MONDOmagazine » Lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net We're not geeks! Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:51:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Lexipoeia/Consumer Whore Advocate Cross-Column: Swine Flu and You http://mondomagazine.net/2009/lexipoeiaconsumer-whore-advocate-cross-column-swine-flu-and-you/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/lexipoeiaconsumer-whore-advocate-cross-column-swine-flu-and-you/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 05:00:18 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=5380 Profiting off Pandemic Panic By Sam Linton So I was talking to a friend of mine the other day when he dropped a knowledge-bomb on me. Apparently, the Powers That Be are attempting to change the name of current global pandemic media darling Swine Flu into something a bit less descriptive. Why? Because the negative connotations of that name have had a corresponding negative impact on global pork prices. That's right, it appears that the name "Swine Flu" has turned people off of swine. Whoda thunk? Now, I generally strive to avoid being topical in these Lexipoeia columns (I want them to have a timeless quality), but something like this hits home for me as both a general promoter of the powers of language and as an advocate of opportunistic consumer slacktivism. So when I see them intersecting like this, I know it's time to come down from my ivory tower and get topical. Right here, this attempt by those in power to re-brand pig flu (I won't repeat their proposed new name; it would only further their agenda) graphically demonstrates the power that language holds in global economics, and the good news is that this is a power that we, the people, can seize! The fact that the global vernacular now tangentially links a horrible disease with delicious pork products is nothing but good news for the consumer. Cheap bacon, cheap ham, and cheap sausage are now readily at hand because linguistically, we've tied them in with the decidedly un-marketable spectre of a painful, vomit-fueled death [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/lexipoeiaconsumer-whore-advocate-cross-column-swine-flu-and-you/feed/ 3 MONDO Lifestyle’s Self-Improvement Workshop http://mondomagazine.net/2009/mondo-lifestyle%e2%80%99s-self-improvement-workshop/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/mondo-lifestyle%e2%80%99s-self-improvement-workshop/#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:00:44 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=4826 By Sam Linton You know, we dub ourselves as "Lifestyle" here, but few and far between are the times that we actually step up to direct our readers on how, exactly, they are to style their lives. Well no more! This article kicks off what may well be a multipart series on the styling of lives, giving you, the MONDO readership, the tips, tricks, cheats, and flat-out chicanery necessary to turn your lives completely around. Now, truth be told, I'm not exactly sure what kind of a person reads MONDO, but presumably, it's someone with a well-rounded interest in the arts, music, film, television, videogames, comic books, and tenuously lifestyle-related miscellanea. And who has an internet connection. However, for a personality with interests as well rounded as these, something has to give, and I suspect that in the MONDO readership, it's the social graces (I hope my blanket-generalizations aren't offensive). Well, don't worry, internet-friends! Because the MONDO Lifestyle section has made it its special mission to take you all from trashy to classy with a simple list of affectations you can use to patch over your social weaknesses and appear in all situations as either the gentleman's gentleman (which I believe is a polite term for "butler"), or lady's lady (wet nurse? scullery maid?). So join me, won't you, as MONDO Lifestyle delves into... The Secrets of Class-Having [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/mondo-lifestyle%e2%80%99s-self-improvement-workshop/feed/ 0 The Real Art Scene in Toronto http://mondomagazine.net/2009/the-real-art-scene-in-toronto/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/the-real-art-scene-in-toronto/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:00:01 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=4698 Try to picture the word "Real" with extra italics. By Jenny Bundock For a long time now I've been going to gallery shows in Toronto. I did my undergrad at York in Photo, and during that time I pretty much had to be a gallery hopper to survive. Looking back, I really wish I had taken more advantage of my time in what I have come to refer to as "the real art scene in Toronto." Toronto is kind of screwy, because what you would assume to be the cultural hubs of the city (the ROM, the AGO, etc.) are kind of, well, old. Occasionally you see these institutions try to branch out and grab something fresh from the streets and basements of Toronto, but rarely does it survive. It's like bringing your flower garden inside, in pots, for the winter: it just isn't the same and you're probably going to kill it. So what is the real art scene in Toronto? In my opinion it is made up of the unjaded, motivated, consumed, and hungry artists that are about 18–25 and either in art school, or recently graduated. Example: I went, two weekends ago, with a friend to a one-night-only art show at Cinecycle. For those of you who don't know what or where that is, it is a bike repair shop by day, and art gallery by night, behind a building and down [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/the-real-art-scene-in-toronto/feed/ 0 Office Pilates http://mondomagazine.net/2009/office-pilates/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/office-pilates/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:00:16 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=4506 Now all you'll have to feel bad about is the job itself! By Emma Cunningham I don't have any clients who work an office job who don't complain of lower back pain, stiffness in the neck and shoulders, and inflexible hamstrings. In fact, I don't think I even know another instructor who has a client with a desk job who doesn't show these symptoms. We're all familiar with it. We spend hours sitting in a chair we don't exactly fit in, typing at a desk in a cramped position where our hands are higher than our elbows, using fingers to click a mouse that leaves our hand semi-permanently curled into a ball. Rounded shoulders start to develop from leaning forward to read everything from our computer monitors to memos from [...}]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/office-pilates/feed/ 1 A Toast to Trains http://mondomagazine.net/2009/a-toast-to-trains/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/a-toast-to-trains/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:00:59 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=4419 Because sometimes it just needs to be said. By Leanne Schaeken Most everyone has a preferred mode of travel, whether it is the classic autobahn, airplane, or boat. The train-without hesitation or doubt-is my favourite. Last Friday evening, as I settled in on train 79 from Toronto to Windsor, and the downtown lights blurred past, my fondness for trains, with their steadiness and gentle chug past countrysides, came back to me. A train will hardly ever lead you toward a great adventure. Perhaps it will take you to the next city or the next province, to your school or to your home. It does not have the excitement of a plane or the banality of a bus. A train ride is, simply, a delight. [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/a-toast-to-trains/feed/ 0 You Don’t Know What You’ve Got ’til it’s Gone http://mondomagazine.net/2009/you-dont-know-what-youve-got-til-its-gone/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/you-dont-know-what-youve-got-til-its-gone/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:00:51 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=4381 Do sweat the small stuff, cuz it's probably what's keeping you sane By Jenny Bundock There are things in this world that are silent contributors to our well-being. You won't see a parade for any of these items in the near future, and when their time comes, if you have them, they remain unnoticed, unappreciated, and used as they were intended. Conversely, in their absence, a huge, gaping hole of "I can't believe this!" opens up... and we collectively realize what we took for granted. Here is my top 20 list of things you don't realize you need, until you discover that you don't have them and wish you did — wishing so badly that it hurts. [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/you-dont-know-what-youve-got-til-its-gone/feed/ 0 Lexipoeia: Taxonomy Time! OR Douchebags Defined http://mondomagazine.net/2009/lexipoeia-taxonomy-time-or-douchebags-defined/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/lexipoeia-taxonomy-time-or-douchebags-defined/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:00:44 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=4189 Answering the questions you purposefully didn't ask! By Sam Linton Every so often, the language-using community gets itself up in a snit over some new issue in our beloved English language making waves in the pools of those who actually take all this seriously. Remember truthiness? That was a good example of what I'm talking about. Anyways, since the English language lacks an "Academie Français"-style central regulating body, these things usually just get tossed around from columnist to columnist until some basic consensus is found. So what's the hot-button word that has the armchair linguistic community up in a tizzy now? Douchebag! [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/lexipoeia-taxonomy-time-or-douchebags-defined/feed/ 0 MONDO Lifestyle’s Two-Fisted Tales http://mondomagazine.net/2009/mondo-lifestyle%e2%80%99s-two-fisted-tales/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/mondo-lifestyle%e2%80%99s-two-fisted-tales/#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:00:45 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=3998 There's fighting, there's fighting dirty, and then there's fighting MONDO. By Jacob Kaufman and Sam Linton. Illustration by Dara Gold Over the course of the MONDOlifestyle section's run, we've covered many things: love, sex, wordplay, politics, the future, fashion, consumerism, countless gripes, and probably much, much more. But one subject has thus far eluded us: fisticuffs. It's odd to think, but despite the MONDO contributors' combined fighting prowess, we've never taken the time to reflect on our victories in print. Well, no more! Today, we at MONDOlifestyle will dust off our fighting gloves and reveal our secrets for keeping in our fighting prime, that someday you, The MONDO Reader, will be able to fight at the level of the best MONDO contributors. Lesson one: It's all about the fist names. It's true; the secret to good fighting is having an hilarious pair of names for your fists. Some say it brings luck, others merely confidence, but studies have shown that people with named fists win more fights. Obviously, therefore, the first step for anyone who wants to succeed in MONDO levels of fighting is to come up with some fist names [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/mondo-lifestyle%e2%80%99s-two-fisted-tales/feed/ 0 A Few Thoughts From Before Obama’s Inauguration http://mondomagazine.net/2009/a-few-thoughts-from-before-obamas-inauguration/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/a-few-thoughts-from-before-obamas-inauguration/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:00:28 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=3852 A friendly reminder to all Canadians: he's not YOUR President.
By Leanne Schaeken
Tomorrow, January 20th, 2009 President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama will become President Obama. And it is today, as I stare out of my office window at the bleak snow-covered rooftop of Old City Hall, that I admit with disappointment that I am not an American. Perhaps it is due to the fact that it is Monday or because blood is currently rushing through my vagina, but right now I am apathetic to the dawn of the new presidency. His rhetoric that before would make every cell of my hope, morals and ambition pulsate now passes me without a shiver. Yesterday, and many times before, he said, "Despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead . . . the United States of America will endure and prevail." Yes, Obama, with your help I am sure it will. [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/a-few-thoughts-from-before-obamas-inauguration/feed/ 5 Surviving Winter in Five Easy Steps http://mondomagazine.net/2009/surviving-winter-in-five-easy-steps/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/surviving-winter-in-five-easy-steps/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:00:22 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=3722 Because suicide is for the weak. By Sam Linton The Winter Blahs. They come around every year, crippling people, organizations, and sometimes entire webzine sections with inaction and despair. An incessant, endlessly grey enemy without form , the Blahs (also known, among the less "cutesy" among us, as the Seasonal Blues, the Long Dull, or the Devouring White) remind us daily that our sun has deserted us, and that everything around us is dead or dying. Understandably, this isn't the easiest time to keep up a positive attitude, or really any attitude whatsoever besides "perma-tired". But there is hope! In the face of the endless, bleak deathscape that is winter, there are certain strategies — coping mechanisms if you will — that may make the endless months of Winter seem a tiny bit less grim, and a tiny bit more bearable. [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/surviving-winter-in-five-easy-steps/feed/ 0 Year End Thank-Yous http://mondomagazine.net/2009/year-end-thank-yous/ http://mondomagazine.net/2009/year-end-thank-yous/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:00:43 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=3659 Wi-Fi for the win! By Jenny Bundock It is the end of 2008, which was a fantastic year for me. As I think it is customary to do, I'd like to reflect positively on some things that were important to me this past year, and thank those individuals, groups, and organizations that made these things possible. Coinciding with those thank-yous, I would also like to say to those of you who have yet to be touched by some of these things: "Hey, what are you waiting for — 2009 could so be your year to get on the gravy train and start enjoying the world around you, like I did in 2008." [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2009/year-end-thank-yous/feed/ 2 I don’t go out anymore, but I’m still sexi http://mondomagazine.net/2008/i-don%e2%80%99t-go-out-anymore-but-i%e2%80%99m-still-sexi/ http://mondomagazine.net/2008/i-don%e2%80%99t-go-out-anymore-but-i%e2%80%99m-still-sexi/#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:00:09 +0000 lifestyle http://mondomagazine.net/?p=3221 The new Face(book) of narcissism Facebook: it has changed many people's lives. It has changed some for the better: it works for people who have social anxiety, agoraphobia, or personalities that result in people liking them only for short bursts. However, it has changed many lives for the worse: people used to go out, call their "contacts," and communicate in more than two to three sentences at a time, and were better able to avoid grade school "friends." Personally, for me I think it is interesting to find out what kind of "Facebook people" are on my friends list. There are several distinct categories of people you may befriend over Facebook. These include: people you actually know; people you think you know but don't; people you vaguely remember from some past occasion; and finally people you don't know at all, but it seems like you should know them, because they went to your high school, and your town only has 2000 people in it. Those belonging to this latter group may have 55 friends in common with you, but still you can't recall them at all. I was the president of my student council, and it appears everyone from high school remembers me. I blame assemblies. Personally, I find the closer the person is to your current circle of friends, the less weird and annoying their Facebook participation seems. [...]]]> http://mondomagazine.net/2008/i-don%e2%80%99t-go-out-anymore-but-i%e2%80%99m-still-sexi/feed/ 0