Here's a pic of me and April from Friday. My hair is definitely back in full force! April says I look like a hedgehog. Decide for yourself. 

Tina was in this weekend to celebrate her and Gianni's 1 year anniversary, so on Friday Mark and Gianni had a big soiree. Here's a nice pic of April and Tina (and Gianni looking at Tina's ass). 

Why did I go into the MAsters program again????? plus a "hidden track"

As most of my friends know, I am currently trying to finish my MA in English at the U of R. I took a year and a half off after I completed my BA to mull over the decision to go back and get my 2 year after-degree in Education to be a middle-years teacher or to go the Masters route. I finished my 6 classes relatively unscathed except for my class from hell. Let's just say that I would rather listen to Nickelback for 10 straight hours than read another fucking "witty" John Donne poem. But I digress... For the last year I have been trying to get my thesis proposal handed in. It has been one of the most frustrating things I have ever done. I feel like I've been running around in circles and not getting anywhere. I've read dozens and dozens of books and articles and have taken a few stabs at proposals but I am still aways away from being done. My topic is a bit out there for English, but I thought I could make it work but I'm having a bitch of a time getting it all sorted out. My general topic is how Jack Kerouac's On the Road has influenced musical artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., The Doors, The Beatles, etc etc etc. However, every time I get an idea for a main thesis, my advisor tells me it's either too broad or too narrow for a 100 page thesis dissertation. Right now I should be working on another version of my proposal, but I have major writer's block that I can't seem to shake. In OTR, Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty are on an endless search for IT. For me, I think I will truly experience IT when I get my damn proposal accepted. It's been such a weird process, this thesis thing. If I take a class with 20 or so other people, I can always discuss what book we all are taking or talk about the last exam. At this level, my topic is so narrow that the only person I can really discuss it with is my advisor. It's a really isolating feeling sometimes. It's no wonder why some professors are so eccentric because after being holed up in your topic for so many years you are bound to go nutty! Anyways, I guess I've vented enough here. Now it's time to take another stab at what I should really be doing right now.



If this was a CD, this would be the hidden track... For fans only (well, a certain fan anyways...)
... Tomorrow is me and April's 5 month anniversary so for those who don't want to gag while reading some mushy stuff I am just warning you in advance that now is a good time to quit reading...

April... The last 5 or so months have been such a blast. I love you so much and I can't wait for the rest of our lives together. I can't wait to be done this Masters thing so we can go overseas for a year or two and come back and buy a house and get on with the next phase of our lives. You've made me happier than I could ever have imagined and I'm so glad we are officially living together now. You are definitely my better half. You let me be my goofy self at all times and you don't try to change me into some idealized version of a boyfriend in your head. You are the kindest and sweetest person I have ever met and I feel so incredibly lucky to be with you. I even accept the fact that you like err...umm... Nickelback...Ahem! Anyways, I love you honey, so Happy 5 Months.

The Bad wins out again (a.k.a. people have no taste)

Last week proved once again that the record buying public by and large have no taste. Case in point... Nickelback's new album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts... Franz Ferdinand's stellar sophomore CD debuts at #8... Liz Phair's... I don't even want to say because it is quite embarrassing. I was really hoping that Nickelback's time in the sun was over, but I guess I'll have to go another year of having their bland brand of "rock" force-fed to me by Muchmusic and Regina radio. Thank God for CJTR.

SuperJuice and Redwater Records

Regina is loaded with talented musicians. Over the last two or three years I've gotten to be friends with many really cool people in the local music scene. Recently, two albums were released by two very good friends of mine, so here's the dirt on each one.

SuperJuice
This past Friday, my good friends in SuperJuice (Christofur Real, Jai Mo, Ryan, and Todd) released a 5 song demo produced by Kyle from Parlor Trixx. I can't believe how great the sound quality is. Kyle did such an unbelievable job. But the sound quality would mean nothing if the songs were bad. Fortunately, this is definitely not the case. Chris and Jai are really talented songwriters and their songs are full of hooks, energy, and clever lyrics. Plus Chris' hidden acoustic track is a pleasant change of pace. I imagine a CD release party is going to occur sometime in the near future so stay tuned. superjuicerocks.com

Chad Kichula and Redwater Records
Chad and I go back about 10 years or so. When I first met him I honestly wasn't a big fan of his, but after bumping into him again a year or two ago he's besome a really good friend of mine. I think the thing that forged our friendship was our love of music. It's funny how things work out sometimes. And now he is a very talented singer-songwriter. He just relaesed his debut album which is available on a record label that he spearheaded, Redwater Records. Other artists on this label include the Nancy Ray-Guns, and New Star Killer. Chad's songs are very rootsy in nature, influenced by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle. However, he also has songs that are more rockabilly-tinged and songs that wouldn't be out of place on a U2 album. At the end of this month there is an official launch party and showcase for Redwater Records, featuring its roster of talent. And I believe yours truly may be hosting this event. Below is the details according to redwater-records.com.

"Redwater Records will be having its Label Release Party on October 28th. 2005 at the Exchange. The Nancy Ray-guns will be joined by Chad Kichula and New Star Killer for this event. CD's and Merchandise will be available, and prizes will be awarded during the evening. Doors open at 8pm ."

random thoughts

Wow, it's been awhile since I updated my blog. I've been ultra-busy the last week or so, but things are getting back to normal now. So here's what's been on my mind lately.

Moving in with April...
I just moved in with April into a townhouse so we are still in the process of getting all settled in, but we are making a lot of progress. Our townhouse is going to look really nice once we are all setteld in. I hate the whole moving process but it is nice to have a fresh start once all the tedious rearranging of furniture and belongings is done. I feel like a nomadic gypsy since it seems I move at least once a year. I'm really happy I decided to move in with April. It seems like the next logical step in our relationship. I absolutely love every second I'm with her so I can't wait until we have the whole place settled and feeling like home. I had the worst day EVER at work yesterday so I came home in an absolutely fowl mood. My nerves were so shot by the time I got home, but April totally made my day by doing the sweetest thing. Out of the clear blue she decided to get me a nice "thinking of you" card and she bought me some chocolates. I swear to God that she reads my mind sometimes. I was totally blown away by her gesture. April is definitely a keeper and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her.

Liz Phair and Franz Ferdinand...
Tomorrow Liz Phair and Franz Ferdinand are releasing their new albums. Liz Phair is one of my fave artists of all time and this album is supposed to be a return to form after her somewhat disappointing previous release. Franz Ferdinand's debut album was brilliant from start to finish so I hope they can keep their momentum going with their new one. Sadly, Nickelback's new album is also out tomorrow so I guess you can't have the good without the bad :).

Hockey! Hockey! Hockey!
NHL Hockey is FINALLY back and I am totally hyped for this year. As a hardcore Edmonton Oilers fan, I am ecstatic that the league has a salary cap so the Oilers can actually keep their star players instead of being a glorified farm team for the New Rangers and the rest of the league. It has been very hard over the years to see the Oilers lose such players as Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Weight, Joseph, Gurein, etc etc etc because they did not have the money to shell out on players like the Red Wings or Avalanche or Rangers have always had. Every team is on the same level and anyone can theoretically win the Stanley Cup now so this will be a very intersting season. I can't wait to see Chris Pronger and Michael Peca in Oilers jerseys this year. Pronger is arguably the best defenceman in the NHL so it's nice to see the Oilers now being able to actually ACQUIRE these kinds of players instead of trading them away before their contracts run up.

Keef 

Mr. Vedder 

Here's a pic of Eddie Vedder during Pearl Jam's show in Saskatoon. 

Back to Basics

In the last few weeks I have had some of the best times of my life. I got to see Pearl Jam and Bif Naked back to back. I had a personal best in the Queen City Marathon. I had a fun-filled (but definitely bittersweet) farewell week for one of my best friends in the world, Tina. But life has a way of always balancing things out and last night was one of those nights. Shortly before April and I were going to leave The Plains for their Monday night jam night, Jenn found out some terrible news. Suddenly, everything came to a screetching halt. So Chris, April and I went with Jenn to help console her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. In the last week, there has been some bickering between me and April, between Chris and Jenn and between Jenn and April. But last night I think we all realized that we are all just lucky to have each other as friends. Losing loved ones really puts things back into perspective and really makes you appreciate your friends and family that much more. People fight over the stupidest things, but we are really lucky to have the opportunity to fight at all since every one of us can go at any time. Life truly is a precious thing and we should all be grateful for every single breath we take and for every second we spend with loved ones. About two years ago my family had a string of deaths in the family... my grandma, my uncle and a close friend of the family. That really opened my eyes for a while and made me have a different attitude towards life. Sadly, that gradually disappeared for a while. But last night gave me a jolt and a wake-up call. I think you can find out the true worth of a person when you experience a tragedy with someone. And last night really cemented a lot of things between me and April, as well as with Chris and Jenn. Life is nothing without friends and I am so unbelievably lucky to have such close friends in my life right now. So I just want to give a big thanks to April (I love you SO much!), Tina, Zubazz, Mark, Jenn, Chris, Gianni, Stacey, Kevin, my cousins Dave and Sarah, JC, Rude Dude, Kent, Brandy, Trevor, Troy, Matty, the B!LF/Superjuice guys, and of course my parents, etc. Without all of you, my life would not be nearly the same and I feel really lucky and proud to call all of you my friends. So next time any of us gets a bit peeved over what someone else did, just think for a second how lucky we are to have each other in our lives at all.

Here's a nice pic of me after the race, along with my support group. It was so nice to see some of my friends come out and cheer me on. I have to give a big thanks to April, Zubazz, Mark, Jeanine, Gianni, and Justin for coming out to cheer me on. Justin ran his first half marathon and finished in the top 5% of finshers. Not too shabby for his first time! 

This is me at about the halfway point... right before my knee started to cause me some grief. 

Here's me and April a few minutes before the start of the marathon. 

And I'm off! Here's a pic of me at the very start of the marathon. 

Queen City Marathon V

Yesterday I completed my fourth marathon, completing the QCM in a time of 3 hrs and 34 mins which is a personal best for me. Even though my legs are stiff and sore now, I can't wait to do it again next year. Running is extremely addicting once you start getting into it. Throughout the 42.2 km, you have your moments where you feel invincible followed by moments where you are not sure if you can even finish due to various aches and pains. This year I hit a road block after 26 km when my left knee starting acting up on me and I got a sudden case of foot cramps. After trying to run on my bum knee for a bit I knew that if this pain continued I would not be able to even finish the race. However, I did a couple stretching exercises and walked for a minute or two and carried on. Somehow my knee felt fine again and I was able to carry on. My goal one day is to qualify for the Boston Marathon so I am trying to improve my time every year. Until I'm 34 I will have to finish at a time of 3 hrs and 10 mins or better so I have my work cut out for me. Even if it takes me until I'm 40 years old, I WIll make Boston some day.

Pearl Jam in Saskatoon

This past Wednesday I had a chance to see one of my fave bands of all time. Pearl Jam played in Saskatoon and even though our seats had a lot to be desired, I was blown away by the show. With no new album to promote, Pearl Jam played a killer set of old and new songs. Given their extensive catalogue, they will always omit a few of everyone's favourite songs. Personally, I would have loved to hear "Man of the Hour," "Lowlight," and "I Am Mine" but I can hardly complain since they plyed "Rearviewmirror," "Daughter," and "Do the Evolution." Pearl Jam are not a typical big-time band with etched-in-stone setlists. Every time they hit the stage you never know what songs they will play. They may play most or all of their "hits" or they may have a setlist that caters more to their rabid, hardcore fans. One of the things I've admired about Pearl Jam is that they were one of the biggest bands on the planet when they started, but they willingly shot themselves in the foot commercially by refusing to make music videos and by doing very little press. They did not want to be over-exposed. I like the fact that I can go to record shop and by their album the day it comes out without being beaten over the head with it by hearing their latest single on Muchmusic and MTV and radio ten times a day. I love U2, but it gets to a point where you can only listen to "Vertigo" so much in one day. So when Pearl Jam's new album comes out in a few months time, I'll be there at A & B Sound or HMV. And by the sounds of the two new songs they played, it's gonna be great.

Remember when Muchmusic and MTV used to actually play music videos?

In the last few years I have began watching less and less TV. What little TV i have watched has usually been channels like Muchmusic, Muchmoremusic and MTV. However, I never even really considered it watching TV since most of the time they just played music videos. However, these "music" stations hardly ever play music videos anymore. Nowadays it's all "reality TV" drivel like Newlyweds, The Ashley Simpson Show, Pimp My Ride, Making the Band, All Access, The Life of... etc. I swear I can feel my brain cells dying by the second when I watch some of these shows. I could really care less if I know that P.Diddy can spend $1.5 million at a trendy Hollywood store or have his favorite tea brought in by plane from Sri Lanka within 24 hrs. And how many times do I need to hear second rate "comedians" find different ways of saying "Paris Hilton is a talentless, airheaded hobag" during an "indepth analysis" of the mystery of Paris Hilton's fame? People have long called television the 'idiot box" and now it is more true than ever. Bruce Springsteen had a song called "57 Channels and Nothing On." Now it would be "557 Channles and Nothing On." There are so few good TV shows out there nowadays. There are a few smart, well-written shows on the major networks such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, Arrested Development, The Daily Show, Saturday Night Live and Scrubs but you have to wade through a sea of sludge that includes the likes of Yes, Dear and Joey. I tried going without television for 3 or 4 months over a year ago and I hardly missed it at all. If it wasn't for hockey season coming up again I would seriously be tempted to try this again.

lip-synching

I've been flipping through the channels on tv tonight and I've been watching a bit of the MTV Video Music Awards. I just saw R. "Here Kiddie Kiddie" Kelly perform a song. Well, he didn't exactly "perform" the song. It was hands down the worst job of lip-synching I've seen this side of Milli Vanilli and Ashley Simpson. It boggles my mind how a supposed singer can get away with blatantly lip-synching. I would rather hear an average singer miss a note here or there while singing live than watching someone insulting my intelligence by lip-sunching to a song while trying to make sure they keep their dance routine intact. R. Kelly has a great voice so I don't see why he would have to bother lip-synching. I can't imagine how someone at home or in the audience could possibly be entertained by watching a pop singer lip-synch a song. I would rather just watch the video or play the song from the CD or mp3 file. Green Day are supposed to play the VMA's and I can't wait to see thier perfromance because I know they will actually sing and play their instruments LIVE. I also know that they will do an amazing job because they actually have some talent and energy. Wow, what a novel concept. I just seems that more and more hip-hop and r n' b and pop artists can only record perfect songs on record but can't pull off a live performance to save thier lives. As much as I trash bands like Nickelback and Theory of a Deadman, at least they can perform their songs live. I would be a little pissed off if I shelled out money to see a performer lip-synch instead of actually giving a live performance. R.E.M., Green Day, The Pixies, Bif Naked, Robin Black, Sarah Harmer and Billy Talent are some of the best live acts I've seen. And the great thing about them is that their live show is not strictlya carbon copy of their recorded songs. There is a live energy that is somewhat missing from their recorded sound. Plus there is always the possibility that the singer may mess up a word or two or the guitar player may miss a note. But these imperfections only add to the magic of the live performance. If I want to see perfect renditions of these artist's songs I will just play one of their CDs. I would be personallyinsulted as a music fan to see one of my favorite artists lip-synch.

Here's a pic of Tina with the legendary guitar god Dan Silljer. 

Here's a pic of me, Tina and Zubazz from Tuesday at McNally's... Tina's last karaoke night in town...