Abed's Serenade

This is the Best scary story ever told.
Abed is a master storyteller.
(and a pretty good hummer)




I love how this song keeps coming back as a reoccurring theme.


And because we should all care this much...
Here's the original:

Community is Coming Back!

The Return of my favourite show to primetime is something that brings me so much joy I might explode.
COMMUNITY Returns to NBC on March 15th.
#coolcoolcool

I thought it would be good to post this somewhere, (Everywhere!) in celebration.

In honour of this heartwarming news I have just decided to blog about community every day leading up to its return.
Huzzah!

Heres a tasty sneak preview trailer to inaugurate Brady's Community Week of Blogging!

*Spoiler alert*
(for reals, that's not just an Abed reference)

This might give away some of the plot of the rest of season 3.



- Brady

Universal Perspective

One of the coolest sites I've seen in a long time.

http://htwins.net/scale2/

OK G0 - Consistently Greatest Music Video Creations Ever!

The Newest Gem from OK Go



These guys are unstoppable

I Want to Go Snowboarding

This is a Link.
It will take you to a far off and magical place.
A place full of much cooler things than anything you will ever find here.
You should click this.
Go Ahead, Its easy.
Click it.
You know you want to...


I want to go Snowboarding.

Day 30: Funny People Sleeptalk

A guy I graduated high school with has made an amazing discovery:
He talks in his sleep almost every night.

His name is Jason, and he has some of the most legendary things to share with the world while being blissfully at rest in his subconscious.

Thanks to a wonderful app on his phone he's able to capture his one-sided conversations and share them with the world on his new blog entitled
'Sleeping Sonneteer'.

I love these posts.
They are hilarious in every way, and I hope he becomes famous.

Check out a couple examples and share them with anyone who might enjoy these wonderful words of wisdom.

Click Here: To make all your dreams come true.

Amazing.

Day 29: Wake Skating?

Did you know this was a thing?

NOISIA VISION Teaser from NOISIA VISION.tv on Vimeo.

Wake Skating?
I've never heard about this till right now.
So... that sudden discovery of something this cool warrants its very own blog post.
(especially since I"m about to go to bed, and I need something to share today).

Day 28: 10 Best Reasons for Netflix

I've had Netflix for several months now, and I highly recommend it to any who are considering if it's worth the $8 a month.
Since I'm such a fan of Netflix, I decided I should take a minute and give some direction to those who might be on the fence.
So I compiled my Top 10 Reasons for subscribing to Netflix, or in other words, Brady's Top 10 favourite things to watch on Netflix.

10. Saturday Night Live


16 Seasons, and Various 'Best-of' Collections of THE American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show.
Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, ... Christopher Walken???
Netflix Pays for itself right there

9. Kenny Vs. Spenny



These two childhood friends decide to compete against each other in the weirdest competitions. Who can Stay Blindfolded the Longest?, Who can sit on a cow the longest?, Who do kids like more? etc. They terrorize each other as they attempt to avoid the humiliation of defeat on National television. Its often inappropriate and always disastrous, but occasionally... I find myself laughing hysterically at these two foolish guys who are suffering the misery of competing in 'who can go the longest without using their hands?'

*Warning* Viewer Discretion is Strongly advised...
(probably safer to say: Viewing Discouraged)

8. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

So Much Nostalgia packed into one series.
This is both the worst and the best thing on Netflix.
I remember LOVING this show as a kid who was never allowed to watch anything violent. And now years later I'm amazed at the poor-quality acting, the recycled dubbing over the chinese version of the same show, and the strange Mystery of how, Despite all the reasons I should hate this... I still Love the Power Rangers.

It's Morphin Time!

7. Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog.


Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, and the Legendary Nathan Fillion.
Dr. Horrible fights his Nemesis Captain Hammer while spontaneously Breaking into Song.
You can't beat that.
Try one episode. If you don't find yourself charmed into grinning, then go to a doctor and ask him if you're dead, because you might just be a zombie...

Ohhhhh, Segway!!!

6. The Walking Dead.

I hate Horror movies or anything really dark, but for some reason this post-apocalyptic tv series about a group of survivors in Zombie-infested North America, has me completely and totally hooked. I'm pretty sure that the reason people love it so much is because it's about People. The zombies are really secondary... they're the setting, while the people are the real story. How does this group of people led by a Sheriff's Deputy continue to persevere when so many of their loved ones have become worse than dead. Its a story about persistence, resourcefulness, and hope. People standing right on the edge, fighting for some sense of normalcy in the bleakest world imaginable. And yet there's joy in the simplest things: like seeing a deer for the first time...

5. Sherlock

I am a recent convert to this new BBC series, but if you haven't seen it. check it out ASAP.
Sherlock Holmes is alive and well in modern day London, and he's solving crimes with his other half, Dr. John Watson.
This show is so well made (aside from the lead villain, who I find to be one of the lamest actors ever).
But 3 episodes is all you get to wet your whistle on Netflix. In fairness, each episode is an hour and half, so... they're more like little movies based on the original stories.
Brilliant minds, bromance, suspenseful who dunnits, and crazy cool hats... This show's got it all.

4. Firefly

Nathan Fillion is amazing. I love that guy. And you will two if you watch this tragically Cancelled television series.
Created by Joss whedon, and followed by a heartbroken swarm of nerdy fans. This show is about a rag-tag band of misfits floating out in the sky. Think: Cowboys in Space - which sounds silly at first, and then makes Perfect Sense in hindsight! These frontier explorers of the universe are sensibly reminiscent of the western settlers we call cowboys. They go into the ungoverned, untouched settlement planets with their basic essentials: A ship to get them there (Firefly Class), a gun to protect them, and the wit of their captain, Malcolm Reynolds, to guide them into all kinds of trouble and adventures.

Cancelled midway through first season, to the dismay of story-loving tv-watchers everywhere, this show found a bit of closure in the highly demanded: 'Serenity movie (also on Netflix).

3. Arrested Development

One of the funniest shows I have ever seen
Brilliant writing, and an all-star cast.
This is getting long so I'll just say... Please Watch this show.

2. Documentaries, Documentaries, Documentaries.

Ok, this a little cheap to group all the amazing Documentaries into one category, but it had to be done. There's a ton of amazing documentaries on Netflix, and let's face it, nobody buys documentaries. So renting Netflix is like having access to all these documentaries that you should see, but never would without the convenience of having them at your fingertips.

Some personal favourites include:
- A Fistfull of Quarters, King of Kong
- Exit Through the Giftshop
- Never Say Never
- SuperSize Me
- The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
- It Might Get Loud

Etc...etc...etc.

And my Number one Reason for Netflix is...

1. COMMUNITY!!!

Hands down, this is my favourite television show right now.
Another Misfit 'Community' of students attending school at a hilarious and quirky Community College. This show is the Best EVER!
I'm amazed at the writing, I love their playful mockery of all the different stereotypes on television, and I think they've put together another amazing cast of hilarious characters played by amazing actors.
Its in it's 3rd season right now, and deserves FAR More Viewers than it currently has.
Seriously guys, come on... Two and a Half Men is one of the most popular shows out there... but its not even funny. Its all laugh tracks and innuendos. And then a show like Community comes around and gets Grossly overlooked by people and it makes me want to throw things whenever Charlie Sheen comes on the television. (He's supposed to be a believable ladies man in that twisted show??? How do people sit through that?)

PLEASE WATCH COMMUNITY. Season 1 is on Netflix.
There are some episodes of Season 2 which I won't spoil for you, but will tell you... My Favorite episode of Tv, EVER, comes from Season 2 of Community.


There you go. the Top 10 reasons you should get Netflix.

Day 27: Jesus Culture

I recently bought a CD/DVD combo called Consumed.
Made by the Jesus Culture team.

Loving it lots these days.

Just wanted to share it with any of you who might not have enjoyed it yet.

Check out a Sample of the album here

Or since I hate to break my youtube traditions:

Day 26: Star Wars Uncut

If you have a couple hours to watch an amazing collaboration of creative minds, check out this crowd sourced remake of the first Star Wars Movie.

In 2009, Casey Pugh asked thousands of Internet users to remake "Star Wars: A New Hope" into a fan film, 15 seconds at a time. Contributors were allowed to recreate scenes from Star Wars however they wanted. Within just a few months SWU grew into a wild success. The creativity that poured into the project was unimaginable.

What an amazing achievement.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

Star Wars Uncut!

Day 25: Killer Bunnies

I was listening to a lot of 'Battle Studies' by John Mayer when I read Watership Down for the first time.
If you're unfamiliar with the book, its about Bunnies.
But when I watched the Cartoon movie based on the book, I was horrified by the violence.

For some reason I took the opportunity to learn how to use iMovie by chopping up the movie and setting it to some of John Mayer's music...
(it seemed appropriate at the time)

I'm just brining it up because I just remembered it.

Turns out it has over 1700 views...

That makes me laugh.

Check out this assassin-Bunny-Music-video I made a couple years ago.

Day 24: Your Brain + Negative Image Processing? = Magic

Found this online and thought it was so cool.
I am continually amazed by the complexity and capability of the human brain.

Follow these instructions and prepare to have your mind blown by its own abilities. (take 30 SECONDS)



Here’s something that’ll blow your mind (sorry that it’s an ad): stare at the colored dots on this girl’s nose for 30 seconds, then quickly look at a white wall or ceiling (or anything pure white) and start blinking rapidly. Congratulations, you just processed a negative with your brain!

Black Magic?
nope.
Brain Magic!

Day 23: Calling All Heroes

Do you ever think, 'I wish Batman was here right now' ?

I do.
All the time.

And I'm not ashamed to admit it either. I think if we're honest, we all would enjoy having more heroes around.
Which is why DC Comics is doing something really cool with their fanbase of hero-loving comic enthusiasts.

DC Comics has launched We Can Be Heroes, a new charity campaign that aims to fight starvation in Africa. Different Justice League characters like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman will appear in print and video advertisements for the charity over the next two years, and DC will match any donations made by the public by 100%.

Found that on the ElecPlay website



Reminded how Everyone is called to be a hero.
Pretty cool stuff.

Tune in tomorrow — same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!

Day 22: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

I once sat next to a pretty hippie girl on a bus.
She told me about this band called Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
At first I thought, that is the longest and silliest name in the history of musicians.
Then she pulled out one of her 2 iPods which were both packed full of some of the most eclectic and interesting bands I had never heard of.
She played this song for me and I decided she was very, extremely, and surprisingly cool.

You can be cool too...
Just listen to this song and enjoy it.


for those wondering:
I haven't seen that hippy girl since that day on the bus. She was on a mission to find curly the magician or something like that... It was an incredibly surreal conversation/friendship/bus ride that we shared. But the moral of the story is: Great Music brings people together and gives them memorable experiences.

and also, if you ever get the chance to sit next to a hippie on a bus... Do it.
They are more interesting and less stinky than you might suspect.

Day 21: Move

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Makes me want to travel.

Day 20: Hunger Games (Pt. II)

After recently reading The Hunger Games, and then blogging some initial thoughts about it yesterday, I can’t seem to get this story out of my head. As I’ve taken more time to reflect on the central premise, I’ve become increasingly convinced that the story is not only an entertaining read, but (perhaps ironically) also a convicting social commentary on our obsession with Entertainment.

(If you’ll bear with my wandering thought process, maybe writing to you can help me tease out how our principals don’t match our practices)

I suppose I began today by thinking about the heartbreaking distrust that marked the main character Katniss throughout the first part of the story. Every action of kindness that was extended towards her, was immediately suspect. In her mind, everything good that life offered her was something to be wary and suspicious of. I noticed this particularly in the way she responded to Peeta, her fellow District 12 tribute. Even the littlest gesture of human decency; the smallest hint of kindness put her on red alert, completely resistant to what she assumed was a trap, a secret strategy, or a ploy to get her to drop her guard…

It was so brutal.

I mean I know its just a story, but the thought of someone having to live like that…? To have Kindness seem so foreign that it is immediately suspected as a veiled attack… it just made me so sad. I kept wanting her to stop being so pessimistic. I wanted her to dare to hope… to hope and stop being so paranoid.

But as the story goes on, and the shaping hardships of Katniss’ life are described to us, it became more and more clear to me that she has every right to expect the worst based on her experiences.

And then suddenly I realized that my life is absolutely nothing like these underdogs from District 12…

The significance of that didn’t hit me till well after the book was over and done, but as I’ve been reflecting I feel terribly convicted that there is an undeniable distinction between me and the heroes of this story. And its not the hard-working citizens of the district that we, the readers, most resemble. Nor do we share a likeness with any of the other tributes who are forced to battle to the death.

No, any of those would be a welcome comparison.
But tragically it is the Citizens of the Capitol that bear the striking likeness of our Culture.

The similarities seem undeniable:
- Regardless of how much spending money you have, the fact that you’re reading this tells me (a) you have a computer, and (b) you have time to read for fun…
- We’re among the wealthiest people in the world.
- Our culture is completely obsessed with entertainment in all its forms (sports, movies, gameshows, gossip, celebrations, etc)
- We dress up in expensive and impractical clothing, get surgically modified, and spend fortunes on the way we look in order to impress one another because we are completely obsessed with our image…
- Every one of us profits from the hard work, goods, and services done by less privileged people in districts far from here…
(the list goes on, but you get the idea)

Now think about that…
Think of how that colors this whole story: the idea that the characters we most resemble with the way we live, are the men and women who are entertained by subjecting these kids to fight for survival.

Oouuuuuuuuch!

That sucks.
like really… I hate this thought. I wish I could argue against it, but I know its true.

Yesterday I made light of the ways this competition reminded me of Survivor.
Perhaps the extremely perceptive pastor: Daniel Tosh, explained our culture best:


(*p.s. that dude… definitely not a pastor. Totally joking about that)

How do we explain our love of entertainment?
How do we justify our (mis)use of resources?
And how can our hearts break for the underdogs from District 12; over the injustice, dangers, and hardships they face, only to close the book and dishonor its lesson…

Maybe this story is exactly worth reading because it calls us to account for our time spent reading books, writing blogs, and subjecting underdogs from District India, District South America, and District Africa to suffer through their own battles while we amuse ourselves like the silly crowds of Capitol citizens that we are.

Yikes.
Long blog, eh?
Late night Food for thought from The Hunger Games.

Day 19: Hunger Games & the 13th District (A Reading Response)

Its been ages since I read a book, and submitted a reading response just like the good ol' days when I was back at Briercrest College. So I thought I'd change up my routine of posting joyous youtube videos and practice my typing skills to share some thoughts with any and all fans of the Hunger Games.
I just read the first book in the series the past few days and thought I would post a reading response for my friends who encouraged me to read them.
This can't be as witty and detailed as a regular reading response, because I'm going to try and keep it to a short summary (for those who maybe haven't read it yet) followed by a lot of blabbing about the 13th district (for those who have read it).

IF you want none of this Reading trash and you only like videos... go Check the bottom of this post for a link to the trailer, since they're turning this story into an epic movie coming out in March 2012.

So you want a Summary?

The Hunger Games is a story set in post-apacolyptic North America called 'Panem'. Its told through the experience of a 16 year old girl named Katniss (aka. Catnip... but not really) who finds herself conscripted into a barbaric gladiator-style tournament where 24 kids battle ... To. The. Death.

That got your attention? no?
Well, it should. There are even Hovercrafts, land mines, crazy beasts, and, Oh, yah, its being broadcast around the world as entertainment. It's kind of the terrifying realization of where the TV Series, 'Survivor' might be heading 100 years in the future.

Most of the population (broken up into 13 Districts) is under-fed, over-worked, and at the mercy of the powerful government who reminds them every year of their failed uprising by hosting the Hunger Games. Each district sends two 'Tributes' (combatants) to fight for their lives in the arena.

That's all I'll tell you of the plot.
But for those of you who have already read it and want my take on it:

I could barely put this book down.
I literally went to bed one night at midnight after reading for a few hours, and had to get back up at 12:30, admitting that I couldn't sleep without worrying about these kids in the arena. I flipped on the light and just kept reading...

Now this post is already too long, so I'll just focus a bit on District 13.
Does anyone else suspect something huge is up with this curious district?
Why do we know nothing about it?
They say it's been destroyed and that all the citizens watched the demolition on their tv's... but I'm not convinced. I feel like their's still a resistance party living out in district 13 who are plotting another uprising. Maybe thats even where the tongue-less red-haired girl escaped from when they met Katniss in District 12... hmmm?

Now I'm going to get all Biblical on your blog-reading Selves.
I was noticing some curious similarities.

Isn't it curious that there are 13 districts?
It immediately made my mind go to the 13 tribes of Israel described in Genesis.
- Genesis 49 Describes the 12 sons of Jacob...
- Genesis 48:5 has Jacob blessing his son Joseph by giving his grandchildren an inheritance of his sons. Giving us 13.
“And now your two sons… are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are.”
- So we have 13 tribes. But Levites do not inherit land.
- So Biblically we have 13 tribes: 12 with land, and 1 with just people.

* In the Hunger games it’s flipped but still comparable.
We have 13 Districts: 12 with people, and 1 with just land

Now, I don’t like those guys that try to take stories and inject deep spiritual meaning into them, but I am just so curious about this 13th District in the Hunger Games… It’s got my mind wandering because of the very intentional avoidance of details. And when my mind wanders I can’t be held responsible for seeing Biblical Allusions… (can I?)

The whole mysterious 13th District, which apparently was demolished after the uprising against the Capitol, reminds me a little bit of a story in Judges. The tribe of Benjamin was almost Completely Destroyed after the battle of Gibeah in Judges 19-21.
Almost. But then they came back and within a couple generations become the birthplace of Israel’s first King.

Curious…

I’m not saying that I think the same thing is going to happen in the Hunger Games series, because, hey… I don’t know. I haven’t read past the first book.
I’m just noting the similarities.

We got 13 tribes in Israel,
We got 13 districts in Panem,

One area rebels and incurs the wrath of the powerful, nearly destroying an entire group of people.

Will the 13th district rebuild and play a significant role in the politics of their world?
If that happens, I am calling attention to the source of that plotline as it played out in ancient Israel thousands of years ago for real.

There you go, Kevin. You wanted some of my thoughts on the Hunger Games, you got 'em.

For the rest of you... Your Moment of zen:


May the odds be ever in your favour...

Day 18: Hey Ocean!

One of my brothers favorite bands right now is Hey Ocean!

And while I don't share all my brothers musical sympathies, this is one band I can definitely fall in love with.
They're incredibly musically talented, they're a local Vancouver band that's about to hit it Big, they have a light-hearted style that makes you want to get up and dance, and ... well... just listen.
Their songs will win you over without need of any further explanation.

Day 17: Cobus

I sometimes watch drummers on youtube, and this guy is definitely one of my faves.
His name is Cobus, and he covers all kinds of pop music with such Cool grooves and fills that I will involuntarily forgive any amount of crappy musicianship as long as this guy is playing drums over top of it all.
This drumming that is so precise and crammed with talent, that it can redeem an entire crappy song.

Take Ke$ha for example.
I'm not her biggest fan. But I'm definitely a fan of this video.


Cobus... so hot right now.

Day 16: Hello... Is it me you're looking for?

Hello from ant1mat3rie on Vimeo.