Goodbye, Rogers. Hello, Bell!!!

After two years and 10 months, I finally upgraded my BlackBerry Pearl to a BlackBerry Torch.

Boo-yah.

Last Friday, I went to the mall after work. I wanted just to upgrade to the best BlackBerry - so far - but the Torch was sold out at the Rogers Wireless store! It was sold out at the Wireless Wave too. The salesperson did offer me a Torch, but with Bell Mobility. For $50 a month, I can get 100 local minutes, 100 bonus local minutes, 500 MB of data, unlimited local calls on weekends and nights, unlimited sent and received text messages, extended hours (5 PM to 7 AM), and unlimited calling and text with 10 contacts across Canada. The Message Centre Express and Call Display Bundle costs only $10 a month. He also threw in a phone pouch, car charger, LCD screen protector, and screen cleaner - for free!

So the choice was between staying with Rogers Wireless for two months (CAD$90+) and switching to Bell Mobility for three years (CAD$60).

I obviously chose the latter. Hah!

I am loving my new phone! Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were preloaded. The touchscreen and the slide-out keyboard are amazing. The Social Feeds feature is very helpful and fast. A 4GB media card is included - which adds to the awesome speed. The 5 MP camera is a giant step-up from my old Pearl's camera. Instant messaging applications are also preloaded, as are memo, task, calculator, word/sheet/slideshow to go, files, password keeper, and voice dialing apps. Also, when I connected the phone to my laptop, it appeared as a portable drive (like a flash drive). I only had to copy and paste my ringtones and pictures to the Torch. Copy and paste, dudes!

What did I do with my old phone? I downgraded the plan to the basics and the data plan (because I don't want to pay $75 early termination fee) so I don't have to pay the $100 early termination fee. I'm also giving it to my mom. A BlackBerry Pearl in the hands of a 66-year-old woman should be fun.

*Sigh* I love my Torch!

Left or Right?

You Are the Left Side of the Brain

You are a logical and orderly person. You have a system for almost everything in your life. You like to stay busy, and it's important that you stay on task. You prefer to do one thing at a time. You are rational and detail oriented. You love to analyze, and you have a head for numbers. You are also good with words. You love to read, and you've been known to write well.

What Side of the Brain Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

The good-with-numbers thing corresponds with my career. On the other hand, the good-with-words thing corresponds with my passion. So. Yeah.

LOST Snubbed at the Emmys

If y'all followed me on Twitter - or if you're my Facebook friend - you'd know how I felt about this year's Primetime Emmy Awards. Particularly the last 10 minutes.

Apart from last week's Creative Emmys win for the LOST editing team, the show was shut out of the major categories. Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad took the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award, instead of either Michael Emerson or Terry O'Quinn (who deserved another Emmy for his dual role in Season 6, as Flocke/The Man in Black and Sideways John Locke). Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad achieved a three-peat on the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series race, beating Matthew Fox, who was phenomenal as Jack Shephard during the final season. Taking the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series award, Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy's writing for Mad Men beat Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse's excellent crafting of the LOST series finale. Steve Shill's directing of an episode of Dexter earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, beating Jack Bender's incredible direction of the series finale. The most painful loss is in the Outstanding Drama Series category, which Mad Men won.

I would be very happy if I woke up from this horrible nightmare or if I found out that LOST won all the awards for which it is nominated in an alternate timeline.

*Sigh*

The night started well, actually. Glee's Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Amber Reilly, Chris Colfer, 30 Rock's Tina Fey, LOST's Jorge Garcia, and The Vampire Diaries's Nina Dobrev were included in Jimmy Fallon's opening number. That was fun. Then Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Then Glee's Jane Lynch won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy. Then Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory - so deservedly - won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy. Archie Panjabi of The Good Wife surprisingly won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award.

Thankfully, the rest of the LOST fandom on Twitter complained about the Emmy snubs as much as I did. And after the Outstanding Drama Series upset, we comforted ourselves with the fact that LOST will remain the best drama series for us in 2010 and for the six years it was on air.

I know I said that I'll be happy with the 13 nominations even if LOST didn't win anything. Of course, one win out of 13 is better than nothing. But this is the last time the Emmy voters could honour LOST for its greatness. There'll be no more chance for them to honour the series with another Outstanding Drama Series award, because the show is done. The Emmys even staged a funny musical tribute for shows that just ended, including LOST. That is not enough to recognize a show like LOST.

You have no idea how much I cried after the Emmy telecast. I am incredibly sad that the Emmy voters failed to recognize LOST for the outstanding show that it was. Even Modern Family's Outstanding Comedy Series win didn't ease the pain of LOST being snubbed tonight.

LOST was robbed tonight.

Oh, well.

To make us all laugh after tonight's depressive Emmy Awards, I leave you with the Season 6 bloopers from the Season 6 DVD/Blu-ray set. Thanks to user glennD for making the video embeddable.

I Miss LOST

In honour of this weekend's LOST: The Official Auction and Exhibit in Santa Monica, CA, I bring you a Jimmy Kimmel Live! clip featuring Mark Pellegrino and Titus Welliver. Check it out!



In his monologue, Jimmy was talking about Jacob and the Man in Black after the episode "Across the Sea" was aired. He even likened the polarizing episode to the Soup Nazi appearing on an entire episode of Seinfeld before its series finale. Very funny.

*Sigh* I really, really miss LOST. Thank God I'm thisclose from getting my hands on the Season 6 DVD/Blu-Ray set. I haven't gotten the shipping confirmation from Amazon.ca, though. Maybe on Monday? Also, thank God I can bid online. Hope I get one of them!

A Desk Tells a Lot About Someone...

You Are a Creative Worker

You are a very private person. You don't open up easily, and you don't open up to just anyone. You draw a lot of inspiration and energy from your own internal world. You get bored easily around other people. You like to edit and revise. You are always improving your work, and you never turn in the first draft. You are down to earth and practical. You achieve success one step at a time, by paying attention to details.

What Does Your Desk Say About You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Pennette Has A Better Love Life Than I Do

Last night, I was looking for games on the iTunes Apps Store. I found Virtual Families, a sim game where I adopt a person - I chose Pennette, 27 and a rookie magazine editor - and I control her life, from finding a mate and encouraging her to work to giving her children and helping her house renovations.

I found Beamer, 25 and a rookie board game designer, for Pennette. He seems to be good for her; he cooks for her, and he has a happier disposition than Pennette. She seems to be depressive - like me. I thought it's only because she was lonely, so I found her a husband. I did and she was happy for a few minutes, then she's depressed again. I keep encouraging them to mate, but they fight about having kids. (Beamer's profile says he definitely wants to have children and Pennette's says it would be nice to have children, so I don't know why they fight about it.)

Anyway, Pennette works from home, but Beamer doesn't seem to work although he earns money. Maybe those are royalty payments?

The game has crashed once, but restarting my iPod Touch seems to work. Let's hope it doesn't crash anymore.

Let's also hope Pennette and Beamer agree to have children soon. Hehehe...

P.S. Wouldn't this make a good short story? Hehehe...

I Am the Queen of Procrastinationland

You Should Procrastinate

Believe it or not, procrastinating is actually pretty good for you. So go ahead and do it. You work well under pressure, and deadlines don't bother you. In fact, the less time you have, the better. If you put off a task, you get it done more efficiently. There's nothing wrong with using procrastination as a way to motivate yourself. Whether you procrastinate or not, you'll eventually get the job done. The only difference is, if you procrastinate, you might do a better job.

Should You Procrastinate?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

See? Procrastination ain't such a bad thing?

Finally!

I finally got in @Loster21's Tweets O' the Day!

Last night, while I was watching The Big Bang Theory, I reacted to Leonard saying "I love you" to Penny like this:

Gotta be honest: when I hear the words “I love you, Penny,” I immediately think of Desmond saying that 2 Penny Widmore. #LOST #BigBangTheory

And then Erin chose that tweet for yesterday's Tweets O' the Day! Woot woot!

I can't tweet while I'm watching LOST on CTV (7 pm), but I might be able to tweet after the Canadian broadcast. Hopefully, I'll get on these Tweets O' the Day more.

Happy LOST Day!!!

I Love My Sleep

You Are Sleep

You tend to solve your problems simply. And when you're tired, grouchy, and headache-y, it only makes sense to take a nap. Not only will sleep cure your hangover, it's also likely to cure anything that ails you ever. Whenever life gets difficult, you retreat and refuel. And nothing renews you like a little nap time. Your troubles may not go away forever while you're asleep, but at least they are gone for the moment.

What Hangover Cure Are You?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

That's why I'm always asleep for most of January 1st. Mwahahahahaha!

Deep Thinker? Hehe.

You Are a Conjunction

You are a deep thinker, and you're always looking for the connections between things. You see the whole big picture as far as the world goes. You are good at developing intricate theories. In your view, we are all interconnected. The little things we do effect one another, and the results are pretty interesting. You tend to be a mix and match type of person. You like unusual pairings - in food, style, and in company.

What Part of Speech Are You?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

This is interesting... Good at developing theories? Haha. I've only had two LOST theories that were proven correct. Mwahahaha... At least, it says I'm a deep thinker.

Whirly Skirts Commercial Makes Me Laugh

Every time I see this new Old Navy commercial, I just crack up.



Did y'all hear what the mannequin said at the end? "Never give up your dreams of being fake."

You know what I think every time I hear that? "Like Heidi Montag!" And then I laugh.

Seriously, 10 plastic surgeries in a day can only mean being fake has been her dream. And, wouldn't you know, she wants more plastic surgeries.

Plastic surgery can't make anyone - let alone Heidi Montag - perfect. It only makes people synthetic and unnatural. It also perpetuates the notion that perfect looks should be people's ultimate goal. It's completely wrong.

Tsk tsk tsk... God help this woman.

When Life Hands You Lemons...

...You make lemonade!

You Should Smell Like Lemon

You are honest and real. You don't shy away from being yourself, even if it's a bit hard to swallow. You are refreshingly truthful and direct. You do have flaws, and you don't even try to hide them. You are happiest when you are around people who truly get you. It takes a while for you to make a stranger a friend. You have a very unique personality. You have a dark sense of humor that only certain people get.

What Fruit Should You Smell Like?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Strange...

I've been called strange at least once before...

You Are Disturbingly Profound

You're contemplative, thoughtful, and very intense. Taking time to figure out the meaning of life is a priority for you. Because you're so introspective, you often react in ways that surprise people. No one can really understand how you are on the inside... and that disturbs them.

Are You Disturbingly Profound or Profoundly Disturbing?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Screw 'em. I'd rather be strange and real than conformist and a suck-up.

Let the Vancouver Winter Games Begin!

CTV and NBC led the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics coverage last night as the Opening Ceremony unfolded at BC Place.

I watched the CTV coverage, with Brian Williams and Lloyd Robertson as commentators. I also tweeted and followed the tweets from my Canadian and American friends alike. Follow @LadySolitaire83 to see my tweets last night.

I'm sure you've seen most of last night's opening ceremony, or you're watching it right now on your DVRs or whatever, so I'm not going to recap the whole thing. I'm just going to write about the highs and the lows of last night's ceremony.

The highs:

• k.d. lang's performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - She sang the song with so much emotion and barefoot to boot! It was the first - and only? - moving musical performance of the night.
• Yellowknife's Shane Koyczan's poem "We Are More" - The officials saved the best for last. My now-favourite slam poet listed the things that make Canada the amazing country that it is, such as hockey, our politeness, and our cultural diversity. In his words: "We are the true North / Strong and free / And what's more / Is that we didn't just say it / We made it be". You can view the full transcript here.
• The visual and special effects - The orcas! The salmon! The Spirit Bear! The prairies' golden fields! The pretty colours as the seasons progress! Oh, my gosh! The visual effects were so freaking awesome! It was so breathtaking. Wow.
• The BC Place crowd's standing ovation for Team Georgia - As most of you know by now, the 21-year-old luger from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili died yesterday after a tragic accident in Whistler, BC. So when the republic's athletes entered the main stage during the Parade of Nations with black armbands, the spectators in BC Place gave them a standing ovation. Very classy.
• The Four Host First Nations' welcome - It is refreshing to see the First Nations in the spotlight. First, the First Nations chiefs were given the head-of-state status. If y'all remember, the seats behind Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Governor-General Michaelle Jean, IOC President Jacques Rogge, and the other important people were empty and kinda confused. The commentators said that the confusion was due to the First Nations chiefs not having arrived yet. Second, the Four Host First Nations - the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh - welcomed the world in their respective native languages and in English & French. Third, the other Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, including the Metis, Inuit, and First Nations, danced their ways into the floor and during the Parade of Nations.
• Newfoundland's punk tap dancers and fiddlers - OMG, they were entertaining. I enjoyed the fiddling and the tap dancing. I was wondering whether we'd see Ashley MacIsaac, as he was the only Canadian fiddler I've actually heard of. Then, lo and behold, he was there! That was a fun performance.

The lows:

• The apparent lip-syncing of the musical performers - Everyone was a-Twitter about Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, and even Sarah McLachlan and Measha Brueggergosman, appearing to lip-sync. I guess it's because they didn't "sound" live, as opposed to k.d. lang and the francophone singer Garou's performances. It's kinda hard to tell with Measha because she's a soprano and with Sarah because it would also follow that the piano and the strings also wouldn't be live. But Nelly and Bryan did seem like they were lip-syncing. It doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of last night's ceremony, but the lip-synced performances definitely pale in comparison to k.d. lang and Garou's performances. Not to mention, kinda embarrassing for these world-renowned artists.
• The massive mechanical epic failure at the end - During the final leg of the Olympic torch relay, five of the greatest Canadian names in sports - Rick Hansen, Catriona LeMay-Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, and Wayne Gretzky, in this order - lit each other's torches, until they were standing around the stage. There was an extended pause as each of them - especially Nash and Gretzky - looked worried and confused. Then a commentator (can't remember which one) said that five pieces of the indoor cauldron were supposed to emerge from the floor, but there was some sort of mechanical difficulty getting them up. Eventually, the middle piece and three legs emerged, leaving one leg on the ground. When the five lit the indoor cauldron, it was still beautiful, but the mechanical epic failure was seen all over the world. It was so embarrassing. Thank God Gretzky's ride from BC Place to the external cauldron at Waterfront - with the spectators gleefully following the vehicle and taking pictures - saved us all from this massive embarrassment. The poor hydraulic engineer must be hiding under a bunker right now.

Overall, the Opening Ceremony was amazing and breathtaking. Despite the aforementioned low points, it was a beautiful introduction - or re-introduction - of Vancouver, and Canada, to the world.

Go Canada go!!!

A Little Margarita Goes a Long Way...

This made me laugh my butt off:

You Are a Strawberry Margarita

You're so sweet it's a little overwhelming, and people are a little afraid of corrupting you... It's a little difficult to imagine you with a margarita. And you're truly a different person after you've kicked back a couple!

What Flavor Margarita Are You?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

*Clears throat* For the record, people like to corrupt me. Mwahahahahahahaha...

Ever Talked in Your Sleep?

My Yahoo! Canada homepage featured the ABC News video about Adam Lennard, a British man whose American wife recorded his ramblings while asleep. They're so funny!!!

Then I went to his wife's blog and found some more hilarious ramblings. Check this out:

The American wife - Karen Slavick-Lennard - does warn that her husband's sleep-talking does not suit "very young eyes" and that parents should shield said very young eyes from seeing Adam's gibberish.

Click here for the blog and follow @SleepTalkinMan on Twitter for you daily dose of sleep talkin'!

I might have to get that Badgertastic shirt. Hehehehe...

Michael Emerson Way Back in High School

Who wants to see Michael Emerson's high school pictures? Raise your hands if you do!

I just had to smile when I saw DarkUFO's tweet:

So I clicked on the link and I was transported to a blog run by Ryan and Maria - a couple, I think. Apparently, Maria's father went to high school with Michael Emerson! In Iowa! She scanned the relevant yearbook photos and posted them.

I love the part where she said Michael hated being in the debate team and preferred the thespian club. Eating an entire tube of toothpaste to get out of a competition? Oh, my gosh.

Everyone, click on the link below to check out Michael Emerson's high school pics!

Ryan and Maria - "Bet They Don't Call You 'Squirrelly' Now"

Enjoy!

Where's My Italian Language DVD Thingy?

You Are Italian

Ah, you are a true romantic. You enjoy all of the sensual pleasures in love - delicious food, soul stirring music, a beautiful sunset... And you always seem to be able to find the words to describe each experience perfectly. You are a charming and seductive person. You just have that certain something that draws people to you. You are passionate about words. Words can easily inspire, delight, or anger you. It's sometimes all about how something was said.

What Language Are You?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Happy Halloween!

I'm not dressing up for Halloween.

Yep, that's right. I've never been into dressing up, so I'm not gonna bother today.

If I were forced to do so, however, I'd just wear a dark tank top, cargo pants, and hiking boots or shoes. Then I'd get a toy rifle from the dollar store and let my super-long hair down. I'd also have a black cross-body bag.

(Pic courtesy of Lostpedia)

I'd be LOST's Danielle Rousseau when the castaways first meet her in 2004. Wehehehehehe...

Glee Jam Sessions

This is one of my favourite moments in Glee episode 1x07 ("Throwdown"). It's a shame the audio isn't available on iTunes. Also a shame that the following clip is the most decent one I could find: video quality isn't so good, but the audio is fine.



Thanks to YouTube user snottlebie7 for the clip!

Has Finn (played by Canadian hottie Cory Monteith) ever played the drums on the show? I can't remember. Has Puck (played by Mark Salling) ever played the guitar? I can't remember either.

Oh, well. I might have to get the episode from iTunes to be able to watch this episode - a strong one, thanks to Jane Lynch's awesomeness - and the jam session anytime I want.