Oct 31

cleaning out the iPhone…

Posted in: Music, Uncategorized

As October winds to an end, I’m realizing how much STUFF I’ve accumulated on my phone this fall. A crazy month+ has left me with little time for the regular digital data dump. So many amazing events with the TO community occurred this season & there is so much fantastic news to celebrate, share, synthesize…but this is all I can manage for now…

A highlight of the autumn was Dan Mangan’s in-store at Criminal Records two weeks ago.  The Sure Things opened up for Dan at the Rivoli later than night, & their blowout CD Release party was last night at the Dakota - so get that CD already!

While my Sure Things bootlegs turned out regrettably furry (arg! & they played SO many great originals & hilarious covers…spoon solos…Dani’s cuteness…Martin’s slide guitar prowess…frak!) You *can* enjoy two Dan Mangan Mp3s recorded at the lovely intimate session in Paul’s shoppe with a packed rapt house…you could’ve heard a pin drop between his husky growls & breathy phrasing for ‘We’re not us’…trust me, download it, it’s just gorgeous… & you’ll have to settle for a fan’s giggle instead of a pin:

Mp3 - We’re not us - Dan Mangan

Mp3 - Indie Queens Are Waiting - Dan Mangan

& here’s the newest Mangan video for ‘Robots’:

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Oct 09

Why social media schadenfreude is scarier than swine flu

Posted in: Tech

There’s a particularly startling epidemic happening in the online world, which I’m noticing mainly in Toronto of late.  It might just be the 2.0 version of the classic Canadian tall poppy syndrome, but this strain is turning out to be stronger & scarier than swine flu.  Victims are compelled (nay, forced?) to gush out unnecessary mea culpas, fall on their twittering swords & hide in abject terror of the virus reappearing.  It disguises itself as a ‘transparency’ inoculation or an ‘authenticity’ booster shot, but there is only one diagnosis for the unfortunate malady-stricken online risk-takers - they’ve been bitten by social media schadenfreude.

Now I’m the first to grab the popcorn when things get spicy on the political scene, and don’t get between me and my indierock drama…BUT when it comes to jumping down people’s throats in an online/professional context…I get a little…empathetic.  By the luck of astrologically-aligned-nerd-stars, my salty slangly casual language whilst pitching bloggers, writing content & generally floundering through life has not put in me in this position.  According to the law of averages, until I am drafted to the WNBA, I will soon play the role of the  ’social media practitioner’ or ‘community member’ receiving a thorough ego trouncing from the peanut gallery.  {In fact, if those web gremlins continue to highjack a lovely microsite/app-project we’re eager to seed/launch I might be in this position early next week :)}

We all make mistakes.  If we’re doing right by our clients, we aren’t just going through the same-old super-safe motions developing & executing campaigns.  Ask any stellar standup comedian.  Some jokes kill and some jokes bomb.  That’s life.

So on this turkey weekend eve, let’s be thankful that there are social media peeps still taking risks, let’s remember that when this happens with ad campaigns we think it’s unique & quirky & let’s consider the embarassment of riches we have in terms of attending awesome events.  Before you pile on to critique someone going out on a limb or trying something new or having an opinion…ask yourself if you really want to end up like these dudes:

Enough with the peanut gallery already

*Massive full disclosure - A staffer at Social Media Group is my basketball bud & I have been known to enjoy cheap soft-serve ‘ice cream’ with Refresh Events‘ founder.

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Jun 04

I am pretty much the worst blogger in the history of the internet. Video?

Posted in: Music

NXNE 09 preview from North by Northeast on Vimeo.

NXNE 09 Film Trailer from North by Northeast on Vimeo.

Please forgive me for 2 months of blog truancy & accept these videos as an apology, in addition to the usual groveling.

1st vid’s for NXNE writ-large - & I hope you’ve taken a second to peruse this year’s indie-heavy lineup of acts.  My tentative hit-list is here.  Join us. (OR: Go to the schedule site & build your own.)

2nd vid’s for our 09 Film lineup, which has a special place in my heart because I’m serving as this year’s Volunteer Coordinator (a return to my roots, if you wil)

In case y’all didn’t know - NXNE was my very 1st ‘this ain’t so bad’-return-to-Toronto-life-work-decision (BEFORE UrbanOutfitters, if you’re keeping track at home, tho folding skillz are still stellar), which helped me (somewhat?!) reacclimatize to Canuckistan.  Fierce friends met via the fest are ‘Toronto’ family today.

Enough goop.  The lineup for films this year is bigger and better than ever.  NXNE HQ secured many high-profile interesting films, many of which are North American premieres.

Examples?

So to all Torontopians, join us for a flick or a gig or workshop during NXNE - we’re taking up space between June 16th & 21st.

NXNE represents what our city’s music scene quietly embodies, unpretentiousness, laid-back-itude (6-shooter records’ day party, FTW!), jovial-awesomesauce, ego-free-dom, diversity (& dispersed-ity! pack yer TTC passes, kids!) & above all - fine musicianship, songwriting, skill and charm.

{& if you see me growling around the NFB with a clipboard/headset ensemble & generally looking surly, please don’t fret.  I’m just doing what I do best at the regular workplace - trying very hard to look busy & important - so interrupt my mutterings & please say ‘hullo’ :)

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Feb 16

all swallowed in their coats with scarves of red tied ’round their throats

Posted in: eAdvocacy

Blogger guilt & the glimmer of spring prompts a much overdue post…Shamed into action by lovely stalwart scribblin’ colleagues like The Douma, The Doctor & The Boyd...I’ve now got Sharanwrap & Lunch Lovin’ Mary to keep up with.  Sheesh.

Certainly no lack of content to populate these pixels - followup from ChangeCamp’s kept things busy & continues to snuggles perfectly into my nerdy niches of politics, public policy, civic engagement, copyleft/opensource & tech.

(photo from Nate Archer)

Spearhead’er Mark Kuznicki has a great summary post on the ChangeCamp blog to succinctly wrap the event and issue a call to action for all participants to move our ideas forward.

Positive & constructive results are in for what was a hugely successful & ambitious undertaking - ChangeCamp Toronto.  Mosey over to the Wiki for interesting survey results & illustrations like this one:

While you’re surfin’ check out the glowing feature in the Globe & Mail about the open source movement in the city, & like all good tech events in TO, there’s a great vid by Mark McKay that captures the spirit of the event:

ChangeCamp ‘09 from Mark McKay on Vimeo.

We’ve got more ChangeCamp schemes in the works, so stay tuned.  All planning meetings are broadcast/recorded to align with our ‘transparency’ thrust - we walk the walk, peeps!  Tune in on Tuesday afternoon for more CC chats & mind mappin’:

ChangeCamp Strategy Session February 2, 2009 from remarkk on Vimeo.

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Jan 13

I can turn back the hands of time, you better believe I can; I can make the seasons change, just by waving my hand

Posted in: eAdvocacy

Wintertime & the living is slushy.  Despite the brutal barren wilderness & chill Canuckistan climate, hearts are warm in the centre of the universe for all things governmental/transparent/politicin’…

First things first - Event Plugs:

Wednesday, January 21st - The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy is hosting a free Citizen Forum called “Parliament 2009:  What Kind of Country Will We Have?” at the University of Toronto Munk Centre.  Event details can be found here (on Facebook, natch) & here (on our org’s website).  The panel is stellar, the conversation will be oh-so-timely & a grand time will be had by all.  I’m encouraged to see many, many newbies already RSVPing - many from TO’s lively tech scene.  Cross-pollenation of these communities is vital & shows a genuine enthusiasm brewing to discuss our parliamentary processes, public  policies & - most importantly - developing solutions to increase citizen engagement.

The timing of the CSAPD event couldn’t be better, serving as the bass-heavy-rumbling thunder before the eye-catching-crackly lightening of ChangeCamp.  Originally assembled via Twitter, word-of-mouth & email blasts, we’ve now settled nicely into a GoogleGroup nest & would love to have you on board as a volunteer, donor or participant. 

Saturday, January 24th - ChangeCamp will be rockin’ the MaRS Centre across from Queen’s Park in crunchy unconference style.  Please do join us for a full day of positive, creative & thoughtful chats about Government & Governance in the age of Participation.

Tomorrow I hope to have a more content-y piece on the trends & activities behind the creation & popularity of these events…hopefully…darn it all to heck it’s been a lil’busy up in here.

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