COOL SHIT BLOG

COOL SHIT HAS MOVED | WWW.COOLSH.IT

2011-05-19T01:28:00.001-04:00

If you're looking for us, we've moved.

The Devil is a 101 year old lady from Henan province in China

2010-03-09T20:11:00.005-05:00

I've often heard people say the Devil can come in many forms. I never thought the Devil would appear as a 101 year old lady from China. Well, I thought about it once, but I never thought it would actually come true.

Apparently Zhang Ruifang of Linlou, China in Henan province started feeling a weird bump on her forehead sometime last year. Since then, she's managed to grow a sturdy horn, worth staring at.

What I've now learned is that what our dear friend has is something called a cutaneous horn. Nothing cute about it though, it's a weapon for all we know. According to the wiki, "The cause of cutaneous horns is still unknown, however it is believed that exposure to radiation can trigger the condition"- which is not good. Although, to be fair, Zhang Ruifang is 101, she's probably seen a lot of crazy stuff, radiation probably ranking at number 8 on her top 10 list. Horns are probably the least of her worries. Notice though, Zhang Ruifang gets a Wikipedia shout out on the cutaneous horn wiki.

It just seems people will do anything to gain Internet fame these days.

The North Korean Soccer Team will take your shit and blame it on someone else

2010-03-04T22:55:00.005-05:00

Looks like North Korea is up to their weird tricks again. Their soccer team had a game to play against Venezuela, but chose to act like a child instead.

The game itself was played in Venezuela where the temperature was 97 degrees Fahrenheit, which is nearly 1,000 degrees Celsius. Instead of playing, the North Koreans refused for 2 hours, because of the heat, which is kind of understandable, but it may have also been due to the fact they didn't bring their jerseys.

They said "they lost their jerseys in transit". I say bullshit. The team ended up borrowing Venezuelan jerseys, which probably pissed off the Venezuelans, and the game ended in a tie, which probably pissed off the Venezuelans.

That is the soccer equivalent of inviting some weirdo over to your place, having them drink all your beer, then falling asleep on your couch after they made out with one of your close relatives.

Disgraceful really.

These guys are trying to qualify for the World Cup, in the same division as some world soccer super powers like Brazil. Personally, I hope these crazy bastards sneak their way in and scare the shit out of everyone.

I believe in you North Korean soccer team. You're insane, but I believe in you.

Go get em!

Clifford Stoll: The Sarah Palin of Predictions

2010-03-02T22:31:00.007-05:00

Say hello to Clifford Stoll. This man is apparently some sort of journalist, but who isn't. As far as I'm concerned, I too am a journalist. I'm also an astronaut and a faith healer, but this isn't about me, it's about Clifford.

Our friend Clifford wrote a book in 1995 called Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway , where he said a bunch of things to try to get you to rethink the Internet. Some of his claims were, that e-commerce will never work, no one will ever read a newspaper online, a network wont change government, books wont be bought or sold on the Internet, and that the world is flat.

Okay, he didn't say the last one. I made that up, but he may as well have. The shitty thing for Clifford the Big Red Dummy is that all of his predictions have been wrong. The other shitty thing for Clifford is, the Internet remembers everything. Yep, everything.

The Internet will archive this post forever probably, and when I try to get a writing job, some prospective employer will say "You said shitty a lot on that Cool Shit blog thing", and I'll respond by telling them they just said shit three times in a row. For me, that's a win, because at least I know I didn't make predictions like Clifford Stoll.

One relic of the Internet's steel cage memory is this awesome article Cliff wrote in 1995. In the article, Clifford makes a bunch of sweeping predictions about the Information Superhighway. As far as I can tell, all of his predictions have been wrong. It's the quotes like this that make it special:

"How about electronic publishing? Try reading a book on disc. At best, it's an unpleasant chore: the myopic glow of a clunky computer replaces the friendly pages of a book. And you can't tote that laptop to the beach. Yet Nicholas Negroponte, director of the MIT Media Lab, predicts that we'll soon buy books and newspapers straight over the Intenet. Uh, sure."

It's pretty funny that Clifford had no idea that things like 'innovation' happen. I guess he imagined we'd all be using computers like this forever. I think it's the "uh sure" that gets me, probably because he was so wrong, the "uh sure" is probably the stupidest way to end a prediction. I would love to know what he would have thought of the Wright Bros. first plane. "You think people are going to want to fly across the ocean and see other parts of the world, in some sort of machine that you've made that basically looks like an overgrown bird? Uh sure."

He goes on to mumble,

"We're promised instant catalog shopping--just point and click for great deals. We'll order airline tickets over the network, make restaurant reservations and negotiate sales contracts. Stores will become obselete. So how come my local mall does more business in an afternoon than the entire Internet handles in a month?"

Becuase it's 1995, Clifford. You forgot to think beyond today. You spelled obsolete wrong too, Cliff. Maybe you thought the original spelling was ... oh, what's that word? When something becomes useless and no one uses it anymore.

I know I'll think of it.

Wayne Coyne's wicked home

2010-02-15T22:38:00.010-05:00

I've never really been a huge fan of the Flaming Lips, particularly the lead singer Wayne Coyne. He's always kinda rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it's because he frequently appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno as a correspondent. But nevertheless I recently came upon pictures of his home in Oklahoma City and I'm jealous as hell. This house, despite being in Oklahoma City, which sounds like an awful place, looks awesome. Check out pictures below.

images via Fitzsimmons Architects

Maury Povich

2010-02-12T15:02:00.011-05:00

Maury Povich is COOL SHIT.

The son of a Washington Post reporter, Maury was always destined to be the bastion of reporting that he is today.

He graduated from The Landon School in 1958 and later moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 with a degree in television journalism

In order to secure another generation of reporting genius, he took the hand of nightly news’ iron lady, Connie Chung.

Despite their undying love for one another, and an MSNBC show titled "Weekends with Maury and Connie", they have been unable to conceive a child. Not ones to accept failure and having always loved children, Maury and Connie have adopted a son.

Maury continues to build his legacy on a daily basis, and this is why we salute him today.

Maury X De La Soul

Maury X 15 year old Victoria

Time Magazine list of 10 best recall stories

2010-02-11T16:34:00.005-05:00

In lieu of the recent Toyota recall of more than 4.1 million cars due to faulty gas pedals, Time Magazine has put together a list of 10 pretty interesting product recalls.

Here are some that I found to be pretty hilarious

The FORD PINTO, need I say more?

Before even being released in the 1970s there were huge concerns that the Pinto might blow up during a collision. The gas tank was placed too far back and any sort of rear-end collision might cause the car to explode! However, this is not the worse part. Instead of trying to fix the problem and recall the cars, Ford decided that it would be cheaper to just settle lawsuits resulting from the flaw.

That funky smell might not be gonorrhea

In 2002, Abbott Laboratories had to recall more than 750,000 gonorrhea test kits for giving false results. There's nothing worse then thinking you have gonorrhea when you actually don't...

Poisonous Tylenol

In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area were killed after ingesting Extra Strength Tylenol that were laced with potassium cyanide. This caused quite the panic in the US and led to much stricter laws for sealing products.

Check out the rest of the list here

COOL SHIT is Internet

2010-02-11T14:35:00.008-05:00

Hi Internet

Some people aren't fans of Google Street View

2010-02-10T18:20:00.010-05:00

Two men in Norway looking for a little fame decided to stake out the Google people as they passing through their town of Bergen in order to profile the town on Google Street View. Despite the fact that its staged, its still pretty funny.
They dressed up in with diver's outfits and wave around pitchforks.

Check out the street view here. Head east along Rugdeveien and long behind you to see the dudes in flippers chasing you.

View Larger Map
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/09/people-in-scuba-gear-chas_n_455787.html?&just_reloaded=1

Welcome to the Internet | Can this Onion Ring get more fans than Stephen Harper?

2010-02-04T20:51:00.003-05:00

I was thinking the other day about what happens when someone goes into the streets to protest something. Generally, nothing happens. Well, not since 1968. Politically speaking, there's little difference between a flash mob and an organized political rally.

Now, we're using the Internet to show our political stripes. Lately, on Facebook, there have been faceoffs such as "can this inanimate object get more fans than X-Y-or-Z?"

They're generally funny, and also have little political clout. Stephen Harper isn't going to really pay attention to them. Well, maybe.Perhaps the political clout is in the fact that so many people are joining these groups, because they're funny.

If these groups get enough people joining them, perhaps mainstream media will have to report on it. I can hear it now, "On popular social network, Facebook, of which millions of Canadians are members of, an onion ring is more popular than Prime Minister Stephen Harper." It would be great.

Anyway, we'll see what happens with these types of groups. In the meantime, it seems as though they're more popular than the actual political parties here in Canada.

Join up here at this big ol' Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#!/pages/Can-this-Onion-Ring-get-more-fans-than-Stephen-Harper/282298836447?ref=ts

As of 9:00pm on Thursday February 4th, Stephen Harper has 29,822 fans and The Onion Ring has 43,180.

Officially, an onion ring is more popular on Facebook than our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.

Spock Fives | A Mysterious Canadian Phenomenon

2010-02-03T01:31:00.006-05:00

A hilarious Facebook group is getting pretty popular. It's called "Spock Your Fives", a Canadian based group that claims:

This group is to celebrate the Canadian cultural phenomenon, known to some as the "Spock five". The origins of this mysterious tradition are shrouded in secrecy, although it is widely believed to be totally awesome.

A regular Canadian five dollar bill has Canada's 7th Prime Minister, Wilfrid Laurier, on the back, just hanging out, portrait style. A Spock Five is funnier than your average five dollar bill, not because of the hockey game happening on the other side (see below) but because Laurier has turned into Spock from Star Trek.

Here are some of the funniest Spock Fives.

Just like the group, I'm not encouraging you to Spock your fives, but it is awesomely hilarious when it does happen. It's quite subversive too.

It's a little bit reminiscent of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch on another subversion of currency; Ass Pennies.

Thunderbirds in China | NFB film on hockey in China

2010-02-01T22:42:00.004-05:00

In 1973, the University of British Columbia hockey team traveled to China to play some good old fashioned Canadian hockey. It was a part of a tour done to showcase the sport to the Chinese. At the time, it was broadcast all over Chinese television and locals filled the stadiums.

The National Film Board of Canada produced this film. It shows us what 1970s China was like, and how the Chinese played the sport.

UBC dominated the event, as you can see below.

UBC 5–0 Chinese National Team (played in Beijing)

UBC 7–0 Chinese National Team (played in Beijing)

UBC 9–2 Harbin

UBC 14–1 Qiqihar

UBC 5–1 Heilongjiang

UBC 8–1 Kirin (Played in Changchuan)

UBC 8–0 Kirin

(via)

Need a mohel? Vladimir Putin has got the man for you!

2010-01-19T15:51:00.002-05:00

Once again here is a prime example of Putin just not giving a fuck what people think. A French journalist asks him a question about the conflict in Chechnya and he answers it by saying he knows of a great dude that performs circumcisions. Go figure.

Alibaba.com | The World's Shopping Mall

2010-01-16T02:46:00.008-05:00

You can now buy barrels of crude oil online. Alibaba.com is an incredible Ebay like site that cut's the middle man from all transactions. You go straight to the source. The factory, the farm, the whatever. What kind of transactions, you ask?

Well all sorts of weird shit.

Stuff like 'salted goat casing' from China.

A minimum order of 6500 cases of Tusker Lager, Kenya's finest brewed beer.

Camel milk from China.

A camera pen from China.

An aluminum gun box from China.

A diesel locomotive from China.

A computerized toilet from China.

Something called 'green material' from China filed under the chemical waste section.

Explosive additive in a steel drum from China.

20 tons of Vaseline from China.

A 70 acre forest in Estonia.

A panic button from China.

Surgical instruments from Pakistan.

Hygetropin, a 'muscle strength drug' aka steroids from China.

Bear bile from Russia.

Snake venom from Georgia.

An Airbus A330 airplane from the Netherlands.

A stun gun tazer from South Korea.

A pirate ship from Tunisia.

Well you get what I mean. As you can see, this is the future! Ebay on Chinese bought steroids!

Dubai might look pretty, but some are paying a heavy price

2010-01-09T14:01:00.004-05:00

Take a look at an awesome mini-doc from VBS on the labour practices that are currently going on in Dubai. The construction companies are essentially using slave labour to construct the entire city and the huge skyscrapers, like the Burj Dubai. Its really quite sad.

Burj Khalifa Opens

2010-01-07T14:21:00.006-05:00

Just when you thought things in the Middle East couldn't get more insane, the Burj Khalifa opened this past monday in Dubai. The Burj is now the tallest building in the world. Almost twice as tall as the CN Tower!

Check out this pretty sweet video of a guy on top of the building during construction. I've never really been that great with heights. I totally would have shit my pants if I was up there.

Here's another video of the opening ceremony. Another good example of how Dubai has a shit ton of money and can't find better ways of using it.

Monkey's Love Jello

2010-01-02T14:28:00.001-05:00

Happy new year. In case you were asleep, it's 2010. So to bring in the New Year, here are some monkey's eating jello.

Home Train Horn Kits

2009-11-30T21:17:00.011-05:00

An interesting group of people are those whose whole hobby revolves around tooting extremely loud horns. Possibly called hobby horns, or even hobby horners. They reject the notion that a simple car horn is the last frontier of warning sounds. They believe you need something big, something loud, something booming, something that you generally find on fast moving transport vehicles blazing by on steel tracks. Yes, they want to be heard on the road, so they buy train horns for their cars.

Anyone can do it. All you need is a hobby horn kit, which you can buy from Train Horns Now. It will cost you somewhere under $500 once you're done.

This guy will help you set your train horn up to your automobile. I'd watch it just for the intro.

These guys are havin' a great time with their huge horn in the back yard. The cameraman thinks it sounds fantastic.

These people call it a "honk off"

These jabronis put one on their car and scare the shit out of people, and it turns out to be pretty funny.

This guy dresses up like a postman and takes his car and horns to a place called Echo Valley and cranks out some raunchy ones.

I like how this guy taunts you with his wimpy car horn then hits you with a ONE-TWO on his ferry horn (ear protectors on of course).

This guy has a few horns that he keeps on a trailer, one of which is operated by a foot pedal.

This one is super duper beefy. It's the extra large beef burrito of train horns.

The TOP SECRET Drum Corps aren't so secret ... I have video proof

2009-11-30T21:00:00.004-05:00

Somewhere in the country famous for its peculiar skepticism of being tolerant: Switzerland, hides a group of 25 drummers and colour guard members who call themselves the Top Secret Drum Corp. They wear all black and discuss the political overthrow of neighbouring nations through drumming.

Actually, they're just a group of insanely well practiced drummers from Basel, Switzerland. Basel is famous for its drumming. Basel even has its own kind of drum named after it. What we know as a parade drum.

The Edinburgh Tattoo is a yearly competition for drum corps, and in 2003 the Top Secret Drum Corp became one of the first non-military related drum corps to play at the prestigious event.

They're not as secret as they make themselves seem, since I just wrote a semi-detailed post about them.

Here they are.

The Personal Helicopter

2009-11-29T17:48:00.004-05:00

DaVinci tried to create a primitive flying machine. This guy has done it.

When he starts up the rotars, he looks up, and I thought his head was going to get chopped off, but instead, he cranks it up and gets airborne! So cool.

The World's 10 Fattest Countries

2009-11-25T23:54:00.005-05:00

The Global Post, using World Health Organization data, composed a list of the world's 10 fattest countries and you might be surprised who didn't come in first. The world's fattest country is American Samoa in which 93.5% of the population is considered overweight. 93.5%! The second country is another small Pacific island nation Kiribati with 81% of the population being over weight. The country is composed of 33 islands and is heavily reliant on food imports. Apparently most of the food being shipped out are fatty foods such as Spam, which are sold at much cheaper prices than local food. The US comes in third at 66.7% of the population being over weight.
It really seems that the US is loosing its "exceptionalism". It is no longer the most dominant country in the world and it can't even be the fattest. So I say, on this Thanksgiving, eat your hearts out America! If you can't be the most powerful country in the world, you can at least be the fattest! Happy Thanksgiving!
Check out the rest of the list here. Thankfully we Canadians aren't that fattest. Or at least not in the top 1o.

Slammin' Sammy, what happened to you?

2009-11-10T11:20:00.004-05:00

I'm sure most of you remember Sammy Sosa. The former Chicago Cub outfielder for a good part of the late 1990s and early 2000s was one of the most dominant hitters in baseball. For a couple of seasons he and Mark McGwire ruled baseball with their battles for the Home Run race. However, Sammy has also been followed by a lot of controversy. Anyone remember the corked bat? Or the failed drug tests? Now he's made news again, not to do with baseball, but because he has seemingly changed his skin colour!

As you can see from the photos, Sammy looks almost translucent. Not quite sure what he's trying to do or maybe he has the same disease that Michael had. According to the report it says that he's going through some sort of skin rejuvination and it has temporarily bleached his skin. I hope for his sake this is temporary. I always liked Sammy, he was the more likable character in the Sosa-McGwire battles and brought some character to baseball that it has always lacked.

Russians and their pets

2009-10-28T00:11:00.004-04:00

We know Russians do a bunch of things a bit differently. Take democracy as a perfect example.

Well another thing that Russians apparently do differently is pets. Russians love exotic animals. Scroll down and you'll see their dear leader, Vladimir Putin inspecting some sort of tiger. In the video below you'll see a cheetah hanging out the side of an Audi TT. Russia must be so much fun if this is what people do.

Thankfully some Russian had the sweet idea of teaching a grizzly bear how to skate. Then they gave it a stick and said "You should be a hockey player". Perfect. The crowd loves it.

Mugshot of the Day

2009-10-23T19:51:00.001-04:00

"Meet Salvatore Dichiera. St. Petersburg, Florida police arrested the 27-year-old early Saturday morning on a misdemeanor open container charge. Dichiera spent about eight hours in custody before being released by cops. During the booking process, Dichiera posed for the below Pinellas County Sheriff's Office mug shot. Sadly, sheriff's personnel do not snap profile photos of arrestees."

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/1020092beard1.html

Environment Wildlife Photographs of the Year are really good

2009-10-23T16:19:00.003-04:00

Jose Luis Rodriguez is the Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year for 2009 for his incredible picture of a jumping Iberian Wolf.

"I wanted to capture a photo in which you would see a wolf in an act of hunting - or predation - but without blood,". According the BBC, "Mr Rodriguez used a custom-built infrared trap to snap the wolf as it leapt into the air."

The other finalists for the prize are below. The pictures are really incredible.

Halloween is right around the corner

2009-10-23T16:08:00.002-04:00

(click to enlarge)

The Pontiac Silverdome is for sale. Let's buy it

2009-10-22T02:14:00.004-04:00

The Pontiac Silverdome is a huge football stadium. Michael Jackson's played there, Elvis has played there, Pink Floyd performed Dark Side of the Moon there, and the world's worst handegg team, The Detroit Lions play there as well.

The Silverdome was the place I first saw an NFL football game and now it's for sale, in an auction. The stadium itself was quite Soviet. It was a huge chunk of cement with a weird dome on top. Going to a football game is a pretty fun experience. Most of my football memories from The Silverdome are fat guys in sweatpants fighting each other. With a capacity of 80,000, it's tough to actually pay attention to the game. There are far too many interesting people to look at.

Anyway, what I was thinking is, that we gather some money, and we'll put a bid in. I've got like $16.39 in my pocket right now. If you pool together like a few million, I think we could put it all together.

http://www.williamsauction.com/silverdome/?utm_source=NREIOnline&utm_medium=E-mail&utm_campaign=13682

Thanks for the link Alex.

The MINI turns 50

2009-10-21T12:54:00.003-04:00

I've always thought the MINI is one of the coolest cars. It defies all sorts of conventions. When they released the latest BMW styled MINI it was one of the biggest car releases in a long time. I don't mean in size, I mean in publicity.

The original MINI has now turned 50 years old.
That's pretty special. Below is a very good movie about 50 years of MINI.

Happy Birthday you special tiny car.

50 YEARS OF MINI from one pound pictures on Vimeo.

Natural resources running low? Let's use cute little bunny wabbits

2009-10-20T18:15:00.004-04:00

Ever heard the phrase "humping like bunnies"? Well the residents of Stockholm are faced with a first hand account at how bunny humping can get out of control. The over abundance of rabbits in the capital's parks and greenspaces have forced the city to kill thousands of rabbits each year to solve the problem.
However the story doesn't stop there. The city workers then freeze the dead rabbits and then send them to a heating plant in Karlskoga in central Sweden. They incinerate the rabbits and used them as biofuel to heat homes in the local area.

I bet PETA is going to have a field day with this. It sounds pretty gross to me, but I guess if the little bunnies are gonna be killed anyways, then why not put them to some use.

I wonder what they do to all the left over Easter bunny chocolate?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8309156.stm

Aerogel | Craziest shit ever

2009-10-20T16:05:00.003-04:00

Behold aerogel. A man-made solid that has the lowest density of any known solid. It's basically solid smoke.

Made up completely of gas, aerogel is an incredible insulator. I hope to someday wear a coat made completely of aerogel.

The science behind is pretty cool and all, but I didn't really pay attention to any science stuff beyond the birds and the bees in school. What really makes this cool is that it looks like something you'd find in a Hollywood or Bollywood movie. It's just gassy stuff that you can grab.

The people who created aerogel are the types that didn't listen to the birds and bees stuff in science class, but actually listened to the science. Because of this, they still haven't thought of any good uses for it, other than a place to put your matches and match book.

Matthias Schlitte and his huge right arm

2009-10-19T19:20:00.003-04:00

Matthias Schlitte is a 22 year old arm wrestler. For the past 6 years, Matthias has been training for arm wrestling by lifting weights, but only his wrestlin' arm.

That's right, he's got one huge arm, one not so huge arm.

Kind of freaky at first sight, isn't it? Well it's even freakier the second and third time you see it.

For more info on Matthias and his huge arm, go to his website @ http://www.matthias-schlitte.de

WHY I'M A REPUBLICAN!

2009-10-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

BARACK OBAMA IS THE DEVIL!

ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Most workouts are for the neck down, not this one.

2009-10-18T22:37:00.004-04:00

Working out is fun sometimes, other times, you just feel like you're not really doing your body any good. Well, I imagine that in the early 1980s a bunch of people bought this video to help their workout regimen.

Apparently the whole idea of the video is that most exercising happens from the neck down. Not this workout video, it focuses on the neck up. Facial workout.

Not sure why she has to wear the crazy bathing/workout suit, but that's okay, it's kinda hot in a weird early 80s nostalgia kinda way.

Anyway, I've been doing these workouts for a few weeks now.

A Creed concert will only cost you 75 cents in 2009

2009-10-18T13:27:00.004-04:00

There are some bands that are just terrible. As in, you have a really hard time listening to them. For me, that band is Creed.

I know they're old, and no one listens to them, but I really don't like them. It made me quite happy to see, recently, that tickets to a Creed concert in Alabama cost a whopping 75 cents.

According to the article, "A recent search for two tickets on the Ticketmaster site resulted in a $6 total charge: $0 for the tickets, 75 cents each as a convenience charge and an order processing fee of $4.50. "

Haha, that's hilarious. What I really liked about the article was that the whoever wrote it remembers Creed filling up stadiums a mere 10 years ago, and the crowds treating their lead singer, Scott Stapp as a rock messiah. No longer folks.

Here is a hilarious video someone made, taking footage of a Creed concert and dubbing their own shitty music.

Nothing screams "I'm a badass" more than a whale penis interior

2009-10-14T13:01:00.007-04:00

Here is another shining example of why we at Cool Shit are fascinated by all things Russian. Russian automakers Dartz have created the Prombron, which will be released at the 2010 Top Marques Monaco car show. Known for making one of the world's first armoured cars, Dartz has now created the world's most expensive SUV. For an easy $1.5 million, this flashy red tank can be yours.
It includes bulletproof windows, 8.1 litre V8 engine, and here's the best part, whale penis leather interior! How cool is that? Who wouldn't want to ride around in luxurious penis leather?

Here's a complete list of what you get with the car.

"1. Ruby Red matte paint
2. Gold-plated bulletproof windows
3. 22" Kremlin Red Star bulletproof wheels
4. Whale Penis Leather interior
5. Tungsten exhaust
6. Tungsten and white gold gauges with diamonds and rubies
7. White gold diamond and ruby encrusted badges - grill, side and dashboard
8. Special edition Vertu mobile phone with "alert" button
9. Additional outside kevlar coating
10. Rogue Acoustic Audio System.

And, of course, of course -
THREE BOTTLES OF World Most Expensive Vodka - RussoBaltique Vodka, drink edition, same as in the RussoBaltique car when it visited Monaco at 1912."

Whale penis and vodka, good combination. I wonder how easy it is to get stains out of the leather, do you have to rub them out really hard? (har har har)
Thanks for keeping things interesting Russia.

Britain is the worst place to live in Europe ...

2009-10-13T22:32:00.004-04:00

According to a super funny new survey from researchers at uSwitch.com, Britain is the worst place to live in Europe. Now I'm sure a lot of people in Britain would argue that it's not even in Europe, but if a survey says it, I have to believe it.

But, then again, the Brits earn a bunch of money. Apparently, $16,000 more than their European friends.

"There is more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Brits are giving up on the U.K. and heading to France and Spain," said Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com.

"We have lost all sense of balance between wealth and well-being," she said.

Get your shit together Britain.

PUTIN WATCH | Holy shit! He's going to be here until 2024!

2009-10-06T10:54:00.003-04:00

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-42711620090925

In a report that is bound to shock everyone, Coolshitblog's favourite quasi-dictator, Vladimir Putin, will probably be in office until 2024.

This is according to Mikhail Kasyanov. Kasyanov used to be Putin's prime minister, now he's the opposition leader. My guess is they probably don't get along. If they didn't get along though, why wouldn't Kasyanov just say "Yeah, he's going to be done next year"? That would be the politically astute thing to do. Instead, Kasyanov gives Putin 15 years to do whatever the hell he wants.

Now I'm not saying Putin will do whatever the hell he wants, but I'm sure Putin will do whatever the hell he wants.

In the article, Kasyanov says:

"I am convinced that Putin will run in 2012 for two six-year terms. A suitable function will be found for Medvedev,"

Wow, "a suitable function will be found". Does that mean he's gonna get shot or sent to an old Cold War gulag?

Putin, you never cease to amaze us. You're going to rule Russia longer than anyone else, except maybe Stalin .. and who doesn't want to be at the same party as ol' Stalin?

And here are the complimentary pictures of Putin.

I found a watch I would like you to buy me, thanks.

2009-10-06T10:41:00.004-04:00

Simplicity is probably the coolest thing going. Look at Google.com, it's simple as fuck.
This watch, from German maker Archimede, is also simple as fuck. That's why I like it.

http://www.selectism.com/news/2009/10/05/archimede-pilot-xl-automatik-watches/

Look at all those numbers! It even says "handmade" in German on it. I've long been crippled with a retarded internal shame about my tiny wrists. People love to make a circle with their middle finger and thumb and wrap it around my dainty wrists, but maybe this is the watch that will turn my wrists into something I can feel no shame about.

Wait a second, outside of keeping time, (haha, wait a second) is that the primal reason we wear watches? No. We wear them to look good.

So, we're now taking donations so I can look good in this watch. Thanks.
-Mark

Detroit | It's been happening for a while

2009-10-06T09:28:00.005-04:00

This is the latest cover of Time Magazine, internationally.

The reason I posted it, is A.) I saw it on the newsstands yesterday and it made me a bit uncomfortable, and B.) because of a recent article by Thomas Morton of VICE titled Something, Something, Something, Detroit.

The crux of Morton's article is that lazy journalists love Detroit for its aesthetic of abandoned buildings and homegrown poverty. It's true too, look at the cover. It was a great article, but VICE is also guilty of this.

Below are pictures from VICE of an abandoned Detroit Public School. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, all you would hear about is DPS (Detroit Public Schools). Known to be some of the worst schools in the country, it was incredibly odd to hear about kids the same age as you not being picked up by busses, schools collapsing, schools not having books, desks or computers, and the ultimate waste and state takeover of the school board, which caused riots.

As Charlie LeDuff reports, in these abandoned schools are the secrets of the former students.

"The secrets of 20,000 schoolchildren lie naked and abused in a deserted warehouse near the Michigan Central Rail Depot.

For example: Jeanette, 11, had an IQ of 57, was mentally unstable and lived in poverty.

The emotional troubles of Bobbie, 7, stemmed from being caught in an emotional tug of war between two bickering and divorced parents."

Now we're guilty of it. It's hard not to post these pictures, because this is America too. America is a country that puts things on one side or the other. It's the country that created the heated debate. It's the country that pits one against the other. Either love it or leave it. The rest of the world however, sometimes sees things more nuanced, which makes an outsiders look into Detroit that much more interesting.

But wait, isn't the journalists' job to go in there, get the story, let it be known, and then encourage viewers/readers/listeners to do something about it? Yeah, but Detroit is America's biggest blemish and no one really knows what to do. The unfortunate thing about Detroit is, this has been going on for 20+ years. This isn't anything new.

In Morton's article, he talked to James Griffioen, the man who took those pictures above. Griffioen talked a little about the upcoming Time Magazine issue. “Time magazine sent a 24-year-old guy to Detroit,” James Griffioen told me. “They wouldn’t let him rent a car, so he was dropped off in a cab downtown. He’s there for six hours and he’s supposed to write a feature article on Detroit. For Time. He had a meeting with the mayor in the morning, the mayor stood him up, then he had a meeting with me, and that was it.”

Detroit has quickly become the place you go, witness, then leave. When I lived in the burbs, before Time Magazine found out it was dump, suburbanites had the same idea about Detroit. No one ever went there, if you did, you would look around, then leave.

Here are some pictures I took in 2005 when I was in downtown Detroit. There wasn't a financial crisis at this point, but the pictures wouldn't tell you that.

Now the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit are planning on spending $10 million on razing 365 abandoned buildings. According to the article there are "78,000 structures that the U.S. Postal Service estimated in March had remained vacant for at least 90 days."

Insane. 78,000 vacant structures. In America. The world's richest country.
It makes me sad.

The auto industry has collapsed in America. Detroit, is now the retired arsenal of democracy, and the torch has been passed not on to another state or American city, but to the world. That's what happens in the 21st century, we're globalized. It's not a bad thing, it's just that America hasn't adapted to this yet. America is weary of the rest of the world.

But Detroit's not lost. It still has some things. It still has its music, its history, its good food, its soul. Take Theo Parrish for example, electronic musician and native Detroiter.

Some know how to keep it rich, even in spite of what is going on around them. That is what makes Detroit a pretty special place.

Also, I really hope the Detroit Tigers win tonight.

Wal * Mart | One of the many reasons the Chinese are doing way better

2009-10-05T22:16:00.007-04:00

America is an interesting place. The most interesting part of it are all of its people. There are the Rockefeller's, the Kennedy's, the Bill Gates', Madonna, the guys who created Google, and then those that shop at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart is basically a playground for Americans. It's where the majority of the country goes to spend the money they earned filing their nails or talking on their cellphone while you wait for a service.

That's how America works. It's kind of a beautiful thing, but I don't think it's really going to last much longer. America has to compete with China now ... and there isn't any competition when "70% of the commodities sold in Wal-Mart are made in China. [China Business Weekly, November 29, 2004]."

Anyway, please ... enjoy WalMart courtesy of http://www.peopleofwalmart.com

As you can see, the deals are great. It's also a great place to just let your ass hang out, show off your shitty new tattoo, or beat your children in public. The fashion of the season is "08-09' recession with Mountain Dew and Country Music" with sweat pants and ironic t-shirts being the go to garments. Make sure you eat lots of fried foods before hand, and drive a mid 90s Dodge Neon or Chevy Cavalier.

Stay classy America.

Uday Hussein | You Insane Bastard

2009-10-04T17:42:00.006-04:00

Uday Hussein was Saddam Hussein's insane son. An insane Hussein you say? Yes, an insane Hussein. Uday was killed by American forces after the 2003 invasion. I've heard Uday's name before, but I never knew about his insanity.

Take this video for example. This is what Uday does when he's at a party...

I don't know if this is the same party, but Uday must have been the worst person to have at a party.
According the wiki on Uday Hussein:

In October 1988, at a party in honor of Suzanne Mubarak, wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Uday murdered his father's personal valet and food taster, Kamel Hana Gegeo (some say at the request of his mother). Before an assemblage of horrified guests, an intoxicated Uday bludgeoned Gegeo with a cane, reputedly administering the coup de grâce with an electric carving knife.

WTF!? Who kills someones personal food taster?
That's not all that Uday has been indicted for...

As head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, Uday oversaw the imprisonment and torture of Iraqi athletes who were deemed not to have performed to expectations.
When U.S. troops captured his mansion in Baghdad, they found a personal zoo stocked with lions and cheetahs; an underground parking garage for his collection of luxury cars; paintings glorifying him and his mother with Saddam (which was known to have infuriated his father); Cuban cigars inscribed with his name; and millions of dollars worth of fine wines, liquor and heroin. An HIV testing kit was also found among his personal effects.
Allegedly Uday beat an army officer unconscious when the man refused to allow him to dance with his wife; the man later died of his injuries. Uday also shot and killed an army officer who did not salute him.
# # Uday purchased or stole approximately 1,200 luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Corniche valued at over $200,000. Uday is reported to have arrived at a polling station during a referendum on his father's regime in a pink Rolls-Royce

After reading all of this about Uday, I'm quite happy he's gone. The children of despotic dictators rarely turn out the way you hope.

Crazy Racist Lady Goes Crazy on Local News

2009-10-04T15:25:00.002-04:00

This lady is hilarious. Brenda Hughes is having some issues with her neighbours. She's upset with them, and is going about it in all the wrong ways. The reason the police want to talk with her, is because she has been throwing Boric acid at her neighbours.

Brenda's white, her neighbours are black. Along with the Boric acid, Brenda's been throwing around racial epithets. Also not good.

In this clip from WTOC from Savannah, GA, we get to see Brenda sample a bit of Boric acid, put it in her hair, and then wipe it on her face.

Good job Brenda.

Stephen Harper | Getting High with his Friends

2009-10-04T11:58:00.001-04:00

No comment needed

Recession causing Hotels to offer some pretty unique deals

2009-10-03T12:51:00.004-04:00

The tourism industry has really felt the brunt of our recent economic downturn. People just can't afford to travel and pay for fancy hotels. Thus several hotels have created some pretty interesting deals to try to lure more quests.

You can read the full story here, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hotels3-2009oct03,0,2804156.story

But here are some of favourites.
Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach is offering what they call an Ink and Stay package in which guests at the hotel will receive $100 towards a tattoo and a bottle of tequila. That sounds like a law suit waiting to happen.

The Four Seasons in Beverly Hills are offering their guests free rental of a Porsche, BMW, or Mercedes.

Some of them just get kinda crazy. At the Las Vegas Hilton, a two night stay will give you $300 towards a return flight on any airline and $100 in dining coupons. You'd figure they would lose money, but the guests still end up paying around $49 a night after all the coupons.

At the Westin Los Angeles Airport, it's $199 for the first night, but the second night's rate equals the last two digits of your birth year. For example I would have to pay $84 the second night, being born in 1984.

These deals all sound interesting, but here's a tip, maybe they should just lower their prices. I think guests would appreciate that more than a tattoo or dining coupons! Although a free bottle of tequila would be nice.

Insider McDonald's shit, from a guy named Robert Trugabe??

2009-10-03T02:14:00.006-04:00

Robert Trugabe, not to be confused with Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, seems to be the owner of a McDonald's and has been thinking of genius ways to save Mickey D's a few buckaroos.

His idea? Just rip the people off once and a while, and it all adds up in the end.

Pretty funny, and the Australian Corporate Communications Manager for McDonald's, Bronwyn Stubbs had to get in the cover up ...

"I wanted to confirm that this memo is a complete fabrication. 'Robert Trugabe' is not a McDonald's Australia employee and never has been. Needless to say the contents of the letter are also completely fabricated. McDonald's practices the highest standards of consumer ethics and would never encourage employees to act in a way that undermines our core customer values."

If that's the case, WOOPS! If it's a cover up for their own weird shit, then wtf.

I had a Mac attack earlier tonight, and had a burrrrrrrger. It wasn't that good. The bread tasted like cake which turns it into a desert burger. Interesting logic McDonald's.

The First Family of Spanish Goth

2009-10-02T17:20:00.004-04:00

I've read a lot about the anti-emo riots that happened in Mexico a while back, as well as what the Mexican goths had to say about it, but we never think about what's up with Spain.

A short while ago a friend of mine mentioned how Spain can't do anything crazy politically because of their history. True. But this is crazy.

Goths in the corridors of Spanish power. Spanish Prime Minister's daughters are probably the highest ranking Goths in the world. Awesome.

I would love to see the Obama kids all goth'd up and in the public eye. Would be hilarious.

The Syrian Masturbation Epidemic

2009-10-02T16:15:00.004-04:00

I don't generally consider Newsweek to be a source of hard hitting investigative journalism, but they've definitely reached their pinnacle.

Dan Ephron has written a blog on the Newsweek website regarding the "Syrian masturbation epidemic".

It apparently started with this blog post, from Fadal Atamaz Al-Sibai's blog. A Google translation of the site offers some interesting insight into Fadal's mind. He believes masturbation is something that can wiped off the map, and he even includes a few steps on how. Now the translation isn't 100%, but it makes for funny reading.

"Many of the young age of the young people entering them from the entrance of the devil "Check Yourself" by Vitor comes to addiction to this abhorrent practice, he wants to make sure نفسه مرة بعد مرة .. The same time after time ."

Okay, so maybe I can't understand his point exactly, but there are a lot of references to the Koran as well as Allah. It's easy to pick up on the fact that he's pretty anti-masturbation.

Syrian bigshot blogger Abufares retaliated against Fadal calling for an "unprecedented Syrian Orgasm against absurdity, hypocrisy, and sanctimony."
That's something we can all get behind. Interestingly, Abufares discusses Fadal's choice to write his blog in Arabic. Other blogs remark that this is a part of the fossilized thinking of Syria. Abu Kareem of NYC says, "no religion is immune to fossilized thinking."

Hard hitting stuff, right?

Well, until we meet our next Syrian blogger, the hilarious Yazan Badran, who is calling for a Week of Moral Decay.
This includes buying a rock and roll album, practicing BDSM with a partner, breaking your Ramadan fast early in front of everyone, pretending you're God and resting while smoking Syrian hash. Yazan Badran includes a disclaimer of sorts. He says:

I personally have done every single one of these at least once in my short life on this planet, and I stand by every word here in both its literal and sarcastic sense.

Awesome Yazan Badran!

What makes all of this interesting, besides the fact it's a masturbatory flame-war, is that Syria isn't really known for it's free speech. As the Newsweek article points out, "Just last month, the regime sentenced a 31-year-old political blogger, Karim Antoine Arbaji, to three years in prison for undermining President Bashar al-Assad's rule."

Apparently only political flame-wars will get you in trouble. Nonetheless, it's great that people can have these kinds of discussions publicly, without being all that public about it. Well it's super public now, and all of those involved will probably face positive and negative feedback ... from all over the world. Hopefully Syria's masturbatory woes will subside soon.

DIG! | Seven years of footage documenting The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre

2009-10-02T13:48:00.007-04:00

One of the best music documentaries to ever be released is Ondi Timoner's DIG!

The doc outlines the rise of two bands, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is led by Anton Newcombe, a messianic musical genius who believes he is the centre of the universe. The Dandy Warhols is led by Courtney Taylor, a self obsessed narcissist who "sneezes hit song". They were mutually obsessed with each other and their musical abilities, and they each thought their bands should rule the world. One band ended up doing just that, briefly, and totally rejecting the other.

The documentary contains 7 years of footage, and the complete ups and downs of messianic musicians. You don't have to be a fan of either band, which I'm personally not. The story itself, however, is insane.

Pitchfork.tv is streaming it in full for ONE WEEK ONLY. Below is the link to Part I, make sure you watch the whole thing.

http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/episode/1992-dig/1

Alejandro Cao de Benos | The Spanish North Korean

2009-10-01T15:51:00.004-04:00

Meet Alejandro Cao de Benos, the Spanish leader of the Korean Friendship Association. The KFA is a closely tied organization to the North Korean government. Alejandro holds honorary positions in the North Korean government, as well as a personal gift from Kim Jong Il. According to Wikipedia, "Cao has received several North Korean awards including the International Friendship Order from the DPRK's Supreme People's Assembly, diplomas from the Central Committee of Radio and Television of the DPRK and the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries".

I'm just learning more about Alejandro now, but his quest to be a part of one of the weirdest countries ever is pretty intriguing. The western media has a harsh portrayal of North Korea, but from all evidence we've seen, it is super harsh. What makes this guy think it's the place to be? We're hopefully going to find out, in the form of an interview with Alejandro. Stay tuned.

Here is a video of Alejandro on Al Jazeera discussing his view of North Korea.

Glenn Beck | Godlessness is ruining this country

2009-09-30T16:36:00.003-04:00

Here's a clip from the Glenn Beck Show that I thought I should post. I don't really want to comment on it too much, because I imagine most of our readers share similar world views. I'm posting it because I just want to point out how incredibly concerned I am about where things are headed in United States and even to some degree in Canada.
In the video Glenn Beck argues that people who don't believe in god are ruining the country. He argues that people who lack god in their life, fill that "so-called void" with "stuff, things, celebrities, power, government." I mean, if that's not the biggest piece of shit statement you've ever heard than I dunno what is. He also goes on to argue that atheists believe in social justice, something that is created by governments, rather than eternal justice, which is given by god. Seriously?
I still don't understand how Beck and other so-called Christians love using hate and fear against other beliefs. I know religion is primarily based on fear, but you'd think 2000 years later people might start to understand each other.

Getting to Know Harvard University's Absitinence Girl

2009-09-30T15:12:00.014-04:00

"I’m known on the Harvard campus as ‘that abstinence girl"

- Rachel Lynn Wagley

Harvard University, where rich people get education, has a club called the "True Love Revolution", which Boston Herald writer Laurel Sweet cleverly describes as "a Harvard-sanctioned group devout staying hanky-panky free."

Hanky-panky (funny if said with a fake German accent), as many of us over the age of 8 know, is a practice between 2 people that happens and occurs naturally when a bunch of really good things connect in the universe ... which is why she believes it must be stopped.
Well, she is sick of roommates knockin' boots in the dorm rooms and not being able to say anything about it ... so that's why sex should be stopped.

Just who is Rachel Lynn Wagley? Well she likes to go by the moniker "Emperess Rachel Lynn Wagley of the Western World" and she's from Spokane, WA. How did we find that out? Because her Myspace profile is open to the public.

As we can see, Rachel, appears to be a beautiful young girl who could probably have the heart of any man or woman of her desire. According to this picture's caption, she may be too busy for hanky-panky because "We're all about studying angiosperms". We all know what didn't happen on this night...

But then she goes off in an even weirder direction, with more of a focus on the creation of human sperm, babies. The background for her Myspace says "Everyone who supported slavery was free. Everyone who supports abortion was born. That's how oppression works". Oh Rachel. What do you study at Harvard? According to Myspace, she majors in dictatorship and minors in Rachel studies. She goes on to admit though that she is "very selfish and full of herself".

The Boston Herald article goes on to say:

She bemoans a youth society in which lovemaking is viewed with little more reverence than a pickup game of basketball.

“It’s just so recreational and that’s just so sad. I would hope people see me as more than just a basketball,” she said.

I think I found the real problem ... Rachel has been thinking she is just a basketball all these years. Rachel, let me be the one to tell you, you're not a basketball. It's okay! Be yourself! Being the abstinence girl on Harvard's campus is pretty sweet, in a goofy way ...
I think Rachel is doing a brave thing. To be pro-abstinence in 2009 is like being a blacksmith in 1910. The car is becoming mainstream, and you believe there is a future in iron shoes for horses. That's heroic in a way.

Here are some 'best of' selections from Rachel's Myspace 'about you quiz'.

Do you belive in yourself:

Too much of the time. But I believe in Christ WAY more of the time.

Do you think you are Attractive:

Nope. But I spend an awful lot of time looking in the mirror

Are you a Health Freak:

If I was, maybe I would be more attractive.

Do you get along with your Parents:

In a submission v. oppression v. liberation way

In the past month have you been on Drugs:

Never; but I have an unphysical obsession with PCP.

What country would you most like to Visit:

Anywhere but not big on the idea of Mexico or African countries

Rachel, WE think you're a great person. We also know a few Mexican people as well as people from the continent of Africa, and they're not that different from you or I! We've never done PCP and think your unphysical obsession is a bit weird, but I feel like I've gotten to know you a bit over the past half hour, and I don't know who you're doing the whole abstinence thing for; if its for your oppressive parents, a guy name Chris who you believe in way more than yourself, or for your roommate's approval, but we think you should chill out a bit. Young people have been 'sexing' for, well, hundreds of thousands of years. We should be thankful we have dorm rooms to get it on in, otherwise we'd be doing it outside, and that's not being decent at all.

Rachel, this isn't a call to arms for you to get your sex on either. It's not a race, go at your own pace. I'm just sayin', sometimes other people's affairs, especially in the bedroom, don't require your royal ascent as Emperess Rachel Lynn Wagley of the Western World. It's not about you all the time.

Anyway,

Get your freak on everyone!

British Cheese Week | Eat More Cheese

2009-09-30T12:03:00.004-04:00

I think cheese is one of the best things ever. From a young age I realized this magical dairy product could basically put on anything savory and made better. You can even eat it with fruit. It's incredible.

My grandpa aka Papa was a cheese maker after WWII, in the cheese belt of Eastern Ontario. Although far removed from the cheese business now, our family gatherings revolve around a giant plate of many different kinds. The secret to a huge cheese plate is having a bunch of different cheeses. Ones with weird names and stinky smells are encouraged.

This week just happens to be British Cheese Week. The British have a bunch of awesome cheeses. One of my favourites is '5 Counties Cheese' ... a layer of cheese, each from a different county. The cheese pictured above is a Quenby Hall Stilton, the new British cheese champion.

The cheddar champion goes to a cheese named Quickies. Cheddar is probably my favourite, so I imagine that a Quickies cheddar is probably heavenly.
So here's to British Cheese Week ... go find your favourite cheese, have a beer or wine and celebrate!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article6853571.ece

That Autumn Look

2009-09-30T11:26:00.002-04:00

More cool shit from ACL. A series they call 'That Autumn Look' apparently garners more reader email to their site than any other series. That's pretty cool, because what they do is put a bunch of randomly found clothes together and categorize it as a certain look. Then they include the links so you can buy it all.

I personally think all of their stuff is super classy. I would wear about 88%-96% of it if I had a bigger chest of drawers / closet.
http://www.acontinuouslean.com/category/that-autumn-look/

Levi Strauss & Co. Historian | Lynn Downey

2009-09-30T11:11:00.002-04:00

A Continuous Lean has posted part 2 of a series involving Lynn Downey, Levi Strauss & Co.'s historian and archivist. She has some pretty incredible insight into the beginnings of one of America's most iconic companies. Part 1 of the interview is a bit more in depth, but nonetheless, Levi's has a really interesting history. Apparently the most the archive has ever spent on a pair of jeans is $46,000+ on Ebay. Holy shit!

jeans from 1901-1922

ACL: What was the highest amount you have paid for a pair of Levi’s?
Lynn Downey: The most we have ever paid was $46,532 and that was for the “Nevada Jean” which is — it’s not a 501 — it’s like a carpenter jean from the 1880s.

Original pair of Levi's khakis.

"A Lot of people may not know about Levi’s Khakis heritage. Dockers was created in 1986, but Levi’s has been making khakis off-and-on for over a hundred years. This is a 1915 retailer catalog and the khakis were not worn or sold as workwear, but were very fine office wear. Tthe Dockers designers have been living in the archives, going through all of the old khakis for inspiration."
http://www.acontinuouslean.com/2009/09/17/asked-answered-levi-strauss-co-part-ii/

Clowns in Space

2009-09-30T10:41:00.008-04:00

Ever wonder what people who are "Oprah rich" do with their money? Well Quebec native and the founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté is set to embark on trip into outer space with the Russian Soyuz spaceship. The three man crew is said to reach the International Space Station on October 2nd and return home on October 11th. Laliberté says the purpose of his voyage into space was to bring "awareness on water issues to humankind on planet earth." With his organization www.onedrop.org, he will host a live webcast on October 9th to promote the issue of clean water.

Laliberté, known for throwing crazy sex and drug fueled parties, has reportedly paid US$ 35 million for his trip and he becomes the seventh space tourist.

I think this is a pretty interesting way for Laliberté to bring awareness to his cause, but what interests me the most is seeing the spaceship land and all the clowns that exit from it.

Read more; http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2050046

Its time to buy a new winter coat | Winter is coming!

2009-09-28T15:02:00.010-04:00

As we all know, winter is soon upon us. Keeping warm whilst trudging through the gloomy winter days is always our main concern, but can we look cool while keeping warm? Why does winter have to be synonymous with a disregard for fashion?

The trends for Winter 2009/2010 seem to be quite similar from last year's. Simple wool overcoats and peacoats remain the staple for men's winter wear. However, it seems this year they've taken on a certain military trend. Big pockets and hoods also quite prevelent.

C.P Company Winter 2010

John Varvatos Winter 2010

Paul Smith Winter 2010

Burberry Winter 2010

Shipley and Halmos 2010

Putin Watch | Prime Minister/Hero frees two snow leopards

2009-09-28T12:51:00.003-04:00

Generally we're on the lookout for weird shit that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is up to, but this time around, he's being a hero again.

"The Russian prime minister supervised the release of two snow leopards into a wildlife sanctuary near the southern resort of Sochi, fulfilling a pledge he made before Russia won the right to host the 2014 Olympic Games."

There he goes again, freeing snow leopards, who probably had a pretty shitty life up until Putin came around.

"It wasn't the first time Russia's premier has tangled with big cats. Putin shot a rare Ussuri tiger with a tranquilizer dart in Russia's Far East in August 2008 before fitting it with a tracking collar."

So, when he's not freeing the snow leopards, he's shooting even rarer cats. Oh, okay.

The Pope and the Crawling Spider

2009-09-27T14:31:00.008-04:00

The Pope is so old that he has spiders crawling on him at all times.

See, it wasn't a joke.
Either he is actually a really old guy and therefore, like an old house, it attracts spiders, or this is a practicing Catholic spider who is looking for salvation in the supreme leader of the Catholic Church.

Shorpy.com | Best Pix on the Net

2009-09-27T00:28:00.007-04:00

The website Shorpy.com is an incredible photo blog that has tons and tons of really good black and whites.

Here are a few that stuck out to me. There are sooo many pictures on the site, it's great. Click to enlarge:
http://www.shorpy.com

Hero of the Day | Dalton Chiscolm - Suing Bank of America for 1,784 billion, trillion dollars

2009-09-25T15:33:00.004-04:00

Crazy bastard* alert!(not the actual guy ... you try to find a picture of him, it's impossible)

Some guy named Dalton Chiscolm is suing Bank of America for 1,784 billion, trillion dollars because he had a tough time speaking with a 'Spanish woman' who worked for Bank of America's customer service.

Dalton probably hasn't been paying attention to the news, and probably doesn't realize Bank of America is certifiably fucked regarding its own finances, so if I were Dalton I wouldn't get my hopes up.

That's not the American way though. The American way says, go for it! That money is yours Dalton! Sue the bastards!! This is where I think Dalton is a genius, because he realizes this. Dalton probably thinks part of the downfall of Bank of America was due to their shitty customer service, and the fact that he's the one to point it out makes all of their money, in Dalton's reality, his. How he came up with 1,784 billion trillion dollars, I have no idea, but good choice. The article explains how "Chiscolm's request is equivalent 1 followed by 22 digits" ... "The sum also dwarfs the world's 2008 gross domestic product of $60 trillion, as estimated by the World Bank."

So, Chiscolm, if the courts go your way, you will have all of the world's money. I will then call you and we will paint the town red ... with the most expensive paint ever.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idCNN2446846220090925?rpc=44

* = crazy, but awesome.

Calf + Ankle = Cankle

2009-09-25T15:08:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I like to randomly search words in Google Images just to see what weird shit comes up. Recently, I had the experience of Google Image searching (GISing) the word 'cankles'. Cankles was the Urban Dictionary word of the day for July 26th, 2009, and rightly so ... it's something we all need to think about and discuss.

Urban Dictionary defines it as:
"The area in affected female legs where the calf meets the foot in an abrupt, nontapering terminus; medical cause: adipose tissue surrounding the soleus tendon, probably congenital, worsened by weight gain and improved in appearance only by boots. From the English "calf" meaning wide portion of the lower leg, and "ankle" meaning slender joint of leg with foot."

Basically, cankles are A.) hilarious and B.) found in airports/Dennys Restaurants.

Now lets look at some glorious cankle shots.Perfect cankle shot. Shows the strain some women put on their beloved cank.

This picture had to be taken on a Saturday, because you just can't get away with cankle cleavage like this on a weekday.

Don't suffocate your cankle, it will turn your feet purple.Just remember, "People admire dainty ankles"

http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Cankles.aspx?cp-searchtext=Cankles&FORM=MSNSEA

MC Carl Sagan + MC Stephen Hawking

2009-09-25T13:54:00.003-04:00

Carl Sagan was a master at explaining extremely complex ideas in an easy to understand way.

I found this video of Carl explaining the universe to us ... in song. It features MC Stephen Hawking too.

Awesome.

Cage and Aviary

2009-09-23T11:03:00.006-04:00

One of DFA record's latest signings is the London duo of Cage and Aviary. Jamie Paton and Nigel of Bermondsey have been working hard on the London music scene for the past couple of years and have had reasonable local success on labels such as London's Dissendent Records and Paris' Astro Lab. But it wasn't until this year when New York's DFA decided to re-release their track "Television Train" to the North American audience. A melange of disco, funk, groove, and topped off with heavy bass, "Television Train" has been one of my favourite tracks of this past year. A seasoned DJ, Jamie Paton is the perfect fit for the DFA lineup. In a recent interview with Allez-Allez music blog, Jamie Paton put together a pretty interesting mix featuring several Cage and Aviary tracks.
Although Cage and Aviary have only released two songs with DFA, expect big things for them in the future.

Here's a portion of Television Train

And one of their first releases "Giorgio Carpenter"

China's National Day | October 1st

2009-09-21T22:51:00.004-04:00

China is celebrating its 60th anniversary on its National Day, October 1st this year. In preparation, parts of Beijing are being shut down in order to practice all sorts of crazy things. Boston.com's Big Photo series have posted some incredible pictures here.

AT&T - You Will ad campaign from 1993 | Predicting the Future

2009-09-21T16:22:00.003-04:00

Sixteen years ago the Internet was in its early stages. It sure wasn't as widespread as it is now, and access numbers were hard to come by. It was generally accessed through what we would now consider exxxxxxxxtremely slow 14.4kbs modems, and was predominantly text based.

The future of video, interaction and transferring files over large bandwidth was far off. In 1993 the telecom company AT&T began a futurist advertisement campaign predicting what would be the next steps in the evolution of communication. For the most part, they weren't that far off.

We chat face to face through Skype, we use tiny GPS' to travel around, we have chips in our credit cards that can pay tolls, we buy movie tickets from an ATM, we read books on Google Books, and we can even access our university courses online. We've come an extremely far way since 1993. It's quite remarkable if you ask me. I can't wait to see what happens in the next 16 years.

Oktoberfest 2009 | Munich, Germany

2009-09-21T13:57:00.004-04:00

If there is one place I could be right now, it would definitely be the Germany city of Munich. The end of September marks the beginning of Oktoberfest, the celebration of beer and friends.

Munich is a super laid back city, and is also home to many famous breweries, which all take part in the festival. The liter bierkrugs are heavy, and the beer tastes incredible.
The first Oktoberfest happened in Munich, on October 18, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of the Bavarian King Ludwig I and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. It must have been an incredible wedding ceremony since everyone still wants to celebrate each year.

According to Wikpedia, "There are many problems every year with young people, who overestimate their ability to handle large amounts of alcohol. Many pass out due to drunkeness. These especially drunk patrons are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beer corpses"). They are brought by staff to a medical tent where drunks as well as sick people are treated."

As you can see, Oktoberfest is a festival for all. Read more about Oktoberfest here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest or see the rest of the pictures here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkpicturegalleries/6214864/Oktoberfest-2009-sights-from-the-beer-festival-in-Munich.html?image=1

God blessed Texas and their school boards

2009-09-21T11:10:00.003-04:00

As we've learned in a previous post, school board meetings are full of crazy people. I forgot to mention, the school board members themselves are also crazy.

Sometimes you have to remember that these are the people who want to run these crazy meetings. Point in case, this clip from a Texas school board. The topic at hand is the history books that are going to be used in the social studies curriculum. The problem this board member has with the rough draft of the history book are the perceived 'negativity' in American history. The member goes on to say there needs to be more focus on America's 'exceptionalism'.

She even says something about removing the word propaganda ... which, unbeknownst to her, she's actually crafting by telling this author what is right and wrong.

Exceptionalism ... hmmm. I don't think this is how America became so unique in the first place.

In the end though, God Blessed Texas....

The Beatles are bigger than Jesus

2009-09-21T09:07:00.002-04:00

For five days, according to Google Trends and The Guardian, the Beatles were bigger than Jesus.

School Board Meetings | Straying off topic

2009-09-20T16:02:00.006-04:00

School board meetings are a great place to find local crazies. It's a place to go on a Monday night to air grievances no one cared about on during your weekend. It's also apparently a place to go to tell all of your secrets.

This woman probably had a rough day. She probably needed an outlet to vent some frustration, so naturally, the school board meeting was her place to be. She seems like a woman of the community, someone who cares deeply about the well being of children. The thing is though, she doesn't have any children ... technically.

The James May Lego House | Are you interested in buying?

2009-09-20T15:49:00.004-04:00

James May's Lego house is finished! It looks incredible, but the unfortunate thing about it is, no one wants it.

The house was built on a vineyard in Surrey, but now the vineyard needs their land back. Even Legoland doesn't want it. Terribly sad. If no one scoops it up by 8am on Tuesday, it will be taken down. I want it badly. It has a working toilet, and it looks awesome.

Someone please take it.

Here is a video someone shot while waiting in line to help build the Lego house. Pretty funny.

Jediism | Finding legitimacy in your Star Wars obsession

2009-09-18T13:19:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not, one of the fastest growing "religions" in the English speaking world is Jediism. As you would guess, Jediism is based on the philosophical and spiritual ideas of the Jedi characters in Star Wars. The Jedi believe in the Force as the driving energy behind everything that exists. Moreover, as they do in the movies, the Jedi adhere to the Jedi code, which can can be loosely compared to the chivalry code.

According to Jedi followers one can interpret the force of having either a light side or a dark side. Light Jedi believe that it is important to be compassionate and care about helping the lives of others. The Dark Jedi or Siths focus on the idea that the force compels one to be selfish and self-motivated. There is also a third type of Jedi, the Shadows, who believe that there is an middle stance in which the Force has neither good sides or bad.
According to their Wiki page they have almost 500,000 followers. However, as you would expect, Jediism is yet to be considered an official religion. In 2005, on a draft for the "racial and religious hatred bill" in the UK, Jediism was excluded from any protections, along with Satanists, Scientologists, racists, sexists, and beleivers in animal and human sacrifice.

Recently, Jediism was in the news because the founder, 23 year-old Daniel Jones, was forced to remove his Jedi robe at a Tesco Supermarket in Wales because it violated store policy. Jones has since threatened legal action, calling it religious discrimination.

When you look at the basic concepts of Jediism, its not that different from many mainstream religions. You have a starting point in the Force, which is the energy that drives the universe. Then there is the Jedi Code, which is somewhat similar to many other religious texts in that it allows the followers to maintain a common stream of thought. I don't see this as being any different than Scientology or even Mormonism to be perfectly honest. All it needs are some famous celebrities to get behind Jediism and it will become the next big thing.

However, the Jedi face one major dilemma. Much of what they follow is under the copyright of George Lucas. They can't call it the Church of the Jedi because Jedi is copyrighted by Lucas, so is the Jedi Code. Read this recent interview with the founder Daniel Jones as he struggles to explain his religion without getting into copyright issues. http://www.djsiegel.com/StarwarsPage.html

The Faces of the Modern Conservative Party of Canada

2009-09-18T09:41:00.003-04:00

A close political ally of mine, who will go unnamed (Lauren), recently sent me a website which made me cry with laughter, and then cry for help.

The Conservative Party of Canada has adopted some cutting edge 'hologram' technology for their website. What that means is, they have some videos. Us young'ins love these online videos, and market researchers will advise that we react positively to them.

So, the Conservatives then went back to their 'Internet room' and hatched up a plan. You can see their plan at http://movingforward.conservative.ca/

It's weird. It's uncomfortable, and suburban voters will probably love it.

Look, that guy from TV is talking to me on my computer machine! Apparently he'll even say your name. If that isn't the cats pajamas, I don't know what is.

It takes a tough man to make a tender forecast | Ernie Anastos & The Fox News 5 gang

2009-09-17T15:50:00.003-04:00

I'm a big fan of news bloopers. Nothing like seeing people trying to be as professional as possible do something completely unprofessional then watching the shame on their faces.

This one is pretty funny. Ernie Anastos from Fox News 5 New York either is looking to get fired, or just has an incredible irreverence about himself. Either way, keep it up Ern'.

After the suggestion of "keep fucking that chicken" the weather man actually says "Okay, I'll do", which makes me suspicious. Do these news people know something we don't? Ernie then goes on to let his female co-anchor know he's got his eye on her when she's working out.

Ernie, you're one hell of a dude.

Birther movement | "Bunch of cranks"

2009-09-16T15:19:00.003-04:00

Even though I absolutely loathe Ann Coulter and all she stands for, I have to commend her for saying that the Birther movement is nothing more than a bunch a "cranks", whatever that means. And I'm sure she must have taken a lot of flack amongst her right-wing nut job circle for it. However, I guess it goes to show that she doesn't have much sway amongst the republican followers because her stance has not done much to subside this outrageous issue.

Here is a clip of Coulter on the Geraldo "I'm more hispanic than anyone" Rivera's Fox show claiming her disgust for the birther movement

Meanwhile, watch the so-called leader of the Birther movement Orly Taitz have a melt-down on MSNBC. I like how the reporters have some balls and put her in her place

Facebook Woopsies

2009-09-16T13:12:00.005-04:00

Facebook is full of fun. I get a kick out of funny status reports, and these are just hilarious.

And Matt, the guy below, your goatee is stupid.

http://current.com/1oibu4c

Chinese smother bridge in butter to prevent suicide and that dry taste.

2009-09-15T14:36:00.005-04:00

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2009-09/01/content_8642819.htm

In order to curb suicides in Guangzhou in south east China, officials have smothered a 1000ft steel bridge in butter.

Shiu Liang said: "We tried employing guards at both ends but that didn't work - and we put up special fences and notices asking people not to commit suicide here.

"None of it worked - and so now we have put butter over the bridge and it has worked very well. Nobody can get up there and nobody who tries ever falls."

hahaha! I kind of want to see some footage of this. I'm sure the Chinese could turn this into some sort of Just for Laughs Gags Guangzhou edition.

The bridge guard, either named Wong Man or is misunderstood as the correct person, refers to the suicidal as 'attention seekers' seems super pleased with the buttery idea. Wong Man said, "Since we put up the butter there have been no problems with these attention seekers."

All it takes is a follow up question to find out the person you're interviewing is a complete moron

2009-09-15T11:33:00.007-04:00

I also enjoy turning off my brain once and a while, but I generally turn it back on when I need to logically figure out certain issues. Reason and logic are important. Passion, on the other hand, although extremely admirable is not a substitute for reason or logic.

A view into the Holy Ghost! Studio

2009-09-15T10:12:00.003-04:00

Brooklyn disco duo Holy Ghost! are some of the coolest dudes out there. Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel began in the rap group Automato, which was one of Tim Goldsworthy (of Mo'Wax/U.N.K.L.E. fame) and James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem fame)'s first productions as a team. In fact, I found an Automato single at Beatnik Records here in Montreal the other day, and you can definitely hear early DFA influences.

The Holy Ghost! dudes let VBS into their home studio, and we get to see all of their incredible analog gear. They've got all the sweetest stuff, and their production is some of the absolute best.

Check out their stuff @ http://www.myspace.com/holyghostnyc

You know shit has hit the fan when....

2009-09-15T00:41:00.006-04:00

there are this many homemade signs in a public park

I for one support the pubic option.

The Peter Griffin Lookalike

2009-09-14T17:54:00.005-04:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8254894.stm

Meet Ross Hussey, an Ulster Unionist councilor from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. He happens to be a Peter Griffin lookalike, and he's using that to his advantage ... for his city council election. May as well, I suppose.

Hussey goes on to say, "Really it's a bit of fun, and anything that could get young people interested in politics is good."

"If they can see that we are human and realise that we're not all God's gift, why not? There's enough serious things out there without adding to the worries of the world."

Well at least he admits he's not God's gift, he's just a Peter Griffin lookalike who wants to look after local zoning issues.

Why the Fuck do you Have a Kid?

2009-09-14T16:00:00.010-04:00

Here's a pretty hilarious website offering up the best pictures and videos of people that probably aren't the best suited to be having children.

http://whythefuckdoyouhaveakid.com

The Captain Kirk Kiss

2009-09-14T13:43:00.001-04:00

Captain James T. Kirk gives us a lesson on how to kiss a woman.

New tribe found in Brazil

2009-09-14T11:29:00.008-04:00

The Brazilian government has recently released photographs of one the few remaining uncontacted indigenous tribes in a remote area near the border between Brazil and Peru.
You can see in the pictures that the tribe members are pointing their bows at the photographers as they fly by. They live in thatched huts surrounded by dense jungle.
The Brazilian government set out to find this tribe and takes pictures of it because they want to protect and ensure its safety from logging companies that are destroying the surrounding rainforest.

As you can see from the pictures some of the tribe members are painted red and apparently the person painted in black could be a black person. The colouring of the people, to me, looks like this could be fake, but the BBC explains it here.

Pyeonghwa Motors | North Korea's Car Company

2009-09-14T09:17:00.004-04:00

When North Korea isn't making terrible music or trying to start wars with Russia, they're apparently building cars that are complete rip offs of Western cars. You've done it this time North Korea.

According to Jalopnik, Pyeongwah Motors is a North Korean auto manufacturer, who rips off a few Italian designed Fiats, Japanese designs, as well as Chinese cars. Genius, when you think about it. I would hate to see the crash test videos of these cars though. I imagine they're made of duroplast and cotton, like old East German Trabants were made of.

The company's website is quite mind boggling. They have pictures of a few of their cars, and they also have these fresh female boxing pictures.

I'm confused too.

This picture however makes up for everything...

North Korea, your cars are funny just like everything else you do.

Beck's Modern Guilt Acoustic

2009-09-13T23:22:00.005-04:00

One of my favourite albums to come in out 2008 was Beck's Modern Guilt, which kind of flew under the radar, but was picked up by our blogger JF Thibault.

For the 1 year anniversary Beck and crew decided to do acoustic versions of all the songs and release them on beck.com, Beck's media rich website. Here's the title track from Modern Guilt.

Modern Guilt Acoustic "Modern Guilt" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Menino's machine

2009-09-13T14:21:00.003-04:00

Thomas Menino, the everlasting king of Boston, is running for re-election - an unprecedented fourth term. The Globe has a pretty solid analysis of the political machine that keeps Mumbles going here.

A choice bit:

Their work inevitably strays into the political. At a recent staff meeting, Marco Torres, the liaison to the Latino community, said he was sure that Menino’s march in the Puerto Rican Day Parade would generate “positive coverage in the linguistic media.’’ He also noted that the mayor was planning to attend a Reggaeton concert at Fenway Park “with the potential for him to meet the two artists for a photo-op, which would be good.’’

Jesus only drinks Coke

2009-09-11T10:40:00.004-04:00

A Baptist mega church in Tampa Florida has recently removed all Pepsi machines from its church and replaced them with Coke because Pepsi donated millions of dollars to organizations supporting lesbian and gay rights.
Terry Kemple, the President of Community Issues Council for the church, said that "We would like to send them a message," because it "advocates the acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle."

Nadine Smith, the executive director of Equality Florida, makes a good point, she argues that the church has essentially "switched from one company that supports full-equality to another company that supports full-equality."

I don't know about you guys, but my Jesus drinks Dr. Pepper.

Worst Beatles Cover Ever

2009-09-10T13:50:00.002-04:00

Here's a word of wisdom, stop singing please.

Louis Theroux | Reporting on the Wild and Weird

2009-09-09T12:59:00.004-04:00

British-American reporter, Louis Theroux, seems to enjoy looking into America's odd subcultures. From neo-Nazis to Black Nationalists, Theroux puts himself in his subject's shoes and tries to figure out their weird ways.
At times it gets tense between Louis and his subjects, but Theroux's well played naivete allows him to get information other reporters may not be able to. Theroux also plays up his Britishness with silly humour, but not afraid to show his American side and confront anyone. Here's a clip from the time he spent with Black Nationalists in New York City. Search around Youtube to find full episodes of his shows.

09/09/09 | Beatles Day

2009-09-09T11:56:00.004-04:00

It's a lucky day for the bank accounts of Beatles family members as a massive reissuing of Beatles albums, as well as the Beatles Guitar Hero game are released today. Music blogs and websites are declaring it Beatles Day, which I'm quite alright with. We need to celebrate the Beatles. Here is a small list of my favourite Beatles tracks.

Tomorrow Never Knows - Tape loops and early experimentation set this song apart from so many tracks. Lennon wanted it to sound like 100,000 monks chanting. George Martin said 'Okay!' An incredibly timeless track.
Dear Prudence - While in India, John Lennon learned the finger picking style of guitar from Donovan, and then wrote this song. A song for Prudence Farrow, Mia Farrow's sister- who came along on the trip, only to be reclusive. John wanted her to open up her eyes.
Oh! Darling - Paul's shot at the southern soul sound the Beatles loved so much. Simple and evocative, and said to be influenced by Frank Zappa's genre exercises from Rueben and the Jets.
Don't Let Me Down - Billy Preston on the blues organ, and John Lennon on the rock guitar makes a perfect match. Reminiscent of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.
The Abbey Road Medley - Starting with Mr. Mean Mustard and ending with Her Majesty, the Abbey Road Medley was and still is the Beatles at their classic best. Pasted together by George Martin, the medley shows the creative diversity of the Beatles and their ability to record the catchiest of popular music.

Discordia | The Concordia University Riots

2009-09-09T11:48:00.003-04:00

On September 9th, 2002 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited by Hillel Concordia to speak at Concordia University in downtown Montreal. The speech quickly erupted into a full on riot in the streets surrounding Con-U.

The National Film Board documentary, Discordia, shows the personalities behind the event and the ensuing 'riots'. It's definitely worth a watch or at least a fast-forwarding to see recognizable parts of Concordia, including the campus bar, Reggies!

Anthony Bourdain | No Reservations

2009-09-08T21:30:00.005-04:00

My new favourite show on television is Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Bourdain is a writer and chef. In his show, No Reservations, he travels around the world and discovers local cuisines and cultures. I really enjoy his world views, and 'don't give a shit attitude'. Check out some clips from some pretty interesting episodes.

First, Bourdain goes to Montreal and visits some restaurants such as Au Pied de Couchon and La Banquise.

Second, Bourdain visits London and talks with local chefs about British cuisine.

Samoa | Drivers beware you're now on the wrong side of the road

2009-09-08T21:02:00.005-04:00

This week the Pacific island nation of Samoa officially switched from right to left side driving. It is the first country since Nigeria in the 1970s to do so. The reason for doing so is to bring Samoa in line with Australia and New Zealand who drive on the left side and it is much cheaper to import cars from those countries than it is from Europe and the US.
Most of the cars in Samoa are meant for right hand driving and have the steering wheels on the left side, but for the time being cars will be allowed to have steering wheels on either side. The main issue facing this switch has been trying to change the doors on the public buses. In order to curtail any major incidents the government issued a 2 day national holiday and a 3 day ban on the sale of alcohol.

Montreal <-> Toronto Bike Service on VIA Rail

2009-09-08T09:02:00.005-04:00

Bike-Train service between Montreal and Toronto?

http://communities.canada.com/montrealgazette/blogs/greenlife/archive/2009/09/08/bike-train-service-between-montreal-and-toronto.aspx

"There's a new service for cyclists who want to take their bikes with them on trips between Toronto and Montreal. There will be space for six bikes on certain VIA trains operating daily between Toronto and Montreal until Oct. 8."

I suppose this is a good idea, seeing that just a few years ago, on a group trip back into Montreal from Lac des deux montagnes, by train-with bikes, we were told you will get fined, quite heavily, if you bring your bike into Montreal's Gare Centrale. Now, they'll allow 6 bikes! Better than nothing I suppose, but a real green initiative would be a high speed rail setup between the two cities. High speed rail has been debated since the 1970s however, and 30+ years later, still nothing.

Inglourious Basterds = Wolfenstein 3D?

2009-09-08T08:23:00.004-04:00

Facebook status of the moment:

Mahmud Naqi "inglorious basterds is infinitely more enjoyable if you just think of it as an unofficial film adaptation of wolfenstein 3D"

Special Edition Porsche 911 Sport Classic

2009-09-07T20:08:00.000-04:00

I really like well filmed videos of extremely well designed cars with beautiful sounding engines drive around sharp corners, accelerating and decelerating at speeds I only dream of.

In 1959 Ferdenand Porsche sketched out an early predecessor to what we now know as the Porsche 911 and ever since it's been the premier sports car. Here is a pretty nice video of the latest greatest special Porsche 911 Sport Classic (1 of only 250) driving fast, around corners, looking really nice.

Thom Yorkie Fruit & Nut Bar

2009-09-07T19:07:00.003-04:00

Thom Yorke recently performed by himself, or solo, as they say. It was the first time, outside of a few political rallies and marches in 2003 that Yorke has done so.

British funnyman, Adam Buxton, of In Rainbows webcast production fame, sat down with Yorke and discussed a few possible nicknames for future touring. I agree with Thom that "Yorkie Fruit & Nut Bar" is the best for him.

The Juan Maclean | Building Happy Houses

2009-09-06T15:46:00.006-04:00

The best concert in Montreal this past summer had to be The Juan Maclean show at the SAT. The Juan Maclean supplies Housey dance beats from man-machine drummer, Gerhardt Fuchs, with live instrumentation from Juan and DFA's resident girl, Nancy Whang, and at one point Nick Millhiser from Holy Ghost.

The highlight of all of their shows is their hit Happy House. Live, it goes on for fifteen plus minutes, pounding at 125 beats per minute down to something much slower, then back up again. It was incredible.

The Times of London reported on their recent Glasgow show, where they played with borrowed instruments, by saying, "The gig ended with last year’s near hit Happy House, a full 15 minutes of joyous, arms-in the-air disco, during which even Whang almost cracked a smile."

Apparently we'll be seeing an official live Happy House video sometime soon, which will make the 'near hit' a hit. That song alone is worth however much you pay to see them live. We'll have the video here as soon as it comes out.

Here, however, is a fan version, divided into three parts. I've only included part 1, you can find the rest of them on the Youtubes.

Rabid Bat Bites Man in Montreal | Stupid Man Gets Bit By Normal Bat

2009-09-05T14:21:00.005-04:00

Rabid Bat Bites Montreal Man

Here's a lesson: When you're walking your dog and you spot a bat on the ground, it's a good idea to just leave it alone. It's playing dead for a reason. It knows people like you are going to pick it up. Once you pick it up, its plan is to bite you, as this bat did. I doubt the bat was that rabid, it was just BEING A BAT.

A better headline would be, Stupid Man Picks Up Bat.

The "Monsters of Folk"

2009-09-04T15:53:00.008-04:00

The much hyped collaboration project called Monsters of Folk featuring Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis is set to be released on September 22 on Nashville's Shangri-la records. I've never been much of a Conor Oberst or M. Ward fan, and I had no idea who Mike Mogis is, but I've really liked Jim James' work with My Morning Jacket. A couple of the Monsters of Folk songs have been released, so I decided to give them a listen. To be honest, they aren't that bad. It's what to be expected, they are folky. On the tracks, "Say Please" and "Dear God", James' unique voice definitely stands out from the rest, but the instrumentation is nothing to write home about. Its pleasant and fun, and will probably make tons of money with their names behind it.

Check out "Say Please" and "Dear God"