Brrring On the Warmth: Finding Your Cozy

There’s no winning as a Seasonal Fusser. That’s the title I’ve bestowed upon myself, a thorny crown that almost boasts a quality of perpetual discontent with the Canadian weather we each endure and endear. Emphasis on almost — because there’s a potential remedy to seasonal fussiness that I’m going to share with you.

Close-up image of a snowflake.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

First, a quick introduction: As a new member of the HOTS team (a big and sincere thank you to my colleagues for the warm welcome, by the way!), I must confess that my go-to conversation starter is typically rooted in the capricious. And amid these frigid conditions that sheathe our windows with curtains of frost, there’s no greater example than the weather.

So, here’s my two cents: I’m a fan of long summer days marked by cerulean, cloudless skies and bright rays of sun that infiltrate my windows. I especially long for it at a time when I’m often inconvenienced by slushy sidewalks, mountains of snow, and/or freezing evenings that darken before 5 p.m.

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The Anti-Oscars

Cover-image-for-Dìdi-Blu-ray-movie

Welp, it’s that season again. No, I don’t mean the lingering frigid temperatures and precipitation of February. I mean award season. Is it just me or do The Oscars nominees seem particularly far removed and uninteresting in comparison to what us plebs are actually watching? I’m intrigued by The Brutalist, now being heralded as Adrien Brody’s greatest work since The Pianist, but I have a feeling my interest in architecture won’t be enough to keep me in my seat for over three and a half hours. Do you ever get the feeling that the teams behind these often bloated, slow-moving marathon pieces are in some kind of secret competition to make the longest movie possible? Whenever a film exceeds two and a half hours, I generally wish the editor had stepped in with their metaphorical (and anachronistic) scissors to cut large swaths of unnecessary film from the picture. If you’re like me, and you look for award competitions that honour plucky, underdog ventures, look no further. I found some awards that have applauded what I’ve actually been watching and what I hope you’ve been watching too! In the tradition of anti-proms, I hereby dub this the Anti-Oscars. Last year around this time, I introduced you dear readers to the Dorian Awards — a competition run by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. Read more about the Dorians here, but suffice it to say, there are traditional award categories like Film of the Year, and there are also ones you don’t see everyday, like LGBTQ Film of the Year and Visually Striking Film of the Year. This time around, more than one of the nominations for Unsung Film of the Year are movies I’ve seen and very much enjoyed. Let me tell you a bit about them.

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Speaking of Democracy

banner image that reads speaking of democracy in english and french

For the month of February, the Civic Centre Resource Library will be hosting the Speaking of Democracy exhibit. Put together by the previous Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the exhibit is a response to “the observation that […] many were starting to express concerns about the fragility of democracy and equally of its various and foundational institutions.” With a snap provincial election on the way, and a federal one looming in the distance, now is a great time to get reacquainted with how our democratic society functions, where the roots of democracy came from, and the long road to the political system we have in place today. 

Speaking of Democracy is an engaging, bilingual exhibit offering key facts about democracy in Canada, including the institutions behind it, the roles they play in shaping it—and the role we all play as citizens. The exhibit panels feature quotes on democracy from significant historical figures like George Orwell and Winston Churchill, and from contemporary figures like Malala Yousafzai. The quotes are selected to present the idea of democracy from widely differing perspectives, to challenge our (often complacent) understanding of what it takes to make and maintain a democratic society.  

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