Syndicate content

Movie Monthly: Eco Docs at VIFF

Submitted by RA on Tue, 08/31/2010 - 23:22

It seems more like a decade than a year since VIFF (30 September-15 October) last came round. Make that two decades. With Copenhagen's failure fast becoming a dot in the rear view mirror, one filmmaker has returned to footage from the first “Earth Summit” in Rio for inspiration.

The Scourge of Negativity Equity

Submitted by RA on Tue, 08/31/2010 - 03:13

Reading about the mortgage modification marathons in the States, what's striking is how much individuals trying to save their homes have lost and how little their homes are now worth. A drop from $160,000 to $60,000 says one, and $115,000 in 2004, to $42,000 now says another.

In Vancouver, $42,000 wouldn't buy you anything worth striving to save - maybe a cardboard box under a road bridge.

Garden Salad

Submitted by RA on Tue, 08/17/2010 - 00:24

There's something very satisfying about a garden salad, both from an aesthetic and taste point of view. Even more satisfying when you've grown it yourself. A few years ago I'd never have thought about making this kind of salad - I wouldn't even have been able to name most of the leaves here. I like the yellow and orange that the marigold petals bring, although in this picture you can really only make out the orange of grated carrots.

Movie Monthly: Get Low

Submitted by RA on Sat, 07/31/2010 - 17:47

Death has long been a reliable source of comedy on the big screen whether it be for the oddball Harold and Maude in 1971, or more recent horror spoofery of the Scary Movie franchise, where Death himself was one of the best characters. Typically, whenever death and comedy are mixed up the results are out-and-out bad taste, but Get Low (out on 6 August) is a more subtle creature, a story where the black humour is reined in to allow breathing space for dramatic mystery.

Feeding the City Masses With Vertical Farming

Submitted by RA on Thu, 07/29/2010 - 22:42

Interesting article in The Guardian today about feeding the urban masses of the future through vertical farming: instead of growing out, you grow upwards.

Using tried and tested hydroponics, and good building design, vertical farming enthusiasts reckon that a thirty story, downtown vertical farm could provide enough food for 10,000 people.

$35 Touchscreen Tablet Today, Cheaper Services Tomorrow

Submitted by RA on Fri, 07/23/2010 - 10:23

India has released a $35 tablet computer that runs on the open-source Linux operating system and comes with an optional solar power upgrade.

NOAA's June 2010 State of the Climate: Should We Be Afraid?

Submitted by RA on Sun, 07/18/2010 - 02:16

Another month. More climate records are broken. NOAA, the US government agency that compiles monthly stats for climate, recently reported that the world is getting hotter and quite quickly.

Burrard Bridge Bike Lanes Clock 1 Million Riders A Year

Submitted by RA on Sun, 07/11/2010 - 11:04

Just as the City approves funding to upgrade the Burrard Bridge and make the separated bike lane a permanent feature, a million cyclists have been recorded crossing the bridge. The millionth crossed just after 10 pm Wednesday evening.

Movie Monthly: The Dry Land

Submitted by RA on Fri, 07/02/2010 - 12:24

America Ferrera is a long way from the territory of hit comedy television series Ugly Betty in this latest cinematic venture. The Dry Land, which Ferrara was producer on and stars in, dramatises the impact of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, as a working class soldier, James, returns to his family after serving in Iraq. The setting is ordinary, working class, small town Texas. The dialogue could almost have been cut and paste from similar films, such is its ordinariness. James lives in a trailer, finds work in his father-in-law’s slaughterhouse, and has a sick mother.

Movie Monthly: The Maid

Submitted by RA on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 01:39

The Maid (La Nana), which just opened, is one of those films that you could watch as straight drama or that could have you in stitches. The tone is ambiguous, adding a certain mysterious quality to the film. It takes some time to see where it is going.

Syndicate content