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TopTue, 18 Dec 2007
Dec 18, 2007, 16:34
[home/music] Play this MP3:
Another Jason Silver
A few days ago I stumbled upon a web site that mentioned someone named Jason Silver… and it wasn’t me.
Now, I’ve met a few Jason Silvers before, so that wasn’t what amazed me… what was so cool was that this Jason Silver was also a pastor. In fact, he was also a musician, and a worship leader! What are the chances that someone out there has your name and is doing the same job as you, with the same talents and abilities as you? I know this world is a big place, but come on! This is crazy!
Here’s a link to his web site, where I first stumbled upon him. (He’s since changed his name to Jay Silver). Here’s the church he works at, where the attached picture came from.
Here’s a link to an MP3 from his new album, called “Broken,” which will be released in September of 2008!
How cool is that?
~Jason
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Fri, 14 Dec 2007
Dec 14, 2007, 22:35
[home/music]
CBC Radio 3
Tonight I discovered that CBC radio has a section for Indie artists— no idea if I’ll get any exposure this way, but it can’t hurt to try. Here’s the link:
CBC Radio 3 / Bands / Jason Silver
~Jason
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Wed, 12 Dec 2007
Dec 12, 2007, 21:22
[home/music]
House Concerts
Hey, quick note— I wanted to ask you if you’d ever heard of house concerts?
If you’re in Canada, you’ll find more here:
http://www.acousticroof.ca/
Otherwise, you might want to check this one out:
http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/
The basic idea is that people who like music, open their home as a
venue for house concerts… they decide the type of music they want to
host, how many people they can seat in their living room, and then put
their venue online for artists to see (on one of the sites above).
Artists can then contact these hosts, and if it’s a good fit, you’ve
got a concert! The artist and the host work together to publicize it,
decide ahead of time how much to charge per visitor, that kind of
thing.
I’d love to play in this type of a setting, so if it seems like
something you’d be interested in, let me know! Maybe I could come to a
concert in your living room?!?
Thanks muchly,
Jason
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Tue, 04 Dec 2007
Dec 04, 2007, 22:56
[home/journal]
Jacked, Cracked, Hacked
Well, it finally happened to me.
Around 6:30 tonight, some jerk broke into my Gmail account, then used that to request passwords from my domain name and hosting web sites. He then changes the passwords of all these sites, and began purchasing additional services in my name.
Fortunately I am very sneaky, and I was able to yank this all back from him and reverse most of the charges on my credit cards. There are still one or two outstanding issues, but I think it's mostly taken care of.
I don't get why people are so evil. Is life so hopeless that we treat one another this way?
~Jason
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Tue, 27 Nov 2007
Nov 27, 2007, 21:22
[home/music] Incubator Records asked me to submit a demo to them a few months ago, and tonight was my first phone interview with them. So far, so good— although I was a little skeptical of their label at first, I pretty sure they’re the real deal. I’m encouraged by the things their company stands for, particularly: Speaking of finances, they warned me that my financial investment would be in the neighbourhood of $400 a month. This is for things like travel expenses to gigs, buying miscellaneous equipment, making phone calls, etc. So if you’re interested in sponsoring me because you believe in my music and support the part I’m to play in this regard, that would be terrific. As I know more, I’ll be sure to post it here, so stay tuned. ~Jason Update: Another Update:
First Interview for Incubator Records
Well today I received three cassette tapes— THAT’S RIGHT, CASSETTE TAPES from Incubator, with four or five hours of talking that they wanted Joanne and I to listen to. This is OLD material, with references to movies and TV shows from the mid eighties! Some of the material was good, but they have an image problem, I’d say. Here’s an interesting link that says you have to pay them $300-$500 per month!
Incubator Records Asks for Money
There are other links I’ve found through Google that don’t sounds good:
Message Board Conversation About Them
Some Insights Into Their System
Another Message Board Conversation About Incubator
Pretty much everyone says “Stay Away,” so that’s probably the direction I’ll take. I’ll hang in there for a bit more to see what they say, but it sounds suspicious. At my next interview in a couple of nights I’ll just come out and ask what the deal is.
~Jason
After almost finishing the cassettes, he’s finally getting into some good meaty suggestions and advice, and it’s excellent. Apparently he says they put money up for a new album if they feel it’s a good investment. I’m curious to see where this goes.
~Jason
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Fri, 16 Nov 2007
Nov 16, 2007, 09:08
[home/music/song_bios] I’ve always wanted to write a little lullabye that I could sing to my kids— and have actually drafted probably 10 or so — on the spot while I try to sooth a crying child. But this one started Wednesday night with the guitar, and I put down some words to it last night. It’s really simple, but I think it comes across really gentle and soothing.
I hope you like it!
Daddy’s Lullabye
Here are lyrics below— Click the play button above to hear the song’s first take.
~Jason
Daddy’s Lullabye
By Jason Silver
Close your eyes and don’t you cry
Go to sleep my darling
Daddy’s lullabye
Just goodnight and not goodbye
Sweetest dreams my baby
Drift off to the sky
To daddy’s lullabye.
Sleeping sweetly
Let me hold you tight
Breathing deeply
Soon the morning light
(c) Copyright 2007 Jason Silver Ink. All right reserved. International Copyright Secured.
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Tue, 13 Nov 2007
Nov 13, 2007, 22:56
[home/webdesign] I just finished designing and developing a new web site for a group who pray for sick kids with cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses. It's called The tEAM Network, and they make it their mission to mobilize as many people to prayer as possible. Take a look at their web site, and maybe even get involved! ~Jason
THE tEAM Network - Prayer for Sick Kids
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Thu, 08 Nov 2007
Nov 08, 2007, 14:50
[home/music] I just got an email from CDBaby.com, so I’m taking a quick break from work to let my fans know: my latest CD is now available for instant purchase— it will ship immediately. Emotional and moving, this CD is a pleasing blend of Celtic whistles and acoustic piano. Some tracks are combined with natural woodland sounds drawing the listener into an experiential moment. Let me know you like and support my music by getting a CD today! Thanks so much, Update: 12 Girlfriends is now available too! Click here to listen to the entire CD… it’s also on Sale today!
SALE! Moving On Again - At CD Baby
~Jason
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Sun, 04 Nov 2007
Nov 04, 2007, 15:40
[home/books] I have been reading so much history lately… culminating in the completion of the Jack Absolute series and The French Executioner also by C.C. Humphreys, then The Year of the Zinc Penny by Rick DeMarinis. The French Executioner was the story of Anne Boleyn's executioner, as he makes a journey to fulfill her last request. It's a real page turner, with chapter after chapter of adventure and mystery. The Year of the Zinc Penny is a nostalgic-type book, in which the narrator recounts a period in his childhood in which he learns about life, love, death, and war. It's set in the early 1940s. I loved it. The writing style was somewhat choppy, but it represented the narrator well… and was extremely easy to read. I consumed this in about 4 hours. Highly recommend! ~Jason
The Dark Ages and Other History
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Thu, 01 Nov 2007
Nov 01, 2007, 21:05
[home/music/song_bios] I finally wrote a new song tonight. It came out really fast: I think I was long ovedue to sit down and write or something. I know that not doing music for a living is taking a bit of a creative toll on me. I hope to focus more intentionally in the future. Here are lyrics below— I put up a scratch track of the song as well— so you can hear how it goes. ~Jason Afternoon Is Haunting Midnight now, I’m waiting, wondering Chorus: I can’t believe the time, God (c) Copyright 2007 Jason Silver Ink. All right reserved. International Copyright Secured.
Afternoon Is Haunting
By Jason Silver
Why you haven’t called?
One o’clock Lord, I must close my eyes
Two goes by, then three, four, five,
Still you are nowhere near
Sleep would be great, but it’s already eight,
And the afternoon is haunting.
Every afternoon I think about that place
I remember how the moon, it shone upon your face
I can still recall your eyes; they burn into my mind
And I can’t forget the lies, but baby,
How I want to.
It’s already half-past nine
I fell asleep at ten, just closed my eyes
I’ll wait until noon, then one and two,
Man, has it been three years?
Four o’clock, I go for a walk
But the afternoon is haunting.
[chorus]
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Tue, 09 Oct 2007
Oct 09, 2007, 09:45
[home/journal] We had a great time, an amazing meal, and took a family photo. Here’s my overlay of the 9 photos we took with everyone: ~Jason
Thanksgiving Photo
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Thu, 04 Oct 2007
Oct 04, 2007, 16:42
[home/music] Tomorrow afternoon, right when the traffic will be at its worst (probably), we're piling the kids in the van andheading for Kignston area to visit my family for Canadian Thanksgiving! I can't wait for turkey, and cranberries, and mashed potatoes, and squash, and turnips!! Yum! If you've been itching to get one or more of my CDs, maybe we can meet up this weekend! Email me through the contact form on this site and we'll get in touch. Or call my cell phone: 905-923-7874. ~Jason
Visiting Kingston/ Sydenham for Thanksgiving!
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Tue, 02 Oct 2007
Oct 02, 2007, 23:11
[home/webdesign/perl_scripts] I haven't been blogging as much as I used to— and I'm finding I'm more interested in people's status updates on Facebook than I am anything else they post. I figure if I'm interested in that, maybe you are too… it's a good way to stay in touch with the day-to-day life details of your friends. So, I've written a Perl script which fetches my Facebook status updates and inserts it into my blog. It's especially appropriate for Blosxom, so if you use that blogging software, send me a note and I'll hook you up. ~Jason
Facebook Status Updates
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Sun, 23 Sep 2007
Sep 23, 2007, 22:15
[home/journal] Things are so different lately… there are so many little things, altogether they make up a real change. I guess I would describe these changes as freedom.
Freedom
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Sun, 16 Sep 2007
Sep 16, 2007, 12:05
[home/journal] This morning our family visited an Anglican church, close to our home. It was formerly named St. Mary's, but since joining with another congregation, has been renamed "The Church of the Nativity," We loved it. ~Jason
Found a Church?
It really seems like our search is finally over, and that we've found our next church home. Thanks, God, for directing us to this congregation.
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Fri, 31 Aug 2007
Aug 31, 2007, 07:42
[home/journal] I'm so excited! My family comes home from the lake today! I've really missed my little girls and boys… the house is dreadfully quiet without them. Not to mention my honey. Mmmm, she's so sweet! I can't wait to give her a big fat kiss. There's lots of reasons to be excited! My family returns, it's Friday, it's the long weekend, I just got a chanter (see previous post), I just got a drawing tablet which is extremely cool, and a bunch of other great stuff!! It's a wonderful life! ~Jason
Family Coming Home Today
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Aug 31, 2007, 07:39
[home/music] I've wanted to learn to play the uilleann pipes for a number of years now, and I'm this much closer! Thanks Kevin! You rock! ~Jason
A Chanter!
I'm so excited! My friend Kevin Bousquet bought me a gift which came in the mail yesterday!! It's a chanter— the part of a bagpipe with which you make the notes.
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Fri, 24 Aug 2007
Aug 24, 2007, 22:13
[home/music] As promised, here's the letter sent out to everyone about how to listen to the concert online tomorrow night. 'll be checking for song requests at the chat room every 15 minutes or so (about every 3 to 4 songs).
Saturday Night Online Concert
First, check your time zone, so you can be sure to tune in at the right time. I'm going to try to do two hours from 9:30 EST to 11:30. We'll see how my stamina holds out. I'll likely take a break about 10:30.
Feel free to come and go.
Please visit the chat room to say hi.
http://www.jasonsilver.com/chat/
You'll need a video player like WinAmp or Windows Media Player to watch the stream. The resolution is a little on the low side so that it doesn't skip. You can make it fill the screen by double-clicking the image in Windows Media Player.
To make my stream connect to your video player, you need the peer-to-peer software. You get it at Peercast.org.
Here's the download link:
http://www.peercast.org/download.php
After downloading and installing, go to the yellow pages link below, and search for 'concert' or 'jason'. Then click the PLAY button.
http://yp.peercast.org/?find=concert
The sound will start first, and then the video will kick in later. It usually takes about 15-30 seconds before you'll see any video. Be patient.
If that doesn't work, then don't give up! Come to the chat room URL above, and I can give you a back-up link to start the concert.
I'll have the video stream up and running late afternoon, so that people can tune in to make sure it all works.
See you then!
Jason
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Aug 24, 2007, 16:45
[home/music] The new CDs arrived in the mail finally, albeit two months late! But better late than never. I took a listen to the tracks last night, and I must say it sounds fantastic! I'm a little disappointed in the on-disk printing quality… at least the one I opened didn't look quite right. But overall the package is great. So if I sell 70 of these babies, I've broken even—- so come on by the house and pick up your copy today! If send me $10 via PayPal plus about $2.50 shipping, I'll drop one in the email for you. My PayPal email is 'jasonsilver@crookedbush.com.' To my wonderful fans out there, thanks for supporting my music!
New CDs Arrived
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Aug 24, 2007, 10:47
[home/journal] I came across this quote today while learning Java from my latest text, "Struts in Action- Building Web Applications with the Leading Java Framework":
Specialization
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
~Jason
— Excerpt from the notebooks of Lazarus Long, from Robert Heinein's Time Enough for Love
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Sun, 19 Aug 2007
Aug 19, 2007, 19:30
[home/journal] Today we visited the first church in our list. We’re trying to find a place where our kids will love to go, where the children’s ministry is the top priority. Stone Ridge Bible Chapel is up on the mountain, and we all really liked it… in fact, we were tempted to just pick that church without looking at any others. It was a tiny little place, but they had a nice new building, and they were amazingly friendly! They really took an interest in getting to know us, and making us feel welcome. The music was terrific, and apparently the church is full of musicians! The reason we put this church at the top of the list, was because Lucas wanted to try it. His counselors at Joy Camp attend this church. Actually, Tim Greene, our friend from Philpott, was raised in this church. We’ll certainly move this church to the top of our “possibility” list. ~Jason
Church Hunting Part 1
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Aug 19, 2007, 19:12
[home/books] I'm so excited — Joanne picked up two books for me at the library! Jack Absolute, and Absolute Honour. I've already started biting into the first. I want this reading meal to last, but I just can't slow down! I wonder— can a person get reading-indigestion? haha— that was really bad. ~Jason
Two More Absolute Books
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Fri, 17 Aug 2007
Aug 17, 2007, 08:23
[home/books] I finished this book last night— one of the best stories I've read in a long time… what an adventure!! And all the better because there's a sequel. Rather, this is a prequel to Jack Absolute, which I've yet to read. And I can't wait! The Blooding of Jack Absolute is a story set in the mid to late 1700s. Jack starts our as a child, and our book follows his life into Canada, where he is a soldier for England in the battle against the French. It's an adventure story for every-boy. The tones, colours, sounds, and accents come alive— what a story!! WELL worth the read! ~Jason
The Blooding of Jack Absolute
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Thu, 16 Aug 2007
Aug 16, 2007, 14:28
[home/webdesign/perl_scripts] I've been doing some small changes to Fantasy Betting, and am just about complete a new version which includes the ability to be "translated." So far it's been translated to Italian, and people are reportedly working on French, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, Norwegian. Taglog, Korean, Russian, and German. How cool is that? I'll be raising the price when this version is ready, so if you're interested in FB, this would be the time to get it— everyone who registers early gets the current price for the new version. ~Jason
Fantasy Betting in Your Language
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Mon, 13 Aug 2007
Aug 13, 2007, 09:51
[home/music] Play this MP3: My good friend, Scott Orr, was interviewed on the radio five nights ago— it's worth a listen! You'll hear the background behind many of the songs on his new album, and get to hear some great music! It was exciting for me too, not just because I'm proud of Scott, but also because I'm playing on a few of the songs. Check it out and leave Scott a comment! This CD is one of the best I've heard in a long time. Congrats, my friend. ~Jason
Scott Orr Interviewed on the Radio
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Sat, 04 Aug 2007
Aug 04, 2007, 20:45
[home/books] Tuesdays With Morrie was okay— not the best thing I've ever read, but not terrible. My mother-in-law gave it to me, and my pal, John Harvey said it was a worthwhile read (though somewhat simple)… I agree. It's a quick read— maybe took me an hour or two altogether, but I read it in little spurts. It's a little overly-gushy for my liking, but I still managed to shed a soft tear or two. The basic story is that a young successful student finds his favourite professor again— just as the old man is dying. They begin having regular meetings on Tuesday, and the student documents the teacher's life lessons. If you've got a spare hour, it might be worth reading. 3 stars. ~Jason
Tuesdays With Morrie
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Aug 04, 2007, 20:16
[home/music] I just stumbled onto this: Neat! I didn't know other sites were selling my music… I guess that's connected to the licensing I do through the company that puts my stuff on iTunes. So just for fun, I looked around a bit more and found this: Rhapsody selling 12 Girlfriends, and AOL Music, YottaMusic, Connect.com, and Puretracks! Neat, eh? ~Jason
A Neat Suprise
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Fri, 03 Aug 2007
Aug 03, 2007, 09:40
[home/journal] I started my new job through McMaster Family Health on Wednesday. Since then I’ve been madly learning a new programming language so I can begin working on a new web interface for My OSCAR. My OSCAR is an application which family doctors can integrate into their practice which allows their patients to connect with each other, to interact with their doctor, to view their medical records, and more. Right now I’m reading a book which is freely available on the web, called Thinking in Java, 3rd Edition, by Bruce Eckel. I’ve temporarily placed it on this server so I can read it whenever and wherever the need arises. ~Jason
Learning Java
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Tue, 31 Jul 2007
Jul 31, 2007, 17:16
[home/journal] What a weird day today was! I went to bed last night about 10 p.m., and slept through until 4 p.m. today! I woke up once to puke, and once to check email in bed. Basically, the rest of the time I slept. It wasn’t like I was feeling particularly sick! I didn’t have any aches, no headache, no sore muscles, no stuffed nose, no sore throat. Just dizzy. I just felt dizzy, and that’s what made me puke in the morning. I’m feeling a little better today, but I hope I’m all over it tomorrow: that’s when I start my new job!! I don’t want to be sick the first day of work! ~Jason
Sick Today
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Mon, 30 Jul 2007
Jul 30, 2007, 21:56
[home/books] This was quite an interesting novel— my wife, Joanne, and I actually listened to it on CD while we drove 2000 miles across Canada. It took a while for me to get into it: there are a lot of unusual character names to get used to and the point of view keeps switching from one heroine to another. But overall very compelling. I was especially amazed at how it changed my views of Islam. I highly recommend it. ~Jason
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Tue, 24 Jul 2007
Jul 24, 2007, 01:09
[home/journal]
Moose Jaw, Aldersgate College, and the Guidos Family
Today was the first day of our trip back to Ontario. I start my new job on August 1st, so I wanted to head back early.
But we had not yet visited Moose Jaw, which was important to me, so Joanne and I decided to stop in today.
I wanted to visit Moose Jaw for two reasons: first, my alma-mater, Aldersgate College, was there. I wanted to take the opportunity to visit the (now defunct) college to take some photos and revisit some memories. Secondly, my dear friends, Bud and Marcelle Guidos, live in Moose Jaw. They were like parents to me through my four years there. They had me over many times for meals, to watch movies, to play Foose Ball, to read model railroader magazines, and to play their grand piano.
It was wonderful to see them again. They invited us into their home, and we chatted for some time about trains, model doll houses, the past, children, and lots of other great topics. Then they took all of us (all six of us!) out for lunch to “Humpty’s.” Joanne and I hadn’t seen them since we were married, so it was great to introduce them to our children and to recount some of the things that had happened over the last fourteen years. I just wish that we had more time to spend with them.
It was kind of sad to visit the college. Some of the buildings were nearly hidden with weeds— others had been neglected. Despite the differences, things seemed strangely unchanged. I trooped around the grounds with my camera (in 103 degree heat, I might add!) and got some shots of Epcott Hall, the H-hut, the newer dorm (which contained the Blue Lounge— what was it called again?). I’ll put the pictures up on Flickr and/or FaceBook when I return home.
Then it was back on the road, and heading for Winnepeg. But the thought of setting up our camper and sleeping in this heat was just too much. So we called CAA, and they found us a wonderful hotel suite for a great price! This hotel has a swimming pool and hot tub, free computer and web access in the room, and lots more. So I guess the camping will resume tomorrow night! I hope Northern Ontario is a little cooler than the prairies right now!
~Jason
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Sun, 22 Jul 2007
Jul 22, 2007, 23:43
[home/books] I just finished another novel, called "The Testament," by John Grisham. This is the second Grisham novel I've consumed, and I must say I like his style. In this story, an extremely wealthy man dies, leaving all his money to an illegitimate child (a missionary woman) instead of to his crazy children. A washed up lawyer is chosen to travel to her remote village and get her to sign some papers— and suprised to find she doesn't want the money. Five stars! ~Jason
The Testament
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Mon, 16 Jul 2007
Jul 16, 2007, 22:53
[home/journal] It was the summer of 1987 when I first tromped the halls of the West Edmonton Mall, then again with some “Celebration” friends back in 1988 and/or 1989… today the family made another visit through this gargantuan establishment. Everything from the world’s biggest indoor roller-coaster (which Lucas and I loved!) to an indoor wave pool and water park, indoor skating rink, a petting zoo, bungy cord jumping, an entire pirate ship, underwater submarine adventures, performing sea lions, and tons of other typical mall stuff… this is one CRAZY mall. I bought some junk from Dollarama, which I could have got anywhere, so that’s a little funny— but what a blast seeing the kids on all the rides. I even got to ride a horse on the merry—go-round with Gracey. What a lot of fun! Heading home tonight… it’s nine already and I’ve got a four or five hour drive back!! ~Jason
West Edmonton Mall
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Sat, 14 Jul 2007
Jul 14, 2007, 21:18
[home/books] The Shape of Snakes was, I think, my second (or third?) Minette Walters book, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It took a while to really get going— I found the narrative style a little confusing at first. As one r
The Shape of Snakes