Wednesday, June 17, 2009
my Two Cents on the "Make It Seven" campaign
Ok, so I'm just gonna throw out my opinion on the whole issue of Jim Balsillie's push to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and relocate them to Hamilton. Here it is: HE WANTS THE TEAM, AND HAS THE MONEY TO BUY, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? Southern Ontario can obviously support hockey- two is not going to be an issue, even three could be doable I think. Phoenix/Glendale is not a place for hockey. This is obvious. There are some great hockey minds working for the franchise and it's dying. If Balsillie can put in an offer like he has, there is no reason to block it.
However, I should note that Hamilton would not be my first choice for a relocated Coyotes team. Why not send the team back to Winnipeg or bring hockey back to Quebec? And our East Coast friends have never had a team. Many Maritimers are torn between Montreal and Boston (it's not just our friends in Windsor and Niagara who suffer from having the closest team being on the other side of the border). Maybe it's time for team to call Halifax home? And then of course there are several Western US cities that could easily support a professional hockey team: Seattle, Portland, Milwaukee off the top of my head. But Balsillie wants it to be Hamilton, and he's the one with the offer, so Hamilton it is.
One other issue: to bring a Western Conference team to Hamilton would be a problem, either Hamilton would have to stay in the West (thus rarely playing Toronto and killing the rivalry before it starts) or another team would have to move to the West, and Toronto is the furthest West (again killing the rivalry and the Ottawa-Toronto rivalry and the Montreal-Toronto rivalry, but fueling a Toronto-Detroit rivalry which could be exciting).
But of course all this means little if the NHL rejects Balsillie's millions as they have done so far. Any owners in Phoenix will encounter the same struggles, and I see little reason to keep a dying franchise when someone is willing to pay for it.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Relaunch!!
I feel somewhat not myself. I have not blogged in forever. It's like a part of me was dead. OK, so I'm exaggerating. But the point is that I've missed my blog. And now, like the legendary Phoenix, or like Jesus himself (OK, maybe not so much), .Think On. is back. To my former fans, I'm sorry. I hope I can win you folks back. To new viewers, welcome to my corner of the cyber universe. Stay tuned. This time, it's for real. OK, I've written that before, but this time, after a year and a half, the junk that was holding me back has been placed in its proper position, and my need for an outlet of my thoughts is once again foremost in my mind. So, mark this date, June 10, 2009- it is a historical date- the day .Think On. was resurrected from beyond death, rescued from Valhalla, and returned to its rightful place as the beloved brainchild of Evghenis.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Oh My
Alright, so I suck again. But in my defense, it has been the most chaotic period of my life thus far. Blogging has frequently been bumped down the list of priorities. Oh, for the carefree days of my undergrad! Alas, with homework, work, classes, a wife, and church life, blogging seems very, very tough. I will continue to make attempts to persevere. So for now, here's yet another den boerish update:
~I wrote a paper on St. Patrick for Church History class. Good times, and perhaps a good subject for an upcoming post.
~I got pulled into joining a committee at Church- Mission & Outreach. Good times. Exciting stuff happening, including a potential trip to Africa in the next three years.
~I was at a Greek Orthodox service this past week. Very cool.
~I don't like Hamilton.
~I do like snow however. This is odd, because I don't like cold.
~I made some awesome dinner on sunday, completly improved... I call it Apple Jack's Ribs. Very tastey. Probably been done by someone already, but if I ripped someone off, it was entirely unintentional.
~I should be sleeping now.
~I love Neustadt Scottish Ale.
~I am trying to get into the Christmas spirit again this year. So far, it seems to be working.
~My back hurts.
~I wore my kilt for my presentation in class on friday. People quite enjoyed it.
~I enjoyed it also.
~I've been listening to lots of music by the Pogues and Flogging Molly lately.
~Oh, Natalie McMaster also. Good stuff.
~I miss the Maritimes.
~I filled up the tank at $1.04/L today. Boo.
~When I first got my licence, I was upset about paying $0.70/L. Amazing how much can change in such a short time.
~If I could afford it, I think I'd give up pants, and wear a kilt every day. Alas, kilts are costly items.
~Kilts are however not great when a Canadian winter blows 30cm of snow and -30 degree winds up the kilt.
~Speaking of kilts, Check this video of the fine folks of the Fergus Pipe Band from last March's performance in Elora. Chad Green is the soloist. http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1593932383497403510&q=fergus+pipe+band&total=16&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
~I wrote a paper on St. Patrick for Church History class. Good times, and perhaps a good subject for an upcoming post.
~I got pulled into joining a committee at Church- Mission & Outreach. Good times. Exciting stuff happening, including a potential trip to Africa in the next three years.
~I was at a Greek Orthodox service this past week. Very cool.
~I don't like Hamilton.
~I do like snow however. This is odd, because I don't like cold.
~I made some awesome dinner on sunday, completly improved... I call it Apple Jack's Ribs. Very tastey. Probably been done by someone already, but if I ripped someone off, it was entirely unintentional.
~I should be sleeping now.
~I love Neustadt Scottish Ale.
~I am trying to get into the Christmas spirit again this year. So far, it seems to be working.
~My back hurts.
~I wore my kilt for my presentation in class on friday. People quite enjoyed it.
~I enjoyed it also.
~I've been listening to lots of music by the Pogues and Flogging Molly lately.
~Oh, Natalie McMaster also. Good stuff.
~I miss the Maritimes.
~I filled up the tank at $1.04/L today. Boo.
~When I first got my licence, I was upset about paying $0.70/L. Amazing how much can change in such a short time.
~If I could afford it, I think I'd give up pants, and wear a kilt every day. Alas, kilts are costly items.
~Kilts are however not great when a Canadian winter blows 30cm of snow and -30 degree winds up the kilt.
~Speaking of kilts, Check this video of the fine folks of the Fergus Pipe Band from last March's performance in Elora. Chad Green is the soloist. http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1593932383497403510&q=fergus+pipe+band&total=16&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
A Few More From the LCBO's Autumn Selections
Burton Porter: Pours a very dark brown, thin off-white head. Smells a little pruney, but mostly roasted chocolatey. Bitter, roasted flavour at first, with espressoish and fig/date finish. Not as fruity as the Burton Bridge Brewery website would have us believe, but certainly a good fall porter, light on the alcohol, and not overpowering in texture. Solid. B+Trafalgar Brewery Smoked Oatmeal Stout: Comes in a rather large, 650mL bottle, pours black, with little head; just a bit of mocha coloured rim, which dissipates rather quickly. Smells of prune juice, with slight burnt notes. Tastes burned, with bittersweet fruit hints in there. Very thick texture, and with 650mL to get through, it's a bit much. Maybe better for sharing. Overall, not impressive, but I've had worse. C.
Caledonian Brewery Deuchars IPA: Golden colour, with a nice lacy white head. Smells flowery, with graininess. Tastes of citrus fruit and touch of vanillaish. Soft texture, very easy going. Lots of awards for this one, including 2005 Cask Ale championship from Brewing Industry International Awards, and a broze from CAMRA in 2003. Only thing is, it doesn't really come across as an IPA in many respects. But a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, right? A-.Hockley Valley Dark Ale: I loved Hockley's stout, so I picked up a 473mL can of Hockley Dark Ale. Pours a nice deep brown, with a decent off-white head. Smells sweet, with nuttyish notes. Tastes likewise. Plum/raisiny sweetness, nutty finish, with hint of dry chocolate. Soft finish. Pretty good, just a little stronger (5%) than the norm for the English Ale style it claims. B+
Great Lakes Brewery Devil's Pale Ale: I was somewhat worried that this may be a novelty, but had to try it. I was pleasantly surprised. Deep Reddish-brown (odd for a "pale ale", looks more like English Brown Ale or Nut Brown Ale) in colour, nice tan head about 1/4-1/2". Smells like caramel and candied fruits. Very sugary sweet to start, with a mare dry, caramel/butterscotchness at the end, with a touch of nuttyness in the hops. Nicely balanced, and not too heavy in texture; great for late summer/early fall evenings. A-
Monday, October 01, 2007
That time again
The LCBO recently came out with the autumn beers selection. So I was excited to pick up several new beers, and a few old favourites. The first one I cracked open was tonight (tsk tsk, several days without beer, only wine... crazy!!) a stubbie bottle of Scotch-Irish Brewing's Black Irish Plain Porter (reviewed a few weeks ago by Alan at A Good Beer Blog: http://beerblog.genx40.com/archives/2007/september/porterseason1). Pours deep mahogany, with tan head. Smells of espresso with a hint of prune or raisin. Tastes like the nose, raisiny/pruney with espresso and hints of bitterish cocoa. Slightly creamy texture, but with a bit sharpness. Dryish finish, but not an overpowering dryness. Light on the alcohol (4.5%) which seems odd for a porter, which makes it a bit lighter for the pre-winter days, when a more potent porter is more appropriate. Tasty, but not filling. Bonus points for the decent price and the use of the stubbie (which, as someone too young to remember the stubbies of old, has a certain charm to it). B+.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Wow, A whole Month Without Posting...
Ok, so I suck at blogging now. But in my defence, I don't have much free time these days. So, there is now serious need for contemplation regarding whether or not to continue this blog at all (if you have feedback one way or the other please let me know). But here's an attempt at a post (forgive me I'm rusty):
October 10th is coming quickly. Provincial election day is just around the corner, which means I'm stuck in the usual election time conundrum of who to vote for when none of the options seems preferable (scan through the Jan. 06 archives for some comments on the last federal election). I know Dalton McGuinty needs to go, and I have no idea why anyone would consider voting for a McGuinty led party, when this man gave a pledge to do certain things, and soon after tossed his integrity aside and raised taxes, and ran a deficit budget. He has also gone back on his statement in which he said he would not oppose funding to private Jewish schools, as he now says he opposes any public funding to private religious schools of any kind.
So with the Liberals out as option, this leaves the NDP (but hey, who remembers "Rae Days", I know I do, as does my mother who was working for the school board and barely making ends meet, and was then forced into an unpaid vacation). Fact of the matter is that voting for the NDP usually means bigger bureaucracy, higher taxes, and lesser quality of service, in spite of their good intentions to help working families and the needy. So that's a big no.
I did indeed vote for the PC in the last provincial election. I was not impressed with Ernie Eaves as public speaker or public figure, but he was following through on the work Mike Harris started to undo the debacle left by the NDP.
But John Tory's mudslinging without providing a solution frightens me. The "don't vote Liberal because they screwed up" approach is not a good one. I am well aware that McGuinty's Liberals went back on their promises and failed in many respects. I know that there is a doctor shortage, and that the education system needs some reform. But what are you actually proposing to do Mr. Tory?
OK, the Green party is running, but I find it hard to take them seriously at the Provincial level.
So, what to do? I can't just not vote. Anyone have anything which might persuade me?
October 10th is coming quickly. Provincial election day is just around the corner, which means I'm stuck in the usual election time conundrum of who to vote for when none of the options seems preferable (scan through the Jan. 06 archives for some comments on the last federal election). I know Dalton McGuinty needs to go, and I have no idea why anyone would consider voting for a McGuinty led party, when this man gave a pledge to do certain things, and soon after tossed his integrity aside and raised taxes, and ran a deficit budget. He has also gone back on his statement in which he said he would not oppose funding to private Jewish schools, as he now says he opposes any public funding to private religious schools of any kind.
So with the Liberals out as option, this leaves the NDP (but hey, who remembers "Rae Days", I know I do, as does my mother who was working for the school board and barely making ends meet, and was then forced into an unpaid vacation). Fact of the matter is that voting for the NDP usually means bigger bureaucracy, higher taxes, and lesser quality of service, in spite of their good intentions to help working families and the needy. So that's a big no.
I did indeed vote for the PC in the last provincial election. I was not impressed with Ernie Eaves as public speaker or public figure, but he was following through on the work Mike Harris started to undo the debacle left by the NDP.
But John Tory's mudslinging without providing a solution frightens me. The "don't vote Liberal because they screwed up" approach is not a good one. I am well aware that McGuinty's Liberals went back on their promises and failed in many respects. I know that there is a doctor shortage, and that the education system needs some reform. But what are you actually proposing to do Mr. Tory?
OK, the Green party is running, but I find it hard to take them seriously at the Provincial level.
So, what to do? I can't just not vote. Anyone have anything which might persuade me?
Monday, August 20, 2007
Update
~So, I'm back from vacation.
~I fell in love... with Cape Breton. Jenelle and I were camping in the Camp Breton Highlands National Park:
~After enduring the 22 hour drive home (which included a torrential storm for about 5 hours), we crashed for a few hours, then back to camping... at the Fergus Scottish Festival. Nothing quite like the sound of several hundred pipers:
~Then, this week, I became an uncle! My sister-in-law and her husband had a little girl!:
~No, my wife is not pregnant.
~My friend Debbie is pregnant. Her and Craig are having a girl too.
~I worked too much lately.
~Inconsiderate people make me hostile apparently (long story).
~I preached in Milton twice before vacation. It went good... or so they tell me.
~My wife is currently watching That 70's Show... good show.
~Good in the humourous sense, not the promoting high moral standards sense.
~I miss the east coast again.
~Stephen Harper's cabinet shuffle seems like little more than trying to save face.
~I am now unconvinced by vitrually every word Dalton McGuinty speaks.
~Politics also makes me hostile.
~I made curry for the first time tonight. I think it turned out ok.
~Politics from the Latin "poly" meaning many, and "tics" meaning blood sucking parasite.
~I may get my Indian-Canadian co-worker to sample the leftovers.
~Actually, I know Politics comes from the Greek "polis" for city-state.
~I love bagpipes, and intend to learn as soon as I have the time and money.
~By "Indian-Canadian" I mean his parents are from India, not that he is Native Canadian.
~The east coast is beautiful. I recommend it to anyone.
~The Fortress of Louisburg is particularly interesting for myself.
~I don't know if a Native-Canadian's evaluation of my curry would be definitive.
~Funny story: the Fortress of Louisburg is a reconstruction of the 18th century French fort, which the British conquered and then destroyed during the colonial wars. At the welcome centre when purchasing entry passes, they ask where you heard about the Fortress, so I say, "well, I took history at university", so they get all scared. I laughed. They seemed uneasy about a historian observing their work. Then they asked me to let them know what I thought. I only found two problems.
~If you're ever in Baddeck, Cape Breton, I reccomend the Bell Buoy restaurant. Not only is it good eats, but it's a nut free kitchen, which is great when your wife is allergic.
~My wife is not pregnant.
~If you're ever in Baddeck, Cape Breton (which by the way is the home of the Alexander Graham Bell Historical Monument, Bell's summer home) I also suggest a stop by the nearby St. Ann's Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts. They have a fantastic Scottish Clan museum, and a gift shop with all sorts of cool stuff available, including kilt making folks.
~If the past tense of of teach is taught, shouldn't it be praught?
~I may have the time to learn bagpipes next summer... hopefully.
~There's a ceilidh every night of the summer in Baddeck.
~Goose Geese, Moose Meese? Mouse Mice, house hice?
~Ok, I'm tired, and have to work tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Another Hiatus?... Seriously?
Ok, so .Think On. can barely be said to have come out of hiatus, but now, it returns to the same paused status. However, this time, it is not indefinite, nor is it because of my own laziness and negligence. I'm headed off on a much need vacation. Saturday I leave for the east coast, where I'm going ot visit some friends, then off to Cape Breton for some camping and site seeing. Then I return, just in time for (*drumroll*): 
2007 Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games (Aug. 10-12, Fergus, ON). So, when I get back, I'll probably have some photos and such to share. Not sure if I'll be posting again before saturday, since I'm busy with work and packing. So until next time, cheers.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
beer Highlights
It's been so long since my last beer post, and I wouldn't want anyone to think I haven't been sampling (heaven forbid!). I have been actively trying new stuff, but I've sampled so many, and some are from so far back that I can't accurately put my opinions up in a full and clear manner. But I decided I should put up a few noteworthy samplings from recent days.
McAuslan Scotch Ale: This limited edition beer is said to be drawn from the tradition of the Scottish 90 shilling and Wee Heavy ales. McAuslan's website describes it as: "dark ruby red with a tawny head—sweet and malty, with hints of vanilla and butterscotch, and a long hop finish. This 7.2% alcohol by volume beer was last produced in 2002 when it received a bronze medal at the World Beer Cup." Certainly not inaccurate. Deep reddish-brown colour under a decent 1/4 inch head, off white/tan in colour. Smells malty- like toned down Scotch whiskey, with notes of woodyness. Just a touch of vanilla in the taste, more grainy and malty. Bitterish butterscotch finish, with the nice whiskey warming effect (7.2%). Superb as an after dinner drink. A+
Shepherd Neame Spitefire Ale: Having heard nothing but good things about Spitfire, I was excited to find one last bottle on the LCBO shelf, but after drinking it, saddened that there was but one left. A classic english ale, copper in colour, with slightly off white head. Smells of toffee and malty goodness. Loads of toffee flavour and nice hop bitter finish. Excellent take on a standard of good beer drinking. A
Muskoka Dark Ale: Pour dark, mohagany brown, with tan head. Hints of chocolate in the smell, with a grainy sharpness to it, which is very much the case on the tongue. The sharpness recedes to a roaste mocha bitterness, essentially giving it the feel of a porter, with a thinner texture. B+
Zlatorog: with summer here, I decided to pick up some Eastern European beers, typically more crisp, golden, and lighter in colour without being short on taste like the big name lite beers. Zlatorog (from Slovenia) was the best of the bunch. Pale gold in colour with a white foamy, bubbly head. Classic lager smell of graininess and yeast. Sharp, and fizzy texture, with a bold and warm body. Nice, clean finish, with a nice touh of bitterness. Not normally a style I am excite about, but when it is well done, it can be great. A-
Baltika: I read some great reviews of this Russian beer, so I picked it up with the other Eastern European folks. Pale yellowy gold in colour, standard white bubbly head. Slightly thinner in nose than Zlatorog. A nice fizzyness with the grainy body. A little weaker on the finish. B
My easter European samplings also included Zubr (Poland), Tyskie (Poland), Slavutich (Ukraine), Saku (Estonia) and Svyturys (Lithuania) all of which were decent, and great for summer afternoon consumption, but were pretty much just standard Baltic/Eastern European lagers, which would require some redundancy to describe.
So, what's in my fridge for next time... Christofel Dubbel, Chimay White Cap, Wadworth 6X, Edelweiss Wheat Beer, and Waterloo Wheat. I've also been trying some fine beers from Unibroue, which should come up for review in the next few days.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Aye, 'tis that time of year
One of the best things about summer, for me personally, is the Highland Games and Scottish Festivals. All summer long there are various games and festivals all over. As a wee lad, I used to go watch my cousins compete in the highland dance competitions. When they stopped competing, and my family got sidetracked with various distractions, we stopped going, for many many years. Fortunately, a few years back, my little brother started dating a young lady whose father plays the drums in a pipe band, enticing us to return to the games.
Last year with wedding planning in full swing, I only got out to the Fergus Games (the biggest and best in Ontario). It was a fan-freaking-tastic time. So, my wife and decided we would begin attempts to be at various games throughout the summer. So far, this hasn't been as fruitful as we'd hoped, as schedule conflicts prevented us from getting to Hanover, Georgetown, Chatham, Sarnia and we will be missing Glengarry, Uxbridge and a few others. However, we will be at Fergus in August, and this saturday in Cambridge. The first of the year we managed to make was Kincardine on July 7.
It was a great day, full of bagpipes, and fiddles and all sorts of cool Scottish stuff. We spent most of the day at the pipe band competition, which was pretty darn awesome, with bands coming the US (Flint Scottish Pipe Band) and even Scotland (George Watson College Pipe Band). Several of Ontario's best were there also, Peel Regional Police, Windsor Police and the highly recognized 78th Fraser Highlanders. The winners were: Grade 5- Flint Scottish Pipe Band, Grade 4- Georgetown Pipe Band, Grade 3- Geore Watson College Pipe Band, Grade 2- Niagra Regional Police, Grade 1- 78th Fraser Highlanders.
Following the competition there was a special perfomance by the Air Command Pipes and Drums (the band of the RCAF) and the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band.
Air Command Pipes and Drums (photo from Air Force website)
The evening closed off with a concert featuring Celtic rock by Searson, Hunting McLeod and Glengarry Bhoys. All in all, it was a great time, and worth checking out in the future. This weekend, if you can be there, Games are in Cambridge and Uxbridge.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Farewell, Good Friend
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Since I've Been Gone...
Whew, back again... been gone a long time... but I've got a valid excuse this time... no really I do. In addition to my usual 45 hours a week at week, I've had my brother's bachelor party one weekend, his wedding the next, plus visiting family, plus wrting two sermons for the end of July when I'm doing a pulpit supply, and of course I've been taking three summer school courses, and writing papers for said courses. But the papers are done for the summer! So I just thought I'd summarize my academic accomplishments here, before I continue to post regularly (no really, I will).
Paper #1, Course: Genesis. An exegetical piece dealing with Genesis 28:10-22. It is the narrative of God's revelation to Jacob at Bethel while he is fleeing from his brother to his uncle's household many miles away. The passage is full of cool wordplays in the Hebrew, as well as providing symetry for the Jacob narrative, as he goes to Bethel when fleeing, the returns to Bethel after he is reunited with his brother, twenty years later. Both times he erects pillars as reminders of how God stood with him on his journey and blessed him in spite of his less than admirable ways. 28:12 also features a hapax legomenon, which are always fun. The Hebrew word sullam appears only here, and its meaning is a topic of some fun discussion amongst scholars. It is usually translated "stairway" but some folks some crazy other ideas. So it was fun.
Paper #2, Course: 1 Samuel. I looked the titel for God "LORD of Hosts" which appears for the first time in the historical books of the bible in 1 Samuel 1. However, since it has a slight military connotation, it is very strange that it appears in a story about a barren woman praying for son. So, I investigated and found some cool stuff about unconscious prophesy theories, and various ways to interpret the title, and of course compared the usage in chapter one with the other uses later in 1 Sam. Very cool stuff.
Paper #3, Course: Forbidden Gospels. I was looking at Platonic influence in the Gnotic gospels. I looked specifically at the heretial gospels of Judas, Mary, Thomas and Philip, and did a somewhat systematic breakdown of obvious Platonic themes found in these texts, and concluded that they aren't really Christian texts at all, but texts which use Christian language and characters to proliferate Platonic mysticism.
See? Busy, busy. But I'm done school til september. And now its Highland Games season! Woot! Next post I'll talk about my trip to the Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games... and then... beer.
Paper #1, Course: Genesis. An exegetical piece dealing with Genesis 28:10-22. It is the narrative of God's revelation to Jacob at Bethel while he is fleeing from his brother to his uncle's household many miles away. The passage is full of cool wordplays in the Hebrew, as well as providing symetry for the Jacob narrative, as he goes to Bethel when fleeing, the returns to Bethel after he is reunited with his brother, twenty years later. Both times he erects pillars as reminders of how God stood with him on his journey and blessed him in spite of his less than admirable ways. 28:12 also features a hapax legomenon, which are always fun. The Hebrew word sullam appears only here, and its meaning is a topic of some fun discussion amongst scholars. It is usually translated "stairway" but some folks some crazy other ideas. So it was fun.
Paper #2, Course: 1 Samuel. I looked the titel for God "LORD of Hosts" which appears for the first time in the historical books of the bible in 1 Samuel 1. However, since it has a slight military connotation, it is very strange that it appears in a story about a barren woman praying for son. So, I investigated and found some cool stuff about unconscious prophesy theories, and various ways to interpret the title, and of course compared the usage in chapter one with the other uses later in 1 Sam. Very cool stuff.
Paper #3, Course: Forbidden Gospels. I was looking at Platonic influence in the Gnotic gospels. I looked specifically at the heretial gospels of Judas, Mary, Thomas and Philip, and did a somewhat systematic breakdown of obvious Platonic themes found in these texts, and concluded that they aren't really Christian texts at all, but texts which use Christian language and characters to proliferate Platonic mysticism.
See? Busy, busy. But I'm done school til september. And now its Highland Games season! Woot! Next post I'll talk about my trip to the Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games... and then... beer.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Cont'd
Ok, back again after a long hiatus. I still have 4 papers to write, but I need to put something here... so here's some more pop culture trends that bug me and would not be missed by me if they disappeared tomorrow:
1. Crocs.
2. Avril Lavigne's boyfriend song... I don't even know the title; I just know it aggrevates me
3. Text message grammar. eg. "c u l8r."
4. Lack of historical consciousness.
5. The fact that high school drop outs can get a job which pays better than those available to people with degrees.
6. Moral subjectivism.
7. The lack of of global consciousness. It seems like the only time we care about war zones is when troops from our country are involved. Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia, etc., etc. are in severe crises, and yet we seem only concerned about Afghanistand and Iraq.
8. The commercialization of weddings.
9. Beer commecials. In particular the fact that they use the term cool/cold. Any beer can be cold! "Easy drinking taste" bugs me too. If I wanted an easy drinking taste I'd get a glass of water!
10. Atkins diet.
11. Romantic comedies.
12. Owen Wilson. I'm not sure what it is about him, but I don't find him funny... same goes for Ben Stiller, Will Ferrel and Luke Wilson.
13. Techno music.
14. The word "tats".
15. Home decorating and fashion tv shows. They have gotten way out of hand.
1. Crocs.
2. Avril Lavigne's boyfriend song... I don't even know the title; I just know it aggrevates me
3. Text message grammar. eg. "c u l8r."
4. Lack of historical consciousness.
5. The fact that high school drop outs can get a job which pays better than those available to people with degrees.
6. Moral subjectivism.
7. The lack of of global consciousness. It seems like the only time we care about war zones is when troops from our country are involved. Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia, etc., etc. are in severe crises, and yet we seem only concerned about Afghanistand and Iraq.
8. The commercialization of weddings.
9. Beer commecials. In particular the fact that they use the term cool/cold. Any beer can be cold! "Easy drinking taste" bugs me too. If I wanted an easy drinking taste I'd get a glass of water!
10. Atkins diet.
11. Romantic comedies.
12. Owen Wilson. I'm not sure what it is about him, but I don't find him funny... same goes for Ben Stiller, Will Ferrel and Luke Wilson.
13. Techno music.
14. The word "tats".
15. Home decorating and fashion tv shows. They have gotten way out of hand.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
just so we're clear...
I have NOT forgotten my vow to increase the .Think On. output. However, I am currently taking a few summer school courses, and still working, which means I leave my place before 8am, and do not return until after midnight, making blogging difficult. Please bear with me. The weekend will hopefully bear some fruit.
Friday, May 18, 2007
God Save the Queen
Hope you all have a happy Victoria Day weekend. I'll be headed off to a cottage (Jenelle's Grandparents') near Rice Lake for the weekend. But I'd just like to encourage folks to remember that the holiday is meant to remember Canada's first monarch, and the UK and Commonwealth's longest reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. We generally forget that here; we often don't even mention that it's Victoria Day, instead we say May 24 weekend. But it is not just a weekend to mark the beginning of cottage season, or to go camping and binge drink. But of course this is somewhat symbollic of Canada's movement away from it's true roots as a Constitutional Monarchy and become sucked into an American way of thinking... but that's a post for another day.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Suddenly Libertarianism doesn't sound so bad...
For several months now, I've been embroiled in a bitter dispute with one of our government's many organizations (which will remain nameless for the time being). Many unhelpful and contradictory letters have arrived in my mailbox, and I've had to call the office several times, and on most of these occassions I had a long and very frustrating conversation regarding the contradictory and incomplete information I had received with an operator who was unable to fluently converse in either official language (of course, I don't speak much French, so it wouldn't have mattered). Now, as another insult from the government, yesterday I received a letter from a different government department stating that I owe them $116, simply because I am married. Now this got me even more angry. Why is our stupid bureaucracy so imcompotent and poorly organized that nothing can be accomplished in a timely and fair manner? Is it impossible for a government to be efficient? Why are people forced to wait in line for 3 hours to get the name on an id card changed (yes, my wife and I sat in a government office where 10 desks were closed, and the office was operating with one staff member, so we waited for over two hours to get a piece of paper stamped). Something needs to be done, and the bureaucratic mess needs to be streamlined so that it actually works and people can get the help they need and not just bounced around and charged for services not rendered. Am I alone in this?
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Let's Review, shall we?
Round 3 of the NHL play-offs kicks off tonight. My first round picks did ok; second round not as well. 7 of 8 winners in round one, 2 of 4 in round 2. So, round 3:
Ottawa vs Buffalo: I never thought Ottawa would make it this far. They generally choke somewhere along the way. But I think Buffalo is just a better team overall. Emery is on/off, whereas Miller is more consistent. But it should be a good, physical series. Home ice should be the difference. I'll take Buffalo in 7.
Anaheim vs. Detroit: Detroit is too old to keep up with a bigger, stronger Anaheim team. Hasek is well past his glory day, whereas Giguere is young and coming into his prime. Anaheim is more physical, younger, stronger, and while they may not have as much experience, in this case, too much experience is a problem for Detroit. Anaheim in 5.
that means...
Stanley Cup Final- Anaheim vs. Buffalo. Too close to call.
Ottawa vs Buffalo: I never thought Ottawa would make it this far. They generally choke somewhere along the way. But I think Buffalo is just a better team overall. Emery is on/off, whereas Miller is more consistent. But it should be a good, physical series. Home ice should be the difference. I'll take Buffalo in 7.
Anaheim vs. Detroit: Detroit is too old to keep up with a bigger, stronger Anaheim team. Hasek is well past his glory day, whereas Giguere is young and coming into his prime. Anaheim is more physical, younger, stronger, and while they may not have as much experience, in this case, too much experience is a problem for Detroit. Anaheim in 5.
that means...
Stanley Cup Final- Anaheim vs. Buffalo. Too close to call.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
****1/2
This weekend, I picked up a cd worth talking about. Matt MacIsaac's The Piping Album, is the first effort from the Cape Breton Celtic musician. Having won multiple high level bagpipe competitions, he made his appearance on the Celtic music recording scene playing with fellow Cape Breton musician, Natalie McMaster (2002's Live and 2003's Blueprint, 2006's Yours Truly), touring with her, playing multiple instruments, and even contributing to the writing of one song on McMasters most recent album, Yours Truly (the song, Matt and Nat's is outstanding; as is the rest of the album- certainly recommended by me). He also still competes as a piper, playing with the North American Champs of 2003, the 78th Highlanders Halifax Citadel
Released in 2004, The Piping Album is a solo piping endeavour; just MacIsaac on the Highland Bagpipes. Apparently he did all the recording himself, in Cape Breton. Rumour has it he's putting together a second release, The Instrumental Album, in which he plays a variety of instruments (banjo, Irish whistles, guitars, etc.). This freshman release is stellar though. Some of the best, and fastest piping around. It consists of 9 medleys, mostly traditional bagpipe tunes, with 3 tunes interspersed in the medleys composed by MacIsaac. Particularly good are, Dr. MacInnes' Fancy/Lynn Sutherland/The Drunken Landlady, and P/M Angus MacDonald/Far Over Struy/Jimmy Findlater/The Sands of Loch Bee.
The only problem with the album is that it is only 9 tracks, totalling 34 minutes, which is unfortunately short. However, it does end off with a fantastic final medley (the highlight of the album for me personally); Rocking the Baby/Victoria Road/Mason's Apron. Victoria Road is one of MacIsaac's compositions, and Mason's Apron is a fantastic tune (and from what I can tell, since I'm not a piper, an unbelievably difficult tune) which MacIsaac plays as fast or faster than I've ever heard it played (outstanding versions of the same tune have been recorded by the Glengarry Bhoys and the Mudmen).
In short, if you like piping, this is a good one to pick up. As is Natalie McMaster's Yours Truly.
A few instrumental demo tracks by MacIsaac and one track from The Piping Album are available for download at: http://www.rurallinx.com/matt/music.htm
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Pop Culture Trends I'd Like to See Come to an End...
1. Gangsta rap. I don't care how expensive your watch is, or how many "hos" you've got, or how much dope you can smoke. And on a related note, pull up your jeans.
2. Suburban kids wanting to be gangsta rappers- straight outta Milton!
3. Gwen Steffani.
4. Twenty somethings who spend tons of money on drugs, alcohol and parties, but still live with their parents, and refuse to learn a skill and get a real job.
5. Starbucks. If you want to freak out a Starbucks employee, just go up to the counter and ask for "one coffee". When they ask "which kind" say "just a coffee- double double." Why do I have to put cream and sugar in myself?... shouldn't the coffee then cost less than Tim's instead of being like $3 for a horrible coffee?
6. Luxury SUVs. The concept is oxymoronical. SUVs are for sporting/utility not comfort and showing off. If you drive an Escalade, you make me angry; I'm sorry, but that's how it is. 18" rims on your gas guzzling, shiny, over-compensating vehicle don't say to me "I'm important" they say "I'm a pawn for corporate exploitation and greed".
7. "Smart Centres". So ugly, and stressful. Aren't they meant to make life easier?
8. Reality TV. The first few weren't bad (I even watch a few of them), but now it's gone too far.
9. The continuous move towards complete acceptance of pot smoking. Cigarettes are becoming less acceptable, so why are drugs which rot one's brains and body ok?
10. Baby Gap and the like. Baby's don't care about fashion, and they are not an accessory for mom.
11. American Idol.
12. Extreme Low-Rise jeans. No one likes it on plumbers, why would we like it on a twelve year old girl.
13. Wheelies- or whatever you call those dumb shoes with wheels in them that scuff floors, and cause children to bump into people.
14. Little girls acting and dressing like grown women. When I was 12 (which really wasn't that long ago), most girls my age still had skipping ropes.
15. faux-hawks. Go big or go home.
16. Honda Civics made to look like expensive sports cars. Spoilers, chrome rims, decals and big stereos do not hide the fact it is still a Honda Civic.
17. G-Unit.
18. Little kids with cell phones. What do you have going on in your life that is so important that you have to be in constant contact with people?
19. "The View".
20. The acceptance of documentary films as fact, instead of their proper place as one person or group of people's interpretation of something.
2. Suburban kids wanting to be gangsta rappers- straight outta Milton!
3. Gwen Steffani.
4. Twenty somethings who spend tons of money on drugs, alcohol and parties, but still live with their parents, and refuse to learn a skill and get a real job.
5. Starbucks. If you want to freak out a Starbucks employee, just go up to the counter and ask for "one coffee". When they ask "which kind" say "just a coffee- double double." Why do I have to put cream and sugar in myself?... shouldn't the coffee then cost less than Tim's instead of being like $3 for a horrible coffee?
6. Luxury SUVs. The concept is oxymoronical. SUVs are for sporting/utility not comfort and showing off. If you drive an Escalade, you make me angry; I'm sorry, but that's how it is. 18" rims on your gas guzzling, shiny, over-compensating vehicle don't say to me "I'm important" they say "I'm a pawn for corporate exploitation and greed".
7. "Smart Centres". So ugly, and stressful. Aren't they meant to make life easier?
8. Reality TV. The first few weren't bad (I even watch a few of them), but now it's gone too far.
9. The continuous move towards complete acceptance of pot smoking. Cigarettes are becoming less acceptable, so why are drugs which rot one's brains and body ok?
10. Baby Gap and the like. Baby's don't care about fashion, and they are not an accessory for mom.
11. American Idol.
12. Extreme Low-Rise jeans. No one likes it on plumbers, why would we like it on a twelve year old girl.
13. Wheelies- or whatever you call those dumb shoes with wheels in them that scuff floors, and cause children to bump into people.
14. Little girls acting and dressing like grown women. When I was 12 (which really wasn't that long ago), most girls my age still had skipping ropes.
15. faux-hawks. Go big or go home.
16. Honda Civics made to look like expensive sports cars. Spoilers, chrome rims, decals and big stereos do not hide the fact it is still a Honda Civic.
17. G-Unit.
18. Little kids with cell phones. What do you have going on in your life that is so important that you have to be in constant contact with people?
19. "The View".
20. The acceptance of documentary films as fact, instead of their proper place as one person or group of people's interpretation of something.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
That time of year again...
Ok, this is a tad late, since the playoffs have already begun. But oh well. Here's the .Think On. 2007 NHL play-off predictions.
Eastern Conference:
Buffalo vs New York Islanders: Buffalo in 5. I would have said four, but New York already has one win in the series. Buffalo can score, and Miller came up big last year in the play-offs. Dipietro is good, but not good enough.
New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay: New Jersey in 7. Tampa has lots of scoring potential. Questionable defence and there's no contest in terms of goaltending in this series. Brodeur is consistently great. Tampa may scare them (already are up 2-1). Jersey is just to tight on defense.
Atlanta vs. New York Rangers: Rangers in 6. Rangers have more play off experience, and better goaltending.
Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh: Ottawa in 7. Ottawa is habitually not a play-off team. A few changes, and good young gritty goal scorers may be the boost they need. But I don't see Ottawa in the finals. If Emery chokes (as he sometimes does) it could go the other way, but I think Pittsburgh is one strong leader short of a solid cup run.
Western Conference:
Detroit vs. Calgary: Detroit in 7. Detroit may have the numbers, but I think this may be as far as they go. Calgary doesn't look like the same team that made the cup run a few years back. If Hasek gets hurt, things could chage a lot (and that's not out of the question).
Anaheim vs. Minnesota: Anaheim in 5. Anaheim is my pick in the West. They seem to have it all now, with experienced play-off goaltending, proven scorers, and and a few solid defensemen. Minnesota is stronger than they look on paper, but not good enough.
Vancouver vs. Dallas: Vancouver in 6. With new goaltending Vancouver is finally a serious contender. More confidence and intesity should carry them to the Western finals.
Nashville vs. San Jose: Nashville had been my pick to win the West when the season began. But their poor finish will hurt. San Jose is bigger upfront, which should be the deciding factor.
Second round:
Buffalo vs. NY Rangers: Buffalo in 5.
New Jersey vs. Ottawa: New Jersey in 6.
Detroit vs. San Jose: San Jose in 6.
Anaheim vs. Vancouver: Anaheim in 7.
Eastern Conference:
Buffalo vs New York Islanders: Buffalo in 5. I would have said four, but New York already has one win in the series. Buffalo can score, and Miller came up big last year in the play-offs. Dipietro is good, but not good enough.
New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay: New Jersey in 7. Tampa has lots of scoring potential. Questionable defence and there's no contest in terms of goaltending in this series. Brodeur is consistently great. Tampa may scare them (already are up 2-1). Jersey is just to tight on defense.
Atlanta vs. New York Rangers: Rangers in 6. Rangers have more play off experience, and better goaltending.
Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh: Ottawa in 7. Ottawa is habitually not a play-off team. A few changes, and good young gritty goal scorers may be the boost they need. But I don't see Ottawa in the finals. If Emery chokes (as he sometimes does) it could go the other way, but I think Pittsburgh is one strong leader short of a solid cup run.
Western Conference:
Detroit vs. Calgary: Detroit in 7. Detroit may have the numbers, but I think this may be as far as they go. Calgary doesn't look like the same team that made the cup run a few years back. If Hasek gets hurt, things could chage a lot (and that's not out of the question).
Anaheim vs. Minnesota: Anaheim in 5. Anaheim is my pick in the West. They seem to have it all now, with experienced play-off goaltending, proven scorers, and and a few solid defensemen. Minnesota is stronger than they look on paper, but not good enough.
Vancouver vs. Dallas: Vancouver in 6. With new goaltending Vancouver is finally a serious contender. More confidence and intesity should carry them to the Western finals.
Nashville vs. San Jose: Nashville had been my pick to win the West when the season began. But their poor finish will hurt. San Jose is bigger upfront, which should be the deciding factor.
Second round:
Buffalo vs. NY Rangers: Buffalo in 5.
New Jersey vs. Ottawa: New Jersey in 6.
Detroit vs. San Jose: San Jose in 6.
Anaheim vs. Vancouver: Anaheim in 7.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
If it's nae Scottish...
Wow, my attempt to revive .Think On. almost died before it started. But it was a crazy couple of weeks for me recently, with the school semester finishing, and visiting the fam(s) over the easter season. But anyway, I'm not gonna moan about the Leafs not making the play-offs (even though I'm a Leafs fan through and through, I'm not overly surprised they didn't make it) nor am I here to review more beers (although I have been trying some cool beers as of late, and the change of seasons means I'm excited for new beers becoming available at the LCBO!). I just thought I'd fill you in on an event from several weeks ago (fri. March 30). I got all gussied up in my kilt, and attended the Fergus Pipe Band's 80th Anniversary concert, in Elora, ON. It was a ripping good time. Performances included the Pipe Band themselves (under direction of the new Pipe Major, Jim Stewart) as well as the McCormick and Johnson Stepdancers, Mike Monaghan, and headliners, Poor Angus (http://poorangus.com). Fergus Pipe Band played an awesome set, mainly of standards, but with a few little bits of non-traditional flare, including one piece is fast becoming a trademark of theirs, the We Will Rock You/Amazing Grace/Scotland the Brave medley, which is always a crowd favourite.
Poor Angus is Celtic Quartet from Hamilton, who play traditional Scottish/Irish tunes, as well as some East Coast/Canadian folk tunes. The foursome frequently switch instruments, including in their show guitars, mandolins, bagpipes (Scottish & Irish pipes), Irish whistles, fiddles, and more, and they mix these with fantastic four part harmonies. They played some awesome tunes I knew (Wild Rover, The Night Pat Murphy Died, Home For A Rest) as well as some cool compositions of their own. So, all in all, it was an awesome event. If you get a chance to check out these folks, I highly recommend it. In fact, Poor Angus and the Fergus Pipe Band will both be part of the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games this August!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Beer and Sainthood
Only today did I discover that there is in fact a patron saint of beer and brewing. St. Arnold (ca. 580-540)- Arnulf in his native tongue (born in present day Austria). Arnold became Bishop of Metz in France. Arnold is said to have preached the benefits of beer, over and against the contaminated water supplies of Medieval European towns. He is also suggested to have stated, "From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world."
Arnold retired from his position as Bishop to a monastery, where he is said to have been very much involved in the brewing industry, dominated by monks at the time. He was buried at the monastery, but his former bishopric at Metz requested his bones be transported for burial there. Legend says that the folks transporting the body stopped for a beer on the way, but supply was short, and the one mug of beer they had was miraculously never empty! It was actually this provision of beer which catapulted this bishop into sainthood! And if that seems wierd to you, read John 2:1-11; Arnold is truly saintly.
I think I may want to name my firstborn Arnulf!... if my wife lets me.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Put up or shut up
Ok, so it's been a month since my last post, and I've made many claims that attempts at posting regularity are forthcoming, but thus far, results are unnoticable at best. So, if I do have any readers left, here's the deal; I am making one last "all or nothing" attempt at blogging, which if it fails, .Think On. will simply be put out of its prolonged misery. Quite simply, there is no point in having this blog here if there's nothing posted, and/or no one visiting the page. So, I apologize once again to the few readers who have not given up on me yet, and I will make a real sincere attempt. Just to get the ball rolling, here's a quick menagerie of random thoughts:
~My feelings towards the Quebec election results: apathy.
~I hate government bureaucracy... still.
~I love being married.
~I am thrilled to be back in school, even if it is only part-time right now.
~For the record, my wife is not pregnant.
~I still despise the misuse of religious holidays, most recently St. Patrick's Day, as an excuse to drink one's face off. I don't support public drunkeness at any time (or even private drunkenness really) but surely people can wait til a secular/civic holiday for debauchery. Lots of holidays out there with no spiritual significance... Canada Day, Victoria Day, Labour Day, New Year's, etc. Leave St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Christmas, etc. alone.
~I have sampled plenty of beers recently, but perhaps it's not a good idea to review them now, being so far removed from the time of consumption. But here's a quick run down:
Good:
Wellington Brewery Iron Duke Strong Ale
Historic Ales of Scotland Gift Pack (the Fraoch Heather Ale in particular)
Lakes of Muskoka Cream Ale
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Morland Hen's Tooth
Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale
Belhaven Wee Heavy
Young's Special Tartan Ale
Warka Strong Ale
Okocim Porter
Trafalgar Celebration Ale
Not so Good:
XO Strong beer with Cognac
Lakes of Muskoka Heffe Weisse
~I'm going to be an uncle in August; my sister-in-law and her husband are expecting their first!
~Finca El Retiro 2004 Syrah rocks!
~My big brother is getting married in just over 3 months.
~I am looking forward to (hopefully) seeing the end of the Liberal gov't in Ontario this fall.
~I should be sleeping right now. I have class tomorrow morning.
~I went to my first ordination council this past weekend, as a guest to support someone I've known for a few years. He passed with unanimous approval.
~No really, I should be sleeping right now.
~My new co-worker is a vegetarian... he makes me appreciate meat.
~Is it odd that I've worked in a restaurant which serves considerable amounts of meat which has had several vegetarian employees?
~Now that I have a post typed, I should finish before a technical glitch eliminates this whole thing. Good night all.
~My feelings towards the Quebec election results: apathy.
~I hate government bureaucracy... still.
~I love being married.
~I am thrilled to be back in school, even if it is only part-time right now.
~For the record, my wife is not pregnant.
~I still despise the misuse of religious holidays, most recently St. Patrick's Day, as an excuse to drink one's face off. I don't support public drunkeness at any time (or even private drunkenness really) but surely people can wait til a secular/civic holiday for debauchery. Lots of holidays out there with no spiritual significance... Canada Day, Victoria Day, Labour Day, New Year's, etc. Leave St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Christmas, etc. alone.
~I have sampled plenty of beers recently, but perhaps it's not a good idea to review them now, being so far removed from the time of consumption. But here's a quick run down:
Good:
Wellington Brewery Iron Duke Strong Ale
Historic Ales of Scotland Gift Pack (the Fraoch Heather Ale in particular)
Lakes of Muskoka Cream Ale
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Morland Hen's Tooth
Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale
Belhaven Wee Heavy
Young's Special Tartan Ale
Warka Strong Ale
Okocim Porter
Trafalgar Celebration Ale
Not so Good:
XO Strong beer with Cognac
Lakes of Muskoka Heffe Weisse
~I'm going to be an uncle in August; my sister-in-law and her husband are expecting their first!
~Finca El Retiro 2004 Syrah rocks!
~My big brother is getting married in just over 3 months.
~I am looking forward to (hopefully) seeing the end of the Liberal gov't in Ontario this fall.
~I should be sleeping right now. I have class tomorrow morning.
~I went to my first ordination council this past weekend, as a guest to support someone I've known for a few years. He passed with unanimous approval.
~No really, I should be sleeping right now.
~My new co-worker is a vegetarian... he makes me appreciate meat.
~Is it odd that I've worked in a restaurant which serves considerable amounts of meat which has had several vegetarian employees?
~Now that I have a post typed, I should finish before a technical glitch eliminates this whole thing. Good night all.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Ok, 4 and a half months later...
I got married (aka "hooked up for life") way back in October, and planned to put some photos up here. But, oops... I guess life got in the way. But anyway, here's a few favs for now. I'll put up a few more in the coming days and weeks.
The Bride making her entrance, escorted by her father.
Jenelle and I exchanging rings.
The Bride making her entrance, escorted by her father. Jenelle and I exchanging rings.We were very fortunate to get a beautiful autumn day.
Our rings shining in the warm sunlight
The wedding party.
Black and white looks classy!
Wedding photos are surprisingly exhausting... this bench was a nice break.
Bride and grooms' first dance.
Traditional father daughter dance... then off for the honeymoon (*wink wink*).
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Valentine's Day Again...
It's Valentine's Day again, the day when men and women pair off, and buy gifts, with the hope of "getting lucky". So, as is the case every year, I'm stuck with same problems: 1. it's a day for love, and I'm in love, so I want to celebrate, but not in the awful, commercialized/sexualized/secularized way. 2. Should this one day be the exception? Shouldn't I love my wife the same all year round? 3. How do I celebrate my relationship with my lovely wife, without offending those who are still looking for love? I don't want to make anyone feel bad about their own situation... especially since being single can be advantageous (the Apostle Paul certainly thought so [see 1 Cor. 7]). 4. Should we recognize holidays which are relics of the early Church's attempts to "baptize" pagan celebrations? (Valentine's Day being the sanitized Roman mid february celebration, the Lupercian Festival, for the goddess Juno Februata, where young girls and boys were paired off by lottery for fornication to honour the love goddess).But, whatever, I will do a little something with the wife to ensure she knows I love her. But I try to do that every day, and not just on the day named for the patron saint of bee keepers (I'll bet most people didn't know that St. Valentine is also the patron saint of bee keepers, plague, epilepsy, fainting, and travellers as well as his more known title as patron saint of betrothed couples, love and happy marriages, according to the patron saints index: http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintv06.htm).
On a less sarcastic and hostile note, romance is biblical, and good. Afterall, "Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'"
"Like a lily among the thorns,So is my darling among the maidens"-Song of Songs 2:2"...'Tis this in Nelly pleases me,'Tis this enchants my soul;For absolutely in my breastShe reigns without control."
-From Handsome Nell, Robbie Burns
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Where Does the Time Go?
Ok, Ok, I know, I'm inconsistent. I oft suggest I'll change my ways and be nice to my blog. Oops. Crap. But I do still intend to continue to blog. Right now is a hectic time in my life, so no promises regarding consistency. I'm working full time, and going to school part-time, which means no spare time for me, and now, I'm under the weather. Woo-hoo. But here's some random stuff going through my mind which I may (or may not) address in detail at a later time...
~Canadian media news folks are saying the environment is the number 1 issue for Canadians. However, this comes after months of being bombarded by nothing but news on the environment. Are our MPs only discussing the one issue? I hope not. So what type of role and how big a role does the media play in influencing which issues become "relevant"?
~Today on the news I caught a story regarding a large bust in a child pornography ring in Austria with connections worldwide. While I applaud moves to bring an end to one of the most disgusting things around, I can't help but think that the world is just going after the symptoms and not the root of the problem (that being the sinful, corrupt human heart)- afterall, trimming a branch or two won't remove the tree.
~I've come to appreciate South American wines very much.
~Why is the current conflict in Iraq being labelled an "insurgency"? What differentiates an insurgency from a civil war, which Iraq seems to be in the midst of?
~It's cold... I feel bad when I complain since it's much colder in many places (my heart goes out to anyone in Manitoba)... but I still don't enjoy this -15ish/-30 with the windchill stuff. Oh, to be a snowbird.
~The last cd I bought was Natalie McMaster's "Yours Truly" and it is excellent, and has my full endorsement.
~I discovered recently that I despise tequila.
~My place of employment has a new owner. The business was sold after a year of negotiating with potential buyers, and in that year, the outgoing owner was reluctant to sink money into a business he was trying to sell, and thus, the owner has been calling repairmen non-stop for the past several days, as everything seems to be breaking. I'm sure where this fits in a discussion of business ethics.
~I need more occasions to wear my kilt. It cost a lot of money, and has not been worn as often as the price would suggest it should. Plus I do indeed love wearing it.
~Is it hypocritical to hate hatred?
~I should be sleeping now... off I go.
~Canadian media news folks are saying the environment is the number 1 issue for Canadians. However, this comes after months of being bombarded by nothing but news on the environment. Are our MPs only discussing the one issue? I hope not. So what type of role and how big a role does the media play in influencing which issues become "relevant"?
~Today on the news I caught a story regarding a large bust in a child pornography ring in Austria with connections worldwide. While I applaud moves to bring an end to one of the most disgusting things around, I can't help but think that the world is just going after the symptoms and not the root of the problem (that being the sinful, corrupt human heart)- afterall, trimming a branch or two won't remove the tree.
~I've come to appreciate South American wines very much.
~Why is the current conflict in Iraq being labelled an "insurgency"? What differentiates an insurgency from a civil war, which Iraq seems to be in the midst of?
~It's cold... I feel bad when I complain since it's much colder in many places (my heart goes out to anyone in Manitoba)... but I still don't enjoy this -15ish/-30 with the windchill stuff. Oh, to be a snowbird.
~The last cd I bought was Natalie McMaster's "Yours Truly" and it is excellent, and has my full endorsement.
~I discovered recently that I despise tequila.
~My place of employment has a new owner. The business was sold after a year of negotiating with potential buyers, and in that year, the outgoing owner was reluctant to sink money into a business he was trying to sell, and thus, the owner has been calling repairmen non-stop for the past several days, as everything seems to be breaking. I'm sure where this fits in a discussion of business ethics.
~I need more occasions to wear my kilt. It cost a lot of money, and has not been worn as often as the price would suggest it should. Plus I do indeed love wearing it.
~Is it hypocritical to hate hatred?
~I should be sleeping now... off I go.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Has it Been a Year Already?
Well, 1am has come and gone, and here I am- typing. I have to be on the road, headed for Hamilscum in roughly 6 hours, beginning my day which won't end til around 10/11ish pm. So why am I doing this? Sadism, maybe... or perhaps I just realize I won't have the time to take care of a very important post. Not only is this post #500(!), but it's also a very special post- the 4th annual .Think On. Robbie Burns Day Post! It is now January 25, which means it's time to celebrate the birth of Scotland's greatest (and my own favourite) poet/songwriter! Burns is important to me, both because he just plain kicks a**, but also the sentimental- my grandparents shared one of Burns' poems (A Red, Red Rose) and it was so important to them, that Jenelle and I also borrowed it as our own poem, and the theme for our wedding ceremony, where A Red, Red Rose was read by my wondeful Great Aunt Barbara.Ok, so every year, I pick a poem which I like (the previous selections were: 2004- "Address to a Haggis", 2005- "My Heart's in the Highlands", 2006- "Awa Whigs, Awa"- because of the defeat of the Liberals in the federal election just days before) and then I post it. Simple enough, really. Sometimes I add a tad bit of Scottish related fun. But anywho, the haggis is bought, I've got Innis & Gunn and Belhaven Wee Heavy in the fridge (no scotch, cuz I'm just not a fan, and last year's pick, McEwan's Scotch Ale, was not well received- see here: http://think-on.blogspot.com/2006/02/recent-samplings.html).
Now, on to the actual poetry... lots of considered selections this year; "Bonie Dundee", "The Banks of Doon" (a beautifully sung version by John McDermott is out there under the title "Ye Banks and Braes of Bonie Doon"), "My Love, She's But a Lassie Yet", "O Highland Lassie", "Ye Jacobites By Name" (The Glengarry Bhoys do a fantastic version of this one which is worth looking into if you like Celtic music), "Behold My Love, How Green the Groves" and of course, I could have posted "A Red, Red Rose" in celebration of the first Robbie Burns day for me and my beautiful (but fluish) wife (but I posted that one for a Valentine's Day post: http://think-on.blogspot.com/2004/02/o-to-be-young-and-in-love.html), instead I chose "Caledonia- A Ballad", a romantic-nationalistic ode to historic resilience of Scots and Scottish culture...
Caledonia- A Ballad
There was once a day, but old Time wasythen young,
That brave Caledonia, the chief of her line,
From some of your northern deities sprung,
(Who knows not that brave Caledonia's divine?)
From Tweed to the Orcades was her domain,
To hunt, or to pasture, or do what she would:
Her heav'nly relations there fixed her reign,
And pledg'd her their godheads to warrant it good.
A lambkin in peace, but a lion in war,
The pride of her kindred, the heroine grew:
Her grandsire, old Odin, triumphantly swore, -
"Whoe'er shall provoke thee, th' encounter shall rue!"
With tillage or pasture at times she would sport,
To feed her fair flocks by her green rustling corn;
But chiefly the woods were her fav'rite resort,
Her darling amusement, the hounds and the horn.
Long quiet she reigned; till thitherward steers
A flight of bold eagles from Adria's strand:
Repeated, successive, for many long years,
They darken'd the air, and they plunder'd the land:
Their pounces were murder, and terror their cry,
They'd conquer'd and ruin'd a world beside;
She took to her hills, and her arrows let fly,
The daring invaders they fled or they died.
The Cameleon-Savage disturb'd her repose,
With tumult, disquiet, rebellion, and strife;
Provok'd beyond bearing, at last she arose,
And robb'd him at once of his hopes and his life:
The Anglian lion, the terror of France,
Oft prowling, ensanguin'd the Tweed's silver flood;
But, taught by the bright Caledonian lance,
He learned to fear in his own native wood.
The fell Harpy-raven took wing from the north,
The scourge of the seas, and the dread of the shore;
The wild Scandinavian boar issued forth
To wanton in carnage and wallow in gore:
O'er countries and kingdoms their fury prevail'd,
No arts could appease them, no arms could repel;
But brave Caledonia in vain they assail'd,
As Largs well can witness, and Loncartie tell.
Thus bold, independent, unconquer'd, and free,
Her bright course of glory for ever shall run:
For brave Caledonia immortal must be;
I'll prove it from Euclid as clear as the sun:
Rectangle-triangle, the figure we'll chuse:
The upright is Chance, and old Time is the base;
But brave Caledonia's the hypothenuse;
Then, ergo, she'll match them, and match them always.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Year in Review
Well, it's been another long absence. Accept my apologies, please. It's been so psychobusy with work and now being back in school- yes, I am finally beginning the Master's degree I've been planning to get for several years (since before I began my undergrad actually). So I'm now at McMaster, commuting to Hamilton twice a week on top of my usual 40 hours/wk work schedule. So... gah! Anywho, twas a big year for myself, so I thought I'd take a few moments to run down what's happened, and reflect a little- if my sleep deprived mind will let me.
Jan. - began my FINAL semester of undergrad studies at Atlantic Baptist University.
May 6 - received my degree (B.A. With Distinction in History)
May 7 - left the maritimes and returned to Ontario
May 27 - my mother was remarried
May 28 - my grandmother died after a battle with cancer
June 2 - proposed to Jenelle- she said yes
June 5 - started back at my old job
Aug 11-13 - Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games
Oct. 7 - got married
Oct. 9 - left for the honeymoon in Muskoka
Nov. 1 - moved into our new place in Cambridge
Dec. 25 - first Christmas with the wifey
Jan. 3/2007 - began classes at McMaster
So, all in all it was a pretty good year. Lots of crazy stuff happening. Lots more craziness this year. Gah. And now to make things more stressful I got into a little parking lot fender-bender tonight- with a Lexus SUV. Nice, eh? Not cool- especially for someone trying to pay for school. Oh well. My frazzled brain needs sleep and peace. So much for that reflection...
Jan. - began my FINAL semester of undergrad studies at Atlantic Baptist University.
May 6 - received my degree (B.A. With Distinction in History)
May 7 - left the maritimes and returned to Ontario
May 27 - my mother was remarried
May 28 - my grandmother died after a battle with cancer
June 2 - proposed to Jenelle- she said yes
June 5 - started back at my old job
Aug 11-13 - Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games
Oct. 7 - got married
Oct. 9 - left for the honeymoon in Muskoka
Nov. 1 - moved into our new place in Cambridge
Dec. 25 - first Christmas with the wifey
Jan. 3/2007 - began classes at McMaster
So, all in all it was a pretty good year. Lots of crazy stuff happening. Lots more craziness this year. Gah. And now to make things more stressful I got into a little parking lot fender-bender tonight- with a Lexus SUV. Nice, eh? Not cool- especially for someone trying to pay for school. Oh well. My frazzled brain needs sleep and peace. So much for that reflection...
Monday, January 01, 2007
Auld Lang Syne, my dear...
Welcome to 2007! Hope all the Christmas and New Year's celebrations were enjoyable. All the best for the coming year! Cheers!
Auld Lang Syne ~ Robbie Burns (the traditional New Year's Eve song).
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint
stowp! And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o'kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
(chorus)
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.
(chorus)
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.
(chorus)
And there's a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
(chorus)
Hear it sung by Kenneth McKeller here: http://www.maybole.org/community/celebrations/christmas/greetings/AuldLangSyne2.mp3
Or on the bagpipes here: http://www.ilovewavs.com/Holidays/NewYears/Auld%20Lang%20Syne%20-%20Scottish%20bagpipes.wav
Or a clip of the unique salsa version by Salsa Celtica: http://www.salsaceltica.com/images/MUSIC/El_Agua_De_La_Vida/audio_files/AuldLangSyne.mp3
Enjoy! and Happy New Year!
Monday, December 18, 2006
In tribute
Saturday was a rough day. Last week I learned of the death of an aquaintence, Shelly Emmot (Patterson). She was killed in a car collision on December 12. Saturday was the funeral service, and it was emotional to say the least. Two of the hardest things to see were both at work. One was the fact that it was a funeral just before Christmas, which means a family will now be one short and grieving at a time which should be joyous. Secondly, when of the saddest things I can think of, is parents burrying their children. Shelly was 29, fairly recently married (2003) and an active member of several organizations and communities. As a result, she knew a lot of people, and had the respect of all of them. First Baptist Church Ingersoll was packed, probably beyond anything it had ever seen, as the small town church tried to hold roughly 500 people. People were standing in the aisles, lining up outside the sanctuary, and standing in the hall downstairs, listening on the intercom. Shelly will be missed. I had been totally unaware of this, but Shelly did have a shared blog with her husband, Andrew (http://emmottland.blogspot.com/) albeit a blog which hadn't seen a post in almost 6 months. 
Shelly's bubbly and happy personality is a huge loss for all who knew her, and BCOQ Youth, Camp Oneida, and all the other places she was involved will never be the same.
Labels: tribute
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