The month in review (2014-03-31)

March. Already three months into the year. Until today (partly cloudy, 5°C) spring was nowhere to be seen. We had small snow storms almost every weeks (the latest this week-end) and winter seems to never end. How depressing. I feel that I am really getting at the end of my rope with my job: the long commuting that keeps me from doing anything useful at home during the week, the teenagers' insubordination and constant insolence, absurdity and inefficiency everywhere and, in the last week, a terrible cold that made me weak and tired… So many frustrations… I can't take this anymore and feel I am on the verge of depression. But what can I do? I can't quit. All I can do is fight the darkness and rest as much as I can. I really need some change…

I took a few days off. I really needed the sleep, but above all the psychological rest… Just not having to commute, not hearing the constant noise and teenage girls chatter (busy hours with an average of 70 dB while the limit for an industrial area is 75 dB!), not having the crying babies (peak at 105 dB!) and kids running all over the place, not having to regularly scold children for not behaving… That's a great rest in itself! I wrote a little (but there's never enough time) and watched TV (the usual plus a few new shows: Cosmos: A space-time odyssey, Helix, Parade's End, Resurrection, The 100, True Detective; and a few movies: After Earth, Blue Jasmine, Star Trek: Into Darkness).

A raccoon hung around the back balcony a few times. We finally found a nice adoption family for Toffee and might be able to place Roussette soon. This week is supposed to be warm and sunny. Hope for spring and more…

Local news were saturated with stories about the Quebec provincial election with talks of possible referendum if PQ is elected or the secular charter. International news were all about the Ukraine situation and the disappearance of Malaysia Airline flight MH 370. I've gathered links to a few other interesting news stories after the jump:

L'image du chat-medi / Cat-urday's picture

Toffee (2014-03-07)
Update (2014-03-30): We have finally found a nice adoption family for Toffee. Goodbye my boy, we will miss you.

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L'image du mer-fleurie

Valerianaceae: Valeriana officinalis
Valériane officinale / Common valerian
Jardin botanique (2013-06-18)
Les rhizomes et racines de cette plantes ont des propriétés médicinales sédatives et calmantes. Elles soulagent également les troubles digestifs et favorisent le sommeil.

Manifeste du parti communiste

“Redécouvrez les grandes idées de Karl Marx et de Friedrich Engels et de leur Manifeste du parti Communiste, par le biais de cette fiction prenant place dans l’Europe de la révolution industrielle. Revivez les aventures de Bill, de Frank et de Simon, qui vont oser se lever et remettre en question un système capitaliste injuste et opposant les bourgeois aux prolétaires”.

[ Texte du site de l'éditeur ]

“Les prolétaires n’ont rien à perdre que leurs chaînes !”

“L’histoire de toute société jusqu’à nos jours n’a été que l’histoire de lutte de classes, expliquaient Karl Marx et Friedrich Engels. (…) Accessible à tous et très didactique, cette adaptation en manga de classique est une magistrale leçon d’histoire sociale.”

[ Texte de la couverture arrière ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

365 expressions latines expliquées

“Certaines expressions latines et mots directement transcrits du latin sont d’un usage si courant qu’on en a presque oublié leur origine : a priori, post-scriptum, nota bene, effet placebo, manu militari, curriculum vitae, intra muros, modus vivendi, quota, et caetera ! D’autres expressions sont moins limpides. Parmi les plus simples à comprendre, certaines formules bien connues : Veni, vidi, vici…, Errare humanum est… dont il est intéressant d’apprendre l’origine si on veut les employer à bon escient. Ce livre se présente comme une session de rattrapage, parfois très amusante, pour tous ceux qui n’ont pas « fait latin ».” [ Texte du site de l'éditeur ]

“A priori, post-scriptum, nota bene, intra muros, modus vivendi, effet placebo, manu militari, curriculum vitae, referendum, quota, audit, consensus, lapsus, et caetera ! Les expressions et mots latins entrés dans notre langage quotidien ne manquent pas. Et tout le monde les comprend. Les choses se compliquent pour les non latinistes avec certaines formules pourtant courantes : in cauda venerum, fluctuat nec mergitur, ite misa est, prorata temporisa… Chez le juriste ou le médecin, les termes venus de Rome peuvent en déconcerter plus d'un : ab intestat (qui a plus à voir avec un testament qu'avec l'intestin !), in paribus (« dans les parties », mais au sens de « régions occupées par des infidèles »). Que de contresens possibles ! (…)” [ Texte de la couverture arrière ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

L'image du chat-medi / Cat-urday's picture

Caramel (2014-03-07)
Rappel: nous cherchons toujours une bonne famille d'accueil pour Toffee et Roussette (voir l'affiche). Merci. / Reminder: We're still looking for a nice host family for Toffee & Roussette (check the poster). Thanks.

L'Image du mer-fleurie

Boraginaceae: Symphytum officinale
Grande consoude / Common comfrey
Jardin botanique (2013/06/18)
Les rhizomes de cette plante sont utilisés pour leurs propriétés médicinales (cicatrisantes et anti-inflammatoires), principalement pour le soin des fractures, des plaies, des entorses et des contusions.

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Sugar-Puss on Dorchester Street

“When the sun goes down and the neons go up Montreal becomes one of the world's most colourful cities. Through its countless night clubs, cocktail bars, lavish hotels and colourful streets pass a host of fabulous characters whose presence gives the city the atmosphere for which it is famous.

Into this pseudo-paradise came Gisele Lepine—fresh as the cool clear air of her Laurentian village and eager with the realization of a five-year-old dream—Montreal.

Gisele met the characters, basked in the synthetic glamor of the cabarets and reached the goal she had set as a climax to her personal five-year plan.

Few author could capture the life and atmosphere of Montreal as does Al Palmer in Sugar-Puss. He was born in the east end of the city and in fact celebrates his birthday (May 18th) on the same day as does his native city.”

[ From the 1949 edition's back cover ]

“One of the earliest Canadian noir novels, Sugar-Puss on Dorchester Street tells the story of Gisele Lepine, beautiful farmer's daughter who leaves her sleepy faming community for the neon lights of Montreal. In the fast-paced city, dreams quickly turn to nightmares as the young 'farmette' finds herself surrounded by drug-dealers, newspapermen, nightclub owners, chorus girls and a fatherly boxer who is well past his prime. It's all a bit too much for innocent Gisele, who hasn't yet had to deal with the violence that is to come. All becomes a whirlwind set in the post-war 'open city' in which burlesque houses were plentiful, Dorchester Street was lined with nightclubs and Decarie Boulevard served as Canada's Sunset Strip.“

[ From the publisher's website ]

L'Image du chat-medi / Cat-urday's picture

Caramel et Rousette (2014-03-02)
Rappel: nous cherchons toujours une bonne famille d'accueil pour Toffee et Roussette (voir l'affiche). Merci. / Reminder: We're still looking for a nice host family for Toffee & Roussette (check the poster). Thanks.

L'image du mer-fleurie

Oleaceae: Jasmineae: Jasminum [espèce non-identifiée]
Jasmin / Jasmine
(2014-03-12)

Guerre et Paix

“Mon âme est éternelle ! Tu ne pourras jamais me l'enlever !”

“Guerre et Paix, fresque épique qui a pour théâtre la guerre napoléonienne avec la Russie du début du XIXème siècle, met en scène André, un jeune officier qui remet en cause l'utilité de combattre, Pierre, un homme tourmenté par sa recherche du vrai bonheur malgré son immense richesse et Natacha, une fille ingénue qui deviendra une femme pleine de charme. Leur destin et celui d'une multitude d'autres personnages, s'entrecroisent à Moscou, ville en proie à l'anarchie engendrée par la guerre.”

“Découvrez en manga une des oeuvres les plus grandioses de la littérature moderne.”

“Ta victoire t'importe à ce point ?! Espèce de fanatique de la guerre !!”

[ Texte du site de l'éditeur  et de la couverture arrière ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

Japan Academy Awards winners (2014)

Here is the full list of winners for the 37th Japan Academy Awards (All nominees are listed and the winners has been highlighted).

L'image du chat-medi / Cat-urday's picture

Toffee, Caramel & Roussette
(2014-03-02)
Rappel: nous cherchons toujours une bonne famille d'accueil pour Toffee et Roussette (voir l'affiche). Merci. / Reminder: We're still looking for a nice host family for Toffee & Roussette (check the poster). Thanks.

Mec, t'as pas vu mon cell?

J'ai récemment lu dans le journal 24h l'histoire d'un gars qui s'était fait voler son ordinateur portable et avait réussi à localiser le voleur grâce à un logiciel mais la police refusait de faire quoi que ce soit parce que c'était pas une affaire urgente. Eh bien moi j'ai vécu une expérience à l'opposé avec des policiers qui font ce qui me semble de l'excès de zèle!

Continuez après le saut de page >>

L'image du mer-fleurie

Iridaceae: Iris “Gypsy Lord”
Grand iris barbu / Tall bearded iris
Jardin botanique (2013-06-18)

Les misérables

“Octobre 1815, Jean Valjean, après 19 années de bagne, revient en France, plein de rancunes contre la société. Mais une rencontre va changer sa vie et le transformer en homme de bien. Pourtant, en ces années-là, difficile de fuir son passé...” [ Texte du site de l'éditeur ]

“Criminel tu es, criminel tu resteras !”

“Sous l'impulsion du lumineux évêque Myriel, Jean Valjean, forçat libéré après 19 ans de bagne, prend la résolution de s'engager sur la voie du bien et de devenir un homme nouveau. Plusieurs années après, alors qu'il a changé de nom et qu'il est devenu maire de Montreuil-sur-Mer, Javert, un ancien gardien du bagne où il a été emprisonné, est nommé en tant qu'inspecteur de police dans cette ville...”

“Un manga inspiré par l'oeuvre magistrale de Victor Hugo, l'un des meilleurs poètes et romanciers français de l'école romantique.”

“Tu ne m'échapperas pas, Jean Valjean !”

[ Texte de la couverture arrière ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

The month in review (2014-03-02)

February was another harsh, cold month (although we had a brief respite with warmer temperature and rain). It was a rather annoying month. I didn't feel top shape (mostly digestion problems and abdominal pain). I had many small problems to take care and there was a lot of stuff pissing me off in the news. My cat caught another mouse in the house. I had not enough time to write as much as I wanted. All this put me in a bad mood. Above all I was quite tired (mentally) with my long commute to work (in the last year, I applied nearly thirty times for positions in libraries closer to home, but without any success). In fact, I realized that most of the days I was leaving home around 8:15 am and coming back around 7:45 pm. I am gone nearly twelve hours to work only seven hours! For what? In order to win enough wages to pay for food and mortgage so I can sleep, eat and go to work the next day? What a depressing thought! The good news is that I now have only seven hundred and ninety-four weeks before retirement!

Locally there was more talks about the secular charter, a tax hike, possible provincial elections, and lots of discussion about municipal pension plans (ah! those lazy and overpaid municipal workers!). In the meantime, the world was busy dealing with freaky weather conditions (notably drought in California, lots of snow in the east coast and too much rain in England), the Sochi Olympics, unrest in Ukraine and possible military intervention by the Russians.

I've gathered over an hundred links to interesting news stories. You can check them after the jump:

37th Japan Academy Prize Nominees

Last January, the nominees for the 37th Japan Academy Prize (aka the Japanese Academy Awards) were announced on the Japan Academy Prize Association website [ in japanese: 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト ] :

The nominees for Best Picture of the year (2014) are:

• The Devil's Path (“Kyoaku”, dir.: Kazuya Shiraishi)
• Like Father, Like Son (“Soshite Chichi ni Naru”, dir.: Hirokazu Koreeda)
• A Boy Called H (“Shonen H”, dir.: Yasuo Furuhata)
• Tokyo Family (“Tokyo Kazoku”, Dir.: Yoji Yamada)
• The Great Passage (“Fune wo Amu”, dir.: Yuya Ishii)
• Ask This of Rikyu (“Rikyu ni Tazuneyo”, dir.: Mitsutoshi Tanaka)

The nominees for Best Director of the year (2014) are:

• Ishii Yuya (The Great Passage)
• Koreeda Hirokazu (Like Father, Like Son)
• Shiraishi Kazuya (The Devil's Path)
• Mitani Koki (The Kiyosu Conference)
• Yamada Yoji (Tokyo Family)

The nominees for Best Animation of the year (2014) are:

• The Tale of Princess Kaguya (“Kaguya-Hime no Monogatari”, dir.: Isao Takahata)
• The Wind Rises (“Kazetachinu”, dir.: Hayao Miyazaki)
• Space Pirate Captain Harlock (“Kyaputen Harokku”, dir.: Shinji Aramaki)
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3: Rebellion (“Gekijō-ban Mahō Shōjo Madoka Magica Shinpen: Hangyaku no Monogatari”, dir.: Yukihiro Miyamoto)
• Lupin the Third vs Detective Conan The Movie (“Rupan Sansei Vasasu Meitantei Konan The Movie”, dir.: Hajime Kamegaki)

Here we are listing only the categories that are of interest for our blog, but you'll find more details on ALL the nominees on the Tokyo Hive and Internet Movie Database. You'll find also some information (mostly about the anime category and the anime- & manga-related nominations) on Anime News Network.

The award winners will be announced on March 7, 2014, so stay tuned!

Update (2014-03-09): The winners have been highlighted. I have also posted the full list of winners in this new entry. You can find more information on Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Anime News Network and, of course, the official Japan Academy Prize website (or the auto-translated version).

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L'image du chat-medi

Saya (2014-02-10)

Rappel: nous avons toujours deux chats à vendre (voir la nouvelle affiche et faire circuler)
Reminder: we still have two cats to sell (check the new poster and pass around please)