Author: Joe Van

  • The Stars Don’t Care

    The Stars Don’t Care

    The stars don’t care if you curse at the sky,Or laugh till you choke, or break down and cry.They’ll burn all the same, cold fire in the black,Never once judging, never looking back. The trees don’t mind if you tell them your sins,They’ve heard it before from the wolves and the wind.They’ll whisper their secrets,…

  • Tales Within

    Tales Within

    Joseph Van Landschoot’s Tales Within is a book comprised of six short stories: Space Maze, Paradise in Trouble, Honey Trapped, The People’s, The Devil You Thought You Knew, and Z o n e s. It can be found on Amazon and Anywhere you find Ebooks! From Barnes & Noble, to Rakuten kobo, Apple Books, tolino,…

  • Names

    Names

    What’s in a name? Nelligan, Forani, Couteau, Van Landschoot. These four last names came together and were cancelled out based on to which male held which name. My grandmother’s father held the last name Nelligan, but he had a daughter, thus the last name would not survive a marriage. It fell to Forani, my grandfather’s…

  • Promises

    Promises

    Careful consideration cracked light Sweet smile soft hands Mindful gaze memorized lines These promises come free. Daily love dreaming high Happiness so often felt you forgot what it is to sigh There came a time to answer now is the rest of your life

  • PIECEMEAL

    PIECEMEAL

    An ocean is a multitude of drops, and life is a growing wave that drowns us. Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Be it at life, your job, your family, and friends, or just at the barrage of thoughts your mind can throw at you, it can all get to be too much at times. You’re…

  • Organic

    Organic

    Arranged soliloquies offered up deranged estranged pedantic pleas, So please don’t beam across the scene like I’m some means to mean what it gleans. I don’t know how to flow, Like two stones without a home. Crack my back for harder prose. I’ll get back to your stack of bones, But until then strap those…

  • NARRATIVES

    NARRATIVES

    (And lying to ourselves) The human mind is a storyteller, constantly weaving narratives in every moment of our existence. From the moment we wake up to the time we drift into dreams, our minds are tirelessly constructing stories about ourselves, the world around us, and the people we encounter. At the core of this narrative…

  • Waters

    Waters

    The open waters pull you in to a land yet known in space and time. It yearns, the land. The pull we feel comes from eons of yearning. All it wants is to be found by you. Just you and only you. We all feel it but ne’er seek it. The question is not who,…

  • CONTINUITY

    CONTINUITY

    (This isn’t about movies) Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed philosophers and curious minds, allow me to present a provocative argument that challenges the very foundations of our understanding. The continuity of self suggests that the self, as we commonly conceive it, is but an illusion! Consider the river of time as it flows through the landscapes…

  • COMING TO AN END

    COMING TO AN END

    Summer’s End, Relationships, Jobs, Loved Ones, Suicide, and Pets Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and friends, today, we gather to reflect upon a universal truth that binds the tapestry of our lives together—the unflinching of time toward endings. My motivation to make this thoughts piece came from the bittersweet childhood experience of summer’s end leading…

  • ACCUMULATION

    ACCUMULATION

    (An Inventory Story) On humanity’s path to understanding the cosmos we find ourselves in, we didn’t start at zero. Our predecessors wrote a story through our DNA that spans 4 billion years of survival. While we will never know the trials and experiences of these great countless who came before, they gave us starting blocks…

  • The True Volition Hexalogy

    The True Volition Hexalogy

    CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION! The True Volition hexalogy is a saga comprised of six novels, like a double trilogy! Four are currently finished and available on Amazon. Right now, DEVIANCE as an eBook is free on Smashwords! TRUE VOLITION for Smashwords TRUE VOLITION for Amazon PART I: Deviance DEVIANCE revolves around a tormented high school runaway with…

  • SP 71: Where is Brendan Roy?!

    Joe Van’s Secret Podcast Ep.71 we pick the minds of George Clooney and Lincoln. Enjoy!

  • SP 70: Dreaming of the Future

    On ep 70 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I interview a co-worker at a new job about his life, growing up, hobbies, travel, and predictive dreams. Enjoy!

  • Monkes as Pets

    Monkes as Pets

    We don’t want to be alone in this world. The feeling of loneliness is a terrible thing, worse still when you’re with people but feel alone. Even the most introverted person, who might claim that’s all they want, still require interactions, just through television, gaming, or some other form. In the movie I am Legend,…

  • Monkes in Art

    Monkes in Art

    What is art? We know the why, to express oneself, others, nature, emotions, and ideas. We know the how, being the application of creativity; imitations of life in the form of paint, all the way to sound. We know the when, starting concretely 45, 500 years ago all the way to present. We know the…

  • Monkes in Space

    Monkes in Space

    Human beings do not hold dominion over this Earth. We don’t. We’ve acted like we do, at least the powerful have throughout all of history and still to this day, but it’s obviously not the case. Though, in our very recent past as a species through agriculture and religion we have separated ourselves very much…

  • I AM NOT

    I AM NOT

    My name is Joe Van, and I am filled with absences, though that statement doesn’t track grammatically. Instead, I will simply say that I AM NOT most things. This line of thought is nothing new to me, nor is it new in general, nonetheless, as a kid I remember asking myself what would happen if…

  • SP 69: Crashin’ & Dancin’

    On number 69 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast I interview a new guest about hobbies, near-death experiences, spooks, and manifesting reality. Enjoy! PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716

  • AGI

    AGI

    In #60 of Thoughts I dive into three specific thought experiments relating to Artificial General Intelligence. I weigh the ideas and validity in the concept of AGI and the hold it has on our future. Enjoy!

  • Nope Review

    Nope Review

    Here is my film review of Nope, by Jordan Peele. https://letterboxd.com/joevan/film/nope/

  • Thoughts: Choice

    Thoughts: Choice

    Welcome to #53 of Thoughts. In today’s episode I go over the topic of: choice, while tying in free will, causality, and determinism. Enjoy! THOUGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMV1g7qYcuJxhqxpIszT-o-k REVIEWS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMXvgFCWmE9IikMvSXs35HJL Z O N E S: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMVXwdSqC9X7L1UDDapgcyxT MONKE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMX_doqCZdBtnAttTVzQVlxH TIER LISTS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMXr-y5V5quN5w-K3-xVPT4U PRIMATE NATION: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMWM_8uM9jsS-VyxDPEJ8p_V PATREON: https://youtu.be/a_bLwZJzJno SECRET PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 UNPLUGGED PODCAST: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChBigRAO1r1s5hlS57jiP8g TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejoevandotcom?lang=en

  • Impossible Places

    Impossible Places

    Impossible places. It’s a vague title, I know, but I didn’t know what to officially call this one. Today, I want to go over the concept of impossible places, but ones you desire deeply to go to. Kind of like the inverse to liminal spaces. Where one gives an eerie sense of familiarity, one that…

  • Neophobia

    Neophobia

    It’s late at night, and you’re home alone. You’re young and this is the first time it’s happened. You were excited at first but as the sun’s light faded beyond the horizon and darkness covered the outside world, you were compelled to turn on every light in the house. An urging sense of fear overtook…

  • Halo Infinite

    Halo Infinite

    Halo Infinite is the latest mainline instalment to the Halo video game franchise. It has come to us six years after the last main instalment which had most fans feeling like the new developers, 343 industries, missed the point of its story and thus lost the spirit of the original Halo games. For most, including…

  • Carapace

    Carapace

    I was born into a opened, burning world. Its wrath is old, tenable, and ceaseless. My fingers coil and brow furrows. I struggle to rise. The air weighs heavy on me. I pain to see through muddied light, but it seems, sadly, only the same sits staring on the horizon. Yet something stirs. Now change…

  • AUTHORITY Scene Review

    AUTHORITY Scene Review

    Here’s the first video of 2022! Welcome back, and to kick things off we’re going to start with this little micro review of the novel Authority, from the Southern Reach Trilogy. Here we will go over one single scene in the novel and break down how it nails everything a scene can and should be.…

  • Scary Stories

    Scary Stories

    Evening ghouls and ghosts, and welcome to another special Halloween episode from me, ya boy, Joe Van! This year we shall dive into three chilling scary stories that were told to me in my youth. Enjoy! And let me know if any of them got to you 👻 PLAYLISTS- SPEECHES: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMVngmiBwHfhWFwLgfLcfRWU MONKE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyW0IXUsqiMX_doqCZdBtnAttTVzQVlxH MOVIE TALK:…

  • Kanzi 太

    Kanzi 太

    Hola Primate Nation! Welcome to another addition of Monke in Review, where we go over monkes both big and small across history! Today I present: Kanzi the bonobo! Kanzi is known to this day as the world’s smartest bonobo. Let me know below if you’ve already heard about this monke or just learned today! PLAYLISTS-…

  • Pigs

    Pigs

    So, what the heck are pigs, I hear you ask. A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the even-toed ungulate family Suidae. Pigs include domestic pigs (Sus domesticus) and their ancestor, the common Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), along with other species. Pigs, like all suids, are native to the Eurasian and African continents, ranging from Europe to the Pacific islands. Juvenile pigs…

  • SP 68: A Relationship with Yourself

    Welcome back to episode 68 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, where I have on another new guest. We talk about the simulation, relationships, multiple best friends, enjoying just yourself, dealing with realities of life, narratives bad actors with good intentions have, and the supernatural! Enjoy. PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • Georgie Boy

    Georgie Boy

    Hola Primate Nation! Welcome to another addition of Monke in Review, where we go over monkes both big and small across history! Today I present: Georgie Boy the capuchin monkey! Georgie Boy found incredible fame on TikTok during the 2020 lockdowns by opening presents, and by he himself just being a present to be around.…

  • Détente

    Détente

    Searing combustions bombard my insides in a fit from two things that don’t mix having to share the same space. I hold them inside me in an unstable alliance that neither wish to hold. One part of me wishes to rip my skin off and be free, smoke, drink, fuck, and spew out any words…

  • Harambe

    Harambe

    Hola Primate Nation! Welcome to another addition of Monke in Review, where we go over monkes both big and small across history! Today I present: Harambe the gorilla. He changed the world, sadly, in his martyrdom. But with his loss the collective internet began paying more attention to primate treatment in captivity. However, it was…

  • Crystal the Monkey

    Crystal the Monkey

    Hola Primate Nation! Welcome to another addition of Monke in Review, where we go over monkes both big and small across history! Today I present: Crystal the Monkey. She is as famous as she is talented.

  • Monke’s Revenge

    Monke’s Revenge

    There is a old tale long told of a thief, and a boy; or: a tale of two gibbons. Now that the mysterious, wise traveler has been wronged, there’s a price to pay. It’s judgment day.

  • PART III

    PART III

    Welcome one and all to PART 3 of the 2000’s MOVIES TIER LIST! Met with special guest host Samantha, we dive deep into our decade of young movie fun! Enjoy the final chapter!

  • PART II

    PART II

    Welcome one and all to PART 2 of the 2000’s MOVIES TIER LIST! Met with special guest host Samantha, we dive deep into our decade of young movie fun! Enjoy.

  • 2000’s Movies Tier List: PART I

    2000’s Movies Tier List: PART I

    Welcome one and all to the 2000’s MOVIES TIER LIST! Met with special guest host Samantha, we dive deep into our decade of young movie fun! Enjoy.

  • Hubris: The Gorilla

    Hubris: The Gorilla

    There is another tale to be told by our wise, mysterious ape traveler. This one is about the dangers of flying too close to the sun: The Tale of Hubris the Gorilla. Enjoy!

  • Another Ape was Made

    Another Ape was Made

    Forged in secret, on the savannas of Africa, mutations saw fit to make another primate; one more powerful and cunning than the rest. In this ape, evolution poured its brutality, it malice, and its will to dominate all life! WEBSITE: https://thejoevan.com/ PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 BOOKS: https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/38534 KONG IS BEST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4JYmM-86PE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • Primate Nation

    Primate Nation

    I come to you, a mere Diddy Kong among kings, to present: Primate Nation! Home to King Kong, big foot, IKEA monkey and more! Come with me, fellow primates, to the promised land! Return to monke, and welcome, to thejoevandotcom! WEBSITE: https://thejoevan.com/ PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 BOOKS: https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/38534 KONG IS BEST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4JYmM-86PE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • Z o  n   e s: 4

    Z o n e s: 4

    June 16th 2134 It’s time… time I told someone else about the tunnel. Or maybe not- I- I don’t know… No, no, I do. It’s been days now and I haven’t been able to make any head way as far as identifying the soldier that talked to me. I need help. Out of anyone I…

  • SP 67: Social Conventions

    Welcome back to episode 67 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, where I have on another new guest. We, new occupants of the Toronto life, talk about moving in, the earliest memory anyone has ever had, aggression, depression, being a realist, and living in the world we know. Enjoy! PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • Z o n e s 3

    Z o n e s 3

    Welcome again to Z o n e s. Follow our protagonist between worlds, before and after ‘the war’. His journey continues from zone to zone, while life in the city changes. A new mysterious figure haunts his dreams, and new love is sparked. Enjoy!

  • SP 66: A Multitude of Drops

    Welcome back to episode 66 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, where I have on another new guest. We, new occupants of the Toronto life, talk about moving in, the earliest memory anyone has ever had, aggression, depression, being a realist, and living in the world we know. Enjoy! PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • SP 65: Cause and Effect

    SP 65: Cause and Effect

    Welcome back to episode 65 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, where I have on a new guest. Having known each other years until late, we talk about work, early memories, philosophy, the impact we have on others through cause and effect, and the impact that ideas have. Enjoy. PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • Thoughts: Experiences

    In this anniversary edition of Thoughts I go over the many concepts related to experiential existence, also known as just experience. Panpychism, dreams, and mindfulness are all fair game in this crazy thing we call life. Enjoy! ARTICLE LINK: https://thejoevan.com/2021/02/22/experiences/ PANPYCHISM: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/panpsychism/

  • Experiences

    Experiences

    Chilling, tingling, hot sensations of bubbly, proud, shocking but sad, boring, scratchy, pungent, exhausting happiness. EXPERIENCES are the tether with which we can all find common ground. It doesn’t matter what beliefs you have. If you’re shy, confident, sadistic, depressed, or think this reality is a simulation, we are all still existing through experiences. It’s…

  • SP 64: Cults and Isolation

    Welcome back to episode 64 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, where I have on our new guest from last episode to continue the question train! We talk about our earliest memories, his second-hand experience with cults, a stable outlook on being alone, instinctual fear, and aliens! Enjoy. PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • Movie Speed Round

    Welcome to the sequel and spiritual reboot of Speed Round! This time I, Joe Van, talk about recent movies I’ve watched. Enjoy! You can find me on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/JoeVan/ Link to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716 Check out my site! https://thejoevan.com/ Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmAfQyH-NmPbOsDesbyksg

  • SP 63: The following program contains mature subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.

    SP 63: The following program contains mature subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.

    Welcome to episode 62 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! In this episode I talk to a new secret guest about their work, rebellious adventures online, the power of optimism, finding peace in the randomness of our seemingly endless multiverse, and understanding human nature as natural. Enjoy! PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jd-streams/id1541025716

  • Cessation

    Cessation

    Hostilities come and go, competitions rein for a time. People fall in love, a criminal causes crime. Children grow up, and mothers grow old. The air ever blows, yet our lives eventually unfold. Cessation.

  • Passing Thoughts

    Howdy everybody! In this ep I just go over a couple of passing thoughts I’ve had recently that I thought I’d share with y’all. Enjoy!

  • A Journey Through Z o  n e s

    A Journey Through Z o n e s

    Allow me the pleasure of taking you on a narrative journey; a journey through different zones. Enjoy!

  • Halo 5: Guardians: Retold: Part 2
  • Halo 5: Guardians: Retold: Part 1
  • The JD: Unplugged #1

    Welcome everyone to Derron and Joe’s newest podcast series titled: The JD: Unplugged! For episode one we have on friend of the show Aidan from Movie Motel, to talk all things current in our crazy world. We had a blast opening this first chapter and we hope you all enjoy!

  • Thoughts 50: The Final Frontier

    In this milestone episode of Thoughts, episode fifty, I go over the concept of the final frontier and what it could be. Are we destined to greatness, or destruction? Time will tell. Enjoy!

  • The Final Frontier

    The Final Frontier

    It’s hard to articulate, but the void; a word to describe nothing… Nothing, that isn’t a thing, but a lack of, like the space between atoms, is the only thing that existed for all of us before we were born. This milestone edition of Thoughts is on the topic: the Final Frontier. None of us…

  • Thoughts 49: Halloween

    In episode forty-nine of Thoughts, we take a real deep dive into the spooky history of where the tradition we know now as Halloween came from. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 48: Work and Happiness

    In episode forty-eight of Thoughts, I go over my opinions about work, the workplace, work life, and general happiness with it all. Enjoy!

  • Halloween

    Halloween

    I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey.(The Rocky Horror Picture Show) Be afraid… Be very afraid.(The Fly) It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.(Halloween) Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble!(Macbeth) The ghosts are bad but the one that’s cursed, is the headless horseman; he’s…

  • Thoughts 47: Life in 100 Years

    In episode forty-seven of Thoughts, I ask you to join me in a thought experiment! We ponder the question: What will life look like in one-hundred years? We go over governments and infrastructure, to human lifespans and potential events. I hope to hear from y’all. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 46: Where Did We Come From? Part Two

    In episode forty-six of Thoughts, I continue our journey through the deep history of our species. What did we create on our own and what came instilled in us? How long did we wonder, and what traces of our ancestors can be seen in us today? I hope you all enjoy this take! It was…

  • Work and Happiness

    Work and Happiness

    Welcome back everyone to another thought piece by me, ya boy, Joe Van. Today we will be covering work life, and general daily happiness. I first named this piece ‘Work’, but considering most peoples’ work takes up a majority of their life, I had to include happiness. Imagine if humans had the same sleeping cycle…

  • Thoughts 45: Aliens

    In episode forty-five of Thoughts, I dive deep into the history and lore of aliens, what the word means, and how we’ve come to understand the possibility of other lifeforms in the universe. Enjoy!

  • Life in One-Hundred Years

    Life in One-Hundred Years

    Hello everyone and welcome back to another thought piece by me, ya boy, Joe Van! Today… well, today we will be doing a thought experiment. It’s one that has been done a million times before by a million people, ad infinitum, and it’s one I want to encourage all of you to do with me!…

  • Thoughts 44: Where Did We Come From?

    In episode forty-four of Thoughts, I go over the vast account of our ancestral lineage. From creation myth, to ancient aliens, to the facts, our time on Earth has been unfathomably long. Enjoy!

  • SP 62: Shadows of Simulations

    Welcome to episode 62 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! In this episode I talk again, for the third time, with our first new guest post-COVID! This time we go over whether or not all of reality is simulated. We also talk about ideas, emotions, the concept of the 4th physical dimension, and personal beliefs. Enjoy!

  • Where Did We Come From? Part Two

    Where Did We Come From? Part Two

    What Is It Like to Be a Bat? is a paper that was written by American philosopher Thomas Nagel, first published in 1974. It was the public’s introduction to the idea of, not only, ‘I think; therefore I am,’ but, ‘there must be ways in which it is like to be something, other than our…

  • Thoughts 43: Filberts

    In episode forty-three of Thoughts, I take you guys (meaning both) on a journey through the discovery of the word filbert, its origins, and what it means to label things. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 42: States of Consciousness

    In episode forty-two of Thoughts, I expand on my previous episode: Reality, by going over the many forms our mind can take in regard to painting our reality. Enjoy!

  • SP 61: Physiotherapy

    Welcome to episode 61 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! In this episode I interview a newly acquainted gentleman and professional who specializes in the therapy of the body. In his words, he ‘beats people up until they’re better’. I couldn’t have put it better myself. Enjoy!

  • Aliens

    Aliens

    What’s that, in the sky? It’s a bird! A plane! No, it’s a U.F.O. BRO! Holy S**T Bro WHAT THE F**K?! Hey everybody and welcome back to another thought piece by me, ya boy, Joe Van! Today we will be going over the topic of aliens! Whether you mean people from another country, an unusual…

  • Thoughts 41: Introductions

    In episode forty-one of Thoughts, I read to you guys from the beginning page of my four completed novels. I start the narrative with a mini thought piece to prime y’all for the what the story will cover. Let me know if you guys liked this video however you can! It’s greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 40: Reality

    In episode forty of Thoughts, I talk about the one thing we all perceive yet all perceive differently: reality. I go over how much we know or could know about reality, along with how our minds construct the reality we all personally experience. Enjoy!

  • Where Did We Come From?

    Where Did We Come From?

    Well, once upon a time, Adam and Eve were made by God. According to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, they were the first man and woman. Okay, okay, I’m just messin’ with you, but for the longest time this story and others (where we all came from one pair) was the only answer we would get when…

  • Thoughts 39: Astrology

    In episode thirty-nine of Thoughts, I go over Astrology, it’s history, objects and subjects involved in it practice, and my views on its legitimacy. Enjoy!

  • Filberts

    Filberts

    Great Value Deluxe Mixed Nuts (with 40% cashews) houses many nuts, one of them being hazelnuts… but on the packaging they refer to hazelnuts as filberts. My girlfriend wondered at first what filberts were and why they didn’t put hazelnuts on the can. Great Value isn’t a Canadian brand as it is owned by Walmart,…

  • Thoughts 38: Ending Adolescence

    In episode thirty-eight of Thoughts, I talk about growing up, from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Life holds so many changes for us and we’ve charted them to great detail, save narrowly for the ending of adolescence, in my mind. I go over this and what it means to really grow up. Enjoy!

  • States of Consciousness

    States of Consciousness

    When I put together my visualized Thoughts piece: Reality, (that you may or may not have seen yet depending on when you’re reading this,) I used psychedelic visuals to start the video, yet at no point did I talk about the mind in that altered state, only that hallucinations are to be taken with care……

  • Thoughts 37: The Legend of Zelda

    In episode thirty-seven of Thoughts, I talk about Nintendo’s beloved video game franchise: the Legend of Zelda! With its countless iterations, each one reviving the characters we know and love, the Zelda series covers vast generations. Have you played any Legend of Zelda games? Let me know!

  • Reality

    Reality

    What starts as something almost too simple to even think about, reality is so secretly perplexing that doing a deep dive into what we know will leave one floored. The truth is, we know very little about how we are here. The Big Bang theory is still the best possible take on how our CURRENT…

  • Thoughts 36: Tolerance

    In episode thirty-six of Thoughts, I talk about different forms of tolerance, how we’re subjected to it, when it comes, and when it goes. Enjoy!

  • Astrology

    Astrology

    Before getting into it, I just wanted to preface this piece by saying that if you believe in astrology, turn away now! I come at it with my biases and am rude to the subject. Now, with that said… Ahh the reading of one’s psychology through the motion of planets and stars, peak science. Welcome…

  • Thoughts 35: Late Nights

    In episode thirty-five of Thoughts, I talk about late nights in general and their profound effect on our ability of reflection. Enjoy!

  • Ending Adolescence

    Ending Adolescence

    Adolescence itself is the period following the onset of puberty, during which a young person develops from a child into an adult. We all know about adolescence. Aside from us personally experiencing it, countless coming-of-age movies and shows cover it. Most of the other major life changes are covered as well. Growing up is a…

  • Thoughts 34: Fame

    In episode thirty-four of Thoughts, I go over the concept and origins of fame and infamy, and how we are all effected by it today. Enjoy!

  • Proper Introductions 2020

    Proper Introductions 2020

    Hello one and all! Check out my YouTube channel found through this video here or in my CHANNELS page. I’d love to have a conversation with you about any of the topics I’ve talked about, and the others I have yet to! Let me know what you think anywhere you can comment, and enjoy!

  • SP 60: Beautiful Simplicity

    Welcome to episode 60 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! In this episode I bring back my first new guest post COVID-19 to continue our deep dive into various subjects! We cover the economy and how by not increasing pay during something like inflation IS in itself an action, we cover our earliest memories, health and…

  • The Legend of Zelda

    The Legend of Zelda

    The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise where you play a silent-type heroic character clad in green, that fights the flood- wait! Wait waitwait, wrong franchise. Sorry. In the Legend of Zelda, you play as a character appointed by your commanding nation to quell the forces against your kind, harnessing little more than…

  • Thoughts 33: Language

    In episode thirty-three of Thoughts, I am joined with a guest appearance by Ben from stuffwithben to talk about language! We give our take on what it is and what it means for us as a species. Enjoy!

  • SP 59: Context

    Welcome to episode 59 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! Today I have on my fifth guest post COVID-19. We waste no time jumping into Ang Lee’s discography, conspiracies- both ludicrous and true, how separation leads to hate, the new viral ‘woke and racist’ skit on Twitter, Oakville’s checkered past AND present, why Canada should not…

  • SP 58: What we Observe

    Welcome to episode 58 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! Today I have my first NEW guest, post COVID-19. We waste no time jumping into heavy topics such as belief, hard concepts that will ne’er have an answer, working to learn how you want to work, and living situations. It was a blast to have him…

  • Tolerance

    Tolerance

    When you think of tolerance, do you think of physical tolerance, or philosophical tolerance? The capacity to endure continued subjection to something, be it a drug, transplant, antigen, or environmental conditions, without adverse reaction, is physical tolerance. The ability or willingness to forbear something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does…

  • Thoughts 32: The Conflict with Conflict

    In episode thirty-two of Thoughts, I talk about how conflict as an entity is fused to the meaning of life. It is what gives us rise whether we like it or not. Enjoy!

  • Late Nights

    Late Nights

    I gave you guys a late night thought of mine in Transient Thoughts, and here I just wanted to talk about late nights in general. They are the time of a 24 hour cycle where most people are asleep. It’s when it’s quietest in your corner of the world, and it’s when deep thoughts can…

  • Thoughts 31: Halo

    In episode thirty-one of Thoughts, I talk about my experience with the video game franchise: Halo. Enjoy!

  • Joe Van Recommends

    Hey everybody! It’s ya boy, Joe Van, comin’ back at ya with another piece, but this one’s different from the rest. In this piece I wanted to recommend some YouTube channels to you guys. These channels are ones I’ve come across over years of binge-watching YouTuber content. So, they’ll come in no particular order, but…

  • Fame

    Fame

    Shamans and heroes! Serial killers and singers! Fame. The subject of fame is cool as hell because it’s one of those other things that’s completely unique to humans. It’s the state of being known or talked about by many people, especially on account of notable achievements. People the world over know who Tom Cruise is.…

  • Thoughts 30: Love

    In episode thirty of Thoughts I gush about love! Oh what a thing to be captured by. Enjoy!

  • Language

    Language

    At my elementary school, when you rose to grade five, you were inducted to the fictional island of Foo. You learned their language and pastime sports, and near the end of the year you would compete with your peers to claim victory in each category. That was the first and only time I truly learned…

  • Thoughts 29: Strength and Power

    In episode twenty-nine of Thoughts, I go over the MANY different definitions of strength, and discuss how power plays into strength. Enjoy!

  • The Conflict with Conflict

    The Conflict with Conflict

    Does life need conflict? More specifically, do humans need conflict in our lives to keep things interesting? Just look at animals in zoos for Pete’s sake. They got no worries in the world, but also nothing to do. Good stories certainly need conflict. And states of higher consciousness or enlightenment are merely momentary, so it…

  • Thoughts 28: Follies of Consciousness

    In episode twenty-eight of Thoughts, I talk about the follies of consciousness and what we do with our understanding of them. Enjoy!

  • Halo

    Halo

    When you first saw Halo, were you blinded by its majesty? Before I jump into the video game that I’m actually referring to, let’s cover the other uses of the word. A halo is a disk or circle of light shown surrounding or above the head of a saint or holy person to represent their…

  • Thoughts 27: Determinism

    In episode twenty-seven of Thoughts, I dive deep into the philosophical standpoint of Determinism. Is it the truth of reality? One must make up their own mind. Enjoy!

  • Love

    Love

    Love is compassion and attraction. It’s kindness and well wishes. It’s hidden magic, being in it, and something worth fighting for. If life is a game, love is the prize! It’s the one thing everyone wants. But does true love really exist? Sorry to keep playing the word game with you guys, but let’s look…

  • SP 57: Simulated Frights

    Welcome to episode 57 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! Today I have another 2nd time returning guest come back from the top of the year to discuss their experience during Canada’s quarantine time. We talk about Black Lives Matters protests, films to watch, Jay-walking, what the odds are that we live in a simulated reality,…

  • Thoughts 26: Fear

    In episode twenty-six of Thoughts, I discuss the sensation of fear, where it came from, why it lives within us and what one does with it. Enjoy!

  • Strength and Power

    Strength and Power

    Strength! Power! Austin POWERS. What is strength, and what is power? Strength is physical, and strength is emotional. Power is external control and authority, and control is an illusion. So what does that say about the people seeking power? One could say they’re chasing a fleeting dream, like chasing the pink dragon- something they might…

  • Thoughts 25: The Good Life

    In milestone episode twenty-five of Thoughts, I discuss the pursuit of happiness and how to live a generally good life. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 24: Time

    In episode twenty-four of Thoughts, I go over time in all of its complicated simplicity as it draws us ever forward. Enjoy!

  • The Follies of Consciousness

    The Follies of Consciousness

    There will be people that can argue to a good point that human consciousness is a part of evolution, but my intuition says it just ain’t! Hence my title: The Follies of Consciousness. First, what is consciousness? Consciousness is the fact of awareness by the mind of itself and the world. In shorter words; self-awareness.…

  • Thoughts 23: Substance Abuse

    In episode twenty-three of Thoughts I go over the heavy subject of substance abuse, what factors play into how it develops and how breaking through mental walls is all part of living a better life. Enjoy!  

  • Thoughts 22: Identities

    In episode twenty-two of Thoughts, I talk about the concept of identity, what it is, what it means, where it could come from, and what we make of it. Enjoy!

  • Determinism

    Determinism

    Is determinism the truth of reality? For starters, what is the idea of determinism and what are its counters? Determinism is the philosophical belief that all events are determined completely by previously existing causes. Causal determinism in physics is known as cause-and-effect. It is the concept that events within a given paradigm are bound by…

  • Thoughts 21: Dyson Spheres

    In episode twenty-one of Thoughts, I talk about the theory of Dyson Spheres, their potential origin in myth, and what it means for us looking out in the universe. Enjoy!

  • Another Reading

    Hey everyone! Here’s another video of me reading a sample of my writing. This time it’s the very beginning of my first book: Deviance. I hope you enjoy! For those hooked and want more, if you google smashwords and search my full name: Joseph Van Landschoot, you can find Deviance as an ebook for free!

  • Fear

    Fear

    Fear is tucking your daughter in for the night only to realize once you’ve closed the door that you don’t have a daughter. Fear is laying in bed as a figure walks into your room from the hallway and you can’t move. Fear is being three hours into a hike and hearing a crunch beside…

  • Thoughts 20: Sexuality

    In episode twenty of Thoughts, I talk about the nature of sexuality and our relationship with it. Enjoy!

  • SP 56: Check Yourself

    Welcome to #56 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! Here I talk to another returning guest about her early past, quarantining with friends, what the point or lack-there-of is regarding the theory that reality is a simulation, and virtual babysitting among other things. She was a treat to have on and I hope you all enjoy!

  • Thoughts 19: Melancholy Flower Infinite

    In episode nineteen of Thoughts, I wax poetic about our understanding of existence and how little we will ever know. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 18: Attention

    In episode eighteen of Thoughts, I talk about attention and what makes us give it. Enjoy!

  • Album Covers of our Cosmos

    Album Covers of our Cosmos

    This is visual poetry, not brought to you by myself but by NASA. I just thought I’d share it on my website. These images have been rendered in all their beauty for free to the general public; the ones below are my favourites of the bunch. You can find all of the posters by searching…

  • SP 55: No South Korea

    Welcome back to #55 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast! I talk with a returning guest about how the current quarantine has affected his plans, what scares him most, and states of the mind. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 17: Imagine

    In episode seventeen of Thoughts, I talk about a hypothetical blob entity that exists within all of us. Enjoy!

  • The Good Life

    The Good Life

    What constitutes living a good life? While individual happiness is particular to each person, general well being is quantifiable. A good life includes a healthy diet, or healthy enough for you to still enjoy what you’re eating, a moderate fitness regiment, an open dialogue with your inner circle of loved ones, and having a life…

  • Thoughts 16: 12 Certainties and Suggestions

    In episode sixteen of Thoughts, I lay out my list of the twelve certainties and suggestions about reality as a human on Earth in our lifetime… just to be specific. Enjoy!

  • Time

    Time

    What is time? I’ll let you guys answer this one. For real, I’ll wait… and wait… and wait. Even if it takes a lifetime. Even when the stars burn out and matter is dissipated into a heat death of the universe. All will be dark, but you’ll still have time. Time is known to do…

  • Thoughts 15: Snitches get Stitches

    In episode fifteen of Thoughts, I talk about how snitches get stitches! Just kidding, I talk about how that phrase or concept doesn’t just work as a threat.

  • Substance Abuse

    Substance Abuse

    How does someone find themselves at the receiving end of a destructive habit? No one plans to live a life of degradation. It’s something that happens slowly, like a frog in boiling water. One doesn’t notice that certain actions have a predictive outcome of addiction until they reach that point down the line. It can…

  • Thoughts 14: It’s Worth It

    Welcome to episode fourteen of Thoughts. Here I talk about when fighting is necessary. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 13: Being in It

    Welcome to episode thirteen of Thoughts. Here I talk about the concept of certainty, specifically in personal relationships. Enjoy!  

  • Identities

    Identities

    Identities! Also known as personalities made from a collection of memories. I’ve written about the concept of identities in bits and pieces throughout my blog, like in Duality and Perspective, but I think it deserves it’s own work down. Would the ninth grade version of yourself even recognize you? Are you still you if you…

  • Thoughts 12: Importance

    In episode twelve of Thoughts, I talk about the importance we put on things and how it makes us who we are. Enjoy!

  • Dyson Spheres

    Dyson Spheres

    One one-billionth of the Sun’s total energy output actually reaches Earth. Of all the energy that does reach Earth, 34 percent is reflected back to space by clouds. The Earth itself reflects another 66 percent back to space. Wouldn’t it be great if we could harness even one percent of the Sun’s energy? That thought…

  • Thoughts 11: Longevity

    In episode eleven of Thoughts, I discuss what makes a full life, and why it’s important. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 10: New Terrain

    In episode ten of Thoughts, I talk about new terrain, and how we were built to thrive. Enjoy!

  • EEEAAA!

    EEEAAA!

    Jumping stretches my aching body! Here now I have some. I can’t dance but I’d love to try. The trees call me to climb them, who am I to deny? Eeeaaa do I love a good run from sun rise to sun done. Crackle like a fire when it’s time and sing like a choir…

  • Thoughts 9: Perspective

    In episode nine of Thoughts I break down perspective and how it can work wonders for living a good life. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 8: Being Alone

    In episode eight of Thoughts, I talk about the nature of being alone.

  • Sexuality

    Sexuality

    Sexuality is both praised and abhorred in society. It’s either handled with exuberance or repression, the latter form there arguably running both the show and amok in the western world. The current dominant religions are clearly against it, yet have their own twisted viewpoint on what it even is. Everyone remembers when puberty really changed…

  • Thoughts 7: Hidden Magic

    In episode seven of Thoughts, I talk about the hidden magic found in people. It’s something ne’er discussed but potent to the meaning of life.

  • Thoughts 6: If we Could Live Forever

    In episode six of Thoughts, I discuss thought experiments on what it would be like to live forever. Enjoy!

  • A Reading

    Hey everyone! I hope you’re having a safe and enjoyable quarantine period. To help you pass the time, I read aloud a section from my second book. Enjoy!

  • Thoughts 5: Duality

    In episode five of thoughts, I talk about the complex nature of duality.

  • Thoughts 4: Intentions

    In episode four of Thoughts, I talk about intentions and how difficult they are to grasp.

  • Thoughts 3: Introspection

    In episode three of Thoughts, I talk about the tool of introspection in regards to emotional stability. Enjoy.

  • Attention

    Attention

    “Adults with ADHD who are undiagnosed and untreated in childhood are at greater risk of low self-esteem, substance abuse, anxiety and depression,” Labour’s shadow minister for mental health, Barbara Keeleyshe says. “Despite the serious problems that adults with undiagnosed ADHD face, many living with the condition say it has had a positive impact on their…

  • Thoughts 2: Transient Thoughts

    Welcome to episode two of Thoughts. Here I talk about late night thoughts before work.

  • Thoughts 1: Retrospect

    Hello everyone and welcome to a new little project of mine! Thoughts. These will be vocalizations of my Thoughts blog on my website, thejoevan.com. Enjoy!

  • Factions

    Factions

    Friends and functions make us proud. Work can lull but the nights are loud. We band together for hype and ooh rah’s. Then factions break by un-greased hoopla. Piece it back, we do it together. Make others wonder if they can have forever. What we are is special, under one’s boots and teeth. Be the…

  • Careless

    Careless

    Streaks of something yesteryear born still may sit unattended on one’s cheek. Made were things to use yet now no light casts down for dust’s sake. We pass the garbage in search for new only to leave a slimy trail of destruction. Making hair twisting screams curdled by the few who care. Where do we…

  • SP 54: Collected Consciousness

    On #54 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I talk with an old boss of sorts about her years of growth, identity, and philosophies about our species. What does the future hold? We know as much as we dare to.

  • End of an Era

    Hello adoring fans! I just wanted to make an announcement that future installations of the Joe Van Secret Podcast will no longer be named by season, and will no longer be weekly! I thank you all so much for tuning in, and appreciate your future time with us. This is the end of an era,…

  • Teem

    Teem

    Power moves through muscles, priming them to flex. We teem with energy, waiting for the right time to pounce. People prop up and spring, growing taller to jump higher. Such whims want nothing more, but to teem with excitement at the chance to pour.

  • S2 E28: Jolly Life

    On #53 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I speak with a not-so-new friend from the big city about her life, from over the pond to here and everywhere in between. We also talk about how one makes friends and which friends to keep!

  • S2 E27: Crazy Work Stories

    On #52 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I speak with a once city local about his life and work, as well as philosophical inquiries on what could be.

  • Little Seats

    Little Seats

    We perch ourselves, as little people in little heads. We operate little bodies, made up of little cells. We roam between little sheets, covering a little planet. We soar on a little planet, chasing a brilliant star. Little seats make for grand sights, if so we choose. The brilliant stars dance, and we are alive.…

  • S2 E26: Choice

     On #51 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I have on return guests Sam and Xerxes! We sing only to jump head first into deep talks that have no end in relation to there being a possible conclusive answer. Life is a dance so we might as well sing too!

  • S2 E25: South Korea

    On milestone #50 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I speak with a new guest about everything under the sun, from childhood and love, to wonder and hoping. Disclaimer; my dog appears throughout the episode schlopping and clopping.

  • S2 E24: Hysteria

    On #49 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I break a sacred rule and edit! What are rules for anyway? In the first promotional interview for a project,  I talk with Writer/Director Reem Morsi on her first feature: Hysteria.

  • S2 E23: Personal Fear

    On #48 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I talk with a fellow self employed, recovered alcoholic about the journey one takes to better their lives. We discuss addiction, scammers, persistence, cycles of bitter habit and finally taking that leap. Sometimes it takes getting shot in the head to wake up.

  • S2 E22: Societies of our Time

    Happy New Year and new decade my fellow dudes! On #47 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, my guest from last week returns, making it the first ever back-to-back interview! Also clocking in as the longest episode so far, we discuss her early world and how she came to be city-neighbours with me. We talk about…

  • S2 E21: The Plan

    Merry Christmas and happy holidays! On #46 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I interview a public health worker in the criminal justice world. We talk about finding one’s path, community, authority, justice advocacy, the entertainment world, belief and judgment, the holiday of Eid, the British royal family, one race, and climate change consequences.

  • S2 E20: The Way the World Works

    On #45 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast I talk with a past co-worker about movies and the work that goes into them, secrets of the universe, addiction, trauma and how it can change people, whether or not free will exists and how the universe really works.

  • S2 E19: Living the High Life

    On #44 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I speak with a young couple about their meeting and falling in love, what they do now and what we know about pop culture.

  • S2 E18: Past Your Eyes

    On #43 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast I speak with a couple that have been neighbours to generations upon generations of kids. They talk with me about their early life, coming together, years of travel, the controversy of immigration, and finding time to talk.

  • S2 E17: Gemini

    On #42 of the Joe Van Secret Podcast, I speak with a fellow cinephile about recent and not-so-recent films, comic books, manga, nearly perfect television, and the dangers of interpretation.

  • S2 E16: Love, Sex, and Language

    On #41 of the Joe Van Secret Podcast I have my very first co-host! We speak with a returning guest about our love lives, past relationships, the importance of love languages, and friendship.

  • S2 E15: Individuality

    On #40 of the Joe Van Secret Podcast, I speak to one tall drink of water about growing up with positive influences, standing out and finding your inner child.

  • S2 E14: CHINA

    On #39 of the Joe Van’s Secret Podcast I prove that it’s better to be together, when person after person joins the conversation! In one long sit down, me and several guests talk about so much stuff I can’t even condense it for you here. Just sit back, tune in, and enjoy the ride!

  • S2 E13: Emotional Intelligence

    On #38 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I talk to a relative across the pond about his opinion on politics, humanity, and what’s possible.

  • S2 E12: Ghouls and Ghosts

    Today’s Halloween themed episode #37 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast I talk with Sam about scary movies, instincts, scary scenarios and candy!

  • S2 E11: Human Connection

    Joe Van’s Secret Podcast #36. I talk to a delightful new mystery guest about mythologies, human nature, A.G.I., and how we connect.

  • S2 E10: Breathing with Meaning

    On season two, episode ten, Joe Van’s Secret Podcast #35, I talk with two amazing people at the end of my first LSD experience. We discuss shows we were raised with, outdated metro-sexuality, taking advantage of the social market, magic mushrooms, k-holes, Macbeth, LOVE, women’s rights, and my own little book plug.

  • S2 E9: Dreaming of Free Animals

    On season two, episode nine, Joe Van’s Secret Podcast #34, I talk to a designer at an architecture firm about early life, after life, dreams, animals’ rights, and the importance of not hurting others. She was a guest to have back eagerly.

  • S2 E8: The Great Canadian Debate Finale

    Part FOUR and finale of the great Canadian debate… and episode #33 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I talk again with Bobby Rose and Big L on the topics of climate change action, mandatory military, females in combat, the death penalty, euthanasia, abortion, the burka and feminism. We finish things by agreeing to disagree, and…

  • S2 E7: Gucci Gang

    In episode #32 of Joe Van’s Secret Podcast, I bring back two amazing guests to talk about past trends, what the future could hold, where we came from and our perspectives of the Raptors at the start of June 2019.

  • S2 E6: The Great Canadian Debate P3

    In podcast #31, Mr.Rose, Big L and I talk gay marriage rights, LGBTQ+ adoption, immigrant assimilation, vetting Muslims, sactuary cities, candidate transparency, criminal voting rights and mandatory military.

  • S2 E5: A Body of Fears

    Here with episode #30 of the Secret Podcast. Today I speak to a lived gentleman about science, work, tattoos and horror movies!

  • S2 E4: The Great Canadian Debate P2

    Welcome back! In this podcast #29 I bring back Big L and Bobby Rose to debate worker strikes, net neutrality, the minimum wage, universal basic income, mental health funding, native funding, university tuition and flag burning.

  • S2 E3: Finding Good

    For podcast #28 I interview an artistic woman that has inspired me more than once. We talk about her journey into the art world, working with children, finding good in everyone and what might lie beyond.

  • S2 E2: The Great Canadian Debate P1

    In the Secret Podcast #27, I bring in two boys to talk politics. We hit the topics of commercial drones, legal cannabis, nationalism, globalism, and gun freedom.

  • Periphery

    Periphery

    The walls of my vision split like an atom, bursting a billion stars like plastered plastic barbies reduced to pellets. Gaseous particles bomb the dark for their friends to see, in the cold of an endless night for a tiny fleeting light. My hearing shatters at the point of heart break, falling deaf on the…

  • S2 E1: Responding First

    In Joe Van’s Secret Podcast #26, I talk to an old friend about close calls, the flat Earth, addictions, the uncanny valley, video games, roasts, and family.

  • Back

    Back

    Allow me to take you on a retrospective journey… thinking back to who I was at the turn of my second decade. God, I’m still so stupid. No, I shouldn’t use that word. I’m learning and will learn for the rest of my life, there’s nothing wrong with that. I was just so lazy and…

  • Life In

    Life In

    Leaves rustle with the wind, and we are blown. Nature breathes in, we are exhaled. Oceans churn, and we are born. Life out is life in. One side of a coin does not exist without the other.

  • People

    People

    Clambering for some kind of resolve negates the point. Will you forgive me? Cracking down often does the opposite. It’s not a fad! Knowing for certain shuts off your brain. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

  • Ghosts Go

    Ghosts Go

    Feeling a fleeting, fringe, fraction of fire ignite your soul is reason enough to chase a ghost for the rest of your life. Freeing frantic midnight fights from your soul is reason enough… enough to let a ghost go.

  • Vistas

    Vistas

    Seeing the sky with new eyes means shedding the old, the pain is searing but what comes post revealing, are vistas oh bold.

  • Reading Alone

    Ep.4 of Joe Van reads Wiki. Here I read about solipsism, or is it really just you?

  • How Hollywood Moves Ideas

    How Hollywood Moves Ideas

    Culture: Reflected and Shaped by Movies Joseph Van Landschoot               The Matrix changed how mainstream audiences thought about reality. Through Star Wars, a fan community formed where people made life-long friendships and even families. Us now holds the record for highest grossing original horror film on opening weekend, (Box Office Mojo,) ushering in new…

  • Why Care About The Movies You See?

    Why Care About The Movies You See?

    How the Average Moviegoer Votes with Their Wallet Over 48% of the U.S./Canadian yearly box office income is from moviegoers that frequent the theatres one or more times in a month, (source: M.P.A.A. theatre market statistics 2016,) so it’s safe to say that the rest of the money made comes from blockbusters. The top five…

  • The Gravity of Reading

    Ep.3 of Joe Van Reads Wiki: reading about science and gravity.

  • Determined Reading Again

    Episode Two of Joe Van Reads Wikipedia!

  • Movies with [BLANK]

    Famously my most boring post! For those who have the time, grab a pen and paper! See if you recognize the movies I talk about.

  • Mic Test with Secrets

    Here’s my voice to listen to on a lonely night.

  • Lyrics

    Lyrics

    Yeah I’m here and we’re here and we’re seemin’ okay but we don’t know what we’re doin. No we don’t know what we’re doin. No we don’t no we don’t no we don’t no we don’t. And we find ourselves in our town in our time and we’re workin with what we’ve got. And we…

  • Turning and Churning

    Turning and Churning

    Folding and pelting, greasing and gassing, holding and passing. Letting up a tad to see it spin out, grabbing on tight and trying not to shout. Bingeing on the hard stuff, dying just to last. Crying with cuffed hands now, hell has come and passed.

  • Clock

    Clock

    Tick-tock goes the clock for all but the dead. It goes up and down, fast and slow but never stops. Craters fill, mountains fall and I feel so small. Could causality be the only thing to cause anxiety? If ever the clock went back, only for a day or two, how neat would it be…

  • Imagine

    Imagine

    Imagine that every person had inside them a blob. This blob would move about throughout their larger life-force, dark and destructive. It would give them sensations to run, or to fight. It would make them see red, or give them tunnel vision. The blob would do its best to create downward spirals. It was all…

  • A Slice of Land of Ene: Birth of A King

    A Slice of Land of Ene: Birth of A King

    This is a little something from the beginning of the book to let all know what kind of story the third chapter of the True Volition Hexalogy will be. I hope you enjoy!   Light from the night sky shown on an abandoned shack that sat by itself in a flat grassy plain just south…

  • Twelve Certainties and Suggestions

    Twelve Certainties and Suggestions

    The twelve things of life: You were born of a consequence of programming, not of divine intention. Just because nature has instilled instincts in you, does not mean those instincts are rightful. Moderation in all affairs is not only the key to longevity, but healthy prosperity. Letting go and moving forward is the only way…

  • Strange

    Strange

    Strange it always comes in the night, where all my mind that eyes can’t hide reveal the side thought sterilized; a doctor and a mister. Two sides to a coin, once believed one eloign, but nevermore, lest delusion be reborn. They live inside me, fazed to a non-existent centre, inside which I might find peace…

  • Secret Pod 25

    This episode I speak to a young, passionate man in regards to plant care.

  • Secret Pod 24

    I talk with guest 23 about an american life, reincarnation and what science doesn’t know.

  • Secret Podcast 23

    This episode, I talk to an old guest: 5, about life goals, human nature and piecing things together.

  • Secret Podcast 22

    In this episode we talk about weed and the life of guest 22.

  • Secret Podcast 21

    This episode I talk to a lovely couple about their rich lives.

  • Secret Podcast 20

    In this episode my guest and I talk about relationships, ghosts, and drugs. A side note that is worth mentioning, I give a story that I feel I presented poorly, and if editing was not against my rules I would definitely cut that out.

  • Secret Podcast 19

    This episode features a scholar who works in HVAC, and energy systems in general.

  • Snitches Get Stitches

    Snitches Get Stitches

    The common phrase, ‘snitches get stitches and end up in ditches,’ is currently used in schoolyards, though it originally came from urban communities regarding illegal activities. They would say it to someone they considered potential police informants, as a form of intimidation for their own self-serving reasons. Since then it has been used in jails,…

  • It’s Worth It!

    It’s Worth It!

    Damn does life throw curve balls sometimes. I’m not a sportsman, no more specifically a follower of the baseball, but meanings mean some things. Fighting is so often something we all try to avoid, and for good reason, because it does nothing but hurt. Though, in many situations, we fight because we need to, to…

  • Secret Podcast 18

    Halloween is fast approaching! Sam and Xerxes return to talk about it.

  • Secret Podcast 17

    In this episode I talk with a newly engaged millennial working in photography.

  • Secret Podcast 16

    In this episode I speak with an employee/owner who cares about his city.

  • Secret Podcast 15

    In this episode I interview the CEO of a startup company.

  • Life

    Life

    Love, liberty, longevity, peace, play, pursuit of happiness, ponder, pretend, crease, create, craft, craze, cause, dig, drive, desire, daze, dim, somber, soft, sensible, shared, swell, sweet, savour, reflect, remiss. Live.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 14

    Episode 14! Here I talk to a pearl of wisdom.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 13

    Episode 13 of the secret podcast! In this episode I interview a once wild kid.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 12

    Episode 12 of the secret podcast! Here I interview guest five and nine again, together. A side note worth mentioning, for more than a minute I suffer from hiccups due to hot candied jalapenos.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 11

    Enjoy episode eleven of the secret podcast! In this interview I talk to the youngest guest yet.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 10

    Enjoy episode ten of the secret podcast! In this episode I interview an American for the first time.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 09

    Enjoy episode nine of the secret podcast! She is short spoken, but always passionate.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 08

    Enjoy episode eight of the secret podcast! I interview a man, a legend, a dream. Enough said.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 07

    Enjoy episode seven of the secret podcast! In this episode I interview the woman that saved me from a spongy death.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 06

    Enjoy episode six of the secret podcast! Here I interview a woman I haven’t known as long as the others but holds just as much weight in her character.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 05

    Enjoy episode five of the secret podcast! In this episode I interview the first guy.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 04

    Enjoy episode four of the secret podcast! In this episode I interview two guests at once.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 03

    Enjoy episode three of the secret podcast! This woman needs no introduction. She may be short in her approach but she is a force to be reckoned with.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 02

    Enjoy episode two of the secret podcast! Here I interview a lady I’ve know for almost my whole life.

  • Joe Van’s Secret Podcast 01

    Welcome to my very first secret podcast! I interview someone worth interviewing first.

  • Photoshop 01

    Photoshop 01

    I recently bought Photoshop. Here is what I have done with it so far… The first pic here I took out the window of a plane on its way to Edmonton. Here my friend dropped his phone on a rock and it landed perfectly upright. This is just me. Finally this is my car before…

  • Silencio

    Silencio

    Screeching peeling arrest! Putang ina the sounds roar. Thumping and rustling, and scratching and rumbling, and clatter and pounding, and searing and hissing, and whining and BOOM! Silencio.

  • To Tides

    To Tides

    Like mirrors in every way, they hold up ourselves. Crashing or calm, to low or high. We are life, so they. Be.

  • Open

    Open

    She opens me up like the warmth of spring to a tulip. It had taken a long time to start crying again; since almost dying in the snow. I melt. It feels so good when it happens, and we make love. We sweat and squeeze. Taste each other. Feel the other’s curves with our hands…

  • Being In It

    Being In It

    Certainty is an issue with some people. They say that the more you know, the less certain you become about things. Once your perspective broadens from information; academically or otherwise, on whatever subject, the more open-minded you might become. Certainty is something innate. You are either into something, or you’re not. And there are many…

  • A Slice of Blood Redemption

    A Slice of Blood Redemption

    Nathan found himself at the heel of some sort of festival or celebration happening in the trees leading to the mountain. There were hundreds of people all walking in a line. Some people were dressed in robes, others just regular clothing. Some people were holding candles, and some were tweeting. Time passed in the woods.…

  • Importance

    Importance

    This will be a hot button topic unlike any of the other topics I’ve written about so far, I feel. What people find important or not important vary radically depending on the individual. Some people find many-a-thing important and therefore sensitive or sacred, while others care so little they couldn’t be bothered to know it…

  • Up

    Up

    I race this high, and I don’t know why. It feels good, anonymity of a hood. My loved ones shan’t know, like discovery of a cove. Darkness shrouds it, as the feeling clouds it. Peace will not hide, what the high surly finds. It must have an end, to this high I defend. One day…

  • Longevity

    Longevity

    What would you say is the deepest sensation? An orgasm? True happiness? Peace? You might say ‘sleep’ sarcastically, but no. It is purpose. It is the absolute and ultimate drive of intelligent life. It is what lies behind our every action and reaction. Every want, every need is predicated by our life purpose. It is…

  • New Terrain

    New Terrain

    We’ve been doing it from birth; taking in new sights and sounds, places and people, things and thoughts. No place is too comfortable when you are young. Attachment only happens with time. In that regard, our ability to stay open is a double-edged blade, as the saying goes. I’m sure we all know of someone…

  • Melancholy Flower Infinite

    Melancholy Flower Infinite

    Paradox. Abstraction. Imperceivable. Impossible. Grandiosity. The raw beyond. These concepts that will never be answered. They lay on those that seek. Is there intention in existence? If there was, how did such to intend come to be? It was intentioned as well, well, what about that which gave it? If not, then why it in…

  • A Slice of Deviance

    A Slice of Deviance

    Here is an excerpt from my first novel: Deviance. You can find a link to its Amazon page ‘Here’. * V took a seat. She looked a little bewildered. “You feeling anything?” asked Nathan. “I don’t know… maybe? I think I feel something.” He took a seat next to her. “It’ll probably take a while…

  • Perspective

    Perspective

         Perspective is in my opinion one of the most incredible assets any person can have. It gives the ability to fully actualize yourself in whatever way you see fit. And the thing about this claim, is that having perspective gives you your way of seeing. So you can’t even be in a situation…

  • Links!

    Links!

    Where do they go? Who knows? Don’t worry, none of them are troll links. Each one sends you to an interesting place on the internet. Some are profound. Others are silly. What will you find? Take a gander!

  • Being Alone

    Being Alone

    I have to start this by making sure everyone knows as a basic fact that we are all alone, at every moment, inside our heads. Now, with that being said I will begin with a question. When you imagine being alone, are you sad? Or are you relieved? As an evolutionary fact we humans are…

  • Hidden Magic

    Hidden Magic

    There’s a hidden magic in people. It comes out like fire as a child. Like a smile on an old face, or the fury in a friend seeing you get beat up as they come to help. There need not be any enemies. A kid can make friends with a rock but two old friends…

  • If We Could Live Forever

    If We Could Live Forever

    We all know there are certainties about the human race. We were built to survive. To know the enemy, and strike them down. We yearn to live not only in the short term, but honestly to the majority of people, forever. Religions give so many people the hope. But in that context however, many troubles…

  • Soothing Edges

    Soothing Edges

    When did the sun leave me? The dark is so sudden. It shocks by contrast of a stark blue glow. The glow clicks and rattles quietly so as not to disturb those sleeping. Global communities soothe away the edges. It feels nice to hurt a little, be it a sting behind the eyes or a…

  • Circle K Rounded Up Mac’s Milk!

    Circle K Rounded Up Mac’s Milk!

    Vancouver is a nice place I hear. I’ve never been, is what I’m inferring. Though I’ve lived in this country of Canada for 25 years now, I’ve never traveled west of Ontario. However, there is a connection Vancouver now has with the city I was born and raised in: Burlington, and it is for what…

  • Duality

    Duality

    There are always two sides to things. There is this and that. There is me and them. There is will and won’t, is and isn’t. Here and there. Right and wrong. Will they, won’t they. How and haven’t. Why and why not. Two extremes; light and dark. Dimorphism. Males and females split things rather cohesively,…

  • Budding Romance

    Budding Romance

    I spend nights alone. I spend days with friends, only sometimes. Days pass. Nights crawl. My hobbies lie, and parents spy. Who’s that? A face. A name. A friend. She’s cute, but no way, taken. Her name is Hope, Forsaken. I see trouble, no, prosperity from lonely. We develop, like film. Feel the screen. Hear…

  • Intentions

    Intentions

    There was once a naive wish that was lost. The wish, was that we lived in a world where it was easier for everyone to express themselves without fear of holding back, instead of the world we live in now where we tow the line. The social psychology of humanity today is the same as…

  • Grandeur

    Grandeur

    A small child watches the sun set. They feel amazing, alive; filled with a visceral sense of awe. In that moment, everything is beautiful. The outline of the sun becomes visible in its dying descent. It is a waving sphere of burning glory, stretching across the universe and back. The child looks on for as…

  • Fine! I Don’t Know

    Fine! I Don’t Know

    I can’t sleep! In my mind I have no distractions, and I feel everything. Since I was born I could feel everything. The whole world opened up to me and it was too much to bear. Growing up I imagined myself fearless, but I’m grown now, and I know so much more. How can any…

  • The Deer Peace

    The Deer Peace

    Sparks let out light in the dark. Dear the coming summer, please bring me peace. Shine on me joy; something of my childhood, when everything was so big, and new, and endless. I can remember the feeling, but I can’t FEEL it anymore. Winters have made me bitter and lame: a cruel indignation; a three…

  • Introspection

    Introspection

    In all my mind that my eyes can’t hide is who I am when I’m alive, but I know something bigger is happening. I know it as a basic fact of the world, but I can also feel it. Things behind the mirror. He he/she lying? Maybe it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe it already has,…

  • Transient Thoughts

    Transient Thoughts

    Everybody at my work has a duty to wake up earlier than what would feel natural, to get production going. I can’t speak for all of them but I am what many would say is the farthest thing from a morning person. I spend many-a-nights contemplating existence. Not my existence personally but the existence of…

  • Retrospect

    Retrospect

    We humans came from such deep seeded life… We came from single-celled organisms, to multi-cellular. From that, to plant and animal life. We evolved from aquatic, to insect, reptile and mammal life. Mammals evolved from rodents to primates. There they continued, to complex structuring; being thumbs, and using tools, to shedding of fur. Culture out…

  • The Journey Begins

    The Journey Begins

    Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton