(Enter Profound Statement Here)

Why Smoothies are Delicious and Global Warming Saved My Sanity

2006-01-13T10:10:00.000-05:00

Well I haven't posted in some time. In my defense let me say this:
(shrug)
I'm drinking a homemade smoothie and it is one of the most delicious things I've had in the last 20 years, which brings me to my next point: GLOBAL WARMING
For many of you, global warming is the boogy man that hides in the galapagos waiting to pounce on unsuspecting costal cities. Apparently though, our little buddy has come out of hiding to join us in South-Western Ontario. "Oh no! It's global warming! Picket!" Hey assholes, leave it alone for a few minutes. It's nice in January for once. Students aren't killing themselves over the stresses of school. The holidays are great for some, but can also be downright painful for others. Statistically, the winter break is one of the most stressful/depressing times of the year for a fair amount of people. Exam marks start to show up just in time for you to be sent back to school.
Now, I had a stressful couple of weeks in December. Beyond having three essays, a seminar, and a term project due within the same seven days, I recieved my mark for an essay handed in earlier in November for a Canadian Literature class. Needless to say, I didn't do very well (hence the tone of this post). I walked home during the most beautiful day we had in December with alot on my mind. "What am I doing here? What am I doing when I graduate and have to get a job next year? No one is going to want to hire a guy that gets that kind of mark on an essay." Sounds ridiculous, right? But frankly, this is the way that we have been brought up. Our education systems have programmed us to feel that every mark we get is the be all end all. The endless streams of "If I don't ____ then I'll never be able to ____ and if I can't _____ then I won't be able to _____..." and so on.
It's an awful way to think, and too many of us behave like this.
I arrive home after getting my 'bad' mark back, and no one is around. There's no one to vent to, no one to tell me that it's not the end of the world. All I had was a beautiful, out of place, godforsaken, global warming caused, September-like day in early December. So I said, "Fuck it. I'm going to take advantage."
I grabbed my longboard and headed out the door. It was the only day that month when the pavement was dry enough to enjoy a longboard.
I headed through Gibbons Park, casually, taking in the day. Every inch that passed beneath me brough me closer to bliss.
Guess what. I felt better.
Maybe global warming is only 99.9% bad.

E-Everything: Why Computers are Problematic but No One Cares

2005-08-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

So here's the thing with computers. Yes, they are extremely useful. Yes, they have revolutionized the world. Yes, yes, yes, but I tend to wonder if these qualities are overshadowed by the bad things computers are doing to our world. What bad could they possibly do? Well, first off, there's that illusion of privacy, when it's clear that it doesn't exist online. -- But Mike, what about all of the security and encryptions that they have, you shouldn't worry about your credit card and such -- I'm not worried about that. Let me explain.
Let's have a look at a private e-mail account, like the one that I get through my school (uwo). Yes, no one can get into it and view my mail, but why would anyone want to? "Ooooo, look at me, I'm a hacker and broke into someone's e-mail account. Now I have the power to increase my sex drive before this silly person will have the power to increase his...and he'll never know Muahahhaa!"
What I mean by a lack of privacy is that I have nowhere to hide online. The assholes did the same things when we got phones. So we got call display. So they got call display blockers. Now I have to answer the phone, just in case. And now, they're fucking with my e-mail. It's okay though. At least I have my blog...oh wait, no, I don't!!!!!
A comment was left in my previous post. Some longass political rant that I couldn't be bothered to read, considering I don't give a flying fuck. What captured me about it though was the fact that it was a form letter. It wasn't written to me. It was written to anyone who is dumb enough to pain any attention to it (I should note that I didn't read it, so I am neither condoning, nor am I attempting to contest it's political motives).
It's only a matter of time now until Viagra and it's subsidiaries (Gina-Co, BigDickNow.com, and Fox) get there hands on some kind of software that can comment on the millions and millions of blogs out there, letting the millions and millions of bloggers know what kind of great herbal substitutes there are out there, just waiting to let YOU get that supermodel of your dreams.
Here's a thought. If someone out there has the technology to comment on every blog on the planet, do us all a favour and send them this:

"Stop posting. No one is listening."

Peace

Advil Cold and Sinus - Cure or Polio in Disguise?

2005-08-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

So I've been sick for the past, let's say about, four days and running. Two Advil Cold and Sinus every four hours, and what do I get? Bullshit. Onto of which is a big ol'pile of sunburn! Oh yeah, one has to love having the chills while looking into the mirror to see a blotchy sunburn. That's right, blotchy! It's not even even!...Steven? I can't even wait for it to turn into a hot (pun intended) tan. This is bullshit! I'm gonna fight the sun! Who needs it anyway? We can make artificial light! I quit the outdoors during the day. From now on call me, Count Higgins, for I am going nocturnal, vampire-style. Peace
Hig

Regarding My "Weak" Post

2005-07-28T15:59:00.000-04:00

...what can i say? It was weak

A Post

2005-07-27T23:21:00.000-04:00

Due to the high traffic, yet low content on my blog, i've decided to post. I haven't done this in some time. I think I forgot how to. That is all.

Dear Superman

2005-07-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

Who the hell are you? I've never commented on your blog (or anyone's for that matter). As far as the use of the "F-Word" is concerned, I need not use profanity to any excess to grab attention. So, Thank YOU, kind sir. Peace

The Art of Parody

2005-06-26T15:26:00.000-04:00

So, like so many stories, this one starts with the changing of my msn name. Yesterday it read "Tattoo/Mike: Coldplay has got nothing on Keane." In other words, a comparison between two bands based on my own personal taste. I didn't think much of it. I had been listening to the Keane album for a couple of days on loop and simply could not get enough of it. Within the next 24 hours though, several people messaged me to 'correct' me saying that Coldplay was much better, etc.
Okay, I changed my msn name once more, now reading "Correction: NEW Coldplay (if that can even be argued to be the same band) has got nothin on Keane"
I haven't had any responses yet, but here are some more thoughts. For everyone that is diggin the new Coldplay album, i'd like to point out the following things. When Parachutes came out (still their best album to date, but i'll get into that later) who was the kid running around trying to get everyone to listen to these guys? Don't answer that. I find it funny that a few years go by and the explosive popularity of Coldplay has caused fans to put blinders on and indulge in the hype surrounding them. It didn't matter what was relased on X&Y, all that mattered was that it was Coldplay.
After the initial release of A Rush of Blood to the Head, the band was prepared to call it quits stating that they had reached a plateux and didn't believe they could write a better album than it, ever. This is true. It also seemed to be true that their follow up could not compare to Parachutes either. The simple difference between the two first albums is playability as an album. Listen to Paracutes start to finish. Everything on that work flows, makes sense, and works together. I don't know who arranged the tracks for Rush of Blood, but it just doesn't have the same album appeal. This isn't an opinion, it's a fact. What the fuck is with that song "A Wisper"? Shouldn't be there at all. Plenty of good songs on Rush of Blood, but good somgs doens't mean good album, and in today's world of music, a person really needs to be able to rely on a solid band to provide them with a solid piece of work.
As for X&Y, I see the same trend as Rush of Blood. There is once again a difference though. I'll lay it out as mathematically as possible.
Band produces Album A
Album A is a remarkable success story
Band produces Album B
Album B is good, but is missing something and can't live up to Album A
Band is ready to call it quits when fame, fourtuneand Oscar winners strike
Band produces Album A+B = X&Y in a rush by doing what they have always done, following a formula
The formula works because Joe Public doesn't care about quality
Joe Elitist does though
It's called challenging yourself as a musician and an artist. Art, whether it be music, visual, etc. only happens through the struggle to improve on one's abilities. If DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa facing left instead of forward, would it be as good as the original? No, infact, it would depleate the beauty of the original.
Obviously Coldplay are no DaVinci's, but what I'm trying to say is that artists that rise the ranks to fame are not given a get out of jail free card. Every piece of work one produces should challenge them, and in turn challenge the artist.
This is happening all over the place. Lucas and his new Star Wars films are nothing but parodies of the originals. They lack a key, as the French say, "I don't know."
It's happened to Weezer too, which really sucks. It's too late for them. Now not only is their music a parody of what they once were, but they are themselves. They're trying to hard to be something they're not. They need to grow up. I find it hard to identify with men in their thirties singing about teenage angst, especially when some of the are married with children. Stop acting, you're a musician, not a thespean.
Coldplay got me worried. I'm giving them one last chance to make up for it. The next album better punch me in the face and put me in my place. Peace

Ugh

2005-06-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

Last time I wrote a big long post, my internet explorer crashed when i went to post. Me angry at blog land. Me take break. Me should put less effort into posts so i don't lose another essay. Peas

Back by Popular Demand

2005-06-09T18:33:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a while since i've posted anything. Excuse: I've been busy...? That's a complete lie. Work is easy, when i get home I sleep for a little bit, make dinner, than do nothing, then sleep some more.
So, why haven't I been posting? Lack of drive I suppose. You know those days when you wake up and feel like doing nothing? Those days when you want to just stay in bed and listen to music for the rest of your life? I've spent the last month perfecting this. I'm reminded of a line from the film Taxi Driver:
TRAVIS (V.O.)
May 29, 1972. I must get in shape. Too much sitting has ruined my body.

Now I know I'm no Robert DeNeiro, but I think it still applies. Time for change. Peace

Last Nights Before Work

2005-05-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

My God!
Note to self: Be warned when several of your friends decide to come into town for the weekend. This can promote the consumption of mass quantities of alcohol and pressure one to partake in the consumption of other substances.
Here's to a weekend of debauchery. Now, time to get into work mode.
Peace

Regarding Music

2005-05-26T10:45:00.000-04:00

I’ve encountered another problem with the “art” that we call music today. The fact of the matter is that there is very little art out there. The mainstream is deteriorating more and more by the year. No one is trying to be the next Zeppelin or Hendrix anymore; rather, it would appear that many musicians out there are striving to be the next nobody.
There is less and less music being released that I believe will stand the test of time. Do you see yourself looking back in ten years and saying, “Oh man, I could go for some solid Default right now. I wish those guys were still touring so I could get in one last live fix.”?
The worse realization of mine is that the good music that is being released is so deep in the underground (where most of these bands prefer to be) that it will not stand the test of time either because in ten years younger generations will not have access to it.
I listen around these days, and all I hear is the same bland music. It would appear that part of the problem falls on listener as well though.
People have lost touch of what listening to music should be. A good album should be taken in like a good book or film, without distractions, and with focus on what it is: art. Herein lays the major problem of the music listener of today.
I would propose that the music listener of today is not a listener at all. Music has become less of and art form, and more of an accessory. It is something you put on to match your earrings, or go with the colour of your car.
Only when one can take the time to listen to an album (start to finish) will the world begin to be rid of the plague of ignorance of taste.
Being an elitist is awesome.

First Post

2005-05-25T15:49:00.000-04:00

So it's come to this. I have a blog. A few people have been told me this past week that I should start one cause I keep complaining about having nothing to do. I didn't really want to become a 'blogger,' but here it goes. Peace
Mike