I used to not-so-jokingly joke that I’d like to meet the guy who invented CAPTCHAs in a back alley. Well, thanks to a TEDTalk, I’ve kind of met him, and instead of greeting him with a brick, I’d like to shake his hand. This talk is fun, funny, informative, and marks him as the kind […]
Category Archives: Activism
Pay It Forward
Two years ago, a woman walked into the Corner Perk coffee shop in Bluffton, South Carolina and paid for a cup of coffee with a hundred dollar bill. She asked the barista to use the change to pay for other people’s orders as they came in. This surprising act of generosity to strangers spun into […]
Motor City
A friend from Detroit fills her Facebook feed with images, stories and videos that redeclare her love for her city. She’s not alone, as this film attests. As one with little cash and big ideas, Detroit does seem to me to be a wonderland of possibility. I wish it – and all who choose to […]
Op-Ed Contributor – This Bedbug’s Life – NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08berenbaum.html?_r=1&src=me There have been a rash (ahem) of bedbug alerts in Toronto recently – one of the side effects of globalisation and inexpensive travel options, I suppose. I was swarmed in a hostel on my 2007 trip, and it’s an experience I don’t wish to recreate. Every time I read an article like this, I […]
Michael–Maybe we knew too much about ye | Opinion L.A. | Los Angeles Times
http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2009/06/michael-jackson-michael-jackson-thriller-dead.html The LA Times succinctly summarises Michael Jackson’s life: We saw him dazzle with individuality and originality in “Thriller,” then saw him wither away to the frail middle-aged man who was dragged to court in his pajamas. Ultimately there would be no comeback.
Police Raid Home For … Tomatos? | Cannabis Culture Magazine
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/5252.html I’ve got a window full of bushy greens in an area of Toronto riddled with grow-ops, and have often wondered if I might not experience a similar situation one day.
The Money Issue – Rob Walker – Consumed – Marketing and Advertising – New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/magazine/09wwln-consumed-t.html?ex=1362718800&en=e2fa0d6f12cafff0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all I have dallied on FreeRice.com and TheHungerSite.com before, and – though suspicious that my clicks were for naught – put my two seconds’ of time in just in case. Well, my word – it turns out the sites are legitimate. And not only legitimate, but incredibly productive. Thanks, Kelrose for the heads-up. The rice […]
Posted in Activism
Tagged Activism, being-the-change, boat-rockers, random-actsof-kindness
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Memo to Petraeus and Crocker: More Laughs, Please – NYTimes.com
http://cavett.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/memo-to-petraeus-crocker-more-laughs-please/ Dick Cavett makes a case for the pen being mightier than the sword (and the military’s propensity for dulling its instruments), proving his point with a hell of a last line – an inky coup de gr
(Untitled)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080407/ap_on_re_eu/olympic_torch_37;_ylt=ArU0ggnAAT48Ec0v_LmK0WUE1vAI Paris’ Olympic torch relay descended into chaos Monday, with protesters scaling the Eiffel Tower, grabbing for the flame and forcing security officials to repeatedly snuff out the torch and transport it by bus past demonstrators yelling “Free Tibet!” I was in Paris for 2 full, riot-less months last year, and I must say I […]
Posted in Activism
Tagged Activism, boat-rockers, jerks, ourobouros, playswell-withothers
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Gregory Peck – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_peck The biography of screen legend Gregory Peck, who seems to have been just as fine and upstanding a man as the characters he played. I particularly liked this quote: I’m not a do-gooder. It embarrassed me to be classified as a humanitarian. I simply take part in activities that I believe in.