Pizza Scandal

Unbelievable: Canada Immigration Minister Quits in Pizza Scandal
"Canadian Immigration Minister Judy Sgro, already embroiled in a scandal over favors given to a Romanian stripper, resigned on Friday after a pizza shop owner said she reneged on a promise to give him asylum in Canada in exchange for free pizza."

You know, I think less offended by the corruption itself than by the carrot she was seeking. Free pizza?!? C'mon guys - dream big! How 'bout free pizza with unlimited toppings, at least?

*sigh*

99 Bloor, 99 Bloor...

The world is constantly reminding me that, for all my aspirations to creativity, there are a lot of people out there with far more wit and ability than I can muster. Witness these delightful little buttons representing Toronto's subway stops; The ultimate in headslap-inducing "why didn't I think of that"-osity!

Word of the Moment (Scottish Edition): Black Affronted

adj.

1. Highly embarrassed, mortified; "I wis black affronted by whit he said."

Abe, Steve. Steve, Abe.

Spielberg to bring Lincoln biopic to big screen:

"Director Steven Spielberg is reportedly set to bring a biography of US president Abraham Lincoln to the big screen, possibly starring Oscar-winning Irish actor Liam Neeson."

Hmm, Liam I'm not sure about, but I'm looking forward to seeing a modern attempt on Lincoln's life (pun intended). As I work through the final 200 pages of Shelby Foote's voluminous Civil War Narrative, Lincoln stands out more and more as the most fascinating personage from the era.

Granted, biopics tend towards the shallow, so perhaps I'm wrong to get my hopes up, but at the very least I can look forward to one thing - I've been looking for a really standout biography of Lincoln, and the film junkets will no doubt result in a flurry of recommendations from the experts called upon by the entertainment shows!

MP-Free

Almost as good as free food; it's free music! WOOT!

This is actually kind of cool. I'm surprised I haven't heard about it before now! Offering a free sample is a great way to generate interest both in the band and Amazon's products too - there's a kind of corporate karma involved in this kind of act that I'm very happy to reward.

BTW double-karma for the fact that both Robert Earl Keen and the Old 97s are featured on this list. They're two of my "you have to hear these guys" favourites, though the Keen track admittedly isn't one of his best. And - oh look! - a Tanya Donnelly track? I wonder who would appreciate that?

How can you have any 'Podding if you don't eat your Mac?

See, they almost had me. But a quick glance at the fine print* reveals the dealbreaker for me:

"Do not eat iPod shuffle."

Feh to that, sez me! Note the feedback link in the right-hand column? Consider this the official launch of the MAKE IT EDIBLE! campaign!


*Here's a thought: How soon before the famously litigious Apple starts suing websites that refer to it as "tasty"?

Interesting Times article.

“Today more and more women are questioning marriage. But in the past, professional men have been more desirable as husbands, while for women with low IQs the only prospect of gaining some recognition and power was to be married.”

Dr Paul Brown, visiting professor of psychology at Nottingham Law School and an expert on relationships, said: “What we are finding is that women in their late 30s who have gone for careers after the first flush of university and who are among the brightest of their generation are finding that men are just not interesting enough.

“It is a really difficult issue. Women want independence but we are all hard-wired into wanting to be into relationships. The paradox of the post-feminist position is how we create a social system in which both independence and inter-dependency can flourish.”

You Are Now Leaving the Reality Distortion Field...

What does it say about the fabled Jobsian RDF Field that it takes only a glimpse of this to make me want to buy a product that has about 10 times LESS capacity than I felt I needed three months ago when I bought this?

Today's keynote was quite possibly the most impressive I've seen in the past five years. Great products made greater and some new greats added to the roster to boot.

What kills me about Apple is how it designs programs so elegant, simple and appealing that they make you want to try them. When I first used iMovie, I went from one who can't stand videocameras to thinking, "I should save up and get one..." Same thing with GarageBand; It had been over ten years since I last touched a piano (usually had to be forced to practice), yet seeing GB in action had me digging out my old sheet music. No wonder the platform has such a love affair with creative types - inspirations in any form are always a welcome thing.

A former Apple-mad coworker - a guitarist by avocation - once made a fantastic analogy that, sadly, memory no longer permits me to relate verbatim. The gist of it was: Using a PC like being given a guitar, having to learn how to position your hands, use the frets, strum the strings, etc. Using a Mac, however, is like being given a guitar that requires none of that learning curve - you can just pick it up and get straight into being creative.