"Parents Facebook the Darndest Things"

First and foremost, parents are people and people are allowed to do what ever they want, so in having facebook they are merely exercising their right to 'network', - this is perfectly acceptable. However, the object (or shall I say action) of my amusement in regards to our rents' using this social network device, is how they go about using it.

When parents 'facebook' they generally do one of three things (that we youngsters would never do):

- Give personal anecdotes

- Warn or caution wisely

- Use correct vernacular.

Admit it. Its funny.

Alright, so I suppose some of us do use proper grammar when we are commenting on our friends' pictures, communicate to our peers in a commanding and philosophizing way and even express the cliche status. Besides that, I still find that there is a comedy to be found in the divided style of communication between parents and their children, made so obvious, over the actions within facebook. Perhaps it is the age gap, in which style of talking is naturally different due to generational trends, or perhaps facebook is a 'scape' where friends communicate with friends, not parents. Anyway, here is an example from a friend's wall (my personal favorite) where his mother commented on a video, her name has been removed.

In response to a video someone posted of a 'large' primary school boy fighting back to his much 'smaller' bully ):

"Wow - not really the best course of action to take. However, bullying is a big problem which schools seem unable or unwilling to take care of....so i guess kids are often left to fend for themselves. I hate bullies and bullying - parents and school need to "get with it" and find solutions." ----- -----

Listening to the Radio Today

The topic I bring for this blog comes out of the 'Black and White' lecture and from listening to the radio today!
What never made sense to me in everyday life today is the true meaning behind the word that impolitely refers to African-Americans (Since it is a public blog, I have decided not to write it out).
In discussion, it was mentioned that Martin Luther King Jr. used the word 'nergo' throughout his life to refer to African-Americans. Over time the more 'serious' word of that evolved that today means something degrading and unacceptable to be used in public.
Now, what I don't understand is why this word remains frowned upon (not that I'd personally use it if it wasn't) when used and degrades African-Americans (and Blacks for that manner) when it is used so openly in music videos and artist recordings pretty much all everywhere. It is true that when broadcasting these songs, radio stations either mute or replace the word with something else (in order not offend anyone and remain politically correct) but what strikes me is still the fact it is being used. Strangely enough from what Ive noticed is the artists using this term to refer to Blacks are themselves Black!!

For example: "Old rap" Biggie Smalls feat. 112- Sky's the Limit and in "New rap" Lil Wayne- My **** Lyrics. and the examples are endless because so many more artists use the term.

It just doesn't make sense to me that a word be so bad to use in public by the public, yet the very people that it affects, use it loosely in communicating and in music lyrics.

Pornography Bad, Censorship Good?

After discussing Catherine MacKinnon’s objections to pornography, I decided to search Google to find out if there are any possible benefits of pornography. The first article I came across, titled “Censoring Pornography is Counterproductive,” provides strong evidence to oppose the censorship of pornography. First, the article states that attempts by the US government in the 1980s to enforce harsh restrictions on sexually explicit materials actually increased the domestic consumption of such materials. Evidently, placing strict boundaries on people’s access to something only increases their desire for it. The article goes on to argue that pornography provides a harmless sexual outlet for people who might otherwise seek antisocial ones, such as raping someone. As studies in Denmark, England, and Japan have shown, the legalization of pornography has indeed led to a decrease in sex offenses. Furthermore, exposure to erotica can allegedly reduce aggressive tendencies in people who are predisposed to aggress. Other benefits of pornography include its potential as a method of therapy for treating sexual dysfunctions, and its classification as a form of “safe sex,” thus being a means for the avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. MacKinnon’s approach to pornography is thus extremely negative, and she fails to account for the fact that pornography can actually reduce the amount of violence inflicted upon women. There are likely very many reasons in our society for why men might be abusive towards women, and it seems fallacious to place the blame on a medium such as pornography.

Here is the article if anyone is interested:

http://www.humanismbyjoe.com/Censoring_Porn.htm

Canadian Music Week - More than being in the right place at the right time...

Canadian Music Week was a wonderful success. I had a couple of people attend from different radio stations come to see the show, Exclaim! Magazine also came to review the show and both got back to me with positive and exciting reviews.

It's interesting to me though as CMW promotes itself as a 'great way of getting exposure', etc, etc...since this is not a paid gig for new and upcoming artists, they sort of sell it to you by saying that many 'labels' come out and 'important names' come to see artists perform. It's a mean green moneymaking industry and so much of it is smoke and mirrors. The sooner artists realize this, the better. It's cold, selfish, and a lot of hard work. So you have to take it into your own hands...

Well with over 800 bands playing throughout the week and well over 150 venues, it's quite unlikely that someone will be at YOUR particular performance. This process made me realize that networking is a whole lot more than waiting around for someone to notice you. It requires initiative on the artist's part, a business mind, determination, and of course, last but not least, talent.

The result of my invitation to Mary Kirk of Wave 94.7 has provided a wonderful portal to access people 'higher up' in the pyramid. She thoroughly enjoyed my originals and overall performance, and has since called me on behalf on Jane Harbury, to participate in her showcase "Discoveries" at Hugh's room on May 31st, a well known Canadian showcase with Ms. Harbury, a prestigious publicist in Toronto. This process has so far been living proof to me that regardless of what industries and media tell us, there are most definitely efforts we must put forward to excel ourselves into our chosen careers, regardless of what they may be! We must not be swayed by the fancy jargon and offers that 'showases' and 'special events' entice people with; rather, we need to go in with the mindset that a decent effort is also required on our parts to make our goals materialize into reality.

It's more than 'the right place at the right time', and I am looking so forward to continuing to take advantage of the future opportunities we create for ourselves! The following link is a clip from the show. More to come...Please also check out Hugh's Room website for information about May 31st within the next couple weeks.

Regards,
Bianca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwI0ucfhz-0&feature=player_embedded

Black and White= Grey

While reviewing the lecture on "Black and White" and the discussion on : How were ideas of universal human rights emerging at the same time as slavery was in full effect?
In brief, it was said that Blacks were slaves because they were corrupted by nature through the environment.
I would like to reflect upon that belief and argue that it is none sense to say that because of the environment that "corrupted" them ( in particular hot and tropical climates) Blacks were lazy, inefficient and unwilling to work- so no matter how many you rights were given to them, they still would not be able to make use of them. This goes beyond a generalization that people from warm places are unwilling to work, not just Blacks. ) What made Blacks from Africa less productive and unwilling to work then settlers in Southern U.S. I think the argument fits just as well for them as well- I mean, it is the hot climate that's corrupting people, isn't it?
Furthermore, I wonder why people who came up with this theory at the time did not look at places like Australia, New Zealand or other places in Oceania (or better yet even in the Southern states in the U.S.). They have warm climates and are able to be working and productive! This idea just seems to be another excuse to put the blame on a population of people that has gone through enough marginalization and discrimination throughout history.

In my view, this only leaves a 'grey' area and should be open to questioning and discussion!

Humanizing the suicide bomber, for real this time

I must admit that I was perturbed on reading the assigned article for today's class by Ghassan Hage, "Comes a Time We Are All Enthusiasm: Understanding Palestinian Suicide Bombers in Times of Exighophobia". I found the article problematic on a number of levels, so I'm going to try and undertake a brief and cursory deconstruction of it in this blog post.

Firstly, I tend to turn a gimlet eye on overly academic language; what to me often seems like inordinately verbose wording, and since this is par for the course in academia, I find myself annoyed quite a lot of the time. While I'm aware this does me no favours (as scholars are, to put it mildly, unlikely to change their writing styles to suit some random undergraduate student), I find it irksome and pretentious when a writer, for example, is forced to construct an entirely new term in order to explain a phenomenon perhaps only her has noticed. I'm talking, of course, about Hage's "exighophobia", which he knows he must explain in the text of his article, as it is not in fact an actual word.

His central premise is that we (the West) tend to fear those who for whatever reason find it difficult to condemn suicide bombings and bombers, and that we also fear knowing that the people who perpetuate these crimes are also human beings.

I don't think this is necessarily true. While I have no doubt that there are far too many people in the world who would prefer to believe suicide bombers are "monsters" (harkening back to one of our earlier lectures on horrible crimes), I am certain that there are quite as many others who are reluctant to absolve suicide bombers of what they've done by removing from them their humanity. To call a suicide bomber a monster, to say that he or she is "not human," is to excuse their actions. Hage does not exactly do this, but in order to make his point, he remains unwilling to outright condemn suicide bombing, under the premise that it would go against the principle of the thing. Therefor, I can only conclude that Hage absolves suicide bombers of any blame, and tacitly approves of their actions.

Further, I take issue with the fact that the only voices the reader hears in this article are those of Palestinians or those sympathetic to the mainstream Palestinian cause. While I understand that this is a polemic (and thus does not pretend to have any kind of balance), I think it detracts from Hage's argument to silence the Israeli voice. After all, no matter what one's political persuasion with regards to the conflict, it is in fact the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and removing the voice of one of the central players is odd indeed.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell the reader that this issue is a particularly painful thorn in my side. I have family in Israel, and I am not of the opinion (though Hage might respectfully disagree) that any suicide bomber to blow them up would be correct. I am still grappling with my own political position with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but one thing about which I am quite clear is that I am for whatever will grant true peace and safety to the civilians of Israel proper and the territories. This means that civilian voices, the voices of the actual players in this conflict - the people themselves - are more important to me than hollow ideology, academic gymnastics, and clever citation of only those whose points support one's own.

It is because of this, really, that I want to share with you the trailer for a film I particularly love. It's fictional, of course, but it holds essential truths about the humanity of suicide bombers that I think are conspicuously absent from Hage's screed. I hope you will all consider watching this movie, because it is firstly an incredible piece of cinema, and secondly (in its own small way) a force for justice.

You can watch a trailer for the film here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou4UFIiY1wk

The Real and Reality Revisited

Since the beginning of this course I have been very interested in this idea of making the ordinary strange. The concepts of the real and reality to which we were introduced in class have served to illuminate this strangeness in everyday life which, we as everyday humans seem to ignore. Over the course of my studies this year in other classes this concept of reality as a system organized by our socio-linguistic structure which veils the true nature of the real, has continued to pop up. This concept seems to have been thought of on varying levels among ages and classes of intellectuals throughout history. Earlier in the year I made a post about how the concept of the real is akin to the idea of the Tao. This is just one example that I will refrain from visiting. I would like, however to share how this concept has manifested itself in other areas of my studies, to show that the ordinary everyday spans across all peoples of all times, and that these people seek a return to the real. I feel as though these examples may serve to illuminate the universal nature of Lacan's theory of the real and reality.


1) In the early 14th century Dante Alighieri wrote his famous poem entitled or La Divina Commedia or the Divine Comedy. This work houses the very famous Inferno, which gives Dante's account of an imagined hell riddled with moral lessons and the like. But the Inferno is only the first book of a trilogy that brings the reader along with Dante the protagonist through a spiritual journey. The following two books are Purgatory and Paradise. In Purgatory the reader learns on their journey of the spiritual lesson of purging sins and learning how to Love most properly. In learning to love properly the reader may move closer toward God and Heaven. This is all explained of course through Dante who acts as both the narrator and the protagonist of this long poem. After purging their sins entirely and learning how to love properly the reader moves into the final book of Paradiso in which one makes their spiritual journey through Dante's imagined heaven. It is in this heaven that the concept of the Real emerges.
The journey through heaven is a journey towards achieving a oneness with God and all of creation. However, there are quite a few instances throughout the course of this heavenly journey in which the protagonist preemptively achieves a glimpse of this oneness. Every time that this occurs Dante always describes the feelings as ineffable, indescribable, and beyond percieved REALITY. It is like knowing all things at once without being able to explain any of it to the rational mind. However, shortly afterward in all of these moments he returns to a socially constructed understanding of the universe, which he displays by articulating it through poetry. In the moments in which he achieves oneness with all of creation, when he returns to the source of all things that have manifested, he is , in my opinion, expressing an experience with the Real. As we recall Humans seek a return to the real from this socially constructed reality. I believe that although it may not have been Dante's intention, This spiritual journey towards oneness is exactly that sought after journey towards returning to the Real.

2) I recently submitted a paper on Surrealism and the intentions behind its practices. The Surrealist practices involved unveiling the mind to what they called, the marvelous. The marvelous is in essence the "strange" part of the "making the ordinary strange" philosophy. To put it in its simplest terms (although it is not a simple philosophy) they sought for humans to not use words for their socially constructed meanings but rather they wanted humans to see the dual nature of language. Obviously words are units of language which carry social meaning and relevance. However by writing in a style called psychic automatism, in which the writer writes the immediate flow of thought in their head without regard for aesthetic opinion or care for literacy, they felt that they were unveiling the true nature and source of thought which manifested itself in these words. Thus by continuously spitting out words they saw themsleves as returning language to its source. To its source in thought. They saw themsleves as uncovering the unconscious. So the dual nature of language , in my opinion, lies on either side of the real or reality, with socially constructed units of meaning in reality on one side, and the unveiling of the true source of thought erupting into the reality manifested as language is the REAL on the other.
This practice of psychic automatism erupts the real within the reality of language. through this and other practices surrealists developed a new lens through which to view the everyday ordinary. they were able to see it as strange and marvelous as they uncovered the true Real in Reality.

Where we see conflict

Today in class, Prof Kalmar mentioned that the opposing relationships between Islamic countries and the West dominates the conflicts that we see in or media today. I find this to be true and it has caused me to mull this fact over quite a bit. Today our news headlines are constantly flooded with news of the situation in Libya. Just a few years back it was the same situation with Iraq. The majority of what we saw as conflict in the news was all about the Iraq war. Even though many of us did not agree with the western involvement in Iraq we were all subjected to viewing it day in and day out. Just a year before Iraq was the involvement in Afghanistan which we were also constantly reminded of in the media. But why is this theme so recurrent. Obviously if a nation is in conflict it will receive media coverage, but why does it seem like these situations in the middle east are the only conflicts we see when other conflicts occur all over the world. I think this is largely related to the western obsession over the middle east as the other. Those who are different from us have been fashioned by the media in a certain way so that we may view there ways to be radical from the just democratic system that we live in. I am not saying that the media has a plot to brainwash north American society, however the incessant focus on these middle eastern conflicts may act as a reminder of how we can be convinced of seeing the world through a particular lens. I do advise that we all must develop our own perceptions of these situations and try to discover how these people are like us as well as different from us rather than just follow the everyday news feed on conflicts with the newest rivals. In this way we may be able to achieve a new understanding of the situation and perhaps can one day aid in finding a diplomatic solution to certain conflicts.

The Basics of Time Traveling

I was reviewing some of the notes for our upcoming test this weekend and upon researching Time Traveling a little more I found an interesting site (http://www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/home/John_Gribbin/timetrav.htm) which contained a time travelers guide for beginners so to say. Some higlights:

• Exactly one hundred years ago, in 1895, H. G. Wells classic story The Time Machine....a good quotation from the novel "there is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space, except that our consciousness moves along it"
• Many believe that it was actually through Science Fiction that the study of time travel by scientists was started. The author Carl Sagan wanted his novel to be as scientifically accurate as possible, so he asked Kip Thorne (an expert in gravitational theory) to check the novel out. Thorne realised that a wormhole through spacetime actually could exist as a stable entity within the framework of Einstein's theory.
• Price reasons why the things we do in the present do not seem to have altered the past is that the past has already taken account of what we are doing! If we decide to do something different, the past already knows......(creepy eh?)
• Although gravity still tries to slam shut the door of a wormhole opening to other universes, the electric field, or rotation, holds the door open for travellers to get through ---> this has lead to a new field of study Wormhole Engineering
  

Also if you're looking for some good time travel movies, I would give this site a go....It has the top 10 best time travel movies along with their trailers
http://www.toptenz.net/top-ten-time-travel-movies.php

i came across something interesting from course i am taking and would like to shear it . When we are the word evolution the first thing come to mind is the origin of humans, primitive and modern people as well as where we as a specie came from to we we are today.we rarely think about our diet and how it has evolved from then till now or how this modern diet influence our life style and our health. if we really look at what the pre-historic people had in their diet and compare it to what we are eating today we will realize that their diet made better sense health wise than ours. for example, look at eating meat. though the original diet of our earliest ancestors were fruits and vegetables. the moment they evolved to bipedalism and started walking upright meat became important as this was the only source that would provide the energy needed to fuel he body during this time. therefore they were consuming a lot of meat. this then would seems that meat eating is not such a bad idea. the difference between eating meat then and consuming large amount of meat now is that the animals were not domesticated and even in the early agricultural era this was still done in an organic manner.the animals were herd together but were feed with just grass. therefore this was all lean meat.
If we should also take a look at evolutionary medicine we would realize that this means the study and treatment of, the causes, distribution and cultural correlation of diseases within a framework of evolution by natural selection. if we couple that ideology with holistic medicine the when one gets ill we would address the origin and cause of the problem as well as treating the illness it self. In modern medicine however for the most part it seems we only treat the symptoms in that we get ill, the illness is diagnose symptoms treated if the cause is not address we get the same illness again. however i said all that to say. most off the ailments and illness we suffer from today as to do with how our diet has evolved to modernity and we try to adopt to our environment but not all of this is successful without problems. this result in illnesses which are associated with overpopulation and living in large group as well as spending most of our lives in one place. the pre-history people did not have these issues as they were nomadic for the most part and their diet were closer to what were intended for our specie. example people form country less populated and less modernized and more organic diet have less incident of illnesses such as coronary heart diseases, emphysema, ashma,intestinal problems, hypertension, cancers such as lung,Colan,prostrate and breast, stress and chronic fatigue.

An article to consider in light of the class of terrorism coming up:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabor-rona/high-tech-terrorism-or-lo_b_799260.html

Orientalism and the Timeless "East" in Drink Packaging

While at the grocery store this morning, I bought a 'Mangajo Pomegranate & Green Tea' (picture right). While looking over the packaging, I noticed the following description on the side of the bottle: "Combining age-old wisdom of the Middle East and Asia, two of the world's best-known sources of antioxidants come together here for a double dose of detoxing refreshment that tastes great". I presume the idea of "the Middle East and Asia" refers to the green tea ingredient, which originates in China, and pomegranates, which are meant to have been first cultivated in Persia. However, pomegranates today are grown throughout Asia as well as in Africa and Europe and green tea is now consumed around the world. Yet the product seems to portray these ingredients as being from an ancient Asian/Middle-Eastern world, calling up images of sultans and paper lanterns. In this way, I think the product description fits in well with the portrays of the 'East' as ancient and trapped in time that we discussed last class, although it is interesting how such images of the 'exotic East' have been used in marketing products to 'Western' consumers.

Well, it’s not Friday but...

By now I’m sure everyone has seen the Rebecca Black music video “Friday” at least once. (If you haven’t, watch below)

Although there are mixed reviews on the song itself, its instant popularity can’t be denied. The song “Friday” has definitely become a meme, which is an idea, behaviour, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.

The popularity of Rebecca Black’s song made me question how something so bad can become so popular. There are several elements which I think were necessary for the song to become so popular so fast.

1) The viral age:
Putting the song and music video immediately onto Youtube guaranteed that the song could be easily shared amongst people. I saw this song being talked about on all sorts of different social media and media sharing websites. In fact, the first time I actually saw the music video was in my news feed on facebook, where several of my friends were posting it on other people’s walls. In the case of this song, its popularity is largely due to the fact that it was released over the internet and that we live in such a technologically connected society. Had this song been released say, 30 years ago, it would likely never reach the levels of popularity that it is seeing now.

2) The mystery:
When the song and music video was first released, there was no popular knowledge about Rebecca Black, the song itself, or the production company who made it. All of this mystery surrounding the song caused people to talk about it. The dialogue created by this music video is another factor that caused it to spread so quickly, as people were constantly talking about and questioning the song and songstress.

3) The hoax factor:
And undoubtedly the most commonly discussed question has been whether the song, artist and video are all a hoax, or a parody. Many discussed that the song was not real and was intended as a parody to shed light on the current state of pop music aimed at “tweens” and teenagers.

This song demonstrates the effects of several ideas on social theory in our modern popular culture. And most clearly, it strengthens the old adage “All publicity is good publicity.”

Canadian Identity

I really enjoyed discussing the ideas of Canadian Identity in last week's class. As an avid traveller, I am always asked what things make our country distinctly Canadian. It seems like every country has their own - possibly stereotypical in some cases - food, dance, tradition, sport, etc., that they can associate as a nationalistic trend, but I am always at a loss when I attempt to think of something inherently Canadian.

I also find it interesting to note that I, and several other friends I have travelled with, will always label ourselves as Canadian when we are in another country. However, when I am in Canada, and even travelling to different parts of this country I will always associate myself with my family background of Croatian descent. Does anyone else do this? Why? Perhaps it's relatable to our Canadian ideals of multi-culturalism; perhaps due to the fact that as Canadian we find it hard to relate to a collective identity... Just thought it was an interesting thing to think about.

Anyway, I was re-inspired today to the topic of last week's (perhaps it was now a few weeks ago...) class when I saw this Canadian Tire advertisement on the TV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH5cEddvZKk

I've never really considered Canadian Tire to be a truly Canadian thing... There aren't any products there that you couldn't find at a Costco, or Walmart, or maybe even a Tescos but the commercial still brands the store as a basis of "Canadianness." Just an interesting thing to watch and think about !!!

-Jasmina

Racism in Today's Society

The previous post on this blog regarding an interview with Morgan Freeman got me thinking. As I started looking through articles and news stories online, I noticed that this was not the first time racism had been discussed solely because there was a fear of being seen as racist, and in discussing it, had created even more incentive for racism to occur. The link below is a story about an employee at the Toronto Women's Bookstore at Harbord and Spadina, who participated in a workshop which helped to expose your "inner racist." Her self realization at the end is quite interesting- take a look:

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/White+guilty+Whiteness+workshop+helps+expose+your+inner+racist/2758198/story.html

White, Black, Neither?

Our discussion on race and racism prompted me to think of a common contemporary form this dialogue takes and one is Black history Month. I wanted to share an exchange I found between Morgan Freeman (an African American actor) and an interviewer when he is asked about his thoughts on this. I think it raises interesting questions as to the role events like this do (or should) play in today's society.

Interviewer: Black history month you find…

Morgan Freeman: Ridiculous.

Interviewer: Why?

Morgan Freeman: You’re going to relegate my history to a month?

Interviewer: Oh, come on.

Morgan Freeman: What do you do with yours? Which month is white history month?

Interviewer: (pause) Well, I’m Jewish.

Morgan Freeman: Okay. Which month is jewish history month?

Interviewer: There isn’t one.

Morgan Freeman: Oh, oh. Why not? Do you want one?

Interviewer: No.

Morgan Freeman: Right. I don’t either. I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history.

Interviewer: How are we going to get rid of racism?

Morgan Freeman: Stop talking about it.

How to be polite, Eh?

Many people believe that each country has their own "personality'; whether it's the French who are snobby and smelly, or the Americans who are arrogant and stupid. Lucky enough for us Canadians, the majority of the world views us as friendly, polite, and kind. If we travel somewhere, we are most likely going to receive warm and welcoming smiles.

I recently traveled to London, and definitely experienced this kindness as soon as people heard my accent and I told them I was Canadian. For example, I went to this small pub the first night I was there and as soon as I ordered my first drink, people within earshot all turned around to see who this strange accent belonged to. For the rest of the evening, many of the locals came up to talk to me, ask me about Canada, and buy me a beer (needless to say I didn't pay for another drink that night!).

I found some websites that outline: Etiquette, Canadian Style and Top Perks of Being a Canadian Traveller which outline the best things about being a Canuck. I've included some of the best (and some others which I've found elsewhere) below:

1. With their natural tendency to be polite, Canadians readily use the words “please” and “thank you.” Canadians are warm and helpful, so don’t hesitate to ask for directions or help as they are always ready to provide assistance.
2. Boasting and ostentation can put off even the most tactful Canadian, as they tend to be more reserved than their American neighbors.
3. Bilingual Benefits: A great number of Canadians speak both French and English and thus, feel quite at home in French speaking countries.
4. If you bump into someone on the sidewalk, a simple apology is the way to go.
5. Because of the varying weather conditions in Canada, Canadians are able to handle extreme weather, from cold snowy weather to hot tropical weather
6. We know good beer. Canada measures the per cent alcohol by volume, not by weight, so when we get to the US or Europe, we can sample all their fine brews without ending up on the floor.
   
   and my favoUrite
   
7. Distances don't faze us. Barcelona-Belgrade? Who cares that that's halfway across Europe. It's no further than Vancouver-Saskatoon in kilometres.

Survival: A Part of Our Heritage

The idea of Canadian identity always triggers a memory in me of the "Our Heritage" vignettes and shorts which were apart of PBS for a long while (and possibly are still in existence?). These vignettes always spoke to Canadian history, and often were primarily focused on the "nature" and "braving the wilderness" aspects of Canada. I think both of these speak to an identity different from the Tim Horton's and Hockey identity, but are still wholly Canadian.

Canadian wilderness, and exploring it's "frontiers" are and have always been a large part of Canada's identity. As Margaret Atwood proposes in her book Survival, "survival" in nature is a key theme and symbol in Canadian literature, and by extension, Canadian identity. Within the Canadian survival narrative, there will also be a victor, whether it be a human who conquers nature,or succumbs to it.

The theme of survival which Atwood speaks of as Canaidan identity I think is reinforced by the popular summer outdoors camp and camping culture in Canada. This identity also contributes to how Canada is perceived on a global scale. Algonquin Park is a very popular tourist attraction, in which people come specifically to experience and follow the portage routes that were taken by Tom Thomson and others.

I think the idea of "facing the great white north" has strong connections to how Canada has built its identity, through many shapes and mediums, and how we create use nature and our history to create an identity that creates a unique identity in order to differentiate and appeal to others on a global scale.

Here's a Canadian Heritage Vignette which I think offers a good example of the element of survival: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_YsuqkkBa8

Tim Hortons and Being 'Canadian'

When I first moved here, the sheer number of Tim Hortons I found around Downtown was amazing. ('Mom, there's a Tim Hortons like around every other block!') When I go back to my family and friends out of the country, I explain to them what Tim Hortons is. ('It's got coffee and, y'know, a lot of doughnuts...') If I'm with a friend, we joke about living off of Tim Hortons. ('It's the closest place to go get food, so I go there far too often') The list goes on.

This week's reading made me realize, well, Tim Hortons really does constitute a considerable amount of 'Canadianness' that I (think I have) experienced over my last few years here. The consumption of coffee as a sort of identity politics links to the consumption of Tim Hortons coffee as a internalization of that subtle 'Canadianness' as described in the article. Because Tim Hortons transcends distance (connecting the vast terrain of Canada), having coffee at any Tim Hortons brings the feeling that there is a connection, something nationalistic in that cup of coffee. The notion of 'banal nationalism' is really important for me too (I'm an international student - I don't identify myself as Canadian), because it's those subtle things like Tim Hortons or picking up those free papers on the subway that makes me realize 'whoa, I think I'm becoming 'Canadian''. It feels much more insidious and effective rather than obvious displays of 'cultural celebration' or something along those lines. Such things like festivals and celebrations of culture are just 'festivals' - they aren't the everyday, but it's within a limited space. Tim Hortons, as the article suggests, is integrated into the most intimate parts of 'Canadian life' so much that it almost feels like a ritual, in a very subtle way.