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2011-09-22T20:00:00.000-06:00

So. Another school year has started, and I am mostly enjoying school once again. I'm currently taking a diploma course for web development and design, because I am sick of university. It is a pleasant and nicely paced change. The instructors know my name, I have friends that are in every single one of my classes, and I am actually learning practical, real-life skills that I will be able to utilize when I begin to work in the field. One of the biggest changes is that I once more am able to engage the artistic side of my brain… something that I have been neglecting for the last six years. Another change is the difference between the type of people in technical school as compared to university… this breed is much less well dressed, not nearly as well groomed, and they don't quite have a grasp on the meaning of such words as "shower", "deodorant", and "razor". In my spare time (also when I am bored during a lecture), I have taken to sketching whatever thing comes to mind. Now my mind is not a place for anyone valuing their sanity to venture, and the things that come out on paper, more often than not, lack even a hope of basic comprehension. However, once in a while I do have some sort of theme in mind before I begin drawing, this piece is one such item. It both conveys the (over-)generalized physical appearance of many students, as well as my personal feelings towards the more outspoken ones who choose to disregard the standards of interaction within a 'normal' social situation. I need to have more grace.

line 48 = variable not defined
string error, could not execute
P = later y'all

Today

2011-08-02T15:44:00.001-06:00

The work ethic of my generation disgusts me.

I Didn't Know This Existed

2011-04-16T13:37:00.000-06:00

Where have you been all my life?

Dave Barnes - Until You.

Let's just take our time

There's nothing else to do
What better way to spend the night than wasting it with you

The moon has won the war
The daylight waits to end
Stay here by my side
We'll watch the struggle start again

I need you now and forever so stay right here with me
Don't ever leave
Love was kept from me like a secret
And I swore that I was through until you
Until you

The city settles down
I watch you as you sleep
There's a silent celebration for every breath you breathe

Now this all makes sense
With you as company I left all I knew and found a better part of me
Yeah
Yeah

I need you now and forever so stay right here with me
Don't ever leave
Love was kept from me like a secret
And I swore that I was through until you
Until you

The time it took to find you
I would wait again my baby
The feelings that I feel with you now
Yeah
Yeah

I need you now and forever so stay right here with me
Don't ever leave
Love was kept from me like a secret
And I swore that I was through until you
Until you
Until you
Until you

Ah! The Snowfall.

2011-01-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

I like winter. As a matter of fact, I like whatever season the big man decides to send our way. What I don't like is driving in the snow... and we have plenty of it. It does look very beautiful...

Dear City of Edmonton:

Thank you for putting the snow removal crews on shifts to be running 24 hours until residential streets are cleared. This is what our tax dollars pay for. The side streets were, and mostly still are, horrendous to drive on. It's like driving on an potholed gravel road without any struts or shocks, whilst not having much control over the steering of the motor vehicle, but rather giving in to the guidance of the semi-permanent ruts that are like mini-Grand Canyons lining the middle of our streets.

Anyways, as I was saying… thank you. However, when you do decide to clear a street, some prior notice would be much appreciated. Especially when the aforementioned activity is performed at two o'clock in the morning. Reason: my little Civic handles the weather and the snow conditions pretty decently, it however, is not a 4x4, and does not sport a lift package with hydraulics or off-road tires, it is a basic 'old-man' looking Civic. Therefore (as any common sense or logic would suggest), my car is completely unable to scale, drive over, jump, run up, or otherwise surpass an embankment measuring approximately 1.5 feet high by 2 feet wide.

Now I know that the snow removal crews are busy (obviously), but I can not help but feel that this was some spiteful stunt to force me to spend 40 minutes of my evening chipping away at, and relocating said embankment. Not cool.

I am generally OK with the idea of shovelling the sidewalk (after all, it is where people walk). What I'm not OK with is shovelling the street… by hand. Not fun.

To all the courteous citizens of this drab Northern city:

Thank you for being patient and courteous to the other drivers on the road, for being cautious when someone temporarily has a lapse in control of their vehicle, for moving over to allow someone to pass on the narrowed side streets, and for lending a hand when it comes to helping push someone out of a rut. You are part of a vast minority. Much appreciated.

To all of you who are impatient, uncourteous, disrespectful, drive like it's the friggin' Indy 500, or-you-just-drive-a-large-truck-so-you-think-you-own-the-road: Screw You.
*For those of you who drive a large truck like a complete moron... we all know why you own such a type of vehicle. What I don't understand is why you decide to advertise the fact in such a blatantly obvious manner.

I like music with successfully integrated harmonicas.

The Physics of Christmas

2010-12-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

1) No known species of reindeer can fly, but there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified. While most of these are insects and germs, this does not COMPLETELY rule out flying reindeer which only Santa has ever seen.

2) There are 2 billion children in the world (persons under 18), but since Santa doesn't (appear to) handle Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or Buddhist children, that reduces the workload by 85% of the total - leaving 378 million according to the Population Reference Bureau. At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 91.8 million homes. One presumes there is at least one good child per house.

3) Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different times zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels East to West (which seems logical). This works out to 822.6 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with good children, Santa has 1/1000th of a second to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stocking, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, get into the sleigh, and move on to the next house. Assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false, but for the purposes of our calculations we will accept), we are talking about .78 miles per household, a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting stops to do what most of us do at least once every 31 hours... plus feeding... etc. That means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second: 3,000 times the speed of sound. For the purpose of comparison: the fastest man-made vehicle on earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run, top speed, 15 miles per hour.

4) The payload on the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming each child get nothing more than a medium-sized Lego set (2 pounds, the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tons, not counting Santa, who is invariably described as overweight. On land, conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting the "flying reindeer" can pull TEN TIMES that normal amount, we cannot do the job with eight, or even nine. We need 214,200 reindeer. This increases payload... not even counting the weight of the sleigh, to 353,430 tons. Again, for comparison: this is four times the weight of the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2.

5) 353,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance. This will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair will each absorb 14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy per second. In short, they will burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and creating a deafening sonic boom in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized in 4.26 thousandths of a second. Santa meanwhile, will be subject to centrifugal forces 17,500.06 times greater than gravity. A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by a 4,315,015 pound force.

In conclusion, if Santa ever DID deliver presents on Christmas Eve, he's now dead. (This will be something you can tell your kids someday!)

Yay!

http://www.jimgeary.com/faves/joxe/JOXSCE05.HTM

Ciabatta Wha?

2010-11-06T14:20:00.000-06:00

Everytime. It happens everytime.

Thought bubble: *"Mmmm... that ciabatta bread sandwich looks delicious. But, remember last time? It was dry and about as flavourful as cardboard... hmmm..."*

And then I end up getting said sandwich... and it always tastes like cardboard.

Are you a tree?

Purdy

2010-10-25T21:26:00.001-06:00

A warm purring cat in my lap. Pretty close to the best thing ever.

Quirks

2010-09-08T10:23:00.000-06:00

I guess it is a New Zealand 'thing' to say "multi-choice" rather than "multiple choice". Interesting how each culture has their own little quirks with things, and differing terminology for things...

Mikeschair

2010-08-29T14:34:00.000-06:00

Let The Waters Rise

Don't know where to begin
It's like my world's caving in
And I tried but i can't control my fear
Where do I go from here

Sometimes it's so hard to pray
You feel so far away
I am willing to go where You want me to
God I trust You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If you want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
Cuz You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach

God You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If you want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding on to You

God your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If you want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

Summer Daze

2010-08-27T16:32:00.000-06:00

Today has been good…

I got to wear jeans to work.

I had Cinnzeo for breakfast.

Tim Hortons gave me my coffee for free.

Everyone was in a good mood at work.

Work provided pizza for lunch.

I got an early shift, the sun is shining, and it is 6C warmer than it was supposed to be.

And my brother is cooking me steak for dinner.

Solid.

Don't Screw With My Friends

2010-08-17T17:27:00.000-06:00

I finally quit *that other* job that I was working casual part-time. I walked out. They decided to deal with one of my co-workers (also a friend) in an inappropriate and unprofessional manner, of which, I have absolutely no patience for. My shift was nearly over, so I informed the manager that I would not be returning, and if she required my resignation in writing, that I would be happy to provide it for her.

There has been many issues that have arose and been resolved over my four years with that company, but I had reached the end of my proverbial rope when they decided to mess around with one of my friends. That is where the line is drawn. I don't need to work for people who exercise the extent of their authority for their own personal gratification. Also, I am not a child, so do not speak to me, or treat me as if I am one. The manager should have gone on maternity leave a little sooner than she is going to be.

Upon relaying the day's events to another friend and co-worker, she too, made the decision to quit. So as a day's record, the company lost: 1 by firing, and 2 by resulting voluntary resignation. I hope they are good and pleased with themselves, tickled silly to the core of their fuzzy, warm hearts.

Smile. Smile Like The Mindless Fool I Can Be.

2010-08-05T21:26:00.000-06:00

I have moments where I find myself sitting there, smiling like a court jester for absolutely no reason… well, sometimes there is a reason, but I don't always care to share.

Like now… I should be kind of down right now, but a short minute ago I was sitting here alone with a foolish grin on my face. Sometimes everything just feels right. Sometimes existence is easy. Other times its not, or I'm just being a pessimistic *****.

But for now, I am smiling, happy. You might not see it, but its there.

Wowee

2010-07-13T13:19:00.000-06:00

So been a long time again, and it has come to me forcing myself to sit down and take the time to write.

Went to the stampede this past weekend and had a wonderful time with a good friend from high school who is living and working down there over the summer.

Recently got back into dating as well, found a wonderful girl and well see where it leads…

Ok I think that is all for my fragmented thoughts…

I am ridiculously excited for Rock the River on August 28... Starfield… Flyleaf… TFK… The Almost… Downhere… Skillet… its pretty much going to be amazing. I think although August tends to point to the end of summer, I am looking forward to the events that are coming. Hopefully going to go to BC for a week, it would be welcome time away from our city.

Beth, I think I may attempt to do your 30-day letter challenge. It would help sort out some of my thoughts.

The Voices In My Head

2010-05-13T18:08:00.000-06:00

It makes me laugh everytime that I see someone with a Bluetooth, iPhone headset, or some other discrete form of hands-free telecommunication accessory that they for whatever reason decide to use in public. Now we are all guilty of talking to the voices in our heads at one point or another, but usually the act is not committed when other people are present.

*Fin

Microwaved Brain Matter

2010-04-23T12:45:00.000-06:00

Exams are soon to be over, and summer will then commence. Unlike last summer where I just worked all summer and took only five days of vacation, I will be making this summer more productive, and I will be taking more holidays.

I have decided to learn how to play the guitar over the course of this summer. I have hijacked my father's hippy twelve string that he bought sometime in the seventies, and really hasn't touched since that time. It is complete with rusted strings (which I will need to replace), and a fantastically gay looking painting of a hummingbird, some butterflies, and flowers on the pick guard... I shall have to take nail polish remover to it to eradicate that problem. Its a rather nice looking guitar (minus the painting), so I did a little research on it and found out that it is a Japanese knock-off of a Gibson... Ah well, as long as it plays well and sounds half decent under control of my nimble fingers, it shall serve its purpose just fine.

I have also bought new running shoes and shorts, and plan on running in the mornings, rather than watching television until whatever hour of the morning, and then sleeping until noon or mid afternoon. The days I have gone running so far have just left me sore and partially winded, but I'm sure that will pass with time.

Over Canada Day I hope to visit beautiful Vancouver where my aunt and uncle reside. I was going to fly out there, but flights aren't the cheapest things to purchase these days, so I will be taking a road trip with my mother.

Going on the theme of road trips… a friend and myself made the impromptu decision to take a road trip out to Seattle in August. We have a couple of other people potentially interested in going. The aforementioned friend was excited to see Tooth & Nail Records, and was ignorant of basically all the cultural attractions that Seattle holds. Such as the first Starbucks… or the Space Needle… or the boardwalk… or Pike Place urban market… or the Seattle music project and museum… and on the list goes…

This is the plan anyways... things always change... are always changing. We'll see what holds together.

The Bravery

2010-04-23T12:44:00.000-06:00

Believe

The faces all around me they don't smile they just crack
Waiting for our ship to come but our ships not coming back
We do our time like pennies in a jar
What are we saving for

There's a smell of stale fear that's reeking from our skins.
The drinking never stops because the drinks absolve our sins
We sit and grow our roots into the floor
But what are we waiting for?

So give me something to believe
Cause I am living just to breathe
And I need something more
To keep on breathing for
So give me something to believe

Something's always coming you can hear it in the ground
It swells into the air
With the rising
Rising sound
And never comes but shakes the boards and rattles all the doors
What are we waiting for

So give me something to believe
Cause I am living just to breathe
And I need something more
To keep on breathing for
So give me something to believe

I am hiding from some beast
But the beast was always here
Watching without eyes
Because the beast is just my fear
That I am just nothing
Now its just what I've become
What am I waiting for
Its already done

Questions of life.

2010-03-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Why do plans never go the way they are planned? I mean aren't things supposed to go in numerical, alphabetical... whatever kind of order they placed in? So why do our plans, our time, our resources, and ultimately our lives never seem to follow the ideal path we pictured.

Well I guess the answer lies in the fact that that would just not be life then... it would be a predictable and known sequence of events that are bound to happen to us in a predetermined order. Boring.

I value spontaneity, it keeps things interesting. I decided long ago that one of these days I am going to drive to the airport, park my car, and take the next flight out. I haven't decided if it needs to be the next flight out of the country, or just the next one out of the airport.

Planning is generally beneficial, but I find that not having plans, and just deciding as you go makes things a whole lot more interesting. Anyone up for a spontaneous adventure?

P.S. I am really beginning to hate it when people ask me what I plan to do after I am done university.

Spring

2010-03-04T12:48:00.001-07:00

I just had the realization that it has been nearly two months since I actually spent the time to write a real post.

Time has been haunting me again lately... how fast it goes, where it goes, and the fact that you don't get it back. But I digress... if I head down that road this will become much more brooding and depressing than I intend...

Spring is truly in the air. (Cliché I know...) March in Alberta and the weather has been hanging above zero for around two weeks now. Simply bliss. It is so nice to get up in the morning and not have to scrape off a frosted windshield.

I need to manage my time better. There are things that have been sitting waiting to get done for quite some time now, and anytime that I actually have the time to do them, i either find something 'better' to do, or just put it off. I suppose I have just become great at making excuses to not do things that I don't feel like doing.

Sorry this has kinda been all over the place...

Epic! (In The Non-Cliché, Genuinely-Awesome Sort Of Way)

2010-02-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

Quite possibly the best band I have heard in a very, very long time. They have everything... the excellent vocals... infectious beat/tune... and stellar musical ability.

Check them out: Carpark North

http://www.carparknorth.dk/

http://www.myspace.com/carparknorth

Just in case you didn't get it before... these guys are friggin' awesome!

Frozen Ocean...

2010-01-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep
I've lost the urge to sing
No one's left a friend
The cost of ill pretend
Where'd you go?
I need you now
I said ooh-ooh

Ten thousand miles apart
A frozen ocean joins our hearts
I can't wait to meet you when
The frozen waves meet ocean floors
You'll be standing on the shore
I can't wait to meet you then

I still dream
But what should I believe
Frozen shapes to bend
Impossible sets in
Lost again
Still alone
I said ooh-ooh

Ten thousand miles apart
A frozen ocean joins our hearts
I can't wait to meet you when
The frozen waves meet ocean floors
You'll be standing on the shore
I can't wait to meet you then

-Shiny Toy Guns

Fly...

2010-01-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

"I hate birds... I get mad when I see them flying... and I can't."

~Anonymous

Beauty in the Broken

2010-01-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

The human experience is truly an amazing one. (Thank you J for sharing PostSecret.) It has prompted me into much thinking about interactions with people around us. It is awe inspiring, depressing, hopeful, and sad all at the same time. Most of all, it just makes me marvel at the diversity and depth of people.

I find myself walking past people on campus and wondering what they are thinking, what feelings they are experiencing and how they are dealing with and making the most of this experience of life that we only get once.

I was sitting having coffee about half an hour ago and this person was sitting across from me... not really staring, but didn't stop looking at me for about ten minutes. I don't know if I might have looked familiar to them or something... I couldn't help but think that maybe they were wondering what I was thinking... as I was of them.

The complexity of interaction is something that has been plaguing me. We are obsessed with not insulting people or creating awkward situations, yet there are times that I really wish I could just say what I want to without having to worry about offending someone.

I see people sometimes, and think that it would be cool to be friends with them. Building a relationship takes time, I understand, but I find that people these days back off so quickly if you open up to them, and if you simply act friendly, they misread you and back off about as fast as they can. Relationships are about getting hurt, learning, adjusting, and working to make it better. Try a little tenderness, be friendly, and open yourself to the human experience. Experience interactions to the fullest; time is something that you never know how much you have left.

What do you wish would happen before the end of today?

days...weeks...years

2010-01-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

I find myself thinking about life a lot lately. Wondering why, to what end... It all becomes depressing after a while.

I think about time a lot lately as well. Where has time gone? It feels like a decade since events that only occurred two years ago... and even at that... two years already.

Friends getting married, moving away, growing apart. I worry that I'll awake one morning and everything will be too different for me to handle, or that everything will have changed overnight.

Music keeps me grounded, music is the language of the soul.

Life

2009-12-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Finals are upon us, its that time of year again... and then Christmas break. Looking very forward to the time off of school, and some time off of work as well.

I still resent the gross commercialism of Christmas, though I am having a better time dealing with it this year. I shall have to see if I put a "I Hate Commercialized Christmas and This Is Why (p.II)" in the works. Stay tuned...

Also check out the new links section on the side bar===========>

Subscribe to Strikethrough 8's YouTube channel!

Model?

2009-11-25T12:17:00.001-07:00

I did a photo shoot for a friend taking photography at NAIT on Sunday. So much fun, and we got some pretty awesome shots too...

Maybe I should pursue the whole modelling thing... or not, I barely find the time to sleep.

Three days of classes left, whoot!

Tabloids.

2009-11-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

Chris and Rihanna: Everybody is SICK of hearing about your guy's private lives.

SWINE Flu

2009-11-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hey, what the heck, since everyone else is talking about it, why not.

First thing: This so called 'H1N1' influenza strain, is not really H1N1. H1N1 was the strain of the influenza that occurred in 1918, during the Spanish Flu epidemic. To call the previously dubbed 'Swine Flu' "Influenza A, subtype H1N1" would be the correct use of the scientific classification. However, to merely refer to the strain as 'H1N1' suggests that the current strain is the same that the world saw in 1918, which is completely incorrect and misguiding. Anyways...

Secondly: All of the seniors who have nothing better to do with their time, than to sit in mall food courts and chat with their friends over coffee, or go bowling really should not be congesting the line-ups at the vaccination clinics to get the vaccination shot. With an announced, and unexpected shortage in the supplies of the vaccine for this flu strain, only the priority groups of the population should be the ones receiving it, for they are the ones with an increased chance of dying, or suffering from long term effects. These people include:

People with chronic medical conditions under the age of 65.
Pregnant women.
Children six months of age to under five years of age.
People living in remote and isolated settings or communities.
Health-care workers involved in pandemic response or who deliver essential health services.
Household contacts and caregivers of individuals who are at high risk, and who cannot be immunized (such as infants under six months of age or people with weakened immune systems).

So, before you rush out to wait in line for 4 hours at a clinic, reconsider.

Blahging Ghost Town

2009-09-27T18:24:00.000-06:00

K, N, and Ky.... What seems to be the reason that you guys cannot publish a new post for once in like six months? I am going through blahging withdrawal here. C'mon now!

People...

2009-09-27T18:03:00.000-06:00

One of the largest determiners of attractiveness for a person is their facial expression. This may seem an odd concept at first thought, but it occurred to me the other day when I was helping a client and she was scowling the whole time. Other than the scowl she bore on her face, she was rather good looking, but the expression ruined the whole look for me. Since that day I have been watching people on campus, and off, going to work, and assisting clients at work.

... and it is still definitely true.

I even came across some women who were not stunning by any stretch of the word, but the open, pleasant, and generally positive expressions that they held on their faces made most other physical flaws negligible. Now, as in any case of such things as this, there are the exceptions... but I am not going to criticize people for the physical flaws that they were either born with, or are a result of lifestyle or otherwise.

So ladies (and I suppose the gentlemen as well), hold a positive countenance, it is almost always one's best asset. Plus people might actually want to talk to you then...

The Beginning of Wisdom

2009-09-16T11:48:00.000-06:00

"We hate to admit it but most of our fears are irrational. Everyday life just isn't that dangerous anymore. Technology, engineering, and modern medicine have eliminated most of the sharp edges.

Yet we can't escape our past. Our fears evolved as a basic survival mechanism. They arise in response to perceived threats, triggering a "fight or flight" response.

For most of us, it's flight (or avoidance). And studies show our fears are fairly universal: spiders, snakes, heights (... yo!), public speaking, and death.

As Jerry Seinfeld once said, "According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Does that sound right? This means at a funeral most people would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy."

Our greatest inhibitor, of course, is fear of failure.

Consciously or not, it can paralyze us, keeping us from applying for the promotion, taking the risk, meeting the girl, asking for the order, experiencing the unknown.

It's always easier to stick with the safe, the comfortable, the familiar.

Yet every time we choose safety we reinforce fear. We nurture it. Only when we overcome this debilitating emotion do we really begin to live.

"He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life," said Ralph Waldo Emerson.
How is fear conquered? By doing what we think we can't do, again and again.

When I was young, for example, public speaking made me nervous. Today, I relish the opportunity.

After a particularly turbulent flight 30 years ago, I was a white-knuckle flier. Now, I can't keep track of all my frequent flier miles.

Fear is the great barrier to success. It gives small things big shadows. It is the inverse of faith, trapping us between regret for the past and anxiety about the future.

Yet few things warrant the fear we grant them. We run not from genuine threats but imaginary bogeymen.

Perhaps that's why philosopher Bertrand Russell said, "To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom." Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from regret. Freedom from a life unlived."

-Alexander Green

Grind...ing?

2009-09-15T14:48:00.000-06:00

Ah the back to school grind... wait this sounds like deja vu... the difference is that this time the grind is in full swing. Labs, assignments, papers, readings, notes... and the list begins to grow. I have yet to actually read my textbooks this semester, the only function they are currently serving is to look important and fill up my shelf. I have two assignments and a lab report already due within the next 2 - 3 weeks, and that is in addition to a midterm for another class, and a quiz for another. Awesome.

In a weird and slightly messed up sense, it is good to be back at school. I like being busy, though at times I feel like poking out my eyes with the pen that I happen to be writing with at that moment. Fun fun. I am still working two jobs, though I have not worked at the one since Labour Day. It is super nice to be able to pick when I want to work.

I also am making an effort this year to do things other than school and work. I am helping out with Campus Alpa (www.campusalpha.org), and am trying to find a mixed choir that practices at times that work with my schedule. This semester is going to be way better than last year/semester. Yay for round two!

A Thinker...

2009-08-12T00:15:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite quotes...

“People who believe in a better way of life know that the way we live now is criminal. Denial of freedoms, starvation, and exploitation, denigration of people's capabilities everywhere. If you see that these outcomes are socially produced, then you understand that every person who dies was effectively murdered. Once you accept the possibility of attaining a humanist alternative, you have to be a terrible hypocrite, coward, or cynic to live passively with the contrast between what is and what could be.”

-Noam Chomsky -

That Time of Year

2009-08-09T14:01:00.000-06:00

Ah the anxiety of the pending back to school grind, I just love it.

Time...

I had a friend's wedding yesterday and it almost caused me an anxiety attack like I had last year. I don't know why, but after this second occurance I believe it is because I realize just how fast life is passing. Friends are getting married, moving away, and growing apart. I think it is in moments of realization like this that I panic, wondering why life is how it is. Why love seems like such a chore at times, and why there are so many daily obstacles to face. I cling to the fact that I can cast all my cares, worries, and anxiety on my creator, for He cares for me. I think that I would would be a blubbering mess if not for my faith in Him.

Part of the stress comes from not getting out of the city for the last year and a half. Which is why I am going out of town in a week and a half to go spend some time at a lake in BC. I sincerely hope it will be some time to rest and ease what seems to be chronic mental exhaustion, and time to refresh before hitting the books in September for round two. I've also decided that this school year I am going to make more time for fun things. I can't continue living and breathing work and school year round. Also... mid year resolution: be kinder and more gracious to people, less critical, and slower to judge.

Friends moving away...

Ky-- make wise decisions, act in ways that will help with the pursuit of your dreams and not in ways that will prevent them from happening. Have patience with your father, and look for love in the right places. Know that I love you and am always there for you. Don't give in to what is 'popular' to do, or 'cool'... because it is the things like this that are not what they appear to be... you have seen the path you sister is on. Such things are neither 'popular' or 'cool'. You are loved, you are a beautiful person, and you only deserve what will help you become a better person.

End note...

I got my Mac! It is gorgeous. And surprise surprise... no Windows problems... who'd have thought?

Love you all,

Ho Hum

2009-06-19T21:28:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone!

My apologies for my impromtu blahging hiatus. It was completely unintentional.

I totally thought that life might slow down when exams ended, however it didn't. Rather, it picked up with work instead. I have thought many times over the last month and a half... 'I should write a post for my blahg'... but then never got around to it. In addition, I don't really know why I chose tonight of all times to update. Nothing really exciting has happened besides...

COLDPLAY WAS HERE LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS THE FREAKIN' BEST CONCERT THAT I HAVE EVER BEEN TO IN MY LIFE!!! Snow Patrol opened for them and they were totally awesome too. I was not really super excited until after the opening bands had finished up, and then I had cold shivers of anticipation right through half of Coldplay's set. So to say the least... it was amazing.

I have been working crazy hours between the two jobs lately, which is good, but tiring at the same time. Good because I want to save some money before school starts again, and good because I have yet to buy my macbook, but bad because by the time Saturday rolls around I am so bagged all I want to do is crash. Ah well. C'est la vie. Before I know it classes will be starting again, and then I will be busy in a new way all over again...

Sun-shiny Day

2009-04-26T13:01:00.000-06:00

Ah the glorious weather that we receive in April. And I am not being sarcastic (besides the 'sun-shiny' part). Why do we complain about the weather? EVERYONE complains about the weather. Get used to it. We live in a changing climate. It may be 20C one day of the week and then -4C later in that same week. Always has been that way, and always will be.

Second topic: Had a customer yesterday make a comment about the weather, and it somehow lead to a 15 minute debate on 'Global Warming'.

His unfounded argument was that Earth is in fact cooling... I laughed silently at him in my head and went on very politely to explain:

carbon emissions, the exponential rise seen in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere in the past 20 years, the effects of human activity on the levels of carbon in the atmosphere, how statistics play a role in estimating the effects of these activities, scientific results from studies done on gas samples from ice cores dating back thousands of years, the state the atmosphere was in at the time of the last ice age, the effects of sun activity cycles and the Earth's tilt on its axis on the change of the seasons and level of greenhouse gasses, the natural release and cycling of carbon, the effects of the various Earth systems (rock cycle, water cycle... etc.)...

Needless to say, I blew his poor, and unfounded argument out of the water. Not in a mean way mind you, I was very civil and polite in countering his questions the entire time.

What gets me about people like these, is that they have no knowledge of the subject, and therfore they think that it is not a serious and highly influential topic. We may not know the full extent of our own activity on the global climate crisis, but the simple fact of the matter is that we are approaching atmospheric conditions that are very much like that which were apparently present before the beginning of the last ice age. In the end the Earth will regulate itself: much like the human body heals and regulates its various processes. Who really knows, or can estimate the effect this will have on us, and why would it really matter? If it is going to happen, it will happen, despite what we want.

The End

2009-04-08T16:55:00.000-06:00

CLASSES ARE OVER!!! WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!

Today after class I went to the beer gardens that were set up in the parking lot with K. She kept repeating "This is so shady." I asked her why and she responded "Beacause it is so shady."

...Good one, real descriptive.

So we settled for Dewey's instead, cause it is less 'shady'. K really doesn't like beer... it was really amusing though. Our original plan had been to go for coffee, and then I was like "Hey its the last day of classes and there are beer gardens set up, wanna go?" And that is the way the afternoon ended up... watching K almost gag after every swallow of beer and sweet potato fries.

At one point K asked "Why are we drinking at 2 in the afternoon?" and I responded with the classic "Its 5 o'clock somewhere."

Good times. Good beer. Good friends.

Cheers all.

Whee Hooo!

2009-04-03T13:04:00.000-06:00

So I got the paper done, it took seven hours and an extension request, but it is finished, and handed in. I hope I do as well as I did on the last one that I left until last minute.

3 days of classes left!!! Whoop!

...and then exams :b

...Tis alright, my exams are going to be a cinch... all except for one that is... oh well. All is well.

...Some guy just walked past me and he looked a little like Sadam Hussein. I think it was the guy that was running for the Faculty of Science presidency. Someone should tell him that army garb is not in right now, and especially when it makes you look like a communist or a dictator. I am so loving and gracious aren't I? (And only a slight bit on the sarcastic and citical side.)

Car salemen piss me off, next time I go vehicle shopping with someone, I am going to tell any wanker to piss off if they are being too pushy. Some bugger at the Kia dealership in Sherwood Park on Monday would not stop persisting with questions even after it was made clear that my friend would not be purchasing that evening. What I do not understand is how these people don't understand is that, the more they try to push a sale, the more resentful the customer becomes and the less likely that they will be to purchase. Imbeciles.

The Way Things Appear

2009-03-20T13:49:00.001-06:00

Let me start out by saying that Nicole is a creepy stalker. I did not see her for a number of weeks and then all of the sudden I see her twice in the span of less than three hours. Well, ok shes really not that creepy, I am the one that sings Italian to her after all. And she may have the same stalkery thoughts about seeing me twice today.

I have a 10 page research paper due next week. It was supposed to be due this coming Monday, but then my psychotic prof decided to push back the due date. I was even going to be able to get it done. Instead of being smart on Wednesday after finding out that I had more time to work on the paper and getting started on it, I went home, sat around, and watched movies. Yay for procrastination! It worked pretty well for me last time, I left the last paper until the night before, stayed up until 2 in the morning working on it, and ended up getting and A- on it. Whoop! I think that it is the time pressure that helps me pump papers out. In high school I was able to pump out a decent paper in 45 min, and now it takes me sometimes 8 to 12 hours to fully complete one depending on when I start and how solid my ideas are. Ugh. Oh well. As long as the marks pay off in the end.

I rather am enjoying English this year, we have been doing a whole lot of nothing, the only thing worth marks are the projects and papers, and it is a 6 credit course. Yay for boosting my GPA, cause I am going to pull an A in this one, easy! Another class I am going to do really well in without trying is my Earth Science class, I sleep through it most of the time and it is really not challenging at all. Though now that the lead prof for Earth Science is going to the Arctic for the rest of the semester, we get to listen to the more interesting of the two profs that I have for that class. So I may not sleep through that one as much as I have been in the past few weeks.

So my count was wrong last time, I did not realized that classes go until the 8th, but anyways...

13 days of classes left!

WOOOOHOOOOOO!

2009-03-16T12:59:00.000-06:00

I forgot to mention... I GOT WICKED SEATS FOR COLDPLAY!!! YAY!

Holee Molee

2009-03-15T22:24:00.000-06:00

Man, so that thing about updating this thing has not really panned out thus far. What the hay...meh.

So... the-12-days-of-classes-left-countdown-has-begun. Yay! And then work for the summer begins after exams.

Saw some friends tonight that I hold dear. It was really nice to have time together and remember times when time was not so hard to come by. I look forward more and more to the nights that I am able to just come home and crash and piddle around and do nothing.

I also accomplished getting my schedule together for next year. I just have to remember to get up at 6am the day I am allowed to enroll in those classes so that I will be guaranteed to get into them. As it turns out, my thought all of highschool that I would not need chemistry turned out to be a flub. I'm not stuck, but just in a bit of a pickle as to the classes that I am permitted to take with my lack of chem. I did not really realize how many of the classes offered by the faculty have chem of some kind listed as a prerequisite. Oh well, I will be able to work around it and continue to get away with avoiding chem.

I am not really sure why I never did take it. Guess it just seemed intimidating in Science 10 when I had issues with balancing the chemical equations. Again...meh. I get to take more exciting classes like 3 different psych courses in addition to entimology and zoology... sweet. Not really looking forward to the number of labs/appointments that go along with those classes though. I'll survive. If I can survive three physical science classes in one semester I can handle the classes already mentioned in addition to some lesser classes over the course of a year. Wow I did not really mean for this to turn into a full explaination of my life at the moment, but it did end up turning out that way.

Well, I think that I shall end this about here, and will possibly do some homework...

So not looking forward to the 10 page research paper that I have due on Friday that I have not yet started...

'HATE' is a strong word... HA!

2009-03-08T21:43:00.000-06:00

I HATE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.

The idiot who proposed what is modern daylight savings time is lucky that he is dead... because I would do cruel and unusual things to him with a rusty lead spoon. I swear.

Gaaarrrrrhhhhh.

Anyways...

I have had a couple brilliant moments in the past week:

1) I was walking to a class with a friend on Wednesday, and proceeded to tell her of a research paper that I have due in two weeks. Not two sentences into what I was going to say, did I stop, and just sigh in frustration. She laughed at me and responded "You mean like the research paper for English? Like, the class that we are walking to right now?" Wow P way to go! That was a bright move.

2) At work on Thursday. Take over for my co-worker, process the customer's transactions on my co-worker's login, and then spend the next 15 minutes after the customer has left trying to figure out why the transaction has not appeared under my login profile. Oh man. Time for bed.

3) In Safeway on Friday night. Pay for the stuff I was buying with my debit, and then proceeded to put my hand by the change machine in anticipation of receiving change for my debit purchase. Hahaha. I make myself laugh at me.

4) Go to a friend's party on Saturday, I don't bother to bring the invitation, because I figure I can remember the address. Do you think that I did? Not a chance. Guessed the wrong house by about half a block, freaked out some girls at the wrong house, when I showed up at the side door. LMAO.

So it has been an interesting week. All those moments of brainlessness (or lack of sleep) and now this wonderful concept of Daylight Savings Time, only to screw with my brain a tad bit more. Yay.

On a brighter side:

20 days of classes left. Whoop!

I Got The 'It' Factor Baby

2009-03-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah that's right. That about says it all. Hahaha.

The Candy Coated Killahz are radtastic.

One of my co-workers said to me this week:

"P, I can't believe that you are still single... If I were single I would hit on you."

I laughed and told her that I thought her comment would probably be considered hitting on me.

Later that night I asked a client if she would like her receipt. She responded "Ya... no... maybe... no... ya I will... hahahahaha (*blush*)" in a very failed flirtatious tone. I kinda laughed it off and when she left one of my co-workers was like "Oh yeah!". I humoured him, and then said "Yeah, no, she was really bad at flirting (and not really that hot)."

I think that I should just start winking at every chick that I catch checking me out. It seems to be happening more and more. Not that its a bad thing, I rather like it.

... Wow I sound so conceited, but I'm not... I'm too good for that.

Now

2009-02-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

So I decided that I have also been slacking with this as well and that I really should post more often.

And K, dang it, add me to your blahg list!

Say What?

2009-02-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

So I did the most brilliant thing of my University career thus far.

Scene:

Physics Monday morning, the day after reading week.

Waiting with my midterm infront of me for my prof's signal to begin.

I day dream and read the cover of the exam.

"Materials allowed: Calculator, ruler, pencil."

Alrighty, no problem, got it.

Daydream some more, read the cover page again.

8:58 am: it hits me..."Materials allowed: Calculator..." oh $hit...

Calculator.

Did I happen to bring that useful little tool?

No.

All of elementary and jr high one waits to be allowed to use a calculator to assist with math.

Now that there are few restrictions on the use of one's calculator, I pull the genius move of forgetting mine. Great.

Good thing that my physics course is theory and not math based.

I was lucky enough to encounter only 3 math related problems of which I was able to do the algebra and calculation in my head.

Phew. That was a close one.

Those two minutes before the start of the exam however I was sweatin' pretty bad.

And despite my moment of brainlessness I got a good mark on the exam.

I wonder how much better I will be able to do if I actually study and do my homework for this course? Hahaha.

I really do need to put more effort into my school work, I am such a slacker. I don't really know when I allowed average to be satisfactory for myself. Dang it P, work harder.

What?

2009-02-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

Ouch K. "It doesn't look like you have been invited to read this blog." That hurts. Invite me? :D

Heya!

2009-02-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

So life is pretty insane, two jobs and school will do that to ya.

I cannot wait for this week to be over. I have two midterms, three assignments, an essay, and a lab. Fun.

I am going to make the best of doing pretty much nothing during reading week.

Bloc Party is returning to Edmonton! And I got tickets! And I went to Anberlin two weeks ago! They were phenomenal! I love concerts!

It just occurred to me that I really hate banjos and accordians, but I quite enjoy Sufjan Stevens and Beirut. K, I dig your taste in music.

LIGHTS!

2009-01-15T20:31:00.001-07:00

I went to Lights last night. It was a good show. Shes really hot. She signed my shirt. Whoot!

Tdoay

2009-01-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

The ohetr day I dceiedd taht I was giong to witre a wohle bolg psntiog lkie tihs. Tdoay I dceiedd taht it was jsut giong to tkae too bdlooy lnog. Oh wlel. Wahveter.

As for my question at the end of the last post, you guys seem too frightened to even respond. You are not the ones who should be afraid. If I go through with it after all it will be me who has to go through the pain. And don't worry, of course I will show you.

WHOOO!

2009-01-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have to pee. Just thought that I would start off by sharing that with you guys.

I'm kinda bored. I have a two hour break every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and can never quite figure out what to do with my spare time. *Sigh* I guess it will be more apparent as time goes on and the need to study becomes more insistent. Thats what I get for being a full time student and working two jobs.

...I don't really know where I was going with that.

I get to go to Lights next Wednesday. She is super hot. And the venue she is playing at is nice and small so I should be able to get a good view of the show. Sweet. Its gonna be rockin'. And at the end of the month I am going to Anberlin. Frickin' ANBERLIN WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP! I missed the last time they were in town, so I am not going to this time. I can't wait.

It doesn't feel like Friday. It definitely feels earlier in the week than that.

I am thinking about getting my nipples pierced. What you all think about that? ;)

Until... what?

2009-01-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

"Until later all..."

When the heck did I begin to habitually tag that onto my blogs and words addressed to groups of people? Gosh that makes me sound so dorky.

HAHAHA do you know what a dork actually is? ...That was my moment of amusement for the day. Dork... pfft! Hehehe.

Hello World

2009-01-06T21:34:00.001-07:00

Greetings to you all. My apologies for being so long in boring you blahging folks with one of my useless rants. Over the break I worked a number of 12 hour shifts. I would do 8 to 2:30 at the first job, then I would go to the other job for 3 to 8... joyous fun.

I sang in choir on Christmas eve. It was a jolly good time. I have decided that singing is my way of venting most of my stress and anxiety. On top of that, my brother's gf and I have decided that we are going to join mixed choir at the U next year. We are also going to try-out for the 'elitest' jazz choir which apparently only accepts 12 members each year. I am looking forward to it. Maybe David Foster shall happen to come along and get my career going as a recording artist. I need someone to write my music for me though... I lack talent in the whole poetry/music writing department. Anyone?

The new job is wicked. And today my last client happened to be the fellow who was my student teacher in Grade 4. I did not recognize him at all. I had to recheck his name 3 times to be sure who it was.

This semester is rockin'... my classes:

Physics with Dr. Meldrum (what a name eh?)

Stats with some short nervous woman by the name of Kotovych

Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with some German fellow Dr. Haas

Astronomy with a Mr. Illia Silin (oober fun to say numerous times in a row) > this man I would have mistaken for being in his mid-20's if he did not have a head full of grey hair.

Nicole! I just thought of you! Like right now. You know why? Can you guess? Yeah thats it... the Italian opera. I chose to listen to Paul Potts tonight. So relaxing...

The other thing that rocks about this semester is that I don't have any classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that I have all of the textbooks that I need already. Whoop! Partay!

Well thats about all I have right now. Until later all...

Are you ready for it?

2008-12-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Alllllllllllllrrrrrrighty folks. You ready? ...

It is time for Peter's annual "Peter-Hates-Christmas-And-This-Is-Why" rant. Yay!

It is going to take a lot of will power to refrain from making use of select expletives. This whole Christmas thing the world has created really makes me really FRICKIN' PISSED OFF.

"Its that time of year"... when the western world goes mental, spends a collective 170 BILLION dollars on useless gifts that generally are not even appreciated, and goes on to stuff its putrid and disgusting gullet full of carb and sugary loaded goodness.

Do you know how much money 170 BILLION dollars is? 170 BILLION DOLLARS IS ENOUGH MONEY TO END WORLD POVERTY FOUR TIMES OVER.

"Santa Claus [is most definitely NOT] coming to town"... and you know why? Because Santa is a fake. A fake and a paedophile. A fake, a paedophile, and a vessel of consumer-high westerners to propagate the need for more, more, more, to their children that are barely old enough to walk. Santa was once simply 'Saint Nicholas'... a kindly Turkish bishop that would slip small gifts into the shoes of those that left them out for him. Now look. The gentle and kind figure of Saint Nick has been distorted and perveted into what Santa is today: a 300 pound 'jolly' man (why do you suppose he is "oh so jolly"?) that transports himself with flying reindeer, slips his obese body down tiny chimney openings by 'magic', only to leave materialistic gifts under a frickin' tree set up inside of a house (who even thought of that anyways?... a tree?... in your house?... are you kidding me?), and eat milk and cookies left out by clueless children at every house (that explains the obesity).

Moving on...

"I'll be home for Christmas"... wait a minute no I won't. Why go through the pain? The family is retarded, and all staying home warrants is stress and frustruation... That's all I have to say on that one.

"I'll have a blue Christmas"... yes please. Depression for the holiday season... thats all it creates anyways.

I think I am finished... for now. Until later all.

Oh yeah...

"Bah Humbug"

Much Too Long...

2008-12-15T20:59:00.001-07:00

Sorry all.

Been a little tied up with finals and my fantastic new job.

Job description:

1) Sit on your butt.

2) Take money from someone.

3) Give money to someone else.

4) Pay bills with someone's money.

Just wonderful. So basically I get paid $2 an hour more than I do at my labour intensive job. I really hope that I get this one full time in the summer.

Bio tomorrow. I have kinda given up the hope of excelling. It is far too late for that. All I ask is that I pass. Too much frickin' memorization to even hope retaining a fraction of it.

Yay for mutiple-guess exams.

Elections Day In... Again?

2008-12-02T17:21:00.001-07:00

Ah the wonderful Canadian political scene. What a frickin' gong show. First Mr. Harper breaks his own law and calls an election to prove to Mr. Dion that it is he that Canada wants in office, and not Mr. Dion and his Liberals. He succeeds. But barely. Yet another Conservative minority party in the Canadian political scene. Mr. Dion is publically shunned by the Canadian public. After all, who wants another idiot French-Canadian prime minister after our glorious luck with the last one. Need I say more?

Yes I do... So now, after Dion's public disgrace and rejection by the public, he comes up with an "oh so brillant plan" with that MORON Mr. Jack Layton of the NDP, and M. Gilles Duceppe of the wonderful seperatist party, the Bloc Quebecois, to form a nice little coalition government to topple Harper's Conservatives. Way to dig your own grave Mr. Harper. Bravo.

After all of this gets moving, the chances of that idiot, Dion, making it to office (be it only until May) are very much higher than the chances that he had in the October run. Heres a message for Ottawa: We don't want another election. We are tired of elections. It should be made harder to call for an election or topple an existing governement.

I am sorry, but three elections in barely five years is just a little too much to handle. Look at the Americans, they seemed to have been election deprived, they have to wait four years between elections. And when they do come around, it is all the hype. Isn't the low turnout of our October election proof enough that Canadians are sick of the government wasting our tax money on petty federal disputes?

Mr. Harper, you are in a very tight spot, mainly of your own doing. Mr. Dion you are fubared. Mr. Layton... lets keep this one simple... you are just stupid. Mr. Duceppe go back to Quebec, its where you belong, we don't want you here. Ah, and the pressure that these children are placing on poor Mrs. Michaelle Jean... and as if the coalition, should it succeed, be stable at all.

Mr. Dion, you had a chance. You don't deserve a second one. Canada should be focusing on fixing the economy, NOT on the parties who lost in the last election.

Grow up, get some balls, take it like men, and stop bickering like a group of kindergarten kids.

STOP THE THREE STOOGES!

http://www.petitiononline.com/CANADIAN/

I am most definitely NOT a PC because...

2008-11-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Windows is dumb. Stupid. Screwed up. Flawed. Fubared.

And because they are losing momentum due to increased popularity in the glorious Apple Mac, they could think of nothing more interesting than to make a contest where you post "I am a PC because..."

I was going to enter. It was a free laptop after all. Even if it was a frickin' PC. I could have sold it and taken the money.

There were numerous entries already... "I am a PC because... I am in contstant contact with my loved ones, no matter where I am... I am creative... I love to problem solve..." I am this... I can do that... BLAH BLAH BLAH.

I sat and attempted to come up with a good line that would, without a shadow of doubt, ensure that I would win one of the piece-of-crap-good-for-nothing laptops. However, I could only come up with very valid reasons why I am not a PC...

"I am NOT a PC beacuse... I do not continously crash... I do not encounter "unknown errors"... I do not find "system errors"... I am smarter than a PC... I am faster than a PC... I don't whine when I KNOW there is someone smarter/better/faster/cooler than me... I don't randomly delete files required to boot up... I don't "system refresh", wiping my harddrive... I run at a continuous speed without freezing..."

I could go on and on, but the simple fact is that PCs/Windows sucks. I hate it, I am pissed off with it, and I can't wait until I get mine back so that I can kill it.

I Miss You... and You're Not Even Gone

2008-11-26T15:23:00.001-07:00

How There Everyone!

Why so down?

As you may have figured friends, this has nothing to do with anyone leaving or being gone (or not being not gone), I just decided to jump on the band-wagon of melancholic, heart-broken, poetic blahg postings. Though this isn't turning out to be one... at all... oh well.

If you love somebody let them know...

Love should be a happy thing! Don't be down.

(Nice title though eh? A customer of mine came up with it.... so here's to Anne the writer...)

Finally

2008-11-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ha. Hardly. More like... already.

Finals. They are upon us. Only three very short weeks until they begin. Brace youself.

Are you ready? Are you sure? Are you just convincing yourself of that?

Did you really understand what he meant last lecture?... or the one before?... or the first one?

Have you read that enough times? You should do it again just to be sure.

Don't cram. Don't panic. Don't feel overwhelmed. Don't worry.

Do. Don't. Do. Don't. Do. Dodon'tdodon'tdodon'tdo...

Everything little thing is going to be alright...

Nothing.

2008-11-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

Ah the weekend. What a wonderful thing, especially after such a long... three day week. I don't even have to work tomorrow. I should do absolutely nothing.

Eff.

2008-11-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

MY EFFING COMPUTER CRASHED!!!

Now you may be wondering how it is that I posted this. I experienced the joy of using a pre-historic tool of a computer that belongs to my parents. Sweet. They are too frickin' cheap to buy a decent computer. One that would take less than 45 minutes to download iTunes.

...

It began on Tuesday. Sociology begins and I proceed to put my laptop in "Hibernation" mode. I get home after class, go to work, return home from work, attempt to turn my computer on and...

AHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!

"We apologize for the inconvience, but Windows seems not to have started properly... Choose one of the following setting options:..."

tried

every

single

setting.

Do you think any one of them worked? Of course not! Windows is to crappy and cheap for that sort of tomfoolery. Jerks. When I buy a new laptop I am so buying a Macbook.

Anyhoo... My dad contacts a network programming friend of his and gets him to make a jaunt to our abode to take a look at my piece-of-crap-good-for-nothing computer. Now this fellow is a very smart man, and it takes him but a few minutes to diagnose the problem.

He pulls some voodoo on the start-up settings, discovers that some of the files that allow the computer to boot-up are missing (I dunno how the heck that could have happened), and hacks into my hardrive to see if my files are ok. The files are fine. Phew! He has brought along a nifty little CD that allows him to boot up the computer from boot files on the disc. He leaves with my computer and informs me that there are some corrupt spots on my hardrive. He is going to have to copy my files to another hardrive, wipe my hardrive clean, format it, mark the corrupt spot (so that the computer does not attempt to use memory space that is not there), reinstall the operating system, and then recopy my files. Oh boy.

I get a call from him. My files are fine. The hardrive is screwed. No problem. He orders a new hardrive for me. I have to wait a week and a half for my computer.

How am I going to survive?

How am I going to keep up with my online school work?

I guess I will have to cope using this beast. Waiting is cheaper than buying a new laptop.

Moral of the story: Buy Apple Mac.

U.S. of A

2008-11-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Oh Yeah...

YAY OBAMA!!!

Hygiene/I Hate Public Transit

2008-11-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

People should bathe.

On a REGULAR basis.

And if you're not gonna... cover the smell with deodorant. Pigs.

I was on the bus recently and had the misfortune to be directly adjacent to a woman. Not just a woman mind you... but a really large woman. And smelly. Not just any 'smelly' either... like "I'mgonnapukeinmymouth" SMELLY.

Oh the smell! It makes me want to gag at the thought. This has to be one of the worst smells that my olfactory lobes have ever encountered. Disgusting.

I will attempt to describe, though the English language does not harbour repulsive enough words to emulate what I am trying to get across.

...Forget it.

I shall instead state simply what this creature reeked of: piss, poop, puke, & sweat.

I am not uncompassionate, don't get me wrong. She very well could have been sick. However, when one is so ill they do not usually board public transit, and when one is ill they usually continue to bathe, brush their teeth, apply deodordant, and wash their clothes.

The last time I encountered this woman on the bus she did not have such an unpleasant musk hanging about her. She did, however; have a large, calorie-loaded drink from Second Cup in her hand. From which she would, every couple minutes, open her mouth (which revealed her unbrushed teeth) and bend her head (with its greasy unwashed hair) to take take a swallow from. Gross.

I do hope this woman finds a bar of soap, a stick of deodordant, a tube of toothpaste, and some laundry detergent.

FOR THE LOVE OF BUDDAH PEOPLE, WASH YOURSELVES!

THANK-YOU.

Today

2008-10-29T09:20:00.000-06:00

Society is sick.

Perverted.

Twisted.

Skewed.

Messed up.

Fubar-ed.

(Insert expletive)ing screwed.

And all this due to peoples' obsession with creating effieciency. What has this world come to?

So Chill

2008-10-24T09:13:00.000-06:00

I am sitting.

But not only am I sitting, I am relaxing and trying to forget about all that I should be doing right now. I am hanging in Dewey's, which I have decided is that most chill joint on campus.

I just learned today what a 'java jolt' is. It is a beautiful thing. Expresso and coffee... in the same cup... wonderful.

I was so stressed this past week, and I really still should be, but it is good that I am not. It kinda wears on you after a while. I have an English paper, a lab report, a lab assignment, a computing assignment, and research participation all in the next week. YAY!

Can't wait. Well I can, but I can't wait for it all to be over.

A friend mentioned to me yesterday that finals are a month and a half from being upon us. I cringed and tried to forget that lovely little reminder, but it has been pilferating my conscious.

Meh... they will come and go, and a new semester will begin.

I have a really odd sensation right now. I would not really describe it as a feeling. It is more a mushed up mess of feelings and thoughts. WhattheheckamIdoingwithmylife? HowamIgoingtogetalloftheseprojectsdone? AmIgoingtobeabletopassallofmyclasses? Whereistimegoing? Where...what...why...how...who... AH! I give up. I might as well not even bother trying to sort that out, and if I do, it will be in my head and not here. I would not subject you poor souls to that sort of torture.

Oh, and I'm in love.

PEACE!

Dion

2008-10-21T16:49:00.000-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xbs7wXvh2Q&NR=1

Now this is a bloody good reason why Canadians should not have any faith in the Liberal party, and it supports Dion's decision to step down.

As I said before the election "Canada is not about to elect another idiot Frenchman into office".

Wonderful

2008-10-15T17:27:00.001-06:00

Do ya know what is just superb?

... Getting home after a day of dozing through your classes, changing into a comfy hoodie and a pair of sweat pants, and then sitting and doing absolutely nothing. Glorious.

The whole world should be made out of cotton sweat-pant material, everything would be warm, comfy, and a little less awkward.

Hockey...I mean...Election Night In Canada!

2008-10-14T12:34:00.000-06:00

Whee!...?

Today is Canada's federal election. The end of weeks of politic head bashing and propaganda.

Elementary really. Dion thinking he has a chance. Harper thinking that he is going to get out of being a minority government. Fighting and bickering like a couple of kindergarten school children. And of course the sneaky Mr. Jack Layton who is just kinda in the background, making false promises that make up his 'platform', while pressuring Harper to reveal his. Why should Harper reveal his platform? Last time he did that, like all politicians, he went back on his word after making it to office.

Democracy... pfft! What a mess!

I do have to say that in the past weeks in preparation for our election, I have heard more about the US election. As such, I have been sporting my "Obama Biden" button (... that would be Barack Obama and his handy side-kick Joe Biden for those of you who don't know). Like who really wants to see yet another dusty old fart (*cough* John McCain *cough*) in the White House with a radical right hand man? (I mean... woman.) Go Obama! Take the vote! And please, for the love of Buddha, keep at least some of your inflated promises to the dear Americans!?

Back to the Canadian election...

Who really cares? I suppose the pathetic 60% of Canadians (or whatever the number is) who actually make the strenuous effort to get out and check in a little box and fill in some personal information are the answer to that question. Someone was telling me that when they turned eighteen, they were not so much excited to go partying, as they were to vote. Canadian politics have become a sad, sad thing since the day Monsieur Chretien stepped into office.

Oh well.

I suppose I will submit to the "VOTE" propaganda strewn about the city, aimed mainly at young voters such as myself. I will do my civic duty (and right), make the exhausting trek to the community hall two blocks from my house, and check the box thingy. Whee!

Oh yeah, one last thing despite all my complaining and grumping...

Get out there and vote! Make a difference!

Brilliance

2008-10-10T11:34:00.000-06:00

Last week sometime (I guess it was on the day that I wrote the post on The Killers) I had some wonderful idea for a new post, but me, being me, put it aside to write my praises for The Killers and to express my frustration on the way society is. And now I can't remember what my brilliant idea was. Dang.

Midterms are done. Partay!

Anyhoo... I don't really know what to talk about. I am feeling really chill today. Just relaxed and mellow.

I saw a bunch of friends last night who I have not seen in like three years. We sat in Second Cup for about four hours and luckily did not get kicked out for loitering. It was really good to see that a lot of my friends have not changed since I saw them last, but it is disappointing that some of them have fallen in with the wrong crowd and have less-than-admirable habits.

One of my friends has always had the potential to be one of 'the popular girls' but she always rejected that whole crowd, she was and continues to be one of the most down-to-earth and humble girls that I know. Thank you for that, I really do appreciate it.

The reminiscing with old friends has me reflecting on the past six years and the years that are ahead.

It scares me...

What am I doing with my life?

So much for relaxed and mellow.

My Life

2008-10-08T23:16:00.000-06:00

School.

Work.

That is about my life right now.

And all those things that I listed on my last post?... More things got added to that.

So, my apologies, but if you were expecting some deep and thought provoking post, you are not going to get it today.

I just finished working on a 1500 word paper, which I was having great fun doing...

But it is done now. I am going to bed.

YAY!!! Midterms!!!

2008-10-06T22:08:00.000-06:00

Whee!

Midterms!

Lab reports!

English Papers!

Whoop!

This week I have three midterms, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday consecutively. Wednesday I have a paper draft due, and Friday the actual paper is due. Monday my lab report is due. Wednesday I am probably going to my brother's house, Thursday I am meeting up with some friends from a few years back...

So to say the least...

THIS WEEK IS FRIGGIN' BUSY!!!

Are we human? Or are we denser?

2008-10-02T13:47:00.000-06:00

Unexpected from The Killers. But an amazing song nonetheless. So much music of the current age focuses on the light and unimportant worldly things that we tend to cling to. In this song they seem to address a deeper underlying issue than may first be heard.

Are we really living to our full potential, whilst ignoring the cries for help from the dying and impoverished people of our world. Are we living to our full potential as an intelligent species.

The answer would be no.

When did it occur that society became so uncompassionate. That we would ignore the cries of those who need our help?

Much of the music (most of the music) that is created in this age is either inappropriate or full of meaningless lyrics. Though we listen, quite willingly to such 'artistry' and think that it will not actually effect our thinking, it does. And mostly negatively.

One morning try listening to some meaningless, or negative music and gauge your attitude and feelings for the rest of the day. The next morning listen to some meaningful, or positive music and then gauge your feelings and attitude after that day. The music with better substance will help you have a more positive outlook.

If everyone tried thinking and acting in a more positive manner, then our interactions with others would constitute more than discussions and complaints about the weather.

Are we human? Or are we denser?

Think about it. Really.

Perfect Timing

2008-09-29T15:11:00.000-06:00

Scene: Psychology class. Approximately 10:30 am. Lecture hall of 400-500 students. Professor Hurd says something about a chimpanzee living the "life of Riley".

In silence that follows, however brief it was, Nicole bursts out laughing. Very. Loudly.

I hear her from the other side of the lecture hall and recognize her distinct laugh. I begin to chuckle while sitting there, and soon, I too begin to laugh. Uncontrollably. Not that it was even particularly comical. I was just laughing at Nicole's laughing. Don't you love that? Laughing for no reason in particular until your sides hurt, and you are almost crying, and the people around you are looking at you like you are crazy. I love that.

Thank you Nicole. You made my day a whole lot better than it was turning out to be.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

2008-09-28T13:20:00.000-06:00

Man, two days without this therapy and I feel as if a piece of me is missing. Maybe not so much therapy as a drug. This crap is addicting.

Midterms start this week. "WHAT?" was the response of a friend today to that statement. "It is like only a month into the school year!" Like, do you seriously think that I don't realize that? I am the one who spends at least three hours a night studying my books and summarizing my lecture notes. For five classes. From an assortment of seven textbooks. Oh well. Telle est la vie.

Friday I decide: screw it. I am going to enjoy my weekend and not give a thought to the subject of school until Sunday afternoon. It is now Sunday afternoon and I am considering to crack open my books and get going on the 'studying' thing. Yuck. This school thing better be worth it in the end.

I was out last night and partyed until 2ish. Good times as a uni student. My friends kept asking if I wanted another drink and my response most times was "No, I'm good thanks". Silly me. They mostly produced another drink regardless of my response, but whatevs. Ima tank. I can handle it and maintain coherence and composure.

My cab driver probably thought I was completely sloshed for the simple fact that I was just another young guy leaving Whyte Ave on a Saturday night. Now I don't really care if someone thinks that I am drunk, as I never have been and I never am going to be, people are entitled to think whatever they please.

If you are a cab driver 'safely' transporting people from clubs to their homes, you'd be best to maintain proper driving safety, such as staying within your designated lane and signaling when you turn, regardless of the day of the week and state of your passenger (or what you believe to be the state of your passenger). Another thing would be to maintain the use of proper language. I honestly don't care where you are originally from, and the fact that you now drive a cab for a living, you should never degrade women (whether any are present or not), referring to them as 'pussy' or other such euphemisms. Sexist prick.

He had asked how long I have lived in Edmonton and I told him my whole life, but that I wanted to move to Vancouver. He responded by asking me "How is the pussy out there?" Sexist prick.

I am not gay. Most guys this would not even bother. Heck, some guys would possibly even join in the degradation of man's better half. However, I think that modern society is sick in its tolerance and encouragment of the objectification of women. I believe in the complete respect that is due to those who make possible the continuation of our race. I think that this is what sets me largely apart from other guys. I am not going to touch a female in a way she does not want to be touched and I am not going to even encourage such things as those disgusting 'wet t-shirt contests' which do nothing more than to serve the purpose of selling women as sex objects.

As for the ladies out there who degrade themselves and stoop to this level of insecurity 'putting out' for guys just to feel 'loved': you disgust me. As I once heard someone say: "Men give 'love' to get sex, and women give sex to get 'love'." This sick cycle in society is part of which is not allowing for greater gender equality which I believe could quite easily be obtained.

Sex sells everything from chewing gum to frickin' jeans.

I propose a challenge to all you 'gentlemen' out there. Instead of smacking or grabbing your girlfriend's butt as a hello, show some class. Try putting a hand on her mid-back and give her a kiss on the cheek or, just as well, show the respect that is due. As for you women: don't tolerate being touched in a way that you don't want to, and for goodness sake don't stoop to the degraded level that society has set for you. It does not make you any sexier or more desirable.

Human Resources

2008-09-25T13:17:00.000-06:00

Ah the wonderful sense of speaking confidentally to a member of managment at your place of employment about issues that have plagued the employees for months and getting the acute feeling that, yet again, nothing is going to be done about it! It is just a breath of fresh air.

Well I will tell you what, I have had enough.

Today our "Regional Human Resources Manager" is visiting the store and apparently almost every issue or concern about our store's managment brought to his attention he has 'brushed off', and then moved on to back up the managment's possible motives for their actions. Administration of large companies cannot do this, it is ultimately how they lose the majority of their employees or why they end up with such a high employee turnover rate. When you are part of a large company you cannot give your managers cushiony salaries and plentiful benefits and pay those who are 'simply' the employees barely above the going rate of pay. ESPECIALLY when retail businesses across the bloody street are hiring at 3 to 4 dollars an hour more!

Oh well, I suppose the only thing that I can do is to quit if this do not get solved to the point where I think that it should be, and let the next poor sucker who gets hired to deal with all of the crapola that I have been putting up with.

I will likely go and apply at the bank soon, they pay more. And then I can get paid to sit on my butt. Yay for doing nothing!

Work ... blech :(

2008-09-24T22:27:00.000-06:00

Middle of the week. YAY! Wait a sec.. yay...(!)? Work sucks. I wanted to stay home and sleep. School tomorrow. Still two days until the weekend. I am sick of seeing textbooks. If I dream of textbooks I may just have to poke my mind's eye out.

Blahging...

2008-09-23T17:09:00.000-06:00

OK K, here goes...

Never really seriously considered doing this before... until today that is. Sitting in Sociology class (ugh) before my prof arrived today (and in the front row like an oober nerd, might I add), Nicole breezes in and says hello, then goes on to say something about blogging. I was not really listening to what she was saying (not that I do not value what people say when they are talking), I was caught in a sort of pre-class daze, but that word 'blogging' caught my attention. I turned to face her and Kelta and promptly blurted out "You know what blogging is good for?" without giving much thought or structure to what I then continued to say. It made sense in my head, but as I tried to say it, it kinda came out in a jumbled mess.

However, that word had triggered in my head a realization that any stress, anxiety, and tension may be released by writing down my complaints and worries, instead of making someone listen to me blather, as I so often tend to do.

This started it anyways. I turned back to the girls and went on to explain my sudden barrage of thoughts in a more sensible way. "Even keeled." HA! Just get me going and then we will see if I am so even keeled Kelta!

I am wearing my stripy pyjama pants with a sweater that has stripes going perpendicular to the stripes on the pants. It looks spectacularily dorky... just thought I'd share that.

Anyhoo... back to what I was saying... "even keeled"... right. So I am sitting there in my cramped desk/chair thingy (some horrible invention for lecture halls which don't allow near enough leg or writing space, not to mention room for your bag, coat...) and the dumb girl sitting behind me (and when I say dumb, I mean like, slap-your-self-in-the-face stupid) asks yet another dumb question, just like she does every class. "How do we know animals aren't human?"... are you kidding me??? Did she really just ask that? Then: "How do we know that we are consciously aware of ourselves?" Like, how stupid can you get? You know you are sitting there, that obviously proves that you are consciously aware, either that, or we are all living in the Matrix.

So, sitting there fuming at the futile stupidity of some individuals, I begin to think more and more how this will be good. I can vent about things that irritate me, as well as being just plain silly and (as the page header says) be as random as I like.

So here's to blahging for the future...

-P