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Fire breaks out at Mendel art gallery

This is the major art gallery in Saskatoon. Fortunately, no art was damaged and no one was hurt.

What I've been reading lately....

1. Confessions of an economic hit man by John Perkins- John Perkins used to work for high profile engineering and consulting firms and became sort of an agent who went around to developing countries like Indonesia and Ecuador and convinced their governments to invest in modernization projects. Basically, these projects screwed the local economies, made them go into debt and forced them to become dependent on the United States. This book is a chilling account of how the system works and how fucked it is. I studied a lot of this kind of stuff in international studies, but I found this book to be a good refresher and an interesting case study from a man who was on the inside. It also addresses what it's like to work in a position that makes you completely uncomfortable. Recommended.

2. The culture of fear by Barry Glassner- I've wanted to read this book ever since Michael Moore mentioned it in "Bowling for Columbine." I think that things have changed fairly substantially since this book was written, as it was published before 9/11. Anyway, the premise of the book is that Americans are afraid of the wrong things and as a result, Glassner goes on to debunk major myths that he believes have been perpetuated by the media. As a Canadian, I actually had a hard time understanding some of the fears written about in this book. But then, I also believe in analyzing the media with a critical perspective, and I have a deep understanding of how the media works, so perhaps I'm not the target audience. I'd only recommend this book if you have a fascination with American statistics.

3. Looking for Alaska by John Green- A dark, gritty YA novel and one of the best YA books I've read this year, hands down. Actually, I would put it among one of the better things I've read this year. It's the story of Miles Halter, and his experience going to boarding school in Alabama. He meets a lot of interesting characters and begins a personal discovery, aided by a variety of friends and one dynamic woman named Alaska. I won't give away the plot except to say that it's quite dark and extremely realistic. This book also happens to feature the best depiction of a teen blowjob that I've ever happened to read in my life. I must admit that I also love the author as a person. Check out his blog . I rest my case. Highly recommended.

4. Snow flower and the secret fan by Lisa See- My mom gave me this book and told me to read it. It's the story of Lily, a young Chinese woman living in China in the early 1800s and 1900s. This book is historically fascinating. There are gruesome footbinding scenes and a lot of fascinating historical information. Basically this book captures the idea of the "laotong" friendship, which is a predetermined relationship between two women. In this case, it's the relationship between Lily and her laotong, Snow Flower. This is a very interesting piece of historical fiction and I recommend it highly if you have any interest in Asian history.

5. Odd girl out by Rachel Simmons- One of the most terrifying books I've read in a while. It's about girl bullying and how girls manage to bully and exclude each other in their friendships. Let's just say that I recognized a lot from my own childhood and I felt really uncomfortable reading it. I'm still trying to digest it. Highly, highly recommended.