I have a semi-shameful confession. At one point maybe less than a year ago, I was an avid digg user. GASP! I know I know. For the few of you who don’t know what digg.com is, in a nutshell it’s a social news website. What do I mean by that? Users find interesting stories, pictures, videos, or whatever is cookin on the internet at a particular moment, submit the link and other users decide to either digg the link (upvote) or bury it (kill it). Depending on how popular the submission gets, it might appear on the front page or crack the top 10 for all visitors to see. Likewise, attached to each submission is its own discussion thread where user comments are similarly dugg or buried. It’s an excellent meritocratic system in principle but there’s a systemic problem with digg; The user base is incredibly obnoxious and has little to contribute in the way of discussion. If I had to rank them against the rest of the internet, I’d put them maybe a half step above commenters you’d find on youtube. Digg has become the armpit of social news sites, not entirely dissimilar to the realm myspace finds itself in amongst the social networking world.

Enter reddit.com. It looks considerably less refined on the surface, it’s customizable in basically the same ways as digg, and the content is generally pretty similar (often the same), but the meat of this site is in the discussions amongst users which are considerably more thoughtful, witty and poignant. The site is divided into several subcategories (subreddits as they’re coined) which a user can subscribe to see on their reddit homepage. And here’s where the two sites branch considerably. Several subreddits are dedicated solely to discussion amongst reddit users. For example, the Askreddit subreddit is dedicated to asking the reddit community a question. Anything at all really. Do you ever find yourself defending Wikipedia’s validity and reliability to people who think it is just made up information? Come to think of it, yes a bunch of times. Who else is so fucking happy they didn’t rush into marriage and start having kids? Check on that count also. Maybe most relevant to this blog would be the question Canadian Redditors, what is something you want the rest of us to know about Canada/Canadians? Damn good compendium of Canadianisms. I Am A (blank) Ask Me Anything and Does anyone else? also call to the quirky reddit community for questions and commentary with generally entertaining results.

A recent subreddit I’ve latched onto is based on a relatively new meme that sprouted up on reddit, 4chan or the other bowels of the intertubes a couple months back (history lesson). The FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU subreddit is dedicated to simple yet often hilarious user generated 4-frame rage cartoon. It’s really nothing more than a rudimentary expression of common (sometimes less common) life frustrations through a few very crudely drawn characters and a predictable ending. A good chunk of the jokes are very meta by nature of this community but many others stand on their own without internal reference.

My Minnesotans and Wisconsinite comrades should appreciate this one.

This reminds me of a certain university roommate.

Granddaddy of them all?

Okay this post has taken entirely too long to write. The distraction of reddit is killing me. I’m cutting it off here and saving another subreddit rave for a different post.

edit: I crafted my own for a former university roommate of mine. Happy birthday Bradley

Every now and again I get a silly idea about a conceptual social theory and think “Holy sh!t I might be on to something here. Maybe just maybe no human has ever thought about such and such in this context before.” More often than not someone has already written a thesis on it and I fall victim to ignorance but hey it feels a little good to independently arrive at obvious but hidden social systems. This particular one I’ve thought about this one on and off during university and refined the operationalization a bit over time. I’ve yet to find a related theory lurking in the literature but my access to journals is pretty limited.

I’ve always contemplated but have never been able to adequately articulate a profound and yet simple social theory relating roommate relationships (or otherwise close quarters relationships) and dirty dishes. In my experience, it always seems like the vast majority of deeply seeded issues under a shared roof are exposed for their true dysfunction in the depths of a slimy mess of cutlery and cheap plastic ware. Walk into someone’s apartment, look at the sink and you’ll have a decent preliminary gauge of how well they interact and cooperate with each other. It’s where a majority of arguments start and oftentimes where they end. Signs will be posted and shit will be talked behind backs all involving the heaping pile of stink in the sink. Responses are varied but often limited to just a few reactions. You’ll find that blatant denialism, finger pointing and blame all surround this isolated DMZ. Dirty dishes expose personality interactions on such a basic but important level; I’d contend even more so than just hygiene since the decisions rope in surrounding players in a very non-zero sum way. I can imagine plotting a graph with the y-axis representing level of tension between parties and the x-axis representing the amount of dirty dishes left in the sink. My guess is perception of these values would correlate more accurately. I could also imagine a strong correlation with the amount of time said dishes would stick around and tension, satisfaction with one’s living scenario, or something to that effect.

I think the broadest brush stroke I can paint this scenario with is that dishes are representative of a system of collective management of communal resources in a microcosmic way. It undoubtedly relates well back to the tragedy of the commons. The thought doesn’t go much further beyond that but undoubtedly there are a billion ways to twist this into something coherent, consistent and telling. So internets, help me out here. Can it pair down to something simpler than this? 140 characters or less. Ready go!

edit: I can appreciate this solution to dirty dish dilemma.

A fridge full of once gobbling leftovers. The blending scent of pine and cinnamon aromas. A fire hazard worth of lights adorning a petite spruce. The holiday season is evidently in full swing and everything is grand, merry and cheery for all. Right? Right? Okay I promise not to be a complete Scrooge here but to be completely honest, the holiday season isn’t exactly the easiest time for someone like myself who denies all religious convictions held by my every last family member. But more than a time of conflict, it’s mostly a time of confusion for immediate family. Does he want to celebrate Christmas anymore? Is gift giving still okay? Basically, the question that never gets asked but is always danced around is: how does a proclaimed atheist or agnostic view the holiday season? I can’t speak for all of us but I’m well equipped to spout my personal stance on the matter. Hopefully for my family and close friends, it clears up a few things they may or may not take into consideration.

Admittedly, it took several attempts to throw this post together in a level-headed way. At first it started with hyperbolic statements about holy rollers trying their damnedest to cram religion in your face at every conceivable opportunity. It dawned on me that nativity scenes are more laughable than anything and the actions of fanatics have little effect on anyone’s life during the holidays. I may look look down on them for senselessly burning fossil fuels all night every night for a month but there’s nothing inherently offensive about a silly barn display. Having scratched that, I instead focused on the small things you’ll find around almost any holiday decorated homestead; angels spread about, ornaments with bible passages and stars of Bethlehem atop trees. The little reminders that everyone is drinking the kool-aid are only a tad off-putting but here again I realize that they’re easily shrugged off. I imagine most of this stuff goes unnoticed by the believing masses but for those of us on the other side it’s hard to not see all these little reminders. Still, the religious creep is minimal and fairly readily cast out as background noise.

The only conclusion I can honestly come to is that the religious part of Christmas is nearly negligible, at least in my family and experiences. There will undoubtedly be extended prayers said around dinner tables. Likewise, there will always be a special service or five at church. But come Christmas day, no Christian devotes their 24 hours thinking about the sacrifice of their sky fairy’s flesh embodied son. If they did, I’d imagine it would be a day of serious contemplation, reading the bible, reflexive thought, meditation and prayer. Carving out time to devote to one’s faith can and should be important. I’d respect that sort of devotion but it just doesn’t happen in our society. It must not be all that important after all. A very select percentage might have fleeting personal thoughts of Jesus, but for the most part we’re too busy cracking open romance novels, playing a new xbox game, eating delicious food, and enjoying the company of family members to really stop and think anything significantly of faith. Religion may be the purported basis of the holiday, but in reality the holidays are about the congregation of family and little else. Tradition will always manage to wrap it in a thin layer of god-speak but it’s merely surface when it comes down to it.

So than how exactly does the religious coupling become a problem? As the token non-believer, the most obnoxious part is constantly being asked if such and such practice is okay because it might be stepping on toes. Ummmm, yes(?) We’ve done this for how many years now? Believe it or not my skin is thicker than paper. Does this mean you’ll cease said practice if I claim to be offended? Probably not. So why are you asking in the first place!? Like most westerners, I have no issue with singing a classic Christmas carol, though the unlucky folks around me might object. Decorating a tree? Again, nothing offensive about that. Getting and giving presents? Errrr I’ll get to that in a moment. Going to church? I’ll pass but thank you for trying to save my eternally damned soul. Mannheim steamroller 24/7? And now you’ve stumbled upon the true recipe for holiday-inspired rage (Just a side note I wish I’d have requested this wonderful collection of essays from the library sooner.)

Predictably, the reason I don’t care much for this holiday is the consumerist nature and the sleazy marketers who yearn for this once a year occasion. Black Friday is quite possibly the most pitiful day each year in America and I’ve personally replaced it with the anti-black Friday, buy nothing day. It’s horrible to think that Americans define themselves on BF by busting down doors literally to the point of killing other people for the sake of buy buy buy (and now a certain song inadvertently lingers in my head). It drives me nuts that people play into it year after year. Sheeple. When do we stop and realize that we really don’t need more shit? When are we actually going to follow through with a doctrine of living simply and scaling back the clutter? The over consumption meme has got to stop at all times of the year, no exceptions. Your dog doesn’t need an extra toy. Your baby would rather play with the box than the gift itself. There’s a reason you got an amazing bargain on that printer on black Friday. It sucks balls and you did them a service by clearing it off the shelf for them. </soapbox>

I’ll save a full scale meat-consumption tirade for another post but the fact that we stuff our faces with turkey and ham on all of these occasions is equally repulsive as the rest of the overconsumption. It’s irresponsible to life and humanity on so many levels. Even the simple act of eating chicken instead would be a huge step in the right direction environmentally but I’d guess it’s too much to ask of Americans. Live and let live is important but allowing for future lives should right up there front and center.

These gripes aside, I can whole heartedly get behind the idea of celebrating family and those close to us. My only wish is that we make a greater effort to extended our love to people beyond our kin (also a lot to ask, right?). For the right person who would appreciate such a gesture, consider making a donation in their name to a reputable cause and organization. Send an underprivileged African girl to school with clothes and books instead of giving clothes or books to your mates. Not everyone would appreciate it but some of us acknowledge the greater value. It’s an easy gift to boot. The Georgia Straight has an interesting bit to add on donation of animals. In the same vein, consider donating an old article of clothing for every one you receive. Just do something significant to reach beyond the people with whom you share blood.

I really do believe gift giving can be a delightful thing given the right approach. On occasion, it’s a nice and healthy gesture to remind folks that we think of them often and care enough to stop and pick something up with them in mind. I’ll one up this notion and profess that making things for people is all the better. It’s frustrating that it takes a holiday to force us to follow through with nice actions for those we love. I’d much rather see giving spontaneously out of kindness and thoughtfulness rather than a mark on our calendars obligating us to do so.

In retrospect, this whole post is a reflection on past Christmases and how I’m excited about finally being empowered to break away from the parts I don’t care for and start shaping it myself. Thus, it’s important to communicate some specifics so I’ll end with a final note to anyone planning on getting me something for me since there’s still some ambiguity in the air. If you insist on sending something my way and you reside in Minnesota, I suggest you find something I had to leave behind and simply coordinate with others to ship it my way. There are a thousand different things sitting idle and some of my belongings I miss dearly (like a certain brown winter coat wink wink nudge nudge shiver shiver). Vancouverites, we should probably establish some ground rules before anything but I’m sure you’re aware of a few small necessities I’m sorely lacking if we plan on having any sort of exchange. I have no opposition to giving or receiving things people actually need. Happy holidays everyone. I’m already getting the Santa hat geared up!  o<) :- )

Okay so this post is already off to a shaky start with the title and all but really it’s far too apt to toss for a couple reasons.

I’ve been revisiting select Blink-182 songs this past week. Silly endeavour, right? Well yes and no. Since I moved apartments back in September, I’ve been forced a tad outside of my cultural comfort zone. I currently live with 3 girls, each a couple years younger than I, and all of whom self-identify as “punks” in one form or another (a lot of variation exists within this group apparently). Not to oversimplify, but I’m talking about the classic punk that barely exists outside of a caricature largely because they so rarely leave their blacker-than-death basements. I was in the middle of weaving a wordy picture of the de facto punk (black everything, mohawks, chains, piercings, ect.) in vivid detail when I came across this blog post which takes care of the heavy lifting while encompassing music taste. Sift through the images (and a video if you dare) and you’ll a have decent grasp of the style I’m describing. Though I have no aspirations to become a part of this scene, it’s infinitely interesting to observe as an outsider with a backstage pass. Even the concept of people so badly wanting to identify with one very specific label is an interesting curiosity to the lay social scientist.

Sooooo yea. An odd mix of people to throw myself into, right? I don’t think many would argue that I’m a pretty upbeat, optimistic and cheery fellow, all not particularly “punk” descriptors. I don’t know exactly how I’d describe my fashion sense (or lack thereof) and I don’t care to identify solely with any single fashion group/trend so we’ll just establish that I wear a lot of bright clothing which I’d usually get at somewhere GAP-esque if not the Salvation Army. Again, few things scream death, metal, grime and punk less than the pastel striped turtleneck sweater you’ll find in my wardrobe. Clearly we have our differences but we get along remarkably well and manage to find middle ground in certain aspects of culture like Blink-182 which is one of those oddballs we’ve all found value in at one point or another. Poor excuse for a non-creative title? I think yes

Music reference aside, the title gets well to the point of something I want to explore a bit. People often message me with questions along the lines of “What’s up guy? How’s Canada treating you?” My answer is inevitably an overblown variant of “Awesome” or the very vague “Canada loves me and I loves it back.” A few times I’ve expressed appreciation for the billion small things that make this place Canada and remind me that I’m definitely not in America. The big differences are hard to overlook (governmental structure, history, health care, aboots) and often overstated but I’ve decided the details are what truly give the feel to a foreign land.

We’ll start with the flag. Just as an aside, I didn’t realize until about a month into my travels just how ugly the American flag looks in comparison with others internationally. I actually blurted it aloud when it struck me. American readers, take an honest and objective look at it for a minute shoving aside any pride you may or may not harbor for your country. Now nod your head with me that there’s not an ounce of simplicity in this busy mess of a rag. 50 stars? Come on! 13 stripes? Get out of town! I beg you to find another flag with similar digits of anything! There is no aesthetic to it what so ever. From a design perspective it’s a disaster and in consequence, it’s nearly impossible to scale effectively. In contrast, the Canadian flag, much like those in other corners of the world, is very simple and concentrated on one ever-present icon: the maple leaf. It’s anything but busy or distracting. It still carries symbolic significance (The red columns representing oceans and the middle representing the land) and the color scheme is definitely tasteful in my opinion. If the Canadian flag were a typeface it would totally be along the lines of Helvetica or something of the sort. The American flag? Maybe wingdings at best I digress. My point is that the Canadian flag is simple and scales impeccably. Leave out the red columns and you’ve got an easily recognizable symbol that can be squeezed in the tiniest of spaces. And squeeze it into the most impractical places Canadians do! Company logos almost always have a hidden leaf somewhere, kind of like Waldo, except not at all tricky. Nothing like Waldo actually (red and white aside). I think the most impressive sneaky leaf I’ve come across thus far was about 3mm small and imprinted on a piece of Wrigley’s gum. Crazy right?!

Even surfing the internet, one is constantly reminded of the country they’re in. I type in google.com and I’m automatically redirected to google.ca. wtf internet! I wanted my trusty .com! The same result happens with several other webpages I’ve encountered. This definitely reflects a certain pride Canadians have in their Canadian based companies within the web space. Obviously this extends well beyond the web and even more so on labels of products created here. It’s quite common to find clothing tags, products or logos sporting the leaf and accompanying Made in Canada.

Another small thing you wouldn’t necessarily think about are the warning labels on cigarettes known as the Surgeon General’s Warning in the States. It make sense that these would be different being that different body regulates the message for each country. Actually, before writing this post I wasn’t aware of this fact but it turns out Canada was the first country in the world to adopt mandatory warnings on cigarette packaging. +1 Canadia! What strikes me about these warnings are how big and how graphic they can be. The warning practically takes up more space than the branding label, is mandated to be printed in French and will often depict rotting teeth or cancerous tumors with an all too vivid color photo. Hilarious right? To make it even better, legislation is being pushed to force brands into a very vanilla black and white labeling scheme with no logos and only text. HA!

Though you’ll find most of the same sweets here as you will south of the border, there are a few differences I’ve come across. Even common candies produced by a Canadian company of the same name (e.g. Kit Kats by Nestle) have slightly different ingredients at slightly different ratios making them just a little bit… Canadian in flavor. Some candies are all together a different product. Smarties in the US are known as Rockets here. To make matters more confusing, Smarties here are like of a cheap, knock off m&m with a sweet and sugary shell. Bleh! No thanks. But while certain candies are a little gross and others just a little different but good in their own ways, the variety of candy you’ll find around this area is far superior to that of any grocery store or market in the respective American cities I’ve lived in. European chocolate like nobody’s business!

I could go on with small differences all night but I think I’ll conclude on sports, something I pay little to but still manage to notice in passing. It’s true you’ll find an oddball cricket game going on in parks during the summer. This sport perplexes me and I badly want to understand what’s going on. I’ll watch a game, decrypt it and get back to you sometime. I never got around to seeing a BC Lions game but Canadian football wanders a bit into strange territory too. Longer endzones, different sized ball, bigger field, altered goalposts, 3 downs, 12 players, et cetera. I’m told there’s a slightly faster pace to the game which puts more emphasis on skill players as opposed to the monstrous athletes of the NFL (complete wikipedia comparison). It goes without saying that Canadians are pretty hardcore about anything on ice. Hockey has predictably huge fan base but hilariously enough since it doesn’t get cold enough to easily maintain outdoor rinks on the coast, very few people actually play or even know how to skate! Hosers=posers. Also in the ice-loving category, it deserves mention that curling is one of the hottest events for the upcoming Olympics. I figured it would be a more obscure ticket; maybe cheaper or easier to land but I couldn’t have been wronger. Perhaps the best sporting nuance of them all is the Canuck version of bowling known as 5 pin. That’s right folks. Small ball (little bigger than a softball), five pins and three opportunities to hit them each frame. The scoring was goofy and I’m glad a computer did it for me. The whole experience blew my effing mind!

It’s almost too obvious that language, phrases, spellings and accents are a little different up here and in most ways they aren’t as different as you might expect. I intend to devote a post to speaking Canadian in the next short bit.

I hope this gives you a little taste of what it’s like to be around little reminders all the time telling you you’re definitely NOT in Kansas anymore. It’s nearly impossible to forget and somehow I like it that way.

I should have written this out right after I saw it but wasn’t feeling in a writey mood Tuesday evening. I’ve been only slightly tainted by the  slashfimcast crew’s elaboration.

Before I go anywhere with this, I feel like I owe you a small disclaimer. The 2012 topic definitely lies near and dear to my heart as a proclaimed skeptic. It’s truly a shame that people believe 2012 will be the end of civilization as we know it. I won’t dwell on this point but the assertion is demonstrably false. The Myan calendar may roll over on that particular year but this says nothing to the effect of apocalypse. For any Mayans under this archaic system, this event will be strikingly similar to what happens when the date changes from December 31 to January 1 on our calendars; they’ll run out to buy a shiny calendar with a fresh new motif, though more than likely come home with the tried and true kitten theme they’ve grown accustom to over the past who-knows-how-many years. End of story. Put plainly, because I’m an individual who doesn’t appreciate people preying on others’ pocketbooks through fear, lies and deceit, I was genuinely torn whether I should see the flick on principle. On one hand, I need to see it in order to give it a fair shake. Plus it’s produced by none other than Roland ‘leave nothing standing’ Emmerich, probably best known for his 1996 flick Independence Day.  On the other side of the coin, I’m shelling out to a company doing exactly what I loathe with such fervor. All I could think to myself walking in was, “Please just don’t let this movie be convincing in the slightest.” The last thing I want is otherwise rational people walking away with the feeling that some or all of the events on the screen are even remotely plausible. This small hope aside, I left all other rational thought at the door knowing it would only taint the experience.

After watching the movie (imdb), I couldn’t be happier that it delivered in big ways on my only hope. This movie is incredible (i.e. unbelievable) to the point of gut-busting hilarity. Action sequences are the core of the humor and generally go as follows. A loud blast and camera shake tell us that S hit the F somewhere nearby. Characters frantically flee on foot, ground crumbling literally underneath their every step. They eventually leap into a car which is driven off jumps, through buildings, and under collapsing bridges, avoiding disaster each time by mere centimeters. Our brave little car reaches its logical conclusion conveniently at an airport when it succumbs to Earthly engulfment. Our characters naturally scramble onto a small prop plane which barely makes it off the runway, narrowly misses a half dozen collapsing buildings on its way to a flyable altitude where it will avoid a couple catapulted fireballs, before finally reaching relatively safe airspace. Seriously, the entire audience shared a collective crescendo of laughs throughout these action sequences. Each action scene ramps its level of ridiculousness to the point where you’re lost in laughter but still clenching your fists simultaneously. Not an easy reaction to invoke.

The characters are another story entirely and I credit the slashfilmcast crew for putting it in the best terms possible. Each character could not possibly embody their singular role more obviously. A small child could probably tell you what each person is supposed to represent or make us feel. Screw their names, call em what they are! First daughter, object of romantic interest and sympathy. Wise and humble Monk hero. Greedy asshole politician. Brave President of the people. Bitter adolescent son. Fake and expendable, plastic surgery princess. If the characters wore tee shirts with these labels, their roles wouldn’t be an ounce more obvious than they already are. If you’ve ever watched a disaster movie, you’ll have a pretty good idea of who will live and die long before the dust settles.

The special effects are fantastic and I can’t even begin to comprehend the amount of computation required to produce the water and fire effects pulled off here. It looks expensive. The movie shines during all disaster scenes but somehow looks dull and crappy during the filler. Maybe it’s just me. I hate that I notice and am bothered by these imperfections.

Maybe this is a product of being in a different country, but it struck me the extent that the film was American-centric. My Canadian mates would probably say this doesn’t even come close to a hallmark of Americentrism. Every important decision was in all realistic senses in the hands of the Americans and no other. It was basically assumed the rest of the world would fall in line and they do. We even take a precious moment to shed a tear for our fallen 50th state in the middle of the Pacific. I think we’re supposed to assume that all of Africa, South America and Central America were too poor or too stupid to build a structure for even the rich to save themselves. These people are ignored entirely, while all of Europe (and Canada I think) is lumped in the same boat and likewise with all of Asia. The groups couldn’t have been drawn in a more rudimentary way.

The bottom line: I’ve done a good deal of ragging on this film but it saves itself in so many ways and wins both my heart and bidding at the end of the day. Mostly I give it credit because it does exactly what it sets out to do and realizes what it is from the get go. It’s fun. It’s not a thinker by any stretch. Destruction happens in big ways. Cusack gives the signature puppy eyes a few times. Most of all, impossible happenstances stack on each other, turning the movie into a strange form of comedy I’ve not experienced for a long time. See this movie with an audience if you’re planning on seeing it and leave your brain at home. Unless you’re looking for something entirely different than what it sets out to deliver, you’ll find some enjoyment from this B disaster flick.

Funniest unexpected moment: The Chinese aerial version of Noah’s Arc. The Reds were waaaaay ahead on the planing stage.

Last word: I avoid the bad science of this movie mostly because, well, it’s all bad. Like not even worth mentioning bad. But if you really want to see someone pick it apart a little, Greg went this route.

This really shouldn’t have to be said but in our current media climate of fear-mongering, exaggerated anecdote and blatant lies, it’s absolutely necessary for informed people to take a stand. I speak of course of the dreaded pig flu and the hodgepodge of incredulous information surrounding it. Tonight I reached the end of my straw and I spoke out in a forum I wouldn’t normally care to post within.  The reason for my concern is simple; I cannot recall another time in my life when I’ve observed such a gross misunderstanding of the severity of a threat, treatments and prevention stemming from unreliable information by mass media. People whom I consider very smart are confused, making this situation all the more startling.

Before addressing the above, I want to emphasize that though the misinformation is both unethical and annoying, it has done a decent job of promoting healthy practices and attitudes in relation to sickness in the workplace. An honest employee staying home from work when not feeling up to par should never be called into question. Period. People are overworked as it is and this new standard should never have been otherwise. Washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth while sneezing or coughing should never be forgotten, right up there with wiping your ass. Likewise, benefits from exercise and healthy eating habits extend far beyond your immune system and ultimately have a close relation with quality of life. A duh. This is all old hat but I suppose we need a reminder of these basic principles now and again.

That said, the sounding of alarms should always be in reasonable and honest proportion to the threat. H1N1 is MUCH less deadly than the average seasonal flu and to be frank, going about a daily life of commuting to work, eating meat, or even leaving the house often carries a higher risk than your odds of becoming a corpse at the hands of H1N1. This is typical media hype. In reality, a small number of people get very sick and even smaller number die but inevitably these are the cases that wind up in overblown headlines. What doesn’t make the news are the people NOT dying of swine flu or even those dying regularly of heart disease, cancer, HIV, common accidents, ect. It’s nothing short of an egregious statistical error to cherry pick sparse severe H1N1 cases and deaths, blowing them entirely out of scale. In this sense, you should fret no more about H1N1 than you should about the seasonal flu every year, unless of course you happen to be pregnant or fall under another category of vulnerable persons.  In such cases extra precautions should be observed.

And than there’s the bloody anti-vaccination movement. In reality, I should be less startled to find an antivax crowd as I came to the west coast, a land notoriously full of new-age and alternative woo. I guess the real surprise comes from the amount of misinformation that permeates even those not on the fringe. It’s expected to find select individuals who go the whole nine yards with homeopathy, acupuncture, hypnotism, tarot, astrology, ect. all in conjunction. But to find a few of these practices leaching into the lives of otherwise rational people is a bit mind blowing. Maybe the lesson here is that it’s relatively easy for people to get caught off guard and swept away by a vocal, anti-establishment group of activists. It’s painfully obvious that people have a hard time separating ideas objectively from progressive groups or celebrities they support and stand along side on other issues (see Bill Maher). The bottom line remains that vaccines work, they don’t have a relation to autism, and the trace levels of mercury in them are often more negligible than what you’ll find in a seafood dinner. With the advent of vaccines, humans have nearly (if not entirely) eradicated polio, measles, mumps, rubella, small pox, and I’m sure others of which I’m unaware. Yes, this vaccine is slightly different in that this is a rapidly mutating virus with several strands (the most common of which are addressed in the vaccines), but the principles of vaccination remain the same. Some individuals will also espouse that this remedy was shoved out the door without adequate testing. I challenge these folks to think of a more apropos time to release a vaccine given the seasonal nature of the virus. Rushed or not, if science can throw the best it’s got at this thing and without question lower the number of cases, it’s worth putting on the market. Keep in mind that part of the reason we can address these issues so fast is because our technology enables us to do so at a rate never before realized. Our methods of gathering information, collaboration and criticism within epidemiology render experts better informed and more assured of our final products than ever. A recently released Terry Talk by Jennifer Gardy, a UBC Post Doc, touches on this topic much better than I ever could.

Finally, the purported issue of Big Pharma cannot go unstated in this forum. Let it ring as clear as possible that this argument is flawed from the get go. This sort of rhetoric is nothing more than a red herring to the issue at hand which I’ve already glossed over, the efficacy of the vaccines themselves. To assume that Big X is behind any conspiracy, you have to take into account the sheer amount of people that would have to be in on the gag. In this case it would include everyone from the PhD researchers studying the most minute aspect of H1N1, to those who publish papers on the aggregate research findings, test labs, safety regulators, and finally down to your doctor who more than likely has a very reliable compendium regarding the outbreak.  An unknowable number of people would have to play hush hush or fake data to pull something like this off for the ultimate benefit of the corporation. Most of all, I find this accusation extremely offensive to medical professionals. Believe it or not, physicians, though often well paid, are living, breathing, caring humans just like you. More often than not they are people who care so much about public health that they’ve devoted a huge chunk of their life studying and practicing medical science to better serve our health systems. To assume the worst of these dedicated and often brilliant people is to cast doubt on a group to which we owe our lives if we’re being honest with ourselves. If you have a valid argument against a vaccine, restrict your argument accordingly.

So how to wrap this mess of a post up in a tidy way? I guess I’ll reiterate that vaccination is as important as it’s always been and everyone should look into getting one for the seasonal as well as H1N1 as soon as possible. The more people who get it, the better for all of us. Vaccines are not dangerous regardless of what a naturopath tells you; science has proven this fact time and time again. Online remedies are for suckers; don’t be one. As a last word, at risk of turning you loose on the interwebs, don’t believe a word I say, but rather seek out reliable sources and triangulate your opinion from them as well as their criticisms.

Some sources I’ve found to be credible and worth a glance: The safety of H1N1 vaccine in three parts (thus far). Part one: Is the swine flu vaccination safe?  Part two: Should I get the shot?  Part three: Alt remedies vs vaccination. Scienceblogs has a sizable amount of information including a blog Effect Measure which dedicated to public health education. The categories parse out the posts nicely if you’re trying to sift through for a particular topic. CBC has their heads up regarding bogus treatment methods. Stephen Novella and Peter Lipton (amongst others) contribute to discussion on public health issues at both ScienceBasedMedicine.org.  Novella extends valuable insights at NeuroLogica blog. Be skeptical of your sources, follow the science and spread the word.

that's just creepy Wes

I’ve been beaten to the punchline.  I’d half-written this post early last week and just now stumbled across an entry by Mathew Helmke (of planet ubuntu) chomping on the same bit. It seems we both share a man crush (along with another blogger) on a certain Wil Wheaton (wiki), better known as our favourite character (/s) from the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe, Wesley Crusher. I’ve followed his blog of daily musings fairly closely for maybe a year and also read his novel Just a Geek which chronicles his tranformation from angsty teen on the TNG set, to a struggling, ego-bruised actor and finally a reborn writer, blogger and internet personality. I’d describe it as a coming of age, dealing with the circumstances of life, and realizing potential story wrapped into a comical little package of 200 some pages. I cannot express deeply enough that the emotion he conveys through an internal narrative are as raw, real and clever as they come. Not only are you served a unique, insider peek at the Trek universe through the eyes of teenage Wil, but the interpersonal tug-of-war faced by our author hits way close to home in so many ways  Life is hard (especially when devote trekkies loathe you) and Wil spits it straight. If you’re a UW student, I know for a fact this book looms somewhere in the library system.

Not convinced just yet? Wil has just released a new book titled Memories of the Future Volume One where he teleports the reader through the budding episodes of the first TNG season as it cheezily goes where no Sci-fi western had gone before. I haven’t read a word of it (yet) but I already know it’s very cheeky and brutally honest (in a loving way) to each episode covered. How could I possibly know such a thing? Well, it happens that Mr. Wheaton knows how to use the intertubes better than the average bloke. He puts out a weekly podcast aptly called Memories of the Futurecast and reads a good chunk of each chapter with additional commentary. They’re maybe 20 minutesish long each and funny as hell so go check a few of em out or put em on your ipod and listen to them in transit. Nine chapters have already been covered so you’re way behind on your homework. I’m pretty sure he also offers his book as a free pdf. What a guy, eh? So kind of you to let us read a whole book on a computer screen. I kid. Only kind of though. I want to say most of my geek friends aren’t trekkies in the least but I’d beg to say these stories have appeal beyond those of us who recite live long and prosper on the daily. Check out his stuff and thank me later.

Wil's best one-liner: don't be a dick.

Ugh I’ve been such a slug when it comes to blogging lately.  I’ll make these next few short and sweet as to just get the thoughts off my head already.

My pocket protector possie already knows this but a new version of Ubuntu coined “the Karmic Koala” (version 9.10) was released last week.  Those of you who are completely out of the loop (i.e. almost all of you), Ubuntu is a free operating system (as in both beer and speech) much like Windows or Mac except it actually works, unlike those just mentioned.  It’s a Linux operating system meaning it’s built by users who care enough (and are knowledgeable enough) about their OS software to make it better for the masses.  I often tell people when describing the operating system that if I were to teach my granny how to use a computer at the ripe age of 80, I’d almost certainly sit her down with a Linux-based operating system.  Why?  It’s fast.  It’s simple.  It’s free.  It doesn’t crash spontaneously.  Never gets viruses.  It makes sense.  It works as it’s supposed to.  Any documents, photos, music, videos, ect. you have are supported through various free programs.  It updates seamlessly, not requiring lengthy restarts.  And the kicker that most people tend to misunderstand, you don’t need to be a programmer or coder of any sort to use it.  You heard it here first kiddies.  It may be faster and more efficient to use the command line in many cases but by no means are you, the user forced to use it.  Ever    Download the new release here, burn it and give it a spin without making any changes to your computer (beat that M$).  Afterward maybe you’ll consider installing it along side Windoze/Mac if you aren’t comfortable with completely ditching a slow, rigid, and unstable operating system your computer shipped with.

With a new release comes a new look and brand spankin new features; one of which particularly stands out in my opinion.  Tomboy is my note taking program of choice largely because it’s simple, yet quite robust. This nifty program now features syncing using ubuntu one cloud space meaning your notes are kept in online storage so you can sync them between PCs with ease.  A tutorial can be found here.

If you’re extra out of the loop you also wouldn’t know that Windows 7 was also released just over a week ago.  While I’m very much a Linux user, as a budding IT professional, it’s important to understand other operating systems and give them a solid test drive for the sake of familiarity.  Plus it’s always nice to play games on a native OS.  So what can you expect from a Windoze 7 experience?  Remember that Windows Vista thingie everyone despised so much?  It’s kind of like that only a polished version that doesn’t hate the user quite as badly.  In terms of new features, Microsoft went the interesting route of adding a handful of new tidbits and renaming anything they thought should sound like it’s been upgraded, but really only got a new set of lipstick.  I’m told driver issues are basically solved since Vista which is good but should have never been a problem in the first place.  Performance is on par with Vista, so not all together great.  Shouldn’t we expect an OS to be a final working product when it’s publicly released?  Alas, we’ve been well trained to expect such shortcomings out of Redmond.  Overall, I’ll say W7  isn’t so bad but Microsoft has a lot of catching up to do considering this is essentially a finished product of software released years 2+ years back.  Don’t run out and spend money on this polished pile.  I’ll be booting into Linux for the time being and only wandering to Windowsland only for the occasional Counter Strike Source session with the brother.

Admittedly, I’ve been stalling on writing this post for a while.  Mainly because I’ve wanted to gather as much of a balanced perspective as possible before diving head-first into arguments and looking like a complete doofus.  Make no mistake, this is a very sticky topic and easily among the most prominent covered in the local news.  I speak of course of the 2010 Winter Olympic games (wiki) hosted right here in Vancouver come February. It turns out playing the waiting game on this was a good call and watching the 2016 Olympic bids pan out gives yet another unique perspective on the issue.  Before tackling this beast, I want to state that other than maybe a dozen friends, coworkers and randoms I’ve been fortunate enough to converse with on the matter, my two main sources for local news are the Georgia Straight (wiki) and the considerably more balanced Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC wiki) online.  I should probably also admit outright I’m a direct beneficiary of the Olympics coming to Vancouver.  I somehow landed a very sweet job with NBC Olympics as a runner for their IT department.  It’s easily the biggest opportunity I’ve ever stumbled upon professionally but obviously with that comes a teensy weensy bias.  I think I’ve done a decent job of addressing the issues with my perk out of the picture.  So without further ado, let’s deconstruct this in a concise way without rambling on too long (HA! fat chance).  I can’t cover every topic but I’ll hit what I deem important and the most common issues in the news and opinion.  Let’s take it in reverse of everyone’s favorite spaghetti western, shall we?

The Ugly

To the dismay of many who haven’t lived in or around a city hosting the Olympics, the event isn’t all fun and games when you boil it down to the social and economic stresses stacking on the plate of the host city’s residents.  Probably the biggest and most legitimate concern facing Vancouver this February is the homeless population; a problem which has already been severely exacerbated by the games even before its formal arrival.  Though this city remains progressive on many social service fronts, it also has a huge homelessness issue which in my opinion is largely due to unreasonable living costs, persistent and open illicit drug markets and the shoulder shrug response to the homeless presence.  It’s pretty well accepted by the home-having that the homeless are just a part of the city’s package.  This coupled with a gross lack of mental health institutions and an accepted prostitution situation gives a  handful of East Van neighborhoods (not far from downtown) a pretty bad rap.  And for good reason.  So how does the Olympics play into this trifecta of social issues?  Well we want our streets to look shiny when the cameras show up, right?  In turn, new laws have been quickly and quietly signed and sealed allowing the po po to basically kick people off the streets as needed.  Kick them where?  I have no idea.  I’m not sure anyone has a good idea.  Ordinances regulating those residing under bridges and in parks have within recent weeks been put in place.  The sneaky passage of these laws as an ad-hoc response to our image problem is little more than a bandaid to the real issues and doesn’t offer realistic solutions to the underlying problems at hand.  Let’s dig further.  From an economic standpoint, several low-cost hotels (which are often the only housing solutions for low income residents of the East side) are smartly undergoing drastic changes in hopes of attracting a higher scale crowd during the games.  Good for business but again bad for the needy.  Where exactly will they go?  Especially in light of an East side shelter closing just a couple months ago.  The list goes on and I’m willing to bet that the homeless will be among the hardest affected by the games when the dust settles, yet their voice will be the least heard.  Overall, one could make an argument that if the money going toward the games were spent to improve our own population, we could curtail many of these issues and Vancouver would be rid of some of its worst stains.

Another other issue I’d label as downright ugly is the price to be paid by BC taxpayers. New taxes, including the recently introduced harmonized sales tax (HST), are almost inextricably linked to the perfect storm of the economic crisis and the Olympic games showing up in tandem.  One only needs to look at the budgetary disaster of the Olympic Village to see how the games will directly impact Vancouver residents at the end of the day.  To further tie it back to low income residents, the Village was initially intended to provide social and subsidized housing all the while establishing itself as a model as a green community development.  Those plans were scrapped when the contract exchanged hands and the project suddenly fell in the city’s lap.  Taxes are a central point of contention just about everywhere, so I won’t dwell on it longer than necessary but it’s no secret that the main people footing the bill for the two week event is the tax paying public.  And pay they will for a very long time.

The Bad (sort of)

I label these ’sort of’ caveats because while some people see these issues as central, I and many others have a different takes on them.  These represent the gray area of controversy where different groups fundamentally don’t meet eye to eye.  You’ll see what I mean.

Perhaps the biggest Anti-O movement in the area carries the unambiguous slogan “No Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on Stolen Native Land.”  Their website is appropriately no2010.com.  I think you can take a pretty decent educated stab at what this group supports and why they stand against the games.  Though I’m very much a sympathizer when it comes to native peoples (see Brandon’s opinion on the carving of ‘great’ white men’s faces into sacred natural beauty), I can’t give this argument any ounce of credence.  Why the cold response?  Because if we’re honest with ourselves, nearly all of us essentially live on someone’s former land which could be technically labeled as ’stolen.’  Vancouver is a relatively new city.  Yes.  The land it resides on was formerly occupied by aboriginal peoples.  Absolutely.  Those facts established, I don’t see how the Olympics specifically encroaches any further on the land than what already happens on a daily basis.  The city of Vancouver goes about building communities, carrying on business and commerce everyday and there’s no squack about the 2 million people currently living on the stolen native land.  So how are the Olympics suddenly crossing the line?  From the aboriginal lens, I see an international event going out of its way to pay respect to the native culture through a myriad of small and big acts.  Perhaps the biggest of these is the logo named Ilanaaq the Inunnguaq (Ilanaaq is the Inuktitut word for friend). The logo is quite elegantly modeled after an Inukshuk, a human-made land mark used by indigenous people of the North American arctic.  Some folks say it’s not an accurate representation of a true Inukshuk and it’s a shameful attempt at accommodation.  I badly want to tell these people to get off their PC high horse so I can punch them square in the nose.  A small exaggeration but you get the gist of my frustration.  No entire population will ever be completely happy with the design, no matter who you try to appease.  Thankfully, wikipedia notes several First Nations and Inuit leaders in support of the games and praising its efforts to give them a piece of the spotlight.  As a supporter of the games, I’m glad this is the argument most rallied around.  It’s the easiest to call out as blatantly stupid and not feel bad about being insensitive.

I’ve already mentioned the ramping up of cops and security in relation to the homeless but what about for the other citizens?  New measures have recently been put into place to curtail protesters and it’s looking ever more likely that protesters will be confined to places out of sight, out of mind, and away from the games’ venues.  Throughout February, Anti-Olympic signs can legally be seized from private property with hefty fines and prison sentences already spelled out for those constructing them.  It’s a shame to see free speech restricted in this manner.  Other new items point to a new web of security cameras being put in place for the games.  I want to say it’s all too Orwellian of a scenario to be a good thing for the citizens of Vancouver.  It’s important to realize that these cameras will remain in use indefinitely following the Olympics.  This issue hasn’t been covered thoroughly enough but I think it could be the beginning of a huge shift in security and public privacy policy in the metro area.  Hyperbole aside, looking at the practical results of crime rates in a place with robust public security like the UK, I remain skeptical whether or not these systems can be a good thing if done properly.  If freedom of speech remains in tact and guaranteed, than why fear the potential of being watched if you don’t intend to do anything malicious?  It’s almost a public service if implemented correctly.  I suspect someone will cut me down on this point.  Still it’s important to your sensible wits about you when people speak of a police-state taking over.  Security MUST be heightened for very good reason.  We need not forget the happenings at the 1996 Atlanta games.  This sort of crazy person still exists in 2009 and you can be sure they have their eyes on something in this city in the coming months.

I could easily throw this final argument in ‘the good’ category but since some see it as evil, it shall occupy the gray space.  I’ve mentioned before that Vancouver sports a pretty decent rapid transit system we customarily know as the Sky Train.  The Olympics sparked an expansion project called the Canada Line to link our main airport in Richmond to downtown Vancouver.  The project was no doubt expensive and I suppose it could have linked elsewhere but, why should it?  Fact.  Every city that has a rapid rail transit system connects with their major airport.  The only surprise with this expansion is why it took so flippin long to get it in the first place.  An Olympic-scale happening shouldn’t have to be the final impetus for such a common sense addition.

The Good

Let’s be honest, from an outside perspective the games look absurdly glamourous.  The image of Sidney’s opera house will forevermore be burned into my brain solely because of the Sidney games.  Each host city gleans for those fleeting weeks as it’s showcased in a way that few will ever have the opportunity.  The Olympics are truly a godsend in this respect.  What better opportunity will a city ever have to flaunt its beautiful surrounding landscape, attractive modern high rises, diversity and greenness than the Olympic games which are broadcast to the entire world?  There is just no comparison.  The Olympics are the ultimate center stage in the land of hawking the awesomeness of your city to the rest of the world.  All of the hubbub of course equates to a dramatic boost for local businesses in both the short term (particularly in hospitality) and in the real estate industry in the longer term.  Likewise, residents with the ability to rent out a fancy living space for the duration of the games will have little problem turning a quick buck on their investment.

This isn’t the first time Vancouver has hosted an international circus of sorts.  Expo 86 was a very different event from the Olympics but it played it’s cards right and is widely regarded as a run away success.  If the Olympics can follow by example, this could be the economic opportunity of the century for this area.  I suspect that uncertain economic factors will ultimately determine the level of success Vancouver will see through the games.  If I had to guess, I’d say the Olympics will provide a much needed economic boon for the area but again the question of how big of a boon is out of anyone’s hands and impossible to predict.

A totally bias and vaguely realistic analysis

Props if you made it this far into the post.  I likely would have turned around screaming (or maybe just clicked a link and forgotten this post ever happened) at the sight of 3000+ words poorly slapped together by a non-writer.  A few things should be said to wrap up the discussion.

If it isn’t already apparent, I am very much in support the Olympic games and mega stoked that it will be supporting me in January through the finest broadcasting company in the world, NBC.  It’s an opportunity beyond my wildest dreams.  But looking past the professional connection to the Olympics, I know for a fact I’d be a supporter regardless.  The Olympics are a cornerstone of the type nationalism and flag waving we should all be proud to get behind.  Gathering the world together in peace to compete for the sake of sport and national comradery cannot possibly be overstated.  I put it right up there with such scientific scrambles as the space race which can inspire entire generations of ambitious scientists.  These are healthy forms of nationalism and we don’t have enough of them.

It’s shocking at first to see how vehemently opposed many are of the games but after a while it becomes normative and easier to see why the message is held so close by so many.  Anti-O sentiment permeates culture through nearly all forms of media with a consistent bad spin simply because that’s how the media works in its persuasive media magic ways.  It would be entirely uninteresting to hear story upon story of how the Olympics will be so wonderful and how we should celebrate its fantastic successes along the way.  It would be impossible to put out positive daily stories about the Olympics unless we want to hear exclusively about heroic tales of how each curling player overcame the impossible to get where they are today.  It isn’t entirely unheard of to catch positive news items interspersed, such as this past week when the medals were unveiled but these stories are the exception.  People are more interested in bitching for the sake of hearing their own voice and creating a stir about something they know can’t and won’t change.

I think after reading my exposition you can understand how seeing the faces of saddened disbelief on scores of Chicagoans was an odd turn of events entirely contrasting what I’ve experienced here.  One can imagine that many of the negative issues discussed aren’t unique to Vancouver and certainly past host cities have dealt with similar circumstances.  Yet, we should acknowledge that none of them have crumbled in the wake of the games (please correct me if I’m wrong).  I guess it’s slightly different given this whole Economic Pooper Thingie but like I say always say, EPT be damned!  I guess I always say that now(?)  Protest and freedom of speech are important but sometimes you have to accept a few bumps in the road and try to make the best of a situation.  Let’s accept the fate we’ve been dealt and move along to make it more pleasant for everyone.  It’s productive to advocate for improvement and pushing toward better goals than to waste time advocating for no games at all.  Your voice means nothing in the latter case.  We have an opportunity here to set a standard for the rest of the world of what the winter games should really look and feel like.  Long live the games and congrats to Rio and all of South America for their first games in what seems like ages.  I cannot wait for this January!

Edit: There seems to be an elephant in the room I’ve ignored.  The environmental impact of the games should be addressed but I have no idea where it fits in this post most appropriately.  Frankly, I’m more ignorant than I should be on the matter.  Eagle Ridge Bluff, a rare natural ecosystem notable for it’s bald eagles, is undergoing a highway expansion which protesters claim will destroy the bluff and precious ecosystem entirely.  I don’t like the sound of the project and can’t say that I’d support it if I knew details but the way I’m seeing opposition presented raises red flags of alarmism.  That specific issue aside, I do have a broad point to throw out there.  With environment at the forefront of so much discussion today, the G-20 paving the way in December, and Vancouver attempting to rebrand itself as the green capital of the world, shouldn’t there be a more conscious effort to make this the greenest games ever put on?  I’m not talking greenwashing here, I want real green practices and policies throughout the Olympics.  As a microcosm of the world, we should make an effort to show environmental leadership through a gathering of our worlds greatest athletes.  And finally, the Georgia Straight which I often accuse of peddling quackery has advocated many a time to cancel the games outright as an environmental statement.  Though it would be an economic disaster, I do consider it the only valid reason to even consider such a bold step.  Try to imagine the impact such an action would convey to the world.  Afterward, try to imagine just how badly Vancouver would drown in economic despair and the hate it would garner for its irrational protest.

Edit again: In my insensitive haste, I didn’t mention a thing about the 2010 Winter Paralympics also held here in March.  It makes me wonder if the police provisions extend into the para games as well.  Hmmmm.  Come to think of it, the paralympics don’t seem to gather the same protest crowd.  And why the hell not!?    That’s it!  I’m getting my signs geared up right after I finish this post!  NO PARALYMPIC GAMES ON STOLEN NATIVE LAND!!1!!!

I’ve been meaning to give props to a few individuals for a while now and can’t really come up with a good reason why I haven’t just yet (lots of hand sitting to do).  Anyway, it seems like apt timing being that they both have relatively new projects deserving of pandering.

I want to say sharing music preferences is often a very intimate and private experience, especially someone with whom you haven’t tested many waters (that may or may not be you to me, blog audience).  There’s something about revealing your inner most tastes that leaves you very exposed for your true self and nothing more.  Like a “this is a layer of who I really am, take it or leave it,” kind of thing.  Sharing your all-time favourite bands or movies takes this concept to the logical extreme and has real potential to make or break green friendships especially in a world chalk-full of artistic and musical snobbery.  It’s a bold move not many choose to make.  That said, inspired by a friend who burnt me a massive dvd of all his most cherished tunes before my departure, I’m breaking the less broken rules and throwing out my favourite artist for the sake of this post.  If you’ve known me long enough you will more than likely roll your eyes at how obvious this pick is.

Put not-so-delicately, Jack White of the White Stripes is a god among men.  The music he makes is as his eclectic as his personality and his talents are far reaching.  From his humble beginnings with various garage bands like the Upholsterers, to his lead role in the Stripes, his brief acting stints, and even wearing the hat of the producer for among other things Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose, his style rings in all he does and in my humble opinion, remains unmatched.  Granted, not all of his projects have been pure gold (see the Raconteurs… or don’t and save yourself some time), but all in all his content is always gritty and hits with raw emotion.  No one does the modern blues quite like White, who basically became my primary influence to pick up a guitar, and than another guitar, and than a slide… and finally learn the greater part of his lifetime discography.  His influence in anything that comes out of a guitar in my hands is unmistakable at this point.  I couldn’t shake it if I tried but I digress.

White has two projects worth checking out right now.  He’s upstarted yet another side project as a drummer and vocalist (and well a Jack) for a band called the Dead Weather (hat tip Jenny).  Teamed with Alison Mosshart, Dean Fertita, and Jack Lawrence (each with somewhat notable past projects),  they released their first album Horehound this July and I’ve just now gotten my grubs on it (dropped the ball on that one!).  Definitely worth a listen if you dig any of White’s past works.  I’m always impressed by a drummer on the mic but the band as a whole has a very Jack Whitey sound to it.  Videos are below.

The other project I speak of is the film Under Great Northern White Lights, capturing their tour across each and every province in Canada.  I recall seeing several youtube clips of this tour but wasn’t aware of the films existence until it popped up at the Toronto International Film Festival (props to the boofrog).  From Wikipedia…

On June 24, 2007, just a few hours before their concert at Deer Lake Park, The White Stripes kicked off their cross-Canada tour by playing a 40 minute set for a group of 30 kids at the Creekside Youth Centre in Burnaby. The Canadian tour was also marked by concerts in small markets such as Glace Bay, Whitehorse and Iqaluit, as well as by frequent “secret shows” publicized mainly by posts on The Little Room, a White Stripes fan messageboard. Gigs included performances at a bowling alley in Saskatoon, a youth center in Edmonton, a Winnipeg Transit bus and The Forks park in Winnipeg, a park in Whitehorse, the YMCA in downtown Toronto, the Arva Flour Mill in Arva, Ontario, and Locas on Salter (a pool hall) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Video clips from several of the secret shows have been posted to YouTube.

Anywho, I leave you with a trailer of the film which I will undoubtedly see very soon.

The Dead Weather – I Cut Like a Buffalo video

Oral history and future plans of the Dead Weather just to get a taste of eccentric Jacky boy.