The Shocking Alternative

Spent last week up at a my uncles cabin on the perfect waterskiing lake, up near nakusp. It was fantastic, Waterskiied everyday, read, had amazing alone time. It was so relaxing and refreshing... the first real "break" I've had in... I don't know how long. Despite it raining at least once every day, pouring on some, it was the an amazing week.
Check out this water...



Started re-reading Mere-Christianity the other day, and when I got to this passage I remembered it immediately, and decided I needed to post it. Then, surprise surprise, I procrastinated. But at long last, here it is. I know it's long, but I think it's hilarious, poignant, and relevant. C.S. Lewis' style and Philosophical wit makes this book one of my favorites, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Philisophical or Christian based reading.


"Then comes the real shock. Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sings. He says He has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among Panthiests, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God: There would be nothing very odd about it. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God, in their language, meant the Being outside the world, who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips.
One part of the claim tends to slip past us unnoticed because we have heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You treat on my toes and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announces that he forgave you for treating on other men's toes and stealing other men's money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people who their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. In the mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can only regard as a silliness and conceit unrivalled by any other character in history.
Yet (and this is the strange, significant thing) even His enemies, when they read the Gospels, do not usually get the impression of silliness and conceit. Still less do unprejudiced readers. Christ sahys that He is 'humble and meek' and we believe Him; not noticing that, if He were merely a man, humility and meekness are the very last characteristics we would attribute to some of His sayings.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

C.S. Lewis
Mere-Christianity, pg 51-52


Good eh?

Current Events

So this has been my neighborhood in this past week

Those who read the blog are more than likely aware of the timeline of events, but as for description, a picture speaks a thousand words.



Saturday July 18th, 2009

Gorman's home going up in flames.... Don't get me started about the engine parked at the bottom of the straight driveway.....
Press photo of me Sat. afternoon at Gorman Bros. - Morning. Across the lake swim, Afternoon "The Producers", later that afternoon fire fighting?, later that evening "The Producers", even later that evening, back at Gorman's fighting fire.
Loads burning in the upper log yard on Saturday night

Monday afternoon, spot fires and fire mopping up. Also, really cool helicopters flying everywhere, including this one! Kmax Helicopter. Exciting

Goodbye Champ

Champ "Chewbacca" Arkle
March 29th 1997- July 13th 2009

Chariots of Fire

While I sit here listening to miscellaneous movie theme songs, I feel as if I should be writing something of worth... unfortunately I cannot think of anything especially poignant to write about. This is unfortunate to me.

Shows have now started for The Producers, and they are off to an amazing start, big standing ovations (as opposed to the awkward one person stands, then others follow hesitantly), howls of laughter, dancing geriatrics in the audience and of course complaints and people walking out! Fantastic. I am quite happy to be able to say that I was in a show that some people found so offensive that they actually walked out! Ecstatic!


Another show tonight, and unlike last year I am not fresh on my Philosophical banter SO the backstage talk has been lacking the same luster. However, at the request of my fellow cast, I will be thinking of philosophical brain teasers and new thoughts to keep people entertained. Just need to pull out my old text books...

But until then, I leave you, dear reader, with this which made us laugh and laugh backstage last night.

I Hate Nature from Olde English Comedy on Vimeo.

Woah

Holy lack of updating batman...

This is short and sweet, but in yet another (likely ill fated) attempt to update the blog more frequently, I will write a few sentences.


For those who may not have known, I am in "The Producers" in the role of Carmen Ghia.   This play is my dream play, my favorite musical of all time and I was lucky enough to be cast as one of my favorite characters.  Definitely one of those "dream come true" situations that came alot quicker than I ever expected it to.  Huzzah!

Rehearsals for that are going really well, heading into "Hell Week" as it's called which is the last week of rehearsals before opening (July 9th).  Busy Busy Busy.

Also, Transformers 2 met my expectations, but at least the actions sequences were entertaining.  Biggest let down?  Scorpion Robot exists for 5 seconds before being taken out... dissapointing.

(Oh, also!  New Alexisonfire CD is the most pleasant suprise of the year for me so far, I am impressed, I really like it... Also, new August Burns Red CD comes out in a week so that's exciting as well, something to look forward to besides the play)

WHICH IF YOU CAN READ THIS AND LIVE WITHIN A 1-3 HOUR DRIVE FROM KELOWNA YOU SHOULD COME SEE THE SHOW!!

It's a musical about Nazi's...... does it get much better than that??

Still Cool

For those of you who didn't see it on facebook... I couldn't resist showing this off, I'm pretty excited about it.

http://www.appletriathlon.com/


haha I was suprised, noone got ahold of me to ask or anything, but I don't mind,

 pretty cool though eh??

I dreamed a dream.

I think these are some of my favorite things. The fact that there are people out there, like this, with dreams coming true. I don't know, just makes me feel good. I'm glad Paul Potts isn't a lone example from this show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY


Amazing choice of song as well, couldn't have chosen a more perfect selection for her. Amazing. Powerful.

The way she delivers the final lines of the song gives me chills.

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

As I Lay Dying

So last night was the second time I got the honour to see As I Lay Dying live.

That band is absolutely amazing, I bought this DVD of them at the end, new 3 disk set with live shows, documentary etc. I promised Danny I'd wait to watch the documentary with him, but I couldn't resist the live shows. That was a mistake, now I want nothing more than to see them again! Oh well, hopefully I'll see them again.

Other than that, classes are done now, which is pretty sweet, except I still have some essays and term paper to be done, and the exam period is now, so it's not quite relaxation time. Problem is, the setting of having "no classes" doesn't make for very productive working attitudes. At least not for me. I'll have to get that bad habit under control.

Work today, 1-6, Good friday which means stat pay! Not bad for working on a day that you would have worked anyways except now it has a "holiday" pasted onto it. Not to say that this holiday isn't anything especially important.

(pun intended... but not meaning to make light of it...)
Have a good friday everyone.

Oh, quick PS. I got accepted into UBC-O, which is pretty sweet. Scholarship too! Lets just hope it leads somewhere.

The Bear and the Scorpion

Triceratuffts of hair

Today the BBC had an article saying that it has been recent evidence to indicate that Dinosaurs may have, in fact, been fuzzy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7950871.stm

If this is indeed the case... I'm trying to figure out whether this makes them more intimidating or kind of lame... Giant lizards was one thing.. but then a massive bear with a beak and horns? Not bad.

This imagery intrigued me, and a quick google search led me to this, for your enjoyment.

http://www.postersforhumans.com/images/products/large_96_JTIU01full.jpg

But I do wonder what would be the case if scientists were to find that Dinosaurs were not in fact scaley, but rather colourful and furry, we've already had the "Feathers" discovery ruin the Velociraptors of my childhood, whats next? I can't wait for new findings to show that T-rex had a tuft of hair on it's tail, like a lion... or poodle.

Ridiculous, they are ruining dinosaurs haha, Jurrasic Park 4 will just end up looking like Grizzly Man.
(ooh... not cool)

The Essence of Being Human

"Part of the reason why so many come out in this particular kind of way that we have found so astonishing is that in our African worldview, there is a thing called ubuntu. A person is called ubuntu, and ubuntu is the essence of being human.  Ubuntu is compassion, ubuntu is hospitality, ubuntu is warmth, ubuntu is sharing, ubuntu is caring.
  And because of our sense that I am because you are, because we say a person is a person through other persons, my humanity is caught up in your humanity.  If I want to enhance my humanity, it is by the process of enhancing yours.  If I de-humanize you, whether I like it or not, inexorably my humanity is diminished.
  And so, in part, it is a form of self-interest, this thing of not wanting to revenge, because revenge, anger, bitterness - all of these are corrosive of ubuntu, of the harmony that is for the summum bonum, the great good. And so, in a sense, I am not paying back to you, I do not settle scores with you, because the anger is dissipated, and you become a better person, and in that process, I become a better person too."
-Desmond Tutu.



Ubuntu.

Playing Operation

I think it's funny observing this particular phenomenon. Lets say there are three, (or more) people in a room, and one asks another a question. This second person does not know the answer the question, or at least they don't know specifically, so they will ask the third person. The third person will know the answer, and will, quite audibly, answer to person number two. Number two will then continue on to give number three's answer to the original person asking. Thus, in a sense, receiving the credit for the original answer. But what I find funny is that the original person would have heard number three's answer, thus making number two's repeating, comical to me.

I find the floor of the change-room at the pool to be disgusting. Even if it's been mopped... there is still some OCD reasoning or SOMETHING to me that makes it seem gross. So, what makes matters worse, is when I have to get changed in bare feet. I feel like putting on my pants is like a game of "Operation" where I can't touch the sides or else the insides of my pants will be gross with whatever collection was on the wet change-room floor.
(Of course, when my foot does inevitably touch the back of my jeans or something, I subsequently feel like my whole leg is now dirty, and will be dirty even going to bed. Obviously I think the wet hairy change-room floor is gross.)

My Ipod went through the washing machine yesterday, which was a bummer for sure. I'm currently waiting a few days while it is in a ziplock bag with dry rice, and some silicone packets from my new work boots box. Hoping that this might dry it out enough to perhaps give it a shot of electricity later, maybe bringing it back to life...
we'll see...

Reading break just finished today, and it was much too short unfortunately... and I am pining for summertime becuase this winter has has an inadequate amount of snow to gain my love. Also in current events, the Oscars are today, and I'm sure Heath will win the award for best supporting, not becuase of his performance so much as the fact that the other nominees are jokes. Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder? Really? For anyone who saw Tropic Thunder... although funny, a movie with a fat suit Tom Cruise dirty dancing is not "Oscar Worthy" and it feels like pity nominations to fill in the other nomination spaces.

I havn't blogged in a while, I'm rusty. It will get better.

Urinal

Who was this person? The guy who thought...

"Man... I really need to go pee, but woah woah woah, not on that thing"
"Why not? it's a toilet?"
"No, too low down, I refuse to sit, I must stand when I pee"
"okay... well why don't you stand in front of the bowl here and pee then?"
"Absolutely not! What am I, an Animal? No, I must invent a way so that I may pee into a specially designed contraption that I may hang on a wall"
"Brilliant Idea! But, what will you call it? Twoilet?"
"A 'Urinal', I will encompass it's nature of both collecting Urine, and 'all' of it."
"Inspired, but I still don't understand whats wrong with using the toilet..."
"Thats becuase you are not as great a thinker as I"



And that, I am sure, is how it must have happened.

Cynical? Perhaps.

Wow! I'm still a failure at keeping up on the blog. I need to stop wasting my pondering on "Real Conversation" and start translating it into zeros and ones for the enjoyment of those wishing to read a blog! Well, it wouldn't so much be me who is translating it into zeros and ones, but rather the computer. I'm just translating it from mind-waves to movements of my fingers. Whereas then YOU, the reader, will translate these marks on the computer screen into mindwaves, and perhaps even sounds (if you read it out loud) and then! Furthermore! Anybody in the vicinity would translate those sounds into meaningful words which they could in turn use. The chain will go on forever, and you are a pivitol point in it's succession. Makes you feel important no?

However, speaking of importance, that is the subject that is on my mind at the moment. It's in regards to importance in the world, importance in the eyes of others and importance in you own mind. In another blog, maybe the next one, I'll explain in greater detail what I'm referring to, but my sister did this little test on me the other day called the "Cube in the desert" test. Now, i won't give away what it is, but it started to raise the question of importance to me, more specifically how important am I to myself, and where to other people stand on the same topic. Which then in turn (much like the chain of events above, see how I brought it full circle), made me think about peoples view of what makes them important in the world, like in regards to success or impact.

Now, there are so many questions in my mind that arise from that, and I realise that I want to keep this particular blog fairly short as I am (yet again) applying for citizenship in the procrasti-nation, (Lab exams). But in short, my somewhat sobering thought today is the question of is my generation (or maybe more specifically me) on the right track? I mean... maybe it's just the circles I run in... but.. hmm, how to I word it.
I have many dear friends who are like me. They have aspirations of success in particular fields, they have dreams, they have interests. These interests, dreams, aspirations I'm referring to are more specifically in the area of entertainment. (And this is where the doubts begin). I wonder if my generation, and myself entirely included, are deluded by success stories? I mean, Recently I bought "Cannibal! The Musical" which immidiatly became a favorite. This is an indipenantly made student film that began the careers of two men who rose to great "success". These men are Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park. Now in many regards, they are a perfect success story, they did something they loved, they worked hard at it and it payed off. This is an inspiration! "Just do it", do what you love, thats how those people succeeded! Then a little bit closer to home, well... quite a bit closer to home, we have "Secret and Whisper", a very successful band that has a very similar story, a bunch of guys doing something they love, doing it well, and their hard work paid off (as they just got back from playing in front of thousands in Japan). But... are stories such as this raising false hopes of success in my mind? In the minds of my friends? I have friends who are aspiring film makers... I also have friends who are aspiring musicians, all examples who are remarkably talented in my mind. But... there are thousands out there like them... are we deluded into thinking that we might somehow achieve our dreams? And if thats the case... (heres the kicker, controversial statement alert!) is it worth it even to have them?

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not grounded into ANY of these opinions. I write my blog in a free flowing train of thought manner... there was no outline beforehand haha, so those final few sentences were written as they came to my mind in the "logical progression" of what i'm thinking at this moment, but I just thought I'd write something that was on my mind. As I said, the "Cube" test brought MANY thoughts into my head, and they could never be fit into one blog (I would overload the blogger memory banks, the site would crash likely).
I will finish with one thought though... Whether or not I have motivation towards following my own dreams, or even have any sort of hope (depending on the day) of breaking past doubt and cynicism, I guess it comes down to enjoying life for what it is. Not worrying about the future, because that's not here yet, I'll worry about it when it's the present. I will of course, look forward to the future, but in my mind that is much different from worrying.

I'll leave you all with something that always makes my day

Flies

Flies piss me off, and I think I know why...  What it is, is the fact that they don't just fly around and buzz everywhere, but they never fly in a specific direction.  I watched a fly go around in circles, figure eights, up, down and around an area of 1/2 a foot before landing.  Why?? Whats so hard to figure out Fly?  Why do you have to buzz around everywhere in this maniac frenzy, and be so uncertain about something so simple as "Where you are going"

I don't know... I'm just in a ruined mood to be honest, and I'm taking it out on you fly... I apologise.  On a positive note, I do wish I could see through your eyes.. just for a second though, I wonder if it would just be the "TV screens" type view that cartoons will depict... or maybe it's this entirely new perception of the world on an entirely new metaphysical level that we couldn't even begin to understand.

A friend and I once heard a man say that flies were pure evil and a result of a fallen world becuase they fed off death which wouldn't have existed in Eden.  I disagree sir. Flies also eat poop.

On another note, they are everywhere, and can also be sort of pretty.  I've seen flies with a really nice green and purple shine on their surface that could put a peacock to shame.  Diamonds in the rough?


I think I'm just jealous of you fly.  You can slip away from it all... as a matter of fact, there is no "all" about it.  A Fly on the wall has no worries I guess.

Hakuna Matata Fly, 
Hakuna Matata.

Overdue

Well I suck.   Obviously this blog has been neglected, and thats no good...  I'm not quite sure the reasoning, it's not lack of inspiration thats for sure, as a matter of fact I'm constantly thinking "oh man, this (or that) would is totally what I'm going to write about in my next blog"...  But it doesn't seem to happen that way unfortunatly.  Believe me, i've had some awesome ideas, but unfortunatly they havn't taken shape yet in my mind well enough to pass for a decent blog post (not that this one is above par either...).
So, this one won't be thoughtful, or funny, or based on any specific topic, I just figured I'd give a quick update on my comings and goings.  For one, the biggest news in the past little while I guess is that I got a second Job, lifeguarding, and thats going well.... the only downside is my most regular shift is lessons on saturday mornings, after my graveyard shift (which is sometimes after my guarding shift).   This go go go schedule is sort of taking it's toll on me... I can feel it wearing me thin, BUT maybe thats just from these past 2 weeks of it, midterms and stuff too, just alot of stress in a short period of time.   Load aside, the job is good, the people are great and I'm sure most can agree... thats what makses a job worthwhile.
In other news...
Well, I dont' know if there is any other news.  For anyone who might glance at this blog who knows me from Perth, a friend of mine has gone down for oct dts which is kind of cool, worth mentioning for sure.   I don't know... maybe I'll just throw some "headlines" down to give this a bit more of a varied feeling... but overall I just wanted to write a new blog tonight, but didn't know what to write.
-Iron Man is the best Marvel superhero movie, followed quickly by the newest Hulk
- I'm becoming increasingly paranoid, probably as a result of worn-out'ness
- Heroes Season 3 has been tragically dissapointing so far
- I wish Mike was in town
- I really want to see "Role-Models", and I think it has potential to be funnier than "Superbad" thanks to the amazing Paul Rudd.

Oh! last night on my way home some idiot came just ripping around a relatively blind corner (just before Gates rd) in the oncoming (my) lane.  If I had been going a bit faster?  Yikes... I might not have been sitting here writing this post.  

Anyways, time for sleep.

Not for them to decide

The other day I had this scene pop into my head, and just the memory of it really moved me. I wouldn't be surprised if it came down to this speech as the deciding factor that makes "The Fellowship of the Ring" my favorite of the 'Rings' movies.
But that aside, Isn't it a really poignant speech? Touching on the the issue of mercy and pity, it really hits me in regards to when Gandalf says "Do not be be eager to deal out death and judgment, even the very wise cannot see all ends". How many times can we all testify to catching ourselves being exactly that... too eager to deal out judgment on others... the moral check in this speech is a powerful one I think... even when it comes from a wizard.

But the really hard hitting line is the one that defined the first film... and quickly became one of my favorite quotes of all time

"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"

Gandalf then goes on to say that there are other forces in this world besides the will of evil... and continues on about destiny to a certain extent.
"And that is an encouraging thought"

I don't know, I'm not going to dissect the whole dialogue because I'm sure it means different things to different people.... But I just wanted to share that movie moment with everyone again, because the theme and message behind it hits me pretty hard.

Cony Genocide?

For those of you who live in Kelowna, I'm sure you are well aware of this (apparently) life altering situation, in which threats are being made to authorities over the resolution.... It is a situation that so dearly struck chords and pulled the hearts of the public that any sort of related news continues to make the front page, and every development of the story keeps the people of Kelowna riveted to the news, constantly raising controversy due to, what some people see as, the sickest most brutal event that could ever be conceived...

I'm talking, of course, about rabbits.

Now for any readers unaware of the situation, it's quite simple. Kelowna's downtown area is full of Rabbits, and they run around everywhere, they eat plans, burrow in city lawns, and run around on the street. Cute, no? Nonetheless, they are considered a pest, and the City of Kelowna has decided to pay a particular business to cull the rabbits. This raised such an uproar from the public that more money was then spent to try to find particular humane ways to deal with them, such as relocations and such (with some people ridiculously suggested neutering the population so that they couldn't expand anymore... obviously not realizing the ridiculous cost and absurd difficulty of such an operation...) etc etc.

So thats the situation.... "why write about this Jon? What's struck a chord and/or irritated you enough you enough to bring this current event to our attention?". Well, dear reader, todays front page of the Daily Courier is why. Headline "Alert Security Guard halts attack on Rabbits". Now, the subject matter isn't what irritates me, stopping punk teens beating on animals is a good thing, no doubt about that. It's what is said by those interviewed.... and I believe it's the biggest problem with the whole culling controversy as well.

People keep referring to those things as "Bunnies". Thats it, and thats what gets me... you see, since this whole thing has come to attention, even facebook groups have started up "Save the Bunnies", not "save the rabbits" but "save the Bunnies". It's this immediate "cutesifying" (My word, feel free to use it) of these animals that all of a sudden makes it seem like a state sanctioned genocide to deal with their overpopulation problem. Whats worse, is that people have even begun to personify each "Bunny", giving everyone the impression that we are killing Peter Rabbit.... In the (entirely justifiable, don't get me wrong) article in todays paper, this was said...

"One of them threw [a spear like stick] and hit one of the bunnies. The Bunnies were all running - they didn't know which way to go"

... Now again, I don't want anyone to get the impression that I'm criticizing the article's subject matter.... But
"...they didn't know which way to go".... well of course..... I mean, someone was chasing them, so they ran, I'm sure we've all chased a wild animal before, be it a quail or a chipmunk.... and they run, out of instinct.... this quote shows the personification of these animals in the same sense as if we could interview the rabbit "Yes chuck.... I was so scared... I looked left and right, but they were all around me! My life flashed before my eyes, but boy am I glad that I'm safe"..

Now, I know this post makes it sound like I'm saying "Why do people care about the 'bunnies'" But I'm not, hurting animals malicously is obviously wrong, but what I notice in regards to these events is the term "bunny" makes them sympathetic creatures! I mean, we'll hire exterminators in a second to get rid of a rat infestation.... heck, we'll set mouse traps ourselves to kill off some mice... but when it comes to bunnies! oh no! not the Bunnies! Save the Bunnies... the Bunnies will be scared! The Bunnies deserve their homes....
Notice the sympathy you feel reading that? Bet you think I'm a jerk...

"Farmer Smith has finally saved his crops from this years infestation of Mice, Crows, Rabbits and Weasels"

"Farmer Jack has finally saved his crops from this years infestation of Mousies, Birds, Bunnies and other furry friends"

Wow....Farmer Jack is a cold hearted meanie... So does anyone see where I'm coming from?? This post wasn't very well structured, so I don't know if my point got across.... or if I have a bunch of angry readers thinking I condone rabbit beating.... bunny beating? But I just wanted to vent a little about my irritation with the personification and "Cutesifying" of the "scared bunnies"... just because of the term Bunny....
If there was a rat problem in Kelowna, and an exterminator came with poison gas to paralyze and kill all of them.... there still wouldn't be nearly as much commotion over it as there is now with the quick shooting (by high powered air rifles) of some of the "bunnies".
What's in a name?

A Milestone

It's been a while,
it's been too long


But finally I feel like I'm in the right mindset to write a blog. You see, I was waiting until I felt it was a right time.... this is a milestone after all. So I waited... and thats not to say that I didn't feel like I had some things to write about... I'm always filled with little things I could rant about... for example I could go on about something ridiculous like a movie on Pirates or Transforming robots... or I could write praise over particular movies about Jokers and Bats... but number 100 being entirely dedicated to that seemed.... well empty still.

However, I feel now I've reached the right point. Perhaps it's because my mind is in a place where I'm torn between happy and sad, or perhaps it's because there have been a few events in this past little while that to me are huge... or perhaps it's the music I'm listening to making me feel nostalgic or just ponderous... who knows... none the less, here's an update!

Well in the past few months I've been involved with Kelowna Actors Studio in their production of "Singin' in the Rain" which has been a blast, the shows ran all last month with closing night being just last night. Standing ovations almost every night, and the cast was amazing. It was a really funny experience... I don't know what it is but I wish I could watch myself and my own transformation when meeting new people. I remember when I first went to the rehearsals I was sheepish and shy for the most part, I didn't know who these people were, and I didn't know how to act. Now with the show done, I've realized that these people became some of my core friends for the most part as I spent most of my time this summer with them working towards this show. Now it's over, and I realize I probably won't see many of these people again for a year or more... and I'll miss that, I'll miss the familiarity that comes with memorized lines... haha, really I think I've ust become unfamiliar with living through a full week without my actions scripted out... yikes!
That being said, the bittersweet ending of the show does have the advantage of giving my some time back.... what I'll do with this time well who knows.... likely I'll do my best to spend time with those who I haven't been able to spend much time with this summer. (That being said, I'd like to publically thank Michelle for her patience and encouragement during the duration of the show, rehearsals through to "Hell week", through to closing night, thank you!).
But back to how I'll spend the free time? Well.... I'll no doubt be seeing The Dark Knight a few more times.... heh.

This past year.... what with school, plays, work, and all sorts of comings and goings.... boy, I must say I didn't expect the way it's all turned out. I feel while writing this blog, that 50 ago I would not have been able to predict the mindset, experience and emotions that this current incarnation of myself encompasses. That being said, would I consider myself a new person? haha the last few weeks have been filled with these sorts of questions for me... I mean, my physical make up is entirely different down to the molecular level, my experiences and memories have expanded and are different, what remains constant about "me"? My hair is even short now! haha Who could have predicted that. Boy, even my reflection through me off for a while there.

Enough Philosophy for this blog though, wasn't Heath Ledger remarkable in the Dark Knight? Wow, Iconic, and chilling. It really hits me with how much of a loss it is to lose such a talented actor. My favorite scene with the Joker is a tough one to pinpoint... I kind of wander back and forth between the entire collection of one liners which are just fantastically delivered... to moments that truly frightened me such as that execution video...

"he shows us we don't have to be afraid of scum like you"
"oh yes you do Bryan... yes you do. Look at me.... LOOK AT ME!"

Creepy.

In other news... The future is still uncertain, and boy oh boy do I let myself stress about it still. The shows were amazing to take my mind off of them, with those, plus WSI courses, plus work (oh glorious graveyard), plus volunteering hours and then my odd leisure pastimes haha such as swimming across the lake... well, my body reached an exhaustion point. I am well aware that there are many of you out there that are even busier than I was, and I do not envy you... I reached a point where waking up in the morning I wasn't sure my legs wouldn't buckle underneath me haha pfft, I'm a wimp.

I feel I should make a reference to my time in Australia in this blog... seeing as the majority of this milestone achievement was compiled during my time there. Well.... to speak to that "Jon" back then.... haha I don't know what to say... I think one of these days I'm going to read back through my blogs, and then perhaps my hard journal (which I haven't picked up in months... a year perhaps? woah) and try to put myself back in that place... what a trip will that be! To clearly remember the things that were current events for me back then, and then try to look forward towards todays current events. It'd be interesting I think, and so, I shall do it.

What do I look forward to from now though? Who knows... maybe if I get busy I can be writing my 200th come this time next year.... what will I be "looking back on"? hmm... well, I know I can look forward to this upcoming semester of required courses I want nothing more than to NOT take, bio, stats, geo? Fantastic... Also, I can look forward to my upcoming roles with the Studio... That will be fun, and hopefully a nice reunion with many of my Singin' in the Rain friends. I'm also looking forward to the fall at the moment.... not because I want summer to end, but earlier today (and at the moment for that matter) I was listening to a CD that I fell in love with last fall, and drinking tea, again, a fall thing for the most part. It took me back, and just filled me with an.... anticipation that this fall could be similar to that of this past one... all my hopes are that thats a good thing! (for those who may wonder, the CD is "The Shepard's Dog" by 'Iron and Wine').

So far this summer has been amazing.
So far this Year has been amazing.

But to end this Milestone blog, although the update itself wasn't anything too amazing, I would like to thank you. The reader. Many of you, or both of you, or just you singular haha have been following it for a while, some even since it's "debut" and for that I thank you so much. You've been a part of my life in that sense, as I narrate you through my comings and goings, and you deserve a pat on the back for having the patience to keep coming back. (Especially those with the patience to wait for, come back and read this 100 post haha). Although they won't read it, I'd also like to thank those who came to my blog during my time in Perth, some just once, some leaving comments, and some passing it on to my family that they had been following it. Hahah I hope someday I can once again lead a life that is exciting enough to draw such readers, but until that day I thank you for sticking with me.
Thank you.

Now I need to do something worthy of post 101.

- Jonathan Arkle

There could be something wrong with me

Why is it that if I ever buy Super Mario I can't for the life of me resist hitting every single little question mark block....
It's not that I want to.... and I can miss any coin my little mario runs by... but those blocks... what sort of hidden wonders could be inside? I'm not very good at the game so I'm almost always "little mario"... so naturally my hopes are constantly something like "Maybe it's a mushroom....or better a flower!! oh cruel fates! a coin! ONE coin" Sometimes I end up losing the flower or mushroom I DID have in my efforts to get to the block... why?
None the less... whether it's obsession, some sort of OCD, or just plain nerdiness.... I cannot resist the yellow question marked blocks.... I'll leave no block unchecked.

In other related news for things that If I were to do differently, people would view me as being normal.... Mike perhaps is the only person reading the blog aware that I've been doing this since I was much younger. I'm still strongly dedicated to always leaving Johnson Bentley pool by walking out the "in" door. This includes the process of me using my strong little fingers to obtain a "pressure grip" on the 1cm wide ridge of the doors window, then pull the "push one way only" foor towards me so that I can leave the same way I came in. This was a horrible little habit of mine when I was younger... it would torture me (when I was conscious of it) if I could not leave a building through the same doorway or window or whatever that I entered. It was a sense of completeness that I obtained from it. Perhaps not too dissimilar from the Mario Blocks.

No, scratch that, its' different, definitely weirder.

Last night Mike, Danny and I went to Kelly O's for some drinks and pacho's, and we got onto a conversation about riddles. Some were good, some were bad... some weren't even riddles (And almost all could be answered with "It was the smoke monster from Lost" so THAT'S the Dharma initiative....)... Now, as I started to write this I had intentions of asking YOU READER on of the riddles we couldn't figure out... But I can't remember the wording.. so I'm afraid I've led you to disappointment I'm sure... Then we moved onto Disney movies where it was agreed upon unanimously that any Disney cartoon pre-Tarzan was "classic", and Tarzan's saving grace was the Phil Collins soundtrack... anything after that? Pixar animation.... how disappointing.


This is my 99th Blog post.... Not my best... But my next one HAS to be good.... yikes Pressure