iPhone Diaries #365: "Polaroids"

The company may be gone but the "Polaroid-look" endures!
A self-portrait.

iPhone Diaries #364: "Magenta sky"

Guelph at dusk, April 27th.

iPhone Diaries #363: "Boy tying his shoelaces"

Macdonell Street. April 27th.

iPhone Diaries #362: "A worthy cause"

A tall, cool Steam Whistle draught and veggie fare for a worthy cause (25% of the meal tab goes to support the AIDS Committee of Guelph and Wellington County)... with the family at...

The Cornerstone, Guelph. April 27th.

A huge boon for democracy; and "I told you so!"

Last April 6th, amidst all the gloom and doom of a predicted "historic" low voter turnout as foretold through the histrionics of the self-appointed oracles of public sentiment (the pollsters), and abetted by an analyses-starved, poll-dependent media, I entered a blog entry entitled  Federal Election Results: A Prediction. As well, I stand by my prediction that the Liberals will form a minority government, notwithstanding the current rise-through-the-ranks of the NDP. I also still think that Elizabeth May will win the first ever Green Party seat in Parliament.

As pointed out in the Globe and Mail article, this rising tide of voter activism may be traced back to the very first "vote mob" in Guelph as well as through the efforts of countless young people organizing around, and blogging on, current issues (See Ben's blog ).

This is a cautionary tale to pundits who think they know the mood of the country; they may correctly gauge the current mood but they also have to be aware of the national psyche: Canadians aren't stupid and will always see through the politician's public pronouncements and private machinations.
It is a great country!

Plastic, plastic, everywhere, and not a....

floating garbage YouTube link for 1280x720 viewing

Just a reminder to be conscious of the fact that our rampant consumption of disposable plastic and similar products is totally and without question, unconscionable.

iPhone Diaries #361: "Eggs in a nest"

The kids found this nest in the park and the chocolate mini-eggs are courtesy of Cadbury's. April 23rd.

iPhone Diaries #360: "On the funky side of town"

April 21st.

iPhone Diaries #359: "On Baldwin Street"

April 21st.

iPhone Diaries #358: "Sacred chocolate for a holy week"

On Baldwin Street, April 21st.

(Gnosis is the ancient, proven knowledge that illuminates the human being.)

Water dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation Park, Guelph. April 22nd.

Olympus E1, 14-54f2.8-3.5

"In the early morning rain..."

... With a dollar in my hand

With an achin' in my heart

And my pockets full of sand

I'm a long way from home

And I miss my loved ones so

In the early morning rain
With no place to go...

"Early Morning Rain", by Gordon Lightfoot

photo from the Guelph Arboretum, April 16th.
Canon 60D, EF50f2.5 macro

iPhone Diaries #357: "Narcissus"

Excellent read (Utne) on the last three generations of narcissists.... yep, that's most of us.

"Enough About You": The Cuilture of Narcissism, by Christopher Lasch

iPhone Diaries #356: "Image in lint"

This tumbled out of the clothes dryer, clinging to a pair of pants. It's what happens when one fails to empty the pockets of tissue paper. It looks like a cross between a tailed ostrich and a giraffe. April 17th.

iPhone Diaries #355: "Just another day in paradise"

Snowed all day, 0-1 Celsius. Sunday, April 17th.
YouTube link

Thoughts on shooting video in the rain

Much to my disappointment, a much anticipated outing with my meet-up group to "shoot-on film" was postponed due to inclement weather. I was looking forward to shooting 120 film on a friend's 1925 Kodak Autographic 2A.

The weather channel had called for a 95% chance of rain on Saturday, April 16th. Sure enough, it was raining all day, with the temperature hovering around 1-3 degrees Celsius. I decided to shoot outdoors, either on the streets of old Guelph or in the natural outdoors, of which Guelph has plenty of. I decided on the Guelph Arboretum, a gem of a place, a spot for meditation, great for running, and as good a place for a vacation in the city.

For camera details, check out the YouTube link.

This just in: Guelph vote stands!

"U of Guelph ballots valid, Elections Canada say"
CBCNews 15apr2011

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/15/cv-election-guelph-student-vote.html

Advance polls for students in Guelph: legally not sanctioned but ethically right?

"Concervatives accused of trying to halt U of Guelph vote"
CBCnews, 15apr2011

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/15/cv-election-guelph-student-vote.html

"Conservatives want to dump Guelph U student votes" 
the spec.com 15apr2011

http://www.thespec.com/news/elections/article/517010--conservatives-want-to-dump-guelph-u-student-votes

"Ignatieff slams attempt to annul Guelph student votes"
CTVNews 15apr2011

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110415/guelph-university-vote-mob-legitimacy-dispute-110415/

Video interview with the Canon 60D

Very first attempt at using the Canon 60D to shoot a video interview. Lens was a Canon 70-200f4IS, Audio-Technika wireless lav mike, Manfrotto190B tripod. Ambient lighting with +1 stop on auto exposure. Manual audio. Edited in iMovie'11.

Check here for YouTube link for full viewing.

www.votejohnlawson.ca

This blog entry is not to be construed as a political endorsement but is to be seen as an attempt to present a viewpoint that is timely and essential. The message is to consider your options this coming May 2nd. And please, whatever your political inclination (Conservative, Marijuana, Liberal, libertarian, Green, Pirate, etc...) join the political discourse and GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!

Click here for the YouTube link for full 1280x720 viewing

iPhone Diaries #354: "Items on lines"

 

Front Street, April 7th.

Video of Elizabeth May at the University of Guelph, April 10, 2011

As promised in my previous blog entry, here's the video of (Green Party Leader) Elizabeth May on her campaign stop in Guelph. Regardless of your political persuasion and/or ideological bent, Elizabeth's message is something that has to be listened to. She espouses a "what's-not-to-like" platform, and she speaks from the  heart, with unadulterated altruistic intentions!

If you value our uniquely Canadian democratic tradition, regardless as to whether you have already made up your mind as to whom to vote, and especially if the current status quo has turned you off the political conversation, this video is a must-watch!
(And if you're not Canadian, you should be jealous of our Canadian electoral system that allows almost everyone to run for office... and not just the millionaires beholden to special interest groups!)

Click here for youtube link for full 1280x750 viewing

Elizabeth May in Guelph, VideoDSLR, and YouTube.

With the encouragement of my son, I went to see (Green Party Leader) Elizabeth May on the University of Guelph campus as she swings by on a campaign stop. I knew Ms. May as being an intelligent, honest, and trustworthy person with a "what's-not-to-like" political platform. I wasn't prepared to be enchanted by her personality and her message!

As a newbie to the world of video DSLRs, I take every available opportunity to practice my video/stills craft; on this day, I used my Canon 60D with a Tamron 17-50f2.8, Azden shotgun mike, on a Manfrotto monopod. In hindsight, I should have brought the windsock for the shotgun mike (mini gusts of wind translates into mini thunder rolls). I'm also curious how my Zoom H4N would work in place of the shotgun mike.

I was able to record Ms. May's speech (12+ minutes), as well as local Green Party candidate John Lawson's speech. As a bonus, I was able to record  Izzy Hirji's  recounting of his being banned from a Harper rally in Guelph, a few days ago (I will post both Lawson's and Hirji's once I get their permisssion).

I am so impressed with Ms. May's message to Canadians that I feel I have to relay it to every Canadian who cares about our democracy and our future. I edited my footage, opened an account on YouTube, and the file is being uploaded as I type this blog entry (it's now 1:15 am, I really should be in bed; I have to go to work in a few hours). I will post the link on my next blog entry!

The video work needs a lot of improvement but Ms. May's  message is perfect! It is so much worth listening to, regardless of one's political persuasion.

iPhone Diaries #353: "Frier T(r)uck"

Front Street, Toronto. April 7th.

iPhone Diaries #352: "Rainy Sunday"

On a warm, grey, drizzly spring Sunday, what better thing is there to do than to start baking bread...

... water and dry yeast to start the  poolish ...

whole wheat and unbleached white flour to make up the poolish...

for an artisanal loaf with only 4 ingredients:

water, yeast, flour, salt!

2011 Federal Election Results: A Prediction

Going with my intuitive gut feeling, with an insight gleaned from reading the papers and bloggers, here are  my predictions, which goes against the polls as they stand today.

Voter turnout will be much higher than expected, approaching a  record high ,  in  large part due to high voter turnout in the 18-25 age category.  The Liberals will win the most number of seats but will still be a minority government. Liberals will gain more seats in Quebec (at the expense of the Bloc). Indicative of the Conservative decline is a Green Party win in Saanich-Gulf Islands by Elizabeth May.

The issue of ethics and trustworthiness will be pivotal in encouraging people who otherwise would not have voted, to come out and vote, to the detriment of Stephen Harper, who will be seen as the worst of two evils, i.e., not as trustworthy as Michael Ignatieff.

After all, Canadians are not apathetic; once fired up by the an issue (trust), watch out! This also illustrates that polling is an inexact science and that Yogi Berra's most famous truism, "it ain't over til its over", once again holds true, for a grateful Ignatieff.
You heard it here first!

Just saying.

"Epistemological Populism" and Harper's Attack ads.

From Enzo DiMatteo's "Naked Ambition", NOW Magazine, April 6, 2011

"Epistemological Populism is a marketing technique used by politicians to cut through the clutter (says Patrick Fafard, U of Ottawa). It relies heavily on repetition of a message that may or may not always get through, but its constant repetition means voters are unlikely to hear other points of view."

Also known as the big lie:

If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth. // If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. // If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. // If you repeat a lie long enough, it becomes truth. // If you repeat a lie many times, people are bound to start believing it.

and, from Josef Goebbels, 9 Jan 1928 (Wikiquotes):

"Propaganda should be popular, not intellectually pleasing. It is not the task of propaganda to discover intellectual truths."

iPhone Diaries #351: "BackPeddling "

 BackPeddling  has got to be the best (and the friendliest) bike shop that I've ever been in! April 2nd.

iPhone Diaries #350: "Saturday Challah"

April 2nd.

iPhone Diaries #349: "my old high school"

One of the six  coolest schools  in the Greater Toronto Area. All the more significant when you place this school in it's proper context!  Marc Garneau  used to be named Overlea Secondary School. From the Toronto Star, March 18th.

Emma-Rose Fund: A Night of Enchantment!

The Emma-Rose Fund's second fundraising gala, A Night of Enchantment, is coming up! It will be on Friday, Oct 21st. It will be an honour and a privilege to once again document this wonderful evening that is dedicated to a very, very worthy cause! 

Images from the inaugural fundraising gala may be viewed  here .