Off to Tremblant we will go...

Tomorrow morning we are taking off to Mont Tremblant for a couple days of crazy snowboarding with some friends. We bought tickets before the season even started.

We are staying right in the resort town at the base of the mountain.
In a suite like this to be shared between us and 2 other couples.
And we are hoping for some crazy powder like this.
But I doubt it since it is totally spring skiing and we haven't had any snow in a month. Either way it'll be awesome because Andrew is bringing the party hats.

Poster Project

Similar to the Pop_Down Project, this so called 'Poster Project' also gets people to think about their surroundings. I wonder how many people look at this every day.

Pop Down Project

The pop down project is an initiative that just tries to showcase the amount of 'space pollution' we have to endure. In their words "On the Internet, getting rid of unsollicited pop-ups is pretty easy. In real life, things are a tad more complicated.
The Pop_Down Project aims at symbolically restoring everyone's right to non-exposure: Just stick a "Close window" button on any public space pollution."
Back in Hamilton I had a few friends who would go around ripping down illegal advertising. You know the stuff on telephone poles and on the sides of highways on trees. They had some hilarious stories about getting caught. I thought it was brilliant.
The Pop Down Project aims a little higher and is attacking legal advertising but at the same time they aren't ripping anything down. It just makes people think (if they even notice it).

Here are a few examples:

I really like this one because it reminds me of the Paris Metro which is where this initiative started I believe.

This one is great because it really is one of those horribly ugly ads.

It even works on junk.

Pop_Down!

This is just hilarious....

Get your own stickers Here.

hahahahah

Laughing has now been scientifically defined.

Now depending on how many 'has' someone writes while chatting you can tell how funny they think you are.  Or maybe they think you are 'very funny' but are just too lazy to type 'ha' 4 more times.  

That would be me.

Pirate Bay Trial continued...

This is a followup to my previous blog post about the trial against notorious Swedish Bittorrent site 'The Pirate Bay'

I suppose you have to know some stuff about Bit Torrents to get it.  I know some of you will find it funny though.  Basically if you allow people to download stuff off your computer than you are a seed.  If you don't and just download off other seeds than you aren't very nice.

Thanks to xkcd once again!

Here is the latest on the trial.  The verdict is due on April 17th.

Thousands of Naked People

If there is a title that will get people's attention and mega hits on my blog, this is it. Well isn't that the point of modern art? To get people's attention? Sadly, I think the answer to that question is yes.

Over the past few years I have randomly seen articles about some photographer organizing and taking pictures of mass amounts of naked people in public places.
The latest one I saw was of 18000 people in a square in Mexico City. It is neat because of the way it looks like the people are flowing towards the central spire.
The photographer is Spencer Tunick and I don't know where he finds this many people willing to pose naked all at once but the effect is quite interesting, for lack of a better word. It is very 'post modern' anyway. I am not sure how much I like it but since it isn't blatent pornography like a lot of other modern art I find myself strangely attracted to it. He doesn't seem to be using an individual naked body and people's usual attraction to it. But on the other hand he is just using the naked aspect to grab peoples attention. I mean he could have put everybody is the same clothes and had a similar effect. Either way I think it is a very different and hard to produce piece of art.

Here are a few of my favourites:
This is a parking garage in the Netherlands I believe. I just think it is neat because of the architecture.This one is weird and interesting because the people look like sheep. 'The masses are following like sheep' or some statement like that.
This one is neat because of the way everybody is staring out to sea. It is like something out of a book. I just can't believe these are real pictures. Are they cylons? The last one I like because it evokes some apocalyptic sci-fi plot in which everybody on earth dies. I really love books and movies like that for some reason.I really just can't believe that these are real pictures.

Are You a Christian Hipster?

In the past month, a blog post by Brett McCracken who writes for Relevant magazine among other Christian publications and websites as taken the web by storm. It is part of a book he is writing on the subject of the Christian hipster movement. Sounds interesting! Am I in this group? Should I be?

If I read his article (mostly a list of the likes and dislikes of Christian hipsters) I would say that I am not really a part of this group. I can relate on many levels. For example, I don't particularly like megachurches, Mel Gibson's Passion or evangelical guys who talk about killing terrorists and world leaders. I also am extremely wary of churches with flags up on stage, and weird modern evangelical methods. But possibly the biggest thing of all would be my absolute dislike for contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Very rarely do I find something I can really get something out of.

But when he starts talking about things a Christian Hipster likes I really can't relate at all. I don't really read any of the books he mentions. I don't love thinking and acting catholic. I also don't work for a church (other than my growing list of volunteer positions), dress slightly goth or want a tattoo. The only things I can empathize with are the love of European cathedrals, smoking while talking about God (and other intellectual type things) and reading poetry.

Overall I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or disappointed that I didn't fall under the stereotype of Christian Hipster. I always have identified with the secular hipster in many ways while always staying apart because so many hipster ideals don't work with Christianity. I was slightly disappointed because I didn't quite know where he was going with all this. Did he agree that it was cool? Was he a hipster? Was he condemning it? Well this interview by CJ Casciotta of conversantlife.com really put Brett's ideas in perspective. It is definitely worth a listen if you want to have a grasp on this sub-culture.


Interview with Brett McCracken from CJ Casciotta on Vimeo.

I can now almost totally agree with him. And listening to him describe a Christian hipster on that clip I would fit into his idea of the hipster. I really appreciate his willingness to examine these things and think critically about it. I agree that having this so called 'enlightened' view of the world and being annoyed with the masses living their processed lives is not necessarily healthy. It is definitely something I have to work on.

But I still think there is room for a moderate Christian hipster attitude. One who questions things and doesn't follow like a white sheep. Rather a mottled sheep with skinny jeans, Ray-Ban sunglasses and a cool scarf. I still feel that my core ideals are rooted in God and how He wants me to live my life. I really do feel that suburban living and net neutrality are moral issues that have to be discussed from a Christian point of view. That said, I definitely do have my faults. I can't blame the masses for living in suburbia or not knowing anything about net neutrality.


A Sidenote:
Major props go to Sufjan Stevens (pictured above) who is every Christian Hipster's biggest hero.

Jenn Grant w/ Jon & Roy

A couple weekends ago on Valentines Day we saw another show at the Black Sheep Inn.
This time it was the super talented (and surprisingly hilarious) Jenn Grant who just released her new cd 'Echoes'.

This is the opening band, Jon & Roy, who had great vocals and a really fantastic drummer. The drummer did a quasi-cymbal solo at one point. He was really contained and simplistically scintillating.Jenn Grant's band consisted of a bass(maybe tenor) sax/piano player, a violin/viola player, an electric bass player and Jenn on acoustic guitar. This is a picture of the group of us at the concert. Sarah doesn't like people's faces apparently.Rocking the place with sweet harmonies and beautiful lyrics.
The concert was great and I couldn't resist buying the cd.

If you want to hear her cd you can check it out at Radio3 here.

Abortion is Wrong

Last week I went to Ottawa U to watch an abortion debate. It looked like it was going to be good since it was a woman debating for pro-life against a professor in Bio-ethics who apparently did a thesis on why abortion should be permitted. Stephanie Gray was very experienced and well spoken while Dr. Sneddon came off as cold while he clearly seemed to be avoiding the questions.

I went with some friends (including my Pastor) and despite getting there early we were greeted with a packed room. I thought the crazy people would be the pro-lifers but despite the event being organized by the Ottawa U pro-life group it was the feminists who turned out to be the crazies. The sat behind us and acted shocked and appalled whenever there was a comparison between abortion and some atrocious human activity (like the Holocaust). I wonder what they thought of the graphic abortion video which even I thought was a bit much.

Either way, it was the mention of how the university was allowing free speech that ended up getting the most cheers right at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I have to say it feels nice to be back in school, especially when you don't have any assignments.

For a couple reviews of the event check out: Prowomanprolife.org or here.

Why we love to hate CSI Miami

Here is a great montage of Caruso one-liners.

This is all you need to see from this show. The rest of the show is all filler, these are the scenes that matter.

ps I'm off to the States today for a church leadership conference.

Miley Cyrus vs Stinkin' Radiohead

In a hilarious twist of reality it seems that the Disney pop-star herself claims to be a fan of one of the most anti-pop bands out there, Radiohead.  Actually I should say she used to be a 'fan'.

Apparently in an interview with some generic commercial radio hosts (one who claims to not even know who Radiohead is) she rants about how a certain band wouldn't meet her backstage at the Grammy's for a photo.

Radiohead's response to her manager's request was that they "don't really do that."  Apparently getting told 'No' was to much for the mini-diva so she had to leave.  

One of her responses in the interview was that she is "in the business to make people happy" implying that Radiohead aren't.  Well, duh, if you actually knew anything about their music you would realize that making people happy is the last thing on their minds.  They have some of the saddest self-depreciating music around.  She should also know that Thom Yorke and the other guys are all pretty shy and reserved when it comes to the spotlight of fame.  This is also evidently something she cannot comprehend so she then goes on, vowing to ruin 'stinkin' Radiohead.'  All I can say is Good Luck.  No one cares, least of all Radiohead.

You can listen to the lame 10 minute interview here. I don't recommend it unless you are into listening to grown men act like 15 year old girls meeting their favourite pop-star.

But I do recommend reading Pitchfork's hilarious take on the situation here.

In other feuding music news, what is with the Flaming Lips vs Arcade Fire fued?  Or Ben Folds vs Charles Spearin/Stars?  Or the best one of all The Acorn vs Ohbijou.  Is Radio3 turning into a gossip mag?

That's Radical Dude

I think now is an appropriate time for a light hearted music video.  Someone on the Radio3 blog mentioned that they were in this video and that is how I stumbled upon it.

Before you write them off because of the band name I must say that it really doesn't represent their music very well.  They have some very interesting things going on musically.  The video has this feeling of your typical pop-punk video where the somewhat geeky guy is trying to get the cute girl but the ending twists the whole thing around.  I think it ends up being a cheeky poke at those kind of generic MTV music videos.

Check it out:

My favourite part is when the Friar Tuck guy pulls the second bun out of his sleeve.  Hilarious!

Everything is Amazing Yet Nobody is Happy…

This comedian got it so right.

(If that embedding didn't work, check it out here)

This is what you call good clean honest social commentary humour.

Eh What's That?

This chart demonstrates scientifically that the Canadian 'Eh' is actually used more often by Americans making fun of the Canadian 'Eh'

I Won a Hat

I won a hat today in a trivia contest on CBC Radio3.
I knew the answer so I tried calling and before I knew it I was talking to the host (Grant Lawrence) live on the radio.
I wanted to win the CBC bag they were giving out but I can't be picky. I mean, I got a free hat.