Hume's 300th.

This year philosopher David Hume turned 300. Ever since I began studying philosophy seriously upon entering university, Hume's skepticism, critical thinking, and logical analysis has always appealed greatly to me. If you are not familiar with Hume's work I highly recommend you check some of it out. The Royal Society of Arts recently posted a video discussion on Hume and the breadth of his philosophical influence in commemoration of his 300th. I've decided to share the video with you here:

Floradora.

Today I have another drink recipe I'd like to share with all of you! It's called the Floradora and it is quite the splendid beverage. I first heard about this drink on IGN's Gamescoop! podcast and - due to praise of the drink by the fine IGN editors Daemon Hatfield and Greg Miller - I decided to check it out for myself.

I was not disappointed.

Since learning the recipe I have made the drink numerous times for a good number of people. I have only recieved positive feedback thus far so I figured I'd the post the recipe on my blog so to assist anyone else who may be interested in making this delicious concoction.

This is what you'll need.

Ingredients: 

- Gin

- Framboise liqueur 

- Lime juice

- Ginger ale

- Lime wedge

- Ice

Process: 

1) Mix 1.5 oz of gin, 0.5 oz of framboise liqeur, and 0.5 oz of lime juice (I used a mixer and mixed these three ingredients together before pouring it in the glass. Not a necessary step, but if you have a mixer on hand then I recommend it. If not, simply pouring each ingredient into a glass - with ice - is fine. I also, once again, used a shot glass to measure the ounces). 

2) Pour the mix into a glass filled with ice (preferably a highball glass).

3) Top the mixture with ginger ale.

4) Garnish with a lime wedge. 

The end result should look something like this: 

There you have it folks, a fairly simple recipe that makes quite the excellent drink! The Floradora may seem a little girly to some - I mean, look at it - but rest assured that if anyone questions it all you have to do is offer them a sip and they'll understand why you're drinking it. It's light, cool, and refreshing. A perfect summer drink!

Mess Media.

The below GOOD video came up on my Twitter timeline via Thought Bubble the other day and I feel it is an ample demonstration of how bad the mainstream "mass" media has gotten. This is a topic I have briefly written about before so I figured I'd share the video with you here:

I'd like you to watch the video for yourselves first so to develop your own opinion as to why this is being put forth as an example of how bad news outlets are at doing their job (i.e. journalism - reporting on what matters and is important to you, the consumer of news and information). Then I'd like you to head on over to GOOD's article about the video and give it a read (it's a short couple paragraphs) as I feel they sum up the issue quite nicely. 

Summer Updates.

As you may or may not know, I am a person who generally doesn't sit well very long with any one set state of affairs. I enjoy change and I try to anticipate and embrace it whenever possible. The reason I am telling you all this is because this blog will (again) go under a little change. First off, as you can see around you, I have altered the template and general aesthetics of the blog a little bit (the last time I did this was at the onset of spring, and I am making these changes as summer kicks into gear so I think I may change my blog's template so to accord with the various seasons from now on, that would be neat!). Secondly, I think I am going to post more about news stories/topics that catch my eye and that I think are important. I'll try to discuss stories that, for whatever reason, do not seem to heavily make it into the circuit of the mainstream news coverage. In recent years I have grown really intolerant and at times outright angry at what gets put forward as news in our mainstream media. The quality of journalism we receive from these outlets is very sub-par, with stories generally lacking any sort of depth and failing to ask the appropriate questions and discuss the potential consequences of the stories that are being covered. I hope to offset some of this, if only for my own personal research and gain, by writing about news stories that I think deserve more attention on this blog. I'll still post inane things about myself (don't you worry), just expect there to be more news/current affairs posts in the future than there has been previously.

Also, if you'll look to the side bar of the blog you'll notice some changes. I have put in a "Free Music Downloads!" tab offering, as the name explains, free music for you to download. I'll feature music that I think is good - or at least worth checking out (hence me advertising it on my blog) - and because they'll be free downloads there is really no loss in any of you doing so. I'd also like to note that the music I will feature here is all 100% legal and legitimate, the links provided will take you to the artist's/label's website/page where you can download the music. I generally don't believe in illegal downloading (something my wallet greatly disagrees with) so just be sure to know that all the links provided here are totally legit! The side bar is now also home to a project I am currently working on at my university. Last year I co-founded and am now an Editor (as well as the guy in charge of promotion) for an academic journal based out of Victoria University at the University of Toronto. It's a journal comprising of papers written by undergraduate students at the university, consisting of a wide variety of topics and academic disciplines. I figured I'd throw some links up to our official website and Facebook Page for anyone who is interested in checking it out. The journal is called Humanitas and we really appreciate any and all support. Our entire first issue is available online (found if you click on the "Official Site" link) for your reading pleasure!

I figure I should also give an update on my Tumblr account - something I had written about previously. There isn't much news here, ever since making it I haven't really used the site at all as I am still trying to figure out what I want to do with it. I am close to just deleting it altogether, but I have some ideas in my head as to what I could do with it so I'll refrain from deletion for now. So if you have read that post and are wondering what's up with the Tumblr (because I haven't updated it since day one) the answer is: nothing.

So that's pretty much it for now, just a brief "update" post is all that's on the docket for today. Check back soon!

P.S. This week has seen me getting back into the music of The Academy Is... An great independent rock band, who's 2007 album Santi brings back fond memories of summers past. The music is upbeat and poppy, very appropriate for summer listening! While I am only familiar with the band's work on Santi, rest assured that I'll be checking out their other albums - Almost Here and Fast Times at Barrington High - soon enough.

Dallas.

City and Colour's newest album Little Hell was released yesterday and I picked it up as soon as I could get myself to an HMV. With the album playing for the first time in the background I decided to write my next blog post about Dallas Green, front man of City and Colour and one of few people whom I would consider an idol of mine.

For those who don't know, City and Colour officially came to be on November 1, 2005 when St. Catherines-born musician Dallas Green released a full-length album of acoustic songs he was working on alongside his time playing lead guitar for Alexisonfire (who themselves are probably my favourite band ever). The album, Sometimes, featured singles: "Save Your Scissors" and "Comin' Home". My favourite tracks off the album include: "Off By Heart...", "Hello I'm In Delaware", and "Casey's Song", but really the whole album is terrific and everyone should give it a listen. Despite achieving Gold status in March 2006 and Platinum status in November of the same year, the album wasn't too much of a hit with mainstream music listeners (their loss).

City and Colour at Rogers Picnic, 2008

Sometimes was followed up with 2008's Bring Me Your Love (BMYL). This new album marked a departure from the pure-guitar and piano focused solo act of Sometimes as it introduced more instruments to the mix (such as the harmonica, banjo, lap steel, and drums) as well as more band members, resulting in BMYL having a folk-influenced sound. While I personally prefer Sometimes to BMYL, the album is noteworthy for a number of things. As already mentioned, the evolution of City and Colour from a solo act to a folk-influenced band, but also for featuring significant artists on the album. Many tracks on BMYL featured the work of members of indie/folk rock band Attack In Black (another favourite of mine, one time I got to see them play a small show in Newmarket with The Flatliners. I remember seeing some of the band members outside the venue as I was going in and I went up to them and exclaimed, "Hey! You're in the band right!?", they just looked at me funny and said, "yeah" followed by an awkward silence, I replied with "well, have a good show then" and walked off. If only I had remembered their names and played it cooler, I could have made some neat friends that day...oh well, back to the Dallas) as well as Gordon Downie of the Tragically Hip. With the support of singles "Waiting..." and "Sleeping Sickness" BMYL would follow the precedent set by Sometimes and go Platinum in Canada. My personal favourite tracks off the album include: "Sleeping Sickness" (probably one of my favourite songs of all time), "The Girl", and "What Makes Man".

With Little Hell just released yesterday I cannot really discuss much about the album in regards as to how it will act as yet another progression for Green and his music. However I can say that, after one listen, it is clear that the days of Green being the sole member of City and Colour playing guitar or piano are long gone as Little Hell's tracks all feature a full band - following in BMYL's footsteps. It's a good album, but I'll have to listen to it a few more times before I make any definitive statements about it. Although I can say that it's different from City and Colour has done before, but this is in no way a bad thing. The first single "Fragile Bird" is currently making its way up the Canadian and international music charts, and there is no doubt that this new album will only help to bolster City and Colour's career and bring them into the mainstream (as demonstrated by Dallas Green being featured on the show One Tree Hill). I eagerly await a Canadian tour announcement in support of the new album.

City and Colour at Massey Hall, 2009

There are many reasons why I find Dallas Green so appealing. For one, he's an excellent Canadian musician, capable of a wide range of musical styles and abilities (as demonstrated with his leading guitar and vocal contributions to both the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire and the acoustic/folk/alternative work of City and Colour). He's my favourite member of my favourite band ever (Alexisonfire, whom I started listening to at the age of 14). His music has been a part of my life's soundtrack for a long time now; playing in the disc tray, through my computer speakers, or on my iPod in times of a frustration, loss, joy, sadness, reassurance and all the other emotions any typical teenager-turned young adult might - and does - experience. I have had the privilege of seeing Dallas Green play live three times (twice with City and Colour and once with Alexisonfire) and he is an artist that has proven his ability in the recording booth and live on stage. He's worked all his life being dedicated to what he's passionate about (he started playing music with Alexisonfire at the age of 21 - he's now 30) and he has found success doing this (he's sold numerous albums and won many awards throughout his music career). His lyrical style is passionate and emotional, exemplified by his "angelic" (as I've heard it be referred to as) vocal abilities. He is a genuine musician in every sense of the word. I liken Dallas Green to my generation's Neil Young or Bryan Adams, and while he isn't a Canadian great yet (in terms of popular music culture in this country) I have no doubt that he one day will be.

Germany to be nuclear free.

This week it was reported that Germany plans to shut down all its nuclear production facilities by 2022. I have not seen any coverage of this story by North American news outlets, and that's a real shame because I think it's really important.

This pledge is the first of its kind made by a major industrial power, and it means that Germany will have to look for other energy sources to fill the 22% of energy the country currently gets through nuclear means. According to Al Jazeera it is, "the government's aim to move towards complete reliance on renewable energy" and I applaud Germany - or at least Angela Merkel's administration - for these efforts. I am in no way the most steadfast environmentalist, however I do feel that not enough attention is given by governments as to how we can seriously change our current energy consumption methods so to make our lifestyles on this planet more sustainable and environmentally friendly. News that a major power like Germany is taking the lead in such endeavours brings me hope that other nations may potentially follow suit.

While I am not an expert on nuclear power, it as an energy source has always been in that proverbial 'grey-area' as to if it is safe or really viable. Nuclear power is by far the cleanest - in terms of direct environmental damage - source of energy employed en masse today. It is also potentially very dangerous should it escape our control and containment - as demonstrated by the damage done to Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant this past March. The production, material, and waste of nuclear power can be very hazardous to humans and the environment and although many nations do their best to ensure that nuclear energy is as safe as it can be, anything that is made by man risks fallibility and these risks can arguably outweigh the benefits had by nuclear power. Not to mention the potentiality for states to use their nuclear energy resources for nefarious purposes - like the development of nuclear weapons.

The Germans seem to be developing their capacity for wind-power as a replacement for their nuclear power plants. While wind power is a great renewable source, there are some limitations as it is costly, somewhat cumbersome, and not entirely reliable as a sufficient energy source - or at least not yet as compared to our current energy sources. Again, the very fact that Germany has made a pledge to rely exclusively on renewable energy in the future means that the country will 'put its best foot forward' in the research and development of different energy sources and how to best utilize these sources. The very fact that these first steps are being made by a major industrial power should be celebrated.