Hey guys! As per usual I have left you hanging for about a week or so, it's hard to cut a bad habit :P And also, TONS of stuff has happened which makes it THAT much easier to write a new post for you guys! I've been extremely busy with tons of stuff in the past few weeks. Including: NT Idol (yeah i went this year again, but this time I had my loopstation!!!), I started doing photography again (which has led me to discover several things), and just a bunch of other stuff I'll include. I haven't decided my artist for today's post but I'll think of something eventually. So, let's get to it!
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, about everything in general. In this part of today's post I'll be mentioning anything that's on my mind or anything I have an opinion on. In Civics class recently we were talking about Rights and Freedoms. You might be wondering what the difference is,. Well, Rights are something that the Government gives you and they can't take them away. Freedoms are what you have naturally and the Government can take them away or induce consequences for abusing your freedoms. For example, the Right to bear Arms in America was specifically made a Right because if the Government happens to be oppressive at one point the people can rebel. There's also the Freedom of Speech, it's a Freedom because if you abuse it (bullying, verbal abuse) the Government can give you consequences for doing so. And there was this one topic we stumbled upon. It was a Right's/Freedom's case about 2 years ago right here in Toronto. A severely physically pained man was prescribed Medical Marijuana to ease his pains. But his pain was so severe that he needed to be high 24/7. And he had this favorite restaurant he always used to go to for his food. Now, the patrons didn't like him visiting because he disturbed the clients and was rude to the workers. And from what I can remember he wasn't allowed into the restaurant. Now, how long does this man have to live? As in, how much time do you think he has left before he kicks the bucket? I'm not saying that to offend or arouse anger, this is a sincere question. Medical Marijuana is prescribed to patients with mind blowing pains. How long do you honestly think a person like that has time to live? Why not make his last few days or even years the happiest by assisting him instead of being angry with him. Carnegie even said so himself, that although it's hard to stop and think for a second and find a solution to the problem to make the person happy. But I believe that no matter how hard it is to do, you should do it anyways. Most of the time I don't do this, and neither do most people on Earth. But in times when it really counts, why not try that? Sure, maybe he won't remember how people treated him when he was high. But wouldn't it make you feel better that you just took the hard way out and you might have even made a lifelong moment you'll never forget. There have been moments that I remember were pretty memorable. Last Summer I met this orthodontist Viktor near the Harbourftont in Toronto. And I find myself Reminiscing that Summer every now and then. The misty air I felt pelting across my face as I biked down Yonge Street. The cool watery breeze on Sugar Beach. Those Scarlet Sunsets, and Starry Skies I sat under sipping on a Coke. That lengthy trip across half of Canada, those were the good days. I'm just hoping that this Summer will be twice as memorable, and it shall be cause now I have a new camera (Digital!!!!) and I'll be going out more now that I discovered a completely different Toronto I never knew last Summer. Speaking of Photography, let's see some!
These are all somewhat recent pictures that I was lucky enough to take with my DSLR. I'm constantly uploading more pics on Facebook and Tumblr so just stay tuned. If you're wondering how I wrote the letters of my name like that, all you have to do is set your camera to a long Shutter Speed (about 5-8 seconds) so that it captures a lot of lights and that you have time to write your letter or make your shape. You can use Glowsticks, Lasers, Sparklers, Flashlight, and any light source in general. It's a really easy effect that makes for great photos. Professionals also use this to keep track of the star's movements. If you have a normal camera it should have a "Bulb" option. And what it does is it leaves the shutter open for as long as you need it to be open for. If you Google Image Search "Star Movement" you'll see what I'm talking about. But make sure you're far away from City Lights because they "pollute" the sky and make it almost impossible to see any stars except the North Star and a Sputnik if you're lucky. I'd like to see some feedback when you guys get the chance to comment, negative or positive it doesn't matter as long as it's constructive. Personally I think i did a good job, but I was just lucky to be at the right place at the right time for the Sky photos. Now, let's move onto our next topic.
Lately I've been reading "The Hunger Games" which came out around 3 years ago or so or maybe even 4 (I'm a late bloomer when it comes to reading good literature). And I love the books so far. The way the author describes the scene and moment reminds me a bit of Philip Pullman's "Golden Compass" Trilogy (which is still FAR more superior to ANY book I've ever read). I highly recommend you guys read BOTH the "Hunger Games" and "Golden Compass" Trilogies. In fact, I highly recommend you read period. Surprisingly most people don't read these days. I know right? Go figure. I remember a kid in my Civics class just went out and plainly said "Who reads? That's such a waste of time!" Ok, I acknowledge your choice to not read but I don't necessarily accept it. Reading allows you to open up your eyes and see the world through a different point of view. It lets you experience a fantasy or a time in the past and relive those moments. It opens up a completely new world for you and allows you to escape and learn the things you'd never learn in a classroom and maybe not even in your life. Books can change your opinions, move millions, change the lives of many. In fact, I've been thinking about writing a book myself. I have somewhat of an idea what to write about but I haven't worked out the details. I'll give you guys a sneak peek in my next post. So, to conclude this part of my post, I STRONGLY encourage you guys to read about anything you love. But start with classics like "The Call of The Wild", "White Fang", "Art of War", "Golden Compass", "Catcher in the Rye", "Pride and Prejudice", "10,000 Leagues Under The Sea", "Oliver Twist" and anything else you can get your hands on. Then start to move onto books like Biographies of famous people. Like Chuck Yeager, Infidel, Albert Einstein, Glass Castle, Nickolas and Alexandra, and anyone else you find particularly interesting. Then start reading anything you can get your hands on. The Newspaper, Poems, and anything else. Reading expands your mind, it lets you see into another world, I don't see how that could EVER be a waste of time.
To recap NT Idol in a few words: it was fun! Ever since back last May when i got my Loopstation I always wanted to practice Dub FX's songs and perform in NT Idol. Even before that I knew I wanted to be like Dub FX. It was about 3 years ago in October. After a shitty day at school I came home and my brother called me to the Computer to show me a YouTube video. I asked him what it was, and he just clicked play. For the next 7 and a half minutes my eyes were opened up to a new world. I had Goosebumps for the entire length of the video. I couldn't believe my eyes at what I was seeing. And then my brother said these words that I'll always remember for the rest of my life "You see, you're just like him. He makes music, and you play your harmonica. You're a musician like him too." At the time I was auditioning for my school's talent show with my rendition of the USSR's National Anthem and "Oh Christmas Tree". At the time music was just something I listened to but loved doing so. But even then, I love making music no matter how. I was in the school's band and I played the Harmonica from time to time. I never would've guessed that I made it this far music-wise. When my brother showed me that video I also realized that music isn't just something that you can listen, music can be used to and I quote "change this world, revolutionize the boys and girls, it's possible to educate the next generation ever rule the world." Maybe some people don't realize this, but those are just some of the people. To me, it matters more that you have SOMETHING to sing about rather than have a good voice. Dub FX isn't exactly a Johnny Cash when it comes to singing, but he's definitely the Albert Einstein in lyric writing (at least in my world he is and forever will be). Back to the point, I went to NT Idol and for the first round I sang "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele and for the second round I went out there and made the beat/harmonies/bass line for "I Never Made It" by Dub FX and sang the first part of the song. The problem was that we couldn't connect my Loopstation to the School's Auditorium so we connected it to some high-powered portable Speakers. The acoustics weren't exactly great, and I made the beat so loud that people could hardly hear my singing. Just goes to show that singing isn't easy, but singing in front of people makes it all the harder. I'm proud of myself for making it to round 2, but I still REALLY wanted to make it to the 3rd round. But there was something that troubled me after NT Idol. Some of my classmates started coming up to me after and asking me "Mark, what did you do up there? What was that?!" and at one point someone said "Mark, you suck at singing". I'm not saying this so that you guys can pity me, let me explain. Many people don't know how hard it is to get the timing right for every beat because you can't change it once you've recorded it. You have to make sure every beat is in sync with the ones already playing. That it's in Tune and it doesn't mess up your singing. It's MUCH harder than it seems. Anyways, even if people think that it took me a week to do all this why would they say that? I'm not saying that everyone did that either, one of my classmates even said it was sick that I went out there and just did it all on the spot and that raised my spirits more than anything. Back to the topic at hand, if you have nothing nice top say then don't. It's as simple as that. And another thing people don't realize (this includes EVERYONE, even yours truly) is that when you criticize something about them it may mean A LOT to them. Dub FX isn't just an artist to me, he's the single person that INSPIRED me to write music and perform. He proved to me that music is more than a job, it's a lifestyle. So, let's move onto my last paragraph.
Jason Mraz, is our artist for today's post! I've been listening to him for a couple years, mainly his single "I'm Yours". As far as I'm concerned it's my favorite Uplifting song. His songs are just so cute and indie and lovely that I just can't resist listening to him. He's basically a Contagious Artist to me. Once you get the song in your head, it will NEVER leave. I can't really say much about his music, because I'd rather LISTEN to music than DESCRIBE it. If you get more joy out of describing, well this ain't the blog for you then! As you can see I've integrated my blog page for all your Jason Mraz needs. Feel free to watch the videos that I have posted, and stare with amazement at the background. And just sit back and relax!
I've had tons of fun writing this post. It hasn't been TOO long since I've posted last, but I love every time I do it. It's been good writing for you guys. And it's been a good month, hopefully I didn't write too mcuh for you guys to handle. In that case, take a breather, but by now you can't.......So read some more! You guys know what to do: Read it, Learn it, Live, Love it, and Post it!!!
Cheers, MarkL
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, about everything in general. In this part of today's post I'll be mentioning anything that's on my mind or anything I have an opinion on. In Civics class recently we were talking about Rights and Freedoms. You might be wondering what the difference is,. Well, Rights are something that the Government gives you and they can't take them away. Freedoms are what you have naturally and the Government can take them away or induce consequences for abusing your freedoms. For example, the Right to bear Arms in America was specifically made a Right because if the Government happens to be oppressive at one point the people can rebel. There's also the Freedom of Speech, it's a Freedom because if you abuse it (bullying, verbal abuse) the Government can give you consequences for doing so. And there was this one topic we stumbled upon. It was a Right's/Freedom's case about 2 years ago right here in Toronto. A severely physically pained man was prescribed Medical Marijuana to ease his pains. But his pain was so severe that he needed to be high 24/7. And he had this favorite restaurant he always used to go to for his food. Now, the patrons didn't like him visiting because he disturbed the clients and was rude to the workers. And from what I can remember he wasn't allowed into the restaurant. Now, how long does this man have to live? As in, how much time do you think he has left before he kicks the bucket? I'm not saying that to offend or arouse anger, this is a sincere question. Medical Marijuana is prescribed to patients with mind blowing pains. How long do you honestly think a person like that has time to live? Why not make his last few days or even years the happiest by assisting him instead of being angry with him. Carnegie even said so himself, that although it's hard to stop and think for a second and find a solution to the problem to make the person happy. But I believe that no matter how hard it is to do, you should do it anyways. Most of the time I don't do this, and neither do most people on Earth. But in times when it really counts, why not try that? Sure, maybe he won't remember how people treated him when he was high. But wouldn't it make you feel better that you just took the hard way out and you might have even made a lifelong moment you'll never forget. There have been moments that I remember were pretty memorable. Last Summer I met this orthodontist Viktor near the Harbourftont in Toronto. And I find myself Reminiscing that Summer every now and then. The misty air I felt pelting across my face as I biked down Yonge Street. The cool watery breeze on Sugar Beach. Those Scarlet Sunsets, and Starry Skies I sat under sipping on a Coke. That lengthy trip across half of Canada, those were the good days. I'm just hoping that this Summer will be twice as memorable, and it shall be cause now I have a new camera (Digital!!!!) and I'll be going out more now that I discovered a completely different Toronto I never knew last Summer. Speaking of Photography, let's see some!
These are all somewhat recent pictures that I was lucky enough to take with my DSLR. I'm constantly uploading more pics on Facebook and Tumblr so just stay tuned. If you're wondering how I wrote the letters of my name like that, all you have to do is set your camera to a long Shutter Speed (about 5-8 seconds) so that it captures a lot of lights and that you have time to write your letter or make your shape. You can use Glowsticks, Lasers, Sparklers, Flashlight, and any light source in general. It's a really easy effect that makes for great photos. Professionals also use this to keep track of the star's movements. If you have a normal camera it should have a "Bulb" option. And what it does is it leaves the shutter open for as long as you need it to be open for. If you Google Image Search "Star Movement" you'll see what I'm talking about. But make sure you're far away from City Lights because they "pollute" the sky and make it almost impossible to see any stars except the North Star and a Sputnik if you're lucky. I'd like to see some feedback when you guys get the chance to comment, negative or positive it doesn't matter as long as it's constructive. Personally I think i did a good job, but I was just lucky to be at the right place at the right time for the Sky photos. Now, let's move onto our next topic.
Lately I've been reading "The Hunger Games" which came out around 3 years ago or so or maybe even 4 (I'm a late bloomer when it comes to reading good literature). And I love the books so far. The way the author describes the scene and moment reminds me a bit of Philip Pullman's "Golden Compass" Trilogy (which is still FAR more superior to ANY book I've ever read). I highly recommend you guys read BOTH the "Hunger Games" and "Golden Compass" Trilogies. In fact, I highly recommend you read period. Surprisingly most people don't read these days. I know right? Go figure. I remember a kid in my Civics class just went out and plainly said "Who reads? That's such a waste of time!" Ok, I acknowledge your choice to not read but I don't necessarily accept it. Reading allows you to open up your eyes and see the world through a different point of view. It lets you experience a fantasy or a time in the past and relive those moments. It opens up a completely new world for you and allows you to escape and learn the things you'd never learn in a classroom and maybe not even in your life. Books can change your opinions, move millions, change the lives of many. In fact, I've been thinking about writing a book myself. I have somewhat of an idea what to write about but I haven't worked out the details. I'll give you guys a sneak peek in my next post. So, to conclude this part of my post, I STRONGLY encourage you guys to read about anything you love. But start with classics like "The Call of The Wild", "White Fang", "Art of War", "Golden Compass", "Catcher in the Rye", "Pride and Prejudice", "10,000 Leagues Under The Sea", "Oliver Twist" and anything else you can get your hands on. Then start to move onto books like Biographies of famous people. Like Chuck Yeager, Infidel, Albert Einstein, Glass Castle, Nickolas and Alexandra, and anyone else you find particularly interesting. Then start reading anything you can get your hands on. The Newspaper, Poems, and anything else. Reading expands your mind, it lets you see into another world, I don't see how that could EVER be a waste of time.
To recap NT Idol in a few words: it was fun! Ever since back last May when i got my Loopstation I always wanted to practice Dub FX's songs and perform in NT Idol. Even before that I knew I wanted to be like Dub FX. It was about 3 years ago in October. After a shitty day at school I came home and my brother called me to the Computer to show me a YouTube video. I asked him what it was, and he just clicked play. For the next 7 and a half minutes my eyes were opened up to a new world. I had Goosebumps for the entire length of the video. I couldn't believe my eyes at what I was seeing. And then my brother said these words that I'll always remember for the rest of my life "You see, you're just like him. He makes music, and you play your harmonica. You're a musician like him too." At the time I was auditioning for my school's talent show with my rendition of the USSR's National Anthem and "Oh Christmas Tree". At the time music was just something I listened to but loved doing so. But even then, I love making music no matter how. I was in the school's band and I played the Harmonica from time to time. I never would've guessed that I made it this far music-wise. When my brother showed me that video I also realized that music isn't just something that you can listen, music can be used to and I quote "change this world, revolutionize the boys and girls, it's possible to educate the next generation ever rule the world." Maybe some people don't realize this, but those are just some of the people. To me, it matters more that you have SOMETHING to sing about rather than have a good voice. Dub FX isn't exactly a Johnny Cash when it comes to singing, but he's definitely the Albert Einstein in lyric writing (at least in my world he is and forever will be). Back to the point, I went to NT Idol and for the first round I sang "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele and for the second round I went out there and made the beat/harmonies/bass line for "I Never Made It" by Dub FX and sang the first part of the song. The problem was that we couldn't connect my Loopstation to the School's Auditorium so we connected it to some high-powered portable Speakers. The acoustics weren't exactly great, and I made the beat so loud that people could hardly hear my singing. Just goes to show that singing isn't easy, but singing in front of people makes it all the harder. I'm proud of myself for making it to round 2, but I still REALLY wanted to make it to the 3rd round. But there was something that troubled me after NT Idol. Some of my classmates started coming up to me after and asking me "Mark, what did you do up there? What was that?!" and at one point someone said "Mark, you suck at singing". I'm not saying this so that you guys can pity me, let me explain. Many people don't know how hard it is to get the timing right for every beat because you can't change it once you've recorded it. You have to make sure every beat is in sync with the ones already playing. That it's in Tune and it doesn't mess up your singing. It's MUCH harder than it seems. Anyways, even if people think that it took me a week to do all this why would they say that? I'm not saying that everyone did that either, one of my classmates even said it was sick that I went out there and just did it all on the spot and that raised my spirits more than anything. Back to the topic at hand, if you have nothing nice top say then don't. It's as simple as that. And another thing people don't realize (this includes EVERYONE, even yours truly) is that when you criticize something about them it may mean A LOT to them. Dub FX isn't just an artist to me, he's the single person that INSPIRED me to write music and perform. He proved to me that music is more than a job, it's a lifestyle. So, let's move onto my last paragraph.
Jason Mraz, is our artist for today's post! I've been listening to him for a couple years, mainly his single "I'm Yours". As far as I'm concerned it's my favorite Uplifting song. His songs are just so cute and indie and lovely that I just can't resist listening to him. He's basically a Contagious Artist to me. Once you get the song in your head, it will NEVER leave. I can't really say much about his music, because I'd rather LISTEN to music than DESCRIBE it. If you get more joy out of describing, well this ain't the blog for you then! As you can see I've integrated my blog page for all your Jason Mraz needs. Feel free to watch the videos that I have posted, and stare with amazement at the background. And just sit back and relax!
I've had tons of fun writing this post. It hasn't been TOO long since I've posted last, but I love every time I do it. It's been good writing for you guys. And it's been a good month, hopefully I didn't write too mcuh for you guys to handle. In that case, take a breather, but by now you can't.......So read some more! You guys know what to do: Read it, Learn it, Live, Love it, and Post it!!!
Cheers, MarkL
