tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295455172024-03-23T13:46:26.517-04:00think\vs/thoughtthe Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-15796956154165913922011-04-18T22:30:00.007-04:002011-04-18T22:45:31.846-04:00Matt's Butt Interview: Or, Matt Sits Down With ButtNot too long ago, a friend of mine, <a href="http://www.matthewahawkins.com/blog/" target="_blank">Matt Hawkins</a>, dedicated his life to harassing <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0125217/" target="_blank">Brent Butt</a> (of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397138/" target="_blank">Corner Gas</a>/<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1591620/" target="_blank">Hiccups</a> fame) on <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/BrentButt" target="_blank">Twitter</a> until he would agree to do an interview with him. Well, Matt's <a href="http://www.matthewahawkins.com/2011/03/07/video-invitation-to-brent-butt/" target="_blank">a very persistent guy</a>, and Brent finally caved (I'm pretty sure Matt hooked his wife the same way).<br /><br />After months of Tweets and the seemingly inevitable threat of a restraining order, here is their interview:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="540" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/twLm89ApA6g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-48124419570693085252011-02-24T23:15:00.004-05:002011-02-24T23:23:25.601-05:00Well, Fancy That...In a strange but fitting turn of events, I "stumbled upon" this site today: <a href="http://www.good.is/post/the-nine-best-sesame-street-guest-appearances%253FuXFe%2526uQZe" target="_blank">The 9 Best Sesame Street Guest Appearances</a>.<br /><br />(The two clips with Ricky Gervais and the one with Adam Sandler are my favourites, but they're all good/interesting in their own way.)the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-53622590161399848382011-02-14T15:26:00.005-05:002011-02-14T15:48:37.247-05:00The End of Productivity<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/" target="_blank">StumbleUpon</a> may just be the greatest Internet invention ever. Yes, better than Facebook, better than e-mail, better than online banking. Better, even, than Google.<br /><br />A wild, indefensible claim? A wreckless and misleading argument? An excessive use of exaggeration? Maybe. But how else would I have discovered these nuggets of electronic gold?<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.writerhymes.com/" target="_blank">Write Rhymes</a> -- Write your text and find a rhyme. Don't be vexed, it's sublime! BAM! (Rhymes with HAM!)</li><li><a href="http://maneggs.com/2009/10/29/grouch/" target="_blank">Oscar the Grouch: His Tragic Story</a></li><li><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2010/10/the-most-bizarre-commercial-of-all-time/" target="_blank">Nutrigrain: Best/Most Bizzare Commercial Ever?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/525347" target="_blank">The Scale of the Universe</a></li><li><a href="http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/" target="_blank">Do Nothing For 2 Minutes</a> (Trust me -- it's harder than it seems.)</li><li><a href="http://sleepyti.me/" target="_blank">Bedtime Calculator</a> (Find out the best time to sleep.)</li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf" target="_blank">Tranquilize the Sheep</a> (Tests your reaction speed -- and makes you very jumpy.)</li><li><a href="http://www.breathingearth.net/" target="_blank">BreathingEarth</a> (CO2, Birth, and Death rates by country.)</li></ul>You should <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/" target="_blank">sign up</a>. Really, you should. It's pretty much amazing.the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-28655257401434842512011-02-08T17:05:00.013-05:002011-02-08T23:20:17.036-05:00Brought to You By the Letter "A"-wesomeI recently purchased what I consider to be one of the finest published works of the last, oh, 100 years. Quite a claim, you say. I need not defend that statement. The pictures speak for themselves.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELQmuZ7xxWUYs4sWpIDJ1J2N4aQIUbft1fSByjQQynoJSffg2P2XeeRuom01ysVUA3D3S07sewowuyJuKSqGcEgYzhFO0S5iljNt9k8cQqNiSuye6Z8mDoGVHVfs3Px6i9PEi/s1600/book1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELQmuZ7xxWUYs4sWpIDJ1J2N4aQIUbft1fSByjQQynoJSffg2P2XeeRuom01ysVUA3D3S07sewowuyJuKSqGcEgYzhFO0S5iljNt9k8cQqNiSuye6Z8mDoGVHVfs3Px6i9PEi/s320/book1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571444116915422242" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIvHdxUxgIBhZtHMmVRad9Kt44ji30uZj-0a3YX-R1MAyqSIAOmMNyFLso7NNs5SmqkfuHUoMO7zlHCANrRFo4HXRczNtLtVIyd9LhkEhU_STG_K3XvDi7PbXkNg94UYhGD8x/s1600/book2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIvHdxUxgIBhZtHMmVRad9Kt44ji30uZj-0a3YX-R1MAyqSIAOmMNyFLso7NNs5SmqkfuHUoMO7zlHCANrRFo4HXRczNtLtVIyd9LhkEhU_STG_K3XvDi7PbXkNg94UYhGD8x/s320/book2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571444117305122338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtUIsgZGI29lQdj9hys_muSdOSEFWyr9QUOnOv3l4fnh2MtJWkA-r6kzwk5pWDwxy1hVCe9Rpbo-gTH9RrwS94qBG3phkwD68312qm6HQu3EQKa_9BK8X0NzDuVBknVGNMs7B/s1600/book5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtUIsgZGI29lQdj9hys_muSdOSEFWyr9QUOnOv3l4fnh2MtJWkA-r6kzwk5pWDwxy1hVCe9Rpbo-gTH9RrwS94qBG3phkwD68312qm6HQu3EQKa_9BK8X0NzDuVBknVGNMs7B/s320/book5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571444124236891186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSy9FLY3GQN-cQw-2kZ1iqcgHU2lLS4Kk0J-KjTTDgONHJ64j5ekpk1EXaM73gVZ6uM0Z_wGBDOL2NFr50IBB0Yno6I1W4CYllY6zunRhrgC9RVpKoO2fZ2oDilYawLSCyCGv/s1600/book4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSy9FLY3GQN-cQw-2kZ1iqcgHU2lLS4Kk0J-KjTTDgONHJ64j5ekpk1EXaM73gVZ6uM0Z_wGBDOL2NFr50IBB0Yno6I1W4CYllY6zunRhrgC9RVpKoO2fZ2oDilYawLSCyCGv/s320/book4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571444125084340082" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj316ragbuZ-jdrhU7yYVTAN7vXxwFaZTrbIJHgKbzGcwAS91zjw_3841vPqiuH_TnNvSi0nSoV1Dv109MToz587AtIwkWea0JGmxlPD0uAVhF0MFcVX87naOtFz5fy6WWuIGAo/s1600/book6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj316ragbuZ-jdrhU7yYVTAN7vXxwFaZTrbIJHgKbzGcwAS91zjw_3841vPqiuH_TnNvSi0nSoV1Dv109MToz587AtIwkWea0JGmxlPD0uAVhF0MFcVX87naOtFz5fy6WWuIGAo/s320/book6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571445484866021106" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhM6UwZtX9-dnbMEP1woBcf06ID6ggRcruz0Tlism4Z-9axzr9zWB7DZ7T4r1oRMiddIE0yUDfCweXoxIwAXHSVaBAbkowez7FBwGE8qUFz6dW2bKhtdAbOav0Kj8z-qiYl3V/s1600/book3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhM6UwZtX9-dnbMEP1woBcf06ID6ggRcruz0Tlism4Z-9axzr9zWB7DZ7T4r1oRMiddIE0yUDfCweXoxIwAXHSVaBAbkowez7FBwGE8qUFz6dW2bKhtdAbOav0Kj8z-qiYl3V/s320/book3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571444118913191746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw-y2BsSxu4A5r6DToaft_CX64XM2zeYtvh9AUmcNnIAoZGv9tGkH4FrNkl6x_TYi_f2mY4ikpClO2WDpulm0jH4Df5ny29RNnM3x021F82BWc_K00OqWGGns0hb8zbB1zxU7/s1600/book9.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw-y2BsSxu4A5r6DToaft_CX64XM2zeYtvh9AUmcNnIAoZGv9tGkH4FrNkl6x_TYi_f2mY4ikpClO2WDpulm0jH4Df5ny29RNnM3x021F82BWc_K00OqWGGns0hb8zbB1zxU7/s320/book9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571445498020861330" border="0" /></a><br />(I wondered what had happened to Bruno. And now I know. RIP Puppet Garbage Man.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu12A2Xi-6u3alqBVETUL8a4WLGOXL25t9xCNmMCSAQJupDFFBO85ML7xWtgsGwSCl3dvpKAKMkHozQAdgJpI0uzM07sTfDdvJhfcpNt7s_qAmSYI3XdENDTd_jEiu9UGkuCH/s1600/book8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu12A2Xi-6u3alqBVETUL8a4WLGOXL25t9xCNmMCSAQJupDFFBO85ML7xWtgsGwSCl3dvpKAKMkHozQAdgJpI0uzM07sTfDdvJhfcpNt7s_qAmSYI3XdENDTd_jEiu9UGkuCH/s320/book8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571445489810745730" border="0" /></a><br />(Yeah. There's a whole two-page spread about Tina Fey. Just when you think the book couldn't get any more amazing.)<br /><br />(Oh, and they even answer that age old question:)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC1Yo4w2luSTpR0rbB1UdCaDVbaFEudU1E-I9zOlmrSik1cJEylU8f0dLU_Hm6C4mJQR3AU4mAAdf138jFUFzO9MQamCh40wLETIL_neMk579Y584mE9Xy47rPwojf50TFGL0/s1600/book7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC1Yo4w2luSTpR0rbB1UdCaDVbaFEudU1E-I9zOlmrSik1cJEylU8f0dLU_Hm6C4mJQR3AU4mAAdf138jFUFzO9MQamCh40wLETIL_neMk579Y584mE9Xy47rPwojf50TFGL0/s320/book7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571445486299909394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost for this masterpiece?</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">$12</span>. <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Sesame-Street-Celebration-Years-Life-Louise-Gikow/9781579126384-item.html?ikwid=sesame+street&ikwsec=Home"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chapters</span></a>.<br />Do it.<br /></div>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-29717086406330690172011-01-31T14:12:00.005-05:002011-01-31T19:38:26.268-05:00Bed Pan(ned)Back in August--in the year of our Lord 2010--I mentioned that I had had my first short story published. Well, 5 months (and a whole 4 posts) later, I wanted to let you (yes, you, the Anonymous Abyss that is the Internet) know that I've had my <span style="font-style: italic;">second</span> short story published, by the fine folks at <a href="http://www.mtls.ca/issue8/writings-nfiction-stewart.php" target="_blank">Mapple Tree Literary Supplement</a>. Considering the caliber of work they publish, I feel like a preschooler whose childish splatters of paint earn a knowing pat on the head and a place on the kitchen fridge. It's an honour. It's also humbling.<br /><br />The story, "<a href="http://www.mtls.ca/issue8/writings-nfiction-stewart.php" target="_blank">Bed Pan(ned)</a>," is what some might call "Creative Non-Fiction." And by "some," I mean me, and the people who created the catergories for <a href="http://www.mtls.ca/issue8/writings-nfiction-stewart.php" target="_blank">the journal</a>. Others might be inclined to challenge the designation, taking issue with such words & syntax as "Creative" or "Non" or "Fiction" or "-" or "quotation marks." They should direct their concerns to my lawyer. And by "lawyer," I mean God Almighty.the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-48328336682815911672011-01-26T17:06:00.002-05:002011-01-26T17:09:50.931-05:00For Want of a Decision<blockquote>I saw my life branching out before me like a green fig-tree in the story.<br /><br />From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and off-beat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out.<br /><br />I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig-tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Sylvia Plath, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >The Bell Jar</span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span></blockquote>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-1760156740575643972011-01-22T13:22:00.000-05:002011-01-22T16:46:57.369-05:00#worstdate<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="384" height="283" align="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://widget.nbc.com/videos/nbcshort_at.swf?CXNID=1000004.10045NXC&widID=4727a250e66f9723&clipID=1271136&showID=243"/><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://widget.nbc.com/videos/nbcshort_at.swf?CXNID=1000004.10045NXC&widID=4727a250e66f9723&clipID=1271136&showID=243" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="384" height="283" align="middle" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-13263272937929907612011-01-19T21:52:00.005-05:002011-01-19T22:00:01.419-05:00Talking Kitchen AppliancesThe other day my girlfriend used the expression "The pot calling the kettle black." I had never heard it before. She was aghast. Apparently it's very common. All the kids are using it these days.<br /><br />So, I'm conducting an informal, non-scientific poll: have you (yes, <span style="font-style:italic;">you</span>) heard the expression before, or is it new to you too? I need to know where I stand.the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-72458689856044419432011-01-14T14:52:00.010-05:002011-01-14T15:57:57.153-05:00[footnote]I found a fantastic site today that I thought would be worth sharing (and considering how rarely I "share" on here, I think that should count for <span style="font-style:italic;">something</span>--right?). It's called <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.fntv.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style:italic;">[footnote]</span></a></span>. Basically, they make 25-minute episodes/shows, and they're shown on <a href="http://affiliate.zap2it.com/tv/footnote/EP01348517" target="_blank">WGN</a> (it's a cable channel -- I'm not sure if I get it though, and anyway, they play at 2am).<br /><br />Rather than try to explain what they do myself, I'll defer to them:<br /><br /><blockquote>Every week on Footnote, we come up with a different subject and then we let different people tell their stories about that subject, and we keep those stories as creative and honest as we can. Each episode is a little like a documentary, but just documenting people's stories isn't enough for us. We want to explore these stories, with all the characters and emotions involved; stories that matter to us and make us see the world in a different way. They might be sad or funny, they might make us mad. They might give us hope. Mostly, stories that are, in the deepest sense, true.<br /><br />And, even though we go to a lot of trouble to find rare and unique stories, we want stories that expose the things that tie us all together. The little things under the surface. The tiny truths that we sometimes forget to notice. The important things. The footnotes.<br /><br />(<a href="http://www.fntv.com/about/"><span style="font-style:italic;">"About Footnote"</span></a>)</blockquote><br />Really, it's great stuff. You can watch episodes online, and their first three are up. I just finished watching their latest, "<a href="http://www.fntv.com/episodes/s1e3/" target="_blank">NSFW</a>," which is all about porn -- a porn star, an ex-porn producer, Craig Gross (the pastor from <a href="http://xxxchurch.com/" target="_blank">xxxchurch.com</a>, who is (in)famous for his "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" Bibles/shirts and going to Porn Conventions, among other things), and even a study about the effects of porn. (The whole episode is fantastic, but I think the stories from the porn producer got to me the most--just incredibly sad.)<br /><br />They have amazing production quality, great stories, and are impressively meaningful. And look at that, no need to pay. The docu-addict in me rejoices.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.fntv.com/" target="_blank">[footnote]</a></span></span>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-3564954948787559992010-08-28T01:23:00.004-04:002010-08-28T01:29:03.524-04:00Under the OvergrowthWell, it's that time again. You know, when I say something irrelevant, pretend to be interested, post a link, and tell you to leave me alone. Yeah, <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> time.<br /><br />But I do have something to say, something to post, something to share. (No. Really. I do.)<br /><br />I had a short story published! Thank God for small miracles, as they say.<br /><br />If you want to read it (you know, if you have literally nothing else to do, at all), you can find it <a href="http://www.mtls.ca/issue7/writings-nfiction-stewart.php" target="_blank">here</a>, at <a href="http://www.mtls.ca/issue7/writings-nfiction-stewart.php" target="_blank">Maple Tree Literary Supplement</a>.the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-51475528363675723642010-06-29T01:31:00.008-04:002010-06-29T01:45:54.769-04:00The Swing O' LifeI was talking to my mom tonight, and she reminded me about this post I'd written who-knows-how-long-ago. I had completely forgotten about it, so while she was talking I kept thinking, "I'm pretty sure that wasn't me."<br /><br />Turns out it was. Many moons ago, back when I was much smarter and certainly better looking, I had another blog, which I lovingly christened <a href="http://multum-in-parvo.blogspot.com/">Multum-in-Parvo</a> (Latin for "Much in little" -- which I liked to think summarized my petite physicality and gigantic ego). Apparently I wrote a few posts that actually went beyond the usual gibberish I've been spewing out on this blog. Such is life.<br /><br />Anyway. I found the post--written back in May of 2005--and it seemed like an appropriate reminder to myself. How about that?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~ * ~<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Swing O' Life</span><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">In my last post I mentioned how much I loved to swing (on the swings). I also said I like to go for walks. Well, the other night while I was trying to waste some time I did both. I like walking at night because it's usually quiet, and it's nice and cool, and it just feels very peaceful -- good thinking time. And cigar-smoking time. MmMm.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Just before I got back to my house I stopped and sat on the swings for a little while and thought about life, yadda yadda (all of my introspection must be making some of you sick by now). And I was thinking about why it is I like to swing so much. See, the thing about swinging is that it's something that requires work, but the pay off is visible, it's noticeable. Once you're on the swing, you have to put in the effort to get yourself moving -- but once you do, you get to experience the reward. I think that is life in a super-condensed form. It seems to me that anything worth having in life will require effort, hard work. Sometimes the effect may not be obvious, it won't be visible, for a little while, but it's there nonetheless.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I think the swing set is a good description of the hard change of going from kid to adult (stick with me here). When you're a kid, you want to be pushed. You don't want to have to pump your legs, do the work, get yourself moving. You don't want to put in the effort -- you just want the result, to feel yourself swinging high and fast. When I worked on the Reserve in Fort Nelson, a lot of times we'd take the kids to the park for an afternoon, and the kids </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">always</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> wanted me to push them on the swing. But there was only one of me, and I could only push so many so fast, so some kids just had to wait. I tried to teach them how to get the swing going on their own. I even showed them. And I think a couple actually learned. Yet even after all that, none of them would do it -- they just wanted me to push them. Kids are like that. They don't want to put in the effort, to work for anything -- they want dad to do it for them. And believe me, that isn't a bad thing. That's a part of growing up (both for the parent and the kid).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">There's an age, though, where dad isn't there to push. No one is there to do the work for you. And you have to decide, is it worth the effort to get the swing going or not? I think that moment of decision is a line that has to be crossed to move from kid to adult. Awhile ago I wrote about how I still felt like a kid, and how would I know when I wasn't? I quoted 1 Corinthians 13:11:</span><br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.<br /></blockquote><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I think the moment you decide that you're going to do the work yourself, you're going to stop relying on someone else to push the swing, that's when you begin to put "childish ways behind [you]".</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I think the swings give a lot of other parallels to life. I was thinking about how long it feels like since I've sat on the swings with another person (other than the kids at work). The swings can be a solitary place or a place shared with someone else. In life, I think there's going to be a lot of time where it </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">needs</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> to be solitary. Being alone is, I think, a basic requirement (a temporary one, yes, but important) to learn self-identity and learning to know God and how He sees you and growing into that adult mindset that you had to embrace when you began moving the swing yourself. But somewhere down the line, the swing beside you is going to be occupied by someone else. Remember when you were a kid and if you were swinging beside someone and happened to get in the same rhythm as them everyone would say you were "in the bathtub together"? (Or was that just me?!) Well, in a non-sick way (though technically, if you're married, it could mean...oh never mind) I think it's pretty true -- that other person is going to be swinging right beside you. And I think that's what love really is -- it's sharing the same rhythm, being right beside someone else. And when they can't swing anymore, when they don't have the energy or they're hurt or confused or broken, you get off your swing and go give them a push. I think that is how God wanted marriage to be.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Ok, I gotta go to work now. Feel free to chew on this or spit it out.</span>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-50245355037907572842010-05-26T02:37:00.019-04:002010-05-26T04:40:25.406-04:00People PleaserRecently <a href="http://andthentherewasruth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">people</a> have made disparaging remarks about me and my lack of blog posts. Some have gone so far as to call me vicious names, such as "Inconsistent" - "Lacker of Content" - "Potentially Mediocre," and even "Crap-face" (frankly I'm not actually sure <a href="http://www.weddingsinmotionblog.com/" target="_blank">Geoff</a> knows my real name). Being the people pleaser that I am, I feel I must do something. And how!<br /><br />Yeah, I could post another funny video, or the solution to a thousand year old math problem that has driven mathematicians to madness, or a poem that would break the hardest of the hard and the emotionally-bankruptest of the emotionally-bankrupt.<br /><br />I had planned to do all three. But then I noticed that almost a year ago I had posted the trailers of several movies I was looking forward to seeing during the summer. So I closed the video, deleted the math, and trashed the poem, and decided to write up my reflections to those movies, on this the [almost] one year anniversary.<br /><br />Let's begin:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Road</span><br />Let's just get it out there: everyone hates when someone says, "Well, the book was better." Those pretentious sons-of-pretentious-mothers, we know it was better. It always is. Providing you like to read. Because if you don't, even the greatest works of literature would suck compared to the film adaptation. I'm not one of those people. It's not that I've read every book that's been made into a movie, and know definitively that this maxim holds true and should never be challenged. It's just that, well, books <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> better than movies. And I love movies, so that's saying a lot about books.<br /><br />Anyway. I digress. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road</span> was an intense movie. It was a heavy movie. You will not feel happy and buoyant and ready to tackle third world debt upon leaving the theatre (or turning off the DVD, at this point). You might even feel like you were punched in the face. Truth is, I thought it was solid. It was relatively faithful to the book, as far these things go (though not nearly as faithful as, say, <span style="font-style: italic;">No Country For Old Men, </span>another Cormac McCarthy novel-turned-movie -- that was almost word for word). Because it was so heavy, I actually think I prefer the book on those grounds alone. I remember having to put the book down a lot and just let the scenes soak in. It was bleak, as bleak if not more bleak than the movie, but one of McCarthy's brilliant strengths is his ability to break through this foreboding darkness with little but powerful rays of light. Every book of his that I've read shares that characteristic, of black-black-black and the light that punctures it. (Remind anyone of a verse? "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" --John 1:5.) Another reason to prefer the book: McCarthy's writing is pure poetry. A movie just can't capture that, no matter how technically accurate it is.<br /><br /><blockquote>"You have to keep carrying the fire."<br />—<span style="font-style: italic;">The Road</span></blockquote><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">District 9</span><br />Without a doubt, one of my favourite movies of 2009. I thought it was original, smart, well-executed, and very well made for such a [relatively] small budget and unknown writer/director.<br /><br />As an aside, I took a screenwriting class with the same teacher who taught <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088955/" target="_blank">Neill Blomkamp</a> (the writer/director) at Vancouver Film School. Not that there was any pressure or anything...<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Boat That Rocked</span><br />Actually, I still haven't seen it. I heard it wasn't all that great, but it's got Nick Frost in it (<span style="font-style: italic;">Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz/Spaced</span>), so I'm holding out hope.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Where the Wild Things Are</span><br />Mmm. I'm not sure how I feel about it.<br /><br />I didn't have any real attachment to the book when I was a kid, so I wasn't interested in the movie for sentimental reasons. I just thought it looked great. I loved that the Jim Henson Company made the monsters and they weren't made in cursed *shudder* CGI. And I really like Catherine Keener (she won me over as Harper Lee in <span style="font-style: italic;">Capote</span>). So those two aspects of the movie I looked forward to, and ended up really liking.<br /><br />On the other hand, I couldn't get into the psychotic kid/monster kingdom/semi-overly-serious tone. By the end, though, I was enjoying it more than I was during the first hour or so. I just can't say I was all that crazy about it. Maybe it would take another watch to appreciate it, but the problem is, I don't want to watch it again. So there you go.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Public Enemies</span><br />Definitely not what I was expecting, but also, in a way, a typical Michael Mann movie. He uses the same filming technique as in <span style="font-style: italic;">Collateral</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Miami Vice</span>. I used to hate it (when I first saw <span style="font-style: italic;">Collateral</span> I thought it was a joke), but have kind of fallen in love with it since. In the hands of Mann, at least. I'm not sure too many directors could pull it off. But he has a knack for realism, and the filming style does that. Especially in this movie, it feels true-to-life most of the time. Even his bullets sound like actual bullets, not Hollywood bullets recorded with pots and pans in a sound studio.<br /><br />The movie was a lot slower paced than I thought it would be, and I think that's what threw most people off. That's the problem with trailers in general, I guess -- they're a marketing ploy to bring in the most people possible, not to bring in the <span style="font-style: italic;">right</span> audience.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Moon</span><br />Another of my Top 5 movies of 2009. It was just incredible. I've always liked Sam Rockwell, and in this case, he just proved his ability to act. So good. What else can I say? (This is also another win for non-CGI based movies -- they went old-school and relied on physical models, miniatures, so everything would look real. They succeeded.)<br /><br />7. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Terminator Salvation</span><br />Horrible. I'm not even going to waste time explaining why it blew chunks of suckiness. Suffice to say, Christian Bale is no longer one of my favourite actors.<br /><br />8. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Brother's Bloom</span><br />I fell asleep a few times while watching it, so I'm not really sure what happened or if it was any good. A few people I've talked to loved it. It's probably worth seeing again, this time from start to finish. What I did see, though, looked potentially-good. Maybe it was just too long. Or, you know, I was just too tired.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-- ~ --</div><br />And there you have it. My thoughts. My post. My return to Content. I hope <a href="http://andthentherewasruth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">you're</a> happy.<br /><br />For this summer, there is really only <span style="font-weight: bold;">ONE</span> movie I am completely and unabashedly excited for. And I know you're all crazy-excited for it too.<br /><br /><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JlTTqqHjzbg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JlTTqqHjzbg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="640"></embed></object>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-85048994028803363472010-05-25T20:43:00.006-04:002010-05-25T20:58:13.738-04:00NEWS FLASH! UPDATE! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!There are currently three ways to find this blog. One is the old <a href="http://thinkversusthought.blogspot.com/">http://thinkversusthought.blogspot.com</a>. That's ridiculously long, and frankly, I can never remember if it's "versus" or "vs".<br /><br />The other two ways are new domains I bought. Both take you here. Why two? Because I couldn't decide which I liked better. Sue me.<br /><br />So you can try either <a href="http://kyledotcom.com/">kyledotcom.com</a> (easy, right?) or <a href="http://kylerhymeswith.com/">kylerhymeswith.com</a> (which happens to coincide with my Twitter account, <a href="http://twitter.com/kylerhymeswith">http://twitter.com/kylerhymeswith</a> -- Branding: it's marketing 101, people).<br /><br />Whenever I have the time (before my children are born? fingers crossed!) I'll be revamping (no, that has nothing to do with vampires--sorry Team Edward) this place to include both my cute little stories and my epic and brilliant works of literature that will stun the Internet and suburban housewives alike. Or be largely ignored.the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-15402839215660005622010-03-06T16:26:00.002-05:002010-03-06T16:28:03.036-05:00A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie EverI put this on my Facebook, and that should be enough, but frankly I love it so much I have to post it here too. Just because I can.<br /><br /><div><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://cdn-i.dmdentertainment.com/DMVideoPlayer/player_cr.swf" id="player" height="379" width="608" ><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://cdn-i.dmdentertainment.com/DMVideoPlayer/player_cr.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="flashVars" value="demand_report_url=http%3A//www.cracked.com/update.aspx&demand_autoplay=0&DESC=&demand_tracking=1&KEY=DemandMediacracked&demand_show_replay=true&demand_iconlink=http%3A//www.cracked.com/&demand_preroll_source=http%3A//cdn-www.cracked.com/php/video/Pre-Roll1b_cr.swf&KEYWORDS=&v=2.2.3&video_title=A%20Trailer%20for%20Every%20Academy%20Award%20Winning%20Movie%20Ever&demand_icontext=Watch%20more%20videos%20at%20Cracked.com%20America%27s%20only%20humor%20site.&demand_preroll=true&adPartner=Adap&TITLE=A%20Trailer%20for%20Every%20Academy%20Award%20Winning%20Movie%20Ever&demand_content_sourcekey=cracked.com&ADAPTAG=BriTANicK&demand_page_url=http%3A//www.cracked.com/video_18156_a-trailer-every-academy-award-winning-movie-ever.html&CATEGORIES=Movies%20%26%20TV&COMPANION_DIV_ID=adaptv_ad_companion_div&sitename=Cracked.com&URL=http%3A//cdn-www.cracked.com/phpimages/videos/9/4/1/19941_608X342.flv&demand_iconurl=http%3A//cdn-www.cracked.com/sites/cracked2/images/favicon.gif&demand_content_id=18156&demand_related_feed=http%3A//www.cracked.com/video_related_18156_a-trailer-every-academy-award-winning-movie-ever.xml&source=http%3A//cdn-www.cracked.com/phpimages/videos/9/4/1/19941_608X342.flv&ID=18156&height=37&demand_related=1&skin=http%3A//cdn-i.dmdentertainment.com/DMVideoPlayer/playerskin_cr.swf" /></object><br><a href="http://www.cracked.com/video_18156_a-trailer-every-academy-award-winning-movie-ever.html">A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever</a> -- powered by Cracked.com</div>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-30506820680491912542010-02-13T05:08:00.005-05:002010-02-13T05:20:53.511-05:005 Minutes and 51 Seconds of BlissHere's a fun fact: the first real "indie" CD I ever bought was by this band, <a href="http://www.inmediasres.blogspot.com/">In Medias Res</a>, a long time ago, back when I was in Bible College. They're from Vancouver area, and one of my friends knew them and loved them and shared them with me.<br /><br />As far as I know, they've only made one album. And that was back in early 2000-some-time-or-rather. Maybe 2001. I don't know. It matters only because it's a crime they haven't released another yet. I mean, a crime against humanity. Yeah. That's right. The entire human race suffers for their lack of albums.<br /><br />Anyway. I just heard they're finishing up a new one soon, and they released this song/video around Christmas. I am in love with it.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8379961&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8379961&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/8379961">Tonight I Am New</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2858021">IN MEDIAS RES</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-35197498131893025762009-08-13T19:57:00.001-04:002009-08-13T19:59:25.221-04:00The DealMy friend Matt made this with his kids. It makes me laugh. I demand you watch it and laugh too. Do it.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5755623&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5755623&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5755623">The Deal by Matthew A. Hawkins</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user806878">Matthew Hawkins</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-31594519151024277792009-07-22T22:38:00.005-04:002009-07-23T17:53:13.343-04:00Head Swap! Or...Murder?!A man after my own heart.<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/4a68db186beec27a/4741e3c5156499a7/dc90fa9b/-cpid/fae66d1c2fd0a756" id="W4727a250e66f97234a68db186beec27a" width="384" height="283"><param name="movie" value="http://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/4a68db186beec27a/4741e3c5156499a7/dc90fa9b/-cpid/fae66d1c2fd0a756" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /></object><br /><br />(Or <a href="http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/clips/head-swap-vol-ll-62309/1129034/">cick here</a>.)the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-46683332678049130402009-07-06T01:36:00.014-04:002009-07-06T20:10:57.886-04:00Remarkable ThingsI'm not exactly sure why, but I tend to feel very unmoved by/unimpressed with/dispassionate about a lot of modern technology. I do realize, too, that I'm in the minority. A lot of people find the latest technological wonders mind-blowingly awesome.<br /><br />Maybe it's because a lot of it is just common now. The amazing-ness of it all has worn off with its increasing normality. Don't get me wrong -- I think a lot of the modern advancements in gadgetry are fun. iPhones are amusing; video cameras that can only be spotted under a microscope are interesting; cars that talk to you are pretty smart and GPS is pretty helpful and shiny computers that turn on when they sense your unique body odour are pretty clever.<br /><br />But on the other hand--so what? Really. There isn't anything deeply fantastic or unique or surprising about any of it. There's nothing epic involved, nothing that really shakes a person up. In fact, if you asked me, the fact that people will stand in line for a week (or pay thousands of dollars to get a spot in that same lineup) to be the first ones to buy an iPhone is much more remarkable than the phone itself.<br /><br />That being said, there's a lot that does impress me. Here are five such remarkable things:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">1. Human beings have been to the moon.</span><br />Yeah. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Moon.</span> People--creatures like you and me--have physically left our planet, defied gravity and the atmosphere and everything mankind is familiar with, and visited another celestial body.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">PEOPLE. LEFT. EARTH</span>.<br /><br />They went into <span style="font-style: italic;">SPACE</span>.<br /><br />The Big Black Nothingness.<br /><br />Where no other human beings are.<br /><br />They built a metal container, put some fuel in it, and went and landed on the <span style="font-style: italic;">FREAKING MOON</span> and walked around. That's messed up. Think about it. I mean, really think about that. LSD couldn't possibly blow my mind more than that does.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">2. Language.</span><br />Written and verbal. No matter how many times I think about it, I'm always astounded by the sheer feat of it. We take it for granted, of course, because it's so natural to us. But it wasn't always. It had to be taught to us. We learned it, this system of communication, and use it to make sense of the world.<br /><br />It usually takes overhearing a conversation in another language to really make me appreciate the fantastic nature of it. When I hear two people speaking, say, Russian or Cantonese or 12th Century Latin, it sounds like gibberish to me. It's just sound. The same thing when I see it written -- there are shapes, arranged in a certain order, with some obvious structure and repetition, but it means nothing to me. Yet to someone else, who knows the language, who was taught it, it makes absolute sense. There's meaning in what I only know as gibberish.<br /><br />Which makes me think seriously about the language I know. The sounds that come from my mouth (usually) make sense to others who know how to interpret and assign meaning to those sounds. Equally true with words -- you can read what I'm writing and understand it (hopefully) because you learned to assign meaning to the letters, to these otherwise arbitrary shapes, and to the combinations of said shapes, and to the overall structure of their arrangement. I can communicate with you because we both memorized and internalized an invented system of meaning. Unbelievable.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">3. Flight</span> (this ties in loosely with number 1).<br />As in airplanes. My friend <a href="http://geoffheith.com/">Geoff</a> always mentions this one whenever a plane passes overhead, but he's right. This metal tube--inside of which can sit anywhere from one to a few hundred human beings--is moving through <span style="font-style: italic;">air</span>, with no physical connection to or support from the earth.<br /><br />I mean, if I jump in the air, I immediately fall back down. I know, then, that air can't support me. But an airplane flips me the middle finger and proceeds to sail merrily through the air, not a care in the bloody world. And it weighs thousands and thousands of pounds. Up there. Floating on air. The same substance which I have already demonstrated cannot or will not carry my own weight. Call it science if you will, but I call it sorcery.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">4. Taste buds.</span><br />I think taste is fantastically strange. There's really no practical reason for it, as far as I can tell. I mean, it seems like the only reason we have it is for the sake of pleasure. The problem is, if we only ate what tasted pleasurable, we'd all be 700 pounds and have an average life span of 12 years. Granted, some people derive pleasure from such abominations as brussels sprouts or--<span style="font-style: italic;">shudder</span>--broccoli. But most people at least have some aversion to healthy foods, foods our bodies need, because our sense of taste is connected to our brains, and somewhere in the exchange of information our bodies scream in utter revulsion at what we've put inside our mouths. Or on the other hand, we take a bite out of a piece of pie and our taste buds send hot, embarrassingly sensational signals to our brains, which resound with a hearty thumbs up at the utter bliss bestowed upon them. Bliss or misery, all because of these attention-seeking receptors on our tongues.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">5. The internet.</span><br />I don't think I really need to say much about this, because obviously we're all aware of how crazy it is, that I can, say, write this here in B.C. and Pavlov in the Ukraine can read it seconds later (assuming Pavlov can read English--but even if he can't, somewhere on the internet is a translation program that can solve the problem). But I can still remember life before the internet, so it seems that much more crazy to consider how big a part of our lives it is right now in light of its relative youth. I even remember the first thing I ever looked up on the internet: Toy Story. Come to think of it, that movie was downright impressive too.the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-60728494383585246802009-06-22T21:18:00.006-04:002009-06-24T04:33:31.489-04:00The Dumbest GenerationI read a book recently called "The Dumbest Generation" by Mark Bauerlein. It was essentially about the decline in reading among teenagers and young adults, and the subsequent decline in, well, smartness. It's been awhile since a single book made me feel so many different things: incredulity, fear (for teenagers specifically but also society in general), anger, conviction, guilt, and even inspiration.<br /><br />He spends a lot of time talking about where exactly the shift away from books is moving/has moved -- towards visual media, the internet, social networking, and any number of related distractions. And one of the most interesting arguments is that these media, especially social networking among teenagers, creates what he calls "a generational cocoon," a sort of perpetual adolescence. They spend so much time invested in it that they lose connection with older generations, with a world that exists outside of and beyond themselves, and ultimately with what really matters. And, in the end, it stunts their growth. In his words: "the minds of the young plateau at 18" (pg. 10).<br /><br />Yet while I was reading the book, I kept wondering about what it meant to Christianity. If it's true, as he suggests, that modern culture--and teenagers especially--are becoming so entrenched in a system of multitasking and noise, flashing images and brilliant, blinding distraction, to the point that sitting in silence and reading a book is aggravating and impossible -- well, what affect does that have on a faith that requires silence, that demands being quiet before God and listening, reading and studying?<br /><br />He spends most of the end of the book discussing why, exactly, being "intelligent" actually matters, why spending time reading, being quiet, being able to follow a argument from Point A to Point B without getting lost in the middle has merit. And it was at that point that I really saw a connection to Christianity, to the need for thought and understanding as compliments--foundations--to faith. Even though the book is targeted towards society in general, there were a surprising number of moments where it was as if he were talking to the Church.<br /><br />Here's one such example that I think more Christians need to take into consideration:<br /><br /><blockquote>Insularity is unhealthy. It gives insiders false pictures of the world and overconfidence in their opinions. It consoles them on all sides with compliant reflection. But the comforts of belonging don't prepare them to leave the group, to enter the marketplace of ideas and defeat adversaries with the weapons of the intellect, not the devices of group standing, party membership, accreditation, and inside information. However intelligent they are, people who think and act within their niche avoid the irritating presence of ideological foes, but they also forgo one of the preconditions of learning: hearing the other side. Hearing them, that is, in earnest and positive versions, not through the lens of people who don't endorse them. They develop their own positions, tautly and intricately, but can't imagine others'. Again, in the words of John Stuart Mill: "They have never thrown themselves into the mental position of those who think differently from them." A paradoxical effect sets in. The more secure they feel, the more limited their horizons and the more parochial their outlook.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">--Mark Bauerlein, </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >The Dumbest Generation</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">, pg. 221-22</span></span></blockquote>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-76569132896318388012009-06-20T06:25:00.001-04:002009-06-20T06:25:57.083-04:00<blockquote>You must change your life.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Rainer Maria Rilke)</span></span><br /></blockquote>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-15928316836572102362009-06-10T12:48:00.012-04:002009-06-11T04:47:56.266-04:00Sequentially Yours1. I love wind. The feel of it on my face, my skin, swirling around me and pulling and pushing me all at once. If, on a hot day, a choice had to be made between air conditioning or wind, and gas mileage wasn't a factor, I would choose wind without hesitation. As it is, I don't have air conditioning, so I choose wind by default. But still. I love wind. And yes, my gas mileage sucks.<br /><br />2. I saw Terminator Salvation. It was super lame.<br /><br />3. A quote I have chewed on and found tasty and true:<br /><blockquote>"Perhaps...it is a healthy process in the life story of humanity for older generations to berate the younger, for young and old to relate in a vigorous competitive dialectic, with the energy and optimism of youth vying against the wisdom and realism of elders in a fruitful check of one another's worst tendencies."<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Mark Bauerlein, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dumbest Generation</span>)</span></blockquote><br />4. I don't like group projects. Really, I don't like group projects that involve a "group paper." I don't understand why teachers insist on assigning them. Don't they understand that people write differently? How do they expect a group of 4 or 5 people to submit one consistent, well-written paper? Because I'll tell you what happens: one person writes the whole thing and everyone gets credit. Or, just as likely, they all share the blame.<br /><br />I'm in such a group, and the overall project is made up of three smaller "group papers" and then a bigger, final one. Unfortunately my group consists of two members who don't like to talk and one member who is both unreasonably strong-willed and -- to put it mildly -- a moron. In his wisdom, he continually "edits" my work, removing any semblance of sense and structure, and then submits it behind my back, before I've had the chance to salvage what was originally perfectly fine. I swear, if I get a bad mark on the final because of him, I'm going to graffiti his house with as many grammatically-correct<span> unpleasantries</span> as I can before the coppers show up.<br /><br />5. I finally got around to watching the movie <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/" target="_blank">Once</a>. Sweet Peas and Pie, it was good. Let's just say if that movie was a woman, I'd be a father by now.<br /><br />No, I have no idea what that means either.<br /><br />6. I've mentioned my Tim Horton's drive-thru troubles before, but I think they warrant another mention, if only because I just went through another minor episode of verbal jousting with an ever-bright Timmies employee. For some reason, this particular Tim Horton's near my house can never seem to comprehend what I'm saying.<br /><br />Here's what I order: a large coffee, with two cream and two <span style="font-style: italic;">sweetener</span>. Now, I've tried ordering it several ways, hoping one might be easier or clearer than another. But it never seems to matter.<br /><br />Example:<br /><br />I say, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Hi, can I have a large double-double--with sweetner?</span>"<br />They return, "<span style="font-style: italic;">A large double-double, and, sorry, what?</span>"<br />I answer, carefully articulating each syllable, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Sweetener. A large double-double with sweetener.</span>"<br />They say, "<span style="font-style: italic;">So a large double-double with extra sweetener?</span>"<br /><br />Yes. Obviously. Because that makes sense.<br /><br />The best I can do, I've found, is to just ask for "<span style="font-style: italic;">a large coffee with two cream and two sweetener.</span>" But of course, they still have trouble with the second "<span style="font-style: italic;">two</span>," thinking I said "<span style="font-style: italic;">three</span>." I have no idea how they can hear the first "<span style="font-style: italic;">two</span>" but mishear the second "<span style="font-style: italic;">two.</span>"<br /><br />One guy gave me a black coffee and when I tried to return it, he looked confused and said, "<span style="font-style: italic;">But you asked for no cream and no sweetener.</span>" I may mumble occasionally, I'll admit, but I don't think it's as bad as that, is it?<br /><br />If there was ever a good reason to cut back on the coffee consumption, it's hard-of-hearing drive-thru tellers.<br /><br />7. I feel old. I'm 26. Is it normal to feel old at this age?<br /><br />A case study:<br /><br />A few weeks ago I went to Edmonton with some friends who were working at a Youth Convention being held there. There were a lot of people in the arena, 16,000 or so. Half of the conference was devoted to concerts, and the other half to talks. We sat backstage for the whole thing, recording the sessions.<br /><br />Anyway, I wore ear plugs during the concerts. That might not seem unreasonable, and it isn't. And that's just it: it's completely reasonable -- after all, I don't want to lose my hearing. But if that isn't an old person thing to think, I don't know what is. Even worse, though, was falling asleep in my chair during one of the concerts. I'm almost ashamed to admit it.<br /><br />I feel like I have an obligation to go out and buy an Italian car and dye my hair.<br /><br />8. I'm finally going to be getting my motorcycle license this summer. That thought just made me pee myself a little. Yeah, I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> happy. Deal with it.<br /><br />9. I'm continually comforted by the fact that no one I have ever met, in my entire life, has any real clue what they're doing. Most people pretend they do; some don't even bother. A few have even deluded themselves into thinking that, no, no, <span style="font-style: italic;">they</span> know what <span style="font-style: italic;">they're</span> doing. They don't. I think that calls for a group hug.<br /><br />10. I'm cursed with the innate ability to unintentionally make very inappropriate comments in social situations. I've been considering compiling them into some sort of Definitive Guide to Repel Those Around You and Bring Shame to Your Family's Name. I'm not sure what the market is like for that sort of thing, though.<br /><br />11. A favourite joke of mine:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> What do you call an animal with two wives?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A:</span> A cheetah!<br /><br />Get it? Because, like, "cheetah" sounds like "cheater," which is was what you'd call someone who was messing around on his wife...? You know what I mean? Get it? It's funny right? Haha...ha...*cough*<br /><br />12. <a href="http://failblog.org/" target="_blank">Failblog</a> makes me laugh everytime. Ah, sweet stupidity, sweet laughter.the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-36036318656048080742009-05-14T01:16:00.000-04:002009-05-15T21:20:46.282-04:00Cinematic LustTonight I thought I'd post a few trailers for upcoming movies this year that I am [metaphorically] peeing myself to see. Its<span style="font-style: italic;">a</span> gonn<span style="font-style: italic;">a</span> be a good<span style="font-style: italic;">a</span> year, methinks.<br /><br />The Road<br />(October 16)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MwtaIe1P0Q4&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MwtaIe1P0Q4&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />District 9<br />(August 14)<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o4EdLlSQE0A&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o4EdLlSQE0A&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />The Boat That Rocked<br />(August 28)<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RU_55IcsCus&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RU_55IcsCus&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Where the Wild Things Are<br />(October 16)<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/01-PqqifyjA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/01-PqqifyjA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Public Enemies<br />(July 1)<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/COu_w4LJ2dg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/COu_w4LJ2dg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Moon<br />(June 12)<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pIexG8179K8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pIexG8179K8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Terminator Salvation<br />(May 21)<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dFgpeO5Ltok&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dFgpeO5Ltok&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />The Brothers Bloom<br />(May 29)<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8HPXfmqIy-4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8HPXfmqIy-4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-77653871110119684462009-05-13T04:27:00.003-04:002009-05-13T04:32:31.034-04:00What happens to a dream deferred?<blockquote> What happens to a dream deferred?<br /><br />Does it dry up<br />like a raisin in the sun?<br />Or fester like a sore -<br />And then run?<br />Does it stink like rotten meat?<br />Or crust and sugar over -<br />like a syrupy sweet?<br /><br />Maybe it just sags<br />like a heavy load.<br /><br />Or does it explode?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(<span style="font-style: italic;">"Harlem"/</span>Langston Hughes)</span><br /></blockquote>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-44539307767596401162009-04-10T22:05:00.002-04:002009-04-10T22:07:24.218-04:00The Gospel According to FacebookThis amused me. Some of it's a bit cheesy, some of it's really funny.<br /><br /><a href="http://canter.s437.sureserver.com/fbp/facebookpassion.pdf" target="_blank">Facebook Passion</a>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545517.post-88402387818750820522009-04-10T04:12:00.007-04:002009-04-11T05:07:17.995-04:00every thought a Thought of YouOne of my all-time favourite bands (they're somewhere near the top in my Top 5), <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mewithoutyou" target="_blank">mewithoutYou</a>, just posted a new song off their upcoming CD on their myspace page. I feel it is my duty to encourage the world to partake. The song is called "<a href="http://www.myspace.com/mewithoutyou" target="_blank">every thought a Thought of You</a>".<br /><br />Here are another couple reasons why I love this band:<br /><br />Best Music Video Ever - <a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=4621688">"Nice and Blue (pt. Two)"</a><br /><object width="425" height="360"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=4621688,t=1,mt=video"><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=4621688,t=1,mt=video" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="360"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeNCdNxKVfk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeNCdNxKVfk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>the Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04631266045657539310noreply@blogger.com1