New camera accessories I'm looking at

Along with my new camera I'm going to need a couple things right away, like a camera bag and a new large capacity memory card.

The cool part about the new Canon SLRs is that they take SD cards, which rocks. I already have 2 SanDisk Ultra II cards in 2 Gb size, which is reasonable, but I'm gonna need faster cards and much higher capacity (since the new SLR is supposed to be 15 Megapixels... i.e. loooooots of Mb per photo!!)

So I'm looking at a few things, the SanDisk Extreme III 8Gb cards are pretty cheap - only $32!! Amazing. So I'll get one of those to start, and probably a UV Filter to protect my lenses. I've got a 75-300 lens already, and I'm gonna get an 18-55 presumably with the camera itself.

Also thinking I might get the Canon 50mm 1.8 lens as well. Stephan has it already, and Brian has the 1.4 version of that lens too. It seems awesome, and I think I'd probably use it a whole lot.


SanDisk Extreme III 8Gb card


This is pretty sweet, a Canon bag, UV Filter, and an extra battery. I'll prob get this too.


This is the lens I am thinking about getting too.

Starting to look into Japan and South Korea

It is possible that I'll be heading to Japan and South Korea in December for 3 weeks or so, and I'm starting to plan my trip now. This is going to be insanely awesome, and I've got to figure it all out, but maaaaaaaaaan this will be amazing.

Some things that look awesome so far:

• Ryokan - a Japanese Inn, often with a hot-spring bath, sliding doors, etc! Sounds SO COOL.
• Shinkansen - high speed train network
• Toyko Disneyland's new ride: "Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek!" - you know why I'm excited about this
  
• Studio Ghibli - the creators of Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, and more

Amazing!!!!!

Ninja Turtles turn 25

Oh man. So I was 1 year old when the Ninja Turtles were created?!??!!?

And they are STILL AWESOME.

http://www.tmnt25.com/

Siiiiiiick Mickey statue that I saw in Canada

I saw an absolutely AMAZING Mickey Mouse "Disney Traditions" statue in Canada over the break and I was just looking around for it now. This is soooooooooooooo cool.

Anyway just found it, the artist's name is Jim Shore, and this is actually representing the 80th Anniversary of Mickey Mouse. Super cool, but I love it SO much because it shows him transforming through a mirror from the Mickey of 80 years ago to now, going from Black and White into Colour... SO COOL. All the excitement at Pixar and ILM about movies in general, and about new technology and the constant pursuit of perfection... this is a pretty fitting sculpture for a Computer Scientist working in Film at this amazing time!!!! I love it.

I think this'll make a good birthday present for myself. ;)


Jim Shore / Disney Traditions Mickey 80th Anniversary Figurine: 80 Years of Laughter

Reverie by Vincent Laforest - video from a Digital SLR camera

This is super amazing. Vincent Laforest, a Pulitzer-prize winning photographer, filmed this short film using only the Canon 5D Mark II, a new digital SLR camera with a 1080p movie mode.

The result is an absolutely gorgeous film, where Vincent Laforest's photography sensibilities are translated directly into (literally) moving picture... this is absolutely amazing. He shot this in 72 hours, edited it, and proved to the world that a $2600 SLR camera has now brought professional filmmaking to the masses. Amazing!


"Reverie"

Wall-E wins Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature!!

Congrats Andrew and all the crew!!!!!!!! Another amazing win for an amazing film! This is so freakin' awesome. Also this clip they chose ROCKS!! A bunch of my work is in this shot: the spikey heart model, the wine bottles, and a bunch of the other stuff behind Wall-E and Eve as Wall-E hands Eve the lightbulb and she makes it light up. Soooooooooooooo cooooooooooooooool!!!

• Yahoo News: "'WALL-E' soars to Golden Globe animation win"

Wall-E winning Best Animated Film at the Golden Globes!

New DMB, new Josh Radin, awesome times

Yesterday was glorious, walking around in a t-shirt downtown (sorry, my Canadian peeps) :)... super nice weather this weekend.

Today it's beautifully sunny, I'm rockin' hard to the new-ish Josh Radin album and this REALLY SICK Live at Mile High Music Festival DMB album... this is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently it's going up to 20 celcius today?!! (Sorry again, my Canadian peeps). If it's any consolation, I'm "self-confining" myself to to my apartment so I can keep unpacking stuff from Canada.

Note to self, I still love the Dave Matthews Band to an absurd degree.

Verizon!

I am now on Verizon for my cell phone, and it's already MUCH better reception than I had before. This is amazing!

So to anyone who ever heard me say, "Don't call my Cell when I'm at work"... no worries! Now you can call anytime, and it's the same number as before. Rock on!

I ended up getting the Samsung Gleam as I mentioned last month, and it's super cool. The car driving background is hilarious. Good stuff!!

My sister featured in several newspapers across Canada!

Congratulations, Norm!!

Amazing stuff, my sister has been featured in an article in the Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Sun and several other newspapers across Canada, through CanWest's Canada.com.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! Check it out!

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Canada+over+focus+educators/1143698/story.html

Video Post from Toronto

A couple of funny videos from my trip to Toronto... Ans and I bustin' a move from the Kanye Mp3 on his cell phone, and Angie and I pretending that her owl-shaped mittens were really French-Canadian owls with somewhat broken English (and bad French, too) :) An instant classic in my humble opinion. :)


Kanye on Ans's cell phone


French Canadian Owl Mittens with Angie

Back in London

Now that I'm back in London, I've been spending some time taking care of stuff I've been meaning to do for ages (including blogging my Canadian adventures as you can see), and a bunch more catch-up stuff. I went to a really nice Brunch with my parents this morning, and it was super fun!!


Crazy tea


Thomsie!!!!!


Mom and Dad at the Brunch


Mom excited for the food


Me enjoying a coffee


The live band


Mmm, soooooo goood!!!!


Amazing water fountains and Brunch setup

Rock Bandin' with Angie

On New Years Day, we met up with the super awesome and legendary Angie, got some Spring Rolls, and hit up some major Rock Band stylins. It was glorious (obviously), and insanely fun to catch up with Angie - who is (par usuale) totally "the awesome."


We made sock puppets out of Angie's mittens


They are friends


Then the mitten friends started biting each other, which is quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen. :)


Rock Band!


Rockin' fierce


Next day back at Alex's apartment


We met up with Kristjan too!! We chilled for a bit before I headed back to London on the train.

New Years Eve

New Years Eve was great, we spent some time at Bizz's apartment in Toronto and then back downtown to chill with Nash and Slams for the countdown. Good times!!


Me and Timmy


Finkel and Nina at Bizz's place


Haha, Bizz!!


Word


Back to Tim's


Slams and some fancy Don Julio tequila that he got in Mexico


Getting ready to watch the countdown


Rockin'!


Hey, look! It's a Patrick Coleman amongst those posters on the TTC subway platform!


NYC-style lights in Toronto


Crazy new billboards everywhere at the Eaton Centre

Dinner and drinks in Toronto

Tuesday night I went out for dinner with a bunch of great people that I know from way different places - Patrick (from Pixar), Yung and Jeremy (from Waterloo), Yuan (my Dad's old grad student), Tatsuya (from Starz with Yung and Siggraph and Texas A&M), Sarah and her boyfriend (from OSSSA), Matt and Kim (from London)... it was amazing!!

After some great dinner at Mengrai Gourmet Thai in Toronto, we went out to the Imperial Pub near the Eaton Centre (which was amazing!!) and Nash, Slams, and Finkel met us there. Great times. The Imperial Pub rocked, and from there we went to the Rex and stayed there until close, listening to some live jazz and chillin' some more.


P.Cole, Tatsuya and Yuan


Yuan, Yung and Jeremy


Me, Sarah, P.Cole, Tatsuya and Yuan


This REALLY good Litchi and Cranberry juice that I got


Amazing!! I got a Thai Red Curry with Litchis in a pineapple!


Everyone having fun


Heev and I looking pensive


Slams and I rockin' out, and me in my AMAZING NEW COAT!!


Word up


Cheers!


And another, more awkward cheers


Yung and I looking sharp


Another pensive photo


Haha, and... we're a crazy bunch


Word


Then we walked by City Hall where they were setting up for New Years


Lots of snow


Live Jazz at the Rex


Rockin'


Hip hop flava