But this week Montreal has a stellar lineup of interesting talks.

Sunday 3pm-4pm on CJAD radio: David Gorski will be appearing on Joe Schwartz’s radio show. WHO IS DAVID GORSKI? He’s a surgeon who contributes to a couple blogs on medicine that are really worth reading if you’re into that kind of stuff.

Monday 5pm-7pm at the Mount Royal Centre (across the street from McGill): The Lorne Trottier Public Science Symposium has a panel of Gorski, Michael Shermer and Ben Goldacre that will cover the topic “Confronting Pseudoscience: A Call to Actio”n. Shermer’s written a number of books on pseudoscience and, more importantly, has participated in the Race Across America. Goldacre writes the Guardian’s weekly column Bad Science and his book, Bad Science, is waiting for me at the post office.

Tuesday 6pm-7:30pm at Leacock 132, McGill: The Amazing James Randi, a magician (or, as he prefers, conjurer) who has debunked a lot of pseudoscience, particularly with his offer of $1 million dollars to anyone who can demonstrate psychic ability.

Thursday 6pm in Moyse Hall, McGill: Gwynne Dyer, producer of the three part CBC radio series The Climate Wars detailing how climate change might provoke conflict.

Friday 5pm at Leacock 232, McGill: Adam Gopnik, writer for the New Yorker since 1986, will be talking about, “Libraries of the Early Mind: The Meanings of Children’s Literature.”

Saturday Jason Collett at Il Motore:

Sunday Suuns record launch at La Sala Rossa:

In an age where music is trying to hit you in the face within the first 33 seconds of a song, Reich’s music is welcome relief. You have to listen to a whole piece of his to get what’s happening, to feel what is intended.  Put down those Black Eyed Peas mp3′s and ride the Steve Reich WAV.

If anyone is curious on a cynical explanation of the Flux Capacitor check here. It’s pretty hilarious. If you want to make your own and travel through time and space, click………here! And in the news of all-things-flux, check out the band, yes, Flux Capacitor. They have a song called Drop It Like It’s Hotter and they seem to only play in Pennsylvania.

Below is the edited dashboard.

Wait, this post is supposed to be about power laces.  Here’s the Back To The Future clip with them:

and here are the less sleak (but still impressive) now versions. We’ve got five years to improve on these bad boys. I’m asking for these for Xmas 2015, and I don’t want to be disappointed.

He’s a photographer-check his awesome site, www.joelblair.com. He’s inventing a phone, www.detraform.com and he has a great blog called The Blair List Project.  It’s very entertaining. If you like interviews with underground actors, personal letters from David Sedaris or just a glimpse of some optical themed books from his collection, this site is for you.

Now if he could only update it more often, it’d be amazing. But, each post is so great, they’re worth waiting for.

From the Onion:

“…even if I did die, the hell I would surely be sent to could not possibly be any worse than the bottomless pool of excrement I already paddle around in like some demented, shit-covered walrus. In fact, every time I hear my voice coming through the headphones I nearly gag, and I think, “What the fuck am I doing?” Why would I say that Michael J. Fox is faking his Parkinson’s symptoms? Why would I find it funny to play a song called “Barack the Magic Negro”? Why would I tell people not to give aid to Haiti?

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I live in constant terror and that terror informs my every word, thought, and action.

See, the thing is, I honestly cannot control the bilious hatred and filth that oozes out of my mouth. I want to—believe me, I want to—but I can’t. And every time I speak, a tiny voice inside my head is screaming, “Stop talking, you stupid, insensitive prick. JUST STOP FUCKING TALKING. All you do is spread hate and fear, and the world would be a better place without you, you worthless, amoral, cocksucking fuckface.” ‘
Oh Rush……….please do die.

So Lhasa, Vic Chestnutt and Jay Reatard have all passed so far.  Crazy way to start the year.

These santas freak me out. Check out the top ten creepiest santas here.

(hat tip to Radio3)

The story itself is amazing, but coupled with this animation, it’s mind altering. Bragden’s art compliments the story like no other’s could. He marries the bright, amazing colours that are characteristic of his art to his unique illustration style that’s both contemporary and a throwback to psychedelic 60′s art. Check it out: