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Marda Loop Justice Film Festival
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 1999
This weekend past I took the children to the Marda Loop Justice Film Festival. On Friday night, just me and the boy (the girl at a Brownies sleepover), we went to see "Sand and Sorrow" - a documentary narrated by George Clooney on the civil war in Darfur. OK, informative, but not a great documentary.
On Saturday we attended 2 more - one a CBC documentary on the Alberta Tarsands, incredibly boring. Television brought to the big screen, but I wanted the boy to see it. Our "local" ethical commitment. And then one on Chernobyl - a very well paced, informative and enlightening documentary on the disaster at the Chernobyl power plant in 1986 in the Ukraine. An enjoyable film, which more than made up for the afternoon's presentation.
For those of you not familiar, the Film Festival is used to highlight topical social issues both in the world at large, and nearer to home in our communities. The format is a selected film is shown, then followed by a brief (3 or 4 question) discussion with "experts" present on the issues raised in the film. The "real" discussion is held in the lobby afterwards. Overall the films are chosen to overlap themes - for example the Saturday film on the Tar Sands raises the possibility of a Nuclear Power plant in Alberta's north to fuel the tar sands, and the following film on Chernobyl explores what happens when Nuclear Power goes wrong. This was my/our first time attending.
The festival was modestly well attended, slightly more than half full, good for the event, but a disinterested showing for a city of a million people. Noteworthy was the fact that in the last 2 films we saw we recognized most of the audience as people who were at the previous film(s), so one might generalize that those interested in social issues are very interested. Probably we should have stayed and chatted with some of them in the lobby afterwards to learn more, but 3 documentaries in a weekend was enough punishment for the boy...
Lemony Snicket - A Series of Unfortunate Events
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 1632
Currently I am in midst of reading the "A Series of Unfortunate Events" series of books to my children. Which is excellent, and I would recommend you read it to your children upwards of 8 years old. What distinguishes it from other works for the same age range is the authors rather demented sense of humour and perpetual small subversions that give away more about the world they're growing into than most people would be comfortable discussing or acknowledging. Which, if you're like me you're always eager to discuss and the book gives many introductions to topics that can easily expand into a cheerful evenings conversation....
The story focuses on 3 children - Violet, Klaus and Sunny, (AKA the Beaudelaire orphans), who were left without parents after a mysterious fire destroys their home, and the villainous Count Olaf, who attempts to possess himself of the Beaudelaires' fortune by various intrigues and adventures. While superficially very humourous, and written at an age level most younger children could easily understand, the books also offer many winks and nods to an older and more informed audience via asides from the narrator, Lemony Snicket.
Some quotes:
"For instance, as I crouch here behind the altar of the Cathedral of the Alleged Virgin...."
"The most important thing we do at the hospital is paperwork...."
And, of course, he scrupulously dissects such adages as: "Children should be seen and not heard" and "No News is Good News".
These quotes and topics above are but a very few of the many themes covered in book #8 - "The Hostile Hospital". Overall, these books are excellent, and I would recommend for children aged 8-14, although I've heard of adults who have read and quite enjoyed them as well.
Please note, that while the movie of the same name possessed characters of some resemblance, all qualities end there.
1 Legged Magpie and a full moon
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2395
There's a stunning full moon rising above the houses across the street, the sun is almost set.
On the lawn there's a 1 legged magpie. He's been there, or thereabouts, since I moved in, over 3 months. At first the injury looked fresh, an accident, precariously balancing on one foot, flapping his wings to keep his balance. But the injury probably isn't fresh, certainly not any more, it's just the way he is, hopping across the lawn, digging through the leaves and grass looking for worms. I almost feel sorry for him, but he seems to be doing well, there are other magpies in the neighborhood, the 2 legged kind, they hang out, look out for him, certainly they're not shunning him as other species of birds might do, or pecking him to death, he appears to otherwise be in good health.
Which reminds me, I should get some bird seed & make suet to hang from the weeping birch on the lawn.
Christ Church - Rummage Sale
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 5233
6:30 PM and I'm in line at the Christ Church Rummage sale. It doesn't start until 7:00 PM, fortunately it's a warm night, and although I'm half an hour early, by the standards of this rummage sale I'm already late, there are about 30 people ahead of me, not a line, strictly, more of mass of people who've read the papers, seen the signs and are here, like me, to find some treasures.
I recognize a few of the Hillhurst flea market dealers, there's the Camera guy and his brother, another vendor with a stall of antiques, a couple of other dealers I recognize but can't place, a few die-hard garage salers and about a dozen strangers.
I'm here in hopes of a big score, perhaps a fine vintage watch, this rummage sale is one of three big ones that are held semi-annually throughout Calgary that attract crowds. The Samaritan Rummage sale in Hillhurst is a huge one, twice a year creating lineups of over 300 people. The Scarborough Church one is another, perhaps creating lines of 100. And half an hour early on a Friday night the line is growing behind me, up the hill, down the street, as more dealers and thrifters come and join the crowd.
People stamp their feet to keep warm, grandmas slowly edge their way forward into the line, when the doors open at 7:00 there will be a full-court press to get through the doors, each person to the room where their own objects of desire may be sold, my first hit will be the treasure room, down the hall and to the back, to quickly peruse the jewellry and search for men's watches. Camera guy and the antique dealer will be going there as well, but if I hustle I might beat them. From there a quick gad-about to see what else there might be, look at the pictures, the collectables, maybe some antique candlesticks, having moved into a new place a few months ago I find there's still things I'm missing, ...
The important thing is to be open...most often you won't find what you're looking for, but if you keep your eyes peeled, you just might find something better....
Volunteers for the church show up, one, two at a time, have to press through the crowd, knock on the door, give the password and then get admitted. The crowd gets a bit unruly, thinking these people are butting into line, worrying that they might get first dibs on treasures they want, some of the more vocal take advantage of the open door to plead their case, they want in out of the cold, they have other committments....
The volunteers have heard it all before. No one gets in early.
Finally it's 7:00, the crowd parts just enough to allow the doors to open, the volunteers back away from the tide that forces itself through, 4-5-6 abreast, into the church. It's a miracle none are trampled. God was never so popular as when he held a rummage sale.
When I get in I make my way first to the back room, already the old harridans and babushkas have the jewellry staked, I'm lucky, I recognise a thrifter in place at the table who passes me a box full of watches. A quick pick through, find those of interest, pass the box to my left, the antiques dealer got distracted on his way in and so loses out.....but I'll let him pick through and discover that....I scan the jewellry table for anything else of interest, and then on to the next area. If you're undecided you grab first, make up your mind later. Should you take a moment to appraise an item of interest chances are high someone will grab it from under your nose. Hold it while you make up your mind.
I'm out in half an hour, it gets claustrophobic this, the elbows flying, the swell and crush of people at the tables, and I've found my share of the treasures - an antique wooden toybox, $5.00, an antique pressed-glass lampshade - $2.00, 3 watches for a dollar each, none of any great merit, but for a dollar each I couldn't leave them behind. All in all, not a bad haul.
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