The year of the pothole.

Queen St. W in front of Trinity Bellwoods, right eastbound lane.

According to an article in the Toronto Star, 2008 is the worst year for potholes - I think my bike would have to agree. Since January 1, they have fixed 47,000 compared to the 20,000 they fixed last year, amounting to 1.3 million dollars for the patchwork job. 

I think it's time that someone or someones - hint: Matt & Casey. Can you say joint thesis? -  sits down and really thinks about this problem. Clearly is it getting worse and there really is no solution. That patch they put in today, will be one of those mini boulders I used to use to throw into the "lakes" on the schoolyard as a kid to splash the girls, in no time. 

Oh, and my bike riding ass can't take it anymore either.

Probably the most important image in recent scientific history.

This graphic, most commonly associated with hallucinatory visions brought on by illicit drugs, represents a revolution in scientific thinking. First visualized in the 1980s, the seed of fractal geometry has its roots in a 1918 formula composed by the French mathematician Gaston Maurice Julia. Julia’s student Benoit Mandelbrot later popularized the formula with the advent of computers, when he could finally plot the millions of millions calculations iterations of the formula, z -> z^2 + c necessary to make a complete set. The images that appear have infinite resolution. One can zoom in or out of a Mandelbrot set, or M-set, and never reach its end. The implications of this are enormous. The theories of Fractal geometry, as represented by the M-set, led to changes in the way we thought about information, the natural world, stock markets, our bodies and the cosmos, just to name a few.

For some practical applications of fractal geometry, go here.

In memory of Arthur C. Clarke.

Would this really be the President's choice?

I don't even know what to think with this one. 

Really? Is this really necessary? Is there really a demand/market for a product like this?

Someone had this as an idea, and someone with power thought it was a good one?

At least they cleaned the broccoli first.

Modern Miracle Worker

This photo resides in the medical library at Toronto Western hospital. The subject is Dr Robert C. Laird, with photograph by Yousuf Karsh. Dr. Laird is portrayed in the same manner as praying saints, as seen in paintings by Caravaggio and Zurbaran. In Christian iconography, "books in the hands of of saints show they where well educated in the Scriptures." Similarly, the book in this photo signifies the doctor's learning. His glance is not directed toward Heaven, rather into some dim future, yet the feeling is still that of a memento mori, a painting genre that reminded one of one's mortality.

Here is an example of memento mori by Zurbaran.

Brutally straighforward. Strangely inclusive.

This poster advertises the services of one "Dimitri the Lover", who can teach you to pick up and satisfy beautiful women. The hierarchy starts out quite clear, with pertinent details picked out in bold, creating the equivalent of hearing all the naughty bits of a conversation, but quickly devolves into an impenetrable wall of text.
You're asking "is it real"? A little bit of sleuthing reveals that it is apparently a ploy to get women to contact him.

This clever piece of strategic postering has all the hallmarks of a DIY marketing campaign. The poster and the website are deceptively straightforward; the true purpose of it all is intentionally obfuscated. As stated above, the intent of this poster is not to teach men to seduce women, but to get curious women to contact Dimitri, who most certainly does not exist.

The poster continues in a schizophrenic vein. He is adamantly opposed to metrosexuals, yet welcoming of bisexual men. And he also generously grants lesbians and bisexual women the honorary status of Heterosexual Men. Check out his site for some outrageous flash animations, and some testimonials. If any of you have contacted him, or better yet have met/slept with him, let me know.

Naive Transliterations

Everyone's seen signs like these, and chuckled. However these utilitarian transliterations are the product of the gray zone where cultures overlap. The result is a garbled, low resolution representation of Chinese. A bad photocopy of music.
What happens when savvier persons take on the task of translation and begin to mine the gray zone?

Ohhhhh... Canada?

After spending some time, humbly editing a few of Casey’s blogger blunders (you’re welcome Casey) I get to open the vault doors to what could have been a huge oversight to Canada’s identity.

Here are three considered submissions for the Native Sons of Canada’s campaign to abolish “the shackles in Canadian autonomy.” In an interview with the CBC, Native Sons of Canada's J. Picard says, “the best way to get recognition for a flag design is for the people to fly it.” Thankfully these flag submissions never made it past half-mast.




Thanks to the magic of the internet here is a link to the interview originally airing in 1964.

Door handle affordance.

At first glance, this place seems to be a hole in the wall karaoke bar/seafood restaurant, but closer inspection reveals it to be a general dentistry practice. As a counterpoint to the misleading glass brick/marble tile facade, the door handles clearly telegraph the services offered within.


*March 23 2008, 9:45 am*
I just got the strange symmetry. The door says PULL. So many layers...

Sale! Urgent!

I'm impressed by the frankness and no-nonsense quality of this sign. By using the warning colours often found in poisonous creatures, the signmakers have managed to convey the shear urgency of this boot sale. A real attention grabber.

What are you trying to say?

How much less specific can you get? Downtown Standard does not inspire the greatest of confidence in its culinary offerings. Everything about the storefront is wrong, just so, from the arbitrary typeface, to the impenetrable-wall-of-text and the borderline humourous item names(i.e. Flavoured Slush).


The saving grace of this menu, we believe, is the Breakfast in a Glass. And possibly the Racket Fuel.

Accomodating signage.

Restaurants like this are hidden gems, located on the side streets of Toronto. The mish-mash quality of the decor is human and inviting. This particular restaurant acknowledges the clients' particular needs with the simple yet evocative statement "sauce on the side"; which as you know, is the single most detested request in any restaurant.

A sculptural WTF.

Seems I'm rotationally retarded. I'll keep posting images like this until it gets corrected by someone else, as I'm too busy. (Thanks Matt) I spotted this whimsical silver tea set at the Portugese jewelry store near my house. The watering-can teapot is sure to win over your horticulturally inclined great aunt. Overall this design is nonsensical, with the form adding nothing to the function of the piece. This item(and many others) proves that bad design can sell.

The first Good Bad post.

These two are so awesome, I'm going to put up their photo even if I can't get it rotated the right way. I saw them on the way to Kensington Market and they were so great about having their picture taken. The way the colour palette and material choice unify their costumes is amazing. The shopping buggy is a bit of an X factor, but hey, at least it matches. The difference between good and bad here, is the purity of their expression and intent. Their message is appealing because it's convincing, without irony or self consciousness. Guys, wherever you are, thank you for being so goddamn cool.