Bumblin' on...

Serious beasting.

I love Montreal and the honey it oozes,

Ez

The Deep of Winter...

(Autumn Coming, 10/08, MTL, by Ezra S.)

THE DEEP OF WINTER
We're in what seems like the deep of winter
Around the corner, Summer and Fall
No time to feel small
Come on, embrace it all
Be now strong and tall
We're in what seems like the deep of winter
Around the corner, Summer and Fall

Smile, friends.

Ez

My 'Hemp For The Homeless' project appears on Yahoo.ca

(Photo source: Yahoo.ca)

Cool news, Ez Sez Readers... my Hemp For The Homeless project was recently written up on Yahoo.ca by Yahoo's Tim Carlson.

The article is part of a series of articles on what different people do when they win money. In my case, I'd won $500 and decided to create a project called Hemp For The Homeless. This led to a several more strokes of luck and good fortune involving Ralph Bronner of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Rumi Restaurant, Homeless Nation, the Montreal Native Women's Shelter and my wonderful wife Alexandra.

The whole adventure, unbelievable but true, was covered first by CBC radio (listen) and now appears on Yahoo.ca.

Enjoy the new article. And good luck to you in your adventures...

Ez

Here's more about Hemp For The Homeless as it appeared earlier on Ez Sez.

Some days...

Some days feel like this...


And some days feel like this...


As long as there's feeling, that's half the battle.

Have a great day.

Ez

JL/BO

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

What time is it?

On Change...

In whomsoever can one trust?

Better News

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

It might seem like hard times, but good times are around every corner.

Ez

eGuiders.com premieres "Broadway New Year's Day"

(Click to watch the short film at eGuiders.com!)

Welcome back Ez Sez Readers,

First off... Happy 2009!

Very cool New Years news to share with you in this latest Ez Sez installment...

A 3-minute film I made called "Broadway New Year's Day" (in which I walk the entire 252-block length of New York's Broadway turning it into a musical 'stop-motion documentary') has launched today on eGuiders.com.

The brand new L.A-based eGuiders site describes itself as "a video website that uses a remarkable collection of industry insiders and pioneers to help people find the most engaging original videos on the Internet. We search, you watch." I've seen many of the videos there and they really are the cream of the crop of online content.

My old NYU classmate and friend Marc Ostrick (co-creator of our award-winning short film Pressure Drop) is one of the two founders of eGuiders and I'm very excited for him on the recent launch of this phenomenal new site.

While it's still in 'Beta-test' form, eGuiders.com already has tons of web videos up with more coming soon. If you like short films and web videos, jump aboard the eGuiders Newsletter List to get updates on new content at the site. Many celebrities and TV industry folks like our NYU buddy Damon Lindelof (co-creator of ABC's "LOST") will be featured at the site e-guiding you to their favourite web video picks. Others are: Jerry Stiller, Shawn Ryan (writer, The Shield), John Landis (director, Blues Brothers) and many more.

To watch my film "Broadway New Year's Day" for free, click here: eGuiders.com. I'm happy to point out that this is the film's online premiere. I've only ever shown it at live speaking engagements to illustrate taking wild ideas (like walking Broadway top to bottom fueled only by orange juice and sesame seed bagels) and running with them!

Finally, some more good news... After getting engaged in July, Alexandra and I got married on December 21st! Read the next post down the page for more wedding info and to see pix.

Have a super-fine '09! Enjoy my walk down Broadway... Turn the speakers up and enjoy the trip!

Ez

Just Married!

(Ezra & Alexandra, Dec. 21, 2008, MTL.
Photo by Tristan Brand)

Dear Ez Sez Readers,

Alexandra and I got married on Sunday in a small & sweet ceremony at our local Rabbi's study.

I wore a hemp suit, tie, shoes and custom hemp keepah. Alex wore a super-cute dress and matching veil.

It was an amazing day and we're happy to share the pix here.

Lots of love from the Newlyweds!

Ez

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays from EzSez.com!

More good things coming to you in the new year.

Have a super-fine '09!

Ez

The Hemp-mote

Some hemp fan created a custom remote control for his Wii video game system wrapped entirely in hemp. More pix and info.

Nice one!

Ez

Yes Again

You say no and I say yes
Yes again
Like a train
Guess again, it's the same
Yes again
Yes again
You are the Ez Sez reader
Thanks and read on
Thanks again
Yes again
for dropping over.

Toujours bienvenue isistsi.

Ez

Bears in space...

This is no joke... a group of school children in the UK sent several teddy bears into space this week. They used a weather balloon, a digital camera, cute little space suits and a bit of help from a local university aerodynamics student. Read more.

I think more things like this should be tried.

Go, kids!

Go, bears!

Ez

Thanks to Ez Sez reader Mika Goodfriend from Montreal for tipping me off to this story. Mika's my cousin and edits most of my documentaries. When we were growing up together, we would play with our Paddington Bears ("Stissy" and "Moishea") and sometimes pretend they went to space. Now older and wiser, we still consult with our bears from time to time. Let me tell you, when we checked in with them today, they were as pleased to read the article about the 'space bears' as we were!

Phnom Penguin

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

Gravy train...

("Always Free Gravy", 10/08, Toronto, by Ezra S.)

Seen the spoof Times?

Seen the "future version of the NY Times" spoof?

This week, 1.2 million fake copies of the New York Times were handed out on the streets of NYC by volunteers working for the Yes Men.

The papers were dated July 4, 2009 and had utopian headlines (and even ads) reflecting a world of monumental positive changes.

This prank, not endorsed by the actual New York Times (though they swiftly covered it) took six months to plan and pull off. It must be seen to be believed.

I'm already a believer.

Have a look for yourself at the online edition hosted at the almost-Times web address: http://www.nytimes-se.com/

(If you heard about this already and are all like, "this is so 2-day-old-news, Ez", my apologies: I get my tips from a man on a solar farm way out in the country... News travels slower out there, but at least it's good news. Big thanks to you Robbie Anderman of Cool Hemp Ice Cream for passing this gem on to me.)

Enjoy your read of the "Times",

Ez


(A copy of the paper edition purchased for over $100 on eBay)

Watch a video with info on how it was pulled off and with reaction by people on the streets of NYC.

Step forward...

("Danger Afoot", 9/08, MTL, Ezra S.)

Ez Sez:
The real time
to take that step forward
is when you think
you can't possibly do so.

On the streets...

("Bay Street in the Red", Toronto, 10/08, Ezra S.)

I can envision a day without people sleeping on the streets
But not a day without Beetles on the streets.
-Ez

My new cellphone holster...

Dear Reader,

Here's the new Ez Sez Hemp Rope Cellphone Holster.

Made out of necessity while multitasking.

Ez

Welcome Barack Obama...

("Gobama!", 11/4/8, Screen shot of CBC, Chicago/MTL, Ezra S.)

(Click notepad page for juicy view...)

("Windshield Heart", 11/5/08, MTL, Ezra S. - [Thanks to whomsoever drew this on my car!])

"Big Dog"

It's a dog, it's a robot, it's a soldier's sherpa...

Have a LOOK at the latest in robotics. Pretty wild stuff to see this thing in action.

A big digital woof to all,

Ez

Thanks to Shai Agassi's blog for bringing this video to my attention.

Sarah Palin Wigs...

(Reuters photo)

Apparently, Sarah Palin wigs ($650+) are selling like hotcakes in Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn.

Watch the video here.

Yosef 6-Pack would certainly approve...

Ez

Time to enjoy...

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

(Seagull Centred, 10/18/08, Toronto, Ezra S.)

TIME TO ENJOY
(10/22/08, MTL, Ezra S.)

The time to enjoy the fruits life brings you
Is as they are falling from the vine
It'll leave you feeling fine
Like a good book and some wine
The time to enjoy is now
Put the sacred cows to pastures
Life is only getting faster
The time to enjoy is now

Lots of love and hellos to all from Montreal...

Ez

Hedge fund guru quits and calls for a hemp economy...

("Axe to the Hedge", 10/08, MTL)

This is the stuff of Hollywood films...

A successful California hedge fund manager, Andrew Lahde, cashed in his chips this week and wrote a scathing resignation letter saying farewell to clients and thanking "stupid traders" for making him rich.

Here's where it gets most interesting... he also used the frank letter to say the USA needs to get behind industrial hemp as a way to solve the economies woes.

Read more about Andrew Lahde at Bloomberg Business News HERE.

Read his full letter HERE.

Hedge your hemp bets...

Ez

UPDATE: The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) has appealed to Lahde to spare some of his recent multi-million dollar windfall betting against subprime mortgages to help fund the fight to bring hemp farming back to the USA. Read more at the Wall Street Journal's Market Watch HERE.

Towards AVHP...

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

("Ideas Bubble Over ", 10/10/08, MTL)

"Happy Plan (Towards A Very Happy Planet)"
(10/10/08, MTL)

Figured it out, today like a flash
We need leaders with brains... and hearts like a bell
Waking us up... from our glory days of sleep
And bringing it to us in actions, not in speech

That is how we'll grow
Actions make us thrive
Reality check as economies dive

Like a crow to dusty highways
Like a vulture to the kill
Goodbye to greedy times
on the manicured hill

Happy plan...
Happy plan...
Towards a very happy planet

It's the way to understand
Better times, like flowers come
Leader strong, leader lead
Better times for you and me

Happy plan...
Happy plan...
Towards a very happy planet

Dear Reader,

It doesn't take a hero to lead a country. It takes a country of heros to pick the right leader.

Whomsoever wins better have a good plan towards AVHP.

In Canada or the USA, wherever you may be and whatever you're voting for: thanks for voting!

Ez

Newspaper has 'Crush' on CinemaSpace

It was a nice surprise to see my face on the cover of The Monitor today.

A bigger surprise was to see the headline: Celluloid Crush. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but it's always exciting to have word about my projects shared by a reporter and newspaper interested in what I'm up to.

The story, by Monitor columnist Bram Eisenthal, focuses on CinemaSpace, the new screening room I helped create at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts at The Saidye.

Enjoy the article. It's a juicy one with talk about our hemp seats, Cineclub film series and everything we're up to at CinemaSpace.

You can read the full article HERE.

See you at the movies... Drop by sometime!

Ez

P.S. To get on the CinemaSpace email list, drop me an email: ezra at pressuredrop dot com

Stopping telemarketers...

The Canadian Government has just put up a web site allowing you to block your telephone numbers from telemarketers.

A handy site if you don't like your dinners interrupted or your fax machine filled with junk pages.

Click HERE for the link.

Ring you later,

Ez

My friend the junkie...

My old buddy and Pressure Drop collaborator, Marc Ostrick, has launched an incredible blog for all you online video lovers. It's called Notes From An Online Video Junkie.

If you love short, sweet, often hilarious web videos but find it frustrating to surf the web to find them, Marc's blog may be just the answer. He rounds them up, adds some intelligent web-savvy context and poof, you're laughin'.

An easy way to lighten up a stressed out day at the office.

You can also see bunch of Marc's original web videos there... stuff he shot for the series "24", clips on Linkin' Park and many other videos that frequently peer into the fascinating creative process of artists.

Enjoy!

Ez

(Marc Ostrick and Ez in L.A.'s Union Station)