February 2, 2005

BY EvszsBeril FY LES
STAFF WRITER

“Now, who remembered to bring
their boas?” I was grected with these
words when the instructor, Vanessa,
walked to the front of the room sport-
ing a bright pink feather boa.

I was in the Exotic Movement class
in the acrobics room of the UNBC
Fitness Centre, and I was a little
apprehensive. Two of our friends had
asked my roommate and mc to come
with them to this Monday night class,
and I wasn’t really sure what to expect.

Vanessa explained that throughout .

the semester we would be learning a
routine so that by the end of the year
we could have a show. I wasn’t sure
what a “show” would consist of; hope-
fully not an audience, but I didn’t have
time to think about it because then the
music started and we were off. For
thirty minutes I worked to keep up

Exotic Movement R

with Vanessa through _hip-rolls,
mambo-cha-cha-chas and v-steps.
Although I was completely new to
the class, I could keep up with the pace
and found none of the movements to
be impossible. I iealized halfway
though that I had been smiling bril-
hiantly the entire time and had not
even noticed it - that’s how much fun it
was. My friends and I were laughing
and dancing and having a great time.
After the cardio workout we moved
on to the really fun part: The Strip
Tease. Now when I say strip tease, I
mean strip tease. We learned the strip-
per walk, attitude and moves. The

only thing missing was a pole. Of

course I don’t want anyone to he
seared off (or think they can show up
and gct a free show) because we don’t
really take our clothes off.

This was not a shameless ploy of

Vanessa's at forming an army of strip-

evolution | Loading...Ready...Run!

Comedy website serves up
‘the funny’ across Canada

Puoro BY DANA SCUWEUR
Elizabeth Fyles and her exotic reflection demonstrate some sexy dance moves learned from the Exotic
Movement Class offered at the UNBC Fitness Centre.

pers who would follow her every com-
mand. It was a fantastic avenue for us
to express ourselves and gain confi-
dence in our bodics. It also consisted
of squats - lots and lots of squats.
Which, I'm afraid to say, are still
affecting mc two days later. So if any-
one out there is looking for a fun and
cmpowcring way to get a little ¢xer-
cise, please show up on Monday nights
for 8:30. Remember to bring your
boa.

On an endnote, although I think
anyone could have a great time at this
class, if exotic moyement isn’t your
cup of tea, there are plenty of other
classes at the Fitness Centre which
might interest you. Get up to the fit-
ness centre and check out the sched-
ule. I’ve- been told Boot Camp lcaves
you dripping with sweat ‘and is well
worth it.

Student Anthology Deadline Nearing

The final day for submitting your creative writing to UNBC’s ycarly student anthology is on February 19, the first dav
back from Reading Break, so get those final drafts ready! This full-sized pockct book is a wonderful opportunity for you
to have your work appear in a well-circulated publication. Pocts should submit six or more pocms, a short story of
around 2500 words, or some combination of both. Last year’s publication, Swink, can be read in the library or pur-
chased from the UNBC Bookstore and Books and Company (if there are any left), so have a look. The anthology is the
most important student literary event of every year, so be a part of it by submitting your picces to carsong@hotmail.com
with the word GAIA or anthology in the subject heading, If you have submitted and have not received a verification c-
mail, please contact me at the above address-to double check. I hope to read you later!

- Earson Gibson, VP GAIA (General Arts Interest Association)

By Bon Woon
SLUF WRITER

It may not be a houschold name,
or a university phenomenon quite
yet, but Loading Ready Run, a com-
edy website based out of Victoria, is
certainly trying to become one, and
it’s coming dangcrously close to suc-
ceeding. Serving up a mixture of
short, humorous original videos and
comic strips every weck for more
than a year now, for those who know
about tlic site, it has become some-
what of a student humor mainstay
on the internet.

Launched in 2003, www.loadin-
grcadyrun.com was welcomed to the
internet with critical acclaim - as in
the acclaim was widcly critical,
deadpans Graham Stark, once of the
site's creators. In reality, the site got
its start when Stark and fellow con-
spirator Paul Saunders decided to
create a website to exhibit their pas-
sion for comedy to the world. After
promptly forgetting all about it for
several months, Stark and Saunders
remembered the idea again, and the
sitc, based on the look of the
Commodore 64 home computer sys-
tem from the 1980s, was forced onto
an unsuspecting world.

While the original “crew” of the
website hailed from Victoria, as its
popularity spread by word of
mouth, soon other people (many of
them university students) from
across Canada began to follow the
site, and the crew expanded to
include writers and actors from loca-
tions like Windsor, Toronto, and yes,
even Prince George.

“Loading Ready Run
also features “Sheer
Seupidity’

3

While still mainly a Canadian
phenomenon, Loading Ready Run
now has fans worldwide, and on
busy days transfers more than two
gigabytcs of content to the world -
not bad when one considers that the

Culture Shock:

average size of a video is around 16
megabytes.

Content on the site is highly var-
icd, so there is something for almost
anyonc’s comedic taste. The comics
range from inanely funny one-liner
strips (Cacti, Canadian Waste,
Roomics}, to elaborately drawn,
dark-humored offerings stuffed with
rapidly witty dialogue (Small Boy
and Moncy, Korea). However, the
main draw to the site is the original
comedy videos, which range from
funny to just plain hilarious. While
each video is unique, and there are a
varicty of video formats the site fol-
lows. There are the traditional
sketch comedy picces, which range
from ridiculous topics like door-to-
door Satanists, last minute shopping
and the creative process behind the
site, but there is much more than
that.

Loading Ready Run also features
‘Sheer Stupidity’, a series of Jackass-
like physical comedy skits that usual-
ly involve inflicting as much pain on
the participants as possible for the
amusement of the viewing audience.

In addition, the site also featurcs
Machmima {animation done with
video game graphic engines, a popu-
lar example being Red vs. Blue, a
hugely popular online ‘sitcom’ ani-
mated using Halo characters), and
even original music videos, such as a
“12 days of Geck-mas” and even a
Loading Ready Rap about the
Commodore, complete with 1980s
tracksuits.

There are also helpful educational
videos trom Loading Ready Labs,
which will teach you all about the
ctiquette of Mosh Pits, and some On
Location shorts as well, which fea-
ture the crew on location around
B.C., usually getting up to no good.
There is even an On Location that
features Prince George’s Park
Moore’s Meadow,

Loading Ready Run _ updetes
every Friday evening, and can be
found online at www.loadin
ercadyrun.com.

Rocking hard for Sub-culture

TRAVIS NIELSEN
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

I was out of town this weekend in
the beautiful city of Edmonton, and
while I was there I had the privilege
of experiencing one of the coolest
sub-cultures: Musicians. Now musi-
cians are not always thought of as
their own sub-culture, but that is not
the case. These men and women are

creating the new and _ interesting”

music as their way to express their
lives: writing songs that showcase the
bitter struggles and loves they have
endured. The ones that become
famous are grateful that they have
gotten that far, but in the end all tlicy
really want to do is play.

It docs not matter what kind of
music is being blasted out of the
speakers: all that matters is that it
was heard. They do not care if peo-
ple think they suck, because they
know that one day they will get their
break too, and then it will be some
smooth sailing. This is why it should
be said that musicians play to live,
live to play, and always hope for that
oue break.

It should be eneouraged that you
go out and sec what these people are
all about: they ‘work hard to bring
you something that is clese to their
heart. So get out there, haug with
the meu and women of music.
Whether it is soft rock. death metal
or anything in between, you will
never regret the inspiration and joy
that it might bring.