June 2003

When I first read the Pitchfork Media site today, I was initially confronted with a page with a letter on it. Immediately I thought was that this site had closed down, victim to the economy. However on closer analysis it just appears that they’re moving up in the world; they’re actually moving into new offices and will be re-launching the site. That’s definitely good news.

We have a new sign in our office for BrightBlocks, the other company here. It’s really quite an amazing sign, made by our graphics designer. I have no idea how he managed it; I’m just in awe of that kind of creativity.

Last night I saw a really amazing movie at the Princess. Spellbound, which follows 8 teenagers preparing for the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.. I was intrigued by these kids and yet I felt sorry for every one of them. In some ways it reminded me of the music competition circuit I used to do when I was younger. The pressure and stakes weren’t quite as intense as in the movie, but you definitely had the parents pushing the kids are hard as possible, most of the time saying that it was for their kids’ benefit. This wasn’t the case with me and my music though, I had my own drive pushing me. In a way I miss the thrill of competition but at the same time it’s nice not to have that kind of pressure looming over you.

The die has been cast, though I’m not entirely sure if I feel like Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon.

Hooray! I have my first pay check in my hands. I’m going to deposit this bad boy at lunch so I can accrue some well-deserved interest. I can’t express how relieved I am to be receiving income again. It feels great!

Closing of places of entertainment… all cinemas, theatres, and other places of entertainment are to be closed immediately until further notice… sports gatherings and all gatherings for purposes of entertainment or amusement, whether outdoor or indoor, which involves large numbers congregating together, are prohibited until further notice. This refers especially to gatherings for purposes of entertainment. People are earnestly requested not to crowd together unnecessarily in any circumstances…

One of my all-time favourite samples…

So do I want to take a vacation day to get a 4 day weekend? I’m thinking I do, but I’m not entirely sure. I guess since they’re changing the vacation policy to roll-over at the end of the calendar year instead of your hire year, there’s no real disadvantage to taking one now.

This song was my and Jake’s favourite in Grade 11. So many inside jokes attached to it.

from the back of your big brown eyes
I knew you’d be gone as soon as you could
and I hoped you would
we could see that you weren’t yourself
and the lines on your face did tell
it’s just as well
you’d never be yourself again

saw you last night
dance by the light of the moon
stars in your eyes
free from the life that you knew

you’re the magic that holds the sky up from the ground
you’re the breath that blows these cool winds ‘round
trading places with an angel now
saw you last night
dance by the light of the moon
stars in your eyes
free from the life that you knew
saw you last night
stars in your eyes
smiled in my room

What do I do this for?
Got to get out some more
Go down to the grocery store
Meet someone I’ll adore
Someone who’ll make me laugh
Someone to be my better half
Keep me warm under the sack
Share with me my midnight snack

“There’s a whale, there’s a whale, there’s a whale fish” he cried.
And the whale was in full view.

Unrelated:

4th Narrator: “On the way down, he passed hundreds of trout of different sizes. Trout are freshwater fish and have underwater weapons.”

FX RAPIDLY FIRING PULSED ENERGY WEAPONS

5th Narrator: “Don’t you go too near them!”

4th Narrator: “Trout are very valuable and immensely powerful. Keep away from the trout!”

6th Narrator: “Why should it be/ that the fish in the sea/ are all unable to sing?”

7th Narrator: “Just listen to me young fellow/ what need is there for fish to sing/ when I can roar and bellow?”

I went for a long walk last night and I brought my camera along. I always like walking around cities, specifically downtown areas. There are so many neat places that you wouldn’t see by car. Another reason for taking a walk was because I didn’t want to be in my apartment while the sun was still up, it was ridiculously hot yesterday and I don’t (yet) have air conditioning. I probably took over 100 pictures last night alone. I’m definitely taking more of an interest in photography, there are so many cool things thatyou can do with a camera. I’m also closer to having my pictures available, all of them in one location this time, which will be handy.

I won’t post the HTML, but apparently after Tuesday, June 6, 2034, I will be no more. A stray car bomb will have taken my life. We’ll see if this pans out or not.

Know your war profiteers!

Get your war on (not mentioned on Metafilter).

Part 2:

We are standing here at the edge of time.
Does anyone remember who I am?

In a few moments you will have an experience that will seem completely real.
It will be the result of your subconscious fears transformed into your conscious awareness.

You have five seconds to terminate this tape.

5

4

3

2

1

There’s a guy out there and the stakes are high
and the guy who runs it is figuring the averages all day long and all night long,
and once in a while he’ll let you steer a while. But if you stay in the game long enough
you’ve got to lose,
and once you’ve lost there’s no way back.
No way at all.

This was an interesting site I came across today. Funny how most of them I had never heard of. Kind of makes you think about how much has changed in the Internet business since 2000.

I find it interesting how music that I would listen to constantly, such as this song here, aren’t as captivating when you listen to them later on. Of course this isn’t the case with all music, but it can be when the song is in a genre that you’re not totally into anymore. That said, this is still an amazing album.

This song is appropriate in a way. I’m working full-time now, but I don’t really feel like school (for now) is over. I still feel like a co-op student at times, that there’s no way I’m old enough or mature enough to be starting my career, wherever that may lead me. I do know that I’m enjoying work so far and that I’ll most likely be extremely busy from now until October 1. I just hope I do good work for the company.

Chris Rock version of the previous post is here.

I’ve started making thumbnails of my pictures, so hopefully I’ll have something to show soon enough (I know you’re all dying to see them I’m sure).

I also heard yesterday that Lamb is going to be out with a new album before the end of the year. Booyah!

Inspired by Kim:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

I almost forgot one of the most exciting parts of the entire weekend. I have tickets to see Radiohead live at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto on August 16th. That is going to be one amazing show. It will have been 2 years to the day almost since I saw them last and this is a smaller venue, which I like very much.

I doubt there’s anyone from Westdale who reads this, but if you did go to the school of champions, then check out myWestdale.com.

Stolen from Kife:

The Fellowship Baptist Creation Science Fair 2001

Middle School, 2nd Place: “Women Were Designed For Homemaking”
Jonathan Goode (grade 7) applied findings from many fields of science to support his conclusion that God designed women for homemaking: physics shows that women have a lower center of gravity than men, making them more suited to carrying groceries and laundry baskets; biology shows that women were designed to carry un-born babies in their wombs and to feed born babies milk, making them the natural choice for child rearing; social sciences shows that the wages for women workers are lower than for normal workers, meaning that they are unable to work as well and thus earn equal pay; and exegetics shows that God created Eve as a companion for Adam, not as a co-worker.

My next-door neighbours had a canary. It escaped their apartment and was on my balcony one afternoon. They asked for me to keep an eye out for it. Marcy saw it one morning, but it flew off before she had a chance to come out with some apple slices (apparently they like apples). Marcy was very worried about the canary and I told her (jokingly) that maybe a cat had eaten it. She didn’t like this idea. Today we saw the owner of the canary and Marcy asked whether they found it. He said yeah but it had run into some glass, broken its neck and died. When we were alone again I stifled a laugh, though I was feeling sad that the canary had died. I thought it weird that it had died so horribly, much more horrible than what I had joked about.

It was indeed quite the weekend. Jam-packed even. Friday night was Lisa’s birthday party in Guelph. That was a lot of fun, though there was way too much food. Highlights included: fiddling with the propane tank, Lisa getting Magic Nuudles from Wayne and feeding Wayne a custom concoction of 7-Up, hot sauce, ketchup and lemon juice. Apparently I’m on the hated list now, though I can’t figure out why. Saturday I was in Hamilton for most of the day, firstly picking up my copy of Harry Potter (thanks Kim for pre-ordering!) and then spending the next 4 hours going through pictures. Surprisingly Kim didn’t grow (visibly) weary seeing that many pictures, though I probably would have if someone was showing me their pictures. Don’t worry, they will be available online soon enough, probably this week if I get around to it. Last night we went to Alex’s farmhouse for Juntoberfest, or more accurately, an excuse to have a BBQ and drink. It was a lot of fun, but the funniest parts were seeing Logan eat any food she could get her hands on (she’s a dog, not a person) and the mushroom cloud that was created as soon as the match was thrown on the kerosene-soaked pile of twigs. Being guys we of course had fun with the fire, seeing how things would melt. Today was some reading and enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon. Work has been going well and most importantly – I get paid this week. Hooray I can once again afford to live! It’s Marcy’s birthday next week too, so I’ll have to figure out what we’re doing next Sunday for that.

Well after 5 weeks without needing to know what day of the week it is, I’ve definitely become aware of the weekend anticipation. This weekend is going to be pretty busy – tonight is Lisa’s birthday party (it was her birthday yesterday), tomorrow I’m going to Hamilton to visit with Kim and then tomorrow night we’re having a Juntoberfest party at Alex’s (farm)house. Basically an excuse to drink, but it should be fun. Only 9 more hours until Harry Potter comes out. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

My family moved successfully Wednesday and yesterday. The cat was a little freaked out and for a while was stuck in the air vents, but everything is settling down and the massive unpacking begins. I can’t wait to see the house, though I don’t know when I’ll be able to get down there. July is already looking pretty packed with two parties and a wedding to go to.

I coined a new term today – QKM or Quintessential(ly) Kitchener Moment. It’s when you see something that you wouldn’t find anywhere else but in Kitchener. Working (and living) downtown makes you come across some interesting scenes.

So…yeah. I do in fact still look at LJ, though until now I haven’t thought of posting. I suppose I should update about what I’ve been up to since April 6th. I can’t believe it’s been two months. First off, my trip was amazing. Cities visited include – London, Salisbury/Stonehenge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Paris, Rouen/Normandy, Nice/Cannes/Monaco, Rome, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Bratislava, Interlaken, Munich, London, Home. On this whirlwind tour, I managed to take over 1250 pictures. Unbelievable I know, but I’ve gone through them all and there really are that many. Some of them I really like too! As soon as I find some place to make them available, I will do so. It is nice to be home though, I must say. Friends and family seem to mean a lot more once you’ve been away for a while, at least that’s how I feel.

Secondly, I have a new apartment. I’m living in downtown Kitchener. Now before you moan and groan, I’ll tell you that it’s a fantastic place – includes all utilities which means I don’t have to worry about power (yay). I’m on the 15th floor which means I get a nice view of the city and from my balcony I can see the sunset every night, which I have to admit is quite the treat. Additionally, I’m a 10 minute walk (or 5 minute run as I found out today) to work. That definitely is a bonus because this way I’ll save on car costs.

This past weekend was my convocation so I’m now officially a graduate of the University of Waterloo. I have the diploma to prove it, so don’t be disputing my claim. It was nice seeing all of the guys from class for probably the last time in a while. We’ve had some good times in 5 years. I just hope that I keep in touch with the ones I want to keep in touch with. Only time will tell…

So I plan on posting more often now that I’m all settled in, so expect more of my face on your friends’ page. Imagine that thought, but don’t think about it too much otherwise you won’t get to sleep tonight.