KerrTalk!

FOOTY & FREE SPEECH

2010-11-25T14:10:00.004-05:00

Something strange has happened in the last few weeks. Almost all the topics that have appeared on this blog in the past have suddenly become far too interconnected for me to ignore. This post has its genesis in Celtic Park with the controversy surrounding the Green Brigade's banner display.

Your deeds would shame all the devils in hell. Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan. No bloodstained poppy on our hoops

The Green Brigade, the ultras of Celtic FC and the group responsible for the banner display, released an official statement the same day (excerpt below):

Our group and many within the Celtic support do not recognise the British Armed Forces as heroes, nor their role in many conflicts as one worthy of our remembrance. Earlier this year, the Saville Report on Bloody Sunday confirmed that 14 unarmed civilians were murdered in Derry in 1972 by the Paratroop Regiment. They were among hundreds killed by the British Army during the most recent phase of conflict in Ireland. More recently, the British Armed Forces have murdered and maimed many thousands more innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. The poppy remembers not just our grandfathers who fought the Nazis but also those who bombed the Belgrano and brutally occupied the streets of Belfast and Basra. While we recognise the right of individuals to remember their dead and that many within the Celtic support will wear the poppy in memory of family and friends lost in WW2 and other conflicts, we cannot accept the imposition of the poppy onto our shirts.

In my opinion, people must understand that something special about the sport is that football grounds used to be places where individuals could voice their dissenting opinions. In How Soccer Explains the World, Franklin Foer provides myriad examples of this. Footy fans will be familiar with one of the most famous rivalries in European Soccer, El Clasico, between Real Madrid and Barcelona. A reason this rivalry is so incredible is that during the Franco Regime, the Camp Nou - where Barcelona plays its football - was the only place that the Catalan flag could be displayed freely and where Catalan could be spoken. This was where those opposed to the Franco regime could voice their opinions without fear - it was where freedom of speech reigned. As many of my friends know, these cultural and political aspects of the history of the beautiful game fascinate me and this is what I believe separates football from most other professional sports. And it is through this lens that I view the drama at Celtic Park. It is not that I agree or disagree with the banner display (though the reasoning provided by the Green Brigade is valid), I simply support the rights of fans to voice their opinions - in football grounds and in the streets (even in blogs!). Freedom of speech is an extremely contentious issue, but one must preserve his/her right to make fair criticisms - of governments, of traditions, of ticket prices. The presence of the Green Brigade at Parkhead has improved the atmosphere immensly, and to ban the group for bringing attention to a legitimate concern of some Scottish and Irish people is simply political censorship.

This difficulty with the limits of free speech is not only a pressing issue in the terraces of Celtic Park but also at home in the Great White North. The Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA) held its second annual conference in Ottawa earlier this month in coalition with the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA), where the Ottawa Protocol was ratified. The ICCA and the CPCCA are largely focused on what they call the “new anti-Semitism,” defined as excessive or unjust criticism of the state of Israel - or the use of Isreal as a scapegoat for the problems in the Middle East. However, this definition is dangerous, particularly when one is unsure of the true motivations of both the ICCA and the CPCCA. It becomes extremely difficult to distinguish between objective and unjust criticism of a government that is involved in some of the most heated conflicts of the 21st century. How can one determine if there goal is to prevent the growth of this "new anti-semitism" as opposed to simply shielding Israel from criticism. This video released by Independent Jewish Voices earlier this month suggests that the motivation is the latter.

If anyone knows the trouble with the Canadian government's approach to the Israeli-Palestine conflict it is George Galloway - former member of the British parliament, potential future member of the Scottish parliament, and life long Celtic supporter. As a founding member of Viva Palestina, a registered charity group focused on provision of humanitarian aid to Palestine, Galloway has faced myriad criticism. In particular, as I discussed in a blog post last year, the Canadian government banned him from entry into the country, accusing him of funding terrorist organizations. However, the ruling was overturned in the fall by a Supreme Court judge who argued that the Harper government had acted politically to suppress his opinions. As a result, for anyone interested, this evening George Galloway will be in Edmonton, giving a talk at the University of Alberta at 7pm.
The Independent Jewish Voices suggests that "the CPCCA should be dismantled immediately, and reconstituted to combat racism against all groups, including those at much higher risk of discrimination in Canada." This anti-racist sentiment is something that I share in common not only with Independent Jewish Voices, but also with George Galloway and the Green Brigade. It is not anti-semitic to stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people. As George Galloway puts it, "...Canada remains a country governed by laws, not by ‘here today, gone tomorrow' politicians and their whims."

IMPACT & IDENTITY

2010-08-19T18:59:00.002-04:00

Readers of the blog know the love I have for the beautiful game, though in retrospect I haven't spoken as much about soccer in my posts as one would expect. It should be known that my love for soccer is different than what I would consider the typical fan in Canada. I follow Celtic closely, but I couldn't tell you Chelsea's latest starting eleven or the biggest transfer rumours of the day. I love the history, the culture. The aspects of the sport that are - as far as I can tell - unique to the World's game.

The supporter bases of the most famous clubs in the soccer world typically have incredible stories (for more: How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer). As an example, friends of mine know that my family and I are Celtic supporters...for life. The history of this famous club is exactly what I love about footy in general. Celtic was founded by Brother Walfred in the late 19th century as a fund raiser to help alleviate poverty in the Catholic dominated East End of Glasgow. Today, more than a century later, the club's support remains predominantly Catholic. This religious affiliation, combined with the Protestant history of Rangers FC, Celtic's cross town rivals, explains how this rivalry, known as the Old Firm, remains so strong over such an extended period of time.

Anyways, keep that brief background in mind while I get to what I really want to discuss - Canadian soccer fandom. I have been thinking extensively about how one can truly support a soccer franchise from North America without feeling...fake. Firstly, clubs like Celtic, Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona, belong to their respective cities. There is no chance of them being bought and sold, moved to another city. Secondly, there is often some religious, political, or cultural association with these clubs. As was said, Celtic was created to raise money for Catholic's in the East End of Glasgow, people from Barcelona attended games to use the Camp Nou as a theatre for political dissent against the Franco dictatorship. I could go on forever, but the point is clear. There is a void in North America that makes what we call soccer different than the game for the rest of the world...purpose? identity? I'm not sure.

As a part of the newly created ESG, the Supporters Group of the NASL team FC Edmonton, I am desperate to find a purpose that will make the matches we attend an opportunity to be original and achieve...something. I found some motivation during my time in Montreal when some mates and I stood and sang with the UM02 (Ultras of Montreal Impact FC) for a league game against the NASL club from St. Louis.

This match was undoubtedly one of the main highlights of my trip. Though the Impact bossed St. Louis, the real story was in Section 114 where the Ultras put on a show. On their feet for 90 minutes, the supporters group went through what seemed like an endless list of songs. Here are a few shaky samples from my phone:

(if any readers would like higher quality clips I can email or upload them to a better site)

Never once in the 90 minutes of endless songs did it seem fake or uninspired. It was a passionate display of love for club and country city. Although all the supporters that chatted with us at the pub before and after the match spoke perfect English, the chants were essentially all in French, giving this club a unique identity in North America - something to be proud of, something to hold on to. This is what a supporters group must accomplish to become a major presence in its respective stadium and city, but how?

À la prochaine

HENRI & HENRI

2010-08-18T21:28:00.000-04:00

Salut KerrTalk!

After an amazing six weeks, I'm back at home in the City of Champions ready to get back into proper blogging form. My first post of the week will be about the first significant purchase I made in Montreal - a Panama Hat from Henri & Henri Chapeliers - but expect an extended series of blog posts about a variety of places, people, and events fresh on my mind from Montreal and the rest of Quebec.

So the Henri & Henri boutique was ... intimidating. There is no doubt that the selection of hats is incredible, and one would expect that with a price range of 95 to well over 1000 dollars. I spoke with the owner and said that I was looking for a panama hat - so he brought out the cheapest one and handed it to me, then snatched it back reaaaal fast. He says, if you want a hole on the top - hold it like that, but until you buy it, grab it firmly on the brim. We tried again. Yet again, he snatched it back - this time saying that it needs to be closer in, and more firm - otherwise I will dirty the brim and ruin the shape. Now, after placing the hat on my head and directing me to the mirror he walked to the front to take a payment and I was stranded. Too scared to take it off my head the wrong way, I just switched between looking at the mirror and gazing longingly across the room. Eventually, after what seemed the length of watching England vs Algeria again, another man came over and things ran much more smoothly. He found me a beautiful hat within my price range and gave me some good pointers on preserving the longevity of my first purchase in the beautiful Montreal.

On the Henri & Henri website, the About Us section gives a brief history of the boutique with an extremely interesting anecdote:

Between 1950 and 1970 when there were six NHL teams, Henri Henri rewarded players who had scored three goals or more in one game at the Montreal Forum with a free hat, which brought the “Hat Trick” expression into the world of hockey. The list of winners includes the legendary players such as Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull from Chicago Black Hawks, Maurice Richard and Elmer Lack from Montreal Canadiens, Norm Ulman from Detroit Red Wings, and many others.

Definitely cool stuff. So if you're in Montreal and are looking for an adventure - make sure to find Henri & Henri downtown on Rue St. Catherine. More importantly, make sure to research your hat etiquette before entering the store!

À la prochaine

FINANCE&PHANTASM

2010-05-02T21:38:00.000-04:00

In the New York Times last week there was an excellent section on Education where I came across a few KerrTalk! worthy talking points. There was a great blurb about the open access courses offered by certain universities, particularly in the United States. The course mentioned that really caught my eye was Financial Markets taught by renowned Yale economist Robert Schiller. I know that video podcasts et cetera aren't particularly new - but this website has the syllabus, lecture notes, assignments, midterm, final, and video of every lecture for this course, which I find incredibly cool. Essentially, one can take the course from start to finish from one of the world's great economists - albeit not one of the world's great lecturers.

Here is one of the lectures on Behavioural Finance. I wouldn't recommend watching the whole thing, I'm just providing it for anyone interested to see what the vibe of the lecture is like. The technology today and the overall access to information is absolutely unbelievable.

Anyways, you're bored. Like the new Shad single says... Yaa, I get it

READING&LISTENING

2010-05-01T20:34:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been an excellent year so far and with the summer to come, I think it can only get better. There is a myriad of albums coming out this summer that I truly cannot wait to get my hands on. The Roots How I Got Over, Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek's Revolutions Per Minute, Lupe Fiasco's L.A.S.E.R.S to name a few. However, some of you may know that my tastes have changed over the past year. I still love my hip-hop, don't get me wrong, but I suppose one could say that I have broadened my musical horizons. I understand that Jack White is a household name, but this man is unbelievable. I love everything he has put out and eagerly await the Dead Weather sophomore album Sea of Cowards, which is scheduled to drop in about two weeks.

This is the official music video for the album's first single - Die by the Drop. What makes me even more excited is that I will have the lovely opportunity of seeing The Dead Weather live in Montreal during my six week visit in the latter part of the summer. Should be unbelievable. It's definitely become a dream of mine to see Jack White live.

Anyways, now that my third year is finished, it's time to make a dent in my mini-library as well as start preparing for the LSAT, which I'll be writing with the Up North lads in June. Not sure if I will even apply to any law schools, but I think it will be beneficial to take the exam. It will let me know where I stand. It will let me know which doors remain open.

KAMARA&KAMARA

2010-04-28T16:35:00.002-04:00

Hello KerrTalk! faithful. So, I'm sitting in the comfort of my own home, enjoying the Champions' League semi final tie between Barca and Inter, and at half time my mind began to wander to better times. Why you may ask? I mean, I'm finished finals, I don't start work for a week, and I'm watching two of the best sides in the world face off in a chess game of sorts. What else could one ask for?

Well, living in Canada, I am forced to listen to Craig Forrest - one of the worst pundits in football. All I can think about is how much better it would be if the likes of Chris Kamara and the Sky Sports team were doing the play-by-play.

Now that I think about it - listening to Craig Forrest's half time show was a tad bit more eventful than this game has been. Maybe Barca can conjure up an unforgettable finish - but with their 75% possession up until this point, they haven't done much. These quotes from the Guardian Minute-by-minute pretty much sum up the second half

Okay, I can't resist! One more, this one is dedicated to my main man Manav Deol, because he knows how much I hate Zlatan

And what do you know! He's scored! My question to you (which no one will answer) is this:

If a team is down to 10 men in the second leg of a Champions League final, and the tie ends up going in to extra time (won't happen in this case, but in general) - does that team stay at 10 men or do they start fresh?

Oh, and the other Kamara in the title is in reference to this clip my brother showed me from the MLS

I love the guys at the Guardian - never fail to have a laugh. Anywho, what do the say on Trailer Park Boys? "I tode-a-so"

VIDEOS&VINDICATION

2010-03-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

"Do you realize if you were to take that lettuce, dry it, and roll it, and smoke it. And you go ahead and you smoke your lettuce. Do you realize that you are going to end up with similar problems than if you were smoking tobaccco. It's not the nicotine that kills. It's the smoke that kills. So It's the inhalation of the smoke. That's what causes and is responsible for the pandemic of cancers, of heart disease, respiratory disease, and other disease. It's the smoke."

And another badass vid from OK GO

Apologies for my extended absence, but between school & soccer & ...Egypt, I've been a busy dude

Ciao.

HAITI&ART

2010-01-16T17:15:00.000-05:00

The first thing that comes to mind when I see all the (warranted) media attention for the earthquake in Haiti is a piece of art by world renowned graffiti artist Banksy - let's ensure that we are truly helping these people and not using this crisis as an exploitative opportunity.

PINTS&PEROGIES

2010-01-09T18:21:00.002-05:00

1) My advice for Stephen Harper in the New Year? Well, I guess I should be more clear...this is Governor General Michaëlle Jean's advice for our beloved Prime Minister. If you want me to make perogies (please don't make me explain this reference), don't just call me - have some respect...come over, see me, talk to me - treat me like your mother:

M-A-N-I-PULATE

How was that for a segue? I'm impressed with myself. You all saw Canadian politics, started falling asleep - then BOOM - Jack White+Alison Mosshart are on your screen armed & dangerous!

I really do want to talk about the recent drama in the Canadian political scene, but most of what I have to say has been articulated sufficiently well by prominent reporters & journalists across the world and fellow Canadian bloggers:
Economist 1, 2 (Note that these two articles are among the 'Most Commented', 'Most Read', and 'Most Recommended' on The Economist website - arguably the premier newsmagazine in the world)

Globe and Mail 1 , 2

Impolitical

A BCer in Toronto

In all fairness, he does give an answer that sounds somewhat logical - but his initial stutter is all we care about here at KerrTalk!

2) Yesterday - the first Friday of the Winter Term at the University of Alberta, and most campuses across North America for that matter - I went to the campus bar RATT with a group of friends for a few celebratory pints, and as usual...the talks circled between soccer, religion and politics. Fortunately, it was more of a conversation and less of an argument as we were all basically on the same page - except for England's ~~chances~~ of winning World Cup 2010 in South Africa of course. Real Talk: People would learn a lot listening to the intoxicated ramblings of Manav Deol, Martin Andersen, Brett Garneau. LOOK 'EM UP

3) One of my presents this year at Christmas was the latest book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. And what a great book it is! Again, I would highly recommend this to...anyone. Many of the arguments are expansions on ideas many people may have considered privately, but he articulates many of my own thoughts and feelings extremely well. A quote from liberal philosopher José Ortega y Gasset serves as a nice summary of one key point about Taleb's view of the world:

"...life on the face of it is a chaos in which one finds oneself lost. The individual suspects as much but is terrified to encounter this frightening reality face to face, and so attempts to conceal it by drawing a curtain of fantasy over it, behind which he can make believe that everything is clear."

We live in a world, the author argues, ruled by Black Swan Events - high-impact, hard-to-predict, and rare events that are beyond the realm of normal expectations - but we fail to recognize and adjust to this. Instead of recognizing the power of extreme outliers, we are plagued by our tendency to construct stories around facts ex post (after the event). We conceal the ability of randomness and chance to make significant impacts on our lives by "drawing a curtain of fantasy over it, behind which...everything is clear."

CONTRA&CONTRABAND

2010-01-07T12:07:00.000-05:00

Hello world!
I heard some good news this morning: Vampire Weekend is coming to Edmonton Events Centre on March 14th! You don't understand how good this show will be. EEC is literally the perfect venue for a show of this nature. I've seen plenty of shows there and every single one i showed up at like 11pm, walked straight to the stage and saw some incredible stuff. Which was the best show? Definitely The Roots. Everyone should see this band regardless of affinity for hip hop - they are true performers, and ?uestlove is the shit. BUT, I think this show may be on the same level, hence my excitement.

I guess I shouldn't hype the show up too much - any promotion I do will just place me farther and farther away from the stage

Anyways, how badass is this? They have the html code on their website for their album that will be officially released this weekend! Give the new album a listen and support your local artists by purchasing the album on iTunes.

HARPER & FISH BAIT

2009-12-04T16:34:00.001-05:00

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? Or Stephen Harper for that matter?

Do you see the resemblance!? Thanks to Herkules for this beautiful portrait of our bold leader. To see more, you can peep her gallery at Deviant Art

You might be wondering if bold is a suitable word for this man, but I will just point you to a headline from today's Globe & Mail to rid you of any doubt: "Canada to follow U.S. lead at Copenhagen." It's ingenious! I mean, we followed them there, so what great leader wouldn't continue a strategy that is working so... so... effortlessly?

FOOTY & PHILOSOPHY

2009-12-04T15:57:00.003-05:00

My latest discovery, the Intelligence Squared website, really does have a little something for everyone (see below). In the debate I watched last night, the motion was "Democracy Isn't For Everyone" - a topic that I talk & think a lot about. It wasn't a spectacular debate, but one of the speakers against the motion, Bernard Henri Levy, was incredible. If you can get over the thick accent you'll see why he is regarded as one of the world's most prominent intellectuals, known in France simply as BHL. This clip isn't from the debate but it's moderately interesting and one that my limited html abilities would allow me to embed.

Anyways, one of the upcoming debates - Spring 2010, I believe - called "The Beautiful Game? You're having a laugh!" looks very interesting. It's a topic that my pops and I have discussed from time to time, and one that I have ranted about over many pints. While many feel that soccer is becoming more & more exciting/interesting, I feel it is losing touch with its origins. It has turned into a business opportunity. It has turned into 21st century imperialism...okay maybe not quite, but the FA is ruining the beautiful game for the rest of the world.

Event Information:

Money, violence, hate, cheating: that is the face of modern football. Once the so called “beautiful game” represented something precious and important about English identity. Football clubs were part of the fabric of local community; football players felt genuine loyalty to their clubs. And in the spirit of the traditional game, neither players nor fans tolerated diving or other forms of cheating as a legitimate tactic. But from a mixture of greed and appaling incompetence, the British football authorities have encouraged foreign oligarchs to take over the game – and this, say the tradtitionalists, has destroyed all that was valuable in the national game. Teams consist of foreign mercenaries; cheating is an essential component of the footballer’s repetoire of skills; successful clubs are no more than global brands. But are the traditionalists right? Haven’t mercenary values and unsporting tactics always been part of the spirit of English football? Isn’t the truth rather that the foreign fortunes poured into our football and the foreign players they have attracted have made the game infinitely more exciting, skilful and pleasurable to watch?

And now speaking against the motion, some clips of the beautiful game:

ATHEISM & FUNDAMENTALISM

2009-12-02T02:43:00.001-05:00

If you've got a min(1.5hrs) I would highly recommend checking out this Intelligence Squared Debate. The motion is "Atheism is the new fundamentalism," a motion that I disagree with but find thoroughly interesting nonetheless. This may be a long debate, but it features some of the brightest minds in the world - Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins for example, a man I respect greatly.

Debate is healthy and essential - it keeps our society moving forward.

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”

- Joseph Joubert

"The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress."

- Joseph Joubert

EXPLORE & FRANÇAIS

2009-11-27T00:29:00.001-05:00

SO, today I made a big move towards actually doing something next summer!
I sent in my application for the Explore!

"Discover another region of Canada while learning French. Enjoy five weeks of learning and adventure, friendship and discovery!"

How exciting. Basically you apply for a government bursary of $2000 to fund your studies of French for 5 weeks at the University of your choice. The bursary pays your tuition and accommodations, so all that is left to pay for is transportation and living expenses. You give your three ideal choices, and they do their best to get you one of the three, but make no guarantees.

I applied for:

1) Université de Montréal: July 5 - August 6

2) Université Laval: July 5 - August 6

3) Université Laval: May 10 - June 11

If anyone is interested... come along! Any level of French is cool and the bursary is simply based on a lottery decision.

FLETCHER & THISTLES

2009-11-25T21:11:00.000-05:00

O FLOWER OF SCOTLAND,
WHEN WILL WE SEEEEEE,
YOUR LIKES AGAIN.
THAT FOUGHT AND DIIIEEED FOR,
YOUR WEE BIT HILL AND GLEN
AND STOOD AGAINST HIM
--AGAINST WHO!
PROUD EDWARD'S ARMY,
AND SENNNNT HIM HOMEWARRRRD,
TAE THINK AGAINNNN

who says Scots cannae play fitba?

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

COPENHAGEN & CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

2009-11-25T21:06:00.002-05:00

After writing a paper on carbon pricing and environmental policy I have become more and more interested in the upcoming conference in Copenhagen, although it seems it will not result in a global deal of any significance. This cartoon from The Economist says it all.

ps. One of my favourite pastimes?

Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons at RATT with Manav, Marty and some Rickard's White. On a completely unrelated note... I forgot the leash at home..AGAIN

YANKEES & DEMOCRACY

2009-11-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

So we all know that democracy is the greatest and anyone who questions this is _______ (fill in any word that you believe has a negative connotation), but I am extremely curious how you can consider this effective/practical when it seems that a worryingly large amount of the electorate is... clueless. The video I have posted below is an eye opening exposé regarding the ignorance of the crowd at Sarah Palin's book-signing.

Try this with your friends:

1) Ask someone who they are voting for

2) If they give a party or party leader ask them what is wrong with that person's main opposition

3) Ask one follow up question about the reason the person gives for #2 (try to find something in particular, as the answer to Q2 will likely be extremely general)

If they obviously don't really know what's going on, throw in a few questions just for fun like:

1) Who is the Prime Minister?

2) What is the capital?

3) How many provinces are there?

You would be shocked how little we know about our own country and our own politics. We love to look down on the Americans for being 'ignorant' and the like, but we're not as well-informed as we'd like to think. But for now, let's just laugh at these interviews by NewLeftMedia

COMICS & POLITICS

2009-11-11T17:13:00.000-05:00

from XKCD - a site with hilarious comics on the daily!

HEDGES VIDEO

2009-11-09T18:44:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Essential Dissent for linking me to this video of Christopher Hedges giving a lecture regarding the book I blogged about previously "The Empire of Illusion." This is a brilliant man who I am thrilled to have discovered. His message will interest all of you to some extent, and once again, I highly recommend you check out some of his published work.

For parts 2 & 3, click here to be redirected to Essential Dissent's blog post

BIKES & BROADS

2009-11-09T00:54:00.001-05:00

1) Me biking to school does nothing for the environment, except for put my life at risk

2) My mom drives to campus in the mornings anyways, so I'm not even really reducing anyone's footprint

3) Bitches love a dude who cares about the environment (apparently)

4) It is very difficult to bike home a case of beer with a road bike. VERY.

5) Everyone is a hypocrite, including me. I hate cyclists when I'm driving, and hate drivers when I'm cycling

5) There is no bike that is more badass than this Carbonwood Bicycle by Gary Galego (source: Kitsune Noir)

Broads looks really funny in caps lock, and it definitely doesn't look like I spelled it correctly, although I know I have. It's strange when that happens. It can be any word! While I'm on this linguist tip, it is also strange, yet fascinating, when you learn a word or see it for the first time - then for the next week or two you see it EVERYWHERE. Apparently this is known as the 'Baader-Meinhof phenomenon' - word.

This post keeps leading from one tangent to another, but I came across this bike on a very cool blog called Kitsune Noir, which I saw on the Hypebeast website a few weeks ago (I believe). It is a cool site, with a great variety from music to design to dope photography like this:

GERVAIS & BOWIE

2009-11-08T21:55:00.000-05:00

I've never really watched most of this show, but somehow I keep coming across this clip of David Bowie singing a song about Ricky Gervais. Enjoy.

CHRIS HEDGES & ILLUSIONS

2009-11-08T20:51:00.002-05:00

On my last trip to Chapters, I picked up a few more books on a nice variety of topics, but the one I am most excited for is "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Age of Spectacle." Last night I had a nice long bath and read the first part of the book and it is excellent.

So far, so good. It is excellent. It isn't a particularly revolutionary idea, as many of us often reflect upon the absurdity of celebrity adoration, but author Christopher Hedges articulates his ideas perfectly and draws on numerous interesting sources to support his argument (such as Big Brother, Survivor, WWE).

"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books, what Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared that truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumble-puppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions. In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us."

- Niel Postman (quoted in Empire of Illusion)

Here is a video of Hedges being interviewed on The Hour two years ago about one of his previous books "American Fascists"

UPDATE: This book is incredible, can't wait to read more from this bloke

CLIMATE CHANGE & ECONOMIC GROWTH

2009-10-28T15:37:00.002-04:00

Everyone loves it when lessons they learn in class are actually applicable to the real word - which is very rare in Economics, trust me. This graph below was taken from a study done by the Pew Research Center on Americans thoughts & concerns about Global Warming.

I find this particularly interesting because it is empirical evidence supporting precisely what I have read about in readings for my Environmental Economics class (Econ 369 - very good class for anyone interested) and in the book Moral Consequences of Economic Growth by Benjamin Friedman. The readings, particularly the Zero Economic Growth article by Lester Thurow, and Friedman's chapter on the relationship between the environment and economic growth, both argue that standard of living/quality of life and income distribution are directly related to an individual or society's concern about environmental quality. Upper middle class members of society are typically the most interested in environmental action, but the rest of society - both rich and poor - do not believe the benefits are enough to justify the costs. For the poor, they are more concerned about where there next meal is coming from or if they can pay the bills, and any 'green premium' they have to pay for sustainable products, et cetera is money that could go towards things higher on their list of priorities. For the rich, environmental concerns simply limit their ability to earn even higher profits. The upper middle class on the other hand, can afford all the essentials, and it seems the only way they can improve their standard of living & quality of life is by cleaning up the water they take their boats out on, and preserving the exotic locations they vacation to.

I chose to blog about this graph because it is an interesting display of precisely what Thurow and Friedman are suggesting in their literature. From 2006 to 2009, regardless of political affiliation, the number of climate change sceptics increased dramatically. Obviously, the American economy ( and every other economy for that matter) contracted significantly over this period and many individuals lost their retirement savings, became unemployed, and became legitimately concerned about the magnitude of the recession and the economic future of the country. This graph goes further to support the theories of Friedman, Thurow, and likely countless other economists by showing that the increasing skepticism surrounding climate change includes a significant percentage of Democrats and Independents not just the traditional Republican climate change deniers.

While I would not deny the evidence for climate change, I think this economic twist to the situation raises an interesting question:

Is environmental concern simply an economic phenomena that arises when a country reaches a certain point of development (and when an individual reaches a certain level of income) - or is it a legitimate concern that governments (and individuals) would commit to regardless of the degree to which they have developed (or their position on the social ladder)?

Climate change legislation, sustainable development, renewable resources - these are not new ideas. Many of us have heard of the legislation brought in by Nixon in the 70's, but for all the Albertans who still have nightmares about the National Energy Program, even Trudeau "added incentives for energy conservation and energy conversion away from oil" in 1980!

/i love this cartoon

+ An interesting argument that originates from this relationship between the environment and economic growth is that this shows that a democracy is essential. Only a democracy, so the argument proceeds, can properly reflect the shifting preferences and priorities of a country's people. USSR had some of the worst pollution in the history of civilization, and many would credit this to the form of government, as their is no mechanism in a dictatorship (please note: stalinism & communism are neither equivalents nor interchangeable) to reflect the growing concern over environmental degradation; however, this is inherent in a democracy, which is likely why a republican president like Richard Nixon would create the Environmental Protection Agency and pass the Clean Air Act of 1970.

ELECTIONS & RAFALUTION

2009-10-20T23:54:00.000-04:00

Choosing an individual to lead your group, organization, country, etc. is always a vital choice that can have drastic future impacts. John McCain vs Barack Obama, Stephen Harper vs Michael Ignatieff, Gordon Strachan vs Tony Mowbray... Rafa vs whoever is gonna replace his stubborn ass

According to my sources close to the club (Martin Anderson), Rafa is on his way out. He said this before the Champions' League tie this afternoon & well, the scousers lost yet again. Four in a row I believe. First time in 23 years according to Papa Kerr. AWFUL.

VIVA LA RAFALUTION

Anyways, while browsing the footy section of the Guardian website, I came across this article title (third most viewed): "Liverpool to search United fans for beach balls after club shop sells out"

LOL. So funny. Soccer fans are excellent at taking this piss. That headline looks so absolutely absurd if you don't see it in context.

"Oh no! The United fans are bringing BEACH BALLS to the game? Why that's worse than bottles! Have they no morals!"

- man with a thick Scouse accent

And this a beautiful segue into another amusing balloon related item that I came across today. In the Globe & Mail, the political cartoon was very funny + sums up the weeks events very concisely.

To save those who don't get the reference a few wikipedia searches, the dude floating is Hamid Karzai, newly elected president of Afghanistan. Well, winner of the last democratic election (by any means necessary). Okay, I'm going to stop crossing out words and just give the facts. After a UN Fraud Investigation nearly a third of Karzai's votes were thrown out bringing his share of the vote below 50%, which means a runoff between the top two candidates. After some initial resistance, he has agreed to the runoff, which will occur Nov. 7 I believe.

Can democracy really work? Fraudulent elections in Iran...same thing in Afghanistan. Who knows, but here is a great picture from NY Times:

TRUDEAUMANIA

2009-10-18T17:04:00.001-04:00

I've been reading the Pierre Trudeau biography written by Nino Ricci from the Extraordinary Canadians series - and it is fantastic. I couldn't put it down last night, until I passed out of course, but anyways I've been looking at youtube clips all morning and here are a few worth checking out to get a good glimpse at the real Trudeau

BUBBLES & BEACH BALLS

2009-10-17T18:21:00.003-04:00

Take the soccer anthem "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and substitute in "Beach Balls" every time you see the word bubbles:

I'm forever blowing bubblesbeachballs,

Pretty bubblesbeachballs in the air.

They fly so high,

Nearly reach the sky,

Then like my dreams,

They fade and die.

Fortune's always hiding,

I've looked everywhere,

I'm forever blowing bubblesbeachballs,

Pretty bubblesbeachballs in the air.

Why?

Peep this link, for some reason I can't embed the clip from YouTube.

The funniest part...it was a Liverpool fan who hit the ball onto the park, and the beach ball has the LFC crest all over it!

I am concerned for that kid who punched the ball onto the field's safety. Real Talk!

UPDATE: Just wanted to throw in my view on this as well. I always thought that any alien object was just 'part of the field' and players just had to deal with it - but apparently, in this case there should have been a drop ball and the goal should have been disallowed. Learn something new every day!

GROWTH MODELS & ALCOHOL TOLERANCE

2009-10-16T23:02:00.000-04:00

Hopefully this picture isn't too blurry to distract you from the beauty of the real life applications of my new found math know-how.

I am currently in two math oriented economics classes at the U of A - Econ 386 (Mathematical Applications of Economics) and Econ 299 (Quantitative Methods in Economics) - and both professors would be happy to know that I am applying the ln-log growth model to consumer preferences, albeit the consumer is consuming alcohol, and the only preference taken into consideration is tolerance to public displays of affection (PDA).

I think it's hilarious, and accurate! t-intercept is positive, because you have some tolerance for PDA, but it is very low. I've never seen anyone being attacked in public for kissing they girl! After one or two drinks, your tolerance slowly increases, and after half a dozen you couldn't care less (and you will be publicly displaying your affection for the toilet). First derivative is always positive, second derivative is always positive, thus we have a positive, increasing slope that approaches infinity. I LOVE MATH.

"Excuse me, Vera... - bonus marks are welcome."

This isn't the "consequential" post I mentioned was coming in my last post, I am just proud of myself <:D & hat man is proud too.

BIKES & GRAPHIC DESIGN!

2009-10-16T19:47:00.001-04:00

Hope you are all enjoying the new template as much as I - if you peep the footer, you will see the design notes, make sure to check out these links. General template is by Insightyourblogger, customization by the fabulous Herkules <:) with use of a wallpaper from the Kitsune Noir Desktop Wallpaper Challenge, which is a wicked collection of unique&dope designs. One random sample for additional enticement:

Anyways, after a long week I feel ready to make a consequential blog post, maybe incorporating some of the readings I need to understand for my Environmental Economics midterm next week. I am thinking of talking about economic growth - is growth desirable? is it necessary?

+ I want to insert clothing&fashion into the scope of KerrTalk! - I like clothes, and if I had a job, most of my money would be used to purchase threaaaaaads. In particular, I need more APC in my life: a French brand that uses clean-cut & minimalist designs with high quality fabrics. My next pair of jeans will for sure be their New Standard selvage denim.

THANKS LARISSA

BIG BANG THEORY & OBAMA

2009-10-15T21:10:00.000-04:00

Apparently Sheldon from Big Bang Theory Norwegian parliamentarians are cut from the same cloth - at least as far as gift-giving goes. Watch this clip (1:15-1:30 in particular), then quickly think about the circumstances under which Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize...

1) Replace Penny with the Nobel Committee

2) Replace Sheldon with Obama

& now you (arguably) have the dynamics of the Norwegian Parliamentary Committee-Recipient relationship - at least in the eyes of a cynic (or Sheldon)

By giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Parliamentarians have simply placed a burden on the president as, according to Sheldon, the foundation of gift giving is reciprocity. Possibly some reasons behind the Nobel Peace Prize, albeit unspoken ones, were to make the American President & Commander-in-Chief feel pressured, if not obliged, to continue his efforts in the Middle East and ensure he ends the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Just a nice little parallel for all you KerrTalkerites. Safe. What do you all think (weak attempt to get comments)?

GHOSTS

2009-10-14T15:14:00.000-04:00

...So this is how it feels to be part of a minority! Oh, and another interesting statistic I heard today... apparently 52% of statistics are made up

including that one of course.

ALI G

2009-10-11T04:22:00.000-04:00

Boutros Boutros Gali is such a nice guy! I'm amazed. Anyways, i love anything Ali G.

WHY DEMOCRACY?

2009-10-11T04:20:00.000-04:00

I don't know if this is just a recent trend or if I was just oblivious until recently, but it seems to me more and more everyday that our democracy in the Western world has become a media war between two groups of rich, power hungry, extorters. Government is a permanent institution in our society, but the politicians operating this machine aren't concerned about the long term issues that should be of the utmost importance to government, because they won't be there anymore. Members of Parliament (/ Congress) can only see as far as the next election. Therefore, with our system it is politically impractical to form policies that will create long term sustainability or prosperity because they believe voters aren't willing to make sacrifices today... so we are stuck in a terribly inefficient cycle.

I came across this excellent series of clips asking difficult questions about democracy as we know it, called "Why Democracy?" - tell me if you like it, there are 10 six minute clips in total (10 questions)

GEORGE ORWELL WAS RIGHT IN '84!

2009-10-06T03:05:00.000-04:00

That's swag jacked from a K'naan song - don't ask which one, I don't do song titles - but I just came across a good picture of George Orwell that's pretty insightful, I suppose

Is democracy all it's cracked up to be? Will our current form of democracy last forever? What form of government will come next? Change and/or progress are two characteristics that are intrinsically human. And finally, can the long term problems of our time be solved with a political system that rewards governments for their nearsightedness? Quite often the solutions to our problems are never realized, solely because they are politically impractical...

just a few late night thoughts

LITTLE BRITAIN

2009-10-01T00:36:00.000-04:00

Little Britain isn't the greatest show, but there are some characters that are hilarious, and it is a showcase in the versatility of the cast of two who play all the different characters - David Walliams & Matt Lucas

Curious News Agent

Fat Fighters - Little Britain

Lou & Andy Bowling

Anne as a Librarian

MIGHTY MOS

2009-09-24T20:09:00.000-04:00

When is Mos Def coming back to town??? As far as I know, the show is still postponed and the date is TBA - which makes me a very sad man

Oh and by the way - how do y'all not know who Shad is? Support Canadian talent people!

AND some raw ass Black Ice: Dude is legit.

DEMOCRACY IS COMIN' TO THE USA.

2009-09-23T17:10:00.001-04:00

...and Tim Hortons' is comin' back to Canada!

I wish I was making this up. I wish, the above picture was photoshopped, and I really really wish, that I was talented enough to make the picture below OR creative enough to think of such a satirical scenario.

Today, Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, announced that Canada is boycotting a United Nations speech made my Iran's controversially elected President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"It is important that countries that have a moral compass stand up and make their views known. And our absence there will speak volumes about how Canada feels about the declarations of President Ahmadinejad.”

- Mr. Harper

Guess where he said this. Please, just guess. Be creative!

(...BIKE! IT'S A BIKE)

He was at a Tim Hortons'! Not just any Tim Hortons' though,

HE WAS AT THE 'TIM HORTONS INNOVATION CENTER'!

Whoever said our PM doesn't support Research & Development will clearly be eating their words,

and yes, I am talking about myself. But those words taste soooo good when they are freshly baked! Apparently the corporate tax cuts made by our government have enticed Tim Hortons' to move its headquarters back to Canada, which is what Harper was boasting about today, in between condemning Iran's president of course. "SEE! The tax cuts ARE working!"

Anyways, now that all the "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader" fun is over, a serious question. Is Stephen Harper really going to get his message across with this boycott? I would say no. The reason being, Harper isn't really a high profile guest at the General Assembly, so I doubt anyone really cares much. In fact, I think the only reason he announced his boycott, is because otherwise it would have gone highly unnoticed.

The plan is that when the Iranian president goes to give his speech, our Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, will get up and leave...I'm not sure why Stephen Harper couldn't have done that, he was in New York yesterday meeting with Mayor Bloomberg...

I call coward. If he really meant it, and was really that outraged, and really wanted to be heard - he would have gone to the UN General Assembly himself, and announced his views in front of the most influential&powerful group of people in the world.

PLUS: Harper missed Obama's first address to the United Nations General Assembly, which is what some would call, a historic moment, a 'must-see', et cetera.

(Serious Note: In reference to the title of this post, Leonard Cohen - world renowned singer & songwriter - will resume his tour, after collapsing on stage three songs in to his performance in Valencia)

RANGERS FC PHILOSOPHY

2009-09-23T01:18:00.001-04:00

My man Jesse introduced me to the world of Ray Hudson from Gol TV. Arguably the most over-the-top commentator in sports, but in response my papa reminded me of the Carlos Cuellar 'cheat' video, which more than rivals Hudson.

If in doubt, cheat your way out..that's the Rangers philosophy

AND THAT IS A SECOND HALF CHEATING HUN BASTARD

RICKY GERVAIS

2009-09-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

Ricky Gervais, creator of 'The Office' is one of the funniest men in comedy. Here is a very small sneak peak into his standup material, which is generally politically incorrect, to say the least (not sure if I should have Anne Frank jokes on my blog - See: Sharks and Nazis).

LOL

FAIRWEATHERS SIT DOWN.

2009-09-20T16:12:00.001-04:00

Firstly, I have nothing but respect for a person who has supported Manchester City since day 1. You would need to be a true supporter to support a team that hasn't won anything notable for 30+ years; especially when Manchester United, one of the greatest clubs in the history of football, is your next door neighbour.

However, I must point out that I have never known a Manchester City supporter. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've been racking my brains and apart from the big 4... I know fans of Middlesborough, Newcastle, Villa, Tottenham, Everton... but none for City! One reason being that City seem to be like the Edmonton Oilers... people from outside of Edmonton typically don't support them, unless they have some affiliation with the City of Champions.

Apart from Jimmy Grimble of course =)

The point being... I didn't know any City supporters before today, and thanks to another solid performance by the Scotsman Darren Fletcher, as well as a goal at the death from Michael Owen, I still don't know any. Though, I GUARANTEE if they won that derby, plenty of "die-hards" would be predicting an EPL title for the only club from Manchester (except they wouldn't know the significance of that statement).

COALITIONS&COLDPLAY

2009-09-17T03:04:00.001-04:00

Sad day in Canadian politics. I could have sworn i heard just last week that the 'evil coalition' was supposed to be Liberals&Bloc&NDP... but then today, I've been reading all over the place that not only the NDP, but also the Bloc, will be supporting the government in the next vote of non-confidence... that's strange... Didn't Harper give his best attempt at fear mongering last week on that youtube clip (posted somewhere below) that if the Liberals won the next election they would propped up by the "Socialists and separatists"??? Hmm, no one wonder Canadians are so indifferent when it comes to the Canadian government if one of the "socialists" are on the same page as the reformists.

As MAH MAIN MAN ALI G WOULD SAY... AIN'T DAT HYPOCRITICALIST? AYYYYYEEEEE

------

On a lighter note... with all this talk of "Best Video of the Decade" floating around, I thought I would toss this Coldplay video up for anyone who hasn't seen it. It really is fantastic! SHOUT OUT to my frenchie Sarah "SAINT JEAN" Berto, who has more Coldplay memorabilia than Chris Martin's nephew... ya? no?

And.. FLAG FOOTBALL IS THE WORST SPORT I HAVE EVER PLAYED IN MY LIFE... that was torture this evening.

Tommy Smyth & Champions League

2009-09-15T21:35:00.001-04:00

Funny Story - A few friends and I were sitting in RATT, the pub on campus, during our break, watching the Manchester United CL tie against Besikitas, and we spent 20 minutes saying things along the lines of

"If Tommy Smyth was still doing the play-by-play for champions league games, he'd be like (cliché Irish accent) "If United can hold on to this 1-0 lead, and not allow Besiktas to put it in the auld onion bag, they'll win the game, thereby guaranteeing themselves the three points, which is what they'll be looking to do, tonight, on this magnificent night in Istanbul."

- Martin Anderson + Kenneth Kerr as Tommy Smyth

Anyways, today is the day many soccer fanatics world wide have been waiting for, the kickoff of the Champions League group stages (without Tommy Smyth as the commentatorYES!), the most prestigious tournament in club football. This year there are definitely some mouthwatering match-ups, although I think we can expect the EPL contingent to impress once again, and likely take up the majority of the quarter-final & semi-final spots; although, I have a strange feeling that this years tournament may see a resurgence of the Italian and/or Spanish teams in the competition, who have been quiet for the most part over the last few years.

I'm sure anyone who cares has already seen the scores, so I'll just talk about the notables:

1) Juventus drop points at home to Bordeaux...French teams are typically quite solid in the CL, maybe because they come from a historically low scoring league, similar to CL.

2) Ronaldo scores a brace on the road in his Champions' League debut for his new club Real Madrid - both goals free kicks, the first one a beautiful strike, the second one a bit of a gaffe by the keeper IMO

NOTE: In my opinion, top flight soccer matches, such as those in the Champions' League, aren't always a great advertisement of the sport from an entertainment point of view. Obviously for those of us who eat&live&breathe footy, it is an honour to watch the 'best of the best' - but sometimes I feel like I'm watching this...

The end of this clip reminds me of last year's Champions League semi final between Barcelona and Chelsea last year. Ballack took a shot, thought there was a hand ball, and ABSOLUTELY LOST HIS MIND when the referee didn't call it.

It is only fitting that Ballack, a German, would pull a stunt like this...

"The Germans are disputing it! Hegel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunctive non analytic ethics, Kant, via the categorical imperative, is holding that ontologically it exists only in the imagination. And Marx is claiming he was offside.”

- Monty Python

EPL news

2009-09-14T21:28:00.001-04:00

Maybe an abberation from the typical post in the KerrTalk! blog, but I'd like to drop a few lines about some big news in the soccer world. In priority of importance to.. well, me.. I'll start with Celtic related ish:

1) Eduardo 2-match ban lifted by UEFA

Before I say anything, let's watch the clip again.

Everything that is wrong with soccer in one clip. Well, not quite - but that is a blatant dive by an extremely talented player, who quite frankly shouldn't need to resort to such tactics. After the Celtic management and of course the Celtic faithful showed continuing anger about this, UEFA slapped him with a 2-match ban.

"All I remember of the incident is that as soon as I had possession of the ball I headed towards goal at full speed. I was very close to the Celtic keeper and felt contact on my foot and then lost my balance. I know perhaps more than anyone else that when you have contact at speed it can be dangerous."

"I just want to say that I'm a fair player. To score goals you must take your opportunities and I'm not the type of player who needs to be dishonest to score goals.''

That is laughable. Anyways, Arsenal being one of the G14 of course won the appeal and Eduardo is still claiming he was fouled... I'm curious what every one else thinks?

As a Celtic supporter, I really don't care. We are out of the Champions League, and this play was probably THE reason. Not to say Arsenal wouldn't have beat us anyways, but this turned out to be the turning point. I think what it comes down to is, UEFA don't have the backbone to set a precedent like that, to start banning superstars week in and week out for simulation. They would be accused of playing favourites since it is such a common occurrence these days. Maybe they feel that throwing the ban will serve as a deterrence, despite it being lifted upon appeal?

2) Emmanual Adebayor Goal Celebration

"I don't know what I have done wrong"

I'll show the clip, and some of you may not understand the significance of what he does, but I'll explain after.

Adebayor (the goal scorer), formerly played for Arsenal (Red&White) but recently transferred to Manchester City (Light Blue&White), so there was some animosity before this big match up in the EPL. In the end, Man City won 4-2, but the game was packed with drama, most of which revolved around Adebayor. He scored City's third goal, and then sprinted 90 yards to the other end of the field where the Arsenal fans were sitting. A definite no-no in the world of soccer. Essentially it was blatant provocation and a nice big "eff-you"

Pretty funny, but still... he knew what he was doing

3) EPL - Home Grown Rule

"The Premier League has announced that from next season every team must name a squad of 25 players, of which eight must be home grown. A home grown player is any player who has played for an English or Welsh club for three years before their 21st birthday. At present every Premier League club already passes the test, though Chelsea and Liverpool both have the bare minimum of eight. In addition, there will be tighter controls on the spending of top flight clubs."

- ESPN Soccernet

I'm gonna go on the record right now.. the EPL is ruining soccer for the rest of the world. Celtic, considered a top flight team by many, cannot compete with English championship teams. Championship teams have more money to spend on the transfer market than Celtic, a team who made the final 16 of the Champions League two years in a row! The rest of the world does not have the money to compete.

- Jock Stein (1922-1985), Greatest Scottish Manager of All Time with the European Cup

Liberal Ads

2009-09-13T16:49:00.001-04:00

The next two adverts in the Liberals new "We Can Do Better" campaign. (One in French & one in English - Iggy's French is actually quite simple)

Vision du Monde / Worldview

Employment

The Liberal Party has shown in these short clips that they are simply, on another level. The Liberals can discuss this vision for the nation that they have, but the Conservatives must resort to character assassination of Ignatieff, and of his predecessor Dion. Why?

The Conservatives, led by Stephen Harper, have no vision for the nation. All policy decisions, are based SOLELY on their hunger for power. They set no long term goals, their public policy is not working towards anything, or following a common theme. All Stephen Harper is concerned about, is keeping his post as the Prime Minister, no matter what that means for the country in the short or long term. WE CAN DO BETTER

ANTHONY LISTER & RYAN GIGGS

2009-09-12T17:54:00.005-04:00

I used to flip through the various posts on Hypebeast on the daily, but times have changed and for whatever reason, I haven't glanced at the site in months. However, yesterday when I was updating my blog, I noticed it on my "fav links" and decided to have a peak. Quickly scrolling through the links, I came across an advert for an Anthony Lister Art Exhibition in Hollywood, and must say I was very impressed by his work. Here are a few samples & quotes from the man himself.

Fat Batman

God has a Plan to Kill Me

Croc Rocs

"Jesus may as well be Superman, God is better understood as The Force,

and the Devil is more easily recognised within the actions of our politicians and global corporate entities. These are our contemporary codes of living practice. Our urban mythology is now translated through comic books and television sitcoms. The distinction between good and bad plague our existence in every way yet remain ambiguous in their representation."

Anthony Lister, New York, 2007

"I am not trying to change the world... I am just reacting to a world that is trying to change me"

- Anthony Lister

9/11

2009-09-11T23:26:00.002-04:00

LOL @ this day being my parents' anniversary.

Anyways, in the eight years since '9/11' - as we refer to it - I have never really sad much or given any reflection on it, but today I saw an extremely _________ (fill in appropriate verb) collection of photos on Boston.com that anyone interested should definitely take a look at.

word.

LOL

2009-09-11T02:05:00.009-04:00

I'm sorry, this is my last post today about Canadian politics... I just came across this letter, written in 2004 to the Governor General... I mean, you can't make this shit up.

The hypocrisy is breathtaking!

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson,

C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.

Governor General

Rideau Hall 1 Sussex Drive

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A1

Excellency,

As leaders of the opposition parties, we are well aware that, given the Liberal minority government, you could be asked by the Prime Minister to dissolve the 38th Parliament at any time should the House of Commons fail to support some part of the government's program.

We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice

has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority.

Your attention to this matter is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.

Leader of the Opposition

Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

Gilles Duceppe, M.P.

Leader of the Bloc Quebecois

Jack Layton, M.P.

Leader of the New Democratic Party

Now go to about 1:00 ... wait what? I thought, you tried to make a coalition. Oh, nevermind... And wait, wait..one more thing. That coalition is overrrrrrrrr, and has been for quite some time... so? why are you..? nevermind.

Below is Iggy at a press conference in Montreal... watch it if you want. I mean he is 'just visiting' but if you have a minute, it won't do any harm..

.

HC '09

2009-09-10T02:16:00.002-04:00

And while I'm on that Orwellian tip, may as well toss up a wee section that, once again, is damn funny - AND particularly relevant today with all the crazies running around townhall meetings calling Obama "SOCIALIST" ... and "FASCIST" which are complete opposites, by the way. Essentially, it validates the following argument that Orwell makes in this essay.

"The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies "something not desirable." The words democracy, socialism, freedom, patriotic, realistic, justice have each of them several different meanings which cannot be reconciled with one another. In the case of a word like democracy, not only is there no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides. It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it: consequently the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they might have to stop using that word if it were tied down to any one meaning. Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way. That is, the person who uses them has his own private definition, but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different. Statements like Marshal Petain was a true patriot, The Soviet press is the freest in the world, The Catholic Church is opposed to persecution, are almost always made with intent to deceive. Other words used in variable meanings, in most cases more or less dishonestly, are: class, totalitarian, science, progressive, reactionary, bourgeois, equality."

Brilliant.

However, this:

Not so brilliant.
Note:
-first guy calls him a fascist, "because he is"
-then some one's sign says "drop socialism"
-dude holding a two-year old baby crying about taxes... [ I wonder if he realizes that in the '60s the top tax bracket was what, 90%? Until the '80s the top tax bracket was 70% ... Today, it is 35% I believe? Grow up. ]

Oh, and just because I haven't mentioned my idol Harper in any of these posts doesn't mean he isn't guilty of similar deception - stay tuned for...whatever I can come up with in the next 24

ciao

ORWELL

2009-09-10T01:55:00.006-04:00

I can't believe that I have never come across this essay by renowned author George Orwell, Politics and the English Language... but, one of my profs mentioned it the other day, and now I have read it, and it is incredibly eye-opening! .. and funny.

Now I am ever more paranoid about how my writing is, so I will just try not to think about it.. ANYways

"Now that I have made this catalogue of swindles and perversions, let me give another example of the kind of writing that they lead to. This time it must of its nature be an imaginary one. I am going to translate a passage of good English into modern English of the worst sort. Here is a well-known verse from Ecclesiastes:

I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Here it is in modern English:

Objective considerations of contemporary phenomena compel the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a considerable element of the unpredictable must invariably be taken into account."

I think that this is an absolutely hilarious excerpt... firstly, i agree 1000% with the original statement, and it really is a fabulous way of articulating an idea I have had many an argument about - secondly, the next phrase is what young people today believe their writing should look like

Guaranteed, if i just posted that second example as a blog post, someone would be like.. WOW KENNY, you are so talented! Without having a clue what the shit meant... (actually no one EVER says ANYTHING about my blog... and I don't write like a pompous D - so scratch that)

SONG of the day - from a new Jay Dilla Album "JAY STAY PAID," one of my favourite tracks is "Reality TV ft. Black Thought" (from the roots.. if you don't know that, DO YA HOMEWORK DOGGY)

Iggy Iggy Iggy

2009-09-08T03:19:00.002-04:00

IGGY IGGY IGGY,
Can't you see?
Sometimes your words just hypnotize me!

I just love your green screen ways,
Mr. Harper's blue vest swag is gone these days

Positive message, positive direction for this country. Bring on the attack ads neo-cons! (how fitting, Sounds LIKE AN EVIL TRANSORMER)

Monopolistic Party Politics - Alberta

2009-07-01T14:15:00.003-04:00

Last night at Michael's town hall meeting at the Santa Maria Goretti Community Center in Edmonton, the Liberal leader alluded to our concerns about democracy, or the lack thereof in the great province of Alberta. He called it monopolistic party politics, and that is exactly what it is.

Let me share a story about my own participation in the democratic process in Alberta. In 2008, I walked up to the junior high school around the corner from my house, Father Michael Troy, and cast my ballot, voting of course for the Alberta Liberal candidate in my riding Bharat Agnihotri. The polls closed at 7pm, and much to my dismay, at 7:01 all the major networks had projected a Conservative majority. 7:01!!! I know I live in a province packed with conservatives, but there is still a strong Liberal representation and in Edmonton we have elected several Liberal MLAs and MPs in the not-so-distant past. How can this party have retained power for almost 40 years without interruption? (Don't get your hopes up, they weren't preceded by a Liberal government 40 years ago, it was the Social Credit party who held power for 33 years)

Monopolistic Party Politics. Social Credit for 33 years, Progressive Conservatives for 39 years. The Christian right has held power, almost without interruption, 20 years longer than Fidel Castro ruled Cuba. Not that there are any similarities in the style of rule..

Anyways, today in the Edmonton Journal there was an article named "Alberta has lax election rules" like we didn't already know... Highlights are no limits on campaign spending, which may cause some conflicts of interest in a province that has TONS of money from the oil industry floating around... political contribution limits of 30,000 in an election year, double that of the next least restrictive province... no financial regulations for party leadership races

Alberta has lax election rules: report

Some of my own concerns are regarding voter representation. In particular I am referring to the fact that the major urban centers only have 41 of 83 seats (43 of 83 if Red Deer is included). Does that not seem like an extremely disproportionate representation for rural Alberta?

Also, a word on proportional represenation vs first past the post... with 52.66% of the popular vote, the PC's won 71 of 83 seats (86.7%)...oh, and a voter turnout of 40.6%

Is Alberta that conservative after all? 47% of those who came to vote did not choose the PC's and almost 60% of eligible voters didn't take the time to participate in the (not-so) democratic process. Maybe they didn't vote because they knew there vote wouldn't 'make a difference' which is an idea that is valid, but changes when we take into account the sum of all those who feel the same way. How can we mobilize voters here and get them interested in the furthering democracy in a province where, at the moment, it really doesn't exist.

Paul Krugman & Scottish

2009-06-20T18:45:00.004-04:00

Just finished reading this book "Return to Depression Economics" by recent Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman and I would strongly recommend it for anyone interested in economics, economic history, or the current financial/economic crisis. It is basically an analysis of all the economic crises around the world throughout the 90s. He goes from Mexico to South America to Japan to Southeast Asia and back, discussing and analyzing what went wrong and what lessons we should have learned. He also has a blog on the NY Times website called 'The Conscience of a Liberal' --- http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/

Iran in Trouble

2009-06-17T19:13:00.003-04:00

After a presidential election in Iran that saw controversial incumbent Mr Ahmadinejad win once again, there have been mass protests in the streets of Tehran by supporters of pro-reform candidate Mr Mousavi after claims that the election was rigged. It will be very interesting to see how this develops, because the long run implications of this could be massssssssive.

In Canada we do not appreciate what the freedom of the press means, but in Iran where there is state run television, access to valid information is a luxury. Apparently protesters are using Twitter and other social networking sites to describe the situation in Tehran and communicate with one another during massive peaceful protests.

Election Averted

2009-06-17T18:52:00.004-04:00

It looks as though the possibilities of a summer election have all but disappeared now, after a few interesting tactical moves by the two main parties. Iggy laid out a few steps that must be taken by the Conservative Party before Friday's non-confidence vote which could have seen the government defeated, and as of today, Harper has... agreed.

A panel made up of three Liberal appointees and three Conservatives will be formed to find a compromise on the EI reform that Canadians need so badly. They’ll work through the summer and report by Sept. 28th. Interestingly, Harper has agreed that a national standard must be set, going against all previous Conservative platforms and has actually claimed that as a campaign promise, the Conservatives vowed to bring the self-employed into the system, although it cannot be found in either the 2006 or 2008 Conservative Party platform.

Although I did want a summer election in which the Liberals would have inevitably picked up a massive number of seats, it has been delayed until at least fall, but I think Iggy has done well so far this week. Firstly, he has done his job as the Offical Leader of the Opposition by making Harper acknowledge that there are regional inequalities with EI. Secondly, while he had a very real opportunity to become PM before the snow falls, Iggy saved the 300 million dollars that an election costs and instead has got the Conservatives really speeding up their plans. In these tough economic times, I believe what Ignatieff has done is take the higher ground and use his tactically advantageous position to force the Conservatives into action, instead of stalling reform and stimulus spending as they have been to this point.

But apparently Canadians don't care...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/investors-shockingly-shocked/article1185662/

Freedom of Speech?

2009-04-04T12:01:00.003-04:00

Again, sorry for the blogger absence, but the blog post that I am formulating at the moment will be well worth the wait... hopefully. I got my Macbook Pro fixed and now it is good as new and I am no longer embarrassed to bring it out of my bedroom, so maybe this will mean another string of blog posts. CHyeaaaaaaaaa.

So, today we are talking all about freedom of speech. What is it? Why do we have it/need it? Why is it often contested? What are it's limits?

There have been many current events circling around this key issue of freedom of speech, including the ban on British MP George Galloway from entering Canada for his planned speaking tour, as well as the resolution on religious defamation drafted by the United Nations Human Rights Council last week.

Freedom of Speech, synonymous with freedom of expression, is the right to speak freely without cencorship or limitation. It is almost a universal right, and it is deeply entrenched in most cultures. However, freedom of speech is not absolute. How far should this freedom extend? Clearly there must be some limitations on speech, no? Should I be able to deny the holocaust and claim white supremacy using any medium that I can find? I'd think not.

In Canada, everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication. The limit to this freedom, set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

In practice though, the limitation on the freedom is quite tricky to implement/understand. "Prescribed by law" or "demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society." Recently, Canada has embarrassed itself by banning George Galloway, a 5 time elected British MP, from entering the country; meanwhile, allowing War criminal George W. Bush to enter just a few weeks earlier. The Jewish Defence League claims that he has been banned because he made financial contributions to a terrorist organization, which is a criminal act, and is therefore a danger to Canadians. The financial contribution is not in question, Galloway openly admits to it; however, the terrorist organization was the democratically elected Hamas government of Palestine, and the funding was HUMANITARIAN AID to the people of Palestine who no one else dared to help. HE PROVIDED HUMANITARIAN AID TO THE STARVING AND INJURED CITIZENS OF A WAR TORN THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, and apparently that is enough to ban him from "the land of the free." I have a few brilliant video clips to pass along: first, an interview with Galloway; second, a small debate between a member of the Jewish Defence League and George Galloway himself.

Interesting Stuff. Now, from my mini investigation, the Jewish Defence League isn't really in a position to be throwing around accusations of terrorist funding, etc. Look at the logo of the JDL, and then at this pretty yellow flag. Pretty similar no?

The yellow flag is actually that of the Kahane Chai, an organization considered terrorist by not only the European Union, the United States, and Canada, but by Israel itself. Wierd how they have essentially the same logo... and the same founder...in fact, according to the Washington Post, active members of the JDL serve as primary fundraisers for the listed terrorist organization Kahane Chai...

Double standard? It was the JDL who wrote a letter to the Canadian Federal Government asking for the ban of George Galloway because of his open support for terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah (both democratically elected), yet they have close ties with a known terrorist organization in Israel....

In my humble opinion, there will never be peace in the Middle East until the United States takes a more open approach and doesn't show explicit unyielding support for Israel, who in the words of Galloway is a "terrorist state"

Ricky Gervais

2009-03-06T16:41:00.002-05:00

If you have never heard of Ricky Gervais... you're missing out big time. He is the brains behind the American version of The Office, and he was the main man in the British version.

Iggy Iggy Iggy

2009-02-28T14:35:00.003-05:00

He must have some insider information. Every other Liberal leader has seemed quite oblivious to Alberta's love for and dependence on the oil industry. Ignatieff explained yesterday why he is "standing up for the Oil Sands." It makes perfect sense really. Nevermind differences in language, culture, or ideology, energy policy is what has tarnished the national unity of this country.

It is hilarious that Ignatieff would even have to mention the National Energy Program, a plan introduced by the great Pierre Trudeau almost 30 years ago, but it is still fresh in the minds of many Albertans today and it is still a divisive issue opposing national unity. Instead of vilifying the Oil Sands, the future Prime Minister has come to Alberta and expressed his support for the industry, which he said was an intergral part of Canada's future. Instead of treating the Oil sands like a "Klondike Rush," he argued that we should be striving for an environmentally and socially stable oil industry that will serve as the center of the Canadian economy for the next century or more.

I am no expert on environmental issues or policy, but I think that Iggy has taken a strong first step to make progress in this blue, blue province by sticking up for the West in his quest to represent all of Canada, not just "Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic Provinces, and whatever [he] can get in Lower Mainland B.C."

What has Harper done for the unity of the country? Hmm. Apart from completely destroying any traces of it, I can't recall much.

Saul Williams is FOREVER!

2009-02-20T04:30:00.010-05:00

I've spent the whole night trying to figure out which clip of Saul Williams I can show that will win the hearts of the people. He is an interesting character, but give him a chance! He is one of those people who don't stop growing on you. He is, if you will, the CEO. I don't throw that around for anyone. Being a CEO in my books is, let's say, a title and a half.

I saw him live in Grant Park at Lollapalooza in the summer (BIG IT UP YOSELF J CRAZY) and he was as crazy as they come (literally and figuratively). The man had a triangle painted on his face, some yellow skinny jeans, moccasins, feathers in his hair, and ... I think that's about it. If that's not Hypebeast.com, I don't know what is.

"To manifest your dreams before you manifest your fears, to navigate beyond the treachery of self-despair. To find the balance between all you sense and all you see, to find the patience and the strength it takes to let it be. To stand amongst a crowd and have the strength to hold your own, to throw away the pen and pad and simply be the poem..."

Canadian Talent

2009-02-18T18:25:00.004-05:00

I've heard people say Canadian hip-hop was non existent... I would disagree. Come check out one of Canada's finest at the Pawn Shop on March 14th when K'Naan rolls on by. It should be a really good show, probably with lots of new material since his new album is coming out shortly as well. THEN, the next weekend Talib Kweli is going to be at EEC. He may not be Canadian, but he is definitely your favorite rapper's favorite rapper. I'll post a Talib Kweli song for anyone who has never heard of him, or doesn't know where to start. How sick would be if Mos Def came with him... I can only dream. And who can forget PAPER CHASE!! Valley City's finest.

K-os - 4 3 2 1

K'Naan - Waving Flags

Shad - I Don't Really Like To

Shad - Rock To It (Live)

Talib Kweli - Get By (Chapelle's Block Party)

HEIRPLANES/AIRPLANES

2009-02-18T15:39:00.008-05:00

First on the agenda, Heirplanes by Japanese Cartoon - is it Lupe or not?

Second on the agenda, Airplanes (exported) by Brazil - is the economy really 'a winner'

Really, I don't have much to say about Japanese Cartoon, except that it has really been a showcase of Lupe Fiasco's artistic genius. Listen to this song. Anyone who has ever heard Lupe before would know that is him. British people don't talk like that! That is the stereotypical fake Brit. Percival Fats? Really? I think not. I am just going to go out on a limb here. That is him. Anyways, its a cool song, no music video but here it is anyways. With the lupEND of his rap career may come the beginnings of his punk rock future? I'd buy the album! Better yet, I'd fly to Chicago to see him again! Grant Park YEAAAAAAAAA

And now lets move away from the airplanes flying under the ground, and on to the real airplanes. A few weeks ago, when I was in Starbucks reading the Globe & Mail, one article that really stayed in my mind was one by Doug Sanders who claimed that Brazil had... won. Plus, I guess my prof and I read the same paper, because he came into class with this article for us to read the next day, as well as some fact sheets from the Economist. Weird. Basically what the article argued was that over the 'boom' period, Brazil was the country who performed best, and as a result, will be well-equipped for the global collapse. Hmm. When I hear the phrase 'global collapse' that would usually imply that it was a universal phenomenon, affecting...everyone. So, fast forward a week or two from when Sanders made his claim, and... Brazil isn't looking so hot.

I mean, it's definitely true that the country experienced rapid growth over over the last few years, and considering only twenty years ago there was a military dictatorship with hyperinflation, the country is performing relatively well. Income inequality will continue the massive decline of recent years, thanks to the smart social spending of Luiz the current president, but the exchange rate will weaken as Brazil continues to look like a less attractive alternative. While Brazil may have taken advantage of the boom years, one would be wrong to suggest that this BRIC country has avoided the recession. Thanks to the economic collapse, investors lose their appetite for risk. Unfortunately for Brazil, as a developing economy, they likely fall into the 'risky' category for most and will inevitably be hit HARD.

I guess this post isn't really about Brazil, it is just a big LOL. Every day people make claims, some of which are sensible and some absurd. However, people often forget to look back and check if any of these claims actually turn out to be true. Sometimes it is made obvious, but quite often, these people walk around thinking they are brilliant, when really they just look foolish if you bring their articles out of the archive. Essentially, it seems like this journalist looked at the numbers, saw that Brazil still seemed to be growing rapidly, despite troubles elsewhere, and decided that this must mean they are immune to the troubles of the global market... Sounds like something I heard Stephen Harper say a few months ago. Economists... they don't have the sense they were born with! Question everything people. People with numerous degrees and fancy job titles still have to be held accountable like the rest of us.

take kerr

Robinho

2009-02-18T07:06:00.003-05:00

Absolutely FILTHY!

Usually I appreciate a nice goal, a nice move, a nice play...

but this is ridiculous!

Robinho creates this out of absolutely nothing, somehow strips Pirlo of possession, beats three players, and gets a shot off before the Buffon even realizes he's beat the guy.

On a side note. Pirlo should be ashamed... First he gets caught in possession, then he gives two of the weakest efforts I've ever seen to win the ball back, then stands and watches from a foot away as Robinho embarrasses the back line and goalie. p-p-p-patheticcccc