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Canadian National Parks: Something To Be Proud Of

7 Nov

It was 100 years ago that the National Parks system was created in Canada. The first of its kind in the world, the National Park system has grown to encompass more than 42 National Parks, 4 National Marine Conservation Areas, one National Landmark, and 167 National Historic Sites. Managed by Parks Canada, these areas have been set aside by Canadians to protect them from development, and to preserve the natural landscapes and wildlife of the country. With that I find it fitting to include a gallery of photos of some of the countries national parks, you can see the photos below.

 

Starting with the first national park in 1885, Banff National Park was merely a stepping stone into the network of terrestrial and marine areas in the park system today. By 1911 the Dominion Parks Branch was created, the beginning of our current system, and by 1930 the National Parks Act was put into legislation protecting all National Parks. These parks play a familiar role in the lives of many Canadians, from canoe trips on great rivers, camping in thick boreal forests, to skiing and snowboarding one of the world’s most spectacular mountain ranges. The expansiveness and the privilege of the natural beauty can often be overlooked, however it is important to value what so many other places on earth do not have, a natural beauty that attracts visitors from all over the world to see.

2011 is the anniversary of this century old system and the Royal Canadian Mint is commemorating the milestone with special coins that you might just come across in circulation and a pretty cool commercial as well. So the next time your find yourself in one of Canada’s Parks, take a minute to appreciate not only the wilderness around you, but the effort involved to create such an icon of sustainability in our great country.

Photos courtesy of National Geographic, you can view the gallery on their website here.

You can also visit the Royal Canadian Mint website here.

Mud Fight!

7 Sep

Rolling in the mud: not just for animals. Doesnt this look like fun?

911-10 Years Later

31 Aug

It was 10 years ago that I woke up to goto school, and flipped on the television only to realize that it would not be an ordinary day. 911 2001, will always be one of those moments when people think back and can pinpoint exactly where they were when they first heard of what was happening in New York City.

As September 11, 2011 approaches, and with a coming trip to New York on my horizon, I was curious as to what the site was like today. Currently the site of the once massive World Trade Center buildings holds a host of memorials and busy construction activities. It seems there is no stop to the movement, constantly building, rebuilding, never replacing, but creating something new in a place so needlessly destroyed. Even as hurricane Irene pushed through the city, the site was flooded, but the construction activity continues.

There is one man who see’s more than a mess of construction on the site, but rather a beautiful process of rebuilding. Marcus Robinson is an artist and photographer who has been documenting the world trade center site for the last 6 years. And with those horrible events 10 years in the past, maybe we can bring some good and beauty to the world. Take a look at the video, and check out his website.

http://marcusrobinsonart.com/

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/08/29/robinson.ground.zero.cnn

Missouri: Shocking Tornado Video

23 May

If you have been following the news lately, you would know that a string of Tornado’s have been wreaking havoc in the central section of the U.S that makes up tornado alley this spring. The latest tornado hit Joplin, Missouri and killed 90 people so far. The storm is being classified as the 4th deadliest since 1950 record keeping in the U.S.

There has been a pretty disturbing video taken of a group of people at a store as the tornado hits. The audio in this video being a good example of just how terrifying a tornado experience really is. Watch the video below, the winds really pick up at about 2:00 as you hear the glass breaking in the store, and at 3:00 the tornado seems to pass right overtop of them. We can only hope for the best as this spring turns out to be one of the worst in tornado history.

Reasons to Believe

17 Apr

For each tank that is manufactured in the world, 131000 teddy bears are made.

For each stock exchange that plummets, there are 10 versions of ‘What a Wonderful World’.

For each corrupt person, there are 8000 donating blood.

For each wall that exists, there are 200000 welcome mats.

While a scientist is designing a new weapon, 1 million moms are making chocolate cakes….

There is a recent commercial circulating in Latin America right now, and its gathering a lot of attention. What you just read is a section of the ad appropriately named ’Reasons to Believe’ that is put out by Coca Cola. I am not sure why this ad has not been released in an english version elsewhere, but I think it definitely should be soon. Until then, there are a couple translated versions floating around on YouTube, and I am here to share one of them with you. Put aside all your liberal-anti-big-business-damn-the-man thoughts and just enjoy a simple ad with a great message to start your Sunday :)

The High Line: Elevated Park

7 Apr

Theres a new park open in the lower west side of Manhattan in New York City, and its no ordinary park. Built atop the old freight rail tracks once known as the West Side Line, this 2.33km elevated parkway is one of the most unique models of urban renewal.

The elevated rail line used to serve the factories and warehouses in the district, with parts of the line running right through some buildings. But in the 1960′s the line was officially closed down. For years the looming ironwork of the line was slated to be demolished, but just recently was revitalized into a beautiful parkway. With native trees and plants, a street view ampitheater, and amazing views, the High Line park has been well recieved. The new park sits above the traffic of the busy streets below, and is even encouraging new real estate developments around it.

Now take a look through the photos and enjoy.

Parkour and Free Running Academy

5 Apr

Parkour always baffles me, it seems like no human being should be able to bounce around like that. But I give props to anyone who can do it. Theres a new facility that just opened in LA which allows enthusiasts to take this traditionally outdoor urban activity indoors.

Tempest Free Running Academy offers classes if you have Peter Parker tendancies, you can check out their website here: http://www.tempestfreerunning.com/

But perhaps the best part of the official opening of the Tempest Academy was the video they released, check it out.

Japan: Car vs. Tsunami

18 Mar

As more and more videos appear from Japan, the extent of the disaster is becoming more evident. Check out this video just recently released of a car driving to escape the tsunami in Asahi City, Chiba Prefecture. The driver survived and recalled what happened. ”When I came to the fishing port and turned the corner I could see the wall of water. At that moment I could do nothing else but keep driving. In the middle of that situation my car was taken by the wave.”

All About Japan

12 Mar

In the wake of the recent events in Japan, I was inspired to share some of my favorite short films and videos about Japan. As the death toll pushes into the thousands, I know that the Japanese people will remain strong and push onward through this tough moment in their history. With strong memories of Japan, I was lucky to experience the culture, food, and the people of this wonderful country one warm summer back in 2009. From hiking in the beautiful mountains, early morning Tsukiji sushi stops, riding the Nozomi trains, and meeting cool people in every city, it is a place I always wanted to go back to. Japan has contributed so much to the world, and they are an amazingly friendly, compassionate, respectful and creative people.

Check out some of these videos all about Japan.

A fantastic portrayal of a day in the busy capital city of Tokyo.

Great video by MylesInLondon.

I have to put the dancing storm trooper in Tokyo video up here too.

Another great video by markusman25.

Closet House: The Compact Revolution

10 Mar

Who needs a big house? Thats just more shit to clean! Small homes and apartments are nothing new, but small spaces that feel bigger than they are, and are extremely cool is new. There is a quiet movement of these modern pint sized apartments and I call it ‘The Compact Revolution’.

The revolution has been growing, and has its roots primarily in the Asian and European regions. I first encountered the art of extreme space saving in Hong Kong designs. With an ever expanding population, and the drive to increase urban density and reduce our human footprint, the compact revolution is a movement to battle urban sprawl in style. If you want people to change, you need to create options, and not just any options, cool options.

One of the most recent designs I’ve seen in the compact world is the perfectly named ‘Closet House’ from Portugal. This apartment features 5 living areas in 474 square feet, and does it well. Watch the video to truly experience how the compact revolution is growing.

 

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