A LETTER TO MY BROTHERS

I think you are going to find that there is more than what you see in front of you to this world. You can have great peace of mind knowing that with change comes understanding, and you can use that understanding to make the changes that you want. The problem is that sometimes we just dont know what we want, and finding out can feel like a daunting task. But if you have the will anything is possible.
Mind our mother, she is a kind woman and wants nothing more in this world than your happiness.Her friendship and guidence can be powerful and inspiring if you let her in, despite what you may think she understands more than you know and does not judge. She is your mother, and she loves you.
We are four brothers, do not underestimate the importance or of that. Life is an interesting place and we are experienceing it together whether we like it or not, no matter the distance. We are stong and capable and should act as such, to not do so only takes away from eachother and ourselves. Confidence does not come easily without knowledge, and there are 3 other people who think just like you, who ask the same questions, and have the same thoughts, talk to them. You might learn something. Read.
I'm tired and I have to work tomorrow, hope you sleep well tonight, good sleep is hard to come by. -T

THE RICE EXPERIMENT

Lots of people have been asking me what the hell this is all about, so I decided to post about it. The idea iS not new, with movies like THE SECRET and WHAT THE BLEEP DO YOU KNOW out there raising all sort of questions about the affects of human thought on reality I thought I would take a stab at it. The results were so amazing I encourage everyone to try it for themselves, here is what you will need.
1. 2 Classico pasta sauce jars, cleaned and sterilized in boiling water. (Any glass jar will do I just took advantage of my rampant pasta addiction)
2. 1 red and 1 blue marker
3. post it notes
4. 2 cups cooked rice (any kind will do)
5. time and a suspense of disbelief
Place 1 cup of the cooked rice in each jar. Microbes grow best between 4C and 60C (40F-140F) so putting the rice in hot will encourage rapid growth. Using the post-it-notes with the red marker label one jar "Hateful stupid rice" and the other in blue "Grateful loving rice". Put the lids on and place in somewhere where they will get your attention ( I put them out of the way at first, but if they are visible you are more likely to pay attention to them which is the purpose of this experiment). Every day ( every time you have see them is better) tell the grateful rice how good and wonderful it is and let the insults fly on the stupid rice. If you feel silly you can simply read the label, keeping in mind that you must direct your attention accordingly. As you get used to speaking to inanimate objects work on directing emotion as well, I try and use emotions that I am experiencing to my advantage. If I am feeling particularly angry or upset I take it out on the rice, and vice versa.
The visible affects do not get dramatic for some time so it is good if you have a digital camera to document the progression, otherwise you wont have a frame of reference for comparison as the changes manifest themselves.
For more information on this phenomenon check out Dr. Emoto's message from water, and the Global consciousness project, I have posted more photos of the rice experiment in my online album and on facebook. -T

YOUR NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE, NOTHING IS

In the most recent edition of SEED MAGAZINE a picture on page 36 caught my attention. They generated an image by sorting 800,000 published studies into 776 different scientific paradigms based on how often the papers were cited together by authors of other papers. Links were made between the paradigms that shared papers, and the result was nothing less than profound. After I saw that picture I was practically foaming at the mouth to read Charles Seife’s new book on information theory DECODING THE UNIVERSE. After a heated battle with understanding k log 2 (suck my dick Schrodinger!), and a little math brush-up I really got to the meat of this book quickly, (not nearly as fast as your bitchy girlfriend got to mine). Focusing on the link between entropy and information theory Seife draws connections between scientific paradigms and fills the holes we find in relativity and quantum theory. With implications that go far beyond the regular run of the mill SCI-FI techno weenie fantasies, I found myself seeing the limitless possibilities of information theory in everything from making babies to particle physics to ham sandwiches (three of my favorite things). Just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how much we are going to be changing our ideas of how the universe works. An awesome read for anyone that gives a shit.

GENIUS OR COMPLETE FUCKING ACCIDENT?

Its been a while since my last post so forgive me if this one isn't as objective or specific as it could be. There is so much to cover I could almost quit my job (if I had one) and cover full time. First, The Trailer Park Boys DVD release has to be mentioned. For those of you who do not understand the TPB phenomenon move along, for the rest of you lets try and get two birds stoned. If you decide to pick up this little doozy be prepared for a whole new creative twist on colorful language that rivals the first South Park Movie and nearly made me piss my pants. The rest of the movie is your classic lineup of TPB regulars including J-Roc who until the last half hour doesn't make an appearance but when he does its worth the wait. Second I picked up the latest Makezine with a complete guide on Kirlian high voltage photography. But wait theres more, the "how to's" dont stop there. Make a cosmic cloud chamber, tie a bullwhip, build the amazing vortex tube that defies Maxwells demon along with many other projects for the expert basement physicist as well as rat shack tinker buddies who only want to build the 5 dollar guitar amp made out of a box of Captain Crunch. Either way its well worth the 17 dollar price tag to learn how to build quality useless shit like a psionic detection device. On that note I will close in pointing out that I have updated my web album with another trip to the market and a lazy afternoon exploring the beach with my fiance as well as a random Cory sighting here in Vancouver. This creature can usually be found in any number of smelly watering holes fashioning crude guitars out of plastic tubing and dental floss, only to scream at onlookers and possibly smash the hand crafted instrument to tiny bits, but not before serenading the crowd into awe with a composure of epic proportions.

EXTREME ASS-KICKERY

Extreme over the top ultimate hardcore Asian wire fighting x2 would be a phrase worthy of describing Shinobi. Chalk full of typical battle to the death for honor scenarios as well as a hefty portion of high flying, bullet timing, ass kickery to the max.
Having never played the original Shinobi video game all the way to the end I couldn’t tell you if it fits the story lines of the 1988 release or any of the other hits in the franchise. However that’s not to say the movie didn’t have a typical video game layout complete with characters that could be fresh off the console.
The DVD comes loaded with extras and if one is so inclined they can go the Shinobi website and read the secret story behind each character.
Another DVD to watch for is the new Marie Antoinette staring Kirsten Dunst. If you can suspend the disbelief that a 25 year old with a crazy rack is actually a 15 year old girl then you can enjoy the rest of this movie. Its stylized look brings pop culture to the 18th century with tenacity that screams volumes about Sofia Coppola’s ability as a storyteller. With a contemporary spin on the story Sofia has re-told a classic that appeals easily to a salivating “rock star” generation.

NEEDS MORE ATTENTION THAN YOUR BITCHY GIRLFRIEND

It started pretty early I suppose, when I was about 7 or so baking “Blonde brownies” with my mother. But it wasn’t enough, roti, saltfish and oxtail with my aunt Mira, rabbit, duck and the maple farm with my grandparents, food had a hold on me I would never understand until now. What no one will tell you is that food talks, you can learn a lot from food, chemistry, climate, society, culture and that’s just a start. Food can tell you how old a person is, where they are from and if they have been in love, but only if you speak the language. Food can teach respect, discipline and honor for anyone who cares to listen. But there is a trade off, once you build a relationship with food it demands attention, fiercely.
I have been avoiding food and it is not happy with me, it keeps me up at night, wanting to talk, wanting to fight, wanting to make love, anything to make me pay attention. The more I ignore it the louder it speaks, so I went to visit and now it is louder than ever.
Granville Island Market is the home of food here in Vancouver and it’s a fifteen minute walk form my house, which makes it extremely hard to ignore, especially when you speak the language. A technicolor array of seasonal organic fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and seafood variety that dominates anything you would find at your local grocer. The extras alone could be worthy of a whole article of coverage all to itself. It was an awesome West Coast reflection of the relationship I had with Toronto’s own St Lawrence Market. I neglect to go into further detail this post is not long enough to do it justice, but don’t fear there is more to come I am not even close to exploring the culinary playground of Vancouver.

CONFORMITY ROCKS!?

Dirty Fuckin Hippie, is a phrase that comes to mind often when you live in British Columbia. All too often the mistake is made that these hemp laden tree dwellers are saving the planet one flower at a time. But what if they’re not? What if the culture jammers, counter-culture enthusiasts and moral martyrs we see who have taken it upon themselves to "rage against the machine" and overthrow the system, have been doing just the opposite? In 1969 Donald and Doris Fisher Started selling washed out Levi's jeans from their used record shop "The Generation Gap" in San Francisco, you don't get more hippie than that. By 2005 the company had more than 150,000 employees and 3000 stores in 10 countries, did the Fishers "sell out"? Andrew Potter and Joseph Heath offer another solution in their 2004 non-fiction THE REBEL SELL. Their careful evaluation and comparison of “alternative” and “mainstream” lifestyles brings new light to the extremely tired argument. Using examples spanning from Kurt Cobain to Ninja Turtles and taking critical review of counter-culture icons like Naomi Klein (who in my opinion had it coming), the authors give a spectacular re-evaluation of consumerism that will enrage and provoke both sides of the debate. All that fun stuff aside this book is also just a good read for anyone interested in the evolution of North American economy. To further prove their own theory I bought the book on sight, the Starbucks Cup with classic Che on the front made a great target for filthy little whistle blowers like me who just wanted to get another look at the horrors of “the system”. There is something beautiful in the thought that at one point, the jammers that were rushing stores to slash leather and spit on retail execs were the same people cramming their fat asses into the acid wash jeans that symbolized the rebellious “Gap” in generations that started the company in the first place!

SHENANIGANS

So recently my old boss gave me a ring, he wanted me to come back and work for him "we can give you more money" he said. Hmm more money? Sounds good I thought, but then I started to remember what is was like to work there. I remember a forest fire nearly destroying the business, I remember the girls I worked with crying everyday because their brutally unorganized department had no help. I remember some asshole who mistook the staff hot tub for a dishwasher and playing damage control all year to a bunch of employees bound to the hopeless calamity of the "Make it happen" school of management . And to top it all off a dick who thought it would be a great idea to get drunk and start shoving me around like I owed him money. Then I thought "Hey Dick, you can go to hell!!"
and this May just as a horde of money grubbing rednecks start migrating to my former place of employment, with a little luck that dick will be buried up to his balls in shit. I wonder what adventures lie in wait for that terribly misguided experiment in business? Maybe the staff could send me a text message update while I sip my signature rye and ginger on the patios of Vancouvers best summer hot spots.

DAMN GOOD NARRATIVE

Who thought being Kate Winslet would suck pretty hard, show of hands? Put your hand down now and salute Todd Field for LITTLE CHILDREN, showcasing the previously hard sucking actresses talent with this narrative classic. While your out there saluting unsung heros of film, give a healthy friggin portion to Jason Reitman who also just stopped sucking with the release of the THANK YOU FOR SMOKING DVD. Bringing in a measly 263 thousand (USD) the opening weekend the DVD is now 24.8 million strong and rising, manhandling it's modest 6.5 million budget. I picked up the DVD at the famous Videomatica, a five minute walk from my house the small video rental store is know for its movie star patronage. Patronage I couldn't give a damn about, after all that talk of sucking and manhandling as long as they have the latest edition of Ass Hammers I'm a happy customer.

WELL, IT CERTAINLY RAISES A LOT OF QUESTIONS

Plasma cosmology, unified field theory and electric stars, are just around the corner when it comes to how we understand the way the universe works. Previously defined concepts of the model of the universe ( like the Big Bang and the idea that the universe is held together with gravity ) are more and more coming under intense scrutiny from the scientific world. To get a "not too technical" look at the concepts behind the new theories you can watch THUNDERBOLTS OF THE GODS, a showcase of how plasma cosmology punches some pretty huge friggin holes in the working Big Bang model. But don't worry, we still have a long way to go before the new theory brings the scientific community to its knees, there are still more questions than answers. In the meantime we should probably focus on how to get off this planet and check out the rest of existence.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, COULD IT BEAT ME AT HALO?

Have you heard about the CEMI ( conscious electromagnetic field theory ) ? It basically sums up the electro-haze hanging around our gray matter. previously presumed to be pseudoscience, it is now accepted for protoscience and will soon play a very significant role in the search for artificial intelligence. You can get a pretty in depth description of the theory at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/qe/cemi.html
the most interesting part of the rather technical theory was the proposed applications in its use for mapping a guide to a working A.I. model. Worth a read if you give a crap.

WEB ALBUMS MADE EASY

I just got through making my first online photo album with Picasa 2. Pretty handy little program, makes uploading and web based photo hosting real easy. Although I think you have to have a gmail account to use it.

The West Coast Connection

Check it out, there isn't a whole lot in there right now but it's a work in progress.
Enjoy

A QUICK RUNDOWN

I have recently re-affirmed my childhood diagnosis of ADHD. It wasn't like being a spaz wans't enough, they went out and gave it a name. Anyway I just started helping these guys at a production company not too far from my house. It's been pretty cool so far, no major hollywood type disasters yet but its still too early to tell.