December 2008
“I would have to call to make the reservation at Per Se at exactly 10 A.M...”
– Foodie at Fifteen
30 Most Notable Blogs of 2008 →
Great list full of annotations and related links. Lots of Tumblr love on this list, and really glad to see so many of the people I love to follow on Tumblr made the list. Keep up the great work everyone!
Million vs. Trillion
Sometimes, the world needs a bit of perspective. Dave Reed provides some of this perspective in the quote below (via):
To get an idea how much bigger one trillion is than one million, ponder this: A million seconds is 12 days; a trillion seconds is 32,000 years.
Now get this: It is estimated that in the universe there are a trillion stars for every human being on planet Earth.
...
“A far cry from the innocent image of Winnie the Pooh with a paw stuck in the...”
– Andrew Schneider
“Today the division is no longer between slave and free states, or agrarian and...”
– Michael Lind
“Today, Canadians are facing an unprecedented crisis in our political structure...”
– Michael Garrity
“We are a land of idiots. Idiots care about who is following them. Idiots care...”
– Robert Scoble
Change to AGO Photography Policy →
I’m continually impressed with the new Art Gallery of Ontario. Not only do they have a social media strategy, an SMS-communications plan, a wonderful restaurant, a most entertaining gift shop, and an architectural uniqueness that makes it truly world-class, but now they prove that they know how to listen to their patrons:
Our visitors have spoken (loudly) and the AGO has listened and...
“Help others solve their problems. Listen to what others say and instead of...”
– Chris Brogan
“I’m all for Rick Warren being at the table, but we’re talking about putting...”
– Bishop V. Gene Robinson
Starbucks Terms of Art →
Christian Newton has been lurking over at the Starbucks Gossip blog and has come up with a list of “insider” terms used by Starbucks employees when describing various parts of their job.
When I first saw the list, I assumed I’d know all of the terms; you’d be surprised to find out just how much time I’ve spent in a Starbucks (not as an employee, but as a customer)...
“We have behaved in ways that were incredibly, astonishingly and embarrassingly...”
– Bob Herbert
“Censorship restricts your people’s imaginations. That’s really, really dumb.”
– Thomas Friedman
“We allow people to make huge profits doing any number of things that will hurt...”
– Dan Pallotta
“This application would let you discreetly take an iPhone photo of an...”
– Scott Adams muses about futuristic iPhone apps
WatchI knew my friends Jessie and Chris were absolutely amazing photographers, but their forays into video are just as — if not even more — mindblowingly fun. Love the vibrancy and playfulness of this video.
Under the tree. →
It’s Christmas. What are you up to? Who are you celebrating with? What are you giving yourself? What are you giving society? When will I stop asking questions?
Holiday Truth (Public Transit Mix)
I was on the...
“I had performed a random act of consciousness rather than a random act of...”
– Arthur Rosenfeld
“Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of...”
– Beethoven (via)
Stories of Giving →
This festive season, measure the success of your holidays not by the amount of gifts you got or by the amount of turkey you ate, but by the amount of difference you made in the lives of others.
“Pope Benedict said on Monday that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual...”
– Phil Stewart, Reuters
Help Share the Magic of Bedtime Stories →
You know what I love? When a company’s marketing campaign involves more than just selling me a product, but doing good for the world at the same time.
I have no desire to go watch Disney’s Bedtime Stories (even if it is directed by Adam Shankman, who’s such a pleasant and fun individual) coming out on Christmas, but as part of the campaign, Disney Publishing Worldwide will...
“I want a single malt with a name I can’t pronounce and a creamy, austere label...”
– A.O. Scott
Jingle Joy
Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours of my evening at the Toronto Eaton Centre — yes, I braved the city’s most renown shopping mall three days before Christmas — wearing a Santa hat, humming Christmas carols, helping people with their bags, and smiling at every person I saw.
A great way to pass the time, actually.
While most people that saw just looked at me as if I was...
“Digital is good and adults should encourage and enable youth to be digital and...”
– Jeff Jarvis
WatchA video on the power of each individual in the fight for universal human rights. I’ve written more about this subject today on I Tell Stories.
“Green tech hasn’t taken off yet because liberal guilt can’t support...”
– Ted Dziuba on Green Tech (via)
You. Powerful. →
Sixty years ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights aimed to give every man and woman equal access to basic human rights. Sixty years later, we still have work to do — and every little thing we do makes a world of difference.
“Bizarre and inappropriate behavior during sleep does not necessarily reflect a...”
– Carlos Schenck on sexsomnia.