iCaved and iBought an iPhone

The title says it all.

A Double-edged comic

I always like the nerd humor from xkcd.
This strip however made me laugh and cry a little inside at the same time.

Gmail's New Themes

Google/Gmail has publicly released their new Themes feature and I have to say it looks kickass. This has been a long time coming considering third parties have created this functionality for the old Gmail and now that it's released as an internal feature, the new Gmail now looks beautiful as it is functional. Customizable themes just make the mailbox that much more personal.

Although this isn't a full opening of their color schema, it's just one step short of it. Right now you can only select pre-made templates that Google provides. I can't wait until Google releases a fully customizable color schema. Maybe even a UI layout modifier, but I think that's asking for a little bit too much.

Glamour

I just finished watching this TED presentation on Glamour by Virginia Postrel. It delves into the mysticism and illusion of glamour, the progression from the early stages of the mid 1900's into present-day super stardom.

I love her descriptive adjectives of "falsification", "illusion", and "transcendent". This is a good analytical speech on examining the definition of glamour and how it drives our modern perspective into what is beautiful. It entices us into the world of the mysterious and beautiful yet somehow still real and attainable, breaking through the everyday and transport us into the world of idealism and perfection.

She also describes the idea of 'sprezzatura' used by Baldassare Castiglione and defining glamour as being effortless. Effortless style. Effortless beauty.
A quote from the "The Book of the Courtier" Baldassare Castiglione -1528
"to practice in all things a certain sprezzatura, so as to conceal all art and make whatever is done or said appear to be without effort." Evoking the thought of a perfect world where everything is easy.

RestoReview: Trattoria

Trattoria or Trattoria Italian Kitchen is a contemporary lounge restaurant targeting a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant has its own spin on the trattoria style establishment by being less formal but also being a vibrant lounge having a large selection of wines and various delectable Italian dishes with modern twists. It is part of the Glowbal Restaurant Group and most likely an offshoot of Italian Kitchen. Trattoria is located at 1850 West 4th Ave in Vancouver rooted in the heart of Kitsilano's dining district.

We started out with a pitcher of the Sangria Bianca, or the White Sangria. Light, but well balanced. Cranberries give it a slight pink color also adding a hint of fresh fruitness.

Antipasto Plater(eggplant parmigiana, kobe meatballs, tiger prawns
osso bucco crochette, forno roasted clams, caprese salad
forno roasted asparagus and mushrooms
calamari with spicy tomato fonduta) - this was a delightful teaser and sampler of the different vegetables, seafood and meats.

Pasta Platter(spaghetti and kobe meatballs with tomato fonduta
penne pomodoro, linguine pesto and lasagna) - Delicious sampler of the various pastas. This is a MUST order. The Linguine Pesto is superb.

Torta di Mascarpone Pizza (fingerling potatoes, roasted garlic, caramelized onion) - I'm a little conflicted on this one. I'm pretty sure they served the wrong cheese since it was very strong and smelled more like Gorgonzola, than the supposedly Mascarpone. The cheese tasted bad, but the rest of the pizza was delish. Very tender roasted potatoes. Yum, and the dough was an oven fired masterpiece. The cheese issue might have just been a little kitchen mix-up.

Trattoria (Italian Kitchen)
1850 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, B.C.


Service & Setting: 4.5/5
Taste: 4/5
Cost Level: 3