Rooftopping Versus Skywalking

Rooftopping is not About Hanging Yourself From the Edge of a Building

This is something which has been promoted in the media as rooftopping, incorrectly.

Urban exploration is not about taking silly risks with your life. Real urban explorers take photographs, are careful as they explore, don’t litter or vandalize and they make it home again to upload their photographs.

Rooftopping is something urban explorers do. Some explorers like to be underground in tunnels and drains and some (maybe the same people) like to be far above ground. The first rooftopping photo was taken in Toronto, Ontario. The photograph showed the city far below with the photographer’s legs and shoes hanging over the edge of the tall building they were sitting on. (Note, sitting on, not hanging or dangling from).

The Sad Ruin of the Historic Guildwood Inn

I can remember very little of my own trip to the Guild Inn when it was still open and operating as a restaurant and hotel. My family went for some occasion. Grandparents were there with us. The only thing I remember is walking through the parking lot, to the door of the restaurant and being seated at the table. I have a vague image in my head of the table settings. So long ago I can’t think what year it would have been.

The Guild Inn is closed for business. Abandoned and falling into ruins. It is one of the saddest places to visit if you love history, old buildings and especially if you love the old, historical places of Toronto in particular. When I visit the Guild Inn I feel this is where our history comes to die. It is a graveyard, not for human bodies, but for art and architecture and grand old things from times gone by.

Men, Who Needs Them? – NYTimes.com

Recently, the geneticist J. Craig Venter showed that the entire genetic material of an organism can be synthesized by a machine and then put into what he called an “artificial cell.” This was actually a bit of press-release hyperbole: Mr. Venter started with a fully functional cell, then swapped out its DNA. In doing so, he unwittingly demonstrated that the female component of sexual reproduction, the egg cell, cannot be manufactured, but the male can.

When I explained this to a female colleague and asked her if she thought that there was yet anything irreplaceable about men, she answered, “They’re entertaining.”

Gentlemen, let’s hope that’s enough.

via Men, Who Needs Them? – NYTimes.com.

growingCities: Finding Food + A New Balance in the City

A growing number of foodies are seeking out new hidden spots in the city that have nothing to do with the café or restaurant scene. From gathering edible greens in a park to digging for clams along the coast, urban foragers harvest a surprisingly diverse range of fresh (and extremely local) foods in cities across North America.

In New York City, naturalist and “Wildman” Steve Brill leads foraging groups through several public sites in the area: including Central Park, and Prospect Park. His tours span from March to December (at a suggested donation of $15 for adults). Finds of course vary by season, and include a huge range of plants – many of which you may not have heard of. More familiar species include: apples, apricots, peaches, strawberries, cherries, plantains, wild carrots, garlic, walnuts, and a variety of mushrooms.

via growingCities: Finding Food + A New Balance in the City.