Conan O’Brien: Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour Conquers Vancouver!

Vancouver, April 13, 2010: Former late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien, (aka, Conando or CoCo) hit the stage at the Orpheum Theatre tonight and presented his fans to "a night of comedy n' guitar” The show also featured the comedian's longtime sidekick, Andy Richter, and the Max Weinberg 7 band from his former late night talk shows.

Conan was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation amid thunderous applause, Many of his popular Late Night and Late Show gags were resurrected. His trademark" string dance", Triumph the Insult Comedy Dog appeared in a video, the Masturbating Bear was transformed into the Self-Pleasuring Panda to dodge former employer, NBC’s, claim that Conan’s comedic fodder is their intellectual property. But nothing seemed to stop Conan and he endeared himself to the audience even more when he paraded down the theatre’s aisles playing his electric guitar while the band wailed on stage.

We were pumped to see this show and were thrilled with the opportunity to see Conan perform live in a stately 2800 seat theatre. Judging by the smiles on the show’s patrons, everyone got their money’s worth. What a night!

Respect! Leno sucks, CoCo Rocks!

Words Cannot Express The Awesome!

Philippines President moves to protect whale sharks!

Philippines - April 3, 2010: Concerned by the attacks on whale sharks in the country's waters, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, an avid scuba diver, has mobilized government forces to reinforce measures to conserve and protect the gentle sea giants from extinction.

In Administrative Order No. 282, authorities were allowed to impose penalties to persons harming or killing a whale shark, locally known as “butanding,” and grant rewards to those who protect or rescue any wounded filter-feeding shark.

The President also released P15 million from her social fund to support capacity-building and monitoring and enforcement activities of the local government units and national government agencies in the protection of whale sharks, considered as the world's largest fish measuring 40 feet or more.

"The whale sharks that thrive in Philippine waters continue to be threatened and killed despite existing legal measures for their protection, the need to further intensify international and national protection efforts to conserve the species and to sustain the ecotourism development in certain coastal communities in the country has become manifest," the order read.

For more information, GENALYN KABILING’s full story appears at

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/250830/gma-moves-protect-whale-sharks

Wedded Bliss!

"Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover.
Something in the way she woos me..."

Today was our 2nd wedding anniversary!!! Very few things in life can compare to waking up, or turning in each night, with your best friend. Thanks Katie, for making my life rich beyond compare! You are the best! XOXO

Wild Salmon Are Sacred - Get Out Migration!

Wild Pacific salmon stocks are endangered due to the impact of salmon farms on wild fish and ecosystems. There are some true blue grass root initiatives being actively promoted by British Columbia residents, Anissa Reed and Alexandra Morton of www.salmonaresacred.org

Check out their website for more information. The following posters highlight some of the good work these two guardians of the wild salmon are doing to draw attention to the plight of wild Pacific salmon.

Remember when sex was safe... and diving was dangerous?

40 Sites That Will Help You Become A Scuba Diver

Apparently, this site is one among the 40 listed...

"Hello, we just wanted to let you know that we have listed your site http://jettbritnell.blogspot.com/ in the article 40 Sites That Will Help You Become A Scuba Diver."

You can see the article at: http://www.onlinecertificateprograms.org/blog/2010/40-sites-that-will-help-you-become-a-scuba-diver/

Seas of Plastic - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

My friend, Gary Bridges, sent out an email today suggesting that people should Google the name "Capt. Charles Moore" and check out the two online videos that he has released. Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7K-nq0xkWY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrhXUB4UJAE

Some have dubbed it the world’s largest “landfill” – actually a huge water-bound swath of floating plastic garbage that is twice the size of stated of Texas. Trapped in an enormous slow whirlpool called the Pacific Gyre, a mostly stagnant, plankton-rich seascape spun of massive competing air currents, this Great Pacific Garbage Patch in some places outweighs even the surface waters’ biomass six-to-one.

The following animation shows how the Pacific Ocean's currents flow:

http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-expedition/news/trashing-our-oceans/ocean_pollution_animation

For more information, go to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's website:

Jett Britnell Photographics Magazine Ad - Depth Magazine March 2010

Depth Magazine Continues To Honor My Work!

After a very busy day today, I was delighted to open my emails and find that Depth Magazine has once again selected one of my images as a cover shot for their March/April 2010 issue.













Check it out at http://www.depthmagazine.ca Registration is free.

And That's All She Wrote - Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games have now come and gone. And what a historic finish. Team Canada's win over the USA hockey team earned Canada its 14th gold medal of the 2010 Winter Games, thus setting an Olympic record for most gold medals won by a single nation in the winter Olympics! Congrats must go out to John Furlong and his VANOC Team for putting together such a successful sporting event on the world stage!

Underwater Photographer Shark Defence Maneuver #7

Try to intimidate larger sharks by forming a human tripod...

Browning Pass HideAway - The ad says it all!

The Shipwreck That Got Away

June 29, 1984: It was a fine morning and we were diving with a group of friends in Discovery Passage, near Campbell River, British Columbia when we came across this remarkable scene.

The night before, during her third cruise along Canada’s west coast, the M.V. Sundancer ran aground near Maud Island, just 16 km north of Campbell River, on Vancouver Island. After the accident, Sundancer anchored temporarily in nearby Menzies Bay to access the damage. With uncontrollable flooding below decks, the ship set sail for Duncan Bay, limping in an hour later at 1AM. All 787 passengers were evacuated. Many passengers stated that the Sundancer’s crew appeared to be disorganized and that they had to orchestrate their own rescue. The vessel was declared a total constructive loss after human error is blamed for the accident.

This vessel would have made a great shipwreck for divers, but she was refitted and lived to sail again.

Happy Valentines Day To The Love Of My Life!

A Long Obedience In The Same Direction...

Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher of the late 19th century who challenged the foundations of Christianity and traditional morality. He believed in life, creativity, health, and the realities of the world we live in, rather than those situated in a world beyond. Central to his philosophy is the idea of “life-affirmation,” which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines that drain life's energies, however socially prevalent those views might be. Often referred to as one of the first existentialist philosophers, Nietzsche's revitalizing philosophy has inspired leading figures in all walks of cultural life, including dancers, poets, novelists, painters, psychologists, philosophers, sociologists and social revolutionaries.

Nietzsche once commented,

"The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is. . . that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living."

"Happy Valentines Day", to my beautiful wife, Kathryn!

How wonderful my life is with her in the world. Truly, there is nothing more sacred, more gratifying, more intoxicating, or more worthwhile, than to be sharing with this adorable, incredibly talented and amazing woman... "a long obedience in the same direction."

Online Buyer Alert! - Canadasflorists.com

Before Christmas I ordered a flower arrangement from Canadasflorists.com and paid extra for a deluxe arrangement to be sent to a loved one in Oshawa. I would not have known they delivered a standard arrangement but billed me for the higher amount unless the recipient had not told me that the flowers were not up to usual snuff. She knows I spend upwards of $100. When I alerted Canadasflorists.com, they provided a credit only for the difference between the deluxe arrangement and the standard one. The embarrassment was all mine. They have lost me as a customer and approx $600 to $700 in future annual orders. I would not recommend them.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a picture of the Canadasflorist.com arrangement I ordered from their online ad, and another picture of the more expensive arrangement that they actually shipped. See the difference in quality? Oh yeah, they were supposed to ship 10 stems, but only sent 9 stems. Order at your own risk.

Toulouse Petit - Très Magnifique!

While in Seattle recently my wife and I enjoyed some rather scrumptious h'orderves and a sumptuous pre-concert dinner at a trendy New Orleans-inspired restaurant on lower Queen Anne called, Toulouse Petit.

A new favourite for both of us, this fine kitchen lounge-style establishment opened in November 2009 after apparently taking more than one year to adorn its interior with 5,000 pounds of stippled plaster walls, 125,000 ceramic and glass mosaic tiles, spacious velvet booths and attractive wood inlayed tabletops and bar.

The proprietor claims Toulouse Petit offers the most comprehensive and compelling Happy Hour Menu in the USA. Indeed, it is extensive with more than sixty food preparations, their entire desert selections, reasonably priced cocktails and more than fifty wines by the glass, bottle and carafe. The dinner menu choices are equally inspired. It was truly difficult to decide upon a main dish, as there were so many delectable choices.

Having myself dined in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, I would unequivically give Toulouse Petit five stars for it’s efforts to create an overall Creole atmosphere. As for the dining fare, it was all Tres Magnifique!

Elton John & Billy Joel: Saturday Night’s Alright in Seattle!

The hits just kept coming during super duo Elton John & Billy Joel’s sold out, 3-hour, “Face 2 Face” musical extravaganza at Seattle’s Key Arena last night. These two piano playing pop icons performed their own songs, each other's songs, and several duets making the Seattle’s Key Arena seem like it was the world’s largest piano bar. And no surprise, John & Joel were damn good! My absolute favorite moment was Elton swapping verses with Billy on Uptpwn Girl. Good times!

February 6, 2010 Key Arena Set list

Elton & Billy Together

Your Song

Just the Way You Are

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me

My Life

Elton's set

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Levon

Madman Across the Water

Tiny Dancer

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Daniel

Rocket Man

Philadelphia Freedom

I'm Still Standing

Crocodile Rock

Billy's set

Angry Young Man

Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

Allentown

Zanzibar

She's Always a Woman

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Foxy Lady

River of Dreams

We Didn't Start the Fire

It's Still Rock n Roll to Me

Only the Good Die Young

Elton & Billy Together

I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues

Uptown Girl

The Bitch Is Back

You May Be Right

Bennie and the Jets

Elton & Billy without Bands

Candle in the Wind

Piano Man