Well Grown... Movember 2011 Ends.

Well Grown..., originally uploaded by Adrian J.K. Shum, CGD.

...and so ends the moustache growing for 2011. Serious props to my fellow Canuck Mo'bros and Mo'sistas!!! Go Team Canada!!! For those of you who care to witness the horror* of my Movember Mo' feel free to check out my end of Movember photo on my Flickr account, here.

*Don't say I didn't warn you. Cheers!

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!

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!

Life is...

Crazy.

Apologies for the radio silence... but, things have been crazy as of late. I hope to be retuning to more regular postings soon... stay tuned! ;)

In the meantime, here's a little music video treat (a favourite of mine), Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, watch the embedded video above or check it out, here - via Google Video.

Cheers!

Gung Hei Fat Choy! Sun Lein Fai Lok!

Gung Hei Fat Choy! Sun Lein Fai Lok!
Happy Chinese New Year!

The Lion Dance is a part of traditional Chinese New Year festivities. If the dance is done correctly, it's believed to bring happiness and luck, and will ward off evil spirits. The amateur video footage embedded above (from YouTube user, ghodax), was shot in Victoria, BC a couple of years back during their Chinese New Year celebrations. I doubt that they'll be having any Lion Dance celebrations outdoors in Winnipeg today as it's a balmy, -40 degrees celsius (with the wind chill).

2009 marks the year of the Earth Ox. May the Year of the Ox bring all humanity, good health, peace, love and happiness - cheers!

GDC Manitoba 2008 Annual General Meeting & GRAPHEX 2008 Exhibit...

Join us next week Wednesday, January 28th for the 2008 GDC Manitoba Annual General Meeting! Once again, the AGM will be held at the Park Theater on South Osborne.


This year we're presenting the Graphex 2008 exhibit. Come see the best of the best of design in Canada. The exhibit will only be on display for the one evening - so don't miss out! You can also view the Graphex 2008 winners online at http://www.gdc.net/graphex/winners/ - enjoy!

GDC Manitoba Chapter attendees who have paid their membership prior to the meeting will be entered into a draw for a $200 gift certificate for Future Shop.

When: January 28, 2009, 7 pm
Where: Park Theater, 698 Osborne Street

For more information, please visit the GDC Manitoba Chapter website at http://www.gdc.net/chapters/manitoba/ - I hope to see you there! Cheers!

FYI...

Since MUHSASHUM was featured as a Blogger Blog of Note, I've experienced a huge spike in traffic, reader comments (which I have to moderate now... see below) and new followers, with that being said, I felt I needed to clarify a few things:

1) I don't post everyday, although I try my best... I do back-fill posts when I have time (this post would be an example), as some posts take longer to write than others.
2) I appreciate all the comments I get and try to answer any questions ASAP - I don't appreciate SPAMMERS... ;(
3) I enjoy porn as much as the next guy, but I really don't need or want any sexual/penile enhancement products nor links to 'something I might be interested in' - get a life! ARGH!
4) Thanks if you're one of the many people who send me cool things to look at, or blog about... I appreciate it.
5) If you haven't yet, please check out some of the recommended links, blogs/RSS feeds I've got in my sidebar navigation. If you enjoy my blog, then I'm sure that you'll find something amongst the links that you'll like.

Cheers!

The Year is 2009...

Wow. It feels somewhat odd to say that... the year is 2009. For me personally, 2008 was a blur of a year. My apologies for the lack of posts over the past few weeks... I took some time off from blogging over the holiday season, but hope to be back to a more regular posting schedule soon. Look for some interesting things to come... ;)

Until then, a belated Happy New Year!, wishes for peace and prosperity to all in 2009! Cheers!

Thanks Blogger Team!

MUHSASHUM was the Blogger Team's Blog of Note for Wednesday, December 17th, 2008. Thanks for taking the time to peruse my blog! I've definitely seen a spike in traffic, new blog followers and comments... ;) Cheers!

Graymatter Graffitti – Reading and Signing at McNally Robinson, Grant Park

Yesterday evening saw the talented poet, Sam W. Reimer in-town to launch his book, Gray Matter Graffitti (designed by Circle), with a reading and signing at the Prairie Ink Restaurant in McNally Robinson – Grant Park (Winnipeg, MB).

Gray Matter Graffitti is a compilation of some 200 poems written by Sam W. Reimer, and edited by Robert L. Peters. I've blogged about it previously, here.


Sam read a number of poems from the various chapters within the book...


...which followed with a book signing.


In case you missed out, you can watch the embedded video of the poet reading 'The Relay' (from Backroads Magic) above, or on YouTube, here - enjoy!

FYI, Sam will be touring Manitoba for a short visit, with readings/signings in Morden and Steinbach to follow later this week. For more information visit www.samwreimer.com - cheers! Go Sam!

Tickets in Hand...

Tickets! I've got tickets!!! The tickets for this year's 2008 Guardian Challenge – Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament have been printed, and distribution has begun! If you're a fan of martial arts, MMA, UFC, contact sports, etc., you'll definitely want to come and watch this day-long event.


Here's the poster I created for this year's event which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 15th at the St. Vital EMC, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Interested in watching the event? Get in touch with me, and I'll see how best to get you the tickets.

Tickets will also be available shortly at Miyabi in Osborne Village, as well as from other members of the Guardian Dojo, and at the Dojo during regular class hours. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door (a serious bargain). Until then, you can watch footage from the previous tournament on YouTube - enjoy!

2008 Guardian Challenge Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament – Saturday, November 15th...

My apologies for the lack of posts... I've been busy. ;P First things first:

Congratulations! to my Senpai(s) and kōhai(s) who fought in the Kyokushin-kan Pan American Championship this past weekend in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. From what I've been told, our fighters were atop the podium for the majority of events they competed in. More information will be posted to the Guardian Dojo website upon their return... check often for news updates. Osu!!!

Anyhow, one of the things that has been occupying my spare time is the design of applications for this year's 2008 Guardian Challenge – Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament, one of which you can see above. The image shows the promotional poster I created for this year's event which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 15th at the St. Vital EMC, it's the same venue as last year.

The poster and the majority of additional applications were output digitally by the fine folks over at Industry Images, they've been very helpful in accommodating my 'small-run' projects. This version was for the initial run... we've got more sponsors to include, but only these were confirmed (and had their logos available) at the time of printing.

Tickets will be going on sale for the event shortly... if you're interested in watching the event, drop me an email and I'll see what the best way to get you tickets would be (a limited number of advance tickets will be available at Miyabi in Osborne Village, from members of the Guardian Dojo, and at the Dojo during regular class hours). Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door (there may be only a limited number available at the door so I'd recommend you purchase in advance if you plan to attend). If you'd like an idea of what you can expect to see, you can see amateur footage from last year's tournament on YouTube, here.


Here's a detail from the poster... all the images used to create the poster are from last year's tournament, which you can see collected on my Flickr (the photos were taken by my friend and local designer, Doug Fedrau). I'll post more information, and additional imagery as it becomes available... check the Guardian Dojo website often for more info and updates, go to http://www.guardiandojo.com/ - cheers!

WICKED! Design Ignites Change Poster by Marian Bantjes...

My apologies for the lack of posts this past week... I've been rather busy (I realize that's not the best excuse - so sue me). ;P Anyhow, I received this awesome (understatement), Design Ignites Change poster in the mail last week and have only now, gotten around to opening the poster tube and snapping a couple pictures to share with you all. The poster was designed by the exceptionally talented, Canadian designer, illustrator and typographer, Marian Bantjes (who's work I've long been a fan of - see here).


This laser cut poster was designed for the AED (the Academy for Educational Development), as part of their ongoing AED Design Social Change Projects. The proceeds from this poster went towards supporting AED's Speak for the Child project, which provides assistance to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Kenya (a very worthy cause in my opinion). You can read more about the laser-cut poster on Marian's website, here - and on AED's Design Social Change site, here.

This poster will go quite nicely with the other Marian Bantjes poster/work I have in my collection. Both these posters (as far as I know) are SOLD OUT! But, if my 'Spidey-sense' is correct, you can expect to see more amazing/inspirational work from Marian soon!



Images (from top to bottom): the Design Ignites Change poster, the poster back-lit on the Circle light table, a cropping of a portion of the other Marian Bantjes poster in my collection (sadly, pictures could never do this intricate, vector poster justice, it's run in a metallic blue ink on a heavy weight paper and the detail is mind blowing), a close-up detail from the above poster.

Go Marian Go! Cheers!

Recommended Viewing | Father & Son Ironman...

This is a truly incredible, inspirational, and deeply touching story/video, that I just had to share with you all:

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'. The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'.

They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' too.

For those who don't know, the Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island. Father and son went on to complete the race together... the video has been embedded below.


If you're unable to view the embedded video, you can also view it here:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

I encourage you to share this truly incredible story with all your friends and family. Thanks to Sensei Diego Beltrán for sharing this incredible story with me. Osu!

WICKED-COOL! Kato Mask...

A couple of hours ago I received a visit at the office from the lovely, Beth Romphf Gillespie, wife of my good friend James (KALAMAFRAZ). Well, aside from stopping in to wish me a Happy Birthday, she came bearing this amazing (unexpected) gift... James and Beth privately commissioned one of Beth's co-workers to custom make me this wicked Kato mask!

For those of you who don't know, Kato was the side-kick of the Green Hornet and was played by none other than the famous Bruce Lee himself! It was a short-lived TV series, but it would go down in history as being one of the pivotal roles in the now famous career of the 'little dragon'.

The mask was hand-made out of leather by, Ryan Roth Bartel, a local artist/designer. You can see more of Ryan's work here and here...


... Evil-doers BEWARE! There's a NEW Kato in town! (j/k).

Now, if only Kato could find his hat, he'd be ready to fight crime... =D Thanks again to Beth, and James (and Ryan), you shouldn't have... but, I love it! Cheers!

Guess Who's 21 (+9 Years of Experience)?

On this day, in 1978 I was brought into this world. Where does the time go? I guess that the saying is true, time flies when you're having fun (this past decade has been a real blur). In light of the occasion, I decided to Google, 'Thirty'... the results of which you can see here (web results) and here (image results). Thanks to all who've sent Birthday wishes... now, To Infinity and Beyond! Cheers!

Image via Amaztype, a neat little Flash application that searches images on Amazon and generates a composite graphic (I've blogged about it here before).

Thursday Thoughts...

My colleagues and I, at Circle all enjoy a good quote, I came across a pair of interesting thoughts/quotes in a circa 1980 design textbook (pre-digital design age)... I'd say that these quotes are still valid (if not even more valid) today, as they were decades ago... wouldn't you agree?


Of course, these two generic sayings could also be applicable to any other facet of your daily life... think about it.

WWR Photoshoot...

Spurred by both, the comment from James left on my blog, and some of the cool/fun fan photos on the WWR Flickr Group pool, I went out and shot some pix with Nom and Dirty. These two shots have been tweaked in Photoshop (I've got plans to tweak some more of them down the road, so stay tuned!)...


If you're interested, you can see the rest of the shots I took during my WWR photoshoot on my WWR Bertie Flickr set, here - enjoy!

Recommended | 2008 Guardian Challenge Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament – Saturday, November 15th...

The 2008 Guardian Challenge – Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 15th at the St. Vital EMC (same venue as last year). You can see footage from last year's tournament on YouTube, here... and photos from the event on my Flickr, here (the photos were taken by my friend and local designer, Doug Fedrau).

More information will follow... check the Guardian Dojo website often for more info and updates (as they become available), go to http://www.guardiandojo.com/ - cheers!