3 guys who randomly swear a lot... in Scotland? Seems the perfect country for them to fit in.

I'd like to see them get their own travel show where they take holiday to visit other places - lets make a list. Start with Vatican City. Perhaps Zack can join them.

Thanks for helping spread the word....

In reply to this comment by Skeeve:
*promote

For others interested in see what Iran is really like, I would highly suggest one of the videos Rick Steves has done on Iran:
http://videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-travel-show-in-Iran-aired-Jan-
2009
http://videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-Lectures-Iran-59-minutes

*promote

For others interested in see what Iran is really like, I would highly suggest one of the videos Rick Steves has done on Iran:
http://videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-travel-show-in-Iran-aired-Jan-2009
http://videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-Lectures-Iran-59-minutes

OK, so I remember a discussion that was had in one of my art history courses on modern art (a few years back) while I was attending the Emily Carr University of Art & Design

The value of art. Years ago during the depression, rich people, like the Rothschilds and such had so much money, they didn't know what to do with it. They began to invest in art, buying up all the famous pieces they could. It became a famous pass-time of the rich to buy art and flaunt it around. But the investors didn't just flaunt it, they sold it.

Now, these guys were profiteers as we all know, and so were all the players that surrounded the art world. These guys looked at art as an investment, always trading up and selling for more than they paid. Art was (and still is) a commodity.

Of course with any gold-rush industry, an industry is born around that commodity and art galleries sprung up everywhere. Art was all the rage. Gallery owners and promoters, traveling shows, salesmen, pretentious buyers and all those people that wanted to be part of the In-crowd, the inner-court, as it was, were frantic to be the next best thing.

Flash forward into the eighties. Break Dancing, Rap music, Graffiti and Street gangsters and the sub-culture that goes along with it was on the rise. Gallery curators were looking for the next "big thing". Someone noticed Banksy and brought him into the gallery. (I used to have the article on how it happened, I no longer do). They put up the "great works of Banksy. They brought the street/graffiti artist off the street and billed him as the new Commodity. They invested in him and promoted him. Every one in the In-crowd bought into him and his works sold for copious amounts of money.

Then the problem arose that the "King wasn't wearing any cloths." That's right, everyone started to realize that the art was crap, simply tagging brought in off the street and hung on the gallery walls.

Only it was too late because the BIG investors who sink their cash into these commodity/investments never allow themselves to loose money. They were duped and no one wanted to admit it.

So what did they do? Well like any King Pin that controls the markets, They ignore the mistake, threw a spin on it and pretend it didn't happen, No one want's to admit they spent $200,000 on a piece of CRAP. (or more, I don't remember the dollar amounts - and I'm sure it was quite a bit more, into the millions - I just don't have those facts handy, so I'm going with six-figures.)

So to this day, Banksy is still creating art, his works are still worth money (only because they say it is), and next to impossible to sell. The fame remains because Banksy's biggest contribution to the art world was to buy with caution, it's not a good commodity just because the art world jumps on it as the flavour of the day. Many investors lost a lot of money on his works and the art buying world got a slap in the face.

Nice sift.

If you want to watch the actual documentary about when he traveled to Iran, you can find it here:
http://videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-travel-show-in-Iran-aired-Jan-2009

Man he be funny... bring on his travel show.

Also... How the f*ck is he going to do that marathon? That's going to be insanely gruelling, good luck!

>> ^westy:
Where did I say that if your not religious you don't have the potential to still be racist ?


You didn't, but neither did I ever say that you did. Please make an effort to respond only to the things I actually say. It's funny that you insult my logic abilities and yet you failed to use basic logic to see this point.


>> ^westy:
If you are folowing a racist / idoitic religouse TXT then you are going to be racist and idotic to some existent and unable to change this view point because that would be arguing with god.
if you are not you could still be racist and idiotic however there is allso the posablity that you wont be, this is because You have chosen not to base your morality on some dogmatic txt that cannot change.
so person basing life on racist idiot txt = Always racist idiot
person not basing morality on racist idoitc txt = non racist / could be racist

the point is if you are following a religion that is fundamental racist / iratoinal/ bult of ideas from 5000 years ago . then you will be racist , ethor that or you are not following the religion or you are picking and choosing what you believe which in alot of religoins is against the fundimental rules of that religoin and in the end if you belive it to be gods word why would you pick and choose? unless your compleatly incapable of basic logic and consistency.


You seem to have a fundamental lack of understanding about religion. Either that or a much over-simplified concept of it. This combines with a knowledge shortage of human psychology leaves you in an awkward position. Really, all you've done is add substance to my feeling that you are acting like an irrational teenager focusing on the subject they love to insult.

I'll try to explain for you. My explanation will be based from a Christian / Roman Catholic viewpoint because that is the one I'm most familiar with.

Most Christians don't believe the bible is the literal truth. A minority does and I think that we might be able to find some common ground in thinking those people are mainly illogical and fearful. Honestly, I don't have a problem with fundamentalists in principle as long as they don't try to push their ideas upon other people or run for vice-president. But that is a small minority. For the Roman Catholic Church, there are a small set of core beliefs and the rest are up to personal exploration. You try to create this picture of a very rigid religion that doesn't bend at all and you completely miss the reality of the people that follow the religions. You've missed the forest because you are focusing so intently on the trees.

And again, you try to draw false choices. If people do A => B. Life isn't binary or so simple. You are looking at one set of circumstances (looks like a personal grudge) and focus on that while ignoring a whole host of other environmental variables. I'm sorry, but you can't explain life with two to four variables and then lump everyone into that equation.

Two-thirds of the way there... *beg

>> ^westy:
Lol if your going to struggle to be understanding if your religion takes its TXTS literally. or you base you morality on something written 4,000 years ago.


Did you watch it? Your comment comes off like an angry teenager lashing out at their favorite thing to insult.

I understand your point, but I think the struggle to be understood consists of so much more than the religious aspect. Every culture has it's own quirks. I live in the Northwest section of the United States and it amazes me the difference in culture just within the US. I've been very lucky in life and have had the opportunity to travel to several places. I traveled to the USSR and Lithuania in the early 90's. Wow - what an eye opener for a high school student! Later I was able to travel to Australia, several countries in South America, and the Middle East. It is amazing how different cultures are. I firmly believe that the best thing for any person, for personal growth, is to be placed in a foreign country either by themselves or in a very small group. Suddenly they are the weird ones not conforming to the normalities of the culture they are visiting. A whole new world of empathy opens up and you realize why statements about turning the "whole Middle East into a glass parking lot" are infantile and ignorant.

full documentary:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-travel-show-in-Iran-aired-Jan-2009

***************

Rick Steves also spoke at the Commonwealth Club about his trip to Iran. That is on Fora TV.

Here is a clip of it:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-Martyrdom-and-the-American-Empire

And the full video:
http://fora.tv/2009/01/26/Rick_Steves_A_Perspective_on_Iran

full video for above clip:
http://fora.tv/2009/01/26/Rick_Steves_A_Perspective_on_Iran

*******************
And the full documentary about the trip itself:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Rick-Steves-travel-show-in-Iran-aired-Jan-2009

I wonder if it's something in the air - perhaps off-gassing from the socks hanging in the window? I had a university roommate who's socks could set off the smoke alarm...

Michael does do some of the very best travel shows I've ever seen though.

yeah, close proximity to Cedar Point is a major ++, I got hugely spoiled as a kid going there every summer, it make disneyworld seem like wuss-land in comparison ... and if you do go to Packo's don't go to the new location down by the baseball field in town... for the authentic experience go to one of the older locations, like the one in Sylvania, that still has all the signed hotdog buns on the walls and Toledo memrobilia... the one by the park is too... too... new... and lacks the original 'dive' atmosphere.

The other decent bright spot in town is the Toledo Museum of Art... it's small mind you, but for its size has a fantastic collection, and somehow manages to net some pretty impressive traveling shows. It also has a brand spankin' new Glass Pavilion, built just to house it's massive glass collection (T-Town is known as the Glass City), and if you want to learn glass blowing, they offer classes in a really great brand new facility

Cirque d' is in Houston right now! Drove past the race track yesterday and saw the tents....they always transform the landscape,(and other things) when they come to town .....This would be the traveling show to run-away from home and join!!

I managed to see this group at their tiny campus in Istanbul. Western culture's initial take on the Whirling Dervishes is that they're associated with war and spinning scimitars (thanks to M:tG, AD&D and other fantasy games), yet in describing themselves, they are a peaceful sect with deep spiritual connections to the world and the environment around them. As they spin in a semi-hypnotic state, their left hands are held down toward the ground, and right hands up to the sky to facilitate the flow of energy between them. It's rather fascinating stuff to explore, should you encounter more information other than what's posted on the wiki article.

More recently, realizing the great value of the tourist economy, the Mevleviye have turned toward donning robes of different colors other than the traditional white linen, and have even accepted and trained female members. From what I hear of the travelling show, however, they still hold true to the original roots of the religion.