July 2008
Bubble-gum pop. →
“Double your pleasure, double your fun.”
Some of us may know that as the words from the old Doublemint ads from a few years ago. Others might know it as a lyric from Chris Brown’s hit single Forever.
Coincidence? Nope.
Turns out Wrigley commissioned Chris Brown and producer Polow da Don to create a new take on the famous gum jingle to be released as part of a new marketing campaign to be...
“Reasons are spoilers. Nasty things. Most people learn soccer or baseball or...”
– Kevin Guilfoile
Luxury type. →
I’ve wanted to rave about the Apple keyboard before, but I was afraid of being branded an Apple fanboy. Not that I’m not already branded that way, of course, but I like to keep some kind of semblance of impartiality.
Apple KeyboardBut now that people like Jason Kottke, Tim Bray, and Rafe Colburn are all chiming in on how much they love this device, I think it’s only fair that I add my voice to...
“A pier is a disappointed bridge; yet stare at it for long enough and you can...”
– Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot (via)
Cleaning house →
For the few of you that may be wondering why I’ve been relatively quiet everywhere on the web over the past few weeks, the answer is simple: I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with my offline life. That, and I need some change in my online environment to stimulate my thought and interaction again.
Changes are afoot.
Casting a spell. →
Three separate times on the tube today, somebody asked me what I was listening to on my iPod (probably because I tend to laugh out loud).
When I explained to them that I only used my iPod to listen to podcasts, they were perplexed: who doesn’t have music on their iPod?
I don’t.
“I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion -
I have...”
– John Keats (via)
“I’ve started randomly telling people to “Put it on the wiki.”...”
– Merlin Mann
“Write top ten lists and whore yourself on as many other sites as you possibly...”
– Tacky, by Jack Shedd (via)
Live with your parents. Seriously. →
An internet-friend (I can call you a friend, right Jessica?) is turning 22 years old in a month, and she’s asking for some advice.
What advice would you give your 22-year-old self?
I’m going to take this opportunity to share some advice I’ve been giving all my friends for years: live with your parents and pay off your debt.
“In order to keep from tearing itself to shreds, society needs to believe in the...”
– David Chen
Morning Brew: July 18, 2008 →
Your Toronto morning news roundup for Friday July 18th, 2008:
In today’s edition of ‘news you didn’t expect’, a report by Statistics Canada has found that not only is Toronto’s crime rate going down, but our city actually has the lowest crime rate per capita than any other major metropolis in Canada. For the first time, I’m actually proud to be below Montreal...
Carts of Darkness screens at the NFB Mediatheque →
You wouldn’t ordinarily expect a film about shopping carts to be action-packed and full of excitement. Then again, Carts of Darkness is no ordinary film.
Screening at the NFB Mediatheque starting tonight and running until next Tuesday, July 22, Murray Siple’s documentary Carts of Darkness examines the thriving subculture of shopping cart racing in North Vancouver.
“I really do think that, as Mac OS X has grown long in the tooth, and as Apple...”
– Khoi Vinh
Longing
My new favorite word in the world, in any language, is Mamihlapinatapai. Maybe because it hits so close to home. Thank you to Kottke for bringing it to my attention.
“I have a mission now. My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands...”
– Josh Hamilton
“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It...”
– Neil Gaiman (via)
Where’s Vasta? →
Missed me?
There’s a reason I haven’t been blogging for over a week: I’m going through a slump.
Before you go out and tell me that slumps are reserved for professional sports players and bloggers are immune to the vagaries of hot and cool spells, let me assure you that blogging is, indeed, a very streaky endeavor.
Taking the criticism
I had a conversation about film criticism with my friend a few days ago, and he was convinced that the critic had no place in today’s society. I was appalled, but I definitely wasn’t eloquent enough to explain why I felt that most critics are more important than other kinds of journalists.
Luckily, Robert Niles nails it in his recent blog post. Here’s a great excerpt:
...
Thsrs →
Keep it short, keep it simple. Say it in less and find the right word with Thsrs.
Priceless tool.
WatchAbsolutely loved this dance from last night’s So You Think You Can Dance. Skip to 00:58 for the beginning of the actual dance.
Wordpress Theme Help?
So here’s the deal.
I’m starting a small little pet project just for fun, and I need a Wordpress theme created for the project.
The good thing is that I’m ripping off someone else’s design (with permission) so the person building the theme will have the CSS all done and the page framework all set up. All they would need to do is to Wordpress-ify it.
The bad thing is...
WatchThe calm after the storm. Gorgeous shots of Toronto and wonderful piano music. Check out the video in HD.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could stand up now and say, okay, these are the...”
– Warren Ellis
Pixar and Wall·E: A Lesson in Love
It’s no surprise that Wall·E packed an emotional punch that touched me to the core. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to hear that the folks at Pixar responsible for making the film were just as equally invested in its emotional impact.
Over on Metafilter, Astro Zombie tells a story about Wall·E and Pixar that is sure to leave you in tears. His girlfriend created a video of her...
Toronto's Literary Events: July 8-14, 2008 →
In this week’s roundup of Toronto’s literary events: Discovering the scent of the moon, political lectures as theatre scripts, copyright and fair use, and a whole lot more screaming at the Scream Festival.
“In his version of a fireworks display, Will Smith dropped by once again this...”
– I Watch Stuff
Just Touched Down in London Town
Well, that’s a bit of a lie. Been here since Friday morning actually.
Just wanted to apologize for not doing much on this site for the past couple of days. I’m on a quick weekend trip to London to visit some friends on this side of the ocean. Should be back in Toronto on Monday, so I’ll get back in the swing of thigns then.
Until then, cheerio!