I’m in Toronto! Yup, I’m here for a few days getting things sorted out on the financial, medical, and family front, but I didn’t want to postpone this week’s edition of The Weekender just because I’m traveling. I just bought a new battery for my Macbook, so working while traveling is totally possible now.

Photos for the weekend.

Megan Cump’s series, Feral, is filled ominous shots of nature that will intrigue you and creep you out all at the same time. Remarkable photography.

I’m cheating a bit in the photo above and not linking to a photo set, but a web comic. Yes, it’s a about a superhero, but it’s also about innocent love and the struggles of identity. It’s beautiful, and if you have ten minutes to spare, I’d recommend checking it out.

Links for the weekend.

Pretty Sketchy
Jason Santa Maria explains why I keep a sketchbook with me all the time despite my complete inability to draw: “Sketchbooks are not about being a good artist, they’re about being a good thinker.”

End the University as We Know It
A step-by-step method to reform higher education, something I’ve been calling for for years. Some highlights: create problem-focused programs, transform the traditional dissertation, and impose mandatory retirement and abolish tenure.

Education: where copyrighters and publishers are the pirates
David Eaves, as always, writes a fantastic and insightful analysis of file sharing and the education publishing industries and how there’s a battle brewing between the two.

Five Ways to Market Yourself During a Recession
These tips aren’t only valid during a recession. Marketing yourself, keeping your mind fresh with new projects, and networking effectively are all good things to do, whether you’re employed or not. And if you’re in the DC area and want to do breakfast, let me know. It’s my favorite meal of the day.

The Immigration Fallacy
Will Wilkinson says that more American cities need to think like Toronto and emulate its diversity in order to become truly world-class cities. I wholeheartedly agree.

Fight Club: The Return of Hobbes
An excellent analysis of how Edward Norton’s character in Fight Club is actually Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes) all grown up and releasing his new, grown-up, inner Hobbes.

Videos for the weekend.

The above ad for the Honda Insight is stunning, but embedding it here really doesn’t do it justice. Go to the Vimeo page and watch the whole page change in front of your eyes. This is the kind of advertising that makes me buy stuff.

Yet another triumph in advertising video online, this Nike ad is beautiful in its simplicity. So well conceived, so well implemented, so well presented.

That’s it for this weekend. If you want to keep on top of what else I’m reading or enjoying on the web during the week, check out my tumblelog Squandrous, my Google Reader shared items, or my Times People profile.