Tony’s BLT
One pound of fried bacon on a toasted Italian bread with lettuce, tomato and mayo.
(submitted by Downtownrobot Nic via Tony’s I-75 Restaurant)
emenel
designer, cyclist, musician, and food lover
works at nForm in Toronto
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mn-l (music)
A thought on books, magazines, and the iPad
In all the discussions about the iPad, wether it’s excitement or disappointment, nobody is really talking about the amazing possibilities this opens up for publishers. For decades we’ve seen characters in science fiction movies (and books) reading newspapers that move, or books that interact with them… or even carrying around a personalized guide (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, anyone?). This wasn’t really possible on the iPhone/Touch due to screen size limitations and processing power, but the iPad opens up all these possibilities in a way that the current batch of ebook readers hasn’t.
Imagine: reading a magazine that includes videos instead of pictures; using a text book that includes interactive exercises right in the pages; reading a book on interaction design that can actually demonstrate the interactions rather than describing them… the possibilities are endless.
As fun/interesting (and in some ways disappointing) as the actual device itself is, the new ground available to publishers of previously static content is just amazing. I can’t wait to see what people do with this.
Over
My sister started a theatre company last year, and they just finished the second run of their first show, Over. It got a great writeup in Now Magazine this week, so I thought I’d share it. Check them out on Facebook as well, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71991143881
The following review was originally part of the Scene column in Now Magazine: http://www.nowtoronto.com/stage/story.cfm?content=173351
Over too soon
We caught up last weekend with new company Theatre Caravel, who remounted their production of Over at the Theatre Centre (closed January 16).
Originally presented in a workshop space last fall, Darren O’Donnell’s play about a brother (Eric Double) and sister (Julia Nish-Lapidus) trying to sort out their past and present works well in the more cavernous space.
Part of the success is due to O’Donnell’s clever, rapid-fire, absurdist script, peppered with music-hall turns in which the sibs step into a spotlight and present what might be fantasy moments, with touches of incest along the way.
Wordplay figures prominently, and there are also stylistic echoes of another O’Donnell play, boxhead.
But a lot of the credit goes to the performers and their chemistry. Working with directors Tracy Bradley and Chelsea Ferrando, Double and Nish-Lapidus give strong physical life to the pair as they recount their family history and try to break the cycle of their lives.
They play so well together that it’s a shame the run was only three performances. Hope we get to see them again. And soon.
This is a few days old, so most of you have probably seen it already, but I thought it was worth posting anyway.
I absolutely love this piece. Everything from the content, to the general design of it. My favourite line, “You’ve invented the compass. Are you taking credit?”
Song of the day
This is one of my favourite songs ever. Wire is an amazing band, and this whole album is fantastic, but this song really stands out. The simplicity of the song writing really lets the subtlety of the production and lyrics come through.
Here are the lyrics, just to add to how awesome this song is:
No blind spots in the leopard’s eyes
Can only help to jeopardize
The lives of lambs, the shepherd cries
An afterlife for a silverfish
Eternal dust less ticklish
Than the clean room, a houseguest’s wish
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth
Face worker, a serpentine miner
A roof falls, an underliner
Of leaf structure, the egg timer
Internet forums are driving me freaking crazy - Core77
The truth about internet forums has never been so clearly stated. This is why I stopped posting on just about all the forums I used to use…
Dinosaur Jr’s new album “Farm” is one of their best yet. They’re able to take the signature Dino Jr sound and continue to evolve it in interesting ways, while still making amazing albums that I can listen to over and over.
A few of my top picks for 2009 are new albums by old bands… they just seem to have something that a lot of new bands don’t. I can’t really explain it, but the new albums from Dino Jr, Sonic Youth (will post this one soon), and Mission of Burma have an energy that I don’t hear in a lot of newer bands…
Continuing my top music from 2009 are a couple bands that are a bit of an acquired taste, Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Sunn O))).
Agoraphobic Nosebleed is an amazing thrash band, most songs clock in at ~1 minute and the lyrics are either obscene or roughly about Doctor Who.. I love it, but a lot of you won’t :)
Sunn O))) is probably even harder to get into. They play ~15 minute long drone metal songs, with chanting, choirs, and loud distorted guitar drones. I also love this, but it takes a special kind of music lover to appreciate it. Hopefully there’s somebody out there that agrees with me about how awesome this album is. Their 2009 album, Monoliths & Dimensions is their most accessible, but that’s not saying much.
Telafon Tel Aviv’s album “Immolate Yourself” is a great example of how to take influence from the 80’s and move forward with it. You can hear The Cure, Cocteau Twins, and many more in this album, but none of it sounds purely derivative. A great listen all the way through, and by far their best album to date.
I wouldn’t mind this view from my living room.
Top albums 2009 - Mission of Burma “The Sound The Speed of Light”
This album proves one again that Burma are still in top form. They still sound like old, classic, Burma, and have steadily evolved their sound. It doesn’t sound dated, this is a modern album…but you can still hear the distinct styles of Roger, Clint, and Peter that were so clear on their classic albums form the early 80’s.
There’s only one track from this album on Grooveshark, so here it is. If you want more I highly recommend buying the record.
This is the video of my talk at Ignite Toronto 2 back in November. Here’s the summary:
Throughout history, ritual has played an important part in society. It is sought out by individuals in many different ways, from the profound to the mundane. How do designers working on new products and services tap into the desire for ritual to improve engagement and enjoyment?
Ignite Toronto 2: Matt Nish-Lapidus - Design for Ritual on Vimeo (via Vimeo)
This is part one of my top 2009 albums. First up, easily one of my favourites of the year (even the past few years), The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca. This album mixes David Byrne inspired lyrics, vocal virtuosity, mind bending guitar magic, and some of the best sounding drums since Zep. The Dirty Projectors are one of the few bands that are still really playing with pop music and pushing it in entirely new directions.
Linked here are my four favourite songs form the album.
This Heat were an incredible experimental band from London in the late 70’s. They are loosely affiliated with the post-punk movement spear headed by bands like Wire and PIL. Their album Deceit is a classic of the genre, and a must listen for anybody interested in experimental music.
