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fun. – Some Nights: An album review

Bill
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Yes, fun. didn’t want to capitalise the “f” in “fun.” and the period is indeed there. How’s that for a totally indie band name. Well that’s besides the point. The band released their second studio album titled “Some Nights” on Feb 21. That’s two and a half years I’ve had to wait since their first album, “Aim and Ignite.” It was well worth the wait.

The lead singer, Nate Ruess, was once a part of another band, The Format. However, they broke up after seven years together in 2008, and Ruess went on to form “fun.” The transition from an Arizonian band to a New York City band has transformed Ruess into someone who can deliver a bold album with everything awesome. It’s nearly the Bohemian Rhapsody in an album form; funky and catchy. Seriously, Ruess has been compared to Freddie Mercury. Now if that isn’t awesome, then I don’t know what is.

The album encompasses everything Nate Ruess, like the familiar and reminiscent vocals that was the epitome of The Format. However, as Ruess strayed into a different direction of music as he did in Aim and Ignite, he takes further steps into the realm of experimentation. Keeping the roots in tact, fun. branches out and blossoms a rainbow of a symphony with Some Nights. It was meant to portray how “personalities can change on any given night.” Everything from theatrical performances to mellowed-down ballads, it almost reminds me of a Disney soundtrack: having a little bit of everything. That said, it is still coherent, it doesn’t come off as a random selection of songs. It’s more like a well thought-out collection of everything the band is capable of doing.

Experimentation is what made this album so unique. There has been a minuscule number of songs that are auto-tuned that I can listen to with feeling any (T-)pain. Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” album was good; Justin Vernon did it for me with his track “Woods” on Bon Iver’s Blood Bank EP. Apart from that, I can’t name any others… until now.  Nate Ruess joins the prestigious list of “Those Who Can Use Auto-Tune for the Better.” That alone deserves kudos.

I’m thoroughly impressed with Some Nights. It’s trademark Ruess with a remarkable twist. It’s bold.  It’s catchy. It’s fun.

Toast ‘N’ Jam- supporting calgary’s youth musicians

moriah
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Want to check out awesome youth musicians in Calgary? Then go to Toast ‘n’ Jam, where you can toast in the sun and jam to local bands under the age of 18. The event occurs on Aug 16 and 17, 2012 at the New Black Centre for Music & Art in which both attending and performing at the event are free of charge. During this weekend, music-based workshops called industry sessions will also be held where youth can learn about gig booking, networking, etc. Programs like Toast ‘n’ Jam allow youth to showcase their talent, experience performing on an live stage, and allows Calgary youth to become involved in both music and the community. For more information or to sign up to perform, visit Toast ‘n’ Jam on their website, www.calgary.ca/toastnjam, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toastnjam.

Website of the Day: Cybermentor

sunny
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Are you interested in math, science, technology, medicine or engineering? Want to become more involved in the community?

How about having a professional scientist or engineer as your mentor?

Cybermentor.ca matches girls ages 11 to 18 with positive female role models with careers in diverse fields. Through weekly email exchanges, you’ll gain insight into life as a university student or working professional. Whether you want to learn more about your choices, open some doors or just have someone interesting to talk to, sign up!

From NASA aerospace engineers to paleontologists to family physicians – there’s a mentor out there waiting for you ;D The matching process, which takes three to four weeks after you register, will ensure you’re matched with someone with similar interests and hobbies.

You can join anytime during the year (not just in September) and remain with your mentor until June. All you need is a computer with internet (which I’m assuming you have and are currently using), a commitment of 10 minutes per week, and “a willingness to learn and share.” Easy, right? What do you get in return? A friend, a hero, a teacher, and perhaps a professional contact in the future.

Photo of the Day: Up!

jen
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Video of the Day: Nyan Cat ~ Violin Version

sarena
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A little musical twist on the favourite internet poptart sensation.

 

17th Ave food foray: Waves Coffee House

MJ
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One cold winter morning, Juliet and MJ set out into the ice and slush of Uptown 17th Avenue in Calgary to bring you this food review!

After our failed attempt at going to Crepes & Cravings (which turned out to be closed; but stay tuned to our blogs because we’ll review it soon!!), we walked further down 17th Ave to Waves Coffee House because it was the next closest thing to getting a breakfast and we weren’t about to return to school with empty stomachs.

Location: 9/10

From Western Canada High School, Waves is a five minute walk, three blocks west of the school. It’s on the corner of 9a Street. Not a bad spot to check out if you’re chilling on 17th.

Admire some paintings or play chess!

Atmosphere: 9/10

Our first impression of the atmosphere once we walked in was one of warmth (but then again, we were kind of cold). The music was a soothing mix of indie and alternative, Jack Johnson-type music lightly playing in the background. The light inside was bright yet mellow, the softly glowing lights adding a unique touch. However, one downside to the atmosphere was this: the tables were a little small and somewhat crowded together (maybe not the best place to throw down your textbooks and do homework). But overall, it was a comfortable atmosphere, perfect for chatting with your friends over a cup of tea.

Service: 10/10

Despite our extended period of musing over the menu, the female server at the counter was patient and amiable. Although she was professional, she didn’t give off that cold, detached aura. Answering all our questions and waiting patiently for our order, she was definitely helpful and friendly.

Food: 8/10

The dessert section... yum

The first thing we tried was a breakfast wrap because we wanted to try a savoury food item and a sweet one. The wrap itself was decent; soft and warm. The eggs and bacon were not overwhelming and they also were not greasy. But if you’re planning to have an actual meal, the size may not be ample to fill your stomach. For the dessert, we tried a Napoleon (or mille-feuille; we’ve never heard of it but it looked good). The cream wasn’t too heavy and it balanced pretty well with the puff pastry. The puff pastry, however, was a little bit dry but otherwise, it was light and delicious.

For drinks, Juliet had a a dark chocolate mocha and MJ a caramel macchiato. The drinks weren’t bitter or grainy as Starbucks coffee could get sometimes, and it was smooth. The menu offered a variety of tea and coffee, giving lots of choices (but for people like Juliet and MJ, that could be a bad thing…).

Keep scrolling to enjoy some more pictures (and to find out what our overall rating was!):

Napoleon

Breakfast wrap
Caramel macchiato

“I want to start every morning like this!” -MJ

Our overall rating: 9/10

In general, Waves is a great place to go to if you’re in the mood to relax with some quiet music and a warm cup of coffee while chatting with your friends, or if you’re craving a bite of French pastries. You can also enjoy some free Wifi at Waves, and if that doesn’t suit you, sit down with a friend and play some chess.

Model UN weekend in Calgary

Erica
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This weekend, high school students all over Calgary will take part in a Model United Nations Conference at the University of Calgary. “Delegates” will have the chance to represent a country and council while partaking in a debate regarding the UN agenda. They will get to experience firsthand how the international body is run by simulating a real United Nations conference.

I know of some people who have expressed feelings of anxiety regarding the conference because they don’t know what to expect. I understand- I felt the exact same way last year. I hate public speaking and I was so worried about having to do it at the UN weekend that I almost didn’t go. I am truly glad that I did, because it was nothing like I had expected. Each council is split into a different classroom, where you are seated in alphabetical order according to your country. Each person gets a placard with their country written on it. This placard can be raised when attendance is taken, or a vote is taken- meaning that you never have to talk if you don’t want to! Delegates can request to speak in front of their council, or debate a point made by another country, but they are never forced to. Everyone can participate to their own comfort level. At the end of the weekend, there is a banquet where all of the delegates can socialize and reflect on the experience.

Overall, if you are feeling hesitant about attending the weekend, remember that it is truly in your hands. No one will ever put you on the spotor pressure you into an uncomfortable situation. It really is a fun experience, and a lot less scary than it seems!

 

Video of the Day: Goldeneye in real life

missCarrie
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Warning: There is a lot of gore in this video.

[youtube 7RR5V0rmN4o]

The epic, classic game is now in real-D!

Too bad they didn’t use DK Mode!

How to become the mayor

Kat
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This year, the promotions committee from Youth Central‘s Mayor’s Youth Council launched a new contest for all youth in the city – it’s called… druuum roolll please… Mayor For A Day!

You may of heard about this contest through your friends , your teachers or through our Facebook page (like us here). For those of you who haven’t heard, Mayor For A Day is an essay contest open to those students who are in Grades 6-12 in Calgary. To enter, all that you have to do is write an essay that is under 1,000 words about what 3 things you would do in Calgary if you were Mayor For A Day.

The contest is linked with the “3 Things For Calgary” initiative, which asks Calgarians to think about 3 Things they can do to make Calgary better.  These things could be for your street, your neighbourhood or for the entire city. Then, do those 3 Things, and at the end of the day, encourage three more people to do the same. However, with this contest you get the opportunity to get to actually implement one of your three ideas along with the help of Mayor Nenshi and the appropriate city council division.

Not only does the winner of the contest get to enact one of their ideas, but they also get to hang out with Mayor Nenshi for a day, which is also a really cool opportunity and prize.

Now that I’m sure you’re convinced that you want to enter, you should know that you’re going to have to follow the entry guidelines which are available here. The essay deadline is March 20, 2012 so get thinking, get writing and sending so that you can get your say and become Mayor For A Day!

 

Proving that arts are underappreciated in society

moriah
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I recently stumbled across an article about how much arts are truly appreciated in society. Though it was published in 2007, I found it extremely reflective on the state of things today. The article talked about a social experiment conducted at a metro station in Washington D.C., where acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell disguised himself as a street musician. In 43 minutes, he was passed by over 1,000 people. He made only $59, and that’s if you include the $20 given to him by one woman. The irony of this situation is that while Joshua Bell’s concerts are almost always sold out, barely anyone paid attention to him in the metro station. So much for true appreciation of the musical arts.

To read the full article by the Washington post, click here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?referrer=emailarticle

Video of the Day: Super Saiyans are real

Stephen
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The way this guy spent his Valentine’s Day makes mine seem exciting…

I think he’s being pretty legitimate in the first half, but hold on until the end of the video! (:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYxCrugJj_o

5 reasons why fans are loving Knicks newcomer Jeremy Lin

Celly
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If you’re a basketball fan, then you’ve probably heard of one basketball newcomer, Jeremy Lin. The newest member to join the Knicks, he really has been causing quite a storm in the sports world. If you’re not already obsessed with this celeb, you’re about to find out why. Here are the top 10 reasons for Linsanity!

5. He’s a YouTube Celeb

TheJlin7, or Jeremy Lin, is now blazing on the YouTube Charts. Not only is he friends with YouTube superstars Kevjumba (Kevin Wu) and Nigahiga (Ryah Higa), he actually has a pretty good sense of humour too. If you want to find out more, or you’re already a die-hard fanatic, check his channel out at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJlin7.

4. He’s Asian!

Sad, but true. Jeremy Lin is the first NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. Chinese people already loved the New York Knicks, but after Jeremy Lin joined, it has gone downright insane. Many Chinese people have already expressed concern for Lin’s housing arrangements (he sleeps on his brother’s couch), and have been treating him like family. He even has a video on how to get into Harvard:

[youtube -9yVnKQNj58]

3. Harvard?

Unlike most NBA stars, Jeremy Lin hit the books, and hard. Jeremy Lin’s a Harvard graduate! It was one of his conditions when looking for post-secondary education. His dream school, Stanford, only offered him a walk-on; whereas Harvard offered him a spot on their team. Now, looking back, recruiters regret passing on him.

2. Modesty

Throughout all of his newly gained fame, Jeremy Lin is still modest and thanks his heritage, support, and God every step of the way. He also attributes his amazing seven-win streak and new records to his teammates. All of basketball society have been on their toes watching this background-singer-turned-superstar and are waiting for his next move. What will you do next, Lin?

1. He’s Hard-working

Jeremy Lin has been in the background, barely playing for most of his professional basketball career. He was nearly cut this year when they underestimated his talents. He even has a Youtube video showing his daily life:

[youtube CLzrLXQIbwM]

(Warning, he practices A LOT)

He balanced basketball and grades high enough to get accepted by Ivy league schools: is he an Asian superhero?

I don’t know if you’re sold, but I sure am. If you’ve caught a case of Linsanity too, then I have to apologize for your new addiction. Who knows what he’ll do next…?

Keppler 22b: a second Earth?

lewis
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Despite all the prospects of having another habitable planet like the Earth in sci-fi movies, little support for the prospect from the scientific community has arisen in the past few decades. That is, until Dec 5, 2011 when NASA announced the presence of an Earth-like planet located 600 lightyears away that orbits a sun-like star in a “so-called ‘Goldilocks’ zone where water can exist in liquid form on the surface and conditions may be favorable for life as it is known on Earth.” (- CNET News)

This diagram compares our own solar system to Kepler-22. Kepler-22's star is a bit smaller than our sun, so its habitable zone is slightly closer in. The diagram shows an artist's rendering of the planet comfortably orbiting within the habitable zone, similar to where Earth circles the sun

The planet has a radius that is roughly 2.4 times that of the Earth, with a orbit period of approximately 290 days, and three possibilities of surface temperatures coming in at -11 degrees celsius, 22 degrees celsius, or 460 degrees celsius. Evidently, there are still many problems and questions that arise with the discovery of the planet that we cannot answer at the moment, hence it is still too early to cheer or fright for the discovery of alien life.

Despite the lack of information on the many features of the planet, such as the mass and composition, the prospect of finding a planet so similar to our planet calls for great excitement. More importantly, NASA has announced with the discovery of Keppler – 22b that there are 48 planet candidates that are in their star’s habitable zone, with Keppler – 22b being the first one confirmed. This means that there is a high liklihood that more planets will be confirmed to be in a habitable zone in the near future.

Truly, it is amazing to even think about the idea that we could be at the start of discovering outer life or even possible resources from outer space. Even more so, we should be awed by the development of human technology in the past few decades, as we are now capable of distinguishing many features of a planet that lies as far as 600 light years away.

Buried in cash; Whitney Houston’s “tribute”

Celly
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While some of us are still in remembrance of the great Whitney Houston, some people have gotten over it real fast. The day after her death, all music stores hiked up the prices on all Whitney Houston memorabilia and music instantaneously. Netflix also had to remove all media even hinting at Whitney Houston, at the suppliers request.

The singer died on Feb 10, less than two weeks ago. The prices are still on the high end, and people are continuing to mourn for their icon. Many people are alarmed, however, because of the price change. Boosting prices is just a slimy tactic to squeeze as much money out of Houston’s legacy as possible.

If you’re out to remember Houston, do it through listening her music and re-living her moments, not buying overpriced memorabilia from sleazy reps from major companies. I bet she’s turning in her grave right now, but the best we can do now is give her respect.

In memory of Whitney Elizabeth Houston – Aug 9, 1963- Feb 10, 2012

The Fun Theory

cathy
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Changing for the better sounds easy enough, yet it is incredible how many people would rather take the easy way out because telling them to do so is just not enticing enough. Well, what better encouragement is there to change people for the better than with FUN! To sum it up: “fun can obviously change behaviour for the better.” And that, my friend, is called the Fun Theory. It is an initiative of Volkswagen to encourage people to better their lives with the use of something as simple as fun. Just by adding fun to everyday tasks such as throwing out garbage, taking the stairs, and recycling, people are proven to making a change to better their lives and the environment.

For example, rather than telling people to take the stairs, why not make it into a piano? Check it out:

Surf to the Fun Theory for more videos of theories being tested in Sweden!

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