Holy Jaysus 

Strange & Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island from Site Media inc.

Last week I had choices to make. I could go to a Toronto volunteer night, a ward advocacy meeting, a public presentation about the plans for a park beneath the Gardiner Expressway, or a see a film documenting the Fogo Island project designed by Newfoundland born, but Norway based architect, Todd Saunders. I went with my heart and the heart wanted to go home.
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Seen in December 

Babette's Feast, image via The Movie DB

In the past, December was my number one movie watching month. It was guaranteed that I would rent five or six movies to watch during the Christmas break and see at least one family friendly movie in theatres and probably two or three Oscar-buzz worthy movies again during the weekends around Christmas and New Years. So much has changed. The quality of binge-worthy television shows for one and the compression of time commitments around the holidays is probably the other reason I don’t get to see as much as I would like. Also, if you are with other people and you are trying to decide what to watch, you might end up seeing old familiar favourites as opposed to new challenging stuff. That’s exactly what you’ll see reflected here: Read more »

Some Serious Zeitgeist 

A photo posted by IMAN (@the_real_iman) on Dec 19, 2015 at 11:58am PST

How better to catch the "nowness" of January 2016, more than this image from Iman's Instagram feed on a day when Star Wars: The Force Awakens is busting the box office and we awoke to find that David Bowie, musical and artistic icon had passed away at the age of 69.

Another incredible image from the ether of the Internet shows an exuberant Bowie in a photo by Jimmy King and in the same post it seems to indicate it was taken on his birthday (the same day as the release of his last studio album). It seems hard to fathom that in this image he was in the throws of an illness that would take his life only two days later. I suspect, given the sockless nature of his besuited self, the image was from perhaps earlier in the year. Nevertheless, here is an artist, in his late 60s, relentlessly progressive and experimental, appearing stylish, dignified, joyful and vital. If I have one goal in life, it would be to have one thimble full of the grace and intelligence of this artist.

#Repost @davidbowie with @repostapp. ・・・ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID BOWIE AND ★ “That’s the message that I sent...” Why is this man so happy? Is it because it‘s his 69th birthday or that he has released his 28th studio album today and it’s a corker? Who knows, but we’re sure you’ll want to join us in congratulating him on both. Many happy returns of the day to David Bowie and ★ (Fashion fans may like to note that our man is wearing Thom Browne) #Blackstar #imablackstar #BlackstarAlbum #BowieBirthday #BowieBrowne

A photo posted by IMAN (@the_real_iman) on Jan 8, 2016 at 5:36am PST

In the strange flux that is life, I was recently reading a list of questions you could ask someone to get a conversation started. One classic is, if you could have dinner and a conversation with anyone, from any point in history, who would it be? The only person I could think of was David Bowie. I mean, why have dinner with some historical giant who, out of their own time, might happen to be a bigot, chauvinist, or worse? But by God, the stories and insight I imagine Bowie could tell.

Viral Letter 

Hey there,
It's me, your cold. First I’d like to say what an honour it is to be in the position to have been your last cold of 2015 and your first cold of 2016. I know I lingered around in the back of your throat for a few days before I became really obvious but that’s partly your immune system’s fault, not mine. Also, you do take a lot of zinc supplements which makes it hard for a throat infection to stick and you were drinking a bit of alcohol which probably cleared some of your congestion. You really didn’t leave me with a lot of options, that’s why I had to practically yell at you with that sinus headache.

Sorry about ruining your Saturday morning latte. If you could only take a hint, you would’ve gone for the green tea instead. But nope, like a dope you were determined to have that big cup of milky, mucous-manufacturing snot bomb of a coffee. Again, that’s on you, not me. I was surprised you took the bike out for a spin. I mean, dude… were you hoping to freeze me out? You have to know that won’t work. I was pretty glad when you came to your senses, and just lay down on the couch – unless that was just your regular Saturday nap? I assumed when you woke up two hours later you would’ve finally figured it out. I know I’m not the biggest cold but if you’d hit the mat on Friday like I suggested this would’ve all been over by now and we both could have gone our separate ways. I mean, really, you know my Kryptonite just happens to be one of your favourite things: sleep. You could’ve just slept through the weekend and started Monday on the right foot. But no, you had to be a big man and drug up and go out and do your errands and stay up watching your movies (half awake I might add).

I’m glad you did it though. It allowed me to stay just a little bit longer and get to know you a smidge better than if you’d had soup instead of cheese covered pasta and hit the hay rather than stay up late. I won’t forget what you did for me. You allowed me to stay in this world a few days more rather than flicker out like a mayfly. You helped me spread my progeny by ignoring my existence. For that I say, “Thanks, brother.”

But before I go, I need to know that after all we’ve been through, from St. John’s, the workouts, the runs, the four hour flight, the train and cab ride… from the sinus pain, the massive pressing headache (that’s kind of my signature thing), the pain around your eyes, the sore throat (hey man, I know how much you hate the sore throat and I’m sorry about that, I get it. I do)… after all that, we’re good, right? You and me? I want us to part on good terms, you know?

Thanks, bro…

Sincerely,
Your Cold