COOL! ThreeA Toys...

Well, it's no secret that I'm a fan of Ashley Wood. I've blogged about his work and toys on MUHSASHUM previously, here. Anyhow, as I had hinted, I've joined the 3A Legion - a forum/hyperboard for fans of everything ThreeA. This would be the first forum that I've joined in recent memory... where the members are all equally crazy (crazy fans of ThreeA that is). The forum has interesting contests for art and photos, which gives me a legitimate reason to 'play' with my toys (they're not really toys IMO, but serious pieces of functional art and design). ;D


Here is an image of my Ashley Wood book collection... it's constantly expanding. I think the lot of it is here... some may still be hidden amongst the other books on my shelves. ;P If you don't know who Ashley Wood is... shame on you! Go visit his blog now!


Finally, here is the image that I've entered into the 3A Legion's July Photo Contest - 'Dirty Deeds = Dirty Shadows?' I originally entered the group photo at the top of this post, but decided to go with this more humorous pic...

No Photoshop was used in post production, just for the crop. A whole lot of time was spent trying to get DDB's hands just right though... hopefully, you can see the same end result as Nom.

I'm looking forward to posting more photos and artwork to the forum and interacting with the members. Did I mention that Ashley Wood (the man himself!) also posts/interacts with members on this forum? Now, HOW COOL IS THAT? ;D

Cheers!

COOL! Rorschach Inkblots...

A recent article over on the Globe and Mail, brought to my attention the existence of Rorschach's original inkblot images on Wikipedia. These inkblots of the Rorschach test were printed in Rorschach's Rorschach Test - Psychodiagnostic Plates (Hogrefe, 1927, ISBN: 3-456-82605-2). They've been in the public domain in Hermann Rorschach's native Switzerland, since at least 1992 (70 years after his death), according to Swiss copyright law. They're also in the public domain under United States copyright law (based on when they were first created and published - before 1923).


The images were scanned and posted to Wikipedia along with the most frequent responses for either the whole image or the most prominent detail (according to Samuel Beck). This, as the article in the Globe and Mail details, has prompted some interesting response (like numerous websites/blogs now hosting the images + common responses) and protest... read the article over at the Globe and Mail - here.


What do you think? Was the poster of the images 'in the wrong' or should the protesters just deal with it? ;)

In any case, I think the inkblots are cool, and recommend that you check them out if you've never seen them before, visit the posting on Wikipedia, or check them out on my Flickr (Rorschach Inkblots set) - enjoy!

To Winnipeg Beach...

This past weekend included a trip out to Winnipeg Beach, and a visit to What? Clay Art & Curios , the studio of talented ceramist and artist, Evelin Richter.


The weather cooperated fully, as it was a beautiful summer weekend (I passed through a number of localized thundershowers on the way out, but nothing that lasted very long).


Highlights from the evening (aside from the good times with great food and friends), included a visit to the Fishfly Gallery, a glimpse of the 'Boardwalk Days' festivities and catching up with Ev on what she's been up to... learn more by visiting http://www.whatclayart.com/ - cheers to Rob and Ev for hosting the evening!

Read my previous blog posts about What? Clay Art & Curios, here - enjoy!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm... (Part 3)

Another highlight from this past weekend, found on the bottom of baby August's, Buster Brown sandals... 'PLACE HELL HERE'.

...an oversight at QC? An honest, unintentional typo? Another example of 'Chinglish'? Hmmm... IMO, this definitely qualifies as one of those things that make you go hmmm... ;) What do you think?

Thoughts and comments (when relevant) are always appreciated... cheers!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Yesterday evening, I took my Mom and family to Yujiro Japanese Restaurant (on Grant Avenue) for an early birthday dinner.


People who are familiar with me know that I'm a huge fan of Japanese cuisine (particularly sushi and sashimi)... actually I think its safe to say that I'm just a huge fan of 'good food.' ;) Well, yesterday evening was no disappointment... the food was amazing to say the least.


The fish was as fresh as you can get in the middle of the Prairies...


There were some exceptional daily features on offer, one of them notably was the Foie Gras No Sushi = foie gras, on top of Unagi (BBQ eel), on sushi rice. Delicious...


I've posted photos from the dinner at Yujiro to a Flickr set, here - enjoy!

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you enjoyed your birthday dinner... I know I did! ;D Cheers!

Images (top to bottom): One of the amuse-bouche we received at Yujiro Japanese Restaurant... delicious crabs (and cute to boot - they were the size of a quarter), Deluxe sashimi, Aji Tataki, Foie Gras no Sushi, Shiratama Zenzai (dessert).

COOL! iPhone - Typographic Reference Manual...

I'm on the verge of taking the plunge, and getting me an iPhone... do I really need it? No. Do I want one? HELL YEAH! The fact that GDC Members can get a discounted iPhone rate from Rogers adds to the enticement... ;P

Seriously, aside from the obvious 'cool factor', the iPhone applications are what really attract me... like the one above, which was recently posted to the GDC Listserve by Marilyn Matty - a long standing contributor to the GDC Listserve. If you're a designer, I'd think that this application will be highly valuable to you... learn more about the application at their website, http://typographyapp.com/ - enjoy!

Thanks to the Marilyn for sharing the link with the GDC Listserve - cheers!

Busy, Busy...

I've been rather busy as of late... hopefully, I will have some interesting things (aka 'secret projects') to share with you all soon. ;D

Image: a busy bumblebee inside of a rose... from one of the rose bushes in front of my home.

2009 Guardian Dojo Karate Camp...

This past weekend I attended the 2009 Guardian Dojo Karate Camp (and belt testing) held in Arnes (north of Gimli), Manitoba.



Guardian Dojo students partook in 'lake-training', practiced Goshin Jitsu (self-defense) techniques, throws, kata, kihon (even some bo-kihon)...

If you're interested, I've uploaded the photos I took during the camp to my Flickr, here - enjoy!


The bugs were pretty wicked at times. ;P

Congratulations to all the students who tested... IMO, I think you all did very well. Once again, many thanks to Shihan Beltrán, Sempai(s) Rhea and Sean for organizing and facilitating the 2009 Guardian Dojo Karate Camp! Osu!

Recommended Viewing | 2008 Guardian Challenge - Photo Highlights...

Well, better late than never. ;P It has taken me months to sort through the 1000's of photos that my good friend, local designer and fellow blogger, Doug Fedrau (aka 'The Orange Kid') took at the 2008 Guardian Challenge - Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament.

I'm very happy to say that (I think) I've managed to sort through the lot and have selected the 'highlights' from the semi-contact and full contact action to share with you.


Please feel free to check 'em out on my Flickr account... you can see the semi-contact highlights in the semi-contact Flickr set, here and the full contact highlights in the full contact Flickr set, here - enjoy!

A huge thanks to Doug (and Rae) for taking the photos! On behalf of the Guardian Dojo... many thanks! Cheers!

Recommended Viewing | GOOD Transparencies Archive...

A recent query on the GDC Listserve for books discussing the topic of information graphics inspired me to post a link to the GOOD Magazine Transparencies Archive set on Flickr

The kind folks over at GOOD Magazine, whom I've blogged about previously on MUHSASHUM, here, never cease to impress with their handling of complex information in graphical formats.

Well, I'm an obvious fan, so this set on Flickr is pure 'eye-candy' to me... ;D check out the GOOD Magazine Transparencies Archive set on Flickr, here - enjoy!

If you're still interested in books about information graphics, I'd recommend you check out the works of Edward Tufte - cheers!

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla...

Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was an inventor and a mechanical and electrical engineer. Tesla was responsible for revolutionary developments in the field of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries... his patents and theoretical work formed the basis of modern alternating current (AC) electric power systems. Why is it then that so little is known about this 'forgotten wizard'?

I came across this video on YouTube while skimming through the related Google links on Tesla's birthday. I had no idea Tesla was responsible for so much... enjoy!

Recommended Viewing | Carved in Stone...

The Leeds School of Business flew master lettercutter Douglas Coffin from Sandpoint Maine to carve the Koelbel name into a new building.

Coffin is one of only six lettercutters in the US. View the video to see the carving in progress and hear Coffin describe the art, techniques, and pleasure inherent in this rare (perhaps dying?) art form. Watch the video embedded above or on YouTube, here - enjoy!

On Staycation...

Well, as you may be aware, the world economies are in the toilet. Recession is the word of the hour as almost nothing seems to be unaffected by it... one of these being the classic 'summer vacation'. One of the recession buzzwords I've been hearing more and more of lately, is 'staycation' - essentially defined as a vacation taken at home or locally (with minimal travel involved).

I think 'staycations' are great! It gives individuals a reason (not that you need any) to explore their own backyards, and local treasures (parks, galleries, etc.) which are far to often overlooked. I for one have used part of a 'staycation' to catch-up on some much needed blogging back-log (though I saved it to the very end). ;D I'd be keen to hear from other fellow 'staycationers' as to what they've got planned.

Rummaging through my '2B_Blogged' folder, I came across this Live Journal link, where user Crimeanelf posted about 'You and Your Laptop' - an article about laptop users and the positions they assume, with images to illustrate ('Oriental' position shown above)... I found it to be rather amusing. ;D Check it out if you've never seen it before, here - enjoy!

Hopefully, I'm all caught up now (or at least have less in the '2B_Blogged' folder) and ready to get back to a more consistent blog posting routine... I'm constantly amazed by the dedication some bloggers have (i.e. Robert L. Peters, Michael Surtees, Swissmiss) in posting on a regular (if not daily) basis... keep it up! Cheers!

COOL! Canada Post Recording Artists Stamps...

It's not very often that I blog about the work I do at Circle - for reasons of security, confidentiality, etc... but I'm making an exception with this post. ;)

Today, Canada Post released the second set of the Canadian Recording Artists stamps. Circle designed the previous series a few years back, which was a great success. I'm very proud to say that I had the privilege of working on this series. Featured artists include Robert Charlebois, Édith Butler, Bryan Adams and Stompin' Tom Connors...


...the stamp series was featured in the latest edition of Details magazine, Canada Post's quarterly publication for stamp collectors. You can view some pix of the article on my Flickr, here - or even better, read it online, here - enjoy!

Additional information regarding the project can be found on Circle's News+ section of the website, here.

Here are some additional links to stories in the media regarding the release:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/arts-and-letters-and-stamps/article1202400/

http://www.radio-canada.ca/arts-spectacles/musique/2009/06/29/001-timbre-charlebois-butler.asp

http://www.spinner.ca/2009/06/23/bryan-adams-honored-with-his-own-stamp/

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Canada-Post-1012337.html

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/putting-its-stamp-on-canada-49922632.html

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day! Proud to be Canadian - 'nuf said. Cheers!

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I came across the following video and felt it was an appropriate video to embed for this post. Check it out above or via Today's Big Thing, here - enjoy!