Gilad Shalit

I just felt the need to post a short blog to keep Gilad Shalit fresh in ever ones mind.

Gilad Shalit, a 20 yr old Israeli soldier, has been held hostage since 2006 June 25. There is no sign of his imminent release, but he is reported to be alive and in reasonable health.

It saddens me that someone 10 years my junior is in the situation he is in. He is stuck in the middle of a seemingly hopeless conflict that I am privileged enough to be so far away from.

Julian-Courtney - detached. Tweet

The Hijab // My Two Cents

Lately in many western countries, specifically the United Kingdom, there have been some calls by high level politicos to have Muslim women do without the hijab. The latest and strongest call to this action has been by the Rt. Hon. Jack Straw, a Labour Party leadership contender. Mr. Straw did not go as far as suggesting legislation, but instead made calls for a vague societal change to improve Muslim relations.

The hijab in the western world has come to specifically refer to the headscarf warn by Muslim women, but according to the Qur'an it refers to modesty of dress and demeanor of all persons of Islamic belief. This modesty of dress and demeanor in very central to Islamic belief, as is the Kesh (long hair and turban) for Sikh men. Many other examples of dress and custom that relate to other faiths could be listed, but none seem to be as under attack as the hijab (headscarf).

As with all traditions and customs of faith, many faithful make their own personal choices as to how strictly they follows those traditions and customs. That is not to say persons are not pressured by their family and faith to conform, but in the western world it is mostly a choice. I think that Muslim women should be allowed the freedom to choose to wear the headscarf without additional pressures from the government or other political entities. In a free and democratic society there will always be a need for some reasonable restrictions of religious and personal freedoms, but going after women for wearing a headscarf is just not a battle we need to be fighting to protect our society.

Shalom/Saalam

JuJu Tweet

does absence make the heart grow fonder?

Well I promise ... I won't answer the above question in this post.

For being absent for this stretch of time, I am disappointingly coming back with a fluff post. Before I get into the meat of the post, I thought I would take a moment to congratulate Shawn Graham and his NB Liberals on their election victory. The election proved disastrous for the NB NDB … here’s hoping Allison Brewer gets the boot.

Back to you’re regularly scheduled programme ....

For the past few months I have been a member of last.fm … a “social music” site. Basically you join up and install an app that tracks the music you listen to; which gets posted to your profile for all to see, and you build a social fabric based on that. I joined up with last.fm with out much though; it didn’t set off any alarm bells at the time, and it seemed like a pretty interesting idea.

Here’s the big BUT.

Letting everyone and their dog (not literally the dog I suppose) know so much information about a person’s music listening habits could be potentially dangerous. Sure it’s nice to make a few cyber friends that share similar musical tastes, but having an archive of ones musical interest seems to be potentially dangerous … on many levels. Having this data is stored away on somebody’s server has a creepy “Orwellian” feel to it. Will this data ever make it to an enterprise that could exploit it … or maybe it has?

With all the social networking sites out there on the Internet, I imagine it wouldn’t take much to know an individual quite a bit more than most would be comfortable with. That’s not to say I’m quitting last.fm, but the above mentioned issue does give me pause, and I thought I would pass it along.

Have a joyous Rosh Hashanah,

Julian-Courtney

Below is my last.fm most played artists ...

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Face Recognition

If only Zach Braff had been included, Julian would be ecstatic!

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going deep into the head: forgiveness?

i was reading up on jewish law, in particular parts that pertain to forgiveness. according to the torah when someone apologises and seeks forgiveness it is the obligation of the wronged party to forgive. i guess that seems simple enough, but sometimes i wonder if i really do forgive; maybe i'm just faking it so well that i cannot tell. sometimes i know i have forgiven someone and it's just for the sake of the situation ... does that eventually grow into true forgiveness?

putting jewish law aside, i know that are some people that i need to truly forgive. the problem with this forgiveness is that it's really old stuff, and i wonder if it would just cause more troubles. i really feel though that i need to tell a few people that i have really forgiven them ... i don't know if it will do much to benefit them or me, but i just can't stop thinking i need to tell them. i know there's lots of self-help b.s. about forgiveness, most of which i'm a skeptic of, but i wonder if some sort of clarity could come from straight-up forgiveness.

i know there are quite a few people out there that need an apology from me, and i wonder if they would give me the blessing of true forgiveness. sorry this post is just going nowhere, but i'm just feeling out something.


i'm going to keep working on this situation ... i'll let you know if there are any breakthroughs.

Photograph copyright © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation
The above image is not being used for any commercial or promotional purpose; if you have issues with the use of the image please email me using the contact information contained in my Blogger profile.

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MySpace Redux

Well I went back to MySpace after a self imposed exile ... I hate creating profiles and shit ... I'm a lazy bastard. I don't have any reservations about it, I mean it's just MySpace ... but I have a hard time keeping up with all the social network sites; again, laziness. Well I'm hoping for the best.

Off topic ... just wanted to give some love to Lanners ... I miss her very much!

Randomly,

JuJu (I think I may have over used the ellipsis ... oh well) Tweet

New Brunswick Election 2006.09.18 // Élection du Nouveau-Brunswick le 2006.09.18

In just over a month New Brunswickers will be heading to the polls to elect a new government. The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick currently holds a razor thin majority in the legislature, so I feel it's very important to get your ass out and vote on the 18 of September.

Myself, I have been a supporter of the NDP both federally and provincially since I was in my early teens. I know that there isn't any chance of an NDP government here in NB, but it would be nice to have a Liberal minority with the NDP holding the balance of power to get this province back on track ... but I would be pleased with a Liberal majority and a few NDP seats in the mix as well.

Whatever your political leanings, please get out and exercise your right to vote ... the only wasted vote, in my opinion, is the vote you don't cast.

VOTE // VOTE // VOTE

The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick/Le Parti Progressiste-Conservateur du Nouveau-Brunswick

The New Brunswick Liberal Association/L'Association Liberale du Nouveau-Brunswick

New Brunswick New Democratic Party/Nouveau Parti Democratic du Nouveau Brunswick

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Last Kiss

Zach Braff is up to his old tricks yet again with this inspired soundtrack to the as-yet unreleased adaptation of The Last Kiss.

I've only listened to it once, but i'm convinced that my GS soundtrack can take a much deserved break and i can play the shit out of this new one.

Go. Buy it. Dowload it. Borrow it. You know you want it and i can't recommend it enough.

Track Listing

1. Chocolate - Snow Patrol

2. Star Mile - Joshua Radin

3. Pain Killer - Turin Brakes

4. Warning Sign - Coldplay

5. Ride - Cary Brothers

6. El Salvador - Athlete

7. Hide And Seek - Imogen Heap

8. Reason Why - Rachael Yamagata

9. Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne

10. Prophecy - Remy Zero

11. Paper Bag - Fiona Apple

12. Todays The Day - Aimee Mann

13. Arms of a Woman - Amos Lee

14. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk (Reprise) - Rufus Wainwright

15. Paperweight - Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk

P.S. Get well soon Juju. Maybe a spoonful of this emo soundtrack can help soothe what ails you.
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Blogger Break

I have been a bit sick lately ... in an out of the hospital for the last little while, so my blogger efforts may suffer. I'll get back at it when I'm a bit more up to my old tricks.

Julian. Tweet

we drowned them all in their swimming pools

i missed the mark with everything again. it's no real shocker, but i'd like to get something right in my life once and a while. it's a nasty hot day here in fredericton and i plan to drink it away, in the company of my best friend johnny. i'm not seeking any epiphanies, just a gentle dullness to get me through the day.

shabbat shalom

jewee

an eightball isn't love

i need one thing that's divine

let me hear it tonight

- courtney love from the song mono

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like dirt in your fries

We tend associate things with people we know, purely based on personality. There's no psychological reason I've heard for why we do this. I do know it's part of human nature to categorise the items and people in our lives.

I will always associate "New Slang" by The Shins with Julian. It comes from a mix CD he made for me when we were dating. It also comes from seeing Garden State and identifying with the themes from the film. I was listening to the song while driving to school and was reminded of Julian and those wonderfully good feelings I had associated with him.

It's hard to dissociate songs from people, and I've tried to do so, mostly after the relationship ended with Julian. It didn't work. I came to the realisation that even though that things didn't happen the way I wanted, it was still good to have the memories of the nice things.

The odd thing is that Julian's initiated conversation after some time. Those associations I've made are still around and I won't dismiss them. Tweet

Happy Birthday Gaelen

Gaelen ... his actual birth date is a mystery, but we choose to celebrate it on July 26.

His is my best friend, surrogate father, and in general my emotional transference idol/vessel. I love Mr. G dearly, and I am completely blessed to have known him.

Happy birthday to you Gaelen.

All my love to you.

Julian-Courtney Tweet

Dear Jeff Tweedy ... "I'm the man who loves you"

Yeah ... Wilco ...

I am still in awe, and it's been 3 days since I had a massive Jeff Tweedy meltdown. On Thursday night two friends and myself went to see Wilco at the Playhouse in Fredericton ... it was a reaffirmation of my belief in God. I think I cried a little when Wilco performed "Handshake Drugs" ... I wish I had been there with my Sarah. I thought I had something significant to say, but I don't think I do ... this was all just Wilco jizz.

Shalom/Peace of Christ-y

Julian

the blinds were being pulled down on the dew
inside, out of love, what a laugh
i was looking for you

-wilco (handshake drugs)

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Qualifying or backtracking on Life Lessons

So ... I guess some people read my rather “rash” blog entry on love. Well some of those people read a lot of things into it. My last blog entry relates to no particular person (especially anyone here in Fredericton) or past relationship … I was just taking a moment to dump on myself and bluff off some stink. I guess this entry is gonna make it just seem worse, well fuck the universe.

last year
last call
you lost your ways
tell me what's the difference if i go back to normal again?

- Phoenix (from the song “Second to None”)

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I FORGOT ALL MY LIFE LESSONS … AGAIN

Another marathon weekend and the final stage can be cruel, liberating, and delusional. I spent quite a bit of time over past few days/nights pondering love. With all this thought, I'm pretty much still stuck at square one, as always and again. I'm trapped in a box I built, and I have no clue how to breakout. The passage of time is not making me see anything clearer ... fuck here I go again, probably.

I'’ll just do what I do ... I'’ll sink underneath the expectations and keep myself hidden.

i'm a faker
morning may crawl
fuck you
and fuck the universe
ah, etc.
fuck the universe
-- ryan adams --

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be warned ... DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL talk ahead

Dashboard Confessional: It seems to be a bad word (statement) around my friends. I agree that Chris Carrabba's music and lyrics can be sappy and juvenile at times, but I am sappy and juvenile quite a bit of the time. I know I shouldn't care about what others think, (by no means am I trying to evangelize either) but I always get such a gross reaction, and it's annoying. Sometimes I just want something to listen to that is simple and gets right to me; I don't always need to be challenged. Wow this is lame, me defending my love of Dashboard. Well I just have to get this off my chest. Flame away you bitches!

Chris Carrabba is sexy as fuck, and that is shallow, but it's good.

Shalom!

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Jeff Buckley

So … according to BBC News & RTÉ Entertainment there is a Jeff Buckley biopic in the works. I am a huge Jeff Buckley fan, and I was excited to hear that news. After some contemplation though, I don’t know how I exactly feel about the whole idea of a film on Buckley’s life.

Most biopics are way off one way or the other, and I was very scarred by the recent pseudo-biopic by Gus Van Sant of Kurt Cobain’s “Last Days.” The rumor is that indie director Brian Jun has been tapped to helm the project and Buckley’s mom Mary Guibert will be extensively involved. I kind feel like the movie will be too glossy, and totally miss anything gritty, as Guibert has fiercely protected Buckley’s image.

Rather than some exalting movie on Jeff Buckley’s life, I would take more music from him any day. I know that I’ll probably see the film if it gets made, but I would rather leave his music speak for him. Here's hoping for the best.

BBC News Link

RTÉ Entertainment Link

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David & Sarah

Here's a little bit about a couple named David & Sarah.

They once were Frederictonians, but have since moved on to bigger and better things. Every once and a while I get to see them, and well it makes my day ... week ... month. David is a philosopher and an absurdist. Sarah is a polite female version of Henry Charles Bukowski. I realize that these descriptions could be completely off base, but it's my blog.

Where was I going with all this? I was going absolutely nowhere. I just wanted to make a post about two amazing individuals.

I will close with a little bit from Wilco:

don't cry


you can rely on me honey


you can come by


anytime you want

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Photoshop Pulitzer Madness

I took an image of myself and did some layering and transformations with the famous photo by Eddie Adams of General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing Viet Cong Captain Nguyen Van Lem. To me it seems kind of peacefully disturbing.
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Windows Live Messenger Beta

So I was having this little annoying issue with Windows Live Messenger Beta. The issue was every time I logged on to my desktop or someone else in my household logged on to their desktop, Windows Live Messenger Beta would begin a repair process. I tried a few tricks of my own to fix the issue, but nothing worked. Finally I broke down and emailed technical support ... and I was pleasantly surprised. In less then 6 hours a tech support bloke named Raymond emailed me back and gave me the goods on how to fix it up.

I'm no Microsoft lover, but this speedy resolution has given me a little bit more faith (if only for today) in the evil empire.

That's my piece for today.

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