TEDxManitoba Videos Now on YouTube...

2011TEDxMB_189, originally uploaded by Adrian J.K. Shum, CGD.

This 3D printed TEDx logo was part of the schwag bag... pretty neat, but not as cool as the TEDxMB videos posted to YouTube! Check out videos of the presentations here.

I had the privelage of being 1/100 people selected to attend the 2011 TEDxManitoba event held 15 February at the Park Theatre on South Osborne... what an amazing day of great speakers, and ideas worth spreading.

Congratulations to the TEDxManitoba organizers/sponsors/volunteers for a stellar event... thanks for allowing me to be a part of it - looking forward to the next one! Go and check out the videos!

Happy St. Patricks's Day!

Recommended Viewing | Design Currency...

How do you define the value of design? An excellent topic of discussion that is sure to be debated for some time to come... Design Currency is the topic for the Icograda Design Week in Vancouver (26-30 April 2010). Watch the promo video (created by the talented folks at Rethink Communications) embedded above, or on Youtube - here.

I will be in attendance at this event, hopefully I will see you there as well! Why should you attend? Well, head over to the Industrial Brand blog and read Matt's post about why he's excited to attend... I couldn't think of a better way to sum it all up. For more information about the event, visit the website at - http://www.designweekvancouver.ca/ - cheers!

Recommended Viewing | Neutra Face Another Lady Gaga Poker Face Spoof...

I'm sure that you've seen (or at least heard of) some of the many, Lady Gaga - Poker Face spoofs floating around on the internet... a couple of my personal favorites, Christopher Walken's reading of Poker Face, and the UC Berkeley's Noteworthy performing Poker Face. ;)

Well, above is another one... ;P Neutra Face (this one is more geared towards typographers/designers). Check out the video embedded above or on Youtube, here - enjoy!

Recommended Viewing | The Longest Way 1.0...

This video found on Youtube - The Longest Way 1.0 follows the ambitious, year-long, on-foot journey of a traveler as he attempts to walk (and grow a beard) from China to Germany. It's an enjoyable video to watch... check it out on Youtube, here - enjoy!

Learn more about this traveler's ambitious journey at http://www.thelongestway.com/ - cheers!

The Good Life...

The Good Life... from the talented folks at Free Range Studios - creators of the equally cool video/animations, The Meatrix and The Story of Stuff. Enjoy!

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!

WICKED! Nokia N96 + Bruce Lee...

A very cool bit of video editing here... in this commercial for the Nokia N96 - Bruce Lee Limited Edition (I wouldn't mind having this phone). Watch the embedded video above or via YouTube, here - enjoy!

Via swissmiss - cheers!

Happy 25th Birthday Tetris!

This Saturday, Tetris the world famous falling brick/puzzle game turns 25! Excerpt from CNET news:

...created by Russian programmer Alexey Pajitnov in June 1984, Alexy had an immense love for puzzles, and felt compelled to create a game that allowed players to arrange distinctive puzzle pieces along the bottom of a field or "matrix." Pajitnov chose the name Tetris by combining the words "tetromino" and "tennis." The game was first made available on the IBM computer.

It quickly enjoyed popularity and was ported to a variety of other platforms. In 1987, it became a major hit in the United States. But it wasn't until Nintendo released its version of Tetris for the Game Boy in 1989 that Tetris reached critical mass. According to The Tetris Co., the Game Boy version of Tetris sold more than 35 million copies.

I have fond memories of playing Tetris on my original Game Boy (back in the day)... video games and technology has come a long way in 25 years. In celebration of this historic occasion, I offer you Human Tetris, watch the video embedded above or on YouTube, here - enjoy!

WICKED! Type War...

Too cool. This typographic animation/ad was created by Optix Digital (Hamburg), for Inlingua Business English schools. Watch the video embedded above, on YouTube or via Motionographer, here - enjoy!

Thanks again to Mr. Simpson for the link - cheers!

COOL! Micrography: Text Art and Typography...

Image: Obama word portrait by Jeff Clark.

Wikipedia says "Micrography, also called microcalligraphy, is a Jewish art form developed in the 9th century, with parallels in Christianity and Islam, utilizing minute Hebrew letters to form representational, geometric and abstract designs. Colored micrography is especially distinctive because these rare artworks are customarily rendered in black and white.”

View some beautiful examples of this art form, here - enjoy!

Thanks to Mr. Mark Simpson for the link - cheers!

Recommended Viewing | Modern Samurai...

You have to watch this amazing Japanese video showing Modern Samurai - Isao Machii (I think my jaw was on the floor for the entire duration of the video). Amazing would be an understatement.

Check out the embedded video above or watch it on Youtube, here - enjoy! Thanks to my brother Ashley for sending me the link - cheers!

May the 4th Be With You - Happy Star Wars Day...

(WARNING: Video may not be suitable for minors and is potentially NSFW - view at your own discretion)

Apparently, today is Star Wars Day... or, one of many Star Wars days/events which honours the epic Star Wars franchise. Well, in light of that fact, I offer you the above Youtube video, originally seen on Gizmodo.

May the 4th be with you... ;) 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!

Recommended Viewing | Enter the Serif...

Too hilarious not to share (at least for designers and typographers)... as described from the original post on FontFeed:

Enter the Serif... (a student film [1:54] by Johann Pascual | California College of the Arts, USA) combines typography with fragments from the classic Drunken Master – a mix of martial arts and slapstick comedy from 1978 which propelled Jackie Chan to mainstream success. The short film pits Univers Chang of the Sans Serif Clan against Sabon Huang of the Serif Clan. Excerpts of Drunken Master are alternated with dialogue screens that are inspired by the work of Jan Tschichold: his classic, centered serif period and his assymetrical neue Typographie period. Some bits are laugh-out-loud funny (via FontFeed).

I couldn't tend to agree more... ;) you should go and check out some of the other video highlights from the ATypI’08 | Typophile Film Fest 4 (there are some really nice ones...) via FontFeed - enjoy!

Thanks to Nancy Wu for sharing the link on the GDC Listserve - cheers!

Did You Know...

Watch this video on YouTube... :O

The Girl Effect...

A nice website link and typographic intro video (embedded above) to share with you all today. When you have a moment, go take a look at http://www.girleffect.org/ - a link posted to the GDC Listserve by designer, Danielle Autran. I think it's quite nicely done... a good use of typography, music and Flash(?) IMO, what do you think?

Thanks for posting the link Danielle - 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!

Friday Fun: The Family – Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates Microsoft Ad...

Here's something fun to watch on YouTube, it's an advertisement for Microsoft featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. I found it to be rather humorous... hopefully, you will too. You can watch the embedded video above or on YouTube, here - enjoy!

Thanks to Craig Medwyduk for posting the link to the GDC Listserve - cheers!