Lex Vox

Free books for bloggers!

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:22:23 -0400

For the third year, I'm hosting Mini Book Expo for Bloggers (http://www.minibookexpo.com) sharing some of the experience of BookExpo Canada with readers who weren't able to attend.

Claim it - Read it - Blog it

This year, with help from the 50 publishers who are participating, we are giving free books to readers with one caveat - if you claim a book, you must write something about it on your blog, facebook page, or Indigo Community profile. Or, send it to us and we'll post your review on www.minibookexpo.com

There are over 400 titles being released 3-6 per day for blogger to claim, with multiple copies there are over 600 books to share.

Drop by an see if there's a title you'd like to read.

Then just leave a comment to claim it (if there are still copies available), I'll email for your address & the publisher will mail you your book.
Read it and then blog something about it. Anything. It doesn't have to be a highschool book report, just tell us what you thought of the book, what it made you think of, if you liked it... that kind of thing.
Then tell a friend.

You can claim 2 books at a time, and then when you blog about them, come back and claim more.
Free books - how can you go wrong?

Click here to check the titles that are available right now

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Above The Nose Please!

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:36:38 -0400

This tryptic was taken to show, without a doubt, why I'm constantly railing on about photographing me from "above the nose".

Above the nose please!

Shot 1 - below the nose; Shot 2 - at the nose; Shot 3 - above the nose.
(And in case you missed it, I look better in Shot 3. Not great, but better. )

By "below the nose", aka "up the nose", as in the first shot in this series, you will literally have the camera angled up the nose. If you are about the same height as your subject, this will be the angle you get from a digital camera most often since you look down into the screen. This angle will emphasize any extra chins, waddles or flaps that may exists. Don't I look glorious in all my pudgy goodness? No? I don't think so either... but I'm not trying to look glamorous just trying to prove a point.

From "at the nose", your lens barrel is essentially pointed straight at the end of their nose, as in the second shot. While you will get a decent shot of most people, it's compositionally boring and most of us plus-sized folks won't be all that impressed.

By "above the nose", where your camera's lens barrel is above your subject's nose (not yours) and angled slightly downward towards them, you have shadows working for you. For most people, it will result in a photo where your subject look slimmer and hide some other imperfections.

Trust me, us plus-sized folks (aka ME) will like your photos better (and possibly you better) if you raise your camera just a couple of inches.

Oh, and it helps if your subject isn't over tired, sick and in a foul mood when you photograph them too... but smiling is overrated don't you think?

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

What's The Difference, Photojunkie?

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:31:01 -0400

On one of the very few evenings I've been home since early February, we had a visitor... with a camera.

Rannie Turingan (aka Photojunkie) invited Gerry & I to be one of 20 couples photographed for his response to the SXSWi 20x2 question: What's The Difference?

As always, Rannie has left me impressed and inspired. Take a second and check this video out, it's great!

What's The Difference?

20 x 2 : What's The Difference? from photojunkie on Vimeo.

del.icio.us Tags: rannie turingan, photojunkie, alexa clark, gerry thorpe, what's the difference, 20x2, sxswi, video, couples, couchs, love

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

A Week of Daily Dramas

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:07:52 -0500

Also known as trying to catching you up on what I was up to the week around the launch. (You can also read the twitter version here)

Sunday's Drama - Honk, Honk, I'm Driving a Big-Assed Vehicle!

The Big-Assed Vehicle

We booked a mid-sized car at a great rate of $161 for a whole week, but somehow ended up with a big-assed vehicle (or "cross-over vehicle" in the current vernacular).
Cool part? We got a vehicle with all the bells and whistles - seat warmers, Sirius radio, seating for 6 and plenty of room to move our entire office to Ottawa... and we did.
Okay, M.Tinto - bring it on!

Monday's Drama - Early Mornings and Gay Cook

We stayed overnight at mom's house, which was lovely and let us get some work done, but it also meant we had to move the Big-Assed Vehicle before mom could go to work.
Mom is a high school teacher. When the sun is rolling over and hitting the snooze button, mom is heading out for the day... and so did we.
Up Early & On The Road

Cool part? We got to see the sun come up, had plenty of time to grab a sandwich at DiRienzo's for lunch in Ottawa and still drop a review copy of CEOT at Gay Cook's house. Which turned into a lovely tour of the oldest house in Ottawa and a great chat with Gay.

Tuesday's Drama - Is That a Brick Wall?

Driving huge vehicle is great for highway driving, pretty good for dealing with lots of snow and weather and fantastic for transporting way too much stuff from one city to the next.
It is not, however, good for turning around in very very tight parking spots in icy lane ways beside brick walls. Not good at all.
Fuschian

Oh, and we found our first CEOT casualty. There is always one that is closed before we launch. Cam Kong is gone. Replaced by Fuschian.
Cool part? Nope. There's no cool part about scraping up a rental vehicle. We stressed and fretted all week. Luckily, mom noticed much later that we'd only scraped the Panel Guards not the side of the vehicle persay.

Wednesday's Drama - Media, Party, Party, Media... Friends!

Wednesday was filled with drama top to bottom. Starting with the heavy snow overnight, the early morning interview at CKCU, the snow plow spinning out of control in front of us, the last minute prep scramble for and the holding of the launch party.
Almost everything went really smoothly!
Thanks to Robyn and everyone else who stepped in and insisted on helping and I think it was our lowest stress launch ever. Thanks guys!
Cool part? Seeing everyone!

Team Photos

Thursday's Drama - Books, Pyrex & Beaver Tails

In a week filled with drama, Thursday (or Valentine's Day) seemed to be chock-a-block filled with them.
We delivered books to bookstores across the city, including Chapters Rideau. (who has already sold 18 copies). Our first, ever, book in an Indigo-Chapters store the first day it was available.
We made a lovely dinner for our hosts Rockr & Junkii, only to have the Pyrex roasting pan explode. Literally EXPLODE!
No one was badly hurt but both Rockr & I had bandages on by the end of the evening. No photos because I was too busy trying to clean up, make sure dinner wasn't ruined, make sure Rockr & Junkii weren't totally pissed at me for blowing up their kitchen... oh and picking up really hot pieces of Pyrex from under my barefeet.
Looking For Tails

Cool part? Hitting the canal after all the drama (and not a small amount of drinking) at 10pm looking for Beaver Tails.

Friday's Drama - Where Did That Wind Come From?

It was cold and snowy all week in Ottawa. Not really a surprise in February, however Friday was REALLY cold and blowy. Friday the day we'd earmarked for walking around Centretown delivering restaurant letters.
After lunch with Marc, 3 deliveries in wind, and Sam taking a stack of Centretown deliveries off our hands, we decided it would be smarter (and warmer) to get back in the vehicle and do the Merivale road deliveries instead.
Cool part? Friends. It always comes back to friends.

Friday night we drove to Kingston. We spent the day with mom in K'ton and headed home Saturday night to avoid more weather. Sunday we returned the Big-Assed Vehicle.

In 2-3 weeks should hear exactly how big a drama it is to scrape a vehicle when the insurance is covered on your credit card. Fingers crossed you won't hear anything more about this.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

CheapEats Ottawa - launch and more

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:22:01 -0500

After months and months and months (and months) of working on it, the books are here and we're having a party! TOMORROW!!

The CheapEats Ottawa Book Launch & You're Invited!
CEOT Book Launch Feb 13th, 7pm-9pm at East African Restaurant in Ottawa, sponsored by Beau's All Natural Brewery. RSVP please!

I've moved almost my entire office into Rocker & Junkii's guest room and am stickering the hell out of everything that's going in the swag bags (which are actually boxes).
We're driving all over town delivering restaurant letters (the letters to restaurants saying "congratulations you're in a kickin' new restaurant guide. Here's a poster. Put it up.")
We're contacting the stores that have carried the book in the past, but haven't placed any orders yet, to remind them that the book will be "released" on Feb 14th.
We're talking to media and trying to build some buzz... I spoke with Ron Eade from the Citizen last week, I'm on CKCU on Wednesday morning at 8am, another interviewer is coming to the launch, sent a review copy into CHUO and yesterday I visited with Gay Cook who writes the food column in the Citizen .

Oh, and this is for M.Tinto, we are driving a big-ass SUV. Photos coming, but you can start the teasing now.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Is It Really Thursday?

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:54:38 -0500

Freestyle Photoshoot: The Interrogation Room
Originally uploaded by ariehsinger.

I'm still reeling from the the very rapid transition from being a desk-hermit, office-bound 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, for 2 months; to being a social butterfly flitting about town with my new camera to a photoshoot, an afternoon blogger-schmooze with 40 other bloggers, and a national television studio.

Not to mention, reviewing & final sign off on final proofs, trying to nail down the printer on a delivery date so I can start the book launch and PR planning in earnest on CEOTv2.

Has it really been an entire week since I said "ahhhhh, book delivered"?

Time sure flies when you're a butterfly.

Great News - while composing this post, we did successfully nail down a delivery date!!! 32 cases of brand spanking new CEOTs will be in my hands on Friday Feb 8th! (Watch for a post announcing availability on the CEOTblog.com)

Please excuse me while I zip off to find a Book Launch Venue & sponsorships (anyone have connections at a good wine company?); write some kickin' PR pieces; reconfig the website to sell the new title; announce the availability to all and sundry... and... some other stuff that's on the list but not the tip of my tongue.

Woo Hoo!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

January 17th ROCKED!

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:31:41 -0500

What a day!

Finished & delivered the book. Thanks for all the woo hoos echoed back from around the country. (We sounded off from Cape Breton to Vancouver.)
Got me a brand new camera - Canon S5is. It comes with slick new features like:

better low-light capabilities (for restaurant and event shots),
a larger view screen (for my crappy eyesight) and
a black body (which is much more slimming)
and a 4-year warrantee (so that frighteningly familiar sound I'm already hearing won't cost me.)

Got to go to my first Freestyle Photoshoot with the aforementioned brand new camera. (did I mention the new camera?)
Finally got to spend some time Tanja and some other people I've been stalking for over a year now.
Still didn't get to bed 'til after 2am, but this morning I could actually sleep in past 6am, so it was a nice change!

Here's a little preview of how the new camera is working for me:

oh... and here's some food

Very happy with the new camera!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

10 Years Ago Today

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:36:26 -0500

As I am still finishing up the book layout for CheapEats Ottawa (yes still. Shut it!), I realized that 10 years ago I was just starting my Big African Adventure.

So, I thought I'd share a quick, and unedited excerpt from my "Lex's First Big Trip" journal:

January 11, 1998 - Sunday

Arrived in Johannesburg, RSA @ 11:00ish. Customs a breeze. Russ met me @ the airport with his shiny red car... "Leave the windows closed," says Russ, "it's warm out there." (Besides it is better from a safety standpoint.)

Upon arrival I was fresh (okay, I needed a shower and change) but invigorated and happy to be in continent #3 in 2 days. We drove to central Jo'burg, saw some interesting buildings and came "home".

Headed back out to buy meat (vleis) meat for the BBQ (braai). Drove out to the country. By this time I realize my sense of enthusiasm has been severely impacted by my lack of sleep. Met lots of people, don't remember a single name! But it was very nice - except of course for the contingent of flies that seemed to assume the table was set just for them.

Perhaps tomorrow I will figure out what I actually want to do while I am here.

Note: this may continue as a series if people are interested... I have photos!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Saving For A Rainy Day

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:16:41 -0500

CA702140_1_std

Well, it's not exactly that I'm saving up, but what I want is a shiny new Canon S5IS.

No saving is neccessary, since for my birthday Gerry handed me a big fat envelope filled with enough cash to buy me one courtesy of mom, the in-laws and of course Gerry himself. I guess they were listening when I said "all I want is a new camera."

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Though the gift came with some stipulations:

(in my b'day card from the in-laws) "Looking for more photos of flowers for my screen saver"
(self-imposed) I can't get a new camera until CEOT goes to the printer.
Gerry gets the old S2 to start his adventures in Macro photography. He does MUCH better flower shots than I do. (Oh, and he takes good ones of me too)

Tryptic Lex

Send to a friend

Test The Nation Now With Lex, Kate & Rannie!

nobody@vox.com(Lex) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:08:25 -0500

The 21st century: have you been paying attention? This century is only in its first decade and already there’s a test?

I know many of you don't watch television... but would you turn on CBC if you knew I was going to be on it? What if you knew, for certain, that I'd be doing something other than shilling CheapEats? How about if you knew that you could play along and show me up for the trivia-sluggard I truly am?

Live on television, I'll be competing with 35 other Bloggers on Test The Nation: Trivia, a national quiz show where six teams compete to see how well we've paid attention to the build-up of 21st century trivia.

Test The Nation: Trivia is a two-hour television event, with viewers playing at home as they watch our six teams of Canadians compete in our Toronto studio. By the end of the test, you'll know if you’ve been paying attention to the world around you, or if you’ve been sleepwalking through the last eight years.

Play Test The Nation: Trivia on Sunday January 20th, 2008 @ 8:00 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television and find out how well you know your world.

We, the Bloggers, are competing against:

Chefs (a couple of CheapEats celebs are on this team - Bob & Ted, I'm talking about you)
Cab Drivers (I wonder if they got Mr. Geography, one of my favourite Toronto cabbies),
Flight Crews,
Backpackers, and
Celebrity Look A-Likes

Right now the polls have us at 26%, tied for second with the Backpackers, one point behind the Flight Crews.

Hopefully listening to CBC radio every morning will give me the edge I need, because - hear this CBC - you are my primary source of news. Well, you and other bloggers.

I wonder if anyone will be living blogging the show... hummm

Read and post comments | Send to a friend