A Kickin' Cultural Cocktail

In my ideal world, I would consume one excellent book, album, film, and art/museum exhibit per week. So I was very impressed that I managed to do just that last week without even trying. Props!

Book: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman

Klosterman's writing is self-indulgent, but he has the smarts and wit to make this book into a super-sharp analysis of his own obsessions with random bits of pop culture. My favourite chapter was the one on Saved By The Bell (and how "important things are inevitably cliche"—brilliant!), followed closely by the one where he spends a lot of time with a Guns n' Roses cover band. A very solid read. 

Album: Joel Plaskett, Three

JP rocks. I love his ambition in putting out this triple disc record and having all the discs be wicked. I listened the hell out of Ashtray Rock, so it's nice to have some—make that lots of— fresh Joel on the ol' iPod. The first single Through & Through & Through has been in my head incessantly — and, by the way, I love when Joel blanks out f*** in his songs because it's so blam! (Case in other point: Nothing More To Say on Ashtray Rock). There's lots of great mellow stuff on here, too, and it's undeniably (but, to me, inexplicably) CanCon. 

Film: Two Lovers

Joaquin is really that damn good in this film and you hope he's not serious about the whole quitting acting thing. And so is Gwyneth, who I haven't seen in a film in ages, but who I feel like I know on a personal level now somehow (perhaps because of GOOP and all my Spain...On the Road Again watching). But the thing I liked most about Two Lovers was its simplicity. It felt real in a lot of ways—the dialogue and the pacing were spot on—and that's hard to come by. 

Exhibit: Maximum Exposure (aka Max Ex)

This is Ryerson Image Arts' students exhibiting part of their final projects, many of which were very cool. I went with my photog friend Carmen and kept asking her, "how do they do that?" because there were so many lighting tricks and techniques I was unaware of. It was at the Gladstone, but it's done now. Sorry 'bout that. 

The Buy: "Nice" Sunglasses

I used to be one of those people who believed buying sunglasses for more than $25 was throwing away money because I was bound to a) lose them b) break them or c) get bored with them over the course of a summer. 

But then I had three pairs of cheap sunglasses in a row, two of which broke without me doing anything careless to break them, and one pair that was so cheap the glazed finish peeled off in the heat, leaving my face itchy and, well, gross. So maybe, subconsciously, I'd had enough. Still, I never thought sunglasses would be an item I'd splurge on. 

Then came the perfect storm. I was stuck—stuck being the operative word—in a mall alone, waiting for a friend. It was a sunny—can I emphasize sunny?—day outside and I decided I needed sunglasses to get by. And I happened to wander into Sunglass Hut, where most of the shades are in the $200 to $300 range (Prada! Chanel! Ray Ban!) so finding a pair for 89 bucks seemed like a downright steal. 

I bought the $89 sunglasses with the swipe of the devil-on-my-shoulder credit card, rationalizing all the while. They're Club Monaco, naturally, because that brand has itself wrapped around my little finger. (They could sell Bandaids and I'd probably buy them...analyze that!) Post-purchase, I fled to the restroom to check myself out in the new shades, and thought, with relief, 'damn, I look cool.' 

A few days later, I saw the Joe Fresh version of my space age-ish aviators online for $14—this after my boyfriend told me the glasses looked too big for my face—and whimpered a bit inside. 

But then I shook it out, walked outside with my newest CM accessory, and held my head high—towards the sun, wouldn't you know?—with not a trace of squint in my eyes.