Madmin. I haven’t enjoyed a photo this much in a long time.
Read a great interview with Mad Men creator/writer Matthew Weiner, c/o Rolling Stone.
July 12, 2010
Food stylists.
They are the handmade photoshoppers, the analog airbrushers.
Part interesting insight into commercial food styling and hand modeling (Costanza!), part transparent appeal for “authentic, honest branding” (marketing barf). Their marketing department probably overused the words “social media” and “Millenials” in their TPS reports.
I appreciate the candor and I’ll be more than happy to try your “new” pizza. But you probably still make shitty pizza.
July 2, 2010
Six Feet Under.
TV is (still) the best.
Recently finished Six Feet Under with C from start to finish. No blogger hyperbole, I just think this is one of the most important shows. A family owns a funeral home in LA. Classic themes of family, love, loss, and trying to find your place in the universe. Truly amazing performances, gifted casting, and constant emotional pummelling. I grew up in a tear-granting household, ok? I took advantage of this allowance, full stop.
Totally an investment risk reward scenario. 50 minutes per episodes, 60ish episodes (5 seasons). Loin pulling, quasi-masochistic drama. I promise that if you can handle intensity, you will be rewarded.
You probably recognize Michael C Hall in that photo. You probably like Dexter. You should not like Dexter. Dexter is one solid actor/character with awful (awful) actors/characters around him. It’s like CSI Puerto Plata Punta Cana. How many derivative cop clichés can you stomach? You probably will say “I can’t imagine him as anyone else but Dexter”. Take the MC guarantee – his character David Fisher blows Dexter out of the Bay Harbour Butcher water.
Watch it, it’s torrentable. Feel real things from television. It can happen.
June 9, 2010
This required work.
I present THE Office Dunder Mifflin floor plan. I’m sure there are many Office fans that are also CAD literate. Kudos.
via unrealitymag.com.
November 30, 2009
It’s Monday.
I had my first day of work. It was swell. Some of this, some of this, some of this. P.S. I’m going to be one of those guys. Those guys that had too much free time to post links and big photos on a white web page and offer slightly idiosyncratic liberalized commentaries. Who will try to post a lot but won’t as much because now he gets paid for his brain time and his real time.
Here is my Google profile starred items summary, aka your news.
- Good news for (any type of) Rogers customers – you get free (selected free) television program right here. [Torontoist]
- Killer or Krusty? – Whassa deal with Michael Ignatieff – One of the world’s most notable intellectuals or oddly annoying jabberwatt? That word sounds like a dumb person from a Star Wars planet (ie. Wookie planet, Ewok planet. When you see Wookie and Ewok together, you feel like George Lucas got a bit lazy in his writing because it looks like he’s just re-arranging letters). [Globe]
- God believes in me – “God may have created man in his image, but it seems we return the favour. Believers subconsciously endow God with their own beliefs on controversial issues.” [New Scientist]
- How Torontoist and other city sites are elevating local news – they are amazing, a true progression in civic issues and involvement. [National Post]
- Harper is !!!!! – Making creepy lonely faces at Commonwealth parties. [Globe]
- David Chang does Montreal – NY Chef buzzbuzz David Chang hangs out at Atwater mainstays Joe Beef / Liverpool House / McKiernan last weekend, and duh loves Montreal. [National Post]
- Boobs now cheaper than wings (!!) – And you can thank the concept of division. [Star]
- THE skeptical environmentalist – interview with statistician Bjorn Lomborg. [Globe]
- How the Greens could win it all – if all of Canada was meeeeeeee! [Globe]
- Solar power 50% less expensive this year – ummmm…. hi? [Scientific American]
- Your skin is deaf – people hear with their skin as well as their ears. [Scientific American]
- Crunchy men unite! – Scientists prove a dirty child is a healthy child, just like we all thought. The guilt is melting off.
- No more corporate or union campaign donations in Toronto?!? – this is the best news that’s happened to politics in a long time! Why aren’t we dancing… yeah?
November 23, 2009
Ewe weekly.
Toronto
- Toronto – a new carbon market hub? – Banks are urging Ottawa to create the financial infrastructure to lead on carbon trading
- Toronto – the city that nobody loves – A great Torontoist article on the unifying quality that all Canadians share – hating Toronto.
- Whodunit? – OCAD hosted their annual Whodunit event – $75 gets you an original piece, but you never know what you’re gonna get.
- New book – Toronto’s “Edible City” – A new book looking at Toronto’s food from farm to fork.
Science
- LHC is back ! – Large Hadron Collider is back up and running. More high acceleration particle collisions!
- Hundreds of new deep sea species found – I feel we know so much more about space than deep earth because of religion. Fascinated by the heavens, scared of the depths.
- Biological clocks – Why do we wake up at the end of a car ride? What makes us tick, and other circadian circumstances.
- More proof of alcohol’s benefits… for men – Ha Heeeeeeeh. 1 drink every day reduces risk of heart disease by a third for men. No more late night scotch guilt.
- Who makes the longest lasting laptop? – Ever get irked that your laptop has a 2 year life span? Find out which models last longest.
Politics / News
- California bans power-bleeding TVs – now sheeplike Ontario government looking at the same initiative after Arnold passes the bill.
- Dollar Store consciousness – I thought Dollar Stores were mostly showcases for cheap, often unnecessary Chinese goods and novelties. Evidently 48% of their goods are Canadian sourced.
- Michael Moore on how Americans view Canadian healthcare – The US is very close to passing historic healthcare legislation. Watch a Globe and Mail video of him speaking in Toronto.
- The Malawi Miracle – read about how farm subsidies have helped a very poor and very densely populated country progress.
- Kindleocracy – an indepth look at the newly arrived Canadian Kindle, Amazon’s electronic reader.
- Local TV Matters vs. TV Tax debate – read a side by side comparison of the issues, and see where you stand.
- Tories storm out of Queen’s Park – to reject McGuinty`s liberals from holding public consultation on the HST. Overly political, partially fair.
- In Pursuit of a Smarter Grid – championed by everyone, this initiative is clearly the lowest hanging fruit. It will just take 20 years to pick it off the tree.
- The prospect of high speed rail in the US – $45 billion will be spent on just an Los Angeles – San Diego high speed rail connection, with possibilities for a San Fran connection. Worth it for other high density areas (New England, Southern Ontario) but definitely not everywhere.
Miscellaniacs
- In Treatment – The secret life of psychiatrists.
- The Fake War on Restaurant Etiquette – The New York Times has been having a funny back and forth on restaurant etiquette. First read the 100 things restaurant staffers should never do, and read the article rebuttal on 700 things restaurant customers should never do.
November 17, 2009
An open letter to Canadian reality TV apologists.
Dear Canadian reality TV apologists,
How are you? Are you working hard? You must be working hard. Thanks for working so hard during the sunlight hours of the day. You help the world! When you get home you must be exhausted. I would be. Maybe you want to flop into your favourite fancy chair that doesn’t look like a La-Z-Boy but actually is a La-Z-Boy. Maybe you can’t wait to have that beer, that wine, that whiskey when you get home. Right on, you deserve it.
So now I gather you would subsequently turn on your 100″ flat panel LCD plasma laser ecobamboo ultra pixel television. Those look really nice. And that Sunday football looks amazing on it. It’s like you’re in the 300 section or something! Really you’re saving money by not ever having to go outside and be with people and go to a game. Bonus. Convenient.
I was just curious about something. When you turn on that lovely television, why do you turn to the most unfortunate, sad, derivative, no-merit, ultra formaggi heartless programming? I know what you’re thinking – some artsy pretentious snob is judging me. Someone who doesn’t appreciate unabashed innocent fun. A bohemian tightass, perhaps. You’re right, who am I to judge? I try not to, but it always ends up happening. And you’re judging me too, so bygones. I know all you want to do is watch something you don’t have to think about. Tune out, turn off, auto pilot, fake drama. No harm no foul.
But there is harm – millions agree with you. The masses will be heard! And so you should. Your pens and your swords and your sitting bums are mighty. But what I want you to know is that this fully brings out worst in Canadian creativity and culture. For me, for better or for worse, our television programming is a direct reflection of our culture. I can qualify this. Picture if you will, an easily concluded sentence in the CBC executive office in Toronto: “Let’s copy something America does but make it with iiiiice. Ice is so Canadian! It’ll be exactly like Dancing with the Stars but much more derivative and much worse! Or better yet, a direct copy of an awful movie made in 1992!” You know it, I know it. The best we can come up with is America… with ice. And you just made me cry.
We can do better than this, Canadian reality TV apologists. This is exactly the same as when America thought Paul Blart : Mall Cop was the best movie in North America for many weeks. You guys are nice people, and you have great heads and thirsty brains. Don’t be afraid to quench with something meaningful, dare I say important. It won’t hurt, I promise. I know that when times are tough, bacon sales go up, beer sales go up, High School Musical DVDs and buddy bandz go up, and so do shitty television ratings. We want campy comfort ingestables. But babies and boomers – please don’t run away. We need you to care about non-entertainment things. We also need you to have an educated view on these non-entertainment things. We all need a release, just make sure you think about what it does.
Lots of love.
m
p.s. See you in the car.
November 11, 2009
Mad Men finale.
Well the season started slow but man it finished stroooong. Like a big 2007 Napa Cab, like a 19 year old Lagavulin, like the guy always just behind Usain Bolt.
I know for a fact that I don’t understand all of the subtlety and subtext of Mad Men, but I feel I catch most of it and I enjoy it. This interview with creator Matthew Weiner about this season was really great. He divulged more about the characters than I thought he would, which helped clarify why he did what he did with the storyline. Really liked this finale.
And 5 spacebucks says you love this song. You’ve totally bopped to this song.
RJD2 – A Beautiful Mine
November 2, 2009
The quick Mad Men season.
This one felt very fast, don’t know why. Until about two or three weeks ago, I was about to give up on this program. Love Don, love Joan, love to hate Peter Campbell, like Roger Sterling. Ohh Joanie. Costumes and sets are undeniably mesmerizing. But how about we do something else other than Don wooing a pretty slim lady and feeling f’ed up about it. The self-loathing and whining is trying, and Peggy is doin Duck. Gross. That’s worthy of crawling out of one’s skin.
I won’t ruin it for non-watchers, but the blankity blank blank, blank blanks blank. I mean the last few episodes have been amazing and partially renewed my faith. Anyone excited for the finale next week ?
October 23, 2009
NBC’s Community is solid.
That’s a pretty good biblioteca. Been watching it off and on, and it’s actually remaining solid and funny. NBC Thursday night ! Rocking it more than ever. This show, Parks and Rec (good not great so far), The Office (staying good), and 30 Rock (overrated but still good). Thanks, TV!
October 15, 2009
Aux.tv is good.
Been seeing great videos, a few great shows, and it’s highly Canadian. Master Tracks is cool, and Alan Cross hosts a rock show ala Landsberg and Off The Record. You’ve wanted this for a long time. Channel 107 on Rogers Digital cable in Toronto, look for AUX in your neck of the woods.
October 15, 2009
Local TV Matters.
You may have seen those back to back commercials – both throwing lots of dollar signs around confusing the viewer. First you feel for one side, and then the other.
I decided to write a letter to the CRTC pledging my support for local television. I also found out that the resulting “higher cable bill” isn’t true. The cable providers have not paid their fair share to local stations for years, and the networks want to negotiate fair value for their services.
For better or for worse, television can really build a culture. The media for the masses. Local television brings awareness and exposure to local events and issues, and may even encourage some engagement and participation. I sent this letter to the CRTC, c/o LocalTVMattters.ca. I just added a couple of sentences of flair.
Maybe if you think local television should be thriving not dying, you should write a letter too. And your cable bill won’t even go up, but it will because Rogers and Bell hike up rates on their own anyway. Might as well get something for your money.
