Have you heard about Calgary Dollars? — Well, it’s genius.

Calgary Dollars are the same as real money (i.e. you can actually buy things other than Monopoly properties with them), except you can only spend them at certain locations around Calgary (like The Plaza, The Uptown, Broken City, many, many more).

And why would you want money that you can’t spend anywhere you want? Two very good reasons:

1. It’s free. (read on)
2. It promotes a sustainable, locally produced and consumed economy.

Which means that it supports people and businesses in your own area, rather than subsidizing costs by exploiting foreign interests (which is one of the basic tenets of most corporations). In other words, it makes you spend and sell locally. This is not only the healthiest kind of economy (since it pragmatically develops an area’s talents and resources), it also mutually benefits all of its participants since it relies on strengthened community, shared interests, and consciously smarter living.

And Calgary already has this up and running!

The coolest thing is, to get you started in the program, they are offering 20 Calgary Dollars (that’s equivalent to CAD $20) for free, just for signing up. I strongly encourage you to sign up for Reason #2 alone, but since a few clicks is all it takes to make yourself $20, it’s kind of a no-brainer.

And I’ll make you a deal: enter “cinesmith” into the “I heard about Calgary Dollars from” field and I’ll buy your ticket and popcorn next time we head to the movies!

This post has been sitting untouched in my Drafts folder for months now…

Alas, I simply don’t have the words to describe how truly essential viewing this is, so just go watch it already.

Shit to return plus beautiful weather means bike marathon today.

The TODO list:

1. Return stupid cables to Memory Express.
2. Return stupid cable to London Drugs.
3. Play Green Day Rock Band + Real Drums at Bao-Hoa’s. (shitty cables not allowed).
4. Pickup bison burgers + buns at Sunterra (mmm, bison buns).
5. Return home to prepare for Sandy Beach Reunion BBQ tonight (via bike).

Damn, I feel healthier just looking at this map! (Thanks for the inspiration, Sheena!)

PIRATE ATTACK!

Great new TED video explaining how piracy is not only the future of illicit activity, but also of any smart company’s business model. In other words, if your company needs to throw lawsuits around in order to stay profitable in its market sector, your company’s business model really isn’t working any more… and it’s time to update to one that doesn’t vilify piracy, but actually mimics it!

The short of it is that it just doesn’t make sense to purchase goods and services where equivalents (or superiors, following the Vista v. Linus argument) are available for free; thus, this is no longer a moral issue (ie. theft, infringement)—it’s common-sense economics and culture-enrichening consumption, for once.

See also: why copyrighting isn’t compatible with our current age.

HOME (2009) — Planet Earth meets Koyaanisqatsi meets The 11th Hour. Full film in 720p HD available on YouTube.

Pretty good doc: relatable message (though the voice-over wording is weak), inspiring score, and above all stunning photography showcasing the woes and wonders of our home planet.

I can’t emphasize enough how much each passing segment gets better than its predecessor, culminating in an end credit sequence that I wished never ended. Ironically, such a crescendo is completely out of line with the film’s call for balance; it certainly makes for a better film, though, and it’s given me new perspectives to bring into my ongoing struggle to pin down just what exactly ‘balance’ means…