Month: December 2009

Improv Everywhere – We Cause Scenes

On By Rick McIn books, humour, musicLeave a comment

Improv Everywhere (often IE) is a comedic performance art group based in New York City, formed in 2001 by Charlie Todd. Its slogan is “We Cause Scenes.”

The group carries out pranks, which they call “missions” in public places. The stated goal of these missions is to cause scenes of “chaos and joy.” Some of the group’s missions use hundreds of performers and are similar to flash mobs, while other missions utilize only a handful of performers. Improv Everywhere has stated that they do not identify their work with the term flash mob, in part because their site was created two years prior to the flash mob trend. …

Wikipedia

Click PLAY or watch a sample “mission”, Frozen Grand Central, on YouTube.

Another sample …

Click PLAY or watch I Love Lunch! The Musical on YouTube.

Improv Everywhere’s videos have been viewed over 78 million times on YouTube and their channel is the 64th most subscribed on the site.

I’ve subscribed to their blog. This is the kind of troupe I would join!

They’ve even got a book out now: Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places with Improv Everywhere

I first heard of them on This American Life.

Scotland’s biggest airline QUITS

On By Rick McIn product complaints, travel1 Comment

I had a great deal this past summer, flying Glasgow to Calgary for CAD$227.24 on FlyGlobeSpan.

I drove them under …

Flyglobespan, Scotland’s biggest airline, has become the latest airline to go bust. The airline made the announcement yesterday, canceling all of its flights and firing all 800 of its employees.

The workers got a bad deal getting fired just before Christmas, but at least they get to suffer at home, unlike the more than 4,500 passengers left stranded in foreign countries. …

Gadling

fly-globespan

NORTH IDAHO GLOBAL WARMING PROTEST RALLY

On By Rick McIn humourLeave a comment

The good rednecks of North Idaho are most upset that the climate change summit in Copenhagen looks likely to fail to reach a global emissions deal.

Dave Adlard sends us this photo of the protest rally near Coeur d’Alene.

Dave is 7th row back, 3rd from the left.

Iron Man 2 – May 7, 2010

On By Rick McIn moviesLeave a comment

This will be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. Love the cast.

Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson

Mickey Rourke as the “bad guy”. Fantastic!

Click through to watch the first official trailer.

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero “Iron Man”, reuniting director Jon Favreau and Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. In “Iron Man 2”, the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the armored Super Hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces.

what do you know about Bangladesh?

On By Rick McIn economics, government, Islam, travel, uncategorizedLeave a comment

I thought I was “worldly”, … yet I knew almost nothing about Bangladesh before going there as a volunteer this Fall.

Bangladesh

The first thing people talk about in the capital Dhaka, is the traffic.

You might average 20km/hr. Walking is sometimes faster.

Actually, if you can get off the road, the countryside is green and lush. It’s one giant flood plain.

Bangladesh is a fast growing economy (growth 6-7%/yr), devoutly Muslim … but with few security problems. The nation is focused on economic growth, looking to bring millions out of poverty. Agriculture and clothing manufacture are the main industries.

It’s surprisingly progressive, the first Muslim-majority country to establish an all-women United Nations peacekeeping force. They have a woman Prime Minister.

Instead of blaming problems on the U.S.A. as a distraction, leaders in Bangladesh are “seeking five billion dollars of foreign investment for power and gas projects to end a chronic energy crisis”.

I think they’ll get 5-10 billion. Bangladesh is a good long term investment.

Happy Victory Day, Bangladesh!

Bangladesh celebrated Victory Day Wednesday, heralded by a 21 cannon salute that rang through the capital at dawn, while the president laid a wreath at the National Memorial in Savar to commemorate those who gave their lives for independence.

On this day in 1971, the Pakistan army surrendered to the allied forces of Bangladesh and India at Ramna Racecourse Maidan in Dhaka, ending the painful nine-month war that saw a new nation emerge.

National Parliament building (Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban)

more Bangladesh photos

best Apple Christmas gifts

On By Rick McIn Apple, product endorsementsLeave a comment

If you are struggling to decide on a present for that special one (not me), here are a few recommendations from the Evil Empire.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The higher priced iTouch does not yet have video. The Nano is the best iPod right now for most people.

Best Apple laptop I feel is the 13in MacBook Pro.

The best desktop is the iMac. Unfortunately you’ll have to wait to get one as it’s been delayed with monitor problems.

Apple has won the J.D. Powers customer satisfaction award for the past 9yrs.

2nd-grader suspended over drawing of Jesus

On By Rick McIn bad news, ethics1 Comment

Another school over-reacts.

Merry Christmas to those responsible at Lowell M. Maxham Elementary School, Taunton, Massachusetts (MA). You idiots.

Yeesh.

Father angered by forced psychological evaluation of boy, 8

Here’s the offending “violent” image …

… The student drew the picture shortly after taking a family trip to see the Christmas display at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, a Christian retreat site in Attleboro. He made the drawing in class after his teacher asked the children to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas, the father said. …

read the full article

(via Jason Mortimer on Facebook)

After it hit the fan in the media, school officials decided to dispute the father’s complaint. I’m inclined to believe the family … and crucify Julie Hackett, superintendent of the Taunton public schools.

why you should hate Rogers Communication

On By Rick McIn bad news, product complaints5 Comments

To find out, read this article – Rogers charges for ‘free’ text messages

… The (Better Business Bureau) in Burnaby, B.C., has received 581 consumer complaints about Rogers Communications in the last three years. It has given Rogers an “F” rating for failing to resolve many of those complaints to the customer’s satisfaction. …

The big 3 Telcos in Canada (Rogers, Bell and Telus) are locked into an environment where they each try to out-do each other in how to deceive and over-charge their customers.

Most recently it’s been the cash grab of 15 cents per incoming text message. But all three of these companies are not trustworthy.

I call for government to regulate them. (This is one case where government regulation might be better than the so-called “free” market.)

They have better phone service in Bangladesh than Canada!

Politicians … No matter how you bungle with intervention into the Canadian telephone market, your voters will appreciate your efforts.

We hate phone companies even more than we hate politicians.

I’m watching closely the launch of the newest phone competitor, Wind Mobile. Here’s their first customer …