It has been a long time coming (like YEARS) but finally I will be checking out one of the biggest cities in the world. Sure, it's post 9/11. Sure CBGB's has been sold and moved to Vegas, sure the Yankees are losing. BUT!
I will get to see David Letterman.
His office called my phone on the last day of my work-term and said they could accomodate me with some tickets for while I was there.
So sure, Letterman's exciting and all, but over the next week and a half I will see Central Park, eat a hot dog at Coney Island, watch a Red Sox vs the Yankees game, and walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.
It should be a great time and hopefully Hurricane Dean loses its umph by the time it makes it up the northeastern seaboard.
Oh and I am going to the Smithsonian, Washington Monument, and the US Capitol in D.C. for 4 days after New York.
God I am thankful for this chance to get away from the chaos in Edmonton and instead hopefully I will see a different kind - a good kind of chaos - in NYC!!
August 19, 2007
August 5, 2007
PEOPLE! ARE! DISGUSTING!
How is it that we don't see how critical it is that we take IMMEDIATE action to do something about the way North Americans live their lives. Finally its such the case that Africa Aid and Global Warming are news items nearly 5 days a week now. The killing in Sudan, the emissions from Syncrude, the Tim's cups that are sitting in gutters waiting to be washed into the river, the rat explosion in Vancouver (due to no garbage collection), the endless flooding in India, the dying polar bears in Manitoba. Just everywhere. Everything. We do not do anything.
"A typical fast-food restaurant like McDonalds produces an average of 238 pounds of waste each day. In 1995 alone, we wasted at least 14 million tons of food and over 81.5 tons of paper." http://www.roundtop.com/dumpman.htm
How can we live with ourselves? It just truly makes me sick. Sure, life goes on: we get another bloody paycheque, we download another few songs and pornographic videos, we eat our bagels with lite cream cheese and we by another t-shirt or trinket from a sweat shop that was Made In China. I mean, why not right? How will I be any worse for it? How will someone else be any better off if I don't?
Well, please intrigue me into talking about this into more depth about this because it is now 3 am and I should probably stop typing and get some sleep.
"A typical fast-food restaurant like McDonalds produces an average of 238 pounds of waste each day. In 1995 alone, we wasted at least 14 million tons of food and over 81.5 tons of paper." http://www.roundtop.com/dumpman.htm
How can we live with ourselves? It just truly makes me sick. Sure, life goes on: we get another bloody paycheque, we download another few songs and pornographic videos, we eat our bagels with lite cream cheese and we by another t-shirt or trinket from a sweat shop that was Made In China. I mean, why not right? How will I be any worse for it? How will someone else be any better off if I don't?
Well, please intrigue me into talking about this into more depth about this because it is now 3 am and I should probably stop typing and get some sleep.
It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.
Mr. Rogers was a pretty happy-go-lucky guy that truly made kids feel like their community is like their home. Everyone was welcome in everybody else's back yard and smiles and fun was shared all around. Perhaps kids didn't quite understand that this was what was going on at the ripe old age of 4-8 but nevertheless, through his actions and well-natured spirit, Mr. Rogers really did give kids a positive impression of what a suburbian life might be like. Hopefully, this would instill in the minds of the kids in years down the road of how civilized neigbhorly people could get along.
Then we grow up.
Living in Millwoods has done well by me: sure I have friends and acquaintences that I am jelous of from all of their worldly experience and opportunities for living different lives. But in the end, I think that this little corner in the south east of Edmonton has provided me with stability, love, a sense of community, integration and acceptance. Sure, I know a lot of the down-to-earthed-ness of an individual is likely to do with how their raised by the parents, but right now I am talking about the effect that communities have on the way that an individual perceives his life, surroundings, and the rest of the world.
Growing up in Millwoods I would often walk Lacey to the store for things like chocolate bars, slurpees, milk, and newspapers. There was never any fear of getting abducted or mugged. Neighbors new eachothers names and gave eachother christmas cards (and even if they didn't celebrate Christmas - Happy Holidays!). I would shovel more than just my own sidewalk on occasion, not even for money. It was a very friendly happy neighborhood for a naiive child to grow up in.
Millwoods is a pretty colourful place, racially speaking. The acceptance of all of the non-white's was a pretty simple thing though. I mean, I was raised with them here. Being a whiteboy in a browntown wasn't that peculiar to me at all. Most of the east indian kids went to the public schools, but my neighbor, Abraham, was an awesome buddy to build forts with and get in trouble with when we weren't in school. And probably at least a third of my classmates every year K-12 were Philipino, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese...anything.
Then the stereotypes come.
One starts to realize that there are some people out there that think that they live better lives than their racially different neighbor.
The anger and hatred and closed-mindedness of whites towards non-whites since Canada was founded is just mind-boggling. Even within millwoods, the different classes of people will differentiate which burrough they will live in: The un-employed white trash mother of 4 in Lakewood's subsidized housing, the rich fatcat retired oilman tycoon that plays golf from his back yard up in Greenview, the family of 14 living under 1 roof with smells of curried pork streaming from the windows in Sakaw, the well dressed private Chinese family that always has their drapes closed in Kameyosek, the Meadowbrook white kids that are driving their daddy's hot rod to a highschool that is likely outside of Millwoods, The neverending Tagalog conversations that go on in the Millbourne Safeway... It's all there.
Living in a peaceful tranquility.
BANG!
Not no mo' yo. We duh 'hood now. Driveby in Satoo, random latenight robbery in Ridgewood, rape at Millwoods Town Center bus terminal.
Oh our OVERWORKED POLICE FORCE!!
Better build a multi-million dollar new police station in the center of this ghetto.
Yet, within the past 6 months I have actually been required to have dealings with the Men In Blue myself. And no, I don't mean the bus drivers. Those pricks are another story altogether.
So what then? You see, my next door neighbor was a really terrific man raising 2 young boys by himself. He did this for 5 and a half years before the Metis Society that let him live their says that he is doing too well for him and his family, and must find another place to live.
Natives in Millwoods. Who woulda thunk it hey? Well half-native anyways. At any rate, so long Jeff. Though this is a Metis Society owned house, the woman who moved in is Native, not Metis. Fine by me. "SURE, I'll mow your lawn for 25 bucks!" I've done it once in 5 months. Her back yard is a jungle. Cause for calling the police? I think not.
But on one morning before work I hear a banging at my door. It was a 12 year old Metis boy nearly in tears. I find out that there are unsavoury individuals over next door, but I wasn't going in there! Before I had a chance to call the cops to help cool this...domestic dispute?...the 2 gentlemen were out the door. Later the same day our neighbor apologizes for the 5 am awakening.
So yes. The many sides of Millwoods eh? Tolerance, compassion, concern for others are all parameters that Mr. Rogers instilled on us kids watching him weekday mornings from 9 til 10. The cold hard real world out there though is certainly not Mr. Roger's ideal suburbia. Stay tuned if you want to know what possibly could have happened to give cause enough to call the cops, in this community I call my home.
Then we grow up.
Living in Millwoods has done well by me: sure I have friends and acquaintences that I am jelous of from all of their worldly experience and opportunities for living different lives. But in the end, I think that this little corner in the south east of Edmonton has provided me with stability, love, a sense of community, integration and acceptance. Sure, I know a lot of the down-to-earthed-ness of an individual is likely to do with how their raised by the parents, but right now I am talking about the effect that communities have on the way that an individual perceives his life, surroundings, and the rest of the world.
Growing up in Millwoods I would often walk Lacey to the store for things like chocolate bars, slurpees, milk, and newspapers. There was never any fear of getting abducted or mugged. Neighbors new eachothers names and gave eachother christmas cards (and even if they didn't celebrate Christmas - Happy Holidays!). I would shovel more than just my own sidewalk on occasion, not even for money. It was a very friendly happy neighborhood for a naiive child to grow up in.
Millwoods is a pretty colourful place, racially speaking. The acceptance of all of the non-white's was a pretty simple thing though. I mean, I was raised with them here. Being a whiteboy in a browntown wasn't that peculiar to me at all. Most of the east indian kids went to the public schools, but my neighbor, Abraham, was an awesome buddy to build forts with and get in trouble with when we weren't in school. And probably at least a third of my classmates every year K-12 were Philipino, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese...anything.
Then the stereotypes come.
One starts to realize that there are some people out there that think that they live better lives than their racially different neighbor.
The anger and hatred and closed-mindedness of whites towards non-whites since Canada was founded is just mind-boggling. Even within millwoods, the different classes of people will differentiate which burrough they will live in: The un-employed white trash mother of 4 in Lakewood's subsidized housing, the rich fatcat retired oilman tycoon that plays golf from his back yard up in Greenview, the family of 14 living under 1 roof with smells of curried pork streaming from the windows in Sakaw, the well dressed private Chinese family that always has their drapes closed in Kameyosek, the Meadowbrook white kids that are driving their daddy's hot rod to a highschool that is likely outside of Millwoods, The neverending Tagalog conversations that go on in the Millbourne Safeway... It's all there.
Living in a peaceful tranquility.
BANG!
Not no mo' yo. We duh 'hood now. Driveby in Satoo, random latenight robbery in Ridgewood, rape at Millwoods Town Center bus terminal.
Oh our OVERWORKED POLICE FORCE!!
Better build a multi-million dollar new police station in the center of this ghetto.
Yet, within the past 6 months I have actually been required to have dealings with the Men In Blue myself. And no, I don't mean the bus drivers. Those pricks are another story altogether.
So what then? You see, my next door neighbor was a really terrific man raising 2 young boys by himself. He did this for 5 and a half years before the Metis Society that let him live their says that he is doing too well for him and his family, and must find another place to live.
Natives in Millwoods. Who woulda thunk it hey? Well half-native anyways. At any rate, so long Jeff. Though this is a Metis Society owned house, the woman who moved in is Native, not Metis. Fine by me. "SURE, I'll mow your lawn for 25 bucks!" I've done it once in 5 months. Her back yard is a jungle. Cause for calling the police? I think not.
But on one morning before work I hear a banging at my door. It was a 12 year old Metis boy nearly in tears. I find out that there are unsavoury individuals over next door, but I wasn't going in there! Before I had a chance to call the cops to help cool this...domestic dispute?...the 2 gentlemen were out the door. Later the same day our neighbor apologizes for the 5 am awakening.
So yes. The many sides of Millwoods eh? Tolerance, compassion, concern for others are all parameters that Mr. Rogers instilled on us kids watching him weekday mornings from 9 til 10. The cold hard real world out there though is certainly not Mr. Roger's ideal suburbia. Stay tuned if you want to know what possibly could have happened to give cause enough to call the cops, in this community I call my home.
August 2, 2007
A Typical Redneck Lunch at EPCOR
Today at work we ate outside.
After a prolonged discussion about farmlife and animal torture between about 5 or 6 engineers and operators, I proclaimed myself to my colleagues as "the sheltered urban boy". Given that the average age of old farts discussing their childhoods of burning stuff down and blowing things up was about 63, I can confidently say that times have changed. Also what kids like myself could get pre-occuopied with - especially if raised in the burbs in the 80's and 90's - was a lot different than what kids got up to on the farm in the 50's and 60's.
Some of the things-to-do-for-fun-when-growing-up-on-the-farm that were discussed today at lunch included killing bugs. Wasps, ants, spiders and the likes. These I could compare to, cuz well, torturing bugs is pretty common stuff for boys (oh and girls too now, to be politically correct and gender neutral) THEN the conversation proceeded to tom cats. Shirley pipes up: "They make great range target practice" (and holds arms up as if to be shooting a long barrel). Dave counters: "No way... when we had an unexpected litter of kittens, we would just attach the bag uv 'em to the tail pipe of the ol' '62 Ford and REV it!" My boss chuckles. Then he goes on about how his cousins were so INNOVATIVE in how they were able to "make all sorts of things out of their innards - musical intruments, other toys, whatever!" An operator speaks up: "Oh we had a chicken coop with chickens that had no meat on'm to cook for eatin' and they didn't lay eggs no more. I just shut all the doors and windows on the coop, backed up my truck and stepped on the accelerator til they all turned PURPLE!" He then says how afterwards he went to go pick em up and one "came back from the dead"and scared the shit out of him". So what did he do? Backed up the pickup truck 1 more time. They were talking about how gross it is to pluck and clean chickens and holding them down in boiling water without their heads chopped off.
Dave, in the meanwhile, thinks of this time when they went and castrated a cat. They had to do this cuz apparently it was killing other kittens in order to be the dominant male that could get ALL the sex. (This sounds similar to another post I wrote about regarding what extent sex-crazed animals will go to) So, to castrate a cat, apparently you need a knife, a rubber boot, 2 men, and a cat. The key part was to stuff the head of the cat into the heal of the rubber boot and the one guy will hold the rear legs up while the other guy does the unspeakable.
Well that is about all for now that I can think of. I know there is more and if I think of it I will try to sicken you even more by posting it.
Oh, and as a punishment for enjoying this lunchtime discussion so much, I was rewarded with a wasp bite on the back of my neck as soon as I got back to the office.
No wonder we are so ignorant, de-sensitized, shameless, crude, and closed-minded when it comes to liberalism here in Alberta. Just look at our history.
After a prolonged discussion about farmlife and animal torture between about 5 or 6 engineers and operators, I proclaimed myself to my colleagues as "the sheltered urban boy". Given that the average age of old farts discussing their childhoods of burning stuff down and blowing things up was about 63, I can confidently say that times have changed. Also what kids like myself could get pre-occuopied with - especially if raised in the burbs in the 80's and 90's - was a lot different than what kids got up to on the farm in the 50's and 60's.
Some of the things-to-do-for-fun-when-growing-up-on-the-farm that were discussed today at lunch included killing bugs. Wasps, ants, spiders and the likes. These I could compare to, cuz well, torturing bugs is pretty common stuff for boys (oh and girls too now, to be politically correct and gender neutral) THEN the conversation proceeded to tom cats. Shirley pipes up: "They make great range target practice" (and holds arms up as if to be shooting a long barrel). Dave counters: "No way... when we had an unexpected litter of kittens, we would just attach the bag uv 'em to the tail pipe of the ol' '62 Ford and REV it!" My boss chuckles. Then he goes on about how his cousins were so INNOVATIVE in how they were able to "make all sorts of things out of their innards - musical intruments, other toys, whatever!" An operator speaks up: "Oh we had a chicken coop with chickens that had no meat on'm to cook for eatin' and they didn't lay eggs no more. I just shut all the doors and windows on the coop, backed up my truck and stepped on the accelerator til they all turned PURPLE!" He then says how afterwards he went to go pick em up and one "came back from the dead"and scared the shit out of him". So what did he do? Backed up the pickup truck 1 more time. They were talking about how gross it is to pluck and clean chickens and holding them down in boiling water without their heads chopped off.
Dave, in the meanwhile, thinks of this time when they went and castrated a cat. They had to do this cuz apparently it was killing other kittens in order to be the dominant male that could get ALL the sex. (This sounds similar to another post I wrote about regarding what extent sex-crazed animals will go to) So, to castrate a cat, apparently you need a knife, a rubber boot, 2 men, and a cat. The key part was to stuff the head of the cat into the heal of the rubber boot and the one guy will hold the rear legs up while the other guy does the unspeakable.
Well that is about all for now that I can think of. I know there is more and if I think of it I will try to sicken you even more by posting it.
Oh, and as a punishment for enjoying this lunchtime discussion so much, I was rewarded with a wasp bite on the back of my neck as soon as I got back to the office.
No wonder we are so ignorant, de-sensitized, shameless, crude, and closed-minded when it comes to liberalism here in Alberta. Just look at our history.
July 30, 2007
Some Quotes.
So I've decided that I should keep track of some of the most ridiculous things I here on television or elsewhere, but aren't songs. Today I watched this new show with David Spade and also Letterman. Both had some pretty funny stuff:
Letterman, referring to his cold: "It feels like kids are running wind sprints with soccer cleats...IN MY THROAT!"
Spade to friend, after having touched the sleeve of a random Hot Blonde in a restaurant: "A touch says 'if you didn't think I wanted to have sex with you, I do' ".
I am really tired right now. I can't believe I am going to New York City!!! Whooot!
July 31/07
Ryan Stiles - or Lewis on Drew Carey - was at it again:
"HEY! If you don't want me picturing your girlfriend naked, maybe you shouldn't let her dress like such a SLUT!"
Tonight on Letterman in "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" George Bush was telling a story:
"I met an onion grower today at the airport when I arrived,
and he said, you got to help me find people that will grow onions —
pluck them, or whatever you do with them, you know."
September 12/07
Drew Carey speaking to Oswald and Lewis: Have you guys ever noticed how beautiful Kellie is?
Ryan Stiles:
"I think alllllllll women are beautiful.
... that's how desperate I am."
(drink)
Letterman, referring to his cold: "It feels like kids are running wind sprints with soccer cleats...IN MY THROAT!"
Spade to friend, after having touched the sleeve of a random Hot Blonde in a restaurant: "A touch says 'if you didn't think I wanted to have sex with you, I do' ".
I am really tired right now. I can't believe I am going to New York City!!! Whooot!
July 31/07
Ryan Stiles - or Lewis on Drew Carey - was at it again:
"HEY! If you don't want me picturing your girlfriend naked, maybe you shouldn't let her dress like such a SLUT!"
Tonight on Letterman in "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" George Bush was telling a story:
"I met an onion grower today at the airport when I arrived,
and he said, you got to help me find people that will grow onions —
pluck them, or whatever you do with them, you know."
September 12/07
Drew Carey speaking to Oswald and Lewis: Have you guys ever noticed how beautiful Kellie is?
Ryan Stiles:
"I think alllllllll women are beautiful.
... that's how desperate I am."
(drink)
July 24, 2007
Warped Tour 2007
Motivating myself enough to sign on long enough to write something about all of the things in this place that BUG me has been really very problematic as of late. Sure, I have some good things goin in my life and I'm most certainly not a suicidal sadist or anything of the sort. But I certainly do have some things that I am pretty upset with, personally & publically. The problem is, I suppose, that I just don't know where to begin.
So intstead let me tell you about Warped Tour 2007. ! That's right. The Punk Rock Celebration that travels through something like 40 or 50 cities over 3 months. Edmonton, naturally, being much to shitty of a city to get such a "high profile" event. It was on a Thursday as usual (after the long weekend in July) so a lot of people found it difficult to take that time off, and others were just starting new jobs and didn't even feel that they were entitled to get 1 or 2 days off because they are "all grown up" now... and on to big and better things in life with their careers and love-lifes and such. Of the 30 people or so that I let know I was going to Warped, I got about let's see... No one to come with me. But I went. Not with Matt's little sister, not with Josh, Jay, nor Zack, and most certainly not with Michael Kyle. Robin didn't show with his "group of 30" and mrscott let me down too. But I was there. I saw my ex who I've been in touch with via facebook, but that ship has sailed and I don't think that either of us really would enjoy eachother's company while there. I saw J-Lo, a bartender who I went to highschool with that I was hitting on a few months ago. She was there with her boyfriend. That's about it though. The drive down was sweet because I didn't have to do nothing but listen to cd's and ummm listen to cd's.
So I was parked, way away from the parking lot, cuz that's just stupid to sit in that traffic. I walked the length of the speedway and got in line by some kids playing hack. No Sam. Pretty fucking boring lineup too. PETA handouts, religious "save-your-soul" handouts etc. were the shit that I ignored. I tried to not look at tooooo many underage girls.
Doors opened. I found out that The Spill Canvas was one of the first acts of the day. I admired J-Lo and sang some love songs: the one's you would expect for a warped tour slot + some new ones. They were as good as I remember, though the fact that carlene wasn't beside me this time made it bittersweet. My pal Tom from SoCal text'd me from the pomona show when he got hit in the head with a shoe at the Brigg's set. The Brigg's played pretty much right after TSC. They got me movin a bit. After that I checked out some merch while the temperature soared. I had til 1:30 til Big D and the Kids Table was nailing out some really terrific motivational ska punk. At 2, I was waiting in the front of Lucky Stage for TIGER ARMY to get goin! and with a "NOCTURNAL!"! they pounded out a pretty great set. The upright base is always a treat. This was TA's first time to Canada which was pretty interesting. TA played the same time as Bayside so I missed them, which was a shame cuz The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus was the only name that was half interesting for a while. The Fabulous Rudies had a male/female split on lead vocals and also had some pretty great ska tunes. I almost picked up there cd then they jacked up the price $5 so I said fuck it.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE made me happy. Between A Bid Farewell, Daylight Days, and the closing of "The End of Heartache", the singer and lead guitar encouraged "all us metal kids out there to take a look at the emo pussy next to you and punch him in the balls". They also started the crowd to do "LABIA" chants. The pit was admirable. I got some good dancin' in and thought about how my friend Heather went n got married this summer during End of Heartache.
Immediately following KSE, The Action Design was playing on the Kevin Says stage. This band is fronted by the love of my life for 2 and a half years, M, from Tsunami Bomb. She makes me smile. Their set was sweet and I really enjoyed the "dance tunes" and her lips and eyes. I talked to her at the booth and said I'd be back in a bit to pick up some merch. When I went back @ 8:00, they had already packed up and left. Dammit anyways.
Authority Zero had an amazingly weak mosh pit. Frick kids these days are sooo stoned ALL THE TIME! MOVE YOUR ASS! (Though, pennywise said that we were moving way more than the vancouver kids.) Authority Zero was a good show though. No regrets about catching it.
The moment I had finally been waiting for: Pennywise! 2nd Time in a year! Sure, it was dissapointing that I was only going to see a 30 minute set, but hey: better than No Set At All! In this set, I watched them open with Wouldnt It Be Nice. They played Society, Pennywise, Rules, Fuck Authority, Same Old Story, Perfect People, Yell Out, a few others...and closed with Bro Hymn as usual. I was crowd surfing to Society and another song and didn't get dropped.
It was a Hot Hot day. I had a bottle of water with me, but I knew that I'd be refilling it a few thousand times. By the time pw was done, the tankards were empty. Not really surprised. I had plenty of freebies like freezies and stuff that random people share and test my immune system with.
The Unseen was boring. I liked them more the first 3 times I watched them. Instead, I ended up missing Throwdown on another stage which I regret. The only other regret I had was not catching the Johnsons and The Action Design leaving before I could pick up the disc.
Coheed and Cambria played @ 6:40. I sat in the shade of the sound booth and enjoyed there set very much. Both new songs and old were played which made me happy. Even better yet was that the singer wasn't slamming back JD this time, and the lyrics matched when the notes were played.
Bad Religion.
What more can I really say? Just wow. Great songs. I remained (standing) at the other sound booth in the shade. No More Moshing! Not in 37°C heat anyways. After the set, I beat a ~37 year old guy asking the sound booth guy for the set list. Sweeet. He was cool about it though. Due to technical difficulties, BR did not end with Insect as planned, but rather Epiphany. They also played American Jesus, Sorrow...goood tunes!
On departing (circa survive had yet to play), I ran into a friend that I see at most shows I go to. I asked him how he enjoyed it. He said: "Man that sucked" and was serious. The frustrating thing is that he's there, in that parking lot waiting to get out, in a carfull of people that came down together and I totallly loved every minute of it, and didn't even need anyone there to enjoy it with.
My cousin fed me beers in Airdrie. I almost hooked up with colleen from trinity or ashton from concrete tobaggon but it didn't quite work out this time. It was a fun time either way. And I didn't even MISS not being at work making money like all of my mature grown-up friends.
So intstead let me tell you about Warped Tour 2007. ! That's right. The Punk Rock Celebration that travels through something like 40 or 50 cities over 3 months. Edmonton, naturally, being much to shitty of a city to get such a "high profile" event. It was on a Thursday as usual (after the long weekend in July) so a lot of people found it difficult to take that time off, and others were just starting new jobs and didn't even feel that they were entitled to get 1 or 2 days off because they are "all grown up" now... and on to big and better things in life with their careers and love-lifes and such. Of the 30 people or so that I let know I was going to Warped, I got about let's see... No one to come with me. But I went. Not with Matt's little sister, not with Josh, Jay, nor Zack, and most certainly not with Michael Kyle. Robin didn't show with his "group of 30" and mrscott let me down too. But I was there. I saw my ex who I've been in touch with via facebook, but that ship has sailed and I don't think that either of us really would enjoy eachother's company while there. I saw J-Lo, a bartender who I went to highschool with that I was hitting on a few months ago. She was there with her boyfriend. That's about it though. The drive down was sweet because I didn't have to do nothing but listen to cd's and ummm listen to cd's.
So I was parked, way away from the parking lot, cuz that's just stupid to sit in that traffic. I walked the length of the speedway and got in line by some kids playing hack. No Sam. Pretty fucking boring lineup too. PETA handouts, religious "save-your-soul" handouts etc. were the shit that I ignored. I tried to not look at tooooo many underage girls.
Doors opened. I found out that The Spill Canvas was one of the first acts of the day. I admired J-Lo and sang some love songs: the one's you would expect for a warped tour slot + some new ones. They were as good as I remember, though the fact that carlene wasn't beside me this time made it bittersweet. My pal Tom from SoCal text'd me from the pomona show when he got hit in the head with a shoe at the Brigg's set. The Brigg's played pretty much right after TSC. They got me movin a bit. After that I checked out some merch while the temperature soared. I had til 1:30 til Big D and the Kids Table was nailing out some really terrific motivational ska punk. At 2, I was waiting in the front of Lucky Stage for TIGER ARMY to get goin! and with a "NOCTURNAL!"! they pounded out a pretty great set. The upright base is always a treat. This was TA's first time to Canada which was pretty interesting. TA played the same time as Bayside so I missed them, which was a shame cuz The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus was the only name that was half interesting for a while. The Fabulous Rudies had a male/female split on lead vocals and also had some pretty great ska tunes. I almost picked up there cd then they jacked up the price $5 so I said fuck it.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE made me happy. Between A Bid Farewell, Daylight Days, and the closing of "The End of Heartache", the singer and lead guitar encouraged "all us metal kids out there to take a look at the emo pussy next to you and punch him in the balls". They also started the crowd to do "LABIA" chants. The pit was admirable. I got some good dancin' in and thought about how my friend Heather went n got married this summer during End of Heartache.
Immediately following KSE, The Action Design was playing on the Kevin Says stage. This band is fronted by the love of my life for 2 and a half years, M, from Tsunami Bomb. She makes me smile. Their set was sweet and I really enjoyed the "dance tunes" and her lips and eyes. I talked to her at the booth and said I'd be back in a bit to pick up some merch. When I went back @ 8:00, they had already packed up and left. Dammit anyways.
Authority Zero had an amazingly weak mosh pit. Frick kids these days are sooo stoned ALL THE TIME! MOVE YOUR ASS! (Though, pennywise said that we were moving way more than the vancouver kids.) Authority Zero was a good show though. No regrets about catching it.
The moment I had finally been waiting for: Pennywise! 2nd Time in a year! Sure, it was dissapointing that I was only going to see a 30 minute set, but hey: better than No Set At All! In this set, I watched them open with Wouldnt It Be Nice. They played Society, Pennywise, Rules, Fuck Authority, Same Old Story, Perfect People, Yell Out, a few others...and closed with Bro Hymn as usual. I was crowd surfing to Society and another song and didn't get dropped.
It was a Hot Hot day. I had a bottle of water with me, but I knew that I'd be refilling it a few thousand times. By the time pw was done, the tankards were empty. Not really surprised. I had plenty of freebies like freezies and stuff that random people share and test my immune system with.
The Unseen was boring. I liked them more the first 3 times I watched them. Instead, I ended up missing Throwdown on another stage which I regret. The only other regret I had was not catching the Johnsons and The Action Design leaving before I could pick up the disc.
Coheed and Cambria played @ 6:40. I sat in the shade of the sound booth and enjoyed there set very much. Both new songs and old were played which made me happy. Even better yet was that the singer wasn't slamming back JD this time, and the lyrics matched when the notes were played.
Bad Religion.
What more can I really say? Just wow. Great songs. I remained (standing) at the other sound booth in the shade. No More Moshing! Not in 37°C heat anyways. After the set, I beat a ~37 year old guy asking the sound booth guy for the set list. Sweeet. He was cool about it though. Due to technical difficulties, BR did not end with Insect as planned, but rather Epiphany. They also played American Jesus, Sorrow...goood tunes!
On departing (circa survive had yet to play), I ran into a friend that I see at most shows I go to. I asked him how he enjoyed it. He said: "Man that sucked" and was serious. The frustrating thing is that he's there, in that parking lot waiting to get out, in a carfull of people that came down together and I totallly loved every minute of it, and didn't even need anyone there to enjoy it with.
My cousin fed me beers in Airdrie. I almost hooked up with colleen from trinity or ashton from concrete tobaggon but it didn't quite work out this time. It was a fun time either way. And I didn't even MISS not being at work making money like all of my mature grown-up friends.
June 25, 2007
RE: F'd up World (and Satanic Surfers)
A couple other ideas that I wanted to get out there regarding my earlier post include:
1. The desire to love and be loved may be the ROMANTIC's reason to settling into a so-called life with their significant other, but a more cynical/truthful reason might be because people just want to get LAID. And the best way to do that is to have money to get stuff that will in effect make you more appealing to the other person that will help you do that. So yes maybe love, but more likely it's sex. Then greed. Then envy.
and B:
The Satanic Surfers wrote a song about judgement, growing up, and differences in ideals and here's the lyrics:
1. The desire to love and be loved may be the ROMANTIC's reason to settling into a so-called life with their significant other, but a more cynical/truthful reason might be because people just want to get LAID. And the best way to do that is to have money to get stuff that will in effect make you more appealing to the other person that will help you do that. So yes maybe love, but more likely it's sex. Then greed. Then envy.
and B:
The Satanic Surfers wrote a song about judgement, growing up, and differences in ideals and here's the lyrics:
what ever
I have my opinions and try to stick to them. Call them childish if you want,but I guess the concept of that depends on who sets the norm.
And if submitting to the expectations of our surrounding means growing up, I'll try whole-heartedly to refuse.
And I hope you're wrong when you say I'm acting like a kid and one day I'll grow out of it.
There's clearly a differance on what we define as significant matters, but isn't it funny how everything that's important to me is trivial to you?
And it's hard not to notice when you express your self so explicitly with harsh words and pleasantries to ridicule me. Harsh words...You can say what ever you might have to say about me, but doesn't mean that I have got to give a shit.
June 23, 2007
Death By Stereo Quotes
Some of the most energetic, inspiring, anti-establishment, emotion-filled lyrics are sang by Death By Stereo's Efrem Shulz:
"you take another one in the back/you take another one in the teeth/i got a veil over my eyes/ this f*#$ing country wont let me see!"
"ladies and gentleman: individuality has left the building"
"enforcing all your rules through policemen and tv/you are the worlds greatest artist/schoolbooks are you tapestry"
"your pop culture is shit/where do i stand as an individual in a cultureless society?!"
"i never wanted any of this/i reject your lifelessness/i want to live/i want to fly/i wll not let my freedom die! right now - im gonna chose to fight!"
"testosterone makes the world go round" - song title, death by stero.
"happiness in america equals dollar signs - tell me why!"
"when you don't run straight into the sun, you'll never see the light/ if you don't open up your eyes, in darkness you will die!"
"SAVING THE WORLD'S GREAT - BUT I HAVE TO SAVE MYSELF FIRST!"
"you take another one in the back/you take another one in the teeth/i got a veil over my eyes/ this f*#$ing country wont let me see!"
"ladies and gentleman: individuality has left the building"
"enforcing all your rules through policemen and tv/you are the worlds greatest artist/schoolbooks are you tapestry"
"your pop culture is shit/where do i stand as an individual in a cultureless society?!"
"i never wanted any of this/i reject your lifelessness/i want to live/i want to fly/i wll not let my freedom die! right now - im gonna chose to fight!"
"testosterone makes the world go round" - song title, death by stero.
"happiness in america equals dollar signs - tell me why!"
"when you don't run straight into the sun, you'll never see the light/ if you don't open up your eyes, in darkness you will die!"
"SAVING THE WORLD'S GREAT - BUT I HAVE TO SAVE MYSELF FIRST!"
June 22, 2007
Why the World is So F'd.
Right. So as I was saying, I have some serious problems the ways that this city is run. Sure the province doesn't do a great job. And the fed's: not much better either. Maybe it's just too many years of punk rock influencing my life, but I really do object to the way that a LOT of things are just taken as the norm in industrialized "rich" countries and how people just go on with their lives day after day. I mean, I understand it, but I just do not accept it.
I think that the main reason behind the majority of society accepting this status quo is because of that wonderful thing called love. The need and desire to provide care and affection for that special someone. And to have that care and affection returned. One of the easiest, most tangible ways of achieving this is through affording material things or experiences. Without the capitalistic demands that consume our every day lives in this high intensity, heavily commercialized place called home, I would like to think that people would take a second to see how their lives are dictated by the government's media and demand for us to consume. Without it, surely there would still be greed because people know that these things exist. But maybe in a slower-paced place (out of the city? the province?? the country???) this sort of thing would be to a much lesser extent, where people can just enjoy life more, and attempt to live and love without having others telling you how to do it.
Admittedly, there are hippies and self-sustained, independant couples out there that take no heed to (american) pop culture bullshit, and some do-gooders out there that can find that love and not feel the need to shower eachother with extravagances. But in the whole scheme of things, these people make up the minority of the Canadian population.
I want to be someone that can be happy and in love, but not if it costs me any more of the ethics and morals that have already been detached from my individuality or personality or whatever, due to years of desensitization.
I think that the main reason behind the majority of society accepting this status quo is because of that wonderful thing called love. The need and desire to provide care and affection for that special someone. And to have that care and affection returned. One of the easiest, most tangible ways of achieving this is through affording material things or experiences. Without the capitalistic demands that consume our every day lives in this high intensity, heavily commercialized place called home, I would like to think that people would take a second to see how their lives are dictated by the government's media and demand for us to consume. Without it, surely there would still be greed because people know that these things exist. But maybe in a slower-paced place (out of the city? the province?? the country???) this sort of thing would be to a much lesser extent, where people can just enjoy life more, and attempt to live and love without having others telling you how to do it.
Admittedly, there are hippies and self-sustained, independant couples out there that take no heed to (american) pop culture bullshit, and some do-gooders out there that can find that love and not feel the need to shower eachother with extravagances. But in the whole scheme of things, these people make up the minority of the Canadian population.
I want to be someone that can be happy and in love, but not if it costs me any more of the ethics and morals that have already been detached from my individuality or personality or whatever, due to years of desensitization.
June 20, 2007
Rant Number 1.
Edmonton is my home. It has been for 23 years now. Long time right? Yeah...but I think I must just be getting sick of it.
Whether it be the failing infrastructure, ineffective police force, crappy transit system, or idiotic city council, it all adds up to being One Big Mess.
The good news I have is I am getting outta this city for 2 weeks at the end of August when I check out the Big Apple and D.C. in the land of the free. And I am getting kind of excited to go to Calgary for warped tour even if noone joins me, too.
That is all for now bc I am seeing some bigass lightning coming in from the window behind me.
Whether it be the failing infrastructure, ineffective police force, crappy transit system, or idiotic city council, it all adds up to being One Big Mess.
The good news I have is I am getting outta this city for 2 weeks at the end of August when I check out the Big Apple and D.C. in the land of the free. And I am getting kind of excited to go to Calgary for warped tour even if noone joins me, too.
That is all for now bc I am seeing some bigass lightning coming in from the window behind me.
June 18, 2007
My Dismal Failure.
Well there are sooo many ways that I fail so dismally time & time again (with girls, with life, etc.) , but for now (since I have already spent many many hours online today, I will actually admit to signing on...errr...currently being signed onto facebook as I type.
The thing is, I am really hoping to get my butt to Warped Tour this year & don't have any real plans on how I am doing it or who I am going with. If I had the chance to go with anyone in the Whole World, it would be with A Really Hot Girl that wouldn't mind holding onto some of the merch I pick up. But since I am soo fugging ukly, I will not have a Really Hot Girl joining me yet again this year. Unless, the affianced ms. stirling shows up, or lanabanana, so we could do a redo of 2004, but I am not counting on it...heathers are all so hot. If I cant have a girl joining me at all this year, I would like to think that mkyle would do it up, or perhaps even mattlong/scott. But everyone is either working, or SOOO into their relationship with his or her significant other, that there is virtually no interest at all in going to "punkshows", if you will.
Where is this going? facebook has ultimate powers to create events and invite "friends" to these events, really - very easily. At this point, I dont give a shit who comes with me, I'd even go with YOU, but I do wanna go...Chances are, I wont even be kicking in toooo many heads in the moshpit this year. I am 23 after all now. Not only that, but it would sure be bittersweet to see The Spill Canvas again, since the last time I saw them was with A Really Hot Girl that I was pretty in love with. awwww. cry me a river justin timberlake, right? k, the hell with that emo shit. Now let's quit this fricking blogging and get to bed.
ERRR! Soo many rants: Basically the fact that there is STILL a stolen car parked outside the front of my house is really pissing me off now. Time for bed. Now. Also the RCMP pension scandal is pretty gay too.
The thing is, I am really hoping to get my butt to Warped Tour this year & don't have any real plans on how I am doing it or who I am going with. If I had the chance to go with anyone in the Whole World, it would be with A Really Hot Girl that wouldn't mind holding onto some of the merch I pick up. But since I am soo fugging ukly, I will not have a Really Hot Girl joining me yet again this year. Unless, the affianced ms. stirling shows up, or lanabanana, so we could do a redo of 2004, but I am not counting on it...heathers are all so hot. If I cant have a girl joining me at all this year, I would like to think that mkyle would do it up, or perhaps even mattlong/scott. But everyone is either working, or SOOO into their relationship with his or her significant other, that there is virtually no interest at all in going to "punkshows", if you will.
Where is this going? facebook has ultimate powers to create events and invite "friends" to these events, really - very easily. At this point, I dont give a shit who comes with me, I'd even go with YOU, but I do wanna go...Chances are, I wont even be kicking in toooo many heads in the moshpit this year. I am 23 after all now. Not only that, but it would sure be bittersweet to see The Spill Canvas again, since the last time I saw them was with A Really Hot Girl that I was pretty in love with. awwww. cry me a river justin timberlake, right? k, the hell with that emo shit. Now let's quit this fricking blogging and get to bed.
ERRR! Soo many rants: Basically the fact that there is STILL a stolen car parked outside the front of my house is really pissing me off now. Time for bed. Now. Also the RCMP pension scandal is pretty gay too.
June 16, 2007
A Few Ground Rules
Since a lot of time is wasted online, when a person could really be doing better things like watching TV or setting something on fire, I thought it was appropriate to set a few ground rules regarding the sites I visit and time spent on each of these sites.
Especially with respect to the addictiveness of facebook (and even myspace to some extent) I am declaring NOW that I will only allow myself to visit each of these sites on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays for no more than 30minutes each session total.
In addition, some of my rants, criticisms and other ramblings will likely be copied from those 2 sites and modified into something even better onto here. Things like my many posts in the Angry Bitter People group should definately make it over here at least some time in the future. Things like my music and pictures should get up on here to at some point, but figuring that crap out is not really my priority either.
Well it's time to go do something else now. Tonight should be fun. I will either end up at the starlite room watching Our Mercury & Wednesday Night Heroes, or else, burning something.
Especially with respect to the addictiveness of facebook (and even myspace to some extent) I am declaring NOW that I will only allow myself to visit each of these sites on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays for no more than 30minutes each session total.
In addition, some of my rants, criticisms and other ramblings will likely be copied from those 2 sites and modified into something even better onto here. Things like my many posts in the Angry Bitter People group should definately make it over here at least some time in the future. Things like my music and pictures should get up on here to at some point, but figuring that crap out is not really my priority either.
Well it's time to go do something else now. Tonight should be fun. I will either end up at the starlite room watching Our Mercury & Wednesday Night Heroes, or else, burning something.
June 15, 2007
(no title) <---this title added dec2016 so there'd be something to click on
SO.
once upon a time there was this little thing called indecline.net.
it was wonderful.
Some friends were made, some knoweledge was gained about the local music scene (amongst other more outlandish concepts) and most importantly, much of my time was very well wasted.
Then it died.
I was sad.
BUT!
Soon thereafter came along a bigger more friendlier networking site called Hi5. turns out, it was pretty gay. Especially in comparison with all that MYSPACE! was offering at the same time. After not very long, 60 out of my 140 friends on myspace.com were bands. Then after that, I actually heard rumours of really interesting nex music forums - but i didn't (for once) fall into that trap. Alas, I was stuck for much of my networking and browsing Hot Girls' Profiles on myspace and myspace alone. Until...the horrid amazing disgusting incredible consuming exhilarating powers of the facebook. Really, it is just quite annoying. "Refresh"! Inbox has (1) New Messages! Sweet!!! ...Then there's the groups you join, events you are invited to, and random poking or "wall writing" that people harrass you with that you haven't talked to since highschool or before. Facebook has really got it all: it's like a soap opera on your laptop. "(insert_name) is no longer in a relationship." "8 of your friends have joined the group called "I judge you when you use poor grammar."" I think I have about 3 girls that I used to date as "friends" on there, some friends that aren't friends at all are on there, and some friends that are just sooo retarded that they use online messaging to base there entire friendship on are there too.
In summary, this blog was begun in order to reprieve myself from everything evil online. Whether it be a desire to look at pictures of ALL My Hot Exgirlfriends, (or gf's who ought to be mine!) or to write some outrageous statement on someone's wall just to get a reaction, no more. Here is where it's at! Rants, criticisms, happy stories?, Life Altering News, or just to continue wasting time, here is where it's going to be. Welcome to my blogspot.
once upon a time there was this little thing called indecline.net.
it was wonderful.
Some friends were made, some knoweledge was gained about the local music scene (amongst other more outlandish concepts) and most importantly, much of my time was very well wasted.
Then it died.
I was sad.
BUT!
Soon thereafter came along a bigger more friendlier networking site called Hi5. turns out, it was pretty gay. Especially in comparison with all that MYSPACE! was offering at the same time. After not very long, 60 out of my 140 friends on myspace.com were bands. Then after that, I actually heard rumours of really interesting nex music forums - but i didn't (for once) fall into that trap. Alas, I was stuck for much of my networking and browsing Hot Girls' Profiles on myspace and myspace alone. Until...the horrid amazing disgusting incredible consuming exhilarating powers of the facebook. Really, it is just quite annoying. "Refresh"! Inbox has (1) New Messages! Sweet!!! ...Then there's the groups you join, events you are invited to, and random poking or "wall writing" that people harrass you with that you haven't talked to since highschool or before. Facebook has really got it all: it's like a soap opera on your laptop. "
In summary, this blog was begun in order to reprieve myself from everything evil online. Whether it be a desire to look at pictures of ALL My Hot Exgirlfriends, (or gf's who ought to be mine!) or to write some outrageous statement on someone's wall just to get a reaction, no more. Here is where it's at! Rants, criticisms, happy stories?, Life Altering News, or just to continue wasting time, here is where it's going to be. Welcome to my blogspot.
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