Loving Elevators since 2009.
HappyChest is back with a vengeance, you guys! She’s uploaded four new videos in the last week! Man, I can barely manage one a week! Anyway, my favorite is this one from the Mayfield Inn.
If we had two cents to rub together, I would hire HappyChest to be our elevator bureau chief.
Have a great weekend, #yeg!
Find something to do, already
Long weekend? Yes, please!
Long weekend!
Woooooooooo!
A note: The Great Divide Waterfall won’t be running this long weekend. We’ll get through this together. It’s unknown when it will be running again.
Alright, the big one this weekend is the Servus Heritage Festival. 34 years running and full of culture and tasty food, it’s all at Hawrelak Park. Here’s some transportation info.
Music-wise you’ve got The City Streets playing a “moving” show tonight at the Pawn Shop, and Blink 182 is tonight. The Moody Blues play Sunday, at the Winspear.
I’m going to try and rein in my excitement, but I do need to tell you about a show at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. It’s because Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks stars…Peter Scolari! Let me repeat. Peter. Scolari. You’re welcome.
Latitude 53 has “Draw,” a marathon of, well, drawing.
The Edmonton Capitals are home this weekend, and for $5 a throw you can help them fight breast cancer and try to set a World Record for pitches thrown.
We told you a little while ago about The Laugh Shop opening a new location on Whyte Avenue. It happens Saturday night.
Don’t forget about farmers’ markets, improv, live music in pretty much every bar, new movies in theatre…and so on.
Featured Edmontonian: Ted Flower
Okay, so, if you went to the Art Walk this year, you probably came across Ted Flower. He was the quiet, affable guy next to the CIBC who was displaying (among other things) a pair of giant panel cityscapes of Edmonton and Calgary, done entirely in ballpoint pen. I was totally taken with his artwork, which, from a distance, looks like it must’ve been generated by a computer; but when you get up close, you see that it is, in fact, an incredibly detailed, hand drawn depiction of both cities.
Ted is a tremendously interesting guy. He turned 50 just this week, and has had a few different careers; he ran a chainsaw for a long time, until he got hurt too badly to continue; he moved to Edmonton in 1989 and took up demolition and asbestos abatement. In the early to mid 2000s he was involved in a couple of different business opportunities; and he has just recently decided to chuck it all and pursue art on a full-time basis – a pretty bold step for a guy with no formal training. He says he would love to see his version of Edmonton’s skyline hanging in City Hall.
Anyway, I made arrangements to stop by Ted’s studio, in the basement of his North Edmonton home, and watch him at work. Holy crap, Edmonton. Not only can the man draw;
he’s also completing a giant replica of a bridge out of TOOTHPICKS. Hundreds of thousands of them. The pieces he’s finished to date take up large parts of his house, and he hopes when completed, it will set a world record. When I ask him why he’s building the bridge, which he figures should be done by the time he’s 60, he says, “Because I need a challenge.” WHAT?! That’s so badass!
Check out the story above, and if you dig Ted’s work, or even if you just want to shake his hand, he’s going to have his cityscapes on display at the upcoming East meets West Festival, on Saturday, August 22.
New menu at the Sugarbowl, everybody!
Review of the Sugarbowl’s new menu item: Seafood Coconut – Green Curry Laksa
It was the kind of day where the sky outside looked like Mary Poppins was preparing her carpet bag, a kind of day where a hearty meal was needed to stoke the fires of thoughtful creativity. The kind of day that made a new Sugarbowl menu seem like just the right thing.
The Princess seinfeil
Not only do I get to allude to one of the great 80s movies with the headline, I also have to point out a seinfeil that pains me a little.
I like the Princess Theatre. It’s too bad they ran out of letters/room to tell us about their third movie. (Thankfully, this is a temporary sign, since Moon is no longer showing there.)
Look right there under the Princess II sign. It's there.
THE UGLY TRUTH with Cherie Bucy
Got problemz? Well, you’ve come to the right place. The Ugly Truth is a new advice segment we’re featuring, written by a very good friend of mine who can find top notch answers to even the most difficult questions. We want you to write in or tweet with your questions about anything; dating, welding, geography, performing minor surgery, escaping criminal prosecution….you name it, Cherie Bucy* can help you with it.
*Not her real name. Uh d-uh.
dear cherie,
I wish more people in edmonton would read my multi-authour web log. What should I do?
signed,
the schmedmonschmonian.
Dear schmedmonschmonian,
The ugly truth is…that i don’t know the first thing about blogging. So, to help you with your quest, I employed an age-old, time-honored method for finding much-needed information: I Googled it.
See? Real website.
Now, admittedly, I became a little distracted when Google suggested similar searches, like ‘Successful Blonds’ and I discovered that there is an ENTIRE WEBSITE dedicated to this subject. However, eventually i got down to business and found a couple blog articles you might find helpful. they are:
http://www.avivadirectory.com/successful-blog-launch/
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/06/10/successful-blogging/
Ironically, the first link, about how to launch a successful blog, had crashed by the time I sat down to write this. But when I first found it, it worked for several whole minutes, and though it seemed a little technical for me, it may be useful for your purposes.
Understand, I’m a little old school and have yet to completely embrace the wonderful world of the internet (to drive my point home, I should tell you that i still use the yellow pages…yes, the paper ones).
Last Morning Headlines a coffee saved my life
Some day, a machine like this will save your life. Or your job. Or your sanity.
I went all out for this morning’s Morning Headlines headline. Mostly I’m excited for a week’s worth of breakfast spin-offs which earn me a free breakfast.
Boo. Ya.
This morning you’ll notice a couple of things about the headlines. There are plenty of stories about this weekend’s Heritage Festival.
Oops. I mean the SERVUS Heritage Festival.
And the other thing is that most of the headlines today are super-long. What’s up with that?
Oh, and I’ll add a third thing; connections to us.
The Journal story about pests is in because I wrote about grasshoppers and I’m in that state of mind. The Metro story is in because the Governor General eats freakin’ seal hearts, and we talked about the conference she’s attending.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Economic slump paves way for lower bids for road work
University of Alberta to offer doctorate of pharmacy degree
Edmonton business the latest buzz in pest control
Assault on Edmonton health officer puts landlord in jail 60 days
from the Edmonton Sun:
Mayor eyes prevention programs as answer to city crime
Somalians looking to push clouds of tragedy away
from Metro Edmonton:
Gov. Gen. to appear at NAIT Friday
from 630 CHED/iNews880:
Stelmach says economic recovery is slow & deficit could go higher
from CBC Edmonton:
Pierse sets world breaststroke record
from Vue Weekly:
Normally at the end of the morning headlines I ask you to post comments about stories I may have missed. So, let me know. (You know, you can also just comment on the stories I do link to, as well.)
So a grasshopper walks into a bar…
Hi.
You could also file this story under “I’m not crazy, there ARE bugs everywhere.”
If you’ve been outside a bunch lately you may have noticed a whole lot of grasshoppers around the city. That’s one result of our dry spring.
The other is no mosquitoes. In fact, the City of Edmonton’s Environmental Services division tells the edmontonian Mosquito Traps have fewer of the blood-suckers than ever seen.
Back to the non-alcoholic kind of grasshoppers. (For the alcohol-filled kind, order a pint at your local bar, or mix up one of these.)
I contacted the City to make sure I was really seeing a lot of these creatures (which I first guessed were crickets, silly me) and wasn’t just noticing one or two for the first time. Nope, there are lots more grasshoppers because they thrive in dry weather.
Letter to the Editor: Roller Coasters = Education!
This would be way more educational if it went 100 km/h and spun you upside down. (Photo: Fort Edmonton Park)
I’ve decided to write another letter to the editor after a few weeks pause. Don’t worry, edmontonian editors, it’s nothing you’ve done – although I was very close to complaining about how you deep-fried olives with pits.
No, I’ve been on vacation. And you know what? It was great.
Vacations are great because you get to see how other cities are run and see what can be improved in our great city. Without further ado, I present the master plan I’ve learnt from some of the cities I’ve visited: amusement rides in educational places.
Yes, I’m talking about educational roller coasters.
We’ve all ridden on one or two emotional roller coasters in our lives, and I’m sure we’ve learnt something. But educational roller coasters (and other rides) will teach children (and adults) about the subject while letting them have fun!
By now you’re possibly thinking: ‘But Janine, how does this relate to Edmonton?.’ Ah, yes. I’m thinking Fort Edmonton Park.
I know, I know, it’s all about the olden times – but stick with me here. Do our children care about the olden days? No, they really couldn’t care less. These children demand Spongebob. They want Wiggles. They want bright colours and flashy things. So let’s give them what they want and have a great time doing it.
Here are my proposed upgrades to Fort Edmonton Park:
Someone buy me this, stat.
I saw this on last night at Bang On on Whyte Ave. I didn’t go to Catholic School, or I would’ve bought it for myself.
…man, I got nothin’ today.
This is me, pretending I know things about sports.
What the hell is going on over at the Rush? These guys must really mean business for the 2010 season, because I’ve never seen so much lacrosse excitement in my life – and I’ll have you know, I’m a bit of a lacrosse aficionado (…that means I don’t know anything about it, right?)! Lately it seems they’re ALWAYS hiring somebody, or trading somebody, or announcing something. This time it’s a trade; say bye bye to Dan Teat, ladies. He’s going to Philadelphia, home of cheesesteaks, the Fresh Prince of Bel-air, and lacrosse (apparently), in exchange for Derek Malawsky, formerly of the Portland Lumberjax.
And while we’re talking sports, since, let’s be honest, it doesn’t happen that often – the Capitals’ website is reminding anyone with
tickets to tomorrow’s game vs. the Tucson Toros that the start time has changed, because of a travel schedule conflict with the visiting team. The stadium will still be open at 2 p.m., but the game won’t actually start until 5 p.m. It should be a good time; I just got a facebook invite informing me that there’s also a breast cancer fundraiser going on, where the Caps try to set the world record for most pitches thrown before a game. Well, you just got an extra three hours to set the record in, boys. Make Momma proud!
Global Youth Assembly 2009
Have fun at your Global Youth Assembly, jerks.
I won’t be there, because I’m not in your sexy, coveted youth demographic of 16-28. No, I’m 29. It’s too late for me to make a difference. I had my chance, but that’s over now. I must resign myself to a life of increasing irrelevance and isolation, shuffleboard, creamed corn and writing long, aimless letters to the editor of various publications who ignite my ire. I’ll just enjoy my Metamucil while you guys get together at your big fancy party, solving all the world’s problems and discussing who your favorite Jonas Brother is. Hmph.
Oh, come on now, obviously, I’m kidding. Well, I’m sort of kidding. I am actually too old to partake in the event – but I’m sure it’s less about ageism and more because they don’t need clowns like me relating everything that happens to TV shows went off the air in 1993. “This is just like in that episode of Murphy Brown where…,” “you know, I think Patrick Duffy said it best on that episode of Step by Step…”.
ANYWAY, if the prime of your life hasn’t passed (did I mention that adding insult to injury, even though today is Jeff’s birthday, he’s still young enough to go?), here’s a brief rundown of the 4 day symposium, from the GYA website:
The Global Youth Assembly (GYA) is about bringing youth between the ages of 16-28 together from diverse geographical and personal backgrounds to learn from each other and become part of a movement to advance peace and human rights. The goal is to provide these youth delegates with a vibrant social forum where they can gain new knowledge and perspectives make new friends, create new goals and projects and the confidence and support they need to take action and ignite change in their communities.
In 2007, the John Humphrey Centre partnered with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, Rights and Democracy and TELUS to present the first Reach Out Speak Up! Ignite Change Now—Global Youth Assembly, hosted in Edmonton Alberta. From August 1-August 4, delegates participated in workshops centred around the 8 Action Areas for a Culture of Peace and Human Rights as defined by UNESCO and featured world-renown keynote speakers including Dr David Adams, Kim Phuc, Dr Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and Sol Guy, just to name a few. Events included the Get on the Good Foot For Peace Hip Hop Summit and the Open Mic Night.
The event is taking place over at NAIT’s main campus, and includes seminars with topics like politics and building community, shopping for change, and social work through hiphop. Noteworthy speakers at the event include Governor General Michaelle Jean and ex-foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy. An event schedule for the whole she-bang is available here.
And if one of you whippersnappers winds up going, do me a solid and keep an old lady in the loop about what’s going on. Links to your blog postings, pictures, video, ETCETERA, would be most appreciated.
Morning Headlines, over easy
Speaking of waiting, where's my toast?
Can you feel that?
That’s the impedending long weekend coming your way. Just wait. Wait for it…
Before we jump into the morning headlines, allow me to get philosophical for a moment.
We had a story last week about a new, funny, sign from the Edmonton Police Service which aims to remind people to party with some restraint. Restraint meaning; keep it legal. Our roving reporter Joe snapped the photo, we had some fun and thought nothing more of it.
Now a “real” media newsroom has done the same story. So, the question is; if you do a story and then the real news does the story does that make you part of the real news?
On to less taxing fare now. Everybody had a lot of the same stories today, and I start by looking at the Journal and Sun, so that’s why they have most of the headlines.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Costs rise as Edmonton’s U-Pass popularity grows
Edmonton Humane Society population boom blamed on recession
from the Edmonton Sun:
Plan to put brakes on drunk fans
from 630 CHED/iNews880:
Youths from around the world descend on Edmonton
from SEE Magazine:
Rebranding Alberta’s Right Wing
Nina Haggerty Centre to move into new centre on 118 Ave
Wait, did I miss something? Let me know in the comments.
TV taught me everything I know about opera
Opera. Riverboat. Win-win.
I saw a pile of handbills for The Mercury Opera’s presentation of Il Tabarro at a coffee shop downtown and just couldn’t help thinking of The Simpsons.
The reason is because the opera will be performed aboard the Edmonton Queen.
Merrill-y All the Way….? (*sigh*)
We’re mere moments away from an Edmonton Rush news conference, where the team will officially welcome former Portland Lumberjax defenseman Brodie Merrill and present him with a Rush jersey. Suit up, Merrill!
They’re also going to announce the assistant coaches for the upcoming season.
Sadly, we will not be present, because as I mentioned here, we have jobs that keep us busy, all day long. But that doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about you, Edmonton Rush. That doesn’t mean we don’t love you.
Rush bosses say Merrill is “considered by many to be the best player in the NLL.” He was recently acquired in a dispersal draft, from the now-defunct Portland Lumberjax.
Merrill made headlines earlier this month, when the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association tried and failed to earn him unrestricted free agent status, after the Portland Lumberjax folded.
I know absolutely nothing about either lacrosse or hockey, but I’m anointing Brodie Merrill the Ray Bourque of lacrosse.
That’s right, I said it.
Our first award winning contributor!
the edmontonian's own top chef!
Alright, maybe that headline’s a bit misleading. But our good friend and chief parade correspondant Ryan from GrandeFullBody (who is a heckuva chef) did win this contest, sponsored by NAIT, with this picture of one of his delicious creations. His prize? Cactus Club food concept architect (look, wikipedia says it, I just re-type it) Rob Feenie’s new cookbook
Nice work, you award-winning chef/photographer/blogger! When can we all come to your house for dinner?
AGA – 1 Minute of Real Life Contest
Were I to create a 1-minute movie of my real life, it would probably be little more than 60 seconds of myself sitting at a keyboard, going through various stages of torment as I try to find new ways to tie the same seven pop-culture jokes to a seemingly endless stream of local news and/or events. My God, what do I have to do for you, Edmonton, OPEN A VEIN…?!
But I digress. Your lives, my attractive and dynamic friends, probably consist of richer fare than eating, sleeping, blogging and watching 30 Rock reruns. Perhaps it would make a compelling movie.
Do you have an exciting hobby or career? A family of hilarious and interesting characters? Maybe you’re a firefighter! Maybe you’re a race car driver! Maybe you’re Batman!
Well, if you’re any of the above (or something else I haven’t thought of, though I’m pretty sure all humans can fit into one of those five categories), here’s your chance to get the attention you so richly deserve. The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) is currently running a contest where you make a one minute movie about one of three themes: REAL LIFE, REAL BABY or REAL FAMILY (sadly, no REAL BATMAN).
Hurry, though, the submission deadline is drawing neigh – you gots to get your videos in by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 2.
You can say you're not interested in 60 seconds of this guy's life, but I will call you a liar.
From the AGA’s website:
Each video will be posted on the AGA’s YouTube channel for the public to review. After the People have commented, favorited, mentioned, linked-to and dished out coveted YouTube stars, the results will be tallied by a jury of experts. An awards ceremony will be held on September 3 to screen the best videos and present winners with fabulous prizes.
The Grand Prize Winner will be invited to Citytv for an interview with host Bridget Ryan and a screening of their winning video on Breakfast Television. Winners in each of the three categories will also be awarded a Fuji FinePix F100fd digital camera (courtesy of Don’s Photo), an AGA gift basket and a trophy.
You can submit a hard copy of your opus on CD or DVD, or you can upload it to their youtube group. And if I have any advice for all you Martin Scorceses out there, it’s when in doubt, deep-fry.
Edmonton loves The Room
I am sealing this DVD case in a vault.
Or, Edmontonians need to love The Room.
Seriously, I will wait for you to come back and read the rest of this story after you go watch the trailer for the movie of our generation.
Go. I know you’ll be back.
It’s so good, right?
Wait, you’re saying, this is just some crappy B-movie. But, I reply, there’s a story (or rather, a billboard) behind this movie that takes it to all new levels.
This is a movie that is so amazing, I would endorse you hosting viewing parties. I would endorse you watching it so many times you could act it out. I would endorse you taking tuxedo-football breaks during the day.
Thanks to our good friend, Brittney, we now hold in our hands a copy (autographed by the star/writer/director/producer and another actor, no less!) and couldn’t be happier.
If I was rolling in money I would pay whatever it took to get Tommy Wiseau here for a screening. I would love to share The Room with you that much, Edmonton. Maybe I can just invite you over, in groups of 5 or 6, to watch this over a period of consecutive Friday nights. You’ll have to bring your own snacks though.
Who cares about Robert Downey Jr. when there are real stars around. (Photo: Brittney Le Blanc)
I’m also jealous that Brittney was so close to a sleeveless Tommy Wiseau. She also snagged a sweet t-shirt (full of your favourite The Room quotes) at Comic-Con. Lucky!
Bubble Juice, now open for Bubble Bidness
Remember like eight years ago when bubble tea became the big thing? I missed that boat entirely. It wasn’t deliberate; I didn’t adopt an anti-bubble tea stance the way people do when it comes to stuff like getting on twitter or paying their taxes. It was kind of like a romcom, with Julia Roberts in the role of me and John Cusack in the role of bubble tea. The stars just never aligned, and we kept missing each other.
So, I know nothing about the whole bubble beverage trend. But a new shop called Bubble Juice has opened in my neighbourhood (10154 82 Ave.), next door to my favorite cupcake joint, Flirt. OMG, SO MUCH CUTE FOOD. This meant I had to stop in.
The drink I got was more of a smoothie than anything else, so I don’t think this was quite what you hipster kids would call “bubble tea” (but feel free to enlighten me on what constitutes a “bubble tea” in the comments). Whatever you want to call it, it was awesome. I also got a stamp card (buy nine drinks, get the tenth free), which is great because as we established here, I am a cheap, cheap person. And with all the money I’m going to be spending between Flirt Cupcakes, Urban Knitters and Refresh Cafe over at Organic Roots, I’m gonna need a bigger bank account.
Make Morning Headlines your friend (better than fibre!)
One of these cereals is actually somewhat healthy.
Good morning, Edmonton.
Happy Hump-Day if you like that kind of thing.
It’s got to be something special (oh, it’s something alright) when days in the low 20s start to feel cool and downright comfortable. I’d still take 30 on the plus side over it’s evil twin -30.
What? You want to know what the real newsrooms are talking about today.
Fine. I was just making small talk because I thought we were friends.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Insurance break expected for Alberta drivers
Competition puts focus on arcitecture
Driver who led police on chase flees hospital on crutches
from the Edmonton Sun:
from Metro Edmonton:
from CTV Edmonton:
Province not yet prepared to crackdown on impaired drivers
from CBC Edmonton:
Alberta’s rising jobless claims fuelled by young workers, men
I hope I didn’t miss anything. I bet you’ll let me know, in the comments, if I did.
Lookin’ back/On the track/For a little Green Shack (sorry)
I was returning some books to the Old Strathcona Library recently, when I noticed a whole little party-style setup just South of the building. We’re talking picnic tables, art supplies, a cute little shelf that said “Outdoor Reading Room.”
Because I live in the neighbourhood and had never noticed this before, I wondered what the deal was. Was this for hobos? Was it for school children? Could I fingerpaint something and then read a Babysitter’s Club book? Would I be judged for asking?
I wandered around taking a few pictures, much to the chagrin of passers-by, who all looked at me like I was going to snatch somebody’s baby. What am I, Peter File over here?
Vote for Andrea: For Fashion, for Change.
So our friend Andrea, who has the really great blog miel & cannelle, is vying for a pretty wicked prize through Fashion Magazine. If she gets voted the most stylish of the ladies selected, she gets $500 bones to drop at Holt Renfrew.
But we weren’t just going to blindly endorse her. It’s a great outfit and everything, but I’m a bit of a hardass with stuff like this. I asked Andrea to prove her mettle by writing an essay for you guys on why she deserves to win. So here it is:
My Dearest Edmontonians.
I come to you today with arms and pocketbook wide open, looking for your votes.
I am on a quest, a quest of epic size two proportions to make this city, this province, and this world, a sartorially better pin-tucked and peg-rolled place. By voting for me, you strike a blow against those neutral naysayers, those drab designer dupes, those disingenuous ingenues that plague our fair city and our fair town and indeed our country with their faux-pas and their faux-fur. A vote for me counts as a vote, might I even say, against those paltry and pale executives and their pastel pastiches of wives who run the oil sands.
Yes, my turned up cuffs and turned out looks will battle the urban encroachment of Ed Hardy hats and Croc’d feet yes, I will even say, the oil sands themselves. With bankers collars and Blahniks I will stem the tide of sulphurous fumes and another CK1 derivative release. I will bring vegan cafes and steakhouses into harmonious brotherhood under the shared banner of good style. Edmontonians, now is the time.
Fashionistas of Edmonton, of the world, unite, and vote for me. In the stripes.
Andrea
*sniff*
…you had me at Ed Hardy. Vote for Andrea, guys, and do it in a hurry – voting closes tomorrow.
Tell the world, Johnny
Edmonton's river valley looking all green and stuff. (Photo: City of Edmonton)
This is going to lose its timeliness if I wait too long, due to its play on words of our favourite Churchill Square food festival. So I’m serving it up hot and delicious. (Just about the end of food puns. I think.)
A world-traveling acquaintance of mine, known as Eva (she’s also on Twitter), is writing for a U.S. “local” website. As far as I can understand it, Examiner.com is all about people across the U.S. talking about stuff to do and where to do it. And not just in their country.
So our Edmonton-loving friend, Eva, is telling her “fellow” Americans to visit our fair city; for some fresh air, the river valley, Old Strathcona and a mall I won’t mention by name because I know it’s the bane of some native Edmontonians’ existence.
Eva, telling Americans about Edmonton since 2009.
p.s. I think she really does like it here.
p.p.s. She does have a legitimate reason to be writing “from” Pittsburgh, before you ask.
