poladroid and other camera treats

a while back i thought i scored when i purchased a used polaroid camera (along with me la-camera) at a garage sale. then a couple of weeks ago i came across another garage sale where there was a huge stack of the coveted polaroid 600 film.

sadly, the polaroid camera was a dud and now i have 10 boxes of the expired 600 film. but who needs the not-in-production 600 film, when you can create poladroids.

like real polaroids the poladroid program takes a while to turn your regular photos into "poladroids", you can shake your "poladroid" and like a package of 600 film, you can only create 10 shots. plus you are left with no plastic and metal waste! make your own at poladroid.net!

i also purchased a set of close up filters, since i can't afford a macro lens ... yet. it's been fun experimenting with them, though!

net neutrality compromised

as i always seem to mention i am an internet junkie. so it is with sadness that i share that the crtc is allowing internet service providers (specifically bell in this case) to 'manage' or shape internet traffic by slowing down access to sites they don't approve of.

for those of you who don't know, the CRTC has been approached by the canadian association of internet providers’ (CAIP) to stop ISPs from 'managing' traffic, or throttling traffic. meaning the CAIP wants to keep the internet neutral. currently for the most part, we have free reign over the internet, being able to surf anything we want and for the most part post and comment on any website we wish.

providers like bell (and it seems like other ISPs in the states), however, are already managing traffic to peer 2 peer sites and video sharing sites. (check here for more info on a real canadian net access throttling case.)

what bothers me the most about traffic shaping is the control that ISPs have over free information that has created a lot of great communities, fostered innovation in sharing of both intellectual and physical things and most importantly free speech.

if you feel strongly about this, you can make your voice heard! you can sign some online petitions here and here.

i'm also going to contact my MP to try to garner more attention to keep our internet neutral.

hrm

i bought this lomo lc-a wanna-be craptastic plastic camera at a garage sale a while ago and finally put in a roll of 100ISO 35 mm film (inspired by b's lomo photos). the funny thing about this camera is that there is no focussing ring or knobs! and it's so badly made that the film advance wheel barely turns. when trying to get to the next frame, i have to press with so much force that my thumb ends up hurting!

hope the photos will be interesting, or at least flickr worthy!

on another note, elmo is back with us. his trial adoptive parents returned him to us in three days, saying one thing during our interview with them and but saying the complete opposite when trying to convince themselves that they were doing elmo a favour by returning him. going into the details will just enrage me again. the whole situation was shocking to say the least.

in the end, after all we've found out about them, i'm glad that he's not with them anymore. elmo deserves much better parents.

i think andre sums it up nicely here.

to somewhat restore my faith in humanity, i'm going to listen to a collection of this american life favourites, which I discovered listening to kcrw.

bittersweet night

tonight is elmo's last night with us before he leaves to go on his trial adoption tomorrow.

i'm so happy that he will be going to a home where he will be loved and where the new parents did a lot of research on beagles. but i'm also very sad that i won't be able to cuddle with him while i'm reading on the couch, or watch him wrestle or snuggle with duke. i know it's selfish, but i was so happy when the agency decided that the best applicant for elmo's new home was a couple that lives close by. hopefully we'll be able to see him at the parks from time to time.

bye elmo. you will always have a special place in our hearts, especially since you were the first dog we fostered.

sorry for pushing your new post down b

belated

i never got around to posting these photos, from nearly a year ago -- a surprise holiday that D planned to the south coast of spain.

things i remember:

• food poisoning the night before we left london, resulting in stomach troubles over several days and not being able to enjoy tapas or wine
  
• gorgeous warm sunny weather in malaga in the middle of november. orange trees line the streets, as common as maple trees in canada. D reaching up and picking an orange as we walked through a park
  
• the unbelievable alhambra. finding the most quiet and peaceful corners devoid of tourists. freezing cold as the palace sits on a mountain (well, hill) and we were dressed for malaga beach weather. everyone else was in fleece
  
• the shops always closed (when do people work?)
  
• the hot chocolate aisle in the supermarket, when finally we got there while it was open
  
• the adorable nara exhibition at the centro de arte contemporaneo
  
• the pablo picasso museum (he was born in malaga), all stone and courtyards
  
• the campers sleeping through midday on the grass where the river would normally run during rainy season
  
• all the wedding dress shops in old town
  
• families out with their kids and babies late on friday nights (the kids are happy to be out late after having an afternoon siesta!)
  

hopefully i'll get my nyc / TO pics up with a bit more speed....!

the alhambra in grenada




malaga

fall nyc - part II

the most delicious brunch at clinton street bakery. average wait time for a table: 1 hour.



cute and chic all at once, we enjoyed yummy french style breakfast and pastries from bouchon bakery from their cafe side. unfortunately our drinks came in paper cups - sorry earth!



pork steamed buns at momofuku



.. and of course a quick stop at dean and deluca.

this time around i barely did any shopping (aside from a little treat at tiffany's for myself). as b and i lamented that shopping is now boring in all major cities, we noted that it is because of globalization that the expansion of stores and brands has made most retail outlets homogenized.

more photos from nyc are here. ... and hopefully b will have her lomo photos developed soon. she took a lot more outdoor new york shots.

fall nyc - part I

the view from I80 and the other highways down to new york were so amazingly gorgeous. these photos just don't capture the perfect fall day we had. the air was crisp in that fresh autumn way and the sky had the most delightful cumulus and cirrus clouds.

because i have narcoleptic tendancies i couldn't stay awake for the whole road trip, but the moments that i was awake were glorious. in b.c., forests are comprised mainly of evergreens so you would never see a whole hill or mountain of orange and red.

we were lucky enough to have jeremy volunteer his car for the trip down and also be our dedicated driver for the whole 12 hours we were on the road (which included a breakfast break and a 2.5 shopping break at woodbury commons, which was underwhelming but the beautiful orange mountain behind the outlet more than made up for the lack of nice deals). i'm still amazed at how this man could stay awake and drive for that long.

next up, nyc part II = fooooooooood

--
on a monthly (if not weekly basis) i scan craigslist for things on my dream list. these are things that i can't justify purchasing or have no room for, but i do quick searches for the off chance that someone is selling those items for super cheap.

today i punched in 'white piano' (one day i'll have a white grand à la john lennon, but in the meantime i can daydream) and found this delusional post from a person who wants to live rent free. good luck, lady!