The Airborne Toxic Event

I've recently discovered an amazing new band named "The Airborne Toxic Event". They're a 5 piece band based out of Los Angeles, California who gracefully blend a folksy pop sound with string instruments.

The band is headed up by Mikel Jollett, a writer who was in the middle of a novel before deciding in 2006 to form the band after life changing events took place: His mother was diagnosed with cancer, he was dumped by his girlfriend and he was diagnosed with autoimmune disease. All of this happened in a span of 1 week.

The song I fell in love with "Sometime Around Midnight" is about Jollett seeing his ex-girlfriend in a bar with another guy. The soothing sound of the violin coupled with Jollett's vocal energy and crafty lyrics will make this song a classic for years to come.

In addition to Jollett, the band consists of Steven Chen on guitar and keyboard, Noah Harmon on bass, Daren Taylor on drums and Anna Bulbrook on keyboard and violin.

Mark my words that this band will be huge in the not so distant future. They will be guests on the Late Show with David Letterman on January 16th before kicking off their tour starting in Europe on January 22nd. They'll be visiting 4 Canadian cities including Toronto on March 4th.

To hear Airborne Toxic Event, check out their MySpace page. In the summer they recorded a 10-part accoustic video series playing their songs in unique and interesting places. Below I've included the official video for "Sometime Around Midnight" as well as the accoustic version. Also included is an accoustic video for "Does This Mean You're Moving On" where they perform in a moving car with the drummer using the car roof to set the beat:

Religious Tolerance at Christmas

Christmas isn't only for Christians. Christmas is a holiday that is enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians alike as Canada is a country of many cultures and religions.

Every Christmas I read stories about extreme political correctness relating to Christmas: today's story was about a woman who was allegedly fired because she insisted that she answer the phone saying "Merry Christmas" as opposed to "Happy Holidays".

I am not a Christian, I don't practice any religion. Instead I am fascinated by reading about many religions. But at the same time, I'm not offended if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas and I have no problem wishing non-Christians a Merry Christmas.

Many Christians are rightly fearful of losing the real meaning of Christmas, but they need to accept that not everyone in the world is a Christian. I think they have every right to maintain the meaning of Christmas within practicing Christians but I think the world needs to evolve beyond the "you're with us or against us" approach.

I had a great feeling of diversity on Christmas Eve when my Muslim co-workers wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Accepting and respecting other people's religion is the only hope the world has to live at peace, and this was a very dignified and respectful move by my selfless and caring Muslim friends at work.

Canada is a great example of how many different cultures and religions can live in peace and relatively free from discrimination and racism.

I think people of all religions have the responsibility to respect others and avoid the polarization of other religions for the sake of growing their own religion.

At my Oma's church on Christmas Eve, the pastor discussed religious tolerance in his sermon and emphasized that Christmas is for all people and Christians should resist their instinct to criticize non-Christians at Christmas because all people are citizens of the world.

Future of Electronics

As new technology perpetually increases power efficiency in electronics, the future of living "off the grid" becomes increasingly more attainable.

While shopping for gifts this Christmas I came across a self-powered camping lantern that never requires batteries and never requires bulbs. The Freeplay Indigo lantern is powered by LED lights that have been tested for 100,000 hours. That means you could leave the light continuously powered for 11 years, 24 hours a day before the LEDs wear out.

A 60-second wind-up provides up to 2 hours of light on the lowest setting. It converts 74% of your kinetic energy into stored electricity and includes a lantern setting as well as a flashlight/reading light setting.

This is the direction that technology is heading: Increasing efficiency and self-powered sustainability. This is a small step that will create many great opportunities in the future.

The Ginger Ninjas, a rock band that traveled 5000 miles on bicycle for their "Pleasant Revolution" concert tour employs the same principles of living off the grid. They hauled all of their equipment via bicycle and they actually generated the electricity required for their concerts from their bicycles. They played 80+ shows without ever plugging into the wall.

From their website: “The Pleasant Revolution is a set of evolving ideas, a loose set of principles designed to help answer the question, “What next? How do I live fully and restore the planet in the process?” Some principles of the Pleasant Revolution:

• slow is beautiful, local is profound sustainable living is richer
• we can free ourselves from the culture of fear that drives our consumerism and apathy
• fundamental change is necessary and possible to change the world, we must change our own consciousness and lifestyle
• humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world the bicycle liberates

A bicycle can free your soul. Watch the video of the Pleasant Revolution band tour:

Economy & Christmas

I've had several discussions with friends and coworkers over the last few weeks about the economy, Christmas, and our excessive lifestyles that we've come to expect in North America.

To me, Christmas is the time of the year that manifests society's expectation and affection for material goods. Every year there is a new gadget or toy that everyone wants and the gifts they received last Christmas are never enough to satisfy their wants.

This year however, things are a little different. The economy in the US has taken a nose-dive and even though most Canadians aren't feeling the impact quite yet, people are still apprehensive to spend on extravagances even while only a year ago they wouldn't have second guessed it.

Deep recessions are a good time for people to reconsider what they think they really "deserve". Mark and I were talking about this the other night: we talked about why many North Americans think that they "deserve" more than others in the world. The average household income in Canada and the United States is around $50,000/year. According to "Global Rich List", someone making $50,000 a year is within the top 1% of the world.

Yes this is oversimplified because it doesn't take into consideration the cost of living. But it nevertheless points out a fundamental flaw in the Western society: People always want more even though 99% of the world has less wealth than us.

Why do we deserve more than a hard-working farmer in Indonesia? Why can't we be happy with what we have and try to be more pragmatic about the wasteful goods we purchase?

I suppose it’s human nature to always want more than your neighbour; and easy credit from banks has given North Americans the false sense of ever-growing endless wealth. World wealth can't continue to rise simply by increasing debt, and the world needs to come to the realization that the simple things in life will bring happiness, not money.

Let's all take some time this holiday season to reflect on our lives and ask ourselves whether we really need all these gifts. I, and many of my friends are extremely fortunate and have more than we could ever ask for, so this year let's rise above society's expectations and keep it simple.

Most importantly, spend time with your family and friends, because no gift can replace spending time with family

(Except maybe this Wooden Asian Family for only $19.95 by Plan Toys)

Alex Bellini: 295 days alone at Sea

Italian Rower and Adventurer Alex Bellini, 30 was rescued today 120KM off the coast of Australia after being on the Pacific Ocean by himself since February 21st, 2008, rowing about 50KM a day. His goal was to cross the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Australia (18,000KM), but due to bad weather, he had to cut his journey short a couple days early.

Even though my 107KM kayak journey was 168 times shorter than Bellini's trek, I can relate to him when he talks about the feeling he has when he's alone on the water. When asked why he does it, Bellini responds:

"It's a matter of emotions so it´s always hard to express. I do it because it makes me feel good, it makes me feel 100% alive and involved in a way I can´t otherwise do on land. I do it because for me it's extremely easy to do what seems extremely hard for others to even imagine. And, after all, the journey is the reward!"

Since I'm so intrigued by this amazing challenge, I figured I'd share a few notes that I found interesting:

• Food:He consumes 4000 calories a day of freeze-dried food and energy bars. His drinking water comes from rain and reverse-osmosis-treated sea-water
• Sleeping: When sleeping, his boat drifts but his AIS system warns him of approaching ships
• Bathroom: He puts some water in a bucket, does his thing and then dumps it out
• Boat: He has a 25-foot rowing boat that weighs 800kg full loaded
• Power: He generates electricy from solar panels built on his boat
• Entertainment: He brought lots of reading material and plenty of MP3 songs on his 80GB Apple iPod
• Communication: He has a satellite phone where he can use voice, e-mail, SMS and send data
• Previous challenges: In 2002 and 2003 he ran the Alaska ultrasport, a 600KM and 1400KM trek on foot, self-supported, pulling a sled with all of his equipment

He is quite the adventurer!



Here's more information:
FAQ: http://www.alexbellini.it/index.php?page=F.A.Q.
Boat and Equipment: http://www.alexbellini.it/index.php?page=Boat%20and%20Equipment
About Alex: http://www.alexbellini.it/index.php?page=Who%20is%20Alex

Eco-Friendly(er) Go-karts

Go-karts have really evolved since my Dad first took me go-karting in Michigan way back in 1985. Back in those days, the gas-powered go-kart engines made your clothes smell like exhaust fumes for the rest of the day. You'd always see the mechanic working on a broken-down kart, and there would be a backlog of other sick go-karts waiting for repairs.

While working in Halifax last fall, I was introduced to a new type of eco-friendly go-karts that run on electricity. They run for about 10 minutes and after each race, they are hooked up to a charger to re-charge their batteries. These karts are quiet, quick and fun.

Recently I took my Big Brothers "little brother" Quenelle go-karting in Toronto and we had a great time. Each kart is equipped with a computerized tracking chip and after the race each racer receives a printout of the statistics for the race (Fastest lap, average speed, max speed etc.)

Seeing electric go-karts makes me excited for what the future holds for electric cars. There's a lot of momentum right now for electric cars and it's only a matter of time before the engineering is mastered so that electric cars can be mass produced.

The major problem with electric cars is that most of our electricity comes from dirty non-renewable energy sources, so a massive increase in demand for electricity will ensue and the world will need to focus on generating more renewable, clean energy sources such as wind, solar and tide.

Nevertheless, mass produced electric cars will be a positive turning point for the world.


 
 
 

Buffalo Bills in Toronto

Today is a historic day for the NFL, Toronto, and Canada. The Buffalo Bills will play against the Miami Dolphins in the first ever regular season NFL game in Canada. This is part of a deal announced in January 2008 that sees the Bills playing 5 regular season games and 3 exhibition games in Toronto, Canada's largest city, and the 5th largest metropolitan area in North America.

(Today also marks the 67th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, though I don't see it in the news anywhere… maybe they'll mention it on the 70th anniversary)

When the Bills first announced they were going to play in Toronto, there was much speculation about whether this was part of a longer-term plan to move the team to Toronto, with Buffalo's dwindling economy, and with Bill's owner 90-year-old Ralph Wilson approaching the end of his life with nobody willing to succeed him in owning the Bills.

It was my first instinct to be thrilled by the prospect of Toronto having an NFL team. Not because I'm a football fan, but more as an inhabitant of this city. I think it would make Toronto a truly prestigious sports city. We have an NHL team, an NBA team, a MLB team, a professional soccer team, and a CFL team, so having an NFL team would complete this city as a destination for every type of sports fans.

But then when the Bills played an exhibition game here in Toronto, it quickly became apparent that an NFL team will never be the same in Toronto as it is in Buffalo. First of all, the tickets are up to 5 times the price in Toronto than they were in Buffalo. Sure, that's great for business and a great reason to bring a team to Toronto, but it's not great for the fans. We already know that the true Toronto Maple Leaf fans are watching the game at a bar or watching the game at home because tickets to the game are exclusively available to the corporate elite, the suits, or the Bay street bankers (Whatever you want to call them). Most seats are corporate-owned for schmoozing clients and are overpriced for the average fan. Because of this, the atmosphere could never be the same in Toronto as it was in Buffalo.

On top of the ticket prices, watching a game in Buffalo was a whole experience in itself (I've been to a few games myself). You go to the stadium at 8 or 9 in the morning; you drink beer, cook meat on your portable barbeque and you throw a football around in the parking lot. The game itself is only a part of the whole experience. You can't have that in Toronto; we don't have the space for the parking lots, and we don't have the laws to allow open fire and beer in a parking lot.

So although I am excited about putting Toronto on the map in the NFL, I'm afraid that the experience just won't be the same here for the fans. Toronto's reputation as a sports city is on the line, and filling a stadium with 54,000 men in suits won't help distinguish this as a true sports city.

CIA Covert Directive NSC 10/2

As I study for my history exam tomorrow, I figured I'd share a tidbit of history about the CIA. On June 18, 1948, the CIA was given a National Security Council directive (NSC 10/2). From the State Department website:

NSC 10/2 directed CIA to conduct “covert” rather than merely “psychological” operations, defining them as all activities “which are conducted or sponsored by this Government against hostile foreign states or groups or in support of friendly foreign states or groups but which are so planned and executed that any US Government responsibility for them is not evident to unauthorized persons and that if uncovered the US Government can plausibly disclaim any responsibility for them.”

The type of clandestine activities enumerated under the new directive included: “propaganda; economic warfare; preventive direct action, including sabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance movements, guerrillas and refugee liberations [sic] groups, and support of indigenous anti-Communist elements in threatened countries of the free world. Such operations should not include armed conflict by recognized military forces, espionage, counter-espionage, and cover and deception for military operations.

The context of this directive was that World War II was over, and tensions were increasing with the Soviet Union and Communism.

In lieu of me being busy tonight studying, I figured I would ask a few questions instead of analyzing this directive. My questions are:

• Has the US Government and the CIA abused this directive since it was first given in 1948?
• Should the US still have the right to participate in overthrowing foreign "unfriendly" governments?
• Do other democratic states have the right to overthrow the US Government if they deem the US "unfriendly"?

Learn Chinese in 5 Minutes

As someone who is currently studying Chinese, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post this joke that was sent to me today:

Learn Chinese in 5 Minutes -- (READ OUT LOUD FOR FULL EFFECT)

• That's not right..............................Sum Ting Wong


• Are you harboring a fugitive..................Hu Yu Hai Ding


• See me ASAP...................................Kum Hia Nao


• Stupid Man....................................Dum Gai


• Small Horse...................................Tai Ni Po Ni


• Did you go to the beach.......................Wai Yu So Tan


• I bumped the coffee table.....................Ai Bang Mai Ni


• I think you need a face lift..................Chin Tu Fat


• It's Very dark in here........................Wao So Dim


• I Thought you were on a diet..................Wai Yu Mun Ching


• This is a tow away zone......................No Pah King


• Our meeting was rescheduled..................Wai Yu Kum Nao


• Staying out of sight.........................Lei Ying Lo


• He's cleaning his automobile..................Wa Shing Ka


• Your body odour is offensive...................Yu Stin Ki Pu


• Great.........................................Fa Kin Su Pah


• I Can't believe it........................... No Fu Kin Wai

10 Reasons to LOVE Low Gas Prices

This is a follow-up to my "5 Reasons to Hate Low Gas Prices" back in October. There are 2 sides to everything, and The Urban Country is committed to looking at both sides (When it’s convenient of course).

Top 10 reasons to LOVE low gas prices:

10. It costs less to fill up (That one's obvious)
9. Billions of dollars of exploration and development are cancelled around the world
8. Greedy Oil companies make less profit
7. People can stop complaining about the gas prices (And complain about the economy instead)
6. Gas stations that were built to support only up to 99 cents/litre no longer have to paint a 1 in front of the price
5. It's easier to start bonfires again
4. GM can buy back the 4 corporate jets they ditched earlier this year
3. You can finally put away that siphoning tube that you carry with you everywhere
2. Sarah Palin can stop chanting "Drill baby Drill"
1. Zoolander Gasoline Fights