Verily, Junk Memoirs – I

I – Ivy
In grade seven, my friend and I were tasked to do a science project on a topic of our choice. We, after a long discussion, decided to test the effects of various liquids on the growth of a potted ivy type plant. In our test, we used water (as the control), sugar water, and lastly soy sauce. The sugar plant was by far the largest, but not without significant mold growth on the soil. The soy sauce did not seem to have any effect on its plant, save for causing it to smell of soy sauce. Or it died, I don’t really recall. Either way, after the project I decided to take home and keep the control plant. I managed to keep it alive for several years (saving it from the brink of death several times), until the fateful day it was knocked off my desk and (WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE), thrown away.

-next post May 22 @ 8:oo pm

Verily, Junk Memoirs – G

G – Gamestop
Gamestop is a chain of stores which sells video games in the U.S., (its Canadian equivalent is E.B. Games). One day in a mall, while on a trip to California to visit family friends, their ten year old son and I decided to go into the local Gamestop. Once inside, we each picked up one of the strategy guides off the rack and began flipping through. After a minute or so, one of the shop keepers informed us, rather rudely, that ‘this wasn’t a library’ and to put the books back. Being children with no real authority, we put the books away and left the store. I spent the entire rest of the day thinking up comebacks I would have been able to use on the clerk; not because he asked us to stop reading, but because of how he said it. Now, I admit that he was totally in the right, but that did not make him sound any less of a jerk. As the day wore on, my come backs got more and more eccentric. One had me demand weather or not he knew who I was and then revealing that my father was either Jackie Chan or the owner of the store. Another involved my friend bursting into tears, me trying to clam him down, and then telling the clerk that he would ‘be hearing from my lawyers’ as I walked out the door. Another had me look him in the eye and, in perfect un-accented English, say that “I’m sorry, I don’t understand English.” When I told my mother, she said that none of those would have been very polite. She then ended by saying that I should have later brought the book up to the counter and, when asked to pay, pull out my library card.

-next post May 21 @ 8:oo pm

Verily, Junk Memoirs – D

D – Dog
On Christmas Eve, 2001, my dog Max was struck and killed by a shiny, black, four-door car. My aunt had been airing out the house, a process which involved opening most of the doors, so as to let out the smell of cooking, which was very, very strong. She had put Max on a leash and let her out into the back yard so that she wouldn’t escape out the front (with all the open doors). However, after a few minutes my grandmother, not noticing the open doors, let the dog in. Right after being freed from her harness, Max bolted straight through the kitchen and out the door. We all immediately ran outside after her. Afterwards, I remember I managed to hold it together for a surprisingly long time, almost Zen-like. We put the body in a container and had a small funeral in the backyard.

-next post May 20 @ 8:oo pm

Verily, Junk Memoirs – A

A – Animorphs
The Animorphs book series is a series of 62 (or 64 depending on who you ask) books for young adults written by K.A. Applegate, and ended in 2001. However, the first time I had heard the word ‘Animorph’ was when I was a little younger, let’s say seven. On one of the stations there was a television show called The Animorphs. From what I recall, I hated this show. There was just something about it. In fact, every time the show would come on, I would make a point to turn off the TV (which is no small feat for a seven year old). Fast forward three years. I am in grade five and, for silent reading, we were to each pick a book of the shelf at the back of the room, and sit and read for a period of time. I remember pulling a book off the shelf. “Animorphs #23” it read, “The Pretender”. The cover featured a bird (which I later learned was a Red-Tailed Hawk) in the top right corner and a bunny in the bottom left. Between them, were pictures of each of them slowly turning into the other. Also, behind the bird, was the ghostly image of a boy with brown hair. All of this was over a cloudy gold-purple background. I remember just standing there for a second, just staring at the cover. The book itself was in very good condition. The cover was still shiny and the pages were still sort of white. In the end, the shiny cover won out over my dislike for the show (which had gone off the air by then), so I decided to read it. I was hooked. Fast forward a few more years. I had read several more of the Animorphs books. One day, while walking through the library, a video catches my eye. It was a tape of four of the Animorph episodes! Should I borrow it? The last time I saw it, I didn’t really like it. But on the other hand, the last time I saw it was when Pokémon was still big. In the end, I brought it home and put it in my VCR as soon as I could. I couldn’t wait to see the book I was reading be translated onto the screen. As it turns out, Seven-Year-Old-Me was right; the show sucked.

-next post May 19 @ 8:oo pm

Verily, Junk Memoirs

So! Time for another set of scheduled daily posts. This time, it’s about memories. Plus, they’re alphabetical! That’s right! All 13 of them!

A, D, G, I, J, K, M, P, S, T, V, W, Z

None of this is anything ground breaking. No “I killed a man while robbing a bank when I was four” type revelations. Just little anecdotes of things that have happened to me. Some are funny. Some are sad *cough*D*cough*. Most are not interesting. Just saying. First one will be up tomorrow, Monday.May 18.2oo9 at 8:oo pm.

-justin mitra

Video J Made

Here is the PowerPoint presentation I made for an English presentation. I normally wouldn’t put this up, but I was pretty proud of it so here it is. We had to pick a ‘controversial topic’ (prostitution, cloning, euthanasia, etc)  and argue either for or against it.  Our group chose ‘Safe Injection Sites’ and ‘Against’. This is what we closed with.

Note: It is about Safe Injection Sites and the Downtown East Side so… umm… yeah. Just a warning. Also, this was made before the DTES Night trip.

Vexingly Jolly Meeting

From Brave New World by Phazys

MSN may bring us closer together, but it also allows us to have meaningless conversations like “haha hi lol 😦 :p hi haha lol how are you good haha u?”.

Had this happen to me in real life a few hours ago while I was walking home.
(Girl walks up to me)
Girl: Hi! Hi!
Me: Hello.
Girl: Hi! Hi! Hi!
Me: I… don’t… know who you are.
Girl: I’m Shay.
Me: Hello.
Girl: Hi!
(Girl walks away)

So… this sort of thing isn’t something that’s just contained to internet.

-justin mitra

Vocalizing Jammed Music #25

Song #25 – The Dream of a Normal Death by Murray Gold (1:56) (YouTube)

This is quite possibly the saddest song in my entire collection. It has a very forlorn feeling. This song has been known to bring some people to tears under the right circumstances. This song was first used in the 9th episode of the 3rd season of Doctor Who, The Family of Blood. In it, The Doctor, as John Smith, dreams of a life with the woman he loves. Getting married. Having children. And finally, dying of old age, with the knowledge that his family is safe and that they love him. A life he could never have. It is used again in the 4th season finale, over a montage of everyone who had lost their lives to save his. He is then called as “the man who keeps running, never looking back, because he dare not, out of shame.” Very, very touching moment. Very, very sad song.

In fact, I would venture to say that it is sadder than Whiskey Lullaby. And that’s saying something.

Now, you might ask: “Why would you want to listen to such a sad song?”
Well, that’s the thing about sad.
It’s happy for deep people.

And, since this is scheduled to be posted at precisely 8:oo pm on Monday May 4th, it is very likely that just five (or seven and a half) hours ago, I made a complete fool of myself. And if you ask me after long enough, I’ll probably tell you it’s worth it.

-justin mitra

Vocalizing Jammed Music #24

Song #24 – UNIT Rocks by Murray Gold (1:11)

LOVE this song. Super high energy, super busy. I could run to this song all day. It has a feeling of “oh no! I’m running out of time, I better hurry up.” Very nice “On my way to final Boss battle” music. I’m not exactly sure how to describe it…

-justin mitra
Next Song: May 4 8:00pm

Vocalizing Jammed Music #23

Song #23 – “Introduccion” from Suite Punta Del Este from 12 Monkeys (0:54)

Nothing much to this song. It is from the movie 12 Monkeys and is literally less than a minute long. The movie stars Bruce Willis as a character who is either traveling in time to prevent a global catastrophe, or insane. That is basically the plot of the movie in a nutshell. It’s not bad though.

I like this song because it has a sort of Fun House Clockwork feel, with a little hint of danger. Like, if someone were chasing someone through a Fun House House of Mirrors, and got lost and the camera kept spinning around them, this would be the perfect musical accompaniment.

-justin mitra
Next Song: May 3 8:00pm