So a group of artists, designers, and scientists all sail out to the High Arctic on a 100 year-old schooner to learn first-hand the effects of climate change on our planet... If this sounds like the start of some lame environmental-awareness joke, think again my friends. This actually describes an amazing project initiated by artist and film-maker David Buckland called Cape Farewell. He explains more in depth on his site:

"On board the 100-year old Dutch schooner, The Noorderlicht, Cape Farewell has sailed right to the heart of the debate. From this vantage point the artists and scientists aim to illustrate the workings of this crucial part of the planet, drawing attention to the role ocean currents play and the effect rising CO2 levels and changing weather patterns will have on us all and our climate."

Personally, I've been trying to keep up with the project as much as possible for the past few years. So it will come as no surprise that I am quite excited that Buckland is taking time out of his obviously busy schedule to drop by our fair city this Wednesday to give a talk on the project's progress thus far. The way the weather's going right now, he'll probably feel right at home...

Czehoski is simply one of those restaurants that I can't help but love. The menu is clever and ambitious, yet also oddly approachable. Chef Nathan Isberg describes his gastronomical offerings as "decadent comfort food", and though I absolutely love talking and writing about food, I'm not sure if I can quite describe it any better than that. What I can do though is give you a rundown of what a menu of "decadent comfort food" really looks, and of course, tastes like. Here's a little teaser: it tastes damn good.

Check out what was on the menu for my Winterlicious lunch at Czehoski in our Restaurants section.

I don't really do video games. At most, I might take in a nice game of Wii tennis or maybe a little Guitar Hero, but that's basically it. So when I dropped by a friend's place the other night and he decided to pop in Call Of Duty 4, I think part of my brain blew up. I'm going to sound like a complete dinosaur saying this, but I just could not believe for the life of me that kids play this stuff, taking the role of the "heroic" soldier picking off terrorists in the "evil" middle east.

With this said, I was obviously quite thrilled (and perhaps relieved) to discover Rafael Fajardo's work with socially conscious video games last week, and that he's dropping by this Wednesday at the Ontario College of Art and Design to talk to about his ongoing projects.

Currently an associate professor of Electronic Media Art & Design at the University of Denver, Fajardo (along with his collaborative team known simply as SWEAT) has published two games to date; Crosser and La Migra. Both comment on the game-like nature of illegal human traffic at the US/Mexico border, and SWEAT is currently working on a third game set in Colombia that focuses on the effects of drug agriculture.

So like I said, I'm not really into video games. But projects like this that explore new forms of social and cultural education through unlikely mediums definitely get my attention. Needless to say, I'll be among the (hopefully) many attendies at OCAD this Wednesday, February 6th at 630pm. Admission is free, as always... and guests are advised to arrive early.

Type "MADE design" into Google and you'll find that Toronto's MADE design shop pops up as the top hit, with a simple description underneath that reads, "MADE is a store." Though I appreciate the humble nature of such a statement, anyone who's been to MADE knows all too well that they are far more than just "a store".

Wondering what all the fuss is about? Check out my profile of MADE in our design section.

If asked to describe what architects do these days, many might reply that they "design jagged and shiny art museums" or perhaps that they "erect ridiculously self-indulgent monuments in unsustainable desert cities". Okay, that second one might have been my own subconscious poking its yappy little head out. Seriously though, the common sentiment of "starchitecture" seems to be one that's hard to shake these days. But this isn't to say that architecture has lost it's way.

There are still those who are working to propagate the type of architectural knowledge around the world that focuses on real local solutions for real local problems. Rusty Smith (of the Rural Studio) is one of those architects, and he just so happens to be stopping by OCAD this Wednesday evening to talk about such solutions.

I'm not a Facebook person. I'm just not. Yes, I have my opinions about why it just doesn't really appeal to me (and creeps me out quite frankly), but for the sake of a more informative and useful blog post I will spare you the details. One online social network that I actually find truly amazing and interesting though is the Open Architecture Network, which is described as "an online, open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design." The project is being realized by the good people at Architecture for Humanity as a means to connect designers and propagate architectural solutions and knowledge to solve problems. Among those good people (co-founder of the network actually) is Architect Cameron Sinclair, who will be stopping by OCAD this evening to give a talk about the role of the designer in the pursuit of a sustainable future.

Though the Open Architecture Network is his most notable project of late, there is still far more to mention about his design work throughout his career...