Today's Bananas Fashion: (Mens)Spring Wear

I have a lot of interets. I mean, sure, they change every now and then; whenever I'm suddenly in a transition to a new stage in my life. But some of my interests, no matter which environment I'm in, remain the same. I will probably never lose these interests, even with time. One of these interets I'm referring to is fashion. I confess, I am one of those guys that will say yes when asked to go shopping. Maybe it's hereditary. I have a very self-conscious family who pride a lot in the exterior look. My mother loves the Louis Vuitton Monogram handbags, my dad takes longer to get dress than my mother, and my middle sister? Shall we not even go there. Suprisingly, only my bigger sister is the least vain out all of us. And as for me, let's just say I would not complain to have a bigger closet.

I'm not some fashion expert working over at GQ Magazine or anything, so be warned that this post is based solely on my personal taste and opinion, although any other constructive commentary from you is neither banned. Spring is coming, and this means that summer would just be around the corner. But before we can whip out our coolest shorts and sandals, we must go through the season of warmer breeze and unfortunately, snow slush. I've listed a few good things that I love to wear during warmer days of spring, and places where you can get them as well. Obviously, being a guy, I can only suggest things that only guys could wear since my womenswear knowledge is very limited. But hey, if you're a girl and got guy friends, brothers, or boyfriends you'd like to dress up a bit, this can be a relevant starting point!

Pants. Jeans will always be a piece of garment that can be worn anytime of the year, but if you're looking to transition into things that are lighter in material, and a bit more refreshing, you may want to try slim-fitting chinos, light cotton pants, and suit pants (that are not mandatory to match with a suit vest). Make sure they fit you right, and the bottom should not have more than one break (no break at all, is even better). If not, a cool thing I like to do is to roll the hem of the bottom up a few times just so that it shows a bit of your ankles. It's cool, it's modern, and you can show off your freshest pair of sneakers, loafers, or a pair of Sperry Top-Siders.

Shoes. Speaking of shoes, spring indicates that the boots will get the boot! But because of the still-low temperature outside, sandals and flipflops may not yet be appropriate to wear. The easy alternatives would be sneakers. I love sneakers, I do. But I've come to a phase where I'm not quite into the Nike/Addidas high tops, or Converses anymore. I actually really like the cheap very low sneakers in the likes of Vans and such. But I'm referring to the non-brand one that you find at Urban Outffitters or H&M for $20. They come in many colors and they're just so easy to wear and super light. They're not the most durable (I already own 3 pairs, 2 of them the same color :S), so I suggest to not overuse them if you want to wear them a lot more. My new fascination is the Sperry Top-Siders. They're designed for sail-boating, but you know what, they look great with the pants I've mentioned previously. Wear them without socks, you'd be the coolest looking cat around! (The three-colored suede ones are a bit more pricey, but they're bloody awsome.)

Jackets. I own a lot of jackets/coats. I can safely say that I like to keep myself warm, so I have jackets to accomodate different temperatures. But spring is the time where jackets will be the best thing on your back because the weather is so unpredictable, you never know when it will get really chilly outside. I've been seeing a lot of people on the street with leather(real and fake) jackets, and they all look pretty dashing. Owning a leather jacket myself, I find them to be both stylish and warm enough for the coming season. Windbreakers is a good bet when it comes to spring jackets. They do what they do best; break the wind. There are a lot of windbreaker jackets that are made in garbage bag-looking material, and it's fine, just make sure you don't actually look like you're wearing a garbage bag. Perhaps, try choosing a color other than black to avoid the "trash" look. Finally, a short-length trenchcoat is the best-looking jacket to wear during spring, I personally find. I don't have one, but I will definitely go on the search of a nice one that will fit into my budget. You can wear it casually or over a suit (if you happen to be at a wedding, or some other formal event), it's very versatile. If you can get your hands on one, don't hesitate. If you have a good non-recession-affected bank account, head over to your nearest Burberry boutique, it's going to be a good investment that will not be depleted over time...unlike your stocks. ;)

¸

Stores. I'm not the biggest discoverer of stores, I shop at really normal mainstream stores. As long as I find what I need, I'm fine. H&M, Zara, Urban Outfitters, Simons are all good places in Montreal Downtown to get some nice, inexpensive clothing. For things a bit more out there, The Plateau Mont-Royal offers some great selection of vintage and local designer retailers, and De La Montagne street offers boutiques like Diesel and Holt Renfrew for those with black credit cards.

Now, in between the pants, the shoes and the jackets, you obviously have to wear a top, and any other accesories warranted to wear during spring. Light cotton t-shirts, round or V-neck, will do the trick, and cardigans are the new thing to wear; it's definitely not a "grandpa" look anymore. Don't forget, some cool shades and a spring scarf can heightened and complete your outfit. So here's the thing, I'm not saving the world, it's just clothes. But for guys who are still stuck in old plain Levis jeans and wornout graphic tees, maybe spring will be a good time to start swapping that stuff for some new duds. Don't be afraid to shop around. As a matter fact, do us all a favor and shop, we need the economy to get back on track!

Today's Bananas Blog: Stuff White People Like

So there's this blog that I found a while ago that I feel like I must share. It's not so much a blog anymore, because the blog posts turned into a book (that you can easily find at your nearest Urban Outfitters store). It's a collection of lengthy posts by an author named Christian Lander and he's a white guy describing the stuff white people like. Now if you find yourself to be a white person, you most probably would somehow and somewhat recognize yourself among the list of things the author says. If you're of the ethnic group, you will find a lot of these posts to apply to your white friends. Don't get me wrong, the list of things on the blog absolutely does not represent or dictate exactly what white people like, but rather an over-generalization of white stereotypes. But we all know stereptypes are just a derivative of the truth, really.

The author does not update his blog on a daily basis, or even often as a matter of fact. It is quite understandable seeing as each posts are very well thought out and are pretty clever that you could wait a little while to get some new stuff to read. So far, the author posted a total of 122 things white people like. These 122 posts are freely accessible by simply clicking on "full list of stuff white people like" and you get yourself a really good laugh out of reading these posts. None of these posts are racist in any way nor are they offensive. Well, I guess it's easy for me to say that since I'm not white, but a lot of white people have confessed to not find any of this offensive, and even rather enjoyable because it speaks somewhat of the truth. Regardless, it should be taken lightly and is even more funny if you have a sense of humour. The tone of these posts is basically set in a way that recommends the non-white people what to do or say when they're around white people. It's basically a satirical guide to how to behave when in company of white people.

I cannot possibly resume the 122 posts on the website, but to give you a little bit of what you may encounter on that blog, I'm going to link the few examples that I enjoy from the list (simply click on the link to read my favorite ones):

#17. Hating Their Parents

#11. Asian Girls
#62. Knowing What's Best for Poor People

And the list goes on with even more hilarious posts about sushi, divorce, having gay friends, Arts degrees, and bottles of water. It's a good place to go to when you have a bit of free time and just want to be entertained by these satirical posts/advices from the perspective of one white guy. As mentioned earlier, the book containing the collection of these posts is available at any bookstores or Urban Outfitters stores, but really, why pay when you can have it online for free. But for those who fancy a rather more tactile alternative, you can purchase your own physical copy for a more thorough read on amazon.ca.

Stuff White People Like! Go click!

Today's Bananas Underrated Band: Ok Go

I enjoy music thoroughly, whether it be mainstream or independent; if it's catchy, I will most certainly like it. My ipod, I must confess, is gearing more towards the mainstream with artists such as Kanye West, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Coldplay, The All-American Rejects, Jason Mraz, and the list goes on. Whatever's playing on the radio is most likely to end up on my ipod. With that being said, I also enjoy rather more subtle and less popular artists too, you know, the more indie type of music Seth Cohen would listen to (yes, Seth Cohen as in Seth Cohen in the now defunct teen drama The O.C., remember?). But I'm not some A&R guy from Epic Records or anything so I have neither the resources, capacity and the will to go on the search of bands "that don't even exist yet". I honestly have better things to do.

However, there is this band that I feel like has been lying very low which is sort of a shame because they make some very great music. They're not "indie" or "underground" per se, they might even be considered mainstream, but some very underrated mainstream music. They're called Ok Go and the band consists of 4 members: Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind, Dan Konopka, and Andy Ross. Despite their unconventional last names, the band is American and comes from Chicago. To classify their music genre...I mean, I'm not the best person to categorize music since everything I listen to, I classify them as "pop", but I would say they might go under rock/pop/alternative if you need to find them at a record store. To simplify things, let's just say their music is the kind that would be on the soundtrack of (yet again) The O.C. (if were it still alive). The band members are very quirky, funny, witted individuals who not only create very catchy uptempo and midtempo music, but their fashion sense is also quite innovative. I'm a preppy fashion kind of person, and they fit exactly that style with their skinny pants, patterned dresshirts accentuated with overly stylized ties or bowties topped with some kind of flannel vest. Maybe that's why I find them cool, because I would see myself in that kind of getup too. They are overall, a very interesting band, personality and music-wise.

They have already released two full-length albums titled Ok Go and Oh No, which gathered little public attention but were a success among critics. From what I heard, they are recording their third album, which I am quite excited about. Their music can match any kind of mood you're currently in, and it just put a smile on your face no matter what. With songs like A million ways, You're so damn hot, Here it goes again, and 1000 miles per hour, you will find yourself grooving to their unique sound in no time!

For a little taste of what you would be getting yourself into if you were to explore Ok Go, check out this pretty bananas music video of their song Here it goes again (which by the way, won them a Grammy for ''Best Short-Form Music Video''):

Annndd, in addition, I'm throwing in the download links to their first two albums, Ok Go and Oh No, respectively. Click and download away! :

1. Ok Go - Ok Go

2. Ok Go - Oh No

Enjoy.

Pro-bono Promotioning Duties:
Official Website: http://www.okgo.net/
Myspace Music: http://www.myspace.com/okgo/

Today's Bananas Book: The Zombie Survival Guide

So I have this thing about zombies. Everyone in my entourage are well aware that I have both a fear and obsession of zombies. Yes, I am talking zombies from the movies like 28 days later, Dawn of the Dead and such. I truly (I'm not crazy) believe that zombies *will* exist at some point. They are just the result of a science experiment waiting to go wrong. So last winter, with that in mind, I've been doing alot of very trivial research on the matter and stumble upon a website that promote this New York Times best seller book called The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. With the hope of wanting to survive a future possible zombie outbreak, I googled the book and found that it was available at Chapters. So as soon I could, I headed to Chapters to get myself a copy.

Now before you lecture me about the uselessness of the book itself since zombies *do not* exist, I must tell you that it is a very nonetheless entertaining book to read. (I only want to share with you on my blog whatever that is fun and entertaining). The book itself is about 270 pages long and features images and step-by-step guide to survive an epedimic of living deads; it literally keeps your attention going and next thing you know, you finished the book in a span of a few hours. The book covers many things, most notably the weapons to use, where to shelter, the vehicles most efficient during an outbreak and has a collection of ''real life events'' that occured involving ''zombies'' (now, I highly suggest you to take this information with a grain of salt).

To summarize the book, here are the top 10 lessons for surviving a zombie attack according to the author:

1. Organize before they rise!

2. They feel no fear, why should you?

3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don't need reloading.

5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.

6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.

7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.

8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!

9. No place is safe, only safer.

10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.

So don't be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset - life. So go get a copy and you will also know how to survive. If you don't, you can always follow me! (I do not, however, guarantee you that I won't abandon you and run away at some critical moment...)

To buy a copy, you can check it out at your nearest Chapters Indigo store or on their online store website.

p.s. I got this book in the ''humour'' section, so believe what you want ;)

Today's Bananas Website: Fmylife.

I've been promoting this website for a while among my circles of friends because it has become my new internet addiction beside from Facebook. It's called fuckmylife (http://www.fmylife.com/) and it's basically, and I quote, "recollection of everyday anecdotes likely to happen to anyone" in their most embarassing and 'fuck my life'ish ways. I cannot stress enough how hilarious this little internet find is.

I first got into it at the request of one of my McGill buddy Johanne while in an International Business class. As soon as I've logged onto fmylife, I did not listen to another thing the professor was lecturing about...something about international monetary system...I don't know. All I knew was fmylife has changed the way I see my most fucked up moments; they were not *that* fucked up after all. Ever since, the website has become one of the first destinations on the web I go to during my daily blog-reading routine.

Some of my friends argue about their authencity because some of these situations are so incredibly outlandish that it can't possibly happen. Although my doubt radar has occasionally felt like some these posts were man-made, I still believe they are *mostly* true. The really good ones are so well thought out and clever that such thinking would take so much time with the purpose to just to post 2 sentences on the web like that. But nevertheless, its entertaining value stays the same.
On that note, if you have not yet clicked on the link, I highly recommend, if not command you to do it asap. It's a not-to-miss website.

Fmylife: http://www.fmylife.com/ ; go!