Hey everyone,
Just a quick update today - consider it a prelude to a bigger update coming up early next week. I'm heading up to the Miramichi with some friends for the weekend, so I should have plenty of pictures and tales to tell all of you in blog-o-land. Before I go, here are some things to amuse yourself with.
- The Simpsons Movie is finally out, and it did not disappoint. In celebration, some of my favorite Simpsons clips, courtesy of the magic of YouTube.
(Oh Adam West, what can't you do?)
And, a few of my favorite songs to tide you over:
Spoon - "The Underdog"
Animal Collective - "Fireworks"
A shaky but awesome live clip of U2 and Arcade Fire performing "Love Will Tear Us Apart".
And that's all for now - see you soon!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
a summer wasting
So, it's been nearly a month since I last posted, and I'm pleased to report that nothing much has changed. Summer - though it technically isn't even summer yet - is ambling by surprisingly quickly, leaving in its wake a trail of long and humid days working indoors, the gentle heat of early evenings and a pleasant sense of aimlessness in everything. There have been a few attempts at writing a new post, but nothing really seems to have worked, so I just went back to square one. There are, however, some things that have been happening lately that are worth mentioning, so here goes. In point form:
-Every summer I try - or at least, try to try - something different. This summer, I'm working on an off-the-cuff musical project with four of my friends - two of whom can actually play an instrument! We're trying to craft an original album based on the things we know best - bargain DVD bins, garden gnomes, and a minivan with a giant Chinese food restaurant ad on the side called the Bamboomobile. We recently started recording, and so far it sounds like the love child of Sgt. Pepper's and The Chronic as raised by OK Computer and Master of Puppets and nourished by the tears of a thousand Cure fans. For those interested, here's the original, all covers record from 2005 (back when Chuck Norris jokes were the exciting new thing). I'm not in it (and thus free of any blame), as I wasn't around for the one-night recording session. Anyway, I'll post tracks as the new album nears completion. Sure, we may be musically challenged, but we can't be any worse than this.
-This week's most exciting development: the strange and unexpected appearance of a blender in my kitchen. This may not seem earth-shattering development to you, dear reader, but my family has, until now, never owned a blender. Thus, before I knew it, the whole hierarchy of my kitchen has changed. Grapes, bananas, kiwis and berries are no longer, delicious and juicy sources of important nutrients, but the building blocks of a delicious breakfast smoothie. These fridge dwellers are now frothily mixed with stuff from the freezer, the cupboards and, on occasion, the liquor cabinet. My normally boring and reserved kitchen is now an anarchical mess of delicious treats. If we get a waffle iron my world might explode.
- So, who else caught the Sopranos finale the other night? It seemed to be going along, building to something cathartic and horrifying and then it just
(More updates shortly)
-Every summer I try - or at least, try to try - something different. This summer, I'm working on an off-the-cuff musical project with four of my friends - two of whom can actually play an instrument! We're trying to craft an original album based on the things we know best - bargain DVD bins, garden gnomes, and a minivan with a giant Chinese food restaurant ad on the side called the Bamboomobile. We recently started recording, and so far it sounds like the love child of Sgt. Pepper's and The Chronic as raised by OK Computer and Master of Puppets and nourished by the tears of a thousand Cure fans. For those interested, here's the original, all covers record from 2005 (back when Chuck Norris jokes were the exciting new thing). I'm not in it (and thus free of any blame), as I wasn't around for the one-night recording session. Anyway, I'll post tracks as the new album nears completion. Sure, we may be musically challenged, but we can't be any worse than this.
-This week's most exciting development: the strange and unexpected appearance of a blender in my kitchen. This may not seem earth-shattering development to you, dear reader, but my family has, until now, never owned a blender. Thus, before I knew it, the whole hierarchy of my kitchen has changed. Grapes, bananas, kiwis and berries are no longer, delicious and juicy sources of important nutrients, but the building blocks of a delicious breakfast smoothie. These fridge dwellers are now frothily mixed with stuff from the freezer, the cupboards and, on occasion, the liquor cabinet. My normally boring and reserved kitchen is now an anarchical mess of delicious treats. If we get a waffle iron my world might explode.
- So, who else caught the Sopranos finale the other night? It seemed to be going along, building to something cathartic and horrifying and then it just
(More updates shortly)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
See? I can't even think of a title.
Writer's block sucks, but blogger's block is even worse. For the past few days I've been racking my brains trying to think of something to write about. Problem is, nothing of note has been happening lately. True, I did start work at the tourist bureau last week, but so far the job has consisted of answering the phone, moving boxes and pointing people who want to pay bills to the Payment Center around the corner. Not exactly Dickens, is it? I've been hanging out with some friends, but it's kinda hard to go anywhere with that. I've been walking and reading and watching TV but come on, you can do most of that right now. So what is a blogger to do?
That's where you come in. Yes, you. I know you're out there, reading this blog - otherwise I wouldn't be here. I want you to help me help you, but heading to the comment section and posting something. I don't care what it is - a word, a sentence, something you just made up, whatever - just post it and I'll use it as a starting point for a blog post. Go ahead, do it. It's simple and you can think of it as your good deed for the day. Or you can listen to me rant about what's wrong with today's young people for the rest of the summer. The choice is yours.
That's where you come in. Yes, you. I know you're out there, reading this blog - otherwise I wouldn't be here. I want you to help me help you, but heading to the comment section and posting something. I don't care what it is - a word, a sentence, something you just made up, whatever - just post it and I'll use it as a starting point for a blog post. Go ahead, do it. It's simple and you can think of it as your good deed for the day. Or you can listen to me rant about what's wrong with today's young people for the rest of the summer. The choice is yours.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
The summer wind, came blowin' in...
What a difference a month makes. 4 weeks ago tonight, I was sleepy and unshaven, gorging myself with caffeine and dreading exams. Now, I'm relaxing back at home in Saint John, chipper, beardless and enjoying the sunshine. I've got more than three months to myself. Which begs the question - what now?
After undergoing an intensive exam rehabilitation period, including a shaving, lots of naps and a caffeine detox program, I set about finding ways to waste my time. I started by finding ways to waste my time. I started with video games, of course, rotting my mind with Dead Rising (mindless zombie-killin' - yes!) and Crackdown (like Robocop, if Robocop could leap over tall buildings and throw dumpsters at people - very yes!). Next is TV - as far as new stuff goes, I'm into The Office, 30 Rock and The Sopranos, and I'm rewatching Arrested Development on DVD. Of course, I'm not just turning my brain into mush - I'm also catching up on some reading. Currently I'm in the middle of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer, and I'm planning on tackling "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy next. I also worked a temp job last week, interviewing people about motor vehicle registration. Also, I saw a squirrel one time.
If all this seems a little boring, well, it's pretty hard to convey relaxation in an exciting way. But all that will change. I'll be updating this very blog every Monday for the entire summer, so stay tuned for rants and musings about current events, exciting adventures or whatever else I can think of. 'Til then, get out and enjoy the summer (yes, I know it's still spring, but still) and I'll see you next week.
After undergoing an intensive exam rehabilitation period, including a shaving, lots of naps and a caffeine detox program, I set about finding ways to waste my time. I started by finding ways to waste my time. I started with video games, of course, rotting my mind with Dead Rising (mindless zombie-killin' - yes!) and Crackdown (like Robocop, if Robocop could leap over tall buildings and throw dumpsters at people - very yes!). Next is TV - as far as new stuff goes, I'm into The Office, 30 Rock and The Sopranos, and I'm rewatching Arrested Development on DVD. Of course, I'm not just turning my brain into mush - I'm also catching up on some reading. Currently I'm in the middle of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer, and I'm planning on tackling "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy next. I also worked a temp job last week, interviewing people about motor vehicle registration. Also, I saw a squirrel one time.
If all this seems a little boring, well, it's pretty hard to convey relaxation in an exciting way. But all that will change. I'll be updating this very blog every Monday for the entire summer, so stay tuned for rants and musings about current events, exciting adventures or whatever else I can think of. 'Til then, get out and enjoy the summer (yes, I know it's still spring, but still) and I'll see you next week.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
It's The Final Countdown (do do DO do...do do DO Do do)
As of today, there are three days of classes left. That's...50 minutes times 15, carry the 2, take the differential, triangulate the vectors...um, not much time left to go. Here's a sampling of what's going on at the end of year one:
- Back in early March, I was elected president of Bigelow House (woo), so now the student exec is planning next year's events. So if any of you high school people out there decide to come to Mount A and are placed in Bigelow...you've got quite the Frosh week ahead of you. I would highly recommend bringing old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. Also, some Silly Putty. It won't be used, its just a lot of fun to play with and I don't have any. A Slinky would also be nice.
-On Tuesday I performed in a live play reading at the Owens art gallery as an assignment for my Introduction to Drama class. I had a choice between that and an essay...which is like choosing between an adorable kitten and being run over by 1996 Toyota Camry sedan while lying on a bed of nails listening to Kenny G (I'd choose the kitten, by the way). It was great fun - the play, called The Optimists by Morwyn Brebner, was a bittersweet, funny play about two couples visiting Las Vegas. Two are about to get married, the other two are dealing with a marriage on the rocks. I got to play Chick, one of the prospective newlyweds, a guy who wants to wear sweatpants to his wedding, which meant that I got to perform unshaven and wearing sweatpants onstage. And sing a few bars of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story. And make ample use of the sailor-worthy profanity. I would like to take this opportunity to say hello to my mother. Hope you're enjoying the blog.
-Exams start the 9th. I would write more but my tears are short-circuiting my keyboard.
That's all 'til next time (which is tomorrow, what with the delay and all), but to tide you over, here are some YouTube picks that have been keeping me from doing anything valuable with my time.
300 is finally opening in Sackville tomorrow. I'd post the trailer with all the violence, gore and nudity, but some of you had to go and be under 17 and ruin the fun for everyone. Oh well...enjoy this quite hilarious PG-rated version instead.
Here's seven minutes of one-liners from David Caruso, who plays Horatio on CSI Miami. I've never been a fan, but after watching this clip, I've started wearing sunglasses, just so I can take them off and put them back on again to punctuate a sentence.
Also, in the next few days I'll be adding a few snazzy new features to the blog. I don't want to use hyperbole hear, but they'll change your life in ways you can't imagine.
- Back in early March, I was elected president of Bigelow House (woo), so now the student exec is planning next year's events. So if any of you high school people out there decide to come to Mount A and are placed in Bigelow...you've got quite the Frosh week ahead of you. I would highly recommend bringing old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. Also, some Silly Putty. It won't be used, its just a lot of fun to play with and I don't have any. A Slinky would also be nice.
-On Tuesday I performed in a live play reading at the Owens art gallery as an assignment for my Introduction to Drama class. I had a choice between that and an essay...which is like choosing between an adorable kitten and being run over by 1996 Toyota Camry sedan while lying on a bed of nails listening to Kenny G (I'd choose the kitten, by the way). It was great fun - the play, called The Optimists by Morwyn Brebner, was a bittersweet, funny play about two couples visiting Las Vegas. Two are about to get married, the other two are dealing with a marriage on the rocks. I got to play Chick, one of the prospective newlyweds, a guy who wants to wear sweatpants to his wedding, which meant that I got to perform unshaven and wearing sweatpants onstage. And sing a few bars of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story. And make ample use of the sailor-worthy profanity. I would like to take this opportunity to say hello to my mother. Hope you're enjoying the blog.
-Exams start the 9th. I would write more but my tears are short-circuiting my keyboard.
That's all 'til next time (which is tomorrow, what with the delay and all), but to tide you over, here are some YouTube picks that have been keeping me from doing anything valuable with my time.
300 is finally opening in Sackville tomorrow. I'd post the trailer with all the violence, gore and nudity, but some of you had to go and be under 17 and ruin the fun for everyone. Oh well...enjoy this quite hilarious PG-rated version instead.
Here's seven minutes of one-liners from David Caruso, who plays Horatio on CSI Miami. I've never been a fan, but after watching this clip, I've started wearing sunglasses, just so I can take them off and put them back on again to punctuate a sentence.
Also, in the next few days I'll be adding a few snazzy new features to the blog. I don't want to use hyperbole hear, but they'll change your life in ways you can't imagine.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
A Slight Delay!
Well, the title pretty much says it all...the latest post will be up tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, everyone.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Here Comes the Sun, and Copious Amounts of Rock and/or Roll.
At last, at long glorious last, spring has arrived in Sackville. Today is easily the warmest, sunniest day of the year thus far: people are out playing hacky sack outside, while others are walking through the waterfowl park in shorts or biking through the quad. It's like a recruitment brochure come to life.
It's certainly a far cry from last night's rain and at 40-5o km/h winds, which I had to walk through twice. You see, I turned 19 on Wednesday, so the bars of Sackville are now officially my playground. My boozy, licensed playground. I decided to celebrate by taking one of the biggest concerts to hit George's Roadhouse this year - Constantines, with opening acts Jon-Rae and the River and local heroes Shotgun and Jaybird. I went down to George's in the middle of a windstorm that was ripping branches from trees and pulling sheet metal from roofs. I arrived, showed them my ID which had just been done that morning (the photo on which makes me look quite, ahem, chemically enhanced), and I got in. Shotgun and Jaybird hadn't gone on yet, so I had a glass of Clancy's and chatted with some friends. That's when the music started. Suffice to say, the show was awesome, lasting until around quarter to 2. I'm working on a full review for the Argosy, but for now I'll give you a taste of the rock through the magic of YouTube.
Here's a clip of Constantines performing "Hotline Operator" in 2005. I couldn't find a clip of my favorite song, "On to You," but you can get it here (click to listen, right click and hit 'save target as' to download - don't worry, it's legit).
Here's Jon-Rae and the River, performing in Toronto during a January snowfall. Watch for people on stilts.
One of my favorite moments of the night was when Jon-Rae and the River played a great cover of The Replacements' glorious "Bastards of Young" at the end of their set. If you've never heard it before, check the music video here:
And finally, here's Sackville's Shotgun and Jaybird during the PEI leg of this tour. The song is "Two and Two is Four".
So that was the show. Tonight I'm going to check out Jazz at Jennings, a jazz band concert at our dining hall. Aside from playing the usual jazz standards, there will also be covers of the Beatles, Billy Joel and Bjork (!). As for the rest of the weekend, I'll be rehearsing for a live play reading and getting ready for the end of the year. Hope you have a good weekend, and I'll see you Wednesday.
It's certainly a far cry from last night's rain and at 40-5o km/h winds, which I had to walk through twice. You see, I turned 19 on Wednesday, so the bars of Sackville are now officially my playground. My boozy, licensed playground. I decided to celebrate by taking one of the biggest concerts to hit George's Roadhouse this year - Constantines, with opening acts Jon-Rae and the River and local heroes Shotgun and Jaybird. I went down to George's in the middle of a windstorm that was ripping branches from trees and pulling sheet metal from roofs. I arrived, showed them my ID which had just been done that morning (the photo on which makes me look quite, ahem, chemically enhanced), and I got in. Shotgun and Jaybird hadn't gone on yet, so I had a glass of Clancy's and chatted with some friends. That's when the music started. Suffice to say, the show was awesome, lasting until around quarter to 2. I'm working on a full review for the Argosy, but for now I'll give you a taste of the rock through the magic of YouTube.
Here's a clip of Constantines performing "Hotline Operator" in 2005. I couldn't find a clip of my favorite song, "On to You," but you can get it here (click to listen, right click and hit 'save target as' to download - don't worry, it's legit).
Here's Jon-Rae and the River, performing in Toronto during a January snowfall. Watch for people on stilts.
One of my favorite moments of the night was when Jon-Rae and the River played a great cover of The Replacements' glorious "Bastards of Young" at the end of their set. If you've never heard it before, check the music video here:
And finally, here's Sackville's Shotgun and Jaybird during the PEI leg of this tour. The song is "Two and Two is Four".
So that was the show. Tonight I'm going to check out Jazz at Jennings, a jazz band concert at our dining hall. Aside from playing the usual jazz standards, there will also be covers of the Beatles, Billy Joel and Bjork (!). As for the rest of the weekend, I'll be rehearsing for a live play reading and getting ready for the end of the year. Hope you have a good weekend, and I'll see you Wednesday.
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