I'm apprehensive in going off on all of the reasons why marijuana should be legalized. To be honest...from a casual users point of view, things aren't all that bad right now. It is fairly easy to find safe and clean marijuana almost anywhere in Canada these days. Obviously skeptics will say there is nothing safe or clean about it but when I say that I mean it is not laced with a more harmful drug.
Numerous studies have been done by differing sides and it seems at this point in time that it is pointless and naive to seek out the truth about it's effects and choose one side over the other. Basically, what it all comes down to is personal experience. The fact that no one has ever died from an "overdose" of Marijuana, yet many, many people have died from alcohol poisoning speaks for itself. I'm not saying alcohol should be made illegal (for one it would probably result in nation-wide anarchy) but I think things need to be put into perspective.
Marijuana is not LSD, nor is it cocaine or heroine etc etc. The fact that it is labeled as a "drug" and "drugs are bad" immediately taints it in the views of the ignorant. Marijuana is a plant that is smoked. It is not a powder that is extracted and snorted or a chemical made in a lab. It is a plant. Comparing it to tobacco is at least sensical, though even those similarities are debatable.
Marijuana should be legalized and that's the way it is. I don't know how or why it was ever made illegal but it makes no sense whatsoever. Like I hinted at earlier, I'm afraid of how it would be handled by the government if it were to be legalized, but the reasons for it being illegal will always be a mystery to me.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Kiko
This was the odd yet affectionate name of our beloved (and only) dog. I've decided she was worthy of doing a 15 minute podcast on. Call me a sap if you like but this dog had quite the impact on my life. I basically grew up with her. We were the same age in human years so that created an immediate bond, I think.
Anyway yeah that is my idea. Make of it what you will.
Anyway yeah that is my idea. Make of it what you will.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
"I Was Raped."
An article was brought to my attention by our Media Writing instructor Jill. It talks about a woman who has created a t-shirt with a particularity contraversial graphic on the front. There is an open safe with a small note inside. On the note is a small yet powerful message: "I Was Raped."
Although I'm sure everyone has an opinion on this topic, through much consideration, I have decided to take a step back from making any further judgements...and I think my fellow male comrades should probably do the same.
My basic stance on this is much the same as a fellow class-mate of mine...the very fact that we haven't been raped in our life-time makes our opinions 100% irrelevant. We don't know what it's like and will probably never know what it's like to feel used to that degree. We can't possibly fathom the confusion and frustration that comes with such a horrific experience. For that reason alone, guys, despite what you may think of the concept, we should probably just shut up and back off.
Perhaps through observance and empathy we can "get it" one day.
Although I'm sure everyone has an opinion on this topic, through much consideration, I have decided to take a step back from making any further judgements...and I think my fellow male comrades should probably do the same.
My basic stance on this is much the same as a fellow class-mate of mine...the very fact that we haven't been raped in our life-time makes our opinions 100% irrelevant. We don't know what it's like and will probably never know what it's like to feel used to that degree. We can't possibly fathom the confusion and frustration that comes with such a horrific experience. For that reason alone, guys, despite what you may think of the concept, we should probably just shut up and back off.
Perhaps through observance and empathy we can "get it" one day.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Phases pt. 2
Pop quiz: What happens to a Metallica-obsessed 14-year-old kid when he starts listening to Classic Rock radio? Well the answer, of course, is he becomes a AC/DC obsessed 14-year-old kid!
Yes of course, what could possibly catch my attention quicker than a midget playing guitar in a school-boy uniform? Yes, the ridiculous antics and high-adrenaline rock of AC/DC became my second obsession. I was one of those many annoying kids who praised Angus Young and ignorantly believed he was the greatest guitarist of all-time. But who could blame me? This kind of rock was all new to me. I couldn't get enough of the shrill, screetching vocals, thumping beats and catchy guitar riffs. But as embarassed as I am about this, it was Brian Johnson's vocals that I confused with one of the truly greatest bands of all-time.
I remember being in my dad's truck when I first heard the lyrics, "hey hey mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove." The following guitar riff immediately caught my attention and I was then determined to find out what AC/DC song it was. I checked 92 citi fm's website when I got home and was shocked to find that it wasn't AC/DC at all. It was the legendary Led Zeppelin. I had heard their name mentioned many times in the past but all I knew about them was that they had a song called Stairway to Heaven. I then downloaded that song, along with many others and before I knew it, yet another obsession was born. Although I no longer listen to them, AC/DC served as a gateway to many great bands like Zep, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, The Police, Heart, ZZ Top, Nazareth, Black Sabbath, Cream, The Scorpions etc as well as a reason for deeper exploration of bands like my beloved Beatles, The Stones, CCR, The Doors etc.
Eventually I realized that I was falling back into old habbits and only listening to bands of the past. I immediately resolved the situation by seeking out new bands and new sounds. One music scene that has intrigued these days is the Indie scene. Bands on Indie labels, I find, are consistently coming up with fresher sounds and putting out more music relevant to today's society than most. The Shins are my current obsession. Although relatively unknown in Canada, they have taken the Indie music scene by storm in the USA. Their latest release Wincing the Night Away has barely left my CD player in the last 6 months.
And that about brings us to now. I hope this blog has been at least somewhat interesting and has possibly even inspired you to relive your own musical history.
Yes of course, what could possibly catch my attention quicker than a midget playing guitar in a school-boy uniform? Yes, the ridiculous antics and high-adrenaline rock of AC/DC became my second obsession. I was one of those many annoying kids who praised Angus Young and ignorantly believed he was the greatest guitarist of all-time. But who could blame me? This kind of rock was all new to me. I couldn't get enough of the shrill, screetching vocals, thumping beats and catchy guitar riffs. But as embarassed as I am about this, it was Brian Johnson's vocals that I confused with one of the truly greatest bands of all-time.
I remember being in my dad's truck when I first heard the lyrics, "hey hey mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove." The following guitar riff immediately caught my attention and I was then determined to find out what AC/DC song it was. I checked 92 citi fm's website when I got home and was shocked to find that it wasn't AC/DC at all. It was the legendary Led Zeppelin. I had heard their name mentioned many times in the past but all I knew about them was that they had a song called Stairway to Heaven. I then downloaded that song, along with many others and before I knew it, yet another obsession was born. Although I no longer listen to them, AC/DC served as a gateway to many great bands like Zep, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, The Police, Heart, ZZ Top, Nazareth, Black Sabbath, Cream, The Scorpions etc as well as a reason for deeper exploration of bands like my beloved Beatles, The Stones, CCR, The Doors etc.
Eventually I realized that I was falling back into old habbits and only listening to bands of the past. I immediately resolved the situation by seeking out new bands and new sounds. One music scene that has intrigued these days is the Indie scene. Bands on Indie labels, I find, are consistently coming up with fresher sounds and putting out more music relevant to today's society than most. The Shins are my current obsession. Although relatively unknown in Canada, they have taken the Indie music scene by storm in the USA. Their latest release Wincing the Night Away has barely left my CD player in the last 6 months.
And that about brings us to now. I hope this blog has been at least somewhat interesting and has possibly even inspired you to relive your own musical history.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Phases pt. 1
Everyone goes through them. They can be involving anything in your life, really. But what I'm going to focus on today is the many different phases I went through in music.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a big fan of the Beatles. The first song that I remember catching my attention as a child was "Twist and Shout." I've loved them ever since I can remember and the fact that I still do surprised even me. But aside from the Beatles, my musical tastes have gone through many different phases.
I think for the most part, my musical tastes - as is the case for many people - have reflected the phases I've gone through in life. When I was a child I looked up to my dad and liked pretty much everything he liked. His favourite band is the Rolling Stones and not long after the Beatles I found myself intrigued by the darker tones of Mick and company. My dad, like most people his age, was a big fan of Oldies radio. So along with the Beatles and the Stones came a host of big names from the past, including: Elvis Presley, the Mamas and the Papas, Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Kinks, CCR, The Doors, Terry Jacks, Neil Young, The Guess Who, The Moody Blues, the Dave Clark Five etc etc. Oldies radio was basically all we listened to back then. Either that, or mix tapes with our favourite oldies singles on them. Needless to say, I'm a lot more familiar with music from the 60's and 70's than any 21 year old probably should be.
Unfortunately, this was all I really knew. I was completely oblivious to any current music. I remember being laughed at in grade 5 for saying the Beatles were the greatest band of all time. Not to say that that isn't quite possibly true, but considering 99% of the music I knew was recorded 25 years before then, it was a pretty ignorant statement. It was around this time that my eyes began to open to more current music. I remember two friends of mine on the bus debating over who they liked more; Bush or Our Lady Peace. Having never heard of either band, I decided I liked Our Lady Peace's name better and set out to buy the album Clumsy. Considering the darkest music I had heard to this point was The Rolling Stones, this album was quite a shock to me. It was dark, raw and heavy. Even the softer songs on the album such as Carnival and the title track had a definite edge to them. I loved it, and immediately craved more music like it.
When my next birthday rolled around, what I wanted was a given. The only thing I asked for was a CD player. I got that, along with OLP's first album Naveed. It was even darker and heavier than Clumsy, thus furthering my craving for the dark and heavy. I started listening to new rock radio around this time and making my own mix tapes of the music they played. There was one song that immediately caught my attention, highlited by the raw voice and guitarwork of the late Kurt Cobain. The song I'm, of course, referring to is Smells Like Teen Spirit. Thus beginning my 90's Alternative/Grunge phase. Through friends and the radio, more and more bands came to my attention. Bands like Green Day, Silverchair, Rage Against the Machine and I Mother Earth were suddenly being added to my meager CD library.
The fact that my parents didn't like the music I was listening to, in my mind, immediately made it cool. And because of this my desire for the loud and heavy continued to grow. I remember a vivid dream I had. I must've left my radio on that night because in my dream I remembering listening to The Memory Remains by Metallica and asking my mom who the singer was. Her reply? Well it went a little something like this; "That, Scott, is the devil." This dream, at the time, both intrigued and scared the hell out of me. Perhaps my mom was right because shortly after this dream I became all but obsessed with Metallica. Their music was the fruit of the forbidden tree and I was going back for seconds, thirds, etc. I eventually collected their entire CD library. My Metallica obsession opened the doors to many other Metal bands of the past and present. But to this day, no Metal band has done it for me like 'Tallica.
Around this time a local rock radio station called 92 Citi FM converted to a 'Classic Rock' station. My favourite era of Metallica was definitely their early work (1983 - 1988) and I found that 92 was playing more music from that era. And so began my Classic Rock 'rebirth' phase.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a big fan of the Beatles. The first song that I remember catching my attention as a child was "Twist and Shout." I've loved them ever since I can remember and the fact that I still do surprised even me. But aside from the Beatles, my musical tastes have gone through many different phases.
I think for the most part, my musical tastes - as is the case for many people - have reflected the phases I've gone through in life. When I was a child I looked up to my dad and liked pretty much everything he liked. His favourite band is the Rolling Stones and not long after the Beatles I found myself intrigued by the darker tones of Mick and company. My dad, like most people his age, was a big fan of Oldies radio. So along with the Beatles and the Stones came a host of big names from the past, including: Elvis Presley, the Mamas and the Papas, Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Kinks, CCR, The Doors, Terry Jacks, Neil Young, The Guess Who, The Moody Blues, the Dave Clark Five etc etc. Oldies radio was basically all we listened to back then. Either that, or mix tapes with our favourite oldies singles on them. Needless to say, I'm a lot more familiar with music from the 60's and 70's than any 21 year old probably should be.
Unfortunately, this was all I really knew. I was completely oblivious to any current music. I remember being laughed at in grade 5 for saying the Beatles were the greatest band of all time. Not to say that that isn't quite possibly true, but considering 99% of the music I knew was recorded 25 years before then, it was a pretty ignorant statement. It was around this time that my eyes began to open to more current music. I remember two friends of mine on the bus debating over who they liked more; Bush or Our Lady Peace. Having never heard of either band, I decided I liked Our Lady Peace's name better and set out to buy the album Clumsy. Considering the darkest music I had heard to this point was The Rolling Stones, this album was quite a shock to me. It was dark, raw and heavy. Even the softer songs on the album such as Carnival and the title track had a definite edge to them. I loved it, and immediately craved more music like it.
When my next birthday rolled around, what I wanted was a given. The only thing I asked for was a CD player. I got that, along with OLP's first album Naveed. It was even darker and heavier than Clumsy, thus furthering my craving for the dark and heavy. I started listening to new rock radio around this time and making my own mix tapes of the music they played. There was one song that immediately caught my attention, highlited by the raw voice and guitarwork of the late Kurt Cobain. The song I'm, of course, referring to is Smells Like Teen Spirit. Thus beginning my 90's Alternative/Grunge phase. Through friends and the radio, more and more bands came to my attention. Bands like Green Day, Silverchair, Rage Against the Machine and I Mother Earth were suddenly being added to my meager CD library.
The fact that my parents didn't like the music I was listening to, in my mind, immediately made it cool. And because of this my desire for the loud and heavy continued to grow. I remember a vivid dream I had. I must've left my radio on that night because in my dream I remembering listening to The Memory Remains by Metallica and asking my mom who the singer was. Her reply? Well it went a little something like this; "That, Scott, is the devil." This dream, at the time, both intrigued and scared the hell out of me. Perhaps my mom was right because shortly after this dream I became all but obsessed with Metallica. Their music was the fruit of the forbidden tree and I was going back for seconds, thirds, etc. I eventually collected their entire CD library. My Metallica obsession opened the doors to many other Metal bands of the past and present. But to this day, no Metal band has done it for me like 'Tallica.
Around this time a local rock radio station called 92 Citi FM converted to a 'Classic Rock' station. My favourite era of Metallica was definitely their early work (1983 - 1988) and I found that 92 was playing more music from that era. And so began my Classic Rock 'rebirth' phase.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Left and Leaving
It is with a slightly heavy heart that I write this post, as my brothers are leaving as of today.
Everyone that's every gone to College or University has had to deal with the departure of friends at one time or another. Especially in this day and age with immigration being much more common than it used to be. But today the impact of it seems heavier than it would be with anyone else.
I first met Ahmed and Mohammad, two brothers from Saudi Arabia, early this September. At that time, although we had never met eachother yet, we were in a similar situation. Our meeting could not have been more akward. Two of my classmates and I were hanging out and talking outside when suddenly Mohammad and Ahmed came out the door. One of the guys I was with (who was slightly intoxicated at the time) greeted them in Spanish, immediately assuming they were Mexican exchange students. As if this wasn't embarassing enough, upon finding out that they hailed from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the same idiot went on to with them a "Happy 911." The very idea of saying something so ignorant infront of ANYONE, let alone two Muslims, was enough to make me want to punch him myself...but they showed no signs of anger...in fact, they laughed about it. At that moment, I knew there was something different about these two.
Now whether they were laughing with him or at him really doesn't matter. The point is that laughing about such an ignorant, stupid comment immediately indicated to me that these guys were both self-confident and didn't take life too seriously. Two qualities in which I like to take pride in. Upon discovering we lived on the same floor, we started hanging out regularily. In fact, I don't think a single day went by that we didn't hang out for at least a little while. I learned so much from them and in return, tried to help them with whatever they wanted to know.
I had never met two more generous people in my life. It seemed they just appreciated company more than anything else in this world. We had so many good times over the past 7 months that I can't even collect enough of my thoughts and memories to record them here.
Of all the things I learned from Ahmed and Mohammad, there is just one moral guideline that I gained from them that stands out above all else: No matter where you come from, no matter what race, religion or colour you are, good people are good people.
Everyone that's every gone to College or University has had to deal with the departure of friends at one time or another. Especially in this day and age with immigration being much more common than it used to be. But today the impact of it seems heavier than it would be with anyone else.
I first met Ahmed and Mohammad, two brothers from Saudi Arabia, early this September. At that time, although we had never met eachother yet, we were in a similar situation. Our meeting could not have been more akward. Two of my classmates and I were hanging out and talking outside when suddenly Mohammad and Ahmed came out the door. One of the guys I was with (who was slightly intoxicated at the time) greeted them in Spanish, immediately assuming they were Mexican exchange students. As if this wasn't embarassing enough, upon finding out that they hailed from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the same idiot went on to with them a "Happy 911." The very idea of saying something so ignorant infront of ANYONE, let alone two Muslims, was enough to make me want to punch him myself...but they showed no signs of anger...in fact, they laughed about it. At that moment, I knew there was something different about these two.
Now whether they were laughing with him or at him really doesn't matter. The point is that laughing about such an ignorant, stupid comment immediately indicated to me that these guys were both self-confident and didn't take life too seriously. Two qualities in which I like to take pride in. Upon discovering we lived on the same floor, we started hanging out regularily. In fact, I don't think a single day went by that we didn't hang out for at least a little while. I learned so much from them and in return, tried to help them with whatever they wanted to know.
I had never met two more generous people in my life. It seemed they just appreciated company more than anything else in this world. We had so many good times over the past 7 months that I can't even collect enough of my thoughts and memories to record them here.
Of all the things I learned from Ahmed and Mohammad, there is just one moral guideline that I gained from them that stands out above all else: No matter where you come from, no matter what race, religion or colour you are, good people are good people.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Killing Mr. Griffin
I'm sure many of us read this book in either high school or junior high, and as of yesterday, the cast just got a little bit younger. Here's is a link to the story to which I am referring:
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/04/01/third-grade-teacher.html?ref=rss
Well it looks like the next generation of gun-happy, school-shooting maniacs are coming along just fine.
Is this as shocking to everyone else as it is to me? Perhaps it shouldn't be. School violence is getting more popular every day it seems. How does it happen that a teacher scolding one child for standing on a chair gets her put on an adolescent hit list?? What happens to these childrens' parents when they scold them? Thirty lashes??!
Maybe that is just it. Are these children being disciplined at all at home? It's pretty easy to blame the parents when anything like this happens, but are they really to blame? We don't really know - and more than likely will never know - how issues of this sort are handled in the homes of these children, so we really have nothing to base that sort of arguement on...unfortunately.
Asking this many questions with so few answers is pretty frustrating. It reminds me of the frustration I felt after every one of the school shootings that have occured over the past decade happened. There are no answers and no good reasons. Isn't it supposed to work that where there is a problem, there is a solution? If only it were that simple. Schools have taken significant security measures since the Columbine tragedy, but in reality, nothing has changed.
School is no longer the safe place that I once knew it as a kid. Perhaps it's just the world in general that isn't as safe as it once was. But there are so few reasons and answers. Only questions.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/04/01/third-grade-teacher.html?ref=rss
Well it looks like the next generation of gun-happy, school-shooting maniacs are coming along just fine.
Is this as shocking to everyone else as it is to me? Perhaps it shouldn't be. School violence is getting more popular every day it seems. How does it happen that a teacher scolding one child for standing on a chair gets her put on an adolescent hit list?? What happens to these childrens' parents when they scold them? Thirty lashes??!
Maybe that is just it. Are these children being disciplined at all at home? It's pretty easy to blame the parents when anything like this happens, but are they really to blame? We don't really know - and more than likely will never know - how issues of this sort are handled in the homes of these children, so we really have nothing to base that sort of arguement on...unfortunately.
Asking this many questions with so few answers is pretty frustrating. It reminds me of the frustration I felt after every one of the school shootings that have occured over the past decade happened. There are no answers and no good reasons. Isn't it supposed to work that where there is a problem, there is a solution? If only it were that simple. Schools have taken significant security measures since the Columbine tragedy, but in reality, nothing has changed.
School is no longer the safe place that I once knew it as a kid. Perhaps it's just the world in general that isn't as safe as it once was. But there are so few reasons and answers. Only questions.
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