Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Jesus Vs. Jaws


It was a big week for sharks down under. A snorkeler was presumably killed by a shark, 30 metres from shore, when a 24 year old man noticed that his father had been replaced by a shredded wetsuit and a pool of blood. The dorsal fin of a shark had been seen nearby. Several hours later, across the country in Sydney, a kayaker was bumped and knocked out of his boat and forced to share a hot minute in the water with a Great White. The encounter was captured on video (see below). Further beach closures around the country, including Bondi and Queensland, occurred when aerial surveillances detected shark activity.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


Christmas is a time for family and friends. In true Christmas spirit we invited all of our friends over for a night of delicious food and drink. Unfortunately, none of them came. Zing!

Hosts: Rob and Spark
Guests: N/A
Appetizer: Palenta with a Mushroom Ragout Sauce.
Main: Fettucini and Steamed Vegetables with an Alfredo Sauce.
Wine: Wakefield, 2005 Promised Land Shiraz Cabernet.

The meal was good. But, then again, of course it was good, the sauce was made with 35% cream and a ton of butter. I did a a second workout with kettle bells just to compensate for the first two mouthfuls.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


Dear Cancer Bats,

I would have loved to have come see your show, but it's Sunday, and, well, usually that means things are getting gourmet in the kitchen. P.S. Thanks for taking all our guests.

Hosts: Rob and Spark
Guests: Sarah and Tami
Starters: Thai Coconut Milk Soup; Vegetarian Springs Rolls.
Main: Steamed Greens and Marinated Grilled Tofu on a bed of Brown Rice, topped with a Tahini Sauce and Tamari.
Wine: Red (update coming soon... when I'm downstairs).
Oh Yeah: Green Tea with fresh Ginger.

Sean asked Aidan if they could eat healthier, by which he meant "Can you cook healthier food for me?" After work last week I went over for dinner and she prepared a delicious rice bowl with greens and tempeh. It served as a real inspiration for tonight's meal.

You may wonder what we talked about at dinner. We discussed: Serbian James Bond, fine chaps, feeling your phone vibrate when it actually isn't ("ghost buzz"), pets, microwaves and science projects, as well as other fascinating topics.

As well, Tami was sick when she arrived at Gourmet Sunday. She wasn't when she left. Magic? Nope, I doubt it.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Real Life Fake Suicide.


Sometime last week actor Daniel Hoevels was treated for a near fatal wound suffered on a Viennese stage. The audience for Mary Stuart, a play about Mary Queen of Scots, applauded what they thought was a brilliant on-stage suicide of Hoevels' character. Cheers quickly turned to gasps when the actor staggered off stage.

Apparently somebody switched a dull stage prop with a real knife. Hoevel didn't recognize the switch until blood was already spewing from his throat onto the stage floor. Police are investigating, and Hoevel returned to the stage for the following evening's performance.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Solo Mobile is the worst.



Nobody wants to read my long-winded story about poor cell phone service: We all have it. I have edited this post to include only the most important information.

DO NOT GET MOBILE SERVICE WITH SOLO.

Monday, December 8, 2008

More Sharks.


Moana Beach, Adelaide, has been cleared due to a Great White shark sighting 50 metres off shore. Early "reports" claimed the shark could be as large as 16 metres! Clearly absurd when one considers that the largest Great Whites are expected to reach about 9 metres. This is somewhat presumptuous, too, because the largest captured Great White on record was about 7 metres, though an accurate measurement couldn't be taken as the fisherman who caught it kept only the head and pectoral fins.

Oh yeah, a few weeks ago a friend send me pictures (see above) of a Great White that had washed up on shores near where her brother lives. It appeared at Mermaid Beach,the Gold Coast, November 11. Measuring 2.3 metres, it was dragging a buoy from the shark nets around shore when a life guard spotted it.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


After having a pretty busy weekend, including a double 30th birthday party for Matias and Rennick, we decided for one night only we'd change Gourmet Sunday's mandate of extravagance and eloquence to include austerity and pedestrianism.

Hosts: Spark and me.
Guests: N/A
Appetizer: bag of Chipotle seasoned tortilla chips.
Main: Vegetable fajitas with grilled Portobello Mushrooms, braised with Chipotle sauce.
Wine: 2007 Fuzion.

Well, the turnout was below average, and the food was below average, but the preparation and clean up times were record-setting: Success!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Monday, December 1, 2008

When Crocodiles Attack.


It's 26 January, 1945 when the Royal Marines, supported by 4th, 26th, 36th and 71st Indian Brigades and the Royal Air Force, encircled and trapped 900 Japanese soldiers in a 16 square kilometres area of swampland on Ramree Island, Southern Burma. The British were attempting to take the area from the Japanese in hopes of creating numerous sea-supplied airbases.

The swamp is characterized by knee-deep mud; it supports a multitude of tropical diseases and is home to scorpions, mosquitoes, and thousands of 4 metre-long salt water crocodiles.

The events of Operation Sankey are murky but one account is that, unable to escape from the British barricade, hundreds of Japanese soldiers became sitting ducks for the crocs. British naturalist Bruce Wright described:

"That night [of the 19 February 1945] was the most horrible that any member of the M.L. [marine launch] crews ever experienced. The scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of wounded men crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the blurred worrying sound of spinning crocodiles made a cacophony of hell that has rarely been duplicated on earth. At dawn the vultures arrived to clean up what the crocodiles had left...Of about 1,000 Japanese soldiers that entered the swamps of Ramree, only about 20 were found alive."

Guiness has recorded the Ramree crocodile attack as the "Greatest Disaster Suffered From Animals."

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


It's been a few weeks since the last installment of Gourmet Sunday, but some things are worth the wait (much like the blog about crocodiles which is still coming soon).

Hosts: Spark and Rob
Guests: Along with Amy, Rennick, and Steph, I am pleased to announce we popped the McCrackens' Gourmet Sunday Cherry.
Appetizer: Fresh Italian Artisan bread with Olive Oil and Balsamic.
Soup: A delicious Butternut Squash soup topped with a dash of Chili Sauce.
Salad: Organic Spring Greens and other stuff with a Zesty dressing.
Main: Freshly made Portobello and Roasted Garlic Ravioli in Tomato Sauce and Butternut Squash with a hint of White Wine Raviolo sauteed in Butter and Garlic.
Wine: Simply Crisp and Lively White (that's what it's called!); 2008 Fuzion Shiraz.

Oh, what's that, you don't have time to spend 3.5 hours preparing delicious ravioli from scratch? I say you're a liar by omission and just not dedicated to the cause... Tonight's Gourmet Sunday was definitely the most labour intensive thus far. Having never made fresh pasta, let alone stuffed pasta, there was a lot of trial and error. Thanks everybody for chipping in and helping to get it finished; there was a definite moment I thought we might not eat tonight, but, I'm happy to say we worked it out. Though I will probably never make it again, solely based on the commitment required, the Ravioli was definitely a delight.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

"She's a real Beaut!"


Remember how I was saying that sharks are really old? You know what else are really old? Crocodiles. At 200 million years, they’re only about half as old as sharks, but still 145 million years older than dinosaurs. Also, like sharks, it is believed that crocodiles have evolved little over the past several million years.

Crocs live between 70-100 years. Though there are several on record that have lived many years beyond this.

Oh yeah, and crocodiles kill way more people than sharks, which make them pretty cool. Next time I will write about a 1945 incident in Burma where it is believed several hundred Japanese soldiers were eaten by crocodiles whilst retreating from the Royal Navy.



*It's reported that crocodiles are responsible for 40 human deaths per year.

NYHC

My buddy Spark's band, To The Lions, is playing with Agnostic Front on Sunday. I've never been a huge fan, but pretty much anything Walter Schreifels touches turns to gold. Agnostic Front's Society Suckers is no exception:

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


Sometimes the change in seasons is rough and all you want is a little comfort...

Hosts: Spark and Rob
Guests: Amy, Matias, and Karen
Starter: Tuscan Hearty Chickpea Soup with Sundried Tomato, Basil, and Farfalle.
Main: Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Red Pepper, Zucchini, Eggplant, Onion, Mushroom, Avocado, and Pesto, topped with Cheddar Cheese on an Italian artisan bread.
Wine: 2007 Masi Masianco Pinot Grigo & Verduzzo (white) and 2006 Catena Malbec (red).

I have a few true loves in life, and one of them is definitely sandwiches. Tonight was meant to be somewhat of a reunion for the Sandwich Club, but Slorach had other obligations. Having not really made a fantastic sandwich since moving back from England, I had sandwiches on my mind, and was determined to gobble one up. I was worried because I couldn't find Panini bread anywhere (who thought it would be so difficult to find in a city like Toronto?). Amy came through, however, with a nice Italian artisan. Spark's soup was delicious. It may very well make a regular appearance in my kitchen from here on out. Both went over well with the guests, and we can therefore deem tonight another successful Gourmet Sunday.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Vatican plans to become more efficient.


According to a BBC article the Vatican has implemented a punch clock system to ensure that priests, cardinals, and archbishops use their time at work more efficiently. This move is likely to be followed by the introduction of performance-based pay. The places I could go with this...

Gourmet Sunday


Hosts: Spark and Rob
Guests: Tanya, Justin, and Angelune and Amy made it for dessert.
Salad: rapini, carrot, and radiccio salad with aged sherry and honey vinaigrette.
Appetizer: Choice of garlic bread or Napoli-stlye Pizza, or both.
Main: Vegetarian Lasagna.
Dessert: Apple Pie.
Wine: 2004 Masi Costasera Amarone classico, 1997 Masi Campofiorin Ripasso.

Tanya and Justin were driving all the way from Niagara Falls, not to mention they were bringing with them a perfectly aged bottle of Red, so Spark and I had to pick up our game. Pizza's not really an appetizer, but we decided that since we had agreed on Italian, to compliment the wine, we'd take a shot at an authentic Napoli-style pie. It was off the hook and we had a tough time trying to leave room for the main. I haven't made a lasagna in a few years, except for my "Mexican Lasagna," so we more or less freestyled it. Justin said, having grown up on horrible frozen lasagna the idea of lasagna makes him sick (he told us this after the fact), but two bites in and he was singing the lasagna god's accolades. Mission accomplished, I guess.

As for the wine, it was definitely the best we've had at Gourmet Sunday and the empty bottle will sit on our mantle until it can be displaced by a finer bottle.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Remember.


Remember when this blog was about sharks?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

The Return of Gourmet Sunday


What with Thanksgiving and Sean and Aidan's wedding, amongst other things, Gourmet Sunday has been on the back burner for the past few weeks. In honour of its return tonight, we invited some new faces and attempted to win them over with tastes of Thailand. I think these are guests who will likely be returning for more delicious eats in the coming weeks.

Hosts: Spark and me
Guests: Angelune, Sean, and Aidan
Menu: Vegetarian Spring Rolls and Thai Red Curry.
Desert: Vanilla Ice Cream with shark candies.
Wine: 2007 Misterio Malbec, Georges Dubceuf Beaujolais.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Top o' the Pops

This is a little gem I happened upon last winter while living in London. Originally recorded in 1986 by the Pogues with Cait O'Riordan on vocals, it was re-recorded as a duet with Shane Macgowan and Sinead O'Connor ten years later. Macgowan's and Sinead's voices juxtaposed is a perfection you couldn't ask a genie for.



Another good jam: I knew this song as a Frankie Stubbs acoustic original, but recently found out it is, in fact, a cover of a Nick Cave song. Though I like Stubb's version -dude is a genius- this ain't so bad either.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

And while we're on the topic.


"Hello Philly,

"I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next President of the United States.

"I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real. Opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

"I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities. The distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

"I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

"They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.

"So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising."


*Taken from brucespringsteen.net

Hungry Heart.


Did you know... that Hungry Heart was Bruce Springsteen's first big Billboard song, reaching #5 in late 1980, and later voted best single of the year in a Billboard readers' poll? Listening to it, I always wondered why his voice sounded so different from others on The River. The answer is simple; they sped up the vocal track.

What's more interesting is Springsteen met Joey Ramone at Asbury Park and was asked to write a song for the Ramones. That night he composed Hungry Heart. Following the success of songs written for Patti Smith (Because the Night) and the Pointer Sisters ( Fire, originally intended for Elvis), Bruce's manager, Jon Landau, advised him to keep the song.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving.


In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I just wanted to take a minute and give thanks to all of the wonderful Toronto restaurants who continue to serve shark fin soup, despite all the press the liberal media has devoted to demonizing those who wish to serve this tasty treat. Keep up the good work!

Below is a sampling of just two popular destinations for those craving a little taste of JAWS. For your convenience I have included extracts from their on-line menus, as well as their addresses and telephone numbers. Be sure to book your New Years Eve parties early!

Dynasty Chinese Cuisine

131 Bloor St. W, 2nd Floor

416-963-3323

Braised Shark Fin Soup

Braised Shark Fin in a rich seafood vé poacehed with crabmeat
$69.95

Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut St. 416-977-9899

鮑參翅肚類DRIED SEAFOOD

Abalone, sea cucumber, shark’s fin, conpoy and fish maw are some of the most exotic ingredients in Chinese cooking. Starting as dried products from the sea, they are featured in soups or braised in heavy meat stocks, always resulting in strong, aromatic flavors.

Premium-grade shark’s fin braised in a double strength stock. (Per person) $98.00


*Remember they'd eat you if given the chance.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Obama IS the Anti-Christ.


This is all over the inter web.

According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is:

The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal.... the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything.

Now I don't believe in god or anything the bible says, but this is pretty convincing... especially because the bible preceded Islam by a few hundred years.

And the winner is...


Biggest shark: Whale sharks grow to 12 metres in length and can weigh up to 13.6 tonnes (the same weight of drugs that were seized in Australia between 2004 and 2005). They inhabit Tropical and warm water and tend to live in open waters. This gargantuan of the sea was first identified in 1928 when a 4.6 meter specimen was harpooned in Table Bay, South Africa. The species is dated at 60 million years and can live up to 70 years.

Smallest shark: The Dwarf Lantern shark grows to 17 inches, though has measured up to 25 inches. They live off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela at depths of 280 to 440m.

Fastest swimmer: The Blue shark lives in temperate and tropical waters. They move pretty slow most of the time, but when they want to they can reach up to 100 km/h. To give you an idea of how fast that is, it's about the same speed same as that douchebag in front of you on the QEW when you really need to get somewhere.

Longest migration: Blue sharks receive their second gold medal. Their annual migration patterns take them from New York to Brazil, at a distance between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers.

Most abundant shark: There are a lot of Spiny Dogfish sharks. I don't know how many and neither does the internet. But, they do live between 25-100 years. I'm not sure what that means because that's a rather large gap. Basically, what I'm trying to say is I don't know anything about them, and I don't care to put in the time.

* The above picture is what came up when I googled "best shark picture."

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Science vs Kanye.


According to a BBC article, US scientists have traced one of the original strands of the HIV virus to Leopoldville, the capital of former Belgian Congo (today Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo). They estimate it was transferred from ape to human between 1884 and 1924 and was able to spread as the colonial city grew in population density. Interestingly, 19 out of 20 modern HIV infections can now be traced to this strand.

The thing I'm not sure about is why, instead of spending millions of dollars on research, they didn't just ask Kanye. I'm pretty sure that he already knew where the virus came from: white people started it to kill black people. No?

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


Comfort is a Western phenomenon, I think. There's no culture in history that has been so complacent with what they have or who they are as us.* Sometimes it takes jumping out of that comfort zone to appreciate how amazing that lazy boy actually is. Every so often over the last few years I've made the ridiculous decision to pack up and leave everything that is incredible around me: friends, family, city, bed, two-ply, whatever. I've had some amazing experiences on these adventures: Whether it is being blockaded by elderly Japanese women while jogging through residential streets in Nagoya or trying to prevent a screaming former Third World child soldier who saw his twin sibling gunned down in battle from ruining my lesson on King Henry VIII's legacy, each is a reminder of all the small and amazing things I take for granted on a daily basis.

Gourmet Sunday is sort of the same thing. It's not about preparing an amazing meal to show off to your friends how many episodes of Hell's Kitchen you've watched. It's about stepping out of your comfort zone. It's about taking risks and trying things you've never done before. Tonight's meal was no different. It didn't result in the best meal we've prepared for Gourmet Sunday, but it involved cooking dishes we had never cooked, or even tasted, before.

Hosts: Spark and Rob
Guests: Lil' Freshie, Meghan, Amy
Menu: Fresh garden salad with avocado and and a zesty citrus dressing; Lentil and vegetable stew; Vegetarian Paella.
Wine: 2005 Solaz Shiraz Tempranillo; 2007 Rene Barbier Penedes (white); 2007 Marques de Riscal Rueda (white).

As stated, Spark and I stepped out of our comfort zones and attempted something completely different. It wasn't our best work, but it was still good. More importantly, however, is that the meal exemplified the true spirit of what Gourmet Sunday is all about: Reward isn't always in the result of a completed of a task, but, too, can be found in its process.

*Opinion not fact.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

This Just In.

Sharks are for wusses.

Thanks Angelune for knocking the shark off the pedestal I placed it on. What will I write about now?

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Real Life JAWS.


As the Great War raged on in Europe, citizens in the northeastern United States were treated to a particularly grueling summer in 1916. A lengthy heat wave and a polio epidemic resulted in a profitable period for those in the burial business. To escape the heat residents of Philadelphia and New York made daily trips to New Jersey resort towns, such as Long Branch, Ocean Grove, Atlantic City, and Asbury Park (what’s up Bruce?).

Between July 1-12, five swimmers encountered sharks; only one survived. The first attack happened just before dinner time as a young vacationer, 25, from Philadelphia was swimming with his dog. Charles Vansant was still conscious when he was pulled from the water by a lifeguard but the flesh on his left thigh had been ripped apart. He bled to death on the manager’s desk of the Engleside Hotel. Despite the attack, as well as reports by sea captains of large sharks swimming off the coast of New Jersey, beaches all along the Jersey Shore remained open. Over the next 11 days four other attacks occurred, including three in a creek near the town of Matawan.

The panic began after the second attack. Swimming areas were fenced in using high-strength steel mesh, shores were patrolled by gun boats, dynamite was detonated, and even $100 rewards were offered to anybody who captured and killed a shark. The panic spread all the way to the top, as President Wilson scheduled a meeting with his Cabinet to discuss the shark problem. In all, the events led to $250,000 lost tourism, and a 75% decline in bathing at some beaches.

It’s not known what type of shark was responsible for the attacks, or if there were several sharks. However, on July 14 a Harlem taxidermist and lion tamer (wtf?) caught a 7.5 foot great white shark. In it’s belly was 15 pounds of human remains. Following this capture, no more encounters were reported along the Jersey Shore during the summer of 1916. These events inspired Peter Benchley's 1974 novel, Jaws.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


Given that Spark, Matt, and Steph were all out of town for a wedding this weekend, it was unclear that Gourmet Sunday was going to happen at all. Through a little last minute planning and perseverance, however, we pulled together another successful and delicious meal. Due to time restraints I decided that something simple would be best.

Hosts: Rob & Spark
Guests: Katie, Matt, Steph
Menu: Spring Rolls (the only time frozen goods ever shall be utilized on Gourmet Sunday, as it goes against everything Gourmet Sunday is about); Vegetable Stir-Fry with marinated grilled tofu and Thai Peanut Satay sauce.
Wine: 2006 Yellow Tail Shiraz

Given that none of us had ever made a peanut sauce before it went over pretty well. The sauce had several layers to it, including a burst of lemon citrus followed by a kick of cayenne pepper. Big shout out to me for staging the rice using a perfect breast shaped mold. Mmmm, delicious.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Gourmet... Pizza Party!




You know how 7 year olds love hot dogs or Kraft Dinner? That's like me, but with pizza. I've probably even lost friends to pizza over the years. I love all pizza, big time. Although it's only Wednesday, I think it's time for another installment of Gourmet Sunday, because let me tell you, I was getting loose in the kitchen tonight.

Host: Me
Guests: Spark
Menu: Pizza: Roasted garlic and basil pizza dough; Sauteed zuchini, sweet potato, and onion; Roasted red pepper; Mozzarella; Sprinkling of sesame seeds around the crust.
Drink: Bud

I don't want to toot my own horn, but toot toot. The pizza was delicious. Spark agrees and he watches a lot of cooking shows, so you should trust him.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008


Just having a look around the ol' World Wide Web and found some notable news that I am sure hasn't been given too much coverage on CNN. At least, I haven't seen anything about it on the CBC.

We've been hearing all about W.'s swift and effective response to Hurricane Ike in the Lonestar state. Whether this is a response to lessons learned after Katrina, or because it's an election year, or, perhaps, because it's his hometown, is up for debate. However, I am pretty sure that when he stated "there will be a better tomorrow," he wasn't talking to the people of Cuba.

Within a span of two weeks Cuba was hit by both Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Combined they did more damage than any other natural disaster faced by the island in history. $5 billion dollars damage: 63,249 homes completely destroyed, with another 150,000 severely damaged; Crops destroyed, including 340,000 hectares of sugar cane (half the annual crop); not to even mention essential services such as electricity.

Interestingly, a $5 million donation from the U.S. to help hurricane victims was refused on account the Cuban government would not accept relief while still under the 1963 trade embargo. I get it, but I bet Marcos 'the rural farmer' could give a shit about a 49 year old revolution when he's just lost his entire yield to flooding.

Monday, September 15, 2008

What Should You Know...

You should know that "What Should You Know" is the best thing on the internet.

http://www.5min.com/opensermo

Sharks Do It Better.

Sharks like it rough. Scientists have observed bite marks on female sharks that were evidently inflicted during both courting and mating rituals. Some female species have even developed thicker skin to protect themselves in the bedroom. The thing is, though sharks enjoy such liberties of the flesh, they take years to reach sexual maturity (12 years for some species) and produce a small number of offspring.

As a result, they are particularly vulnerable to over-fishing. 11, 416 sharks are killed every hour: a pace that far exceeds any species ability to reproduce. Obviously shark populations around the world are in trouble, but of particular note is that of the Mediterranean. Due to contrasting and/or conflicting laws and over-fishing the International Union for Conservation of Nature recently published a report stating that 40 percent of shark and ray species in the Mediterranean were threatened with extinction.

We can’t expect humans to do anything to resolve this looming disaster, as we have never resolved anything. However, all is not doom and gloom. In 2001, a female hammerhead, who had not had contact with a male shark for over three years, gave birth to a pup. Following three years of intensive research, and after determining the shark born lacked any paternal DNA, it was confirmed that at least some species of sharks are capable of asexual reproduction. It is not known, however, how often this behaviour occurs in nature.

Now if only female humans could perform magic like that on the regular (Mary did it once, right?), males would be given their pink slips, and our species might have a fighting chance at surviving the century.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Gourmet Sunday


Gourmet Sunday is a new weekly feature here at Systems Overloaded. It will cover, well, mostly good food and wine.

Hosts: Spark & Rob
Guests: Amy & Ben
Menu: Bruschetta; Angel Hair pasta with portebello, garlic and olive oil; Steamed Broccoli with a splash of lemon; Eggplant Parmesan.
Wine: Texts weren't received before the LCBO closed and therefore we were stuck with Sparkling Peach and Grape juice (which was quite delicious).

With Rennick out of town for the weekend, we took advantage of not having to prepare a vegan main. Big shout out to Spark who did the Eggplant Parmesan. It was fantastic and I can't wait for the leftovers. Oh, and coming soon is dinner at an actual kitchen table. Get stoked.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Me and My Buddy Sean.


Sean hates my blog because it doesn't have pictures of all our friends (read: him). He says he's going to start his own blog. He probably won't. But if he does, it'll be absolutely outrageous and the best thing on the internet. Probably not much shark content though. Oh yeah, he's getting married soon.

Update: Hilarious.

The Greatest Shark Attack Of All Time


The U.S.S. Indianapolis is notable for a few reasons. In the Second World War it transported key parts for the first atomic bomb- later dropped on Hiroshima August 6, 1945. The ship was attacked at 12:14 am July 30 by a Japanese submarine and became not only one of the last U.S. navy ships to be sunk during the war, but also the single worst loss of life at sea in the navy’s history. All pretty cool, right, but not really my focus here. My focus, rather, is on the 900 men who were left floating in the Philippine Sea for four days, without life rafts or food.

Twelve minutes after being hit by two Japanese torpedoes the surviving crew members of the Indy, who had been instructed to abandon ship, watched as the final visible parts of their ship succumbed to the ocean’s floor. They were alone… except for the SHARKS!

It wasn’t until late afternoon the following day the sharks arrived and the screams started. The disturbance caused by the torpedo hits and the sinking of the ship; the splashing around of 900 navy men fighting for food and life jackets; and the smell of blood and burnt flesh all must have forced the sharks’ sensory systems into overload. Oceanic Whitetip Sharks live in warm open water and are known to be aggressive and opportunistic and will often converge on one source of food. However, it is not the sharks’ bloodlust that leads to the eventual feeding frenzy, but its competitive and goal-oriented nature. The Whitetip would rather compete for and exploit a single source of food than seek an easier meal elsewhere.

Thus, for the next three days between 120 and 150 sharks competed over the remnants of the Indy’s crew. Usually arriving in the late afternoon the sharks targeted the already dead. Limb, torsos, and chunks of flesh were scattered, if not missing altogether. Fear and desparation set in as the sailors struggled to survive. On occasion the sharks encountered a living loan sailor, who may have been pushed from the group due to a bleeding wound that was believed to attract sharks.

Most of those who died succumbed to a combination of exposure, dehydration, and drowning. Although, it is estimated that between 60 and 80 sailors were killed by sharks, of the 1,196 original crew members of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, 321 were rescued and 317 ultimately survived.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Chlorophyll... More like borophyll


Sharks hunt and eat other fish so why can’t we hunt and eat them? Apart from providing our children with summer beach holidays that are safe (read: free from shark attacks) and memorable, and our CEOs with fantastic photos from their eco-holidays to the Galapagos Islands to share with office workers over the inter-office email, those who hunt sharks are saving millions more fish who have the otherwise regrettable destiny of living below sharks on the food chain. It’s like the first line of troops in battle: Is it so wrong to knowingly sacrifice the few for the greater benefit of all?

If we weren’t killing sharks at the rate we currently are, there would be so many more beautiful fish in the sea that we could catch ourselves and put on delicious sandwiches, or display in dentist office fish tanks the world over. Not to mention, with so many more fish in the sea you wouldn’t have to worry about all that gross slimy seaweed waiting to entangle your feet and eventually drown you. Oh, and those yucky green particles floating around that make your swimming experience a little less enjoyable? That’s called phytoplankton and you can kiss it goodbye with more feeder fish in the sea to gobble it up.

One thing though: Seventy percent of earth’s oxygen comes from the oceans and is produced by plants, such as phytoplankton, when they convert carbon dioxide into actual breathable air through photosynthesis. Without sharks to keep the feeder fish population in check, it could grow out of control, putting at risk the ability of our oceans to provide us with the oxygen we need live.


*The above diagram should explain the process of photosynthesis for the visual learners.

Monday, September 8, 2008

"You wouldn't walk into a pride of lions..."

Over 400 known species of sharks exist in our planet’s waters. Based on their size and disposition only about two-dozen of these species are considered to be potentially dangerous to humans. Despite the obvious threat sharks pose, they rarely attack humans, and almost never kill them. There are, on average, less than 100 reported shark attacks each year around the world; of which only 10 fatal.* The term ‘shark attack,’ however, is somewhat controversial, and often debated.

On one side, it's speculated that sharks do not purposefully attack humans. In cases when a human does encounter a shark, it is suggested the victim may have been mistaken for food (such as when surfers are thought to be mistaken for seals), or the shark may have been confused, like in shallow and murky waters. These encounters are usually explorative; because sharks do not have limbs to feel with, they rely on their mouths to explore potential feeding opportunities. Victims rarely die in these cases, and when they do, it’s more often from blood loss than it is from a fatal bite.

And of course, those on the other side of the debate suggest that sharks aren’t prejudice when it comes to what they eat and will rip lil’ Janie’s face off if given the opportunity. This is the opinion that often makes it into news reports that cover shark accidents and has created the culture of fear that surrounds them. Now I’m not about to contest this theory by jumping into a school of feeding great whites, but the realty is more people die trying to liberate stuck Snickers bars from vending machines than from shark attacks. What is the real threat then? My answer is chocolate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLZVB3zG15k


*By comparison there are about 100 million human-related shark fatalities annually.

Friday, September 5, 2008

"Would you like to donate just $2 to...?"



Master blogger and all around good dude, Matt (Living for the City), recently blogged about the irony of Dominion's current charity campaign for Trees Ontario. You make a two dollar donation to save trees and in return you're asked to put your name on a beautiful paper cut-out of a tree to be hung on the wall to exhibit what a great caring environmentalist you are. The irony, of course, as Matt points out, is that you're supposed to be saving trees not wasting them on silly self-glorifying trophies of good citizenship.

The problem I've always had with these grocery store/walmart charity campaigns, however, isn't as practical. Rather, it's the idea of a charitable donation made through a giant multinational corporation. You know somewhere along the lines a finance officer and marketing director met in a boardroom (i.e. putting green) and said 'let's raise hundreds of thousands- maybe millions- of dollars from our customers and then make a huge charitable donation in our company's name and get a sweet tax break because of it.' I'm not sure if this is actually what happens, but it seems logical enough, and if it is the case I'd rather keep my two bucks.

Of course, I recognize that regardless of any benefits being reaped by the proxy donor, a large sum of money is being donated to a worthwhile cause. This may be true, but I question how much of each two dollar donation actually makes its way into the account of the recipient after the green fees for the duck heads in marketing and PR are paid for, the promotional devices are printed, and the executive's eco-adventure to Costa Rica is covered.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Re-moving. Seeking Roommate.


I've pretty much come to terms that I may never be able to afford to buy a house in Toronto. At an average price of $400,000 (GTA, 2007), an unemployed teacher has no business even fantasizing about such an endeavour; huge bummer because it's definitely one of the greatest cities in the world.

It's come to my attention, via the BBC, however, that some housing markets around the world aren't as demoralizing as our own. In an attempt to rejuvenate this historic town Vittorio Sgarbi, former self-proclaimed anarchist and current mayor of Salemi, in South-Western Siciliy, has recently put 3,700 council-owned homes on the market for 1 Euro each. Salemi was hit by an earthquake in 1968 which damaged most of the town and caused many of its inhabitants to pack up in search of greener pastures.

Today, for the approximate cost of an international stamp ($1.60) you can be the proud new owner of your very own earthquake-damaged, uninhabitable, Old World casa. As if that's not enough, you might be able to get the inside scoop on Phil Collins' Battle of the Alamo memorabillia collection over a glass of vino with your new neighbour Peter Gabriel. See, dreams do come true.

Shark Attack. Sike!



Hey, did you know sharks have existed on this planet for approximately 400 million years- long before dinosaurs? In this time they have survived 4 mass extinctions that wiped out nearly everything on the planet; and in just the past 50 years humans have managed to deplete the world's shark population by nearly 90 percent. Pretty amazing. At the current fishing rate, about 90 million sharks per year, my kids will be able to swim in our polluted oceans without the fear of being snagged by one of those dickheads. I'd just like to take a minute and thank the real heroes, who put themselves at risk by overtly turning their backs on international fishing laws in order to keep our waters shark free.