie lover, mourning the loss of my local Blockbuster and going home with an arm full of their orphaned movies. Since my family members were involved in the splurge, movies I've never seen or would never have picked myself came home with me too. I thought it would be fun to review the movies on this blog and so began my Blockbuster Series. This is the fourth movie I'm delivering a verdict to.


So what's this movie all about you ask?

The Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French film that I watched dubbed in English but there was also the option to have English subtitles. It is inspired by the popular French myth of the "Beast of Gevaudan".

It takes place in 18th century France, in Gevaudan province. Villagers are terrorized and killed by a mysterious beast that no one has ever seen. Upon hearing of the killings, the King of France orders the Chevalier de Fronsac and his native american friend, Mani, to investigate the matter. What they discover is completely unexpected.  

Here's the trailer:

What did I think?

This is a rated-R movie definitely not made for kids (even if it is somewhat historical/educational). That said, I think it is a good movie, but perhaps, because of this, good for a selective audience only.

Its violent, visually spectacular, with good character and plot development (and for a mystery that's a must), and it put a really interesting twist on the action hero by making him an 18th century taxidermist. It is very original in a lot of aspects.

It can be classified under so many genres (horror, romance, mystery, action, adventure, history, etc.) so I can't imagine anyone being bored by it. The jacket cover describes it as a sort of historical "Matrix" but after watching for myself, I can't agree. The only resemblance, in my opinion, is a rather corny, slow-motion fighting scene in the first few minutes that reflects the fighting in The Matrix. And I believe this scene actually takes away from the movie's better qualities. I'd market it as more of a French Pirates of the Caribbean. Regardless, I thought it was a fun and entertaining movie, that isn't meant to be taken too seriously. I think viewers who understand that will enjoy it the most.

7 out of 10.

What do you think about my review?
Do you agree with my score?
Let me know in the comments!



    

The Tourist = Slowest. Boat Chase. Ever.

The Tourist is a definite miss that only happens to star two big actors. Both Depp and Jolie give fair performances given what they have to work with, but, in the end, the weakness of the movie's script, plot, and character development drive this movie into an inescapable hole.

The shots, angles, and scenes appear to want to evoke a 1950's film-noir aspect but fail miserably when they do this in a modern day world. If they wanted to create film-noir, they could have easily made the movie into a period-piece without even disrupting much of the screenplay.

The overall movie is cheesy, translucently predictable, and weak. A movie made just to make a movie.

5 out of 10.

Let me know what you think!

Blockbuster Review #2: The Lovely Bones

This 2009, Peter Jackson movie, based on the book by the same title, is the story of a girl who is murdered at 14 and finds herself in a type of limbo in which she tries to reach out towards those people whom she loved in life (most importantly her family).

When a movie is based on a book, I can expect it to be a little more thought out, a little better than the regular dreck Hollywood spews out. And I guess this movie did not disappoint in that respect. Neither did Jackson's directing -- granted some of the scenes were incredibly corny and over dramatic but isn't that the charm of Jackson's direction we all know and love sometimes?

The visual effects were engrossing, imaginative and sometimes reminiscent of those used
in "What Dreams May Come" (in my opinion, a must-see movie whose visual effects are among the best I've ever seen in film). Art and visual effects crew, however, are entirely different for the two movies.
Here is a sample of their visual effects:

                    Top: The Lovely Bones
                 Bottom: What Dreams May Come

Most of all, I believe it was Stanley Tucci's performance as psychotic serial killer of young girls that I enjoyed best about the movie. I have seen Tucci in several movies now that have showcased his acting talent, but I was still pleasantly surprised at how he changed his voice, mannerisms, and behaviour for this role in "The Lovely Bones". When a well-known actor can still surprise you with what he can do in front of a camera, he is definitely worth watching!

I enjoyed this film for the most part and believe that its likable for the masses. My only qualms would be the corniness, the inclusion of sometimes over-the-top supernaturaleness (but really, where do you draw the line between believable magic and "just totally unrealistic" magic?), and an ending that gives the audience a desirable but therefore predictable sense of closure.

6 out of 10.
Your comments?

The Blockbuster Series: Your Highness script is what a high Seth Rogen would write

Welcome to the first discussion of the Blockbuster series! 

As you know, Blockbuster Canada is shutting down operations and jumping ship, leaving their disgruntled and bitter employees to ring through my impulse sale purchases of videos! Since I got caught up in the deceptive idea that I'd be saving money by buying their 25% discounted movies, I have now collected a nice pile of what I'm sure will be terrible but hilarious entertainment. This is why I've decided to watch and critique the movies as I go along and share my opinions on my probably non-existent hits, but giant misses for, hopefully, more entertaining discussion. Feel free to comment on whether or not you agree with me!
 

So here we go with the first in my collection...

"Your Highness" - starring James Franco, Danny McBride, and Natalie Portman. 


The best way of describing this movie is incredibly painful. As someone who enjoyed Pineapple Express and both Franco and McBride's performances in that movie, I was expecting good if not at least decent things from Your Highness. I was sorely let down. With a budget that was used more on their special effects and wardrobe (i.e. funny hats and pantaloons, etc. etc.), it's like they forgot they needed to write a script. So at the end of the day they just mashed together an obvious plot, with some obvious toilet humour and sex jokes, and added a few scenes of naked women for distraction from it (who needs words when you have naked women right?) and then called it a movie! And warning: No acting was required in the making of this film. They didn't care enough to act. And I know I shouldn't criticize a stoner movie like I would criticize an Oscar winning movie, but just in comparison to Pineapple Express, Your Highness doesn't even come close to good! They had a good idea and a good cast and they could have made this a better movie if they had just actually put a little effort into it!

4 out of 10.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with my bashing? Or did you like it?

Missing my first desk job

It's been just over a week since I completed my summer student position with the Ministry of Revenue. I'm pretty sure it's taken me this long to write about it because I was so relaxed and having too much fun for the past month actually working in the office! Not only did the people in this office make it a friendly, stress-free place to work, but the work itself was uncomplicated and stress-free. Although mind numbing at times, it was certainly never hated and I can honestly say that I have never had such a positive and cushy job! I was respected, praised instead of negatively criticized, was able to do both desk work and more hands-on physical work, and still had energy at the end of the day to do whatever my blissful heart desired! And at the end of it all, my mangers gave me a certificate of appreciation (a golden sticker included for extra panache even!), and gift cards for Chapters and Tim Hortons! Not to mention, they paid for out-of-office lunch trips to Williams coffee pub on two separate days of my work term! I felt spoiled beyond belief! 

I came away with a nice slew of professional work skills too which I've now added to my resume and LinkedIn profile (which, if you haven't encountered yet, is a social media site much like Facebook but for your professional working self). These included work with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, shipping, courier and mail services, use and maintenance of printers, faxes, photocopiers, organization and creation of files, boardroom setup, customer service, telephone communications and transfers.

I am so happy I got the opportunity to work there and I really do miss the people and the stress-free environment that school is currently working hard to rub out of my memory!

In transition: What was your first job and how terrible was it?

 As previously stated, I'm going to be beginning my new desk job July 4th. Until that wonderful date,  I am finishing up a four-summers-long career at Subway Restaurants as a "sandwich artist". Yes, that's right, I have been  performing fast-food customer service for four years! Is there any job that's worse? Well, actually I'm sure there are many (as someone like Mike Rowe could prove), but for me, 4 summers of working a dead-end job that I've always hated is pain and suffering enough for my lifetime thank you! The recent telling of my departure to my boss just reinforced this fact. Instead of wishing me congratulations on taking advantage of this great new opportunity, he was speechless with "nothing to say" apparently. He has ignored and avoided me since I told him and we have had no conversation on the topic since then. It is clear that he is an expert in passive bullying of the high school-girl type and I have been feeling guilty for some insane reason because of all this... In fact, I couldn't sleep last night because I had such a realistic nightmare of him canceling all my remaining shifts and telling me he was angry with me. (on a side note, he actually did cancel one of my shifts this week...coincidence?). But honestly, what do I have to feel guilty about? I gave him two weeks notice. He should understand that if an opportunity presents itself to me (a graduated university student) that is anything more prestigious than slapping meat on a bun, I'm going to take it! But anyway, I digress into another argument. For now, I will focus on a quick summary of my job and why it is so loathsome to me:   

1. Constant criticism - My boss has never said "good job" to me or any other employees really. Instead, there is always something to criticize.
2. Illegal slave labour - Employees do not have mandatory breaks and I have often worked a 7 hour shift with one 10 minute break or less.
3. Cheap, cheap, cheap! - My boss tells employees to save and stinge on everything we can, from condiments to veggies to the amount of cheese we put on the bread. He has one cleaning product for the entire store (which is such a failure against health checks) and he has made me return my previously used uniform at the end of every working summer. Any extra time employees spend working in the store (ie. that extra 10 minutes) is unpaid for. Finally, special deals/promotions are usually never done "at our location".
4. Customer Concern Garners Criticism- Health failures abound mainly from not properly washed containers (because everything must be done in a rapid fire motion and if you care about giving customers actually clean dishes, your boss yells at you for being slow). My concern with giving customers fresh, clean, good food is usually overridden as well by my boss`demands. The ends of tomatoes with the hard cores in them are saved because my boss is cheap and I always feel guilty giving these to customers to eat.

Well friends...that was my rampage on my first job. Do you have first jobs or just jobs you've hated as passionately? Or have you had good first job experiences? I'd love it if you shared your story with me!

Finally employed! It may be cheesy, but the glass is definitely half-full today!

Well... success!! I have finally landed my very first desk job. It is only a summer student job, but I couldn't be happier or more excited for it to begin. This will be the first time I'll have a real "desk job"!  I guess this is evidence that you should never give up applying to positions even when it feels absolutely hopeless. It took me four years to get to this point and along the way, I must admit, I became extremely pessimistic and depressed over my future (or presumed lack thereof). But I always understood that I would eventually get a job. It was never completely hopeless and no one should ever think that their future is either. In my own experience, I applied to so many positions and organizations this summer and summers past through things like internet job banks and government sites and I might have received a few interviews as a result, but never was I offered any positions. And this was a tiring and de-motivational experience, as it would be for anyone but when you know you need a job you don't give up. You can get frustrated that people don't realize your genius and how amazing you would have been as an employee, but in a blink you should be looking and applying elsewhere, because after all there's no use in crying over spilled milk.  

Past, Present, Future?

As a university graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce and a major in Marketing Management, I feel as if the past four years of my life were spent in a futile effort to please professors and T.A.'s and often times single-handedly save group projects from failing grades due to terrible group members. I do not feel like I gained much real world knowledge about the world of business and at the end of four years, I still feel that the program was not the exact "right" choice for me. I'm passionate about writing and reading and my forever growing home library is testament to that. I still feel a greater attachment to the arts then I do science or business. And yet, in all my four years of university life, I never felt a need to change academic fields. I wanted to learn more about marketing before I abandoned it forever. The problem was, that in my final winter semester of fourth year, I still felt as if I did not know enough about marketing to refute it as a worthy field to work in. I'm sure that readers will now be thinking that I am insulting my university and its program, but let me assure you, I am not degrading the program or its teachings. I learned some very practical knowledge in many of my courses, often times with professors trying to instill their own passions in apathetic students. What I am really trying to say is that even with the knowledge I gained and professors' support, I still feel that business is not something that can be learnt in a classroom like other disciplines, but is something that requires actual working experience to understand. And this is something I do not have, nor do I know how to get it! There is a universal catch-22 that plagues the entire working world - "you need experience to get a job, but without a job you can get no experience"! This is the present dilemma I find myself in, along with the knowledge that I am completely un-knowledgeable on how to actually find a job! So here I am, a recent graduate of a program I'm not sure I was completely interested in, no job experience, still wondering if a career in business is where I'm headed! Only the future will tell...along with some heavy resume blitzkriegs on my part!