What has a longer life expectancy, a rat or a squirrel?
Bonus point: guess the average for each.

No Googling allowed.

Post guesses in the comments section. Answers will be posted next week.

I saw an exhibition by Mark Jenkins at a gallery in NYC a few weeks ago. He makes extremely life-like mannequins and shapes out of packing tape and then places them in cities all over the world. Just found a link with photographs of more of his work. See it here.

At a big-wig dinner in Cannes Kofi Annan was greeted with the seed-infused card for our ECOBOT.

A little Toronto history lesson today. Here is a picture of Victoria Memorial Park 1908 and present (well in the winter). The park is located across the street from the TAXI Toronto office where we are known to take a quick breather or have lunch in the summer.

The park is also a military burial ground for officers, non-commissioned officers and men who were killed or died of wounds in 1813 while engaged in defense of York (Toronto). You know when the Americans tried to invade in 1812.

Another interesting fact – it is also the resting place of Katherine Simcoe, the 15-month-old daughter of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe and his wife Elizabeth. The guy lake simcoe was named after. They lived at Fort York (just under the bridge at bathurst) but eventually built a house called Castle Frank, named for their son Francis, which still stands today. Now we all know it as a subway stop.

So much history to think about next time you sit under the trees and eat your lunch.

Interesting case presented at the Cannes Lions – Special thanks to Stephane for the digital spotting !

This bank as decided to launch a campaign that would support emerging young bands with an “In Banner Concert” streaming live performances. Musicians had to performed in little recording studios matching the size of the banners.

View the Axion Banner Concerts Cyber Case

It really isn’t true that designers wear all black. Who doesn’t love colour. Rodrigo Ladeira’s has created some fantastic photos all based on pantone colours. See them on Flickr

It seems so obvious to Richard Smith that the ‘only’ realistic way for a swift economic recovery is through a thorough, in-depth, rebranding scheme – starting with the redesign of the iconic US Dollar. Therefore, he has started a blog to invite anyone to post their redesigns.
Check out the designs.

The American Dollar has not truly been redesigned since about the 1930s. The Dollar ReDe$ign Project is a way to theoretically ‘change’ that. Yes, technically there are many limitations and complications when it comes to bank note design, but if the Swiss can do it on a regular basis, why can’t North Americans too.

You can also follow the DollarReDesign project on twitter

In honor of the public launch of the TAXI blog,  we are happy to announce the TAXI blog contest.
Or blog-test, or con-log.

The challenge is come up with the best “single idea blog.”
What is that you ask? Well, some prominent examples are:

http://scanwiches.com/
which shows off a new sandwich everyday.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/
which features stuff white people like.

http://failblog.org/
which shows off idiocy of all kinds from misspellings to funny photos.

http://www.fmylife.com/
which puts personal tragedy in an interesting light.

There are literally millions of others out there so it seems only right to make more.

Read on to see how to enter…

(more…)

The new economic reality has caused a lot of changes in the way our friends and co-workers spend  (or don’t spend) their money. If they had a small consumer “quirk” before, it has likely become a full-blown “consumer profile.”  Here are a few catchy names that might apply…

New-Faux Riche
People who used toss a dress after one dinner party,  are now trying to pass off last year’s Prada as “vintage.” And while their social status may not have changed their lifestyles certainly have. As a result, the “new-faux riche” have become extremely good at rationalizing their new shopping habits, “Jimmy Choos hurt my feet anyway.”

Wal-Martyr
People who have reluctantly begun shopping at Wal-Mart. These folks are once again seeing the “value” in value. They are becoming comfortable with non-designer oven mitts and hand lotion that comes in a 1-litre jug.

a-Gore-a-phobe
People with a crippling fear of disappointing Al Gore. Yes, they’d like to save the world but right now they’d rather save  money. They are forgoing the phosphate-free, dolphin-safe detergent and being forced to live their green values in less expensive ways, probably by getting one of those reusable bags at Whole Foods.

(more…)

I’ve just returned from Scotland where I spent an inordinate amount of time with the spirits — the ones that occupy Balvenie Castle (above) and those that come from the Glenfiddich Distillery.

Both are located in Dufftown, a small village in the north, halfway between Inverness and Aberdeen. They say Rome was built on “seven hills”. Well, Dufftown was built on seven stills. The ones that make Malt Whisky. Which is why I was there in the first place.

The story begins last winter when I purchased a piece of conceptual art by Toronto artist Dave Dyment. Dave’s idea, an exploration of emptiness, was to let a cask of whisky mature for 100 years. He involved a number of people from the Glenfiddich Distillery to create the piece, including the most experienced malt master in the Scottish Whisky Industry, Dave Stewart. His piece, entitled A Drink To Us (When We’re Both Dead) offers 25 empty hand-carved boxes  (see picture) together with a legal contract that assures the delivery of a bottle of 100 year old spirit in the year 2108. In effect, you were purchasing nothing.

Here’s the rub. I’ll be dead when the cask is unearthed. That much is pretty certain. So, I can only hope that there really is an afterlife and I can haunt the Distillery and make a lot of spooky sounds.

Which brings me back to Balvanie Castle. As the first person to purchase one of the art pieces, I was invited to stay at the castle for a week with my son Jesse.  Balvenie Castle dates to the 1200s and has a colourful past, to say the least. Robert the Bruce crops up in its history and Mary Queen of Scots once slept there.

In 1460, the Castle was owned by the Fair Maid of Galloway, Margaret Douglas, but following the rebellion of the infamous Black Douglasses against the King, all of the family’s titles and estates were forfeit to the Crown. The King, however, had a thing for Margaret and allowed her to live at Balvenie Castle for the unusual annual rent of a single red rose.

Which is more than I paid.

To see more, go to

http://www.davedyment.com/100.html