I Like Stuff

Posted on by
1

Last weekend TIFF screened Gary Hustwit’s design trilogy: Helvetica (2007), Objectified (2009), and Urbanized (2011).  I caught  Objectified, a documentary about stuff (more specifically, about industrial design and manufactured goods).

 

Like Hustwit, I am fascinated by the question, “what can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects we surround ourselves with?”  After the screening I began to analyze the stuff in my life.  Suddenly I found myself  wondering which I’d save in a fire: My macbook, or my typewriter?  This dichotomy exists between a number of my favourite things: digital music vs. records; cell phone vs. landline phone (which I am hopelessly attracted to, btw).

Continue reading →

A Friend In Need: The Internet Goes Dark Against SOPA

Posted on by
Reply

It’s blackout city across some of the major sites on the web today. In case you have been watching The Bachelor instead of reading The Globe and Mail, today many large websites are blacking out their content to protest SOPA (read the background here and here and here).

This is important, internet friends. Today we won’t be posting anything besides this request: take 10 minutes out of your day to learn about this situation and think about what it means for the future of information, intellectual freedom, and personal expression. If you live in the States, write Congress. Everyone else can sign the petition.

It’s a dark day indeed (pun intended).

Who’s Your City?

Posted on by
4

I didn’t read much on my holiday (one book in total, on the return flight), but it was a matter of quality over quantity. After a week of thinking of nothing beyond my next trip to the swim up bar, I devoured Richard Florida’s Who’s Your City? The book examines how your physical place is very important to your health and happiness, and ranks among the top three decisions you make in life (along with your line of work and choice – or lack of choice – of a life partner).  Take a look at a short summary of some of the best cities in Canada, based on life stage.

As someone who is contemplating a move within the year, this book came at a perfect time. It’s interesting to note that today more people move for themselves or friends/family than for work, compared to the large numbers of people who moved for work in the past.  Despite this, today’s movers still hold the notion that they are moving to secure a better job.  Don’t we think we deserve to move for ourselves?

I’m curious.  Do you live in a city that brings out your talents and lets you shine? If not, would you consider moving to such a city?

Some Of My Favourite People Are Books

Posted on by
11

A couple of weeks ago, Lisa posted a collection of books that she read in 2011. I thought her use of Library Thing - a social networking site that lets you store and share book catalogues – was super rad. I also dug her idea of recording, and later reflecting on, a year of reading – so, I’m stealing it.

Linked is a peek at the books I’ve finished in 2012 (the key word is “finished”, a couple of them were started in late December).  I’ll add to the list as the year progresses. Have you read any of these titles?  Do you have any suggestions for my next read?

Click the bookshelf to review my reads.