Stop Five Records

1. A plaid blue hat (very cute)
2. A pair of black, ankle high, boots with a heel (very classy)
3. A new pair of jeans (very normal)
4. A grey wool pea coat with a hood and horn buttons (very awesome!)
5. A hotdog (very satisfying, though not really that good)

For those of you who are unaware (Dan), Multra is simply the combination of the words "mega" and "ultra".

1. Sweet Wine and Sad Sacks - This is one of those fabled "comic strip" bands. They're really hard to find, which is probably why Dan didn't put them on his list. They sing about the Sunday comics in the paper. They literally get together on Sunday and read the paper, then write songs about it through the week.

2. Multradeath - This is basically a Megadeath tribute band, but with a sort of New Age bent to their interpretations. They also do this really nice cover of "Fields of Gold" by Sting.

3. Take me home Sweet Potato - Zydeko/bluegrass duo. Two people. The one guy plays the banjo and gutbucket. The other sings and plays zarmonica, which is kind of a harmonica-accordian cross breed. They have this one song where it's just them talking and a dog howling in the background. Fantastic. I can't believe you haven't found this one Dan.

4. Our Name is an Animal - Their album title: "The animal for which our band is named is quite possibly a threat to your habitat"

5. Hammer and Sickle - This band has only ever played one song to my knowledge. I just find these bands that have "albums," and "song catalogues" to be a little overbearing.

1. Bamboo - good for everything from flooring and furniture to clothing and other fabric. It is sustainable and is grown and harvested without detriment to the environment. It grows incredibly quickly, and, it actually thrives the more it is harvested. Better still is organic bamboo, but that is much more difficult to find.

2. Hemp - another great option for clothing and fabrics. This stuff is relatively cheap, plentiful, and is available as a local product. Hemp foods (bars, oils, protein alternatives) are great source of essential fatty acids, and hemp oil is also used to make fantastic body care products.

3. Organic Cotton - this is being made more readily available, including in Walmart and Cotton Ginny, among many other places. This is a good option, but not the best, as even on Organic farms the working conditions are still often atrocious on cotton farms. That said, organic cotton is a better choice than standard cotton.

4. Paraben free (read 'petroleum-free') Beauty and Body Care Products - that's right, the parabens in your shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion etc are petroleum based. Not only does this make them potentially carcinogenic to you and clearly harmfully to the environment (think of the bottles and bottles of it rinsing down the drain, creating a veritable oil slick), but the use of them is contributing to the ever dwindling supply of fossil fuels (more on this in a future post).

5. Local Products - should hardly be considered an alternative, but, whenever possible, choose local and shop local. This cuts down on the fuel needed to transport these items, cutting down on the pollution caused by the transport. You can also be fairly certain of the working conditions, and you can take pride in supporting the community in which you live. Better still if you shop from responsible, sustainable, organic farmers and vendors.

These are things anyone can choose without much in the way of inconvenience.

5. Jenn: Official link to the outside world/Travel writer
4. Slynn: Official Morale Officer, Creativity Intern, and Resident Antarctic Flightless Bird Expert
3. Rivers: In-house Chaplain and Worldwide Musical Talent Scout, usually at the same time
2. Josh Otto: Keepin' it real guy (and our Stop Five candidate for Prime Minister of Canada '22)
1. Me, Robert Conci: Italian in residence, politically connected Wiseguy

Feel free to offer ammendations or corrections.

1. American Analog Set - mainly stuff from, "Know by Heart" and "Promise of Love"
2. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
3. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse
4. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
5. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War

Honorable mention:
Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew - Spirit if....
- This one is a little too new for me to be posting as a Top 5. Probably will become one of the 5 next week.

oh, and I almost forgot to mention,

Wintersleep is for weiners!

1. They're warm
2. They're gooey
3. They're so chocolatey
4. They're sweet
5. They're so delectible they make your mouth water just thinking about them

Anyone want to come over for some brownies???

Tara and I went in to get our passports today. We don't have them yet. We're going to try again this afternoon. Here's how the morning went.

1. 6:45 am - Dan realizes he left his birth certificate in his office in Abbotsford. Dan and Tara are in Langley at the time. Change of itinerary: Abbotsford, then Surrey.

2. 8:25 am - Dan decides to take a shortcut through Port Kells, assuming that the freeway will be too busy. Port Kells is busier and full of construction. The freeway is fine.

3. 8:55 am - Dan attempts to go into the underground garage at the passport office, ignoring the visible "Lot Full" signs. Failure.

4. 9:50 am - After waiting in line for almost an hour, Tara realizes she forgot her drivers license. The duo decide to press on, feeling that they haven't much left to lose at this point.

5. 10:15 am - Dan and Tara arrive at the window to be given a number. There they are told that the damaged passport forms they filled out are illegitimate, since they have not been notarized. Shoulders hunched in despair, they leave the passport office empty handed, vowing to return again.

1. Rhianna - Under My Umbrella (ella ella hey hey)
2. Justin Timberlake - My Love (I always want to dance when I hear this song, and have...in public...people might think I am a crazy person)
3. Kanye West featuring Chris Martin - Homecoming (This song might be super cheesy, I haven't decided yet. All I know is that it is catchy.)
4. Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah (Nice and acousticy)
5. Kanye West - Stronger (I love Daft Punk and I love how they are used here)
In case anyone is wondering, yes I am a pop music whore, and I am okay with that. I'll leave the music snobbery to Rob and Kang...and well everyone else on Stopfive...it is your music snobbishness that keeps me grounded, otherwise I would be running the streets wearing tight leather pants and singing like I just had a throat operation. No one wants to see the leather. No one.

1. A great childhood growing up in the Keaton family. Although he didn't always agree with his liberal parents (being a card carrying young republican), he always knew they loved and supported him. He had great times with his sisters Mallory and Jennifer, and his youngest brother Andrew.

2. When he hit puberty and found that instead of turning into a teenager, he was turning into a werewolf! Now this made him a good basketball player and a popular guy at school, but he had to find a way to get back to normal. Did he? Only Rob knows.

3. When his good friend Doc Brown invited him out to Twin Pines mall to see his new invention. When terrorists attacked the doctor, Rob hopped in the invention (a time machine) and went back in time to 1955. There he met a young version of his mother, who accidentally fell in love with him. He had quite the harrowing experience trying to get her and his father back together, but he eventually succeeded. He managed to do so in a way that gave his father more confidence and helped him overcome the bullying Biff Tannen.

4 When he got home from the above adventure, and was met by the Doc in a now flying version of the above mentioned time machine. He warned Rob that his and his girlfriend Jennifer's children were in danger. They hopped in the time machine and went off to the future. Now, while there, Rob stole a sports almanac from 2000 AD. Unfortunately future Biff found the almanac and the time machine, and went back to 1955 to give it to past Biff. Chaos ensued, as Biff managed to Ravage the town of Hill Valley. Rob then had to go back in time and steal the Almanac from past Biff in order to restore the proper historical timeline to the town. At the end of this crazy escapade however, his friend Doc Brown got sent back to 1885!

5. When he went back to 1885 to rescue Doc Brown, who was actually quite enjoying life back in those days. The Doc had met a girl. But Rob found out that the notorious outlaw Buford Tannen was going to kill the Doc. Unfortunately Rob got stuck in 1885 because he ran out of gas (what a clown!). Rob and the Doc managed to rig together a railroad version of the time machine and also defeat Buford. Rob went back to 1985, and the Doc stayed in 1885 to marry the girl. But eventually they would meet again, as the Doc managed to have a family and create a hovertrain that could travel in time. Fantastic!

1. My reading skills - this is partially in part to help with #2. though i do enjoy reading for the sake of reading
2. My writing skills - this is a career aspiration in a sense. well, it is a task that i have been assigned for my current job. and learning to write better doesn't hurt. just don't expect to see those smashing writing skills on this blog.
3. My singing skills - i like singing. but i don't think i'm very good. so i'm taking lessons from a professional opera singer at the moment.
4. My Korean skills - this being mainly language and cooking, though i'm open to learning other Korean skills, whatever they might be...
5. My creative skills - i don't have a plan for this one yet. i just think that this is a skill i could use some work on.

It's been way too long since I've listened to new music, so I'm more excited than usual about these songs.

1. "1234" - Feist. Man, what a freakin' voice, and such an uplifting catchy tune.
2. "Starlight" - Muse. People have compared these guys to Radiohead. I'm not sure if I buy that, but they sure can arrange and layer well. Very dramatic.
3. "Re: Your Brains" - Jonathan Coulton. Heehee, thanks Rob for this one. "All we wanna do is eat your brains . . ."
4. "Been there Before" - Hanson. What? Hanson? Yes indeed. Maybe not for everyone, but a much more mature sound. Definitely easy to listen to, but not childish anymore.
5. =With a Freakin' Bullet= "Weighty Ghost" - Wintersleep. Wow, what a song! It's the free song on ITunes this week. Go get it. It's got this classic folksiness, with an indie gospel twist. Fantastic. And I may have beat Dan to it! Hooray!

1. Make a list of current Stopfive staff descriptions (thank you Dan, task #1 completed!)
2. Motivate other members to start posting again (hey, i just got myself a job. ...but does this mean i'll be out of a job if the posting stops???)
3. Be a person that coordinates other persons (i learned THAT from dictionary.com)
4. Form a pleasing combination between Stopfive members - to link together, if you will. This one i like!
5. To see that work goes harmoniously. This one may be difficult at times, but I'll do my best.

1. Down home chili cookoff. Nothin but an open fire and some badass chefs in a showdown for chili supremacy. Dan anticipates his secret ingredient will win the day (It's binch cookies. Oh crap, I gave it away).
2. Take Sara-Lynn on a nice date. Now, I've tried to convince him that renting "Ghost Dog" and ordering KFC isn't a "nice date", but Dan knows what he's doing. He has been married much longer than me (Since I have 1 month and 23 days before I start).
3. Finally write that book: "30 Days to better Praise!"
4. Travel to Holland and get in touch with his roots (Wow that's an old and probably too obscure joke).
5. Fall in love with his favourite band, Fall Out Boy, all over again.

1. Ummm . . . FIANCEE!!!
2. A trip to Ontario that included hanging out with Bryan and Kyle, and my cousin's wedding.
3. Moving out of Mom and Dad's house.
4. Drumming on a live recording.
5. Seeing the Queen Charlotte Islands for the first time.

Honorable Mention: Lots of good preaching opportunities - I quite enjoy that.
Living with Rob, and then Josh - That was great.

So Slynn I'm quite impressed with your dedication to Stopfive, and your motivation of our team members. I'd like to nominate you for the position of official Stopfive Personnel Coordinator. You could join the Stopfive staff, which as far as I know consists of:

Bryan Dubien: Creator and administrator
Kyle Stewart: Stop Five Creative Organization Kid
Andrew Blackwood: Professor Emeritus of Blogging (And Grizzly man)
Dan Donkers: Stopfive Critic and Historian
Holly-Anne Dalrymple: First official girl

There may be some that I've forgotten. If so, please feel free to remind me. As the historian, it would be nice to have a definitive list. And all members feel free to vote on Slynn's nomination.

1. Someone decided to give me a degree. I don't know who thought this was a good idea, but it happened. I'm thinking about trading it for a Taser.
2. Had my view on life changed by a book. Planet Simpson. Oh and The Irresistible Revolution. Dan Kang played an important part in my mind shift as well.
3. Moved to Surrey.
4. Learned that perseverance is possible through my God, whose love is stronger than my defeat.
5. Got married....wait....I don't think that was me....

1. Sleeping in until 11:00am (after going to bed before midnight)
2. Staying in my pajamas until 4:00pm
3. Making my husband go to the store to get me honey nut cheerios because I was craving them (note: so that you do not see me as a slave master, he actually volunteered to do this upon seeing how gravely ill I was feeling)
4. Eating chocolate peanut butter reese's pieces (not the best plan when you have the flu)
5. Watching good ol' Disney movies like Aladin, one of the best movies of all time.

Sometimes sick days are the greatest!

1. Pseudotrend goes missing - and then appears again completely out of the blue. I'd still like to know where he was and what sort of exciting adventures he faced...
2. Bryan finds himself a wife and gets married...just like that.
3. Donkers finds himself a wife - marriage soon to come.
4. Moey and Slynn become employees of Disney.
5. Dan, for the first time in his life, quits his job

*Disclaimer* I know I'm not including everything here, but these are the first thoughts that come to mind. How about tell me your Top 5 Significant Moments of the past year?

1. Stop Five Records is pretty much the coolest blog ever created. We all know this, so we need to claim back our pride in the awesomeness of this blog.
2. Videos and pictures are cool enough on their own, but they diminish the purpose of this blog. This blog was created to express the creativity and wit of the people involved. Researching the internet for funny videos/pictures does not express this creativity. I say, "down with the videos!" Or at least let's start a separate blog for them.
3. Everyone needs to start contributing to this blog again. Currently, it is lacking the flavor of our different personalities. Also, our friendship is intrinsically tied to this blog. We're all spread out now, but we have a common link through this blog. Let's not let it die.
4. Maybe we need to have another Stop-Five-Marathon to get the ball rolling again. Or maybe we just need to all get off our Facebook buts and redirect that energy to this blog instead.
5. I might be just having a sentimental day because I'm feeling sick and bored, but I do miss the great Stop Five days of the past. And I know I'm not as witty and funny as most of you (which may be partially why I stopped writing very often), but this blog inspires me and brightens my day. I mean, look back a year ago even and see if the entries don't bring a smile to your face. Even Pseudotrend was a part of things back then. A lot has changed in this year, but that's no excuse as to why this blog should not continue to be a daily source of entertainment, wit, connection and just plain fun. So there you have it - my pep talk of the day. I look forward to hearing your responses...maybe even in the form of a Top Five list...

1. Woke up
2. Drank some Arabian Mocha Sanini
3. Watched some Sports highlights.
4. Showered and got ready for my first day of work.
5. Got fired from my first day of work. Before I even left the house.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

5. 1185, Isaac II Angelus kills Stephanus Hagiochristophorites and then appeals to the people, resulting in the revolt which deposes Andronicus I Comnenus and places Isaac on the throne of the Byzantine Empire.

4. 1297, Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots led by William Wallace defeat the English.

3. 1897, After months of pursuit, generals of Menelik II of Ethiopia capture Gaki Sherocho, the last king of Kaffa, bringing an end to that ancient kingdom.

2. 1918, Major League Baseball: The Boston Red Sox win last World Series until 2004, starting the "Curse of the Bambino."

1. 1989, The iron curtain opens between the communist Hungary and Austria. From Hungary thousands of East Germans throng to Austria and West Germany.

1. There is a God! (Really. There is.)
2. Well. My “Ontario Forever” tattoo really was a bad idea.
3. Goodbye humidity! Hello smog!
4. Finally, I can pay for my $1.39 coffee at Tim Hortons with debit again. I’ve been so inconvenienced.
5. White Europeans really are the majority in Canada. I’d heard rumours, but seeing is believing.