As we all soak up our media intake online, from many, many, many outlets on the internet - there are some courageous media savvy individuals and organizations that still make hard copies of their work. Sometimes for free, and sometimes for low cost, and even, gasp, hand deliver it to your door, so that you can read over the breakfast table, rather than balancing your breakfast over your keyboard (and hence, spill coffee or egg yolks into it...which my dear news junky partner (rob maguire) so lovingly did to my imac, because his powerbook is in the shop. Speaking of Rob, here's his podcast, featured on CitizenShift on this very subject of independently published newsies, like The Dominion - a grassroots newspaper about Canadian and international politics, as well as Montreal's local bi-monthly issues based mag, Siafu.
In the spirit that a couple glasses of wine, 12:09am, and the PVR recorded Colbert Report - here is a fun animated gif of a unrealistic way to commit suicide...with papercuts.
And to write about something that has nothing to do with papercuts (but I am an accident prone paper user) - Here's an unoft summary of my week: Today (or yesterday) 27th: Jewelery class - I am making my first lost wax ring. It is nice to do things that don't require me to look at a screen.
Tomorrow (or later today) 28th: learn to save lives a la St-John's Ambulance instruction. They want me to be there at 8:30 am. That is no way to get this potential life saver in the mood of doing any lifesaving good. I hope they provide the coffee.
29th: see day 28th - but hopefully with more lifesaving skills than I have now. And, check out some Georgian restaurant by Snowdon metro.
30th: This Final Cut Pro user, is going to become a dual Avid editor too! This skill seems to be more beneficial to me than the lifesaving one at this point - but I guess its all relative to whether you are choking around me in the future, or need me to cut a film.
1st: see day 30. and TBD.
This post is completely useless. My apologies for reaching the end of it.
Montreal’s small publishing and artistic community came out in droves to share their wares, and celebrate the groundswell of artistic independence in congregation at Expozine. In the stuffy, packed basement of a church in Mile End – the bustling noise of creative collaboration was eminating off the concrete walls, and you could breathe it in the oxygen-starved air. An uncountable number of small publishers filled the room, and among the things that I picked up (and looked on longingly – but couldn’t take home either because I came ill-prepared with not enough cash, or the crowd around the table was too big to get through.), were both editions of Matt Forsythe’s ogingogo comic filled with reflective illustrations and carefully chosen obscurities. Combining a playful technique with asian flavour, the comic is for the thoughtful reader/viewer with a sense of subtle humour. Decidedly un-North American, Matt’s global influences are apparent in his comics. Political bi-monthly, bi-lingual magazine, Siafu were also publicizing their free publications – a collective of Montreal journalists and commentary on specific subjects, such as education, and this month’s reclamation of public space. And, many silk screening and printmaking artists were showing off their very wall-worthy work, for reasonable prices. All in all, oxygen or not – Expozine is not only a haven of diverse and interesting independent Montreal talent – its was also a great gathering of the creative community, that has been thriving in their resistance to corporatization and are taking control on the making and distribution of our culture. Here’s a short video of what was going on in the basement.
In support of fellow members of the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia clan, I raise my hat and beer to Matt Mays and his new album, When The Angels Make Contact. Released last week, the is-it-an-album-is-it-a-sound-track-to-a-kick-ass-David-Lynchesque-film, is something to checkout in this talented Dartonian's repatoire. Reflective, and long highway driving worthy, I love hearing about Darksiders doing what they want to do, well.
I went home to Nouvelle Ecosse this past long (federal employee) weekend. It was a much needed break from the impending cold of the Mont, and visit with the family and friends. It is always a breath of fresh air to go to the beach, Conrad's beach in particular, to watch the crashing waves, the sand suck in the thirsty salt water, and to watch the huge sky, and water stretch on and on.
I miss this part. The loud bigness of quiet. Sounds stupid, I know, but that's the wording that describes it best for me. Vocab and grammar are things of the past for me it seems.
Here's a terribly shot video of the sun setting on Conrad's, and a soft reminder to me that there is a lot of space around, that doesn't need to be filled by me or you.
As the American mid-term elections kick off, enjoy the time with a video of a Canadian dog watching the polls trickle in, the pundits waffling on no doubt, late into the night. This is of course, Beta, the most apathetic of apathetic dogs. She's friendly to robbers, and conservatives. And if asked, still has no opinion on North Korea.
She does like to pee on Bush though, and loves a minority very much.
My passion and interest is making media and collaborating and activating a groundswell of communicative art's dissemination. I take personal pleasure in all things visually and intellectually stimulating, and painted in red.
