Woof woof

I enjoy street artists. I have nothing against tasteful graffitti and in the right spots, it can brighten up a cityscape. I find that it's a unique form of expression, and takes some creative balls; not only do you have to scope a location and get there, but if it's a visible enough spot, there's a good chance you'll be seen while you're painting. It requires speed, stealth, and percision.

For those who don't like the permanent-ness of spraypaint art, there's more... disposable displays. One I've come across is an unknown artist in New York making plastic bag animals that go over subway grates. When air escapes from said grates, it inflates the animal and well, entertains onlookers.

It's always great when people can create while allowing people to remove it if neccessary. I just don't know how I'd be able to just make my fixture, then just leave it: I'd definitely have to stick around and see reactions.

I wish my lawn was emo...

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that Mexicans are doing right now what many people wish they could do (at least sometimes): eliminate the emo population.

I'm not kidding.

Going beyond plain dislike, annoyance, and hate, social networking sites have fueled anti-emo mobs that have descended upon Mexico scenesters and physically assaulted many. One of the first issues on March the 7th had eight HUNDRED participants in an angry mob. HUNDRED. As in.. 8 tens. And that's terrible.

What I enjoy about Rolling Stone's post that I've linked is that the picture that portrays the emo kids as some kind of suffering race; this is gang warfare, nothing more. There have been speculation that this violence might be fueled by homophobia, but I think that would be looking a little too far into the issue. This is hate, pure and simple; hate for a "look" and hate for an attitude.

I'll keep you updated if anything else happens.

Free Mumia: Abu-Jamal to get new sentencing hearing

The case of Mumia Abu-Jamal is a sad one. Arrested in 1981 for the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner, the journalist, former Black Panther and then-cab driver was unjustly convicted of first-degree murder and placed on death row. Mumia's been there ever since, releasing audio essays and spoken word albums as he appeals his case.

There have been numerous controversies in his trial, such as the .44 caliber bullet removed from Faulkner's brain not matching Mumia's .38 caliber (registered) handgun. This evidence was kept from the jury in the case. Police failed to test Mumia's gun (the murder weapon) to see if it had been fired recently, or test his hands to see if there was any powder residue. The report of Abu-Jamal's confession was not confirmed by the attending physician that was accompanying him in the hospital bed on the day of said confession, and the confession itself was filed almost immediately after Mumia had filed a police brutality suit.

Many believe that Mumia was unjustly convicted, something that I believe myself. today, however, he has won an major victory: a panel of three judges have ruled that his death sentence will not be reinstated; it was thrown out in 2001. There will be an appeal by the anti-Mumia camp, so he is not out of the woods yet.

Sadly, the options that present itself now are that he will either be tried again by a jury to determine whether Mumia will die, or just "merely" serve life in prison. The judges have refused his motion for a new trial.

This seems to be a giant case of "we need a scapegoat". No one likes a cop-killer, and really, without case-defining evidence and a possibly falsified confession, was there any hope for Mumia in the first place?

Winner every time!

Remember those carny games and how you begged your parents for the ludicrously-priced 2-5$ per play? Remember how you squandered their hard-earned money, and even if you didn't, the "prize" was a crappy snake with stickers for eyes?

That's how I remember it, anyways.

Now we get to learn the secrets. Let the wringing of the hands begin!
The good gentlemen at BoingBoing got word from someone who had inherited one of these Ball-toss set-ups from their grandfather, and the site was flooded with comments from people who wanted to know how the damned thing managed to con generations. The explanation came a day later, with a sort of deconstruction of the setup: there isn't a spring, but sort of a shock absorber that's put into play once once the carny wants someone to win. This leads to others thinking that the game is winnable. After a few wins, the shock absorber falls away, therefore making the balls bounce out of the basket again.

You have to hand it to charletons: they do what they do so damned well.

Wow, triple burger my ass.

So I'm thoroughly enjoying this German website that's compiled a visual list comparing pictures of food on the packaging to the actual food inside.

The results are entertaining:
Gotta love the food industry, eh? I learned in media studies about all the different techniques they use to spruce food up, like the good old "substitute milk with glue in cereal" trick. Appetizing AND deceitful; all hail media.

The Four Horsemen; parts 1 and 2

In another flash video-filled post, I'd like to take the time to draw attention to this 2 hour discussion between four prominent atheists: Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett. It's actually quite interesting, and they describe things I've had trouble quantifying: how to approach religions about the fact that they might be wrong.

Hour 1

Hour 2


Religious or not, their insight is amusing; watch it if you've got some time on your hands.

Three, eleven. Three, three, eleven.

Apologies for crappy cellphone camera-fu..

Okay ladies and gents, tonight I went and saw a band called 311 at the Sound Factory in Toronto, formerly known as the Docks. Good venue, good people, amazing bands. Slightly Stoopid opened for them, and while their music was alright, it was very mediocre. It catered to the stoner crowd a lot and they seemed to clear out after the band was done playing. They really just seemed like a bunch of stoners from San Diego who had a lot of spare money and decided to form a band; no passion, no feeling. Lot of weed being smoked, lot of alcohol being consumed.

This was my first show of this type: open floor, pushy audience, high-octane performance. Sure there was pushing and shoving involved during the opening band, but things didn't start getting violent until 311 took the stage. I decided there and then that I would make a push for the front, and live out the glory that is seeing the band up-close and personal.

And I did.

Moving up in the crowd is both a science and task of luck. I had to move with the tides, so to speak; a shoving match would erupt or a massive wave of forward motion would suddenly leave a tiny opening which one had to take advantage of quickly: you were one row closer. I, being a slightly skinny man, had little to no trouble. However, the closer I got, the less and less space I had, compared to farther back.

It got to the point (approximately 5 rows from the front) that I couldn't raise or lower my arm without shoving someone out of the way. I had to rest my hand on my head if it wasn't in the air. This was a good thing, though, as it helped my now-separated friends find me afterward. I was so exhausted by this point I was letting the pushing of the crowd hold me up and carry me forward as the foolish decided to get out of the way. Oh ho, the meek would not be rewarded today; it would be won by the daring, the go-getters, and the brave. I would reach that metal barrier, and I would taste nirvana.

Before I knew it I was there, one row from the front. I now had a monumental task in front of me, as my only barrier was two sets of boyfriend/girlfriend couples. These specimens are hard to muscle by, on account of their symbiosis. With their arms wrapped around each other, you almost had to make a double-jump, and really, it isn't a cool thing to do in that situation: they were there first, you let them have it. You don't break up a loving couple.

Regardless, I eventually had my body pressed up against that steel barricade, and was enjoying the band the way they should be enjoyed: their sweat visible and their figures almost touchable. They played all my favorite songs, and I felt the electric energy emitted from a crowd that knew every word. It was a weird type of freedom: I was among friends here, even though they were literal faces in the crowd. I no longer had to explain who 311 was, or what they sounded like: the answer was pretty obvious at this point. I got decent video and pictures, and managed to shake the lead singer's hand as they finished their encore and left. It was a nice extra reward for my efforts; all those drunken crowd-surfers that had me fearing for my glasses' durability were vindicated.

The night left me exhausted to the core and covered in sweat, as I was too stupid to check my coat. I had three layers: a shirt, a newly-bought tour t-shirt, and my work coat, which is light enough to be considered a little bit lower than a hooded sweater on the hotness scale. Since my friends had checked their coats, I had to (literally) drag myself up some stairs and wait in line for their stuff to be returned. I was in no position to complain; earlier in the day the time of departure crept up on me without my notice, and I had left them waiting in the car while I scrambled. Guys, we're even.

We got pulled over by a cop on our way home because of negligent seatbelt etiquette, but luckily enough years of habit on my part (putting my seatbelt on before the car was started) kept me safe. That isn't to say any of the rest of my friends got in trouble. No no, we were all fine. The cop was cool. Let us off with a warning. We were good kids, anyways. We were just looking for a 7-Eleven to rehydrate. Is that a crime?

Came home and decided to write this, because really, am I going to remember it all tomorrow? Will the experience and exhaustion be still fresh in my psyche? I highly doubt it. Am I going to see them again and see if I can achieve the same greatness?

Hell fucking yes.

Heart of Au

In another edition of "Moses is too lazy to make a friday post", I've found some cool bling bling to get for your nerdy (or chemistry inclined) lady.

Yes, those are the periodic table entries for Silver, Gold, and Platinum, respectively. They sell for $205, $2200, or $6500 depending on which material you want at itsnoname.com.

"I slipped!"

I try not to post about personal issues, but I couldn't help it this time.



Dear Vela Toscala: congratulations, I'm glad my bribe money to keep the Leafs out of the playoffs is well spent.

Happy Anniversary

The War in Iraq turns five year old today, and really, I'm kind of sad. The total casualties to Coalition forces has crept over to four thousand, over three thousand of which being from U.S.A soldiers. Four thousand people dead. President Bush made a speech today claiming a great "strategic" victory over enemies in the Middle East; one which I find still doesn't produce many results.

Speaking at the Pentagon, he said: "No one would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives and treasure – but those costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq.

"If we were to allow our enemies to prevail in Iraq, the violence that is now declining would accelerate – and Iraq could descend into chaos. Al-Qaida would regain its lost sanctuaries and establish new ones – fomenting violence and terror that could spread beyond Iraq's borders, with serious consequences to the world economy."

People are still dying, people are still angry, and the forces haven't completed their goals. The Al-Qaida are still a threat, and will remain one long after the States succeeds in Iraq or not. It's a lot harder to kill an idea than it is to kill an insurgent.

Facebook Study Groups, Keep on your Toes.

So good news, ladies and gentlemen. Our friend Chris Avenir won't be expelled from Ryerson for holding a Facebook study group. Better yet, his failing grade in his chemistry class will be revoked and he will be allowed to pass the class. I'm satisfied to hear this, because really, don't we all need a bit of help now and then?

The CBC had word that according to Nora Loreto, president of the Ryerson Student Union, Chris will get a zero on one of his assignments, and he'll have to attend an Academic Misconduct course. The discipline will also be noted on his transcript, which makes me think about a future place of employment checking that out: "Disciplined? For Facebook? The cad!"

Anyways, cheers to you, Chris.

I'd laugh if he changed majors or something.

This Time, it's Personal

Really, I wanted to avoid posting two things about the UK in one day, but I think this needs to be put out there. There's a new piece of legislation being drawn up by the UK's "Equalities Minister" (damn, prestigious position, that) that will enable certain places of employment to block Caucasian men from being considered for the posted job or promotion.

"However, she [Harriet Harman] believes radical changes are needed to help talented black and female candidates break through barriers in business and public life. The positive discrimination plan would apply only in cases where two equally qualified candidates were after the same post, allowing the employer to tip the balance in favour of the minority candidate on grounds of race or gender."

Not only is this racist, I find it insulting that the said scales need to be tipped in the first place. I'm a staunch opposer of affirmative action on the basis that it just breeds more ignorance. If a person works hard, they should be rewarded accordingly without having to worry about outlying factors, like whether the company has too many white people in it. I know there is still racism in the world, but and eye for an eye usually ends up with someone blind.

All this bill will do, if passed, is create resentment between minorities and white people, which is ironic, considering that resentment is what the bill is trying to fix.

TERRORISM Part 2: Electric boogaloo

I'm making another entry in our ongoing series of Britain being batshit insane. Not content with just encouraging people to play watchdog on each other to suspect for terrorism, Scotland yard now wants to add children to their DNA system if they exhibit tendencies to be criminals.

'If we have a primary means of identifying people before they offend, then in the long-term the benefits of targeting younger people are extremely large,' said [Gary] Pugh, [Director of Forensic Sciences]. 'You could argue the younger the better. Criminologists say some people will grow out of crime; others won't. We have to find who are possibly going to be the biggest threat to society.'

Again; good intentions, bad idea. As you can imagine, civil rights groups are up on this issue like warts on ugly. There's been the obligatory Orwellian "couple steps closer to a police state" responses and likening the issue to a science fiction novel.

But the question remains: how do we keep our society safe without removing civil liberties?

Oh ch'chear-chear

Well, this Saturday's St Patrick's Day, and I'd like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a happy drunken holiday. That, and because of an ear infection, I'm much too out-of-it to type out a proper blog post.

Man, as if we needed another excuse to get drunk.

I leave you with a stew which features my favourite drink, Guinness, as an ingredient. Cheers.

[note]: It's to be noted that St. Patrick's day is traditionally celebrated on the seventeenth, but the church has moved it to the Fifteenth (Saturday) to avoid messing around with Palm Sunday (the sixteeth)

"But I WANT to be the leader!"

I'd like you guys to take a look at this response to a press release from Hillary Clinton's campaign team, from Obama's side. The release is, in all honesty, an attempt to slander the opposing candidate and make his (marginal) losses seem like campaign-defining weaknesses. It looks to assert that Obama, if nominated, won't be able to compete with John McCain in November. Obama's camp's responses are in square brackets.

"Pennsylvania is of particular importance, along with Ohio, Florida and Michigan, because it is dominated by the swing voters who are critical to a Democratic victory in November. No Democrat has won the presidency without winning Pennsylvania since 1948. And no candidate has won the Democratic nomination without winning Pennsylvania since 1972.

[What the Clinton campaign secretly means: PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT WE’VE LOST 14 OF THE LAST 17 CONTESTS AND SAID THAT MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA WOULDN’T COUNT FOR ANYTHING. Also, we’re still trying to wrap our minds around the amazing coincidence that the only “important” states in the nominating process are the ones that Clinton won.]

But the Obama campaign has just announced that it is turning its attention away from Pennsylvania.

[Huh?]

This is not a strategy that can beat John McCain in November.

[I don’t think Clinton’s strategy of losing in state after state after promising more of the same politics is working all that well either.]"

This is what I dislike about American politics: it eventually degenerates into an argument not unlike two children trying to figure out who should be the captain of the imaginary pirate ship. One child is clearly liked more, and the loser, seeing defeat as a distinct possibility, has to do all he or she can to salvage that one glimmering hope of success. Hillary is hearing the death knell of her campaign at the moment, and she's thinking "Damn, what do I have on this guy? Oh I know! Let's point out his minute weaknesses in hopes that it will shift some focus away from mine!"

It's childish. It takes away from the whole point of these campaigns: for mature individuals to present their case on why they think they would be a good person for the job, not why the other guy isn't.

Line Ridin'

This is Line Rider. Created by a Slovenian student in 2006, it's described as a "physics toy" which has no purpose or end; it's sole goal is to fuck around. You draw a track for the little guy to go on, and physics takes the reigns.

Good fun for a timewaster. Taken from Wikipedia:

The basic concept is to draw one or more lines with the mouse on which a small man (referred to as "dude" or "Bosh" by the creator[7]) on a sled can ride after the player presses the "Play" button. The game includes simulated physics, which means the track must be sufficiently smooth to prevent the character from falling off the sled. The author has said that he prefers the description "toy" to "game", as there is no goal to accomplish, nor does it have an end.[8] In spite of its simplicity, many complicated tracks have been created, which include loops and other stunts. Some tracks are even set to music and include hand-drawn scenery such as mountain slopes and trees. Tracks are typically shared among users by uploading a video to web sites, such as YouTube or Google Video.

The tools available in the current flash version are:

* Pencil: a freehand line drawing tool
* Line tool: a straight line drawing tool
* Eraser: a line erasing tool
* Zoom: used to zoom in edit mode
* Hand: used to pan the track in edit mode
* Play: Plays the track
* Stop: Stops the track, returning to edit mode
* Flag: Marks and removes a flag where the track will start playing
* Floppy: Saves the current track, or loads/deletes saved tracks
* Trash: Deletes the current track

The lines available in the current flash version are:

* Blue Lines: Normal lines that stimulate the effect of sledding.
* Red lines: Lines that create thrust in the direction of the red arrow.
* Green Lines: Lines that do not affect the rider, but used to create backgrounds.

That being said: the person in this video has too much time on their hands.



Line Rider 'Transcendental"

Facebook Study Groups Beware

"Facebook" as a term refers to the facebooks that universities gave students to help recognize people around campus: teachers, student leaders, and just people of note. It's funny that although the site's concept was based on meeting people around campus (more recently, high school), and now a student in Ryerson might be getting expelled for it.

I found through the Globe and Mail that Chris Avenir, a first year Ryerson chemistry student might be facing expulsion on a grand total of 147 counts of academic misconduct. Why? Because he started a study group. Those 147 counts account for him, and the 146 other people in the group that discussed homework questions. Ryerson likens it to cheating.

But really, is it? Is it any different from study groups or any other form of tutoring offered on the campus? I mean, if a student decided to privately offer tutoring and helped another student find answers to material, would it be considered "cheating?" I think it just comes down to the technicality of it. Chris could have been offering help on the subject, or posting the answers he (or someone else) worked hard to complete.

We'll have to see. This could affect a lot of us (University students) in the terms of how we might seek help online.

People reading this: what're your thoughts?

TERRORISM /scary voice

So yesterday was the two year birthday of the blog. I feel accomplished. I'd like you to take a look at these three posters being put out by the Metropolitan Police Service in London. They're supposed to "raise awareness of some of the items/activities which may be needed by, or be of use to, terrorists."


The general impression on the internet towards these posters is that London is traveling down the road of 1984 (I find it funny, because that comparison seems to only be made toward that city in particular.)

I see where people might be outraged; at first impression the Police seems to be curtailing freedom and making people overly fearful, and that's true only because of the methods they presented it in. I don't think this is a bad message: people DO need to be mindful of their surroundings in today's present world, but I think the way it was handled could have been a lot better. Do photographers now have to be fearful if they look "odd" in public?

What do you guys think?

You say goodbye; and I say hello

I've stumbled upon a cool site called the Beatles Revolution Lounge which is pretty much the most fun you can have making your own wallpaper. Though it's an advertising site for a Las Vegas nightspot that opened in 2006 featuring such attractions as the "Abbey Road Bar", it's a pretty good time-waster. Obvious Beatles-shilling aside, the Cirque du Soleil-created venue looks pretty cool; if I'm ever in Vegas I'll probably check it out.

Anyways, onto the fun stuff. When you load up the site you're greeted with a black image with clickable letters that bring up a menu for the lounge details. However, if you mouse over the paintbrush in the upper-left corner, you get a pallet. From there you can choose colors and brushes, and go nuts.

After you're done, you can click "Save your Design as Wallpaper" at the bottom, and a percentage will rize until you're presented with a pop-up dialog that queries where you'd like to save your (pseudo) masterpiece. Then you get a nice Wallpaper for your efforts. For Beatles fans, it's a nice little timewaster if you're bored, or like I am at the moment, at work. Cheers.

Feel my T9 Fury, Bitch.

Dear idiots texting on your cell phone: don't make the government pad cement poles. in London there have been so many actual injuries related to people walking into poles while looking at their mobile communication device that they're actually considering adding padding to telephone columns.

I mean, is it that hard to look up every once and awhile? I'm a self-proclaimed texting fiend and i still manage to catch a glance of where I'm going every couple steps.

Man, how funny would it be to actually see someone running into a pole? BONK.



Courtesy of Engadget.

Sanjayagate 08

Vote for the Worst 2008 is underway already. For the uninitiated, they're a movement to vote for the worst American Idol contestant in the hope that it will frustrate both the public and the producers; good old assholery all around.

I hate reality television; anyone I've expressed my views to on the subject can attest to that. It's mindless, self-indulgent drivel which plays off our insecurities and mental laziness. Fuck. that. shit.

Porcupine

Man, I love weird art. This is "German Panther", a Panzer tank made completely out of balloons. You know those urges you get when you see a pristine sheet of bubble wrap, just waiting to be popped? Yeah, getting those all over.

Part of me doesn't like the art world due to the overwhelming feeling of "not getting it" by the casual observer; sure, something can look like shit, but if you admit your opinion, suddenly you don't "have an eye" for art, or worse yet, you don't "understand it". It just seems like an overly negative environment and gives the impression that it isn't kind to newcomers.