Oh Father.

Don't get me wrong, I love my dad. He's a great guy, definitely has his priorities straight, takes care of us, raised us well, provided us with every opportunity we ever needed and wanted, and spent countless hours being a father. Etc etc etc we love you Dad.

BUT, sometimes, the things he says are really ridiculous.

We're talking about my upcoming job at Applebee's, and here are a few of the things he asked me. Now, these may not seem that ridiculous out of context. But my dad HAS seen where I am going to work. And I have told him these things before.

Dad
are you out in the open like at earls or joey tomatoes

Dad
do you have a head chef like in hells kitchen

Dad
did they tell you your hourly pay

He also has a habit of narrating to me what him, my mom, and brother have been doing, like so:

Dad
its been raining here in calgary steady for the past few days, michael did not work yesterday, but worked the afternoon today

Dad
connie and gordon, were in town today, visiting their son kevin, and went to supper with them at chianti's on 17th avenue, michael, and kevin's finance joined us

Dad
oh, no offers on the mazda yet, may have to lower the price

I don't know, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a little weird. I hope my parents understand when I am less than enthused to talk to them sometimes. Anyone else got any weird parent stories?

Anywho, I need to be getting to bed, hopefully my sleep schedule will sort it out before Friday.

Later Days,
- J

The Beginning of the End.

Hello,

So the time has come. I am trying to study, obviously I am not doing a very good job. My math test is less than 48 hours away and I'm cracking open the books for the first time in about a week. It's so difficult to force myself to study for this test when I just want my summer to finally start. I haven't really had any REAL time off for almost a year.

The worst part is that this test is worth 60% of my mark in this class, one I NEED to pass to get anything done in the fall. On the brighter side, I do understand pretty much all of the concepts and I just need to do a bit of review of everything, I also did pretty well on my midterms in this class, so that bodes well for me. I just don't care anymore about this class. Just be gone Math 122, be gone!


I got a reply from the Martlet lady today, she said that everything looks good and that she'll be sending my reviews onto the editing and then back to me if I have to change anything. So this is positive. Perhaps I'll take another break from studying later and do another review.

Also! I want your feedback on my reviews or posts! Tell me what you think! If you are actually reading this that is. Just give me a sign!

I have my orientation for Applebee's tonight. The resturaunt I shall be working at in the fall. It'll be interesting to meet some of my coworkers and see what this place is all about. After trying so hard all summer to find a job, and now, at the end of my summer finally getting one, really sucks. So blah. It's even worse because our training got pushed back another week, and then we open on the 22nd, which is the same weekend that my brother comes to visit. So I'll have to see when my shifts are so that we can actually hang out for most of that time. I feel like I'm gonna get trained to work here, and then have to take the first two weeks off for vacation, since I want to go back to Calgary around the 27th of August.

Speaking of my brother, he just got an apartment in Edmonton for the upcoming school year as he's attending U of A. And my parents were up there co-signing for him or something or other, and they called me later yesterday evening, saying they felt bad about me living in my situation and my brother living in this 'palace.' And then my brother made this whole big deal about my parents making a big deal, and now it's my fault that I live where I do. I think my family needs to calm down and realize that it doesn't really matter to me where I live and if my brother and I are equal. I've gotten the short end of the stick before and I'm sure he has too, but that's not really something I want to bring up and get everyone into a big huff about. My living conditions may suck and I may not have all these luxuries that my brother is going to get, but that's fine with me. I'm surviving, I've got all that I need.

On another note! JuST Be, the fashion blog that I have started with my girlfriend and roommate is starting to really get going. We posted the link on our Facebook's, and got 120 views yesterday alone! Hopefully some of you reading this now either came FROM that blog, or will go to it after you read this one! http://jstb.wordpress.com I find it's hard to spread the word on blogs and get other people, that you don't know to read them. But hopefully more people will read both of my blogs!

I picked up some photos from Black's yesterday too! They're in the side on my flickr --> or on facebook if you are coming from there!

Anywho, I should really get back to studying my logic laws and converses, inverses, and contrapositives.

Later days,

- J

3 AM and I are mortal enemies.

Good Friggen Morning,

I have decided that my entire sleep schedule is out of wack. I was up til 3:30 two nights ago, and last night I woke up at 3:06. I don't know what it is about that hour, but for some reason, my body wants me to be awake then. Grr. It does not make me a happy camper.

One for my lover.

So, I love my girlfriend. And I feel it is necessary to dedicate at least one blog to her. And all you out there reading this who are hating me for writing about her can go to our fashion blog and amuse yourselves there! http://jstb.wordpress.com

I continually find new things about her everyday that amaze me. Like just yesterday, I discovered her blog for the first time (see Brass Keys link on the side). I had no idea that she even kept a blog! It was really cool to see for the first time. I began scoping it out to see if there was any mention of me in it. And although there wasn't anything that directly referred to me, I saw things that she had always talked to me about, or mentioned to me. It was really cool that she was sharing this stuff with me, and those on her blog.

It's been really weird thinking about where I was a year ago, in Calgary, fighting with my parents, at camp, in an unhealthy relationship. And how far I've come from there. Brooke has been a big part of that I think. She really means a lot to me. I don't think I need to go into all the things about her that make her great, you just need to know that she is.

It's pretty awesome.

Later days,
- J

CD Review - Sick Puppies - Tri-Polar

Sick Puppies – Tri-Polar – EMI/Virgin Records
http://www.sickpuppies.net/main.aspx

One of the many acts to come out of Australia, Sick Puppies (heaven forbid, what a morbid band name) is the band best known for their song “All The Same” which accompanied the YouTube hit video for “Free Hugs.” This one video has over 47 million views and the song instantly became a hit. Sick Puppies are back with their newest album; “Tri-Polar” which was a Billboard Top 40 hit when it was recently in mid-July.

Those who enjoyed “All The Same” will probably not like the first track on “Tri-Polar” entitled “War.” Sick Puppies have developed and grown into a heavier, thicker sound. Filled with a driving guitar rift and lots of attempted screaming and growling, the track comes off much like a Papa Roach or Three Days Grace song. The second track, “I Hate You,” follows suit with the first straying even farther away from the original cute image associated with the band that provided the song for a Free Hugs video.

After two tracks of a heavy music, Sick Puppies gives us something new to try. With sweeping drum fills and more melodic chorus, “Rip Tide,” provides the listener with a lighter song, along the lines of Switchfoot and the pop rock of the radio and the Billboard Top 40. Unfortunately it quickly fades leaving the song seemingly incomplete. Right away we move into another track with distorted guitars and more screaming. Sick Puppies seem to be stuck to this new direction they have chosen, with blinders stuck on. You get sucked into hoping that they might provide with you with a softer track, as in “Odd One,” but the intro is misleading and it turns out to be just like every other song on the CD. On “Don’t Walk Away,” the distortion is turned down, and the dissonance between the acoustic and the bass line it the verse makes it a little hard to listen to, but not uncomfortable enough to turn off.

The entire CD seems shrouded with a dark tone that bleeds through into every track. They all start with a softer intro, and get you excited for something different, then come the heavy guitars, and then a chorus, and then it ends with a repeat of the soft intro. This becomes really irritating after about the fourth song. Some of the lyrics seemed very contrived and you get the sense that the band is trying so very hard to get the little “Parental Advisory – Explicit Content” sticker on their CD. Tri-Polar was a difficult album for me to get into. Most of the tracks are indistinguishable from one another. For those who enjoy this kind of rock, the likes of Seether and Trapt will enjoy this record. For those who enjoyed the Sick Puppies from the “Free Hugs” video, avoid this one.

Could you?

Could I do it too?
Could I put my life on the line?
To stand up for what I believe in.

It's like trying to speak to the deaf.
It's like trying to describe colour to the blind.
It's like teaching a mute to speak.

You'll never be able to understand it unless you've experienced it.
You can pretend like you know
Words from someone else might make it more clear.

And I know, you think you hear this every day.
But you don't.
For one day, out of three hundred and sixty five, you hear about it.
What about the other three hundred and sixty four?
Some of us don't even spend that ONE day listening to it.
We skip our assemblies at school.
We ignore the ceremonies on tv.

What if it was you?
What if you were in that situation?
You had to go over the top, of those dirty muddy trenches, to face a man, you have never seen before.
He's shooting at you.
Trying to kill you.
Could you do it?
If the answer is no, then at least give these men, who did.
They did it for you.
So you wouldn't have to later on.
Give these men, your respect.
Because they deserve it more than anyone out there.

These men, weren't men, they were boys.
It could have been me and my friends
It could have been. Me.
Going over there.
A gun in my hands.
Taught to shoot.
Taught to kill.

And they would have done the same.
Taught to shoot at me.
Taught to kill me.

What if it was?
What if my entire school, all the boys, we were one squadron.
And only 15 of us came back. Thats one class of boys.
What if I was one of those 15?
What would I feel?
I'd feel depressed that I survived.

And now, as these veterans slowly pass away.
So does Remembrance day.

What these men must have witnessed.
These boys.
I'm deaf.
I'm blind.
I'm dumb.

I know nothing of what they went through.
I can try to understand.
But I never will.
I can only
Imagine what I would have done in their position.
And personally...


I don't think I could have.

Lovers Mean More Than Friends.

You said Goodbye.
Because of a trust too soon,
the bond of a life long friend.
She laid the blame before I had the chance to try,
I wouldn’t have tried.
Lovers mean more than friends,
I would not argue that fact.
If a heart had to be broken it was always going to be mine,
lovers mean more than friends.
I would still say Hello.

I'm glad I never said Goodbye.

Because my trust was too strong
To give up on my new found friend
She was wrong
She had no idea what was right for me
Everything you said was right for me
The beach, the car, the bed, the night
The places we went when the world was asleep
Lovers who aren't friends can never be
I'm glad I never said Goodbye.