poker face.

Ehhhh.... Happy New Year.

oxford comma.

After 5 days of being in the Rockies (3 days of which were straight skiing), it feels fantastic being home.

Side note - I came home today to find the bamboo in my room dead. It's all yellow and withered. Maybe it's a good thing I don't own a dog, because I can't keep even a stupid plant alive.

rich girls.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

I went skiing in the Rocky Mountains and I took a vacation (granted, it was back to PEI, but it was a vacation none-the-less).

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I had to dig deep into my blog archives from this time last year to see what my New Years resolutions were. As it turns out I failed miserably at #2, which was to actually use my gym membership and have it stop being a waste of money. However, in that regards, I cancelled it in September so at least it stopped turning into a loss for the whole year. Does that count as keeping it?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not really. Stephanie gave birth, but we were never crazy close.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

I visited the land of imagination, where you fart where you burp, and burp where you fart.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

The ability to not drop and occasionally break my electronics.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

August 19^th, for obvious reasons.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting out of it alive.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Me still being way too harsh on myself.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not in so many words…

11. What was the best thing you bought?

iPhone 3G.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Can I say mine? MEEEEEEEEE!!!!

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

I’m not too sure about the appalled part, but there were a few times the behaviour of others depressed me and caused me great personal pain.

14. Where did most of your money go?

INTO THIN AIR.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Skiing in the Rocky Mountains, my trip back home, M.I.A., promotion at work, U of C 101, and the new Britney album.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2008?

Coldplay - Viva la Vida

Cut Copy - Feel the Love

The Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go

Katy Perry - Hot N Cold

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) Happier or sadder? You could say definitely happier.

b) Thinner or fatter? I couldn’t tell you. Maybe the same???

c) Richer or poorer? I would have to say richer? On the technicality that I work more.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Adventuring. Biking. Running. Photographing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Spent so much money on food.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

In the comfort of my home, with my family, 2 of my sisters students, and my friend Erin.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Negative. I’m doomed to become the old man who lives alone and smells like cat, which will be quite the accomplishment since I’m allergic.

22. How many one-night stands?

Too. Many. I’m a big man-whore, I can’t help it.

23. What was your favourite TV program?

The usual? Smallville? I don’t think I started watching any new shows.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

I can’t say that I hate anyone.

25. What was the best book you read?

William P. Young’s The Shack

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Cut Copy, my Australian, hipster, electronic band. 3 joys in one, huzzah!

27. What did you want and get?

Not so much a physical thing, but I was finally given the opportunity to settle and have Calgary feel like home.

28. What did you want and not get?

Britney tickets? A dog?

29. What was your favourite film of this year?

I can’t say that I saw enough films this year to have one warrant the title of my favourite. Maybe that will one of my New Years resolutions - to go to more movies.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Had too many shots and too much wine. Made a fool of myself when I saw Diana for the first time in a year and half. You know, the usual.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If the process of “settling” had happened earlier.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion style in 2008?

I would say this is the year I kicked my hipster fashion copycat routine into high gear, and then managed to adopt a very fashion-forward attire for work.

33. What kept you sane?

My headphones, they saved my life.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you like the most?

Britney Spears and Barack Obama.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

The global economic crisis.

36. Who did you miss?

Friends from back home.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

I met a lot of really baller people this year, so picking “the best” would be impossible.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008?

That the power of forgiveness really does heal. 

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

“For fear of living in regret, I changed this one when we first met”

 - The Ting Tings’ Shut Up and Let Me Go.

love song.

I've come to the conclusion that John Hodgeman is my hero.

kill the lights.

It's been 36 hours since the incident and I'm still completely pissed off about it. I think that only a handful of people knew how much this concert meant to me. GRRRRRRR. !@#$%

Side note: Holy Snowstorm, Batman!

circus.

I waited at ticketmaster for 2 and a half hours for Britney tickets to go on sale at 2:00. There was no "official" line, so these 3 scumbag scalpers sneaked in front of the 4 of us who were waiting. They tied up the line and the system for 20 minutes as they each bought 8 tickets. By the time us folk who actually wanted to go to the show got to the front, the show was sold out. Not even one flimsy ticket was left. I've never felt so angry and completely disappointed at the same time in my entire life. If there hadn't been security guards at the EPCOR centre who would have kicked me out, I would have said a couple of things to them.

I'm so angry because a) I wasted my day downtown waiting when I could have been cramming for finals, and b) because no one ever goes to the maritimes, and now that I'm not there, I have the chance to see Britney of all people, and I still can't go.

I feel so utterly frustrated.

lace and leather.

I would give Circus a solid 76 out of 100. I gave In the Zone an 81 out of 100.

While I didn't find Circus to be better than In the Zone, I found it to come fairly close and be really, really good. Tracks like Circus, Kill the Lights, Mmm Papi, Mannequin and Lace and Leather are fantastic tracks that easily top anything that was on Blackout. Well done, Britney.

On a more important note, she's going to Edmonton on April 6th. Tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster this Saturday at 2. Waiting in line to get floor seats say wha?

marching bands of manhattan.

I used to think Canadian politics were quite boring indeed.

These past few months have proven me wrong.

lights and music.

So, it's exactly 1 month before Christmas, so I thought I'd put out my annual Christmas wish list. Please save all mockery until you have finished reading it. Please also note that some of the links I have provided for more general items are generic links from amazon, and do not represent the actual specific brand that I want.

01. nixon scout leather watch - in "silver"
02. coffee grinder - in black
03. kicking horse coffee beans
04. coldplay - viva la vida (prospekt's march edition)
05. apple in-ear headphones
06. american apparel hoodies, shirts & more
07. travel books on san fran, nyc, amsterdam & other cool places
08. jk rowlings' tales of beedle the bard
09. starbucks gift cards
10. apple universal dock
11. harmon kardon soundsticks ii
12. the firflake - a christmas story
13. cut copy - in ghost colours
14. the ting tings - we started nothing
15. burt's bees
16. gap jeans - in low rise straight or standard fit
17. cd rack
18. nintendo wii

eternity one night only.

So this morning I decided to sleep in, thereby avoiding my most dreaded class: English 430 - Restoration & 18th Century Literature. This was both a bad and a good move. It was bad because we have a major paper due next class, and the prof could have mentioned certain things about it during today's lecture, thereby screwing me over due to my lack of presence. However, this act of hooky turned out to be for the best as it made me realize how much I hated that class. The readings are far from engaging, the professor does little to make the topic interesting or allow for class discussions and participation, and I was getting nothing out of it. I paid $500 for something that was giving me nothing in return. The result? I decided to drop it. It's a full year class and the thought of continuing it well into the new year was appalling. I won't get a refund for this term because there's only a week and a half left - but at least I don't have to pay another $500 for it next term, so I can put that money towards something that will be beneficial to my knowledge and to my degree.

I think today marks one of the smartest things I've ever done academically.

drinking in l.a.

I'll be glad once this move is over. I hate moving - it's so time consuming and merely allows a person to reflect on how much rubbish they've managed to collect. You vow that at your new place you won't be such a pack rat, but alas, it is not meant to be.

great dj.

I feel like dropping out of school to become a sheep herder in Switzerland.

TOO. MANY. PAPERS.
TOO. MANY. MIDTERMS.
TOO. MANY. PROJECTS.

That is all.

phonography.

So, I've decided that I don't want to listen to Circus before it's release date on December 2nd. I've pre-ordered the thing off iTunes because it includes a couple of bonus tracks, but I want to go out and buy the CD and be able to tear off the cellophane wrapping and flick through the pages and listen to the songs for the first time that day. As such, I'm exercising great amounts of self control by not downloading the leaked version. However, that hasn't stopped me from reading all about it, and if what I've read is to be believed this may in fact be better than In the Zone which takes the cake for all-time favourite Britney record. Hmmmmmm.

And now.... to return to my paper writing.

so haunted.

I must admit - I am absolutely, 100%

a) stressed and screwed for school
b) stoked for christmas!
c) in love with cut copy

ocean breathes salty.

Well, it finally happened. The U of C screwed me over. UPEI did it a handful of times, and now U of C has perpetrated the act.

I had the next year and a half planned out perfectly. 4 courses each term, all of them required electives in either English or Sociology. I was so close to being done I could taste it! One of my required courses to take was Canadian Lit, but the choices for it were all pretty paltry. I decided to take the offering of Doppelganger in Canadian Fiction (I do love a good Doppelganger). But just last week I received an email from the school detailing how the prof had decided to move to Edmonton and that they were going to cancel the class instead of finding someone else to teach it, and that they were very sorry but I had to take another class in its place. So off I went to check out my PeopleSoft options. The result? All other Canadian Lit courses suck. Big time. I had the option of either electing "The Fur Trade: Fact and Fiction" or "Reframing the Wilderness." It's a required course so I had to pick something. I went with "Reframing the Wilderness."

For the record - I am not impressed.

little drummer boy.

I think it's time to break out the Christmas music. Huzzah!

strangers in the wind.

Those who know me can attest to the fact that I love hipster culture. I do it from an ironic point of view, and it mostly consists of an adoration of hipster fashion sense. A large portion of "hipsterdom" is rooted in white culture, and I'm more white than anything else, so certain hipster traits are reflected in me. Accordingly, a lot of what pertains to hipster culture and hipster subculture is met with great anguish from certain individuals, as the arrival of the hipster in North America truly represents one of the lasts phases of an indistinguishable and entirely disposable culture. In essence, that which the hipster claims to be, is the death of modern society. I won't get into the reasons behind it now, but ask me in person or on the interweb to elaborate and I will comply.

That said, please note my use of the term "hipster in North America," for if history serves correct, that which I most admire in the hipster (the fashion sense) was actually started in Europe well before it arrived on our shores this side of the Atlantic. In Europe, the hipster represents none of the same catastrophic social meanderings, perhaps due to the different mentality that is prevalent in Europe. In any event, I love this video on YouTube due to it's obvious display of hipster fashion sensibilities and tecktonik dance moves (something that North American hipsters have copied to a tee, if only to further their bulls eye shot to the heart of society).

As I stated, the original hipster movement started in Europe, and was then copied and morphed into a North American appropriate cultural movement. Reading the comments on this video seem to reveal that, while it is prevalent in most major cities, it has yet to pierce the small towns and heartlands of Canada and the United States. Perhaps these areas are where the embodiment of society should flock to in order to save itself from the self destruction afflicted upon itself due to the arrival of the hipster.

VIDEO

if i were a boy.

It really frustrates me when the music I listen to on my iPhone doesn't get scrobbled and added to my last.fm profile. It means my charts are all wrong! Absolutely infuriating.

On a side note// Did I mention I'm growing a mustache? Or at least attempting to? Because I am. We'll see how far this gets me.

i bet it stung.

Could the recent electoral results from the United States of America be the answer to one of my blogger prayers? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

In other news, I have this weird OCD-like thing where I was planning on starting off the blogging year with a certain amount of posts per month, and then keep it at that number for another month, before increasing the count by 2 more posts per month for each 2 consecutive months. For example, I would have 4 posts in both January and February, and then 6 posts in March and April, before moving up to 8 in May and June. I was kind of doing ok with it but then I failed miserably in October. My poor OCD-ism has been going off the hook since October ended and I failed to complete what I had set out to do this year. I suck at life.

hot n cold.

Celine Dion gives and she gives and she gives. She's just released An Incredible Journey with Celine Dion: 12 Heroes Among Us, which is Reader's Digest writers telling harrowing stories of children surviving both near death experiences and meeting Celine Dion.

But one of Celine's unsung ways of making the world a better place is her personal efforts to stimulate the U.S. economy. The 40-year-old grabbed a sack full of Rene's poker chips and took them down to Saks Fifth Avenue, in New York City last week. There she selflessly spent a staggering $400,000, according to BestWeekEver.tv. In conclusion, please stop giving this woman money.

hearts on fire.

"You doodle a couple of bears at a cocktail party talking about the stock market and you think you're doing comedy!"

nobody lost, nobody found.

WOMANIZER SKY ROCKETED FROM #96 to #1 ON THE US BILLBOARD CHARTS!

w00t w00t!!!!!11one

This is pretty rad news, if I do say so myself. It can only mean one thing: Britney is back. Gone are her cRaZY days and back are her baller days. She hasn't had a #1 hit since ...Baby One More Time (due to, what appears to be, the odds being against her). I'm kind of excited for my favourite girl that I've never actually met, hahahaha.

death and all his friends.

No I don't want a battle from beginning to end.
I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge.
I don't want to follow Death and all of his friends.

human.

Ahhh, best news EVER!

I'm so stoked to see Diana this weekend, woooo! :D

womanizer.

The new Britney track came out yesterday, and the first ever Apple Store in Calgary opens up today.
I'm in heaven.

EDIT// They showed me on the news waiting to get inside the Apple store. Score! I'm practically famous now.

in the ayer.

I need a haircut.

Unfortunately, Brandy is on maternity leave, which means I'll be without a hairdresser for about a year or so while she pops out this kid and then takes care of them. Grrrrrr. I need a haircut now!!!! How could she be so selfish.

love lockdown.

Ah, it's been a week since my last post so I thought I'd tell everyone I'm still alive.

I'd like to visit a ton of places, but I think I'd maybe like to move to San Francisco. Even if just for the ability to attend MWSF and the Apple Expo every year. Hmmmmm. I love New York, and I love Cali, but I have no real desire to spend more than a visit in LA, and San Fran strikes me as NYC in a West Coast disguise.

On a side note, I was asked at work if I'd like to become full-time management for next summer once I'm out of school.

freakshow.

OMG NEW BRITNEY ALBUM!!!!!!one!!

-December 2nd (aka her 27th birthday!)
-First track is called "Womanizer" and comes out in ONE WEEK!
-I'M SO EXCITED!

that's not my name.

Congratulations, Professor Walter Glannon.
You have managed to make one of the most interesting subjects (Biomedical Ethics) the dullest class I've ever been in. Somebody save me from the bore!

the night starts here.

I just realized that it's less than a month until my birthday. As of the 12th of October, 2008, I'll finally be able to go to the states and fully enjoy it. New York, here I come!

On a side note, I have a feeling this is the birthday that'll fly under the radar for me. If I haven't started a countdown at the one month point, I probably won't at all. I will state this however - I had a bit of a mental breakdown when I turned 20, but for some reason a lot of people tend to think that I'm around 23-24, so whenever they ask how old I am, and I reply "20" they always seemed surprise, and I get a slight chuckle out of throwing them for a loop.

american boy.

Mmmmmm, 2.1....

How delicious.

Insert LOLcat language here: I can haz firmware?

mercy.

There are only 2 artists that have done more for MTV than Britney Spears - Michael Jackson, and Madonna. With that said, it's about damn time my girl won something from them. Wooooo!

14 forever.

They played Elevator Love Letter and for the encore, Take Me to the Riot. Those are my two favourite tracks by Stars, therefore, I can now die happy. That concert was so unbelievable. Gah, I'm stunned.

undertow.

So, a few of the things I'm loving at the moment include...

+U of C 101 - it reminds me of some of the best things I loved about PEI.
+The sweet people I've met due to the aforementioned U of C 101.
+The new Stars EP "Sad Robots"
+The fact that I GET TO SEE STARS TOMORROW! FOR FREE!

Hahahaha. I'm so completely stoked for the concert tomorrow! Yay!

colors.

I've come to the conclusion that I put too much of myself into the things I do. I put my complete all into work, school, friendships/relationships, and my goals. So what is left of me once one of these things finishes? If I put every ounce of myself into something that ends, what then does that leave me with? Anyone? Hello? Because I sure as hell don't have a clue.

pocketful of sunshine.

August is ending. That moved by rather quickly, indeed.

life in technicolor.

So, last night I got off work, walked across the street to the CTrain station, and waited for my train to show up. It came, I got on it, and then I was attacked, beaten, mugged and repeatedly pepper sprayed. Technically, at first they attempted to rob me, and I was not having any of that, so I fought them off me, and got off the train (them/they being the group of 4-5 [memory a little hazy] brothers/sisters who were between 14 and 22 and had nothing better to do with their dead-end lives). I was then beaten and repeatedly pepper sprayed after I went back once I realized that my iPod was no longer in my pocket (that's what they wanted - clearly the baboons didn't realize I had an iPhone in my other pocket, hahaha, suckers). Let it be known that I have never fought a day in my life, but when the gang of them were attacking me I fought back and was winning. Never in my life have I ever felt such anger course through me to the point where I was kicking them in the groin, elbowing them directly in the eyes, and punching them in the face. I was not in the mood to be victimized last night and they picked the wrong person to assault. In the end, they won because they pepper sprayed me at close range right in the face, arms, neck and back. The train was still parked at the platform the entire time, yet no one did anything. I had to ask for help getting off the train since I was temporarily blinded. From there I bolted it back to work, to safety and to help. The cops came immediately, so did EMS, and so did my family.

I'm okay. A little bruised and swollen, but perfectly fine. My lip is cut and slightly swollen, so is my right eye, and I have nicks and cuts all over my face. My scalp is covered in bruises, but you can't see them due to my hair (but boy can I feel them). The burning sensation on my skin is now almost completely gone 24 hours later, and I only have a slight stinging left on my forearms and palms. My eyes are still red, but I can see perfectly. I have no idea what happened to my iPod, but after talking to Citizen's Bank VISA today, I was informed that the purchase is covered under their insurance, so my account will be credited the amount and I can buy a new one.

All-in-all, I have no ill feelings toward these people, if anything, I feel nothing but the deepest sorrow because their lives are either already at dead-ends, or fast approaching them. They probably made off with my iPod in order to buy crack or other illicit substances. These people have no futures and no role models. Society has failed them. Luckily for me, this happened while I was still close to my work so I was able to get the help I needed. I don't know why, but after they came back to spray me for the third and final time, all I could think was "God, please forgive them because they have no idea what they're doing." My sister said that I was probably a better person than her because she had nothing but ill feelings towards them.

Ultimately, I'm doing fine. I lost nothing that can't be replaced (and for free, as it turns out), and now I know that I can actually hold my own in a fight against 4 other people. Goodnight, and good luck.

if i never see your face again.

Well... that was something that has never happened to me before.

strength in numbers.

I should also make mention of the fact that the song title from my last post is a track by Three 6 Mafia that I've become obsessed with. I can't help it, I ain't nuttin' but a straight up G.

lolli lolli (pop that body).

I'm such a loser. I don't know what's worse, that this is the truth, or that I'm admitting to it all over the internet - but, I 100% love "The Hills." It's a little sad how stoked I was for the new season today, hahahaha. Ah well. My own life is so dull and boring that I don't mind living a drama-filled existence for 30 minutes when it has nothing to do with me.

...

It upsets me that my own life is in shambles and you're doing just fine. But you made the decision and I'm going to accept it. Goodbye.

logic will break your heart.

I know you don't read this blog, or even know of it's existence. And I know that you'll never read this, but I thought I'd say it anyway.

I miss you. I really miss you. It's been so long since I last saw you, and yet everything about you has stayed in my mind, from your voice, to your mannerisms, to all the memories we created. I think about you often - probably more than I should. But I prefer it that way. I miss you.

mercury.

Oh Bloc Party.... Wh-wh-what? What happened?
I'm... stunned. Shocked, really. In a great state of despair.

"Mercury" is the best thing you have to offer as a teaser for your upcoming release? It's abysmal. Absolute trash, really.

MER CU RY MER CU MER CU RY
MER CU RY MER CU MER CU RY

Shu-uut-up
Shu-uut-up (is more like it.)

I'm really not digging it, not at all. I'm now only half stoked for their show in September.

cemeteries of london.

So I know that this song is probably one of the most hated songs ever, but I have to admit that I 100% love "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel.

spiralling.

Yay..... Olympics!!!!

8th world wonder.

You know who you are......

superstar.

I just spent the past hour on Kijiji and I really, really want to get a dog. Bah, humbug! How I wish I could...

being here.

So here's the thing - I love The Stills. Their debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart is one of my all-time favourite albums and one of the 5ive discs I would want with me if I were stranded on a desert island. The songs from that record contain so many memories and future aspirations that it's impossible for me to describe how much I love that album. The thing is that The Stills massively dropped the ball on their second disc Without Feathers. It was a travesty of an album and it didn't capture any of the same sentiments or emotions of their first album. Well, fast forward another 2 years and we get their latest offering, Oceans Will Rise, due on August 19th. I'm really curious to see if the band who managed to put out such an incredible first record will come back.

suzie.

Oh Seinfeld, how I love thee.

The show is the epitome of ridiculousness and I wouldn't have it any other way.

stop and stare.

I realize that I have been bottling everything up for my entire life.
I realize that it's not healthy and I shouldn't.
I realize that as the days go on and on, I get closer and closer to finally bursting.
I realize that I've only exploded about 2 or 3 times in my entire life.
I realize that the next time I do, it's not going to be pretty and I'm slightly afraid of it.
I realize that I need to figure out how to vent my anger so that I no longer bottle it up.

These are the things I realize, but what am I going to do about them?

goodnight my love.

Last week I worked from Sunday straight through until the end of the day on Saturday. 7 days in a row, with 3 shifts lasting for marathon 13 hours. Oi. I had one day off which was yesterday and my next day off isn't until next Sunday, the 20th. It's safe to say that I work too much. Ah well, the money is awesome so I shouldn't complain too loudly.

Stampede came and went. It was pretty decent. Went more times this year than last. Maybe because I finally have some friends here? Perhaps. Maybe. Possibly. Not really.

I'm loving my iPhone. It's so rad, I can't get over it. In retrospect, the picture I posted below is really, really bad. Maybe I should take it off the internet...

disturbia.

iPhone! iPhone! iPhone!

the game of love.

Oh, the Calgary Stampede. Supposedly "the greatest outdoor show on earth." We'll see about that.
It was a pretty ballin' time last year, but we'll see how this year goes. Work was a shitshow because of the Stampede parade. Luckily, I got to catch half the parade before my shift started. I'll be attending the chuck wagon races, grand stand show, and everything else on the last day of the stampede - Sunday, July 13th. I took pictures of the parade, and after I snap pictures of my stampede day I'll put them up on that forgotten site called Facebook. (Seriously. I go on for about 5 minutes every second day now - what happened to the addict I used to be?)

Side note - I may be moving out for the fall. We'll see how this develops. Hmmmmmm.

bleeding love.

Happy Canada Day, yo.

sealion.

The digital age has once again decided to rear it's ugly little head in my direction.

If I want my dear, beloved iPhone, I'll have to pay $75 a month for a plan, plus $15 for caller id and text messages, and then I still have the dreaded system access fee and 911 service fee to pay. My current plan sits nicely at $60.32 a month. To switch I'm going to have to swallow $102.32 a month. Yeah, I'd get an extra 50 minutes a month (woo-frickin-hoo) but that amounts to $42 for a mere 750 MB of data? I'm sorry Ted, but that's bullshit. You're already the second richest man in the country, do you really feel the need to force your way into the #1 position? Jackass.

And I went to the Sony Store because of what happened to my iPod (re: the headphone plug breaking in two, leaving half of it inside my iPod turning it into a useless paperweight). They told me that, even though the product still fell under the 1 year warranty, that it was "physical damage" Because I feel like breaking my headphones and my beautiful iPod at the same time. Morons.

I. Hate. Technology.

broken breads.

So my old 5.5 G iPod was having some audio issues the other day so I tried to troubleshoot the problem through a number of different methods. One of these methods was to repeatedly move the audio connector up and down the audio jack. Well, while I was doing this my hands slipped and the iPod fell through my hand, but in fell in such an unexpected and precarious way that the audio connector snapped it two leaving part of it still inside the audio jack. I tried everything to get it out, tweezers, magnets, shaking, everything. The part that broke off and wound up lodged inside my iPod isn't budging. I'm going to take it up with Sony now since it was their faulty headphones that pretty much broke my trusty iPod.

In any event, I found myself iPod-less, and sadly enough, it made me realize that my iPod was almost like my BFF. I carry it around everywhere and it constantly keeps me company on the train, the bus, the gym, etc etc. So I decided to buy a new iPod after much deliberation (okay, maybe more like a day of deliberation). I didn't want to get one of the new 6G iPod classics because I'm not a fan of the whole split screen UI. I didn't want to wait until the iPhone came out because even at 16GB capacities, it wasn't large enough to comfortably house my entire music collection, and I didn't feel like playing favourites and only carrying around a certain number of songs. I didn't want to go to eBay and buy a used 5G iPod because doing it that way would have been a crapshoot with unknown consequences. So... what did I do? I decided to go for the 6G iPod classic (in silver), but I chose to get a refurbished one from the online Apple store. I've heard nothing but good things about Apple's stringent refurbished product process. They replace the entire casing on the iPod so you don't get someone's finger prints all over it, they test each and every single unit for hard drive quality, audio quality and battery quality, and then they include all new accessories for the pack-ins. So I figured I'd bite the bullet on the new UI as long as I got it at a heavily discounted price.

Regardless of my opinion on how the interface looks, getting a new iPod is always exciting and I pretty much tore through the packaging this morning after the FedEx guy left.

viva la vida.

I was going to attach this to my last blog post, but I felt it warranted it's own entry.

I LOVED Coldplay's debut album Parachutes, and I thought A Rush of Blood to the Head was a decent album. Hype was huge for X&Y and while I enjoyed the record, I felt that they were trying to be something else. They were going for really big arena-rock, U2 covers, and I didn't like that. My favourite track off the album (minus the leaked, demo version of "Talk") was "Swallowed in the Sea" because of it's use of guitars that reminded me of something from Parachutes. With that said, I was really nervous for Viva la Vida or Death and all His Friends, especially after I heard "Violet Hill" and it's larger than life, X&Y soundability. However, since Wednesday I have been listening to the new album and I think it's absolutely fantastic. From tracks like "Life in Technicolor" to "Lovers in Japan" to "Viva la Vida" I think it's phenomenal. A stellar recording all around.

lovers in japan.

I've been a long time fan of Firefox on Windows machines. In fact, I was even using and recommending Firefox before it was even called Firefox (it started off as "Phoenix" back when I started using it at version 0.4). However, when I finally had enough money saved up (and the intel transition was underway) to make the switch to Mac OS X, I realized that Firefox had several shortcomings on OS X. I still use Firefox every time I log onto a Windows XP machine at school, but I have been a Safari user since I switched to OS X. However, this past week Firefox 3 was released and I think I may be switching back. They've taken care of all the bugs that used to bother me about it, plus the speed appears to be quiet the improvement over Safari 3.1 (obviously this will change once the new WebKit gets implemented in Safari).

Anyway, to make an already long and boring story abbreviated - I recommend every one try the new version 3 of Firefox. To slighty modify Superstore's slogan "it's worth switching browsers for."

february song.

Ah, 3G iPhone, there you are.

I now impatiently wait for the 11th of July to arrive in Canada.

oceano.

I'm on a total Josh Groban kick this week and I'm not even ashamed to admit it.
Yeah, my mom likes him, but ah well, so do I.

On a side note, I found the most amazing book by accident the other day at Chapters. My sister and I were just browsing when she showed it to me, only because on the front cover some guy compared it to Pilgrim's Progress, which is a a sweet piece of English literature from the 1600s. Anyway, it's called "The Shack" and it's about a man who's 7 year old daughter is abducted and killed in a remote shack in the middle of nowhere, Oregon. 4 years later the man gets a note from God in the mail asking him to come to the shack for a weekend to get together with him. Anyway, the book isn't preachy or anything, although it does touch heavily on the aspect of God/Jesus/the trinity; but the way the story is set up is amazing. It may not be for everyone, but I really enjoy it.

bird flu.

I work too much. Today is my first day off since last Sunday, and my only day off until next Monday, or 8 days from now. I don't know my work schedule past the 10th of June, but I have a feeling I'll be working straight through until the 14th. So basically I'll have 2 days off out of 20 work days. Yeah, that about makes sense.

bossy.

Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam aka M.I.A. was an amazing experience.

Oh yeah, I'd classify that as more than just a show but as an entire experience. That girl knows how to entertain, even if she was somewhat late for her own show. It was just so incredible.

Broken Social Scene, M.I.A., Tegan and Sara... It's like all of my favourite bands have been showing up for the past year for me to go see them. Up next: Bloc Party! w00t w00t.

worn me down.

Do you ever feel like a shadow of your old self? Because I do.

Is this really the life I'm leading?

long division.

So, I've been back in Calg for the past week and some. It hasn't been too bad, actually. The weather for the first bit was awesome, it was pure summer, and I quite enjoy summer in the city - any city, really. It's been raining for the past two days though, and the sun's not supposed to reappear until Monday. And you know what? I love it. I don't mind it when it rains, but if it's just cloudy for kicks then the dark skies can piss off.

Not much has been new with me since I got back. I've gone out a couple of times and am supposed to go out again tomorrow. Ehhhh, saving up my money is off to a somewhat rocky start. We'll see how it goes I guess. What else is new? Ummmm, the other day Teneille (one of my managers) pulled me off to the side and asked me if I was interested at all in becoming a supervisor. Yeah.... I don't know why they think I'm a good employee, but they do. And so they asked me. I told her I was interested in gaining more information about it, such as pay rate, responsibilities, shifts, etc etc. If I decide to do it I may just ask for 1 or 2 supervising shifts a week since I don't want to lose my tips.

Outside of that my life continues to remain in a constant state of flux. Nothing ever happening, and yet nothing ever staying for very long.

your new twin sized bed.

"Things never happen the same way twice"

Ahhhh, more fitting words could never have been spoken to me at this time.

I thank you, whomever said that. You know who you are, and who you represent.

no air.

Well I'm back in Calgary.
It remains to be seen if this trip was a good or bad idea. It'll be interesting to see where this fallout leads us.

Stay famous, Charlottetown.

centerfold.

It's taken me almost a full twenty-one years to realize this, but things will never remain the same. The reason we have memories is so we remember how things once were, for they are doomed to never be that way again.

dance 2night.

Sometimes..... I just love P.E.I.

shut up and let me go.

So I got back to Prince Edward Island last Thursday. So far the trip has been okay - the past few days have definitely been better than the first few. The weather, the airport arrival, the lack of communication from people, and my camera breaking were all pretty shitty and dampened by mood considerably. The past few days have been nothing but better though. Seeing people, filling up my agenda with plans, and beautiful 18 degree weather has definitely lifted my spirits. Of course there are a few people that aren't on the island at the moment (Diana, Whitney and Alex all instantly come to mind), but there are more people here than not, and of course you can't rule out visits from Charlie, whom I like to think picked this time of the year because I was going to be around (ahem...). Hahahahaha.

It's been nice, overall. I left the Island and I already knew that I was going to be back the following year, either when exams finished or for Canada day. Now? I honestly don't know when I'll be back again, if ever, so I want to make this trip worth it. Really worth it. We'll see how it turns out.

You always love me more, miles away
I hear it in your voice, we're miles away
You're not afraid to tell me, miles away
I guess we're at our best when we're miles away

violet hill.

So I really only had 2 things to do before being able to go back home on Thursday. The first was go to work on Monday, and the second was write my last exam on Wednesday. Work is now out of the way, and I only have 1 official thing to do before I'm free of all responsibilities academic or otherwise, until the fall. I'm pretty stoked to visit Prince Edward Island, and that everything else, other friends visiting, last minute-camera purchases, prospective jobs, are all lining up to create a perfect vacation. I only hope the weather is stellar while I'm there.

juno.

So I'll be back on PEI in 1 week's time. Huzzah! I'm pretty stoked to be going home for a visit. I still don't have any plans worked out yet though, so it appears that the entire trip will consist of me flying by the seat of my pants. Ah well.

I bought a new camera today after my 1 year+ nightmare dealing with my Sony Cybershot DSC-W30. I was undecided between the Canon SD850 IS, the SD870 IS, and the SD890 IS. In the end I decided the SD890 IS was too pricey at $499 since it was just released at the beginning of April, and the SD890 and SD870 had identical features except the SD870 was a wide-angle lens and the SD850 was a regular lens. In the end, I opted for the wide angle one. I got a stellar deal on it, too. It retails for $350 and I got it for $300 give or take a few dollars. Plus, I got it with an extra battery, 2GB memory card and a camera case. The joys of bargain hunting online astound me. I paid through the nose for expedited shipping so hopefully it'll be here in time for my visit home.

I wrote 2 exams on Tuesday - Social Stratification and International Relations. Stratification went awesome, I nailed that thing; my poli sci on the other hand? Uhhh yeah. Let's not discuss that fiasco. I don't write again until the 30th of April when I sit my Health and Illness final.

Plans for the summer include working full time at Moxie's Classic Grill and the occasional Sunday at American Eagle so I can keep my discount intact and discover new bands I've never heard of via the 3 hour -long soundtrack we play on a loop every day. I'm hoping to make lots of money so that I can finally pay off my sister, pay off my credit, and either buy a bike or ditch that plan and buy some ski's for the winter skiing season. No matter what, I want to be able to save up $2500 for no particular reason except to say that I'm able to manage my money enough to be able to save some. We'll see how well this plan goes.

god save the scene.

20 degree weather came and went.
freak blizzards came and went.
bermuda shorts day came and went.
winter term 2008 came and went.

but it's snowing again, and has been for the past 48 hours. it seems like winter will never go away.

scar that never heals.

Don't you just love it when the weather forecast calls for a "light, dusting of snow" and in reality, it turns into a freak blizzard? Goooooood times.

stars and sons.

I really wish I could go to Coachella this year.
I really wish I could go to Pemberton Festival this year.
I really wish I could go to Boston.
I really wish I could go to NYC.

Instead? I went to the U of C 101 Kick Off event today. Woo-hooo.

Man, my life is boring.

I really wish I didn't work this weekend so I could go to all the Juno festivities around the city.

Oh, and because it's April 3rd. I guess, uh, happy birthday to my sister. Yeah.

star guitar.

World economic models explained by cows:

SOCIALISM: You have 2 cows, and you give one to your neighbors.

COMMUNISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away...

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. Sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States, leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. The public buys your bull.

THE ANDERSEN MODEL: You have two cows. You shred them.

FRENCH CORPORATION: You have two cows. You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

JAPANESE CORPORATION: You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

THAILAND CORPORATION: You have a female cow. The government announced to give you two sperms of the best Australian cow for free. But you and your widow cow have never got them, or, in the end, she give you a foal.

A GERMAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You re-engineer them so they live for 1000 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves. And then invade Poland.

ITALIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You decide to have lunch.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 2 cows. You stop counting cows and open another
bottle of vodka.

SWISS CORPORATION: You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you. You charge the owners for storing them.

shawty get loose

So true, so true...

citizens of tomorrow.

I'm such a veteran at staying up all night to write thesis-quality papers. I should get an award, yo.

UPDATE - THIS PAPER STINKS!!!!!!

4 minutes.

So....

I got my Health and Illness paper done. Now I only have to worry about my Poli Sci paper, my Social Stratification midterm, and my final Poetry paper. One by one, things on my "to-do" list are getting a check mark.

I bought my plane ticket home! I got a pretty sweet deal, too. $570 return from Calgary. However, it illuminated me to the fact that I can fly to London, Prague, Las Vegas and New York for cheaper than going to PEI. That's a little sad. Oh yeah, I'll be there from May 1st until May 11th.

Aside from other things in my life no one wants to hear about, I thought I'd just mention that I have developped a slight obsession with the songs "In a Cave" by Tokyo Police Club, and "4 Minutes" by Madonna (aka Madge, Material Girl, and as of recently, M-Dolla).

fated to pretend.

Why must there be so much school work during the month of March?
Why?

Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go find a corner to cry in.

new love.

I went to go see Two Hours Traffic the other night. I couldn't believe that they were here, in Calgary. Oh, the little band from Charlottetown that could. In any event, I went to go see them and they were the best I've ever seen them, and I've seen them at their best. It was the most amazing time and I didn't even stay for the whole thing (re: leaving at 11:30 so that I could wake up the next morning). I don't think I've felt that happy in months (10 months, to be precise). There was this feeling of sheer happiness that swelled up inside of me like a giant bubble or a balloon. Sitting at The Gateway and hearing such familiar sounds that I could almost reach out and touch was amazing. It's just a shame that I had to leave before they were done because I would have liked to talk to Alec and Andrew. And give my usual head nod to Liam, hahaha. But, alas...

Now, you think that this would have put me in a fantastic mood, and it did, but it's weird. I was in a complete state of euphoria that night, and the happiness is still spilling over to me almost 2 days later. But, the thing is that it's been somewhat of a double edged sword. Being there, hearing them and experiencing the old and familiar in a new setting made me very retrospective. I started thinking about all these memories I have stored away, locked up tight in my mind. They stemmed from the memories I have of going out with people and going to a THT show and having such a fun time. It then turned into me just thinking about the past in general, people and events that occurred. I won't lie, I like living in Calgary and it took a long time for me to admit that. I always wanted to like it here, but I never let myself, and now that I have allowed myself to call this place home it's almost as if it won't let me.

Being there that night caused me to realize something: I still really miss being home. I miss the people. I miss the familiarity. I miss going somewhere and having the knowledge that, no matter where you go, you'll know 90% of the people there and be guaranteed a good time. True, it doesn't have a lot to offer, but what it did offer I took for granted while I was there. I wish I hadn't. I miss my past, and while I like where I am presently and I'm excited about the future, I still miss the past.

outta this world.

I ran across this picture today and thought it one of the most appropriate and compelling photographs I've ever come across.



I also came across this picture, and while completely irrelevant to anything, I still thought I'd share because it got an "awww" out of me.



Oh, the joys of Flickr...

time to pretend.

I love how barely going 10 Km over a very small 50 Km/H speed limit lands me a ticket when the city of Calgary is on track to set a new homicide record this year.

Instead of stopping someone doing 60 in a 50 zone, maybe the cops should focus more of their attention on crime prevention. Or maybe, and this is a radical thought, catch the criminals that have eluded them thus far.

This is a joke. I don't even fricking jaywalk! How the hell did I get a speeding ticket?

I'm really annoyed by this actually. This has proven to me that I have misplaced faith in the justice system of this country. Pfff.

in the morning.

I think the moral of the story is to drink water.
Lots and lots of water.

break the ice.

It's been pointed out a few times to me that I haven't updated this thing in a while. Changing that right... now.

Not much is going on with me. Reading break is almost over and pretty soon I'll be back to the grind of school. Although, technically, I never left the grind because I've got 2 midterms coming up next week so I've had to actually use my reading break to, well, read. In case I never mentioned it, I finished up first semester and did pretty swell for the most part. I'm looking to do better this semester though, get at least a 3.3 GPA this term which averages out to B+ in all my classes, which is super doable though. Oh, speaking of school, I got accepted to be a U of C 101 leader come September. They do their frosh week differently here, first off, it lasts 2 days not a whole week and you have to apply and be accepted. Weird, but oh well.

Ummm, I've been working a lot lately. Like 4 days a week. Definitely not as much as I worked last year while in school so it's still manageable, but I work enough to make me sick of the place, hahaha. Oh well, when I average around 20-22 bucks an hour I can deal with 20 hours a week, haha.

Uhhhhh, I bought an external hard drive the other day? 500GB. It's pretty slick and makes the geek in me happy. Now I just have to stop by the Micro Store on Campus Monday morning to get my copy of Leopard.

Yeah... I got nothing else to talk about. Oh! One of my favourite stores, H&M is opening up a new location 10 minutes away from me, so I'm pretty stoked. Now if only American Apparel would open up something either downtown or near me then I'd be all set, because I hate having to go down to 17th just for them. Buuuut, I guess I should shop on 17th more since they have some pretty cool stores, the only thing is that it's so out of the way. Ughz.

OK, now I'm serious. I have nothing else to talk about. kthnxbye.

grip like a vice.

So, I need to buy....

- A pair of stellar Adidas shoes I saw at Footlocker
- A sweet ass Nixon watch I saw at West49
- A new pair of In-Ear headphones
- A bicycle so I don't have to take the bus anymore
- A snowboard
- A couple of lessons so that I know how to snowboard
- A white VW Jetta

piece of me.

Another day another drama...

I've been stating that I would make an update like this for, oh, the better part of a year now, but here it is, finally.

So I suppose I should preface this by saying that I've been a fan of Britney Spears since I was in the 6th grade. That's kind of a long time. People have always asked me why I like the girl so much, and truth be told, I'm not even sure myself. I think her music is incredibly catchy, light and fun. I've always thought her music videos were mesmerizing and (generally) of high calibre. I've always thought that the girl could put on a stellar show from the concert footage I've seen. And I've always thought that overall, she seemed like a really sweet, nice, and (formally) attractive girl. Perhaps growing up with only Magic 93 and no cable at home, I got used to bland adult top 40, so when Britney showed up perhaps it was my own way of thinking "Ohhhh, I'm so badass for listening to her." In any event, me = fan. The weird thing is that at times it feels like I almost know her because I grew up with her. I know I don't actually know her, but growing up with her and everything that encompasses the Britney machine, it feels like I do. In any event, I don't know her. And neither do you. In reality, very few people know the girl, but as of late, people seem to constantly be passing opinion on her as if they do know her.

I always hear people say things like "she does it for attention" or "she's a trainwreck" or "she's not very professional" (re: VMA performance) or "she's gotten fat" and I think that all these comments are slightly unfounded. Yes, she's been going on a somewhat downward spiral for the better part of a year and a half, but people seem to forget that through the head shaving, through the custody battles, through the lacklustre performances, through the media circus that surrounds her, she's still one of us. She's still a human being. Just because someone will never know that you specifically called them fat or a bad mom doesn't make it any less rude. Just because everyone else thinks that someone has turned into a trainwreck doesn't make it right to point, mock and ridicule. For people to honestly wish for her to commit suicide is a rude, ignorant and insulting thing to say.

Furthermore, people always seem to forget that, generally, we don't know the complete truth about any given situation and any given time - whether it's about Britney or the state of Iraq or the death of someone like Heath Ledger. For instance - when she shaved her head in February last year? Yeah, not many people know that when she went into the shop she kept screaming out "NOBODY TOUCH ME! I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE TOUCHING ME!" or that shortly before she did that, her aunt passed away after losing a fight to cancer. I've heard people tell me that she did it for attention, but really, people don't normally do things like that for attention. Perhaps we should examine the variables in her life leading up to that point and the circumstances which she found herself in that evening. Perhaps we should look at the fact that Lynne has borderline exploited her daughter since the age of 12 by forcing her to work nonstop. Perhaps we should look at the fact that for the better part of her 26 years she was being told everything from how to dress, to what to say and how to behave. Is it any wonder that she doesn't want to be told how to do anything now? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's OK for her to not want to be told what to do (re: violating court orders) but perhaps we should look at why she's doing this.

My opinion on her and her situation? I think she needs help. She's moved past the "get your shit together" phase and is in need of someone to help her, both medically and otherwise. The people she surrounds herself with allow her to continue carrying on in the same manner she's been going in. She needs the paparazzi to leave her to herself. She got sent to the hospital again last night, and reports are pouring in that she had over 60 paparazzi's following her. That's on top of 5 police cars, 1 ambulance and 2 helicopters. Everything she does and everywhere she goes turns into an absolute media gong show. Thankfully, she is in the hospital again and maybe this time she'll get the help she needs. For the most part, she's already lost full physical custody of her children since no court would ever give them back to her, but she needs to take care of herself and then become a full fledge mother to her children. Does she care for her kids? Most likely. But she has a funny way of showing it when she doesn't follow through with court orders in an attempt to regain them. She can't keep going on 3 days with no sleep and living off Red Bull. She needed help after she gave birth the first time. I honestly think she went through post-partum depression, but instead of anyone doing anything about it, we gobbled up as much information as we could. And really, who can blame people for writing about her and taking pictures of her and swarming around her? A report recently released stated that in total, Britney has generated between 110 and 120 million dollars in revenue this past year for photographers, magazines, television shows and everyone else in between. Did you know that a magazine with her on the cover sells 33% more copies than one that doesn't? People continue to make money off her (re: Dr.Phil, Adnan, etc etc) and guess what? We're all to blame. I'm to blame and you're to blame. As long as there's a market for it, then people will always follow her around, preventing her from having a normal life. As long as I go out and find out the latest Britney gossip and look at the latest pictures of her, I'm contributing to the problem.

I don't really think I've made much of a point/argument in this long post that no one has bothered to read, but in conclusion, the girl needs help, and people being rude about it, is not helping. What "help" constitutes, that I cannot say. It would involve everything from her doing her part, to her family and friends forcing her to stay in line, to us forming a recession in the market for Britney news. People forget that she's still a human, nothing more and nothing less, and as such she should still be treated like one, not an animal at the zoo for all to gawk at.

sussudio.

So more than likely when I wake up tomorrow morning I'll attempt to update my blog as a form of procrastination and in avoidance of my weekly readings. Hmmm.

In any event, I thought I'd come on here and publicly humiliate myself by revealing something rather embarrassing. Basically, when I was a little kid in elementary school (we're talking 2nd grade here), I thought Phil Collins was the best thing ever and the absolute be-all, end-all of music. Why? I have no idea, but I was one hardcore Phil Collins fan. Anyway, I just downloaded his album of Greatest Hits and the little kid in me is pretty stoked to listen to it.

/End embarrassing tale of my youth that continues to plague me in later life.

tthhee ppaarrttyy.

So, in point form, some things I'm looking forward to/are going to happen within the next month:

-A blog post about my thoughts, feelings and concerns about the recent Britney scandal.
-A blog post about my thoughts, feelings and concerns about the recent "Happiness" news article.
-Getting my haircut on the 7th (aka tomorrow).
-Going SKIING in the ROCKY MOUNTAINS on the 12th (aka this Saturday).
-I go back to class on the 14th.
-Buying more Little Debbie snacks, now that I've found a place that sells them in the city.
-Joel's birthday on the 18th and it's subsequent excursion to Amsterdam Rhino.
-illScarlet, Protest the Hero, Silverstein and The Devil Wears Prada on the 1st of February.

dvno.

So happy 2008 errbody.

I don't really have time to make a decent blog post right now since it's really late and I'm very tired. For the most part, I thought I'd just check in with blogger to let everyone know I was still alive. I'll give you a proper post soon. It may not be tomorrow, or the day after, but it will be soonish. Over & out; under & in.