A Blog Odyssey

Hiatus number ... I think I lost count!

2008-09-02T08:08:00.001-07:00

I seem to like to take massive hiatuses - or hiatii, the way I do them - from the Odyssey. I've experimented with other websites and even created other blogs in this time to see what fit. Since school is starting and my work load is going to be getting heavier, now seems like the right time to get back into it. In all seriousness, having this is a nice break from the mundane.

From this point on, I promise there will not be anymore posts (a.k.a. excuses) about my time off.

Welcome back, folks! That is, if there are still people who read this...

Krzysztof Kieślowski's Trois Couleurs

2008-06-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

I recently checked out a film by Polish film director Kieślowski entitled Trois couleurs: Bleu - the first film as part of the Three Colours Trilogy (the next two are entitled Blanc and Rouge, after the colours of the French flag). He is known to make films as part of a cycle and the story of each film in this series is based on one of the three political ideals in the motto of the French Republic - liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Bleu is speaking loosely on the idea of liberty, not in a political sense, but on an individual, emotional basis. So far, it's pretty interesting - the whole idea of this trilogy brilliant. Too bad I couldn't wait to finish the whole series before I wrote this. I will have a better post when I've watched the next two... I'm having a hard time juggling this with LOST right now. I'm sure you'd understand.

What's Up Buttercup?

2008-06-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Blog out of Vancouver

And so the blog community grows...

With http://internethug.blogspot.com/

This one's from the brains of the coolest kids this side of the planet (literally), Azadeh and Ameneh. These girls give the goods on what's hip and cool out west, that we're all missing here in Toronto.

Trust me, they know what they are talking about!

More Music

2008-06-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

So what if my last few posts have been about music. You should be happy you don't have to look too far for it.

There has been some great stuff thus far in 2008... Too bad I haven't heard all of it. Here are albums that have made some noise this year. The link will take you to the respective download. Hope you dig.

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

Radiohead - In Rainbows (cd 2)

The Black Keys - Attack & Release

N*E*R*D - Seeing Sounds

Portishead - Third

Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

The Roots - Rising Down

Lil Wayne - The Carter III

Does it Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into

I hope Chris Martin and Weezy don't kick my door down and break my legs for downloading and uploading their stuff for free. If there are no blog posts after this one, you'll know why...

Remember, you only have a week to get the music before the link expires.

Funky Punk

2008-06-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

I've had bandwidth and a lot of time on my hands since school's been out, so I've been downloading music and movies like a villain to the industry. (HEY, I'm unemployed, so what do you expect?)

Here is some of the stuff that has been eating away at my ears as of late.

A young Iggy Pop doing what he does best

Iggy Pop & The Stooges – The Stooges (1969) http://www.sendspace.com/file/ingdxt

This is a legendary album that was way ahead of its time. It’s short and intense, but brilliant all at the same time.

The Fall – Live at the Witch Trials (1979) http://www.sendspace.com/file/8y60dq

Continuing with my little classic punk phase is The Fall. This is their first record of many, but don’t let the name fool you – it’s not a live album. This is real, uninhibited punk at its finest. This version of the album is the 2004 reissue.

We Are Wolves – Total Magique (2007) http://www.sendspace.com/file/mi35wl

Out of Montreal, I would describe this album as electro-punk - but those sounds together can be categorized as ‘badass.’

The Long Blondes – Couples (2007) http://www.sendspace.com/file/ze6qet

The day I discovered Sheffield’s The Long Blondes, they were playing a show in town. I listened to this album and was disappointed that I missed them. They have been categorized as neo-punk, but if you hear any trace of punk in this album, please let me know.

Swedish Music Man

2008-05-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

Jens Lekman (pronounced "Yens") is an indie rock artist out of Sweden, has 2 LPs and numerous other recordings under his belt. When I started listening to El Perro del Mar, I enjoyed her immensely, but didn’t look into other Swedish artists. I don’t know why. I can't seem to turn him off now...

He's too good.

Thanks to Her Royal Hotness, Isabel who gave me his music SO LONG AGO, but I only listened to it now. Silly me. She's always on the cool way before it becomes cool.

The Bape Life

2008-05-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

How fitting that a pair of golden Bapestas led me to the Bape website last night and there I discovered how far reaching the brand has become. Nigo – the mastermind behind the Bathing Ape empire – has had a goal for his brand to be more than just another label. With stores in 6 corners of the globe, and with its various departments, it has become a lifestyle that and continues to exceed and redefine what a lifestyle brand should be.

It has everything you need to live a lifestyle: Towels, glasses cases, bags, pencil cases, wall clocks, and umbrellas to name a few.

One indication that a brand has become a lifestyle is when it successfully extends beyond its original product category – in Bape’s case, it began with clothing. The company not only maintains its apparel line, but also operates Bape Cuts hair salon, Bape Gallery, Bape Sounds Records. There’s even a Bape Café with its own brand of food, drinks and dessert. They don’t miss a beat!

Bape Food!

Designer names like Abercrombie and Fitch and Calvin Klein are considered typical lifestyle brands but are no where near as comprehensive as A Bathing Ape. Part of its far-reaching

success could be its constant collaborations – the current big one being Sponge Bob, but has included big companies like Adidas, Casio, Disney, Marvel and Pepsi in the past – combining strengths of the brands involved, leading to mutual benefits to both in expanding their horizons so to speak.

Bape shirts that are two-sided – You know when you grab that shirt even though its dirty but you still wear it? Bape lets you continue this life style by looking new and fresh on the block while doing it. I like how Bape takes into account your busy lifestyle and not having time to wash your clothes all the time. They make it seem like you have more clothes than you really do. The crazy colours and designs are helpful: in case you get lost in a crowd, you'll be easy to find (not good if you’re a fugitive, so criminals beware).

In North America, the culture Bape reaches is limited to those in-the-know, particularly sneaker heads. But in Japan, where it has been established for over a decade, it is well known and not limited to such subculture, but rather to everyone and that’s really where the lifestyle aspect can really take off. Give Bape a few more years in North America and see how far it can go.

Artist: Lucy McKenzie

2008-05-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

"Cheyney and Eileen Disturb a Historian at Pompeii"

Just when I thought there was nothing to write about, I stumbled across Scottish illustrator Lucy McKenzie. McKenzie is a very diverse artist who takes on numerous styles ranging from hyperrealist to abstraction in a variety of media. Her latest series of work is very much influenced by Belgian artist Hergé - who created Tintin - and places her subjects in interesting world destinations in the style of Hergé.

"Lucy and Paulina in the Moscow Metro" / "Simon in Fort Greene"

MSTRKRFT Essential Mix 05.23.2008

2008-05-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Toronto's MSTRKRFT - consisting of Jesse Keeler and Al-P - lend their hands to this week's Essential Mix on BBC Radio One. The two hour electro punk house mix is out-of-this-world and worth checking out - only if you like to party hard.

To be honest, I wasn't much of a fan until I heard this mix. Glad to see these Toronto boys putting out something that can seriously compete with the world's best! This is my top Essential Mix of the year so far.

Imagination Garden

2008-05-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

I was strolling along Yonge St this morning as they were setting up for their annual Green Toronto Festival. They close down the City's busiest intersection outside of the Eaton Centre for car-free activities for everyone - especially hippies and families.

This little thing set up by ING Direct caught my eye - it's called an 'Imagination Garden' and it is equipped with trees and a play area for children. I think it would be a great idea to set up similar micro-environments like this all over the city could give the illusion of green space, and retrofit them with tables for people to sit and enjoy the good weather in the middle of the busiest areas of Toronto. This would be good for the psyche and even as an decorative installation for the landscape. It doesn't take up too much space and is a great idea that I could see people falling for.

It would make a nice intimate break from the concrete jungle that is the city.

As green as it gets

2008-03-20T15:01:00.001-07:00

He makes it look so easy

St. Patrick's Day was earlier this week and it made me realize two things:

i. everyone claims to have some connection to Ireland and,
ii. I have no green clothing!

If I were to go out to a bar and drink green beer on that festive day, I would have nothing to wear! I mean, who doesn't wear green on St. Patty's Day?? It just wouldn't look right.

I have always been simple with my colours: keeping it grey, black and white for the most part. I like the dark, mysterious look. I experimented with purple, but it didn't really work out for me... I sure as hell couldn't go green.

It's not like I hate the green or anything. I do consume things that are green. Like, money (specifically, $20 bills being the most common of cash), my aftershave happens to be green, same with my mouthwash... but clothes? Maybe I should branch out a little, take some risks. Summer's coming up, making it a perfect time to do this. I should have made this a New Year's resolution or something.

But this goes to show you, it's not easy being green.

Pimp my Eiffel

2008-03-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

I love design competitions.

Especially those that mess with an iconic structure in attempt to refresh it's image.

The competition is for the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower and was an open call to designers to reconfigure any of the public reception or access areas in a manner that suits Gustave Eiffel’s renowned structure.

The winner of the competition was Serero Architects and their design consists of a carbon kevlar structure TEMPORARILY (thankfully) affixed to the top floor plate. Not only will this double the capacity of the platform, it will give visitors a new and improved 360-degree view of the city and an interesting new look for the structure and the Paris skyline.

What do you wear under that Batsuit?

2008-03-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Bale and Freeman while filming The Dark Knight

Not only does Italian design house Giorgio Armani design the Italian Police Force's uniforms, they will soon be taking care of another crime fighter: one Caped Crusader. Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne will be getting the designer treatment in this summer's The Dark Knight being clad from head-to-toe in an Armani wardrobe when he's not in his Batsuit. Why expect anything less from billionaire-playboy Bruce Wayne? You can see Christian Bale looking pretty sleek in Dark Knight-themed print ads in fashion magazines when marketing for the film begins.

Craig and Bond girls

Another big movie getting the designer treatment is James Bond, who has a new tailor, namely Tom Ford. The 007 franchise is known to have brand names associated with it, like Omega watches, and previously, Brioni suits. Daniel Craig is reported to have ruined around 40 bespoke suits by Ford during filming already. I'm sure there will be 40 more by the time Quantum of Solace reaches theatres later this year.

Fashion seems to be the the newest addition to movie product tie-ins, or at least, it's more on the radar because of these two blockbusters coming out. I don't understand why this hasn't caught on in other Hollywood films. I mean, fashion is more realistic to have in your flick than Dominos Pizza or Pepsi, because people wear clothes the whole time - unless it's a love scene or something - maybe then they could have designer underwear or sheets. More films should have fashion incorporated in their marketing campaigns to get the names out there and to even influence style.

This has got me wondering: who will Tony Stark be wearing?

Satellite Radio

2008-03-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted it, now I'm listening to the greatness of what is Satellite Radio! They have even have portable XM devices so you can have the world at your earbuds - with no commercials!

I suppose this is how it works

Maybe I'm just really excited because I'm craving an alternative to my ever-static iPod. It's possible they will standardize satellite radio the way they are getting rid of analog televisions by 2010, but no announcements made yet.

XM

Sirius

A Greener, Leaner City - Ras Al Khaimah

2008-03-18T20:12:00.001-07:00

I haven't gotten all planner on all your asses because planning is handling me pretty well these past few weeks. I'm buried in work and don't see an end in sight.

Here's something to feed your city needs, and it comes in the form or Rem Koolhaas' Gateway Eco City in the ever-booming United Arab Emirates. It's goal is similar to the development in Masdar, and includes that of zero-carbon, and zero-waste. The interesting thing about this development is that they planned it in such a way that the least amount of direct sunlight will strike the city’s buildings during the warmest times of day. That's brilliant. I need to see how they figured that out!

I don't want to write about it, because I've been writing enough about cities, so you can read more about it at Inhabitat. Be sure to check out the associated links to Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) as well.

BBC Essential Mix 03.14.08

2008-03-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's March and I haven't written about an Essential Mix all year! Oh wait, I did... It was Hot Chip's a few weeks back - I guess there really hasn't been many stand out mixes this year. On the topic of Hot Chip, this week's mix is from a Detroit-based DJ who opened for them on their UK stretch of their tour, Matthew Dear aka Audion, aka Jabberjaw, aka False. This guy has a lot of aliases and with that, a lot of different sounds spanning through different genres of electronic music - even inventing a few. This mix, he appears as Audion, and offers a minimalistic techno sound. You have until Friday to check it out. Get on it.

He is set to play Circa on Friday April 11th but I'm not sure if he will be spinning or actually performing with a band.

Southland Tales

2008-03-18T14:59:00.001-07:00

"I am a pimp, and pimps don't commit suicide." - uh huh...

Sarah Michelle Gellar always seems to play the overly sexual character in all her film roles.

From the twisted mind of Richard Kelly comes Southland Tales: the movie that stars a random selection of... pretty much everyone you wouldn't expect to see in a movie together and really, makes absolutely no sense. Kelly is the director behind Donnie Darko so you can see where I'm coming from here.

Ladies love JT, even when he's got a nasty scar and is covered in gore.

I'd love to give you a synopsis but I really don't know where to start. I still don't know what to make of this movie, but it comes out on DVD today so I think I'll do a much needed re-watch. Although it got really bad reviews from everyone under the sun (including at Cannes), it's worth checking out what all the fuss is about... that is, if you have 2 and a half hours to spare.

The Rock - who was the breakout star of this film - and Sean Williams Scott

Holler at JE for recommending this one... I think?

Ludwig

2008-03-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

Up and coming brand out of L.A.

www.ludwigvantheman.com

Robert Longo

2008-03-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Dancing Trio I from the "Men in the City" series (1980s)

Robert Longo is a New York-based artist who is influenced by mass media as seen through his work. He is a trained sculptor, but drawing is his expression of choice as his work is done using charcoal and graphite, which is then but in the form of a lithograph. Notable of most of his pieces are the extreme poses the figures hold. Some of them seem to be dancing, others look like they are having a fit of some sort. You be the judge.

Most likely from "Men in the City" - more like "Mob in the City" - okay, lame. But look at how 80's these guys look!

American Psycho series, 2000s

Interesting fact: Longo directed several music videos and even the 1995 Keanu Reeves flick Johnny Mnemonic.

Emmy the Great

2008-03-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

The cutest girl on a guitar by far!

I think I like her more than her music... But this Pixies cover is pretty good!

Ultimates 3 #3: looks can be deceiving

2008-03-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

"Never judge a book by its cover" has never been so true.

Really, the only redeeming quality of this issue is its cover. I mean, who doesn't like dinosaurs? - Even better, eating a naked Wolverine! Yeah, it's a stretch, I know. It's really hard to like this book. The art can't even save it.

Three issues deep and I still have no idea what's going on... It's scary to think there's only 2 left! Hope Jeph Loeb and Joe Mad can get out of this one!

N.E.R.D. @ SxSW

2008-03-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

If you didn't know, the South by Southwest music conference happened last week in Austin, Texas. A lot of music happened from all genres - I've been watching performances from different artists all night, like The Acorn, The Jealous Girlfriends, and Emmy the Great (of whom I have a huge thing for). Through my performance surfing I stumbled across a performance by N.E.R.D. (new joint too!). You could only imagine how I must have reacted. I love how a live band can sound like a Neptunes beat.

N.E.R.D. Live At The Levi'sÂ®/Fader Fort from The FADER on Vimeo.

Can't wait to see these dudes again.

Winter: Lest we forget

2008-03-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's about a half past seven in the pm and the sun's still out. The snow is melting and temperatures are sure to rise in a few days. The long, cold winter is almost over and all we're left with is major infrastructure damage and pretty photos I took a few weeks back at Toogood Pond.

Icey waterfall
Kids playing hockey on the pond. The winters of yesteryear have been way too mild to do this. Should have gotten closer for this one.

Watchmen Movie costumes revealed!

2008-03-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm a week late, but after over 2o years of waiting, it'd be a crime to not post these.

To see the rest, follow the link to Zack Snyder's production blog.

Copping a feel: An introspective look into the Blog Odyssey

2008-03-14T10:31:00.001-07:00

As you can see, the Blog Odyssey is still flying - despite the lack of entries as of late. I frequent many blogs on the internet and have noticed that most of them have a particular focus, like exclusively clothing, or celebrity gossip, or wine. I'm at over 100 posts thus far and I'm still trying to find a niche it seems. Not consciously, of course, but it just occurred to me that there is no focus - it's just all over the place. Do I need to have a particular focus? Or can it just be about shit I think is cool?

My interests span across all types of different mediums and Blodyssey shows that as it offers a glimpse into my twisted mind. Maybe I'm just still feeling around, seeing what fits and what doesn't, or what feels right to me. It could develop into some sort of focus, as it is still in its infancy stages... Who knows... I think its sole purpose is to just feed my ever-expanding ego.

I've seen a few blogs out there on the world wide web that are about extremely unrelated things: like the combination of comic books and basketball. I mean, I dig both, but they are the similar like the sun and moon. If I were just into one of those things, I probably wouldn't read that blog - I actually think it's a horrible combination and I refuse to read that particular blog anyways. Could it be said lack of focus is the reason why readership is low?

The strength of the Blog Odyssey is that you get everything all in one place. One-stop shopping, like a big box store! It's the Wal-Mart of blogs - wait, is that a good thing??

Nevertheless, it's efficient and isn't efficiency what we all really strive for?

Guess who's bizzack?

2008-03-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

There has been a frenzy of new trailers as of late getting ready for the big summer movie season. Who would've seen this one coming?

Wondering why I posted a trailer for a movie starring a washed up 80s/90s action star? Just watch...

p.s. thanks to Miss Ramón for the heads up
p.p.s. Does anyone know how to embed video on to this thing? It would make things a lot easier, don't you think?

Aitor Throup

2008-03-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Aitor Throup is a London-based illustrator, fashion designer and must be a rising star because his shit is bananas (yes, b-a-n-a-n-a-s)!

I want this jacket with the lion on the back!
Pretty imaginative stuff. The poses he uses for his illustrations are so dynamic and full of action, even when they are just modeling his clothing. Throup's website has a gallery of his drawings - definitely worth checking out. You can catch a glimpse of his influences through his illustrations which seem to include super-heroic physicality, eastern religion, and some of his designs look like they could be used for a Final Fantasy game. Someone should get Throup to do costumes in a movie or something, similar to what Jean-Paul Gaultier did for the Fifth Element.

He's taking fashion to the next level - a level which he seems to have defined by himself. You can read more about his process here. It also illustrates this process from initial sketches to the transformation into material pieces.

Frank Gehry: "Starchitect"

2008-03-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Rasin Building, Prague

I was recently inspired by a documentary I saw about world-renowned architect, Frank Gehry. He is known for creating unique buildings that redefine a place and are instant tourist attractions. Many cities go to him to design buildings, because whatever he creates will be innovative and benefit their city by attracting global attention – although it can go dangerously over budget. Gehry's services have now become a badge of distinction beyond the product he delivers. His creations have the ability to breathe new life into a place and creates a new architectural typology within it, while staying true to the existing buildings adjacent. Above all, Gehry is an artist and he creates his pieces at an unimaginablely large scale for all to enjoy and use from a distance or up close.

M.I.T. Building, Boston

Although his works are hugely innovative and rejuvenates a city's landscape, they aren't perfect. Gerhy's work comes with much criticism in terms of scale, safety and reflection issues causing heat. The MIT building above has had it's own share of problems as of late...

The documentary was called Sketches of Frank Gerhy and was directed by Academy Award winning director Sydney Pollack. It’s interesting to see Gerhy’s creative process in the when working on a project. This film illustrates this perfectly as it gets into his head and also shows how he works with others in the creation of his pieces.

Also, check out the homes he designs. He stays true to the history of the home, not removing anything from it’s original form, but adds to it his Gerhy-goodness. I tried Googling good images of homes he’s designed but they are pretty tough to find – but they are totally worth seeing. I want a Gerhy house!

Gehry House, Santa Monica

He is currently working on the redesign of the Art Gallery of Ontario located in his hometown of Toronto.

AGO designs, Toronto

ATTACK of the illustrators!

2008-03-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a slow month in blog-land, but I am willing to make it up to you by POSTING LIKE CRAZY!!

I stumbled across David Bray's work while listening to Mary Anne Hobbs' experimental show on the BBC. She mentioned that he did the album art for something called "The World is Gone." I immediately looked him up. Nude women, bears with freakin' bow ties: what's there not to like? You might recognize his work from Puma campaigns and a h&m promo. I think he primarily uses pen and ink as media.

The other illustrator for this evening's post is Scott McKowen. The first works I've seen of his were his covers for Marvel's 1602 mini series written by Neil Gaiman. He uses a unique technique called scratchboard, created using sharp knives and tools for scratching away - or etching - a thin layer of black India ink, revealing a layer of white China clay.

I've done art using this technique and it is a very intricate, and intensive process (mistakes can be covered up with ink, thankfully - but not white-out). McKowen's work is coupled with colour, really adding to the final image created. He mainly works on covers for fairy tales or children's books.

Adi Dassler

2008-03-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

Adidas have created an elaborate website covering the history of the brand and how it became what it is today. Watching this made me realize that we all probably own something created by Dassler and it's amazing how far his brand has come. This feature highlights some of the greatest moments the brand has lived through and is done using very cool animation. Check it out here.

Nathan Sawaya: Brick artist

2008-02-18T16:21:00.001-08:00

What this guy can do with Lego is incredible. Eat your heart out ages 6 - 99!

Check out his site and gallery!

Recycling is vogue

2008-02-18T14:50:00.000-08:00

Peep Nash's kicks: they look pretty good for shoes made of garbage

Taking eco-consumerism to the next level is Steve Nash's "Trash Talk" shoe. Nash isn't much of a trash-talker on the court, but he has teamed up with Nike to create these shoes completely made of manufacturing scraps. The materials include pieced-together scraps of leather and synthetic leather waste straight from the factory floor. The sole is made up of materials including ground-up rubber from a shoe recycling program. On last night's NBA All Star Game, Nash called the shoe, "trash. Because it is made of trash."

Another company going the recycling route is Nokia whose Remade concept phone is made mostly of recycled materials including aluminum cans, plastic bottles and old car tires. I didn't know this was possible, but the phone consists of environmentally sensitive technologies called printed electronics, which reduces waste and CO2 emissions during manufacturing. At this rate, Nokia products will consume less natural resources, reduce landfill waste and be more energy efficient in the future.

Hopefully all major manufacturing companies can see these advances as a benchmark and as a trend that will continue, aiming to reduce our global ecological footprint.

Gotham Knight

2008-02-16T23:20:00.000-08:00

I caught a glimpse of the new DC animated film called Batman: Gotham Knight. It looks ridiculously impressive.

Gotham Knight is set in between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and will consist of 6 short films by Japanese animation companies - in the tradition of The Animatrix - and written by American comic book writers.

By the look of it - through the character designs, animation, stories- this interpretation of Batman will take the character to another level and takes the franchise somewhere it has never been before. Rumour has it, that Christian Bale may even voice Batman! I can only imagine how highly anticipated Gotham Knight is. It's definitely got me excited! This one's going to be big.

To peep the preview, click here.

Cloud City

2008-02-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

No, this has nothing to do with Lando Calrissian, but an architectural firm called Studio Lindfors.

Cloud City is a response to a recent design competition called What if New York City... where architects and city planners were asked:

"What if New York City were hit by a Category 3 hurricane? What if the most densely residential city in the country loses hundreds of thousands of homes in a few hours? What if millions are left with nowhere to live, to work, or to go to school? What if subways flood, streets close, and whole neighborhoods are submerged by up to 23 feet of ocean water and battered by 130 mile-per-hour winds? What if New Yorkers need a place to live during years of reconstruction?"

If we continue to have density issues on land, why not move it to the sky? There could be some downfalls with this idea (such as blocking of sunlight) and maybe some kinks that would need to be worked out (like waste disposal, etc.), but it is an ambitious idea and definitely an option as soon as we get out of the traditional thinking about ways of planning.

Read more about Cloud City on BLDGBLOG.

Examples of 'Cities in the Sky' from contemporary fiction - Laputa: Castle in the Sky & Bespin Cloud City from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

I have always imagined this to be a possibility in the future, when technology could permit such a migration. Seems very sci-fi, but could very well be a reality in the not-so-distant future.

Imagine leaving your house dressed like this...

2008-02-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

Kanye at Grammys, 2008

Talk about, "comin in the club with that fresh shit on..."

He's wearing glowing glasses!

ComicRack

2008-02-11T23:42:00.001-08:00

Yeah, okay. I'm a comic book nerd. What can I say?

For those with me, here is a cool program so you can read your comics on your computer!

It's like iTunes, but for comic books as it organizes your books with a menu where you can see your collection's covers. Info about the book - such as writer, publishing company, etc. - can be edited and displayed as well.

ComicRack makes reading your books much easier than the traditional picture viewer. It even has a magnifying glass application (for those hard to reach areas)! It has some issues, but it's one of a kind on the net. I'm sure as the program develops, they will make it a bit more user friendly.

High fives for the great idea!

http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

Juan Francisco: Bic Pen Artist

2008-02-11T23:34:00.000-08:00

Takes doodling during lectures to another level.

I bet this guy got all the girls in university.

http://www.juanfranciscocasas.com

Crazy jacket.

2008-02-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

by Yves Saint Laurent

N.E.R.D.'s N.3.R.D

2008-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

The Neptunes: Chad and Pharrell in the Studio, Miami

Everyone thought they were done. Leaving the game after 2 albums to pursue individual endeavors. I thought it was all over with P's solo record. But Pharrell, Chad and Shay are back as N-E-R-D with their third record N.3.R.D.

Big news indeed. These guys are one of the best bands to come out after the new millennium. They have been consistent over the years with their one-of-a-kind sound. Imagine funky rock with hip hop, blues and soul influence... Now imagine that, but from outer space!

N.3.R.D. is expected for Spring of this year, but until then, check out their now classic, In Search Of... and Fly or Die.

West Queen West Gallery Hop

2008-01-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, I found myself at The Social on WQW and decided to take time out from partying to check out the galleries found on the street. The stretch of Queen West from Bathurst to the Gladstone is known to be Toronto's premier art district, even housing The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. The great thing about the WQW galleries is that they are store fronts, meaning they are always open! Past a certain time however, the doors are closed but you can still look inside and have a clear view the art. Some even keep their spotlights on as to illuminate the pieces all night long.

Galerie Lausberg, 880 Queen St W

The street itself is a living art gallery, and as you pass numerous galleries on your stroll. The artists are not limited to a particular medium either, as there are sculptures, paintings, and use of very non-traditional items as materials. I was able to snap a few pictures of what I saw.

Maria Gabankova and Mary Catherine Newcomb, 1174 Queen St W

Angell Gallery, 890 Queen St W

The galleries on WQW are free, so you are encouraged to gallery hop and there is much to see for all your tastes. Go here to check out all the galleries WQW has to offer.
Engine Gallery, 1112 Queen St W

Heywire Guild & Gallery

2008-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't like DeviantArt, there is another artist community on the web called Heywire. Pieces are divided in galleries and there's something for everyone from Architecture to Typography.

It's not as smooth as DeviantArt but it has categories making it easy to find what you like.

INVADER!

2008-01-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

French street artist Invader (famous for his Space Invaders) is known for his pixelated style using mosaic. Invader creates artwork from various mediums, including Rubik's cubes, sneakers and stickers. On the eighties theme for today, here's a work in progress using Rubik's cubes.

Interesting Solar Solutions

2008-01-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Sanyo Solar Ark

It doesn't go in water, but this solar energy collecting building (yes, you can go inside of this thing) consists of over 5,000 solar panels and provides over 500,000 kWh of energy per year. The Solar Ark is considered one of the best examples of building integrated photovoltaic design to date.

SolarReserve

A big limitation to solar power is its inability to generate electricity at night or during cloudy days. SolarReserve attempts to address this drawback by capturing solar energy in molten salt. I'm no scientist, so I suggest you read how this can be done here. But this new solar program will attempt produce up to 500 megawatts of peak power which is comparable to what a coal power plant can produce only with no greenhouse gas emissions. Yummy.

Yoshitaka Amano

2008-01-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I am captivated by Yoshitaka Amano .

Amano is a Japanese artist who is known for his illustrations and character design in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. He has played a crucial role in the creation and aesthetic basis of some of the most well known franchises. Read more about him here.

New American Paintings

2008-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

If one would ever question painting's validity in the diverse world of contemporary art, they should check out New American Paintings' cataloge. It is considered an art competition as a jury reviews over five thousand American artists annually and are categorized by region: North-eastern, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, Midwestern, Western, and Pacific Coast - with subject matter varying based on location.

The artists selected are provided free space in the publication based on their artistic merit and have a chance to be noticed by a wider audience of collectors. It comes out six times a year but offers an insight to the artist and their work through written rationales of their work. It is a great way to stay current on emerging painters of this age, a field which doesn't get much attention in this contemporary period (more focused on photo-based work, installations, video, digital work and drawing). New American Paintings show that the art of painting is still alive and well and co-exist within the realm of Contemporary art.

Why I'm Mad

2008-01-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

Sucks that my first entry of '08 has to be a negative one, because this year has been pretty good so far! Also sucks that I have to start my first entry of the year with the word 'sucks.' But there are few things rubbing me the wrong way as of late. I will use this opportunity to vent.

1. Dell

Right now, I'm using my desktop PC instead of my laptop because of it's recent crash. It crashed on December 26th and it is still out of commission. I've spoke to Dell a dozen times but it's still not fixed. These people tell me they will call me back to help me some more but they never do!! I can't call another person because they don't know what the issue is or what has been done so far!

2. Photos on my mobile

Related to the computer issue, is my cellphone (which doubles as a camera) and how it cannot connect through USB to upload my files. I came on originally to update with photos I took last night but the USB is not working on it!

3. The Amazing Spider-Man: One More Day & Brand New Day

After the events in Civil War involving Spider-Man, a whole can of problems opened up. Peter Parker unmasked himself to the world, didn't he think this would compromise his life? The result was, him being sued by the Daily Bugle for all those photos he's taken of his alter ego for years, and Aunt May getting shot. So, in order to save her, he makes a deal with Mephisto (the Marvel equivalent of the devil) to erase everything that has happened and start again. This would cost him his wife, Mary Jane, but now Peter is 30, living with his now healthy Aunt May. They retconned the retcon and now Spidey is back the way was since the late sixties. Pretty lame. I guess they see all the mistakes they've made with Spider-Man these past few decades and erased all of it, taking the character back to his basics. They already have Ultimate Spider-Man for that. Now he's a 30 year old slacker living with his Aunt. I thought Spidey was ruined before... This makes it so much worse.

4. DHL Express

So I ended up buying those Andy Warhol x Levis jeans because I found my size on the internet. Buying them was easy, but receiving them is a whole other story. This courier DHL delivered it to my house twice but I couldn't receive it because I wasn't home and went to work early. Now I have to wait 5 days to pick it up at their head office which is in the middle of nowhere!!! Ugh! All this for a pair of pants. They could have tried again on Monday! Geez!

5. Uffie

Some genius scheduled Uffie (w/ Steve Aoki) for a Sunday night at the Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto. It'd be cool to go to for sure, because when will you get to see Uffie pop her glock in town ever? Why would anyone schedule a show on a Sunday. Maybe I'm Lame (yes, with a capital 'L') for not going out on a Sunday night, but isn't that normal?

6. Sleeping

I seem to be missing out on life because I can't wake up in the morning. I don't like waking up, so what! Is that a sign of a depressed person? I don't feel depressed! I just don't look forward to the long commutes to school so early in the morning. It's too cold! It's too dark! And my bed is so warm and nice.

Pointless, I know, but I need to get something on here until I can get my camera working!

Obscure Adidas

2007-12-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

Adidas appears to be branching out towards products that don't seem to fit anywhere in their sports inspired line up.

Featured are new Trefoil Adidas cookie cutters in the shape of the adidas originals logo. Supposedly, these were created with adidas' founder Adi Dassler's parents in mind. The Dassler parents originally wanted their son to be a baker but then he created a multi-billion dollar shoe empire. I'm sure they didn't mind that.

Japanese artist Madsaki recently opened up his "All Day I Dream About Sunsex" exhibition and released was a special set of incense. Kuumba International is well known for their fragrant room sprays and incenses teamed up with Adidas and Madsaki for this item.

adidas x Kuumba International x Madsaki Sunsex Incense

Diggable in 2007: Part Deux

2007-12-30T11:12:00.000-08:00

Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis is a British-born author and writes novels, comics and for television. He is known for his sociocultural commentary, covering transhumanist themes (most notably nanotechnology and human enhancement).

I met him a few years back but didn't really think much of it. But this year, I discovered his work and was blown away. It's imaginative, with a scientific touch, giving it a sense of realism. With his work in Planetary, my whole idea of the world changed - I mean, I realize this is fiction, but he got me seriously asking, "What if?" Planetary took the existing world and added a twist to it.

The thing I enjoy about Warren Ellis' comic work is the original ideas and outlooks he gives to the characters. He has unique ideas for powers as well - The Authority's Jack Hawksmoor ("King of Cities") is attached to the nervous system of cities and is powered by the living city (pretty nuts I'd say). It's very much science fiction, but explains it with science fact with lots of multi-dimensions and so on. I think if he were to write for Heroes or other already established comics, he would reinvent them. His next work is going to be on Astonishing X-Men and with all the secondary mutations going on, I'm interested to see how he will change that book.

CN Tower

This past summer, the CN Tower now comes in a few new flavours! The addition of the lights on Toronto's tallest free standing building (notice how I said 'Toronto's'?) was the best idea from the City in a while. I thought it was just going to be a feature of LuminaTO this year, but it kept going. Such a terrific idea and breathes new life into the Tower. The night skyline looks so much better now with Toronto's symbol being accentuated and stands out.

Sophomore Albums

By far, the best album of the year belongs to Feist. Before the first track was over, I already declared The Reminder better than her debut. I was right about that. It is non stop goodness from top to bottom. There weren't too many records this year that stood out like this one.

Arcade Fire also came out with their follow up to their first release this year with Neon Bible. It was a great album, although some may argue the first was a bit more memorable. All the songs were solid and musically amazing. It was a strong follow up for sure.

That is the hard part about coming out with a breakthrough record is following it up. Both albums do that with flying colours.

John Cassaday

I enjoy comic book art, that's no secret. I think they are the best artists on the planet as they have this ability to express dynamic motion through story telling and do it on such a regular basis. I have to admit, subconsciously, I've been following one artist this year and that is John Cassaday. He c0-created Planetary with Warren Ellis and through that book you can see his style evolving into the refined, close to a real photo style it is now. He also did work on Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men, and boy can he draw the X-Men. His art mixed with Laura Depuy's colouring is the recipe for perfection here. Just pick up his work and you will see what I mean. Stunning realism using few lines, but capturing realistic proportions. Top artist of the year for sure.

Skinny Ties

What more can I say? They got me through 2007.

Portugese Egg Tart

It is a traditional Portuguese pastry that consists of custard in a crème brûlée-like consistency caramelized fashion in a puff pastry case. Isabel told me about them after her trip to HK (I think they are common in Macau). Probably the best tasting thing I've ever put in my mouth. They can be found in cafes in Little Italy along College Street.

Solar Wind Pavilion

2007-12-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

Architect Michael Jantzen designed what he calls the Solar Wind Pavilion for California State University. It will attempt to use wind power generation, solar energy, and rainwater harvesting - all for energy purposes - also doubling as a public space. Having these structures that are sustainable as well as provide a space for public gathering will enhance the area's sense of place. All of these green structures should have the social aspect in mind when planning it.

It will be built using lightweight, but high strength, composite concrete and will be able to accommodate a gathering of 300 people.

The pavilion will harvest energy from the natural environment, which would be used to power the university. It would convert wind energy into electrical energy and would also capture solar energy to produce electricity, while its canopy roof would collect rainwater.

I would expect to see these types of interestingly designed structures to be all over the place as it is sustainable and interactive: A great combination for public space.

Andy Warhol for Levis

2007-12-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

Being on a real jean tip as of late, I really want these. I'm a sucker for the purple and the turquoise stitching.

Radiohead's New Years Eve Gig

2007-12-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

Announced on Radiohead's official website, the band will be playing a show online to usher in the New Year. The technologically-inclined band will be playing stuff from their new record In Rainbows as well as some covers. Makes for a good plan for those who are kicking back and celebrating at home this New Year's Eve.

Not Down With: 2007

2007-12-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

24

Season six of 24 was weak this year. And I mean WEAK! The writing was so off, Jack Bauer doesn't make mistakes...Never has in the 5 days we know him in. He made too many in this season. I tried justifying its suckiness by him being tortured in China for months, but it still didn't save the season. I almost gave up on it. The best part about Day Six was when it ended.

Movies

I'm sure people could argue this point with me, but movies totally blew this year. I didn't see a good movie that came out in 2007 at all. I mean the summer blockbusters were a sad bunch, and all the hype for the third installments for big franchises fell through. Spider-Man 3 was horrible, Pirates 3 had me lost the whole time, and that Bourne movie was so shitty - haven't we all seen the same story before? There were a few good ones, like The Darjeeling Limited and Superbad...and uh... I dunno, some others I guess.

Maybe I just saw all the crappy ones...

The Kick Game

I was big into street fashion and sneaker culture but after the events of 2007, it was enough to call it quits. For months, I was waiting for the nice pair... I'm still waiting. The kick game sucked big time this year! Nothing nice came out, there wasn't even the 'it' shoe this year for everyone to be hyped about. I used to want to have the freshest pair, now I just don't care.

A sad year for sneaker culture.

Hot Chip BBC Essential Mix 12.28.07

2007-12-29T11:58:00.001-08:00

British electro-pop band Hot Chip supplies us with the last Essential Mix for the year. Their new album, Made in the Dark is pre-destined for greatness, getting stellar reviews already (it doesn't come out until February). The mix is so diverse, taking from various genres of music, which I usually hate, but somehow, these guys made it work! Great mix - one of the best of this year, check it out on the BBC Radio One website.

OH! And for what I presume would be a limited time only, the world's biggest DJs are hand picking their favorite past Essential Mixes. Listen to them while you can, because some of these are hard to find now! They have Daft Punk's '97 mix, Tiesto's first Essential Mix from '01 and Paul Oakenfold's legendary Goa Mix - EPIC shit, I'm telling you.

Diggable in 2007: Part 1

2007-12-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

With Christmas over, now is the most appropriate time to talk about 2007. As much as I like year end lists that are popping up in all websites and magazines, I'm not going to give that to you. Here are just a few things I dug in '07.

Sonic Youth

Took me years to even think of listening to this band - considering they've been rocking out since '81 - but through curiosity and torrent sites, I got their discography and they have been part of my playlist ever since. They are an alternative rock band out of New York and considering how long they've been together, their sound really defines the alternative era. They got me after I listened to their 2006 release, Rather Ripped (a killer album) and followed it up by releasing a B-sides record, The Destroyed Room. But consider this: Sonic Youth has recorded dozens of albums and EPs in their 26 years of existance and are still going strong! They have not slowed down and will not release a Greatest Hits record. They are very experimental so keep that in mind when you listen to them. They are willing to express themselves through their music and take risks and have continued to do so for decades. I haven't had a favorite band for a while, but Sonic Youth did it for me. It seems that I really dig the New York rock scene more and more as I continue to discover it.

Last.fm - The Social Music Revolution

Was also meaning to get to this for a while, I finally did in '07. It's a great way of tracking the music you listen to and for all your friends to see as well. LastFM provides a good music community as you can see who has similar tastes as you and who's going to what show, etc. It's interesting to see who, what and how often you listen to whoever, and what other bands sound like the ones you like. 2007 was the year for musical discoveries for me, with the help of torrents and LastFM. I don't really use it anymore, but when I did, it was an obsession. Now, all these sort of features have been consolidated into Facebook so what's the point of going to another website. I wonder if usage has diminished because of the Facebook applications...hmm

http://www.last.fm/

WildStorm
WildStorm Productions is an imprint publishing company and studio for DC Comics. Titles in this imprint are, for the most part creator-owned and serves as a place where an artist and writer are free to flex their creative muscle by creating their own stories without having to conform to the limitations when working for the big studios, ie. Marvel or DC. They tell the stories they want to tell.

The result: more imaginative, mature stories, with intelligent writing and stunning artwork.

Titles in this imprint include Ellis and Cassaday's Planetary and Vaughn and Harris' Ex Machina (as previously blogged about, fellow readers!). WildStorm is comics for the new millenium. This is the future of comics with a less superhero-y feel and brilliant stories. After reading various titles found in this imprint, I was embarrassed I ever even read superhero comics from Marvel and DC. I guess this is me growing up... well I mean I'm still reading comics but... Ah never mind! WildStorm has definitely changed comics for me. Sometimes, it takes the creator owned titles to do something bold to get this change rolling.

Wikipedia

Really now, what would I do without this website? What would any of us do? It's information at your fingertips. I've learned so much from Wikipedia this year and it was a great thing to have for long days at the office. If you ever question, or wonder ANYTHING, just go to Wikipedia and your itch will be scratched.

http://www.wikipedia.org/

Gap Morrisons

Quite frankly, the best jean out there. It's a slim, straight fit jean and a lot nicer looking than the skinny fit that is o-so popular. They give a clean, fitted look, not too tight and not too baggy. Their colours are great too with a solid colour, no fading, although they have faded pairs as well. It is a versitile jean as it has many different washes, giving them a different look, but with the same fit. If you are into raw denim (or that appears to be raw), the Morrisons give you that look for an affordable price.

Best Christmas Gift EVER!

2007-12-29T11:40:00.001-08:00

ODB Quote of the Day

2007-12-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

My laptop crashed... :0(

I lost everything.

Now is the perfect time for a selection from Old Dirty Bastard's memorable lyrics:

"Yo, silence on Smith with six shots, lick shots
Leave ya head like a Shaolin monk with six dots"

Os Gemeos

2007-12-25T21:46:00.001-08:00

The Flowers in This Garden Were Planted by My Grandparents Exhibit

Cowboy Bebop

2007-12-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

"And the work which has become a genre unto itself shall be called: Cowboy Bebop"

For the last three days, I've been marathon-ing the Japanese anime series, Cowboy Bebop.

Consisting of 26 episodes (called 'sessions') and one feature length film, it follows the adventures of a group of bounty hunters (known as 'cowboys') who travel the solar system in the year 2071. It is considered by numerous polls as one of the top Japanese anime series of all time, as well as a worldwide commercial success.

The Bebop ship is home to Spike Spiegel and Jet Black and as the series goes on, Faye Valentine, Edward and Ein join the crew. The characters develop through the sessions as you learn more and more about them and their back story. I was surprised at how interesting these characters actually are, in comparision to other shows. There's so much more to them than you would think. The stories are terrific and the series as a whole never seems to do anything wrong. Every episode is strong in its own way and it rarely misses a beat, coming together as it progresses.

The world created for this series is a melting pot of cultures along with spaceships and is an original perspective of a potential future. The cultures are rich even as backdrops for the series and encompasses different real world influences to create them. A very visionary take, and all acts as a setting for these bounty hunters to exist within.

Spike Spiegel

A highlight about Cowboy Bebop besides its amazing animation, great stories and likable characters is its soundtrack! It encompasses various genres from jazz, to rockabilly and numerous other styles of American music of the 20th century - the names of most episodes are actually names of American rock albums. The series has produced four full albums and a handful of EPs in its time. Seeing Spike whupping dudes over a jazz soundtrack is a unique take on an action scene. Many things about this series is unique and really put it into a class of its own. You may not be a fan of anime (I wouldn't necessarily say I am) but you will appriciate the story and the characters of Cowboy Bebop. It is a fantastic series.

With Astro Boy and a live action Speed Racer flick on the way, as well as a Dragon Ball Z one in development, it seems that the next trend in Hollywood is influenced by Japanese anime. The superhero movies have eaten up the market for the past few years, it seems this will be the new big thing. I'd expect to see more films taken from anime series. Cowboy Bebop is one of the biggest, most successful and critically acclaimed series of all time, so you know it will be adapted into Hollywood. They'd have to do it right though. I could kind of see Keanu Reeves as Spike... is that bad?? It could work!

See you Space Cowboy...

Knives Don't Have Your Back

2007-12-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

If you knew this, then you must have heard Emily Haines' solo record.

By now this album's been out for 2 years but I just re-listened to it again after sometime. It's a haunting album and I can't seem to stop listening to it as of late.

“When I was a little kid…I would creep downstairs to the piano and write rudimentary songs about imaginary places... I hated the idea of anybody hearing me. Everywhere I’ve lived while working with Metric, I’ve written songs on the piano and played them for no one. On the advice of a friend, I decided I’d better start recording them before they were forgotten. Four meandering years later I ended up with this collection of songs featuring a few of my favorite people, a group I call The Soft Skeleton.” - Emily Haines

Such a great album that I feel I need to make a post about it. It seems as though I never really appreciated it until now.

It is almost reminiscent of a Feist record, but imagine much darker. It has an aura about it that very few albums I've heard have - the only one I can think of is Thom Yorke's The Eraser.

This one's definitely a classic.

West Queen West Triangle Development

2007-12-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

The West Queen West Neighbourhood

West Queen West is a neighbourhood located along Queen Street West from Bathurst Street to Dufferin. It consists of numerous galleries, restaurants and various retail stores. A few students including myself did a project in the neighbourhood for its budding Business Improvement Association earlier this year in ways to transform the area into a tourism destination.

The Drake Hotel, a landmark destination for WQW

During that time, WQW was going through a battle that endangered the current image and lifestyle of the neighbourhood.

West Queen West Triangle

What the Triangle looks like at the moment

The threat (or opportunity, depending on how you see it) it faced is similar among numerous Toronto neighbourhoods – the influx of condominiums. The existing way of life and culture could disappear due to gentrification of the area with new population coming in along with the developments. It can be an opportunity this way as it brings new life to a possibly deteriorating neighbourhood and raises property value, etc. etc. You’ve heard it all before.

A similar threat was posed in the West Queen West neighbourhood earlier this year as WESTside Lofts and Bohemian Embassy wanted to build a condos within the West Queen West Triangle – marketed towards the young and hip. This would raise the price of rent in the area substantially and in turn, would force out the artists who call the area home.

Angry at gentrification

An association called Active 18 – consisting of citizens, residents and the business-owners association – spearheaded the battle against the condo developers in hopes to save the character of their neighbourhood. It was an up and down battle, even got Mayor Miller involved. The area would have lost its integrity and culture which it was so known for and residents would do anything to save it.

At the end of October, two agreements were reached as is as follows:

150 Sudbury St. – West Side Lofts, a Landmark Development Corporation condominium (design pictured above):

- 56,000 square feet sold to Toronto Artscape at a significant discount for artist live/work studios, of which approximately 52 units would be affordable for low-income artists
- $250,000 towards the cost of relocating the Toronto Public Health offices out of the Beatrice Lilly Centre (also known as the Carnegie Library building)
- $1 million towards the restoration and conversion of the historic Carnegie Library building from municipal offices to a Performing Arts Hub

45 Lisgar St. - a rental apartment building by Medallion Corporation:

- 10,000 square feet for new offices for Public Health at no cost over a 50-year period
- Toronto Public Health will relocate their offices from the Beatrice Lilly Centre at 1115 Queen Street W. so the building can be converted to a theatre

There were previously signed agreements with developers also include community contributions:

1171 Queen St. W. – Bohemian Embassy Condos by Baywood Homes:

- $500,000 for community arts infrastructure

48 Abell, an old warehouse in the Queen West Triangle

48 Abell St. – a developer, Verdiroc, with an affordable housing provider, St. Clare’s Multi-Faith:
- 190 affordable housing units, funded through the City and which include 28 artist live/work studios at affordable rents
- a minimum of six artist work studios (approximately 3600 sq. ft. of space) along the new Creative Mews - studios will be sold to the City at below market rates.

So a solution of exchanging density for affordable housing was an approach for both the residents and developers to agree on. More density - the developers - for more units of affordable housing - WQW. It will be interesting to see what will happen to the West Queen West community after these condos go up.

To know more about this issue, check out the links:

http://active18.org/

http://www.toronto.ca/planning/westqueenwest.htm#studyarea

http://www.westqueenwest.ca/

Ex Machina

2007-12-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

I have just completed volumes 1 to 4 of Brian K Vaughn and Tony Harris' creator-owned title, Ex Machina and let me just say, quite honestly, it is the best comic I've ever read... Maybe even the best thing I've ever read. Huge statement, I know, but in 4 volumes (out of 6 so far), I am convinced.

The series details the life of Mitchell Hundred, who happened to be the world's first and only superhero, The Great Machine. He had mysteriously contracted the power to converse with machines (a mystery that is still unfolding in the story). In the wake of his actions on 9/11 - saves one tower - he gives up his disguise as the Great Machine and wants to make a real difference and is elected Mayor of New York City. The story is set during Hundred's term in office, and interweaved with flashbacks to his past as the Great Machine and throughout different stages of his life – a very interesting thing to do to a character which really gives him depth. The series explores both the political situations Hundred finds himself in, and the mysteries surrounding his superpowers.

The thing I can’t get over is that Mitchell is a REAL dude. I can't stress that enough. All the characters are written the way people talk (including the swears). No other character you have encountered is as real as him and the cast of characters in the book. I don’t know how Vaughn does it, but these characters he’s created live and breathe off the page. I haven’t even begun talking about Tony Harris’ art - I'm a big art guy and all I've been doing is gushing about the writing. Do I even need to say anything? His art speaks for itself. The expressions he can convey are out of this world and really add to the realism of the cast of characters. It has a fairly good sized cast and I am amazed by the depth of each character and how they continuously develop.

It is a very well thought out story and I love how all the characters are utilized and no one gets short-changed, even when the stories go from the real, political issues (so far, they've dealt with gay marriage, racism, censorship and anti-war), to Mitchell's other issues involving the mystery of his powers or the need for him to solve a crime. It might seem overly political at first glance, but really, it deals with relevant issues everyone is familiar with and even if you politically oblivious, it will not go over your head. With that said, it still remains smart and has numerous non-political elements (more so than political) which you can be wrapped up in and enjoy. It is a very human story set in a very real world where superheroes are only found in comic books (until Mitchell, of course).

I don't think what I can write can give Vaughn and Harris' work any justice. It is the best written work I've encountered in years and is another book adding to the reason why I don't like superhero comics anymore. The reason I like the comic book medium is that it is smart, way ahead of any other medium in terms of storytelling, ideas and depth it can get into. Ex Machina is a perfect example of what it can accomplish.

Best book in comics. By far. I guess this means I should give Vaughn's Y: The Last Man another shot. One book at a time. I'll let you know how that goes.

Holler at JE for tipping me on this one. When he said Mitchell was the best character in comics, he was right.

Cardigan Craziness

2007-12-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

I like to think I'm on top of all things fashion, but this season's got me stumped! Since when did sweater vests go out of style? Cardigans are all the rage now for some odd reason. Yes, the 'old man sweater' is what everyone is jumping on now. I rocked the cardigan since last year, and got a lot of flack for it, like I was aging myself. I amassed quite the cardigan collection in that time too. Now everyone is on that shit. I don't get it. Is it a spring season thing or something?

I'm trying to find a gift for my lady friend - who wants a sweater vest - but no store in the City has one. They recommend me a cardigan... hate to burst your bubble H&M, Gap, Club Monaco, Banana Republic, etc, etc, but it isn't a sweater vest.

Thank goodness for the internet. You can find anything on here, including sweater vests. What sucks is that they won't arrive until after Christmas.

Marcello Mastroianni

2007-12-20T21:36:00.000-08:00

If you have been following my blog lately, you'd know that I've been watching a lot of Italian neorealist and modernist cinema. The last two films I've watched - 8½ and as of this evening, Luchino Visconti's Le notti bianche (White Nights) - featured Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni. This guy must have invented 'cool' because he was doing it before everybody.

He was the premier Italian actor of the postwar era, and considered among the most popular international stars in movie history. He made his film debut in 1947 but were rarely screened outside of Italy. Mastroianni's international breakthrough was Fellini's 1960 masterpiece, La Dolce Vita - a long (very long...to the point where I fell asleep), enigmatic exposé of the lives of Rome's wealthy socialites and partygoers. The picture was a global smash, and star Mastroianni, portraying a jaded, disillusioned gossip columnist, became a worldwide success. Since then, Mastroianni has starred in scores and scores of films up until his death in 1996.

After seeing Mastroianni in these films, I definately consider him one of my favorite actors - a list that only consists of 3 other actors (Benicio del Toro, Gael García Bernal, and Ed Norton). He has a presence about him on screen, where he can be sincere, even when meeting him in an alley at the middle of the night, but can also evoke a distanced, expressionless demeanor and still brings this element of cool to every role he's in. He has the look of a movie star.

I recommend paying off your late fees and going to the library for his films because most video stores don't carry the old Italian ones and expect to pay $40+ for Criterion Collection editions in stores. Unless you go on eBay, where you can find Criterion for really cheap.

Kings of Convenience

2007-12-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

It's a Thursday night and just want a quiet in.

I'm just chilling out in my room listening to a Norwegian indie-folk duo the Kings of Convenience. The album is called Quiet is the New Loud.

Also, check out their latest, Riot on an Empty Street.

Pac-Man Christmas Tree

2007-12-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Currently on display in downtown Madrid is this fantastic Pac-Man Xmas tree! It features a fully-animated version of the classic arcade game, rendered across thousands of colored LEDs. How cool would it be if you could play it??

Execution

2007-12-19T19:40:00.001-08:00

An important work for Chinese contemporary art made by artist Yue Minjun. Painted in 1995, it was inspired by the events of Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Minjun had to keep this piece a secret because if the Beijing government were to find out, he would be prosecuted due to its political nature. It was in storage for years until this year, where Minjun's Execution would become the most expensive work of Chinese contemporary art sold for the equivalent of $5.9 million US at London's Sotheby's. This piece has been billed as one of the most historically important paintings of the Chinese avant-garde.

Ludwig Van

2007-12-18T22:10:00.001-08:00

Remember Alex from A Clockwork Orange? Well he's back, in bust form. Yes! That's right! San Fransisco-based artist Frank Kozik sculpted it to resemble the famous image of Alex's hero, Ludwig Van Beethoven. It even has the Droog's signature bowler-hat and the eye-lashes!

The 16" Victorian-styled bronze-on-marble bust with an edition of 20 are priced at $3000 US each. The vinyl edition will be priced at $200 US and is slated for a 2008 release. They will come in 2 colorways - white and orange.

Links:

http://toysrevil.blogspot.com/

http://www.fkozik.com/

Seatlle's biggest SLUT

2007-12-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Seatlle's South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) made it's debut last week with its goal of bringing eco-friendly transit to a city plagued by gridlock and help its image as a progressive environmental city. The line runs 1.3 miles long and stops every 2-3 blocks allowing up to 140 passengers to ride every 15 minutes.

SLUT

Although this initiative is supported, some residents question the construction budget of $50 million+ and annual operating costs of $1.7 million. Almost half of the costs were covered by local property tax through a Local Improvement District (LID) while the rest comes from federal, and state governments. If there is ridership, I'm sure it will pay off in the long run.

The city is expects 330,000 passengers in SLUT's first year with projections growing to a million+ annually. In its first month, rides are free and then rises to $1.50. It's definitely worth it considering it beats the stress of driving and busing and helps with fuel efficiency. If only the TTC was this cheap... I'm unfamiliar with the stats on TTC's streetcars, I should probably look that up.

...Just when I thought getting a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP) was bad.

Links:

http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/

Artist: Jack Kirby

2007-12-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

Jack Kirby and his characters

Jack Kirby (1917 - 1994) is known to historians and most comic creators as the most influential and recognizable artist in American comic book art in the 20th century. He is the co-creator of many enduring characters such as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Hulk, and Captain America and dozens more going back since the beginning of the medium. Everyone has seen this style of comic art as it is synonymous with that era.

His art was dynamic and had the ability to provide an epic experience to comics with his art threatening to fly out of the page. He gave life to characters showing tension and energy.
His run at Marvel Comics in the '50s and '60s made him legendary and changed the way of storytelling and style of motion - the results of this influence is seen in comics today.

The best way to get to know about Kirby the King is by reading his stories. Look him up! Marvel has a few books in Visionairies line featuring Jack Kirby.

Links:

http://kirbymuseum.org/

BBC/Ice Cream Spring/Summer '08

2007-12-18T09:54:00.001-08:00

N*E*R*D for BBC/Ice Cream

Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream are clothing lines established by Pharrell Williams and Nigo (A Bathing Ape) in late 2005. The brands have been known for their wacky designs but its Spring/Summer collection has a clean, almost preppy look to them. The line consists of more slim cut items including knitwear inspired by classic American brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. They are also expanding their women's line through this collection.

It's a good collection - especially the bags - but I don't think I'd rock it. Still a little too wild for the most part. BBC and Ice Cream are becoming more wearable with their simplified designs, as it gets older, but still have a few items which are far out of this world.

Check out the lookbook:

http://www.bbcicecream.com/lookbook/

The Dark Knight

2007-12-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

How could I not post this?

The trailer came out this past weekend:

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

You have to update Quicktime for it. I did that, but it made my computer explode. If you know what I mean, then click here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2tYWlqreiU

If that doesn't look like the craziest movie ever, I don't know what does.

Recipe of the Week: Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2007-12-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

(Need to find my own image)

In case you're home on a Friday night and don't want to spend money on buying food, here is a fun recipe that you can try. It's the simplest thing to make and it tastes SO GOOD!

This recipe can give you ten servings so be prepared to eat, or call some friends over! :0)

You will need:

3 cups of macaroni
½ cup margarine
½ flour
2 cups of milk
1 pound of shredded cheese (any cheese will do, depending on your taste - try havarti!)

There is a 98% chance that you have all these ingredients in your house already, so here's a good way to put them all to use.

Preheat oven to 375'F. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain and set aside - if Kraft Mac and Cheese is all you have, then I'd say mix it in with the cheese powder too for extra-cheesy goodness. Melt margarine over low heat.

Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk; heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute.

Add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, remove from heat. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Transfer to an ungreased 9x12" baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through.

You can add whatever you want to the Macaroni - like tomatoes, sausage, chicken, etc. - to give it that extra little kick, but do it before you pop it in the oven. It's great as a meal itself or even as a side.

The great thing about this recipe is that it is so diverse and could be interchanged with choice of noodle, cheese and other ingredients.

And there you go! A quick tasty meal straight from the thrifty cookbook of Neil!

8 ½

2007-12-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

I know, I've been riding Italy lately, and really, it's not on purpose. I don't mean for A Blog Odyssey to seem like it's 'viva italia' or something but let's face it, Italy has got it going on. Don't let me get into the spaghetti I ate tonight...

After years, I finally watched Fredrico Fellini's 1963 film 8½. It is considered by film critics and fans alike, to be one of the best films ever made - it is found in numerous 'top ten lists' and the British Film Institute ranked it the 3rd best film of all time. After seeing 8½, I definitely consider it in my top three.

It is filmed in black and white and revolves around an Italian film director, Guido Anselmi (played by a very cool, Marcello Mastroianni) who is supposed to be directing a science fiction film, but has lost interest amid artistic and marital difficulties. Guido experiences a fragmented reality with flashbacks and dreams interwoven with reality. A true artist, I'd say. He is constantly surrounded by the most beautiful actresses who all want a part in his next film, and at the same time, dealing with the producers. For Fellini, the film is semi-autobiographical as he also was suffering from director's block while making the film. He got past this and is considered one of the most influential directors of the 20th century.

For a movie made in 1963, it was a relatively fast-paced and really captured my interest. It is a film about making a film essentially, and Fellini really captures the creative process and the struggle a director must go through, coupled with the struggles of real life and relationships. There are issues that are time specific, such as the encroaching effects of modernization seen in mid-20th century Italy, but others are timeless such as finding true personal happiness in a difficult, disjointed life.

Great film, kudos to J6 for tipping me on this one...too bad it took me years to watch it.

Artist: Maurizio Cattelan

2007-12-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

Maurizio Cattelan

Maurizio Cattelan is a self-taught, Italian artist who began his art career making wooden furniture in the eighties. Since making it big in the art world in the ninties, Cattelan has earned a reputation as a clown, juggling shamelessly with the traditions of art, literature and popular culture. Cattelan pokes fun at various systems of order through his work– from social niceties to the art world itself – and often uses themes and motifs from art of the past and other cultural sectors in order to get his ideas across.

One of his best known works is La Nona Ora which consists of a wax sculpture of Pope John Paul II being crushed by a meteor. This piece is a good example of his typically frivolous approach. He has since been known for his provocative work.

La Nona Ora, 1999
Red carpet, glass, wax, painted lifesize figure

Another piece that caught much attention in 2000, was his Not Afraid of Love where he captures the grandiose size of an elephant and hides its under a sheet, rendering it vulnerable ... or he could be going out trick or treating on Halloween - the interpretation is up to you. Unlike other Cattelan pieces, this is not a real elephant - he had a phase of experimenting with taxidermy where he would use dead stuffed animals in his work. The elephant in said piece is made of wax and paint, I assure you.

Not Afraid of Love, 2000
Polyester, styrene, resin, paint and fabric

My absolute favorite Cattelan piece is his 2001 installation Untitled, which depicts himself crawling out of the floor, admiring works of the old masters. I like how he is shown as a viewer of the pieces, paying respect to the artists before him... or he could just be getting ready to steal the art works in a great heist - contemporary art allows for such interpretations, thankfully.

“Untitled,”
Painted wax, hair and fabric figure.

I admire his work as it goes beyond the canvas and as an installation, has a much more profound affect on the viewer. He uses the world as his inspiration for obscure work. Where they come from exactly will remain a mystery to me, but his ability to constantly amuse the art world and individual viewers is something that no one else seems to do on a regular basis, or at least as well as Cattelan.

Daily Dose of Imagery

2007-12-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

As much as I would love to get out there in the city and take pictures of it, I don't have the time, patience or skill to do so! I don't even have a camera, and don't have any plans of investing in one anytime soon. I'm a suburban kid and it's hard to trek downtown all the time. Yeah, I know, I suck.

Thankfully, Sam Javanrouh has been doing such a thing for years and sharing it with everyone via his photoblog [daily dose of imagery]. I have frequented his page for years now (it is my first bookmark on my laptop) and he always has fantastic photos of Toronto and other cities around the world.

You might see something, or pass something everyday in your daily excursions in Toronto, but he can take the most common thing found in the City and make it look beautiful. The way Javanrouh sees the world through his photos is a gift. We're lucky he shares it with us.

Link: [daily dose of imagery] http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/

ODB Quote of the Day

2007-12-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

"Head full, with a Grey Goose and Redbull
I came for, a beer, weed, plus a bed full
Of dimepiece, model type bitches, who mind they business
Blow my dick, like birthday cake wishes"

What I'm Reading

2007-12-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've got the time now to catch up on some much needed reading, so I'm taking advantage of that.

I just picked up The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander, which I've been wanting to read for a while. Originally published in 1979, it is an inspiring book which brings human life and architecture together. Alexander insists that we are born with the ability to create cities, although we don't know it. All we need to do is dream it up, and then go out there and make it happen. He claims this has been innate in human beings since our existence. Pretty out there, I know, but I've only started reading this, so let's see where he goes with this.

I've been keeping on top of Marvel Comics' Messiah CompleX which has been slated as the biggest X-crossover in a long time, with events that will shape the X-Men universe for the coming year. As the story is, mutants are few and far between after the House of M story arc (where many mutants lost their powers), now there has been a mutant birth (abilities usually manifest when they are teenagers) which has sent the mutant world into a search for the child for it is the key for the future of mutant-kind.
It has a vast creative team spanning over the four X-titles, which is great because readers don't need to wait months and months to continue the story (a la Civil War)... This series is WEEKLY!!
I have never been a fan of inconsistent art in a story but since they are all different titles, it's understood. This is a great way to get readers to check out other X-titles, which they would not normally read (like New X-Men for example...think Saved By the Bell: The New Class).
Like a lot of people I'm sure, I haven't read X-Men in years, so I have no idea what's going on. The teams are different, Xavier can walk, Gambit is a villain, the list goes on. It's still a fun read as it is the X-Men after years of continuity, so this is the real deal. The story is getting intense and is constantly selling out, so catch up (it's only on part 6 of 12, so it's not too late).

Although I don't have it on me, I've been reading Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. For some odd reason it is only on reserve in the library, so I think I will have to pick it up at some point (it's only $20 at Pages on Queen Street!). It is a fiction novel, narrated by explorer Marco Polo and is framed as a conversation between him and an aging Kublai Khan. Polo describes to him in detail 55 cities which he had encountered in his journeys. Calvino gathered information through Polo's travelogue to inform this book. It fairly short and so far, quite captivating. The detail of these ancient cities really paint a visual, and reading this at the same time as Alexander's Timeless really gives depth to the idea of humans creating their own built environment since the beginning of time.

I've got so many more books to catch up on before the new year!

Suspended Gardens

2007-12-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Japanese architect Taketo Shimohigoshi has designed frames to be placed in the sky with slices of moss-covered beams, which he claims define and connect the cityscape in a greener respect. His design is a direct response to Tokyo’s crowded built environment and has addressed green space among dense, urban skylines with an elevated installation of vegetation.

His intent was to have, “Vegetation handling in mid-air, where nature is not in its natural place, stirs up imagination and sensuality. This vegetation becomes a buffer where ground is connected to the sky.”

As green solutions goes, this is a good idea and could be easily translated to cities all over the world. Green innovation is coming up with interesting solutions on how to use our current built environment in more sustainable ways. Green roofs could be another solution, as it would cover a large underutilized space and offer a place for social interaction as well.

From a design perspective, Shimohigoshi's vision was innovative enough to be recognized by the Architectural Review and has earned him a 2007 AR Award for Emerging Architects - a definitive honor for young architects.

Links:
http://www.aae.jp/
www.inhabitat.com

Eleanor stole my heart

2007-12-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

The Fiery Furnaces at Lee's Palace December 12, 2007

In case you aren't familiar with the Fiery Furnaces, they are an indie rock band based out of New York and consist of mainly the brother/sister team of Matt (on keys) and Eleanor Friedberger (lead vocalist). They've had a handful of releases since 2000 and just released their latest album Widow City, in October. Most of the stuff they played last night was from that album. It was a great show, with great opening acts as well (check out another New York indie band MGMT). Definitely one of the best I've seen this year.

Many thanks to Spencer for getting us on the guest list.

Alive 2007

2007-12-12T12:41:00.001-08:00

Daft Punk's Alive 2007 is the French-duo's second live release (last one being Alive 1997 - a decade thing), and was recorded in Paris, where they kicked off their world tour. It features a good mix of their tracks but is limited to them - as with any DJ, I would have loved to hear Daft Punk mix with songs other than their own.

Track listing

"Robot Rock" / "Oh Yeah"
"Touch It" / "Technologic"
"Television Rules the Nation" / "Crescendolls"
"Too Long" / "Steam Machine"
"Around the World" / "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
"Burnin'" / "Too Long"
"Face to Face" / "Short Circuit"
"One More Time" / "Aerodynamic"
"Aerodynamic Beats" / "Forget About the World"
"The Prime Time of Your Life" / "The Brainwasher" / "Rollin' & Scratchin'" / "Alive"
"Da Funk" / "Daftendirekt"
"Superheroes" / "Human After All" / "Rock'n Roll"

The Deluxe Edition comes with an extra disc that has a video and possibly the best song on the whole album, the show's Encore ( Human After All/ Together/ One More Time (reprise)/ Music Sounds Better with You).

Rolling Stone ***1/2 out of 5
Pitchfork 8.5/10
NME 7/10
Entertainment Weekly A-

Cafe Americano

2007-12-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

I've been living off these the last two weeks:

(Double Espresso shot with 3/4 hot water)

Not double fisting, of course... but I might as well have been.

Exams are done. The hiatus is over.

Val

2007-12-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WW46s8CVArc&feature=bz303

Ghost is Back

2007-12-01T14:06:00.001-08:00

The most consistent man in hip hop is back with his 7th solo release. The Big Doe Rehab is full of Wu family collabos (featuring Raekwon, Method Man, Cappadonna, U-God and Masta Killa) and Ghost's own Theodore Unit. This album features production from LV & Sean C. from Diddy's production team, The Hitmen - who also worked on Jay-Z's American Gangster record.

Ghost fails to disappoint in his solo efforts, especially this one. This is some real Ghost shit with a touch of soul and real talk. This comes out December 4th, the same day as a book entitled The World According to Pretty Toney based on a previous series of Ghostface MTV2 appearances.

In other Ghost news:

Ghostface Killa (aka Pretty Toney, aka Iron Man, aka Tony Starks) is in Iron Man! He talks to MTV about his small role in next summer's Iron Man:

"I jumped in there for maybe 12 or 16 bars, nothing too major," Ghost downplayed before describing his scene with the film's star. "It was a good look for the kid because Robert Downey Jr. recognized me as soon as I seen him. He was like, 'Yo, Tony!' ... For him to recognize me, I was kinda surprised by that. I didn't know he even knew about the kid. ... We called each other Tony onscreen. I'm like, 'Tony Stark, I got your jet, I didn't mess it up.' He was like, 'I got the Bentley for you, I laced it up.' I had two girls with me, I was like, 'That's you [pointing toward the girls].' I sent two birds at him. It was a wrap for that scene. He's a cool dude and funny. Big up to Robert Downey Jr.

It's good to see Pretty Tone getting love from Hollywood.

Thesis-shmesis

2007-11-26T21:29:00.001-08:00

Gosh I can't stand this thesis proposal I have to do. I'm proposing to measure the how urban design of Markham neighbourhoods affect residents' physical health. It seemed like a good topic at the time since Markham is a car-dependent town but now it's just silly. I'm really not feeling the topic and I have to do a presentation on it tomorrow. Hope I'm not thaaat transparent about my distaste for the topic. It doesn't matter anyways, I don't think I'm going through with the research project next semester anyways.

Here are the neighbourhoods I 'intend' to analyze:

- Centennial

- Angus Glen

- Boxgrove

- Central Park

- Raymerville

- Cornell

- Legacy

- Main Street Unionville

- Swan Lake
Wooten Way

Guh! Here are those areas on a map. Enjoy.

Monkey: Journey to the West

2007-11-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

Gorillaz collaborators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have been working on a new project called Monkey: Journey to the West. It appears to be a stage adaptation of a 16th century Chinese novel of the same title. I think it has already ran it's course, but it was scored by Albarn and designed by Hewlett - similar to their Gorillaz project.

I really dig Hewlett's art, especially for Monkey. It's a step away from Gorillaz and it seems more expressive and out there than that project. Check out the images:

Links:
http://fans.gorillaz.com/news.php
http://www.myspace.com/monkeyjourneytothewest

West Bank Guerrilla Art

2007-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Guerrilla artists have been traveling to the 425-mile-long West Bank barrier - which separates Israel from the Palestinian territories - as it seems to be the longest piece of canvas in the world to work on. In all seriousness, this barrier - which symbolizes political unrest and a centuries long battle - has been used as an expressive tool and a forum of activism for those who utilize it as such.

London-based guerrilla artist, Banksy created nine images on the barrier which are provocative without being directly polemical.

Filippo Minelli is the most recent conceptual artist to make a statement on the barrier.
Links:
www.banksy.co.uk
www.filippominelli.com
www.arts.guardian.co.uk/pictures/0,,1543331,00.html

Can you eat these?

2007-11-26T09:46:00.001-08:00

These are disposable cutlery made from 80% potato starch and 20% soy oil. They biodegrade after 180 days. I'm hungry now.

Merci beaucoup to Isabel for all these sustainable posts!

Links:
http://www.treecycle.com/biodegradable.html#cutlery (they have many other biodegradable products here)
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/10/13/spudware-cutlery-made-from-potatoes/#more-6409

Cyclops is GANGSTER

2007-11-26T09:07:00.001-08:00

Final page of Astonishing X-Men #23:

So, it would appear after all this time, Scott is now able to control his powers. The only reason he wore his trademark ruby-quartz visor is because he wasn't able to control his powers. Since Astonishing doesn't fit in the whole Earth-616 continuity - or any continuity for that matter - he will still be wearing those visors in other X-books.
Cyclops is the greatest X-man of all time, without a doubt, although he's looking pretty messed up here (he was being tortured by aliens, people!). There is a reason why he is the leader of the most powerful team in Marvel. Read Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run to see what I'm talking about. It's almost over: only one more issue left, and what a way to go into it.

Pictures: John Cassaday
Words: Joss Whedon

Corey's Birthday Extravaganza!

2007-11-25T22:47:00.000-08:00

Last week was my super-cool friend Corey's Birthday and we did the sushi thing at Kuni Sushi Ya on Baldwin St. We had originally thought it was a sit down place - as in sit on the floor - but when we got there, we were truly mistaken. We had reservations too but they claimed we didn't. Either they're idiots or we went to the wrong restaurant. One day, we will find this sit down place. One day...

Later that night, we went to Crews and Tangos on Church Street, caught a drag show that Jason's friend was in and got bombed. Made for a great night. Encore?

Michelangelo Antonioni

2007-11-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

Michelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007), was an Italian modernist film director whose films are widely considered as some of the most influential in terms of film aesthetics.

I recently watched his 1962 film, L'eclisse ("The Eclipse") which, I read is considered the last of a trilogy Antonioni worked on (which includes L'avventura and La notte - two films I have not seen).

L'eclisse follows a young woman named Vittoria (played by the absolutely stunning Monica Vitti). She is getting out of a relationship with her fiancee and when she takes time away from him she meets an energetic young stockbroker, Piero (Alain Delon). She is unable to form a solid relationship with him because of the man's materialistic nature. The film is very artsy, having a slow pace and seems to put an emphasis on their built environment. There are some very beautiful, but very obscure shots because of this. I enjoyed how Antonioni seemed to take his time with the pacing of the story which gave the viewer a chance to appriciate the angles and the environment the actors are in.

Through research I learned that L'eclisse won the Jury Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d'Or. Watching this film made me realize they don't make them like they used to.

An Antonioni work that might ring a bell was his first english language film, Blowup (1966). It was set in London in the sixties where a professional photographer takes photos in a park and blows it up discovering a dead body, which compels the photographer to enlarge more photos and solve this mystery. I saw this one a while ago and have this strange memory that the character would kill models and take pictures of them dead and blow them up. I could be wrong though, maybe I'm just effed up and think about that sorta thing. Who knows. Anyways, beyond the surface, Blowup is about reality and how we perceive it or think we perceive it. I like how directors like Antonioni has a social or psychological dialogue to his flims. There is something deeper than what the images on screen tell us and this isn’t found in films of today.

Watching L'eclisse, you could see the apparent influences Antonioni has had on some modern day directors. In some shots you could see the panning technique that is trademark Wes Anderson and even the moments where there is extended dialogue between characters screamed out Tarantino. Antonioni had a way with aesthetics and making a shot very easy on the eyes. He was definately a master at his craft, laying the foundations for modern cinema.

Bier Market

2007-11-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to Bier Market in Toronto for Danielle's birthday. Needless to say, the ladies were out and in full effect.

The City is getting it's holiday on as decorative street ornaments are popping up all over the place and brightening up the night.

Images: Isabox's flickr

Who Watches ..... The Simpsons??

2007-11-25T16:11:00.001-08:00

I just caught last week's episode of The Simpsons (via sidereel.com) to catch up before tonight's new episode. I'm a Smallville guy and usually watch that over The Simpons on Sunday nights.

The synopsis is that a new comic store opens up giving Comic Book Guy's Android's Dungeon a run for it's money. Jack Black plays the cool comic book store's owner which has modern art, things from Japan and video games. The only reason I'm writing about this is because this episode also featured comic book legends: Alan Moore (The Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and many other masterpieces), Art Spiegelman (Maus) and Dan Clowes (Ghost World, Eightball)!

Alan Moore is the shit and I'm glad they put his hairy self into The Simpsons. It was good that they played on his distaste of taking his work and readapting it through other mediums. He was against V for Vendetta the film and didn't want his name associated with it although it was his creation.

Check out The Watchmen movie site for updates on the upcoming film. Although Moore isn't down, I can't wait for it! Who watches the Watchmen?

Link: http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

Brooklyn's Finest does Toronto

2007-11-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

Mighty Mos Def at Phoenix Nightclub, November 14th, 2007

Sustainable Design: Prefab

2007-11-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Ray Kappe's Living Home

To read more about this Prefab hype and other sustainable products check out Inhabitat's blog.

Thanks to Isabel for the link.

Link: http://www.inhabitat.com/2006/08/04/prefab-friday-living-homes%e2%80%a6such-a-deal/

Animal Collective In Session

2007-11-25T14:39:00.001-08:00

It seems as though I'm a BBC Radio One advocate! I've just been listening to various shows while typing up my thesis proposal and stumbled across a BBC session featuring Animal Collective. They are a group of experimental, indie-rock musicians from Baltimore and are known for their 2005 album, Feels. They just released a new album entitled Strawberry Jam (named after a favourite condiment of mine usually found on toast).

This BBC session is killer, as expected, in a sort of trippy-science experiment-gone-wrong way.

I couldn't find an exact link for this session but go to the BBC Radio One Player and there should be an option for it. Highly recommended so check it out.

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank/

Nom de Guerre Fall/Winter 07

2007-11-25T14:08:00.002-08:00

Nom de Guerre is a creative collective based out of New York and their concept for design to capture and combine basic and diverse influences from the art and fashion world, with the various New York subcultures. Created is a fusion of culture and product.

NDG is located on the corner of Broadway and Bleecker in New York City and has been opened there since 2003. Their store is subterranean and was actually a former meeting place for the Black Panthers.

Nom de Guerre is one of few brands I like due to their use of colour, great cuts, and fitted look. It's a great combination of street and high fashion.

Their Fall/Winter 2007 collection is entitled “Young Americans” and is inspired by the era preceding the Vietnam War.

Check out this collection and various others on their website’s Lookbook.

They even have the Spring/Summer 08 collection up for you to see what will be hot before it drops.

Link: nomdeguerre.net

I'm Not There

2007-11-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

I'm SOOO there

Link: http://www.imnotthere-movie.com/

Nike Air Max 90 Tweed

2007-11-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

Officially, the ugliest shoe in the world:
Why do I want them so badly?

Image: sneakerfreaker.com

BBC Essential Mix 11.23.07

2007-11-25T12:47:00.001-08:00

Pete Tong's weekly Essential Mix showcases the world's best dance DJs and producers. This week it features DJ Umek.

Never heard of Umek until this weekend through this Essential Mix but supposedly he’s been doing his Slovenian-techno thing since the early ‘90s. Interesting mix, definitely check it out if you want to hear some eastern European inspired electronic. I read up on him and found out his style has evolved from techno to electro house which in turn, opened him up to a wider audience.

I’ve only started listening to the Essential Mix religiously for a year now, but easily became a weekly tradition and depending on how much I liked the mix, it would extend throughout the month. As 2007 is coming to a close the Essential Mix allows listeners to vote on their favorite mix of the year. There were some stand out mixes which I think have a good chance of getting that crown this year:

Essential Mix of the year:

Skream
Goldie
Lindstrom and Prins Thomas
Claude VonStroke
Phil Kieran (w/ Alloy Mental – which on it’s own, is a piece of art)
Above and Beyond (who won last year)

They stream the weekly mix on the BBC Radio 1 website but if you want to check out old mixes from this year your best bet is to google them and see if there is a link to download them, or even try the torrents. The ones listed above are available but anything before is really hard to find.

Since you're going to be on the Radio One website, be sure to check out the interview they have with Radiohead where they talk about their new album - In Rainbows - and announce their world tour beginning in May 2008.

Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/essentialmix/index.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/zanelowe/

2007: A Blog Odyssey

2007-11-24T11:19:00.001-08:00

It's almost 2008 and I still don't have a blog. Isn't it what all the cool kids are doing these days? After all my failed attempts to be a blogger, I'm going to stay true to this one. In the past, I would start one, but end with the first post. That is why I shouldn't have pets. If I make it to post number two, then that will be a big accomplishment.

Stay tuned to see if the Blog Odyssey will sink or swim...