Welcome!

Welcome to my blog for English 1080! My name is Andrew, feel free to read and comment. I hope you enjoy!

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Reflections



     English 1080 has been an overall enjoyable course for me. As someone who usually takes things at face value I have gained insight into poetry, literature, and taking meaning from each respective form. This is not something I am good at doing, and still have a long way to come, but I have learned lots of tips throughout the course on how to gain insight into a particular text. I feel that this is how the course has benefited me most these past months. Taking things at face value, I did not find any particular readings more interesting than others. I did however enjoy the poetry section of the course more, due to the less reading. I find it hard to stay on top of multiple short story readings a week with such a busy schedule already. Therefore, I am thankful the course did not study any novels.
     The environment created in class seemed to be pretty relaxed to me, which I enjoyed. However some lectures could become a bit monotonous and boring. The opportunities for group work were appreciated, I would have enjoyed more time in groups of 4 or 5 to work through certain texts, perhaps have a work sheet to fill out. This helps alleviate some of the repetition of class every second day.
     Finally, this course has forced me to do something that I forgot I enjoyed doing, which is writing. I have enjoyed maintaining a blog and could see myself doing it again in the future when I have more time (especially if it could become a source of income)! As for essay writing, while I don't agree with some of the expectations for our essays in terms of format and structure (such as the repetitious return-to-thesis sentence to close each paragraph) I feel as though my skills in essay writing have increased somewhat during the course. Overall, english 1080 has been a good course, considering it is only a first year general course. Job well done.
     

Monday 17 November 2014

Week 12: How To







Properly Exiting A Chair Lift:

For any snowboard/ski enthusiasts like myself, you will know the pain of trying to exit the chair lift smoothly at the top of the hill when there are beginners around. For any beginners, do not worry, I am not here to hate on you for doing a bad job of leaving the chair behind to hit the top of the hill. What I am here to do is to give you tips on how to exit the chair lift properly without making a fool of yourself, or causing an accident with the people behind you. Ones first time performing this task can be a bit unnerving...if any of you are new at the sport or thinking of trying hopefully you will benefit from these tips:

1-Be ready! Obviously you chose to get on the lift knowing the eventuality would arise when you would have to get off. Be ready for when this time comes. It isn't fun to be caught mid-conversation and suddenly have to rush off and fall, or do another lap around the lift cycle. Being mentally aware of your upcoming exit might seem to be common sense, but I have personally seen too many unexpected and rushed exit attempts to know the opposite.

Myself (on the right) with my helmet undone,
taking a selfie with my cousin. Perfect
example of what NOT to be doing while learning
how to exit a chair lift.
2-Skis on, board on! For heavens sake please make sure your skis, board, poles, helmet, and whatever other gear you're carrying is either on or secured to you. This is something you want to check over during the ride up the mountain. When you actually get off that sucker you are in fact skiing/snowboarding for those few seconds as the chairs momentum pushes you off onto the mountain. Therefor, you would need you skis to be on, and at least one foot secured in a binding to your snowboard. Everything should be ready for action or at least secured to you so that is doesn't get stuck on anything while you're exiting, or worse, left behind to fall down the hill.

3-Skis up, boards up! The landing zone on which you exit the ski lift is a platform. On this platform there is (usually) ice and snow. When the lift pushes you onto it keep your skis/boards up to prevent them from digging into ice/snow or the platform itself. A hook while getting off leads to a rather awkward and uncomfortable face plant onto the platform which you must struggle to recover from in order to not be run over by the people behind you.

4-Glide! As I mentioned before, you will be snowboarding/skiing once you stand up from the chair. Be ready for this! You will need to quickly find and keep your balance, just like when you are speeding down the hill. Make sure you glide for as long as possible so that you move OUT OF THE WAY of the people who are disembarking behind you.

5-Keep your distance! Holding hands, grabbing one another for balance, and being too close are all things you want to avoid. Different people have different size and weight, meaning they carry different momentum. Often times holding. grabbing, or bumping the person next to you will cause you and/or them to fall due to the differences in your respective speeds. Not to mention that you both will be a bit wobbly trying to find a balance. Keep your distance to avoid a domino effect when one of you bumps the other.

6-Move out of the way! Did I mention that you should probably, more than likely, move out of the way of the people behind you as quickly as possible? If I had a dollar for every time I have crested the hill to see people sitting at the bottom of the ski lift exit runway (leisurely putting on and securing their gear) and then have had to panic maneuver to avoid a collision with them, I would be a rich man.
After a smooth chair lift disembarking!

7-Admit you're learning! If you are like me, you will want as many runs down the mountain as possible and will jump in the line as a single rider to cut some time down bottom. Don't be afraid to let the strangers in the chair with you know that you are still learning, and they should take caution at the top. If they are anything like me they will be more than understanding and perhaps offer you some advice.

While first seemingly menacing and hard, exiting the ski lift can quickly become a fun and enjoyable activity when done correctly. Do not be discouraged if you take falls, practice makes perfect! Hopefully you've found this post helpful and insightful on disembarking a chair lift. There are pictures you might find helpful here. If you have any further questions, or happen to find me extremely good at advice and would like tips on other things to do with snowboarding, let me know in the comments!

Happy Shredding!


Friday 7 November 2014

Week 10: Quotes


"You'll be dead an awful long time." --Charles Warford

While probably not originating from him, this is a quote my pop used to always use.  He would always use this quote when himself or anyone else was debating whether or not to do something. It is from him that I know this quote and have come to use it myself. To me, this quote speaks to our short time on earth, something that we often under-appreciate. The quote means take risks, take advantage of opportunity, and most importantly do what you want, because "you'll be dead an awful long time."

"Well, life is (too short), so love the one you got..." --Sublime

Hailing from Long Beach, California, Sublime is a band with a laid-back style and some good messages in their lyrics. This particular quote is from the song What I Got. The song speaks of love and peace. I particularly like this quote because of it's message. Life really is short, so love while you can. If there are important people in your life you should love them while you can. If everyone took this view I believe the world would be a better place with more caring and acceptance. With our short time on this planet we need to take advantage of opportunities when we can, and hence love the ones we have while we can.

"O time, thou must untangle this, not I. / It is too hard a knot for me t'untie." --William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night is arguably one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. While I haven't yet read the play, a good friend of mine told me about this quote and I have taken a liking to it. The quote means that with time, all problems will be resolved. With time, everything will become less significant and make sense. I chose this quote because it is in relative contrast to the first two. While they speak of our short time here, and making the most of this time, this quote says to take your time as time will resolve your troubles. The image of untying is symbolic of problems being resolved. If one might take anything from this quote it should be the virtue of patience. With patience it will all work out in the end.

Monday 27 October 2014

Week 9: Flash Fiction



He was a good guy. All his life he had done nothing but try his best. Yes there were times when things went a tad bit off-track, but he was a hard worker, he worked hard. His eyes were golden brown and sometimes he would wear a smile that was the least bit fake. He worked hard his entire life. He wasn't a quitter, but knew when to end something that should not be. His young age and enthusiasm masked some of the sights his eyes had seen, and his personality gave no indication of experiences he had endured. Maybe a little flawed inside, but overall he was a good guy and he worked hard.

At a young age it was clear that he knew to use his head. Strict, but fair parents instilled in him an appreciation for good grades. This grew with him, he strived to excel in anything he involved himself with. He worked hard to achieve this excellence.

His parents would always tell him "Hard work pays off".

After elementary school he put himself on the honour role and didn't ever come off. He worked hard for this. Mainly, his work paid off. Things in his life went rather smoothly. His parents were pleased with his schooling and his life was on-track. Most importantly, he was happy with how he lived. Despite not wanting to admit it, he always tried his best to please his parents. After all, they had given him life, had they not?

"Yes mother, but I tried my best and that's all I can do" is what he would say anytime he felt something was not up-to-par. Being the fair people that they were, they accepted this. He appreciated their support as he always worked hard.

And his parents would always tell him "Hard work pays off".

When the time came he went off to university. Big plans were in his future, and he longed for the old-time prestige and good money of holding a university degree. All through these years of his life he worked tirelessly, striving for excellence in an environment no soul had prepared him for. His marks fell, quite unlike his attitude. Always enduring the way soldiers do, he pushed on, never losing sight of his ultimate goal.

"Nothing they can throw at me here is harder than anything I've done in training..." he told himself to ease the pain of his stressful life. Which was true, he had endured worse and could work harder still.

His parents were pleased with his attitude, "Hard work pays off" they reminded him.

The time came when his hard work paid off. He was to receive his degree. On the day of his convocation he was a happy man. His new degree insured him the success he was used to. He was excited to start his career.

The day after, he was still optimistic, and ready to start his "real life".

The second week after his convocation he handed out the last of his résumés. He remained hopeful.

The next month, he lied to his mother when she asked how his career hunt was going.

The year after, he moved out. Refusing to burden anymore the man and woman who had given him so much.

The second year he was still a hard working man. He had managed to keep himself fed and off of drugs.

The fifth year after his convocation, on the anniversary of the very day he had worked hard his whole life towards, they found him floating down the river.

The note found in his pocket read: HARD WORK PAYS OFF.


Wednesday 22 October 2014

Week 8: Open Letter






Dear Mother Nature,



     Let me begin by thanking you for the wonderful job you've been doing. Things seem pretty harmonized, job well done. However, there is one issue we need to discuss: "Spring". Don't get me wrong I get the whole rebirth idea, new life, and whatnot. But, I mean please, give us something to do or enjoy other than months of rain. Summer is a beautiful warm season for swimming, adventuring, and countless outdoor activities. Fall is known for its beauty, with the many extraordinary colours. It is also hunting season. With Winter we get snow and ice, perfect for skating, snowboarding, snowshoeing and many winter activities. But what about Spring? What have we to do during this sometimes depressing rain-filled season? The snow is gone, ski hills shut down, it is too cold to do anything enjoyable outside. Frankly, I don't like it, and I want it changed. My proposal goes as follows: two extra months of winter and lots of snow, followed by a week or two of gradual warming (for snow melt) which will lead into the 20 degree sun of early Summer. If you could do this, I would be very appreciative. Thank you in advance for your consideration.



Sincerely,

Andrew R. King

Monday 6 October 2014

Week 6: Spoof News Story

(This is a spoof news story playing off stereotypes and does in no way describe my view of events involved.)




Canada To Be 'Water Boy' Of Campaign Against ISIS




     It is no secret that the scale of Canada's Armed Forces does not match that of the United States, but Stephen Harper won't let that hold him back. With the reality our smaller Airforce and bickering cabinet Obama seeks to cut his losses and move forward in the campaign against ISIS without Canadian support. After hearing this, an upset Harper pleaded and cried to the Americans, begging them for more time to sort his mess. A tearful Harper said to reporters "But...but...I just want to help and be able to fight like the big boys!"

"...fight like the big boys"

     However, Obama stood fast in his urgency to move forward. Being given only 1 day to put forth Canada's stance on the campaign, Harper refused to sit on the sidelines like a young boy who hasn't quite made the team. Instead Harper has chosen to succumb to the opposition party, and play the "water boy" role in the campaign. "It's better than sidelining the whole event" stated Harper in a press release. 
     Canada has agreed to refill American food and water supplies while they bomb ISIS into obliteration, as well as send aid to refugees and civilians caught in the conflict. This decision has come much to the joy of President Obama who said "I can't believe they're done slowing us down and have decided to do something useful for once." It comes at no ones surprise that the aging CF-18 jets that Canada carries aren't up to par, leading the U.S. to adopt this view.
     ISIS, who have been challenging the world record for 'Most 21st Century Beheadings Without Major Consequence' have yet to comment on this latest development. Experts predict the conflict to be over by the time the U.S. control 30% of Iraqi oil reserves. Canada however, has agreed to receive none of these benefits for their role in the campaign. At least we won't look like wimps to the Americans.
   



October 6th 2014



Monday 29 September 2014

Week 5: Spatial Poem


Cloud

          
                                                 Cloud                  
                                     CloudcloudcloudclouD
                             CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudD
                        CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                         CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                      CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                   CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloucdcloudcloudclouD
                      CloucloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                    ClouccloudcloucloucloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                  CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                     CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                       CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                          CloudcloudcloudcloudcloudcloudclouD
                                            CloudcloudclouD


                                                        R
                                                      AIN
                                                        
                                        R                             R
                                      AIN                         AIN 
                                    
                            R              R                     R                R      R
                          AIN          AIN                 AIN             AIN  AIN



                   R                   R               R                     R          R
                 AIN               AIN           AIN                 AIN      AIN






                              

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Week 4: Review


     In my introductory post, I stated that I divide myself into a man of two major themes: music and nature. Seeing as how last weeks post was nature oriented, I may as well review something musical. So why not my trusty Gibson Les Paul electric guitar? Or better yet, the Les Paul guitar in general!

     Not up to date with guitar terminology or other terms being used in this review? Not to worry, click the link in the link list to the right labeled "Guitar Terminology" to open a separate page with explanations of some of the terms you may not know! If you still have trouble with some of the terms or ideas being discussed leave me a comment and I will gladly explain further.

     My fine steed is a 2010 Gibson Les Paul, made in the U.S.A. out of mahogany and maple wood. The guitar is made out of a single piece of solid mahogany as a body, with a hand carved maple top, which all connects into a maple fretboard. My guitar is wine-red with gold hardware. To put all this into perspective, it looks like this:
 
     To begin my review, I'll start with the overall performance of the guitar. In general, Gibson's Les Paul model is known for its amazing tone, reliability, high quality, and general ease-of-use. The mahogany found in these guitars is known to be a highly resonant wood, hence giving the guitar its superior tone and resonance. The uniqueness of the guitars sound comes from the maple top. The double humbucker pickups generate a full, well rounded sound that has become iconic of the Les Paul. Internally, the guitar is sound, using only the best-of-the-best electronic components. While saving you the bore of listing all of a Les Paul's specifications, you may find them here. Many high level guitarists use the Les Paul as their instrument of choice, including Slash from Guns N Roses, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton. 

     My baby, as pictured above is pretty much the guitar as it was found in the store. However there are a few small alterations. First and foremost the strings have been changed...multiple times. While the original Gibson strings found on the guitar were not overly bad, any prominent guitarist will know that the LP has much more to offer in tone than the original strings can provide. Anyone buying this guitar should definitely buy new strings right away. I have experimented with both D'Addario and Elixir light, and extra light gauge strings (which both produce a solid sound) however, my current preference is the Elixir medium gauge. The heavier string gives a warmer tone, while the coating Elixir puts on their strings to ensure strength provides just the right amount of edge to the sound. Other than the strings, I have had the action of the guitar adjusted to a more comfortable setting for my hands and play style. With this set up I find the guitar divine. Its tone is perfect and my guitar plays extremely well. It will keep its tuning fairly well and sounds good in all ranges. Overall a good guitar.

    On to the negatives which are few and far between with Gibson's time-tested craftsmanship. First off-and most notable-to anyone picking up a LP for the first time is its weight and balance. Having never used a LP before, when I got this one the weight and balance of the guitar threw me off. The Les Paul is a very bottom heavy guitar. This is due to the solid woods used, shape of the body, and slightly smaller neck. This was mainly a hinderance to my playing for the first few months, as now that I am used to the weight I find the guitar very comfortable. However my guitar is still lighter than some of the higher-end LP's. I find their weight to be almost a little too much. I enjoy a guitar that is light and easy to maneuver as I am never stagnant while playing. Whether sitting or standing, I am constantly moving and making subtle adjustments to my body position to be able to play smoothly. This is hard to understand for anyone who doesn't play guitar, but the same way that one must move their hand, arm, and body while writing, the same applies while playing guitar. With the heavy weight of the guitar being focused at the bottom it is easy to lose the balance of the guitar while you make these natural adjustments. With the guitar losing balance in my hands so often, I found it harder to play without making major mistakes as my mind was more focused on keeping the guitar comfortable than my playing. The other major downfall I have found with the Les Paul is the G string (to clarify, I am referring to the third string from the bottom, not a slang term for women's underwear). Due to the shorter 629mm neck length of the LP compared to most other guitars, they are notorious for losing the tuning of the G string. I have had to adjust the tuning of this string on my guitar more so than any other string. This is a problem experienced by all Les Paul guitars, again more of a hindrance to deal with than a major flaw in the design. The shorter neck does provide for the warmer tone of the guitar.

   Other than this, the LP is a sting and overall well designed guitar. Gibson makes different models of their most famous guitar, which range in price typically from $1000-$4000. The price of each guitar depends on specific components used in the making of that guitar. It is hard to give a specific price range because of this, as Les Pauls can be found cheaper, and much much more expensive. Older models tend to increase in price with their age. Being asked to provide a recommendation on this guitar I would without a doubt recommend this guitar to any guitarist, regardless of skill or age. If you are just starting at guitar and don't want to pay such a heavy price, Epiphone makes good quality Les Pauls at a much cheaper price range (generally under $1000).

     My rating of the Les Paul is 8.5/10.

     

Monday 15 September 2014

Week 3: Images

     For this blog post, I am tasked with providing two images that mean something to me, and explaining them. I have decided to stick with a nature/outdoors oriented theme. I hope you enjoy...

Motorbike Madness
      What we have in this first image is me flying a ramp on a dirt bike at a sandpit near Terra Nova village in central Newfoundland. As I mentioned in my introductory post, most of the sports I enjoy take place outdoors and dirt biking is definitely high up on my list of favourite things to do. After having sold my own bike for a lean-over street bike last summer, I was super excited when my cousin gave me the opportunity to try out his new dirt bike this summer past. We were at his cabin for the weekend. One blistering 25+ degree Saturday morning, he and I geared up for the ride to the pit. We spent the day taking turns trying our hands at various sized ramps and jumps before heading back to the pond to cool off. The reason I chose this picture is because it was one of the most enjoyable days I had all summer long. 
Serenity in Nature
     Secondly, this is a picture I took while on a canoe trip with my uncle. We were canoeing down a section of the Terra Nova River which is prime for fishing. During the expedition we took a side stream up the river about 500 meters. This was one of the most peaceful days I have had in a long time, hence a suiting image to todays theme. We saw many trails used by animals to access the river, as well as a few retired beaver dams. I wanted to share this picture because of the beauty of the water contrasting with the green vegetation on a still summers day. I do not think Shakespeare himself had witnessed a day as marvellous as this when writing "Shall I Compare thee to A Summer's Day". 


(If you like the pictures in this post more like it are just a click away!)

Monday 8 September 2014

Week 2: Song

Lyrics:  
"The only girl I've ever loved
Was born with roses in her eyes
But then they buried her alive
One evening 1945
With just her sister at her side
And only weeks before the guns
All came and rained on everyone
Now she's a little boy in Spain
Playing pianos filled with flames
On empty rings around the sun
All sing to say my dream has come

But now we must pick up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And now we ride the circus wheel
With your dark brother wrapped in white
Says it was good to be alive
But now he rides a comet's flame
And won't be coming back again
The Earth looks better from a star
That's right above from where you are
He didn't mean to make you cry
With sparks that ring and bullets fly
On empty rings around your heart
The world just screams and falls apart

But now we must pick up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And here's where your mother sleeps
And here is the room where your brothers were born
Indentions in the sheets
Where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore
And it's so sad to see the world agree
That they'd rather see their faces fill with flies
All when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes"
(Lyrics from http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neutralmilkhotel/holland1945.html)

     What we have above is the song "Holland, 1945" by the band Neutral Milk Hotel. I find this song interesting for many reasons. First of all, it has a unique poetic form. When viewing the lyrics as they are above, the song is structured into a 12 line stanza, a 4 line refrain, a second 12 line stanza, a second refrain, and finally a 7 line concluding stanza. What is neat about this song is that it bends what we might consider a rhyme. This is a technique used by artists where one can match two words as rhyming by somewhat mispronouncing the word. The first example of this in the lyrics are the words "eyes" "alive" "nineteen forty five" found in lines 2, 3, and 4 respectively. When normally speaking these words, it may be argued that they do not rhyme. However in the context of the song with instruments and background noise the similar sounds of these words create rhyme. While the song does not appear to follow a set rhyme scheme (as each stanza follows a different pattern) successive lines often follow the same rhyme. However, the song does follow a certain meter. Each line of stanza 1 and 3 have 8 syllables, while both refrains follows the meter 9-7-5-8. Other than this, structurally the song is similar to most others, in the fact that it has verses followed by a chorus or refrain, and bridge at the end.

     One of the main reasons I chose this song is because of its meaning. The song is written from the perspective of Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum. The song is debatably written to Anne Frank (as Mangum wrote many songs on the subject), however without debate the song is written about Anne Frank, and various second world war/ holocaust subject matter. This creates a more melancholy or depressed tone in the song, despite its upbeat tempo and melodies (can we argue that this is some form of weird oxymoron?) The song is filled with metaphors, allusions, and other poetic devices. An example of allusion is apparent in the title of the song "Holland, 1945" which alludes the Second World War (having taken place in Holland in 1945). The lyrics "but then they buried her alive/ one evening 1945" alludes to the death of Anne Frank and her sister who died of disease during the holocaust. The lyrics "now we must pick up every piece of the life we used to love" is a metaphor comparing life to a broken object, hence we must pick up the (broken) pieces of the "life we used to love". There are several metaphors and hyperboles in the song. A final example of poetic devises at work in the song is the personification "the world just screams and falls apart". In this personification the planet earth is given the human characteristic of being able to scream.

     To conclude, I will discuss my personal thoughts and opinions on the song and its content. Personally, I am a fan on Neutral Milk Hotel because of their lyrics, and daring bravery to do different in an ever-conforming musical world. On one plain the song is a commentary on issues surrounding the Second World War. However to me, the song is a vast and intricate tale not only of hardship and heartbreak, but of the speakers deep feeling and love towards the story of Anne Frank, or similar tales. In the first words of the tune "The only girl I've ever loved" emphasizing the word loved he goes on to allude this girl to the death of Anne Frank. However the song becomes more than a love story. Reading the lyrics, we are taken on a journey of sadness, despair, and related emotions, suiting to the subject matter. This combined with the more positive/ upbeat music of the song have caused me to somewhat fall in-love with it. On a musical note, being an adept guitarist I adore the simplistic chord structure and how good Neutral Milk Hotel have made it sound. As well, being a developing trumpet player, the brass part in the chorus is very catchy and a nice touch to give the song an added dimension. If you have bothered to read this far into the post, I encourage you to comment your thoughts on the song. As with poetry, it is open to many different interpretations.

     

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Introduction

Hello all, and welcome to my English 1080 weekly blog. My name is Andrew and I will be blogging under the alias "Archer". To begin, I would like to introduce you all to myself. I am more than just the words that appear in this blog. First and foremost I am an adult male student attending Memorial University. My intended program of study at this time is Biochemistry. I feel this subject is something I will come to love and thoroughly enjoy my classes of this field. After I am finished my degree I would like to (hopefully) go to Med School and become a doctor of some sort. In a sense this post-being the first academic work I have completed in university-is my first small step towards this goal in my future.

Moving on from my somewhat boring life and ambitions as a student, outside of school I like to think of myself as a diverse, vibrant, and interesting individual. However, looking abstractly I can be broken down into two main subjects: music and nature. All of my interests, hobbies, recreational activities, etc. revolve around these two topics. I have played guitar for 14 years, and trumpet for 8. When it comes to music I love it all. There is no genre or topic that I do not find completely uninteresting. My all-time favourite band would have to be either the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, or The Cat Empire. Beyond this basic information, the musically inclined side of me is too varied and deep to even scratch the surface-for further inquiries try contacting me in person!

Finally, my passion for nature is something I have carried with me for a long time. Arguably since my first years on this planet. My family have countless stories of me as a young child fishing, or helping in the annual hunt with my latest toy rifle. Looking back it is clear where my passion for the outdoors originates. Pretty much every sport I play is outdoors, ranging from snowboarding in the winter, to salmon angling in the summer.  As with music, I love pretty much all things nature, I will save you the boredom of my rambling.

Other than previously mentioned, I try my best to be an easy-going person who takes a light-hearted stance on things. Why be too serious or concerned about something that I need not be? I find it easy to see multiple political views, and find myself ever-attempting to come up with my own conclusive opinion. I am a knowledgable person, and very fun. I hope you enjoy what is to come in my blog!