Category Archives: Your Digital Fill

Digital Fill – Nature by Numbers

Posted on by
2

Ok. So I was going to write something pithy about he current BC Liberal leadership race. But then my lovely redheaded partner pointed me on to this amazing site called Flowing Data.com. It’s all about data visualization and there I saw an amazing example of how one can connect math with biology in an incredibly visual way.

I’ve always been interested in math and physics (and especially astronomy). But due to the lack of a mathematically inclined mind (John Nash I most certainly am not), I’ve never been able to really “get” the subject. Unlike many, I don’t see beauty in pi  - just a long string of integers. Maybe that’s why this video is so interesting and inspiring. Kudos to Christobal Vila for creating such a beautiful little piece.

Nature by Numbers from Cristóbal Vila on Vimeo.

Digital Fill – Girl Talk Baby!

Posted on by
7

Ever gone to the club looking to get Jiggy with it? How about a decentralized dance party? This year during the Olympics many hundreds of Vancouverites came together to dance their hearts out in the streets of the Host City. They danced to the  tunes spouted by dozens of stereos spread throughout the crowd and all tuned to the same channels. It was quite the site (so crazy that at one point it descended into madness) and is well described in a great post by Gumboot correspondent Steph Bowen. During the dance party, one of the biggest hits – so I hear – was Girl Talk’s hour long mash-up of over 400 samples.

Girl Talk, aka Gregg Michael Gillis is a talented DJ. In 2007, Gillis was the recipient of a Wired magazine Rave Award and was awarded Time‘s Top 10 Albums of 2008. Now a new website has been developed aimed at revealing the mechanics of a brilliant DJ. The Girl Talk Mashup Breakdown displays all the samplings Gillis is pulling from and how and when they are integrated into each minute of his song. It gives you a terrific appreciation of the talent and ear for sound, beat, rhyme and lyrics a DJ needs in order to make his mix sound smooth.

Make sure to consider checking out the Mashup Breakdown when you have a moment! It’s pretty keen.

Your Digital Fill – Video Game Reviews

Posted on by
Reply

We all know that video games are indulged in by a wide variety of people. It’s a big community the runs the demographic gambit. Picking good games usually requires some expert advice. If you’re ever thinking of purchasing a game but aren’t quite sure what’s good and what’s a dud, check out Zero Punctuation. It’s a terrific resource for anyone with even the slightest interest in console gaming and it is certainly great for a chuckle.

Your Digital Fill – Don’t Shoot the Bear!

Posted on by
2

Remember those choose your own adventure books, where no matter what adventures you chose, you ended up falling down a cliff/getting eaten by an alien/getting lost/starving to death/etc. They were always so interactive and fun, despite the horrible endings your character often experienced. Well, welcome to choose your own adventure 2.0. I know, I know its sort of a commercial. But its still a clever one that engages both storytelling and interactivity with modern social media tools. SMART! What action will you take if you decide not to shoot the bear?

Your Digital Fill – Ironic Icelandic Democracy

Posted on by
2

Dear Kurt Heinrich,

I know that you’re not Johnisms biggest fan. Fair enough. As someone not named John, you will be irrelevant and, probably, disappeared when the revolution comes. Speaking of “the revolution,” Johnism – actually, Jonism – just won a pretty hilarious victory on the Icelandic front (fun fact: the Icelandic front is one of the most important fronts in the Johnism revolution).

Kurt, even you must appreciate the politicking that must have had to happen in order for this fantastically grassroots story to unfold. So that you can appreciate democracy inaction, here’s a video for your review:



And, well, this guy is the new Mayor of Reykjavik, where two-thirds of Icelandic people live. Amazing. Go Jo(h)nism!

Have a good one, Kurt. And, hey, people named John will always be looking for helpful supporters a few years (or weeks) from now.

Your pal always (or until the revolution),

- John…ism

Kurt Heinrich: Trendsetter

Posted on by
5

Dear The New York Times Fashion Section.

Hi guys and gals. John here. Thanks again for all the fan mail. It really keeps us going. So, you know how your editorial department asks for our advice on a lot of story angles? Well, you kinda missed a pretty important one. As it happens, Kurt G. Heinrich is a fashion icon. Recently, you published an article called “The Art of the Pants Roll” and showcased the myriad “new” and “hip” and “trendy” and “cool” and “New York” and “fashionable” ways people can roll up their pants and, by doing so, be part of NYT-approved high-culture.

But there is a problem. Once again, you’ve stolen ideas from the Daily Gumboot. For you see, pals, Managing Editor Kurt Heinrich has been rolling his pants* up for years. Here on the West Coast – or FashionMeccaTrendsettingAwesomeTown – we call the look “The Huck Finn”. Your “pants roll” idea is cool too, though.

Anyway, there’s no need to send a written apology or anything. We know you feel bad enough already. But if you’d like to send Kurt a nice pair of rollable pants we wouldn’t hold it against you.

Thanks for your time and for the memories. Have fun with it.

Kind regards,

John Horn, Editor-in-Chief

*photographic evidence to follow…

Kurt Heinrich: trendsetting in 2008!

The New York Times's Fashion Section: Two Years Too Late!