The fun stuff. Calgary has a ton of amazing stuff that happens in our city. Reviews of new movies, or albums, art shows or news about sports. 

Sand Art

On Ukraine’s Got Talent, Kseniya Simonova did a sand art piece about the Holocaust, and the video of it on YouTube has gotten almost 5 million views.  I think that art is such an awesome way to express how you feel about anything that has affected you in your life, or even things you’ve just…

Meditations on Lady Gaga

I  recently read an article by Douglas Hopper which made me revisit some thoughts I’ve had on Lady Gaga and her role in popular culture. I’m not a fan of Lady Gaga’s music.  Her brand of pop-dance isn’t my thing.  But beyond her music, there is something I can appreciate about her.  She’s a determinedly…

Alice in Wonderland

Going to the movies is one of our favourite ways to amuse ourselves nowadays.  They’re fun and can also help reduce stress. Over the last few months,  Avatar was HUGELY discussed by EVERYONE.  It got a lot of high praise for the awesome 3D graphics and in-depth story. But this month…guess what?  The most-talked about film has become Alice in Wonderland! This movie is 3D as well,…

Free Downloads and SXSW Cravings

Combining music and social networking is one of the many popular gimicks of today’s online world.  I’ve blogged about LoudCrowd and The Sixtyone, and other websites like Last.fm follow similar formulas.  But what’s wrong with a little formula when you get free stuff out of it? I recently stumbled across RCRD LBL which has partnered…

The E.N.D. is Coming

Now if you don’t live under a rock chances are you’ve heard the song, I’ve Got A Feelin’ or Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas and you’ve probably danced along too.  I like to blare it when I’m getting ready in the mornings, but that is besides to point.  After a short break,…

Late to the Party: Gorillaz

Back when I was junior high school I remember Gorillaz making quite an impact on the radio and amongst my classmates, particularly the hit “Feel Good Inc.”  What I don’t remember is ever really listening to them – just a group I never bothered to get into.  So when their third LP (Plastic Beach) dropped…

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

This is slightly unusual for me, but I am going to review a novel intended for a preteen audience. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick follows a social outcast named Max, a teenager who is very large and has an intellectual disability.  He lives with his grandparents because his mother is deceased and his father is in jail.…

World War Z by: Max Brooks

Continuing on in the adventure of exploring new authors…Here’s where I’m at: Zombie novels are lame… at least that is what I believed until I read World War Z by Max Brooks.  I thought World War Z was going to be another one of those zombie stories where a group of people find a bunch…

What’s his name? Oscar!

Ever since the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics have come and gone, the television (or rather any channel not playing the Olympics) definitely felt the cold neglect.  Fear not!  The Oscars is coming to your TV, along with many celebrities and great films trailing closely behind.  What are The Oscars? The Oscars, more formally known as the Academy Awards, are…

The Chrysalids by: John Wyndham

To understand this novel the reader must have some basic knowledge about the cold war. The reader must also understand some misconceptions people once had about nuclear war. For example, some scientists once believed that only Labrador and New Zealand would be able to survive the radiation caused by a nuclear war. The story takes…

Where It’s Art: Listen Up! (1/3)

The “Where It’s Art” series, until now, have focused mainly on visual art. Today, I’m branching out into another area of fine arts – music.  I’d like to introduce you to some artists that I feel have an extremely high talent:exposure ratio. Perhaps we can decrease it a little bit. I’d like to start by…

ArtaWEARness X @ ACAD!

OK, pause, and rip yourself away from the Olympics for just one second.  Fact or Fiction: Cow-Town-Calgary has no appreciation for the arts.  Answer?  Fiction!  Now, sure, we’re no New York, New York, but Calgary has its fair share of haute-art opportunities.  This upcoming weekend, on the 26th and 27th, Calgary is gearing up to be a…