Victoria Sinclair

YOU know who you are! But do you know about the Tough Mudder competition? There is one going on in my neighborhood August 18th and this style of 10 mile marathon with nearly 30 obstacles is proving wildly popular! It started in just 2010, and now in it’s third year there are over 100 of these events worldwide. There are tons of YouTube links showing exerpts and the ToughMudder.com website is excellent, but here is a link to my favorite clip Tough Mudder 2011 New England

In light of my recent rant about the “Stars Earn Stripes” reality show, I had to really think about my response to this race designed by the British special forces. I am wildly excited. I am thinking about registering when it returns next year. Something about running through live electric wires and scaling walls and scrambling through the mud just awakens my adventurous spirit and gets my adrenaline pumping. It probably has a lot to do with the lack of guns. I am very spooked by guns (even though I enjoyed firing one at a shooting range). I think this is a much MUCH better way to pay homage to the men and women who serve in the military. Appropriately, Wounded Warrior is the associated charity. Now THAT is worthy. Stars Earn Stripes “paying homage” is a load of BS and the producers who said it, know it. But it will still probably make lots of money.

As for Tough Mudders, Erica will be covering it for Naked News in her usual signature style – maybe I’ll tag along and see just how inspired I get to find out what I’m made of. If you’ve been involved – I would love to hear about your experiences!

Victoria

Today’s close with Erica and Eila and myself in Naked News was a bit of a mixed bag, entertainment superstars making millions, sports superstars in the Olympics (some of whom will make millions, or already do) and ALSO mash the two together for a reality show and what do you get? Stars Earn Stripes.

It just makes me sigh, because yes, I agree with the 9 Nobel Peace Price laureates that this type of programming glorifies war, making it all exciting and pretty and unreal, and somehow fun because celebrities are involved. Kind of the wrong idea. My suspicious mind instantly thinks, hmmm video games aren’t attracting enough young people to a militarized life? Perhaps this is a recruiting tool to use on war weary citizens, a fresh rebranding so to speak. I am sure it was not lost on the Oval Office that having to implement a Stop Loss program not so many years ago, may have been some indication that citizens are not thirsty enough for the glories of armed combat. With a quick glance back over history one has to wonder, in a terrible economy with so many young people out of work and possible food shortages, is a major war going to serve as global distraction from our petty problems and also, as a side effect, reduce the labor problem? One has to consider the force and influence of the major weapons manufacturers. I doubt that is an industry laying people off – if you know some are, tell me about them. I’m curious as to the state of their financial well being, and what their plans might be.

So now what am I going to do with that big TV. Say what you want (and I have) the Olympics makes great TV. I even watched things that would never hold my interest such as weight lifting! In today’s commentary on Naked News I say that nations shouldn’t compete because all it does is show who are the richest nations that can afford to support their athletes. On further thought, it does illustrate a great deal about each country’s personality and values, and it’s not such a bad thing to for the whole world to get to know their global neighbors, in something other than an armed conflict situation. So ultimately, while I am disappointed with some instances of poor sportsmanship such as in badminton, or the doping scandals, it still helps us know each other better. In other words, I am already missing the Olympics and am looking forward to 2016 in Rio.
Victoria

Now here’s an interesting documentary . . . Radioman played at the Hot Docs Toronto Film festival and I interviewed the extremely interesting individual named, Radioman. That’s airing on Friday Aug. 3. If you are interested in the film industry in New York in general, you’ll like this expose on the man who turns up in cameo on so many movies. I’ve noticed 3 since I interviewed him.
Victoria

Oh so much fun – the Collingwood International Elvis festival was last weekend and it’s the biggest one around! Collingwood is a gorgeous resort town and has been hosting it for 18 years. Erica covered it this year and I can’t wait to see the segment air. I know she rocked it the way only she can! I’ll post it when I know the air date.

Huh. Anyone else underwhelmed? Certainly the forging of the rings was a great idea, with strong visuals and artistic presentation, but it took a really long time to get to the good part. I have to put in my two cents though, a history lesson? for the Olympics? Interesting choice, after all, many of the guest countries certainly don’t remember colonialism and the great wars quite as fondly as London might. As for the very beginning, in the first few minutes the only reason I was sure it was the opening ceremonies was because of the random flashes to soccer to incorporate that sporting theme. Overall kind of strange, I give it a 5. Yet – I did love the Olympic Torch.
Victoria

Wouldn’t you know it, I just mention climate change yesterday because of the extreme heat wave we’ve all been, uh, enjoying. Now in today’s wrap up on Naked News Erica and I talk a bit more about that, both in today’s News off the Top and in the closing remarks. And sequing nicely into a different kind of heat wave rolling over the land and affecting mainly women – 50 Shades of Grey! What can I say, it’s a novel way to beat the recession blues. Pick it up, and find out what all the women are thinking these days.
Victoria

. . . and that celebratory feeling from the long weekend has been SMOTHERED under a relentless wave of heat! Holy smokes I don’t know how the south and mid-west handle these temperatures regularly. It’s been a stretch of about 11 days or so, feels like a month. I hate being trapped indoors, so I keep the aircon pretty low so I don’t get shocked going in an out. However that means everything I do inside and out takes forever when I’m hot. For us northern types, used to fast talking, fast living, it’s an abrupt change and I feel like I am moving through molasses there is so much humidity, it feels like high 30s. Now it’s probably good to slow down from time to time, but it isn’t a quiet or reflective slow down, in my head it’s a constant whiny “why is it so hooooot?” “I can’t get anything done in this heeeeeeat!”. Climate Change? Well true the last two years have been record breaking, but up here the three years prior have been anything but. Well maybe record breaking for snowfall and rain and squelchy summers. I know, I’ve been keeping a record. How are you beating the heat in your region? Frosty ideas welcome!
Victoria

Happy Canada Day, and Happy 4th of July! Early July is such a great time for parties and I’m more than happy to celebrate both countries with an enormous amount of fireworks. I invited tons of people and my neighbours to collaborate on doing our own fireworks. What a great idea – and uh, quite stimulating! We had so much boom it took 4 men over an hour just to set them up on the beach and had a 40 minute show with no empty spots in the sky. Yes, all over the sky – in fact, the biggest finale fireworks got mixed up somewhere in the middle AND installed backward so the shower broke over everyone’s heads – and over MY roof. As I saw what was happening I leapt for the fire extinguisher and sprinted through the crowd holding it like a football to check for damage. Turns out I can still run like a jackrabbit when sufficiently motivated. Nothing serious found, but I did have to stamp out a few smoldering embers. Close call really – I can’t believe you don’t need a license to set them off where I live. Still, our annual celebrations may be getting big enough that the local fire department should be invited to the party, you know, just to be responsible. Not to mention, who doesn’t love a firefighter!
Do any of you out there do your own fireworks? Any favorites? Mine is the Medusa.
Victoria

Summer Solstice is probably the most gorgeous time of year where I live near Toronto Canada. There are tons of festivals as well as private celebrations. For the longest day of the year, I’ll be having a huge bonfire with friends and neighbours right at the water’s edge, and I got up early to see the sunrise too. I make up for that for the Winter Solstice though, I stay in bed as long as the sun does.
Victoria