Economics according to Calvin

This has got to be the cutest thing I've ever seen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEWcfiMYA4A

Thought this one was funny -

Copyright in Canada R3TV Episode #53

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4yWmzAtqb4

Grant Lawrence asks which Canadian artist should pen the new Hockey Night in Canada theme; Shane Nelken tries his hand at writing it himself; Kathleen Edwards' hockey-heavy new video "I Get the Dough, You get the Glory" Mickie's note: Kathleen Edwards' video with Marty McSorley and Jim Cuddy is hilarious too ! Looks like they had such a blast filming it :)

Ok, I suck at dating. I guess that's not something someone strives to be good at, like someone on Twitter said recently, "that would be akin to being 'good' at breaking up with someone ... to be good at something you'd have to do it all the time" but still, I am soooo out of touch with men's signals lately it's not even funny any more.

I either think the guy is interested in me and he's not, or I think he's not interested in me and he is @@ and by the time I've figured it out he's moved on. Geezus ... Why do I bother ? LOL And the online dating thing, ugh.

Well, except for ZombieHarmony , love their headline LOL : "Because the apocalypse doesn't have to be lonely"

Search Zombie Singles

I am a slow-moving a fast-moving an immobile zombie	seeking a slow-moving a fast-moving an immobile zombie
with all limbs intact some limbs intact no limbs intact	who is freshly turned somewhat rotten VERY rotten
and is interested in: Gnawing Lumbering Groaning

Free Books !!!!

ecomama Great Summer Book Swap

From the awesome ecomama.ca comes an a fantastic event: a Summer Book Swap!

DATE: August 20, 2008

TIME:
8 - 10pm

LOCATION:
Precious One's Kids Consignment store, 2675 Old Innes Rd., Gloucester (just east of the Bearbrook intersection).

WHAT:
It's time to clear out your bookshelves, bring your previously-read books and exchange them for "new" treasures! A very green (and free!) way to read. Also, take advantage of after hours shopping and get 15% off your purchases on both ecomama.ca items and kids consignment items (stock up on back to school clothes and shoes!)

COST:
This event is free!
Bring your sister, your girlfriend, a co-worker and come spend an evening among friends. Your next great read is waiting for you, and who knows, maybe a few more treasures!

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP to info at ecomama dot ca or 613 698 9272.

It's all about the music !

Two music-related websites / tools came across my radar this week :

WIRED: Top 10 music sites

A recent blog post in WIRED magazine provides a helpful top 10 list of the best music sites available. From learning how to play a guitar through online lessons via IVideosongs to using the MP3 music search engine available at SeeqPod, the article provides a wealth of information for anyone interested in music online.

I thought that Sellaband/SlicethePie was a really unique way for fans to invest in bands they see a future in :
"Once they reach a certain level of fan investment, bands on Sellaband and SlicethePie get to use a pool of their inverstors' money ranging from $30,000 to $50,000 to record and market an album. Not only do investors get a copy of that album, but they see a return on album sales and can trade shares in bands as they would a company's stock. well as bands /artists who want to promote or launch their music online "

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This one is just pure fun and games (and no one loses an eye !!!) Some songs are easier than others .... Sure, it's aimed at teens, but who cares ! LOL

LibraryStream: Musical Tag Clouds: A New Game?

Na? Yes, na. That’s a tag cloud of “Hey, Jude” by the Beatles. I was tinkering with tag clouds one evening last month and had the goofy urge to see what the song with more than one hundred nas at the end would look like as a tag cloud. I wasn’t disappointed. You simply can’t miss the na. Of course, hey and jude are pretty obvious, too.

That prompted me to think of a nerdy little game that teens (primarily) might enjoy. Suppose people created tag clouds of various popular songs and then challenged others to guess the tune from which they had sprung.

Of course, some titles are so much a part of their songs — with the key words repeated (or in some cases, hammered) into our ears so frequently — that it’s hard to miss the cues among the tags. Take the classic rock song from the ’70s shown at right. That title is probably easy to pick out.

Or the (mostly) instrumental marching band anthem from the 1960s [left]. Its one word tag cloud is surely the simplest ever.

But we can make this game more challenging!

See if you can pick out these next two songs. You can click through to larger versions on my Flickr page if that would help. One song came from a major rock band and the other is a tune from an “American Idol” contender.

Does that give you a sense of the game? Here are two ideas I’d like to propose:

1. A game for library teens

If you have a teen group in your library, let them pick the songs (remembering, of course, that not all lyrics have PG ratings!), give them the tools*, and let them create their own tag clouds. If you want to add a scoring element, you might award 20 points for the correct song + 10 points for the singer + 10 bonus points for guessing both within 30 seconds.

Hang the tag clouds on the wall after they’re solved. The song was already musical art. Now the words are visual art!

2. A collection for all of us

I’ve created more than a dozen musical tag clouds already. You can find them in the Musical Tag Clouds set on my Flickr page. If you (or your patrons) create* more, post them to Flickr and tag them “MusicalTagClouds”. There’s also a Flickr group with the same name. Toss in a hint if you think it’s warranted. Over time, our global collection could grow incredibly large and varied. The images would be available for a solo challenge or a classroom game at the drop of a hat. How fun it will be to randomly choose among them and try to guess the songs.

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* There are many tag cloud generators on the Internet. I used Wordle for all of mine because of the colorful and playful clouds it produced. If you find something better, go for it. Just have fun! Or, as the Beach Boys might say:

Helen Austin - Childbirth Song

This is brilliant

Cool free stuff happening in Ottawa this weekend

Because of course, I won't be here ... Pfft! Oh well, Ill be back for the really important stuff, like the Dragon Boat Races, Canada Day and Bluesfest :P




One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. So don't put your unwanted bounty pieces in the garbage. Set them out at the curb on Give Away Weekend. For you treasure hunters, tour your neighbourhood, community and city to find those hidden gems.

Spring Give Away Weekend will take place Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, 2008

Treasures could include:

• Books, CDs and DVDs.
• Old furniture and small appliances.
• Construction materials - including drywall and hardware such as nails, bolts and screws.
• Kitchen gadgets, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans.
• Unwanted gifts.
• …and more

Please consider safety when deciding which items to set out to the curb.
The Consumer Product Safety Bureau of Health Canada advises that used children's items such as baby walkers, yo-yo balls, cribs, car seats, strollers, playpens, bath seats, mattresses, blinds, toys and other child-related items should not be placed out at the curb.

Rules for setting out the treasures

• Place items at the curb.
• Place stickers or signs on items with the word "FREE".
• Ensure any items that you want to keep are away from your setout treasures or tucked away safely in your garage.
• At the end of the day, bring any uncollected gems back to your home.

Treasure hunting etiquette

• Respect other people's property, don't walk on people's lawns and gardens.
• Take only the treasures marked free at the curb.
• Don't discard previously picked-up treasures on another person's lawn.

We wish you best of luck in finding those treasures. It's another way to RETHINK GARBAGE, protecting our most precious treasure - our environment.

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It is also Doors Open Ottawa this weekend when buildings of architectural, historical or functional significance open their doors on June 7 and 8. They are elaborate embassies, peaceful places of worship, mind-blowing museums, green gardens, amazing artist studios, sensational science labs and more.

The list of buildings participating in 2008 is now available!

Since the first annual Doors Open Ottawa in 2002, over 300,000 visits have been recorded during the City's largest architectural and heritage event.

If I was going to get a tattoo it would be one of these ...

The 'Born to Read' is my favourite followed real close by 'Read or Die' :0) Maybe I could get one on my back and one on my ankle ? ;P