Terahertz

I always have a number of long-term projects in my head. Reaching out via different mediums is one of them, and practice speaking and editing is always important for me.

To accomplish this I’ve started an intermittent video blog/podcast supplement to this blog. Only two episodes are up so far – the first on Fusion: Hot and Cold and the second on GMO Labelling – and it’s only available through YouTube for now (I may look into the technical aspects of how to iTunes it next week). You can subscribe to the RSS feed here or follow the YouTube playlist here.

My goal is to produce quality, short, informative and interesting videos. It will take a few before I hit my stride and I don’t promise a consistent release schedule (which means it may drop off the radar for a while).

Here’s the first two episodes:

Episode 1: Fusion Hot and Cold

Episode 2: GMO Labeling

Tomorrow, the Canadian polysyllabic pontificator Rex Murphy will be in Vancouver recording a live episode of Cross Country Checkup on religion in public life..

The Checkup is a long-time Canadian radio talk show, designed to spark dialogue across the country.

To arrange my thoughts for the discussion, I sat down for a Google+ Hangout with Mavaddat and discussed some of the issues that might come up. You can watch the discussion below the fold.

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I finally got a half-decent video of myself giving a talk. Of course the projector still failed to work with my laptop, so I went slide-less (but it still works I think).

I gave this talk this morning for the BC Humanists at Oakridge Seniors Centre. The TalkOrigins article I referenced can be found here.

Here’s the video, on presenting evidence for the Big Bang in clear and succinct terms.

This is the latest YouTube video that’s making news in Canada:

A few thoughts cross my mind:

• Does this shaky spy-cam action and rock music show anything other than the film-makers bias?
• Why does this paranoid bigot feel the need to film a check-in gate?
• And does this not worry airport security more than a family of travellers who have already passed the main security gates?
• On a related note, what’s the real, scientific explanation of why we feel this need to see faces? We know people are very easily deceived, so what does seeing someone’s face actually accomplish?
• If they are not who they say they are, won’t getting through customs in England be quite a bit more difficult?
• Why question the gender of one of the passengers other than to suspect that most Muslims are terrorists?
• If this “error” was so egregious, then I guess we must just be lucky that these veiled “women” didn’t use this opportunity to strike with plastic knives and bring down the plane. Or of course, there is no real need to be any more secure at the gate other than to ensure that people paid for their seats.

And while I deplore Islam and its brutal subjugation of women, ignorant accusations like this do nothing to help bring peace and freedom to the victims.

Courtesy of Ryan Jackman at the Edmonton Journal, here’s the time lapse (although he pointed too low to see the two 16″ beasts that were set off).

Old Bob and Doug MacKenzie is gold Canadiana:

New Bob & Doug is awful:

One Twitterer described it as:

I am really disappointed in this animated Bob and Doug MacKenzie… What a weird and boring right wing load of garbage…

Now, I haven’t sat through enough to determine it’s political slant, but it’s overall shittiness may have to do with the fact Global outsourced it to a California-based studio known as Animax Entertainment.

In the future Global, let’s keep the making fun of ourselves, to ourselves.

(And yes, I realize Dave Thomas, from the SCTV Original is working on this new one, but he clearly lacks the rest of the SCTV might).

Confused in the world of Canadian politics? Rick Mercer sums it up nicely, as always.

(h/t The Fifth Column)

In early 2009, the Engineering Physics club presents: Nanosize Me.

This is the mockumentary of a first year engineer who decides to try out EngPhys for a month to document the health effects.
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It’s been a week since the New Democrats rained orange across Canada and the celebrations of recent wins are beginning to cool. Nevertheless, the party released the following video and a thank-you message from Jack Layton.

One thing I really noted, is how polished and professional the campaign was across the country, while still being about the people (as any NDP volunteer will tell you).

I can respect a man like Kevin Hunter. He’s running for the Marxist-Leninists in Alberta, and that takes galls.

I’m not sure he’s out there to win, but dammit if he wants to get his message across.

The heart of his message: we are in a dire democratic deficit (hey alliteration nuts), and our wealth needs to be controlled by us, the people.

At the first forum, he talked a bit too much about monopolies and the “big business parties,” but at the Garneau United Church forum he was more eloquent and focussed on building a stronger democracy.

I should also point out, King’s University College was arrogant enough to not invite him to their forum. I urge you to email King’s at general-info@kingsu.ca and complain about their attempted silencing of democracy.

So, to help him and his often under-heard message, I have pledged to repost their pretty slick ad (quicktime mov, click if video doesn’t appear), which gets very minimal and abysmally late air times from the CRTC.

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