Synthesis

One (1) Saw the AGO’s ‘Jack Chambers: Light, Spirit, Time, Place and Life’and the McMichael Gallery’s ‘Jack Chambers: the light from the darkness, silver paintings and film work.’

If you're a fan of photography, painting and Canadian art history, try and make at least one of these. P.S. The AGO show is more comprehensive.

Photo Credit: The Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art

Two(2) Having heard BCorporation Method’s Adam Lowry speak this fall, I'm more aware of the decisions that go into designing a green product, and a non green product. Here's what I learned about dish detergent this month... Bought Palmolive detergent (seems to be constantly on sale), which literally poured out and was used up super fast. Bought Clorox Greenworks dish detergent next, which had a smaller cap hole, thicker consistency than the Palmolive product and lasted at least 4x as long.

Discovered that Method home cleaning products are sold at Canadian Tire stores in Canada. Photo Credit: SB C+D

Three (3) Gifted World War Z (the novel obvs) this Christmas to a favourite teen. One of the decade’s top memes: Zombies! for sure; replete with themes of the powerless state/anarchy, chaos, moral anomie, scarcity and emerging tribal communities. Zombie culture that passed through my universe since 2002:

• 28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, movie), 2002
• Shawn of the Dead (UK movie) 2004
• World War Z (Max Brooks novel) 2006
• Black Sheep (New Zealand Comedy Horror film) 2007
• 28 Weeks Later, 2007
• Zombieland, 2009
• Walking Dead (TV series) 2010
• Now Science Falls to the Zombie Meme (Forbes) Nov '11
• World War Z (movie/Brad Pitt) December 2012

Photo Credit: Aaron the Artist

Four (4) Saw Tomson Highway’s The Rez Sisters at Toronto’s The Factory Theatre. Directed by Ken Gass. Still relevant till relevant 25 years after the first performance.

Five (5) Read Michael Lewis’* Vanity Fair** article It’s the Economy, Dummkopf! An excerpt: "The German word for “shit” performs a vast number of bizarre linguistic duties... The first thing Gutenberg sought to publish, after the Bible, was a laxative timetable he called a 'Purgation-Calendar'.

*author of MoneyBall | **September 2011 issue

Six (6) Happy 2012!!

Photo credit starshipnivan.com

Living Cities

Agglomeration is my new favorite word.

One (1) Jane’s Walk is coming up on Saturday May 7^th & Sunday May 8^th. Walkability = a measurement of an area's pedestrian friendline. Built environments that facilitate walking (to stores, work, school etc.) have higher real estate values, promote healthier lifestyles and have higher levels of social cohesion. Stop in at Show & Tell Gallery when you're outwalking. Shown here: Tessar Lo, Maps. Jane’s Walk iphone app

Two (2) The Apr 14^th Town Hall Who Cares About 17 Million Voters, moderated by Metro Morning’s Matt Galloway was inspiring and interesting, outlining opportunities for city-building innovation & triple bottom line considerations where development is concerned.

Three (3) OCADU & MaRS are continually curating fabulous talks. On Apr 7th: Reclaiming the City: The Architect/Planner as Eco-Urbanist. Stephan Lanz from Berlin 21 discussed their role in Berlin's revitalization, and approach to sustainable development projects & initiatives. And from architect and urban planner Graeme Stewart, Toronto's Tower Renewal project.

Four (4) Toronto's Creative Capital Initiative is gathering input to the city's culture plan, which will be presented to the Economic Development Committee on May 4th. Themes of note from the March 28th session: zoning, space use, support local, consideration of neighbourhoods further from the downtown core.

Leah Sandals covered the youth session in Youth speak up at culture planning talks.

Five (5) In some Brazilian cities, up to 30 percent of people live in slums, or favelas. Rio has nearly 300 favelas.

WASTE LAND Official Trailer from Almega Projects on Vimeo.

An emotional screening in Complexo do Alemão from Pierre-anthony Canovas on Vimeo.

Happenings: Sound Festivals, Food & Community

One (1) I heard Gordon Monagan speak at U of T last week, about his sound art installation work, where he mused on the architectural interaction between sound and space. One of Monagan’s most interesting installations was a piece at Kitchener’s 2009 Open Ears Festival, taking place this year, from April 27^th to May 1^st. The Open Ears Festival "is for people who play digital sticks and Halo, suspended electric guitars, turntables and accordions, jazz and violins and rainforests and pianos (and pianos that play themselves)..."

The annual Eklectics Electrics Festival is held on Monagan's farm, just outside of Meaford, Ontario. Each year the festival assembles an eclectic program of avant-garde and crossover musicians, as well as art installations, DJs, and films.

Two (2) At Scarborough high school Bendale Business and

Technical Institute, students plant and care for what may be Canada’s first school-based market garden. It proves the educational value of food and all the ways it can be worked into the curriculum. “There are so many schools that could be turning their lawns into fields of food,” says garden co-ordinator Ian Hepburn-Aley, a community food facilitator with FoodShare -- a non-profit organization that tackles food and hunger issues through grassroots projects and has helped 26 Toronto schools create food gardens. From “An edible education” by @thesaucylady | Jennifer Bain, Food Editor Toronto Star

Three (3) Happy Pi Day!! “If we really calculated it precisely enough… maybe we would crack some deep-seated secret of

the universe... Pi has infiltrated popular culture more than any other mathematical concept." Show here: Wanda's Pie in the Sky celebrates Pi Day by baking square versions of the popular dessert. Also from The Toronto Star.

Four (4) The YMCA Table Top project and Toronto's Brothers Dressler partnership: a unique approach to bring together YMCA communities that make up this national organization.

Creative Smarty Pants & Technology Geeks

One (1) #Tenacity. Stephen Velasco, 15 years old, has built a model of Toronto’s downtown core, in his bedroom. "The perspectives...interest me" he explains. "You can get an overlay of the area, a real feel for the density." Velasco used Google Maps and was encouraged through online forums. Reported by Carly Maga on Open File via @Spacing Toronto. Photo Credit: A close-up of the Financial District, from steveve#6's on Flickr.

Two (2) WebTV. Tights and Fights Episode 70 is now available, online. In this episode? Canadian Tire, and there's a Bieber mention too. Which is nice because it’s Justin's birthday today. You can participate in the lives of Tights and Fight's Torontonian super heros -- on Twitter using the hash tag #TightsandFights

Dramatic Comedy: Easy to Assemble. Set Location: Ikea. Distribution: web only.From a Popwatch interview with Illeana Douglas: "I was always obsessed with supermarkets and I had written a show about going to work in a celebrity supermarket, because in L.A., a lot of celebrities go to supermarkets .. It’s been a real playground for all of us. We’re constantly inspired by things that happen to [Ikea], or their philosophy, and it influences a lot of the work."

Four (4) Technology + Design = Wellbeing We Care Solar is getting design help through a Canadian student competition to bring innovation to their portable power generation pack. The 'solar suitcase' positively impacts healthcare in countries such as Nigeria. The contest seeks to teach students and their mentors about technology and development.

The YWCA recently launched their Safety Siren app, available on iphone. In addition to the siren, the app provides information on dating, social interaction, health etc. An SOS urgent email and phone call is sent when the user signals he/she is in an unsafe situation. Photo credit:http://smr.newswire.ca