Out of Sight

Amazing what a change of scenery can do - spent a few days in a different city, with different friends, head cleared and vision back.

[Geek Chic]


[Scene sur 5]
The Brothers Bloom (4/5)

[Yum!]
Recent meal in Toronto at Table 17 hit the spot
Appetizers at Harlem, did not...
Lovely lunch at 'ol Caffé la Gaffe finished off a food-filled couple of days...

[Up Next]
Facebook Garage at the SAT
Capitalism - A Love Story

It's up to you...

Fall's off to a great start, running about town with a 'back to school' vibe - although the student influx is hard to bear, the spike in art/activity is what makes up for the cool weather coming...

[Creatively speaking]
St Henri Art Walk was back on this year, a fantastic day inside and out.

[Read]
3 Day Road - love this book, next up will be Through Black Spruce

[Scene sur 5]
Gamorrah [3/5]
Away from Home [4/5]
Sugar [3/5]

[Heard]
Ramon y su son at L'escalier every sunday [9-12]

[Play]
Rock, Paper, Jacknife - ouch. this is a tough one, not for the light-minded. Definitely got the 'dark and poetic' not quite the 'hopeful'.

Summer Lovin'

Went to an "end of summer" party this weekend - last chance for corona, gin&tonic, summer dresses. As people "froze" outside, we said goodbye to one quick summer.

[Geek Chic]
How the Internet sees you - digital paths and personas

[Creatively speaking]
What can you do in Three Frames?

[Read]
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen - good story, 2 day read

[Scene sur 5]
Tetro [4]

[Ca m'interesse]
Globe and Mail has their Fall book list up

Tamale and Other Tricks

Loving these summer days especially since some were ocean side. This year, pushed my lobster limits by tasting tamale - the green paste shit (literally) that hides within a lobster belly. Oh, how far a girl will go. Otherwise, my insides are pickled from various libations, the rest of August will need time to restore and get ready for a fun Fall.

[Creatively speaking]
OPA! The latest idea that I have yet to realize...

[Let's get Digital]
Personas - how the internet sees you

[Yum!]
Local tomatoes are finally in market - 'nuff said.

[Heard]
A few road trip revivals : Blondie, Neko Case, Fleetwood Mac

[Scene sur 5]
Rudo y Cursi(4)
I love you Man (4)
The Wrestler (3)

[Travels]
Toronto - was all about hot dogs, Holts and the hotel
Nova Scotia - was all about liquids, lobster and lippy ladies
Next up : GOG in PEC, and MH's 40th in NYC...

Where have you been?

[Geek Chic]
Tweet my Bumper

[Creatively speaking]
The Gilfriend Experience was an interesting film - I'm thinking of it as a flat surface/slice of life and nice to have an escort story w/out a lesson.

[Let's get Digital]
According to Smashing Magazine - 50 beautiful Flash sites

Cool Budgeting : Mint

[Yum!]
Zero 8 - exclude all traces of the main food allergens...interesting but would like to see more vegetarian options in the mains...


[Heard]
Music Analysis - The Lefsetz Letter

[Ca m'interesse]
It's all about the Jazz Festival. Kicked it off with Stevie Wonder, heard Tyler Hornby and Cadero last night, and tonight Patrick Watson. Tuesday the Rocksteady show looks good and I'm sure they'll be many more suprises...

mais, pourquoi pas?

[Geek Chic]
Feral Food and Edible Landscaping...an ode to my mother who's "lawn" is half oregano

[Creatively speaking]
Robert Polidari [at the MACM]

[Let's get Digital]
Agency World [tip to MH]

[Yum!]
Les Vielles Vignes, Touraine-Mesland, Val de Loire [Clos Chateau Gaillard]

[Ca m'interesse]
Tour de L'isle!

La balançoire

[Geek Chic]
Try the latest Knowledge Engine

[Creatively speaking]
Wayne Schoenfeld at Gallery SAS

[Let's get Digital]
Great video for an appliance ad

[Yum!]
Café Soufflé de Marie & Anne
100 Marie-Anne W. (corner St-Urbain)

[Scene sur 5]
The 1st Montreal Turkish Film Week

[Reading]
The Anonthology is an experimental project to assess the importance placed on name and reputation over quality of writing. Amongst the writers contained within we have Orange and Genius Prize winners, Booker and Pulitzer Prize nominees. We have one author who’s sold over half a million copies, another who’s written over fifty books. But can you tell which is which? And how does it change the reading experience, not knowing if the author is young or old, male or female?

[Ca m'interesse]
Santropol Vélo : community bike shop

Eclectik - MAI's 10th Anniversary

Santogold at Metropolis

Rudo y Cursi

Back to Life

[Geek Chic]
Atelier Entre-Peaux creates shopping bags, make-up cases and mouse pads made from shredded junk mail.

[Creatively speaking]
BNL MTL - saw The Good Conspiracy in action last night on St. Laurent last night...

[Let's get Digital]
recipes à la tweet: http://twitter.com/cookbook

[Yum!]
Barroco - straight up meat/fish with sidedishes...Nothing 'new' but solid. Good wine, service and intimate setting made for a great meal. They also accomodate vegetarian requests [most likely pasta w/vegetables].

The next night a meal at Los Clasicos hit the spot - a nice addition to Montreal's mexican resto's especially on the 'authenticity' level. Only downside was the entrees weren't heated up well. Otherwise, Hour's review here...

[Scene sur 5]
Doubt [4/5]
Happy Go Lucky [3/5]

[Reading]
American Pastoral
Book of Negroes

Give it up!

The Little Elves' YARD SALE
Saturday May 30, 2009 !
Let go of material things ...
Make your Spring cleaning worth while...
Give to the Elves !
Indeed, to finance its holiday gift distributions to lone or isolated persons affected by HIV-AIDS, the Foundation will hold a YARD SALE on Saturday May 30th (or the next day if rainy).

The Foundation calls upon its friends who want to give away things it can re-sell.

The Elves are looking for furniture, stoneware, tableware, toys, trinkets, books,cds, dvds, etc., all clean and in good condition.

You can bring your stuff Wednesday, Thursday and Friday May 27, 28 and 29 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM to 7000 Molson in Montréal.

The yard sale will take place the following Saturday, at the same address.
In short: The Elves' Yard Sale
When: Saturday May 30, 2009
(next day if rainy)
Time: 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Location: 7000 Molson in Montreal
More information : antoine@ptitslutins.org
www.ptitslutins.org

May I?

[Geek Chic]
Michael Ignatieff: True Patriot Love [?]

[Creatively speaking]
Welcome to the Crocodile - getting Lacostered...

[J'écoute]
Meghan Smith
Karkwa - les tremblements s'immobilisent
Serge Gainsbourg - les 100 plus belles chansons [with the exception of 'bonnie & clyde' '66 - '69 & anything reggae related this is a good collection]

[Déja vu]
Saw Women of Manhattan last week - written in 1986, it pre-dates that other show about women in NYC, focusing on three women and their relationships with each other and men. Well-written and acted, but doesn't push any particular boundaries or offer anything 'new' in this genre/subject.

[Déja lu]
The Tin Drum - never would have imagined magic realism and WWII EU politics together but here it is. Looking forward to seeing the film also.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - great narrative and footnoting - various journeys between the Dominican Republic and United States.

Cockroach - explores life of an 'immigrant' experience in Montreal - the first I've read of Rawi Hage's, will check out Deniro's Game as well.

[Ca m'interesse]
All the Days Before Tomorrow
BNL MTL

Four Feelings in one Day

Sunday was up canoeing with the ducks, discussion early afternoon of The Tin Drum, followed by a photography lesson, ending with the incredibly difficult viewing of Hunger. Am packed to the mental gills - still in recovery. Here's the rest of what surfaced last week:

[Geek Chic]
Article on "passion" vs "knowledge" based business:

[Creatively speaking]
BakerTweet "is a way for busy bakers to tell the world that something hot and fresh has just come out of the oven....All of the baker's followers get a Twitter alert to tell them that it's bun-time. Or bread time. Or whatever."

[Heard]
Beast last week at Club Soda was FANtastic. Betty Bonifassi's voice was jaw-dropping at some points with excellent band and sound. The finale was good, one killer song [Satan] and some crowd-surfing ended the night. Check them out especially while they are still playing smaller venues.

[Scene]
One Week - good story, cinematography and cool canadian hot spots.

Hunger - interpretation of the events surrounding the 1981 IRA Hunger strike led by Bobby Sands in Maze Prison [difficult film, still digesting].

[Yum!]
http://www.recettes-de-chefs.ca - videos, tricks and tips from restaurant chefs (FR)

[Ca m'interesse]
Earth Day - april 22
Sin Nombre [April 24]
Les Jeudis Salsaliscious

April showers bring...

Rain is great for a lot of reasons, one of the best is the 'pass' to stay inside, all day, here's what gets discovered:

[Geek Chic]
Food for thought: Permaculture Design for Urban Areas

[Creatively speaking]
Need a Creative Boost?

[Scene]
A Farm for the Future (Runs 49:47)

[Pages]
The Tin Drum - Gunter Grass

[Yum!]
Jerusalem artichokes [also "sunchokes" or "topinambour"] - you can buy them locally and organically, they are really a treat...cooked like a potatoe with the light taste of artichoke.

[Ca m'interesse]
rubberdance group - this week at PDA.

Marching along...

March was a re-birth of sorts. Got a lot of reading done, skied on wobbly spring legs, have been re-inspired, enjoyed the most serendipitous email exchange and spent four days in a beautiful setting in good company to blow out some candles...

Here's what was going on otherwise:

[Geek Chic]
The Book Cover Archive

[Creatively speaking]
Tribal Fusion - it is one of the hardest things I've ever asked my body to do...example here [via you tube]

[Scene sur 5]
Rachel Getting Married [5]

[mediums]
The Simpsons spoof Adidas' "Celebrate Originality" house party

[inbox]
Know your Mushrooms - playing at Cinema du Parc this week

[Twittered]
Ikea car countdown (FR)
Happy Birthday to Montreal's Laika bar

Spring things

[Geek Chic]
Remember fixies? What's old is new again.

[Creatively speaking]
Open Design - Ronan Kadushin. A week after seeing "rip: a manifesto" and more discussion around the creative commons licence, happened upon this fella who designs furniture and encourages you to do it to.

Some pics here [via flickr]

[Scene sur 5]
synecdoche new york [3]
frailty** [5]
Zack and Miri make a porno [1]

**on the list of "100 movies you've never seen"

[media]
twofour54.com - "an integrated, state-of-the-art environment that supports and inspires media content creators to flourish in the Middle East and North Africa."

[inbox]
Land of Kush - playing at Sala Rossa this week

University of the Streets:latest discussions.

[Twittered]
http://twitter.com/nf_interactive

Where's my tempest?

Was hoping March would be full of snowstorms for spring skiing but warm temps are putting a damper on it. So, off we go in search of other distractions:

[Geek Chic]
Jane Walkers wanted

[Creatively speaking]
Our Daily Bread - "Austrian filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s latest documentary, Our Daily Bread, illustrates grimly in about an hour and a half how all food, crops and animals, raised in the industrial agricultural system qualify as Frankenfoods..."

[cv: this film was timely as I'm also reading Ways of Seeing - essays on perception and objectivity.]

[Heard]
Raphael Saadiq - this Tuesday at Cabaret.

[Scene]
How to lose friends and alienate people - despite a weak cast, Simon Pegg makes this a fun watch.

rip: a manifesto a fantastic and interactive doc that will give you many things including a crash course in copyright 101. Visit the site for info and the opportunity to make your mashup. The filmmaker is present for each screening running a q&a and table of promotional material including a usb with the film. brilliant.

[Ca m'interesse]
FIFA

Slave to the rythm

Last my cell phone died. Little did I know it would unleash a chain of chaos and update my own understanding of how people [no longer] communicate.

the loss begged the following:

= do you write notes anymore?
= do you wait for a late or possible no-show?
= pay phones are .50 [fyi, had no idea]
= do you use your doorbell or just ask people to ring/text

New phone is now in hand but part of me will miss the 'challenge'...

Bon weekend!

sounds
Under the Snow - indy music fest on now

sites
keeping it clean: Curb advertising [via you tube]

So, what's next?

All over the map these days - using the the corporate/economic mess to stimulate and evolve my way of thinking/doing/living. I accept full responsibility as an [over]consumer for today's economic climate. I know that buying goods from far away places isn't good for our economy, but I still do it and pay the price in so many ways.

So what better time to hear about Montréal Urban Community Sustainment check it out. They have many programs and just launched a dinner program where people can cook / eat together.

or, what about "coworking" at Station C [french]

Just a few ways share consumption and rethink how isolated we've become...

One Liners

During the warm snap in the last week, got the chance to run around enjoying the "mild" temps of -15....ah february!

[Geek Chic]
Support canadian publishers and get something useful in your mailbox, buy 2 get 1 free on Canadian magazines.

[Creatively speaking]
Claude Tousignant - nothing like monochramatic exploration in the bleak of winter.

[Heard]
A great night of quirky pop belted out by the wee Lykke Li at Club Soda.

[Pages]
Restless - William Boyd
Ways of Seeing - John Berger

[Yum!]
Ate at Magdala/Mekdala Ethiopian Resto Lounge last week, a wonderful meal, some comments on Chowhound here.

[Ca m'interesse]
Mas - new restaurant on Wellington

Loco Lunes

[Creatively speaking]

This is brilliant in it's simplicity, won a CASSIE award (2008). Cassies winners were judged on the basis of convincing proof that top business results were substantially caused by the advertising.

Don't re-invent the wheel, turn it.





[Geek Chic]
Nomad Station - media café, adding to my 101 reasons [daily] i love this city.

[Passages]
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an award-winning novel by the late Swedish author and social conscience journalist Stieg Larsson...more

[Scene]
Gran Torino - a fairly typical story à la Clint Eastwood, really not sure why this is Oscar worthy but worth a rental if the movie you really wanted to see isn't in :-)

Burn after reading - finally got around to see this, as a Cohen fan I appreciate it but not one of their strongest.

[C'a m'interesse - inbox]
Riz en folie
Entre les murs
Voix des Amerique

Good day sunshine...

[Geek Chic]
bubble calendar

[Creatively speaking]
durex balloon animals - fun for the whole family (unless you're trying to have kids)

[Passages]
Snow by Orhan Pamuk - an interesting read/exploration art and pursuit of happiness through politics, religion and belief systems.

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann - so far, the three days at the sanatorium are feeling like the seven years the character ends up spending there. But I will persevere...

[Scene]
Junebug - charming/has moments, generally forgettable...
Jellyfish - award-winning film intersecting the lives of three Israeli women in Tel Aviv.

[Heard]
Joseph Arthur, if you asked me, I would be your Mary. After a FANTASTIC show at Club Soda last Thursday night, I was reminded of why I like this kooky man.

[C'a m'interesse - inbox]
Montreal Girl Geek Dinners

Mundo Montreal


[Headlines: enough said ]
Advertisers in Germany Pull Ads with Nazi Overtones

Walking the walk...

Walking home from salsa class last night, stopped to pick up tickets for Lykke Li and noticed a gallery space called Vox: Contemporary image. It's good see urban space being renewed/re-used, and while I reading Architecture of Happiness, the actual structure of these spaces will also become more of a focus.

Despite the cold snap, am heading out this week for the Wildside festival and Joseph Arthur, I have high expectations for both. Some news on Arthur's latest here [french].

Recent conversation and a post on Seth's Blog caught my attention, about boundaries. Although I think there's more space between "rigid" and "no boundaries", I tend to fall (stand?)on having some, at times, "open space" both inspires and conspires in freaking me out.

for thought:

Rigid boundaries: What do you do when you hit a wall?

Do you have a tantrum? [ask my mother or my fiscus]
Spend countless resources trying to scale the unscalable? [NO]
Or do you accept reality and put your energy into something else? [YES, sometimes to easily]

No boundaries: When there's nothing but open space:
do you run?
Or shrink?

hmmm.

Signs of my times

December proved busy but ended a good year on a high note, despite the fact I have crumbled under intense satiation, both mentally and physically. Many good times had with friends and family here are the recent rounds of 'stuff":

New York (Tribeca/Soho) was all about art this time around (with a bit of consumption thrown in for good measure of course), shows ran from live video feeds to saving Coney Island:

[Art in General]
Jan Baracz - Reality Cinema/Live Video
Carlos Motta - The Good Life
Carla Herrera-Prats - Prep Materials
Renata Poljak - Split, Croatia

[New York academy of art]
ultra-concentrated joy: ecstatic drawings by contemporary artists

[The Puffin Room]
Coney Island Maybe - Amusement stalls, not shopping malls (a show dedicated to preserving Coney Island and fighting zoning changes for future development)

[The Broome Street Gallery]
Vincent Arcilesi - Arcilesi in Mexico

Tried Landmarc (and thanks to Clayborn for the Louisiana/Montreal tip)

Almost made it to the Flea Theatre, sorry I missed Dawn [Thomas Bradshaw], but will hopefully return for something else.

In Toronto Drinks at Lucien, Neapolitan pizza at Pizzaria Libretto and shared some laughs touring The Big Carrot with S and the organic turkey on Dec 24th.

In California [Los Gatos, Sarratoga, Carmel, Monterrey], got my 'hippy' back! Enjoyed moderate weather, lemon trees, long walks - was my first trip in the southern areas. Aside from family time, highlights included winery visits, crepes from an Algerian by the ocean, the many cyclists (I had velo-envy the whole time)and US perspectives on politics in this part of the country. I spent most of the time outdoors (duh) driving with the windows down, enjoying the sun.