Hanging Out... Literally

So today was pretty sweet. It started off with me leading Impact (chapel time) again and it went well considering I barely prepared for it. From there I moved on to leading recreational drama which is always good and I think the kids enjoyed it. I had time off after that and then climbing club... or in other words 4 hours of fun with harnesses and ropes. We started off by doing an alpine climb up the hill by the office here at Medeba and then we went to the high ropes course and ate our lunch... hanging around 40 feet in the air. After we hung out up there and poured water on Kelly, everyones favourite californian (except for Matt Lindblad) we went in to the lodge and set up a port-a-ledge on the indoor wall while we watched music videos and ate freezies... and now it's my night off... rough day for Joel. Oh and for those of you who read this and don't know yet, Medeba Adventure Learning Centre is going to be my home for at least another year. I'm going to be staying here to participate in their 10 month Leadership Development Program and after that I'll be working here again next summer. WOOHOO! For more details on this program visit this website.

eBay... Oh eBay

So I just found something on eBay that I couldn't ignore. Often times I can ignore things. I must say I'm quite good at ignoring things, all kinds of things too. Important things, trivial things, news things, sports things, school things, I am pretty much an olympian ignorer. But this caught my eye and now I need to share the good news with all of you. I bought.... The String Quartet Tribute to Relient K! I mean seriously, as a Relient K fan how could I say no to that!!! It's going to be super chilling for when I'm in that crazy chill but wanting pop/punk mood. Darn you eBay for being so great!

Bonus Features Disc 1: Quotes

Ok, so tonight I went to campfire and some of the funniest things I've ever heard were said. So funny I went back to my practice of writing them down. I couldn't not never avoid sharing them with you... what? Oh well. Here they are!
Regarding Fun Dip:
"This stuff tastes like cough medicine, but it actually makes you sick"
During MadLibs:
Person A: "I need a noun! That's a thing!"
Person B: "Lower Intestine!"
Person C: "I was gonna say that!"

Oh children, how great you are.

MEDEBA: A New Hope

So I'm here. At Medeba. Immediately I was reminded of leadership camp. The gophers Scott Munro was so afraid of are just chillin' which is cool. The credit cards from our egg drop were still in the fireplace un-charred. It's going to be hard to try to seperate that weekend from my definition of what Medeba is. Since I've been here I have done some climbing, some belaying, some zip lining and about 500m of swimming, and that was just today. The past couple days have been full of seminars and other events that were fascinating and taught me a lot in some cases, while offering a quick refresh in other cases. I'm a little sunburnt, more than a little tired, and extremely excited for what this summer has in store. The other staff are super cool and I have connections to some of them directly, and others through friends. I had an aweXome time trying to learn how to juggle, the aweXomeness stemmed out of the level of failure I experienced. I'll try to update more as things come to mind. Oh, I don't know if I've ever eaten so much, the food here is quite possibly spiked with addictive substances. Not that I'm about to complain. Check back to read more of the MEDEBA CHRONIC(what)CLES!

The Pink Panther

Much as I regret to say it, on the 10th of this month the Golden Hawk was shot down by a vicious hunter known as "the wedding". After a one week period of mourning I rose to the challenge of yet another fun and creative hairstyle and it is with great enthusiasm I present to you... The Pink Panther. A pink pawprint skillfully applied to the back of my head by the talented Sarah Tripp, that's spelled with two p's if you hadn't noticed. Though it was a fantastic job of dying it is hard to observe this image if it is not in direct light, natural light is best, however it has been known to show occasionally under artificial light. The beauty of this design is that it is not just a pop culture reference, it is a simple image and the colour contrasts nicely with the black that is the rest of my hair. In addition there is an unintentional bonus in that it shows school pride. GO HUSKIES!

Umm... sorry?

Ok, I've been receiving several comments recently and I know that I owe you an apology. It has been three and a half weeks since I have posted anything on here and it's almost entirely my fault for a large part of that time. A lot has happened, including a period of approximately a week where my computer wasn't working at all. However it is finally fixed and I can begin to comment on things. I will do my best to post on here, however it will not be daily for quite a while. I am pleased to announce that starting tonight I am going to be at Camp Medeba in Haliburton. If you want to send me things, such as chocolate, money, medals, or trophies, even pizza trophies you can do so via this address.
Joel Torrens
C/O Camp Medeba
PO Box 138
West Guilford, Ontario
K0M 2S0

The Evening of the Golden Hawk

I know it's been a long time, I apologize for that, there wasn't much I could do. This past week the show closed, and what a week it was. Various injuries, swimming trips in the afternoon, plans made for my upcoming weekend etcetera. The big news was the closing of the show, which is sad yet at the same time amazing. 27 highschool students put on an amazing show according to pretty much everyone who saw it, and I learned a lot about professional theatre. I learned about all sorts of cool things you can do, and I learned there are things you can't do. For the good of the show you can't do things like change your appearance, consume dairy and other things that will effect your voice. Once the show is over however all bets are off... I have had ice cream everyday since the show has ended and it took me less than three hours to cut my hair... into something of a mohawk. Of course I wasn't satisfied with this, being me. Last night, after a day of swimming in a lake, hanging out with friends, going out to dinner, and random laughs, the Sarah's, Mary and Amber decided they were going to finally spike the 'hawk. As we went to Sarah Best's house to do this it was decided that before we went through with this the hair needed to be dyed, and by dyed I guess they meant bleached, to a goldish yellow colour. And I must say I think they did a sexy job. Kudos to you girls.

*NOTE* I will try to update this post with a better lit picture soon.

An Ode To A Paisley

Paisley this is for you
And I must say it's true
In my books you're Paisley #2
Lindsays baby is aweXome
And makes you look dumb
I'm sorry, but what can I do?

But for what it's worth
In all of your girth
I appreciate you all the same
I guess....

"I Miss You" just "Not Now"

This title pretty much sums up what I think of this album, though not in the way you might think. Angels and Airwaves, Tom DeLonge of blink182's new band, and to my knowledge the first completed post-blink project that can't be seen on MTV on a weekly basis. Being post-blink it's going to be impossible to escape comparisons, so I won't even try. Angels and Airwaves have an extremely well produced, mood creating sound. It's reminiscent of the later blink chill stuff such as... that's right... "I Miss You" and, "Not Now". DeLonge has said that this album is one to be listened to in the, "dark with a black light or a candle," and I couldn't agree more. Definitely an album to listen to lying down and just chilling. I recommend it so long as you don't take everything said on the album as gospel, for example, in the song "It Hurts" I would disagree with the statement, "your best friend is not your girlfriend," I don't think that's a very healthy way to approach a relationship. However there are positive messages on this album. There is a search for hope and inner strength that is refreshing, especially considering the source. This music doesn't speak to me on a lyrical level, but it's great to, "be really comfortable, maybe sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed."

I'll give this one 9/10 for music
10/10 for style
6/10 for lyrics

Side Note: A&A also features members from Boxcar Racer, The Distillers, and The Offspring

Flower Power in the Eleventh Hour

It's about time. In all the years that I've watched the Amazing Race I've had a little bit of a tradition. I go to the CBS website for the show before it starts and read the bio's for all the teams. Of course from these bios a favourite emerges, and then inevitably is eliminated in one of the first few rounds and I have to alter my allegiance. I am pleased to announce that this horrible streak has come to an end and the Hippies have won! WOOHOO, that's what I'm talking about. What an excellent final episode too, it came down to a matter of minutes between the final two teams. However, had the Japan leg been structured differently I'm sure the Hippies would have had a much bigger lead on the other teams, but it was definitely a good time for them to be back in Japan where they feel so comfortable. Congratulations BJ and Tyler, I knew you could do it.

The moral of this story - nice guys who go to Stanford and Harvard will always beat jerks who dropped out of college.

You Call That A Season Finale²

I can't believe it. I really can't. Prison Break, my sweet Prison Break, literally a provider of hours of entertainment. You let me down. I am ashamed of you. THAT'S NOT HOW YOU END A SEASON! Seasons end with earth shattering events that you just can't put in the middle of a season. It doesn't work that way. Why do the less than spectacular shows get it? The O.C. is killing off a main character this week! That's big news that has me thinking I just might watch it to see who, though I already have my theories. Oh Prison Break, if only it were just you. If only the same wasn't also true of Grey's Anatomy, the unneccessarily long, Monday instead of Sunday season finale suffers the same tragic flaw. Nothing I wouldn't expect in the middle of a season. Ok, that's not exactly true. Izzy DID quit, but there was no hype or suspense surrounding that whatsoever. It just happened. Both these "season finales" left me feeling like I only had to wait one more week, one week to see what's going to happen next. Yet I'm not disappointed that I'll have to wait a lot longer. I give both these episodes 4 Sad Clowns... And one sad Joel.

The Lengths We Go To...

9 in the morning to 6 at night. That was our rehearsal today. Singing and moving stuff around a stage over and over again for 9 hours. What a fun day. It was actually really fun. However I don't have much time to stick around and review, or post about anything today. It's time for a fun night of relaxation. I'm off to Timmies and then to a friends house for some wicked cool chillaxing. Until tomorrow you need to check out The Classic Crime. I wish I could review their new CD which is coming out on the 23rd of this month, however I haven't heard all the songs at this point. If we're lucky I'll be able to find it in the next week. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

The Good, The Bad, The Apology

To begin this post I would like to once again apologize to my loyal readers. It has been more than a day since my last post and I feel horrible about it. However I have some bad news. Over the next two weeks I will be caught up in the frenzy of putting on a FANTASTIC show. That's right, it's big letters good. Les Miserables, playing at the Village Playhouse. Not to plug anything. However the greatness that is the stage may or may not prevent me from posting here as regularly as I would like to, and believe me I have some good things to post about. So that covers the bad and the apology and now for the good. JT²'s first video for Respect't is now online courtesy of everyone's favourite website for quality visual entertainment. Check it out here.
Stay tuned for reviews on Firewall, Revolver, and some CD's.

A Little Bit About My Favourite Group

The Militia Group. Currently TMG is my favourite record label and I feel that this is something significant enough that it warrants mention. This label, as beautifully indie as it is, has some of my current favourite bands. Not to mention that they also distribute vinyl's by some of my favourite non-indie bands. My top bands on the label now include, Brandtson, Copeland, Lovedrug, Cartel, The Rocket Summer, The Class of 98, and The Rocket Summer. Though I can't completely forget about Denison Witmer, also a high quality performer. With alumni such as Acceptance and Rufio this label is not to be dismissed. They release quality music, by excellent bands, and are even recognized internationally. I have yet to sit down and browse their entire line up but it is a task I intend to follow through on. Oh, I can't forget to mention that the tours that they get their bands on are unbelievable. Currently The Rocket Summer are on tour with Brandtson, Daphne Loves Derby, Paramore and others.... if only I had been in Toronto for that show... if only...
*EDIT* Wow, they just keep getting better and better. I was just approved for press access to their website. That's what I'm talking about!

Ladies and Gentlemen: Review 1

That's right, Punk has gone 90's. After Punk went Pop and then went 80's I have to admit I was eagerly awaiting the next installment. A couple of months ago I started to hear about it via mae's website. I scoured the internet finally stumbling accross a track listing. First thing to catch my attention was the list of artists appearing. There is some serious talent here not to mention some surprises. mae, Plain White T's, Copeland and Anberlin were definite pluses for me though I was intrigued by the addition of Gym Class Heroes and their unique blend of punk and hip-hop. Now to the music, there are some definite hits on this cd though they're mixed with disappointments. I was shocked to hear Mae was going to be performing March of the Pigs by Nine Inch Nails, their styles strike me as contradictory and I was hoping that they could pull it off. However this Mark Hoppus produced track fails to impress and causes me to question how well I know mae as a band. Copeland also failed to impress much to my dismay with their attempt on Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun. Met with disappointment early on I worried about the outcome of the rest of the cd, and thanks to Cartel, So They Say, and others I can say that this CD will likely get repeated play on my iPod. So They Say followed up their Punk Goes 80's cover of Forever Young with an equally impressive cover of In Bloom by Nirvana, and Bedlight for Blue Eyes did an exceptional job on Third Eye Blind's Jumper. Other highlights include Cartel's Wonderwall, Plain White T's Song 2 and Anberlin's Enjoy the Silence. This CD hits May 9th, you can see a full track listing and order a copy online here. Or click here to hear samples and judge for yourself.

Of Litter and Leadership

It has been stated that the Daily Joel has taken a 5 day hiatus. To this I say, "Felker, stop complaining and eat your Jell-o before the orderlies take it away." To the rest of you, my countless fans I offer this apology. I was at the Leadership Camp to end all Leadership Camps. I have to say that I was extremely impressed with everyone who was there. Every single Jr.Leader was responsive and did what they could to get in to the program to the benefit of all. The teachers were an amazing source of support and in some cases laughs. My fellow facillitators knocked one out of the park, to use a sports analogy from a game I scarcely watch and never play. I was honoured to be a part of this amazing experience and I would like to thank everyone who was there for making it what it was. Scott Munro, great reactions! Robin, fun with balloons, good times. Braeden, you ARE Marvin the Martian. Mr.Vanderwal, "You're my Vanderwal". I would also like to thank Andrew Mack. I know you weren't there, I don't know if you'll ever read this, but by leaving behind a whole stack of smile books you saved us time and effort. We were able to dismantle them and use them for our Warm and Fuzzies. Thanks for that, oh and it was nice to have a souvenir one since I was unable to visit when you were there.

And So It Begins...

And so begins my first blog, something I have been meaning to get around to for longer than you can know. In the coming days and weeks I'll be chronicling all kinds of things here, such as what's happening with me... Joel. I'll provide links to valuable websites... like my own, and others I find ammusing or interesting. I'll also be changing the template to something more me-ish. Expect movie reviews, not necessarily new, but reviews all the same, and music reviews. The music reviews will definitely be more current, possibly even... pre-release... but how that works you'll never know. Stay tuned for more information, babbling, insight, or whatever you wish to call this. Thanks for stopping by!