- i have been running. well jogging. or continuously moving forward while not falling for 60 consecutive minutes. this is b a n a n a s for me. i spent most of my formative years, adolescence and extended post-adolescence avoiding, scorning and ridiculing running and runners, so being able to jog for almost an hour without feeling like death is near is perplexing and amazing for me. now i need to figure out: how do i know how far i'm running? i'm sure you have some totally simple solution. i've just been timing myself by the podcasts i listen to, but now i want to figure out how far off i am from the 9 minute mile.
- i've been thinking a lot about the concept of how you do anything is how you do everything. mostly in terms of how i bike through the city as a metaphor for how i go through life. how do you do anything?
- "pêcheurs de lune" my new favorite phrase & asperational career.
- i have a new love in my life. we met a while back but it wasn't until i started having problems with my current that i said, that's it, no more making do. i need something new, something dependable. something that can sew 1000 stitches a minute. i brayed woefully at my darling mother until she lent me the money for this:
TLF yo.
- sweat is dripping down my neck from sitting still.
it's summer! hello cold beers, glorious sweaty everything everywhere, smoothies, night time adventures and enormous overblown melodramatic salads.
art schoolers in the hood
we bought urs a lemonade stand so she can start paying her way in the world
my biological crazy old cat lady clock is ticking ever so loudly
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
spruce beer = TLF
orange fried tofu + spring greens + apple + tahini dressing + sunflower seeds = happiest mouth in the world
emily has come to visit and to marvel at lou's prolific shedding. she also said i looked like joni mitchell which i though was a total lie but much better than previous comparisons (diana krall, bjork, renée zellweger).
if you don't bike or don't particularly care about biking this will be of limited interest to you. consider yourself warned.
everyday i bike urs to day care then i bike to work. i courier pants for one of my stores. i spend 80% of my transit time (when there's no ice. i am bad enough dealing with ice on two feet. cycling on ice/snow would be sheer stupidity. for me.) on my bike. i love being able to physically propel myself from one place to another with my own strength (which isn't to dismiss or deride metro passengers or car drivers. not very much anyway.). i don't have a whole lot of driving experience but it felt like certain death. i feel pretty safe on my bike. here are my rules for safe biking:
A) no road rage allowed. when you start yelling swears and throwing out hostile gestures to strangers you're starting a regrettable vicious circle which will just end up with you feeling like a douche. when presented with an opportunity to flip someone the bird give them the thumbs up instead because 1) you won't feel like a jerk for being a jerk 2) it will naturally make nice people laugh and make douches angrier. win/win!
B) beware of the bike paths. which is not to say don't use the bike paths, but just be more cautious and vigilant on bike paths. i tend to hate bike paths because: 1) lots of sunday drivers taking up both lanes 2) lots of bad (careless) cyclists hellbent on going too fast 3) not a lot of maneuvering space. there's sometimes a meter and a half for two lanes of bike paths between two concrete curbs. be tween oblivious slow cyclists having involved conversations while driving and crazed speed cyclists dodging and passing like maniacs the only time i like being on a bike path is when i'm the only one on it. i'll generally take driving with cars over other bikes any day.
C) don't drive apologetically or hesitantly. bikes belong on the road. driving too close to parked car is a lot more dangerous than driving on the inside edge of a traffic lane. riding in a clear, steady and predictable fashion makes it a lot easier for cars to see and anticipate you.
D) wear a helmet. why aren't you wearing a helmet? because it's not cool? what are you? in grade seven? a helmet is the difference between being paralyzed from the nostrils down and salivating on yourself while wishing for death for the next 40 years and getting some stitches or bruises. every person i see without a helmet i automatically know is STUPID in a deep and profound way. same with smokers (and i smoked for 11 years so i know what i'm talking about here) (and as an aside to buddies who don't wear helmets: i don't think you're stupid, just not as ascared of the repercussions as i am. i love you dudes! wear a helmet for me and i'll buy you a coffee/make you cupcakes)
E) be considerate. it's good to be considerate with everyone generally but especially with pedestrians. the go the slowest so they deserve a little more love.
who needs real life when you can live inside a podcast?
this is a special presentation for my buddy elina and anyone else who is vaguely interested in podcasts but doesn't quite know how what to listen to or the general who/what/where/why
you can listen to podcasts online or on your mp3 doodad. think of it as radio curated by you for you. with itunes you search for podcasts in the itunes store (which isn't to say i'm particualrly happy with itunes. it works like ass on pc's and i'd rather chop off my arms than get an overhyped and overpriced mac) and subscribe to them which means your puter will just automatically suck new episodes onto your computer for you. or you can go to the show's website where you can usually find a recording to listen to through an embeded player thinger. simple.
more convoluted is trying to find good shows. here's my list of absolute must listens:
Wnyc's radiolab this is the best show. it's like being able to look at the world again for the first time. total unabashed wonder.
this american life this is an expertly crafted weekly documentary program that looks at ordinary/extrodinary americans. i kept hearing about this but avoided listening because i frankly didn't care particularly about random americans. but even though it is about americans specifically, it's more about people. it's about the grey area.
the moth this is a podcast of unscripted true stories told in front of a live audience by a wide variety of people. each episode invaribaly makes me either cry or laugh audibly.
search engine this is a show about where technology and politics intersect. which is kind of a downer description. do-over: this is a show where technology and politics intersect and how they directly affect you (and since you're reading this blog on the interweb, i promise it does).
spark this is a tech blog for lateral thinking luddites
the current this is where i go for sharp relevant information on current events that are too convoluted or removed for me to otherwise get much of a grasp on
dnto this can be sort of underwhelming sometimes, but it's cute and sweet.
savage lovecast this is like having your best gays at your service on demand. to talk about sex and relationships.
quirks and quarks dear science the groks science show three great science shows. i have a soft spot for science shows because i fall asleep if i try and read about smart knowin' stuff but it slides painlessly into my brain when inserted through my ears.
frieze art fair i listened to a crapload of art and theory podcasts to find 90% are irrelevant and up their own asses. this one is consistantly edifing. great panels, riveting topics and compelling speakers.
first off: i have been meaning to thank the lovely zoe for mentioning me in her blog. great blog, excellent taste and some really inspired makering!
secondly you should go make me a mixtape at 8 track. here's my first attempt it's not as streamlined as muxtape, but you can make multiple mixes which i like. lets hope 8-track doesn't get clobbered as fast as muxtape did.
work has been hogging my time to a ridiculous degree. i think i worked every waking moment last week. luckily the general summer pace involves a lot more yoga in the park than 80 hour weeks. i spent all day napping, reading online gossip and eating cupcakes to recover.
yesterday was the first summer day. 27 degree weather. yana and i went on a bike/thrift/ice cream extravaganza and i thought it only right to share the documentation.
seriously, if you are a thrifter and these pics don't raise your heart rate and make you salivate all over your keyboard then you are probably dead.
