Actually, Jack, I was going to do the same with my album review. Unfortunately I haven't started it yet. I'll do it tomorrow. Right now I have too much homework that I should be doing. As for the random facts, I think between you and me, we have enough random knowledge to fill the entire school paper. We could definitely have enough for each issue. I'll post mine at the bottom of this post. Mine are extremely random, and have little to do with anything.
Anyways, I have very little to say today. Basically I felt the urge to blog, but I think it was a natural reaction to the thought, "Crap, I have homework to do for tomorrow." I have a physics assignment due, which is alright. I really didn't understand the Displacement stuff, but now that we're graphing vectors it seems easier. The assignment has something to do with bottle rockets.
I also have two monologues to memorize. Basically this means reading them 500 times each by the time I go to sleep. One I have almost fully memorized, but the other I only got on Friday. It's for my audition for A Christmas Carol. While I'm not prepared, I'm still looking forward to it.
On another school- related note, Jack mentioned that Reach would be starting up either this week or next. Unfortunately we're only doing one practice per week this year, but it should prove to be fun. This is the year that the Rawrdvarks will be reunited. I just hope the practices are on Tuesday or Thursday again, or I won't be able to make it...
Actually, talking about the Rawrdvarks reminds me of Mr. Sandor... God I nearly forgot about him! Funny guy, if you weren't on his bad side. That was a good year. Too bad he had to leave.
Alright I'm done procrastinating, and rambling. I'll probably have another post tomorrow of the album review I'm doing. I decided on Hot Hot Heat, because the Fiction Plane CD isn't out in North America yet. Thank you file sharing.
Till next time, when I'm done being lazy.
~V
PS i'm still going to buy the album when it comes out... So don't judge me!
PPS: RANDOM FACTS
Ants always fall on their right side when intoxicated
The White House has 35 bathrooms
The modern system of Mass Production was 'invented' by Eli Whitney
The dot over the letter i is called a tittle
In Cleveland, you cannot catch mice without a hunting license.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Let the Rain
Reviews seem like a good idea, V. I'm going to take that idea and do an album review: *
Kaleidoscope Heart is Sara Bareilles sophomore album, and within a week of its release on September 7 it was #1 on Billboard’s Top 200- with good reason. It’s full of a wide range of music; songs that make you laugh, make you cry, or make you want to dance. Though Bareilles stayed faithful to the piano-centric pop rock of her previous work, it’s definitely not a repeat of what’s she’s already done.
The CD begins with Uncharted, a feisty ballad that you just have to tap your foot along to. Keeping the up tempo going, Gonna Get Over You is a breakup song that isn’t remotely sad. The philosophical lyrics are wrapped up in sugary sweet melodies, which shouldn’t work but really does. The next track, King Of Anything, was the first single released from Kaleidoscope Heart. Much like her first hit, Love Song, she pairs an upbeat tune with sharply clever lyrics: “Who cares if you disagree? You are not me, who died and made you king of anything?”
Not all the album is straight pop though; there are a few slower tunes that really showcase her amazing voice. Hold My Heart, The Light, Breathe Again, and Bluebird all display Bareilles’ fantastic vocals to their full potential. When given the chance in more emotional songs, she really pours out her feelings with such strength- in Breathe Again, her voice is so sad it sounds like she’s physically wounded.
The other few songs on Kaleidoscope Heart are just plain fun. Basket Case is full of casual strumming and simple lyrics: it sounds like something you’d hear around a campfire. Machine Gun is not a serious piece of art, but it’s playful and Bareilles’ vocal performance is mind-blowing.
That leaves Let The Rain. This was my personal favourite from the album, and I can’t sit still while listening to it. With an infectious beat and perky melody, it gets into your head and stays there.
It’s hard to get overall impressions of the album as a whole: you can’t say that it’s all sweet sugar pop, but you can’t say that it’s a profound piano record. The best I could do would be to take each song as it comes: you’ll like at least one of the tracks on Kaleidoscope Heart, and probably more. If you’re like me, you’ll like pretty much all of them.
Hmmm, this doesn't seem like a very interesting post. Maybe I should add some random facts! But happy, cheery, uplifting facts. prepare to be awesome-ified.
In the last 100 years, the human lifespan has increased by over 35 years. 100 years ago the average lifespan was only 45 years. Now it's almost 80. And that number is increasing every year. If it keeps increasing at that same rate, the average lifespan of a child born in 2008 will be 98 years old.
Teen pregnancy, smoke and drug use have all decreased significantly since the 1990s
Rates of cancer have decreased steadily in the U.S. for 20 years and it's not just because people aren't smoking as much, though that's certainly part of it. It's also because new screening techniques that can detect pre-cancerous lesions in the colon and also because of the HPV vaccine which prevents the virus that causes cervical cancer.
Small Pox once killed millions of people per year, now it has been completely eradicated. It literally does not exist anymore.
Since 1990, global poverty rates have decreased by more than 30%. And they're on-track to have decreased 40% by 2015.
Divorce rates are much lower than people assume, and have consistently dropped since the 1970's in America. Only 20% of people who got married in the 1980s got divorced.
Violent crime rates dropped 5% between 2007 and 2008. And violent crime rates have been dropping consistently every year since 1993
The Red Cross collects 15 million blood donations per year. No one is compensated for those donations, except with cookies and juice. People just like helping other people.
In 1970 there were only 400 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles left in America, but the Endangered Species Act effecively saved the species. There are now more than 10,000 breeding pairs. During the same time Whooping Cranes returned from a much more serious 50 birds total in the entire world. There are now over 500.
What's red and smells like blue paint.
Red paint.
YOU LAUGHED! When you're laughingyou burn 20% more calories than you do at a resting state. So make sure you laugh as often as possible.
Teen pregnancy, smoke and drug use have all decreased significantly since the 1990s
Rates of cancer have decreased steadily in the U.S. for 20 years and it's not just because people aren't smoking as much, though that's certainly part of it. It's also because new screening techniques that can detect pre-cancerous lesions in the colon and also because of the HPV vaccine which prevents the virus that causes cervical cancer.
Small Pox once killed millions of people per year, now it has been completely eradicated. It literally does not exist anymore.
Since 1990, global poverty rates have decreased by more than 30%. And they're on-track to have decreased 40% by 2015.
Divorce rates are much lower than people assume, and have consistently dropped since the 1970's in America. Only 20% of people who got married in the 1980s got divorced.
Violent crime rates dropped 5% between 2007 and 2008. And violent crime rates have been dropping consistently every year since 1993
The Red Cross collects 15 million blood donations per year. No one is compensated for those donations, except with cookies and juice. People just like helping other people.
In 1970 there were only 400 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles left in America, but the Endangered Species Act effecively saved the species. There are now more than 10,000 breeding pairs. During the same time Whooping Cranes returned from a much more serious 50 birds total in the entire world. There are now over 500.
What's red and smells like blue paint.
Red paint.
YOU LAUGHED! When you're laughingyou burn 20% more calories than you do at a resting state. So make sure you laugh as often as possible.
*P.S. I totally just used my school newspaper article and copy+pasted it here. Rebellious.
Friday, September 10, 2010
A book review? If it can be called that.
So, readers, today I finished a book. It was an addicting book (I read it in around 5 hours...), titled The Hunger Games. I just want to say this. IT WAS FANTASTIC.
I'm sure you've heard of the post-apocalyptic North Anerica scenario before. It's in Avatars by Tui Sutherland (book series), it's mentioned in V for Vendetta, and it's in other books/movies/comics that I can't remember righ now.
But this one is completely different. Now in this post apocalyptic world, a government has formed a sort of conglomeration of 13 districts and the Capitol. Each district has a different product. For example, District 12 mines coal, and District 8 produces agriculture.
Now, at this point I bet that you're expecting the story about a bloody revolution in which the Capitol falls. WRONG. The revolution has already been attempted, and failed, resulting in the 'celebration' of The Hunger Games. Basically, each year, one boy and one girl are chosen at random from each district to be thrown into an arena and duel to the death. Last person standing wins. The contestants can be between the ages of 12 and 18.
*In addition to the games, District 13 was decimated as a result of the revolution.
The story follows a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen, who has learned from her father how to hunt and kill illegally. Her father died in a mining accident, and so she was forced to take over as head of the family. By hunting both by herself and with her friend Gale, Katniss unknowingly prepared herself for... (Wait for the terrible cliche that happens in every book...) ...The toughest thing she's ever faced in her life. When put that way, it sounds terrible. But when you consider that she volunteered for the games to save her sister's life, the story becomes much more heartwarming. While the ending of the book may be predictable (she's the narrator; she can't die or the story ends), it has its own plot twists that have serious impacts on the story. But the ultimate ending is pretty much predetermined.
Obviously Katniss wins (Sorta). It's all the things that happen along the way that make the story interesting.
No details, read it for yourself. I recommend it, Jack does too, so if anyone sees this, READ THIS BOOK. Or... I dunno, I don't have any good threats.
~V
I'm sure you've heard of the post-apocalyptic North Anerica scenario before. It's in Avatars by Tui Sutherland (book series), it's mentioned in V for Vendetta, and it's in other books/movies/comics that I can't remember righ now.
But this one is completely different. Now in this post apocalyptic world, a government has formed a sort of conglomeration of 13 districts and the Capitol. Each district has a different product. For example, District 12 mines coal, and District 8 produces agriculture.
Now, at this point I bet that you're expecting the story about a bloody revolution in which the Capitol falls. WRONG. The revolution has already been attempted, and failed, resulting in the 'celebration' of The Hunger Games. Basically, each year, one boy and one girl are chosen at random from each district to be thrown into an arena and duel to the death. Last person standing wins. The contestants can be between the ages of 12 and 18.
*In addition to the games, District 13 was decimated as a result of the revolution.
The story follows a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen, who has learned from her father how to hunt and kill illegally. Her father died in a mining accident, and so she was forced to take over as head of the family. By hunting both by herself and with her friend Gale, Katniss unknowingly prepared herself for... (Wait for the terrible cliche that happens in every book...) ...The toughest thing she's ever faced in her life. When put that way, it sounds terrible. But when you consider that she volunteered for the games to save her sister's life, the story becomes much more heartwarming. While the ending of the book may be predictable (she's the narrator; she can't die or the story ends), it has its own plot twists that have serious impacts on the story. But the ultimate ending is pretty much predetermined.
Obviously Katniss wins (Sorta). It's all the things that happen along the way that make the story interesting.
No details, read it for yourself. I recommend it, Jack does too, so if anyone sees this, READ THIS BOOK. Or... I dunno, I don't have any good threats.
~V
Friday, September 3, 2010
Scream Factor
Thank you pavel, for that kick in the pants. I wasn't really paying attention to nano- I was following so many other blogs through august for BEDA (Blog Everyday In August/April) that I hadn't noticed how spectacularly we were failing at it ourselves. No worries, I'm back now and hopefully will be posting more often.
Yes, courses are in. I've already been in to guidance to change up my schedule, and it's posted online anyways, so I know what' I've got;
Calculus, French, Physics, lunch C, Chemistry. And I do not have ms naylor for chemistry. This bothers me. I suppose Muvrin will be alright? I'm really not too concerned about it. Did you know she's engaged pavel? To Mr Mikitzel!
I'm also excited about the first day of school- chiefly because I'm a nerd who enjoys school and LOVES having calculus as my first class- but also because I'm helping out the new grade 9s with orientation. Ah, the perks of being a prefect. We went to a camp in peterborough (don't ask why we decided a 3hr trip made sense, because it DOESN'T) to learn leadership skills, icebreakers, games we could play with them.
I've spent most of today planning for next tuesday and- wait. that's not true.
Most of today I spent trying to fix my house's sump pump. You see, I love when it rains. And apparently the rain loves me too. because it did NOT STOP POURING for 3 hours at my house. That's not really a problem, unless the power goes out. Which it did, because a tree fell on the power wires. But even then, our sump pump has a battery backup. So everything is fine. Oh wait, NO IT IS NOT. The battery was dead, the pump was not working, and the water level in our well was rising far too quickly for my liking. By a quirk of the construction, or perhaps just by irony, once our well overflows it goes right into our basement.
Our basement already flooded in a torrential downpour a couple years ago, and it was not fun. We ended up replacing all the carpet. There is absolutely nothing in me that wants to go through that again.
Thankfully, our neighbours have a backup generator and were generous enough to let me run an extension cord over to their house to power our sump pump. Crisis averted. But it still makes for a good story!
So. After that debacle. And after the rain stopped. I went outside to take account of the materials at my house that might suit for whatever we had planned with the grade 9s. It shames me to say that there is nothing at my house that might work. We don't have any pool toys anymore, any sports equipment we might have had is either flat, broken, or missing, and I don't think the school would appreciate me bringing my bow and arrow.
Oh, I just checked my email and found a list of ideas from Ms Giardina (the prefect teacher). Thank time lord. In any case, we could always play Scream Factor!
For those of you that don't know it (which included me up to last tuesday) it's a really easy game that doesn't involve any equipment. You need a group of about eight, at least. it has to be a number divisible by 4. You take half the group and make one circle, then take the other half and make another circle. Everyone stands shoulder to shoulder and looks down at their feet. The leader counts down 3, 2, 1, and everyone looks up at someone else in the circle. If the person you looked at is looking back at you, you both scream at the top of your lungs and run over to the other circle. Repeat.
It might not be the most exciting description, but I swear to god it's SO MUCH FUN. And with people who don't know each other, it's a good ice breaker. I challenge you to scream in a stranger's face while they scream at you without at least smiling. Impossible.
Well I'd better stop writing before I exhaust all my creativity and don't post again for a month. I'll save some of it for next time. bye nano!
~WishIhadacooloutro
Addendum: If you haven't yet, check out the Triple Rainbow Awesome tour! They're going to be in Toronto end of october! if you like nerd rock of any kind, you should GO!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Live The Life You're Dreaming Of.
Woah, I haven't blogged in a while. Neither has Jack. And God knows how long it's been since Sasha posted on here... In fairness, it is the summertime (Though not for long). He's probably been doing other things, and so have I. And as for Sasha, I have no clue. I remember hearing that she went to Alaska, and then to someone's cottage. I think she's back now.
Anyways, I had band practice recently, I went to a trailer last week, and had DriveWise school this week. Overlapping with DriveWise was my job training.Busy schedule, but I absolutely LOVE my job. We've had timbits for the past two days, I get to take out DVDs and CDs after work, and I work with books!! It's absolutely brilliant! My next shift is this Wednesday, after school has started. It's my first night shift too.
Then, as I mentioned, there's school starting soon. And courses are in! Readers, you remember I took summerschool, right? That means my courses aren't set in stone yet; I have to switch English out for an elective. Photography, methinks. It runs in the family. My grandma says she still has my grandpa's 35mm camera that I can borrow. Shweet. I also have leisure gym. Get out your bowling balls and golf clubs! I'm kinda excited for it. It's gym class without the jocks and the intense physical activity. Well, I kinda like the running, but the jocks I can live without. Then there's drama. Yay! One of my favs. Right now I have it 1st period 1st semester. I honestly hope it stays that way. That would be a GREAT way to start my day.
Also, I took Chemistry. No surprise, but I really really REALLY hope I get Ms. Naylor. I don't know yet because the teachers aren't posted on the website, but I'll be disappointed if I don't get her.
Speaking of Ms. Naylor, Reach will start up again aswell. This year will be the Rawrdvark's reunion. I know I am excited. I'm sure Jack and Leah are aswell. And so is Suzi. I saw her today at Fortinos with James, and we talked about reach for a while. The only downside is that Ms. Naylor is staying with the grade 9's and 10's.
Well, I got distracted and forgot where I was... I guess that will suffice for now.
I'll try and get back to this more often now that the summer's done.
~V
P.S. The title is a song by Sloan. Picked at random. If you don't know them, look them up, they're fantastic.
Anyways, I had band practice recently, I went to a trailer last week, and had DriveWise school this week. Overlapping with DriveWise was my job training.Busy schedule, but I absolutely LOVE my job. We've had timbits for the past two days, I get to take out DVDs and CDs after work, and I work with books!! It's absolutely brilliant! My next shift is this Wednesday, after school has started. It's my first night shift too.
Then, as I mentioned, there's school starting soon. And courses are in! Readers, you remember I took summerschool, right? That means my courses aren't set in stone yet; I have to switch English out for an elective. Photography, methinks. It runs in the family. My grandma says she still has my grandpa's 35mm camera that I can borrow. Shweet. I also have leisure gym. Get out your bowling balls and golf clubs! I'm kinda excited for it. It's gym class without the jocks and the intense physical activity. Well, I kinda like the running, but the jocks I can live without. Then there's drama. Yay! One of my favs. Right now I have it 1st period 1st semester. I honestly hope it stays that way. That would be a GREAT way to start my day.
Also, I took Chemistry. No surprise, but I really really REALLY hope I get Ms. Naylor. I don't know yet because the teachers aren't posted on the website, but I'll be disappointed if I don't get her.
Speaking of Ms. Naylor, Reach will start up again aswell. This year will be the Rawrdvark's reunion. I know I am excited. I'm sure Jack and Leah are aswell. And so is Suzi. I saw her today at Fortinos with James, and we talked about reach for a while. The only downside is that Ms. Naylor is staying with the grade 9's and 10's.
Well, I got distracted and forgot where I was... I guess that will suffice for now.
I'll try and get back to this more often now that the summer's done.
~V
P.S. The title is a song by Sloan. Picked at random. If you don't know them, look them up, they're fantastic.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Great And Almighty 100th post
Well, I dunno about the post being great. But today was a great day for me. I got my first real job, and I'm uber excited, because the library is apparently a really hard place to get a job at. While I don't know when I start, they said that training is this Thursday. Short notice, eh? Oh well. At least I can make it on Thursday.
But this leaves so many questions. What will the hours be like? Who else got hired? Who works there already? Why is there a gamecube in the middle of the living room floor? And who was playing Paper Mario?
Jack can answer a few of those questions, and I'm sure my brothers can answer the last two. Still, it would be nice to know.
Bottom line, I'm happy with the job, and I have a source of income. This means no nagging from my parents.
Anyways, readers, I've been reading up on The Beatles a lot recently. Sure I've liked their songs, but never really knew much about them. I suppose it was the Beatles Rockband that started me on the subject. I was playing through Revolver in Career mode. Great album, by the way. Taxman is brilliant. I absolutely love the Rockband version of Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows. Very... trippy. But also relaxing. My friend described the game as 'one massive drug trip' though I'm not sure that's accurate for their earlier stuff. Their earliest stuff was very pop-ish. Alright, but not great. My favourite early Beatles song is I Saw Her Standing There. Around 1965-66, they changed their style. I gotta say, with albums like Sgt. Pepper and Revolver, they really improved and got more sophisticated. While drugs had major influence on it, you can't deny it was good music. After 1966 they didn't tour again. They didn't need the money, and their music was getting too hard to play live anyways. They continued recording until 1971, and released their final album Let It Be. After that, they split up. If it came down to it, they could have gone on for so much longer. Made more music. But the truth was that their fame was one factor on their end; a reason they didn't tour was that the crowds never stopped shouting, and they couldn't even play well over the cheers of the crowds.
I gotta go walk the dog. Sorry for the abrupt ending, readers. I might add more when I get back.
~V
But this leaves so many questions. What will the hours be like? Who else got hired? Who works there already? Why is there a gamecube in the middle of the living room floor? And who was playing Paper Mario?
Jack can answer a few of those questions, and I'm sure my brothers can answer the last two. Still, it would be nice to know.
Bottom line, I'm happy with the job, and I have a source of income. This means no nagging from my parents.
Anyways, readers, I've been reading up on The Beatles a lot recently. Sure I've liked their songs, but never really knew much about them. I suppose it was the Beatles Rockband that started me on the subject. I was playing through Revolver in Career mode. Great album, by the way. Taxman is brilliant. I absolutely love the Rockband version of Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows. Very... trippy. But also relaxing. My friend described the game as 'one massive drug trip' though I'm not sure that's accurate for their earlier stuff. Their earliest stuff was very pop-ish. Alright, but not great. My favourite early Beatles song is I Saw Her Standing There. Around 1965-66, they changed their style. I gotta say, with albums like Sgt. Pepper and Revolver, they really improved and got more sophisticated. While drugs had major influence on it, you can't deny it was good music. After 1966 they didn't tour again. They didn't need the money, and their music was getting too hard to play live anyways. They continued recording until 1971, and released their final album Let It Be. After that, they split up. If it came down to it, they could have gone on for so much longer. Made more music. But the truth was that their fame was one factor on their end; a reason they didn't tour was that the crowds never stopped shouting, and they couldn't even play well over the cheers of the crowds.
I gotta go walk the dog. Sorry for the abrupt ending, readers. I might add more when I get back.
~V
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Life's A Blur/Tomorrow Never Knows
So, as strange as it may sound, I'm getting nostalgic. It's been 3 months since the move to my new house, and I find myself passing by my old house more and more. My excuse is to go to the library. Sure I pick up a few CDs, but the real reason is to see my old house and possibly some old friends.
Though today I did have a purpose to go. I had to ask about the job. When I had the interview, they said they'd call in 2 or 3 weeks. It's been 5. When I went up, I picked out a few CDs, like I always do (I got Radiohead, The Beatles, Coldplay, and a band called The Subways to try), and went and asked about the job afterwards. The lady at the desk said that the person coordinating the page jobs has been on holiday for the past few weeks. How convenient.
Nyeh, I could always work at Food Basics or something that's closer. But in truth, I really want to get the job at the library. I mean, a giant room filled with books, computers and CDs is where I'd like to work. Not forever, but just for now at least. Plus it looks good on a resume. Or so I'm told.
In other news, I've been disconnected from my groups of friends for a while now. I missed Brad's party almost two weeks ago, and I couldn't even go hiking with Jack, Brad, Erika, and others today. It's rather depressing. In fact, I don't think I've seen any of them since the Metric concert. That is indeed depressing.
I'm definitely coming next time. Rain, shine, sleet, snow.
So, readers, I've recently taken interest in photography. The only problem is that I don't know what to take pictures of. I need some nice scenery, and my favourite place so far is a set of abandoned buildings. They're great. Just gotta watch for rats and such. So if you see any abandoned buildings, tell me. I'd love to explore and document.
Or if you'd like to tag along, you're welcome to. These places are great fun for me and a few friends to explore.
Well, readers, I tire. And I'm helping out at camp CAMP tomorrow, as I'm told it's called. Seeing another friend I haven't hung out with in a LONG time. Not since May-ish. It should prove to be interesting.
In conclusion, Broken Social Scene is awesome, look them up.
I know that had nothing to do with anything, but it's true. Emily Hanes was guest vocals on a song a few albums back. Told you they were awesome.
~V
P.S. I can't say I'm enjoying The Subways. Or Radiohead, really.
Though today I did have a purpose to go. I had to ask about the job. When I had the interview, they said they'd call in 2 or 3 weeks. It's been 5. When I went up, I picked out a few CDs, like I always do (I got Radiohead, The Beatles, Coldplay, and a band called The Subways to try), and went and asked about the job afterwards. The lady at the desk said that the person coordinating the page jobs has been on holiday for the past few weeks. How convenient.
Nyeh, I could always work at Food Basics or something that's closer. But in truth, I really want to get the job at the library. I mean, a giant room filled with books, computers and CDs is where I'd like to work. Not forever, but just for now at least. Plus it looks good on a resume. Or so I'm told.
In other news, I've been disconnected from my groups of friends for a while now. I missed Brad's party almost two weeks ago, and I couldn't even go hiking with Jack, Brad, Erika, and others today. It's rather depressing. In fact, I don't think I've seen any of them since the Metric concert. That is indeed depressing.
I'm definitely coming next time. Rain, shine, sleet, snow.
So, readers, I've recently taken interest in photography. The only problem is that I don't know what to take pictures of. I need some nice scenery, and my favourite place so far is a set of abandoned buildings. They're great. Just gotta watch for rats and such. So if you see any abandoned buildings, tell me. I'd love to explore and document.
Or if you'd like to tag along, you're welcome to. These places are great fun for me and a few friends to explore.
Well, readers, I tire. And I'm helping out at camp CAMP tomorrow, as I'm told it's called. Seeing another friend I haven't hung out with in a LONG time. Not since May-ish. It should prove to be interesting.
In conclusion, Broken Social Scene is awesome, look them up.
I know that had nothing to do with anything, but it's true. Emily Hanes was guest vocals on a song a few albums back. Told you they were awesome.
~V
P.S. I can't say I'm enjoying The Subways. Or Radiohead, really.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The High Road
Broken bells is stuck in my head. The song is called The High Road, hence the name of this blog.
So it's been two days since I got back from the cottage, and I have a tendency to stay up later than I should still. However, this post will have a purpose. And it won't be completed so lackadaisically like the last one. Sorry about that.
So this weekend was Hamilton's Festival of Friends. To close off the final day of the festival, which has been running for 35 years now, the city arranged for a few great bands to play. Of course, when there's great music I'm there.
Starting the lineup, at 6:30 sharp, was A Flock Of Seagulls. I saw AFOS once before in a bowling alley last year, and their great sound hasn't changed a bit. They had hits in the '80s with Space Age Love Song, Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You), and their most popular and pretentious song, I Ran. However, my personal favourites remain as Telecommunication and DNA. They played all of the above, except for DNA. In addition to their hits, the band played two new songs, which are to be on their new album (their first studio album in about 20 years), called Naked, and a song that sounded like the chorus went 'T-Bone and Chicken.' In reality, the song is called She Won't Let You Go. Don't ask me how you get T-bone and Chicken from that...
Anyways, up next was early goth artist Peter Murphy, previously of the band Bauhaus. Let me say, he was quite the performer. Quirky, dark, and fun all at the same time. The only thing I didn't like about that show were all the annoying goth people crowding around. They were horrible at dancing, if it can be called that.
Now onto the main event: a band called Squeeze. No doubt you've heard their song Cool For Cats if you've played Rockband. It's a great and fun song. I didn't know any of their other songs, but they put on a great show. The lead singer had a high voice, and great guitar skills. During around 75% of the songs, he broke out into full jazz solos. EPIC!!! The bassist was quite funny, dancing around stage with a suit on and a pair of goggles on his forehead. NOTE: The goggles were epic, and I want some. The rhythm guitarist, who seemed shy, had a striking ressemblance to Mike Meyers. He sang for a few songs, and has a much deeper voice than the lead singer. The drummer, on the other hand, looked like a shaved, bald version of Adam Savage from Mythbusters. He was quirky too, and went around stage clanging his drumstick on an empty wine bottle for one song. He seemed to enjoy himself, probably because he drank the bottle beforehand...
However, my favourite person in the band was the pianist. Absolutely hilarious. And talented. At the beginning, he seemed like an average guy; around 5'10, short hair, glasses, late 20's. But is he ever great at the piano! Never before have I seen someone play a piano solo that well. The man was born to play. And to make things even more epic, he took out an iPad for one song, and played a piano app through a speaker. Never before have I seen such a good use of a piano app. It was mind boggling. To make things even stranger, he bore an uncanny ressemblance to my grandpa, only 30 years younger.
Overall, the night was absolutely amazing. Except for the fact that my gum hurts and I'm still thirsty. I think I can fix one of those two problems right now...
Mmm, grape flavour. I'll get back to you on a later date, Nano. Right now I'm feeling a little tired.
EDIT:: I figured out how to use hyperlinks! Yay! Be proud of me!
Over and out,
~V
So it's been two days since I got back from the cottage, and I have a tendency to stay up later than I should still. However, this post will have a purpose. And it won't be completed so lackadaisically like the last one. Sorry about that.
So this weekend was Hamilton's Festival of Friends. To close off the final day of the festival, which has been running for 35 years now, the city arranged for a few great bands to play. Of course, when there's great music I'm there.
Starting the lineup, at 6:30 sharp, was A Flock Of Seagulls. I saw AFOS once before in a bowling alley last year, and their great sound hasn't changed a bit. They had hits in the '80s with Space Age Love Song, Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You), and their most popular and pretentious song, I Ran. However, my personal favourites remain as Telecommunication and DNA. They played all of the above, except for DNA. In addition to their hits, the band played two new songs, which are to be on their new album (their first studio album in about 20 years), called Naked, and a song that sounded like the chorus went 'T-Bone and Chicken.' In reality, the song is called She Won't Let You Go. Don't ask me how you get T-bone and Chicken from that...
Anyways, up next was early goth artist Peter Murphy, previously of the band Bauhaus. Let me say, he was quite the performer. Quirky, dark, and fun all at the same time. The only thing I didn't like about that show were all the annoying goth people crowding around. They were horrible at dancing, if it can be called that.
Now onto the main event: a band called Squeeze. No doubt you've heard their song Cool For Cats if you've played Rockband. It's a great and fun song. I didn't know any of their other songs, but they put on a great show. The lead singer had a high voice, and great guitar skills. During around 75% of the songs, he broke out into full jazz solos. EPIC!!! The bassist was quite funny, dancing around stage with a suit on and a pair of goggles on his forehead. NOTE: The goggles were epic, and I want some. The rhythm guitarist, who seemed shy, had a striking ressemblance to Mike Meyers. He sang for a few songs, and has a much deeper voice than the lead singer. The drummer, on the other hand, looked like a shaved, bald version of Adam Savage from Mythbusters. He was quirky too, and went around stage clanging his drumstick on an empty wine bottle for one song. He seemed to enjoy himself, probably because he drank the bottle beforehand...
However, my favourite person in the band was the pianist. Absolutely hilarious. And talented. At the beginning, he seemed like an average guy; around 5'10, short hair, glasses, late 20's. But is he ever great at the piano! Never before have I seen someone play a piano solo that well. The man was born to play. And to make things even more epic, he took out an iPad for one song, and played a piano app through a speaker. Never before have I seen such a good use of a piano app. It was mind boggling. To make things even stranger, he bore an uncanny ressemblance to my grandpa, only 30 years younger.
Overall, the night was absolutely amazing. Except for the fact that my gum hurts and I'm still thirsty. I think I can fix one of those two problems right now...
Mmm, grape flavour. I'll get back to you on a later date, Nano. Right now I'm feeling a little tired.
EDIT:: I figured out how to use hyperlinks! Yay! Be proud of me!
Over and out,
~V
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Cottage Experience
Question - Is it a flock of porcupines? Flock doesn't seem right... flock sounds like its for a bird. Well, usually, it is.
Sorry, random question. My dad brought it up.
Anyways, as hard as it may be to believe, I have never stayed at a cottage before. I camped (10 years ago) and went to a trailor (2 years ago), but never have I stayed at a cottage. I'll try to summarize the best bits of it. This may be a long blog.
Day 1
My experience started on a bad note. I got a haircut, hated it, was rushed through lunch, and was greeted by blasting metal music when my friends van came to pick me up. It was a long drive. Sure, we had some good bands like Triumph, Journey, and Coldplay, but overall the music was bad.
We arrived, and played risk. For some reason I just wasn't in the mood for it. During the risk game we found the epic deer hat. See facebook for picture.We went to bed right after.
Day 2
We tried tubing. It was so much fun! we went until the boat was almost out of gas, then played monopoly. We didn't make it through a full game, and ended up starting a file on Super Mario Sunshine. We got 30 shinesprites on that one day.
Days 3 - 6:
The rest of the week went by as a blur. We tubed, played monopoly, played mario, ate lots of snack food, went swimming, and slept. My friend Cam and I canoed around the lake on the 6th evening.
Day 7
Day 7 was more interesting than the rest of the week. I woke up with a sunburn, we beat Super Mario Sunshine, and started playing Super Mario Strikers. We went tubing again, but this time two people collided and flew off the tubes. It was fun to watch. At dinner, we had a surprise visit from my friend's uncle, who owns the cabin next door. My friends mom went over to offer him some dinner, only to find out it wa him and his girlfriend. That was a riot. My friend joked with his mom, "You should tell her he's unemployed!"
The same night, we went out into the woods and played a stealth game called excalibur. A lantern is put in the woods, and the players have to run and touch the lantern without being seen by the person guarding it. I won the first round, caught everyone the second, and then we stopped during the next game. It was getting too late.
Day 8
We cleaned the cabin in the morning. My sunburn had started to heal, and we left the cottage around 3 pm. we stopped at Webers and The Candy Shoppe, and I got bags of lego candy. I'm eating it right now. anyways, we got home around 8:30, at which time I discovered my ipod was dead. Not just battery, but my entire ipod. Dead, erased, no way of restoring it. Basically, I lost all my music, and my ipod.
I'm not really sure what the point of this blog was. I think it had one at the start, but I'm still tired, readers. And so I leave you with this advice: Never let your friends use your ipod. It doesn't end well.
~V
Sorry, random question. My dad brought it up.
Anyways, as hard as it may be to believe, I have never stayed at a cottage before. I camped (10 years ago) and went to a trailor (2 years ago), but never have I stayed at a cottage. I'll try to summarize the best bits of it. This may be a long blog.
Day 1
My experience started on a bad note. I got a haircut, hated it, was rushed through lunch, and was greeted by blasting metal music when my friends van came to pick me up. It was a long drive. Sure, we had some good bands like Triumph, Journey, and Coldplay, but overall the music was bad.
We arrived, and played risk. For some reason I just wasn't in the mood for it. During the risk game we found the epic deer hat. See facebook for picture.We went to bed right after.
Day 2
We tried tubing. It was so much fun! we went until the boat was almost out of gas, then played monopoly. We didn't make it through a full game, and ended up starting a file on Super Mario Sunshine. We got 30 shinesprites on that one day.
Days 3 - 6:
The rest of the week went by as a blur. We tubed, played monopoly, played mario, ate lots of snack food, went swimming, and slept. My friend Cam and I canoed around the lake on the 6th evening.
Day 7
Day 7 was more interesting than the rest of the week. I woke up with a sunburn, we beat Super Mario Sunshine, and started playing Super Mario Strikers. We went tubing again, but this time two people collided and flew off the tubes. It was fun to watch. At dinner, we had a surprise visit from my friend's uncle, who owns the cabin next door. My friends mom went over to offer him some dinner, only to find out it wa him and his girlfriend. That was a riot. My friend joked with his mom, "You should tell her he's unemployed!"
The same night, we went out into the woods and played a stealth game called excalibur. A lantern is put in the woods, and the players have to run and touch the lantern without being seen by the person guarding it. I won the first round, caught everyone the second, and then we stopped during the next game. It was getting too late.
Day 8
We cleaned the cabin in the morning. My sunburn had started to heal, and we left the cottage around 3 pm. we stopped at Webers and The Candy Shoppe, and I got bags of lego candy. I'm eating it right now. anyways, we got home around 8:30, at which time I discovered my ipod was dead. Not just battery, but my entire ipod. Dead, erased, no way of restoring it. Basically, I lost all my music, and my ipod.
I'm not really sure what the point of this blog was. I think it had one at the start, but I'm still tired, readers. And so I leave you with this advice: Never let your friends use your ipod. It doesn't end well.
~V
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Vests and Tomatoes and Silky Goodness
Long time no blog, nano. But Pavel-, er I mean ~V - has been doing an admirable job, hasn't he? I think he deserves some praise.
So what has happened since we last spoke, nano? let's see... I went to see Keane at the end of July, and it was AMAZING. I was just expecting them and maybe a decent opener, but it ended up being an 8 hour festival! Ingrid Michaelson showed up too, which was one of the best surprises of my life. AND! She covered poker face! And Creep! And TOXIC! it was amazing and I have no words. Then she finished her set with this incredible group choreography. I was expecting, from her records, that she would be more mellow, instruments + vocals alone on stage, but she ended up being such a high energy performer. She was almost better than keane- ALMOST.
So what has happened since we last spoke, nano? let's see... I went to see Keane at the end of July, and it was AMAZING. I was just expecting them and maybe a decent opener, but it ended up being an 8 hour festival! Ingrid Michaelson showed up too, which was one of the best surprises of my life. AND! She covered poker face! And Creep! And TOXIC! it was amazing and I have no words. Then she finished her set with this incredible group choreography. I was expecting, from her records, that she would be more mellow, instruments + vocals alone on stage, but she ended up being such a high energy performer. She was almost better than keane- ALMOST.
It would be difficult to beat keane, because in concert they were the best band I've ever seen. Admittedly, I've seen only a few shows- Regina Spektor, Sarah Harmer, Great Big Sea, but Keane was so good. And they closed with my favourite song- Crystal Ball. Perfect ending to the best concert ever.
And as if the music wasn't enough, this festival took place at Ontario Place, so Aline, shannon and I spent the day there. We had beavertails- which are whole wheat! Like, all of them! Without even asking they give you whole wheat beavertails! - and went on the log ride 3 times. I would have gone for so many more. I'm not a big fan of rides in general- rollercoaster, no thank you. But the log ride was fun, even if there were uber creepy mannequins all over the place.
I hate mannequins. HATE THEM. They're so creepy, I am not a fan. And this log ride was sort of mining-based, so there were fake people with explosives and pickaxes, and just posed inside a cave. it was too scary for me, I had to close my eyes. So my friends laughed at me.
Oh, and today I finished knitting my vest! I'd like to think it looks really good, and the friends I texted a picture to think so, but not so many people have seen it yet. Now that I'm done with that I started a lace scarf with some very pretty silk yarn [it's 03 Sunset]. Sasha (you remember Sasha, don't you nano?) will see it today when we go to the drive in with our friends Briar and Kelly. You should check Kelly out on tumblr and flickr, she's an amazing photographer. And she owes me now for pimping her out on this blog, cause we get so much traffic here on nano...
I think that's enough blogging for today nano. I hope you enjoyed catching up as much as I did, and ~V should be back any day now.
Adieu!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Paper Tigers
So, I'm the first one done my exam. Congratulate me. Or rather, don't. I now have a full bloody hour to wait for class to end and I'm bored. Hence the reason I'm blogging again. Well, that and the fact I won't update for another week and a bit. I'm going up to my friends cottage. It's going to be great fun, but I have to miss brads party since it's on the day I'm leaving. If only I had a Tardis...
Back to the exam, I clocked out 2 and a half pages in an hour and 15 minutes. Not bad if I do say so myself. And what's this? Got it back already! Fairly good mark. I can't complain. I prolly could have done better, but I couldn't stand the crucible.
I always say that I hate the crucible, don't I? But I've never once talked about Gatsby... Well, I have to admit I liked The Great Gatsby when I first read it. I liked it because I got so pissed at the characters. It sounds strange to me, but that's honestly why I liked it. However, I'd have to say I hated Nick the most. Not because he did anything bad, but because he never did anything. He could have stepped in at any time in the book and said that's enough, but instead he says "it's my birthday." good for you, nick. Too bad you don't have any friends left to celebrate it with; Gatsby's dead Tom and daisy left, and Jordan dumped you. That's right, just move back in with your parents. Go play WOW in their basement or something. I don't care if it's not around for another 80 years.
You know, I devised a theory about Nick. He's an alien sen to observe us. Think about it. He hardly ever speaks, never steps in, just lets everything take its course. That, coupled up with the fact that he knows every detail of everything, even when he isn't at the event. Ex, when Wilson goes crazy. He knows who was with Wilson between what times, what the person looked at while they were there, and even every word the characters said to each other. Now that you think about it, it's true isn't it? EVERY DETAIL.
I might even write an essay on the topic. I'll post it of I do.
In the meantime, the lyrics from a near-perfect song:
I'm gazing at faces staring blankly at me
Oh I suppose it's just a sign of the times
They tell me tomorrow I'll never arrive
But I've seen it end a million times.
Back to the exam, I clocked out 2 and a half pages in an hour and 15 minutes. Not bad if I do say so myself. And what's this? Got it back already! Fairly good mark. I can't complain. I prolly could have done better, but I couldn't stand the crucible.
I always say that I hate the crucible, don't I? But I've never once talked about Gatsby... Well, I have to admit I liked The Great Gatsby when I first read it. I liked it because I got so pissed at the characters. It sounds strange to me, but that's honestly why I liked it. However, I'd have to say I hated Nick the most. Not because he did anything bad, but because he never did anything. He could have stepped in at any time in the book and said that's enough, but instead he says "it's my birthday." good for you, nick. Too bad you don't have any friends left to celebrate it with; Gatsby's dead Tom and daisy left, and Jordan dumped you. That's right, just move back in with your parents. Go play WOW in their basement or something. I don't care if it's not around for another 80 years.
You know, I devised a theory about Nick. He's an alien sen to observe us. Think about it. He hardly ever speaks, never steps in, just lets everything take its course. That, coupled up with the fact that he knows every detail of everything, even when he isn't at the event. Ex, when Wilson goes crazy. He knows who was with Wilson between what times, what the person looked at while they were there, and even every word the characters said to each other. Now that you think about it, it's true isn't it? EVERY DETAIL.
I might even write an essay on the topic. I'll post it of I do.
In the meantime, the lyrics from a near-perfect song:
I'm gazing at faces staring blankly at me
Oh I suppose it's just a sign of the times
They tell me tomorrow I'll never arrive
But I've seen it end a million times.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Post-Birthday Blog
Well, I am no longer broke. Thanks to a generous birthday gift from my grandma, I now have some money to live on until I get a job.
Speaking of which, yesterday was my birthday. And in all honesty, I was slightly disappointed. I had plans - several plans - but they all fell apart. Harry Potter exhibit, Lightsabers, Doctor Who finale. None of it worked out. /rages/
But it's not all bad. I got a new desk for my room (The model name is Cardiff, how awesome is that?), I'm old enough to drive (My mom's been looking into driving school for me), and I saw Despicable Me on Friday. Now, you can think what you like, but that movie was absolutely hilarious.
Overall, not bad. Then there's more good news; we're watching two movies in class tomorrow: The Crucible, and Monty Python and the Quest for The Holy Grail. My teacher said there's a part about witches in the Quest for the Holy Grail, and so we're watching it. I haven't seen that movie in a long time.
Moving on.
Soooo, did anyone see the Doctor Who finale yesterday? I know I did. Jack, you were at a Star Wars concert, so you're excused.
Personally, I thought it was brilliant. Bit confusing, but congrats to Moffat for pulling that complicated story together. The only thing that bothers me is River Song. To quote one of the guests on InnerSPACE, "She's like that friend who has a secret, and keeps telling you they have a secret, but won't tell you what it is." Her repetition of the word 'Spoilers' is equally annoying. Unfortunately, she's becoming more and more of a main character. /rages again/
Amy's fantastic, though. Funny, brilliant, crazy, sexy. And she's signed on for at least two more seasons!
Matt's great too. He's a wonderful and quirky doctor. Slightly outshined by Amy as he may be.
I'm going to have a tough time waiting for the new season at christmas now...
Until then I've got Torchwood to catch up on. I'm still on season 2 (Curses, schoolwork), so that'll keep me going for a while.
Well, that and other things. Like Brad's 'small-ish get together' next weekend. It should be fun. Someone mentioned jello shots. Oh dear. :/
Well, I have nothing more to say for today. Except one thing.
Geronimo!
~V
Speaking of which, yesterday was my birthday. And in all honesty, I was slightly disappointed. I had plans - several plans - but they all fell apart. Harry Potter exhibit, Lightsabers, Doctor Who finale. None of it worked out. /rages/
But it's not all bad. I got a new desk for my room (The model name is Cardiff, how awesome is that?), I'm old enough to drive (My mom's been looking into driving school for me), and I saw Despicable Me on Friday. Now, you can think what you like, but that movie was absolutely hilarious.
Overall, not bad. Then there's more good news; we're watching two movies in class tomorrow: The Crucible, and Monty Python and the Quest for The Holy Grail. My teacher said there's a part about witches in the Quest for the Holy Grail, and so we're watching it. I haven't seen that movie in a long time.
Moving on.
Soooo, did anyone see the Doctor Who finale yesterday? I know I did. Jack, you were at a Star Wars concert, so you're excused.
Personally, I thought it was brilliant. Bit confusing, but congrats to Moffat for pulling that complicated story together. The only thing that bothers me is River Song. To quote one of the guests on InnerSPACE, "She's like that friend who has a secret, and keeps telling you they have a secret, but won't tell you what it is." Her repetition of the word 'Spoilers' is equally annoying. Unfortunately, she's becoming more and more of a main character. /rages again/
Amy's fantastic, though. Funny, brilliant, crazy, sexy. And she's signed on for at least two more seasons!
Matt's great too. He's a wonderful and quirky doctor. Slightly outshined by Amy as he may be.
I'm going to have a tough time waiting for the new season at christmas now...
Until then I've got Torchwood to catch up on. I'm still on season 2 (Curses, schoolwork), so that'll keep me going for a while.
Well, that and other things. Like Brad's 'small-ish get together' next weekend. It should be fun. Someone mentioned jello shots. Oh dear. :/
Well, I have nothing more to say for today. Except one thing.
Geronimo!
~V
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Soul In Isolation
Hello again, whoever you all are.
I'd just like to reiterate how horrible The Crucible is. We have a test tomorrow, and I just finished the script for our presentation on it, so I really don't wanna study.
On a random note, I'm going to make the title Soul In Isolation, because that's the song I'm listening to right now. It's by The Chameleons.
The Chameleons are the most underrated band of all time; They're brilliant but unknown.
LOOK THEM UP!!!
I'm loading their CD onto my computer right now, actually. Haha! there's a clown on this one! It's called, "Why Call It Anything?" Ironic title for an album. Quite like their lyrics. Always ironic, often dark-ish lyrics.
I'm really wishing there were tabs for some songs... Especiall Up The Down Escalator. That's a great one. Script Of the Bridge is definitelly their best. I mean, it's got a song called Monkeyland! Great song, too.
/loses thought process with song change/
"If there was a point to that statement, I'll get back to you."
Doctor Who reference FTW. I think it applies here.
Speaking of Doctor Who, I went to Indigo today and used my gift card to buy a SHINY NEW DOCTOR WHO BOOK! It's called Night Of The Humans, and I started reading while walking down Brant Street. It's one of only two books I found in the store with The 11th doctor and Amy. Something tells me I'll be reading till 2am tonight. (Jack I know you're jealous. I'll lend it to you once I'm done :P)
On another note, my birthday is in 2 days! I'm kinda excited, because I'll finally be able to get my driver's license! Beware, Streets Of Burlington! Muahaha!!!
Well, I'm done for now. I'll leave you with these words of wisdom.
No walls
Can keep me protected
No sleep;
Nothing inbetween me and the rain,
And you can't save me now;
I'm in the grip of a hurricane;
I'm gonna blow myself away.
I'd just like to reiterate how horrible The Crucible is. We have a test tomorrow, and I just finished the script for our presentation on it, so I really don't wanna study.
On a random note, I'm going to make the title Soul In Isolation, because that's the song I'm listening to right now. It's by The Chameleons.
The Chameleons are the most underrated band of all time; They're brilliant but unknown.
LOOK THEM UP!!!
I'm loading their CD onto my computer right now, actually. Haha! there's a clown on this one! It's called, "Why Call It Anything?" Ironic title for an album. Quite like their lyrics. Always ironic, often dark-ish lyrics.
I'm really wishing there were tabs for some songs... Especiall Up The Down Escalator. That's a great one. Script Of the Bridge is definitelly their best. I mean, it's got a song called Monkeyland! Great song, too.
/loses thought process with song change/
"If there was a point to that statement, I'll get back to you."
Doctor Who reference FTW. I think it applies here.
Speaking of Doctor Who, I went to Indigo today and used my gift card to buy a SHINY NEW DOCTOR WHO BOOK! It's called Night Of The Humans, and I started reading while walking down Brant Street. It's one of only two books I found in the store with The 11th doctor and Amy. Something tells me I'll be reading till 2am tonight. (Jack I know you're jealous. I'll lend it to you once I'm done :P)
On another note, my birthday is in 2 days! I'm kinda excited, because I'll finally be able to get my driver's license! Beware, Streets Of Burlington! Muahaha!!!
Well, I'm done for now. I'll leave you with these words of wisdom.
No walls
Can keep me protected
No sleep;
Nothing inbetween me and the rain,
And you can't save me now;
I'm in the grip of a hurricane;
I'm gonna blow myself away.
Cannons are Inferior to Fukiyas
Japan may be still be known for ninjas, but they are far less common than they were in the past. It’s a very outdated stereotype. That being said, I was trained at one of the last ninja schools left on the islands. It was a long time ago- as you can tell from my wrinkles and cane, that’s an understatement. My most distinct memory from back then must have been from when I was 17.
I never excelled at the most commonly known ninja skills: I was quite clumsy, and not the strongest boy either. But I had a talent for the theory aspect: give me a poison, I could name it in a snap. I knew every weapon, every secret. I just couldn’t put it into practice all I had learned from reading.
Honoka was my polar opposite. Tall, thin, and athletic: too bad she was a bit vacuous. She might have been able to leap into the air, disarm an opponent, sneak without a sound: that is, unless she was around her friends. She had become known at the school for her garrulous nature.
During our practical lessons one morning, sensei Satomi was observing a spar between Honoka and I. Supercilious as he was, he made sure to correct any faults in stance or method right away. Most of those faults were mine. But for once, I was holding my own with Honoka: remembering a technique I had read about in a text earlier, I reached down and flipped her leg over, landing her in the dust.
Satomi ran up to us with a disconcerted expression on his face. “What are you doing boy? That wasn't a proper move! You could have seriously injured Honoka!”
I was perfectly aware that I wouldn’t, but there’s no way for me to express that to the sensei. He was steadfast in his opinions: I would do it his way, or no way at all.
This led to the first and only punishment I ever received at school: as the building was built into the side of a mountain on the coast, there were lots of passages and cells throughout the rock. I was sent down to tidy some of the less travelled corridors. Honoka was told to join me as well, for “giving in so spectacularly.”
Whilst the two of us toiled within the rock, there was a sudden reverberation throughout the mountain- and then another. Looking up to the surface, we shared a quick glance and then rushed up the passage.
Right as we left the hallway and ran out into the open air, there was a great roar from behind us. “Arrrrrr! What be these younguns?” I turned around to see a florid face with a ginger beard grinning down at me. Slowly averting my eyes from his crazed grin, I looked down and took in the rest of his corpulent body.
“Who… who are you?” Honoka asked hesitantly. Chortling menacingly, he replied: “I be the famous Roubeard, scourge of the seas! And we be here for your luvverly ninja treasures, arr!”
We didn't have any treasure in our school- obviously. Ninjas are known for being stealthy and living light: excesses were not to be found easily on the mountain. Pirates, ignorant as they are, wouldn't know that though. They must have lost all their gold and jewels in their prodigal adventures.
“Now look here!” a punctilious voice announces from behind us. “You’ve no place here, scum of the seas. Leave us in peace you heathens!” Glancing back, I saw Satomi rushing at Roubeard with a pair of nunchaku. It seemed as if he was guaranteed to win: he was the head sensei of the school, after all, and very talented.
But what was this? Why was he stopping? He was just standing there! He wasn’t… he bowed. Leave it to Satomi to follow proper etiquette when there are barbaric sailors all around.
Two of said barbarians jumped from behind him and grabbed his arms. If he wasn’t so punctilious, he probably could have defeated every man on the ship.
The ship, actually, was doing far more damage than the men on it. The pirates had set up a cannon along the starboard side, and it was shooting continuous cannon balls at the school. That must have been the vibration that Honoka and I felt down in the caverns. Thinking quickly, I made a dash for it and pulled her along with me.
“Where are we going?” she yelled at my back. “Down to the storage closets!” I shouted over my shoulder. Grabbing the door handle and pulling it open, I snatched up a fukiya and a handful of darts. The fukiya is one of the classic ninja weapons: a small tube- these ones were made of bamboo- that could shoot small darts with lungpower. On my way out, I grabbed a bag of shuriken as well: those small metal disc that have been popularized as throwing weapons.
Instead of turning around and going back the way we came, I pulled Honoka down farther into the tunnels. When she asked where we were going, I told her that I knew a secret path down through the mountain that opened on the side of the cliff: I figured we would be safer and less noticeable there. I had old texts to thank for my knowledge of the secret passages: reading comes in handy once again.
We could see sunlight at the end of the corridor. If we looked to the left, we could see the side of the ship and the cannon still shooting. I handed one of the fukiyas to Honoka and told her to aim for the marksman. Being skilled as she was, she hit him first shot. He slapped at his neck and slumped to the side. Finally, the cannon had stopped shooting out fire every few minutes.
Now that the gunman was down, there were only a few pirates left on the ship that hadn’t yet invaded the school. Honoka and I leapt off the rock and into the water 10 metres below. I swam closer to the shore, climbing up onto the rocks and keeping a safe hold on the shuriken.
As per my spur of the moment plan, Honoka dove under the water and worked her way nearer the ship. From my seat on the rocks I had a good view of her attempt: reaching up to the rough wood on the ship’s hull, she pulled herself out of the water and climbed onto the deck. Finding the few pirates left and disarming them quickly, she was soon the only person left capable on the ship.
And now it got interesting: At the top of her lungs, she shouted at the pirates on shore: “Hey mateys! See all this beautiful treasure? Be a shame if it fell overboard, wouldn’t it?” She began tossing jewels and coins into the water below.
With a great roar, the mob of buccaneers ran for their precious cargo, Roubeard waddling in the lead. Honoka slowly made her way back towards the edge of the deck. As she watched the last pirate jump onto the ship, she shouted “Now!” and leapt off the edge. At her call, I launched the shuriken repeatedly into the hull of the ship directly underneath the cannon, where I figured the gunpowder would be. After the fourth, I finally got the result I was hoping for: a great fireball shot out through the hull and the ship began to sink. Mission accomplished.
Honoka swam back on shore and picked me up on the way. She reached out her arms and pulled me into a hug- taking down a pirate mob together is a pretty good way to bond with people. From that day on, I had some respect at school. And Honoka eventually did help me out with some of the more complicated moves- in exchange for some tutoring.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Taped-together converse, Arthur Miller, and Tituba.
Part 1: Written between 10 and 11 o'clock AM.
Hm. Well, out of my boredom, I'm going to blog again. These posts are going to become frequent for me now, methinks.
I think I'm going to try a random thought process. Might help introduce myself further, show how I tick.
I'm looking out the window onto upper middle. Summerschool English. It is 10:03 on July 19th. There are thick clouds outside; white at the top, and getting gradually darker as they near the bottom. Look like rain clouds. They're too far away though, there is no rain here.
Now I have a song stuck in my head. All We Want by Elias. Catchy.
We just took a note, and in those 20 minutes, the clouds have advanced past the school and there's actually a patch of blue sky.
And now, more clouds. Bah.
Hey look, a FedEx truck. My friend told me that between the E and the x, there's an arrow created. It's true. But he Also told me that every time I see a FedEx truck, I will see the arrow. That is false. I may remember the comment, but I don't see the arrow.
Nuther note, gimme a minute.
Tituba. That's a strange name. So many ways to mock it. Perhaps the most entertaining is the word 'tuba'.
I am now going to imagine her carrying one throughout the rest of the book. It should make this godforsaken script more interesting.
My friends did that last year with Lord of the Flies. They replaced 'conch' with 'boner'.
"Ralph cradled the boner."
"Ralph blew gently into the boner."
"I know what that is. It's a boner. My aunt had one."
You get the idea.
Oh, I just remembered. I duct taped my old converse together. One of them was torn and completely destroyed. I almost wore them today, but I found out a lace was missing. I'll post a pic later maybe.
Oh!! We just got our Gatsby essays back. 85!! Considering I put little effort in, I am satisfied.
PART 2: Took place between 4:00 and 8:30 PM, and was written at 9:20 PM
I just took the converse out for a walk, and they didn't really last long. Mind you, I walked for 4 hours, over rocky terrain. oh how I enjoy the train tracks. They're great fun. You gotta watch out for trains, mind you, but there are some great pics to be taken. Great graffiti,nice plants, and, oh, did I mention the many animal corpses, rotting in the middle of the tracks? No? there's probably a reason for that.
Most commonly, these cadavers are raccoons, mice, and birds (Today we found a curled up seagull and a fully intact, newly deceased little bird. I have pictures). There are ponds and highways nearby, too, and also abandoned buildings.
Or so we thought they were abandoned. The gate was open (we should have clued in), and so we walked inside. As we neared the building, I saw two guys in work uniforms (one looked a lot like Mario from that failed Super Mario movie). "Oh, shit. There are people here." I said absent-mindedly, to which my friend simply replied, "Fuck it." (I apologize for the vulgar langauge, but it does apply well to this situation), after which we just sort of turned around and booked it down the train tracks, laughing as we went.
As we went back at our secret entrance to the tracks, I saw something red sticking out of the bushes. A license plate. From a trailer. It's red and really coo-ool.
I'll post the pictures on Facebook for those of you who have me on there. Beware the graphic content, dead animals and whatnot.
Well, I now have an interior monologue to write, so thanks for listening. Or reading... Whatever.
Until next time, damn you Arthur Miller.
Kthxbai.
~V
Hm. Well, out of my boredom, I'm going to blog again. These posts are going to become frequent for me now, methinks.
I think I'm going to try a random thought process. Might help introduce myself further, show how I tick.
I'm looking out the window onto upper middle. Summerschool English. It is 10:03 on July 19th. There are thick clouds outside; white at the top, and getting gradually darker as they near the bottom. Look like rain clouds. They're too far away though, there is no rain here.
Now I have a song stuck in my head. All We Want by Elias. Catchy.
We just took a note, and in those 20 minutes, the clouds have advanced past the school and there's actually a patch of blue sky.
And now, more clouds. Bah.
Hey look, a FedEx truck. My friend told me that between the E and the x, there's an arrow created. It's true. But he Also told me that every time I see a FedEx truck, I will see the arrow. That is false. I may remember the comment, but I don't see the arrow.
Nuther note, gimme a minute.
Tituba. That's a strange name. So many ways to mock it. Perhaps the most entertaining is the word 'tuba'.
I am now going to imagine her carrying one throughout the rest of the book. It should make this godforsaken script more interesting.
My friends did that last year with Lord of the Flies. They replaced 'conch' with 'boner'.
"Ralph cradled the boner."
"Ralph blew gently into the boner."
"I know what that is. It's a boner. My aunt had one."
You get the idea.
Oh, I just remembered. I duct taped my old converse together. One of them was torn and completely destroyed. I almost wore them today, but I found out a lace was missing. I'll post a pic later maybe.
Oh!! We just got our Gatsby essays back. 85!! Considering I put little effort in, I am satisfied.
PART 2: Took place between 4:00 and 8:30 PM, and was written at 9:20 PM
I just took the converse out for a walk, and they didn't really last long. Mind you, I walked for 4 hours, over rocky terrain. oh how I enjoy the train tracks. They're great fun. You gotta watch out for trains, mind you, but there are some great pics to be taken. Great graffiti,nice plants, and, oh, did I mention the many animal corpses, rotting in the middle of the tracks? No? there's probably a reason for that.
Most commonly, these cadavers are raccoons, mice, and birds (Today we found a curled up seagull and a fully intact, newly deceased little bird. I have pictures). There are ponds and highways nearby, too, and also abandoned buildings.
Or so we thought they were abandoned. The gate was open (we should have clued in), and so we walked inside. As we neared the building, I saw two guys in work uniforms (one looked a lot like Mario from that failed Super Mario movie). "Oh, shit. There are people here." I said absent-mindedly, to which my friend simply replied, "Fuck it." (I apologize for the vulgar langauge, but it does apply well to this situation), after which we just sort of turned around and booked it down the train tracks, laughing as we went.
As we went back at our secret entrance to the tracks, I saw something red sticking out of the bushes. A license plate. From a trailer. It's red and really coo-ool.
I'll post the pictures on Facebook for those of you who have me on there. Beware the graphic content, dead animals and whatnot.
Well, I now have an interior monologue to write, so thanks for listening. Or reading... Whatever.
Until next time, damn you Arthur Miller.
Kthxbai.
~V
"This prayer is called The Balance"
^ I've heard that for five school days in a row now... I'm starting to think the summerschool principal has alzheimers.
Anyways, I forgot to introduce myself last time. How rude of me. In truth, I figured that everyone who reads this will most likely know me already.
Alternative. That's me in one word. Everything that doesn't fit in anywhere else. Especially in music; it's the one thing I couldn't live without. Oh, my name's Pavel, by the way. I'm a bit unfocused today. Once again forgot my name.
Man I'm bad at this.
Well, I have nothing more to say right now.
See ya.
By the way, I use this at the bottom of mt posts:
~V
Anyways, I forgot to introduce myself last time. How rude of me. In truth, I figured that everyone who reads this will most likely know me already.
Alternative. That's me in one word. Everything that doesn't fit in anywhere else. Especially in music; it's the one thing I couldn't live without. Oh, my name's Pavel, by the way. I'm a bit unfocused today. Once again forgot my name.
Man I'm bad at this.
Well, I have nothing more to say right now.
See ya.
By the way, I use this at the bottom of mt posts:
~V
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Arson Is Suspected
That poor guy... He seems to get blamed for all the fires.
Hello, reader(s). since I'm bored, I like to rant, and I'm impatient, I've started writing this. It's a nice outlet I guess. You can say pretty much anything, and no one really listens. But it's out there.
Like Jack, I'm doing summerschool. Just got through The Great Gatsby and an essay pertaining it. I actually kinda liked it, I have to admit. The kid who sits beside me hated every second, and I think it was his pessimism that gave me the inspiration to enjoy it. Thanks, Cameron.
Hm. So much to say but nothing at the same time.
Jack, how do you do this?? it's fun and all, but you need a topic really.
I suppose I'll get used to it. Oh, my class is starting to read The Crucible tomorrow. /not interested/ Somehow the topic of witches in the middle ages isn't appealing to me. Unless they're Carrionites and The Doctor's involved. In this case, John Proctor yadda yadda yadda witches, blah blah blah, people die, the end.
Honestly, I would have rathered Othello. Shakespeare is an absolute genius - THE absolute genius. I didn't like Romeo and Juliet though. Bit of a cliche by now. Hamlet sounds good, though I haven't had time to read.
Well I'm done for tonight.
So long, bloggers.
Hello, reader(s). since I'm bored, I like to rant, and I'm impatient, I've started writing this. It's a nice outlet I guess. You can say pretty much anything, and no one really listens. But it's out there.
Like Jack, I'm doing summerschool. Just got through The Great Gatsby and an essay pertaining it. I actually kinda liked it, I have to admit. The kid who sits beside me hated every second, and I think it was his pessimism that gave me the inspiration to enjoy it. Thanks, Cameron.
Hm. So much to say but nothing at the same time.
Jack, how do you do this?? it's fun and all, but you need a topic really.
I suppose I'll get used to it. Oh, my class is starting to read The Crucible tomorrow. /not interested/ Somehow the topic of witches in the middle ages isn't appealing to me. Unless they're Carrionites and The Doctor's involved. In this case, John Proctor yadda yadda yadda witches, blah blah blah, people die, the end.
Honestly, I would have rathered Othello. Shakespeare is an absolute genius - THE absolute genius. I didn't like Romeo and Juliet though. Bit of a cliche by now. Hamlet sounds good, though I haven't had time to read.
Well I'm done for tonight.
So long, bloggers.
Self imposed guilt
Hey nano. Do you want me to write on you more? most people (can I call you a person?) don't like being written on, but considering that it's sort of your life goal I think you'd be ok with it.
I really would, it's just that i can't think of anything to say! I'm sure that I'm not alone in saying that I far prefer people who post every week or so with really good entries that make me laugh, cry, and think. Those crazies who post every single day with a 100 word entry? Get them off my list. I do not need to know that you're drinking orange juice for the 4th day in a row.
On orange juice; I can't drink it right now. Not that I want to. I don't even like it. But I have a persistent cankersore that will not leave me alone, and acid angers it. Imagine the incredible hulk, but instead of a green giant it's little and red and PAINFUL. I would be drinking milk with its wondrous non-acidic qualities, but there is none in my house. Which is why the mother has gone out shopping for groceries, hence my being alone and blasting ALL CAPS. I'm feeling pretty good. Oh, and I finished my essay too! Pretty content right now, not gonna lie.
This was my mandatory post. Hope you enjoyed it. I doubt you laughed, unless you're just a really weird person who laughs at non funny things. Maybe this will help?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
I'm at summer school right now, prepare for onslaughts of CRAZINESSSSSSSSSSSSs
Hey loyal reader(s). I'm just going to inundate you with lots and lots and lots of references to my summer school class. If you're not in it (i.e. Kiah and Sasha) then you will have no idea what's going on. I'm sorry. I haven't updated in a week and this is the best I can come up with right now.
I could tell you about my eye first though! I got sand in it while I was wearing my contacts and it was all ARGHANUBGB ANGER so then I had to flush it. That hurts. You wouldn't think that splashing water into your eye would hurt like hell, but you'd be mistaken. So right now I am wearing my old glasses because contacts would be a very bad idea right now. I wish I had a picture of my bloodshot-goodness, but it's not red at all right now. Stupid quickly healing body, stealing all my blog material.
Essentially, class discussions about The Great Gatsby consist of remarks that question the character's sexuality, discussions about intent and whether or not Nick is even remotely sane, and agreements that Tom is, indeed, a complete asshole.
It's been a combination of vulgar tweets and hilarious collaborations and overall: a very good use of everyone's time.
Also, creepy little girls make everything better.
Noella is done blogging now because my keyboard fills her with righteous anger. Righteous of what, I question? Righteous of proper large keyboard size? As if, noella.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Murder, she twote.
And I would have as well; anyone who twote as the past tense of tweet (in the twitter sense) is completely deserving of a good stab or two.
Anyways. Yes, I got a twitter, but I have an excuse. I was actually wanting to get an account for a while, but always put it off. However, my summer school teacher (read my last post for more on that) is very big on the use of technology in the classroom. he started a ning, he encourages us to bring laptops and other devices to class, and he is sending out twitter updates to the class- I had to get an account. It was required for my education. See what a good story that makes? Now whenever someone asks I have a great little tale to spin for them.
.png)
So, internet, I've given in. I got a twitter. I know, shocking, and you probably want to hit me with something blunt. Or perhaps something not blunt? the pen may be mightier than the sword, but no one got famous for pulling a pen out of a stone. Which brings to mind why the sword was in the stone in the first place- that's always been far more interesting to me.
Anyways. Yes, I got a twitter, but I have an excuse. I was actually wanting to get an account for a while, but always put it off. However, my summer school teacher (read my last post for more on that) is very big on the use of technology in the classroom. he started a ning, he encourages us to bring laptops and other devices to class, and he is sending out twitter updates to the class- I had to get an account. It was required for my education. See what a good story that makes? Now whenever someone asks I have a great little tale to spin for them.
If you're interested, you can find me on twitter here. I warn you that this is only my second day on the website, and I update ferociously often. If you don't want to get annoyed every ten minutes, I would not recommend adding me to your mobile updates. but do as you please.
/whoring
There was lots in the first couple paragraphs here that I wanted to talk about, actually. First of all, the past tense of tweet is definitely twote.
"He has tweeted lots of stuff in the past." <- hardly.
"He has twote lots of stuff in the past." <- isn't that much better? And the whole sword/stone/pen/mighty debacle. First of all, well done arthur on removing the sword and becoming king, blah blah blah. (Speaking of kings, check this out. Great song, great video) But I personally want to know who put the sword in that bloody stone in the first place! If you can jam a blade into a rock, and somehow do it with enough
strength/magic that only one man- boy, really- can get it out, you've got way more talents than some little Anglo=Saxon boy ever did.
And yes, the pen is mightier than the sword. That made sense when people still used pens: of course, the sword was the first to appear. And yes, it did cause its fair share of violence and havoc. When people started using the written word as a way of defending or fighting for their rights, this phrase made perfect sense. But the keyboard is mightier still than the pen. Analog paper and ink is good and all, but if you can type something and put it on the internet (much like I'm doing now) then you've got way more of a chance getting your message out than some guy writing into the papers. That's all I'm saying.
And now, nano, I leave you. I've got one more Discworld novel to finish (has anyone read Terry pratchett? Satirical fantasy, british 1970s? Great stuff, really quite fantastic) and then I think I'll play some Pokemon soul silver. I am fully aware of how nerdy this paragraph was, and so I shall leave you with the words of one of my new favourite bloggers.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Summer Education
I know. You read that title and the first thing you think is "nerd." Despite the fact that nerds are awesome, and that's not even close to an insult, I feel like some corrections are in order. This gets misunderstood far too much.
Of course there are drawbacks-
There are generally 3 circumstances that involve going to school in the summer. It's either
A) stupid tool who failed a class and has to retake it to succeed <- not me.
B) Student who did poorly and takes the 2 week upgrade to boost their mark up in a class <- also not me.
C) Student who takes a higher level class to get ahead <- me.
Alright, of those three the latter is definitely the most nerdy. But I assure you that my intentions are far from scholarly. You see, I'm taking grade 12 english this summer because I took grade 11 english last summer.
English, in summer school, at the school I went to is what many would refer to as "slack." Very little work was done, a good portion of the time was spent goofing off, and yet I managed a 94 in that class. Imagine my shock when my friends taking grade 11 english in actual school write essays and do analyses and tests and all sorts of nonsense- always under the guise of "preparing for 12 english."
I am supremely confident that if grade 12 english is much the same as grade 11, there is no way I would be able to get above an 80, if only because I haven't done any of the preparation necessary. The only way to keep up my average would be to, again, take english over the summer. I really don't like english classes, and getting it out of the way seems like a good idea.
Of course there are drawbacks-
i) if I want to go to university, shouldn't I be prepared? It's not like I can do "summer school university english." I've yet to do much essay writing or other literature studies, so it's entirely possible that come uni I will crash.
ii) I have to give up my july of freedom. /SADFACE
And yet, I get to take another course next year- or a spare, perhaps. But I doubt it will be a spare because I just have way too many courses to take. And, all the friends I made last year at summer school are again taking it this year; if we are in the same class, needless to say I will be very very happy.
:. pros > cons. It's proven by math!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Nationalism vs. Patriotism
As you would know, nano, canada day is coming up. You are a canadian blog after all. This is the time of year when the proud canadians start getting all revved up and excited, glad to share their support and love of their country.
Unfortunately, some have been known to take this a little too far. It's not that commonly heard of in canada, but our neighbours to the south are well known for blurring the line between pride and xenophobia. Far be it from me to tell them not to celebrate- even if I don't agree with a lot of their values, they are welcome to support as they please-but just because you love your country doesn't mean you have to put down others.
There is lots in the states to be proud of: a strong economy, family values, traditional mindsets, a bipartisan system (I don't really care about any of those but whatever). It's great that as a country they can be united and show their belief in all those things. Good on you. But if your celebrations of national heritage starts leaking into how bad mexico or canada are for not having those values, I'm starting to get bovvered.
Why can't you just be happy and proud of your country without putting down others? It's not as if on canada day we chat about how superior we are to the states... oh wait. yes we do. Evidently I'm in no position to slag the united states for, essentially, doing to canada what canada does to the states.
I've completely lost both my train of thought and my passion in that matter. Is it only me that happens to? I have so much emotion and thoughts about something, but then once I start writing I get ~300 words in and i've used it all up, so I just starting making stuff up and trying to keep it going. This is why most of my arguments start out strong and just die out at the end, much like this one.
But yeah. canada day *woooop* canada's a pretty good country. now if we just get stephen harper out of government for good, we'll be golden.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Are you arfuh or marfuh?
/unrelated titles ftw
I think I write in paragraphs that are too large; from now on, I'll start doing text breaks more often, try to make it easier to read. I don't know why big paragraphs are harder to read- do you think the block of text is intimidating? But if it's something you want to read (and no one would force you to read this) shouldn't high volume= excellence?
A very potter musical is possibly the best HP fandom experience you can have. Really, if you haven't seen it you should watch it. Scroll down a bit to find the youtube link. I warn you, it is 2 1/2 hours long. But again, if it's something you love then that should just be a positive thing.
I wonder why the three suggested tags blogspot keeps pushing at me are scooters, vacation, and fall. I think I'll write a story about that, maybe post it later for your pleasure. Or I might just post it here, because I adore longer entries and this is still fairly dwarfish.
That will be a challenge to write though- no one goes for "fall vacation". Winter, sure. Spring even. Summer- no doubt. Fall is the only season people don't go on holiday for. And scooters? Maybe... ooh, I have an idea now. Enjoy:
Mordecai was a typical youth in the summer before grade 6- average grades, average size, average family. He was actual abnormal in his lack of uniqueness. And much like any other boy of his age, he was a fan of skateboards, bicycles, scooters, and any other man-powered vehicles.
So maybe he's not the most average boy ever: very few ten year olds still go on bike rides. Sadly, video games and a sped-up puberty mean that bicycles are hardly high on the typical adolescent. For the sake of the story, let's say this takes place in the 1970s. Groovy baby.
On his scooter, on his way to the disco (see that? that's some good setting right there), Mordecai was having as much fun as any young boy could on a flimsy metal-and-plastic contraption. Unfortunately, this being the 1970s there weren't quite as many safety regulations in place. notably, the legal requirement of helmets was unheard of. Mordecai would regret this after he was struck by a car.
Before you worry, he didn't die. He was admitted to hospital, and he did survive, though with a few injuries: like, you know, a shattered spine. He would never walk or ride his bicycle again. (I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...)
However, there was one bright side to the story: this having taken place in August, Mordecai missed the first few weeks of school. By that point, the pain had grown far less and he had become used to his new wheelchair bound life. And like any boy, he was overjoyed at the thought of missing school.
Always one to find the silver lining, Mordecai enjoyed his vacation that fall- even if his damned scooter was to blame.
*edit*: Miraculously, Mordecai was actually able to walk again! Due to rapid advances in non-embryonic stem cell research, his spinal cord was successfully recreated and surgically applied. He now spends his time playing soccer and climbing trees.
Take that blogspot. Now leave my damned tag bar alone.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Nano jokes- back from the dead? Does that make it a zombie blog? Zomblog?
Hello faithful readers.
Oh, please. We don't have any readers. And it's barely a we anyways. Clearly, I have lots to tell you today. Let's start at the beginning, hmm?
So Sasha and I started this blog with daily posts. Then we moved it to weekly posts. Now it's been lying stagnant, abandoned all alone on the internet for weeks. This does not seem fair to me. So I've spoken with sasha, and I'm going to start this up again. No specific posting times, no limits. But be forewarned that daily posts are not likely to make a return, because a long, well-written post every week or so is far better than quickies every day. We all agree on that.
So Sasha and I started this blog with daily posts. Then we moved it to weekly posts. Now it's been lying stagnant, abandoned all alone on the internet for weeks. This does not seem fair to me. So I've spoken with sasha, and I'm going to start this up again. No specific posting times, no limits. But be forewarned that daily posts are not likely to make a return, because a long, well-written post every week or so is far better than quickies every day. We all agree on that.
We isn't even a good choice. No one reads this. I know two people for sure follow it- well at least they did. Probably gave up on it a while ago- but there is not even close to a decent fanbase for me to keep addressing the readers. maybe I'll just write in third person forever? or maybe I'll just make up an imaginary name for the blog. I would ask if it were ok, but no one reads this anyways SO! From now on all posts by jack will be written as if spoken to Nano. What a cute name.
You'll be seeing more of me, blog. Probably quite a bit for a little while, seeing as tomorrow is my last exam and then I'm free for a week or so. Until summer school starts /sigh
Bye nano!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Cabled goodness
So, up until this point I have resisted the urge to turn Nano Jokes into a knitting blog, but that ends today. It's dying, there's no debate: The last blog post was over a week ago. That is simply not acceptable. And so, I turn to subject matter that nourishes internet writers all over the world: needlecraft.
And to specify within that category, knitting. No crochet for me. And cross stitch? psht. Child's play.
Knitting is awesome. That fact is undeniable. The only question left to answer about knitting is why more people don't do it. It's not expensive- at least, not when you're starting out. It's not difficult- again, in the basics. And you get to be productive while having fun: go play video games for three hours. What do you have to show for yourself? I have a sock heel. They should call you Mario, cause you just got 1-up'd.
And if you're not one of the enlightened wooly masses, and the title has lost you: cables are the logarithms of the knitting world. They look terrifying, seem incredibly difficult, and are extremely impressive when someone else sees them. The secret? They're dead simple. Like, dead simple. As in, I was afraid to try them until I looked up how they are done and laughed my face off.
Which is why the next socks I knit will be cabled. Along with the infamous sweatervest, I've got no shortage of projects in the near future.
Sasha's at her cottage right now, so I doubt she'll be able to see this, but I know that our dedicated readers (be honest, reader) will be glad to finally have some sustenance of the nano-variety.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Mehhhhh
My nose is stuffed
and it feels as if it's clogging up my brain.
My head feels swollen with thoughts that can't escape and they're just roiling around the inside of my head like some muggy fog. I can't exactly pin them down, I don't know what's going on in there - but I feel vague. And heavy. They must not be very positive.
Now I feel self obsessed for rambling about myself but I honestly don't know what else to talk about. Sorry.
Don't you love how the earth comes alive when it rains? The colours become so rich and vibrant, the air itself is fresher - you can suddenly smell things you couldn't before. Can't you just imagine the sensation a leaf might experience with every raindrop? They're so thin and fragile and sensitive, rain must be like a full out shiatsu massage, and the sound it makes is so delicate, so very gentle. I went for a walk and the sidewalk was littered with snails. Half of them were crushed though. Poor guys.
My favourite colour is yellow. Cheer, wisdom, childish-ness.
Childish-ness yes. Cheer maybe. Wisdom...ahaa very funny.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Part time employment
Well seeing as I don't have any handy weather phenomena to help me in my title today, I'll just write about whatever I randomly choose to put up there I guess. Seeing as I just got home from work, I'll go with that.
*Wow, way to leave this for 2 days and come back to it later. Totally not the same mindspace, not even thinking about that anymore. Let's talk about... green.
Green is a nice colour. The symbol of life, growth, potential- and envy. Each colour has its dark side. Despite that, green is definitely my favourite. Preferably a nice mossy, forest green. Mmm.
After learning about the qualities (seemingly arbitrarily) assigned to each colour in grade ten, I've been wondering what exactly your favourite- or least favourite- colour says about you. Do I like green just because it looks nice? Or am I subconsciously drawn to colours that represent things I find important? Would someone with a strong sense of passion be more likely to love red than anyone else? I have to admit, I find the idea of growth and new life very attractive... maybe it's not green that I love, but the idea of love.
This is actually really intriguing me right now! Come on readers, share your favourite colour in the comments and let's see if it's related to the character traits. I'll set up a list below with the major adjectives for each (and yes I had to do them in rainbow order), including white and black. They're colours too!
Red- passion, excitement, pain, anger
Orange- ambition, creativity, restlessness, anxiety
Yellow- cheer, wisdom, childish-ness
Green- nature, invigorating, jealousy
Blue- truth, calm, depressing
Purple- wealth, individualism, deceit
Brown- fertility, commonality, dullness
White- purity, harmony, naïveté
Black- death, grieving, elegance
Friday, May 7, 2010
rainstorm
Ahh I totally know where you're coming from!
Yeah it doesn't sound egotistical, just genuinely curious, everyone must wonder what first impression they leave.
How much faith do you have in first impressions? Are they a good thing or a bad thing? What are they really, but judgements made on superficial and ultimately irrelevant things like appearance, looks, clothing style etc?
OR, are these small details capable of telling you a lot about the kind of person someone is?
I guess this also depends on an individual's perceptive abilities.
Most of the time though, I find people's first impressions of me are inaccurate.
I've heard that I seem 'put together,' 'organized' and 'efficient.'
Hahahaaa riiiiight.
PS - Jack, I think your argyle sweater would counteract any ne'erdowell type feelings...
I'm now trying to convince my parents to let me go on a trip to the Dominican to help build a school. My prospects aren't looking too good, my mum thinks I don't have enough street smarts.
Sigh.
The rain is beating itself upon the side of my house, so the obvious POA for the evening is to curl up with a book and some peppermint tea. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. 19th Century China, and foot binding. Ouch.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Impressionable
What do people think of me? I don't mean this in the "omg I'm so worried that they don't like me maybe I should change to try and fit in or else I'll be alone forever and live in an apartment with 17 cats even though the proportion or crazy old cat men is significantly lower than that of crazy old cat ladies, quite possibly due to a specific infection that affects only females and causes a general feeling of contentment and pleasure, which can be most commonly found in cat feces"
... way, but rather in the "Hmm I'm slightly curious as to what impression I give off?" I'm aware that most people who know me, or at least what I've understood from them, think of me as 1) smart, 2) sarcastic, 3) nerdy and 4) smart. But as to strangers, it's always been a little quirk in the back of my mind as to what image I present. With the return of The Streak, I'm realizing that a good part of the older generation might see me and think Ne'erdowell!
But that's a generalization. Though it would be completely out of order, I would love to go up to a random stranger and ask what they think. Perhaps I could do it in code, so that it wouldn't be quite so blatant and yet I would get the same response?
This is what, I find, makes it so hard to describe myself. Sure, I can give a quick physical description, but if I were asked what my one distinguishing characteristic was I honestly don't think I could say. What I like most about myself? Beyond me. What one quality I wish I could lose? Another brainmelter.
I may have just taken egoism to an entirely new high (or low, depending on how you see it), but that doesn't bother me. I'll bet that everyone on the planet has the same thoughts, and lots of them just keep it quiet. There are very very very few deeply, sincerely modest people on this planet. There are just some who don't work as hard at hiding it. This would usually apply to me, with the exception of compliments. I can't take them. I don't know what to say, how to respond, what to feel, anything. I usually just smile and turn my head- not the best reaction.
Looking back on this post, my musings are not so much a "little quirk" as it is a sizable obsession. That's not good, now is it. I'll have to work on curbing my curiosity- no matter how non-feline I am, there's no sense in getting killed.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Rebellious
Oh my, look at jack! He left the blog til 8pm. Only four hours left and I might have not made it!* It must be the new red streak in my hair, I'm feeling all daring and teenage-rebellion. I might not even put a title on this blog- how risqué. No, not quite that far yet. I have to go write one now. Ahh, better.
This month is april, you know. (Really? tell us more facts jack!) And there's a tradition going around the internet, started by a certain Maureen Johnson- of famed authordom- to blog every day in april. This is known, in a clever way, as BEDA. Now what you readers might not know is that we've actually been building up to the best BEDA of all time: we have blogged every day in april. Well, every week day. But the 3 previous months more than make up for our missed weekends. Seeing as april has come to a close today, this is officially the conclusion of BEDA.
Now I see your worried faces- is this the end of Nano Jokes? HA! I laugh in your faces. You won't get rid of us that easily. We will, however, be cutting back just a bit on the quantity overall. Quality is more important, and it's been dropping a bit recently. If we restrain ourselves to, say, 1 post per week by each person: that's still 2 posts a week, more than enough to satiate your literary hunger (as if we're great literature), while giving us a bit more freedom and allowance creativity-wise. Sounds like a plan.
* Like sasha did! She missed a thursday! Did anyone notice? Did it sneak by you? Quickly, let's punish! Suggestions in the comments pleaseandthankyou.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Write you a letter
The title is a song I'm listening to right now by Ray LaMontagne. Oh! Ok, maybe it's not. It's actually Trouble. Ah well, I'm thinking about letters now.
Aren't letters fun? So much better than emails, or text messages, or phone calls. They're much more personal, from the paper, to the type of pen used. Then there's the handwriting of whoever you're receiving your letter from, it tells you so much about them! Handwriting that slants backwards means they are strongly linked to their past. Fast writing that slants forwards, with the dots of the 'i' ahead of the stick part mean they are impulsive and looking ahead. Small writing = small self esteem. Tall roofs of letters, words with 'ts' and 'ls' and other long stems reaching upwards show daydreamers, optimistic people. Letters like 'gs' and 'js' with tails sweeping downwards show people who are more connected with their more primal, darker instincts. Or at least that's what some book said. My friends and I analysed each other's handwriting and actually found it fairly accurate.
Jack and I are going to write a letter to Douglas Coupland. Someday.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Antiblog
I have to blog tonight. But I'm upset and tired and either thirsty or overdrank. So this is my useless non-post to prove that I'm not dead. See you tomorrow Sasha.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
I feel awfully inadequate after that post, but shall bravely carry on!
"They will see us waving from such great heights, come down now, they'll say"
Good song, good song.
Art trip today! We drew from a live model, and it was AMAZING. Not even comparable to drawing from a photograph or reference picture. The realness, the life and almost tangibility, the motion it lends to your line, was lovely.
In the art gallery, there was a ...sculpture I guess...
a massive piece of thick rope,
which nearing the end, was unraveled bit by bit
to create these branches
getting thinner and thinner, the ends were hair sized
ps- the whole thing was suspended from the ceiling by tiny nylon threads.
so basically, this massive towering tree, branching it's way out of a single rope.
mind boggling.
Plus some really striking photography exhibits.
And a massive inflatable cloud! fabric stitched together in this gently undulating design to create an enormous twisting shape that seemed almost to breathe.
And some beautiful paintings of gooseberries. I like gooseberries. And cinnamon yogurt.
wish us luck, culture shock is tomorrow!
Monday, April 26, 2010
La bilinguisme
Je m'excuse en avant pour le contenu de ce post, mais j'en ai besoin d'un expression francophone. Il n'y a pas assez de la langue français dans ma vie, alors je changerai ce fait maintenant.
Je suis un fier partisan de l'idée du bilinguisme mandatoire pour tous les canadiens. C'est vrai que des classes en français sont nécessaires durant quelques années scolaires, mais c'est vraiment insuffisant. De plus, un fait avéré est la facilité avec lequel les enfants jeunes peuvent apprendre des autres langues: après environ onze ou douze ans, c'est beaucoup plus difficile d'enseigner un langage nouveau. La vocabulaire est important, c'est vrai, mais l'obstacle primaire est la capacité de créer des sons nouveaux. Vous savez le mot radio, très bien. Mais si vous ne connaissez pas le pronocement, ou la difference entre l'anglais ou la français du combinaison -adio, votre lutte pour aisance est fini.
Si les enfants des jardins d'enfants avaient des leçons francos- juste la langue essentielle- leurs efforts plus tard dans la vie seront beacoup plus faciles.
Je sais qu'il y a de nombreux gens qui ne désirent pas apprendre la français- Pourquoi on doit la savoir si les québecois ne savent pas l'anglais? Cet avis enfantile n'aide personne: bien sur, la bilinguisme mandatoire s'appliquent aux quebecois aussi que le reste du Canada. Ils ont, au moins, un excuse: leur culture isolée dans la belle province (avec un petit peu du Nouveau-Brunswick) est instable et fragile. Leur langue spécial est un moyen de protéger leur patrimonie. Oui, ils se plainent chaque chance qu'ils ont: le "nation en un nation" est idiot, c'est vrai. Mais je suis sympa aux québecois. Ils reçoivent un peu et prennent beaucoup, bien sur. Laisse-les.
Je pense que ma vie est amelioré avec la connaissance francophone. Au plus mineur, une classe de gens qui étaient ensembles depuis le cinquième année serait très proches. Avoir un communauté aussi familaire dans le lycée peut être bénéfice aux étudiants, surtout en la neuvième année.
Friday, April 23, 2010
23
I love hands. So much. First of all, they're very interesting to look at, with all these muscles in the most unexpected places, laced with tendons and veins, the elegant diamond shapes of the knuckles, the little bones that jut out in the wrist. Second of all - they're so expressive, and capable of so much. We use our them for everything, so a persons hands could probably tell you a lot about them. I'm no Sherlock - but just looking at mine - I see a huge callous on the index finger of my right hand from holding a pen/pencil, the side of the knuckle of my pinkie on my right hand is actually kind of buffered from constantly rubbing across paper, my nails are short, but not small, with the ragged remains of some golden polish on them, and my fingers are fairly long. Normally they are decorated with some sort of doodle, but not today.
What do your hands tell you?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Anti-sexist rant
I love purple. And pink. But I'm a guy. Why is this wrong?
Woah, too many short sentences. I need to embrace my inner ramble and let loose a flood of any syllables so that the succint-ness of my phrases goes through an exponential growth. Ahh, much better- wouldn't you agree?
Anyways, back to the colours. I'm rather sad that I don't really get to wear these colours as much as I'd like. I realize there are no zombies of eternal damnation watching my every move, ready to throw me in jail as soon as I picked up a fuschia shirt-
Fuschia. What a weird name. And the purplinks have no shortage of strange descriptions: magenta. Dusty rose. Maroon. Violet. Periwinkle. Love the colours, dislike the names.
- but societal pressure does have an effect on me, no matter how much I wish it didn't. It seems unfair to me, and quite a callback to ancient times that men don't get to wear bright colours that much, let alone pink or purple. Women stole it off of us anyways, purple is a royal colour that was worn by paternalistic rulers of nearly ever culture- Julius Caesar? King Henry VIII? Jesus?
I'll just make myself some pink mittens. Resistance in any ways possible.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)