Update

Went to UofT today to get my new student card. I have to admit that York's cards are way nicer. It's true.

I smiled, he took the photo, told me to stand to the side and two minutes later I had a piping hot card in my hand, straight out of the printer. It's so weird still that I'm going to be at UofT next year. It's almost like it hasn't really set in.

I know it will though - very soon.

My birthday is coming up and, as requested, here is an updated version of my gift list:

♥ gift certificates to the shopping centre

♥ alcohol. I like dry white wines, chocolate/coffee/vanilla liquors, beer, practical drink kits, recipe books

♥ a classy looking jewellery hanger for mainly necklaces (because I don't have earrings) Thanks Laur!!

♥ makeup

♥ mp3 player

♥ digital camera


I hope that helps. There are other things I like but nothing I could think of at the time of this post.




As for the braces... I have an appointment July 16th. I need them to be off my teeth fasterrrrrrrrr.

Hi there

I am soooo upset I haven't updated here in ages. I have been busy out of my mind and up to my ears in work. I'm done classes but I just have a take-home test to work on this week and a final group essay to submit. So, still a bit of work but not nearly as much as I had before.

Anyhoo, the braces are doing great. My teeth look so straight and it's crazy how it's only been like 4 and a half months and I see amazing results. I don't know how much more magic the ortho can really make happen. But here's hoping to getting them off SOON! I'll post some pictures later. I have work today from 11:30 to 3:30 so when I'm home I'll be sure to share the joy with all three of my readers.

See you soon!

I'm in love

with Dreamweaver. What an amazing program. I have got to get my hot little hands on that. I use it at school but I need to get it for home use.

Took a pic tonight, sorry the lighting's lousy, but alas:

Love you all. Next ortho appointment May 12!

University of Toronto

I got an acceptance to University of Toronto for grad school! Woooooooooooooooo!

Day 90 Of Braces

I had a tightening today.

I now leave you with a photograph timeline:




January











March











April 1st











Today, April 14th:










Thanks for following! There will be MORE to come :)

Flash Mob

I. Love. This.

Twitter vs. Facebook

This update was inspired by this blog post.


Twitter creeps me out and makes me feel weird. I get all of these people I don't even know following me on Twitter and I just wonder how on earth they found me. And even though there are a few people on Twitter that I know that are following me, I feel like I'm spamming them if I post updates - especially because I am limited to those 140 characters.

What I like about Facebook is that while it has the "update" feature the same way that Twitter does, I like that it also has so many other aspects - like the ability to post on someone's wall, applications, a marketplace, communities and groups, and sending them private messages where there aren't the same constraints of getting your message across in 140 characters (like on Twitter) and also having everyone else on your Twitter get that same message.

I guess my real problem with it is that there's not the same level of privacy. Once you have someone following you on Twitter, they can see everything you post, whether it's directed at them or not. I suppose there is a privacy option where you can restrict people from viewing your Twitter account if they're not your friend, but even so, your "friends" can still see everything you write even if it wasn't meant for their eyes. Facebook has the limited profiles feature, which Twitter lacks. Once someone's a follower on Twitter, you either restrict their viewing access or they see it all. There's no in between.

On Facebook, you can't always see conversations so easily because if you write on someone's wall, it's for them and only people really looking for it or checking out their wall can find it. On Twitter, since there's ONLY status updates, people read everything. There's this sort of difference where on Facebook, you seek out what you're interested in seeing about people's conversations... but on Twitter, you're witness to everything.

I think I'll always be a Facebook junkie at heart. I have had an account with Facebook since the very start, so I am a bit biased.

Review: Run Fatboy Run & Man on Wire

Run Fatboy Run

It was a really funny movie, I'll give it that. It had Simon Pegg and Hank Azaria so it automatically scored cool points because I love those two. It was, what you could call, a romantic comedy, but it really was just a dry British humour film with some love elements thrown into the mix, which at some points didn't fit too well, but it was still enjoyable, nevertheless.

I was thoroughly delighted and laughed the whole way through. I generally am not the biggest fan of rom-coms, but this story about a man who decides to prove himself to his ex by attempting to run the London Marathon is utterly hilarious. This is really a hidden gem, perfect for the couple that wants to chill out and watch a movie that will appeal to both of them.

3.5/5



Man on Wire

This documentary is interesting as hell, but like David said, and I agree with, it's one of those stories that is really cool and would be really awesome to hear from the guy who did it, in real life, but the movie dragged on a bit and wasn't always so captivating. Overall, I enjoyed it, but would have liked it more had it been a bit shorter.

It told the story of a French wire walker, who traveled from Paris to New York and set up an elaborate plan with friends to set up a wire between the two towers (in the 70s) so that he could walk between the towers and put on a show. And he did. In the end, it's a pretty amazing story and it's definitely worth the watch.

3/5

Review: Max Payne

Max Payne is a film based on a video game. And you know what they say about movies based on video games.

Seriously, though, it wasn't that bad. It had some really great action sequences, and a bunch of pretty awesome camera angles and tricks. The acting was lacking, but then again, I don't think that Mark Wahlberg is really known for his strong acting. Mila Kunis had a role in the film and I can't imagine her as anything other than Jackie. And, maybe Meg.

It was the kind of movie I see once and forget about - although it had a cool style and some neat effects. Rotten Tomatoes really didn't like it, and I can understand why. The plot was nothing special, and I think it might have been the writers' faults. David told me that he played the game and it was very good and, though it's been a while since he's played it, he noticed some things had been changed.

If you have seen it, share your thoughts.

My Rating: ** / *****

Hey all

I'm over at David's right now. I have a terrible headache. Waiting for the no name equivalent of Advil to kick in. I forgot the real stuff at home so I'm depending on David's cheap stuff to do the trick.

Tonight, we rented:

I think we'll start with Max Payne, then Run Fatboy Run. I feel in the mood for something light. And fluffy.

Today for lunch, David and I went to his friend Moe's place. We hung out with a bunch of friends. It was a nice day.

I'm super hungry but I'm done my calories for the day.

Anyhoo, time to cuddle up on the couch with Davey. But first, I leave you with a good ol' dose of Rachel.

55 Words

Mags (a dear old friend) replied to my last update suggesting I share a 55 word story I wrote a few years ago. I found this website where the author writes and illustrates stories that are 55 words - no more no less.

I wrote into her and she put mine up.

The key was firmly held between her sweaty fingers and palm. Determined, she looked both ways before crossing the street. The mail was delivered daily, inconveniently dropped off at a collective mailbox across the road. With a turn from the key in its slot, box number fifteen unlocked. Peering in, she sighed. Empty once again.



-by Rachel J. L.

Trying to keep busy...

I really wish that my blog had more readers. It would be nice to get a little feedback here and there.

I've really been meaning to pick up a new hobby or craft. Just something interesting to get into, to keep myself occupied and maybe discover a hidden talent I didn't even know I had. Any ideas?

My degree's name is too long.

In June 2009, I will be the bearer of a B.A., Honours Double Major in Professional Writing (Institutional Communications Stream) and Communication Studies.


But, fret not. I love my majors.

Review of StumbleUpon

This was a review I wrote for one of my multimedia classes. I supposed I should share it online in case there was a (very small chance) that anyone would ever be interested in reading it! Here you go.


StumbleUpon: Personalize Your Browsing

If you’ve ever wished for a personal helper to find the greatest websites, then StumbleUpon is a perfect choice for you.

StumbleUpon is a toolbar that sits at the top of your browser and connects you to the most popular and highly rated sites. You can share and recommend your favourite websites with friends and other Stumblers like yourself.


What is Stumbling?

StumbleUpon was created to provide users with an alternate to ‘searching’. The difference between searching and stumbling is that stumbling brings users to content they might not necessarily have found otherwise. Stumblers are directed to websites that match their interests and have been rated well by their friends and fellow Stumblers.


How Does Stumbling Work?

By clicking on the Stumble! Icon in the toolbar, you can stumble from site to site. The best part is that you get to choose what you see by giving a thumbs up or thumbs down for each page.

What else? StumbleUpon automatically records what you like to show you more sites that better match your preferences. When you find a page you like, you can add it to your favourites or send it to your friends. Your ratings also help provide the best content to other Stumblers.


Stumble Features

When you first join StumbleUpon, you can manage your interests and choose to view websites from over 500 hundred different topics, including:

• Arts and History
• Computers
• Music and Movies
• Science and Technology
• Sports
• and many more...

The greater your selection of interests, the greater number of websites you’ll be able to view. StumbleUpon tailors websites to your interests for a personalized feel to provide you with the sites that you want.

What else? For each site you like, there’s an option to write a review. You can leave a message for other Stumblers to give advice, share thoughts, and link them to other sites.


The Internet is Always Changing

StumbleUpon realizes that the Internet is constantly evolving and relies on its users to help contribute to a database of interesting websites. Stumblers can help keep websites current by participating and recommending relevant websites whenever they’re found.


Stumbling on Web 2.0

Stumble Upon incorporates characteristics of Web 2.0’s writeable phase. Stumblers constantly contribute to StumbleUpon by adding websites and reviews, giving ratings, and sending recommendations to friends and fellow Stumblers.

What else? StumbleUpon demonstrates its role as a social platform of users with similar interests. The architecture of StumbleUpon reflects its progressive and collaborative community framework with a user-recommended media form.


My Rating: 4.5/5

StumbleUpon is an incredibly easy site to use. It manages your favourites and provides you with a plethora of websites that you normally would never have found.

I love stumbling sites catered to my interests and discovering great new pages to share with my friends and leave ratings so that other Stumblers can enjoy. Anyone who enjoys finding new things on the Internet can benefit from the many discoveries you make while using this site.

Day 68 of Braces

Hey all.

I've developed a tooth ache. One of my teeth is very badly hurting. It's become sensitive to temperature and it's turned me off drinking liquids.

I hopefully will be able to make it to the dentist tomorrow to let him have a look and hopefully fix me up.

Otherwise, nothing else is really new.

This weekend was the Battlestar Galactica series finale (that's right, it's over, tear) and it was pretty awesome. There were a ton of untied plot strings, but it was a great finish up and made me ball like a baby.



On Saturday, I spent the day with David. We chilled out. In the evening, we went out for a Made in Japan experience, followed by some grocery shopping, and then we went out to see I Love You, Man. It was okay, pretty funny, but I'm generally not really into comedies like that. I had a Yogen Fruz and it was good! Until I got to the bottom and then it had a sort of funky flavour. That's when I gave David the rest to finish up.

On Sunday, I met David's new roommate. He seems okay. Hopefully he doesn't bug us.

Then I treated Karen to a birthday lunch at Panera Bread. It was actually incredibly delicious! I had an Asian flavoured salad and half a tuna sandwich. Verrry delish. I can't wait to go back and try something new.

Now it's Monday, and I'm sitting in class, and waiting for it to end so that I can head over to work. I'm really hungry and can't wait to hit up the Timmy Ho downstairs at break.

My next braces appointment isn't until April 14 so I won't have too many updates until then. I'll try to post a new picture of my teeth on the 13th before my tightening.