help child soldiers.com
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
100 best tracks of 2008
it's that time of year. get ready for a barrage of best (insert anything here) of 2008 lists. one that i regularly look for is pitchfork's top 100 lists. it's a fantastic way to review a ton of music that you might not have come across. top albums to come....
Pitchfork Best 100 Tracks of 2008
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
the importance of being hated.
an article from quite awhile ago that came up in conversation today. interesting.....
The Importance of Being Hated
In this golden age of enmity, friends are for suckers. What you need are a pair of well-chosen foes.
by Chuck Klosterman | Apr 01 '04
"It's not what you know," they say. "It's who you know." We have all heard this sentiment, and we all reflexively agree with it. This is because "they" are hard to debate, especially since "they" never seem to be in the room whenever anyone makes reference to them. Yet they have a secret shame, and it's a shame they can't deny: They are losers. They are failures. They don't realize that life is?almost without exception?an absolute meritocracy, and everyone who succeeds completely deserves it.* The only people who disagree with this are people who will never succeed at anything. You see, "they" want you to believe the passageway to power is all about cultivating allies, so they spend all their time trying to make friends and influence people. And this is why they fail. It rarely matters who is on your side; what matters is who is against you. Unlike Gloria Loring, you don't need a friend and you don't need a lover. What you need is a) one quality nemesis, and b) one archenemy. These are the two most important characters in the life of any successful human. We measure ourselves against our nemeses, and we long to destroy our archenemies. Nemeses and archenemies are the catalysts for everything.
Now, I know that you're probably asking yourself, How do I know the difference between my nemesis and my archenemy? Here is the short answer: You kind of like your nemesis, despite the fact that you despise him. If your nemesis invited you out for cocktails, you would accept the offer. If he died, you would attend his funeral and?privately?you might shed a tear over his passing. But you would never have drinks with your archenemy, unless you were attempting to spike his gin with hemlock. If you were to perish, your archenemy would dance on your grave, and then he'd burn down your house and molest your children. You hate your archenemy so much that you try to keep your hatred secret, because you don't want your archenemy to have the satisfaction of being hated.
If this distinction seems confusing, just ask your girlfriend to explain it in detail; women have always intuitively grasped the nemesis/archenemy dichotomy. Every woman I've ever known has had at least one close friend whose only purpose in life is to criticize her actions, compete for the attention of men, and drive her insane; very often, this is a woman's best friend . Every woman also has a former friend (usually someone from high school with large breasts) whom she has loathed for years (and whom she will continue to loath with the intensity of a thousand suns, even if she sees her only once every ten years). This is her archenemy. Women intrinsically understand human dynamics, and this makes them unstoppable. Unfortunately, the average man is less adroit at fostering such rivalries, which is why most men remain average. Males are better at hating things that can't hate them back (e.g., lawn mowers, cats, the 1986 Denver Broncos, et cetera). Most men fail to see a world beyond themselves; if given the choice, they would connect themselves to nothing. But greatness cannot be achieved in a vacuum, and great people know that.
In the 1980s, Larry Bird's nemesis was Magic Johnson, and it was always beautiful when they tangled. But Bird's archenemy wasn't Magic; it was Isiah Thomas. When the Celtics played the Pistons, it was a train wreck, and it went deeper than basketball: In 1987, Isiah supported Dennis "Rush" Rodman when he claimed Bird was famous only because he was white. Larry forgave Isiah in public, but he still iced him in the end; the first thing Bird did after becoming president of the Pacers was fire Zeke as head coach. Steve Jobs is Bill Gates's nemesis, but if Gates had only one bullet in his revolver, he'd shoot David Boies. J. R. Ewing was at war with nemesis/brother Bobby for twelve seasons (thirteen if you count the year Victoria Principal dreamed he was dead), but Cliff Barnes was the true Minotaur of Southfork. Jack White turned Von Bondies singer Jason Stollsteimer's face into a speed bag, but Stollsteimer barely even deserves nemesis stature; White's archenemy is Ryan Adams (although he'd be better off if it were Julian Casablancas of the Strokes). The Joker was Batman's nemesis, but?ironically?his archenemy was Superman, since Superman made Batman seem entirely mortal and generally nonessential. Nobody likes to admit this, but Batman hated Superman; Superman is the reason Batman became an alcoholic. **
This fall, George W. Bush will seek reelection, and whoever the Democrats end up nominating will become Bush's "nemesis by default" (although not his true nemesis; that will always be John McCain). But none of the candidates has a shot at becoming Bush's archenemy; that designation is inflexible. W's archenemy is Bill Clinton (mostly because Bill beat up his dad in '92). George W. Bush will never face the man he hates most; this is why George W. Bush will never achieve greatness. However, when we get to 2008?when Clinton's wife faces the little brother of her husband's archenemy?it will be a bloodbath. When the families of archenemies collide, skulls get pounded into pulp. Jeb?Hillary will be like Frazier?Ali III.
I was sitting in the passenger seat of my nemesis's Buick Skylark when he punched me in 1992; I jacked his jaw at a keg party in '94. These days I mostly just read his blog, although we did have a pressure-packed lunch at the Fargo Olive Garden over Christmas. Meanwhile, I've had the same archenemy since eighth grade: He's a guy named Rick Helling, and he grew up in Lakota, North Dakota. Last year, Helling pitched a few innings for the Marlins in the World Series; in 1998, he won twenty games for the Rangers. I went to basketball camp with Rick Helling in 1985, and he was the single worst person I'd ever met. Every summer, I constantly scan the sports section of USA Today , always hoping that he got shelled. This is what drives me. I cannot live in a world where Helling's career ERA hovers below 5.00, yet all I do for a living is type . As long as Rick Helling walks this earth, I shall never sleep soundly.
I realize there are those who don't think it's necessary (or even wise) to consciously create adversaries; Will Rogers claimed that he never met a man he didn't like. But what is Will Rogers famous for, really? For telling jokes that don't have punch lines? For wearing a bandanna like an ascot? Who wants that for a legacy? There is a reason they say, "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer." Granted, "they" usually don't know what they're talking about, but sometimes "they" get lucky, you know?
*The exceptions being Dale Peck, MTV on-air personalities who aren't Kurt Loder, Al Franken, and myself.
**This is speculative.
HOW TO MAKE ENEMIES
As the accompanying essay makes clear, you'll need a nemesis and an archenemy if you wish to be successful in this world. The good news is, it's entirely possible that you already have each of these entities in your life; perhaps you just don't realize it (or maybe you can't tell them apart). As a public service, here are a few signs.
RECOGNIZING YOUR NEMESIS
- At some point in the past, this person was (arguably) your best friend.
- You have punched this person in the face.
- If invited, you would go to this person's wedding and give him a spice rack, but you would secretly hope that his marriage ends in a bitter, public divorce.
- People who barely know both of you assume you are close friends; people who know both of you intimately suspect that you profoundly dislike each other.
- If your archenemy tried to kill you, this person would attempt to stop him.
RECOGNIZING YOUR ARCHENEMY
- Every time you talk to this person, you lie.
- If you meet someone who has the same first name as this person, you immediately like him less.
- The satisfaction you feel from your own success pales in comparison to the despair you feel at this person's triumphs, even if those triumphs are completely unrelated to your life.
- If this person slept with your girlfriend, she would never be attractive to you again.
- Even if this person's girlfriend was a hateful bitch, you would sleep with her out of spite.
The Importance of Being Hated
In this golden age of enmity, friends are for suckers. What you need are a pair of well-chosen foes.
by Chuck Klosterman | Apr 01 '04
"It's not what you know," they say. "It's who you know." We have all heard this sentiment, and we all reflexively agree with it. This is because "they" are hard to debate, especially since "they" never seem to be in the room whenever anyone makes reference to them. Yet they have a secret shame, and it's a shame they can't deny: They are losers. They are failures. They don't realize that life is?almost without exception?an absolute meritocracy, and everyone who succeeds completely deserves it.* The only people who disagree with this are people who will never succeed at anything. You see, "they" want you to believe the passageway to power is all about cultivating allies, so they spend all their time trying to make friends and influence people. And this is why they fail. It rarely matters who is on your side; what matters is who is against you. Unlike Gloria Loring, you don't need a friend and you don't need a lover. What you need is a) one quality nemesis, and b) one archenemy. These are the two most important characters in the life of any successful human. We measure ourselves against our nemeses, and we long to destroy our archenemies. Nemeses and archenemies are the catalysts for everything.
Now, I know that you're probably asking yourself, How do I know the difference between my nemesis and my archenemy? Here is the short answer: You kind of like your nemesis, despite the fact that you despise him. If your nemesis invited you out for cocktails, you would accept the offer. If he died, you would attend his funeral and?privately?you might shed a tear over his passing. But you would never have drinks with your archenemy, unless you were attempting to spike his gin with hemlock. If you were to perish, your archenemy would dance on your grave, and then he'd burn down your house and molest your children. You hate your archenemy so much that you try to keep your hatred secret, because you don't want your archenemy to have the satisfaction of being hated.
If this distinction seems confusing, just ask your girlfriend to explain it in detail; women have always intuitively grasped the nemesis/archenemy dichotomy. Every woman I've ever known has had at least one close friend whose only purpose in life is to criticize her actions, compete for the attention of men, and drive her insane; very often, this is a woman's best friend . Every woman also has a former friend (usually someone from high school with large breasts) whom she has loathed for years (and whom she will continue to loath with the intensity of a thousand suns, even if she sees her only once every ten years). This is her archenemy. Women intrinsically understand human dynamics, and this makes them unstoppable. Unfortunately, the average man is less adroit at fostering such rivalries, which is why most men remain average. Males are better at hating things that can't hate them back (e.g., lawn mowers, cats, the 1986 Denver Broncos, et cetera). Most men fail to see a world beyond themselves; if given the choice, they would connect themselves to nothing. But greatness cannot be achieved in a vacuum, and great people know that.
In the 1980s, Larry Bird's nemesis was Magic Johnson, and it was always beautiful when they tangled. But Bird's archenemy wasn't Magic; it was Isiah Thomas. When the Celtics played the Pistons, it was a train wreck, and it went deeper than basketball: In 1987, Isiah supported Dennis "Rush" Rodman when he claimed Bird was famous only because he was white. Larry forgave Isiah in public, but he still iced him in the end; the first thing Bird did after becoming president of the Pacers was fire Zeke as head coach. Steve Jobs is Bill Gates's nemesis, but if Gates had only one bullet in his revolver, he'd shoot David Boies. J. R. Ewing was at war with nemesis/brother Bobby for twelve seasons (thirteen if you count the year Victoria Principal dreamed he was dead), but Cliff Barnes was the true Minotaur of Southfork. Jack White turned Von Bondies singer Jason Stollsteimer's face into a speed bag, but Stollsteimer barely even deserves nemesis stature; White's archenemy is Ryan Adams (although he'd be better off if it were Julian Casablancas of the Strokes). The Joker was Batman's nemesis, but?ironically?his archenemy was Superman, since Superman made Batman seem entirely mortal and generally nonessential. Nobody likes to admit this, but Batman hated Superman; Superman is the reason Batman became an alcoholic. **
This fall, George W. Bush will seek reelection, and whoever the Democrats end up nominating will become Bush's "nemesis by default" (although not his true nemesis; that will always be John McCain). But none of the candidates has a shot at becoming Bush's archenemy; that designation is inflexible. W's archenemy is Bill Clinton (mostly because Bill beat up his dad in '92). George W. Bush will never face the man he hates most; this is why George W. Bush will never achieve greatness. However, when we get to 2008?when Clinton's wife faces the little brother of her husband's archenemy?it will be a bloodbath. When the families of archenemies collide, skulls get pounded into pulp. Jeb?Hillary will be like Frazier?Ali III.
I was sitting in the passenger seat of my nemesis's Buick Skylark when he punched me in 1992; I jacked his jaw at a keg party in '94. These days I mostly just read his blog, although we did have a pressure-packed lunch at the Fargo Olive Garden over Christmas. Meanwhile, I've had the same archenemy since eighth grade: He's a guy named Rick Helling, and he grew up in Lakota, North Dakota. Last year, Helling pitched a few innings for the Marlins in the World Series; in 1998, he won twenty games for the Rangers. I went to basketball camp with Rick Helling in 1985, and he was the single worst person I'd ever met. Every summer, I constantly scan the sports section of USA Today , always hoping that he got shelled. This is what drives me. I cannot live in a world where Helling's career ERA hovers below 5.00, yet all I do for a living is type . As long as Rick Helling walks this earth, I shall never sleep soundly.
I realize there are those who don't think it's necessary (or even wise) to consciously create adversaries; Will Rogers claimed that he never met a man he didn't like. But what is Will Rogers famous for, really? For telling jokes that don't have punch lines? For wearing a bandanna like an ascot? Who wants that for a legacy? There is a reason they say, "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer." Granted, "they" usually don't know what they're talking about, but sometimes "they" get lucky, you know?
*The exceptions being Dale Peck, MTV on-air personalities who aren't Kurt Loder, Al Franken, and myself.
**This is speculative.
HOW TO MAKE ENEMIES
As the accompanying essay makes clear, you'll need a nemesis and an archenemy if you wish to be successful in this world. The good news is, it's entirely possible that you already have each of these entities in your life; perhaps you just don't realize it (or maybe you can't tell them apart). As a public service, here are a few signs.
RECOGNIZING YOUR NEMESIS
- At some point in the past, this person was (arguably) your best friend.
- You have punched this person in the face.
- If invited, you would go to this person's wedding and give him a spice rack, but you would secretly hope that his marriage ends in a bitter, public divorce.
- People who barely know both of you assume you are close friends; people who know both of you intimately suspect that you profoundly dislike each other.
- If your archenemy tried to kill you, this person would attempt to stop him.
RECOGNIZING YOUR ARCHENEMY
- Every time you talk to this person, you lie.
- If you meet someone who has the same first name as this person, you immediately like him less.
- The satisfaction you feel from your own success pales in comparison to the despair you feel at this person's triumphs, even if those triumphs are completely unrelated to your life.
- If this person slept with your girlfriend, she would never be attractive to you again.
- Even if this person's girlfriend was a hateful bitch, you would sleep with her out of spite.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
interesting....
sorry for all the political posts lately but it's just so fascinating. i can't wait to see how this all pans out. it's actually kind of terrifying.....
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
if you've got some time...
if you've got some time (an hour and a half) and are at all interested, HERE is the final presidential debate between Obama and McCain.
note: i'm not responsible for any of your anger that is built up due to the content of this video.
another note: feel free to enjoy this video with youtube's new features? you can "turn down the lights" and watch it in "theatre view." fancy fancy.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
the black mobile
here she is. 2 words: SO GOOD. this is downtown transportation made easy. i can't stress enough how easy it has made commuting. this past weekend nuit blanche was on and having a bike made the experience amazing. last year, we were basically stuck on one main street hoping to see a bunch of cool installations and we really didn't want to have to keep hopping on and off the street car and subway. So we didn't get to see much of anything. just a bunch of local stuff. but this year, we actually got to see pretty much all the sponsored international works. there were 3 zones and i can't imagine a better way to have done it than on a bike. you could have walked but that would have been the longest night. subway/streetcar? maybe. but then you've got to buy tickets and stuff and deal with crowds. biking made it simple and a blast. riding through the downtown core and traffic made the night even better and exhilarating.
i ended up setting up a single speed bike rather than one with gears or one that was fixed. gears for downtown really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. i think i would only be transferring between 3 gears MAX anyway. downtown is mostly flat and you can get going pretty quick with the right gear. also, it makes your bike much simpler and easy to maintain and lighter for carrying around and/or hanging. AND much more sleek and aesthetically pleasing. fixed? cool idea. great for going slow. lots of control. but for those times there is a hill or i want to just coast, on a fixed, not going to happen - unless of course you take your feet of and let your pedals just spin and carve up your shins. for the times that i am going down a hill, i'm going to want to coast and enjoy it. not pedal out of my mind. just my opinion.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
busking for change
Musicians take to the streets for War Child
Over fifty musicians will be hitting the streets on Thursday October 2nd, 2008, to take part in Busking For Change, a day long busking event to raise money for War Child Canada.
Busking for Change was inspired by Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, who spent twelve hours busking for War Child Canada on Toronto streets last October. Raine raised an astonishing $22,000 for War Child Canada¹s Rehabilitation project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Last year, hope began in the dark on a cold early October morning in Toronto," says Raine Maida. "As the sun began to set on my 12 hour busking journey, hope had transformed itself into $22,000 dollars and a guarantee that a school would be rebuilt by War Child Canada in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This year, Busking for Change takes that little idea and helps it grow into something mighty. Please come out and support all of us artists as we busk the streets of Toronto, proving yet again that hope may begin in the dark but ends on a brilliant ray of light."
Artists busking include Our Lady Peace, James Black & Rick Jackett of Finger Eleven, Die Mannequin, Neverending White Lights, Tomi Swick, Chantal Kreviazuk, Saint Alvia Cartel, The Skydiggers, Dave Bidini, Zack Werner, Flash Lightnin’, Lowest of The Low, Brown Brigade, The Painted Birds, The Waking Eyes, Joshua Bartholomew, Shiloh, Jeremy Fisher, Arkells, Brian Melo, Mother Mother, Suzie McNeil, Brian Byrne, Dodger, Aengus Finnan, The Apollo Effect, Hello Beautiful, Staylefish, The Artist Life, Kim Stockwood, Damhnait Doyle, The Great Lake Swimmers, Crash Parallel, Hunter Valentine and more …
Busking for Change will begin at 7a.m. and continue through 6p.m. Artists will move to various locations throughout the city including Queen & John, First Canadian Place, Brookfield Place (Bay & Wellington), Union Station, Metro Hall Square, Manulife Centre, Queen & Spadina, Simcoe Park, Princess of Wales Theatre, Cumberland Park, Royal Ontario Museum, Bata Shoe Museum, Yonge & St. Clair and 228 Yonge St.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
bike building
so part of my large plan of moving downtown was getting a bike. i still have a car (still in the shop) but it's much easier and faster to zip around downtown on a bike. faster than walking, driving, and public transit by far. not to mention it's better for your health and the environment.
there's a place downtown called the community bicycle network and basically what they do is take in old bikes and donations, refurbish them and sell them back into the community. it's pretty sick because they have a wall full of old frames and parts and you can just pick and choose. so what i did was got a frame from them for $40 and am getting all new parts for it i.e. wheels, bars, etc. the frame is in great condition so really, i'm getting a new bike for nothing. total price will about about $300. most road bike are going for at least $600 bucks and up these days.
this is 'stage one' of my bike. after i got the frame i took it, stripped the paint and sanded it down. wasn't a huge fan of the metallic blue. after i had it down to its skivvies, i took it uptown to get it powder coated a sick semi-gloss almost matte black. since at the time they didn't have any forks that fitted the frame, i just went out and bought a black Giant road fork. all that's left now is the parts and the building of it which should be done today. i guess i skipped documentation of all the steps in between so stay tuned for the finished product.
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