Music

As I am sleepless in Edmonton, due to my upcoming midterm day of hell tomorrow...

Music Post.

Oh, how my life revolves around and is empty without music...

So, in order to further everyone else's lives, I am compiling a list of awesome bands. I have two categories: General listening (aka, sitting around and being mellow, or going for a relaxed bike ride) and Running. Because a great song for running does not make it that great to listen to on a regular basis, and vice versa.

General Listening (In Alphabetical Order):

All-American Rejects
As Tall As Lions
The Audition
Ben Folds Five
Ben Kweller
Bloc Party
Brand New
City & Colour
Coheed & Cambria
Coldplay
Damien Rice
Death Cab for Cutie
Fall Out Boy
FM Static
The Fray
Googoo Dolls
Imogen Heap
Jack Johnson
Keith Urban
Kevin Devine
Marianas Trench
Maroon Five
The Mile After
Pilate
Quietdrive
Rascal Flatts
Say Anything
Snow Patrol
Something Corporate
Stereophonics
Third Eye Blind
Waking Ashland
Wallflowers
Weezer

And, the Ultimate Uncontested Running Soundtrack:

Armchair Cynics - Bang
As Tall As Lions - Break Blossom
Ashley Parker Angel - Let U Go
The Audition - Approach the Bench
Black Eyed Peas - Pump It
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic
Brand New - The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows
Elvis Presley JSL Remix - A Little Less Conversation
The Faint - Glass Danse
Fall Out Boy - Almost any song
FM Static - Almost any song
Hedley - Almost any song
Jimmy Eat World - Pain
The Killers - Almost any song
LFO - West Side Story
Marianas Trench - Almost any song
Maroon Five - This Love
The Mile After - Let it Down
Mobile - Montreal Calling
Panic! At the Disco - Almost any song
Quietdrive - Let Me Go In
Quietdrive - Take A Drink
Rockapella -Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego
Shrek Soundtrack - Accidently In Love
Shrek Soundtrack - Bad Reputation
Taking Back Sunday - Make Damn Sure

Please, if anyone has any favourites/suggestions, feel free to throw them my way!!!

Song: Any of the Above
Picture: Dance Shoes!

...I know how you feel, buddy.

Heart Attack?

So, this weekend, I went to check out my mark on a midterm in my history class, posted outside our professor's office.

What did I get? 35%. Out of 100%. The lowest mark in the class. And what was the class average? 69%. Ouchy.

So, for the rest of the entire weekend, I felt like a mess. After studying so hard, thinking I understood the concepts, and doing all those readings, this was what I got. So, I should have studied pretty hard this weekend... but I felt like just saying "What does it matter? Apparently I can't get anything right anyways, even when I think I can. Why should I waste the effort?"

The entire weekend, I felt like a huge failure. I tried to tell myself I've been successful, that a single failed midterm did not define me, nor did it make me a failure; I've gotten the highest mark in several classes before; surely that cancels out this one horrible failure?

And so, today I went to go see my prof, just to find out what I did so wrong before I dropped the class. So we found my test. And it was a mistake. Everyone else had a percentage posted, but for whatever reason, my test had the raw score posted. What was my real mark? 35/45. Maybe not amazing, but much, much better than 35%.

And bang, I'm no longer a failure. Nothing made me feel better than when he went outside and scribbled out the old "percentage" and replaced it with my new, pretty one.

Just like that. A bit of ink, a few wrist movements. A failure becomes someone worthy again.

After all, a student's worth is defined by numbers and letters, is it not? That's what this is all about. A piece of paper with a few letters... the closer to the beginning of the alphabet, the more you are worth. The better you feel inside. The more options you have. The more doors that open.

Doesn't it feel great to be worth something?

Picture: What does it even mean?
Song: Brand New - The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

I like this one, I think... such a pretty bicycle.

I Heart Bicycles

This is a post to describe what makes bicycles and bicycling so wonderful.

First, just the word "bicycle" is fun to say. Bicycle. Bicycle. "Cycling" sounds pretty cool, too. As does "bikes." But if you're going to use the verb, you can't say biking. Bicycling just sounds that much more awesome. But bikes works well if you want to invite a friend along. Make sure to use the following catch phrase: "Wanna go ride bikes?"

My bicycle, Franchesco, is pretty wonderful. He has been through quite a bit. He probably has as many kilometres in three years as most cars have in one or two. He likes to squeak quite a bit, though. I particularly enjoy passing people with their hardcore aerobar and clip-in-shoe bicycles and all the hardcore gear... squeaking away, with my hands in my pockets to keep them warm. It's quite fun.

Franchesco and I have been through a lot together. I would like to complete the Edmonton-Calgary-Canmore-Banff-Jasper-Edmonton circle with him, but alas, I think the last leg of Jasper to Edmonton won't be travelled by him - he's made his last long journey and will now have to be my commuting friend only.

So, now I am looking into getting another bicycle. A bright, shiny, new touring bicycle. Likely light and good to take on long trips. Franchesco is pretty easygoing and dependable, but can be a little cranky, and I think his name describes him well. But now, I need a new name for what will be my new bicycle. It needs to be a boy name, because my touring bicycle should be a boy... when I get a triathlon bicycle, she will need a girl name.

So, any suggestions? Franchesco is very Italian, but I have a new feeling my new bicycle might be German... or perhaps Prussian. Or Turkish. Perhaps French, but more likely German.

... Wow, I am so weird. But those that love bicycles will understand.

Picture: What's in the bag?
Song: FM Static - Tonight