Hearts & Mines is an emerging Canadian band with an eclectic sound which combines unique genres into authentic blends of alternative rock.

Since early 2009, the band has performed countless concerts, released their EP Pictures on Silence, appeared on several television shows, and made the cut to compete in the Ottawa radio station Live 88.5’s: Big Money Shot Contest.

The band was inspired by Ret. Corporal Matthew Luloff’s experience as a soldier in the Canadian Forces – deployed to Afghanistan. Canada’s role in the conflict has been a controversial issue for many Canadians.

As a combat soldier and political activist, Luloff has at times challenged the status quo on issues of morals, principles, and politics.  As a friend of Luloff, I am well aware of his ability to weave deep prose capable of inspiring anyone to question their beliefs.

I sat down with Luloff, who along with Hearts & Mines, will compete in Round 1 of the Live 88.5′s: Big Money Shot on May 28.

Riaz Sidi – BiasViewer: Hearts & Mines was formed after you returned from Afghanistan but when I talked to your bandmate Ryan Moore, he suggested he would never have joined ‘a war band’. How do you avoid being put in a box or labelled despite your story or your desire to bring awareness to changing the political landscape?

Ret. Corporal Matthew Luloff – Hearts & Mines: Ryan is correct. We are not a “war band.” We are neither for or against the current missions. I am able to separate my own opinion from what we wish to promote, which, honestly, is doubt. H&M is about asking questions. Why do we accept everything we are told as fact? Why do we still call the wars in the middle east the War on Terror when we know we cannot be at war with a concept or something intangible. We want people to ask questions and look for their own answers, not take the ones crafted for them.

Sidi: How do your bandmates complement that?

Luloff: First and foremost, we are an intelligent group of gentlemen interested in different areas. Grant occupies himself with questions of history – while technology and design interest Ryan and Jason respectively. We are all knowledge seekers encouraging others to do the same.

Sidi: To what do you attribute your early success?

Luloff: Really? Determination. Maybe the fact that everyone is afraid to ask me the hard questions about having been a soldier and they are looking for answers in the music.

Sidi: How do you plan to keep your music fresh?

Luloff: Because the search for knowledge ends only in more questions, we are sure not to run out of material.

Sidi: What are you doing to prepare for the Live 88.5 Big Money Shot? And when is your show?

Luloff: We have been busy with our stage show and dynamics, practicing twice a week. We are on at 9:50 p.m. sharp May 28th!

Sidi: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me.

Luloff: It was great talking to you – and I just want to thank our friends, family, fans, and followers for their ongoing support for Hearts & Mines!

Check out the band’s official website and MySpace for the latest news and updates. You can also follow the band on Twitter and their Facebook fan page.

I will be following up with Luloff to ask the hard questions into his experiences as a soldier and for updates on the band.

Here’s a preview of what Hearts & Mines will be bringing to the Big Money Shot: 2010 Edition:

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Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi has revealed the mystery behind devastating earthquakes -  promiscuous women!

“Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes,”  Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

This statement was then re-quoted in an Associated Press article and now here at BiasViewer.

According to meteorologists, Iran is a high-risk area for earthquakes and (obviously) how women dress or act will not change this – or will it?

Some women in the Western world are taking this unusually sexist statement endearingly.

Purdue student, Jen McCreight, organized Boobquake 2010 to determine whether women baring their breasts April 25, 2010, would trigger an earthquake of pandemic proportions.

According to reports, there were fewer earthquakes than the previous three days and now I am concluding that Boobquake 2010 may have in fact prevented an armaggedon!

Almost 66,000 people ‘liked’ Boobquake on Facebook and McCreight has continued the movement on other social media sites including Twitter.

This level of fear-mongering by Sedighi is outrageous and ridiculous. Why people who are put into positions of power abuse this authority is beyond me. I sincerely believe Mother Nature is pissed off at this guy…

…but without Sedighi there would be no Boobquake 2010 – so thanks  for putting up the challenge dude; great reverse psychology.

- Riaz Sidi

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Is waterboarding torture? This is what Mancow Muller, the conservative radio host of Mancow’s Morning Madhouse, decided to find out.

During the Bush years, those who condoned the use of waterboarding on terrorist suspects in Afghanistan, Iraq, and secret prisons in Eastern Europe and around the world felt it was not appropriate to call the act torture. This is because Bush continued to contend that the “US does not torture”. Therefore, waterboarding could not possibly be torture, right?

Finally this debate has a case study that will close the obnoxious traps of those who have attempted to deny waterboarding as torture.

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Prince Charles is escalating his campaign to build awareness for the rainforest. Now I am not the greenest of individuals in that I do believe we can sustain environment with technology, but I do also know that we cannot gain without first saving.

So I can certainly applaud his effort in a new YouTube video where celebrities give their spiel about the rainforest while lounging next to a frog.

What I do wonder then is how much Charles has spent himself to raise awareness? He has acquired over £270 million ($420 million USD) since 2001 in his property dealings alone. This is quite a hefty sum but just a drop of the vast wealth his royal family possesses.

At a speech held May 12 for the Royal Institute of British Architects, Prince Charles spoke about returning to “real British heritage” and many architects in attendance found this view prehistoric. The architects, who created 21st century marvels like the London Eye and the Gherkin, initially planned to boycott the conference because of Charles’ ‘twisted vision’. Others in attendance felt differently.

“I thought it was inspirational,” said Manchester architect Neal Charlton. “It’s interesting the way he ties traditional aspects to sustainability. It’s an olive branch, a way forward on reducing emissions and all those key things.”

So will people choose to embrace his rainforest campaign or will Charles face scrutiny similar to that of the architects? Are his intentions sincere or for publicity?

From the YouTube video, a similar mixed response has arisen:

dystopikk
it’s easy to give lectures about how important is to save the rain forest form your own palace. If this is such a huge resource we all use, we should be paying the countries that have this resource, just as we buy the oil.

Nachtjager
Yeah, they’re great, Britain is better than ever, and you know what else you can do to save the world? Die.

“one of Gordon Browns leading green advisers, is to warn that Britain must drastically reduce its population if it is to build a sustainable society. The trust will release research suggesting UK population must be cut to 30m if the country wants to feed itself sustainably”

Go Prince tampon! I mean, Charles.

DeLyonUK
Prince Charles is making a great impact on the United Kingdom as well as the entire world. What a great cause !!!
God Bless the Prince of Wales !!!

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For any woman concerned with their biological clock expiring, meet Elizabeth Adeney, age 66. This sexagenarian nutter is convinced that the world cannot function without a little bundle of her optimism. Adeney will be England’s oldest child bearer.

Let us weigh the PROs and CONs of Adeney’s decision:

PROs

• The child will instantly win media sympathy for being born to that “selfish senile senior citizen”.

• I don’t believe In Vitro Fertilization was created to set Guinness records, nevertheless, she would still not be the oldest woman to ever give birth, so her intentions may actually be sincere.

• Strong arm muscles: Adeney will only need to use a baby stroller for a few years until her child is forced to push her around in a wheelchair.

• Child gets handicap parking for life.

• Hand sewn sweaters made ‘with love’.

• More tax breaks for Adeney than Gordon Brown can afford to give out.

CONs

• Schoolmates will tease child for having GILF as a mother.

• Adeney will be 84 years old when her child graduates from high school – I needed a calculator for that one. The CON: It is hard to get good sleep at commencement ceremonies.

• Child must endure grandma-esque sloppy kisses everyday.

• The media has spun the story enough that Adeney is somehow seen as a more suitable parent than a celebrity or gay couples.

• Slim chance child will have grandparents.

Her Right

We may not understand it, but it is her right to have a baby. If she wants to deal with being woken up in the middle of the night by a crying child for feedings at age 66 – ew mental picture – then kudos to her.

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1. Cutie Priest Committing Adultery on God!

This guy just couldn’t help himself. Rev. Alberto Cutie is considering leaving the Church after he admitted to having an affair on God with a woman he’s been fornicating with for two years. This guy is classic. He crucified his reputation and unnecessarily lied. Makes me wonder if every Priest is kicking themselves a couple times a year for agreeing to celibacy. At least the ones who aren’t pulling a ‘Cutie’ on God.

How did he get caught? He was seen in a photograph with his mistress who was wearing a bikini and later admitted to the affair. Cutie probably thinks God is looking down from the clouds, rolling his eyes in disgust.

“I don’t want to be the anti-celibacy priest. I think that’s unfortunate,” said Cutie. “I think it’s a debate that’s going on in our society, and now I’ve become kind of a poster boy for it. But I don’t want to be that. I believe that celibacy is good, and that it’s a good commitment to God. This is something I’ve struggled with. And something that I never expected to become a public debate.”

Well it has become public debate and this guy is clearly lying because anyone that is human, except for churchie type people, know that celibacy is bad.

Am I promoting promiscuity? Certainly not. It might just be a better idea to not put restrictions on your life choices because someone else convinced you it was a good idea. People won’t think you’re a liar.

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For most of this decade Muslims have been under the spotlight.

The beliefs, customs and rituals of Islam have been put on display since 9/11. From hijabs in soccer matches to depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in mainstream news outlets, the effort to compromise and live day-to-day in many multicultural countries has been difficult; or has it?

According to a survey conducted by Gallup and the Coexist Foundation, “European Muslims have much more loyalty to the countries they live in than is generally believed.”

BBC reported the findings of the survey conducted in the UK, Germany and France. 500 Muslims and 1000 non-Muslims in each country were asked a series of questions relating to how they identified with their respective nations.

In both the UK and Germany, Muslims more often related to their nation than the general public. In France, there was a difference of 3% between Muslims than the rest of the population (52%-55%), although overall more Muslims in Europe felt strong ties to their nation.

Why may this be the case?

BBC: “This research shows that many of the assumptions about Muslims and integration are wide of the mark,” said Dalia Mogahed of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and co-author of the report.

“European Muslims want to be part of the wider community and contribute even more to society,” she said.

The survey also found that North American Mulsims identified with their country on an even higher level.

Unity

It seems the inherent good in humans is beginning to shine through. Although there were tests along the last decade, unity among the population continues to trump the image painted by mainstream media outlets.

The internet has also played a part in desenstizing the differences in people since anonymity and access have allowed every segment of the population to be heard uninterrupted.

New channels of debate are being opened in the new global political and economic environment. Global citizenship is being tested by the bounds created between humans and the shared experience of life despite religion, race, nationality or any unique anomaly. In this upcoming decade, the encouragement  of diversity will usher in an era of shared humanity.

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2. Sri Lanka-Tamil Conflict Receives Insufficient Coverage

Mainstream media outlets have done a poor job of reporting the Sri Lanka-Tamil conflict around the world.

Although the war has been an ongoing conflict since 1983, it is the protests that have received attention while the civil war itself continues to ravage in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan natives are furious over the mass exodus of civilians being forced to leave their homes.

The UN has interjected requesting the safe evacuation of civilians from within the war zone. Sri Lanka’s unstable politics has turned civilians into pawns to fuel the conflict further. Yet sympathizers to all sides of the war are merging together to find an end to the bloodshed.

In a CTV report a month before the protests began, the UN warned of potential humanitarian crimes in Sri Lanka.

The international community has once again fallen on deaf ears failing to alleviate the situation and angering Sri Lankan emigrants around the world. It is the voice of their relatives back in Sri Lanka that need to be acknowledged.

“Today we are out here to tell the Canadian community that this kind of genocide is happening in Sri Lanka right now and we need to put an end to it,” said organizer Shyanthy Thevarajah in an interview with CityNews.ca.

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The Tata Nano was introduced last summer as the newest innovation in the automobile industry. As traditional car companies are bottoming-out, Tata is working hard on the promotion of their new 1-Lakh (100,000 Rs) car of the future.

Its compact size allows for more drivers on extremely congested Indian streets. The aim of Ratan Tata is to create the world’s first “people’s car”.

The big question surrounding the Nano is whether environmental effects of having so many more drivers on the streets will create more pollution. This depends on the type of fuel being used.

Some suggest diesel versions will be introduced in Sept. 2009, whereas others are anticipating a full electric, or at least, hybrid versions of the car.

A European version of the car is also set to be introduced in late 2009 where the retail price will be at US$6000.

How do North American car markets intend to survive with newer and more efficient models of automobiles making their way onto the mainstream market?

There are two paths: follow suit and create a more efficient, less expensive and environmentally friendly car, or the alternative, to remain with the status quo and watch as other international markets seriously develop as influential players in the new global era of economics.

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Alex Jones has attempted to uncover the great plan behind Barack Obama’s presidential victory and beyond.

According to the documentary, Obama is a Wall Street crony who, like his predecessors, has the interest of the Bilderberg group and one world government.

Jones does present some convincing arguments by suggesting that Obama appointed a Bush-like cabinet despite Obama’s claims that his aim was to create a unified cabinet. Jones stifles Obama by presenting a reflection of his agenda pre- and post-election.

Obama says that he will pull the troops out of Iraq 16 months after his election. This number is reduced with time and ultimately, Jones suggests, the pullout is not going to happen. With a surge in troops sent to Afghanistan, Jones’ plight is validated.

Jones does not take into account the ever-evolving landscape of international politics. It seems as though Obama is approaching situations with an appease and influence method which helped to propel him to the presidency.

Surely, there are situations, like the US boycott of the UN Anti-Racism Conference that have started to show light upon the potentially power hungry Western agenda. Yet, this agenda existed quite long before Obama ever came to power.

This film does a proper job of presenting an argument that scrutinizes Obama but the documentary was too quickly whipped up and online only three months after Obama was inaugurated. Jones is entitled to his opinion but the public will be more patient.

Yet, when the time arises, that their patience has elapsed, then democracy and the blogosphere that helped to bring in Obama will once again raise its voice.

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