John Looser, of Ontario, designs and builds buildings for birds. These structures cost upwards of thousands of dollars and take a week to a month to build. Some buildings have swimming pools.
I am a big fan of reinventing new uses for old products. But an Altoids Tin? Apparently, The Art of Manliness discovered many things an Altoids Tin can be reused for.
I am not a fan of American football, but I do watch the halftime show (which was Meh this year) and the Superbowl commercials. My favourite to this day is still the Cat Rancher commercial. Oddee has selected the Top 10 Best Superbowl Commercials.
A Tennessee couple's 9-year-old Siberian husky, Polo, was run over in the drive-way and the couple was faced with limited and expensive decisions regarding the pet's crushed paw. Expensive surgery costing upwards of thousands of dollars or amputate the leg and hope Polo could continue as a three-legged dog. Another alternative was to fit him for a prosthetic leg.
Have you ever tried experimenting with Google autocomplete? You can come up with some very interesting (and surprising) searches. It also is funny how Google chooses to censor certain searches (illegal content, children, sexuality, etc.). But did you know it can be used to find out how to create meth, kidnap a child or make mustard gas?
I have seen a YouTube video of a women who throws a cup of boiling water in -30C air and the water instantly turns into snow. But what about frozen bubbles?
I am a huge fan of children's books every since my parents read me bedtime stories or took me to the local library. I am a huge fan of Richard Scary's books.
Bob Staake, a New Yorker illustrator, has published a new children's book titled Look! A Book! full of beautiful illustrations that any child would love as a gift.
2011 Best Picture Nominee Posters in Lego Form
I still a huge fan of Lego and thanks to the Internet I get to view and praise Lego animations and designs. Old Red Jalopy has created Lego revisions of the Best Picture Nominee posters for 2011. I think my favourite is the one for Winter's Bone.
I am a huge Simpsons fan. Recently, I watched the Simpsons Movie with director Matt Groening's and voice actor's commentary and it was fantastic. Their comments were full of insights, interesting facts, and original thoughts on the production of the movie.
Another fun fact about the Simpsons television series is if you arrange all the McBain clips together, you can form a four minute McBain movie.
The American Chemical Society produced a video to raise awareness of the many ways we depend on chemistry in our daily lives. The International Year of Chemistry (IYC) officially begins on February 1st.
But what is the embarrassing overall shame of each individual state in the United States? Some issues are expected, others are very surprising to discover.
For some reason, a wild turkey in Cape Cod decided to chase and attack a United States mail truck. He proudly displays his masculinity by banging the side of the truck and chasing it down the street. The mail carrier is cautious and tries to speed up when the turkey stops. But the persistent turkey continues to follow him down the road.
A dog rescued at sea over a year ago by a Polish sea vessel has celebrated his one-year anniversary gaining his sea legs aboard the ship with the crew that adopted him. He lives on the ship, but continues to dislike rough waters.
An eight-year-old German tiger received an artificial hip, the first tiger in the world to receive a prosthetic hip designed for dogs. The tiger has been suffering from arthritis, so the zoo asked the operation was performed by vets from the University of Leipzig.
The vets donated their time to perform the operation free of charge. Malaysian tigers usually live to about 20 years.
A cat gave birth to some kittens in a Maple tree in Wisconsin. One of the kittens stayed in the tree when the mother cat and kittens left. A friendly neighbourhood man decided to make the tree more comfortable for the kitten and feed it milk and meatloaf. Thus, the kitten has decided to remain living in the tree.
Slacklining at the Totempole in Tasmania. It´s a 65m high and only 4 m thick spire that connects the totempole with the mainland. Length of the slackline is 17m, climber is Jens from Saxony.
Little Big Planet One Take
A live-action video by talented performers of my favourite game on Play Station.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Ollie
Ollie the stray cat who lives in Manchester Airport is being sent postcards from around the world. Ollie first received a hand-written postcard from Egypt a year ago and continues to receive postcards from Rome, Belgrade and Venice.
What if American girl-next-door Barbie was actually a serial killer? Artist Mariel Clayton has created a series of dioramas to explore Barbies darker alter ego.
I don't know how she managed to do it, but Susan Maushart took away television, iPods, cell phones and video games from her three teenagers for six months. The transition was dramatic for some of children more than others, but gradually school grades improved, family dinners, movie and board game nights become common and fun again, and hobbies and interests developed. The social-networking and technological experiment proved insightful, but Maushart learned limited access improved family quality and lifestyle fulfillment.
Cult of Less
Chris Yurista, a Washington DC resident, says digital technology has replaced his need for a home filled with materiel possessions. The 27-year-old left his apartment a year ago and has not looked back. Kelly Sutton decided to downsize his material possessions and live out of a backpack with a laptop, an iPad, an Amazon Kindle, two external hard drives, a "few" articles of clothing, bed sheets, and a bike. The 22-year-old software engineer, who founded CultofLess.com, now lives in a tiny, minimalist apartment.
I worry about the cultural shift to increasing social interaction only by technology. There is less personal and physical interaction and more frequent short, burst communicative bites that are of less quality and empathy. People are becoming so sensitive to Facebook statuses, walking and driving while texting, and checking emails at dinner. People do not even hesitate as to whether to engage in these behaviors.
Chris Marion of New Jersey built a propane fire art installation that choreographs fire to AC/DC's Back in Black
With all the natural disasters and political strife in the world, one wonders if the Mayan prediction of the world coming to end has some street cred. Nah.
Canoeing in McDonalds
A reporter canoeing through a McDonald's in Brisbane. Can I get fries with that?
At a Norfolk Admirals hockey game in Virginia, 8-year-old Elizabeth Hughes was doing a good job singing the United States anthem when her microphone stopped working. Nonetheless, she got a little help from her friends.
A group of famous, literary and media GLBT Canadians share their personal experiences for the It Gets Better campaign.
TED Talk: Arianna Huffington
Arianna says the simplest way to be more successful is to get more sleep.
Two and a half years ago Arianna Huffington fainted from exhaustion, hitting her head on the way down. She had to get five stitches near her eye. Shortly after the accident, she became an advocate for getting more sleep.
Here she is at the TED Women conference telling attendees about the benefits of sleep.
Recently the Goldstream river on Vancouver Island turned green. Investigators determined that the river was contaminated with Fluorescein is a synthetic organic compound soluble in water and alcohol and now harm would come to plants or animals.
Kitty is a deaf kitten who loves to play with a robotic spider.
Jack Tripper the Amazing Eyeless Kitty
A spayed cat somehow gave birth to a single kitten she was unable to nurse. The kitten, Jack, was born without eyes. Jack was adopted by a neighbourhood family.
Jack is able to run, jump and play like any other kitten. What a great story.
This past weekend, I went to Victoria with great friends to sleigh ride with about 80 Santas for the annual SantaCon. It was great fun! It was lovely to reconnect with wonderful Slacktorians I had not seen since the summer. I also got to get to know some new friends a little more. Always wonderful to spread merry cheer and feel red-n-white fuzzy.
Prior to Santa, we got to try a delicious Pig BBQ joint for lunch. The pulled pork poutine is amazing! Little did we know an undercover Santa was giggling at us from the kitchen.
I love walking around and wishing families Happy Holidays and giving the little ones candy canes. After going for 14 hours through 7 international destinations, this Santa pulled her sleigh into the Bunny B&B to take off her big black boots and rest her weary feet. Surprisingly after many years, Santa was allowed into the Bengal Lounge at the Fairmont Empress. It was so elegant and lovely.
I am a huge fan of classic video games. So when I saw these video game bento box lunches, I melted in a tee-hee fashion.
What were these people thinking? I can appreciate anyone wishing to permanently ink their skin for life with creative artistry, but a bacon tattoo? Believe me, I am one of the biggest fans of bacon worship, but really.
My friend Jesse's question was selected to be answered by the Old Spice Guy. It's rather awesome.
A 28 year old Sydney fellow named James West has been receiving annual Thanksgiving emails from a family in Florida. After three years, James decided to try an online plea to track down the Tran Family and attend their annual Thanksgiving family dinner. He is also trying to track down the actual James West family member.
This week, I was inspired by my girl friend's boyfriend's talented vegetarian cooking finesse, I made whole wheat pasta with Yves sausage, eggplant and peppers. Surprisingly delicious! Even the leftovers were hearty and comforting during the temperature drop sprinkled with snow flurries.
Recently, tried Wii Sports Bowling. I scored 212 on my first try. I love Wii and the console games because the design gets you off the couch and is so interactive. Brilliant! I particularly enjoy the karaoke games.
I started watching the Tudors. An amazing Canadian produced show that has beautiful set design, costumes, wonderfully written and acted.
Conan O'Brien's new show debuted on TBS on Sunday. Recently, I watched an old interview by Conan with the late Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson invites Conan to his ranch to shoot some guns.
A few weeks ago, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas was showing on the tv. Johnny Depp is fantastic as Hunter S. Thompson. The movie does the novel justice. I have seen the film a few times and it still mesmerizes me to this day.
Dr. Popsicle teaches Rick Mercer how to escape a submerged car.
Some good tips just in case you are ever in a car being filled with icy, cold water.
Chris Roth was selected for jury duty. Here are some of his doodles while in court.
A few weeks ago, I went to Seattle for Seacompression's regional decompression. It was a sold out event with many art installations, theme camps, art cars, live music, performances and community-spirited people. It was great to reconnect with many beautiful people and it filled my heart with joy to further bond with new friends.
I also had the lovely experience of connecting with alumni and new members of Costco.
I also went to the Freemont Market for Tandoozy and Ebelskivvers. Delicious as always. We also went to visit the Troll.
I tried two new coffee houses that were both deeply savory Espresso Vivace in South Lake Union and All City Coffee in Georgetown, and Smarty Pants for lunch (tasty sandwiches) also in Georgetown.
I also had the pleasure of finally going to the the Seattle Art Museum with a lovely friend from San Francisco. The main exhibition was the Picasso exhibit showcasing many drawings, paintings and sculptures from the famed artist. The exhibit is on until January 17, 2011.
Some of us also visited the beautiful architectural Smith Tower in downtown Seattle. The building opened in 1914 and was the tallest building in the west for almost 50 years. For a small fee, a visitor can ride a historic elevator to a top floor to see sweeping views of the harbour and downtown Seattle. The penthouse floor ceiling is also decorated with ornate hand-carved wood imported from China.
This past Halloween weekend, I was estatic to participate as a pirate in the return of Public Dream's Parade of Lost Souls. A walking route was planned where community homes decorated, played music, created art and performed for people. It was so much fun! Some friends also performed a beautiful forest-themed fire show.
A blind German dog uses his echo to navigate around. Rowan was born without eyes and was visually challenged until the leaves fell of the trees and discovered he could use his bark echo to figure out where he was. Since then, he has used his hearing to follow his owner on walks and at play.
So, I received an email message from Blogger (Google) that I was violating DMCA copyright protection law in my last blog post. I wrote and included links to 109 Cats in Sweaters and an Oatmeal comic. I asked for clarification from Blogger (Google) and received no response.
Here is the email message. I asked for a second opinion and was informed it was probably a scare tactic to promote chilling effects. So I am debating moving my blog to another server and network within my own country.
(Start of Email Message)
Blogger DMCA takedown notification
Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to "draft" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.) This means your post - and any images, links or other content - is not gone. You may edit the post to remove the offending content and republish, at which point the post in question will be visible to your readers again.
A bit of background: the DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. If you believe you have the rights to post the content at issue here, you can file a counter-claim. For more information on our DMCA policy, including how to file a counter-claim, please see http://www.google.com/dmca.html.
The notice that we received, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Chilling Effects at http://www.chillingeffects.org/. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can search for the DMCA notice associated with the removal of your content by going to the Chilling Effects search page at http://www.chillingeffects.org/search.cgi, and entering in the URL of the blog post that was removed. If it is brought to our attention that you have republished the post without removing the content/link in question, then we will delete your post and count it as a violation on your account. Repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account including deleting your blog and/or terminating your account. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.
Sincerely,
The Blogger Team
(End of Email Message)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
I saw the Female Character Stereotype Chart the other day while waiting for my turn to sing karaoke on the Wii. One of the best charts I have seen in awhile.
Banksy created a Simpsons intro that aired last Sunday. It was very controversial, mainly because Simpsons animation cells are now being outsourced in Korean. The intro nearly missed being produced, but the animators threatened to walk out. I do not know which freaked me out more: the Panda or the Dolphin.
Hours of uninterrupted sleep: 6hr 15min Commute to work: 20min Home-cooked meals: 5 Exercise a week: 2hr 45min Time spent outdoors: 2hr 49min Play with children each day: 2hr Time with partner: 3hr 58min Watching TV: 2hr Nights out a week: 1 Alcoholic drinks a week: 4 Takeaways a week: 1 Weekend breaks a year: 3 Holidays abroad: 2 Hours at work a day: 7hr 15min Meals out a month: 3 Shopping trips a month: 4 Get home from work: 5.42pm
Previously, I was fascinated by Nora the Cat who could play piano. Apparently, lithuanian conductor, composer and artist Mindaugas Piecaitis was too. Piecaitis has composed and directed a Catcerto for Nora. Nora, the soloist, was brought in by video.
Bob Craig makes beautiful collages out of clippings from National Geographic magazines. I remember making collages as a kid with a paste made out of flour and water. His vision begins with imagination as he cuts out and organizes clippings by hue and texture. What begins as a rough drawing slowly grows into a beautiful mural.
Recently, I was contacted by GPSmyCity.com to use my photo of the Black Swan Pub in York, England. The company wanted to use my photo in their GPS walking tour of York. Too bad the app is only available for use with an iPhone.
Today, I looked at some photos from the G20 Summit in Toronto. I did not realize how violent and intense it was. It seems a small group of anarchists have escalated the peaceful protest to violence. Kind of makes me think the 1 billion dollars spent for security was a good move. I do not know all the details of what is occurring during the summit, and some of the money could have been better spent helping homeless or poverty, but it reminds me of the WTO protests during the Battle In Seattle.
70 days later and over 75 million barrels of oil release in to the Gulf of Mexico with no recourse in sight.
Last Friday there was a huge celebration at Ford Rod Hill in Victoria, BC. The city celebrated the 150th birthday of the Fisgard Lighthouse and Canadian Navy's 100th Anniversary. The city was swarmed with over 10,000 sailors from around the world.
At Ford Rod Hill, the Luminara group placed lights and lanterns throughout the historical park and a Victoria fire troupe Poi Pixies performed a fire show on the walkway to the lighthouse. After the fire show, there was a beautiful fireworks display over the ocean. Luminara also setup lit art installations featuring jelly fish and salmon schools.
Would you drink water that is processed from the polluted ocean? Would you consume marine life harvested from the polluted ocean? An art exhibit titled Plastic Century: a tasted of the polluted oceans is showing at the California Academy of Sciences in honour of Jacques Cousteau's 100th birthday.
A map of the world showing the surface area required to power the whole world with solar power. You may be surprised--I was.
On May 5th it's Mukhtar's birthday, a bus-driver in Copenhagen. In 2010, he had no idea that a large group of people had planned to celebrate him. How wonderful!
Kitty, and her human companions, are walking across the American continent to the South American continent from Miami to Ushuaia for a 3 year trek.
Kitty started traveling the 9,000-mile journey when he was a kitten.
Electric Daisy Carnival Auditions featuring Nigel Ficke who shows how to do it better, faster, stronger, harder, unicornier.
I recently came across some vintage and sexist advertisements for products from the nuclear family era. Did you know that Lysol used to be promoted to prevent pregnancy and STIs?
Not too mention how to avoid a Booby Trap and not get an STI.
Conservationist Damian Aspinall raised gorilla Kwibi for five years in England. He released into a conservation park in West Africa. After being apart for five years, Kwibi was attacking humans. Aspinall decided to go to Africa and see if Kwibi would remember him. The reunion is amazing.
I think I am officially a Gleek. I recently watched the clips from Madonna episode the Golden Globe winner Glee and was hooked. Jane Lynch's rendition of Madonna's Vogue is outstanding.
The show features a passionate talented group of performance artists (outcasts) in a high school. Each of the show's character's and actors are an inspiration to nerds, geeks, misfits and outcasts everywhere. It is interesting to hear about their high school experiences, usually of being outcasts because they were part of choir or drama clubs.
The Glee cast was also on the Oprah Winfrey show. The cast also performed at the White House for Easter.
Creator Ryan Murphy says the show is about "celebrating the difference in you". He continues to say that at that young of an age you think that's the worst in you, but as you grow older and wiser, you realize it's one of the best things about yourself.
Finally, Vancouver is starting to showcase and magnify the landscape with temporary and permanent urban art installations. The previous week, I walked with J across the Cambie Bridge and along False Creek North to English Bay. Along the seawall, we saw many art installations and the new park by Granville Bridge.
By Sunset Beach, there is a beautiful aluminum art structure in the shape of a man consisting of letters and symbols from many languages. Another installation is a group of bronze statues laughing at English Bay. The metallic structure at Vanier Park titled Freezing Water is another installation.
These art installations are part of the Biennial Exhibition.
This week, I walked with J again over the Cambie Bridge, past Chinatown, through Gastown, around Canada Place and around the new Convention Centre. The interior of the Convention Centre is stunning. The new center has a living roof, seawater heating and cooling system, on-site water treatment (recycles washroom water) and a fish habitat in the foundation.
The art installations consist of a gigantic blue teardrop (maybe a raindrop) and a Digital Orca by Douglas Coupland.
Frisky reviews eleven questionable Barbie releases by Matel. I remember having the Barbie MacDonald's restaurant, however, I do not ever recall seeing the Poop-n-Scoop version with dog Tanner.
To celebrate hard-working, under paid Administrative Professionals everywhere for Administrative Professionals Day, here is a list of the best ten movie and tv shows with secretaries, receptionists and personal assistants.
In a society where the spread of germs and viruses is a growing concern, always remember to never try on make-up samples until they have been sterilized. Personally, I always just try it on my finger and wash my finger afterward.
Oh, la la! Where did you get that gorgeous roadkill accessory bag? I would die to have one just like it! Just kidding.
What a week! Last week I trekked, laughed, gazed and socialized all over the 2010 Olympics bonanza. Last Monday, we saw DJ Spooky from New York mix-mash it up with violinist Daniel at the Yaletown stage.
DJ Spooky provided an amazing performance showcasing his mixing talents off his new album. We avoided the corporate pavilions. After the show, we wandered up to Davie Street for some French Canadian poutine at La Belle Patate.
On Wednesday, Yonderboy and I met at the Olympic Station and walked over the Cambie Street bridge on a beautiful sunshine day. We could see the sea of red at China Creek Park next to Science World for the taping of Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert. I wanted to be at the taping, but I did not want to line up at 7 am for 6ish hours. Although, from the photos online, I see he rode a moose, hoisted up a stuffed beaver and sang O Canada to the music of the Star-Spangled Banner.
We checked out all the live shows and zip trek at Robson Square. It was incredible to watch people zip trek across the square. The ice skating rink looked awesome too. It was so great to walk around the crowds of people from all over the world excited and wearing their nations' colours with pride.
We walked down to the Olympic Flame (Cauldron) and took some photos. We also queued for 30 minutes to see the Cauldron from the viewing platform. The mountains were majestic behind Stanley Park. We also went into the movie theatre housed in double-stacked shipping containers to watch a short-film.
On Friday, I rode the new Canada Line train to Yaletown. I was very impressed with the signage and announcements to assist passengers to their destinations. The train felt like a high-class form of transportation. I met Nic in Yaletown. The streets were humming with young folks. I heard that fans has been lined up for the Deadmau5 evening show since 9 am in the morning.
We walked over the Vancouver Library to meet Y. Her mate has been VJing in the Aboriginal Peoples Pavilion all week. You could see the video displays from the exterior next to Queen Elizabeth Theatre. We went to Roxy Burger on Granville Street for dinner. Granville Street was a mad-house full of youths and people wear the flag as capes. A few more friends joined us as we cheered on Manitoba's Jon Montgomery win gold in skeleton.
We met up with a few more friends on Georgia Street and walked around Granville and Robson Streets. The art installations on Granville Street looked fantastic lightened at night.
Then, we went to see the cauldron at night. It was so beautiful. It was around midnight and the streets were still jammed with people. We headed over to Steamworks Pub to have some beers and bites. The pub was adjacent to Germany House, but the cover was $20. Needless to say, the Germany House was empty and the music played was terrible. On the way home on the Night Bus over the Burrard Bridge, the male youths broke into song singing O Canada.
On Sunday, we tried to go to La Belle Patate for brunch, but the potato cutter broke and the shop was closed. Plan B was Japadog on Burrard and Smithe, but there was a huge lineup. I like Japadog, but not for a half an hour wait. We ended up with grilled panini sandwiches at IGA Marketplace.
We checked out Robson Square. I cheered as the zip trekkers went overhead. We were lucky enough to see the Squamish Nation's Eagle Dancers perform their songs and dances at the stage. Wow, their performance was so mesmerizing. Then, we watched a bit of the Mascots on Ice. Sumi is my favourite.
The naysayers may still be griping about the Olympics in Vancouver. But they are here, so why not enjoy the special events, live performances, showcasing our beautiful city and welcoming International visitors?
I was wondering how Black Friday unfolded in the United States. Black Friday is typically the first Friday after American Thanksgiving that kicks off the Christmas shopping season. Corporations and economists debate whether or not it reflects how the economy is going and how high is consumer confidence.
Overall, it was general mayhem. There were no deaths, injuries and significant property damage, but there was a lot of fighting and disrespectful behaviour.
In Labour News, Walmart was forced to pay former employees in Massachusetts $40 million in back wages in a class-action lawsuit. The suit was filed eight years ago and claimed the mega-corporation owes the employees fourteen years worth of unpaid overtime, missed breaks, and other uncompensated work.
I recently read on the Consumerist a story about a couple printing photos for the wife's father's funeral at Wal-Mart. The photo lab wouldn't give her several of her photos because the employee believed the photos may be copyrighted. The woman held back tears as she watched her deceased father's photos be shredded.
The article started whirling my brain to several other media stories I have read that cast a dark shadow on Wal-Mart's polices and practices. I do not shop at Wal-Mart because of all the employee labour laws it violates and all the pending class-action lawsuits.
However, even when Wal-Mart looses a class-action lawsuit for paying women less than men, or paying illegal immigrants less than minimum wage, it can pay the judgment easily because it makes $20,000 profit every minute, and a annual profit of $12 billion.
Kami is a new 5 year old HIV-positive girl Muppet on Sesame Street South Africa. She also an orphan and is teaching her neighbours and friends some harsh realities of life. She is the new role model for 28,000 HIV-positive children and 1.4 million orphans in Africa.
I love Stephen Colbert's mock-journalism news show. Colbert is delightfully hilarious.
He recently started fundraising for the U.S. Speed Skating Team. His campaign raised over $40k. When the site crashed from overwhelming response, he blamed it on Canadian hackers.
Well, I have been going every weekend since the beginning of summer and I have finally hit the wall. What I mean to say is I have been socially engaged butterfly almost every weekend for four months straight. I am officially tired. Just in time for winter too. Tis the season for puzzles, good books, movies, board games and sheer lazy weekends.
About a month or so ago, I went to Victoria for the Slacktoria Family Reunion. We enjoyed reuniting over brunch and photographs of how we spent our summer vacation.
A few weekends, I went to the Pink Party. This party was also a Bon Voyage to Benj. I never would have thought that pink would be such a great theme for a party. The vibe was so juicy energetic, but serene.
The previous weekend, I went to Victoria for Halloween. I spent about a day helping decorate the house and had a blast staying up until dawn. Some really fantastic costumes. The house was way too crowded, deafening beats and blitzkrieg. I'm definitely not 20-something anymore. Unfortunately, most ghouls and witches only posted their photos on FaceCrack.
I just created a new Rain-themed playlist. I will add it to the sidebar.
Listening to: Bruce Hornsby & The Range - Mandolin Rain
