Icebreaker

Dre, David and I ignored the wind chill warning and headed out to the Toronto Islands for a round of disc golf today. It was absolutely beautiful out there. Also, the brilliant Rectory cafe was open so we had somewhere to warm up and drink hot chocolate. Don’t let the cold weather put you off – head out there!

Am I Canadian yet?

This year Rosalynn and I will apply for Canadian passports. I figure the pond hockey I played on Sunday can’t hurt our case ;). Anyway, here are some pics from my first (and definitely not last) game of pond hockey. So much fun!

My strange obsession with disc golf

I started playing frisbee golf, or disc golf as the purists like to call it, over the summer of ’08. It’s definiatly a geeky way to spend a day but is also a ton of fun. Plus the people that play it are a friendly and eclectic crew so there are lots of interesting folks to meet.

Anyway, over the holidays I played a few rounds in Perth, Western Australia. They have 3 courses there and I only got to play one but it was great! These photos are from Rob Hancock park.

Espresso math

Friends who know what an espresso nut I am sometimes ask me about buying coffee machines. They are usually weighing up between a couple of different $200-$300 models and they ask my opinion. I always try to convince them to take a deep breath and then fork out $700 for a great espresso machine that will last them years rather than an average one that will last a year or two. 

Here is my personal case for why you should invest $700 in a good espresso machine. I hope it helps you justify buying one… You won’t regret it! :)

Cost of a good espresso machine: $700

I picked up a basic La Pavoni back in 2001 for about this price but there are much better models available now.

Lifetime of a good espresso machine: 7 years and counting

I’ve had my Pavoni for 7 years. The only repair I’ve had to do so far is replacing a gasket. Cheap and easy.

Number of espresso shots pulled: more than 2500 so far

I have a shot a day from the Pavoni. Two on most weekends but we won’t even count those ones. So, 365 shots per year x 7 years = 2555 total shots so far.

Cost per shot: $0.28

Compare that to a $250 machine that lasts 2 years (if you’re lucky)… 365 shots per year x 2 years = 730 total shots until it dies. $200 / 730 = $0.34. 20% more expensive!

I rest my case :). Invest in great coffee and you will be repaid with years of happiness AND savings.

Also, let’s lay to rest the idea that a cheap espresso machine can pull the same quality espresso as good one. Does a $250 machine produce hockey pucks like this? Thought not :)

My thoughts on “Youth and the News” circa 2006

In early 2006 I was kindly asked by the Canadian Media Research Consortium to give the opening talk at their Youth and the News conference. At the time I was editor at Dose. 

My talk went down about as comfortably as an, um… enema with the mostly older crowd of publishers, news directors and other execs (I had some support from the students). Anyway, obviously a heck of a lot has changed in media and technology since April 2006 but it’s fun to look back. I hope you get something out of the slides, even if it’s just a laugh.