Journalhttp://tysonelder.org/journal/en-US2010-02-09T09:46:38ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.1 (http://www.squarespace.com/)The Playlist.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/2/8/the-playlist.htmlTyson Elder2010-02-09T02:59:10Zdriving music personal playlist sasquatchI'm on a quest to make the ultimate driving playlist.

Last year Darryl and I had a few drinks at the Lennox Pub after catching a Canucks game and started working on the idea of making a great 5-6 hour driving playlist for the drive to Sasquatch. Of course we forgot 90% of what we thought would be great songs to listen to while driving but we started working on it anyways. In the end we made it less than a 2 days of leaving for Sasquatch. It felt rushed and had far to much filler for my liking and we also added some songs to appease.

I made some interesting rules that we tried to follow and almost succeeded in. Here are some of them.

The songs have to be good to drive to for everyone in the vehicle.
The songs can't just be your favourite song. (You might have to debate choices).
No repeating of artists. (But solo/side projects don't count as repeat).
Songs need to be somewhat recognizable for everyone. (Less obscure cuts).
If possible 35% CanCon.
Every selection is up for debate before going on the playlist.

I need to go through last years list and weed out what I didn't think were the very best selections. Like I believe "Gimme Shelter" is better to drive to than "Paint it Black" for a Rolling Stones selection.

Is there a good song to end it with? God help you if you say "Free Bird." Although that is a good way to almost eat up 20min worth of time.

I pose the question to you what do you suggest are some great songs to drive to? Are they unlikely picks you found while scanning the radio on a road trip? Is it your "go to" song for every mixed tape you make for that long drive ahead of you?

Let me know I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts. When the playlist is complete I'll post it up here for debate.

]]>Spork.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/2/7/spork.htmlTyson Elder2010-02-08T03:55:14ZVictoria baby converge photography photography short film victoria film festival

]]>How to be vague but say everything at once.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/2/2/how-to-be-vague-but-say-everything-at-once.htmlTyson Elder2010-02-03T01:53:31Zpersonal personalI could write a book about this.

But I won't. I won't even write about it here and I barely talk to my friends about it.

I've been growing distant and there is no real emotional connection these days to anything. Sometimes I feel like I just go through the motions and put in my face time. I come home talk to a computer and feel even further away from everything.

I'm the furthest thing from down and the furthest thing from up. I'm pretty apathetic about things and when it comes to myself I'm pretty selfish. I'm not willing to have my time and energy drained.

I'm all ears and I'm here but not for drama.

]]>The Dull Life.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/2/1/the-dull-life.htmlTyson Elder2010-02-02T04:08:44Zpersonal personal thinking writingI'm laying on the floor thinking right now. Well maybe not since I'm typing this but I am thinking sort of.

I'm thinking about how the traffic lights they are putting at the 4way stop is going to fuck up my commute. My commute is 5 minutes by car on a bad day and 15 minutes if I get breakfast made at the bakery. It is hard to believe soon I won't be living in the county just in another section of urban sprawl that has made its way to our place. Our barns will be replaced with "affordable" town houses and our orchard will be replaced by snot nose kids out to escape the suburbia they are forced to live in.

I'm thinking I need to get off my ass in gear and get this thing I call a life rolling. I keep getting asked why there are no ladies in my life? There is a simple answer and there is a long answer and neither of them are about me being gay (Sorry Shaynebow I like the ladies. You'll have to try someone else). And I'm not going to get into either.

I'm thinking of escaping to somewhere that isn't here. Travel was my first love and I've been bitten once again. Where I want to go is irrelevant and so is money. I just need a break from being me and focus on the road. My dream of travel writing/photography is still strong and last night I dreamt of making fake "Lonely Planet" business cards and seeing how much stuff I could do for free.

I'm thinking I just ran out of whiskey.

]]>Writers Block.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/2/1/writers-block.htmlTyson Elder2010-02-02T03:26:58Zpersonal personal thoughts writers blockThe following are some thoughts I scribbled on my hand today.

If someone came up to me and said "looks like someone has a case of the Mondays" I'd probably punch them in the throat.

It's been roughly a week of a horrible case of writers block. It isn't like things haven't happened I just kept drawing a blank. When my pen has hit the paper and turned up nothing. The same goes every time I tried to type something. Someone suggested that maybe it was because I took January off from drinking (for the most part). I had four beers since New Years and even that felt like too much.

I always think of the best jokes at your expense after I leave.

We are going to Cuba in November (maybe) and I think I need to go on vacation before going on vacation. My dad suggested I go to Cuba without my friends. I'm thinking of New York or Chicago. The latter of which I almost moved to last year to go to school. I keep forgetting to get on with my life and follow my dreams of being a brew master, internet celebrity, professional photographer, and whatever else I dream of this week.

I don't really like going to America and why I want to go there on vacation is beyond me.

I'm going to finish this glass of whiskey and pour myself another in hopes of unblocking my writing.

]]>Octopus.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/1/31/octopus.htmlTyson Elder2010-02-01T01:59:09ZSidney aquarium erectile dysfunction octopus photography sidney

]]>The Depressed Octopus.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/1/24/the-depressed-octopus.htmlTyson Elder2010-01-25T02:45:27ZAdventures Breakfast For Champions Sidney aquarium bfc erectile dysfunction octopusI really think there is something wrong when I'm at an aquarium and a 12 year old girl is working there and telling me about erectile dysfunction and depression.

Granted these things had to do with an octopus that is soon going to be sushi at some shitty sushi bar in East Van but I find it a little weird. I seriously thought this little girl was going to say "the octopus is sad because he can't get his fuck on."

Who ever is training these children for slave labour in our nations aquariums can't simply just tell the kids the octopus is sad because he has never mated? That wouldn't bug me as much as a little girl telling me an octopus couldn't get a boner.

This whole conversation started when I asked was if I could put my water proof camera in the tank (which had no octopus) to get a picture.

]]>To Hellholes and Back.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/1/20/to-hellholes-and-back.htmlTyson Elder2010-01-21T03:14:05ZBooks books chuck thompson personal quote sickWith the significant amount of down time I’ve had in the last few days it is no wonder I read two books, watched a couple seasons of tv shows, and a few shitty movies. That is the one and only thing I enjoy about being sick being able to “relax” and do your own thing without having to worry if your place is clean or what you are doing at work tomorrow.

Over the last couple years I’ve grown to love Chuck Thompson ’s writing. I picked up his book “Smile When You’re Lying” shortly before heading down to Mexico a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed reading it in the Mexican sunshine. So as soon as I found out he had a new book out I picked it up at my local book store and read the shit out of it while I was sick.

Within the few pages of “To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism” I was hooked. So I had to share a particular couple paragraphs with you from page 7.

“We’ve become to soft. Like Jell-O. You. Me. Everyone. America. Americans. Too fragile to breath in some else’s cigarette smoke, ride a bike without a helmet, or play Texas hold ‘em without a pair of wraparound sunglasses. We’re turning into a nation of fearful twats, obsessed with supposedly tragic childhoods, lousy parents, career disappointments, social outrages, political grudges, and long lists of personal grievances that until recently were collectively known as the human fucking condition.
Our edges have been beaten away by trophies handed out just for showing up; schools that no longer make kids memorize multiplication tables; doctors who pass out brain meds like Skittles; and therapists who indulge the public’s every impulse to whine and wallow in self obsession. The pussification of America, promoted by corporate empires with an interest in keeping the nation in a state of suspended me-me-me childhood, is especially insulting to anyone with a memory that stretches back to a time when comic books and superheroes were a cultural mainstays only for those under twelve years old and our national leaders didn’t use words like “bad guy” to describe criminals, misfits, and every third unlikable foreigner.”

I highly recommend this book and any work by Chuck Thompson. I’ll lend you some books as long as I get them back. They are always a fun read.

]]>Illness.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/1/17/illness.htmlTyson Elder2010-01-17T20:24:41Zcomplaining personal personal sickYesterday I spent a surprising amount of time not doing anything. I watched movies that I hadn’t seen yet and listened to New Order. That is the wonders of being sick you can justify doing absolutely nothing productive. I’m convinced I have the plague because my symptoms change daily.

Today will be more of the same. Maybe I’ll call my mom and get her to bring me some soup.

]]>I can feel it in my bones.http://tysonelder.org/journal/2010/1/14/i-can-feel-it-in-my-bones.htmlTyson Elder2010-01-15T03:17:19Zcomplaining personal personal sickRozie: “You should blog something.”

I really should but it will just be me complaining about getting sick.

At this very moment I feel like I’m fighting off death. I’m not really that sick I just have a sore throat and my entire body aches. This has been going on for two days. Two days of knowing I’m going to be sick it is just a matter of when.

Personally I hate being sick. I don’t know anyone who enjoys it, but when it is like this I have to “Man up” and still go to work. I’m at that in between stage between not being all that sick and the right amount of being sick to miss work.

I was talking to Dave today and he was telling me he hasn’t been sick since the 90’s. The fucking 1990’s. No colds, fevers, or anything well except when he gave himself food poisoning last year. This just boggles my mind because I’m sick like every year at least once. And when I say sick I mean cripplingly sick. Unable to leave my bed let alone go to work.

I’m the type of guy who doesn’t go to the doctor all that often and when I do I find out I’ve had pneumonia for the last two months. (This actually happened last year)

So I’m going to set the bath to boil, eat some cough drops, and drink some tea. Hopefully curing my ailments enough to go to a safety meeting tomorrow and keep me away from the witch doctors a day longer.

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