Category: Uncategorized

I’ve been a user of Mac computers since 1991 and when Apple began its transition into a mobile phone company, I followed them by purchasing iPods and an iPad. For at least 15 years, I was enthusiastic about Apple announcements of new software and hardware. But gradually, that keen interest has been dimming.
My iMac still works well, but so does my landline phone. In fact, that’s how I think of my Apple stuff now… reliable utilities but not really exciting. Some would say that I was mistaken to find computer products exciting in the first place, of course.

Tools I used at the start of my career as an advertising art director (mid 1970s) now show up as antiques in Craigslist ads. One of the biggest expense in assembling a print ad was buying typeset copy.
Headlines and body copy set on linotype machines (video) actually involved molten lead being poured into moulds to make lettering. We also got our type on strips of paper. It was cut apart with xacto knives and pasted into place on artboard with rubber cement or wax. Yikes! How flaming primitive.
Many, many crappy systems emerged on the market, offering cheap ways to make type without paying big bucks for the good stuff. These systems were inevitably awful, producing badly kerned, uncrisp letters in ways that were time-consuming and clumsy to use. Clients often couldn’t see the difference, though… and hey, who cared if the work was a pain in the ass. You could even get a stenographer (look it up) to do it. She was a lot cheaper than a skilled typesetter.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Tragedy: Frank Slide by Helen Andersen. 1986. Image 17″x20″, airbrushed gouache on Arches paper
In 1903, the small mining town of Frank was crushed by a huge rockfall that killed 70 people out of the population of 600.
Why did Helen choose this subject? As far as I know, she never visited the site. It happened many years before she was born. And why does her picture look so “un-tragic”. The delicate hues and soft forms seem completely at odds with the story. Perhaps there will be clues in her writings and journals, but for now, the painting remains a bit of a mystery.

Someone managed to set up a GoPro video cam for a birds eye ride over Chamonix, France.

How about a ride in the park… with Danica… on her new bike? Throw in a sunny morning, low weekday traffic levels and cooler temperatures and you have perfection!

Woodbine Park, between Queen St. E and Lakeshore Boulevard.

I leave my fingerprints all over the place, especially on my iPad screen, so why should I care if Apple wants to fingerprint me? They say the scan of my prints will remain on my device, not in their database.
They say.
I pull my tinfoil hat on a little more snuggly to think about this. The hacker community will quickly alert the public if Apple cheats and code reveals harvesting and storage of prints. Apple is usually the first to adopt new technology, so biometric ID systems will soon be everywhere.
I presume that the fingerprint scan with be converted into device-readable digits. The ID number will probably be very, very long and longer passwords are supposed to be harder to crack. But digital numbers are easy to copy and paste… easy to transmit and store. How hard will it be for someone to fake my digital fingerprints?
Old guy, me. Don’t like the smell.

Danica and I attended the dress rehearsal tonight for a wonderfully entertaining “real space” play called Dine Her. You can get in on the fun and enjoy dinner to boot. The comedy takes place in the George Street Diner on Richmond Street. Do make plans to go before it’s over on September 23rd.
Check here for dates. I don’t know where else in Toronto you’ll get so much for your entertainment dollar. Bruce Hunter and Erica Wood do a wonderful job and the supporting cast will surprise you.
It’s interactive theatre and I was lucky enough to get a small but heroic part. Great fun. Thanks for the heads-up, Sandy Zwyer!

The slogan appears as illustration of one of 100 new, free fonts. The fonts are nice, but slogan… well, it was written for me!

Danica and I popped into an open house demo being conducted by landscape painter and teacher John Pryce. He is opening a new studio at 1600 Gerrard St. East on the Rhodes Avenue corner (right across the street from the Flying Pony Café). From what I heard, John has a wealth of practical experience to impart and a nice way of expressing himself. He’s offering classes.
“Little India” was always “Little Pakistan” too, but that is diversifying further. We hope that the South Asian stores will continue to flourish, because we like their products… especially the spices. But we are also glad to see new enterprises perking up the street.

Brian did all the legwork for us in a two week tour. His photos are online.
Hong Kong (128 photos)
Macau (48)
Ho Chi Ming City (134)
Hoi An (49)
Singapore (129)