MeTube

while you're waiting

2007-01-03T06:47:00.000-05:00

While millions of you rest uneasily in anticipation of my new blog, here's a fascinating story via slashdot:
http://science.slashdot.org/science/07/01/02/2156201.shtml

France's space agency has decided to publish in a month from now it's data regarding UFO sightings over the past 30 years. The data includes 6000 sightings over the past 30 years. The story also mentions a United Airlines flight that saw a UFO over O'Hare, which at least 6 UA employees witnessed, which both UA officially denies, and the FAA will not investigate. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I can't help but wonder when I read things like this.

In a related topic, Gary McKinnon is a British 'hacker' who penetrated the (disgustingly insecure) NASA and US Dept. of Defence computers in order to prove the existence of UFOs. He does in fact claim to have seen UFOs in JPEGs on the government's servers. What gets me most though is how normal this guy is. If you listen to an interview, he's a smart, regular guy, who found out how weak government security really is, and used that weakness to satisfy his own curiosity. The U.S. government is of course making him out to be this terrorist hacker who destroyed 100s of millions of dollars worth of computers and data, when in fact he did nothing of the sort.

2006-12-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

Just to keep you guys up to date, I still plan on working on a new blog, but lately I just can't bring myself to do it. In the meantime, something of equal quality and insight,

this

Reinventing the Will

2006-11-13T00:35:00.000-05:00

It's been a slice, of, well something. In what's becoming my annual tradition of reinventing myself, I will be starting a new blog soon, hopefully before Christmas, perhaps after. It will be more focussed, which has been my intent for some time. Unlike my previous blog that needed immediate deletion (see my very first post for details), this one will remain up with a link to the new one.

It's official

2006-11-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

Everybody in the world now owns an iPod, including inanimate land formations resembling native chiefs. More info here.

2006-10-23T17:51:00.000-05:00

If you haven't purchased my Christmas present yet

2006-10-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

I'll take two of these. Not the Rocketman, just his rocket.

2006-10-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

Stories like this should be an embarassment to most Canadians, or at least anyone that voted in these politicians.

I've become increasingly annoyed with partisan cheerleading lately. I enjoy reading about politics, and whether you can find an unbiased source of news might be debatable. But I don't trust computer programmers that don't take responsibility for their own bugs, and similarly I won't read media that pointedly fails to lay blame on a deserving party, whichever party that may be.

So instead, I'll stick to topics like this tree, which has captured my attention in the past. It's along the shore of Lake Ontario, which is about a 15 minute walk from my house.

To get there, I walk down Roncesvalles Ave., until it ends at Queen. From there, I walk across a huge pedestrian bridge that goes over the Gardiner Expressway, a former commuting route of mine. This last picture shows you 6 lanes of the Gardiner, and you can just barely make out the 6 lanes which make up Lake Shore Boulevard. So, after crossing 12 lanes of traffic, I arrive on the shore of Lake Ontario.

Most people that have come out to visit me have experienced this walk.

Hairspray

2006-10-19T23:31:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, our neighborhood was transformed into a set for the movie Hairspray. Awkward streetcar routes aside, it was interesting to see how 5 blocks of store fronts were redone with various retro signs, often looking better than the real sign. Michelle Pfeifer, John Travolta, and Christopher Walken are some of the names in the upcoming movie. It will be really interesting to see our neighborhood on the big screen. I really hope Max's Gym made it into the movie; it's a well-preserved gym that's been around long enough to have kept the original sign for the shooting!

Cool Hunting

2006-10-15T00:23:00.000-05:00

I received a new iPod recently as a gift, and it can play videos. Cool Hunting has a pretty cool video podcast that I would highly recommend, even if you're not cool enough to watch it on an iPod. Visit the website, but be sure to download the latest 3 podcasts for random information on art, design, and technology.

I'm making a list

2006-10-10T19:03:00.000-05:00

It's time again to book my flight home for Christmas. I'll probably be home for about a week at the most, and I'm actually looking forward to spending some of my holiday time in Toronto this year; I usually rush home for the holidays, and rush back afterward, but I'm trying something a bit different this year.

Basically, it means that I won't see you, and that's because your a bad friend.

a brief history of time

2006-10-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

Some nights I sit down for an extended period, and craft a well-thought-out post. This will not be one of those nights.

Instead, I'll just spout randomly for the next few paragraphs about some things that have been on my mind recently.

I've wanted to write about my new job for quite some time. My thoughts on this subject are floating around in my mind in an unformed blob, and I won't try to force it out into a structured, earth-compatible figure, so I apologize if this seems a bit scattered.

Perhaps the best part of my job is it's location. Not only working downtown, but working in the coolest part of Toronto is amazing. I can stroll down Queen St. at lunch, in complete awe of my surroundings.

On the street level, I see people young and old with incredible style. Style that seems so incredibly stylish as to be completely impractical; the kind of clothing that probably can't be washed, and probably needs a seamstress (would that be seamperson? Josh? Oh, you don't read this. That's fine. No really, it's OK. It's just that I would appreciate your opinion on this part of my life, but really, it's OK. Steve reads it, anyway, and he probably tells you all about it, how amazing it is, etc. Right Steve?).

Loaded tour buses remind me daily of the fact that this city is bigger than I can comprehend. I just find it hard to believe that enough tourists come into Toronto every day to fill up the double-decker British tour buses.

Beyond the street level, I'm surrounded by skyscrapers. Towering, magnificent office buildings filled with people that take $20 taxi rides to and from work, and eat $20-$30 meals everyday.

Some of the people that I work with are aware of this, and some are not. My boss is definitely aware of this, he fits right into the downtown scene. He has probably done well, and enjoys himself accordingly. Along with the rest of the management, he eats out for lunch everyday. And why not: the mecca of all the incredible restaurants in Toronto happens to be in our neighborhood.

The Toronto International Film Festival wasn't too long ago, and it's impossible to get tickets, unless you can cough up $500 or so for a festival pass. Our entire office (about 10 people) were treated to 2 tickets each to the movie of our choice. I had only worked there for 3 weeks at this point. I later received 2 more tickets for a movie he couldn't attend.

Our office is also furnished with a cappucino machine, and very good coffee. Although I don't sit directly beside the windows as some do, the view from our office is great. One of the first things I noticed when I started work was the city noise; I can't get enough of it. Honking taxis, blaring sirens, it's what you'd expect in New York City. I have a break from this noise in the evening and weekends though, as my home is in a quiet neighborhood; I wouldn't want these sounds while I rest.

I could go on about the job, but in order to avoid the "customers seeing me in a Speedo" incident that caused the spawn of this new blog, I'll stop mixing work and pleasure right here.

I could also go on about the Film festival, but I'd feel pretentious, and would rather tell you in person so that you can tell by my body language that I'm not an ass. Let me just say this: red carpet watching aside, it's interesting to sit down in a theatre of 1500 people, and see the director come on stage and thank the group that just acquired the film a few hours ago, or to see the actors come on stage and talk about how they're anticipating the audience's audible reaction during the movie. We saw "Paris, Je t'aime" (sp?), and a Malaysian coming of age film whose title has slipped my mind.

A:F6

2006-09-30T22:51:00.000-05:00

Amazing. That's all I have to say about A:F6.

staying power

2006-09-27T17:33:00.000-05:00

When the Strokes first album "Is this it?" came out, it didn't leave my CD player for about 6 months. That's pretty long for a 30 minute album.

I always wondered if I had become obsessed with that album because it was a symbol for something more in my life, or if perhaps another album with just as much staying power would come along.

That question was answered in the form of Sufjan Stevens. I bought Illinois on a whim, based on a good review I read. After playing it a few times, I couldn't get into it. I tried it again a few weeks later, and started to enjoy it more each time. Now, nearly a year later, I have 3 of Sufjan's albums, all of which I still thoroughly enjoy.

Is This It enjoyed a 6 month dictatorship of my CD player, during which time all opposition was mercilessly crushed. Sufjan Stevens hasn't commanded the same rule over my CD player, but his incredible breadth and depth has led me to enjoy different songs of his at different periods of time for the last year, and I only own 3 of his CDs, I think there's at least 3 more that I have yet to hear.

If you haven't heard him, and are considering it, I urge you to buy Illinois. Like me, you may have to give it more than one chance.

2006-09-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

This pic obviously isn't here for artistic value.

There's a bookstore in Toronto doing a campaign with this picture, with the words "Don't read enough?"

I can't be sure, but I think this billboard is graffiti.

On the subject of billboards, there was another one near my house during the Gay Pride Parade that said "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom" and then a hotmail address below it.

I think the christians who put that sign up broke through their stereotypical hateful attitude toward the gay community, and really reached out to the 1 million plus that came out that weekend. Really.

It's amazing how extremist sects of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism can be such a detrement to society, excusing otherwise inexcusable acts for the sake of a higher power. Does this only happen in Western religion?

2006-09-16T18:10:00.000-05:00

2006-09-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

an amazing canadian moment

2006-09-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

Whilst digging through YouTube to rediscover favorite television moments from my childhood (there is a plethora of Sesame Street skits and Vignettes from the National Filmboard), I think this has got to be one of the my favorites:

2006-09-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

This is the place

2006-09-02T11:29:00.000-05:00

2006-08-30T20:38:00.000-05:00

2006-08-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

2006-08-17T21:30:00.000-05:00

2006-08-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

2006-08-08T20:26:00.000-05:00

2006-08-06T21:15:00.000-05:00