Best of recursion

Classic posts for your enjoyment
Chosen based on personal satisfaction, research involved, and popularity with readers. Enjoy!

Farewell to Rock Oasis
The secret history of my home climbing gym, the industrial structure it was housed in, and the surrounding neighbourhood at Front and Bathurst.



Is Skateboarding Illegal In Toronto?
A comprehensive look at skateboarding related bylaws and infractions in the municipality of Toronto.

Yes, it's true -- technically in Toronto, you're not allowed to skate on the road where there are sidewalks, except when crossing. Turns out I'm a nigh-daily scofflaw...



A Pratfall of Monumental Indiscretion
It’s not every day that Canada’s most decorated citizen personally tells you, in writing, that you are egregiously wrong. Not only that -- he also informs you that he is notifying, in writing, the Premier of Ontario, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister of Government Services, and the Lieutenant Governor of your mistake...


Competing in the Tour de Bloc
A series of entries about my experiences competing in the Tour de Bloc Bouldering Series in Canada -- from the perspective of an intermediate climber.



Why I Love Waffle House
Ruminations on this iconic fast food chain and its peculiar prominence in the culture of the American South.

What is it about Waffle House that tickles my fancy?



Goad’s Atlas of Toronto -- Online!
I cobbled together a simple online site for viewing the 1884, 1890, 1893, and 1899 editions of the authoritative late-Victorian-era classic, Atlas of the City of Toronto, published by Charles Goad.

Discover the history of your neighbourhood!



Profile: Justin Readings, Downhill Skateboarder
I know a guy whose entire life is going downhill -- fast. But in a good way! Let me introduce you to him...


Play the Lang and O’Leary Bingo/Drinking Game!
If you’re a fan--or foe--of The Lang and O’Leary Exchange, then you know that certain familiar phrases recur in nearly every episode of the fast-paced, popular CBC Business television news program.



Our First Longboarding Tragedy
Written in grief, this memorial piece about a young skateboarder’s death attempted to articulate the conflict many skaters feel about playing in traffic.



Why Does Klout Think I’m Influential About Broccoli?
A humorous look at algorithmic associations gone slightly awry, as well as several things you didn’t know about broccoli.



Occupy North Pole!
This controversial rant about Santa caused an uproar -- apparently you should never mess with Kris Kringle!

Santa Claus is the 1% -- he only works one day each year...


The Rise of Patrick Switzer, Downhill Skateboarder
In 2011 an old skate friend was crowned the IGSA World Downhill Skateboarding Champ. This piece reminisces about his past -- before he went nuclear.


Top Ten Star Wars Spoof Videos
My favourite Star Wars-inspired spoof videos. Their continued proliferation is a remarkable indicator of the pervasive socio-cultural impact of George Lucas' epic space opera franchise.

What is it about remixing -- juxtaposing often unrelated thematic ideas for effect -- that makes these inspired works so entertaining?


IRS Tax Form FAIL
It’s like something from a Soviet-era bureaucracy. What’s striking is that the times listed are estimated, expected averages!

And that’s for a single form. Heaven forfend if your ‘individual circumstance’ is complicated...


The Ugly Truth About Orange Juice
It was the grown-up version of learning that there's no Santa Claus. My revelation: Not-from-concentrate orange juice is basically an artificially fabricated beverage.

Have I stopped drinking processed orange juice? Not entirely, alas. It's like an addiction to cigarettes. But I've significantly cut down on my consumption.


Larabars - are they for real?!
Recently I've been eating Larabars prior to the odd workout, and sometimes as a quick snack. They're marketed as a fruit and nut energy bar that's gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non GMO, vegan and kosher.


See Also
Archives - a complete listing of every post in this blog