I will be spending the next two months backpacking around and taking advantage of the increddible tramping (hiking).

Until I return this blog will more or less be put on hiatus. If you are interested in my travels feel free to check out my newly minted travelog.

See you in a couple months!

Zen Coding – Lightspeed Ahead.

Tube Tags for 2009

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This visualisation shows the changes in my listening over the past 12 months. Each coloured line represents a tag, with key artists listed underneath. The white circles appear with tag names whenever there’s an increase in listening for that tag, so you can quickly read the bias for that month. (via the last.fm playground)

LastGraph Timeline

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A ginormously sweet oceanesque wave of data! Make your own at LastGraph. I enjoy viewing the spikes in artists directly after a new album is released or I seem them live. Good times.

2009 was dandy year for new tunes. Hopefully 2010 can compete.

I love these kinds of games. Many hours of my life were lost to INKLINK when shockwave was still cool and I’ll still play Draw My Thing from time to time. Depict takes this digital pictronary concept and tweaks it for better mileage on the iPhone.

Instead of mashing on your iphone keyboard to guess the correct word you are given a selection of up to 6 things. While at first it seems too easy you will quickly learn that the 6 words you can select from are always visually similar, making it quite difficult. Take a look at the screenshot below. The word being drawn was compost (which you can see I guessed correctly).

To make things interesting you are rewarded for guessing the word faster than everyone else. The catch is that you only get one guess. Blow it and you receive 0 points that turn

You’ll have also noticed from the screenshot that the drawings are very pixelated. You get a big ms-paint style pencil which makes it both fun and difficult to express your word. The entire interface follows this pixelated style and it works great.

The last thing I’ll touch on is that this game is snappy! Open the app and hit “Global Play” and you’ll be inserted directly into a game in progress. No trying to find open rooms and no lengthly connecting periods. Worked great on 3g and wifi for me. The game also has some private gaming modes for playing with friends which I haven’t had the chance to checkout yet.

Right now the app is free so I’d suggest snagging it if you have an iTouch or iPhone.

• Makeshift Games Website
• Depict Demo on Youtube

The Neighbourhood Council left Calgary what must be almost two years ago. They now reside in montreal where things are just a bit hipper, frencher and of course musically rich. In that time they also changed their name to Braids.

Incase the video wasn’t enough to convince you, Braids is fantastic. Look for some sort of EP or Album in the future or check them out live if you have the chance.

More Braids:

• Their blog
• Last.FM
• Buy “Set Pieces” EP

Well it’s December again and the ritual has survived. If you want to join the fun it’s easy. Every day simply listen to an album you’ve never listened to before. It doesn’t have to be new as in release date, just new to you. Post the album name once you have listened to it along along with #monm hashtag.

Have fun, explore new music and spread the word.

Q: I would like to pay for these things I bought without embarrassing myself, can you please explain to me what this awkward little symbol means in regards to the orientation of my debit card in relation to this awkward little slot?

A1: swipe with the stripe towards me

A2: swipe with the stripe towards you

A3: Give that card to me you idiot

A4: Look, we don’t get it either. See how we taped a cute/annoying/non-helpful note over the device to try and aid you?

My Proposal

This may sound crazy but stick with me. I am informally proposing the creation of:

THE TWO SIDED CARD READER

That’s right, it reads that little black stripe no matter which way it faces. Why the hell doesn’t this exist?

I’m certainly no debit-card-swiping-machine engineer but based on my wikipedia reading habits I feel this is within reach 4-5 years from now.

I felt the need to share this beautiful video of William Trubridge breaking the freediving world record without fins. In the above video William dives 88 meters in 3 minutes and 30 seconds unassisted.

Absolutely awe inspiring.

If this image cracks you up, you'll enjoy Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl

This post is a little overdue!

I was caught up in the awesomeness of the Calgary International Film Festival and a couple midnight showings in a row made it difficult to choose blogging over sleep. Just to put a pin in it here are my quick thoughts on the other films I saw:

Art & Copy

Overall I found not having much background on the movers and shakers in the advertising industry I lost interest quickly. This film was less on advertising and more interviews with people that ran big agencies. I also found the extensive stock footage of a cityscapes and a rocket ship launch site almost unbearable at the end.

Rating: meh.

Daybreakers

This is a straight up popcorn flick. Check your brain at the door and you can enjoy this. I struggled too long grasping at facts and noting plot holes. I really loved the concept and it could have made for a completely different movie but overall it was pretty entertaining. Willem Dafoe speaks strictly in terrible one liners and there is an insanely ridiculous slow-mo vampire feeding frenzy that had the entire theatre busting a gut.

Rating: fun

Gigantic

I won’t say much because I greatly disliked this movie. There were some clever parts and interesting characters but the story has little going for it and there is an unnecessary side story that I am still unable to find an explanation for. I was confused and when it ended wanted answers that don’t seem to exist.

Rating: wtf?

Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl

Hah! gotta love the over the top ridiculous nonsensical gore. There was all sorts of hilarious and offensive stuff in this flick. You’ll love it or hate it.

Rating: offensively hilarious

That’s a Wrap!

The festival was great fun this year. It’s hard to remember but it seemed fairly well attended in comparison to previous years, but I have nothing to back that up with. Hard to believe the Festival is 10 years old now!

chilly walk back from the theater but well worth it, Broke was really great.

Rosie Dransfeld’s documentary film BROKE gives us a glimpse into the often surprising hardships and desperation of society’s marginalized. Revolving around the life of inner-city pawnbroker David Woolfson, a grouchy old Jewish immigrant from South Africa who for 16 years has been the banker of last resort to Edmonton’s down-and-out residents, the film is a revealing look at the economy of the poor.

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Woolfson is a pawnbroker with a heart, and he truly enjoys his store’s customers – most of them regulars – people full of wit and black humour. Poverty has taught them many survival skills. He develops unlikely connections, including one with Chris Hoard, a hardened young Native ex-convict and self-described psychopath, who befriends Woolfson and soon finds himself being put to work doing odd jobs – cleaning, shelving and tagging goods – albeit for free.
calgaryfilm.com

Rosie Dransfeld really nails this documentary with a flowing story, some very interesting characters and tight editing. A perfect running length with lots to discuss and ponder after you watch it.

The main subject Dave really shines. He loves to joke around and poke fun at his customers. Their are some great laughs at others expense and you will certainly question the ethics of Dave as well as yourself while you watch.

We were treated to a fantastic Q&A with Rosie after the screening. It really added to the film and I was blown away that then entire thing was shot in one month! Chalk up another great film enhanced by the festival!

Rating: 10/10