Emerging Self-deluded Artform

I feel like blogging... strange

2006-12-07T17:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, this music thing sounds like a gas. Let's ride.

1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn't make sense.

How are you feeling today?
rule by secrecy

How do your friends see you?
mu-tron

Will you get married?
talk show host

What is your best friend's theme song?
i'm still remembering

What is the story of your life?
maybe sparrow

What was high school like?
all the king's horses

How can you get ahead in life?
the state of the union

What is the best thing about your friends?
the trick is to keep breathing

What is tonight going to be like?
shelter

What is in store for the remainder of this weekend?
p.s. you rock my world

Hmm... well, that was rather tame, until the very end of course. Blogging is neat, why'd I ever stop?

One, two, three strikes, y'er out...

2006-04-25T11:52:00.000-04:00

Hello to everyone from my last day in the office. I was working outside again last week, but the rain has driven me inside to finish a few computer-related projects. Nothing to worry about, I'll be greenifying the world again soon and now our crew will be (mostly) full with the imminent arrivals of Sam Martin and JROD. Neato.

On a different note, we're off to see another Blue Jays game tonight... number 2 of the year for Dan and I. That's a good start, I think. If anyone has Roger's Sportsnet, look for us somewhere behind 1st base. Or... don't.

Oh, and the countdown until Laura's return is now comfortably into the teens of weeks... 15 weeks at last count. It's going to be an exciting August!

The Outsides

2006-04-18T18:30:00.000-04:00

Well, sod starts up again tomorrow. So, instead of being in front of a computer, I'll likely be in Mississauga or some such place. Sorry to my daily MSN buddies, you know who you are, but I won't be around so much anymore. I'll be most easily reached by carrier pigeon. If you do not own a carrier pigeon, the telephone may be an acceptable alternative.

And she said I wouldn't do it...

2006-04-08T18:50:00.000-04:00

Just to prove Laura wrong, I will indeed make a post today, hopefully the first of many more. As this is my first blog post since I got back from Japan, I just want to say thank you to all of you who sent us nice and fun messages while I was there. I'm off to a stag 'n' doe for Sam and Samantha in a few short minutes, so I won't write too much today.

Oh, baseball season is in full swing, which means two things... baseball and baseball. Anyone who wants to go to a Blue Jays game, email Dan or myself, as we've typically got one or two trips planned at any given time. Also, anyone who wants to play a little baseball on a weekend or after work or whatever, that would be cool. Let's see if we can get something like that organized.

Are you ready for some football?

2005-11-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

This week in the NFL, my Indianapolis Colts face a stiff test in their quest to remain undefeated. The 7-3 Pittsburgh Steelers come to town in a much anticipated Monday night tilt. I will buy a beer for the first person to submit a solid, pro-Colts cheer or rally cry for the game. Seriously. Leave a comment or email.

Go Colts!

Check this one out

2005-11-25T13:08:00.000-05:00

If you get the chance, find a way to listen to The Flaming Lips - In The Morning of The Magicians. It will be 6 of the best minutes of your life.

Picking up where I left off...

2005-11-24T16:15:00.000-05:00

Three months ago today I began a post I had intended to be based on the conflict between sacred and secular music. Well, it kinda got left behind. I blame society.

I couldn't help, however, turning my thoughts again to the topic, but with a slightly different focus. I tend to question the definitions of good and bad music. To some people, Nickelback is "good" - or even great. Personal taste aside, I think we can all admit that they're not beginning any music revolutions. What really intrigues me, though, is the difference between morally good or bad music.

The Beatles are (were) musical giants and their mostly mellow song is parent-friendly. But how do we reconcile the fact that half of their songs were written directly about experiences with drugs? Is this okay? I'm not sure myself. I like the Beatles, though I don't love them, but that's not the point. We often have this idea in our heads that one kind of music is okay and another kind is not, based entirely upon the kind and volume of the instruments and rarely on the lyrics or intent.

Classical music is holy, rap is evil. Acoustic is uplifting, electric is just noise. Songs about love warm the heart, songs about lonliness make kids depressed. Is this really the case? Obviously I don't think so or I wouldn't have written it in such a club-footed attempt at wit.

Still, there must be some answers. Is it all just personal preference? I hope not.

As always, feel free to leave opinions. Anyone with bands/artists/groups they know of which may enlighten the topic, please do let me know.

P.S. Nickelback sucks!

P.P.S. Any views expressed in this post are not necessarily those of the Canadian government, the VanDooren family or Ontario Sod Growers and all its subsidiaries.

Floating in through the clouds

2005-11-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

Hey there. Sorry for the prolonged absence... especially after promises of blogging resurgence. I'm sure you all know how it goes, yes?

So, apologies and such aside, it seems it is now time to welcome winter and the snow that invariable follows. I, for one, am thrilled. Okay, so it makes work a bugger during a time when it already has moments of wretchedness. Even still, how wonderful is it to come home from an exhausting day of lugging muddy rolls of sod to sit and stare at my backyard blanketted in snow? It hasn't happened yet... but it will. Tonight, perhaps, if the weatherman is to be believed.

On a completely different note, does anyone have any new musics suggestions? I'm itching to sink my ears into something fresh, but I'm running short of ideas. If someone out there has come across something recently that they're quite excited about - of any genre whatsoever - do feel free to drop a comment my way.

I know I should finish the post I started...

2005-08-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

But I just listened to this song, and I love this quote...

The Dears - The Second Part

All of the time
I though I was crazy 'cause you told me so.

How good is bad?

2005-08-24T20:29:00.000-04:00

What should we look for in music? Perhaps more to the point, what should we avoid in music? If we accept that music is an artform, in it's ideal form it has meaning as well as entertainment value. Both the music itself (the sound, rhythm, beat, harmony, etc.) and the lyrics can be full of emotion, shared expression and, ultimately, hope or happiness. I say hope or happiness not in the way that one might first expect. Let me explain...

I almost never listen to explicitly Christian rock. The majority of it is simply not good music, but that is certainly no different from secular music. The difference, I believe, is that the message of most Christian rock is always the same, always completely blunt and obvious and so rarely contains what I consider beauty. Simply because someone uses the words "Jesus," "Lord," "Hallelujiah," or "Praise" in a song does not mean that I must be moved in my soul. Such as thing is, I believe, a misuse of the sacred name of God. The Lord's name matters... really matters. It is not something to be used as a chant in a song to get me "up."

On the other side, I often feel or have felt pain, heartbreak, loss, anger, sadness, rage and a host of other "negative" emotions. Where is the "Christian" music that explores this aspect of life? Not everything is sunshine and roses, but so often music tries to be auto-inspirational. It's not for me. If I am in pain, I will explore pain through music that I love. I will never run from my negative emotions, but embrace them, learn from them and ultimately move past them. How desperately I need music that does the same.

(continued tomorrow)

Weekly Lyric Update!

2005-08-18T17:08:00.000-04:00

Ani diFranco - Old Old Song

it's the story of a father and a mother
who battle each other over nothin'
with a couple of kids trying to figure
which way the plot's spinning
who's winning and who is bluffing

it's a story as common as a penny, son
it ain't really worth anything to anyone

Perception < Reality

2005-08-17T00:11:00.000-04:00

A couple months ago, MuchMusic held their annual video awards. Now, those of you who have read this blog in the past know that k-os is one of my favourite artists, and I respect him a great deal. He won, all told, 4 awards that evening. Each time, he walked to the outdoor stage on Queen St. in Toronto to take his award, taking with him his producer, video director, etc... whomever applied to that particular award. Also, for each award he refused to say a single word into the microphone, despite repeated attempts by the hosts, always deferring to the others on stage.

Over the next few days, he was ripped by quite a number of radio and newspaper folks, claiming that he was becoming arrogant and deluded and that the people wanted to hear what he had to say, so he should just say it. After all, he has for years been a masterful advocate of revolution in the music industry and his voice is worth listening to. Has he really become just another form of celebrity prick?

Well, I'll paraphrase what he said about the matter a week or so later. Simply because he's moderately famous and someone sticks a mic into his face does not mean that he must say something. There is no rule that, because he is a musician, he must speak in public. Aside from that, the only thing he would have to say in accepting an award is to thank God for giving him talent and for placing him in this position. However, thanking God after winning an award, scoring a touchdown or any other public display has become just another part of modern celebrity culture. People try to make God just another tool to further their own hype.

Quite right, I say. Better to say nothing at all than to claim God as your secret weapon in the struggle for critical and financial success.

Marvel Comics, here I come!

2005-08-13T14:25:00.000-04:00

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Keep in mind that "being Superman" is not one superpower, but many rolled into one hunky body..

I would totally choose being able to breath underwater. It's subtle and not-so-super, I know... but you could totally check out awesome stuff! Like... fish! And..... wrecked ships! Yeah, that would be great.

Guilty pleasure!

2005-08-09T19:24:00.000-04:00

Okay, I have a guilty pleasure to admit to...

I am a Michael Bolton fan.

Wait, that can't be right... lemme try again.

I am a Kelly Clarkson fan.

Ouch. I'll weep for myself later. Seriously though, I've heard a couple of her songs over the last while and the girl can sing... really sing. I mean, sure, winning American Idol does not exactly lend credibility to a resume, but she has a better voice than almost anyone on the radio these days. Also, if the video I saw today is any indication, she hasn't (yet) turned herself into a tramp to sell records.

Now, I know her songs are a little over-dramatic, given the shallow subject matter. But apparently she can boast that she at least co-wrote most of her songs. It's better than nothing... right? Right.

Anyone else with guilty pleasures out there? Feel free to share. I promise to laugh only behind your back.

Ohh.. in addition, the greatest quote of all time: "I am a Michael Bolton fan."

Redefine

2005-08-08T19:42:00.000-04:00

You may notice that I have a new title to my blog. Silly, I know... please feel free to criticize, but please hear me out as well. Having given up on the blog, I've decided to pick it up again in earnest, hopefully this time with more focus.

I'll once again pick up on the "Form vs. Style" series that I had begun, which is mostly an examination of media and music literacy, trying to seperate the meaningful from the mainstream. If anyone has ideas beyond typical, contemporary music, let me know. Any ideas at all are welcome.

Not everything, though, is so serious and... well, negative, I suppose. At least once a week, I'll be posting a small sampling of my favourite lyrics from songs of all genres. Sometimes it'll be just a line, other times perhaps a whole song. I encourage any readers out there to send me their own favourites via comments or email. I'll put them out there as well, eventually devoting a seperate site to hot, hot lyrics. Also, I'll admit... I like getting comments. I think it's great. Leave them, if you can think of anything to say. On that note, let's get into it!

John Frusciante - Song to Sing When I'm Lonely
A song to play when I'm lonely
Win and never play a game again
No one to face when I'm falling
Holding tight to dreams that never end

Lauryn Hill - Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
You'd be like heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived.
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.

Pay it forward

2005-05-08T13:14:00.000-04:00

I suppose watching the movie "Pay It Forward" inspired me a little. I won't spoil the movie for you and I suggest you watch it (Kevin Spacey, woo!) The idea, however, is simple and beautiful. You find three people and do something good for them, something that they can't do for themselves. It doesn't even have to be someone you know. It doesn't have to be huge. It doesn't have to be anything in particular other than giving something that the person can't get or do themselves. The idea, then, is that you tell them not to pay you back, but to pay it forward... to find three of their own people.

I know that it's silly and it won't work and that some people will ultimately take advantage of you. Who cares? The fact is, everyone can change the world, even if only a little bit.

How am I doing?

2005-04-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

After a great weekend, I'm finding myself in a bit of a funk. The transit from peace, relaxation and fun into work, work and work is somewhat vexing. Between scrambling to get papers done, I've had things like basketball games and a leaking basement to gobble up my nights and keep me from eating dinner at home. This'll teach me to procrastinate. Oh wait... nothing ever teaches me. Mrah.

For those of you seeking some exercise and fun with some super people, there's a group of us that play soccer on Mondays and Thursdays, 6 pm at... some field who's name I don't remember. Take Dundurn south towards the mountain, hang a Louie on Hillcrest, park and walk up the steps on your right towards the end of the street. Just show up with a smile. Well, and maybe a loincloth or something. Shoes. Maybe a sweat-band. Canteloupe... Tetanus innoculation kit.....

A bit tardy...

2005-03-27T13:29:00.000-05:00

I had meant to post this on the day itself, but I, unfortunately, forgot. I recommend that you try and read through the whole thing, since it's quite exceptional. If you have questions, feel free to express them and I'll attempt to explain. Enjoy.

Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward

Let man's soul be a sphere, and then, in this
The intelligence that moves, devotion is,
And as the other spheres, by being grown
Subject to foreign motions, lose their own,
And being by others hurried every day,
Scarce in a year their natural form obey;
Pleasure or business, so, our souls admit
For their first mover, and are whirled by it.
Hence is 't, that I am carried towards the West
This day, when my soul's form bends toward the East.
There I should see a Sun by rising, set,
And by that setting endless day beget:
But that Christ on this cross did rise and fall,
Sin had eternally benighted all.
Yet dare I almost be glad I do not see
That spectacle, of too much weight for me.
Who sees God's face, that is self-life, must die;
What a death were it then to see God die?
It made his own lieutenant, Nature, shrink;
It made his footstool crack, and the sun wink.
Could I behold those hands which span the poles,
And tune all spheres at once, pierced with holes?
Could I behold that endless height which is
Zenith to us, and t'our antipodes,
Humbled below us? Or that blood which is
The seat of all our souls, if not of his,
Make dirt of dust, or that flesh which was worn
By God for his apparel, ragg'd and torn?
If on these things I durst not look, durst I
Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye,
They are present yet unto my memory,
For that looks towards them; and thou look'st towards me,
O Savior, as thou hang'st upon the tree.
I turn my back to thee but to receive
Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave.
O think me worth thine anger; punish me;
Burn off my rusts and my deformity;
Restore thine image so much, by thy grace,
That thou may'st know me, and I'll turn my face.

John Donne, 1633

As if there was any doubt

2005-03-21T22:49:00.000-05:00

Well, the long awaited showdown between BvO and myself fizzled on Saturday. Y'see, we had a pinstripe showdown. We both wore our slick pinstripe suits to the Redeemer Banquet with the intention of proving once and for all who's suit was slickest. Unfortunately, it was barely a contest. In a unanimous decision, I was declared the victor. Seriously. You can ask anyone, they'll totally tell you I won. I'm just glad BvO managed to keep his tears bottled up on the inside, where they belong.

Seriously though, a great time was had by all, or at least most. Pictures to follow, I hope.

Grilled

2005-03-18T18:18:00.000-05:00

This just in... fresh-faced new journalist Daniel Zacharius Postma asks our star the tough questions! He gets the dirt that you all love to hear! Is Brian up to the task? Is he over the hill, or can he display just one last time that he has the goods to play with the big boys?

Seriously though, thanks to Dan Postma for the well thought-out interview questions.

1. Argue both sides of Redeemer’s on-campus pub debate (such as it is). What arguments do you make for it, what arguments do you make against it?

On the "pro" side, the simple fact is that people who want to drink will drink. And on-campus pub is more than a place to get alcohol. It is a place where fellow students would actually go at night, where commuters would feel as welcome as those living on campus. Also, they could price a pitcher of beer at 1/2 of what Williams charges for a Frutopia and still make a profit that will go towards our tuition, not towards Boston Pizza's home office.

On the "con" side, a number of people at a number of Bible colleges already look down at Redeemer for our "liberal" ways. I, personally, don't particularly care. However, it would be best if we don't try to antagonize people. An on-campus pub would be a hard sell for our public relations team. As for the question of students getting drunk and whatnot on campus... we ought to open our eyes to the situation. Those that want to mess themselves up will do so, either in the relatively safe confines of Redeemer's own pub or huddled in the bushes on Kitty Murray.

2. What do you feel are the distinguishing marks of a Christian relationship, over and above one that is loving but secular?

As far as visible (or semi-private) marks are concerned, those in a Christian relationship ought to pray and worship together. By worship, I mean a host of things including but not limitted to attending church together, discussing their faith and helping each other through doubt and trouble. Also, people in a Christian relationship seem to become more serious much more quickly. Perhaps their throbbing biological urges are to blame. Perhaps God simply does this to Christian couples. I'll leave the readers to decide for themselves.

3. What do you think should be Redeemer’s benchmarks of success: academically, spiritually, socially? What can Redeemer be proud of in its graduates? Alternately, you can answer this question: How do you hope to develop during your time at Redeemer: academically, spiritually, socially?

Redeemer's benchmark of success academically is simply graduation. Every effort is made to make sure students graduate, but that's the end of it. There are no research projects, no post-grad programs, no guaranteed success if you finish first in your year. Despite the fact that Redeemer has many excellent students and top-notch faculty, we have no reputation for academic excellence. Zero. I think that's something we all should come to terms with.

Spiritual matters is where Redeemer excels. We students are both trained theologically in a wide variety of classes as well as given every opportunity to join spiritually-based activities outside of class. Almost everyone I know who has left Redeemer has done so more committed, passionate and confident about his/her faith.

Socially? Well, c'mon... everyone knows Redeemer folk have the most fun, right? Right. Well... at least we would, if we had a pub.

In the end, Redeemer ought to be proud of its graduates as people, not as students. Most graduates leave as "better" people than when they came in, but not because of our GPA.

4. You are hoping to enter a career in Christian education. How important is that “Christian” distinction to you, and how do you interpret the Christian’s mandate to “go into all the world” in the context of both secular and faithful venues of education?

The "Christian" part is essential, but not in the way you might think. I will be a "Christian" teacher one way or another, but not necessarily in a Chrisitian school. If I end up in a public school, I'm fully aware that I'll be fired within a year. I can't teach history or english in a secular fashion and I don't intend to try. If I get a job in a Christian school, then great. If not, I'll do the best I can in a public system. After all, non-Christian kids deserve both good education and God's Word as much as any of us. To be honest, it would be kinda fun to see how long I would last if I taught John Donne's Holy Sonnets at Ancaster High.

5. How have you been shaped by sports and by music?

Wow. Interesting question. First of all, my interest in music is largely academic, since I either don't have a lot of talent or haven't put in the necessary work. However, I also put in considerable time studying and reading about music of various kinds and, with the help of Joel Harsevoort, have tried my hand at song writing several times. Music and poetry are, as far as I'm concerned, intimately linked. How to put this into words...... well, I find in both a gentle, delicate beauty that cannot be found anywhere else in this world. I'm a much different person today because of them, but not in any way that describe.

As for sports, well... I LOVE sports! Most people who know me well realize that. Playing sports has made it possible for me to quit smoking, to make friends that I never would have had otherwise, to clear my head of unwanted thoughts. Following professionaly sports is just something I like to do. Love to do. Need to do. Okay, okay, I have a problem. By the way, the NFL draft is coming up, April 23-24.
___________________________________________________

Anyone else interested? Send me a note or leave a comment. Here's the rules.

1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me." The first five commentators will be the participants.

2. I will respond by asking you five questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some.)

Shed a green tear for me...

2005-03-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

So, today is St. Patrick's Day. Yippy-skippy... but for one thing. I am currently bogged down in the middle of paper season and I find myself somewhat unprepared for the multiple assignments I have due tomorrow. So, I shall retreat into my basement and type until my fingers bleed. While I do that, I hope at least some of my friends will be raising glasses of green ale together tonight. Cheers.

Helping or hurting?

2005-03-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

Emotion in music is a good thing... right? Sure. I don't think anyone would deny that songwriters who pour their heart and soul into their music end up with the best songs. All I'd have to do is mention Bob Dylan and David Bowie to make the case, not to mention all those classical composers, although most of you know a great deal more about any of them than I do. I wonder, though, if this outpouring is always a good thing. Take teenage angst, for example. Bands such as Sum 41, Billy Talent, Green Day and others have made careers on it. At first I thought it was great, hoping that these bands could show depressed high school kids that they aren't alone. I've talked to people that say music like this "pulled them out of a pit" and so on.

But is it possible that teenage depression is only being propogated by this type of music? It would be hard to argue that it's a cure. I think that you can see a link between a decline in popular Christianity and a rise in depression, anger, angst or whatever else. So, is angry music the solution? At times it helped me, but perhaps it's not for everyone. What then do we do about it?

My ears are bleeding...

2005-03-08T18:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know I make fun of a lot of bands and musicians and such, but it's largely in good fun. For example, BvO's taste in music does not actually make me break down in tears. Not quite. But today I heard the newest single by 3 Doors Down, "Let Me Go," which is currently rocketting up the charts. This is honestly the worst music I have ever heard. Ever. 70 year old off-key dutch people have nothin' on this guy. It makes me want recruit some rabid badgers to claw my ears off... or maybe just change the station.

Oh, and for anyone looking to watch some fun basketball this weekend, we play Heritage on Friday night and Tyndale in the FINALS on Saturday. Not sure what times, though.

Stickin' to the plan

2005-03-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

When I first started up this blog, I made a promise to myself never to let it descend into the emotional realm. I'm more than willing to share my life and my feelings with my friends, but unwilling to have the entire land of the interwoo examine my personal relationships.

On that note, let me say that the last 4 days have been VERY good. I truly am a lucky man. Sometimes, I think, people just need to sit back and realize for themselves how things really do work out for the best.

Oh... and here's a touching new Avril Lavigne lyric to get you all through those darker times. It may not bring a tear to your eye, but it'll probably bring something up...

Nah naah nah nah naaah
We've all got choices!
Nah naaah nah naaaaah
We've all got voices!

I don't know how she and her 13 member writing team do it. Stunning.

All time favourite

2005-03-01T17:04:00.000-05:00

Today, whilst reading in the Caf, I heard several of my all time favourite songs in a row, completely at random. It got me thinking, "what exactly is my favourite song ever?" Or, for that matter, my favourite band or album. Some artists have stood the test of time, like Radiohead. Fully 8 years after the release of OK Computer, it remains fascinating and amazing. Others are more recent, like k-os, John Frusciante, Jackelope... but I feel that maybe they haven't been around long enough to qualify. It's like the difference between listening to Q 107 against any new rock station. Classic rock has stood the test of time, and remains relevant.

Still, I have come to a decision... for now.

Song: Ani diFranco - School Night
Solo artist: John Frusciante
Band: Radiohead (in a nailbiter over Bran Van 3000)
Album: with my upset pick... Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing

Feel free to express your shock and disapproval, or your own personal choices. I'd be fascinated to hear them.

Amazing stuff...

2005-02-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

Dr. Loney once told us a story of a former Redeemer professor of English, a distant relative of the great 17th century poet George Herbert, who would actually weep in class while reading Herbert poems. I've been deeply touched by poems before, but never to such a degree. Also, those that affected me most were not of the religious sort, which are the only sort Herbert ever published, but rather poems about love or loss. But then, I had never read George Herbert before...

Redemption
Having been tenant long to a rich lord,
Not thriving, I resolved to be bold,
And make a suit unto him, to afford
A new small-rented lease, and cancel th' old.

In heaven at his manor I him sought:
They told me there that he was lately gone
About some land which he had dearly bought
Long since on earth, to take possession.

I straight returned, and knowing his great birth,
Sought him accordingly in great resorts -
In cities, theatres, gardens, parks, and courts:
At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth

Of thieves and murderers; there I him espied,
Who straight, "Your suit is granted," said, and died.

My own personal Renaissance

2005-02-27T12:58:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in a while. There's a perfectly good reason for this, though. I've been making a concerted effort to change my life around. These changes include quitting smoking (uuuuggh), recommitting myself to school in a way that makes me feel like a huge geek, and spending less time at home whiling away idle hours on my computer. MSN, blogging and avidly following the career of every NFL player must necessarily be left behind. However, hopefully I'm now coming out the other end. Huzzah! More blogging will follow, I expect.

On a side note, if anyone in the Hamilton area is free this Thursday evening, you should pop by the Redeemer gym to catch our last regular season basketball game. It's against Tyndale to determine 1st place and several people can attest to the fact our last game against them was a nail-biter.

Oh, and props to my boy Dan Postma on being accepted by Nova to head to Japan. Hopefully he is the first of many to hear good news on this subject.

Been a while...

2005-01-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

"I have been considering the lotus blossom. A man could spend his entire life searching for the perfect blossom, and it would not be a wasted life."

I suppose the things that have been on my mind recently aren't particularly blog worthy, either because they're too personal, too minor, or too major. Wow... that's pretty cryptic. Sorry.

On a side note, if anyone has either album that Frente has released in the past, "Marvin the Album" and "Shape", would you be willing to share? It's proving hard to acquire, both in stores and over the perfectly-legal-not-technically-engaging-in-criminal-activity land of the interwoo.

Victory is mine!

2005-01-21T13:45:00.000-05:00

I pulled a book off my shelf last night to read before I went to sleep. Written prominently on the inside cover:

This book is the sole and private posession of Brian R. vanOosten.

Update

2005-01-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

Three cheers for Joelio who ably reformatted by computer in record time, ridding me of all my virii, and thereby also my need for a shotgun. She's runnin' smooth now.

Lucky thing, too, as I've spent the better part of the last two days either passed out on the couch or slumped half-concious in front of my freshly formatted computer. Three cheers for flu pills! I'm getting plenty of reading done, though, and that's always a good thing. Okay, back to my couch now.

Compy

2005-01-09T13:23:00.000-05:00

Strong Sad: "Did you download a virus?"

Strong Bad: "No..."

Strong Sad: "Did you download 400,000 virusses?"

Strong Bad: "Yes. Very yes!"

Well, I had 8 virusses on my computer. Now I'm down to 1. Most things are working again, but my computer seems to be experiencing a general malaise that makes it rather annoying to use. And, for some reason, hotmail refuses to work, and IE automatically closes any time I attempt to load the page. Time to pull out the shotgun, I think.

TuTh

2005-01-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

Well, I already called Jim Payton "the man", so I need to come up with some other designation for Dr. Loney. Any suggestions? My first impression is that he's the equal of Payton, but different. Loney is funnier, but not quite as staggeringly interesting. Also, it appears that my total book costs for this semester will only run about $100.

Seriously, though. What should I call Loney?

MWF

2005-01-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

Three history courses in one day. How cool is that? Canadian history, Byzantine history (go Payton, woohoo!) and Historiography... pretty slick. For those of you who haven't realized this already, Jim Payton is the man.

It felt soooo good to shoot a basketball again today. You can only get so much exercise out of playing ball on Playstation. Good times. Now, I'm gonna get back to reading about corrupt Byzantine emperors and their whorish wives.

Drifting

2005-01-04T17:57:00.000-05:00

Imagine my surprise when I came home from an 8 hour trip back from Ottawa in freezing rain to find that most of my possessions had been removed from my bedroom and replaced by my aunt. Good thing she's a cool lady, or I would've been even more displeased than I was. I miss my bed. I miss my chair. I miss my clothes on the floor.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to school tomorrow. Breaks are nice and all, but I've done nothing of value for over 2 weeks. I feel the need for a change.

Form vs. Style 3: CanCon

2004-12-30T22:10:00.000-05:00

You may not have known, but there are strict rules for any AM and FM radio station in Canada to play Canadian music. 35% of music broadcast 6am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, must be Canadian. What is Canadian music? I fulfils 2 of 4 criteria: composed by a Canadian, performed principally by a Canadian, produced or performed in Canada, and lyrics written entirely by a Canadian.

Principally, this promotes Canadian musicians who would not normally get a chance to break into music rotations filled with top 40 hits. Luckily for us, the CanCon program leads to some excellent, largely independant music that we would never otherwise hear. The Tragically Hip, Rush, Nickelback (puke!), Sum 41 and others have all benefitted from this program, bringing them international success. Others like Hot Hot Heat, The Marble Index, The Dears, Billy Talent, k-os (and the whole entirety of Canadian hip-hop) are just now coming into their own. It's a little shocking that government regulations could work out so well.

So, if you're looking for a great, new band, do one of two things: 1) check out BvO's entertainment index (which needs to be updated, by the way) 2) keep an ear on your radio for new Canadian artists, or check The Edge's top 30 for the newest rock bands to make it big.

Form vs. Style 2: Style 1 - Form 0

2004-12-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

What exactly do I mean by style, and why is it so bad? Well, "style" in this context is pretty much exactly what it sounds like... the way a group or individual artist dresses, acts, dances and in all other ways portrays themself to the public. This is not inherently a bad thing, of course. However, when popular, public music is concerned, STYLE becomes the product of public relations companies, tight clothes and flashy videos, and also the defining factor for success. No Strings Attached, given to the world by N'Sync, sold more albums than any other before it, not because they were talented, or because the songs that had been written for them were inspiring, but because millions of young girls had fallen in love with Justin Timberlake.

Let's consider The Black Eyed Peas. Anyone who's seen their videos or interviews know that they have style... hot style. More power to them. When they first came onto the music scene in 1998, they tried to show people that not all West Coast hip-hoppers were obsessed with bitches and gettin' paid. They quickly gained street cred, and moderate success, but after two albums, they hadn't made it big time. Enter the eye candy. Read on...

Fergie = $

Stacy Ann Ferguson, now know as "Fergie", joined BEP for their 2003 release Elephunk. I defy you to find one video or picture were her surgically enhanced attributes are not prominently featured. But, wouldn't you know it, BEP suddenly became the hottest band of the year! All the girls wanna be like her, and all the boys wanna be with her. It's no secret that hot women sell records. The tragedy is that these guys were, an in some ways still are, a real and talented band, but they sell their records because of slick clothes, even slicker marketing and a hot chick in tiiiiiiight clothes. Style 1 - Form 0.

How old are your books?

2004-12-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

Probably not as old as mine... Courtesy of my parents and brother Derek, I am now the proud owner of "Laurel Leaves," a book of American and British poetry published in 1888 and the full compilation of John Keats' poems, published 1908. This in addition to a group of lectures on Shakespearean tragedies, published 1948, and The Rolling Stone Album Guide, which reviews and rates more than 10,000 albums. All told, I got nearly a meter's worth of books, measured by total width. I guess it'll be a busy week. That said, my new album guide has inspired me to continue with the "Form vs. Style" series I had intended to post. More on that later, I suppose.

Blast from the past

2004-12-18T20:03:00.000-05:00

I was planning on posting something worthwhile, but I can't find what I had written down. Until then, here's a little something from those dark days when they let BvO and I muddle around with the Crown.

"Shut up! You don't know her like I do!"

2004-12-15T19:14:00.000-05:00

So, how cool is my brother Derek? Pretty cool. He gave me the 1st season of Buffy on dvd for my birthday. Laugh all you want... I refer you to the title.

Happy Birthday to me...

Form vs. Style

2004-12-12T13:05:00.000-05:00

My Big Brother Mark and his girlfriend came to town this weekend, visitting in anticipation of my upcoming birthday. Good times all around, especially the tasty, tasty dinner. Of special note was the double cd they gave me; Exit and Joyful Rebellion by k-os. Now, I won't even pretend that I'm deep into the hip hop scene, but I've been a fan of k-os for several years now, and am gaining respect for more and more of the true artists of hip hop (more on that later). He has some fantastic views on art and music. Read on...

"Considering the importance and emphasis on style in hip hop as of late, it would do us well to question and investigate the relationship between STYLE and FORM. In music we could classify FORM as tone... where for example, the sound of the drums from a song like... let's say The Bridge is Over by KRS-1, just the tone and sounds of those drums communicate a certain beauty. Even the voice and the overall syncopated sentences have a specific tone or FORM... and that's without intellectualizing the lyrics. Added to that is the delivery of verse that could be considered the style. However, even if one disregards that emcee STYLE and its very specific "charm" the peice can be taken in for the sheer beauty of it's FORM, that is... how it sounds from the periphery.

There has been a certain unforeseen circumstance developing ever since STYLE began to define hip hop, and then started casting its shadow on substance or FORM. When a listener comes in contact with hip hop as it is today, the stylish videos and perpetrated lifestyles, they fail to consider that this current trend is a gross evolution of the original artform. To compete, the more introspective emcees, ones with more substance and FORM, feel like they have to incorporate the styles of current trend to survive. When they do, their message becomes diluted. They are accused of hypocrisy and noted as contradictory. It's a sticky situation, because the audience has already been over stimulated by STYLE and when a "more pure form" of hip hop is presented to them it can seem bland, boring, preachy and basically less fun..."

Apology

2004-12-11T13:35:00.000-05:00

From henceforth I shall try to keep offensive pictures to a minumum. Perhaps this is a chance for my own perseonal growth. What I find amusing may not be for others. My humblest apologies.

Fun with Palindromes!

2004-12-04T15:28:00.000-05:00

Ned, go gag Ogden.

Red rum, sir, is murder.

Don't nod.

Too hot to hoot.

Was it a rat I saw?

I saw desserts; I'd no lemons, alas no melon. Distressed was I.

See, words can be fun too! Or at least moderately entertaining for a little while. Anyway, I just think palindromes are neat. Oh, and our basketball team is now 4-0 after pulling out a close win against Tyndale on Thursday night. I finished the game with an impressive 0 points... but's it's all about the team, right? It was a crazy, exciting game. Now we have an extended break in order to write exams and go home for Christmas and such.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm impatiently waiting for the first real snowfall. It really isn't the same when everything is brown and ugly. All I want for Christmas is to be able to jump off my roof into a snowbank.

The hunt

2004-12-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

This one's for Dan.

Still rollin'

2004-11-29T23:19:00.000-05:00

Another game, another victory. Go club basketball! My thanks go out to those who came out to watch the game. I hope it was worth your time. For those interested, we have a big game this Thursday at 8 pm against Tyndale. It'll be a real gas, I promise, and it's free. And it's something besides writing papers, which is, in several ways, a good thing.

Aside from that, I just recently heard the newest Avril Lavigne track, "Nobody's Home." I was enthralled by the cleverest of rhymes...

She wants to go home
But there's nobody home

Rhyming home with home.... genius. As her website says, her new album is filled with "a one-two punch of three-chord guitar licks" and "radio-ready chorus." Three whole chords?! That's, like, more than two. Which is better than blue. And comes with a shoe. Please enjoy the following.

Ani diFranco - Revelling

you were so in love
that it was all you could talk about
and i think i felt a little left out
you were on cloud 9 all the time
while i was levelling
i was wringing my hands and you were revelling

but then why shouldn't you?
it was such a beautiful thing to do

would that i could get me some
of your yum yum delirium
i could level off the ground that we stand on
but with you down on bended knee
always looking up at me
that feeling of standing up together is gone

and though i love you through all time and space
my love always seems to take second place

you were so in love
that it was all you could talk about
and i think i felt a little left out
you were on cloud 9 all the time
while i was levelling
i was wringing my hands and you were revelling
but then why shouldn't you?
it was such a beautiful thing to do

Like A Rolling Stone

2004-11-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

What a scruffy old bugger.

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Rolling Stone magazine recently named "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan the greatest rock song ever. Three cheers for the best songwriter of our time! The top album of all time... "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the Beatles. No surprise there, really. The 60's dominated the list of the top 500 rocks songs of all time. The 90's pulled in a meagre 3, two of which came courtesy of Eminem. The 80's did even worse, with only the Clash's "London Calling" making the list, at #15. I guess we've been living in a musical wasteland.

Tax dollars at work

2004-11-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

For those nice people south of the border, here is a wonderful example of military spending. I bet you didn't know that teleportation was real...

Bear in mind, "Warp Drive Metrics" is located in the bustling scientific hub of.. Las Vegas, does not have a website, and is not to be found in the Las Vegas phone directory. Must be top secret.

Looks like someone's got a case of the Mondays...

2004-11-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

My brother and his girlfriend came down this weekend, two people whom I haven't seen in quite a while. It was good times, although the "snacks" they brought along were just odd. Imagine my surprise when I bit into my walnut "muffin" and red bean paste oozed out. Now, I'm a huge fan of Toronto's oriental district, and in particular the food that comes out of it, but I think these should have been left wherever they came from.

On another note, Macleans magazine recently came out with it's annual university rankings. A school very close to my heart, McMaster University, once again cracked the top 10, which pleased me a great deal. Maybe one day our very own Redeemer will find it's way on the list. Seriously. Give it 25 years and some rich alumni, and I wouldn't be surprised to see RUC getting some national recognition. What really struck me, though, was the full page ad that Tyndale Bible College had in the magazine. I don't imagine such ads come cheap... but is this something RUC should consider? I don't know, it just got me thinking, I suppose. How much do we really want the "outside world" to take notice of us?

On... yet another note, my computer is once again stocked with music, courtesty of Joel Harsevoort. A little Ani DiFranco soothes the soul. Life is good.

Quote of the week: "Hey man, wanna give me untold thousands?"
- Dan Postma

Omid (Hope)

2004-11-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

Day by Day, people get sick of one another
Day by day, people chase each other away
I chose solitude
For I lost faith in my world
I had dreams of peace
How simple hearted was I
Day by day, people get sick of one another
Day by day, people chase each other away
Omid do what is in your power
To save us from all this pain
Forbid our lives to go by
So fast and abruptly
Without true love and happiness
Day by Day, people get sick of one another
Day by day, people chase each other away

translated from Farsi (Persian)

Although they didn't write the lyrics, my thanks go out to the musicians of Thievery Corporation for drawing my attention to it.

Art is over my head

2004-11-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

I have to do a review of an artwork for class. So, I have to go to a gallery, do some background research and all that, and then write about the artwork as if I knew what I was talking about. Y'know, aesthetic philosophy and all that other fun stuff. This wouldn't be such a problem, except that I can't for the life of me find meaning in paintings. I can appreciate them for their beauty, for looking nice, and for obviously requiring a lot of skill, but that's not really the point. So, what am I missing? Do I completely lack any scrap of creativity? I've made an effort to go to art shows, expand my horizons and all that, and at times I've considered that maybe everyone is just pretending. Maybe no one sees meaning in art. Maybe it's all just whatever you want to see. Am I wrong here?

To be fair, I can't draw/paint/sculpt to save my life. My complete lack of ability in this area may be influencing my opinions here.

On a side note, the NBA regular season is once again in full swing. Go Raptors! Someone should really come to a game with me. It's all sorts of fun.

Tip-off Tournament

2004-11-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

Three cheers for the RUC men's club basketball team. After gliding to a 104-45 win on Friday night, we scored another gutsy win on Saturday, 79-57. Sure, we're not the varsity team... but who cares? We actually win!

As a side note, I am now thoroughly sick of highway 401. I wasn't bred to spend hours in traffic. I'm more of a free range cow. Or bull. I don't know animals...

TECH SUPPORT!

2004-11-04T23:43:00.000-05:00

Oh man...

This may be a problem

Our glorious information age

2004-11-04T14:46:00.000-05:00

My thanks go out to Dan Postma for bringing up an interesting issue. What role does the internet, and instant messengers/chat rooms play in our relationships? It seems that for many people, their preferred method of communication and conversation is MSN. I won't deny that it has it's uses, but it's so wretchedly impersonal.

Granted, everyone knows someone that lives in the kingdom of Far, Far Away (princess Fiona, perhaps?) and instant messaging is cheaper than phoning and faster than emailing... but what about people we see nearly every day? It seems unfortunate that we automatically take the easier route, rather than the better route.

On a completely unrelated note, I have no idea how to code, and all of my efforts at bending this blog to my will have been thwarted. Maybe I'm just bitter towards technology.

Victory!

2004-10-28T15:13:00.000-04:00

Well, everything seems to be going well here. The world still exists. I think that deserves a hoo-ray! Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what I'll do with this blog, if anything, but it seems to be what all the cool kids are doing these days. Maybe I'll post something profound and insightful and everyone in the blogosphere can bask in it's glory. That would be nice. We'll see...

First foray

2004-10-28T14:57:00.000-04:00

This is my first attempt at blogging. Hopefully I don't cause the world to implode. Fingers crossed...