Limes with Orange

I've been toying with signing up for another dance class this fall. I've danced on and off for most of my life… some tap and ballet as a kid, and a bit of contemporary when I was in university, but my big love has always been jazz. I've taken several different classes at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks here in Calgary, including a hip hop class that was lots of fun but ended up with me having to resign from it after injuring my ankle. And, unfortunately for me, joint injuries are particularly difficult to heal from with my health problems… so no more intense dance styles, I guess. Which sucks because I've been watching "So You Think You Can Dance" which inspires me to try my hand at all sorts of cool styles.

I'm thinking of maybe taking DJD's Funk/Stretch class which combines 45 minutes of grooving and 15 minutes of stretching to improve joint mobility and reduce stress. Hopefully my body can handle Funk under those circumstances. Or, of course, I never get tired of Jazz, so I might just stick with that old standby.

The question now is what to wear. Don't laugh, that's only partially as vain as it sounds . I find that I dance better if I like what I see in the mirror. And I like what I see in the mirror better if I'm wearing something that I like. I tend to like funky dance leotards and some jazz or yoga pants (yep, even when I'm doing Funk or Hip Hop… I just wear different shoes then). So my ideal outfit would be this lovely little Mirella Halter leotard and this Body Wrapper low rise V front pant… yeah, I think I'd like what I see in the mirror then and it would inspire me to dance just that little bit better.

Labels: cool sites, dancing, fashion

As I mentioned in a previous post, my best friend's wedding is coming up in September and I'm the maid of honour. So I've been thinking about bridal showers, since that is one of the usual maid of honour tasks. I had considered having it at my apartment, serving sangria and seven-layer dip and making it a lingerie theme (since another friend of mine has an awesome lingerie shop that the bride could register at). The drawbacks with that idea are (a) I live in a completely different part of town than everyone who would be attending and (b) being the kind of person that I am, I wouldn't just want the place clean but I would want to have certain projects finished… like painting the kitchen… and I'm not so sure that I would have time to get that done.

The bride suggested an alternative location at a communal area available in the housing complex that she lives in, but that seems so impersonal to me. So what to do? Well, I got an interesting idea when I was visiting this Wedding Planning site: have the bridal shower at a spa and have the guests chip in to pay for the bride's spa treatments. Now, I haven't run this by the bride yet, so it may be a no go… but I really like the idea. They also have some other interesting ideas in their article New Trends in Bridal Showers that I could run by her if she doesn't like the spa one.

The site also has an article with tips for Maid of Honour Speeches that I might need to take a look at as the day gets closer. While I haven't had time to peruse it thoroughly, this site has the potential to be a goldmine of information. And I could use a goldmine right about now!

Labels: cool sites, special days

I've realized that I do an extraordinary amount of shopping online. It started innocently enough with a few books and CDs from Amazon.com. Then some DVDs. And then I bought a poster here, an auction item there and so on and so forth. I've even started ordering my groceries or takeout food online sometimes (which always makes me feel like I'm starring in "The Net" with Sandra Bullock, but I digress). So I decided that if I'm going to be an online shopper, I should be a savvy online shopper and find online discounts and coupons... which is where these handy dandy promo codes come in. They've got them for over a thousand different stores, but of course I'm most interested in the Amazon coupon codes. It's still where the majority of my online shopping happens. Some things never really change.

Labels: cool sites, cool stuff

Here's a novel idea… embed interesting news videos or articles on your blog and get paid. That's the opportunity that The News Room offers. Yep, not only is the content free but you could potentially make money, too. We're talking hundreds of thousands fully licensed news stories that can be published, or 'mashed', on your site. You can focus on local or international news, science, sports, entertainment… anything that suits your blog and your interests. I think it's great to have access to such a vast library of quality content. That way, if there's something going on in the world that I want to talk about, I can also include videos or news stories to back it up or fill in the blanks or whatever I need it to do.

What is 'mashing'? You might be asking. Well, it's really just a cool word for embedding. They provide the code, you then paste it into your blog and their player will stream the content on your site. (If you've ever embedded a YouTube video, you know the drill.) It’s easy, secure, legal, free and best of all, you make money from the advertising revenue when the news is viewed on your site. And did I mention it's legal? Don't worry, that's not short-term memory loss at work… I just reiterate that particular point because many sources of videos on the internet are somewhat more questionable in the legality department.

So how can you get paid for something so simple? Well, there is a wee bit of advertising with the content, but in this day and age we're all used to the occassional ad, right? If you're still on the fence, just watch for yourself:

Labels: cool sites, news, videos

If you've ever been to Calgary and didn't visit the Beat Niq Jazz & Social Club, then you're one deprived cat, man. That's where I first saw Johnny Summers singing his swinging tribute to Frank Sinatra. It's the hot place for cool jazz and I'm entering it in to a contest of the best Things You Should Do. It's full of Cool Places, Hot Nightclubs and the Best Restaurants all over the world. And I could win an iPhone if they think my suggestion is the best! Click to get the details about the iPhone Contest.

Labels: cool sites, music

Actually, they're called Low Bid Auctions, but I like my title because it reminds me of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, which is neither here nor there. (Wow, digression in the first sentence… I think that's a first for me.)

Okay, what the heck am I talking about? It's a new site called Bid4Prizes. It's definitely a new take on auction sites because the LOWEST UNIQUE bid wins. Yep, I said LOWEST. But I also said UNIQUE. So, if you bid 2 cents on a plasma TV and a whole bunch of people bid 1 cent and a whole bunch of people bid 3 cents but nobody else bid 2 cents, you could actually win a plasma TV for only 2 cents. Granted, that particular scenario is unlikely… but you never know.

Unfortunately, right now it looks as though they're in between auctions. I admit that I'm curious what will go up on the block next (they actually had an SUV for auction before). Whatever it is, I'd be tempted to bid $1.08. Why? Well, some of you may already be aware that I'm a math geek (and proud of it). Back in grade five, my math teacher had each of his students pick a favourite number from the times tables… anything from the 1's to the 12's. I picked 9 x 12 = 108. Partly because the 9 times tables are the coolest (1 + 0 + 8 = 9… and so on and so forth), partly because of all the exponents involved (3 ³ x 2 ² = 108… sheer mathematical elegance). Like I said… math geek. *points at self*

My only reservation about this site is having to provide them with my cell phone number. I'm not particularly keen on that. Mind you, I got over my concern about using my credit card on the internet ages ago, so I could probably get over this, too. But the point is moot for me anyway, since it's only open to U.S. residents. (Oh well, I don't get to play in the auction, but I also don't have to have Bush as a president… you lose some, you win some… right now, I think I'm still coming out ahead.)

Labels: cool sites, cool stuff, fun

I discovered another site that I find reminiscent of Post Secret. It's an Australian site called Hidden Lives that I found thanks to Tap Tech Blog.

I like the way they describe their idea on their About page:

Everyone leads two lives.

An 'outer' life filled with day-to-day activities and to do's. Jobs, routines, meals, meetings, bills, discussions about the weather.

And then there is the 'inner' life. The things that you think but seldom say.

Hidden Lives is a space to reflect on your innermost thoughts, dreams, hopes, fears and imaginings. Pause, let your soul drift, listen and then reveal your hidden life to the world.

Post Secret feels more personal to me in its rawness, but Hidden Lives certainly has its hidden charms, as well.

Labels: cool sites

Here's a website with a very cool idea. You can trade your DVDs, music CDs, games, books and audiobooks all in one place. It's called Hitflip UK and, as the name implies, is currently only in the UK. But they started in Germany and it looks as though they're planning on expanding into the States, so I'm crossing my fingers that they'll end up in Canada eventually (hopefully they'll post these kinds of updates on their blog).

I love the idea of being able to swap DVDs that I've grown tired of (doesn't happen very often) or have duplicates of (which is somewhat more common) or that were gifts from people who didn't check my Amazon.com wish list (probably the most common reason I would swap).

*a few moments pass as I browse the site... *

Okay, now I'm desperate. I just did a search and seasons 1-5 of "Drop the Dead Donkey" are available to swap! I know the site is just for residents of the UK and I know the DVDs would be the wrong format anyway, but I want that show!!!!

*takes deep breath*

Okay, I've calmed down now. But I still want that TV show. I'll just have to figure out another way to get it. And I will. I'm quite determined that I will.

Labels: books and literature, cool sites, film, games, music, tv, videos

Did you know that there's a Bollywood version of YouTube? It's actually pretty interesting. I watched someone's homemade wedding video put together from still photos... not normally something I would be interested in even if it was a member of my own family (nothing against my family, just the way these homemade projects often turn out). Anyway, I kept watching because it had that Bollywood musical music playing and I could almost imagine the people in the photos dancing in the big celebratory finale. Curious? Why don't you go check out some Bollywood Videos for yourself!

Labels: cool sites, videos

Apparently you can now create an online scrapbook. I think it's a great idea, but it turns out that it's not actually any easier to create than a real scrapbook, just less expensive and easier to share… which are actually pretty good reasons to opt for this method, now that I think about it.

The site has a lot of options to choose from, which is great but rather overwhelming at first. Though I think it would be a little less overwhelming if the thumbnails were a bit bigger so you had at least some idea of what the paper (or sticker or whatever) will look like before you click on it.

Hey, you know what would be cool? A gallery of templates that you could use as-is or use as a starting point for customization. That would definitely make it less intimidating for a newbie and give you an idea of what's available as well as sparking your own creative ideas.

But here's my first attempt: a wee tribute to my horse, Night Wing.



Hmm, one area that could actually use MORE options is the fonts… very limited at the moment. And for some reason my text placement and alignment seems to have a mind of its own. But I guess a few glitches are to be expected when the site isn't even in Beta yet. I'll definitely be revisiting this site when it's a little further along in development. At which point it'll be great to add to my genealogy sites!

P.S. To the folks at Heart Vault: In order to embed this into Blogger, I needed to add a closing "/embed" tag to the end of the code provided on your website. And adding this P.S. made me think of something else I'd like to see on the site: a way to contact someone please .

Labels: animals, art and photography, cool sites, genealogy

I've discovered a cool new site called Fliptrack that let's you "put your life to music." The concept? Use your photos, add music from their library and voila! You have a Fliptrack Music Slideshow that you can share with the world.

I would definitely like to give this a try myself, but for the moment I'm just enjoying the ones that are posted. There's a very moving one called "In Memory of Martin Luther King," a really cute one called "Cats Don't Like Mondays" set to—you guessed it—the Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays," but I've opted to embed one that is more beautifully artistic, entitled "I'm my only enemy":

Doesn't it make you want to go and make your own? So what are you waiting for?

Labels: cool sites, music, videos

I just came across a brand new site… think MySpace for brainiacs (or geeks, depending on your preferred vernacular). It's called Sci-edge and it offers social networking for science hobbyists, technology and gadget geeks and science fiction fans. (I'm not so much into the gadgets, but would consider myself a bit of a science hobbyist and a definite sci-fi geek.)

They've already got some games up (though I haven't played any of them yet) and a couple of polls (hey, maybe I'll revise my "Is Starbuck Really Dead?" poll and post an updated version of it on Sci-edge). There's also a place for quizzes (still empty, so far… it just launched today, remember) and chat. Plus there's a community blog that makes for some interesting reading. There's also this wish list genie that I haven't tried yet and I'm not quite sure what it's all about, but I'll let you know once I've played around with it some more.

But one of the cool things about the site being so new is that they really want suggestions from the users. So if you sign up now, you're getting in on the ground floor and could really help shape this thing. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool.

Labels: cool sites, math and science, pop culture

I love it when people create sites that seem custom suited to me. That's how I would describe StudentOfFortune.com, a website for students, tutors, and anyone who either needs help with their homework or wants to make money helping students. Since I already tutor math for pocket money and I spend a lot of time online blogging, shopping, working, etc... well, it's just a marriage made in heaven. Or it will be heaven once someone posts a math question (I know, I have a strange idea of heaven).

For now, I suppose I could pull out one of those physics texts that we used for my short film last summer and try my hand at the physics question posted. Ow! Was that an apple falling on my head?

Labels: cool sites, education, math and science

I've lived in Calgary for almost seven years now, and it's only in the past year that I've really managed to find the artsy people that I want to hang out with. I'll admit that much of that is my own fault. I arrived with the attitude that Calgarians expect from Torontonians: what little redneck, culturally-bereft backwater have I just landed in? Not too endearing an attitude, I'll admit. But I only seemed to be meeting people who worked directly in the oil and gas industry or indirectly for the oil and gas industry. And my parents were hippie actors. No common ground. I did try. Really. But I felt like I was selling my soul.

Then last year, I joined the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and started taking a bunch of courses there—meeting people who had not only heard of my favourite movies, but actually liked them—and my one musician friend married a really cool actress with really cool creative friends and all of a sudden I have artsy people back in my life. Yay!

This whole process could have happened a lot sooner if The Whole 9 had been around when I first moved here. The Whole 9 is an online community to connect creative and artistic people for networking and dating (there's even a place for your portfolio). I may not be needing it for friendship or dating at the moment, but I'll definitely be exploring the networking potential!

P.S. Couldn't resist the Beatles reference in the title, especially since 9 is one of my favourite numbers. My fave favourite number is actually 108... long story... short answer: I'm weird, remember?

Labels: art and photography, cool sites, dating, film, music, theatre

I'm not very good at asking for favours. Fortunately, there's this new site that makes it a whole lot easier. Zakle.com — do favours, get favours from anyone in the world.

How does it work? By providing a website that allows members to post requests for favours and offers of favours to which other members can respond. Individuals can earn Points when they grant favours and spend Points to obtain favours.

So I decided to sign up and see what happens. (Just a heads up… there's $2 verification fee that they don't explicitly disclose. If you've already verified with PayPal, you might expect that you're going to get that fee back after Zakle verifies you through PayPal… but you won't. Another registration note: make sure you enter your address exactly as it's listed on your PayPal account or the verification won't work.)

These are the offers I submitted:

Title: Métis Card - Genealogy Lookup
Details: Would you like to apply for your Métis card but don't have the documentation that you need? I have access to the Glenbow Museum Archives that has a vast amount of Métis resources for Western Canada. And I have professional experience in utilizing those resources. So let me help you get your card.

Title: Short Story Editing
Details: I am a professional writer and editor. I would be willing to edit and provide feedback on your short story, up to 3000 words in length.

Title: Review your website
Details: I have several blogs, one of which is bound to suit your website. I also have some background in website design. My offer is to review your website, applaud what's good, suggest things that could be better, and provide a permanent link to your site.

And these are my requests:

Title: A photograph of the Ashbel Woodward Museum
Details: The former home of Dr. Ashbel Woodward, a Civil War surgeon, was turned into a museum a few years back in Franklin, CT. My ancestors lived in the house next door (which may or may not still be standing). I would love to have a photograph of the Woodward home. And, if the Mumford home beside it is still standing, I would love a photo of that as well.

Title: Link to my Film Blog
Details: I've started a Filmmaker's Blog on MySpace (blog.myspace.com/weirdgrrl). If you have a blog with some decent traffic, I would love to have you review my blog and provide a permanent link.

Title: Film Editor Needed
Details: I am in the process of editing a short film. I have basic knowledge of Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effects and I have my rough cut done. But this short film requires sci-fi effects like wormholes which are somewhat beyond me. I would love to sit in with an experienced editor while they finish my film. Estimated time: one day.

So I did the Zakle. And you can do the Zakle, too!

Labels: blogging, cool sites, film, genealogy, odds and ends, writing

Several years ago, I was dating this guy that I met through an internet dating service (even though we didn't last, we were actually together for a year and a half, so obviously the reason we didn't work out had nothing to do with the fact that we met online... but I digress). His name was Rob. His best friend's name was also Rob. So things could get a little confusing. So I dubbed the friend "Christian Rob" (because he was a devout Baptist) and the guy that I was dating "Pagan Rob" (not quite accurate—he really should have been "Atheist Rob" because he thought that all religion was bunk... don't get me started—but the names were inspired by a song by Dar Williams called "The Christians and the Pagans").

Anyway, the point of this rambling is that I always wanted to fix Christian Rob up with someone because he was the sweetest, funniest, cuddliest guy I knew (and pretty smart, too)... but I didn't actually know any other Christians who were remotely devout. And that was a dealbreaker for Rob. Which is why I wish that this Christian Singles website had been around back then. It would have been perfect for him. Just perfect.

Labels: cool sites, dating

Let me start off by saying: yes, I love YouTube. But there are sooo many videos on that site that you have to watch a lot of crap before you find those nuggets of gold. (Holy mixed metaphor, Batman!) But there's this new video site that collects the best cool video clips from a whole bunch of different video sites around the world. Like this video of "Bush in John the Revelator." Now that's pretty... cool!

Labels: bush bashing, cool sites, videos

I've been exploring that Tribeca Network further and checked out one of their subsites: Radio Free TriBeCa (I'll save Tribeca Shorts, their other subsite, for another post).

This is a very cool concept. Did you ever see the movie "Pump Up the Volume" with Christian Slater? The one where he runs a pirate radio station and causes an uproar when he speaks his mind and enthrals fellow teens. Well, now you can do the same thing (or something completely different) with a lot less trouble than Christian Slater went through in the movie, just by signing up with this site.

So if you think you're the next Alan Freed, Wolfman Jack or Rush Limbaugh *shudder* (how come the only talk radio personalities that come to mind make me want to shudder... surely there are some progressive, liberal radio personalities out there; of course, it might help if I actually listened to traditional radio rather than just internet radio... but I digress). Anyway, if you're burning to broadcast, Radio Free TriBeCa is where you want to be. And if you just want to listen? Well, they've got a 24/7 streaming Beatles station that works for me!

Labels: cool sites, music, pop culture

No, not the political Bob Marley kind of "Stand Up" but the entertaining comedy kind...

I was surfing over at this site called the Tribeca Network and checked out their comedy channel. I just randomly clicked on one of their "Latest Shows in Comedy" which happened to be jacquetta live... talk about getting lucky: this chick is funny! Check her out for yourself:


Hmm... I seem to be having trouble embedding the video. For now, just click on the jacquetta link above. Hopefully, I'll sort this out soon.

Labels: cool sites, humour, pop culture

Unsigned.com is a music site that I've talked about before (see "Indie Artists Unite"), but I consider it worthy of another post because it's growing fast.

I love almost all kinds of music (not so much a fan of country, but even I will admit to enjoying a little Patsy Cline once in a while). One of my favourite genres is industrial goth, in the style of Evanescence, Kidneythieves, Switchblade Symphony, Tapping the Vein, etc. So on this visit I was browsing Unsigned's industrial music section. Here are some of the bands that made the biggest impression on me:

Acid Void… I could totally imagine using them to create the soundtrack for one of my short films. Hmm, I wonder if they actually would?

Curiosity Valentine… Strange, but I like it. I particularly like the quote in their bio: Author Warren Ellis described Curi by saying, "She has a big, smoky, whisky-sharp voice: like Tom Waits if he were an angry 24-year-old woman preoccupied with Doom and Hate." (LMAO)

Eldest… A little too metal for me in the chorus, but otherwise I like both their sound and their message.

Papa Zombi… Gothic rap? Cool.

Syncro Nine Factor… Good balance of industrial, metal and alternative without being too much of any.

Violent Sleepers… Great sound, check out their lugubrious version of "People are Strange" (although their original stuff is actually better).

If you don't like industrial goth, try another category. Whether you're looking for Jazz, Trip-Hop, Hip-Hop, Punk, Funk (okay, they don't actually have a category for funk—yet—but I was in a beat poetry groove), Folk or World Artists... trust me, there's something there for everyone. And, like I said, there are more artists every time I visit. So check it out!

Labels: cool sites, music, pop culture

Well, I just spent the last 20 minutes watching "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, Chapter 1: Purple Death" thanks to ReelTime.com. Oh my, what delightfully cheesy story lines and what wonderfully bad acting. (I always knew that Captain Proton from "Star Trek: Voyager" was based on the old Flash Gordon, but I had never realized just how closely the one resembled the other.) And, oh my gawd, Queen Fria has Princess Leia hair. Or, technically, I guess that would be the other way around. Too fun!

I'm really quite excited by the ReelTime.com website. It's a DVD quality streaming video site offering movies and vintage television shows. Its content may be a little limited at the moment but it's growing. And it's cheap!!! Whether you buy a membership or opt for the pay per view route or just enjoy their free content (like the aforementioned cheesy Flash Gordon).

Now, you may be wondering why I'm touting watching movies on your computer when I recently questioned whether people really want to watch TV shows on their cell phones. Well, (a) the ReelTime website shows you how to hook your PC up to your TV so that you could actually stream the movies directly to your TV set, and (b) my computer monitor is actually larger than my TV and I have a love seat in my office, so watching a movie on my computer is a pretty enjoyable experience for me.

I'm kind of keen to check out the short films they have available (what a surprise ). Now I just have to decide whether to pay the whopping $0.49 up front, or get a membership first. Decisions, decisions.

Labels: cool sites, film, pop culture, tv

While trying to research whether the Washington Post has done a neologism contest recently (see my 2005 Neologism Contest post), I discovered this site called Mental Floss Magazine: Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix. They have a fairly recent post about neologisms, but they're ones that I've already seen. But I decided to have a browse around their blog and was quite delighted by their eclectic subject matter. I was ready to write a post based on the front page of their blog, "Not with a bang, but with a Winter"... where I would talk about the next wave of nuclear-based post-apocalyptic movies likely to come out of Hollywood based on that information, but decided to see if there was anything else I wanted to write about that was closer to my original subject.

That's when I noticed a post entitled "Weekend Word Wrap: Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies." As someone who has been called not only a Grammar Snob but a Grammar Nazi, I was mentally clapping my hands with glee. It was a "review" of "Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite," a book that the reviewer hasn't actually read yet but that he was eager to read. And so was I, until I read the reviews on Amazon.com. Now, I never judge a book entirely based on other people's reviews (or its cover... oh, I slay me), but when the bad reviews make more sense than the good reviews... well, it makes a grrl wary.

I have a feeling that I would fall into the author's category of Grammar Snobs. Which is rather laughable; I'm sooo not a Grammar Nazi OR Snob... as anybody who reads my blog can aver. I play fast and loose with the English language all the time, but I like to know the correct way of wording something so I can decide whether or not it suits me to write it the right way at that time. As R. Buckminster Fuller says, "If you know that I know how to say it all correctly (the exact meaning of which I have not yet learned) then I am entitled to say it all incorrectly."

Hmm, I feel like I should file this post under "malevolently well-informed."

Labels: books and literature, cool sites, language, writing

Well my body may be exhausted and my brain in a fog, but that foggy brain is still busy with the workshop in particular and film in general. About the workshop in particular, I've decided to re-shoot some of my footage even though I know I can't change it for the herland festival screening. But if I decide to submit it to other festivals, I want the new footage. (At some point in the next few days, I'll go into detail about what I'm re-shooting and why on my Film Blog.)

But the new footage will require additional editing and, after watching Brenda at work, I see what's possible but don't really know how to do it myself. It's definitely an art form that I would like to learn, but I certainly understand why people hire others to do the post production work for them (still being in post on my first two short films… *sigh*).

Anyway, a little internet browsing landed me on this site of a post production studio called MDFilms. It's a slick website and their demo reel is pretty cool, though I thought a few of the effects were a little cheesy (but who knows how much of that was the client). There were also a few really cool effects that made up for the aforementioned cheesy effects, so it balanced out overall.

At this point this is sort of just wishing and dreaming, since everything that I've made so far is pretty much no-budget (forget low-budget), so I'm kind of forced to do my own post production at this time. But oh how I'm looking forward to the day when I can just hand the footage off to somebody like MDFilms and not spend hours in the editing suite myself.

Labels: cool sites, film

I've been redesigning my business card recently, because I want one that encompasses more than just Writing, Research & Design (even though that was the genesis of the name WeiRDgrrl). So I came up with Creative Endeavours as the tagline on my generic business card. But I'm still deciding about the design. This is my old card (which I'm so sick of and don't like at all anymore):


And this is what I've got so far for the new one, but I'm still not sure. Is it too boring? Does it give too little information?


So of course I had to do a little research. I found this blog about free business cards that I thought might be helpful. It doesn't actually offer free business cards but it does point you to companies that do offer free business cards (though you have to pay a nominal shipping fee) and even goes so far to compare the companies, which is helpful. It also gives advice and opinions on different card formats and desings, which is particularly helpful (I haven't read it all yet, but I intend to). But what I liked best was the link to this guy's free business card templates blog. Especially since he's currently offering to build templates to your specifications because that will help him come up with some more business card ideas.

One minor suggestion: I wish that when you clicked on a category on the main site, it would list all of the articles in that category on one page. It does on the template blog, but not on the main one. Pity. Oh well, that's a pretty minor point which doesn't affect the content in any way, so I think I can live with it.

Labels: biz stuff, cool sites

I'm having way too much fun with that Eventful site and decided to add Sarah Slean to their database so I could create a demand for her to come back to Calgary. When I saw her here before, it was one of the most incredible concert experiences of my life. Her voice, her energy, her words, her music... I was transported. I would love to experience that again.

Sarah Slean

Do you want Sarah Slean
to perform in your city?

Labels: cool sites, music, pop culture

I've just discovered a new site for unsigned artists. Unsigned.com is dedicated to providing independent artists the best possible outlet to be heard globally on the Internet, as well as providing the artists with a new revenue and distribution model for their music.

Having recently had the "joys" of putting together a MySpace Filmmaker's site, I no longer think MySpace is the answer for any indie artists. It's so glitchy and has no real tech support that it drives me crazy most of the time, and I can't imagine it's much better if you're in the music area of MySpace.

Granted, Unsigned.com is still in Beta and I haven't tested it out, but anything's gotta be better than MySpace!

Labels: cool sites, music, pop culture

I just discovered this new site where you can request (or as they say "demand") that your favourite performers come to your city. So I entered a "demand" for Rachael Sage (since I discovered this on her MySpace page), even though I'm not sure she would ever venture this way. But hey, if you don't ask... right? So I started the demand, but it needs to reach a critical mass before they actually contact the performer. So if anyone else wants to make a demand for Rachael Sage to come to Calgary, please do so.

I am a little disappointed, however, that most of the codes on the Eventful site don't seem to work for me. So this is as interesting a "demand" image as I could muster:

Rachael Sage

Do you want Rachael Sage
to perform in your city?

For those of you who aren't familiar with Rachael Sage and her music, she's a New York City songstress whose music is an eclectic mix of literate folk-pop-rock with a variety of world music influences. Trust me, that description will make sense once you listen to her. One of my favourite tracks off one of my favourite albums of hers (Smashing the Serene) is "Bruises without Blue." Give it a listen and if you actually like it, then please help me drum up some demand!

Labels: cool sites, music, pop culture

I have a feeling that few people are going to get the reference in my title. And I know that a joke isn't funny if you have to explain it, but I like my title and explain it I will. Have you ever read anything by Helene Hanff? Or here's an easier question: ever heard of "84 Charing Cross Road"? If you've never read (or watched any version of) "84 Charing Cross Road," go read it now; it's brief, well written and life changing (for me anyway). Helene Hanff went on to write "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street" (starting to get the connection, right?) and "Q's Legacy" (that's not Q from Star Trek, boys and girls, that would be Sir Arthur Quiller Couch pseudonym "Q").

Now for the subject of my post, my cousin's yoga website: Bloom with Melissa. (Now it all falls into place, right?) I just saw it for the first time recently when we were discussing her wedding invitations and I really like the design. The photos rock and the rest of it is just clean and elegant; how apropos for a duchess... a duchess of bloom.

Yep, that's it. All I got. Hmm, you know you're a rambler when the subject of the post is shorter than the explanation of the title. Oh well.

Labels: books and literature, cool sites

I've just found the perfect present for the paranoid conspiracy theorists in my life: my mother, my cat Emma and, well... me: Conspiracy Carols.

Hide a special message (I opted for "Santa equals Satan"... I mean look at the letters, clearly one is just an anagram of the other; so which came first? Oops, digression went on a little too long, allow me to start again...) Hide a special message in a Christmas Carol and send it to those paranoid friends. Just what they need for the holiday season: a new conspiracy to solve. One size fits all. It's perfect!.

Labels: cool sites

I came across this website that sells fingerprint door locks... and yes, that's just like the futuristic sci-fi movie item that it sounds like. Forget the archaic notion of keys and stick out your finger to be scanned instead.

I was trying to decide what this reminded me of. James Bond? Maybe. Star Trek? Meh, I don't think so. Total Recall? Unfortunately, my "recollection" of that movie is iffy (sorry, I couldn't resist the bad pun). Gattaca? Oh, hey... I think that might be it. Just be glad that the lock only scans your fingerprint and doesn't take a sample of your blood.

To be honest, I'm not sure what I think about this type of security. I mean, it sounds cool but it also sends off little alarm bells in my head. Now maybe those little alarm bells belong to my inner Luddite, or maybe they have the ring of common sense or maybe I've just watched too many movies like Enemy of the State, turning me into a closet conspiracy theorist.

On the other hand, you would never have to worry about losing your keys... unless both your hands got cut off (don't worry; people have already informed me that I can be a little morbid at times).

So I'm curious, what do other people think about this product?

Labels: cool sites, cool stuff, film

I don't remember if I've mentioned this here or not, but I ended up sinking into a major Lupus flare after filming this summer (pretty much all of September was a write off). Before this summer, I was finally feeling as though I had found a balance between my health and my life. But now that I've added the film stuff into the mix, I feel like I'm back where I started when I had to leave vet school. I bring this up now because I've had a very hard day, weekend, week, month... and I kind of feel like I'm at a breaking point. I'm realizing how important it is to have the support of family and friends but, unfortunately—good intentions not withstanding—they don't always help (except Mandy!).

But I did stumble across this new website called OrganizedWisdom.com. It's a place for people to come and share their health stories. Not to whine and complain but to share what they've learned, whether it be some sort of medical treatment or an inspirational life lesson. So far, no one has written a Wisdom Card on Lupus... so I think maybe that's what I'm meant to do.

What about you? I bet you have a story to share. So here's my challenge to you: Help others by sharing one piece of health wisdom at OrganizedWisdom.com. Not only could you end up making someone else feel better, but I bet it'll make you feel pretty good, too.

Labels: cool sites, health

You may already be aware of this (I was but kind of forgot about it) but I've just rediscovered the Wayback Machine that lets you search through web pages that are no longer on the internet. To start surfing the Wayback, type in the web address of a site or page where you would like to start, and press enter. Then select from the archived dates available. It's perfect for those links that you click on only to get a 404 message and no amount of exploring the domain results in finding the missing page. Maybe it's just my inner geek speaking, but I think that's really cool! Go ahead, try it for yourself...

Labels: cool sites