New toy

I finally joined the cult yesterday.




I don't know if there's an app for that...

Those summer nights

Yikes.... that last post had no proof reading, and I REALIZED that I have a bad habit of spelling realized with an "s". How embarrassing.

Watched a thunderstorm tonight, which is exciting. Although, (obviously), I'm hoping that no fires start... a little bit of me is missing the rush that last summer provided. I'm already a bit of an adrenaline junkie to a certain extent, so fighting fires and having an entire town evacuated watching as multiple fires burn? Exciting.

But, as I said earlier... here's hoping for the best.


Also, sitting with friends, watching the lightning approach, brought me back to some of my most cherished memories of sitting by train tracks in the early hours of the morning watching the light from the oncoming trains light up the dark. I love (oh) these summer nights (Tell me more)


Found an awesome new band! "The Black Pacific". New project by the old frontman of Pennywise. Awesome album, although it's not released until Sept. Thing is... I was able to download it in it's entirety on iTunes... weird, and surely some sort of glitch? Whatever it was, I got the new album a month early, and it's swell.

Here's a song from it

Daedalus

Somehow, somewhere when I was younger I became familiar with fables and legends. I am writing about those timeless tales such as Greek mythology, or morality tales which have withstood the ages. However, I realise now how little these stories make it into our modern consciousness... I can only assume that I became familiar with these stories due to cartoons introducing them to me, but I'm not reminded of them anymore. Perhaps I should start watching cartoons again...

Well, that being said, I was listening to one of my favorite CD's the other day, and was started thinking about one of my favorite old stories, the Greek legend of Icarus and Daedalus (where Icarus flies too close to the sun). Then, when listening to a particular song on the CD that tells the story through the perspective of Daedalus, I realize it is, yet again, a tragedy that I am drawn to.

But there is something to these "sad endings" persisting through time... I'll use that as my excuse to save people from thinking that I am a particularly dark person haha. But there is something beautiful in the tragedy of this story.

or maybe I just like the song

Life is good

So...

As a post to keep this blog relatively fresh... I will just rave about life.

Yes, rave, not rant. Things are just... so good right now. So good. Awesome times, with even better friends. Summer now, so the weather is amazing, and despite the one inconvenience of summer courses (semesters of which I am in between at the moment) things are going well.

Haven't been out Waterskiing yet this year... one downside. BUT, I have been getting a bunch of training time for Triathlons lately, which has been awesome. Figured I'd make the best out of a slow work schedule, and it's been great!

The weekly "movie night" turned into "Firefly night" and thus gained more followers, but that season will come to an end soon, and we will have to expand to new horizons for our media distractions. Also, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour dreamcoat" is going really well, and is already over 3,000 tickets sold. Pretty cool indeed.

ONE, only ONE thing that I still wish could happen this summer... but here's hoping that everything from prayer, to schemes will come through? haha.... oh boy. No more elaboration, as I'm worried of jinxing. But oh boy to I constantly wish for it to occur...

But, I am more than content, I am happy. Genuinely, and utterly happy.

I will try to update the blog more often with fun more "current event" type posts, but at the moment I can't think of any, and figured I would just write cheerful things.

THIS IS THIS WEEKS SONG!!!!

(I tried uploading a picture, but no luck... tradition failed)

Shrapnel

As you, the reader, potential reader, past reader, skimmer, stalker, etc might know, I have two jobs. Now, each of these jobs has their respective risks... lifeguarding isn't so much a risk towards myself but more the risk of other people dying... and Gorman's has the risk of being mauled by a machine if not locked out properly.

However, the most terrifying risk from both of them are the head-shots.

Let me explain, at Johnson Bentley, when leaving deck, the lifeguards do general cleaning around the changerooms as they leave deck, this usually involves mopping with a mop and bucket that has never been changed when you start the shift. That means that the mop water is filled with hair, dirt, for some reason grey foam, and all sorts of reminders that the public, in general, is disgusting. (yayyyy)

Gormans, particularily on my Graveyard shift, makes use of the "air hose" quite a bit, which is a high pressure... well... air hose. Now, this pressured air, when aimed at a location that has no "exit route" will shoot right back at you, carrying with it all the sawdust, dirt, hydraulic oil and grease with it in a typhoon of lame.

Although not the worst risks in some eyes, these are the things I fear the most when arriving at either job, primarily because of my bad luck with them. I am always getting splashed with the mop swamp water, or blasting myself in the face with the air hose by accident when I don't notice a slight change in the angle of the machine.

This got me to thinking, with my kind of luck with this assortment of smelly, greasy concoctions... survey would indicate that my luck in a warzone would be zip to none. I think I would be taken out by shrapnel in a second... it seems to be fate that I get blasted in the face unwillingly by hydraulic-oil-covered-bark on a nightly basis, so I can I can only assume that this indicates my luck in regards to unwanted projectiles.

That was what I thought about last night. Approx 3:45 am, as I am welcomed by sawdust shrapnel across the front of my body.

Today's song.

...or not to ink

Yay



Powerless Rise came out today. Now I can listen to it in the car, on a boat, in the rain, on a train. It is my green eggs and ham without a doubt. (However the video is not from the new CD, it still makes me happy to see the band in action, they inspire me.)

On the note of this video, notice the amazing sleeves that Tim (lead singer) has.... so awesome. We were talking on graveyard the other day (Dan's last weekend too... sad) about tattoos, what folk would get, what ones are dumb, tattoo tradition and culture etc, etc. I love tattoo's personally... but not one-off ones, I love sleeves. I love tattoos that take up someones entire arm, plastered with colour/black and white. Even if it's the "lame" imitation tribal designs, which I don't like as much because they seem uninspired, they still look better than a bare arm.
So why don't you get a tattoo Jon?

Three reasons
1) My aspirations: I feel like, in light of the various things that I aspire towards in life, tattoos would act as a hindrance. For example, professionally; at the moment I aspire to be a lawyer. Obviously everything in life is subject to change, but should this follow through, that professional sphere might not look so kindly upon the type of tattoo that I would feel is worth getting (the aforementioned "sleeve" or even half sleeve). Even my hobbies, such as acting, or my part time jobs at the moment like life-guarding, having tattoos would be an issue. Actors on stage are constantly hiding and covering up their markings, and a lifeguard with a sleeve would just come across as unapproachable to seniors and children... sad but true.

2) The inevitable(?) regret: This is obviously going to be mentioned... for it's the most cliche reason why not to get inked. What if your interests change? Whatever, it's a reminder of the past, but still, what if the regret is based in....

3) Baddd art: This is a huge one for me. Some tattoos just look awful. It's not the design necessarily, but rather the execution. Faces, scenery, even straight lines sometimes seem impossible for some of these artists. I am a critic at heart, and easily unimpressed. To be permanently stained with some random person's poorly executed artwork would be my own personal circle of hell on earth. Maybe I'm being over dramatic, but I would hate it.

Maybe I could get a Chinese symbol? That means.... serenity? Hmm.... lame, (and secretly nerdy, but no one has to know that)

Still.... So freaking cool... If anything ever were to happen to me where my aspirations listed above were to become an impossibility? I am colouring myself in.





Other than that, I have been successfully filling up my days, and just today encountered my first "scheduling conflict" of my new "summer activities".

Awesome, things are back to normal.

The Powerless Rise

Edit: This is one of my favorite lyrics on the CD, thought I'd share

Simplicity is not a curse where strength is humbled
and the powerless rise.
This is a kingdom born upside-down.
This is a kingdom where the broken are crowned.

Just a taste of the most perfect metal CD I have ever heard.


Original post:

WOAHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHH
EEEEEE!

As I Lay Dying's new CD is streaming on their myspace now.... it comes out on tuesday. I was pumped enough due to the single's that they had released (as discussed in "Parallels" post) but now I've listened to the whole thing.

I think I've just found my favorite CD ever. Words cannot describe how excited I am about this music. Perfect doesn't even do it justice. Maybe it does. But none the less. Convicting lyrics, amazing guitar, and a performance from a band that I respect more and more every time I see anything about them.
Inspiring.

We are not the same, as I hope to show.

Anti-Stagnancy

I don't feel like I have anything to say, but nothing is worse than a stagnant blog. It is a rare enough treat for someone to even read a blog these days, so when someone checks for the second time, maybe even third, and there isn't anything different? The reader almost feels bitter towards the blog for wasting their time;

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT PARALLELS YOU STUPID BLOG!" They screamed*
*(I assume)

Moving on.

So, Summer is here, and my schedule has lightened up not only immensely, but almost completely. Particularly in the first week after finals and Sweeney ended... I had no idea what to do with my time. It's a weird transition going from days being on a time limit (okay, I have 30 min to get from here to here before I have to begin this), to all of a sudden saying "I have nothing planned today...) Granted, I've been able to find ways to fill my days since, but it began as a strange experience.
That being said... despite finding little things to fill my days, I wish I had some "big plans" for the season. I keep getting asked (albeit small talk, I do recognize that) "any big plans for the summer?".
Now, the fact that I answer "no" to everyone that asks me that question makes me feel like I should have some sort of big plan. I do plan to see The Lion King in Vancouver in July, but that's hardly "big" plan. Joseph I guess.... but even so.

So, this is an open letter to anyone who might read this blog, I want to have a better answer for the "big plans" question.





And a song

Parallels

It's amazing when things coincide like this,

If anyone has been following the blog and my general uneasiness or thoughts in the past few posts, particularly the Australia focused one, then this makes sense.

"As I Lay Dying" posted a new sample of their new CD, coming out in a few weeks, the other day... and not only is it an amazingly catchy song, but the lyrics speak to exactly where I felt like I was at.

The song is "Parallels"
Fantastic.

We are all comatose. We are overfed and under...undernourished, yearning for something more.
Never starving yet never quite satisfied. Carnal but without useful flesh or mind.

I am a walking contradiction that’s found consistency
consuming everything, all without producing sustenance.

In the parallels we struggle... struggle to upkeep, there is a better way for us to be set free.
From all it is we crave, there must be more to life than to simply stay alive... to simply stay alive.

We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go.
We are not... we are not the same. We are not... we are not the same. Let go...

In the tension between devouring want or simple need
it’s clear the only lines between the ones we preserve.

We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go.
We are not... we are not the same. We are not... we are not the same.
Let go.... We are not the same.

And in the parallels we struggle to upkeep,
there’s a better way for us to be... for us to be set free.
And in the parallels we struggle to upkeep ,
there’s a better way for us to be... for us to be set free.

On another note, I've seen "How I met your dragon" three times now... I think I need to hold off a bit haha, but I do genuinely enjoy that movie.

Feeling this

I don't have anything necessarily poignant to write about... but I thought I would still put something down, for continuities sake. Stagnant blogs get depressing after a while... disappointing? Infuriating?

Closing night for Sweeney tonight! One final show. It was (is?) fantastic, amazing show and I feel honoured that I got to consistently witness performers in this cast captivate me night after night.

Summer time is here, Okanagan summer, so obviously there is still snow up on the hills despite sweltering hot weather in the valley. This really is a cool place to live. Of course, with summer comes Blink 182 for me. Unfortunately Mike hasn't been around to blast it in the car with me, (on that note, if you catch this blog post, my condolences for your truck), but nonetheless, I have been cycling the Blink catalogue pretty consistently.

Well, that's not entirely true, I cycled the catalogue for a few days, then remembered how much I love this one in particular, and then listened to it almost on repeat for a couple days. Exam stress can make you do strange things apparently.

That being said, I realized after my Blink kick had started that in light of my computer being busted for a while, no CD player in my car, and all other factors, that I hadn't given the new Coheed and Cambria CD enough ear time. So I began that... and soon had another song that is quickly working it's way up my "25 most played" playlist.

Not necessarily as "listener friendly" as previous songs I've posted, but it is without a doubt my favorite song right now.

And a picture, just to keep up with the goals I've set for myself, and make the post flashier.
No relevance, it just makes me happy.

"That time of year"

Exams....

I have a funny feeling about exams this year... less panicked, which I'm sure is foolish. I should probably be a little bit more stressed, seeing as they are all next week, plus a final paper to be done.... but instead I'm writing a blog. I think with Sweeney, School, Work and more I've been putting too much on the mind to worry about just one thing, rather, it's a wonderful blend of all worries.

On the note of having too much things on the mind, I've made the long overdue decision to step back, and stop feeling like I need to have a control over my life. This is, of course, coming from a Christian standpoint, and it will take some work, catching myself when I want to hold the reigns, but overall I think it was a good decision. Now I need to read more.

I've felt like over the last few weeks my faith has been popping up at the forefront of my mind a lot... more so than average. Perhaps it's speaking with old YWAM friends... perhaps the fact that there are cast members in Sweeney to whome I pale in comparison in regards to strength of convictions, or maybe it's because I've started to catch my own hypocrisy in some of my day to day conversations... (I don't want to be a jerk). Regardless of what the source, I'm looking forward to being able to go back to Powers Creek on Saturday nights once Sweeney is done.
(However, Sweeney is pretty freaking awesome)

On the note of faith being at the forefront, had a good talk with a friend today at school about faith, in what started as a question about the "nature of the term infinity", turned into recapping some stories from outreach. I often tell people that my "Australia experience changed my life", which is absolutely true, however I constantly worry about the term "backslide" that we would hear so much about... Also, it unsettles me that the whole time in YWAM sometimes feels like a dream.

Well dang blog, if only you could respond. After all, you've keep record of all of this for a couple years now, what's your take?

Until blog responds, I'll have to listen to musicians who know how I'm feeling.
Hello old friend, ease my worried mind.

Girl Magazines and Evil

On hindsight, my "beard" didn't look nearly as good as I thought it did at the time... or at least, pictures would indicate as such.

I think the pride that many guys have in regards to their facial hair is similar to that of a mother's pride... "I made this... this grew because of me". Now, that probably isn't what goes through mother's minds when they look at their children, but humour me for the sake of the analogy.


Westside weekly published a Sweeney review. I loved it, my favorite quote was
"The production is superb, the play is bad. It may be brilliant, as often claimed, but it's evil" haha, awesome.

She continues,
"they weave the themes of obsession, demonism, violence, injustice, murder and cannibalism ever tighter and it's only resolved in vigilante justice at the cost of my favorite character's sanity".

Well, if that's not a bang on review, I don't know what is. On that note, come see the show!!

During intermission I've been reading Glamour magazines aloud to the cast... With every article, I'm slowly losing faith in humanity...

The year ended.
Last day of classes was Friday. Bittersweet though, as this past semester was one of the best I've ever had, mostly because of the company I was able to keep in between classes. Dan, Katie and Laura, I thank you.

And so passes another school year, what is the plan??
Oh, life...

"This song will change your life"- Garden State

Rest

Finally, after an intense week and first ring of shows, I have my first morning off in what seems like a long, long time.


Mythical Charge ended up in 78th place or something like that. Not bad at all, top 100, and we get a monetary prize ($25 or something along those lines)

Did go to a Good Friday service though, which was really good. The pastor (Troy) from my church (Powers Creek) spoke, which made the whole thing totally worth it. I love being able to listen to someone speak who I have so much respect for. His speaking is 98% of the reason I chose to attend powers creek in the first place after coming back from Perth, and I wouldn't have it any other way. He spoke about what Paul would have seen after denying in the courtyard. Refreshing not to have another "symbolism of the cross" sermon as per Good Friday usual, (not that those aren't important).



There is a marmot that has taken up residence in our yard, likely in the absence of Champ. I found myself, (alone, of course), yelling at it through the window going "Alan! Alan! Alan!..." as per the BBC commercial. It ran away when I got to the Steves. I don't know if that means it's name is Alan or Steve.

Also, saw Clash of the Titans matinee between work and Sweeney yesterday. Naturally I thought it was Oscar worthy.... *cough*
I'm starting to wonder if I'm becoming too cynical about movies. Granted, Titans deserved every rib that it gets, but it was still fun to watch I guess. I need to just enjoy these things rather than get all worked up over corny lines, bad special effects, and directors who get too caught up in "making a scene look super cooooool" vs. actually making a scene look good.

oh well

SONG! (Double win because I love this music video)

Hell Week

Halfway through "Hell Week".



Show is amazing, definitely the best one I've ever been in. Everything about it, just fantastic.

Otherwise life has been cruising along. Although every day is, naturally, newsworthy, I don't know if it necessarily passes as blogworthy.

Regardless, here is a picture




And a song.

Wilson, we have a problem...

Just watched Apollo 13 again, amazing movie.

It made me realise what a big Tom Hanks fan I am, I don't think I have ever not enjoyed one of his movies. Cast Away still makes me sad, which is somewhat embarrassing seeing as you get choked up about a volleyball... but I hold that "Cast Away" is held up entirely by "the song" in it. Beautiful. (However, I am also a "Movie score" nerd, so the music behind movies is a huge deal to me)

Back to Apollo 13, aside from my Tom Hanks admiration, the movie also made me wish that I was more "mathematically prone". Those folk at NASA are geniuses. I can't stand math... I wish I could, I wish it made sense, but it doesn't. I always struggled, and as a result, engineering or similar prospects were never a reality. Sure, sure I am prone to very abstract Philosophical thoughts... but could that get you to the moon? Mechanical Engineers, Physicists, they know where it's at. Brightest people on the planet. They are the ones who are boldly going where... only a select few have gone before.

What is Philosophy good for then? Well... a new favorite quote of mine comes from Plato's writing where Socrates says

"I am afraid that other people do not realize that the one aim of those who practice Philosophy in the proper manner is to practice for dying and death" Phaedo 64 a

Fair enough... he continues

Therefore, as I said at the beginning, it would be ridiculous for a man to train himself in life to live in a state as close to death as possible, and then to resent it when it comes?... Those who practice Philosophy in the right way are training for dying and they fear death least of all men" - Phaedo 67 e

I guess the moon will have to wait.

"I'm sorry Wilson..."

Dead Spiders

When I see dusty logging trucks that have no loads and are thus folded up, I like to think it looks like a giant dead spider being carried.

For those of you, (nobody), who reads my blog and hasn't yet been spammed on facebook, please watch this



The sun is out, Sweeney Todd is going well, and the semester is almost over. Despite the looming threat of deadlines and opening night, life is good.

On another note, I've been listening to Sirius Radio a lot lately, and now have a bit of a desire to be a radio DJ.... showing people music and then get paid to just talk? Amazing. However, it seems that most are already "figures" in culture before getting their shows... so first things first I guess....

On that note, here's a song, welcome to The Jon Arkle Show

Goofy

Rest assured, I do study for my exams...
However, it seems whenever I blog it is an admission of guilt for the lazy crime of procrastination.

However, tonight was a procrastination that, as the credits roll, I feel like it was a nostalgic evening well spend, albeit a complete waste of time when I could have been reading my massive Bible of a book "The Complete Works of Plato".

Instead I re-watched "A Goofy Movie". I had seen a reference to it earlier last week, and it had been bugging me ever since "was it a good movie from my childhood? or just kind of 'there'". Well, I re-watched it, remembered it was a musical, and therefore loved it. Good ol' Goofy, Disney used to make such heartwarming films at a much more frequent pace... what happened?

On the note of musicals, saw the posters/billboard designs for "Sweeney Todd" yesterday, they look awesome! There is pie, with one of Sweeneys Razors in it, and a little sign that says "a little priest?". Blood too. Awesome.

Anyways, maybe time to read up on some Socratic Dialogues....? A-hyuck

Sad Wild Things

I forced myself to take a night for myself and watch a movie haha, to try to relieve the stress, there was no rehearsal, work, or homework to be done, so I took advantage of the occasion.

In lieu of that, I finally saw "Where the Wild Things are".... I can't tell if I liked it or not.. which is an unusual thing for me... usually I know that I don't like things.

The movie is visually beautiful, every shot I loved, the monsters, the sunsets, the forests and oceans. Awesome, particularly the scenes shot during "magic hour" when the sun is setting and it sets this nice warm gold glow, yea.. I was impressed with the filming.
HOWEVER, the movie didn't really have a storyline... the characters were good, you could see each one's insecurities, and it played out well how each one was a part of the main kid's own insecurities and fears... but that was kind of it, there was no development. It was just like taking a weird trip in this kids mind.
*Speaking of the kid, did anyone else notice the opening scene is of him killing a dog...? WILD

Overall, I think the movie should have been a horror... I knew it wasn't ever going to happen, but I kept wishing for some genuine tension when we thought that maybe the monsters would actually eat the kid. I think Where the Wild Things Are would have been better had it been mixed with... I don't know Lord of the Flies? Lets get those monsters pissed off eating children. Put some tension into the movie... I guess I'm just pining for a good ol' monster movie. Too many "there's a ghost, you just never see it" ones these days, I want creatures.

Final verdict? Still don't know. I had heard criticism about how "emotional" the movie was, but I really liked it for that... the goat thing character was breaking my heart the whole time, despite having no real development.
Good job for a 5 sentence book transferred into a movie though.

In other news,

Listen to that song in the previous post again.
(Good detective work Sherlock Crone)

Rapture

I can only hope that the rapture would feel even half as amazing as this song makes me feel....

"New Classical" is a genre I guess... and I am sold. After hearing this song, I bought the entire CD, and I'm sure I will find my way into more...

Beautiful




Just close your eyes and listen to this...
I wanted to find a picture that I could say "Listen and look at this picture... But nothing I own can do it justice... Jordan, I might need your help here.

This song... completes me?

Yes, that's the term I wanted.

Golden Finish

I don't remember the last time I yelled and cheered and gasped and my TV.... ever...

Amazing hockey game..... Amazing! What a perfect finish to some amazing Olympic games

Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

YES!

I could never be anything but Canadian.... so proud. So so so so proud.