What are you doing Friday night?

Sister Gray are having a single release party at New City Legion. And they want you to join them. (You might remember them from a previous post, and they being Sonic’s Band of the Month earlier this year.)

They really want you to be there. So, they’re offering up a pair of tickets to the show. It’s going to be a good one too. With Cygnets, The Frolics and a new band; Very Dangerous Animals. That’s an all-Edmonton lineup.

What? Two tickets isn’t enough to convince you?

Fine.

How about two tickets to the show, two download cards of Sister Gray’s new single, AND two t-shirts? Yeah, now we’re talking.

The new single, by the way, will prepare you for the new album, likely to come at the beginning of 2012 according to the sisters Graling.

Drop us a comment to be entered into a draw for the prizes. We’ll draw a winner at 5pm today. You can’t have won anything from us in the last 30 days and must be ready to have a good Friday night. The winner will be contacted by e-mail.

Every location of 7-Eleven in Edmonton (and everywhere else) is giving away free (FREE!) 7.11 ounce Slurpees today.

Each store will give away 1,000 Slurpees. So get out there and get some icy fun.

Good day, Edmonton. As Sally mentioned earlier, I was out and about and got hung up. But, fear not, I still love me some Headlines.

Hundreds of Edmonton teaching jobs could be cut, as the Edmonton Public School Board tries to balance a budget that’s not getting any extra love from the Alberta government. The same Alberta government that’s going to be asked to put in up to $100-million for our city’s new downtown arena.

I guess education and teaching degrees do make one qualified to work an arena concession stand.

Speaking of provincial education dollars, Beaumont is getting a pair of new schools.

Meanwhile…the closed-door, after-hours vote to approve the arena deal isn’t getting a whole lotta love.

Starting with the arena again…you’d think that was some kind of big deal or something. Death, or more accurately; murder, has again visited Edmonton’s Somali community.

Motorcycles get some free parking downtown. Meanwhile…in other two-wheeled news…a handful of bicycle lanes and trails are getting beefed-up this summer…

Commercial truckers are being targetted, and unsafe vehicles are being removed from the road or their drivers fined. If only the rest of us made the roads any safer…

If you upgrade the insulation of your home you could land a couple-hundred bucks from the City of Edmonton.

Some of Edmonton’s homeless are getting a chance to check out some of the city’s recreation options.

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival has announced its full 2011 lineup. Some of the performers were previously announced or leaked, but the full package is now public.

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The province-wide fire ban is lifted.

In Slave Lake…evacuated residents are learning about the process to go back home…the mayor says the town will emerge better than ever from this disaster…the fire chief is telling his story, and the story of so many firefighters battling the giant wildfire…

After the province’s largest oil spill this generation, the pipeline that caused the mess is close to re-opening…

A fatality inquiry recommends gas companies not be allowed to cut off a customer’s gas in November. Previously, gas companies could shut off the tap no later than December 1 if someone didn’t pay.

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We’ll end with a pair of Internet-related stories. Albertans are among the most frequent Internet users (and we love you for that) and Blockbuster is closing one-third of its Canadian stores (come on, you know the Internet helped that happen).

Welcome to another weekend, Edmonton.

This weekend just so happens to be a Make It! Edmonton weekend. The craft and design show is back at the Alberta Aviation Hangar, with all kinds of great handmade goods. You can also help out the Canadian Kidney Foundation while you shop, by bidding on the silent auction – which will include items from the Make It! designers.

Tickets are $5 at the door, but we can get some of you in for free. Would you like that? Let us know if you want to go to Make It! this weekend.

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On Saturday, at the Russ Barns Arena, E-Ville Roller Derby wraps up the season with the Gage Cup between the Slice Girls and Berzerkhers. Sticking with roller derby…the Oil City Derby Girls become the “Knicker Kickers” to take on the Red Deer Belladonnas (who become the Whale Tails) in an Underwear Affair on wheels.

In music…you’ve got Rammstein at Rexall Place tonight. I expect it to be roofless by tomorrow. The Bridle Party and Van Funk & The Lebarons are playing an early show at Brixx tonight. Captain Tractor has a CD release at the Roxy Theatre (they play in Permanent Records tomorrow at 5pm). Over at New City Legion it’ll be Black Mastiff with Field & Stream and Morals. Men Without Hats are at the Century Casino. Buddy Guy is at the Polish Hall. Tomorrow’s Hair of the Dog is a good one; with Caity Fisher (you may remember her from our most recent episode of television). Saturday night The Empress has Howlin’ Dan, with John Woroschuck. And on Sunday Jimmy Rankin is at the Haven Social Club.

Capital City Burlesque “Unleash the Geek” this weekend, at the Starlite Room.

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? (It had to be since it’s the Edmonton Reptile and Amphibians 2011 Spring Show & Sale.)

Biodiversity Week (it’s a thing) kicks off in Edmonton at City Hall. Earth Alive will be a family-friendly event, and you could learn how to increase the wildlife population in your backyard.

The third annual #yegHelp event is Saturday night at Lux. Proceeds of the event will go to La Salle women’s shelter.

If you’re into helping, you might have already known that the sixth Homeless Connect Edmonton is this Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre. Homeless Connect is an interesting event, it provides all kinds of services to Edmonton’s homeless community; everything from mental health assessments and immunizations to haircuts and laundry.

For you fans of reading, this is a good weekend. The Edmonton Public Library’s Books to Eat fundraiser is Saturday night, while Audrey’s hosts An Afternoon with the Authors Sunday.

Sunday afternoon, The Pure Speculation Festival is holding Mini Spec!: a fundraiser for the big deal (which happens later this year).

Still on Sunday, there will be an Open House at ENTS. That’s the Edmonton New Technology Society; a cool little collective workspace in Oliver. E-mail them to get in on it and check out their space.

You can always see a movie, now that blockbuster season has begun (does it feel like it’s starting earlier to anyone else?). Oh, and get rid of your old couch at the City’s  Big Bin Events.

Hey you, sexy, swinging Edmontonians.

Recently, Textuality opened in select theatres (not in Edmonton to my knowledge). It’s a Canadian movie starring starring Jason Lewis (Smith Jerrod to you Sex and the City fans), Canadian actors Carly Pope (Young People F**king, Popular), Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, Lonesome Dove), and Liam Card (also the film’s writer). The movie looks at dating in the age of smartphones. And texting (obviously).

It looks like this:

Now, just because Edmonton wasn’t on the movie’s release schedule, doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun. (That might just be a double-entendre.) Details on getting you a new phone after the jump.

How about we chat about dumping people via text or instant messages. My initial reaction is that it’s not cool, but then I think about the fact I talk to only a handful of people on the actual phone, so maybe e-mail and text break-ups aren’t so bad after all…

Also, what’s up with all the self-portraits in the mirror?

For more things to kick off our conversation, the actors are sharing some of their thoughts online.

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If sharing your thoughts about dating in the digital age isn’t enough of an incentive to join the conversation (in the comments section) how about we throw a couple of free phones your way? Yeah, let’s do that.

WIND Mobile has offered you, good friends, 2 Blackberry Bold 9780s and 2 months of service on WIND. So comment away and we’ll throw you into the draw for the phones.

(If you don’t want a new phone just add something to your comment like “I’ve already got a sweet smartphone…No, thanks…I just broke up with someone by text, so I’m good…)

We’ll draw for the 2 Blackberry Bold 9780 phones + 2 months of service from WIND at the end of the week. Let me know how dating works today!

 (Comments will be open for contest entries until 4pm on Friday, May 6. You only get entered in the draw once. We’ll accept tweets and Facebook comments as long as you link to this post when @’ing @theedmontonian or comment on a Facebook link to this post. Otherwise we might miss your entry :( Good luck!)