Categories
Uncategorized

Toronto Techie Dim Sum on 11/11/11, a.k.a. “Nerd New Year”

Toronto Techie Dim Sum - 11/11/11, a.k.a. "Nerd New Year" - photo of har gow in a steamer

This Friday, November 11, 2011, can also be written down as 11/11/11, which is why a number of people have declared it “Nerd New Year”. Seeing as that’s the designation for the day, and seeing as we’re slightly overdue for another Toronto Techie Dim Sum, I’m calling one for this Friday at noon, Nerd New Year, at our regular place: Sky Dragon at Dragon City Mall (southwest corner of Dundas and Spadina).

In case you missed the one in September, I took some photos and wrote up a quick summary here.

As with the Toronto Techie Dim Sums, this is just a lunch gathering of folks who like tech. There’s no agenda, no set topics, no presentations – just good people, good conversation and good (and inexpensive) food. You don’t have to be a developer to attend! If you take part in the activity ofwriting software, building web sites or cobbling together technologies, or if you just like hanging out with the very nice people who comprise Toronto’s active and vibrant tech scene, please join us for a Nerd New Year lunch!

As always, we all pitch in on the final bill. For the past several dim sum lunches, it’s never gone over $12 a person including tip, and it’s sometimes been less. You’re not going to find a better deal or a better crowd!

It’s an open event – invite people, friends and colleagues! If you and your friends are interested in joining us for lunch at Toronto Techie Dim Sum, please RSVP on the Facebook event page. It’ll give me an idea of the number of people who’ll be attending and will let me make the proper arrangements with the restaurant.

This article also appears in Global Nerdy.

Categories
Uncategorized

The Only Thing to Mar an Otherwise Perfect Birthday Weekend

The interior of my Honda CR-V, as seen through its smashed front passenger window

That’s my car, as seen through what remains of my front passenger window. It happened yesterday afternoon in the parking lot of Delta Bingo, on St. Clair just east of Keele.

The thief was after my GPS – a basic Garmin Nuvi 255, nothing fancy – which I normally put away when parking out at night but don’t bother hiding in broad daylight, especially in neighbourhoods that aren’t particularly “ghetto”. S/he completely ignored the satellite radio. My next GPS will simply be my iPhone, which I’ve always got with me and will take whenever I’m away from the car.

Looks like I’ll be paying a visit to Centre Honda today.

Categories
Uncategorized

It’s My Birthday!

"Interstate 44" sign

My 44th, to be precise. Party tonight, blog post tomorrow.

Categories
Uncategorized

“It’s Not a Good Look”

Photo of a bus shelter ad in Belfast showing a comic illustration of a young woman looking forlornly into a mirror: "I was high on acid and started throwing my poo at people. Now my friends won't talk to me."

Either the advertisers in Northern Ireland have strange imaginations or the acid there is really, really good.

Categories
Uncategorized

Spock-upy Starfleet!

The "Mirror Universe" Mr. Spock holding up a sheet of paper that reads: "Despite being a victim of discrimination on my home planet, I graduated at the top of my class and paid off all my student space loans. I joined the military and was given my own command. I caught a man cheating on a test. He mocked me and taunted me to anger, then took control of my ship. For years I have been forced to serve under his command as he uses my superior intellect to save his own ass and get busy with blue-skinned hookers. I am the 99.148327 percent. SPOCKUPY STARFLEET"

It would’ve been more logical to use the Zachary Quinto Spock, but it’s still amusing.

Found via Joshua Trupin.

Categories
Uncategorized

If You Think Gay Marriage Cheapens the Institution…

"If you think gay marriage cheapens the institution, two words: KIM KARDASHIAN"

Photo courtesy of NYC Pride.

Categories
Uncategorized

Getting News from NMA

These days, whenever I hear about some kind of breaking news, my first question is “Has it been turned into a wacky Taiwanese animation yet?” The irreverent animators at NMA TV cover everything from the Greek debt crisis…

…to entertainment “news”…

(I like how they worked Bieber’s “Baby, baby, baby” into the piece)

…to human interest stories…

(Gotta love the “Asian student” vs. “White student” comparison, in that piece. I’ve posted a frame from that segment below.)

bullies

…to editorials, where they go beyond animation and insert some live action with a flesh-and-blood commentator playing the role of a younger, more coherent and cuter Andy Rooney:

I wonder how long it takes to produce one of their segments. I’ve worked at shops where they did 3D animation, but that was over a decade ago when the tools and computers were considerably more primitive. I also wonderif (and how) they make money.