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Million Little Mistakes. Also on the Calgary Herald Q.When James Frey's memoir "A Million Little Pieces" came about, he was given the gift of a lifetime - becoming one of the lucky authors picked for "Oprah's Book Club" choice. When she unveiled Frey's book, her audience was thrilled. The book brought forward his dramatic story of his stories before overcoming his addictions. His book was an inspiration for millions of people coping with their illnesses. But early in January, The Smoking Gun exposed Frey as a liar when they uncovered police files, documents and interviews proving that James wasn't all he was cracked up to be. Oprah went up to bat for him on Larry King and then only a few weeks later, placed him on her couch and interrogated him until his eyes swelled up with tears. James Frey admitted to stretching the truth on a couple of instances in his book. He admitted he was not completely honest with the readers who believed they were reading a memoir, or even to himself. But beyond his apparent exaggerations, he has also been noted as a person who has shown a light at the end of the tunnel for millions of people struggling through their addictions whether he lied or not. If anything, kudos should be given to James for addressing this mental illness many people choose to ignore. With her over-the-top reaction on her daily hour of fame, proclaiming that he duped millions of readers with his lies of exaggeration, she also helped sell more of his books. Even I bought one of the 3.5 million copies which have been sold to date. What I really question is her motivation behind bitch slapping James on her show. Was she genuinely concerned about readers getting the wrong idea by reading his book, thinking that every word read was true? Was she concerned that her reputation was going to be shot because she lifted James up to super-author profile only to be told that he's not as holy as she thought he was? Or was she more concerned about her own image and her name? Did he deserve what Oprah dished out to him on live television? Absolutely not. She could have had a private discussion with him or sent him a letter expressing her views. In my opinion James Frey learned an awfully difficult lesson in front of millions of primetime viewers, including an audience who booed him, by the pending lawsuits surrounding him and his publishing house, wary readers now cautious of what next works he pens, and to himself who he has most likely let down the most. Posted by Bella at 5:05 PM# While slinking around and scaring bunnies in the forest, you may come across an old flame wearing a mask. It will be eerie. That my friends, is my horoscope for the day. Just thought I would share.Posted by Bella at 1:50 PM# Oh my God! Can it be?! Yes, yes it is true my fine feathered friends. I have actually written something for the Herald. Maybe it was the consistent pestering by Mr. Kotarski that finally got me. Or maybe it was that I needed the extra coin this month...Q: Eau Claire Market. Posted by Bella at 8:46 PM# meganpratt.com moves. I am now an official blogger. Pfft.meganpratt.blogspot.com is the new address. Posted by Bella at 10:09 AM# Maybe it was the tequilla setting in... The other night after a long walk in the park, and a couple too many fishbowl-sized margaritas at our fave spot, Julios in Kensington, we decided to watch some bad videos. If you're in the mood to shake your head in disgust over would-be celebrities, check out these idiots, I mean links:K-Fed and his PopoZao. Super Tan Girl. Posted by Bella at 8:24 AM# General rule # 876 Small talk is never to be had while laying spread eagle on the table in a doctors office. There will be no mood music playing in the background and no questions about how the weather is outside. Period. End of story.Posted by Bella at 1:45 PM# Simon. Simon is the perfect name. Everything about the name Simon sounds wonderful to me. From the way it's pronounced to the way it's spelt on a nametag.I would imagine my 'Simon' to be a tall guy with dark softly curly hair. He would be rather lanky looking, almost geekish. He would have green eyes and long fingers. He might be a closet-singer who has the voice every orgasm is made out of. He would be a book-worm. Someone who would randomly look up at you as you passed by his table at the coffee-shop. He might push his glasses back up the resting place on his nose when he does so. Maybe grin a little to acknowledge your presence. Although quiet in every- he would be quite the character once you get a drink into his system. He would be the secretive one but have the kindest, most gentlest heart once you're welcomed in. I've never met a Simon nor would I necessarily want to. I just like to imagine a person who is just like how I would hope they would be. Posted by Bella at 10:41 PM# Four Wise Men. Alright so I guess now I have no real excuse for not writing and pulling that line "I don't know what to write about" sure isn't going to cut it anymore as there is tons of shit going on in the world. Sigh. I guess I just have to start getting at it more, eh? I have appreciated the random emails from some of you saying "yo - bitch. get your ass in gear and write something". Alright alright. Ok... you win.So there is this quasi-important day tomorrow when we're all suppose to be patriotic and stand up for our rights and beliefs and stuff and goddamnit. I have no idea who I am voting for. While my dad stays up pacing throughout the night in worry over the election, I rest soundly knowing that no matter who I vote for - it's not really going to change. Sure, people can think that having a blue government instead of a red government will make a huge difference. Feel free to argue but I know the truth. Oooor not. I guess I should choose a colour to put the x beside. Not sure if the scandalous 'tried tested and true' red party will get it, the sketchy 'just give us a chance' blue party, the 'we're better than the rest of them' orange party or the 'peace love and happiness' green party, will get my vote. I have a couple hours to dwell on it. I have a whole dinner time conversation to discuss it at. Or, I have the eenie-meenie-miney-mo route tomorrow. What I do know though is: $600 will still be taken off my cheque every time I get paid, gas prices will still have the insane federal-gas tax attached to it, people will still complain that 'it's not fair' and the young chaps will still go off to war. So really... what is going to change? Posted by Bella at 2:17 PM# Done like dinner. And thank God for that. For the first time in quite a while, I was able to wake up this morning without freaking out about my conference. Why you ask? Because it's done. Finished. Completed. Sigh. I just thought that I would write that because for whatever reason, I needed to. I needed to apologize to whoever I have been bitchy too over the past little bit because of my moodiness and stress-outness and uh... just because. So there. And well, I needed to write to the world (or the three people that read this random thing) that I am finally done what I have been agonizing over for oh so long.Posted by Bella at 7:29 PM# It's going to be a swell day at this rate. Ok so by now we've all heard the news that Mr. Pitt spermiated Ms. Jolie and now they're expecting a little bundle of joy this summer. How dreamy. Either the kid will be super hot (positive times a positive equals a positive) or not so much. While randomly searching my smut sites early this morning, I came across something that almost made me spit out my coffee at the computer screen.This my friends is probably one of the funniest things I have seen all morning. Mind you, I haven't been up that long. (it may take a sec for the graphic to load) Posted by Bella at 7:34 AM# Just when I thought it was safe to go... A little spur of the moment trip which was basically planned on the fly - ended in me actually being rather impressed with myself. Besides the tears and the random temper tantrum on the bunny-run, I managed to do pretty well. Let me explain...Scott and I stuffed his car full of snowboards, gear, luggage and cds and headed southwesterly down through the Crowsnest Pass. Questioned random towns and their primary industries, stopped in Fernie to change a wiper blade and eat a tuna sub, locked the doors in Cranhole and ate some Dillicious chips, almost clenching a chunk of Scott's leg off by my nervous-passenger tendencies driving over the Salmo-Creston summit, briefly stopping in Ymir where we had a pee-break and then finally Nelson. Ahhhhh sweet Hippie stop. Cute little place actually. What's cuter? Ainsworth - population you and the guy next door. It was New Year's Eve and Scott and I had to grab Chelsey and her beau in Nelson - which was a 40 minute drive from Ainsworth - if you were going the limit - which he was not. Bad idea. Got pulled over and given a warning. Ahhhh sweet Nelson cops. Had a super strong margarita at Mazatlan in Nelson, hit up the local Beer and Wine store, Subway again and then made the trek back to Ainsworth where we settled in and busted out the booze. We played a little poker (which, by the way, I dominated at... after I got the hang of it), quick New Years kiss, drank some more and then off to bed it was. Had a crazy veggie breakfast (with a slice o' bacon), grabbed the snowpants and gloves and took Scotts supercar up the sketchy logging road to a cemetery which is probably one of the more beautiful places I have seen. Seriously sketch road - but wicked sight to behold. Had a quick snowball fight and got back in the car and took another sketchy logging road up to Loon Lake - a place Chelsey assured us was just "right around the next switchback". Suuuuuure. The snow was getting a little deeper, the cliff to the one side a little steeper, and the traction on the road a little less so. Stuck the car in park, grabbed the sleds and hoofed it to the lake. Quite the beauty actually. Sooo freakin desolate that it was almost eerie. Went back to the car, slowly crawled back down the hill, a quick drive to Kaslo to play in the snow and then was greeted with a big ol' New Years Day feast. Mmmm food. Off to Ainsworth Hot Springs after wiping the tears from my eyes from the stories of how "scary Whitewater's chair lift" is and then off to bed. Mmmmm zzzzzzz's.... Up early. Ok not that early. Erm. Really not that early. Out of bed by 10, fought a little with Scott over how much I don't want to snowboard (have I ever been known not to be difficult???) and then had a little clam chowder. Drove for what seemed like forever to Whitewater and got some hot rentals. I was hot dudes. I was smokin. Heh. Too bad I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. So. Had a panic attack on the bunny run because I kept falling, had a hissy fit on the chair lift, almost killed myself getting off the chair lift (fucking cement wall....) and then biffing it numerous times down the easy run. What a day. Thank God that one run took like an hour. Pfeuf. After a couple more times up the chair lift - I actually managed not to fall on my ass/face/side/backwards and actually began enjoying myself. What was this? I was actually having fun? Weird. Biffed it pretty hard and decided to header into the lodge for some hot chocolate and poutine (lunch of champions) - then it was back to the car for the drive home. Relatively painless day. Stopped for dinner at Chelseys friends house and met a boy who was the splitting image of my brother Ian. Won't Ian be sad now that I have met someone who has the same jokes as my little bro. Hm. Not so original now are ya Ian? Hm? Didn't think so... Back to the Hot Springs and off to bed. Ahhhh the day to drive home. Loaded the car, said the good byes and sped to the ferry terminal. We were the last car on the ferry - and about 20 seconds away from not making the trek across the lake - but over the Summit again. Shudder... Enjoyed talks about politics, weird looking lagoon monsters, how crappy Creston is, how much longer it was til Timmy's and how work wasn't looking like it was going to be much fun this week. I took the wheel and drove Scott nuts with my cruising in 4th, rather than 5th. Heh. And then Kimberly. Ahhh sweet Kimberly. Attempted to see Renee and Erika at the Village Bistro but alas, were closed. Waved at the old house, saw the new sights and hoofed it out of town. What a place... ahh the memories. Drove to Radium, right past the Hot Springs. Erm... do a U'ee and pay the $14 for a dip in the pool. Well ain't that grand - it's smokin' hot. After a couple hours in the hot tub and my fingers turning pruney - we decide to stay in the quaint little town called Radium for the night. We grab some expensive pub food and find the cheapest room in town for a quick snooze before it's back home for us. So that's my New Years. Exciting for some, incredible for others. Posted by Bella at 10:57 PM# 2005: A fantastically wonderful year in review. Organized my first successful Conference and Tradeshow.Became full time at work. Saw The Killers in concert. Saw Sarah Slean in concert. Went to Italy with Aaron and had the time of my life. Met Scott in the Airport in Copenhagen and enjoyed a delightful 10 hour plane ride back to the west with him. Saw Snow Patrol in concert. Got in trouble from Herald readers and friends when I wrote about the gay pride parade. Bah. Got in trouble again from Herald readers and the Western Standard magazine for writing about the bear attacks in Canmore. Bah again. Saw Green Day in concert. Sold my car, Alistair. Bought a new car, Alistair 2. Learned how to drive standard. My parents celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary (on my bros and my tab). Met the one, the only - Catherine Ford. Saw Pearl Jam in concert. Won a trip to Las Vegas. Went to Tofino for my birthday. Selected for jury duty and let someone off, when in my eyes they were guily. Got spoiled by Santa at Christmas. Went to Nelson, BC for a weekend of riding and chillaxing for New Years. Posted by Bella at 10:35 PM# |
