Mar
10
2010

Social Media: What Not To Do 101

I’ve pissed a few people off on Twitter this morning.

Even people I like and have considered buds. It happens.

And, no, this isn’t an apology, because I think offense was either a) wrongly taken or b) deserved, depending who’s doing the saying.

I ranted about business-types and how keen they are to ladle praise onto their colleagues or companions, but how little genuine thanks gets expressed for the Little Things.

Like anything sandwiched into 140 words, a lot gets painted in broad strokes, and people get hurt, and I’m sorry for some of the offense I’m sure is being felt right now. But I don’t think it makes my point any less valid or needing of saying.
Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (3)
Mar
09
2010

The Piano Has Been Drinking*

So too has the blogger.

And, boy, has my body decided it’s had enough.

I became social again last year, which effectively doubled the amount I’d been drinking. It became far too regular, and had it not been for the drinking, I’d probably have lost more weight instead of just having maintained my numbers for a year now.

The drinking escalated last fall. More this spring. A good three or four nights a week would be 2-3 drinks, maybe more often than that if it was a busy period.

Just how often became a significant realization this week. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Hygiene & Health, Specifically Steff, Uncategorized, fitness, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
Mar
08
2010

Stupid Business People Who Don’t Get Business

So, the thing about blogging is, we get weird questions and shit. Solicitations. You know.

Let me save you the suspense: No, I don’t want to “trade links”. But thanks for asking.

And if you want me to “add your link” because I seem like Little Miss Nice About Those Things, you’re probably in for a surprise. Like — well, let’s call her “Mae.” Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Steff Rants | Tagged , , , | Comments (5)
Mar
08
2010

She’s The King of The World!

(There are no The Hurt Locker spoilers here, no worries, since about 15 of you have seen it.)

thehurtlockernuevoposterIt took 82 years, but there’s finally a woman who holds the title of Academy Award-winning “Best Director” .

But it’s about more than just a woman taking home the big prize.

As a writer, I saw something incredible happen for a change at the Oscars. A little movie won. A movie won that was all heart, all story, all controversy, and had absolutely nothing “easy” about its content and no sell-out ending.

A lot of people who’ve not seen The Hurt Locker might think the film’s about the Iraq war, but like I was told by more than one person, it’s not. It’s not a movie “about” the Iraq War. It’s about one man trying to find his place. It’s about the hardest, most dangerous job in the world and what drives a man to do it. That just happens to be during the Iraq War.

Ask anyone who’s seen the movie if it’s pro-war or anti-war and they’ll have to stop and think — because it’s neither.
Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Hollywood, feminism, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (5)
Mar
04
2010

Olympic Autopsy

65258063The biggest party in the world shut down a little after 2am Monday morning, as the last revellers in Vancouver staggered out of the downtown core, leaving the wake of their destruction for the hardest-working city clean-up crew ever.

The Olympics are gone.*

17 days of madness, medals, and mountains have come to a close, and the emotional fall-out is like nothing I could’ve prepared for.

The last seven years of our lives here in Vancouver have been dominated by the controversy and catharsis of a city trying to get ready for an epic event that’d bring millions into our town for the celebrations.

Seven years! Planning, fighting, dreaming, waiting. They came, they saw, they used their Visa cards.

All done now. All over but the fallout and numbers.

Looking at headlines since, it’s clear the world got impressed with our desire to have a good time while the Games were in town.

But it sure as hell didn’t start out that way.
Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (14)
Feb
26
2010

The Dark Side: A Brief Look At My Descent

Today, Andrew Koenig, a respected stand-up comedian and former “background” star in Growing Pains, was found dead, having committed suicide, and not too far from the happy Olympicky goings-on here in Vancouver.

Depression was known to plague Koenig. He got off his anti-depressants sometime last year, and clearly the rest is a story still developing.

I’ve been depressed. Very, very, very badly depressed. And I hate that so many of you probably don’t understand fully what all that means.

Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Being me, Dimestore Philosophy, Journalling, Life 101, Opinion (Editorial & Commentary), Psychology & Moods, Self-Love & Self-Esteem, Society, Specifically Steff, adhd, keeping it real | Comments (11)
Feb
23
2010

Soon The Olympics Leave

It’s Day 12 of the Winter Olympics here in Vancouver. Four will remain. The insanity is everywhere. Here, look at this shot from last Saturday night. Something like 20 blocks of the city looked like that. Needless to say, such a long, wild ride comes with Olympic highs… and Olympic lows. Here’s a look at the latter.

_______________

My mind feels like an electrical storm.

So much is going on, I’ve so much power yet so little ability to focus it. Writing is a joke when the world is this insane around you for two-plus weeks. Some can do it, I’m sure. I’m just not one of them.

Working from home was my first mistake. My office job landing smack in my living room, that was a mistake. It’s just changed the vibe ever so slightly.

As a serious writer, the right “vibe” is everything. Mood is god, story is king. Chaos is the destructor. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Journalling, Specifically Steff, Steff Rants, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (6)
Feb
20
2010

FEAR 101: I Did It.

23731_315589606915_580041915_3992459_5802540_n(This is the epilogue to my prologue; written about my zipline fear-conquering I wrote before the fact, here.)

Yesterday, I stood at the top of an 8-story-tall tower, strapped into a harness, hooked onto a steel cable, and ziplined 550 feet across Vancouver’s Robson Square.

Holy shit.

I’ve had to get the news my mother was going to die, I’ve had to amass the guts to get back on a scooter after I nearly died when I flew head-first off of one — after which long-time riding friends claimed they’d never seen a casual rider as hurt as I’d been get back on a bike — and I have NEVER been as scared as I was when I stepped off that platform.

My friends with me didn’t see it, but I was crying when I took that step.

What they did see, though, were my knees shaking violently, my face suddenly 15 years older looking as all the blood drained from it and my jaw dropped in terror.

I almost vomited, I never even breathed as I zipped at 50k an hour and crossed the square, but about 2/3s of the way in, I finally snapped and realized, “I’ve done it!” Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Being me, Dimestore Philosophy, Life 101, Psychology & Moods, Self-Love & Self-Esteem, Specifically Steff, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (6)
Feb
17
2010

In Case of My Death, Read

I’m familiar with fear. Oh, am I familiar with fear.

In fact, I’m not actually a person. I’m a giant ‘fraidy-cat. Yup. A pussy, wimp, gutless turd.

I do it well. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Being me, Dimestore Philosophy, Journalling, Life 101, Opinion (Editorial & Commentary), Specifically Steff, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)
Feb
13
2010

Further Thoughts Against Olympics “Protesters”

19446_302753476915_580041915_3948176_8363620_nThe Games opened yesterday with the start of what I suspect will persist throughout the Games — agitators doing everything they could to dampen the party.

As the ceremonies occurred, protesters tried to push their way there, and the inevitable clash with authorities ensued. Two cops suffered minor injuries, but no protesters were harmed.

Here’s my thinking, okay?

Vancouver’s a leftist city. If you want to live here, you probably shouldn’t be a conservative-minded person. We don’t have a lot for you that way.

Greenpeace was born here. Charities and human rights organizations thrive here, volunteerism and activism are big. Lonely Planet claims our Commercial Drive is even Canada’s counterculture capital.

And I fucking love it. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Current Events, Opinion (Editorial & Commentary), Society, Steff Rants, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (43)
Feb
11
2010

An Open Letter to Anti-2010-Olympics Protestors

Hi. I’m Steffani, and I’m a lifelong Vancouverite.

I voted “YES” in the Olympics plebiscite “back in the day,” when we lowly democratic peons had the chance to vote on the once-every-four-years-party that, you know, would cost a few bucks to put on.

Now, I know, that voting day was such a sunny, beautiful day so many years ago that we didn’t even have a majority of our citizens turn out.

You know what? Not MY problem.

Because I fuckin’ voted. I did my job. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Current Events, Society, Specifically Steff, Steff Rants, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (43)
Feb
09
2010

Valentine’s Day: All My Thoughts

390242855_a107ca92ceValentine’s day looms and I’ve deftly avoided the topic by not posting new stuff lately. Brilliant!

But I guess it’s time for my annual rant against the Big Machine and the perpetuation of the belief that, hey, if it’s love, it’s worth going broke for.

I know men buy gifts because they feel obligated. I know women usually like receiving the gifts. I just wish both sides of this equation would get over the bullshit and just accept it’s not really doing a lot of good for either of them.

Relationships die because either people change or they just don’t want to work on the relationship anymore. Not because a diamond ring wasn’t forthcoming soon enough. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Dimestore Philosophy, Opinion (Editorial & Commentary), Society, Steff Rants, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)
Feb
06
2010

10 Years On: Rembering My Dead Mother

I haven’t been funny in days.

I’m moody and full of vitamin-Cunt tonight.

I couldn’t figure it out.

What’s eating me? Why am I spiralling into a darker and darker place? Why do I hate the idea of attending any of the 3 parties to which I was invited tonight? Why does the idea of just being civil to others fill me with a questionable revulsion I can’t fathom?

Why? Why? Why? Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Being me, Dimestore Philosophy, Journalling, Specifically Steff, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (5)
Jan
30
2010

Superbowl Ad Controversy: ARE YOU JOKING?

00030410Stop the sanctimony, PLEASE.

You know why CBS should have rejected the Mancrunch ad? BECAUSE IT’S A FUCKING STUPID AD.

It’s bad acting, bad writing, cheap filming, lame directing, and zero spent on production values.

The Superbowl is where the best commercials in the world come to play, not stupid frat-boy humour shot for $20 and a bag of Kush, all right? Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Current Events, Gay or Straight?, Hollywood, Steff Rants | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (4)
Jan
29
2010

RANT: Labels Kill Sexuality

Four years ago I wrote a posting about cheating and in it I had a little rant about being called an “older woman” by the letter-writer when I was only 32. The posting is here, and today I deleted a comment that referred to the rant-within-the-posting with this comment that I’ve chosen to delete for its stupidity:

“The sound of a cougars claws slipping down the slope called age.”

That was the comment in its entirety, aside from quoting the entire paragraph under the blockquote-box’s question.

It pissed me off. Why?

I’m the anti-cougar. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Communication, Lifestyle, Modern Feminism, Opinion (Editorial & Commentary), Oral Sex, Specifically Steff, Uncategorized, keeping it real, sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (5)
Jan
27
2010

There’s A Post-Injury World I Live In

And it’s somewhere in between Uncertainland and Hopeville.

Most of it is of my own doing, too. Having burnt out with EVERYTHING last July, I just walked away from most of my obligations, organized  fitness, and social life. It’s been EXACTLY what I needed to do, but my back has been iffy from time to time as a result.

Fortunately, I’ve always sort of maintained my core to the bare minimum, and have had a lot of improvement with my back. It’s better, FAR better, now than it was last July when burn-out hit me.

I’m back, baby, and my back’s considering coming back too. I began last week with the simple goal of being active daily — not much, just enough. I’d started inconsistently the week before, but last week did honour my commitment to doing something physical on each day — even if only for 15 or 20 minutes. By the week’s end, I seized the day and had an 80 minute cycling adventure.

The last three days have been filled with uncertain moments for my back, though. Twinges and tightness, pricks and pains. I’ve been so looking forward to chiro. I’ve also been torn — do I rest this, or do I work it out? Resting wasn’t really working out for me, so I decided to pick up the weights. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Being me, Specifically Steff, fitness, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)
Jan
23
2010

A Moment of Clarity, A Project to Start

59537631-fbbb893de7cb57321e22b694255a8429.4b5ba2dc-fullI’m at the tail-end of a ceremonial shot of Jack Daniels. I’m celebrating.

This past week, I’ve figured out a structure for my book, and the start of the order of content and how to make it marketably different from most of the non-fiction offerings out there.

I want my book to be profoundly literate. I want it to be the best thing I ever write. It has to reflect all I’ve accomplished so far, and all I’ll accomplish in the next two years, as I finish this life-change dream I cooked up in the fall of 2007.

Whoa! Holditaminutethere! What book?

Right. When I decided I wanted to change my life, I also promised myself that, if I got even halfway where I dreamed of getting, I’d write a book about my journey. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Being me, Journalling, Specifically Steff, keeping it real, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
Jan
21
2010

Life x Hard = A Given

“Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. By god, you learn.” -C.S. Lewis.

This year, when adversities come your way — and they will — remember that quote.

That’s the one piece of knowledge that has gotten me through every experience in my life. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Dimestore Philosophy, Opinion (Editorial & Commentary), Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
Jan
20
2010

Realism is Your Friend

Today, I’m taking my bike for a crappy beautiful little ride to work. By “crappy” I mean that it probably will burn 18.9 calories or something, and provide no real benefit other than kinetic movement for a bit.

But calorie burning and world-domination isn’t my goal this morning. My goal’s pretty simple this week — I don’t care at all if I lose weight or gain tone or burn fat. This week, it’s just about routine-establishing. Every day, a little something active. Every day, two healthy meals at least. Every day, the house is spotless before work and before bed. This is all I wish to achieve this week — routine. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Jan
19
2010

Why I Love My ADHD

I’m going to be writing more about ADHD over the next while. I started last week with this posting here.

Seems to me too many people are all shame-filled about their ADHD. What the fuck is that about?

Here, take your stereotypes and shove it. Know what my ADHD doesn’t make me do? It doesn’t make me run around like I’ve had 42 coffees and have been mainlining coke and adrenaline, all right? It doesn’t mean I freak out on people. It doesn’t mean I can’t have a conversation with you. It doesn’t mean I can’t get to appointments punctually. It doesn’t mean I can’t be an awesome employee.

What it DOES mean is, I have organizational challenges that negatively impact my life and leave me predisposed to feeling overwhelmed and constantly daunted by the life in front of me. But that’s biochemical. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Autobiographical, Being me, Education, Journalling, Specifically Steff, Twitter, Uncategorized, adhd, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (5)
Jan
18
2010

RANT: “Whine, Whine. #FML! Fuck My Life!”

ED. NOTE: This posting is meant for people who say “FML” and mean it. Like they say, people love the internet because they get to whine on it, and that’s fine. Go ahead, grumble. Just be interesting about it! And don’t be some snivelling fuckwit hyperbolizing and going “FML” because you woke up 30 minutes before your alarm, all right? I don’t care about grumbling, but I _hate_ the saying “FML”. Which is why we’re at this dance. Shall we?

Oh. And this may contain swearwords. Be careful of your fragile little vocabulary thresholds now.

fuck_you-1Trendy these days is the acronym “FML”, short for “Fuck My Life.”

No, fuck your attitude if you’re saying that crap.

Forgetting your lunch is not “FML.” Having to deal with a friend you find annoying because you’re too pussy to deal with it, that’s not “FML”.

That’s “fuck, I’m dumb” or “fuck, I’m a pussy.” You’re to blame either way. That ain’t “FML”.

I’ve been pissed off about seeing “FML” all the time for quite a while now. I see it from spoiled rich kids who have a bad day, or people with ordinary lives who have victim complexes about every little thing that happens. I see it from people with more good luck in a week than I’ve seen in a year sometimes, too. I see it from people who blurt it without really thinking about what it means a lot. People are whining on Twitter about forgetting their lunch and tagging the comment with FML. Seriously?

And this week, THIS WEEK, I’m done.

Shut the fuck up. Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Dimestore Philosophy, Humour, Life 101, Opinion (Editorial & Commentary), Society, Steff Rants, Twitter, existentialism, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (11)
Jan
14
2010

In Which Steff Talks About Her ADHD

I found out last Friday that my company’s letting us work from home when the Winter Olympics rolls into town in a couple weeks. My office is in the thick of Olympics Central in downtown Vancouver, between the major “live event” locations and all the sports stadiums. I was already having panic attacks about getting to work in what planners suggest will be the same volume of traffic influx daily as THREE Superbowls would generate, with possible two-hour waits just to get a train. (I died a little inside when I heard that.)

But working from home? Like, omigod. Discipline will be tough, but a deadline is a deadline, and my work has tangible starts-middles-finishes, with daily deadlines, since I watch television and caption it for a living.

My biggest struggle I face right now is not my weight; my weight is partially a byproduct of my ADHD — because ADHD causes problems with maintaining a routine or even achieving one, but also makes me prone to becoming hyperfocused on whatever I’m doing at any time — like eating.

Because I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD for well under a year, it’s been a massive learning curve — Read More »

By A Scribe Called Steff | Posted in Being me, Hygiene & Health, Journalling, Specifically Steff, keeping it real | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (12)