On going to the theatre to see The Joker

Photo Credit: IMDB
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/

Rebecca, Steve and I found our seats at the theatre for seeing The Joker (2019).  

Duncan was still out getting his popcorn and Rebecca left for a minute to go to the bathrooms.

When she got back she told me that she had walked into the men's bathroom.

I asked her when she first noticed she was in the wrong spot.  She told me it was when she saw the urinals. I didn't think much about this since The Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria has change all of the signage for their bathrooms to accommodate anyone who wants to enter any of them so this is a common occurrence there.

On the way out of the theatre, both Rebecca and I entered the bathrooms again, this time together, the one that is clearly marked Women.  She had left.  I was still drying my hands.  A man walked in and was halfway down the corridor beginning  to select a stall. I couldn't help but watch him.   I was wondering if the theatre bathrooms had changed over to accommodate anyone who wants to enter an of them while I was idly keeping my eye on him.  He was suddenly startled and said to me, "Oh excuse me, I have entered the wrong bathroom," and he couldn't get out of there fast enough.  I followed him out hoping to find Rebecca close by and show her that everyone makes mistakes with which bathroom is which.

The man was visibly shaken and went across to the other side of the hall and entered that bathroom.  Duncan could hardly contain his laughter for in this theatre washrooms on opposing sides of the hall are for the same gender.  The man had walked into another Women's Washroom.

The three of us were laughing as was a group of women on the other side of the hall who had seen this, all of us waiting for the man to burst out of the Women's Washroom, making the same mistake twice.

This was the best belly laugh that we all got out of the movie, The Joker (2019).

On seeing The Joker

LtoR Rebecca, Duncan, Arta and poster for The Joker

Duncan, Steve, Rebecca and I had fabulous IMAX seats tonight to see The Joker (2019) directed by Todd Phillips.

I had scoured the internet looking for reviews which are probably being held back while the movie gets some time in the theatres.

The best I could do is refresh my memory about some of the characters:  Arthur Fleck, Murray Fraklin, Thomas Wayne for a few.

The four of us had no trouble doing our own critiques of the movie on the way home: what Duncan thought was fabulous, what made Arta uncomfortable, where Steve found allusions to other Joker films and how Rebecca saw the music fitting into the show.

I cannot say a good time was had by all.

Arta

Tough Love: The Political Theory of Civil Disobedience

Rebecca and I planned our day around going to a lecture this afternoon -- a Colloquium on Political, Social and Legal Theory.

Rebecca brought the requisite paper home for me to read which I obediently did -- I got through 2/3's of it before being interrupted with another task.

I took beverages to the lecture:  one diet Dr Pepper and one Zero Coke, just in case the presenter was't up to keeping me awake.

Half way through the lecture I was surprised to put down my note-taking pen and realize that so far I knew all of the hard words the professor was using.  Then I picked my pen up again and kept taking notes.

Rebecca introduced me to many her colleagues who were there.

I don't know if a good time was had by all, but I enjoyed myself.

Details below:

Alan Livingstone

Damn Great Empires!

Date: Friday, October 4th, 2019
Location: Fraser Building Room 152
Dr. Alex Livingston, Cornell University

Alexander Livingston is Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University. He is the author of Damn Great Empires! William James and the Politics of Pragmatism (Oxford University Press 2016) as well as numerous articles and chapters on issues of dissent, race, and religion. His current book project, Inventing Civil Disobedience, examines the theory and history of nonviolent direct action in the long Civil Rights movement.

On reading Songhees

Songhees: To Work with Good Mind -- Good Feelings

I have a bit of time in Rebecca's office last week while she was speaking with some colleagues elsewhere.

I picked up a lovely coffee table book called Songhees: To Work with Good Mind -- Good Feelings.

Since Victoria is on the unceded land of the Lekwungen Nation (often called Songhees), I thought I could't make better use of my time than reading this book.

I went to Amazon.com to see if I could find a good image of the cover, but they don't carry the book.  I had to look for the publisher.  I think author is really the Songhees Nation, if I can remember any of my library training, probably self published -- a deal at $20

,,, page 67 ...

I am always tempted to pick up a pencil and see if I can sketch images that I see in a book of this nature -- so many fabulous pictures.

On the inside of the book, I think at the frontspiece, there is a beaded image called Octopus Bag, RBCM Collection 4285.

I am going to look for that bag the next time I am in the Royal British Columbia Museum.  And I will probably be looking in some retail shops to see if I can find a knock-off on its shape and style.

As well, who wouldn't want to take a pencil and to to replicate the lines and circles of the image on page 67.

I can feel it shouting to me, "Just try to draw me.  You will find pleasure in the task."

Just one more thing on my list of thing to do if I ever have a moment where I need the kind of rest and relation that a quick doodle can give.

Arta

On reading NDN Coping Mechanisms

I stepped back inside the door after taking about 100 steps this morning to check the weather. I have to get used to the idea that 96% humidity is probably close to rain. I can walk a little later today when I won’t get wet. I could feel the occasional drop of water soaking through my hair and wondered if there is a formula for how many times that water can hit my head before I feel cold and wet. The answer was too many to continue a walk.

NDN Coping Mechanisms: Noes from the Field

by Billy-Ray Belcourt

A poem is a room

into which I shove my

   autobiographical self.

In the dark I am a sign

pirouetting into its signifiers and

   signified.

I am trying to read some of the books that lay on side tables, on coffee tables, and are loosely stacked on shelves, some read, some half read, some wanting to be read.

I picked up Billy-Ray Belcourt’s "NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes from the Field" a couple of the days ago.
The first poem is dense.

Rebecca told me the book is a birthday gift from her friend, Tara Williamson, who picked it up and read it non-stop, and then passed it along!

I decided that reading that way would be a good method for me as well, so the next time my hands held the book, I went from page 4 to the finish.

I had wondered what NDN means when I looked at the title.

The author says “NDN is internet shorthand used by Indigenous peoples in North America to refer to ourselves. It is also sometimes an acronym meaning “Not Dead Native.”

I hope that is not a spoiler.

Arta

Glen's Eagle Feather

When I asked Glen what was new he said that he had attended the KAIROS blanket exercise at work.

When the morning was over, he asked someone if he could buy an eagle feather and begin to bead its handle.

They said you can't buy one, for that is not the proper way to get one.

See the Elder who started the ceremony, so Glen did and she gifted him with an eagle feather, the right way to get one.

Now he has gray, white and black beads at home and has begun the beading process.

Just saying, his life is a good one.

Arta

2019 Ujamaa Grandmas' BBB sale

Here is a note from my friend, Ria Meronek

Hi

It is autumn and once again the Ujamaa Grandmas is having a sale – the Bags, Babies and Beyond sale.

I have attached a poster.

The sale is Friday October 18th from 2 – 8 pm AND Saturday October 19th form 10 am to 3 pm.

Don’t worry if you can’t get there until Saturday – only half the items are put out each day!

The sale is at the Marda Loop Community Association: 3130 – 16th Street SW, with plenty of free parking.

This is a wonderful sale of items made by members – all handcrafted and boutique quality.

There are bags, purses, wallets, children’s clothing and toys, sweaters, scarves, socks, hats, cowls, shawls, Christmas items, jewelry, placemats, casserole carriers, aprons, microwave bowls, dishcloths….. the list goes on!

The proceeds from the sale go to The Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.

For more information go to www.ujamaagrandmas.com and https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/get-involved/grandmothers-campaign

You can also go to Sneak a Peak on Face book @ujamaagrandmas, or Instagram @ujamaayyc or hashtag #bbbsale to see examples of what is for sale!