It’s Saturday, How’s That for a Blog Post Title

Jun 22 2012

I was so sick of everything yesterday, that’s why I was quiet.

I’m sick of: traffic dictating my schedule, my ever buzzing phone, how time goes faster in a big city, how no matter how much time I invest here it’s not enough because I’m physically just one girl and can’t afford an assistant and I don’t like free/intern so I’m on a plateau that is killing me, and post another photo of yourself.

What kicked it over yesterday afternoon was the entitled street kid. Nope, gave my money to the drooling guy with the broken mind, and your shoes are giving you away Mr. Rosedale.

I can’t watch that bus monitor video that went around the internet this week. Can’t. Old people are my cryptonite. Entitled youth ranks very high on my have-a-short-fuse-for list, too. Bad combo, that video.

Did you know it was a Canadian (from Toronto) who is behind the fundraising campaign? Half a million raised since Tuesday. That’s really amazing, that much that fast.

Fresh flower day. Good deal, eh.

Honda video editing.

Here I am recording the voice over. Dramatically.

The black thing is my microphone, which creeps into the frame when using the forward-facing camera, which is a problem indeed.

Learned this, interesting.

Vegas held that title for a long time, then Dubai, now, CANADA.

Went to Kensington market. No, really.

That’s Yara playing the piano, you’ve met her before. My oldest girlfriend. Which is what it takes to get me to Kensington market (note: for those not living in Toronto, Kensington is like, hippie HQ).

Strangely, this is where they were playing.

It’s strange because, see the arrow? That’s the only other place in Kensington I’ve been.

Google that exact phrase to see the place, first search result. I’m not linking it up for a reason, and have hidden the text in a photo so the bots can’t find it, oh many I have so many tricks like that to share with you over on Smarten Up, Internet.

More proof Thursday night is the best night of the week.

All right, the end.

Today I polish my Honda post, which is my best video in a while.

Here’s to a great start to your weekend, have a great Saturday!

Diamonds in Dundas Square

Jun 2 2012

Which building above is the most interesting in Dundas Square?

Cool eh; so inconspicuous and un-assuming.

Fact: diamond guys always want their windows to face north. North provides the best light for inspecting diamonds.

This was filmed inside the above building:

That’s Berge waving at the end, one of Canada’s premiere diamond setters.

This was back in 2009, when I was really into diamonds.

Remember Keith? He was the

“Official Gemologist to ‘The Canadian Explorer'”

Episode # 32/80 – Exploring Diamonds

30 carats of diamonds

Hi Keith! Welcome back to my blog.

(click here and here and here for the original posts)

And there is your Toronto fact of the day!

Except I will never do a “Toronto Fact of the Day” collection, that sounds horribly boring.

The Rarest Books in Canada

May 27 2012

Finally made it inside. It’s been on my list every year during ‘Doors Open Toronto’, and 4 years later, tada!

It’s the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, inside the University of Toronto.

6 floors housing 700,000 books and 3,000 metres of manuscripts. It’s the largest collection of rare books and manuscripts in Canada.

Some of their best books:

Darwin’s proof copy of ‘On the Origin of Spiecies’
Egyptian manuscript fragments
An original copy of Shakespeare’s ‘First Folio‘ (one book containing all his plays)

How it works:

You tell them what you’d like to read, and they retrieve it for you (only librarians go into the shelves, the “stacks”).

You’ll meet up in the ‘Reading Room’, and be under constant supervision.

I asked them: do I wear gloves when handling the books?

Nope, and I quote, “We are a library, not a museum”. I like that.

I worked in a library for years. I had the dewey decimal system memorized to 5 places.

I have a Books category here on KeriBlog.

Here’s the best part: people like us, normal public non-university people, can come and read the books.

Website: Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Twitter: @Fisher_Library
Address: 120 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A5
Hours: Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm

Here’s their catalogue.

CONTACT – the World’s Largest Photography Event

Apr 28 2012

Chalk up another ‘world’s biggest and best’ to Canada!

Last night I attended the VIP kickoff party for the 16th annual CONTACT Photography Event at MOCCA – the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art.

It’s brought to you by Scotiabank (who support the arts more than any other Canadian bank, neat eh).

You know when you’re cruising around Toronto and woah,

where’d that giant photo plastered on a

concrete pillar holding up the highway come from?

That’s CONTACT.

1000 artists, 200 venues, and an audience of 1.8 million

My favourite.

I like their blurred out faces.

The resolution is ridiculous on these prints in real life.

Look for CONTACT stuff around town all May.

Remember to look up. No one ever looks up.

Goodbye Canadian Penny

Apr 18 2012

A few weeks ago our Finance Minister declared the penny dead. It’ll be phased out this year and cash payments will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5.

The penny was not at all pleased, and took to Twitter to voice it’s displeasure: @CDN_Penny.

It’s a cute account.

I have some penny theories…

1 – They need the copper for our electronics. Copper is used to build integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. It conducts electricity really well.

2 – More copper is needed to build places like this:

Think that building is also electrified?

Ahahaha omg that is one very geeky joke.

3 – I always pick up pennies. Why?

Why Pick Up Pennies: it’s a life test… maybe you are all, “oh, I sure could use some extra bucks” and life is all, “alright then, here’s some money, this is a test”. And if you don’t pick them up, life shuts it down right then because life figures: if you don’t appreciate the little amount, what will you do with a larger one?

(from an old Canadian Explorer post)

Regardless of all of that, what to do with your pennies? Give them to charity.

Donate a roll of pennies to your favourite charity, tweet a photo of you and your pennies, the name of your chosen cause, and the hashtag #ShowYourRoll. Then, you’ll be featured in their honour roll.

Go over to ShowYourRoll.ca for more details, great idea guys!

This is another step in revamping all our currency.

Have you seen our new plastic money?