EEEEEEEEE ------>

Why is it when females see something cute they lose the ability to use words and instead resort to emitting a series of strange sounds and pointing. 

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Today @GarinKilpatrick tweeted a Paramore cover of U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday.

I don't have any stats on this but I feel like Sunday Bloody Sunday is one of u2's most popular and most covered songs.  Here are a few versions of it that I find interesting. Which one do you like the best?



 I don't hate this cover but I think it's missing a bit of umph. If this was a performance on American Idol I think she'd be voted off.



I love this version because it remains true to the original while still being authentic to Saul Williams rap/industrial/electronic style.



Hilarious. Kudos to whoever took the time to make it.


The band gave the song a break for a few years in the 90s. It remerged as an Edge solo towards the end of the Popmart Tour.  In the middle of the show Edge would sing karaoke with the audience and this version of Sunday Bloody Sunday to give Bono's ailing voice a rest. This is my favourite version.



There's nothing like the original. "and it's true we are immune when fact is fiction, tv reality." I think it's fascinating how much that applies to current society even though this song was released in 1983 long before the first reality television shows were produced (and when mtv still played music).


The best live version of this song. If you don't feel anything watching Bono's obvious disgust in the "revolution" and the "troubles" you have no soul.

A Year of Deadmau5 - Part One

Kendra's Talents:

1) extreme fandom                    

2) playlist making

3) internet procrastination

In 2010 my extreme fandom, playlist making and internet procrastination took a new direction as I fell in love with house music. This has resulted in Deadmau5 joining the ranks of U2 and Nine Inch Nails the musicians who define my existence. 

It's hard to believe that just a year ago I was among the masses that ask "What's a dead-maow-five?"

The brilliance of name like Deadmau5 is it allows the army of fans to immediately discover and initiate the new person who doesn't know it's pronounced dead-mouse. This is normally done by making fun of them to the point that they will a) never pronounce it wrong again and b) always make fun of others who do. 

Thankfully, I received my initiation from my good friend Stephanie Hannah. She's been listening to house for years, the influence of her british fiance. Unlike myself, she doesn't try to force her taste in music on others but when you've been friends with someone from almost 10 years the influence is inevitable. 

I had been taking the Ballet Bootcamp class at Flirty Girl Fitness for a couple months by January 2010. Just like most exercises classes the music was the same every week and  fell into the house/pop genre.  

I always looooved the first song of the class but I could never remember the lyrics to google when I got home. One day I asked the instructor for the name but the simple concept of writing it down eluded me.

A small miracle happened and I remembered a sole piece of identifying information. 

"Hey Steph, I'm trying to find this song...it's pretty and it's by someone and someone else who's name ends with five" 

"mmmm it's it 'Move For Me by Kaskade and Deadmau5?"

One simple youtube search later and an obsession was in its infancy.

Training Torture.

"Good job," he said to me with a smirk and a slight laugh.

I'm hunched over trying to catch my breath and resisting the temptation to collapse on the floor. I've just lunged the length of the gym and back with 70 lbs on my back. I want to die. I hate lunges. He knows it and he takes great satisfaction in making me do them.

I think you have to be slightly sadistic to be a personal trainer. How many other careers can you think of where the sign of a good job is your clients pain filled groans as they push their bodies to move large amounts of weight?

I also think you have to be a slight masochist to want a personal trainer. While there are great payoffs to working out this way that hour can feel like absolute torture at times. Especially when the words "drop set" are mentioned in the first five minutes of the session.

I've committed to do this for a year. The goal - "dream body." Whatever that means. I better look hot and toned, but not scary toned like Madonna.

The first six weeks were a warm up. The foundation stage , as it was called, was composed of exercises that followed "primal movements." Last session we entered a build period. Let the real training begin. Heavier weight and less reps will start to build my muscles and I should start to see results.

I might overdose on protein getting there though.

The New Work Out Plan

a sign you spend to much time at the gym.

when walking home from the lcbo with a six pack in each hand you must resist the temptation to do lunges down Spadina Avenue. 

Growing as a Professional

So there is a school of thought out there by the "corporate professionals" That you should censor your online presence to make you appear responsible.

By this I mean no posting party photos on facebook and having limited profiles and only using linkedin for work connections.

I completely reject that notion.

I don't want to feel like I have to hide anything from anybody, including my boss and potential employers. Yes, I like electronic music, raving, concert going, dancing, drinking and general night life things that apparently make me look "unprofessional." However, I challenge someone to show me how my love of night life makes a bad employee?

Clearly, I have the capacity to make rational decisions.

For example.


Deadmau5 (or Dead Mau5 as the promoter called him) is playing in Kingston on Nov. 19th. My graduation is on November 20th. Now, as much as I love Deadmau5 and am dying to visit Kingston I made the responsible decision to attend grad. I'm not really happy about it but I suppose there are plenty of Deadmau5 shows in my future.

Steph is still going so at least I'll be represented in spirit.

I feel like I've failed as a professional crazed fan and excelled as a professional.

Sexually Frustrated Kitty.

Meet Felix.

Felix is my room mates cat who we first fostered than adopted from Toronto Cat Rescue.

He is pretty much the most awesome cat ever. With One exception.

He is the most sexually frustrated cat I've ever met. He's fixed yet still randy all the time. To make matters worse he's developed an attraction for my right arm? whhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy?


He's constantly trying to hump my arm. I'm constantly (gently) throwing him off. It's weird! I guess it's good practice for when I eventually have a boyfriend to reject?

Anyways, in December, as always, I got a stuffed animal in my stocking. At 22, I'm a little old for stuffed animal, but hey it's a nice tradition and they are normally Christmas themed and are good decorations.

This year I got a polar bear. ahhhh idea! I'll give it to Felix and he'll hump it instead. 

Crazy enough, the idea worked. He moved on from my arm. That was until I cleaned my room at put the bear  away. Clearly,  I wasn't thinking.

The other day, I'm chilling out on my bed, surfing the internet as usual, and felix attempts to mount up.

"Felix. STOP IT. I gaaaavveee you a stuffed animal for that!"

But as I look at the floor of my room I realize the animal is not there. I get up, go to my closet, pull it off the shelf and throw it on the floor.

Felix goes from looking sad and lonely on my bed to ecstatic as he jumps off and goes to town on poor polar bear.

Is it wrong that I've given my cat a masturbatory aid? I just feel bad for the poor guy.

Goodbye Hotmail?

That is if I can figure out how to delete my account. Windows Live makes it impossibly stupid to delete your account. 

When I attempt to do this with my account it says I'm linked to a points system and a billing account. When I click on the link for the billing account it says that I don't have a billing account. So I don't know what Windows Live is talking about.

As for this points account: It's from when I lived with people who had an xbox last year. I don't play video games very often and I can't figure out how to delete this point accounts from my computer. Wouldn't it just be easier for them to say "when you delete your windows live account you will also be deleting your points account"?

Yes. But instead they say you have to go and delete all the other accounts that your Windows Live account is connected to. Really annoying. I've had this account for almost 10 years, I can't remember everything I've signed up for with it. 

Yet another reason to hate Microsoft! 

I Have A Professional Athlete Addiction

Growing up I was always playing or watching sports.  Baseball, in particular has been a main stay in my life for as long as I can remember. It was how I bonded with my dad. We'd watch Blue Jays games at home and if I was lucky he would get tickets from a client, and we'd make the hour trip to the SkyDome to see them in action. I would not change those memories for anything.

As a child my favourite players were always picked by who was the "best" on the team or who my dad like. However, as I got older this began to change.

Being female it didn't take me long to realize that professional athletes tend to be, ummm, rather attractive. My interest in sports suddenly was very swayed by this fact. In fact, I became obsessed with a new sport when I was 14 - Basketball.

Yup, the raptors suddenly became my centre of my universe, because Morris Peterson, became the centre of my crazy fantasy love life. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Morris Peterson and everyone knew it. I was devastated when he left for New Orleans as a free agent in 2007.

But, I quickly got over it.

My fantasy love life switched back the Blue Jays as Troy Glaus, followed by Alex Rios became the objects of my unrealistic desires. But then they both left and now all I'm left with is outdated jerseys and memories of my crazy fandom.

My problem is I feel no particular attraction to any of the current Blue Jays or Raptors. But the Raptors seem to get around 7 new players every year, so there is hope. And I think Travis Snider shows promise on the Jays side. Plus we're the same age - hello not so completely unrealistic fantasy.

So with the World Cup starting today, don't be surprised if my allegiance switches from Germany to which ever team has the hottest player. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a cute smile, hot body and millions of dollars.

Defining Smaller

For those of you who don't sprechen sie duetch the direct translation of Kleiner in english is Smaller.

Hense the name Defining Smaller.

This blog not only defines who I am but it defines the way I see the world - smaller.

ahhh so the the blog title has a double meaning.

I honestly believe the world is small. Do you know the game six degree's of separation from Kevin Bacon.  You can pretty much apply that same theory to anyone in the world. Is there someone you want to meet ? Use your network to make it happen. Be creative, be consistent, and be nice to people and you'll be surprised and how high up you can climb. From there everything will look smaller, but if you treat the world below you as if it was larger then life you will always be a success.

As Bono once said "Dream up the kind of world you want to live in. Dream out loud at high volume".  Go after your dreams, anything is possible and don't forget to thank the people who help you along the way.

Kinky or Straight

Being a girl and living in Southern Ontario means that weather effects every decision you could possibly make - including how to style your hair.  

If you're lucky you either have straight hair or curly hair. The kind of hair that is easy wash and wear and looks perfect without much struggle.  

If your like me, you have hair that falls in between. Not quite curly, not quite straight. It kinks, bends and frizzes in ways that are just completely unfortunate and difficult to control.  


However, depending on the time of year and weather there are solutions.  

I love winter, because I can wear my hair straight. In my opinion this is when it looks it's best. I also find hat hair an excellent excuse not to curl my hair. While straightening can be a ton of work, taking the time to blow out my hair with a round brush dramatically cuts down the straightening time. And the results last. I normally only have to style my hair once every three days in the winter. 

This is not the case in the summer. While living on Lake Ontario is amazing, the humidity it causes is not. My hair is uncontrollable in the summer. I have just accepted this fact this year. For summer of 2010 I am giving up my beloved hair straightener.

It'll be an adventure filled with mouse and many showers all in the efforts to achieve the perfect curls and perfect the process so they turn out that way every morning and last all day. wish me luck - I'm going to need it.