The Ottawa Technical High School graffiti wall looks amazing these days. I snapped these pics today.
If the Occupiers ever figured out that these industries’ various regulatory, tax and ownership regimes are really about protecting incomes paid to some management or owners in protected markets, they would face a more receptive audience among those who understand the importance of capitalism in generating ideas and economic growth. Instead, Occupiers focus on more regulations, higher taxes and government ownership, policies that undermine innovation and productivity.
John Carter - the movie no on wanted to (pay to) see.
Neil Gaiman on freelancing, being creative, and being successful in arts.
“More and more of today’s world is freelance because the work is good, they’re easy to get along with and because they deliver the work on time; and you don’t even need all three. Two out of three is fine.”
This is the ‘screw you for covering up our graffiti’ graffiti.
A rebuttal to my comments about the Avengers. I cried a little.
Was the Avengers really that good? A dissenting opinion
Image from this website.
I’ve heard everyone from film critics to common movie fans state their unfettered love of The Avengers. The movie has a 93% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been praised for everything including its dialog, pacing, visual effects and casting.
But was it really that good? Consider this a dissenting opinion.
The movie was overall enjoyable, but in hindsight, largely forgettable. Thinking about it now, only a few scenes have been added to the trailer that was injected into my brain for the past year in various media—a snarky comment or a particular visual effect.
It seemed that when the movie had no larger ambitions than to be a summer blockbuster, and that any themes that may have expanded its intellectual reach were quickly painted over. At risk of being a spoiler, I will say that the one scene in which Shield’s true intention for Phase 2 of its secret project is revealed has no impact the rest of the movie; the heroes continue on their way to stop the villain and the villain continues his plot.
For the Avengers to turn on Shield and its board of shadowy figures would have been an unexpected left-turn for the movie. But I guess it’s not in the long-term plans for the franchise. A lost opportunity, in my opinion.
Back to the immediate threat: a rather bland and recycled villain in Loki - an evil mastermind whose plot to take over the world is no more creative than super weapon + army = world domination. We know this from the very first scene of the movie and very little changes in this arc.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS!
Freeze, sucker. From the area surrounding the new World Trade Center buildings.
Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times. (Isaiah, 33:6)
Rockefeller Center, NYC
Some inspirational words I found in the basement at Fall Down Gallery.
Ottawa's Fall Down Gallery About More Than Paintings
I had a great time talking to Robbie Lariviere for this article. We talked in the basement at Fall Down Gallery, near the corner of Bank St. and Somerset St. West.
It’s the sort of place where the community matters as much as the location and the products. They host events on a regular basis and they’re celebrating their first anniversary along with dance studio Flavor Factory tonight! (Saturday, April 28, 2012).
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
Doing both this summer.
White Guilt & Groupon
White people agree (and others concur): Indian food is fantastic.
So when the Groupon for $30 worth of Indian food for $15 comes up, any white man with half a tongue will gladly jump on that deal. I certainly did.
But knowing the mathematics of Groupon makes them… let’s just say ackward to use.
I waltz into the shop with a hidden, golden secret. They seat me - still unknowing - and place a menu in front of me.
A shameful secret
It’s time to break the bad news: “Yeah, hi there… we have a Groupon… I hope that’s cool.”
If it wasn’t cool, we would probably stick around and have the butter chicken just as a means of apologizing for having gaul of asking for 50% off. And worse yet: doing the dirty deal behind the server’s back over a week ago!
“No problem. That’s good for all food and drink except alcohol.”
I resist the urge to order 10 beers off the bat to end the indentured servant-powdered wig aristocrat relationship that has now been established. (Conflicting historical references notwithstanding.)
Knowing the economics of the Groupon makes the relationship all the more shameful. Of the $30 value that was bought for $15, only $7.50 will land in the coffers of the establishment. The remainder will go toward boosting Q2 2012 revenues for NASDAQ:GRPN in hopes of a 2014 Class B stock split and 3% investor dividend! Fuck yeah!
Got my Sens jersey hanging in the window just so everyone knows whose side I’m on.
